Hong Kong: Tse Chin-wan to attend energy forum

Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan will depart for Xiamen this afternoon to attend the third Belt & Road Energy Partnership Forum, the Government announced.

Organised by the National Energy Administration, the forum themed Stepping towards High-quality Energy Development aims to study the impact of the global political and economic situation on energy development, the safeguarding of energy security and the co-operation for green energy transformation.

Mr Tse will return to Hong Kong on Thursday. During his absence, Under Secretary for Environment & Ecology Diane Wong will be Acting Secretary.

This story has been published on: 2023-05-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Gov. Glenn Youngkin is aiming at Democrats in legislative elections but hitting Republican candidates in contested GOP Senate primaries  and some of them are firing back.

Matt Strickland, who defied state restrictions on his Spotsylvania County restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic, publicly denounced the Republican governor on Monday for endorsing Del. Tara Durant, R-Stafford, in the June 20 primary election for the GOP nomination in the Fredericksburg area's new 27th Senate District.

Strickland, speaking to conservative talk show host John Fredericks in a radio broadcast, said the governor's Spirit of Virginia political action committee is part of the Republican establishment that took sides against him despite his support for Youngkin in his successful gubernatorial campaign in 2021.

"I'm fighting the war on two different fronts  fighting Democrats and fighting these establishment (Republicans in Name Only)," said the U.S. Army veteran, who called out Spirit of Virginia for its role.

"They're putting money into a Republican primary," Strickland said. "It's absolutely unheard of."

Democrats will choose their nominee in a June 20 primary between Joel Griffin and Ben Litchfield. Stafford County Supervisor Monica Gary also is running as an independent in the general election for the Senate seat in the 27th District, covering parts of Stafford, Spotsylvania and all of Fredericksburg.

Last week, Youngkin endorsed 19 Republican candidates for seats in the Senate and House of Delegates, including six in primary fights against fellow Republicans.

The governor's intervention also did not sit well with Hermie Sadler, a Southside businessman and former NASCAR driver who is vying with Del. Emily Brewer, R-Suffolk, for the Republican nomination for a Senate seat in southeastern Virginia.

Sadler already was unhappy with Youngkin after Spirit of Virginia pushed the Department of Elections to reverse a local GOP decision to hold a primary for the Republican nomination in the 17th Senate District instead of a party convention that may have favored Brewer, who is serving her third term in the House. A Richmond judge ruled in March in favor of former Suffolk GOP Chair Dawn Jones, who had alleged that Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares had tried to get the state to reverse the choice of a primary.

"I am disappointed that the governor decided to intervene, but not surprised," Sadler said Monday. "I have been not only running against my opponent but also against the entire Richmond establishment since I announced I was running. It began with all of them trying to strong-arm a convention in my race and it hasnt stopped."

The winner of the Republican primary will face Del. Clint Jenkins, D-Suffolk, in the general election.

Spirit of Virginia did not respond directly to Strickland or Sadler, but referred to the news release it issued on Thursday to announce the endorsements.

"I know this group of candidates  which includes experienced legislators, law enforcement officials, small business leaders and business executives are committed to making Virginia the best place in America to live, work and raise a family," Youngkin said in the announcement.

Durant, who was elected to the House with the Republican sweep of statewide offices in 2021, said she is committed to helping Youngkin deliver on the promises they both made during their campaigns.

"These seats are very critical for the governor to get a General Assembly he can work with," she said in a telephone interview.

In an email statement, Durant added, "The Youngkin administration is making real conservative reforms and Im proud to be a part of the team working to improve our commonwealth for families, seniors, small business, veterans, and law enforcement."

Brewer's campaign referred to her statement after receiving the governor's endorsement last week. "I am proud to have Governor Youngkin's endorsement because he knows I'm a battle tested conservative he can trust to deliver meaningful results for Virginia families and deliver the Virginia Senate to a Republican majority in November," she said at the time.

In addition to Durant and Brewer, Youngkin endorsed Republicans in four other contested primaries:

Del. Buddy Fowler, R-Hanover, in a three-way race with fellow Republicans Graven Craig and Phillip Strother in the 59th House District. The winner will face Democrat Rachel Levy in the general election in November.

Bill Woolf, who is running against fellow Republican Roberto Ruffalo for the nomination in the 30th Senate District, based in Prince William County, with the winner facing Del. Danica Roem, D-Prince William, in the fall.

John Stirrup, who is running against Joshua Joseph Quill in Prince William's 21st House District, with the winner facing Democrat Joshua Thomas in the general election.

Lee Peters, who is running against Michael Gene Kasey in the 65th House District, with the winner facing former Del. Joshua Cole, D-Fredericksburg.

Strickland faulted Youngkin for siding with his primary opponent after seeking and receiving his support in 2021 because of Strickland's highly public legal fight against then-Gov. Ralph Northam over COVID-19 restrictions at his Gourmeltz restaurant in Spotsylvania.

He alleged that Youngkin and Miyares helped the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to prosecute him for serving alcoholic beverages after ABC suspended his license for violating COVID-19 restrictions.

"It's not just the Democrats ruining the country," Strickland said on Monday. "It's also these Republicans who will not stand up and fight for you and me when we need them most."
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A group of local environmental organizations came together to clean up a portion of Wilson Creek in an effort described as epic.

The area of land that was cleaned was several acres of a 93-acre tract along the lower end of the creek that Duke Energy sold at a discounted rate to the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina for conservation, according to Grayson Barnette, marketing and communications coordinator for the land trust.

After inspecting the property, Foothills Conservancy discovered it had been used as a dumping site for years, and some areas had acquired significant amounts of trash, Barnette said.

The conservancy knew they would need some help in cleaning up the area, so they reached out to people they knew had the same mission to preserve local natural resources.

Foothills Conservancy has previously partnered and has a longstanding relationship with several local nonprofits, including A Clean Wilson Creek, Latinos Aventureros en las Carolinas, Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and Wild South, Barnette said. Foothills Conservancy and A Clean Wilson Creek have had a partnership to help clean sections of Wilson Creek and promote conservation in the region. FCNC has also partnered with Latinos Aventureros for group outings, tree plantings, trail building and other cleanups. Catawba Riverkeeper is a strong partner that we often collaborate with for river and watershed-related conservation projects. Wild South has worked to restore areas across FCNCs service area, and we have partnered with them in the past as well.

All of the groups turned out in force March 26 in a Herculean cleanup effort described by Wes Waugh, a member of A Clean Wilson Creek, on the groups Facebook page.

An estimated 13,840 pounds of debris and dumped tires were removed by a motivated gathering of folks, representing five regional nonprofit organizations, Waugh wrote. To be specific, there were 216 total tires removed, averaging 50 pounds (each, totaling) 10,800 pounds of just tires. This is nearly seven tons of trash removed from a wilderness area and a North Carolina National Wild and Scenic River in one day.

Representatives from the other groups that participated shared their thoughts on the effort:

I cant imagine better confirmation that Foothills is on the right track here. Were seeing a broad cross-section of the community coming together to help this project move forward. There will come a time in the future when these accomplishments are taken for granted, but the example these folks are setting is a story that needs to be told.Kevin Massey, executive director, Wild South

This was a great example of what can happen when nonprofits and the community unite to protect, restore and conserve the waters of the Catawba-Wateree River Basin. Without collaboration, Catawba Riverkeeper would not be able to effectively execute our mission. There is more work to be done but you couldnt ask for a better start!Grant Buckner, Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation

Im simply happy to see our communities coming together toward accomplishing the same goal. Wilson Creek is a special place for many of us. I saw unity, passion and love for each other and nature.Sandra Aguirre, founder of Latinos Aventureros

Both Barnette and Waugh said the groups will continue to make efforts to keep the area clean and educate visitors on how to preserve its natural beauty.

Every volunteer that attended the cleanup is a local to this area, and we all deeply care about the beautiful environment we live in, Barnette said. The most important aspect is cleaning the trash and spreading the word to our neighbors about why its important to respect the surrounding environment.

He explained how visitors to the area can help keep it clean.

You make a plan to take things with you, make a plan to keep up with the trash, Barnette said. One of the easiest ways to do so is just simply to buy trash bags for your trip. If you wouldnt want trash to be there whenever you arrive, why leave it for the next crowd? Its as simple as bringing back what you took with you. Our friends at A Clean Wilson Creek have helped provide infrastructure in the form of additional trash bins, dumpsters, and even providing trash bags.

For those who would like to get involved in the ongoing cleanup effort, there are a lot of opportunities.

All of the organizations are nonprofit groups currently seeking additional volunteers to help their respective missions, Barnette said. If youre interested in a diversity of environmentally related volunteer opportunities, Foothills Conservancy can help. If you want to clean Wilson Creek specifically, A Clean Wilson Creek is the best organization to help. If youd like to help with water conservation across the entire Catawba River basin, Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation is the place for you.

He said A Clean Wilson Creek will continue to hold cleanup events in the area, and that the Foothills Conservancy looks forward to partnering on future efforts in that respect.

Waugh is excited about the results of the massive cleanup and the power of collaboration in creating positive change moving forward.

Now, we collectively get to work on addressing the issues that created this mess over decades, Waugh said. No easy task, but removing seven tons (of trash) in one day wasnt easy either. When unified, we can accomplish almost anything. In several years, we anticipate this area is going to be a clean and beautiful addition to the outdoor recreational public land available in western North Carolina.
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Editor's Note The following is an open letter to the McDowell County community from Emergency Services Director William Kehler.

This week, we will celebrate National EMS Week, a time to recognize and thank the dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to keep us safe in times of emergency. The McDowell EMS System consists of professionals from various agencies including 911, EMS, local fire departments, rescue and law enforcement. We are all working together daily to ensure the citizens and visitors of McDowell County receive world-class emergency care.

EMS professionals are an integral part of our health care system, providing essential services that save lives and improve outcomes. They are the first line of defense in emergency situations, providing vital care and support to patients and families in need. They often work in high-stress, high-pressure environments, where quick thinking and decisive action can make the difference between life and death.

This week, we pause to take time to honor and thank the EMS professionals and all first responders in our community for their unwavering commitment to public safety. We recognize their dedication, courage and selflessness in the face of danger, and we express our gratitude for their tireless efforts to keep us safe.

The McDowell EMS System was established in 1977 and since that time has been recognized across North Carolina and the Southeast as a leader in rural prehospital emergency care. EMS professionals are highly trained and skilled individuals who work in a variety of roles, from emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to paramedics, dispatchers, and first responders. They are experts in emergency care, with specialized knowledge and skills to assess, diagnose and treat a wide range of medical conditions and injuries.

I also want to take this time to recognize the families of emergency personnel, who support and encourage their loved ones as they work to keep our community safe. I know that being in EMS or another emergency agency is not just a job, but a calling, and I appreciate the sacrifices that families make to support their loved ones in this important work.

In conclusion, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to each EMS provider and first responder in our community. Your dedication, skill, and compassion make a difference every day, and I am grateful for your service. The sacrifices you make to keep the community safe doesnt go unnoticed, and we honor your commitment to public health and safety. Its an honor and privilege to get to work alongside you to care for those in need.

William Kehler

Director, McDowell County Emergency Services
Nigers authorities with the help of the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched a vaccination campaign against meningitis after the disease killed so far this year 102 people, most in the Zinder region near the Nigerian border.

The country, according to the ministry of Health, recorded 1,810 cases with Zinder region being the worst affected with 1,470 cases and 84 fatalities. The week-long campaign in Zinder (May 17-25) targets 380,000 people. The WHO in February raised the alarm about likely international outbreak as the Nigerian border state of Jigawa is juggling with a meningitis outbreak.

In addition, the simultaneous occurrence of other epidemics, insecurity, and population displacement, all in the context of a prolonged humanitarian crisis, are likely to contribute to the spread of the outbreak to other countries in the West African subregion, the Geneva-based organization says.
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:

Sisters Angelica Lyons, left, and Ansonia Lyons pose for a portrait at their parents' home in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. As a public health instructor, Angelica taught college students about racial health disparities, including the fact that Black women in the U.S. are nearly three times more likely to die during pregnancy or delivery than any other race. Then, in 2019, it nearly happened to her. Ansonia also had several difficulties when she became pregnant in 2020. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Angelica Lyons knew it was dangerous for Black women to give birth in America.

As a public health instructor, she taught college students about racial health disparities, including the fact that Black women in the U.S. are nearly three times more likely to die during pregnancy or delivery than any other race. Her home state of Alabama has the third-highest maternal mortality rate in the nation.

Then, in 2019, it nearly happened to her.

What should have been a joyous first pregnancy quickly turned into a nightmare when she began to suffer debilitating stomach pain.

Her pleas for help were shrugged off, she said, and she was repeatedly sent home from the hospital. Doctors and nurses told her she was suffering from normal contractions, she said, even as her abdominal pain worsened and she began to vomit bile. Angelica said she wasn't taken seriously until a searing pain rocketed throughout her body and her baby's heart rate plummeted.

Rushed into the operating room for an emergency cesarean section, months before her due date, she nearly died of an undiagnosed case of sepsis.

Even more disheartening: Angelica worked at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the university affiliated with the hospital that treated her.

Her experience is a reflection of the medical racism, bias and inattentive care that Black Americans endure. Black women have the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States69.9 per 100,000 live births for 2021, almost three times the rate for white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Black babies are more likely to die, and also far more likely to be born prematurely, setting the stage for health issues that could follow them through their lives.

"Race plays a huge part, especially in the South, in terms of how you're treated," Angelica said, and the effects are catastrophic. "People are dying."

To be Black anywhere in America is to experience higher rates of chronic ailments like asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's and, most recently, COVID-19. Black Americans have less access to adequate medical care; their life expectancy is shorter.

From birth to death, regardless of wealth or social standing, they are far more likely to get sick and die from common ailments.

Black Americans' health issues have long been ascribed to genetics or behavior, when in actuality, an array of circumstances linked to racismamong them, restrictions on where people could live and historical lack of access to careplay major roles.

Angelica Lyons tears up while recalling her birthing experience during an interview in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. In 2019, she suffered weeks of debilitating stomach pain. Her pleas for help were shrugged off, she said, and she was repeatedly sent home from the hospital. Rushed to the hospital for an emergency cesarean section, months before her due date, she nearly died of an undiagnosed case of sepsis. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Discrimination and bias in hospital settings have been disastrous.

The nation's health disparities have had a tragic impact: Over the past two decades, the higher mortality rate among Black Americans resulted in 1.6 million excess deaths compared to white Americans. That higher mortality rate resulted in a cumulative loss of more than 80 million years of life due to people dying young and billions of dollars in health care and lost opportunity.

A yearlong Associated Press project found that the health challenges Black Americans endure often begin before their first breath.

The AP conducted dozens of interviews with doctors, medical professionals, advocates, historians and researchers who detailed how a history of racism that began during the foundational years of America led to the disparities seen today.

___

Angelica Lyons' pregnancy troubles began during her first trimester, with nausea and severe acid reflux. She was prescribed medication that helped alleviate her symptoms but it also caused severe constipation.

In the last week of October 2019, while she was giving her students a test, her stomach started to hurt badly.

"I remember talking to a couple of my students and they said, 'You don't look good, Ms. Lyons,'" Angelica recalled.

She called the University of Alabama-Birmingham Hospital's labor and delivery unit to tell them she was having a hard time using the bathroom and her stomach was hurting. A woman who answered the phone told her it was a common pregnancy issue, Angelica said, and that she shouldn't worry too much.

"She made me feel like my concern wasn't important, and because this was my first pregnancy, I decided not to go because I wasn't sure and thought maybe I was overreacting," Angelica said.

The pain persisted. She went to the hospital a few days later and was admitted.

She had an enemaa procedure where fluids are used to cleanse or stimulate the emptying of bowelsto alleviate her constipation, but Angelica continued to plead with them that she was in pain.

"They were like, 'Oh, it's nothing, it's just the Braxton Hicks contractions,'" she said. "They just ignored me."

Angelica Lyons carries her son while her younger sister, Ansonia Lyons, finishes a snack in the background, in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. For Angelica, the day she delivered remains a blur. She would later learn that she nearly died and was placed on a ventilator. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

She was sent home but her stomach continued to ache, so she went back to the hospital a day later. Several tests, including MRIs, couldn't find the source of the issue.

Angelica was eventually moved to the labor and delivery floor of the hospital so they could monitor her son's heartbeat, which had dropped slightly. There, they performed another enema that finally helped with the pain. She also was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a dangerous condition that can cause severe pregnancy complications or death.

Then she began to vomit what appeared to be bile.

"I got worse and worse with the pain and I kept telling them, 'Hey, I'm in pain,'" Angelica said. "They'd say, 'Oh, you want some Tylenol?' But it wasn't helping."

She struggled to eat dinner that night. When she stood up to go to the bathroom, she felt a sharp pain ricochet throughout her body.

"I started hollering because I had no idea what was going on," she said. "I told my sister I was in so much pain and to please call the nurse."

What happened next remains a blur. Angelica recalls the chaos of hospital staff rushing her to labor and delivery, putting up a blue sheet to prepare her for an emergency C-section as her family and ex-husband tried to understand what went wrong.

She later learned that she nearly died.

"I was on life support," recalled Angelica, 34. "I coded."

She woke up three days later, unable to talk because of a ventilator in her mouth. She remembers gesturing wildly to her mother, asking where her son, Malik, was.

He was OK. But Angelica felt so much had been taken from her. She never got to experience those first moments of joy of having her newborn placed on her chest. She didn't even know what her son looked like.

Maternal sepsis is a leading cause of maternal mortality in America. Black women are twice as likely to develop severe maternal sepsis, as compared to their white counterparts. Common symptoms can include fever or pain in the area of infection. Sepsis can develop quickly, so a timely response is crucial.

Sepsis in its early stages can mirror common pregnancy symptoms, so it can be hard to diagnose. Due to a lack of training, some medical providers don't know what to look for. But slow or missed diagnoses are also the result of bias, structural racism in medicine and inattentive care that leads to patients, particularly Black women, not being heard.

Angelica Lyons secures her 2-year old son, Malik Lyons-Law, into his child car seat while her sister, Ansonia Lyons, prepares to ride with her after their breakfast outing to celebrate their father's birthday, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Birmingham, Ala. Both sisters delivered via C-sections. Cesarean delivery rates are higher for Black women than white women, 35.9% and 30.7%, respectively, in 2019. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

"The way structural racism can play out in this particular disease is not being taken seriously," said Dr. Laura Riley, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. "We know that delay in diagnosis is what leads to these really bad outcomes."

In the days and weeks that followed, Angelica demanded explanations from the medical staff of what happened. But she felt the answers she received on how it occurred were sparse and confusing.

A spokesperson for the University of Alabama at Birmingham said in a statement to The Associated Press that they couldn't talk about Angelica's case because of patient privacy laws. They pointed to a recent internal survey done by its Obstetrics and Gynecology department that showed that most of its patients are satisfied with their care and "are largely feeling respected," and said the university and hospital "maintain intentional, proactive efforts in addressing health disparities and maternal mortality."

Angelica's son, Malik, was born eight weeks early, weighing under 5 pounds. He spent a month in intensive care. He received home visits through the first year of life to monitor his growth.

While he's now a curious and vivacious 3-year-old who loves to explore the world around him, Angelica recalls those days in the ICU, and she feels guilty because she could not be with him.

"It's scary to know I could have died, that we could have died," Lyons said, wiping away tears. ___

For decades, frustrated birth advocates and medical professionals have tried to sound an alarm about the ways medicine has failed Black women. Historians trace that maltreatment to racist medical practices that Black people endured amid and after slavery.

To fully understand maternal mortality and infant mortality crises for Black women and babies, the nation must first reckon with the dark history of how gynecology began, said Deirdre Cooper Owens, a historian and author.

"The history of this particular medical branch  it begins on a slave farm in Alabama," Owens said. "The advancement of obstetrics and gynecology had such an intimate relationship with slavery, and was literally built on the wounds of Black women."

Reproductive surgeries that were experimental at the time, like cesarean sections, were commonly performed on enslaved Black women.

Physicians like the once-heralded J. Marion Sims, an Alabama doctor many call the "father of gynecology," performed torturous surgical experiments on enslaved Black women in the 1840s without anesthesia.

And well after the abolition of slavery, hospitals performed unnecessary hysterectomies on Black women, and eugenics programs sterilized them.

Health care segregation also played a major role in the racial health gap still experienced today.

Ansonia Lyons, left, finishes a snack while her mother, Shelonda Lyons, takes care of her son, Adrien Lyons, as her nephew, Malik Lyons-Law, plays in the kitchen in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. After two miscarriages, Ansonia became pregnant in 2020, and it was difficult. Doctors initially told her she was suffering from regular morning sickness, though she was vomiting blood. Ultimately, she was eventually diagnosed with an excessive vomiting disorder, hyperemesis gravidarum, and was extremely dehydrated. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Until Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Black families were mostly barred from well-funded white hospitals and often received limited, poor or inhumane medical treatment. Black-led clinics and doctors worked to fill in the gaps, but even after the new protections, hospitals once reserved for Black families remained under-resourced, and Black women didn't get the same support regularly available for white women.

That history of abuse and neglect led to deep-rooted distrust of health care institutions among communities of color.

"We have to recognize that it's not about just some racist people or a few bad actors," said Rana A. Hogarth, an associate professor of History at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. "People need to stop thinking about things like slavery and racism as just these features that happened that are part of the contours of history and maybe think of them more as foundational and institutions that have been with us every step of the way."

Some health care providers still hold false beliefs about biological differences between Black and white people, such as Black people having "less sensitive nerve endings, thicker skin, and stronger bones." Those beliefs have caused medical providers today to rate Black patients' pain lower, and recommend less relief.

The differences exist regardless of education or income level. Black women who have a college education or higher have a pregnancy-related mortality rate that is more than five times higher than that of white women. Notably, the pregnancy-related mortality rate for Black women with a college education is 1.6. times higher than that of white women with less than a high school degree.

In Angelica Lyons' home state of Alabama, about 40 mothers die within one year after delivery. The toll on Black mothers is disproportionate.

The state's infant mortality rate for 2021 was 7.6 deaths per 1,000 live births. The disparities between Black and white babies is stark: The infant mortality rate in 2021 for white mothers was 5.8, while the infant mortality rate for Black mothers was 12.1, an increase from 10.9 from the prior year.

Black babies account for just 29% of births in Alabama, yet nearly 47% of infant deaths.

A 2020 report by the Alabama Maternal Mortality Review Committee found that more than 55% of 80 pregnancy-related deaths that they reviewed in 2016 and 2017 could have been prevented.

Alabama launched its Maternal Mortality Review Committee in 2018 to investigate maternal deaths. But Dr. Scott Harris, Alabama's Department of Public Health State Health Officer, said work remains to collect a fuller picture of why the disparities exist.

"We certainly know that from national numbers as well that Black women have worse maternal outcomes at every income level, which is pretty startling," said Dr. Harris. "Age matters and just overall ZIP code matters. Unfortunately, where people live, where these children are born, is strongly associated with infant mortality. I think we'll see something similar for maternal outcomes."

And concerns about access and barriers to care remain.

In Alabama, 37% of counties are maternity care desertsmore than 240,000 women live in counties with no or little care. About 39% of counties don't have a single obstetric provider.

Ansonia Lyons spends time with her son, Adrien Lyons, in the television room of her parents' home in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. Adrien was due in July 2021, but he was born at the end of May. He spent his first five days in the intensive care unit, then was hospitalized for another two weeks for some early breathing problems. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Alabama is not alone in this. More than 2.2 million American women of childbearing age live in maternity care deserts, and another 4.8 million such women reside in counties with limited access to maternity care.

Angelica Lyons said she wanted to seek maternal care at another hospital but the University of Alabama was the only one near her home equipped to handle her high-risk pregnancy, which included high blood pressure near the beginning.

Dr. Harris acknowledged the lack of access to care is a barrier for Black women who live in the state's rural areas. Much of the state's public health efforts are targeted along the rural Black Belt, which gets its name from the rich soil but it was also a region where many plantations were clustered.

Centuries later, the Black Belt continues to be a high-poverty region with a large Black population. More than half of the nation's Black population lives in the South.

"We've talked a lot about structural racism and the impact of that on African American women and how it has no place in society," Harris said. "I think we have to publicly call it what it is."

___

Angelica Lyons' traumatic birth experience was not the only one in her family. After two miscarriages, her younger sister, Ansonia, became pregnant in 2020, and it was difficult.

Doctors told her she was suffering from regular morning sickness, though she was vomiting blood.

She was eventually diagnosed with an excessive vomiting disorder, hyperemesis gravidarum, and was extremely dehydrated. Ansonia spent months in and out of the same hospital where her sister had been treated.

"They said, 'Welcome to the pregnancy, sweetheart. This is what pregnancy is,'" Ansonia, 30, recalled. "I told her, 'No, this is not normal for me to be throwing up 10 to 20 times a day.' My own primary care wasn't listening to me."

Ansonia said throughout her pregnancy she encountered hospital staff that made stereotypical jokes, calling her child's father her "baby daddy," a trope often lobbed at Black parents.

"She said, 'So, your baby daddy, where does he work?'" Ansonia recalled. "I said, 'I don't know what a baby daddy is but the father of my child is at work.' She asked where he worked and I told her he had two businesses and she acted like she was surprised."

Ansonia said staff assumed she didn't have any health insurance, when she had insurance through her employer.

Shelonda Lyons looks after her grandchildren, Malik Lyons-Law, center, and Adrien Lyons, on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, in Birmingham, Ala. Shelonda always taught both her daughters the bitter truth of racism, hoping it would prepare them to navigate life growing up in Birmingham, the Deep South city known for its place in civil rights history. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Ansonia has Type 2 diabetes and had issues with her blood pressure and heart throughout the pregnancy. She started to see a cardiologist and by the time she was 21 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. She was placed on a medley of medications, and her doctors decided to deliver the baby early via C-section.

Ansonia was scared, given everything she witnessed her sister go through nearly two years prior.

"There were several times I told my boyfriend that I thought that I was going to die," she said.

The C-section went well. Ansonia's son, Adrien, was due in July 2021 but he was born at the end of May.

He spent his first five days in the intensive care unit, then was hospitalized for another two weeks for some early breathing problems.

Cesarean delivery rates are higher for Black women than white women, 36.8% and 31%, respectively, in 2021.

Problems continued for Ansonia after the delivery. She ended up needing a blood transfusion and was unable to see her son for his first few days of life.

A few months postpartum, she was still vomiting and having fainting spells that led to her being admitted to the hospital off and on. Her arms suffered from bruising from needles used to treat her throughout the pregnancy. She had always been slow to heal from any bruising, a common problem for diabetics.

Yet a doctor who had been involved throughout her entire pregnancy questioned why she had bruises on her arms and asked if she "smoked weed" or took any other recreational drugs. The hospital declined to comment, citing patient privacy laws.

"I said, 'This is from me being stuck so many times and having to be in the hospital.' I told him I don't do any drugs," she said.

He still sent her blood work off to be tested. The tests came back negative.

"That just made me not trust them, it made me not want to go back," she said.

___

Ansonia Lyons carries her son, Adrien Lyons, as she takes him for a diaper change in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022. Black babies are more likely to die, and also far more likely to be born prematurely, like Adrien, setting the stage for health issues that could follow them through their lives. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

There are indications that the sufferings of Black mothers and their babies are being recognized, however late.

In 2019, U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, an Illinois Democrat, and Rep. Alma Adams, a North Carolina Democrat, launched the Black Maternal Health Caucus. It is now one of the largest bipartisan congressional caucuses. The caucus introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act in 2019 and again in 2021, proposing sweeping changes that would increase funding and strengthen oversight. Key parts of the legislation have been adopted but the bill itself has yet to be approved.

President Joe Biden's budget for fiscal year 2024 includes $471 million in funding to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity rates, expand maternal health initiatives in rural communities, and implicit bias training and other initiatives. It also requires states to provide continuous Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum, to eliminate gaps in health insurance. It also includes $1.9 billion in funding for women and child health programs.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra told The Associated Press more must be done at all levels of government to root out racism and bias within health care.

"We know that if we provide access to care for mother and baby for a full year, that we probably help produce not just good health results, but a promising future for mom and baby moving forward," he said.

___

Shelonda Lyons always taught both her daughters the bitter truth of racism, hoping it would prepare them to navigate life growing up in Birmingham, the Deep South city known for its place in civil rights history.

"When we were young, she was showing us those images of all the Black people being hung, being burned on the trees," Angelica said, pointing to a book that remains on the family's coffee table. "She wanted us to understand it, to know where we lived and that racism was something that we might have to deal with."

But Shelonda never could have prepared for the treatment her daughters endured during their pregnancies. She remembers feeling helpless and angry.

"It's like a slap in the face to me because at what point do you realize that you're dealing with human beings? That it doesn't matter what color they are," she said, adding that now she worries any time they or her grandsons need to go to the doctor. "I don't have a lot of trust."

Angelica underwent two surgeries in the weeks that followed her C-section to repair internal damage and address her infection. She had to wear a colostomy bag for several months until she healed.

More than three years later, her stomach remains disfigured.

"I love my child, I love him all the same but this isn't the body I was born with," she said. "This is the body that they caused from them not paying attention to me, not listening to me."

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Daily temperature in 4 Brazilian cities, 20152019. Periodic cubic spline models are fit to the data for Manaus, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo to develop mean seasonal temperature models. Credit: PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010839

The transmission potential of Zika or dengue in Brazil may increase by 10% to 20% in the next 30 years due to warming temperatures linked to climate change, according to University of Michigan researchers.

Their study, which investigated four separate regions of Brazil and was published in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, found that the transmission seasons will also lengthen by about two months per year, with increasing potential for seasonal outbreaks, even in the cooler regions of the country.

"We can expect Zika and other arboviruses to become more of a challenge in Brazil and other countries, like Colombia and Venezuela, as climate change contributes to warming temperatures," said epidemiologist Andrew Brouwer, assistant research scientist at the School of Public Health.

Transmission potential is measured by a concept known as the basic reproduction number or R 0 . For Zika, it means estimating the number of new cases that mosquitoes would cause in a susceptible population after biting a single infected person.

"The average R 0 in Manaus, for example, is about 2.3 now, and we expect that to increase to about 2.5 by 2050. Although that may not sound like a huge increase, it can quickly add up over transmission chains and lead to larger, faster outbreaks," Brouwer said.

Brouwer, along with public health doctoral student Hannah Van Wyk and Joseph Eisenberg, professor of epidemiology, examined the potential impacts of climate change across various climates and selected four cities from diverse climatic regions of Brazil.

All are at approximately sea level and within the suitable elevation range for an abundance of Aedes Aegypti, or yellow fever mosquitoes, which spread Zika, dengue, yellow fever and other viruses:

Manaus, a city in the Amazon Rainforest with a tropical rainforest climate

Recife, an Atlantic coastal city with a tropical monsoon climate

Rio de Janeiro, an Atlantic coastal city with a tropical savanna climate

Sao Paulo, a southern city with a humid subtropical climate

To measure Zika's epidemic potential, researchers obtained historical temperature data for 2015-2019 and projections for 2045-2049. They used a predictive model that accounted for how the mosquito's biting rates, the eggs they laid, the probability of adult survival and mortality rate, and the incubation period depend on temperature.

"Mathematical modeling allows us to simultaneously examine the impact of multiple temperature-dependent vector characteristics on disease risk," Van Wyk said.

Their results suggest that the epidemic potential of Zika will increase beyond current levels in Brazil in all of the climate scenarios. For example, the arbovirus risk season for Rio de Janeiro will increase by about 2-3 months by 2045-2049, and the Zika risk seasons in Recife will increase by roughly two months. With cooler temperatures, Sao Paulo today lies on the borderline of transmission potential but may become more vulnerable to outbreaks from November to April, the researchers say.

The projections for Manaus are different from the other three cities. For example, risk is relatively consistent year round, with a small increase in the slightly hotter months of August through November. But using the temperature-dependent transmission model, researchers estimate that in some years the region will see temperatures too hot for mosquitoes to transmit Zika optimally and experience a decrease in risk.

However, such decreases in risk are not certain. Optimal Zika transmission occurs when mean daily temperatures are around 30C, but outbreaks are still possible up to about 35C.

"We had expected that Manaus might experience an overall reduction in risk in 30 years, but we found that average risk is likely to increase across the board," Brouwer said. "We would expect to see decreases in risk only at the hottest times of year and only in the more severe climate change scenarios."

For the researchers, climate forecasts connected with transmission models provide a source of evidence to guide future planning to mitigate health impacts due to climate change. In addition, local and national health departments can leverage these sources in preparing for increases in transmission pressure due to climatic warming.

"Our recommendations are to consider warming temperatures when planning for prevention and early detection of outbreaks," Brouwer said. "Also, to prepare Zika surveillance systems for extended transmission seasons. Greater flexibility and adaptability of arbovirus response and prevention may be necessary to accommodate spatial and temporal heterogeneity in risk projections, especially in a country with as much climatic diversity as Brazil."

More information: Hannah Van Wyk et al, Long-term projections of the impacts of warming temperatures on Zika and dengue risk in four Brazilian cities using a temperature-dependent basic reproduction number, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2023). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010839 Journal information: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
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Map of California illustrating the locations of jurisdictions that have enacted partial and comprehensive FTSRs Credit: University of California, Irvine

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine found that residents of jurisdictions with a comprehensive sales ban have a 30% reduced odds of using flavored tobacco relative to those living in a jurisdiction without a ban. In contrast, lower use was not observed for residents of jurisdictions that enacted a partial sales ban.

Experts expect that recent passage of Prop 31, which upheld a 2020 state law to prohibit retail sales of certain flavored tobacco products, will lead to an even greater decline in use of flavored tobacco across the state.

In a paper published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, corresponding author David Timberlake, Ph.D., associate professor of population health and disease prevention with UCI's Program in Public Health, showed that local sales bans of flavored tobacco over the last few years in California may be working.

The burden of disease and death from tobacco use in the United States is overwhelmingly caused by smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products. On top of that burden is the danger of flavored tobacco products, which are particularly appealing to young people who are more likely to experiment with them and become regular users. This habit could lead to a lifetime of addiction and long-term health problems, which is why many jurisdictions throughout California are adopting their own tobacco regulatory policies to protect their communities.

"The drawback of having differing sales restrictions is a patchwork of local policies where someone who can't buy flavored tobacco in their town can just cross a city line to buy it in a town that does allow it," Timberlake said. "Our study is one of very few that study flavored tobacco use in banned jurisdictions compared to non-banned jurisdictions. Fortunately, California has taken a strong step forward by upholding Senate Bill (SB) 793 this past November to prohibit in-person retailers and vending machines from selling most flavored tobacco products," said co-author, Denise Payan, Ph.D., UCI assistant professor of health, society, and behavior. "This will close the gap from the patchwork of local policies and eliminate most partial exemptions."

Future research is needed to examine the impact of the new statewide policy ban on flavored tobacco products on individual behavior choices. The variability in the strength of associations of comprehensive and partial bans needs to be examined elsewhere to help influence future policy implementation across the country. Researchers state that these policies have the power to lessen and even stop tobacco use being the leading causes of preventable death and disease worldwide.

More information: David S. Timberlake et al, Variation in adults' use of flavored tobacco products by sales restrictions in California jurisdictions, International Journal of Drug Policy (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104041 Journal information: International Journal of Drug Policy
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HPLC analysis of dark-adapted and light-adapted heterozygous D477G KI mice showed similar levels of chromophore in eyes that received AAV-RPE65 or PBS or were uninjected, whereas recovery of 11-cis retinal at 2 h post bleaching was significantly increased only in eyes that received AAV-RPE65. (A) 11-cis retinal and (B) all-trans retinal, quantified as the sum of syn- and anti-retinal oximes, in eyes from mice at 68 months postinjection and uninjected controls that were dark-adapted, bleached, and recovered in the dark for 2 or 4 h. AAV-RPE65, filled yellow bars; uninjected, open bars (n = 5). PBS injected, filled gray bars; uninjected, open bars (n = 7). (C) Representative HPLC chromatograms. *p = 0.013, **p = 0.003. 11cRAL OX, 11-cis-retinal oxime; atRAL OX, all-trans-retinal oxime; BL, bleached; DA, dark-adapted; HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatography; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline; Rec, recovered. Credit: Human Gene Therapy (2023). DOI: 10.1089/hum.2022.240

A new study shows that total RPE65 protein levels in mice with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa were doubled following subretinal delivery of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-RPE65 gene supplementation. The study is published in Human Gene Therapy.

Debra Thompson, from the University of Michigan Medical School, and coauthors, assessed gene supplementation in mice with a monoallelic mutation encoding a rare D477G RPE65 variant (D477G KI mice). Total RPE65 protein levels are decreased in heterozygous D477G KI mice. After treatment, recombinant RPE65 localized specifically to the retinal pigment epithelium and was stable for at least 6 months post-injection.

In addition, report the investigators, "rates of recovery of the chromophore 11-cis retinal after bleaching were significantly increased in eyes that received AAV-RPE65, consistent with increased RPE65 isomerase activity." They add, "It remains of significant interest to determine whether increase RPE65 expression can reduce the disease burden associated with D477G RPE65."

"While patients with inherited retinal dystrophy due to RPE65 deficiency can benefit from the FDA approved gene therapy, it has been very unclear whether patients with autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa due to the D477G RPE65 mutation could be treated in a similar way," says Editor-in-Chief Terence R. Flotte, MD, Celia and Isaac Haidak Professor of Medical Education and Dean, Provost, and Executive Deputy Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.

"This study provides important initial proof-of-principle data in support of gene supplementation as a treatment for patients with this mutation."

More information: Kecia L. Feathers et al, Gene Supplementation in Mice Heterozygous for the D477G RPE65 Variant Implicated in Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa, Human Gene Therapy (2023). DOI: 10.1089/hum.2022.240 Journal information: Human Gene Therapy
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Credit: Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2022.7762

A new review article published in the Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences offers valuable insights into the multi-organ system damage caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The article, titled "SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Multi-Organ System Damage: A Review," is authored by Ali A. Rabaan of the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Saudi Arabia, and Ebtesam Al-Suhaimi of the Biology Department, College of Science and Institute for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Saudi Arabia.

The authors provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on multiple organ systems, including respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, renal, nervous, endocrine, reproductive, immune, and parts of the integumentary system. They emphasize that although the respiratory system is most affected, the virus can spread hematogenously and infect various organs, causing severe and long-term complications even after the disease has ended.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the complex and multifaceted nature of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Our review highlights the need for a more in-depth understanding of the wide-ranging impact of the virus on the human body," said Ali A. Rabaan.

The authors also point out the importance of redesigning diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to address organ-specific damage caused by the virus. They note the increased risk of COVID-19 complications in older adults and those with preexisting conditions.

Ebtesam Al-Suhaimi stated, "By comprehensively examining the latest research on the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on multiple organs and systems, our study aims to contribute to improved disease surveillance, transmission prevention, and management of multi-organ-system complications."

The review also emphasizes the significance of understanding the range of atypical COVID-19 symptoms to improve disease surveillance, limit transmission, and avoid additional multi-organ-system problems.

In conclusion, the review article provides critical knowledge for medical professionals, researchers, and public health officials worldwide, as they continue to battle COVID-19 and its far-reaching consequences.

More information: Ali A. Rabaan et al, SARSCoV2 infection and multi-organ system damage: a review, Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2022.7762
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The workflow of the analyses performed in this study. Credit: SIBET

A research team from the Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology (SIBET) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with researchers from the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, has proposed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based automatic diagnosis model for central nervous system (CNS) tumors.

The study was published in Brain Pathology.

More that 308,102 new cases of CNS tumors were diagnosed worldwide in 2020, and about 251,329 ended up with cancer-related deaths. Astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, and intracranial germinoma (IG) are three of the most common CNS tumors.

"Their treatment strategy and prognosis vary greatly," said Shi Liting, first author of the study. "Misdiagnosis leads to unnecessary resection of IG, which may disrupt the balance between different neurological functions and the extent of craniocerebral resection, as well as insufficient removal of astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma, which may increase the risk of recurrence."

Accurate diagnosis of IG, oligodendroglioma, and astrocytoma has been mainly based on three types of examinations: intraoperative frozen section (IFS) pathological examination, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining pathological examination, and molecular detection.

Intraoperative and postoperative treatment plans for astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, and IG mainly rely on the pathological diagnosis using IFS and HE in clinical practice.

However, due to the similarity in cellular morphology among these three types of intracranial tumors, even experienced pathologists cannot accurately differentiate the three tumors solely based on IFS and HE staining alone, with an accuracy of only 54.6%-69.7% and 53.5%-83.7%, respectively.

The chord diagrams show the corrective effect of AI assistance for pathologists. The left and right sides of the circle represent the diagnosis without and with AI assistance. The orange and blue rings represent the incorrectly and correctly diagnosed patients that were included in the false and true groups, respectively; the connecting bands between the left side and the right side represent patients moving from one group to the other group with AI assistance. Credit: SIBET

Based on deep learning methods, Gao Xin, lead researcher of the study, together with his team, used transfer learning strategies and weakly supervised learning to construct an image patch diagnostic model that accurately calculates the tumor probabilities of image patches and achieves quantitative interpretation of tissue pathology slides.

The model adopts intelligent computational framework to perform fully automated analysis of digital IFS and HE whole slide imaging (WSI). The study included a total of 379 patients from three Chinese hospitals and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) public dataset, with 500 IFS WSIs and 832 HE WSIs.

Results showed that the proposed IFS and HE models achieved internal validation accuracies of 93.9% and 95.3%, respectively, and external validation accuracies of 82.0% and 76.9%, respectively.

The researchers also integrated the diagnostic results of all image patches into WSI-level diagnostic probability maps, which can assist pathologists in pathological diagnosis.

In addition, the team innovatively used the diagnostic probabilities of the model to predict the positive cell area of Ki-67, a widely used tumor marker, thereby bridging the gap between cellular structural images and protein expression levels.

The proposed models could predict the positive cell area of Ki-67, with coefficient of determination (R-squared, R2) values of 0.81 and 0.86, respectively, according to the researchers.

This study explores and validates the clinical application potential of artificial intelligence technology. "The models can assist clinical doctors in providing optimal and timely treatment choices for patients, thus providing new theoretical basis and methods for improving the current status of brain tumor diagnosis and treatment," said Gao Xin.

More information: Liting Shi et al, Contribution of whole slide imagingbased deep learning in the assessment of intraoperative and postoperative sections in neuropathology, Brain Pathology (2023). DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13160
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Photographs of mother and daughter, Constance and Jessica Guthrie, decorate a bedroom, in Fredericksburg, Va., on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. While some risk factors for Alzheimers may differ by race, the large disparities among racial groups cant be explained just by genetics. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Constance Guthrie is not yet dead, but her daughter has begun to plan her funeral.

It will be, Jessica Guthrie says, in a Black-owned funeral home, with the songs of her ancestors. She envisions a celebration of her mother's life, not a tragic recitation of her long decline.

As it should be. Constance has lived 74 years, many of them good, as a Black woman, a mother, educator and businesswoman.

But she will die of Alzheimer's disease, a scourge of Black Americans that threatens to grow far worse in coming decades.

Black people are more likely to develop Alzheimer's than white people in the United States. They are less likely to be correctly diagnosed, and their families often struggle to get treatment from a medical system filled with bias against them.

About 14% of Black people in America over the age of 65 have Alzheimer's, compared with 10% of white people, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The disparity is likely even more, because many Black people aren't correctly diagnosed.

And by 2060, cases are expected to increase fourfold among Black Americans.

While some risk factors may differ by race, the large disparities among racial groups can't be explained just by genetics.

Jessica Guthrie cleans the fingernails of her mother, Constance, as part of her morning routine, in Fredericksburg, Va., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. In the 1990s, Constance made the difficult decision to move and close her beloved hair salon. She bought a home in Fredericksburg so her daughter could attend the best schools, and later became a paraprofessional in the local school district, which allowed her to have a schedule where she never missed oratorical contests or choir recitals. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

The problems start much earlier in life. Health conditions like heart disease and diabetes are known risk factors. Both are more common among Black populations, because of where they live in relation to polluting industries, lack of healthy food choices, and other factors. Depression, high blood pressure, obesity and chronic stress can also raise the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's. So can poverty.

Across the board, Black people don't receive the same quality of health care throughout life as white people.

So they don't get high quality treatmentor any treatmentfor all those conditions that are risk factors. Then, at the end, they're less likely to get medication to ease the symptoms of Alzheimer's and dementia-related disorders.

And there's the insidious impact of a life experiencing racism.

A higher percentage of Black Americans 65 and older are estimated to have Alzheimer's disease and related dementias than people of other races and ethnicities in the U.S. Credit: AP Digital Embed

Racism is trauma that can lead to increased stress, which can in turn cause health problems like inflammation, which is a risk factor for cognitive decline, said Dr. Carl V. Hill, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer of the Alzheimer's Association.

"But because of this structural racism that creates poor access to health, medication, housing, those who experience racism and discrimination are not provided a pathway to lower their risk," Hill said.

It is, he said, "a one-two punch."

For Jessica, it has meant the final years of her mother's life have been filled not with peace, but heartache and frustration, as she navigates doctors who don't believe her when she says her mom is suffering. In the slow, plodding walk that is her mother's final years, she has few health care partners.

"It has been pervasive across multiple doctors, emergency rooms and hospital doctors," Jessica said. "Not being listened to, not believed, not given the full treatment."

Less than 6% of practicing physicians in the U.S. in 2021 were Black. Credit: AP Digital Embed

"To be a caregiver of someone living with Alzheimer's is that you watch your loved one die every day. I've been grieving my mom for seven years."

The salon was called "Hair by Connie," and for 18 years it was the place to go in Alexandria, Virginia, if you were a Black woman who wanted to look her best. Reigning over the shop was its owner, Constance Guthrie.

She traveled the world, attending hair shows. She opened her salon to fashion shows like the "Tall, Full and Sassy" event advertised in an old flyer she now keeps in a box of mementos. She donned dazzling, colorful and flamboyant outfits to match her larger-than-life personality.

In the 1990s, she made the difficult decision to move and close her beloved salon. She bought a home in Fredericksburg so her daughter could attend the best schools, and later became a paraprofessional in the local school district, which allowed her to have a schedule where she never missed oratorical contests or choir recitals.

Jessica Guthrie shifts her mother, Constance, onto a harness to move her to the living room in Fredericksburg, Va., on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. In 2018, her mother started pointing at her stomach, repeatedly, trying to tell her daughter she was in pain, Jessica took her to her primary care physician, who is white, at the time who brushed the concerns aside. Jessica took her mother to the emergency room the next day and a Black male doctor ordered the necessary imaging. She needed emergency surgery to correct a painful, protruding hernia. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

She was always there for Jessica, who is her only child. They often stayed up into the wee hours of the night working on school projects together. Despite meager means, Jessica grew up surrounded by encouragement and love.

"My mother gave up everything to make sure that I had the greatest support, the greatest opportunities," Jessica Guthrie recalled. "We were like two peas in a pod."

Her mother's hard work paid off. Jessica became a teacher and later moved to Dallas to build her own life and chase her dreams, where she was a successful chief program officer for an education service.

Then, seven years ago, Constance began her descent into dementia.

She started to forget simple things, like where her keys were. She lost her way coming home from work on a familiar route she traveled almost daily for 18 years. She got into a car accident.

Constance Guthrie, reacts as her daughter, Jessica, cleans beneath her fingernails as part of their morning routine shortly after she wakes up, in Fredericksburg, Va., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Lost in her own mind, Constance can no longer testify to the difficulties she endured -- as a mother, a Black entrepreneur running a business on her own. But her daughter, Jessica, can attest to the struggles shes had, as a Black caregiver, trying to ensure that her mother receives appropriate care. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

The frequency of troubling incidents began to increase, worrying Jessica who was still hundreds of miles away in Texas.

They tried to use Post-It notes to remind Constance of daily tasks. Some of the colorful notes still line the walls of the family's home.

For a woman who had grown accustomed to being so independent, it was hard for her to accept that she needed help.

"She spent so long trying to hide it," Jessica said. "Like, 'Oh, I'm good, I'm fine. I just forgot.' But you could tell that a lot of her anxiety and stress was because she was trying to cover this up from other people."

She began to wander around her neighborhood. Jessica and nearby loved ones tried to bolt the door to prevent her from wandering.

A neurologist confirmed she was suffering early cognitive decline and that it was likely Alzheimer's.

Jessica Guthrie uses a harness to lift her mother, Constance, off her bed and into a wheelchair to go to the living room in Fredericksburg, Va., on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. Jessica is concerned about how shell handle the next medical emergency. Shell have to rely on local hospitals that provided her mother with problematic care before. Everythings gone and it feels like Im back at square one again, she says. I feel like the systems failed us and has failed so many other caregivers. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

She was just 66 when she was diagnosed.

Soon after, Jessica made the tough decision to pack up and leave Dallas behind to care for her mother full time. She recently began working remotely again after taking an extended leave of absence to care for her mother.

Constance never had diabetes nor high blood pressurewhich are common risk factors. She was fairly active and healthy, and would often walk around her neighborhood. But in 2015, Constance suffered a transient ischaemic attack, or a "mini stroke," which is a brief disruption in the blood supply to part of the brain.

Jessica believes the mini stroke could have been caused in part by the heavy stress her mother endured at her job, where she worked for 18 years as a special education paraprofessional.

She also questions the role genetics played in her mother's diagnosis. Her mother's aunts are all living with the disease. Her mother's brother, who was a doctor, has started to experience cognitive decline. ___

Notes handwritten by Jessica Guthrie in the early years of her mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis indicating reminders to Constance that she should not drive anymore and that it is unsafe to do so are seen at home in Fredericksburg, Va., on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Noreen Nasir

Lost in her own mind, Constance can no longer testify to the difficulties she enduredas a mother, a Black entrepreneur running a business on her own.

But her daughter, Jessica, can attest to the struggles she's had, as a Black caregiver, trying to ensure that her mother receives appropriate care.

In 2018, her mother started pointing at her stomach, repeatedly, trying to tell her daughter she was in pain. Jessica took her to her primary care physician, who is white and brushed the concerns aside.

"My mother couldn't articulate that there was significant pain in the moment and the doctor of the practice basically said, 'Oh, well, you know, sometimes they just come in and put on a show and it seems like she's fine,'" Jessica said. "They asked, 'Are you sure she's in so much pain?'"

They sent her home without performing further diagnostic tests. But the pain persisted.

Jessica Guthrie smiles at her mother, Constance, in front of photographs of them decorating the walls in Fredericksburg, Va., on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. My mother gave up everything to make sure that I had the greatest support, the greatest opportunities, Jessica recalls. We were like two peas in a pod. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Jessica took her mother to the emergency room the next day and a Black male doctor ordered the necessary imaging. She needed emergency surgery to correct a painful, protruding hernia.

Then there was the time she took her mother to the emergency room for intense leg pain. She had arthritis in her knee but Jessica suspected something more serious. HOSPITAL CONTACTED HERE.

The doctor told her she likely just needed rehab for her bad knee. Jessica advocated for more testing and it turned out Constance had a blood clot in her leg.

"Racism is implicit and deeply rooted in the air that we breathe," said Jessica, who has started an Instagram account to chronicle her experiences.

The problems Black people face getting medical care are pervasive. Black people living with serious illnesses get less help managing pain and other symptoms, and they have worse communication with doctors, according to the Center to Advance Palliative Care.

Jessica Guthrie wheels her mother, Constance, back to her bedroom after dinner in Fredericksburg, Va., on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. To be a caregiver of someone living with Alzheimers is that you watch your loved one die every day. Ive been grieving my mom for seven years, Jessica says. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Studies show they are less likely to receive dementia-related medication that can help ease symptoms like hallucinations and depression that make the disease particularly terrifying for families.

Among non-white caregivers, half or more say they have faced discrimination when navigating health care settings for their care recipient. Their top concern: Because of their race, providers or staff do not listen to them.

And there are barriers to even being diagnosed properly. A recent study found that Black participants in Alzheimer's disease research studies were 35% less likely to be diagnosed than white participants. Part of the problem is a lack of Black doctors. Just 1 in 3 of the nation's physicians is Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Asian. That lack of representation has had a compounding effect on the care that Black people receiveespecially later in life when older Americans suffering from illnesses like Alzheimer's lack the ability to advocate for themselves.

All these things put an outsized burden on Black families providing care.

Gospel music is played on a television in Constance Guthrie's bedroom in Fredericksburg, Va., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Through her Instagram, Jessica regularly hears from other Black caregivers, mostly women, who have eerily similar stories of not being heard, feeling isolated or being denied proper treatment.

"I think that part of my journey would have looked significantly different if I were a middle-aged white person or a white male," she said. "I would have been listened to the first time." ___ Jessica has spent the past several months preparing for her mother's imminent death, making sure every detail is perfect.

But in an unexpected twist, she learned in February that her mother would be discharged from home hospice care in early March. Medicare typically covers hospice care for those who are terminally ill, with a life expectancy of six months or less.

Although she remains in the last stage of Alzheimer's disease, Constance has been deemed stable.

Jessica Guthrie rubs her eyes as she takes a deep breath at night after a full day of caregiving in Fredericksburg, Va., on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. Some days she mourns the life that could have been and everything she has had to sacrifice. She sees undeniable parallels between all that her mother sacrificed and what she now has given up. But she wouldnt change a thing. Her exhausting experience as a caregiver has added purpose to her life. She feels she is also helping other Black caregivers to be seen and heard. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Both her appetite and water intake are great. Her skin is glowing. She still has glimmers of her sassy spirit.

On the surface, this is good news. Jessica's relishing every extra day she has with her mother.

Still, the discharge feels like a slap in the face.

Several studies have found that Black patients, across various serious illness diagnoses, are less likely to be referred to hospice or use hospice.

Losing hospice services means Jessica will lose all equipment and supplies, including the hospital grade bed that her mother sleeps in, the lift she uses to get her out of bed and her wheelchair. She has lost the weekly nurse visits, vital checks, the social worker and the extra services that her mother lovedmusic and massage therapy.

Jessica is concerned about how she'll handle the next medical emergency. She'll have to rely on local hospitals that provided her mother with problematic care before.

Constance Guthrie drinks from a glass of lemonade held by her daughter, Jessica Guthrie, during dinner in Fredericksburg, Va., on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. For a woman who had grown accustomed to being so independent, it was hard for her to accept that she needed help. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

"Everything's gone and it feels like I'm back at square one again," she said. "I feel like the system's failed us and has failed so many other caregivers."

It's the latest, but maybe not the last, burden, and it's taking its toll.

At 34, many of her friends are married, starting families, traveling and investing money for the future.

But she's had to spend money on her mother's care and largely put her life on hold.

"When you think about how I spent so long trying not to repeat this cycle of poverty, now I'm sitting in a place where I make a pretty good salary, and yet I'm not setting myself up for the future that I know that I should have," she said.

Some days she mourns the life that could have been and everything she has had to sacrifice. She sees undeniable parallels between all that her mother sacrificed and what she now has given up. But she wouldn't change a thing.

Jessica Guthrie poses for a portrait outside her home in Fredericksburg, Va., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Through her Instagram, Jessica regularly hears from other Black caregivers, mostly women, who have eerily similar stories of not being heard, feeling isolated or being denied proper treatment. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Constance Guthrie smiles at her daughter, Jessica, during a musical session where Jessica sings gospel music, a favorite of Constance, in Fredericksburg, Va., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Music brightens my mom. She would sing no matter if she was on key or not. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Constance Guthrie, affectionately known to friends as "CG" or "Connie," listens as her daughter, Jessica Guthrie, sings to her in Fredericksburg, Va., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Old Polaroid photos of Constance Guthrie dressed up for an event are collected in a family photo album, in Fredericksburg, Va., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. For 18 years, her salon, Hair by Connie, was the place to go in Alexandria, Va., if you were a Black woman who wanted to look her best. She traveled the world, attending hair shows. She opened her salon to fashion shows like the Tall, Full and Sassy event advertised in an old flyer she now keeps in a box of mementos. She donned dazzling, colorful and flamboyant outfits to match her larger-than-life personality. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Old photographs of Constance Guthrie and her daughter, Jessica Guthrie, are collected in a family photo album, in Fredericksburg, Va., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. She was always there for Jessica, who is her only child. They often stayed up into the wee hours of the night working on school projects together. Despite meager means, Jessica grew up surrounded by encouragement and love. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Jessica Guthrie breaks into tears as she is overwhelmed by emotions while singing her mother's favorite hymn, "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" from her mother's hymnal, in Fredericksburg, Va., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Wong Maye-E

Her exhausting experience as a caregiver has added purpose to her life. She feels she is also helping other Black caregivers to be seen and heard.

For now, she is happy to spend time with the woman she calls "CG."

Every morning after Constance wakes up, Jessica flips on the TV in her mother's small room to the gospel music station. "Music brightens my mom. She would sing no matter if she was on key or not."

Now, the daughter sings to her mother as she's changing or feeding her. On a recent day Jessica tried making it through "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," as she massaged her mother's fingers, before her voice cracked and her shoulders bounced as she cried.

"You saying goodbye?" her mother mumbled.

Constance doesn't sing or clap along anymore, but she lightly tapped her feet under her blanket. And she let out a low, steady hum.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Raj Makkar, MD, Cedars-Sinais vice president of Cardiovascular Innovation and Intervention, the Stephen R. Corday, MD, Chair in Interventional Cardiology. Credit: Cedars-Sinai

Long-awaited outcomes data of transcatheter edge-to-edge procedures to repair patients' leaky mitral valves revealed the minimally invasive procedure to be safe and effective in nearly 90% of patients, according to Cedars-Sinai physician-scientists.

Their findings on the condition called degenerative mitral regurgitation were published today in the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), representing the largest study to date that examines outcomes for patients treated outside of a clinical trial with transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER).

"Treatment was successful in nearly nine out of every 10 patients in whom TEER was used to repair their mitral valve," said Raj Makkar, MD, Cedars-Sinai's vice president of Cardiovascular Innovation and Intervention, the Stephen R. Corday, MD, Chair in Interventional Cardiology and the study's senior author. "These strong safety and efficacy outcomes were validated, despite the advanced age and significant comorbidities of these patients."

Degenerative mitral regurgitation occurs when the mitral valveone of the heart's four valvesbecomes leaky. While a very small amount of leakiness is common, some people have severe mitral valve regurgitation that can cause blood to leak back through the valve, which can cause fluid buildup in the lungs, with shortness of breath and limited ability to exercise. When this occurs, intervention is required.

Using data from the Transcatheter Valve Therapy (TVT) Registrya jointly maintained database from the Society for Thoracic Surgery and the American College of Cardiologyinvestigators analyzed 19,088 patients who underwent TEER for moderate to severe isolated degenerative mitral valve regurgitation between January 2014 and June 2022.

The study's primary endpoint was mitral regurgitation success, defined by investigators as moderate or better residual mitral regurgitation without narrowing of the mitral valve. Additional endpoints included death while hospitalized and within 30 days and within one year of the procedure.

Key findings include:

Patients' average age was 82.

49% were women.

Mitral regurgitation success was shown in 88.9% of patients.

At 30 days, the incidence of death was 2.7%, stroke was 1.2% and mitral valve reintervention was 0.97%.

The lowest mortality rate was observed in patients who had both mild or less residual mitral regurgitation.

"For patients at elevated risk for surgery, TEER with the MitraClip device is a meaningful treatment option," said Makkar, who is also the associate director of the Smidt Heart Institute. "The procedure is getting many patients back to a more energetic life, and back to activities some haven't been able to do for years."

To treat mitral valve regurgitationa condition affecting more than 2 million Americansexperts from the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai rely on either the minimally invasive TEER procedure, minimally invasive robotic surgery or minimally invasive surgery. All patients treated at Cedars-Sinai meet with an interventional cardiologist as well as a cardiac surgeon before making their treatment decision.

"Surgery is successful in nearly 100% of patients having degenerative mitral repair today in the United States, restoring normal life-expectancy in most patients," said Joanna Chikwe, MD, chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Cedars-Sinai, the Irina and George Schaeffer Distinguished Chair in Cardiac Surgery in honor of Alfredo Trento, MD, and a study author. "A heart team discussion is essential for patients deciding between surgery or interventional approaches, and we need randomized trials to inform these important decisions."

Chikwe is principal investigator of the PRIMARY clinical triala multicenter, multicountry trialcomparing the surgical approach for valve repair with the TEER procedure. The trial, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is expected to complete enrollment in January 2026.

"This landmark study epitomizes the way Smidt Heart Institute physicians and surgeons work together to advance knowledge, guiding us in doing what's best for any given patientthis is, after all, why we come to work every day," said Eduardo Marban, MD, Ph.D., executive director of the Smidt Heart Institute and the Mark S. Siegel Family Foundation Distinguished Professor.

Cedars-Sinai has performed more transcatheter aortic valve replacements and mitral valve repairs than any other center in the U.S., with outcomes that place Cedars-Sinai among the top-performing programs nationally. The Smidt Heart Institute team has also preformed more than 1,500 robotic mitral valve repairs with near 100% success rates.
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Since starting the weekly BIXEPS sessions, 73-year-old housewife Mrs Yvette Cheak (seated) experienced less swelling at her ankle knee, and she became more energetic. On some days, she is able to walk at home without a walking stick. Credit: National University of Singapore

A decline in functional mobility, loss of muscle strength and an increase in body fats are often associated with aging. This trend could potentially be reversed by way of an innovative magnetic muscle therapy pioneered by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

In a recent community study conducted in Singapore involving 101 participants aged between 38 to 91 years old, weekly exposure to very low levels of proprietary pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF), using the BIXEPS device invented by NUS researchers in 2019, is associated with significant improvements in mobility and body composition after 12 weeks, particularly in older persons. Participants also reported reduced perception of pain after three months of magnetic muscle therapy.

The community trial was carried out jointly by researchers from the NUS Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech), NUS start-up QuantumTX, and Healthy Longevity Translational Research Program under the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.

Leader of the research team Associate Professor Alfredo Franco-Obregon, who is a Principal Investigator with NUS iHealthtech and co-founder of QuantumTX, said, "We are very encouraged by the positive results of this community trial. PEMF-associated improvements were experienced by 85% of participants, irrespective of age, with the greatest benefits reported in older and more frail participants. Our findings suggest that PEMF therapy can produce comparable results to exercise in older persons and therefore holds potential therapeutic value for the older adult population."

The research team reported the results of the community trial in scientific journal Aging on 19 March 2023.

Benefits of magnetic muscle therapy

The BIXEPS device targets the muscles in a user's leg with a specific magnetic signature and creates metabolic activity in the cells similar to when a person exercises. Earlier studies by Assoc Prof Franco-Obregon and his team had shown that participants who received the magnetic muscle therapy of one leg after knee surgery exhibited improvements in whole body metabolism, predominantly reflected as changes in blood lipid profiles. That is, the effect spread beyond just the treated leg and produced system wide improvements.

Positive results from community trial

The community study was conducted over 34 months, from 1 January 2020 to the 31 October 2022. Among the 101 volunteers who participated in the study, 62% were females and 38% were males. Of the participants, 87% had pre-existing mobility dysfunction and 13% were healthy individuals.

Participants were given the proprietary BIXEPS therapy for 10 minutes once a week on alternate legs each week, for a period of 12 weeks. Each participant completed a series of standard performance-based functional tests and indicated their existing acute and chronic pains at the start (week 1) and end (week 12) of the program.

Data on each participant's body compositionsuch as weight, skeletal muscle mass, body fat mass, and visceral fat areawere collected before each weekly session.

After eight weeks of treatment, 72% of participants reported improved maintenance of skeletal muscles in conjunction with reductions of total and visceral fats, together with 85% of participants showing improvements in functional mobility after 12 weeks, most significantly in the elderly. These positive results provide evidence that this PEMF-based technology may represent a valuable therapy to boost conventional geriatric interventions intended to reduce the prevalence of frailty and metabolic disorders in the older adult population.

Very importantly, visceral fat is the inflammatory fat and is associated with a large range of metabolic disorders, including diabetes. Previous studies have shown that people in Southeast Asia hold on to visceral fat more stubbornly than other parts of the world despite exercise. The result is that people in Southeast Asia develop diabetes at a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than other demographics. This has posed a real problem for the health industry in South East Asia. "We may finally have a solution to this local healthcare dilemma in the form of magnetic field therapy," noted Assoc Prof Franco-Obregon.

Mrs. Yvette Cheak, a 73-year-old housewife, who participated in the study in September 2021, used to have a weak right leg and a buckling knee in the same leg. "Since using BIXEPS, there was less swelling at the ankle and knee, and I became more energetic. My knee is also less painful and doesn't buckle as much. On some days, I am able to walk at home without a walking stick."

"Prior to the BIXEPS program, I had a lot of weakness in my legs. It was painful in my hip and feet when I took even a few steps. I could not climb the stairs the normal way, and had to rely on the handrails to balance myself," recalled 79-year-old retiree Mr. George Teo. "At the end of 12 sessions, I felt that my leg movement had returned to normal, and I could go up and down the stairs without using the handrails."

Next steps

Building on the positive findings of the community study, the team has engaged with research teams in the U.S. and Hong Kong to conduct randomly controlled clinical trials to further validate the benefits for frailty across different aging-populations. Since 2022, the team has also started a senior-focused study with 200 seniors across four community care centers in Singapore to evaluate how the technology can improve function and alleviate chronic pains. This study is expected to complete in 2023.

Real-world pilot data from existing community programs have also shown promise of better controlled HbA1cthe prevalent marker for diabetes progressionafter starting on weekly BIXEPS sessions. The research team is currently working with the Singapore General Hospital to conduct a clinical trial to further investigate the possible therapeutic possibility for PEMF-based therapies to manage diabetes progression.

More information: Sharanya Venugobal et al, Brief, weekly magnetic muscle therapy improves mobility and lean body mass in older adults: a Southeast Asia community case study, Aging (2023). DOI: 10.18632/aging.204597
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There are newsworthy events, all fairly different, at three separate Montana hot springs in different parts of the state.

First, Lolo Hot Springs Resorts owner responded on social media to what he says is a disgruntled ex-employee taking to Facebook to cause a financial loss to a business owner.

Last week, a woman named Elizabeth Fischbach created a social media post saying she and her family members had worked at the privately owned resort, located on Highway 12 west of Lolo.

She alleged that there was mold in several areas of the resort, but did not provide any evidence of that in the post. She made several other allegations and said she was quitting the job.

Resort owner Brent Olson on Tuesday made a Facebook post on the resorts page responding to the allegations.

"Recently, a group of staff members from the same family decided to pursue other ventures, he wrote. While we wholeheartedly support individuals chasing their dreams, their departure was abrupt and unprofessional. They opted to post a series of unfounded allegations on social media against the Hot Springs. Please remember that there are always two sides to a story.

Olson said that following the allegations, he hired inspectors from the Missoula City-County Health Department to come to assess the claims.

Their reports, which are publicly available, have dismissed the accusations, he said. We encourage you to review these findings yourself.

"Our team is passionate about the hot springs, and we will continue to work hard to ensure a safe, clean, and accessible resort experience for all.

He posted an inspection report for the restaurant, which showed zero risk factor/intervention violations. The health inspector noted that the fan guards in the walk-in need to be cleaned. The inspection report is available on the county website and matched Olson's description.

Olson said he values and respects freedom of speech, as well as the principle of innocent until proven guilty.

In October of 2020, the resort had three violations found during a routine inspection, including a large amount of grease, dirt and food debris under and behind equipment, as well as the presence of pests. The resort also had violations in the previous years.

Calls and an email to the resort seeking comment were not returned on Tuesday.

Trash piled up

Second, a woman on the Montana Hot Springs Group Facebook page posted a huge pile of trash she found at Renova Hot Springs, located near Whitehall on the Jefferson River.

I am shocked and very angry, said Lisa Besseghini-Redman. This is just four photos, the trash is endless and for miles in both directions. The hot spring is a natural wonder being trashed by humans.

Her photos showed a large trailer with what appeared to be lots of household items that had been strewn about a grassy area. There were also tires, sleeping bags and boxes.

Several people in the comments section said theyd be headed out to the springs to help clean up the area.

Hot springs under contract

It appears that Medicine Hot Springs, near the Bitterroot River in the Conner area south of Darby, is under contract to be sold.

The property hasnt been open to the public in decades and is listed for sale for $5.9 million. The 120-acre lot includes a natural hot springs that flows into a pool along with 13-log-style cabins, a lodge with a full commercial kitchen, a guest home, two older homes and a bathhouse.

In 2020, there were rumors that the springs would be open to the public that summer, according to the Montana Hot Springs Facebook page. That turned out to not be true, and the property was subsequently listed for sale.
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Historic preservation and housing affordability are often pitted against each other, but they dont have to be, according to Bob Oaks with the North Missoula Community Development Corporation.

Oaks received the Missoula Historic Preservation Commissions Centennial Award earlier this month for his contributions to saving Missoula landmarks. But his efforts at preservation go hand-in-hand with a commitment to affordability.

Thats really unfortunate that that attitude is so prevalent, Oaks said of the mindset that preservation inherently runs counter to attainable pricing.

Oaks, who moved to Missoula in 1985, has consistently endeavored to pair creative approaches to housing with preservation work. He believes many initiatives to bring in new development exacerbate affordability issues, whereas upkeep of historic buildings could instead better guarantee affordability.

An example that stands out to Oaks is the former railroad houses that used to stand in Missoulas Northside neighborhood. The small historic residences, once used to house railroad workers, offered an obvious small-scale affordable housing option to Oaks. They also signified an important period in Missoulas history, and he sought to preserve them.

They met the needs of generations of Missoulians, Oaks said. But the little houses acted as bulldozer bait, and Oaks was unsuccessful in saving them.

Now, in Oaks beloved Northside, new development seems to be taking the place of historic structures like the railroad houses. Along with that change come increasing home prices, as Oaks sees it.

That increased density isnt providing affordability, Oaks lamented. He remembered in his early days on the Northside, when homeownership rates sat around 60%. Now, he said, theyve plummeted to about 24%.

The Northside was a land of opportunity to get into the housing market, he recalled. No longer.

But efforts by Oaks organization, NMCDC, look to continue that legacy of affordability in the neighborhood. Oaks stepped down as NMCDCs Executive Director in January, turning over the reins to Brittany Palmer. Nonetheless, he remains active in pushing for innovative housing solutions, like cooperatives and the Tenant Option to Purchase.

Oaks is interested in replicating option to purchase agreements that facilitate homeownership for renters in other states, and NMCDC has played an integral role in establishing Montanas first two cooperatives of their kind on the Northside and the River Road neighborhoods.

We hope that becomes a model carried out other places as well, Oaks said.

The need for solutions like those is becoming increasingly dire, Oaks believes.

Its desperate times, he said. Oaks remembered the appeal of Missoula when he moved to the city almost 40 years ago.

One of the reasons it was cool was because people could afford to live here, said Oaks. Were losing that. Its scary.
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Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy calls them my big three.

Hes referring to three of his bills that were signed into law earlier this week.

One codifies parts of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act into state law. A second brings transparency and accountability to Indian Education for All. And the third revises the Montana Indian Language Preservation program, elevating the role of tribal governments.

I feel good about it, Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, said about the passage of his legislation. This session for me has been all about accountability. I think thats part of the reason why these bills were so successful  because people wanted accountability.

Bill 1: Montana Indian Child Welfare Act

House Bill 317, dubbed the Montana Indian Child Welfare Act, applies parts of the federal Indian Child Welfare Act to state law.

The federal Indian Child Welfare Act, known as ICWA, dictates how Native children are placed in foster or adoptive homes. The law was enacted in 1978 in response to decades of state child welfare and private adoption agencies separating Native children from their families.

Several states have enacted ICWA protections into state law, including Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Iowa, Michigan, California, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Washington and Wyoming.

Supporters say codifying ICWA has become especially important as a looming federal Supreme Court case threatens to upend the law. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling in July, and legal experts, tribal leaders and advocates say if the court were to undermine ICWA, the consequences would be dire. They argue Indigenous families would be separated at higher rates, tribes would risk losing members to assimilation, and other protections for Native Americans  including tribal sovereignty itself  could be at risk.

But because Gov. Greg Gianforte signed HB 317, Montanans have additional protection from a Supreme Court ruling. Specifically, this legislation commits the state to prevent, when possible, out-of-home placements for Native children that are inconsistent with the rights of their parents and the interest of tribes. It prioritizes placements that preserve and honor a childs tribal culture and connections.

Windy Boys bill received strong support from the public in its committee hearings. At one hearing, more than 30 people  many of whom traveled hundreds of miles to the Capitol  testified in support of the legislation. Supporters spoke of harm caused by tactics used to assimilate Native Americans and explained that children play an integral role in tribal communities.

The bill also faced fierce criticism from lawmakers across the aisle. In a heated discussion on the Senate floor, one Republican lawmaker suggested striking the word Indian from the bill; others said they wanted to wait for the Supreme Court to issue a ruling.

The initial opposition had been very strong right from the get-go, Windy Boy said. Im glad I had enough moderates and Republicans with common sense that knew this was the right thing to do.

Sharen Kickingwoman, Blackfeet and Aaniii and Organizing Director at ACLU of Montana, said the passage of Montana ICWA is a true testament to the power of community and grassroots community building.

Montana ICWA is a much needed answer to the disproportionate representation of Native children in our states system, and offers key protections to ensure cultural sovereignty and connection, she said.

Frank Edwards, an assistant professor at Rutgers University who studies child welfare, said one of every four Native American children in Montana have a lifetime risk for being in foster care and more than one in 10 Native 1-year-olds are in foster care in the state.

Bill 2: Indian Education for All

Another one of Windy Boys bills that became law, House Bill 338, will bring transparency and accountability to Indian Education for All.

Enacted by the Legislature in 1999, Indian Education for All (IEFA) requires recognition of Native American culture and a commitment in the state's educational goals to preserve Indigenous culture and heritage. Montana was the first state to constitutionally mandate Indigenous education, but some say the law has not been adequately implemented.

Windy Boys bill establishes new requirements, stating that if a district fails to file an annual report, it will be ineligible to receive funding until the report is filed.

My issue is that these schools received IEFA funds that are supposed to be used for the IEFA curriculum, and they arent used that way, Windy Boy said, adding that one school allegedly used the funds to give teachers raises.

Windy Boy said the legislation was especially important given an ongoing court case. Tribes in Montana and parents of 18 students in 2021 filed a lawsuit alleging that education leaders failed to teach the culture and heritage of Native Americans, and therefore violated the Constitution. Earlier this month, a judge refused to dismiss the suit.

Sen. Susan Webber, D-Browning, was a strong advocate for the bill and said IEFA has helped tremendously in revitalizing tribal languages.

Patrick Yawakie, who lobbied on behalf of the Blackfeet Nation this session, said with IEFA, we have the ability to ensure Native American culture and identity are being taught to students in Montana schools.

He added that even in the Legislature, a lack of education among lawmakers on Native policies, culture and treaties furthered stereotypes and impacted how people voted.

We need IEFA to ensure future Montanans, especially our political representation, carry these understandings with them wherever they go, he said.

Bill 3: Montana Indian Language Program

Windy Boys third bill that became law concerns the Montana Indian Language Preservation program.

Established by the Legislature in 2013, the program, called MILP, was created to revitalize Native languages traditionally spoken in the state. The program allows each tribe to produce resources that will help perpetuate language usage.

U.S. assimilation and termination policies have contributed to widespread language loss in tribal communities. A Montana Budget and Policy Center report states that Montana is home to 12 tribal languages, and of those, Assiniboine, Gros Ventre and Montana Salish are critically endangered, meaning the youngest speakers are elders and they often speak the language partially or infrequently.

Windy Boy, Chippewa Cree, said there are 20 to 25 fluent Cree speakers left, and with the passing of Duncan Standing Rock in 2021, there are now zero fluent Ojibwe speakers.

His bill emphasizes the preservation of Native languages through partnerships among tribal governments and schools and highlights the roles of tribal education and culture departments.

If were supposed to teach kids about Natives, where do we get that information? Windy Boy said. That was the intent of this bill  to collect that information from the tribes so theres a resource for schools.

The bill also stipulates that any cultural and intellectual property rights from the program belong to the tribe.

In previous sessions, funding for MILP had been one-time only, meaning it had to be renegotiated each session. But Windy Boy said that this year, for the first time, the MILP bill has no sunset date, meaning it will not have to be renegotiated.

Its become permanent, he said, referencing funding for the program. That part is huge.

'Super minority'

Windy Boy said as a Native American and Democratic lawmaker, hes part of a super minority in Montanas Legislature, which has a Republican supermajority.

When asked how he was able to advance these three major bills for Indian Country, Windy Boy said strategy is key.

I learned early in my career that the one thing you dont want to do is you dont want to B.S. anybody, he said. You gotta be real. Be genuine and tell it like it is. I take a position, and stick with it. Thats probably why I get along with Republicans. I know where theyre coming from, and they know where Im coming from.

Given the supermajority, Windy Boy said he was surprised to see the big three pass.

But Im thankful, he said. Because this legislation is needed.
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Gov. Greg Gianforte on Monday tapped Billings city deputy attorney Thomas Pardy to take the District Court bench in Yellowstone County.

Pardy will succeed District Court Judge Michael Moses following Moses' retirement on July 1.

The Howard, South Dakota-raised lawyer has been a civil attorney for the city of Billings office since 2015. He twice operated his own firm in Billings, with a stint as Mountain West Bank's staff attorney in between.

Although a civil attorney at the city of Billings, roughly 50% of Pardy's private practice included criminal defense, according to his application submitted to the governor's office. The other 50%, Pardy said, was handling family law, real estate, banking, human resources, contracts, bankruptcy and appeals.

Pardy graduated from the University of Montana School of Law in 1998 and in 2018 retired from the Army National Guard with the rank of Master Sgt. after 32 years of service.

In 2018 Pardy campaigned for District Court judge in Yellowstone County, losing out to Judge Collette Davies. Pardy said then he supported and would like to join in the work done through veterans treatment courts. Letters Gianforte received supporting Pardy's nomination to the bench included one written by District Court Judge Randal Spaulding of Musselshell County, where both practiced law earlier in their careers.

"I appreciate the governor appointing me and I look forward to serving the community," Pardy said Tuesday.

Gianforte's appointment follows an advisory committee's recommendation, which forwarded two nominees to the governor for consideration.

"Thomas is an accomplished attorney who is committed to the fair, consistent, and objective application of the law and who will interpret laws, not make them from the bench," Gianforte said in a press release Monday. "I look forward to his service to the people of Yellowstone County on the Thirteenth Judicial District Court."

This story has been updated to include a quote from Pardy.
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As rural communities across Montana grapple to balance the need for affordable housing with the loss of agricultural land, increasing land-use conflicts raise questions of how to create more homes while protecting as much working land and wildlife habitat as possible. They are questions that have pitted neighbor against neighbor in families that have farmed alongside each other for generations in deeply personal battles of land, history and heritage.

These battles are nothing new for fourth-generation Bitterroot Valley rancher Alan Maki, whose family has worked their farm near the proposed Sapphire Heights subdivision northeast of Hamilton for more than 100 years. His family has worked to protect their land from neighboring proposed developments in the past and recently spent five years in court defending their water rights.

When you grow up in the Bitterroot, you grow up learning how to protect your ranch, he said outside of this weeks meeting of the Ravalli County Planning Board, while carrying a three-ring binder full of information regarding the subdivision proposal and statistics related to local wells surrounding the development. We've stopped subdivisions in the past that wanted to build on top of us. We have a private property right to protect our farm and that's what we're exercising.

Maki recognizes the need for housing in the valley and is on the record in support of a past subdivision in Corvallis that used city water.

We need houses, I'm not arguing that, he said. We need houses, but this is not going to solve the affordable housing crisis...there's places that you could put a lot more houses, and this solves nothing. It takes away open space, open lands, agricultural ground and makes it harder for the farmers and ranchers.

The Maki family opposes the proposed Sapphire Heights development and believes the subdivision will have a negative effect on existing water rights in the area. Water rights on the property owned by the Makis were established in the 1860s.

We believe that it will negatively affect our surface water rights, Maki said. We believe it will negatively affect our neighbors groundwater rights, as well as groundwater that's intercepted that turns into surface water, therefore affecting more surface water rights in the whole Willow Creek drainage. We're not the only ones in the Willow Creek drainage. All of the water rights holders that we've spoken to thus far have been completely against it.

A crowd filled the Ravalli County commissioners chambers in Hamilton on Wednesday, May 17 for the third meeting of the Ravalli County Planning Board regarding the proposed 121-acre, 12-lot Sapphire Heights subdivision. Ten lots are proposed to be built on 84 acres on the north side of Hamilton Heights Road, and two lots would be built on 37 acres on the south side.

Members of the Planning Board moved to continue the meeting for a third time after questioning the proposed subdivisions possible impacts to existing wells and water rights, and possible mitigations available to address these issues. Planning Board member Edward Adkins suggested adding a 50-year drought plan to the proposal and monitoring existing wells for draw down or changes during the development, while Planning Board member Tom Stringham was interested in more information regarding existing water rights in the area  specifically the nearby Maki farm.

We're continuing this meeting once again, because we have a lot of questions that we need answers for, said Planning Board member Penny Howe-Canton. We don't feel that we can rightfully deliberate this subdivision without the answers on the water and the water rights. So, until we can get more answers on that we're going to continue this meeting until June 14 at six o'clock.

As with the previous two meetings, many of the community members present were there to voice opposition to the proposed subdivision of what has historically been working agricultural land in the Bitterroot Valley. The acreage proposed for development was formerly part of the Foley Ranch and borders other historical agricultural lands, including the 472-acre Weber Ranch which is preserved under a conservation easement. Its also less than a mile from the Calf Creek Wildlife Management Area, a primary winter range for local elk.

The proposed lots are to be served by individual septic systems, and individual wells to provide water for domestic use as well as irrigation. In addition, the proposal states that irrigation water will be provided from an existing ditch system that traverses the subdivision.

Community members who live in the area have individual wells, some running more than 300 feet deep, yet many rely on cisterns in addition to their wells so that they do not run out of water. Existing residents have voiced concerns as to whether enough water currently exists in the Calf Creek Basin and the unnamed basin to the south to support additional development as well as the current agricultural practices in the area. Both basins are contained within the larger Willow Creek Watershed. Residents have also expressed concerns about how the additional septic systems would affect water quality in the area.

Kathy Matranga, whose property borders the proposed subdivision, has voiced concern about water scarcity and the distance between her well and septic systems slated for the new development. Her well currently pumps 1.6 gallons per minute, and she has resorted to installing a cistern. Matranga and her husband have invested much of their retirement into the property they bought along Gray Fox Road four years ago.

We were very sad to hear of a major development occurring right along our fence line, as we thought we were moving to the country, farmland, Matranga said at a recent meeting. My property borders numerous parcels that are in this development. Parcel nine has four septic tanks on it. It's about 100 feet from my well. That really alarms me, and no pun intended, that's pretty friggin crappy.

Representatives of WGM Group suggested mitigation proposals designed to address community concerns related to water usage and wildlife at a previous meeting, held on May 10. Mitigations include low-yield wells with flows limited to 2-3 gallons per minute, restricting the discharge of firearms and fireworks, and securing garbage cans in animal-resistant containers. Additional modifications to the subdivision covenants include requiring pet food and livestock feed to be stored indoors, barbecue grills stored indoors, and boundary fencing with a limitation of no higher than three and a half feet.

Developers of the proposed subdivision include John Giuliani of Missoula and Gary Chilcott, brother of Ravalli County Commissioner Greg Chilcott. Community members at the May 10 Planning Board meeting were informed that Commissioner Chilcott has recused himself from comment on matters related to the subdivision. Some community members raised the issue as a conflict of interest at the May 10 meeting, and asked that the commissioner recuse himself in all matters related to the development of the property. The Ravalli Republic has reached out to Commissioner Greg Chilcott for comment, but has so far received no response.

Residents have also voiced concern that once the road has been built to access the lots within the northern portion of the proposed Sapphire Heights subdivision, that the road will then be used to unlock another 80-acre plot of the Foley Ranch for additional development. The plot adjoins the proposed subdivision currently under deliberation.

Developer Gary Chilcott and representatives of WGM Group have declined to comment at this time.

The Planning Boards continuation of deliberations related to the subdivision to their June 14 meeting means that the proposal will not move forward for consideration at the June 6 meeting of the Ravalli County Commissioners as previously planned. A new date for the proposal to go before the county commissioners has yet to be announced.
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WASHINGTON  Living in New York City, working full time and without a car, Jessica Ray and her husband have come to rely on deliveries of food and just about everything else for their home. It has meant more free time on weekends with their young son, rather than standing in line for toilet paper or dragging heavy bags of dog food back to their apartment.

I dont even know where to buy dog food, said Jessica Ray, who needs a specialty food for the familys aging dog.

There are millions of families like the Rays who have swapped store visits for doorstep deliveries in recent years, meaning that contentious labor negotiations now underway at UPS could become vastly more disruptive than the last time it happened in 1997, when a scrappy upstart called Amazon.com became a public company.

UPS delivers millions more packages every day than it did just five years ago and its 350,000 unionized workers, represented by the Teamsters, still seethe about a contract they feel was forced on them in 2018.

In an environment of energized labor movements and lingering resentment among UPS workers, the Teamsters are expected to dig in, with the potential to cow a major logistical force in the U.S.

The 24 million packages UPS ships on an average day amounts to about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes, or as UPS puts it, the equivalent of about 6% of nations gross domestic product.

Higher prices and long wait times are all but certain if there is an impasse.

Somethings got to give, said Thomas Goldsby, logistics chairman in the Supply Chain Management Department at the University of Tennessee. The python cant swallow the alligator, and thats going to be felt by all of us.

In other words, brace yourself for Supply Chain Breakdown: The Sequel.

In the second half of 2021, the phrase global supply chain began to enter casual conversations as the world emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses struggled to get what they needed, raising prices and wait times. Automakers held vehicles just off the assembly line because they didn't have all the parts.

Some of those problems linger and a strike at UPS threatens to extend the suffering.

Those who have come to rely on doorstep deliveries for the basics may have to rethink weekly schedules.

We finally reached a point where we finally feel pretty good about it, Ray said. We can take a Saturday afternoon and do a fun family activity and not feel the burden of making everything work for the day-to-day functioning of our household.

UPS workers believe they have played a part in the transformation of how Americans shop since the last contract was ratified in 2018, while helping to make UPS a much more valuable company.

Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were before the pandemic. The Atlanta company returned about $8.6 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock buybacks in 2022, and forecasts another $8.4 billion for shareholders this year.

The Teamsters say frontline UPS workers deserve some of that windfall.

Our members worked really hard over the pandemic, said Teamsters spokesperson Kara Denize. They need to see their fair share.

Union members rejected the contract they were offered in 2018, but it was pushed through by union leadership based on a technicality. The acrimony over the current contract was so fierce that last year workers rejected a candidate to lead the Teamsters favored by longtime union head James Hoffa, instead choosing the more combative Sean OBrien.

OBrien went on a nationwide tour of local Teamsters shops preparing frontline workers ahead of negotiations.

In addition to addressing part-time pay, and what workers say is excessive overtime, the union wants to eliminate a contract provision that created two separate hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. Driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, is also in the mix.

A win at UPS could have implications for the organized labor outside the company.

Teamsters are trying to organize Amazon workers and dozens of company delivery drivers and dispatchers in California joined the union last month. There are also prominent labor organization campaigns at Apple, Starbucks, Trader Joe's, Apple, even strippers at a dance club in Los Angeles.

This has just huge implications for the entire labor movement in the United States, said John Logan, the director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University, referring to labor talks at UPS. Theres greater assertiveness and militancy on the part of a lot of young labor activists and some sectors of the labor establishment. Sean OBrien is representative of that.

When dozens of UPS locals met with Teamsters leadership early this year, OBrien delivered a message of urgency.

Were going into these negotiations with a clear message to UPS that were not going past August 1, OBrien told the gathering.

It would be the first work stoppage since a walkout by 185,000 workers crippled the company a quarter century ago.

UPS CEO Carol Tome has remained optimistic publicly, telling investors recently that the company and the Teamsters were not far apart on major issues.

While we expect to hear a great deal of noise during the negotiation, I remain confident that a win-win-win contract is very achievable and that UPS and the Teamsters will reach agreement by the end of July, Tome said.

If Tome is wrong, Americans may need to put aside more time to shop like they used to do.

It has the potential to be significantly impactful, Ray said. My husband and I have invested a lot in figuring out how to remove the burden of just making sure we always have toilet paper.

5 energizing coffee alternatives for your morning pick-me-up 1. Matcha 2. Functional Mushroom Drinks 3. Golden Milk Lattes 4. Chicory Coffee 5. Chai Tea
A picture of the all-white echidna Raffie spotted in New South Wales, Australia.

A picture of the all-white echidna Raffie spotted in New South Wales, Australia.

Residents of New South Wales, Australia, have spotted two extremely rare albino echidnas in the space of just two weeks.

Geoff Hadley found one of the all-white, quill-covered creatures on a road in the Bathurst region, according to ABC News . He helped the echidna cross safely before reporting the sighting to local council officials, who revealed the animal in a social media post on May 1.

"Meet Raffie, Bathurst's rare albino echidna," Bathurst Regional Council staff wrote on Facebook . "We thought he is just too beautiful not to share, and particularly rare with only a handful of the egg-laying mammals, or monotremes, ever sighted in Australia."

Echidnas are one of two known mammals in the world (along with platypuses ) whose females lay eggs but also produce milk. Short-beaked echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus) are common throughout temperate Australia and lowland New Guinea, while long-beaked echidnas (three living species belonging to the genus Zaglossus) only live in the highlands of New Guinea, according to the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment .

Eleven days after the first sighting, Australias Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) published images and a video of a second albino short-nosed echidna that appeared to have been hit by a car and sustained minor injuries in New South Wales.

Related: Ancient platypus-like fossil could rewrite the history of egg-laying mammals

A close-up picture of Raffie the albino echidna shows its pointy snout and white spikes.

"This rare albino echidna, nicknamed Mr Spike, was released into WIRES' care recently after a suspected motor vehicle collision," WIRES staff wrote in a Facebook post on May 12. "Luckily he sustained only a few minor grazes and was given the all clear after a couple of days in care with local WIRES volunteers who then released him back into the bushland near where he was found."

Albinism is a genetic condition that interferes with the body's production of melanin, the main pigment that colors animals' skin, fur, feathers, scales and eyes. Melanin is produced in cells called melanocytes; these cells are present but not fully functional in animals with albinism, making them appear partially or completely white.

Short-beaked echidnas that don't have albinism vary in color, from light brown in the hotter, northern regions to dark brown further south and black in Tasmania, according to the Department of Planning and Environment. Although they are widely distributed in New South Wales, echidnas are rarely seen in the wild due to their shy, reclusive nature.

"An albino echidna is a rare sight," Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) wrote in a Twitter post on May 22, 2022, alongside a video of another albino echidna that was found last year. "Spotting a non-albino echidna is also pretty uncommon," officials added.

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Although it is difficult to determine exactly how rare albino echidnas are, John Grant, a spokesperson for WIRES, told ABC News that the rescue organization had cared for just three or four in the decade he's worked there.

Earlier this year, scientists solved the mystery of how echidnas beat the heat Down Under: The spiny creatures blow snot bubbles to keep their noses wet and cool . Quirkier still, males have four-headed penises and can ejaculate 10 times in a row without significant pause.

Bathurst Regional Council cautioned members of the public not to approach echidnas, as this could interfere with the creatures' natural behavior. "If you see Raffie out, please feel free to take a couple of snaps but do not approach, touch, or try and contain him," staff wrote in the Facebook post. "It is important to leave wildlife alone, as you could risk them losing their scent trail or leaving young unattended in the burrow."
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Editors note: Calendar items must be submitted at least five days before an event. Email all items to news@morganton.com.

THURSDAY

Disabled American Veterans meeting

Chapter 43 of the Disabled American Veterans, 2779 DAV Ave., Morganton, will gather at 5 p.m. for the social hour, 6 p.m. for dinner and 7 p.m. for its meeting. Officer installation and pins will be provided to anyone who missed last months meeting. Anyone with questions should call Dave at 828-437-0177.

MONDAY, MAY 29

Memorial Day service

The American Legion Post 234 Valdese Veterans will be hosting a Memorial Day Service at 9 a.m. The service will happen upstairs in the ballroom area. There will be a brief introduction followed by a video presentation and then a flag ceremony outside. Breakfast will be provided for free by the auxiliary including biscuits, fruit, juice and coffee from local sponsors.

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.

THURSDAY, JUNE 1

Ladies Bible study

Gateway Bible Church, 222 Believers Way, Morganton, is hosting a free ladies Bible study from 9-11 a.m. It will be taught by Marlene Houk, a local speaker and author, and the group will be studying her book, Hidden in a List: Secrets from Bible women. Books are available at Gateway or on Amazon. Email gatewaybiblemorganton@gmail.com with any questions.

NAACP meeting

The Burke County Branch of the NAACP will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Mountain View Recreation Center, 111 Alphabet Lane, Morganton. All members are invited to attend, and COVID-19 protocols will still be followed.

FRIDAY, JUNE 2

2023 Legislative Breakfast

The Burke County Chamber of Commerce will host the 2023 Legislative Breakfast from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Morganton Community House, 120 N. King St., Morganton. Visit www.burkecountychamber.org for more information.

MONDAY, JUNE 5

American Legion meeting

American Legion Post 21, Post 322 and Post 506 as well as the new members of the Sons of the American Legion will meet Monday, June 5, at 5:30 p.m. at the Mountainview Recreation Center located at 645 1st St., Morganton. We are looking for new members to join as well as young men for the Sons of the American Legion. Contact stosh@burkecountypost21.com for further information.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7

AARP meeting

AARP Chapter 3262 will host retired FBI Special Agent Andy Nazworth, who will be speaking on the topic, Dont Be a Victim: 20 Ways to Protect Yourself. The group will meet in the lower level of the Collett Street Recreation Center with refreshments at 9:30 a.m. and the program starting at 10 a.m. New members are welcome. Annual dues are $5.

THURSDAY, JUNE 8

Business 4 Breakfast

Burke County Chamber of Commerce will host Business 4 Breakfast- Protecting Your Business from Financial Fraud from 7:30-9 a.m. at First Citizens Bank downstairs conference room, 217 N. Sterling St., Morganton. Visit www.burkecountychamber.org for more information

FRIDAY, JUNE 9

Fundraiser

The Burke County Literacy Council will host a fundraiser  Literacy on Tap  at Hillman Beer, 301 S. Sterling St., Morganton. Live music will be performed by Justin Clyde Williams from 5-7 p.m. Come join us, celebrate summer, and the last day of school while supporting the summer programs at the Burke Literacy Council. Hillman will donate a portion of sales to the Literacy Council.

SATURDAY, JUNE 17

Summer Pop-Up Shop

The Burke County Chamber of Commerce, 110 E. Meeting St., will host its Summer Pop-Up Shop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit www.burkecountychamber.org for more information.

MONDAY, JUNE 19

Fire department meeting

The Lake James Fire and Rescue Department will hold its annual meeting at 6 p.m. at the fire department. Prior to the meeting, elections for vacancies on the board of directors will be held from 4-6 p.m. The results of the election as well as a financial report and any necessary business will be discussed during the meeting. Anyone living in the Lake James Fire District and interested in serving on the board of directors should notify the president of the board no later than June 1. Two board vacancies will be filled at this election. All residents 18 years or older residing in the Lake James Fire District are encouraged to vote in the election of board members between 4-6 p.m. and attend the annual meeting at 6 p.m. Board President Jim Powers can be reached by email at jimpowers5137@gmail.com.

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.

THURSDAY, JUNE 22

Board of directors meeting

Burke County Smart Starts board of directors meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Partnership offices located at 304 W. Union St. Board 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, please call the Partnership at 828-439-2326 or us the NC Relay System at 1-800-735-8262.

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.
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A new state court records management system has violated peoples rights by delaying their release from jail and causing others to be arrested multiple times on the same warrant, a new lawsuit claims.

The complaint asks that a federal judge bar Wake and Lee county sheriffs from using the system which state officials rolled out in February in four counties as a pilot.

The suit, which estimates damages to exceed $5 million, is a proposed class action claim that could likely draw hundreds of affected people across the state, the lawsuit states.

The named plaintiffs include a Triangle and Lee County resident. One was arrested twice on the same warrant, the lawsuit contends. The others release from jail was wrongly delayed 14 days.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs say they are aware of more people harmed by failures by the eCourts system. ECourts is a package of software applications that allows electronic filing and allows the public to access records online and pay court fees.

We expect to hear from many more people now that this complaint is on file, said Zach Ezor, one of the attorneys from the Tin Fulton law firm that represents the plaintiffs.

Such problems with the new system and other issues were foreseeable, the lawsuit claims, since vendor Tyler Technologies has faced significant challenges during previous software rollouts in Texas, California, Tennessee and Indiana. The Texas-based company was awarded a $100 million contract over 10 years to implement the new North Carolina court software system.

In an interview in February, Andrew Heath, director of the North Carolina Administrative Office of Courts, asked people to give the system six months, saying there is no easy way to go through such a big transition without challenges.

Heath didnt immediately respond to a request for an interview Tuesday.

A human toll

Triangle resident Timia Chaplin was charged in November with aiding and abetting impaired driving, a misdemeanor, and failed to appear in court on those charges in December, according to the lawsuit and court documents.

In March, police arrested her for failure to appear and released her on a bond, the lawsuit states. Her charges were dismissed later that month.

However, on April 9, Chaplin was arrested again on those charges, the lawsuit states.

During an unrelated traffic stop later in April, an officer informed her that the warrant was still active.

Paulino Castellanos was arrested on Feb. 10 and charged with indecent liberties with a child under the age of 16 and attempted first degree sex offense, according to court documents. The alleged incident occurred between 2011 and 2017, according to the limited court documents accessible in the eCourts portal.

Other court documents appeared available in the online eCourts system, but when a reporter clicked on them, the items attempted to load for several minutes until an error message popped up.

Castellanos was unable to pay the bond for his case, and his attorney started to work for his release immediately, according to the lawsuit. Castellanos has severe arthritis, which often limits his movement and confines him to a wheelchair, the lawsuit states.

But Lee County officials, who had begun digitizing case files for the Feb. 13 transition to eCourts, couldnt find Castellanos case in the system.

On Feb. 15, the court unsecured Castellanos bond and allowed him to be released on electronic monitoring. However, he wasnt released until Feb. 23 because no device was available, the lawsuit states.

Over the 14 days Castellanos was in jail, he was confined to his cell 23 hours a day, the lawsuit states. His arthritis made it nearly impossible for Castellanos to do basic tasks, like walk from his bed to the cell door to get his meals.

A failed upgrade?

On Feb. 13 the North Carolina Judicial Branch moved to digitize the state court system through eCourts pilots in Wake, Johnston, Lee and Harnett counties. ECourts is a package of software applications that allows electronic filing as well as allows the public to access records online and pay court fees.

The transition hasnt gone smoothly, with court officials and attorneys complaining about system slow down and breakdowns on multiple levels. Mecklenburg County was expected to roll out its eCourts around May, with additional county clusters expected to follow every 60 to 90 days until all courts are using the new system by 2025.

However, due to the challenges in pilot counties, the rollout has been delayed indefinitely.

In an interview earlier this month, Wake District Attorney Lorrin Freeman described the transition as a bumpy ride.

I think that it would be safe to say there is growing concern at this moment that we are not able to move as quickly and efficiently, as they would like, Freeman said.

Heath said in February that state officials are working through the glitches, including making sure officers were informed about recalled warrants.

Ask any criminal attorney, and they will outline widespread issues, Ezor said.

Ezor said they asked for a pause in the use of the new system in the hopes that there would be a thorough evaluation of eCourts in the pilot counties, as well as spur backup practices to ensure the issues are being addressed.

The lawsuit was filed against Wake Sheriff Willie Rowe, Lee Sheriff Brian Estes, the sheriffs insurers, and Tyler Technologies. A judge will decide whether the case meets the requirements to certify the case as class action. Rowe, reached Tuesday, declined to comment at this time. Estes didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer. Her work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The N&O maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
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Third offense

Stephen R. Stafford, 45, of Helena was booked into the jail at 1 a.m. Monday on a warrant for violation of a protection order (third offense).

Late-night disturbance

Late Sunday night, officers were called to the 1800 block of B Street to investigate a disturbance between a man and a woman.

The woman alleged that Andrew T. Johnson, 31, of Butte threw her cell phone at her, causing an injury to her foot and breaking the phone. He was jailed for partner or family member assault causing bodily injury and tampering with a communication device.

Spotted on Silver

On Sunday, officers spotted Debbie M. Two Two, 38, of Butte walking west on Silver Street. The woman had warrants out for her arrest for criminal mischief and pecuniary loss of less than $1,500. She was taken into custody.

Also on Sunday, officers found Starlin R. Raasakka, 21, of Butte on West Silver Street. She had a $10,000 warrant out for her arrest for criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia

Threatened with gun

Officers were dispatched to the 400 block of South Excelsior Street on Saturday where two teenage girls, ages 16 and 15, reported that Christian B. Manchaca, 23, unknown address, had gotten into an argument with them at an apartment, and allegedly pulled a gun and threatened to shoot them. The argument was supposedly over marijuana and some car keys.

It was also alleged that Manchaca took one of the girls sweatshirts, set it on fire and threw it out on the porch.

Manchaca was later located and taken into custody. The 15-year-old girl was also taken into custody for kicking an officer in the leg.

Felony DUI

On Friday, Shawn H. Weller, 58, of Helena was reportedly driving erratically on Galena Street and when an officer activated the police cars overhead lights, Weller allegedly took off at a high rate of speed.

According to the police report, Weller ran a stop sign on Colorado Street and a red light on Mercury Street. His white car was found on the grass at McGruff Park, still running, with no one inside.

Officers searched the area and found Weller hiding under a vehicle parked at a nearby building. He was jailed for driving under the influence (fourth or subsequent offense), criminal endangerment, reckless driving, operating without a valid drivers license, no liability insurance, open container in the vehicle, and eluding police.

Fight over dog

Brady S. Tippett, 29, of Butte was arrested Friday for partner or family member assault with reasonable apprehension (first offense).

According to the police report, Tippett got into an argument over a dog and made some threats towards a woman.

More reports

A 1998 Chevy pickup was stolen from the 500 block of North Wyoming Street

A 2003 black Ford Ranger was stolen from the 2200 block of Walnut Street. It was later recovered at the Front Street Laundromat.

The window of a house in the 700 block of Colorado Street was broken.

Medication was reportedly taken from a home in the 2100 block of South Wyoming Street.
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The prehistoric past can perk up the present. When woolly mammoth bones were found in my hometown in Wisconsin years ago, they became the centerpiece of one of our local museums. Today, they continue to attract visitors and serve as one of the citys informal symbols.

Unfortunately, the story across much of the fossil-rich West is more abandonment than local fame. During the late 19th century, paleontologists made huge finds in the region, excavating specimens of famed dinosaurs like triceratops, stegosaurus, diplodocus and allosaurus.

But like many would-be movie stars, the bones ended up leaving their rural sites to find fame in the big cities. Left behind were holes  literally, in the case of the dinos.

It took time for the West to stake its claim to keeping some fossil finds at home. Countless fossils, for example, have been exhumed in Wyoming since the late 19th century, but the University of Wyoming Geological Museum in Laramie didnt have a single mount of a Wyoming dinosaur until 1961.

One reason was money. Even today, a town might be located right next to spectacular fossil sites, but limited municipal budgets can make it hard to keep the lights on in a museum. Funding for the collection, curation and study of fossils doesnt always match up with areas containing many fossils.

Yet everyone benefits when at least some fossil finds stay put. In many cases, they are discovered not by paleontologists but by ordinary citizens. In 2006, oil workers in Wyoming happened upon giant white bones, recognized their importance, and called in experts. The bones were part of an enormous, 11,600-year-old Columbian mammoth.

Thankfully, that mammoth is now on public display at the Tate Geological Museum in Casper, Wyoming. The landowners whose property contained the mammoth bones thoughtfully chose to donate them.

Once in local museums, fossil displays give people in the area examples of the bones they might come across, and a place for them to contact if they find something unusual. When locally found fossils stay local, they also connect people to their prehistoric heritage and encourage them to donate discoveries to local museums.

But theres more: fossils help the local economy by attracting visitors. Once local museums start drawing a crowd, they can help pay for themselves while also indirectly contributing to schools and roads. According to the national group Americans for the Arts, tourism from museums and other cultural nonprofits generates five dollars in tax revenue for each dollar they receive in government funding.

Thankfully, a lot has changed since the first fossil hunters descended upon the West in search of prehistoric dinosaurs, mammals and more. Fossil fans in the West no longer have to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to see incredible discoveries made in their home states.

For example, in Ekalaka, Montana, population 399, the Carter County Museum hosts an annual Dino Shindig, which attracts paleontologists from across the country and hundreds of other visitors.

As Carter County Museum director Sabre Moore told the documentary series Prehistoric Road Trip, the Shindig shares groundbreaking science and includes the landowners who made the discoveries possible.

At the Wyoming Dinosaur Center in Thermopolis, population 2,725, visitors can see fossils of dinosaurs large and small, tour active dig sites and even take part in the digs themselves.

I like that were a destination for folks coming to Thermopolis, said Levi Shinkle, collections manager at the Wyoming Dinosaur Center and a Thermopolis native. Were a small museum, he added, but were often in the same conversations as the large museums in urban centers.

In North Dakota, the North Dakota State Fossil Collection is on a quest, in the words of founder John Hoganson, to put a fossil exhibit in every town. The program has helped put up more than two dozen paleontology and geology exhibits across the state, from Pembina, population 512, to Lidgerwood, population 600, to Bowman, population 1,470.

Sharing a home where the dinosaurs once roamed definitely adds to local pride. When the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana, obtained a second large Tyrannosaurus rex, they put the second one up on display in the museum as Montanas T. rex, and they loaned the other to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C, where its now known as the Nations T. rex.

Sharing the riches of the West's past  right here in the West  enriches everyone.
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We sure dont build stuff like we used to.

In the 1930s Montana was able to build the massive Fort Peck dam in under a decade. A lot has changed in 90 years.

Now, simply getting a federal permit for a hydroelectric dam can take 7 years. Overall, we see federal environmental permits for energy, mining, transportation and infrastructure projects take an average of 4 1/2 years to be approved.

The delays dont end once an environmental permit is obtained. As Montanans recently saw in Laurel, a permit for a new power plant might be outright revoked after construction starts thanks to a questionable decision from a retiring judge in response to litigation from radical environmentalist groups.

Our nations permitting and environmental review process is fundamentally broken. State and federal permit reform is needed to allow entrepreneurs and innovators to overcome the challenges of the present and build an abundant future.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was created in 1970 as a well-intentioned effort to ensure federal agencies were considering environmental impacts when making decisions. Under NEPA, major government actions  like issuing a permit  require a detailed statement evaluating environmental impacts beforehand. Unfortunately, producing detailed statements over time has morphed into a bureaucratic nightmare.

Montanas own Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) was initially nearly identical to NEPA. Thankfully, the Legislature has tried to mitigate some of the worst aspects of NEPA with reforms at the state level, but more can and should be done.

Excessive paperwork and lengthy delays under the environmental permitting process can add millions to the cost of important projects like new power plants, highways or transmission lines. The uncertainty of litigation also makes projects more expensive, with the DOJ noting that NEPA receives the most litigation of any environmental law. Of course, these extra costs get pushed to you and I as the end consumers.

New PricewaterhouseCoopers data notes the oil and natural gas industry alone support more than 56,000 jobs and contribute more than $7.4 billion to Montanas economy, so hamstringing this important sector with red tape also crushes the states economic potential.

Ironically, when permitting and procedural litigation bog down energy infrastructure projects, it harms our ability to take on big environmental challenges. A vast majority of planned and in-progress energy projects needing a permit under NEPA are for either renewable wind and solar or for new transmission lines essential to expanding our grid to support electrification  delaying and even jeopardizing projects that most would recognize as ultimately be good for the environment.

In fact, the natural gas plant in Laurel that recently had its environmental permit nixed is actually a key part of Northwestern Energys strategy to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, aiding the utilitys transition to renewables by offsetting the intermittency of new wind and solar energy sources in their generation portfolio.

Readers should consider which is better for the climate: forcing critical projects through years of red tape and endless litigation, or building the infrastructure necessary for a clean and abundant energy future as fast as we possibly can?

Thankfully, our leaders are recognizing the need for permit reform. The 2023 Legislature delivered substantial reforms to MEPA intended to address frivolous litigation. In March, both of Montanas Congressmen helped pass the Lower Energy Costs Act to overhaul federal permitting. And Senator Steve Daines recently helped introduce the Spur Permitting of Underdeveloped Resources (SPUR) Act to streamline permitting for critical energy infrastructure.
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The recently published guest view by Ms. Stanfel, the director of Montana Jewish Project (IR May 18), made some good points but also jumped to erroneous conclusions.

The alarming rise of antisemitism across our nation is horrific and is an issue on which we need to press back.

In the 2017 Montana Legislature, HB 501 would have prohibited boycott/divestment/sanctions of Israel (BDS). Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said BDS was "a cancer, adding the U.S. would stop funding groups linked to it and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the move wonderful (BBC, 2020).

A majority of the Republican representatives, including myself, enthusiastically supported HB 501, a bill that would have stopped our state government from any future financial discrimination of Israel. Unfortunately, it only received three Democrat votes in the House and failed to get to the governors desk.

In 2019 a similar bill was introduced, HB 493. Once again I supported this bill and once again a majority of Democrats opposed it.

As to the misinformed parts of Ms. Stanfels letter, Rep. Stafman did give the invocation this session and did a good job. There were other legislators who did not give the invocation this session as there are 100 representatives and only 87 legislative days. Also, no legislator was ever asked their religious beliefs before an invocation and it is disheartening to have that inferred.

And finally, the last day of the session was not known by anyone in the House as the Senate unexpectedly adjourned. No one knew that morning would be the last day of the session.

In the present state of social media and biased legacy media, we need to be cautiously discerning about conclusions we may draw.

May God continue to bless Israel and may God bless the United States of America.
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The Big Hole Rivers trout population is still in decline. Conditions appear dire as ever and the worst seems yet to come.

Experts around southwest Montana say that, among the many factors at play, we should be looking at disease and bureaucratic failures as to why the Big Hole is in its continued state of peril.

Its clear that change  change beyond the stale bickering of outfitters and ranchers within their own echo chambers  is needed.

Anglers will point to the ranchers with the full ditches and then the ranchers will look at all the fishermen on the river in August, said Pedro Marques of the Big Hole Watershed Committee. And we know those arguments, and it's just not worth (the time). We've been having those discussions for 28 years, and they don't change.

Recent data from three sections of the 153-mile freestone river in southwest Montana showed the fewest number of brown and rainbow trout since data was first collected in 1969. Counts in 2021 shed a light on the brown trout problem across southwest Montana, but new data also shows a struggling rainbow trout population.

There is a massive local economy that stands to lose a lot, said Big Hole River Foundation executive director Brian Wheeler.

Historically, fishing outfitters and ranchers have been at odds with one another when river conditions were subpar, but trout populations would bounce back to some degree. Thats not the case this time around.

Both sides make fair points. Outfitters make their money by taking people fishing, and irrigation is a fundamental part of ranching. Whos to say who has a right to make a living for their family and who does not?

Every livelihood depends on it, really, Marques said.

Its a highly subjective debate. But here are the facts and trends that local scientists and river watchers know to be true.

After monitoring the Jerry Creek section of the Big Hole  from the Jerry Creek access site to Dewey  Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist Jim Olsen and his colleagues estimated less than 1,000 brown and rainbow trout per mile.

The Hogback Section of the lower Big Hole is estimated to have between 500 and 700.

The popular Melrose section  which spans roughly from Melrose to Brownes Bridge near Glen  is estimated to have fewer than 500 brown and rainbow trout per mile.

For perspective, during the early Aughts there were between 3,000-3,500 browns and rainbows per mile through the Jerry Creek section. Hogback boasted over 2,000 as recently as 2013. Melrose peaked at nearly 3,000 at the turn of the century and maintained an estimated 2,500 brown and rainbow trout in 2015.

All three stretches have seen those combined populations plummet after 2017.

1,000 trout per mile through Jerry Creek may not sound too alarming, but Melrose was at that number just four years ago.

Also during these studies, biologists have noted a lack of juvenile fish. If browns and rainbows are failing to reproduce, these numbers are unlikely to improve in the immediate future.

Following back-to-back years of drought, some die off makes logical sense. Less water and warmer water means less dissolved oxygen for the fish. Other rivers are experiencing a similar downward trend but not quite to the same degree.

The tailwater section of the Beaverhead, which had about 1,690 brown trout per mile in 2022, now has an estimated 1,552. The lower portion of the Beaverhead has about 304 browns per mile compared to 426 in 2022.

The Ruby Rivers tailwater recently had an estimated 649 brown trout per mile compared to 853 in 2022. There was a slight increase in the lower section of the Ruby with an estimated 257 fish per mile, up from 247 in 2022.

While those data points might not seem overly troubling, Matt Jaeger, hydropower, native species and Beaverhead-Ruby program manager, pointed out that the numbers are still historically low. He also suspects there are additional factors at play other than angler abuse, or low flows and subpar habitat resulting from low flows.

There's other things that could be contributing to it than just flow, Jaeger said. And it appears that there are.

The Big Hole is the most glaring at the moment.

We've seen declines  nothing on that magnitude of what we've seen now, Olsen said. But in the past, they've really followed water. And so during drought times, populations would decline. But we're talking a 20 to 25% decline.

The sharp nosedive we are seeing now, which began in 2017 during good water years, requires a closer look at what could be more complex issues, Olsen said.

Poor water isn't helping us at all, either, as far as a potential recovery from that, Olsen said. We've had poor water the last two years, but we were already down in the basement before these bad water years came.

Theres even a drought management plan already in place along with strict fishing regulations.

So what more can be done? By all accounts, the vast majority of river users are playing by the rules. Given the declining numbers of juvenile trout in addition to the overall population, we wont be out of the woods for years to come.

Olsen and others speculate some kind of fungal outbreak is possible. The river had such outbreaks in 2014, 2015 and 2017 that killed a significant amount of fish. Even when there is not an active outbreak, the fungus is always present.

Based on recent history its hard to rule out. There was a confirmed fungal outbreak in 2017, about the time when this recent decline began.

I don't know that for sure, Olsen said of an active outbreak. But it certainly has been a factor at least in three different cases in the last eight years or so.

Olsen is awaiting results from a study he requested on a number of dead, seemingly infected, brown trout he came across during the fall of 2022. Since the fish were already dead, its not 100% accurate to assume that it was an infection that killed them. Once the cause of death is determined, it can then be compared to what is ailing other infected fish.

I'm convinced that there's something going on in the fishery, from a disease standpoint, and frankly, I'm frustrated that the FWP doesn't have that data, said Steve Luebeck, vice president of the George Grant Chapter of Trout Unlimited. I know they collected the samples, but they have not analyzed those samples.

FWP is not immune to the difficult times our society faces as a whole. Staffing shortages plague many industries, and organizations are being asked to do more with less. Full-time biologists are absorbing the full-time administrative duties of open positions.

The Region 3 Fisheries manager position, which oversees southwest Montana and the Big Hole, has been vacant for about a year and a half. Madison-Gallatin Fisheries biologist Mike Duncan has stepped in as acting manager until the position can be filled.

Those samples were, I think, going to be included as part of a larger study on potential disease concerns, Duncan said. And so unfortunately due to a lack of staffing in the lab, we haven't been able to get those processed because it takes a pretty specialized pathologist  histopathologist just to analyze those. They haven't been processed yet.

Fungus is native and always present in the Big Hole. Fish can naturally fend off dangerous fungi or other parasites if theyre healthy. A stressed brown and rainbow trout population will be more susceptible to outbreaks because fungus is generally a secondary infection, Olsen said.

But why are the fish so stressed? Brown trout especially are known for resiliency and being able to withstand stressors like warm water.

Fishing pressure is probably a knee-jerk response. While harvesting fish caught on the Big Hole is rare, and now heavily restricted, the act of reeling in and handling a panicked trout will leave it stressed once returned to the water.

Angler days have doubled on the Big Hole River since 2008. An angler day translates to one person fishing for one day on the river. In 2008, FWP estimated 60,000 angler days on the Big Hole. Now its around 120,000.

Pat Munday, professor of science and technology studies at Montana Tech and author of "Montanas Last Best River: The Big Hole and Its People," points out that stress levels in caught and released fish go off the charts.

Low water flows arent helping. Trout need cold water to survive, and more is better. Ranchers in the Big Hole Valley rely on water from the river to irrigate the hayfields that feed their cattle during the valleys long winters and are resistant to a federal agency dictating details about withdrawals.

River in Peril: The Big Hole River under threat Author Pat Munday once referred to the Big Hole River as Montanas Last Best River. And it's a river that's threatened by climate change, among other issues.

Thats part of why the Big Hole Watershed Committee was formed. When the Arctic grayling was on the brink of being federally listed as an endangered species, the last thing locals wanted was a government agency fudging with the long-standing water rights.

When you have someone in Denver or Washington, D.C., making decisions, that doesn't sit well in western Montana, generally, Marques said.

Before pulling out your scoreboard and marking down points for the ranchers and outfitters (hopefully were past this), you should know there is more to consider.

The time of year when fish are feeling the most stress is important as well. Flows in recent years have been lowest during September and into October, when brown trout are spawning. Fall is also a popular time for fly fishermen to target hungry browns by throwing streamers.

These low flows going through the brown trout spawn are going to introduce the same kinds of stress levels  high temperatures, low flows  that stress these fish, Munday said. If there is disease, it's going to exacerbate it. Even without disease, it's going to increase crowding and stress levels as the brown trout are on the reds.

Irrigation can also be observed along the Big Hole past growing season and into the fall.

Ranchers have this theory of: if they can saturate more moisture into soil in the fall that will give them a boost in the spring, Munday said.

Increased algae bloom and other nutrients can also increase stress levels. At night, algae growth will consume oxygen because it is not receiving sunlight, robbing trout of precious oxygen which is already at a premium in warm water.

The area above Dickie Bridge known to many as the dead zone develops a thick layer of algae during the summer. Munday predicts that this is increasingly going to be characteristic of the Big Hole generally.

Wheeler has also been monitoring water quality. Hes been compiling data from the entire Big Hole for about three years, from Twin Bridges to Wisdom. His samples have found nutrient pollution, also known as eutrophication.

Wheeler, who is a guide in addition to being the BHRFs executive director, said that if nutrient pollution was confirmed to be a driving factor in brown and rainbow trout decline, it would explain several issues. Wheeler said it seems nutrient pollution can also exacerbate the effects of Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, or T. bryo, which is the cause of proliferative kidney disease (PKD).

In addition to devastating population crashes that can result from PKD outbreaks, Wheeler said through his observations during the last three years it appears that nutrient pollution also negatively affects trouts respiration, reproduction and growth.

Wheeler and the BHRF have documented elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus throughout the river during the past three years.

A common cause for elevated nitrogen levels in Montana, Wheeler said, is agricultural runoff. Naturally occurring phosphorus and phosphorus mines in southwest Montana could explain the elevated phosphorus levels.

Part of the water quality nutrient issue is also cyclical with lower dissolved oxygen levels, Munday added. And again, that correlates with temperature. The warmer water is, the less oxygen can dissolve in it.

These are theoretically fixable problems so long as they are correctly identified at some point and a plan of action can be put in place by state officials, similar to the reaction to the PKD outbreak on the Yellowstone River in 2016.

FWP moved with some urgency, Luebeck said. They got samples, they got them analyzed, they diagnosed the problem. They fixed it. There does not seem to be the same level of urgency on the Big Hole. They took samples in the river last fall. It's May. Where's the data?

Also similar to the Yellowstone, if the appropriate decisions are made and the ship is righted for Big Hole brown and rainbow trout, the work is not finished. Disease can return, and the river isnt becoming less popular as a recreation destination or less vital as an irrigation resource.

And we depend on the State to ensure that a clean and healthful environment is proactively maintained on our behalf, as is explicitly afforded us in the State Constitution, Wheeler said.

Mundays main concern is that the large-scale and long-term issue of climate change still looms, regardless of how the current problem is remedied.

So just as we've seen with the impacts on our forest  beetle kill, fires  the EPA predicted significant declines (in Rocky Mountain trout populations) by 2030, Munday said. So I think in some ways were seeing those kinds of predictions about climate come true.

Researchers from the University of Montana conducted a study that found declines in Montanas native bull trout and cutthroat trout were driven by climate change. Bull trout were most affected by reduced habitat, while cutthroat were found to be vulnerable to invasive trout species.

No such study has been published on rainbow and brown trout on Montana. Wheeler said it is de facto science, noting summer temperatures, rapidly melting snowpack and severe wildfire seasons.

Munday said an official study is not likely because brown and rainbow trout are not native species, but added a study on the native whitefish could be telling as to what the Big Hole and other rivers are up against.

Our native fish evolved in this habitat and are a key indicator species, he said. Something that's been just horribly really unprofessional, on the part of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to ignore is collecting long-term data and monitoring whitefish populations.

FWP Fisheries Division administrator, Eileen Ryce, was not available to comment at the time this story was published.
By Carrie McGinnis | May 23, 2023

Senior instructor of Japanese Yoko Hatakeyama, 95, 05, was selected as the 2023 Murray State University Alumni Association (MSUAA) Distinguished Professor, and served as the faculty mace-bearer during spring commencement exercises May 13.

MURRAY, Ky.  Senior instructor of Japanese Yoko Hatakeyama, 95, 05, was selected as the 2023 Murray State University Alumni Association (MSUAA) Distinguished Professor, and served as the faculty mace-bearer during spring commencement exercises May 13.

A global languages instructor at Murray State since 1991, Hatakeyama is also a two-time alumna, earning a masters degree in organizational communication in 1995 and a second masters degree in English and philosophy in 2005.

In addition to her faculty role at Murray State, Hatakeyama has accompanied many students on study abroad trips to Japan over the last 23 years as a program director for the Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS). KIIS is a nonprofit faculty-led study abroad consortium of colleges and universities in Kentucky and surrounding states.

While advising the Universitys Japanese club, Hatakeyama also serves as an advisor for Murray State students with interest in applying for the competitive Japanese Exchange and Teaching program (JET). The JET program allows young professionals from all over the world to live and work in Japan. Most participants serve as Assistant Language Teachers and work in public and private schools, while others work as Coordinators for International Relations as interpreters or translators. This year, four Murray State students are participating in the program.

Each year, the MSUAA recognizes the Universitys Distinguished Professor Award recipient as nominated by Murray State students. The award is reserved for those faculty members who have served the University unselfishly, have distinguished themselves professionally and have been recognized by students as outstanding teachers and mentors.

Hatakeyama Sensei goes out of her way to help students prepare for the JET program, said Aryka Cooper, one of Hatakeyamas students, in her nomination for the award. She goes above and beyond for her students, giving them extra help during her free periods and encouraging the students in their Japanese learning. Many students are advanced enough to enter in Japanese competitions, as well as Japanese study abroad programs, due to the extra help that she gives despite her busy schedule. She is exactly what this award stands for.

As part of a longstanding tradition, the Distinguished Professor serves as the mace-bearer during commencement exercises, leading the academic procession and placing the mace in its holder on stage. The mace, which symbolizes order and authority, was designed and hand-crafted by Murray States department of industrial education in 1968.
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New York (CNN)  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reaffirmed June 1 as the hard deadline to raise the debt ceiling on Monday, saying she expects the United States will be unable to pay all of its bills in a little over a week.

If an agreement isnt reached to prevent the United States from defaulting on its debt, the country could descend into economic disarray, affecting millions of Americans from investors to Social Security beneficiaries.

Nevertheless, consumers can take steps to safeguard their finances from some of the effects of the crisis.

There isnt much precedent on what to do in case of a default, since its never happened before. If the government doesnt raise the ceiling, the United States wont automatically go into default. The Treasury Department has enough to cover some obligations, but its uncertain what protocol it would adopt to handle payments.

Heres how you can prepare for a potential debt default.

Military families should keep extra cash

Some Department of Defense workers may see their paychecks delayed  that includes more than 2 million federal civilian workers and around 1.4 million active-duty military members. Federal government contractors could also see a lag in payments, which could affect their ability to compensate their workers, CNN previously reported.

Mike Hunsberger, owner of Next Mission Financial Planning and an Air Force veteran, said military families should make sure they have extra money and that their emergency funds are topped off to weather a missed paycheck. For those with thin budgets, Hunsberger suggested looking again to see if theres anything else to cut back on, at least temporarily.

Every military service has an organization that can help with temporary loans for those who could be in a crunch  think a car breaking down or an emergency ticket home for a family death, Hunsberger said. Some military-facing banks could also be of assistance.

Those who receive veterans benefits should also have an emergency stockpile prepared  disability payments and pensions for some low-income veterans and their surviving families could be affected by a default.

Expect volatility in bonds

Bond investors should expect volatility even during deal negotiations. U.S. Treasuries are considered to be the worlds safest assets because they are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, but the uncertainty over a debt ceiling deal adds risk.

With Treasuries, the key question is when investors will be repaid, not if.

Experts assume even if the U.S. briefly goes past the X-date, it will be resolved quickly and the government will make good on its obligations, CNN reported.

If you invest in bonds, pay attention to when your Treasury bills are maturing.

Those who have invested in Treasury bills maturing on or right after June 1 and who definitely need their money at that time  for example, to pay their own bills  might consider selling those bills now and reinvesting in bills that mature sooner, Collin Martin, director and fixed income strategist at the Schwab Center for Financial Research, suggested in an interview with CNN.

And for those into bond funds, check to see that the bond portion of your portfolio has adequate exposure to intermediate and longer-term bonds, rather than being too heavily weighted toward short-term higher yielding bonds.

Stick with high-quality investments

Steer clear of corporate junk bonds or emerging market bonds, CNN has previously reported. Thats because if the U.S. does default, high-risk debt instruments will come under the most pressure.

If you need to borrow money, you need the confidence of the markets to lend to you, Martin said.

Our general guidance is for investors to maintain a balanced portfolio in keeping with their goals and to remain disciplined. A long-term view is especially important during periods of uncertainty, Vanguard spokesperson Jessica Schifalacqua said previously told CNN.

Stocks could shed as much as a third of their value even if an agreement is reached, erasing $12 trillion in household debt, Moodys Analytics said.

Make necessary adjustments to your 401(k)

Review your equity-to-bond allocation and make any necessary adjustments, Martin advised. Stocks, which are riskier investments than bonds, will probably get more volatile as the deadline date approaches, CNN has reported.

Dont over invest, despite temptation

If the U.S. does default, it has to then be resolved, experts say. And when it does, there will be a relief rally in the market, Callie Cox, eToro U.S. investment analyst, previously told CNN. However, there could be an immediate correction period after a deal is reached as the Treasury replenishes the cash it burned through when it couldnt borrow money, Michael Reynolds, vice president of investment strategy at Glenmede said to CNN.

Investors may be tempted to buy the dip, but there are so many other pressures weighing on the economy, Cox said.

You dont want to get over-invested with a recession on the horizon, Reynolds said. In his view, its only worth taking advantage of a market sale if the S&P 500 dips below 16% of its current value. Short term investors should be even more cautious, experts said.

Prepare for Social Security delays

The average payment for one of the 66 million people who receive Social Security benefits is $1,827 a month in 2023. These payments could be delayed in a debt default, but Shai Akabas, director of economic policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said the Treasury could continue making on-time payments because of the entitlement programs trust fund.

The benefits are disbursed four times a month, on the third day of the month and on three Wednesdays. Roughly $25 billion a week is sent out, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

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Credit scores stayed steady as consumer debt balances rose in 2022 Credit scores stayed steady as consumer debt balances rose in 2022 Average credit score in the U.S. unchanged at 714 Average total debt levels up in most states Credit utilization and delinquency rates increase from 2021's record low levels How older and younger credit card users differ by FICO score U.S. consumer debt snapshot Credit cards see the fastest growth, again Student loan balances decline prior to court decision What borrowers can expect in 2023 Credit utilization will continue to pressure consumers' credit scores More shifts in financing and refinancing
There are worries that politicians may not feel urgency to act until financial markets shake hard enough to light a fire under both parties.
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  To her students who need the most support, India Strother is rarely just Ms. Strother  shes a family figure they call Mom, a trusted guide as they negotiate their teenage years.

They open up to her about their dating lives. About pregnancy scares. About their fights with their parents, about the trauma they experience outside school. She keeps a mental list of those at risk of self-harm or suicide, and checks to see how they are doing. It's just part of the job of being a counselor at any American high school.

But at predominantly Black schools like the one in Columbus, Ohio, where Strother works, students mental health is further tested by pressures and discrimination they endure because they are Black, as well as poverty and violence in some communities that have faced years of disinvestment.

Anytime you deal with African American mental health, youre not dealing with one thing, Strother said. It is several things. It is trauma that has not been addressed.

The drivers of the mental health crisis for Black children begin early and persist through a lifetime. Black childrens first encounters with racism can start before they are even in school, and Black teenagers report experiencing an average of five instances of racial discrimination per day. Young Black students are often perceived as less innocent and older than their age, leading to disproportionately harsher discipline in schools.

Black adolescents are far less likely than their white peers to seek and find mental health care. In part, thats because Black families often distrust the medical system after generations of mistreatment  from lack of access to care to being subjected to racist practices and experimentation like the Tuskegee Study. The country also has a shortage of providers who understand the roles that racial identity and racism play in shaping young Black peoples mental health.

Research and health surveillance data point to a growing mental health crisis among Black youth over decades. Between 1991 and 2019, Black adolescents had the highest increase among any racial or ethnic group in prevalence of suicide attempts  a rise of nearly 80%.

About 53% of Black youth experience moderate to severe symptoms of depression, and about 20% said they were exposed to racial trauma often or very often in their life.

These disparities and lived experiences have systemic roots, including discrimination in housing, education and health care, and they have led to Black people experiencing higher rates of poverty and being underinsured. But financial stability does not shelter Black youth from the toll of racism on their mental health, said Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble, a psychologist and founder of the AAKOMA Project, a mental health nonprofit focused on youth of color.

Socioeconomic status adds another layer to it, but thats not the thing thats driving a lot of the behaviors that our young people are experiencing, she said. Its the fact that people make assumptions about Black kids, based purely on their stereotypes.

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EDITORS NOTE: This story is part of an AP series examining the health disparities experienced by Black Americans across a lifetime.

For 17-year-old Lillian, navigating a predominantly white school as a high-achieving Black girl wore heavily on her mental health. The AP is only publishing her first name to protect her privacy in discussing sensitive topics.

At its worst, anxiety isolated Lillian from her close-knit family. She sometimes went days without sleeping, kept awake by her schoolwork and the pressure she put on herself to excel.

All the insensitive comments and racial microaggressions felt relentless, and often came just as she was starting to become closer friends with someone. This school year alone, at least four people have tried without warning to touch her hair, which she loves wearing in puffs, braids and other natural styles.

Others told her she didnt seem like what they expected, leaving her wondering what exactly they expected of Black girls like her. With few teachers who were people of color at her school, she often felt like she had to work harder to prove herself capable and deserving of the same opportunities and recognition that white students easily received. But in advocating for herself, she worried about coming across as too aggressive.

I think in predominantly white spaces, we naturally code switch. Were softer, Lillian said. I had to have this large patience for things that I wouldnt normally have. Because it was my school, its like if Im so aggressive, and it becomes known that Im the aggressive Black girl, its gonna be terrible, and its gonna follow me.

Although many of Lillians family members supported her in seeking more intense support for her anxiety  she was ultimately diagnosed with two anxiety disorders  others were less receptive, dismissing her mental health as a need to focus more on her faith.

Outside of school, Lillian volunteers with suicide prevention and mental health workshops. Another Black girl once told Lillian about a white therapist making a dismissive comment about Black families during a session.

If youre going into it with a stigmatized belief about how Black people see mental health, then of course no one is going to want to open up to you, Lillian said.

As young as 4 to 6 years old, children of color begin to experience race-based traumatic stress, said Dr. Steven Kniffley, a licensed psychologist and senior associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Racism affects mental health on multiple levels. Besides direct hostility and microaggressions, experts said seeing people of color subjected to racist violence also takes a toll. Called vicarious racism, research has found it can result in greater symptoms of depression and anxiety.

When we think about our young folks specifically, because of the strong influence of social media on their lived experience, theyre constantly inundated and really overexposed to all the bad things that are going on in our society, Kniffley said. You see a police shooting, and theyre retraumatized over and over again.

In the Columbus area, where Lillian goes to school, the killing of 16-year-old MaKhia Bryant brought the feeling close to home for Black girls in the city. Bryant was holding a knife during a confrontation with a woman at her foster home when police shot the teen. But Bryants family later revealed it was Bryant who had called for police to come to the scene, saying she was being attacked and needed help.

The shooting made Fran Frazier, founder of the Columbus-based Black Girl Rising, want to do something for Black girls in the city, who she said felt denied of their girlhood and adultified  viewed as older and less innocent. She bought time on a radio station and asked Black women in the area to read love letters to Black girls on the air.

Our girls have the assumption that, If we dont look like you think were supposed to look, then you can address us as adults, Frazier said. Youre not thinking about us as actual girls.

Frazier led a 2011 study into the lives of Black girls in Ohio that forms the basis of her work now with young Black women around mental health, leadership and resilience.

Through the Black Girl Think Tank, Frazier said participants identified six key areas affecting Black girls mental health: colorism, bullying, body shaming, lack of conflict resolution skills, depression and LGBTQ+ issues.

While nearly all the girls who responded said they liked being Black, and liked being a girl, they felt they had been treated unfairly for being both.

When you are walking around every day, being reminded that you are a female, that you are a female of color, and nobody in the world actually likes you, that helps you see what the future could be like, Frazier said. Our girls have a lot of hope, but not necessarily what they need to get there.

Suicides for all Black youth between the ages of 5 and 17 climbed between 2003 and 2017  but the increase was sharpest for girls and 15- to 17-year-olds. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey found that 22% of Black youth had considered suicide in the past year. For Black youth who are also LGBTQ+, that number was 44%, according to the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization.

Individually and systemically, barriers to accessing mental health care disproportionately deter Black teens from getting the support they need.

The cost of care  sometimes hundreds of dollars for a single therapy session if providers dont take insurance, and many do not  can make services inaccessible, but poverty and insurance rates do not fully explain the disparate outcomes.

The fear of being misunderstood or even mistreated by the medical establishment is not without foundation. Most mental health care providers are white  only 4% of psychologists are Black, according to the American Psychological Association. And 80% of mental health providers are not trained in treating race-based trauma, said Kniffley, the psychologist.

Racist treatment of Black people in medical care dates to slavery, and psychiatry and psychology are not exceptions. In 1851, physician Samuel Cartwright hypothesized that mental illness was what drove enslaved Black Americans to escape to freedom. Termed drapetomania, the belief was rooted in the idea that slavery was such an improvement to Black peoples lives that only those who were mentally ill would wish to escape.

And in 1968, psychologists Walter Bromberg and Franck Simon developed the theory of  protest psychosis, the idea that Black male participation in the Civil Rights Movement caused violent, schizophrenic symptoms.

That legacy has contributed to a mistrust that Black and brown folks have where their experience has been pathologized, Kniffley said. Theyve been overlabeled with behavioral challenges and learning challenges that have very real-world consequences in terms of what type of schooling you get, what type of jobs are accessible to you, how people treat you.

Psychologists have taken steps to acknowledge their professions history. In 2021, the American Psychological Association issued a public apology and resolution noting psychologys roots in eugenicist and racist ideas and the negative impact that the field has had on communities of color. The resolution called for prioritizing training and policies meant to address these inequities.

Though Black parents, activists, clinicians and teens said in interviews that while they feel the stigma of mental health has lightened overall, individual experiences are still shaped by pressure to keep personal struggles private.

A distrust of formal systems still lingers among Black Americans in response to decades of medical mistreatment, said Dr. Michael Lindsey, professor of social work at New York University. In response, families may seek support through informal systems in their communities such as churches, Lindsey said, rather than speaking of their personal affairs to people outside the family.

Society still treats those struggling with mental health differently, Lindsey said. And for people of color who are already marginalized because of their identity, admitting they are struggling with their mental health adds a double consequence, he said.

Counselors and therapists must overcome those hesitations with young people before they open up about their needs. But in schools  often the only places where many teens can access mental health support  social workers, psychologists and counselors are frequently overwhelmed by the number of students in their caseloads.

In Columbus, there are an average of 465 students for each school counselor, which is not uncommon in U.S. schools, even though the recommended ratio is one counselor per 250 students.

One time, Strother, the counselor, recalled looking up from her desk and seeing 10 students in her office, hoping to talk to her about something on their minds.

You have that happening with 100 students, 200 students, who always want to hang in your office because youre their safe space in the school, she said.

The school partners with community providers for additional counseling, but even if students say theyre ready for more intensive mental health support, staff still may face resistance and distrust from parents.

One girl told Strother that she thought fighting with her mother at home might be the root of her anger issues and that therapy might help. Strother told the girl she was brave to advocate for herself, and the girls face lit up.

But when Strother said she needed her moms permission, the girls face dropped. The girl had asked her mother about counseling before, but was told no. Strother called the mother but got no answer. And when she eventually returned Strothers call, it was to say her daughter was just being dramatic and didnt need counseling.

And at that point, what do you do? Strother said. You cant harass a parent to make them give their child counseling.

Outside the school hallways, the high concentration of poverty in the surrounding neighborhood, as well as food insecurity and gun violence, seeps into the lives of her students, she said.

This is a difficult place. But Im gonna tell you: You walk in there, you meet some of those kids and there are days where you wouldnt want to be anywhere else, Strother said. They are the most loving children who just need someone to love them.

Through hip-hop, Archie Green hopes to create a safe space for young Black men to unpack their lives.

In 2021, he started a program called Cope Dealer for young boys in Kent, Ohio, offering them a space to discuss how gender, race and mental health intersect for Black boys and men and ways to cope with daily stressors.

For Black men, its so hard for us to open up, to be vulnerable to know its OK to cry, Green said. Its OK to feel.

Schools should be that safe space for kids. But symptoms of depression, anxiety and traumatic stress in Black students are often viewed by adults as disobedience, anger or insubordination.

Those perceptions lead to Black students being policed or disciplined rather than protected in schools, said Tai Collins, associate professor of school psychology at the University of Cincinnati.

Oftentimes in schools, students have these racialized experiences, Collins said. And they dont experience a safe space where they can be supported.

On the first day of the Cope Dealer program, officers entered a room where participants gathered and arrested a boy, who was between homes, for having an unloaded pellet gun that he used for protection. And on the last day, the group was accused of stealing a wallet that had gone missing at the school.

Of course, theyre gonna knock on the door where all these Black boys are meeting, to profile us as if were automatically the suspects, Green said.

Program participants have grown in their mental health and their ability to speak up for themselves, he said.

They were very vocal with the principal and the police officer, saying: We dont feel served or protected, Green recalled of the wallet accusation. And they were very diplomatic in their approach. And when our facilitator asked them again, All right guys, how are you feeling? One of them said, I think we handled that better than last time.

Over 10 weeks, group members who call themselves Cope Kingz analyze hip-hop songs and talk about grief, identity and coping.

They also put their experiences to music, producing a mixtape with five songs.

Struggled inside my nature, thats how I define oppressed, one young man raps on the opening track, titled A Different View. Wonder if the things Im going through are just inside my head.

Annie Ma, based in Washington, is a member of APs Race and Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/anniema15.
It's becoming increasingly difficult for Russians to escape government scrutiny. Authorities monitor social media accounts, prosecuting critics of President Vladimir Putin or the war in Ukraine. Surveillance cameras with facial recognition systems allow police to swiftly detain activists and draft dodgers. Even a once-praised online government service platform is seen as a tool of control, with plans to serve military summonses through it  rendering useless a popular draft evasion tactic of avoiding being handed the paperwork in person. Activists say Putins government has managed to harness digital technology to surveil, censor and control Russians  new territory in a nation with a long history of spying on its citizens.
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MEXICO CITY  Mexico's Popocatepetl volcano rumbled to life again this past week, belching out towering clouds of ash that forced 11 villages to cancel school sessions.

The residents weren't the only ones keeping a close eye on the towering peak. Every time there is a sigh, tic or heave in Popocatepetl, there are dozens of scientists, a network of sensors and cameras, and a roomful of powerful equipment watching its every move.

The 17,797-foot volcano, known affectionately as El Popo, has been spewing toxic fumes, ash and lumps of incandescent rock persistently for almost 30 years, since it awakened from a long slumber in 1994.

The volcano is 45 miles southeast of Mexico City, but looms much closer to the eastern fringes of the metropolitan area of 22 million people. The city also faces threats from earthquakes and sinking soil, but the volcano is the most visible potential danger  and the most closely watched. A severe eruption could cut off air traffic, or smother the city in clouds of choking ash.

Volcanic ashes are especially dangerous for aviation, not only because they reduce visibility but because they can act as an abrasive, damaging an aircraft's wings and fuselage.

Mexico City's two main airports temporarily shut down operations on Saturday due to ash spewing from the volcano. The city's Benito Juarez International airport suspended operations from 4:25 to 10 a.m. local time, resuming operations after removing volcanic ashes, checking the runways and verifying favorable wind conditions, the airport said on Twitter. Felipe Angeles airport, located north of Mexico City and operated by the military, suspended operations for five hours starting about 6 a.m.

Popocatepetl's explosions registered in the early hours of Saturday were more intense than in recent days, but authorities  who keep a close eye on the active volcano  are maintaining the threat at an intermediate level.

Ringed around the volcano's summit are six cameras, a thermal imaging device and 12 seismological monitoring stations that operate 24 hours a day, all reporting back to an equipment-filled command center in Mexico City.

A total of 13 scientists from a multidisciplinary team take turns staffing the command center around the clock. Being able to warn of an impending ash cloud is key, because people can take precautions. Unlike earthquakes, warning times can be longer for the volcano and in general the peak is more predictable.

On a recent day, researcher Paulino Alonso made the rounds, checking the readings at the command center run by Mexicos National Disaster Prevention Center, known by its initials as Cenapred. It is a complex task that involves seismographs that measure the volcano's internal trembling, which could indicate hot rock and gas moving up the vents in the peak.

Monitoring gases in nearby springs and at the peak  and wind patterns that help determine where the ash could be blown  also play a role.

The forces inside are so great that they can temporarily deform the peak, so cameras and sensors must monitor the very shape of the volcano.

How do you explain all of this to 25 million non-experts living within a 62-mile radius who have grown so used to living near the volcano?

Authorities came up with the simple idea of a volcano stoplight with three colors: green for safety, yellow for alert and red for danger.

For most of the years since the stoplight was introduced, it has been stuck at some stage of yellow. The mountain sometimes quiets down, but not for long. It seldom shoots up molten lava: instead it's more the explosive type, showering out hot rocks that tumble down its flanks and emitting bursts of gas and ash.

The center also has monitors in other states; Mexico is a country all too familiar with natural disasters.

For example, Mexicos earthquake early alert system is also based at the command center. Because the citys soil is so soft  it was built on a former lake bed  a quake hundreds of miles away on the Pacific coast can cause huge destruction in the capital, as happened in 1985 and 2017.

A system of seismic monitors along the coast sends messages that race faster than the quakes shock waves. Once the sirens start blaring, it can give Mexico City residents up to half a minute to get to safety, usually on the streets outside.

Photos: Hawaii volcano eruption draws a crowd
A private citizen has filed a court motion seeking to prevent the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji from assuming the position of Director-General of the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

Katherine Cherotich from Nakuru County is urging the court to obstruct Hajis appointment, contending that his nomination fails to meet the requirements outlined in Chapter Six of the Constitution.

The activist asserts that the DPP has recently withdrawn several prominent cases and alleges that he is susceptible to coercion or intimidation, potentially leading him to disregard the Constitution.

It is in the interest of justice that this petition is urgently heard and determined so as to protect and prevent further violation of the Constitution and in recommending and nominating Haji for the position of Director-General of the NIS does not promote the purposes, values and principles of the constitution or advances the rule of law, Cherotich submits.

She adds: It does not permit the development of the law or contributes to good governance as provided under Article 259 of the constitution.

According to Cherotich, the petition raises significant matters regarding the interpretation of the Constitution, fundamental rights, and freedoms.

As a result, she says the case should be presented before Chief Justice Martha Koome to appoint a panel of more than two judges to determine the petition.

Cherotich also argues that the DPP openly acknowledged being misled and subjected to media pressure when charging the current Deputy President, Rigathi Gachagua, during his tenure as Mathira MP.

The activist states that Haji publicly admitted that he was coerced and intimidated to charge and withdraw cases involving close associates of President Ruto when he was the deputy president.

Haji cited intimidation and lack of independence as a reason for dropping several cases. This character is itself wanting for the position he is set to assume, Cherotich says in court documents.
Moses Kuria, the Cabinet Secretary for Investment, Trade, and Industry on Monday officially inaugurated the 3rd Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO2023), hosted by the Kenya Investment Authority.

The conference aims to bring together a diverse array of stakeholders, including investors, policymakers, and business leaders, fostering a platform for networking, idea exchange, and the exploration of investment prospects.

With a lineup of over 55 trade ministers and 100 prominent businesses from various parts of Africa, this conference serves as a prime opportunity for Kenya to highlight its potential as an appealing investment destination and establish valuable strategic alliances.

During the launch, the Cabinet Secretary emphasized that KIICO2023 provides a momentous occasion for Kenya to exhibit its capabilities as a significant participant in Africas trade landscape while also attracting substantial investment to the country.

Kenya aims to play a critical role in boosting intra-African trade and driving economic growth not only in the country but across the continent, said Kuria.

The Cabinet Secretary expressed his appreciation for KenInvest, operating under the Ministry of Investments, Trade, and Industry (MITI), acknowledging their pivotal role in organizing the conference.

CS Kuria lauded KenInvest for its efforts in creating a favorable business environment and its dedication to attracting investment to the country.

The conference includes a working retreat for 54 Africa Trade Ministers to develop the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation matrix and Road map that will play a key role in opening the 1.3-billion-person market in Africa for Kenyas Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and positioning Kenya as the gateway to Africa, Kuria said.

Kenya aims to present a range of investment opportunities to potential investors during the conference. These opportunities include: Special Economic Zones, Public Private Partnerships, Foreign Direct Investments in Energy, Affordable Housing, Agriculture, Health, Water, Roads, Transport including the LAPSSET Corridor, Financial Services including the Nairobi International Financial Centre and ICT related investments including the Konza City.

The conference, themed Unlocking Africas Gateway, will also include the Africa Private Sector Alliance (APSA) Forum. This forum serves as a platform for the top 100 businesses in Africa to engage in discussions centered around the growth and development of the private sector throughout the continent.

The Kenya delegation attending the conference will comprise President William Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagwa, Investments, Trade, and Industry Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria, Trade Principal Secretary Alfred KOmbudo, Investment Promotion Principal Secretary Abubakar Hassan, and KenInvest Chair Sally Mahihu.

Additionally, esteemed dignitaries expected to be present at the conference include guest speaker President Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros, who holds the position of African Union Heads of States Summit chairman, as well as AfCFTA Secretary General Wamkele Mene.
Mama Rachel Ruto has called upon leaders to lend their support to the realization of projects outlined in Kenya Kwanza governments Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda.

During the 70th birthday celebration of Bishop Dr. JB Masinde, the founder and senior pastor of Deliverance Church International, Umoja, the First Lady acknowledged the significance of a planned multistorey residential housing development on Kangundo Road by Deliverance Church Umoja.

She encouraged other leaders in attendance to identify similar promising projects in sectors such as agriculture, MSME housing and settlement, manufacturing, the digital superhighway and creative economy, the service economy, and environment and climate change.

Expressing her optimism for the nations complete economic recovery from the adverse impacts of the prolonged drought, which was the most severe in 40 years, Mama Rachel expressed her hopes for a prosperous future.

The First Lady was accompanied by notable figures including Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Nairobi Deputy Governor Njoroge Muchiri, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi (Spouse to the Deputy President), and Mark Mwenje, Member of Parliament for Embakasi West, among other leaders.
New Life International Church Pastor Ezekiel Odero must be a relieved man after a Nairobi magistrate court granted him access to all his bank accounts.

Milimani Court Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi on Monday, May 22 lifted the freeze orders following the lapse of the 15 days issued by the court.

The court had previously given investigators 30 days to investigate the accounts but later revised the order to 15, which came to an end on Sunday, May 21, 2023.

Appearing before the court, Lead Investigator Inspector Martin Munene confirmed that all banks had complied with the order allowing investigations into the preachers accounts. The banks include Cooperative, NCBA, Equity, KCB and HFC.

Munene also informed the court that none of the bank accounts were registered in pastor Ezekiels name.

The court heard that all accounts were either for the church or the school.

Inspector Munene also told the court that Safaricom had not complied with the court order allowing them access to the books accounts of the M-Pesa lines belonging to pastor Ezekiel.

He asked the court to summon the telcos legal manager to explain the reasons why they have not honoured the court orders.

The matter will be mentioned next week Tuesday to confirm if Safaricom will have complied with the court order.
The court has summoned Safaricoms legal manager to attend a hearing on Tuesday next week due to the telcos refusal to grant police access to M-Pesa accounts associated with Pastor Ezekiel Odero.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) informed the court on Monday that Safaricom had failed to comply with the orders of the court to disclose pastor Ezekiels M-Pesa statements and those of his church.

Chief Inspector Martin Munene, representing the DCI, requested the issuance of summons, asserting that Safaricom was in contempt of the court.

Safaricom despite being served with the orders on May 8, 2023, the telecommunication company has not complied with the orders of this court nor appeared before this court to give reasons for non-compliance, Inspector Munene told the court.

Furthermore, Munene requested an extension of the freezing orders placed on the seven M-Pesa lines that are currently under investigation for money laundering. The purpose of the extension is to provide an additional seven days for the investigators to conclude their inquiries.

James Gachoka, representing the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), agreed with the DCIs request to summon Safaricoms legal officer to court to present justifiable reasons why the telco should not face penalties for being in contempt of court.

In addition to summoning Safaricoms legal manager, Milimani Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi on Monday, May 22, 2023, extended the freezing orders of the M-Pesa lines belonging to Odero and the church to May 30, 2022.

The matter will be mentioned next week Tuesday to confirm if Safaricom will have complied with the court orders.
The High Court has temporarily suspended the Commission of Inquiry into Shakahola deaths.

Raila Odinga, who is challenging the establishment of the commission, filed a lawsuit through his lawyer, Paul Mwangi, asserting that the appointment of commission members by President William Ruto is illegal and unconstitutional.

The opposition leader has accused President Ruto of undermining the authority of the National Intelligence Service, as per Article 242 of the Constitution of Kenya.

The formation of the Commission of Inquiry Into the Shakahola Tragedy is a usurpation of the powers and undermining of the authority of the Senate which has already commissioned an ad-hoc Committee to investigate the Shakahola Massacre whose mandates have been duplicated, the petition reads in part.

A substantive ruling on the case will be delivered by Justice Lawrence Mugambi on Monday, determining the fate of the commission led by Justice Jessi Lessit.

Lady Justice Jessie Lessit will serve as the chairperson of the commission, alongside seven other members, namely Lady Justice Mary Kasango, Eric Gumbo, Bishop Catherine Mutua, and Jonathan Lodompui.
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In 2021 Napa was ravaged as COVID-19 claimed several small business casualties. One of which, was Alexis Baking Company (ABC), an establishment that fed loyal citizens for 30 years, where local art draped the walls, and musicians traded music for meals.

Napa resident Lindsey Foster said she appreciated the price point, family atmosphere, the personable owner, and most of all the food."

So when the business closed in 2021, it crushed Napa natives. The former ABC, at 1517 3rd St, stayed vacant for about a year until Winston's Cafe & Bakery opened on Feb. 18.

Winston's is the brainchild of artisan baker Paul Brown and chef Alex Macaraig (Mac-erh-ehg). Brown is known around town for his premium bagels and other custom-baked goods, while Macaraig honed his culinary craft while working at Miminashi in Napa.

The delay in Winston's opening, permitting aside, was the strategic redesign of the interior layout. He added, "We wanted to make it more welcoming, open, and bright," said Macaraig.

Space previously dedicated for storage transitioned into open-concept seating, all made possible by optimizing for daily deliveries of fresh ingredients, he said.

While the interior changed, the guiding tenets modeled by the pillars that built Napa  an ethos of affordability to locals, exquisite taste, and family first  remain.

The name Winston's derives from the Macaraig's family dog. His wife Cassan Macaraig, who quietly runs the operation, is a friendly face at the front, while children from their son's daycare are steadfast staples.

The focus on family welcomes a variety of diners, from those who require a morning coffee fix to first responders who are needed mid-muffin and leave expeditiously. While Winston's attracts a wide net of interested eaters, their food is what fosters repeat business.

Winston's sits between two poles of the spectrum, simultaneously avoiding being either rigidly orchestrated or simply a casual diner. "We want to be the sweet spot between the two but priced well, with fresh ingredients," said Macaraig.

Accomplishing this required changing the narrative around what is considered a traditional breakfast. "People's usual expectations are eggs and bacon, which makes getting creative and avoiding being pigeonholed difficult," said Macaraig.

Their top seller is, unsurprisingly, the two-egg breakfast consisting of two eggs your way, avocado, a buttered bagel or breakfast potatoes, and a "simple salad," which can be rare to find for breakfast in Napa. Their second best-seller is the Superfood Bowl, created initially to satisfy the need for a gluten-free option and evolved with time. The first iteration was granola and yogurt, followed by ricotta and fruit.

The final form of this dish was something Alex Macaraig previously made exclusively for Cassan Macaraig at home. The bowl now has chia seeds, oats, coconut, toasted nuts, cacao nibs, hemp seed, almond milk, seasonal fruit, dried mango, passionfruit, and honey, which, if you sub, creates a vegan dish. Macaraig said he knew it was a success when "the staff kept eating it."

Chef Brown wisely pushed for a fan-favorite breakfast burrito despite Macaraig's concern with price affordability and avoiding being a stereotypical "grease bomb." They created a winner with thoughtful creativity, replacing pork with ground chicken, utilizing their spice blend, eliminating excess salt, and adding other specialty ingredients.

Macaraig eventually expanded past typical breakfast and turned to cuisine from his Filipino heritage, which he initially described as a "fearful step." Once he found his footing, he reflected on his time at Miminashi and "That mentality of bringing more creative cuisine, to get a bit more adventurous." So he added traditional dishes like longsilog and ingredients like their house Spam. Macaraig remained adamant, "The goal is for good food, not necessarily just authentic food."

The result is a unique menu and tastes that not only converted the cult consumers from ABC but also captured those new to the city.

Recent LA transplants Joe Doherty and his wife Nicole ate at the Ocean Diner in Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles, every Friday.

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To keep the tradition alive in Napa, "We tried a bunch of places, and Winston's was the spot we liked best. It had the right feel for a casual but great breakfast before work, said Joe Doherty. Now they're Friday frequenters.

Macaraig believes the recent wave of people relocating from cities like LA and San Francisco has helped Winston's tremendously. Macaraig, who grew up in Napa, said "for the first time, I've seen people my age who are here to stay. Even those coming from other places want to settle down here."

These new residents yearn for eclectic cuisine, and Winston's wants to satiate the appetite for diversity in a town where the predominant culinary preference pairs well with wine, he said.

Winston's is packed from opening until the lunch rush ends Wednesday through Sunday. They cater to local companies and even sell their baked goods business to business. Napa Yard's popular pretzel, the famous Danish at Naysayer, Andaz Hotel's breakfast bagels, and the classic burger buns at the Archer, Palisades, and Bounty Hunter are all made at Winston's by Chef Brown.

Ultimately Macaraig's vision is to be a triple threat, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Until then, he recommends newcomers visit after 12:30 p.m. to avoid long lines or to take a 6-pack of Paulie's famous bagels to enjoy at home. Ordering takes place at the front, but good luck walking past the path of pastries before your payment is processed.

Info: 1517 3rd St, Napa. 707-666-2904, winstonsnapa.com

PHOTOS: Take a look inside Winston's Cafe & Bakery Winston's 3 Winston's 2 Winston's 4 Winston's 1 Winston's 5 Winston's 6 Winston's 7 Winston's 8 Winston's 9 Winston's 10 Winston's 11 Winston's 12 Winston's 13
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Janice Clifton, the owner of Napas Abbey Carpets Unlimited Design Center, recently traveled to Washington D.C. and met with senators and members of Congress in her role as an executive board member for the World Floor Covering Association, said a news release.

The seven-member executive board had meetings with three U.S. senators and three members of Congress including Rep. Mike Thompson who represents the North Bay and includes Napa County. Their discussions centered on issues affecting the retail floor covering industry.

Many of these are the same challenges that face all small businesses, said Clifton. The issues include the shortage of blue-collar workers, classifications for independent contractors, and tax help for small businesses.

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Clifton, a 50-year resident of the valley, has owned and operated Abbey Carpets Unlimited since 1985. She said she is very proud to represent the WFCA, where shes served on the Board and its Executive Committee for more than 20 years. She was also the WFCA chairperson in 2013.
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NAPA  Duckhorn Vineyards winery production and visitor growth requests are on track to receive further Napa County scrutiny, this time from the county Board of Supervisors.

The Planning Commission earlier this month approved the requests by the St. Helena-area winery by a 3-0 vote, with two members absent. But resident John Murphy and Water Audit California have filed separate appeals.

No Board of Supervisors appeal hearing date has been announced. Typically, hearings are held several months after appeals are filed, if the protests aren't withdrawn.

Its become a familiar dispute in Napa Valley  a winery seeks to expand, and some rural neighbors and environmentalists become wary of the scope of growth.

It's an overwhelming transformation of a rural road into an industrial lane, Murphy said on Tuesday.

The Planning Commission, which over the years has trimmed more than a few winery growth proposals, on May 3 backed the Duckhorn project as requested without any long debates.

I look at this application as an indication of success, Commissioner Dave Whitmer told Duckhorn officials at that meeting. You wouldnt be coming to us if you didnt have a successful brand.

Duckhorn winery is located on 10 acres east of the Napa River near St. Helena. It bought 19 acres on the west side of the river a few years ago that are key to its growth plans.

Among other details, the Planning Commission approved:

Building a 58,042-square-foot winery on the west property. Duckhorn officials said the bigger winery will be able to handle Napa Valley grapes now shipped to Hopland.

Expanding the Estate House on the east property.

Increasing maximum annual wine production from 160,000 to 300,000 gallons.

Increasing maximum annual visitation from 37,552 to 88,566 guests. That includes both tasting guests and marketing event guests.

Murphy lives on Lodi Lane, where he has his Sang-Froid Vineyards. He said a few neighbors are coming together as Preserve Lodi Lane.

He noted Freemark Abbey wants to build a hotel on Highway 29 at the west end of Lodi Lane. With the Duckhorn project on the east end contributing more vehicle and truck traffic, the rural road could become like an industrial highway, he said.

Traffic data used for the Duckhorn application are from 2019 and before, Murphy said. Meanwhile, he added, the county over five years has approved growth at nine wineries that has increased traffic on Highway 29, Silverado Trail and Lodi Lane.

At the May 3 meeting, William McKinnon of Water Audit California expressed concerns about how groundwater consumption at Duckhorn might affect the Napa River.

Duckhorn CEO Alex Ryan at that same meeting said the Duckhorn requests were in line with what other older, larger-parcel wineries have.

The reality is, were not asking for new, crazy things, trying to set some new benchmarks for what were doing here, Ryan said.

As things stand, the Board of Supervisors looks to make the call.
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The viral story of a mystery man who returned a book to the St. Helena Public Library 96 years overdue has taken a twist that offers another glimpse into St. Helenas history.

The mystery man was Jim Perry, who found Benson Lossings A History of the United States in a box of books that had belonged to his late wife, Sandra Learned Perry.

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I was just cleaning house and moving stuff out the door that wasnt being used, said Perry, who lives in Napa. This box of books had been in a nice cool place in our house where we kept books.

Perry said hes pretty sure his late wifes grandfather, John McCormick, was the person whod checked out the book in 1927. He would have been 55 at the time.

Perry returned the book to the librarys front desk earlier this month. Since the library went fine-free in 2019, he wasnt on the hook for nickel-a-day fines that would have added up to about $1,756.

Once library staff realized the books historical significance, they wanted to find out who had returned it, so they turned to the press for help. The Star posted an article on May 16 and the Bay Area CBS affiliate KPIX followed up with a TV segment on May 17.

Perry happened to be streaming the KPIX broadcast that night.

They did a teaser on channel 5 and I thought, Gee, that sure looks like my book, he said.

Perry then got in touch with the library and explained how he'd found it.

John McCormick was descended from one of St. Helenas oldest pioneer families, who settled in the Napa Valley in the 1840s and established the McCormick Ranch on Spring Mountain. The McCormicks were related through marriage with the Hudsons, another early St. Helena family.

John McCormick had represented District 3 on the Napa County Board of Supervisors from 1915 to 1922. Its impossible to know for sure, but Perry suspects Big John might have checked out the book for his daughters, Edna May Babe and Ina Hart, who in February 1927 would have been 10 and 13, respectively.

When McCormick died in 1963, custody of the unreturned book passed to his younger daughter, who became known as Babe Learned. Her daughter, Sandra Learned Perry, inherited the book when Babe Learned died in 2011.

Sandra Learned Perry died in 2015, leaving the library book in a box of books that her husband started digging through this month. The card envelope reading Free Public Library St. Helena, Cal. caught his eye, so he returned it to what is now called the St. Helena Public Library.

I thought it would be fun to just drop it off, and (the staff) would get a kick out of this book, Perry said. But I didnt realize it would have special significance for them.

The library staff suspects Lossings book was one of the original 540 volumes available from the Free Public Library that opened in the Kettlewell building in 1892. By the time McCormick checked it out, the library had moved to the Carnegie Building.

Its unclear how long the book had been in the box. It might have been on a bookcase at Babes house at some point, high up on the McCormick Ranch, Perry said.

The remaining 654 acres of the ranch, which burned in the Glass Fire, is now in escrow to be acquired by the Sonoma Land Trust, Perry said.

The book now occupies a place of honor in a glass display case at the entrance to the library.

PHOTOS: "Chinese in Napa Valley: The Forgotten Community that Built Wine Country" book event at Native Sons Hall in Napa
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The St. Helena Chamber of Commerce is inviting the community to a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of its new Welcome Center at 1154 Main St. from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 1.

The Welcome Center will open to the public starting Monday, May 29.

In 2022, Jean-Charles Boisset bought the downtown building that housed the previous Welcome Center. Chamber CEO Amy Carabba-Salazar worked with Boisset to vacate the building and move the Welcome Center to 1154 Main near Spring Street. In a statement, the chamber acknowledged Boisset, "who graciously funded the relocation of the new Welcome Center along with the Chamber."

The Welcome Center helps visitors learn about St. Helenas history, find information about local businesses, discover local events and experiences, and shop St. Helena-themed retail. The Welcome Center also houses the Chamber of Commerce offices, which serve 256 business partners and oversee destination marketing to support economic stability.

The Welcome Center will continue to be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, and provide a free restroom to the general public. Last year the Welcome Center saw 22,000 visitors, distributed more than 11,000 maps, referred visitors and locals to partner businesses, booked over 100 hotel rooms through sthelena.com, generated thousands of dollars in experience bookings for partners, and worked with industry leaders like Visit Napa Valley and Visit California.

PHOTOS: Napa Valley Wine Country Architecture CADE Winery - Side View CADE Winery - Inside Caves Flora Springs Tasting Room - Outside View Groth Vineyards - Suzanne in front of window Suzanne Groth in the library Groth Vineyards - Exterior Jarvis Estate - Exterior View Will Jarvis, inside the caves Jarvis Estate - Cave Tunnel doors Jarvis Estate - Waterfall Joseph Phelps - the Great Hall PEJU Driveway PEJU Tower Quixote Winery - Model Design Quixote Winery - Outside Quixote Winery - Topper
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Tuesday, May 16

1358  Report of a person behaving weirdly, in a weird posture, on Starr Avenue.

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1810  Report of a reckless driver speeding and swerving on Highway 29. It was last seen turning off near El Bonita Avenue.

1918  Report of four juveniles harassing little boys on a playground near Grayson Avenue. Police talked to both parties and the issue was resolved.

2027  Report of a large truck parked on Pope Street for a long time. An officer talked to its owner, who said its constantly being moved.

Wednesday, May 17

1159  Report of an unleashed white pit bull acting aggressively toward employees near the library. Police issued a citation.

1239  Report of someone making threats. Police arrested a 40-year-old Napa man on suspicion of making criminal threats.

1243  Report of a dog barking in a hot car parked on Church Street. Its owner returned to the car momentarily.

1339  A broken-down vehicle was blocking the northbound lane of Main Street near Adams Street.

1445  Report of a low-flying aircraft over Hudson Avenue. The caller was directed to the Federal Aviation Administrations website.

1708  Someone driving a blue Honda backed into a parked Volkswagen on Main Street and then left the scene. The Volkswagen was not badly damaged.

Thursday, May 18

0651  Report of a coyote calling out for help in someones driveway on Sylvaner Avenue. Officers responded and observed that the animal seemed to be enjoying nature.

0810  Report of a water leak and vandalism on Oak Avenue. Someone had broken in Wednesday night between 6 and 10 p.m., hooked the water line to the toilet, and flooded the unit. Water was going into the next unit. Police took a report.

1025  Report of someone swerving and driving unsafely on Highway 29.

1134  Report of a suspicious man in a bright orange vest walking on Madrona Avenue and talking on a cellphone. An officer contacted the man, who was a PG&E worker checking gas meters for leaks.

1233  Report of a vehicle parked in the wrong direction on Pratt Avenue. It was gone when police arrived.

1245  A broken-down SUV with its hazard lights on was reportedly blocking the northbound lane of Main Street.

1440  Report of a possible drunk driver swerving into a bike lane on Highway 29. The CHP and Calistoga Police were notified.

1505  Report of an abandoned trailer on McCorkle Avenue.

1627  A sewer was backing up into a shower on Main Street.

2056  Police cited a driver for running a red light on Adams Street.

2107  Medical aid for a caller with chest pains on Crinella Drive.

2153  Report of a possible drunk driver near Main/Vintage. Police pulled over the car and determined the driver wasnt DUI.

Friday, May 19

0121  Following a traffic stop near Main/Grayson, police arrested a 28-year-old St. Helena woman on suspicion of DUI.

0331  Report of a drunk man knocking on someones door and screaming on Springbrook Court. Police detained the man and released him to his roommate at the correct house.

0931  Non-injury collision on Deer Park Road. CHP responded to take a report.

0932  A cellphone was found and turned in at the police department.

1009  Report of a reckless and possibly drunk driver on northbound Main Street near Sulphur Springs Avenue. Police issued a citation.

1409  A license plate photographed by one of the police departments Flock cameras matched that of a lost/stolen plate belonging to a different vehicle. Police checked the area but couldnt find the vehicle with the lost/stolen plate.

1655  Report of a parked car blocking the entrance to an apartment on Monte Vista. It was moved when an officer arrived.

2139  Medical aid on Pope Street.

2249  People were at Crane Park after hours. The people were packing up their six vehicles and leaving the volleyball courts.

Saturday, May 20

0155  An officer clocked a red BMW sedan at 127 mph just before it crashed on Highway 29 north of Rutherford. Two occupants were killed in the crash and two sustained moderate injuries.

1640  Police were asked to check on a man walking in circles, pointing up at the sky, talking to himself, and walking in and out of the northbound lane of Highway 29 north of the elm tunnel.

1703  A caller said a box truck was parked at the Pope/Chiles intersection, blocking views and creating a hazard for drivers.

1721  Personal property had been left near Adams/Library. Police contacted the owner, who will move his property back to his trailer.

Sunday, May 21

0116  A caller heard what sounded like a party, someone starting a fight, and a crashing noise on Fulton Lane. Police arrested a 23-year-old St. Helena man on suspicion of DUI and hit-and-run.

0412  Report of suspicious men dressed in black walking around in ski masks on Valley View Street.

0924  Someone left a lot of cigarette butts behind the vineyard at Meily Park.

1358  Medical aid on Voorhees Circle.

1439  Report of an unsuccessful attempted break-in.

1536  Someone called 911 asking about the time. The caller was provided with the police departments non-emergency number (707-967-2850) for future reference.

Monday, May 22

0833  Report of work occurring at the Pope/Allison bridge without an encroachment permit.

0906  A vehicle parked on Oak Avenue was significantly damaged Friday in a hit-and-run.

1123  A person asked to talk to an officer about an incident that occurred over the weekend.

1338  A birthday card was found in an envelope on Adams Street, but there was nothing to identify the intended recipient.

1503  Report of a possible drunk driver traveling in the bike lane near Silverado/Zinfandel.

1525  Report of an abandoned trailer blocking the sidewalk at Pinot/Chablis.

1936  A caller said a small black Volkswagen kept driving through a Pratt Avenue property at a high rate of speed.

Tuesday, May 23

0149  A caller said a bright red liquid was running down her property. It was coming from a pipe on her neighbors property.

0738  Three-car accident at Silverado/Pope.

0812  Report of a big truck trying to cross the Pope Street Bridge.

1226  A person reported being harassed by a lady on Pratt Avenue.

1419  Report of a vehicle parked in the wrong direction near Main/Spring.

1740  Report of a possible drunk driver speeding up and slowing down on Highway 29 near Lodi Lane.

2316  Report of drug activity at a house on Fulton Lane.

PHOTOS: Training for an active shooter situation in St.Helena
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ST. HELENA  Actress Jennifer Garner and other high-powered donors lent Hollywood panache to a fundraiser that raised over $1 million to expand cancer screenings for Napa Valley's farmworkers and firefighters.

The St. Helena Hospital Foundations second annual Rockout/Knockout Cancer event, created by stylist and philanthropist Elyse Walker, drew Garner and other benefactors to St. Helenas The Charter Oak restaurant Thursday night.

A live auction featured a package of 26 Napa Valley magnums, including cult wine brands like Screaming Eagle and Scarecrow, that sold for $50,000. A dinner for six at The French Laundry in Yountville sold for $55,000.

Last years event proceeds of $1.4 million bring the total raised over two years to more than $2.4 million.

Proceeds will support Adventist Health St. Helenas Martin-ONeill Cancer Center and provide free Galleri early cancer detection blood tests to Napa County firefighters, whose work heightens their risk of developing cancer. The money will also fund a pilot program to provide Galleri tests to Napa County farmworkers.

Garner, who hosted the event, called early detection the single biggest ally we have against cancer.

Early detection is the difference between a bad phone call and a catastrophic one, Garner said. Its the difference between a hard month, six months, year, year and a half, or living in fear absolutely for the rest of your life.

Walker, who operates a St. Helena boutique, created the event. She became friends with Garner after serving as her stylist on the 2001 pilot of the ABC series Alias, which went on to make Garner a star.

When Garner was set to appear on the cover of Self magazine in 2002, she asked Walker to host a party at her store in Los Angeles. Realizing they had both lost people close to them to ovarian cancer, Walker and Garner bonded over a shared interest in cancer research and prevention. They agreed to incorporate a fundraiser for womens cancer research into Garners Self cover party.

From there I was hooked, Walker said.

In 2004 she launched the Pink Party in Los Angeles, which went on to raise more than $11.7 million over 10 years for Cedars-Sinais Womens Cancer Program. Garner hosted three Pink Parties.

Walker recalled how her mother started having digestive problems at the age of 40. It took nine months for her to be diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer. She died 18 months later, leaving her family in a state of emotional paralysis, Walker said.

She and her husband, David, moved to the Napa Valley in 2019 for peace and quiet, she said, but it turned out she wasnt ready to give up the fight against cancer. She joined the St. Helena Hospital Foundation board in 2022 and organized last years Rockout/Knockout Cancer event, which raised over $1.4 million.

Walker said she was inspired to raise more money to fight cancer after meeting people like Dr. Candace Westgate of Adventist Health St. Helena.

Westgate said one in two males and one in three females will get cancer in their lifetime. Farmworkers exposure to pesticides and other chemicals heightens their risk of developing cancer, she said. Firefighters have a 9% greater risk of developing cancer compared with the general population and a 16% greater risk of dying from cancer, she said.

Even the clothes (firefighters) put on are carcinogenic, Westgate said. Every day, they walk into our homes and protect us and our pets from fires. They put their lives on the line there, but also later down the road with the increased risk of cancer.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, Galleri early detection blood tests are part of a precision cancer prevention plan individualized to each persons unique risk factors, Westgate said.

Garner said its on us to provide early cancer detection for firefighters who save lives and property, and for farmworkers who help produce our food and wine.

Why not start here in this incredibly philanthropic town? Garner said.

This mutation increases a womans breast cancer risk nearly as much as BRCA. What to know Does the PALB2 mutation increase a womans risk of cancer? How can the PALB2 gene be detected? Like other gene mutations, PALB2 can be detected through genetic testing, either through a blood or saliva test. And, yes, breast cancer caused by PALB2 can be detected through mammograms and MRIs just like other gene mutations such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, Blake said. Is breast cancer treatment different for people with PALB2? People with PALB2 are slightly more prone to develop an estrogen receptor negative breast cancer, which increases the likelihood that their cancer may need to be treated with chemotherapy, Blake said. Perez said PALB2 patients also share some characteristics: The women developing cancer are usually younger (theyre premenopausal), they might have lymph node involvement, and their diagnosis is usually triple-negative breast cancer or bilateral breast cancer. The tumors are usually bigger, too, due to the late diagnosis. And while standard breast cancer treatments do exist, such as mastectomy and chemotherapy, some patients will undergo new treatments that are being tested in clinical trials. What can women with a PALB2 mutation do to their lower risk?
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In four months, the gavel will fall, and the state's first CARE Courts will be in session.

Seven counties opted for an Oct. 1 rollout of the law that orders each county to create special courts, whose judges have the authority to order voluntary treatment plans for people with untreated schizophrenia and related disorders.

The CARE Act, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last September, requires counties to come up with the bureaucratic mechanisms that will support the goal of easing an epidemic of severe mental illness on the streets and in communities.

"We're deep in the weeds, thinking about what will be the daily lives of the people who engage in this work," said Luke Bergmann, the behavioral health director for San Diego County.

Among the many challenges of the CARE Act is developing a manageable workflow for disparate groups.

For every individual appearing in the court, there will be the clerks who processed the petitions that initiated the proceedings, the outreach teams that found the individual and served the paperwork, the psychiatrists who prepared a treatment plan, defense attorneys who will represent the individual, behavioral health clinicians who will present the plan, and the judges who will negotiate its implementation.

In addition, there will be insurance companies that pay for the plan, administrators who manage the paperwork associated with the plan, and health care providers who execute the plan.

The first group  San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Francisco, Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Glenn counties  reflects the geographic and demographic diversity of California. Their courts will serve as a template for Los Angeles and the 50 other counties. (Los Angeles County will open its court on Dec. 1; the rest of the state has until Oct. 1, 2024.)

Many counties will be playing catch-up with a crisis that has gone unchecked for decades. County supervisors and behavioral health directors describe a neglected system with an unknown number of people who may be eligible for a CARE Court.

The state has estimated that 7,000 to 12,000 people will qualify for a treatment plan. The range is so broad, officials say, in part because the law allows roommates or family members to initiate an assessment of a family member suspected of having a severe mental illness.

Some counties are concerned that they will be overwhelmed by families who have been unable to seek assistance caring for individuals with mental illness by laws that protect their rights and privacy.

They are braced as well for the frustration from families whose requests are denied for not meeting the criteria specified by the law. Those brought into a CARE Court must be 18 or older, diagnosed with "schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders" and not currently being treated.

"We're just not sure who this law will bring to the door," said Veronica Kelley, Orange County's behavioral health director.

Orange County estimates it will receive petitions for about 1,500 people the first year, with about 1,000 of them meeting the court's criteria. Of those, officials estimate, nearly 300 are expected to agree to a treatment plan without having to be brought into CARE Court, leaving 700 for the court to monitor for at least a year.

One of the smaller counties, Stanislaus, has identified 150 people who will qualify based on frequent emergency room visits. "Beyond that," said county Supervisor Terry Withrow, "it's anyone's guess."

Such estimates are critical for counties needing to hire staff at a time when the state is experiencing a shortage of behavioral health workers. Meeting that need will be harder on rural counties, which have fewer providers capable of working with people suffering from acute mental illness.

"In a small county, it's not like staffing will grow to meet capacity, especially when it comes to administration and management," said Joe Hallett, behavioral health director for Glenn County, 60 miles north of Sacramento. "Instead, we just add these new responsibilities to the existing workload."

Health directors like Hallett are looking to lawmakers in Sacramento for continued advocacy and support. Glenn County will receive nearly $1.4 million in early allocations.

Startup funding for the CARE Act was $57 million. The state budgeted $26 million to be divided among the first group of counties as they work out whatever kinks arise in implementation. Another distribution of $31 million will be shared among all counties in advance of full implementation in 2024.

While Orange County received one of the highest allocations  $7.1 million  Kelley is concerned about lawmakers' resolve keeping the CARE Act fully funded.

"That's good for one year," she said, "but for the ensuing year, we don't know."

Funding behavioral health services was one reason Riverside County signed up early, said Jeff Van Wagenen, the county's chief executive officer, who argues that it has not received support from the state commensurate with its population growth. The first allocation of $6.6 million will help, but what comes after the first year is unknown.

"One of the concerns of CARE Court is that it could be the latest unfunded mandate from the state," he said.

Reflected in Sacramento's budget for CARE Court is the presumption that the initial counties will work out kinks in the legislation so that other counties can start up their courts at less expense. This means answering a number of mundane yet critical questions left unaddressed by the law itself.

For instance, who should serve the petition and transport individuals to the court?

While behavioral health departments may seem the logical choice, Bergmann is concerned that it creates a conflict of interest when the agency bringing the person to court represents the interests of the party who petitioned the court. Enlisting law enforcement for this task is equally problematic for encounters on the street that will likely require more trust than authority, he said.

Building that trust is one reason why Orange County is making provisions for its staff to help family members fill out the petitions that the court needs to initiate the intervention.

"We imagine a loved one at wit's end  agitated, frustrated and tired  for all they have been through getting to this moment," Kelley said. "So, the court staff has to be ready for that. We're also trying to get the $433 filing fee waived. That's a lot of money."

To help families understand the process, Riverside County is developing an app that will chart individual progress through the CARE system. The county also might conduct remote civil hearings, so that someone living in Blythe, for instance, would not have to go to court in Riverside, 170 miles away.

"All we need is a table, chair and laptop," Van Wagenen said. "So we could buy a van and convert it into a mobile courtroom. This would avoid the problem of having to store property or board pets for those who are experiencing homelessness."

Homeless people create a unique dilemma for counties required to hold a case management hearing within two weeks of determining the validity of the applicant's petition.

"We will need more than 14 days to find the person and to try to get them to agree to treatment," Kelley said. "What if a person has moved to a different county? We can't extend all our resources, trying to find them. We're not investigators."

Hallett, with Glenn County, has similar concerns. The two-week window is "really, really fast to find someone, do outreach and process a report," he said. "A month would be more reasonable."

Yet lawmakers wrote the law with the intention of pressuring counties to act quickly, leaving counties to meet that timeline or pay a price.

"The CARE plan is like a settlement agreement between the county and the respondent," said Jacqueline Wong-Hernandez, chief policy officer for the California State Association of Counties. "Once a plan is in place, the petitioner falls away, and an agreement to comply has to be struck between the county behavioral health department and participants in the court."

The stakes for not meeting the 14-day deadline are high. If the court finds the county to be noncompliant, a $1,000-a-day sanction per case can be levied.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, calls the counties' efforts so far "very promising."

Not only does the legislation hope to change "the arc of lives of some of the most vulnerable among us," but it also represents "a culture shift in how we collectively as a system do business, which will take time and repetition."

"Frankly," he said, "it is our responsibility to do better."

As much as behavioral health directors welcome the CARE Act, they emphasize that additional work is required to address broader and deeper problems in the state's behavioral health system.

"We're moving too quickly," Kelley said. "Give us five years, which is how long the county needs in order to build anything. Without the infrastructure, these programs won't be as successful as the Legislature wants, and we might lose people whom we could be serving in the process."

Newsom hopes to address this deficiency by creating new revenue streams for housing and services, but his proposals are contingent on voters and will take years to put in place.

"We're standing at the front door," Bergmann said. "We're painting it, we're putting in windows, we're outlining it with mother of pearl, and yet when we walk in, we find a building without a roof."

Teens are facing a rising mental health crisis. Who is most at risk? Teens are facing a rising mental health crisis. Who is most at risk? What do teen mental health trends show? How the CDC recommends improving teen mental health Sources
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Two months after California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his plan to transform San Quentin State Prison from a maximum-security prison into a rehabilitation and education facility within the correctional system, lawmakers are pushing back saying his proposal lacks a detailed strategy behind it.

During budget committee meetings last week, lawmakers grew noticeably frustrated over the limited information provided by the Newsom administration and corrections officials regarding their plan to reimagine Californias oldest correctional facility.

I try not to consider it insulting, but its close, Assemblymember Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, said at a recent budget committee hearing. I find it to be very disturbing that were following a pathway where were being asked to fund first and answers will come later.

Meanwhile, the agency tasked with advising lawmakers on fiscal and policy matters is imploring the Legislature to reject the governors funding requests and demand accountability.

A newly released report from the Legislative Analysts Office blasted Newsoms office for failing to set any clear objectives and for putting forward a $380 million funding proposal that lacks crucial information, such as the projects full scope and projected operating costs.

The report called the governors plan to complete the transformation in less than three years unnecessary and problematic. It also found that the initiative could cost upwards of $20 billion to scale across Californias correctional system, as the governor expressed was his intent.

While the administration has articulated some broad approaches to pursuing the goals of the California Model, such as becoming a trauma-informed organization, it has not identified any clear changes to policy, practice, or prison environments it deems necessary to achieve the goals, the LAO report reads.

Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, deferred questions to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

CDCR spokesperson Terri Hardy called the criticisms premature and said that a newly appointed advisory council  led by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg  was actively working to develop recommendations to transform the prison by the end of the year.

Gavin Newsom to build new training center at San Quentin

Newsom announced in mid-March that the 171-year-old penitentiary, which houses about 3,900 inmates and was home to the nations largest death row, would overhaul its approach to rehabilitating inmates to emphasize services and support over punishment.

Dubbed the California Model, Newsom said the plan that incorporates methods used in Norway and other Scandinavian nations would launch by the end of 2025.

Since then, the Newsom administration has requested $20 million for operations and $360.6 million in revenue bond authority to construct a new educational and vocational center.

The bond money would be used to knock down an existing building, which had its roof replaced less than two years ago at a cost of nearly $5 million, to make room for the new center on the Marin County property.

After factoring in annual debt costs, the projects price tag is likely to reach $680 million, according to the LAO.

San Quentin is already known as a prison that offers considerable programming, including education, arts and other rehabilitative services. Activists have questioned whether a new capital project at San Quentin is the best use of state dollars.

There are a lot of other prisons that could use some help in this regard and theyre much worse off than San Quentin, said Don Specter, executive director of the Prison Law Office.

Funding first, details later for California prison reform

Full details of the project will not be determined until after the 2023-24 budget is passed by the legislature in June.

That means the governor is asking lawmakers to approve funding for his plan without knowing how the money would be spent or whether its the best option for rehabilitating inmates and curbing recidivism rates on the scale of Californias correctional system.

Youre being asked to provide full funding  from design all the way through construction  for proposals without essentially any details, Caitlin ONeil, an LAO analyst who specialized in state corrections, told lawmakers. ... This means that the Legislature risks approving funding for projects that it may ultimately disagree with.

During budget hearings, Assemblymember Mia Bonta, D-Alameda, read out a long list of concerns, including the ability to scale the California Model, the programming changes that would be implemented and potential environmental impacts. The latter is because the new educational center at San Quentin would bypass historic preservation requirements and review under the California Environmental Quality Act.

I just want to be clear that I dont think that the role of the Legislature is to green-light a proposal without any ability to be able to weigh in, Bonta said.

Sen. Kelly Seyarto, R-Murrieta, called the administrations timeline for completion by the end of 2025 unrealistic, adding that he felt the project was being rushed.

Incarcerated people absent from California corrections reform

Specter, who played an integral role in bringing Norways correctional model back to the U.S., said Newsoms plan for San Quentin was a far cry from the overhaul achieved in Norway.

Although he agrees with the governors vision, Specter said he didnt think it was the right way to go about it.

They didnt start by renovating a building, he said about Norway. They started by developing a white paper  an analysis of where they were and where they wanted to be, with clear goals and objectives.

The makeup of the advisory council, which will be deciding what direction the initiative takes, also has caused some alarm. The council does not include any currently incarcerated people, front-line prison staff or someone representing family members of inmates.

Shortly after the governors March visit to San Quentin, a group of inmates called The People in Blue penned a letter, asking for a seat at the table. Some changes they said they wanted to see include better hygiene kits, fresh fruits and vegetables, an indoor gym to use during inclement weather and programs about money management and credit building.

The dynamics of rehabilitation in action, and how to foster a rehabilitative environment, can only come from the stakeholders who have never been consulted on the issue; the incarcerated people doing the work, their letter read.

Under the current plan, the advisory council will need to provide recommendations by the fall of this year to inform the design of the educational and vocational center. The LAOs report said that the compressed timeline severely limits the councils time to develop well-informed recommendations and also undermines legislative oversight and public input on the project.

Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, recently said she was eager to see this new California Model in action but lamented that she was not getting any sense of what that means.

I want to believe, she said, but youre not giving me much here to work with as far as what were gonna get ourselves into.

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Putin: Trilateral meeting will discuss unblocking of transport links

Pashinyan and Putin meet in Moscow

Enormous superflares from young Sun may have sparked life on Earth, new study suggests

Pashinyan, Aliyev have war of words over Zangezur corridor term interpretation

Russias Putin thanks Armenias Pashinyan for not opposing Azerbaijans Aliyev visit to EAEU meeting

Putin: There are principled agreements between Armenia, Azerbaijan regarding territorial integrity

Peskov: No predictions regarding Putin, Aliyev, Pashinyan meeting yet

Russia defense minister signs documents on deployment of nuclear weapons on Belarus territory

Georgian Airways to launch transit flights to Europe for Russians

Aliyev announces possibility of signing peace agreement with Armenia

Overchuk: 89% of goods transactions within EAEU are carried out in our national currencies

Czech Republic embassy in Armenia temporarily suspends Schengen visa applicants registration

Armenia premier: EAEU-Iran free trade agreement entry into force is paramount to us

Karabakh FM sends official letters to heads of foreign diplomatic missions accredited to Armenia

Armenia Investigative Committee: Detention chosen as preventive measure against Vardan Ghukasyan

Putin: It will be difficult for other Eurasian Economic Union countries to reach Armenia

Pashinyan: Armenia ready for dialogue to create single natural gas market within EAEU

Armenia to hold several tourism festivals this year

Armenia economic activity index up 12.2% in January-April

Japan's Gitai wants to create robots that will work on the Moon and Mars instead of humans

Tourism Committee head: 630,000 tourists visited Armenia in 1st four months of 2023
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia received Leo Docherty, the visiting United Kingdom Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Europe, the Prime Minister's Office informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The premier emphasized Armenias close cooperation and development with the UK in various domains, and expressed his belief that these bilateral relations have great potential for progress.

Docherty, in turn, noted that it has already been announced to start the UKs strategic dialogue with Armenia, and added that they are interested in expanding ties in various domains.

In particular, they discussed matters related to trade and economic interaction, and the possibilities of implementation of programs in solar energy and some other domains. Pashinyan, for his part, added that the Armenian government was interested in drawing UK investors to the Armenian market.

The interlocutors reflected also on process of normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations, the unblocking of regional transport and economic infrastructures, ensuring border delimitation and security between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the situation around Nagorno-Karabakhin particular, the humanitarian crisis created there as a result of Azerbaijan's ongoing illegal blockade of the Lachin corridor, and the need for the introduction of an international dialogue mechanism between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan. The Armenian premier noted that the goal of Azerbaijan's policy of not only blocking the aforesaid corridor, but also depriving the people of Nagorno-Karabakh of natural gas and electricity, was to subject the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to ethnic cleansing.
It is impossible to have such a process that would assume signing a document about the future of our society secretly from that society. Artur Hovhannisyan, secretary of the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction of the National Assembly of Armenia, told this to reporters Tuesday.

He explained that the Armenian authorities aim to ensure the sovereignty and security of the internationally recognized 29,800-square-kilometer territory of Armenia, and to ensure the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh on their land.

"On the way to achieving this goal, we are not interested in how many political forces will disappear from the face of the earth," said Hovhannisyan.

He added that the incumbent Armenian authorities envisage ensuring the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in their land through the creation of international mechanisms.

"We have made a statement that speaks of our readiness. Azerbaijan also made a statement in Brussels. But all this should be put on paper, after which it is necessary to assess the possible risks," he noted.

"There is an issue of [Armenia-Azerbaijan] border delimitation and demarcation, the issue of enclaves should be discussed separately, and it is also about the [Azerbaijani-]occupied territories of Armenia. When this is specified on paper, then the [Armenian] public will see everything. We are doing everything in order to sign a peace treaty [with Azerbaijan] as soon as possible," stressed the lawmaker from the Armenian ruling force

The peace talks are underway now, and while this process is in progress, the opinion expressed on the points of the aforesaid treaty, as per Hovhannisyan, will not enable flexibility in future talks.

"When we align our positions, when the sovereignty and security of Armenia's internationally recognized territory of 29,800 square kilometers is ensured, and the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are ensured, then we will hold discussions with the public, we will determine what legal process the signing of this document implies," explained Hovhannisyan.

The ruling force MP repeated Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan's position that no authorities in Armenia have said anything different from what the current authorities have said.
After Sinan Oganwho was nominated in the first round as the presidential candidate of the ATA allianceannounced Monday that he will support incumbent president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the presidential runoff election in Turkey, the political parties and figures of this alliance quickly made different statements; both the opposition parties, and the circles supporting opposition candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu in the runoff.

Kilicdaroglu, for his part, wrote on Twitter: "It is clear who is behind those who are selling this wonderful country." Also, he urged the 8 million people who did not vote in the first round to vote this time.

Yesterday it was found out that the chairman of the Victory Party, Umit Ozdag, does not agree with Ogan. Ozdag, having met with Kilicdaroglu the day before, stated that he does not agree with Ogan's decision to support Erdogan, and will issue a statement today.

The Justice Party announced earlier that it will support opposition candidate Kilicdaroglu. Vecdet Oz, the chairman of this party, stated that their collaboration in the aforementioned alliance was stopped, and support to the current government is not included in their plans.

Sinan Ogan, who won 5.17 percent of the votes in the first round of the presidential elections, announced yesterday that he will support the incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Sundays presidential runoff elections.
Logan Beatty had an interest in science from a young age. He was drawn to television shows like Bill Nye the Science Guy. And his favorite episodes featured the oceans.

Beattys detailed recollections of these shows came in handy later, when his eighth-grade teacher challenged her students to enter a contest with ideas for science innovation. Beatty wrote about a trend he had noted in the documentaries: how some of the best inventions are often inspired by naturelike suction cups based on frogs feet, Velcro, and bioluminescent lightingand argued that the nation should invest in learning more about the ocean to spur future advances. The White House took notice.

Months later, Beatty and 10 other students met with then-President Barack Obama, along with the head of the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as part of the first group of Kid Science Advisors.

From that point, I knew I was going to do science someday, said Beatty, a junior at the University of Miami studying biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering.

Beatty working in the Huang lab at the College of Engineering on the Coral Gables Campus.

Since then, Beatty has worked to gain research experience at the University in the lab of biomedical engineering professor Charles Huang, and at Akron Bio, a biotechnology company based in Boca Raton, Florida. Recently, Beatty was named a Goldwater Scholar, placing him in an elite group of 413 future scientists and engineers across the nation.

It is the first time in four years that a student at the University received the honor, which is one of the oldest and most prestigious scholarships in the United States. The award seeks to identify, encourage, and financially support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming the next generation of research leaders.

This scholarship meant so much to me because it reaffirmed my ability to be a scientist and made the career path less intimidating, said Beatty, who is also a Stamps Scholar. Also, the UM community that uplifted and supported me for this scholarship is something Im incredibly grateful for. Im also excited to be a part of the community of Goldwater Scholarsto learn from this group and to inspire ideas for the future.

Since he began working in Huangs lab two years ago, Beattys research has focused on osteoarthritis, the most common joint disease in the world. By working closely with Huang, Beatty learned a great deal about the condition and did experiments using stem cells to help prevent the bodys inflammatory response to traumatic knee injuries. Together, Huang and Beatty identified a key protein called MFG-E8, which is secreted from periodontal ligament stem cells, and was able to reduce inflammation in cartilage cells. It signaled a potential therapeutic for acute knee injuries, and Beatty went on to write most of the paper about it, which was published in Stem Cells and Development last summer. Huang said he wasnt extremely surprised that Beatty was selected as a Goldwater Scholar.

Very few undergraduate students can publish a paper as a first author, Huang said. Its very difficult, but Logan is extremely hardworking. He learned everything in the lab very quickly and started jumping in to generate data for the publication.

This summer, Beatty is looking forward to expanding his research knowledge by working in the lab of Alice Tomei, an associate professor of biomedical engineering, immunology, and surgery, to explore tissue engineering. He also will start his graduate school applications.

After college, Beatty hopes to earn a doctorate in biomedical engineering and to eventually lead research and development at a biomedical technology company to translate innovations into products that could improve peoples health.

From high school biology class, I connected with many of the topics. And knew I wanted to take this knowledge and make it applicable to helping people and making a difference in the world, Beatty said. Biomedical engineering fit all of those criteria, and Im so grateful I found the right major on the first try.
Indonesia's Merapi volcano spews 'avalanche' of lava

Clear weather meant people could easily see the eruption pouring from Mount Merapi. Photo: AFP

Indonesia's Mount Merapi, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted on Tuesday, spewing lava more than two kilometres from the crater.



Dramatic images of lava pouring from the volcano's smoking crater were published by the government-run Merapi Volcano Observatory.



Dozens of small tremors related to Merapi's eruption were recorded on Tuesday, according to the Centre for Research and Development of Geological Disaster Technology (BPPTKG), a government agency that monitors the volcano.



"Merapi's activity slightly increased over the last few days... but these kinds of increases often occur in Merapi," said BPPTKG head Agus Budi Santoso.



Clear weather meant people could easily see the eruption pouring from the volcano, he said.



Merapi, which sits just 28 kilometres north of the provincial capital Yogyakarta, is closely monitored by the agency.



Authorities implemented a restriction zone of seven kilometres in 2022 following a risk assessment for the surrounding villages.



Lava from Merapi's eruption on Tuesday fell well within that zone, Santoso said.



Merapi's alert level, which has been kept at the second-highest mark since 2020 following increased volcanic activity, has remained unchanged, Santoso said.



The volcano's last major eruption in 2010 killed more than 300 people and forced the evacuation of some 280,000 residents.



It was Merapi's most powerful eruption since 1930, when about 1,300 people were killed. (AFP)
The RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das inaugurated the conference. 'Governance in Banks - Driving Sustainable Growth and Stability' was the theme of the conference.

Deputy Governors MK Jain and M Rajeshwar Rao, along with Executive Directors representing the RBI's Department of Supervision and Department of Regulation, and other senior officials, also participated in the Conference.

"The Governor acknowledged the role played by the banks in supporting the economy and maintaining resilience along with improved financial performance in the face of several adverse shocks in recent times," RBI said in the statement.

Shaktikanta Das exhorted the Directors of banks to further strengthen the governance and assurance functions (risk management, compliance and internal audit) so that the banks are able to identify and mitigate risks at an early stage.

The Governor also emphasized the need for banks to ensure continued financial and operational resilience. (ANI)
New Delhi [India], May 23 (ANI/ATK): In a world driven by capital markets, generosity can be unexpected. However, in the realm of meme coins, philanthropic causes are a direct reflection of the values that a cryptocurrency holds. Meme coins Dogecoin (DOGE), Floki Inu (FLOKI), and Big Eyes Coin (BIG) have not only achieved impressive returns, but they have also fostered supportive communities who believe in their generosity -- beyond just wealth-generating efforts. As they continue to gain traction and profits, it's thrilling to witness how they will leave a paw-sitive impact on the world around them. Let's find out how. Building Crypto Communities: Unleashing Dogecoin's Generosity As the meme coin kingpin, Dogecoin knows how to fetch support for social causes through its platform, dogedonate.com. With the community playing a vital role, the sister website outlines missions and lets members vote on the next charity to wag their tails for. However, Dogecoin's philanthropic efforts go beyond its foundation. In their early reign, they built inspiration by helping the Jamaican bobsled team make a triumphant return to the Winter Olympics in 2014. They also fund research projects for terminal diseases like cancer, wagging their way to support Doge4Water initiatives, and rescued countless furry friends through the 'Doge for Dogs' project, saving pups from overcrowded shelters. Dogecoin truly has a heart as big as a Great Dane's! Floki Inu and Its Sizeable Donation for Turkiye Floki Inu, one of the top doges in the crypto meme-sphere, has recently demonstrated its commitment to social responsibility through a generous donation. This meme coin birthed by Shiba Inu's SHIBArmy made headlines in February. This came following their generous donation of 39.8 ETH (worth $71,380) to support earthquake relief efforts in Turkiye through Binance Charity. This benevolent move not only directly aided the affected communities but also highlighted the power of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology for charitable causes. Big Eyes Coin and Its Generous Crypto Community Big Eyes Coin is a meme token winning the hearts of crypto users around the world, thanks to its unique identity and aesthetic. But what truly captivates its Kitty Cuddlers is BIG's unwavering commitment to environmentalism and giving back. This passionate cat-themed meme coin is on a mission to conserve marine life -- since it's the only way for them to eat fresh fish. By allocating 5% of all tokens to a charity wallet, BIG ensures that as its value rises, so does its impact on the environment. With a focus on ensuring a clean ocean (for fresh fish!) and a commitment to conservation, BIG is making waves in the crypto community and beyond. BIG Community's $15,926.20 Donation Big Eyes Coin's presale journey has been filled with generosity, as its Kitty Cuddlers have donated an impressive $15,926.20 to 15 charitable organizations worldwide. Causes such as the Big Cat Rescue, The Malala Fund, and Help Animals India have all benefited from their kind contributions. This commitment to making a pawsitive impact has catapulted Big Eyes Coin to the forefront of the meme coin world in 2023. The crypto industry is recognizing the significance of giving back. Dogecoin, FLOKI, and Big Eyes Coin exemplify how blockchain technology can create a positive impact in society through their respective social causes. Undoubtedly, their charitable initiatives emphasize the importance of corporate social responsibility within the industry -- and hopefully, other highly profitable meme coins follow suit. For more on Big Eyes Coin (BIG), visit: Presale: https://buy.bigeyes.space/ Website: https://bigeyes.space/ Telegram: https://t.me/BIGEYESOFFICIAL Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BigEyesCoin/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BigEyesCoin This story has been provided by ATK. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/ATK)
SpiceJet has initiated the process of reviving its grounded planes with the USD 50 million funds received from the ECLGS scheme and from its internal cash accruals, chairman Ajay Singh told employees on the occasion of the airline's 18th anniversary, adding that the carrier will soon launch new flights on new and exciting routes. The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) was launched in May 2020 as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan to support eligible Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and business enterprises in meeting their operational liabilities and restarting their businesses in the context of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This scheme covers all sectors of the economy. As part of its overall growth strategy, a restructuring exercise is currently underway to further reduce the liability which will allow it to pursue its growth targets. SpiceJet was launched in May 2005. Singh urged the employees to remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of services as it looks forward to more exciting years ahead. In the letter, Singh termed the recent hive-off of SpiceXpress into a separate entity as a defining milestone in its journey. "There is large investor interest in our logistics business. Leading UK-based international conglomerate SRAM and MRAM Group have already committed a USD 100 million investment in SpiceXpress. Both SpiceJet and SpiceXpress have great potential and will complement each other well," Singh told employees. SpiceJet operates about 250 daily flights to 48 destinations within India and to international destinations. Its fleet is a mix of aircraft including Boeing 737 Max, Boeing 700 and Q400s. (ANI)
The government has notified new testing parameters for cough syrups to be exported from India and said these will require the production of a Certificate of Analysis (CoA) from specified laboratories. The changes in the export of syrups will be effective from June 1. "Cough Syrup shall be permitted to be exported subject to the export sample being tested and with the production of Certificate of Analysis (CA) issued by any of the laboratories like Indian Pharmacopoeia Ghaziabad; Uttar Pradesh Commission; CDL, Kolkata, West Bengal; CDTL, Chennai, Tamil Nadu; CDTL, Mumbai, Maharashtra; CDTL, Hyderabad, Telangana; RDTL, Chandigarh RDTL; Guwahati, Assam; any NABL-accredited state drugs testing laboratory," a notification of Commerce and Industry Ministry said on Monday. There were reports linking the deaths of some children in Gambia and Uzbekistan to syrups made in India. The Health Ministry had ordered a probe in the wake of the allegations and the production licence of the concerned pharma firms were suspended. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) had also sent a proposal to the Union Health Ministry following the allegations. The statistics configured by the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) state that the domestic pharmaceutical market stood at USD 42 billion in 2021 and is likely to reach USD 65 billion by 2024 and further expand to reach USD 120-130 billion by 2030. In the face of this exponential growth, India is expected to take lead as a dependable provider of premium medicines to the world. The Indian pharmaceutical market is fractionated into different therapeutic segments of anti-infectives, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, anti-diabetic, respiratory, dermatological, musculo-skeletal system, nervous system, and others. It can also be bifurcated based on the drug type (prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs). (ANI)
New Delhi [India], May 23 (ANI/SRV): Sonu Sood, the acclaimed actor and philanthropist, was the centre of attention at the 1st Convocation Ceremony of Apex University Jaipur, where he received the esteemed Honoris Causa for his noble work. The event, held on 20th May 2023, at the Apex University campus in Jaipur, was a momentous occasion as graduates from various academic programmes received their degrees, diplomas, and certificates. The Honoris Causa, a prestigious award, was bestowed upon Sonu Sood by Apex University Jaipur in recognition of his exceptional contributions to society. This accolade is reserved for individuals who have made significant impacts in their respective fields and have demonstrated outstanding social responsibility and leadership qualities. Sonu Sood's tireless efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic have garnered him nationwide recognition as a true humanitarian. Expressing his gratitude, Sonu Sood humbly stated, "I am deeply honoured to receive this award from Apex University Jaipur. This recognition is not just for me but for all those who have supported my initiatives. It is my sincere hope that this award will inspire more people to come forward and make a positive difference in the lives of those in need." The presence of Sonu Sood at the convocation ceremony served as an inspiration to the graduating students, reminding them of the importance of social responsibility and the potential they have to make a positive impact on society. His humanitarian work and dedication to helping those in need have made him a role model for many, and his presence at the event further highlighted the university's commitment to fostering compassionate leaders. With a student population exceeding 10,000, Apex University has established collaborations with over 850 recruiters, resulting in more than 12,000 successful placements for its graduates. An extensive network of recruiters demonstrates the university's dedication to fostering strong industry connections and facilitating career opportunities for its students. One of the key strengths of the university lies in its highly experienced faculty, who possess deep expertise in their respective fields. The university frequently hosts guest lectures by esteemed professionals from renowned institutions such as IITs, NITs, and BITS Pilani. These guest lectures enrich the learning experience of students and provide valuable insights into the latest advancements and trends in various industries. Moreover, Apex University has formed partnerships with industry giants like Microsoft, HP, TCS, and Cad Desk. These collaborations enhance the quality of education offered to students by ensuring that the curriculum remains aligned with industry standards and incorporates practical skills and knowledge. By partnering with these esteemed organisations, the university aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry, equipping students with the skills required to succeed in the professional world. The efforts of Apex University Jaipur have been recognised by Forbes India, which ranked the institution as the top emerging university. This is a testament to the university's commitment to excellence in education and its positive reputation among students and industry professionals. The university's popularity is evident from the record-breaking number of applications it receives. In CUET 2023, Apex University received more than 3.53 lakh applications, while CUET 2022 saw over 3.09 lakh applications. This high demand reflects the trust and confidence students place in the university to provide them with a quality education and promising career prospects. Furthermore, to support academic excellence and promote equal opportunities, Apex University Jaipur offers CUET scholarships to deserving students that provide financial assistance to talented individuals, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder their pursuit of education. With a proud legacy of 58 years in the field of education, Apex Group Jaipur Rajasthan, remains committed to delivering top-notch education and fostering the holistic development of its students. The university achieves this through its strong connections with industries, a highly experienced faculty, and an unwavering dedication to academic excellence. As a result, graduates from Apex University are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their chosen fields and make meaningful contributions to society. For more information, please visit: https://www.apexuniversity.co.in/ This story has been provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 23 (ANI/BusinessWire India): Tata CLiQ Luxury, India's premier luxury lifestyle platform, has announced the much-awaited annual CLiQ CLiQ Sale, which is scheduled from May 24-June 04, 2023. One of the most anticipated summer sales, the 11-day sale event will have exciting offers on a curated range of global and Indian luxury and premium brands across categories such as accessories, apparel, art, eyewear, fragrances, footwear, handbags, home, jewellery, kids, watches, and more. The platform is encouraging customers to truly enjoy this special occasion at an unhurried pace by taking the time to savour and indulge in the finest curations to their hearts' content, thus discovering the luxe life on the platform. Gitanjali Saxena, Chief Business Officer, Tata CLiQ Luxury, said, "The CLiQ CLiQ sale is our flagship event that marks our 7th-anniversary celebration, and this year, we have also taken the opportunity to introduce the concept of The Unhurried Sale. It's an initiative to bring back the joy of unrushed, uncomplicated shopping. We invite customers to embrace the joy of slow luxury by taking their time to browse and shop for products that speak the most to them. We look forward to yet another exciting year ahead as we stay committed to offering our esteemed customers an unmatched online luxury shopping experience." Explore and shop from the wide-range of summer assortment of coveted brands like Calvin Klein, GANT, Tommy Hilfiger, and True Religion in apparel and ALDO, Hoka, Geox, and Steve Madden in footwear, which will be up to 40-50 per cent off. In the kids category, leading brands such as Boss Kids, Choupette, DKNY, and Marc Jacobs will have exciting offers. In handbags, enjoy up to 40-50 per cent off on renowned global exclusive brands like Chiara Ferragni, Lui Jo, and Twinset. Leading beauty & fragrance brands like Bvlgari, Chopard, Dyson, and Yves Saint Laurent will have irresistible offers. Watch enthusiasts can enjoy up to 30-50 per cent off on timepieces from global brands like Emporio Armani, Fossil, Maserati, and Versace. In the travel, men's accessories, and stationery sections, brands like Delsey Paris and DKNY will be up to 45-50 per cent off, and Montblanc will also have attractive offers. There will also be some fantastic offers on Diesel, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Ray-Ban, and Tom Ford eyewear. If one is looking at upgrading their jewellery collection, globally recognized brands like Emporio Armani, Just Cavalli, Swarovski, and Ted Baker will have offers one cannot resist. Brands like Le Creuset, Noritake, and Spread Spain in the home category will have offers ranging from 15-35 per cent off. In the gourmet category, Lavazza, Nespresso, Neuhaus, Godiva, and more will have offers. The recently launched fitness category will also have some interesting offers on brands like Flexnest, Nordictrack, and True Fitness. For the art lover, art collections from Masha Arts, The Great Eastern Homes, & Philips Antiques will also be on sale. The Indiluxe boutique on Tata CLiQ Luxury, which features well-known Indian premium and luxury brands such as Masaba and Ritu Kumar, will also have exclusive offers, along with Fab India and Taneira. Brands like Andamen and Terra Luna in the menswear section, The Alternate and Oceedee in footwear, Beej and Nappa Dori in accessories, and Ahilya Jewels and Monk Story in the jewellery category will also have offers. Watch out for the limited hour offers on brands across categories on the platform. Tata CLiQ Luxury is offering a 10 per cent instant discount on ICICI Bank credit and debit cards, which is valid from May 24-May 28, 2023, and a 10 per cent instant discount on Axis Bank credit and debit cards, which is available from May 29-June 4, 2023. *T&C Apply Shop here: https://bit.ly/3BUf6PO This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India)
SRV Media New Delhi [India], May 23: AIM Rajasthan Network, which includes AIC-JKLU, AIC-Catalyst, AIC-Banasthali Vidyapeeth, AIC-MUJ, and ACIC-VGU, is pleased to announce that they will be hosting a 'Startup20x and Rajasthan Startup20 Sabha' under G20 and Startup20 on May 26, 2023. The event aims to provide a platform for entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and other stakeholders to discuss the draft of the policy communique that will be coming out during the Startup20 Summit, along with the latest trends and challenges in the startup ecosystem and share their experiences and insights. The event will feature two fireside chats where four successful entrepreneurs/enablers will engage in a lively discussion on various topics related to the startup world. The speakers for the fireside chat include Dharamveer Singh Chouhan, Co-Founder&CEO, Zostel; Mahavir Pratap Sharma, Chairmen & Co-Founder, RAIN; Amit Singh, Founder&CEO, WoWLabz, and Sheenu Jhawar, President, TiE Rajasthan, all of whom have achieved notable success in their respective fields. Following the fireside chat, there will be a roundtable discussion where all stakeholders will give their feedback and suggestions over the draft Policy Communique of Startup20. The fireside chat and roundtable discussion will provide a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to engage in meaningful conversations and share their insights on how to foster a thriving startup ecosystem. We look forward to a productive and inspiring event. AIM Rajasthan Network is a consortium of five incubators and accelerators located in Rajasthan, India. It is supported by the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a flagship initiative of the Government of India to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. The network provides support and resources to startups and entrepreneurs in the region, helping them to grow and succeed. India formally assumed the G20 Presidency from 1st December 2022 till 30th November 2023 with the theme 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' or 'One Earth One Family One Future'. As part of India's Presidency for 2023, a new Engagement Group: Startup20 has been established. Startup20 India will operate through Task Forces which are structured to develop key priorities and bring forward the topics in which recommendations would be formulated to support the startup ecosystems globally. Such recommendations would be conveyed through a communique to the G20 India presidency and taken up during the G20 Summit 2023. To know more, visit:- https://www.startup20india2023.org/ (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by SRV Media. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Primex News Network New Delhi [India], May 23: Sachin Salunkhe, a prominent entrepreneur and serial investor, has been honoured with the prestigious title of "Most Promising Industrialist of the Year 2023" by Economic Times. The award was presented by the honourable Governor of Haryana, Bandaru Dattatreya, in recognition of Salunkhe's outstanding contributions to the business landscape. The event celebrated the achievements of individuals and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional growth, innovation, and leadership in their respective industries. Among the remarkable recipients, Sachin Salunkhe stood out for his remarkable entrepreneurial journey and the success of his venture, Blackhat Syndicus. Blackhat Syndicus, under the visionary leadership of Sachin Salunkhe, has emerged as a trailblazing force in the industry. The company has consistently demonstrated remarkable growth and has become a symbol of excellence and innovation. Through strategic investments and cutting-edge initiatives, Blackhat Syndicus has redefined industry standards and set new benchmarks for success. The Economic Times' recognition as the "Most Promising Industrialist of the Year 2023" is a testament to Sachin Salunkhe's relentless pursuit of excellence and his significant contributions to the industrial landscape. It acknowledges his ability to navigate through challenges, identify emerging trends, and capitalize on opportunities, making him a true visionary. Sachin Salunkhe expressed his gratitude to the honourable Governor of Haryana, Bandaru Dattatreya, for the esteemed recognition. He also thanked the Economic Times for their continuous efforts in promoting excellence in the business community. Sachin Salunkhe's success story serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs, demonstrating the power of determination, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. His achievements not only contribute to the growth of the industry but also exemplify the potential of the Indian business landscape. The recognition as the "Most Promising Industrialist of the Year 2023" further solidifies his position as a trailblazer and an icon of success. (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by Primex News Network. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
NewsVoir Pune (Maharashtra) [India], May 23: Sigma One Universal, a dynamic and diversified organization with a strong presence in real estate, leasing, construction, contracting, and allied services, today announced the launch of its flagship commercial project, Sigma One Bizbay. This iconic masterpiece, located strategically on Kumthekar Road in Pune, is set to redefine the city's commercial landscape. Sigma One Bizbay is an impressive 8-floor structure that embodies the perfect blend of functionality, aesthetics, and convenience. Designed with meticulous attention to detail, its striking glass-facade architecture not only adds to its visual appeal but also ensures optimal brand visibility for retail and other businesses within Pune. According to a recent research carried out by Sigma One Universal and a published report conducted by a leading global real estate services firm, Pune with a population of 7.3 million and ranked as the 7th largest metropolis in India, stands as a thriving city in Maharashtra. Renowned for its ease of living and exceptional quality of life index of 129.26, Pune offers a conducive environment for residents and businesses alike. With a total retail space of 8.1 million, Pune demonstrates its robust retail market, with only 6.60% vacancy, indicating a high demand for retail spaces. The decreasing retail space vacancy rates year on year further highlight the sustained demand and growth potential of the retail sector in the city, the research found. The Peth area, known for its historical significance, acts as a magnet, attracting customers not only from Pune but also from neighboring cities like Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Nashik, Kolhapur, Lonavla etc. Investors in the Pune market benefit from attractive rental yields, with the city area offering the highest rental yield of up to 6.8 per cent compared to other markets. This makes Pune an enticing destination for those seeking lucrative investment opportunities. Situated at a prime location, Sigma One Bizbay offers unparalleled advantages for retailers, entrepreneurs and enterprises looking to establish a strong presence in Pune. Its strategic positioning ensures easy accessibility and high footfall, making it an ideal destination for businesses seeking growth and success. "At Sigma One, we are thrilled to be a part of Pune's oldest and busiest shopping destination. We have observed that people from different cities across Maharashtra flock to this vibrant retail hub to indulge in a delightful shopping experience. Before purchasing the land here, we conducted extensive research to truly understand the dynamics of the market. The traditional Kumthekar Road and Laxmi Road, both stretching approximately 1 km in length, have over 500 bustling markets in the vicinity. The clothing brands have asserted their dominance in this bustling area, capturing a significant market share of over 75%. This remarkable achievement is closely followed by jewellery brands, which occupy approximately 15% of the market. It became evident that this location has tremendous potential, with a staggering daily footfall of approximately 1,80,000 on a daily basis during peak times. With a vision to provide the best to the city area and the iconic Peth area, we are committed to uplifting the retail experience and creating a space that exceeds expectations. Sigma One Bizbay is the result of our dedication to offering a transformative and enjoyable shopping destination that caters to the diverse needs of shoppers," said Kapil Gandhi, Managing Director at Sigma One Universal on the launch of the project. "Our team of talented architects and designers meticulously crafted a structure that not only captivates the eye but also enhances the overall functionality of the space. With its sleek and modern design, the building stands as a symbol of innovation and progress. Every aspect of the architecture, from the thoughtful placement of windows to the strategic layout of interior spaces, has been carefully considered to optimize the retail experience. Sigma One Bizbay showcases our commitment to creating an iconic masterpiece that not only elevates the surrounding landscape but also serves as a testament to our unwavering dedication to excellence in design and functionality," added Shitesh Agrawal - Architectural Director, Sigma One Universal & Founder of Sankalp Designers. Sigma One Bizbay boasts a wide range of amenities and facilities, including modern retail spaces, flexible office areas, and versatile commercial units that can be tailored to suit individual business requirements. With an emphasis on creating a vibrant and conducive environment, the project aims to foster collaboration, productivity, and growth for its occupants. It also offers flexible options where all levels can be combined as a single unit for multi-brand retail outlets. Sigma One has a proven track record of delivering successful projects, with 15 remarkable ventures already completed, including contracting projects. Additionally, the organization has 3 ongoing projects, showcasing its commitment to continuous growth and development. With a cumulative area of 1.5 million square feet already delivered, Sigma One's dedication to quality and excellence is evident. One of the hallmarks of Sigma One's success lies in its focus on customer satisfaction. Over the years, the organization has delighted many customers, earning their trust and loyalty. Sigma One has been pioneers in introducing a la carte homes, pioneers in home customization, conceptualizing vehicle-free zones, concepts like muti-tier parking, hidden parking and crack-free paints etc in real-estate market. Sigma One Bizbay is an exceptional commercial project situated on a plot area of 218.20 sq. mt (2,348.70 sq.ft). The project offers a total carpet area of 10,449 sq.ft., providing ample space for various businesses to thrive. The building comprises a total of 8 levels, including the ground floor, mezzanine, and six floors, as well as two-level basement parking. The basement parking facility accommodates 8 assisted car parks and ample space for bike parks, ensuring convenient access for tenants and visitors. The project boasts two lifts, including a primary high-speed elevator and provision for an internal glass elevator, enabling smooth vertical transportation within the building. With meticulous planning and construction, Sigma One Bizbay is scheduled to be ready for fit-outs by August 2023, offering a swift transition for businesses seeking to establish their presence. Sigma One Bizbay is registered under MahaRERA with RERA No. P52100034644, signifying compliance with regulatory standards and instilling confidence among potential tenants and investors. This project is designed to optimize space utilization while ensuring a modern and visually appealing aesthetic. Sigma One Universal (formerly known as Sigma One Landmarks) was founded in 2002 under the leadership of Kapil Gandhi. The company is committed to delivering unmatched quality, innovation, and personalized experiences to its customers. With a steadfast focus on customer satisfaction and a portfolio of successful projects, Sigma One Universal continues to redefine the standards of luxury and excellence in the real estate market. (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Primex News Network Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 23: Another South Indian Movie is getting ready to immerse you in a powerful cinematic experience. Tollywood producer G Pranay Reddy's Dharmachakram is a provocative film exposing the evils of prostitution set to hit theatres soon. The new movie is a ground-breaking film that explores the traumatic world of prostitution. It is set to enthral audiences with its raw portrayal of a young girl's fight against a society that spreads injustice. Socio-political dramas are the new age grippers of the cinema world. Many production houses are keen on making such films. OTTs have special consideration for such unique films in this era. Renowned Tollywood producer, Gudur Pranay Reddy, is thinking of making a series on this pervasive issue that will explore many untold stories of women caught in the clutches of a ruthless world shaped by forced prostitution. The film highlights the profound impact of societal indifference, the exploitative and dehumanizing realities a woman faces, her guts to challenge perceptions, and her fights against the demons of society and the government. The plot, which is a journey of resilience and rebellion, will surely inspire a collective call for change. Dharmachakram's story revolves around the tale of twin sisters and how they are affected by the depraved society and their surroundings. This movie portrays the life of an ordinary yet hardworking and determined girl who has a miserable childhood. The girl, who undergoes repeated atrocities by perverts and conmen, is later driven by an unwavering spirit, rebels against the oppressive forces & challenges the status quo. The movie excels in exposing some real-life incidents on screen. This film also educates on how to fight against sexual atrocities and evil-minded people and fight for the right to leave prostitution and live a dignified life. Dharmachakram is a collaboration of Talent and Vision. At the helm is the Director Rabin Naidu Athimalla & producer Gudur Pranay Reddy & his Padma Narayana Creative Team known for their fearless approach to storytelling. The film is made under the Padma Narayana Production banner. Producer Gudur Pranay Reddy said, "Our movie's production work is completed, and we are prepared to release the movie in multiple languages soon. Telugu cinema audiences are always promising when it comes to experimental movies. The movie is nothing but a heroic tale of challenging prostitution stitched in with some real-life incidents. We hope to spread this much-needed message far and wide. Dharmachakram will hit the screens by the end of June '23. The film features an exceptional cast of Delhi NCR 2018 Winner Miss Monika Chauhan, Sri Krishna Gorle, Priya Koppula, Dhruva, Narsimha Rao and a supporting ensemble of talented crew members. www.pollab.in (Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by Primex News Network. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Actor Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday visited Siddhpeeth Shri Dakshin Kali Mandir in Uttarakhand's Haridwar to offer prayers and seek blessings. Kangana was seen offering her prayers and indulging in rituals at the Siddhpeeth Shri Dakshin Kali Mandir. During her visit, she reacted to the ongoing 'The Kerala Story' controversy. She said, "The films which people like to watch and appreciate, only benefit the film industry. People always have complaints with the Bollywood film industry, as the kind of films they want to watch, such films are not made and once these films are created, they are appreciated by a mass audience." When asked about the ban on films, the actor said, "When a film is approved by the censor board, which is a government body, then it should not be opposed." 'The Kerala Story' has been facing criticism by political parties due to its storyline. 'The Kerala Story' stars Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani and Sonia Balani in the lead roles. The controversy surrounding the film started when its trailer claimed that 32,000 women from Kerala had gone missing and joined the terrorist group ISIS. This statement triggered a heated political debate and many leaders questioned the veracity of the claim. Earlier, the Supreme Court stayed the ban imposed by the West Bengal government on the film 'The Kerala Story' on May 18. "Prohibition by West Bengal is not tenable. The order of the additional secretary of West Bengal shall remain stayed," Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said. The apex court also directed the makers of The Kerala Story to give a proper disclaimer regarding the unsubstantiated figure '32,000' mentioned in the film. Senior Adv Harish Salve, appearing for film producers, says that disclaimer -"there is no authentic data to back up the suggestion that the figure of conversions is 32,000 or any other established figure" and "the film represents the fictionalised version" of the issue- shall be added. Talking about her work front, 'Emergency' marks Kangana's first solo directorial film. The film revolves around the life of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and features Kangana in the titular role of the late politician. Apart from Kangana, the film stars Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhry, Vishak Nair and Shreyas Talpade in prominent roles. She will also be seen in 'Tejas' in which she will be seen portraying the role of an Indian airforce pilot. The official release date of the film is still awaited. Kangana will be seen headlining 'Chandramukhi 2'. Helmed by P Vasu, 'Chandramukhi 2' is the sequel to the blockbuster hit Tamil horror comedy film 'Chandramukhi' which starred Rajinikanth and Jyothika in the lead roles. In 'Chandramukhi 2' Kangana will portray the role of a dancer in the king's court, who was known for her beauty and dance skills. In the upcoming months, the audience will also see Kangana in 'Manikarnika Returns: The Legend of Didda', and 'The Incarnation: Sita' in her kitty. (ANI)
Actors Aditi Rao Hydari and Paige Sandhu are all set to star in the Indo-U.K co-production 'Lioness'. 'Lioness', the official Indo-UK co-production being made under the bilateral treaty signed by the two countries in 2008, was announced on Tuesday at the India Pavilion (managed by FICCI under the aegis of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival. Written and to be directed by award-winning filmmaker Kajri Babbar, starring Aditi Rao Hydari and Paige Sandhu in leading roles, the film produced by Vivek Rangachari, Vaishalli Paatil, Faraz Ahsan, Clare Cahill and Ajit Pal Singh has been certified by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the British Film Institute (BFI). The film inspired by the research of Peter Bance, the historian who discovered the story of Princess Sophia Duleep, is the story of two British Punjabi women living in the UK, a century apart. Peter is also one of the executive producers of the film. Princess Sophia Duleep Singh born in 1876 was the Princess of Punjab, the granddaughter of the great Maharaja Ranjit Singh, and the Goddaughter of Queen Victoria. Sophia was one of the key leaders of the suffragette movement in the UK. She remained a tireless advocate for the rights of women and children till her last day. While Sophia's story is rooted in history, the second story is a fictional tale of Mehak Kaur an educated, married immigrant woman living in 1990's Southall. Mehak uncovers a fascinating story of women's emancipation and empathy in contemporary times. The two stories play out in different eras, highlighting grit, determination and compassion. Harjinder Kang, UK's Trade Commissioner for South Asia said, "It is fantastic to see the first official project under the India-UK Co-production treaty getting underway. There is huge potential for deeper collaboration between the creative industries of both our countries. I'm pleased that the very first project under this initiative is one that explores an aspect of the unique living bridge that connects our people." Aditi Rao Hydari who will play Mehak said, "I was instantly drawn to the story that brings to the screen, the life and legacy of an extraordinary woman; a story lost in history. While Princess Sophia is a heroine in the true sense of the word, Mehak is an equally strong character whose journey parallels the Lioness's in the present". Princess Sophia will be played by Indian-origin British actress Paige Sandhu, who has won many accolades for her performance in the ITV soap, Emmerdale. "It's an honour and a dream come true to be playing Princess Sophia Duleep Singh. I am very humbled to be portraying someone with a legacy such as hers, the work that she did, the lives she helped and the family she came from. I truly hope to do justice to her incredible story." said Paige in a statement. English Heritage will be unveiling a plaque at Hampton Court, UK, in memory of the Punjabi Suffragette Princess on May 26. The London Blue Plaque scheme celebrates notable figures and the places they lived and worked in. The unveiling will be followed by a celebratory reception in the Palace hosted by Babbar Movies and the Anglo Punjab Heritage Foundation. The event will be graced by members of the English Heritage, the British Parliament, representatives of the Indian and UK film industries, historians and authors. OBE Gurinder Chaddha, is the keynote speaker. The film and the story of Princess Sophia are strongly supported by the governments of both countries. Mr. Prithul Kumar, Joint Secretary, Films, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt of India and MD, NFDC added, "heartiest congratulations to the co-production under India-UK treaty. The films being made under co-productions have been doing exceedingly well! All the best to this film!" (ANI)
Makers of the upcoming film 'Bloody Daddy' starring Shahid Kapoor on Tuesday announced the trailer release date. 'Farzi' actor took to Instagram and dropped a poster with a trailer release date announcement along with a new poster. In the poster, Shahid can be seen in an intense action avatar with a gun in his hands. He has blood stains on the collar of his white shirt. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cslbo13tlcb/ Sharing the poster, he wrote, "It's about to get really BLOODY! #BloodyDaddy Trailer out TOMORROW!" Recently, the makers of the upcoming film 'Bloody Daddy' unveiled the teaser. Taking to Insta, Shahid treated fans with the teaser of his upcoming action thriller and captioned the post, "Get ready for a BLOODY good time at the movies. #BloodyDaddy June 9, 2023 on @officialjiocinema." The teaser showcases the 'Jersey' actor in a rugged avatar. He is seen in intense action look by fighting multiple goons in a hotel. The video also gave a glimpse of Sanjay Kapoor, Ronit Roy and Diana Penty. Earlier, Jio Studios announced their upcoming lineup of films and web series at a grand event in Mumbai. Talking about the film Jyoti Deshpande, President - RIL Media and Content Business said, "We have taken a really big special film, with a very big actor, a very big director, spent lots and lots of money on it and we are going to do an OTT release." Helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the film stars Shahid Kapoor, Sanjay Kapoor and Ronit Roy in the lead roles. Shahid, on the other hand, shared his experience of working with the 'Tiger Zinda Hai' director and said, "It was a lot of fun. I had a great time doing an action film, I really enjoyed working with Ali. He understands the genre very well. The dilemma now is that if you're doing something of this scale, on OTT, what do you do on the big screen? So we have to figure that out, it has been a blast." The actor also revealed that his dancing experience helped him understand action choreography really fast. He said, "There's a lot of choreography involved with dance, and because I started dancing at the age of 15, I can memorise things really fast, that helped us. When we did the film, unfortunately, due to COVID we had a lot of issues. The action directors were not from here, some of them were from London, some came from Hollywood, and they are used to a lot of rehearsals. And they came in and they thought that it is going to be a disaster. But because I have done a lot of dancing I could pick it up really fast." 'Bloody Daddy' will stream from June 9 on Jio cinema. (ANI)
Odisha's Minister for Science & Technology, Ashok Chandra Panda, on Monday flagged off the voyage to the Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Ahmedabad for the 20 prodigious winners of the Tata Steel Young Astronomer Talent Search (YATS) 2022-23. The expedition, which commenced from Bhubaneswar on May 22, includes students from across Odisha and their guide teachers, led by the Planetarium Director, Sanjulata Behera. It will culminate on May 29, 2023, a statement said. The formal launch of this inspirational trip was conducted at the Pathani Samanta Planetarium in Bhubaneswar, attended by distinguished officials, including Sarvesh Kumar, Corporate Communications Chief of Tata Steel, and Dr Subhendu Patnaik, Deputy Director of Pathani Samanta Planetarium. The top 20 winners, selected on the occasion of the Grand Finale of YATS on December 13, 2022, will tour various SAC labs and gain insights from India's elite space scientists, nurturing their enthusiasm in the realm of space exploration. In addition to the SAC, the students will also be visiting Science City and IIT Gandhinagar, broadening their exposure to and understanding of science and technology, it informed. Ashok Chandra Panda said: "I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the 20 outstanding students who emerged victorious in YATS, along with their dedicated teachers and supportive parents. Tata Steel and Pathani Samanta Planetarium have played a pivotal role in offering this remarkable platform to nurture the budding talents in Odisha and ignite their passion for astronomy. With this unparalleled opportunity, we anticipate the young generation will forge a brilliant path in the realm of space science and technology." Expressing gratitude towards the Odisha Government for their consistent support in making YATS a grand success, Sarvesh Kumar described the initiative as a distinctive endeavour. He emphasised that it inspires young learners to stretch their intellectual horizons beyond traditional academic confines and fosters the budding scientists within them. Tata Steel's annual flagship event, organised in collaboration with Pathani Samanta Planetarium, has experienced a massive response in this edition, with over 77,500 students from schools across 30 districts of Odisha participating. This year's theme, "Time to unravel the universe," accurately portrays the spirit of the programme, igniting an enthralling cosmic exploration, the statement said. Since its inception in 2007, YATS has strived to enhance awareness about astronomy and space science among students while honouring the immense contributions of the renowned Odia astronomer Pathani Samanata. The platform enables students, especially those from rural and remote regions of Odisha, to showcase their skills and gain recognition in the space science sector, it stated. YATS has attracted more than 270,000 young science enthusiasts from the state over the past 16 years. A total of 180 victorious students have been granted the privilege of visiting various ISRO facilities. (ANI)
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday said his party will reach out to more and more people across different communities for peace to prevail in Manipur a day after Imphal witnessed a fresh round of violence. "Today our party took a resolution and we have resolved that peace should prevail in Manipur. We will reach out to more and more people across different communities and regions so that we can bring peace back to Manipur," Meghalaya CM and NPP chief Conrad Sagma told reporters earlier on Monday. After Manipur capital, Imphal witnessed a fresh round of violence and arson with a group of people setting a few houses on fire on Sunday night, Chief Minister N Biren said that action has been taken against those involved in the incidents and the government had been taking up all measures to restore peace and harmony in the State. He further said that the government had decided to propose to the Central Government for sending in 20 more companies of security forces. On Sunday night, there was violence in one area of Imphal West district where three persons were injured when miscreants shot at them. "The situation in the state is returning to normal. Other than some small incidents happening at different places, timely intervention by security forces and cooperation from the public had made it possible for the state to return to normalcy gradually," he said. Stating that the Government had been putting all efforts to secure the safety of the people, he appreciated all the security forces deployed in the State for their contribution to restoring peace and tranquillity. After the firing incident at Moidangpok village (Sunday) that led to the injury of three villagers, the CM informed that security personnel conducted a search operation the whole night. "One person had been arrested along with a shotgun," he informed. Regarding the incident that happened on Monday at New Lambulane, he informed that three persons were arrested along with two licensed guns. CM Biren further appealed to the public to refrain from mob violence, adding that action would be initiated, as per law, against all those persons who instigated or caused violent activities, regardless of the community they belong to. He also urged the public to inform the concerned authority, if they saw any wrong activities being carried out so that swift action could be taken up to control it. (ANI)
The official said that two packets suspected to be heroin have been seized during the search.

"BSF shot down a Pakistani drone carrying narcotics near the International border in Punjab's Amritsar. Troops of 144 Corps of BSF conducted an operation in the BOP Rajatal area in which a drone has been shot down. 2 packets suspected to be of heroin have been seized," Ajay Kumar Mishra, BSF Commandant, Amritsar said.

Earlier on Sunday, officials said the BSF shot down a Pakistani drone carrying narcotics near International Border near Punjab's Amritsar.

The BSF troops deployed in the depth area heard the buzzing sound of a suspected Pakistani drone in the Dhanoe Kalan village in Amritsar district around 8.48 pm on Saturday, the BSF said in a statement.

"The BSF troops immediately reacted to intercept the drone as per the laid down drill and successfully downed the Pakistani drone with contraband," it said.

During the initial search of the area, the BSF troops recovered a "drone (Quadcopter, DJI Matrice, 300 RTK) along with a consignment containing three packets of suspected narcotics, attached with the drone by the means of the iron ring, from the farming fields of Dhanoe Kalan village."

The BSF said that four luminous strips were also found attached to the consignment for easy detection of smugglers.

"The gross weight of the recovered consignment of suspected heroin is approximately 3.3 kg. Another nefarious attempt of Pakistan foiled by vigilant BSF troops," added the BSF, which is mandated to guard 3,323 km India-Pakistan border. (ANI)
"CM Dhami has given the approval to increase the Dearness Allowance (DA) of state government employees and pensioners by 4 per cent," a statement informed.

"With the increased DA, more than three lakh government employees and pensioners will get the benefit of a dearness allowance. After the issuance of the mandate, dearness allowance will now increase from 38 per cent to 42 per cent in Uttarakhand," it stated.

The cabinet had authorized CM Pushkar Singh Dhami to take a decision on increasing the DA of the personnel.

"Approval has been given by the Chief Minister to increase the dearness allowance in the interest of state employees and pensioners," it said. (ANI)
A Gujarat-based couple and their friend have been allegedly duped by a travel agent of 15000 USD at Delhi airport, police said on Monday. According to the police, the travel agent fled with their cash and passports on the pretext of providing them with a travel package to Australia via Indonesia. The alleged incident happened on Saturday. According to FIR filed by victim Krunal Kumar, he along with his wife Shivangi and his friend Priyank Solanki arrived from Vadodara, Gujarat to IGI Airport, New Delhi on 19 May at about 6:00 pm. They stayed at "The Alpino Hotel, Mahipalpur, Delhi" where one travel agent, Randhawa, came there and told them all the travel plans and stated that he will arrange their journey from India to Australia via Indonesia, the FIR stated. According to the FIR, further, he came to T-3, IGI Airport, New Delhi with them and Randhawa took their passports and 15,000 USD at MLCP parking T-3, IGI Airport, New Delhi on May 20 at 1:15 pm and stated that he would book tickets and boarding passes from airline counter and returned back early but he didn't come back and disappeared from that place and left them alone at IGI Airport, T-3, New Delhi, he fled with 15000 USD and 3 passports of Krunal, her wife, Shivangi and his friend Priyank. Delhi Police has registered an FIR under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code at IGI Airport Police Station and started the investigation. (ANI)
Referring to the inauguration of the new Parliament House, Congress leader Anand Sharma said that it is not "constitutionally correct" to exclude the President who is the 'Head of the Parliament' from the key events. Congress party has been accusing the Centre saying that the President has "not even been invited" to the inauguration event of the new Parliament House. "It is not constitutionally correct to take a major decision about the Parliament excluding the head of the Parliament, the President of India from the decision-making from the foundation stone laying, now for the inauguration," Anand Sharma said while addressing a press conference on Monday. He further stated that Article 79 makes it "crystal clear" that the Parliament comprises the President of India, the head of the Parliament, and the two houses. "First, the permanent house the Rajya Sabha, the Council of States and then the House of the People, the Lok Sabha. Why the Council of States? Because India is a union of states. And the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is the number 2 in the warrant of precedence, the honourable Vice President of India," the Congress leader added. Earlier on Sunday, former MP Rahul Gandhi had said that the President should inaugurate the newly-constructed Parliament building and not the Prime Minister. "The President should inaugurate the new Parliament House, not the Prime Minister!" Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet on Sunday. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be dedicating the newly-constructed Parliament building to the country on May 28. A Lok Sabha release said that construction of the New Parliament Building in the national capital has been completed and symbolises the spirit of self-reliant India. The present building of the Parliament was completed in 1927 and is now going to be almost 100 years old. "The lack of space was being experienced in this building as per the present requirements. In both the Houses, there was also a lack of convenient arrangements for the sitting of the MPs which was affecting the efficiency of the work of the members," the release said. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed resolutions urging the government to construct a new building for the Parliament. The foundation stone of the new building of Parliament was laid by Prime Minister Modi on December 10, 2020. The newly constructed Parliament building has been built "in record time with quality construction". "The newly-constructed building of Parliament, which will further enrich India's glorious democratic traditions and constitutional values, is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities which will help the Members to perform their functions in a better way," the release stated. It said 888 members will be able to sit in the Lok Sabha. In the present building of the Parliament, there is a provision for the sitting of 543 Members in the Lok Sabha and 250 in the Rajya Sabha. Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament. The joint session of both Houses will be held in Lok Sabha Chamber. (ANI)
A 19-year-old teenage girl has been arrested in Andhra Pradesh's Tirupati district for allegedly setting ablaze several houses, including her own, police said. She did this to change her mother's behaviour and with the intention of leaving her village, according to the police. "A girl named Keerthi aged 19 years with an intention to leave the village and change her mother's behaviour set ablaze houses in 12 different incidents in New Sanambatla village, Chandragiri mandal, Tirupati district," said, Venkat Rao ASP (admin) Tirupathi District. According to police, "accidental" fires occurred in several houses in the village over the last month. These incidents created panic among the villagers. Following this a case was registered and police personnel were deployed in Mufti. "We arranged cameras, and while we were investigating the case we were also building the confidence in the villagers to not believe in any superstition. Higher authorities, District collector and MLA also visited the village to build confidence among the people," said Venkat Rao. Venkat Rao said that at a certain stage of the investigation, police suspected a family in the village. Initially, the needle of the suspicion was towards a male member of the family. "We took him (suspected person) for interrogation, even during that time fire wouldn't stop. Then we followed the one-by-one elimination method. Then we took custody of Keerthi. During the interrogation, she confessed to the crime," Venkat Rao said. According to police, having failed intermediate exams she mostly stayed at home. Her mother allegedly has some "illicit relationships". To escape the "infamy" the teenage girl wanted to leave her village. To convince her family it was not safe in the village she decided to create the fire incidents, police said. In this process, 12 fire incidents were reported of which three took place at her own house. "Angry" Keerthi also put fire to her mother's saree while she was sleeping, police said. "We also took the samples of all the burnt material and sent them to ASFL authorities. They gave the opinion that no chemical substance was used," Venkat Rao said. "A case has been registered under sections 435 and 506 IPC. Further investigation is on," he added. (ANI)
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi has said that the New Parliament Building should be inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu as per protocol. She accused the BJP of "constitutional immorality" and being "blinded by power". "The President is the Head of the Legislature, which is above the head of the Government ie the PM of India. The new parliament inauguration should be done by the President as the protocol demands. The BJP blinded by power has become a fountainhead of constitutional immorality," she said in a tweet. Congress has also said that it is not "constitutionally correct to exclude" the President who is the 'Head of the Parliament' from the inauguration event. "It is not constitutionally correct to take a major decision about the Parliament excluding the head of the Parliament, the President of India from the decision-making from the foundation stone laying, now for the inauguration," Congress leader Anand Sharma said on Monday. He said Article 79 makes it "crystal clear" that the Parliament comprises the President of India, the head of the Parliament, and the two houses. "First, the permanent house the Rajya Sabha, the Council of States and then the House of the People, the Lok Sabha. Why the Council of States? Because India is a union of states. And the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is the number two in the warrant of precedence, the honourable Vice President of India," the Congress leader added. Earlier on Sunday, former MP Rahul Gandhi had said that the President should inaugurate the newly-constructed Parliament building and not the Prime Minister. "The President should inaugurate the new Parliament House, not the Prime Minister!" Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the newly-constructed Parliament Building on May 28. A Lok Sabha release had said that construction of the New Parliament Building in the national capital has been completed and symbolises the spirit of self-reliant India. The foundation stone of the new building of Parliament was laid by PM Modi on December 10, 2020. Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament. The joint session of both Houses will be held in Lok Sabha chamber. (ANI)
Ahead of the West Bengal panchayat polls, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Nusrat Jahan made a controversial remark saying that Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress will be beaten with bamboo sticks if they come to seek votes in Basirhat. The remarks have attracted a sharp reaction from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While addressing a public meeting in her parliamentary constituency Basirhat recently, the actor-turned-politician said, "In 2021, they said 'is bar 200 par' but they failed and their boat capsized. No matter how big the boats are, all capsize in the tide of Mamata Banerjee. They are planning a bigger conspiracy this time. They have stopped people's money. They have stopped funds for the 100 days work (MGNREGA) to the State. It is a conspiracy to stop Mamata Banerjee's work for the people. " "They do not give anything to Bengal. Why will the people of Bengal vote for you? What have you done for the people of Bengal? You will not get a single vote. Whoever comes here during panchayat elections, be it BJP or Congress, will be beaten with bamboo sticks by the people of Basirhat," said the TMC MP. Responding to the Trinamool MP's remarks the West Bengal BJP state secretary Priyanka Tibrewal alleged that violence is in the nature of the TMC. "These kinds of elements in our society are not very social. Even if you check her background... her marital status is still not clear. Violence is in their nature that has been proved. She has no time to attend to the constituency. Rather she is busy with two or three marriages. That is also undeclared," Tibrewal told ANI. Ahead of the panchayat elections in the State, the ruling TMC and the BJP are levelling allegations of malpractice against each other. (ANI)
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said that unauthorised colonies built in the state till December 31, 2022 will be legalised. CM Chouhan made the remark while addressing a 'Regularisation of unauthorised colonies, civil infrastructure development and grant building permission' programme organised at CM House, Bhopal on Tuesday morning. "The state government will also provide necessary funds for development in these colonies. All arrangements related to infrastructure will be made. Along with water and electricity, other arrangements will be ensured. The aim of the government is to make life easier for the people," CM Chouhan said. "Illegal colonies means, have we become criminals? Today, we have come to remove the stigma of illegality which was attached to the name of these colonies. Why is it illegal? Have we bought something with wrong earnings, we have made the home with hard work, then why is it being called illegal," CM said. He added, "It is a matter of thinking, on the one hand we are running the Chief Minister Land Residential Rights Scheme in the village and giving a piece of land free of cost to those who do not have a land to live. Even in the cities, we are making the people land owners who have been in possession of the land for many years. While on the other hand, those who have built their houses by investing their life's earnings, we are calling them illegal?" "This decision to declare these colonies illegal is itself illegal, I cancel this decision. Unauthorised colonies built till December 31, 2022 will be legalised," the chief minister said. Now citizens in these colonies will be able to get bank loans. The amount of MLA and MP funds can be given to them, he added. CM Chouhan also urged the citizens to pay attention to cleanliness and hygiene. A public campaign should be started so that our colonies do not lag behind in cleanliness. After the house is built, it is our duty to keep the environment clean, he added. Notably according to the government records, around 6077 unauthorised colonies in the state are being regularised. (ANI)
According to Delhi Police, the deceased was identified as Arjun.

Police said that there were stab wounds on the deceased's neck.

"The deceased had stab wounds on his neck. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team and crime team have been called," said the police.

The police further said that the taxi in which the man's body was found was registered in the name of a company in Gurugram, Haryana.

Further investigation into the matter was underway. (ANI)
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin embarked on a Singapore and Japan tour, aiming to attract investors towards the state ahead of the Global Investors Summit in Chennai next year. The Global Investors Summit is slated to take place in the state capital, Chennai in January 2024. "I am going to Singapore and Japan. Industry Minister and some government officials are coming with me. The main goal of this trip is to invite investors ahead of Global Investors Meet which is scheduled for January 2024 at Chennai," Stalin said in a statement. He added, "Last year we went to Dubai and got investments of 6100 crores which created employment opportunities for 15,100 persons. We also signed MoU with six firms". Tamil Nadu Chief Minister along with Industry Minister T R B Raja and top bureaucrats left for Singapore and Japan on as nine-day trip to invite investors to Tamil Nadu. CM MK Stalin's crew would reach Singapore this evening and will be there for two days meeting various investors. According to the DIPR release, "On 23 May, CM MK Stalin to meet Singapore Transport and Trade Minister Eshwaran, Home and Law Minister K Shanmugam. Moreover, MK Stalin also scheduled to meet investors of Singapore's top firms like Temasek, Sembcorp and Capital Land Investment. He is also to participate in the Global Investors Meeting in which MoU would be signed between Guidance Tamil Nadu, SIPCOT, Fame TN, TANSIM and TNSDC and Singapore University of Technology and Design SIPO, SICCI. Stalin is also take part in the Singapore Tamilians cultural event." MK Stalin after completing his Singapore trip, is likely to leave for Japan on May 24 where he is scheduled to meet top industrialists and invite investors for Chennai Global Industrialist Meet. On the Japan trip, various MoUs are also expected to be signed and Stalin's crew also will visit Osaka to meet investors. The Tamil Nadu CM said that investments worth Rs 2,95,339 crores have been attracted with investments with 226 firms in the last two years. "Since DMK formed government in the state. In the last two years, MoU has been signed with 226 firms and investments of around Rs 2, 95, 339 crores have been attracted. If the implementation is fully completed 4, 12, 565 more employment opportunities would be created," the Chief Minister said. Stalin added, "Based on this now we are going to Singapore and Japan to attract more investments. On this trip, we will meet hundreds of companies and then only we will get to know how many investments we are about get via this trip. Some MoUs are also to be signed with firms during this trip". (ANI)
Kerala's Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan on Tuesday supported the circular issued by Travancore Devaswom Board circular that directed temples under its control to not allow mass drills and other activities organized by the RSS on the temple premises. Stating that all types of drills and practices should be prevented on the premises of temples, which he said is the common property of believers, he added that "about 90 per cent of the Hindus in Kerala are against the Sangh Pariwar." The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) issued a circular to all temples under it to not allow mass drills and other activities organised by the RSS on temple premises. The circular, issued earlier this month says that this should be strictly followed and action will be taken against those officers who do not follow it. The TDB's fresh circular is a reiteration of its earlier order on March 30, 2021, which stated that temple premises should not be used for any other purpose other than for temple rituals and festivals. BJP's Kerala vice president KS Radhakrishnan has criticised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, "The intention is very simple. Pinarayi has to satisfy his family members. Pinarayi tries to protect the religious interests of his son-in-law, PA Muhammad Riyas, a Kerala Minister." The BJP leader also accused Riyas of having been associated with the proscribed organisation Students' Islamic Movement of India(SIMI). "His son-in-law was a SIMI man. Once a SIMI person could ever be a SIMI person. So he has to protect the religious interests of his son-in-law. Muhammad Riyas is the Chief Minister in waiting. So he gets training under his father-in-law," Radhakrishnan alleged. (ANI)
According to police, the accused was identified as Amandeep Kumar.

Police said that the victim filed a complaint alleging that someone had created her fake ID on Instagram and had uploaded objectionable photos mentioning her mobile number.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Cyber Shahdara police station and an investigation was initiated.

Police collected the IP address of the alleged Instagram profile and conducted a detailed analysis of Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR).

"During the analysis, it was observed that the alleged IPDR address was registered against the mobile number of a man, Amandeep Kumar who belongs to Punjab," said Delhi Police.

The accused was arrested on May 19 after technical surveillance.

"The accused is habitual of looking or surfing at online sexual content and is unemployed. He randomly did this act for fun," said the police.

Further investigation into the matter was underway. (ANI)
Congress leaders from Delhi and Punjab held a meeting here in the wake of AAP seeking the support of opposition parties against the ordinance brought by the Centre on control of service in the national capital. Congress leaders Partap Singh Bajwa, Ajay Maken, Sandeep Dikshit and other leaders were present at the meeting. According to sources, the Congress leaders were against extending support to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi in the matter. The Union government on Friday brought an ordinance to notify rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) regarding the 'transfer posting, vigilance and other incidental matters'. The ordinance was brought to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and it circumvents the Supreme Court judgement in the Centre vs Delhi case. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal called the move "undemocratic and illegal" alleging that it "attacks the basic structure of the Constitution". Kejriwal will meet Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai to seek support against the Centre's ordinance on the transfer of bureaucrats in the national capital. AAP has also decided to hold 'Maha-Rally' in the national capital to voice its opposition against the Centre's ordinance, Delhi Minister Gopal Rai said on Monday. Amid the row over the Centre's Ordinance with respect to the control of services in Delhi, former Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken on Sunday left a piece of advice for Kejriwal while recalling the tenure of Sheila Dikshit as Chief Minister. Maken urged Kejriwal to engage with officers respectfully, hold dialogue, and persuade them for Delhi's advancement. The ordinance has created for the first time a National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) that will have the power to recommend the transfer and posting of all Group A officers and officers of DANICS serving in Delhi. The ordinance designates the Lieutenant Governor (LG) as the administrator of Delhi who will have the final say on the postings and transfer of all bureaucrats serving the Delhi government. (ANI)
Lashing out at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin over deaths of people due to consumption of spurious liquor in the state, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said that the puppet Stalin doesn't have the talent for administration. The AIADMK general secretary met the Governor on behalf of AIADMK on Monday and submitted a petition against the DMK's two years of governance alleging corruption and failed law and order in the state. Talking to the media after meeting the Governor, AIADMK general secretary said, "We met the Governor on behalf of AIADMK and gave a petition against DMK's two years of governance. We gave a petition with allegations of corruption and failed law and order in the state under the DMK regime". Hitting out at the state government over the deaths of people due to the consumption of spurious liquor in the state, Palaniswami said that such incidents would have been avoided if the state government had acted immediately. He said, "Spurious liquor in the state has claimed lives in Villupuram and Chengalpattu. On Sunday at Thanjavur, a person died after consuming alcohol. Government should have acted immediately. If they had acted, such incidents would have been avoided. Puppet CM MK Stalin doesn't have the talent for administration." This comes after on Sunday two persons died after allegedly consuming alcohol in Tamil Nadu's Thanjavur. According to the police, the deceased were identified as Vivek (36) and Kuppusamy (68). Thanjavur Collector Dinesh Ponraj said in a statement that around 12 pm on Sunday, two people consumed alcohol at TASMAC bar in Thanjavur and became ill. "One person died on the way to hospital while the other person died in the hospital during the treatment," he said in a statement. In the two separate incidents in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram and Chengalpattu, a total of 20 deaths were reported due to the consumption of spurious liquor. According to the police, a man identified as Amaran has been arrested and spurious liquor seized from his possession has been sent to the lab to ascertain the presence of methanol. Earlier, AIADMK senior leader and former minister Sellur Raju alleged that the DMK party and its allies are staying silent on this issue of counterfeiting in the state which resulted in the death of 20 people. (ANI)
Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies should discuss on 25 of the State's 48 Lok Sabha seats since the the Shiv Sena (UBT) had bagged 18 seats in 2019 elections. The MVA allies include the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), Congress and the NCP. Addressing a press conference here today Pawar said, "First we must discuss on 25 empty seats out of 48 seats, later the rest 23 can be discussed," adding that the final decision on seat sharing will be made by senior leaders of Maha Vikas Agadi. "The final decision will be made by senior leaders of MVA, and MVA will remain intact, strong and united and this I can give in writing on stamp paper," Ajit Pawar said. Previously, speaking about the seat-sharing among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners for the next year's Lok Sabha elections which is yet to be finalised, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said that Shiva Sena leader (UBT faction) Uddhav Thackeray and Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi or Mallikarjun Kharge and he himself will decide. "There has been no discussion on seat sharing yet. A meeting was held at my residence where it was discussed that leaders from all three parties (of MVA) will decide on it. Uddhav Thackeray, Sonia Gandhi or Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and I will sit together to discuss it," he said. In the 2019 Assembly Polls, the then Shiv Sena-led by Uddhav Thackeray and the BJP fought elections jointly. BJP had won 23 seats and the then Shiv Sena 18 seats while Congress got 4 seats. The Shiv Sena had walked out of the NDA alliance to form a coalition government with the NCP in November 2019. Meanwhile, responding to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioning of the NCP chief Jayant Patil, Ajit Pawar today said that investigation agencies have the right to investigate and he has not made any statement against anyone. NCP chief Patil was on Monday questioned by ED in connection with the alleged IL&FS (Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited) scam. Ajit Pawar said, "Investigating agencies have the right to investigate and I have not made any statements against anyone." Hitting out at the Central government on the withdrawal of Rs 2000 rupee notes from circulation, Ajit Pawar said that the middle class don't have much of Rs 2000 note so if they wanted to act on black money, then there was no need to give so much time to submit the currency in the bank. "Middle class don't have much of Rs 2000 notes, so if you wanted to stop the circulation of Rs 2000 notes then there was no need to give so much time to submit the currency in the bank," he said. "If they wanted to act on black money as they said during demonetisation then just like you did demonetisation you could have done it now," he added. The RBI on Friday decided to withdraw the Rs 2000 denomination banknotes from circulation adding that it will continue to remain as legal tender. It has advised banks to stop issuing Rs 2000 denomination banknotes with immediate effect. (ANI)
As part of his ongoing efforts to cobble up a grand Opposition alliance to ensure that a bill related to the centre's ordinance nullifying the Supreme Court order on services matters is not passed in the Rajya Sabha. Kejriwal was accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and party leaders including Raghav Chadha and Sanjay Singh. The Delhi Chief Minister on Tuesday embarked on a nationwide tour to seek support from the Opposition parties against the ordinance brought by the Central Government on the transfers and postings of bureaucrats in the national capital. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor accused the Centre of "taking away the rights" of the people of Delhi and said that the ordinance "should not" be allowed to pass in Rajya Sabha. Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said, "From today, I am leaving on a tour across the country, for the rights of the people of Delhi. After many years, SC passed an order and gave rights to the people of Delhi. But, the central government took away all those rights by bringing an ordinance. The law should not be allowed to pass under any circumstances when it is brought in Rajya Sabha. I will meet presidents of all political parties and seek their support". He will be meeting Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on May 24 and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on May 25, according to AAP. This comes after the Union Government on May 19 brought an ordinance to notify rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) regarding the 'transfer posting, vigilance and other incidental matters'. The ordinance was brought to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and it circumvents the Supreme Court judgement in the Centre vs Delhi case. Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is also putting in efforts to rally the opposition against the Centre ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Nitish Kumar, in this regard, met Arvind Kejriwal in the national capital and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi. (ANI)
A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Tamil Nadu government's decision to construct 134 feet tall "Pen monument" in honour of ex-Chief Minister and DMK supremo Karunanidhi at the Marina Beach near the Muthamil Kalaignar Karunanidhi memorial. The plea filed by Madurai resident KK Ramesh has sought the top court's direction to the Tamil Nadu government and the Ministry of Environment to withdraw the decision as it could damage the ecosystem. The plea alleged that while violating environmental laws, all departments of the state government gave clearance certificates for the proposed monument in haste. Uncontrolled construction activities in these areas would have a devastating effect on the natural water flow that may ultimately result in severe natural calamities, the plea added. The plea sought direction to protect the coastal regions of all states from rising sea levels/erosion. "Prohibit any construction work or alternative work or any development work in the coastal regions of all states of India," it asked. It further asked to prohibit the burial of any mortal remains in all coastal areas of all states in India and plantation of suitable trees to protect the coastal regions of all states from the rising sea level in the interest of the nation. The plea stated, "The expert opinions suggest that the devastating floods faced in recent years in Tamil Nadu are the immediate result of uncontrolled construction activities on sea shores and unscrupulous trespass into the natural path of backwaters. The monument, estimated to be built at a cost of Rs 80 crore, could further affect the coastline and will impact the fish population since Marina Beach is an area that has a high accretion rate (accumulation of sand). It has also sought directions to protect the coastal regions of all states from the rising sea levels and a ban on any construction work there. Earlier, some residents of the state had also approached the apex court and sought direction that the Tamil Nadu government and Ministry of Environment be directed to cancel the decision to construct the 'Pen' statue inside the Marina beach and not damage the ecosystem, the marine life of Marina beach. The DMK had earlier defended the proposal to build the 'Pen Monument', saying it is the most befitting move to honour the literary genius who was also a political colossus. Apart from being a politician, Karunanidhi was an accomplished writer and he wrote almost daily for the DMK's newspaper 'Murasoli'. (ANI)
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Vaibhav Mehta will hear the plea on Wednesday.

In 2015, the Court while granting bail to the applicant Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald case did not put any condition on travel for the applicant and others as well, clarified the associated lawyer.

The applicant ceased to be a Member of Parliament in March 2023 and as such he surrendered his diplomatic passport and is applying for a fresh ordinary passport.

By way of the present application, the applicant Rahul Gandhi is seeking permission and no objection from the court for the issuance of a fresh ordinary passport to him, stated the associated lawyer.

The National Herald case is the ongoing case in a Delhi court filed by former Member of Parliament and politician Subramanian Swamy against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and their associated persons. (ANI)
Congress leader Ajay Maken on Tuesday laid down the reasons to "not oppose" the ordinance passed by the Centre regarding the 'control of services' in the national capital asking why is Delhi Chief Minister "stirring up chaos" if all previous persons holding the office performed their roles "without fuss". This comes after Arvind Kejriwal embarked on a nationwide tour today to seek opposition support to ensure that a bill related to the centre's ordinance nullifying the Supreme Court order on services matters is not passed in the Rajya Sabha. While talking to ANI, Ajay Maken said," Former CM Shiela Dixit demanded that services be brought under Delhi govt control but it was neither given by former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee nor Manmohan Singh. They never got transfer posting powers. Then why is the current CM demanding it now? How can they (AAP) make their fight, people's fight? They say they have done a lot of work in education, health etc. The credit that they take is also the work of the officers deployed in Delhi, did they bring officers from Andaman & Nicobar Islands." The Congress leader further alleged that the national capital is suffering due to the unrest between the Centre and Delhi government as the power tussle for the services continues. Taking to Twitter, Maken enumerated three reasons for not backing Aam Aadmi Party over the issue- Administrative, Political and Legal reasons. "An Examination of Reasons to Not Oppose the Ordinance - Administrative, Political, and Legal Aspects". The discussion must begin with two critical observations. First, by backing Kejriwal, we are going against the decisions and wisdom of numerous respected leaders: Baba Sahib Ambedkar on 21st October 1947, Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel in 1951, another decision of Pt Nehru in 1956, Lal Bahadur Shastri Ji as Home Minister in 1964 and as Prime Minister in 1965, and Narasimha Rao in 1991," Maken tweeted. He said that if the ordinance does not pass, "Kejriwal gains a unique privilege previously denied to Chief Ministers like Sheila Dikshit, Madan Lal Khurana, Sahib Singh Verma, and Sushma Swaraj. Let's delve into the administrative, political, and legal viewpoints against opposing the Ordinance". Talking about the administrative reasons, Maken said that cooperative federalism principles don't fit in Delhi's context as it's not just a State or Union Territory; it's the "National Capital". "It belongs to the Union and, thus, to every Indian citizen. Delhi residents stand to benefit from this status. As the National Capital, the Union Government annually spends approximately 37,500 crores on various services, a burden not shared by the Delhi Government," he tweeted. He said that a committee led by Baba Sahib Ambedkar addressed the issue of governance in Delhi and submitted its report on October 21, 1947. "So far as Delhi is concerned, it seems to us that as the Capital of India it can hardly be placed under a local administration. In the United States, Congress exercises exclusive legislative power in respect of the seat of the Government; so too in Australia. No sufficient reasons for departing from these precedents appear in the Committee's report. We have, therefore, come to the conclusion that a somewhat different plan is desirable. Accordingly, we have proposed in the draft that these Central areas may be administered by the Government of India either through a Chief Commissioner or a Lieutenant-Governor or through the Governor or the ruler of a neighbouring State..." Maken quoted the report as saying. "Following the recommendations from Baba Sahib's committee, Pt Nehru and Sardar Patel placed Delhi under the administration of a Chief Commissioner through the Government of Part C States Act, 1951. This act included a special provision exclusive to Delhi," the Congress leader added. Citing former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao, Maken said that he had established the present form of Governance for Delhi, granting LG all powers to transfer and post officers via the 'Transaction of Business Rules' in 1991. "So, none of the Prime Ministers since independence allowed the elected Delhi Government the powers to transfer and post officials," he tweeted. Coming down to the political reasons, Maken said that Kejriwal's past political engagements raise questions. He cited the resolution passed by the BJP and AAP urging the Centre to withdraw Bharat Ratna from Rajiv Gandhi who was awarded in1991. He also recalled the AAP's support to the Centre over the Article 370 issue in the Parliament in August 2019. "Kejriwal backed the BJP both inside and outside of Parliament on the Jammu & Kashmir issue. This support came when J-K was divided and reduced to a union territory, leaving its people disenfranchised for five years. Kejriwal also supported the BJP during the move to impeach CJI Dipak Mishra on various charges," Maken tweeted. The Congress leader also mentioned the Delhi government's notification on the implementation of three farm laws which was later withdrawn by the Centre. However, Kejriwal had extended support to the farmers' protest against the laws. "Kejriwal's support for the BJP in Gujarat, Goa, Himachal, Assam, Uttarakhand, and in the recent Karnataka elections, where he fielded candidates against the Congress Party, also begs the question - Why only in states where Congress is the primary opposition or ruling party?" Maken tweeted. The Congress leader cited the Para 95 of the recent Supreme Court order and said, "However, if Parliament enacts a law granting executive power on any subject within the domain of NCTD, the executive power of the Lieutenant Governor shall be modified to the extent, as provided in that law". Maken said that if anyone backs Kejriwal and opposes the ordinance is opposing the former prime ministers' decisions in this regard. "...anyone backing Kejriwal and opposing the ordinance is essentially going against the wisdom and decisions of Pandit Nehru, Baba Sahib Ambedkar, Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and Narasimha Rao. The key question remains - if all the previous Delhi Chief Ministers could perform their roles without fuss, why is Kejriwal stirring up chaos now? Is this mere political posturing?" Maken tweeted. "Unfortunately, it's Delhi that bears the brunt of this unrest. In this turmoil, Delhi suffers the most," he added. Reacting to the points made by Ajay Maken, Punjab Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa on Twitter said that he fully endorses the viewpoint of Ajay Maken. (ANI)
The National Commission for Women has constituted a two-member inquiry committee to investigate the stabbing of a 23-year-old Kerala doctor by a patient who was brought to her hospital by police for treatment, the commission said on Tuesday. The Commission further said that the Commission's two-member inquiry committee headed by Chairperson Rekha Sharma will be visiting the state on May 25 for a thorough inquiry to address these concerns. Dr Vandana (23) was murdered when the accused, S Sandeep (42), stabbed the house surgeon to death in the hospital on May 10. Moreover, the accused 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. Sandeep, who is a school teacher, 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, the incident took place at 4.30 am today when 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. 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. Her post-mortem was completed and doctors and medical students paid homage to her at Thiruvananthapuram medical college hospital. Governor Arif Muhammad Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, minister Vasavan and many others visited to pay homage to Vandana at KIMS hospital. (ANI)
President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar are likely to release congratulatory messages on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28, sources said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who will dedicate to the nation the new Parliament building on May 28, are also likely to deliver a speech after the inauguration ceremony, sources said. Sources earlier said that the invitation for the ceremony, both digital and physical, have been sent out to the MPs of both Houses, and the ceremony will get underway at around 11.30 am on Sunday which will be close to a two-hour affair. "A congratulatory message by both President of India, as well as Vice President of India, will be given out on the day of the inauguration," sources told ANI on condition of anonymity. This comes at a time when the opposition led by Congress has raised questions over Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the new Parliament building and accused the BJP-led central government of insulting the top constitutional post of the country by not asking President Droupadi Murmu or Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar for the inauguration. "During the inauguration ceremony, a speech will be delivered by the Lok Sabha Speaker who is essentially the custodian of the Parliament. PM Modi is also expected to deliver a speech on the occasion. All members of Parliament will be seated in the Lok Sabha chamber of the new Parliament building, which can house more than 800 people," sources said. This is the same chamber which will be used for the joint Parliamentary address during the budget session and other such occasions. Leading the attack against the Congress party, Union Minister for Urban Development (MoUD), Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted, " Congress has a habit of raking controversies where none exist. While President is the Head of State, PM is the Head of Govt and leads the Parliament on behalf of the Govt, whose Policies are effected in form of Laws. The President is not a Member of either House, whereas PM is.." Other opposition leaders who spoke to the same tune as the Congress party include AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and TMC's Sukendu Sekhar Roy. According to sources, several opposition leaders are also considering boycotting the inaugural function on Sunday, alleging that the government has insulted the President. In December 2020, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi did the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Parliament building, the event was boycotted by Congress. In response to the attack by the opposition on why the Prime Minister is inaugurating the Parliament building, the ruling party BJP has countered the arguments. Official sources in the party said that the first big construction in the Parliament complex took place post-1970. Then President of India VV Giri laid the foundation of the Parliament Annexe Building on August 3, 1970. "But the Sansadiya Soudha building was eventually inaugurated by then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 24, 1975. That was exactly four months after she had imposed an Emergency, curtailing fundamental rights and ordering the detention of most opposition leaders," sources told ANI. "That's not all. The second big construction in the Parliament complex, too, had the prime minister of the day occupying the centre stage. On August 15, 1987, PM Rajiv Gandhi laid the foundation of the Parliament Library building. It was seven years later that Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil led the groundbreaking ceremony for the building on April 17, 1994," they added. Sources further said that there are portraits in the central hall and 20 of them were unveiled by presidents of India, starting with Dr Prasad and ending with Ram Nath Kovind, and two were unveiled by former prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and one each by former prime minister V P Singh and Chandra Shekhar Singh. "Only one portrait in the central hall -- of Dadabhai Naoroji -- was unveiled by a Speaker. Since March 13, 1953, after Mavlankar, no Speaker has unveiled a portrait in the central hall. As per the records, Jawaharlal Nehru is the only PM to have even unveiled a portrait in the Lok Sabha chamber or inner lobby of Parliament. Dr Manmohan Singh had unveiled seven portraits in the Parliament Museum and archives during his tenure, while Atal Bihari Vajpayee unveiled two. Between P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh, seven busts/statues were unveiled in the waiting rooms of Parliament House," sources said. Sharpening its attack on former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, the BJP stated that despite that she hasn't held any position in the government but she laid the foundation stone for the Atal tunnel on 28 June 2010 and inaugurated the Bandra - Worli Sea link in 2009. The new Parliament building symbolises the spirit of self-reliant India (Aatmanirbhar Bharat) and will be dedicated by PM Modi to the nation on May 28. The present building of the Parliament was completed in 1927, which is now going to be almost 100 years old. The lack of space was being experienced in this building as per the present requirements. In both Houses, there was also a lack of convenient arrangements for the sitting of the MPs which was affecting the efficiency of the work of the Members. Considering the above, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed resolutions urging the government to construct a new building for the Parliament. Consequently, on 10 December 2020, the foundation stone of the new building of Parliament was laid by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The newly constructed Parliament building has been built in record time with quality construction. Now the newly constructed building of Parliament, which will work to further enrich India's glorious democratic traditions and constitutional values, is also equipped with state-of-the-art facilities which will help the Members to perform their functions in a better way. The new Parliament building will enable 888 members to sit in the Lok Sabha. In the present building of the Parliament, there is a provision for the sitting of 543 Members in the Lok Sabha while 250 in the Rajya Sabha. Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha while 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament. The joint session of both Houses will be held in the Lok Sabha Chamber. (ANI)
"Caste-based Census should be done. Mallikarjun Kharge and I have written letters to the PM requesting a Caste-based Census. Supreme Court put a stay order on the Caste-based survey in Bihar," Gehlot said while talking to media today.

He further said that with a 10 per cent reservation for EWS, a 50 per cent ceiling for reservation has been crossed.

"We want that everyone gets their due as far as the reservation is concerned," he added.

Recently, Bihar conducted a caste-based survey in the state.

The Bihar cabinet, on June 2 last year, decided to conduct the caste-based survey in the state months after the Union government ruled out such an exercise at the national level.

The normal decadal census counts religious groups and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes separately.

House-listing was conducted in the first leg of the survey before data collection including the financial status of people in the second phase began for a budget tailored for the welfare of weaker sections of society and better implementation of schemes.

The second phase of the survey began on April 15 and was to continue till May 15.

However, Patna high court ordered the state government to put on hold the caste-based survey in the state after questioning the Nitish Kumar-led government's legislative competence to carry out such an exercise and flagging issues over data integrity and security.

After the Patna HC order, the Supreme Court also turned down the Bihar government's plea to stay the Patna high court order. (ANI)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday submitted before Delhi High Court that the judgment acquitting the accused persons in the 2G Spectrum Allocation scam case has glaring illegality. The CBI was arguing on the leave to appeal filed against the trial court judgement acquitting the accused persons including former Telecom Minister A Raja and others. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma heard the arguments of CBI's counsel on the second day and listed the matter on May 29 for further arguments. During the arguments, the CBI'S counsel Neeraj Jain submitted that the trial court judgement had glaring illegality and the evidence produced by the agency was not appreciated. Further, the CBI's counsel submitted that the judgement acquitting the accused persons is perverse. A leave to appeal needs to be granted in view of the perversity of the judgment, the counsel added. Advocates Vijay Agarwal and DP Singh appeared for the respondents. Advocate Vijay Aggarwal refuted the arguments of CBI and submitted that before the Court proceeds to hear the leave to appeal, the Court must appreciate the brief background of the case. He began his submissions by stating that the judgement under challenge is running into 1552 pages which considers the allegation in FIR, the allegation in the charge sheet, Prosecution Evidence running into 4677 pages and defence evidence which runs into 325 pages with painstaking detail and this court being the Appellate Court, before it proceeds to hear the appeal, at this stage when leave to appeal has not yet been granted, all such details have to be considered by the Court. This is a trial that went on day to day basis for a period of 7 years with former Chief Justice of India (CJI) UU Lalit and senior Counsel Anand Grover appearing for the prosecution arguing the case at length. He also submitted that the testimony of the star witness of the prosecution was rejected by the Court after considering the fact that there was no evidence to the effect that accused persons used to meet with the minister as there was no register, no calendar or appointment to show that in fact such meeting ever took place. Further, it was submitted by Advocate Aggarwal that lacunae in the prosecution case can be seen from the fact that one of the accused companies namely DB Realty, qua which allegation has been levelled that it entered into alleged criminal conspiracy in the year 2004 for the purpose of producing favourable orders. However, the said company was incorporated in the year 2007. Advocate Agarwal submitted that it is also important for the court to consider and appreciate that at this stage when even the leave to appeal against the order of acquittal has not been allowed by the Court, there is a double presumption of innocence in favour of the Respondents. He also pointed out that, even if two views are possible and view favouring the Respondents is to be taken. Whole evidence will have to be analysed as High Court should be slow to interfere because only the trial judge had the opportunity to look at the demeanour of the witness and hence High Court should not interfere with the opinion of the trial court. He pointed to the court the position of law when the court proceeds to examine the issue whether the leave to appeal ought to be granted, the Court has to consider and each allegation separately and pass an order with respect to the same and similarly, the Court has to be accused specific as to qua which specific accused persons and for this particular reason leave to appeal is allowed. The Delhi High Court on April 10 directed the investigation agencies CBI and ED and respondents to file their written submissions in the matter. These appeals are pending since March 2018 in the High Court. The appeals are still at the preliminary stage of leave to grant appeal. These appeals are being dealt with by the Seventh Judge of the High Court. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) have preferred appeals against acquittals granted to former Telecom Minister A Raja, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi including bureaucrats and businessmen in 2G spectrum case. The counsel for CBI had sought an early hearing on the appeals. The counsel submitted, "No doubt that the judgment is nearly 1,700 pages and there are over 22,000 pages of witness statements. But I will just show four circumstances. I am quite sanguine that the court will find that the leave to appeal must be granted." In these appeals two applications seeking early hearing were filed. Still, the matters are at the initial stage. These appeals were heard on a daily basis by Justice Brijesh Sethi during pre-Covid period before lockdown. He also expressed his displeasure over the delay in the appeals by filing miscellaneous applications by the respondents. The bench has listed the other matters related to Aircel Maxis case for separate hearing on July 17. (ANI)
The decision was taken on the recommendations of the committee that the Union Territory of J&K will absorb the existing staff of the Hotel Corporation of India Limited on the existing terms and conditions.

While the payment of retirement gratuity and other benefits of the employees for the period they worked with HCI will be borne by HCI.

The Hotel Corporation of India has 145 permanent employees of Centaur Lake View Hotel as on May 1, 2023, which will be absorbed on existing terms and conditions in Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation Ltd, Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation Ltd and Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre, Srinagar, as per their requirement and absorptive capacity to be determined by the Tourism Department.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting. (ANI)
The National Commission for Women has constituted a two-member inquiry committee to investigate the killing of a 23-year-old doctor who was allegedly stabbed to death at a hospital in Kottarakkara, Kerala by a patient who was brought there by police for treatment. House surgeon Dr Vandana, 23, was stabbed to death by the accused, S Sandeep, 42, in the hospital earlier this month. According to an official statement, the bereaved family of the victim, having expressed their dissatisfaction with the actions undertaken thus far by the Kerala Police, approached the Commission, seeking intervention in the matter. "Further, the family has made allegations of a potential cover-up by the police department. Therefore, the Commission's two-member inquiry committee headed by Chairperson Rekha Sharma will be visiting the state on May 25 for a thorough inquiry to address these concerns," the statement said. "The team will be interacting with the family of the victim, the investigating officers assigned to the case, as well as senior officials from both the police department and the hospital where the deceased doctor was posted," it added. The Commission, upon taking cognizance of the incident, had written to the Director General of Police, Kerala, for a thorough investigation into the matter. "The Commission had also sought a detailed report in the matter; however, the Commission is yet to receive the aforementioned report from the Kerala Police," the statement said. Women workers of the Congress party observed a protest against the murder of Dr Vandana Das while she was on duty at Kottarakkara Taluk hospital. Earlier on May 11, a representation of doctors under the leadership of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) met Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan raising certain demands over the protection of health workers after a doctor was murdered. The Kerala government approved an ordinance that seeks to ensure workplace safety in healthcare facilities. A Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to promulgate the Kerala Health Care Service Workers and Health Care Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Amendment Ordinance, 2012. (ANI)
As part of his efforts to drum up opposition support for his government''s fight against the Centre over an ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital, AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday. Earlier, the meeting between both leaders was scheduled to be held at 4 pm now they will meet at 12:30 pm today. Meanwhile, the Delhi CM has left for his Maharashtra visit. During his visit to Mumbai, the Chief Minister will be accompanied by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, AAP MPs Sanjay Singh, and Raghav Chaddha and AAP Minister Atishi. Notably, Kejriwal met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday. The Delhi Chief Minister on Tuesday embarked on a nationwide tour to seek support from the Opposition parties against the ordinance brought by the Central Government on the transfers and postings of bureaucrats in the national capital. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor accused the Centre of "taking away the rights" of the people of Delhi and said that the ordinance "should not" be allowed to pass in Rajya Sabha. On 25 May, Kejriwal will meet Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo, Sharad Pawar, the party said. This comes after the Union Government on May 19 brought an ordinance to notify rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) regarding the ''transfer posting, vigilance and other incidental matters''. The ordinance was brought to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and it circumvents the Supreme Court judgement in the Centre vs Delhi case. Shortly after meeting with Kejriwal, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said that the Opposition parties should oppose the ordinance. "Only Supreme Court can save the country. Even Media has been purchased. They want to control the judiciary and all the agencies. I would appeal to all the Opposition parties to oppose the ordinance. My party has decided to oppose the ordinance. This will be the justice of the Supreme Court," she said. Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is also putting in efforts to rally the opposition against the Centre ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. (ANI)
The Higher Education Department of Odisha Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Infosys Limited and Nasscom for undertaking up-skilling and developing the employability of students of Higher Education Institutions in Odisha. Aimed at creating learning and employment avenues for students, this collaboration will democratize learning for ardent minds and prepare them to be future-ready, a press statement read. In line with its ESG Vision 2030, Infosys aims to enable digital skills at scale and empower over 10 million people in India across the socioeconomic spectrum by 2025 through the Infosys Springboard program. As part of Infosys CSR, Infosys Springboard provides a completely free curriculum-rich virtual platform that delivers corporate-grade learning experiences, on any device, with closer educator-learner collaboration for students from Class 6th to lifelong learners, it stated. It provides a holistic set of courses, developed in collaboration with world-leading digital educators like Coursera, Skillsoft, Techademy, Knolskape and Harvard Business Publishing. Infosys Springboard empowers women and students from rural areas with a focused learning portal, specialized resources and expert mentors for holistic development. It is fully aligned with India's National Education Policy 2020, it further read. "The learning program is particularly well suited to growing vocational skills, in addition to soft skills. Masterclasses, programming challenges, and playgrounds for experimentation make the training immersive for all. This will lead to upskilling and developing the employability of approximately 8 lakh students spread across 1100 HEIs (colleges and universities) of the Higher Education Department, Government of Odisha," it stated. The MoU with Nasscom aims to skill the students and existing faculty in key technologies essential in today's digital ecosystem and making India a digital talent nation. As per the MoU, Nasscom is to skill 8 lakh students through future skills prime. "The collaboration aims to build technical capacity in all streams with digital fluency and industry-curated content. This offers a wholesome career-building program to students to be industry-recognised Nasscom-certified professionals," it added. The focus of this partnership is to integrate Emerging Technology programs through NSQF and NOS-aligned curriculum to build a Future Talent pool for the state and this is in alignment with the National Education Policy 2020 implementation, MoU read. The students will have open access to various levels of aligned courses, they can apply for Government of India incentives, they would also be able to learn and engage with Industry experts and be part of exclusive career development opportunities like job fairs, internships, hiring hackathons, skill challenges etc. (ANI)
The accused have been identified as Lakbhir Singh alias Lakha.

"An operation was launched in which we have arrested a wanted accused named Lakbhir Singh alias Lakha. A Chinese-made drone, 1.6 kg of heroin, a pistol, and a rifle were recovered from his possession," said Snehdeep Sharma, AIG, STF, Amritsar.

"During the questioning of the accused, he revealed that for a long time, he had been smuggling drugs and weapons and revealed his contacts with Pakistani smugglers," Sharma said.

According to the Amritsar AIG, the drone was being used to bring goods from Pakistan.

Further investigation is underway.

Earlier on Monday, Troops of the Border Security Force (BSF) shot down a Pakistani drone carrying narcotics along the international border in Punjab's Amritsar, said a BSF official.

The official said that two packets suspected to be heroin have been seized during the search.

"BSF shot down a Pakistani drone carrying narcotics near the International border in Punjab's Amritsar. Troops of 144 Corps of BSF conducted an operation in the BOP Rajatal area in which a drone has been shot down. 2 packets suspected to be of heroin have been seized," Ajay Kumar Mishra, BSF Commandant, Amritsar said. (ANI)
Amid the opposition's objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the new Parliament building, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) announced a boycott of the ceremony slated to take place on May 28. CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Dr John Brittas confirmed the news to ANI. Meanwhile, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury accused PM Modi of "bypassing" the President. "Modi bypassed the President when the foundation stone for the new Parliament building was laid. Now too at the inauguration. Unacceptable. Constitution Art 79: "There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses..." CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury tweeted. "Only when the President of India summons the Parliament can it meet. The President begins, annually, Parliamentary functioning by addressing the joint session. The first business Parliament transacts each year is the "Motion of Thanks" to the President's Address," he tweeted. Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress announced to boycott the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building by PM Modi. "Aam Aadmi Party will boycott the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building on 28th May. AAP has taken this decision in view of the questions being raised regarding the matter of not inviting the President to the inauguration ceremony," Aam Aadmi Party said. TMC MP Derek O'Brien took to Twitter to announce the party's decision. "Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn't get that For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out," he tweeted. Meanwhile, Congress sources said, "Congress is likely to boycott the inauguration program of the new Parliament building to be held on 28th May." Invitations for the inauguration of the new Parliament building slated on May 28 have been sent to various leaders across the country including the former Speakers and Chairmen of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively, sources said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will dedicate to the nation the new Parliament building on May 28. Invitations have been sent in both physical and digital forms to the MPs of both Houses. According to sources, all Chief Ministers of all the states and Union Territories have been sent the invitation. Apart from this, invitations have also been sent to Secretaries of all ministries of the Government of India. The chief architect of the new Parliament building, Bimal Patel and reputed industrialist Ratan Tata have also been invited to the inauguration of the new building. President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar are likely to release congratulatory messages on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Parliament building on May 28, sources said. This is the same chamber which will be used for the joint Parliamentary address during the budget session and other such occasions. The present building of the Parliament was completed in 1927, which is now going to be almost 100 years old. The lack of space was being experienced in this building as per the present requirements. In both Houses, there was also a lack of convenient arrangements for the sitting of the MPs which was affecting the efficiency of the work of the Members. Considering the above, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha passed resolutions urging the government to construct a new building for the Parliament. Consequently, on 10 December 2020, the foundation stone of the new building of Parliament was laid by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The newly constructed Parliament building has been built in record time with quality construction. Now the newly constructed building of Parliament, which will work to further enrich India's glorious democratic traditions and constitutional values, is also equipped with state-of-the-art facilities which will help the Members to perform their functions in a better way. The new Parliament building will enable 888 members to sit in the Lok Sabha. In the present building of the Parliament, there is a provision for the sitting of 543 Members in the Lok Sabha while 250 in the Rajya Sabha. Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha while 384 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament. The joint session of both Houses will be held in the Lok Sabha Chamber. (ANI)
US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday expressed concerns and said that China has restricted the sale of Micron Chips in certain domestic industries. "We have very serious concerns that China has restricted the sale of Micron Chips in certain domestic industries," Miller said as Beijing imposed a ban on US chip maker Micron from selling to Chinese companies working on key infrastructure projects. As the tussle of power continues between the US and China over technology, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) on Sunday announced that the US chip firm failed a cybersecurity evaluation, hence the restrictions. Calling the ban an "inconsistent action," the US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller during a regular press briefing said, "The Department of Commerce is engaging directly with PRC to make our view clear." "We have very serious concerns that the PRC has restricted the sale of Micron chips in domestic industries. The Department of Commerce is engaging directly with PRC to make our view clear and probably this action appears inconsistent with PRCs assertions that it is open for business and committed to a transparent regulatory framework," he said. "The review found that Micron's products have relatively serious cybersecurity risks, which pose significant security risks to China's critical information infrastructure supply chain and would affect national security," the Chinese regulator, CAC said in a statement, reported CNN. The Chinese regulator's decision came seven weeks after it began examining Micron's devices for cybersecurity risks, ostensibly in retaliation for the semiconductor industry-related penalties Washington and its allies had placed on China. One of the biggest manufacturers of memory chips in the US is Micron. More than 10 per cent of their income comes from China's mainland. The shares of Micron Technology (MU) dropped by roughly 6 per cent in Monday's premarket trade shortly after the ban was announced. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Australia on Tuesday, interacted with Gina Rinehart, Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting. Georgina Hope Rinehart AO was born on 9 February 1954, is an Australian billionaire mining magnate and businesswoman. Rinehart is the Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting, a privately owned mineral exploration and extraction company founded by her father, Lang Hancock. "Fostering India-Australia collaboration in the mining and minerals sector. PM Narendra Modi held a meeting with Georgina Hope Rinehart, Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting Group, Roy Hill and S. Kidman & Co, in Sydney," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted. During his visit, PM Modi met other Chief Executive Officers in Sydney. Earlier, he had met Paul Schroder, CEO of Australian Super and John Andrew Henry Forrest AO, nicknamed Twiggy. Schroder was appointed Chief Executive of Australian Super on October 1, 2021, and is responsible for the leadership and strategic development of the fund and providing advice to the board. Meanwhile, Twiggy is best known as the former CEO (and current non-executive chairman) of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) and has other interests in the mining industry and in cattle stations. After his meeting with PM Modi in Sydney, Australia, Andrew Forrest, Executive Chairman of Fortescue Future Industries said, "...Fossil fuel sector has only limited time to run and it must be replaced with a fuel which causes no harm and can do everything which coal, oil and gas can do. That is something that PM is clearly a global champion on and I found the PM to be the global government partner of the global industry partner to promote green hydrogen across the world..." Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea. PM Modi was received by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell and other officials upon his arrival in Sydney. Members of the Indian diaspora also welcomed PM Modi as they chanted slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram". During his visit, PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people links, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation, said the official statement released by the Australian government. The Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community," the statement added. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a grand welcome when he landed in Sunday to commence his three-day visit to Australia. Among those who had gathered to greet PM Modi included 91-year-old Dr Navamani Chandra Bose who journeyed from Melbourne to meet the Indian prime minister in Sydney, according to The Australia Today. She was full of energy and passion and very happy to travel by "Modi Airways." "Very happy today and it's going to be a great event," said the nonagenarian who arrived by the 'Modi Airways,' a special charted flight that took off from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. The plane full of Indians from across Australia arrived this morning for the diapsora event in Sydney. During PM Modi Australian visit, the Prime Ministers of both countries will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, "a core part of our multicultural community", the Australian government said in a statement. Visuals from Melbourne Airport tweeted on the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation, which is organising the event in Sydney showed passengers waving the tricolour and dancing. According to a report in the Australia Today, 177 people had booked to be part of a the special "Modi Airways" flight from Melbourne to Sydney. Among the passengers on the flight was 91-year-old Navamani Chandra Bose. She was accompanied by her daughter who said that Dr Navamani is the wife of NS Chandra Bose who was the President of the Indian Medical Association from 1991 to 1992 and had served as the President of the Tamil Nadu State Bharatiya Janata Party from 1995 to 1997. "I'm the daughter and this is the wife of Dr Chandra Bose who was the state President of Tamil Nadu's BJP from 1995-1997," she said. PM Modi is on a three-day visit to Australia, with whom India signed a historic trade deal last year. Prime Minister Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian community upon landing in Sydney. This is the Indian PM's second visit to the country after 2014. During his visit PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement. The Australia visit is on the last and final leg of PM Modi's three-nation tour. After meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, PM Modi will attend a community event to celebrate the country's dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora. Ahead of Modi's arrival, Prime Minister Albanese said in a statement, "I am honoured to host Prime Minister Modi for an official visit to Australia, after receiving an extremely warm welcome in India earlier this year." (ANI)
The accountability court approved the pre-arrest bail plea to Imran Khan's wife and directed her to submit a surety bond of Rs 500,000.

According to the details, the case hearing took place in the Islamabad Accountability Court, with Judge Muhammad Bashir presiding over the proceedings, reported ARY News.

The judge subsequently sent the investigative officer a notice, indicating the scrutiny of evidence and to continue the investigations.

It is pertinent to mention here that Lahore High Court (LHC) has granted security bail to Bushra Bibi till May 23 in the Al-Qadir Trust case and directed Bushra Bibi to approach the relevant court by the due date.

According to the details, the wife of PTI chief Imran Khan presented before the court, the defence lawyer of Bushra Bibi, Khawaja Haris requested a 10-day protective bail for her client. The court accepted the request and granted her bail until May 23, reported ARY News.

The National Accountability Bureau is conducting investigations into the former prime minister, his wife Bushra Bibi, and other PTI officials for their roles in a deal the PTI government made with a property tycoon that reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.

The authorities have accused Khan and the other defendants of using Rs50 billion, which the Pakistani government received as part of an agreement with the property tycoon by Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA).

Furthermore, authorities have charged them with receiving undue benefits in more than 458 kanals of land in Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, for the construction of Al Qadir University.

During the PTI government, the NCA seized assets worth 190 million pounds from a property tycoon in Britain. (ANI)
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Tuesday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and "transformative policies" initiated by his government and said the two countries are increasing their collaboration around critical emerging technologies. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the US-India 5G and Next Generation Networks Workshop, Garcetti said 5G presents a fantastic opportunity to collaborate towards an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, built on shared values and shared systems. "India is in such wonderful hands. With your leadership, with the transformative policies that you and this administration are implementing together with the public sector and private sector and with that community aspect that defines everything that is part of India's rise right now. This is the most exciting nexus in the world, The US-India relationship is where it is at," he said. The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is hosting the workshop. US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti and Department of Telecommunications Secretary K Rajaraman kicked off the workshop with over 150 senior Indian and US government and private sector participants. The event is being attended by leading industry experts and officials to exchange information on approaches, solutions and applications of 5G and next-generation networks in India and highlight new opportunities for US-India technical and commercial cooperation in the sector and expand strategic technology partnership, an important element of the US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET). Garcetti said 5G is an important part of the United States' and India's shared efforts to build a resilient economy for now and for the future. "To foster an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, we must ensure that our shared values fuel our shared decisions. Events like today's workshop allow us to build mutual trust and confidence, allowing us to turn ideas into action." Sharing his recent experience at Select USA Summit, he talked about the growing US-India relations as it had the largest Indian delegation. "The biggest number one delegation, first time in history came from right here in India. Over 240 different business delegations, some of whom are here today, who made the trip, who travelled from all parts of India in everything from steel and precious metals to looking at real estate, investments, technology, telecoms, agriculture, we saw a profound desire for our people to come together even more closely. And that's really what we're talking about here today," he said. Speaking on the upcoming visit of PM Modi to the US, he talked about technology cooperation between the two countries. "Our National Security Advisor is in preparation for the visit of the Prime Minister for a State visit next month to Washington,DC - collaborating intensely around critical emerging technologies...It's technology that connects, protects and detects. We know that the backbone of this is 5G." PM Narendra Modi will embark on an official state visit to the US 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. In a a tweet later, Garcetti said 5G & Next Generation Networks workshop would advance a key component of the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical Emerging Technology (iCET) "I am so excited to attend the U.S.-India 5G & Next Generation Networks workshop to advance a key component of the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical Emerging Technology (iCET)! 5G presents a fantastic opportunity to collaborate towards an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem, built on shared values and shared systems. Looking forward to #USIndia technical and commercial cooperation in this transformative sector," he said. (ANI)
Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan thanked Pakistani American community for raising funds for families of victims killed during police torture during a "peaceful protest." Taking to Twitter, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief said, "On my appeal to raise funds for the families of the 25 who were shot while doing peaceful protests, the Pakistani American community has raised USD 511,000 in 24 hours. I want to thank the Pakistani American Community and special thanks to Dr Nasrullah and Asad Faizi for setting up the fund." Khan, who is on bail till June 2, was arrested on May 9 in the Al-Qadir Trust case. After Khan's arrest, the PTI workers held protests in cities across the country, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, and Mardan. On the other hand, on May 14, Islamabad police said that 564 people were detained for violence after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan's arrest. It said that government property worth Pakistani rupees (PKR) 25 crore was damaged during the violent protests. According to Islamabad police, the protesters burnt 12 vehicles and 34 motorcycles. Taking to its official Twitter handle, the Islamabad police said that armed protesters targeted Tarnool police station, Sangjani police station and Ramna police station. Islamabad Police in a tweet said, "Government property worth Rs 25 crore was damaged during the violent protests. The protesters set ablaze 12 vehicles and 34 motorcycles, including the SP Industrial Area office. Armed protestors attacked the Tarnool police station, Sangjani police station and Ramna police station. Eleven FC personnel and 71 police officers and jawans were injured in the violent protests. 26 cases have been registered against the evil elements. Islamabad police detained 564 people involved in violence. More arrests are being made." Meanwhile, the National Assembly on Monday passed a resolution denouncing "shameless incidents" on May 9 and expressing solidarity with the armed forces, Geo News reported. The resolution put out by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif supported the civil-military leadership's choice to prosecute rioters in accordance with pertinent national legislation, such as the Pakistan Army Act. In reference to the unprecedented almost three-day-long violent protests by PTI supporters after their leader Imran Khan's incarceration, the resolution reaffirmed the designation of May 9 as "Black Day," reported Geo News. (ANI)
Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday granted interim bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in eight cases registered against him until June 8 related to violence that erupted at the Judicial Complex here in March, ARY News reported. Multiple cases were registered against Imran Khan after clashes erupted between police and his supporters before he appeared at the judicial complex on March 18. Security was beefed up at the judicial complex and the NAB office ahead of the PTI chief's arrival and a heavy contingent of police were deployed there to deal with any untoward incident, reported ARY News. Today, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Khan reached the Islamabad judicial complex, ahead of his appearance before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at its Rawalpindi office in the Pound 190 million settlement case. The accused has to join the investigation after security interim bail but Imran Khan is saying his leg is injured and he cannot join the probe. To this, Salman Safdar, the former prime minister's counsel in his arguments before the court said his client booked in over 160 cases and added they are ready to join the investigation. The court after hearing arguments from both sides extended interim bail of Imran Khan in eight cases until June 8. The judge also directed the JIT to inform the court how they want Imran Khan to join the investigation, according to ARY News. Meanwhile, Khan, in his statement before the anti-terrorism court, said he is ready to join the investigation but wants a JIT in line with the LHC verdict. "I put my life at risk every time I leave the house," the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman said and said Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also confirmed a life threat to him. Khan was arrested on May 9 in the Al-Qadir Trust case. After Khan's arrest, the PTI workers held protests in cities across the country, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, and Mardan. Earlier, Khan's wife Bushra Bibi was also granted interim bail in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case until May 31, reported ARY News. The accountability court approved the pre-arrest bail plea to Imran Khan's wife and directed her to submit a surety bond of Rs 500,000. It is pertinent to mention here that Lahore High Court (LHC) has granted security bail to Bushra Bibi till May 23 in the Al-Qadir Trust case and directed Bushra Bibi to approach the relevant court by the due date. The National Accountability Bureau is conducting investigations into the former prime minister, his wife Bushra Bibi, and other PTI officials for their roles in a deal the PTI government made with a property tycoon that reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer. The authorities have accused Khan and the other defendants of using Rs50 billion, which the Pakistani government received as part of an agreement with the property tycoon by Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA). Furthermore, authorities have charged them with receiving undue benefits in the form of more than 458 kanals of land in Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, for the construction of Al Qadir University. During the PTI government, the NCA seized assets worth 190 million pounds from a property tycoon in Britain. (ANI)
The first Indian-origin Lord Mayor of Australia's Parramatta City Council, the city with the fastest-growing population of the Indian diaspora, Sameer Pandey is hopeful to witness India and Australia relations "grow further" under the leadership of PM Modi. Pandey made the above remarks in an interaction with ANI after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian diaspora in Sydney at a community event on Tuesday. Pandey was elected to the post of Lord Mayor on Monday and his election has coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Australia. PM Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea. Lord Mayor Pandey told ANI, "Parramatta has the fastest-growing population of the Indian diaspora. I hope to see the relations between India and Australia grow further under the leadership of PM Modi." "I am humbled and excited about my role. I want to create a city which is sustainable, smart inclusive and diverse," he added. Meanwhile, Donna Davis, outgoing Lord Mayor City of Parramatta, said that he was amazed hearing PM Modi mention Harris Park and Little India in his address. "We are so proud of the Indian diaspora that lives in and around Parramatta and we want to ensure that more people from India come here to study, to live and to invest," Davis told ANI. Davis also said that it is wonderful to have a Lord Mayor of Indian heritage. Last night, she handed over the Lord Mayoralty of the City of Parramatta to Councillor Sameer Pandey. The leader of opposition in Australia, Peter Dutton, also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he is a great leader. He is set to meet PM Modi on Wednesday, where the two leaders will hold a discussion on several issues. "The wonderful connection that we have with India continues to deepen and we should be very proud of the event here tonight. We will discuss a number of topics, ways in which we can continue to engage in the trade relationship, we want to see how we can expand the educational opportunities," Duttan told ANI. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined his Australian counterpart for the foundation stone laying ceremony of the 'Little India' Gateway to be built in Harris Park, Parramatta, Sydney, inhabited by a large Indian community. "The Gateway will serve as a symbol of Australia-India friendship and diaspora's immense contribution to it," tweeted MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. (ANI)
Abu Dhabi [UAE], May 23 (ANI/WAM): Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and Tengku Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia, have signed a joint statement agreeing to launch negotiations to establish a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two countries. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the official visit of H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Al Zeyoudi underlined the developing relations between the UAE and Malaysia, stating that the negotiations have built upon strong growth in bilateral trade and investment over recent years. "Non-oil trade between the UAE and Malaysia continues its upward trajectory over the past five years, reaching USD 4.6 billion in 2022, a growth of 5 per cent compared to 2021, and up 31 per cent and 18 per cent compared to 2020 and 2019, respectively. "Today, the UAE is Malaysia's 17th trade partner globally and the second in the Middle East, accounting for 32 per cent of Malaysia's trade with Arab countries. The UAE is also the first destination for Malaysian merchandise exports to Arab countries, accounting for 40 per cent of its exports to the region. The other way, Malaysia ranks eighth globally for UAE exports and 19th in re-exports." On the growing investment relations between the two countries, Al Zeyoudi highlighted that the value of Malaysian investments in the UAE amount to USD 150 million across sectors of industry, building and construction, real estate, trade, transport, storage, financial activities, insurance, and professional and technical activities, while UAE investments in Malaysia amount to more than USD 220 million, including more than USD 51 million in the industrial sector. Al Zeyoudi stressed that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Malaysia comes as part of the UAE's plans to expand its network of trade partners with strategically important markets, noting that Malaysia is the fourth largest economy in the Southeast Asian region and that its economy continues to achieve record growth rates owing to the strong global demand for its electronics products in particular. He also underscored that the agreement between the UAE and Malaysia will contribute to the consolidation of trade and investment relations between the two friendly countries, launching a new era of partnership that will accelerate opportunities for the business communities in the two countries, especially in priority sectors. Meanwhile, Aziz said, "With the commencement of negotiations for the Malaysia-UAE CEPA, Malaysia is committed to enhancing the longstanding economic partnership with the UAE. It will set the stage for a comprehensive and mutually beneficial economic framework that will forge stronger strategic collaborations, foster innovation, spur economic growth, and create job opportunities for both nations. "The UAE consistently holds its position as a crucial and strategic trading partner for Malaysia in the Middle East, while Malaysia is an ideal gateway for UAE to venture into the Asia Pacific market. Building upon our shared aspirations, I am confident that the Malaysia-UAE CEPA will bring immense benefits to businesses, entrepreneurs and citizens of both countries, propelling our special and close partnership to new heights." The negotiations with Malaysia are the latest under the UAE's ambitious foreign trade agenda, which has so far seen the conclusion of 4 CEPAs with India, Israel, Indonesia and Turkey. Agreements with India and Israel have been entered into force, while those with Indonesia and Turkey are soon to be implemented. Additional agreements with Georgia and Cambodia are also soon to be signed, and the UAE is currently in talks with more markets of strategic importance at the regional and global level. (ANI/WAM)
Two government schools for girls in the Mirali region of Pakistan's North Waziristan were blown up around midnight on Sunday, Dawn reported citing police. No casualty has been reported in the incidents. Attackers around midnight targeted Government Girls Middle School, Noor Jannat, and Government Girls Middle School, Yunus Kot, Dawn reported citing police. According to local residents, around 500 girls were enrolled in the two schools. District Police Officer, North Waziristan, Saleem Riaz called the incident a terrorist attack. Riaz stated that the police's counterterrorism department will carry out an investigation into the case. He vowed that all those responsible for the attack will be brought to justice. Earlier this month, six schoolteachers were killed in a shooting at a school in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The six teachers were killed after another teacher was gunned down by shooting in the upper Kurram area, as per the news report. In April, a soldier was killed during an exchange of fire with terrorists in the Mirali region of North Waziristan. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that "sanitation" activity was conducted to eliminate any terrorists found in the region. Meanwhile, one terrorist and three soldiers were killed during the exchange of fire in the Zarghoon region of Balochistan, Dawn reported citing the military's media affairs wing. The gun battle took place when the security forces retaliated to the attack on one of their check-posts. According to an Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement, the attack by a group of terrorists was carried out against a post that was recently built to "help check extortion efforts targeting coal mines in the area," as per the Dawn report. The ISPR said that security personnel quickly retaliated to the fire. The ISPR in the statement said, "Based on follow-up ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) effort, the likely hideout of fleeing terrorists has been identified in nearby mountains and a deliberate blocking and sanitisation operation has been launched." (ANI) Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the incident that killed 3 soldiers. The incident took place amid a rise in terrorist activity across Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan since the ceasefire ended between the banned terrorist outfit Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistan government in November last year. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Principal Secretary PK Mishra on Tuesday held a meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and discussed strengthening the economic and technology partnership between the two nations. Sharing details regarding the meeting, Indian Embassy in Washington in a tweet stated, "Dr P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary @PMOIndia had a productive meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce @GinaRaimondo. They discussed the strengthening of economic and technology partnership." Earlier, PK Mishra at the White House also held discussions with Senior Advisor to President on Clean Energy John Podesta, Director National Economic Council Dr Lael Brainard and Deputy NSA/G20 Sherpa Mike Pyle. Indian Embassy in Washington tweeted, "At the White House, Principal Secretary @PMOIndia Dr P.K. Mishra held discussions with @johnpodesta, Senior Advisor to President on Clean Energy; Dr. Lael Brainard, Director National Economic Council and Deputy NSA/G20 Sherpa Mike Pyle." PM Modi's Principal Secretary PK Mishra on Monday interacted with senior officials from US administration, representatives from industry, think- tanks and academia over lunch at India House. Ambassador of India to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu tweeted, "Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Dr. P.K. Mishra @PMOIndia interacted with senior officials from US Administration, reps from industry, think- tanks and academia over lunch at India House. Delighted to host him." On Monday, PK Mishra met with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development Samantha Power. Indian Embassy in Washington tweeted, "Principal Secretary @PMOIndia Dr. P. K. Mishra met with @USAID Administrator @SamanthaJPower today. Both sides had productive discussions on ongoing work under the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), development cooperation, 3rd country partnerships and India's Presidency." PK Mishra also met with White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients. During the meeting, the two sides held a discussion on strengthening the bilateral partnership between India and US. Indian Embassy in Washington tweeted, "Dr P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary @PMOIndia, met with White House Chief of Staff @WHCOS Jeff Zients this morning. They had a very cordial & productive discussion on strengthening bilateral partnership." On May 23, the India-US Working Group on Education and Skill Development was launched in virtual mode. Ministry of Education, Government of India and the US Department of State today launched the India-US Working Group on Education and Skill Development in virtual mode, with the aim to enhance cooperation and collaboration between the two countries in the field of education and skill development. Neeta Prasad, Joint Secretary for International Cooperation, Ministry of Education, Government of India and Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, US Department of State co-chaired the Working Groups from India and US respectively, the Ministry of Education said in the press release. The establishment of the India-US Working Group on Education and Skill Development was announced by the leaders on the sidelines of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held between India and the US in Washington DC on April 11, 2022, the Ministry of Education said in the press release. Discussions during the meeting focussed on the topics like Skilling and vocational education, certification and recognition, matchmaking between US and Indian higher educational institutions, and engaging with the private sector. (ANI)
The Pakistan government may unveil a fiscally expansionary budget of around Rs 14.6 trillion, a 50 per cent increase over this's year's approved budget. This comes on account of record-high interest payments, Pakistan based The Express Tribune newspaper reported. The Express Tribune is a daily English-language newspaper in Pakistan. Sources told The Express Tribune that for the fiscal year 2023-24, the budget deficit, the gap between expenses and income, is estimated at around 7.4 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP). This is quite large but is still around 0.7 per cent of GDP less than the revised deficit for the outgoing fiscal year. Alarmingly, slightly over half of the bloated budget outlay will be earmarked for paying the interest cost. The sources said that after adding the demanded defence budget by the Ministry of Defence, the federal government may spend around 64 per cent of the budget on debt servicing and defence. Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday took the first presentation on the fiscal year 2023-24 budget, which he wants to present in the National Assembly on June 9. The federal budget deficit in rupee terms could be Rs 7.8 trillion. If set at that level, the federal deficit will be nearly three-fourths higher than the original deficit target of this fiscal year. The numbers are subject to changes proposed by the finance minister and the federal cabinet before its presentation to the cabinet. The federal primary deficit, calculated after paying interest costs, could be 0.3 per cent of the GDP. But it is still better than 0.7 per cent of the GDP primary budget estimated for this fiscal year. The sources said that the overall primary budget might be shown slightly positive on the back of provincial cash surpluses. The overall budget deficit could be around 6.9 per cent of the GDP or Rs 7.3 trillion, according to The Express Tribune. Pakistan's Ministry of Finance suggested an increase in the salaries of employees by 20 per cent. But Dar deferred the matter, saying that the federal cabinet would take the decision. The finance minister also instructed reviewing the proposed allocation of Rs 700 billion for the development spending in the next fiscal year, the sources added. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Papua New Guinea marks an important juncture in India's increasing engagement with the Pacific Islands, according to Global Order. PM Modi's visit holds importance in many respects. Historically, it marks the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the island and strategically, it lays the foundation of what could possibly be one of the most significant bilateral partnerships of India in the context of the Indo-Pacific, as per Global Order. India's interest in greater engagements with the Pacific island nations is rooted in the conception of the Indo-Pacific as a geopolitical entity. As the Indo-Pacific begins to gain more and more significance in international relations, it becomes important for India to be able to expand its footprint not just in terms of influence but also in terms of building long-term strategic and cultural partnerships with these nations, according to Global Order. This goal was achieved together by India and Australia over the last decade by becoming the epitome of regional integration and bilateral relationship. As per Global Order, it is now time to look towards these island nations that hold immense potential in terms of geological resources but need the infrastructural and economic investments needed to realise this potential. India can and will become a strong driver of development and opportunity in this regard. This suggests a relationship of mutual benefit that can culminate with this engagement. Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday briefed about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recently concluded visit to Papua New Guinea. He said that the India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit was an opportunity for Pacific Island countries' leaders to share their views on regional priorities, interests and on engagements with India in their space. During his visit to Papua New Guinea, PM Modi co-chaired the 3rd India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape on Monday, Vinay Kwatra said. While addressing a press briefing on Monday, Vinay Kwatra said, "As you would all know and recall the FIPIC was launched in Fiji in 2014 during Prime Minister's visit to that country. It has helped deepen considerably our engagement its scope, its breadth, its intensity with PIC countries across various domains and priorities which are set by the FIPIC countries." (ANI)
10 Home and Away spoilers for next week

Home and Away spoilers follow for UK viewers.

Coming up on Home and Away, Xander struggles with his guilt over Jamie's death, while Rose and Mali decide to call time on their romantic relationship.

Elsewhere, Justin prepares to learn his fate after a dramatic court hearing, and Mac makes a heartbreaking decision about her future with Gabe.

Here's a full run down of 10 big moments coming up.

1. Xander grieves for Jamie

Channel 5

Xander wakes from his sedation and remembers that Jamie was fatally injured by the thugs who ambushed their ambulance. The news of his work partner's death knocks Xander for six and it's not long before survivor's guilt kicks in.

Focussing on his recovery only makes matters worse as Xander struggles to accept he lived but Jamie did not. He also begins to experience haunting nightmares of that fateful day.

Later in the week, Xander's guilt ratchets up when he learns a funeral is being planned for Jamie and he begs Rose to find out more details. She is hesitant to help though, fearing Xander is too fragile to attend.

2. Rose and Mali go their separate ways

Channel 5

Tensions are high between Rose and Mali in the wake of their break-up. Mali is confident he made the right decision by calling time on their relationship, but is clearly miserable without Rose.

Irene encourages the pair to try and resolve their differences, but their conversation leads to yet another row. Rose and Mali continue to be at odds  she still reckons they make a good team, but he's convinced they're just not meant to be.

Eventually, the former lovers agree it's best they go their separate ways.

3. Justin's feeling the strain

Channel 5

Fearing his days of freedom could be numbered, Justin is trying to get his affairs in order ahead of his court hearing.

With so many balls to juggle, he's relieved when Theo quits his apprenticeship at the garage because it's one less thing to manage.

Theo is concerned that Justin seems resigned to defeat, and Alf also fears the mechanic isn't handling the pressure of his impending case.

4. There's drama at Justin's hearing

Channel 5

As the day of the hearing arrives, Theo's sick to his stomach with nerves knowing Justin's defence rests on his testimony about Ava.

Later, a dazed Theo emerges from the room and reveals the ruthless prosecution pressured him into corroborating their argument that Ava had a pattern of dishonesty.

Leah's heart sinks, but Justin isn't prepared to go down without a fight and declares he's going to take the witness stand himself.

His lawyer is firmly against the idea, but just as it seems all hope is fading for Justin, Alf volunteers to be a character witness.

5. Justin learns his fate

Channel 5

Theo is there to comfort Leah, who fears Justin could be facing a prison sentence of months, or even worse, years.

The couple head to bed for what could be their last night together and as Justin takes a distressed Leah into his arms, they promise to face whatever the future holds together.

Next morning, Justin receives a call from the court to say the verdict is in. Will he be finishing the day behind bars?

6. Mac returns to the Bay

Channel 5

Felicity is trying to hold the fort at Salt following Mackenzie's disappearance, but runs into trouble when she learns the restaurant's liquor license is about to expire.

Meanwhile, Mali is shocked to find Mackenzie hiding out at her house. Mac tells Mali she left the Bay in search of Gabe, but wasn't able to find him.

After plucking up the courage to face her friends, Mac goes to see Felicity, who reveals she got married to Tane. Felicity's happy news is a further reminder for Mac of how completely alone she is.

7. Mac cuts ties with Gabe

Channel 5

Felicity is puzzled by Mac's despondent reaction to her wedding and starts to wonder if something terrible has happened to Gabe.

Elsewhere, Tane discovers a tearful Mac sitting amidst the shreds of Gabe's torn up letter. She reveals Gabe ended their relationship, but refuses to allow Tane to take pity on her.

John hears of Mac's struggles and offers her a shoulder to cry on. Finally, Mac allows herself to be vulnerable and admits her greatest fear  that Gabe has given up on chemo and will die alone.

John insists the decision is Gabe's to make, and realising he's right, Mac leaves Gabe a goodbye message on his voicemail.

8. Three's a crowd for Eden, Remi and Cash

Channel 5

Eden and Cash's bubble of bliss is burst when Remi starts vying for his best friend's attention. Their closeness doesn't sit well with jealous Cash, who's annoyed to find Eden laughing on Remi's lap.

Eden's desperate for the two men in her life to get along and orders Remi to say sorry to Cash for overstepping the mark.

Unfortunately, the apology doesn't go down well and Cash makes it clear he wants less touchy-feely behaviour between Remi and his girlfriend.

Not wanting any further drama, Eden tells Cash she'll put a few boundaries in place with Remi. However, she makes it clear their friendship is sacred and not something she will ever give up.

9. Bree gets jealous

Channel 5

Meanwhile, Remi and Bree are taking things slowly despite the sizzling chemistry between them. They end up in a passionate clinch, but Bree pulls away, not ready for physical intimacy.

Remi is respectful of Bree's wishes for more time, but she worries his head will be turned when she sees him busking to a crowd of adoring female fans.

10. Marilyn's under pressure

Channel 5

Marilyn is putting all her energies into being a brand ambassador for Stunning Organics, hoping she can make enough to fund half of Jett's wedding. John tries to ease the pressure by insisting he's happy to pay for it himself, but Marilyn's pride won't allow him to.

The exes agree to split the cost of Jett's big day, but then disaster strikes when Marilyn discovers Stunning Organics have sent her way more boxes of product than she ordered and won't accept them back.

With just a week to shift all the stock before the next shipment arrives, stressed Marilyn converts a corner of the Diner into a skincare stall and ropes Kirby in to help.

The pair go all out to secure sales, even offering a free coffee with every skincare purchase. Will Marilyn pull it off?

Home and Away airs weekdays at 1.45pm on Channel 5 and 6pm on 5STAR. First-look screenings air at 6.30pm on 5STAR and the show also streams on My5.

Selected classic episodes are available via Prime Video in the UK.

Read more Home and Away spoilers on our dedicated homepage

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A 101-year-old WWII veteran finally walked at his college graduation ceremony, 80 years after he was supposed to

Fred Taylor, pictured left in his junior year, and right at his 2023 graduation ceremony. Courtesy of Cornell College; Megan Amr

On May 14, 101-year-old Fred Taylor walked at Cornell College's 2023 graduation ceremony.

He missed his own class' graduation ceremony, in 1943, while training to serve in WWII.

The heartwarming moment was made possible by his 74-year-old daughter, Linda.

In the fall of 1939, a teenage Fredric Taylor started his freshman year at Iowa's Cornell College to pursue a degree in music education.

Then, in 1942  the year after the United States entered World War II  Taylor made the decision to join the Army Air Corps. He fulfilled the requirements to graduate from college but, a few months before his school's ceremony, he was sent to Missouri for basic training, preventing him from attending his class' graduation in 1943.

"It was just something that felt incomplete  doing all the work for the degree and not walking across the stage and receiving that diploma," Taylor told The Washington Post in 2023.

This year, he finally got the chance. Cornell College honored the World War II veteran at its 2023 commencement ceremony on May 14.

Fred Taylor walking at Cornell College graduation in 2023. Megan Amr

According to The Washington Post, Taylor's 74-year-old daughter, Linda, helped make it happen. Earlier this year, she asked the college's administration if her father could participate in the graduation procession, and after the administration agreed to honor Taylor at the ceremony, she reserved plane tickets and hotel rooms to prepare for her father's big day.

"Linda mentioned this idea a long time ago, but it was a big surprise to me that she had gone ahead and made the arrangements to do it," Taylor told Cornell College's News Center. "So, of course, I'm surprised and excited about it," he said before the ceremony.

Jonathan Brand, the president of Cornell College, said in a statement, "Every student deserves that moment in front of their families to celebrate the completion of college, even if it's 80 years later."

Fred Taylor in his graduation cap and gown in 2023. Megan Amr

Cornell College was more than the site of Taylor's higher education. Taylor met his wife, Peggy, during his senior year. They had been married for over 75 years at the time of her death in 2020.

"Cornell shaped the rest of my life, actually," Taylor told Cornell's News Center. "For my work and occupation and then meeting Peggy there. I married her and of course, that shaped the rest of my life. The college was extremely important to me."

As for his career in music, Taylor went on to earn a master's degree in music education from Drake University in the mid-1950s, according to the Post, but unfortunately he missed that graduation ceremony as well due to his job at the time.

With two degrees in music education, Taylor became a music instructor at elementary, middle, and high schools around the country before retiring.

Of his graduation ceremony at the age of 101, his daughter Linda told Cornell's News Center, "Better late than never, I think!"

Read the original article on Insider
12-year-old with BB gun who stole a woman's phone charged with armed robbery, North Carolina police say

12-year-old with BB gun who stole a woman's phone charged with armed robbery, North Carolina police say

A 12-year-old boy in North Carolina who allegedly pointed a BB gun at a victim after stealing her phone has been charged with armed robbery, Charlotte police said Monday.

Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department responded to a call about an armed robbery at an apartment complex near the 2100 block of Diamond Creek Circle at about 8 a.m. on Sunday.

A woman was walking in the parking lot when two young siblings, aged 6 and 12, approached her and asked to use her phone to call their mother, Captain Jason Helton of the Steele Creek division told reporters on Monday. Once they had her phone, they took off running.

According to a police report, a 12-year-old and a 6-year-old stole a woman's cellphone and threatened her with a bb gun when she tried getting it back. (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department)

The woman was chasing the children when the 12-year-old allegedly pulled a gun, pointed it at her and "tried to pistol whip her," Helton said.

The children then ran to a nearby apartment complex.

Detectives responded to the area and quickly found the mother of the siblings.

"She was cooperative and allowed officers into her home to search for the handgun believed to be used in the robbery," police said in the news release. "The weapon was located and was found to be a BB gun."

Helton showed reporters a picture of the BB gun, which looks nearly identical to real pistol.

"If you look at it really, really closely, does that look like a BB gun?" he said. "Let me paint a picture for you, what would happen if that thing would've been armed? We could've been dealing with something really, really tragic here. We could've been dealing with a 12-year-old who maybe lost their life, or even a 6-year-old."

The 12-year-old boy admitted to officers that he stole the victim's phone and pulled a gun on her. He is being charged with armed robbery and damage to property.

The 6-year-old is too young to face charges, according to police. Police did not provide any additional information on the 6-year-old, including gender.

Helton says officers are seeing minors commit crimes at an alarming rate.

"Our officers are dealing with juveniles every single day, property crimes, violent crimes. And when I say juveniles I mean kids, I mean ages 11, 12, 13, 14 years old, and it seems like they just keep getting younger and younger."

Helton encouraged parents to know where their children are and keep tabs on what they do, including what they post on social media.

"After looking at the investigation, this child had posed with a gun a couple of days prior on social media," he said.

The police department is continuing to investigate the incident and is asking anyone with information to come forward.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
15-year-old surfer injured by an apparent shark bite in New Jersey ahead of the busy Memorial Day weekend

Beachgoers in New Jersey are being urged to use caution ahead of the busy Memorial Day weekend after a 15-year-old girl was injured by an apparent shark bite.

Emergency personnel responded to Stone Harbors 109th Street Beach on Sunday afternoon after receiving reports of someone injured in a possible shark attack while surfing, according to a news release from Stone Harbor officials.

Maggie Drozdowski, the injured teen, told CNN affiliate WPVI she was dangling from her surfboard with her body in the water when she felt something on her leg.

I thought it was just a crab pinching my foot, but it felt bigger than that, Drozdowski said. My whole foot was in its mouth. I was shaking my foot as hard as I could. It was hard. It was really heavy.

The encounter lasted about five seconds, Drozdowski said, and she paddled herself back to shore. She had several lacerations to her left foot and calf and was taken to Cape Regional Medical Center, where she received six stitches, authorities said.

Drozdowski told WPVI she didnt see what bit her, but the New Jersey State Southern Regional Medical Examiner said her injuries were consistent with those typically associated with a shark of unknown size and type, the release stated.

Despite Sundays incident, no restrictions on beach activities have been planned ahead of Memorial Day, but beachgoers are being urged to be cautious, the release stated. Experts advise safety precautions, like removing reflective jewelry and staying out of fishing areas.

Stone Harbor remains a beloved and popular destination for beachgoers from near and far. The local police and fire departments are fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of both residents and tourists, Stone Harbor Mayor Judy Davies-Dunhour said in the release.

The encounter in New Jersey happened days after two men in the Florida Keys were bitten by sharks last week while fishing. In one case, a shark bit an angler on the foot after it had been reeled in and onto the dock where he was fishing, officials said.

In Hawaii, a 58-year-old man was left in serious condition after being bitten by a shark off the south shore of Oahu last month, emergency officials said.

And a kayaker in Hawaii recently shared gripping video of a tiger shark slamming into his boat while he was fishing in shallow waters.

Overall, shark attacks are extremely rare. A person has a 1 in 4,332,817 chance of dying due to a shark encounter in their lifetime, compared to a 1 in 79,746 chance of dying after being struck by lightning, according to the University of Floridas International Shark Attack File.

The number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide decreased last year, which tied with 2020 for the fewest number of reported incidents in the last 10 years, according to the Florida group.

Despite the overall decrease, the group noted spikes in unprovoked shark attacks in certain areas, like New York, which recorded eight bites in 2022, six of which were confirmed. With 16 unprovoked bites, Florida had the most reported bites of anywhere in the world last year.

The University of Florida experts make a distinction between unprovoked attacks, which they say provide insight into the behavior of sharks, and those that are prompted by outside circumstances, like fishing lines cast in feeding areas.

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A camera shows SpaceX's Starman mannequin and Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster as they fly above a ROUND Earth after launching on the first Falcon Heavy rocket test flight on Feb. 6, 2018.

Space is becoming increasingly filled with human-made things. Most of these objects you would expect to find in space, such as functioning spacecraft, astronaut gear or free-floating space junk . But there are also a few peculiar items that humans have put into space  and not always on purpose.

From dinosaur bones and a giant disco ball, to musical instruments and a gorilla suit, here are 15 of the weirdest things humans have sent to space.

A Tesla and its "astronaut" driver

A camera shows SpaceX's Starman mannequin and Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster as they fly above a ROUND Earth after launching on the first Falcon Heavy rocket test flight on Feb. 6, 2018.

On Feb. 6, 2018, SpaceX launched company founder Elon Musk's very own cherry-red Tesla Roadster into space after the billionaire opted to use the car and its spacesuit-clad dummy passenger, known as "Starman," as the test payload on the maiden mission of the Falcon Heavy rocket.

The Starman-carrying Tesla was originally intended to be put into orbit around Mars, which sparked fears that the car could become a potential biothreat that might contaminate the planet if it ever fell to the surface. But the vehicle massively overshot the Red Planet and is now stuck in an orbit around the sun, which takes around 557 days to complete.

You can track the car and its passenger in real time on the website whereisroadster.com . As of May 2023, the Tesla had completed around 3.4 orbits around the sun and traveled more than 2.5 billion miles (4 billion kilometers). This means the car has exceeded its warranty by more than 73,000 times.

Starman has long stopped beaming images back to Earth, but astronomers predict that the passenger and car are likely to have sustained significant damage .

Maintenance hole covers (via atomic blasts)

The testing site in Navada used during Operation Plumbbob. We see a desert filled with large holes.

Between May 28 and Oct. 7, 1957, the U.S. military carried out a series of nuclear tests in the Nevada desert in a project known as Operation Plumbbob. The tests included 29 nuclear detonations, two of which, known as Pascal-A and Pascal-B, were carried out underground, to test if nuclear fallout could be contained.

Pascal-A was carried out July 26, 1957, when an atomic bomb detonated at the bottom of a 500-foot-deep (152 meters) hole, which was covered by a 4-inch-thick (10 centimeters) iron cover. The force of the explosion "inevitably" blew the maintenance hole into the sky, Robert Brownlee , an astrophysicist at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and lead scientist of the Pascal tests, told Business Insider before his death in 2018. Brownlee had expected that the cover would land back on Earth, but it was never recovered.

To further test what happened to the maintenance hole, Brownlee repeated the experiment on Aug. 27, 1957. This time, for Pascal-B, Brownlee recorded the experiment with a camera that shot one frame per millisecond, which revealed the cover could have reached a top speed of 125,000 mph (201,000 km/h). That speed is around five times the escape velocity of Earth, suggesting that both maintenance holes likely made it into space. It also makes the steel circles a candidate for the fastest human-made objects ever created.

Presidential hair (eventually)

We see a rocket taking off with mountains in the distance.

On President's Day 2023 (Feb. 20), Celestis, a Texas-based company that specializes in space burials, announced that it would be putting locks of former presidents' hair on board the upcoming " Enterprise " mission, which is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Genetically verified hair samples from George Washington, John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan will be included on the Enterprise spacecraft, along with the remains of others, including some of the cremated remains of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry, who already had some of his ashes transported into space aboard Celestis' first flight in 1997.

The spacecraft will eventually end up beyond the outer reaches of the solar system.

A giant disco ball

We see a huge

On Jan. 21, 2018, American aerospace manufacturer Rocket Lab secretly launched a massive multisided mirror into space aboard one of the company's test flights.

The unusual object, which was dubbed the "Humanity Star," was around 3 feet (1 m) wide and had 65 reflective panels on its surface. It rapidly rotated in orbit around Earth and reflected enough sunlight to Earth's surface to be visible to the naked eye. The shiny satellite was designed to be "a bright symbol and reminder to all on Earth about our fragile place in the universe."

However, the giant disco ball's time in space was short-lived. It reentered Earth's atmosphere on March 22, two months after it launched and around seven months earlier than expected, according to The Atlantic .

The Humanity Star is not the first disco ball to be launched into space. The Starshine project, which was run by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, launched three similar objects into space between 1999 and 2001, each of which stayed in orbit for more than a year; Japan also launched a mirror-covered satellite, called Ajisai, in August 1986, which is still in Earth orbit today, according to Live Science's sister site Space.com .

A sketched penis (possibly)

Several drawings and designs on a white background. From top right; a

The artist Andy Warhol drew a rather crude sketch that may or may not have ended up on the moon.

The doodle was one of six included on a tiny ceramic tile known as "Moon Museum," which was the brainchild of sculptor Forrest Myers, who petitioned NASA to place the tile on the moon. Myers' request was denied, but the sculptor supposedly contacted scientists from Bell Laboratories, who secretly attached the tile to the Apollo 12 lunar lander, which currently sits on the moon, according to The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) . However, this story has never been officially confirmed.

Warhol claimed that the sketch is actually just his initials, but we'll let you decide for yourself.

Various Lego pieces

Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa with his ISS model in 2012.

Lego has a long history with space. The building kits can help youngsters (and youngsters at heart) build replicas of real-life rockets. But the famous plastic pieces have also made their way into space and have even made their home in the spacecraft they are modeled on.

In 2012, Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa built a to-scale version of the International Space Station (ISS) during his stay on the station. It took him more than two hours to build the model, which is quite impressive considering the lack of gravity.

In 2019, the Lego company also sent a model of a conceptual future lunar base to the boundary of space by attaching it to a specialized balloon.

Additionally, there are three custom Lego figurines currently circling Jupiter on board NASA's Juno probe, which was launched in 2011 to reveal insight into the gas giant and its moons. The figurines depict the Roman gods Juno and Jupiter, as well as Galileo Galilei, who discovered Jupiter's four largest moons.

Jeff Bezos (and other civilians)

Jeff Bezos photographed in front of Blue Origin's New Sheppard rocket.

We're not trying to call Jeff Bezos a weirdo by including him on this list; the strange thing about his journey into space is that the group he traveled with was the first all-civilian crew to complete a suborbital flight.

On July 20, 2021, Bezos  along with pioneering aviator Wally Funk, physics student Oliver Daemen and Bezos' younger brother Mark  blasted off on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket from the company's launch site in West Texas. The flight lasted only around 10 minutes , but the crew's capsule did make it past the Karman line  the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space, which lies around 62 miles (100 km) above sea level  before gently falling back to Earth.

However, there is some debate as to whether Bezos and the other civilian crewmembers can actually be considered astronauts. Some experts argue that the crew's minimal flight training and lack of expertise exclude them from earning this title , which others must work much harder to achieve.

Dinosaur bones

A Dromaeosaurus skeleton dating back to 75 million years ago.

Bezos and company are not the only oddities that Blue Origin has sent into space. On May 20, 2021, the company also launched nearly 200 individual dinosaur bone fragments on another New Shepard rocket.

The bones, which date to between 66 million and 70 million years ago, likely belonged to Dromaeosaurus, a bird-like raptor that was around 7 feet (2 m) long and 2 feet (0.6 m) high at the hip, Space.com reported. The bones were auctioned off upon their return to Earth to raise money for charity.

But these fragments were not the first dinosaur bones to be sent to space. In 1985, a piece of a vertebra and an eggshell from a baby Maiasaura were flown on NASA's space shuttle Challenger. And in 1998, a 210-million-year-old Coelophysis skull flew on Challenger's successor, space shuttle Endeavour. Parts of a Tyrannosaurus rex were also launched on the first test flight of NASA's Orion spacecraft in 2014, according to Space.com.

Tardigrades

A clear-looking tardigrade with a green splotch in its middle. It is on a blue background.

Lots of different animals have been sent into space. Some of these you probably already know about, such as dogs, apes, monkeys and rodents. But lots of other creatures have made it into space, including cats, frogs, fruit flies, tortoises, fish and jellyfish.

However, the weirdest animals to be sent to space are arguably tardigrades , also known as water bears, which are renowned for being able to survive extreme conditions. In 2007, they also became the first animals to survive direct exposure to space when they were strapped to the outside of the Russian Foton-M3 spacecraft as it orbited Earth for 12 days, according to the European Space Agency .

A follow-up paper, published 2008 in the journal Current Biology , revealed that 68% of the tardigrades managed to survive direct exposure to space, despite the extreme cold, dehydration and bombardment by cosmic radiation.

A gorilla suit

Astronaut Scott Kelly wearing a gorilla suit on the ISS.

Astronauts also seem to enjoy dressing up as animals in space.

In 2016, retired astronaut and current U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly smuggled a full-body gorilla suit to his identical twin Scott while he was staying on board the ISS. This resulted in a viral video , in which Scott surprised and chased British astronaut Tim Peake through the ISS modules (although Peake later admitted to being in on the joke).

Mark Kelly had originally tried to smuggle a gorilla suit to Scott in 2015, but the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket it was stashed on exploded in a ball of flames shortly after liftoff.

Luke Skywalker's lightsaber

Astronaut Jim Reilly poses with Luke Skywalker's lightsaber and R2D2 before taking the famous prop into space.

The original Star Wars trilogy, released between 1977 and 1983, is widely credited for inspiring an entire generation of astronauts and space scientists. So it is fitting that one of the movies' most famous props  Luke Skywalker's lightsaber  would eventually end up in space.

The lightsaber was launched into space in 2007 with a team of astronauts who delivered and assembled the Harmony module (aka Node 2) to the ISS. The launch coincided with the 30th anniversary of the first Star Wars film, "A New Hope," but the lightsaber is actually Luke's second laser sword (the green one), which featured in the third film, "Return of the Jedi."

Luke's lightsaber isn't the only Star Wars memorabilia to have been sent into space. In 2017, as part of the marketing for "The Last Jedi"  the second film in the newest trilogy  Disney arranged for a replica of the spherical orange droid BB-8 to be sent to the ISS for the astronauts to play with, Space.com reported.

Pizza delivery

Pizza Hut also had its logo put on several Russian rockets in the early 2000s.

In 2001, Pizza Hut became the first company to deliver food to space when it sent a pizza to the ISS on board a resupply rocket. The recipient of the pizza was Yuri Usachov, who was filmed eating the tasty treat along with other Russian cosmonauts.

The record-breaking delivery was a shameless marketing ploy, which cost the company more than $1 million ($1.7 million in today's dollars). But the chefs who cooked the pizza still had to make some special considerations for its unusual journey: Extra seasoning was added to the food because astronauts can lose their sense of taste in space, and salami was used instead of pepperoni because it had a longer shelf life and the pizza had to be prepared well in advance of the launch, the BBC reported at the time.

Interestingly, NASA astronauts aboard the ISS at the time were forbidden from eating the pizza because of the agency's strict rules on corporate sponsorships.

The pizza isn't the only food that has been successfully delivered to the ISS. In December 2021, Uber Eats announced that it had delivered food to the ISS via Japanese entrepreneur and space tourist Yusaku Maezawa, who briefly visited the station, according to CNET . The meal included miso-coated mackerel and chicken with bamboo shoots.

Amelia Earhart's watch

Amelia Earhart pictured in the cockpit of the Lockheed Electra in 1937.

Amelia Earhart was a trailblazing aviator who in 1932 famously became the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo, as well as achieved other significant firsts and broke multiple aviation records. The pioneering pilot was presumed dead in 1937, when her plane was lost as she attempted to circumnavigate the globe. Her plane and body were never found.

Earhart's story has been an inspiration for many young female aviators and astronauts, including NASA astronaut Shannon Walker, who took Earhart's personal wristwatch  which Earhart wore on her famous trans-Atlantic flight  with her to the ISS in 2010, according to Experts Watches . (Earhart wore a different watch on her fatal final journey.)

Parts of the Wright brothers' plane

The first powered, controlled, sustained airplane flight in history. Orville Wright, age 32, is at the controls of the machine, lying prone on the lower wing with hips in the cradle which operated the wing-warping mechanism. His brother, Wilbur Wright, age 36, ran alongside to help balance the machine, having just released his hold on the forward upright of the right wing. The starting rail, the wing-rest, a coil box, and other items needed for flight preparation are visible behind the machine.

Continuing with the aviation trend, parts of Orville and Wilbur Wright's first plane, the Wright Flyer, have also made it into space  on two separate occasions.

The biplane, which is also known as the Kitty Hawk, is famous for being the first airplane to make a sustained flight with humans aboard, after making four brief flights on Dec. 17, 1903, before being blown over and destroyed. Its longest flight lasted only 59 seconds, during which the plane traveled 852 feet (260 m).

In 1969, Neil Armstrong  the first person to walk on the moon  took parts of the Wright Flyer with him to the moon during NASA's Apollo 11 mission, Time magazine reported. The fragments, which included four pieces of muslin fabric from the plane's wing and two pieces of its propeller, were included in Armstrong's personal preference kit, a small bag of personal belongings that each astronaut could bring onto the lunar module.

And in 2021, another swatch of fabric from the airplane landed on Mars along with NASA's Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter. The plane part is safely secured beneath the solar panels on Ingenuity , which has since made more than 50 flights on the Red Planet.

Musical instruments

Astronaut Jessica Meir playing the saxophone on the ISS.

For astronauts living on the ISS, there can be a psychological cost to spending so much time away from Earthly comforts. To overcome these obstacles, several astronauts have taken instruments  including keyboards, guitars, flutes, bells, bagpipes, a saxophone and even a didgeridoo  with them to space.

For the most part, playing an instrument in space is very similar to playing it on Earth, but microgravity can pose issues. For example, if astronauts play a wind instrument, like the flute, on the ISS, they must keep their feet in loops to stop them from being propelled backward by the air they are blowing out of the instrument, according to NASA .

However, there is also a safety concern with taking instruments, such as guitars, on board the ISS because they are flammable and therefore must be safely stored when not in use. It is also expensive to put instruments into space; it costs around $10,000 per pound ($4,500 per kilogram) of cargo launched.

Honorable mention  Zero-G indicators

Among astronauts, it has become a tradition for crews to select an unusual item as their "zero-G indicator," an object that begins to float around them when gravity lessens. Examples of zero-G indicators include an Einstein doll, Snoopy the dog, Baby Yoda (or Grogu), toy dinosaurs, a planet Earth plushy, a stuffed penguin and a Buzz Lightyear figure, to name a few.
1st Latina astronaut to go to space surprised by a Reach for the Stars in Pasco

It was a nerve-racking moment for Pasco teacher Allen Madsen and his orchestra students.

With hundreds of students packed into the Ochoa Middle School gymnasium and with a special guest in attendance, Madsen and his 112-student musical troupe premiered a special orchestral arrangement.

Reach for the Stars is a song Madsen wrote for his students  based on a quote from Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to go to space.

Tuesday, Madsens students got to perform it live for her.

I was surprised. It was a wonderful feeling, said Ochoa, who also is a flautist.

The trailblazing astronaut returned to her namesake school in Pasco, Wash., this week for a special assembly. She spoke about her career, her love of education and encouraged students to continue trying new things.

As she does each time she visits the school, Ochoa also picked up a flute to perform the Ochoa Fight Song alongside band students.

Ellen Ochoa, veteran astronaut and former director of NASAs Johnson Space Center, plays her flute with band students while they perform the schools fight song at Pasco middle school that is her namesake during a morning assembly. During her fifth visit to the school since the school opened in 2002, orchestra students performed Reach for the Stars.

Role model for women, Hispanic youth

Ochoa stands as a role model for Hispanic students, young women and aspiring scientists looking at careers in STEM fields.

The student body at Ellen Ochoa Middle School is 93% Latino, according to data from OSPI. And roughly 94% of students have been identified as low-income, too.

School Principal Jackie Ramirez said Ochoas support and involvement with the students exemplify the importance of education and ambition.

Ellen Ochoa, veteran astronaut and former director of NASAs Johnson Space Center, tells students of the Pasco middle school that is her namesake about space travel during a morning assembly during her fifth visit to the school since it opened in 2002.

This was her fifth visit, her last was in 2015. There are six other schools named for her in California, Texas and Oklahoma.

But the Pasco school, which opened in 2002, was the first.

I was so thrilled 20 years ago or so to have this school named after me, just given how important education was to me and for me to eventually have this career, she told the gym full of attentive students.

Pasco School Superintendent Michelle Whitney, left, greets Ellen Ochoa, veteran astronaut and former director of NASAs Johnson Space Center, during her fifth visit to the Pasco middle school that is her namesake.

Ochoa, 65, said there were no women-of-color astronauts or aerospace engineers when she was young, and she never really thought that was a choice for her at a young age. The Apollo 11 moon landing didnt happen until she was in middle school.

What you know about in middle school doesnt define your future at all, but working hard and taking lots of different classes is something that will give you a lot of options as you go through life, she told students.

A storied career

Ochoa is a retired NASA astronaut and was the 11th director of NASAs Johnson Space Center.

An Ochoa music student wears a Reach for the Stars T-shirt during Ellen Ochoas, fifth visit to the Pasco middle school that is her namesake. Ochoa is veteran astronaut and former director of NASAs Johnson Space Center.

During her career, she spent nearly 1,000 hours in space across four shuttle missions from 1993 to 2002. She was the first Hispanic woman to travel to space and NASAs first female Hispanic astronaut.

She is the granddaughter of Mexican-American immigrants who came from Sonora, Mexico.

Born and raised in California, Ochoa earned a bachelors in physics from San Diego State University and a masters and doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

She joined NASA in 1988 as a research engineer and moved to the Johnson Space Center in 1990 where she was selected as an astronaut after two attempts.

Shes also been recognized with NASAs highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal, and the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award for senior executives in the federal government.

Ochoa music teacher Allen Madsen is the master of ceremonies during Ellen Ochoa, veteran astronaut and former director of NASAs Johnson Space Center, fifth visit to the Pasco middle school that is her namesake.

Ochoa currently lives in Boise, Idaho, where she and her family enjoy hiking, traveling and attending performances of the Boise Philharmonic.

Despite all her accolades, Ochoa said having public schools named after her has been the highest honor.

Music and education has played a big role in her life. Its what helped her discover her love of the world and led her to being a NASA astronaut.

Students should continue to dream big and reach for the stars, she said.

Education is important. Each week and in each class, its an opportunity to learn something new and to apply yourself, she said. It really just opens up a lot of options.
UPDATE: Reward being offered for information leading to capture of 2 escaped Lima inmates

Law enforcement is searching for two inmates that escaped from a Lima prison.

Bradley Gillespie and James Lee are said to have escaped from Allen/Oakwood Correction Institution, according to a media release.

>> Hikers from Kettering, West Chester found dead after suspected flash flooding in Utah

A reward of up to $20,000 is being offered by the U.S. Marshals and Ohio State Highway Patrol for information leading to the arrest of the two inmates, according to a media release.

Gillespie was in prison for a 2016 murder conviction while Lee was in jail for burglary, breaking and entering, safecracking and judicial sanction.

The two are considered dangerous, and anyone who sees them or has information is asked to call 911 immediately.

Ohio State Highway Patrol is leading the search for the missing inmates.

We will update this story as new information becomes available.




Spanish Fork fire trucks are pictured on March 22, 2021. | Steve Griffin, Deseret News

A 2-year-old boy is recovering after police say the child was apparently hit by a stray bullet while at a day care in Spanish Fork.

On Monday, several children were outside a Spanish Fork day care center near 2000 North and 300 West in an area surrounded by a vinyl fence. Two adults noticed that a boy "appeared to stumble and was seen bleeding from the face," according to a prepared statement from Spanish Fork police.

The child's parents were notified. They then picked up their boy and took him to Utah Valley Hospital.

"It was not until at the hospital that doctors discovered through scans that the boy had a small caliber bullet lodged in (his) head. The child was then transferred to Primary Children's Hospital for treatment and is currently in stable condition," police said.

"Detectives are continuing to investigate where the bullet may have been shot from and why. It appears this was a tragic accident. Open fields are directly west of the day care and it is believed the round may have come from that area," the statement says.

Spanish Fork Police Lt. Cory Slaymaker said there are still a "lot of unknowns" in the investigation. He said detectives found a small hole in the vinyl fence surrounding the day care center that may have been caused by the bullet that hit the boy.

The exact caliber of the bullet is unknown, he said. As of Tuesday, police were notified that doctors have decided to leave the bullet in the boy's head for fear of causing further damage if they boy undergoes surgery to remove it.

Anyone who has information about the shooting or may have seen something in that area about 3:40 p.m. Monday is asked to call police at 801-804-4700.
30 of Natalie Portman's most daring looks, from sheer dresses to sculptural silhouettes

Natalie Portman is known to take fashion risks with length, silhouette, and color. Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images; George Pimentel/WireImage; Gisela Schober/Getty Images

Actress Natalie Portman is known for combining her polished sense of style with unexpected twists.

The actress often plays with interesting textures, shapes, and silhouettes in her wardrobe.

See 30 of Portman's most daring looks from 1997 until now.

Portman wore a form-fitting midi sheath dress with a prominent print and beaded bag in 1997.

Natalie Portman at the New York premiere of "Everyone Says I Love You" on January 10, 1997. Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images

The young actress made a statement in a bodycon dress with large, funky faces printed all over it. She kept the rest of the look low-key with black platform sandals, a beaded shoulder bag, and a low ponytail.

In a metallic mini, Portman shared the red carpet with fashion designer Zac Posen at the 2004 CFDA Fashion Awards.

Zac Posen and Natalie Portman at the 2004 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York City on June 7, 2004. Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage

Her dress featured a plunging neckline, large copper sequins, and other pops of color.

The actress stunned onlookers when she debuted her buzz cut at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.

Natalie Portman at the "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" screening during the 58th International Cannes Film Festival on May 14, 2005. Christian Alminana/FilmMagic

Portman's new do was center stage at the festival, and her black, sequin dress, simple jewelry, and black heels allowed her cropped haircut to really shine.

Allure describes her new hair debut as "one of the all-time great OMG beauty moments."

Natalie Portman donned a sculptural white dress at Cinema Against AIDS in 2008.

Natalie Portman at amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS benefit during the 61st International Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2008. Mike Marsland/WireImage

Portman smiled in one of her boldest looks to date  a flowy, layered, white gown with one-shoulder detailing. She finished the look with plain black heels.

Portman looked stunning in a pink minidress at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2009.

Natalie Portman at the "Love And Other Impossible Pursuits" premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2009. George Pimentel/WireImage

Portman's pink dress had a bubble effect at the bottom and a large red flower in the middle of the bust. She wore nude pumps and colorful earrings with the outfit.

Natalie Portman wore a flowing red dress with a high slit to a "Black Swan" premiere in 2010.

Natalie Portman at the opening ceremony and "Black Swan" premiere during the 67th Venice International Film Festival on September 1, 2010. Venturelli/WireImage

Portman's crimson gown was packed with interesting details, from a rhinestone corset and straps to off-the-shoulder draping. She paired the look with a quilted clutch bag.

The actress donned a strapless pink gown with a red rose to a 2011 Golden Globes party.

Natalie Portman arrives at the InStyle and Warner Brothers Golden Globes Party on January 15, 2011, in Beverly Hills, California. Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

The red rose detail cinched the neckline to create a sweetheart shape. Ruching around the bust fell into flowing layers to create a statuesque ensemble.

She accessorized with a strands of diamonds and a red clutch bag  along with the Golden Globe she won for best actress in "Black Swan."

While visiting the New York City Ballet in 2013, Portman chose a color-blocked dress with lots of texture.

Natalie Portman attends the New York City Ballet Fall Gala on September 19, 2013, in New York City. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

The light blue, yellow, and black fabrics used for the gown appeared to be made of a soft, spiked material.

Portman wore her hair down with the eye-catching look and paired it with a black clutch bag and a chunky watch.

Portman brought metallics to the world premiere of "Thor: The Dark World" in 2013.

Natalie Portman at the world premiere of "Thor: The Dark World" on October 22, 2013, in London, England. Mike Marsland/WireImage

The simple, black long-sleeve shirt allowed her voluminous brocade skirt to shine. The silver skirt was made up of a floral pattern in shades of orange, pink, and blue.

Portman chose a dress that was sheer all the way around for the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

Natalie Portman at "A Tale Of Love And Darkness" photocall during the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2015. Toni Anne Barson/FilmMagic

HuffPost wrote at the time that Portman took "sheer to the next level" with this see-through black dress. The look had it all  floral embellishments, beading, feathers, and an asymmetrical hemline.

Portman wore a graphic gown at the Venice Film Festival in 2016.

Natalie Portman at the premiere of "Jackie" during the 73rd Venice Film Festival on September 7, 2016. Venturelli/WireImage

The full-length gown the actress wore featured a ruffle at the bodice and an A-line cut. In 2016, Us Weekly called Portman "glamour personified" in the lace cut-out dress.

Portman dazzled in a light green gown in Toronto in 2016.

Natalie Portman at the "Jackie" premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2016. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Portman's lime-green frock gave a dash of old Hollywood glamour. The look was complete with diamond embellishments, a metallic clutch, and loose curls.

Portman mixed workwear with a luxurious white gown at AFI Fest in 2016.

Natalie Portman at the Los Angeles screening of "Jackie" at AFI Fest on November 14, 2016. Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AFI

The white, empire-waist gown was adorned with sparkles and an image of the sun. Yahoo! Life called the look "perfectly couture" yet "surprisingly playful" at the time.

After winning Best Actress for "Jackie" at the Critics' Choice Award in 2016, Portman posed in an all-floral, ruffled frock.

Natalie Portman at the 22nd Annual Critics' Choice Awards on December 11, 2016. Steve Granitz/WireImage

The actress completed her look with red lipstick and strappy back heels, wearing a flowing, rose-print dress with red trim. Her arms were totally hidden by the ruffled layers when she stood straight.

There were a lot of different elements to the dress Portman wore to the Huading Global Film Awards in 2016.

Natalie Portman attends the Huading Global Film Awards on December 15, 2016, in Los Angeles, California. JB Lacroix/WireImage

From the black and navy brocade fabric to the V-shaped straps embellished with diamonds, the gown felt like a one-of-a-kind piece. Portman brought more shine with a sparkling clutch and kept things simple with her footwear.

The actress went for a bright retro look in a vintage, empire-waist gown in mustard at the 2017 Golden Globes.

Natalie Portman at the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 8, 2017. Steve Granitz/WireImage

Portman paired the yellow dress with lots of sparkles, including silver beading along the cuffs and bottom of the dress, all-silver jewelry, and a silver clutch. The total ensemble was evocative of decades past  and W Magazine reports that the dress was vintage Prada.

On her way to "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in 2017, the star paired a couture, sculptural black and blue ruffle dress with comfortable Steve Madden flats.

Natalie Portman at "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on January 30, 2017. RB/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Portman wore an off-the-shoulder Proenza Schouler dress but opted for practical accessories with the look, including black flats, gold hoops, and a black bag with a chain, according to Allure.

The magazine wrote at the time that Portman's pairing of couture with casual accessories may have been "her chicest maternity style to date."

The actress served dark elegance at the Los Angeles premiere of her 2018 film "Annhilation."

Natalie Portman arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "Annihilation" on February 13, 2018. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

The gown's velvet bodice was wrapped up with a bow and sandwiched between layers of tulle  two puffs of fabric at the shoulders above and a flowing skirt below. The dress also featured green and pink jewels at the shoulders.

Portman's floor-length, polka-dot gown made a statement on the streets of New York City in 2018.

Natalie Portman at the New York screening of "Eating Animals" at the IFC Center on June 14, 2018. Gotham/GC Images

A slick of red lipstick and pulled-back hair gave the stand-out Miu Miu dress with a three-tier ruffle a classic feel.

Portman looked regal in a glimmering gown with a plunging neckline at the 2018 Venice Film Festival.

Natalie Portman at the "Vox Lux" screening during the 75th Venice Film Festival on September 4, 2018. Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

Her gold gown featured a black bow at the waist, silver trim along the neckline and sleeves, and strong shoulders. She finished the mixed-metal outfit with a black clutch and diamond earrings.

Natalie Portman sported an unadorned, plunging black bodysuit and miniskirt in 2019.

Natalie Portman at the Los Angeles premiere of "Lucy In The Sky" on September 25, 2019. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

After the actress wore the deep-V bodysuit to the premiere of her film "Lucy in the Sky," PureWow reported the piece was "almost-navel-grazing." Portman's bold, all-black look stood out without any extravagant jewelry.

Portman showed off her legs in a full-length, sheer gown at the L.A. Dance Project Annual Gala in 2019.

Natalie Portman at the L.A. Dance Project Annual Gala on October 19, 2019. Gregg DeGuire/FilmMagic

The star's dress featured sheer netting over a black bodysuit. She wore small, dangling earrings with the halter-top gown.

Portman's black-and-gold ensemble at the 2020 Oscars made a splash for its details  her cape was embroidered with the names of female directors snubbed at the awards.

Natalie Portman at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards on February 9, 2020. Steve Granitz/WireImage

Portman was later criticized for featuring the names in her outfit because her own production company only featured one female director at the time: herself.

Portman stunned in another all-black, velvet look with bold shoulder details and retro vibes at the 2021 L.A. Dance Project Annual Gala.

Natalie Portman at the L.A. Dance Project Annual Gala on October 16, 2021. Tommaso Boddi/WireImage

Portman played with texture and shape rather than color in the intriguing silhouette.

Portman sparkled in a minidress at the "Thor: Love and Thunder" premiere in LA.

Natalie Portman attends the premiere of "Thor: Love and Thunder" on June 23, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

The gilded Celine dress was made even more interesting by a strap that crossed her neckline and wrapped around her shoulder.

In addition to matching heels, the actress played with chocolate brown eyeshadow in a dramatic shape, a dusty pink lip, and hoop earrings.

Portman sat down with Sean Hayes on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in 2022 in a halter-top minidress.

Natalie Portman makes an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on June 24, 2022. John Fleenor/ABC via Getty Images

The dress, made by Polish designer Magda Butrym, consisted of a halter neckline with a large rosette detail. Below the flower was a large cutout that added visual interest to the all-black look.

She wore a similar style while out in London with her husband Benjamin Millepied a few weeks later.

Natalie Portman and Benjamin Millepied seen at the W hotel on July 4, 2022, in London, England. Ricky Vigil M/GC Images

Never one to shy away from an LBD, Portman donned a polka-dot minidress with a rosette detail and matching sleeves.

Simple black pumps kept the look feeling fresh and chic.

Portman rocked an all-red outfit to a 2022 screening of "Thor: Love and Thunder."

Natalie Portman at the UK Gala screening of "Thor: Love and Thunder" on July 5, 2022. John Phillips/Getty Images

Portman's ultra-short minidress went perfectly with her floral red headband and strappy red heels.

She kept things a bit more formal for a "Thor: Love and Thunder" photocall in Italy just days later.

Natalie Portman attends the "Thor: Love and Thunder" photocall on July 7, 2022, in Rome, Italy. Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images

Portman gave a classic skirt set a modern twist with a shock of vivid orange and a sculptural waistline.

She paired the set with strappy, silver sandals that wrapped around her ankles.

Portman was a vision in a recreation of Christian Dior's "Junon" dress at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

Natalie Portman on the red carpet during the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2023, in Cannes, France. Gisela Schober/Getty Images

The original gown, which was part of the designer's 1949-1950 fall/winter collection, is part of The Costume Institute's collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, although it's not currently on display.

Portman's take kept many of the dress's original features, such as the petal-like layers that made up the skirt. She wore the dress with platform heels, diamond drop earrings, and glittery silver eyeshadow.

Read the original article on Insider
21-year-old drowns on vacation after family tries saving him with rope, Iowa divers say

A 21-year-old man drowned in an Iowa lake while on vacation with his family, rescuers said.

Moments before his death, Alexander Glover, a resident of Cedar Rapids, jumped off a boat to swim in West Okoboji Lake on May 20, according to a news release from a local dive team.

While attempting to swim back to the boat, which had drifted away from him, Glover became fatigued and slipped underwater.

His family members tossed him a rope, but he couldnt swim to it, rescuers said.

A man kayaking nearby dove into the lake, which was about 13 feet deep in the area, and pulled Glover up. Members of his family then began administering CPR.

A local fire and rescue team later arrived at the scene and got Glover to shore. He was then taken to a nearby emergency room, where he was pronounced dead.

The lake temperature at the time of Glovers drowning was 57 degrees Fahrenheit, rescuers said, which is cold enough to cause loss of breathing control, according to the National Center for Cold Water Safety.

It is very hard to tell his story, but he was the light in the room, Glovers family members wrote on a GoFundMe page they said was set up to raise money for his funeral.

Regardless of the audience, he was always the voice you heard and laughed with... or at, the family wrote. Alex never turned away from a challenge nor did he shy away from confrontation... He was our fearless boy.

Glover was the father of a 1-year-old daughter, and his girlfriend is expecting his second child, according to The Gazette.

West Okoboji Lake is in Dickinson County, which is about 200 miles northwest of Des Moines.

Dead man found pinned under ATV at bottom of 25-foot drop-off, Alaska officials say

Woman pretends to be a gang member and corrupt cop to scam man out of $1.6M, feds say

Ice cream truck slams into apartment and badly injures 12-year-old, Louisiana cops say
25 Investigates: This poison is going across the country: Illegal drugs sent by mail in Mass.

Massachusetts ranks 4th in the nation for incoming shipments of cocaine seized by the U.S. Postal Service.

Thats according to 25 Investigates analysis of U.S. Postal Inspection Service data from January 2020 to December 2022.

Postal inspectors reported 296 cocaine seizures in Massachusetts over that three-year period: amounting to nearly half a ton of cocaine.

Massachusetts also ranks 7th in the country for inbound mail shipments of synthetic opioids like fentanyl  with 47 shipments seized.

With 24 million packages passing through the U.S. mail a day, most drug shipments go undetected.

When you look at the big urban areas, thats where most of the drugs are flowing there, lawyer Evan Gotlob told investigative reporter Ted Daniel.

Gotlob said he worked hundreds of drug cases in the eight years he spent as a federal prosecutor in Boston. He now works as a defense attorney for the Boston office of Saul Ewing.

Gotlob says drug dealers send their products by mail to reduce cost and risk.

And dealers go to great lengths to disguise or hide contraband

I think the craziest one I ever saw, there were 15,000 meth pills in a Lego box, Gotlob said. You dont know where the drugs are coming from. Theres never a return address. And a lot of these drugs, theres no scent to them.

25 Investigates looked at some of the biggest drug conspiracy cases announced by the Massachusetts U.S. Attorneys office in recent years.

25 Investigates has found at least 8 cases since 2016 where federal authorities in Massachusetts have pressed charges against dozens of people who allegedly trafficked drugs through the mail.

One Family Clique

One federal affidavit reviewed by 25 Investigates described packages sent to 01826, a zip code in Dracut.

One priority mail package sent to a Dracut home was described as having: 998 grams of cocaine stored inside a dog food container.

Federal prosecutors linked the shipment to the Lowell-based street gang One Family Clique.

In 2021, federal prosecutors charged 15 of the gangs members and associates for allegedly perpetrating a large-scale and long-running drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy. Drugs they trafficked in included: heroin, cocaine, cocaine base, fentanyl, methamphetamine and MDMA.

Prosecutors allege that gang members starting in 2019 used the U.S. Postal Service to receive shipments of illegal narcotics and ship cash proceeds to suppliers.

Most of the drug packages came from California.

Low level associates were paid 250 dollars to receive them at their homes

The affidavit places gang members at post offices in Tewksbury and Billerica. And a stash house in Lowell, where gang meetings and other illegal activities took place.

Among the drugs seized in the One Family Clique investigation: a package sent from California to Nashua, N.H. with 10.6 pounds of crystal meth.

A dangerous game

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service says eliminating drugs and contraband by mail is a top priority.

Daniel Adame oversees drug inspections for the USPIS.

When we can take do a big takedown arrest  10 to 15 drug dealers at the same time  thats certainly a show of force that we put out there to say we dont want this in our system and were going to do everything we can to stop it, said Adame, the Postal Inspector in Charge of the Contraband Interdiction and Investigations Division for USPIS.

Nationwide, USPIS reported 404 seizures of meth, 421 of cocaine, 269 of synthetic opioids and 55 seizures of heroin from October to December 2022.

Postal inspectors nationwide remove drugs from the mail and help investigate and arrest criminals to disrupt drug trafficking networks, according to a 2020 strategy plan.

That includes 2,562 arrests in 2019 alone.

Penalties for trafficking drugs through mail often carry mandatory prison sentences of at least 5 years for small quantities and ten years for larger quantities.

You could take off low level members all day, but the impact will not be as much as if you take off a supplier, where youre really kind of going to the heart of something and dismantling the drug trafficking organization, Adame said.

To have the most impact, Adame said: You have to take their drugs, you have to take their guns and you have to take their money.

Adame said their goal is interdicting drugs at the earliest point in the mail stream.

To inspect a package, law enforcement must usually obtain a search warrant based on reasonable suspicion.

Thats because U.S. Mail is protected by the Fourth Amendment.

Confiscated packages will be sent out for testing if postal inspectors find white powders or other suspicious materials.

The Postal Service also works on educating postal employees about the danger of being recruited to deliver packages.

In November 2022, a Lowell postal worker pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston for allegedly attempting to bribe a postal supervisor.

Prosecutors alleged the worker asked the supervisor to help him in a scheme to divert postal packages suspected of containing cocaine.

The worker was alleged to have left $850 in a Dunkin Donuts bag outside the supervisors car to entice him, and later told him: That was a nice envelope for starts.

When drugs are detected in the mail, investigators will often have the package delivered to see who accepts it.

Thats according to Anthony Cangelosi  a former Homeland Security investigator turned criminal justice professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

From there, he says they will follow the drugs to identify bigger players.

The more sophisticated they are, the more safety nets theyre building in, Cangelosi told Ted Daniel. So its not uncommon if someone up the food chain contracts with someone down. Once they know somethings wrong, they cut off all communication with that person.

Sometimes we have to interdict drugs just to get them, get them out and destroy them, he said. Other times, were building cases. Some of these cases take three or four years to develop.

Adame said going after drug trafficking organizations is crucial  but requires agility.

Drug trafficking organizations change quickly, Adame said. Once you find that youre able to be effective in seizing or interdicting drugs, they will change their course and we have to be agile enough to do that as well.

Adame said the agency launched a task force officer program in 2020 to help state and local law enforcement better work together nationwide.

He said that partnership, local insight and sharing of resources like canines has proved invaluable.

The U.S. recently announced a new Southwestern Border Initiative as part of the White House Task Force on Illicit Drugs.

Its a dangerous game, but something that we take very seriously because we dont want to be an unwitting accomplice in delivering drugs across the country, Adame said.

Adame said hes also seen drug cartels sprouting in more rural areas, where such trafficking can have an even greater impact in communities with less resources.

He said shipments of drugs primarily come from two regions of the country: the southwest border area of the country - California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

And then, Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico for us is really a pipeline for cocaine into the United States, he said. In the southwest border, you really see the fentanyl, the cocaine and the methamphetamine that are coming through in high volumes because theyre being smuggled across that Southwest border.

This poison is going across the country

Data reviewed by 25 Investigates shows examples of large packages of narcotics sent to zip codes in Lowell, Ma.  and then smaller shipments of drugs sent out and later seized.

Certainly you see, usually, larger shipments coming into one location and maybe being distributed from there, whether in the local community or maybe in a different way, Adame said. Sometimes dark web vendors will get a larger shipment and then ship them out in smaller packages across the country.

With the rise of the dark web over the last two decades, postal inspectors work has grown more complicated.

The dark Web offers a level of anonymity to talk to buyers and sellers, Adame said. Youre able to disguise it on the dark Web, under the Tor network. And youre able to peddle your deadly poisons to anybody who can get on to the dark web and make a purchase.

In March 2022, a federal court judge in Boston sentenced the 25-year-old Brockton leader of a dark web drug operation that advertised cocaine, Xanax, Keatmine and MDMA  also known as ecstasy.

The Brockton man got eight years in prison and three years of supervised release. And he had to forfeit 59 Bitcoin  then worth over $2 million.

Prosecutors say the leader of the drug organization got wholesale quantities of controlled substances in the mail from various international sources. Then, he and co-conspirators processed and manufactured those drugs at an office space rented in Stoughton.

They then mailed the drugs to customers throughout the nation.

Keeping a close eye on data trends is key, according to Adame.

We look at a lot of data, Adame said. We look at past seizures. We look at ongoing cases, things that may link current cases to other parcels that may be out there.

Were a small piece of a very much bigger drug game in this country. and we understand what role we play, Adame said. Many times what we do leads to bigger investigations and bigger seizures.

And even more vital, as deadly fentanyl snakes through the country, drug traffickers market to young people online and tens of thousands of people die of overdoses.

This poison is going to all the communities across the country, Adame said. And we have made it a priority to attack fentanyl and to really do everything that we can to get it out of the mainstream.

Whether thats through cargo, through human carry vehicles, whatever it may be, or a tunnel system, he said.

Around 2018 and 2019, fentanyl shifted from an international to a domestic problem, he said.

There was a shift in how fentanyl was getting into the country, specifically where in the past we were seeing it more directly mailed into the country in 2013 through about 2018, Adame said. Since then, we really see it in domestic mail because really its Chinese working with Mexican cartels to produce it in Mexico, and its smuggled into the country in a number of different ways.

In 2018, the federal STOP Act required other countries to share advanced electronic data on all international packages.

A bill sponsored by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) would create a new criminal penalty for falsely misrepresenting a packages country of origin, among other things.

Top zip codes in MA

According to the U.S. Postal Inspection seizure data reviewed by 25 Investigates, the 01841 zip code in Lawrence received the most drug shipments in the state - with 38 packages seized.

Second on the list of top zip codes: the 01902 area of Lynn with 17 seized shipments.

Other top zip codes in eastern Massachusetts: 01843 in Lawrence is 3rd.

And 01844 - in Methuen - is 7th.

On the flip side  The 02124 neighborhood of Dorchester is where the largest number of drugs is shipped from based on seizures.

88 in total.

In September 2022, federal prosecutors indicted 21 people in Lawrence and Southbridge for allegedly distributing cocaine and fentanyl throughout the North Shore and central Massachusetts.

Prosecutors say the traffickers obtained large amounts of cocaine from Puerto Rico and then sent packages containing fentanyl to recipients in Florida and elsewhere.

Inspectors seized about 9 kilograms of cocaine from packages sent through the mail and 800 grams of fentanyl.

According to the federal affidavit, investigators looked into a package containing suspected cocaine sent to a Lawrence home located in 01843.

On June 4, 2022, investigators identified the package, which originated in Manati, Puerto Rico, reads the affidavit. " It had been mailed earlier the same day, destined for 122 Newton st, Lawrence 01843.

Investigators then got a warrant to search the package.

Inside, they found a Black and Decker box with two brick-shaped objects wrapped in white plastic inside, reads the affidavit.

And inside the white plastic, investigators found a white-powder substance wrapped in a vacuum sealed bag inside a carbon paper and electrical tape wrapping.

Investigators sent the powder to the DEA laboratory, where it tested positive for cocaine and weighed 2,003 grams- about 4.4 pounds.

The investigators then intercepted phone calls among the alleged traffickers as they discussed the delay in receiving the package.

Marijuana seizures

Overall, marijuana accounts for most seizures.

Adame said marijuana makes up 85% of the packages seized by count and 87% of the drugs seized by weight.

By and large, what weve tried to do is focus our investigations on the high-impact drugs, the fentanyl, the cocaine and the methamphetamine, Adame said. And really just interdict the marijuana.

Even though marijuana is legal in Massachusetts, its still a federal crime to ship it by mail.

Nearly 34 hundred pounds of pot was seized in the mail in Massachusetts from 2020 to 2022.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Three people have filed a lawsuit against Archdiocese of Boston Cardinal Sean OMalley and two Catholic bishops claiming they were sexually abused as teens by former Arlington Catholic High School vice principal Steven Biagioni.

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who has represented clergy sex abuse victims for decades, said a civil lawsuit was filed Monday on behalf of the three alleged victims against OMalley, Bishop Robert Deeley of the Diocese of Portland, Maine, and Bishop Peter Uglietto.

The three victims allege that they were sexually abused by Steven Biagioni while Steven Biagioni was vice principal and administrator at Arlington Catholic High School, Garabedian said in a statement.

The alleged sexual abuse took place at Arlington Catholic High School from approximately 2011 to 2016 when the alleged victims were approximately 15 to 17 years old, Garabedian said.

Significantly, given that years of the alleged sexual abuse are recent, it is apparent that the Archdiocese of Boston and the Catholic Church are still allowing the sexual abuse of innocent children, Garabedian said.

Terrence Donilon, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Boston, said in an email on Tuesday, We generally do not comment on active litigation.

That said, we understand that certain of the allegations in this lawsuit were brought to the attention of Arlington Catholic High School in 2016 and were reported to the appropriate law enforcement and child welfare authorities at that time as part of Arlington Catholics ongoing commitment to provide a safe environment for young people at the school, Donilon said. The administrator in question was subsequently removed from his position, and personnel from Arlington Catholic and the Archdiocese of Boston cooperated fully with the investigating authorities.

Founded in 1960, Arlington Catholic High School, located in Arlington, currently has over 800 students in grades 9 through 12 representing more than 50 parishes in the archdiocese, according to the schools website.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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A 31-year-old woman from North East, Maryland, died after crashing into the back of a dump truck in Glasgow on Monday morning, according to Delaware State Police.

She has been identified by police as Heather Rodriguez.

OFFICER CHARGED: Millsboro officer charged with using drugs from department's evidence locker

State police said that Rodriguez was driving in a Hyundai Sonata directly behind a Peterbilt dump truck full of gravel stone in the right lane of U.S. Route 40 east near Cpl. Stephen J. Ballard Way. The truck began to slow down for a traffic light at 9:33 a.m., according to police, but the woman did not and rear-ended the truck.

Rodriguez was taken to the hospital, where police said she later died. The driver of the dump truck, a 59-year-old man from Colora, Maryland, was not injured.

Police said Route 40 was decreased to one lane between Cpl. Stephen J. Ballard Way and Delaware Route 896 for about two hours.

Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware Route 40 crash in Glasgow Monday leaves Maryland woman dead
Up to 4 Shahed drones attack Ukraine at night: all shot down

The Russians used up to four Iranian-made Shahed kamikaze drones to strike at Ukrainian territory on the night of 22-23 May, all of which were shot down by air defence forces.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 23 May

Quote: "Preliminary. Last night, the enemy used up to four Shahed drones for attacks; all of them were shot down. Information is being updated."

Background: Russian occupation forces launched 16 missiles of various types and deployed 20 Shahed drones in an attack on military and civilian infrastructure facilities in the city of Dnipro on the night of 2122 May. Ukraines Air Force shot down all of the drones and four of the cruise missiles.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Spelman College is making history for the fourth time as its 2023 graduating class will have four valedictorians. Spelman posted written bios for each grad describing their unique upbringings and post-grad plans. Spelmans four valedictorians, Maya Blasingame, Amaia Calhoun, Sydney DuPree and Chandler Nutall, succeeded in everything they did on campus.

Blasingame is graduating with a degree in biology and is on a premedical journey. She is a member of the Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Program, Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society and Tri-Beta Biological Honors Society. Blasingame will attend medical school in a few months.

I feel just really excited and grateful, Blasingame told 11 Alive. I think for me, coming in as a biology major, I was like, Im just trying to make it through it.

Calhoun is graduating with a degree in economics with a double minor in Spanish and management and organization. This fall, she heads to Princeton Universitys Investment Company to work as an investment analyst.

Nutal can now hang her bachelors degree next to her George Washington University associate degree. Balancing multiple roles, she is also an Ethel Waddell Githii Honors Scholar, a Spelman Social Justice Program Fellow and serves as the 81st president of the Spelman Student Government Association. After graduating from Spelman, Nutall will move to New York for a public affairs fellowship before embarking on her final goal of pursuing a Juris Doctor degree.

DuPree holds a 4.0 GPA and is a member of the Delta Lambda Honors Society and the executive board of the Brains With Beauty Project. DuPree works with the nonprofit education and empowerment organization started by Spelman alumna and 2022 valedictorian Nailah Barnes that equips Black girls and young women with tools to accentuate their innate brilliance and beauty. She is currently signed with Atlantas Forward Agency and would like to use her experience in acting to become a casting director.

Maya Phillips is the salutatorian who will be receiving her degree in sociology. Phillips has been an example of Black excellence as a 2023 Women of Excellence in Leadership program graduate. Phi Beta Kappas Epsilon of Georgia chapter recently inducted her, and Phillips career plans include working as a strategy analyst at Deloitte Consulting.
Slipknot press photo

When they spent the summer of 1999 destroying every Ozzfest stage they could find, word spread that Slipknot were the scariest and most anarchic prospect of the nu metal era. Nowadays, Des Moines finest have matured from the band that will level your venue to arena headliners and custodians of their own festival. However, the classics, from Wait And Bleed to Left Behind, still go just as hard. With The Knot about to hit the European festival circuit, here are all the songs theyve never played, according to setlist.fm  will they dust down any of these rarities for the occasion?

Metal Hammer line break

Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. (1996)

Time has reduced Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. to more of a demo than a canonical album, since Tattered & Torn and Only One would later reappear on Slipknot. However, in 1996, the fledgling Nine counted it as their first full-length  and they were so proud of it that everything but Confessions shook Iowas metal clubs.

Considering the songs a jazzy Mr Bungley thing, its obvious why it wouldnt fit the bouncing-off-the-walls anarchy of the earliest Slipknot shows. Today its a funky and fascinating track for completionists, but only a thousand CDs of MFKR were ever made and the songs not on streaming services. So dont expect to get down to it anytime soon.

Slipknot (1999)

The relentless angst of Slipknots debut album proper resonated with a generation of pissed-off millennials to turn the band that made it into metals next superstars. As a result, almost all of this groundbreaking rager has been busted out live.

Diluted is the only fully fledged track to never rattle a stage. Interludes 742617000027 and Frail Limb Nursery have, but only through a backing tape. Interestingly, Purity has been played more than 300 times, despite being taken off the album due to a legal dispute, and Tattered & Torn hasnt been performed since 1998: before Slipknot came out.

Iowa (2001)

Rather than kowtowing to commercial expectations, The Nine made their second album even harder and angrier than its predecessor. The result was such pissed-off anthems as Left Behind, Disasterpiece and, well The Heretic Anthem, all of which are must-includes on any of the bands setlists.

In fact, every full song on Iowas been performed, the one exception being introduction (515), which is sometimes played over a backing tape before the band explode into People = Shit. Metabolic didnt debut onstage until 2015  and apparently the response was so lacklustre that Coreys vowed to never resurrect old deep cuts live ever again.

Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses (2004)

When they moved into The Mansion with producer Rick Rubin, Slipknot were frazzled following years of internal tension and various addictions. So, the band mellowed on Vol. 3 tracks like the acoustic Circle and Vermillion, Part 2. The Nine have never serenaded crowds with these smoother jams, probably since theyd clash with the otherwise all-guns-blazing energy of their gigs.

Welcome has never been aried live, either: bar that callous-shredding solo, its a fairly by-the-book cut, so were not too upset. Vol. 3s closing duo, The Virus Of Life and Danger  Keep Away, have been denied public exhibition as well.

All Hope Is Gone (2008)

Slipknot hate All Hope Is Gone with a capital H. The album was the first the band recorded in their home state of Iowa, but Clowns since commented: Its my least favourite [Slipknot album]: no tension, no pain  just efficiency. Being able to go home, able to sleep, is not good, not for what we do. Jim Root has also criticised producer Dave Fortman for being unable to wrangle The Nine into the same room.

That might explain why fewer than half the albums songs have ever been played live  five songs to be precise. Only the singles  Sulfur, Psychosocial, Dead Memories, Snuff and, one time, the title track  have ever made it to the stage. That means .execute., Gematria, Vendetta, Butchers Hook, Gehenna, This Cold Black and Wherein Lies Continue have yet to have a run out.

.5: The Gray Chapter (2014)

Despite being the first Slipknot album without Joey Jordison and late bassist Paul Gray, .5: The Gray Chapter felt like the band cataloguing all the sounds theyd explored across their career. Much of the albums still never been performed though, mostly because the band had so many must-hear hits by 2014.

Vocal-powered eulogy XIX has only ever been blared over a backing tape to open Slipknot shows. The other cuts to never come out are Lech, Goodbye, Nomadic, The One That Kills The Least, Be Prepared For Hell and finale If Rain Is What You Want.

We Are Not Your Kind (2019)

The touring cycle for Slipknots We Are Not Your Kind was cut off all too quickly, thanks to the pandemic putting the world on pause for two years. Of the 13 full-length songs on We Are Not Your Kind, weve only heard four of them at shows. Unsurprisingly, theyre the four singles: Unsainted, Birth Of The Cruel, Nero Forte and Solway Firth. Non-album single All Out Life has also rocked up 196 times, since it got released as a standalone in 2018.

Its unlikely that any other WANYK tracks will get scribbled onto the setlist, given how quickly the band moved into The End, So Far. However, the bassy, Halloween-ey Spiders and jangling My Pain would be excellently moody detours given the chance.

The End, So Far (2022)

So far, only two songs from The End, So Far have graced a Slipknot setlist. We get it, the albums not even been out a year, but come on, we deserve more. Said two songs are The Chapeltown Rag and The Dying Song (Time To Sing).

As for everything else, there are avant-garde entries like the synthy Adderall and slow-burning Finale that would probably take up too much time. Also, some members simply dont dig the material: Jim Root infamously called the album kinda rushed after its release. But still, wed like to hear more.

The songs Slipknot have never played live

Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat

Confessions

Slipknot

742617000027

Frail Limb Nursery

Diluted

Iowa

(515)

Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses

Prelude 3.0

Circle

Welcome

Vermilion Pt 2

The Virus Of Life

Danger  Keep Away

All Hope Is Gone

.execute.

Gematria

Vendetta

Butchers Hook

Gehenna

This Cold Black

Wherein Lies Continue

.5: The Gray Chapter

XIX

Lech

Goodbye

Nomadic

The One That Kills The Least

Be Prepared For Hell

If Rain Is What You Want

We Are Not Your Kind

Insert Coin

Death Because Of Death

Critical Darling

A Liar's Funeral

Red Flag

What's Next?

Spiders

Orphan

My Pain

Not Long For This World

The End, So Far

Adderall

Yen

Hive Mind

Warranty

Medicine For The Dead

Acidic

Heirloom

H377

De Sade

Finale
5 key takeaways from the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance CEO hiring, read the emails here

The Sun News obtained emails that showed the unconventional hiring process used by the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance Board of Directors in finding a new CEO.

The local organization receives taxpayer funds to transform downtown Myrtle Beach.

The trove of emails shows the well-connected influences that manipulated and controlled the hiring using business practices that would be considered outside the norm.

Launched in 2021 as a public/private venture, the Myrtle Beach Downtown Alliance partially gets funding through a new special tax district anticipated to raise $14 million over the next decade.

Here are five takeaways from the string of 125 emails provided to the newspaper on May 19.

1. The chairman and the CEO overlapped in process, recommending each other for top jobs

Jason Greene worked with One Grand Strand, the alliances parent nonprofit, as officials sought a new chairman for the downtown alliances governing board, emails show.

But information included in a March 20 email from Dan Sine, who was eventually selected to take that position, to city and civic leaders adds some details to the timeline.

Sine was president of the Habitat for Humanity of Horry County board that in 2020 hired Greene to run that organization.

In December, Jason informed me that Clay (Brittain Jr.), representing the EC of OGS (executive committee of One Grand Strand), was seeking a new Chairperson for the MBDA EC and recommended me for the role. In January, Jason arranged a meeting between him, Clay and me to discuss the position, wrote Sine, in an email to fellow board members.

Sine and Brittain Jr. then met privately three more times to talk about then downtown alliance CEO Amy Barretts imminent resignation.

We discussed the departure of the current MBDA CEO and the potential candidates without revealing their identifies. Although I had some suspicions, it was not until March 15 that Jason disclosed his candidacy for the CEO position, contacting back the (Habitat for Humanity of Horry County) President and me, Sine said in his email.

Both Greenes hiring and Sines ascent to the lead position on the downtown alliances board of directors were announced in April 6 press releases.

Greenes $180,000 a year job, which could jump to $200,000 through a performance bonus, became official on May 2 through a 14-1 board vote.

Sine did not respond Monday to a request for comment.

2. CEO was given a cache of documents, including detailed financial information, while a job candidate

On Feb. 24, Greene asked Brittain Jr. for several pieces of information as I reach out to my mentors and talk with my family about the role.

He requested:

The memorandum of understanding between One Grand Strand, the downtown alliance and city

A downtown alliance job description

Current staff job descriptions and resumes

A list of employees expected to be hired

Prior and current year budgets

Year-end audited financial statements for 2021 and 2022

The January month-end financial statement

Current benefits offered to all downtown alliance employees

Any current, pending and/or suspected legal action against the alliance

Will do, Brittain replied by email less than an hour later.

3. At least one board member asked about legal issues but was told not to worry

Alliance board member William Miller on March 31 came forward with several inquiries ahead of a scheduled April 4 special meeting where terms of Greenes employment were discussed.

Miller asked how Greenes salary was determined and how it compared to Barretts and heads of non-profit placemaking organizations.

If my understanding is correct the salary being offered is a large percentage of the MBDA operating budget. A third of what the MID (municipal improvement special tax district) is supposed to fund, Miller wrote to Sine. Do we have any governmental regulations/funding or grants that may be in jeopardy or have policies that dictate the CEO Salary in relation to the total operating budget?

He also wondered whether the board was at risk of being sued if the salaries of Greene and Barrett didnt align and whether an insurance rider was required for board members.

Sine said Greenes salary came out of a 2021 suggestion from HRS Inc., a Pittsburgh-based consultancy firm. Barrett made $160,000 with a $20,000 bonus potential when she was chosen as the alliances CEO following the withdrawal of a lead candidate.

However, considering two years have passed since this 2021 search, this salary is within the range discussed with HRS and accounts for a 5 percent increase, Sine replied to Miller. The difference between $160,000 and $180,000 is actually 12.5 percent.

Sines salary comprises about 14% of the alliances $1.4 million 2023-24 budget.

The total compensation packages for Amy Barrett and Jason Greene are within the appropriate and expected range, and the risk of the MBDA being sued for the $20,000 disparity is minimal, Sine said in his email.

4. A Sun News opinion piece delayed the meeting to ratify Greenes contract

Following an article in the Sun News exploring potential conflict of interest violations surrounding Greenes hiring, McClatchy opinion writer Isaac Bailey weighed in April 16 with a piece headlined Myrtle Beach nonprofits CEO hiring was a comically unethical process.

McClatchy is the Sun News parent company.

Myrtle Beach nonprofits CEO hiring was a comically unethical process

Sine acknowledged to his executive board that same day that the column led him to delaying a planned April 24 meeting to ratify Greenes contract.

He linked to Baileys piece in the email while expressing confidence that Greene remained the ideal fit for the alliances future.

Jason is excited about his new role, and I am confident he will hit the ground running, Sine wrote.

5. A planning firm thats worked with the alliance since its inception seemed to criticize the boards response to the newspaper

In that same April 16 email, Sine said he planned to speak with James Lima, principal of a New York-based planning and development agency, about the executive boards responses to The Sun News concerning Greenes employment.

In a meeting last Friday, he told Jason, Clay, and me that he would have handled the Boards response to The Sun News differently. I want to hear his insights, Sine wrote in that April 16 email.

Sine said he had no plans to respond publicly, and Lima could not immediately be reached for comment on May 22.

Greene will outline his 100-day vision for the alliance at a May 25 meeting that begins at 9 a.m. at the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and is open to the public.

Editors note: This story was updated May 24 at 3:50 p.m. to include Jason Greenes first name.
Sen. Mitch McConnell and U.S. Department of Agriculture officials gathered at the University of Kentucky Tuesday to break ground on a new agriculture research building.

The new $65.9 million Forage Animal Production Lab will include more than 52,000 square feet of space for offices, laboratories, collaboration space and greenhouses. The research conducted there will focus on improving the productivity, sustainability and competitiveness of farms that raise beef cattle, horses, sheep and goats, especially for small- and medium-sized farms.

The new building, called the Forage-Animal Production Research Unit, will include design upgrades and expand the research capacity for agriculture in Kentucky, according to UK. The building is scheduled to be complete in 2026, and is funded by federal money.

Todays groundbreaking for the Forage Animal Production Lab speaks to the heart of what a land-grant institution, like ours, is so distinctively positioned to do: to take basic scientific discovery and apply that knowledge to applications that can be transferred directly to producers, said UK President Eli Capilouto.

The building will be staffed by six scientists from the USDAs Agricultural Research Services and seven UK researchers, as well as laboratory technicians and administrative employees. Capilouto praised McConnell for his role in helping to secure the federal funding for the building.

This is a big moment, not just for UK but for the entire Commonwealth, McConnell said. Central Kentucky is well on the way to becoming the go-to hub for high-tech, advanced agricultural research. Its special focus on the cattle and equine industries in particular will help keep Kentuckys multi-billion dollar agriculture industry at the forefront of our nation.

The United States is the largest producer of beef in the world, and Kentucky is the eighth-largest in the nation, according to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. The Kentucky beef industry produced more than $1 billion of beef in 2022. There are approximately 73,500 total farms in Kentucky, more than half of which are beef cattle producers.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the lab will allow important collaboration to happen between scientists, and produce research that will have widespread impact on agriculture.

This lab is a testimony to collaboration, its a testimony to science, but its also a commitment to those who produce and those who farm, Vilsack said. Were going to continue as a society to support them and be with them as they figure out creative and new ways to be sustainable.
Left: Artists impression of extinct ichthyosaurs. Right: A modern dolphin.

Sometimes, Darwinian natural selection stumbles upon the same solution more than once, in a process known as convergent evolution. Here are our favorite examples of evolution making the same creature, or same physical trait, twice.



In evolution, mutation is random, but selection is most certainly not. Every adaptive new trait acquired by a species was likely accompanied by countless failed experiments. The judge, as it were, in deciding which mutations are beneficial or not is brutally simple: ongoing survival.

Read more

For organisms caught in a Darwinian mode of existencewhich is all of themthe space of all possible beneficial mutations is sufficiently small, a space ruled by physics, biological constraints, and environmental pressures. It sometimes happens that two unrelated species, separated by time and space, will find themselves living in the same ecological niche or facing similar evolutionary problems. When this happens, evolution will dip into its limited grab-bag of solutionsas you can plainly see in these striking examples.

This story was originally published on June 11, 2020.

Dolphins and Ichthyosaurs

Artists impression of ichthyosaurs.

The Germans have a great word to describe an ensemble of physical features common to different species: Bauplan. This translates to body plan in English, and it nicely encapsulates a key aspect of convergent evolution, namely morphological similarities in unrelated species. In other words, two different animals that look a hell of a lot alike.



Two dolphins swim in the Egyptian Red Sea marine reserve.

Two species that share a common or at least a very similar Bauplan are modern dolphins and ancient ichthyosaurs. Its a striking example of evolution stumbling upon the same solution for two very different types animals, in this case mammals and reptiles. These two creatures share other similarities as well, including live births, warm blood, and even similar camouflage.

Modern sharks and dolphins share certain aspects of convergent evolution, such as their streamlined shape and triangular dorsal fin, but they also have many differences.

Cassowaries and Corythoraptors

Artistic reconstruction of Corythoraptor jacobsi.

In 2017, paleontologists discovered an unusual dinosaur in southern China called Corythoraptor jacobsi. Dating back to the Late Cretaceous, the bipedal oviratporid was remarkably similar to modern cassowaries, a flightless bird native to Queensland, Australia.

A free-ranging Southern Cassowary at Etty Bay, north Queensland, Australia.

In addition to sharing a similar body shape, both animals feature elaborate crests, called a casque, on the top of their heads, which likely serve as advertisement for prospective mates.

Canids and Tasmanian Tigers

A Tasmanian tiger.

The extinct Tasmanian tiger, also known as the thylacine, looked eerily similar to modern canids, a group of predatory carnivores that includes wolves, foxes, and domesticated dogs. But thylacines were large marsupial predators, and they carried their young in a pouch similar to kangaroos and koalas.

Incredibly, the last common ancestor of placental canids and thylacines lived 160 million years ago, during the Jurassic period. Despite this gigantic gap in evolutionary history, both Tasmanian tigers and canids share a strikingly common skull shape and body plan. As a Nature paper from 2017 pointed out, their physical resemblance is considered the most striking example of convergent evolution in mammals.

Piranhas and Piranhamesodons

The nearly complete fossil of Piranhamesodon pinnatomus.

During the late Jurassic, some 150 million years ago, a very piranha-like fish terrorized the seas in what is now southern Germany. Called Piranhamesodon pinnatomus, its the oldest known flesh-eating ray-finned bony fish, a family that now includes trout, grouper, and cod, but not modern piranhas.

Artists impression of Piranhamesodon pinnatomus.

Piranhamesodon featured distinctly piranha-like teeth, which it used to bite chunks of flesh from other fishespecially from their fins. Paleontologist David Bellwood from James Cook University said its an amazing parallel with modern piranhas, which feed predominantly not on flesh but the fins of other fishes, to which he added: Its a remarkably smart move as fins regrow, a neat renewable resource. Feed on a fish and it is dead; nibble its fins and you have food for the future.

Undersized Archaic Humans

Artists reconstruction of Homo floresiensis.

Paleontological evidence suggests humans arent immune to the effects of convergent evolution. Homo sapiens is the last human species left standing, but plenty of other humans have walked the Earth, including Neanderthals, Denisovans, H. erectus, H. naledi, among others.

In 2004, scientists working on the island of Flores discovered evidence of a diminutive human species, called Homo floresiensis, popularly known as the Hobbit. Now extinct, this archaic human stood no taller than 3 feet and 7 inches (109 centimeters). Incredibly, evidence of a second diminutive species, named Homo luzonensis, was uncovered in the Philippines in 2007.

These species lived at roughly the same timeroughly 50,000 years agobut nowhere close to each other. Their striking physical similarities has been attributed to an evolutionary process known as insular dwarfism, in which a species shrinks over time owing to limited resources. Perhaps not coincidentally, both human species lived on islands, which are known to produce diminutive species of various sorts.

Six-Fingered Aye-Ayes and Giant Pandas

An aye-aye.

Research from 2019 showed that aye-ayes have a sixth finger, or as scientists call it, an accessory digit. Giant pandas also feature an extra finger on top of the usual five per hand. Same for moles and some extinct reptiles, which they use for digging. Like the giant panda, however, aye-ayes use their sixth finger to enhance their grasping abilities, making this a good example of convergent evolution.

Fascinatingly, the accessory digit in aye-ayes and giant pandas is an example of convergent evolution as a consequence of contingent evolution. Both animals evolved highly specialized hands not suited for climbing, resulting in an evolutionary pressure to produce a sixth finger.

Bats and Ambopteryx

Artists impression of Ambopteryx longibrachium.

Bats, flying squirrels, and extinct pterosaurs have membranous wings held in place by a special bone called the styliform. Thats convergent evolution in action, but dinosaurs also co-opted this strategy, in which wings are formed from webbing around super-elongated fingers. This revelation was only made in 2019, following the discovery of Ambopteryx longibrachium, a tiny Jurassic dinosaur with membranous wings.

Wing of a modern bat

Marsupial and Placental Moles





Illustration of a marsupial mole from Australia, which bears a striking resemblance to placental moles.

Evolution is incredibly diverse, but at the same time super limited. All species must honor basic physics and unassailable biological limits (well never see, for example, an animal with wheels... or at least we dont think we ever will). At the same time, evolution often drives animals toward common fitness peaks, in a phrase used by evolutionary biologists. And sometimes, those fitness peaks just happen to be located at the very same spot.



Museum specimen of a European mole

The Platypus Dinosaur

Artists impression of Chilesaurus diegosuarezi.

When this remarkable theropod, called Chilesaurus diegosuarezi, was revealed to the world in 2015, its discoverers called it the platypus of dinosaurs owing to its patchwork of anatomical features.



This creature is a stunning example of mosaic convergent evolution, in which characteristics seen in several unrelated species are lumped together to create... well.... a kind of platypus-like creature. In this case, Chilesaurus had strong forearms like Allosaurus, and a pelvis similar to ornithischian dinosaurs, such as Stegosaurus and Ceratopsians. It also featured teeth, skull, a facial features seen in other dinosaurs.

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Abortion ban returns to SC Senate for debate. Here are 5 things that could happen next

Republicans work to further restrict abortion is again underway in South Carolina, but passage is not necessarily a foregone conclusion.

The Republican-led South Carolina Senate is set to debate a six-week abortion ban, S. 474, Tuesday, part of an effort to put the measure before the state Supreme Court, which previously ruled a similar ban unconstitutional. The House passed the bill last week, mostly along party lines, after 24 hours of debate over two days.

Abortion is currently banned after 20 weeks in the state. Six weeks is generally before most women know they are pregnant.

The House vote was the latest effort by Republicans to add abortion restrictions in the state after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. But while Republicans control the state Legislature, the bills passage is not immediately guaranteed.

Here are five things that could happen in regards to the latest abortion bill.

Republican opposition to abortion bill

Three female Republican senators are poised to oppose modifications the House made to the bill. Three male Republican senators could join them.

Such opposition could mean another round of negotiations with the House.

State Sen. Sandy Senn, R-Charleston, recently told CNN it was less certain that the three male Republican senators  Tom Davis, of Beaufort, and Horry Countys Greg Hembree and Luke Rankin  will also oppose the bill like they did in April, when the Senate rejected a near-total abortion ban.

My position has been if (the House) essentially, in effect, passed the equivalent of what the Senate passed, I would support it, Davis previously told The State. But if they deviated from it, or if they materially changed it, then I would not support it.

The Senate had already passed a six-week ban bill earlier this year, but the House added modifications to it last week, such as requiring child support to start at conception and letting a judge decide if a minor can have an abortion should a parent or guardian be unavailable.

Abortion bill modification rejection

If the Senate rejects the House modifications, debate would return to a conference committee between House and Senate negotiators. Such a committee can meet at any time. If that committee reaches some sort of agreement, the Legislature could then be called back any time to vote.

Abortion bill fails

This one is pretty straight forward. If the Senate rejects the House modifications and the conference committee cant reach an agreement, the bill could die for the year, and Republicans can try again during the next legislative session, which starts in January.

SC abortion bill could pass

Republicans in the Senate could simply find the votes necessary to pass the bill as written. If that happens, the bill would be sent to Gov. Henry McMaster to sign. The governor has indicated he would do so. Republicans have said the new bill responds to the state Supreme Courts earlier decision.

If passed, SC bill will be challenged

If approved though, the bill will be challenged and would eventually make its way before the state Supreme Court. But while similar legislation was ruled unconstitutional, the court is now composed of all men after Justice Kaye Hearn, the only woman on the high court, retired and was replaced by now-Justice Gary Hill.
By Daniel Wiessner

(Reuters) - Lawyers for abortion pill maker GenBioPro Inc on Tuesday urged a West Virginia federal judge to allow them to proceed with their challenge to the state's near-total abortion ban, claiming it is invalid because it interferes with the federal government's approval of mifepristone.

U.S. District Judge Robert Chambers at a hearing in Huntington, West Virginia at times seemed skeptical of claims by the state's lawyer, Jennifer Scragg Karr, that West Virginia has the power to regulate potentially dangerous drugs beyond what is required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"That's what the FDA is charged with determining," Chambers said to Karr.

Karr replied that West Virginia's law merely complements FDA regulation and does not conflict with it, and that the state has the power to protect unborn life and maternal health.

GenBioPro in its January lawsuit claims the state's ban on virtually all abortions violates the U.S. Constitution by blocking interstate sales of mifepristone despite its approval more than two decades ago by the FDA.

Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen with misoprostol used for medication abortions, which account for more than half of U.S. abortions.

Nevada-based GenBioPro makes the only generic version of mifepristone and currently supplies a majority of the drug used in the U.S. Numerous medical studies have concluded that the drug is safe and effective.

Chambers on Tuesday also seemed leery of the company's claim that it was impossible to reconcile the FDA's goal of ensuring nationwide access to abortion pills with West Virginia's "functional ban" on the drug.

"You're able to sell it to a point but not as much as you'd like," Chambers said to David Frederick, the company's lawyer. Chambers noted that West Virginia's abortion law does not ban mifepristone and allows it to be prescribed in cases involving rape, incest and medical emergencies.

Frederick said the narrow exceptions to the state's abortion ban go far beyond restrictions set by the FDA.

Chambers said it would likely be several weeks before he issues a ruling.

The hearing came as anti-abortion groups are challenging mifepristone's approval in a separate case in Texas, with potentially far-reaching consequences for abortion access across the country. A U.S. appeals court last week appeared skeptical of the government's appeal of a federal judge's April ruling in that case essentially suspending the FDA's approval of the drug.

Mifepristone remains available for now, due to an emergency order from the U.S. Supreme Court preserving the status quo during the appeal.

The cases are among several in a heated nationwide legal battle over access to mifepristone that emerged after the Supreme Court last year overturned its landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that had established a constitutional right to have an abortion.

GenBioPro last month filed a separate lawsuit seeking to force the FDA to keep the drug on the market, while Democrat-led states and abortion clinics have filed similar lawsuits against the agency.

In the states' lawsuit, a federal judge in Washington last month blocked the FDA from altering access to mifepristone as the states' lawsuit proceeds, in a ruling that conflicted with the one out of Texas.

The case is GenBioPro Inc v. Sorsaia, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, No. 3:23-cv-00058.

For GenBioPro: David Frederick of Kellogg, Hansen, Todd, Figel & Frederick

For the state: Jennifer Scragg Karr of the Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney's Office

Read more:

Lawsuits filed over U.S. state restrictions on abortion pills

Abortion pill case goes before conservative appeals court; What's next?

Judges issue conflicting abortion-pill injunctions

Maker of generic abortion pill sues to keep drug on the market

West Virginia lawmakers approve near-total abortion ban

U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ends constitutional right to abortion

US appeals judges express support for opponents of abortion pill

U.S. Supreme Court preserves broad access to abortion pill
The African American Mayors Association (AAMA) on Tuesday issued a letter to Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) commending his new housing act, but calling for more resources to be provided for affordable housing as a way to help end racial disparities in homeownership.

Scott, who announced his candidacy for president this week, introduced the Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act (or ROAD to Housing Act) in April. The act would review federal housing policy while also introducing reforms across the entire housing market.

In a letter to Scott, the AAMA urged him to include increased funding to modernize and reimagine public housing.

If Congress gives mayors the tools to build more affordable housing, we will deliver, said Shawyn Patterson-Howard, mayor for Mount Vernon, New York and the associations president.

We are confident that we can make tremendous progress in closing the Black-White homeownership gap  and in turn, the Black-White wealth gap  if we build more housing and continue to invest in fair housing enforcement as we approach the 55th anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act, added Patterson-Howard.

The ROAD to Housing Act would give families better access to financial literacy tools and provide Congress with data to analyze costs and delays in affordable housing. The act would also provide Congress with stats on how agencies collect data on homelessness and affordable housing to provide insight into policy making. Finally, it would incentivize housing and service providers to reduce the number of people who are homeless.

I grew up the son of a hardworking single mother in an apartment that we rented. I didnt achieve the dream of homeownership until later in life. But my story is not unique, Scott, ranking member on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, said upon announcing the act.

Unfortunately, federal housing policy has done little to address the affordability of housing. Its too expensive and too far out of reach. Its past time we take a comprehensive look at how we pave the road to housing for all Americans. By providing targeted reforms across all segments of the housing market, we can empower families to achieve the dream of home ownership.

But racial disparities in homeownership in America have persisted for decades. In 2020, the rate of Black homeownership was the same as it was in 1970, despite the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, according to the Department of Treasury.

In 2022, the homeownership rate for white Americans in 2021 was nearly 75 percent, but only 45 percent for Black Americans. Hispanic Americans fared slightly better, with 48 percent of homeownership.

The AAMA are calling for increased funding for Department of Housing and Urban Development programs like the Public Housing Operating Fund, which provides subsidies to housing authorities (HAs) to help in fund things like maintenance expenses.

The group is also calling for increased funding for the Public Housing Capital Fund, which provides funds for developing, financing, and modernizing public housing developments, and the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative, a program that supports struggling neighborhoods.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
There is Agreement on Civics Education  If You Know Where to Look

Correction appended May 24

Do schools even teach civics anymore?

I have fielded that question many times over the years  and it is disheartening for anyone who cares deeply about civic education.

But I understand.

Civics spent decades relegated to the backseat of American education as schools placed greater emphasis on subjects such as English, science and math.

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But civics is garnering renewed attention now  and with that has come some difficult conversations.

Many teachers and school leaders are struggling to navigate district- and state-level debates about social studies curricula and standards, including how to teach civics and history. How should schools approach lessons about government and politics during these extremely polarizing times? What is the best way to broach contentious current events or historical issues?

These debates have become increasingly political, with the left and the right accusing each other of trying to force specific political ideologies on classrooms.

It is time to take a step back. Seeking the fundamental aspects of a quality, 21st century civics education does not need to be divisive.

Related How Texas Lawmakers Gutted Civics

Four key principles that should be at the core of a modern civics education. Evidence shows that these principles are educationally sound and enjoy wide support across the political spectrum.

Principle No. 1: Help students develop a foundation of knowledge

The Bill of Rights Institute works with more than 70,000 middle school and high school civics and history teachers nationwide. They understand that students need a firm understanding of their country, their government and their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

The importance of this basic civic knowledge enjoys wide support that transcends politics. As part of their Understanding America Study, researchers from the University of Southern California surveyed a representative sample of 3,751 American adults in 2022.

Researchers found several areas of broad agreement, and more than 90% of both Democrats and Republicans said they believed high school civics students should study topics such as the U.S. economy, the contributions of Americas founders, how to get involved in local politics and election integrity.

Principle No. 2: Tell Americas whole story

Learning about principles such as liberty and equality requires frank discussion of times when America failed to live up to them. Teaching students about slavery, Jim Crow laws and voting rights restrictions is not an assault on Americas principles. Instead, it teaches students that these principles must be fought for, pursued vigilantly and actively upheld.

Leaders such as Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Jr. called for America to live up to its principles as part of the abolition and civil rights movements.

USC researchers found that more than 90% of surveyed Democrats and Republicans believe high school civics students should learn about slavery and the contributions of women and people of color.

Related To Bolster Civics Knowledge & Reading Skills, Why Not Do Both at the Same Time?

A 2022 study from More in Common, an international nonprofit that studies polarization and social divisions, found that Republicans and Democrats share common ground about how to teach our national story but hold inaccurate ideas about what the other side believes about teaching U.S. history.

In other words, there is broad support for teaching Americas whole story, and differences are often more perceived than real.

Principle No. 3: Build critical thinking

The USC study also found overwhelming support for helping civics students develop critical thinking skills  a powerful antidote for the rampant polarization in America today.

Curriculum that includes point-counterpoint lessons teaches students to view issues from multiple perspectives and critically analyze their own positions. This can help them learn to appreciate other viewpoints and engage civilly, even with people they may disagree with.

Civics and history teachers regularly stress viewpoint diversity in their classrooms, and they play a crucial role in helping to develop future generations of critical thinkers.

Principle No. 4: Help students develop and apply good citizenship skills

Students do not stay in the classroom forever. They need to understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

That requires learning basic civic virtues, such as integrity, responsibility and respect, and developing citizenship skills, like how to engage in civil discourse and work within their communities to solve problems.

Students should be encouraged to apply their citizenship skills just as they would their math, science or geography skills. This is basic knowledge transfer, a sound educational principle that involves being able to apply learning across different situations.

Related Time to Refocus on Civics, for the Good of the Country  and Student Literacy

In 2022, the Bill of Rights Institute launched a nationwide civic engagement contest called MyImpact Challenge that encourages students to develop service projects in their communities and connect them to constitutional principles such as liberty, equality, and justice. Participants applied their citizenship skills to launch food drives, train their peers in disaster preparedness, remove trash from waterways and launch a poetry and art contest where teens could reflect on equality.

Civic education is vital to the future of the country. While disagreement and debate can be healthy, they should not overshadow the broad areas of agreement that exist around core principles of a civic education. Those principles benefit educators, students and communities  and point a path forward for schools.

Correction: Principle 3 is based on the USC study.
On the night of 22-23 May, Ukrainian defenders shot down six Russian Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs over Ukraine, two of which were destroyed over Mykolaiv Oblast.

Source: Command of the Air Force of Ukraine; Air Command Pivden (South)

Details: Earlier, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported four Shahed UAVs destroyed overnight.

The Ukrainian Air Force Command reported that on the night of 22-23 May, six Russian Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs were destroyed on different fronts.

Air Command Pivden (South) reported that the air defence assets and personnel from Air Command Pivden destroyed two Russian Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs last night in Mykolaiv Oblast.

In addition, on 22 May, one Merlin-VR reconnaissance UAV was destroyed in Kherson Oblast.

In total, two Merlin-VR reconnaissance UAVs were destroyed over Ukraine over the past day.

On the morning of 23 May, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that over the past 24 hours, a total of 34 drones of various types and purposes, as well as four cruise missiles, had been destroyed (as early as the night of 22 May).

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The Air Force welcomes the actual creation of the "aircraft coalition", the preparation process continues, but the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 multipurpose fighter jets has not yet begun.

Source: the spokesperson of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel Yurii Ihnat, on air of the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "The process of preparing people to start this training is still ongoing. There are advanced groups that have gone to countries that can provide us with sites for training. We are studying how this process will go. The pilots themselves are not yet [in these countries  ed.].

Everyone is waiting. For a long time, unfortunately, I had to deny every time that pilots are training in the USA, Europe... Such news appear once a month and I have to sort things out. Because there is no need to give any extra hope.

Today, we have extremely good news that there is actually an aircraft coalition, a number of countries will train [Ukrainian] pilots, some are ready to transfer fighter jets to us. The start is given, the decision that Ukraine will have the F-16s was made. Next are the technical points, processes. Representatives of the Air Force are constantly in contact with our partners, we are studying the moment when and which groups will go to which countries for training, and what the time limits will be."

Details: Ihnat added that "a large number of pilots cannot be sent to train on the F-16s, because someone needs to fight".

The spokesperson of the Air Force emphasised that while the conversation with the journalists is ongoing, the risky and intense work of Ukrainian tactical aircraft is going on on the eastern front.

Background:

EU High Representative Josep Borrell has said that several countries, including Poland, have begun training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s.

The source of Ukrinform in the Polish government has confirmed the information about the beginning of exercises on F-16 fighter jets for Ukrainian pilots.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The airports where youll have the best (and worst) experience this summer

The best airport experience for holidaymakers? It could be Athens (Getty Images)

Travellers will have their best airport experience this summer in Athens, according to research into some of the top travel holidays destinations for Britons.

Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in the Greek capital leads the way, taking first place in the ranking  scoring highly for punctuality and its shopping offering.

At the other end of the table is Berlins Brandenburg airport, which scored worst of all 23 locations included in the study.

The research, carried out by airline compensation consultants AirAdvisor, gauges punctuality, Google reviews after combing through more than 735,000, distance from the city, shop rating, and the cost of transfers. The ratings from each category were then combined to produce an overall score.

After Athens, which opened two decades ago, came Palma de Mallorca in second place, followed by Romes Leonardo da VinciFiumicino Airport in third.

Eight of the top 10 airports were in Europe, with only Los Angeles International Airport (5th) and Orlando International Airport (7th) from outside the continent.

The highest-ranking British airport  Edinburgh  only just made the middle ground in 11th position; however, the Scottish airport did take join first place (with Faro) for cost of transfers. London Heathrow reached 15th place, and Gatwick came in 18th position.

Stansted, in lowly 21st position, received the lowest ranking in the category of distance from the city. Top performers included Los Angeles for punctuality, Athens for Google reviews, Madrid Barajas for the shopping experience and Venice Marco Polo and Nice Cote dAzur Airport for distance from the city  both of which are less than 30 minutes away from the main drag.

On the flip side, with only 14 shops to its name, Tenerife South (Tenerife Sur) was the worst performer when it comes to shopping experience. Paris Charles De Gaulle was identified as the least punctual airport. Venice had the most expensive airport transfers and Bordeaux Merignac had the worst Google reviews.

Anton Radchenko, chief executive of AirAdvisor, said: Most of us only consider our choice of airport as a point of convenience  selecting a departure that is closest to our home. And airports are rarely a consideration when selecting a holiday destination. But airports can significantly impact your holiday experience. Especially if flights are delayed or luggage is lost.

A recent report showed that operators were losing bags last summer at the highest rate for a decade, with a total of 26 million bags misplaced in 2022.

The best (and worst) ranked airports
Alabama Barker, Travis Barker's daughter, hits back at critics of her rap music: 'I've been influenced by rap my entire upbringing'

Alabama Barker and father Travis. Getty/Rob Kim

Travis Barker's daughter, Alabama, has hit back at criticism of her making rap music.

The 17-year-old has recently been sharing clips of her songs on TikTok.

"If me being a rapper bugs you, then you can just keep moving," she said.

Travis Barker's daughter, Alabama, has hit out at critics of her rap music.

The 17-year-old has recently been sharing clips of her songs on TikTok, prompting a mixed reaction from viewers.

While some have compared her to superstar rappers Ice Spice and Latto, others have hit out at the teenager for stepping into the genre.

In a now-deleted TikTok posted on Monday, Alabama took aim that the haters.

"I'm tired of people saying I don't know anything about rap music, I wasn't raised around rap music, I wasn't anything," she said in the clip, according to People. "So, let's take a little field day into my life because you guys know it so well."

Alabama then proceeded to show a series of photos of her posing alongside famous rappers including Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, and A$AP Ferg.

Her father, who is the drummer for the rock band Blink-182, is featured in a number of the snaps.

"Since I could walk, I was in the music industry," said Alabama, per People. "I was watching my dad perform in punk bands, rock bands, in rap concerts, everything. So, for the people that say, 'Oh, she doesn't know anything about rap music. She didn't grow up around rap music. Why is she doing this? Why is she doing that?' I've been influenced by rap my entire upbringing and punk rock."

She continued: "I know I am privileged, and I'm beyond grateful for that and blessed. It's not okay for people to make fun of or disrespect any culture at all. So, if me being a rapper bugs you, then you can just keep moving and stop commenting."

@alabamabarker Im posting the top 10 i like on my story  original sound - Alabama barker

Recently, Alabama also fired back at social media trolls who shamed her for wearing heavy makeup and revealing outfits.

In a TikTok, the teen appeared in full glam accompanied by a viral audio clip that says: "I'd tell you what you look like but you won't like it."

Alabama captioned her video: "When Kathryn with 3 kids only waterline liner, 4 different colored blonde & Tom shows, talk about my makeup or my age."

In the comments section of the video, one fan responded: "I think people are just concerned about the over sexualization of youth in Hollywood/LA culture."

Alabama replied: "Well I'm doing great thank u."

Read the original article on Insider
A beloved teacher in the Albert Gallatin Area School District died unexpectedly Tuesday.

The district identified him as Toby Maykuth. He was a kindergarten teacher at Smithfield Elementary School who had a big impact on the school and Uniontown community.

Madeline Davis knows that impact firsthand. Her son was in his class this year. They loved him.

Because just his energy, amazing energy, Davis said. Just full of life, and I think he just brought out a joy for learning for the kids.

Hearing the news of his unexpected death Tuesday morning was a shock.

Its devastating, Davis said. My son was so lucky to have him for his first year of school, and I just felt so lucky, and I know he was getting just a wonderful education, and this is just a terrible, terrible loss.

Maykuth taught kindergarten at Smithfield Elementary for nearly 20 years.

He was the musical director and head of the drama department at the high school. He also worked with the Uniontown State Theatre.

Channel 11s Andrew Havranek spoke with the district superintendent on the phone Tuesday. He said Maykuth had worked with so many students across the district, it made sense to send everyone home early.

It shows how important Mr. Maykuth was to everyone, Davis said.

The district released a statement Tuesday afternoon saying there will be no class at Smithfield Elementary on Wednesday.

They also ask parents to watch for signs of stress in their child after this sudden loss.

Davis also had a message for the community.

I just, I think we need to learn to appreciate our teachers more than what we do, she said.

The school says it will have counselors, social workers, and therapists at all of the schools for the rest of the year. The last day of school is June 5.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available right now. You can reach the suicide and crisis lifeline 24 hours a day by calling or texting 988.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

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That's a wrap on "Rust."

Alec Baldwin took to Instagram to celebrate the final day of filming his infamous Western in Montana. Production had halted in the fall of 2021, after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot on set.

"Last day of filming RUST in Montana," Baldwin wrote beneath a photo of actors Frances Fisher and Patrick Scott McDermott. The movie was initially filming in New Mexico, before switching locations after the deadly incident.

"Sorry that I did not get to work with this living legend, the great @francesfisher," the actor, 65, wrote. "Patrick, I envy you."

Alec Baldwin wrapped filming on the set of his film "Rust."

ALEC BALDWIN'S 'RUST' CHARACTER HANGED BY NOOSE AFTER DEADLY SHOOTING

Baldwin addressed the arduous path taken to complete the project, writing, "Its been a long and difficult road. But we reach the end of the trail today. Congratulations to Joel [Souza], Bianca [Cline] and the entire cast and crew."

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Souza  who was injured in the shooting that killed Hutchins  is the original screenwriter and director of the film, while Cline replaced Hutchins as cinematographer.

"Nothing less than a miracle," Baldwin concluded.

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The post generated a relatively positive response from fans, many of them congratulating Baldwin on finally completing the project.

"What a great group of professionals you are giving your all to complete this film... against all odds," one user commented.

"Hope all goes well with the release. And moving on from it," another added.

Another person was less thrilled with Baldwin's choice of words to describe Fisher. "Cannot believe you said living Legend considering" they wrote.

Alec Baldwin resumed filming "Rust" in April of this year.

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Alec Baldwin is still being sued by the family of Halyna Hutchins.

Baldwin was initially charged with involuntary manslaughter in the beginning of 2022, after a rehearsal for the film went awry.

Baldwin was holding a gun when the weapon fired and killed Hutchins, also injuring Souza.

The case was later closed in the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico, although new charges could be brought against Baldwin in the future. The "30 Rock" star still faces other civil lawsuits, including one from the family of Hutchins, as well as a suit brought by "Rust" script supervisor Mamie Mitchell. Both parties are represented by Gloria Allred.

"Mr. Baldwin should know that we remain committed to fighting and winning for our clients and holding him accountable for pointing a loaded gun at Halyna Hutchins, pulling the trigger and killing her," Allred shared in a statement. "Mr. Baldwin may pretend that he is not responsible for pulling the trigger and ejecting a live bullet which ended Halynas life."

"He can run to Montana and pretend that he is just an actor in a wild west movie but, in real life, he cannot escape from the fact that he had a major role in a tragedy which had real life consequences for Halyna, her mother, father, sister, and co-worker," the statement continued.

Baldwin has denied pulling the trigger.
Mexico on Sunday raised the alert level for the Popocatepetl volcano to "yellow phase 3", which is just below the "red" alarm level.

Hundreds of tremors have been registered in the region in the last week, officials said. The volcano has been spewing smoke and ash.

The parameters for "yellow phase 3" are low to intermediate explosive eruptive activity, mild to moderate explosions that can hurl rock fragments, and light to moderate ash falling in surrounding towns and more distant cities, the National Center for Disaster Prevention said. The expulsion of magma is also possible.

Popocatepetl, located in the states of Morelos, Puebla and Mexico, is about 45 miles southwest of Mexico City. About 25 million people live in a 60-mile radius of the volcano.

The National Coordination for Civil Protection (CNPC) advised people in the region to cover their noses and mouths with handkerchiefs or face masks. The department also advised closing windows and staying inside as much as possible.

The Popocatepetl Volcano spews ash and smoke as seen from Puebal, state of Puebla, Mexico, on May 18, 2023. / Credit: JOSE CASTANARES/AFP via Getty Images

Civil Defense Coordinator Laura Velazquez said CNPC personnel went to Puebla to check on evacuation routes and coordinate with local governments.

Some schools in Puebla and in the state of Mexico were closed for in-person classes on Monday.

Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport was temporarily closed on Saturday because of volcanic ash. Felipe Angeles airport, located north of Mexico City, was also briefly shut down. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), volcanic ash contamination on aircrafts "can lead to failure of critical navigational and operational instruments."

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico also issued an advisory, warning people not to travel within a 7.5 mile radius of the volcano.

Popocatepetl became active again in 1994 after about 70 years of dormancy, according to the USGS.

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SOUTH BURLINGTON  On May 23, Alexander Wilde plans on digging into a big bowl of whipped cream. No cake or ice cream  just the whipped cream. A dessert that requires minimal chewing is ideal for Wilde's teeth, as he's turning 100 years old.

Wilde plans to celebrate his 100th birthday with his children and grandchildren, as well as his wife Barbara, who lives with him at a senior living center in South Burlington. Wilde was born in Vienna, Austria, to a Jewish family in 1923, and lived through the early parts of Adolf Hitler's rule before finding a way to escape.

Terrorism is still on the horizon. Antisemitism has never left us," Wilde said. "I can only hope that for the little time that I have left and my wife has left in this life, that we have earned a good remembrance. That we would like to hope that future events will be more favorable.

Alexander Wilde, photographed at his home in South Burlington on May 12, a week before his 100th birthday.

Now retired in Vermont, Wilde shares his life story at middle schools, high schools, churches, and synagogues across New England. By sharing his story, Wilde hopes that younger generations can learn from the past and create a better future.

"There's still tremendous discrimination in the world," Wilde said. "We hope that this will spark our children to lead forward for a brighter future."

'We can't solve this on our own': Inside Robert Kraft's campaign to combat antisemitism

What life was like for a Jewish boy under Hitler's rule

Wilde was born in Austria on May 23, 1923. He was an only child whose mother was a physician and father was a lawyer.

We lived a comfortable life," Wilde said, "until the days came when Hitler marched into Austria and all freedoms stopped, and horror followed."

Alexander Wilde as a toddler in Austria

In 1938, when German Nazi troops took control over Vienna, Wilde and his family had their passports stamped with the letter "J" for "Jude," the German word for "Jewish." Soon after, Wilde was kicked out of his high school for being Jewish.

Months later, stormtroopers knocked on the door to Wilde's home, telling his family that they needed to immediately vacate the house. Wilde and his parents escaped through a side door and fled to a distant relative's house in a Jewish enclave of Vienna. Overnight, Wilde went from living in a comfortable, upper-class home to a one-room apartment.

In this March 24, 1938 file photo, German troops reach Vienna, Austria shortly after the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany.

On Nov. 9 and 10, 1938, a wave of antisemitic violence known as "The Night of the Broken Glass" swept Germany, Austria, and areas of Czechoslovakia that were occupied by German troops. Nearly all of the approximately 100 synagogues and places of Jewish worship in Vienna were burned to the ground by Nazi troops and antisemitic citizens, according to the World Holocaust Remembrance Center.

"It was utter terror to see the synagogues burn," Wilde said.

A young man with a broom clears broken glass from shop windows in Berlin, the morning after the Nazis demolished thousands of Jewish facilities during the night, in what was later called "Crystal Night" or "The Night of Broken Glass," Nov. 10, 1938.

From Dachau concentration camp, his father warns 'get the child out'

On Nov. 10, Wilde's father was returning home from his job in a shoe store when a stormtrooper grabbed him and threw him in a truck. A week later, Wilde's father was sent to Dachau concentration camp.

The first letter that Wilde's mother received from her husband read, "Make every effort to get the child out."

An opportunity came in December when the British government was persuaded by Quakers and other activists to implement The Kindertransport. This program allowed about 10,000 predominantly Jewish children from Austria, Germany, and Czechoslovakia to escape to Britain on special visas.

On Dec. 10, 1938, Wilde boarded a Britain-bound train with 500 other young children. Of the 10,000 children rescued by The Kindertransport, only about half ever saw their parents again, according to the publication The Conversation.

A memorial statue of the 'Kindertransport' (children transport) near Friedrichstrasse train station in central in Berlin, Germany, Dec. 17, 2018.

A Scottish roofer helps Wilde's parents get a visa to China

Upon arriving in England, Wilde was placed in a summer camp that was closed for the winter, sleeping in a frozen cabin without heat. The day after Christmas, good fortune met Wilde when he was sent to Edinburgh, Scotland, to be adopted by a retired roofing contractor named Christian Ettrup.

Ettrup figured out that if he bought Wilde's parents tickets to Shanghai, China, the Chinese government would give them a visa without a waiting period. The plan worked. Wilde's mother went to the Gestapo with the travel information and got her husband released. In those days before the war started, the Nazis were still willing to release men from concentration camps if they were leaving the country.

Alexander Wilde (right) with his parents in 1956.

Wilde's father was released from Dachau in April of 1939.

"He was literally a broken man; he looked drawn and starved; grey; and not the same man we saw and knew just half a year earlier," Wilde said.

Wilde's parents canceled the tickets to China and escaped to England, where Wilde was reunited with them in the summer of 1939.

On Sept. 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, and two days later England and France declared war on Germany, signifying the start of World War II. The war made life increasingly difficult for Wilde and his parents, even as they lived in England.

Wilde family immigrates to the United States

By the summer of 1940, the British government decided to apprehend and intern all foreign-born men over the age of 14, in response to discovering that Germany had infiltrated Britain with spies disguised as Jewish refugees. Wilde and his father were arrested and sent to two different internment areas.

In the meantime, Wilde's mother arranged the documents for the three of them to immigrate to the U.S. The night before their ship set sail for New York City, the Wilde family was reunited at an air raid shelter in Liverpool, as the city was being bombed by Germany.

The ruins of Germany's bombing of Liverpool, England, photographed Sept. 22, 1942.

"It was a scary trip across the Atlantic, which was full of German submarines torpedoing British and other foreign ships," Wilde said.

The Wilde family arrived in New York City on Oct. 12, 1940.

'Same needs and hopes and dreams'

After immigrating to the U.S., Wilde attended school, worked at a metal production company, and eventually joined the U.S. Army in 1944. The Army stationed Wilde in Alaska and then Texas, going from temperatures as low as -46 degrees Fahrenheit to as high as 100 degrees.

Discharged in 1946 upon the end of the war, Wilde attended Roosevelt College (now called Roosevelt University) in Chicago and then earned a Master's Degree at the University of Chicago.

Alexander and Barbara Wilde on their wedding day in 1954.

After graduating, Wilde got a job at the U.S. Department of Labor, through which he met a young woman named Barbara Schneider, who later became his wife.

"From the beginning that we were together, we shared the same needs and hopes and dreams," Wilde said.

Wilde and Schneider got married in 1954, and have been together for 69 years now, raising three children.

Sharing a story of survival after retiring in Vermont

Wilde worked at the health insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield in Chicago for 38 years until he retired in 1990. After retiring, Wilde and Schneider moved to Maine to be closer to their daughter who lived there and then relocated to Vermont when their daughter's work brought her to the Green Mountain state in 2010.

I love the philosophy of progressive liberalism," Wilde said about Vermont.

Alexander Wilde (front left) with his family on his 95th birthday in 2018.

Returning to Gymnasium Wasagasse in Vienna

In 2006, Wilde was given an all-expenses-paid trip to Vienna to speak at the very school that had kicked him out for being Jewish 68 years prior, Gymnasium Wasagasse. The speaking event was organized by a teacher as part of a year-long curriculum about the Holocaust and the dark side of the school's past. There is now a granite plaque hanging in the school with Wilde's name on it that honors the students who were expelled.

"This was a very moving, supportive instance," Wilde said.

Since then, Wilde has given about 40 public speeches about his life story. Even now, at 100 years old, Wilde is still sharing his story with the public.

Note: Many of the facts from this story are from Janis Audet's research project on Wilde's life.

Contact April Fisher at amfisher@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AMFisherMedia

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Holocaust survivor shares his story: What the Vermonter says at 100
An alligator attacked a mans arm while behind a bar in southwest Florida early Sunday morning.

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A 23-year-old man was attacked in Port Charlotte near Banditos Bar, a spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said, according to CBS News. The man was a patron of the bar, which is located next to a pond.

Manny Hidalgo, a witness to the incident, said that he heard a man screaming from the pond area and went outside to look.

He was yelling and swimming toward the shoreline, Hidalgo said. I ran and dragged him up onto the sand. I was scared to get close to the water because it was dark out.

When Hidalgo pulled the man out, he discovered that the 23-year-old had his arm bitten into, prompting a medical helicopter to respond. The victim was taken to Gulf Coast Hospital in Fort Myers where his arm was amputated, Charlotte County Fire and EMS Spokesperson Todd Dunn said.

An alligator trapper removed the 10 and a half foot alligator from the property.

Patrons of the bar were known to feed the alligators by throwing their leftovers into the pond.
Amazon has been accused again of illegal anti-union behavior. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) filed a complaint Monday, saying the company changed its policies to squash union support at its only unionized warehouse in Staten Island, as reported by Bloomberg. The complaint says Amazon changed policies to prohibit onsite union meetings while bypassing labor negotiations for providing paid leave for COVID-19 cases, among other violations. The accusations paint a picture of a corporation essentially dismissing the union, which voted to organize in 2022, as illegitimate  an image that lines up with its CEOs public comments.

The NLRB accuses Amazon of changing a policy to prevent unionized workers from accessing the Staten Island warehouse during their time off. In addition, the agency says the company terminated two employees because of their association with the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) and changed its paid-leave policy for COVID-19 cases unilaterally  without negotiating with the workers organization.

The complaint also alleges that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy broke federal labor laws by saying unionized employees would be less empowered and have difficulty enjoying direct relationships with supervisors in an interview at The New York Times DealBook Summit in December. That has a real chance to end up in federal courts, Jassy added about the workers establishment of bureaucratic unions. Amazon has argued that the unions establishment should be overturned because of misconduct.

The NLRB complaint describes Jassys comments as interfering with, restraining and coercing employees, saying his quotes about losing access to managers were an illegal threat. The NLRB filed a previous complaint in October following similar anti-union comments from Jassy. All these Succession-style billionaires should be held accountable for unlawful actions, and thats what were doing, said ALU attorney Seth Goldstein. [The complaint] is going to send a strong message to the union-busters and to CEOs like Jassy who think that they can say whatever they want to and they wont be held accountable.

In cases like this, NLRB prosecutors complaints are sent to agency judges, whose rulings can be appealed to labor board members in Washington and, if it stretches beyond that, to federal court. But, unfortunately, although the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) allows the independent agency to make employers reinstate wrongly terminated workers and change policies, it cant issue fines to them (or individual executives like Jassy). So dont be shocked if this saga makes its way through the courts as Amazon flexes its muscle to try to avoid meaningful consequences and prevent the lone unionized warehouse from sparking a broader movement within the corporation.
People holding transgender flags Vladimir Vladimirov / Getty Image

Despite opposition from major medical groups, Republican officials across state legislatures have in recent months forged ahead with a slew of bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgery. Those who support the limits argue such care is too experimental and allegedly irreversible. But critics are concerned that the restrictions stand to further harm and ostracize an already-marginalized and vulnerable population. Below, we've rounded up every state that has approved some degree of care ban.

Alabama

In April of 2022, Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill criminalizing gender-affirming care for individuals under the age of 19. "We should especially protect our children from these radical life-altering drugs and surgeries when they are at such a vulnerable stage in life," the governor said in a statement, claiming she approved the bill because "if the good Lord made you a boy, you are a boy, and if he made you a girl, you are a girl." A federal judge not long after halted portions of the law from taking effect while court challenges play out.

Arizona

In the spring of 2022, former Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed into law two bills targeting transgender youth, one of which restricts "any irreversible gender reassignment surgery until the age of 18," Ducey said. The case for the bill is "simple and common sense," the governor wrote in a letter at the time: "This is a decision that will dramatically affect the rest of an individual's life, including the ability of that individual to become a biological parent later in life." The ban does not include cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers and is currently in effect, per The New York Times.

Since then, current Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) has vowed to veto any bill that targets the LGBTQ+ community.

Arkansas

In March, Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a bill that makes it easier to sue medical professionals who provide gender-affirming care for kids, "a move that could effectively reinstate a blocked ban on such care," The Associated Press reported. The law takes effect in the summer of 2023 and allows "anyone who received gender-affirming care as a minor to file a malpractice lawsuit against their doctor for up to 15 years after they turn 18." The state legislature had previously passed a law restricting gender-affirming care for kids, overriding a veto from then-Gov. Asa Hutchinson, but its efforts were later temporarily blocked by U.S. District Judge Jay Moody, who's currently considering whether to strike down the law.

Florida

In early May, the Florida legislature advanced a bill that bans gender-affirming care for transgender minors, prohibits local governments and institutions that access Florida's Medicaid programs from using that money to provide such treatment, and makes it easier to sue a doctor who provided gender-affirming therapies. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), whose "administration last year blocked state-subsidized health care from paying for treatments of transgender people," according to Politico, is expected to sign it. The bill also arrives after the state's medical boards passed rules banning gender-affirming care like puberty blockers, hormones and surgical procedures for new patients under 18. Both the administration's decision and the medical board's decision are being challenged in court.

Georgia

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in March signed a bill barring medical professionals in Georgia from providing minors with hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgery under threat of license revocation. The law ensures "we protect the health and wellbeing of Georgia's children," Kemp tweeted at the time. "As Georgians, parents and elected leaders, it is our highest responsibility to safeguard the bright, promising futures of our kids  and SB 140 takes an important step in fulfilling that mission." Minors who began hormone therapy before July 1 of this year, when the law takes effect, are permitted to continue treatment.

Idaho

Republican Gov. Brad Little on April 4 approved a bill criminalizing the act of providing minors with puberty blockers, hormones or other gender-affirming care in the state of Idaho. The law doesn't go into effect until January 2024. "In signing this bill, I recognize our society plays a role in protecting minors from surgeries or treatments that can irreversibly damage their healthy bodies," the governor wrote in a signing statement. "However, as policymakers we should take great caution whenever we consider allowing the government to interfere with loving parents and their decisions about what is best for their children."

Indiana

A law banning all gender-affirming care for children under 18 goes into effect on July 1, 2023, and transgender youth currently using medicine to transition have until the end of the year to stop doing so, Politico reported.

Iowa

In late March, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds approved two bills aimed at Iowa's transgender youth. The first  Senate File 538, which immediately went into effect  bans doctors from treating minors with gender-affirming care. "We need to just pause; we need to understand what these emerging therapies actually may potentially do to our kids," Reynolds said at a news conference. "This is an extremely uncomfortable position for me to be in. I don't like it. But I have to do what I believe right now is in the best interest of the kids."

Kentucky

At the end of March, the Republican legislature voted to override Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of a multipronged anti-trans law, which counts a ban on gender-affirming health care among its many restrictions. While once "fairly narrow," wrote The New York Times, the final law also prohibits schools from referring to students using their preferred pronouns, should those pronouns differ from the student's birth certificate, urges doctors to cease treating patients that have begun transitioning, and limits the discussion of sexuality and gender orientation in schools. It goes into effect on June 29 of this year.

Mississippi

Gov. Tate Reeves (R) in early 2023 signed a bill banning puberty blockers, hormone therapies and gender-related surgeries for individuals under 18 in Mississippi. The bill also blocks institutions or individuals who provide gender-affirming care to minors from accessing public funding, allows minors to sue providers for 30 years after receiving gender-affirming treatment and threatens medical professionals with the loss of their license should they violate the law. It's currently in effect.

Missouri

Attorney General Andrew Bailey in mid-April issued a state directive that severely limits treatment of both transgender adults and minors. Under Bailey's rules, which he described as "substantial guardrails" around such "experimental treatments," individuals must submit to at least 18 months of therapy before receiving puberty-blocking drugs or undergoing gender-related surgeries. The directive went into effect on April 27 and expires February 2024.

Montana

Despite his nonbinary son having urged him otherwise, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte at the end of April signed into law a bill restricting hormone treatments and surgeries for transgender youth in the state of Montana. The bill's journey to the governor's desk was quite dramatic. After she spoke out against the legislation, transgender Rep. Zooey Zephyr was blocked from the House floor for the remainder of the legislative session. The law goes into effect on Oct. 1.

North Dakota

In late April, Gov. Doug Burgum (R) approved a bill that criminalizes gender-affirming care for minors, though the final law still allegedly allows certain exceptions with parental approval. Minors currently receiving gender-affirming care are able to continue treatment. The law went into effect immediately.

Oklahoma

GOP Gov. Kevin Stitt on May 1 signed a bill that makes it a felony to provide minors with gender-affirming care like puberty blockers and hormones. The law took effect immediately.

South Dakota

Republican Gov. Kristi Noem in February signed a bill into law that bans both surgical and nonsurgical forms of gender-affirming care for South Dakota children under 18. Medical providers in violation of the law can be sued in civil court and risk losing their professional or occupational licenses. The new rules take effect on July 1.

Tennessee

GOP Gov. Bill Lee signed a gender-affirming care ban into law in Tennessee in early March. The legislation prohibits medical professionals from "performing on a minor or administering to a minor a medical procedure if the performance or administration of the procedure is for the purpose of enabling a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor's sex." The new law takes effect on July 1. Minors already receiving transition and gender-affirming care can continue to do so until March 31, 2024, provided their physician can certify that ending the treatment would be harmful to the child.

Texas

Last spring, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) alerted state health agencies that providing transgender youth with gender-affirming care was, under state law, tantamount to "child abuse." His directive also stipulated that medical professionals and teachers must alert the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services should they encounter a parent helping their child to receive such care, The Washington Post summarized. The order is currently on hold as court challenges unfold.

Utah

Utah became the first state to limit transgender care for minors in 2023 after Republican Gov. Spencer Cox signed a bill at the end of January that bans gender-affirming surgeries for kids under 18 and places an "indefinite moratorium" on access to puberty blockers and hormone treatments, NBC News wrote at the time. The law is currently in effect.

West Virginia

In March, Gov. Jim Justice (R) approved a bill banning gender-affirming surgery, as well as the prescription of hormone therapy and puberty blockers, to individuals under the age of 18. The law does, however, include a "unique exemption," PBS stated, permitting "doctors to prescribe medical therapy if a teenager is considered at risk for self-harm or suicide." It takes effect in January 2024 and permits a patient to receive puberty blockers and hormone therapy if the medication is approved by a parent and comes in conjunction with a diagnosis of severe gender dysphoria from two doctors, including a mental health professional.

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With the competition narrowed down to four remaining models in South Africa, 19-year-old Keenyah Hill had two photo shoots standing between her and the America's Next Top Model cycle 4 title in 2004; but, one of them came with an obstacle that impacted her emotions outside the competition as well, with an instance of purported sexual harassment captured on camera.

The episode's shoot had the cast posing with a trio of male scene partners, who danced around them while a drummer played traditional music. Hill expressed discomfort and stopped the shoot to call out model Bertini Heumegni, who stood on her left side.

"I thought, in my head, What would Tyra do in this situation?" Hill recalls to EW in an interview for the 20-year anniversary of the Tyra Banks-hosted reality juggernaut. She notes that her discomfort is visible in her photo from the shoot that was shown on air, noting that viewers can see Heumegni's hands touching her waist.

Hill claims, "By the time we got to the set, I was already uncomfortable. While I was in hair and makeup, Bertini was like, 'You're so beautiful, I want to date you, I want to come to America and find you, I want to be with you,' trying to get my phone number. I'm telling him, 'No.' Three times, I turned him down." (Heumegni did not respond to EW's requests for comment, but told Hulu's IMPACT x Nightline docuseries investigation into the moment in March: "It wasn't my intention to make her feel uncomfortable. I just wanted her to have a good picture.")

America's Next Top Model

UPN Keenyah Hill on 'America's Next Top Model' cycle 4

Hill went on with the shoot, but says she paused production, alleging that Heumegni appeared to have an erection, and remembers him "grunting" into her ear. In the episode, creative director Jay Manuel told Heumegni to act "interested without literally grabbing her butt," but it didn't calm Hill's anxiety.

"You've got to understand I'm 19 years old, this is the first time this has ever happened to me, I've never been on photo shoots with male models, all I know is that I feel uncomfortable," says Hill. "Now, when you watch it, it's super cringey, because that could've been shut down at the shoot."

That wasn't the case, she remembers, because Banks advised Hill about handling the alleged harassment differently. At panel, Banks told Hill to use her "feminine wiles" to combat advances on set. "You [push back] in a fun way, where he knows to back the heck up, but it doesn't really put static in the air, because then it makes you uncomfortable," Banks said on the show.

"I really wish that my feelings would've been taken into account," Hill replies now, when asked about how she thinks judges should've handled her feelings. "That should've been squashed there on set, and the focus at panel should've been my photo and not that moment."

A similar situation happened with cycle 1 winner Adrianne Curry years prior. Top Model's go-see challenge  which often tasked the contestants with traversing international city streets to attend real-life fashion designers' mock castings  was often a lively, entertaining standout among each cycle's rotation. But, the go-sees' first go-round ended with one of the darkest moments ANTM ever captured on camera.

While she struggled to find an English-speaking Parisian to help her find the location of her next meeting, the show's inaugural champion was sexually assaulted on the streets of the French city. "This guy looks like he's really listening to me," Curry recalls of a man approaching her as she struggled to navigate the city, and says he "totally touched" her vagina.

America's Next Top Model

UPN Adrianne Curry on go-sees in Paris on 'America's Next Top Model' cycle 1

"He reached out and up my skirt," she says. "I was in such deep shock. The camera crew? Boss mode. We're not allowed to talk, but they all put themselves between me and this dude. They were there for me."

Curry, who tells EW she was molested as a child and raped when she was younger, says the on-camera moment "f---ed" her up from that point on, triggering her post-traumatic stress disorder that's caused night terrors throughout her adult life, and remembers she was too distraught to make it to her next meeting during the challenge.

"I couldn't get my s--- together. I'm all teary and shaky-handed," she recalls. Matters were made worse by the fact that the anonymous man made off into the crowd before they could track him down or contact police.

"He just went off," says Curry. "I just thought, gross, weirdo, a--hole. As it processed, I felt worse about it. It's not something you feel good about. You feel violated, and it's gross."

Subscribe to EW's Quick Drag podcast for recaps of RuPaul's Drag Race, including reactions with the cast, special guests, and more.

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(Bloomberg) -- For global investors, predicting President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors moves has never been easy. And now as he enters the home stretch of his presidency, it might get even harder.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Last week, billionaire German Larrea woke up to find the government had seized a 120-kilometer stretch of a rail line he owns. The Navy took the section at 6 a.m. under a presidential decree citing public use, meaning that it serves a greater benefit for the government. On Monday, AMLO, as the president is known, denied that the government had expropriated Larrea's rail; it had acted only to recover a concession, or the permit to manage the railroad.

The move shocked a business community that until now has been enjoying a surge in growth in foreign investment. One large business group said it could damage investor confidence in the country, while another said Lopez Obradors recent actions have held up tens of billions of dollars of investments.

Lopez Obrador has 15 months left to fulfill his promise to transform Mexico. Over the past four years, he has created an environment where most business decisions must receive his seal of approval, while weakening regulators central to the perception of a stable and safe business environment. Its a step back to the Mexico of the 60s, the 70s, where companies had to sit down and negotiate directly with the president and no one knows what the rules are, Guillermo Garcia Sanchez, associate professor at Texas A&M University School of Law, told Bloomberg News.

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The presidents decree came after a series of controversial moves that have begun making businesspeople skittish about the prospects of investing at this time in Mexico.

In March, Lopez Obrador introduced a set of bill initiatives that, among other things, would extend the states reach into aviation and mining, two key infrastructure sectors. So far, congress has passed two of them.

A third one has had a much rockier time. Known as the administrative megareform, it would allow the government to terminate contracts with private investors if public interest calls for it. It would also cap the compensation companies can receive after a canceled contract. But the measure did not come up for debate. Congress will take it up again this fall.

While investment in Mexico has by no means ground to a halt, Lopez Obradors insistence on increasing the states grip over business has executives at many medium-sized companies rethinking plans to open up shop or grow existing operations in Mexico, signaling a reluctance that, in the long term, could mean fewer dollars coming into the country.

Many of these companies dont have the clout to make their case for appealing directly to Lopez Obrador and get his blessing for a project. Even Elon Musk hopped on the phone with the president to discuss labor and fiscal details of a recently announced $5 billion Tesla, Inc. factory in Nuevo Leon before the deal went through.

Many companies, then, will keep their cash parked on the sidelines for now, Jose Medina Mora, president of business chamber Coparmex, told Bloomberg News. How much? Thirty-five billion dollars, Mora estimated, based on conversations with business groups from Canada, Germany, Spain, and the US.

Companies want clear rules that can apply to everyone, and they dont want to negotiate individually, with their countrys ambassador present, to get authorization from the Mexican government for each one of their projects, Medina Mora said.

A new nationalization

The experience of Iberdrola SA, a Spanish power company with business in Mexico, served as another reminder for investors that Lopez Obrador is calling the shots. For years, the president had repeatedly used his morning press conference to lambast Iberdrola, regularly calling its executives corrupt thieves who had benefited from the privatization of Mexicos electric industry.

Then on April 4, Lopez Obrador announced that his government would buy 13 aging power plants from Iberdrola for $6 billion. He broke the news via a 13-minute video shot in an elegant room at the National Palace, seated at a large table.

To his right sat Jose Ignacio Sanchez Galan, chairman of Iberdola, who said he now understood the governments energy policy, which led the company to seek a solution thats good for the Mexican people and complied with the best interests of Iberdolas shareholders. Lopez Obrador framed the purchase agreement as a new nationalization.

The next day, Iberdrola shares rose 2% as investors saw the deal as a good way to get cash for old plants that it could invest in renewables, according to analysts.

Garcia Sanchez said that Mexico wont necessarily benefit from the agreement in the long run, because the plants are more than a decade old. But AMLO was able to control the narrative and say hes taking back control of infrastructure, he said. And that, in turn, will lead to the energy sovereignty he seeks.

Investors that Bloomberg News spoke to discussing the business climate declined to go on the record for fear of alienating the Lopez Obrador administration and future business prospects.

Worried investors, especially those in the energy sector, have called Garcia Sanchez, asking for advice. Their big question is whether it would be better to endure the states harassment hoping that in a year or so, therell be a change in circumstances after the presidential election, he added.

The frontrunners in that election include three of Lopez Obradors closest allies. Investors may well welcome a Marcelo Ebrard or Claudia Sheinbaum presidency, Garcia Sanchez said. A change of actors always comes with the chance to renegotiate, he said. Investors believe theyll be more pragmatic.

A sort of populist demagogue

If Lopez Obradors contracting reform passes this fall, investors will have few pathways to contest the early cancellation of a contract, Garcia Sanchez said. That, in turn, could invite under the table negotiations and corruption, he said.

Some investors who spoke to Bloomberg News said they hoped congress can water it down  they want to be able to bring their money into Mexico without looking over their shoulder. Others think the president will do whatever it takes to preserve the measures in their current form.

Marko Cortes, the head of the opposition party PAN, said his party will mount a legal challenge if it passes. Lopez Obrador wants to personally assume the control of the governments budget and decide who gets contracts and permits and who gets them taken away, he said in a video message.

Amid all this, Mexicos economy has proven resilient. It grew 1.1% in the first quarter, surprising most economists. While the peso led major losses on Monday partly in response to the railroad incident, according to Bloomberg analysts, it recently reached its strongest levels since 2016. And the Tesla deal suggests that the age of nearshoring, a strategy in which companies move their operations closer to the US to shorten supply chains and cut transportation costs, has finally arrived.

Mexicos share of US imports has risen as companies produce more of their US-bound goods in the country, recent data show. The effect of nearshoring would likely be larger with more investor-friendly government policies, says Bloomberg Intelligences Felipe Hernandez. But thats not in the cards, he said.

Gladys McCormick, an associate history professor at Syracuse University who specializes in Mexico-US relations, said Lopez Obradors recent actions reflect the sort of populist demagogue persona that hes carved out for himself, and that its all been part of a perfect recipe for him to be go out there in public and remind people that he is, above all, for Mexico.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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By James Oliphant and Jason Lange

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -If Ron DeSantis hopes to defeat Donald Trump and win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, he will ultimately have to bring every possible anti-Trump voter he can into the fold. But even that likely will not be enough, political analysts say.

DeSantis will also have to pull some supporters away from Trump  and that could make for a tricky balancing act that DeSantis is already struggling with.

"You can't court MAGA while courting the rest of the party," said Chris Stirewalt, a Republican analyst with the American Enterprise Institute, referring to Trump's diehard supporters in his Make America Great Again movement. "That's a difficult decision he is going to have to make."

The Florida governor plans to announce his presidential bid on Wednesday after months of speculation. With deep financial resources and a growing national profile, DeSantis will quickly become Trump's top rival in the race.

But he will have much work to do: Reuters/Ipsos polling conducted this month showed Trump backed by 49% of Republicans and DeSantis 19%.

DeSantis' initial challenge is that the anti-Trump field is fractured. Nikki Haley, Trump's former ambassador to the United Nations, and Tim Scott, a U.S. senator from South Carolina, among others, are already in the race, with more candidates such as Trump's former vice president, Mike Pence, perhaps to follow.

DeSantis' campaign will have to figure out how to appeal to mainstream Republicans turned off by Trump while also finding ways to attract conservative voters who may be unsure about supporting Trump in 2024 even if they have backed him before.

"He can't win the nomination with only non-Trump votes," said Sarah Isgur, a veteran of several Republican presidential campaigns. "He has to peel voters away from Trump."

A longtime Republican pollster, Whit Ayres, argues that the Republican electorate is divided into three segments, with Trump die-hards comprising about 30-35% of the party, anti-Trump voters making up about 10% and the rest somewhere in between - what he calls "maybe-Trumpers."

"It looks to me like DeSantis is going after the always-Trumpers rather than the maybe-Trumpers," Ayres said.

That's a waste of time, Ayres said. Instead, DeSantis' mission should be to convince "voters looking for an alternative to Trump that he's the right guy."

Stirewalt agrees, saying DeSantis needs to first build a strong base within the segment of the party not aligned with Trump before he can try to broaden his appeal.

"He needs a launchpad," Stirewalt said.

DeSantis appears, however, to have chosen to court the party's most conservative voters - and those most likely to stay with Trump - to the dismay of some potential donors and supporters.

As governor, he signed one of the most restrictive abortion bills in the nation earlier this year, and made it easier for residents to carry concealed weapons. He suggested supporting Ukraine was not in the national interest before backtracking under a fire storm of criticism.

And his continued blood feud with Walt Disney Co., one of the largest employers in Florida, has baffled some traditional Republicans who prefer a hands-off approach to corporate governance.

DeSantis' political team did not respond to a request for comment.

In a telephone call with donors last week, DeSantis said Trump would not be able to beat Democratic President Joe Biden and that he was the only one capable of winning both the Republican primary and the general election, according to the New York Times, which listened to the call.

An analysis of recent Reuters/Ipsos polling data shows that the core DeSantis voter is more likely to be an older college graduate who lives in the suburbs and drives an SUV. Trump's strength is pronounced among younger, less educated voters who are more likely to live in rural areas and drive pick-up trucks.

In Reuters/Ipsos polling conducted this month, Trump garnered 36% of Republicans with a college degree, and DeSantis 26%.

The poll showed Trump dominating among rural Republicans 53% to 19%. But the gap narrows in the suburbs, where Trump has 44% of Republican support to DeSantis' 21%, the poll found. A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll in March found 43% of DeSantis supporters said they drove SUVs, compared to 31% of Trump supporters.

A DeSantis voter is also more likely to want the United States to strongly support Ukraine in its war with Russia, to not believe the 2020 election was riddled by fraud, and to be strongly opposed to progressive policies such as affirmative action and the teaching in schools of so-called Critical Race Theory, the argument that the U.S. is riven by systemic racism.

Trump's own prospects are clouded by his ongoing legal problems, including being indicted for a hush-money scheme involving a porn star, a recent finding by a New York jury that he committed sexual abuse, and the potential for charges stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Isgur said DeSantis has time to build a winning coalition, arguing that non-Trump voters are likely to forgive the Florida governor for tacking hard to the right to chase some Trump supporters if it helps him secure the nomination.

But can DeSantis pull it off?

Isgur has her doubts, given Trump's strength. "I'm just not sure it's possible," she said.

(Reporting by James Oliphant and Jason Lange, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Andrew Tate said he moved to Romania because he thought it was lawless. His Romanian lawyer said that he's since changed his mind on that claim.

Screenshot/YouTube - TateSpeech

Andrew Tate said for years that he moved to Romania because he believed the country to be corrupt.

His Romanian lawyers said he's since changed his tune following his arrest in the country.

Tate is currently being investigated on suspicion of human trafficking. He has denied the allegations.

Self-identified misogynist online influencer and former kickboxer Andrew Tate, who is currently under house arrest following his detention in Romania, has apparently changed his views on Romania as a haven for corruption.

Tate's lawyer Eugen Vidineac told The New York Times that Tate had "stopped thinking about Romania being so corrupt" following his arrest there.

His lawyer's statement is a pivot from Tate's previous assertions on lawlessness in the Eastern European country.

Tate, who is being investigated on suspicion of human trafficking along with his brother Tristan and their two associates, Georgiana Naghel and Luana Radu, moved to Romania in 2017. (Several sexual assault allegations against him surfaced while he lived in the UK, which he has denied.)

He and his brother were arrested in December and are being held under house arrest pending trial. They have denied the allegations.

After his move to Romania, Tate consistently mused online about his supposedly newfound freedom in Romania.

"I'm not a fucking rapist, but I like the idea of just being able to do what I want. I like being free," Tate once said in a video that was later removed from his YouTube channel, Insider previously reported.

Tate also once said that he believed "corruption is far more accessible" in Eastern Europe.

A spokesperson for Tate told Insider in a statement that the influencer has "great respect for the country of Romania" and that many of his previous comments have been taken out of context "to perpetuate a sensationalist narrative."

"He has vehemently denied all allegations made against him and remains confident that justice will prevail in due course," Tate's spokesperson said in the statement.

This is not the first time his lawyer has backtracked on his client's own statements  Vidineac previously distanced himself from statements made by Tate claiming that his arrest and investigation were tied to a shadowy, but vague, conspiracy to silence him.

"I have a serious profession and I didn't ask my client about this Matrix story because I think it is about something on media platforms or internet platforms," Vidineac told Turkish public broadcaster TRT World in January.

A Romanian lawyer previously told Insider's Lindsay Dodgson that Tate's controversial statements online, along with those of his brother and associates, could make it much more difficult for lawyers to defend them.

"The problems are themselves," attorney Stefan Loredan said. "It's mainly because they've been incriminating themselves through the social-media content that they've been creating in the last two to three years."

Update: May 26, 2023  This story was updated with a statement from Tate's representatives.

Read the original article on Insider
Do you need to get another COVID booster shot? What to know about the vaccine in NC.

Earlier this month, the federal government officially ended the coronavirus public health emergency.

But the virus has not stopped spreading in North Carolina and the rest of the country. In April, more than 2,000 North Carolinians were hospitalized due to COVID complications.

Heres what you need to know about COVID-19 booster shots and whether you qualify for more shots.

When do I need a bivalent booster?

In September 2022, the CDC recommended a new type of vaccine, a bivalent booster, that targets both the original COVID strain and the newer omicron strains. In the Southeast, the omicron XBB variants are overwhelmingly dominant.

Most people who have received one of these bivalent boosters are considered up to date. About a quarter of North Carolinians fall into this category, according to the most recent state data.

In certain situations, a second bivalent booster is advised, according to recent CDC guidance.

You may qualify if:

You have a compromised immune system and your last shot was at least two months ago .

You are 65 years or older and your last shot was at least four months ago.

Where can I get a COVID-19 booster vaccine?

These additional shots can be administered at a primary care doctors office or at one of the sites listed on MySpot.nc.gov.

Vaccines are still free, regardless of insurance status. However, sometime soon, COVID-19 vaccines may no longer be free for everyone as they become more like other routine shots, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services warned in a news release.

Wake County will close its free vaccine clinics on July 1, after which time insured residents may face co-pays or deductibles. The vaccines will remain free for those who are uninsured.

COVID on the rise and what you need to know about the newest omicron subvariants

Teddy Rosenbluth covers science and health care for The News & Observer in a position funded by Duke Health and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work.
A prominent anti-abortion group is ramping up pressure on candidates in the Republican 2024 primary, using its considerable political influence to compel them to commit to a federal abortion ban.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life Americas clout was on display last month when the group openly criticized the primarys front-runner, former President Trump, calling on him to embrace a federal ban after he criticized GOP messaging on the issue following the partys disappointing midterms. Recently, Trump met with the group to smooth out their differences.

But the groups outsized influence has added further pressure to Trump and other GOP candidates as they attempt to navigate the thorny issue of abortion, which has proven a liability with Republicans since the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

In a sign of the growing role SBA Pro-Life America is set to play, the group is partnering with GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway, who served as special counselor to Trump in the White House, to train candidates on articulating anti-abortion positions.

Pro-lifers must be clear, crisp, compelling and, yes, compassionate in saving lives and appealing to hearts and minds, Conway said in a statement to The Hill. States rights are essential, but leaders in Washington also must support our first freedom, the right to life. More than 70% of the country agrees that abortion not past the first trimester, e.g., 15 weeks, is reasonable, yet 100% of Democrats insist on abortion, anytime, anywhere, anyone. They deny science, sonograms and sensibility.

The move to partner with Conway finds high-profile Trump allies joining forces; the groups president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, chaired the anti-abortion effort for Trumps 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns.

Dannenfelser and Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel have encouraged candidates to use the ostrich strategy when talking about the issue on the trail.

The Democratic Party stance of abortion on demand, paid for by taxpayers, at any time and for any reason up until birth puts us in line with North Korea and China and is profoundly unpopular. Pro-life candidates who lean into the contrast win, while those who take the ostrich strategy and try to run from the issue are done, Dannenfelser said in a statement announcing the groups partnership with Conway.

Still, various Republicans are cognizant of the issues political risk and how it is viewed in different parts of the country.

Earlier this month, GOP candidate Nikki Haley said it would be unrealistic for candidates to pledge to a federal abortion ban, noting the current divide in the Senate. SBA Pro-Life America called Haleys remarks unacceptable.

The group has said its support for 2024 presidential hopefuls depends on the candidates supporting a minimum ban on abortions at 15 weeks.

It also says it has major plans to elevate the anti-abortion cause in the Republican primary and general election. The group says it will be on the ground in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Montana and Wisconsin, with a goal of knocking on 4 million doors. Anti-abortion candidates saw defeats in several of those states last year.

But anti-abortion activists largely credit SBA Pro-Life America for playing a key role in the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the election of candidates with anti-abortion views. In 2016, the group spent $18 million during the cycle and reached 1.6 million voters in five battleground states. That number jumped to $52 million in 2020, and the group says it reached 8 million voters in 10 battleground states.

I know for a fact that senators and members of Congress and so on and so forth are willing to take Marjories calls because they have evidence that SBA is willing to go to bat for them, as opposed to other groups, who will just put out an endorsement and maybe just spend some money on digital ads, said one activist. But door knocking is the hardest thing to do in politics because its the most time and money-consuming, and so it really makes a difference.

The group has naturally drawn the ire of abortion access groups, who argue it is extreme.

We know that Americans are with us even if they want to sort of pretend to be this kingmaker role that they can force or pressure candidates to come out and at minimum support 15-week bans, said Taryn Abbassian, associate research director at NARAL Pro-Choice America.

Trump and SBA Pro-Life America both played a major role in setting the stage for Roe to be overturned, with Trump appointing three conservative justices who had the groups backing to the high court.

For 50 years, they had been trying to do it. I got it done, and now were in a position to make a really great deal, and a deal that people want, Trump said in an interview with Newsmax on Tuesday.

However, Trump has not provided too many details on what would come next on abortion if he were to win another term in the White House. The former president told The Messenger in a Monday interview that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantiss (R) six-week abortion ban was too harsh and did not say whether he would have signed the legislation himself.

That opened the door for DeSantis to swipe at Trump on the issue.

Protecting an unborn child when theres a detectable heartbeat is something that almost 99 percent of pro-lifers support, DeSantis said at a Tuesday press conference. As a Florida resident, you know, he didnt give an answer about, Would you have signed the heartbeat bill that Florida did, that had all the exceptions that people talk about?

When asked about a six-week ban on the procedure on Newsmax last week, Trump said other people agree with it, and a lot of people dont.

Were in a position now, and Im going to be leading the charge, he said. Where we can get something that the whole country can agree with.

Recent polling shows the majority of Americans disagree with the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. An NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist poll released last month found roughly 60 percent of respondents said they disagree with the move to overturn the landmark case. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they mostly support abortion rights, while 37 percent said theyre opposed.

There is also some evidence that would suggest views on the legality of abortion are dependent on the pregnancy stage. A Pew Research survey released last year found that 56 percent of respondents said the timing of an abortion should be a factor in determining its legality.

SBA Pro-Life America and other anti-abortion activists point to the 2022 reelections of Republican governors who have implemented anti-abortion measures, like DeSantis, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R). DeSantis signed Floridas six-week abortion ban after his reelection.

In some ways, Republicans are doing the work for us, Abbassian said. They keep pushing these extreme bans and policies and we know those are unpopular.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Apple is investing billions in US-made 5G components as it looks to move manufacturing out of China

Apple, helmed by longtime CEO Tim Cook, plans to invest more than $400 billion in the US economy over the next five years.

Apple has unveiled a multibillion-dollar deal with Broadcom to produce new 5G radio frequency components in the US. The May 23 announcement comes as Applethe worlds largest consumer electronics companylooks to spend more than $400 billion on domestic manufacturing.



The Broadcom deal covers a range of 5G wireless connectivity components, including FBAR filters, acoustic resonators that enable iPhones to connect to 5G networks. Apple plans to invest in production across a number of US cities, including Fort Collins, Colorado, where Broadcom already has a major facility.

Read more

Were thrilled to make commitments that harness the ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit of American manufacturing, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a prepared statement. All of Apples products depend on technology engineered and built here in the United States, and well continue to deepen our investments in the U.S. economy because we have an unshakable belief in Americas future.

Apples statement announcing the deal stressed the importance of 5G connectivity in consumer electronics, adding that the company is spending billions of dollars to develop the technology domestically. Apple devices have been compatible with 5G since 2020.

Broadcom wasnt immediately available for a comment on the deal.

Apples US-based production, by the digits

2.7 million: American jobs produced by Apple through direct employment, iOS app store development, and US suppliers and manufacturers of Apple products.

$430 billion: Amount Apple plans to invest in the US economy over the next five years.

48: Apple manufacturing sites in the US, more than 30 of them in California. This is just a fraction of the companys global production, with most manufacturing still done in China, as well as growing secondary markets in India and Vietnam.

Apple wants to move manufacturing out of China

This increased investment in domestic production is part of a larger Apple strategy to move production out of China.

As US-Sino relations continue to sour, the company faces pressure from American lawmakers to wind down its extensive manufacturing process in China. It has also blamed Chinese pandemic-era policies and riots at Foxconn factories for supply chain issues.

In response, Apple has opened new factories in India and Vietnam to produce hardware like iPhones and Macbooks. Stateside, however, the company has said it will invest $430 billion in domestic 5G infrastructure and silicon engineering, including major money for chip production.

Last December, Cook announced that Apple would start sourcing its chips from a Taiwanese-owned Arizona factory as soon as 2024. The CEO shared this news at an event where US president Joe Biden touted his $50 billion in investment incentives for companies to expand domestic production of semiconductors.

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Apple-broadcom-chips

Apple Store on February 03, 2023 in New York City. Credit - Leonardo MunozVIEWpress/Corbis/Getty Images

Apple announced a multibillion dollar deal with the U.S. chipmaker Broadcom to use chips manufactured in the United States, as part of its 2021 plan to invest $430 billion in the U.S. economy over five years. The move comes as the U.S. seeks to reduce its reliance on foreign chip manufacturers.

As part of the multi-year deal, Broadcom will collaborate with Apple to develop 5G radio frequency and wireless connectivity components. According to Apple, the technology will be designed and built in facilities across the country, including in Fort Collins, Colorado, where Broadcom has a major facility.

Apple already helps support more than 1,100 jobs in Broadcoms Fort Collins FBAR filter manufacturing facility, and the partnership will enable Broadcom to continue to invest in critical automation projects and upskilling with technicians and engineers, Apple said in a statement on Tuesday.

The announcement comes as the U.S. continues to turn its attention towards domestic semiconductor production in an effort to reduce American companies reliance on foreign chipmakers. Last summer, President Biden signed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, one of the biggest federal investments in a private industry, which includes $52 billion in subsidies for domestic chip manufacturers, $24 billion to fund a tax credit for new semiconductor manufacturing facilities, and more than $170 billion over five years to boost U.S. scientific research.

The vast majority of advanced semiconductors are manufactured in China and Taiwan, which many U.S. officials viewed as a national security concern. Pandemic-spurred supply chain shocks that triggered a semiconductor shortage also exposed global reliance on a few key players for chips that are essential in the electronics and automotive industries, in particular.

All of Apples products depend on technology engineered and built here in the United States, and well continue to deepen our investments in the U.S. economy because we have an unshakable belief in Americas future, Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.

The U.S. isnt the only country seeking to reduce its dependence on Asian chipmakers. Member states of the European Union agreed their own 43 billion ($46 billion) Chips Act to boost semiconductor production in the bloc, while the U.K. also unveiled its 1 billion ($1.2 billion) semiconductor strategy in recent days.
Apple wants at least some of its in-house wireless tech made in the US.

Apple's long-expected switch to internally developed 5G modems is clearly moving forward. The iPhone maker has struck a "multibillion-dollar" deal that will have Broadcom develop components for 5G and other wireless connectivity. Some of the parts will be made in American facilities, including a key Broadcom manufacturing base in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The companies didn't say which products would use the 5G tech, but the arrangement isn't necessarily limited to the iPhone. Apple is believed to have started work on in-house 5G in 2020, a year after buying the majority of Intel's phone modem business. The company hasn't been shy about its plans, as it has recruited 5G developers and set up shop in Qualcomm's hometown of San Diego. It also established a wireless-focused office in Munich.

Rumors suggest Apple's 5G modems will first reach shipping products in late 2024 or early 2025. Neither Apple nor Broadcom has confirmed this, but Qualcomm told CNBC in March it assumes it won't provide iPhone modems in 2024.

This could be a significant blow to Qualcomm. While the company has diversified its chipmaking with in-car tech and low-power hardware, it's still heavily dependent on cellular modem sales and counts Apple as one of its largest customers. It will have to lean more on Android phone makers to bolster its bottom line. Qualcomm chips for Windows PCs have struggled to compete against x86-based equivalents.

Apple's anticipated move isn't surprising. The company has long tried to reduce its dependency on third parties, most notably switching to its own CPUs starting with the A4-based iPad in 2010. While Apple may need Broadcom's help, it won't be closely tied to Qualcomm's hardware release schedule  and might not risk expensive patent disputes, either. In theory, Apple could claim a technological edge by building 5G modems uniquely optimized for its devices.
Police body camera footage of a controversial May 13 arrest of Devon Whitmire is shown publicly for the first time in a May 22 Buncombe County District Court bond hearing.

ASHEVILLE - Police body camera footage of a violent May 13 arrest of a Black man by three white city police officers will be released to the public, according to an order signed May 22 by Buncombe County Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Grant.

The order came later in the same day as a bond hearing for Devon Whitmire, 27, of Asheville, who was arrested outside his home in the Erskine-Walton neighborhood, wrestled to the ground by at least three officers, one of whom pressed her arm across his throat, as seen in bystander video.

City Attorney Brad Branham filed a request on May 19 that the video be released to the public.

"It's the opinion of city of Asheville that in situations where there is a public interest in these matters, and we are able to comply with the spirit and the wording of the law with regard to production of these things, it's our goal to lean into transparency," Branham told the Citizen Times May 23.

He said he was not sure exactly how the bodycam footage would be released to the public, but believed it would be sometime this week, via the city's YouTube channel.

Police video: Police video of Black Asheville man pinned by neck could be released by judge in 'days'

$85K bond: Judge: $85K bond for Black Asheville man pinned by throat; faults police, man in arrest

Members of a May 13 group of neighbors gathered in the Erskine-Walton neighborhood sounded alarmed and shouted for the three or more Asheville Police Department officers to stop as they struggled with Devon Lewis Rayshawn Whitmire on the ground.

When is police bodycam footage released to public in NC?

Bodycam footage is not public record, by North Carolina law, though those recorded in it have a right to view it, typically at law enforcement headquarters. But law enforcement agencies are forbidden from releasing copies unless someone obtains a court order. Those are easier to get for people recorded in the videos, though others, including members of the general public or the city can get a release based on reasons such as a compelling public interest.

Branham told the Citizen Times after Whitmire's bond hearing on May 22 that no date had been set for the court hearing on the body camera release order. But the order was signed later that night. The release has been backed by Asheville Police Department Chief David Zack to counter criticism that police used excessive force when arresting Whitmire as seen in video taken by his fiancee, Carrie Speigle.

"I don't know what the final rationale was, but judges aren't required to conduct a hearing. They often do. But if they decide that they're fine producing or signing the order to produce the footage without it, they have that discretion," Branham said.

Can you film police? Can you film police in North Carolina? Everything you need to know about your rights

The order signed by Judge Grant says that two body camera videos will be released: One a 28-minute, 55-second recording, and one lasting 9 minutes, 44 seconds, worn by two different police officers who are listed only by serial number and not by name. But one officer involved in the arrest, Lt. Michael McClanahan, was present in court on May 22. Officer Shelby Middleton, who appeared in footage with her arm on Whitmire's neck, had Assistant District Attorney Katie Kurdys read a statement, in which she said in part, Whitmire's words and actions "put many officers, bystanders and most importantly himself in danger."

"The court considered the applicability of all standards contained in N.C. Gen. Stat. 132-14A(g), and determined that release of the requested recordings is necessary to advance a compelling public interest," the order reads.

Community, court criticism for both Whitmire and police

In the bond hearing May 22, District Court Judge Edwin Clontz said Whitmire lied about his name and "kicked after he was handcuffed," and therefore would continue to be held in the county jail under a high $85,000 bond his attorney had asked the judge to reduce.

But Clontz said that based on the body camera he viewed, the officers "didn't act appropriately" after Whitmire claimed to have a gun.

"They didn't see a gun. He didn't brandish a weapon. But they chose to lay hands on him without first requesting that he submit to their authority," Clontz said.

Whitmire, along with the original charge of communicating threats, was charged with multiple counts of assault, including assault on a government official inflicting serious injury.

DA reviews bodycam: DA reviews bodycam of Asheville police pinning Black man by neck; here's what he said

Michael Hayes speaks about police brutality to a group of activists May 17, 2023. Also pictured is Carrie Speigle, Devon Whitmire's fiance.

Speigle, Whitmire's fiancee, told the Citizen Times May 23 regarding the bodycam release, "honestly, the only difference that it shows is just from their perspective. They still did the same thing. No matter which angle you look at it. They showed the police didn't handle it correctly and that they assaulted him, at the end of the day."

Keith Young, former City Council member and architect of Asheville's reparations program, was disappointed in the words and actions of elected officials in the wake of the violent assault, including the rapid conclusion by Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams that no excessive force was used by police and comments made by City Council Member Sheneika Smith that the force was justified because, she said, "This individual had been on the rampage for days; terrorizing and oppressing our females, elders and youth ..."

"The arrest was definitely questionable. From whatever the defense is that you know, he was resisting or whatever he was doing it didn't seem like much of anything toward a forearm on the neck, over the windpipe because there was an officer on his torso and officer on his legs and the officer on his chest," Young told the Citizen Times May 23.

'He can't breathe': Video: White Asheville police officers pin Black man by neck; 'He can't breathe'

"I don't know him personally, I don't know anything about his history or anything. But I do know that it looked like a chokehold the guy was in," he said, adding that a person should not be judged in an arrest by their past history, but what is happening in the moment.

While bodycam footage showed Whitmire saying he had a gun, after he was tackled he repeatedly said he did not have a gun and police found no weapon on him.

"I think we've become so desensitized to adverse police behavior or police brutality, that anything short of death is OK, right?" Young told the Citizen Times May 23. "And it just doesn't make any sense. I feel like that's because that's the bar now. Anything short of death is OK. Is that what we're doing? Because anybody with two eyes can see that there are some questionable things there."

Karen Chavez is Executive Editor for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Tips? Call 828-712-6316, email, KChavez@CitizenTimes.com or follow on Twitter @KarenChavezACT. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville police bodycam of violent arrest to be released to public
Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

On the internet these days, Wes Anderson is less director than trend. TikTokers make Wes Anderson-inspired videos of their own life. Thanks to A.I., Ive been subjected to Harry Potter in the style of Wes Anderson and Star Wars in the style of Wes Anderson. But the actual, human Wes Andersons latest film Asteroid City proves that its really impossible to recreate Wes Anderson unless you are in fact Wes Anderson. Want Wes Anderson to make an alien movie? Don't turn to some computer program to do that. The man did it himself.

Asteroid City has all of the ticks that make Anderson Anderson: The slow pans, the deliberate framing, the erudite dialogue, and a narrator to boot. Its also his best film since 2014s The Grand Budapest Hotel, a thoroughly hilarious piece that coalesces into something almost haunting. Asteroid City is thick with Americana, but the charming hootenanny of it all works in tandem with the deep questions the director is asking.

First: the framing device. We immediately learn that what we are watching is a television broadcast about a play called Asteroid City, which we are told never actually existed, hosted by a besuited man with the air of a Rod Serling-type played by Bryan Cranston. Filmed in black and white and Academy ratio, these segments offer a behind-the-scenes look at the process of putting up the production composed by Conrad Earp (Edward Norton), a celebrated playwright with a Southern twang. When Anderson cuts to the action of the play within the movie, the frame expands and the picture brightens into the gorgeously saturated light of the American West.

The play Asteroid City follows a group of families and other visitors who descend on this tiny outpost in the middle of nowhere, that was once the site of a meteoric event, for the 1955 celebration of the Junior Stargazer honorees. Among those inventive teens is Woodrow Steenbeck (Jake Ryan), whose father, Augie (Jason Schwartzman), is a hardened war photographer. He has shrapnel in his head, never asks permission to take a photo, and his photos always come out.

Augies wife and Woodrows mother has recently died, a fact that Augie has waited weeks to divulge to his shy son and his three mischievous sisters, who think they are witches. Augie is jaded and Woodrow is awkward, which makes them, respectively, perfect matches for vain, overly dramatic movie star Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson, never better) and her sarcastic daughter Dinah (Grace Edwards).

In typical Anderson fashion, this foursome just scratches the surface of the array of characters who have descended on Asteroid City. There is a honky tonk band led by Rupert Friend and a schoolteacher played by Maya Hawke, trying to wrangle a bunch of curious kids. Tom Hanks rolls up as Augies cantankerous (and occasionally randy) father in law, Stanley Zak, while Tilda Swinton is on hand as a daffy scientist and Jeffrey Wright as a self-serious general.

During a nighttime event where the Asteroid City tourists are encouraged to put a cardboard box on their heads to observe an astral phenomenon, the group is visited by a spindly alien with enormous eyes and lizard skin, who somewhat nervously tiptoes out of his spacecraft, steals the town's asteroid and flies away. Alexandre Desplats score swells as this impish creature enacts his heist under the green light of his vessel. The strange occurrence, brilliantly executed via puppetry, forces Asteroid City to go under lockdown, trapping the travelers.

May December: Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman Are Phenomenal at Cannes

Anderson divides up the Asteroid City sections by acts and scenes, a constant reminder that what is unfolding is fake within the world of the film. The documentary sections, meanwhile, introduce the audience to the actors playing the likes of Midge and Augie as well as the productions director (Adrien Brody), a tortured creative going through a divorce.

It would be tempting to see the meta scaffolding of Asteroid City as just more Andersonian quirk, but theres something intentionally unsettling about the way the film unfolds. The reminder that the denizens of Asteroid City are actually actors gnaws at the viewer. The desert-set portions are not shot as if they were on a theaters stage, but instead exist in a liminal space between fiction and reality.

The screenplay is one of Andersons funniest, and yet a darker thread courses through it. Thats in part thanks to the exploration of death that comes with the Augie-Woodrow plotline, but there's also something more existential at play. Though its hard to say whether the pandemic and lockdowns were Andersons direct inspirations, if you pierce all of the perfect retro production design theres a thoroughly timely fascination with paranoia and confinement and the notion of making art under those circumstances.

Courtesy of Pop. 87 Productions/Focus Features

On one hand, you have the alien invasion plot where the characters are forced to ponder the secrets of the universe; on the other, theres the play within a tv program within a movie in which the performers playing those characters attempt to figure out how to believably tap into that mystery. Both tap into the lore of Americaone the dusty western settlement; the other the twinkle of Broadway and the great writers.

What none of the Anderson parodies get right is that despite all of his aesthetic tendencies, that style is always in service of something greater. In Asteroid City, his love of artifice is on full display, but that artifice is the point. Anderson has meticulously built a layered world. Peel back the constructs and youll find a melancholy thats hard to shake.

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Looking for work as a flight attendant? Well, Atlanta-based Delta Airlines said it is planning to hire more than 4,000 people for the role.

This is a historic year for flight attendant hiring, as we plan to grow our team by more than 4,000, said Jennifer Martin, Managing Director  IFS CX, Learning and Hiring. Were excited to keep the momentum going and welcome more trainees for classes through the end of the year.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The airline said in a news release that 1,940 new hires have come on board since February.

Delta said if you have a passion for people, adventure, and creating memories, this could be the right job for you.

At a minimum, applicants must have a high school diploma, GED or high school equivalency, the ability to work in the U.S., speak, read and write English fluently and be at least 21 years of age at the time of application submission.

TRENDING STORIES:

Flight attendants must be flexible and willing to fly both international and domestic routes, according to Delta.

The airline said it is seeking bilingual candidates to apply thanks to its large number of international flights, especially those who speak English along with one of the following languages: Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, Greek, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean and Swedish.

Delta said its top priority for flight attendants it hires is to ensure the safety and comfort of all customers while providing exceptional service.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
Atlanta lawyer accused of stabbing his own mother to death claims monster with dumbbell did it

A disbarred attorney accused of murdering his own mother took the stand Tuesday and gave a very different version of the story.

Prosecutors said Richard Merritt brutally beat and stabbed his mother, 77-year-old Shirley Merritt, to death in 2019, on the same day he was supposed to report to prison for unrelated financial crimes.

At the time, Merritt was living with his mother in Tucker and awaiting a 15-year prison sentence.

Shirley Merritt was found dead in her home shortly after her son cut off his ankle monitor and took off.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Channel 2s Michael Seiden was at the DeKalb County courthouse Tuesday, where Merritt took the stand in his own defense.

RELATED STORIES:

Merritt claimed two armed men he didnt know barged into the home and killed his mother in front of him.

This monster took this dumbbell and proceeded to bludgeon my mother right in front of me, Merritt said. And she stepped moving at this point.

Merrit said a man with a pistol to his back brought him downstairs, then came back a few minutes later with a kitchen knife and proceeded to stab my mother repeatedly in front of me.

Prosecutors fired back, saying Merritt has spent his entire life telling lies to get himself out of trouble. They also questioned why he never reported the two alleged killers to his family or authorities and instead drove to Tennessee and remained on the lam until authorities caught him.

Prosecutors said Merrit settled civil lawsuits without telling his clients and kept the money for himself. He used the money taken from clients, some elderly or filing medical malpractice claims, to buy a Porsche or go on vacation, investigators said

Closing arguments are set to begin at 9 a.m. and then the case will be in the hands of the jury.
Attempts to freeze the war in Ukraine at the present stage are "absolutely wrong" and must be stopped.

Source: Evening Standard, referring to Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister

Details: Speaking in parliament, Sunak responded to former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who called for a ceasefire in Ukraine. He called on the UK to support international calls for an end to hostilities in Ukraine.

Quote: "He [the UK prime minister -ed.] is right, that a ceasefire is not peace, but any peace process has to be started by a ceasefire, otherwise this war will go on and get worse and worse," said Corbyn.

Sunak said that he can not agree with him.

"A ceasefire is not a just and lasting peace for Ukraine. Russia has conducted an illegal and unprovoked invasion. It has committed heinous war crimes and the right and only response to that is for Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, and all plans masquerading as peace plans, that are in fact attempts just to freeze the conflict where it is, are absolutely wrong and they should be called out," Sunak stated.

The UK prime minister also emphasised that other countries have agreed to the principle of "just and lasting peace", which is based on the UN charter, territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"We will keep ensuring that the peace Ukraine has is one that it deserves and one that is truly just and lasting," added Sunak.

Background: Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, stated that mediation between Ukraine and Russia to end the full-scale war is acceptable only if it meets two "fundamental principles".

Kuleba also warns against sprouting peace plans for Ukraine "like mushrooms after rain".

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
An artists performs at an event to welcome India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Qudos Arena in Sydney on May 23, 2023.

Australia offered Narendra Modi a rock-star welcome Tuesday, during a visit by the Indian leader that was heavy on praise and light on his domestic controversies.

Modi hosted a 12,000-strong campaign-style in a Sydney arena Tuesday, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese playing warm-up act and emcee.

Lured by the world's most populous market and a counterweight to China's growing military, diplomatic and economic clout, Australia's prime minister turned on the charm.

To chants of "Modi! Modi! Modi!" Albanese introduced his "dear friend" to a jazzed-up crowd of Indian-Australians, who he praised for making Australia "stronger and more inclusive".

"The last time I saw someone on the stage here was Bruce Springsteen and he didn't get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got," Albanese said.

"Prime Minister Modi is the boss!" he said, breaking into a broad smile and boasting the pair had met six times in the past year.

It was an unusually personal show of support for Modi -- a nationalist leader who faces re-election next year and has been criticised for sustained democratic backsliding and discrimination against India's hundreds of millions of non-Hindus.

Modi reciprocated his host's lavish welcome, offering a long list of interests that bind the two countries: from cricket to curry, yoga to Masterchef.

"The most important foundation of our ties is mutual trust and mutual respect," he said, promising trade between the two countries would double in the next five years.

Behind the flattery and mutual backslapping lie some hardheaded strategy and politics for both men.

As Australia struggles with a more assertive China, it is looking for economic and political partners in an increasingly rough-and-tumble neighbourhood.

India's economic performance has been mixed in the past decade, with missteps curbing growth. But hundreds of millions of people have been lifted out of poverty.

India is now the second-fastest growing economy in the G20 and a multi-trillion-dollar market.

And for both Modi and Albanese, the Indian diaspora offers a rich font of votes and campaign donations, according to Ian Hall, an international relations professor at Brisbanes Griffith University.

"What we saw with this joint appearance in Sydney is an intermingling of Australian and Indian domestic and foreign policy," he told AFP.

"Both leaders are looking for funds and support, with the Indian diaspora centre-stage, and using the bilateral partnership almost as leverage."

Indian-Australians make up the country's fastest-growing and second-largest diaspora, with 673,000 Indian-born citizens in a population of 26 million.

Almost 90,000 Indian students are enrolled at Australian universities, the largest overseas contingent after China.

- 'Blatant' targeting of minorities -

But Albanese's warm embrace of Modi has raised questions, too.

Under Modi "the world's largest democracy" has become much less free and more dangerous for his critics, according to Human Rights Watch's Elaine Pearson.

"Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has been tightening its grip on civil society, using draconian laws to arrest and intimidate activists, journalists, opposition leaders, academics, peaceful protesters, and critics of government policies," she said.

Rights groups say India's 200 million Muslims have also faced increased discrimination and violence since Modi and his Hindu nationalist BJP swept to power in 2014.

"We are deeply concerned about his visit, and the manner in which he has been welcomed without any of the issues of concern in his own country being raised," Bilal Rauf, spokesperson for the Australian National Imams Council, told AFP.

arb/pbt
SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Australian government on Tuesday welcomed a defence cooperation agreement between its closest neighbour Papua New Guinea (PNG) and the U.S. aimed at bolstering regional security amid China's plans to increase influence in the Pacific.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and PNG Prime Minister James Marape on Monday signed the defence pact in the Pacific nation's capital of Port Moresby, which would make it easier for the U.S. military to train PNG's armed forces.

"It's really good that we are seeing America becoming more and more engaged in the Pacific region and specifically with Papua New Guinea," Defence Minister Richard Marles told Sky News. "A greater American involvement the region and in its relationship with PNG is good news for us."

The United States and ally Australia for decades have seen the Pacific as their sphere of influence, and are seeking to deter the island nations from forming security ties with China, after Beijing signed a security pact with Solomon Islands last year.

Blinken said the deal with PNG was not about any other country while Marape flagged the accord updated an existing U.S. military relationship and "has nothing to do with China".

Marles described Australia's ties with China "a very complex relationship" but said he also valued "a productive relationship" as Canberra seeks to stabilise relations with its largest trading partner.

Diplomatic tensions have eased after several ministerial meetings and last week China said it would resume the import of Australian timber. Unofficial bans and tariffs were placed on several Australian commodities in 2020.

As Australia urges China to get bilateral trade relations back to normal, Marles said Canberra would not impose conditions that all tariffs had to be lifted before a potential trip to China by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this year.

"We're not about to put conditionality on a visit of that kind," Marles said.

(This story has been refiled to correct the spelling of 'closest' in paragraph 1)

(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
A recently released autopsy report reveals new details in October killing in Oak Island.

Editor's note: This story contains graphic material.

A woman killed in Oak Island last fall sustained several stab wounds and her throat was slashed, a recently released autopsy report by the North Carolina Chief Medical Examiners office shows.

Tina Sedberry Carlton was found dead at a home on Minnesota Drive in South Harbor Village in the early morning hours of Oct. 1, 2022. Kevin Michael Allen Vaughan, 55, was arrested and charged early that morning in connection with her death. Vaughan is charged with second-degree murder in what Oak Island officials deemed a domestic-violence homicide.

Oak Island police responded to a request for a welfare check at 5172 Minnesota Drive in South Harbor Village just before 1 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 1. There, they found Carlton dead from an apparent stab wound. Vaughan was also at the scene, officials said.

Related: Daughter accused of stabbing, bludgeoning mother to death in Oak Island to face trial

Past coverage: 'Devastated and shocked': Community raises money for family of woman killed in Oak Island

At Vaughans first court appearance following the killing, the district attorneys office detailed the scene: Carlton was found dead with a jagged cut across her neck, and a broken beer bottle and knife were recovered at the home.

Carltons autopsy report was recently released by the states Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The report corroborates the assistant district attorneys account of the crime and provides new details.

According to the autopsy report, the 50-year-old woman sustained multiple sharp force injuries to the head, neck, torso and extremities. The most significant wound was a deep cut across her neck, which cut her carotid artery and jugular vein  two major blood vessels that can cause rapid blood loss when injured.

According to the autopsy report, the large, deep cut to Carltons neck also injured her thyroid gland, trachea and esophagus. The report notes that the sharp force injury to Carltons neck caused her death.

Carlton also sustained several other stab wounds, the report indicates, including seven to her head and neck area, and multiple wounds to her right arm. While the murder weapon has not been publicly identified or disclosed by law enforcement, the report indicates many of the wounds had clean edges, and glass fragments were recovered from the wounds on Carltons head.

STAY CONNECTED: Keep up with the areas latest Brunswick County news by signing up for the Brunswick Today newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram.

Police deemed the attack as domestic in nature, and Carltons autopsy details the altercation was between Carlton and her boyfriend.

According to jail records, Vaughan is currently in custody awaiting his next court date. He is being held under a $1,000,000 secure bond.

Jamey Cross covers Brunswick County for the StarNews. Reach her at jbcross@gannett.com or message her on Twitter @jameybcross.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Autopsy reveals new details in Oak Island killing
Avoiding F-35 "Acquisition Malpractice" Aim Of Next Gen Air Dominance Fighter photo

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall says that his service is doing everything it can to avoid the kinds of "acquisition malpractice" he says is still dogging the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter when it comes to the competition for its new stealth six-generation crewed tactical jet. This will include an insistence on a firmer design from the outset and U.S. government ownership of at least a significant portion of the data rights to it. This will help the Air Force avoid giving one company a "perpetual monopoly" on future upgrades and sustainment contracts, as has been the case with Lockheed Martin and the F-35.

A Lockheed Martin rendering of a sixth-generation combat jet. Lockheed Martin

Secretary Kendall offered new details about the Air Force's plans for selecting the crewed combat jet component of its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program at a gathering hosted by the Defense Writers Group on Monday. The service announced that it had formally issued a classified solicitation for the engineering and manufacturing phase of the development of this aircraft earlier this month.

The Air Force is looking to pick a single winning NGAD combat jet proposal next year and is currently planning to buy around 200 of them, in total. The service says the new stealthy combat jet will serve as a direct replacement for its F-22 Raptor stealth fighters.

An Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter. USAF

"Were not going to do two NGADs. Were only going to do one," Kendall said at the Defense Writers Group meeting, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine.

This makes clear that the Air Force has abandoned any idea of pursuing multiple designs or iterations even on the same design. The possibility of NGAD combat jets with different wing options, one optimized for operations in the Pacific region and the other for missions in and around Europe, had been raised in the past. Kendall said that the development phase is far too expensive" to allow for something like that.

Kendall has previously said that he expects each crewed NGAD combat jet, also sometimes referred to simply as the NGAD platform, to cost "multiple hundreds of millions of dollars." More granular details about what the Air Force is looking for in this aircraft, as well as more specific information about the recently announced solicitation, are classified.

The crewed NGAD combat jet is expected to have broadband stealth features, next-generation sensors and communications suites, and significant range and payload capacity, including the ability to carry new missiles and other weapons. An array of advanced electronic and other "spectral" warfare capabilities will be a core part of the design that you can more about here. The aircraft will also have the systems necessary to serve as airborne control nodes for advanced drones.

Whatever the final proposed aircraft looks like and what its capabilities are, Air Force has a definite desire for it to be a relatively mature and firm design. At the Defense Writers Group gathering, Secretary Kendall highlighted problems associated with a process known as concurrency with regard to the development of the F-35, according to Air Force Times.

In this context, concurrency describes a combined development and production process wherein a company begins building something, like the F-35, without the design being completely tested or vetted first. Design changes and other upgrades are then integrated on a rolling basis. The idea here is to help get the production line going faster, sooner. The Pentagon presented this as a cost and time-saving exercise for the Joint Strike Fighter program, but very much the opposite turned out to be the case. Beyond just the three different core variants of the aircraft, F-35s across the U.S. military now exist in a number of different subconfigurations. Some are now cost-prohibitive to upgrade and are unlikely to meet their original service life expectations.

Air Force F-35A Joint Strike Fighters conduct an "Elephant Walk" readiness drill at Hill Air Force Base in 2020. USAF

Kendall has acknowledged that there will still be some concurrency in the NGAD combat jet's design process, but that it will be done in a rational way, that doesnt take excessive risk." The Secretary specifically highlighted how advances in digital design and engineering tools will help in avoiding these issues.

Everybody lives basically in the same design laboratory, if you will, so we have intimate knowledge of what the competitors are doing in their design," Kendall said, Air Force Times reported. Were very involved with them.  Were going to have as integrated and as fully integrated a design process and contracting process as possible."

"Now you dont wait for [design] documents [from the contractor], you can see the design firsthand," he added.

A number of issues that have emerged during Boeing's development of the T-7A Red Hawk jet trainer, a poster child for digital engineering processes, have prompted questions about the limits of the technology.

NGAD does also have the benefit of being able to leverage nearly a decade of previous advanced aircraft design work, started under Kendall himself, at least. Those efforts produced at least one flying demonstrator that has reportedly performed well in testing, which would help reduce risk. The Air Force has already been using F-22 Raptor stealth fighters, and very likely other platforms, to conduct flight testing of various related technologies and systems. The service is also working in very close cooperation on related development projects with the Navy, which is also pursuing a sixth-generation crewed combat jet, or F/A-XX, as part of its separate NGAD program.

A Boeing rendering of a sixth-generation combat jet for the U.S. Navy. Boeing

When it comes to the NGAD combat jet contract, Kendall also highlighted the critical importance of securing key data rights to the design, particularly in regards to software, in his remarks earlier this week. This is another issue that has created particularly pronounced issues for the F-35 program, especially when it comes to maintenance and other sustainment activities, as you can read more about in this recent War Zone feature.

When Lockheed Martin won the contract to develop the F-35 it came at a time when the Air Force's central contracting concept said that when a contractor won a program it owned the program. It was going to do the whole lifecycle of the program, Kendall explained, according to a report from Breaking Defense. That was "I think, quite frankly, was a serious mistake" he added.

What that basically does is create a perpetual monopoly, Kendall noted, according to Air Force Times' report about the Secretary's remarks at the Defense Writers Group meeting. I spent years struggling to overcome acquisition malpractice [on the F-35], and were still struggling with that to some degree. So were not going to do that with NGAD.

Kendall, who has a long history in the Pentagon's bureaucracy, has made no secret of his views on how the acquisition of the F-35 was handled over the years. He has referred to various aspects of the program as "acquisition malpractice" since at least 2012, when he was nominated by then-President Barack Obama to take up the post of Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. That position is often referred to more simply as the Pentagon's chief weapons buyer.

Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. USAF

Related to the data rights issue, "were also making sure we have modular designs with open systems so that going forward we can bring new suppliers in  [irrespective of] whoever we choose as the platform integrator," Kendall explained, per Breaking Defense. "And well have a much tighter degree of government control over the future of that program than weve had."

This in many ways mirrors what is known about how the B-21 Raider stealth bomber program has been managed, which was influenced heavily by problems with the acquisition process for its predecessor, the B-2. The B-21

With regards to the NGAD combat jet competition, it will certainly be interesting to see how all this does or doesn't impact who bids and the nature of their offerings. In his remarks on Monday, Kendall alluded to there being at least two companies already doing tangential work on this aircraft.

However, "we have not received any proposals yet but we expect multiple proposals in the future, an Air Force spokesperson subsequently clarified in a statement to Breaking Defense. We will not be able to provide the company names or the number of offers for the NGAD platform source selection. The acquisition strategy accounts for an engineering and manufacturing development contract intended to be awarded in 2024."

The expectation is that the three big names in military aviation in the United States today  Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing  will be among the bidders. Whoever the Air Force ultimately selects as the prime contractor will of course have a broad array of subcontractors and suppliers working for them, which could include the competition.

The Air Force will also be working to acquire advanced drones with high degrees of autonomy, referred to as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), in parallel. The service is currently planning to acquire at least 1,000 of these uncrewed aircraft, and likely many more. The initial 1,000 CCA figure is based on a concept of operations that would see two of those drones paired with each of the 200 NGAD combat jets, as well as 300 F-35As.

A rendering of an F-35A flying together with various types of drones. Lockheed Martin

The Air Force's future CCA fleets could also include multiple designs. It seems increasingly likely that a broader number of companies will have a greater interest in this competition, rather than the one for the NGAD combat jet. NGAD may well turn out to be the last new type of crewed combat jet the Air Force buys at all.

Altogether, Kendall said the Air Force intends to hold as integrated and as fully transparent a design process and contracting process as possible." How all of this will ultimately play out, and what of the contracting process is made public due to the high degree of classification surrounding the entire NGAD program, very much remains to be seen.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
Four astronauts arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday as part of a private astronaut mission by Axiom Space, which hopes to build its space station in low Earth orbit later this decade.

The mission, called Axiom-2 (Ax-2) is the second private astronaut mission to launch to the ISS, with more flights planned. Axiom Space is one of several companies working to build the next generation of space stations in low Earth orbit.

Its diverse crew includes two women and two men, led by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. She is joined by John Shoffner, an American businessman and pilot; Ali Alqarni, a fighter pilot in the Royal Saudi Air Force; and Rayyanah Barnawi, a biomedical researcher who specializes in stem cell research.

The quartet, who joined seven others aboard the space station, launched from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday. Strapped inside the Crew Dragon Freedom, the crew blasted off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. They will conduct a host of scientific investigations and technology demonstrations before returning to Earth on May 31.

Private space efforts gain ground

By sending astronauts to the space station for shorter missions, the company is working to streamline its processes and procedures as it moves toward making its space station operational. And by engaging private astronauts who are not from NASAs astronaut corps or from other prominent space agencies, Axiom Space is aiming to make space more accessible, with the help of SpaceX and NASA.

In 2015, SpaceX changed the rocket game by doing something previously thought impossible: landing a rocket. The company would go on to repeat that feat many times over, eventually refurbishing and reflying the rockets it recovered.

With that, SpaceX kicked off a campaign to reduce the cost of space access, thus enabling more researchers, organizations and countries, such as Bangladesh, to participate.

Just three years after SpaceX recovered that first rocket, the company debuted a souped-up version of its Falcon 9 rocket enabling Bangladesh to launch its first satellite  Bangabandhu-1  into space.

Since then, SpaceX has expanded its efforts to offer rideshare missions  a sort of cosmic Uber pool that allows multiple satellites to hitch a ride to space as long as they arent too picky about the orbit. After launch, the Falcon 9 rocket deposits the satellites that were on board into a preliminary parking spot, and they settle into their respective orbits from there.

This type of mission enables customers to share the cost of the rocket, dramatically reducing any one organizations costs.

Broadening global spaceflight

Axiom Space is working in parallel by brokering seats on flights and helping more people reach orbit. The company bills itself as a full-service orbital mission provider, which means it helps with every step of the process  from training to the launch and more  to send astronauts to space.

Axiom Space announced an agreement with the Saudi Space Commission (SSC) in 2022, with company representatives expressing that space belongs to all of humanity.

This partnership highlights Axiom Spaces profound commitment to expand human spaceflight opportunities to a larger share of the international community, as well as to multiply scientific and technological development on Earth and in orbit, company representatives said at the time in a statement.

Barnawi and Alqarni are just the second and third Saudi astronauts to fly to space, with the kings son, Prince Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, being the first Arab astronaut to fly in space, aboard the space shuttle in 1985. Barnawi and Alqarni are the first two Saudis to fly to the space station. They join Sultan Al Neyadi, an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates, who launched on NASAs Crew-6 mission earlier this year.

Barnawi and Alqarnis stay will be brief but packed full of research and educational outreach. Barnawi said she hopes to inspire the people of her country, especially women and girls, to dream big.

Im very honored and happy to be representing all the dreams and all the hopes of the people in Saudi Arabia and all the women back home, she said ahead of her launch. This is a great opportunity for me to represent the country, to represent their dreams.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
B-2 Spirits Return To The Sky After Six Month Grounding photo

The U.S. Air Force's B-2 Spirit stealth bombers have finally taken to the skies again today. This comes roughly six months after the entire fleet was effectively grounded following an accident involving one of the aircraft in December 2022, details about which remain limited. Throughout the so-called safety pause, the service said that the bombers, a key component of America's nuclear triad, could still be employed if absolutely necessary in response to a major crisis or contingency.

Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) confirmed the resumption of B-2 flying operations to The War Zone today. Air & Space Forces Magazine first reported on May 18 that the safety pause had ended and that the B-2s would be back in the air within days.

https://twitter.com/AFGlobalStrike/status/1660772012346802179?s=20

"General Thomas A. Bussiere, Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command, rescinded the precautionary safety pause of the B-2 fleet on May 18. The fleet safety pause began on Dec. 10, 2022, and B-2A Spirit aircraft resumed flying operations today," according to a statement from AFGSC. "Throughout the fleet safety pause, our ability to execute our mission was never at risk: the B-2 fleet could still fly missions on the orders of the President of the United States or in support of the National Command Authority."

"Readiness for us is two-fold: the ability of the pilots to fly and execute the mission, and the ability of the maintainers to enable the mission by keeping the aircraft operational. During the safety pause, we erred on the side of prudence and caution to assess any possible safety of flight issues, deliberately and methodically, within the fleet," the statement continued. "We successfully accomplished all necessary actions to safely return to full flight operations with the B-2 fleet. While the B-2 fleet safety pause is officially over, our ability to deliver nuclear deterrence and provide long-range strike was never in doubt."

AFGSC did not provide additional details about the first B-2 sortie since the end of the safety pause. An official video seen earlier in this story indicates that the aircraft that was given this honor was serial number 88-0332, also known as the Spirit of Washington.

The War Zone understands that the bomber took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri at around 8:30 A.M. local time. Whiteman is home to the bulk of the Air Force's relatively small B-2 fleet, which consists of just 20 aircraft in total.

A publicly available recording of air traffic control communications with Kansas City Center also picked up a brief conversation with the crew of the B-2, which was using the callsign Spirit 01 at the time.

https://twitter.com/thenewarea51/status/1660740023384264713?s=20

"I wish that the safety pause was not necessary," Air Force Maj. Gen. Andrew Gebara, commander of the Eighth Air Force, which oversees all of the service's bombers, had told Air & Space Forces Magazine last week. "But I think that it was really important that we find out what happened [to the aircraft involved in the accident] and make sure that was all mitigated before you start flying again, and thats what we did."

"I want them to come back in a disciplined, deliberate manner," Gebara added in that interview. But we will do full operational missions. So youre not going to see one loop around and land kind of sorties. Itll be a normal sortie. I actually am not concerned at all about the mission aspects of the force."

During the safety pause, "B-2 pilots spent time during the safety pause in the advanced simulators at Whiteman and increased repetitions in T-38 trainers," according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. Gebera said that routine maintenance continued on the B-2s during the safety pause, as well.

A B-2 bomber takes off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri in 2019. USAF

There continue to be few specific details available about the exact circumstances surrounding the accident on December 10.

"SIB [Safety Investigation Board] information is privileged, but there will be a publicly releasable AIB [Accident Investigation Board] report on the incident at some point in the future," a spokesperson for AFGSC told The War Zone today when asked for more details.

What is known is that the B-2 involved in the mishap made an emergency landing at Whiteman and suffered a fire. A picture subsequently emerged that showed the bomber lying on its side. Another B-2 ended up in a similar position at Whiteman in 2021 after skidding off the runway. The cause of that incident was later traced to the failure of a pair of worn springs on the left main landing gear assembly. Whether or not there is any connection between that incident and the one last December is currently unknown.

https://twitter.com/Fighterman_FFRC/status/1602907057144856576?s=20

The damaged B-2 involved in the December 2022 mishap remained on the base's lone runway, preventing its use by any aircraft, for more than a week afterward.

https://twitter.com/TheIntelFrog/status/1604654625046528000

In addition to the majority of the Air Force's B-2 fleet, T-38 Talon jet trainers are also based at Whiteman, which the Spirit crews of those aircraft use for concurrency training. It also hosts squadrons flying A-10 Warthog ground attack aircraft and MQ-9 Reaper drones.

The subsequent safety pause that went into effect after the accident last December had stranded one B-2 bomber at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, as The War Zone was first to report. Air & Space Forces Magazine reported last week that a B-2 test aircraft that normally operates from Edwards Air Force Base in California also found itself stuck at Whiteman. Both aircraft will likely now be heading to their respective homes in the near future.

https://twitter.com/WilliamsTank_/status/1647810828555657221

Questions also remain about what will happen to the B-2 that was involved in last year's mishap. Though the extent of the damage the aircraft sustained is unknown, the advanced and specialized nature of these bombers, right down to the very basics of their construction and radar-absorbent coatings, could make even relatively minor damage very expensive to repair.

The small fleet of B-2s, collectively, is a prime example of a low-density, high-value asset. The bombers have an unparalleled ability to penetrate dense enemy air defenses to carry out nuclear or conventional strikes over extremely long distances. Among its conventional strike roles, the Spirit is notably the only platform anywhere in the U.S. military currently authorized to employ the 30,000-pound-class GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster operationally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIvglyU7tmU

Depending on the severity of the damage, the Air Force could also choose not to repair the B-2 involved in the December 2022 mishap and use whatever is recoverable to help sustain the remaining bombers. The service did completely write off one Spirit after it suffered a devastating fire in the course of a major accident in 2008.

The Air Force has since repaired other B-2s after significant, but still less serious mishaps, at great cost. This includes the Spirit of Washington, which suffered a major fire at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam in 2010. It took around three years and approximately $105 million, which included the price of a scheduled overhaul that was conducted together with the repairs, to get that aircraft flying again.

The B-2 that skidded off the runway at Whiteman didn't fly at all for another year and did so only to travel to Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, to be fully repaired. The Air Force has said it expects to spend at least $10.1 million fixing that bomber.

This all also comes now as the Air Force is looking to reach an initial operational capability with its new B-21 Raider stealth bombers in the latter half of the decade. B-21s are expected to eventually replace all of the service's B-2 and B-1 bombers. The Raider's first flight is currently scheduled to take place sometime later this year.

The first prototype B-21 Raider stealth bomber. USAF

The unclassified version of the accident report, which should provide at least basic details about the entire mishap and the Air Force's next course or courses of action, will hopefully be released soon. Whatever the case may be, the service's remaining 19 B-2 bombers can now go back to business as usual.

Contact the author: joe@thedrive.com
A Fresno bakery owner has been arrested for allegedly defrauding the United States out of more than $5 million dollars in food stamps.

Jorge Luis Rivera of Fresno was indicted earlier this month on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and attempted wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert said Tuesday in a statement. The indictment was unsealed following the arrest of the 53-year-old.

According to court documents, Rivera owned El Ranchito Bakery in Fresno, which was authorized in 2005 to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits.

These benefits, sometimes referred to as food stamps, cannot be exchanged for cash.

Rivera is accused of directing employees to exchange SNAP benefits for cash or for other unauthorized items at the request of customers. The exchanges allegedly took place over a period of seven years, from 2011 to 2018, and cost the government more than $5 million, according to the Department of Justice.

If convicted, Rivera could get a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the two counts.
(Bloomberg) -- A band of moderate House Democrats is preparing to help rescue House Speaker Kevin McCarthy should he forge a bipartisan deal to avert a US default that sparks a revolt by ultra-conservatives.

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The offer is purely hypothetical at the moment but at least 10 Democrats are ready to cross party lines to back him retaining his post as speaker if Republican hard-liners try to oust McCarthy in the aftermath of a debt-limit deal, said Representative Dean Phillips, who is involved in the effort.

Theres a loosely knitted group of Democrats that would reward a show of courage by the speaker, if it came to that, the Minnesota congressman said, adding that people close to McCarthy have been made aware the contingency is available.

Its unclear how tenable McCarthys position within the Republican party would be if he had to rely on even a slender segment of the opposition party to remain in power.

Former Republican Speaker John Boehner chose to resign in 2015, despite getting similar Democratic offers of assistance, as he faced a potential no confidence challenge to his leadership from more than 40 members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

A McCarthy spokesman didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Aiding McCarthy poses danger for the Democrats too. A vote in favor of a Republican speaker would forever remain on their records and could become a weapon in a future primary challenge. That is a risk some moderates are willing to take.

The speaker hasnt demonstrated any signs so far of reaching for the Democratic moderates offer. In his public comments, McCarthy has stuck to the demands Republicans unified behind last month, even as he alternates between criticizing President Joe Biden and expressing optimism the two can make a deal.

But the point is to create options for the speaker as the nation barrels closer to a first-ever debt default with catastrophic consequences for the economy. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the nation may not be able to make payments on all its debts by June 1 without action from Congress to raise the legal debt limit.

McCarthy is maneuvering through the debt-limit confrontation from an unusually perilous position for a House leader.

As a condition of being selected speaker in January, McCarthy agreed to a change House rules enabling any disgruntled lawmaker to demand a vote to oust him.

With Republicans only narrowly in control, the defection of only five ultra-conservatives could topple him  unless some Democrats break the tradition of party-line votes on House leadership elections and step in to help. McCarthy.

For now, hard-line House conservatives say they arent worried McCarthy will back away from debt-limit demands they have insisted upon.

He knows where his support is, and its not on the Democratic side, Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina said.

Phillips does not dispute that Democrats crossing party lines to help preserve McCarthys speakership might generate anger from within their own party.

But he says, I think the country would be well served by a moment like that, Phillips said, casting that scenario as promoting political courage and compromise.

Others also suggested McCarthy could count on significant backing from Democrats against a challenge based on a deb-limit compromise, including the partys former long-time No. 2 leader, Representative Steny Hoyer, who is well-networked among moderates.

I think there would be, Hoyer said in a brief Capitol hallway interview. I think there would be opposition to those seeking to destabilize the institution.

Representative John Larson, another former Democratic leader, said hed even be inclined to himself oppose a theoretical effort by McCarthys right flank to oust him after cutting a debt deal compromise.

Id want to know the circumstances of what had happened, but my opinion is that no 15 or 25 people should be the tail that wags the dog, Larson said, referring to ultra-conservative who might oust McCarthy. This is too big a thing for our country.

--With assistance from Anna Edgerton.

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An officer shot and killed a man suspected of robbing a bank at gunpoint Monday.

>> TRENDING: 5 taken to hospital after crash in Darke County

Reading Police requested mutual aid from surrounding law enforcement agencies to the 1200 block of Third Street after officers tracked down a man accused of robbing a Fifth Third Bank at gunpoint Monday afternoon, around 1:30 p.m., a spokesperson for the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office said.

As part of the response, the countys sheriffs office and SWAT team were dispatched to the scene.

Michael Craddock, 34, identified as the suspect, left the home in question through the back door and pointed a gun at officers who surrounded the residence upon arrival, WCPO reported.

An Amberley Village officer fired one round at Craddock, which hit the suspect in the upper body, the spokesperson said. Craddock then went back into the house.

The Hamilton County SWAT team later forced their entry and found Craddock dead from an apparent gunshot wound, the spokesperson said.

They kept telling him to come out with your hands up keep your hands, Steve Meiser, a neighbor who witnessed the standoff, said. The next thing I know, I see SWAT and all of their patrol cars and everything and they had their guns out.

Meiser was on his front porch watching the scene develop when he heard the gunshot followed by a loud explosion just before the SWAT team raided the home.

They asked us to go inside, they didnt want us being a bystander for the flying bullets, you never know, never know whats going to happen, Meiser said.

The Hamilton County Sheriffs Office and Hamilton County Prosecutors Office investigated the officer-involved shooting.

Anyone with information connected to the shooting was asked to call the sheriffs office at 513-851-6000 or text the HCSO tip line at 513-586-5533.
Georgias best hole-in-the-wall restaurant is just a little more than an hours drive from Jacksonville.

Love Food this week published a list of the best hole-in-the-wall restaurant in all 50 states.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

From historic spots that started out as literal holes in the wall to basic diners that always offer a warm welcome and wonderful plate of food, weve rounded up the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants across the US, Love Food wrote in its report.

TRENDING STORIES:

Southern Soul Barbecue on St. Simons Island, the Georgia entry on Love Foods list, is no stranger to recognition for its food. In October, it made Southern Livings The Souths Top 50 Barbecue Joints for 2022.

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In 2017, it was also featured in Southern Living among The Souths Best BBQ of 2017.

Love Food talked about how Southern Souls building used to be a gas station in the 1950s. Now, the publication wrote, instead of gas, servers dispense tender beef, pork, turkey, and wild game to devoted customers and lucky passers-by every day.

Southern Soul Barbecue is located at 2020 Demere Road on St. Simons Island. Its open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Tuesday.
Beachgoers find a big surprise  a bundle of suspected cocaine along shore, cops say

A walk near the shore led beachgoers to a big surprise  a bundle of suspected cocaine, deputies told Alabama news outlets.

The bundle contained at least 20 packages believed to be holding the illegal drug, according to photos shared with WPMI.

The discovery was made May 20 in the West End Beach area of Dauphin Island. The bundle, which appeared to have been there for some time, was pulled from the coast and taken to narcotics investigators, the Mobile County Sheriffs Office told WKRG.

Now, deputies said two people have been arrested and face charges of cocaine trafficking, WALA reported.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is expected to help with the investigation, multiple news outlets reported.

The Mobile County Sheriffs Office didnt immediately share additional information with McClatchy News on May 23.

Dauphin Island is along the Gulf Coast, roughly 35 miles south of Mobile.

Four college students likely drugged after rideshare driver offers drink, AL cops say

85 arrested after drugs sent in checked bags through Orlando airport, Florida cops say
Members of Russian Volunteer Corps stand next to an armoured vehicle in this undated handout picture obtained by Reuters on May 23, 2023. - Russian Volunteer Corps handout/via Reuters

Yesterdays cross-border raid from Ukraine into Russias Belgorod province by anti-Kremlin partisans known as the Russian Freedom Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps is the largest offensive action inside Russias borders since Putins invasion began. The group seems to have struck the frontier post at Kozinka, apparently killing a border guard, before crossing into Russian territory around Grayvoron with armoured vehicles, mortars and artillery support.

This action is unlikely to develop into a significant assault on Russian territory because the Ukrainian army itself remains constrained to operations within its own borders by agreements with military donor nations.

Nevertheless it is a major humiliation for Vladimir Putin. Who would have thought last February, as he launched his special military operation confident that Ukraine would be subdued with a matter of days, that his forces would spend much of the next year on the back foot and he would now be facing an incursion onto his own territory?

Not only that, but ironically Putins own much-vaunted hybrid war tactics have been turned against him in an echo of the proxies and deniable little green men he sent to invade Ukraine back in 2014.

This has put Putin and his propagandists into a flat spin, with embarrassed pro-Kremlin bloggers branding the raid a mere distraction by Ukraine from Russias conquest of Bakhmut. Yes, Putin can make use of the Belgorod incursion, claiming that Russia is somehow the victim and has been attacked by a hostile West  no doubt followed by his usual dark threats against Nato. But in taking that line, as he did with the drone attack on the Kremlin, he only emphasises his countrys vulnerability with its vast porous border that cannot realistically be defended. Russias weakness is underlined by the continuation of the raid into a second day.

Ukraines denial of any knowledge of the raid is again the mirror image of Putins own tactics and should be taken with a pinch of salt. In reality this operation is part of Kyivs effort to shape the battlefield, in military parlance. This includes reconnaissance, feinting manoeuvres and deception to identify the enemys strengths and weaknesses, sow confusion, keep him guessing about where the counter-offensive hammer will fall and forcing him to react in a way that will both reveal his dispositions and stretch his forces.

This raid has given Putin a major dilemma. Can he afford to dismiss it and risk repeated humiliating attacks, or must he redeploy forces to try and tighten border defences? Continued attacks not be hugely damaging from a military point of view but politically they would be immensely humiliating, not least further undermining Putins own standing domestically and on the international stage. And, as Putin will know, there are a range of other forces inside Ukraine that could be used for similar actions  I met some of them last week.

But moving forces to defend the northern borders will not be easy. Russian forces around Bakhmut are exhausted and still subject to Ukrainian harassment on the flanks, with no immediate sign that they are in a position to exploit the enormously costly territorial gains in the town by advancing further to the west. Russian troops elsewhere are stretched paper thin and can ill afford to redeploy units while at the same time trying to strengthen their defences against the expected Ukrainian counter-offensive.

However this partisan operation develops, it has already shown that a great deal can be achieved by a very small force employing tactical surprise. As it has been humiliating for Putin it has been a shot in the arm for Ukraine, with morale of such vital importance as the country braces itself to deliver a counter-offensive that, successful or not, is likely to be very costly.

Colonel Richard Kemp is a former British Army officer. He was an infantry battalion commander and saw active duty in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan

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In mid-April, days before Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Tel Aviv, Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohen visited Baku to discuss regional security and Israeli diplomacy in Central Asia with President Ilham Aliyev and other senior officials. Israels deepening relations with Azerbaijan and the Central Asian countriesand the significant assistance that it can provide to these countries domestic economies as well as their securitycontributes to the stability and security of the broader region in the face of Iranian bellicosity. They also give the Central Asian countries another vector for escaping the visegrip of Russian and Chinese influence.

BACKGROUND: Bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Israel are firmly undergirded by a shared commitment to common humanistic values in the face of complex challenges, as is evident in the culture and history of both societies. The respective security concerns of the two modern states are unified by Irans hostility against those humanistic principles, as is daily on display in the Tehran regimes repression of the continual and still ongoing popular uprising in the country, and particularly its oppression all non-Persian peoples (and not just the Azerbaijanis in the countrys northwest). This regimes institutionalized antisemitism, driving incendiary declarations that Israel must be eradicated from the map, is strikingly matched by its disdainverging on contemptfor Azerbaijan, where the secular state of the predominantly Shiite Muslim population compellingly contradicts Irans theocratic pretensions.

Ties between the two countries have evolved significantly over the past few decades since Azerbaijans independence. Their cooperation has deepened in a geopolitical context where they share common strategic interests: these include, but are not limited to, countering Irans new and increasingly pervasive influence in the region, working to ensure regional stability, and promoting economic prosperity as a precondition for international security. Key aspects of their joint efforts include increasingly robust defense and security cooperation, dynamic industrial and agricultural cooperation, and developing an efficient intelligence-sharing mechanism. The challenge posed by Irans increased hostility against Azerbaijan since the end of the Second Karabakh War has increased the necessityindeed the urgencyof enhanced security cooperation with Israel. The two countries are responding together to threats directed against them from the same source.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Israel supplied 60 percent of Azerbaijans imports of defense systems from 2015 to 2019. In late 2020, during the Second Karabakh War (often called the Forty-four Day War in Azerbaijan by analogy to Israels Six Day War in 1967) Azerbaijan demonstrated an innovative use of Israeli arms and was able to integrate and deploy the capabilities of Turkish and Israeli unmanned aerial vehicles together. Press reports have suggested that Azerbaijan may have bought Iron Dome missile defense batteries in May 2021 as Irans unprecedented military activities on its border exacerbated the tension between the two countries, and that it was considering purchasing Israels Arrow-3 missile defense system later that year.

IMPLICATIONS: Israeli foreign minister Eli Cohens April 2023 visit to Baku is in the line of a series of interministerial meetings that have further deepened relations between the two countries since the end of the Second Karabakh War in November 2020. It follows the October 2022 visit to Azerbaijan by Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz. Gantzs visit, in turn, followed by several months the April 2022 visit by Israels finance minister Avigdor Lieberman to Azerbaijan, where agreements were reached to expand economic relations, particularly Israeli imports of Azerbaijani oil. Israel reciprocated by pledging to share expertise and technical knowhow with Azerbaijan in agricultural production, and in particular cultivation of wheat, which has been a global shortage due to Russias war of aggression against Ukraine. The unannounced visit of Gantz in October 2022, which became public knowledge only after its completion, includedthe signature of several crucial cooperation agreements in the military and security sectors with high-ranking Azerbaijani officials.

These meetings and agreements are only the latest response by Israel in aid of Azerbaijans combat against Irans long history of illegal conduct in the region. This conduct includes, notably, persistent smuggling operations and extensive drug-running activities in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region during its three-decade occupation by military forces of the Republic of Armenia. That conduct seriously undermined the integrity of the rule of law in the region, and it also provided Iranian officials with a substantial and highly lucrative source of revenue. This income, in turn, was instrumental in financing its regional ambitions and in offering financial support to a variety of extremist groups. The Iranian clerical regime, despite lip-service to Muslim solidarity, aims its state-directed terrorism against Muslim Azerbaijan and in support of Christian Armenia. Its foreign policy is conducted from a purely hegemonic perspective that exceeds even the wildest dreams of the Safavid dynasty.

Iran makes regular and constant provocations against Azerbaijans state integrity. A terrorist attack directed against the Azerbaijani embassy in Teheran in January was by all indications sponsored by police and intelligence services of the Iranian state. An attempt on the life, in Baku, of a member of Azerbaijans parliament who is well known for his outspoken criticism of Iran, was thwarted only by fortunate circumstances. Against this backdrop, Azerbaijani media announced in April the arrest, in Baku, of 20 people allegedly affiliated with Irans intelligence ministry on charges of promoting the Islamic Republics propaganda, spreading religious superstitions, attempting to overthrow the secular government of Baku, and engaging in drug trafficking under the guise of religious activities.

CONCLUSIONS: Following from all these recent provocations, which are more serious and frequent than in the history of independent Azerbaijans state-to-state relations with Iran, President Aliyev in early May gravely observed that relations between Azerbaijan and Iran are at the lowest level ever. Irans challenges to regional peace and stability go beyond these state-terrorist acts. They include Teherans military-industrial cooperation with Yerevan, its support for extremist groups, and its unprecedented military operations on the border with Azerbaijan representing an enhanced threat. These actions do not just undermine prospects for peace and stability in the region. They necessitate a robust response from Azerbaijan and its allies.

Israels closer relations with Azerbaijan must be contextualized in the new geopolitical landscape established by the Abraham Accords. Such developments have likewise conditioned the significant improvement of Israels relations with Turkey and other countries in the region. They have already led to closer relations with a series of the countries in Central Asia as well. For example, foreign minister Cohens meetings in Baku took place just before he flew to Turkmenistan to inaugurate his countrys first embassy in Ashgabat, which happens to be 12 miles from the border with Iran.

Russias relative strategic weakness in the South Caucasus since the end of the Second Karabakh War, and particularly in the aftermath of re-igniting its war of aggression against Ukraine, poses profound challenges to the enduring peace and stability in the region. That is because it creates the opening for Irans growing infiltration into the region through the complex structures of its ally Armenia. The visit of Israels foreign minister to Azerbaijancoming at a time when the region faces mounting challenges from Irans escalating threats against Azerbaijan and its military-industrial cooperation with Armeniais thus a factor for stability in the region. The strengthening of Israel-Azerbaijan relations is a counterweight to Irans malign influence and, as such, a partnership for regional security.

Robert M. Cutler is Senior Research Fellow, NATO Association of Canada, and Director of its Energy Security Program.
The Russian Volunteer Corps has said that the Russian Ministry of Defence is spreading false information about the alleged destruction of a convoy of their equipment in Bryansk Oblast, Russia.

Source: Russian Volunteer Corps on Telegram; Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov

Details: The Russian Defence Ministry shared a video on its Telegram channel claiming to show a number of military vehicles belonging to the "saboteurs".

In response, the Russian Volunteer Corps said they did not know "whose convoys of equipment Mr Konashenkov destroyed in his reports, but the Russian Volunteer Corps has not suffered any losses." [Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov is a Russian military officer serving as the chief spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation  ed.]

Meanwhile, Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that residents who fled the previous day have now returned to their homes in Grayvoron and Golovchino, and that the residents of Gora-Podol, Glotovo and Kozinka will be brought back "in the near future".

Gladkov also claimed to have visited the three villages  Gora-Podol, Glotovo and Kozinka  that the "saboteurs" entered the day before.

Background:

On 22 May, Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion announced that they had crossed the border and were "liberating" the settlements of Belgorod Oblast from the current Russian regime. They said they were starting with the villages of Kozinka and Gora-Podol, but were seeking to "liberate" all of Russia.

Andrii Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, has described the events taking place in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May as the creation of a "security zone" to protect Ukrainian citizens. Yusov stressed that the operation was conducted exclusively by Russian citizens.

Gladkov has reported that the majority of residents of the Grayvoron district had left their settlements.

On 23 May, Gladkov announced that the counter-terrorist operation regime in Belgorod Oblast had been cancelled.

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May 23, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am writing this letter in response to the issuance today of the Illinois Attorney Generals Final Report on Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse in Illinois. The Diocese of Belleville has cooperated fully during the Attorney Generals five-year long preparation of this report by providing information about our clergy, living and deceased, and allegations of misconduct with minors that our Diocese has received. While I will need some time to read and fully absorb the AGs lengthy report, especially the section on the Diocese of Belleville, please permit me to share several important points.

It is crucial you understand that nothing is more important to us than the welfare of the youth entrusted to our care. The Diocese of Belleville takes all allegations of inappropriate or sexual misconduct seriously and encourages anyone who feels they have been harmed by a priest, deacon, religious or lay employee, to come forward. You may contact the Child Protection Hotline at 1-800-640-3044.

I have today issued a companion document, attached here, entitled Diocese of Bellevilles Response to Illinois Attorney Generals Final Report (also at: www.diobelle.org). This document offers important information about our policies concerning child safety, including our commitment to appropriately respond to any allegations we receive about potentially abusive behavior by any of our clerics. I invite you to read this brief document and learn more about our commitment to safeguarding our youth.

In the name of our community, I offer my profound apology to all who have been harmed by the failure to prevent and properly respond to child sexual abuse by clerics. Furthermore, the Diocese is committed to providing services for the healing of victims/survivors of abuse by offering counseling and therapy that will assist them.

Let me take this opportunity to thank all who play a role in helping us keep young people safe in our parishes, schools, PSR programs and activities. By following the child safety protocols, the training, and the required screening, we can continue making great strides in safeguarding the children entrusted to our care. If all our procedures can spare even one child from the horror of abuse, our efforts will have been well worth it.

Permit me also to affirm that we have hundreds of priests, deacons, religious, teachers, staff and volunteers who are dedicated to being good shepherds in our diocese. I thank them for their commitment to serving all the people of our community with dedication, care and respect.This Sunday the Church will celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, the great day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and disciples gathered in Jerusalem. Please join me in praying for the Holy Spirit to again fill the hearts and souls of all our clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese of Belleville. May we work together for the renewal of the Church in southern Illinois.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Michael McGovern

Bishop of Belleville
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello on Tuesday issued an executive order in anticipation of the possible arrival of hundreds of asylum seekers and migrants from New York City.

The move comes less than two weeks after New York City Mayor Eric Adams warned officials from across the state that he may send as many as 300 people by bus to any of New Yorks 62 counties at any time. Adams said that New York City was anticipating the arrival of approximately 3,000 migrants during the first week after Title 42 expired on May 12.

State officials have said they expect to see a significant increase in the number of asylum seekers and migrants arriving in New York. In response, Gov. Kathy Hochul's administration and several other communities have declared states of emergency.

"Other municipalities, whether inside or outside of New York State, transporting busloads of migrant families to a hotel within our community without a plan in place to support them, is not fair to our residents, and is not fair to the migrants who would be housed here," Bello said. "Clear communication and coordination is essential if we are to navigate this situation successfully, which is why I have had a continued dialogue with the Governors Office,her Commissioners, as well as fellow County Executives across the state facing the same challenges."

The order prevents any hotel, motel, shelter, or other multiple-dwelling units from entering into a contract with anyentity to provide emergency shelter unless an Emergency Housing Plan is submitted to the Monroe County Department of Human Services and receives approval.

"This plan must demonstrate that arrangements have been made to ensure any individuals brought to Monroe County will receive adequate housing and necessary support services, and have their fundamental needs met for the duration of their stay," Bello said.

More: Relocating asylum seekers in Broome would 'absolutely break our social services system'

More: Separating fear, rhetoric from reality: What Title 42's end really means for New Yorkers

A number of counties in the state have already declared states of emergency, including Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming. Albany County issued a similar executive order on Tuesday, according to Bello.

"Monroe County welcomes people from all over the world," Bello said. "This Emergency Order does notprevent migrants from coming to Monroe County while they await resolution of their legalasylum application. Rather, it ensures that if migrants need to be housed here, it is done so in athoughtful way with a reasonable plan in place to protect everyone involved."

The executive order went into effect immediately upon signing, and will remain in effect for five days, although it could be extended.

Bello said the County was already working to adsress a housing crisis and an unprecedented shortage of emergency housing available to support individuals experiencing homelessness.

"Monroe Countys Department of Human Services works daily to address these shortfalls, but continues to face difficulties in identifying adequate emergency housing and providing supportive services to those in need of suchhousing," Bello said. "We expect any surge locally will exacerbate our housing shortages and put a strain on our support systems in place."

Contact reporter Sean Lahman at slahman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @seanlahman.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Monroe County NY issues executive order for possible influx of migrants
On the night Lizzo played Raleighs PNC Arena, owner Kevin Jennings said The Mill was slammed. The new bar, a revival of sorts for the former Edwards Mill Bar & Grill, hosted the pre-concert rush for fans of one of the worlds biggest pop stars grabbing a bite and a buzz before the show.

People were ordering shots of Fireball, people in their 30s and 50s, Jennings said. We got destroyed. But youre going to get destroyed a few times as a new bar.

The Mill opened in April at 3201 Edward Mill Road in the Olde Raleigh Village shopping center, becoming the newest restaurant under the Urban Food Group umbrella, joining popular restaurants like Vivace and Coquette.

The new restaurants name pays homage to Edwards Mill Bar & Grill, a 26 year-old neighborhood bar that used to occupy the same space. Edwards Mill was part of the grand tradition of strip mall dive bars, where you could find a solid burger and cheap beer and a community of regulars.

But dive bars arent exactly a concept a business owner can open up, its a title cured in a space over years. Jennings said he hopes to get back there one day with The Mill.

A dive bar is earned over time, Jennings said. You dont get to open a dive bar.

Remember Porter City Tavern? Kinda like that.

Urban Food Group owners Kevin and Stacey Jennings see The Mill as a return to their early days of restaurants in the Triangle, when they had Porter City Tavern off of Hillsborough Street for a decade from 2003 to 2013.

We loved Porters, Kevin Jennings said in a phone interview. We loved that concept, that upscale casual American-focused grill. Its a place you can go and its good, not super complicated food. We think that always has a place.

The Mill opens after nine months of construction, started in the summer of 2022, transforming the space into a modern casual restaurant, with warm leather banquettes along the walls, strings of lights on a shady patio and a slogan in neon begging for you to post it on Instagram, A Shiny Place for Shady People.

We wanted to try and retain the spirit of Edwards Mill, that neighborhood bar, Jennings said. But we want to update it to todays standards.

The menu at The Mill

The Mill only serves dinner, starting at 4 p.m., but Jennings is hoping it is part of a wave of local restaurants resetting the clock from pandemic-era hours. He hopes diners will seek it out when looking for a bite between 9 p.m. and midnight.

Were bringing late night back, Jennings said. Justin Timberlake was bringing sexy back, were bringing late night back.

The menu features snacks like grilled wings and nachos, here called Tavern Chips, with versions like pulled pork with barbecue sauce and queso and a Thai rotisserie chicken with peanut sauce and queso. The sandwiches include a $17 burger and a shrimp po boy. The larger plates range from pub classics like fish and chips and Shepherds Pie shrimp and grits and steak with a baked potato.

Its good solid food, its not trying to win the James Beard award, Jennings said. Its the kind of place you can go anytime for any reason.

An edgy bar with higher end food

Urban Food Group has launched and operated major restaurants in the Triangle for nearly 30 years, but Jennings doesnt believe theres a flagship. In The Mill he said hes tried to create the companys flagship American restaurant and appeal to a broad base of diners.

We wanted all different levels of clientele, blue collar, white collar, Jennings said. The beautiful part of Edwards Mill and that area is it attracts all socioeconomic levels, all age levels.

The Mill has upgraded the beverage offerings, introducing a high range of wines by the glass, as well as bottles up to $150. Theres more craft beer on tap, but The Mill has also kept a draft line for PBR.

Were taking this place and making it shiny  essentially new, Jennings said. We still want that edgy appeal, and want to make sure those people dont feel its gotten too hoity-toity for them. But were blending that with the sort of higher end neighborhood restaurant where you might find a good California cabernet.

But Jennings still seemed surprised by the rush before the Lizzo show, though he saw in that frenzy that maybe diners were already finding The Mill to be the any occasion spot he wants it to be.

And hopefully in 20 years well have earned that dive bar name, Jennings said. We all have a little dive bar in us.
The Benbrook Police Department is looking for a runaway 13-year-old girl who they believe is associated with people connected to human trafficking.

The missing teen, Alyiah Powell, was last seen Wednesday at a McDonalds located at 4420 Western Center Boulevard in Fort Worth, Benbrook police said in a news release Tuesday.

Powell may be in Dallas staying with unknown people, according to Benbrook investigators.

She has a tattoo that says 1952 on the knuckles of her left hand and an unknown tattoo on one of her feet. She also has a nose and lip ring, has recently added pink highlights to her hair, and wears fake eyelashes, according to police. She has brown hair, hazel eyes, is about 5 feet 7 inches tall, and weighs about 100 pounds.

Powell has been entered into multiple national databases as a missing person. Anyone with information on Powells whereabouts is encouraged to report her location immediately.

Tipsters can contact Detective J. Reese at 817-249-2752 with the extension 6128 or by email at jreese@benbrook-tx.gov.

Tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 817-469-8477.
Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

The festivities are underway for what is set to be the biggest royal wedding of 2023, when Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein will wed Rajwa Al Saif on June 1. Celebrations began in late May when Queen Rania hosted a henna party for her future daughter-in-law Rajwa Al Saif at Madareb Bani Hashem.

"Im so happy that you could all be here to celebrate with us. Today is a special day for us, and to our entire Jordanian family: Our joy is one and the same near or far, you are all in our hearts today," Queen Rania said in her remarks. (More photos and videos can be found on Rania's Instagram, @QueenRania.)

"Ill never forget how happy His Majesty and I were when Al Hussein told us he wanted to marry Rajwa. She is the perfect answer to all my prayers for him,"Queen Rania said. "May you always be each others source of happiness and support." Here, see all the best photos from the pre-wedding henna partyand check back next week for more photos from all the royal wedding celebrations.

Rajwa Al Saif, 28, was born in Saudi Arabia. For her henna party, she wore Saudi designer Honayda Serafi.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Rajwa (center) poses with Princess Iman, Queen Rania, her mom Azza Al Sudairi, and Princess Salma.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Rania said to Rajwa's mom Azza, "we and Al Hussein will take the very best care of Rajwa. This is her country, and she is among her family and her people."

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Queen Rania smiles alongside Rajwa, the future queen of Jordan.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Rajwa with her future sister-in-law Princess Iman, who just had a glamorous royal wedding of her own.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Rajwa's dress designer Serafi told Arab News "When I first got the call, I was extremely happy and proud to be part of this exceptional and historical moment. What I am especially proud of is communicating the love story between the crown prince and Rajwa in the design itself."

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Rajwa "wanted to wear something very modest and something from Saudi Arabian culture, but with a modern twist. She wanted the piece to be very elegant, and she also wanted it to be white," Serafi said.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Serafi drew on the Al-Shaby thobe of the Najd region of Saudi Arabia, where Rajwa's family is frome.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Rajwa looked very bridal and ethereal in her white and gold dress at the henna party.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

She danced with the guests.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Queen Rania embraced Rajwa at one point during the evening.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Queen Rania, a royal style icon, wore a bespoke Saiid Koebsiy gown. The designer wrote on Instagram, "We feel truly honored to have dressed her Majesty @queenrania of Jordan who mesmerized guests at Princess Rajwa Al Saif's Henna Party, in a stunning bespoke Saiid Kobeisy couture floor-length kaftan gown, that featured celestial shades of blue, gracefully highlighting the Queen's natural charm and allure."

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Rania shares a moment with Princess Iman.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

During her speech, Queen Rania said "as mothers, the one thing we truly want is to make sure that our children are happy. We often ask ourselves whether we did the best we can to raise our children. During His Majesty the late King Husseins final days and before his passing, I made him a promise to raise Al Hussein the way he wanted him to be raised."

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

The royal women took in performances by Haleem Musical Group, Al Salt Girls Band, and Misk Dance Company.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Traditional Jordanian and Saudi songs were perofrmed by local artists Nedaa Shrara, Diana Karazon, and Zain Awad.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

Hussein's sisters looked lovely in red and purple gowns. Princess Salma, left, just graduated from USC.

Courtesy Royal Hashemite Court

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Best Western worker accused of child sex crimes found hiding in hotel attic, NY cops say

Police raided a Best Western hotel in search of an employee accused of sex crimes and found him hiding in the attic, authorities in New York said.

The 47-year-old was arrested on May 5 after an exhaustive search of the Best Western hotel in the Town of Owego, state police announced in a May 23 news release.

He was charged with first-degree sex abuse, according to police. It wasnt specified what exactly led to his arrest.

The man, of Owego, is also accused of hundreds of child sex crimes in neighboring Pennsylvania, authorities said.

Hes wanted on 400 counts of sexually related offenses against a child by the Sayre Borough Police Department in Sayre, Pennsylvania, according to the release. Sayre is about 20 miles southwest of Owego.

The man was detained in Tioga County Jail for an arraignment and processing, police said.

State Trooper Aga Dembinska told McClatchy News in a statement on May 23 that he is facing a charge related to sexual contact without consent. She declined to provide further details.

Our utmost priority is to protect the victim and releasing more details could re-victimize the victim, Dembinska said.

McClatchy News also contacted Best Western Hotels & Resorts for comment on May 23 and is awaiting a response.

Owego is about 30 miles southeast of Ithaca.

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Bibb, Houston County, other Middle GA high schools graduate this week. Heres when, where

Area schools will celebrate graduating seniors with a series of commencement ceremonies across Middle Georgia. While most private schools have held their graduations, events for public school students begin Wednesday and run through Saturday.

Heres when and where local graduation ceremonies will take place, as well as details for attendees.

Bibb County School District

Spring graduation ceremonies for Bibb County schools will be held between May 24 and 26 at the Macon Coliseum (200 Coliseum Drive).

Each Bibb County graduate will receive 12 tickets for their ceremony, which are required for all guests over one year of age to enter the parking lot and venue. Bibb County School District employees do not need tickets to attend but will be required to show their employee ID badge to gain entry.

The coliseum doors will open 60 minutes prior to each ceremony. Attendees will have to undergo security checks, including metal detectors and bag searches, before entering. Each person is allowed to bring in one clear bag (12 x 12 x 6 or smaller) and one handheld clutch (8.5 x 5.5 or smaller).

Students, families, and other guests in attendance must also dress in attire appropriate for the occasion. Proper footwear is required and t-shirts, shorts, and other informal attire is not allowed.

Noisemakers, beach balls, balloon bouquets, and other items that have the potential to disrupt the ceremony are not permitted in the venue. Violators of these policies may be escorted from the premises by Bibb County Campus Police Officers or other security personnel.

For those who are unable to attend in person, every graduation ceremony will be live streamed online and can be accessed at bcsdk12.net or at this direct link.

Houston County School District

Graduation ceremonies for Houston County high schools will be held on May 26 and 27 in the Reaves Arena in Perry.

Each graduate will receive 12 tickets for their graduation ceremony, which will be required for guests to enter the venue. Family members may arrive up to but no earlier than one hour before the beginning of the ceremony they are attending. Formal attire is required.

The ceremony for each high school will be live streamed online for those who cannot attend in person. Live streams can be accessed on the school district website at hcbe.net.

Other Middle Georgia high schools
In Kentuckys coal country, Kelly Crafts focus on her connections to the industry won over some Republican voters in last weeks primary but not enough to push her past Daniel Camerons high-profile endorsement, party members from both ends of the state said.

Coal and its effects on local utility rates is a frequent topic at meetings of the Letcher County Republican Party.

The number one thing youre gonna hear the most complaints about is our utilities, said Mitch Whitaker, who chairs the local Republican executive committee in the heart of Eastern Kentuckys coalfield.

So when Craft  a candidate for the GOP nomination for Kentucky governor  touted her familys deep connections to coal and blamed rising utility costs on the closure of coal-fired power plants, she got some traction in Letcher County, Whitaker said.

Everyone I talked to said, You know, its a good thing that somebodys making an issue out of coal and our high utility rates, Whitaker told the Herald-Leader. Despite a decline in its economic impact locally, coal is still a top three issue there, he said.

But it wasnt enough. Like much of the state, Attorney General Cameron won Letcher County with a comfortable margin, capturing 37% of the votes in the Republican primary May 16. Craft was in second with a quarter of the votes.

She saw similar results across Kentuckys coal country. Thirteen counties across the state had at least 50 coal mining jobs this year, state-tracked coal mining data from January through March showed. In those counties, Craft performed better than the high-dollar, third-place finish she got statewide.

If the primary only included those 13 counties  10 of which are in Eastern Kentucky and three are in Western  Craft wouldve come in second with 22% of a little over 20,000 votes. Though Cameron would still have had a commanding victory with 45% punching in his name. But why?

Just by the sheer magnitude by which Daniel Cameron won, I have to believe that the Trump endorsement and his celebrity status is what really put him over the line, Whitaker said of the election in his county. To my knowledge, he is the only one of those major three candidates that didnt set foot in Letcher County.

That answer wasnt too different on the western side of the state in Hopkins County. The county is also Trump country, said Bill Plunkett, a member of the county Republican partys executive committee.

Along with the endorsement, Plunkett said Cameron was able to express his Christian ideologies and strong demeanor well to voters in the county. They rewarded him with 55% of the countys votes.

Former ambassador Kelly Craft is pictured with her husband, Joe, on April 19, 2023. He gave a PAC supporting her gubernatorial campaign $1.5 million.

Despite decades-long declines in coal production statewide, coal certainly still matters in Hopkins County, which recent state data said had over 450 coal jobs from January through March of this year.

Alliance Resource Partners  the mining company owned by Kelly Crafts husband, Joe  has a mine in the county. Alliance also has a mine in nearby Union County and a third in Pike County in far Eastern Kentucky. That didnt seem to matter too much as Cameron won all three counties.

Hometowns certainly did seem to matter though. In Perry County  where Joe hails from  Kelly did relatively well, only losing to Cameron by 19 votes.

Local issues certainly mattered quite a bit to some. David Sharp, the chair of the Hopkins County Republican Party, said Crafts focus on national issues didnt play real well in his county.

Attacks on Craft from fellow candidate Eric Deters, who attempted to challenge her Kentucky residency with a lawsuit that was ultimately dismissed, did no favors for her in Hopkins County, Sharp said.

He also heard comments from folks locally who said they were switching their support from Craft late in the primary cycle.

Just because they felt like Craft was trying to buy the election with family money and everything else, Sharp said. But I mean, I didnt see it that way. When youre running a campaign, you need money.

Back in Letcher County, Whitaker said he didnt decide who to vote for until the election was near. He was split between Craft and Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles.

He ultimately picked Quarles, noting the commissioner had an Eastern Kentucky-specific plan available on his website. All of the other candidates relied on talking points, not necessarily a policy platform, Whitaker said.

Plus, Quarles locally focused campaign meant he was in Letcher County more than every other candidate combined.

I think that means something to voters, Whitaker said, noting that Letcher isnt exactly a short drive from Frankfort.

Asked how Cameron can build an edge in Eastern Kentucky for his general election match-up with Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, Whitaker said theres a growing number of flood victims who are dissatisfied with how rebuilding efforts have gone on.

I think that the flood recovery could have been done better, Whitaker said. And I think thats what Daniel Cameron should capitalize on.

Both Sharp and Plunkett said the party needs to come together after a contested, 12-candidate primary that mightve exposed some divisions.

If we dont come together as one party, Sharp said, Andy Beshear is our next governor.
Biden and McCarthy had a 'productive' meeting but still can't agree on a debt ceiling solution with a default as soon as 10 days away

U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and President Joe Biden meet with other lawmakers in the Oval Office of the White House on May 09, 2023 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Biden and McCarthy met on Monday to discuss the debt ceiling, and they still haven't reached an agreement.

This comes as soon as ten days before the US could default on its debt.

Despite pressure from some Democrats, Biden is still hesitant to bypass Congress to address the debt ceiling.

Every day that passes is a day closer to economic catastrophe in the US  and President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy still can't agree on a way to avoid that outcome.

On Monday, Biden and McCarthy met to attempt to come to an agreement on raising the debt ceiling before the US defaults on its debt, which Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said could happen as soon as June 1. This meeting came after negotiations were stalled on Friday because GOP negotiators were branding the White House's debt ceiling requests as "unreasonable," and it appeared that both sides were unwilling to budge on their debt ceiling demands.

And emerging from the Monday meeting, McCarthy told reporters it was a "productive" meeting  but the two sides did not reach a deal.

"I think the tone tonight was better than any other time we've had discussions," McCarthy said following the meeting.

"I think we both agree that we want to be able to come to an agreement," McCarthy added. "We both agree on the areas that we know there's disagreement on, but I think it was productive and the professionalism, the honesty with one another, and the desire to fight try to find common ground."

Notably, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters following the meeting that Democrats are "willing to discuss freezing spending at current levels. That's an inherently reasonable position many in our party might even be uncomfortable with, but President Biden recognizes we're in a divided government situation."

This minimal progress comes at a critical time for the US economy. According to Moody's Analytics, even a short-term default could cost Americans nearly a million jobs, and an analysis from the Joint Economic Committee previously found a failure to raise the debt ceiling could cost Americans $20,000 in retirement savings, along with a surge in mortgage and private student-loan payments.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been adamant that the US cannot default on its debt  but the legislative process takes time, and Congress will need to move quickly to pass a bill before June in the event of an agreement.

"It's time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely on their partisan terms. They have to move as well," Biden said during a Sunday press conference in Japan. "All four congressional leaders agree with me that default is not an option. And I expect each of these leaders to live up to that commitment. America has never defaulted on our debt, and it never will."

And if Congress can't reach an agreement, a growing number of Democratic lawmakers have been urging Biden to prepare to invoke a clause in the 14th Amendment that would declare the debt ceiling unconstitutional, allowing the president to bypass Congress and get rid of the debate forever. Still, while Biden acknowledged that he thinks he "has the authority" to take that route on Sunday, he expressed hesitancy given potential litigation that could result.

So at this point, it's unclear where negotiations will go from here  and if Congress can reach a deal in time to save Americans from an unprecedented default on the nation's debt.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson comments on WHA rejecting Taiwan-related proposal

Xinhua) 08:21, May 23, 2023

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday made remarks regarding that the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) has once again refused to include a proposal on "Taiwan's participation at the WHA as an observer" in its agenda.

The spokesperson said that the General Committee and the Plenary Session of the 76th WHA have respectively decided to reject the so-called proposal of "inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer" submitted by certain countries. This fully shows that the one-China principle has international support and represents the prevailing trend that cannot be challenged.

According to the spokesperson, in disregard of the views expressed by various parties and what is best for Taiwan compatriots, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities put countries having so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan up to making the proposal. Certain countries either overtly or covertly encouraged and supported this move. These egregious moves go against the trend of history and deliberately undermine international rules. They have been unanimously rejected by countries taking a just stand. By the time the assembly commenced, nearly 100 countries had sent letters to the WHO or issued statements to express their commitment to the one-China principle and opposition to Taiwan's participation in the WHA.

The spokesperson said the Chinese central government attaches great importance to the health and well-being of our compatriots in the Taiwan region, and has made proper arrangement for Taiwan's participation in global health affairs under the prerequisite that the one-China principle is upheld. The Chinese central government has updated the Taiwan region over 500 times about the epidemic situation since the start of COVID-19, and approved the participation in WHO technical activities by 26 Taiwan health experts in 24 groups over the past year. There is an International Health Regulations Contact Point in the Taiwan region for it to promptly access and report information related to health emergencies. The claim of a "gap" in global anti-pandemic efforts is groundless.

The spokesperson said that "we would like to once again make it clear to the DPP authorities that the public opinion cannot be defied and those who play with fire will get burnt. We also urge certain countries to stop knowingly supporting the false narrative on this matter, stop politicizing issues about health, stop using the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs and stop using Taiwan to contain China."

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Biden and McCarthy hold debt ceiling talks but no deal yet as deadline looms

Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The US House speaker Kevin McCarthy and president Joe Biden said they had a productive discussion on the debt ceiling late on Monday at the White House but that no deal had been reached, as the government seeks to avoid a potentially catastrophic economic event.

If the debt limit is not raised, the US government will default on its bills: a historic first likely to have catastrophic consequences. Federal workers would be furloughed, global stock markets would be likely to crash and the US economy would probably drop into recession. The treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, has said this will happen on or around 1 June if no deal to raise the $31.4tn debt ceiling is reached.

Related: Debt ceiling showdowns arent new  but this time gonzo Republicans are ready to blow up the economy | Robert Reich

McCarthy leads Republicans demanding harsh spending cuts in return for raising the ceiling. Democrats fear Republicans are willing to allow talks to fail whatever the cost, seeing a default as a price worth paying for beating Biden next year.

Biden has said he will consider spending cuts but has called Republican proposals extreme and unacceptable, saying he will not back subsidies for big energy companies and wealthy tax cheats or put healthcare and food assistance at risk.

At the start of the White House meeting on Monday evening, the president told reporters: We both talked about the need for bipartisan agreement.

He also said he was optimistic were going to make some progress but said both sides need a bipartisan agreement to sell it to their constituencies. There may still be some disagreements, Biden said.

Seated beside the president in the Oval Office, McCarthy said: I think at the end of the day we can find common ground but differences remained.

Following the meeting, McCarthy characterized the negotiations as positive, saying that the pair had a productive discussion but that we dont have an agreement yet.

The time of spending, just spending more money in America and government is wrong, said McCarthy after the Oval Office meeting. He said their staffs would continue talks and added: I believe we can still get there.

In a brief post-meeting statement, Biden called the session productive but merely added that he, McCarthy and their lead negotiators will continue to discuss the path forward. Biden said all agreed that default is not really on the table.

Earlier, in a message seen by the Guardian, a senior Democratic Senate staffer predicted disaster.

I think we will default, the staffer said. I think most House Republicans want a default so even if McCarthy could make a deal he wont have the votes to pass it.

Staff-level talks paused on Friday, after Republicans rejected a White House offer to impose spending freezes rather than cuts. On Sunday, returning from the G7 summit in Japan, Biden told reporters a conversation with McCarthy from Air Force One went well. The next day, McCarthy said staff-level talks would continue.

He later told reporters: I firmly believe what were negotiating right now, a majority of Republicans will see that it is a right place to put us on the right path. We can get a deal tonight. We could get a deal tomorrow but you got to get something done this week to be able to pass it and move it to the Senate.

It will take several days to move legislation through Congress.

Yellen said again on Monday the earliest estimated default date was 1 June and it was highly likely the treasury would no longer be able to meet all obligations if the debt ceiling was not raised.

President Joe Biden meets with Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, in the Oval Office. Photograph: Shutterstock

The debt ceiling was imposed in 1917, a response by Congress to US entry into the first world war. For most of the next 100 years, raising the ceiling was a formal process, if often subject to political grandstanding.

Under Donald Trump, Republicans raised the ceiling three times while contributing to rising debt with spending increases and tax cuts for richer Americans.

Now, under McCarthy but drawing inspiration from a 2011 standoff in which Republicans under the then speaker, John Boehner, extracted major concessions from Barack Obama, the GOP is presenting itself as the party of budget hawks.

On Sunday the lead Republican negotiator, Garret Graves of Louisiana, told reporters: A red line is spending less money. And unless and until were there, the rest of it is really irrelevant.

Trump, the clear frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, has said the US should default if Biden will not concede to demands that would hobble much of his signature domestic legislation.

As the far right of the Republican House caucus remains loyal to Trump, so it exerts its hold on McCarthy after stretching the process by which he became speaker through 15 rounds of voting.

Republicans control the House 222-213. Democrats hold the Senate 51-49.

Related: Democrats to urge Biden to use 14th amendment powers to avert global economic catastrophe

Democrats have pondered an attempt to peel off Republican moderates, most in seats in areas won by Biden in 2020, and pass their own spending package.

Biden has been urged to invoke the 14th amendment to the constitution, which says the validity of the public debt of the United States shall not be questioned, as a way to bypass House Republicans and stave off default.

The president has said he thinks he has the authority to do so but fears Republican appeals would snarl the process in the courts, leading to a default regardless.

On Monday, investors awaited updates.

We expect a resolution to be reached before the deadline, but anticipate unforeseen developments throughout the process, Bruno Schneller, a managing director at Invico Asset Management, told Reuters.
President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy huddled in the White House once again on Monday evening, as time runs short for them to reach a deal on the debt ceiling.

After the meeting concluded, McCarthy struck an optimistic tone, and said he intends to speak with the president every day until a deal is done. And a deal is not done.

"There's nothing agreed to  everything's being talked about," McCarthy said when asked if work requirements are still on the table.

McCarthy said he hopes they can reach an agreement that both Republicans and Democrats will be able to vote for.

At the top of their meeting, the president said he and the speaker agree default isn't an option, and they agree on the need to reduce the federal deficit. But the president said Congress needs to look at tax loopholes. McCarthy said the two have disagreements, but can agree the United States' debt is too large.

"We're optimistic we may be able to make some progress," Mr. Biden said.

The president cut short his trip to Asia, returning from Japan late Sunday night so he could work toward a deal in the final days before the June 1 deadline. Mr. Biden and McCarthy spoke on the phone while the president was aboard Air Force One en route back to Washington, and negotiators designated by the president and speaker have been trying to reach an agreement on a framework.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reiterated Monday that the U.S. could be unable to pay its bills and could default on its debt as soon as June 1, although that date could still slide in either direction. And it will take time to pass any legislation through both chambers of Congress, even once the president and McCarthy reach an agreement.

President Joe Biden meets with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in the Oval Office of the White House on May 22, 2023 in Washington, D.C., to discuss the debt limit in an effort to avoid a default by the federal government. / Credit: Drew Angerer / Getty Images

On Friday, negotiators on the Hill appeared to reach an impasse and took a brief break from talks. On Saturday, McCarthy tweeted the White House was "moving backwards in negotiations," blaming the "socialist wing of the Democrat Party" for the stall.

Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina told reporters after leaving debt ceiling negotiations Monday morning that talks are at a "sensitive" place.

A White House official says the speaker and the president agreed Tuesday that the final product must be bipartisan. But the official claimed that toward the end of the week, the speaker's team moved away from some of the options that were being discussed. For example, the White House official said, the speaker's team proposed an additional cut to food assistance that wasn't in the House-passed bill, and caps on annual funding three times longer than recent budget deals.

But McHenry said it's "not the case" that Republicans are pushing beyond the House GOP bill.

Mr. Biden began a press conference in Hiroshima, Japan, by saying he'd put forth more than $1 trillion in spending cuts, and "now it's time for the other side to move their extreme positions because much of what they've already proposed is simply quite frankly, unacceptable."

The president said he couldn't promise world leaders gathered for the G-7 talks that the U.S. wouldn't default on its debt.

"I can't guarantee that they will not force a default by doing something outrageous," Mr. Biden said of Republicans.

McCarthy on Sunday told reporters his conversation with the president on Sunday "went well."

The speaker plans to take reporters' questions Monday evening.

"CBS Evening News" headlines for Monday, May 22, 2023

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President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate veteran telecommunications lawyer Anna Gomez as an FCC commissioner. The president also announced the renominations of FCC commissioners Brendan Carr (a Republican) and Geoffrey Starks (a Democrat) for five-year terms.

If Gomez is confirmed by the Senate to serve as an FCC commissioner, Democrats will have a 3-2 edge at the agency, which is led by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat. Trump appointee Nathan Simington is the other GOP commissioner. Bidens previous pick for the open seat at the FCC, Gigi Sohn, withdrew her name from consideration after her confirmation was stymied along party lines.

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Gomez currently works at the State Department, where she serves as a senior adviser for international information and communications policy in the bureau of cyberspace and digital policy. Gomez served as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) deputy administrator from 2009 to 2013. She also served for 12 years in various positions at the FCC, including as deputy chief of the international bureau and as senior legal adviser to then-Chairman William E. Kennard.

Prior to joining the State Department in 2023, Gomez was a partner in Wiley LLPs telecommunications media and technology group. Gomez also was VP for federal and state government affairs at Sprint Nextel and an associate at Arnold and Porter. Born in Orlando, Fla., Gomez spent her childhood in Bogota, Colombia, before her family relocated to New Jersey. She now resides in Virginia.

I congratulate Anna Gomez on her nomination to serve as FCC commissioner, Rosenworcel said in a statement. She brings with her a wealth of telecommunications experience, a substantial record of public service, and a history of working to ensure the U.S. stays on the cutting edge of keeping us all connected. I wish her all the best during the confirmation process. Rosenworcel also congratulated Carr and Starks on their renominations.

Brenda Victoria Castillo, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), said in a statement, We at the National Hispanic Media Coalition are elated with President Bidens decision to nominate Anna Gomez to the Federal Communications Commission. This is a monumental step forward for our community, as it has been over two decades since a Latino commissioner has represented our community via one of the agencys five commissioner seats. As nearly 20% of the United States population, having a Latino voice on the commission is crucial for the digital age.

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President Joe Biden has nominated an Air Force general to head the nations powerful electronic spying agency and the US military command that conducts offensive cyber operations  a crucial position as the US continues to battle Russia, China and other foes in cyberspace.

Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, who has served for years in senior US military cyber positions, is Bidens choice to replace outgoing Army Gen. Paul Nakasone as head of the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command, an Air Force official confirmed to CNN.

Politico first reported on Haughs nomination.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Haughs nomination could face a roadblock in the Senate after Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama put a hold on senior military nominations because he objects to the departments abortion travel policy.

Haugh is currently deputy of US Cyber Command, a command of thousands of US military personnel who conduct offensive and defensive cyber operations to protect US critical infrastructure. Officials from the command traveled to Ukraine in late 2021 to prepare Kyiv for an onslaught of Russian cyberattacks that accompanied the full-scale Russian invasion.

The command and NSA also have taken an increasingly active role in helping defend American elections from foreign interference under Nakasones leadership over the last five years.

During the 2020 election, Iranian hackers accessed a US municipal website for reporting unofficial election results and Cyber Command kicked the hackers off the network out of concern that they might post fake results on the website, a senior US military official revealed last month.

Haughs nomination signals a continued emphasis on election security work at Fort Meade, the sprawling military base in Maryland where the NSA and Cyber Command are housed. As a senior US military cyber official, Haugh has been involved in election security discussions in recent midterm and general elections.

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FILE - U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets fly over the Osan U.S. Air Base during a combined air force exercise with the United States and South Korea in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, Dec. 4, 2017. The U.S. has once again buckled under pressure from European allies and Ukraine's leaders and agreed to provide more sophisticated weapons to the war effort. This time it's all about F-16 fighter jets. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden's decision to allow allies to train Ukrainian forces on how to operate F-16 fighter jets  and eventually to provide the aircraft themselves  seemed like an abrupt change in position but was in fact one that came after months of internal debate and quiet talks with allies.

Biden announced during last week's Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, that the U.S. would join the F-16 coalition. His green light came after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spent months pressing the West to provide his forces with American-made jets as he tries to repel Russia's now 15-month-old grinding invasion.

Long shadowing the administration's calculation were worries that such a move could escalate tensions with Russia. U.S. officials also argued that learning to fly and logistically support the advanced F-16 would be difficult and time consuming.

But over the past three months, administration officials shifted toward the view that it was time to provide Ukraine's pilots with the training and aircraft needed for the country's long-term security needs, according to three officials familiar with the deliberations who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Still, the change in Biden's position seemed rather sudden.

In February, Biden was insistent in an interview with ABCs David Muir that Ukraine doesnt need F-16s now and that I am ruling it out for now. And in March, a top Pentagon policy official, Colin Kahl, told U.S. lawmakers that even if the president approved F-16s for Ukraine, it could take as long as two years to get Ukrainian pilots trained and equipped.

But as the administration was publicly playing down the prospect of F-16s for Ukraine in the near term, an internal debate was heating up.

Quiet White House discussions stepped up in February, around the time that Biden visited Ukraine and Poland, according to the U.S. officials.

Following the trip, discussions that included senior White House National Security Council, Pentagon and State Department officials began on the pros and cons and the details of how such a transfer might work, officials said. Administration officials also got deeper into consultations with allies.

In April, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin heard from defense leaders from allied countries during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group who were looking for U.S. permission to train the Ukrainians on F-16s, according to a Defense Department official who was not authorized to comment publicly. Austin raised the matter during the NSC policy discussions and there was agreement that it was time to start training.

Austin also raised the issue with Biden before the G7 summit with a recommendation to proceed with approving allies" to train the Ukrainians and transfer the aircraft, the department official said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also was a strong advocate for pushing forward with the plan during the U.S. policy talks and conveying to Biden increasing European urgency on the issue, officials said.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to London on May 8 for talks with British, French and German allies on Ukraine, and F-16s were high on the agenda. They got into the nitty gritty on how to go about provide training and which countries might be willing to transfer jets to Ukraine. It was agreed that the focus would be on training first, according to one of the officials.

Sullivan, before leaving London, spoke by phone with his counterparts from the Netherlands and Poland, both countries that have F-16s and would be essential to any efforts to provide Ukraine jets for any future use. Denmark also could potentially provide the jets, the official added.

Biden and Sullivan discussed how the upcoming G7 summit in Hiroshima could provide a good opportunity for him to make the case to key allies on the administrations shifting stance on fighter jets.

They also discussed Biden backing allies providing jets to Ukraine  a line he had previously appeared not to want to cross out of concern that it could draw the West into what could be seen as direct confrontation with Moscow.

Biden, in private talks with fellow G7 leaders on Friday, confirmed that the U.S. would get behind a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 and that as things went on, they would work together on who would provide them and how many would be sent.

State, Pentagon and NSC officials are now developing the training plan and when, where and how to deliver F-16s to Ukraine as part of the long-term security effort, the official said.

U.S. officials say it will take several months to iron out details, but the U.S. Air Force has quietly determined that the actual training could realistically be done in about four months. The Air Force based the far shorter estimate on a visit by two Ukrainian pilots to a U.S. air base in March, where they got to learn about the F-16 and fly simulators. The training, officials say, would take place in Europe.

White House officials have bristled at the notion that Biden's decision amounted to a sea change.

The administration had been focused on providing Ukraine with weapons  including air defense systems, armored vehicles, bridging equipment and artillery  that were needed for a coming counteroffensive. There also were concerns that sending F-16s would eat up a significant portion of the money allocated for Ukraine.

What changed, the official added, is that other allies got to a point where they were willing to provide their own jets as part of a U.S.-based coalition.

The Biden administration is still examining whether it will directly provide its own F-16s to Ukraine. Regardless, it needed buy-in from other allies because the U.S. wouldn't be able to provide the full fleet of jets Zelenskyy says is needed.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said the F-16 will give Ukraine a key capability for the long term but it won't be a game changer.

Kendall told a gathering of reporters on Monday there has been an awareness that we needed to go there at some point, but we didnt have a sense of urgency about this. I think were at a reasonable place to make that decision now.

Another potential wrinkle in the F-16 conversation involves Turkey.

Turkey wants to buy 40 new F-16s from the U.S., but some in Congress oppose the sale until Turkey approves NATO membership for Sweden, which applied to join the alliance in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has objected to Sweden's perceived support of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, the leftist extremist group DHKP-C and followers of the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara claims was behind a failed military coup attempt in 2016.

Erdogan is facing opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a runoff election on Sunday. If Erdogan wins, as expected, White House officials are increasingly hopeful that the Turkish leader will withdraw his opposition to Sweden's membership, according to the U.S. official.

If Erdogan drops opposition to Sweden joining NATO, it could lead to Turkey getting its long desired F-16s and may eventually add to the number of older F-16s in circulation, which could benefit Ukraine.



Associated Press White House correspondent Zeke Miller contributed reporting.
The emergency entrance at Sanford Health's main campus in Sioux Falls in January 2023.

The Minnesota Legislature on Sunday passed a bill that bans anti-competitive health care mergers, which could kill the proposed marriage of Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services and Sioux Falls-based Sanford Health.

The bill also prohibits out-of-state entities from owning in whole or part University of Minnesota health care entities, as would be the case were Sanford to complete its merger with Fairview, which owns the universitys teaching hospital.

But Fairview and Sanford said they intend to continue with the merger  which has already been delayed  despite the legislation.

The legislation prohibits health care transactions that substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly. Attorney General Keith Ellison is already investigating the proposed Fairview-Sanford merger for potentially running afoul of antitrust and charity laws, but this bill gives the Attorney Generals Office greater latitude in bringing a case in state court to ask a judge to prohibit the merger.

The legislation expands the attorney generals oversight of health care mergers by allowing the Attorney Generals Office to sue in state court to kill mergers that arent in the public interest.

The proposed Fairview-Sanford merger has received criticism from legislative Democrats, who say that it would create a health care monopoly in greater Minnesota and likely lead to clinic closures and higher costs for patients.

In a statement Sunday night, Fairview said the legislation will not deter the health care nonprofit company from merging with Sanford, and the proposed merger meets the legislations requirements.

This new law does not change our desire to combine with Sanford Health, and while it creates new regulatory processes, we strongly believe that the merger is in the public interest and that we can comply with the new requirements, Fairview said.

Fairview in the statement said it has agreed to notify Ellison 90 days before the mergers closing date, which will be sometime after May 31.

Sanford said in a statement it also believes the merger is in the publics interest.

We remain confident in the significant benefits of our merger for the patients and communities we serve across greater Minnesota, Sanford said. Together with Fairview, we will make historic investments to strengthen high-quality care delivery in Minnesota, address critical workforce challenges and expand access to care for the underserved in both rural and urban areas.

Gov. Tim Walz previously said he was open to the Fairview-Sanford merger, though DFL-aligned interest groups and legislators have turned sharply against the merger since then. A Walz spokesperson told the Reformer that he is expected to sign the bill.

The Senate passed the bill by a 35-32 vote with one Republican  Sen. Jim Abeler of Anoka  in support. It passed the House by a 70-58 vote on Sunday evening.

The legislation seems tailored to the Sanford-Fairview deal, but it would apply to all mergers and acquisitions of health care organizations that have an annual average revenue of at least $80 million. The floor was previously $40 million, but the Senate increased the threshold and added a provision stating the Department of Health would collect data on all transactions in which the health care entity has an average annual revenue between $10 million and $80 million.

Ellison, in a statement to the Reformer, said the bill gives his office additional oversight to ensure mergers are beneficial to the public.

Minnesotans understand why fair markets and competition matter. Many people also recognize the impacts of health care mergers on patients, prices, medical personnel and communities are too often negative, Ellison said in a statement. This bill gives the Attorney General tools to protect consumers, workers, and all Minnesotans facing health care mergers and to determine whether mergers are in the public interest. This is what Minnesotans are expecting us to do.

The bill was amended Sunday to specify the University of Minnesotas facilities under the bills purview: M Health Fairview University (West Bank), the Masonic Childrens Hospital and the University of Minnesota Medical Center (East Bank).

The prospect of a South Dakota-based company owning the universitys main teaching hospital has outraged politicians and health care advocates. Earlier this session, former Minnesota Govs. Mark Dayton and Tim Pawlenty, the last Republican elected to statewide office, told lawmakers the Universitys Medical Center shouldnt be controlled by a South Dakota company.

That was also one of the reasons then-Attorney General Lori Swanson was critical of the merger back in 2013. Sanford pulled out of the deal shortly after Swanson held a public hearing during which she grilled company executives.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Minnesota Legislature passes bill that could doom Fairview-Sanford merger
Gates Keeper

Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates is warning that AI assistants could soon make search engines like Google Search obsolete by profoundly altering the behaviors of users online.

"Whoever wins the personal agent, thats the big thing, because you will never go to a search site again, you will never go to a productivity site, youll never go to Amazon again," Gates said during a Goldman Sachs event on AI in San Francisco this week, as quoted by CNBC.

These AI assistants could "read the stuff you dont have time to read," he said, allowing users to get to information without having to use a search engine like Google.

While Gates didn't single out Google's search engine verbatim on Monday, he predicted in a podcast interview back in February that Google's "search profits will be down" since Microsoft was able to "move fairly fast" on AI.

Tech giants are desperately trying to push themselves into a beneficial pole position to have a chance to become the defacto AI-powered landing page of the internet  and even Gates isn't entirely certain how it will all play out.

AI Wars

Gates is giving it a 50-50 chance for the winner of the AI wars to be either a startup or tech giant.

"Id be disappointed if Microsoft didnt come in there," he said at Monday's event. "But Im impressed with a couple of startups, including Inflection," referring to a startup co-founded by former DeepMind executive Mustafa Suleyman.

Gates has been bullish on the topic of AI for a while now. Just last month, he told an audience during a keynote speech that AI could eventually teach kids how to read. Even within "the next 18 months, the AIs will come in as a teachers aide and give feedback on writing," he said. "And then they will amp up what were able to do in math."

But it'll take some time before an AI assistant can fill in for Google, Gates told audiences earlier this week. In the meantime, companies will continue embedding tech like ChatGPT into their products, he said.

At the event, Gates also warned that robots could take over the jobs of not just white-collar workers, but blue-collar ones as well with the aid of humanoid robots.

The AI wars are upon us and tech giants are desperately vying for the number one spot  a future of the internet that could look radically different from the one we've come accustomed to.

But whether Microsoft will be able to dethrone Google as the homepage of the internet  at least in the Western world  remains to be seen, regardless of Gates' hopes and dreams.

More on Bill Gates: Bill Gates Says AI Will Be Teaching Kids to Read in 18 Months
(Bloomberg) -- Harlan Crow, the Texas billionaire and GOP megadonor with close ties to Clarence Thomas, refused to answer questions from a Senate committee about his years of gifts to the Supreme Court justice.

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Crows lawyers in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee argued that Congress does not have the authority to investigate Mr. Crows personal friendship with Thomas, according to a copy of the letter reviewed by Bloomberg News.

The Committee has not identified a valid legislative purpose for its investigation and is not authorized to conduct an ethics investigation of a Supreme Court Justice, wrote Crows lawyers, who are from the law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. They added that the committee is targeting Justice Thomas for special and unwarranted opprobrium.

In response, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois said in a statement that Crow did not provide a credible justification for his failure to answer detailed inquiries from the committee.

Harlan Crow believes the secrecy of his lavish gifts to Justice Thomas is more important than the reputation of the highest court of law in this land, Durbin said. He is wrong.

A Crow spokesman didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

A ProPublica report last month said that Thomas and his wife traveled through Indonesia aboard Crows 162-foot yacht, vacationed almost every summer at his luxurious New York resort and flew on his private plane around the world on trips worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The outlet also reported that Crow bought three Georgia properties  including the home where Thomass mother resides  from the justice and his relatives, and paid private school tuition for a Thomas grandnephew. The disclosures about Thomas have set off a battle over the high courts ethics.

Earlier: Senate Democrats Ask Crow to Detail His Gifts to Justice Thomas

Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this month asked Crow to disclose any gifts or payments made to Thomas and his family. But Crows legal team has stonewalled the inquiries so far.

Crow previously refused a request by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden to detail the extent and tax treatment of luxury gifts he provided to Thomas.

Democrats have subpoena powers if Crow continues to refuse to answer questions from the Senate.

--With assistance from Laura Litvan.

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Bird flu: What is it and what's behind the outbreak?

Rescued chicken

The world is going through its worst ever outbreak of bird flu.

As well as birds, some wild mammals - such as seals, otters, wild dogs and foxes - are now catching the disease.

Bird flu is an infectious disease of poultry and wild birds that has been around for a century. It usually flares up in autumn before fading away in spring and summer.

"It originated amongst ducks in Europe and Asia, and spread to other birds," says Paul Digard, a professor of virology in the Roslin Institute at Edinburgh University.

The H5N1 virus, which is the most prevalent strain now, was first reported in China in 1996.

It can spread through entire flocks of domestic birds within a matter of days, through birds' droppings and saliva, or through contaminated feed and water.

Scientist in Israel carries away carcass of seabird which died from bird flu

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) says there has been "an unprecedented number of outbreaks" of bird flu reported in regions across the world since the outbreak began in October 2021.

These have caused "devastating impacts on animal health and welfare" and "led to an alarming rate of wild bird die-offs".

Brazil has declared a state of animal health emergency after detecting the virus in wild birds in two states.

What's so unusual about this outbreak?

More wild birds than ever before have been killed by this outbreak - with sea birds being especially hard hit.

The virus has been detected in dozens of species, including buzzards, golden eagles, gannets and gulls.

"The current virus has affected 80 different bird species," says Professor Munir Iqbal, the head of the Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) group at the Pirbright Institute.

More than 40% of the skua population in Scotland and thousands of Dalmatian pelicans in Greece have died.

The UK's National Trust says between 30,000 and 50,000 wild birds may have died of bird flu on the UK's Farne Islands.

Scientists are unsure why this outbreak is so much worse than others. It may be that the virus has mutated to enable it to spread more readily from bird to bird, or to hang around longer in the environment.

The recent spike in bird flu has been particularly harmful to protected seabird species like the gannet

Dr Nancy Beerens, bird flu expert at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research in the Netherlands, which analyses suspected bird flu samples, says the virus may now be ubiquitous in wild birds.

"As the virus now has infected many wild bird species, it becomes unlikely that it will disappear again from the bird population," she says.

What's being done to tackle the outbreak?

China has been vaccinating its domestic poultry flocks.

However, other countries avoid this because it is hard to judge which birds have been made immune and which have not - and so the meat and eggs from vaccinated flocks cannot be sold abroad.

"There are strict export controls when a country decides to vaccinate," says Dr Maurice Pitesky of the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis.

Despite the commercial drawbacks of vaccinating poultry, governments in France, the Netherlands and the US have begun trials of vaccines as the first step of a lengthy process to try and bring the bird flu epidemic under control.

Graph

Is bird flu passing to mammals?

In the UK, a number of wild mammals such as otters, foxes, dolphins and seals have died after being infected with H5N1 bird flu - probably from feeding on wild birds which died from the disease.

Local authorities are telling members of the public to keep their dogs away from the carcasses of dead wild animals such as seals.

H5N1 bird flu has also been found in grizzly bears in the US, captive mink in Canada and wild dogs in a zoo in the UK.

The virus may have mutated to infect the mammals more easily.

The WOAH says the current situation "highlights the risk that H5N1 avian influenza may become better adapted to mammals, and spill over to humans and other animals".

Otters are amongst the mammals which have caught bird flu

However, the UK government's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs says that the spill-over of bird flu to mammals is not a new development.

It says that the mammals probably caught the disease directly from infected birds rather from one another, and that "there is a very low likelihood of any widespread infection in [British] mammals."

Is bird flu a risk to humans?

The World Health Organization (WHO) says 873 humans have been infected with H5N1 avian flu over the past 20 years, and 458 have died.

These cases occurred when humans came into close contact with infected birds.

The World Health Organization says the further spread of the H5N1 virus will have to be monitored closely to see whether it is mutating into a form which can spread amongst humans.

Follow Helen on Twitter @hbriggs.
The Texas House passed a bill Monday aimed at banning diversity, equity and inclusion offices in public colleges and universities, a move that Black leaders say will halt progress and stifle future research funding.

The legislation passed in an 83-62 vote and now heads back to the state Senate due to changes made by the House. If the bill passes and is signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, Texas will join other states including Florida and North Dakota that passed laws earlier this year targeting DEI programs, training and funding.

Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, a Democrat representing San Antonio and vice chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, said the legislation would take away resources from students and put in jeopardy billions of dollars in grant/research funding that will exclude us from necessary discovery and industry-leading innovation.

The University of Texas at Austin is among many schools in the state that would be impacted by the proposed legislation. - Kirby Lee/AP

Today, instead of moving forward, we have regressed detrimentally in our state, Gervin-Hawkins said in a statement. We must recognize that diversity is not a threat but a strength.

The groups chairman, Rep. Ron Reynolds who represents Missouri City, said in a statement that the passage of the legislation shows lawmakers are out of touch with the future of the state and will halt the states progress in becoming a leader for top talent and academic innovation.

The caucus said another consequence of the legislation would be potentially losing students and prospective students.

What kind of message are we sending to African Americans, to Hispanics, to Asians, to the disabled, to veterans that will be adversely impacted by this piece of legislation? Reynolds said on the House floor Monday.

The legislation, Senate Bill 17, would ban public colleges and universities in Texas from having DEI offices, DEI statements and prohibit them from implementing mandatory DEI training.

The bills author, Sen. Brandon Creighton, a Republican representing Conroe, has described DEI offices as divisive and said their work has made no progress on advancing or increasing diversity.

With this bold, forward-thinking legislation to eliminate DEI programs, Texas is leading the nation, and ensuring our campuses return to focusing on the strength of diversity, promoting a merit-based approach where individuals are judged based on their qualifications, skills, and contributions, Creighton said in a statement after the bill passed in the Senate last month.

In recent months, the term DEI has become the latest target among conservative politicians, echoing the debate over critical race theory in schools and students access to books relating to race, racism and LGBTQ issues.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation earlier this month to defund diversity, equity and inclusion programs at all state universities.

This is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination, and that has no place in our public institutions, DeSantis said at a news conference in Sarasota.

Under the law, Florida state universities are barred from spending state or federal funds to promote, support or maintain any programs that advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, or promote or engage in political or social activism.

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Three years have passed since Reginald Reggie Payne died after police restrained him in a dangerous position as he suffered a medical emergency, and the grief is still unrelenting.

Paynes parents have moved out of their South Sacramento home that held the memories of that February 2020 night when a 911 call for a glucose IV turned fatal. They moved to a house in Foothill Farms, but reminders of Paynes life and death are all over. By the front door, a white poster board with black marker reads Justice for Reginald Payne Killed by Sac PD. On a brick mantle is a small shrine of sorts, containing his ashes, a drawing of him, and a Black Lives Matter ornament.

Going through a journal that Payne kept still makes his mother Harriett Jefferson tear up.

On a recent afternoon, she sat on her living room couch and looked at the pages of the journal where her son had written about how much he loves his son, Reggie Jr.

He was an all around great person, Harriett Jefferson said. It makes me so angry.

In February 2020, Payne, 48, was suffering a medical diabetic emergency and acting erratic, so Harriett Jefferson called 911 to get him an IV. When firefighters arrived at the home, they determined they were unable to treat him, so they called three police officers to restrain him first. The officers held him face down in the prone position, causing him to go into cardiac arrest, ultimately causing his death, according to the coroners report.

The close-knit family is bracing to learn later this year whether a fire captain whom the city fired as a result of the death will get his job back. They want the city to also discipline the three police officers who held him face down as he screamed I cant breathe.

Like everyone was going to college

Payne grew up in public housing in Oakland. He attended Stonehurst Elementary where he was in the gifted and talented program, followed by Castlemont High School, Harriett Jefferson said. About 90% of the students at Castlemont are socioeconomically disadvantaged, and only about half graduate, according to state data.

Payne was harassed by police starting as young as age 9, he wrote in a 2018 self-published book. He wrote that he was walking through a park with friends, when a San Leandro police officer falsely accused him of of public urination and drove him home in a police car. He also wrote of a later experience when he came home from college and was working at FedEx, police stopped him and handcuffed him.

He was always harassed, Harriett Jefferson said.

He was a popular kid who loved sports, and was the student body president. He had a dream to be a sports writer, and moved to Louisiana to attend Grambling State University, a historically Black university.

We grew up in the projects in Oakland, Paynes younger sister Crystal Jefferson said. He was the first person to go to college in our community. That meant something to us.

Paynes success gave hope to many other kids in the neighborhood that they too could go to a university, even if their parents didnt, his oldest sister said.

When Reggie went to college, it was like everyone was going to college, his sister Janine Jefferson said.

At Grambling, he pursued his dream of becoming a sports writer. He worked for the student newspaper and got a prestigious internship at The Tennessean in Nashville. He graduated and got a job at the San Leandro Times covering sports. But then he suffered a mental health crisis and in 1996 was admitted to John George Psychiatric Hospital in San Leandro. He was never the same when he came out, Crystal Jefferson said, and it derailed his dream to become a professional newspaper journalist.

Payne turned to writing about himself in the book titled The Harassment of Reginald D. Payne. In those pages he wondered about the police mistreatment of Black men and his anxiety over what might happen to him.

I often wonder how many other black men have suffered or been tortured over the years, dead and gone, and no one even knows or knew, Payne wrote on the fifth page of the book. Personally one of my worst fears.

He just needed sugar

In addition to the mental health issues, Payne struggled with diabetes and also kidney issues. In late 2019, Payne was acting not himself while experiencing a hypoglycemic episode due to low blood sugar. Harriett Jefferson called 911, Sacramento firefighters administered dextrose through an IV without incident, and Payne was quickly back to normal, she said.

On Feb. 25, 2020, when Payne started acting the same uncharacteristic way after forgetting to eat during a dialysis treatment earlier in the day, Harriett Jefferson again called 911 for the IV.

I could tell he just needed some sugar, Harriett Jefferson said.

Harriett Jefferson, Reginald Paynes mother, reads a letter at her home in Foothill Farms that her son had written about himself. Payne died in 2020 after Sacramento police restrained him in a dangerous position as he suffered a medical emergency, according to city documents.

But this time was drastically different. When the firefighters showed up, Payne sat on the couch and put out his hand to shake one firefighters hand, but the firefighter declined, Harriett Jefferson said.

Two of the firefighters later told investigators that Payne exposed himself. Harriett and Rufus Jefferson, who were both present, said that did not happen. While Payne had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which sometimes causes psychosis, Payne was not experiencing psychosis that night, Harriett Jefferson said.

It was nothing to do with bipolar that day, Harriett Jefferson said. He had a great day. He just needed sugar.

Instead of quickly administering the IV like their colleagues did several months earlier, the firefighters decided to call the police to restrain Payne in order to treat him. As they waited outside, Paynes condition rapidly worsened. When the police came, standing outside to plan their response, one officer referred to Payne as a big boy. When the officers entered the home, three of them restrained him face down as he cried out for his parents. He lost consciousness and never woke up.

The coroners report says cause of death is sudden cardiac arrest while being restrained in prone position.

The city in response fired Fire Capt. Jeffrey Scott Klein, the highest ranking fire employee on the call, for standing by as the police held Payne in the dangerous position, even as he became unresponsive. During the investigation Klein received over $138,849 while on paid leave. Depending on the outcome of his arbitration in July, he may get his job back. The remaining four other firefighters and three police officers kept their jobs. Firefighter Clinton Simons was promoted on May 15.

The city has not yet provided The Sacramento Bee with police disciplinary records in response to a California Public Records Act request. Joseph Nicholson, the familys attorney, said through his work on the case, he has not seen any evidence to indicate the city disciplined the police officers.

The family members said the city should discipline the police officers.

They hogtied my brother, Janine Jefferson said. Legs and arms shackled together. They did it in the comforts of my parents house, while my parents were there. How are they treating people on the streets?

Harriet and Rufus Jefferson in February 2022 filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city, which is ongoing. Rufus Jefferson was Paynes stepfather since Payne was 11 months old. In addition to monetary damages, the lawsuit seeks an injunction to require police officers, firefighters and paramedics not to use improper restraints such as the prone position in emergency medical situations in the future. It also seeks for the city to require officers to attend racial bias training and create a mechanism to discipline officers who engage in racial discrimination.

Rufus Jefferson, Reginald Paynes stepfather, listens as family members speak about his son on earlier this month at their home in Foothill Farms. Payne died in 2020 after Sacramento police restrained him in a dangerous position as he suffered a medical emergency, according to city documents.

The city has declined to comment on the lawsuit because of pending litigation, city spokesman Tim Swanson has said.

The trial is currently scheduled for February 2024.

In the meantime, Paynes family wants to raise awareness about police brutality and racism so Reggies death, though somewhat overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic, was not in vain.

Everyone thinks if you do everything the right way, youll be great, Crystal Jefferson said. The story of Reggie is that you can do everything the right way and still be killed. You can write books, you can go to college, you can do everything to be a good citizen and still die because of your color.
Growing up, people are always told that if you keep grinding and dont give up, you will accomplish your goals. There are many business owners who are walking testimonies of that. One example is Ahriana Edwards. She founded a size-inclusive footwear brand and now the brand will be featured in one of the worlds largest department stores.

In only one year after launching, the footwear brand has made quite a name for itself. Valia Shoes was created because Edwards realized there was a lack of size inclusion from other existing brands. Her shoes reach those who wear a size 9-14, which many brands tend to overlook.

Theres no credit that I can give to anyone else except for the man up above, the founder wrote in a post on Instagram. He gave me the vision and told me that it was time to MOVE. It was time to execute. I left my FULL-TIME JOB to achieve this dream of building this shoe company for women with extended shoe sizes.

The Journey To Put Size-Inclusive Footwear On The Map

In an interview with Afrotech, Edwards discussed the footwear brands journey.

When I started the concept for Vaila in 2020, I knew in 2021 that I needed to raise as much upfront capital to launch and sustain the business. 2021 was imperative because it was the time being where individuals truly saw how underfunded Black founders were,  she explained. Although I didnt have any product in market yet, I took that opportunity and ran with it.

Vaila Shoes has raised $80,000 in non-dilutive funding. Before she even had a physical product on the market, Edwards pitched her brand in over 20 business competitions. She participated in business accelerators with notable organizations such as Black Ambition by Pharrell Williams, Future Founders, and Techstars to get Vailas foundation built before launching.

That $80,000 in non-dilutive capital was able to sustain me through my entire first year of business  and thats something that Im proud of, she continued.

In just a short time, Edwards business has expanded into five Macys locations. Her work reached New York City, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.

It took a lot of grit to be a 23-year-old founder pulling off this six-figure contract. I experienced the most difficulty raising funding for this partnership, but I kept persisting and doing whatever it took to make it work.

Get Your Hands On A Pair

Associate Shoe Buyer at Macys, Grace Jacobson, told Afrotech she was so impressed by Edwards dedication to her brand that she just had to get the company on store shelves.

Ahriana is so inspiring creating a business that will help others feel their best having shoes that will support their shoe size that currently isnt supported much in the marketplace. I also admired how Ahriana is showing that regardless of your age, you can still be able to make a change in this world and to just start.

If youre looking to purchase a pair of Vaila Shoes, look no further! Here are some of the best picks straight from Macys.

Women's Rosalind Rhinestone Ankle-Strap Flat Sandals

120

Buy Now

Photo Courtesy of Vaila Shoes

This classy flat shoe is perfect to wear in the office as well as after work drinks. The embellished ankle straps bring a striking sparkle to the pointed-toe silhouette that keeps you looking elegant and comfortable.

Women's Reese Slip-On Hardware Classic Loafer Flats

110

Buy Now

Photo Courtesy of Vaila Shoes

If you want something flat but less dainty, the classic loafer from Vaila is your go-to. The footwear brands touch on a classic loafer will leave you in awe. The alligator skin design with the metallic buckle gives you a look of style and class while keeping things strictly business.

Women's Michelle Slip-On Pointed-Toe Pumps

120

Buy Now

Photo Courtesy of Vaila Shoes

If youre looking for a good pump, look no further. The Michelle heel is your go-to. This classic heel not only provides a stylish addition to your fit, but its made with you in mind. It is engineered with a thicker heel base, spacious toe boxes, and insoles. This makes the shoe more comfortable for women with a larger foot structure.

Our editors love finding you the best products and offers! If you purchase something by clicking on one of the affiliate links on our website, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The post Black Owned, Size-Inclusive Footwear Brand Lands in Macys appeared first on 21Ninety.
Katonya Breaux, Frank Oceans mom, founded the first Black sunscreen brand to increase Black peoples awareness of the suns risk.

Black may not crack (seemingly for some), but it sure can develop a fatal case of skin cancer.

More and more sunscreen brands with formulas that dont leave a residue have cropped up since theres an increased awareness around the necessity for Black people to wear sunscreen.

From Rihannas Fenty Beauty dropping moisturizer with SPF to influencers regularly hawking sun-protecting products, much has changed since Katonya Breaux founded the first Black mineral sunscreen brand in 2016: Unsun Cosmetics, specially designed for darker skin tones.

Breaux has an urgent message as we transition closer to summer and experience May, which is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

Anybody with skin needs SPF, she told theGrio during a recent interview.

Katonya Breaux (Photo credit: Unsun Cosmetics)

Despite the ongoing belief that darker skin tones are immune to the dangers of the sun, Breaux said, all skin tones need protection of some kind. Shes urgently pushing this message because while Black people do not develop skin cancer at the same rate as white people, Black people have a higher mortality rate

According to a recent National Library of Medicine study, Black patients are roughly three times more likely than white patients to die within five years of a melanoma diagnosis.

Regurgitating this myth of sun danger immunity, Breaux said, makes Black people believe that our melanin has superpowers. The whole Black dont crack era.

But it does crack, she continued. It does get hyperpigmentation. It does get these crazy-looking moles, as so many of our older aunts and uncles and grandparents have, and it does get skin cancer.

Breaux, who is the mother of Grammy-winning entertainer Frank Ocean, added that this belief that darker skin tones are immune to skin cancer has also led to ignorance about sun damage to the skin and a mindset that skin cancer is not a Black issue when in fact, it is our issue, she said.

Breaux personally understands where the cultural mindset stems from. She recalled growing up as a Girl Scout and learning wilderness preparedness but not knowing anything about the suns risk to her skin. Shed watch as her fellow white troop members would slather on sunscreen and remembered never being given any to put on. The socialization ran deep.

It was never something in our household, she added, and then we grow up.

When Breaux reached her 40s, she began developing black moles around her mouth. For most of her life, Breaux had chalked the moles up to genetics because older members of her family all had them. Finally, a dermatologist informed her they werent just a genetic skin defect they were, in fact, sun damage. It was time for her to invest in some sunscreen.

Breaux had difficulty finding suitable options during her first foray into sunscreen shopping. Frustrated by a lack of products that werent irritating to her eyes, didnt leave a white residue or cast around the face, and werent smelly, Breaux resorted to designing her own.

At first, she started mixing a formula herself with minerals at home, but when that became a headache, she eventually reached out to someone with a lab who could create a product for her. She shared her unique custom blend with her family and was shocked by how well it worked even with her familys range of skin tones. Thats when she realized there was a market for the solution she created for herself.

It was just a pivotal time in my life, said Breaux, who at the time had just spent 20 years in New Orleans running a construction company and was feeling burned out, which prompted a move back to Los Angeles and a personal regroup.

I knew that I didnt want to do construction anymore. I just wasnt sure what I wanted to do. When I got this sunscreen, and I noticed how well it worked in my family, Breaux said, I just sat with it for a little while and I said, Well, you know what, maybe I need to build a brand around this.'

Breaux decided then, too, that a considerable part of her brands mission would be to educate people of color about the importance of protection from the sun.

Like my family, we didnt know that these moles were a result of sun damage. We thought they were genetic because literally all of the older people in our family have a face full of moles. So now armed with this new information, we can make better decisions, she said.

A mineral-based sunscreen can help protect the skin. (Photo credit: Unsun Cosmetics)

According to Lisa Shen, Boston Medical Centers associate director of pediatric dermatology, sun exposure significantly contributes to skin pigmentation concerns.

Patients with darker skin are more likely to experience melasma and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation  those dark marks left behind by acne  and exposure to UV rays can actually make them worse, Shen said in a recent article on Boston Universitys BU Today site. The best way to prevent that from happening is by protecting the skin from visible light and UV radiation.

Breaux finds it encouraging how much awareness has grown in the seven years since she had to create her own product.

Were starting to understand, even if our main issue is not skin cancer, she said. Even if [the myth] is so deeply rooted that we dont think that were going to get skin cancer, when you start talking about hyperpigmentation and black moles, we feel like, Oh, OK, you know, weve always struggled with those issues. So if for that reason alone, many people are saying, OK, let me put on some sunscreen. So thats good. Well take it.

For those new to the sunscreen game, Breaux recommends a mineral-based sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or 50. She also said skin tone does not significantly affect natural immunity to the sun.

This level of melanin gives me a natural built-in SPF of about 11, which will protect me for about 15 minutes, said Breaux, who is medium dark brown.

She said when applying sunscreen, prioritize the face and any other areas that will be exposed. There are slews of tinted mineral options and face moisturizers on the market now with an SPF of 30 that you can use along with makeup. Breaux hopes attitudes continue to change.

I think that we have to stop believing in the myths. We have to stop allowing other people to be responsible for our well-being, she said. So we have to do the research. We have to read the ingredients. We have to see whats best for us. We really need to understand that no ones going to care for us more than we care for ourselves.

And above all else, Breaux stressed, Protect your skin, all skin needs some protection. The sun literally does not discriminate. Its not up there saying, You are good. Everyone with skin needs some protection.

Kay Wicker is a lifestyle writer for theGrio covering health, wellness, travel, beauty, fashion, and the myriad ways Black people live and enjoy their lives. She has previously created content for magazines, newspapers, and digital brands.

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 Do Black people need sunscreen? We asked the founder of Unsun Cosmetics appeared first on TheGrio.
Black woman was discriminated against at Leawood hospital and removed by cops: Lawsuit

A Black woman says she was discriminated against by staff at Saint Lukes Health System when they had her forcibly removed by police after she sought care at the hospitals Leawood location in 2021.

Muriel Martin, 76, of Kansas City, filed a federal lawsuit on May 19 in the U.S. Court for the District of Kansas saying she was discriminated on the basis of her race.

In May 2021, Martin went to the emergency room at Saint Lukes community hospital in Leawood, 13200 State Line Road. She was having excruciating pain in her abdomen causing cramping, nausea and vomiting, the lawsuit said.

Martin has an implanted port which delivers medication. Nurses did not have the right needles to access the port so a doctor tried to insert an IV through her jugular vein, the lawsuit said, causing extreme pain.

She pleaded for an alternative method, to which the physician allegedly said, Its obvious you dont want to be here, why dont you leave?

Martin said she wanted to be treated.

Shortly after, Leawood Police Departments entered her room and told her to leave, the lawsuit said.

She told them she was too unwell.

According to the lawsuit, Officer Jacob Woods grabbed her by the shoulders and arms, lifted her out of the gurney and shoved her into a wheelchair.

Martin asked if she could wait in her car to be seen by a different doctor or be picked up by a relative.

The officer allegedly put his hand on his Taser and told her to leave or suffer the consequences.

She left.

The lawsuit names as defendants Saint Lukes Health System, the City of Leawood, Woods and Police Chief Dale Finger.

It lists seven counts including racial discrimination, deprivation of civil rights and excessive force. It also says that Martin was a victim of implicit bias against African-Americans and unequal treatment attributed to enduring racist cultural beliefs and practices.

When asked about the officers response, if the department reviewed the encounter and about the lawsuit, Capt. Brad Robbins, a spokesman for Leawood police, said the city and the police department had no comment regarding the litigation.

Saint Lukes did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last year, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that 20% of Black people said they were treated unfairly because of their race while getting health care compared to 5% of white people surveyed.
HARTFORD CITY, Ind.  For at least the fourth time, a sex offender from Blackford County has been accused of failing to keep authorities updated on his whereabouts.

Darin Scott Maddox, 39, was charged this month in Blackford Superior Court with failure to register as a sex or violent offender, a Level 5 felony carrying up to six years in prison.

Maddox was convicted of sexual battery, in Blackford Circuit Court, in August 2006. As a result of that conviction, he is required to register with authorities in the communities where he lives and works.

On May 4, a Blackford County sheriff's deputy was verifying the addresses of local sex offenders, and learned that Maddox now longer lived at the address he had most recently registered at, in the 1800 block of South Blackford County Road 100-W.

A person at that address reported Maddox had been "kicked out" after a disagreement with the property's owner about two weeks earlier, and had indicated he was moving to Ohio.

More: Delaware County man sentenced for posting online images of child sexual abuse

Maddox, arrested in mid-May, was being held in the Blackford County jail on Tuesday under a bond of $3,510. A trial date had not yet been set in the case.

The Hartford City man was convicted of failing to register as a sex or violent offender in 2020, 2016 and 2012.

The most recent conviction stemmed in part from Maddox's failure to inform the sheriff's department he was no longer employed at a local restaurant.

An affidavit said Maddox lost that job after his employers determined he had denied being a convicted sex offender on a job application.

The Blackford County man's criminal record also includes a 2008 conviction for robbery.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Blackford County sex offender again accused of failing to register
Syrian President Bashar Assad appeared at an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia for the first time in more than a decade Friday after his country was expelled in 2011 for its brutal crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy protests during the Arab Spring.

Assad was welcomed back into the fold as part of a reintegration effort on behalf of several regional states, led largely in part by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Biden administration and top White House officials have condemned the move, vowing to continue its policy of keeping Syria an international pariah and continuing to hold Assad accountable for his role in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Syrians in the countrys more than a decade-long civil war.

One Syria expert told Fox News Digital the Biden administration has been sending mixed messages on its Syria policy in the last several years. The Washington Post quoted a senior Biden administration official in October 2021 who said it did not support Jordan initiating normalization after King Abdullah II spoke with Assad via phone. However, the official said the Biden administration will no longer actively work to stop countries from engaging with Assad, except when the law specifically requires it.

Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, said the White House has been giving regional states a sort of yellow light to pursue normalization talks with Damascus while the State Department publicly holds a different position.

"The State Department has consistently been opposed to normalization and supportive of isolation, of sanctions, of punitive actions and what have you. But when you have a government, and particularly the most powerful government in the world, sending such mixed messages, it is no surprise that that has resulted in a completely useless, contradictory policy that ultimately has led us to where we are right now, which is some states in the region attempting to re-engage with the regime, but in so doing, unfortunately, from a U.S. perspective, as an American, they have completely destroyed our leverage," he explained.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

THE NUMBER OF REFUGEES FROM SYRIA TOPS 2 MILLION; NEARLY 5,000 A DAY FLEE ACROSS BORDERS

"If we ever were to choose to try to push Syria-related diplomacy, they've killed our leverage because ultimately Bashar al-Assad knows now that he has managed to coerce regional states into effectively capitulating to him. And so, if we as the United States were to ever step up and say, 'Right, time to finally deal with the Syrian crisis, let us launch a major diplomatic process'  the region has already stepped five steps down that ladder and given the regime a great deal more influence and leverage over that process than they had before."

The Arab Leagues consensus decision to welcome the Syrian dictator back has felt like a slap in the face to Syrians forced to flee their homes due to barrel bombings from regime forces and shelling from Russian warplanes.

More than 14 million Syrians have been forced to flee their homes and nearly 7 million are internally displaced.

Khalid al-Shallah, a Syrian living in northwest Idlib province, told Fox News Digital, "We refuse normalization with the regime of Assad, and we cannot reconcile [and] have him as our president." He added, "A criminal terrorist regime has displaced millions of Syrian families to different countries around the world and arrested hundreds of thousands in its prisons, and we do not know their fate."

Al-Shallah and his family fled their home in Maarat al-Numan in 2019 due to constant shelling. He and his family were displaced for several years before moving into an apartment near the Turkey-Syria border.

He shared that despite the hunger and displacement his family experiences, they would rather continue to suffer than reconcile with the regime. "Bashar al-Assad is a war criminal , the killer of children, the biggest terrorist, the head of drug gangs. We are his people and we know him," he said.

US HAS ENGAGED DIRECTLY WITH SYRIAN OFFICIALS ABOUT FREEING AUSTIN TICE: STATE DEPARTMENT

The Saudi-led push for re-engagement with the Syrian regime has been described as conditional by Arab governments.

Lister told Fox News Digital that regional states such as Jordan and the UAE were largely inclined to push forward with normalization in an effort to get Syria to address issues they say are affecting their own countries.

Syria's President Bashar Assad arrives in Jeddah, to attend the Arab League summit in Saudi Arabia, May 18, 2023. (Sana/Handout via Reuters)

For example, an end to drug trafficking , the facilitation of refugee returns to Syria, and the countering of corruption, extremism and terrorism inside the country.

Lister said that although the talks have come across as quid pro quo, there are no mechanisms in place to make sure Syria follows through. "None of the communiques, the written statements, the public statements given by officials, none of them have mentioned a single enforcement mechanism, no way to measure whether or not things are being either violated or conceded. And I think that tells us all that we need to know. This isn't really a conditional engagement. This is just an engagement for engagement's sake," he explained.

AIRSTRIKES IN SOUTHERN SYRIA KILL ONE OF COUNTRYS MOST WELL-KNOWN DRUG DEALERS

He added that Syria has a long track record of creating problems and then being able to control the scale of those problems as a "threat or a tool of coercion" against regional states.

Perhaps the biggest "tool of coercion" the regime possesses is its export of the drug Captagon. The senior fellow said one pill costs a cent to produce and can sell for $15 in the Gulf, proving to be an extremely lucrative business for the regime. In the last several weeks alone, Lister said, nearly $1 billion worth of Syrian-made Captagon has been seized in neighboring countries.

"[Syria] has this history of sort of turning the tap up when it wants to turn the pressure up and then turning the tap down when it wants to curry some favor. And I think that's probably  we are probably going to see some of that. I think they realize, the Syrian regime, that their biggest method of kind of a coercive influence over particularly Saudi Arabia, lies with the drugs trade," Lister said. "And so I expect that they may help, you know, leak information or intelligence to the Saudi government or to Jordan, on the southern border, about the identity, the location of certain shipments or certain individuals involved in the drugs trade to try to curry favor and show that it's willing to turn that tap back down again and to give the likes of Saudi Arabia the perception that the Syrian regime is willing to play ball."

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers, led by Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., introduced legislation to prohibit any federal government department or agency from recognizing or normalizing ties with the Assad regime. The Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act of 2023 would also expand economic sanctions to those "involved in diverting and stealing humanitarian assistance meant for the people of Syria and those involved in stealing the property of the Syrian people for political reasons or personal gain."

Rep. Joe Wilson speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill, April 25, 2023.

US HAS ENGAGED DIRECTLY WITH SYRIAN OFFICIALS ABOUT FREEING AUSTIN TICE: STATE DEPARTMENT

Wilson told Fox News Digital in a statement that normalization with Assad will be met with consequences. "We appreciate our partners and allies in the Gulf and broader Arab world, but the Arab League should be on notice. Normalization with mass murderer Assad is not the right path forward and as this bipartisan bill illustrates, such actions will be met with consequences. Im grateful to Chairman Mike McCaul for his support and rapidly moving this legislation forward," he said.

The bill was unanimously passed by the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia last week.
(Lubbock Polce Department)

Police in West Texas have discovered a body possibly related to a recent missing persons case involving a teenage girl.

The Lubbock Police Department announced in a press release on Monday (22 May) that they had discovered the body of a deceased female, possibly related to the investigation of missing 18-year-old Lakaria Moore.

Ms Moore was first reported missing on Friday (19 May) evening to police in Lubbock, Texas.

On Sunday night, police said the Major Crimes unit was called to the 2100 block of North Jayton Avenue where they were given information that led them to believe Ms Moore was in danger.

Ms Moore was then entered into a national database listed as an endangered missing person.

Investigators were able to locate a vehicle possibly related to the incident which may have led them to locate the body of a deceased female.

Authorities did not publicly confirm if the deceased person was Ms Moore.

The Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit is now investigating the missing person case, according to the press release.

According to police, no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing. Lubbock Police are asking anyone with information related to the investigation to contact their crime line at 806-741-1000.

18-year-old Lakaria Moore's family is worried sick and said it is unlike her to not contact her mother. Please help us GET THE WORD OUT. pic.twitter.com/wdBMQ7jfof  KLBK News (@KLBKNews) May 22, 2023

Ms Moores mother told local news outlet KAMC that she had not heard from her daughter since Saturday, which was unlike her.

According to a tweet from KLBK News, Ms Moore was last seen near East 14th Street.
The battle of the bonnet has commenced following a now viral photograph snapped at a dentists office. The framed set of rules informs patients of a new policy banning, among other things, the bonnets.



On Reddit, a user shared a screenshot of the original social media post featuring the list of banned items. The screenshot included the original posters caption praising the rules which also ban house shoes and pajama bottoms.



Many online deduced, from the combination of items on the list, that the ban was directed toward Black people, specifically Black women. Bonnets are a haircare staple for Black women who have faced criticism related to their public appearance over the years. Conversations around the topic have ignited on social media as users discuss some Black womens decisions to wear certain items in public.

Social Medias Response

The post has since been shared on outlets like Instagram and Twitter, with it fueling an intense conversation. Much of that discourse focused on the double standard Black women face when it comes to their hair and clothing choices.

Some disagreed with the dentists office for the strict list of items that seemingly subscribe to respectability rules. Rules that continually limit the personal expression of Black women. Other responders applauded the dentist for setting attire boundaries for patients. Those holding that view felt it not appropriate to demand certain standards for care.

There are also vital comments regarding how the rule limits patient access to healthcare based on factors as trivial as clothing and hair coverings.

I just want to know how house shoes, a bonnet, & pajama bottoms keep this dentist from doing her job. There is no logical reason for a healthcare provider to have a dress code for their patients. Why is this dentist more worried about their outfits than their oral health?  mel (@bougieblkgirll) May 19, 2023

Respectability Debate Continued

In 2021 comedian and actress Monique sparked a similar debate around Black women and respectability. At that time, Monique encouraged Black women to stop wearing bonnets and pajamas in the airport and other public spaces.



Moniques Instagram post sparked instant backlash for its tone and the limits it placed on Black womens personal expression. Some users have taken to Twitter to yet again knock attempts to police the actions of Black women. Especially personal choices like what they choose to wear in public.

The Dentist: pic.twitter.com/IjL7zgvAVw  Golden Girls & Golden Palace Podcast! (@SoGoodWeNamedlt) May 18, 2023

The latest bonnet controversy comes as Black women around the country continue to fight against hair discrimination through The Crown Act. That legislation continues to make its way through statehouses all around the country.

The post Bonnet Ban at Dentist Office Sparks Debate on Policing Black Women appeared first on 21Ninety.
Boris Johnson is said to have put on a French accent to gently mock president Emmanuel Macrons views on Ukraine during a speech to Republicans in Texas.

The former Tory prime minister spoke at a private lunch in Dallas, where he told US right-conservatives to stick with it and insist they were backing the right horse by supporting Ukraine.

I just urge you all to stick with it  it will pay off massively in the long run, Mr Johnson told the audience, according to Politico.

The ex-PM added: You are backing the right horse. Ukraine is going to win. They are going to defeat Putin.

Mr Johnson is said to have gently mocked Macron with a faux-French accent as he quoted his remarks about not wanting the Russian president Vladimir Putin humiliated.

I think it was my French friend and colleague Emmanuel Macron who said Putin must not be humiliated, he told the group of Republican politicians and donors.

I think it takes an awful lot to humiliate Vladimir Putin, frankly, he added. I dont think its our job to worry about Vladimir Putins ego, or his political prospects, or developments in his career.

Mr Johnson called Mr Macron Putins lickspittle after the French president criticised the then-prime ministers response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis, according to a former leading No 10 official.

Mr Johnson also called Mr Macron a four-letter word that begins with c, former director of communication Guto Harri said in his podcast Unprecedented.

Donald Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis, two of the leading candidates for the Republican nomination, have shared their scepticism about support for Ukraine.

But Mr Johnson told Republicans that had every hope that the Ukrainians will be able to deliver a very substantial counterpunch this summer, adding that there was a prospect of a complete Russian military collapse.

Joe Biden told fellow leaders at the recent G7 conference that the US would support providing fighter jets, including American-made F-16 jets.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called the decision one that would greatly enhance our army in the sky.

Mr Johnson has made around 5m from outside earnings in the past year, mostly from the lucrative speaking circuit, on top of the 84,000 salary he still receives as a backbench MP. But he is not believed to have been paid for the speech in Dallas.
A box truck crashes into security barriers on Lafayette Square adjacent to the White House grounds in Washington

Driver detained as truck crashes near White House; Nazi flag found A box truck crashes into security barriers on Lafayette Square adjacent to the White House grounds in Washington

By Nathan Howard

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Secret Service said it had detained the driver of a rented box truck that crashed into security barriers near the White House on Monday night, perhaps intentionally, but that there were no injuries or ongoing danger.

A Reuters witness said investigators found a Nazi swastika flag that apparently came from inside the truck, which crashed into barriers at Lafayette Square, adjacent to the White House grounds.

Officers retrieved the flag and plastic evidence bags that had been laid out on the sidewalk following the crash and placed them in the back of the U-Haul, a Reuters photographer said.

"Preliminary investigation reveals the driver may have intentionally struck the security barriers at Lafayette Square," Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, said on Twitter.

U.S. Park Police would file charges with investigative support from the Secret Service, he added.

WUSA television showed video of a box-type, U-Haul truck stopped alongside a row of steel bollards, with uniformed law-enforcement officers and a dog approaching the vehicle. A remote-controlled robot pried open the truck's rear door, revealing a dolly but no other obvious cargo.

Chris Zaboji, a witness to the crash, posted a brief video on social media showing the truck driving into the barricades. The video was verified by Reuters. After crashing once, the driver hit the barriers a second time, he said.

Zaboji, 25, an airline pilot who lives in Washington, said he had just finished jogging on the National Mall and was walking home when he heard a loud crash.

"I looked back and saw that the U-Haul van had rammed into the barricade. I backed away behind a guy on a golf cart and took the video on my phone. After I saw it rammed again I didn't want to be anywhere near the truck and left," Zaboji said.

A previous tweet from the Secret Service's Guglielmi said nobody from the White House or Secret Service was injured.

The exact location of President Joe Biden at the time was unclear. He met with Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy at the White House earlier on Monday evening.

The nearby Hay Adams hotel was evacuated at the request of the Secret Service, the Washington Post reported, citing a hotel official, while the Secret Service said some roads and pedestrian walkways around the park were closed.

A spokesperson for the Washington Fire Department said a call came in at 9:40 p.m. (0140 GMT) for what was described as a suspicious package investigation.

Soon there was a major law-enforcement and public safety response, before investigators determined the contents of the mostly empty truck were harmless.

(Additional reporting by Daniel Trotta, Costas Pitas and Nur-Azna Sanusi; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Gerry Doyle and Lincoln Feast.)
Boycotting Oregon GOP senators vow to stay away until last day of session

Hundreds of bills awaiting action in the Oregon Senate are held in a battered bookshelf on the Senate floor, unable to move forward to a vote because of a protest by Republicans Tuesday, May 23, 2023 in Salem, Ore. The leader of Republican senators whose walkout of the Oregon Senate has prevented a quorum for almost three weeks said Tuesday, May 23, 2023, that they're not coming back until the very last day of the legislative session next month. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky)

SALEM, Ore. (AP)  Republican senators whose walkout of the Oregon Senate has prevented a quorum for almost three weeks said Tuesday they're not coming back until the very last day of the legislative session next month.

The walkout, which began on May 3 ostensibly because bill summaries weren't written at an eighth grade level as required by a long-forgotten law, has derailed progress on hundreds of bills, including a sweeping measure on abortion rights and gender-affirming care that the conservatives particularly object to.

An email from Republican leader Sen. Tim Knopp's office said the Republicans and Independent Sen. Brian Boquist would return on June 25, the end of the legislative session, to pass bipartisan budgets and bills.

"We are the last line of defense to hold the majority accountable, Knopp said.

The crisis in Oregons statehouse is a microcosm of the deeply partisan politics playing out nationwide, including recently in Tennessee and in Montana.

Republicans have boycotted in 2019, 2020 and 2021. This years standoff, however, has disqualified nine Republican senators and one Independent from serving as lawmakers in the next term, under a ballot measure approved overwhelmingly by boycott-weary voters last November. After 10 or more unexcused absences, a lawmaker cant take office in the Legislature, even if the secretary of states elections division allows them on the ballot and they win.

The boycotters are expected to challenge the constitutional amendment in court.

Senate President Robert Wagner carried out a roll call again on Tuesday, and again he was two members short of reaching the 20 needed for a quorum of the 30-member Senate. Oregon is one of a few states that require at least two-thirds to be present, instead of a simple majority.

All the Democrats showed up, except one who has an excused absence for health reasons, and only two of the minority Republicans appeared.

Senate Democrats will be here, doing our jobs, ready to pass the budget and act on urgent Oregon priorities today, tomorrow, and every day until session ends," said Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber. "Absent Republican Senators are welcome to end this unconstitutional walk out and make government work for the people of Oregon.

Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek has signed a bill to keep funds flowing to state agencies until September if no budget has become law by July 1 and says she doesnt think the state is in crisis mode yet.
Dr. Sanjiv Tewari was recently appointed chief medical officer at HCA Florida Blake Hospital. He will assume the CMO role beginning June 1,

Dr. Sanjiv Tewari was recently appointed chief medical officer at HCA Florida Blake Hospital.

He will assume the CMO role beginning June 1 and as the CMO, Tewari will oversee all aspects of medical operations, playing a crucial role in maximizing the hospital's clinical performance and patient experience while fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.

Related: Which Sarasota-Manatee hospitals earned A safety grades? Biannual report cards released

HCA Florida Blake Hospitals Interim CEO and Chief Operating Officer Paige Laughlin said in a prepared statement "We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Tewari as our new chief medical officer.

His vast experience and strong leadership skills will be invaluable in driving our mission to provide excellent, compassionate patient care, she added.We are confident that Dr. Tewari will enhance the quality of our medical services and advance our position as a leading healthcare institution."

Tewari is board certified in pulmonary, critical care, neurocritical care and sleep medicine. Prior to joining HCA Florida Blake Hospital, he served as chairman of the Department of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Akron General for 17 years where he led more than 250 physicians in 15 specialties.

Most recently, Tewari was the medical director of critical care and the center director for the Institute for Medical Specialties at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital in Vero Beach, Florida.

Related For Subscribes: Burn survivor reconnects with doctors and therapy team at HCA Blake Hospital Burn Center

Tewari received his medical degree from the University of Alberta. He completed his internal medicine residency with Summa Health System before his fellowship in pulmonary and critical care at Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio.

He also holds a Master of Studies in Law with a specialization in health care from the University of Akron.

Tewari's commitment to medical education and leadership development is further evidenced by his prior academic positions as a clinical assistant professor at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, clinical instructor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and as associate professor at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

HCA Florida Blake Hospital, the only Trauma Center in Manatee County and one of six Burn Centers in Florida, is located at 2020 59th St. W. in Bradenton.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: HCA Florida Blake Hospital names Tewari new chief medical officer
Dog and Bear at the G Lynn Campbell Library on May 22, 2023.

A way to connect to their grandchildren has evolved in a connection to a wider community for a local couple.

The Adventures of Dog & Bear originally started in 2015 as a way for Jacklin and Tom Kinzer to connect with their grandchildren. They would go around the area, pose Dog and Bear and write emails with stories for their grandchildren. Since then, Jacklin Kinzer started a Facebook page for the stories, and it has grown bigger than she ever thought.

The stories with Dog and Bear are meant to be simple inspiration and encouragement," Kinzer said.

In addition to adventuring across the Blue Water Area, Dog and Bear can be found hanging out with their friends at the Kinzer Family Farm, located at 15390 Turner Road in Lynn Township.

Dog and Bear aim to bring joy to people of all ages with their stories. Although Kinzer writes the adventure stories, she said she does not consider herself to be a writer. To help create the stories, Kinzer said she put herself into the mind of a child telling their friend a story about what happened that day.

Abby Campbell talking to Dog and Bear at the G Lynn Campbell Library on May 22, 2023. Dog and Bear were attending a story time event at the library.

On Monday, Dog and Bear were at a story time event at the G Lynn Campbell Library, located at 1955 Allen Road in Kimball Township. At the event, they sang songs with the children, listened to a story and helped the children with an arts and craft activity.

Kinzer said the places they go for adventures are typically ones that reach out and invite them. Dog and Bear have gone to library events, Stahl's Automotive Foundation in Macomb County and many other places throughout Michigan.

Additionally, Dog and Bear attend between 75 and 100 charity events every year.

"We got absorbed in different events and all sorts of groups like autism groups, foster parents and mental health groups," Kinzer said.

Kinzer said she thinks the pandemic partially made "The Adventures of Dog and Bear" bigger because people were looking for little ways to find joy.

Eliza Waters feeding Dog a fruit snack at the G Lynn Campbell Library on May 22, 2023.

The adventure stories are not meant to be educational, but Kinzer said there are lessons at the end of every one. Sometimes the lesson is simply to remember to enjoy the little things in life. One mainstay of the adventure stories is the thank you note Dog and Bear write. Kinzer said the thank you notes could help teach gratitude to readers.

Kinzer said it's shocking to see how much the Facebook page has grown over the years. The reach of Dog and Bear goes beyond Michigan. She said people have gone up to her and her husband in places such as Arizona or Florida asking if the stuffed animals with them were Dog and Bear.

She said that because Facebook isn't a location, it allows Dog and Bear to reach people from all over.

"I think about it like every time a new person sees the Facebook page, it's one more person (Dog and Bear) can help," Kinzer said.

The Facebook page has gained nearly 2,000 followers since it was launched in 2018.

Dog and Bear helping out during a craft activity at the G Lynn Campbell Library on May 22, 2023.

Kinzer and her husband are usually mentioned the adventure stories, with Dog and Bear calling them mom and dad. The first 10 adventure stories they've written have been published in a book with Love n Light Productions. The book can be found on Amazon.

"The Adventures of Dog and Bear" may appear to be aimed at a children's audience, but adults are fans as well. Kinzer said many people who follow Dog and Bear are children at heart. Everyone who meets Dog and Bear are bound to leave with a smile on their face.

Contact McKenna Golat at mgolat@gannett.com or (810) 292-0122.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: The Adventures of Dog and Bear in the Blue Water Area
By Alistair Smout

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain recruited a record number of international nurses in the last financial year to plug hospital staffing shortages, with as many as 10% coming from so-called "red-list" countries where health staff should not be actively recruited.

Britain has long hired from abroad to staff its state-run National Health Service (NHS), and its vote to leave the European Union in 2016 meant the number of EU staff has dropped sharply in recent years.

In the year to March, nearly half of the 52,148 nurses, midwives and nursing associates who joined the British register were internationally educated, according to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Nearly 3,500 came from Nigeria, which is on the the World Health Organization's safeguards list.

The two biggest international contributors to Britain's nursing workforce - India and the Philippines - are not on the red-list.

The WHO has warned that poorer countries are increasingly losing healthcare workers to wealthier countries, and has flagged concern over active recruitment in some countries.

Jim Buchan, senior fellow at the Health Foundation, said the numbers arriving in Britain from red-list countries, notably Nigeria and Ghana, had gone up markedly.

"The requirement of (WHO) member states is not to actively recruit from these countries, but what the data can't tell us is how these nurses have come to be on the UK register," he said.

Caroline Waterfield, director of development and employment at NHS Employers said hospital trusts and others who hire staff in England's NHS have been told to work only with agencies that are accredited, vetted and not operating in red-list countries.

"The bit which has always been a bit more tricky is if individuals apply themselves," she said.

The rules do not stop individuals based in red-list countries applying for jobs in Britain, and while an agency may not actively recruit them, community links to people already in the country might mean people apply more from certain countries.

Paul Wanyonyi Simiyu is a nurse, originally from Kenya, who came to Britain four years ago. Kenya is on Britain's "amber" list, meaning any active nurse recruitment has to be through a bilateral agreement Britain has with Kenya.

Despite that agreement, Simiyu estimates 90% of the recruitment of Kenyan nurses comes via direct applications to UK jobs, adding that there often aren't jobs for them in Kenya. He founded KenyanNurse to help train Kenyan nurses for English exams and advises them on how to process their registration.

"It's not against any international or national laws for me to tell a friend or anyone else, hey, there's a job somewhere overseas," he said.

On Friday Britain announced 15 million pounds in funding to strengthen the health workforce in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana, citing low staff numbers in their health systems and high unemployment among health workers.

QUICK FIX

Britain's health service has endured a tough winter, creaking under high demand, staffing shortages, strike action over pay and long waits for operations and ambulance visits.

It pledged in 2019 to have 50,000 more nurses in the NHS in England by next year, and health minister Steve Barclay said the government is on course to hit that target and would publish a new long-term workforce plan shortly. The Health Foundation estimates that NHS England has 43,000 nursing vacancies.

The drop in EU staff has helped fuel demand for more workers, with NMC data showing a 20% fall in health staff from the European Economic Area between March 2018 to March 2023.

Buchan said that the lower numbers of EU staff, domestic shortages and a lack of UK nurses in training meant further non-EU recruits would be needed to hit the target.

"The target itself has been a driver for international recruitment because it's the relatively quick fix way of getting nurses into the system," he said. "Will we have to carry on at high levels of international recruitment to try and fill vacancies in the short term? Yes we will."

(Reporting by Alistair Smout; additional reporting by Maggie Fick, Editing by William Maclean)
LONDON  The body of a teenage prince captured by British troops will not be returned to his remaining family in east Africa, the British royal family has said, in the latest high-profile feud over the legacy of its brutal colonial past.

Buckingham Palace has refused a repeated request to repatriate the remains of Prince Dejatch Alemayehu of Abyssinia  which includes modern-day Ethiopia  who was taken from his home at age 6 in 1868 and died just over a decade later in England.

His body is buried at Windsor Castle, one of King Charles III's official residences and the traditional site of British royal funerals and weddings.

Alemayehu was taken from Africa after British forces defeated his father and looted his imperial capital, in one of the most notorious military operations of Britain's colonial era. Ethiopia has been asking for the prince's remains and other treasures to be returned for the last 150 years.

Fasil Minas, a descendent of the Abyssinian royal family and a relative of Alemayehu, told the BBC: We want his remains back as a family and as Ethiopians because that is not the country he was born in.

But the palace said this week that this wasn't possible as it would disturb other human remains buried nearby.

"The Dean and Canons of Windsor are very sensitive to the need to honour the memory of Prince Alemayehu," Buckingham Palace said in a statement sent to NBC News on Tuesday.

"However, they have been advised that it is very unlikely that it would be possible to exhume the remains without disturbing the resting place of a substantial number of others in the vicinity," the statement said.

The Ethiopian Embassy in London is welcome to keep visiting the grave to pay respects, the statement added  but historians said the palace should do more to take responsibility for its past.

Lost Ethiopian Prince Won't Be Returned By Royal Family (@EthioEmbassyUK / Twitter)

"This is such an emotional issue because it reminds everyone of Alemayehus plight  a child stuck in a foreign land, never allowed to go home," Andrew Heavens, author of a new book on Alemayehu and the British raid on Abyssinia titled "The Prince and the Plunder," told NBC News.

"Emotionally, most people who get to know Alemayehus story feel his remains should be returned. He made it so clear before he died that he wanted to go back," Heavens said.

The palace could do more to show Ethiopia exactly why the prince's body can't be removed, Heavens added.

Alemayehu was the son of the emperor of Abyssinia, Tewodros II, a Coptic Christian ruler who had taken missionaries and British government officials captive after Britain refused to assist him in wars with mostly Muslim neighboring countries.

In December 1867, Britain launched an expedition of 13,000 soldiers and 40,000 animals, including 44 elephants trained to pull huge artillery guns, according to the National Army Museum in London, to free the hostages.

Dejatch Alamayou and Captain Speedy in 1868. (V&A Images / Getty Images)

It took until April for them to reach the Abyssinian capital, Maqdala. More than 500 Abyssinians were killed and thousands injured in a 90-minute battle  some estimates are much higher and no complete contemporary record exists.

British forces sustained two deaths, with 18 soldiers injured. Tewodros subsequently killed himself with a pistol that had been a gift from Queen Victoria.

It took 15 elephants and around 200 mules to carry all the wealth the British looted from Maqdala. Alemayehu's mother, Empress Tiruwork Wube, intended to travel to England with her son but died on the journey.

Queen Victoria took an interest in Alemayehu and arranged for him to study at elite schools, before he was sent to the military training academy at Sandhurst. He left after less than a year for the English city of Leeds, where he died of pleurisy  inflammation of the lining surrounding the lungs  at age 18 in 1879.

Victoria wrote in her diary: "Very grieved and shocked to hear by telegram, that good Alemayehu had passed away this morning. It is too sad! All alone, in a strange country, without a single person or relative, belonging to him."

He was buried in the catacombs of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

For Jeremiah Garsha, an expert in the looting of human remains at University College Dublin, originally from California, there is no doubt that Alemayehu was stolen.

"He was, he was kidnapped," he said. "You have a minor coming to another country as an orphan after his mother dies and then he himself dies at 18  something should feel wrong about that. He's looted as well, like all the other curios and treasures that were taken."

The British obsession with Africa at the time created a huge market for stolen goods. This curiosity extended from ceremonial shields and religious items to living Black African people.

"You wouldn't kidnap a white child; Victoria's not going to end up with a child from [London suburb] Camden Town  there has to be a racial element, the foreignness for this prince to come and be at the palace," Garsha said.

Many of the treasures that were taken remain in the British Museum, which has been discussing the possible return of certain items with Ethiopian officials since 2019.

Several other countries, including Benin and Greece, have long petitioned the British government for the return of items that they consider stolen during the colonial era.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Bryan Kohbergers sister feared he could be involved in Idaho murders before sudden arrest

Bryan Kohbergers sister feared that her brother was involved in the stabbings of four University of Idaho students before police swooped on their parents home and arrested him for murder, according to a bombshell report.

Sources told NBCs Dateline that one of the accused killers older sibling grew increasingly suspicious of her brother and his behaviour when the family gathered to spend the holidays together.

Her suspicions were so great that  at one point  several family members searched Mr Kohbergers white Hyundai Elantra for possible evidence of the crime, they said.

Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found brutally stabbed to death in the off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, that the three women shared with two other roommates on 13 November.

For more than six weeks, no suspects were publicly identified and leads appeared to have gone cold.

In mid-December, Mr Kohberger  a 28-year-old criminology PhD student at Washington State University (WSU)  embarked on a cross-country trip with his father from his student rental home in Pullman, Washington, back to the family home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, to spend the holidays together.

But, during his time at home, his family members noticed that he was behaving somewhat bizarrely.

The source said that Mr Kohberger was constantly wearing latex gloves, including inside their own home.

One of his two older sisters began to wonder if he could have played a part in the murders  and, at one point, she raised her concerns with her other family members.

She loudly pointed out that, at the time of the murders, her brother was living just a few miles from the crime scene and that he drove a white Hyundai Elantra  the make and colour of vehicle at the centre of the investigation.

Along with his bizarre tendency to wear latex gloves at all time, she believed that the family should consider that Mr Kohberger might have killed the four victims, the source said.

Mr Kohbergers father allegedly defended his son and insisted he could not have been involved.

But the concerns were clearly big enough for several of the family members to reportedly decide to search the 28-year-olds vehicle to look for possible evidence.

Bryan Kohberger is accused of killing Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin (PA police)

By that point, police said Mr Kohberger had already been spotted cleaning his car out with bleach and so the family members didnt find anything of note, the source said.

It is not clear if Mr Kohberger was aware of his family members suspicions that he could have been behind the murders  or what prior behaviour may have led his own sister to suspect him capable of carrying out such a brutal crime.

Soon after, in the early hours of 30 December, law enforcement descended on the family home and arrested him for the murders.

At the time of his arrest, the source said Mr Kohberger was wide awake standing in the kitchen wearing latex gloves and putting his personal trash in plastic bags to take it out to a neighbours trash can.

An attorney close to Mr Kohbergers family declined to comment on the revelations outlined in Datelines The Killings on King Road.

On Monday (22 May), he will appear in court for his arraignment on four counts of first-degree murder and burglary.

The 28-year-old is scheduled to be arraigned in Latah County Court in Moscow, Idaho, where he is expected to enter a plea on the charges.

Mr Kohberger had been due to appear in court for a week-long preliminary hearing on 26 June, where the prosecution would lay out the case and evidence against the suspect.

However, on 16 May, a grand jury indicted Mr Kohberger on the charges, paving the way for the case to proceed without and leading to the cancellation of the preliminary hearing.

Mr Kohberger is accused of breaking into the student home in the early hours of 13 November and stabbing the four students to death in a horror attack that rocked the college town of Moscow and sent shockwaves across America.

The motive remains unknown and it is still unclear what connection the WSU PhD student had to the University of Idaho students  if any  prior to the murders.

However, the affidavit, released in January, revealed that Mr Kohbergers DNA was found on a knife sheath left behind at the scene of the murders.

It also revealed that his white Hyundai Elantra was caught on surveillance footage at the crime scene and that one of the surviving roommates came face to face with the killer  masked, dressed in head to toe black and with bushy eyebrows  as he left the home in the aftermath of the murders.

Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin (Jazzmin Kernodle)

New details have also emerged about what was found during an initial search of his apartment and a rental storage unit.

The court documents show that two items found in his apartment tested positive for blood.

The two items were a mattress cover on the bed and an uncased pillow, both of which had visible reddish brown stains.

The documents do not reveal who the blood belongs to.

Investigators seized a string of other items from his home including possible human and animal hair strands, a disposable glove and a computer.

The murder weapon  a fixed-blade knife  has still never been found.

As a criminal justice PhD student at WSU, Mr Kohberger lived just 15 minutes from the victims over the Idaho-Washington border in Pullman. He had moved there from Pennsylvania and began his studies there that summer, having just completed his first semester before his arrest.

Before this, he studied criminology at DeSales University  first as an undergraduate and then finishing his graduate studies in June 2022.

Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves pictured together before their murders (Instagram)

While there, he studied under renowned forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland who interviewed the BTK serial killer and co-wrote the book Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer with him.

He also carried out a research project to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime.

Now, he is facing life in prison or the death penalty for the murders that have rocked the small college town of Moscow and hit headlines around the globe.
Burying power lines could help prevent outages. But KU says it isnt that simple

When a storm with hurricane force winds ripped through Fayette County on March 3, more than 45,000 Kentucky Utility customers in Fayette County lost power.

Some of those customers were without power for five days.

Similar power outages have occurred during some of Lexingtons fiercest storms.

Yet the majority of Kentucky Utilities power lines  roughly 67%  are above ground across its service area, which includes dozens of counties in Central Kentucky.

Burying power lines can help deter some power outages but not all, KU officials told the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councils Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee Tuesday.

Underground electric systems do still fail, and those outages can potentially last longer than typical overhead power lines, said Chris Mayes, Lexington operations manager for KU.

Debris from a downed tree blocks the street on Arcadia Park leading out to Nicholasville Road Sunday, March 5, 2023. Two day earlier a strong wind storm knocked out power to much of Lexington, Ky. Brian Simms/bsimms@herald-leader.com

Councilwoman Liz Sheehan, chairwoman of the Environmental Quality and Public Works Committee, said she asked KU to come to Tuesdays meeting after the March storms.

Sheehan said council members received a lot of questions from residents about why more power lines arent buried.

Many underground electric systems are fed by above-ground transmission wires. That means strong storms can still knock out power to those large transmission lines, causing outages in areas served by below-ground lines.

Moreover, when there is a problem with underground electrical grids, it can be very disruptive to get to those power lines, disturbing peoples trees and yards, Mayes said.

Underground electric lines also need to be replaced more often than overhead lines, he said.

After a historic ice storm knocked out power to much of Kentucky in 2009, KU and LG&E determined it would cost roughly $40 billion to underground transmission lines and $24 billion for distribution lines, or the lines that feed into homes  for a total of $64 billion, Mayes said. It took nine days for power to be restored after that storm.

It costs roughly $10 million to $15 million per mile to underground a transmission line, Mayes said.

A tree and downed power lines sit on a house on Arcadia Park, just off Nicholasville Road, Sunday, March 5, 2023. Two day earlier a strong wind storm knocked out power to much of Lexington, Ky. Brian Simms/bsimms@herald-leader.com

Some power lines are placed underground

That doesnt mean lines arent being place underground.

New development in Fayette County typically has underground power lines. Developers will usually do in-kind work such as digging trenches for those lines, he said.

Mayes said its rare that new developments would want overhead lines. Mayes estimates roughly 75% of new development in Fayette County has below-ground power lines.

KU is also looking at some areas that currently have above ground lines  on poles  where it makes more sense to bury power lines, he said.

KU has completed some downtown revitalization-type projects where lines that were once on poles were buried.

Neighborhoods can request to have lines buried, but it comes at a cost. First, KU does an analysis to determine if its feasible. If KU gives the green light, the neighborhood must pay for those lines to be placed underground, Mayes said.

Undergrounding is one tool that we use to improve reliability. Its rarely the best tool, Mayes said. Mayes said very few utilities are converting older, overhead lines to underground lines across the country.

If developers dig trenches for new underground lines, Mayes said KU doesnt charge extra. Replacing overhead lines with underground lines is more expensive. The overhead lines are working, he said.

Councilwoman Jennifer Reynolds said she has had multiple requests from neighborhoods to bury power lines. Reynolds said she has heard entire communities have moved to underground power lines.

I realize its expensive and it can be a pain, Reynolds said. Reynolds said she would be interested in looking at incentives or an ordinance requiring all new developments to have buried power lines.

David Barberie, a lawyer for the city, said that it was something the city could explore.
Julian MacCormac, chair of the British Chamber of Commerce in China, speaks at a press launch for a position paper on British Business in China at hotel in Beijing, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. Foreign companies in China are uncertain about what they are allowed to do following police raids on consulting firms and want greater clarity about how newly expanded national security and other rules will be enforced, the foreign business group said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

BEIJING (AP)  Foreign companies in China are uncertain about what they are allowed to do following police raids on consulting firms and want greater clarity about how newly expanded national security and other rules will be enforced, a foreign business group said Tuesday.

The British Chamber of Commerce in China said a survey of its members found they are more optimistic following December's lifting of anti-virus controls that blocked most travel into and out of China. It said they want to invest but are waiting for steps to restore the trust and certainty in China amid tension with Europe and Washington and official plans to promote economic self-reliance.

If there is greater clarity and greater certainty, then we believe that companies will commit more to China, said the chamber chairman, Julian MacCormac, at a news conference. Some 70% of companies are really waiting to see how conditions develop before taking action.

President Xi Jinping's government says foreign companies are welcome and is trying to encourage them to invest more. But they are uneasy following the expansion of national security and other rules with little explanation and official plans to create competitors to global suppliers of processor chips and other technology, sometimes using subsidies and market barriers that have strained relations with the European Union, Washington and other trading partners.

On Sunday, the government banned use of products from the biggest U.S. maker of memory chips, Micron Technology Inc., in computers that handle sensitive information. It said Micron had unspecified security flaws but gave no explanation.

Companies are on edge after police raided offices of two consultancies, Bain & Co. and Capvision, and a due diligence firm, Mintz Group. Authorities have given no explanation. They say companies are obliged to obey the law but have given no indication of possible violations.

The British chamber represents some 650 companies, many of them in finance, consulting and other service industries that might be affected by tighter curbs on what information can be gathered in China and how it can be used and stored.

Tuesday's report included 171 suggestions for Chinese regulators including greater clarity about data restrictions on the auto industry and addressing what it said is unfair treatment of foreign companies in government purchasing.

The chambers director of government relations, Sally Xu, said member companies that responded to a request for questions ahead of a meeting next week with a Ministry of Commerce official all asked about the investigations of consultants.

Our companies are concerned about this, Xu said. They wonder, where is the line between what we can do and cannot do?

A survey in April found 76% of companies that responded are more optimistic following the end of anti-virus controls that blocked most travel into and out of China, according to the chamber. But its report said the outlook is clouded by an unpredictable business environment, political tension and increased talk of self-sufficiency.

This language around security and self-reliance needs to be balanced against the message of welcome to come to China, because I think there is some nervousness, McCormac said. It raises uncertainty about, whats the future like for me as a company in China?

___

British Chamber of Commerce in China: www.britishchamber.cn
California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Tuesday announced a settlement with Walmart over allegations that the retail giant illegally sold brass knuckles to Californians.

California law classifies brass knuckles as a deadly weapon. Anyone caught trying to sell them could face up to a year in prison.

Yet, Walmart and third-party sellers allegedly sold approximately 250 brass knuckle products through the retailers website, according to the complaint filed in Merced County.

With this settlement, were making it clear that we wont sit idly by while a company  no matter how large, and Walmart is huge  allows Californians to be armed with illegal weapons, Bonta said during a news conference in Sacramento.

Walmart spokesperson Marci Burks said the company was committed to being the most trusted retailer.

While we believe our policies and procedures comply with California law and admit no liability or wrongdoing, we believe this agreement is in the best interest of all parties, Burks wrote in an email.

As part of the settlement, Walmart will pay California $500,000. It is also required to prevent the sale of illegal weapons on its website and provide a mechanism for which customers could report any illegal sales or offerings, Bonta said.

The settlement stems from a joint investigation that began in 2018 between the California Department of Justice and district attorneys in Merced, Ventura and Yolo counties.

California consumers who purchased unlawful weapons from Walmart should receive a notice informing them of the potentially illegal sale and advising them to contact law enforcement to properly surrender the objects. Walmart will be required to provide California officials with compliance reports for the settlement requirements.

We want the public to know that the illegal sale of these weapons will not be tolerated, said Merced County District Attorney Nicole Silveira. We are confident that the settlement with Walmart, in this case, will put an end to the future sales of these weapons.
The lower Colorado River in the California portion of the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Monday's historic Colorado River agreement represents a big win for California, which only months ago was embroiled in a bitter feud with Arizona, Nevada and four other Western states over how to dramatically reduce their use of water supplies in the shrinking river .

The proposition, which came after months of tense negotiations, would see the three states in the Colorado's lower basin conserve about 3 million acre-feet of water from the river by 2026  a 14% reduction across the Southwest that amounts to only about half of what could have been imposed by the federal government had the states not come to an accord.

"It's a win for California, but it's a win for the entire basin that, once again, after a year of acrimony, we are at least now on the same page going forward," said Bill Hasencamp, manager of Colorado River resources for the Metropolitan Water District.

Though some details have yet to be disclosed, the plan would see the majority of the cuts, about 1.6 million acre-feet, come from California. The remainder would be split between Arizona and Nevada, with the former taking the lion's share of those losses.

California's reductions are similar to those the state's water managers have offered for several months, Hasencamp said. The plan also is in line with California's proposal to focus on voluntary reductions rather than opening a door for the federal government to dictate cuts proportionally across the region.

"I'm pleasantly surprised," said James Salzman, a professor of environmental law at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. "I thought this was going to go to the courts, but I think two big things have happened: The record snowpack has made the choices less painful, and, to be honest, California and Arizona have played nicer with each other than I expected."

Only weeks ago, the states were at an impasse over how the cuts should be apportioned. California argued for voluntary reductions while adhering to the water-rights system under the body of agreements known as the Law of the River, which would favor its seniority. Arizona and Nevada  with support from the upper-basin states of New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming  argued for proportional cuts across the board in the lower basin.

"It's not obvious how it would have played out, but California really would be rolling the dice" by leaving it up to the federal government or litigation, Salzman said. "They've reached an agreement now that they obviously must feel that they can meet, that they can satisfy."

It's not only a win for California, however. The deal marks considerable cooperation among the lower-basin states, tribes, water agencies and agricultural irrigation districts that have long relied on the Colorado River as a lifeline.

"I think the real win is that we've gone from conflict to consensus in a few short months  and conflict between the states is a recipe for failure," said Wade Crowfoot, California's natural resources secretary. "Our collective ability to come together and identify a shared approach, a consensus approach, is truly a win for California and also the other states."

Water managers who negotiated the agreement said projections show that the cuts would prevent Lake Mead, the nation's largest reservoir, from reaching "dead pool"  a level at which water would no longer be able to pass downstream through the Hoover Dam, effectively cutting off supplies for millions of people  over the next three years.

Michael Cohen, senior research associate at the Pacific Institute, said that while the plan is effectively closer to California's terms, he wouldn't necessarily call it a victory.

"I'm concerned about the health of the Colorado River basin, and presumably California is as well," Cohen said. "California certainly has entitlements to protect, but at the end of the day, if Mead goes to dead pool, those entitlements mean nothing."

Whether the cuts will amount to enough in the face of worsening aridification and climate change remains to be seen  as does what happens after 2026, when the proposed changes would expire, he said.

The Biden administration said it will analyze the states' proposal before issuing a final decision later this year.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - In this photo provided by the Montana Governor's Office, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signs a law banning TikTok in the state, May 17, 2023, in Helena, Mont. TikTok, Inc., filed a lawsuit Monday, May 22, 2023, seeking to overturn Montana's first-in-the-nation ban on the video sharing app, arguing the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights and is based on unfounded speculation that the Chinese government could access users' data. (Garrett Turner/Montana Governor's Office via AP, File)

Social media company TikTok Inc. filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to overturn Montana's first-in-the-nation ban on the video sharing app, arguing the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights and is based on unfounded speculation that the Chinese government could access users' data.

The lawsuit by TikTok itself follows one filed last week by five content creators who made the same arguments, including that the state of Montana has no authority to take action on matters of national security. Both lawsuits were filed in federal court in Missoula.

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill Wednesday and the content creators' lawsuit was filed hours later. The law is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1.

TikTok has not shared and would not share U.S. user data with the Chinese government and has taken measures to protect the privacy and security of its users, including storing all U.S. user data in the United States, the company states in its complaint.

Some lawmakers, the FBI and officials at other agencies are concerned that the video-sharing app, owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance, could be used to allow the Chinese government to access information on U.S. citizens or push pro-Beijing misinformation that could influence the public.

Chinese law compels Chinese companies to share data with the government for whatever purposes it deems to involve national security. TikTok says this has never happened.

TikTok is spying on Americans. Period, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, whose office drafted the bill, told a legislative committee in March. Knudsen's office has said they expected lawsuits and were prepared to defend the new law.

The federal government and about half the U.S. states, including Montana, have banned TikTok from government-owned devices.

Montanas new law prohibits downloads of TikTok in the state. It would fine any entity  an app store or TikTok  $10,000 per day for each time someone is offered the ability to access the social media platform or download the app. The penalties would not apply to users.
California man who stopped to help family of ducks cross road is killed by car

California man who stopped to help family of ducks cross road is killed by car

A Northern California motorist who stopped to help a family of ducks safely cross the road was struck and killed by a teenage driver, officials said Monday.

The terrible accident happened Thursday at about 8:15 p.m. PDT near the corner of Park Drive and Stanford Ranch Road in Rocklin, about 25 miles northeast of the state capitol in Sacramento, Rocklin police said.

The man was "trying to help some ducklings that were in the intersection" when the younger driver, headed east on Stanford Ranch, fatally struck him, according to a police statement.

41-year-old Casey Rivara helps a family of ducks cross a road in Rocklin, Calif. on Thursday. May 18, 2023. (Courtesy William via KCRA)

The ducks were not harmed.

The 17-year-old girl behind the wheel remained at the scene and, while the investigation is ongoing, it's unlikely she'll face criminal charges, Rocklin police Capt. Scott Horrillo said.

"We still have a lot of areas and evidence to sort through, but at first look it does not look like there's going to be any criminal negligence," Horrillo told NBC News.

The victim was identified as 41-year-old Casey Rivara, a Placer County Sheriff's spokesperson said.

The tragedy unfolded in front of neighbors who applauded Rivara's kind efforts, a 12-year-old boy told NBC Sacramento affiliate KCRA.

He got out of the car and was shooing the ducks and everyone was clapping because he was being really nice," the boy said. He helped them get up over the curb because all the little baby duckies were having trouble and then he walked in front of our car."

The man's widow, Angel Chow, said she's been moved by the outpouring of condolences.

"We have been deeply touched by the overwhelming love and support weve received for Casey Rivara and our family in these past few days," she said in statement on Sunday night. "We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you for the kind messages and gestures of kindness. Its truly humbling to hear how Casey has positively impacted your lives, and were extremely grateful for that."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The Daily Beast/TikTok

A California woman has publicly apologized after a video went viral of her berating an Asian driver with racial abuse following a fender bender before pushing him into oncoming traffic.

A video seemingly stitched together from different camera angles and originally uploaded Thursday by TikTok user @sam.anthabong shows what appears to be a minor car accident on a highway in L.A.

Help! My friends friend who got into an accident in [C]alifornia received racist remarks and was physically abused by the other driver, the video is captioned.

A group of people are gathered around two vehicles; a gray SUV is pulled up behind a white minivan. Other cars drive past the group to get around the jam theyve caused. Two people stand closer toward the cars, while another three people stand further away.

Are you refusing? a woman wearing all black, since identified as Ashley Barkis, repeatedly asks.

Where is your insurance? she yells, pacing back and forth in front of a man while holding her phone up to his face.

You hit my car! I dont give a fuck about this bitch! Barkis screams, pointing toward the mans SUV. You hit my car, so where is your insurance? Where is your insurance? Do you have a drivers license? Are you from America? Do you even have papers? Are you legal to be here?

The other driver, an Asian man, holds his phone to get a closer view of the womans face and seemingly pulls a card or license out of his phone case. But the woman bats his hand away, sending the mans license tumbling to the ground. The two tussle as the man reaches for his license, with the woman slapping his back as hes bent over.

Get off, dumbass! Barkis yells as she scrambles on the ground for the license, slapping and pushing the man, and even shoving him into oncoming traffic in the process. She was also filmed assaulting the other three people standing nearby.

The video shows bruises the driver and other members in his group allegedly sustained in the altercation as well as the drivers cracked phone screen.

The TikToker who posted the video declined to provide more information to The Daily Beast about the incident.

California Cops Probing Insane Video of Drivers N-Word Meltdown

Barkis later uploaded a video to her Instagram page about the incident. (As of Tuesday, the video was no longer available but had been shared by other social media users in reaction videos.)

Id like to apologize to the family for any pain or grief that this encounter has brought, Barkis said. I would also like to apologize for any offense to the Asian community, as I am half Filipino. And I definitely dont condone of any violence or racism against anyone in this world.

If I could go back and do things differently, I would, Barkis continues. I know I look extremely aggressive and agitated in the video thats been circling around. However, I can only take a step forward and publicly show thats not my true character.

Barkis claimed she was unable to get a decent picture of the other drivers license during their exchange, which made her even more frustrated after the accident.

It was extremely difficult to take any reasonable pictures of the other drivers license, as he wasnt necessarily holding it even reasonably still for me to take any pictures of it, she said. I hope you guys understand now that I am not at all racist. Im just a human being who needs a little bit more practice.

The Daily Beast was unsuccessful in multiple attempts to reach Barkis. However, her uncle insisted his feisty niece is not racist.

Ashley is brown, Matthew Barkis told The Daily Beast Tuesday. Her ethnicity is Hispanic and Filipino.

Matthew theorized that Barkis, being by herself and surrounded by a group, may have responded out of fear. He said it could have been a defense mechanism his niece adopted due to her upbringing in neighborhoods that werent always safe.

The frustration out of the event may have caused all that [talk], but I know that shes not racist, he said.

He said his wife and daughter have received death threats since the clip went viral.

The outcome of the car crash incident is unclear.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Call for more disabled people to appear on Jersey adverts and media

Dan Andrade wants to see more people with disabilities on Jersey adverts

Calls have been made for more disabled people to appear in Jersey promotional adverts and the media.

Dan Andrade, 25, who has a physical disability, said people like him were not represented enough.

The government said as of 2021, about 16,000 of the island's 103,267 residents had a disability.

The Jersey Disability Partnership said it was "critical" more was done to feature people with disabilities.

Mr Andrade said more could be done to represent those with disabilities

Mr Andrade, who was born with a short arm, said: "The adverts for Visit Jersey are great, but maybe there is room for a wider range of people on there. I'm hoping that's something that they've talked about...

"The more you see it in real life, like anything, the more normal it gets.

"The thing with me, even though people don't say anything bad about it [my arm], people always seem to look."

'Local ambassadors'

Jim Hopley, honorary chair of the Jersey Disability Partnership, said: "It is absolutely critical that they [disabled people] feel that they're included in all sorts of media outlets, be it press, be it even radio... I think Jersey's slightly behind the eight ball, [but] it is improving."

He said the partnership had been "talking long and hard with Visit Jersey".

Visit Jersey said it planned to expand its representation by featuring "local ambassadors with disabilities".

"Accessibility is a priority for Visit Jersey, and visitors of all abilities should feel welcome to enjoy the island."

The company said it would work with disability charities to "drive awareness amongst local businesses on how to be more inclusive".

In 2021, a survey, by independent researchers, included in the government's Diversity and Inclusion Strategy end of year report found 81% believed there was prejudice in Jersey against people with long-term health conditions and disabled people in general.

Deputy Malcom Ferey said making Jersey an attractive place for tourists with disabilities was "really important"

Mr Hopley added the government needed to "start delivering on their promises" of making the island more accessible.

The Discrimination (Jersey) Law 2013 requires businesses and service providers to make their premises accessible for those with disabilities.

Deputy Malcom Ferey, Assistant Minister for Health and Social Services, said the government's disability and inclusion team was looking at how the government "can up its game" in terms of inclusion.

He said: "It's important that people exercise their rights and feel empowered to do so, but it's also government's job to communicate that message and allow people to realise that you know, we're on their side when it comes to their rights and responsibilities."

Mr Ferey added it was important the island was seen as an accessible place for everyone.

'People like me'

As well as in Jersey, Mr Andrade said it was important to be represented on reality TV too, specifically ITV2's show Love Island.

Throughout Love Island's nine series, more than 280 people have entered its villa, but only three have openly represented a disability.

Mr Andrade said contestants entering the show were "not everyday people".

He said: "It would help to get people like me to see people with disabilities on the show, and it would also help other people to make it more normal."

A Love Island spokesperson said: "Our application and casting process is inclusive to all and we are always aiming to reflect the age and diversity of our audience on the show."

Mr Andrade added: "The more you see it anywhere, the better it's going to be in real life for people with disabilities."

Follow BBC Jersey on Twitter and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
Call for person asleep in doorway leads to weapons arrest in Seattle

A person asleep in a doorway ended in an arrest of unlawful possession of a firearm in the Mount Baker neighborhood of Seattle on Monday, according to the Seattle Police Department.

Just before 10 a.m., officers responded to a report from the employees of a business in the 2600 block of Walker Street about a man that was asked to leave.

The employees told police they noticed a gun under the man when the man got up.

The man grabbed the gun from the ground as he was leaving.

When officers arrived, they found the man in front of the business. After a short chase, he was taken into custody and officers did not find a gun on him.

Officers called in a specially trained K9 which is used to locate firearms, and found the gun in a bush nearby.

The 26-year-old man is a convicted felon and is prohibited from legally having a gun.

He was arrested and booked into the King County Jail on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and an unrelated felony warrant.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been pushed to call a public inquiry into meddling claims.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has backed a special rapporteur's recommendation not to hold a public probe into election interference.

The government-appointed rapporteur instead recommended on Tuesday a series of hearings on the meddling claims.

The advice is in response to claims that China attempted to interfere in Canada's last two federal elections.

Mr Trudeau has faced pressure to launch a public inquiry and opposition legislators condemned the decision.

The prime minister appointed David Johnston, Canada's former governor general, in March as special rapporteur to investigate the interference allegations, which are denied by China.

He was also given the authority to recommend a public inquiry.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Mr Johnston said that foreign governments are "undoubtedly attempting to influence candidates in Canada".

However, he said an inquiry would not be possible due to the sensitivity of the intelligence involved.

Mr Johnston said he made his conclusions after reviewing classified reports and interviewing senior politicians and intelligence officials.

"What has allowed me to determine whether there has in fact been interference cannot be disclosed publicly," Mr Johnston said. "A public review of classified intelligence simply cannot be done."

Instead, in a report into the claims, he recommended holding public hearings to discuss what he described as "serious shortcomings in the way intelligence is communicated from security agencies to the various government departments" in Canada around detecting and deterring foreign interference.

"These serious gaps must be addressed and corrected," his report concluded.

The allegations of foreign interference stem from a steady drip of reports, mostly based on leaked intelligence, in Canadian media in recent months that detailed claims of Chinese meddling in the country's last two federal elections, in 2019 and 2021.

The efforts are not believed to have altered the outcome of either general elections, but have rocked Canadian politics.

In a news conference later on Tuesday, Mr Trudeau endorsed Mr Johnston's public hearings recommendations.

"Rigorous debate is a pillar of democracy," he said.

"As is interrogating our institutions and holding all levels of government to account. But democracy is not a game."

Canada's former governor general David Johnston has recommended that a formal probe be launched into allegations of interference by China

Mr Johnston's report was also critical of some of the media reports on the meddling claims, saying they were based on limited information and lacked context.

And while Mr Trudeau's government has faced accusations it failed to act on specific instances of interference, Mr Johnston said he found no example of the prime minister or others "knowingly ignoring intelligence, advice or recommendations on foreign interference".

Mr Johnston's report was criticised by Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who accused the special rapporteur of being friendly to Mr Trudeau and not impartial on the file.

"We need a full public inquiry to get to the bottom of Beijing's influence into our democracy," Mr Poilievre said at a news conference.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh called the report "incredibly disappointing" and said his party continues to call for an inquiry.

Mr Johnson called attacks on his integrity "baseless accusations".

Allegations of Chinese meddling in Canadian politics have dominated headlines in recent months.

Intelligence reports have also detailed accusations that Beijing targeted a member of parliament and his family in Hong Kong after the politician accused China of human rights abuses.In response, Canada declared diplomat Zhao Wei "persona non grata" earlier this month and ordered him to leave the country.

The next day China ordered the removal of Canada's diplomat in Shanghai, Jennifer Lynn Lalonde.

China has repeatedly denied any interference in Canadian politics, and has accused Canada of "slander and defamation" following its expulsion of its diplomat.

The issue has strained already challenging diplomatic relations between the two countries.
(Bloomberg) -- Canada should hold hearings on foreign meddling in elections but shouldnt launch a formal public inquiry into allegations that Chinese diplomats interfered in the past two federal campaigns, a watchdog appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau concluded.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Former Governor General David Johnston said foreign governments are trying to influence candidates and voters in Canada. However, theres no convincing evidence that Trudeaus government knowingly failed to act on national security intelligence on the issue, he said.

Trudeau tapped Johnston in March to look into election interference after media reports alleged that Chinese officials sought to tip the scales against some opposition candidates to help Trudeaus Liberal Party during the 2019 and 2021 elections.

The allegations have roiled Trudeaus government and hed promised to follow Johnstons recommendations. A public inquiry that revealed he fumbled or downplayed warnings from national security officials had the potential to be politically damaging.

But Johnston found that the key issue is the way information gathered by intelligence services is is communicated within the government. The failures I have found relate to substantial gaps in the communication and processing of intelligence information as opposed to the prime minister, ministers or senior officials ignoring intelligence recommendations, Johnston said in a report released on Tuesday in Ottawa.

Read More: Canadians Fear China Swayed Elections That Put Trudeau in Power

Johnston was asked to determine whether a public inquiry was necessary and to deliver a series of reports on the broader issue of interference. His answer on an inquiry was a definitive no, saying hed been able to review all the relevant facts.

The intelligence I have reviewed is, and must remain, secret, he said. As a result, the reality is any credible public inquiry could not be public at all.

Lacking Context

But Johnston said there are significant problems in sharing intelligence with those who needed it, including Conservative lawmaker Michael Chong. Canada kicked out a Chinese diplomat after allegations that the envoy targeted Chongs family in Hong Kong. Johnstons report said theres evidence Chinese officials sought information about Chongs family, but no intelligence shows that they were actually threatened.

Johnston found that the information flow between security agencies and government departments isnt well-tracked. He described a messy system of large and undifferentiated binders, with little accountability about who is reading them and supposed to act upon their contents.

Implementing a way to track action on intelligence is essential, he wrote. Foreign interference evolves quickly, and the machinery of government evolves slowly, he said.

Instead of an inquiry, Johnston said hell hold public hearings to determine how to improve the governments response to foreign interference.

Trudeaus opponents criticized the recommendation. Jagmeet Singh, whose New Democratic Party has agreed to support the Liberals on parliamentary votes, said hell keep pushing for an inquiry but stopped short of pulling his partys support for the government.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said Johnston lacks credibility due to his personal ties to Trudeau, including Johnstons role at the charitable foundation founded in the name of the prime ministers father.

Conservatives are not buying it, Poilievre said.

Trudeau said his government has offered all party leaders the security clearance necessary to view the intelligence underpinning Johnstons report.

Explosive Allegations

Johnston examined some of the most explosive allegations contained in media reports, which he said have painted a narrative that the Liberal government failed to act on foreign interference because it helped them politically.

He wrote that he has been able to view materials that were leaked to Global News and The Globe and Mail, as well as additional classified information.

When viewed in full context with all of the relevant intelligence, several leaked materials that raised legitimate questions turn out to have been misconstrued in some media reports, presumably because of the lack of this context, he says in the report.

One of the most inflammatory reports suggested that China violated Canadian law by filtering C$250,000 ($184,990) to candidates in the 2019 election, he said. Limited intelligence appeared to show that China sought to send funds to seven Liberal and four Conservative candidates through a community organization, political staff and  perhaps unwittingly  a provincial lawmaker in Ontario, according to Johnstons report.

However, its uncertain whether any money was sent and theres no intelligence suggesting any federal candidates received those funds, Johnston said.

Johnston also found indications that a few Chinese diplomats preferred the Liberals to the Conservatives, but there was no evidence that the Peoples Republic sought to orchestrate a Liberal minority government in 2021 or that Trudeaus camp knew of such a scheme. Instead, the Beijing governments focus appears to have been on assisting pro-China candidates and marginalizing anti-China ones, he said.

There were irregularities observed with Liberal lawmaker Han Dongs nomination in 2019, he found, and well-grounded suspicion that those irregularities were tied to the Chinese consulate  but no evidence that Dong knew of them.

As for an allegation that Dong advised the Chinese consulate to extend the detention of two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, Johnston concluded this was false. Dong has stepped aside from the Liberal caucus and filed a defamation lawsuit against Global News.

Johnston said those who have leaked national security secrets to the media risk harming Canadas ability to gather intelligence and may put sources in physical danger. He called for urgent efforts to identify and hold the leakers responsible.

Malice cannot be ruled out, he wrote.

--With assistance from Brian Platt.

(Updates with responses from Trudeau, Poilievre and Singh.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Canada did not ignore intelligence on Chinese meddling, report says

Governor General of Canada David Johnston, meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing

By Steve Scherer

OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government did not ignore evidence of Chinese meddling, a special rapporteur said on Tuesday after probing media reports based on leaked intelligence that said Beijing sought to influence elections and policy.

Trudeau welcomed the report, but opposition parties continued to push for a public inquiry.

In March the government asked David Johnston, who formerly served as Canada's governor general, to investigate as a special rapporteur media coverage citing intelligence reports alleging multiple cases of meddling by China and to advise on whether to conduct an official public inquest.

"I have not found instances of the government knowingly ignoring intelligence, advice or recommendations on foreign interference, or making decisions based on partisan considerations in dealing with these issues," said Johnston in a 55-page report.

China has repeatedly denied any interference. Beijing's embassy in Ottawa again denied meddling on Tuesday, and a spokesman said the leaks were part of a campaign "to smear China".

Johnston had access to classified memos, the prime minister, other Cabinet members and top intelligence officials. He found many of the leaks to have been based on "limited and partial intelligence" or even false information.

"However, there are significant governance shortcomings in the way intelligence is communicated from security agencies to the various government departments," he added.

The prime minister has come under pressure from opposition parties in parliament to open a public inquiry into foreign election interference, but when Johnston recommended against one, Trudeau said he would follow his advice.

A public inquiry "would prolong, but not enhance, the process," the report said, explaining that most of the inquest would necessarily be secret because of the classified nature of the information.

Johnston urged opposition leaders to get clearance to read the secret parts of his report, but if they do so, they would be constrained by law not to speak about those details in public.

"I will not be silenced," said Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. "This report was rigged from the start and has zero credibility." Poilievre accused Johnston of being a friend of the Trudeau family, which Johnston denies.

Conservatives alleged Trudeau ignored intelligence reports because the meddling benefited Liberals in elections. Opposition New Democrats, who support Trudeau's minority government in parliament, also want an inquest.

"We remain resolute that a public inquiry is necessary to restore the confidence in our electoral system," New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh told reporters.

Earlier this month, Trudeau's government expelled a Chinese official after it emerged that he had sought information about Conservative lawmaker Michael Chong's family, prompting a tit-for-tat expulsion of a Canadian diplomat by China.

Instead of a new public inquest, Johnston said he will spend the next five months holding public hearings on the issue because "foreign governments are undoubtedly attempting to influence candidates and voters in Canada".

(Reporting by Steve Scherer, editing by Deepa Babington and Cynthia Osterman)
Six Catholic dioceses in Illinois had disclosed the names of 103 priests and other clergy who were substantiated as child sex abusers five years ago, when the state began an investigation into the problem, according to Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

A 700-page report that his office released Tuesday, however, lists 451 clergy who allegedly abused 1,997 children in the state.

This means that our investigation led to the disclosure of 348 more clerics than prior to our investigation, Raoul said at a press conference in Chicago that also was live-streamed.

Former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who held the office for 16 years, had launched the investigation. Raoul promised to continue her work when he took over in 2019.

At the press conference, Raoul attempted to show he had no personal ax to grind by telling reporters that his Haitian mother was a devout Catholic who raised him in the church and prayed every night and that he and his wife sent their children to Catholic schools.

Then the attorney general presented a harsh assessment of how Illinois dioceses had handled allegations against clergy for 70 years.

Decades of Catholic leadership decisions and policies have allowed known child sex abusers to hide, often in plain sight, he said. And because the statute of limitations has frequently expired, many survivors of child sex abuse at the hands of Catholic clerics will never see justice in a legal sense.

But it is my sincere hope that this report will shine light on those who violated their positions of power and trust to abuse innocent children and on the men in church leadership who covered up that abuse.

Raoul said Catholic leaders in Illinois cooperated with the investigation by providing more than 100,000 pages of documents and that they already have implemented significant improvements in their dioceses.

The 25 attorneys and other state employees who worked on the report were challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic, a ransomware attack and the emotional aspect of the subject matter, according to Raoul.

But the attorney general identified the courageous personal accounts by survivors as the most important factor.

Over the course of this investigation, my office received more than 600 confidential contacts from survivors through emails, letters, in-person interviews and phone calls, he said.

The Catholic Diocese of Belleville, which experienced one of the first major public scandals related to child sex abuse in the 1990s, emailed a statement after the press conference.

The statement noted that church leaders were still reviewing the report, which includes five sections that are highly detailed.

Among the Belleville Dioceses statement bullet points:

The Diocese acknowledges that several decades ago certain of its priests engaged in inexcusable sexual misconduct that caused serious harm to children.

The Diocese humbly and unreservedly apologizes for its inadequate response to some of those abuse allegations in past decades. The Diocese prays for the continued recovery of all survivors of such abuse.

The Diocese has, however, made great strides over the past three decades in correcting its past mistakes. The Diocese pledges, moreover, that those past mistakes have not been  and will not in the future be  repeated.

The Diocese is fully committed to continue protecting the safety of all children entrusted to its care and doing everything it can to prevent them from suffering any form of abuse.

The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) also responded to Raouls press conference.

Its tragic that once again, hundreds of church officials concealed thousands of child sex crimes yet none of these enablers face any consequences, according to its statement. Illinois lawmakers must pass new laws that help law enforcement pursue those who hid or help child molesters.

Raoul repeatedly characterizes wrongdoing by bishops as failures when in fact they are often deliberate refusals to do whats right.

Virtually all of the (attorney generals report) recommendations are simple, common sense steps that any official who genuinely cares about kids would have adopted long ago, the SNAP statement continued.

Last year two abusers were apparently quietly added to Bellevilles credibly accused clerics list  Raymond Prybis and Francis Skube  last year. Bishop McGovern must publicly announce news like this, rather than sneak it onto his website without alerting his flock.

Catholic leaders in Illinois had taken preemptive steps in anticipation of the attorney generals report on Tuesday.

All six of the states Catholic dioceses emailed a joint statement to media organizations on Thursday, summarizing the common processes they follow when handling allegations of sexual abuse of minors.

The processes include publishing names of accused clergy; maintaining internal offices and independent boards to deal with allegations promptly; notifying civil authorities; establishing victim-assistance ministries; and conducting abuse-prevention programs.

Over the past four years, the Illinois dioceses have worked with the Office of the Illinois Attorney General to improve the transparency and effectiveness of their policies, the statement read.

Prompted by the Attorney Generals investigation, the dioceses have critically reviewed current policies and implemented certain recommended changes to their existing reporting to the public to further increase transparency.

Also on Thursday, the Belleville Diocese sent the BND a separate statement of its own history and practices.

The statement noted that Belleville in 1993 became one of the first Catholic dioceses in the United States to implement a written Child Protection Policy to lessen or prevent abuse and to form a lay-majority independent review board to consider allegations.

For more than 30 years, the Diocese of Belleville has been a national leader in developing policies to address the unmitigated evils of child sexual abuse, the statement read.

The BND published its first story on child sex abuse in the Belleville Diocese in February 1993. Subsequent stories revealed that accused priests had been allowed to continue in ministry, and some had been moved to other parishes after families made allegations.

By 2002, the diocese had removed 15 priests and one deacon from ministry due to credible allegations and then Belleville Bishop Wilton Gregory was leading the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

(The conference) approved and implemented the landmark Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which established nationwide measures to better protect children from sexual abuse, last weeks statement from the Belleville Diocese read.
CATS places chief of rail operations on leave + What we know after deadly South Park fire

Hey, everyone! Drew here. Happy Tuesday.

Sushi anyone? Its time for you to decide who hast the best sushi in all of Charlotte. Our latest Readers Choice poll launched today and there are 50 places serving up sushi and pining for your vote.

Head on over to CharlotteFive now to pick your favorite!

Heres your news.

Upon release of body-camera footage, the police department has acknowledged officers may have shot first at Kevin Boston.

Police body-camera video footage released today shows a Charlotte man  shot and killed by police last year after robbing a grocery store  was walking away from officers while holding a gun.

The footage aligns with what the District Attorney found in reviewing the deadly shooting case and contradicts a part of what Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officials said after the shooting.

Julia Coin continues to update this story.

CATS light rail system has faced a laundry list of issues  from a previously undisclosed light rail derailment to security issues and administrators departing the agency or being placed on leave.

More turmoil surrounding the Charlotte Area Transit System.

Deltrin Harris, CATS chief of rail operations, was placed on administrative leave with pay, a spokesperson for the agency said today. His leave comes a year after a light rail train derailed on the Blue Line, an incident that was previously undisclosed to the city council and the public until earlier this year.

Genna Contino has the latest on the news out of CATS.

alpitronic Americas, an Italian manufacturer of high-power electric vehicle charging stations, will create 300 jobs locate its U.S. headquarters and service center in Charlotte. Seen here in a 2022 file photo, Gov. Roy Cooper attended the unveiling of a charging station in Charlotte created by a partnership between the city, Duke Energy, Centralina Regional Council and UNC Charlotte.

The job market in Charlotte is about to get a boost.

Alpitronic Americas LLC, an Italian manufacturer of high-power electric vehicle charging stations, will open its headquarters operation and a service center in Mecklenburg County, Gov. Roy Cooper said today.

Our state is developing a burgeoning e-mobility supply chain with the support of yet another clean energy company, Cooper said in a statement.

Catherine Muccigrosso shares more on the announcement.

A photo from the street outside the massive fire in South Park.

Many are still looking for answers after last weeks deadly fire in South Park.

The investigation into the blaze could take weeks or even months, according to fire officials in Charlotte and elsewhere.

Evan Moore runs through what we know.

5. Some more stories to read

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A Scott County sheriffs deputy was shot and killed Monday during a traffic stop on the interstate near Georgetown, according to Scott County Sheriff Tony Hampton.

Deputy Caleb Conley was shot on I-75 near the 127 mile marker around 5 p.m. Monday while trying to stop a suspect from fleeing, Hampton told reporters Monday.

Conley has served with the Scott County Sheriffs Office for four years and served with the U.S. Army for eight years. He leaves behind a wife, small children and his parents, Hampton said.

Hampton said the shooting was something officers never want to see.

We never want to see anything like this happen, Hampton said. The reality is we know it can, but when it does, it is hard.

Hampton said Conley was active in his role, and that he took his job seriously.

He was just a go-getter and loved his job and it is a shame it got cut short because he loved his job and he was so good at it, Hampton said.

The sheriffs office sent out a Facebook post about Conley following his death thanking the community for its support. The sheriffs office said it would be closed Tuesday.

Hampton confirmed during a Monday night press conference the suspect was in custody. The suspect was later identified in jail records as Steven Sheangshang. He had been arrested Monday and faces several charges, including murder.

Hampton said this was the first time since he became sheriff that a deputy had been killed in the line of duty.

He was out there today doing his job and look what happened to him, Hampton said. A coward coming through our county on I-75 took his life, took him away from his family.

Members of the Scott County Sheriffs Department are comforted by friends and family following a police escort for deputy Caleb Conley through downtown Georgetown, Ky. The escort for Conley, who was shot the day before, was headed to a funeral home in Cynthiana on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

More information is expected to be released from Kentucky State Police, who are investigating the shooting. Later Monday, KSP said their critical incident response team is investigating the shooting.

The Critical Incident Reponse Team responded to the scene shortly after the shooting Monday, KSP said.

Gov. Andy Beshear released a statement Monday via social media regarding the shooting.

Kentucky, please join Britainy and me in praying for the family and fellow law enforcement officers of Scott County Deputy Sheriff Caleb Conley, who was killed this evening while protecting our people, Beshear said. This hero made the ultimate sacrifice, and we will be forever grateful.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the Republican nominee for governor, also offered condolences to Conley in a statement Monday.

I am deeply saddened to learn that Scott County Deputy Sheriff Caleb Conley was shot and killed this evening, Cameron said in a tweet. Makenze and I mourn the loss of this hero. Todays tragedy is yet another example of the grave dangers faced by our law officers. ... We pray for each of them tonight, for Calebs family, and for all of Scott County.

Police escort honors deputy who was killed

Law enforcement from several different agencies escorted Conleys body to a Cynthiana funeral home Tuesday.

The escort went along I-64, into Georgetown and then to Ware Funeral Home in Cynthiana. Police vehicles  and many local residents  lined the streets during the procession. Along the route, fire trucks arched an American flag over the road.

Suspect arrested, identified after Central Kentucky deputy was shot and killed

Grateful for his service. Politicians, officers show support for KY deputy who was shot
Photo: The Canadian Press

The U.S. surgeon general is warning there is not enough evidence to show that social media is safe for children and teens  and is calling on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take immediate action to protect kids now."

With young people's social media use near universal but its true impact on mental health not fully understood, Dr. Vivek Murthy is asking tech companies to share data and increase transparency with researchers and the public and prioritize users' health and safety when designing their products.

I recognize technology companies have taken steps to try to make their platforms healthier and safer, but its simply not enough, Murthy told The Associated Press in an interview. You can just look at the age requirements, where platforms have said 13 is the age at which people can start using their platforms. Yet 40% of kids 8 through 12 are on social media. How does that happen if youre actually enforcing your policies?

To comply with federal regulation, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up to their platforms  but children have been shown to easily get around the bans, both with and without their parents consent.

Other measures social platforms have taken to address concerns about children's mental health are also easily circumvented. For instance, TikTok recently introduced a default 60-minute time limit for users under 18. But once the limit is reached, minors can simply enter a passcode to keep watching.

It's not that the companies are unaware of the harms their platforms are causing. Meta, for instance, studied the effects of Instagram on teens' mental health years ago and found that the peer pressure generated by the visually focused app led to mental health and body-image problems, and in some cases, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts in teens  especially in girls. One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17% of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse.

The research was revealed in 2021 by whistleblower Frances Haugen. Meta sought to downplay the harmful effects of its platform on teens at the time, but put on hold its work on a kids version of Instagram, which the company says is meant mainly for tweens aged 10 to 12.

The bottom line is we do not have enough evidence to conclude that social media is, in fact, sufficiently safe for our kids. And thats really important for parents to know, said Murthy, who's been traveling around the country talking to parents and young people about the youth mental health crisis. The most common question I get from parents is whether social media is safe for their kids.

Policymakers need to address the harms of social media the same way they regulate things like car seats, baby formula, medication and other products children use, Murthy said in a report published Tuesday. Parents  and kids  simply can't do it all.

Were asking parents to manage a technology thats rapidly evolving that fundamentally changes how their kids think about themselves, how they build friendships, how they experience the world  and technology, by the way, that prior generations never had to manage, Murthy said. And were putting all of that on the shoulders of parents, which is just simply not fair.

While Murthy is calling for more research, he says there is ample evidence now that social media can have a profound risk of harm" on the mental health and well-being of children and teenagers.

One critical factor is children's brain development. Adults can suffer from the harmful effects of social media. But children and adolescents are at a fundamentally different stage of brain development, where the pathways in their brains, their social relationships, their self-esteem and identity are all under development," Murthy said. And in this case, theyre even more prone to be influenced by social cues, social pressure and social comparison  and those three things exist in overwhelming abundance on social media.

In fact, frequent social media use may be associated with distinct changes in the developing brain, and could could increase sensitivity to social rewards and punishments, according to a study cited in the surgeon general's report.

How and how often they use social media, as well as extreme, inappropriate and harmful content they see could have profound effects on kids' and teens' mental health.

And research shows they are using it a lot. al. Up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media almost constantly, according to the Pew Research Center.

A systematic review of 42 studies found a consistent relationship between social media use and poor sleep quality, reduced sleep duration, sleep difficulties, and depression among youth." On a typical weekday, nearly one in three adolescents report using screen media until midnight or later.

What they see on social media also matters. From being bombarded unrealistic body images to a culture of hyper-comparison to bullying, hate and abuse, Murthy said he's worried that its effects on young people's mental health are showing up in the disturbing mental health statistics that we are seeing in our country, which are telling us that depression, anxiety, suicide, loneliness are all going up.

Murthy's report doesn't tell young people to stop using social media altogether. There are benefits, too. It's where teens can find a community and have a space for self-expression. LGBTQ+ youth, in particular, have been shown to benefit from social media through connecting with peers, developing an identity and finding social support.

For every family, it may not be feasible to stop your child from using social media or there may be benefit, Murthy said. But drawing boundaries around the use of social media in your childs life so there are times and spaces that are protected, that are tech free, that can be really helpful.

Murthy's own children are 5 and 6, but like many parents, he's already thinking about their future on social media.

We are planning to delay the use of social media for our kids until after middle school, he said. And you know, thats not going to be easy. But were hoping to find other parents and families that we can partner with to make this a little easier, because we know theres strength in numbers and sometimes making changes on your own is hard.
Central KY deputy killed in service was awarded officer. What to know about Caleb Conley

The Scott County sheriffs deputy killed in a shooting Monday was a decorated officer who won a Deputy of the Year Award last year, according to social media posts from the sheriffs office and his family.

Deputy Caleb Conley died Monday evening after being shot during a traffic stop on I-75, according to Scott County Sheriff Tony Hampton.

The 35-year-old deputy served the Scott County Sheriffs Office for four years and served with the U.S Army for eight years, Hampton told reporters Monday. Conley was sworn in with the sheriffs office on July 2, 2019.

During his years working as a deputy, Conley was recognized for his dedication to his job and the community.

Deputy Conley was very active in his role as a deputy sheriff, Hampton said during a press conference after Conley was shot and killed Monday. He was just a go-getter, and he loved his job.

In 2020 and 2022, Conley received the Governors Award for impaired driving enforcement. The sheriffs office said his work helped keep the community a safe place to travel, according to a Facebook post. Conley made 63 impaired driving arrests in 2022.

Conley also received a sheriffs award in 2021 for administering CPR to minors on two different occasions.

The sheriffs office also recognized Conley for his diligent work in occupant protection enforcement in 2022, and emphasized the importance of wearing seatbelts.

In December 2022, Conley received the Scott County Sheriffs Office Deputy of the Year Award, according to a Facebook post from his wife, Rachel Conley.

Always prepared to keep our roadways safe for motorists, Deputy Conley constantly volunteers his time and efforts to work seat belt safety events and traffic safety checkpoints, sheriffs office leaders said in a letter awarding Conley. The active presence Deputy Conley maintains in Scott County makes him a valued member of the Scott County Sheriffs Office and community.

The sheriffs office made a post on Facebook Monday announcing Conleys death and thanking him for his service and sacrifice.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear made a statement on social media following the announcement.

Kentucky, please join Britainy and me in praying for the family and fellow law enforcement officers of Scott County Deputy Sheriff Caleb Conley, who was killed this evening while protecting our people, Beshear said. This hero made the ultimate sacrifice, and we will be forever grateful.

Conley is survived by his wife, two children and parents.

A GoFundMe was set up to support Conleys family by Edward Hart, of Georgetown. On the page for the fundraiser, Hart said Caleb was known throughout Central Kentucky for his professionalism in law enforcement, and also for being a devoted family man.

Caleb was a strong man of faith and loved his creator, his country and his friends and family, Hart said.

Conleys body was escorted by law enforcement to Ware Funeral Home in Cynthiana Tuesday.

The suspect in Conleys death, Steven Sheangshang, was detained Monday. In addition to murder, Sheangshang faces several additional charges due to multiple offenses hes accused of committing after the shooting.

Updated: Central Kentucky deputy shot, killed during traffic stop. Suspect in custody.

Suspect arrested, identified after Central Kentucky deputy was shot and killed
Late Monday night, the Charleston mayors office announced the death of police chief Luther Reynolds.

The 56-year-old Reynolds died after a long battle with cancer, the mayors office said in a news release.

Tonight, Charleston has lost not just a great police chief, but one of the finest human beings that many of us will ever know. Luther Reynolds was a modern man of ancient virtues: faith, honor, courage, duty, Mayor John Tecklenburg said in the release. But most of all, and at his very core, Luther was a man of love. He loved his family, his friends, his life. He loved this city and the brave men and women who keep it safe. He loved God, and in faithful service, he loved his neighbor.

Reynolds died less than a week after publicly announcing he was ending chemotherapy and entering hospice care.

At 8:10 p.m., Reynolds died at a Charleston area hospice facility with his wife, Caroline, and his two children, Luke and Grace, by his side, according to the release.

Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds died Monday.

When Reynolds announced he was entering hospice care, he released a statement that said Five years ago, you welcomed me and my family into this remarkable city, and with your support, we have built an even better, even stronger police department. I cannot tell you how proud I am of the men and women of CPD, and how honored I am to have led them.

In Reynolds absence, three deputy chiefs are leading the police department for the immediate future, city spokesperson Jack OToole said. The deputy chiefs are in the roles they held during Reynolds periods of absence since he first announced his cancer diagnosis in November 2021.

At the time he announced he was entering a rigorous treatment program to address the sarcoma, a malignant tumor, growing in his pelvis. In February, 2022, Reynolds underwent a two-day surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to remove his right leg, hip and part of his pelvis, the Post and Courier.

Following the surgery, Reynolds learned to walk with an advanced prosthetic and re-learned how to drive a converted police cruiser. The department and Charleston community rallied around Reynolds  his SWAT team shaved their heads in solidarity with their chiefs diagnosis.

Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds announced news of his cancer diagnosis in a memo to the mayor and in a straight-to-camera video address shared with the Charleston Police Department.

Since announcing his diagnosis Reynolds had become an advocate for those battling cancer and urged people not to suffer in silence.

Reynolds was named chief of one of South Carolinas largest police departments in 2018. Prior to arriving in Charleston, Reynolds had a 30-year career in law enforcement and was the assistant chief for Montgomery County Police Department, covering an area just outside of Washington, D.C.

Information on funeral arrangements has not been released, but Tecklenburg said Charleston will honor Reynolds.

Over the coming days, we will mourn Luther Reynolds, for we loved him as much as he loved us, Tecklenburg said. But even today, as our hearts are breaking, we can take solace in knowing that with Luthers final journey now complete, his weary days of pain have passed, and his timeless days of peace have just begun.
A Charlestown man is being held without bail for slicing a womans face near her eyes with a razor blade while she was unconscious in a bizarre and disturbing case of domestic violence, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said Tuesday.

Ismail Mohamed, 40, was arraigned Monday in Boston Municipal Court on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery causing serious bodily injury, kidnapping and mayhem, Hayden said. Judge Lisa Grant ordered Mohamed held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing on Thursday.

At about 5:50 a.m. Monday, officers responded to a call for an assault in the basement apartment of 87 Cambridge St. in Charlestown, Hayden said.

Officers found the suspect, later identified as Mohamed, sitting on a bed while the female victim was sitting on the floor, bleeding from her face, Hayden said. A large amount of blood was visible on a blanket and pillow also found on the floor.

The victim appeared disoriented and unable to open her eyes, Hayden said. Officers saw severe bruising and swelling around both eyes, mouth and cheeks and multiple cuts above and beneath her eyelids. She was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Her condition was not known on Tuesday.

Mohamed told police he was with the victim in the apartment when a fight began. He told police he then fell asleep and when he woke up, he found the victim to be suffering from the injuries, Hayden said.

Mohamed then admitted to cutting the victims face to help reduce the swelling around her eyes, Hayden said.

Both Mohamed and the victim denied any domestic relationship, Hayden said. According to phone records, Mohamed called 911.

We see domestic violence take many forms, but an assailant cutting above and beneath a womans eyes in a stated attempt to ease the swelling caused by the assailant himself is both bizarre and disturbing. As with all domestic violence victims, this victim will be supported by prosecutors and victim witness advocates specially trained in these cases, Hayden said.

Hayden urged the victims of any crime, including domestic or sexual violence, to call 911 in an emergency.

SafeLink, a statewide DV hotline, can be reached at 877-785-2020. SafeLink is answered by trained advocates 24/7 in English, Spanish and Portuguese, as well as TTY at 877-521-2601. It also has the capacity to provide multilingual translation in more than 140 languages.

Help is also available for members of our LGBTQ+ community experiencing domestic or intimate partner violence through The Network/La Red by calling 617-742-4911 or 800-832-1901.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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A Charlotte businessman has been found guilty of selling stolen iPhones and other electronic devices overseas in a multimillion dollar scheme, officials said.

Last year, a federal criminal indictment charged Rami Mahmod Mhana, 46, with four counts of international transportation of stolen goods, according to U.S. Attorney Dena J. King.

Mhana was the owner of Wireless City Fashions, Inc. and Protocol Business Group Inc. located at 441 Bradford Drive in Charlotte. He also owned multiple Boost Mobile stores in the Charlotte area.

PREVIOUS: Charlotte business owner indicted for selling stolen phones overseas

As revealed during his trial, from at least May 2017 through October 2019, Mhana bought thousands of brand new iPhones and other electronic devices, many of which were stolen and fraudulently obtained. He then shipped the phones to the United Arab Emirates and to Hong Kong.

Mhana got many of the stolen devices from several local boosters, or people who steal or fraudulently acquire goods and products, selling them for profit.

According to trial evidence, the Bradford Drive store was known to local boosters as a place to sell the stolen devices for cash, no questions asked. Mhana gave his employees a price list of how much they should pay for certain devices, and he would pay boosters significantly less than the devices retail values.

Investigators said over the course of the scheme, Mhana received more than $4.5 million in international wires from buyers of the devices in Dubai and Hong Kong.

A federal jury found Mhana guilty of conspiracy, international transportation of stolen goods, and money laundering. He was released on electronic monitoring.

Mhana faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the conspiracy charge, up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of international transportation of stolen goods, and a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine for each money laundering conviction.

(WATCH BELOW: Former CMPD officer found guilty of death by vehicle after hitting, killing man)








Italian tech company picks Charlotte for new US HQ, bringing 300 jobs in EV sector

An Italian electric vehicle charging station manufacturer plans to invest a total of $18.3 million and create 300 jobs opening its U.S. headquarters in Charlotte, state and local officials said Tuesday.

Alpitronic Americas LLC, a manufacturer of high-power electric vehicle charging stations, will open its headquarters operation and a service center in Mecklenburg County, Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday. The site is off Westpark Drive in Charlotte, according to county officials.

This is the second EV-related jobs announcement in the Charlotte area in as many weeks.

Our state is developing a burgeoning e-mobility supply chain with the support of yet another clean energy company, Cooper said in a statement.

In addition to administrative operations, the alpitronic Americas headquarters will operate a technology, test and repair center to service its EV charging stations within its 70,000-square-foot space, according to the news release.

Over 200 jobs headed to Huntersville as NC looks to charge up electric vehicle tech work

The average annual salary will be $90,158, which is above the average wage for Mecklenburg County of $80,349. The majority of jobs include product developers, engineers and service technicians, as well as finance and accounting, human resources, IT, and sales, according to the city.

Mayor Vi Lyles praised the move by alpitronic, stating, that it also will help the local economy expand and diversify. said in a statement.

For its investment, alpitronic Americas will receive over $3.1 million in state tax incentives over 12 years, according to the governors office.

The city is offering the company an investment business grant of $181,846 to be paid out over seven years, while the county is providing $145,265 over three years in incentives.

The states incentive is based on the companys entire investment while county and city grants are tied to about half of the investment and based on the increased property tax value, city spokesman Lawrence Corley III said.

Alpitronic Americas also is negotiating terms for its new headquarters site and hopes to close on the property this week, Corley said.

About alpitronic

Founded in 2009 in Bolzano, northern Italy, alpitronic is the developer and producer of the hypercharger, a high-power DC charging station, which recharges vehicles with up to 400kW, according to a news release.

The company also develops and manufactures proprietary hardware and creates its own software. It cited rapid growth as the reason for moving its headquarters in Italy to nearby Terlano.

In a statement, alpitronic CEO Philipp Senoner said the company chose North Carolina because of economic conditions in a state that is developing towards an e-mobility cluster.

Charlotte beat out other cities considered for the project including Greenville, South Carolina, and Phoenix, according to the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.

Other regional EV company expansions

Two weeks ago, another electric vehicle charging technology company announced plans to expand in Mecklenburg County. Atom Power is investing $4.2 million to expand its Huntersville operations and add 205 jobs.

And in March, Charlotte-based Albemarle Corp. said it will invest $1.3 billion to build a lithium hydroxide plant in Chester County, South Carolina, creating over 300 jobs.

The facility will serve electric vehicles using lithium-ion batteries.

UNC Charlotte collaboration

UNC Charlotte also is playing a role in supplying employees for the EV industry through its North Carolina Battery Complexity, Autonomous Vehicle and Electrification Research Center, according to the city of Charlotte.

The center focuses on the safety, durability, vehicle integration and recyclability of next-generation batteries.

With our growing academic and research strength in energy and EV technology, we are committed to producing a diverse pipeline of graduates, UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon Gaber said in a statement.
The ChatGPT logo shown on a screen at an office in Washington, DC, on 15 March, 2023 (Getty Images)

OpenAI, the AI firm behind ChatGPT, has warned that the arrival of artificial intelligence that surpasses humans is unavoidable.

Artificial general intelligence, also known as superintelligence, has been theorised by philosophers and academics for decades, though rapid advances in recent years mean we may now be on the cusp of it, senior figures within OpenAI warned.

In a blog post published on Wednesday, OpenAIs Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and Ilya Sutskever said that AI superintelligence will be unprecedented in its power  both positive and negative.

Given the picture as we see it now, its conceivable that within the next ten years, AI systems will exceed expert skill level in most domains, and carry out as much productive activity as one of todays largest corporations, the post stated.

In terms of both potential upsides and downsides, superintelligence will be more powerful than other technologies humanity has had to contend with in the past.

OpenAI laid out three ways humanity can navigate the arrival of superintelligence, though warned lawmakers and regulators against trying to stop it.

We believe it would unintuitively risky and difficult to stop the creation of superintelligence, the post warned.

Because the upsides are so tremendous, the cost to build it decreases each year, the number of actors building it is rapidly increasing, and its inherently part of the technological path we are on, stopping it would require something like a global surveillance regime, and even that isnt guaranteed to work. So we have to get it right.

Mr Altman appeared before a congressional hearing last week to face questions from US senators about the risks that advanced artificial intelligence poses.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appears before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law on 16 May, 2023 (YouTube/ Screengrab)

The 38-year-old told the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law that he believed AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT were a significant area of concern and required rules and guidelines to prevent misuse.

Theres no way to put this genie in the bottle. Globally, this is exploding, Democratic Senator Cory Booker acknowledged.

One potential way to prevent AI harms like election manipulation would be by introducing licensing and testing requirements for the development of AI, Mr Altman said.

One possibility, according to OpenAI, is through the creation of a US licensing agency for AI called the Office for AI Safety and Infrastructure Security (Oasis).
A construction company in Essex has promised to address complaints over dust from a neighbouring business.

Gary Wray, the owner at the New Again car repair firm in New Street, Chelmsford, complained of the dust caused by lorries passing in and out of the Aggregate Industries depot.

He claims dirt has damaged computers and cars on site, and that one employee suffered abrasions in his left eye.

Aggregate Industries said it was taking "proactive" measures.

"There is just dust all over the place," Mr Wray told BBC Essex.

"We're getting it in our eyes, we're breathing it in, it's going all over the site, everything - it's just phenomenal."

His employee James Dyas said he could not see for two days, took a week off work, and was treated in hospital because of abrasions to his left eye.

"I actually had sunglasses on, and a hoodie over my head, and using my mum and dad as a guide dog to get me to the hospital," he said.

An Aggregate Industries spokesperson explained that its Chelmsford freight yard received "hundreds of thousands of tonnes of aggregates via rail" every year, which it transported to projects including the nearby Beulieu Park housing and railway station developments.

'Reduce dust'

"We are aware of complaints about dust from a nearby business and have been working closely with Chelmsford City Council to help resolve any issues," the spokesperson said.

"We have taken a number of proactive measures to help alleviate the problem."

The company said it would install a "dust suppression system" and a wheel wash facility.

It said it was working with Network Rail about potentially resurfacing part of the access road - Brook Street - and had told drivers to keep to a 15mph limit when arriving or leaving the site.

A council spokesperson said: "The company has agreed to work on measures to reduce dust."

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk or get in touch via WhatsApp on 0800 169 1830
Children who drowned in Kings River identified by Fresno County coroner. They were 4 and 8

The children who drowned in the Kings River during the weekend were identified Tuesday by the Fresno County Coroners Office.

Brother and sister Santiago, 4, and Victoria Barajas, 8, of Fresno were washed away in the cold and fast-moving waters of the Kings River on Sunday, the Fresno County Coroners Office confirmed.

The children were in the water with their mother and an adult friend about 2 p.m. Sunday about a mile below Pine Flat Dam as they headed to a specific rock, the Fresno County Sheriffs Office said.

The current pulled the children away before family called 911. The girls body was found less than an hour later about one-fifth of a mile downstream from where they entered, deputies said.

The boy was not found until the next morning about 1.75 miles downstream, deputies said. The search had been suspended Sunday night because of the lack of visibility and the speed of the water.

Neither child was wearing a life jacket, the sheriffs office said.

Fresno County Sheriffs Office reservists attach a sign to a post to alert people that the the Kings River is closed due to dangerously high water levels, on Monday, May 22, 2023.

This was the first major incident on the river since it was closed to recreational users in March and there continues to be no timeline for reopening. Officials placed closure signs along the waterways and the rivers are being patrolled for violations, which start with a minimum fine of $250, officials said.

Fresno County Sheriffs Sgt. Matthew Hamilton spoke with media after the boy was found on Monday. The rivers closed for a reason; the parks are closed for a reason. Its because it is extremely dangerous, he said.

In Tulare County, two people have reportedly drowned this month, one in the Tule River and one in the Kaweah River.

Fresno County Sheriffs Office search and rescue team members return upriver to a boat launch near the Pine Flat Dam after reports that a boys body had been recovered on the Kings River on Monday, May 22, 2023. A 4-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister drowned when they fell into the river over the weekend.

Fresno County Sheriffs Office search and rescue team members reload their boat onto a trailer near the Pine Flat Dam after reports that a boys body had been recovered on the Kings River on Monday, May 22, 2023. A 4-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister drowned when they fell into the river over the weekend.

Fresno County Sheriffs Office search and rescue team members return upriver to a boat launch near the Pine Flat Dam after reports that a boys body had been recovered on the Kings River on Monday, May 22, 2023. A 4-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister drowned when they fell into the river over the weekend.

A man walks his dog over a bridge near the Pine Flat Dam as water from the lower Kings River rushes below it on Monday, May 22, 2023. The Fresno County Sheriffs Office has closed the Kings River due to dangerously high water levels.
Chinas new ambassador to the United States arrives in New York - state media

Xie Feng, China's new ambassador to the U.S., arrives at JFK airport in New York City

Chinas new ambassador to the United States arrives in New York - state media Xie Feng, China's new ambassador to the U.S., arrives at JFK airport in New York City

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinas new ambassador to the United States Xie Feng arrived in New York on Tuesday to take up his duties, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.

Xie was most recently vice foreign minister and in this post has been involved in high-profile diplomatic spats with Washington that have driven relations between the two superpowers to historic lows.

In February, Xie lodged stern representations with the U.S. embassy in China after the United States destroyed what it alleged was a spy balloon but which Beijing described as a Chinese civilian airship that had accidentally been blown into U.S. airspace.

(Reporting by Eduardo Baptista and Ella Cao, Editing by Nick Zieminski)
India has defended its decision to host a Group of 20 (G20) meeting in the Himalayan territory of Jammu and Kashmir, despite criticism from rights groups and expected boycotts from a handful of countries.

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is scheduled to host a tourism meeting for G20 members this week, in a move the Indian government has marketed as an opportunity to showcase the regions culture.

It is the first international event of this scale to be held in the disputed, Muslim-majority region since India revoked its special status and split the former state into two federal territories in 2019. Ladakh, which was previously part of the state, was separated and turned into another standalone territory.

Ladakh is a disputed region along the Line of Actual Control, a de-facto border between India and China. Both countries claim parts of it.

China on Friday said it would not attend the meeting, citing its opposition to holding any kind of G20 meetings in disputed territory, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

Since a clash involving hand-to-hand fighting in 2020 claimed the lives of at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers, both sides have deployed thousands of troops to the area, where they remain in what appears to be a semi-permanent stand-off.

Tensions along the de factor border have been simmering for more than 60 years and have spilled over into war before. In 1962 a month-long conflict ended in a Chinese victory and India losing thousands of square miles of territory.

Other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey, were expected to boycott the event.

An armored vehicle is seen in front of the G20 summit hoarding ahead of the G20 summit meeting in Srinagar. - Saqib Majeed/SOPA Images/SIPAPRE/AP

Kashmir is one of the worlds most dangerous flashpoints. Claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan, the mountainous region has been the epicenter for more than 70 years of an often violent territorial struggle between the nuclear-armed neighbors. A de facto border called the Line of Control divides it between New Delhi and Islamabad.

India said the move to revoke Kashmirs semi-autonomy was to ensure the nations laws were equal for all citizens and to increase economic development in the region, as well as to end separatism and terrorism it alleged was aided and abetted by Pakistan.

On Saturday, Indias tourism secretary, Arvind Singh, said the meeting will not only to showcase (Kashmirs) potential for tourism but also signal globally the restoration of stability and normalcy in the region.

In April, Pakistan, which is not a G20 member, criticized Indias decision to hold the tourism meeting in Kashmir, calling it an irresponsible move.

Last week, Fernand de Varennes, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, said the Indian government was seeking to normalize what some have described as a military operation by instrumentalizing a G20 meeting in a region where fears of human rights violations and violence are rife.

In a statement on Twitter, Indias permanent mission to Geneva rejected de Varenness criticism, calling the allegations baseless and unwarranted.

Earlier this month, India said the G20 meeting in Srinagar aims to strengthen economic growth, preserve cultural heritage, and promote sustainable development of the region.

India, the worlds largest democracy with a population of more than 1.4 billion, has been keen to position itself as a leader of emerging and developing nations since it assumed the G20 presidency.

Arguably Indias most celebrated event of the year, the G20 has been heavily promoted domestically, with sprawling billboards featuring Modis face plastered across the country.

Modis political allies were keen to push his international credentials, portraying him as a key player in the global order.

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Photo: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Wikimedia Commons Columbia River.

Canadian and U.S. officials have wrapped up the latest round in a five-year negotiation to modernize a major treaty on flood control and power generation on the Columbia River.



Global Affairs Canada says negotiators from both countries in the Columbia River Treaty met in Kelowna May 16 and 17, and the next round of talks is scheduled for Aug. 10 and 11 in Seattle.



The original treaty was signed in 1964 after catastrophic flooding of the Columbia River destroyed Vanport, Oregon, in 1948.



The treaty facilitated the construction of four dams  three in British Columbia and one in the United States  to manage river waters while generating power for the region's growing power demand.



But the province also says on its website that the treaty flooded 1,100 square kilometres of land and displaces more than 2,000 people, including several First Nations communities where consultation was considered "inadequate to non-existent by today's standards."



Global Affairs Canada says its negotiators prioritized issues such as Indigenous cultural values, salmon re-introduction and domestic ecosystem concerns during the talks in Kelowna this month.
Flag of China

Read also: EU-China relations will suffer if Beijing does not nudge Moscow towards peace, Borrell says

On May 19-20, China held a summit between themselves and the Central Asian countries in the city of Xi'an. Xi Jinping received each leader of the Central Asian republics during his state visit personally. The summit discussed various issues, from economics and trade to energy and security.

As always, the priority remained in the economic and financial spheres, in which the PRC has achieved significant success over the past 15 years, displacing Russia, which had always been the dominant player. But, of course, China's goal also included restraining the US and the EU, which have long been competing with Chinese companies in the energy market of Central Asia and have recently embarked on financial and economic expansion in the region. Not coincidentally, parallel to the PRC-CA summit, a conference was held in the Kazakh city of Almaty under the auspices of the EU-CA. However, the heads of state of the republics did not go, instead sending heads of government or foreign ministries. Currently, China's trade with Central Asia countries totals $70 billion. In the US, this trade turnover reaches $49 billion, and in Russia - $42 billion, plus remittances from migrant workers.

Read also: Russia passes 200,000 KIA, Russia extends grain deal, Chinas diplomat in Europe

During the summit, China offered $3.7 billion of financial assistance for the development of the region, expanded the quota for the import of Central Asian agricultural, dairy, and meat products, and provided support in the field of security and defense. Xi Jinping, in particular, stated that he was prepared to help regional states strengthen their defense capabilities. This is the first time China has overtly bid for dominance in non-economic sectors, essentially promising a new security architecture for Central Asia in which China participates.

Russia has lost exclusive opportunities to influence the post-Soviet space.

For the last twenty years, Russia has been losing the trade and economic competition with China in this region. A certain balance was established between them due to Russia's significant military and political influence over the post-Soviet space. Thus, China and Russia formed a kind of tandem, in which Russia was the "muscle" and China was the investor. However, much has changed recently: The invasion of Ukraine and occupying parts of its territory discredited the Russians, making them too toxic and unpredictable for the Central Asian countries. So, they saw the need to diversify their foreign policies. The political leadership in many of them has also changed. Except for Tajikistan, other political elites or leaders less connected with Vladimir Putin's personal agreements and "chemistry" came to power in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. It was easier for them to pursue a more autonomous foreign policy oriented towards reducing critical dependence on the Kremlin and increasing ties with non-traditional centers of influence such as China, India, the Arab world, Pakistan, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Turkey, and so on.

Read also: China urges foreign embassies to remove signs showing support for Ukraine

The latest China-Central Asia summit showed that this trend of weakening Russia's dominance and influence is now affecting even the spheres where Russia traditionally played the most potent role: security, defense, energy, and politics. Beijing is one of many to pursue participation in these processes. Its decision to strengthen cooperation with Central Asia in security and defense is primarily driven by similar aspirations on the part of the US and their allies within the framework of the global collective West aimed at containing China. But in this context, China's strengthening weakens Russia, which will have to either play on the side of the West against China (which is impossible today because Russia needs China), or come to terms with it and continue to play the role of a junior partner.

Read also: Li Huis visit to Zelenskyy: Beijing aims to show de-escalation dependence on China, says Klimkin

China regards Central Asia not only as a market for sales and investments but also as one of the critical land logistics hubs connecting China to the European Union, including within the framework of Beijing's global One Belt, One Road initiative. In addition, the region is rich in the energy resources upon which China depends. Moreover, China is now advancing the idea of a multipolar world. In other words, they benefit from maximum regional autonomy in the international relations system since it enables these countries to pursue a more independent foreign policy, which guarantees that no one will restrict them in their relations with China as one of the obvious partners of the region. However, for Russia, they will have to give up some of its influence and accept that Central Asia will never again be under Moscow's control. Therefore, they have to build more or less equal relations based on mutual respect, lack of claims, and consideration of interests, which the Kremlin has never done.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on Tibet to build a prosperous, harmonious and "new socialist Tibet" underpinned by unity and civility, days after Group of Seven (G7) nations expressed concern over human rights in the region.

In rare comments on Tibet, Xi said the region should step up efforts to promote high-quality development after overcoming "centuries" of extreme poverty, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.

Tibet's economy expanded to 216.5 billion yuan ($31 billion) by value last year, matching China's national growth rate of 3%. Despite Tibet's rapid economic development in recent years, China is often accused of stifling religious and cultural freedoms in a predominantly Buddhist region, an accusation which Beijing rejects.

In a communique released after a gathering of G7 leaders in Hiroshima over the weekend, the group said it will keep voicing its concerns about the human rights situation in China, including in Tibet, angering Beijing, which regards affairs related to the region as purely internal.

"People's happiness is the ultimate human right, while development holds the key to delivering better lives to the people," Xinhua cited Xi as saying in a congratulatory letter to a forum in Beijing on Tibet's development.

In 2021, Xi made a visit to Tibet - the first by a national leader in three decades. At the time, Xi called for respect for the religious beliefs of the people.

He also stressed governing religious affairs in accordance with the law and guiding Tibetan Buddhism to adapt to a socialist society.

Beijing says it "peacefully liberated" Tibet in 1951 after sending Chinese troops into the region. China says its intervention ended a "backward feudal serfdom", and denied wrongdoing.

In 1959, Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, fled the region after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, with Beijing labelling him a dangerous separatist since.

($1 = 6.9121 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
New Chinese ambassador to US acknowledges challenges in relations

Xie Feng, China's new ambassador to the U.S., arrives at JFK airport in New York City

New Chinese ambassador to US acknowledges challenges in relations Xie Feng, China's new ambassador to the U.S., arrives at JFK airport in New York City

By Echo Wang and Michael Martina

NEW YORK (Reuters) -China's new ambassador to Washington Xie Feng said on Tuesday that he will seek to enhance China-U.S. cooperation, but that relations face serious challenges.

"I have come here to safeguard China's interest. This is my sacred responsibility," Xie told reporters after landing at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

"I'm also the envoy of Chinese people, so I've come here to enhance China-U.S. exchanges and cooperation," said Xie, who has garnered a reputation for blunt rebukes of U.S. actions as ties between the strategic rivals have deteriorated over issues ranging from Taiwan to trade.

Xie, 59, most recently served as a vice foreign minister charged with overseeing policy toward the U.S.

The two countries' relations face "serious difficulties and challenges," Xie said in his brief remarks before departing the airport and boarding a van. Chinese officials said he would be driven to Washington.

A fluent English speaker who was previously posted twice to China's Washington embassy, Xie lodged China's formal denunciation in February accusing Washington of "obstinately" shooting down what it suspected was a Chinese spy balloon after its flight over the United States spurred a diplomatic crisis.

Beijing has said it was a civilian airship.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the U.S. welcomed Xie's arrival.

"We look forward to working with the ambassador designate and his team. We remain committed, as we said on a number of occasions, to maintain channels of communication with the PRC (People's Republic of China) to responsibly manage competition," Miller said.

Xie has taken a confrontational tone in past meetings with Biden administration officials, including when hosting Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman in 2021 in Tianjin, where he issued a long list of demands for the U.S. to improve ties while accusing Washington of creating an "imaginary enemy" in China.

Nonetheless, Xie's arrival at the embassy post, which has been vacant since his predecessor Qin Gang was elevated to foreign minister late last year, could help Beijing parry criticism that it has ignored the Biden administration's calls for increased engagement.

Qin told Washington's envoy to Beijing this month that it was essential to stabilize relations, and U.S. President Joe Biden  who expressed a desire to speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping after the downing of the balloon  said on Sunday that he expected more U.S.-China talks "very shortly."

Bonnie Glaser, an Asia expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said Xie, as an experienced diplomat well-acquainted with U.S. policymakers, was capable of facilitating better communication "if he chooses to do so."

"The decision to finally send Xie Feng appears to be part of this effort to prevent a spiraling deterioration of bilateral ties," Glaser said.

(Reporting by Echo Wang, Michael Martina, Yew Lun Tian and Simon Lewis; Editing by Grant McCool and Howard Goller)
A group of Chinese citizens is suing Florida over a new law that bans them from buying property in parts of the state.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, argues the state law stigmatizes them and their communities, and casts a cloud of suspicion over anyone of Chinese descent who seeks to buy property in Florida.

The property law, which is set to take effect July 1, restricts people from a foreign country of concern  which is defined as China, Russia, Iran, Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria  from buying land and homes in Florida.

The law prohibits citizens of the specified countries from owning property within 10 miles of military installations. Those that already own property as restricted by the new law must register with the state or face fines.

The four plaintiffs in the new suit argue the law is unconstitutional and a violation of the Fair Housing Act.

The ACLU contends the law will also cast an undue burden of suspicion on anyone seeking to buy property whose name sounds remotely Asian, Russian, Iranian, Cuban, Venezuelan, or Syrian and that there is no evidence of national security harm resulting from real estate ownership by Chinese people in Florida, according to a release.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R)  who is expected to launch a presidential campaign on Wednesday  signed the bill earlier this month, arguing the move was to counteract the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party in the state of Florida.

Floridas Commissioner of Agriculture, its Acting Secretary of Economic Opportunity and the Chair of the Florida Real Estate Commission are named as defendants.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Similar bills in other parts of the country have drawn protests from Asian Americans

A group of Chinese citizens working and living in Florida is challenging a new law that bans them from buying property in the state.

The American Civil Liberties Union, a civil rights group representing the plaintiffs, said the law is unconstitutional and discriminatory.

The ban would also impact Chinese Americans, and people of Asian descent, the suit says.

Proponents of the bill have argued it will protect US national security.

The Florida governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The lawsuit takes place against the backdrop of strained relations between the US and China, and Republican Governor Ron DeSantis' soon to be launched presidential bid.

"Florida's discriminatory property law is unfair, unjustified, and unconstitutional," Ashley Gorski, senior staff attorney at the ACLU, said in a statement. "Everyone in the United States is entitled to equal protection under our laws, including citizens of other countries."

The plaintiffs, represented by ACLU and two other groups, say that in practice, Florida's law will lead to broad discrimination against these communities in the state, including everyday residents and American citizens.

The legislation applies to owning property within 10 miles of a "critical infrastructure facility" and also bars foreign entities from Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria.

Those zones include airports, military installations, spaceports, refineries, electrical power plants, water and waste treatment facilities, or seaports. Foreign entities are also banned from purchasing agricultural land.

The legislation focuses heavily on restricting sales to Chinese nationals and entities.

It makes it a felony for Chinese citizens or companies to buy property, or for a person or company to knowingly sell to them. For citizens of the other countries on the list, the penalty is a misdemeanour.

Both Republicans and Democrats have expressed concern over the years about the potential for state-sponsored interference from China, Iran, and Russia in key American infrastructure, such as its power grid or voting systems.

Florida is also not the only state to take such action. Montana's Republican governor signed a measure in early May restricting Chinese businesses and nationals from purchasing agricultural land or property near certain critical infrastructure. Texas is also considering a bill along these lines.

Mr DeSantis, a Republican, signed SB 264 into law on 8 May, and it is scheduled to take effect on 1 July.

In a press conference on 8 May, Mr DeSantis said the law was part of an effort "to stop the influence of the Chinese Communist party".

The United States has a long history of discriminatory housing policies - both official and unofficial. Multiple civil rights cases have been waged to end housing discrimination based on race, sex, ideology, or orientation.

During the 20th century, a practice known as "redlining" excluded many communities of colour, especially Black residents, from owning property in certain districts.

Asian Americans have also borne the burden of such policies throughout US history. Legal representatives referenced these moments specifically in arguing that the law would hurt Chinese immigrants.

"Xenophobic policies and rhetoric toward China stoke racial bias," said Bethany Li, legal director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, one of the groups representing the plaintiffs.

The law has left many in the state's Asian community uncertain and fearful of their futures.

Ahead of the bill's passage, Chinese Americans protested at the Florida state capitol against the new restrictions.

One student, Victoria Li, told the Tallahassee Democrat she was concerned the "bill will affect people like me who want to own a home.

"We're scared, we're terrified," she said. "That's what we came here for. We have the American Dream."
A group of Chinese citizens who live and work in Florida are suing the state over a new property law that threatens to restrict some people from China and a handful of other countries from purchasing homes and land in the state.

The plaintiffs allege that the law, SB 264, is discriminatory and that it stokes racial biases against Chinese Americans and undermines their financial freedom. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law and it is set to go into effect on July 1.

It bars Chinese citizens who are not United States citizens from purchasing homes in Florida, with few exceptions. It imposes similar but less stringent restrictions on citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia and North Korea.

Asian immigrants are part of Florida's fabric. For hundreds of years, they have contributed to our communities and have made this state their home," said Daniel Tilley, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which is representing the plaintiffs.

"The discriminatory policies pushed by the DeSantis administration will not go unchecked, he said.

DeSantis, who is expected to announce a bid for president soon, has said the law will protect Florida from Chinas Communist Party, a common target for Republicans.

The ACLU, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and a Florida law firm, which are all representing the plaintiffs, say that the law would cast an undue burden of suspicion on anyone trying to buy a house as long as their name sounds remotely Asian.

This misguided rationale unfairly equates Chinese people with the actions of their government, and there is no evidence of national security harm resulting from real estate ownership by Chinese people in Florida, the ACLU said in a news release.

State governments have introduced more than a dozen similar pieces of legislation in recent months. Floridas would be the first to be enacted into law.

A spokesperson for Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, one of the defendants, said the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is reviewing the lawsuit.

Gary Fineout contributed to this story.
A video message from Christian Glass' parents will be shown to police at the start of a training course

The family of a man who was shot dead by police in Colorado while suffering a mental health crisis will receive a $19m (15.3m) settlement.

The payment from both state and local authorities is the largest lawsuit settlement in Colorado's history.

The agreement, which was announced on Tuesday, also mandates local police to create a crisis response team and boost training in crisis intervention.

Christian Glass was killed by a sheriff's deputy last June.

His death drew national attention and prompted calls to reform how police respond to people with mental health issues.

The 22-year-old had called police after his car became stuck on an embankment in the rural town of Silver Plume. He initially told the dispatcher he was being followed and made other statements that appeared to show he was hallucinating.

His mother later said he had been suffering a mental health crisis that day and was "petrified".

Body camera footage shows Mr Glass telling police he is afraid and refusing to exit the car. He can be seen making heart shapes with his hands to the officers and praying.

He offers to throw two knives out of the vehicle but is told by police not to.

After lengthy negotiations, officers smash a window of the vehicle and taser him. A panicked Mr Glass then brandishes a knife before being shot five times.

While an initial police statement indicated he was the aggressor, a grand jury found officers needlessly escalated the stand-off and said Mr Glass did not pose a threat.

A lawyer for his parents, Sally and Simon Glass, said they hoped police would intervene in similar incidents in future.

"Any of the seven officers there could have stopped this simply by saying something. They want to empower law enforcement to have this courage," Siddhartha Rathod said.

"The size of the settlement reflects the immense wrong and injustice committed by the officers," he added.

A video message from the couple will be shown to police officers at the start of a training course about how to intervene if they feel a colleague is going too far.

Two officers, sheriff's deputy Andrew Buen and his supervisor Kyle Gould, are being prosecuted over the incident. Charges includes second-degree murder and official misconduct.
The police officer who Tasered a 95-year-old woman at an Australian care home has been suspended from duty.

Clare Nowland was critically injured when police responded to reports she was wandering her care home with a knife around 4am on Wednesday.

Amid public outcry, critics have called the response by police and care home staff disproportionate.

An investigation into the incident continues, as Ms Nowland receives "end of life care" in hospital.

In a statement on Tuesday, New South Wales (NSW) Police said the 33-year-old senior constable who Tasered Ms Nowland has been stood down, with pay.

Police say Ms Nowland was "armed" with a steak knife at the care home - which is in the town of Cooma about 114km (71 miles) south of Canberra - and the officer discharged his weapon after she began approaching "at a slow pace".

"She had a walking frame. But she had a knife," Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Cotter told media on Friday.

Ms Nowland is believed to have suffered a fractured skull and a serious brain bleed after falling and hitting her head during the incident.

Community groups, including the NSW Council for Civil Liberties and People with Disability Australia (PwD), have strongly criticised the response, and called for better de-escalation training.

"The family are shocked, they're confused... and the community is outraged," family friend Andrew Thaler told the BBC on Friday.

"How can this happen? How do you explain this level of force? It's absurd."

In a statement on Monday, Ms Nowland's family added that they were grateful for the outpouring of support from around the world, but appealed for privacy amid a "worrying and distressing time".

"Well respected, much loved and a giving member of her local community, Clare is the loving and gentle-natured matriarch of the Nowland family," the statement said.

Investigations into the response by police and care home staff are under way, with the homicide squad involved.

"No officer, not one of us, is above the law," Mr Cotter said.

"All our actions will be scrutinised robustly from a criminal perspective as well."
Classic Real Estates Don Ablah, an astute repository of people in Wichita, dies at 90

Through nine decades in Wichita, including more than 40 years in the real estate business, Don Ablah became someone who knew the city better than most.

He was an astute repository of people in Wichita, said Hatman Jack Kellogg. Hed be hard pressed not to know more than a little about a lot of people.

Ablah continued working at his familys Classic Real Estate until shortly before his death on May 21 at age 90.

His knowledge of the community included a comprehensive understanding of area properties, too, such as a lot of the ones in Delano where Kelloggs Hatman Jacks Wichita Hat Works is.

When the Lebanese first came to town, Delano was really the hop-off place, Kellogg said.

Ablahs parents, Frank and Nellie Ablah, immigrated from Lebanon.

Don had a soft spot for this area, I think, possibly for that reason, Kellogg said.

Ablah was so completely immersed in (the) history of business properties of Delano, Kellogg said.

It wasnt just about selling a piece of property. It was about what that property was formerly.

For instance, Ablah was working with a client on a piece of property next to Kelloggs familys former business in Delano, and he made a point to go and talk to Kellogg about it.

He really wanted to know the backstory, and I just loved that about him, Kellogg said.

After working for a time at his familys Ablah Hotel Supply, Ablah started his real estate career in 1981 and soon met Martens Cos. president Steven Martens, who knew and worked with Ablahs brothers, George and Amil, and their sister, Lucille Barkett.

Just great, great people, all of them, Martens said. He was very family involved.

Martens called Ablah a great negotiator.

His end goal was always a win-win solution.

The two worked together quite a bit on properties along North Rock Road and Comotara.

We became even closer working on that.

Martens said that over the decades, he probably worked more with Ablah more than anyone.

He was that significant in my career and played a huge role.

Ablah was known in real estate circles beyond Wichita, too.

He was an awesome man and titan of our industry, Kansas City attorney Korb Maxwell said in a message to an Ablah family member after hearing Ablah had died.

Martens said there were always two constants with Ablah when it came to doing real estate deals.

When it was time to be all business, Don was all business. But if there was an opportunity to bring a little humor to a situation . . . he enjoyed injecting the humor and eliciting the laughs.

As Wichita State Universitys dean of university libraries, including the Ablah Library, Kathy Downes knew Ablah professionally.

But also due to the nature of who he was, he always took a personal interest as well, she said.

Downes said Ablahs family donated money for the library to support the community and education, and Don represented that.

He was always interested in how the library was doing. He was always interested in the students, she said. We just had long conversations on his thoughts on education.

Ablahs deep concern for the community just made him somebody you wanted to be around and talk to.

I just had so much respect for the man . . . and his caring about so many parts of the city.

Ablahs funeral is 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral at 7515 E. 13th St.

Memorials are to the Wichita State Library Special Collections, Starkey Inc. and International Orthodox Christian Charities for its work in Syria.

Martens and Kellogg both remarked on Ablahs compassion and gratefulness.

Obviously, he had a tremendous love for this country and the opportunities that were presented here, Martens said.

As Kellogg said in a message to a family member upon learning of Ablahs death, Our town will be less compassionate and a much smaller place without him.
File picture: jets parked on the tarmac of Geneva Airport

Activists demonstrating against Europe's biggest private jets sales fair disrupted flights at Geneva Airport on Tuesday after chaining themselves to the planes on display.

Environmentalist groups said around 100 demonstrators from 17 countries were involved in the protest at the three-day European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) being staged at a conference hall adjoining Switzerland's second-biggest airport.

Geneva police spokeswoman Tiffany Cudre-Mauroux told AFP that around 80 people had been detained.

Images published on Twitter showed the activists camped out around the gleaming planes on show on the apron, brandishing colourful banners with the words "ban private jets" and "private jets burn our future".

They also held up messages resembling warning labels on cigarette packages, saying "private jets drown our hope".

In a statement, Geneva Airport said several dozen activists "broke and entered three different locations on the tarmac at 11:35 am (0935 GMT).

They managed to infiltrate the EBACE exhibition space "and handcuff or chain themselves to the aircraft on display".

During the evacuation operation, air traffic was completely suspended from 11:40 am to 12:40 pm and seven inbound flights were diverted to Zurich and Lyon.

Firefighters treated four people, including activists and security staff, who were injured or unwell.

"Significant delays" are expected throughout the rest of the day, the airport said. The airport intends to file a legal complaint.

Departures to Rome, Amsterdam, Porto, Madrid, New York, Lisbon, Paris, Munich and Frankfurt were among those delayed, with some held up for more than two hours.

But there were no signs of panic amid the queuers inside the departures hall.

- 'Symbol of climate inequality' -

Multiple climate activist groups were involved in the joint protest. Speaking outside the airport perimeter, they insisted the intention had been to disrupt the sales fair and not regular commercial flights.

Joel Perret of Extinction Rebellion Geneva told AFP: "The goal was really to target private jets, which are the most polluting mode of transport there is -- and are only accessible to an extreme minority of people, who will spend the carbon budget of all the other people who never fly."

"Private aviation has become the symbol of climate inequality," said Klara Maria Schenk of Greenpeace.

EBACE "has happened for more than 20 years, mostly behind closed doors, with very little attention from the public", she said.

Mira Kapfinger of the Stay Grounded network added: "The world is now looking at this event and aware of this hypocrisy of promoting private jet sales... in a time of climate emergency, a cost of living crisis and an energy crisis."

Cordula Markert, spokeswoman for Scientist Rebellion Germany told AFP: "I cannot believe that people with so much power and money are not using it for good."

"They must know, especially in aviation, there is no green way of having private jets. Deep down, all of them know it."

- Sector 'focused on net-zero' -

EBACE is hosted by the European Business Aviation Association and the US-based National Business Aviation Association.

"This is a completely unacceptable form of protest. We condemn the action," EBAA chairman Juergen Wiese and NBAA president and chief executive Ed Bolen said in a joint statement.

"Business aviation is deeply committed to climate action. This is an industry that has cut its carbon emissions by 40 percent over the past 40 years, is continually reducing emissions today, and is collectively focused on achieving net-zero emissions by 2050."

Geneva Airport chief operating officer Giovanni Russo told the event that sustainability was "not just our licence to grow" as an air hub, "but our licence to survive".

In 2022, more than 14 million passengers travelled through the airport, according to official figures.

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Looking at the political evolution in Canada, is like watching a country self-destruct.

We became a sovereign country about 156 years ago, but in name only.

The late (prime minister) Pierre Elliott Trudeau, consulted the provinces, and adopted the British North America Act (BNA) as our constitution, forever denying us our human rights to have democratic governments.

We now have a King who is the commander-in-chief of the Canadian armed forces. We (continue to) have a prime minister instead of a president, and Canadian senators are randomly appointed, not democratically elected.

Our current prime minister, Justin Trudeau, promised the people a proportional ballot but did not deliver.

Today he is promoting alternative, ranked, run-off, preferential ballots that will continue to give him the unfettered power of a dictator.

Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper re-wrote the Conservative Party of Canadas constitution to erase any semblance of democracy.

Orders-in-council have replaced orderly debate in our Parliament and provincial Legislatures, and budgets have become spending guidelines that are violated on a regular basis.

Spending billions of dollars fighting COVID, tendering little clarity or debates on where all that money went, is a classic demonstration of an administration out of control. Our colonial political system was designed to give political leaders complete control of the political process, like dictators in third-world countries.

The fact two political leaders today can deny 38 million Canadians their basic human right to have representative democratic governments is absurd. Our current MPs could stop this destruction today, but do not dare. Party discipline has awarded party leaders the power to remove democratically elected MPs.

The people have been shut out of the political process, while corporate Canada owns the incumbent government.

Justin Trudeau wanting our guns has nothing to do with public safety. It has everything to do with not wanting to face an armed opposition to his political ambitions.

Pursuing an electoral voting system that will give all Canadians fair and equal representation in our governments, Fair Voting BC and Springtide Collective for Democracy Society filed a petition with the Supreme Court of Ontario.

The petition is challenging how our current colonial electoral system consistently is violating our human rights to have democratic governments, by awarding the winning party a majority of the seats in any election, often with only one-third of the popular vote. The case is scheduled to be heard Sept. 25 - 27. It will be interesting to see the colonial justice systems interpretation of our human rights.

Andy Thomsen
Pressure groups including Greenpeace, Fossil Free London, Neon and Tipping Point demonstrated outside Shell's annual general meeting in London

British oil and gas giant Shell faced a stormy shareholders' gathering Tuesday, as environmental protesters hit out over its pledge to tackle carbon emissions.

Pressure groups including Greenpeace, Fossil Free London, Neon and Tipping Point demonstrated outside Shell's annual general meeting in London.

More than 100 activists interrupted the opening remarks from chief executive Wael Sawan, according to Fossil Free London, while others attempted to occupy the stage.

Shareholder activist group Follow This introduced a resolution calling on Shell to strengthen its ambitions to fight climate change, backed by one-fifth of shareholders who voted.

"Considering that up to 99 percent of shareholders voted along with the board on the other 25 resolutions, 20 percent of support and a significant number of abstentions in spite of a negative board recommendation clearly indicates shareholder discontent," said Follow This founder Mark van Baal.

Shell chairman Andrew Mackenzie earlier argued the resolution would "weaken" the business, reducing the company's "ability to help the world".

Tuesday's AGM came after Shell posted a sharp jump in first-quarter profit on resurgent oil prices, mirroring bumper earnings at rivals BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies.

The carbon-intensive sector has faced fierce criticism from the green lobby over plans to shift away from dirty fossil fuels and toward cleaner renewable energy.

Campaigners have slammed Shell over its goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, accusing it of "greenwashing" or marketing as climate-friendly its operations.

"Shut down Shell," protesters chanted as they also interrupted speeches from Mackenzie and other board members.

Another group of protestors sang: "Go to hell Shell and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more" to the tune of "Hit the Road Jack" by Ray Charles.

Dozens of protesters were reportedly escorted out of the event by members of the group's security team.

Earlier this month, Shell revealed that profit after tax surged 22 percent to $8.7 billion in the three months to March from a year earlier.

The news came after rival BP announced Tuesday that it rebounded into net profit of $8.2 billion in the period.

Surging profits have prompted outcry from critics as Britons face a cost-of-living crisis on sky-high electricity and gas bills, sparking accusations of profiteering by energy majors.

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The clock is ticking as McCarthy and Biden say no deal yet, but talks productive

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., speaks as he meets with President Joe Biden to discuss the debt limit in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, May 22, 2023, in Washington. | Alex Brandon, Associated Press

While high level negotiations over the debt ceiling continued Monday, President Joe Biden said he was optimistic, after both he and Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., agreed that default is not on the table.

But Rep. Patrick McHenry, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and one of the chief negotiators for Republicans, characterized the talks as only reasonably productive.

What I sense from the White House is a lack of urgency, said McHenry.

Biden and McCarthy spoke briefly to reporters after their early evening meeting. McCarthy then spoke to reporters outside the White House and in the Capitol.

McCarthy said the talks were productive but that they had not made much progress. One of the sticking points is over how to reduce the budget deficit  Biden wants to include tax increases for wealthy Americans in the final deal, but McCarthy said tax hikes were off the table.

He said Republicans had three stipulations they would stick to for a final agreement: they wont raise taxes, they wont pass a clean debt ceiling bill, and spending for the year needs to come in lower than last years.

Everything else is up for negotiation, McCarthy told the press after his talks with the president ended for the day.

House Democrats critical of GOP

But speaking to reporters Monday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Biden offered to freeze spending, an inherently reasonable place to be, and Republicans turned that down.

Jeffries said hed like to see government spending increase this year, as outlined by Bidens budget proposal. He characterized Republican demands to cut spending in exchange for a debt ceiling increase as extreme and unreasonable.

Meanwhile, McCarthy said federal government revenue is currently higher than is typical, as compared to the size of the economy, and he believes government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.

He also repeated Republican frustration with the delay in getting negotiations started, saying it took 97 days for Biden to come to the table. For several months, Biden repeatedly said he would only sign a clean debt ceiling bill, but when House Republicans passed a debt ceiling increase, it was tied to spending reductions and reforms.

The Senate has not passed a debt ceiling increase yet, McCarthy pointed out. Neither chamber is likely to pass a clean, condition-free bill.

June 1 deadline for default

McHenry struck a slightly less positive tone than McCarthy after talks Monday, expressing frustration with the pace of negotiations given the looming June 1 deadline, saying brinksmanship is not wise.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the nation could default on its debt as early as June 1 if the debt ceiling hasnt been raised.

The Speaker has made clear to his negotiating team ... that it was very important that we spend less money next year than we were spending this year ... and to negotiate the most conservative terms we possibly can, but one that can pass the Senate and be signed by a Democrat president, said McHenry.

Besides spending cuts, negotiations also included discussions over making permitting easier for energy projects, McCarthy said.

McCarthy praised the White House negotiators, saying they were principled and professional. He said he assumed he would speak to Biden every day until they reach an agreement.

72 Hour rule in the House

Negotiators are running out of time to reach a deal. A rule in the House requires that lawmakers have 72 hours to review a bill before voting on it.

McCarthy said he may opt to cancel the Houses Memorial Day recess if they need to stay to vote on a debt ceiling bill, according to the Washington Examiner.
CMPD looking for 4 people accused of severely beating man who is homeless in north Charlotte

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is looking for four people who allegedly beat a man in north Charlotte this past weekend, according to Charlotte Crime Stoppers.

Crime Stoppers shared a video on Tuesday showing four people walking down a street, and the accompanying message says they severely beat a man who is homeless near N. Tryon Street, north of Tom Hunter Road.

The assault happened around 5:45 p.m. Saturday, which is about an hour and a half after the timestamp in the video.

CMPD needs your help identifying these subjects who severely beat a homeless man in the 6700 block of North Tryon on May 20, 2023 at about 5:45 pm. The victim suffered serious injuries as a result.Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600 with your tip forleading to an arrest. pic.twitter.com/PIrLgX8Mx6  Charlotte Crime Stoppers (@CLTCrimeStopper) May 23, 2023

The victims condition wasnt made immediately available.

If you have information about the suspects in the video, you can call 704-334-1600 to speak with Charlotte Crime Stoppers.

(WATCH: Comic book store owner credited with stopping sex assault at Hickory store)
Cohasset native and astronaut Stephen Bowen to speak with students from International Space Station

You could say this call will be from outer space.

Cohasset native and NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen is slated to speak with public school students from the International Space Station on Wednesday, school and town officials said.

Bowen launched to the International Space Station as Commander of NASAs SpaceX Crew-6 mission aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on March 2.

The live event, planned for 2 p.m. on Wednesday, will be streamed for all students to watch. For public viewing, the event will be live streamed on the Cohasset Live Streaming Facebook page, which can be accessed by clicking here or by typing in facebook.com/cohassetlivestreaming.

Bowen, retired U.S. Navy captain, is the first submarine officer to be selected as an astronaut by NASA.

Since becoming an astronaut, Bowen has flown on STS-126, STS-132 and STS-133 missions.

To date, hes clocked more than 40 days in space, including 47 hours and 18 minutes in seven spacewalks.

Bowen was born in Cohasset in 1964, and he graduated from Cohasset High School in 1982.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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College student who tracked Elon Musks private jet is now following Ron DeSantis

The college student who tracked Elon Musks private jet on Twitter has now turned his focus on Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

Jack Sweeney, a student at the University of Central Florida, created a Twitter account called @DeSantisJet", which tracks the whereabouts of the aircraft that Mr DeSantis uses.

The automated feed tracks the governor's 10-seat Textron jet with tail number N943FL, which is owned by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The data is shared 24 hours later to comply with Twitter's anti-doxxing rules. His account has already garnered over 15,800 followers.

It was set up to track Mr DeSantis because of the "rising interest" in the governor amid speculations of him running for the 2024 presidential election, Mr Sweeney told Insider.

Well, you know Ron DeSantis is becoming more and more of a public figure in that he might run for the White House, he added.

Mr DeSantis on 11 May signed a bill into law that will redact details about trips he makes on both state planes and private, chartered flights, including names of staff and family members travelling with him.

However, his movements can be still monitored using publicly available data from ADS-B Exchange, a flight-tracking platform.

Mr Sweeney on Monday tweeted that the account tracks the Textron jet which the governor uses for state-related matters. Flights of the aircraft do not guarantee that Mr DeSantis is onboard, he said.

"As others have noted, DeSantis also gets rides on political donors planes for personal matters. If we become aware of these flights, it will also be shared here.

The student shared the first tweet about the governors travels on 19 May when he flew from Tallahassee to Tampa and back.

Flew from Tallahassee to Tampa and back on 5-17 pic.twitter.com/Eg6K4e63Po  Ron DeSantis's jet (Tracking) (@DeSantisJet) May 19, 2023

Mr Sweeney gained popularity after Mr Musk tried to purchase the @ElonJet account, which tracked the billionaire's jet, for $5,000. The student refused the offer and when Mr Musk took over Twitter, he suspended the account.

Mr Sweeney got around the ban by creating a new account @ElonJetNextDay, where tracking data of Mr Musk's jets are shared with a 24-hour delay.

The student told News Channel 8 he is not motivated by a political agenda. People can do what they want, he said.

There can be supporters that are interested in where he goes and want to follow them or people who are more criticizing for what flights theyre going where.
Colorado River deal between Arizona, California and Nevada won't solve the problem, some experts say

Lake Mead, near Boulder City, Nev., showing serious water-level decline, Sept. 16, 2022. (David McNew/Getty Images)

A tentative agreement between Arizona, California and Nevada to reduce water use from the Colorado River by 3 million acre-feet over three years falls short of what is needed, according to some experts.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton called the agreement, which was brokered by the Department of the Interior, an important step forward, despite previously advocating for much steeper cuts.

That has left some experts scratching their heads.

If they're talking about reducing consumption by only 3 million acre-feet over three years, thats not even close to what the Bureau of Reclamation said was needed, Mark Squillace, a professor of natural resources law at the University of Colorado Law School, told Yahoo News.

The math

Camille Calimlim Touton, commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. (Jeff Gritchen/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

In a Senate hearing last June, Touton said that Colorado River water use by the seven states that draw from it would have to be reduced by 2 million to 4 million acre-feet this year.

This agreement from the three lower basin states would use 3 million fewer acre-feet of water between now and the end of 2026  so, roughly 1 million fewer acre-feet per year for the next three years. (An acre-foot is enough water to cover an acre of land in a foot of water.)

Current inflows average 12.4 million acre-feet this century, while consumption is around 14 million acre-feet, Squillace noted. Take 1 million off, and were at 13 million. It takes us in the right direction, but its not enough.

The implications

Excessive consumption of water from the river, combined with a climate-change-linked 20-year mega-drought plaguing the West, have caused water levels to plummet at Lake Powell and Lake Mead, two man-made reservoirs on the river.

If levels drop much further at those reservoirs, they will not be able to produce electricity from their hydroelectric dams. The United Nations warned last August that millions of Americans could face blackouts as a result of hitting so-called dead pool levels.

A brief reprieve

Motorists navigate a flooded area of North Hollywood, Calif., Feb. 24. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Unusually heavy precipitation in California and parts of the Colorado River basin this winter means that the short-term risk of blackouts there due to the loss of hydroelectric power has abated.

Were in a much better position because of Mother Nature, not because of what these guys are doing, Michael Cohen, a Colorado River expert at the Pacific Institute, a think tank focused on water issues, told Yahoo News.

But without bigger reductions, Cohen said, a return to dry conditions would bring us back to the danger zone.

We have no idea what next years snowpack is going to be, he said. By 2026, its possible we could be back in the situation we were in last year, when it looked particularly dire.

What the cuts will mean

If anyone feels the pinch from the new agreement, it will likely be farmers, since 79% of Colorado River water is used for agriculture.

Thats why the three states are asking the federal government for $1.2 billion of the $4 billion that the Inflation Reduction Act included for water conservation. Farmers can use less water by adopting high-tech systems that monitor dryness to more precisely use only as much as necessary, or they can be induced to leave land fallow or switch to crops that use less water  but bring lower profits  through direct subsidies, Squillace said.

The glass-half-full perspective

Lake Mead along the Colorado River in Boulder City, Nev. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

The Department of the Interior celebrated Mondays announcement as historic, and some observers say the political breakthrough is proof that a solution can be found.

This demonstrates the capacity of these states to negotiate an agreement in less than one year, Jeffrey Silvertooth, a professor of environmental science at the University of Arizona who has extensively studied the Colorado River, told Yahoo News. That is rather phenomenal.

The work that remains

The agreement includes only the three states that make up the lower basin of the Colorado River because they use the lions share of the water under the 1922 Colorado River Compact. The four upper-basin states  Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming  have not agreed to cuts because they already take only half as much as the other three.

The Department of the Interior is working on a proposal it will release later this year suggesting how to apportion water supply cuts starting in 2027.
Columbus police identify 13 of 16 involved in street takeover, still need to ID 3

Thirteen of the 16 people pictured have been identified by tips from the public. Columbus police are still looking to identify the people identified as numbers one, two and 10.

Columbus police said they have identified 13 of 16 people who are believed to have been involved with stealing property and harassing customers at an East Side business during a "street takeover."

Within six days, police said they received tips from the public that helped identify all but three of the 16 individuals pictured. Additional information is needed to identify the people identified as numbers one, two and 10.

Columbus police spokesperson Melanie Amato said 10 males and three females were identified. Seven of those identified are adults and six are juveniles. The charges filed include misdemeanor shoplifting at this point, but the investigation is ongoing and additional charges could be filed.

Police said on April 29 the group took over a portion of Johnstown Road on the city's East Side, blocking entry points to a gas station. The group also blocked access to gas pumps and entrance to the gas station's convenience store.

People who were seen on surveillance camera stole items from inside the gas station, eating food without paying for it and carrying items out without paying. The incident caused a large amount of panic and alarm for customers and employees.

On the same night as the incident on Johnstown Road, multiple suspects fired at Columbus police officers who were attempting to break up a street takeover event on Indianola Avenue in Clintonville. The Fraternal Order of Police and Central Ohio Crime Stoppers are offering a $5,000 reward for information in that incident.

Street takeover events have become an increasing problem in Columbus as groups of young people take over intersections, participating in street racing and other activities.

Anyone with information about the identity about the 16 people involved on Johnstown Road are asked to contact Columbus police property crimes detectives at 614-645-1435 or email Det. Zack Rosen at zrosen@columbuspolice.org. Anonymous tips can also be given through calling Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus police ID 13 of 16 involved in East Side street takeover
White House coronavirus advisor Scott Atlas, left, is shown with then-President Trump, who bought his unproven herd immunity idea. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

They've held credentials from some of the world's most elite universities  Harvard, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Oxford. They've been welcomed into the highest government policy councils. They became fixtures on television news shows and were quoted incessantly by some of the nation's leading newspapers.

They're a cadre of academics and scientists who pushed a discredited solution to the COVID pandemic, shunning masks, school closings, even vaccines, all in the name of reaching the elusive goal of "herd immunity," resulting in what may have been hundreds of thousands of unnecessary American deaths.

That's the contention of "We Want Them Infected," a painstakingly documented new book by Jonathan Howard, a neurologist at New York University and a veteran debunker of the pseudoscience contaminating our efforts to fight the pandemic.

In 2019 you would have been considered a quack if you suggested that the best way to get rid of a virus is to spread the virus. But that became mainstream and influenced politicians at the highest levels.

Jonathan Howard, M.D.

Howard takes his title from Paul Alexander, an epidemiologist in the Health and Human Services Department during the Trump administration.

In July 2020, Alexander offered his view of how to exploit the relative risks of COVID to discrete populations to reach herd immunity. The idea was that so many people would eventually become naturally infected with the virus, and therefore immune from further infection, that the virus would be unable to spread further.

"Infants, kids, teens, young people, young adults, middle aged with no conditions etc. have zero to little risk," he told top HHS officials. "So we use them to develop herd ... we want them infected."

Alexander's proposal was essentially a screed against lockdowns. That suited the Trump White House, which was searching for ways around the economic dislocations caused by the virus. But he was wrong about the toll of sickness and death that would result, allowing the virus to rage among these ostensibly low-risk groups, and wrong about the prospects of reaching herd immunity naturally.

"We Want Them Infected" may be the most appalling and infuriating book you'll read about America's response to the pandemic. It's also essential reading.

The book is populated by quacks, mountebanks and charlatans  and not a few scholars with distinguished academic records  many of whom appear to have been seduced by the embrace of the right-wing echo chamber into promoting unproven and disproved policies.

"It's unbelievable that while doctors like myself were working to treat sick COVID patients, begging people to stay at home and be safe," Howard told me, "there was another group of doctors working at cross-currents to us  prominent doctors wanting to purposely infect unvaccinated young people with the promise that herd immunity would arrive in a couple of months."

They consistently minimized the gravity of the pandemic, but rarely if ever acknowledged that their optimistic forecasts of illness and deaths were consistently proved wrong.

There are a number of problems with the herd immunity theory. One is that immunity from COVID infection tends to wane over time rather than become permanent. Also, infection with one variant of the virus doesn't necessarily confer immunity from other variants, of which there have been many.

Another problem is that COVID can be a devastating disease for victims of any age. Allowing anyone to become infected can expose them to serious health problems.

Moreover, the prospect that COVID could be defeated by the natural expansion of herd immunity persuaded many people not to bother with proven countermeasures, including social distancing, masking and vaccination.

Today, more than three years after COVID first appeared, the U.S. still has not achieved herd immunity although it is nearing the goal, in the view of Robert Wachter, chair of the department of medicine at UC San Francisco. The disease's trajectory has been cataclysmic  the U.S. death toll stands at 1.13 million, hundreds of children have died, and an estimated 245,000 children have lost one or both parents to COVID. The U.S. leads the world in COVID deaths; its death rate of 3,478 per million population is worse than that of Britain, Spain, France, the Nordic countries, Canada and Israel.

Some herd immunity advocates offered their blithe forecasts in a misguided, if not dishonest, attempt to provide comfort to the American public. Scott Atlas, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution of Stanford University, urged HHS officials in March 2020 to advocate against lockdowns on grounds they were "inciting irrational fear" of the virus, which he estimated would cause about 10,000 deaths. "The panic needs to be stopped," Atlas wrote.

Atlas soon became a top advisor to Trump, promoting the herd immunity theory in the White House despite the objections of more experienced advisors such as Dr. Deborah Birx.

Howard is especially disturbed at how politicizing the pandemic has allowed fringe ideas to infiltrate public health policies.

"In 2019 you would have been considered a quack if you suggested that the best way to get rid of a virus is to spread the virus," he says. "But that became mainstream and influenced politicians at the highest levels."

In his book, Howard reserves his deepest scorn for the promoters of the "Great Barrington Declaration," a manifesto for herd immunity published in October 2020 and signed initially by epidemiologists Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford; Martin Kulldorff, then of Harvard; and Sunetra Gupta of Oxford. (Thousands of other academics and scientists would later add their signatures.)

The core of the declaration was opposition to lockdowns. Its solution was what its drafters called "focused protection," which meant allowing "those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally to build up immunity to the virus through natural infection, while better protecting those who are at highest risk"  chiefly seniors.

Older people living at home, the declaration said, should be kept apart from other family members except by meeting them outside, and "should have groceries and other essentials delivered to their home."

Focused protection, the promoters wrote, would allow society to achieve herd immunity and return to normalcy in three to six months.

As Howard documents, the declaration was little more than a libertarian fantasy. That may not have been surprising, because one of its organizers was an arch-libertarian named Jeffrey Tucker.

For a taste of Tucker's worldview, consider a 2016 article entitled "Let the kids work." There he ridiculed the Washington Post for publishing a photo gallery of child laborers from 100 years ago, including miners and sweatshop workers as young as 10.

Tucker's response was that those children were "working in the adult world, surrounded by cool bustling things and new technology. They are on the streets, in the factories, in the mines, with adults and with peers, learning and doing. They are being valued for what they do, which is to say being valued as people.... Whatever else you want to say about this, its an exciting life."

A better life, at least, than "pushed by compulsion into government holding tanks for a full decade"  that is, going to school.

The declaration's promoters, Howard writes, never specified how to achieve their goals. Delivering food and supplies to millions of housebound seniors? In a Hoover Institution interview, Bhattacharya said, "We could have offered free DoorDash to older people."

As Howard observes, Bhattacharya was remarkably sanguine about "creating a program overnight to deliver fresh food to tens of millions of seniors for months on end throughout the entire country."

Similar hand-waving addressed the problems of multigenerational households, in which millions of vulnerable elders live. Older family members, the declaration authors wrote, "might temporarily be able to live with an older friend or sibling, with whom they can self-isolate together during the height of community transmission. As a last resort, empty hotel rooms could be used for temporary housing."

Of course, hermetically sealing off tens of millions of "nonvulnerable" people from tens of millions of vulnerable people in a few weeks would be "the single greatest logistical challenge humanity had ever undertaken," Howard observes. "Nowhere in the world used focused protection to achieve herd immunity in three to six months, as the Great Barrington Declaration promised."

What the declaration really promoted was complacency. Its drafters, Howard says, were "people with no real-world responsibility for much of anything who made impossible things sound very easy. The task of actually getting food into the houses of elderly people was left up to public health authorities who were understaffed, overwhelmed and underfunded."

What may be the most inexcusable element of the herd immunity movement was its implication that children could be used as shields for the rest of the population. Its advocates counseled against vaccinating young children on the grounds that their susceptibility to the virus was minimal or even nonexistent, so they could safely acquire immunity naturally  and perhaps, as Vinay Prasad of UC San Francisco implied, provide an immunity boost to adults in their families.

Yet although children tended to suffer less from symptoms when they were infected, they were anything but immune. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1,600 American children under the age of 18 have died from COVID during the pandemic.

In any case, death is not the only serious outcome from COVID. The CDC says more than 14,000 children were hospitalized for COVID during the pandemic. An untold number of children may suffer from long COVID or other lifelong manifestations of the disease. For doctors to counsel deliberately exposing children to COVID when a vaccine is available, especially if the purpose is to protect adults, is "a moral abomination," Howard says. He's right.

In a world guided by science, the promoters of an unsuccessful herd immunity theory would long ago have lost their credibility and their public soapboxes.

The opposite has happened. Bhattacharya and Kulldorff still have their platforms (Kulldorff is now associated with the right-wing Hillsdale College). Both were appointed in December by Florida's anti-vaccine governor, Ron DeSantis, to a "Public Health Integrity Committee" charged with questioning federal public health policies.

Scott Atlas, meanwhile, was tapped to deliver the commencement address at New College of Florida, a once-renowned liberal arts institution that DeSantis has turned into a haven for right-wing pedagogy. He was greeted with boos from the audience of graduating seniors, however, indicating that the youth of America perhaps can't be gulled as easily as their parents.

At this moment, anti-science ideology on the right appears to be in the ascendance. Agitation against the COVID vaccine is metastasizing into an opposition movement against all childhood vaccinations, a trend that threatens to produce a surge in other vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio.

"The anti-vaccine movement has spotted an opportunity to sow doubt," Howard told me. "Getting rid of all school vaccine mandates has always been the Holy Grail for them."

Howard's book is a warning. We may be on the verge of a public health disaster, because the promoters of a failed theory that COVID could be fought through "natural immunity" without vaccines have been able to wrap themselves in the mantle of truth-tellers. But they're not.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
An estimated 2,000 Taiwanese were forced into sexual slavery during World War II

The last known Taiwanese "comfort woman" from World War Two has died aged 92, says a Taipei anti-sex trafficking group.

"Comfort women" refers to those forced to work in the Japanese army's wartime brothels between 1932 and 1945.

Activists estimate 200,000 people from the occupied territories were forced into sexual slavery, including about 2,000 women in Taiwan.

The woman, who did not wish to be named, died on 10 May said activists.

The Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation said her family had permitted the news of her death to be known after a private funeral.

Women forced into Imperial Japan's WW2 sexual slavery came from its occupied territories in Korea, China, Taiwan and the Philippines among other areas.

The Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation said located 59 of them locally after setting up a hotline in 1992.

"We will continue to keep records of the comfort women and hope the truth about the sexual violence does not disappear with their deaths," the foundation said in a statement.

"We will continue to demand that the Japanese government apologise and compensate these women and their families," it added.

Taiwan was colonised by Japan from 1895 to 1945. While there are numerous memorials dedicated to the Japanese contribution to the island during the colonial period, it was not until 2018 that the first memorial to "comfort women" was erected in the southern city of Tainan.

Protests ensued when a Japanese right-wing activist was filmed kicking the statue. This came two years after Taiwan opened a museum dedicated to "comfort women" in the capital Taipei.

The historical grievance has long been a sore point in Japan's relations with its neighbours.

Thousands of "comfort women" were drawn from Korea, and the issue has long driven a political wedge between Tokyo and Seoul.

The Statue of Peace in Seoul is a tribute to former comfort women in Korea

In 2015, the two governments came to an agreement in which Fumio Kishida, then Japan's foreign minister, apologised for the "grave affront to the honour and dignity of large numbers of women".

However a few weeks later the the Prime Minister Shinzo Abe appeared to walk back the apology. He told the Japanese parliament: "There was no document found that the comfort women were forcibly taken away".

South Korea also accepted Japan's compensation offer of 1b yen ($7.2m; 5.8m). However it was criticised by victims as being insufficient.

Japan has minimised the topic of comfort women in its post-WW2 narrative, says Professor Mary McCarthy of Drake University, who specialises in Japan's domestic and foreign policies.

There is currently no consensus within Japan about the facts of the comfort women: who they were, how they were recruited, what the roles of the Japanese military and government were, and what should be done today, she said.

"They were undermined by removal of the issue from Japanese school textbooks, Japanese politicians denying the issue, and active insistence by the government and individual politicians that memorials to the comfort women around the world be removed."

Prof McCarthy told the BBC the issue has polarised public discourse since the 1980s, becoming a "political symbol" of ideological preferences and worldviews.
Conditions created for offensive as Ukraine engages in large-scale operation in three identified directions

A big offensive. The Armed Forces of Ukraine is planning counteroffensive operations this year

Read also: Ukraines counteroffensive has already started - opinion

According to Ukrainian military analysts, the three most strategically advantageous directions for the major offensive have been identified as follows: the left-bank part of Kherson Oblast, leading towards the isthmuses that connect to Crimea; the coastal area of Zaporizhzhya Oblast, south of Zaporizhzhya towards Melitopol, effectively severing the land corridor to Crimea; and Luhansk Oblast, extending from Svatove eastward to the state border.

Preparatory activities, similar to those preceding the liberation of the right bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson area, are currently underway in these three designated directions.

According to Mykhailo Samus, Director of the New Geopolitics Research Network, these preparations involve missile and artillery strikes targeting enemy rear areas, encompassing the destruction of command posts, ammunition depots, fuel storage facilities, logistical nodes, and barracks.

Read also:

If you look reflect on the Kherson operation, everyone was making phone calls and asking when the strike would finally happen, why it was constantly being postponed, said Samus.

In Ukraine and in Western military science, there is no concept of Lets take this city by May 9. There are no set deadlines; there are conditions for conducting such operations. And they are being created right now.

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Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at the Chicago Tribune.

A planned Amazon warehouse in Bridgeport that faced community opposition when the project was reviewed by city officials in 2020 has been made available for sublease by the company.

Amazon signed a deal for the Bridgeport site in 2020, according to CoStar. Its lease on the 112,000-square-foot facility at 2420 S. Halsted St. began in August 2022. According to planning documents, Amazon had planned to operate the facility as a distribution center.

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In a statement, Amazon spokesperson Steve Kelly said the company was always evaluating our network and making adjustments to best fit the needs of our business and customers.

The Bridgeport facility is available on a short-term sublease to companies for similar uses, he said, and may still factor into our future plans.

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Amazon made a big push to open warehouse facilities before and during the COVID-19 pandemic but has since pulled back on some of that expansion. In January, the company announced it would cut roughly 18,000 corporate and technology jobs.

The company has put up at least three suburban facilities for sublease over the last year, according to CoStar.

Amazon closed smaller facilities in Elgin and Mundelein; employees at those locations were given the opportunity to transfer to other locations and volume processed at the closed facilities was absorbed by larger warehouses, the company said.

A 189,000-square-foot Addison warehouse was also put up for sublease. Kelly said that facility, like the Bridgeport location, could still factor into the companys future plans.

Neither the Bridgeport nor the Addison facility have opened, Kelly said.

Edward Lowenbaum, managing principal of commercial real estate firm Cresa, calls it a modest pullback.

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Amazon is not fire-selling these assets, theyre being very strategic, he said. Theyre keeping their big core facilities, but there are a number of small, last-mile facilities that theyve put back on the marketplace.

Amazon also delayed the opening of a facility in West Humboldt Park that was originally slated to open by the end of last year.

In January, community activists protested outside that facility calling for Amazon to open the facility and employ neighborhood residents there. At the time, Kelly said the delay was caused by supply chain concerns and business reasons. The West Humboldt Park warehouse is slated to open this fall.

Amazon isnt the only firm giving up on some leases.

The pandemic sent demand for home deliveries soaring nationwide, according to Craig Van Pelt, Cresas head of research. Many retailers responded by leasing new warehouses at a torrid pace, now have too many, and need to put some up for sublease.

The market is still really hot, but I think its taking a breath, he said.

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The Bridgeport Amazon facility up for sublease faced some community opposition when plans for the project first emerged.

In fall 2020, when the project was up for approval by the Chicago Plan Commission, a coalition of neighborhood and environmental justice groups submitted a letter urging commissioners to reject the proposed rezoning of the site.

In their letter, the groups, which included the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization and the Southwest Environmental Justice Coalition, pointed to the concentration of logistics and other industrial facilities they said proliferated on the citys South and West sides.

South, Southwest and West Side communities should not have to sacrifice health, environment, traffic safety, or quality of life for economic prosperity, they wrote.
Coroner identifies Meridian bicyclist who died after being hit by car in West Boise

The Ada County Coroners Office on Tuesday released the name of the woman who was killed while riding her bike in West Boise.

The bicyclist was struck by a car on May 15 and died at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center from her injuries two days later, according to the Boise Police Department.

The Ada County Coroners Office identified the victim as 67-year-old Connie Buckley of Meridian. Her cause of death was blunt force injuries, and the manner of death was an accident, according to the report.

Buckley was traveling eastbound on McMillan Road at about 2:18 p.m. when a driver traveling northbound on Eagle Road struck the bicyclist, according to Boise police. Buckley was transferred to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, while no other injuries were reported.

The crash occurred near Lowell Scott Middle School at the intersection of McMillan and Eagle roads, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting. Boise police urged the public to stay away from the area following the incident. The collision caused no school delays and did not affect school bus routes.
Soldiers of the Russian Volunteer Corps

Read also: Russia evacuates nuclear arsenal storage facility near Belgorod, Ukrainian intelligence says

"A decision has been made to cancel the counter-terrorist operation legal regime in the territory of the Belgorod Oblast," wrote Gladkov.

Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have eliminated 70 Russian insurgents in the region. The Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), which took responsibility for the incursion, published a series of videos on Telegram, suggesting the insurgents likely remain on Russian soil.

Previously, the Freedom of Russia Legion announced that, together with the RVC, they had completely liberated the settlement of Kozinka in Belgorod Oblast, and also entered the town of Grayvoron, commencing its assault.

Read also: Kremlin reacts to hostilities in Belgorod Oblast: Putin informed, says press secretary

Ukrainian officials said Kyiv is aware of these developments, with no direct involvement in what they described as an internal Russian matter.

The local authorities declared a counter-terrorism operation regime, and according to Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, the majority of the Grayvoron districts residents have evacuated.

Read also: Russia evacuates nuclear arsenal storage facility near Belgorod, Ukrainian intelligence says

The Freedom of Russia Legion is a unit within the Ukrainian Armed Forces, established in March 2022 to combat the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Read also: Explosions rock FSB building in Russias Belgorod Oblast, other nearby communities

The RVC was formed in August 2022, and is not formally affiliated with the Ukrainian military.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod Oblast, Russia, has announced that the counter-terrorist operation regime in the oblast has been cancelled.

Source: Vyacheslav Gladkov on Telegram

Quote from Gladkov: "A decision has been approved to cancel the counter-terrorist operation legal regime on the territory of Belgorod Oblast."

Details: Gladkov also shared a link to the document confirming the cancellation.

However, the governor did not say when residents who fled Belgorod Oblast might be able to return to their homes, and did not comment on the current situation in the border-adjacent areas of the oblast.

Background:

On 22 May, Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion announced that they had crossed the border and were "liberating" the settlements of Belgorod Oblast from the current Russian regime. They said they were starting with the villages of Kozinka and Gora-Podol, but were seeking to "liberate" all of Russia.

Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov has claimed that a "reconnaissance and sabotage group from the Ukrainian Armed Forces" had entered the Grayvoron district.

Russian Presidential Press Secretary, Dmitry Peskov, has said that Vladimir Putin was informed of the breach of the Russian border in Belgorod Oblast. Peskov said that the work was underway to stamp out "Ukrainian saboteurs" from the territory of Russia and dispose of them.

Andrii Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, has described the events taking place in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May as the creation of a "security zone" to protect Ukrainian citizens. Yusov stressed that the operation was conducted exclusively by Russian citizens.

Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, has stressed that Ukraine was not directly involved in the events in Russia's Belgorod Oblast.

Gladkov has reported that the majority of residents of the Grayvoron district had left their settlements.

Peskov has said that the penetration of an alleged Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group into the territory of Belgorod Oblast of the Russian Federation causes deep concern.

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Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast, reported calling off the "counter-terrorist operation" shortly after Russian Defense Ministry announced a defeat of the Belgorod incursion.

Gladkov didn't say what the current situation in the region was and whether residents who fled their homes could return.

Earlier the same day, the Russian Defense Ministry said they defeated partisan groups that attacked the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine on May 22.

The Russian authorities claim to have "killed 70 combatants" and destroyed four armored combat vehicles and five trucks while "driving the remaining formations from Belgorod Oblast back into the Ukrainian territory."

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claim, while the Russian Defense Military provided no footage backing their claim. The Free Russia Legion that has purportedly crossed into Russia later posted several videos alleging that the fight was ongoing.

UK Defense Ministry: Russia faces increasingly serious threat at its borders Russian security forces clashed with partisans between May 19 and 22 in at least three locations within Russias Belgorod Oblast, with the heaviest fighting near the town of Grayvoran, U.K. Defense Intelligence reported on May 23. Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

According to Gladkov, one civilian allegedly died due to the fighting in the village of Kozinka. Earlier today, he claimed that two civilians had been injured in the settlements said to be attacked by Russian partisans.

While the identity of partisans remains unconfirmed, Russian anti-government units that declare to fight on Ukraine's side  the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom for Russia Legion  have claimed responsibility.

They recorded a video on May 22 saying they had crossed into Russia and taken hold of bordering villages. Gladkov then announced a "counter-terrorist operation" while the Kremlin's spokesperson said Russian forces were working to "push out" what he called a "Ukrainian sabotage group" from the region.

Spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence Andrii Yusov confirmed to Suspilne news outlet on May 22 that the Russian anti-government groups have indeed started a combat operation in Russia's Belgorod Oblast.

Yusov stressed that while the operation aims to create a "safe strip" at the Russo-Ukrainian border, it is conducted "exclusively by Russian citizens."

Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, denied any involvement by Kyiv.
A judge in Boston has ordered a hearing next week on one of the key arguments that President Joe Biden has the legal authority to ignore the debt limit statute and continue to pay the federal governments bills.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns set a May 31 hearing on a lawsuit filed by a federal workers union contending that the 14th Amendment empowers Biden and other officials to sidestep the standoff with Congress that has threatened a potential default.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the so-called X-date for a default could come as soon as June 1, just one day after the scheduled arguments on the National Association of Government Employees request for a preliminary injunction requiring Yellen to keep paying bills  and salaries  as usual.



During a brief videoconference Tuesday morning, Stearns sounded skeptical of arguments from the unions lawyers that disaster for the nation is impending if he did not put the case on an even faster track.

If the emergency is as dire as you think it is, I would think that its within the power of the president to address it using executive branch authority, said Stearns, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton.

Before setting the May 31 argument date, Stearns said he didnt see the unions request for a decision by June 1 as realistic.

I understand there are time constraints, given that events are developing probably even as were meeting, that probably make a decision prior to June 1st impossible, the judge said.

Stearns did not get a direct answer when he asked Justice Department lawyer Alexander Ely whether the department disagrees with the central argument in the suit: that the 14th Amendments assurance that U.S. debt shall not be questioned means the president can ignore a statute capping the national debt.

Ely said he was not authorized to stake out a position on that question and he suggested that the department would argue that the unions suit is not a proper vehicle to force DOJ to come to a legal conclusion.

This requires high-level coordination among the U.S. government, said Ely.

But an attorney for the union, Thomas Geoghegan, pointed out that the claims of an imminent cataclysm from a possible default originate with the very officials named as defendants in the suit.



This is an unusual case in which the defendants are predicting the calamity, Geoghegan said as he asked the judge to agree to a speedy process. The local rules do not take into account that there is a catastrophe looming in this case.

The unions lawyer also suggested DOJ is playing for time to avoid staking out a position that could have a profound effect on the ongoing talks between the White House and Republican House leaders.

What were faced with, I fear, is that the government doesnt really have a position on this, but there is no time to prevent irreparable injury, Geoghegan said.

Stearns gave the Justice Department a deadline of May 30 to file a written response that could clarify the governments view on the outer bounds of Bidens authority regarding the public debt.
Critics say Biden is lying about how his son Beau died in Iraq  they are ignoring the full story

Joe Biden has again been criticised for saying that his late son Beau Biden lost his life in Iraq  a reference to the presidents long-held belief that toxic burn pits led to the younger Biden passing away from brain cancer at the age of 46.

The president made his latest remarks to US troops stationed in Japan during his trip to the country, after making similar remarks at least twice last year.

My son was a major in the US Army. We lost him in Iraq, said Mr Biden during an informal visit with troops at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni last Thursday in a video obtained by The New York Post.

Right-wing media outlets have attempted to use Mr Bidens comments on Beaus death as a sign that the 80-year-old Democrat has memory issues, ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Mr Bidens son died of brain cancer in 2015 at the Walter Reed military hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.

Last October, Mr Biden made similar comments while designating Camp Hale in Colorado as a national monument.

The area, covering 436 square miles, was the training site of the 10th Mountain Division during the Second World War.

Mr Biden spoke of the bravery of the division as they fought in Italy, before stating that he lost his son in Iraq.

Then US vice president Joe Biden (right) talks with his son, US Army Capt Beau Biden (left) at Camp Victory on the outskirts of Baghdad on 4 July 2009 (AFP via Getty Images)

Just imagine, I mean it sincerely, I say this as a father of a man who won the Bronze Star, the conspicuous service medal, and lost his life in Iraq. Imagine the courage, the daring, and the genuine sacrifice they all made, the president said.

A clip of the moment shared by the conservative Washington Examiner on Twitter has been viewed more than a million times.

President @JoeBiden incorrectly said his late son Beau "lost his life in Iraq." https://t.co/oZ9GRyRjcI pic.twitter.com/8OvjbQgUaT  Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) October 12, 2022

Mr Bidens son had served in Iraq between 2008 and 2009 as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard. He was the Delaware Attorney General between 2007 and 2015.

Just months after leaving the post, he passed away at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on 30 May 2015.

After his passing, he was given the Delaware Conspicuous Service Cross for heroism, meritorious service and outstanding achievement.

Joe Biden greeting US soldiers at the US Marine Corps base in Iwakuni (AFP via Getty Images)

Beau Biden died of brain cancer in 2015, more than five years after he returned from a year serving in Iraq. Joe Biden has attributed the cancer to Beau Bidens proximity to burn pits in Iraq, though sometimes conceded he isnt sure, tweeted CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale.

In 2016, then the vice president, Mr Biden said his sons cancer could have been caused by the toxic burn pits he was exposed to during his service in the Middle East.

The New York Times reported that Mr Biden said he was stunned when he read a chapter concerning the death of his son in the book The Burn Pits: The Poisoning of Americas Soldiers by Joseph Hickman.

Guys, Im going to be the biggest pain in your neck as long as I live, until we figure out about these burn pits, he said in a conference room in the congressional complex.

Burn pits were used to get rid of waste, such as plastics, rubber, and batteries, in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The smoke from the pits could be toxic, Newsweek noted.

The Department of Defence has stated that almost 3.5 million service members could have been exposed to toxins at harmful levels because of the practice.

Ive always believed that we have a sacred obligation to equip those we send to war, and care for those and their families when they come home, Mr Biden said during his State of the Union speech earlier this year.

And they come home, many of the worlds fittest and best-trained warriors in the world, never the same. Headaches. Numbness. Dizziness. A cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin.

While Mr Biden said he couldnt be entirely sure that his sons cancer was caused by the burn pits, he said his administration would be finding out everything we can.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stated on its website that it understands that many Veterans are especially concerned about exposure to the smoke and fumes generated by open burn pits.

In Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas of the Southwest Asia theater of military operations, open-air combustion of trash and other waste in burn pits was a common practice. The Department of Defense has now closed out most burn pits and is planning to close the remainder, the agency said.

Researchers, including experts at VA, are actively studying airborne hazards like burn pits and other military environmental exposures. Ongoing research will help us better understand potential long-term health effects and provide you with better care and services.
Critics wonder whether Jude Law used butt double for Alicia Vikander sex scene in new film Firebrand

Jude Laws posterior has become the subject of speculation after the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Firebrand.

In the historical film, directed by Karim Ainouz, Law portrays English monarch Henry VIII in the last stages of his life. Alicia Vikander plays his sixth and final wife and queen, Catherine Parr.

Since its first screening on Sunday (21 May), Firebrand has received widespread praise from its audience, beginning with a seven-minute standing ovation at the end of its Cannes screening.

Yet one aspect of the film has been an additional matter of intrigue: the appearance of the rotund kings bare bottom during a sex scene with Catherine.

In his review for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw likened the appearance of Henrys bottom to a giant, shaved arse of a sheep before posing the question: Did Law use a buttock double for this stomach-turning image?

For The Times, reviewer Kevin Maher had a similar query. A gasp-inducing shot of Henrys enormous rolling buttocks suggests that Law has partaken in some alarmingly detrimental weight gain (he hasnt!) or else clever editing, and a substitute posterior, is at work, he wrote.

Many reviews of Laws portrayal of the late king discuss the kings grotesque attitude and deteriorated physical state.

Jude Law and Alicia Vikander in Firebrand (Larry D. Horricks)

Henry suffered from chronic leg ulcers for much of the last decade of his life, thought to have been caused by an infection following a jousting accident in 1536.

As a result, his legs are described as rotting. In The Telegraph, Tim Robey wrote: Theres a brief shot of maggots writhing in [Henry VIIIs leg] which could easily cause you to throw up.

A UK cinematic release date for Firebrand has yet to be announced.

Previously at Cannes, the festival opened with a screening of Jeanne du Barry, which features Johnny Depp as another monarch from centuries ago: French king Louis XV. You can read The Independents review here.
Sure, we've heard of the feds seizing of all sorts of shady items  glitzy Rolex watches, well-done counterfeit Louis Vuitton handbags, lookalike Gucci earrings.

Who would imagine, though, that crooks are cranking out anything as dull as counterfeit U.S. Savings Bonds? And that they're hauling them to the bank to cash them?

Authorities claimed that $1 million in counterfeit savings bonds showed up at south Texas banks as part of one crackdown on a scheme to steal money by cashing phony savings bonds, including inflation-indexed or I Bonds, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas.

Nationwide losses are estimated at over $50 million, according to an alert issued earlier this year by the Oklahoma Bankers Association.

Real savers run into real headaches

One reader complained to me that all her daughter wanted to do was cash one, legitimate Series EE savings bond for $5,000 when she was visiting home in Michigan. She had an account for many years. But the Chase bank wouldn't let her cash the bond.

Chase told the Detroit Free Press that it never stopped cashing savings bonds. Chase will cash U.S. savings bonds for customers who have banked with Chase for more than a year. But there are limits on how much in savings bonds can be cashed and how much money you can get on the spot.

"We offer up to $500 redemption value  purchase price plus interest  at all of our branches," according to a spokesperson for Chase.

Otherwise, Chase customers and noncustomers would need to cash their savings bonds by mail through TreasuryDirect.gov.

Actual savers are finding it tougher in many cases to cash U.S. savings bonds at the bank after crooks cashed phony paper bonds in several states, including Michigan.

Many times, savers haul stacks of savings bonds, not just one or two bonds, to the bank to cash after decades of saving.

Back in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, workers in Detroit and elsewhere regularly set aside money toward paper savings bonds from each paycheck through employer-sponsored payroll savings plans. People kept their paper bonds in everything from safe deposit boxes to shoe boxes or plastic bags.

We saw 401(k) plans enter the scene in 1978 and not every employer offered one. The U.S. Treasury stopped issuing paper savings bonds through traditional employer-sponsored payroll savings plans in 2011.

Many long-term savers only cash their bonds once they stopped earning interest after 30 years. Some lost track of their bonds and cashed them later. I remember taking my dear, hardworking, hard-saving mother to the bank, and, believe me, she often wasn't cashing just one or two savings bonds.

Savers might have a harder time at some banks, especially if they haven't been customers for a year or more, when they want to cash some U.S. savings bonds, as bankers try to avoid counterfeit schemes.

Many banks once cashed savings bonds for non-customers but no longer do that. Huntington Bank, for example, stopped redeeming U.S. savings bonds for non-customers as of Feb. 16, 2022.

Last year, the Treasury allowed banks to stop cashing savings bonds for someone who wasn't a customer or someone who is a new customer. Some banks now require that you be a customer for at least one year before being able to cash savings bonds.

Comerica Bank will cash U.S savings bonds  Series E, Series EE, and Series I  at banking centers for existing customers who have had accounts for more than six months. But new customers and non-customers are referred to U.S, Department of the Treasury via the web site TreasuryDirect.gov.

A bank can decline to cash that bond, too, if the bank has a reason to doubt the authenticity of the bond or is concerned about the ID or trustworthiness of the person cashing it.

About 88% of paper savings bonds are redeemed at banks, but banks have the option of refusing to redeem bonds in certain situations, according to a spokesperson for the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service.

How does the savings bond scam work?

The bigger the face value, the tougher that savings bond could be to cash, in some cases. Scammers often try to pass off fake Series EE savings bonds that are in denominations of $5,000 or $10,000 each, according to an alert issued in February by the Oklahoma Bankers Association.

Criminals open a bank account, sometimes online. One person went to multiple branches and redeemed a few fake bonds at a time, according to the banking trade group. Some savvy tellers spot the fraud, but others don't and that's why banks are changing some rules.

We're talking about a good deal of money even with one or two bonds. Interest builds and, for example, three old Series EE bonds with a face value of $5,000 each can add up to be worth more than $30,000 together.

Con artists might deposit the bond money into the account but then withdraw the money before the financial institution finds out, through the U.S. Treasury, that the savings bonds were fake. The Treasury later makes an adjustment that leaves the bank or credit union on the hook for the lost money.

One alert to credit unions noted that some employees used a TreasuryDirect.gov website to calculate the value of the bonds without realizing the tool doesn't verify if the bonds are legitimate.

"The U.S. Treasury adjustments can take several days to weeks, which unfortunately aids the fraudster," according to an alert last year by the CUNA Mutual Group, an insurance company that provides services to credit unions and others.

Counterfeit savings bonds trigger problems for banks

Banks are on the hook if they end up handing out cash when a counterfeit savings bond is redeemed, unless the Department of the Treasury can determine the financial institution was not at fault or negligent. The Treasury issued a 22-page booklet to banks, revised in October, that outlines various scenarios of when not to cash a bond.

Banks, for example, are told not to cash bonds if:

Any information on those bonds or notes has been altered.

Any noticeable irregularities appear, such as an odd texture or feel to the bond.

The bonds are mutilated or defaced in any way.

The person who is trying to cash the bonds seems suspicious or the bonds look suspicious.

Do not buy savings bonds from someone else or through an online auction site. "You cannot cash them," according to TreasuryDirect.gov. "You can only cash savings bonds that you own or co-own unless you have legal evidence or other documentation that we accept to show you are entitled to cash the bond."

While some of these counterfeit savings bonds look authentic, the Treasury warns the color of the counterfeit bond is more of "a pale-yellow or pale-peach color. Authentic bonds are a rich-peach color."

Think about it, though, when is the last time you looked at a U.S. savings bond? Many tellers might not be familiar with how savings bonds should look. And the texture of real paper savings bonds issued over time isn't the same across the board.

Some savers face a long wait for savings bond money

Go to your bank to cash your savings bonds and research your options.

I took an old $200 face value Series EE savings bond  now worth about $461  to a regional bank where we have an account this week and they said they would cash it. (See TreasuryDirect.gov for calculator to find out how much a paper bond is worth. You need to serial number and issue date of that bond to calculate it.)

One bond is one thing; a bigger batch of bonds could be another.

If you're cashing 10 or more bonds at Huntington, for example, the teller or relationship banker might calculate the interest and redemption values within one or two business days. They'd call later to tell you the amount and ask you to return to endorse the bonds to redeem them, said Samantha Myers, communications manager for Huntington National Bank.

Given the levels of fraud, it's logical that some banks changed their rules.

Unfortunately, the wait could take months, if you can't find a bank to cash all of your bonds.

If the bank won't cash your savings bond, you need to go to the TreasuryDirect.gov website to read instructions for cashing savings bonds by mail. You're going to need to mail in the paper bonds and fill out a FS Form 1522 found online at TreasuryDirect.gov.

The form gives specifics, such as the Minneapolis post office box for mailing these bonds.

The TreasuryDirect site says online that it can take 13 weeks to process a claim to cash a savings bond. (If you're trying to research missing, lost or bonds, the TreasuryDirect site notes that it will take at least six months to process.)

The average time it takes the Bureau of Fiscal Service to complete a simple bond redemption is about 25 business days, according to a bureau spokesperson. But he said it can take up to 13 weeks in the case of complex redemption cases.

"If a bondholder wishes to redeem their bond, we encourage them to start with their bank," he said.

Waiting three months or more to get your money is distressing  especially if you expect to walk into a bank and cash a savings bond and get money on the spot.

Savers who need money quickly  say for a down payment on a home or college tuition  need to keep the new hurdles in mind. U.S. savings bonds bought in 1992 and earlier have stopped earning interest so you'd want to make sure to cash those bonds.

No one is going to send you any notice that your savings bonds need to be cashed or automatically redeem these bonds for you. It's up to you to track your savings bonds.

Here's another tidbit: If you run across an old Series HH savings bond sitting in a drawer, you need to know that the HH Bond cannot be cashed at all at the bank.

Savers who are cashing these specific paper bonds  which will stop paying interest after 20 years from the issue date  must have a bank account where the Treasury can send the money. The Treasury only redeems these HH Bonds via direct deposit. You'd also need to complete FS Form 1522  giving instructions for direct deposit on that form.

If the HH bond is less than 20 years old, it is paying interest to you via direct deposit.

The Series HH bonds were sold from 1980 through August 2004 and are no longer being issued.

Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @tompor.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Fake savings bonds create trouble for people trying to cash real ones
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The Freedom of Russia Legion, in conjunction with the Russian Volunteer Corps or RVC, has reportedly completely liberated the settlement of Kozinka in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, a post on the Legions Telegram channel claimed on May 22.





 Lukashenko pardons Belarusian journalist sentenced to eight years in prison

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned the former editor-in-chief of independent Belarusian news outlet Nexta, Roman Protasevich, who was sentenced on May 3 to eight years in prison, the state news agency BelTA reported on Telegram on May 22.





 F-16s wont fundamentally change the wars course in Ukraine, Pentagon says

The United States and its allies transferring F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine will not "fundamentally alter the balance" in the war in Ukraine, U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in an interview with Voice of America on May 22.





 Brazilian President da Silva avoided meeting with Zelenskyy at G7 summit in Japan

Brazilian President Lula da Silva apparently went to some lengths to avoid meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the recent G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Spanish newspaper La Razon reported on May 21.





 German journalists investigate new Ukrainian connections to Nord Stream explosions

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 Government revises up its forecast for Ukrainian economic growth

The Cabinet of Ministers has improved its forecast for Ukraine's GDP growth in 2023 to 3.2%, Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko wrote in an article about the adaptivity of Ukrainian business, which was published online on May 19.





 Researchers uncover plans of Putins personal palace in Gelendzhik, with its own church and casino

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Cuba Gooding Jr. doesn't want other accusers to testify at his upcoming rape trial. Reuters

Cuba Gooding Jr. is set to face a civil trial next month over a rape allegation.

His accuser wants a judge to allow four other women testify about being sexually assaulted by Gooding Jr.

The actor's lawyers say the women's stories aren't similar enough to be allowed at trial.

Cuba Gooding Jr.'s rape accuser is fighting to get a judge to allow four other women who say they were also sexually assaulted by the actor to testify at his upcoming trial. If she's victorious, she'll have E. Jean Carroll to thank.

An anonymous woman, referred to as Jane Doe in court documents, is suing Gooding Jr. for gender-motivated violence, claiming the actor raped her in a New York City hotel room in August 2020. Gooding Jr. has denied the allegation and a trial is scheduled for next month in Manhattan federal court.

In court filings on Tuesday, both sides made their arguments on whether or not the four other women who have accused Gooding Jr. of sexual misconduct should be allowed to take the stand.

Kelsey Harbert, Remona Biddle-Jackson, Shannon Lunsford, and an anonymous fourth woman  identified in court documents as Jane Doe #2  all claim that Gooding Jr. inappropriately touched them in public places.

Jane Doe's lawyers heavily cite the case law in E. Jean Carroll's recently successful defamation and battery lawsuit against former President Donald Trump as basis for why the four women should get to tell their stories.

Carroll's lawsuit stemmed from the claim that Trump raped Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman changing room in the mid-1990s. The judge allowed two other women to testify in the case about experiencing similar behavior from Trump. Natasha Stoynoff testified about Trump forcibly kissing her at Mar-a-Lago, and Jessica Leeds said Trump sexually assaulted her on a flight from Texas to New York.

But Gooding Jr.'s lawyers said that in this case, the stories of the plaintiff and the four other women aren't similar enough to warrant the others testifying.

Gooding Jr.'s lawyers says one of the big differences between Doe's claim and the other four women's claims is that Doe says she was attacked in private, while the other encounters with the other women happened in public spaces.

"Though Plaintiff and Defendant unquestionably met, drank, and flirted with one another in a public downtown bar and lounge, Plaintiff has not alleged that Defendant ever touched her inappropriately while they were out in public," Gooding Jr.'s lawyers wrote.

Doe's lawyers countered that argument in court filings on Monday, drawing specific attention to the judge's ruling in Carroll, which downplayed the differences in location for the three alleged assaults by Trump  on an airplane, in his home, and in a department store  and gave more weight to the common theme the three women reported. In each of those cases, Trump was accused of suddenly getting sexually aggressive after meetings that were at first friendly and benign.

"In finding similarity sufficient to allow both women to testify, the court emphasized that '[i]n each case, the alleged victim claims that [the defendant] suddenly attacked her sexually,' and minimized the fact that one was done in private whereas the other was done in public," Doe's lawyers wrote on Monday. "The same circumstances exist here."

The trial is set to start eight months after Gooding Jr. pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of forcible touching in Manhattan criminal court, and was handed down a sentence that allowed him to evade any jail time.

That case was based on allegations that he inappropriately touched three women at new York nightclubs in 2018 and 2019, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

Read the original article on Insider
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Citing expert testimony and excessive profits, the Citizens Utility Board is petitioning state regulators to slash ComEds proposed four-year, $1.47 billion rate increase by more than 60%.

The filing Monday with the Illinois Commerce Commission seeks to reduce ComEds proposal by at least $914.5 million, with additional testimony by other watchdog groups and the Illinois attorney generals office expected to bring the cumulative recommended cuts to over $1 billion.

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The ICC set a Monday deadline for submitting testimony on the ComEd rate increase proposal.

Its immediately apparent that the company is pushing for an excessive profit rate for its shareholders, David Kolata, CUBs executive director, said in a news release. ComEd has to maintain its system, but it never deserves a blank check. We urge state regulators to make deep cuts in ComEds rate-hike proposal.

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ComEd filed for the rate increase in January, seeking to bolster its grid for the projected demands of EVs, electrification and climate change. If approved by state regulators, ComEd customers will pay an average of $17 per month more for delivery charges by 2027.

The proposed rate hike is also projected to increase the profit rate for ComEd shareholders to 10.5% in 2024, growing to 10.65% in 2027. In its filing, CUB argued for a more reasonable 9.4% return on investment, which would reduce the rate hike by $570.4 million.

In addition, CUB challenged ComEds forecast for residential usage as unrealistically low, with the utility overstating its revenue requirements in the proposed rate increase by an additional $194.7 million.

Were still analyzing CUBs testimony, but based on an early review, we disagree with CUBs assessment of our multiyear plans, ComEd spokesperson Paul Elsberg said in an email. Our proposed investments provide meaningful benefits to our customers and communities and support the goals of the states Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, and we look forward to working with the Commission and all participants in the proceeding to prove that out.

The utilitys $1.47 billion request would spread the cost over four years, with the average residential monthly bill increasing by $6.72 in 2024, $5.73 in 2025 and $6.20 in 2026. ComEd projects a decrease of $1.67 in the fourth year of the plan, bringing the total increase to about $17 per month by 2027.

ComEds grid improvement plan includes connecting to a projected fivefold increase in rooftop and community solar systems and meeting the demands of widespread electric vehicle adoption. It also prepares for more severe weather events caused by climate change by upgrading outdated equipment and improved coordination with communities for faster power restoration during storms, the utility said.

Last year, ComEd filed for a proposed $199 million increase in electricity delivery charges, its largest rate hike since 2014. That was approved by the ICC in December, adding about $2.20 per month to the average residential customer bill this year.

The 2022 increase was also the last under the 2011 Smart Grid law, a 10-year program that granted the utility control over customer-funded investments to improve its power grid. Beginning this year, regulators have more authority over rate increases.

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CUB submitted testimony from energy consultants Brubaker & Associates that found the 10-year infrastructure program improved ComEds reliability, but came at a cost to customers.

The consultant concluded that ComEd is able to meet its reliability targets and maintain current levels of performance without increasing rates to the degree proposed in the new request.

CUB also cited the bribery lobbying scandal that resulted in the conviction of the ComEd Four earlier this month as leading to $1 billion in rate hikes over the last decade.

In 2020, ComEd agreed to pay a $200 million fine in exchange for federal prosecutors dropping charges against the utility in the scheme to bribe former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to pass favorable legislation.

Former ComEd lobbyist Michael McClain; former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore; former ComEd executive and lobbyist John Hooker; and Jay Doherty, the former president of the City Club of Chicago and a longtime ComEd lobbyist, were all found guilty of bribery and record falsification in the high-profile trial.

The ICC is expected to issue a decision on the proposed ComEd rate increase by December.

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rchannick@chicagotribune.com
The U.S. State Department has told Congress that Cuba is not fully cooperating with the United States in combating terrorism, signaling that the Biden administration will keep the island on the list of states sponsors of terrorism.

The Federal Register published Tuesday an annual certification to Congress by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, informing lawmakers that Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Syria and Venezuela are not fully cooperating with United States anti-terrorism efforts. Of those countries, only Venezuela is not designated as a state sponsoring terrorism.

In March, Blinken told Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar that the administration was not planning to remove Cuba from the list of states that sponsor terrorism because the country did not meet the necessary conditions for such action.

If there is to be such a review, it will be based on the law and based on the criteria in the law established by Congress, Blinken said during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

Under the Biden administration, the U.S. and Cuba resumed regular talks to discuss law enforcement cooperation, including on anti-terrorism.

Cuba was added back to the list of terrorism sponsors during the last days of the Trump administration in January 2021 as the culmination of its maximum pressure campaign against the communist government. At the time, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited Cubas refusal to extradite members of the National Liberation Army, a Colombian terrorist group, that were in the country after a breakdown in peace talks with the Colombian government. Since then, the new government of Gustavo Petro in Colombia withdrew the extradition request and called for delisting Cuba from the terrorism-sponsor list.

Pompeo also mentioned that the Cuban government is harboring several fugitives from U.S. justice, including Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, a fugitive on the FBIs Most Wanted Terrorists List, who was convicted of murdering a New Jersey state trooper.

In February, the State Department released the 2021 country report on terrorism, which listed other fugitives wanted by the U.S. Justice Department who are and reportedly living in Cuba.

Among them:

 William Guillermo Morales, a fugitive bomb maker for the Armed Forces for National Liberation, who is wanted by the FBI and escaped detention after his conviction on charges related to domestic terrorism;

 Ishmael LaBeet, aka Ishmael Muslim Ali, who received eight life sentences after being convicted of killing eight people in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1972 and hijacking a plane to flee to Cuba in 1984;

 Charles Lee Hill, charged with killing New Mexico State Police Officef Robert Rosenbloom in 1971;

 Ambrose Henry Montfort, who used a bomb threat to hijack a passenger aircraft and fly to Cuba in 1983, and

 Victor Manuel Gerena, a Puerto Rican militant who stole $7 million in a bank heist.

During the Cold War, the Reagan administration added Cuba to the terrorism-sponsor list in 1982. President Barack Obama took Cuba off the list in 2015, as he who sought normalization and restoring diplomatic relations with the Caribbean island. The designation of a country as a state sponsor of terrorism carries financial sanctions, a ban on weapons sales and restrictions on U.S. aid. It also works as a deterrent to companies wanting to do business with those nations for fear of exposure to U.S. sanctions.

The Cuban government has vigorously protested the designation, stating that claims that it supports terrorism are baseless and that the financial restrictions it carries are harming the population. Officials also said Cuba wont extradite political refugees who have been granted asylum.

Hard-left groups in the United States close to the Cuban government recently campaigned to call for the removal of Cuba from the list, gathering several signatures from Cuban private entrepreneurs in a letter sent to President Joe Biden claiming the designation was hurting the islands private sector. But the efforts fell flat after few American companies signed the letter.

Reacting to the Tuesday announcement, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Twitter: Washington persists in mendacious allegations against Cuba related to terrorism, an abominable crime that the U.S. has unscrupulously practiced and opportunistically uses as a means of political coercion.
For parents who approach design as a form of care and resilience, theres an ongoing conversation happening with the objects that our kid-friendly spaces contain. Aperture widens with the introduction of a child into the home and considerations like visual satisfaction, ease, safety, durability, longevity, sustainability, and utility come to the fore. A global pandemic only amplifies the urgency to create a sanctuary of a living space that supports the needs of all of its inhabitants. When children are in the home, this dialogue inspires parents to creatively meet the needs of children without compromising our own aesthetic.

Kai Avent-deLeon, owner of the Brooklyn-based boutique Sincerely, Tommy, insists that she doesnt have anything in her home that she needs to be super concerned about with her four-year-old doing his thing. So, she approaches home decor with comfort in mind, such as napping couches that are easy to throw yourself on and feel comfortable and relaxed. Terrestrial color choices prime the canvas of Kais homes in Brooklyn and upstate New York. Describing her aesthetic as a mix of modern surrealist with a bit of Shaker, she prefers to to keep things pretty neutral in order to create a story that feels cohesive.

AD_KaiAventDeLeon_Card_0026_copy.jpg Photo: Chris Mottalini

Job_10121_version_copy.jpg Photo: Chris Mottalini

For parents concerned about maintaining a neutral palette with kids toys and sticky hands, Kais advice is that you have to teach them how to move around the furniture. In her house, this instruction is not a command but an invitation. For example, she often tells her son Che that this is still your space and I want you to move around freely. Inviting her child to make use of their shared space freely also looks like collaborating on pieces Kai makes for the home. I like making ceramics, she says while remembering a period when the mother-child duo made a joint creation. I liked how he was playing with the clay and rolled it really flat; we ended up making these candle holders.

The conversation between the objects Kai makes for her decor line, Raini Home, and the spaces she inhabits, are largely influenced by Che and nature. The furniture was designed with him in mind, I wanted chairs that felt functional and modern but not with sharp edges, she adds. When play and whimsy are top of mind for aesthetically attuned parents, the alchemic combination of functionality and decor result in a creative approach to object placement and the way we move throughout our spaces.

Job_10032_copy.jpg Photo: Chris Mottalini

Gabriela Noelle Gonzalez, a mother of twin toddlers, knows a lot about play. She approaches object making from the lens of a child from the future who is trying to recreate this world. In her work, there is a navigation away from greens and neutral earth tones towards a world where the colors get a little wild and saturated. This is an allegory for the Miami studio space where she lives and worksa home that is less of an example of a perfectly curated kid-friendly space and more of a sojourn replete with whimsy, inspiration, and a bit of chaos.

After graduating from Parsons School of Design, Gabriela began designing pieces with her mother, an interior designer. What emerged from this mother-daughter collaboration was a solo departure from creating pieces for quantity towards a focus on designing them with intention. She began designing niche pieces that inspire play like a ping-pong table that doubles as a dining table, a swing, a seesaw, and a mushroom-shaped stool to name just a few. Using high quality acrylic and Tibetan lambs wool (which is naturally stain resistant and antimicrobial), these durable products are all built for multipurpose use.

Making pieces that transport the owner back to childhood is essential to Gabrielas ethos as a designer, as well as an extension of her parenting style. Im a little serious, so I have to remind myself to play, she adds. But shifting into that mindset didnt happen overnight, cultivating this ethos was a process catalyzed by an epiphany: I was spending so much time preparing work that made me feel like I wasnt enjoying the process. Furthermore, some of the materials she used for earlier works werent good for the environment, so Gabriela pivoted to things that would allow me to work with my hands, allow me to have time with the girls, allow me to embrace imperfection.

EVELYNN & FRANCO ESCOBAR WITH BABY ISLA - SHOT BY ANGELLA CHOE Photo: Angella Choe

Evelynn Escobar, spends most of her time in nature with her one-year-old Isla. She describes her decor style as youthful, expressive, colorful, and fun. Simply, its giving tasteful inner child, she says. As the founder of Hike Clerb, an intersectional womens outdoor club, Evelynn has approached motherhood as a natural extension of the life [she] had already created for [herself]. So her approach for home decor was no different. Inspired by the shadow work required to parent mindfully, Evelynns space evokes a warmth and whimsy that is indicative of the process of surrendering to the journey and embodying what it means to be a mother, to be a cycle breaker, to rid myself of the limiting self beliefs placed on me, as she wrote in a recent post on Instagram. Absolutely everything changed from the moment I knew I was carrying Isla.

And Isla, who she affectionately refers to as a GeminIcon, enhanced Evelynns journey as a new mother, but also her design choices. We buy the pieces she may need developmentally, but in general were not doing major changes often because we [had already] added things into the space with growth in mind, she says. We already had curated a fun bright vibe for our space and Islas little knickknacks fell right in line with that!

For Mai Nguyen, a mother of two under two living in Houston, Texas, theres no tension in the interplay between kids objects and decor. We let her mess around with anything with supervision, says the designer and founder of Iamai. The I Chair, a sleek and playful dining chair that is made of solid walnut, was created with this in mind. She climbs on it, Mai says in regards to her daughter Aaliyah. We make sure she understands and respects the furniture.

Photo: Josh Aranda

Photo: Josh Aranda

Kristy Scott, a social media personality, digital creator, entrepreneur, and mother of two sons under the age of five, juxtaposes her humorously playful social media content with modern, monochromatic and minimalist decorwhich notably consists of a white Restoration Hardware Cloud sectional sofa. This has been her aesthetic of choice since before she had her first child. Instead of swapping her style, and the sofa, for practicality post-baby, Kristy opted for easy to clean modular decor which stays white because of machine washable slipcovers and Ruggable rugs. To fit [the style] I like, I had to get the white, she adds. Kristys advice is to get the durable items in the colors that you want. As for the interplay between colorful kids toys and her preferred decor palette, Kristy offers another solution: lots of storage. They are everywhere, she says of the multiuse storage pieces placed throughout her home.

Ashley Lennon, mother to baby boy Sunny, relates to the necessity of storage pieces. Her lifestyle brand Museum of Peace and Quiet designs simplistic objects for everyday usea commitment to a clear state of mind. Ashley and her husband Christion share a love for design and minimalistic things, so they gravitate toward vintage midcentury pieces and rare objects that you find while traveling. As a result, a lot of research goes into selecting pieces for their Orange County home. If Im looking at a storage unit I always think about pieces that serve more than one function. Ashley considers, How do I get the most out of this piece that Im about to invest in? Sustainability, therefore, is at the heart of her approach to design.

Despite the seemingly effortless and curated depiction of a relaxed and reclusive life on Ashleys Instagram page, transitioning to life with a baby revealed essential life lessons for her. When I was pregnant I said Im not going to baby-proof, I want Sunny to move around and adjust himself. But as he started to get mobile and I foresaw freak accidents happen, I had to be more open to change, she recalls. So the couple opened up their floor plan to make space for softness. Ashley began playing with materials and textures and being more mindful about what they were bringing into their home. Children need less than you think, she says. I am open to change and accepting the fact that its not about aesthetics. Its more about form and functionalityadding things that could be used multi-purposely, like replacing the coffee table with the ottoman.

Photo: Ashley Lennon

Just north of Museum of Peace and Quiets headquarters, the artist Elise Peterson lives in an apartment in Downtown LA with big beautiful windows and exposed beams. It gives loft, she says. I was excited to play and to create more within a space that feels a bit more rigid. Elise describes her interior design style as midcentury, playful, warm, and really flexible. She loves to host gatherings in her home, so modular furniture, like a bright orange vintage Togo sofa by Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset, is key. Sustainability is also a motivating factor for Elises home decor choices. Though she has always gravitated towards vintage, Elise wanted to embrace the modern landscape of the apartment that she shares with her five-year-old son Sargent. I was really intentional [about] bringing things [in the apartment] that I love, she adds. Really intentional about taking my time.

As the founder and host of Cool Moms, a podcast featuring mothers who prioritize their passions, Elise is also very intentional about the tangible and intangible boundaries she sets in her space. Theres a distinct line between the home and Sargents personal space and my space, she explains. I dont keep toys in shared spaces. If he brings toys in the living room they have to be put back before he goes to bed. But I am lenient with him in his space. His walls are covered in art. As long as it is clean, it is his. He understands boundaries.

Because of the lack of physical walls in their space, when Elise needs a quiet place to take a call, she has to ask Sargent permission to use his room because it is the only room in the loft with a door. Despite these mutually established boundaries, Elise invites Sargent to interact with the objects in their home, such as the altar upon which seashells brought back from a trip to Greece and crystals are placed alongside a candle, singing bowl, glass of water, cowrie shells, food offerings, and pictures of nature that represent ancestors.

Photo: Elise Peterson

I often flashback to my grandmothers French provincialcumRegency decor replete with decorative embroidered hand towels, plastic covered brocade sofas, and candy dishes. There was an entire room, the living room, full of decor that, as a child, I knew I was forbidden to touch. Such a cruel misnomer for a space, I often thought. Sometimes my curiosity got the best of me as I slowly opened the welded-brass-and-glass curio doors fondling heavy crystal tchotchkes collected from her post-retirement travels around the world. Growing up in a look-but-dont-touch space inspires the way I approach home decor with my own child. Most of the pieces in my home are meant to be touched, within reason, by tiny hands as my child repurposes our home decor to enact imaginative scenarios brought forth by play. Marigold microfiber Sabai Design sofa cushions become walls of a fort, and the living room rug is no longer a braided ivory tapestryits lava.

When we surrender to the transformative reality of parenting and embrace the fluidity and flow of decorating without compromising our personal style, we open ourselves to new possibilities of living beautifully that might not have been revealed otherwise. Because, as Kai so accurately describes it, when you are in your sanctuary and home space, you need that extra layer of comfort and space to let it all go. A space where [you] could completely let go and not care and feel completely at home. Making every part of the house an altar in its own way.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
Customer shoots two bartenders to death as they left work, Washington police say

Two bartenders were shot dead by a customer as they were leaving a bar in Washington, multiple news outlets reported.

Now family members and friends of the 36-year-old and 38-year-old women are grieving the loss of their loved ones, KOMO-TV reported.

I was in shock. I am still in shock. I go from bouts of crying, to numb. Its horrible, a coworker told KIRO-TV.

The two women were leaving Stars Bar & Grill at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, May 21, in Federal Way, police told KOMO-TV.

A customer then shot the two bartenders and another customer following a dispute earlier that night, the Federal Way Mirror reported, citing police.

Police said the women were pronounced dead at the bar, but the 25-year-old customer was taken to a hospital, the news outlet reported.

The shooting suspect has not been arrested, and police are looking for them, KSTU reported.

The Federal Way Police Department did not immediately respond to McClatchy News request for more information.

Federal Way is about 25 miles south of Seattle.

Worker told to pose as shooter for drill, then cops hold him at gunpoint, lawsuit says

15-year-old charged in fatal shooting of store clerk during robbery, Arkansas cops say

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Yekaterina Maksimova enters a Moscow subway station in Moscow, Russia, Monday, May 22, 2023. The journalist and activist has been detained five times in the past year, thanks to the system's pervasive security cameras with facial recognition. She says police would tell her the cameras "reacted" to her  although they often seemed not to understand why, and would let her go after a few hours. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

TALLINN, Estonia (AP)  When Yekaterina Maksimova can't afford to be late, the journalist and activist avoids taking the Moscow subway, even though it's probably the most efficient route.

That's because she's been detained five times in the past year, thanks to the system's pervasive security cameras with facial recognition. She says police would tell her the cameras reacted to her  although they often seemed not to understand why, and would let her go after a few hours.

It seems like Im in some kind of a database, says Maksimova, who was previously arrested twice: in 2019 after taking part in a demonstration in Moscow and in 2020 over her environmental activism.

For many Russians like her, it has become increasingly hard to evade the scrutiny of the authorities, with the government actively monitoring social media accounts and using surveillance cameras against activists.

Even an online platform once praised by users for easily navigating bureaucratic tasks is being used as a tool of control: Authorities plan to use it to serve military summonses, thus thwarting a popular tactic by draft evaders of avoiding being handed the military recruitment paperwork in person.

Rights advocates say that Russia under President Vladimir Putin has harnessed digital technology to track, censor and control the population, building what some call a cyber gulag  a dark reference to the labor camps that held political prisoners in Soviet times.

It's new territory, even for a nation with a long history of spying on its citizens.

The Kremlin has indeed become the beneficiary of digitalization and is using all opportunities for state propaganda, for surveilling people, for de-anonymizing internet users, said Sarkis Darbinyan, head of legal practice at Roskomsvoboda, a Russian internet freedom group the Kremlin deems a foreign agent.

RISING ONLINE CENSORSHIP AND PROSECUTIONS

The Kremlins seeming indifference about digital monitoring appeared to change after 2011-12 mass protests were coordinated online, prompting authorities to tighten internet controls.

Some regulations allowed them to block websites; others mandated that cellphone operators and internet providers store call records and messages, sharing the information with security services if needed. Authorities pressured companies like Google, Apple and Facebook to store user data on Russian servers, to no avail, and announced plans to build a sovereign internet that could be cut off from the rest of the world.

Many experts initially dismissed these efforts as futile, and some still seem ineffective. Russias measures might amount to a picket fence compared to Chinas Great Firewall, but the Kremlin online crackdown has gained momentum.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, online censorship and prosecutions for social media posts and comments spiked so much that it broke all existing records.

According to Net Freedoms, a prominent internet rights group, more than 610,000 web pages were blocked or removed by authorities in 2022 - the highest annual total in 15 years  and 779 people faced criminal charges over online comments and posts, also a record.

A major factor was a law, adopted a week after the invasion, that effectively criminalizes antiwar sentiment, said Net Freedoms head Damir Gainutdinov. It outlaws spreading false information about or discrediting the army.

Human Rights Watch cited another 2022 law allowing authorities to extrajudicially close mass media outlets and block online content for disseminating false information about the conduct of Russian Armed Forces or other state bodies abroad or for disseminating calls for sanctions on Russia.

SOCIAL MEDIA USERS SHOULDNT FEEL SAFE'

Harsher anti-extremism laws adopted in 2014 targeted social media users and online speech, leading to hundreds of criminal cases over posts, likes and shares. Most involved users of the popular Russian social media platform VKontakte, which reportedly cooperates with authorities.

As the crackdown widened, authorities also targeted Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Telegram. About a week after the invasion, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were blocked in Russia, but users of the platforms were still prosecuted.

Marina Novikova, 65, was convicted this month in the Siberian city of Seversk of spreading false information about the army for antiwar Telegram posts, fining her the equivalent of over $12,400. A Moscow court last week sentenced opposition activist Mikhail Kriger to seven years in prison for Facebook comments in which he expressed a desire to hang Putin. Famous blogger Nika Belotserkovskaya, who lives in France, received a nine-year prison term in absentia for Instagram posts about the war that the authorities claimed spread fakes about the army.

Users of any social media platform shouldnt feel safe, Gainutdinov said.

Rights advocates worry that online censorship is about to expand drastically via artificial intelligence systems to monitor social media and websites for content deemed illicit.

In February, the government's media regulator Roskomnadzor said it was launching Oculus  an AI system that looks for banned content in online photos and videos, and can analyze more than 200,000 images a day, compared with about 200 a day by humans. Two other AI systems in the works will search text materials.

In February, the newspaper Vedomosti quoted an unidentified Roskomnadzor official as lamenting the unprecedented amounts and speed of spreading of fakes about the war. The official also cited extremist remarks, calls for protests and LGBT propaganda to be among banned content the new systems will identify.

Activists say it's hard to know if the new systems are operating and their effectiveness. Darbinyan, of the internet freedom group, describes it as horrible stuff," leading to "more censorship, amid a total lack of transparency as to how the systems would work and be regulated.

Authorities could also be working on a system of bots that collect information from social media pages, messenger apps and closed online communities, according to the Belarusian hacktivist group Cyberpartisans, which obtained documents of a subsidiary of Roskomnadzor.

Cyberpartisans coordinator Yuliana Shametavets told AP the bots are expected to infiltrate Russian-language social media groups for surveillance and propaganda.

Now its common to laugh at the Russians, to say that they have old weapons and dont know how to fight, but the Kremlin is great at disinformation campaigns and there are high-class IT experts who create extremely effective and very dangerous products, she said.

Government regulator Roskomnadzor did not respond to a request for comment.

EYES ON  AND UNDER  THE STREETS

In 2017-18, Moscow authorities rolled out street cameras enabled by facial recognition technology.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities were able to trace and fine those violating lockdowns.

Vedomosti reported in 2020 that schools would get cameras linked to a facial recognition system dubbed Orwell, for the British writer of the dystopian novel 1984, with his all-seeing character, Big Brother.

When protests over the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny erupted in 2021, the system was used to find and detain those attending demonstrations, sometimes weeks later. After Putin announced a partial mobilization for Ukraine last year, it apparently helped officials round up draft evaders.

A man who was stopped on the Moscow subway after failing to comply with a mobilization summons said police told him the facial recognition system tracked him down, according to his wife, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because she feared retaliation.

In 2022, Russian authorities expanded their control over peoples biometric data, including by collecting such data from banks, and using facial recognition technology to surveil and persecute activists, Human Rights Watch reported this year.

Maksimova, the activist who repeatedly gets stopped on the subway, filed a lawsuit contesting the detentions, but lost. Authorities argued that because she had prior arrests, police had the right to detain her for a cautionary conversation  in which officers explain a citizen's moral and legal responsibilities."

Maksimova says officials refused to explain why she was in their surveillance databases, calling it a state secret. She and her lawyer are appealing the court ruling.

There are 250,000 surveillance cameras in Moscow enabled by the software  at entrances to residential buildings, in public transportation and on the streets, Darbinyan said. Similar systems are in St. Petersburg and other large cities, like Novosibirsk and Kazan, he said.

He believed the authorities want to build a web of cameras around the entire country. It sounds like a daunting task, but there are possibilities and funds there to do it.

TOTAL DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE

Russia's efforts often draw comparisons with China, where authorities use digital surveillance on a vast scale. Chinese cities are blanketed by millions of cameras that recognize faces, body shapes and how people walk to identify them. Sensitive individuals are routinely tracked, either by cameras or via their cellphones, email and social media accounts to stifle any dissent.

The Kremlin seems to want to pursue a similar path. In November, Putin ordered the government to create an online register of those eligible for military service after efforts to mobilize 300,000 men to fight in Ukraine revealed that enlistment records were in serious disarray.

The register, promised to be ready by fall, will collect all kinds of data, from outpatient clinics to courts to tax offices and election commissions, political analyst Tatyana Stanovaya said in a commentary for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

That will let authorities serve draft summonses electronically via a government website used to apply for official documents, like passports or deeds. Once a summons appears online, recipients cannot leave Russia. Other restrictions - like suspension of a driver's license or a ban on buying and selling property - are imposed if they dont comply with the summons within 20 days, whether they saw it or not.

Stanovaya believes these restrictions could spread to other aspects of Russian life, with the government building a state system of total digital surveillance, coercion and punishment. A December law mandates that taxi companies share their databases with the successor agency of the Soviet KGB, giving it access to travelers' dates, destinations and payment.

The cyber gulag, which was actively talked about during the pandemic, is now taking its real shape, Stanovaya wrote.

___

Associated Press writers Yuras Karmanau in Tallinn, Estonia, and Joe McDonald and Beijing contributed.
Colorado Rockies' Elias Diaz gestures as he crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run off Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera in the sixth inning of a baseball game Monday, May 22, 2023, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DENVER (AP)  Elias Diaz homered and doubled to drive in two runs and Jurickson Profar doubled twice to extend his on-base streak to 30 games and drive in another pair as the Colorado Rockies beat the Miami Marlins 5-3 on Monday night.

Bryan De La Cruz had four hits for the Marlins, scoring twice and Jacob Stallings had two RBIs on an infield force play and a single.

With the score tied 2-all going into the bottom of the sixth inning, Diaz connected for his fourth home run, driving an offering from Edward Cabrera (3-4) into the left field bleachers.

Profar, whose on-base streak is the longest active streak in the majors, added a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh. We didnt play good baseball in Texas, said Profar, whose Rockies were swept by the Rangers in a three-game set over the weekend. But this team, we battle and we can turn it up. It started with (Chase) Anderson pitching really well  and we know were a pretty good hitting ballclub.

Pierce Johnson got three outs for his ninth save and Jake Bird (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief for the victory.

Profar, Kris Bryant and Diaz hit successive doubles off Cabrera in the bottom of the first inning, giving the Rockies a 2-0 lead. But Cabrera regrouped to set down 13 of the next 14 batters, striking out four and walking one in that span before Charlie Blackmons two-out single in the bottom of the fifth.

Miami chipped away to tie it at 2-2, getting an RBI single from Luis Arraez in the top of the third and a run-scoring force out by Stallings in the fourth.

Anderson, making his second start for the Rockies since being claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay on May 12, went 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs on eight hits in winding up with another no decision. He pitched efficiently, Rockies manager Bud Black said. They were aggressive against Chase but he was making pitches. He'd like to have a couple of at-bats backs but overall I thought he threw the ball well. The game management part was solid, under control, a poised veteran pitcher."

The Marlins had other chances but hit into two double plays and saw a baserunner thrown out trying to advance to third.

We had the right guys up at the right times. We just didnt cash in, Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said.

WELCOME SIGHT

Rockies pitcher Ryan Feltner returned to the clubhouse before the game for his first visit to the park since suffering a skull fracture and concussion when he was struck in the head by a line drive off the bat of the Philadelphia Phillies Nick Castellanos on May 13. That picked me up and I think it picked the guys up, Black said. He sat down. We chatted. It was good to see him. Hes still going through some things but hes feeling better each and every day. Black said Feltner told him hes motivated to pitch again this season. However, no timetable has been outlined for his return.

TRAINERS ROOM

Marlins: LHP Trevor Rogers (left biceps strain) came out of his latest rehab appearance well and is on track for another rehab outing later this week. Everything has been positive so far, no setbacks, said manager Skip Schumaker. Rogers was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to April 20.

Rockies: RHP Noah Davis (right elbow inflammation) came out of a bullpen session Monday feeling good and the club expects to formulate a plan in the next day or two for a rehab assignment. Hes on the way back, manager Bud Black said. Its good that he hit the mound and the elbow feels great.  2B Brendan Rodgers, out indefinitely after undergoing surgery in early March to repair a damaged left shoulder capsule, was on the field pre-game taking infield grounders, a sign his rehab is ahead of schedule. Initially, it was thought likely Rodgers would miss this season but Black said theres a realistic chance Rodgers could return before seasons end.

UP NEXT

Marlins rookie RHP Eury Perez (1-0, 2.79 ERA) is set to make his third career start Tuesday night against the Rockies. He earned his first major league win last time out, allowing one run in five innings in the Marlins 5-3 victory over the Washington Nationals. The Rockies counter with LHP Austin Gomber (3-4, 6.70 ERA).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Northern Ireland has a significant problem with ammonia, the bulk of which comes from agriculture

The UK's environment watchdog is investigating Stormont's Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera).

It is the first investigation by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) in Northern Ireland.

It is concerned Daera breached environmental law in ammonia guidance - the Operational Protocol - for councils to use in making planning decisions.

Ammonia can negatively affect climate, health, biodiversity and water quality.

Daera said it would engage positively with the investigation.

Evidence shows 100% of special areas of conservation, 100% of special protection areas and 99.7% of areas of special scientific interest in Northern Ireland have ammonia concentrations at levels where significant harmful effects will occur.

Almost all Northern Ireland's current ammonia emissions - 97% - come from agriculture, which also plays a significant role in the local economy.

Some farmers have started using specialist slurry-spreading equipment and changing building construction to try to reduce their ammonia emissions.

The investigation was prompted by a number of complaints from a member of the public about individual planning decisions that gave rise to the risk of ammonia pollution.

"These relate predominantly to livestock installations and the effect that those livestock installations can have on the ammonia load in relation to those local habitats," Natalie Prosser, the OEP's chief executive said.

Natalie Prosser said time was of the essence in relation to the threat from ammonia pollution

"We've looked at all of those complaints which have come from here in Northern Ireland, and we've identified that there's this underlying theme of the Operational Protocol.

"Hence we've launched the investigation off the back of that assessment."

Analysis: Shining a spotlight on NI's environmental failures

By launching its first investigation in Northern Ireland and making a government department the focus of it, the OEP is showing it has teeth and is not afraid to use them.

But it shines a glaring spotlight on Northern Ireland's environmental failures.

Given that the department was warned repeatedly in recent years that its operational protocol was out of step with scientific and legal evidence, the question is why the situation has gone on so long.

And it shows that the longer Northern Ireland is unable to enact legislation at a local level, the more likely it is to fall short of standards, and the greater the gulf between it and its legally-binding environment targets will grow.

A consultation on a draft ammonia strategy was launched at the start of January 2023.

It included a call for evidence on a new Operational Protocol, to be published separately.

While the consultation has now closed, neither the strategy nor the Operational Protocol has been published in the absence of a agriculture minister.

That delay has also played a part in leading to the investigation announced by the OEP.

"We know that Daera is keen to update the Operational Protocol, but we haven't seen that move at the pace that we need to see, because time really is of the essence in relation to this threat from ammonia pollution," Ms Prosser said.

"So we do think that the Operational Protocol should be updated and we provided advice to DAERA on that front quite recently.

"But because we're not seeing the progress at the pace we'd like to see, we've decided to launch this investigation to look into it."

The draft ammonia strategy includes a target of 30% reduction in ammonia emissions from agriculture and reducing ammonia concentrations at all designated sites by 40% by 2030.

Figures from Daera showed ammonia levels rose by 19% between 2009 and 2019 "from an already very troubling baseline", Ms Prosser said.

She added that the report and findings of the investigation would be published when complete.

'In limbo'

Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) president David Brown said they have been raising concerns about the planning process and how ammonia from farms is assessed for many years.

"We have been waiting for revised guidance from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency on this issue since late 2019 and wrote to minister Poots in early 2021, outlining our concerns and the need for new guidance to allow farmers to make informed decisions on their farm businesses," he said.

A lack of clarity with current protocol has resulted in several union members having planning applications "sitting in limbo" for several years, he said.

"We understand that a 'call for evidence' on a revised operational protocol is due soon and was unable to be launched earlier due to the purdah period in the run up to the council elections.

"We will engage with Daera on this and will co-operate with the Office of Environmental Protection during their investigation if our input is required."

What is the OEP?

The Office for Environmental Protection is a new environmental governance body, which holds the government and other public authorities in England and Northern Ireland to account on their environmental protection and improvement.

It also covers reserved UK-wide matters.

It advises the government and Northern Ireland Assembly on any changes to environmental law.

It has statutory powers to investigate and enforces compliance with environmental law where needed.

That enforcement can include legal action if unresolved through compliance with recommendations.

A spokesperson for Daera said the department "notes the announcement by the OEP that it intends to carry out an investigation into the advice given by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on ammonia emissions in Northern Ireland".

"Daera will, of course, engage positively with the OEP during the course of the investigation and looks forward to considering any recommendations which may result," they added.
Daniel Cameron with supporters

Daniel Cameron, the Kentucky attorney general who declined to prosecute the cops who killed Breonna Taylor and who has since become a rising star in the Republican Party, is officially kicking off his general campaign for governor of Kentucky.

Cameron officially won the Republican primary last week and will now try to defeat Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. Camerons race comes as one of several in which prominent Black Republicans seek higher office.

Rose to prominence in 2020

Daniel Cameron, who won the Kentucky Republican primary on May 16, entered the national spotlight in 2020 when he declined to bring indictments against the police officers involved in the killing of Breonna Taylor. This move, roundly criticized by people demanding justice for Taylor, helped make Cameron a darling within GOP circles; he was even reported to be on then-President Donald Trumps list of potential Supreme Court nominees. In his current race for governor, Cameron gained Trumps endorsement, which helped him emerge from a crowded field of a dozen Republican candidates. Last Tuesday, Cameron, who has also been supported by fellow Kentuckian and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, officially defeated his GOP opponents, setting up a showdown with Beshear in November.

Downplaying racism, highlighting American Dream

Cameron evoked Martin Luther King Jr. in his victory speech last week, arguing that Kentucky voters judged him by the content of his character and not the color of his skin. He added, To anyone who looks like me, know that you can achieve anything, nodding to the American Dream as the cornerstone of his campaign.

ICYMI: one week ago today I secured the Republican nomination for governor. Republicans are United. Kentuckians are United. We need a governor who represents Kentucky values, not those of California and New York. Check out my victory speech.  pic.twitter.com/CLPUcbeFIg  Daniel Cameron (@DanielCameronAG) May 23, 2023

Cameron followed up his win by appearing on Fox News. While talking to host Laura Ingraham, he argued Republican talking points against COVID-19 lockdowns and gender ideology. Ingraham, meanwhile, warned Cameron that liberal African Americans are quite nervous about you, while Cameron said he sought to appeal to Black Republicans in Kentucky.

ICYMI: Catch my interview with @IngrahamAngle on @FoxNews where we discussed my candidacy for Governor and defeating Andy Beshear in November. #TeamCameron #KYGov pic.twitter.com/mvuJ3j6TPw  Daniel Cameron (@DanielCameronAG) May 18, 2023

Potential Black Republican wave?

Cameron is Kentuckys first Black attorney general. Should he win in November, he would become the states first Black governor. In fact, only six Black people have served as governor of any state, including current Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a first-term Democrat. Cameron is one of several Black Republicans running major campaigns over the next two years. North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who has criticized everything from the nations COVID response to reparations to the movie Black Panther, is a frontrunner for that states GOP nomination for governor in next years election. And South Carolinas Tim Scott, currently the only Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, officially announced this week that he is running for president of the United States.

We will soon see whether or not Cameron will lead a wave of Black Republicans to higher office. The Kentucky general election will happen on Nov. 7.
David Sacks, an entrepreneur and venture capitalist, will host Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Tesla CEO Elon Musk in an audio chat on Twitter Spaces on Wednesday (24 May) where Mr DeSantis is expected to announce his campaign for 2024 president.

Mr Sacks, 50, is a longtime friend of Mr Musk and supporter of Mr DeSantis.

Though Mr Sacks name is not as prominent as other tech-industry giants, the entrepreneur has a long history of leading and investing in major companies like PayPal, Yammer, Facebook, Airbnb and more.

In more recent years, Mr Sacks has become a major donor to political campaigns for individual Republicans like JD Vance and Mr DeSantis.

What experience does Mr Sacks have?

Mr Sacks  who was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1972 and moved to Tennessee with his family as a child  was the Chief Operations Officer (COO) and head of product for PayPal from 1999 until 2002. He has been dubbed part of the Paypal Mafia, a group of former PayPal employees who went on to have successful tech companies- like Mr Musk.

In 2008, he founded Yammer which became one of the fastest-growing software-as-a-service companies to exist. In 2012, Yammer was acquired by Microsft for $1.2 bn.

Mr Sacks co-founded the venture capital firm Craft Ventures in 2017, where he remains a partner.

David Sacks (Founders Fund / YouTube)

He also has the podcast All-In alongside fellow entrepreneurs Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis and David Friedberg.

Last year, Mr Sacks was widely reported to be helping out his longtime friend, Mr Musk, behind-the-scenes when his fellow South African-born friend acquired Twitter.

What does Mr Sacks believe in?

Like Mr Musk, Mr Sacks says he is a proponent of free speech.

In a blog post on Medium in 2021, Mr Sacks criticised big tech social media platforms for permanently banning politicians.

His belief in free-speech was echoed more recently in an interview with conservative personality Benny Johnson.

Mr Sacks accused the media of not allowing anti-vaccine activists and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr to speak freely and questioned critics justification of saying Mr Kennedy was spreading misinformation.

The entrepreneur also expressed support for Tucker Carlson after he was unexpectedly fired from Fox News.

Tonight Ill be watching Fox News drinking Bud Light. Not.  David Sacks (@DavidSacks) April 24, 2023

Mr Sacks has also been an outspoken critic of US policy towards Ukraine following the Russian invasion that began in February 2022.

In a piece for The American Conservative last year, Mr Sacks proposed a peaceful end to the war which included holding referendums on the future of Donbas and Crimea, both of which were illegally occupied by Russian forces in 2014.

On Twitter, Mr Sacks is vocal in criticising the US for its involvement in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and has repeatedly clashed with critics of Vladimir Putin, including former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul.

PS Putin and his entourage have made abundantly clear that stopping NATO expansion was not their central war aim. Listen to them, not me.  Michael McFaul (@McFaul) May 15, 2023

In October Mr Musk retweeted an article Mr Sacks wrote for Newsweek in which he argued that continued military support for Ukraine could lead to Woke War III. The article itself was a response to the backlash Mr Musk received over a Twitter poll suggesting a peace deal which would strongly favour Russian interests.

Ukraine-Russia Peace:



- Redo elections of annexed regions under UN supervision. Russia leaves if that is will of the people.



- Crimea formally part of Russia, as it has been since 1783 (until Khrushchevs mistake).



- Water supply to Crimea assured.



- Ukraine remains neutral.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 3, 2022

In his Newsweek article, Mr Sacks wrote: There will be no peaceful resolution to this conflict that America doesnt at least have a hand in negotiating, and we should be leading the effort. Instead, weve been deferring to the Ukrainians and their maximalist demands, upping the sanctions on Russia as Putin ups his rhetoric against the West.

While he has been criticised for his outspoken views despite lacking a foreign policy background, he has argued that his lack of expertise is actually an advantage: Not being a member of the MIC [military industrial complex] is clearly an advantage in understanding the conflict.

What political candidates has Mr Sacks supported?

Since the 1990s, Mr Sacks has supported both Republican and Democratic candidates according to OpenSecrets.

His largest donations have gone toward the PAC supporting GOP Ohio Senator JD Vance, the conservative Purple Good Government PAC, Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom and the Republican National Committee.

Over the last two years, Mr Sacks has expressed vocal support for Mr DeSantis on Fox News and Twitter as well as donated to his political campaign.
Dead man found pinned under ATV at bottom of 25-foot drop-off, Alaska officials say

A man from Colorado was found dead and pinned under an ATV after he crash in Alaska, state troopers said.

At 8:19 p.m., on May 20, Alaska State Troopers were called on reports of an ATV crash near Jim Creek Recreational Campground, according to a May 22 daily dispatch.

Christopher Anderson, 38, was found in Knik River pinned under an ATV at the bottom of a 25-foot drop-off about 3 miles from the trailhead, officials said.

Anderson hadnt been wearing any safety gear, and troopers believe alcohol was a contributing factor in his death, according to the dispatch.

His body was sent to the State Medical Examiners Office for an autopsy, troopers said.

Knik River is about 40 miles northeast of Anchorage.

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In high school, Daisy Soto-Hernandez didnt know what she wanted to do career wise during her senior year when she was applying for colleges.

Teaching was always a backup, but her parents wanted her to go into computer engineering or software design because it was something she showed interest in when it came to technology.

But computer engineering wasnt something I was passionate about, said Soto-Hernandez.

As she started going through the classes in liberal studies in college, getting experience in the classroom teaching students, she discovered her passion.

Soto-Hernandez, who graduated May 19 at the Save Mart Center from Fresno States Kremen School of Education and Human Development as the undergraduate deans medalist, earned her bachelors degree in liberal studies and teaching credential in only four years with a 3.9 GPA.

When Soto-Hernandez started her freshman year, she would walk along the halls of the Kremen building and admire the pictures of the deans medalists from previous years and wondered about that.

Once she did her research on what it was like to be a deans medalist, Soto-Hernandez said she worked towards that goal to make her parents proud and get on stage on graduation day.

However, being shy, Soto-Hernandez said she was nervous about giving a speech in front of thousands of people, but it was exciting, she said of getting the award.

Daisy Soto-Hernandez, who graduated as the deans undergraduate medalist from the Fresno State Kremen School of Education, spoke at the May 19, 2023 commencement at the Save Mart Center.

The 22-year-old from Visalia is also a bilingual authorization in Spanish candidate in the Fresno Teacher Residency Program, which would allow her to teach in a dual immersion classroom.

Soto-Hernandez will begin her first year of teaching sixth grade at Wawona Elementary in the Fresno Unified School District. Wawona is a dual immersion program school.

First-generation college student

Soto-Hernandez, who is a first-generation college student, considered dropping out of school after losing her maternal grandfather, her biggest supporter, to COVID-19 in January 2022.

As the oldest child, Soto-Hernandez is the first in her family to go to college. Here parents, who came from Mexico, work in construction and retail. Her 19-year-old sister is going to Stanford University while her 16-year-old brother is in high school.

Soto-Hernandez was born in Reedley. Her family moved to Bakersfield when she was a year old, then moved to Dinuba when she was 12 before settling in Visalia.

She graduated from El Diamante High School in 2019 and went to Fresno State as a Smittcamp Family Honors College Scholar.

Soto-Hernandez worked as a student assistant in the Center for Advising and Student Services, which influenced her decision to continue her education beyond a bachelors degree.

Working at the Center, Soto-Hernandez said she was able to learn a lot about all the educational opportunities Fresno State has.

She plans to pursue a masters degree in curriculum and instruction at Fresno State, then obtain a doctoral degree to make a difference as an education administrator.

Soto-Hernandez presented her research on emerging bilinguals at the Make a Difference: Teach conference in the South Valley, the largest single event for teacher recruitment where she encouraged future teachers to use asset-based language in their classrooms.

Soto-Hernandez and a classmate worked on a childrens book called Con Mis Ojos: Going to the Remate to elevate the voices and views of girls who feel marginalized.

What we wanted to do was write something that is Spanglish, which a lot of people will see, as you know, like a dirty language, because Spanglish isnt proper, Soto-Hernandez. But through research of translanguaging its been seen that people who translate, which is actually effective and theyre using a lot of cognitive thinking.

Daisy Soto-Hernandez, who graduated as the deans undergraduate medalist from the Fresno State Kremen School of Education, was recognized by associate dean Janelle Pitt Parker and dean Randy Yerrik at the May 19, 2023 commencement at the Save Mart Center.

We do a lot of research on that and then we ended up writing the book, Soto-Hernandez said.

The book will soon be published.

College is a little rough sometimes, and I feel like throughout the entire process you learn a lot by yourself and your abilities, but everything as difficult as it gets, everythings going to be OK. Its like its going to be worth it, said Soto-Hernandez. Especially if you decide to change your mind and your career options. You still got an education. Everything was a process, that was an experience that would benefit you either way.

Daisy Soto-Hernandez favorites

Book: Thats a good one. I dont know if its going to be like cliche, but the bible is honestly one of my favorite books. I still havent obviously gone through all of it, but theres so much in the little books within the Bible that are just like, to learn from, especially because Im Christian, I learn a lot at my church from it, and my goal is to finish all of it, and I wont ever understand the full lengths of it, but yeah.

Food/meal: My favorite food is hamburgers. I dont know why I never get tired of them, but I would say hamburgers. My favorite ones are from I think In-N-Out. Theyre cheap, theyre good, theyre fresh.

Place to visit: So, Im more of a person who likes to be out in nature. So, I like going to the mountains. I recently went to Yosemite for the first-time last year. It was so beautiful I went in May, but I think recently my most favorite place is Disneyland. I went four times in the past 12 months.

Music to listen to: Ive been listening to a lot of instrumental music, a mix of soundtrack music from movies like theres this composer, John Powell, he wrote for Kung Fu Panda, and for all kinds of movies. His music is so rich and like theres so many layers, so instrumental music.

Movie: Up, Pixars Up. It made me cry a lot.

Hobby: I recently got into crocheting, so I learned how to crochet two years ago, and Ive been crocheting a lot. So, Ive been crushing little stuffed animals for my students and then going to give them to them during their sixth-grade promotion on June 9. For my student teaching Ive been with them since their first day of school.

Best advice ever received: I think it has to be from my mom. She once told me that whatever you have to say be very careful what you say to others. Because sometimes people can use information against you and sometimes people can get jealous for things you tell them. Just be aware of every single word you say because theres good things and bad things that comes from your words.
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Augie and Tracy Aleksy laugh inside their Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park on May 18, 2023. They've owned the business for more than 30 years. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

After more than 30 years of reading books, loving books, selling books, and hosting authors and readers at his pleasant Forest Park bookstore named Centuries & Sleuths, Augie Aleksy is preparing to call it quits.

Its time, he said, and though this news will certainly alarm the many people (writers and readers) for whom Augie and his store have become vital parts of their lives, its not going to happen overnight. I want this store to go to someone who understands the importance of traditions and loves books and writers, he says.

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And so a search is on because Augie and his wife Tracy, a retired nurse, are now in their 70s and would like to enjoy the rest of their lives unburdened by the considerable pressures of running an independent bookstore. They will be exploring offers over the next few weeks and are hopeful that they will be able to retire soon.

People think all I do is sit around and read, he said. I am so busy with business that I am usually reading three books at a time, juggling them and trying to find a quiet booth in [nearby] Louies Diner when I am able to escape for lunch.

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His decision to retire is not prompted by any pandemic-related business troubles. It was surprising, but 2021 was one of the best years weve ever had, he says. A lot of customers bought gift certificates for family and friends. A lot of people were cooped up and doing more reading. There was a real hunger for reading.

Years ago, I asked in print, Why do we even bother going to bookstores?

It seemed then that these oases might be a vanishing species because it was becoming so easy to just flip open your iPad or smartphone and have a book delivered to your device as if it was some sort of fast food item.

One of the people I asked to answer that question was Aleksy, who then told me, Its good to speak to a human being when youre searching for a book recommendation for yourself or as a gift; you get the chance to look at a variety of books with words, pictures, photos, maps; you dont have to buy the book to look it over and see if its what you might want; the stores atmosphere can enhance your love of books and provide a setting that encourages intelligent discussion of both fiction and nonfiction.

He has been doing that first in Oak Park and, since 2000, at 7419 Madison St. in Forest Park, amid a few blocks stretch of stores, restaurants and saloons. Most are independently owned, giving the street a charming small-town feel.

Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park on May 18, 2023. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

Centuries & Sleuths is packed with books, naturally, but youll also find there such distinctive items as a bust of Sherlock Holmes; a church pew peppered with plaques with the names of people who have been good customers and friends; some items from an antique store, such as a pipe rack and captains chairs; teddy bears; plaques and various awards; oak bookcases filled with bestsellers and surprises; two Windsor chairs and a rocking chair. It feels like the home of some very literate person.

Of course, people who own bookstores are energetically pro bookstores but Ive always liked what Jerry Seinfeld had to say: A bookstore is one of the many pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.

The Aleksys have always been energetic in hosting events. They are especially proud of their Meeting of the Minds programs, inspired by televisions Steve Allen, who visited the store for a few such gatherings. Other nationally known bestselling authors as Erik The Devil in the White City Larson and Karen Sin in the Second City Abbott make Centuries & Sleuths stops on their book tours.

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There are store events scheduled into the summer and beyond. Like the best of independent bookstores, Centuries & Sleuths is really something of a community center, a place for lively gatherings, hosted by the Aleksys, as affable a pair as you are likely ever to meet. Augies laugh is an unforgettably joyful noise.

Here we have conversations, not lectures, he says. I know so many authors who are decent people, always eager to meet their readers and to support one another.

I know nothing about real estate, even less about running a business. But I do know Augie and Tracy and I know a good bookstore when I see one and hope this one can survive in capable hands.

Im not the only one who thinks so.

Paul Teodo, author of the novel Pastaman, and, with Tom Myers, the story collection South of Cermak, are relatively new fans and collaborated on an email to me, writing, Vintage is what comes to mind when you enter Centuries & Sleuths. Its incredibly comfortable, welcoming and vintage. Augie and Tracy are too. Vintage. Youre back in a time when things were slower and kinder. Its a living room whose hosts singular goal is to make you feel special. Ask a question about Chicago and youll get a knowledgeable (and occasionally lengthy) answer, especially concerning history and mystery. Stop in, sit down, and open up a book. Youll get that peaceful, vintage feeling.

Robert Goldsborough, a former Tribune editor, has crafted a fine post-newspaper career as a novelist, with nearly 20 Nero Wolfe mysteries. Hes a longtime fan, saying, Augie is the consummate bookseller. When a potential customer drops in, he is the opposite of the high-pressure salesman. Rather, he asks about the readers interests. And then he makes some gentle suggestions, in many cases giving some specifics about an authors style and strengths. Ive been in the store when a first-time visitor pops in, he or she eventually leaves with a bag full of books and a promise to return.

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Interested? You can call the store and talk to Augie. Better yet, drop in. Have a look, buy a book.
The debt ceiling is an awkward place to talk about spending

The debt ceiling snafu, which has the potential to wreck the US economy, is a civics lesson in the bizarrely inefficient way the American government spends your money.

Heres the broadest outline of how members of Congress oversee trillions in tax dollars each year and the borrowing of money to make up for the annual shortfall:

They budget. Lawmakers debate and set priorities through a detailed budget process that was created in the 1970s. The White House initiates a budget proposal each year, and a set of budget committees take a look.

They authorize. A different set of committees votes to give the government authority to set up and run government programs.

They appropriate. A third set of committees actually OKs the spending of money, effectively telling the Treasury Department to cut checks.

They reconcile. Congress OKs the spending of more money than it brings in every year, so the budget process gives lawmakers an opportunity to bypass normal rules to address deficits. (Although in recent years, Republican lawmakers have used this special reconciliation process to pass massive permanent tax cuts for corporations, and Democrats have used it to fund new spending.)

Where does the debt ceiling come in?

The debt ceiling, the subject of the current drama consuming the nations capital, is something else entirely.

While legally separate from the budget process, it represents yet another check that has evolved into the system since a version of the debt ceiling was first adopted in the run-up to World War I.

The Treasury Department has been given gradually more leeway by Congress over how to finance deficit spending, be it for wars, emergencies or the creation of the social safety net.

Stability, the US superpower, is threatened by threat of default

While the size of that debt has exploded, the government guarantee behind it represents the solid backbone of the US financial system.

Americas ability to borrow  and its sterling reputation for paying it back  is its superpower. And if it doesnt do that  for the first time, ever  that reputation could vanish, writes CNNs chief business correspondent Christine Romans in an excellent piece of analysis.

Using the threat of default on debt for previous spending is an inefficient way to control future spending, she argues.

More from her report:

Do not mistake drama around the debt ceiling for actual fiscal discipline. Debt-ceiling brinksmanship is the least efficient way to address debt and deficits.

Given the strict annual budgetary processes that are in place, it is not clear that the debt ceiling improves economic and financial governance, said Mohammed El-Erian, chief economic adviser at Allianz. On the contrary, it has tended to be used at times to meet short-term political objectives rather than enhance governance.

Tempting a default and putting that system in jeopardy is exactly what makes the debt ceiling such valuable leverage. Its the threat of actual economic catastrophe that has President Joe Biden at the negotiating table.

Argument: Of course the debt ceiling should be used to control spending

Eric Ueland is a former staff director of the Senate Budget Committee who later worked in the Trump administration. Hes currently a visiting fellow at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

I called him looking for a Republican voice to defend the existence of the debt ceiling as a check on the White House, but we had a much more interesting conversation.

Controlling debt is very much a part of what the budgeting system is meant to do, even if the debt limit is an awkward way to do it. During his time on the budget committee, he said, there was an effort to examine alternatives to the debt limit.

If what youre seeking is a Republican to say the debt limit process itself needs to change, I think youd run across a lot of Republicans who in the right set of circumstances might be open to that, Ueland said.

But if youre trying to find a Republican to say that a question about how to increase the debt limit should never involve other policy priorities, my answer to that is no.

A debate over debt, he argued, is an appropriate time to debate spending. Even though the budget process and the debt ceiling are distinct mechanisms, theyre all part of a process.

Everything touches everything, he said. And before you make a unilateral change to one piece of the federal budget, you need to think about all the other pieces as well.

Why doesnt Biden just ignore the debt limit?

Back in February, when this current debt drama was just percolating, I talked to Robert Hockett, the Cornell University law professor and consultant to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York who has argued that Biden, because of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 that supersedes earlier legislation, has the ability to simply ignore the debt limit.

But he argued the reason Democratic presidents have not acted unilaterally either by simply ignoring the debt limit or invoking the 14th Amendment, is that both sides of the political aisle actually like this debate, as dangerous as it feels.

It gives the Republicans a chance to posture before the public like theyre belt tightening and theyre disciplined. And they can also convey a sense of chaos out there in the world and blame it all on Biden, Hockett told me.

Meanwhile, the Democrats, people like Biden, benefit by it because he can lecture the Republicans about how irresponsible they are, how theyre deadbeats, he added.

Markets still have faith

Investors seem to believe that lawmakers will ultimately figure this out, and there has not yet been an effect on markets even though the two parties are using default as leverage.

CNNs Matt Egan argues it could take a market shock to bring lawmakers together.

In some ways, the calm mood in markets is acting like a feedback loop. Investors are betting itll all get taken care of. Lawmakers are in no rush because the markets are not freaking out. Rinse and repeat, he writes.

Lawmakers could have dealt with all of this months ago  the debt limit was breached back in January, but the Treasury Department has essentially been moving money around ever since.

Republicans skeptical June 1 will be the X-date

There is skepticism among some Republicans that default is as imminent as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warns. She has consistently said the US could run out of money as soon as June 1.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise wants to see the math behind that prediction and accused Yellen of hedging on the June 1 default date.

He and several other Republicans believe that incoming tax receipts will carry the US government further into the summer.

Scalise defended using the debt ceiling as leverage.

Theres got to be some mechanism to tell Washington that you cant keep printing money that you dont have because ultimately, its future generations that pay this, he said.

This debt ceiling standoff will be the first of many spending debates. Republicans could also try to control spending during the appropriations process. They could block authorization for programs they dont like. They could more seriously approach the reconciliation process that both parties have come to exploit.

Why do we put ourselves through this?

The difference between the debt limit and other methods to constrain spending is the almost universal prediction that a default would be painful, hitting the stock market, raising borrowing costs and potentially delaying Social Security checks.

Neel Kashkari, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis who was a Treasury Department official during the 2008 financial crisis, told CNNs Poppy Harlow on Tuesday that the process of how Congress raises the debt ceiling should be changed.

I think it would be prudent once we get through this scenario to figure out why do we do this to ourselves and can we come up with a more rational approach in the future, Kashkari said.

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After decades of status quo, an overhaul coming for US organ donation system

After nearly four decades, the federal government plans to modernize the system used to match transplant patients with donated organs.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the plan back in March.

Federal data shows more than 104,000 Americans are currently awaiting an organ transplant, and 17 people die every day while on the transplant waitlist.

The government hopes to increase transparency for patients and their families by launching a new website with a dashboard that provides detailed data on organ transplant wait lists, transplantation rates, and more.

This information will help recipients and their families make informed decisions about where to seek care.

The cornerstones of organ transplantation are fairness and equity, and making sure that all patients around the country -- regardless of where they live, regardless of their race or ethnicity, regardless of their socioeconomic status -- have equal access to precious donor organs or gifts of life, said Dr. Michael Givertz, Medical Director of the Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support Program at Brigham & Womens Hospital. There are clearly issues with the current system.

President Joe Bidens administration is proposing $67 million in funding for the system in the 2024 fiscal budget.

The organ donation system has been run by the United Network for Organ Sharing since the programs inception. Now, for the first time, the Biden administration is putting the nonprofits contract out to bid.

There hasnt been competition in this area ever, theyve had this contract for almost 40 years, Dr. Givertz said. Could the system be improved if there was some competition in this area?

The government is currently accepting bids from companies that can upgrade outdated computer systems.

There is a demand that outpaces the supply, said New England Donor Services President and CEO Alexandra Glazier. Theres no easy fix, I think it really is a complicated system.

Glazier hopes the overhaul will address the issue of wasted organs in the donation system. One recent study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine found about one in five donated kidneys goes unused.

Utilizing innovations and technology to improve organs that are donated that may not be clinically suitable for transplantation today but with repair or perfusion technologies, may be able to be usable tomorrow, Glazier said. The alternative to a less than perfect organ is not a better organ necessarily, but its waiting without an organ.

While these changes and improvements at the federal level wont happen overnight, Glazier argues theres one quick solution that could lead to lives being saved: More people registering as organ donors.

If you were ever in need of a transplant or someone you loved was in need of a transplant, you would hope that an organ would be available to save their life, Glazier said. If you are willing to receive, you should be willing to give.

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How would we decode a message from ET? New project will give us a trial run

The Allen Telescope Array in Northern California is dedicated to astronomical observations and a simultaneous search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).

A new project aims to help prepare humanity for the day  should it ever come  that we make contact with intelligent aliens.

At 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT) on Wednesday (May 24), Europe's Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) Mars probe will send a coded message that will be received by three big radio telescopes here on Earth.

Scientists around the world  and interested members of the public  will then attempt to decode the missive, as part of an ambitious, multiweek project called A Sign in Space.

"This experiment is an opportunity for the world to learn how the SETI [search for extraterrestrial intelligence] community, in all its diversity, will work together to receive, process, analyze and understand the meaning of a potential extraterrestrial signal," Wael Farah, project scientist for the Allen Telescope Array (ATA), a network of dishes in Northern California run by the nonprofit SETI Institute, said in a statement.

"More than astronomy, communicating with E.T. will require a breadth of knowledge," Farah said. "With A Sign in Space, we hope to make the initial steps towards bringing a community together to meet this challenge."

Related: The search for alien life (reference)

The ATA is one of the three facilities that will pick up the TGO message, which will take 16 minutes to reach Earth from Mars orbit. The other two are the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia and the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station in northern Italy, which is managed by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics.

Teams at each of the three observatories will process the coded signal and make it available to the public. So, if you're interested, you can try your hand at deciphering it  and submit your solution and other ideas via the project's website.

Indeed, public engagement is a key part of A Sign in Space, which is led by Daniela de Paulis, the current artist in residence at both the SETI Institute and the Green Bank Observatory.

For example, the project will host a webcast on Wednesday that features interviews with team members and live look-ins at the control rooms of the three radio telescope sites. The livestream will begin at 2:15 p.m. EDT (1815 GMT), 45 minutes before TGO beams out its message.

Related stories:

 Alien hunters should look for city lights from 'urbanized planets,' study suggests

 10 things we learned about UFOs and aliens (or the lack thereof) in 2022

 Should we be looking for intelligence on a planetary scale?

And, over the ensuing six to eight weeks, the project team will host a series of public Zoom meetings that will discuss the societal implications of spotting a signal from an alien civilization.

"Throughout history, humanity has searched for meaning in powerful and transformative phenomena," de Paulis said in the same statement.

"Receiving a message from an extraterrestrial civilization would be a profoundly transformational experience for all humankind," she added. "A Sign in Space offers the unprecedented opportunity to tangibly rehearse and prepare for this scenario through global collaboration, fostering an open-ended search for meaning across all cultures and disciplines."
Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the head of the Russian Wagner Group PMC, intends to withdraw his units from the city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast. So far there have been no rotations in the city; the occupiers are just strengthening their positions.

Source: Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson of the Eastern Grouping of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, in the national 24/7 newscast

Quote: "His statement about the withdrawal of Wagner Group from Bakhmut is 100% true due to huge losses the PMC suffered from the Ukrainian forces that defended the city. Every day the defence forces would kill nearly 100 occupiers and injure even more than 100. So he undoubtedly would like to retreat to, lets say, regroup and reorganise. Yet this is a big question whether their leadership will let him do it.

So far we cannot confirm any rotations. Moreover, he was going to retreat on 10 May. I think his opinion is not really taken into consideration here, to put it lightly. Since they are growing stronger and drawing up the reserves to Bakhmut, strengthening at the expense of regular occupying forces, airborne units, small arms and infantry units and some special units, it can be concluded that they want to take over Bakhmut at any cost in order to show the world at least some offensive capacity, even though it is just a district centre.

They failed at everything they had planned for the strategic offensive operations due to heroism, endurance and incredible dedication of our troops."

Details: Cherevatyi states that yesterday during the day there were only three combat encounters on the Bakhmut front but the occupiers were actively launching artillery attacks, using multiple-launch rocket systems and tubed artillery 404 times, which proves one more time that the Russians are not suffering from any kind of "projectile hunger".

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Ukrainian troops strike at Russian occupants in Bakhmut

During the operation, Russia has suffered significant losses in personnel and equipment, according to Danilov. Furthermore, he claimed that a part of the city remains under Ukraines control, disputing Moscows assertion that Bakhmut is now entirely in Russian hands.

Read also: Ukrainian military prepares several options for upcoming counter-offensive, says Danilov

Danilov stated that the decision to continue defending Bakhmut was made at the strategic level and had been constantly reevaluated. He emphasized that there had been a large number of Russian military personnel, special forces, airborne troops, and other military units, who had been eliminated in Bakhmut. Ukrainian defenders also destroyed a significant amount of enemy equipment, and Russia has expended a significant amount of ammunition.

Read also: Biden claims Russians suffered over 100,000 troop losses in Bakhmut

"This is our strategic defensive operation, which is proceeding successfully for us because we have held this territory for 10 months, where we have been destroying them every day; what can they (the Russians) boast of?" Danilov added.

Read also: Russian leaders wont let Prigozhin withdraw his forces from Bakhmut, Ukrainian military says

On May 20, the leader of Russias Wagner Group PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that his mercenaries had fully captured Bakhmut. The Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense denied this claim and said that fighting was still ongoing in the city.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings is suing Avid Telecom for its reported involvement in 27 million illegal robocalls to Delawareans and 7.5 billion calls to numbers on the Do Not Call Registry nationwide, according to the Delaware Department of Justice.

Avid Telecom is a Voice over Internet Protocol service provider, meaning it sells data, phone numbers, dialing software and expertise to help its customers make mass robocalls, the Department of Justice said. The provider also reportedly helped to route illegal robocalls nationwide.

We often think of illegal robocalls as a nuisance, but they are also predatory and can be catastrophic when they ensnare innocent consumers in scams, Jennings said.

MORE: Together, nearly 7K Delawareans lost $19M to scams last year. Make sure you aren't next

Attorney General Kathy Jennings speaks at a press conference on Monday, Oct. 11, in front of the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center.

The lawsuit claims that Avid Telecom was involved in spreading calls from scammers pretending to be the Social Security Administration, Amazon, DirecTV, employers, Medicare, credit card companies and auto warranty providers.

Attorneys general nationwide are filing similar lawsuits against Avid Telecom as part of the Anti-Robocall Multistate Litigation Task Force.

Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at hedelman@delawareonline.com. For more reporting, follow them on Twitter at @h_edelman.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Avid Telecom sued by Delaware AG for illegal robocalls to residents
The crime sounded like the plot to a movie.

At the secure private library of the Vatican, home to countless ancient treasures, a forger was afoot. The same was true in the centuries-old Riccardiana Library in Florence, at the National Library of Catalonia in Barcelona, at the Marciana National Library in Venice.

In daring burglaries dating back to at least the 1980s, a sophisticated thief had lifted priceless 15th-century bound editions of letters Christopher Columbus had sent from the New World, and replaced them with clever fakes  forgeries left undiscovered for decades, and left on display for the world to believe in.

The mystery turned out to involve an antiquarian with an extraordinary memory, a South American art collector, and telltale clues offered by centuries-old bookbindings.

But unlike in the movies, those rare monuments to history werent chased down by some suave but unorthodox Interpol agent with a cultivated mustache, or a reckless archaeologist with a yen for conspiracy theories.

The mystery was solved, instead, in Delaware.

Specifically, it was solved out of a little suite on the ground floor of a poured-concrete Wilmington office tower, originally designed for an insurance company.

Wilmington is hardly a glamorous nerve center for the international art scene, even as many great works do come here to be sheltered from taxes in anonymous warehouses. But when it comes to solving transnational art crime, Delaware is known to agents all over the country and, in some cases, the world.

More: Delaware provides tax shelter for multimillion-dollar masterpieces

More: Stolen 40 years ago, rare Christopher Columbus letter recovered by Delaware investigators

In the past decade or so the small Wilmington office of Homeland Security Investigations, home base for fewer than 10 agents, has helped repatriate ancient historical artifacts to countries from South America to the cultural centers of the Old World.

The diaries of a Nazi collaborator. Religious paintings from old Cuzco in Peru. Roman manuscripts dating back to the 9th century. And of course those priceless letters from Columbus  which, technically, did have a price, going for around a million dollars.

Just last month, the island nation of Cyprus declared itself grateful for the return of two coins dating back millennia. Courtesy, also, of agents in Wilmington and Philadelphia.

What these cases have in common is a soft-spoken special agent named Mark Olexa who sports dark suits, tightly cropped brown hair and a look of visible discomfort when receiving praise. He receives praise reasonably often.

While international hubs such as New York and Washington remain busier sites for artifact smuggling and prosecutions, Wilmington pulls far above its weight. Olexa is one of few special agents who has made a perhaps unintentional specialty out of finding the long-lost and the irreplaceable pieces of the ancient world  and helping send them home.

And so when federal agents and U.S. attorneys from Philadelphia or San Antonio come across purloined Peruvian artifacts or a mislaid Roman coin, Olexa is often the person they call.

"Success breeds more success," said Kenneth Krauss, Wilmington's resident agent in charge. And more success breeds even more.

When asked about the reasons for that success, Olexa points to a long line of U.S. attorneys in Delaware and Philadelphia whove been diligent in doing the intricate research and legal wrangling required to close a cultural artifact case  often unique challenges that involve sealed warrants, wealthy collectors who stay forever anonymous and archaeological forensics.

A stolen kris dagger, once given as a gift to naval commander Oliver Hazard Perry, was repatriated from Canada in 2019 and given to the U.S. Naval Academy Museum. The case was handled by Homeland Security Investigations in Delaware.

He credits also the agents at other offices who bring in cases, and a parent office in Philadelphia willing to offer its resources for quixotic quests that might send agents to Florentine libraries or the home of a cagey Buffalo book collector.

But when you ask the head of the Wilmington office, he instead points to Mark Olexa.

"The main reason why we have such success is sitting right here next to me," said Kraiss, the agent in charge. "It's agent Olexa. We always say, it's all about our people, all about the agents and how they work. And it's a testament to Mark, why Delaware is so successful."

How the forged million-dollar Columbus letters landed in Wilmington

Art crime is far from where special agent Olexa started his career.

Its also a small portion of the cases handled by HSI, the perhaps lesser-known wing of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Philadelphia HSI office, which oversees Delaware, devotes the lion's share of its resources to tracing the movements of drugs and weapons, to human trafficking and to the many shadowy things that might happen on the internet.

In the mid-2000s, Olexa was part of an HSI team working to uncover arms procurement for Hezbollah in an investigation called Operation Phone Flash. He also worked on a case investigating six men who planned an armed assault on New Jerseys Fort Dix beginning in 2006.

But in 2011 after coming to Wilmington, Olexa fielded a tip that seemed too strange to be real. A tip that would change the course of his law enforcement career.

A book dealer in Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, named Jay Dillon  whose resume includes selling the first book to visit the moon and an Egyptian Book of the Dead  had begun to notice something askew.

While surfing on his computer, Dillon saw a digital image of a bound 1493 letter from Christopher Columbus owned by the National Library of Catalonia, one of only 30 or so copies known to still exist.

Columbus' letter was among the world's first bestsellers, detailing his epochal landfall in a New World with many islands inhabited by numerous people. The residents did not resist, Columbus crowed, when he issued a proclamation and thus took possession of all of them for our most fortunate King.

But in that letter, Dillon saw something that unnerved him. He recognized the markings and imperfections on the Barcelona letter as the same ones he'd previously seen on a copy offered by a dealer  a feat of memory that boggles Paul Needham, a 15th-century book expert and former Princeton University librarian who consulted on the case.

Im still amazed that he spotted this, Needham said. He matched them up, from photographs in a dealers catalog. The probability would be infinitesimal that two copies would have tiny dirt spots on the leaves in exactly the same places between different copies. It was a brilliant discovery.

Suspicious of forgeries, Dillon traveled to Barcelona and to other European libraries to examine their bound copies of Columbus letters. And then he walked those suspicions to the desk of special agent Mark Olexa.

Someone has been stealing Christopher Columbus letters and leaving reproduced forgeries in their place, he told Olexa. He arrived with troves of corroborating evidence.

I just remember filling up a notebook with all this information that was being conveyed, and it was a bit overwhelming, Olexa said now. Prior to that, I didn't even know what a Columbus letter was.

That meeting was the beginning of an investigation that would span at leeast three continents, four countries and 13 years  a case that made Olexas reputation as an agent who would know what to do with stolen historical documents, and that kicked off a long run of cultural artifacts recovered by Delaware's HSI office.

Heres some of the more significant cultural artifacts retrieved with the help of HSI Delaware in the past decade.

2011-today: four letters from Christopher Columbus

A reprinted copy of Christopher Columbus original letter written in 1493 about the discovery of the New World is displayed during a press conference in Rome, Wednesday, May 18, 2016. The United States has returned to Italy a letter written by Christopher Columbus in 1493 about his discovery of the New World that was stolen from a Florence library and unwittingly acquired by the Library of Congress.

After Dillons visit, and an improbable-seeming theory, agent Olexa went to Princeton to ask Needham, a world-renowned expert, for a second opinion.

He was gobsmacked to find that Needham backed up Dillons suspicions, and his research.

At that point, trust and verify, Olexa said.

So Olexa asked Needham to join him on a trip to the European libraries to analyze the purported forgeries.

Librarians at the old libraries were reluctant to believe such thefts were possible  certainly not on their watch!  but the pages in the European collections were indeed reproduced forgeries, sewn back into the original book bindings.

Once we start piecing together that these are forgeries in these libraries, well... where did the originals potentially go? Olexa said.

The world of rare book collectors is small. It is complicated and pretty secretive, Needham said. But it is also a world that keeps quite detailed records, to verify the provenance of each rare book.

Using the little markings and imperfections on each Columbus letter as their guide  and also the way in which each page was bound  Olexa and Needham were able to track each of the pilfered originals and verify their source.

The book from Barcelona had ended up in the hands of a South American collector. The one from the Vatican turned up in Atlanta. And the Florentine letter? It had been given as a gift to the U.S. Library of Congress.

A fourth pilfered letter, from the Venice library, turned up in Texas.

More: Stolen 40 years ago, rare Christopher Columbus letter recovered by Delaware investigators

The whole process, from the initial search to the legal process, took years for each stolen letter. But eventually each owner, including the Library of Congress, was persuaded that it was in their best interests to hand over the stolen pieces of history.

Three of the four have already been repatriated. Asked whether the pope was aware of the theft and recovery of the Vatican's letter, the librarys vice prefect concurred.

Yes, he was informed, Ambrogio Piazzoni told CBS news show "60 Minutes" in 2020. He was very pleased with this return.

The fourth Columbus letter, due in Venice, was scheduled to be sent home in spring 2020. But fate, and a worldwide pandemic, intervened. The historic letter still awaits its homecoming.

We expect that to happen in the near term, Olexa said.

2013: Finding the stolen diaries of Nazi theorist Alfred Rosenberg

By November 2012, the Wilmington HSI office had made substantial progress in the Columbus letter case.

Once you have a reputation that youre capable of bringing together a complex case like that, it has a snowball effect, Olexa said. Referrals begin to come in  including some cases he cant talk about yet, he said.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum contacted the Wilmington office about another stolen document: This one was the personal diaries of a Nazi intellectual named Alfred Rosenberg, whose musings were thought to detail Hitlers early plans to dominate the Soviet Union.

The museum already hired a private investigator to track down the diaries, which had long ago been "improperly" taken from U.S. possession by a prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials, who'd since died in Pennsylvania. The museum's investigator had suspicions that a person in the Buffalo area now had possession. But suspicions arent proof. And the museum had hit a dead end. Could the Wilmington office, and the Delaware U.S. attorney, offer some help?

As it turned out, all that was needed was a little persuasion.

(We) made a point of going out and conducting a very important interview with the person that was suspected of last having possession I think he was made aware of the potential consequences, the legal implications and consequences, for him to possess property that belonged to the U.S. government, Olexa said. This is not a legal burden you want to pass on to your children, Olexa told the person, whose name has not been released. The agents then left, not knowing whether the conversation had been successful.

But a month or so later, after consulting some lawyers, that person contacted HSI saying they might be able to get hold of that Rosenberg diary the government seemed to be looking for. On June 13, 2013, the diary was entered into the collection of the Holocaust Museum, where it remains.

Having material that documents the actions of both perpetrators and victims is crucial to helping scholars understand how and why the Holocaust happened," said museum director Sara J. Bloomfield at the time. "The story of this diary demonstrates how much material remains to be collected.

2012-2014: Stolen Peruvian paintings and cultural artifacts

In 2012, the Delaware U.S. Attorneys office, and HSI Wilmington, recovered multiple Peruvian artifacts, in particular a millennium-old jar and a pre-Columbian bronze blade, an investigation that began and ended in Delaware.

But the more interesting story, said Olexa, is how four Cuzco paintings also found their way back to Peru.

Olexa had been invited to a training seminar on the subject of cultural repatriation. While there, he was approached by a HSI agent from San Antonio.

After a tip in 2009, agents from the parent HSI Austin office investigated and eventually located what they believed to be four Colonial-era devotional paintings stolen from Peruvian churches, painted in the Cuzco style thought to be the first European-influenced school of painting to flourish in the Western Hemisphere.

But the Texas agents had run aground on the last crucial step of the legal process: obtaining a seizure warrant to get the objects into the governments possession. So they enlisted Olexa to help bring it home; Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hall was able to issue a seizure warrant out of Delaware after analysis by a subject matter expert.

I was the one that ended up swearing out the seizure warrant, Olexa said. But ultimately (the case) was Austin's. It was theirs, they were the lead. I think it goes to show you that there's really no egos in this. You just get the job done.

The four paintings were returned to Peru in a pair of ceremonies, in 2012 and then in 2014.

2019: Return of 9th-century Roman manuscripts and Contorniato coin

Two 9th century Roman manuscripts, describing the sale of lands and vineyards, were repatriated to Italy in 2019 after an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations in Philadelphia and Delaware.

In 2019, another batch of ancient artifacts returned to Italy. These cases originated in Philadelphia, Olexa said, but the Delaware office was again brought in on the case because of Wilmington offices ever-growing history with investigating cultural artifacts.

Two 9th century manuscripts from Benevento, Italy, detailing the sale of lands and vineyards, had been given to the University of Pennsylvania as a gift in 2010. Meanwhile, a nearly two-millennium-old Roman Contorniato di Traiano coin came into the possession of a Pennsylvania auction house upon the death of its previous possessor.

Both of these turned out to have been stolen from museums in Italy. In both cases, the owners surrendered the objects willingly after a long investigation.

2023: Repatriation of 4th century B.C. Cypriot coins

One of two 4th century Cypriot coins repatriated to the Republic of Cyprus in a ceremony January 2023, after a seven-year investigation by Homeland Security Investigations in Delaware and Philadelphia. Depicted on the front og the coin is Hercules.

The Republic of Cyprus, a small nation near Turkey, sent a tip to the Philadelphia HSI office in late 2016, Olexa said. Two 4th century B.C. Cypriot coins had just been smuggled to the United States: one depicting Hercules, one with lions on each side.

But though the initial information arrived quickly, Olexa said, the investigation was both lengthy and complex  eventually comprising nearly seven years and involving the forensics team at the Smithsonian Institute. The coins finally arrived home, along with several other repatriated antiquities, in April of this year.

We got the tip in 16, and the repatriation happened in 2023," Olexa said. We will go to great lengths. Because if the roles were reversed, and we were asking them for something, we would hope they would take the same amount of time, effort and diligence.

Other cases worked by the Delaware office during the same period include a kris dagger once owned by Oliver Hazard Perry, repatriated to the U.S. Naval academy Museum in 2019 from Canada; ancient feline ceramics from Costa Rica repatriated in 2022; and multiple other cases involving rare books.

The repatriation ceremonies for those books have yet to occur, Olexa said, and so he can't yet comment. But those cases, like many others, came in because of his previous investigation of the Columbus letters, he said.

"Once you start finding these things," said Olexa, "other things kind of find their way to you as well."

Matthew Korfhage is a Philadelphia-based reporter for USA Today Network.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Nazi diaries, Columbus letters: Delaware known for solving art crimes
David Lundie alleges Marin County Sheriffs Office leadership subjected him to racist tokenization and microaggressions and held him to different standards of conduct versus white deputies.

A deputy in Marin County has launched a lawsuit against his own sheriffs department in California, alleging he was discriminated against because he is Black.

According to The Mercury News, David Lundie alleges that during his 11 years on the force, senior leadership with the Marin County Sheriffs Office subjected him to a variety of offenses, including racist tokenization and microaggressions, holding him to standards of conduct different from deputies and giving him biased performance assessments.

This lawsuit should serve as a wake-up call, said Lundies lawyer, Jennifer Reisch, in a statement, according to Mercury News. Racial discrimination is rampant throughout Marin institutions and culture, and the Sheriffs Office is no exception.

A Black deputy has launched a discrimination lawsuit against the Marin County Sheriffs Office in California, alleging he was subjected to unfair treatment because of his race. (Photo: Screenshot/YouTube.com/Marin Sheriff)

Lundie claims his superiors harassed him when he requested and received 4 1/2 weeks of stress-related sick leave under the California Family Rights Act.

According to the suit, he was still scheduled to work a shift despite telling the countys personnel department that he would be taking a leave of absence starting Dec. 2, 2022. When he didnt show up, Lundie alleged, he received harassing texts and calls, plus got a supervisors unexpected visit to his home.

Five Black deputies are part of the sheriffs office roster of more than 200 employees, and two joined the agency less than a year ago, The Mercury News reported. Just under 3 percent of the countys population is Black.

Lundies lawsuit alleges that no Black individual has held a position above the rank of sergeant since Lt. Cheryl Fisher left in 2016 after 30 years of service.

Despite obtaining excellent marks in evaluation interviews, Lundie alleges, he applied for sergeant seven times without success.

In 2016, when former Sheriff Robert Doyle met with several captains and lieutenants to decide which one to promote to sergeant, the suit claims, Sheriff Jamie Scardina, then a captain, and his brother Craig Scardina, who has since been promoted from lieutenant to captain, called Lundie a slug and lazy.

They allegedly berated Lundie for devoting too much time to reading to children in Sausalito rather than performing police duties. The suit contends that the Scardina brothers derogatory remarks were untrue and based on racist tropes and stereotypes about Black people.

The lawsuit also cites an incident from July 2016 in which Lundie was spotted dozing off in his patrol car and received a written reprimand.

Lundie was surprised he got the write-up, with his suit alleging that white deputies had overslept, dozed off at work and showed up for duty late or not at all without receiving the same admonishment.

After the incident, Lundie informed Lt. Keith Boyd he was separating from the mother of his children. The suit claims that soon after his chat with Boyd, stories of Lundies messy life started to spread inside the department.

Lundie was disciplined, the suit contends, for using his cellphone excessively, calling in sick 20 hours before a shift to tend to his ill daughter, mocking COVID-19 safety precautions by donning a face shield and a mask during a meeting and showing up to work late due to traffic.

On Aug. 26, Lundie submitted a discrimination complaint to the state Civil Rights Department, a prerequisite for initiating a lawsuit.

Marin County Counsel Brian Washington and Sheriff Scardina declined to address the lawsuit since they had not seen a copy. However, Washington asserted county officials would carefully examine it upon receipt and provide a court response.

The county is an equal opportunity employer, Washington contended, The Mercury News reported, with no tolerance for discrimination or racism.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Marin County Superior Court, asks for an unspecified amount for compensatory and punitive damages, along with lost wages.

Make no mistake about it: this is not an isolated incident, Lundies lawyer Reisch said, The Mercury News reported, and the Marin County Sheriffs Office needs to urgently revamp its practices and procedures to put an end to the racial bias that permeates its culture.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Utah Republican Party Organizing Convention at Utah Valley University in Orem on April 22, 2023. DeSantis appears poised to announce his bid for the presidency on Wednesday. | Ryan Sun, Deseret News

After months of speculation, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is getting ready to announce his bid for president in 2024.

Sources familiar with the matter told NBC News that DeSantis will host an event on Twitter Spaces, a feature that allows live audio conversations, with the platforms CEO, Elon Musk, on Wednesday at 4 p.m. MDT.

The online event will be moderated by tech entrepreneur David Sacks, per the report. He has previously backed DeSantis and donated more than $70,000 to his campaign in 2021.

Musk confirmed the news at a Wall Street Journal event Tuesday, where he hailed the occasion as the first time such an announcement will take place on a social media network.

I will be interviewing Ron DeSantis, and he has quite an announcement to make. And it will be the first time that something like this is happening on social media and with real-time questions and answers, unscripted, he said.

This isnt the first time Musk has shown support for the Florida governor. In a tweet from last year, he said that he would vote for DeSantis for president.

Related

After the Twitter event, DeSantis is expected to appear on Fox News, joining host Trey Gowdy at 6 p.m. MDT, according to the network.

His newly launched campaign will also invite donors to the Four Seasons in Miami to kick-start fundraising.

DeSantis has been working to appeal to Republican voters as hes recently battled publicly with Disney, the College Board and the press. He has also worked with the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature to notch several conservative policy wins, including restrictions on abortion and teen gender transitions, and blocking state investments based on environmental, social and governance standards.

DeSantis, 44, shares residence in the state of Florida with former President Donald Trump, 76, who is DeSantis top competitor and has been leading in Republican primary polls.

A Trump spokesperson told Politico that Announcing on Twitter is perfect for Ron DeSantis.

This way he doesnt have to interact with people and the media cant ask him any questions, the spokesperson said.

Although Trump endorsed DeSantis for governor in 2018, and even appeared at his rallies, the relationship between the two has soured.

While Trump created a nickname for DeSantis, the Florida governor has tried to set himself up as a younger, drama-free version of Trump.
DeSantis will announce his 2024 bid on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk

The News

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will announce his candidacy for president Wednesday at 6 p.m. EST during a Twitter Spaces interview with Elon Musk, a spokesperson for DeSantis confirmed to Semafor.

DeSantis is former President Donald Trump's most formidable challenger for the Republican nomination, according to public opinion polls.

Know More

Tomorrows announcement follows weeks of speculation as to when the Florida governor planned to officially hop into the race. Hes currently trailing Trump in national polls, and the former presidents campaign team has been focused on trying to kneecap DeSantis presidential bid before it begins.

DeSantis upcoming announcement coincides with a two-day donor event hes hosting in Miami, and he plans to hit the ground running with visits to early voting states next week.

Hell also appear on Fox News Tonight with host Trey Gowdy shortly after the announcement on Wednesday, according to the network.

Ben's view

DeSantiss decision to announce on Twitter is a blow to Fox News, once the unchallenged central force in conservative media. Musks exclusive is the latest in a series of moves that pull Twitter in the direction of a conservative audience  a shift that could pay off in the currency of attention, if not dollars.

Musk pledged to make Twitter a haven for free speech ever since his $44 billion acquisition of the platform last year, having subsequently reinstated several high-profile right wing accounts that had been previously banned for violating community guidelines.

Musk more recently welcomed Tucker Carlson, who will host his new political talk show on Twitter.

The View From Trumpworld

Announcing on Twitter is perfect for Ron DeSantis, a Trump advisor texted Semafor. This way he doesnt have to interact with people and the media cant ask him any questions.
UN chief urges gov'ts, businesses to take bold action for sustainable future

Xinhua) 08:24, May 23, 2023

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, on May 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie E)

"Last year's agreement on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework marked an important step -- but now is the time to move from agreement to action," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.

UNITED NATIONS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday implored governments and businesses worldwide to reinforce their commitment and take decisive steps towards building a sustainable future.

"Last year's agreement on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework marked an important step -- but now is the time to move from agreement to action," the top UN official said in his video message for the International Day for Biological Diversity, which falls on May 22 annually.

"This means ensuring sustainable production and consumption patterns, redirecting subsidies from nature-destroying activities towards green solutions, recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, the strongest guardians of our world's biodiversity, and pushing governments and businesses to take stronger and faster action against biodiversity loss and the climate crisis," he said.

Guterres warned that human actions are devastating every corner of the planet and "1 million species" are at risk of extinction, the result of habitat degradation, skyrocketing pollution, and the worsening climate crisis.

He called on humanity to "end this war on nature."

"Let us work together across governments, civil society, and the private sector to secure a sustainable future for all," said the UN chief.

The International Day for Biological Diversity is a United Nations-sanctioned international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues.

Huang Runqiu (4th R), COP15 president and China's minister of ecology and environment, and Elizabeth Maruma Mrema (2nd R), executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, applaud after the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the UN biodiversity conference, COP15, in Montreal, Canada, Dec. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Lian Yi)

From its creation by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in 1993 to 2000, it was held on Dec. 29 to celebrate the day the Convention on Biological Diversity went into effect. In December 2000, the date was shifted to commemorate the adoption of the convention on May 22, 1992, at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit, and partly to avoid the many other holidays that occur in late December.

Although every biodiversity day carries its own special significance, this year's global celebrations bring with it a renewed sense of hope with the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

To mark this achievement, this year's theme is "From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity." Now that the world has the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the focus must quickly shift to its implementation, according to the United Nations.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at the Chicago Tribune.

The restrictions are gone. The festivals are back. And Chicagos music festival scene is more robust than ever. What a blessing it is to live in a city like this, where every music genre imaginable will have some sort of presence during the summer. Many local and beloved music acts will make appearances, while some of the biggest national and international artists and bands will make headlining stops throughout the city. Dive into our list of some of the best of the bunch this year.

Kara Jackson: May 31 and June 1

Originally hailing from Oak Park, Jackson is a folk and country phenom taking the indie music world by storm. Earlier this spring, she released Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?, her 13-track debut album traversing the emotional landscape of lingering grief. A former National Youth Poet Laureate, Jacksons deft songwriting skills are a perfect complement to lush arrangements and emotive melodies. Here, she opens for Los Angeles-based artist Jess Williamson for a two-night set of performances at the Judson & Moore Distillery. 8 p.m. at Judson & Moore Distillery, 3057 N. Rockwell St., Building 5; tickets $25-$27 (21+) at eventbrite.com

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs: June 1

Karen O leads the band Yeah Yeah Yeahs at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago on May 29, 2018. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Older millennials and Gen Xers may be shocked to learn its been 20 years since the Yeah Yeah Yeahs released their revolutionary debut album, Fever to Tell. But the band has made sure to remind fans with their latest tour, which kicked off this month. Celebrate more than two decades of this iconic New York City indie rock band as they play their hits as well as selections from their latest release, 2022s Grammy Award-nominated Cool it Down. Set to hit the stage at Huntington Bank Pavilion, this show is sure to scratch the itch of those interested in a rowdy outdoor experience without the packed confines of a music festival. 8 p.m. at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, 1300 S. Linn White Dr.; tickets $29-$89 at livenation.com

Stuck: June 3

Although Stuck is a relatively new local band, theyve amassed an impressive array of local and international press in praise of their two previous releases, 2020s Change Is Bad and 2021s Content That Makes You Feel Good. This should come as no surprise for anyone who has spent time listening to the groups one-of-a-kind brand of unnerving, yet compelling post-punk music. And the group turns the energy up a notch on their new album, Freak Frequency. Their early single The Punisher is a prickling, propulsive throwback sure to please finicky music fans. This show celebrates the release of Freak Frequency. 9 p.m. at Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont Ave.; tickets $14 (21+) at sleeping-village.com

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OK Cool: June 4

Haley Blomquist and Bridget Stiebris of the Chicago indie band OK Cool. (Tracy Conoboy)

Street festivals are not only great and free (or low-cost) ways to spend time in the city, theyre also often excellent opportunities to check out local acts before they make major strides outside of the city. And this years Do Division Street Fest is no exception. Were particularly excited to see OK Cool, the super young but super talented duo, perform an early afternoon set. Fresh off the success of their latest eight-song collection of music, fawn, band members Bridget Stiebris and Haley Blomquist are sure to impress audiences with their fresh brand of short and sweet experimental rock. 3:45 p.m. at Do Division Street Fest, West/Leavitt Stage; free, $10 suggested donation, more information at westtownchamber.org/do-division

Fall Out Boy: June 21

Patrick Stump, left, and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy perform at Wrigley Field on Sept. 8, 2018. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Few Chicago acts have made the city proud quite like Fall Out Boy. And the perennial pop-punk group returns for one of their biggest local shows ever, this time at Wrigley Field. Besides the decades of nostalgia, the group is also celebrating the critical and commercial success of their latest album, So Much (for) Stardust. Released earlier this spring, the record is a smart, authentic return to the sound and form that made them such a success in the first place. 6:15 p.m. at Wrigley Field, 1060 W. Addison St.; tickets $49-$210 at mlb.com

Hot Summer Nights: TLC, Shaggy, En Vogue and Sean Kingston: June 23

Speaking of nostalgia, there is perhaps no better lineup than this summers Hot Summer Nights. Fans of 90s pop-leaning R&B will get a kick out of this lineup, which features one-hit wonders like Shaggy and Sean Kingston. But the real stars of the evening are two of the most successful girl groups of the decade: TLC and En Vogue. While each groups music diverged in sound (with TLC leaning more hip-hop influence, compared with En Vogues throwback multipart harmonies), they both proved to be formidable forces in helping to define one the most beloved decades for music. This show should prove to be a good time for sentimental millennials looking for a sweet trip down memory lane. 7 p.m. at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, 19100 Ridgeland Ave., Tinley Park; tickets $25-$125; livenation.com

Japanese Breakfast: July 10

Michelle Zauner leads Japanese Breakfast at Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicagos Union Park on Saturday, July 16, 2022. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Blending reverb-laden guitars with charming, memorable melodies has elevated Japanese Breakfast from a strong, emerging band to a formidable force on the indie music scene. Nothing underlines this point as much as the groups two-night set of shows at the recently opened and eclectic Salt Shed music venue. While night one may be sold out, night two still features a number of tickets at various price points for fans old and new to bask in the beauty and heartbreak of the groups last critically acclaimed record, Jubilee. 8 p.m. at The Salt Shed, 1357 N. Elston Ave.; tickets $55-$95; ticketmaster.com

Big Freedia: July 13

The Millennium Park Summer Music Series has, for years, proven to be a successful and accessible venue for discovering and rediscovering a mix of local and national musicians, and this years festival lineup is no exception. Were particularly excited about this show supported by queer party collectives Slo Mo & Futurehood. Slo Mo fans who may miss out on capturing tickets for the ever-popular dance party get a chance to replicate the vibes at this free event. But the evenings biggest draw is Big Freedia, who continues to garner fans both big (Beyonce) and small for her brash brand of rap. Featuring performances and DJ sets by fan-favorite local acts like Mister Wallace & Friends as well as Slo Mo resident VITIGRRL, the evening is sure to please dance music fans from start to finish. 6:30 p.m. at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, 201 E. Randolph St.; free, more information at chicago.gov

Madonna: Aug 10

Its hard to know how long Madonna will continue performing (though shes certainly not shy about trying to stay in the spotlight), so longtime fans should probably make a point of checking out this local show. Unlike her most recent local performance, which took place nearly four years ago and focused on her love of Portugal and her latest album, Madame X, this new performance is a two-night ode to Madges storied career, and the first night is already sold-out. Expect an abundance of classic tunes spanning five decades of music during this evening, affectionately dubbed The Celebration Tour. 8:30 p.m. at United Center, 1901 W. Madison St.; tickets $102-$560 at ticketmaster.com

Chance the Rapper  Acid Rap 10-Year Anniversary Show: Aug 19

Chance the Rapper performs a few songs at Studio Paris nightclub during an official Lollapalooza after party, Sunday, August 6, 2017, in downtown Chicago. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune)

Its hard to believe its been 10 years since local phenom Chance the Rapper dropped his breakthrough mixtape Acid Rap. Since then, the beloved local hero has gone on to find mainstream success, garnering multiple Grammy Awards for his critically acclaimed third mixtape, Coloring Book. But Acid Rap, which seamlessly blended hip-hop with elements of jazz and spoke frankly about the transition into adulthood, is the centerpiece of this latest local show. Longtime fans of the musician should not miss this special and rare local set. Saba, an incredible artist in his own right, opens. 8 p.m. at United Center, 1901 W. Madison St.; tickets $125-$195 at ticketmaster.com

[ 88 concerts for summer: Taylor Swift to Drake, this is a huge year for live music ]

[ 20 Chicago festivals for 2023: Pitchfork to Pride, outdoor movies to Summer Smash, we have the list ]

Britt Julious is a freelance critic.
DeSantis to kick off presidential campaign on Twitter Spaces with billionaire Elon Musk before hitting conservative media circuit and heading to early voting states

Ron DeSantis speaks during an election night watch party at the Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, on November 8, 2022. GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images

DeSantis will announce his presidential run on Twitter.

He'll do so in a conversation with Elon Musk.

Musk previously said he'd support DeSantis for president, but said now he's not endorsing in the race.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida will announce Wednesday on Twitter that he's running for president.

DeSantis will make the long-awaited announcement in a Twitter Spaces interview with Elon Musk NBC News first reported. The audio-only conversation will happen at 6 p.m. EST, according to Fox News.

"I will be interviewing Ron DeSantis and he has quite an announcement to make and will be the first time that something like this is happening on social media," Musk said during a Wall Street Journal Council Summit interview on Tuesday, adding that he would have "real questions and answers, not scripted."

Making his candidacy official brings DeSantis to the top of the primary contest against former President Donald Trump, though the former real estate mogul and reality TV star still dominates in the polls.

DeSantis is set to huddle with donors starting Wednesday and into Thursday at the luxurious Four Seasons hotel, located in the downtown Brickell area of Miami, which is a financial district.

On Monday, DeSantis altered his Twitter handle from @RonDeSantisFL to simply @RonDeSantis.

Musk said on Twitter last year that he would support DeSantis for president, but said Tuesday that he would not be endorsing any particular candidate. When asked to respond to the endorsement last year, DeSantis said he welcomed "support from African Americans."

Musk, who is white, was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and lived there until he was 17 before moving to Canada.

After the Twitter appearance, DeSantis will appear on Fox News at 8 p.m. with Trey Gowdy. Lindsey Curnutte, spokeswoman for the DeSantis political operation, confirmed the information to Insider.

The governor will then speak with conservative radio host Mark Levin at 8:30 p.m., a producer from the show told Insider.

Elon Musk Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Trump allies criticize the plans

Some political operators were surprised that DeSantis chose not to hold his first interview with Fox News. Ever since his time serving in the US House, starting in 2013, DeSantis has had a collaborative relationship with the network. That continued into his governorship, where the network's broadcast and digital reporters often get first dibs at major news.

News that the DeSantis 2024 announcement will take place on Twitter comes just weeks after Fox News abruptly said it was ousting political commentator Tucker Carlson from the network. Carlson has plans to air his new primetime show on Twitter.

"Smart," Sam Nunberg, who was a senior adviser to the 2016 Trump campaign, told Insider of the DeSantis announcement plans. "Fuck Fox. You can quote me."

Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the Trump-affiliated super-PAC Make America Great Again Inc., in a statement called the launch "one of the most out-of-touch campaign launches in modern history."

"The only thing less relatable than a niche campaign launch on Twitter is DeSantis after party at the uber elite Four Seasons resort in Miami," he said.

Trump frequently used Twitter as president, often making major announcements that drove the news cycle and sent aides scrambling. He was kicked off the website after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by his supporters, but Musk reinstated his account when he bought the company for $44 billion.

The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a question from Insider over whether Trump would return to Twitter around the same time that DeSantis makes his announcement, or whether he would choose to comment live on the event over Twitter. He did the live commentary during President Joe Biden's 2023 State of the Union Address.

A senior adviser on the Trump campaign panned the idea of launching a campaign on Twitter. "Announcing on Twitter is perfect for Ron DeSantis," the person said. "This way he doesn't have to interact with people and the media can't ask him any questions." Trump made his 2024 announcement at Mar-a-Lago, and while the press was invited he didn't take questions from the press afterwards.

John Thomas, who ran a super PAC in support of a DeSantis presidential run called Ron to the Rescue, had similar observations, saying, "Twitter is not real life."



He told Insider he thought "DeSantis must humanize himself immediately. The fastest way to do that is to be seen with real people in real life."



An association with Musk, however, could help because he's popular with GOP voters, Thomas added.

DeSantis' social skills have come under attack by the Trump campaign as the race heats up, drawing news reports about his time on the trail and whether he seems uncomfortable with meeting voters. On Wednesday, Trump said on Truth Social that DeSantis "desperately needs a personality transplant and, to the best of my knowledge, they are not medically available yet."

Conservatives have heralded Musk for promising to unleash free speech on Twitter, though the company has faced drastic staff cuts ever since the Tesla and SpaceX CEO took over.

This month, Musk named NBC's Linda Yaccarino as Twitter's new CEO, saying she would focus on business operations and he would focus on product design and new technology.

DeSantis will be the seventh person to enter the GOP primary that includes Trump, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, radio host Larry Elder, and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who held his campaign event Monday.

Other candidates, including former Vice President Mike Pence and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, are still considering entering the primary.

Should DeSantis, 44, become the GOP nominee, he would face off against Joe Biden, the oldest president in history who will turn 81 this year. DeSantis has made his young, telegenic family with his wife, Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, a centerpiece of his public image.

"Big, if true..." Casey DeSantis tweeted about the news Tuesday, with a smiley face. She later shared a video teasing her husband's presidential run, with a voiceover that said, "America has been worth it every single time."

DeSantis had planned to do an in-person event next week in his hometown of Dunedin, Florida, but ditched those plans in favor of visits to early voting states, CNN reported.

May 24, 2023: This story originally ran on May 23, 2023, and has been updated to include new information.

Read the original article on Business Insider
WEST PALM BEACH  Duane Owen, 62, fatally stabbed a Delray Beach babysitter and battered a single Boca Raton mom to death nearly 40 years ago. On Monday, his death sentence was paused pending psychiatric evaluations requested by his attorneys.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed Owen's death warrant on May 16. He would have been the fourth person to receive the death penalty in Florida this year.

Owen was sentenced to the death penalty in 1985 and 1986

In 1985, a jury found Owen guilty of stabbing and killing Karen Slattery, a 14-year-old Delray Beach babysitter who was looking after two children when Owen killed her in 1984. A judge gave Owen another death sentence just a year later, in 1986, for breaking into the Boca Raton home of Georgianna Worden and beating her to death with a hammer.

Duane Owen: Execution set for Florida man convicted of rapes and murders across Palm Beach County

In 1999, Owen claimed he was insane

Owen sat for a new trial in 1999 for the murder of Slattery, claiming that he was insane and looking for hormones to help him transition into a woman the night he killed Slattery. He was sentenced to death again at the conclusion of his 1999 trial. Owen appealed the verdict, claiming his troubled childhood wasn't rightfully represented during the trial. The troubled childhood in question included an alcoholic mother, who passed away when Owen was 11 years old, his own alcohol and drug use since the age of 9 and a father who took his own life when Owen was 13.

This isn't Owen's first try at nullifying his death sentence

Owen had been sentenced to die by lethal injection on June 15. Monday, DeSantis issued an executive order to delay Owen's execution date until he's had a thorough psychiatric evaluation, at the request of his lawyers, who say that Owen was found to meet the criteria of insanity by a neuropsychologist's recent evaluation.

The executive order released by DeSantis in response to Owen's most recent attempt to appeal his execution states that the governor claims the allegations of Owen's mental health are not sufficient to claim insanity. But because his "solemn duty to execute a duly imposed sentence of death requires the exercise of utmost caution." DeSantis appointed three psychiatrists to assess Owen's mental state.

Lianna Norman covers trending news in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at lnorman@pbpost.com. You can follow her reporting on social media@LiannaNorman on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida execution of killer Duane Owen paused by Ron DeSantis
DeSantis May Have Missed His Chance To Make The GOP Primary About Him And Trump

The political theorizing of November 2022 had Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis clearing the GOP presidential primary field of non-Donald Trump opposition, setting up a one-on-one slugfest against a former president whose iron grip on the GOP could break following legal problems and electoral losses.

The political reality of May 2023 has DeSantis preparing to enter a primary field that is expanding rather than contracting, with Trump back on top in polling and candidates as eager to poach DeSantis conservative media hype and big money donors as they are to steal Trumps grassroots support.

DeSantis official campaign launch is expected in the coming days. Never mind being the only candidate challenging Trump, he wont be the only candidate to announce a run this week after Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) announced a bid on Monday.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley are also already in the race. Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) could all also launch bids soon.

And potential new candidates are crawling out of the GOPs political woodwork: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a wealthy former Microsoft executive, has hired political consultants. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whose previous presidential endeavors are best summed up by the word oops, is also considering a bid.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a political roundtable on May 19 in Bedford, New Hampshire.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a political roundtable on May 19 in Bedford, New Hampshire.

Hopes of isolating Trump one-on-one were a pipe dream, a Republican strategist said, noting the low cost and high potential rewards  a cabinet slot or Fox News hosting gig  available to even wildly unsuccessful presidential candidates. DeSantis missteps in recent weeks, however, have created openings for other candidates to argue they, rather than DeSantis, are best-positioned to slay the Trump dragon.

Everybody who is in the race, is in the race not because of DeSantis, but because of Trump, said John Feehery, a Republican lobbyist and former Capitol Hill aide, who is unaligned in the primary.

Those candidates either want to block Trump, or are auditioning for a spot on his ticket or in his cabinet, Feehery said.

But DeSantis weakness has probably given not only hope but also money to other candidates, added Feehery, who said he prefers an alternative to Trump. Hes been kind of shell-shocked by how quickly Trump has gone after him.

With more than eight months to go until the first 2024 nominating contest, DeSantis is still the Republican most likely to stand between Trump and another presidential nomination. And indeed that is what DeSantis team is betting on.

The Republican primary is already a two-man race, and Governor DeSantis isnt even a candidate, Erin Perrine, communications director for the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down, told HuffPost in a statement. As we saw at his recent visits to Iowa and New Hampshire, there is growing momentum behind the Governor because he is the only Republican who doesnt just talk the talk, he follows through on the hard fights like taking on woke corporations.

The choice couldnt be clearer for primary voters  while Donald Trump may talk a big game, DeSantis actually fights and wins, Perrine added.

But each of those lower-tier candidates can chip away at the support DeSantis needs to win in the zero-sum scramble for party delegates.

The stakes of candidate competition are especially high on the Republican side, because while Democrats are required to allot convention delegates on a proportional basis, the GOP relies more heavily on winner-take-all  or winner-take-more  primary contests.

In 2016, for example, the winner-take-all system in Florida helped Trump secure a huge batch of delegates without even winning an outright majority. The outcome prompted Florida Sen. Marco Rubios departure from the race.

Ahead of his reelection campaign in 2020, Trump encouraged more states to adopt winner-take-all systems, leading to a map where 60% of contests were either winner-take-all from the outset, or become winner-take-all if a candidate surpasses a certain threshold. In theory then, the more Republicans that run in 2024, the harder it becomes for DeSantis to topple Trump.

A field of mostly longshot candidates polling in the single or low double digits may also help Trump eke out delegate wins without amassing a significant plurality of votes  or having to broaden his base.

The growing field of contenders, Republicans who oppose Trump worry, could lead to a repeat of 2016, when GOP candidates  fearful of Trumps base-delighting insults and convinced of his imminent self-implosion  fought amongst themselves as Trump racked up an eventually insurmountable delegate lead.

I was in a 2016 campaign, the attack the guy whos a front-runner other than Donald Trump  weve tried that, Sarah Isgur, a former aide to 2016 presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, said Sunday on ABCs This Week. It results in Donald Trump being the nominee.

Indeed, scattered polling from the time period when DeSantis was polling best showed him defeating or in close races with Trump when the two were matched up one-on-one. Adding other candidates to the mix, however, typically led to a stronger position for Trump.

Many of the other contenders seem as or more eager to attack DeSantis than to do battle with Trump. Haley trolled DeSantis over his clashes with Disney earlier this month. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, yet another potential candidate, has both criticized DeSantis culture war tactics and insisted he is more fiscally conservative than the Floridian. Christie has said DeSantis war with Disney shows the latter man is not a conservative

And DeSantis of course remains Trumps No. 1 target. Trump has dubbed the Florida governor Ron DeSanctimonious, and Make America Great Again PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC, has already started running a TV advertisement that employs DeSantis reported use of his fingers to eat chocolate pudding as a metaphor for his votes as a U.S. House member to cut Social Security and Medicare.

Ron DeSantis loves sticking his fingers where they dont belong  and were not just talking about pudding, the spot says as an actor dips two fingers into the dessert.

A second MAGA PAC ad that parodies the kids song Old McDonald Had A Farm, labels the governor Ron DeSalestax for raising sales taxes.

The attacks on DeSantis have taken a toll on his support among Republican primary voters. He has the backing of about 21% of those voters, down from about 30% in March, according to FiveThirtyEights latest public polling average.

The governors slide in the polls began after his pre-campaign book tour, where he didnt always seem at ease doing the heavy retail politicking necessary to win a presidential nomination.

He has also struggled to justify his accelerating war with Disney and the slew of new Florida laws being challenged in court on First Amendment grounds. Last month, DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban into law, a move that may either help him against Trump with uber-conservative evangelical voters or hurt him with more moderate Republicans and in the general election.

Haley trolled DeSantis earlier this month over his escalating clashes with Disney.

If Disney would like to move their hundreds of thousands of jobs to South Carolina and bring the billions of dollars with them, Ill let them know, Ill be happy to meet them in South Carolina and introduce them to the governor and the legislature that would welcome it, she said.

To some conservative strategists wary of again nominating Trump, the prospect of GOP candidates training their fire on DeSantis, rather than Trump, brings back unhappy memories of the 2016 GOP primary.

To emerge from a crowded primary, DeSantis may also have to make his message less about Trump and more about why hes a better choice than, say, Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate whos running a campaign far less centered on culture wars, or Ramaswamy, a relative unknown who has shaken up the race with his stances on the voting age and a merit-based system for immigration.

At the same time, lesser-known candidates can make the case that DeSantis wave of popularity, set into motion during the coronavirus pandemic, has already crested.

Even some conservatives who believe that DeSantis would be better than Trump and a more effective tribune for right-wing populism acknowledge that a national campaign is uncharted terrain for him.

DeSantis has to break out of the Florida bubble and address what he would do for the country as a national leader. Thats been a missing part of this conversation thus far, said Ryan Girdusky, a conservative consultant associated with the more nationalist wing of the Republican Party. You cant plant palm trees in Michigan or Wisconsin. You need to actually tell me what youre going to do for Michigan or Wisconsin.

Girdusky encouraged DeSantis and other candidates to attack Trump from the right by faulting him for, among other things, failing to complete the border wall or stem the tide of unauthorized immigration.

Donald Trump is like Philip Morris cigarettes in the 1960s and 70s, said Girdusky, who founded The 1776 Project, a right-wing super PAC active in local school board elections. Its a great brand that will give you cancer, but people still like the brand. So you need to destroy the brand.

Even in a crowded field, DeSantis can still easily trample his opponents in fundraising and will enter the race with a relatively blank slate to a national audience, said Republican strategist Jason Cabel Roe.

What most people know about DeSantis is COVID and Disney. Theres a lot more to Ron DeSantis, said Roe, a former senior adviser to Rubio. The other candidates are not combative, theyre not pugnacious, and theyre not going to bring the same feistiness to the campaign that Ron DeSantis does.

Related...
State education leaders look to restrict students cellphone use in schools across Massachusetts

The states K-12 education department is encouraging districts to restrict or ban students cellphone use in schools, possibly moving toward a statewide mandate in the future.

The education commissioner floated the idea on Tuesday. Hard to believe a time existed without cell phones, now the state says it could be interfering with your childs learning.

Today the surgeon general warned of the dangers of social media on students and teenagers in particular, says Commissioner Jeffrey Riley, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

During Tuesdays Department of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting, board members heard from students and staff in certain districts that have either banned phones or put heavy restrictions on them at school.

It has helped me as an educator really build trust and relationships with my students, says Gerry Pardilla, a teacher at Marlborough High School.

Teachers that enforce it more regularly if they see a phone on the desk, you are sent down to the office, I have actually had really good experiences in those classes and Ive made closer connections, says Tessa Scrimaeour, a student at Milford High School.

On Monday we saw just how necessary phones were for students at St. Johns Prep who used them to reach their parents when reports went out of a possible active shooter.

We were all like calling parents, says a student at St. Johns Prep.

I was texting my parents the whole time, says a student at St. Johns Prep.

Started texting parents and calling but still trying to stay quiet, says a student at St. Johns.

Commissioner Jeffrey Riley says the state has not mandated any phone restrictions for schools, but says the department wants to reward districts that pilot the idea with a matching grant up to $1 million. Parents that Boston 25 News talked to have mixed emotions about cell phones in school.

I do not think that the kids should be on their phone playing games or texting during school hours. I personally think it is for emergency situations, says Eva Nicholas, a Haverhill School Parent.

They should be put away until the end of the school day or unless there is an emergency that arises, says Cheryl Buckman, a Boston School Parent.

The proposed money for school districts that pilot a policy on restricting cell phones would come from Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Three U.S. Border Patrol agents fatally shot a member of the Tohono Oodham Nation several times after the man threw an object toward a police officer and abruptly extended his right arm away from his body.

Agents from the Ajo Border Patrol Station shot and killed 58-year-old Raymond Mattia outside of his home in the Meneger's Dam community of the Tohono O'odham Nation at 9:39 p.m. on May 18, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The Pima County Medical Examiners Office determined Tuesday that Mattia died of gunshot wounds sustained during an interaction with law enforcement. The determination comes from an autopsy performed on May 19, the day after the shooting.

The Tohono Oodham Nation Police Department had requested assistance from Border Patrol to respond to a shots fired call west of the Meneger's Dam community, which is about a mile north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Mattia was two feet from his front door when he was shot approximately 38 times, according to a report from Tucson TV station KVOA. Mattia had called the Border Patrol because he had multiple migrants trespassing in his yard and he wanted help getting them off his property, KVOA reported. CBP has not confirmed the number of times Mattia was shot.

One police officer and at least 10 Border Patrol agents were present for the shooting, according to new details released late Monday in a written CBP statement. All 10 agents activated their body cameras during the shooting, per CBP.

Initial reporting: Border Patrol shot Tohono O'odham member 38 times outside his home, report says

The incident is the second fatal shooting by agents in the Border Patrols Tucson Sector in three months. The sector has the highest number of use-of-force incidents across the agency, with 158 incidents reported so far in fiscal year 2023, per CBP data.

In March, a Border Patrol agent shot and killed a U.S. citizen near Sasabe after a vehicle chase. The shooting was ruled a homicide by the Pima County Medical Examiner's Office.

Rob Daniels, a CBP spokesperson, only said that the investigation is continuing when reached for comment by The Arizona Republic.

Agents administered CPR to Mattia after they couldnt detect a pulse and requested air life medical evacuation. However, due to inclement weather, there was no air life evacuation available.

Mattia was pronounced dead at 10:06 p.m.

Heres what we know.

9:04 p.m. Border Patrol receives call for assistance

The U.S. Border Patrol Tucson Sector Tactical Operations Center informed the Ajo Border Patrol Station that the Tohono Oodham Nation Police Department had requested help in responding to a shots fired call at 9:04 p.m.

The police department asked agents to meet at the local recreation center prior to responding to the call. Several agents responded to the request for assistance.

Agents coordinated with the police department officer at the recreation center at 9:31 p.m. The officer advised agents that there were initial reports of shots fired in the vicinity of a named individuals home west of their location.

Agents followed the officer to the home in their government vehicles for about two minutes.

Body camera release: CBP releases body camera video for fatal Border Patrol shooting in Arizona

9:35 p.m. Agents arrive, shoot Mattia outside his home

The officer and agents arrived and parked their vehicles near Mattias home at 9:35 p.m. They spread out while searching for a man, according to CBP.

The officer and agents encountered Mattia outside of the home, about 103 meters northwest of their parked vehicles at 9:39 p.m. Mattia threw an object toward the police officer as agents approached the home, CBP said.

The object, which is unclear what it was, landed a few feet in front of the officer. Shortly after Mattia threw the object, he abruptly extended his right arm away from his body.

Three agents shot Mattia several times before he fell to the ground, according to CBP.

Shooting ruled homicide: Border Patrol shooting of U.S. man near Sasabe ruled a homicide as investigation continues

9:41 p.m. Agents give medical aid before Mattia is pronounced dead

After shooting Mattia, agents broadcasted over the service radio that shots had been fired at 9:40 p.m. Agents approached Mattia and secured him before checking for a pulse and requesting emergency medical services.

Agents gave Mattia CPR after not detecting a pulse. Agents requested air life medical evacuation before being told it was not available because of inclement weather.

Agents continued giving Mattia CPR until a Border Patrol emergency medical technician on scene called a physician at St. Marys Hospital in Tucson. The physician pronounced Mattia dead at 10:06 p.m.

The Pima County Medical Examiners Office assumed custody of Mattias body pending an autopsy.

Agents on leave as FBI investigates shooting

The medical examiners office conducted an autopsy on May 19, the day after the shooting. The office will release further information about the cause and manner of death at the conclusion of its review.

The agents involved in the shooting are on administrative leave, which is standard practice following the use of deadly force. CBP said the agency is committed to the release of the body camera footage of the shooting as soon as its appropriate to do so.

It took nearly a month for CBP to release the body camera footage of the Border Patrol shooting near Sasabe in March.

The FBI and the Tohono Oodham Nation Police Department are investigating the shooting.

The shooting is under review by CBPs Office of Professional Responsibility and will be reviewed by CBPs National Use of Force Review Board at the conclusion of the investigation.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Office of Inspector General also was notified about the fatal shooting.

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: Tohono O'odham member Raymond Mattia shot by Border Patrol agents
Franklin officer was first woman to earn Silver Star since WWII. Now she's co-commanding the Dickson Guard Unit.

More than 150 Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard's 267th Military Police Company left Sunday, May 21, 2023 on the first leg of a year-long deployment overseas to the Middle East.

Nearly two decades ago, Leigh Ann Hester became the first woman since World War II to receive a Silver Star.

She earned the nation's third-highest military honor by helping a convoy under attack in Iraq. Hester cleared an area with a grenade launcher and killed insurgents with her rifle.

Her bravery led to national recognition  a documentary, TV and radio show appearances, the creation of her own action figure and honors back in Franklin where she works for the city's police department.

Today, Hester, 41, is a first sergeant helping lead the deployment of more than 150 National Guard soldiers in the Dickson-based 267th Military Police Company to the Middle East. This tour marks her highest rank and largest command.

"I am focused on our mission and taking care of my soldiers and they are taken care of and they have everything they need to support the mission, said Hester, who has served five tours of duty. She's also worked more than 16 years for the Franklin Police.

Hester, who has worked six years as a Franklin detective, said she will miss her team in the major crimes unit. But shes been welcomed back regularly at the police department after deployments lasting up to 18 months, including a Blue Star Flag ceremony.

The 267th Military Police Company, which is primarily tasked with providing customs support for service members in the Middle East, departed Sunday for Fort Bliss, Texas. The company will travel to Kuwait in a few weeks and deployment will last a year.

Deployment not connected to Middle East attacks

Capt. Cristian Johnson, who commands the unit, said the company's mission has been planned for about three years.

In March, a contractor was killed and multiple U.S. troops were seriously injured in Syria from attacks by Iranian-backed militants, according to U.S. officials. Though there are reports of the U.S. bolstering forces in the area, Johnson said the units mission hasnt changed.

But they didnt rule out being ordered to help.

"We are not a reactionary force, Hester said.

More than 150 Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard's 267th Military Police Company left Sunday, May 21, 2023 on the first leg of a year-long deployment overseas to the Middle East.

She said the unit could be stationed in up to nine countries, multiple airbases and ports.

It will be a very dynamic mission," Hester said, "requiring our teams to be flexible and agile, but our unit has the best leaders and military policemen in Tennessee; we couldnt be more prepared.

The unit, which also has detachment in Waverly, is comprised of soldiers trained in various security, policing, detention and combat functions.

More than 150 Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard's 267th Military Police Company left Sunday, May 21, 2023 on the first leg of a year-long deployment overseas to the Middle East.

It was a long day

Hester said her training kicked in during the ambush in Iraq.

The convoy her squad was shadowing was ambushed by anti-Iraqi fighters. Hester led her team through the "kill zone" and into a flanking position where she assaulted a trench line with grenades and M203 grenade-launcher rounds. She and Staff Sgt. Timothy Nein, her squad leader, then cleared two trenches, at which time she killed three insurgents.

Franklin police officer Leigh Ann Hester checks a motorist's license and registration during a traffic stop while on patrol in 2008. Hester is the first woman since World War II to be awarded a Silver Star for valor while serving in Iraq.

Hester, a Bowling Green, Ky., native who joined the National Guard in 2001 and moved to Franklin a couple years later, was credited with saving the lives of numerous convoy members.

"It was a long day," she said in an earlier Tennessean interview.

"When I first enlisted, I chose to be a (military police officer) because I believe it was one of the most physically demanding jobs that a female could do in the military, she told The Tennessean.

Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard's 267th Military Police Company listen to 1st Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester. The unit left Sunday, May 21, 2023 on the first leg of a year-long deployment overseas to the Middle East.

More: Franklin police officer featured in Memorial Day PBS special honoring military women

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Dickson National Guard unit led by Franklin detective deploys to Middle East
[Source]

A 53-year-old Asian woman in California is now living in fear after falling victim to what she believes were attacks against her race by two separate suspects in a single Metro train ride last week.

The incident, which is now under investigation, occurred on the northbound A Line near Compton station at around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday while the victim was traveling with a male friend from Long Beach to downtown.

The woman said that it all started when she asked her friend to take his hand out of the aisle because two women were standing in the area. She thought his action, which was meant to assist the women, could be misinterpreted.

My friend, he was afraid that one of them would fall so he stretched out his hand to try to help the woman in case she fell. And I told him that did not look good, the victim told Eyewitness News. I was like, Take your hand off because you're a man and she's a woman. Don't do that.

More from NextShark: Chinese Restaurant Sparks Outrage For Weighing Customers Before They Can Order

To her shock, a man sitting behind them suddenly started yelling, allegedly pointing out her race.

I hear a voice in the back Hey! Asian woman don't tell that man that, she told KCAL News.

Shortly after, one of the two women, who was wearing a yellow shirt, also allegedly began yelling and physically assaulted the victim.

More from NextShark: White House Responds to Recent Wave of Violence Against Elderly Asian Americans

Her yelling initially forced them to move, but the woman allegedly followed them and started throwing punches at the 53-year-old.

As I'm moving she starts punching and I fell to the side of the train, the victim told KCAL News. I was so afraid for my life ... I felt so ashamed I was in that position. So just my dignity was stripped away.

The woman allegedly used racial slurs against the victim during the attack.

More from NextShark: 16-Year-Old Shot, Killed After Answering Door in Seattle Family Home

A witness who identified herself as Twila Mahone told Eyewitness News that the victim was calling the police while trying to make the conductor stop the train for 11 minutes.

It was a brutal attack. A very, very brutal attack that should never happen, Mahone told the outlet.

The train finally stopped at Artesia Station, but the attack was not over yet. In a final move, the man who first heckled the victim knocked her phone out of her hand.

More from NextShark: Murdered Washington state couple's bodies found in garbage can

All suspects were able to flee. The victim, on the other hand, was left with minor injuries to her upper body and now fears future attacks.

Long Beach police are now looking for the suspects, but they are not currently investigating the incident as a hate crime.

At this time, there is no information to indicate this is a hate crime or bias motivated incident. The investigation is ongoing, police said in a statement.

The incident has angered Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, who called for a full accounting of the Metros security protocols.

We have multi-million-dollar law enforcement contracts, Metro security, and 300 Metro Ambassadors who have been hired to ride our buses and trains, Hahn said on Monday, as per City News Service. But where were they when this woman was beaten up on the Blue Line last week? With this many layers of security, why didn't anyone come to this woman's aid?

Hahn also stressed that similar incidents have occurred in the trains in recent months.

Enough is enough, she added. Our trains need to be safe for our residents.
Caviar is served at Monarch in Dallas, May 12, 2023. (JerSean Golatt/The New York Times)

DALLAS  The crowds streaming into Highland Park Village are hungry for luxury. At this open-air shopping center in suburban Dallas, they valet-park their Porsches, sport Yves Saint Laurent handbags, flit in and out of Audemars Piguet and pause for brunch at Sadelles, the fancy new deli from Major Food Group in New York.

Sadelles has been open for just over a year, and its not unusual to find the place packed on a Tuesday afternoon, as well-dressed guests sip mimosas and snack on $18 pigs in a blanket and $85 latkes topped with salmon and osetra caviar. Even the sugar for coffee comes to the table in tiny Le Creuset Dutch ovens.

Dallas has long had a reputation for living large, an image built on oil money and the wide swathes of ranch land displayed on its namesake TV series. But today, the city is enjoying a surge of new development, new residents, new wealth  and a dining scene pumped up by the arrival of several high-end national restaurant groups, all looking to cater the party.

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These companies are giving Dallas the kind of attention theyve previously lavished on tourist playgrounds like Las Vegas and Miami. In the past two years or so, local outposts have been established by STK, RH, Komodo, La Neta Cocina y Lounge and even Nusr-Et, the Salt Bae steakhouse. Major Food Group opened a Dallas branch of its maximalist-Italian restaurant Carbone last year, and says it has even larger ambitions in the city.

The local rumor mill is humming with speculation about the next potential imports  names like Joes Stone Crab from Miami (which said it had no such plan), or Ralph Laurens Polo Bar (which didnt respond to requests for comment) and Pastis (which said it was in preliminary talks about a space) from New York City.

I have gotten calls from every single restaurant group in the country, said Stephen Summers, whose family owns Highland Park Village. He added: Every group you can think of, from Los Angeles to New York City to international groups, seems to want to be in Dallas.

The pandemic spurred many Americans to move to places like Miami and San Antonio, where the weather was warmer and COVID restrictions were looser.

No city has benefited from this shift quite like Dallas. From April 2020 to July 2021, the Dallas-Fort Worth area gained about 122,000 new residents, more than any other metro area in the nation, according to Census Bureau data. Some demographers predict that by the 2030s, Dallas  now the largest metropolis in Texas  could replace Chicago as the nations third-largest metro area.

Where will those people go for fun? The Dallas-Fort Worth area has no beaches, mountains or world wonders, but it has about 15,000 places to eat. In 2022, the average Dallas household spent a larger share of its income on dining out than those in New York, Miami or San Francisco, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Like any major city, Dallas has its share of want  17.7% of its population lives in poverty  and economic inequality. The area is home to 92,300 millionaires and 18 billionaires, according to a 2022 report from Henley & Partners, a London investment firm, that ranked Dallas the 18th wealthiest city in the world. Several Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T and American Airlines, have their headquarters in the area.

You have no idea the velocity of spending that happens in that market, said Julie Macklowe, the founder of the Macklowe American Single Malt Whiskey, which sells for $350 to $400 a shot in numerous Dallas restaurants. It is like the U.S.s version of Dubai.

These upscale chains cater to the citys ultrawealthy  and those who want to live like them for an evening. The Las Vegas-based restaurant group Blau + Associates recently opened Crown Block in Dallas soaring Reunion Tower, where the seafood tower costs $230. The place had about 10,000 reservations before it even released a menu.

The 3-month-old Dallas branch of La Neta Cocina y Lounge, originally from Las Vegas, offers a $95 lobster taco served in a cheese-stuffed tortilla.

Ryan Labbe, who owns the restaurants, has high hopes for Dallas, where  unlike in Las Vegas  a meal isnt just a pit stop on the way to a show or a club.

Dinner in Dallas is your night, he said.

In Dallas, these companies have also found manageable operating costs. Theres no state or local income tax. Rents are cheaper and ingredients cost less than in many other major cities, said Matt Winn, a partner in and the chief development officer of the Chicago-based Maple Hospitality Group, which has two Dallas restaurants  Monarch and Kessaku  and has plans to open a third. Its been easier to hire workers, he said, and to sell extravagant dishes.

At Monarch, we have a whole king crab that serves eight people and it is $1,000, Winn said. Dallas diners will show up and spend that.

In a city whose dining scene has often dwelled in the shadow of Houstons diverse cuisines and Austins array of distinctive independent restaurants, many locals are loving the attention.

You have two Ritz-Carltons being built here, said George White, a retired IT salesperson who eats out often. Things are happening.

But a splashy dining scene isnt necessarily an interesting one, said Brian Reinhart, the restaurant critic at D Magazine, who recently published a list of the citys 50 best restaurants  and deliberately left the out-of-town chain restaurants off it.

If we are headed toward a world where the highest-end dining is just as chain-ified as the most basic fast food, he said, its going to be harder for Dallas to maintain any sort of distinction or culinary character.

Chain restaurants have historically been part of the citys identity, albeit less expensive ones: Chilis, On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and 7-Eleven all got their start here. The proliferation of these businesses hurt the image of the local dining scene, said Mark Masinter, the founder of Open Realty Advisors, which leases real estate to Dallas restaurants.

But in recent years, many of the citys independent restaurants have thrived and drawn national praise. Bon Appetit chose Dallas as its restaurant city of the year in 2019. Other publications have named Petra and the Beast and Roots Southern Table among the countrys best. (The New York Times included Roots in its 2021 list of favorite American restaurants.)

Sam Romano, who runs the local steakhouse Nick & Sams, said the influx of out-of-town restaurant groups will further raise Dallas profile. With restaurants come prestige, he said, citing Major Food Groups decision to open a satellite of Carbone, one of only four in the United States. That says something about Dallas.

A few years ago, Dallas wasnt even on the radar of New York restaurateur Eugene Remm. At the urging of a colleague, he visited in 2021 and was surprised to find dining rooms that were packed nightly.

If you can find restaurants busy on Mondays and Tuesdays and restaurants in a dense, 2-mile radius that can do $17 million, $22 million, there are no more than 10 markets that can justify that kind of spend on a regular basis, he said. That makes it special.

Next year, he plans to open a location of Catch, an upscale seafood and steak restaurant, in the citys fast-growing Uptown neighborhood.

He once associated Dallas with George Bush and cowboy hats, he said, but discovered that its more like New York. People are going to members clubs and have the same Dior store and the same Gucci store and the same everything.

Not every national restaurant group succeeds here. Chef Tom Colicchio closed his Dallas location of Craft in 2012. Il Mulino, an Italian import from New York City, shuttered in 2006 after just two years in business.

Today, Dallas diners are more cosmopolitan, said Candace Nelson, who opened a Sprinkles cupcake shop in 2007 and a branch of the Los Angeles restaurant Pizzana in 2022. They are excited when a concept from their many travels chooses their city to come to, she said.

On a recent Friday night at Carbone, that excitement among guests was palpable. Throughout the evening, customers in stilettos and suits poured out of Cadillac Escalades. Servers in crimson uniforms whizzed around the restaurant with $600 bottles of Burgundy and slabs of chocolate cake topped with edible gold.

The people working here, they call them captains, and they have the outfits, said Nav Singh, who works in real estate and was splurging on a celebration of his birthday at Carbone. They are putting effort into it. At a mom-and-pop shop, it is maybe white shirt, black pants. Compared with the average Dallas restaurant, he said, this is more elevated.

But the boom in out-of-town restaurants hasnt come without casualties to the home team.

In 2021, Julian Barsotti, who owned a longtime Dallas restaurant called Carbones, sued Carbone, claiming copyright infringement. But it was Barsotti who ended up changing the name of his restaurant, after making a deal with Major Food Group.

If the name meant that much to them, at the end of the day I was happy to compromise, said Barsotti, who said he could not disclose the terms of the deal.

Erin Willis, who recently closed her French restaurant, RM 12:20 Bistro, in East Dallas, said the large restaurant groups were partly to blame.

These big corporate entities that now own all the restaurants, they can pay for more advertising, they have deeper pockets, they are more glitzy, she said. It puts the small places like myself into the background, and we cant survive.

The outside groups also dilute the citys culinary diversity, she said.

Dallas has so many ethnic foods to offer, but what the corporate side is doing is bringing so much of the same thing into the metroplex, she said. There is no variety. It edges out the people who are trying to stay true to their culture.

Teiichi Sakurai runs the downtown Japanese restaurant Tei-An, a short drive from two nationally known sushi places, Nobu and Uchi, that came from other cities. But Sakurai said his business hasnt been affected by the competition.

Nobu, they have much more European dishes, using Japanese fish done carpaccio style, he said. We do handmade soba.

And Dallas diners are loyal, he said. We have 25 years of regulars. National groups come and go, he said, and they dont remember names.

Regino Rojas, who serves dishes from his native Michoacan, Mexico, at his restaurants, Revolver Taco Lounge and Revolver Gastro Cantina, said upscale chains focused more on curating an atmosphere than on serving unique food. His clientele, he said, is different.

Besides, said Romano of Nick & Sams, Dallas is only getting denser and larger, as new developments expand the metro areas footprint. If restaurant groups want to set up shop here, we have the space and people for them.

Is there such a thing as too many places to eat?

I dont think there are enough yet, he said.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Sentiments toward the Walt Disney Company have become increasingly divided along partisan lines amid a public relations and legal battle with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

The company dropped a dozen spots to No. 77 in the 2023 Axios Harris Poll 100, a survey that gauges the reputation of the most visible brands in America.

However, 44 percent of Democrats said they were feeling more positive about the company, compared to 42 percent of Republicans who said their opinions about Disney had become more negative, according to the poll released Tuesday.

Disneys Reputational Quotient score  which incorporates perceptions of character, trust and trajectory  rose from 72.5 to 80.3 out of a possible 100 for Democrats, while sinking 14 points among Republicans, from 75 to 61.

The gap between the opinions of Democratic and Republican respondents made Disney the fifth most polarizing company of 100, according to the poll.

The conflicting trend in the perception of Disney follows the companys opposition to Floridas legislation barring instruction in schools on gender identity through the third grade. Disney dropped 28 spots in last years poll  from 37 to 65  after first becoming embroiled in the political debate over the so-called Dont Say Gay bill.

Disneys reputation score has been decreasing since the 2017 Axios/Harris poll, but this year is the first that the trend is partisan.

The controversial legislation was expanded by DeSantis last week to prohibit discussions of gender identity in grades 4 through 12 unless the instruction is in line with state curriculum or part of a health class a student can opt out of.

The Axios poll surveyed 16,310 Americans from March 13 to 28.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Spider-man Across the Spider-verse poster

While it's often the live action Spider-man movies that hog the headlines, 2018's beautifully animated Into the Spider-Verse has rightfully become a cult classic thanks to its vibrant art style. Fans are rightfully excited about this year's sequel, Across the Spider-Verse  but has a brand new poster just spoiled a potential surprise?

A stunning new IMAX-exclusive illustrated poster was revealed by Odeon Ireland on Twitter this week, featuring various different Spider-men (is that a word?) from the franchise's history. But eagle-eyed fans think they've spotted one of particular note. (Looking for more awesome posters? Check out the best print ads of all time.)

Swinging your way into the Spider-Verse this June? Book your tickets to experience Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in iSense or IMAX to get your own exclusive poster! https://t.co/sjiRfLXDAd pic.twitter.com/JkSGESUUTLMay 20, 2023

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Reminiscent of classic illustrated posters by the great Drew Struzan, the design is certainly a refreshing break from the floating head trend that has plagued modern films (including the live action Spider-man offerings). But some fans are convinced that one of the Spidey costumes belongs to Tobey Maguire's version of the webslinger, essentially (perhaps) spoiling what could be a huge cameo in the film.

If this poster is official then spoiling Tobey's Spider-Man has to be the worst decisions by sony's marketing team pic.twitter.com/qIEaViVnPzMay 20, 2023

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That really does look like Tobey on the left but I just dont think we can be sure it is. I also find it hard to believe Sony would ruin that cameo in a poster. Even if its him or not I would still LOVE to see him show up #AcrossTheSpiderVerse pic.twitter.com/Tt6Ni9a2iTMay 20, 2023

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Not the first time where Sony spoils one of the biggest surprises during the marketing.May 21, 2023

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Of course, it's entirely possible that it's just, you know, a slightly similar suit. In today's world of Easter eggs and fan-service, it's unsurprising that every single detail is pored over online  but can't we simply enjoy what is arguably just a very nice, illustrated poster?

Spider-man

Time will tell whether Across the Spider-Verse will indeed prove to be a cameo-fest. In the meantime, for some design inspiration, take a look at the best movie posters we've seen in 2023.
Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at the Chicago Tribune.

Two elk playfully fight over the food that was left for them during a wildlife viewing wagon ride at Shalom Wildlife Sanctuary on Dec. 14, 1999 in West Bend, Wis. (Chad Hug/AP)

Wisconsin wildlife officials estimate the number of elk in the state will grow to more than 500 animals by July.

The Department of Natural Resources began reintroducing elk to the state in 1995 by importing 25 animals to the Clam Lake region. The agency began another reintroduction effort in 2014 that called for importing up to 150 elk from Kentucky to bolster the Clam Lake herd and establish a second herd in Jackson County.

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The DNR authorized the first modern-day elk hunt in 2018 after the Clam Lake herd surpassed 200 animals.

According to a report that DNR biologists plan to present to the agency board Wednesday, the Jackson County herd should stand at around 155 to 160 elk by the time the calving season is over in July. The Clam Lake herd should stand at around 355 animals by that time.

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The Jackson County herd lost at least 13 elk in 2022. Seven animals were killed in car crashes, and two were harvested illegally. The remaining four died of sickness or reasons unknown, according to the DNR report.

So far this year, two elk have died in car crashes, two to predation and another died of unknown causes.

At least 20 elk in the Clam Lake herd are known to have perished since last summer, according to the report. Hunters killed eight animals legally, wolves killed another seven elk, one elk drowned, a bear killed another and one calf died of malnutrition. The cause of death of the last elk is unknown.

The DNR plans to set an eight-bull quota in the Clam Lake area for this falls hunting season, with four elk for state-licensed hunters and four for Chippewa tribal hunters. No hunting season will be offered for the Jackson County herd.
The South Carolina senator isnt polling well against Republican frontrunners Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis  but some pundits say he could still take off.

The 360 shows you diverse perspectives on the days top stories and debates.

Whats happening

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina announced on Monday that he will seek the Republican nomination for the presidency. In preparing for a campaign in recent weeks, he has sought to strike an optimistic tone at stark odds with more divisive rhetoric emanating from the frontrunners, former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to announce his own formal candidacy on Wednesday.

They say opportunity in America is a myth, and faith in America is a fraud. But the truth of my life disproves their lies, Scott said as he launched his campaign, invoking his own humble roots as evidence that the nations promise remains unbroken.

Read more from our partners at Politico: 55 Things You Need to Know About Tim Scott

Why theres debate

Scott initially made moves toward a presidential run in April. Since then, however, he has failed to make a dent in Trumps enduring  and perhaps increasing  popularity among GOP voters.

While DeSantis has been dropping in the polls, he remains firmly in second place. The young Florida governor remains a favorite of many GOP donors and establishment figures, who see him as a vessel for Trumpism that is steadier and more predictable than Trump himself.

Photo illustration: Jack Forbes/Yahoo News; photos: Al-Drago-Pool/Getty Images, Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images, Alex Wong/Getty Images

Although Scott rarely crossed Trump while he was in the White House, he seems unencumbered by the former president or his legacy. He has attracted comparison to Ronald Reagan, whose bright disposition proved compelling to Americans after the downbeat Carter years.

Reagan, however, was a pro-immigration, pro-business conservative who supported an interventionist foreign policy. None of those are features of the Republican Party today. That poses a potential problem for Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, who has shied away from culture wars and controversies that animate conservatives.

Read more from our partners at Bloomberg: Tim Scotts Trying to Beat Trump as a Nice Guy With Wall Street Backing

Whats next

Like all other candidates, Scott will have to contend with the media-gobbling colossus that is Donald Trump. Unlike DeSantis, however, he is not trying to out-MAGA the former president, and that potentially gives him more room to maneuver.

Scott is expected to focus a good deal of his energies on Iowas evangelical voters, who could power him to a caucus victory there. His appeals to them are expected to be deeply personal in nature, free of the contrivance and pandering that campaigning usually demands.

I am first a Christian, Scott has said. The appeal to faith could also have resonance in other early primary states, including his native South Carolina.

Scott has long been an adept fundraiser. He also gained early endorsements from fellow Sens. Mike Rounds and John Thune, both of South Dakota. Thune, the second-highest-ranking Republican in the chamber, called Scott the closest to Ronald Reagan that you're going to see.

Read more from our partners at NBC News: Senators love Tim Scott, but they're not ready to endorse him for president

Perspectives

Scott can win if Trump and DeSantis implode

Sometimes frontrunners destroy each other and leave room for a breakout candidate to run up the middle. Its theoretically possible that Trump and DeSantis could go nuclear on each other to the degree that the electorate yearns for some counterprogramming. Scotts amiable and positive persona would stand in stark contrast to the personalities of both Trump and DeSantis.  Matt Lewis, Daily Beast

Scott can make himself the main alternative to Trump

Where Trump is brash, Scott is measured. Where Trump is rich, Scott was raised in poverty. Where Trump has a flair for the dramatic, Scott is mundane. Trump has been married three times, while Scott is single. Where Trump likes heated rhetoric, Scotts words are a salve for the bitter soul of America.  John Feehery, The Hill

It could all come down to the GOP debates

President Trump has a 36.9 percent lead on RealClearPolitics  that is enormous  theres no denying that Donald Trump is the front-runner right now. However, there are some intangibles here. Scotts campaign would tell you, were banking on debate night.  Kayleigh McEnany, former White House press secretary, on Fox News

Trumps GOP opponents are running out of time

What Scott, DeSantis, Haley and the rest need are primary voters who think that the party should stand for something more than a cult of personality, and that the presidency is more than a tool for self-aggrandizement and retribution. Unless they know where to find a bunch of new such voters, theyre going to have to start reeducating the ones they have. And its getting late.  Jonah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times

Scott stands out and has room to maneuver

There is a lot of common ground on the issues among the Republican candidates. Its a question of how you express it. We will hear a different tone from him. Scott has the chance to make his lane in this race whatever he wants to make it because what he talks about comes from within and he is authentic.  Karl Rove, to Bloomberg

Republicans may want a candidate they think is more electable than Trump

Biden and his fellow Democrats have very real fissures with some parts of their coalition and Scott could peel some voters of color away from their default partisan identifications. That is compelling for some abacus-wielding Republicans who are frustrated with the fact the GOP has lost the popular vote in seven of the last eight presidential elections. If politics truly is a game of addition, Team GOP needs to start finding new supporters and hemorrhaging their deserters.  Philip Elliott, Time

Is there a topic youd like to see covered in The 360? Send your suggestions to the360@yahoonews.com.
Former president Donald Trump, left on screen, and his attorney, Todd Blanche, right on screen, appear by video, as his other attorney Susan Necheles, right, looks on, before a hearing begins in Manhattan criminal court, in New York, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. Trump made a video appearance Tuesday in his New York criminal case, with the judge tentatively setting a trial date for late March of next year. (AP Photo/Curtis Means via Pool)

NEW YORK (AP)  Donald Trump threw up his hands in frustration Tuesday as a judge scheduled his criminal trial for March 25, putting the former president and current candidate in a Manhattan courtroom in the heat of next years presidential primary season.

Trump, appearing by video conference at a pretrial hearing in the hush-money case, glowered at the camera as Judge Juan Manuel Merchan advised him to cancel all other obligations for the duration of the trial, which could last several weeks.

Trump, wearing a blue suit against a backdrop of American flags at his Florida estate, then turned to a lawyer by his side  their brief discussion inaudible on the video feed  before sitting with his arms folded for the remainder of the hearing.

Trump said little during the hearing, but lashed out afterward on social media, writing: Just had New York County Supreme Court hearing where I believe my First Amendment Rights, Freedom of Speech, have been violated, and they forced upon us a trial date of March 25th, right in the middle of Primary season."

Very unfair, but this is exactly what the Radical Left Democrats wanted," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "Its called ELECTION INTERFERENCE, and nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before!!!

Trump pleaded not guilty last month to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign to bury allegations that he had extramarital sexual encounters. He has denied wrongdoing.

Merchan said he arrived at the March 25 trial date after discussions with Trumps lawyers and prosecutors. Trumps lawyer, Susan Necheles, said Trump knew about the date prior to Tuesdays hearing and said she didn't see his exasperated reaction.

Trumps case is proceeding in state court even as his lawyers seek to have it moved to federal court because some of the alleged conduct occurred while he was president. The Manhattan district attorney's office has until next week to file paperwork stating why it should remain in state court, where the historic indictment was brought.

Trump has made the New York case and the long list of other investigations into his personal, professional and presidential conduct central to his campaign to reclaim the White House in 2024. The Republican has portrayed himself as the victim of a coordinated, politically motivated effort to sully his chances.

Trump often discusses the cases at his rallies, in speeches, TV appearances and on social media. He has repeatedly attacked prosecutors, accusers and judges by name, including Merchan, and has shown no willingness to back down  even after a recent $5 million verdict in a writers sexual abuse and defamation lawsuit against him.

The plaintiff in that case, writer E. Jean Carroll, filed a new claim Monday seeking an additional $10 million or more to hold Trump liable for remarks he made bashing her on CNN the day after the May 9 verdict.

Trump responded Tuesday by doubling down on his contention that Carrolls allegations were a Fake, Made Up Story and a TOTAL SCAM" and that her case is "part of the Democrats playbook to tarnish my name and person.

Merchan spent the bulk of Tuesdays 15-minute hearing reviewing an order he issued May 8 that sets ground rules for Trumps behavior in the lead-up to the trial.

It's not a gag order and Trump is free to speak about the case and defend himself, Merchan said, but he can't use evidence turned over by prosecutors to attack witnesses or post sensitive documents to social media. If he violates the order, he risks being held in contempt.

Among concerns raised by prosecutors were that Trump could weaponize highly personal information found on witnesses' cellphones, such as personal photos and text messages with family and friends, as well as secret grand jury testimony and other material, to rile up anger amongst his supporters.

Nothing in the order prevents Trump from being able to speak powerfully and persuasively in his defense without the need to start attacking individuals, disclosing names, addresses, cellphones' numbers, identity, dates of birth, or anything along those lines, Merchan said. Certain sensitive material shared by prosecutors must be kept only by Trumps lawyers, not Trump himself.

Prosecutors sought the order soon after Trumps arrest, citing what they say is his history of making harassing, embarrassing, and threatening statements about people hes tangled with in legal disputes.

Trump was spared a personal appearance at the courthouse Tuesday, avoiding the mammoth security and logistical challenges that accompanied his arraignment last month. Instead, the Republican was connected by video conference, with his face beamed onto TV monitors positioned around the courtroom.

Trump isn't required to appear in court in person again until Jan. 4, just weeks before the first primary votes are expected to be cast.

__

Associated Press reporter Jill Colvin contributed to this report. __

Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak and send confidential tips by visiting https://www.ap.org/tips/.
CAMP EDWARDS  As a turkey vulture rode the air in wide, languid arcs over Camp Edwards' Sierra Range, an expansive sandplain grassland dotted with 70 stationary targets soldiers use for M4 and M16 rifle training, the popping of weapons firing could be heard from a neighboring range.

Unfazed, the massive bird continued to circle, hunting for some small prey brave enough to venture out among the native warm season grasses. In front of a group of civilian visitors May 19, Major Alex McDonough, safety officer and deputy base operations manager, and Jake McCumber, natural resources manager for the Massachusetts Army National Guard, talked about how military training and conservation and environmental work coexist.

As part of a tour Friday for civilians of Camp Edwards at Joint Base Cape Cod in Bourne, Jonathan Marsh fires an M4 rifle as he demonstrates a virtual firing range where the weapons are powered by compressed air.

A public tour of Camp Edwards on Joint Base Cape Cod  the first of six  was designed to give members of the public a chance to see and learn about the base's soldier training venues, Natural Resources Program and habitat conservation work, and the Impact Area Groundwater Cleanup Program.

Tour stops included the engagement skills trainer, a weapons simulator within the Tactical Training Base Kelley area, the base's groundwater treatment facility, Sierra Range, and the KD, or known distance, range.

Base managers believe it was an ideal time to highlight the work happening there that benefits and protects not only people, but wildlife and the environment, especially with the Massachusetts Army National Guard hoping to build a multi-purpose machine gun range, and in light of ongoing work to monitor and clean up groundwater contamination plumes from past uses that is the topic of much public interest.

Machine gun range at Joint Base Cape Cod EPA expands ways to comment on proposed machine gun range at base; hearing set for May 24.

All eyes on the proposed machine gun range

The 1,000-meter KD range, deactivated since 1997, is the proposed location for the machine gun range  a project that's raising concerns about its potential impact on the environment, in particular the Cape's sole source aquifer.

After a comprehensive evaluation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently issued a draft determination that the range has the potential to contaminate the aquifer and create a significant public health hazard.

The draft finding will be the subject of a public hearing at the Sandwich Center for Active Living on May 24 and at which the Guard will give a formal comment. During the tour, McDonough did not directly speak about the draft finding, but he and McCumber emphasized the importance that's put on the health of the ecosystem at Camp Edwards.

Explosives, which often have contents not friendly to the environment, are no longer used at the base, McDonough said. The base only allows copper ammunition rounds, he said, banning lead rounds which were used in the past.

As part of a tour for civilians of Camp Edwards, the group visits the Known Distance Range beside its observation tower. This range is the one proposed to be transformed into a machine gun range. This range is 1,000 meters long and was deactivated in 1997

"People have said we're going to have explosives (at the machine gun range) and things like that. No. Anything that goes 'boom' is banned, and we agree with that," McDonough said as the tour group gathered at the edge of the KD range, with its view of the military reservation's spinning wind turbines in the distance.

As for the impact of the proposed range, he said, "what we can do is show through science that the (currently used) small-arms ranges haven't contaminated the aquifer, that we can build this range and responsibly manage it to a high degree of standard."

Military machine gun range: Joint Base Cape Cod's proposed machine gun range: What we know so far

A 'solid responsibility' to protect drinking water

McDonough said the Guard, which operates the base, has "a solid responsibility to protect everyone's drinking water because it's not only the community that drinks it, everyone on base drinks it, too."

"We don't want to poison anyone. We don't want to poison ourselves, and we certainly don't want to poison anyone in the surrounding towns," he said.

Plans for the range include the same precautions used at the base's active weapons training ranges, including monitoring wells and regular soil sampling. To illustrate their success, McDonough noted that in the 10 years Sierra Range has been in use there have been an estimated one million copper rounds fired and zero detections of contamination.

A clip of 50 caliber machine gun bullets on display in a virtual firing range that was one stop of a tour for civilians on Friday of Camp Edwards at Joint Base Cape Cod in Bourne.

Uncommon, even threatened, wildlife thrives at base firing ranges.

During the tour officials spoke of the ongoing wildlife conservation at the base over many years, significantly within the SDZs, or surface danger zones  open areas extending from a firing location on a range "to a distance downrange, based on the projectiles fired," according to the U.S. Army.

It is a misconception that the SDZs are "like a habitat dead zone that nothing can live in," McDonough said.

In reality, agreed McCumber, "these ranges tend to have high levels of (wildlife) diversity."

The wildlife biologist mentioned the meadow jumping mouse and the smooth greensnake as two species that are uncommon in the region but found on the base's ranges. Also present are the grasshopper sparrow, listed as a threatened species in Massachusetts, and the frosted elfin butterfly, listed as a species of special concern. Additionally, the base boasts the highest density population in the state of eastern whip-poor-wills, another species of special concern.

Major Alex McDonough, safety officer and deputy base operations manager at Camp Edwards in Bourne, talks to a civilian tour group about one of the machine guns used in a simulation firing range. The Army National Guard wants to open a machine gun range at the camp. The EPA's draft finding that the machine gun will endanger the local water supply will be the subject of a public hearing at the Sandwich Center for Active Living on May 24.

McCumber said the base is also home to "one of the best examples" of a North Atlantic coastal pine barrens, "a globally rare ecosystem that works very well with soldier training."

"This is a conservation success that we're very, very proud of. There's just not enough knowledge outside of here how successful it's been," McCumber said.

That success reflects on efforts over the last two decades guided by Chapter 47, a 2002 state law that emphasize groundwater and wildlife habitat protection in tandem with quality soldier training  a mission, he said, that's taken "very seriously" there.

Cape Cod aquifer Cape military base wants a machine gun range. EPA says it could be a public health hazard.

Here's when you can tour the base.

As discussions about the the machine gun range, cleanup efforts and water monitoring continue, McDonough said he hopes members of the public will tour the base before forming an opinion.

"Actually walking the ground and seeing it is worth a million words and pictures," he said.

Tour dates are Fridays, June 23, July 14, Aug. 18, Sept. 22 and Oct. 20, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tours are limited to 36 people. To register, send an email with name and phone number no later than noon on the Thursday prior to the tour to: Emily.d.kelly2.nfg@army.mil or call 339-202-9341. A confirmation email will be sent with more details.

The May 24 public hearing on the proposed machine gun range will be live streamed via Zoom at https://usepa.zoomgov.com/j/1605125622?pwd=TXkyY29CNG9vR2tvUEkraWNONm82dz09. Public comments will not be accepted over Zoom, but they can be submitted in person at the hearing at 70 Quaker Meetinghouse Road, Forestdale; by leaving voice messages at 617-918-1800, or by sending emails to R1SSAComments@epa.govo. Public comments will be accepted through June 26.

Keep connected with the Cape. Download our free app.

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: National Guard defends machine gun range at Camp Edwards in Bourne
Double shooting leaves 1 dead, another in critical condition outside of Atlanta business

Atlanta police are investigating a fatal shooting that happened in northwest Atlanta on Monday night.

Just after 11 p.m., police were called out to the 2000 block of Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy NW.

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Police arrived and said two men had been shot.

One man was dead on the scene and another man was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

TRENDING STORIES:

Channel 2 Action News was on the scene and spoke with one of the shooting victims grandmothers, Joann McKibbins, overnight.

Police have not identified either of the victims but McKibbins said her grandson, Dominque McKibbins, just turned 18 years old.

A sweet, kind-hearted person, said McKibbins. His heart is so pure, thats all I know about my grandson.

McKibbins said she and her grandsons mother are hurt.

Police are not sure what led up to the shooting.

The investigation is ongoing.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Global loss of wildlife is significantly more alarming than previously thought, according to a new study

The global loss of wildlife is significantly more alarming than previously thought, according to a new study that found almost half the planets species are experiencing rapid population declines.

Humans have already wiped out huge numbers of species and pushed many more to the brink  with some scientists saying we are entering a sixth mass extinction event, this time driven by humans.

The main factor is the destruction of wild landscapes to make way for farms, towns, cities and roads, but climate change is also an important driver of species decline and is predicted to have an increasingly worse impact as the world warms.

The studys authors analyzed more than 70,000 species across the globe  spanning mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects  to determine whether their populations have been growing, shrinking or remaining steady over time.

They found 48% of these species are declining in population size, with fewer than 3% seeing increases, according to the study published Monday in the journal Biological Reviews.

Co-author Daniel Pincheira-Donoso, from the School of Biological Sciences at Queens University Belfast, said their findings are a drastic alert.

Other studies, based on considerably smaller numbers of species, have shown that the ongoing extinction crisis is more severe than generally appreciated, he told CNN. Our findings provide a stark confirmation on a global scale.

The study provides a clearer picture about the extent of the global erosion of biodiversity, he added.

For decades, the extinction crisis has been defined by conservation categories  labels that the International Union for Conservation of Nature assigns to each species they assess at a given moment in time, Pincheira-Donoso said.

Based on that method, the IUCNs Red List of Threatened Species classifies about 28% of species as under threat of extinction.

What our study shows is not whether species are currently classed as threatened or not, but instead, whether their population sizes are becoming rapidly and progressively smaller or not, Pincheira-Donoso said. Downward trends in population over time are a precursor to extinctions.

According to this assessment, 33% of the species currently classed as non-threatened on the IUCN Red List are in fact declining towards extinction.

Mammals, birds and insects are all seeing species declines, but amphibians have been particularly badly affected overall, the report found, and are facing a multitude of threats, including disease and climate change.

It was better news for fish and reptiles, with more species appearing to have stable, rather than declining, populations.

Geographically, declines tend to be concentrated in the tropics, the report found. One reason for that is that animals in the tropics are more sensitive to rapid changes in their environmental temperatures, Pincheira-Donoso said.

While we agree with the sentiments and concerns about the declines in species that this paper expresses (as it is fundamentally an analysis of IUCN Red List data), we think that the results over-inflate the situation, said Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the IUCN Red List.

Using population data across a wide range of animal groups, including those where data is lacking, is a less robust measure than the IUCNs Red List criteria which look at the trends of species over much longer time frames, he told CNN.

But Brendan Godley, a professor of conservation science at the University of Exeter who was not involved in the study, said the research offers novel insights into population trends.

This is an extremely impactful study, spanning the globe and all vertebrate groups and insects, Godley told CNN.

By painstakingly combining population trajectories, rather than more limited Red List Assessments, it underlines how much pressure wildlife is under from human influence, and how this is global and across the animal groups, he said.

There are positive stories of animals being brought back from the brink of extinction, he said, including great whales and sea turtles.

But, Godley added, we should all be very alarmed about these results.

Without thriving populations, species, habitats and ecosystems, we cannot persist, he said.

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A driver in the student pickup line at a Fayette County elementary school hit several parked vehicles and became unruly before being pepper sprayed by a police officer Tuesday afternoon, the schools principal said.

Dixie Magnet Elementary Principal Cynthia Bruno said in a letter to families that while in the car line to pick up students during dismissal, the driver of the vehicle left the lane they were in and collided with multiple parked cars.

When a Fayette County Public Schools police officer who was on duty at the school approached, the principal said the driver became unruly, and refused to cooperate with the officers verbal commands, and physically resisted the officer. Bruno said the officer used pepper spray to de-escalate the situation.

Bruno said the incident happened before any children got in the vehicle, and all of our students and staff are safe.

She said she was providing the information to families since some students might have seen the incident and have questions about it.

A Lexington Police Department spokeswoman said Lexington police responded to help with the investigation at the request of the Fayette County schools police.
Driver crashes near White House, arrested for trying to kill Biden

The truck crashed just a few hundred feet (meters) from the White House late Monday night

A man who crashed a U-Haul truck containing a Nazi flag near the White House has been arrested and charged with trying to kill or harm the president, police said Tuesday.

The driver apparently drove deliberately into bollards outside Lafayette Park just before 10:00 pm (0200 GMT) on Monday, the US Park Police said, adding that no one was injured.

TV images showed a red and black swastika banner that had been found during a police search of the truck.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation Tuesday morning, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said.

"He's relieved that no one was injured last night and grateful to the agents and law enforcement officers who responded so quickly," she told reporters.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, of Chesterfield, Missouri, the Park Police said in a statement Tuesday.

It said he was charged with "assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, threatening to kill/kidnap/inflict harm on a president, vice president, or family member, destruction of federal property, and trespassing."

A local affiliate of Fox News reported that some guests in a nearby hotel said they were told to evacuate after the crash.

A journalist with the station posted video from the scene showing a robot searching the cargo area of the truck.

bus-smw/dw/ft/nro/md
Driver fleeing deputies gets lost, ends up in marsh  covered in mud, Florida cops say

A driver trying to outrun deputies got hopelessly lost on North Floridas back roads and drove straight into a marsh, according to the Putnam County Sheriffs Office.

The 25-year-old suspect, identified as Austin Daniel Cox, was found covered in mud as he attempted to blend into the marsh, the sheriffs office said in a news release.

It happened late Sunday, May 21, as deputies chased a stolen vehicle, officials said.

The pursuit started in Clay County when Cox attempted to hit one of their deputies. Cox then decided his best option was to head south into Putnam (County), the sheriffs office said.

Somewhere along the way into Putnam County, Cox found himself on Bardin Road. As if that wasnt rural enough, in his desperate effort to evade deputies, he then turned onto Johns Road before plowing into a cattle gate and fence. As patrol vehicles closed in, Cox put the stolen truck in reverse and rammed a Clay County patrol vehicle.

The suspect then drove into a marsh, jumped out and attempted to hide in the heavy foliage, covering himself in mud, according to the sheriffs office.

K9 trackers from Clay County were called in and sniffed out the man, who lives in Clay Countys Orange Park community, officials said.

A search revealed he was in possession of trafficking amounts of methamphetamine and a single barrel sawed off shotgun, officials said.

Cox was arrested and charged with aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer, trafficking methamphetamine, possession of a firearm during commission of a felony, carrying a concealed firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of a vehicle used to traffic narcotics, possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, resisting arrest without violence and criminal mischief damage over $1,000, officials said.

Charges involving the stolen vehicle and chase will be filed by the Clay County Sheriffs Office, officials said.

Cox is a convicted felon released from prison in 2021, officials said.

Motorist fleeing deputy drives his pickup into Florida river and floats away, cops say

911 call about fight ends with Florida cop separating 2 brawling goats, sheriff says

Annoyed cows lead cops to fugitive hiding in their pasture, North Carolina town says
An army service recruitment desk in Moscow displays a poster that reads: 'Our profession is to defend fatherland'

Moscow on Tuesday voiced deep concern on the second day of the most serious armed incursion to date over its border with Ukraine, after explosive strikes forced civilians to flee.

Russia said the Belgorod border region had come under sustained artillery and mortar fire during fighting with a group that it claimed had crossed from Ukraine.

Belgorod's governor said civilians have been evacuated from nine border villages in the region, which has previously faced shelling attacks that have killed dozens of people since Moscow launched its offensive last year.

"What happened yesterday is a cause for deep concern and once again confirms that Ukrainian militants continue their activities against our country," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

Members of the anti-Kremlin Freedom of Russia Legion have claimed responsibility for the incursion into Belgorod, while Ukraine's deputy defence minister Ganna Malyar said "we are not waging war on foreign territories."

In a video released by a Telegram channel claiming to represent the anti-Kremlin group, a camouflaged spokesman, surrounded by armed men in fatigues, said: "Russia will be free!" -- a slogan frequently used by Russian opposition activists.

"We want our children to grow up in peace and be free," the spokesman added, with the channel claiming that two settlements including Graivoron had been attacked.

- Too soon to return -

Security operations were ongoing Tuesday in the border areas, said governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, who previously reported eight people had been injured.

Several drones struck houses and a government building overnight but no one was killed or wounded, said Belgorod's governor as Ukraine's leader visited the eastern front line.

Gladkov added on Tuesday that it was too soon for residents who fled to return to their homes and said that authorities would give the all-clear when it was safe.

On Monday, Russia said its troops were battling a "sabotage" group that entered from Ukraine and introduced an "anti-terror regime" in Belgorod, a first since the start of Moscow's campaign in Ukraine in February 2022.

Britain's Ministry of Defence noted that "Russia is facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions, with losses of combat aircraft, improvised explosive device attacks on rail lines and now direct partisan action."

Ukrainian presidential advisor Mikhaylo Podolyak suggested that Russian "guerrilla groups" could be responsible.

"The only driving political force in a totalitarian country of tightened screws is always an armed guerrilla movement," he said on Monday.

- Zelensky visits front -

The "anti-terror regime" gives special powers to security services and entails the enforcement of a number of restrictions and measures including beefed-up security and communications surveillance.

A similar regime was in place in Chechnya between 1999 and 2009, when Russian authorities battled insurgents during Moscow's second military campaign in the mountainous region.

The attack on Russia's region was reported ahead of a widely expected Ukrainian offensive, though President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his country is not yet ready.

The timing and focus of Ukraine's offensive have been the subject of months of speculation, while Kyiv has said almost nothing except that it needs more weapons from its backers.

At the same time, Russia has been reinforcing hundreds of kilometres of front line with tank barriers, trenches and troops.

Zelensky on Tuesday visited Ukrainian troops on the frontline in the eastern region of Donetsk, where Russian forces have concentrated their efforts to capture territory.

"Every day on the battlefield, Ukrainian marines prove that they are a powerful force that destroys the enemy, liberates Ukrainian land and performs the most difficult tasks in the most difficult conditions," Zelensky said.

"And we need more of this force. So, from today, we are significantly increasing the potential of the marines and creating a marine corps," Zelensky said.

Ukrainian troops held back Russian forces around Vugledar during Moscow's winter offensive that gave the Kremlin only limited gains in the battle-scarred Donetsk region.

bur/pvh
DUI penalty legislation fails again in California. It was named for Clovis educator

The California State Assembly has denied passage of Gavins Law, a proposed bill that would increase penalties for fatal hit-and-run crashes.

AB 1067 passed through the states Public Safety Committee in March  an unexpected vote that Assemblymember sponsor Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, called a miracle. But the bill has failed to pass out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, Pattersons office said in a statement Monday.

This eliminates the possibility for the bill to move forward during this legislative session.

This was actually a third go round for the bill, which looked to close a loophole that benefits DUI drivers who flee the scene of fatal crashes. Patterson first introduced the legislation in 2019, after the death of Gavin Gladding, a Clovis educator killed in a hit-and-run while jogging in north Fresno in 2018.

The driver was sentenced to three years in prison and ultimately served just 13 months.

Versions of the bill have passed through the state Assembly twice in past years, due in part to Gladdings mother, Rita Gladding, who continued to shared her story in testimony before various committees.

Fresno promoter Mike Osegueda has also testified at hearings for Gavins Law. His sister Courtney Osegueda was killed by a hit-and-run driver while leaving work in Oakland in 2021. As current law stands, the driver faces a maximum sentence of four years.

Gavins Law would have increased that to six years; still much lower than the potential 15-year sentence for felony DUI charges.

Neither Patterson nor the Gladding family were available for comment, but Osegueda called the news a disappointment and said state lawmakers continue to overlook victims of hit-and-runs.

Gavins Law seems like a common sense measure, he said.

As my family and other families can attest, one of the worst things you can do is flee the scene of a car accident and leave someone there to die. Yet lawmakers seemingly care more about the criminals in these situations than the victims. I sincerely hope this changes in the future.
Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at the Chicago Tribune.

Two weeks after a driver crashed into biker Rick Lomas in Humboldt Park and fled the scene of the fatal hit-and-run, police say they are still investigating and have no one in custody.

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The driver of a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix hit Lomas, 31, about 2 a.m. May 7, according to a police report. He had been biking in the 1000 block of North California Avenue.

Lomas refused medical treatment and left the scene of the collision, the crash report said. He later suffered a brain hemorrhage and died three days later, according to a GoFundMe raising money for his hospital and memorial expenses.

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Rick was an amazing person who worked on various home projects throughout the Logan Square community. He was reliable and kind and funny. We will all miss him dearly, wrote Abigail Clough, creator of the GoFundMe.

Police have the license plate of the Pontiac that hit Lomas and know who owns the car. Responding officers wrote in the report that Lomas had biked through a red light before the car hit him.

However, the Lomas familys attorney, Michael Keating, told the Tribune surveillance video did not show the traffic signals color.

Theres nothing based on what weve seen so far that substantiates this claim that he ran a red light, Keating said.

Lomas was bleeding from the head after the collision, according to the report, but declined emergency medical services. He may have been disoriented when he refused care after suffering a severe head injury, Keating said.

The 31-year-old was a British citizen pursuing American citizenship, Keating said.

His wife, Zena Lomas, wrote on Facebook that she couldnt explain how much she and her husband loved one another. Lomas was a one in a billion family man, who had old school values and could bring out the kid in anyone, she said.

I dont know if there was ever a night that we werent giggling like little kids, she wrote. Rick brought peace in my soul and made me the happiest woman in the universe. I dont know why things happen the way they do, but I know forever in my heart how lucky I was to have him in my life.

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The number of bicyclists and pedestrians killed in Chicago has risen in recent years, said Keating, whose practice specializes in bicycle crashes.

All these situations, tragically, are becoming more and more common on Chicagos roadways, he said.

Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

Early Monday, an attacker hit a 62-year-old biker in the South Loop with a construction sign, police said. The attacker took the mans bike and used it to further assault him, according to police.

Chicago Fire Department paramedics took the man to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was in critical condition after the 1 a.m. attack in the 2200 block of South State Street. No one is in custody, police said.

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) on Tuesday said GOP megadonor Harlan Crow did not provide a credible justification for not providing the panel with information related to the gifts he has given to Justice Clarence Thomas over the years.

An attorney for Crow said in a letter dated Monday and obtained by The Hill that they do not believe the Committee has the authority to investigate Mr. Crows personal friendship with Justice Clarence Thomas.

Michael Bopp, a lawyer at Gibson Dunn, wrote to Durbin that Congress does not have the constitutional power to impose ethics rules and standards on the Supreme Court. Doing so would exceed Congresss Article I authority and violate basic separation of powers principles.

Separately, the Committee has not identified a valid legislative purpose for its investigation and is not authorized to conduct an ethics investigation of a Supreme Court Justice. The Committees stated purpose of crafting new ethics guidelines for the Supreme Court is inconsistent with its actions and the circumstances in which this investigation was launched, all of which suggest that the Committee is targeting Justice Thomas for special and unwarranted opprobrium, Bopp continued.

Durbin said the panel also did not receive any response from the holding companies that own the private jet, yacht and Camp Topridge  Crows private lakeside resort  to written questions.

Harlan Crow believes the secrecy of his lavish gifts to Justice Thomas is more important than the reputation of the highest court of law in this land. He is wrong, Durbin said.

The Committee will respond more fully to this letter in short order, and will continue to seek a substantive response to our information requests in order to craft and advance the targeted ethics legislation needed to help restore trust in the Supreme Court, he continued.

Durbin added that if Chief Justice John Roberts does not act to institute a new ethics code for justices, then Congress will have no choice but to act.

Roberts last month declined a request by Durbin to testify before the Judiciary Committee to discuss Supreme Court ethics at a hearing centered on that subject. He cited the exceedingly rare nature of a chief justice providing testimony to a Senate panel.

According to recent reports, Crow, a friend of the longtime justice and his wife, , has footed the bill for luxury trips taken by the couple and purchased a house owned by Thomass mother in which he had an interest. Neither were disclosed.

In addition, Crow reportedly paid for the tuition of Thomass grandnephew. That also was not disclosed.

Updated at 2:05 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
How Durham will get 1 in 4 high schoolers graduating with community college experience

Pascal Mubenga looked at the Durham Public Schools students on either side of him and smiled.

Im a proud superintendent here today, he said.

Yanice Gibson and Zlata Bogdanova de Carvalho both are graduating seniors, but they will be leaving DPS with more than their high school diplomas.

Both earned associate degrees from Durham Technical Community College, thanks to two years at Middle College High School, which allows students to enroll in community college classes for free.

As a first-generation student, this means not only a lot to me, but to my family, Gibson said.

Gibson said shes working now, but will soon be entering the Air Force. Bogdanova de Carvalho is applying to UNC-Chapel Hills nursing program.

I feel confident jumping into college-level courses, she said. I cannot be more happy or proud.

Now, DPS and Durham Tech are joining forces to give that opportunity to far more students. On Tuesday, they announced a goal of making sure 500 DPS students  1 in 4  graduate from high school with an associates degree or workforce credential by 2029.

The driving force behind this partnership is to prepare Durham students for success, whether its in the skilled workforce or moving on to a four-year degree, said J.B. Buxton, president of Durham Tech.

They hope to reach 25% within five years. Today, the percentage is below 5%, Mubenga estimated.

Thats a very ambitious goal, and were really excited about it, he said.

Riverside High School will be the first high school to have Durham Tech instructors in classrooms, starting this fall. Other schools will follow.

Oluwunmi Ariyo, who directs high school partnerships for Durham Tech, said theyll be teaching:

ACA 122: College Transfer Success

ENG 111: Writing and Inquiry

COM 231: Public Speaking

Northern High School graduates clown around during their 2016 commencement at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Partnership will be free to kids

Its all free to students, and DPS and Durham Tech said they are working out how to split the costs of books, transportation and supplies.

Students will receive their associates from Durham Tech without having to pay tuition and can transfer with two years of college credit to a four-year state university, said William Evans, college liaison at the Middle College. Meaning families pay less for their four-year degree.

Abraham Dones, who heads student services at Durham Tech, said students can explore multiple career paths through the partnership. There are workforce credentialing opportunities in biopharmaceuticals, nursing and more.

Many time students may come to this experience thinking they have one option, or one route. This exposure will provide them with the opportunity to consider some other careers that may not have been a topic of conversation, Dones said.

The state pays for public high school students community college tuition through its Career and College Promise.

Jeff Cox, incoming president of the state Community College System, said he hopes this will become a model for other districts in North Carolina.

There is tremendous opportunity for our state when we create more opportunities for high school students to earn college credentials or to graduate with the confidence and benefits of completing college-faculty taught courses, Cox said in a press release.

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Metro Chief Executive Stephanie Wiggins, Metro executives, board members and elected officials take a "sneak peek" ride on Monday on the new Regional Connector set to open June 16. The tour showcased Metro's three new underground stations  Little Tokyo/Arts District, Historic Broadway and Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

A rail line running through the heart of downtown Los Angeles, better connecting the foothills to the beaches, opens on June 16, Father's Day weekend.

Known as the Regional Connector, the two-mile line eliminates the need to transfer between the L (Gold), A (Blue) and E (Expo) lines, enabling commuters to ride from Azusa to Long Beach in one hour and 58 minutes or East Los Angeles to Santa Monica in one hour and nine minutes. Officials plan to make rides free for the opening.

Two years behind schedule and $335 million over budget, the four-stop, subterranean light-rail line traverses the historic city core from the already existing 7th/Metro Center station to the newly constructed Little Tokyo/Arts District station.

Metro Chief Executive Stephanie Wiggins speaks during a "sneak peek" ride Monday on the new Regional Connector set to open soon. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

"This is a game changer," said Stephanie Wiggins, chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. "It really eliminates all of that what we call friction in our system and eliminates having to worry about where to transfer to connect to another train."

The new tracks link the Gold, Blue and Expo routes, creating longer uninterrupted north-south and east-west transit options for riders. The connector brings the three major lines together along a single route downtown and Wiggins said it will shave off 20 minutes from travel times for commuters who previously had to transfer. The rail line is crucial to the agency's overall plan to vastly expand its rail network ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games.

The construction under some of Los Angeles' oldest urban areas proved difficult.

"To build something in the heart of downtown that connects three existing legacy lines built in three different decades  no one's ever done this before," said Matthew Antonelli, deputy chief program manager for the project.

Metro train operator Glenda Murrell, who has worked for Metro since 1997, operates the train during a "sneak peek" ride on the new Regional Connector set to open soon. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Tunnel excavations uncovered everything from an old aqueduct to whale bones. Near Walt Disney Hall and the Colburn School, engineers had to build a track without making vibrations or sound that would mar the experience for concertgoers. At Broadway, engineers had to construct the station so that it could sustain the weight of a high-rise building overhead. And Bunker Hill provided a unique challenge: The Grand Avenue station had to be built more than 100 feet below ground, reachable only by a bank of six elevators and stairs.

The Little Tokyo station, once a street-level stop for the Gold Line, was built anew underground. The connector allows for the north-south combination of the A and L lines to run 49.5 miles from Azusa to Long Beach (soon to be one long A line) and the east-west E Line to go 22.5 miles from East Los Angeles to Santa Monica. The new A line will be the longest light-rail route in the nation, transit officials said.

"This is our new red car, only it's yellow," said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Metro board member Hilda Solis. "It will have a lasting impact and help to revive our downtown area, but also our iconic cultural places like Little Tokyo, Bunker Hill and Grand [Avenue]."

Over the summer, Metro is planning a series of community events around each of the stations to showcase Los Angeles' newest train.

Art inside the Little Tokyo station depicts the historical struggles that have shaped the city, from the plight of those on Skid Row to the Gabrielino Tongva Tribes.

Metro Chief Executive Stephanie Wiggins, Metro executives, board members and elected officials take a "sneak peek" ride on the new Regional Connector on Monday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

The Historic Broadway stop spills out onto what was once the city's shopping center and features a 148-foot long glass abstract mosaic paying homage to the red cars, long-defunct streetcars that traversed the region. A deck at the Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill exit opens up to a picturesque pedestrian bridge behind Disney Hall, the Broad Museum and within sight of the Music Center. A dramatic 61-foot abstract mural lines the towering wall of elevators that descend into the station.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
FILE PHOTO: Former president of East Timor Xanana Gusmao talks to journalists after a meeting with Indonesian Coordinating Minister of Politics, Law, and Security Affairs Wiranto in Jakarta

(Reuters) - The party of East Timor independence hero Xanana Gusmao has won most votes in a parliamentary election, preliminary results in state media showed on Tuesday, boosting his chances of his return as premier and a new phase of opposition rule.

Gusmao's National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) won about 42% of ballots cast with 100% of the votes counted, according to election commission data carried by broadcaster Radio-Televisao Timor Leste.

Reuters could not reach the election commission for confirmation on Tuesday.

The Revolution Front for an Independent Timor-Leste (FRETILIN), the party of Prime Minister Jose Maria Vasconcelos, popularly known as Taur Matan Ruak, was second with about 26% of the votes, with the rest split among 15 parties.

Sunday's contest was the fifth parliamentary election since East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste, a country of 1.3 million people that gained full independence in 2002 after a quarter-century rule by neighbouring Indonesia.

The former Portuguese colony must now wait to see who will be chosen as prime minister by the newly formed legislature.

The election had been billed as a battle of two former resistance figures, CNRT's Gusmao, 76, and FRETILIN's Mari Alkatiri, 73, with Gusmao seen by analysts as the favourite.

Heavily dependent on its fast-depleting oil reserves for revenue, the half-island nation faces a challenge with poverty and diversifying its economy, which at $3.6 billion is one of Asia's smallest.

The election follows last year's victory in a presidential ballot for independence leader and Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, also of the CNRT party.

Gusmao, a former guerrilla leader, was East Timor's first president and served as prime minister from 2007 until his resignation from the post in 2015.

(Reporting by Stanley Widianto in Jakarta; Editing by Martin Petty)
Kyiv is doomed to defeat against Russia in a war that has killed thousands of Ukrainians, left Ukraine's cities battered and its economy in shambles, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Tuesday.

Orban, speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum, argued that sending further military aid will only lead to more deaths. Hungary is a member of the European Union but retains close ties to Moscow. Orban has repeatedly balked at sanctions, claiming they are a domestic hardship that won't expedite an end to the war.

Emotionally it's tragic, all of our hearts are with the Ukrainians, Orban said at the Bloomberg-sponsored event. "But I'm talking as a politician who should save lives. There's no chance to win this war."

Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Oleg Nikolenko dismissed Orban's view, saying that before the war began some European politicians argued that Ukraine had no chance to hold out for more than 72 hours.

"They were wrong then, and they are wrong now," Nikolenko said. "Unlike the supporters of capitulation to the enemy without resistance, the Ukrainians will continue to fight until the complete liberation of their territories from Russian occupation."

Ukrainian tankers ride along the road toward their positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, on Tuesday.

Developments:

 The Kremlin is considering an export ban on gas to prevent domestic fuel shortages and ease domestic gas prices that have been rising since April, Reuters reports. The Russian finance ministry plans to halve subsidies to oil refiners to replenish state coffers are expected to add to the Russian gas price crunch.

 Julius Baer, one of the largest Swiss banks, began freezing investment accounts of its Russian and Belarusian clients at the request of the central securities depository Euroclear, Forbes Russia reported. Euroclear submitted the request to comply with international sanctions.

 Ukraine has enough weapons to launch its counteroffensive, which "will start soon,'' the country's head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, said in an interview with NHK, Japan's public media organization.

 Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited naval infantry troops at the front line to mark the annual Day of the Ukrainian Marines.

 Several countries, including Poland, have already started training Ukrainian pilots to use U.S.-built F-16 fighter jets, said the European Union's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell. President Joe Biden said last week the U.S. will train Ukrainian pilots.

Detainment of American reporter Evan Gershkovich extended 3 months

A Russian court extended by three months Tuesday the arrest of American reporter Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal, whom the U.S. government considers wrongfully detained.

Gershkovich, 31, was ordered held until Aug. 30 on espionage charges he, the newspaper and the U.S. have denied. Russian authorities have not presented any evidence to substantiate the accusation against Gershkovich, who was arrested March 29 while on a reporting trip in Russia.

The case against him has been shrouded in secrecy, including Tuesday's pre-trial hearing, which was held behind closed doors and not announced in advance. U.S. Embassy officials were allowed to visit Gershkovich once at Moscow's Lefortovo prison, but Russian authorities have denied permission for other visits.

The New York Times reported that Gershkovichs parents  Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich, Soviet emigres who live in New Jersey  were admitted into Tuesday's hearing and saw him in person for the first time since his arrest after waiting outside the courtroom for more than an hour. They did not comment afterward.

Russia carries out 'professional' intercept of US fighter jets

The Pentagon said Tuesday that there was a safe and professional interaction between two of its warplanes and Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea, an exchange the Russian Ministry of Defense characterized as an intercept.

A statement from the ministrys National Defense Control of the Russian Federation posted on Telegram said it detected the two American fighter jets approaching Russian territory.

To prevent violation of the state border of the Russian Federation, a Su-27 fighter from the air defense forces of the Baltic Fleet was taken into the air, the statement said. The crew of the Russian fighter classified the air targets as two US Air Force B-1B strategic bombers and occupied the established air watch zone.

The Pentagon's spokesman, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, seemed to agree with the ministry that the intercept followed international rules. My understanding is that it was a safe and professional interaction with Russian aircraft, so nothing significant to report on that front, Ryder told reporters.

On May 11, American fighter jets intercepted six Russian aircraft in international airspace near Alaska as the U.S. was conducting military training, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The combined U.S.-Canada organization described the intercept as routine and said they happen six or seven times a year in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone.

Anti-Kremlin Russians attack Russian border villages

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Tuesday to have killed more than 70 "terrorist saboteurs" amid conflicting reports about the fate of anti-Kremlin, Russian militia volunteers who in recent days seized several villages in Russia's Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine. The deputy chairman of Russias Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, described the volunteers as "scumbags," adding that "you just have to exterminate them like the rats they are and not even take them prisoner."

On Monday, the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps released a video saying they had crossed into Russia and taken control of bordering villages. "The Legion returns home," armed men in one of the videos said. On Tuesday the legion posted a message on Telegram saying it had liberated more territory and was pushing forward.

The Russian Defense Ministry, however, said Tuesday that the "saboteurs" were blocked and defeated by airstrikes and artillery fire. "The remnants of the nationalists were driven back to the territory of Ukraine, where they continued to be hit by fire until they were completely eliminated," the ministry said on Telegram.

The ministry claimed over 70 saboteurs were killed and four armored combat vehicles were destroyed. It dismissed the attacks as a Ukrainian ruse to distract attention from what Russia claims was the fall of Bakhmut over the weekend.

"Russia is facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions, with losses of combat aircraft, improvised explosive device attacks on rail lines, and now direct partisan action,'' the British Defense Ministry said. "Russia will almost certainly use these incidents to support the official narrative that it is the victim in the war.''

Russian media celebrates disputed Bakhmut 'victory'

Russian TV and tabloids on Tuesday were ecstatically celebrating the Kremlin's claim that the eastern Ukraine city of Bakhmut had fallen, comparing the disputed victory to the Red Army liberation of Berlin in 1945.

President Vladimir Putin's congratulatory statement to the troops was highlighted, and announcers emphasized the victory by using the citys Soviet former name Artyomovsk. This is despite the Ukraine military's claim that it retains a small part of the city and has retaken villages to the north and south  and could soon encircle the battered, almost deserted city that before the war was home to more than 70,000 people.

The myth that Artyomovsk is an unassailable fortress has been crushed, said the anchor on Channel One, Russias most popular state broadcaster. Those are historic events.

Footage showed Russian fighters yelling Victory! and placing the Russian tricolor flag and the black flag of the private military contractor Wagner atop a severely damaged high-rise building. Wagner forces led the monthslong push to seize the city, and their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said his troops will leave the city to be occupied by Russian Defense Ministry forces. Those forces previously struggled to hold ground taken by Wagner.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ukraine updates: Hungarian leader says Ukraine will lose war
Ecuadorean President Lasso testifies at the National Assembly, in Quito

QUITO (Reuters) -Ecuador's President Guillermo Lasso on Tuesday signed a decree to attract private investment and create new jobs as the South American nation faces deepening political uncertainty.

The decree would create regions with special customs, tax and foreign trade regimes, as well as tax exemptions, the government said.

"We are going to positively transform local and international trade," Economy Minister Pablo Arosemena told reporters at the decree-signing event.

Lasso is ruling by decree after dissolving the national assembly legislature which had sought to impeach him.

Tuesday's decree, like the tax cuts he announced last week for middle-income earners and small businesses, is subject to approval by the constitutional court.

Lasso, a conservative former banker, has called for early elections, citing Ecuador's political crisis and domestic turmoil.

It is unclear whether Lasso will run in the elections, which are likely to be held Aug. 20. One international media outlet quoted him saying he would not, but the minister of government said on Tuesday Lasso was weighing the decision.

Lasso is set to give a speech marking the start of his third year in office on Wednesday.

Afterward, he will travel to the United States for a medical procedure, the government said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon, returning May 28.

(Reporting by Alexandra Valencia; Writing by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Richard Chang and Grant McCool)
Elk Grove City Councilman Sergio Robles faces a misdemeanor drunken driving charge after his arrest early Saturday in Elk Grove.

The first-term councilman and former city planning commissioner was booked into Sacramento County Main Jail in Sacramento and later released, said Elk Grove police. Robles took to social media on Sunday to apologize to constituents, saying in a Facebook post, I need and will do better.

Integrity and honor are values that I live my life by. Yesterday, I fell short on both, Robles said. On Saturday, I was cited for a misdemeanor driving under the influence. I accept full responsibility and there is no excuse for my actions. I am deeply sorry to my family, friends, constituents, and supporters.

Officers found Robles unresponsive behind the wheel of his car at 4:59 a.m. Saturday in a parking lot in the 5000 block of Elk Grove Boulevard, Elk Grove Police Department officials said in a statement. A security guard was the first to find Robles vehicle parked in the middle of the lot and called police.

Officers arrived and contacted the driver, identified as Mr. Robles, who showed signs of impairment, police said in the statement. Mr. Robles was determined to be impaired, placed under arrest, and booked at the Main Jail on DUI charges.

He faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence with a blood alcohol content above .08.

Robles represents southwest Elk Groves 4th District. He won the seat in November in a wide-open race after councilwoman Stephanie Nguyen was elected to Assembly.

The district is bound roughly by Elk Grove Boulevard to the north, Franklin Boulevard to the west, Bilby Road to the south and Highway 99 to the east.

A brief 11-second video posted by the website Elk Grove News appears to show Robles celebrating at a nighttime market event in the hours before his arrest.
She won. Her graduating senior son can wear representative tribal wear at his Elk Grove high school ceremony Tuesday, but she objects to what she views as an unnecessary fight to allow him to do so.

So her fight goes on.

Jessica Lopez objected to school officials initially rejecting her son Louies desire to represent his Maidu culture at his Pleasant Grove High School ceremony at Golden 1 Center because school policy barred the adornment of graduation garb with other items. After legal threats, the school has reversed course, and her son will wear an eagle feather representing his Maidu heritage.

Lopez, a past Maidu tribal chairwoman, said despite that outcome, she and the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California are demanding the district end its graduation dress policy and allow its indigenous students to wear tribal regalia without schools pre-approvals, calling the rule flagrantly unlawful.

Tribal regalia  whether an eagle feather or plume, beadwork, basket cap, tribal sash, or other objects  play a unique role, spiritually and culturally, for graduating Indigenous students, attorneys for the ACLU wrote in a May 8 letter to district superintendent Christopher Hoffman and Pleasant Grove principal Taigan Keplinger. The districts current policies interfere with Indigenous students protected rights to wear such regalia.

Its really clear that the schools current policies are in flagrant violation (of state law), said Tedde Simon, an indigenous justice advocate at the ACLU of Northern California, who addressed district board leaders at their meeting last week. Elk Grove Unified is the states fifth largest school district. It says it wants to be a district welcoming to all people, but its not creating an environment where culture is being celebrated.

District officials disagree and say they follow state law as well as adhere to their dress-code policies.

Elk Groves policies

Elk Grove Unified School District officials, in a statement, said information is provided to students and parents as part of schools graduation preparation process that begins in late winter and continues through to graduation.

The lengthy statement Thursday said the policy and its yearly review follow state law and suggested its 2017 policy change allowing for displays of cultural expression on students graduation attire foreshadowed the 2018 state law that Lopez and the ACLU accuse Elk Grove Unified of violating.

As of 2017, EGUSD was one of the first school districts in the state, if not the first, to establish a policy permitting students to adorn their graduation cap and gown with personal expression, Lisa Levasseur, a district executive director who oversees educational equity and community engagement, stated in part. This policy has been successfully implemented without incident and to the satisfaction of students and families since 2017.

Lopezs son had planned to adorn his cap and gown with Maidu tribal regalia  a mortarboard beaded in a goose pattern, a prominent Maidu creation symbol; an eagle feather gifted by a family friend with its own deep tribal significance; and a ceremonial sash  at his Pleasant Grove High School commencement ceremony.

Lopez, chairwoman of the Konkow Valley Band of Maidu before stepping down from the position earlier this year, and the ACLU say the policy ignores California state law. They allege the districts pre-approval requirement unlawfully chills free speech and expression; and reopens longheld scars of broken promises, forced assimilation and the erasing of Native American culture.

Lopez said she was not previously made aware that parents needed to file paperwork asking for permission until after an information night in late April for parents of graduating seniors that she was unable to attend. Once she did file the proper forms, Lopez said administrators told her she had missed her deadline to make the request.

District officials, as well as Lopez and civil liberties attorneys, point to Assembly Bill 1248, the 2018 state law enacted in 2019 that states students may wear traditional tribal regalia or recognized objects of religious or cultural significance as an adornment, as defined, at school graduation ceremonies. The 2018 law also protects school officials authority to prohibit any items that substantially disrupt or interfere with commencement ceremonies.

Levasseur said the policy is reviewed by administrators and school principals at the end of each school year as part of the districts continuous improvement efforts.

The schools policy does not override an Assembly bill. Theres legislation in place that protects rights. (Pleasant Grove) cannot pick and choose what is Native culture. Thats not for the school to decide, Lopez said. The policy needs to be removed and redacted and the educators need to be educated. No school district has the right to decide that. Thats the familys choice.

A previous graduation controversy

The Lopezs case echoes in a 2016 commencement ceremony at Sacramentos Sleep Train Arena.

A graduating Black teen from Elk Groves Cosumnes Oaks High School was escorted out of the ceremony by sheriffs deputies before he could officially receive his high school diploma after he declined to remove the Ghanaian ceremonial kente cloth he wore over his gown.

Nyree Holmes wore the kente cloth as he walked the stage and met with his principal and administrators, but was greeted by deputies at the bottom of the stage who led him out of the arena.

The scene captured on video drew national attention and widespread criticism of Elk Grove Unified and its policy.

The Cosumnes Oaks student said by wearing the cloth he wanted to feel more connected to his culture. District officials at the time said he violated graduation dress rules that barred all but school-related decorations and adornments.

Elk Grove school officials said students and parents were repeatedly reminded that grads would not be allowed to walk in the procession if they did not comply.

District leaders stopped short of an apology after the 2016 ceremony, saying they regretted how events unfolded while insisting there was no intent to discriminate against the Cosumnes Oaks grad. Bobbie Singh-Allen, then the district boards president, now Elk Groves mayor, said she supported a policy review that clarified the differences between accommodations and dress code.

Now, seven years later, Lopez, a fourth-generation Elk Grove resident, said she thinks about her two remaining school-age children and whether they will be affected by the policy. One will graduate high school in 2027; the other in 2031.

Those years will come in no time, she said.

The district says its open to reviewing the policy. Thats not good enough, Lopez said. Here we are having to tromp along the path of educating the educators. They need to know that they are in violation if they do not protect the rights of these students.
Elon Musk says he doesn't plan to give his kids control of his companies

Elon Musk said he doesn't plan to give his kids control of his companies during an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Cristiano Barni ATPImages/Getty Images

Elon Musk said he's found potential successors for his companies if "something happens to me unexpectedly."

The billionaire said he doesn't plan to hand over his companies or voting shares to his kids.

Musk dispelled rumors earlier this month that he would bring in a new Tesla CEO.

Elon Musk says he doesn't plan to hand over his companies to his kids any time soon.

The billionaire said during an interview at The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council that he's identified people who could take over his companies if he became indisposed. But, he said he thinks that it's wrong for executives to hand over their companies or voting shares to their children.

"I am definitely not of the school of automatically giving my kids some share of the companies, even if they have no interest or inclination or ability to manage the company," Musk said. "I think that's a mistake."

The Tesla CEO did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication.

Musk has nine known children, the oldest of which is 19 years old. The billionaire is often seen touting his 3-year-old son, X AE A-XII, to events and even gave his son his own Twitter badge. Baby X's mother, Grimes, has said Musk sees him as a "protege."

But, Musk is not close with all of his children. Last year, his oldest child applied to have her name changed, telling Reuters she no longer wished to be "related to my biological father in any way, shape or form."

The question of whether to bring children into their empire is a longtime debate amongst billionaires. Some entrepreneurs like Apple's Steve Jobs didn't plan to pass their fortune onto their kids.

Though many billionaires, of course, choose to bring their family into the fold. Some of the richest men in the world  from Bernard Arnault to Rupert Murdoch  have handed over pieces of their empire to their children and launched Succession-style battles within their families.

Musk, who owns five companies, said "succession is one of the toughest age-old problems," but said he's told board members at his companies which people he would like to succeed him in his executive roles. Musk serves as Tesla's CEO, as well as chief technology officer at Twitter.

"There are particular individuals identified that I've told the board look, 'If something happens to me unexpectedly, this is my recommendation for taking over,'" Musk said. "So in all cases, the board is aware of who my recommendation."

The billionaire said he's much more concerned about who would take over the shares he owns in his companies  an issue Musk said he's been "wrestling with." His initial idea is to create a "sort of educational institution" that would control his voting shares.

Earlier this month, Musk dispelled rumors that he was looking for a new CEO to replace him as Tesla CEO at the company's annual meeting. Musk's comments came after The Wall Street Journal had reported Tesla's CFO Zach Kirkhorn could be Musk's successor.

Last year, Tesla board member James Murdoch  one of Rupert's sons  said during a trial for a lawsuit against Musk and Tesla that the billionaire had identified a potential new CEO for Tesla, but did not comment on who the individual could be. 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, according to a report from Reuters.

Musk's succession plan for his companies, particularly Tesla, has entered the spotlight since he took Twitter private in October. Musk's preoccupation with Twitter spurred concerns from several investors that worried he'd grown distracted. Most recently, several Tesla investors sent an open letter to company board members calling for the billionaire to be reined in.

Still, concerns over Musk's succession plan appear to have died down in the weeks since he selected a new CEO to run Twitter. At the time, Wedbush tech analyst Dan Ives said in a note that Musk would finally have time to focus on his "golden child" companies.

Read the original article on Business Insider
FILE - FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves Manhattan federal court in New York, Feb. 16, 2023. Bankman-Fried sought a dismissal of criminal charges against him in a court filing late Monday, May 8, saying prosecutors have improperly made federal crimes out of civil and regulatory issues that resulted from an industrywide collapse of cryptocurrency markets. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Snippets of computer code. More than 6 million pages of emails, Slack messages and other digital records. And a small black notebook, filled with handwritten observations.

For months, federal prosecutors building the criminal case against fallen cryptocurrency executive Sam Bankman-Fried have assembled a vast and unusually varied array of evidence. The documents include crypto transaction logs and encrypted group chats from Bankman-Frieds collapsed exchange, FTX, as well as strikingly personal reflections recorded by a key witness in the case.

The mountain of evidence ranks among the largest ever collected in a white-collar securities fraud case prosecuted by federal authorities in Manhattan, according to data provided by a person with knowledge of the matter. In the 2004 securities fraud prosecution of Martha Stewart, for example, prosecutors produced 525,000 pages of evidence to the defense team, but the numbers have increased significantly in recent years.

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The diversity and growing volume of materials in the FTX case underscore the legal challenges facing Bankman-Fried, 31, who is charged with 13 criminal counts, including accusations that he misappropriated billions of dollars in customer money, defrauded investors and violated campaign finance laws. He has pleaded not guilty.

With the trial set for October, prosecutors have gathered evidence ranging from phones and laptops to the contents of Bankman-Frieds Google accounts, which amounted to 2.5 million pages alone. At a hearing in March, Nicolas Roos, a federal prosecutor investigating FTX, said the government had obtained a laptop crammed with so much information that the FBIs technicians were struggling to decipher all of it.

It is a massive amount to sift through, and sometimes you can find incredibly useful information, said Moira Penza, a former federal prosecutor whos now in private practice. It is a real challenge.

Typically, the evidence in a criminal case remains largely secret until right before trial. But in Bankman-Frieds case, interviews and a review of recent court filings have offered an early glimpse of the idiosyncratic array of records that the FTX prosecutors have collected.

The investigation began in November, after FTXs collapse sent the crypto market into turmoil. Almost as soon as the exchange folded, prosecutors started gathering documents, sending subpoenas to FTX employees and seeking records from the political campaigns that Bankman-Fried financed.

The requests were often broad. One person who got a subpoena said prosecutors had wanted every document related to FTX and dispatched a group of data experts who took days to extract the information from a set of devices.

While much of what prosecutors have gathered is typical corporate fare, other material points to the unusual personal dynamics at FTX.

The black notebook, described as a diary, belonged to Bankman-Frieds on-and-off girlfriend, Caroline Ellison, a former top lieutenant in his business empire, three people familiar with the matter said.

Ellison, who was CEO of FTXs sister company, the hedge fund Alameda Research, also recorded observations about Bankman-Fried in a series of electronic documents that have circulated among lawyers in the case, three people with knowledge of the matter said. At times, two of the people said, Ellison expressed personal and professional resentment toward Bankman-Fried.

Lawyers and representatives for Bankman-Fried and Ellison either declined to comment or did not respond to requests for comment on the evidence in the case. A spokesperson for federal prosecutors in Manhattan declined to comment on the discovery process.

Ellison is expected to be a crucial witness. She has pleaded guilty to fraud charges along with two other top executives, Gary Wang and Nishad Singh, and agreed to cooperate with the prosecutors pursuing Bankman-Fried. In the days after FTX collapsed, she confessed to Alameda employees that she, Bankman-Fried, Wang and Singh had used FTX customer funds to fill holes in Alamedas accounts. She also dated Bankman-Fried and lived with him in a penthouse in the Bahamas, where the exchange was based.

Any personal writings from her or other witnesses might be useful to defense lawyers during cross-examination, Penza said.

The biggest risk with a cooperator is the defense will be able to say here she is cooperating to save herself from a long prison term, she said. But modern juries are not likely to take at face value they are testifying because of a vendetta or a failed romance.

Many of FTXs corporate records, including emails, Slack messages and transaction logs, were held by Sullivan & Cromwell, the law firm that took control of the exchange after it declared bankruptcy.

In a recent court filing, Bankman-Frieds lawyers argued that the prosecutors had relied on Sullivan & Cromwell to serve as their de facto agent in obtaining documents from the company. The lawyers claimed that by outsourcing this process to the firm, prosecutors were avoiding their legal responsibility to turn over potential helpful evidence to Bankman-Frieds defense team.

The detective work by Sullivan & Cromwell  which has submitted bills totaling $55 million to the bankruptcy court  is already proving beneficial to prosecutors. In a January court filing, Sullivan & Cromwell displayed an excerpt from FTXs underlying code base, showing a feature that allowed Alameda to borrow virtually unlimited amounts of money from the exchange.

In an email to Sullivan & Cromwell lawyers that month, Roos requested FTX transaction logs for accounts owned by Bankman-Fried, Ellison, Wang, Singh and two other people, whose names were redacted, according to court records. He also sought records of a group chat on the encrypted messaging app Signal, titled Donation Processing, where FTX executives discussed campaign finance matters.

Prosecutors have also seized evidence directly from executives in Bankman-Frieds orbit. Last month, the FBI executed a search warrant at the $4 million Maryland home of Ryan Salame, a high-ranking FTX executive who donated tens of millions of dollars to Republican candidates, including George Santos, the recently indicted member of Congress from Long Island, New York.

The agents took Salames mobile phone as well as a phone belonging to his girlfriend, Michelle Bond, a crypto lobbyist, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Bond ran unsuccessfully for Congress last year as a Republican in another district on Long Island.

Throughout the year, prosecutors have been turning over their evidence to Bankman-Frieds lawyers, a process known as discovery.

At the hearing in March, Roos gave a detailed update on the process, explaining to the judge overseeing the case, Lewis A. Kaplan, that prosecutors had obtained four laptops, including the device so large that it was proving complicated to analyze. That laptop belonged to Wang, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

Lawyers for Wang, Salame and Bond did not respond to requests for comment.

Roos also said the government had handed over to the defense team nearly 1 million documents obtained from witnesses and other third parties in the case.

We have produced 927,000, he said. So that leaves, quick math, maybe 110,000.

Bedtime reading, Kaplan replied.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Thank you for supporting our journalism. This article is available exclusively for our subscribers, who help fund our work at the Chicago Tribune.

A building sits empty on the site of a proposed abortion clinic at 600 N. Logan Ave. in Danville on May 2, 2023. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

An Illinois man allegedly attempted to set fire to a prospective abortion clinic in Danville and also rammed his car into the building entrance, according to federal authorities.

The property has been at the center of a dispute over reproductive rights in this east-central Illinois community, which passed an ordinance earlier this month to try to curb abortion access by banning the mailing and shipping of abortion pills.

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Danville police responded to an alarm early Saturday at 600 N. Logan Ave. and found a man stuck inside a maroon Volkswagen Passat that he had backed into the entrance of the building, which is being renovated for use as a reproductive health clinic, according to a news release from the United States Attorneys Office for the Central District of Illinois.

The man also brought along several containers filled with gasoline, according to the news release.

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Philip J. Buyno, 73, of Prophetstown was charged with attempted arson of the clinic, according to the release. If convicted, Buyno faces a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison, and a fine of up to $250,000, according to federal authorities.

The alleged attack follows recent heated, high-profile demonstrations in support of and against abortion access in the community of about 30,000.

Earlier this month, the Danville City Council narrowly passed a controversial ban on the mailing and shipping of abortion pills, a measure Attorney General Kwame Raoul and civil rights experts have warned is illegal in Illinois.

The citys 14 aldermen were evenly divided on the issue, with the mayor breaking the tie with a vote in favor of the ordinance.

Hundreds of demonstrators from both sides of the abortion debate filled the meeting room and spilled outside, with dueling protesters chanting and waving signs in front of city hall. The vote came after roughly three hours of emotional public comment, with intense debate over moral issues as weighty and complicated as when life begins.

Passing this ordinance will not stop women from seeking out abortion services, one Danville woman told the council. It will, however, encourage women to seek unhealthy means to terminate their pregnancies, isolate themselves from those around them due to fear of getting in trouble or pay heavy fines that most people are unable to afford.

Other residents supported the ordinance, many speaking out against the prospect of an abortion provider settling in their rural community.

One woman worried that having an abortion clinic would become what Danville will be known for.

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And I dont want that  and I hope that you dont want that, she told the council.

The building at 600 N. Logan Ave. was recently sold to McGhee Investment Group of Indianapolis, which has the same owner and address as the Indianapolis abortion provider Clinic for Women, according to Indiana Secretary of State records.

Officials at Clinic for Women did not return calls for comment. Danville police and Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. also did not respond to requests for comment. Vermillion County States Attorney Jacqueline Lacy referred questions to federal authorities.

Personal PAC, a Chicago pro-abortion rights group, called the attack on the Danville site a violent escalation in the efforts by the anti-choice minority to sow fear and discourage exercise of the right to receive abortion care in Illinois, by any means necessary.

Danville represents the new front lines in the ongoing battle of protecting reproductive rights in Illinois, the organization said in a statement. Small towns, home to the independent clinics that are meeting the critical needs of people in underserved areas, will see an influx of out-of-state anti-choice money and organizing focused on eliminating abortion access, one clinic at a time.

The property, a former eye care business, is just a few minutes from the border of Indiana, a state where abortion rights have been in flux. Indiana last year became the first state to enact a near-total ban on abortion after the U.S. Supreme Courts June 2022 decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that guaranteed abortion rights nationwide.

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Enforcement of the Indiana law was blocked by the courts shortly after it went into effect in September, amid legal challenges.

In contrast, Illinois has strong abortion rights protections; the 2019 Reproductive Health Act declared abortion a fundamental right in the state.

Since the end of Roe, abortion providers have reported a surge in patients crossing state lines to come to Illinois to terminate pregnancies. New abortion clinics have opened here and existing providers have expanded hours and services to respond to the skyrocketing demand.

Yet in Illinois as well as across the country, reproductive health organizations have reported an unprecedented level of violence after the fall of Roe.

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The attack in Danville occurred just a few months after another man was accused of setting fire to a Planned Parenthood Health Center roughly a hundred miles away in Peoria.

Tyler W. Massengill, 32, of Chillicothe in February pleaded guilty to setting the fire; when he was arrested in January, he told authorities that an ex-girlfriend had an abortion several years ago in Peoria, which upset him. The blaze was set a few days after Illinois passed expansive reproductive rights legislation that included protections for abortion providers and out-of-state patients as well as an expansion of the pool of clinicians that can perform abortions.

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Massengill had told investigators that if the fire caused a little delay in a person receiving services at the Peoria health center, it might have been all worth it, according to a criminal complaint.

That January firebombing caused more than a million dollars of damage to the Peoria clinic, a building that hasnt reopened yet, according to the Planned Parenthood of Illinois website.

This senseless act of vandalism has robbed the community of access to birth control, cancer screenings, (sexually transmitted infection) testing and treatment, and gender-affirming care as well as medication abortion services, Jennifer Welch, the organizations president and CEO, had said in a written statement. We appreciate the outpouring of support from the community, state, and nation as we continue to meet our patients needs through telehealth and at our other 16 health centers across the state.

Chicago Tribunes Jonathan Bullington contributed.

eleventis@chicagotribune.com
An EMT sexually assaulted a woman with Parkinsons disease while she was strapped to a gurney in the back of an ambulance, a California lawsuit says.

The lawsuit, filed on May 19, says that the company that employed the paramedic, American Medical Response, engaged in a pattern of negligent hiring, supervision and lack of oversight and enabled predators.

On Dec. 23, an 82-year-old woman, who is not named in the lawsuit, fell at an assisted living home in San Mateo County. Miguel Nieblas Ontiveros, a paramedic with American Medical Response, responded in an ambulance with another EMT, according to the lawsuit.

The paramedics picked up the woman, who has Parkinsons disease, and took her to a medical center about a half-hour drive from the assisted living home, according to the lawsuit.

During the transport, Ontiveros stayed in the back of the ambulance with the patient while the other paramedic drove, according to the lawsuit. The patient was strapped into a stretcher and was wearing a neck immobilizer.

Ontiveros turned off the lights in the back of the ambulance, blindfolded the woman and sexually assaulted her, the lawsuit says.

The ambulance driver later told investigators she didnt see the assault happen, but after arriving at the hospital, she went to the back of the ambulance and saw Ontiveros pulling up his pants, the lawsuit says.

The patient, who only speaks Cantonese, later told investigators through her daughter-in-law, who served as a translator, that a bad man did horrible things to her, the lawsuit says.

Ontiveros was charged on April 21 with two counts of forcible oral copulation, according to the lawsuit.

American Medical Response, which provides ambulance services around the country, said in a statement that it does not comment on pending litigation. The company also said that Ontiveros was terminated after his arrest, and they are cooperating with law enforcement.

Ontiveross attorney did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges on May 2, according to San Mateo County court records.

Ontiveros was unfit for service, the lawsuit says

American Medical Response knew or should have known that Ontiveros was unfit for service before hiring him, according to the lawsuit.

He was dismissed from the South San Francisco Fire Department in July 2020 after he was accused of submitting fraudulent time cards and receiving $15,000 for hours he didnt work, the lawsuit says.

He was charged with five counts of grand theft by a servant, agent or employee of $950 or more on Dec. 24, 2020, according to San Mateo County court records. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

While working for American Medical Response, he was accused of assaulting an 80-year-old woman in an ambulance on May 21, 2022, according to the lawsuit. Despite the accusations, the company allowed Ontiveros to continue working and to be alone with patients in the back of ambulances.

(American Medical Response) allowed a sexual predator to roam free and prey on the elderly, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit accuses the company of keeping Ontiveros employed because it had a staff shortage and just needed warm bodies to work in ambulances.

Trauma will last the rest of her life, the lawsuit says

The 82-year-old woman, who lives at an assisted living home in Colma, about 10 miles south of San Francisco, has two daughters and a daughter-in-law who visit her often, according to the lawsuit. She loved to spend time with family and friends and was a fierce player of Mahjong, a Chinese game played with tiles.

But since the assault, she has been prevented from performing daily activities and obtaining the full enjoyment of life, the lawsuit says. She has also suffered severe emotional distress and trauma that will in all likelihood last the rest of her life, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks damages of an unspecified amount for her pain and suffering, medical expenses and costs of psychological treatment, the lawsuit says.

Nursing home staff gave man contaminated sandwich that killed him, CA lawsuit says

Restaurant manager touched young female workers, asked them to sleep over, CA suit says

22-year-old collapses leaving court, found dead next day in jail cell, CA lawsuit says
Energy bills: What can I do if I can't afford to pay?

Two people

Energy bills will fall significantly from July but prices are still much higher than they were a few years ago, leaving many people worried about how to pay their bills.

Some of those struggling have been forced onto more expensive prepayment meters, prompting energy regulator Ofgem to introduce tougher rules to protect consumers.

What happens if you don't pay your bill?

If you don't agree a payment plan with your supplier, they might try to force you to have prepayment meter installed, or they may switch your existing smart meter to prepayment mode.

However, this has proved controversial, with an investigation by the Times newspaper finding debt agents acting for British Gas wrongly broke into vulnerable people's homes to fit meters.

Under new rules, suppliers will have to give struggling customers more chance to clear their debts, contacting them at least 10 times before a prepayment meter is installed. They will also have to conduct a "site welfare visit".

In very rare cases, if you haven't paid a bill after 28 days, you might be threatened with disconnection, but you'll normally be offered a meter first.

If you've reached state pension age, your supplier can't disconnect you between 1 October and 31 March if you either:

live alone

live only with pensioners, or under-18s

Suppliers can pass your details to a debt collection agency - and you might be charged more to cover the cost of this.

Many suppliers also charge extra fees for late payments.

Paying by direct debit is normally the cheapest way to pay for electricity and gas. Cancelling a direct debit means your future bills are likely to be higher.

Finally, not paying bills could damage your credit rating, and make it harder to borrow money in the future.

Who can still be switched to a prepayment meter?

smart reader in foreground, woman out of focus at desk in background

Suppliers must have exhausted all other options before installing a prepayment meter. In addition they cannot fit meters for:

Customers over 85, without someone else in the house, or anyone with a terminal illness

Those with health conditions such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema and sickle cell disease, which could be worsened by living in a cold home

Those who need a continuous supply for health reasons, and those physically or mentally unable to top up

Households where no one has the ability to top up the meter due to physical or mental incapacity

Those forced onto a prepay meter - either by warrant or remotely - will be given 30 of credit initially to reduce the risk of them losing supply.

From 1 July, the government has said prepayment energy charges will be cut, bringing them in line with customers who pay by direct debit.

Suppliers have also been told to identify where meters were wrongfully installed, return the customer to their previous tariff and offer compensation

What should you do if you can't afford your bills?

Check your direct debit

Your monthly payment is based on your estimated energy use for the year, and your supplier may reduce your bill if its estimate is higher than the amount you actually use, so check.

You can also request a flexible monthly direct debit where you pay for your actual monthly consumption. This requires a smart meter or regular readings.

But two-thirds of gas usage is during the winter months, you need to factor in the impact of reducing your payments during the warmer months.

Pay what you can

If the direct debit is fair, but you can't meet it, ask your supplier for an "able to pay plan" based on what you can afford.

By paying something every month - even if it's less than the amount due - your arrears will grow more slowly, meaning your supplier may be less worried about your debt.

You may also wish to get your name added to the Priority Services Register (PSR), a list of households which should get extra support.

Those eligible include pensioners, those who are pregnant or who have young children, or people who are disabled.

Your supplier can also get your name added to the network operator register if necessary. Ofgem recommends doing this if you rely on your energy supply for medical reasons.

If you have a different supplier for your gas and electricity, you need to contact them both.

Being on the PSR doesn't cancel your arrears. But it does show that you are vulnerable, which your supplier should take into account.

Claim what you are entitled to

Check you are claiming all the benefits you can.

The independent MoneyHelper website has a useful guide, while Policy in Practice and the charities Entitledto and Turn2us run benefits calculators.

You may also be able to repay your debt directly from your benefits through the government's Fuel Direct scheme.

A number of suppliers and charities also offer grants to help with bills.

Check you're getting extra government help

There is a range of government support to help people with energy bills, including help for households on means-tested benefits, pensioners and people on certain disability benefits.

The government launched an Energy Price Guarantee in October 2022, which limits a typical dual-fuel household's annual energy bill to 2,500.

It will continue until the end of June, when a typical annual energy bill will fall to 2,074 under regulator Ofgem's energy price cap.

Adjust your boiler

If you have a combi boiler at home - you don't have a hot water cylinder and there is a (usually white) plastic pipe under the boiler - you may wish to consider turning down the heating flow temperature.

On the front - sometimes behind a flap - look for a dial or set of buttons with a radiator icon. Turn the dial to the number three, or the 12 o'clock position. If it has a digital display, select 60C.

You may also want to turn off the hot water pre-heat. Many boilers come on every few hours - night and day - to ensure there's always some hot water available.

Most homes don't need this, and turning it off saves money.

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Austin, Texasbased Episode Six, a payments and banking infrastructure provider, today announced that it raised $48 million in a Series C funding round led by Avenir with participation from Anthos Capital. In an email, CEO John Mitchell said that the tranche will be used to expand Episode Sixs go-to-market efforts and scale its business as the company looks to drive digital transformation journeys for banks and companies operating within the payments space.

Episode Six was founded in 2015 by Mitchell, Chermaine Hu and Futeh Kao. Seeking to overcome the limitations of legacy payments tech, the co-founders built a platform designed to streamline various payment processes while reducing costs.

"For CTOs and heads of product who want to grow their books and create competitive products, our platform allows them to launch new products quickly to meet a customers evolving needs and capture market share," Mitchell told TechCrunch in an email interview. "For CIOs looking for payments at scale with safety, security, reliability and cost effectiveness, the platform delivers bank-grade payments infrastructure built by industry experts."

Episode Six offers a range of different products to tackle specific, typical roadblocks in payments. For example, one of its clients, First Fidelity Bank, used the platform to create a real-time payments system with card issuing and processing capabilities as well as fraud detection. Another customer, TransPecos Banks, launched a credit card offering built on top of Episode Six's infrastructure, while e-commerce checkout firm Montonio is tapping Episode Six's tech to power credit card processing and acquiring.

"The burden of relying on legacy technology continues to present challenges, especially at a time when innovation is key to winning and retaining customers," Mitchell said. "This, paired with the rising cost of operating legacy technology, is the reason we are seeing a significant increase in interest in our solution."

To Mitchell's point, a growing number of financial institutions, particularly banks, are looking to modernize their tech stacks in light of the increasing adoption of digital payments. A recent survey from Finextra found that 94% of banks are considering varied levels of investment in payments tech in the next 24 to 36 months. Of those respondents, 65% plan a "significant" or "moderate" level of investment in payments tech during the same period.

Of course, there's no shortage competition in the payments and banking infrastructure space. Streamlined, headquartered in San Diego, California, recently raised $4 million for its business-to-business-focused payments product suite. Kushki is a much larger player  the Ecuadorian payments infrastructure startup landed $100 million last year at a $1.5 billion valuation. Other rivals include Pagos and Liquido, the latter of which aims to become the "Stripe of LatAm."

Episode Six, for its part, certainly seems to be attracting business, with a presence in 38 countries and customers that include the top 50 global banks. Mitchell wouldn't answer questions about recurring revenue. But he said that the startup expects to grow to 200 employees by the end of the year, up from 150 currently.

"Our strong commitment to long-term business management allowed us to navigate the challenges of the pandemic with resilience," Mitchell said. "As a result, we were less impacted. In addition, we have been laser-focused on modernizing payments and banking infrastructure from the very beginning."

To date, Episode Six has raised around $100 million in venture capital.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan won about 65 percent of votes in Germany, which has the largest Turkish community abroad with its 1.5 million voters

"I voted for Erdogan because he deserves to be re-elected," says Esra Kose, 45, who like the majority of Turkish voters in Germany backs the incumbent president.

Kose, who has lived for nearly two decades in Europe's top economy and wears a Muslim headscarf, cast her ballot for Turkey's ruling AKP party in Essen, in the western industrial region of the Ruhr.

It is the Turkish leader's biggest stronghold in Germany, where the second round of voting began Saturday and lasts until late Tuesday, five days before the run-off election in Turkey.

In the first round in early May, Recep Tayyip Erdogan won more than 75 percent of the vote in Essen, around 10 points above the average of 65 percent in Germany, which has the largest Turkish community abroad with its 1.5 million voters.

"I voted for Erdogan because with him, the country is going in the right direction," said Nevin Toy-Unkel, another voter in Essen.

The 53-year-old AKP supporter grew up in Germany and like many second and third generation Turks in the Ruhr, she is the child of a miner.

The Turkish immigrants in the 1960s known as guest workers "were poorly qualified people, often from rural areas and more conservative than the bourgeoisie in the cities," Yunus Ulusoy, from the Centre for Turkish Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen, told AFP.

- Attachment to religion -

"And they passed on their values and their attachment to religion to their children," Ulusoy added.

Around the neck of Toy-Unkel, an interior designer based in Marl near Essen, hangs a necklace with the crescent and star of the Turkish flag.

Her father was originally from Konya in central Turkey, another Erdogan stronghold.

In front of the Grugahalle arena in Essen, transformed for the occasion into a gigantic polling station, Turkish flags flap under a radiant sun.

Some voters have donned t-shirts in the national colours and are making the pro-Erdogan four-finger salute.

Music composed in honour of Erdogan wafts through the air -- a show of support "which is normally forbidden near polling stations," Inci Oyku Yener-Roderburg, a researcher at the University of Dortmund, told AFP.

"During the first round, we saw Erdogan's supporters attempt to intimidate those of the opposition parties," said the Turkish political scientist who has observed the elections in Essen as a researcher.

Five people are monitoring the voting here: "two civil servants -- often imams of the Ditib mosques, which are linked to the Turkish state" along with one AKP member, another from the MHP, a formation supporting Erdogan, "and only one member of the opposition party", the CHP.

"As a result, there is a lot of psychological pressure on the latter," she said.

- Free buses -

"Opposition supporters were insulted occasionally or pushed aside in the first round," she said.

Moreover, Erdogan's voters are much better organised in Germany than the opposition.

"Every Friday, during prayers at the mosque, a lot of propaganda can be spread," says Cemalettin Ozer, 52, a resident of Bielefeld near Essen who actively supports the CHP.

Ozer said the AKP backers "receive money from the Turkish state so that they can take voters to the polling stations for free by bus".

"We do everything as volunteers and try with our own cars to drive people to the polls, sometimes 70 kilometres (40 miles) from their homes," he said.

In addition, "many supporters of the Social Democrats (CHP) in Germany have given up their Turkish citizenship" to become German, he noted, meaning they cannot vote.

In Germany, it is difficult to be a dual national although the current centre-left-led government is moving to change this.

Meanwhile "AKP supporters have kept their Turkish passports. Erdogan's party therefore has a larger potential voter base" than the opposition parties, Ozer said.

Despite Erdogan's lead in the first round, the opposition's mobilisation has grown.

"Many people, especially young people who had not voted, have come out for the second round," Ozer insisted.

Accompanied by her mother Esra Kose, who still speaks little German after 19 years in Essen, 18-year-old Feyza Kose cast her ballot on Monday.

Wearing Western clothes and preparing to study physics and mathematics, Feyza said her vote also went to Erdogan.

"He's made the right decisions for the country," she said.

clp-dlc/mfp/giv
He painted over graffiti to pay for his daughter's birthday cake. It cost him his life

Ruth Lopez's brother Juan Lopez, 39, was shot to death last month as he painted over gang graffiti on the wall of a business. Ruth is sitting on his bed in her living room near a small memorial table with his photo, hat, sunglasses, watch, a Book of Mormon and flowers on Monday in Reseda. Ruth says her brother was humble, quiet, hard-working, a good father and a good friend. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Juan Lopez left Nicaragua for the U.S. last year in hopes of escaping the violence plaguing that Central American nation.

But his life ended tragically on the streets of Los Angeles, felled by a bullet while working to earn money so his daughter back in his home country could celebrate her ninth birthday.

On the day he died, Lopez, 39, was in a good mood because he had been offered a "trabajito," a small job painting an ice cream shop with some other men.

Life had not been easy in Los Angeles. He had struggled to find work as a painter, and was living with his sister in a small apartment in Northridge, sleeping on a cot in her living room. He missed his three children  Brittany, 9; Johan, 12; and Edward, 13  whom he'd left in Matagalpa, Nicaragua.

His daughter Brittany's ninth birthday was April 15  the day of the painting job  and he could not wait to send money back to Nicaragua.

"He was so happy because he was going to earn that money to send his girl to buy the cake," said Ruth Lopez Suarez, Juan Lopez's sister.

He woke up at 7 a.m., shaved, showered, made his bed, left and she never saw him again.

Around noon, Lopez was shot to death outside the ice cream shop on Parthenia Street in Northridge as he painted over gang graffiti, police said. The alleged shooter had seen Lopez and other workers covering up graffiti that he and his crew had tagged on the wall earlier that day and was so offended that he shot at the men, killing Lopez, he confessed to police.

Los Angeles police respond to reports of shots fired near a Northridge strip mall on April 15. Juan Lopez was shot to death outside the ice cream shop on Parthenia Street near the mall as he painted over gang graffiti. (KTLA)

Lopez  who had been in the United States for six months, and Los Angeles for just three  had gotten caught in disputed gang territory, unwittingly risking his life for a meager wage and a day's work, according to police and his sister.

Between Jan. 1 and May 13, 98 people have been slain in Los Angeles, a steep drop from last year's rates, according to Los Angeles Police Department statistics. In the same period last year, 135 people were killed, the statistics show.

It was not Lopez's first run-in with violence. He was kidnapped and held for ransom in Mexico by a smuggler, though he eventually escaped.

He had come to America, looking for safety, his sister said.

The family was involved in local politics in Nicaragua. They worked on elections and participated in marches and protests against President Daniel Ortega's iron rule.

"When one opposes the government in Nicaragua, they are at danger of getting arrested or disappeared. He wanted to avoid that. Thats why he left," his sister said. "Now that we lost my brother, we see the truth that we didnt realize before. In my home country, you don't see those things where someone comes randomly and kills you. ... You have to have a problem with someone for that to happen. ... Here, they kill you because they want to, or because they confuse you with someone, or simply because youre working, and they kill you."

After the shooting, it took Ruth Lopez days to figure out what happened to him.

Ruth Lopez holds a photograph of her brother Juan Lopez. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

Lopez did not return home on the morning after he left to paint the ice cream shop, so his sister went looking for him. She went to the places he usually looked for work  like the Mormon church down the street.

Eventually, she found a man who had worked with her brother in the past.

I showed him a picture of my brother and he said, Your brother is dead. ... They killed him yesterday.'

But police mistakenly reported that it was a 60-year-old killed, giving her false hope that her brother might still be alive.

Even after the man told Lopez that her brother was dead, she still could not find his body. He was not at the hospital and police had no information for her. It wasn't until the dead man's fingerprints were matched with Lopez in the Immigration and Customs Enforcement database that she knew for certain he was gone. Her brother had filed for political asylum and was awaiting his first formal court hearing.

Now, Lopez hopes to send her brother's body back to Nicaragua to be buried, which she cannot afford to do. It costs $12,800, she said, and she is raising money on GoFundMe to cover the expenses. She had raised more than $32,000 as of Tuesday night.

My family wants to see him, his kids want to see him. Its the least I can do for him now," she said.

For Ruth Lopez, it's still hard to believe that she will never see her brother again. She left his cot out in the living room of her apartment, his bed made  he made it every morning. It's ready for him if he does come back.

I think that Ill see him again. I feel like its a lie. Ill see him again," she said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The two-year war in Africa's second most populous country forced about two million from their homes

Thousands of people displaced by the conflict in Ethiopia's Tigray region staged protests Tuesday demanding to be able to return home and calling for the withdrawal of "invading forces", witnesses and local television said.

The two-year war in Africa's second most populous country killed untold numbers of civilians and forced about two million from their homes before it ended with a surprise truce in November last year.

Although the guns have fallen silent and humanitarian aid is being restored to the stricken Tigray region, numerous challenges remain to cement the peace.

Demonstrators in several cities including the regional capital Mekele chanted and waved placards declaring: "Return us quickly to our homelands", "Invading forces should leave our land", clips broadcast on the local Tigrai TV channel showed.

Eritrea's army as well as military forces from the neighbouring region of Amhara played a key role on the Tigray battlefield in support of Ethiopian government forces.

Amhara forces still control western Tigray, a disputed region claimed by both Amharas and Tigrayans, while Eritrean troops are also believed to have a presence in border areas.

It is impossible to verify the situation on the ground because access to Tigray for journalists remains restricted.

- 'We're starving here' -

Hadush Kassa who hails from Humera, the biggest town in western Tigray, and took part in the protests in Mekele said there was "no alternative" to resettlement.

"We are asking to return to our original homeland so that we can farm and eat," he told AFP by phone.

Birhan Tadesse, who also joined the Mekele demonstrations, said they hoped to return to their home before the onset of the rainy season.

"We're not getting aid here, we're starving here," she told AFP, adding that life had not improved since the peace deal was signed in the South African capital Pretoria.

"We want to return to our home areas, we don't want to continue living here, living off meagre aid."

Getachew Reda, the head of the Tigray interim regional administration, said last week his authority was committed to ensuring those displaced are able to return home.

About 90 percent of Tigray's six million people, who were largely cut off from the outside world during the conflict, rely on humanitarian aid.

Although the northern region is now more accessible, aid has yet to reach the level required, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in April.

Tigray's once efficient health system is on its knees, and according to OCHA, 85 percent of schools have serious or partial damage.

The conflict began in November 2020 when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had sent troops into Tigray to topple the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), then the regional ruling party -- a move he said came in response to attacks on federal army camps.

It followed months of rancour between the two sides as the TPLF, which dominated the government for three decades, became increasingly marginalised after Abiy came to power in 2018.

Although the death toll is not known, the United States has estimated it cost around half a million lives.

str-ayv/ho/txw/rox
The EU accuses Ireland of allowing Apple to escape almost any taxation between 2003 and 2014

Apple and Brussels butted heads in a top EU court on Tuesday as the bloc battled to overturn a ruling against its whopping 13-billion euro order on the iPhone-maker to pay Ireland in back taxes.

The landmark case remains one of the most bitter between the European Commission and a big tech firm, dating back to 2016 when the EU's executive arm accused Ireland of allowing Apple to escape 13 billion euros ($14 billion) in taxes between 2003 and 2014.

The EU alleged that Apple parked untaxed revenue earned in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and India in Ireland, which is a European hub for US-based big tech.

Brussels claims this amounted to illegal "state aid" by Ireland.

On Tuesday, the bloc's highest court heard the commission's appeal against a 2020 decision by the EU's lower General Court to annul its order that Apple repay the money.

The commission's lawyer, Paul-John Loewenthal, told the European Court of Justice (ECJ) that there had been a "breach of procedure" and "numerous other legal errors" when the lower court heard the case.

He also said the "tax breaks" resulted in Apple's Irish subsidiary "paying an effective tax rate on its European profits starting at one percent in 2003 down to 0.005 percent in 2014".

"Tax breaks which Apple itself described (to the US Senate) as investment incentives amounting to state aid," Loewenthal said.

Apple's lawyer Daniel Beard pushed back against Loewenthal's claims.

"Apple has paid the taxes that were due under the Irish tax code," Beard said.

"Taking quotes to the US Senate completely out of context doesn't change that."

The lawyer dismissed Brussels' accusations of illegal support from Ireland, insisting "there was no special treatment, there was no state aid".

Apple has been present in Ireland since the 1980s and employs more than 6,000 people in Cork, the country's second-largest city.

The ECJ's top legal advisor will issue an opinion on November 9, with a final ruling expected a few months later by judges that are not bound by the advice.

The EU has faced difficulty justifying its tax decisions in recent years with previous court losses against Amazon and Starbucks.

aro-raz/rox
Commemorations marking the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in Brussels

By Andrew Gray

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union countries have provided 220,000 artillery shells to Ukraine under a landmark scheme launched two months ago to ramp up supplies of ammunition to Kyiv to help fight off Russia's invasion, the EU foreign policy chief said on Tuesday.

Josep Borrell said EU states had also given 1,300 missiles under the scheme and were on track to hit a target of supplying 1 million pieces of ammunition within a year, even though some EU countries have avoided endorsing that goal as feasible.

"The next days, weeks and months are going to be strategically decisive in the war in Ukraine," Borrell told reporters as he announced the figures at the end of a meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels.

EU governments agreed the ammunition scheme in March after Kyiv warned it was in desperate need of artillery rounds as Russia's invasion descended into an intense war of attrition, with thousands of shells fired daily.

The EU's plan, worth at least 2 billion euros, is composed of three elements, all tied to financial incentives. The first two elements offer partial refunds for weapons and ammunition sent to Ukraine, using a fund named the European Peace Facility.

The plan marked the first time the EU had got involved in funding large-scale joint procurement of munitions and reflected how the EU has become much more involved in military affairs since the Russian forces swept into Ukraine in February 2022.

The first element of the plan encourages EU members to send ammunition from stockpiles, the second provides incentives for countries to place joint orders and the third focuses on helping arms firms increase their production capacities.

The 220,000 shells were provided under the first part of the plan, Borrell said. The first joint procurement contracts under the second part of the plan are expected to be signed in the summer, according to officials.

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout and Andrew Gray; writing by Andrew Gray; editing by Alex Richardson and Mark Heinrich)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of the European Court of Justice is pictured outside the main courtroom in Luxembourg

By Foo Yun Chee

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) -EU competition regulators appealed to the bloc's highest court on Tuesday to override a lower tribunal and make Apple pay a record 13 billion euros ($14.3 billion) in Irish back taxes.

The case, which has far-reaching implications for corporate tax bills, is the most high-profile of EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager's campaign against sweetheart deals between multinationals and European Union states.

"Its outcome will determine whether member states may continue to grant multinational substantial tax breaks in return for jobs and investments," Commission lawyer Paul-John Loewenthal told the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

The European Commission in a 2016 decision said two Irish tax rulings had for more than two decades artificially reduced Apple's tax burden, which was as low as 0.005% in 2014.

The General Court in 2020 said regulators had not met the legal standard to show Apple had enjoyed an unfair advantage.

But Loewenthal told judges at the Court of Justice that judgment was "legally flawed" and should be set aside.

Apple refuted the Commission's arguments, saying it had paid its fair share of taxes in the appropriate country.

"The profits we are talking about - the profits the Commission said should be attributed to these branches in Ireland - those profits were in fact subject to the U.S. tax regime," Daniel Beard told the Court.

"Apple built up reserves for the payment of those U.S. taxes and is paying around 20 billion euros in tax in the U.S. on those very same profits that the Commission says should have been taxed by Ireland," he said.

"Apple has paid the taxes that were due under the Irish tax code."

The EU competition enforcer has suffered court losses in recent months to challenges by automaker Stellantis, Amazon and Starbucks, although it had a legal victory when the CJEU in September took its side in a Belgian tax break case against a group of multinationals.

Still, Vestager has forced Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg to drop controversial tax structures and contributed to the global movement for fairer corporate tax rates.

CJEU Advocate General Giovanni Pitruzzella will give a non-binding opinion on Nov. 9, followed by the Court's ruling.

The case being heard on Tuesday is C-465/20 P Commission v Ireland and Others.

($1 = 0.9084 euros)

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Barbara Lewis and Jason Neely)
(Bloomberg) -- European allies aim to finalize plans as soon as June to start training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, Denmarks acting defense minister said, after the US gave its support.

Most Read from Bloomberg

First we need to talk about training and reeducation and after that we can discuss donations of F-16s, Troels Lund Poulsen, who is also economic affairs minister, told reporters Tuesday ahead of a gathering of defense counterparts in Brussels.

My expectation is that in June we will have formalities in place and that we can start training after that, Poulsen said, adding that it would take as much as six months of training and preparation before Ukrainian pilots can start operating F-16s.

President Joe Biden dropped his reluctance to sending F-16s to Ukraine after months of pressure from Kyiv and allied governments, announcing Friday that the US would support efforts to train Ukrainian pilots to use the fighter jet.

While the training will take place in Europe, it requires US permission because the jet is American-made. No country has yet formally committed to supplying F-16s to Ukraine.

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said after Tuesdays talks that his country is ready to train F-16 pilots. He added that the number of pilots involved would depend on our possibilities as Poland has obligations to protect airspace over Poland and also Baltic states.

Clear Signal

Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the NATO military alliance, said on arriving for talks with the ministers that he welcomed the F-16 training pledges. This is an important step that partly will enable us to then deliver fighter jets at some stage but also is sending a very clear signal that were there for the long term and that Russia cannot wait us out, Stoltenberg said.

We will speed up now as we know we have a green light on F-16 training, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said earlier Tuesday.

The Danish minister said that in addition to his country, the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK have all signaled readiness to formally cooperate on training but that he expected other countries to join.

Asked about providing F-16 training facilities, Germanys Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said his government is investigating that option. Pistorius did not provide any details. Germany doesnt have any F-16s but one possibility could be carrying out training at the US airbase in Ramstein.

Estonias Hanno Pevkur drew comparisons between the decision on fighter jets and the initial hesitation by allies to send tanks to Ukraine. He noted that donating fighter jets would be more complex because of the need for airfields, supply chains and pilot training to be in place.

The sooner we can get ready with this training, and we are ready with this training, Pevkur said, I believe that we will see quite soon F-16s in Ukrainian skies.

--With assistance from Katharina Rosskopf and Arne Delfs.

(Updates with Polish ministers remarks in sixth paragraph)

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WASHINGTON  A Russian court on Tuesday extended American journalist Evan Gershkovich's pre-trial detention by about three months, until Aug. 30.

The Wall Street Journal reporter was detained in Yekaterinburg in March on espionage charges, which he, his employer and the U.S. government deny. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

"By the decision of the Lefortovsky District Court of Moscow dated May 23, 2023, the term of detention in respect of Evan Gershkovich, accused of committing a crime under Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, was extended for three months and one day, that is, until August 30, 2023," the court decision read.

Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom in Moscow, on April 18, 2023. (Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP file)

The decision comes after a Moscow court upheld Gershkovich's pre-trial detention in April.

The Wall Street Journal said in a statement that Gershkovich had appeared for a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday. "While we expected there would be no change to Evans wrongful detention, we are deeply disappointed," the newspaper said. "The accusations are demonstrably false, and we continue to demand his immediate release."

U.S. Embassy officials were able to attend the hearing, according to the State Department, but it was not immediately clear whether they had they had the opportunity to speak with Gershkovich. Russia has previously denied embassy requests for consular access, including on May 11 and May 25. U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy was able to visit Gershkovich in mid-April, weeks after his arrest.

We once again call on Russia to comply with their obligation to provide consular access to him, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller told reporters. The claims are against Evan are baseless and we continue to call for his immediate release as well as for the immediate release of Paul Whelan.

Gershkovich's parents were also present at the hearing, although the State Department did not help to arrange their travel.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow repeated calls for Gershkovich's release and objected to Russia denying consular visits, saying it was "deeply concerned" by the decision to prolong the reporter's pretrial detention.

Last month, the Biden administration designated Gershkovich as wrongfully detained, moving his case to the State Departments Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, which will allow the government to use additional resources to secure his release.

Gershkovich's colleagues at the Journal reacted to the court's decision on Twitter.

"A horribly disappointing development as we continue to wait for justice for our @wsj colleague," wrote reporter Melissa Korn.

"RELEASE EVAN NOW," tweeted reporter Joe Flint.

Earlier this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanded Gershkovich's release in a statement for World Press Freedom Day.

"Far too many governments use repression to silence free expression, including through reprisals against journalists for simply doing their jobs," Blinken said. "We again call on Russian authorities to immediately release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and all other journalists held for exercising freedom of expression."

President Joe Biden discussed Gershkovich in his White House Correspondents Dinner remarks last month, saying the reporter had "absolute courage."

"Were working every day to secure his release, looking at opportunities and tools to bring him home," Biden told attendees. "We keep the faith."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The Russian information space has responded to the events of 22 May in Belgorod Oblast with panic, factionalism and incoherence, which it usually demonstrates when it experiences significant information shocks, according to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Source: ISW report

Quote: "Some milbloggers fixated on the fact that the RDK [The Russian Volunteer Corps  ed.] and LSR [The Freedom of Russia Legion] are comprised of mostly Russians and labeled them traitors to Russia, baselessly accusing them of working under the GUR [The Defence Intelligence of Ukraine].

Several milbloggers additionally speculated that the attack was a purposeful information operation intended to distract from the recent Russian capture of Bakhmut and to instill panic in the Russian information space in advance of a potential Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Former Russian officer and ardent nationalist milblogger Igor Girkin remarked that he has long warned that such cross-border raids may be part of a wider Ukrainian counteroffensive strategy.

Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin took advantage of the incident to accuse the Russian government and its bureaucratic inertia of contributing to the attack and criticized the Russian Ministry of Defence for being unable to strengthen Russian borders and defend Russia.

The first observed line of Russian defensive fortifications notably runs 2km in front of Gora Podol, and the suggestion that RDK forces managed to penetrate the defensive line emphasizes the weakness of such fortifications at least when not fully manned by well-prepared and well-equipped soldiers."

Details: According to ISW, since most Russian pro-war bloggers responded with relatively different concerns, anxieties and anger, and the information space did not accumulate around one coherent response to the situation, this indicates that it took Russian commentators by surprise.

Background:

On 22 May, the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion said that they had crossed the border and were "liberating" settlements in Belgorod Oblast from the current Russian government: they started with the villages of Kozinka and Gora-Podol, but they are seeking to "liberate" the whole of Russia.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod Oblast of the Russian Federation, said that a "sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" had entered the territory of the Grayvoron district.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured that Vladimir Putin had been informed of the border breach in Belgorod Oblast, but that work was already underway to oust and destroy the "Ukrainian saboteurs".

Andrii Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, has described the events taking place in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May as the creation of a "security zone" to protect Ukrainian citizens. He also added that only Russian citizens are taking part in it.

Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine, stressed that Ukraine is not directly related to the events that transpired in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May.

The Russian media have reported a strike on the FSB [Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation  ed.] office in Belgorod, Russia, with explosives allegedly dropped on the building.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
University of Alabama student walking through a pink courtyard

Holliday from Max's "Bama Rush" documentary Credit - Courtesy of Max

In 2021, sorority rush season at the University of Alabama enraptured viewers on TikTok as potential new members (called PNMs for short) offered a look behind the scenes at their attempts to join their top-pick houses. During the phenomenon that came to be known on TikTok as Bama Rush, young female students would upload their OOTD (outfit of the day) videos and tell viewers where they purchased each piece of clothing or accessory they were wearing.

It all seemed like harmless fun until TikTok users caught wind of something called The Machine as more users started uploading videos about an elusive group of people at the University of Alabama. This ominous name refers to a mysterious presence that is said to loom over Greek life in Alabama. A few users attempted to explain what it was while all of this was trending on the app, but Bama Rush, a new documentary out today on HBOs newly rebranded streaming service Max, takes a deeper look into its mechanics.

The history of a Southern sorority

The documentary is centered around a group of women who are planning to rush sororities at the University of Alabama. They give the documentary crew unfiltered access to the process, talking about the traditions and the process leading up to the moment when rush begins. Viewers get a short history of sororities and the rushing process, how it became known as such, and why its such a big deal to these women: for many of these womenall of whom are white, with the exception of one Black womanits a crucial status symbol.

The documentary discusses how the rush process has evolved over time (spoiler alert: not much). Especially when they are accepted into a sorority, these women still have to follow an extremely strict set of rules. The documentarys first half is a light-hearted look at this trend that took over social media, but the tone shifts significantly when the potential new members were asked about The Machine.

We cant talk about it

When director Rachel Fleit asks four of her subjects if they knew what social media was saying about The Machine, the tone of the interviews completely changes. The interviewees appear visibly uncomfortable. Two of the women decline to comment, with one telling Fleit, We cant talk about it; it would ruin a lot of stuff for us, even our lives. Following their silence, the documentary then gives the floor to someone who will talk: John Archibald, a University of Alabama alumnus, class of 1986, who says that the Machine helped him get his start in life.

According to the documentary, the Machine is a secret society named Theta Nu Epsilon, comprised of representatives from different sororities and fraternities on campus. They meet in fraternity basements, per a student government associate justice named Garrett who appears in the film, and vote on elected school representatives, then bring the information back to their houses and tell their members how to vote.

Their motto, according to allegedly leaked documents shown in the documentary claiming to be the 2016 constitution of Theta Nu Epsilon, is Little is known, and what is known is kept secret. Garrett says that this omnipresent fellowship is synonymous with Greek life on the university campus. They allegedly rig elections on campus, with homecoming kings and queens, awards, and jobs all going to the members of this secret society.

An oppressive system

One of the former Machine members featured in the film, Alex Smith, wrote an expose in the campus newspaper in 2015 titled Rage Against the Machine, which explained why she wanted to leave what she called an oppressive system. In the documentary, Smith says that only a handful of independent candidates have successfully gone against The Machine and beat them to become Student Government Association (SGA) presidents. She goes on to say that the school had to shut down the SGA for three years from 1993 to 1996 because of The Machines alleged activities, as the doc shows an Associated Press headline referencing the 1993 attack that reads, University Closes Student Government After Attack on Candidate.

The film also sheds light on text from the University of Alabamas 1993 yearbook that detailed an alleged attack on a candidate named Minda Riley (its not clear if she was a non-Machine candidate). A masked assailant attacked Riley in her home, it reads, going on to describe her injuries: a bruised cheek, busted lip, and knife wound to the face. One of the ominous quotes: You f-ck with the wrong people, you get f-cked.

According to Archibald, the Machine has been responsible for putting a system in place to ensure that a small group of people enjoy special treatment on campus because they came from affluent backgrounds and had a special advantage over everyone else. Its a way better teacher of how to do nefarious things for power than you could ever get in a political science class.
Already facing a rape charge, a 19-year-old man is now accused of murder in connection with the death of a Moore High School senior last month.

In Cleveland County District Court, Chace Cook was charged this week with first-degree murder in the death of Madeline Bills, 18, who was found dead April 22 in her home near SW 34 and Telephone Road.

Cook, who is accused of committing first-degree rape in the case, is being held without bond on the murder complaint in the Cleveland County jail.

He is reported to be an ex-boyfriend of Bills.

Bills, a standout on her high school basketball team, was set to graduate with a 4.0 GPA and had signed a letter of intent to play at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, according to her obituary.

In her short time given here on earth, Madeline made an incredible impact on many lives. She had a personality that would light up any room. Early on, she learned the value of giving back, the obit said.

She found great joy in giving and making friends special, homemade gifts. She strove to see the good in people. Madeline would adopt all animals in the shelter if it were an option, it continued.

Moore teen feared ex-boyfriend

Family discovered Bills dead in her bedroom, according to a Moore police detectives affidavit. The bedroom was a converted pool house.

Police interviews revealed Bills had previously informed friends she was so scared of (Cook) she planned to sleep inside the main residence, for fear he would come to harm her, according to the affidavit.

Cook told people he had joined the Navy and was in California for training, according to the detective.

However, the detective wrote, Moore police previously made a traffic stop on Cook. Investigators said surveillance cameras showed Cooks vehicle traveling about two miles from Bills residence the night before she was found dead.

Cooks residence is located more than 15 miles from her house, on the northside of Oklahoma City, the detective wrote in the affidavit.

Investigators said they obtained video from a neighbor of Bills that showed an unknown suspect climbing Bills fence and entering the backyard at about 4:38 a.m.

Further review of the video showed a vehicle matching the description of Cooks vehicle driving in front of Bills residence at about 6:34 a.m., according to the detectives affidavit.

Investigators later learned the suspect left Bills backyard by climbing over the fence about 90 seconds after he initially entered the property.

He climbed the fence again about 6:42 a.m. and went toward the pool house that had been converted into Bills bedroom, the detective wrote. At about 7:17 a.m., he exited the backyard by climbing back over the fence, according to the affidavit.

Authorities said Cook was located in Oklahoma City on April 25 and transported to the Moore Police Department for questioning.

Cook claimed to have driven to Galveston, Texas on April 23 to train to become a member of the Navy SEALs and did not return to Oklahoma until April 30, investigators said.

The detective wrote in the affidavit that when investigators told Cook they knew he was in the area of Bills residence at the time of her death, Cook invoked his right to speak with an attorney and the interview was stopped.

Investigators collected buccal swabs from Cook before he left the Moore Police Department.

Suspect's phone contains video of incriminating act

A search warrant was issued for Cooks vehicle. Investigators found several items of clothing, along with his cellphone.

Upon review of the content, it was discovered Cooks cellphone was in the area of the victim's residence during the time the surveillance video shows the unknown person climbing over the fence, the detective wrote.

Evidence from the phone shows it was at a 7-Eleven near Bills residence about nine minutes before the suspect vehicle was observed arriving in front of Bills residence, according to the detective.

A video taken from the phone appears to show Cook having sex with the victim, who appears to be unconscious, according to the affidavit.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ex-boyfriend charged with murder in death of Moore teen Madeline Bills
A judge sentenced a former Kansas police officer to more than 23 years in prison on Monday for a string of sex crimes, in which he assaulted 10 women over the course of years.

Todd W. Allen pleaded guilty to 12 felony sex crime charges and five breach of privacy charges in Reno County District Court in April. Allen was employed at the Hutchinson Police Department for more than 25 years but would target women who were in their cars at parks or in parking lots in his off hours, according to the court filings.

Former Hutchinson Police Officer Todd W. Allen enters a guilty plea for sexual crimes on April 10, 2023 at the Reno County District Court in Hutchinson, Kan. (Alice Mannette / Hutchinson News / USA Today Network)

Allen was sentenced to 282 months, 23 and a half years, according to NBC affiliate KSN. He will have to register as a sex offender and be placed on parole following his release.

Victims were allowed to address the court during his sentencing, KSN reported. Some said they are fearful to go out at night following the assaults by Allen.

"Its hard to even feel safe in a room full of officers, to be honest, because Todd Allen has ruined that safety for me and for the others he has harmed, she said.

Allen would approach these women posing as police or park security officer in at least 10 incidents from 2012 to 2018, knocking on or shining a flashlight through their window. He would ask questions about whether they were using drugs and demand that the women get out of the cars and follow him to the rear of the vehicles or to nearby areas, court documents said.

Under the pretense of pat downs to search for contraband, Allen touched the women inappropriately without their consent, victims said. If their significant others or friends were in the car, they were ordered to remain in the car as the assaults took place.

The sex crime charges are: two counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, three counts of aggravated sexual battery, two counts of attempted aggravated sexual battery and two counts of kidnapping.

It was the breach of privacy crimes, ranging from 2019 to 2022, that eventually got Allen caught, according to the court documents.

Police responded to a call in June 2022 when a Hutchinson resident said his cameras had caught a man wearing gloves looking over his fence toward where a party of mostly females was taking place on the other side.

Allen was stopped by officers on his bike nearby, fitting the description of the man given by the resident, according to the court documents.

In a voluntary interview with police weeks later, Allen admitted to being the prowler in the June case as well as admitting that he "could have been" the suspect in multiple other breach of privacy cases, court documents said.

Reno County District Attorney Thomas R. Stanton wrote in a court filing that Allen would search and view the incidents he later pleaded guilty to in the police departments record database multiple times, even though he was not assigned to investigate any of the cases.

Allen admitted to his crimes, Stanton's filing said, and could only say that he was sexually motivated in the incidents.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The white ex-marine who allegedly became agitated on a New York subway and killed Jordan Neely, a Black New York resident, is giving a unique explanation to prove that hes not racist. Speaking to the New York Post, Daniel Penny said he cant be racist because he was planning a trip to Africa.

I mean, its, its a little bit comical. Everybody whos ever met me can tell you, I love all people, I love all cultures, Penny told The Post. You can tell by my past and all my travels and adventures around the world. I was actually planning a road trip through Africa before this happened.

Penny, who was charged with second-degree manslaughter, added that the incident had nothing to do with race, according to the New York Post. He said he judges people based on their character and that hes not a white supremacist.

As Blavity previously reported, witnesses said Penny became agitated after Neely made threats to passengers on the subway. A video posted to social media shows Penny confronting Neely and putting him into a chokehold. Neely fell unconscious on the train and later died at the hospital. Police said the 30-year-old impersonator was also facing challenges pertaining to his mental health, as he had been arrested over 40 times.

Neelys father, Andre Zachery, raved about his sons Michael Jackson impersonating skills as he reflected on his life. He was very good at it. He was great at it, Zachery told the New York Daily News. I sat him in front of the TV and showed him the Jackson 5.  He took on the Michael Jackson thing and he really formed it very well.

Penny said he was returning from school in Manhattan and heading to the gym when the confrontation with Neely happened on the subway. I was going to my gym, Penny said. Theres a pool there. I like to swim. I was living in the East Village. I take the subway multiple times a day. I think the New York transit system is the best in the world and Ive been all over the world.

Neelys death has since been ruled as a homicide; Penny faces up to 15 years in prison.
On May 9, 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation, in a lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll

Former US magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll -- whom Donald Trump owes $5 million for 1990s sexual abuse for which a civil jury found him liable -- is seeking new damages alleging the ex-president further defamed her after the verdict in that civil case.

"She's a whack job," the 2024 Republican primary candidate said on CNN the day after a New York jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming the Elle magazine writer earlier this month.

Those comments -- with Trump adding that Carroll was telling a "made-up story" and that he didn't know her -- constitute further "defamatory statements," Carroll's lawyers argue.

In response, her lawyers filed an amended complaint to a 2019 defamation lawsuit Carroll had already brought against Trump -- a separate, still-pending case different from the one decided May 9.

"Trumps defamatory statements post-verdict show the depth of his malice toward Carroll since it is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill will, or spite," the complaint reads.

"This conduct supports a very substantial punitive damages award in Carrolls favor both to punish Trump, to deter him from engaging in further defamation, and to deter others from doing the same."

The day before the CNN broadcast, a jury had found the former president liable in a civil case for sexually abusing Carroll, who said Trump raped her in a changing room at a New York department store in the 1990s.

The jury rejected Carroll's rape allegation, but found Trump liable for sexual abuse and subsequent defamation when he called her "a complete con job" after she came forward with the allegations.

Trump denies the allegations and has appealed the judgment. No criminal case can stem from Carroll's lawsuit.

Monday's amended complaint is part of a separate defamation case -- one that's been delayed by procedural battles, including whether Trump is protected from comments he made about Carroll in 2019 by presidential immunity, since he was in the White House at the time.

arb/led/nro/caw
Except for Disney, tourism officials let DeSantis run amok. Why are they concerned now? | Opinion

This wont be a laid-back summer in Florida.

In a timely blow to the ugly atmosphere Gov. Ron DeSantis has shaped and inspired, two of the oldest and most respected civil-rights organizations in the country have issued travel advisories for Florida.

Expect a hostile environment, they rightly warn people of color and gays.

The NAACP got the picture of whats been happening just right.

DeSantis and the Florida Legislature are aggressive hate-inspired state leaders, the organization said in a statement.

They have banned books about Black history, white-washed curriculum to lessen the monumental suffering of enslaved people and abolished diversity, equity and inclusion programs at public universities.

For an illustration of how far the disgusting acts go, take a look at the photograph with this column of small Black and Hispanic children in Hialeah being used as props to hold up signs against critical race theory, a complex topic theyre not old enough to understand.

Blacks have every reason to shun Florida.

They should be aware of where theyre spending their money  and the kind of treatment they could encounter by emboldened DeSantis sympathizers and law enforcement.

Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, the NAACP says in its advisory. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.

Likewise, LULAC, advised Hispanics  and immigrants, in general  to avoid the state, where racist bills signed into law by DeSantis go into effect July 1.

The nations oldest and largest Latino civil Rights organization called their censure a historic warning, adding that a federal lawsuit challenging Floridas jurisdiction over immigration policy and a community mobilization effort would follow.

Domingo Garcia, the Washington D.C.-based organizations president, was on-point when he denounced during a virtual press conference I attended that DeSantis and state leaders have turned immigrants into political pinatas for the purposes of getting votes.

In the case of undocumented immigrants, any casual encounter could lead to arrest and removal from the country.

READ MORE: Hate-inspired leadership: NAACP joins other groups in warning against travel to Florida

Tourism officials too late

Did anyone think the nations two largest minority groups would remain silent and take the Florida debacle lightly?

Apparently, the states tourism hierarchy did, leaving Disney World alone to battle DeSantis. Now, with the travel advisories, its rushing to perform crisis management.

Travel advisories are the kind of publicity that puts tourism officials in a tizzy because they not only resonate at home, but echo across the pond to European tourists.

So after they stayed silent throughout the legislative session, some are reacting to travel advisories that could adversely affect South Florida.

Its too late, folks, to try to wrap a pretty Minnie Mouse bow on what DeSantis has done to Florida.

Miami, Fort Lauderdale tourism leaders react to NAACP advising travelers to avoid Florida

Their defense of the state rings hollow.

Oh, but diversity is in our cultural fabric, David Whitaker, CEO of Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau told the Miami Herald.

Shouldve been making that argument to DeSantis, not us. It only sounds like patronizing talk.

Where were tourism officials during two legislative sessions worth of the Disney vs. DeSantis clash over the Dont Say Gay law that silences educators and gay children? Plus, if diversity is so us, why didnt they back the testimony of experts telling lawmakers they were hurting gay and trans children?

The powerful tourism lobby left the LQBTQ community, Blacks, Hispanics and one of the states largest employers out there fighting DeSantis alone.

And now they want us to believe they actually care about the repercussions?

Too little. Too late. The time to speak up was yesterday.

Ever heard of the saying el que calla otorga? The one who remains quiet, concedes.

And theres a whole lot more bad publicity where those travel advisories came from.

In fact, during the Miami Grand Prix, Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton used his podium to blast Floridas LGBTQ policies banning discussions of gender identity at schools. He wore the rainbow sticker on his helmet he reserves for protesting in places like Saudi Arabia.

Thats how disgustingly intolerant Florida has become. We now play in the same league as homophobic dynasties.

The NAACP and LULAC have reason to warn communities of color.

Four years of DeSantis leadership has changed the state  and this week, the arrogant governor who plays cop, judge and jury to Florida culture is launching his bid to make America Florida.

Blacks, Latinos and gays arent the only ones who should be concerned.
Jacquelyn Johnson had not seen her brother Reuben for almost 20 years when the two met three weeks ago for lunch in Charlotte.

There, the reunion over flatbread, meat and vegetables at the Tryon House restaurant on Woodlawn Road had gone so well that the two planned to meet again this past Saturday afternoon.

Reuben Holmes had been so pleased with the occasion that he texted a photograph he had taken of himself and his sister to his boss, Keith Suggs.

Both siblings felt the need, as Johnson put it, for future conversations.

Now theres no catching up.

On Thursday, Holmes, 58, was killed in an inferno that consumed a SouthPark construction site.

Holmes and Demonte Sherrill, both employees of an Atlanta-based door and window company, were trapped on the sixth floor of an apartment building being built along Fairview Road.

Reuben Holmes and his mother, Willie Mae Holmes, are shown in a 2007 family wedding. Reuben Holmes died Thursday in Charlotte in a construction fire in SouthPark.

Johnson, 66, a retired nurse who lives in Columbia, said she received word of her brothers death from her son on Saturday morning, just as she was preparing to drive to Charlotte to meet with Holmes later in the day.

On Monday, she was grieving his loss while still celebrating the few hours the two had shared.

The first meeting can be so touch and go, Johnson told The Charlotte Observer in a phone interview. But the gentleness, the humbleness of his conversation, it was just serene. I wanted to hear more. I was expecting to hear more. I was not expecting to hear what I heard Saturday.

Holmes, of Huntsville, Ala., was one of nine children born in Moultrie, Ga., and raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York.

Family members say his death came as his life leaned into a long upswing from personal struggles that had derailed some of his earlier years.

Holmes had a good job. He was financially supporting himself and his mother in New York. After starting work in Charlotte a month ago, he had reached out to Johnson, who says she had been raised by her grandparents and had never really been a part of her siblings lives.

A favored uncle

Holmes was single and had no children of his own. Yet Ticha Holmes of New York, one of his nieces, said he was the favored uncle of the older kids, the uncle we could go to and talk about anything, no judgment, always loving and very giving.

She recalls a time in her childhood when Holmes surprised Ticha and three other nieces with the 10-gallon water jug he had used for years to stash spare bills and change. Each girl received about $500, she said.

Ticha Holmes credited Suggs with saving her uncles life  both by giving him a good job 2 1/2 years ago and, more importantly, by being his guide and friend. She called him Reubens guardian angel.

It was Suggs who Holmes had called from the top of the burning building on Thursday, who, according to Ticha, counseled her uncle to lie down on the ground to get below the smoke.

Except the smoke had been everywhere. The two friends stayed on the line together until Reuben Holmes stopped talking, Ticha says. (Suggs later assured her that her uncle and Sherrill had been overcome by the fumes before the flames reached their bodies.)

On Friday, Suggs used the reunion photo Holmes had sent him in an online attempt to reach his friends family before they read about his death in the media. As he awaited callbacks, Suggs grieved the loss of both of his workers.

Im having a rough time dealing with this, he said. But, you know, it was Gods will, not mine.

He described Holmes as both a trusted employee and a close friend, who would give anybody anything, who spent hours of free time watching movies on his tablet, and who didnt mind going to work.

Johnson says that during their lunch, Holmes seemed happy, secure and confident in where his life was headed.

He was on a different level now, so humble, gentle and sweet, Johnson said, adding that she was looking forward to their next talk.

On Monday, she was making do with what had recently passed between them  setting aside her brothers texts to make sure she did not delete them.

Theyre like a trophy to me now, she said.
Currently, the road near the FSB building in Belgorod is blocked

Smoke was seen billowing from the premises on Preobrazhenskaya Street, with authorities refusing comment despite closing the street.

Explosions were also recorded in the settlements of Grayvoron and Borisovka, with Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov blaming UAV attacks in a May 23 Twitter post.

Previously, the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) claimed to have completely liberated the settlement of Kozinka in Belgorod Oblast, while also entering the town of Grayvoron after initiating its storming.

Read also: Russian volunteers capture armored vehicle  video

Most residents in the Grayvoron district have evacuated, with the local administration having declared a counter-terrorism operation, said Gladkov.

He acknowledged that Russian forces do not control part of the oblasts territory, stating that a territory clearance operation conducted by the Ministry of Defense and law enforcement agencies is underway in Grayvoron.

He advised evacuated residents not to return until it is safe to do so.

We will inform immediately, and I will share the information on my social media, and the heads of local self-government will convey it when it is secure, said Gladkov.

An elderly woman died during the evacuation, with the cause still under investigation, he said, adding that two civilians were injured in the towns where the volunteers of the Freedom of Russia Legion and the RVC entered.

RVC troops, fighting against the Russian occupation forces in Ukraine, announced that they had again penetrated Russian territory on May 22. They posted a video near signposts indicating the names of settlements in regions bordering Ukraine.

Read also: Kremlin reacts to hostilities in Belgorod Oblast: Putin informed, says press secretary

The Freedom of Russia Legion declared on May 23 that they are advancing further into Russian territory.

Good morning to everyone except Putins lackeys! We greeted the dawn on the liberated territory and continue moving forward, the Legions Telegram message stated.

The Legion and the RVC called on people to provide them with information about the movement of security forces in the border regions of Russia.

The Freedom of Russia Legion is a unit within the Armed Forces of Ukraine, established in March 2022 to combat the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Volunteer Corps was formed in August 2022. Both units consist primarily of ethnic Russian emigrants who previously resided in Ukraine and other European countries.

The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (HUR) referred to the actions of the Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, as the establishment of a security zone to protect Ukrainians.

Andriy Yusov, a HUR representative, commented to Ukrainian media that the Legion and RVC were engaged in the creation of a security zone in Russias Belgorod Oblast to protect Ukrainians.

Read also: Ukraine alone decides how to conduct military operations, Washington says

Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to the Presidents Office, also confirmed that Ukraine has no connection to the actions of the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Legion in Belgorod Oblast.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
War will endure until Putins hanged body decorates the walls of the Kremlin  Russian Volunteer Corps

RVC fighter

The Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC)  responsible for the raid in Belgorod Oblast on May 23  has declared that the war will persist until the lifeless body of dictator Vladimir Putin adorns the walls of the Kremlin.

Soon there will not be a person in Russia who is not acquainted with the loss of life in this war, the group said.

To put an end to it, the enemy must be fought on the territory it occupies. The war will endure until Putins hanged body decorates the walls of the Kremlin, and his gang is condemned by a fair trial of Russian fury, stated the RVC message on Telegram.

The RVC further added that the country is ripe for change and liberation.

The territories bordering the conflict zone, such as Kursk, Bryansk, and Belgorod, eagerly await liberation. The Russian Volunteer Corps, responding to their silent call, has taken the bold step toward our Motherland, the statement said.

The RVC assured that the civilian population need not worry as they do not engage in combat with civilians.

Any assistance to fellow citizens who have been courageous enough to fight against Putins dictatorship brings the end of the war, the end of deaths, and the end of disgrace, the message stated.

Previously, the Legion of Russias Freedom announced that, together with the Russian Volunteer Corps, they had completely liberated the settlement of Kozinka in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, and also entered the town of Grayvoron, commencing its assault.

The local authorities declared a counter-terrorism operation regime, and according to Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, the majority of the Grayvoron districts residents have evacuated.

The Freedom of Russia Legion is a unit within the Ukrainian Armed Forces, established in March 2022 to combat the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Volunteer Corps was formed in August 2022. Both units consist primarily of ethnic Russian emigrants who previously resided in Ukraine and other European countries.

Ukraines Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) referred to the actions of the Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps in Belgorod Oblast, Russia, as the establishment of a security zone to protect Ukrainians.

Andriy Yusov, a HUR representative, commented to Ukrainian media that the Legion and RVC were engaged in the creation of a security zone in Russias Belgorod Oblast to protect Ukrainians.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
F-16 supply to Ukraine will take several months at best  US Air Force

Delivering F-16 fighters to Ukraine will take "a few months at best".

Source: CNN, citing US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on 22 May, as reported by European Pravda

Details: The US President's Administration has provided few details on a plan to equip the Ukrainian Air Force with American-made fighter jets or other fourth-generation aircraft after Joe Biden announced on 19 May that the US would support joint training exercises for Ukrainians.

US personnel will reportedly participate in the training alongside its allies and partners in Europe.

Kendall said it would be at least "several months" before Ukraine could operate the F-16. He stressed that a number of details would need to be worked out before the Ukrainian Air Force could fly Western aircraft in large quantities.

Quote: "We are not under any circumstances going to get F-16s or another Western fighter in significant numbers into the hands of the Ukrainian Air Force in something less than at least several months," Kendall told reporters.

Details: A few months is a relatively quick timeframe, as according to a US Air Force official, it usually takes more than two years to train a new US pilot on this aircraft. Even a retraining course for an F-16 pilot who has been away from flying the aircraft for some time can take up to five months.

The US has been publicly arguing for months that fighter jets are not a top priority and will quickly exhaust its available funds to help Ukraine instead of more important weapons such as Abrams tanks and Patriot air defence missile systems.

Background: Earlier, the US Department of State said that the United States prioritises providing Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets and will work to achieve this goal in the coming months.

Last week, the United Kingdom announced the launch of an international coalition of countries aimed at training Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including the F-16s. The coalition already includes the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, the United States and Portugal.

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F-16s off the table, but Portugal ready to train pilots and supply spare parts

Flag of Portugal

Portugal is open to such an opportunity, he said.

We have very good pilots and instructors, and theyre ready to work with colleagues from other countries, including the F-16s, to train Ukrainian pilots.

Read also: Ukrainian pilots have already started training on F-16s, Borrell says

Cravinho clarified that the supply of Portugals F-16 fighters to Ukraine is out of question.

The minister stressed that Portugal has a limited number of fighter jets.

We have the ones we need to fulfill our national obligations, as well as to NATO, so we arent raising this issue yet, Cravinho said.

Portugal is ready to help Ukraine with the supply of spare parts for these aircraft, the diplomat added.

Read also: Portugal to donate five armoured rescue and personnel carriers to Ukraine

Cravinho said on May 22 that the issue of providing Ukraine with Portuguese F-16s as part of the fighter jet coalition is currently not being discussed.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Earlier this year, a former Emmett teacher was sentenced on sex-crime charges for victimizing a student.

Now, the 15-year-old girls family has filed a lawsuit against the school district, saying that it was negligent in hiring Dustin Kisner and allowed Kisner to sexually assault Jane Doe.

Kisner, 36, a former Black Canyon High School math teacher, pleaded guilty in September to two felonies: lewd conduct with a minor and enticing a minor through the internet.

Third District Judge Brent Whiting sentenced Kisner to three years fixed in prison and 12 years indeterminate on each of the counts, with the sentences to run concurrently. Kisner, who could be eligible for parole after serving three years, also must pay $5,000 in restitution to the victim.

The judge also issued an order barring Kisner from contact with his victim for 15 years, and the former teacher cant have contact with any girls between the ages of 12 and 18, except for at family events at which another adult is present.

In court, Kisner apologized to the victim and her father.

It kind of feels like I lit this atomic bomb off in my life and it destroyed everything, but the hard part is the aftermath, Kisner said, according to the court transcript. Ive been trying to deal with the effects Ive had on people.

The victims father, on behalf of his daughter, has sued Kisner and the Emmett Independent School District. Lawsuit documents allege that the district was negligent in hiring Kisner, a sexual predator, failed to supervise Kisner, allowed Kisner to sexually assault Jane Doe, and failed to protect Jane Doe resulting in severe emotional injury to Jane Doe.

Sex crimes, court statements and sentencing

During the sentencing, Gem Prosecuting Attorney Denyce Thompson-Udink said the victim first contacted Kisner on Facebook to ask for a book for class.

Somehow, from there, their conversations evolved into ones of a sexual nature, Thompson-Udink said. And ultimately, they decided, and Mr. Kisner decided, to ask her for photos of herself in lingerie.

Kisner sexually assaulted the girl on two occasions in his truck after he picked her up, according to Thompson-Udink.

Both the victim, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, and her father spoke at the sentencing. The girl said she didnt have any ill feelings towards (Kisner).

I dont really want anything bad to happen to him; besides, I think, if anything, he needs help, she said.

Her father became emotional, saying his daughter was too young to understand the situation. He saw things in a completely different way.

I hope hes miserable, the father said of Kisner. He deserves to go to prison.

Jane Does attorney did not respond to the Idaho Statesmans request for comment.

The judge declined to follow a presentencing report that recommended probation for Kisner, saying the prison sentence would send a message to educators and parents that this kind of behavior would not be allowed to slide.

The prosecution had asked the judge to give Kisner four years fixed and eight years indeterminate.

Im very concerned that, because of the training and experience you had, you were aware of the harm that this can cause to a young person as you were going through these actions, Whiting said. And that is something that is troubling: that knowing the harm that thats going to cause and then proceeding anyway.

Lawsuit against Emmett School District

The civil case brought on the girls behalf against the Emmett School District was initially filed in September, but it did not move forward until after Kisners sentencing.

The lawsuit said the district hired Kisner without proper screening of Kisners history at his previous employment and the reasons why Kisner was terminated.

Neither Emmett Superintendent Craig Woods nor the district attorney replied to the Statemans request for comment.

Kisner worked for the Boise School District from August 2011 to January 2017, district spokesperson Dan Hollar told the Statesman. Hollar said Kisner was on paid administrative leave when he resigned. His resignation was effective Jan. 20, 2019.

The Boise district was subpoenaed twice by Gem County for evidence regarding Kisners employment record, including any complaints the district received regarding Kisner and records of the teachers interactions with students that were alleged to be sexual in nature or outside the normal range of contact between teacher and student, according to court records.

The Boise School District was subpoenaed for a third time on May 7, with a demand for a copy of the entire investigation file regarding Kisner.

The Statesman requested a copy of the subpoena but was denied. The Boise district said that under Idaho law, it cannot disclose grievance information about a public employee without the individuals consent.

We are able to tell you that the situation did not involve Mr. Kisner engaging in inappropriate sexual contact with students, Hollar said by email.

Kisner is being sued for alleged battery and child abuse through lewd conduct in the civil suit. The Emmett School District is being accused of negligent supervision/breach of duty of care and injury to a child under Idaho Code 18-1501, which allows legal action to be taken against someone who fails to act during a situation that a reasonable person would know would cause a child harm.

Both Kisner and the district are being sued for alleged negligent injury to a child and negligent/intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In court documents, the school district responded to the allegations by either denying them or maintaining that it was not at fault.

Both sides requested a jury trial in the civil suit, and it has been set to start June 10, 2024, according to court records.
Social media users are claiming the New York City subway displayed a poster using a photo of Jordan Neely, a homeless man who died after he was restrained in a chokehold by a fellow rider in May 2023, to warn passengers against misbehaving. This is false; the photo has been digitally altered, and the Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) told AFP no such ad exists.

"What to you think of NYCs new add campaign?" says a May 13, 2022 tweet from Jake Shields, a former mixed martial artist.

Screenshot from Twitter taken May 23, 2023

Another tweet adds: "They are celebrating this man's death as a victory. Never forgive. Never forget."

The tweets -- and other similar posts across social media -- show what appears to be an MTA-approved subway train poster featuring a still image of Marine veteran Daniel Penny wrapping his arm around Neely's neck, using part of a video captured in a May 1, 2023 incident that led to Neely's death.

"This could be you," the text on the supposed advertisement reads. "Quit fucking around on the NYC subway."

The ordeal was captured on video and drew heavy attention because Neely was Black and Penny is white -- and also because it shined a light on various issues facing America's biggest city, including mental illness among those living on the city's streets and residents' fears for their safety on the underground.

Witnesses said the incident came after Neely, 30, was screaming at passengers for food and drink and said he was willing to die.

Penny, charged with manslaughter in the second degree and released on bail, told the New York Post restraining Neely was not about race and that he is not a white supremacist. Republicans such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have rallied behind him, with a legal defense fund raising more than $2.7 million on a website popular with far-right figures and previously used to fundraise for US Capitol rioters.

But the purported advertising campaign is fake, the MTA confirmed.

"This is not an item that has appeared in the MTA transportation network, nor has it been authorized to be displayed by the MTA," spokesperson Michael Cortez said in a May 23 statement to AFP. "If an MTA employee were to observe it, it would be rapidly removed."

The fabricated poster appears to be a digitally manipulated version of a real advertisement that appeared on the subway years ago.

A reverse image search reveals the original photo, which photographer Danny Ghitis took for the New York Times in 2015 (archived here), showed a sign advocating for HIV prevention and safe sex.

New York is revamping safe sex https://t.co/2ILcJdE5dIpic.twitter.com/S541CN1Ry3  The New York Times (@nytimes) December 19, 2015

AFP has debunked other misinformation about Neely's death here.

May 23, 2023 This article was updated to correct the spelling of Daniel Penny's surname in the fourth, sixth and eighth paragraphs.
The Madison County Sheriff's Office turned its parking lot into a solemn memorial space during the National Law Enforcement Memorial Service on Friday, honoring 30 law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty.

An officer salutes Madison County officers killed in the line of duty during the National Law Enforcement Memorial Service at Madison County Sheriff's Office in Denmark, Tenn. on Friday, May 19, 2023.

The ceremony commenced with a welcome from Madison County Sheriff Julian Wiser and Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley and was followed by the Presentation of Colors by the MCSO Honor Guard. Madison County Mayor AJ Massey and Jackson Mayor Scott Conger took to the podium to read a proclamation honoring Saturday, May 20 as National Law Enforcement Memorial Day following National Police Week.

"I can't say thank you enough, there needs to be a better word than that, but right now all I'll say is thank you, and you are appreciated," Massey said.

Officers bow their heads as Jackson Chaplain Ronald Benton leads prayer during the National Law Enforcement Memorial Service at Madison County Sheriff's Office in Denmark, Tenn. on Friday, May 19, 2023.

MSCO spokesperson Tom Mapes read the names of 30 individuals who gave their lives in the line of duty, dating back as far as 1876, including those from the following entities:

Jackson Police Dept.

Madison Co. Sheriff's Dept.

Crockett Co. Sheriff's Dept.

Lexington Police Dept.

Tennessee Highway Patrol

Bolivar Police Department

U.S. Customs Service

Dallas Police Dept.

Murfreesboro Police Dept.

Henderson Police Dept.

Whiteville Police Dept.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

Baldwin Co. District Attorney's Office, Alabama

Hardin Co. Sheriff's Dept.

Roses in honor of Madison County officers killed in the line of duty stacks on a table during the National Law Enforcement Memorial Service at Madison County Sheriff's Office in Denmark, Tenn. on Friday, May 19, 2023.

After Mapes read each name, an officer walked through the aisle with a single rose to be placed on the memorial and gave a final salute.

U.S. Representative Chris Todd was a speaker at the event where he shared his support for law enforcement and the importance of memorializing their service.

Terry King leaves a rose for his grandfather Deputy Joe Edwards during the National Law Enforcement Memorial Service at Madison County Sheriff's Office in Denmark, Tenn. on Friday, May 19, 2023.

"Today, as we remember those officers who have fallen, we are reminded of their selfless acts of heroism, their devotion to duty, and the indelible mark they have left on our lives," Todd said. "Each name written on the bulletin that you currently hold represents a life dedicated to service, a life that touched the lives of countless individuals, and a life that will forever be remembered."

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: A memorial service for law enforcement was held on Friday in Denmark
Family of a 22-year-old who called 911 for help and was shot after displaying a knife announces $19 million in settlements with Colorado municipalities

The family of Christian Glass, a 22-year-old man who was armed with a knife and fatally shot by police last year after calling 911 for roadside assistance, has reached multiple settlements totaling $19 million with Clear Creek County, the town of Georgetown, the city of Idaho Springs and the state of Colorado, family attorneys said Tuesday.

Glasss family and attorneys have said he was having a mental health episode when he called 911 in June 2022. He was killed in Silver Plume, Colorado, by one of the two Clear Creek County Sheriffs deputies who responded to the call and now face criminal charges. Two state agencies and other municipalities had also sent officers to assist in the incident.

In addition to the $19 million in financial compensation, the settlements also include a number of impactful measures aimed at honoring Christians memory and effecting lasting change, attorneys representing Glasss family said a news release.

The settlements from the state and three municipalities with law enforcement officers who were involved do not admit liability.

Clear Creek County has agreed to complete the establishment of a dedicated crisis response team and the Clear Creek County Sheriffs Office has agreed to train and certify all its patrol deputies in crisis intervention and allow Glasss parents to speak with new patrol recruits to share Christians story, according to the release.

These agreements recognize the critical importance that law enforcement respond to emergencies, including situations involving mental health crises, with professionalism, empathy, and an emphasis on de-escalation, the familys lawyers said in the release.

Clear Creek County Sheriff Rick Albers in a statement recognized the initial news release about Glasss June 10, 2022 death did not give an accurate description of what occurred and an independent review determined the deputy who killed Glass used deadly force that was not consistent with that of a reasonable officer.

The Clear Creek County Sheriff extends his deepest apologies to the family of Christian Glass, the statement said. The Sheriff acknowledges that his officers failed to meet expectations in their response to Christian Glass when he called for assistance.

Clear Creek County will also dedicate a public park to Glass, according to the settlement.

Officials in Georgetown called the 22-year-olds death tragic and unnecessary in a statement.

Christians death was avoidable. Georgetown will devote the resources necessary to developing new and better ways for identifying and providing assistance to those, like Christian, who need it most, officials said.

The towns officers now attend crisis intervention courses, according to the statement.

Idaho Springs Mayor Chuck Harmon released a comment as part of the citys news release on behalf of the council.

We hope that settlement of this matter can provide closure to the many people involved. City leadership remains committed to the constant self-evaluation and betterment of the (police department) in all ways, the statement said.

The statement said the city hopes to have all officers trained in crisis intervention by the end of the year.

According to the settlement with Colorado, the state has agreed to develop a virtual reality training scenario based on the incident, focusing on de-escalation, and the state patrol and Division of Gaming will open a statewide training with a video from Glass parents.

No settlement will erase his familys loss, the Colorado Attorney Generals Office said in a statement. The states commitment to providing law enforcement with better training for de-escalating crisis situations will honor Christians life and keep his memory alive as a blessing.

Deputies await arraignment

In November 2022, a grand jury delivered an indictment against Clear Creek County Sheriffs deputies Andrew Buen and Kyle Gould following investigations into the events leading to Glass death.

Buen is charged with second-degree murder, official misconduct and reckless endangerment. Gould is charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment, according to online court records.

CNN has reached out to attorneys for both men, who have yet to be arraigned but have motion hearings in court on June 21 at 3:30 p.m. ET, according to court records.

Both deputies have been fired, the sheriffs office said.

Family says knife was a rock tool

Glass was shot more than an hour after police first arrived and pronounced dead on scene, according to the sheriffs office. His autopsy report showed Glasss injuries were fatal and included five gunshot wounds to the torso and one to his right arm.

The Clear Creek County Sheriffs Office said at the time it had received a motorist assist call on June 10 at 11:21 p.m. for what appeared to be a vehicle accident.

The sheriffs office said the driver, Glass, immediately became argumentative and uncooperative with the Deputies and had armed himself with a knife.

Glasss family disputed this characterization, saying in September that their son didnt carry weapons and the knives were rock tools used for carving rocks as a form of art.

CNNs Rebekah Riess and Travis Caldwell contributed to this report.

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Family of Christian Glass, who was shot dead by police after calling 911, receives record $19m settlement

The family of Christian Glass, a 22-year-old man who was shot and killed by police after calling 911 to report his car had gotten stuck, will receive a $19m settlement  the largest payout for police misconduct in the history of Colorado.

Glass was shot and killed in Silver Plume, a tiny rural, rocky outpost just west of Denver, in the summer of last year. The payout announced late Monday was accompanied by an apology letter from the sheriffs department whose officers are charged in his death.

The events that transpired the night of June 10-11, 2022, that ended in Christians death, continue to be disturbing, Clear Creek County Sheriff Rick Alberts said in an apology letter to the Glass family. The initial press release did not give an accurate description of what occurred. Rather, as stated in the conclusion of the investigative report ... the deputy who killed Christian Glass used lethal force that was not consistent with that of a reasonable officer.

That deputy, Andrew Buen, has been charged with second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and official misconduct. His former supervisor, Kyle Gould, who was giving instructions remotely on the night of Glasss death, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment.

Both were fired last year by the sheriffs office following the incident and are scheduled to appear next in court in June.

Christian Glass should be alive today, a statement from the Glass family lawyers reads. This settlement sends a message that such injustice will not be tolerated, and that those responsible will be held accountable.

Four Colorado state governments will each pay parts of then newly-announced settlement with the Glass family to reach the record amount. In addition to the funds, the family will also receive assurances that the state and its police agencies are enacting measures to ensure a similar incident doesnt occur again.

Glass called 911 on 10 June 2022 after his car got stuck on a road in the small town, a former silver mining camp. Seven officers from five agencies responded. Glass was shot and killed an hour and ten minutes after he had called for help.

He told the officers on several occasions that he was scared to leave the vehicle and offered to throw any items that could be considered weapons out of the car. Police alternated between joking and cajoling and barking orders at Glass as he became increasingly upset while sitting in the drivers seat.

Former Deputy Buen broke the passenger-side window, tased Glass and shot him with bean bags, which were non-lethal. Video shows Glass thrashing around in the front of the vehicle; after officers spotted him holding a small knife, Mr Buen opened fire, fatally shooting him.

The family has repeatedly said they hope for charges against the other officer present on the night for their failure to intervene.

Simon and Sally Glass comfort each other during an emotional news conference in Denver on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022 (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

University of California, Los Angeles law professor Dr Joanna Schwartz told 9News that $19m is a lot of money.

I think this agency will be thinking carefully about how it operates in the future, and other departments in the region and across the country are also going to take notice of this suit. But I think its the noneconomic changes that will most directly impact the department in the immediate future, she added.

Clear Creek County, Officer Buens former department, has the largest payout  $10m. As part of the settlement with the county, Glasss parents will get to speak to new patrol recruits joining the Clear Creek County Sheriffs Office. The county is also set to create a crisis response team before 1 January 2025.

Christian loved art, sports, geology and had a passion for social justice, his family say; he had trained as a chef and was looking at coding programmes (The Glass Family)

The co-responder programme across the county will couple mental health workers with paramedics to respond to calls along with police to make sure that what took place in the case of Mr Glass doesnt occur again.

Dr Schwartz told 9News that in many instances, police agencies arent interested or willing to agree to settlements like this one.

I really havent heard of another settlement that involves the parents actually themselves speaking to officers, which is truly novel in my experience, she told the local station.

Clear Creek County Sheriff Rick Albers is set to make a public apology along with the Board of County Commissioners and hes committed to putting in place a crisis intervention certification for current patrol officers before 1 January 2027. New patrol officers will be certified within a year of being assigned.

The county has also agreed to dedicate a public park to Glass.

Christian Glass smiles with his parents, Sally and Simon Glass, from England and New Zealand, respectively (The Glass Family)

In his apology letter, Sheriff Albers wrote that he has undertaken measures intended to prevent a future failure.

He has been working with partners to establish a program of county-wide crisis response, he wrote, including forming a Citizens Policy Advisory Board and continuing to prioritize Crisis Intervention Teams, Mental Health response, and Co-Responder programs.

One Colorado State Trooper and two officers from the Division of Gaming also took part in the response to the call from Glass, meaning that $3m of the payout will come from the state of Colorados Office of Risk Management.

The State Patrol is set to begin Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) training with a short video from the parents of Glass and the video will also be provided to all troopers, cadets, as well as officers at the Division of Gaming.

The State Patrol will also name a virtual reality training scenario after Glass. The scenario will go through what happened during the lethal encounter, with the focus being on de-escalation.

I think the dollars paid will have some impact, but this kind of directed, agreed-upon policy and practice change may be the quickest way to get those kinds of changes implemented, Dr Schwartz told 9News. They were able to get something really powerful and unique accomplished through the settlement.

Body camera footage worn by Colorado officers show law enforcements interaction with Christian Glass, 22, in June 2022, during which his family believes he was suffering a mental health episode (Glass family lawyers/video screengrab)

The state will place three art pieces by Glass in government buildings and Governor Jared Polis is set to hold a dedication ceremony in honour of his life on Wednesday.

The City of Idaho Springs and the Town of Georgetown will also take part in the co-responder programme.

An officer from Idaho Springs was one of seven members of law enforcement who responded to Glasss call but didnt step in to stop the shooting. The city will pay $1m to Glasss family and its making a public statement, saying that its working with the Jefferson Center for Mental Health. The centre has a licensed clinician do weekly ride-a-longs with officers.

In the citys statement, Idaho Springs Police Chief Nate Buseck said: I have three teenagers and one young adult child. I cannot imagine the agony and pain the Glass family is experiencing in losing Christian.

We, in law enforcement, need to do a much, much better job. This outcome is not acceptable, and all law enforcement officers need to remember why we signed up to do this job  and that is to help people, he added.

Georgetown Police Marshal Randy Williams was at the scene of the incident with Glass. The town is paying $5m to the family and is issuing a statement. Its also set to take part in the co-responder programme.

Simon and Sally Glass were present in court in Georgetown, Colorado for the first court appearance of two officers charged with murder in the death of their son, Christian, 22 (Sheila Flynn)

The statement noted that all officers have been taking courses in intensive crisis intervention responses and that the death of Glass was tragic, preventable and unnecessary.
Rhianan Rudd

MI5 and the police played a part in the death of a teenager who took her own life in a care home after being groomed and sexually exploited by a far-Right terrorist, an inquest has heard.

In April 2021, Rhianan Rudd became the youngest girl in the UK to face terrorism charges over allegations she had downloaded a bomb-making manual and plotted a terror attack.

She took her own life, aged 16, in a childrens home in May 2022.

At a pre-inquest review hearing at Chesterfield coroner's court on Tuesday, Jesse Nicholls, the lawyer for Rhianans family, suggested that authorities knew for more than a year that she may have been a victim of child sexual exploitation but continued to prosecute her.

Mr Nicholls told the hearing that Rhianan, who had autism, was investigated by Derbyshire police from September 2020 after her mother referred her to Prevent, the Governments de-radicalisation scheme.

He said that before then it was likely that MI5 had knowledge of child sexual exploitation from the investigation they were carrying out.

No referrals made

After Rhianan was charged with serious criminal offences, no referrals were made for child sexual exploitation by the police or MI5, Mr Nicholls said.

Following an initial referral by social services in April 2021, it was decided on Aug 16 2021 that Rhianan may have been a victim of child sexual exploitation. However, the prosecution was not dropped until four-and-a-half months later.

Rhianans family claim the state contributed to her death by continuing to investigate and prosecute her when they most likely had knowledge that she was a victim.

Mr Nicholls said: For a period of well over a year, possibly longer depending on MI5s knowledge, the state was effectively investigating and prosecuting a child for serious criminal offences.

Rhianan was aware for over a year that she was being prosecuted for serious criminal offences at a time when she was 14 years old and a victim of child sexual exploitation.

In continuing to investigate and prosecute, the state contributed to Rhianans death.

If Rhianan had been identified as a victim earlier and been signposted to appropriate support, her death could have been avoided.

The family has called for MI5 to disclose evidence to the inquest showing it had knowledge of her being a victim of child sexual exploitation.

A representative for the Secretary of State for the Home Department said they could not confirm or deny the involvement of the security services in Rhianans death.

Claire Palmer, representing Derbyshire police, said that at the time of Rhianans arrest in October 2020, she was at some degree, in crisis and was interviewed about her possible sexual exploitation, but she did not consider herself to have been a victim.

Sadly, she was already radicalised

By the time police became involved, Rhianan was sadly already radicalised, she said.

What the police found was a vulnerable, complex young lady where there were very serious issues.

Rhianan was due to stand trial in March 2022 but charges were dropped after evidence emerged she had been groomed by an American extremist named Christopher Cook.

She continued to work with Prevent after the case ended and was studying for her GSCEs at the time of her death at the Bluebell House Residential Home on the edge of Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire.

After a rapid review by social services her case was not deemed to meet the criteria for a serious case review into her care.

Tuesdays hearing was also attended by representatives of Derbyshire county council, Derby city council and Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, as well as Blue Mountain, which runs the residential home.

Another hearing is due to be held in September and the inquest will open in 2024.

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9News/YouTube

The family of a man shot dead in the midst of a mental health crisis by a sheriffs deputy will receive $19 millionthe largest known law enforcement settlement in Colorado historyas part of an agreement announced Tuesday.

Christian Glass, 22, died in the front seat of his car in Silver Plume in June 2022. His death led to national calls for reform about how authorities respond to situations involving people with mental health issues, and Glass grieving relatives negotiated changes as part of their settlement that they hope will prevent similar tragedies being repeated.

This settlement agreement sends a message to law enforcement across the nation that communities will no longer tolerate this type of policing, said Siddhartha Rathod, the Glass family attorney, Colorado Public Radio reports.

The $19 million figure eclipses the previous state record $15 million settlement awarded in 2021 to the family of Elijah McClain, the Black man who died after being restrained by emergency personnel and injected with ketamine.

Three separate law enforcement agencies and the state will contribute to the Glass family settlement. Clear Creek, whose former deputy Andrew Buen fatally shot Glass, will pay $10 million. Smaller payments will also be made by Georgetown ($5 million), the state of Colorado ($3 million), and Idaho Springs ($1 million.)

Along with the money, the Glass familys settlement terms include Clear Creek County establishing a crisis response team by 2025 and a public park dedicated to Glass memory. The state also agreed to create a virtual reality training scenario for Colorado State Patrol officers focusing on de-escalation.

In a statement, Clear Creek County Sheriff Rick Albers apologized to the Glass family and conceded that an initial press release from his office about what had happened was untrue. The Clear Creek County Sheriff extends his deepest apologies to the family of Christian Glass, the statement read. The sheriff acknowledges that his officers failed to meet expectations in their response to Christian Glass when he called for assistance. It added that the events leading to the killing continue to be disturbing.

Former deputy Buen and his supervisor, Sgt. Kyle Gould, are being prosecuted for the killing. Gould was not at the scene but watched via body camera footage and gave permission for officers to remove Glass from his vehicle, court documents say.

A grand jury found that Buen and Gould avoidably escalated the situation on June 11, 2022, when Glass called 911 after his SUV became stuck on a dirt road. An indictment against Buen and Gould said Glass made statements to the dispatcher indicating that he was paranoid or delusional and experiencing some kind of mental health crisis.

Officers bodycam footage shows Glass remaining in the car and refusing to get out. At times, he made heart shapes with his hands and prayed: Dear Lord, please, dont let them break the window. According to a grand jury, officers decide to breach the car after about an hour of negotiations despite the fact that Glass didnt appear to pose a danger and was not suspected of having committed a crime.

Officers smashed the car window and Glass grabbed a knife. Police then fired several bean bag rounds and a taser at Glass as he held the blade in a state of complete panic and self-defense, according to the grand jury. As he moved the knife in the direction of an officer, Buen fired his gun five times, the grand jury said, adding that at no stage was the other officer in imminent danger of being stabbed by Glass.

But for the decision by Gould to remove Mr. Glass from the vehicle there is no reason to believe that Mr. Glass would have been a danger to any law enforcement personnel, to himself, or to any member of the public, the indictment said.

Buen faces charges of second-degree murder and reckless endangerment. Gould also faces charges of reckless endangerment and criminally negligent homicide. Both were fired from Clear Creek County.

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Some may call it fate, some luck, others even coincidence. But when Daniel Moringiello found his blood brother after roughly 60 years of wondering and searching, he knew exactly what it was: divine intervention.

Born James Joseph Morrison, Moringiello was adopted from the now-closed Angel Guardian Home in Brooklyn, New York, in 1952 at just 7 months old. He was brought into a New York Italian home by, according to Moringiello, some of the greatest parents you could ask for.

They were up front with Moringiello from the beginning about him being adopted, and he always wondered what happened with his birth parents to make them decide to give him up.

I was content with the parents I had, Moringiello said, but it was always there in the back of your mind: Who were they?

Moringiello and his wife, Cynthia, lived in New York until he retired in 2005. The couple decided to move to Blair County  namely Hollidaysburg  due to their love for the Horseshoe Curve. Moringiello worked for the Long Island Rail Road for decades and has an enormous love for trains. He and his wife would stop by the Curve whenever the opportunity presented itself and would pack picnics and simply sit and watch the trains roll through.

If youre a rail fan and know what youre looking at, its a big deal, Cynthia said, referring to the Horseshoe Curve.

Research begins

Upon his retirement, Moringiello had a lot more time on his hands, so he decided to start exploring his biological family history. He hired genealogists from Ancestry.com to help him uncover his lost lineage for personal reasons and for health reasons. His wife explained that in New York, the birth records for adopted children are sealed, so it is much more difficult to piece together his genealogical story.

When he was adopted, Moringiello was given non-identifying information about his family by Angel Guardian Home, which told him that he had an older brother. Other than that, he had almost nothing to go on.

The researchers at Ancestry.com were able to discover Moringiellos birth mother, who was a maid for a wealthy New York family. She was reportedly an uneducated woman who had a learning disability and had relations with either the head of the family  who was an established lawyer  or one his sons, which led to the births of her two sons.

Moringiello said he was ecstatic to finally have some clarity about his biological family and why he was given up. The only missing piece left was his older brother. Ancestry.com told him the only way to find his brother was if his brother took a DNA test so that he was in their system. Otherwise, it was virtually impossible.

Moringiello said he was satisfied with the information he had if he was unlikely to ever discover who his brother was.

He had no idea at the time that he had already met his brother several times.

Coming together

Moringiello has a group of friends from his time on the railroad and he said they are all big rail fans. For railroad enthusiasts, Moringiello said there is no better place than the Horseshoe Curve. His friends decided to make the trip from New York in September 2022 and they let Moringiello know they would be in town.

Moringiello said he was hesitant to meet up with everyone at first, but at the insistence of his wife, they both went to the Curve to spend time with his friends.

One of the friends who made the trip was Jim Adams.

Adams and Moringiello had known each other for decades through their time on the railroad, and Adams said he actually asked the other members of the group if Moringiello was going to meet them there because he wanted to see him again.

When everyone was together, Moringiello and Adams started talking about health issues they were dealing with, and at one point, Moringiello said he was adopted. Adams responded by saying he too was adopted, and all the dots started lining up. They were both adopted from the same orphanage, and Adams had the same birth family name as Moringiello: Morrison.

Adams, in an interview with the Mirror, said he was always teased at school when his classmates found out he was adopted. He said he was always embarrassed when the topic came up: It was always so awkward.

Cynthia said everyone present at the Curve that day was stunned when the puzzle pieces came together. Moringiello and Adams started talking about their families and their childhoods to compare notes, and those conversations continued after the friend group returned to New York. Adams said he was in shock the whole time and still has a hard time believing it actually happened.

I was blown away, Adams said. All of a sudden, the pieces started coming together. The question on my mind was Why now?

Adams said its easy to chalk up some of the similarities they discovered to coincidence, but with how many there actually were, it was impossible to deny the obvious reality. They discovered they both even have an affinity for bagpipe music.

Cynthia said the two now spend hours on the phone together almost daily, talking about anything and everything.

He (Adams) makes Dan happy just by existing, Cynthia said.

Adams got a DNA test done to have concrete evidence, and the results came back positive as a match with Moringiello. He said he wasnt really looking for any of his blood relatives anymore, saying he had the same mindset as Moringiello: He was content with his adopted parents.

No one was beating down my door to find him, Adams said.

The two families have not met each other yet, and some of Adams family dont know about Moringiello at all. Adams is having a birthday celebration for him and his daughter this month and he said he is planning to announce the news to the rest of his family. Moringiello and Cynthia plan to be at the party.

Moringiello and Adams agreed that the whole situation still often feels like a dream and have to remember that they are actually brothers. Moringiello said he feels complete now with Adams in his life.

All it was a matter of closure, Moringiello said. You feel whole, you feel connected. His problems are mine; mine are his.

Adams is thankful that everything lined up that day at the Curve. He said so many things could have gone wrong to prevent their discovery, but now it isnt difficult to adjust to the new dynamic since the two had already known each other for years.

I guess that was the Lord smiling down on us, Adams said.
'Fast X' star Sung Kang discusses the movie's shocking ending and what that big spoiler at the end means for Han going forward

Han's fate is left uncertain at the end of "Fast X." Universal Pictures

Warning: There are spoilers for "Fast X."

Sung Kang told Insider a scene cut from the movie would've addressed Han's adopted daughter, Elle.

He wasn't surprised by the ending and hopes Han and Gisele get to rekindle their love story.

Sung Kang wants Han to get his happy ending with Gisele, but the cliffhanger ending in "Fast X" may complicate that.

The saga's 10th installment concluded with a majority of the "Fast" family in peril as Dante (Jason Momoa) exacted revenge on Dom's crew for killing his father and stealing their fortune in the franchise's fifth movie.

As a result, Jakob (John Cena) sacrificed his life for Dom (Vin Diesel), and Dom and Little Brian stare down an impending flood. Meanwhile, the lives of Han, Roman (Tyrese), Tej (Ludacris), and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) hang in the balance after their cargo plane crashed into the side of a mountain.

Moments later, the love of his life Gisele (Gal Gadot), previously thought dead at the end of 2013's "Fast 6," popped out of a submarine greeting a surprised Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) in Antarctica.

Surely, this can't be the way Han goes out.

When Insider caught up with Kang over Zoom earlier this month, he wasn't acting like this will be the last we see of the snack-loving member of Dom's crew. Kang said characters are always coming back in the "Fast Saga" and Han's no stranger to returning from the grave. After being killed from the franchise in "Tokyo Drift"/"Fast 6," Han returned in 2021's "Fast 9."

Instead of ruminating on the fiery conundrum Han's currently caught up in, Kang referenced potential future storylines in the "Fast" mythology.

He hopes a cut scene featuring Han's adopted daughter Elle will lead to a "Father Sung" moment in the next outing.

If you're unsatisfied with how the Deckard and Han reunion (first teased in "F9") played out, Kang teased that "justice for Han" isn't complete, pondering what the "justice" demanded by fans entails. He considered the possibility of Han and Deckard teaming up after making peace with each other and expressed his eagerness for Han to reunite with Gisele despite an uncertain fate.

Kang says Paul Walker was the best driver in the 'Fast' fam

Part of Dom's crew in "Fast Five."

Part of Dom's crew in "Fast Five": Rico, Gisele, Tego, Han, Roman, and Brian.Universal Pictures

We get to see you behind the wheels of a new car in "Fast X," an orange and black Alfa. Who are the best and worst drivers in the "Fast Fam" and how much of that driving are you actually doing in the new film?

Great question. I would say the best driver was Paul. Paul Walker was the best driver. He was such a lover of motorsports and he was always on the track. I would say he's the best.

I don't know who the worst is. Everybody has their skillset. When you watch the movie, we all have our worst moments because, at the end of the day, each character's always crashing their cars. So I don't think any of us  we know how to go fast, but sometimes we need to learn how to stop the cars.

Kang wasn't surprised to learn about the film's ending since they're always bringing people back from the dead

Cipher and Letty spot Gisele in Antarctica at the film's end. Universal Pictures

What was your reaction when you read the script and learned "Fast X" was ending on a cliffhanger? It's the first time this has ever been done in the franchise.

Yeah, well, I'm used to that.

The franchise is all about cliffhangers, wanting to bring you back and they have a history of killing off characters and bringing them back, too. So I wasn't that surprised. It works.

The whole point is to keep the audience wanting more, right? I think it was well achieved.

A cut scene would've addressed Han's adopted daughter, Elle

Han and Elle in Fast 9

Han and Elle, played by Anna Sawai, in "Fast 9."Universal Pictures

Where is Elle in this film? She was introduced in "Fast 9" as your adopted daughter. I don't believe that there was a mention of her in "Fast X." Did you have any discussions about where she may be?

Yes. Actually, there was a scene shot kind of hinting where she was, but it didn't make the cut.

Vin had a great idea because he loves to talk about mythology and minute details of the characters and their origin, their background, and other characters that have connected tissue. Because the whole theme of "Fast" has always been family, every character has to be rooted in that. Every step that they take in their story has to be rooted in that theme and the purpose and the importance of family.

Dialogue was happening with Vin and the producers and Louis going, "What's Han's motivation? Why does he do this stuff? What drives him? What is he feeling guilty about? What is his motivation to come back or survive this Rome heist? What makes him tick? What wakes him up in the morning? What keeps him on the straight line?"

And it's Elle.

Elle, in our story now, is in school and we wanted to incorporate her, but there's just so much real estate.

Hopefully, in the next, there's more opportunity, there's more room to explore that because that's what grounds the characters and makes them relatable. Driving fast and saving the world and hair flowing, all of that, that's nice. You need that.

But then you want those moments with Gisele and Elle  a father Sung moment, a romantic moment. There's room for that.

There was a lot of discussion over Han's hair for continuity with 'Fast 9'

Han's hair in the "Fast 9" mid-credits scene vs the same scene in "Fast X."

Han's hair in the "Fast 9" mid-credits scene vs the same scene in "Fast X."Universal Pictures

"Fast X" continues the "Fast 9" end-credit scene between Han and Deckard. Obviously, you guys refilmed that because your hair is now long in "Fast X." Were you ever asked to cut your hair for continuity?

Yes. That's why I tuck it back. I realized in "Fast 9," the reason I was very bullish and I wanted Han's hair to be short, is he's in hiding. If he's walking around looking like Han, it doesn't really make any sense to the character. You cut his hair, he kind of blends in.

But I realized that there are a few things that people need from Han, they expect from Han. They want snacks, they want cool cars, and they want his hair. The hair is almost like a superpower. It's one of his weapons. It's synonymous to what defines Han. And I was like, "Hey, you know, I think in 10 it'd be nice to have long hair." But I didn't realize the timeline was almost the same.

Because everybody is OCD about their work and they're into details, details are what matters, there were a lot of notes and discussion about, "Hey, Han's hair in the tag is short. How are we gonna do it?" We did these tests where you get really close with the tucked-in back hair. It could kind of match that. And so that was the whole thinking of it.

How the Han and Deckard scene delivers partial 'Justice for Han'

After throwing punches with Han, Deckard teams up with Han to fight a common enemy in "Fast X." Universal Pictures

How much did you speak and weigh in on how to handle the Deckard and Han scene in "Fast X?" Director Louis Leterrier told me your time together on-screen with Deckard was supposed to be a bit shorter, originally.

Yeah. The beauty of our team, our producers, director, and all the other cast members, and the shorthand we have with the crew, allows us to really take the time and have open discussions about how these scenes are honest to the storyline, honest to the mythology, and honest to what the characters are going through in the story in our journey.

This theme of "Justice for Han," Han comes to see Deckard for justice. In "Fast 9," that's what it was set up as. What is that justice? Is it to pound on Deckard for "killing" me? He didn't. Han and Mr. Nobody set up Deckard to fake my death, but Deckard did not know that. So I could go and hide and raise this adopted daughter of mine and be discreet.



So he was set up. He thinks I'm coming there to enact revenge, but I'm there to bring him into the fold to finally explain and give justice to the fans. I think in eight, fans were questioning why would the person who killed the beloved family member be accepted into the family circle?

This is addressing that for our larger mythology of the "Fast" universe to go: Why is Deckard Shaw now part of the "Fast" family? How could Dominic Toretto and the rest of the team accept this murderer into the fold? And this explains it. So that is the justice.

And, the beauty of that theme is, is justice fighting? Is it violence? No. Sometimes justice is peace and accepting and explaining, and this is the justice that happens. Now, Han and Deckard can team up. Deckard can now join the team and use his powers for good. So it's great. And it's Jason Statham. He has to be a hero. He has to be a good guy.

Do you feel like we finally have "Justice for Han?" Are you happy? Because it seems like we still have a little ways to go.

Oh, yeah. I mean, justice is not just on a physical level. It's internal too. I think it's a great setup for the next one.

Is the "Justice for Han" to find his lost love again? Is that the justice? And does he deserve it? Has he earned it? Does he deserve that justice in his life for sacrificing? In a way he probably walks around with guilt that he's the one that should have died, not Gisele, right? How did that happen? So where is that justice? How is that served?

Kang's ready for a Han and Gisele reunion

Han and Gisele are seen in "Fast Five." Universal Pictures

In 2021, you told me you would love to see Gal Gadot back in the "Fast Saga." This was the quote you said: "I think we need Gisele back. We need to make that happen somehow." And you did!

What was your reaction when you learned that Gisele was alive and that Gadot was coming back to the "Fast" franchise? Did you weigh in on her return? Did you know back in 2021 that that was maybe happening?

I don't think I needed to weigh in on anything because it's in the zeitgeist. You were talking about it. Obviously, you're a fan of the franchise and you followed us on our journey and it's something that you wanted, right? So, it's almost like common sense.

You have to have these human, relatable things that ground the film so people can understand even if you're not a car person, if you're not into action. Somebody understands the journey of being in love and losing someone.

That love story, to have that already ingrained, it's easy to accept that and to even expect that in our franchise.

People forget one of the most beautiful and long-living love stories in the franchise is between Dom and Letty.

In "Fast X," you see and you feel how authentic the love for those two characters is for each other. I was moved. I forgot how much I love these guys for loving each other. Those quiet moments in the bedroom, I was like, man "Fast" does a great job of balancing the relationships and grounding it.

So, I look forward to that happening with, you know, Han and Gisele.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Read the original article on Insider
A father and son will go to prison for a $20 million lottery scheme

A Massachusetts father and son were sentenced in federal court on Monday for a scheme that saw the pair illegally claim more than $20 million in lottery winnings and lie on their tax returns to dodge more than $6 million in federal taxes, prosecutors said.

Ali Jaafar, 63, was sentenced to five years in prison while his 29-year-old son Yousef Jaafar was sentenced to 50 months in prison, the US Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a Monday news release. They were also ordered to pay over $6 million in restitution and forfeit their profits from the scheme.

In December, the two were convicted of one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count each of filing a false tax return.

This case is, at its core, an elaborate tax fraud. Over the course of a decade, this father-and-son team defrauded the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission and the IRS to pocket millions of hard-earned taxpayers dollars, Acting US Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in the news release. These defendants worked together to recruit a wide network of co-conspirators and spread their lottery scam across Massachusetts, avoiding detection by repeatedly lying to government officials.

Valerie S. Carter, an attorney for Ali and Yousef Jaafar, told CNN in an email Tuesday its the Jaafars intention to appeal to the First Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mohamed Jaafar, another of Ali Jaafars sons who was also involved in the plot, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to defraud the IRS and will be sentenced in July. CNN has reached out to his attorney for comment.

The men represented three of the top four individual lottery ticket cashers in the state in 2019, according to the US Attorneys Office.

This case is an example of the extensive efforts the Lottery will take in partnering with law enforcement to assist in the prevention of illegal activities. This decision is the culmination of years of hard work to maintain the integrity of the Lottery, said Deborah B. Goldberg, state treasurer & receiver general and chair of the lottery commission.

How the scheme worked

From at least 2011 through at least June 2020, the Defendants conspired with others known and unknown to the grand jury to launder the funds from Massachusetts state lottery winnings of others, an indictment for the three said.

The men would buy winning lottery tickets from people across the state who wanted to sell their ticket for a cash discount instead of claiming their prize, the US Attorneys Office said in its news release.

That meant the real winners avoided identification by the states lottery commission, which is required to withhold outstanding taxes, back taxes and child support payments before paying the prize, the release said.

After buying the discounted tickets from the winners, with the help of convenience store owners that would facilitate the transactions, the defendants would claim the prize money to the commission as their own, the release added.

Dozens of lottery retailers that participated in the scheme will have their lottery agent licenses revoked by the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission, the US Attorneys Office said.

Prosecutors say the Jaafars unlawfully cashed over 14,000 lottery tickets totaling more than $20 million in the elaborate ten-percenting scheme.

Prosecutors say the defendants further profited by reporting the winnings on their income tax returns and claiming equivalent fake gambling losses as an offset, thereby avoiding federal income taxes and receiving fraudulent tax refunds.

Instead of using business savvy and skill to build a legitimate multi-generational family business, the Jaafars carried out a complex decade-long tax and lottery scam, building a vast network of co-conspirators to further their illegal activities, Joleen Simpson, special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigations in Boston, said in the release.

CNNs Michelle Watson contributed to this report.

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Father, sons lied and claimed $21M in lottery prizes, feds say. 2 are going to prison

When a mans accountant asked how he played the lottery so many times and continued to win, he said he was simply lucky, court documents show.

Ali Jaafar, 63, ranked as the top individual lottery ticket casher for Massachusetts in 2019 while his two sons, Mohamed Jaafar, 31, and Yousef Jaafar, 29, held the third and fourth highest spots that year, according to prosecutors.

Instead of having miraculous luck, the trio was actually carrying out a complex lottery scam that went undetected for years, prosecutors said.

The Jaafars claimed $21 million in Massachusetts lottery winnings they never won after cashing more than 14,000 tickets on behalf of true winners between 2011 and 2020, McClatchy News previously reported.

Now, a judge has sentenced Ali and Yousef Jaafar, both of Watertown, to five years in prison and 50 months in prison, respectively, on May 22, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts announced in a news release.

This case is, at its core, an elaborate tax fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in a statement. Over the course of a decade, this father-and-son team defrauded the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission and the IRS to pocket millions of hard-earned taxpayers dollars.

McClatchy News contacted attorneys representing the Jaafars for comment on May 23 and didnt immediately receive a response.

A jury found Ali and Yousef Jaafar guilty of conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service, conspiring to commit money laundering and filing false tax returns in December, McClatchy News previously reported.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Jaafar pleaded guilty to one count of a conspiracy to defraud the IRS in November, prosecutors said.

His sentencing hearing is set for July 25, according to officials.

The trios lottery scheme  which helped them avoid paying taxes and caused them to wrongfully receive $1.2 million in tax refunds  has resulted in the state lottery commission revoking or suspending the licenses of more than 40 state lottery agents, prosecutors said.

How the scheme worked

The Jaafars engaged in whats known as a ten-percenting scheme by working with a network of individuals, including convenience store workers, to buy winning lottery tickets from ticket holders at a discount, according to officials.

These ticket holders preferred to sell their tickets for a discounted price instead of claiming them at the states lottery commission  which can withhold taxes and other payments before issuing the prize money, according to officials.

With ten-percenting schemes, the ticket purchasers typically keep between 10-20 percent of each tickets value and allows the real gamblers to avoid reporting the winnings on their tax returns, prosecutors explained in an earlier news release.

Ali Jaafar recruited his two sons to engage in the scheme, according to a sentencing memo submitted by the government.

He was able to find lottery prize winners and buy their tickets because he knew several convenience store owners and operators who sold the tickets in Massachusetts, the sentencing memo says.

At trial, one convenience store owner testified that Ali Jaafar asked her if she could let him know when a customer won the lottery and preferred a discounted, cash payment instead of officially claiming the ticket, according to the sentencing memo.

The store owner refused at first, but Ali Jaafar kept asking her to do so, and she eventually took part in his scheme, the sentencing memo says.

The Jafaars would pay the convenience store owners for their help, according to prosecutors.

After they illegally claimed multiple ticket holders lottery prizes as their own winnings, they made more money by reporting the winnings on their income tax returns and claiming equivalent fake gambling losses as an offset, thereby avoiding federal income taxes and receiving fraudulent tax refunds, the release said.

Ali and Yousef Jaafar got away with tax fraud for years by lying to their accountants, according to prosecutors.

Ahead of Ali Jaafars sentencing, his attorneys argued in a sentencing memo for a sentence of home confinement instead of incarceration, citing his clients lack of a prior criminal history, his unlikeliness to be a repeat offender, his deteriorating health and his position as the main supporter of his wife.

In a sentencing memo submitted on behalf of Yousef Jaafar, the attorneys wrote there was not enough evidence to argue he was involved in the scheme since 2011, when he was a student in high school before he went on to attend college. They also asked prosecutors to consider a sentence for him that didnt involve prison time.

Ali and Yousef Jaafar have also been ordered to pay $6,082,578 in restitution and must forfeit profits gained from the lottery scheme, prosecutors said.

Lottery winner thought phone call about jackpot was a scam. I am not a lucky person

Liquor store clerk steals customers $3M lottery ticket left on counter, official says

Sheriffs office worker steals $150,000 in cash from traffic fine payments, feds say
Newry-based FD Technologies made a pre-tax loss of 1.2m last year due to one-off restructuring costs and investment in a new IT system.

The company primarily provides software and services to investment banks and other financial institutions.

Turnover was up by 12% from 264m to 296m.

Chief executive Seamus Keating said that despite the loss it had been "a year of strong execution on our strategy".

The company has three units: the KX software division, First Derivative services and consulting division and the MRP marketing technology division.

The firm has been focused growing subscription sales of its KX software products and positioning them as a tool for AI developers.

Revenues at the KX business were up 25% while the consulting business business saw revenue growth of 18%.

However, sales were down 19% at MRP due to continuing tough market conditions.

Businesses in the technology sector use MRP as a tool to generate sales leads and so that division has suffered as technology businesses in the US have cut back on spending.

The overall group loss was attributed restructuring costs, particularly at MRP, the cost of implementing a new IT system and one-off costs to address legacy employee tax liabilities.

In this financial year the business is forecasting revenues in the range of 315m to 325m.
A Stroudsburg man has been convicted on federal torture and weapons charges, the United States Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Monday.

A jury convicted Ross Roggio, 54, of torture, conspiracy to commit torture, conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, exporting weapons parts and services to Iraq without the approval of the U.S. Department of State, exporting weapons tools to Iraq without the approval of the U.S. Department of Commerce, smuggling goods, wire fraud and money laundering.

Roggio arranged for Kurdish soldiers to abduct and detain the victim at a Kurdish military compound where Roggio suffocated the victim with a belt, threatened to cut off one of his fingers, and directed Kurdish soldiers to repeatedly beat, tase, choke, and otherwise physically and mentally abuse the victim over a 39-day period, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. The victim was employed at a weapons factory that Roggio was developing in the Kurdistan region of Iraq that was intended to manufacture M4 automatic rifles and Glock 9mm pistols.

Additionally, Roggio illegally exported firearm parts that were controlled for export by the Departments of State and Commerce, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

From 2018: Stroudsburg man indicted for dealing arms to Iraq

Related: Alleged arms dealer from the Poconos indicted on torture charges

Todays guilty verdict demonstrates that Roggios brutal acts of directing and participating in the torture of an employee over the course of 39 days by Kurdish soldiers could not avoid justice, said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. We thank all the prosecutors and law enforcement agents who worked tirelessly to address these acts that occurred in Iraq.

The torture and export violations were investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations, along with the Department of Commerces BIS Office of Export Enforcement.

Additional assistance was provided by the Estonian Internal Security Service, the Justice Departments Office of International Affairs and the Pennsylvania State Police.

The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Divisions Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd K. Hinkley for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

The jury convicted Roggio on Friday, May 19. Sentencing was set for Aug. 23 and the maximum sentence is life in prison.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Federal court: Stroudsburg man guilty of torture, exporting weapons
Filipino student faces scrutiny after claiming he was admitted to 30 universities in US, UK

[Source]

A 20-year-old student in the Philippines recently made headlines after claiming on social media that he had been accepted into 30 different universities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Julian Martir, the son of a tricycle (public transportation in the Philippines) driver and vendor, initially earned praise for claiming that he was able to obtain scholarship grants totaling approximately 106 million Philippine pesos (approximately $1.9 million).

Martir's announcement garnered significant attention, with news outlets and online platforms sharing his story.

However, doubts began to emerge when Martir faced scrutiny during a recent news interview in which he appeared to struggle in providing clear explanations for his chosen academic path.

More from NextShark: Arizona man arrested for robbing Chinese restaurant twice at gunpoint in less than a month

His alma mater, Negros Occidental High School (NOHS), also released a statement noting that they are still trying to verify Martir's claims due to a lack of "first-hand information.

Martir was subsequently subjected to criticism on social media, with some online users resorting to online bullying and branding him as a fraud.

More from NextShark: SF Security Guard Who Stopped Assault on 75-Year-Old Chinese Woman Speaks Out

In a recent interview with News5, Martir stood by his claims, university applications and scholarships, asserting their authenticity.

Martir also shed more light on his application process, which involved submitting them all online after taking a gap year to prepare.

"I hope everyone will stop accusing me, or kung ano-ano man yung sinasabi ng mga ibang tao (or whatever it is that other people are saying about me)," Martir stated. "Just to make my statement clear din po, all of the universities I applied to are true po" (I genuinely applied to all of those universities).

More from NextShark: San Jose Police ID Suspect Who Targeted Asian-Owned Businesses For Vandalism

Addressing the universities' responses to his applications, Martir asserted, "totoo po yung 30 universities na inapplyan ko po. Kahit na i-email niyo sila ng paulit-ulit, they will give you the same response na ni-review talaga ang application ko with scholarships (It's true that I applied to 30 universities. Even if you email them again and again, they will just give you the same response that they have reviewed my application for the scholarships)."

Another news outlet reached out to the 30 universities he named to verify Martir's claim.

Eight of the 10 universities that responded confirmed his admission, with five of them confirming the scholarship offers. Among the universities that reportedly confirmed his acceptance were Ohio Wesleyan University, Alfred University, Woodbury University, Webster University, Ball State University, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Michigan Technological University and the University of Massachusetts Boston.

More from NextShark: Korean Scientists Develop New Way to Detect Prostate Cancer in 20 Minutes With Nearly 100% Accuracy

Twitter user Ewemiz Insigne, a Filipino student on a full scholarship at Colby College in Maine, also came to Martir's defense, noting that it is possible that the student had not been lying about his acceptance letters.

But I believe Julian's saying the truth. The list below are schools Julian was accepted to. These are some of the most common "safety schools" international students apply to as they have high acceptance rates, and tend to be generous with merit scholarships. pic.twitter.com/9RYNxToZvm  Ewemiz Insigne (@doEWEMIZme) May 19, 2023

The list below are schools Julian was accepted to. These are some of the most common safety schools international students apply to as they have high acceptance rates, and tend to be generous with merit scholarships, she explained.

She also explained that since scholarships from different schools cannot be combined, Martir will still face financial challenges should he choose to pursue his studies abroad.

HOWEVER. For Julian, who seems to be from a low-income background, this isn't enough. Many of these schools have costs of $50-70k/yr, and scholarships often only cover up to $20k/yr. Scholarships from different schools can't be added, so Julian can't afford these acceptances.  Ewemiz Insigne (@doEWEMIZme) May 19, 2023

Applying to colleges abroad is somehow both easier and harder than people think. It is a complex process that requires a lot of privilege, time, and money, but it is also a lot more accessible than the majority of the public believes, she wrote.
The Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet in landscape mode with its keyboard case attached sitting on a wooden table.

Amazons Fire tablets essentially started life as color screen versions of the companys Kindle ebook readers, allowing users to access Amazons other content including streaming video and music. But Fire tablets have slowly grown in size over time, as has their aspirations. The new Fire Max 11 is Amazons largest tablet yet, turning what has traditionally been a media consumption device into even more of a productivity tool.

In 2021, the Amazon Fire HD 10 boasted a 1080P screen with smaller bezels, and was available with a step-up in performance with 4GB of RAM on the Fire HD 10 Plus. Amazon also introduced keyboard cases for the Fire HD 10 lineup in an attempt to expand the usefulness of the tablets, and sold them as part of a bundle with a subscription to Microsoft 365.

Read more

The new Fire Max 11 will further expand the capabilities of Amazons Fire tablet lineup with a new 11-inch, 2,000 x 1,200 pixel resolution display that will provide more real estate for productivity tools and take better advantage of Fire OS split-screen multitasking capabilities, which were introduced a few years ago. Under the hood, the Fire Max 11 is powered by an octa-core processor paired with 4GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded with a microSD card.

Despite the step-up in performance, and upgraded features like wifi 6 support and, for the first time on a Fire tablet, a fingerprint reader built into the power button, Amazon still claims the Fire Max 11 will run for up to 14 hours on a charge, but that number will depend on what exactly youre doing with the device.

A person sitting on a couch using the Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet in portrait mode with a stylus in hand.

Keyboard compatibility is not a new thing for Amazons Fire tabletsyouve always been able to plug in a compatible keyboard over USB or connect one wirelessly over Bluetooth. But the Fire Max 11 works with a matching 2-in-1 case featuring a full sized keyboard with 15 pre-programmed shortcut buttons, an additional two buttons that can be customized by the user, and a trackpad where touchscreen navigation gestures can be entered without actually touching the screen. Amazon is also now offering a battery-powered stylus (with a six-month runtime on a single AAAA battery) for the Fire Max 11 that can be used for drawing, annotating documents, or inputting text using handwriting recognition.

A user typing on the Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet's keyboard case.

Will the Fire Max 11 bring some stiff competition to Apple and its iPad lineup? Probably not. Amazons Fire tablet lineup isnt known for packing the best screens or industry-leading performance, and the Fire Max 11 front and rear-facing cameras are both 8MP shooters limited to capturing 1080P video.

Fire tablets are an affordable gateway device to Amazons e-stores and streaming platforms, and thats where Amazon could steal a few potential buyers away from Apple. The Fire Max 11 starts at $230, which is $100 cheaper than even the 9th generation iPad (the model still rockin the home button), which Apple still sells. Its also available as part of a bundle that includes the keyboard case and a stylus, but at $330, convincing consumers to go with Amazon instead of Apple could be a harder sell.

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Fire in the workshop

The workshop that caught fire belonged to or was leased by the Alexander company, which, produces high-precision optics for the Russian Defense Ministry.

The fire has reportedly been extinguished and no casualties were reported.

t.me/m0sc0wcalling

Read also: Drone attacks military equipment warehouse in Russia's Bryansk Oblast, Russian media report

Earlier, the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) claimed to have completely liberated the settlement of Kozinka in Russias Belgorod Oblast, while also entering the town of Grayvoron.

Most residents in the Grayvoron district have evacuated, with the local administration having declared a counter-terrorism operation, said Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Andriy Yusov, a Main Intelligence Directorate HUR representative, told Ukrainian media that the Legion and RVC were engaged in the creation of a security zone in Russias Belgorod Oblast to protect Ukrainians.

Read also: Explosions rock FSB building in Russias Belgorod Oblast, other nearby communities

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Presidents Office, also confirmed that Ukraine has no connection to the actions of the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Legion in Belgorod 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
A gun expert is asking academics to put their money where their mouths are and bet $1,000 on Brazil as a case study that stricter gun laws won't mean less crime.

No one has taken him up on the bet yet, but some have hit back by calling the challenge a "stunt" and saying they will put cash up if the terms meet their requirements.

Brazil took a hard turn away from gun ownership with a new left-wing presidential administration this year, sparking a debate on whether Brazils falling crime rate would increase or continue to fall as it did under former President Jair Bolsonaro.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was sworn into office in January, and his first order of business was working to reverse the previous administrations pro-gun policies, including a decree that ordered citizens to register their firearms with the Federal Police, limiting the maximum number of guns a person can own from six to three, and suspending new firearm registrations.

The policies stand in stark contrast to those of Bolsonaros administration. Gun ownership increased sixfold in Brazil under Bolsonaros tenure, which lasted from January 2019 to December 2022, as the then-president issued more than a dozen decrees that loosened laws around citizens access to guns.

BRAZIL'S NEW LEFT-WING PRESIDENT STARTS GUN CONTROL PUSH WITH COUNTRY-WIDE GUN REGISTRATION

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

In 2019, Brazils homicide rate fell by 19% compared to 2018 at 41,635 killings  the lowest murder rate in more than a decade. By 2022, the number of homicides fell to 40,824 in the country.

In December, Johns Hopkins University professor Dan Webster said in an article published in the Washington Post that in Brazil, "every 1 percent increase in firearm ownership is associated with a 0.6 percent increase in overall homicide rates."

John Lott, an economist and academic who leads the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC)  which for years has researched and argued that an increase in firearm ownership does not mean higher crime rates  read Websters December comment and said it partially motivated him to embark on a betting challenge with fellow gun and crime researchers.

BRAZIL'S NEW LEFTIST GOVERNMENT MOVES TO TAKE GUNS BACK AFTER SURGE IN PURCHASES UNDER BOLSONARO

"How could somebody with a straight face go and tell the Washington Post this is what he believes the relationship is," Lott told Fox News Digital. "Nobody calls him on it. It was kind of what I finally saw his statement in the Washington Post, that's what kind of got me to go and offer people the bets."

Lott said he reached out to 12 academics in the U.S. earlier this year with a proposal: A $1,000 bet on whether the homicide rate would increase in Brazil under Lula and his administrations gun ownership crackdown.

"Here is what I offer you. Lets bet $1,000 and make it simple on whether the homicide rate in Brazil will go up or down during the first two years of Lula's presidency. If the homicide rate goes down from what it was in 2022, I will pay you $1,000. If it goes up, you will pay me $1,000," Lott wrote in his emails to fellow academics, which were provided to Fox News Digital.

"If you prefer, we can designate charities that we want the money to go to. Given the importance you put on gun control and the large percentage change in gun ownership that Lula is imposing, you should expect a substantial drop in homicides, but, as I say, lets keep it simple on whether the homicide rate goes up or down."

BRAZIL'S FORMER PRESIDENT BOLSONARO APPLIES FOR US TOURIST VISA: REPORTS

Lott published an op-ed about the bet on The Federalist last week, noting that seven of the 12 academics didnt respond to his offer while the other five did not take him up on the bet.

"These academics have no problem confidently making predictions for the press or legislative committees about the future effects of gun-control laws. But they arent willing to put their money where their mouths are in a way that would make people remember their bad predictions. Maybe thats because they already know the crime-fighting benefits of private gun ownership," Lott wrote in the op-ed.

Lott provided Fox News Digital with his correspondence with academics, including Duke University professor Phil Cook, for example, who told Lott, "I like the idea of a bet, but am not going to take this one, since I have no confidence that guns and ammo will actually become scarcer in the neighborhoods with high rates of violence."

Indiana Universitys Paul Helmke told Lott that hes "not in the practice of making bets," and while it "sounds like some interesting developments in Brazil," Helmke said he is not familiar enough with the countrys data collections and crime issues.

Lott cited Websters comment to the Washington Post in his op-ed, noting that under the Johns Hopkins University professors prediction, there should have been a 360% increase in homicides in Brazil based on the 600% increase in gun ownership.

BRAZIL TO COMBAT CRIME BY LOOSENING GUN CONTROL

"If that were true, an over 600% increase in gun ownership should have resulted in a more than 360% increase in homicides, not a 34% drop. Instead, the researchers attributed the drop to a slight decline in the 12-to-29 age groups population share and a decade of investment in policing in some parts of the country, even though murders fell in all but one of the countrys 26 states," Lott wrote.

The CPRC chief added that before Bolsonaro took office in 2018, "The homicide rate stood at 27.8 per hundred thousand people  5.5 times higher than the U.S. rate" before falling to 18.5 in 2021  a rate the country had not seen since the early 1990s.

A handful of the 12 academics responded to Fox News Digitals inquiries on the bet, including Stanford Universitys John Donohue, who said he rebutted Lott with previous crime data from Texas in the 1990s.

"I asked him why when Texas prohibited gun carrying for protection, Houston and NYC had the same murder rate in the early 1990s, but when Texas changed to be very permissive towards guns, Houston now has a murder rate three times as high as NYC. John was unwilling to concede that the pro-gun shift had hurt Texas, saying that other factors explain why it has done so poorly relative to New York," Donohue told Fox News Digital.

EDUARDO BOLSONARO: INCREASING GUN ACCESS HAS REDUCED VIOLENCE IN BRAZIL

"But the same would be true for Brazil. Many factors will influence crime in this relatively poor country that is going through a politically and economically turbulent time," he added.

Other academics characterized the bet as "silly" and a "stunt" and noted they seldom place bets, especially on the "future rates of violence or gun violence."

"I, for one, do not make predictions about the future rates of violence or gun violence. In the course of my lifetime, Ive seen huge swings in violence rates in the United States, driven by changes in culture, demography, civil unrest and law enforcement," Cook said, pointing to how recent history has shown that homicide rates have exploded or halved in ways that were not foreseeable and could not be attributable to gun ownership.

BRAZIL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE SEEKS SUSPENSION OF GUN DECREE

"Predicting the gun violence rate five years from now in the U.S. or Brazil or anywhere else is a fools errand," he added.

University of California, Davis, professor Garen Wintemute told Fox News Digital that not taking the bet was "not about Brazil," and he included a link to a 2022 New Yorker piece on Lott and conservatives support of the Second Amendment. UCLA professor Adam Winkler said he was willing to take the bet, a wager he called "foolish" "but sought different terms" and that murder rates are caused by a handful of variables beyond just firearms.

Lott argued that one of the reasons researchers should study Brazil is due to the countrys "huge changes" to its laws, "from a [600%-plus] increase in gun ownership to a ban on gun and ammunition sales and forcing people to give up guns that they have already."

"The idea of a bet is to see what happens before and after a change in gun control laws. The U.K. had much lower murder rates than the U.S. before they had any gun control laws, and their murder rate has actually gone up relative to the U.S. after they adopted gun control laws, such as the 1997 handgun ban," Lott told Fox News Digital.

Harvard Universitys David Hemenway told Fox News Digital that Lotts proposal was a "silly stunt" and that homicides in Brazil are affected by "scores of factors," such as "the economy, truces among criminal organizations, gun smuggling rates and police effectiveness in enforcing the gun laws."

Hemenway said he would take Lott up on a bet if he gets to choose the parameters.

"I know little about Brazil, but for the US, there are scores of gun-related bets I would be delighted to make with Lott  if I get to choose the few guns-strong gun laws position  e.g., which country will have a lower homicide rate next year  the US (lots of guns, weak gun laws) or the UK (few guns, strong gun laws). Or which state will have lower homicide and/or suicide rates next year  Massachusetts (few guns, strong gun laws) or Arizona (many guns, weak gun laws)?" Hemenway wrote in an email.

Four academics to whom Lott reached out did not respond to Fox News Digitals request for comment on the bet, including George Mason Universitys Chris Koper, Boston Universitys Mark Siegel, Rand Corporations Andrew Morral and the University of Chicagos Jens Ludwig. University of California, Berkeley's, Franklin Zimring told Fox he never received Lott's emailed proposal despite Fox reviewing such emails to the professor.

"If [the bet is] so silly, why has the media had all these news stories, both when Bolsonaro had huge changes in the policy and when Lulu has changed it back? And why do these guys  like Webster make the comments that they do? They make predictions. They have no problem making predictions," Lott said.
A commercial fisherman working off the coast of Australia pulled in his nets on a normal day in 2018, and saw something he had never seen before.

It was  almost like a fairy floss, floating in the water and sticking to the nets. Its very hard to describe, but they coated the nets, he told ABC Gippsland on May 22. I thought, What the heck is this?

He took a closer look, using his phone camera to zoom in on the stringy, pink creatures wrapped around the line of his net.

There, he saw tiny shrimp.

He decided to get an expert opinion to help identify them and saved some of the specimens to be sent to the Australian Museum Research Institute, according to a May 8 news release.

When researchers took a closer look at the floating little creatures, they realized they were not like any shrimp they had seen before.

The new species of skeleton shrimp was nearly half the size of its Japanese relatives.

Skeleton shrimp, part of the family Caprelloidea, are a type of crustacean that have a distinctive body shape compared to other known shrimp, according to the release. They feed on phytoplankton and other material suspended in the oceans current.

They were originally discovered off the coast of Japan in 1890, but when the Australian researchers compared what the fisherman had found to what they already knew to exist, there were clear differences.

Results from the study found consistent morphological differences between the Australian and Japanese samples, the researchers said in the release. Crucially, specimens from Japan which were twice the size of those from Australia had fewer segments in the first pair of antenna  this is unusual, because if they were the same species it would be expected that they would have more segments, as these appendages in caprellids have been shown to increase by one or two segments every time the individuals (molt) their exoskeleton as they mature.

The differences between the two samples confirmed what the researchers believed  this was a new species.

The researchers also reclassified another skeleton shrimp species based on the fishermans find.

The new find from the Gippsland Lakes is exciting because its a native species, highlighting how much there is to discover in our marine waters, even in areas we think are well known, researcher Shane Ahyong told ABC Gippsland.

The researchers also used the samples taken by the fisherman to reclassify another species, highlighting the key parts of the animal that make it unique.

The fisherman told ABC Gippsland that he had been fishing for more than 20 years but had never seen anything like these shrimp and was quite chuffed to be part of the scientific discovery.

The Gippsland Lakes, where the shrimp were found, are on the southern coast of Australia in Victoria.

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Foo Fighters in Studio 606 with Josh Freese

Its not often you get to watch a world-class rock band work on songs for a tour, but just as the intrigue of Peter Jacksons fly-on-the-wall Beatles documentary, Let It Be slips the mask on what its like to be in the room with the biggest band in the world, Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts gives us insight into modern day rock heroes at a transitional point in their career.

Just over a year ago, the band was hit with tragedy when longterm drummer and second-biggest personality in the band, Taylor Hawkins died while the band was on tour in Colombia.

In that time, Foo Fighters staged two triumphant tribute concerts in honour of their late bandmate, announced their intentions to continue, recorded a new album and kept the world guessing as to who would play drums in the future.

That question was finally answered, with session drummer Josh Freese being unveiled at the start of the video, before were given a taste of what to expect from Foo Fighters packed live schedule for 2023.

The hour-or-so-long event streamed 21 May via Veeps, and was captured at Foo Fighters Studio 606. Theres no big light show, no hyping of an audience, just a group of musicians clearly enjoying themselves. Here are just some of the reasons why drummers specifically will want to rewatch while they can.

Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts is available on demand here until 24 May

Josh Freeses reveal easter eggs



Foos fans will know that the band has long been adept at keeping things under wraps (unless a Radio DJ happens to find out), and while some educated guesses pointed to Josh Freese for many months, it wasnt fully confirmed by the band until the Preparing Music For Concerts video aired. In typical Foo Fighters fashion, Josh Freeses position was unveiled with a skit.



The band staged a break-time conversation, which was subsequently interrupted by a cast of decoy drummers, each giving a Freese-related clue. Chad Smith mentioned that his car was being blocked by a white Mercedes (Freeses daily driver), Tommy Lee brought the band P.F. Changs (another Freese favourite) while wearing a Vandals (Freeses band) t-shirt, and Danny Carey thoughtfully brought two poodles (actually belonging to Freese) which hed claimed to have just groomed.

Finally, a voice chimes in, and we cut to Josh Freese sat behind a monstrous DW kit asking if We could like, I dont know, play a song or twoor something? At that were treated to a ferocious extended live version of All My Life.

Foo Fighters in Studio 606 with Josh Freese

They debuted a brand new song



As well as the two new songs weve already heard studio versions of (Rescued and Under You), buried mid-set is another track from forthcoming album, But Here We Are, titled Nothing At All. Its introduced after Grohl ponders a mellow song to play, with an initial suggestion from Mendel of Hearing Voices (also as-yet unreleased).

The band settles on Nothing At All, and Freese takes the opportunity (to some gentle ribbing) to swap his ride cymbal. What follows is a Police-influenced tune, reminiscent of Foo Fighters There is Nothing Left to Lose era with a drum part that sounds a bit like Copeland and Bonham having a drum hang.

Barking hi-hats and a fat backbeat combine for the backdrop to skanking guitar chords on 2 and 4 in the verses before the chorus kicks in with pure vintage Foos alt-rock. Its 3-out-of-3 for the new material so far, which makes us think we could be in for an incredibly strong comeback.

Freese unleashed

Freese is obviously entering into a very close-knit inner circle of bandmates who have played together for decades, and one that has suffered a loss that could have ended it professionally, while the personal side may never be overcome.

This is the first point we get to see Freeses varied and seasoned career as a chameleonic sideman come into play, as he treads the line as new guy expertly, allowing his drumming to do the talking. And talk they did.

From the razor-sharp five-stroke stabs in All My Life, to the energetic double-kick-playing in No Son of Mine, the up-tempo power and energy of Monkey Wrench, a hypnotic and respectful version of Aurora (which Hawkins claimed as his favourite Foo Fighters song), theres a lot to get excited about. Thats before the histrionic mid-song solos and trashcan endings, Freese plays it perfectly with faithful versions merging with a fresh personality, and there's a subtle nod to his friend Taylor Hawkins courtesy of the Hawk logo on his front bass drum heads .

The muso nerd-outs

Foo Fighters in Studio 606 with Josh Freese

All the members of Foo Fighters cut their teeth on the independent punk/alternative scene, but there are plenty of moments where we see how being one of the worlds biggest rock bands isnt just a happy accident. If they appear to know what theyre doing its because they absolutely do, but the musicians sense of humour is never far away.

Dave Grohl is quick to mention Freeses dual-bass drum set-up, even suggesting that they install a double-kick cam at some point.

Elsewhere, theres a comedy downstroke practice following a slightly uptempo rendition of Monkey Wrench, and Freese explains how his earliest gigs were as a 12-year-old, playing Top 40 covers at Disneyland (following an impromptu jam of Huey Lewis Workin For A Livin).

Its difficult to imagine how heavy the last 14 months have been for the band, so the muso geek humour lightens what could have been a sombre mood.

The between-song chat is like a drum clinic at times

With the whole session captured in broadcast-quality, any drummer watching could only hope for a little bit of pro-shot drum chat between two of the most influential/most prolific rock drummers weve seen in decades, and we certainly got some glimpses.

Grohl quizzes Josh on his application of double kicks, they discuss the drum part to new song, Nothing At All (specifically, the reason the hi-hats dont play on the backbeats, prompting Freese to tip his cap to Charlie Watts).

As a perhaps unintentional clue, Grohl talks about how he came up with the part and demoed it at home, adding weight to the likelihood that its Grohl drumming on the album.

But its also some of the subtleties that give us insight into why Freese has a CV studded with A-list acts - the changing of a ride cymbal for one song, the confidence and humility to ask arrangement questions before playing Monkey Wrench rather than winging it, knowing where his lane is and how far out of it he can veer.

As much as the water-tight, powerhouse and often startlingly brilliant drumming, Freeses attitude and approach show why he got the gig.
A new Florida law will increase criminal penalties for crimes committed against police K-9s.

On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed House Bill (HB) 1047 which increases criminal penalties for harming, harassing, or willfully resisting an animal working with police officers, firefighters, or search and rescue teams.

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The law increases the criminal penalty for maliciously touching, striking, or causing bodily harm to a working K-9 or police horse from a first-degree misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, as well as increases from a second- to a first-degree misdemeanor the penalty for maliciously harassing, teasing, or interfering with a working K-9 or police horse.

Read: New Florida immigration law may hurt states construction industry

Floridas K-9s play heroic roles in responding to emergencies, apprehending criminals, and keeping our communities safe, said DeSantis. In Florida, back-the-blue includes supporting our K-9s that fearlessly protect their handlers and use their unique skills to help people in ways that humans cannot. If criminals choose to intentionally harm these animals, the penalties must be harsh.

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HB 1047 also makes it a third-degree felony to resist, obstruct, oppose, or threaten violence against a police canine or horse working together with an officer.

In 2019 legislation was passed that raised the crime of harming or killing a police K-9 or horse to a second-degree felony and in 2021, legislation was passed that allows emergency service vehicles to transport injured police canines to a veterinary clinic to ensure they receive quick medical attention.

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Florida man dies after being struck by lightning while working on roof

DELTONA, Fla.  A man working on home construction in Florida was killed after he was struck by lightning and then fell from a roof, according to sheriff's officials.

The 24-year-old victim was working on framing a home in Deltona Monday afternoon when the thunderstorm moved through the area around 2 p.m., the Volusia County Sheriff's Office said.

DEBUNKING 7 MYTHS ABOUT LIGHTNING

A lightning bolt hit the victim, which left him stunned, and then he fell through a hole on the roof, the man's coworkers told FOX 35 Orlando.

When deputies arrived, they said the victim smelled like burned hair and one of his socks was melted to his foot, FOX 35 reported. The man was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead soon after.

One coworker said it wasn't raining at the time of the incident and that the bolt was the only lightning strike they saw for the storm.

Volusia County Emergency Services Director Jim Judge told FOX 35 that lightning can strike up to 15 miles ahead of a storm, meaning it doesnt have to be raining at the time for lightning to strike.

The victim is the fourth lightning-related death in the U.S. this year and the second in Florida. A 39-year-old man died while fishing in Brevard County in April. Last week, a father was killed by lightning while walking his son to the bus stop in Texas.

Working on a roof is one of the deadliest work-related activities due to lightning, says John Jensenius with the National Lightning Safety Council. Since 2016, there have been 20 lightning-related deaths due to someone working on a roof during thunderstorms  and 11 of them have occurred in Florida, Jensenius says.

LIGHTNING SAFETY: WHEN THUNDER ROARS, EVEN TAKING OUT THE TRASH CAN TURN DEADLY

Florida is the most lightning-prone state in the U.S. by density and, in turn, leads the U.S. in lightning-related deaths with 85 since 2006.
Florida man loses arm after alligator attacks him behind bar in Port Charlotte, officials say

A 23-year-old man lost his arm Sunday after an alligator attacked him behind a bar in Florida, authorities said.

The man was attacked behind Banditos Bar, which is located near a pond in Port Charlotte, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said in a statement to USA TODAY.

Charlotte County Fire and EMS received a call about the attack around 1:40 a.m., spokesman Todd Dunn told USA TODAY.

Responders treated the man with "an above-the-elbow amputation of his upper right extremity," and airlifted him to Gulf Coast Hospital in Fort Myers by helicopter, Dunn said.

Witness saw man swimming towards shore after attack

Manny Hidalgo, a patron at another bar, told The Daily Sun that he heard the man screaming and went outside looking for him near the pond area.

He was yelling and swimming toward the shoreline, Hidalgo told the outlet. I ran and dragged him up onto the sand. I was scared to get close to the water because it was dark out.

Officials removed the 10.5-foot alligator from the property and it was "humanely killed," the wildlife conservation said.

Recent encounters with gators in Florida

Several alligator attacks are reported each year in Florida, but deaths are more uncommon.

Last month, an alligator bit off the leg of a 72-year-old man at a Florida RV resort in Titusville. And in March, a man was attacked by a 7-foot, 10-inch long, alligator at his doorstep in Daytona Beach.

According to a 2022 report from the FWC:

In 2022, there were nine major and two minor alligator bites in Florida.

In 2021, there were seven major and three minor alligator bites.

In 2020, there were eight major and four minor bites.

In 2019, there was one fatality, five major and five minor alligator bites.

In 2018, there was one fatality, nine major alligator bites and one minor bite on people.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida man loses arm after Port Charlotte alligator attack: Officials
A group of Chinese citizens living and working in Florida sued the state Monday over a new law that bans Chinese nationals from purchasing property in large swaths of the state.

The law applies to properties within 10 miles of military installations and other critical infrastructure and also affects citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. But Chinese citizens and those selling property to them face the harshest penalties. The prohibition also applies to agricultural land.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the law will have a substantial chilling effect on sales to Chinese and Asian people who can legally buy property. The suit says the law unfairly equates Chinese people with the actions of their government and there is no evidence of national security risk from Chinese citizens buying Florida property.

The law will codify and expand housing discrimination against people of Asian descent in violation of the Constitution and the Fair Housing Act, the ACLU said in a news release announcing the suit. It will also cast an undue burden of suspicion on anyone seeking to buy property whose name sounds remotely Asian, Russian, Iranian, Cuban, Venezuelan, or Syrian.

Read: FWC captures nearly 10-foot alligator at Moncrief school

U.S.-China ties are strained amid growing tensions over security and trade. In nearly a dozen statehouses and Congress, a decades-old worry about foreign land ownership has spiked since a Chinese spy balloon traversed the skies from Alaska to South Carolina last month.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis who is expected to launch a presidential campaign this week, signed the bill May 8. His office didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The law is set to take affect July 1. It will be a felony for Chinese people to buy property in restricted areas or for any person or real estate company to knowingly sell to restricted people. For the other targeted nations, the penalty is a misdemeanor for buyers and sellers.

Read: Get a look at the new First Coast Expressway bridge that will go over the St. Johns River

It applies to military instillations as well as infrastructure like airports and seaports, water and wastewater treatment plants, natural gas and oil processing facilities, power plants, spaceports, and telecommunications central switching offices.

The ACLU says the law will have the net effect of creating Chinese exclusion zones that will cover immense portions of Florida, including many of the states most densely populated and developed areas.

This impact is exactly what laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the California Alien Land Law of 1913 did more than a hundred years ago, the lawsuit says.

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Those on the restricted list that already own property near critical infrastructure must register with the state or face fines of up to $1,000 a day. Theyre also prohibited from acquiring additional property. The law has provisions to allow the state to seize property from violators.

The number of states restricting foreign ownership of agricultural land has risen by 50% this year.

Heading into 2023, 14 states had laws restricting foreign ownership or investments in private agricultural land. So far this year, restrictive laws also have been enacted in Arkansas, Idaho, Montana, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia.

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Foreign land ownership has become a political flashpoint, said Micah Brown, a staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center at the University of Arkansas.

Brown said the recent surge in state laws targeting land ownership by foreign entities stems from some highly publicized cases of Chinese-connected companies purchasing land near military bases. Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force said that the Fufeng Groups planned $700 million wet corn milling plant near a base in Grand Forks, North Dakota, poses a significant threat to national security.

After a Chinese army veteran and real estate tycoon bought a wind farm near an Air Force base in Texas, that state responded in 2021 by banning infrastructure deals with individuals tied to hostile governments, including China.

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A former Cobb County police officer is heading to prison after pleading guilty to assault and child cruelty charges.

Channel 2 Action News has been covering Robert News case since he was arrested in June 2018.

New was accused of sexually assaulting a woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury as a child that left her with the mental capacity of a girl between the ages of 10 and 14 into adulthood.

Last month, New pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and cruelty to children. A judge has now sentenced him to six years in prison followed by 14 years of probation under the first offender act.

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Attorneys claimed that the former officer and the victim exchanged thousands of Facebook and text messages before the attack, that appeared to suggest that she had agreed to rape sex.

Police say New met the woman on a dating app called Meet Me.

The Cobb County District Attorneys Office says the victim said during one sexual encounter, New became violent and choked her to the point that she could not breathe.

Investigators also learned that New had attempted to get the victim to bring her 12-year-old niece with her to join in their sexual activity.

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Channel 2 Action News learned from court testimony that a man who the alleged victim met through social media is the person who turned in New to police.

Moore testified the man and the alleged victim arranged a meeting to have sex, but the man realized the womans delayed mental capacity and opted to watch a movie together instead.

During a violent scene in the movie, the alleged victim told the man a similar incident happened to her. He then accompanied the woman to report the attack to police.

Police then interviewed New, corroborated evidence from both his and the victims phones, and arrested him.

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Prior to his 2018 arrest, New had 27 years of experience as a police officer. He previously served as Police Chief of the Emerson Police Department from 2000 to 2004.
Former deputy head at Prince and Princess's primary school charged with 22 counts of child sex abuse

Matthew Smith, a former deputy head at Thomas's prep school in Battersea, south west London - Central News/Facebook

An ex-deputy head teacher at Prince George and Princess Charlotte's former primary school has been charged with 22 counts of child sex abuse.

Matthew Smith, 34, is accused of 17 offences over the alleged commissioning of the sexual abuse of children in India while he lived in Nepal for five years.

He was deputy head teacher at Thomas's prep school in Battersea, south west London, until the first allegations emerged six months ago.

Mr Smith has already been charged with five child sexual abuse offences linked to his time in Nepal and has been held in prison ever since.

At Westminster magistrates' court on Tuesday, Mr Smith was charged with another 17 counts, including encouraging the rape of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity and arranging the sexual abuse of a child.

These latest allegations are over claims he went online to encourage child sex abuse in India while he worked at a British school in Kathmandu, between 2017 and 2022.

He is also accused of having more than 120,000 indecent images of children, including 10,000 of the worst category, police said.

Mr Smith appeared at the same court in November over the initial five counts, which included causing the sexual exploitation and abuse of a child under 13, distributing indecent images of children, and three counts of making indecent images of children.

Smith moved back to the UK last July and began working at Thomas's prep school, where he was a deputy head teacher and head of pastoral care in September. He was sacked two months later.

His dismissal came after his home in East Dulwich, south east London, was raided by police on Nov 6, where he was arrested.

It is understood none of the charges relates to his job at the 20,000-a-year Thomas's primary school, which was attended by Prince George and Princess Charlotte until the end of the last academic year.

'Safety of pupils is, and always will be, our top priority'

The National Crime Agency said there was no evidence Smith committed crimes against children in Nepal or the UK.

The Prince and Princess of Wales's two older children have now moved to Lambrook School, near Ascot, in Berkshire, and had left by the time Mr Smith started work in September.

Before his role at Thomas's, Mr Smith was assistant head teacher at the British School in Kathmandu, Nepal, for five years.

He also taught at St Paul's School, and has degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge.

A spokesperson for the school said: We have been shocked and appalled beyond measure by this matter and are grateful for the work of the police and courts in bringing this man to account. Mr Smiths employment at the school, which commenced in September 2022, was terminated with immediate effect when the school first learned of the charges against him in November.

While the National Crime Agency has confirmed that none of the matters under investigation related to the school or its pupils, these deplorable actions constitute an unforgivable breach of trust and our thoughts are with those who have been impacted or damaged by them. As always, we remain absolutely committed to the ongoing safety and wellbeing of our pupils and our whole school community.

Mr Smith is due to appear at Southwark Crown Court in June.

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A former agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration, who was also a former Kansas City police officer, pleaded guilty Monday to filing a false tax return as part of a payday loan scheme, according to a news release from the U.S Attorney for the Western District of Missouri.

Patrick Scot Witcher, 57, of Wichita Falls, Texas, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Kansas City to one count of filing a false federal income tax return.

In his plea, Witcher admitted that he assisted five people in establishing, operating and managing of various payday lending businesses.

One of the those he helped was Joel Tucker, a Prairie Village man with deep ties to Kansas Citys payday lending industry. Tucker was sentenced in 2021 to 12.5 years in prison for dodging taxes and for a scheme that targeted consumers to pay debts they often didnt owe.

Tucker is the brother of Scott Tucker, who is serving more than 16 years for running what authorities called an exploitative payday loan business that ripped off more than 4 million borrowers. In March, Tucker was also sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $40 million in restitution for filing a false fraudulent tax return. That sentence is to run concurrently with his previous sentence.

In his plea, Witcher admitted to filing false federal tax returns that included more than $1 million in unreported income between 2016 and 2018 from payday lending businesses. Those businesses supposedly operated outside the United States and then on Native American reservations, when in reality the operations were based in the Kansas City metro area, according to the district attorneys office.

Witcher, who was employed with the Kansas City Police Department from April 1991 to September 2002, is facing up to three years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing has not been set.
Seven current and former Michigan State University officials have filed a motion to dismiss the federal lawsuit filed by Sanjay Gupta, the former business school dean.

GRAND RAPIDS  Michigan State University claims former business school dean Sanjay Gupta's lawsuit is a "desperate, last-ditch plea" to get a federal judge to act as "super-personnel department" for the university, according to recent filing asking the court to throw out the suit.

Gupta sued in February, about six months after Interim President Teresa Woodruff forced him to resign following reports that he failed to notify the university's Title IX office of an instance of alleged sexual misconduct, even though other employees had already reportedly done so.

Gupta claims he was pushed out and falsely accused of reporting violations in a scheme to keep him from becoming MSU's next president and "enhance" Woodruff's personal ambitions to lead the university.

On Monday, attorneys for Woodruff and six other current and former MSU officials filed a motion to dismiss.

"It is self-evident that compliance with MSU policies is essential to (Gupta's) former role," they wrote. "The MSU community deserves to know that its employees, specifically its leaders, do everything in their control to promote a safe environment for students. (Gupta's) own conduct has led him here  not any manufactured due process violations or so-called tortious conduct by Defendants."

A message seeking comment from Gupta's attorney wasn't immediately returned.

Last year, Gupta failed to report that a professor in the business school was accused of getting drunk at an off-campus party for MBA students and inappropriately touching a student and dancing in a sexually suggestive manner. Two people told Gupta about the incident, according to Monday's motion, but he failed to report it to the Title IX office.

Former MSU Broad College of Business Dean Sanjay Gupta filed a federal lawsuit earlier this year claiming he was forced to resign.

Gupta claims in his lawsuit that he complied with MSU's relationship violence and sexual misconduct reporting policies and that during an August meeting with Woodruff, she told him "he had just resigned" and that he wasn't given the chance to appeal.

He did, however, speak with the professor in question, who isn't named in the filings, and he admitted that "something happened that should not have" and that the professor was "very sorry" for his behavior, according to the motion to dismiss.

Related Discipline of former MSU business school dean Sanjay Gupta 'disproportionate,' report finds

In April, a law firm the Board of Trustees hired to look into Gupta's forced resignation found that Woodruff's reasoning was flawed. Woodruff told investigators she didn't need former President Samuel Stanley Jr.'s approval before pushing Gupta out, but the law firm said university policy clearly required it.

Gupta's lawsuit describes him as "the most successful and widely respected Dean of the Eli Broad College of Business in the history of the college." He was unjustifiably removed as dean "based on false pretexts" and was "intentionally defamed and stigmatized" by false statements, according to his lawsuit.

More: Lawsuit: MSU interim president, others schemed to oust Gupta from dean's post

Attorneys for the current and former MSU officials asked the federal judge to dismiss Gupta's lawsuit because the defendants were acting in their roles for the university and are therefore immune from litigation. They further state he's failed to bring any actionable claims.

"Ultimately, Plaintiff cannot overcome that his loss of support and determination that he should no longer serve as Dean was the product of his own actions ...," they wrote. "Plaintiff's attempts to blame Defendants for his own actions is futile."

Reporter Ken Palmer contributed to this story.

Contact reporter Matt Mencarini at mjmencarini@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattMencarini.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU officials move to dismiss ex-dean Gupta's federal lawsuit
A former Presidente Supermarket executive convicted in March of kidnapping, torturing and killing his ex-wifes lover will remain in prison for the rest of his life.

With the widow of murder victim Camilo Salazar and his family and friends listening intently from courtroom benches, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Miguel de la O on Monday afternoon read off a series of sentences for 69-year-old Manuel Marins three convictions that give him no chance at freedom.

For manslaughter with a weapon, 30 years. An additional 50 years for conspiracy to kidnap. And life in prison for kidnapping.

Before the sentencing, a montage of Salazar was shown on a video screen and his family members were able to address the court. With Marin seated at the defense table, handcuffed in a orange prison garb, Salazars widow Daisy Holcomb talked about her husband being taken away too soon, according to reporting from WPLG Channel 10.

We didnt get a chance to say goodbye, she said.

No punishment I impose can make this right, the judge told Holcomb and others.

Reached Tuesday, Marins attorney Jose Quinon said his client intends on appealing the case. But hes, at least temporarily, been assigned an assistant public defender because he lacks the resources to pay for what is certain to be costly legal fees.

Marin, who fled South Florida after the crime, was found guilty of the heinous crime more than a decade after the body of his wifes lover was found in a west Miami-Dade field tortured, disfigured and burned. Salazar had a lengthy 11-year affair with Marins wife-at-the-time Jenny Marin. Prosecutors had initially been seeking a second-degree murder charge.

Prosecutors contend  and the jury agreed  that though witnesses couldnt place Marin at the murder scene, he was bent on revenge and was the mastermind of a plot carried out by a pair of Mixed Martial Arts fighters and a Latin Kings gang member. They say star witness Ariel The Panther Gandulla, and gang member Roberto Isaac kidnapped Salazar and that Marin met them in the west Dade field where he was killed. Gandulla, they say, left before the murder and later learned what happened.

Prosecutors, who used cellphone tower tracking to put Marin near the murder scene, also contend that a Marin-friend and Cuban Olympic wrestler named Alexis Vila Perdomo organized the events by cellphone from Las Vegas. After the murder, they say Marin quickly left the country and later became a fugitive.

After turning himself in to the FBI in Spain, Marin had spent the past five years in prison. Before he turned himself in, Jenny Marin testified, she met him at a rented home in Cuba with two of his children. Gandulla accepted a three-year prison sentence in exchange for his testimony. Issacs and Vila Perdomo were found guilty for taking part in the crime at earlier trials.
Former Richmond County sheriff's deputy sentenced to life in prison for murder

A former Richmond County deputy was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a Florida mother of three.

Jason Cunningham pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison for malice murder, according to the a statement from the Augusta District Attorney's Office. He was also sentenced to five years for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Cunningham told authorities he shot Nicole Harrington, 37, of Hallandale Beach, Florida, in the back of the head after she "insult[ed] the size of his manhood," according to the statement.

He then left her for dead in a parking garage elevator, according to the DA's office. After alerting authorities to his involvement, Cunningham engaged in a standoff with deputies before being taken into custody.

Augusta hacked: Augusta confirms cyber crime on city computers, says unrelated to other recent outage

Third shooting in one week: One dead, two injured in Monday night shooting in Augusta

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Former deputy pleads guilty to murdering Florida woman
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) suggested how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) will take on former President Donald Trump if and when the governor jumps into the 2024 presidential race, which he is expected to do imminently.

Moskowitz, who joined Congress in January, served as DeSantis director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management from 2019 to 2021.

Talking to CNNs This Morning show on Monday, Moskowitz described DeSantis as extremely bright, detail-oriented and data-driven  but said he disagreed with many of the extremist policies the governor has pushed in recent months

Hes data-driven, so hes going to look at the numbers, Moskowitz said on whether DeSantis will take off the kid gloves with which hes been treating GOP front-runner Trump so far.

DeSantis will test his messages and figure out what is working and what is not working before he attacks, he added.

Moskowitz acknowledged, though, If youre going to go take down Donald Trump, youre going to have to play on his level. So far, DeSantis has only lightly attacked Trump, likely for fear of offending the former presidents base.

With DeSantis and, possibly, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) about to join Trump in the race, Moskowitz warned the GOP primary is about to turn into a UFC-WWE fight. He told people to buckle up and strap in because this is going to be something weve not seen.

Watch the interview here:

"This is something we've not seen, you know, you don't get around Donald Trump. You're going to have to go through Donald Trump."@JaredEMoskowitz says "the Republican primary is about to turn into a UFC-WWE fight": pic.twitter.com/pkwAJuUOXK  CNN This Morning (@CNNThisMorning) May 22, 2023

Related...
Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) received an embarrassing reminder from a fellow contributor on Fox News Outnumbered show Monday.

Chaffetz, who became a pundit for the conservative network after quitting Congress in 2017, joined in on the panels criticism of a Politico article about the possible effect that Casey DeSantis, the wife of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), may have on the governors potential 2024 presidential campaign, which he is being expected to launch imminently.

Chaffetz said the families of politicians should be off-limits and claimed only conservatives face such attacks.

Do they ever do this to the Democrats? he asked, before answering his own question: Oh no, no, no, no.

Fellow contributor Marie Harf disagreed.

The Obama administration alum recalled conservative attacks on then-first lady Michelle Obama.

Yes, yes they did, clarified Harf.

They do not, fired back Chaffetz, the former chair of the House oversight committee.

Michelle Obama? Harf replied. Do you? Im sorry, have we all, like, did we sleep through the eight years of Obama where conservative media said the most awful, racist, sexist things about Michelle Obama?

I dont think any of this should be said, she continued. I think women in politics, especially spouses, are held to a standard that is sexist. Its unfair. Its not fair game on either side.

Obama was subjected to horrific things about her, Harf added.

Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Harf was chair of the House oversight committee. Instead, Chaffetz served in that role.

Related...
In a sweeping effort to cut transport emissions, France formally banned short-distance domestic flights where train travela greener alternativeis possible. The ban, which took effect on May 23, is part of an environmental effort thats been in the works for two years.

In 2021, French lawmakers voted to prohibit domestic flights between cities where passengers can travel by train in two-and-a-half hours or less. But that law required European Union approval before it could go into effect.

Read more

The European Commission gave the flight ban the green light in December 2022, but narrowed its scope to place less of a burden on consumers. The commission decided that the ban should only apply to flight routes where there are several daily rail options for would-be passengers.

That means the flight banwhile drasticonly affects three flight routes as opposed to the eight that would have been eliminated by the original French law.

Frances disappearing flight routes

So, which flights are being eliminated?

Airlines can no longer offer flights between Paris-Orly Airport and Bordeaux, Nantes, and Lyon. Air France, the primary carrier in France, eliminated these flight paths in 2020 as part of a pandemic relief package, but the law will prevent other airlines from adding short-haul service between the four airports.

In the future, the flight ban could also apply to more routes, including those from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, if other rail options are added.

Notably, the law still permits flights from Paris to Marseille in the countrys south.

A mostly symbolic ban

France isnt the only country to take a tougher stance on domestic flights. As part of a 2020 pandemic-era bailout for the national carrier Austrian Airlines, the airline agreed to cut all routes where passengers could travel by train in three hours or less. In reality, that only eliminated one flight route: Vienna to Salzburg.

Laurent Donceel of the industry group Airlines for Europe told the AFP that the French flight ban is mostly symbolic and said it will only have minimal effects on carbon emissions.

Even if they are mostly symbolic, these bans point to a larger issue: Aviation accounts for more than 2% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, according to the International Energy Association.

But while Europe chips away at wasteful commercial flights, the continent is seeing a massive rise in carbon emissions from another repeat offender: private jets.

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France has banned domestic short-haul flights where train alternatives exist, in a bid to cut carbon emissions.

The law came into force two years after lawmakers had voted to end routes where the same journey could be made by train in under two-and-a-half hours.

The ban all but rules out air travel between Paris and cities including Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux, while connecting flights are unaffected.

Critics have described the latest measures as "symbolic bans".

Laurent Donceel, interim head of industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E), told the AFP news agency that "banning these trips will only have minimal effects" on CO2 output.

He added that governments should instead support "real and significant solutions" to the issue.

Airlines around the world have been severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with website Flightradar24 reporting that the number of flights last year was down almost 42% from 2019.

The French government had faced calls to introduce even stricter rules.

France's Citizens' Convention on Climate, which was created by President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 and included 150 members of the public, had proposed scrapping plane journeys where train journeys of under four hours existed.

But this was reduced to two-and-a-half hours after objections from some regions, as well as the airline Air France-KLM.

French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir had earlier called on lawmakers to retain the four-hour limit.

"On average, the plane emits 77 times more CO2 per passenger than the train on these routes, even though the train is cheaper and the time lost is limited to 40 minutes," it said.

It also called for "safeguards that [French national railway] SNCF will not seize the opportunity to artificially inflate its prices or degrade the quality of rail service".
The flag of France

Read also: French Senate recognizes Holodomor as genocide of the Ukrainian people

Before deciding on Ukraines NATO membership, Western nations are discussing security guarantees for Kyiv, according to The Wall Street Journal. The United States, together with France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, are seen as key potential guarantors of Ukraines security.

The French Foreign Ministry was asked whether there is such a guarantee plan for Ukraine, what kind of the guarantees are in question and whether such a plan is foreseen before the end of the war in Ukraine.

France, together with its partners, continues to consider on how best to support Ukraine in the long term and in all spheres, the response says.

The French diplomats added that France is ready to negotiate with Ukraine on agreements aimed at providing it with security guarantees that will help it protect itself in the long term and prevent possible aggressions in the future, as stated in the declaration of the 36th Franco-British summit.

Read also: France may transfer SCALP long-range missiles to Ukraine

Security guarantees for Ukraine: What is known

The idea of security guarantees for Ukraine was first voiced during the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey, in late March 2022. At that time, the Ukrainian side offered an option under which Ukraine would receive security guarantees in exchange for refusing to join NATO. Moscow frequently cited a perceived threat of NATO expansion as the pretext for invading Ukraine in the first place.

Ukraines proposal provided for immediate military assistance from the UN Security Councils member states in case of aggression, in particular by establishing a no-fly zone over the country.

However, Russia rejected the proposal and continued its attempts to occupy Ukraine, while the allies, although they abandoned the idea of making bilateral commitments to Ukraine outside NATO, have increased military support for Kyiv and began to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

Read also: Ukraine wants security guarantees, accession timeline at NATO Summit in Vilnius, Zelenskyy advisor

In turn, Kyiv switched from security guarantees as an alternative to NATO to security guarantees as part of a broader process of joining the alliance.

On Sept. 13, 2022, the Presidents Office presented the Kyiv Security Treaty  the first draft of recommendations on security guarantees for Ukraine, which were developed by an expert group led by the head of the Presidents Office, Andriy Yermak, and former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

In particular, the recommendations provide for Ukraines resources to maintain a powerful army, investment in Ukraines defense industry, supply of weapons and intelligence assistance from allies. They also include joint exercises and intensive training missions under the auspices of the European Union and NATO, as well as measures to prevent new aggression.

Read also: Ukraine will not become NATO member in foreseeable future, says Scholz

According to the document, the main group of allies and guarantors of Ukraine may include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Australia, Turkey, the countries of Northern Europe, the Baltic and Central and Eastern Europe.

Read also: NATO Parliamentary Assembly declares Russian aggression against Ukraine to be genocide

At the same time, Yermak emphasized that the agreement on security guarantees would not replace joining NATO and should ensure Ukraines security until it becomes a full member of the alliance.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
(Bloomberg) -- French Transport Minister Clement Beaune said the government is in talks with the European Commission to avoid reimbursing some 5.3 billion ($5.7 billion) of state aid received by the countrys rail freight operator.

Most Read from Bloomberg

I think well reach an agreement, he told Les Echos newspaper. Paying back this aid would kill Fret SNCF, and presumably rail freight in France.

The commission said in January it would investigate state aid given between 2007 and 2019 to the freight unit of state-owned rail operator SNCF.

Beaune, who earlier met with labor unions and management at Fret SNCF, said the government aims to avoid redundancies, any shift of business to road haulage or privatization of the company, and maintain a single public freight entity controlled by SNCF.

Despite recent pushes to lower carbon emissions, rail freight transport has declined by 43% since 2000 in favor of trucks, according to the French government. SNCF Fret employs some 5,000 people and handles about half of train transportation of goods, according to Beaunes office.

The minister said the government will increase support for rail freight to 200 million a year from 2025 from 170 currently in a bid to maintain a target to double the share of train freight from 9% in 2019.

He added that 4 billion will be invested to repair aging rail freight infrastructure through 2032.

The commission could make a decision by the end of the year, according to an official in Beaunes office, who asked not to be identified to comply with government rules. If SNCF Fret has to reimburse the sum, the company will enter liquidation, the official said.

(Updates with detail of investment in rail freight in seventh paragraph.)

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Dillon Minnifield, 28, of the Columbus Northeast Side, crashed his black SUV Durango on Oct. 19, 2020 on Henrietta Street in Italian Village after coming under fire from a gunman. Minnifield was only grazed by a bullet, but three young children of a relative in the back seat were injured.

Two Columbus men are facing prison sentences for unrelated shootings that occurred in 2020.

Nyquan Hall, 26, of South Linden, has been sentenced to an indefinite prison term of 11 years to 16  years for shooting at an SUV, wounding two young children riding in the car. The incident also led to minor injuries to another child passenger and serious injuries to a woman pedestrian.

Hall pleaded guilty on May 17 to one count of felonious assault and one count of attempted murder in connection with the shooting on Oct. 19, 2020 in Italian Village. Franklin County prosecutors dropped other charges.

County Common Pleas Judge Andy Miller sentenced Hall to the amount of time jointly recommended by prosecutors and Halls defense attorney, Mark Collins. Hall has more than two years and six months of jail time credit toward time served.

Dillon Minnifield, then 28, was driving a black SUV Durango with a relatives three young children inside on the afternoon of October 19, 2020. Minnifield previously told The Dispatch he stopped at Brickel Street to pick up something from an acquaintance.

When Minnifield got out of the vehicle, he said he came under gunfire. He jumped back into the vehicle and began backing up, striking and critically injuring a woman.

Minnifield tried to drive away from the gunman, but crashed into a street sign and the SUV overturned onto its side.

Court records indicate there were at least 25 bullet holes in the windshield of the Durango by the end of the incident.

A 4-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl riding in the SUV were both shot. Minnifield was also grazed by a bullet and a 5-year-old boy passenger sustained minor injuries when Minnifield crashed the SUV.

Past reporting: 'I just thank God that the babies are OK,' driver of SUV in Italian Village shooting says

Franklin County Assistant Prosecutor John P. Gripshover said the little girl still has a bullet in her hip that doctors cannot remove without risking the girls life. Her mother says the girl still has mobility issues, according to Gripshover.

This was a horrible incident and way too common in our community at this point, Gripshover said.

Collins said the resolution to the case was fair.

Hopefully this will allow the family to move forward, Collins said.

More on gun violence for subscribers: Columbus gripped by gun violence

Man sentenced for deadly shootout, fellow inmate's death

Another man, 23-year-old Varmunyah Dunor, of the Near East Side, has been sentenced to prison in multiple cases  two of which involved deaths.

Dunor pleaded guilty on Thursday, May 18, to involuntary manslaughter in two cases.

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Jaiza Page sentenced Dunor in total to an indefinite prison term of 15 years to 20  years as jointly recommended by prosecutors and Dunors defense attorneys.

Dunor admitted to his role in a shootout that left one man dead and another critically injured on April 17, 2020. Court records indicate the shooting stemmed from a drug deal involving marijuana that went south and all three men involved fired weapons. Jarrin Hickman, then 28, died and Quincy Yelder, 19, was shot in the head but survived.

Past reporting: East Side man charged after shooting over drug deal leaves one dead, one critically injured

Dunor also admitted to his part in the 2021 death of another inmate at the Franklin County jail, 35-year-old Dustin Ray of Reynoldsburg.

A Franklin County Sheriffs investigation determined Dunor and Royalle Mosely assaulted Ray on Nov. 28, 2021. Ray was found later in his bunk unconscious and transported to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with a head injury. He never regained consciousness and died on Dec. 2, 2021.

Past reporting: Latest homicides include suspect now also charged in death of inmate at Franklin County jail

Mark Hunt, one of Dunors defense attorneys, told The Dispatch that Ray allegedly approached Dunor aggressively and Dunor threw one punch during the altercation. Dunor was not trying to kill Ray, Hunt said.

Mosely, 25, is charged with murder in connection with Rays death, and is scheduled to appear in court next on July 27.

Dunor also pleaded guilty Thursday in two other cases. He pleaded in one case to a robbery charge and in the other case to having a weapon under disability (possessing a gun illegally as a convicted felon).

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Two Columbus men sentenced in unrelated 2020 gun violence incidents
Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Getty

Im going to take a wild guess and say that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) doesnt adhere to Sun Tzus maxim that every battle is won or lost before its ever fought. That is based on the news that DeSantis will officially announce his presidential candidacy this week.

I get that DeSantis probably has to run to save faceafter all, his SuperPAC is literally titled Never Back Down. But to be honest, it already feels like a fools errand.

Im not the first writer to say so. Back on April 14, Washington Monthlys Bill Scher argued that DeSantis should take a pass on the 2024 presidential election. I was skeptical, based on the premise that in presidential politics, youve got to strike while the iron is hot.

Ron DeSantis Anti-Free Speech Crusade Would Cancel Fox News

The problem was the assumption that the iron was hot. In fact, it was already cooling. As Scher noted at the time, Since [DeSantis Feb. 28] book launch, the Real Clear Politics average of Republican presidential primary polls shows Trumps margin over DeSantis widening from 16 to 27 points.

It has only gotten worse since then. Trump is currently up 36.9 points.

This stands in stark contrast to the state of affairs just six months ago, after DeSantis won his re-election by a landslide, and Trump was largely blamed for the GOPs poor midterm performance.

So what went wrong?

DeSantis made some fundamental miscalculations based on what worked for him in Florida.

His heavy-handed approach to the media allowed him to maintain message discipline and appear to be in control, but it also deprived him from learning on the job and making mistakes on a smaller stage. On top of that, it was never scalable to a presidential bid. His nascent campaign is finally (reportedly) revising this strategy.

Florida is also a state so big that retail politics arent really important electorally. But in states like Iowa and New Hampshire, DeSantis is subject to every Tom, Dick, and Harry wanting to talk to him and taking their own cellphone video.

The results have been less than stellar. Take, for example, the video where a supporter tells DeSantis that he drove an hour to see him. DeSantis thanks him, and then promptly turns his back on him. In another video, DeSantis (who reportedly is a gross eater) seems to wipe his nose with his hand, before patting a guy on the back. And yet another video shows him guffawing weirdly (in a manner reminiscent of Vice President Kamala Harris). Lastly, there is a video that shows DeSantis asking a guy what his name is. When the guy says his name, DeSantis responds, OK.

I cant actually define why that feels like a brush-off, but it does. On paper, these faux pas dont seem that bad. And God knows any one of us could seem weird in a random photo or an out-of-context video. But these are not merely cherry-picked examples of DeSantis looking awkward. For whatever reason, DeSantis is simply not good at these interactions.

Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and the Apocalyptic Centrists

By tightly controlling DeSantis image in Florida, his team (which lacks the sort of presidential veterans or longtime loyalists who normally populate successful presidential campaigns) succeeded in making him a hot commodity as governor. However, in doing so, they also raised expectations, while failing to prepare him to run a presidential campaign. This part of the problem was years in the making.

Trumps New DeSantis Attack Is About a Lot More Than Pudding

More recent mistakes have also compounded the problem, by eroding DeSantis image as a strong leader.

On March 14, DeSantis answered a Tucker Carlson questionnaire, calling Russias invasion of Ukraine a territorial dispute and saying that support for Ukraine is not in Americas vital national interest. (DeSantis later did an interview with Piers Morgan, where he sought to walk back those comments.)

On March 20, DeSantis criticized Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for indicting Donald Trump, while simultaneously getting a dig in on Trump, saying that he doesnt know anything about paying off porn stars.

Here, we learned that DeSantis would not use the indictment against Trump in an overt fashion. Instead, he would try to furtively weaponize it in a way that was too cute by half. This suggested to me that DeSantis lacks the killer spirit.

Next, on March 30, it was reported that DeSantis caved to Rep. Matt Gaetzs demands and said he would not extradite Trump to New York. This was a purely symbolic gesture, as the Manhattan D.A. was already in talks with Trumps attorneys to have the former president surrender himself for the arraignment.

Dont Act So Shocked About Bud Lights Virtue Signaling

This moment, for whatever reason, was the turning point. On March 31, Trump was just 16 points ahead of DeSantis (according to the RCP poll average). Since that date, Trump has climbed in the polls, while DeSantis has fallen.

Another casualty in the last six months was DeSantis battle with Disney. What once seemed like a quick and easy victory, has evolved into death by a thousand Mickey Mouse-shaped cuts.

What do all of these thingsDeSantis complying with Tucker Carlsons survey, mishandling the Trump indictment, and failing to put Disney in its placehave in common? All three demonstrate that DeSantis is not the alpha male that the GOP prizes.

Perhaps the catch-22 was thinking he could simultaneously appear strong and not alienate MAGA voters by attacking Trump.

Right Now, Ron DeSantis Lacks the Killer Spirit to Vanquish Trump

So where does this leave him?

The two most likely possibilities are: 1) Either Trump is inevitable, in which case this is all a moot point, or 2) DeSantis may have already blown his narrow chance of ousting Trump as the GOP nominee, in which case DeSantis would probably be better off not running.

The other options involve either DeSantis taking the gloves off and finally taking on Trump or (conversely) Trump collapsing under his own weight, allowing DeSantis to inherit his voters.

While hope is not a strategy, it might be all DeSantis has left to cling to, which is the last place you want to be the day you launch a presidential bid.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The Fresno County Sheriffs Office says it transferred 18 individuals to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2022, less than half the total handed over to ICE in 2021.

The new data was released ahead of Tuesdays TRUTH Act forum during a Fresno County Board of Supervisors meeting where the figures were presented to the public by Sheriff John Zanoni.

There were no comments from the public on Tuesday. The forum has drawn larger crowds in previous years.

In years past the sheriffs report, like many in the region, had raised advocates eyebrows because of apparent underreporting.

Zanoni on Tuesday briefly read over the statistics in the report to the Board of Supervisors.

The TRUTH Act is a California law that requires local jurisdictions and law enforcement to hold an annual public forum to let the public know about ICE activities in their local communities. The law also requires local law enforcement to release statistics on whether they cooperated with ICE the previous calendar year.

According to the newly released data, the sheriffs office had a total booking of 23,407 at the county jail in 2022. The office received 128 requests for holds from ICE. The statistics indicate there were no ICE interviews at the county jail in 2022.

Of the 18 immigrants who were transferred to federal immigration officials, 14 had committed crimes against a person, one was facing charges for a sex crime and one had committed a crime against a property, according to the statistics. Two more were facing felony drug charges.

All those crimes were felonies, Zanoni told the board.

Sheriff John Zanoni elaborates on felonies in report

Supervisor Nathan Magsig was the only one to pose a few questions to Zanoni.

Youve got 14 crimes against a person, so I would imagine that typically when law enforcement gets involved with something like that, these are, its more than just a fist fight. Is that fair to say? Magsig asked.

Zanoni responded by saying many of the crimes against a person would have involved corporal injury to a spouse, a cohabitant or someone that the suspect had a relationship with.

Those crimes in order to be charged with have to have serious bodily injury, not just a slap or red mark, he said. Typically a bruising or something significant.

Regarding the drug charges, Zanoni said one suspect was in possession of methamphetamine for sale, and the other one was in possession of methamphetamine or fentanyl or some type of drug that would be a felony, in addition to being in possession of a firearm.

The sex crime involved a minor under the age of 18, he said.

More transfers to ICE in 2021, 20

Former Sheriff Margaret Mims said her office transferred 44 immigrants to ICE in 2021 and 47 in 2020  marking a significant shift in the numbers previously reported to the public and to the California Attorney Generals Office since the law began to mandate the release of such data beginning with 2018 numbers.

The sheriffs office reported having transferred four people to federal immigration officials in 2018. However, a Fresno Bee story revealed ICEs own figures on arrests at the Fresno County jail were more than 100 for the same year. A 2018 Fresno Bee story found the sheriffs office policy allowed federal immigration agents to enter a secure room at the county jail to make arrests.

A report by the ACLU of Northern California in 2022 found the the practice of underreporting transfers was common among sheriffs offices in the central San Joaquin Valley. More than 1,000 immigrants in the San Joaquin Valley were transferred to ICE since state laws prohibiting local law enforcement cooperation with immigration officials went into effect.
The Edmodo logo under a magnifying glass



We swear Edmodo is not Gizmodo in disguise.

The Federal Trade Commission announced a proposed $6 million settlement with education technology company Edmodo Tuesday for collecting data from kids without parental consent and using it to sell ads in violation of the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). The case is unusual for several reasons, including the fact that the Edmodo went out of business while the government was still investigating. The FTC is on a tear in recent months, upending the status quo and making an example out of companies to show that you cant, in fact, just ignore what few privacy laws exist in the United States.

This order makes clear that ed tech providers cannot outsource compliance responsibilities to schools, or force students to choose between their privacy and education, said Samuel Levine, director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a press release. Other ed tech providers should carefully examine their practices to ensure theyre not compromising students privacy.



Read more

Edmodo was an education company serving 600,000 children, some kindergarten-age, in 2020 alone, the FTC says. It provided classroom resources and let teachers give out and collect assignments and quizzes using the platform, which meant students and parents often had no choice but to use it. It was also free, and, you guessed it, Edmodo made its money showing ads to all those little kid eyeballs, propped up by personal data including kids names, birthdays, ages, emails, and locations, according to the FTC.

Once celebrated as the next big thing in education, Edmodo went out of business in September, 2022, right in the midst of the FTCs investigation. At the time, education news site EdSurge reported on an Edmodo blog post, which said the company was shuttering because it was no longer possible to maintain the level of service you deserve and that we can take pride in ourselves. However, Edmodos website is now offline, and the blog post has been excluded from the Internet Archive, which preserves snapshots of webpages.



By COPPAs comically low bar for privacy, companies cant slurp up extra data from kids and use it for advertisingunless mom and dad give their consent, in which case its free range. COPPA also doesnt apply to kids older than 13. Edmodo didnt just break COPPA rules; the FTC says it illegally forced schools to handle COPPA compliance duties for it. In other words, this countrys sorry privacy laws give companies like Edmodo a loophole big enough to drive a school bus through. All the company had to do was ask permission to monetize its captive underage audience, but, according to the FTC, it didnt even bother to do that. Edmodo co-founders Nick Borg, Ed ONeil, Jeff OHara, and Crystal Hutter could not immediately be reached for comment. The companys lawyers did not provide a comment as of press time, well update this article if we hear back.

The FTCs proposed settlement includes a $6 million penalty, which, if the order is approved by a judge, Edmodos owners wont have to pay because the company doesnt exist anymore. The FTC says that Edmodo would face binding privacy restrictions if it ever decides to start back up again.



Why would the FTC go after a defunct company like Edmodo?

Why would the Federal Trade Commission bother shelling out resources to sue a company that cant face consequences? The answer may lie in an attempt to establish precedent for the rest of the education technology industry, which, writ large, has a lousy reputation when it comes to privacy.

Along with the FTCs press release, the agency also published a blog post with the pithy headline Oh no, you dont, Edmodo. There, FTC senior attorney Lesley Fair warns the rest of the education technology industry that now is the time to review privacy practices. Fair writes:

Ed tech companies cant pass the COPPA compliance buck. This is the first FTC action alleging that its an unfair practice for a company to require schools and teachers to comply with COPPA on its behalf. The message to the industry is unmistakable. In the final analysis, the legal responsibility for complying with COPPA remains with the ed tech operator. Mixing ed tech and advertising can lead to serious legal consequences. Ed tech providers may rely on schools to authorize data collection in lieu of parental consent if  and only if  the information collected from kids is used solely for educational purposes. Edmodos use of the data for commercial purposes is just one way in which the FTC says the company violated the law.

With the Edmodo case, the FTC has established a clear, bold strategy. The law gives the FTC little authority compared to other agencies. Its biggest power is its mandate to address unfair or deceptive business practices. Making matters worse, there are almost zero privacy laws at the federal level. COPPA is one of them, along with the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act, better known as HIPAA.

Over the past few months, the FTC reached two similar settlements with healthcare technology companies. One was GoodRX, which used prescription data for ads without consent. The other was the fertility app Premom, which did the same with data about peoples menstrual cycles. In both of those cases, the companies faced paltry fines that will have little effect on their businesses.

What these cases do, however, is send a message to data-hungry corporations. For years, companies got away with ignoring consumers expectations about privacy, burying details in terms-of-service legalese or just failing to let people know about their shady data practices all together. These recent cases are essentially a power grab attempting to set new legal precedent to finally give consumers some privacy on this godforsaken internet.

The strategy appears to be making landmark settlements that go uncontested so as to scare other companies into straightening up. So far, its going smoothly for the FTC, but its early days. Experts say its not a given that the FTC has the authority to weigh in on these cases. Any company that wanted to fight about these issues in court would have a fair chance at winning.

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Delegates from the Group of 20 nations attend a tourism meeting in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, May 22, 2023. The meeting condemned by China and Pakistan is the first significant international event in Kashmir since New Delhi stripped the Muslim-majority region of semi-autonomy in 2019. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

SRINAGAR, India (AP)  Delegates from the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations began a meeting on tourism in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Monday that was condemned by China and Pakistan, as authorities reduced the visibility of security in the disputed regions main city.

The meeting is the first significant international event in Kashmir since New Delhi stripped the Muslim-majority region of its semi-autonomy in 2019. Indian authorities hope the meeting will show that the contentious changes have brought peace and prosperity to the region.

The delegates will discuss topics such as ecotourism, destination management and the role of films in promoting tourist destinations.

The main city of Srinagar appeared calm on Monday and roads were unusually clean. Most of the usual security checkpoints had been removed or camouflaged with G20 signs. Officials said hundreds of officers were specially trained in what they called invisible policing for the event.

Shops in the city center opened earlier than usual after officials asked shopkeepers to remain open. Many shops in the past have closed in protests against Indian policies in the region. But authorities shut many schools in the city.

Mondays measures contrasted sharply with the visible security imposed in the days before the event. A massive security cordon was placed around the venue on the shore of Dal Lake, with elite naval commandos patrolling the water in rubber boats. The citys commercial center was spruced up, with freshly black-topped roads leading to the convention center and power poles lit in the colors of Indias national flag.

Indian-controlled Kashmir remains one of the worlds most heavily militarized territories, with hundreds of thousands of troops. In 1989, a violent separatist insurgency erupted in the region seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan, which also controls part of Kashmir. India replied with a brutal counterinsurgency campaign, and tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels have been killed in the conflict.

Indias crackdown intensified after 2019 when New Delhi took the region under its direct control. Since then, the territorys people and its media have been largely silenced. Authorities have seized scores of homes and arrested hundreds of people under stringent anti-terror laws. The government says such actions are necessary to stop a terror ecosystem, or civilian support for the armed rebellion.

Authorities have also enacted new laws that critics and many Kashmiris fear could transform the regions demographics.

Indian federal Minister Jitendra Singh told attendees on Monday that Kashmir is changing.

If such an event was held earlier, a strike call would be given from Islamabad and shops on Residency Road (in) Srinagar would close. Now there is no hartal (strike)," he said. Common people on the streets of Srinagar want to move on.

Last week, the U.N. special rapporteur on minority issues, Fernand de Varennes, said the meeting would support a facade of normalcy while massive human rights violations continue in the region. Indias mission at the U.N. in Geneva rejected the statement as baseless and unwarranted allegations.

Indias tourism secretary, Arvind Singh, said on Saturday that the meeting was not only to showcase (Kashmirs) potential for tourism but to also signal globally the restoration of stability and normalcy in the region.

Kashmir, known for rolling Himalayan foothills, has for decades been a major domestic tourist destination. Millions of visitors arrive in Kashmir every year and experience a strange peace kept by ubiquitous security checkpoints, armored vehicles and patrolling soldiers.

The mainstay of Kashmirs economy, however, continues to be agriculture, and the tourism industry contributes only about 7% to the regions GDP.

China, with which India is locked in a military standoff along their disputed border in the Ladakh region, has boycotted the event. Pakistan also slammed New Delhi for holding the meeting in Srinagar. Both have argued that such meetings can't be held in disputed territories.

In a speech to lawmakers in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir on Monday, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the Srinagar meeting was a display of Indias arrogance on the world stage" and the region "has become an open prison for its residents.

India dismissed Pakistan's criticism, saying it is not even a member of the G20.

The G20 has a rolling presidency with a different member setting priorities each year. India is steering the group in 2023.

___

Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is batting down suggestions that Speaker Kevin McCarthys (R-Calif.) efforts to find a compromise debt limit deal with President Biden could endanger his speakership due to conservative frustration.

Literally nobody except the press is talking about removing McCarthy right now, Gaetz wrote on Twitter.

In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Gaetz said he has no plans to try and remove McCarthy barring some dramatic, unexpected turn of events.

You dont remove someone simply because you disagree with them. By that standard, no speaker would last a single day. Speaker McCarthy simply must deliver on the promises he made in January. So far, his record doing so is admirable. So far, he added.

During the days-long speaker election in January, McCarthy agreed to lower the threshold for forcing a vote on ousting the speaker  known as the motion to vacate  down from five members to one.

Conservatives who advocated for the change pitched it as a way of empowering individual lawmakers.

Gaetz was one of the 20 hardline conservatives who withheld support from McCarthy throughout the speaker election.

The possibility of a vote on the fate of McCarthys speakership has been hanging over the GOP leaders head this Congress, especially as he works to manage his ideologically diverse conference.

That balancing act has come into sharp focus during negotiations with the White House over raising the debt ceiling.

McCarthy has pushed for spending cuts to be included with any increase in the borrowing limit.

He satisfied most of his right flank with a bill that would raise the debt ceiling into next year and implement $4.8 trillion in spending cuts.

After that legislation passed in the House, some conservatives said they would not vote for anything less aggressive than the debt limit bill. The conservative House Freedom Caucus went a step further last week when they adopted an official position that said leaders should use every leverage and tool at their disposal to get the House GOP bill signed into law.

While McCarthy is still engaging in negotiations, it is unlikely that any bipartisan agreement will include all provisions from the House GOP bill. But Gaetz and one other McCarthy holdout do not seem concerned with the speakers leadership.

I havent heard anybody talking about motion to vacate except for reporters who asked me about that, Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) said last week.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Bravo

Ross and Rachel. Jim and Pam. Bert and Ernie. Theres no more tantalizing TV character dynamic than that of the will-they/wont-they couple, the seemingly star-crossed pair that are clearly perfect for each other, if only they could get their acts together and see the romantic potential thats right in front of them.

Now in its fourth season, Bravos hit franchise spinoff Below Deck Sailing Yacht is proof that even a reality TV series benefits from that relationship tension. Chief stew Daisy Kelliher and first mate Gary King have been a part of the series since its premiere in 2020and they might be the subjects of the most entertaining will-they/wont-they relationship on TV right now.

The show follows the yachts crew members, as they cater to the whims of demanding charter guests as the yacht, the Parsifal III, sails through the waters of various paradises (Greece, Croatia, Spain, and now Italy have played host to the series exploits). Running parallel to the trials and tribulations of appeasing the guests is the equally compelling narrative of the crews interpersonal relationships. Close quarters and plenty of alcohol acts as a powder keg for such drama. There are arguments, hookups, bruised egos, and surprising friendships. In the case of Daisy and Gary, theres been all of the above.

When they started on the show together, the pair immediately butted heads and couldnt stand each other. But their tiffs evolved into a mutual respect for each others work, which led to a charming friendship and at least one drunken makeout session (that we know of). Daisy and Garys flirtations and incessant teasing of each other has become the fascination of Below Deck fans, all curious as to just how far their relationship has gone behind closed doorsand why they wont just become a couple, already.

Bravo

Its like a little story that youre watching on a filmwhat are they and will they get togetherand then you want the happy ending in the end, Kelliher tells The Daily Beasts Obsessed. Unfortunately, this is not a scripted film. We cant give everyone what they want.

Ive seen the hot and cold of their relationship firsthand. I moderated the Below Deck panel at last years BravoCon, where, after shameless flirting with each otherto the audiences delightKing stripped off his shirt and strutted around in front of Kelliher on stage, as she blushed. Im not actually too sure what happened there to be honest, King tells Obsessed, laughing. But yeah, I love to give people what they want.

The duos relationship is only getting more complicated. On Monday nights new episode of Sailing Yacht, Kelliher grills a frustrated King after he hooked up with another member of the crew. Daisy doesn't need to know anything about my kissing life, because every time I've hooked up with a girl Daisy tries her hardest to cock-block me," he says in his confessional. She doesnt want me and she doesn't want anyone else to have me. Its fucking weird.

The Highs, Lows, and Hell Nos of BravoCon 2022

So where do these love birds stand? We talked to them separatelyKing calling in from Mallorca, where he was joining another charter; Kelliher from St. Maarten, where she was on holidayto get their respective takes on why everyone that watches the show is so obsessed with their relationship.

Will They, or Wont They?

There are two things that fans scrutinize about King the most: his hair, and whats really going on between him and Kelliher. As for the hair, I think I need a haircut, to be honest, he says. Theres definitely mixed reviews on my hair. Maybe I should start a poll and see whether I should cut it.

As for Kelliher, thats a more complicated story.

I think people are fascinated by our relationship because of how far weve come from Season 1, he says. We were almost like a brother and sister with how we were at each others throats fighting and arguing over everything, to then hooking up and kissing in Season 2. And also our work relationship [has changed], how weve gone from where we were to where we are now and having such a good, professional work ethic with each other.

When it comes to the fans preoccupation with their relationship status, Kelliher thinks its because nobody saw it coming. That includes her: I dont think I saw it coming, especially the makeout in the hot tub.

Bravo

That their dynamic has been hot and cold over the years also makes their connection seem more real on TV. Its a bit more relatable than those kinds of gushy couples, she says. Theyre like, I love you. I love you. Most people don't experience that kind of gushy love, but they do understand an unexplained attraction.

Still, theres a standard curiosity about a relationship that simmers across a few seasons of reality TV, and then theres the intensity with which fans talk about and are invested in Kelliher and King. The shows viewers are constantly messaging the pair, asking them if theyve ever had sexparticularly when it was revealed that they were at the same hotel in London for a virtual reunion taping last season. Its an entitlement to ask crassly about strangers personal lives that most of us never encounter. Even Andy Cohen has directly asked them if theyve had sex.

To be honest, its not only the fans that ask them the intimate questions, King says. Some of my best friends talk about it, too. One of my best friends, Danielle, actually said to me, Gary, Ive known you since you were born. I can see theres a connection between you and Daisy. Is anything going to happen?

He said no and brushed her off. But she wouldnt relent.

She was like, I know you well enough that I can see when you speak to her and when you guys hang out that there is actually a connection, King continues. I think the viewers can see that. Im not sure what Daisy says about that, but I still honestly believe there is chemistry there and we do have a connection. Viewers can see that and I think people love a good love story.

The Post-Scandoval Vanderpump Rules Finale Is the Wildest 90 Minutes Youll Ever Watch

Is that, like, a proposal of a relationship? Im not saying its not going to happen, King says. I think people will love that, seeing how a relationship could start with us being at each others throats, to actually being in a relationship. I think it would be quite a cute love story.

Complicating that cute love story, of course, are all of the other women.

While it was shocking when King and Kelliher made out for the first time, it was not surprising that King was making out with one of his Parsifal III coworkers. In fact, King seems to be constantly hooking up with his coworkers, which has caused all kinds of issues with the crew dynamic throughout the run of the showand, as Mondays episode suggests, has certainly complicated his dynamic with Kelliher as well.

His hookups have been a mess that King has had to answer for across multiple seasons now, especially during the cast reunions. One would imagine that a person would watch all that drama back and think, Im not going to even flirt with one of my coworkers, when they return for a new season. Then theres Kings approach, which seems to be to make the same mistakes all over again.

You should talk to my mom, he says. My moms like, Gary, if you do another season, dont sleep with every girl. Im like, Mama dont say that! I dont know what it is. It must be something in the water on Parsifal. I mean, in my everyday life, this doesn't happen.

Bravo

But maybe some leniency is in order. While fans are often baffledfrankly, even concernedby how much drinking and, as such, booze-driven hooking up there is on any given season of Below Deck, Kelliher swears thats just yachtie culture.

We really work hard and play hard, she says. You pull these insane hours. Then, with the hooking up, its inevitable. And Im sure it happens in all kinds of office spaces, where youre working closely together. Here, youve got a bunch of good-looking people and youre all drinking. Its gonna happen.

That said, she does agreeat least on this one pointwith King: There must be something in the water where these Below Deck casts are filming.

The Real Housewives of New York Trailer Is Here and Is Shockingly Good

It happens a little more often on the show, because you think, Im only there for six weeks, so its not that awkward to hook up with guys, she says. Whereas there are jobs that Ive been at for a few years. I pick those situations a bit more carefully because the consequence is bigger. But, yeah, on Below Deck, Ill make out with you. Well be gone in six weeks. I dont really care.

She laughs. Yes, the horniness might seem more escalated on Below Deck. But if you come and hang out in Florida, youre gonna see a yachtie crowd real quick, and youre gonna see them party pretty hard.

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The Ohio Attorney General's office said Tuesday that two men who had been missing  one of them for three decades  have been identified using genetic genealogy and DNA testing on bodies that were found in central Ohio.

The men were identified as Chow Chan, whose body was found in September 1992, and Randy Raines, whose body was found in March 2006.

Related coverage: Northeast Side man identified through DNA 31 years after body was found in Pickaway County

The case of Chow Chan, who was fatally shot in 1992

On Sept. 20, 1992, the body of an Asian male was found along Big Darby Creek in the area of the 7000 block of Lockbourne Road. It was determined that the man, who has now been identified as Chan, was killed after being shot in the head.

When Chan's body was found, DNA technology was still relatively new and efforts to obtain a DNA profile were not successful. Fingerprint matches were not successful either.

In 2000, Chan's remains were submitted by the Franklin County Coroner's office to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. A DNA profile was able to be obtained at that time but there was no luck in identifying the person.

In 2022, archives had been digitized and records were obtained that led investigators to a couple who believed they were the unidentified person's parents in Queens, New York. The couple had given a DNA sample in 1993 for comparison to the John Doe, but that comparison was not done at the time because of the lack of a profile of the victim.

Related coverage: Cold case DNA match was too late for attempted murder conviction, Ohio Supreme Court rules

Agents with BCI reached out in January 2023 to the Manhattan District Attorney's office to get an additional DNA profile from the woman who believed she was the victim's mother. In February, DNA testing showed the woman's sample was consistent with that of a biological child and the victim was identified as Chan.

He was 19 at the time his body was found.

His death remains an unsolved homicide investigation being conducted by the Franklin County Sheriff's office. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. John Thompson at 614-525-3352.

The case of Randy Raines, whose body was found in the Scioto River

The other man, whose body was found on March 30, 2006, was identified as 39-year-old Randy Raines.

The man's body was found in the Scioto River and the man's cause of death was unable to be determined.

Related coverage: After 36 years, Delaware County detectives solve slaying of 15-year-old Columbus boy

A DNA sample was submitted to BCI's Project LINK (Linking Individuals Not Known) and compared to DNA samples of other missing people, which yielded no results. A search through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) was also unsuccessful.

In 2022, the coroner's office asked for the help of the DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit effort using investigative genetic genealogy to help identify remains with crowdfunding covering the costs of advanced DNA extraction and the genealogical work.

In March, a sample from a person who was possibly the brother of the victim was collected and a successful comparison was done, identifying the man who was found as Raines.

"We work cold cases because everyone counts and everyone deserves justice," Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. "Each time we crack a cold case, the emotions of empathy and anticipation are bittersweet."

The Franklin County Coroners Offices website has a database of unidentified persons, including six cases from 1989 to 2022. Anyone with information about those cases are asked to call the Investigations Section of the coroners office at 614-525-5290.

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: DNA, genetic genealogy lead to identification of two local John Does
An Oconee County deputy was killed after his lawn mower turned over into a creek bed, pinning him underneath and drowning him, according to the Oconee County Sheriffs Office.

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Lieutenant Scott Underwood, 50, was cutting grass behind his home in Farmington when the mower rolled over, pinning Underwood underneath.

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Oconee County Sheriff James Hale said the coroner will list the death as a drowning.

Underwood was found by his wife, Tracy Underwood, around 9:30 p.m., after she got home and found his patrol car still in the driveway. He was supposed to be at work at the time.

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Underwood, who was the father of two teenage boys, had worked at the sheriffs office for 21 years.

Please keep his family and his Sheriffs Office family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time as we grieve our tremendous loss and say goodbye to our friend and brother, the sheriffs office wrote on Facebook.

A funeral is scheduled for Friday, May 26 at Prince Avenue Baptist Church in Bogart at 1:00 p.m. The family asks for love offerings in lieu of flowers sent to their memorial fund. Love offerings can be directed to the Scott M. Underwood Benefit Account at Oconee State Bank, according to the Sheriffs Office. All funds will go directly to the Underwood family.

IN OTHER NEWS:
The member of the Bundestag believes that long-range Taurus missiles should be handed over to Ukraine

Berlin does not possess a substantial number of these highly accurate guided missiles, with only 150 operational of the 600 purchased ten years ago, but it would be far more beneficial to use them in Ukraine rather than storing them in Germany, he said.

Read also: Germany commits 2.7 billion euros in military assistance to Ukraine, including tanks, drones, air defense systems

Ukraines partners should now take a gamble and provide the country with everything it can utilize for a multi-domain, interrelated use of various types of weaponry, within the bounds of international law, he said.

Taurus missiles, with a range of 400-500 kilometers, would make a highly valuable contribution from Germany, he said, emphasizing that Ukraine should receive all types of weaponry used by NATO, and there should be no more red lines.

Read also: Global military spending soars in wake of Ukraine war, study shows

The Taurus KEPD 350 is a Swedish-German air-to-ground cruise missile with a flight range of over 500 kilometers. They are designed for high-precision strikes against highly protected and deeply embedded targets, without risking the aircraft to enemy air defense. Taurus missiles are used by Germany, Spain, and South Korea.

U.S. television channel CNN reported on May 11 that London had already provided Kyiv with several long-range air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

Read also: UK spearheading effort to provide Ukraine with long-range missiles, report says

Later, UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace confirmed this, emphasizing that the missiles would be used within the sovereign territory of the country.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also expressed readiness to transfer missiles to Kyiv, which would allow resistance during counteroffensive operations.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
(Bloomberg) -- Germany plans to buy 18 battle tanks and 12 self-propelled howitzers from domestic manufacturers Rheinmetall AG and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH as part of an order worth a total of 843 million ($910 million) to replace equipment sent to Ukraine.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The purchase, which also includes spare parts, is expected to be approved by the budget committee in the lower house of the German parliament on Wednesday, according to people familiar with the matter and defense ministry documents obtained by Bloomberg.

A spokeswoman for the defense ministry confirmed that the purchase plan to replace the Leopard 2 tanks was forwarded to the budget committee, declining to comment further. Rheinmetall referred queries to Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, which in turn didnt respond to a request for comment.

Chancellor Olaf Scholzs government will pay 525.6 million for the Leopard 2 tanks and 190.7 million for PzH 2000 howitzers, according to a defense ministry paper. The supply of spare parts for the Leopards is worth 126.6 million. The first tanks are to be delivered in 2026 at the latest, said the people, who asked not to be identified prior to formal approval.

The deal is a first step with Germany seeking to secure options for 105 Leopard tanks in a deal worth up to 2.9 billion.

Germany abandoned a policy against sending lethal weapons into combat zones in response to Russias war in Ukraine. The government in Berlin has delivered 18 Leopard tanks, while the rapid-fire PzH 2000 was among the first heavy weapons handed over to Kyiv.

Shortly after the invasion last February, Germany set aside 100 billion to upgrade its military in a special fund outside its normal budget. But since this is a replacement order, the funds will be part of regular spending.

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By Andreas Rinke

BERLIN (Reuters) - A new strategy for Germany in its dealings with China faces delays over policy differences within the government, and it will not be in place in time for bilateral talks on June 20, three sources told Reuters.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government last year ordered a rethink on how Germany interacts with China, its biggest trade partner but also viewed by Berlin as an increasingly assertive competitor and strategic rival.

At a meeting of the wealthy Group of Seven (G7) nations in Japan last weekend, Scholz said major investment would continue to flow to China even as governments sought to pare risky exposure to the world's second-largest economy.

But Germany will only publish its China strategy once Scholz's coalition has unveiled a wider national security review commissioned after the war in Ukraine and which the sources said is still being finalised.

Sticking points on the broader security strategy include questions on arms exports and on whether Germany should launch cyber counterattacks on entities after its institutions are hacked, the sources said.

It is expected to come before the cabinet on June 14. "We can't have a China strategy just six days later," one of the sources said.

Scholz's coalition is also thrashing out differences over the China review. The foreign affairs and economics ministries, led by junior partner the Greens, favour more restrictive economic relations.

Economy Minister Robert Habeck has spoken in favour of screening the investment of German companies doing business in China to protect the flow of sensitive technology and know-how.

Scholz meanwhile wants to push through an investment by the Chinese state shipping company Cosco into a container terminal in Hamburg, considered a strategic asset.

Asked about the delays, the leader of the main opposition CDU party, Friedrich Merz, said it damaged Germany's reputation and said Scholz's trip to Beijing last year - the first by a G7 leader since the pandemic - had been premature.

"If the German-Chinese government consultations take place without a coordinated concept, the government will make the same mistake," he said. "You stumble into a government consultation without a coordinated strategy within your own ranks."

(Writing by Matthias Williams; editing by John Stonestreet)
China launches scientific expedition to Mt. Qomolangma

Xinhua) 08:30, May 23, 2023

Scientific research members learn to set up automatic weather station near the Mount Qomolangma base camp in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 9, 2023. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)

MOUNT QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Tibet, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese scientists have started a scientific expedition to the Mount Qomolangma region in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, as part of the second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

A total of 170 scientists are conducting research on water, ecology and human activities, aiming to reveal the mechanism of environmental change and optimize the ecological security barrier system on the plateau.

Dubbed "the roof of the world" and "water tower of Asia," the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is an important ecological security barrier in China. It is also a natural laboratory for conducting research on the evolution of the Earth and life, the interaction among spheres and the relationship between man and Earth.

According to the law on ecological conservation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the state encourages and supports scientific investigation and research on the plateau, and promotes long-term research to grasp the ecological background of the plateau and its changes.

As an important part of the second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which was initiated in 2017, the ongoing expedition is of great significance to studying the impact of climate and environment change in the Mt. Qomolangma region on other parts of the world.

The 2023 Qomolangma expedition will continue to focus on major scientific issues such as how the extremely high altitude environment of Mt. Qomolangma changes under the influence of global warming, how the environment change of Mt. Qomolangma interacts with the westerly winds and monsoons, and how the environment of Mt. Qomolangma will affect the changes of the "water tower of Asia," according to Yao Tandong, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and team leader of the second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

"The Qomolangma expedition has realized the transformation from 'I want to conquer you' to 'I want to understand you,' achieved the application of new technologies and new means, and resulted in important international influence," he said.

A series of scientific achievements including "the synergy and influence of westerly winds and monsoons," "the special physiological response of the human body in the Mt. Qomolangma region" and "the ecological process of the greening of the Mt. Qomolangma region" have been made so far during the second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

A scientific research member tests water quality near the Mount Qomolangma base camp in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)

A scientific research member works near the Mount Qomolangma base camp in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)

Scientific research members discuss with each other at a sea level of 5,300 meters of the Mount Qomolangma in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)

A scientific research member operates a drone to collect air sample at an atmosphere and environment observation and research station of the Mount Qomolangma region in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)

This aerial photo shows scientific research members collecting water sample at a sea level of 5,300 meters of the Mount Qomolangma in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)

Scientific research members measure river flow velocity near the Mount Qomolangma base camp in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)

Scientific research members collect soil samples near the Mount Qomolangma base camp in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Glenn Youngkin considers entering 2024 race  one month after indicating he was unlikely to run

Gov Glenn Youngkin of Virginia is giving fresh consideration to the possibility of running for president, Axios reported on Tuesday.

Mr Youngkin, a conservative who was elected governor in 2021, said last month that he was fully focused on his duties in Virginia rather than a presidential campaign. But the release of a campaign-style video last week with the line it's time to usher in a new era of American values reignited speculation that Mr Youngkin may ultimately launch a bid.

If he does, Axios reports, it will be in part because of the challenges his fellow governor Ron DeSantis is experiencing as he looks to get his campaign off the ground.

The conventional wisdom for months was that Mr DeSantis was the most formidable challenger to former President Donald Trump  even at times besting him in polls of early voting states. But Mr DeSantis has had a difficult spring, losing ground in the polls to Mr Trump and, reportedly, the confidence of some of the deep-pocketed donors hes relying on to fuel his imminent campaign.

That may have left the door ajar for other Republicans who harbor ambitions of challenging the former president. Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, former Gov Asa Hutchinson, and Sen Tim Scott have all launched campaigns, with a host of other would-be candidates still weighing their own futures.

For now, Mr Youngkins political team is rejecting ideas that he is moving closer to a presidential bid.

Governor Youngkin is focused on Virginia, Dave Rexrode, senior adviser to Mr Youngkin, told Axios. Anyone who anonymously says otherwise probably isnt as close to the Governor as they want people to think.

Mr Youngkins timeline may be different than those of other candidates. Virginia has state legislative elections coming up in November, with Democratic control of the state Senate currently stalling parts of Mr Youngkins agenda. The other consideration is that Virginia governors are only permitted to serve one term, meaning that 2024 will be Mr Youngkins last year in office.

Still, Axios has reported that some wealthy Republican donors want Mr Youngkin in the race. Hes reconsidering, Axios quoted an adivser to Mr Youngkin as saying. Hed be in his own lane: Hes not never-Trump, and hes not Trump-light.

Unlike Mr DeSantis, Mr Youngkin has not had full control of the state assembly during his term as governor and was elected in a state that has not supported a Republican for president in nearly two decades. But like Mr DeSantis, hes focused on culture war issues like severely limiting discussions of race in public schools and attempting to ban mask mandates.

On economic issues, hes governed like a standard Republican: focused on cutting taxes, at the expense, according to Democrats, of investment in social infrastructure.
General Motors CFO Paul Jacobson feels so good about the automaker that he did something even CEO Mary Barra has rarely done: Buy GM stock.

Jacobson spent about $1.01 million of his own money to buy 31,000 shares at $32.60 a share in a transaction dated May 19, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Jacobson now owns 186,847 shares of the companys stock valued at about $6.1 million.

GM's newly hired CFO Paul Jacobson joins the automaker from Delta.

It is the second time Jacobson bought stock in GM since joining the automaker in December 2020.

"Im sure he finds the stock quite undervalued and he believes in GMs EV transformation," said David Whiston, auto analyst for Morningstar. "Its been odd to see Fords cap higher than GMs recently when GMs margins are far higher, so he probably wants to do what he can to boost the share price."

Confidence in EVs

Whiston is referring to market cap, which is the total value of a company's outstanding shares. As of Tuesday, Ford's market cap was $46.89 billion and GM's was $46.32 billion.

GM spokesman Jim Cain said the buy signals Jacobson's confidence in GM's plan to transition to all EVs by 2035.

"Pauls stock purchases reflect his confidence in our ability to deliver both today and into the future as we grow our EV portfolio, and scale Cruise and other growth opportunities," Cain told the Detroit Free Press in an email.

Three-quarter view of 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS in Radiant Red Tintcoat. Preproduction model shown. Actual production model may vary. 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV available Spring 2023.

GM plans to reveal an all-electric version of its flagship Cadillac Escalade, to be called Escalade IQ, later this year. It has several other new EVs coming to market in the next 18 months including the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Blazer EV and Silverado EV.

Jacobson is an opportunist

In April 2022, Jacobson spent $1.4 million to buy GM stock at $38.79 a share, well below the all-time high of $67.21 at the start of 2022, said Ben Silverman, director of research at VerityData, a Boston investment research firm that tracks insider trading patterns and buyback activity.

GM's shares have see-sawed between $30 and $44 for the past year. Yet, with the stock again trading lower, Jacobson made this second purchase.

"Mary Barra has been CEO for over nine years now .... her only buy was $26,000 worth of stock in 2010 before she was CEO," Silverman said. "That just shows you how unusual it is" for an officer to purchase stock.

Cain confirmed Barra has not made any recent open market purchases, but emphasized that most of her compensation is at risk because it's tied to the performance of GM stock.

Large corporations such as GM pay their executives with various stock awards, so "why would you buy stock if you're getting it free for your service to the company? So this is unusual. You don't have the CEO putting any cash to work in the stock. He is."

Then again, Jacobson bought stock in Delta, where he was CFO, before joining GM. "He behaves opportunistically, he buys when the stock holds back," Silverman said.

More: GM Vice President Mike Perez will negotiate UAW's contract, is respected by hourly workers

More: Mary Barra ready to prove GM stock is as valuable as Tesla

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 CFO makes big stock buy and here's why
The families of two of the victims in the University of Idaho killings last fall have filed notice reserving their right to sue the city of Moscow, according to documents filed with the city.

The families of slain students Kaylee Goncalves, 21, and Madison Mogen, 21, may seek damages against the city for the murders of their daughters, according to the notices, which were dated May 3 and May 11, respectively, and were obtained by ABC News.

The notices do not specify what kind of claim the families may make. They say that potential dollar figures for damages are "undetermined at this time."

No lawsuit has yet been filed, but the claims protect the families' rights to sue within two years, Shanon Gray, an attorney representing the Goncalves and Mogen families, told ABC News.

PHOTO: Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court, May 22, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (Zach Wilkinson/Pool via Reuters)

MORE: Idaho college murders: The complete timeline of events

"Filing a tort claims notice is really just a safeguard," Gray said. "It's a safeguard to protect the interests of the families, the victims and really the whole community around, because if something goes wrong, or was done improperly, then someone is held accountable for that."

Gray said he had also filed tort claims notices with Washington State as well as Idaho State.

"Those aren't meant to do anything other than protect the interests of the families and the victims moving forward," Gray said.

When reached Monday evening Moscow Mayor Art Bettge had no comment on the matter.

PHOTO: Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen. (Courtesy of the Goncalves family)

Goncalves and Mogen were among four students at the university, along with Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20, who were found stabbed to death at their off-campus house on Nov. 13 by officers responding at the scene. After a more than six-week hunt, police zeroed in on a suspect: Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old criminology Ph.D. student at nearby Washington State University.

Kohberger was arrested on Dec. 30 in Pennsylvania, after driving cross-country to spend the holidays at his family home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania. On Wednesday, a grand jury returned a multi-count indictment against Kohberger, including four counts of murder in the first degree.

PHOTO: Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, listens during his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court, Monday, May 22, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. (Zach Wilkinson/Pool via Reuters)

MORE: Idaho college murders strain town financially as investigation expenses mount

Kohberger stood silent at his arraignment Monday. Second District Judge John Judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.

Early on in the investigation, Gray and the Goncalves families had expressed frustration with the pace of the investigation and what they described as lack of transparency.

In a mid-December interview on NBC, Gray questioned whether the local police were "capable" of handling the quadruple homicide investigation and that they had done a "poor job" of communicating information to the family.

"If they are in over their heads, then acknowledge that and turn the investigation over to someone who is more versed in handling these types of matters," Gray said.

FOLLOW THE PODCAST: "The King Road Killings: An Idaho Murder Mystery" from ABC News, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or your preferred podcast player.

Idaho college murders: 2 slain students' families reserve right to sue Moscow, documents say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
(Bloomberg) -- Shortly after we arrive at Andy Streets office, he insists on bundling into a taxi. Darkening rain clouds arent going to stop the mayor of the West Midlands from showing off his proudest new achievement: luring Goldman Sachs to Birmingham.

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Minutes later, Street marches across the citys new financial district and plants himself in front of Goldmans offices for our interview. When they initially came, they committed to 150, theyre already at 400, and theyve taken space for 1,000! he says, hailing the banks local headcount.

Goldman, which is nestled between offices belonging to HSBC and PwC, is just the beginning, says Street. What I believe will happen in the UK is we will see places like this grow relatively and actually the financial services sector will therefore be better distributed. Are there conversations to bring more big banks to Birmingham? There are but I couldnt possibly tell you, he says.

Until seven years ago, Street was the boss of the John Lewis Partnership Plc, where he set the department store chain on a course for rapid expansion, opening shops across the country  including in Birmingham. However in 2016, at 53, he swapped his 800,000 ($994,000) a year retail job for politics, running as Conservative mayor for the West Midlands. He now represents 2.8 million people and regularly opines on issues such as energy bills, leveling up and Westminster politics in general.

Today, he wants to talk about investment zones, a Tory initiative to create regional clusters and drive economic growth. But as he fastens a microphone to the lapel of his navy suit, he cant resist taking a pop at his former employer. The outfit is from a local tailor, not John Lewis, he says. They dont sell proper suits anymore.

Genuine Tragedy

Its not the first broadside Street has fired in recent weeks, following reports that the beleaguered retailers chairman, Sharon White, was on the hunt for outside investment. John Lewis is a mutual, owned by its employees  known as partners.

They should not be pursuing a demutualization or bringing in private funding, says Street. The whole point of the John Lewis Partnership is that its owned by its employees for their long-term wellbeing. And I do not believe you can sell off a part of it and still achieve that objective, and I think the objective must be held paramount like the north star.

As if to underline the point, he says: It would be a genuine tragedy if part of it was to be sold.

John Lewis posted an annual loss of 234 million for 2022 and is due to cut jobs. White has reversed much of Streets store expansion, closing stores  including the one he opened in Birmingham  as she tries to reinvigorate a business that when she took over was run like the civil service with the same sense of entitlement, according to Clive Black, analyst at Shore Capital.

She is also searching for new revenues, striking a 500 million partnership with asset manager Abdrn to build 1,000 homes for rent. I genuinely dont know why theyve decided to do that, says Street.

Streets gloomy comments on John Lewis stand in contrast to his almost Panglossian approach to the West Midlands and his partys future. He is relentlessly optimistic, despite having to fight for government funding for the region, and as a senior Conservative, this months crushing local election results have left the party bruised.

Street is proud to say that while the Tories lost almost 1,000 seats in the May election across England, they put up a much stronger performance in the West Midlands. Its a feat he is hoping will secure a third term as Conservative mayor. I hope Ive demonstrated that by bringing my business-like approach, we can sort things out and get stuff done, he says.

Brexit

Street manages to look on the bright side even when it comes to Britains struggling car industry. He admits Brexit had an impact on the West Midlands when the terms of trade changed for car parts. There has been a loss of jobs in the manufacturing sector, no question about it, he says, before adding hopefully that employment growth in other sectors is really picking up.

Given the Tories electoral troubles (Labour enjoys a double-digit lead in the polls) amid a generational cost-of-living crisis and rising mortgage rates, is Street being a little too optimistic? Ive learned that in this role, theres no point just sitting here just hurling rocks, he says. Youve got to present a positive picture of why its worth investing.

Street grew up in Northfield and Solihull, where his mother was a pharmacist and his father a salesman. He attended the independent school King Edwards in Edgbaston, before going to Oxford University, where he led the students Conservative Association. He joined John Lewis after university as a trainee in Brent Cross  rising through the ranks to become managing director of its Milton Keynes store in 2003. In 2007, he became managing director of the whole business.

In 2017, he secured a narrow victory to be Tory mayor in a region in which 21 of the 28 local authorities were controlled by the Labour party. Under his leadership, Birmingham was chosen to host the Commonwealth Games, while Coventry won the City of Culture in 2021.

Talent

For Goldman, and other finance companies, the advantage of moving support staff to Birmingham is a 40% saving on property costs  along with cheaper living expenses for employees. Goldmans office is in the heart of an enterprise zone which offers discounts on business rates. There, it will occupy five floors of a building staffed with engineering workers, human capital management, legal, audit and corporate and workplace solutions.

Street says the battle to attract a new Goldman office was a race between different places  with much wooing from Street  but ultimately won by Birmingham due its access to talent, with six universities nearby. In a statement last September to announce the move, Goldman said it was diversifying locations to attract and hire talent.

Goldman has its European headquarters in Londons Plumtree Court where it employs 6,000 people, but like rivals, the bank has looked outside the capital for jobs beyond core financial services. Citigroup Inc is seeking 400 more staff for its Belfast office, while Accenture has also set up a hub in the West Midlands. The Financial Reporting Council, the audit regulator, has been told by ministers to move to Birmingham.

This is modern Birmingham, Street says, as we stand amid the rows of new office blocks on Centenary Square. I hope youd agree that this is a beautiful physical space. Its well connected. Its a place that people want to come and work.

--With assistance from Deirdre Hipwell.

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The GOP's bill to permanently block Biden's student-debt relief could cause public servants' loan balances to unexpectedly balloon if it passes, advocacy groups say

Rep. Virginia Foxx Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Image

The SBPC and AFT released a report analyzing the impacts of a GOP bill to overturn student-debt relief.

The report said the bill would reinstate loans forgiven over the past year under PSLF.

GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx rejected that idea during a hearing last week as Democrats said loans would be reinstated under the bill.

Some advocates are sounding the alarm on possible consequences of a Republican bill to overturn President Joe Biden's student-debt relief.

The House is scheduled to vote on Wednesday on a bill, first introduced in March, that would overturn Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt, along with immediately ending the recent payment pause. The bill was introduced using the Congressional Review Act  a fast-track tool that lawmakers can use to overturn final rules put in place by government agencies.

However, the text of the CRA statute could suggest the GOP bill might do far more than block Biden's broad debt relief and the student-loan payment pauses. On Monday, the Student Borrower Protection Center and American Federation of Teachers released a report analyzing the impacts of the CRA  should it pass  on borrowers who received relief through, or are currently making payments toward, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which forgives student debt for government and nonprofit workers after ten years of qualifying payments.

That's because, as SBPC's Executive Director Mike Pierce said on a Tuesday press call, the text of the CRA itself is "retroactive," meaning millions of borrowers who received debt relief through PSLF during the payment pauses risk having their loans reinstated.

Specifically, a clause in the CRA states that "a rule that does not take effect (or does not continue) may not be reissued in substantially the same form," which Pierce said means that "any subsequent executive action that mirrors the policy rebuked via the CRA is also invalid."

"This resolution will unwind debt relief already delivered to hundreds of thousands of public service workers across the country. This will happen because the seventh and eighth payment pauses also give credit towards Public Service Loan Forgiveness for each paused month covered by these executive actions," Pierce said, referring to Federal Student Aid guidelines that state paused payments will count toward PSLF progress as long as the borrower meets all other qualifications.

SBPC and AFT's report estimates that as a result of that clause, as many as 268,660 borrowers in public service who received debt relief from September 2022 through March 2023 could have $19 billion in debt reinstated, based on PSLF data from Federal Student Aid. The report also estimates that two million public servants making progress toward payments in PSLF could lose "at least some progress toward relief."

Still, while Democratic lawmakers said during a House education committee markup of the bill last week that payments would be reinstated under the legislation, chair of the committee Virginia Foxx rejected those statements.

"Unfortunately, radical advocacy groups whose sole mission is to see every last student loan transferred to taxpayers have put out untruthful claims about this legislation, scares student-loan borrowers, with zero evidence or historical precedent to rely upon," Foxx said during the markup. "These left-wing advocates are misleading borrowers by, among other things, telling them that they will have to make payments retroactively for the time student-loan payment was paused. That's just not true."

"My Democratic colleagues are unfortunately amplifying this deceitful claim," she continued. "However, I want to be clear, nothing in this bill requires the Department of Education to break down the doors of borrowers like Biden's IRS army and forced borrowers to make retroactive payments, and nothing in this bill directs the department to take away the months spent in forbearance that count towards programs like Public Service Loan Forgiveness."

Foxx's office did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the topic.

The legislation will likely pass the House due to the Republican majority, but it faces a trickier path ahead in the Democratic-controlled Senate and White House. The Office of Management and Budget said in a Monday statement that Biden will veto the bill if it makes it to his desk.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Finger on laptop - Dominic Lipinski/PA

All major government spending plans are to be dissected for fraud risks under plans to stop scammers from hoovering up taxpayers cash.

A new team within Whitehall will stress test big funding pledges and check them for loopholes before the cash can be disbursed to the public.

The reform has been introduced after the Treasury lost 4.5 billion to fraud during the Covid-19 pandemic, much of which is yet to be recovered.

More than 21 billion has gone missing since the start of 2020, according to the National Audit Office, the bulk of which is very unlikely to be recovered.

Ministers said the Governments in-house anti-fraud squad, known as the Risk, Threat and Prevention Service, is the first of its kind in the world.

Rigorous identification of the threats

The team, which comes into being on Tuesday, will be sent into all Whitehall departments and is tasked with bolstering their defences against scammers.

Experts will adopt the techniques used by criminals, including hackers, to test how well new spending pledges will protect taxpayers cash.

They will also draw up a list of public sector areas at the highest risk of being targeted, such as work and pensions, so they can be given extra protection.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe, a Cabinet Office minister, said: We know that fraudsters, both in the UK and overseas, are targeting public funds and so we must do everything we can to stop them.

The public expects us to protect taxpayers money, so this new service steps up the Governments fraud defences through more rigorous identification of the threats we face and specialist support for public services.

The scheme could help prevent hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers cash from being lost to fraudsters every year.

It is part of a wider 1 billion crackdown on the misuse of money which is being led by the Public Sector Fraud Authority.

The move follows concern over the amount of taxpayers cash that fall into the hands of scammers during the pandemic.

Last November, the head of HMRC told MPs that three Covid schemes had resulted in 4.5bn of fraud, of which the taxpayer will only get back 1.1bn.

Then, in March, the National Audit Office revealed that of the 1.1bn lost from the business support scheme, just 1 per cent has been recovered.

The spending watchdog warned that many public bodies were totally unaware of the high levels of fraud they were suffering from.

Ministers say they have clawed back more than 3.1bn of all fraudulently claimed cash in the last two years, which includes Covid programmes.

Mark Cheeseman, the first chief executive of the Public Sector Fraud Authority, said the creation of the new Whitehall team would reduce the risk in future.

He said: Across the world, fraud is getting more complex and pervasive, but we know that the investment in understanding and preventing fraud pays off.

The creation of the new Risk, Threat and Prevention Service, a first for the Government, will help us to continue innovating, and improving, across the system at finding, fighting and stopping fraud.

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Grateful for his service. Politicians, officers show support for KY deputy who was shot

The news of Scott County Sheriffs deputy Caleb Conleys death Monday reached all corners of Kentucky, as dozens of political figures and law enforcement agencies offered condolences for Conleys friends and family.

Conley was shot on I-75 near the 127 mile marker around 5 p.m. Monday while trying to stop a suspect from fleeing, Scott County Sheriff Tony Hampton told reporters Monday. The incident happened during a traffic stop, and officials say the suspect in Conleys death is in custody. More information hasnt yet been released.

Conley served with the Scott County Sheriffs Office for four years and served with the U.S. Army for eight years. He left behind a wife, small children and his parents, Hampton said.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear said in a Facebook post he was praying the Conleys family and the sheriffs office.

This hero made the ultimate sacrifice, and we will be forever grateful, Beshear said in the Facebook post.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who is the GOP nominee for governor, also sent out a Facebook post about Conleys death, saying Conley was a hero.

Makenze and I mourn the loss of this hero, Cameron said in the Facebook post. Todays tragedy is yet another example of the grave dangers faced by our law officers.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said the state mourns the death of Conley, who he called a brave officer. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) also sent out a statement, and said he is praying for Conleys family and friends.

Elaine and I send our deepest sympathies to the Conley family, their loved ones, and his fellow law enforcement officers, McConnell said in a Facebook post.

Kelley and I are praying for the family and friends of Scott County Deputy Sheriff Caleb Conley, who was killed in the line of duty. We are deeply grateful for his service and thank him for protecting our community.  Rand Paul (@RandPaul) May 23, 2023

The Scott County Sheriffs Office said it will be closed Tuesday and thanked the community for its support.

We are deeply saddened to announce we lost a beloved member of our office today, Deputy Caleb Conley, the sheriffs office said in a Facebook post. We are receiving a much appreciated, overwhelming outreach of support from our community and across this state.

Many local law enforcement agencies offered their support and condolences for the Scott County Sheriffs Office, including the Lexington Police Department, Madison County Sheriffs Office, Jessamine County Sheriffs Office, Franklin County Sheriffs Office, Winchester Police Department, Versailles Police Department, Paris Police Department, Boyle County Sheriffs Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and many more.

Days like today are difficult to put into words, and we are deeply saddened to learn of his passing, Lexington police said in a Facebook post.

@ATFLouisivllle stands with Scott County, KY Sheriffs Office (@SheriffKy). Our hearts are heavy and we are praying for SCSO and family who lost a hero who gave his life protecting our Commonwealth. #protectandserve pic.twitter.com/bgz6ivsRN5  ATF Louisville (@ATFLouisville) May 23, 2023

#FBILouisville sends our condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Deputy Sheriff Caleb Conley of the Scott County Sheriff's Office. Deputy Sheriff Conley's dedication to our community will never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/OSXqgwCNee  FBI Louisville (@FBILouisville) May 23, 2023

Carlton Shier IV, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, said his office stands with its law enforcement partners and will offer its support for the investigation.

Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by these tragic events, especially the family members, friends, and colleagues of Deputy Caleb Conley and those injured during the incidents, Shier said in a statement.
Florida Department of Transportation consultant Maryam Ghyabi-White provides an update on the status of the I-95 at U.S. 1 interchange project in Ormond Beach.

We are making great progress on the I-95 at U.S. 1 interchange project in Ormond Beach and I believe we are getting closer to making this project a reality. A solid engineering solution has already been identified by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) in close coordination with the local government partners and communities, and we are making tremendous strides toward project implementation.

The reconstruction of the Interstate 95-U.S. 1 interchange in Ormond Beach will utilize a diverging diamond design, which reduces conflict points for left-turning vehicles, improves left-turn capacity and minimizes traffic queues, or blocks of stopped vehicles at intersections.

The Moving Florida Forward Infrastructure Initiative included $340 million in construction funding for the project. The initiative is Gov. Ron DeSantis bold vision to advance 20 priority transportation infrastructure projects in the state.

As Florida continues to experience rapid increases in population and tourism, this proposal will address congestion and improve safety, while ensuring a more resilient transportation system and bolstering the supply chain.

More: Construction date uncertain for I-95 Ormond Beach exit despite $4 billion in state budget

More: What is a 'diverging diamond interchange' and how will it work on I-95 in Ormond?

Although the I-95 at U.S. 1 interchange project is listed as number 20 on the list, it is certainly not the lowest priority project  the projects were simply listed alphabetically by county name.

Team meets with FDOT Secretary

A team led by Mayor Bill Partington and comprised of the City of Ormond Beach, Volusia County, the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, and myself, recently met with FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue, and his leadership team in Tallahassee.

Secretary Perdue assured us that the project has been in the pipeline for some time, and it will remain a priority for FDOT and the state of Florida.

Maryam Ghyabi-White

The I-95 at U.S. 1 interchange, close to where I live in Volusia County, was built in the 1960s as part of the Eisenhower interstate system and is one of the oldest interchanges in the state that needs modernization.

A Project Development and Environment (PD&E) study and design are concurrently underway. FDOT invested $7.5 million and innovatively overlapped PD&E and design to expedite the project delivery. A reputable national architecture, engineering, and consulting services firm, RS&H, is leading the study.

The purpose of the study is to improve safety, accommodate future travel demand, enhance pedestrian connectivity, and optimize the overall operation of the interchange. The PD&E study analyzed safety, mobility, and environmental issues near the interchange; identified and evaluated alternate solutions; and recommended improvements that would best meet the purpose and need for the project while minimizing impacts.

An approximately one-mile segment of U.S. 1 between Plantation Oaks Boulevard/Broadway Avenue and Destination Daytona Lane will be widened from two to three lanes in each direction. This widening includes the addition of shared-use paths to serve bicyclists, pedestrians, and other users.

Finding engineering solution 'a challenge'

Identifying the right engineering solution for the interchange was a challenge. The interchange area is constrained by the Florida East Coast Railway in the southeast and southwest quadrants, commercial properties in the northwest quadrant, and residential development in the northeast quadrant.

Two alternative interchange configurations were considered  Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) and Offset Intersection.

Vehicles exiting southbound Interstate 95 line up at the stoplight at U.S. 1 in Ormond Beach. Increased traffic has led to crashes near the interchange, which is being redesigned for a $340 million construction project planned for coming years.

The DDI emerged as the preferred alternative considering safety and capacity benefits, traffic operations and conflict points, bicycle and pedestrian accommodation, and accessibility enhancements. I believe that the project team did an excellent job coming up with the most favorable solution for the interchange based on science and community input. Public hearings for this project were held on March 29th and 30th this year.

The meeting material is available online. The PD&E Study is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

The department has worked closely with communities and regional and local partners through the years to plan and prepare this project for construction. Extensive community outreach was conducted from the onset of the project to understand the vision, needs, and desires of the residents and businesses near the interchange.

City of Ormond Beach leaders have been coordinating with FDOT for several years. As a consultant to both FDOT and the City of Ormond Beach, I have had the pleasure of observing the high level of intergovernmental collaboration throughout the planning and project development process.

Project support

The project is supported by Volusia County, Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce, and Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, and has been prioritized by the River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization. The community engagement process ensured everyone is invited to share ideas and feedback in an open, inclusive, and respectful setting, and that every voice is heard. The business community, elected officials, and residents all came together to support the project.

Like most Moving Florida Forward projects, this project will not be built in one year. However, expediting the project will bring it to completion more than a decade ahead of schedule, which I believe is critically important given that the interchange experiences over 170 crashes every year. Over the last 3 decades, Ive had the pleasure of chairing many coalitions in Central Florida, especially in Volusia County.

These coalitions brought the community together and secured funding for critical infrastructure projects. If the I-4 Bridge at the St. John's River had not been widened 30 years ago, countless lives would have been lost on that heavily traveled roadway.

Similarly, the International Speedway Boulevard (ISB) Coalition worked hard to build consensus and secure over $200 million in funding for the complex interchange at I-4, ISB, and I-95, a project that has clearly improved access and elevated the experience for travelers in Volusia County. The coalition continued its fine work which led to the success of the surrounding network  East ISB, the gateway to our beaches, is currently under construction.

In my opinion, the I-95 at U.S. 1 interchange must be expedited so the residents, businesses, and visitors of Volusia County can realize the benefits starting now as opposed to waiting for another decade or potentially longer. I cant thank all constituents enough for continuing to work together toward securing infrastructure funding for this much-needed project.

As Winston Churchill said, never, never, never give up.

Maryam Ghyabi-White is the CEO & President of Ghyabi Consulting & Management, LLC and serves as an adjunct professor at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She is also a consultant to FDOT and local governments on complex infrastructure projects throughout the State of Florida. She serves as Vice Chair of the St. Johns Water Management District. She is also an avid supporter of Pace Center for Girls and serves on the National Board of Directors.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Update on $340 million I-95, U.S. 1 interchange reconstruction
Greece island hopping: A guide to the best routes and how to explore Greek culture

Lefkada has mindblowingly beautiful beaches (G Filippini)

Greeces wide scattering of differently sized, culturally distinct islands makes it a dream for a multi-stop trip. Come May and June, ferry services ramp up for summer, with hops between different islands taking as little as 20 minutes.

Some islands are vast and ripe for exploring, requiring a taxi, hire car or moped to get across their width. In others, youll simply find a bijou port and a forested interior, fringed by rocky or sandy coves you can stroll to. Wherever you go, youll find waterfront tavernas, petite churches, hushed beaches and sunkissed portside bars. Plus, there are Greek Isles hotels that will seriously make you want to linger.

But where to start? Greeces ferry networks are complex, with different services available at different times of year; its best to use a journey planner such as Ferryhopper.com to check ahead for timings and operators. Services can run late, so leave plenty of time between your last ferry and your flight home  an easy (and stressful!) first-time mistake to make.

Read more on Greece travel:

Best for first timers: The Argo-Saronics

Route: Athens-Poros-Hydra-Spetses

Close to the capital of Athens and its port, Piraeus, these islands huddled around the Greek mainland are fab for a first go if youre not sure island hopping is for you. Spend a few cultured nights in the capital, then hop on the ferry to nearby Poros, just over an hour away: here youll find a smart little red-roofed port topped with a clock tower and a handful of hotels and apartments. Dine by the waterfront, then go off in search of the emerald waters at Love Bay.

Hydra: Tiny but glamorous (GNTO_Y Porfiropoulos)

Just 35 minutes boat-ride from here is Hydra, a tiny but glamorous speck which has attracted artists, musicians and photographers since the Sixties. Bask in its romantic port and sunset bars, then walk the coast road to find secret pebble bays, or take a boat trip to its quietest corners.

Next up is Spetses, 40 minutes away  the mellow, car-free island where recent film The Lost Daughter was shot. Seek out its Cave of Bekiris, tiny whitewashed churches and one of the oldest lighthouses in Greece; then take the 2hr50min catamaran all the way back to Piraeus for a flight out of Athens.

When to go

These undiscovered islands dont get as much footfall as the Cyclades (below) so you can go in peak July and not feel too much of a crush. However, September is a delightful, quieter time to visit.

Where to stay

In Athens, historic Asomaton is walking distance from the sights; asomaton.com

On Poros, try the mellow Saga Hotel for a bougainvillea-draped pool; Saga-hotel.com

On Hydra, guesthouse Hydra Icons has 360-degree views from its rooftop; hydraicons.gr

On Spetses, Niriides Guesthouse is a chic three-star with a family-run feel; niriides-spetses.gr

For classic looks: The Cyclades

Route: Santorini-Milos-Sifnos-Serifos-Paros-Mykonos

There are two key ingredients for a successful island-hopping adventure: cheap and plentiful flights into and out of your start and end point, and plenty of ferry links in between. In the Cyclades, where the houses are tiny and whitewashed and the cliffs and bays dramatic and undeveloped, there are UK flights to both Mykonos and Santorini  so compare prices and consider flying into one and out of the other. You could start on Santorini for its jaw-dropping cliffside views, killer sunsets and upmarket dinners, taking the two-hour Seajets ferry on to Milos after two or three days.

Santorini for its jaw-dropping cliffside views (YSkoulas)

Klimas brightly painted fishermans houses are the top sight here, but head to lunar-like Sarakiniko Beach, too (this island is beach central) and take a boat to the Caves of Milos. Next up is Sifnos, 40 minutes away, where youre spoilt for pretty whitewashed villages to potter around (dont miss Chrissopigi Monastery); then to Serifos, 20 minutes on, an unspoiled spot with a particularly beautiful Chora, or port town. Youve just got time for a stop on Paros (a 90-minute service that runs every few days)  which has a slightly more modern feel and a bit of nightlife  before a 40-minute boat on to Mykonos, for ample flights home.

Best time to go

These islands fill up during July and August, so go in early June or mid-September for the best combo of weather and quiet-ish landscapes.

Where to stay

On Santorini, the delightful Vasilicos guesthouse is family-run and tailored to you; thevasilicos.com

On Milos, Milos Summer Time is all cerulean-painted shutters and sea views; milossummertime.com

On Sifnos, the new Sigma Residences are the trendy pad du jour; sigmaresidences.com

On Serifos, the team at stylish Nostos Boutique Hotel will help you get out and explore; nostosboutiquehotel.com

On Paros, affordable Ayeri Hotel is slightly out of the port crush; ayerihotel.gr

On Mykonos, Marisso Hotel is a chilled overnight before a flight home. marisso.gr

For unspoiled nature: The Ionians

Route: Lefkada-Kefalonia-Ithaca-Kefalonia-Zakynthos

Substantially larger, with more towns and trails to dig into, these forested isles are some of the nearest to the UK. Flights into Preveza (connected to Lefkada island), Kefalonia and Zakynthos give you flexibility on route and order. Wed suggest flying into Preveza for the first few nights on Lefkada, staying in relaxed Nidri or Vasiliki for boat trips out to its mind-blowingly beautiful beaches. From Vasiliki you can take the West Ferry to Fiskardo on Kefalonias north coast (1hr45m), then spend up to a week seeing undeveloped beaches, pine forests and gorgeous Venetian towns on this dazzling island.

Agiofili Beach on Lefkada (Lucy Thackray)

Heading east to Sami port, take the 20-minute boat on to Ithaca, a petite, forgotten-feeling speck of gorgeous wild beaches, tiny port towns and chic guesthouses. From here, you could nip back to Kefalonia and fly home; or voyage 3hr45m onward to Zakynthos, home to some of the Ionians most beautiful beaches. Take in its poster-child Shipwreck Beach, Navagio, snorkel with loggerhead turtles or take boats to vivid caves before flying home.

Best time to go

Ferries run between May and September, so go May to early June or September for the best chance of quieter bays and plenty of ferry seats.

Where to stay

On Lefkada, chilled out apartments like Santa Emelia cost from as little as 75 a night; santaemelia.gr

On Kefalonia, Anthis Beach Apartments fit in with the tranquil vibe of Fiskardo; anthisbeach.gr

Further south on Kefalonia, southerly F Zeen is a fitness-focused splurge; fzeenretreat.com

On Ithaca, Korina Gallery Hotel is near the restaurants and boats of Vathy harbour; korinahotel.com

On Zakynthos, try the chic Tsamis Zante Suites; tsamiszantesuites.com

Read more of our best Greek island hotel reviews
(Bloomberg) -- Greeces leading political candidates are accelerating the process to call a new election  the second in about a month  paving the way for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to get an additional four-year term.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Greeces former prime minister and the head of the leftist Syriza opposition party, Alexis Tsipras, turned down on Tuesday a three-day mandate to try to form a coalition. Mitsotakis, who, heads the center-right New Democracy, declined to use the full mandate on Monday.

Mitsotakis pummeled the opposition in Sundays general election, getting more than 40% of the vote, but he fell short of the threshold to be able to immediately form a government on his own. Because the next ballot, which could come as soon as June 25, would be held under different rules, Mitsotakis will likely pass that threshold easily.

I wont take on the mandate as the conditions dont exist to be able to form a government, Tsipras said Tuesday in a meeting with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. Syriza finished second in Sundays election with about 20% of the vote.

Following Sundays vote, the benchmark Athens Stock Exchange General Index jumped to its highest level in almost a decade while the yield on Greeces 10-year bonds dropped by 14 basis points to 3.877%.

Tsiprass decision reflects his low share of the vote and the fact that none of the other party leaders wants to work with him.

Nikos Androulakis, leader of the socialist Pasok party, which placed third in the election also declined to take the mandate on Tuesday.

(Updates with Pasok leader declining to take the mandate in last paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Grocery shopper looking for bananas leaves store with winning Virginia lottery ticket

A grocery shopper returned to a Kroger after the supermarket had been out of bananas the previous day.

On that shopping trip, she left the store with bananas and a winning lottery ticket, according to the Virginia Lottery.

Nancy Webb, of Appomattox, scratched the ticket in the grocery store parking lot, according to a May 23 news release from the lottery.

She won $300,000, the second-highest prize of the 100X the Money game, the agency said. The top prize is $5 million.

Webb, who said she doesnt play the lottery much, won the $30 games first $300,000 prize, according to the lottery. Two are left.

Appomattox is about 95 miles west of Richmond.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

Lottery player started sweating due to shock from win. He credits a lucky penny

Woman plays lottery game for first time and NC prize leaves her in disbelief. No way

Woman scratches winning Iowa lottery ticket while in her car. And I about passed out
Growing Wichita company expands with new headquarters and a new office in Orlando

Farha Roofing is getting a new headquarters and, somewhat unexpectedly, a sixth office nationally.

In July, the company is moving into the 21,000-square-foot former National Guard Armory on Edgemoor just north of Central.

Were remodeling it, owner and president Ben Farha said. Its a pretty substantial project.

The company currently is in smaller space near Harry and Hillside.

Farha said bad parking and a lack of space prompted the move.

Were growing, he said.

The building is on almost three acres.

We have a ton of room for equipment and if we ever need to store items, Farha said.

He said now everything will be able to be in one place, and theres also easy access for trucks coming and going.

Theres a recreational area in the middle of the building where Farha is putting a couple of pickleball courts.

Lindsey Brown vice president of operations for Farha Roofing and Ben Farha, owner and president, stand in the space they will move their headquarters into In July. The company is moving from its current much smaller space near Harry and Hillside into the 21,000-square-foot former National Guard Armory on Edgemoor just north of Central. Jaime Green/The Wichita Eagle

We turned the safe into a conference room, he said. Its a complete overhaul.

Hes also getting the 1956 building listed on the National Register of Historic Places to qualify for tax credits.

Along with the new headquarters, Farha Roofing now has a sixth office, this time in Orlando.

A former employee lives there, and if it werent for him, Farha said he probably wouldnt have opened an office there. However, he said hurricanes make the state a good one for roofers.

Obviously, thats a big attraction. We know the works there. Theres always storms down there.

In addition to Orlando and Wichita, the company also has offices in Denver, Durango and southeast Colorado as well as Kansas City, Mo.

Farha said hes open to growing to more cities, but hes not actively looking.

We kind of like to let it come to us organically.
H-E-B to build another North Texas grocery store with an eCommerce center nearby

H-E-B is starting construction on yet another North Texas store as the retailer continues expansion across the Metroplex.

The Texas-based company will break ground on a second location in Frisco in June. The store at Highway 380 and FM 423 will serve residents in eastern Denton County.

The new location is slated to open late 2024. Since a typical H-E-B grocery store takes about 15 months to construct, the store could finish construction around September.

This new store builds on the companys longstanding presence in the area and reinforces its commitment to serve more customers in this dynamic and growing part of Texas, said Mabrie Jackson, senior director of public affairs for H-E-B, in a release.

The interior of H-E-Bs new location in Frisco, Texas, on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022.

H-E-B also has plans to open a new electronic fulfillment center in Plano.

The facility at 6001 Preston Road will open this summer with plans to hire 125 employees.

The upcoming eCommerce center will use automation and fulfillment processes to service the multiple new H-E-B stores in the area, the company said.

This is H-E-Bs first North Texas service center of its kind. H-E-B has five other eCommerce centers to support H-E-B locations around Austin, Central Texas, Houston and more.

The new Frisco location and Plano eCommerce center are part of H-E-Bs previous commitment to expand its North Texas footprint.

Eli Daniel, general manager of H-E-Bs new Frisco location, cuts a ribbon to celebrate the stores opening on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022.

H-E-B purchased land in Fort Worth in March at The Shops at Chisholm Trail Ranch in far south Fort Worth.

H-E-B began construction in November on an Alliance store in far north Fort Worth at Heritage Trace Parkway and North Riverside Drive. The H-E-B Alliance is expected to open in spring 2024.

The grocery chain broke ground on the Mansfield store in February. The store at U.S. 287 and Broad Street is also slated to open in 2024.

H-E-B has more than 400 locations in Texas and Mexico and achieved $34 billion in sales. It is the largest private employer in Texas with more than 145,000 employees across the state.
On Monday 22 May, the Hamburg Regional Court sentenced 32-year-old Marcel J. up to three years in prison, for approving Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine and possession of weapons, among other things.

Source: This was reported by Die Welt, writes European Pravda

Details: According to the representative of the court, the three-year sentence was due mainly to the fact that the accused had already been sentenced to imprisonment in April by the Berlin District Court for assaulting a journalist. For legal reasons, it was necessary to form the so-called "total sentence".

For the attack, the Berlin court sentenced the man to two years and four months in prison. According to the indictment in the Hamburg court, the 32-year-old man justified the Russian aggressive war against Ukraine on social media, and also called Ukraine a "terrorist state".

He ran a Telegram channel the name and logo of which were associated with the ultra-nationalist Russian Drugaya Rossiya [Other Russia] party. He was also convicted of violating the Weapons Act for the possession of a prohibited knife.

The convicted was advocating in favour of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his ideological supporters, such as ultranationalist Alexander Dugin. According to the prosecution, the convicted is a follower of "pro-Russian National Bolshevik ideas".

In addition, he used the Russian symbol of military propaganda "Z", the demonstration of which is prohibited by German law.

In April, the administrative court of the German city of Koblenz denied a couples request to change their last name, which sounded Russian.

In March, a court in the German city of Wiesbaden fined a man EUR 1,500 for wearing a T-shirt showing a symbol of Russian aggression at work.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
YouTube personality and author Hank Green speaks onstage as he discusses his book

YouTube personality and author Hank Green speaks onstage as he discusses his book "An Absolutely Remarkable Thing."

If youve ever crammed for an exam using a YouTube Crash Course, you might have had Hank Green teach you a few things about history, science, math and more. In a new YouTube video, posted on a joint channel with his brother John Green called vlogbrothers, the 42-year-old science video creator gave viewers an oncology lesson  using himself.

In the 13-minute video called So, I have cancer, Green goes over his diagnosis and treatment, which involved a biopsy and chemotherapy after he noticed he had enlarged lymph nodes and swelling in his armpit.

Good, bad news. One, its cancer, its called lymphoma. Its a cancer of the lymphatic system, Green says in the video. Good news is its something called Hodgkins lymphoma. Its the most treatable  like, one of the most treatable cancers.

Green is right. Hodgkin lymphoma is considered one of the most curable forms of cancer. The American Cancer Society estimated about 8,830 new cases of Hodgkin lymphoma in the U.S. in 2023, with a survival rate of 89% for all patients diagnosed.

As Green explains in his YouTube video, this particular cancer affects the lymphatic system, which produces and stores white blood cells. An abnormality in the DNA of a white blood cell can result in cancerous cells to multiply. Intensive radiotherapy or chemotherapy is typically used to treat it.



The treatment is fairly well established. Like systems of chemotherapies, which Im going to start very soon, Green says.

You know, this is the best time so far in history to get lymphoma, which is a very Hank Green thought, he adds.

We asked experts about Hodgkin lymphoma, including the symptoms, risk factors and common treatment options:

What Is Hodgkin Lymphoma?

The lymphatic system consists of lymph nodes, organs and vessels, which help the body fight infections. There are approximately 600 Lymph nodes, which are found throughout the body, including the chest, abdomen, groin, pelvis, underarms, neck, spleen, behind the breastbone and tonsils. You can feel your lymph nodes in certain parts of the body, including the neck and groin  which should feel like soft, pea-sized lumps.

Our bodies have B cells, which create antibodies, and T cells, which kill bacteria, fungi and abnormal cells. Both of these cells are types of white blood cells that exist in the immune system. When these healthy cells in the lymphatic system grow and multiply uncontrollably, a tumor can form. Additionally, when a tumor involves other parts of the lymphatic system, it can also spread to other areas of the body. This is the mechanism for Hodgkin lymphoma.

Nikki Yuill, an oncology social worker and the director of the Information Resource Center at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, told HuffPost that Hodgkin lymphoma is considered a type of blood cancer, which can be difficult to diagnose.

Your doctor should take a comprehensive medical history and ask questions about any symptoms you might be experiencing, Yuill said. During the physical examination, all accessible lymph node groups, neck, underarms and groin, will be measured as well as the size of palpable organs such as the spleen and liver.

Symptoms of Hodgkin lymphoma include swollen lymph nodes, fever, chills, night sweats, weight loss and itchy skin. Like Green, if enlarged lymph nodes are detected, a biopsy  which is when a doctor removes a small amount of tissue to examine it  is conducted to make a diagnosis.

If Hodgkin lymphoma is detected, additional testing might be required to determine the type and stage of the cancer, Yuill said.

Risk Factors For Hodgkin Lymphoma

The cause of lymphoma is unknown. However, possible triggers include genetic and environmental factors, certain infections and viruses, immunocompromised disorders or abnormalities in chromosomes or the immune system. Green indicated that he had combined factors that put him at risk for cancer.

I have a bunch of risk factors for lymphoma, including medications Ive taken, including the fact that I have an autoimmune disease, including the fact that I had mono when I was a kid, Green said.

Mono, or mononucleosis, is associated with the development of some cancers, including Hodgkin lymphoma, Yuill said. However, very few who were infected will develop Hodgkin lymphoma.

In Hank Greens case, he has an autoimmune disease and disclosed he had mononucleosis as a child, although theres no certain way to make a connection between these factors and his diagnosis, Yuill explained.

Common Treatment Options For Hodgkin Lymphoma

The main treatment options for Hodgkin lymphoma include radiotherapy and chemotherapy, depending on the stage of the cancer, a persons age, general health and the type and location of the lymphoma.

Patient treatment plans are individualized, Dr. Soyoung Sara Park, a hematologic oncologist at the American Board of Internal Medicine and City of Hope, told HuffPost. Typically, a four-drug chemotherapy regimen is the frontline treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. This will span about six cycles on average, depending on the stage of disease and other factors, with each cycle lasting about four weeks. So average treatment duration can potentially last about six months with frontline treatment.

Chemotherapy allows for drugs to enter the bloodstream and target cancer cells, while radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. For people with Hodgkin lymphoma, radiation treatment begins after chemotherapy, working together to treat the disease.

A proper diagnosis, including Hodgkins lymphomas subtype and stage is necessary to ensure a patient receives the right treatment, Yuill said. Treatment is evolving due to the development of new drugs and research findings from clinical trials. Some of the most common forms of treatment include chemotherapy and drug therapy, radiation, stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy.

In his video, Green shares that he has caught his diagnosis early and will begin chemotherapy shortly. Park said that checking your own lymph nodes can help in early diagnosis.

It is helpful if patients check their own lymph nodes regularly, such as once or twice a week, for changes in size in their necks, bilateral armpits and groin areas, Park explained. Patients should discuss any concerns with their primary care physician or provider if they feel anything unusual.

Related...
Conservative billionaire Harlan Crow responded Monday night to a request from Senate judiciary committee Democrats for more details about gifts hes given to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas that have not been disclosed.

Crows response? Im not telling you anything.

After careful consideration, we do not believe the Committee has the authority to investigate Mr. Crows personal friendship with Justice Clarence Thomas, reads a letter from Crows lawyer, Michael Bopp of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

Most importantly, Congress does not have the constitutional power to impose ethics rules and standards on the Supreme Court, the letter continues. Doing so would exceed Congresss Article I authority and violate basic separation of powers principles. That precludes the Committee from pursuing an investigation in support of such legislation.

Heres a copy of Crows letter, first obtained by HuffPost:

Democrats on the Senate committee, led by Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), demanded earlier this month that Crow provide them with a list of all gifts in excess of $415 that he has given to Supreme Court justices. Their letter came in response to ProPublicas bombshell report last month that Thomas has been accepting luxury trips and gifts from Crow virtually every year for more than two decades without disclosing them.

Crow also purchased Thomas ancestral home from the justice, renovated it, and now reportedly allows Thomas mother to live there rent-free. In addition, Crow paid private school tuition for Thomas grandnephew, whom Thomas treated as his adopted son. Thomas failed to disclose both the sale of his familys home and his adopted sons covered tuition.

Amid all of this, Crow has had business interests before the court.

In a Tuesday statement, Durbin lambasted the GOP megadonors response to the committee, calling it untenable and saying it does not provide a credible justification for Crows failure to respond to senators written questions.

The gifts and access to Justices that these companies provided are highly relevant to the Committees legislative efforts on ethics reform, Durbin said.

The Illinois senator also rejected Crows claim that Congress lacks the authority to pass ethics legislation that applies to Supreme Court justices, and mocked the idea that Crow doesnt need to provide information to the panel because its a separation-of-powers issue.

Mr. Crow does not work, and has never worked, for the Supreme Court, said Durbin.

He added: The Committee will respond more fully to this letter in short order, and will continue to seek a substantive response to our information requests in order to craft and advance the targeted ethics legislation needed to help restore trust in the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has gotten decades of luxury gifts and travel for free from conservative billionaire Harlan Crow, who has had business interests before the court. But the court has no code of ethics, so never mind, it's all fine!

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has gotten decades of luxury gifts and travel for free from conservative billionaire Harlan Crow, who has had business interests before the court. But the court has no code of ethics, so never mind, it's all fine!

At the heart of all this is the glaring problem of the Supreme Court not having an enforceable code of ethics. Indeed, it has never had one, unlike every other federal court in the country. Senate Democrats have introduced legislation to give the court a code of ethics, but Republicans have almost entirely rejected the idea of doing anything, saying its on the court to govern itself.

In a sign of how politicized the issue remains in the Senate, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) on Tuesday led Republicans on the judiciary committee in a letter to Durbin, criticizing his efforts to compel Crow to provide more details to the panel about gifts hes given to Thomas.

Your requests appear misaligned and political, the GOP senators wrote. Further, they only target conservative members of the Supreme Court. To start, your letters claim that you believe private access to justices  seemingly when justices socialize with anyone not on the Court  creates an appearance of undue influence that undermines the publics trust in the Courts impartiality. But judges, justices, politicians, and other public figures engage with friends in private settings every day  just as anyone else.

Kennedys letter concludes: We urge you to withdraw your May 8th letters to Mr. Crow and his entities and to refocus the Judiciary Committees efforts on legitimate inquiries.

Accountable.US, a nonpartisan watchdog group focused on government corruption, maintains that the Supreme Court is highly overdue for a code of ethics, regardless of whether Congress or the court puts it in place.

It was Justice Thomass decades-long improper financial relationship with billionaire benefactor Harlan Crow that sparked the Supreme Court corruption crisis, which has now reached a fever pitch, said the groups president, Kyle Herrig. Chief Justice Roberts has deflected his responsibility to clean up his Court, forcing Congress to step in. Whether by Roberts or Congress, we need urgent reform to restore credibility and integrity to our Court.

Related...
Real-estate billionaire and GOP megadonor Harlan Crow, who has come under fire for his mysterious relationship with Justice Clarence Thomas, is refusing to cooperate with a Senate Judiciary Committee probe.

In a Monday night letter to Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin, obtained by POLITICO, Crows lawyer said the panel did not have the authority to investigate Mr. Crows personal friendship with Thomas. Crow declined to answer questions from Durbin and other Democrats about the developers relationship with and pattern of expensive gifts to the Supreme Court justice.

The committee has not identified a valid legislative purpose for its investigation and is not authorized to conduct an ethics investigation of a Supreme Court Justice, reads the letter from Michael Bopp.



Durbin tore into that response Tuesday.

Harlan Crow believes the secrecy of his lavish gifts to Justice Thomas is more important than the reputation of the highest court of law in this land. He is wrong, the Illinois Democrat said.

The relationship between Thomas and Crow has come under intense scrutiny since a series of reports from ProPublica that detailed lavish gifts and luxury travel that Thomas received from Crow, plus favorable real estate transactions and gifts that Thomas did not include in his annual financial disclosures.

Durbin pledged that Judiciary would respond more fully in short order and will continue pressing for a substantive response to our information requests in order to craft and advance the targeted ethics legislation needed to help restore trust in the Supreme Court.



Crows lawyer rejected Senate Democrats arguments that their inquiries into Crow are centered around exploring a fresh code of ethics for the court. Bopp accused them of targeting Justice Thomas for special and unwarranted opprobrium.

Durbin blasted Bopps argument in the letter that Congress does not have the constitutional power to impose ethics rules and standards on the Supreme Court, and that doing so would exceed Congress Article I authority and violate basic separation of powers principles.

Mr. Crows letter relies on a separation of powers defense when Mr. Crow does not work, and has never worked, for the Supreme Court, Durbin said Tuesday.
Washington  Texas real estate magnate and GOP donor Harlan Crow rejected requests from Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee for a full accounting of the gifts, trips and travel accommodations he has given to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, claiming the committee lacks the authority to probe Crow's relationship with the justice.

Michael Bopp, a lawyer for Crow, told Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin in a letter obtained by CBS News that the panel has not identified a "valid legislative purpose" for its investigation, and does not have the authority to conduct an ethics examination of a member of the Supreme Court.

"The Committee's stated purpose of crafting new ethics guidelines for the Supreme Court is inconsistent with its actions and the circumstances in which this investigation was launched, all of which suggest that the Committee is targeting Justice Thomas for special and unwarranted opprobrium," Bopp wrote in the letter, dated May 22.

The letter was first obtained by CNN and Bloomberg.

Bopp also claimed that Congress does not have the constitutional authority to impose ethics rules and standards on the Supreme Court.

"Doing so would exceed Congress's Article I authority and violate basic separation of powers principles," Bopp told Durbin. "That precludes the Committee from pursuing an investigation in support of such legislation."

Several legislative proposals have been introduced in the House and Senate that would require a code of conduct for the Supreme Court, instituted either by an outside entity such as the Judicial Conference or by the court itself.

Senate Judiciary Committee member Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse displays a copy of a painting featuring Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas alongside other conservative leaders during a hearing on Supreme Court ethics reform on May 2, 2023. / Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In arguing that the Judiciary Committee lacks the authority to conduct a congressional ethics investigation of Thomas, Crow's lawyer said it's "clear" the probe "is part of a larger campaign to target and intimidate Justice Thomas and unearth what the Committee apparently believes will be embarrassing details of the Justice's personal life. Those goals do not authorize the Committee to conduct a congressional ethics investigation of Justice Thomas."

Durbin slammed the response from Bopp, saying it "did not provide a credible justification" for the failure of Crow and other entities to respond to the committee's requests. Still, he said the committee will not be deterred in seeking a "substantive response" to the information requests in order to craft and move forward with ethics legislation.

"Harlan Crow believes the secrecy of his lavish gifts to Justice Thomas is more important than the reputation of the highest court of law in this land," the Illinois Democrat said in a statement. "He is wrong."

The letter from Crow's lawyer comes in response to requests Democrats on the Judiciary panel sent to the GOP megadonor and entities that own his private yacht, plane and private lakeside resort on May 8 for information about his ties to Thomas.

From Crow himself, the panel sought itemized lists of all gifts worth more than $415, real estate transactions, and transportation or lodging given to Supreme Court justices or their family members, as well as a list of the occasions when Crow provided any of the justices with entrance to any private, members-only clubs.

Senate Democrats asked the other entities for the full itinerary for all travel Thomas or any other justices took on the yacht and jet, as well as a list of all guests whose trips overlapped with the justice's.

In addition to declining to turn over information to the Judiciary Committee, Crow's lawyer rejected a similar request from Sen. Ron Wyden, the Democratic chairman of the Finance panel, earlier this month to determine whether Crow's gifts to Thomas complied with relevant federal tax and ethics laws.

Bopp told Wyden that his inquiry "appears to be a component of a broader campaign against Justice Thomas" and fails to further a valid legislative purpose.

Thomas' relationship with Crow, which spans more than two decades, has come under scrutiny in recent weeks amid a drumbeat of reports from the news outlet ProPublica detailing the gifts, luxury travel and financial arrangements Thomas has benefited from during their friendship.

ProPublica also found that Crow paid for two years of tuition at private schools for Thomas' grandnephew, which the justice did not disclose on financial disclosure forms.

Durbin invited Chief Justice John Roberts to answer questions before the committee earlier this month about the ethics guidelines that the justices follow. But Roberts declined to appear and instead sent Durbin a letter that included a three-page "Statement on Ethics Principles and Practices" signed by the nine justices.

The statement, though, did little to address Democrats' concerns about the Supreme Court and the ethical standards the justices adhere to, and they have warned that they could take legislative action to strengthen the ethical rules that govern the high court.

Republicans, though, have largely defended Thomas and claimed the attention on his friendship with Crow is part of a campaign to delegitimize the Supreme Court in the wake of blockbuster rulings on abortion, the Second Amendment and climate change.

White House, Republican negotiators clash over spending caps in debt talks

"CBS Evening News" headlines for Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao's unlikely journey
Head of Ukraine's intelligence on counter-offensive: We have enough weapons, soon to start

Major General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, has stated that Ukraine already has the minimum of weapons it needs to launch a counteroffensive.

Source: Budanov in the interview with NHK

Quote: "Many civilians are still under Russian occupation, and we cannot waste any more time. We already have a minimum of weapons and other equipment. All I can say is that it (the counteroffensive  ed.) will start soon."

Details: Budanov, however, noted that Ukraine will use all available forces and assets to expel the Russians from Ukrainian territories. For a successful operation, he said, "a significant supply of weapons and ammunition" will be needed.

He also emphasised that Ukraine needed more fighter jets.

Background:

In April 2023, Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Ukraines Defence Intelligence, said that Ukraine is approaching a key battle in modern history. He added that this battle will take place this spring, as planned.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






With enough exposure, children are capable of learning multiple languages.

With enough exposure, children are capable of learning multiple languages.

Knowing another language opens doors for kids and adults alike. But most educators agree that childhood is the ideal time for language learning. While their brains dont actually work like sponges and it doesnt happen overnight, kids are more capable than grown-ups of picking up a second language and perfecting a native accent.

Whether you want to share your own mother tongue and heritage, give your kid a cognitive boost or prepare them for future study, travel and work opportunities, you will need to provide them with lots of exposure to the language and authentic speaking practice.

Two strategies families often utilize are one parent, one language, where each parent consistently speaks one language with a child (i.e., Mom speaks English, Dad speaks Spanish), and minority language at home, where the family uses the less-spoken language at home and children learn the majority language at school and in the community. Other families use a mix of strategies to expose their kids to both languages, or they take on the task of learning a second language alongside their children.

Depending on your home situation, this can require a lot of planning, effort and persistence on your part. It can be tempting to give up, especially when you dont feel like youre seeing much progress.

Gabrielle Kotkov is a Montessori educator with certification in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) who works as a consultant with families and schools around language learning. She encourages families to be patient and to have realistic expectations.

Its a long process, she told HuffPost. Language learning generally takes five to eight years to become fluent. And even when fluency is achieved, regular practice is essential in order to hold on to the language.

Even if you dont see the same amount of progress each week, progress is not linear, and it might not always look the same, but that doesnt mean that it isnt working, said Kotkov.

She added that parents shouldnt let their idea of perfection get in the way. I think a lot of people put pressure on themselves that, If I cant do perfect bilingualism  whatever that means  its not worth it. And I really, really firmly believe that any amount of language exposure is valuable, Kotkov said.

Children can cultivate meaningful relationships with others even if their language isnt fluent, and simply knowing that there are many languages that people use to communicate is valuable for a child to understand.

Be flexible and use the method that works best for your family.

Elizabeth Silva Diaz is a faculty member at Bank Street College of Education and a former teacher of bilingual special education. Born in Colombia, she is raising her son to be bilingual so that he can communicate with his grandparents and other Spanish-speaking relatives.

When my son was first born, we decided to try the one-parent-one-language approach, but quickly found that this was not the communication style that worked for our family, Silva Diaz told HuffPost.

I found that as soon as I started talking to my husband in English that I would forget to speak to my son in Spanish. Instead, we use a situation and context approach to bilingualism, she said, explaining that they use Spanish with the Spanish-speaking side of their family and English with the English-speaking side. Her son is now in a bilingual preschool, and switches back and forth between languages there as well.

Our bilingualism is dynamic and changes based on the context, said Silva Diaz.

Dont worry that introducing two languages will impede your childs learning.

Grace Bernales is a licensed speech-language pathologist in California. She says that parents often ask her whether using two (or more) languages with a child will cause a speech delay.

This is one of the most common myths, Bernales told HuffPost. Teaching more than one language does not cause a speech delay.

In the beginning, your child will probably mix languages together when speaking.

Children who are learning to be bilingual/multilingual may say words incorrectly or in error, and/or may combine a sentence using both languages. This is due to languages influencing each other, and not necessarily a concern, said Bernales. Your childs teachers or pediatrician can help you determine if a speech evaluation would be a good idea for your child, but there is nothing about bilingualism that makes your child more likely to need assistance.

In generations past, immigrant families were often told not to use their language at home because it would interfere with their childrens learning of English, but we know now that this is not true. Children transfer their knowledge in one language over to another, and are capable of learning more than one language at a time.

Mixing languages is a natural part of their learning, said Silva Diaz. Language learning is not a process of simply adding a second language onto a native language, but rather it is a fluid process where the languages influence and interact with each other.

Its also not necessary to correct your child when they make mistakes  which they will, in both languages. Its a natural part of the learning process. If your child says, for example, I go-ed to the park, you dont need to make them say it again using went. They will hear you using went correctly as you speak to them, and sort out this irregular verb for themselves without any outside interference.

Provide authentic opportunities for speaking practice.

Silva Diaz advises parents to create opportunities for your child to engage with the various languages in everyday situations that are meaningful and authentic.

Travel is one way to provide your child with these opportunities. Exposure to the language in its authentic context can significantly boost a childs interest in and understanding of the language, said Silva Diaz.

But time abroad is not a requirement. Authentic interactions can also take place with relatives or neighbors who speak the language. Silva Diaznotes that her son uses Spanish when playing with his Spanish-speaking cousins, for example. Children are particularly motivated to use a language when doing so provides opportunities for peer interaction and play.

Note that your child will catch on very quickly to who understands which language. If you are the Chinese-speaking parent, but your child knows that you understand English, they may persist in speaking to you in English if that is their dominant language and it is easier for them.

This may make you feel like what youre doing isnt working, but Kotkov encourages families to stay strong and speak the minority language because theyre still absorbing it and theyre still grasping it.

If authentic practice is hard to come by, you might try introducing small doses of speaking practice.

Kotkov suggests taking a low-stakes approach, using the language just at bath time, or setting a timer for 10 minutes and trying to speak just that language. Gradually, you can increase the amount of time youre speaking to a half hour. Elementary school-aged children really get excited about that structure and timing, she said.

There is no need to demand that your child use one language with certain people or in certain contexts. Bilingual children naturally navigate between languages based on their linguistic environments and the people they interact with. Forcing them to respond in a specific language can disrupt their natural language development, said Silva Diaz.

Utilize all of the resources at hand.

While having a back-and-forth conversation with a native speaker is the most effective learning scenario, there are lots of other ways for kids to pick up vocabulary and improve their comprehension.

Introduce TV, movies, music and books in both languages to your child.

Watching a favorite show or reading a favorite book in the non-dominant language can make language learning enjoyable and relevant, said Silva Diaz. We have switched the language on our Netflix to Spanish and all of the cartoons that my son watches are now in Spanish. This provides another opportunity for him to be genuinely surrounded by Spanish in a fun context.

Kotkov said she knows a mom and daughter who enjoy watching Master Chef Mexico Junior together. Its an opportunity for the daughter to be exposed to Spanish, and it also helps her mom stay connected to the language that young people in Mexico are using today even though they are not living there right now.

Books can be used in a way that is developmentally appropriate for your child.

No need to read the entire book if you have a younger toddler who loses interest early on. Instead, make it come to life by adding sounds to cars and animals, pretending to eat the food, as well as labeling the pictures in both languages, said Bernales.

If your child can read and write, labeling different items around the house together (refrigerator, window, etc.) can also be a fun activity.

You may be able to find playgroups in your area, or online, that provide other opportunities to expose your child to the language.

You might still have the parents speaking in the minority language and the children speaking to each other in the majority language, but the children are still observing the parents using it with each other and I think thats important for them to observe adults using it in a social context, said Kotkov.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to find classes, preschools and dual language schools that teach in the language you want your children to learn. Government-sponsored institutions like the Alliance Francaise and Instituto Cervantes also provide a variety of enrichment activities.

Understand that bilingualism is a spectrum.

Keep in mind that language learning is a process that your child will continue for their entire life.

Bilingualism exists on a continuum, and individuals can have different levels of proficiency and dominance in each language, said Silva Diaz.

Its natural that one language will dominate at certain times or in certain situations, and there may be periods where your child understands the minority language but continues to speak to you in the majority one.

While you can always change your familys language learning plan if the path that youre on isnt working, Kotkov recommends that you not get too discouraged when things arent happening as quickly as you might expect. Know that theres a lot happening under the surface.

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Higher education is biting its nails watching the debt ceiling timer tick down in Washington.

Colleges and universities are working in the background on contingency plans if the U.S. defaults, a scenario that would lead to consequences experts say even they cant fully comprehend.

While the schools wont immediately shut down when the debt limit is reached, they will lose significant funding from the federal government, and students will not receive the aid they need, in some cases, to stay in class.

Unfortunately, in the last several years, colleges and universities and financial aid offices have gotten used to a political game of chicken in Washington, D.C., and the potential for federal shutdowns, but this one is just a little bit different, said Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

We use the word unprecedented a lot in Washington, D.C., but this truly is one of those unprecedented times, and we would expect major disruptions to federal student aid if we hit the debt ceiling, he added.

Republicans and President Biden have been in negotiations for weeks over the debt ceiling, with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) calling their most recent sit-down productive but not yet enough to produce an agreement.

Dont give up on us, McCarthy told reporters on Monday evening.

Its estimated that without a deal, the U.S. will default by the beginning of June, sending the markets into a tailspin and potentially causing a global recession.

Colleges are hopeful any potential default would last only a short while, limiting the impact on the number of students it would affect because a majority of their aid is distributed in the fall or winter sessions.

However, there are still some students who receive aid in the summer or use it for other expenses  a spigot that would be cut off.

For individual students who dont receive their student aid disbursements, the difference between a couple of days and a couple of weeks can be huge because federal student aid just doesnt cover tuition fees at an institution. It also covers things like rent and other costs of living, like insurance or transportation and food, Draeger said.

A longer-term default has more dire consequences for higher education because the federal financial aid year starts July 1.

And on the list of priorities of items to be funded amid a longer-term default, experts arent confident higher education will make it.

We know basically how we think the Treasury will respond to a default. They will prioritize making interest payments first and then trying to make payments to really high-priority issues like national security and Social Security and the large entitlement programs. And after you fund those things, there really wont be a lot of additional revenue available to allocate, said Jon Fansmith, senior vice president of government relations for the American Council on Education.

While colleges and universities are keeping a close eye on negotiations, it is hard for them to prep for something as catastrophic as a default, especially when success in higher education is closely linked with the economy.

During the 2008 Great Recession, the federal government stepped up with expanded aid. They made the loans. They provided the Pell Grants, Fansmith said. If we are in a default situation, the federal government cant. They wont have the authority to spend more.

There are certain steps universities can take, particularly bigger ones, such as shifting resources to help low-income students stay in school.

If you were planning to expand your science lab or build new facilities, things that require sort of capital investment, you would likely delay or cancel those kinds of projects, Fansmith said.

Draeger said his organization would push schools to put a pause on tuition payments to assist students.

Given that the ramifications of a United States default are just so large, I think they find themselves in the same boat as everyone else, which is what do you do if the United States cant pay its bills? The level of contingency plans that you can make around that just becomes very narrow, Draeger said.

The situation in higher education is potentially more difficult than it is for K-12 public schools, which receive a lot more support from state governments.

Theres very little sort of direct federal funding that goes right to institutions from the federal government, which means that institutions are much more susceptible to changes in the economy than K-12, Fansmith said.

He added those schools dont experience the pinch in funding as much during an economic recession at the state level. States will pull back on higher education funding during an economic downturn in a way they wont apply to K-12 schools. The only way colleges can make up that loss in cash is to raise tuition for students already experiencing financial hardship.

However, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers said a long-term default could threaten the jobs of teachers at a time when some states are having trouble finding educators for their schools.

What if it goes on for a long time, and all of a sudden theres no Title I funding? That could be 100,000 teachers that get laid off, she said.

But a more immediate concern is some of the concessions Republicans are looking for from the president to raise the debt ceiling.

If you just look at the Republican demands, you see the cutting of access to Head Start for 200,000 children and access to child care for 100,000 children. You see the reduction of Pell Grants that could affect about 6.6 million kids, Weingarten said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Two Ohio men, including one from Kettering, were found dead after hiking in southern Utah over the weekend.

John Walter, 72, of Kettering and Gary York, 65, of West Chester, were identified as the two hikers found dead in Buckskin Gulch in Kane County, Utah after a multi-day search, a sheriffs office spokesperson said in a media release posted to social media Tuesday.

Buckskin Gulch is located on the Utah, Arizona state line and is about 60 miles north of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

The search and investigation started Sunday morning when search and rescue teams were notified another hiking group found a body. The body was first unidentified but launched an joint investigation between officials in Arizona and Utah, the spokesperson said.

>>PHOTOS: Loved ones remember brothers-in-law found dead after hiking in Utah

Kane County deputies were notified Monday by West Chester Twp. police about two men, later identified as Walter and York, who family reported as missing. The families of Walter and York told police they last had contact with both of them Saturday afternoon.

Pictures provided by the family later identified the first body recovered was that of York, deputies said.

Search efforts continued Monday for Walter where he was later located in the afternoon. Deputies believe sudden flash flooding was responsible for sweeping away both men.

Further investigation shows flash flooding in the Buckskin during the time when the two men would have been hiking and it is believed they were caught by surprise and swept away by the rushing wall of water, the sheriffs office spokesperson said in the media release.

>>United Airlines to start new nonstop flights from Dayton International Airport this summer

This is the same canyon where two other men from Florida were killed by flooding in March of this year.

York was carried about 10 miles downstream by the flood waters while Walter was found about eight miles away, the spokesperson said.

We have witnessed the relentless power and danger of flash flooding in Kane Countys slot canyons. Our condolences go out to the York and Walter families, the spokesperson said.

A power and danger experienced hikers like Any Niekamp are weary of.

Niekamp has decades of long-distance hiking experience and runs Dayton Hikers. He is currently hiking the Arizona trail.

The last week the weather has been very unpredictable. Its almost like monsoon weather here in northern Arizona and southern Utah, he said.

He said the Buckskin Gulch is one of the longest, continuous slot canyons in the world.

Its almost a straight rock wall, straight up. Theres no climbing out. Theres no way to get to higher ground generally, in many of those areas in the gulches. Its a real tragedy, he said.

Niekamp said if you plan to hike it is always a good idea to do research on the trails where youre headed and know the forecast.

This is a developing story and well continue to update this page as we learn more.
Homes likely wont be built in hills near Diablo Canyon after SLO judge sides with PG&E

After a four-year court battle, a San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge has decided that the rights to 2,400 acres of nearly pristine coastal hills near Avila Beach do not belong to a home developer.

The decision is a victory for PG&E and local conservation groups, which have no interest in seeing homes built on the scenic property that offers expansive views of the ocean.

Judge Rita Federman issued her proposed decision on Monday to PG&E subsidiary Eureka Energy Corp. and Pacho and San Luis Bay limited partnerships, which are largely owned by HomeFed Corp., a real estate developer.

Federman sided with PG&E in the court case and tentatively decided HomeFeds lease on the Wild Cherry Canyon lands expired in 2019.

Thats because she found the Wild Cherry Canyon land was leased to HomeFed in 1968 primarily for agricultural purposes, so it was limited to a 51-year term instead of the two 99-year terms HomeFed argued for during the case.

Therefore, control of the 2,400 acres belongs solely to PG&E, according to Federmans Monday decision.

PG&E senior regulatory and environmental director Tom Jones said in a statement Tuesday that Eureka Energy was pleased with the judges decision.

HomeFed has 30 days to request a different ruling be made, which the judge must consider before issuing a final decision.

The Wild Cherry Canyon property is a 2,400-acre ranch in the hills above Avila Beach and Port San Luis. This view looks toward the hill above Pirates Cove, at right.

Battle over conservation or development of Wild Cherry Canyon

Federmans decision comes five years after rumors circulated that HomeFed was preparing to build a 15,000-home city at Wild Cherry Canyon.

The news prompted a surprised response from PG&E and unhappy turmoil in the local community. The 2,400 acres that makeup Wild Cherry Canyon are part of the 12,000 undeveloped acres that serve as a buffer around Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant.

Conservation groups had, over many years throughout the early 2000s and 2010s, attempted but failed to buy the land and save it from development.

In 2019, HomeFed sued PG&E over the term of the lease. HomeFed argued that the lease was valid until 2166, while PG&E said it was only valid until 2019.

Land leases for agricultural purposes are limited to 51 years under California law, but HomeFed had argued the land, although used for cattle grazing, was intended to be developed.

During the court trial over the lease of the land, which took place in the fall, HomeFed witnesses showed their plans to develop the property. This included everything from a dude ranch concept to building 2,500 housing units as an urban village, according to witness testimony.

Had HomeFed won the case, it likely would fight with the world to get a (development) project entitled, testified Joseph Steinberg, chairman of Jefferies Financial Group, a New York-based investment banking firm that owns 90% of HomeFeds Wild Cherry Canyon leasehold.

Such a project could have meant leveling off the tops of the coastal hills to make way for vacation and second homes for out-of-towners, Steinberg said in his testimony.

HomeFed representatives lead a tour of the 2,400-acre Wild Cherry Canyon property, located in the hills above Avila Beach and Port San Luis. Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is to the north, or less than 10 miles to the right along the coast.

Court decision likely means land will not be developed

But Federmans proposed decision paints the possibility for a different future for the land  one that has largely been supported by community members.

During the trial, Jones said the utility company does not want to develop Wild Cherry Canyon because of its proximity to the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.

Any development there could be quite complex from an emergency planning standpoint, Jones testified. It (development) wouldnt be tolerable for us.

On May 11, the California Natural Resources Agency released a plan for the 12,000-acre Diablo Canyon lands that noted Wild Cherry Canyon could be transferred to California State Parks when the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is eventually decommissioned. That way, Wild Cherry Canyon could connect to Montana de Oro State Park near Los Osos via a trail.

The Natural Resources Agency then proposed that a tribal entity could have a conservation and access easement on the land. This would prevent any major development on the 2,400 acres forever.

The 2,400-acre Wild Cherry Canyon property is located in the hills above Avila Beach and Port San Luis.

The agencys plan was required under Senate Bill 846, which allocated $160 million for the creation and implementation of a land conservation and economic development plan for the 12,000-acre Diablo Canyon lands. That bill also allowed for $1.4 billion to be loaned to PG&E to help pay for continued operations of the power plant through 2030.

The court case only decided whether HomeFed could continue to lease Wild Cherry Canyon, Federman noted in her decision.

Although the court received lengthy testimony about the potential development of the property for a wide range of uses, this case does not concern, and will not decide, whether and how the property may be used or developed in the future, Federman wrote.

Representatives from HomeFed did not immediately respond to a Tribune request for comment.
FILE - A signage for Cathay Pacific Airways at the departures hall of Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, on March 8, 2023. On Tuesday, May 23, 2023, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways fired three cabin crew members after a passenger accused them of discriminating against non-English speakers, in a case that drew criticism from Chinese state media. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

HONG KONG (AP)  Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways has dismissed three cabin crew members after a passenger accused them of discriminating against non-English speakers, in a case that drew criticism from Chinese state media.

Airline CEO Ronald Lam expressed his apologies Tuesday to the passenger and the community over the incident, which occurred on a flight from Chengdu in southwest China to Hong Kong on Sunday. He reiterated his company's zero tolerance of any serious breach of its policies and code of conduct.

There is no compromise for such violations, he said in a statement.

The sacking came after the passenger complained in an online post that some crew members were disrespectful to passengers who did not speak English or Cantonese, the language widely spoken in Hong Kong. The person, who sat near the crew's resting area, overheard them complaining about customers.

During the whole flight, not a moment went by when I was not distressed or angry, the passenger wrote.

In particular, the crew members made fun of other passengers who mixed up the terms blanket and carpet in English and appeared to be impatient even when someone tried to seek help in English, the post alleged.

If you cannot say blanket in English, you cannot have it, a person said in an audio clip posted on social media. The comment was followed by laughter. Carpet is on the floor," the recording continued. The Associated Press could not independently verify the audio clip.

Cathay issued an apology on Monday on the Chinese social media platform Weibo for the unpleasant experience suffered by passengers on the flight, but failed to pacify the anger triggered by the passenger's post.

On Tuesday, a Weibo account belonging to the overseas edition of the official Chinese People's Daily newspaper sternly criticized Cathay over the incident.

It seems that its company culture still maintains a sense of superiority that worships foreigners and respects Hong Kongers but looks down on mainlanders, it wrote.

It said the airline should rectify itself and establish rules to halt the unhealthy trend.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said he was disappointed to learn about the disrespectful acts that had damaged the relationship between Hong Kong and mainland Chinese residents. He said he had told Lam that it was a serious incident and must not repeat again.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said Wednesday he had expressed his deep concern to Cathay and asked the management to improve the company's services immediately. He added he was very distressed by the inappropriate comments made by the crew members, calling the incident as a serious breach of Hong Kong's reputation for service excellence."

Cathay is working to rebuild its business after years of strict pandemic travel restrictions forced the airline into steep losses.

In March, it reported a loss of 6.55 billion Hong Kong dollars ($834.4 million) in 2022  an 18.5% increase from 2021 amid strict entry restrictions for the city during the first half of last year.
Huge backlash: Parties ramp up pressure on Biden and McCarthy to hold the line in debt talks

Last week, the Congressional Progressive Caucus posed a formal ask to its members: were there any proposals they could accept included in the list of GOP demands in exchange for raising the debt ceiling?

The overwhelming consensus: The GOP demands were too much to stomach.

Instead, they wanted President Joe Biden to engage in legally murky waters to employ the 14th Amendment and unilaterally avoid default, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Washington Democrat and the CPC chairwoman, promptly informed the White House.

And then she publicly offered this warning.

I think there would be a huge backlash from our entire House Democratic Caucus, certainly the progressives, but also in the streets, Jayapal told CNN of a potential bad deal.

On the other end of the ideological spectrum, the hard-right House Freedom Caucus took an official position calling for an end to bipartisan talks and made clear they cant accept anything less than the conservative debt ceiling proposal that Republicans already passed in the House.

Members on the right are also warning House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of backlash if he agrees to a deal that is opposed by a majority of House Republicans and has to rely on Democrats to get it over the finish line.

Yes, said Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican and member of the House Freedom Caucus, when asked if it would be a problem if more than half of the 222 House Republicans oppose any bipartisan deal reached with the White House.

If the majority of the majority is not happy, would Nancy Pelosi ever do that? Nope, Donalds said, referring to the former Democratic speaker.

The growing pressure from the left and right flanks to not cave in the high-stakes debt ceiling negotiations  or in some cases, not cut a deal at all  underscores the immense challenges that Biden and McCarthy are facing as they try to hammer out a complicated fiscal agreement that enough members in both their parties could begrudgingly support in just a matter of days.

For McCarthy, his speakership is on the line in how he handles the debt ceiling crisis, though conservatives are giving him high marks for now. That dynamic is driving McCarthys push for strict spending cuts and his insistence that members get 72 hours to read the bill before a floor vote  both promises he made during his drawn-out battle for the speakers gavel.

But hardliners want even more time than that. Some on the far-right are now even asserting that June 1 is not a real default deadline, urging relevant committee chairs to haul in Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen for questioning under oath about her assessment that the nations $31.4 trillion borrowing limit must be raised by then to avoid the prospects of economic calamity.

I dont believe that the first of the month is a real deadline, Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida told CNN. I dont understand why were not making Janet Yellen show her work.

Everyone knows thats false, said GOP Rep. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, of Yellens projection.

McCarthy is trying to relay to his members that he isnt folding to the White Houses pressure campaign, saying on Tuesday hes only willing to make one concession in exchange for GOP demands for spending cuts and ways to pare back social safety net programs.

We are going to raise the debt ceiling, he told CNN when asked what hed give to the White House in their deal-cutting.

Biden, who repeatedly insisted he wouldnt negotiate on the debt ceiling only to do so in the 11th-hour, is now contending with an increasingly restive Democratic caucus uneasy about what type of deal he might cut.

Even House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries took to the Capitol steps on Monday in a hastily arranged news conference to blast the talks as moving in the wrong direction  a potentially troubling sign, given he will need to supply a healthy number of Democratic votes to get any bipartisan deal across the finish line.

Theyve rejected the fact that President Biden is willing to consider freezing spending. It will reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars. This is what the extreme MAGA Republicans say that they want. They rejected it, the New York Democrat said.

For now, the chief negotiators are expressing cautious optimism that theyll be able to find a compromise in time to avoid a cataclysmic default. But they have also acknowledged that coming to an agreement among themselves is only half the battle  they still will need to sell any deal to their respective parties, an admittedly tall order.

We have to be in a position where we can sell it to our constituencies, Biden told reporters during his Monday meeting with McCarthy at the White House. Were pretty well divided in the House, almost down the middle, and its not that different in the Senate, so weve got to get something we can sell to both sides.

McCarthys challenge: Winning a majority of Republicans

The biggest sticking points in the negotiations are GOP demands for spending cuts and tougher work requirements for government assistance programs, which have given Democrats serious heartburn.

When Biden started to seem more open to work requirements for programs like temporary assistance for needy families in his public comments, a flurry of calls from progressives came into the White House, a source familiar with the talks told CNN.

While progressives think the White House cleaned up their position a bit, there is still a lot of fear over that issue, the source added.

Its going to be a problem, New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said when asked about the potential the White House could cut a deal on spending cuts and work requirements. We do not legislate through the debt ceiling for this very reason.

Progressives also formally called on Biden last week to invoke the 14th Amendment, which states the full faith and credit of the United States shall not be questioned, in order to raise the debt ceiling on his own. The White House has said its not a workable solution, and while Biden continues to say its not on the table given the legal and time constraints, he went notably further over the weekend in suggesting its something he could potentially use in the future  a clear nod to progressives.

Im looking at the 14th Amendment as to whether or not we have the authority  I think we have the authority, Biden told reporters at a news conference in Hiroshima, Japan. The question is, could it be done and invoked in time that it would not be appealed.

White House officials, however, have since signaled that the president wouldnt go down that path.

Democrats are not only imploring Biden to resist Republican demands, but to start offering up some Democratic priorities of their own. And in recent days, Biden has been suggesting tax revenues should be on the table  a proposition that Republicans have rejected.

McCarthy also accused the White House on Tuesday of trying to disrupt negotiations by bringing up the idea of expanding the number of prescription drugs that Medicare can negotiate prices.

Trying to throw taxes in, now trying to start talking about Medicare? No. We gotta get it done, McCarthy told reporters.

Asked if he would only put a bill on the floor that had the support of a majority of Republicans, the speaker didnt say explicitly, though he expressed confidence in the outcome.

I firmly believe what were negotiating right now, a majority of Republicans will see that it is a right place to put us on a right path, McCarthy told CNN.

Multiple senior House GOP sources say the speaker has no choice but to ensure he has support from more than half of his conference, otherwise the end product could be viewed as a major capitulation by the speaker.

Republicans, too, have ratcheted up their demands as the negotiations have dragged on. Over the weekend, the GOP included border security provisions in its offer, according to sources familiar with the proposal, despite not including such language in the House Republican debt ceiling plan. The newly injected demands came just days after the conservative Republican Study Committee called on Republican leadership to link the two complicated issues.

That would be a good idea, wouldnt it? said Rep. Harriet Hageman, a Republican from Wyoming.

Rep. Dan Bishop, a North Carolina Republican, added: Its something that could be a sweetener, and an important one.

But in recent days, conservatives concerns about the negotiations have only intensified. At a closed-door conference meeting on Tuesday, conservative Rep. Chip Roy of Texas complained about the efforts to seek a compromise with Democrats, according to sources in the room.

When you say any deal, no, Im not confident of that, said Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, who chairs the Republican Study Committee, when asked if his large bloc of members would support any deal that McCarthy may cut with Democrats.

Further complicating the negotiations is that some lawmakers dont want to see their party leaders cut any debt ceiling deal with the other side.

I think the existing fact of unprecedented Republican unity is the most powerful force in this town right now, Bishop said. That should be stewarded and protected above all. We must keep the Republican conference together.

Rep. Scott Perry, the Pennsylvania Republican and leader of the House Freedom Caucus, put it bluntly.

What well take is what we passed, Perry said, referring to the House bill that Democrats have blasted as draconian.

Democrats fear theyve been pushed into a corner

Many Democrats still think they should only entertain the idea of a clean debt ceiling hike, noting that both parties suspended the nations borrowing limit three times under former President Donald Trump with little outcry from Republicans.

Indeed, House Democrats are now pushing harder on a discharge petition, a long-shot procedural tool that would bypass McCarthy and bring a clean debt ceiling raise to the floor, with Democratic leadership reaching out to select Republicans they feel they can peel off. The petition needs 218 signatures to be brought to the floor, but so far, Republicans have shown zero interest in the idea.

Im not interested in that, said Rep. David Joyce, a moderate Republican from Ohio.

Democrats have long feared that the debt ceiling was going to become an issue if Republicans took control of the House, and progressives had been pushing their Democratic leaders to address the debt crisis when they still had the majority. Jayapal even raised the issue with Pelosi when she was speaker, a source familiar with the talks told CNN.

Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a New York member of the Progressive Caucus, told CNN that he feels House Republicans have backed Democrats into a corner, and Democrats need to better educate the public about the situation. Bowman said even Pelosi raised in a meeting last week that corporations should be doing a better job of helping to educate why a default would be catastrophic for the American people and the economy, which he agreed with.

I think many of us are already alienated a little bit, even me included, because I think we were like sort of forced into a corner of negotiation because the Republicans have been so reckless with their rhetoric around being OK with default and needing to deal with unnecessary spending, Bowman said.

CNNs Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.

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Two huge snails meant for direct consumption were seized at a port of entry in Kentucky, according to Customs and Border Protection officials.

The live giant African snails, which are considered invasive and significantly harmful, were discovered May 18 inside a package that arrived at the Louisville Port of Entry from Germany, officials said.

Agents found the giant gastropods during an inspection at an express consignment facility, which are specialized hubs for inspecting consignment shipments, according to the governments website.

The snails, which can grow to about the size of an adults fist, are eaten in some countries and even kept as pets, CBP officials said. However, its illegal to bring them into the U.S.

Aside from being invasive, officials said the snails pose significant health risks. Theyre known to carry parasitic nematodes that can sicken humans and feed on more than 500 plants as well as plaster and stucco, according to the Department of Agriculture.

The snails also have the potential to wreak havoc on the nations agriculture, officials said.

The pair found at the Louisville port were taken in for further analysis, according to a news release. Its not the first time in recent months that agents have stopped the giant gastropods from being smuggled in.

In March, six giant African snails were seized from a travelers suitcase at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, McClatchy News reported. Another was sniffed out by a beagle at Atlantas airport in November.

Pregnant woman takes off running as drugs fall out of her fake belly, SC cops say

Americans caught smuggling 375 pounds of Fruit Roll-Ups into Israel. TikTok is blamed

Snakes slither out of luggage as passenger tries smuggling 22 into India, officials say
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nations largest LGBTQ rights group, is warning against travel to Florida, citing the passage of several new state laws that target LGBTQ people.

In an announcement on Tuesday, HRC said it had partnered with the Florida LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Florida to issue an updated travel advisory to the state.

Equality Florida released its original warning in April, after several measures to limit access to gender-affirming health care and abortion and relax restrictions on firearms advanced through the legislature.

No fewer than six bills targeting the rights of LGBTQ people were adopted this year by Floridas GOP-controlled legislature, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Four of them were signed into law last week by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to jump into the 2024 presidential election on Wednesday.

Taken in their totality, Floridas slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose significant risk to the health and safety of many considering relocation and/or temporary travel to the state, HRC and Equality Floridas travel advisory reads.

Reports of the state becoming an increasingly hostile place for LGBTQ people have already begun to surface. Florida organizers this month called off several LGBTQ Pride events scheduled for June, citing new laws that have created a climate of fear and hostility for LGBTQ Floridians.

A Florida elementary school teacher this month announced she was being investigated by the state Education Department after she showed her students Strange World, an animated Disney movie with a gay character.

Last week, health care providers including Planned Parenthood said they would pause gender-affirming medical care in Florida to comply with a new law restricting transition-related care for transgender adults, despite being billed by Republicans in the legislature as a measure to protect young children from making medical decisions they may later regret.

Because of Ron DeSantis and his frenzied appeal to extremists, LGBTQ+ people in Florida are finding themselves in a state of emergency every single day, HRC President Kelley Robinson said Tuesday in a news release announcing the updated travel advisory.

HRC is the latest in a growing group of civil rights organizations to issue a travel advisory to Florida. The NAACP issued its own advisory over the weekend, claiming the state has become hostile to Black Americans under DeSantiss leadership.

Responding to a new state immigration law requiring employers to prove that their workers are legal citizens, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino advocacy group, this month also advised against traveling to Florida.

We see it as our duty to join Equality Florida  and LULAC and the NAACP  to provide guidance to our community, Robinson said Tuesday.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) on Tuesday issued what he described as a travel advisory for socialists visiting Florida, warning that the state is openly hostile toward Socialists, Communists, and those that enable them.

DeSantiss office, when asked to comment on the updated travel advisory  as well as advisories issued by the NAACP, LULAC and Scott  pointed The Hill to recent tourism data showing the state had received a record number of visitors between January and March.

This is nothing more than a stunt, Jeremy Redfern, DeSantiss press secretary, told The Hill in an email.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Hundreds of new species discovered in Southeast Asia's Mekong region at risk of extinction

[Source]

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has called on governments in Southeast Asias Greater Mekong region to increase protection for newly discovered species at risk of extinction.

An international team of scientists and researchers discovered 380 new species across Asia, such as a color-changing lizard, a muppet-like orchid, a new venomous snake and a tree frog with skin that resembles moss. The discoveries were made from 2021 to 2022 across five countries in the biodiverse region, including Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The team found 290 plants, 19 fish species, 24 amphibians, 46 reptiles and one mammal.

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In Laos Vientiane province, the Dendrobium fuscifaucium orchid was discovered coincidentally by a local vendor.

A toad discovered in the Thai-Malay peninsula was named Ansonia infernalis for its bright reddish and orange coloration that resembles the flames of hell, according to researchers.

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These remarkable species may be new to science but they have survived and evolved in the Greater Mekong region for millions of years, reminding us humans that they were there a very long time before our species moved into this region, K. Yoganand, head of WWFs Greater Mekong regional wildlife, told CNN.

However, the WWF noted that the newly discovered species may soon disappear due to human activities that threaten their existence.

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According to Truong Q. Nguyen, writer of the foreword to the WWF findings, the species in the Greater Mekong region face threats of deforestation, pollution and overexploitation of natural resources, compounded by the effects of climate change.

More concerted, science-based and urgent efforts need to be made to reverse the rapid biodiversity loss in the region. Using the critical evidence base that is laid by scientists, we all need to urgently invest time and resources into the best ways to conserve the known and yet unknown species.

The WWF has been working with governments, nonprofits and partners across the Greater Mekong countries on conservation strategies to protect the newly discovered species and their habitats.

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(Bloomberg) -- Hungary is in talks with Qatar to purchase gas to reduce the eastern European Union nations reliance on Russia for energy, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

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Talks are still ongoing with the Gulf nation and any supplies wouldnt arrive before 2026, Orban said in a Bloomberg interview on Tuesday at the Qatar Economic Forum.

Half of the Hungarian needs of energy are coming from Russia, long-term contracts, Orban said. For the other half we have to find other partners. We are looking for partners all around the world and Qatar is a potential partner for us.

While Hungarys EU peers have moved to cut their dependence on Russian gas and oil following Moscows invasion of Ukraine, Orban has sealed side deals with Russia to boost natural gas deliveries. Hungary has also obtained an exemption from the EUs oil sanctions against Russia.

The government of the State of Qatar is the underwriter of the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg.

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Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson wants to bring an optimistic tone as he makes his bid for the White House.

Hutchinson, who jumped into the race for the GOP nomination for president last month, told the group of 30 Richland County Republicans Tuesday that he seeks to be a leader that can bring people together.

Today, we have leaders that capitalize on our division, and they push the division and they further divide us and I dont believe that is presidential leadership, so I want to bring an optimism, Hutchinson said to the group at Docs Barbecue.

Hutchinson is in a field that includes former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and conservative radio show talk show host Larry Elder.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to launch his bid Wednesday in a Twitter event with Elon Musk. Former Vice President Mike Pence also is considering a White House bid.

Hutchinson, 72, has a connection to the state that holds the First in the South presidential primary. He graduated from Bob Jones University in Greenville in 1972.

All the candidates get excited about South Carolina, but I think I have a home here. I think we can be competitive here, Hutchinson said. We dont know what this future holds, so expect me to be around. I look forward to campaigning here.

Hutchinson is polling low, garnering 0% of support among South Carolina Republicans in a Winthrop University Poll released in April. In national polls he is polling in the low single digits.

Hutchinson had 3% of support among South Carolina Republican presidential primary voters in a poll conducted by National Public Affairs from May 15-17.

Trump and DeSantis, known for their national profiles as well as their combative styles, are the frontrunners in the race.

Ive been a fighter, but you can be an optimist at the same time, theyre not mutually exclusive, Hutchinson said. We want a president that brings out the best of America, that tries to bring people together, and you can be a combative fighter for our values and for our future at the same time. So people (have to) look a little bit deeper than just simply on the surface. What we dont want is somebody that just creates chaos.

Seeking to reform federal law enforcement

Hutchinson spoke about the recent report from John Durham, a special counsel appointed by Trump to investigate the FBIs inquiry into Russias interference in the 2016 election. The report, while repeating previous flaws within the agency, concluded the FBI had confirmation bias and lacked analytical rigor, The New York Times reported.

Hutchinson, a former federal prosecutor, placed blame on the Department of Justices political appointees.

They have to be able to set the right tone of fairness, the right tone of oversight of the FBI, and they failed to do that. So it starts at the top, Hutchinson said. There also should be some institutional changes and the FBI has grown too large and too bureaucratic and theyve lost focus. So we need to change and reform federal law enforcement. Im the best one to do that.

Hutchinson also pushed back on people who call for defunding of the FBI, an idea pushed by Trump.

Theyre just demagoguing the issue, and the fact is, (the FBI) has a very important mission in counterterrorism, in protecting our country and enforcing our law, but it is too broad, and it needs to be more narrow and (have) more accountability, Hutchinson said.

Jackie McKenna, 22, who is originally from Spartanburg, doesnt know if shell vote in the Democratic or Republican presidential primary next year. She is pursuing a masters degree in international business at the University of South Carolina.

McKenna, who was born just before the Sept. 11 attacks, was told about how the country came together during a tumultuous time.

I cant imagine us being further from that. Were so divided, McKenna said. What Im looking for in a candidate is somebody who is looking to rise above that  Im looking for a candidate who is going to bring the country together.
President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are dickering over a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling like two people at a restaurant, one looking to pay for the food they just ate and the other itching to dine and dash.

With a June 1 deadline looming, this interminable standoff has supercharged fears of economic catastrophe.

On Tuesday, The Washington Post reported: The Treasury Department has asked federal agencies whether they can make upcoming payments at a later date, two people familiar with the matter said, as senior Biden officials search for fresh ways to conserve cash and prevent the U.S. government from facing an unprecedented default.

A debt ceiling default would be catastrophic. How about a bake sale?

As any loan shark will tell you, the Hey, look, Im good for it, but can you just give me until next week? approach isnt sustainable, unless the country wants to find itself accidentally falling down a flight of stairs.

So whats next? A bake sale at the U.S. Capitol?

President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meet several times in May 2023, attempting to reach agreement on raising the debt ceiling.

Not to worry. For the sake of the nation and the global economy, I have a surefire plan to keep America afloat while Republicans hold the debt ceiling hostage. All we need are some tin cups and an elite national team of Dickensian paupers.

Surely well-trained paupers can help round up money to pay down the debt

Accurate statements about the debt ceiling such as this has nothing to do with new spending, it allows the federal government to pay debts already incurred and you Republicans did this three times when Donald Trump was president and never complained about it are difficult for the average busy American to understand.

But a waif, clothed in rags with dirty cheeks and a voice barely above a whisper, shaking a tin cup and imploring passersby to please spare a penny to save the guvment? That tugs at the heartstrings. And nothing brings in cold, hard, debt-default-avoiding cash like widespread heartstring tugging.

Biden must compromise on debt ceiling: Otherwise, we're all headed toward disaster.

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Because proper pauper-ing is a lost art, well have to act fast and Oliver-Twist-up a small army of young actors. I suggest using the children of rich people, since theyre the ones who dont want their taxes raised to lower the federal debt, thus giving them the most motivation.

Each wealthy family will have to pay the government a reasonable fee to enroll their children in pauper training. Im thinking $5 million per guttersnipe trainee, a small price for continued tax breaks.

Children of America's wealthy families will make perfect street urchins

The childrens designer clothes will be sold at auction (more money in the coffers!) and replaced with various filthy rags and burlap sacks.

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Next, these patriotic recruits will be taught the basics of begging, from hollow-eyed stares to sorrowful beseeching. Then, via Zoom training, theyll be taught key pauper phrases like:

Gday, mum. The debt ceiling looms and I wonder if youd give a quarter for me nation?

Sorry to bother, good sir, but mights I get a nickel to saves Ameri-cur from fiscal doom?

Apologies for me torn trousers, and begging your pardons, missus and misters, but could you finds it in your hearts to spare a dollar for the ol U.S. of A. in her time of need?

Who needs to raise the debt ceiling when paupers can scrounge up the necessary cash?

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the U.S. Capitol on May 15, 2023.

After that, its off to the street corners and sidewalks of every small town and big city in America, gathering whatever the modern-day equivalent of farthings are and buying Biden and McCarthy time to come up with a way to avoid an economic Armageddon of our own making.

Its time, America. Round up the wealthy children, train them well then shout the order far and wide: RELEASE THE PAUPERS!

Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Twitter @RexHuppke and Facebook facebook.com/RexIsAJerk

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Disney nixes $1 billion Florida development, latest casualty in DeSantis' 'war on woke'

Joe Biden is definitely going to prison! As soon as the GOP finds its missing informant.

Would today's GOP try to ban Mister Rogers for being woke? Probably.

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: Biden, McCarthy continue debt ceiling talks, but there's another way
The stars and director of new HBO series 'The Idol' ahead of the premiere

Cannes festivalgoers got a peek at the first episodes of new HBO series "The Idol", which shocked critics on Tuesday with its overtly sexual scenes.

Hollywood megastars have swarmed the French Riviera film festival since it kicked off a week ago, and Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks are set to attend the premiere of "Asteroid City" on Tuesday.

It is the latest concoction from the king of quirkiness, Wes Anderson, whose tale of a remote Western town being visited by an alien has a celeb-packed cast that also includes Steve Carell and Edward Norton.

But the festival was still digesting its late-night screening of the first two episodes of "The Idol", HBO's new series starring Lily-Rose Depp, daughter of Johnny Depp.

A pop star struggling to get back on track after a public breakdown, surrounded by heartless handlers, she meets the manipulative leader of a modern-day cult, played by musician Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye.

A leaked revenge porn shot of Depp with semen on her face is seen as a pathway to more fame, with a mention of reality star Kim Kardashian, and there is a significant nod to Britney Spears and the toxic fame that engulfed 90s female pop stars.

"When you're famous, everyone lies to you," Depp says, between two raunchy masturbation scenes and dozens of shots of her breasts.

Feeling a loss of control over her art, Tesfaye's character starts to lure her in, despite her best friend and assistant warning her he is "so rapey".

"I kinda like that about him," says Depp's character.

- 'Tawdry cliches' -

The series received a modest five-minute ovation, and while Depp's performance was praised, most critics were put off by the excessive kink -- which included some graphic dirty talk.

Variety slammed its "tawdry cliches" and said the show "plays like a sordid male fantasy" with any effort to depict female sexuality in a revolutionary way going "too far".

Deadline said it was "hard to know what to say" about the show, adding one would need to see where it was going to make judgements about the male gaze.

"The Idol" had already been plagued by rumours of onset turmoil and graphic sex scenes before its release.

Variety reported that the show needed major re-writes and re-shoots and switched director midway through, bringing in "Euphoria" creator Sam Levinson.

It does, however, bring yet another complex female character to Cannes, which has served up plenty of films exploring the dark side of women and making their stories the focus.

- Race for the Palme -

The world's leading industry extravaganza has entered its second and final week, and the competition for the main prize, the Palme D'Or, is heating up.

On Sunday, Jude Law awed and disgusted cinemagoers with his portrayal of King Henry VIII in "Firebrand".

There are still movies to come from past winners, Britain's Ken Loach and Germany's Wim Wenders among others.

An early front-runner from the first week is British director Jonathan Glazer's "The Zone of Interest", a unique and horrifying look at the private life of a Nazi officer working at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

There was also a lot of love for Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore's "May December", which looks at the relationship between an older woman and a schoolboy, still married years after their relationship became a tabloid scandal.

The festival has seen major out-of-competition world premieres for "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" and Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon", which received rave reviews over the weekend.

And Lily-Rose's controversial father, Johnny Depp, made a splash at the festival, appearing as French King Louis XV in opening film "Jeanne du Barry".

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An investigation by the Illinois Attorney General office revealed that 451 clergy members abused nearly 2,000 children in the Catholic Church across all the dioceses in the state, which is a staggering difference from what the Church reported in 2018.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul released a nearly 700-page report on Catholic clergy child sex abuse in Illinois on Tuesday, finding that the number of clergy members who were disclosed as abusers was undercounted by the church. The investigation found that 1,997 survivors were sexually abused by 451 Catholic clerics and religious brothers that were not all publicly disclosed by the Church initially.

I was raised and confirmed in the Catholic Church and sent my children to Catholic schools. I believe the church does important work to support vulnerable populations; however, as with any presumably reputable institution, the Catholic church must be held accountable when it betrays the publics trust, Raoul said in a statement.

It is my hope that this nearly 700-page report will provide some closure to survivors of child sex abuse by Catholic clerics by shining a light both on those who violated their positions of power and trust, and on the individuals in church leadership who covered up that abuse, Raoul added. These perpetrators may never be held accountable in a court of law, but by naming them here, the intention is to provide a public accounting and a measure of healing to survivors who have long suffered in silence.

When the office started the investigation, the Church had only disclosed 103 of those clergy members who abused children. As the investigation moved forward, the Church publicly disclosed additional names of members who sexually abused children. The report lists the names and dioceses of the clergy members who abused children in Illinois.

The report also found that some many clergy members sought to protect the reputation of the Church rather than seek help for the survivors by covering up the incidents. The report found that in many instances, clergy member were given the benefit of the doubt, which allowed them more opportunities to harm children.

As a result of the shortcomings identified by Attorney General investigators, hundreds of survivors were denied justice because the church was not investigatingand therefore not able to substantiate certain child sex abuse claims.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) released a statement Tuesday, calling the new report stunning.

And let us be clear, in our view the bishops lied, SNAP said in a statement. There is no questioning the facts of the report  until 2018 when the investigation began, hierarchs in every Illinois diocese kept known abusers under wraps, declined to include them on their accused lists, and refused to acknowledge the truth that survivors of abuse who came forward to make a report shared with them. It is to us, in a word, disgusting that these supposed shepherds would lie so blatantly.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
I'm a chef who visited The Cheesecake Factory for the first time, and the happy-hour deals and cheesecake blew me away

I'm so glad I finally visited The Cheesecake Factory. Aefa Mulholland

I'm a chef who finally ate at The Cheesecake Factory after hearing rave reviews about it for years.

I was astounded by the hundreds of items on the menu and most of the food I got was tasty.

The happy-hour deals were solid and I'm already planning my next visit so I can get more cheesecake.

I'm a chef who grew up in Scotland and I've worked all over the world from Australia to the US. Over the years, I've heard a lot of friends talk about how much they love The Cheesecake Factory but I've never actually visited the chain.

For a long time, I thought it was just a dessert restaurant  I certainly wasn't expecting to be faced with a menu crammed with more than 250 items.

Recently, I decided to visit for the first time.

The first challenge was finding parking on a Friday night.

The Cheesecake Factory is on the northwest corner of the mall. Aefa Mulholland

The Cheesecake Factory has hundreds of locations, but the only one in Canada is located in the 2-million-square-foot Yorkdale Mall, north of downtown Toronto.

As we arrived at the crowded mall, we rounded the corner and saw the orange lights of The Cheesecake Factory glowing in the night. It was just next door to Canadian department store Hudson's Bay.

It took a while to snake through the lot and find a space as it was a busy Friday night.

This was the first visit for me, my partner, and our friend, but my partner's mom is a Cheesecake Factory aficionado. She promised to share her tips and tricks.

When I walked in, I immediately noticed how crowded it was.

Dozens of people milled on the sidewalk, in the foyer, and around the host desk. Aefa Mulholland

The noise level was immediately almost overwhelming when I walked in. Large groups and families were coming and going in all directions.

The main dining area was full and a crush of people surrounded the host desk. I regretted getting there at 5 p.m. on a Friday, but my partner's mom knows The Cheesecake Factory's secrets  it turns out you don't have to join the main queue to eat in the bar area.

You can also order food in the bar area. In less than a minute, we were perched around a high four-top table a few feet from the bar.

The lighting gave everything an orange glow.

The decor included ornate swirls, painted murals, and hefty pillars. Aefa Mulholland

Once seated, legs swinging from the high stool, I got to look around. The main area had booths and a mixture of table sizes to fit every size of party.

The bar area had two- and four-seater high tables along a divider plus high chairs at the bar.

Despite being so busy, the high ceilings and light-colored walls kept the room from feeling overly full or oppressive, although the noise level continued to build.

Staff glided between tables in white button-down shirts and black ties, carrying towering burgers and gargantuan salad bowls.

The bar area soon filled with the post-work crowd.

Every seat at the bar filled up between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Aefa Mulholland

My partner's mom had another tip to share with us  there's a happy-hour menu available in the bar area on weekdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

She ordered her two favorite appetizers from that selection: Buffalo Blasts and hot spinach-and-cheese dip.

While we waited for those to arrive, I began to work my way through reading the menu.

The menu is so long, it's practically a novel.

I was overwhelmed by the menu. Aefa Mulholland

The Cheesecake Factory menu is close to 6,000 words long and more than 20 pages.

We were ravenous, so were happy to be guided by my partner's mom who advised ordering appetizers only so we'd leave plenty of room for cheesecake. We picked four appetizers and two small plates to split between the four of us.

We didn't receive the chain's complimentary bread basket featuring its famous brown bread but it may have been because we were seated at the bar or because the restaurant was so busy. I forgot to ask about it, but I'll be sure to next time.

The Cheesecake Factory is known for its sizeable portions.

The Buffalo Blast parcels were packed with flavor. Aefa Mulholland

Soon, the Buffalo Blasts arrived. The deep-fried triangles were stacked high on a plate and paired with blue-cheese dip and extra hot sauce.

Each triangle was full of moist, shredded chicken, gooey cheese, and nicely spicy Buffalo hot sauce. The breaded, wonton-type wrappers surprised me but I liked that they kept the bites hot and crisp long after they'd arrived.

These felt like an incredible deal priced at 11 Canadian dollars for happy hour instead of the usual CA$20.

We devoured the spinach dip in milliseconds.

The hot spinach-and-cheese dip is a must-order. Aefa Mulholland

During our time at The Cheesecake Factory, our appetizers arrived as they were ready. We'd barely started on the Buffalo Blasts when the dip showed up with a mountain of chips.

The dip was deliciously creamy, and I tasted hints of garlic, Tabasco, and lemon. It had a generous amount of spinach and artichoke hearts swimming in what seemed to be a perfectly gooey pool of mozzarella and Monterey Jack.

We fell on this like we'd never seen food before. Everyone agreed we'd order this again  hopefully soon.

We also got chicken taquitos, which were pretty good.

The chicken taquitos were good, but not standout items. Aefa Mulholland

We'd wanted to order the chain's sweet-corn tamale cakes but were told they were sold out. Instead, we got chicken taquitos.

They were squeezed onto the table, four pieces in wonderfully tangy avocado cream and salsa verde. The outside had an ideal crunch and the insides were cooked to perfection, although they were somewhat overshadowed by the remains of the delicious spinach dip.

The sliders were really the only disappointment of the night.

The sliders were really the only disappointment of the night. Aefa Mulholland

The buns were sweet and squishy and great value for just CA$11 instead of the usual CA$20, courtesy of the happy-hour menu.

The meat was cooked just right and there was a pleasing kick of ketchup on the burger. Compared to the flavors of the three dishes we'd sampled, though, the burgers were just fine. They're not something we'd order again.

We would only order the chicken pot stickers again during happy hour.

The sauce was the best thing about the pot stickers. Aefa Mulholland

The soy-ginger sauce that came with the pot stickers was generously portioned and piquant. The bold flavors ideally complemented the moist, minced chicken.

We enjoyed these for CA$11 but wouldn't get them again outside of happy hour when the order of five is CA$17.50.

The beet salad was cool and refreshing amidst all the hot items.

The Cheesecake Factory's beet salad made for a crisp contrast with the other appetizers. Aefa Mulholland

I loved this relatively simple salad of glazed beets, avocado, orange chunks, and arugula, with a honey-yogurt dressing.

The flavors worked well together and each mouthful was fresh and crisp.

At one point, we struggled to fit everything on the table.

Next time we might wait for a bigger table. Aefa Mulholland

With drinks, water glasses, cutlery, and menus, our bar-area table was quite full even before the food arrived.

Maybe if the service wasn't so good, with food coming out fast, fresh, and efficiently, there would be more time for us to finish each dish as it arrived.

These high bar tables are definitely designed more for drinks and an appetizer or two  not for four people ordering multiple items. We'll keep that in mind for next time.

Narrowing our cheesecake choices down from over 30 options was a challenge.

Classic Basque Cheesecake is a newer menu item. Aefa Mulholland

The chain has an extensive cheesecake menu with over 30 slices. It was hard to decide so we ordered three to share, including the newer Classic Basque Cheesecake. All three arrived at the same time.

The Basque cheesecake's combination of a "burnt" top, creamy cake, base, berries, and coulis was spectacular. Each mouthful was a flavor explosion.

Unsurprisingly, I can confirm that The Cheesecake Factory makes outstanding cheesecake.

The Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake was remarkable.

The Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake had plenty of garnishes. Aefa Mulholland

At CA$14, this dulce-de-leche slice was the cheapest of the three we ordered  the others were CA$14.50. I think it's a substantial amount to spend on a piece of cake, but I don't regret spending a cent.

This caramel creation topped with caramel mousse and scatters of almond "brickle" was a marvel. Even the base was subtly flavored with vanilla.

This was the best cheesecake I have ever consumed. My only regret was having to share with the others.

The Cheesecake Factory also has gluten-free cheesecakes available to order.

The gluten-free slice (bottom left) was amazing. Aefa Mulholland

I was impressed the chain had a gluten-free cheesecake that could be ordered with or without strawberries and cream. We tried the gluten-free cheesecake with strawberries and I was delighted by how creamy and delicious it was.

If my life hadn't been entirely upended by my encounter with the dulce-de-leche version just minutes earlier, this would've been a definite contender for my favorite cheesecake ever. It really was that good.

I'll be back for the cheesecake and the spinach dip.

The Cheesecake Factory had amazing cheesecake and solid happy-hour deals. Aefa Mulholland

My dining companions and I all agreed that the cheesecake was the best part of the whole experience. I wasn't surprised the cheesecake was so good, but it was even better than I expected. Half the table liked the Basque version best. I and my partner's mom loved the dulce de leche.

Overall, I think The Cheesecake Factory is a perfect place to collapse in after a long day of shopping or before or after a movie at the mall's Cineplex.

The happy-hour deals were solid and, based on the generous entree portions I saw, it seems like a brilliant place to take home leftovers. A lot of main dishes seemed to have enough food for dinner and a next-day lunch.

I'll definitely be back to try the chicken-laden salads, get more delicious spinach dip, and devour another slice of the Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake. This time, though, I'm keeping the entire slice to myself.

Read the original article on Insider
I'm the Minnesota AG who put George Floyd's killer behind bars. The 4 kids I put on the stand are the real heroes.

Keith Ellison, children who testified against Derek Chauvin

Minnesota AG Keith Ellison compares the kids who testified against ex-cop Derek Chauvin to the Children's Crusade of the civil rights era.Minneapolis Police Department and AP Photo/Steve Karnowski

Keith Ellison is the Minnesota Attorney General who prosecuted George Floyd's killer.

Ellison compared the four kids who testified against Derek Chauvin to the Children's Crusade.

This essay has been adapted for Insider from "BREAK THE WHEEL: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence."

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison was at the helm of one of the most important and controversial criminal prosecutions of a generation  the murder trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.

On May 25, 2020, Chauvin knelt on the neck of George Floyd for nine minutes and 29 seconds  killing him, as he called out for his mom.

On April 20, 2021, a jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree murder, and he was sentenced to 22 12 years in prison. Chauvin also pleaded guilty to federal civil rights charges in Floyd's killing, and the violent arrest of a 14-year-old boy. On those charges, he was sentenced to 21 years in prison.

In his new book, which will be released on May 23, Ellison reveals what it was like fighting for the conviction of George Floyd's killer while police reform activists took to the streets around the world.

The following first-person essay is adapted for Insider from an excerpt from Ellison's upcoming book, "BREAK THE WHEEL: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence."

MINNEAPOLIS  In the early days of testimony in the Minnesota state murder trial of Derek Chauvin, Hennepin County Judge Cahill made an important ruling.

The judge resolved an issue that had me worried for a long while. Cahill announced that the underage witnesses could deliver their testimony off- camera.

We had four witnesses who were 18 or younger: Darnella Frazier, Alyssa Funari, Kaylynn Gilbert, and Judeah Reynolds.

Cahill ordered that the audio of their testimony would be broadcast live by the approved media in the courtroom, but the cameras would be aimed at the judge or lawyers.

The world was waiting to hear from Darnella Frazier the 18-year-old who was awarded a 2021 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation, along with the 2020 PEN/Benenson Courage Award presented by director Spike Lee, and received multiple scholarship offers at the age of 17.

All of this was because she recorded and uploaded the video that went viral and sparked an international movement.

It is no exaggeration to say that because of the video she uploaded to Facebook in the early morning hours of May 26, 2020, at 1:46 a.m., Chauvin was now in court facing murder and manslaughter charges.

However, her video also moved people to action, from Minneapolis to Frankfurt, from New York to Nairobi.

Her video was in stark contrast to the press statement released by the Minneapolis Police Department that same morning, which stated Floyd's death was the result of a "medical emergency."

Darnella testified that she and her little cousin, Judeah Reynolds, had taken a walk to the neighborhood store for snacks. She said her little cousin "really liked snacks." She denied that it was a dangerous neighborhood, as the police described it. She testified that she walked to that Cup Foods "thousands of times."

Darnella testified that when they walked up to the scene, she saw Floyd facedown on the ground under the officers. She sent Judeah into the store because she didn't want her to see what was unfolding on the street.

Darnella testified: "I heard George Floyd saying, 'I can't breathe, please, get off of me. I can't breathe.'

"He cried for his mom. He was in pain," she told the jury. "It seemed like he knew it was over for him. He was terrified. This was a cry for help."

Darnella told the courtroom that Floyd was "terrified, scared, begging for his life," and saying "I can't breathe," while Chauvin "just stared at us" with "this cold look."

Her testimony made me emotional, though I tried not to show it. She described for the jury how the bystanders tried to get the officers to help Floyd, but to no avail: "They definitely put their hands on the mace, and we all pulled back," Darnella said.

Eric Nelson's cross was focused on making Darnella look like she was motivated by money, fame, or glamour. When Assistant Attorney General Jerry Blackwell re-examined Darnella he asked her about how she felt about the experience of watching Floyd die, and the aftermath. She spoke of her survivor's guilt, and how she saw her family in George Floyd.

"When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad, I look at my brothers, I look at my cousins, my uncles, because they're all Black." She continued, "I have a Black father. I have a Black brother. I have Black friends."

The impact on her was personal: "I look at how that could have been one of them."

Darnella regretted not having done more to save the life of George Floyd.

She felt regret for not physically engaging the officers, but then came the knockout testimony: "It's been nights I stayed up apologizing and apologizing to George Floyd for not doing more and not physically interacting and not saving his life," Darnella Frazier said.

"But it's like, it's not what I should have done, it's what he should have done." When she said "what he should have done" she was looking toward Chauvin. No one on the jury could miss it.

George Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The young people who testified against Derek Chauvin now 'own a piece of justice'

Calling Darnella's cousin Judeah Reynolds, who was nine years old at the time, was controversial on our prosecution team. Some thought she was too young, and her psyche might be scarred by testifying. I consulted Vernona Boswell, Hennepin County attorney's manager of victim- witness services.

On Vernona's advice, we took a lot of time to prep Judeah.

Weeks before the trial, we took her into the courtroom, allowed her to sit on the witness stand, and walked her through her tes-timony. She was allowed to have a supportive adult, LaToya Turk, who stood near her while she testified. When the moment for her to testify came, she did great.

As I thought about Judeah, I couldn't help thinking about heroic children who face down difficulties. I knew Judeah needed to testify so that she could own a piece of justice. I had full confidence in her. When I explained my decision to the team, I told them about children in Birmingham, Alabama, in May 1963.

It was called the Children's Crusade, and its purpose was to draw attention to the civil rights movement going on there. Most of the children's parents had either been arrested or had jobs that depended on staying within the good graces of the people who maintained the system of Jim Crow segregation.

Thousands of Black children ages seven to eighteen demonstrated peacefully around the city of Birmingham, and they were met with hostility by the police and white private citizens. Many of them were arrested and thrown in jail.

These kids helped break Jim Crow in Birmingham. And why not? Weren't they segregated? Didn't they endure segregated education, housing, and transportation, like their parents? Even today, weren't kids like Judeah suffering the effects of police brutality?

Tamir Rice was twelve when he was shot and killed by a Cleveland police officer. Adam Toledo, thirteen, was unarmed, giving himself up for arrest, when a Chicago police officer shot him. I believed Judeah had a right to be part of her own struggle for justice.

Judeah's testimony was short but powerful.

"I was sad and kind of mad," she said, explaining her thoughts on witnessing a police officer with his knee on the man's neck. "It felt like he was stopping his breathing and it was kind of like hurting him."

I wanted the jury to see that if a 9-year-old kid could see the damage Chauvin was doing to Floyd, then anyone could, including academy-trained police officers.

Nelson declined to cross- examine. He was wise to let it go.

People gathered as Derek Chauvin was recorded pressing his knee on George Floyd's neck in this image from a police body camera. Minneapolis Police Department via AP

Armed only with their phones, three teenage girls knew they had to stand up for George Floyd  a stranger in need

Like Judeah, neither Alyssa Funari nor Kaylynn Gilbert were shown on camera.

Both these young white women were seventeen years old at the time they witnessed Floyd's death, and both testified that they were so outraged by what they saw, they recorded the incident with their cell phones.

Funari and Gilbert were just two buddies hanging out on Memorial Day. While Funari went into Cup Foods to pick up an auxiliary cord for her phone charger, Gilbert waited in the car.

As Funari walked by the officers on top of Floyd, she heard him crying for a breath.

"It was difficult because I felt like there wasn't anything I could do as a bystander," Funari said. "I felt like I was failing."

On Thao's bodycam video, which prosecutor Erin Eldridge played to support Funari's testimony, Funari can be heard saying, "He's not talking now!"

She was responding to Officer Thao, who said, "If he's talking, then he's breathing."

Funari, visibly pregnant and wearing super long eyelashes, said she heard Floyd say, "he couldn't breathe and that his stomach hurt and that he wanted his mom."

Floyd "looked like he was struggling," she said. "He looked like he was fighting to breathe."

Gilbert testified that when she saw the crowd gathering, she got out of the car to witness Floyd being murdered. Gilbert also pulled out her phone to record the officers on top of Floyd.

Gilbert came closer to the officers who were on top of Floyd.

Gilbert was so close, she testified: "I saw [Chauvin] digging his knee into his neck more," referring to Floyd.

"He was putting a lot of pressure into his neck that was not needed," she said.

During our prep session with Gilbert, she told me that she wanted to be a lawyer one day.

I told her she certainly could do it.

Read the original article on Insider
Indian pharma companies have come under increased scrutiny over quality

The Indian government has made it compulsory for cough syrup makers to get samples tested before exporting their products.

Starting 1 June, these companies will have to get a certificate of analysis from a government-approved laboratory.

The rule change comes after some Indian-made cough syrups were linked to deaths in The Gambia and Uzbekistan.

The controversies had cast a pall over India's pharmaceutical industry, which makes a third of the world's medicines.

The announcement was made by the Director General of Foreign Trade, which said in a notification that cough syrups would be permitted to be exported "subject to the export sample being tested".

It also mentioned a list of central and state government laboratories across the country where samples could be tested.

Last week, Reuters had reported that India was considering a policy change after domestic cough syrups were linked to child deaths abroad.

Many Indian pharma companies have come under scrutiny for the quality of their drugs, with experts raising concerns over their manufacturing practices.

In March, India's drug regulator cancelled the manufacturing licence of Marion Biotech, whose cough syrups were linked to 18 child deaths in Uzbekistan.

The World Health Organization also issued an alert in October linking four Indian-made cough syrups to child deaths in The Gambia.

India later said that the medicines complied with specifications when tested at home, but the WHO responded that it stood by "the action taken".

BBC News India is now on YouTube. Click here to subscribe and watch our documentaries, explainers and features.

Read more India stories from the BBC:
Indians are using their 2,000-rupee banknotes to buy up petrol and diesel. But thats not all.

From neighbourhood grocers to cash-on-delivery on e-commerce sites to high-end jewelrythey are all seeing a spurt in the use of the now-withdrawn currency notes.

Read more

On May 19, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that these high-value banknotes were being withdrawn out of circulation, although they will remain legal tender. Indians have since been looking to offload their stocks of the notes. Starting today (May 23), they are required to deposit or exchange these notes up to a limit of Rs 20,000 a day at any bank branch.

At petrol pumps alone, the share of cash payments has expanded to 90% over the past three days, the Business Standard reported today. Digital payments at fuel outlets have dwindled to a mere 10% of daily sales from the average of 40% earlier, it said citing the All India Petrol Pump Dealers Associations (AIPDA) data.

A majority of the customers are trying to use Rs 2,000 notes even for small purchases of Rs 100-200, AIPDA has said, likening the situation to the one faced during the 2016 demonetization. It has sought the RBIs help in making small denomination notes of Rs 500 and Rs 100 available for smoother operations.

Its not banks that Indians are heading to

The Rs 2,000 note constitutes around 10.8% of the total currency in circulationor $44.27 billionin India.

Besides petrol pumps, groceries and eateries, too, have witnessed a jump in their usage. On e-commerce websites, people are opting for cash-on-delivery. Food deliverer Zomato, for instance, has claimed that up to 72% of users opting for cash-on-delivery had been paying with Rs 2,000 notes since last Friday (May 19), although the Business Standard suggested this claim may be a marketing ruse.

The affluent, on the other hand, are buying up jewelry.

Discretionary spending, especially in urban India on some durables and services, could see a spurt, Yuvika Singhal, an economist at QuantEco Research, said in a LinkedIn post. Gold, small appliances, home furnishing, mobile phones, membership services of salons, gyms could receive a shot in the arm.

Indian businesss centuries-old Angadia system of parallel money transfers has also stopped accepting Rs 2,000 notes. Some attempts have been reported to exchange rupees for dollars and euros in the forex black market, The Economic Times reported today.

While banks are reportedly adequately prepared to deal with flocking crowds, day-1 has been largely quiet, with relatively smaller queues at cash counters.



The taxman is the elephant in the room

When, on Nov. 8 2016, prime minister Narendra Modi abruptly banned old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000, his agenda was a crackdown on unaccounted wealth. Theres no such claim this time.

Yet, Indians are depositing their cash savings in banks to avoid tax enquiries, according to Priyank Ghia, a partner with Mumbai-based chartered accounting firm Chokshi & Chokshi.

Those who had deposited cash during demonetisation had received income tax notices. The government had then assured that savings of up to Rs 2.5 lakh would not be questioned by authorities. However, this time, there is no such guideline yet, Ghia told the daily.

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The volcano's last major eruption in 2010 killed more than 300 people and forced the evacuation of some 280,000 residents.

Indonesia's Mount Merapi, one of the world's most active volcanoes, erupted on Tuesday, spewing lava more than two kilometres from the crater.

Dramatic images of lava pouring from the volcano's smoking crater were published by the government-run Merapi Volcano Observatory.

Dozens of small tremors related to Merapi's eruption were recorded on Tuesday, according to the Centre for Research and Development of Geological Disaster Technology (BPPTKG), a government agency that monitors the volcano.

"Merapi's activity slightly increased over the last few days... but these kinds of increases often occur in Merapi," said BPPTKG head Agus Budi Santoso.

Clear weather meant people could easily see the eruption pouring from the volcano, he said.

Merapi, which sits just 28 kilometres (17 miles) north of the provincial capital Yogyakarta, is closely monitored by the agency.

Authorities implemented a restriction zone of seven kilometres (four miles) in 2022 following a risk assessment for the surrounding villages.

Lava from Merapi's eruption on Tuesday fell well within that zone, Santoso said.

Merapi's alert level, which has been kept at the second-highest mark since 2020 following increased volcanic activity, has remained unchanged, Santoso said.

The volcano's last major eruption in 2010 killed more than 300 people and forced the evacuation of some 280,000 residents.

It was Merapi's most powerful eruption since 1930, when about 1,300 people were killed.

mrc/dhw/pbt
Two girls ride on a boat, one taking a selfie, in Influencer

Influencer is a horror movie. You know this because its the latest from Kurtis David Harder, whose credits include being a producer on V/H/S/94, and because youll find it streaming on Shudder. Also, its opening shot reveals an isolated tropical island with a face-down body on the beach. So you have a sense of what youre getting into. But Influencer is also one of those movies that rewards going in as unaware as possible.

So fear not: no plot spoilers here. After that eerie intro, we meet Madison (Emily Tennant, Dirk Gentlys Holistic Detective Agency), whos vacationing alone at a luxurious resort in Thailand. Shes putting on a bubbly show of selfies underscored with inspirational wisdom for her Instagram followers, but secretly shes cursing her boyfriend, Ryan (Rory J. Saper), for ditching the trip last-minute. When the mysterious CW (Cassandra Naud, See) swoops in to rescue Madison from a sloshed fellow guest at the hotel bar, Madison is thrilled to meet a friend around her age whos an experienced traveler and knows all the rad local spotsand not just because of the social-media content opportunities. Truth is, Madison has been bored and lonely, and has started to second-guess her career path as well as her relationship.

Read more

Just when you think you know where Influencer is going, it pulls a switcheroo, playing into tropes (yes, there is a no cell service moment) while also setting you on edge when you realize you have no idea whats going to happen next. Even the opening credits, which appear shockingly late into act one, will take you by surprise. Like the movie itself, many of the performances in Influencer layer surprising depth beneath deliberately superficial first impressions. But best of all is how the movie blends its very 2023 themes about social media (including the warped sense of self that being too online can createand the insidious ways technology can be used to shape perceptions of reality) into a nail-biting vacation horror flick. It wont make you want to avoid new experiences, but it certainly might make you think about leaving your phone turned off.

Influencer arrives May 26 on Shudder.





Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

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Two months after Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his plan to transform San Quentin State Prison from a maximum-security prison into a rehabilitation and education facility within the prison system, lawmakers are pushing back saying his proposal lacks a detailed strategy behind it.

During budget committee meetings last week, lawmakers grew noticeably frustrated over the limited information provided by the Newsom administration and corrections officials regarding their plan to reimagine Californias oldest correctional facility.

I try not to consider it insulting, but its close, Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, said at a recent budget committee hearing. I find it to be very disturbing that were following a pathway where were being asked to fund first and answers will come later.

Meanwhile, the agency tasked with advising lawmakers on fiscal and policy matters is imploring the Legislature to reject the governors funding requests and demand accountability.

A newly released report from the Legislative Analysts Office blasted Newsoms office for failing to set any clear objectives and for putting forward a $380 million funding proposal that lacks crucial information, such as the projects full scope and projected operating costs.

The report called the governors plan to complete the transformation in less than three years unnecessary and problematic. It also found that the initiative could cost upwards of $20 billion to scale across Californias correctional system, as the governor expressed was his intent.

While the administration has articulated some broad approaches to pursuing the goals of the California Model, such as becoming a trauma-informed organization, it has not identified any clear changes to policy, practice, or prison environments it deems necessary to achieve the goals, the LAO report reads.

Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for Newsom, deferred questions to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

CDCR spokesperson Terri Hardy called the criticisms premature and said that a newly-appointed advisory council  led by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg  was actively working to develop recommendations to transform the prison by the end of the year.

Ryan Pagan, an inmate at San Quentin State Prison, talks to Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday, March 17, 2023. Newsom announced that by 2025, San Quentin will be converted from a maximum-security prison to a rehabilitation and education facility.

Gavin Newsom to build new training center at San Quentin

Newsom announced in mid-March that the 171-year-old penitentiary, which houses about 3,900 inmates and was home to the nations largest death row, would overhaul its approach to rehabilitating inmates to emphasize services and support over punishment.

Dubbed the California Model, Newsom said the plan that incorporates methods used in Norway and other Scandinavian nations would launch by the end of 2025.

Since then, the Newsom administration has requested $20 million for operations and $360.6 million in revenue bond authority to construct a new educational and vocational center.

The bond money would be used to knock down an existing building, which had its roof replaced less than two years ago at a cost of nearly $5 million, to make room for the new center on the Marin County property.

After factoring in annual debt costs, the projects price tag is likely to reach $680 million, according to the LAO.

San Quentin is already known as a prison that offers considerable programming, including education, arts and other rehabilitative services. Activists have questioned whether a new capital project at San Quentin is the best use of state dollars.

There are a lot of other prisons that could use some help in this regard and theyre much worse off than San Quentin, said Don Specter, executive director of the Prison Law Office.

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday, March 17, 2023 announced that by 2025, the 171-year-old San Quentin State Prison would be converted from a maximum-security prison into a rehabilitation and education facility within the prison system.

Funding first, details later for California prison reform

Full details of the project will not be determined until after the 2023-24 budget is passed by the legislature in June.

That means the governor is asking lawmakers to approve funding for his plan without knowing how the money would be spent or whether its the best option for rehabilitating inmates and curbing recidivism rates on the scale of Californias correctional system.

Youre being asked to provide full funding  from design all the way through construction  for proposals without essentially any details, Caitlin ONeil, an LAO analyst who specialized in state corrections, told lawmakers. ... This means that the legislature risks approving funding for projects that it may ultimately disagree with.

During budget hearings, Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, D-Alameda, read out a long list of concerns, including the ability to scale the California Model, the programming changes that would be implemented and potential environmental impacts. The latter is because the new educational center at San Quentin would bypass historic preservation requirements and review under the California Environmental Quality Act.

I just want to be clear that I dont think that the role of the Legislature is to green-light a proposal without any ability to be able to weigh in, Bonta said.

Sen. Kelly Seyarto, R-Murrieta, called the administrations timeline for completion by the end of 2025 unrealistic, adding that he felt the project was being rushed.

Incarcerated people absent from California corrections reform

Specter, who played an integral role in bringing Norways correctional model back to the U.S., said Newsoms plan for San Quentin was a far cry from the overhaul achieved in Norway.

Although he agrees with the governors vision, Specter said he didnt think it was the right way to go about it.

They didnt start by renovating a building, he said about Norway. They started by developing a white paper  an analysis of where they were and where they wanted to be, with clear goals and objectives.

The makeup of the advisory council, which will be deciding what direction the initiative takes, also has caused some alarm. The council does not include any currently incarcerated people, front-line prison staff or someone representing family members of inmates.

Shortly after the governors March visit to San Quentin, a group of inmates called The People in Blue penned a letter, asking for a seat at the table. Some changes they said they wanted to see include better hygiene kits, fresh fruits and vegetables, an indoor gym to use during inclement weather and programs about money management and credit building.

The dynamics of rehabilitation in action, and how to foster a rehabilitative environment, can only come from the stakeholders who have never been consulted on the issue; the incarcerated people doing the work, their letter read.

Lamar Causey a participant in the San Quentin State Prison Enhancement Outpatient Program stands at the prison on Friday, March 17, 2023. Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday announced that by 2025, the 171-year-old penitentiary would be converted from a maximum-security prison into a rehabilitation and education facility within the prison system.

Under the current plan, the advisory council will need to provide recommendations by the fall of this year to inform the design of the educational and vocational center. The LAOs report said that the compressed timeline severely limits the councils time to develop well-informed recommendations and also undermines legislative oversight and public input on the project.

Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, D-Los Angeles, recently said she was eager to see this new California Model in action but lamented that she was not getting any sense of what that means.

I want to believe, she said, but youre not giving me much here to work with as far as what were gonna get ourselves into.
ST. LOUIS  The intelligence agency charged with mapping the Earth is laying the groundwork for a navigation system that would help visitors to the moon find their way around the lunar environment.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, along with other government space organizations, is developing what it calls a Lunar Reference Frame  essentially, the mapping infrastructure that would support a GPS-like capability for the moon.

Today, were working NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command to develop a lunar geodetic system that will guide future visitors around the moons surface as accurately and safely as GPS does on Earth, NGA Director Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth said May 22 at the GEOINT Conference in St. Louis.

The Lunar Reference Frame will serve a similar function as the World Geodetic System, which undergirds navigation capabilities like GPS, providing precise and accurate latitude, longitude and timing data. NGA maintains that system, dubbed WGS 84.

The push to develop a navigation framework comes as the U.S. and other countries  along with commercial companies  plan missions and envision a future economy on the moon.

The U.S. Department of Defense has also made a notable shift in its posture toward operations around the moon, from viewing potential threats in deep space as a far-off future to anticipating that those concerns could present much sooner. In recent years, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency have initiated a number of programs that explore satellite sensing and logistics in a lunar environment.

Whitworth noted that while the current focus is on a moon-based system, he expects NGA will eventually develop similar navigation frames for other planets and said the agency is building its workforce to support those future needs.

Were working on growing and training the next generation of scientists and bringing geodesy and geomatics skill sets back to the U.S., he said.

James Griffith, director of the agencys Source and Operations Management Directorate, told reporters during a May 22 briefing that while the NGA serves as the lead DoD agency for the Lunar Reference Frame, many other organizations have a stake in the effort.

NGA brings expertise to the community in how to build a reference frame and in the geodetic sciences. Our role is to lead in that regard, he said. There are others out there within the department and elsewhere who say, This is what we need the reference frame to do.

While the agency has crafted a navigation framework before, the challenge in developing the lunar system will be understanding how to collect data in the moon environment.

The moon as a planetary object operates very differently than the Earth, he said. We know the types of data we need, but we dont necessarily know how to collect it in that type of an environment because our tools arent built for that. And so, we have a lot of exploratory work to do between now and actually developing a final reference frame.

As for a timeline for delivering the capability, Griffith said NGA is working with its partners to prioritize their needs and set a schedule. He noted that the agency is partnered particularly close with NASA, which plans to launch a crewed test flight to the moon in 2024 in preparation for its next moon mission, Artemis III, in 2025.

I cant promise you that we will be in a place where were completing the work in time for the Artemis launch, he said. We are certainly working very closely with NASA on what the solution looks like and how it will be rolled out.
Ali Shamkhani - Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Iran has replaced a leading security chief after he was implicated in an alleged MI6 operation that passed top secret data about the regime's nuclear programme to Israel.

On Monday, Iran's president said he was replacing Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of the supreme national security council, with a top member of the Revolutionary Guard. Mr Shamkhani had earlier resigned from the role according to state media reports.

According to US and Iranian media reports, Mr Shamkhani was an ally of Alireza Akbari, the British-Iranian politician who was executed by the regime in January on charges of spying for MI6 on its nuclear programme.

In an audio recording obtained by BBC Persian, Mr Akbari can be heard saying that he gained high-level intelligence from Mr Shamkhani by offering him perfume and a shirt.

A recent New York Times report also stated that Mr Akbari had been passing on such information to Britain, which then allegedly handed it to Israel, including sensitive data on Iranian nuclear sites.

An escalating shadow war

Mr Akbari is said to have also revealed the identity and activities of more than 100 Iranian officials, including Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Irans chief nuclear scientist, who was later assassinated by Israel.

Israel regards Irans nuclear programme as an existential threat and in recent years has ramped up attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists and infrastructure as part of an escalating shadow war with the regime.

While Britain has not acknowledged claims that Mr Akbari was an MI6 spy, the replacement of Mr Shamkhani suggests that a major breach of Iranian national security occurred, in a significant blow to the regime.

It also suggests that MI6 managed to obtain secret data on Irans nuclear activities which had until then eluded other Western spy networks.

Mr Akbaris relatives have previously dismissed suggestions he was a spy and said he was the victim of a political game in Iran. It was reported before his execution that he was extensively tortured before confessing to being a spy.

Mr Shamkhani's replacement was named as Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps strategic centre. He is also a former naval commander and sits on the powerful expediency council, which advises the Iranian supreme leader.

Meanwhile on Monday Israel accused Iran of converting ships into armed floating terror bases that could be used to attack trade routes.

Speaking at a security conference in Israel, Yoav Gallant, the defence minister, said the regime was fitting drones, missile systems and intelligence equipment onto commercial ships in the Gulf.

The floating terror bases are an extension of Irans ongoing maritime terrorism, as seen in its actions in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. Iran aims to expand its reach to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and even the shores of the Mediterranean, Mr Gallant told the Herzliya Conference.

This is a structured plan designed to threaten trade and flight routes  both military and civilian  and to create a permanent threat in the maritime arena, he added.

Vessels with links to Israel

The regime is suspected of launching a string of attacks on ships in the Gulf region over the past few years, most notably a drone attack on the Mercer Street vessel in 2021 which killed a British sailor and a Romanian captain. Tehran denied responsibility for the incident at the time. Several other recent attacks have targeted vessels with commercial or indirect links to Israel.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has threatened military action against Irans nuclear programme unless it grinds to a halt, whereas Tehran repeatedly insists it is not making nuclear weapons.

However, UN atomic inspectors recently found uranium enriched at 84 per cent at Iranian nuclear sites, which is just short of the threshold for a bomb.

It is not the first time Iran has been accused of converting ships for military purposes. Satellite imagery published in January by H I Sutton, an open source security analyst, suggested that Iran's navy is converting merchant vessels into drone aircraft carriers.

Two years ago, in January 2021, Iran unveiled a warship named the Makran which had been converted from a former oil tanker, which also appeared to have drone launch capabilities.

It is not the first time Iran has been accused of converting ships for military purposes. Satellite imagery published in January by H I Sutton, an open source security analyst, suggested that Irans navy was converting merchant vessels into drone aircraft carriers.

In January 2021 Iran unveiled a warship named the Makran, converted from a former oil tanker, which also appeared to have drone launch capabilities.

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(Bloomberg) -- Iran overhauled the leadership of its top security council, substituting an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps veteran for a reformist appointee linked to an official accused of espionage.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a former commander in the powerful branch of Irans military who rose to become head of its joint staff, will replace Ali Shamkhani as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, the government announced in a statement Monday, without giving a reason for the change.

The council decides defense and security policy within guidelines set by the supreme leader. Shamkhani, a rear admiral who commanded the IRGCs navy, was appointed as the security bodys head in 2013 by former reformist President Hassan Rouhani after political posts as minister of the corps and minister of defense.

Shamkhani has since been appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the Expediency Discernment Council, a consultative body that resolves political disputes and advises the supreme leader.

Speculation over the councils leadership had mounted in January when Iran executed Shamkhanis former deputy over alleged spying for the UK. But hes since led major diplomatic efforts to expand ties with Russia and restore relations with Saudi Arabia.

--With assistance from Yasna Haghdoost.

(updates with Shamkhani appointment in fourth paragraph)

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INDIAN RIVER COUNTY  After attempts to leave jail on claims of ill-health failed, sheriff's officials said a 78-year-old businessman facing 49 child pornography charges devised a plan to escape by drafting a team to take out corrections officers during a doctors visit.

John Manchec, of the 4500 block of Kodiak Drive, west of Vero Beach, now faces 51 charges including attempted escape following a two-month investigation, according to Indian River County Sheriffs Office officials.

Sheriff Eric Flowers on Monday May 22, 2023 presented images of the property of John Manchec, 78, which he said would have likely been used in a failed escape attempt orchestrated by Manchec from Indian River County Jail where he awaits trial on 49 child pornography possession charges and now a charge of attempted escape.

Manchec was first arrested in December 2014 on charges stemming from a state investigation into internet activity of file transfers of videos and images of pornographic material involving children under the ages of 12 and 18.

He left the country after paying a nearly $500,000 bail a week later and returned to Europe, where, since the 90s, hes owned and renovated a sprawling Medieval estate into a hotel in southwestern France - the Chateau Pechrigal, sheriff's officials said. The estate was put up for auction in 2020, according to Barnebys.com and Concierge Auctions.

At a news conference Monday, Sheriff Eric Flowers spoke about the attempts to have Manchec extradited from France, which were denied, and his arrest in the Dominican Republic in 2020.

More: Why you pay to remove derelict boats and why it takes so long

Since then, Manchec has been in Indian River County Jail, where Flowers said he hatched a plot to escape with fellow inmates and some of his employees.

Court and state business records show Manchec has been involved in several businesses in the Treasure Coast since the mid-90s, but is currently registered as president or manager of Selective Properties Florida, Aero Shade Technologies, Inc., and MSA Aircraft Products, Inc. in Vero Beach and Fort Pierce.

Sheriff Eric Flowers at a Monday May 22, 2023 press conference where he spoke about a 78-year-old man facing dozens of child pornography possession charges who he said organized an escape attempt which was intercepted by detectives.

Originally from France, Manchec got his start in early computer sales in the mid-70s then moved into U.S. aerospace engineering in the 90s, first in Fort Lauderdale and then Vero Beach, according to court filings.

His attorneys sought his removal from jail on medical grounds in January, saying Manchec suffered several chronic medical conditions and broke his hip and wrist while incarcerated in late 2022.

Flowers said the plan to flee involved an April 12 doctors visit and multiple people employed by Manchec.

More: Emancipation Day: 150 attend celebration as Gifford commemorates slavery's end in Florida

After receiving tips about the imminent escape, Flowers said detectives began monitoring Manchecs phone calls and found he orchestrated an escape with his employees using the code word paint job.

These folks that are on the outside are going to wait until Manchec has a doctors visit and theyre going to take out our corrections staff while hes out at the medical facility and theyre going to grab him and theyre going to have his plane ready in Fort Pierce, said Flowers.

The yacht called the "Princess of Palau" owned by John Manchec, 78, who Sheriff Eric Flowers said concocted a failed jail escape while awaiting trial on child pornography possession charges from a 2014 investigation.

Among his luxury assets thought likely to be used in the escape were a plane, a yacht and a black utility van purchased just for the plot, Flowers said.

Hes going back to his castle in France  hes going to escape in his plane and get back to France and hes never going to have to face these charges, Flowers said.

Manchec, he said, earlier paid the bail of a cellmate who went to live in his home and made arrangements for the planned escape, including preparing suitcases with clothes and liquor preference.

More: Review: Historic restaurant reopens with comfort food and virtual golf, football, baseball

Flowers said detectives devised a ruse, where they would carry out the planned doctor visit and intercept the escape attempt - had it been carried out.

There were ultimately four people charged and arrested, accused of being on Manchecs team involved in the plot.

Although members involved told detectives they planned to use pepper spray or a distraction of some kind to free Manchec, Flowers said, We take this very seriously, as though they attempted to potentially kill our folks out there.

Manchec was charged with attempted escape and remains in jail without bail.

Others accused in the plot were charged with criminal conspiracy and unlawful use of a communication device.

Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Corey on Twitter @coreyarwood, or reach him by phone at 772-978-2246.

If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: IRCSO: Treasure Coast business owner charged with child porn possession planned to escape jail
Irina Shayk attended a party at the Cannes Film Festival while wearing see-through lingerie and diamonds

Irina Shayk at Hotel Martinez during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images

Irina Shayk made a daring fashion appearance at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.

She attended a party wearing Gucci lingerie, a see-through slip, and diamond accessories.

The outfit is one of many bold looks she's worn at the film event so far this year.

Diamonds  and lingerie  are a girl's best friend.

Irina Shayk proved that at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on Monday when she was photographed at Hotel Martinez wearing both as part of a skin-baring Gucci outfit.

She donned a mesh bra and matching string underwear  both with a monogram Gucci print  covered by a mesh slip with diamonds draped down her chest from its neckline.

The model also added mesh gloves, knee-high stockings, red lipstick, and black sunglasses.

Irina Shayk at Hotel Martinez during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images

Speaking with CNN during the festival, Shayk explained that she and her fashion "have evolved" over the past decade.

"This is a new time with a new vision, and I wanted to use the moment and different outfits to have fun, be free, and express a different side of my personality and creativity," she said.

Shayk also added that while she once felt nervous on red carpets, she doesn't anymore.

"I feel more comfortable in my own skin, and I wanted my wardrobe in Cannes to show that I can be a mom  I can be a working mom  and still show up, be stylish, and express myself," she said.

Irina Shayk attends a party hosted by British Vogue and Chopard during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. David M. Benett/Getty Images

Shayk's first appearance at the film festival this year displayed that perfectly. She wore a glamorous Giorgio Armani Prive gown crafted from navy-blue tulle and matching crystals with strappy black sandals and diamond jewels.

But the look was also daring. Not only was the mesh gown semi-sheer, but it also had a plunging neckline and deeply-cut sleeves that revealed part of her chest.

"What is expected at Cannes is beautiful and elegant gowns, and I wanted to have a little bit of fun with that," she told CNN about the look.

Irina Shayk at the "Killers of the Flower Moon" red carpet during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Dominique Charriau/Getty Images

She also had a standout fashion moment on the "Firebrand" red carpet wearing a leather ensemble from Mowalola. The black-and-red two-piece included a crisscross bra and a low-rise skirt, both of which she wore with a diamond necklace from Messika.

Shayk told CNN that the look was "very different" for her, but a way to "bring something new" to the red carpet.

"I want to see a different type of fashion at Cannes," she told the publication. "I wanted to take a different, modern approach and think, 'What does the young generation want? What would my 6-year-old daughter want to wear when she is 18?'"

And she knows it's a controversial choice, describing the look to CNN as "out there" and "strong."

"I knew so many people were going to criticize it. But I think people are going to look back at it in a couple of years and change their opinion," she said. "With fashion, you always have to break the rules a little bit. And often, when you go back in time and look again at these things, you realize, 'That was actually amazing.'"

Irina Shayk attends the "Firebrand" red carpet during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Mike Marsland/Getty Images

But at the end of the day, Shayk is confident in her fashion. And most importantly, she's having fun with it.

"The Cannes red carpet was the opposite of my everyday life. And that's kind of why I enjoy it so much," she told CNN.

Read the original article on Insider
Its Cannes Film Festival, and although the south of France been uncharacteristically raining and freezing cold, the weather has not dulled Irina Shayks excitement to be back.

Stepping onto the famed Croisette red carpet for the first time since 2018, the supermodel has made headlines with a succession of game-changing outfits, eschewing the events traditional  albeit unofficially so  dress code.

What is expected at Cannes is beautiful and elegant gowns, and I wanted to have a little bit of fun with that, she explained over the phone from the festival.

Shayks first red carpet was for Martin Scorseses Killers of the Flower Moon premiere which she attended with Riccardo Tisci, her best friend and Burberrys former chief creative officer. Clad in a dramatic, plunging Armani Prive gown in navy blue with a full tulle skirt, it was a sultry yet somewhat classic look, pared with winged eyeliner and nude lips.

Irina Shayk was seen at the "Killers Of The Flower Moon" screening in a tiered Armani Prive gown. - Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

But it was a different story for the Firebrand premiere on Sunday night when Shayk chose a look by London-based Nigerian designer Mowalola. Known for creating non-traditional silhouettes and using materials such as leather and PVC, Shayks outfit - from the fall/ winter 2023 catwalk - comprised a low-slung leather skirt paired with a bandage-style top, leaving the torso completely bare. Vogue magazine dubbed it a body flossing look.

It was something very different, even for me, the model says. Its always fun to come to Cannes but returning after a break meant I could step back, see what I did then and bring something new. Because I want to see a different type of fashion at Cannes. I wanted to take a different, modern approach and think, What does the young generation want? What would my six-year-old daughter want to wear when she is 18?

Irina Shayk was born in a small Russian town near the Ural mountains in 1986, her father a Tatar coal miner and her mother a Russian kindergarten teacher. A model since her teens, Shayk has been a fixture at Cannes since 2012, even attending eight weeks after giving birth to her daughter, whom she shares with actor Bradley Cooper, in 2017.

Over the past 10 years, both fashion and I have evolved, she said. This is a new time with a new vision, and I wanted to use the moment and different outfits to have fun, be free and express a different side of my personality and creativity. I used to get nervous on the red carpet but not anymore. I feel more comfortable in my own skin, and I wanted my wardrobe in Cannes to show that I can be a mom  I can be a working mom  and still show up, be stylish and express myself.

Irina Shayk wore a subversive leather Mowalola two piece to the "Firebrand (Le Jeu De La Reine)" red carpet on May 21. - Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

It was a sentiment she was keen to share with her 21.9 million Instagram followers. I spoke to a friend about what the caption should be when I posted the picture of the Mowalola look. We thought about it, and they suggested, When women understand women. To me thats it. As a woman, you want to express yourself and nobody should tell you what to wear or how to feel or how to be.

Spotlighting emerging designers

Whereas many Cannes attendees wear multiple looks from the same designer over several days, Shayk chose a diversity of brands, from high-end couture to more affordable labels, such as Self Portrait. And there was more to each choice than just how Shayk would look. With Mowalola, for instance, Shayk said she wanted to give a global platform to an emerging designer, and a woman on a stage as huge as Cannes.

The supermodel was aware, however, that her choices wouldnt be universally popular. The Mowalola look, in particular, was very out there and very strong, she explained. I knew so many people were going to criticize it. But I think people are going to look back at it in a couple of years and change their opinion. With fashion, you always have to break the rules a little bit. And often, when you go back in time and look again at these things, you realize, That was actually amazing.

With one eye firmly on the runways during fashion shows, Shayk says she spends a lot of time earmarking pieces she may like to wear to future events. This running shortlist likely came in handy ahead of Cannes, with the model only deciding to attend this years festival two weeks before it began.

This was all pretty last moment and needed a quick turnaround, she laughed. Everyone was preparing for the Met Gala ( on May 1), which I loved because I got to wear an archival Yohji Yamamoto dress from 1998 and flat shoes. For Cannes, we did all the fittings in New York before leaving and I was pretty (certain about) what I was going to wear on the red carpet.

One of Shayk's most eye-catching look was this sheer number from Gucci. - Arnold Jerocki/GC Images/Getty Images

The looks, on the runways, had caught my eye for different reasons and all brought up different emotions. I just wanted to find a good time to wear them. Here (at Cannes), there are day events, lunches, dinners and meetings for work, so there are opportunities for extra looks. You have to be prepared for any weather, and this year was also very rainy so I ended up bringing three suitcases, because I wanted to be ready for anything.

Shayk singles out pieces by Self Portrait as ones she has enjoyed wearing off the red carpet; notably a sheer, sparkly dress by the label worn to the afterparty for Martin Scorseses movie Killers of the Flower Moon and a see-through Gucci creation paired with a triangle bra and thong, chosen for a party thrown by British Vogue.

Shayk described collaborating with labels as a huge thrill  one that extends to her hair and make-up. I usually like a simple look, she explained. I want to feel like me, but things change and sometimes an outfit calls for more, or less. Its all part of the creative process.

But she notes that, for many attendees, getting ready for Cannes circus can be overwhelming. I always feel for people who are coming here for the first time, she said. Preparations for each red carpet start a few hours before in the hotel with fittings and grooming, there are a lot of people running around with gowns and the hair and make-up suitcases and its quite a scene Everyone is so stressed, so you have to be ready for that.

The Cannes red carpet was the opposite of my everyday life

For Shayk, red-carpet-readiness begins long before she picks her clothes or makeup. The model is a fan of Pilates and works out every other day when at home in New York. I have a really tough trainer whos great at encouraging me to do the hard stuff. I try to push myself to the limit and quite often get to the point where I think, Oh my gosh, I never want to come back here ever again.

I joke that I always enjoy my workouts when theyre over! But I always return. Its not even about the looks, its about how it makes me feel; challenging my mind and my body. I guess I love a challenge.

Shayk points out that her high glamor appearances at Cannes are not how she dresses in her downtime. Off duty, Im always casual. I love feeling comfortable going through my day, whether Im doing school pickups, work meetings or parent things

I even wore sweatpants to the Met Gala afterparty. When I told people my second look for that event was sweatpants and a T-shirt, people thought I was joking, but I wasnt! There was no way I was going to party and enjoy myself with a corset dress on. I wanted to be comfortable and feel like myself.

I think you can wear a tracksuit and still be chic and classy. The Cannes red carpet was the opposite of my everyday life. And thats kind-of why I enjoy it so much.

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The first-floor apartment of Palestinian militant Mutaz Khawaja in the occupied West Bank lies in ruins after Israeli troops blew it up in the early hours

Israeli troops on Tuesday demolished the West Bank home of a Palestinian militant who was killed after carrying out a deadly shooting in the heart of Tel Aviv in March.

"Forces of the army and the border police destroyed the home in the village of Nilin of the terrorist Mutaz Khawaja, who carried out a shooting attack on March 9, 2023 in Dizengoff Street, Tel Aviv," an army statement said.

Khawaja, 23, was a member of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group which rules Gaza.

He was shot dead by Israeli police after the attack, which killed one Israeli and wounded two more.

His home village lies close to the Green Line which separates Israel from the occupied West Bank, and barely 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Tel Aviv.

Nilin mayor Yusef Khawaja said Israeli troops made all residents of the four-storey apartment block leave their homes before demolishing the shooter's first floor flat at dawn.

The army released video of troops setting explosive charges before blowing up the apartment.

Large portraits of Khawaja had been draped over the side of the building, commemorating him as a "martyr", an AFP photographer reported.

Troops clashed with "rioters" during the operation, the army said. The mayor said three people were injured.

Israel, which has occupied the West Bank since 1967, routinely demolishes the homes of individuals it blames for deadly attacks on Israelis.

Human rights activists say the policy amounts to collective punishment, as it can render non-combatants, including children, homeless.

But Israel says the practice is effective in deterring some Palestinians from carrying out attacks.

Khawaja's father Salah was defiant after the Israeli operation. "This hateful act will only strengthen our love for the homeland... Jerusalem and the faith (Islam), and, with God's help, our roots will remain anchored here," he told AFP.

pho/he/mib/kir
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir smile before Netanyahu's statement in the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

JERUSALEM (AP)  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government on Tuesday prepared to pass a new budget  a step that could bring some stability to his coalition after a rocky start and clear the way for it to press ahead with its religious, pro-settlement agenda.

While the expected passage of the budget could buy Netanyahu some quiet inside the coalition, it also was expected to deepen the divisions in Israel. Critics have accused Netanyahu of increasing spending on his ultra-Orthodox allies for religious programs that have little benefit for the economy and broader society.

Ahead of the late-night vote, Netanyahu rejected the criticism.

We are passing a reasonable budget, a budget that stays in bounds, he said. To our colleagues in the opposition: dont get your hopes up. This government will last its full four years.

The government faces a May 29 deadline to pass the budget or be forced into a new round of elections. The vote, scheduled for late Tuesday or early Wednesday, would approve a budget through 2024, giving Netanyahu up to two years of quiet after weeks of tense negotiations with his coalition partners.

Its a very important moment, said Yohanan Plesner, a former lawmaker who is now president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank. It gives Netanyahu a reasonable projection for stability for the upcoming months, and perhaps year and a half.

Netanyahu formed the coalition, a collection of ultra-Orthodox and ultranationalist parties, last year after the countrys fifth election in under four years. That election, like its predecessors, was largely a referendum on Netanyahus fitness to rule while facing corruption charges.

The government took office in late December and almost immediately found itself mired in controversy, both at home and with its allies abroad.

A plan to overhaul the countrys judicial system has triggered months of mass protests and raised concerns overseas. Proponents say the measures are needed to rein in an overzealous Supreme Court, but critics say the plan would destroy the country's system of checks and balances.

Meanwhile, the coalition's commitment to expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem have angered allies. Most of the international community, including the United States, say the settlements are obstacles to peace. The Palestinians seek the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip  captured by Israel in 1967  for a future state.

The new budget has been criticized for allocating nearly $4 billion in discretionary funds, much of it for ultra-Orthodox and pro-settler parties.

That will include increases in controversial stipends for ultra-Orthodox men to study full time in religious seminaries instead of working or serving in the military, which is compulsory for most secular males.

It also includes more money for ultra-Orthodox schools, which are widely criticized for not teaching students skills like math and English needed in the modern workplace.

The funds also include tens of millions of dollars for hard-line pro-settler parties to promote pet projects through the ministries they control.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a settler leader, has said he hopes to double the population of West Bank settlers in the coming years.

The government's composition and agenda have deeply divided the country. On Tuesday, several thousand flag-waving Israelis protested outside the parliament building against the budget.

The budget is not allocated for building bridges, or building schools, or supporting higher education," said Evyatar Erell, a protester. "It is devoted entirely for purposes that will serve nothing at all to promote the growth and development of Israel in the future.

Scores of prominent economists this week signed a letter warning that the budget will cause significant and long-term damage to the economy by including incentives for the ultra-Orthodox to avoid the work force.

The budget that the government is raising today is devastating, opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Twitter. There is no reform that will improve the state of the economy, there are no engines of growth, there is no fight against the cost of living, there is only endless extortion.

While Tuesdays vote buys Netanyahu some quiet, that may be short lived.

The mass protests led Netanyahu to put the judicial overhaul plan on hold. But he could now face pressure from his partners to revive the plan.

If Netanyahu moves forward with it, he could once again see his poll numbers slip and come under pressure from within his ruling Likud Party to cancel it. But if he calls off the plan, the hard-line partners who have spearheaded the plan could threaten to leave the coalition.
This satellite photo from Planet Labs PBC shows construction on a new underground facility at Iran's Natanz nuclear site near Natanz, Iran, on April 14, 2023. A new underground facility at the Natanz enrichment site may put centrifuges beyond the range of a massive so-called "bunker buster" bomb earlier developed by the U.S. military, according to experts and satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press. (Planet Labs PBC via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

JERUSALEM (AP)  The Israeli governments national security adviser on Tuesday said a new nuclear facility being built by Iran would not be immune from attack, despite assessments by experts it will be beyond the reach of last-ditch U.S. bunker-busting bombs.

Tzachi Hanegbi made the comments in response to an Associated Press report that said the new facility appears to be as deep as 100 meters (328 feet) below ground.

Hanegbi, speaking at a security conference near Tel Aviv, said he was not surprised by the report, noting that Iran has other underground facilities. While he acknowledged the location would complicate any potential military strike on the facility, he said there are still solutions to the challenge.

What is possible to say about this matter is that there is no place that cant be reached, he said.

He declined to say whether Israel had the ability to do this on its own.

We hope we wont get to a situation where the solution to the story of a nuclear weapon in Iran is a kinetic solution, a solution involving an attack, he said, adding that Israel prefers to see the international standoff with Iran resolved through diplomatic means.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said he will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. He has said international diplomacy should be accompanied by a serious military option and hinted that Israel would be prepared to strike Iran on its own if necessary.

Photos and videos of Irans new facility from Planet Labs PBC show Iran has been digging tunnels near the Natanz nuclear site, which has come under repeated sabotage attacks over the years. Excavation mounds at the site suggest the facility could be between 80 meters (260 feet) and 100 meters (328 feet) under the ground, according to experts and APs analysis.

The Islamic Republic denies it is seeking nuclear weapons, though officials in Tehran now openly discuss their ability to pursue one.

With Iran now producing uranium close to weapons-grade levels after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers, the installation complicates the Wests efforts to halt Iran from potentially developing an atomic bomb as diplomacy over its nuclear program remains stalled.

The construction comes five years after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the nuclear accord. Since then, Iran has stepped up its uranium enrichment far beyond the limits of the accord. Experts believe it is just a short step from reaching the 90% enrichment threshold of weapons-grade uranium.

Uranium enrichment is a key element of producing a nuclear bomb. Israeli experts believe Iran would need additional time, up to two years, to develop the means to deliver and detonate a warhead.

Addressing the same conference, Israels military chief, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, said Israel is closely monitoring Irans nuclear program and reiterated that the military is prepared to take action.

There are possible negative developments on the horizon and that can bring about action, he said. We have capabilities. Others have capabilities, and this is a very significant and important matter.
Hippo

The sale of ivory from the tusks and teeth of five more species will be banned under government plans.

The import, export and dealing of elephant ivory was banned in the UK last year. The animals that could join the list are killer whales, hippos, walruses, narwhals, and sperm whales.

The creatures are hunted and killed for their ivory which is often used in decorative carvings.

The government plans to extend the Ivory Act 2018 to include them.

People found to be breaking the law can be given unlimited fines or be jailed for five years.

Parliament must vote on the extension of the Act before it can come into force.

The species set to be included in the ban are already at risk from climate change and habitat loss, and conservationists are concerned that poaching for ivory will drive them closer to extinction.

"The Ivory Act is one of the toughest bans of its kind in the world and by extending greater legal protections to five more species, we are sending a clear message the commercial trade of ivory is totally unacceptable," said Biodiversity Minister Trudy Harrison.

Hippos, killer whales and sperm whales are targeted for their teeth, while narwhals and walruses are hunted for their tusks.

An investigation in 2022 by conservation charity Born Free found 621 individual online ivory listings in the UK, with a total guide price of over 1.2m.

This was a significant decrease in the volume traded before restrictions were introduced, the charity said.

But last year wildlife campaigners also warned that the ban on elephant ivory trafficking had led to an increase in trade of hippo teeth.

In 2020 hippo teeth were among the mammal body parts most often seized in the EU, according to a European Commission report.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare welcomed the government's proposal.

"We welcome the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs's decision to extend this powerful legislation, which will go a long way in cracking down on a damaging trade. Today is a good day for conservation and a step change towards international commitments to safeguard our natural world," said Frances Goodrum, Head of Campaigns and Programmes at IFAW UK.

The five species are listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES), which regulates their trade internationally.

Hippopotamus, walrus and sperm whale are listed as vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list.
President Joe Bidens nominee to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas withdrew his name from consideration late Tuesday, marking the second time in two years that his nomination to the federal bench failed to get through the Senate.

Jabari Wamble, who has served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the District of Kansas since 2011, was first nominated to serve as a judge on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in August of last year. His nomination never made it through the Senate Judiciary Committee and he was instead nominated for the district court, a step down, in February.

My path to this nomination began more than 18 months ago and after careful thought and consideration, I feel that it is best for me to continue my work at the United States Attorneys Office in the District of Kansas, Wamble wrote in a withdrawal letter obtained by the Star. I have been humbled and honored by the faith you placed in me with this nomination.

Wamble is the son-in-law of Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Kansas City Democrat who was an early supporter of Biden in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.

President Biden is proud to have nominated Jabari Wamble, a deeply qualified attorney who has served with distinction as a prosecutor at the state and federal level in Kansas, who received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kansas, and who has dedicated his life to serving the people of Kansas, said Andrew Bates, the deputy White House press secretary.

Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican, congratulated Wamble on his circuit nomination last year, but was silent on his nomination to the lower court this year.

Moran and Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas, wanted an independent group  the American Bar Associations Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary  to determine whether Wamble was qualified before they supported his nomination.

It never weighed in.

The group, which conducts independent peer evaluations of judges, never issued a rating on Wambles circuit court nomination. As of Tuesday, it was still reviewing Wamble for the district court position, even though it had already rated several nominees after him.

The Alliance for Justice, a progressive judicial advocacy group, said Wamble was qualified and highlighted cases he prosecuted related to health care fraud, tax fraud and corporate fraud.

But Wamble was also involved in a case where the U.S. Attorneys office was held in contempt of court for failing to cooperate with an investigation into the extent in which prosecutors accessed confidential phone calls between attorneys and clients at Leavenworth Detention Center, a federal prison which was managed by private contractor CoreCivic.

Over the course of the case, Wamble offered conflicting statements regarding how he handled a recording where he recognized the voice of Christian Cox, an attorney who at the time was representing Brenda Wood, a client charged with 26 counts related to fraud.

The case largely focused on other attorneys in the office, but Judge Julie Robinson criticized Wamble in the scathing 188-page ruling in 2019 for failing to tell Cox that he possessed his calls with Wood.

Wamble said he stopped listening to the tape when he recognized the voice and requested new recordings from the prison without the Coxs calls in them. He also said he told Cox that he had possibly obtained his calls with Wood and suggested Cox have his number privatized.

Cox testified that Wamble did not tell him that he had obtained or possessed his calls with Wood. Wamble later said he did not actually tell Cox he possessed the calls, according to Robinson.

Cox, who characterized the situation as a miscommunication, said he didnt think Wambles role in the case should disqualify him from becoming a judge.

No, I dont, Cox said. I think he is a smart, good lawyer. Nobody does this perfectly all the time. I would not want to hinder his movement in life. Hes a good guy, I wish him all the best.

Charles Geyh, a law professor at Indiana University who focuses on judicial ethics, said if he were a senator he would want to know more about the circumstances and whether it was an isolated event because there is a high standard of integrity for judges.

Integrity is one of the three Is of judicial ethics (the other two being independence and impartiality)  the core values that codes of conduct require of an ethical judge, Geyh wrote in an email. Lawyers who are dishonest in their dealings with others call their integrity into question, which is a red flag for a judicial candidate, whose integrity should be above reproach.
Judge entered plea for Idaho murder suspect Kohberger. Why? And what happens next?

Bryan Kohberger, the Pennsylvania man charged with murder in the deaths of four University of Idaho students in November, sat in silence and declined to enter a plea Monday through his public defender at his long-awaited arraignment.

Judge John Judge of Idahos 2nd Judicial District Court in Latah County, after detailing to Kohberger the five felony charges and potential punishments  up to the death penalty on four of those counts  in turn entered a plea of not guilty on all charges.

Kohberger, 28, is accused of the stabbing deaths of U of I seniors Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, each 21, junior Xana Kernodle, 20, and freshman Ethan Chapin, 20. The four victims bodies were found at an off-campus rental house in mid-November.

At the request of Kohbergers attorney, Judge also scheduled the trial for up to six weeks, starting Oct. 2. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson did not object to the timeline.

Bryan Kohberger is escorted out of the courtroom following his arraignment hearing Monday in District Court in Latah County.

Edwina Elcox, a Boise-based criminal defense attorney, answered questions for the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview Monday about how Kohbergers arraignment played out, and what it could mean for a potential trial.

Why does a defendant stand silent for a plea?

When a defendant chooses not to enter a plea to the charges against them, they are deemed to be standing silent, as Anne Taylor, Kohbergers appointed public defender, told the judge Monday. A judge then automatically converts a defendants decision to remain silent into a not guilty plea, said Elcox, a former Ada County deputy prosecutor.

The judge cant enter a guilty plea on somebodys behalf, she said. The thought is that its kind of a way to preserve the ability to negotiate with the state on a possible plea deal to avoid a trial.

In addition, Elcox said, the defense lacks several key pieces of information at the moment to decide how best to represent Kohberger and proceed with the legal process. Those factors likely contributed to the strategic decision by the defense, she said.

What information is the defense lacking?

Of utmost importance, the defense does not yet know whether the prosecution will seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. That decision is likely to weigh heavily into whether a plea agreement can be struck at some point, Elcox said.

Thats probably a pretty significant factor, because the state hasnt committed to whether or not they will seek the death penalty yet, she said. They need to know, Yeah, you can plea, or that its off the table. Or, Were seeking this no matter what, no offers, no deals, and well let a jury figure this out. 

Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, right, speaks with public defender Anne Taylor during an arraignment hearing for her client, Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November.

Also, the defense has said it is still awaiting more evidence through the discovery process.

Judge, for example, on Monday scheduled a hearing in late June over the defenses motion to compel discovery evidence that it says the state so far has withheld or not yet delivered. Thompson in response to the filings argued the state has met the requirements of Idaho law, and objected to specifics the defense sought about the DNA testing process that linked Kohberger to the crime scene.

When will the state decide on the death penalty?

Judges entering of a plea for Kohberger starts a 60-day clock under Idaho law for the prosecution to inform the court whether it will seek the death penalty.

Only first-degree murder cases qualify for the death penalty in Idaho. Upon a conviction, a jury must also find at least one aggravating circumstance. Those include committing more than one murder at the time, that a murder was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity or that the defendant exhibited utter disregard for human life while committing the murder, per statute.

On July 1, Idaho will become the fifth U.S. state to implement a firing squad as the backup execution method to lethal injection. Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a bill in March that overwhelmingly passed in the Idaho Legislature earlier that month.

Utah was the last state to execute a prisoner by firing squad, in 2010. Idaho joined South Carolina as the most recent states to pass such a law in response to challenges capital punishment states have faced in acquiring lethal injection drugs to carry out executions of each states death row inmates.

The families of the victims deserve justice for their loved ones and the death penalty is a way to bring them peace, Little said in a written statement after signing the bill into law. It is the responsibility of the state of Idaho to follow the law and ensure that lawful criminal sentences are carried out.

Will the trial start in October?

For now, Judge set an Oct. 2 trial start date. Unless Kohberger waives his right to a speedy trial, it must begin within six months from his arraignment.

Elcox is skeptical a trial would happen on such a short turnaround, given its high-profile nature, a slew of forthcoming pretrial motions, the issue with discovery held over until the hearing late next month and other possible hangups. As a result, she said, Kohbergers trial is likely to be pushed back.

This is a hard timeline to deal with under any circumstances, let alone a case this complex, she said. I think the likelihood that this case gets tried or begins trial on the date currently set is a slim-to-none possibility.

The reality is a case of this magnitude, thats multi-jurisdictional, has multi-agencies, to coordinate that number of witnesses, for the defense to get a handle on that much different evidence, to seek their own potential experts, to theoretically combat whatever the state has, six months seems like a long time, but its a drop in a bucket.

Could a trial change of venue still happen?

In short, yes. Such a request is not typically raised during an arraignment, Elcox said. So it still may be forthcoming on the grounds of seeking a fair trial for Kohberger, outside of the community where the crime occurred.

It would be entirely appropriate to make that request at some point in the future, Elcox said. There needs to be a ruling on that and then the alternative venue has to be selected and that has to be coordinated. The logistics of that make it appropriate to be well before the trial.

District Judge John Judge presides over an arraignment hearing Monday for Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022. The hearing was held in Latah County Court in Moscow.

Jessica Bublitz, another Boise-based criminal defense attorney, previously told the Statesman that she thought the judge in the case would agree to a change of venue request, and also believed the prosecution wouldnt oppose it.

I think it will be granted, she said. Either party can make the motion, and its up to the judge himself. One thing you have to be careful with is due process in any capital case, and you want to be very attentive to making sure that you do everything correctly.

The entire state of Idaho is likely to be invested in this case. Moscow was extremely impacted, but really all of Idaho was. Knowing this prosecution, I think they are likely to agree to change of venue.

Should a change of venue occur, Judge would move with the case.

What happens next?

Judge scheduled separate hearings June 9 to address motions filed by the Goncalves familys attorney, Shanon Gray, and by a group of media outlets, each challenging the standing gag order. Judge also scheduled the hearing on the defenses motion to compel discovery evidence for June 27.

From there, Judge will establish a discovery deadline in advance of the scheduled trial, Elcox said. Hes also likely to set a schedule for when motions related to evidence must be filed and other pretrial actions must take place.

Bryan Kohberger enters the Latah County courtroom for his arraignment Monday in Latah County District Court in Moscow.

Kohberger in the meantime will remain in custody at the Latah County Jail in Moscow, awaiting his next court date.

Reporter Angela Palermo contributed from Moscow.
REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

As the Manhattan District Attorney prepares to hand over huge tranches of evidence to Donald Trump, a New York state judge on Tuesday gently warned the petulant former American president against continuing his incendiary campaign against law enforcement and the courts.

It's certainly not a gag order. Its certainly not my intention in any way to impede Mr. Trump's ability to campaign hes certainly free to deny the charges hes free to do just about anything that doesnt violate the specific terms of this protective order, Judge Juan Merchan said from the bench in front of a packed courtroom of attorneys and journalists, as Trump tuned in via video feed from Mar-a-Lago.

Merchan was referring to a protective order he signed two weeks ago that guards sensitive documents prosecutors are turning over to Trump and his legal team. Defense lawyers need the evidence in those records to fight back against the 34-count grand jury indictment that accuses Trump of faking business records in order to hide his hush money payment to the porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, a scheme that saved his first successful presidential campaign from potentially dire embarrassment.

But while Merchan avoided lecturing the former president, he did caution that ignoring the judicial order could still land Trump in serious legal jeopardy.

Violation of a court order or a court mandate could result in sanctions. There are a wide range of sanctions, but it could include up to a finding of contempt, and that is punishable, Merchan said, choosing painfully oblique phrasing to warn Trump he could face fines or jail.

It was a clear shot at the real estate tycoon, who has used his cult-like status in the Republican Party and his MAGA megaphone to broadcast veiled threats against District Attorney Alvin Bragg, prosecutors on his team, and even Merchan himself.

Trumps New Ploy to Knock the Manhattan DAs Case Down to Misdemeanors

Nevertheless, it only took an hour after the proceedings ended for Trump to begin prodding at the judge again on social media with a post that didnt seem to violate the orderbut still served to goad the judge nonetheless.

Just had New York County Supreme Court hearing where I believe my First Amendment Rights, 'Freedom of Speech,' have been violated, and they forced upon us a trial date of March 25th, right in the middle of Primary season. Very unfair, but this is exactly what the Radical Left Democrats wanted. Its called ELECTION INTERFERENCE, and nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before!!! he wrote on Truth Social.

The awkward power dynamic on display in the New York City courtroom Wednesday is a microcosm of what Americans face in the months to come as several criminal investigations finally zero in on Trump: an unencumbered politician who relentlessly taunts the countrys justice system while judges use tempered language to tactfully exercise the legal authority they claim to have.

Adding a tinge of dramatic flareand tension highlighting the competing powersTrump was seen sitting behind a desk, flanked by two American flags and perched next to his lawyer. Trump wore a frown, a dark blue suit, and a striped red tie. He stared into the camera while keeping his hands clasped together over a document.

Tuesdays court hearing itself was an oddity, as it was a normally unnecessary affair that merely served to formally read Trump a judicial order he could have seen himselfor had his many lawyers describe to him. But Merchan, cognizant that the former president has recently shown he couldnt care less about supposed restrictions, took the added precaution of speaking directly to Trump himselfwhile adopting a light touch approach to avoid making it something of a spectacle with a public lecture.

Trump appeared on a computer screen, joined by his lead defense lawyer Todd Blanche from the moguls mansion in Palm Beach. His other defense lawyer, Susan Necheles, sat at a table in court opposite Braggs team of prosecutors.

During the brief court hearing, Blanche lightly pushed back against the judge's decision, noting that "because President Trump is running for president of the United States and is the current leading contender... he's very much concerned that his First Amendment rights are being violated by this order."

But the order doesn't say anything that would stop Trump from merely complaining about the caseor continuing to call it a political farce.

In his May 8 order, Merchan wrote that any evidence turned over by the DA shall be used solely for the purposes of preparing a defense, forbidding Trump or anyone else who gets them from posting them onlineeven singling out Truth Social, Trumps own platform. And the judge went so far as to limit Trumps ability to see the evidence himself, ordering that he is permitted to review the limited dissemination materials only in the presence of defense counsel. The restrictions are aimed at stopping Trump from ramping up the norm-shattering tactics hes adopted in recent weeks.

In late March, when Trump began to feel the legal pressure as Braggs team neared the end of their presentation before the Manhattan grand jury, Trump actually warned of potential death & destruction if he was indicted. He posted a photo mashup that appeared to show him wielding a bat over Braggs head. The image inspired his Make America Great Again followers to flood the DAs office with threatening messages, according to a source in that office.

Then, after being indicted on March 30, Trump focused his rage on a lead prosecutor on that team, Matt Colangelo, whom he labeled a top Democrat DOJ official. That served as a green light to his loyal adherents in Congress, where House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) quickly fired off a letter demanding that the prosecutor interrupt his ongoing investigation to testify about how he got hireda thinly veiled ploy to further the conspiracy theory that President Joe Biden is somehow behind Trumps New York indictment.

Then, in a jaw-dropping show of contemptuousness mere hours after his arraignment in court in New York, Trump ignored Merchans calmly delivered warnings about avoiding incendiary personal attacks and delivered a caustic speech at his Mar-a-Lago estate in South Florida.

This is where we are right now. I have a Trump-hating judge, with a Trump-hating wife and family, whose daughter worked for Kamala Harris and now receives money from the Biden-Harris campaign, Trump said that evening.

Trump already has a history of targeting judges he doesnt like, with the most memorable being his infamously racist tirade in 2016 against U.S. District Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel, who he deemed incapable of ruling fairly simply because the California federal judge was of Mexican heritage.

But Trump has been on an all-out campaign of insolence lately, most recently when he ignored a New York federal judges repeat warnings during his civil rape trial against the journalist E. Jean Carroll. Trump and his eldest son, Don Jr., posted rants on social media about the case and the juryeven to the point of potentially causing a mistrialdespite U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplans stern admonitions in court.

Hes even kept it up after losing the trial and being ordered to pay $5 million for defaming the woman he was found to have sexually abused. During a CNN town hall earlier this month, he continued to bash Carrollsparking yet another slew of defamation claims from Carroll and her lawyersand on Tuesday morning he twice posted on Truth Social about what he called a scam of a case.

On Tuesday, the judge overseeing the Manhattan DA's case officially set the first-ever criminal trial of a former president to start on March 25, 2024at the very height of Republican presidential primaries. That means Trump could find himself preparing for trial the same week he faces key scheduled elections in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, and Ohio.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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ST. JOHNS  Two men charged in connection with the shooting death of a hunter in Bath Township more than four years ago will be tried separately, a judge ruled Monday.

Clinton County Circuit Judge Shannon Schlegel denied a motion by the state Attorney General's Office to join the cases of Robert Rodway and Thomas Olson for trial on murder and weapons charges stemming from the death of Chong Moua Yang on Nov. 16, 2018, at Rose Lake State Game Area.

Robert Rodway, left, and Thomas Olson (second from right) are charged in the 2018 killing of hunter Chong Moua Yang at Bath Township's Rose Lake State Game Area.

The judge sided with Rodway's attorney, Matthew Newburg, who noted that Rodway and Olson traveled to and from the state game area separately and did not hunt in the same place that day.

Yang died from a single gunshot wound to the back of the head, and police found only one set of unknown boot prints leading to his body, the attorney said. The defendants are not charged with aiding and abetting each other, nor are they charged with conspiracy, he noted.

"That really creates an issue when two people are sitting next to each other (in a courtroom) ...," Newburg argued, saying that scenario would create a constitutional issue and force the defendants to point the finger at each other. He also said a single trial would be confusing for the jury.

Olson, of Grand Blanc Township, and Rodway, of St. Johns, are charged with first-degree, felony murder, with an alternative charge of second-degree murder, and felony firearm possession.

Both men admitted hunting in the area where Yang was killed but have denied any involvement in his death. Police did not learn the men were hunting at Rose Lake until years later, and Rodway and Olson were not charged until late last year.

There are no eyewitnesses to the shooting and no physical evidence linking the defendants to Yang's death, but a judge in March ordered the two men to stand trial after prosecutors introduced a series of potentially incriminating text messages between them referring to the death investigation.

Among those communications was an April 2020 photo showing the two men in hunting gear at Rose Lake, along with a message that said, "A couple of cold-blooded killers revisiting the crime scene."

Prosecutors also produced evidence that Olson did internet searches for news about a hunter's death before any information about the incident had been released publicly.

Also on Monday, Schlegel denied Newburg's motion to toss the case against Rodway because police and prosecutors charged him out of vindictiveness after he refused to cooperate with the investigation.

A Bath Township police detective expressed hostility toward Rodway during the investigation, then misrepresented evidence during a warrant hearing in an effort to punish him, the attorney said. In effect, Rodway is being penalized for exercising his right to remain silent, he said.

"The only reason he's here ... is because he didnt want to participate in the investigation," Newburg said.

Schlegel described those issues as jury questions and said she found no reason to believe Rodway was charged out of vindictiveness.

Trial dates will be set during a scheduling conference next week.

Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Suspects in Bath Twp. hunter's death will be tried separately
A New York City judge has set a trial date of March 25, 2024, for former President Donald Trump's criminal trial on charges of falsifying business records.

The former president appeared, virtually, in a Manhattan court Tuesday before the judge presiding over his criminal case.

Trump, sitting side-by-side with his attorney Todd Blanche, his hands folded on the table, scowled into the camera when Judge Juan Merchan announced the trial date, possibly because the date conflicts with the GOP primary calendar as Trump seeks to reclaim the presidency.

MORE: Judge in Trump criminal case issues protective order to prevent sharing of evidence

Merchan has previously indicated that no one associated with the case is allowed to schedule anything that would conflict with the trial, which would seemingly including any campaign appearances that would keep Trump from appearing in court.

Merchan reviewed for Trump the terms of a protective order that prohibits him from sharing on social media any evidence turned over by the Manhattan district attorney during discovery.

PHOTO: Former President Donald Trump appears virtually in a New York courtroom on May 23, 2023,' (Pool)

Prosecutors sought the protective order after Trump criticized Merchan, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and others associated with the case.

"President Trump is running for president of the United States and is the leading contender," Blanche told the judge. "He is very much concerned that his First Amendment rights are being violated."

Merchan reiterated that the protective order is not a gag order.

MORE: The Manhattan DA's investigation into Trump and the Stormy Daniels hush payment, explained

"It's certainly not a gag order and it's not my intention to impede Mr. Trump to campaign for president," Merchan said. "He's free to do just about anything that does not violate the terms of this protective order."

Trump pleaded not guilty last month to 34 felony charges of falsifying business records stemming from a $130,000 hush payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in the closing weeks of the 2016 campaign.

Trump has been charged in connection with what prosecutors have called "an illegal scheme" to influence the 2016 presidential election by directing his then-personal attorney Michael Cohen to pay $130,000 to Daniels to prevent her from publicizing a long-denied affair with Trump. Trump reimbursed Cohen through a series of monthly checks, which prosecutors say caused business records to be falsified to disguise the true purpose of the payments.

Judge sets 2024 date for Trump's criminal trial in Stormy Daniels case originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
PROVIDENCE  Siding with courts throughout the nation, a federal judge in Rhode Island has thrown out Cranston-based Procaccianti hotel groups claims that its insurer should cover the $100 million in losses the company suffered during the COVID pandemic.

U.S. District Judge William E. Smith found that Procaccianti failed to demonstrate that they suffered direct physical loss of or damage to their properties, as required to obtain coverage.

As explained by numerous other courts, the presence of the virus on the surface of property, which is, by its nature, ephemeral, dissipates on its own over time and has no lasting effect on the property, does not physically alter the property, Smith said in the ruling.

More: Procaccianti hotel group sues insurer that denied 'devastating' COVID loss claim

One of the largest privately held hotel operators in the United States, Procaccianti Companies Inc. and its subsidiary, TPG Hotels & Resorts Inc., sued their insurer, Zurich American Insurance Co., in 2021 in U.S. District Court. The company accused Zurich of breaching its contract by refusing to honor its obligations under the $300-million all risk insurance policy.

Zurich countered that any losses due to 'virus and 'other disease causing or illness causing' substances are among the expressly excluded causes and that presence of COVID did not amount to a direct physical loss or damage that would trigger coverage.

A lawyer for Procaccianti did not respond to an inquiry.

Political Scene: In the RI General Assembly, landlords far outnumber renters. These lawmakers own multiple properties.

Ruling relies on RI Superior Court opinion

Smith noted that state Superior Court Judge Brian P. Stern reached a similar conclusion in a first-of-its-kind case in state court. In that case, Josephson, LLC doing business as The Moinian Group, one of the nations largest real-estate investment companies, sued Johnston-based Affiliated FM Insurance Company over losses it suffered.

This Court finds that not only does COVID-19 not constitute `physical loss or damage under the terms of the Policy  but, as will be explained more fully below, COVID-19 is not capable of causing `physical loss or damage to property, full stop, Stern ruled last year.

In rejecting the companys claims, Stern found that the COVID-19 virus does not cause `direct physical loss of or damage to property as a matter of law.

The national landscape

Businesses hit insurance companies with lawsuits nationwide in an effort to recoup financial losses brought on by the health crisis and government shutdowns.

A COVID litigation tracker kept by the University of Pennsylvania Law School showed court rulings in the majority of states tipping toward the insurer

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Procaccianti hotel group loses $100M COVID loss insurance claim
Justice Department prosecutors have been poring over detailed notes from an attorney for Donald Trump on the Mar-a-Lago case to bolster their case that the former president may have committed obstruction of justice.

The notes from Evan Corcoran, who has since ceased representing Trump on the matter, show he explained to Trump that a 2022 subpoena meant he could not keep any classified records, with Trump wishing to fight the effort to compel the documents, according to reporting from The Guardian and CNN.

Corcoran conducted a search of Mar-a-Lago last June, turning over about 40 classified documents found in a storage room in Trumps Florida home. But authorities would go on to find more than 100 more such records, despite Corcorans drafting of a statement indicating all records had been turned over after a diligent search.

Prosecutors have focused on why so many records remained on the property after Corcorans search, including the role of Walt Nauta, an aide to Trump who was seen on Mar-a-Lago security camera footage moving boxes in and out of the storage room.

People familiar with the notes, spread out over 50 pages, described them to the two outlets. The Justice Department secured the notes after Corcoran was ordered by a judge to testify in the matter, a remarkable ruling that stripped attorney-client communication privileges after determining Trump may have used Corcorans legal advice in furthering a crime.

Corcoran remains retained by Trump in the broader special counsel investigation into Jan. 6.

In addition to the warning offered to Trump, Corcorans notes detail the former presidents reactions, including his facial expressions during the conversation.

The notes also provide insight into Trumps and Nautas knowledge of Corcorans activities, including when and where he planned to conduct his search for classified records.

Nauta was informed when Corcoran needed him to unlock the storage room, with the aide reportedly offering to help search the boxes, an offer the attorney declined.

Prosecutors have also subpoenaed Matthew Calamari Sr. and his son, Matthew Calamari Jr., who both worked on security issues at the Trump Organization, to discuss security footage taken at Mar-a-Lago, including apparent gaps. Both testified to the grand jury earlier this month.

Trumps team has repeatedly called the investigation a politically motivated witch hunt.

Another former Trump attorney defended the former president over the weekend, saying moving boxes is not evidence of obstruction of justice.

The fact that someone is moving boxes is not evidence of obstruction, its evidence of an operating business  because this is during the time period when he should be reviewing documents anyway to determine what is personal and what is presidential as part of the Presidential Records Act. There is nothing wrong with that, Tim Parlatore, who left Trumps legal team last week, said in a Sunday appearance on CNN.

Separately, the Justice Department has subpoenaed records of business deals Trumps company made with seven countries since he took office in 2017.

The subpoena seeks information about real estate and development deals the Trump Organization had with China, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Updated on May 24 at 10:37 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Kansas City is so ugly: How our town leveled up from its dirty, hilly, homely past

Local folks like to boast about the beauty of Kansas City, with its boulevard system to rival Paris and nearly as many fountains as Rome.

But most people probably dont realize that until the late 19th century, Kansas City was downright homely.

In the 1858 book Annals of the City of Kansas, C.C. Spalding wrote, It is very true that the topographical view of our city, at first sight, is anything but inviting to the vision. Bluffs, ridges and ravines seem to be a poor and costly place to build a city.

So how did Kansas City turn from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan?

The key was getting rid of those bluffs, ridges and ravines by leveling the area south of the riverfront. The process took more than a half-century, and for much of that time the city was a carved-up mess.

Reader David Buck wondered about those nascent days of Kansas City and contacted KCQ, The Stars ongoing series with the Kansas City Public Library that answers readers questions about our region. His query:

Hemingway called Kansas City the city of planed hills, it is said, and he actually wrote about the hills. There are dramatic images of streets excavated to ease the path from the bluffs to the river. But what made the area so hilly, and what was life like before the hills were leveled?

In Kansas Citys early days, the bluffs towered above the riverfront buildings.

Ernest Hemingway, who spent 6 1/2 months working for The Star in 1917 and 1918, mentioned the areas topography in God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen. The 1925 short story set in Kansas City began:

In those days the distances were all very different, the dirt blew off the hills that now have been cut down, and Kansas City was very like Constantinople.

Constantinople, which became Istanbul in 1930, was known as the City on the Seven Hills. Kansas City, on the other hand, eliminated most of its hills to produce the relatively flat downtown we now enjoy.

KCQ addressed the origins of Kansas Citys topography in 2021, discussing the Pennsylvanian Age, an inland ocean and the resulting layers of limestone that created the bluffs that stood as a barrier to the citys growth.

To complement that earlier KCQ, we take a closer look at the period when downtown Kansas City was a series of carved-through hills and residents could find themselves living next to a street one day and at the edge of a cliff the next.

A house was perched well above street level in 1868 after road work leveled the grade on Main. Notice the person relaxing to the left of the chimney.

A little foul

Thirty years after Missouri gained statehood in 1821, what would become Kansas City remained little more than a few buildings on the riverfront abutting bluffs that towered as high as 100 feet.

People hesitated to move southward of the bluffs, where the land presented only a succession of hills and ravines, ponds and springs, rocky buttes and timbered knolls or wastes where nothing more inviting than stumps was to be seen, a 1905 Star story said. It was not a land of promise. No one, in those days, believed that the town would ever become a place of importance.

Visitors to the area were even less diplomatic.

John Herron, who worked on several projects related to Kansas City history while a professor and administrator at University of Missouri-Kansas City for 17 years before becoming director of the Kansas City Public Library in 2020, told The Star: What is true is how universally, almost every visitor account is like, Oh, good grief, Kansas City is so ugly.

It wasnt merely the citys appearance that was off-putting. The sewage system, such as it was, also contributed to the areas lack of curb appeal.

You would just dump your waste, whether it be human waste from your house or waste from whatever little warehouse you had, and it just goes into these gullies, Herron said. It was a really unusual looking city that also was a little foul.

Whats not perfectly understood is just how crammed and jumbled early Kansas City was. Because its basically the south bank of the Missouri River to the limestone bluffs.  In this tiny little space, you had houses that were scattered against the bluffs. You had streets that were narrow and jumbled. You had livestock that were wandering the streets. You had an occasional kind of junky warehouse that would populate the levy.

John Herron, director of the Kansas City Public Library, became an expert on Kansas City history while a professor and administrator at UMKC for 17 years.

Meanwhile, venturing from Westport Landing and its natural wharf on the riverfront to the burgeoning town of Westport beyond the bluffs included its own challenges. It meant maneuvering through the gorges and up steep slopes along passageways barely wide enough for a horse and wagon.

A few houses and businesses popped up along the way, but Kansas Citys businessmen knew what had to happen for there to be any real growth.

These are people who are developing businesses, and to them figuring out a way to make the site function for business was their primary concern, Herron said.

Its a very intensive but simple process of cutting the hills, throwing the dirt into the ravines, and the city slowly smooths itself up as it grows south. And you can literally watch the city as its carved out.

But it didnt happen overnight  except when it did.

You can literally watch the city as its carved out, said John Herron, local historian and director of the Kansas City Public Library.

Dr. T.B. Lester owned a cottage with a front porch a few steps from Main Street between Second and Third streets. When he returned from a trip late one evening, he found his home nearly 20 feet above Main.

Lester decided to build a second level to the house, but he placed it below the original structure rather than on top of it.

It wasnt long before the city fathers decided Main was still too steep and narrow, so they ordered another cut. Lesters house again wound up 20 feet or so above the street, and he again added a ground floor underneath it.

It was certainly a spectacle, John Donnelly, an ex-city engineer, told The Star in 1905. It was a funny thing to see that story, the dwelling above it, and, still higher up, the little cottage with the porch projecting over the street.

Residents had no say in the matter, even when their property was damaged. The city simply charged ahead with the cutting, offering no condemnation proceedings and usually no compensation to homeowners.

The Kansas City Times noted one exception in 1977:

One citizen did obtain $2,825 damages after he returned from a trip one night unaware that his street had been graded in his absence, leaving a precipitous drop without guard rail or warning light. He fell 15 feet, breaking an arm.

Other homeowners just enjoyed the view.

Jesse Riddlebarger, merchant, had an expensive house on the bluff, not far from Pearl Street, near the river, The Star wrote in 1905.  Riddlebargers house was sixty feet above grade, and no one could convince him that it was too high up.

Theodore Case practiced medicine and law in early Kansas City, where he also became postmaster and a local historian.

Making a Case

When Theodore Case arrived in Kansas City in 1857 with a degree from Sterling College of Medicine in Columbus, Ohio, the Missouri town was the very essence of the Wild West: murders, street fights, prostitutes and more.

Horace Greeley, of Go west, young man fame, would say two years later that Kansas City was a malignant stronghold of persecution and violence.

Case wasnt scared off, however. He practiced law as well as medicine here and later was postmaster. He also became a local historian, writing about the town he found in 1857:

Only one street  Market, which later became Grand Avenue  was cut through to the levee from the south and could be used for business locations; on the rest the grades were still too steep, and the streets oppressively narrow. Smithies, saloons and a few stores straggled along Market Street, ending in what seems to have been a little slum inhabited by some Irish settlers.

South of the crest of the bluffs, more shops and saloons were joined by residences.  A deep ravine meandered diagonally across the whole townsite, debouching in the river near the foot of Market Street. It was bridged only where it crossed Main and Market, and at the latter place the crossing was ramshackle and dangerous.

Dangerous indeed. According to The Star in 1987, Case had said, It was a standing news item that several persons had been killed in Kansas City by falling off some of the bluffs in the main part of the city onto the tops of four-story buildings.

A view of Delaware and Fourth streets in the 1860s.

Case eventually witnessed the leveling of Kansas City.

If a hill was in the way, they cut it down, he wrote. If a ravine interfered, they threw the hill into it.

Most of the early leveling work was done by 300 Irish immigrants who were brought here by the Rev. Bernard Donnelly, Kansas Citys first Roman Catholic priest. They all came from the province of Connaught (or Connacht) in western Ireland, and the area near Sixth and Broadway where they settled became known as Connaught-town.

From a modern-day perspective, the citys transformation is hard to imagine  especially given the scene before and during all the leveling.

When we say, Oh yeah, there were bluffs that were 40, 50, 60, by some contemporary accounts even as much as 100 feet high, its really hard for people to picture in their minds eye, Herron said. Its hard to envision what early Kansas City looked like, given how dramatically transformed the downtown landscape was.

If that transformation had not taken place when it did, who knows what would have become of our little malignant stronghold of persecution and violence?

The fact that Kansas City becomes the city of choice in this region was not assured, Herron said. You hear lots of references to Kansas City as Gully Town. These were intended as slurs or slights. So if you were in St. Joseph, you would say, Why would you ever want to do business in Gully Town?

Certainly, had Kansas City not in essence leveled itself out, it wouldnt have become the commercial center that it is.
Handout

One of Canadas most famous cold cases has been solved after police exhumed the remains of a convicted West Virginia rapist who had been dead since 1982 and matched his DNA to a murder scene.

Sharron Prior, 16, was kidnapped in 1975 while she was on her way to meet friends for pizza in Montreal. She was later found raped and beaten to death in Longueuil, Quebec.

For almost 50 years, the identity of her killer has been a mystery, even though police ran down dozens of possible suspects. But as with so many other cases in recent years, advances in DNA testing and genetic sleuthing gave investigators the break they needed.

Experts were able to create a family tree using DNA found on Priors body and gave detectives the last name of Romine. They determined that a fugitive named Franklin Romine had been in Canada at the time of Priors death, and obtained DNA from his surviving brothers.

He probably did it, one of the brothers told police, according to court records.

Franklin Romine died in 1982. Handout

The results from the brothers DNA led them to dig up Romines bodyover the objections of his familywhich resulted in a 100 percent match.

We are still grieving the loss of our daughter and sister who was savagely murdered, Priors sister Maureen said during a press conference on Tuesday, according to WCHS. Sharron has given us strength for the last 48 years and especially today.

Romine was born in West Virginia in 1946, and his criminal record began in childhood. In 1974, he was charged with raping a woman in Parkersburg; released on bond, he fled to Canada.

He was captured there in late 1975 and extradited back to West Virginia, where he pleaded guilty in 1981 to sexual assault and was sentenced to five years in prison. After his release, he returned to Canada, where he died in 1982, WCHS said.

The solving of Sharrons case will never bring Sharron back. But knowing that her killer is no longer on this Earth and wont kill anymore, brings us to somewhat of a closure, Priors sister said.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Killer whales attack a sailing boat off the coast of Morocco - Stephen Bidwell / SWNS

A vengeful killer whale called Gladis is teaching gangs of orcas to attack yachts around Gibraltar, and has already struck three boats - sinking two of them.

It may read like something out of Moby Dick, but in this case the truth is stranger than fiction.

Researchers believe that a female orca called White Gladis is seeking revenge after being traumatised by a collision with a boat, or being trapped in illegal fishing nets.

Her attacks are now being copied by the rest of the nearby killer whale population, which has learnt how to ram vessels from their ringleader.

The matriarch is tutoring younger whales in the art of sinking boats; raising the prospect of future generations continuing the war on humans for years.

On May 2, six of the apex predators slammed into the hull of a Bavaria 46 yacht, which was sailing in the Strait of Gibraltar, near Tangier in Morocco.

The hour-long attack left Cambridge couple Janet Morris, 58, a business consultant, and Stephen Bidwell, 58, a photographer, who were on board for a sailing course, in awe.

The couple were below deck, when the cry of orcas! went up.

Its an experience I will never forget, Mr Bidwell told the Telegraph.

I kept reminding myself we had a 22-ton boat made of steel, but seeing three of them coming at once, quickly and at pace with their fins out of the water was daunting.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw them," said Ms Morris, 58, We were sitting ducks.

A clearly larger matriarch was definitely around and was almost supervising, Mr Bidwell told the Telegraph before conceding he could have come face to face with White Gladis herself.

The experience left us in awe of nature and her power.

Skipper Greg Blackburn, from Leeds, was already dealing with heavy weather" of 25-30 knot winds and a rolling swell of six to 10 feet when the whales hit his rudder with two large blows.

He said. I thought 'oh dear' when I saw them. After reading reports and knowing what has been going on, I just thought we were in for a ride now."

The skipper dropped the main sail and tried to make the boat as boring as possible.

The whales eventually lost interest, but not before causing extensive damage worth thousands of pounds, leaving the boat to limp back to port.

Mr Bidwell and Ms Morris are going back to the Straits of Gibraltar again in just two weeks to recoup the missed sailing hours, rather than an Ahab-style quest to face Gladis again.

Janet Morris and Stephen Bidwell - Stephen Bidwell / SWNS

The attack in the Straits, a vital travel route to reach the Mediterranean from Gibraltar, followed a similar incident in November last year off the coast of Portugal.

The French-crewed vessel sank off the port of Viana do Castelo after orcas "cracked" its hull and it took on water.

A pod of three orcas attacked and sank a third sailboat, piercing its rudder, off the coast of Spain, just two days after Mr Bidwells brush with the bully whales.

Werner Schaufelberger, the captain, said he saw the two smaller whales imitating the ramming tactic of the largest orca.

The little ones shook the rudder at the back while the big one repeatedly backed up and rammed the ship with full force from the side," he told Yacht, a German publication.

The two little orcas observed the bigger one's technique and  with a slight run-up  they, too, slammed into the boat."

Spanish coast guards rescued the crew of the stricken vessel but the boat sank at the port entrance of Barbate after it was towed to shore.

The couple were enjoying a sailing course off the coast of Morocco when they spotted the pod approaching - Greg Blackburn / SWNS

"That traumatised orca is the one that started this behaviour of physical contact with the boat," said Alfredo Lopez Fernandez, a biologist at the University of Aveiro in Portugal and representative of the Atlantic Orca working group.

This "critical moment of agony" made Gladis aggressive towards boats, and that aggressive behaviour is now being copied by other orcas, he told LiveScience.

Orcas are social animals and can learn from each other. David Attenboroughs Frozen Planet II captured footage of orcas working together to cause waves to knock seals off icebergs and into the water,

Other theories are that the whales are exhibiting territorial, defensive, or play behaviour.

The first reports of aggressive orcas off the Iberian coast began in May 2020. In September of that year, Spanish authorities banned boats from setting sail from the country's northwestern tip after 29 orca attacks were registered.

The assaults have become increasingly frequent. The orcas approach from the stern and hit the rudder before losing interest once they have stopped the boat.

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This is an excerpt from our true crime newsletter, Suspicious Circumstances, which sends the biggest unsolved mysteries, white-collar scandals and captivating cases straight to your inbox every week. Sign up here.

Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorseses adaptation of the riveting true-crime book of the same name, might be the most buzzworthy film of 2023. It premiered this weekend at the Cannes Film Festival in France, where it got a nine-minute standing ovation, and it earned rave reviews from critics and fans who watched its stunning trailer, which dropped on May 18. (The strongest criticism of the film so far seems to concern Leonardo DiCaprios accent.)

The film wouldnt exist without the meticulous research of New Yorker journalist David Grann for his 2017 book, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI. It recounts the murders or suspicious deaths of at least 24 members of the Osage tribe in the early 1920s in Oklahoma, as well as the efforts of the newly formed FBI to seek justice. Ahead of the films release, some feared it might place too much emphasis on the white men who investigated the case, at the expense of focusing on the victims; early viewers, including one descendant of an Osage man who was killed, say it succeeds in honoring their stories.

Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio in

Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio in "Killers of the Flower Moon."

One of my favorite accounts of true crime history, Killers of the Flower Moon is a chilling indictment of the systemic slaughter, abuse and mistreatment of Native people, robbing them of their land and autonomy through overt and insidious campaigns to eradicate their culture, homeland, identity and history.

The victims of what became known as the Reign of Terror included nearly all the members of Osage woman Mollie Burkharts family, who were targeted in a sinister plot to acquire their mineral rights. The government had driven their tribe from their land in Kansas, which was coveted by white settlers, to a new reservation in Oklahoma. The rocky land made farming almost untenable, but it turned out to contain gold  black gold, the nickname for the oil that would make the Osage the wealthiest people per capita in the world, Grann writes. (Often, however, even the Osage members own money was controlled by white guardians.)

Mollie (played by Indigenous actor Lily Gladstone), who was married to a white man, Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio), successively lost her older sister, Anna (shot in the back of the head), her mother (likely poisoned) and her younger sister (killed along with her husband by a bomb that destroyed their house). The mastermind behind their killings and the deaths of other Osage people, white witnesses, accomplices and even investigators was William Hale, a ruthless, politically powerful rancher (played, of course, by Robert De Niro).

Mollie Burkhart lost her family in the Oklahoma murders.

Mollie Burkhart lost her family in the Oklahoma murders.

Hale was eventually brought to justice (if you can call his single conviction and early prison release justice) by a determined FBI field agent named Tom White (Jesse Plemons). His yearslong investigation  which hinted at a much larger, menacing conspiracy and massive corruption  was fraught, frustrating and dangerous. An attorney, for example, was thrown naked from a speeding train while he was on the way to deliver incriminating evidence to the Osage County sheriff.

The FBI narrative in the book is meandering  an accurate account but not as interesting as the chapters focused on the Osage community  and, despite the villains being white, these passages have white savior underpinnings. In fact, Scorsese revised the original premise of the film to shift the storys focus from the FBI agent to a suspect  Mollies husband Ernest  resulting in an intimate portrayal of Mollies family, Scorsese said in an interview with Deadline. The filmmaker did his own additional research and even met with the Osage tribe, ultimately realizing that at its essence, Killers of the Flower Moon is a love story between Mollie and the husband who betrayed her.

Jim Gray, a former Osage Nation chief, said in a May 20 Twitter thread that he attended a private screening of the film  he is a direct descendant of Henry Roan, Mollies first husband, who was shot to death in 1923  and praised Scorsese for the dignity and care for the Osage perspective, calling the filmmaking genuine and honest.

I had legitimate concerns that the movie industry might miss the point of the story beyond the violence, and I was fairly outspoken about it when the bidding war for the movie was going on in 2017, he wrote. He confirmed that Scorsese met with the tribe and reworked the film and made casting changes that brought the Osage closer to the heart of the story than about the birth of the FBI.

Gray also expressed his gratitude to Grann, the books author, and Osage writer Charles Red Corn for giving Scorsese the canvas to paint this story with his vision.

Killers of the Flower Moon will open in theaters on Oct. 6. This gives you plenty of time to read the book  and maybe even find the wolves in this picture.

Related...
Kim Kardashian and her oldest child, North West, recently swung by an L.A. Lakers game at Crypto.com Arena. (Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

Kim Kardashian deals with tantrums too. Sometimes four of them.

The beauty mogul recently opened up about the challenges of parenting her four children  North, 9; Saint, 7; Chicago, 5; and Psalm, 4  an experience that she called "the best chaos."

"I mean there [are] nights when you don't wash your hair for days, as a mom, and you have spit-up all over you, and you're wearing the same pajamas," Kardashian said on a recent episode of the "On Purpose With Jay Shetty," a health and wellness podcast. "There's nothing that can prepare you for this experience  it is the most challenging rewarding job."

But not everyone is ready to empathize with the billionaire entrepreneur and reality TV personality, who raises her kids in a luxe-but-spartan mansion in Hidden Hills, near Calabasas.

"Kim Kardashian with her nannies, wealth, and literally having every resource possible is NOT the person to interview about the challenges of parenting," @anjelllyyyyy wrote on Twitter.

"We can trade places," @Shakelahthedon proposed via tweet. "Ill take the $$$, Nannys, butlers, maids etc !! And you can take my place & be a real single mom sis."

Kardashian is currently co-parenting her children with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, under a joint-custody agreementthat has the rapper-designer paying $200,000 in child support each month.

When mental-health guru Shetty asked about expectations versus the reality of parenting, Kardashian painted a chaotic scene where "the days are long and the years are short." She described mornings scrambling to do her children's hair before school, cooking or, when they were babies, balancing feeding them and other parental duties.

"I'd say parenting is the thing that has taught me the most about myself  it has been the most challenging thing  there are nights I cried myself to sleep, like what just happened?" Kardashian said, referring to moments when she has had to moderate fights between her children. Then comes the challenge of bedtime, when all of her kids want to be tucked in by her at the same time.

"I'm locked in a room with kids banging outside of the door because they want me to put them to bed, and I'm like, I can't cut myself in four pieces," she said, adding that she is trying to create a schedule for her kids' bedtime needs.

For rest, the aspiring attorney and "American Horror Story" actor said she turns to early-morning workouts and solo car rides where she is "blasting whatever music I want to."

"Dont try be relatable because you never had to starve, pick which bill to pay, and deprive your kids while working two or more jobs," @751bklyn barked back on Twitter, as Kardashian's parenting comments continued to circulate online.

"Her and Kanye worth over a billion," @Alicia_Jones_ added. "She act like she a typical single mom working two jobs struggling to make ends meet. She has nannys, chefs, and tutors. Them struggling single moms gotta do all that s by themselves."

Kardashian and Ye's divorce settlement, which was finalized in November, revealed aspects of their massive wealth, which includes 19 properties between them across four different states. They own mansions, condominiums, estates, ranches and office space, plus empty plots of land in expensive Southern California ZIP Codes.

For parenting decisions such as where the children go to school, non-emergency medical appointments, extracurricular or religious activities, where the children live and when they will obtain driver's licenses, both Ye and Kardashian must give consent, court documents said. The former spouses may celebrate special events such as birthdays together with the children.

Amid Ye's public downfall as he made a slew of racist and antisemitic comments, Kardashian said co-parenting her children through the turmoil had been hard.

But if were riding to school, and they want to listen to their dads music  no matter what were going through, no matter what is happening in the world  I have to have that smile on my face and blast his music and sing along with my kids and act like nothings wrong," she said in December on the Angie Martinez IRL podcast. "As soon as I drop them off, I can have a good cry or text back and do what I gotta do.

Other members of the Kardashian-Jenner family, including Khloe Kardashian and Kendall Jenner, have appeared on Shetty's podcast in the past. The show has also featured other high-profile guests including Will Smith, Selena Gomez, Paris Hilton and the late Kobe Bryant.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Kim Kardashian has spoken candidly about the downsides of being in the public eye, with the reality star revealing the one place shes been to where people didnt recognise her.

The 42-year-old opened up about her fame and career during Mondays episode of Jay Shettys On Purpose podcast. Speaking to Kardashian, the book author asked her if there was anywhere shed been to where people hadnt recognised her.

When was the last time you went somewhere where someone didnt know who you were? he asked. Or actually, was there a moment when someone said to you: Who are you? What do you do? Like when was the last time you had a reaction like that.

In response, Kardashian revealed the one place where she seems to go unnoticed: Japan. She also praised the way that people in the country were mindful of each others privacy.

Everyone is really respectful, and even if they might recognise you, they dont ask for photos, she said. Its a really amazing experience. I think its important.

While the Skims founder noted that shes grateful for everything she has, she also said that she appreciated her experience in Japan, especially as the mother of four children: North, nine, Saint, seven, Chicago, five, and Psalm, four, who she shares with ex-husband Kanye West.

Listen, I love my life. I love everything that comes along with it, she said. I am not complaining. But a little glimpse of that I think, especially for the little ones, is so good.

Shetty then asked Kardashian if she prioritises some time to herself in the midst of her busy and public career. In response, she said that she has her alone time in the mornings, as she gets up early to do her workouts.

If Im quiet and Im in my zone, thats my mental health check, she said. Every morning, I love my workout. It keeps me sane, I cant say that enough.

She also revealed that, after dropping her children off at school, she spends 20 minutes listening to music in the car, which she referred to as her alone time.

Elsewhere in the interview, Kardashian opened up about how her children are impacted by their mothers fame, with the reality star revealing that theyre now used to being surrounded by the paparazzi.

I think they grew up seeing the cameras and they grew up seeing that, even as babies, she said. Wed walk out and thered be paparazzi, so its not really something that they acknowledge a lot.

However, she also acknowledged that her oldest child North doesnt hesitate to speak up when she wants some space from the paparazzi. For example, Kardashians daughter went viral last year when she held up a sign to tell photographers to stop filming her at a fashion show in Paris.

My daughters really vocal. Shell tell them when she doesnt want them around and to leave her alone and to stop, The Kardashians star explained. I love that they used their little voices.

According to Kardashian, although her children have grown up in the spotlight, they still have a normal life, which includes spending time with their cousins, including the children of her sisters Kourtney Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner.

They also have such a normal life, and such a different life away from all of that too, the billionaire shapewear mogul said. Thats why I love that my sisters and I all had babies at the same time so they can be with each other and have these experiences together.
medical notebook with cholesterol

Credit - Getty Images

Discussions about heart health often center around blood pressure and cholesterol, with factors like poor sleep, smoking, family history of heart disease, and chronic stress thrown in. However, theres one variable that doesnt get covered as often, even though it can be an important indicator of cardiovascular risk: triglycerides.

We dont really talk about triglycerides very much, especially compared to cholesterol, but theyre actually an essential part of understanding heart health, says Dr. Adriana Quinones-Camacho, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Health in New York. For someone with a condition that raises their heart risks, such as diabetes, knowing if triglycerides are elevated can be a critical part of maintaining their health overall.

Whether you have diabetes or another potentially chronic medical issue, or are simply looking for a way to track any changes in your health status, its worth taking a deeper dive into what triglycerides areand what can happen when you have too many.

What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a type of fat (or lipid) naturally made in your liver; when you eat, its production increases. Excess calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells in the bloodstream, so they can be used for energy boosts and temperature regulation when needed.

This process differs from another well-known lipid, cholesterolwhich builds cells and plays a part in making hormones. Both triglycerides and cholesterol are essential for keeping your body functioning properly. For instance, without enough triglycerides, youd likely struggle with fatigue, feeling cold, dry skin, and even potential malnutrition since lipids are necessary for absorbing some types of nutrients.

Triglyceride readings are sorted into four categories: normal, borderline high, high, and severe. A normal reading is less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (in a lab report, this would be 150 mg/dL) while a severe reading is considered anything over 500 mg/dL.

In a 2020 report, the National Institutes of Health estimated that between 25% to 30% of the U.S. population had abnormal triglyceride levels. When the number creeps up, even to borderline high, it can indicate that theres a problem with how lipids are being processed in the body. Since that raises serious health risks, its essential to monitor how triglyceride numbers are changing, and if necessary, to implement treatment optionsespecially lifestyle changes.

Read More: What to Know About High Cholesterol in Kids

Potential causes and concerns

High triglycerides are often accompanied by other risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking. However, they can also be elevated without any of these factors since genetics can play a role, says Dr. Antonio Giaimo, an assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at Yale University School of Medicine. Triglyceride levels are often higher in men than women, and they tend to increase with age. An elevated reading is often like a clue that something is going awry in the body, he says.

When we see a very high reading, that can be a sign of another problem, such as hypothyroidism, kidney disease, or poorly controlled diabetes, he says. At the very least, that number should be a starting point for figuring out what might be going on, especially if its raising other health risks.

Some medications can temporarily raise triglycerides as well, Giaimo adds. These include antipsychotic drugs, beta blockers, corticosteroids, and oral estrogen, which are all widely used. If triglycerides reach the high or severe categories, you may need to switch medications to see if that returns your levels to normal.

According to the National Institutes of Health, untreated or uncontrolled high triglyceride levelsa condition called hypertriglyceridemiamay increase your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, as well as acute pancreatitis. Usually, issues with the pancreas occur when triglyceride levels have been high for a long time, and these can result in hospitalization if inflammation becomes acute.

That said, seeing a high reading once doesnt necessarily mean you have to pack your overnight bag for a hospital stay. Most notably, triglyceride levels tend to be significantly influenced by your carbohydrate consumption, says Dr. Yu-Ming Ni, a cardiologist at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in California.

With food and drinks like breads, rice, pasta, and soda, these get converted in your liver to fat, and triglycerides are often affected by that, he says. Thats why, when youre getting blood work done to determine your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, its recommended to be in a fasted state, because carb-rich foods can affect the numbers quite a bit.

If you have a high reading and its the first time seeing thatand especially if you dont also have high cholesterolits likely your doctor will repeat the test at a different time to make sure its an accurate reflection of your triglyceride levels.

The diabetes connection

Triglycerides are an important heart-health marker for everyone, but theyre particularly helpful for those with diabetes, according to Dr. Elkin Nunez, an endocrinologist at Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey.

With diabetes, the body handles food differently, especially carbohydrates and sugars, and that can lead to more triglycerides. In fact, for some people who dont yet have diabetes but are on the verge of developing the condition, a high triglyceride number can indicate prediabetes and insulin resistance. For those with diabetes, it might be a heads up that the condition isnt being controlled effectively. That can set off a ripple effect across multiple systems in the body, especially the cardiovascular system.

The American Heart Association (AHA) notes that high triglycerides are becoming increasingly prevalent in the U.S. and other countries, driven in large part by a rise in Type 2 diabetes cases.

Lipid abnormalities are common in people with diabetes, and can contribute to overall atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or ASCVD, Nunez says. That condition can lead to increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral arterial disease. ASCVD is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in people with diabetes, especially those over age 50.

Although numbers related to A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol are necessary for determining what care to provide, triglyceride levels can pose an additional risk and are not always talked about or addressed, Nunez says.

The most common lipid-profile abnormality in patients with diabetes is called the lipid triad, he adds. That means elevated LDL cholesteroloften called the bad kindand decreased HDL (good) cholesterol, as well as elevated triglyceride levels. Even if someone with diabetes only has elevated triglycerides, that can raise heart attack risk, adds Giaimo, and the effects could be profound.

People with diabetes who do have a heart attack usually have more severe consequences and a higher risk of death compared to those without diabetes who have a heart attack, he says. Prevention of a first event is key, because once youve had an attack, it can change the quality of the rest of your life and require more aggressive treatment. It can also put you at higher risk of a second heart attack or stroke.

Bringing your triglyceride levels down isnt enough to eliminate risk completely, but Giaimo says its part of a larger strategy that can be significant in improving heart health and controlling diabetes.

Read More: How to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

Treatment options

Addressing elevated triglycerides depends on several factors, especially whether cholesterol is also an issue. For example, Nunez says your doctor will likely recommend a statin first if youre experiencing the lipid triad. However, if only your triglycerides are elevated and your cholesterol is normal, its possible youll be advised to wait and see if lifestyle changes can help improve those numbers. That might also be the case if your cholesterol is only slightly higher than normal.

Whether you have diabetes or not, lifestyle habits are the first-line treatment for high triglycerides, he adds. That includes getting regular physical activity, reducing alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, losing weight if necessary, cutting back on carbs and sugars, and improving sleep habits.

One step thats been shown to reduce triglycerides naturally is eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acidsespecially fatty fish like salmon and albacore tunaor taking a supplement high in that compound. For example, a 2019 study from the AHA published in the journal Circulation reports that the use of these fatty acids may lower triglyceride levels by nearly 30%.

Using omega-3s as a complement to other healthy habits like exercise and avoiding sugar can potentially lead to even better results, the AHA added. (One note to keep in mind if youre thinking of putting supplements on your shopping list: The AHAs research finds that prescription-level omega-3s seemed to be the most effective, compared to whats available over the counter.)

Another advantage to omega-3 treatment is that you usually see changes within two weeks, adds Quinones-Camacho. However, if triglyceride levels are still too high after two months, thats when your doctor will likely recommend a prescription option like fibrates. This type of medication, also known as fibric acid, lowers triglycerides by reducing their production in the liver. Theyre also helpful for speeding removal of triglycerides from the blood. Because fibrates dont affect high cholesterol, theyre usually used only in those with severe triglyceride levels who are at particular risk for developing pancreatitis.

If lifestyle changes and fibrates arent doing the trick, someone with high triglycerides may be switched to a medication like statins. These drugs work by reducing the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver, and can lower triglycerides by as much as 40%, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. As with any treatment, whats effective will depend on your specific conditions, health risks, medical history, and current medication usage.

When should you get checked?

Having slightly elevated triglycerides without any other health issues usually isnt cause for concern, says Quinones-Camacho. But if you have diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or a family history of heart issuesor if your triglyceride levels are considered very high and stay that wayits worth taking steps to bring that number down.

Much like high cholesterol and high blood pressure, having high triglycerides doesnt come with symptoms, she adds. Thats why knowing your numbers through an annual checkup is essential for staying on track and lowering your health risks.
What to know about NCs new voter ID requirement and what youll need at the polls

This election season, voters will be required to present a photo identification at the polls following a landmark decision last month from the state Supreme Court.

Now that the dust has had some time to settle from the ruling, the State Board of Elections has issued some guidance on how this requirement will be implemented.

The first elections in which voters will have to show ID will be the 2023 municipal elections, held between September and November.

Weve compiled responses to some potential questions on the ruling here.

Will I be required to show an ID to vote?

All voters will be asked to show an ID before voting. If you do not have an ID, you may fill out an ID exception form and then vote with a provisional ballot. You can also vote with a provisional ballot and return to the county board of elections office the day before county canvass  a post-election process of approving election results  with a valid ID.

What is an ID exception form?

When a voter is unable to provide ID at the ballot, they will be given an ID exception form. A voter using the form would sign their name and attest that they are the registered voter they identified themselves to be when they checked in, and that they qualify for one of the three exceptions to providing ID, Pat Gannon, a spokesperson for the State Board of Elections, said.

The three acceptable exceptions are as follows:

1. The voter has a reasonable impediment to presenting photo ID. This category is wide-ranging and includes lost or stolen IDs, lack of transportation, disability or illness, conflicting work schedules or family responsibilities, lack of documentation such as birth certificates needed to get an ID, or not yet receiving an ID after applying for one.

2. The voter has a religious objection to being photographed.

3. The voter suffered a federal or state-declared natural disaster within 100 days of the election.

Bipartisan county boards of elections are required to count ballots with completed ID exception forms unless the county board has grounds to believe the affidavit is false, according to state law.

What is a provisional ballot?

Voters receive a provisional ballot when there is uncertainty regarding a voters eligibility to participate in an election  such as when a voter is unable to provide a photo ID. Provisional ballots are held aside while county boards determine if a voter is eligible to vote. All eligible provisional ballots must be counted before election results can be finalized. The state board of elections says a provisional ballot, accompanied with an ID exception form, may only be rejected if the bipartisan county board of elections has grounds to believe that the voter provided false information on the form.

What counts as a valid photo ID?

According to the State Board of Elections, the following IDs will be accepted for voting:

North Carolina drivers license

State ID from the NCDMV (also called non-operator ID)

Drivers license or non-driver ID from another state, District of Columbia or U.S. territory (only if voter registered in North Carolina within 90 days of the election)

U.S. passport or passport card

North Carolina voter photo ID card issued by a county board of elections (available soon)

College or university student ID approved by the State Board of Elections (available soon)

State or local government or charter school employee ID approved by the State Board of Elections (available soon)

How do I get an ID?

All county boards of elections will soon have the ability to provide free voter photo IDs to any registered voter. Those interested must provide their name, birthday and the last four digits of their Social Security number, and have their photo taken. The state board has not said exactly when counties will begin offering this service.

All North Carolina residents are also eligible to receive free non-driver ID cards from the DMV.

The state board said it is also working to approve student and public employee IDs for voters. Once new forms of IDs are approved, theyll be added to the boards voter ID webpage.

How did we get here?

Voter ID was initially approved by voters as a constitutional amendment in 2018, but a law detailing how it would work was struck down in December by the formerly Democratic-controlled Supreme Court, which ruled that the requirement was racially discriminatory.

The new court, which has a Republican majority, overturned that ruling on April 28.

The people of North Carolina overwhelmingly support voter identification and other efforts to promote greater integrity and confidence in our elections, the court wrote in the Holmes v. Moore decision.

This Court has traditionally stood against the waves of partisan rulings in favor of the fundamental principle of equality under the law, the court wrote. We recommit to that fundamental principle and begin the process of returning the judiciary to its rightful place as the least dangerous branch.

The ruling might not be the final word on voter ID.

A related federal case could proceed toward trial later this year or next year, said Jeff Loperfido, interim chief counsel for voting rights at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and one of the lawyers who argued the case.

Having seen the elections boards new guidance for voting with an ID, Loperfido said he still has many concerns, specifically around the boards ability to provide free IDs and educate voters without more funding.

We remain concerned about the impact this is going to have  specifically given that we know who lacks the IDs that this law endorses, he said. Thats going to fall on voters of color, student voters, voters with disabilities and its troubling that there is not a more complete plan out there with adequate funding.

The Houses budget proposal includes $3.5 million, but the Senates proposal does not allocate any extra money to the board.

Even if there were more resources and time to implement the photo ID requirement, Loperfido contends the law would still harm voter turnout.

How many people get to the polls, realize they dont have an ID, and leave? he said. Just the existence of the law has the tendency for some voters to prevent them from even attempting to vote.
Handout via Reuters

Amid mounting outrage from Russias hardline patriots over a supposed Ukrainian invasion in the countrys Belgorod region, military officials on Tuesday claimed to have killed more than 70 Ukrainian terrorists.

The Defense Ministry said aviation, artillery and units of the Western Military District were used to defeat the forces that stormed over the border into Belgorod a day earlier, sparking frantic evacuations and nearly two days of street fighting.

The remnants of the nationalists were pushed back to Ukrainian territory, where they continued to be hit by gunfire until they were completely eliminated, the ministry said.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regions governor, said an elderly woman had died during the evacuation and that 12 others were injured. Two Russian service members were also killed, according to the Kommersant newspaper.

While the Kremlin blamed the incursion on Ukraine, the two groups that claimed responsibilitythe Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corpsare actually made up of Russian fighters who say they want to liberate the country from Vladimir Putin.

Frantic Hunting Mission Erupts After Raid on Russian Town

Among those who took part in the brazen attacks, according to the independent outlet Agentsvo, were a former officer of Russias FSB, an actor and yoga teacher, and several neo-Nazis.

Despite panic in the border region, the Kremlin seemed largely nonplussed, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressing deep concern but noting that no emergency meetings had been called over the incursion.

Asked why it took so long for Russian security forces to push out the so-called saboteurs, Peskov said only the Defense Ministry and FSB could answer that.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of the Security Council, predictably took a harsher line, calling for the scumbags to be destroyed like rats.

The saboteurs themselves, meanwhile, mocked Russian authorities for what was widely seen as a botched handling of the crisis.

All the [countrys] soldiers are dead, wounded, or in Ukraine, the Freedom of Russian Legion said in a statement.

Once again, the myth that citizens of the Russian Federation are safe and the Russian Federation is strong has been destroyed. In fact, the authorities have simply been plundering the budget for years and lying that everything is fine, the group said.

Several pro-Kremlin military bloggers also expressed skepticism that the military had everything under control, and Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin used the incident to take a shot at his rivals in the defense ministry.

Where was the military when the [saboteurs] broke throughthats the big question that must be given to military leadership, he said via his press service.

Residents of the border region also reacted furiously, with one local responding to the governor on social media: Why are they attacking Belgorod? Where is our army, where are the 10 billion rubles spent on the defensive line? How did they break through so quickly, after all [we] built fortifications and mined the area. Or was it just for show, as always?

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Dmitry Peskov, Russian Presidential Press Secretary, has said that the penetration of an alleged Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group into the territory of Belgorod Oblast of the Russian Federation causes deep concern.

Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency RIA Novosti

Quote from Peskov: "Of course, what happened yesterday [22 May  ed.] causes deep concern. This again confirms that the Ukrainian militants continue their activities against our country, requiring more effort from us."

Details: Putin's press secretary added that "the special operation continues", ostensibly in order "to prevent such penetrations in the future".

He also noted that there is no special meeting of the Russian Security Council in connection with the incident in the plans of the Russian President.

Background:

On 22 May, Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion announced that they had crossed the border and were "liberating" the settlements of Belgorod Oblast from the current Russian authorities: they started with the villages of Kozinka and Gora-Podol. These military formations also stated they were seeking the "liberation" of all of Russia.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod Oblast, claimed that a "reconnaissance and sabotage group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" entered the territory of the Grayvoron district.

The Russian presidents press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, says Vladimir Putin was informed of the breach of the Russian border in Belgorod Oblast. Peskov said that work was underway to stamp out "Ukrainian saboteurs" from the territory of Russia and destroy them.

Andrii Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, has described the events taking place in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May as the creation of a "security zone" to protect Ukrainian citizens. Yusov stressed that the operation was conducted exclusively by Russian citizens.

Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine, stressed that Ukraine was not directly related to the events that transpired in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast, has reported that the majority of residents of the Grayvoron district had left their settlements.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Kristin Chenoweth said demo day on 'Celebrity IOU' made her more nervous than performing at Carnegie Hall

Kristin Chenoweth appeared on "Celebrity IOU" on Monday. HGTV

Kristin Chenoweth guest-starred on Monday's episode of "Celebrity IOU" with the Property Brothers.

She took part in demo day with Jonathan and Drew Scott, but she told them she was nervous.

Chenoweth also revealed her dad owned a construction company when she was growing up.

Kristin Chenoweth took a step out of her comfort zone on the latest episode of HGTV's "Celebrity IOU."

On Monday, the Broadway star appeared on the Property Brothers' series to renovate the home of her property managers, Adriana and her daughter Jenny.

As they shared on the show, Adriana has worked for Chenoweth for 15 years, and Jenny joined her mom on the star's staff a few years ago. Through their time together, Chenoweth said she has come to see Adriana as a mother figure and Jenny as a sister.

"There are certain things that money can't buy," she said. "Their friendship, their love, the familial part of it  it's just an unspoken love."

Because of their close relationship, Chenoweth wanted to give something back to the pair, which is why she teamed up with Drew and Jonathan Scott to renovate their California home on the HGTV series.

The actor said she was nervous about participating in demolition. HGTV

Like most stars who appear on "Celebrity IOU," Chenoweth participated in the demolition phase of the renovation, but as she told the Scotts, she was nervous because she didn't have experience with construction  despite her father owning a construction business in her youth.

"My dad growing up had Chenoweth Construction," she said, to which the Scotts responded, "Whoa," in unison.

But Chenoweth mostly watched her dad work, so actually participating in demolition was nerve-wracking for her, she said.

"Are you legit nervous for what we're about to do?" Jonathan asked her as they prepared to start removing carpet and tearing down walls in Adriana and Jenny's house.

"Yeah, I'm legit nervous. I'd rather play Carnegie Hall," she responded through laughter.

"Carnegie Hall, the stress," Jonathan said of the legendary venue in New York City.

"It's just a place I play around, OK," Chenoweth joked.

Despite her nerves, Chenoweth embraced the demolition process, even using power tools. She said in an interview with producers that the Property Brothers made her feel like she could do it.

"This should be a walking disaster," she said. "But not with those two in charge. I know they have my back, and that made me feel safe enough to pick up basically a drilling knife."

The renovation was a success. HGTV

The renovation was a success, with Chenoweth and the Scotts surprising Adriana and Jenny with a new kitchen, laundry room, and living room.

"Every part of my house that I sit down, I'm gonna feel love and gratitude and like I'm so lucky," Adriana said after seeing her home.

"We're so lucky to have you," she added, hugging Chenoweth.

"Celebrity IOU" airs on HGTV and Discovery+ on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.

Read the original article on Insider
The Los Angeles Dodgers apologized Monday to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a drag charity group, after it disinvited its members from a Pride Night event following criticism from conservative groups and Republican politicians.

After much thoughtful feedback from our diverse communities, honest conversations within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and generous discussions with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the Los Angeles Dodgers would like to offer our sincerest apologies to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, members of the LGBTQ+ community and their friends and families, the team said in a statement reinviting the group to the event.

In the weeks ahead, we will continue to work with our LGBTQ+ partners to better educate ourselves, find ways to strengthen the ties that bind and use our platform to support all of our fans who make up the diversity of the Dodgers family, the team added.

The sisters form a well-known order of queer and trans nuns that was founded in San Francisco in 1979. The group uses humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency and guilt that chain the human spirit, according to its website.

The order was set to receive the Dodgers Community Hero Award at an annual Pride Night on June 16, but the team said last week that some had been offended by the sisters inclusion in our evening and rescinded the invitation. The sisters pointed directly at Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who claimed any celebration of the group intentionally mocks and degrades Christians.

The Dodgers disinvitation had sparked fierce criticism from the queer community and members of the Dodgers organization. The Los Angeles LGBT Center and LA Pride both said they would back out of the event, and civil rights groups pointed to conservatives ongoing attacks on drag events and LGBTQ+ people nationwide.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence show their support during the Pride parade in West Hollywood in 2016. The Los Angeles Dodgers have reinvited the satirical LGBTQ+ group, which will receive an award at the team's annual Pride Night on June 16, nearly a week after rescinding an initial invitation.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence show their support during the Pride parade in West Hollywood in 2016. The Los Angeles Dodgers have reinvited the satirical LGBTQ+ group, which will receive an award at the team's annual Pride Night on June 16, nearly a week after rescinding an initial invitation.

The group said later Monday that it would participate in Pride Night and be proud to accept the award, saying it believed the Dodgers apology was sincere and the LGBTQ+ community was now more closely tied with the LA Dodgers than ever before.

This affair has been an opportunity for learning with a silver lining, the group said in a statement. Our group has been strengthened, protected and uplifted to a position where we may now offer our message of hope and joy to far more people than before.

May the beer and hot dogs flow forth in tasty abundance! the Sisters concluded.

Rubio said he was livid with the decision Monday, saying the team had shamefully, (but not surprisingly)  been bullied into apologizing.

Today our great country is controlled by socio-political ruling elites who dont just tolerate anti-Christian bigotry, they encourage & celebrate it, he wrote.

Despite the Florida congressmans claims, the Los Angeles LGBT Center praised local efforts to support the community, saying it was filled with gratitude to everyone who mobilized to support the Sisters, all of which compelled the Dodgers to ultimately do right by LGBTQ+ people everywhere.

The Center will always strive to hold our corporate partners accountable  which means so much more than waving a rainbow flag, the center said.

Related...
Twenty kindergartners at Los Angeles Unifieds Coeur dAlene Avenue School sit on a multi-colored carpet, listening to their teacher present the days math lesson.

Projected on the whiteboard are clip art images of a gold coin and a pot of gold against a rainbow background. St. Patricks Day is just around the corner, and the students at the neighborhood school in Venice are getting ready.

The story goes like this: A leprechaun has two pots of gold, each with ten coins in it.

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So far, so good. The students have seen this type of problem before. But their teacher, Adriana Mackavoy, adds a twist. In addition to the pots, the leprechaun has three extra coins.

I see those looks you guys are giving me, says Mackavoy. Im sorry I didnt tell you earlier.

With two pots of ten, plus three extra, how many coins does the leprechaun have?

Compared to Californias math standards, the multi-step problem is relatively complex for a kindergartner. But some students solve it quickly. A girl in a faux-sheepskin vest displays her worksheet, which consists of a drawing  two clusters of ten circles, with three on the side  and her answer: 23.

Her tablemate, however, is stuck.

He stares at the worksheet, his blond bangs in his face. Hes gotten most of the way there  he knows there are 20 gold coins in the pots. But the extra bit isnt making sense. The schools principal, whos observing, kneels down to help, but at no point intervenes to show the boy how to solve the problem.

And that is quite intentional.

Coeur dAlene is one of 220 elementary and preschools at LAUSD in a nearly $6 million pilot math program called Cognitively Guided Instruction, or CGI. Administered through a partnership with the UCLA Mathematics Project, CGI trains teachers to let student instincts guide math class, often resulting in hands-off instruction.

LAUSDs 2022-26 Strategic Plan calls for moving elementary and middle school students an average of 40 points closer to proficiency in math on the Smarter Balanced Assessment.

And L.A. Unifieds continued investment in CGI comes as districts nationwide try to recover after math scores saw unprecedented declines during the pandemic.

The district would like to expand CGI. But there are doubts about the wisdom of making young learners with little math foundation solve new problems with minimal guidance. The debate echoes the recent reckoning over balanced literacy, an approach to reading instruction that often deemphasized basic skills like phonics.

LAUSD board members are asking for evidence that CGI improves math achievement at pilot schools. So far, there isnt any. In fact, as in all district elementary schools, math scores at CGI locations remain low.

Beyond L.A. Unified, education researchers say that a student-guided approach like CGI, when taken to an extreme, can be less effective for struggling learners than more explicit, step-by-step instruction.

Is it fair to let some students flounder while other students succeed when we know that with just a little bit of teacher intervention or teacher modeling, all students could likely succeed? said Sarah Powell, an associate professor of special education at the University of Texas-Austin who spends a lot of time with math students like the kindergartner at Coeur dAlene.

Powell is also the founder of an advocacy group that seeks to raise awareness of research-based math instruction  much like the science of reading movement has done for literacy, resulting in efforts to move away from balanced literacy.

There is evidence that CGI, which is primarily a teacher-training program, helps math teachers feel more confident and creative in their practice. Some research into its potential impact on student achievement is ongoing. But Powell points out that its hard to measure the effect of teacher training on student performance.

Its quite easy to impact the people that you directly work with, she said. But its much harder to see those results diffuse to another level of people, and many times thats students.

Other California schools also use CGI, including some in Riverside County and Downey Unified School District. The California Math Framework lists CGI as one of seven general instructional models that teachers might use to help their students reach standards. CGI is also used in Florida schools, such as those in Okaloosa County and Lee County.

At LAUSD, the program is extremely popular among teachers and administrators. By deemphasizing the rote memorization of facts and algorithms in favor of conceptual understanding, they say, CGI welcomes students who might otherwise come to dread math class.

CGI is a movement. You feel the passion right in people, said LAUSD administrator of elementary instruction Carlen Powell at a January 26 presentation before the school boards curriculum and instruction committee.

Its not a religion, but its something, she said.

The nations second-largest school district, where just over a quarter of fifth-graders met or exceeded math standards in 2022 state testing, is considering bringing CGI to all its elementary schools at an estimated cost of $10.3 million.

Board members, however, would like to see more data. Board president Jackie Goldberg and Tanya Ortiz Franklin have asked for a comparison between CGI and non-CGI schools.

I wouldnt want to encourage growing the program if we cant compare, said Ortiz Franklin at a recent curriculum and instruction committee meeting. Just looking forward to a little further analysis there.

Research background and LAUSD data

CGI is based on research from the 20th century about how young students approach math operations.

The program was articulated in a series of papers in the 1980s and 90s. An early study involving 40 classrooms in Wisconsin showed a small positive effect on student achievement. A core intention of CGI, and one that todays practitioners emphasize, is to empower young people to see themselves as good at math.

At LAUSD, CGI started at 10 schools in 2016 and has since expanded to 220 of the districts nearly 600 elementary schools and preschools. Teachers and principals at participating sites receive year-round training in how to recognize childrens ideas about math and leverage them for problem-solving.

LAUSD administrators and board members have expressed interest in growing the program, but the division of instruction is waiting on data to justify further investment.

The data they do have are basic and preliminary, and district officials caution that theres not a causal relationship between CGI and test scores.

At schools that have been using the CGI approach for five or more years, 30.28% of students met or exceeded standards on the math portion of state tests. LAUSD officials declined to share specifics on that figure, but for the purposes of a rough comparison, in 2022, 37.23% of third graders, 30.7% of fourth-graders, and 25.24% of fifth graders in all LAUSD schools (excluding charters) met or exceeded the standard.

Thirty percents not that great, conceded Frances Baez, LAUSDs chief academic officer.

But overall, L.A. Unified, and across the nation, there is a need to improve outcomes for students in math, she added. And so CGI is looking promising, but theres more to be done in terms of revamping our math program.

The programs promise, she said, is based on its popularity among teachers who use it and high appeal for teachers who dont. Schools that dont have it are seeking it out, she said.

Baez also said the district is waiting on a study from the Los Angeles Education Research Institute at UCLA, or LAERI, to decide whether the pilot is worth scaling. However, a representative from LAERI, which is not involved in administering the pilot, said the study is not yet sure to happen.

We are currently exploring the feasibility of an evaluation, wrote LAERIs associate director Carrie Miller in an email.

Beyond LAUSD, what does the research say?

Decades of research into math instruction suggest that a more hands-off approach like what might be found in a CGI classroom is not the most effective way to teach when embraced at the expense of other teaching methods.

The hands-off approach requires extensive planning from teachers, said Russell Gersten, a professor emeritus at the University of Oregons College of Education and executive director of the Instructional Research Group.

But for many teachers, it just doesnt work, the implementation can just be problematic. And thats been more or less the history of these approaches, he said.

A 2008 research review published by the U.S. Department of Education found that explicit instruction involving clear examples and extensive practice had consistently positive effects for students who struggle with math. Other studies and research reviews have found that struggling math learners benefit from more explicit instruction as opposed to less.

Depending on how LAUSD teachers implement their training, students at CGI schools might not receive that explicit instruction.

Robert Schoen, an associate professor of math education at Florida State University, appears to be the only researcher currently studying the effectiveness of CGI through large randomized controlled trials.

Since 2018, Schoen and his research teams have published four studies on the effects of CGI training on students math achievement.

One study found that the program had a potentially positive effect on first-grade achievement and a potentially negative effect on second-grade achievement, though neither were statistically significant. Two other studies measured significant positive effects on some grade levels, but not others. The fourth study found no significant effects.

Schoen looks forward to producing more conclusive research, even if it doesnt answer what he calls the billion dollar question: Determining the right balance between the open-ended and explicit instruction, and how to adjust it based on the situation.

I think everybody is trying to figure out, wheres that balance between intervening and telling versus staying back and letting [students] be where they are and on their own journey, he said.

At LAUSD, not all CGI classrooms are the same

Educators at LAUSD grapple with the question of balance too, and the result is that not all CGI classrooms look the same.

The districts chief academic officer Baez described CGI as a supplement to the districts adopted elementary math curricula, Eureka and Illustrative Mathematics.

Thats how Kiana Cotton, a second-grade teacher at Lovelia P. Flournoy Elementary, uses CGI. She uses the Eureka curriculums more structured approach as a way to build upon concepts her students might have explored during more open-ended, CGI-informed instruction at the beginning of the lesson.

Its going pretty good, said Cotton. I see the students taking ownership of the strategies. They get excited about coming up to present. They want to show their work.

Other pilot sites, like Coeur dAlene Avenue School, embrace the student-guided approach more tightly.

After the kindergarten class, The 74 visited a fourth- and first-grade lesson, which proceeded similarly.

The teacher presented the problem. The students worked on it independently. Some solved the problem  some quickly and creatively  while others were stumped. Then they conferred with their classmates. The teacher might have stepped in to guide a struggling student, but gave no explicit direction on how to solve the problem.

We dont really, like, push in and say, This is how you do it: step one, step two, step three, said Danielle Grasso, Coeur dAlenes principal.

The future of the CGI program

Were the LAUSD to expand the CGI pilot today, its main justification would be the huge popularity of the program among teachers and administrators.

This enthusiasm was especially evident at a January 26 meeting at which the school boards curriculum and instruction committee heard from UCLA leaders and district administrators about the pilot.

LAUSD principals spoke about CGIs influence on teacher morale. CGI is a mindset, not a curriculum, said Christina Garcia of the Amanecer Primary Center. Cynthia Braley of Coldwater Canyon Elementary spoke about the pandemics damaging effect on student math performance, but said of CGI that we just cant live without it.

Board president Jackie Goldberg called the presentation inspiring and said shed been recently impressed observing students solving problems at a CGI school  though, along with Ortiz Franklin, she did request more data.

We have people clamoring to be a part of the work, said Carlen Powell, the administrator of elementary instruction.

The work, said Powell, speaks for itself.
LANSING  Lansing City Council voted 6-1 Monday to override Mayor Andy Schor's veto of the proposed 2023-24 budget, a move the mayor expects will mean cuts to assessing, information technology, economic development and other city services.

Schor said in a statement issued after the vote that he's "very disappointed" the majority of council voted against his budget, which he said would have funded critical services for residents.

"This is money that we have, in addition to a 14% rainy day fund," he said in the statement. "The money that is now unallocated throws our budget out of balance, violating basic accounting principles and best practices.

"My administration will work with Council leadership on the next steps and to come up with a plan moving forward. As I have said since I first took office, we can disagree and we can do it respectfully. So we can agree to disagree here, and I hope we can move on and work together now to fix the budget.

City Council met the necessary 80% threshold to override the veto issued by the mayor on Thursday. Schor's veto would have restored cuts made to his executive office, apparently to help pay for warming centers, and would have allocated about $1.8 million he claimed was cut from other departments and left unallocated by City Council.

Councilmember Peter Spadafore cast Monday's lone dissenting vote. City Council President Carol Wood recused herself from voting because she has received contracts from the city's Human Relations and Community Relations.

"With this veto override we have a real chance now to talk about this money and do this process properly and work together," Councilmember Ryan Kost, 1st Ward, said.

Budget vetoed: Mayor Andy Schor makes line-item vetoes after Council cuts money for his office

Schor did not attend the meeting, despite attending the earlier Committee of the Whole meeting. Deputy Mayor Jane Bais DiSessa represented his office.

Lansing City Spokesperson Scott Bean said in an email Schor only planned to attend the earlier meeting due to a conflict and couldn't return to the City Council meeting due to an event with his wife.

Challenges ahead, Schor said in his statement, include the possibility of not having funds to print and mail assessment notices, going without updated computers and technology and not being able to complete a parking study.

Wood acknowledged the $1.8 million in unallocated money was an accounting error when restructuring the budget that the city's auditors and accountants hadn't recognized.

Schor told the State Journal Monday he appreciates Wood and "has been having really good, productive conversations with her about the budget and about moving forward."

People spoke during public comment praising City Council for overriding Schor's veto, which one speaker called infantile.

Resident Erica Lynn said their votes are demonstrative of who they are and represent.

"It demonstrates each one of you, your priorities, and your commitment to listening to the people that you represent, but most importantly, it represents taking your responsibility for the long-term health of our city finances seriously," Lynn said.

More: Lansing lost population again, but the news may be better than you think

Addressing the community's needs shouldn't be a fight or afterthought, she added.

Residents have been asking for funding so all City Council meetings can be two-way and emergency shelters are available for people during extreme weather conditions.

City Council Vice President Jeremy Garza said the veto override meant the budget council approved would move forward. Schor has an opportunity to send an amendment on what to do with the unallocated $1.8 million, but Garza said he did not know when the deadline for that will be.

Council approved its own amendments to the budget that allocated funds to the police and the public service department and set aside money to build a warming center. He otherwise said all departments experienced cuts because the city is without pandemic-related grants to offset any deficits.

"By this council, we try to lead by example by reducing our budget by 10%, and then also work across the board minus the police, fire and public services  to reduce budget because we are going to be in a structural deficit, we no longer have that one time (American Rescue Plan Act) funding," he said.

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Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at 517-267-1344 or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Lansing City Council overrides mayor's veto of city budget
A wristwatch once owned by Chinas last emperor, Aisin-Gioro Puyi, has sold for $6.2 million at a sale in Hong Kong.

The eye-watering price tag is partly due to the rarity of the Patek Philippe Reference 96 Quantieme Lune, one of just eight known to exist. But according to Phillips auction house which handled the sale, the seven-figure sum is also down to the 86-year-old watchs remarkable history  one that saw it taken to Siberia during the former rulers five-year imprisonment in the USSR.

The 1.2-inch-diameter platinum timepiece features an Arabic numeral dial, pink gold hands and a moon phase function that shows how visible the moon is from Earth at any given time. Some of its internal mechanisms date to 1929, though the model was not sold by Patek Philippe  a Swiss watchmaker known for fitting complicated movements into slim cases  until 1937.

It is not known how Puyi acquired the timepiece, though records show it was initially sold via a luxury store in Paris. Phillips added that historical documents prove the former emperor took it with him to a Soviet prison camp in Khabarovsk. He later gifted it to Georgy Permyakov, a fluent Mandarin speaker who served as his tutor and Russian translator during his time in detention.

Puyi pictured in the city of Changchun on March 22, 1932, following his inauguration as chief executive of the newly created, Japanese-controlled state of Manchukuo. - AP

Puyi, whose life formed the basis of the Oscar-winning 1987 movie The Last Emperor, ascended the throne as a mere toddler in 1908. He was forced to abdicate less than four years later when a republican revolt overthrew the Qing dynasty, though he was permitted to continue living in the imperial palace in Beijing (and was briefly reinstated as emperor in 1917).

In 1924, he fled Beijing and formed an alliance with Japan, which later installed him as the emperor of its puppet state, Manchukuo, in northeast Chinas Manchuria region. After Japans defeat in World War II, Puyi was captured by Soviet forces and held as a prisoner of war. According to Phillips, he gave the watch to Permyakov in 1950, just before the former emperor returned to China to face trial for war crimes.

According to a press release, Phillips spent three years researching the objects history and confirming its provenance  a process that Thomas Perazzi, the auction houses head of watches for Asia, described in a statement as an unprecedented research project with a worldwide team of watch specialists, historians, journalists and scientists.

In its catalog listing, Phillips cites Puyis nephew Yuyan (who was incarcerated alongside him) recalling in his memoirs that his uncle wore the watch day to day while in Manchukuo. The catalog also says that Puyi had previously gifted the watch to his nephew, but later asked for it back in order to give it to Permyakov.

The watch features an Arabic numeral dial, pink gold hands and a "moon phase" function showing the lunar cycle. - Jess Hoffman

Almost a decade after returning to China, Puyi was pardoned and lived as a civilian in Beijing until his death in 1967. Permyakov, meanwhile, kept the watch until he died in 2005, after which it was passed to his heirs before being consigned to Phillips by its current owner in 2019. The timepiece has already been displayed in New York, Singapore, London, Taipei, and Geneva before it returned to Hong Kong, where it sold at Phillips new Asia headquarters on May 23.

The watch was offered alongside several other of Puyis former possessions. Among them were 15 watercolors, attributed to Puyis brother-in-law Gobulo Runqi, and a red paper fan also given to Permyakov, featuring a poem inscribed by the former emperor.

One of Puyis manuscript notebooks, which Phillips says provides a never-before-seen glimpse into (his) mind, was also sold alongside his copy of Confucius The Analects, with the two items together fetching over $121,500.

The sale will be followed by a two-day watch auction at Phillips featuring some 240 timepieces. Among the historically notable items featured is a limited-edition Omega Speedmaster Apollo XI 1969 once presented to NASA astronaut Charles Pete Conrad Jr., the third person ever to walk on the moon.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said the watch sold for $5.1 million. This was the price before auction house fees were applied. The final total is $6.2 million.

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Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) made a comment about birth control on Tuesday that may lead to a whole nine months of mockery.

During a hearing on drug pricing, the controversial lawmaker claimed she once decided not to get birth control because the price at the pharmacy was too high.

Boebert was asking pharmacist owner Kevin Duane whether its common for people to leave prescriptions at the counter because of cost concerns. Then she offered what she said was her own experience:

I left a prescription at a pharmacy once. I went to get birth control, Boebert said. And I was there at the counter and went to pay for it, and the price was very, very high. I said, Wow, is this a three-, six-month prescription? No maam, this is one month. And I said, Its cheaper to have a kid, and I left it there.

She added that as a result of not purchasing the contraception, she now has my third son, Kaydon Boebert.

It turned out to be a really great thing, Boebert said. But I personally experienced that when times were tough.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO): I left a prescription at a pharmacy once. I went to get birth control  The price was very, very high ... And I said, 'Its cheaper to have a kid.' And I left it there, and now I have my third son. pic.twitter.com/5aUut9DBg8  The Recount (@therecount) May 23, 2023

Considering that Boebert introduced a bill earlier this year to defund Planned Parenthood, which provides access to health care and affordable birth control to women, Twitter users had thoughts about her comments.

That moment when you accidentally make the case for free birth control. https://t.co/9aM5TmoNv1  Eric Sprankle, PsyD (@DrSprankle) May 23, 2023

This is a weird way for a 36 year-old divorced grandma to announce that she makes poor life choices. https://t.co/oHbCbdyY4g  Gene Wu (@GeneforTexas) May 23, 2023

"...and that's why we named him Walgreens Parkinglot Boebert." https://t.co/EdzgYUbGQM  Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) May 23, 2023

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) pointed out that Boeberts Planned Parenthood bill was designed to make things worse for other women who need access to birth control.

And then she voted against the right to contraception so she could double this problem and give it to the next person https://t.co/NkNWzH3Jqt  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 23, 2023

You know, birth control is readily available at Planned Parenthood, but they don't want to talk about that... https://t.co/EmQ8Kfx3mQ  The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) May 23, 2023

Others tried to bring facts to Boebert, while expressing sympathy for how her comments might have affected her kids.

imagine being the third son watching this. like damn i exist because my mom didn't have $20 at walgreens https://t.co/YxfYtZsgZs  manny (@mannyfidel) May 23, 2023

"I don't love my son, it was the cheaper option". The party of family values strikes again. https://t.co/ZN3evC7UGX  Brandy Bryant (@InkMasterbator) May 23, 2023

the third son reading this is absolutely beside himself right now https://t.co/cvf3O436ai  stacy (@StacyCaySlays) May 23, 2023

Fun fact: Birth Control is cheaper than having kids. Also: You were dumb to not have gone to Planned Parenthood.



*Did she really just admit that the only reason she had kids is because she was too cheap to buy her BC? What a wonderful story for her kids. Lovely. https://t.co/MaE4qQoCe3  pitchforks (@BrandiLynn4Ever) May 23, 2023

The Republican War on Math continues. It costs on average more than $310,000 to raise a kid in America. But Im glad you saved a couple of bucks at Walgreens. https://t.co/5z5Bdg0H69  Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) May 23, 2023

Related...
A woman is suing a local restaurant chain for contracting Salmonella food poisoning after eating at one of its locations last week, court documents revealed Tuesday.

On Friday, city officials temporarily shut down two of Los Amigos Taquerias Boston locations in Brighton and West Roxbury after public health inspectors found a slew of health violations, including unsanitary working conditions that appear to be linked to a Salmonella outbreak in the area.

City and state public health officials are investigating an emerging Salmonella outbreak linked to Los Amigos Taqueria restaurant in Brighton, affecting residents in the Brighton, Boston, and Greater Boston area, a Boston Public Health Commission spokesperson said in a statement on Friday.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in Suffolk Superior Court, Chloe Crelia claims that she became ill from Salmonella food poisoning after eating at Los Amigos Taquerias Brighton restaurant on or about May 17.

At Los Amigos Brighton restaurant, Chloe bought food manufactured, prepared, distributed and/or sold by Los Amigos. The food products, manufactured, prepared, distributed, and/or sold by Los Amigos were contaminated with Salmonella, the lawsuit states. On or about May 19, 2023, Chloe developed fever, watery diarrhea, body aches, and severe abdominal pain. Chloe sought medical treatment for her severe symptoms.

The lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount in damages for medical expenses and lost earnings incurred by Crelia, and also for conscious physical pain and suffering and mental anguish and the physical impairment suffered by Chloe in the past and will likely suffer in the future.

Attorneys Jory Lange and Michael P. Joyce are representing Crelia, who is one of numerous people who got Salmonella food poisoning after eating last week at Los Amigos Taquerias restaurants in Brighton and West Roxbury, the attorneys said in a statement Tuesday.

The scary thing about this outbreak is, as a consumer, theres nothing you can do to tell whether the food that you are buying is safe. You cant taste, smell, or see Salmonella. Food that is contaminated with Salmonella may look, smell, and taste just like any other food, Lange said. This is why it is so important that restaurants who make and sell our food, make sure that the food is safe before they sell it.

The Lange Law Firm has received many calls from people sickened in this outbreak, he said.

Los Amigos Taqueria at 366 Washington Street in Brighton and its second Boston location, at 1741 Centre Street in West Roxbury, had their licenses to operate suspended following inspections on Thursday and Friday, respectively, city officials said.

We encourage residents who visited the Brighton location between May 12 and May 18 to monitor themselves for symptoms of Salmonella infection, including fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, and to contact a healthcare provider for an evaluation and testing if appropriate, the Boston Public Health Commission added.

Among other health violations found at the two Boston locations, the city said that multiple rodent droppings were found on pineapple cans, bags of pinto beans, single-use beverage holders, and storage tables.

Los Amigos also has locations in Brookline, Newton, and Somerville.

The Newton location currently remains open and is not impacted by the foodborne illness reports, Boston 25 learned.

Boston 25 has reached out to the restaurant chain for comment, as well as health officials in Brookline and Somerville.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
A new online court system is supposed to be rolled out in every county in our area, but at least two people already claim its led to violations of their constitutional rights.

As 9 Investigates has reported, its all part of a statewide effort to get the court system online. But the update hasnt gone as planned in its four pilot counties of Wake, Lee, Johnston and Harrnett counties.

Channel 9s Hunter Saenz has spent months looking into this and learned theres a class action lawsuit filed over it. Some people said they were arrested multiple times for the same crime, or said they were arrested after their case was dismissed by a judge. They said all of it was due to software problems.

PREVIOUS: Mecklenburg County delays software update for courts because of technical issues

It turns out, the state courts still want to expand the software here.

The software

High-tech system eCourts was created to make our court system more efficient and accessible. But Zack Ezor, an attorney representing two people in a class action lawsuit, said its not working.

Its been a mess, he said.

Youve got people who are spending unnecessary amounts of time in jail, getting surprised by arrests for charges they had no idea even existed, Ezor explained.

In February, eCourts was rolled out in the four North Carolina pilot counties. The lawsuit claims there were more than 573 software application defects in the first two months. It says in one case, a plaintiff was arrested a second time...even though her case had been dismissed.

It was just by a computer glitch that this warrant lingered in the system, causing the sheriff to arrest her again, Ezor said.

Court documents argue issues with eCourts were so significant that Harnett County suspended nearly all district court proceedings for a week.

A bigger problem

The eCourts rollout should have been done better and the powers that be should have known that similar rollouts across the country over the last decade encountered issues, Ezor said.

ALSO READ: Escape charge dismissed for man mistakenly released from Meck County jail

Those issues include what happened in Lubbock County, Texas, where the suit says the system ...had caused people to be detained longer than necessary, or in Alameda County, California where it says public defenders found dozens of cases where people were wrongfully arrested; detained when they should have been released; or incorrectly told that they should register as sex offenders.

Rolling this out  will lead to similar harms on a greater scale, Ezor said.

Thats what Charlotte defense attorney George Laughrun is worried about.

I have never seen, in 43 years of being here, lawyers trying to stop a court system from upgrading, Laughrun said.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs allege though the side of the class cant be determined, its made of at least 100 people. Theyre asking for an injunction to adopt failsafe procedures to ensure a mechanism exists for immediately remedying future violations of the rights of North Carolinians that arise due to use of the eCourts system.

The plaintiffs are also asking for damages and a jury trial.

When could it arrive in Meck County?

This was all supposed to go live in Mecklenburg County this month but that was postponed. There is no new date yet, but many in the court system dont think it will happen this year.

What is your forecast on when this actually will come to Mecklenburg County? Saenz asked Laughrun.

When the rapture comes, he replied.

Saenz reached out to Tyler Technologies, which is over this software system. They said they dont comment on pending litigation.

In an email obtained through a records request, one court official called the e-warrant system e-miserable.

The North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts shared a statement about the issue, noting they are not named in the lawsuit.

NCAOC is not a named party to this lawsuit and has no comment on the merits of the lawsuit at this time, their statement reads. Since launching eCourts, NCAOC has consistently solicited court officials, attorneys, and the public to report any issues like those alleged in the complaint. We have investigated each report we have received and have not substantiated that any allegation of wrongful arrest or incarceration was caused by Odyssey (eCourts).

More background

Currently, the county is using a 40-year-old system. For example, once you find a case file you need, you have to go to the courthouse to get it. This includes everything from murder cases to divorces, and even traffic tickets.

The new upgraded digital system is supposed to be more efficient by making information more accessible. Its already used around the country.

(WATCH BELOW: Courts face backlogs due to COVID-19 shutdowns as families wait for justice)




Lawsuits have built up over the decision to render Credit Suisse AT1 bonds worthless

Switzerland's justice authorities said Tuesday that 230 complaints had been filed over a decision by financial regulators to cut the value of high-risk Credit Suisse bonds to zero, to facilitate the stricken bank's takeover by UBS.

Switzerland's biggest bank bought out its rival for $3.25 billion on March 19, under strong pressure from the regulators FINMA, the government and the central bank, to prevent Credit Suisse from collapsing.

FINMA required that 16 billion Swiss francs ($17.9 billion) of so-called additional tier 1 (AT1) bonds be rendered worthless in the mega-merger.

The order infuriated bondholders, who are typically better protected than shareholders.

Investors challenged the decision.

"The Federal Administrative Court has received approximately 230 appeals, involving roughly 2,500 appellants, against FINMA's ruling of March 19, 2023, regarding the write-down of the AT1 instruments," the court said in a statement.

"These proceedings are still pending and the FAC cannot say when a judgement will be handed down."

FINMA did not comment when contacted by AFP.

AT1 bonds were created in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis to put the burden of any bank losses on investors instead of taxpayers.

Also known as CoCo, or contingent convertible bonds, they are a high-return investment but banks can suspend interest payments or convert them into bank shares in times of trouble.

On Sunday, the Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag reported that a Japanese law firm was preparing a lawsuit and was trying to round up as many aggrieved creditors as possible to seek international arbitration proceedings.

And on Monday, Britain's Financial Times newspaper said employees also wanted to file a complaint against the regulator following the cancellation of bonuses linked to the bonds.

On Tuesday, the Swiss finance ministry issued an order cancelling or reducing the outstanding bonuses of top-level Credit Suisse managers.

Back in early April, the Swiss government said it would scrap the outstanding bonuses of Credit Suisse's executive board following the 167-year-old institution's implosion and takeover.

Bern also said it would slash the bonuses of those at the next two levels down, a move affecting around 1,000 employees who will be deprived of around 50 to 60 million Swiss francs ($55-$66 million).

The currently outstanding variable remuneration will be cancelled for the executive board, cut by 50 percent for managers one level below the board, and by 25 percent for the next level down, the finance ministry said.

"This takes account of the most senior managers' responsibility for the situation at Credit Suisse in a differentiated manner. Moreover, variable remuneration for these management levels due in 2023 will be cancelled or reduced on a pro rata basis until the takeover is completed," the ministry said in a statement.

"In addition, Credit Suisse must examine the possibilities for recovering remuneration already paid out to members of group management since 2019," and report to the finance ministry and FINMA on the issue.

noo/rjm/js
Every headline in newspapers across the state should shout, Gov. Kelly cuts funding for schools.

Why? Because she effectively slashed $5 million in additional school funding.

Clearly, the Kelly/Toland Administration does not believe that money should be directed toward the student.

By the careless action of line-item vetoing Section 14 of SB 113, we are spending millions of our tax dollars to fund empty seats.

Notice to the governor: funding empty seats will not improve student achievement, with only 9% of our at-risk 10th graders proficient in math and only 14% proficient in English language arts.

It is also important to note that with Gannon funding increases, Kansas will be increasing K-12 funding by over $225 million next school year.

This hefty increase will give 276 of 286 school districts substantial increases in funding, regardless of declining enrollments. This would have been the effect without the administrations veto, which did not take in consideration all aspects of the complex funding formula that already protects rural schools by providing double the student weighting for schools losing enrollment.

What is not being said is how truly unfortunate the governors veto is for our many growing school districts.

Section 14 represents a fair and practical adjustment in the funding formula  ensuring school districts receive funding for real students, not for empty seats.

Kansans should encourage the growth that is occurring in our schools and communities. Unfortunately, by sticking with the old formula, as the Kelly/Toland administration wishes, school districts will remain limited to computing enrollment based on the highest enrollment of the two previous years, a time when schools were faced with record-low enrollment due to the pandemic.

This will place undue strain on districts needing to hire additional teachers to accommodate enrollment growth. The changes in SB 113 would allow schools to use the highest enrollment from the previous year or the current year. Since the formula provides current-year weightings, e.g., virtual public schools, transportation, special education, at-risk, etc., it seems appropriate to fund real students, not phantom students, while also giving schools stability by allowing the highest numbers from two options.

It is also unfortunate that Kansas Association of School Boards, who had full access to SB 113 with the amendments to the enrollment provisions since April 8, has done everything in their power to champion an education veto. The governor joins with comments about lack of transparency or hasty legislation, which in fact are inaccurate on both accounts.

All subject provisions in the conference committee report were vetted in committee through hearings on individual bills.

Back to KASB, we have one simple question: how can 116 districts who are losing $23.7 million able to justify paying dues to an organization that just cost them millions of dollars and is not interested in funding real students in real-time seats? Its shockingly uncharacteristic for KASB to bully the governor into cutting funding for schools when their entire existence is built on getting schools more money. If money makes the difference they say it does, why are they celebrating a $5 million cut to Kansas schools?

Bottom line, policy decisions are the sole responsibility of the Legislature.

From the legislative perspective, SB 113 was overwhelmingly approved on April 28 with votes of 83-37 in the House and 26-13 in the Senate. Coupling funding with policy continues to be the Legislatures prerogative and ensures greater accountability and transparency between schools and the Legislature, which is representing the Kansas taxpayers.

Rep. Kristey Williams is chairwoman of the House K-12 Education Budget Committee and Sen. Molly Baumgardner is chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee. Contributing to this column were vice chairwomen Rep. Brenda Landwehr and Sen. Renee Erickson.
This is a commentary by Mark Clark ODell, a local historian.

On April 7, 1866, Savannah policemen, James Foley and Edward G. McNichols, were fatally shot attempting to arrest a drunken man at the corner of West Broad and Liberty Streets. Their assailant, George W. Grady was an off-duty Savannah cop.

McNichols and Foley are Savannahs forgotten police officers. Although the Savannah Police Department has held an annual memorial for its fallen members since 1965, these two men remained missing from the roll call. Until now, their story has eluded historians of Savannah. The recent discovery of these tragic deaths demonstrates that profound moments in history can be forgotten.

More: Savannah Police officers honored at ceremony 156 years after being shot by fellow officer

The names of officers who are honored on the Police Memorial statue can be see through a wreath during the annual Police Memorial Ceremony on Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

In 1865, Chief Robert Anderson reorganized the Savannah Police Department. McNichols and Foley, two Irish immigrants, were among those sworn in after paying a bond which helped to ensure the policemens orderly conduct. The police department was not yet a modern professional organization and discipline amongst the ranks was a problem.

In addition to the bonds, Chief Anderson imposed fines for any police negligence. Despite those measures,ruffians and drunks found their way into the newly reorganized force. During his brief stint in the department, another recruit, James Bartley, conducted himself so as not to bring questions to his character. Chief Anderson later testified that Bartley was one of the most soldierly and well-disciplined of his policemen.

However, Bartley hid a violent past and his real identity. James Bartleys real name was George W. Grady. He kept up this facade, using several aliases throughout his months in the police force and even partway through his murder trial.

Town hall of history: Tybee's old city hall added to National Register of Historic Places

What happened?

On April 7, 1866, Policeman Grady reported to the police barracks on Habersham Street. His instructions were to stay on the premises until his midnight shift patrolling one of Savannahs residential wards. Instead, Grady left the confines of the barracks and went on a drinking spree with friends.

Gradys intoxication came to a head at Mr. Nevilles bar near the Central Railroad Depot. Grady got into a verbal argument which caused the owner to force the crowd out of his bar. Grady began brandishing his police-issued-pistol claiming he could kill anyone.

Enter McNichols, who attempted to calm Grady and secure the pistol. As Policeman James Galoglay joined into the tussle, Grady got his arm free and pointed the revolver directly at McNichols. His first shot pierced McNichols chest. Grady then turned toward Galoglay and James Foley who was approaching the scene. His second shot grazed Policeman Galoglay and struck the hand of Foley. A third shot hit Foley directly in his chest, killing him.

Galoglay then tackled and subdued Grady. As Grady was being arrested, another pistol fell from his waistband.

McNichols and Foley were laid to rest in the Catholic Cemetery on April 9 in unmarked graves. McNichols wife, Mary Stafford, lived in Savannah as a widow with her cousin Richard Cornish until her death in 1882. Nothing is known about Foleys widow, Mary King.

Grady was charged with the murder and tried in April 1868. His defense team consisted of well-known Savannah attorney Julian Hartridge and Judge Henry Rootes Jackson. During the trial, Grady revealed his true persona. His past was the only thing that could explain his violent actions.

Mark Clark O'Dell

Grady's troubled past

Grady was born in Georgia and raised in Tennessee. When the Civil War broke out, Grady was in Ringgold, Georgia where he was shot in an altercation. Most of the shot was removed by a doctor, but pieces remained in his skull. Grady avoided further problems by joining the 9th Georgia Infantry Regiment on its way to Virginia. He was wounded twice during battles at Seven Pines and Murfreesboro. After his second injury, he left his regiment and never returned. '

According to Gradys court statement, he went on to volunteer for a Confederate Tennessee Calvary unit. However, Civil War records indicate that he deserted the Confederacy and signed an oath of allegiance to the United States at Chattanooga on September 27, 1864. His status as a traitor in the eyes of the Souths postwar white society is likely the cause for his identity change and alias after the war.

Grady claimed the shot in his head caused him to become a maniac when he drank whiskey. Hartridges arguments evoked sympathy for the prisoner and his closing remarks convinced the jury of Gradys temporary lapse of character. The jury found a verdict of manslaughter.

During the sentencing, Judge W. B. Fleming scolded the prisoner for using his wounds as an excuse for his drunken behavior. He delivered Grady to the Georgia State Prison in Milledgeville for 10 years of hard labor. Grady escaped confinement in May 1869 and was apprehended two months later in Augusta. Gradys life after his prison term is currently unknown.

Officers get overdue honors

The memorialization of fallen officers evolved slowly over the course of a century. At first, the city paid for police funerals and then approved stipends for widows. It was 100 years before a granite marker inscribed with a list of fallen officers was placed in front of the Police Headquarters.

Since 1965, at Savannahs Police Memorial Day, a roll call honors those police who died in the line of duty. However, the well-hidden episode of Foley and McNichols' deaths did not present itself and the men remained forgotten. Their graves go unmarked, and their names unspoken.

On the police monument, the phrase "Lest We Forget" charges the community with the responsibly to remember the sacrifice these officers and their families paid. This year, the same honor was extended to these newly discovered fallen officers: James Foley and Edward G. McNichols.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah policemen shot and killed in 1866 honored at memorial
Photo: Getty (Getty Images)

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) officially threw his hat into the clown show of a Republican presidential primary on Monday, declaring himself living proof that America is the land of opportunity and not a land of oppression at a campaign kick-off event in Charleston.

Im the candidate the far left fears the most, Scott said, adding: When I pushed back on President Biden, they even called me the N-word. (There is no record I can find of anyone on the left using that slur against Scott, though I will note that the right-wing crowd standing before him didnt seem too bothered by the anecdote.)

Read more

Now that Scott has joined Donald Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (who, incidentally, appointed him to replace Sen. Jim DeMint in 2012), and probably Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the race, we should have a little chat about some of the headlines hes made during his time in office.

Obviously, Scott strongly opposes abortion rights: If I were President of the United States I would literally sign the most conservative pro-life legislation they can get through Congress, he said in a Monday interview. But Scott also doesnt even seem to have any clue how long a pregnancy lastsunless he really meant to suggest in August that Democrats are fighting for the right to abort 3-month-old infants. If we dont take back the Senate, Dems will pack the courts, give DC statehood, grant abortions up to 52 weeks, and Republicans will never win again, he wrote in a fundraising email. (A human pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks.)

Tim Scott: "If I were President of the United States I would literally sign the most conservative pro-life legislation they can get through Congress." pic.twitter.com/HY5UsRI0w9  Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) May 22, 2023

Scott is also an Evangelical Christian whos preached abstinence until marriage throughout his career. When he first ran for Congress at age 30, he declared himself a proud virgin and said he follows the Ten Commandments; but after 16 years in public service, despite still being a bachelor at age 46, he admitted to reporter that hed since abandoned his pledge of abstinenceboth pieces of information about his sex life that no one really ever needed to know.

In 2022, Scott clashed with the two other Black members of the Senate on the issue of voting rights, arguing that he exists as evidence that that people of color are not being systematically disenfranchised in this country. It is hard to deny progress, he said, when two Black senators come from the Southern states which people say are the places where African American votes are being suppressed.

No one would deny that Scott has broken a barrier as the first Black Republican elected to the House from South Carolina. But his policies consistently, loyally support white patriarchal power.

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Lexington travelers will soon be able to fly direct to Denver, Blue Grass Airport says

Beginning on September 29, Lexington travelers will be able to take non-stop flights to Denver.

United Airlines and the Blue Grass Airport announced that United will be expanding flights and adding new routes in a plan to significantly grow its position as Denvers leading airline, according to a United Airlines press release.

This new addition will create the first direct route from Lexington to Denver at the Blue Grass Airport. In a news release, United said it felt it was important to continue establishing a stronger presence in Denver, and the added flight to Lexington was part of that effort.

One critical part of our expansion is offering our customers more convenient access to unique destinations like Lexington, Mark J. Weithofer, United Airlines managing director of domestic planning, said in a news release. Were looking forward to connecting Blue Grass Airport travelers to even more destinations across the globe through Denver.

The addition will expand travel to Denver and the Rocky Mountains. It will also provide connecting access to the western United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Western Canada, Mexico and Japan, according to the Blue Grass Airport.

Daily flights to Denver will be provided on a 76-seat aircraft which includes a first-class cabin holding 12 seats.

This is great news for Lexingtonians and all of central Kentucky, Eric Frankl, president & CEO of Blue Grass Airport, said in a news release. This non-stop route to Denver, with all its connection possibilities to the West, has long been a highly desired destination for travelers flying from Blue Grass Airport.
Life looks good on you, and Sacramento city officials said they do not want you losing yours in the American River.

Red billboards along Tiscornia Beach on Tuesday morning plastered the slogan on the walk to its banks for the citys third annual drowning prevention event. The citys Office of Emergency Management, fire department and youth, parks and community enrichment held demonstrations including a mock drowning rescue and CPR administration.

Daniel Bowers, Sacramentos director of emergency management, looked out onto the water while jet skis and boats prepared for the event. He said that an intense, snow-packed winter has both elevated and cooled the waterways causing a hazard for swimmers.

We really like swimmers to stay out of the river, Bowers urged.

He said people should wear life jackets, swim with a buddy and refrain from drinking alcohol should they take to the waters. Signs of alcohol prohibition also littered the American River Parkway. Rangers said marijuana use also is prohibited despite it not being written on the signs.

A lot of things are prohibited, Bowers said. But, were not so naive to think that they dont occur.

Patrons of the American River frequently go tubing. However, the tube should not be ones only flotation device, according to Bowers.

Have a life jacket, he said. Its more comfortable anyways. That life jacket will save your life.

Over the course of a few years, he said that the soil composition beneath the river shifts and moves sandbars. Someone who thinks they know the river well may rely on a ledge below the surface that now drops off into 10 of 12 feet of water.

The American River currents typically travel at about 2,500 cubic feet per second. Over Memorial Day weekend, it is expected to travel at 15,000 cfs, according to Capt. Justin Sylvia, a spokesman for the Sacramento Fire Department.

City firefighters were called out to 20 water rescues last year, Sylvia said, and already the number this year is about the same.

A lot of that was the unhoused members of our community that werent getting to higher ground, he said. We had to go assist them off these islands just because the water was so flooded around this area. Those classify as water rescues even though theyre just basically like an assist.

Sylvia said the dangers this year include higher, faster and colder water, as well as entanglements that can snag swimmers beneath the surface.

Standing next to a CPR model of an infant, Patrick Maridon, the citys aquatics supervisor, said he would prefer people swim in one of the citys 16 public pools instead of the river.

We really try to provide a safe place thats life-guarded for people to go instead of maybe coming down to a river where it could be unsupervised, Maridon said. We really try to round out the options within the city to avoid having to always just come down to the river to find that cool-off spot.
List allegedly showing names of Nigerians hit by US visa ban is a hoax

When the US in May announced visa restrictions for Nigerians suspected of undermining recent polls in the West African nation, social media posts began circulating a list claiming to show the names of those allegedly subject to the ban. However, AFP Fact Check found that a US-based Nigerian diaspora group created the list. Moreover, the US State Department confirmed that it does not publicly release the names of individuals targeted by travel curbs.

"BRGIE @BiafraRGIE update! While we have nothing to do with Nigeria, however, If the US visa ban exempted @officialABAT, the list is a fraud! If all the people listed has been found wanting by the US, and yet they are hoping on Nigeria for anything, they are also part of the fraud (sic)," reads a tweet posted on May 15, 2023.

A screenshot of the false tweet, taken on May 22, 2023

The list also circulated widely on Facebook.

"BRGIE" refers to an organisation run by Simon Ekpa, a self-declared leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a separatist group pushing for independence in Nigerias southeast.

AFP Fact Check previously debunked statements by Ekpa who has a history of spreading misinformation.

The post with the list, retweeted more than 1,500 times, also refers to "@officialABAT", the Twitter handle (archived here) of President-elect Bola Tinubu who won the February 25 ballot (archived here).

It implies that Tinubu should feature on the purported ban list and accuses the US of endorsing his victory despite alleging that the electoral process had been undermined.

Allegations of widespread voting irregularities and rigging marred the election. Opposition candidates Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar have openly contested the results.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) denied any illegal activity, although it did acknowledge technical problems (archived here) with the voting machines.

The US State Department announced (archived here) on May 15, 2023, that it would impose visa restrictions "on individuals involved in undermining the democratic process during Nigerias 2023 elections cycle".

"These actions are specific to certain individuals and are not directed at the Nigerian people or the Government of Nigeria as a whole," the statement reads.

However, AFP Fact Check found that the list circulating on social media was false.

Fabricated list

The screenshot in the misleading posts has the words "copyright @peterobiusa" splashed across it.

Using a Twitter search, AFP Fact Check found the same list was shared on May 15, 2023, from a social media account that describes itself as "Nigerians in America Diaspora support for Peter Obi Presidential Bid in 2023".

"This are the list of names submitted by Nigerian American Coalition for Justice and Democracy (NACJD) to the State Department during the April 3rd 2-23, White House and US Congress Protest in Washington DC (sic)", the tweet claims.

A screenshot of the tweet and highlighted caption, taken on May 22, 2023

The pro-Obi group created the list of alleged "election riggers" as part of a US-based protest over Tinubus election. This context was missing from Ekpas tweet and other posts on Facebook.

Several news articles reported that a Nigerian diaspora group obtained a permit (archived here) to protest the election results in front of the White House on April 3, 2023.

State Department policy

AFP Fact Check contacted the US State Department to verify the lists authenticity.

Without confirming or denying the names, a State Department spokesperson said that "individual visa records are confidential" under US law (archived here).

However, they confirmed that the US has "not publicly announced the names of any individuals subject to visa restrictions for undermining democracy in Nigeria".

Additionally, individuals are only informed they are ineligible when they apply for a US visa, not before.

IPOB disinformation

Calls for a separate state of Biafra remain alive in Nigeria more than half a century after secessionist leader Chukwuemeka Ojukwu declared the independence of the countrys southeast in 1967. The move unleashed a brutal 30-month civil war.

Though the breakaway state has since rejoined the rest of the country, members of IPOB and those sympathetic to its cause still refer to themselves as Biafrans.

AFP Fact Check has repeatedly debunked IPOB statements.
SAN FRANCISCO  Famous historic sites, low-income apartments and Twitter's headquarters all appear on a previously unpublished draft list of 3,407 concrete buildings in San Francisco that may be at high risk of collapse in a major earthquake, according to a copy of a city government document obtained by NBC News through a public records request.

The building list, which NBC News is publishing for the first time, provides a window into the sweeping cross section of San Francisco that could be especially vulnerable in a high-magnitude earthquake. Retrofitting the buildings so that theyre deemed safe could require billions of dollars and decades of work, structural engineers said.

Thousands of people who live or work in the buildings could be taking on additional risk every time they step inside  and many of them likely dont know their buildings are on the list because the city hasnt decided when it will send out official notices.

The city official tasked with overseeing the production of the list expressed concern that publishing it could prematurely cause uneasiness among tenants, investors and others before building owners have a chance to do thorough evaluations.

The existence of the list was previously reported by KPIX-TV and the San Francisco Chronicle, but its actual contents have never been published before. A city website said the city had created an inventory of concrete buildings, although someone removed that mention after an NBC News reporter requested a copy.

The list is preliminary, so buildings could be taken off or added as city workers learn more about specific locations, and the San Francisco Office of Resilience and Capital Planning said that the dataset will contain inaccuracies. The list excludes single-family homes, public schools and buildings constructed after 2000. Its not clear when the list will be finalized, but structures on the current list have one thing in common: They were built with concrete at a time before engineers fully understood how much steel or other reinforcement was needed to keep the concrete from crumbling while shaking. The concrete, referred to as nonductile concrete, breaks rather than bends in response to stress.

David Friedman, a retired structural engineer whos a volunteer member of a city working group on the subject, said: These buildings, when they get damaged, they can get damaged to such a degree that they lose their vertical load-bearing capacity and they collapse.

These buildings will kill people if were not careful, he said, referring specifically to the risk of buildings collapsing in a major earthquake before theyve been retrofitted.

The only way to know a buildings safety level for certain is to have a qualified structural engineer evaluate it, the Resilience and Capital Planning office said. Engineers said the cost of that evaluation alone could be tens of thousands of dollars per building.

Brian Strong, San Franciscos chief resilience officer who oversees city policy and programs for earthquake safety, said in an interview that the city is determined to make the buildings safe but also believes it will take time because of the enormous cost involved. The process involves a lot of uncertainty about which buildings are truly vulnerable, he said.

There are no easy answers. Its a complex problem with a lot of complex answers, but its something we know we have to do, Strong said.

Coit Tower. (MediaNews Group via Getty Images)

The building inventory touches rich and poor alike and the diverse communities within San Francisco: from low-income senior housing in Chinatown to the landmark Coit Tower that overlooks the North Beach neighborhood, from the citys former stock exchange where theres a 1931 fresco by Diego Rivera to the massive art deco building where Twitter has its headquarters (listed under an alternate address that is not currently in functional use).

Other addresses on the list are historic properties, including the Castro Theatre movie palace from 1922 thats a center of LGBTQ life, and the hilltop Fairmont hotel thats appeared in films and television. A six-story apartment building directly adjacent to the citys famed painted ladies Victorian and Edwardian homes is on the list, and so is the corporate headquarters of retailer Williams-Sonoma.

The Chinatown Community Development Center, which operates at least three affordable housing buildings on the list, said that it had recently strengthened them to comply with existing city requirements and wasnt sure how a possible concrete retrofit program would affect them.

We would, of course, be disappointed if the City adopts a new standard that requires significant and expensive changes unless that standard significantly improves safety, Whitney Jones, deputy director of the center, said in an email.

Shorenstein Properties, owner of the Twitter headquarters building, declined to comment. The Fairmont declined to comment. NBC News contacted the owners or operators of the other buildings named above for comment and did not immediately hear back.

Strong said he and other authorities have been hesitant to publicize a list of possibly risky buildings until they have more time to verify that the buildings on it are truly at risk.

This is a list that has not been verified, Strong said. Its a draft list of buildings that we think may be in the program, and were trying to cast a broad net to ensure were not missing anything.

Strong said that releasing the inventory too early would risk unfairly reducing the value of some buildings, or causing unwarranted anxiety for tenants. His office, though, provided a copy of the inventory in response to a public records request.

I know theres a fear out there that were going to ask people to retrofit their buildings in the next four or five years, he said. We expect its going to take many years for the building owners to comply.

Engineers have known about the concrete vulnerability since 1971, when a newly built concrete hospital in Southern California partially collapsed in an earthquake. But San Francisco is only now responding, following a 2011 work plan that gave priority to work on other types of vulnerable buildings. The 2011 plan anticipated that mandatory evaluations of older concrete buildings would begin in 2015, but that hasnt happened yet.

Engineers who specialize in earthquake risks are increasingly nervous, following recent building collapses in the U.S. and Turkey.

The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. (Diane Bentley Raymond / Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Concrete buildings constructed before 1980 would account for half of the deaths in San Francisco if a magnitude 7.2 earthquake were to hit the nearby San Andreas fault, according to a 2010 study done for the city. The percentage would be even higher if the earthquake happened during the day while people were at work, the study found.

The study said 200 to 300 people could be killed in such an earthquake and 7,000 seriously injured, though it added: Casualties could be much higher if even one large, densely occupied building collapses.

Replacing all those buildings would cost around $19 billion, the study said, using 2009 dollar values. Thats about $27 billion in 2023 dollars.

In February, San Francisco and other cities got a reminder of the danger from a series of earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. More than 50,000 people died in those earthquakes, many of them in collapsed or damaged buildings with insufficiently reinforced concrete.

People in Turkey were saying, How come I wasnt told that these were vulnerable buildings? Friedman said. Were on borrowed time and we need to get these buildings fixed.

The most severe earthquake in Turkey was magnitude 7.8, and the 1906 earthquake that devastated San Francisco was magnitude 7.9. Theres a 20% chance that an earthquake measuring magnitude 7.5 or worse occurs in the San Francisco Bay Area in the next 30 years, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Concrete buildings in the U.S. received attention in 2021 after the collapse of a condo tower in Surfside, Florida, but the problem in San Francisco and other earthquake-prone areas is different. Rather than delayed maintenance, its about the design of the structures and how theyd fare under intense shaking.

The cost of addressing the risk comes at a bad time for San Francisco. While many of the citys neighborhoods are as vibrant as ever, the pandemic has hollowed out the downtown core as corporate tenants, including Meta and Salesforce, vacate office space, and retailers, including Nordstrom and Whole Foods, eliminate locations.

The result has been a steep drop in the value of commercial real estate in the city. Wide recognition of the earthquake risks of older concrete buildings could be another blow.

The cost of fixing a structure could be $150 to $200 per square foot per floor, which could easily run into the millions of dollars for some individual buildings, engineers said. The price tag for a 71-unit concrete apartment building thats already had structural retrofitting completed was $15.5 million, or $130 per square foot, said Leo Panian, the structural engineer who worked on the job. With nonstructural costs like interior finishes, the total cost was $20.6 million, or $173 per square foot.

The reason the fix can be so costly is because its invasive. It requires adding new layers of concrete, steel, carbon fiber or other material spanning the buildings height and footprint, as well as repairing interior finishes destroyed in the process.

It could be so expensive that some owners will choose a wrecking ball, said Robert Kraus, a structural engineer in San Francisco who has previously studied the citys inventory of concrete buildings.

This will lead to some buildings deciding its easier to just redevelop, Kraus said.

700 Steiner street, right, next to the

Some people doubt whether the local economy will be able to shoulder the cost of making the buildings safe at a time when the city is already in a dire financial situation.

I dont know how this is going to get done, frankly, said Janan New, executive director of the San Francisco Apartment Association, a trade group for the citys landlords.

The city isnt promising to help pay for the work, and the cost of private loans is going up, she said.

I think theres an overall acknowledgment that we need to do it, she said, but added: Were in a very serious economic climate right now where there is not a lot of funding available for this work.

In 2017, condo owners in West Hollywood, a city in Los Angeles County, were so aghast by the cost that they lobbied their city council to make concrete retrofits voluntary  a decision that relieved them of the cost but not the danger.

In San Francisco, itll be up to the citys mayor and board of supervisors to decide whether to make retrofits mandatory, and if so, what the deadline should be. Engineers expect property owners to have decades to comply.

The list of vulnerable buildings includes many addresses associated with vulnerable populations. The highest concentration of buildings is in one of San Franciscos poorest neighborhoods, the Tenderloin, and at least four buildings on the list are large, multi-story apartment houses for low-income tenants who may not have anywhere else to go.

Megan Stringer, president of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California, said updating the buildings could be so disruptive that tenants often wont be able to stay in their homes or offices while it happens.

Youre talking about people potentially needing to be displaced while the retrofits are happening, and thats not something people want to hear, Stringer said.

Its invasive and its expensive, so you can imagine it would be a sensitive topic for building owners and occupants of the buildings, she said.

Maria Zamudio, organizing director of the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, which counsels tenants on their rights and advocates at city hall, said: The San Francisco housing stock is an older housing stock, and the older a building is, the more likely it is that it has low-income tenants.

Zamudio said most renters have no idea of the concrete-related risk or of the chance that they might need to relocate during a retrofit.

Everyday tenants are still trying to recover from the impact Covid had on their lives and financial situations, she said. Folks are really just still worried about their rent.

Behind the scenes, advocates are pushing the city to improve its notification to tenants about their right to return after a retrofit. They also want to prevent landlords from passing on the cost of retrofits to tenants in rent-controlled units, while landlords are lobbying for the right to do so.

Theres no uniform rule for when and how government agencies should share earthquake risks with building owners and tenants. San Francisco has a searchable online map of 4,900 wood-frame buildings that are or were vulnerable because of a soft or poorly supported first story, and it could do the same for concrete buildings in the future. More than 90% of the soft-story buildings are in compliance with a 2013 city ordinance requiring retrofits.

In 2013, Los Angeles residents frustrated by a lack of transparency began speculating about a killer buildings list as city officials there debated what to do about vulnerable concrete buildings. Los Angeles passed a city ordinance in 2015 mandating that certain concrete buildings be retrofitted and has a website for people to search addresses. Property owners have 25 years to complete the work or demolish their building.

Friedman said he expects property owners to have a range of responses once they find out, from head-in-the-sand denial to eagerness for a fix. Either way, he said, finding out is inevitable.

I really want the public to be able to have some confidence and have some disclosure of which buildings are hazardous, he said.

At some point we need to alert people and require people to abate the risk of these very dangerous building types, he added.

Even creating the list for San Francisco has been a complicated process. City staff and volunteers began in 2018 by poring over 1,200 paper maps from the 19th and 20th centuries that people created originally for fire insurance underwriting purposes and later annotated by hand over several years. They then checked the data against information from other sources, such as the city assessors office or observations from the sidewalk.

And even still, theres a limit to what the inventory can reveal. Engineers said the only way to accurately gauge a concrete buildings risk is for an engineer to do an on-site study, which may involve opening walls to see how they were constructed.

You cant walk up to a building and know how its going to perform or what its vulnerabilities are, Kraus said.

That uncertainty has caused some people to overlook the urgency, he added.

This is a vulnerable building type, he said. Weve known it going on 50 years, and that knowledge has not translated into action because of the cost and the effort that goes into a retrofit.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Getty Images

Unless youve been living under the sea, chances are youve heard about Disneys live-action remake of The Little Mermaid thats now in theaters.

Halle Bailey stars as Ariel, the young mermaid who yearns to experience life out of the water, in an updated version of the classic 1989 animated film. Melissa McCarthy takes on the role of the devious Ursula, a sea monster who offers Ariel the chance to experience life as a humanfor a price.

Even before reaching the big screen, the film has seemingly divided fans at every turnfrom its casting choices to the potentially off-putting CGI, and even minor lyrical changes in popular songs from the original. However, this weekend will be the first true indicator of whether the film succeeds or, well, flounders.

Either way, it wont be for lack of star power. Heres your guide to the cast of actors appearing in, or lending their voices to, The Little Mermaid and where you might have seen them before.

Halle Bailey

Getty Images

Halle Bailey, 23, plays titular mermaid Ariel, the daughter of Atlantica leader King Triton who dreams about being part of the human world. Bailey is one half of the singing duo Chloe x Halle with her sister, Chloe Bailey. As an actor, her most notable role to date has been as Sky Forster on the TV series Grown-ish from 2018 to 2022.

Disneys casting of Bailey, first announced in 2019, has drawn racist backlash from some fans of the animated original who complained that a Black actor should not portray Ariel, who was a white character in the earlier film. #NotMyAriel even trended on social media. However, Bailey has said she moved past the negative reactions with the help of her family and is proud to play a character she resonated with as a child. I want the little girl in me and the little girls just like me who are watching to know that theyre special, and that they should be a princess in every single way, she told Variety.

Actor Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in the animated original, has stated she is proud of Bailey and specifically highlighted her pure spirit [and] her joy among the reasons Bailey is fit for the part. Benson, 61, makes a cameo appearance as a market vendor in the 2023 film.

Melissa McCarthy

Getty Images

Melissa McCarthy plays Ursula, an octopus-like sea witch who offers Ariel the chance to become human with treacherous ulterior motives. The comedian and actor, 52, first gained fame through TV roles as Sookie St. James on Gilmore Girls and title character Molly Flynn on the sitcom Mike & Molly, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award in 2011. McCarthy has also starred in films such as Bridesmaids (2011), The Heat (2013), Ghostbusters (2016), The Happytime Murders (2018), and Thunder Force (2021).

The animated version of Ursula was inspired by drag queen and actor Divine, and McCarthy told Deadline her performance similarly pays homage. I just hope to do like every incredible drag queen proud, and Divine proud, she said. I wanted to give her everything that, you know, she was due.

Jessica Alexander from the Netflix series Get Even plays Ursulas human alter ego on land.

Read More about Melissa McCarthy

Javier Bardem

Getty Images

Spanish actor Javier Bardem, 54, plays King Triton, the leader of Atlantica and Ariels overprotective father. The actor is best known for his role as assassin Anton Chigurh, the primary antagonist of the 2007 Western No Country for Old Men, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Bardem has starred in films such as Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), Skyfall (2012), and Mother! (2017). More recently, you might have seen him in the 2021 sci-fi epic Dune and as Desi Arnaz, the on-screen and real-life husband of Lucille Ball, in 2021s Being the Ricardos. The latter earned him his fourth Academy Award nomination.

During a recent appearance on the Conan OBrien Needs a Friend podcast, Bardem discussed the intricate stuntwork required to make The Little Mermaid and praised the films special effects. The only thing you can do, you have to do, is to try to learn the lines, say the lines, and forget about the whole noise around you, Bardem said. Its so beautifully done, its so realistically done, and at the same time, has so much magic, that Im not put off by [the CGI]. I go, Wow, I believe that they are under the water. Its something else.

Jonah Hauer-King

Getty Images

English actor Jonah Hauer-King, 27, plays Prince Eric, who becomes Ariels human love interest after she rescues him from drowning. He told The Hollywood Reporter he went through months of rehearsals to get the part, including learning to ride horses and scuba dive and, eventually, beat out Harry Styles for the role. His prior acting credits include the 2019 film A Dogs Way Home and the BBC television drama World on Fire. He also has musical experience, having starred in a professional production of Rent while a student at St. Johns College at the University of Cambridge.

Meet the Supporting Cast of The Little Mermaid

Jacob Tremblay voices Flounder, a talking tropical fish who is Ariels best friend under the sea. Tremblay, 16, had his breakout role as young child Jack Newsome in Room (2015), earning a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He also voiced the titular character in the 2021 Pixar film Luca, and has appeared in films like Wonder (2017), The Book of Henry (2017), Good Boys (2019) and Doctor Sleep (2019).

Daveed Diggs voices Sebastian, a crab who serves as an advisor and court composer for King Triton and who watches over Ariel. The 41-year-old stage and screen actor won a 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical for his dual roles as the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton. He appeared with Tremblay in the film Wonder and had a part in the TV series Black-ish, mostly in season 3.

Awkwafina voices Scuttle, a seabird and friend of Ariel who teachers her, often erroneously, about elements of the human world. The 34-year-old actor and rapper is the star of the Comedy Central series Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens and voiced the dragon Sisu in the 2021 Disney animated film Raya and the Last Dragon. She has also appeared in films such as Oceans Eight (2018), Crazy Rich Asians (2018), and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).

Noma Dumezweni plays Queen Selina, the mother of Prince Eric. As a stage actor, Dumezweni, 38, has won Laurence Oliver Awards for her roles as Ruth Younger in A Raisin in the Sun and Hermione Granger in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. She also appeared in the 2018 film Mary Poppins Returns and the 2022 Netflix series The Watcher.

Art Malik plays Sir Grimsby, Prince Erics trusted butler and companion. The 70-year-old British actor portrayed Kamran Shah in the 1987 James Bond film The Living Daylights, as well as antagonist Aziz in the 1994 action film True Lies starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. He more recently played Bunny Latif in the TV thriller Homeland on Showtime.

Lorena Andrea (Perla), Simone Ashley (Indira), Kajsa Mohammar (Karina), Nathalie Sorrell (Caspia), Karolina Conchet (Mala), and Sienna King (Tamika) each play a daughter of King Triton and sister to Ariel.

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Looking for a secure new home? This Kansas missile silo can be yours for $1.3 million

Looking for a subterranean hideaway nearly 200 feet underground?

You might be interested in a 1960s Cold War relic for sale in central Kansas.

The Rolling Hills Missile Silo in Lincoln County northwest of Beverly is on the market. Its offered at $1.3 million by BTB Ranch. Interested buyers can contact the ranch through the websites contact page.

The silo sits on 9 acres. Security measures include an 8-foot barbed-wire fence around the main property and an electric gate.

Security measures at the silo include an 8-foot barbed-wire fence and two electric gates.

From the surface, the only visible structures are two steel buildings that are usable and the steel entrance door that leads to the silo that measures 52 feet in diameter and plunges about 182 feet below ground.

This space could be converted into an 18-story, underground living space or spaces, according to the website. Each of the 1,250 square feet levels of the former control center provides a freshly-painted raw space that can be built out or can remain in an open loft style.

The silo has several 1,000-plus square foot levels that can be turned into living spaces.

Each space has freshly painted white walls and epoxy floors that give the buyer a blank canvas that can be finished off by the buyer in any desired configuration, the website read.

The U.S. government built 12 intercontinental ballistic miles sites near what was then Schilling Air Force Base in southwest Salina in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Construction on the silo began in 1959 with completion nearing in 1960. It was handed over to the U.S. government, who ordered the construction, in 1962. It was decommissioned in 1965.

Kansas was the chosen location because it was outside of the range of Soviet missiles launched from submarines positioned off either U.S. coast, according to the Kansas Historical Society.

The location of the silos were a good distance from any major city as well, a representative from BTB Ranch said.

Other similar missile silos have been sold to private owners, school districts and universities. A gallery of photos of the Rolling Hills Missile Silo can be viewed here.
Lorna Slater urged Westminster to "do the right thing" and allow the scheme to go ahead

The minister responsible for the deposit return scheme has denied claims by Scottish Secretary Alister Jack that vital assessments have not been submitted to the UK government.

Lorna Slater said Mr Jack's statement on the matter was "not true".

He told MPs on Monday that he was still waiting for "proper, grown-up assessments" of the scheme.

The UK government is considering whether the scheme can be exempted from the Internal Market Act.

Last week Ms Slater, Scotland's circular economy minister, suggested the project could be axed if it did not get the go ahead from Westminster.

At Holyrood on Tuesday she insisted all the information necessary to grant an exemption had been provided.

And she called on the UK government to "do the right thing" and allow the scheme in Scotland to go ahead.

Ms Slater said a decision was needed from Westminster by the end of May.

"It is not true that these [assessments] have not been carried out," she said.

"We have conducted a full set of impact assessments at the appropriate point in delivery of the scheme. These are publicly available.

"We have supplied all the required information, and more, to agree an exclusion from the Internal Market Act."

Mr Jack told MPs on the Commons Scottish Affairs Committee on Monday that he was "yet to see the workings that could let me take a responsible decision one way or the other on this with any confidence".

Alister Jack discussed the scheme at the Scottish Affairs Committee on Monday

The deposit return scheme, aimed at increasing the number of single-use drinks bottles and cans that are recycled, was due to begin in August.

It will now come into effect in March next year.

Under the new scheme, 20p will be added to the price of a single-use drinks container, which will be refunded to people who return it to a retailer or hospitality premises that offer single-use products.

Concerns have been raised that because Scotland's scheme would come in before similar initiatives in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, it could create a trade barrier.

The Internal Market Act was brought in after Brexit in a bid to ensure smooth trade across the different nations of the UK.

Compensation for businesses

In Holyrood on Tuesday Ms Slater came under fire over the rollout of the scheme.

Megan Gallacher, of the Scottish Conservatives said it was "shambolic" and had "damaged the relationship and confidence amongst Scottish businesses".

Former Scottish government minister Fergus Ewing, who has been critical of the scheme from the SNP backbenches, said businesses had incurred costs preparing for the scheme.

"If the scheme fails, they must get compensation," he said.

Ms Slater replied that the question of compensation was "thoroughly hypothetical at the moment".

"I am working towards getting the scheme launched and ensuring that it is a success," she added. "That is what we are putting in place as we work towards the 1 March launch."
The Sombrita barely provides enough shade for two people - LADOT

A Los Angeles bus shelter with no seats has drawn ridicule after claiming its purpose was to provide potentially life-changing shade to women and minorities.

The so-called Sombrita, which cost $10,000, is essentially a pole with a lip that provides some shade, or a solar-powered light at night-time.

It has been mooted as potentially the most pointless piece of civic architecture in the world, rivalling anything produced by Britains councils.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation said the 6,000 new shelters for stops with narrow pavements were vital to protect women using the transport network and hailed it as low cost infrastructure.

The lack of essential amenities like shade and lighting isn't just a simple inconvenience. For women and gender minorities  half of our population  it can change the trajectory of their lives, said Chelina Odbert, founding principal of the Kounkuey Design Initiative, which developed the structures with input from female transit riders.

The Sombrita is around 18 inches wide and barely provides enough shade for two people even when the sun is at the right angle.

According to images posted online, the light at night also leaves the pavement below almost pitch-black, illuminating only the upper portion of the pole.

LA female shade poles - twitter.com/Kounkuey

Kounkey said the design was a response to the fact that only one quarter of LAs bus stops have shelters. They added that a typical bus shelter costs $50,000 and requires the co-ordination of eight separate government departments.

The first-gen Sombrita was designed to avoid permit and multi-agency co-ordination, Kounkey said in a statement posted on social media. It was meant to meet these City standards: be less than 24 wide be entirely on the pole and be removable.

The shade-pole prompted scorn far beyond Los Angeles.

It's basically a sundial that will occasionally cast shade onto the adjacent bench, said Twitter user Scott Davis.

Now obviously, La Sombrita fails to accomplish the goals of a bus shelter: it provides no seating, almost no shade, and no protection from the elements, wrote Sam Deutsch in the journal, Belter Cities.

While politicians and planners celebrating this silly structure are obviously deserving of criticism, the story behind this joke of a bus shelter is actually quite revealing of the broader failures of American transportation infrastructure.

A 'tight space' in Los Angeles with 'La Sombrita' in it, versus a typical London bus shelter with seating for six, local daytime and nighttime route maps, timetables, and a digital display board showing what and when the next buses are. #LaSombrita https://t.co/F4eiysJEBz pic.twitter.com/t4T41A2HPR  Hex (@hex) May 21, 2023

The wildest part about La Sombrita is that they held a full-on press conference, said Alec Stapp, co-founder of the Institute for Progress think tank.

If my bus stop shade/light thing cost $10,000 and provided neither shade during the day nor light at night, I would simply not talk about it.

Local authorities in Barnsley, Brighton, Nuneaton or Prestwich, may not have the weather of Los Angeles or celebrity voters like Jack Nicholson, Kim Kardashian or Angelina Jolie.

But the next time bus passengers there are huddling under shelter from the latest downpour, they can always console themselves by knowing things could be worse. They could be in Los Angeles.

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.
Newsmax

In its ceaseless culture war campaign against all things trans and woke, the right-wing industrial grievance complex recently went after retail giant Target for supposedly selling tuck-friendly swimwear for kids, going so far as to call the companys CEO a pervert groomer.

Despite their claims that the retailer is destroying our kids by selling bathing suits to toddlers with extra crotch coverage, the reality is that Target only offers the tuck-friendly items in adult sizes as part of its Pride month collection.

Despite this, the retailer announced on Tuesday that it will be making some significant changes since the backlash; telling The Daily Beast that it is removing some items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ-friendly merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month. Some tweets from conservatives show Pride displays that have already allegedly been removed from stores.

For more than a decade, Target has offered an assortment of products aimed at celebrating Pride Month, a spokesperson for Target told The Daily Beast.

Since introducing this years collection, weve experienced threats impacting our team members sense of safety and wellbeing while at work. Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior.

Target said that despite the removal of Pride-positive merchandise, our focus now is on moving forward with our continuing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride Month and throughout the year.

Earlier this month, with conservatives having already spent weeks angrily boycotting Bud Light for sending a commemorative can to trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney, they found another brand to take transphobic aim at when Target installed Pride sections in their stores. Besides offering up LGBTQ-inspired merchandise, the section also features clothing that includes trans-friendly swimwear options.

Far-right social media account Gays Against Groomers, which the Anti-Defamation League has named a group that peddles dangerous and misleading narratives about the LGBTQ+ community, seemingly kicked off the outrage cycle with a misleading post on May 10.

This is what you will find in the kids section of @Target. We urge you to take your business elsewhere. They are indoctrinating and grooming them with LGBTQ ideology. It is highly inappropriate and disturbing, Gays Against Groomers wrote, sharing a video of a Target stores Pride section.

We hope there are enough parents out there that understand how wrong this is and show them that this garbage will not sell, the organization continued in a tweet thats racked up 1.3 million views. The only thing these people understand is money. Target deserves the Bud Light treatment. We will work to put the pressure on them.

Several high-follower accounts soon began sharing videos and photos from shoppers supposedly revealing that Target stores were selling bathing suits in the kids section with tags that read Tuck-Friendly Construction and Extra Crotch Coverage.

Tuck friendly??? Wtf target, far-right Twitter account Clown World posted on May 16 alongside one video clip, which suggested the swimsuit in question was for children. The tweet was deleted on Tuesday afternoon after it had garnered nearly 6,000 likes and a million views.

Sharing the same clip as Clown World later that day, Daily Wire podcaster Matt Walshwho has become one of the leading voices of the anti-trans rightclaimed outright that Target was selling these items to children while calling for a boycott of the company.

What @Target is doing is far worse than anything Bud Light did. They are selling chest binders & tuck-friendly bathing suits for children, he declared. Target is calling our bluff. But just like any other company, they need our business. We did it with Bud Light. Now it's Target's turn.

Other conservative pundits and personalities soon followed suit with their own deceptive videos and images, prompting the Murdoch-owned New York Post to report that Targets tuck-friendly swimwear for kids sparks outcry.

Fox News digital site soon followed up by noting that consumers were creeped out by the swimwear, though the article did not specifically claim the bathing suits were for children. The network later reported that Target held an emergency meeting to avoid another Bud Light situation.

While Fox News largely steered clear of the issue on air, Newsmax had no problem echoing the falsehood about the tucking bathing suits for little girls on their airwaves. On at least four separate occasions between Friday and Monday, the networks hosts and guests insisted Target was peddling the swimwear to young children.

Target now with what are called tucking bathing suits for little boys who want to look like little girls in swimsuits, Newsmax anchor Rob Schmitt said on Friday night, adding: I maintain we will look back on this moment in this country and we will just shake our heads at the idiocy that we let take control. It is astonishing.

And on Monday night, alongside an on-air graphic blaring Targets Tuck-Friendly Swimwear For Kids Sparks Outcry, Newsmax host Eric Bolling insisted that the store was offering underwear for kids to tuck or not to tuck.

Amid the ongoing moral panic on the right, the Associated Press published a fact-check on Tuesday debunking the claims about Targets Pride-themed merchandise.

However, the swimsuits labeled tuck-friendly are only in adult sizes, and are not available in kids sizes, Kayla Castaneda, a spokesperson for Target, told The Associated Press, the AP reported. Both the colorful one-piece and black swim bottoms seen in the photos and videos online are clearly labeled on Targets website as adult swimsuits. Both pages list the products as coming in general adult sizing and offer adult XS as the smallest size for sale.

The article also noted that childrens swimsuits in the stores Pride collection are not the same design or construction and do not have the same label. A reporter for the AP also visited a Target store in Brooklyn and found that Pride apparel for adults, children and pets is located in the same area typically used for seasonal or limited-edition merchandise.

Despite the APs fact-check, a number of prominent right-wing pundits and media outlets continued to press forward with their false claims against Target while using increasingly apocalyptic rhetoric to call for Target CEO Brian Cornells prosecution. (Cornell recently said focus on diversity and inclusion and equity has fueled much of our growth, prompting additional outrage.)

Targets transgender tuck-friendly clothing for children was inspired by a drag queen, ex-One America News anchor Liz Wheeler tweeted on Tuesday. These people are deliberately destroying our kids. I will never spend another penny at Target. Boycott them into obscurity.

Charlie Kirk, founder of MAGA youth group Turning Point USA, took it much further on his podcast on Tuesday afternoon.

This is where the conservative movement is now.



Charlie Kirk calls on Republican attorneys general to launch a "criminal investigation" into Target CEO Brian Cornell, calling him a "pervert groomer" and "very sick person" who "really has like a fetish for going after children." pic.twitter.com/A3u1PHe2FI  Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) May 23, 2023

Republican attorneys general, do you have a heartbeat out there? How about a criminal investigation into Brian Cornell? Just do it! They would do it to us, he exclaimed.

Baselessly calling Cornell a pervert groomer, Kirk added that the Target chief was a very sick person who really has a fetish for going after children while repeatedly accusing the executive of grooming children.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Man arrested after allegedly breaking into home, leading officers on chase in Greenville

A man is in custody after he allegedly broke into a home in Greenville Monday afternoon.

Just before 12:15 p.m., Greenville officers were called to a home in the 500 block of Central Avenue after someone told dispatchers an unknown man came into their home.

The person said when they confronted the man he ran away, according to Greenville Police Department.

>> Piqua man dead after crash involving semi in Miami County

Police arrived on the scene and established a perimeter in the area they believed the man could have been hiding.

With the help of neighbors, officers were able to find the suspect.

After a short foot chase, the man, identified as John Taylor, 42, was taken into custody.

Taylor was booked into Darke County Jail and charged with Burglary.








Mans death at a Georgia county jail was a homicide caused by neglect, independent medical review commissioned by attorneys says

The man who died inside a Georgia county jail last year had been living in conditions akin to a torture chamber before ultimately dying of complications stemming from severe neglect to his mental and physical health, according to the mans family attorneys and an independent medical review.

The independent medical review determined Lashawn Thompsons manner of death at the Fulton County Jail in September 2022 was a homicide, his family attorneys said at a Monday news conference announcing the findings.

The review showed a lack of medication in Thompsons bloodstream, indicating his severe mental illness was not being medically treated at the time of his death, attorney Ben Crump said.

(Thompson) had untreated schizophrenia at the time of his death, Crump said. There is no question this was criminal negligence.

Thompson, 35, died last year while in custody on a misdemeanor assault charge and was housed in the psychiatric wing of the jail because of his mental health issues, according to family attorney Michael Harper. He had been in custody for just three months when he died in September 2022.

The Fulton County medical examiners office listed Thompsons manner and cause of death as undetermined, according to a document sent to CNN earlier this year. The report listed schizoaffective disorder, bipolar and acute exacerbation as other conditions.

The independent medical review listed untreated decompensated schizophrenia as a contributing cause to the death, in addition to dehydration, malnutrition and severe body insect infestation, which included lice and bed bugs, as significant conditions.

The review was conducted by Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr., a board-certified forensic pathologist and chair of pathology at Howard University, who was previously the chief medical examiner for Washington, DC, from 2014 to 2021.

Thompson required daily care for his mental illness and noted a significant gap of 43 days where there was minimal documentation found within the records that show care being delivered to him, according to Mitchells findings.

For these reasons, it is the opinion of this forensic pathologist that Mr. Lashawn Thompson died due to severe neglect, Mitchell said in the review.

The combination of dehydration, rapid weight loss, and malnutrition complicated by untreated decompensated schizophrenia led to a fatal cardiac arrythmia of Lashawn Thompson. Had Mr. Thompson received adequate care during his incarceration at the Fulton County Jail then he would not have died at the time that he did, Mitchell said.

Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Pat Labat has not yet had a chance to fully review the independent autopsy report, he said in a statement Tuesday.

However, even before this report was issued it was painfully clear there were a number of failures that led to Mr. Thompsons tragic death, he said.

I have already held the executive staff responsible for jail operations accountable by asking for and receiving the resignations of the Chief Jailer, Assistant Chief Jailer of Housing and Assistant Chief Jailer, Criminal Investigative Division. Repercussions for anyone found to be negligent in Mr. Thompsons care could come once the full investigation is turned over to the (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) for review, the statement added.

I remain committed to making sure the Thompson family receives the answers they need and deserve about the unconscionable circumstances surrounding Mr. Thompsons death.

Untreated schizophrenia could have contributed, expert says

Dr. Kendall Von Crowns, the chief medical examiner in Tarrant County, Texas, who reviewed and analyzed the report for CNN, said it is too difficult to determine the manner of death based on the independent report.

I couldnt just knee-jerk call it a homicide just based on what Ive seen right now. I would still actually fall on the original report of undetermined, he said.

Von Crowns said without viewing the original autopsy, toxicology report and photos of Thompsons body, it looks like malnutrition and dehydration is the cause of his death.

In some cases, people with lice infestation can get bacterial infections such as cellulitis or impetigo from scratching their skin, but lice would not have caused Thompsons death, Von Crowns said.

Based on the limited information we have, it looks more like dehydration or malnutrition, not the lice infestation, because theres nothing in there thats saying that hes had an allergic reaction to the lice, because they arent saying that theres an allergic reaction occurring. They also arent saying theres like a massive skin infection, either. So, its obviously more likely than not his dehydration, malnutrition that caused him to die, he said.

Von Crowns agreed with the independent medical review that Thompsons schizophrenia could have been a contributing factor to his death.

It would contribute more to that if hes not being properly treated, it would make his underlying mental illness worse and that could also fall into the category of neglect, he said.

Thompsons severe malnutrition and significant dehydration are markers of neglect, as is the condition of the jail cell, but its not clear from the independent medical review how much his untreated mental illness could have impacted that.

So, I would agree with theres a degree of neglect as part of this, that hes not put in a clean environment and hes not being taken care of as far as making sure hes eating or kept clean, Von Crowns said, adding that in some cases, people with schizophrenia can cause self-neglect if they refuse to eat or drink.

The degree of neglect ultimately plays a big role in determining the manner of Thompsons death.

Usually if the neglect is caused by a caretaker and other individual caring for them, it would fall into the category of homicide if the caretaker knows they are willfully and wantonly withholding care to this individual that would put it in the area of homicide, Von Crowns said.

Thompson was living in inexcusable conditions, attorney says

During a news conference in April, the family and attorneys held up photos that purportedly showed conditions inside Thompsons jail cell.

The cell he was in was not fit for a diseased animal. This is inexcusable and its deplorable, attorney Harper said at the time.

Thompsons family has repeatedly demanded a criminal investigation into his death and for the facility to be closed and a new one to be built.

On Monday, NAACP Georgia Chapter President Gerald Griggs said criminal negligence charges should be filed against anyone connected to Thompsons death. Griggs called on Gov. Brian Kemp for more mental health funding for the state.

(Thompson) was innocent, he was merely being detained. That should not have led to his death, Griggs said.

After the Fulton County Jails chief jailer and two assistant chief jailers resigned at the request of the sheriff, the sheriffs office allotted a $500,000 emergency expense to address the infestation of bed bugs, lice and other vermin within the jail, the agency said last month.

A process to transfer more than 600 inmates to other counties in an effort to help relieve overcrowding, at an average cost of approximately $40K/day, had also begun, the sheriffs office said last month.

CNNs Aya Elamroussi, Kelly McCleary, Melissa Alonso and Chris Youd contributed to this report.

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Man drove around stealing checks from mailboxes with raised flags in Florida, feds say

A man drove around different neighborhoods searching for mailboxes with raised flags. Then, hed steal the homeowners outgoing mail, federal prosecutors said.

If he found a check while rifling through their mail, hed steal it, wash it out, put himself down as the payee and bring it to a local bank to claim the cash, according to prosecutors.

Whats more is that hed increase the checks value by writing in a new payment amount  allowing him to steal more than $35,000 from banks along the Florida Panhandle, officials said.

The man, 43, of Defuniak Springs, took more than 30 checks from neighborhoods in the Fort Walton Beach area between March 2019 and July 2019, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Florida. Most victims were older individuals, prosecutors said.

Nearly four years later, a judge sentenced him to 45 months in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to mail theft, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, the attorneys office announced in a May 23 news release.

McClatchy News contacted the mans attorney for comment on May 23 and didnt immediately receive a response.

Frauds, such as this one, which target the elderly and compromise essential institutions, such as the mail and our banking system, are serious federal offenses and violators will be prosecuted, U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody said in a statement.

The mans sentencing comes after he was released from prison in Alabama in 2022, according to prosecutors.

Hes accused of carrying out a similar stolen checks scheme in the neighboring state and was sentenced to prison in 2019, officials said.

When he washed the checks written out to other individuals from Fort Walton Beach-area homeowners, hed put down his name, or one of his fake names, in the payee section, prosecutors said.

He cashed the altered checks at Regions Bank, Bank of America, BB&T, Synovus Bank and other financial institutions., according to an indictment.

As part of his sentencing, the judge also ordered the man to pay $6,727 in restitution, prosecutors said.

The Okaloosa County Sheriffs Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated the case, according to the release.

Fort Walton Beach is about 165 miles west of Tallahassee.

USPS worker stole stimulus checks and credit cards from people on his route, feds say

USPS employee stole $40,000 worth of mailed checks and sold them on dark web, feds say

Bonnie and Clyde couple took over peoples bank accounts after stealing mail, feds say
Police investigating what led up to deadly shooting in Seattles Ravenna area

Seattle Police homicide detectives are investigating after a man was found with a fatal gunshot wound early Tuesday.

The shooting happened near Olga Park in the Ravenna neighborhood in North Seattle.

At 2 a.m., officers arrived at the intersection of 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast Ravenna Boulevard to find a man with a gunshot wound nearby.

Police gave the man medical aid until Seattle Fire Department medics arrived and took over, but the 46-year-old man died at the scene.

A KIRO 7 News crew at the scene at 4:30 a.m. said the mans lifeless body remained at the location.

Crime scene investigators are looking for evidence where the shots were fired at Northeast Ravenna Way and University Way Northeast.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Seattle Police Department Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000.
Man hid camera in bedroom and bathroom of home to film kids, Alabama deputies say

A man is in custody after he was accused of planting hidden cameras in his house to film minors, Alabama deputies said.

Marshall County deputies responded to a home in October after a tip about the sexual assault of two boys in the town of Albertville, according to a May 22 news release from the Marshall County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies said they were told about hidden cameras in the bedroom where a minor slept and a bathroom that was frequently used by minors.

Deputies conducted interviews and found that the cameras had been installed by the 57-year-old homeowner, according to the release.

McClatchy News is not identifying the suspect to protect the identity of the children.

During the execution of the search warrant, investigators recovered numerous digital storage devices, the release said.

On May 18, the digital forensics lab told deputies it had found child pornography on an external hard drive found at the home in October, police said. The lab also found videos that had been recorded from a hidden camera in the homeowners bathroom, the release said.

On the hard drive, there were images of naked children under the age of 10 that had been downloaded from the internet, deputies said.

Deputies said they also found videos of a child in their underwear in a bedroom inside the Albertville home.

On May 19, the homeowner was taken into custody and charged with 11 counts of possession of obscene matter and two counts of voyeurism, according to jail records.

Both charges carry a possible prison sentence of up to 10 years for each count, deputies said.

Albertville is 66 miles northeast of Birmingham.

Ice cream truck slams into apartment and badly injures 12-year-old, Louisiana cops say

Restaurant manager touched young female workers, asked them to sleep over, CA suit says

Newborn twins found dead in trash at Ohio home, cops say. 16-year-old mom arrested

Man accidentally shoots and kills twin while pistol whipping another man, AL cops say
Man plotting to kill his relatives is stopped on way to their home, Kentucky cops say

A man accused of threatening to kill members of his family was wearing body armor and had multiple loaded guns in his possession when officers arrested him during a traffic stop, Kentucky police say.

Kenneth Gregory, 27, of Louisville, was charged with four counts of attempted murder, according to the Oldham County Police Department. He was on his way to murder his stepsister and her family, police said in a citation.

Police in Louisville were notified Saturday, May 20, that Gregory had made threats to harm himself and others, according to the citation. When Louisville officers went to the home where Gregory was reported, he had already left, police said.

As police were at the Louisville home, Gregory called his dad on FaceTime while wearing ballistic body armor and loading magazines, according to police. He also sent threatening texts and left a voicemail threatening to kill his father.

Im going to kill you. Im going to kill your... family, he said in the voicemail, police said. I... hate you, and Im on my way to do so.

Officers pinged Gregorys phone leaving Louisville and traveling toward his stepsisters home in Oldham County, which neighbors Louisvilles Jefferson County, police said. Police in Oldham County pulled over Gregory as he was approaching the home, according to the citation.

Gregory had a 9mm pistol holstered on his hip, as well as two 9mm magazines and two AK-47 magazines, police said. A loaded AK-47 and additional magazines were found in the front of the car, according to police.

According to the details of the citation, Gregory had threatened to kill his stepsister, her husband and their two children. A motive is unclear.

Police said Gregory had an active mental inquest warrant from Jefferson County. The warrant allows someone to be picked up by police for treatment.

A $100,000 cash bond was issued Sunday, court records show. Gregory is due in court May 31 for a preliminary hearing.
The News

Microsoft Chief Technology Officer Kevin Scott, who spearheaded the companys $1 billion investment in OpenAI in 2019, has a message for you: The way you use your computer is about to drastically change.

At Microsofts annual Build conference on Tuesday, Scott unveiled new tools that will allow software developers to quickly and easily build custom copilots, or artificial intelligence assistants, for virtually any task.

In the background, these copilots will be joined together by a latticework of plugins that give them the ability to do things like book airline tickets, order meals, and schedule meetings.

That means searching for keywords, clicking on links, hitting the back button, opening folders, and using documents such as spreadsheets will gradually become less common as large language models like the one that powers ChatGPT carry more of the workload.

While having a conversation with ChatGPT has already fascinated users, Scott believes the biggest wave of transformation will arrive when even the most mundane interactions with computers become conversational.

We actually believe that the world should be full of these copilots, Scott said in an interview with Semafor. There will be copilots for medicine, drug discovery, and all sorts of things where you have a rich interaction between an AI system and a knowledge worker trying to get something done.

But while Scott has some ideas for what copilots might be good for, the most interesting part is that he actually has no idea what people will do with them. Platform builders are pretty miserable at answering that question in general, he said.

Step Back

Scott is an anomaly in the tech industry. He grew up poor in a small Virginia town not known for producing C-suite technology executives, and completed most of his PhD in computer science from the University of Virginia.

In his spare time, he constructs leather bags, backpacks  a lot of them, from the looks of his Instagram page  and guitar picks and tools. His Bay Area workshop, which includes laser cutters, drill presses, and industrial sewing machines, is legendary in Silicon Valley.

On paper, he seemed like an unlikely candidate to make Microsoft the leader in artificial intelligence. The field is full of PhDs from MIT, Stanford, and Carnegie Mellon.

The nice thing about Kevin is he's not bothered with any of that, said Mike Volpi, a venture capitalist and a friend of Scotts. He doesn't seem to need the reinforcement. He's sort of independent of what I would characterize as the mainstream, accepted way of doing things, which lets him do stuff like what he did at Microsoft.

Pinterests head of engineering, Jeremy King, who has been having breakfast with Scott for years, said his friend could see what would happen with AI far ahead of anyone else.

He's always just a great guy to bounce ideas off of like, hey, we're going this way, we're thinking about combining these two things together. Most of the time, he's already thought about it or knew people who thought about it, King said.

Scott was an engineer at Google before joining LinkedIn. By the time LinkedIn was acquired by Microsoft in 2017, Scott was senior VP of engineering and operations. After the deal, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella named Scott CTO of the parent company.

At the time of the acquisition, hype around AI had turned to disillusionment. While the technology was everywhere, used to automate processes in just about every industry, consumer applications like virtual assistants and chatbots had failed miserably. Even autonomous driving, once considered right around the corner, had turned into a far-off goal.

But soon, OpenAI was about to make a big bet on transformer models, then a new kind of artificial intelligence technique that was eventually used to power the companys ChatGPT and DALL-E products.

In the past, AI models always plateaued in capability after they reached a certain size. In theory, these transformer models would break the mold and keep learning with more and more data.

But that was, by definition, a hypothesis. Testing it was a big technical challenge that involved spending huge sums of money. Under Scotts direction, Microsoft built a supercomputer with 285,000 central processing unit cores and 10,000 GPUs.

Training OpenAIs models was ultimately successful, but the journey was not a linear one, Scott said. At times, it would look as if progress was slowing down or stopping completely.

You think those thoughts because there are a whole bunch of people saying those things all along, he said. Whenever you're making a heavy bet, you'll have a full spectrum of people. Some that just completely don't believe that this is a reasonable thing to do or that it's technically flawed, or a dumb allocation of capital.

In training large language models, its difficult to predict exactly when improvements will occur. As the models get bigger, new abilities emerge and then suddenly disappear as the models get even bigger. Then they can reappear later on. Researchers arent quite sure why.

Scott said he drew on his experience to steel his resolve. When you don't have the experience, you've never seen one of these cycles all the way before, it can be really, really disconcerting, he said. All of that fear and anxiety tends to make people super cautious, which is exactly the opposite of what you have to do when you're trying to make something very big happen.

Reed's view

Its rare when a decades-old public company makes a single decision that changes its fortunes so drastically. Microsofts investment in OpenAI and its big bet on a new technology is one of those events.

Scotts role in that process has flown under the radar, and that probably has more to do with the media than technology.

Nadella was either smart, lucky, or both that Scott was thinking so deeply about artificial intelligence at just the right time.

The best-selling book he co-wrote, , laid out his vision for how AI would change labor in the U.S. It was an influential read, but probably would have sold more copies had it not been published as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in April 2020.

The book also shows his wide network. The foreword was written by author J.D. Vance who, at the time, had a different reputation in Silicon Valley circles before his current senate rhetoric.

Scotts perspective in the book  he saw firsthand how changes in labor can upend communities  is that AI will have a net positive impact on jobs. He makes a compelling argument.

His views on AI are some of the more level-headed and logical that youll find in this AI-hyped environment in which much of the media coverage has been silly, hysterical, and cynical.

You absolutely need regulation, he said of AI. But he noted theres already regulation that will apply immediately to new AI products, like a copilot for healthcare would have to think carefully about healthcare privacy and drug regulations.

Volpi said he talked with Scott soon after The New York Times wrote an article about Bing Chat going off the rails. Scott was unphased. He was like ok, bad. We can fix it in a week, Volpi said.

These days, Scott is thinking less about how to make AI models get exponentially bigger and more powerful, and more about how to rein in the technology, building in safeguards that prevent hackers from injecting malware into plugins and copilots, and creating layers of meta prompts that prevent people from forcing Bing Chat to go off the rails.

Room for Disagreement

I was talking recently with a tech executive who balked at the idea that natural language would replace the traditional computer interfaces, largely because people wont trust these copilots to do their bidding, like booking flights and buying things.

The View From Zurich

Researchers at ETH Zurich built a programming language that standardizes a way of interacting with large language models. Called LMQL, the language both reduces the cost of queries and makes them more precise.

The takeaway: Development of internet-wide standards are proliferating quickly around the world. Its still unclear what kind of copilots will become the norm.

Notable

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said it was Kevin Scott who sold him on doing the Microsoft deal, calling it the most successful partnership at this scale that I know of in tech in this Stratechery interview.

Correction

This story has been updated to show Scott completed most of his PhD at the University of Virginia. It previously misstated his degree status.
Man sentenced for distributing meth out of south Ga. motel room

A Valdosta man will spend years behind bars after he was sentenced for distributing methamphetamine from a motel room in south Georgia.

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The investigation began to unfold in Feb. 2021, when Lowndes County investigators received a tip about illegal drugs being sold from a motel room in Lake Park, Georgia.

According to Lowndes County Sheriffs Office, Thomas Charles Singletary, 45, a known convicted felon, was caught in the room with a handgun and drug paraphernalia in open view.

Singletary reportedly told deputies the gun, a .380 caliber, semi-automatic pistol was his for protection.

Its illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.

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While searching the room, investigators reportedly recovered the gun, several ammunition rounds, and a bag of methamphetamine.

Deputies said while going through a cellphone of a person with Singletary, text messages showed that they were involved in distributing methamphetamine in Adel, Georgia.

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He was sentenced to 130 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. There is no parole in the federal system.

Singletary has at least six felony convictions in the Superior Courts of Tift County, Georgia, Berrien County, Georgia, and Lowndes County, Georgia, including possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

IN OTHER NEWS:
A man went viral after asking for advice on covering his 'shrimps is bugs' tattoo, with many begging him to keep the bad design

A Redditor went viral when he asked for advice on how to cover his strange tattoo. Reddit: u/Lewbular, Lewis Murray, u/burnin8t0r

A Redditor went viral when he asked the site for advice on how to cover a "shrimps is bugs" tattoo.

Members of the subreddit r/TattooDesigns loved the body art and insisted he keep it.

Lewis Murray told Insider he didn't expect to go viral but will now keep the design intact.

A man who asked Reddit for advice on how to cover his "dumb" tattoo was overwhelmed with comments insisting he keep it, accidentally becoming a meme in the process, and inspiring others to get the same body art.

On May 17, Lewis Murray, a 25-year-old from Southern California, posted a photo in the subreddit r/TattooDesigns which showed the words "shrimps is bugs" tattooed on his leg. He asked users for suggestions on how to cover it up.

"I need ideas for a horizontal design for this dumb tattoo I got above my knee when I was 19," the post read.

The post received over 11,800 upvotes, and 2,000 comments, but the reaction wasn't what Murray expected, he told Insider in an email exchange. Instead of ideas on how to remove the random tattoo, he was inundated with responses who begged him to keep it intact.

"This may be the best tattoo I've ever seen. It would be a travesty to get it covered. Now, what you should do is get a frame tattoo around it," one follower wrote in a top comment that received over 4,600 likes.

"Honestly I would just add more tattoos around it so it looks more natural. It'll blend in with the rest of them. I fuckin love this tattoo. Shrimps is bugs," a fellow redditor wrote and received over 2,100 likes.

Murray told Insider he couldn't fully remember the backstory of the tattoo, but it started as an inside joke with his friends.

"I think my roommate said it once and then it just escalated into this thing we'd say to each other all the time," he said. "I was getting a different tattoo at Old Rose in Temecula with my friend Austin, and he dared me to get 'shrimps is bugs' as well."

It made his pals laugh at the time so he considered it a success, but years later, he was ready to get rid of it. He hadn't anticipated the strong reaction it would receive online. "I did not expect that at all," he told Insider. "It's weird to go viral for something I'm embarrassed about."

Enthusiasm about the tattoo spiraled. On May 17, another Reddit user created the group r/ShrimpsIsBugs which currently has over 1,700 members who post tattoo re-designs based on the original. One user, who goes by u/burnin8t0r, received over 260 likes when they uploaded a photo that appeared to show they had gotten a version of 'shrimps is bugs' tattooed on their arm.

Murray told Insider tattoos are often considered "deep and meaningful" and the silliness of his own is probably what made it so popular. "I suppose it's a little reminder that things shouldn't be so serious," he said.

As for his own "shrimps is bugs" tattoo, he said he's since changed his mind about covering it up. "I think I'm just going to get tattoos around it," he told Insider. "It's got a whole different meaning to me now that all this has happened so I would feel bad covering it up at this point."

For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.

Read the original article on Insider
How many Wichita students were found with weapons this year? Search this new database

The $1.5 million metal detectors that the Wichita school district is installing in high schools have found two guns since mid-April.

A bike chain and welding device have also set off the detectors, which are now at all high schools except East. They should be installed there before students return in the fall.

Both guns were found at North High School.

Officials say the detectors act as a deterrent, find weapons and allow students and staff to feel safer. They were purchased after a spate of brawls last fall, including one where a security guard used pepper spray to break up a crowd, and students with guns being arrested.

Five guns were found at Wichita high schools during the first couple weeks of the school year before the metal detectors were installed.





That raises the question of how often weapons are found in Wichita and other area schools.

Most area school districts dont keep such data. And state data is unreliable and difficult to compare.

Wichita Public Schools keeps a much more detailed report than the law requires.

With that data, The Eagle created a searchable database to see how many and what type of weapons have been found at each Wichita school. It can also be searched by school type, like elementary, middle or high school. Data is available dating back to the 2017-2018 school year, when the district switched to a new reporting system. The data for this school year goes through April 21.

The numbers are based on the students involved and not the actual number of weapons. For example, seven guns have been found at Wichita public high schools this school year, but the incidents involve eight students.

Here are a few things that stand out in the data:

Over the roughly six school years, more elementary and middle school students have been involved in incidents with a knife. Ninety-three students at high schools were involved in incidents with a knife, 96 at elementary schools and 102 at middle schools.

Students at North and East high schools account for just over two-thirds of the 28 students involved with incidents with a gun at the high schools over the roughly six school years. North had 10 and East had nine. (Another gun was found on a North High student after April 21, bringing the total to 11 students there over roughly six school years and a total of 29 high school students districtwide.)

The 2021-2022 school year saw the most students with guns. Over the roughly six school years, 31 students (32 if the gun found at North after April 21 is included) were involved with incidents with a gun  11 of those students, including one at a K-8 and another at a middle school, were involved in incidents during the 2021-2022 school year.

Even though the Wichita schools data is more comprehensive than the state requires, it is not perfect. For example, people have told The Eagle of two incidents not reflected in the data.

Keeping the data helps the school district track trends, including spotting the trend of guns being found at the beginning of the school year, said Wichita Public Schools Director of Safety Services Terri Moses.

I think that information is always valuable, she said.

School officials are required to submit weapons data to the Kansas State Department of Education. Usually, the principal or representative from each building submits the data on behalf of their school.

But spokespeople at many area districts did not know such a thing existed, leaving questions about how robust the state data is.

We struggle with (getting reliable data), said KSDE project manager/data compliance officer Charlotte Zeller, who had originally thought the only available data on weapons involved special education students. Its just an ongoing challenge that we face every year.

Spokespeople from Haysville, Derby and Maize all said they didnt track weapons, even though they are required to by the state. A Goddard official said they submit data to the state but dont track it themselves.

The spokesperson at Andover thought they tracked only gun data. A Valley Center spokesperson was able to provide details on incidents by school over multiple years.

The Diocese of Wichita did not respond to a question from The Eagle about the data. They did not submit any reports of incidents with a weapon or firearm under the KSDEs record system that started in the 2017-2018 school year.

Additionally, the state department doesnt provide an exact number of weapons for a school or district unless there were more than 10 reports. If there is at least one, the department will say there is less than 10.

Cumulative data over the five years of available data shows 26 weapons at Wichita schools, 12 at Maize and 10 at Haysville. It was more than one but less than 10 for Derby, Valley Center and Maize. Goddard didnt have any reports to submit to the state, Zeller said.

Weapons include firearms, knives, any bludgeon, and other weapons, according to state law.
This map shows how little ground Russian forces gained over 5 months at a cost of 100,000 dead and wounded

Ukrainian servicemen fire a 120mm mortar towards Russian positions at the frontline near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023. AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File

Between December and May, Russian troops managed to capture only several hundred square miles of territory in Ukraine.

Moscow has paid an enormous price in blood for these limited gains.

The US estimates that in that time, Putin's forces suffered over 100,000 casualties on the battlefield.

A Russian offensive push that began late last year but largely fizzled a few months into the new year achieved only limited gains, which came at a steep price in blood for the forces fighting the Kremlin's war in Ukraine.

Russia has been waging war in Ukraine for nearly 15 months. Intense and brutal fighting along an increasingly static front line has left cities in ruins and resulted in mounting death tolls on both sides, though Russian losses in particular are substantial.

During the five-month period between December 2, 2022 and May 2, 2023, Russian forces captured about 870 square kilometers (336 square miles) of territory in eastern Ukraine, according to estimates provided to Insider by the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank that has closely tracked developments in the war. That's roughly 0.1% of the country.

During this time period Russian forces, both regular troops and mercenaries augmented by convicts, suffered over 100,000 casualties, a top White House official revealed during an early May briefing. This astonishing figure includes 20,000 soldiers killed and another 80,000 wounded, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters, citing unspecified but declassified US intelligence.

The figure underscores how Russian President Vladimir Putin's war has often attempted to overwhelm Ukraine's defenders with masses of poorly trained and expendable foot soldiers sent forward in human wave attacks.

In November 2022, before Kirby's window starts, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley estimated that Moscow had suffered over 100,000 causalities since it invaded in February of that year. It only took Ukraine five months to deal the damage it did in the months prior and double the number of casualties for the invading army.

Kirby also noted in early May that half of the dead Russian troops are mercenaries and ex-prisoners from the notorious Wagner Group paramilitary organization, which has played a key role in fighting around the war-torn city of Bakhmut  the longest and bloodiest battle of Moscow's campaign. Though Kyiv disputes some of Moscow's claims, the city appears to have largely fallen to Wagner forces over the weekend as the Ukrainian troops fell back to defenses along the outskirts.

A Ukrainian helicopter over a field in Bakhmut on January 26, 2023. Yan Dobronosov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Kremlin-backed forces  which include Russia's regular military and Wagner  spent months making incremental gains in and around Bakhmut. On Sunday, these forces claimed to have fully seized the obliterated city, although their purported victory has been disputed by Ukraine, which has made some advances along the city's flanks.

Bakhmut is one of two cities that Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces currently assesses to be major focal points in the fighting, with the other being the Donetsk suburb of Marinka. In a Monday Facebook update, the General Staff wrote that Russia is focusing its main effort on areas around those two cities, with other efforts near Avdiivka, Lyman, and Kupyansk.

Ukraine, meanwhile, is in the final stages of preparing for a much-anticipated counteroffensive that is aimed at liberating occupied territory, likely in the occupied eastern and southern regions. It's unclear when, exactly, the counteroffensive might start, but military experts say to look out for the integration of Western heavy armor  like tanks and infantry fighting vehicles  that have been committed by the US and its NATO allies.

If Ukraine's counteroffensive is successful, Kyiv might enjoy reversing some of the limited gains that Russian forces made during the five-month-stretch earlier this year. But even with advanced weaponry from Ukraine's Western partners, there are questions about how much Ukraine can realistically achieve. Even some senior Ukrainian officials have at times expressed reservations about overselling the possibilities of the much-anticipated counteroffensive.

Ryan Pickrell contributed to this report.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia takes a selfie with Kevin McCarthy after his election as speaker of the House. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene bid $100,000 for Kevin McCarthy's cherry-flavored chapstick.

McCarthy also agreed to have dinner with the winner and any donors or friends they brought along.

The money will go toward the House GOP's chief campaign arm.

Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene bid six figures for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's chapstick.

That's according to Politico's Olivia Beavers, who reported that the Georgia congresswoman won McCarthy's cherry-flavored chapstick after bidding $100,000 for it at a 15-minute GOP fundraising auction held Tuesday.

Politico reported that Greene began bidding on the chapstick after McCarthy agreed to have dinner with the winner and any donors or supporters they decided to bring. The $100,000 will go to the National Republican Campaign Committee.

McCarthy and Greene's working relationship had a rocky start. When Greene first ran for Congress in 2020, McCarthy and other House Republican leaders endorsed her opponent and described her as an unserious candidate who did not reflect the GOP's values. And after Greene arrived on Capitol Hill in 2021, McCarthy and other establishment Republicans quickly distanced themselves from her.

But the two lawmakers have forged a close alliance in the years since. The New York Times reported that Greene and McCarthy frequently exchange text messages and have one-on-one meetings in McCarthy's office. The California Republican has also gone to significant lengths to defend Greene, and Greene in turn has become a powerful and influential voice in McCarthy's inner circle.

Greene, a member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, was also instrumental in McCarthy's ascent to House Speaker. She broke with her caucus and GOP colleagues like Reps. Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz to endorse McCarthy in his embattled bid for the speakership.

McCarthy's gratitude for the Georgia congresswoman's support was on full display after he won the speakership. "I will never leave that woman," he told a friend, according to The Times. "I will always take care of her."

Democrats skewered Tuesday's GOP auction after Greene's bid was first reported.

"They doing this insane chapstick shit while the country teeters on default," tweeted Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar. "Wild."

She was referring to the increasingly contentious talks between Democrats and Republicans over raising the debt ceiling to avoid the US defaulting as soon as June 1. House Republicans have called for deep spending cuts in exchange for their support, while Democrats say wealthy Americans should pay more taxes to help lower the federal deficit.

GOP lawmakers met Tuesday with President Joe Biden's aides to discuss the negotiations, but Republican Rep. Garrett Graves said after the meeting that little progress had been made, adding, "I don't think things are going well."

Biden, meanwhile, met with McCarthy on Monday and said that while it was "productive," he had "reiterated once again that default is off the table and the only way to move forward is in good faith toward a bipartisan agreement."

Read the original article on Business Insider
From conflict to coexistence: China sees changing human-wildlife relations

Xinhua) 08:34, May 23, 2023

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Residents in the rural area are used to having unexpected visitors - wild animals like hedgehogs and weasels. But what if the intruder is an elephant?

Pu Cuifen, from a village in Eshan County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, had that experience two years ago when a herd of wild Asian elephants left their forest habitat in Xishuangbanna, trekked hundreds of kilometers northward to the provincial capital Kunming and then headed back home to the nature reserve.

"I've only seen elephants in a zoo before, not expecting a wild elephant would appear at my doorstep," said Pu, a villager group leader, adding that she immediately mobilized villagers to evacuate overnight for safety.

The elephants harmed no one but had corn and beans in the farmland, causing losses of up to 50,000 yuan (about 7,127 U.S. dollars). With government-supported insurance, the villagers got compensated soon.

"Learning the elephants arrived home, we felt happy for them," said Pu.

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 13, 2021 shows a herd of wild Asian elephants in Mojiang County of Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Photo by He Yougang/Xinhua)

This epic journey of wild Asian elephants indicates an increasing population of the species in China and provides a successful experience to solve the "human-wildlife conflict," said Chen Fei, director of the Asian elephant research center under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

Monday marks the International Day for Biological Diversity.

With the continuous ecological conservation efforts in China, endangered wild animal species, such as Asian elephants, snow leopards and Siberian tigers, have seen a rise in populations and expanded their habitats, with humans exploring ways to avoid conflict and coexist with them in harmony.

COEXISTENCE WITH LOVE

Asian elephants, a pivotal species in the rainforest ecosystem, are under first-class national protection in China. The elephants are mostly found across Yunnan.

Although its population is declining worldwide, the population of the endangered species in China has grown from 150 in the 1980s to 360 at present, thanks to protection efforts over the past decades.

Statistics show up to two-thirds of wild Asian elephants have wandered out of the nature reserve, leading to more contact with humans.

In the past, villagers would chase away the elephants to protect their crops and avoid financial losses, which may irritate the animals and lead to human injuries or deaths. Afraid of the giant animals, some villagers did not dare to leave their homes or farm in the field.

Wan Yong, head of the provincial forestry and grassland bureau, said Yunnan raised the compensation standard for the crops more prone to be consumed by elephants. Such compensation will help protect the interests of farmers and, at the same time, avoid the wild animals seeking food on farms from being attacked, said Wan.

The province has also created "canteens" for the wild elephants, growing over 600 hectares of their favorite food, such as elephant grass and bamboo.

This aerial photo taken on May 9, 2023 shows a field where people grow favorite food for wild elephants in Dadugang Township of Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province. (Xinhua/Hu Chao)

A national park for Asian elephants is also in the works.

Wang Chuan, 44, lives in a village in Jiangcheng County, where a dozen wild elephants wander nearby.

"Instead of attacking them or chasing them away, villagers now simply leave them alone," said Wang. "Our crops might get damaged, but we tolerate them with love."

CONSERVATION WITH HEART

While some residents are trying to live in harmony with wild animals, some others have changed their way of making a living, from damaging the environment to protecting it.

In Gyirong County, a core area of Qomolangma National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, former logger and hunter Migmar has become a wild animal rescuer in the reserve on the China-Nepal border with Mount Qomolangma, the world's highest peak at 8,848.86 meters at its core.

He and his seven colleagues take turns patrolling every day. Since the establishment of the wildlife rescue station in 2019, they have rescued 17 wild animals, including those under China's first-class national protection, like a snow leopard.

Migmar, a former logger and hunter who has become a wild animal rescuer, feeds a rescued bharal at the wildlife rescue station of Qomolangma National Nature Reserve, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)

Last year, he took care of an injured red muntjac attacked by a beast. He learned to bandage the deer and clean its wounds, and six months later, he released it into the wild.

"Animals don't talk, but I can feel their trust. We have the responsibility to protect them," said Migmar, 44.

In northeast China's Jilin Province, the forest farm where Zhao Yan worked to produce timber has become part of a national park for the protection of tigers and leopards.

In the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, which spans an area of over 1.4 million hectares in Jilin and Heilongjiang, Zhao patrols more than 200 days a year, installing and checking infrared cameras and surveying the living conditions of wild animals.

"I'm not an expert, but a long time of fieldwork has given me abundant data on wildlife," said Zhao, now deputy director of the monitoring center for scientific research of the national park administration's Hunchun branch.

This undated photo taken with an infrared monitoring camera shows a wild Siberian tiger in Tianqiaoling forest area, northeast China's Jilin Province. (Xinhua)

The latest data show that the population of wild Siberian tigers in the park has exceeded 50, while the figure was 27 around 2017. Meanwhile, the number of Amur leopards in the park has increased from 42 in 2017 to more than 60.

Zhao said the comeback of the giant cats has shown that the ecological chain is restoring, and their protection efforts have paid off.

"I hope wild animals can live at ease, with humans and wildlife coexisting in harmony," he said.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Marjorie Taylor Greene spent $100,000 on some cherry chapstick used by Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a short fundraising auction held at the House GOPs weekly meeting.

The auction lasted about 15 minutes on Tuesday, according to Politico.

The Georgia congresswoman wasnt the only one to bid on the chapstick. As the bidding continued, Mr McCarthy reportedly added things to the pot, such as agreeing to attend a dinner with donors and supporters for the auction winner.

A spokesperson for Ms Greene confirmed the events to Politico and The Independent.

The chapstick came from the campaign of Florida Republican Representative Aaron Bean, who also served as the auctioneer  a role previously held by former Missouri GOP Republican Representative Billy Long, who left the chamber to run to campaign for the Senate, an effort which was ultimately unsuccessful.

Ms Greene didnt start bidding for the chapstick until Mr McCarthy announced that he would attend the dinner, according to Politico. The funds from the auction will go to the Republicans campaign efforts. Others who bid on the chapstick included Washington Republican Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Oklahomas Stephanie Bice, and Jason Smith of Missouri.

Im honored to be able to donate $100,000 to the [National Republican Congressional Committee] to help Republicans increase our majority in 2024 and defeat the Democrats. My constituents will be honored to host a visit with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who we all think is doing a great job, Ms Greene told the outlet in a statement.

The Independent has reached out to the office of the speaker for comment.

Mr McCarthy is still far from agreeing to a deal with President Joe Biden on the debt ceiling, with just a few days left to the deadline set by the Treasury for when the US is at risk of defaulting on its financial obligations.

As the auction suggests, Republicans remain behind Mr McCarthy as he tries to get Mr Biden to agree to substantial spending cuts.

Democrats slammed the auction, seemingly concerned at the way the GOP is behaving amid the economic turmoil.

They doing this insane chapstick s*** while the country teeters on default. Wild, Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar tweeted.

Spending $100,000 on chapstick while working overtime to gut the programs that working families rely on. GOP priorities in a nutshell, New York Representative Nydia Velazquez added.

Following the auction and the requests for donations to the NRCC, the House GOP spent the meeting discussing the debt ceiling as they shared their doubts about the 1 June deadline proposed by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Florida Representative Matt Gaetz argued that Ms Yellen should be called to testify about the estimated deadline in front of the House Financial Services Committee before 1 June, according to Politico.

So far, shes been the Obi-Wan Kenobi of wrong answers on the economy, he told the outlet after the meeting on Tuesday. He claimed that Ms Yellen is taking pointers from the White House to increase the worries about a debt default.

Mr Gaetz claimed that Ms Yellen has less evidence for her estimate than a student doing a typical eighth-grade algebra assignment.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana said, Wed like to see more transparency on how the estimate was made.

The treasury said again on Monday that the US may be unable to pay all its obligations by next week.

Mr McCarthy told the press that I believe we can still get there on a deal on the debt, and get there before June 1.
Marjorie Taylor Greene has defended her boyfriend after an old video of him dressed in drag went viral online.

The far-right Republican lawmaker from Georgia has slammed drag queens and says that it should be illegal for children to go to their shows.

But that has not stopped her from supporting Brian Glenn, who dressed up like a female while an anchor for WFAA TV in Dallas.

In the video, which has been watched more than 1.3m times, Glenn, who is wearing a blonde wig, gloves and a pink cardigan, compliments how the outfit feels.

Im kicking the shoes off. I may keep the pantyhose on. It does feel kind of good, actually, he says in the video.

Greene, who is now dating the TV journalist following her divorce from Perry Greene after 27 years of marriage in September, reported the video on her Twitter account.

Im literally loling. @brianglenntv dressed in drag for morning news in Dallas years ago reporting on an upcoming local theatre production and the morons over at Patriot Takes think this is an attack, she tweeted. Brian loves the throwback and is reposting. The left is so stupid.

Glenn also reposted the video poking fun at himself.

The things I did for morning show television!! LOVED it and so did the @wfaa @WFAADaybreak viewers. Its a good thing I have a sense of humor!

Greene has previously taken a much more hard-line view of drag.

Whats the difference in children stuffing cash in a drag queen bra and a strippers bra? Nothing. Its wrong and its indoctrination, she tweeted on 15 June.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) embraces Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), his biggest fan, on the House Floor.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), our favorite congresswoman to drag, is having quite a week! On Sunday, an old video surfaced of her boyfriend, right-wing producer Brian Glenn, dressed as a woman for a newscast he was doing in Dallas around 2014. And Tuesday, Politicos Olivia Beavers reported Greene shelled out $100,000 at a House auction for a tube of cherry chapstick worn by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), ostensibly to raise money for Republican campaigns.

The chapstick!



Told the flavor is cherry! pic.twitter.com/E8XKByZEVR  Olivia Beavers (@Olivia_Beavers) May 23, 2023

Jezebel reached out to Greene to ask if that $100K came out of her personal banking account, and she hasnt responded. But she can certainly afford it, as she is reportedly worth about $11 million since inheriting a successful construction company from her parents.

Read more

Now, why would Greene spend that much money on used chapstick? Shes clearly a huge fan of McCarthys, having very publicly rumbled with her colleagues earlier this year to fight for him to win the speakership (which took a humiliating 15 votes). But its also likely that she was trying to ingratiate herself with the House Republican caucusand distract the mediaafter having to defend her boyfriend wearing drag at a time when drag queens are apparently the GOPs public enemy #1; Greene herself has repeatedly railed against drag performers.

Im literally loling, she tweeted Sunday after the video of Glenn made the rounds on social media. @brianglenntv dressed in drag for morning news in Dallas years ago reporting on an upcoming local theatre production and the morons over at Patriot Takes think this is an attack.

Brian loves the throwback and is reposting, she insisted. The left is so stupid.

In case any of her colleagues were looking unkindly on Greene dating a man who once cosplayed as Mrs. Doubtfire, they can rest assured that she is still the kind of lady who would pay a large sum of money to moisturize her lips with the same tube of cherry nourishment that once touched the lips of her leader!

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Blue-white balloons were launched in Moscow

Two people arrived by taxi to the pond in Chertanovo and took out a bundle of white and blue balloons from the trunk. A flag of the same colours was attached to them, the message reads.

Read also: Freedom of Russia Legion declares liberation of a settlement in Belgorod Oblast

Three hours after the balloons were launched, a married couple was detained in Moscow's Biryulyovo Vostochnoye District. Dmitry G., 34, and Yulia G., 33, from Homel are being interrogated by Russian security forces.

The Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) earlier claimed that they "completely liberated" the settlement of Kozinka in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, while also storming the town of Grayvoron.

Read also: Russia evacuates nuclear arsenal storage facility near Belgorod, Ukrainian intelligence says

Local authorities have declared a "counter-terrorism operation" in the region. Most residents have been evacuated, Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

Ukraines Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) called the actions of the Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps the establishment of a security zone to protect Ukrainians.

HUR representative Andriy Yusov emphasized that the raids are being conducted only by the Legion and RVC, with Ukraine having no involvement in the operation in Russias Belgorod Oblast.

Presidential advisor Mykhailo Podoliak confirmed that statement.

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
Don Arnold - Getty Images

Married at First Sight Australia star Janelle Han has defended her choice of hair colour after receiving some criticism from fans.

Janelle, who appeared on the latest series of the reality show, took to her Instagram Stories today (May 23) to address the fans who keep asking her to trade in her long blonde locks for a more natural colour.

"I get a lot of comments from people saying they wish I had darker, natural, black hair and I should be more natural," she began the video.

Don Arnold - Getty Images

Related: Married at First Sight star Alyssa admits "regret" over treatment of co-star

"Guys, this is my hair. But you know what, you're entitled to an opinion and I do like hearing opinions. So that's fine, you can keep commenting, that's fine with me.

"But I've had dark hair before and I just don't think it suits me. I will definitely do it one day, but right now I'm enjoying the blonde. I think it's interesting and I think it makes my make-up stand out."

It comes shortly after Janelle's MAFS co-star Jesse Burford denied rumours that he and Janelle are in a relationship, after the pair were spotted holding hands in public.

stuart bryce - Channel 4

Related: Married at First Sight UK's Jess Potter moves in with new boyfriend after leaving 'husband'

"It started off as: 'Yeah let's f**k with with everyone! Let's hold hands or let's... you know, hug or let's go out for a date or something' and then it turned into us actually getting to know each other better and I guess maybe having a bit of a flirtationship, if you could call it that," he explained during an Instagram Q&A.

"But it didn't go past the kiss that you guys already know about. And when I say kiss, I'm not talking [a full-on snog]... I'm talking [a peck]. It was a simple little peck on the lips before she moved over to Sydney."

Jesse added that he and Janelle still "catch up every now and then," but "that's it".

Married at First Sight UK airs on E4 in the UK. Married at First Sight Australia airs on Nine Network in Australia and E4 in the UK.

Interested in talking about Married at First Sight? Visit our dedicated sub-forum

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Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland attends the 139th Morehouse College Commencement Ceremony at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Ga., on May 21, 2023. Paras Griffin/Getty Images

Gov. Wes Moore on Sunday railed against book bans and limitations on the teaching of US history.

During his speech to Morehouse College graduates, Moore called on them to challenge efforts to "rewrite" history.

Moore's comments come as conservatives continue their push to restrict how race is taught in schools.

Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland hit back against conservative-led attempts to ban books and reshape the curriculum being taught in schools during a commencement speech on Sunday, arguing that such efforts are rooted in "a fear of people understanding their power."

Moore told graduates of Morehouse College, a historically Black men's college in Atlanta, Georgia, that some individuals would seek to minimize or erase their history and called on them to "confront this threat" as they embark on their lives beyond the collegiate gates.

"Life will test you, and when it does, your history will give you the power to meet the challenge," Moore, the third elected Black governor in US history, told the graduates. "Out in the world, people will seek to minimize your history. Out in the world, people will seek to rewrite your history. Out in the world, many people will seek to have you forget your history."

"I look around the country and I see book banning," he continued. "I'm looking around the country right now and I'm seeing people being censored, teachers being censored. I see the curriculum of truth being taken out."

Moore, 44, then told the graduates  who now join the ranks of alumni that includes the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia  that the drive to censor various aspects of history was not being done for their benefit.

"When politicians ban books and muzzle educators, they say it's an effort to prevent discomfort and guilt, but we know that's not true," he said. "This is not about fear of making people feel bad. This is about fear of people understanding their power."

The governor is seen as rising Democratic star, with many in the party bringing him up as a potential presidential candidate in 2028 and beyond.

Republicans in recent years have pushed to limit what can be taught in classrooms as it relates to the issue of race in US history, with many seeking to conflate discussions about race with critical race theory.

Critical race theorists have examined how the legacy of racism continues to reverberate through laws and policies that exist today. Conservatives have targeted the discipline, alleging that its teachings divide Americans, despite it generally being taught almost exclusively in collegiate settings.

It become a cultural flashpoint in the political sphere, especially for Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who is expected to jump into the 2024 Republican presidential primary in the coming days and is certain to highlight his campaign against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives in the state, along with his efforts to restrict how race is discussed in classrooms and his push to reshape the framework of the AP African American History curriculum.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Washington County woman received a suspended sentence Monday in an appeal over a Hancock-area animal cruelty case that led to 113 dogs and cats being removed from her home almost two years ago.

Kelly Elizabeth Powell, 45, entered an Alford plea in Washington County Circuit Court to 10 counts of animal cruelty for failing to provide proper space.

An Alford plea does not admit guilt, but acknowledges the prosecution has enough evidence to obtain a conviction.

Powell and her husband, Barry Wayne Powell, were sentenced in Washington County District Court last October to six months in jail. They entered Alford pleas in July to 15 counts of animal cruelty/failure to provide veterinary care and/or proper space while an animal was in their charge and custody.

Within two days of their sentencing, notices of appeal were filed for both their cases, moving the matters to circuit court.

The animal cruelty charges Powell entered an Alford plea to on Monday center around the humane society's veterinarian finding the animals in the home were deprived of proper space because they couldn't get away from their own feces, Assistant State's Attorney Danielle Lackovic told the court.

The Humane Society of Washington County rescued 91 dogs and 21 cats from an "extreme hoarding situation" on June 8, 2021, in the Hancock area.

The home's floor was covered with feces and urine and many of the animals' fur was covered in feces, Lackovic said.

Judge Brett R. Wilson sentenced Kelly Powell to the maximum 90 days incarceration per count  or about 30 months total, but suspended the entire sentence. Powell will be on supervised probation for three years. Wilson said she is not to have any animals under her control, supervision or care. That includes household pets and livestock.

Powell also is to attend any mental health evaluation and treatment recommended through her probation agent, Wilson said.

The remaining 98 animal cruelty charges from the appeal of the June 2021 animal cruelty case are dismissed as part of the plea deal.

A 2022 animal cruelty case against Powell was placed on the stet, or inactive docket, as part of the plea deal. Lackovic said that case will be dismissed when Powell completes her probation.

Humane Society Field Services Director Crystal Mowery, in an interview, said eight dogs, including five puppies, were removed from the home in the February 2022 case. All of those dogs have been adopted.

Care of rescued animals cost thousands

A certified cashier's check for $5,000 for restitution to the Humane Society of Washington County was submitted near the end of Monday's plea hearing.

Mowery, after the hearing, said the immediate medical care needed for the dogs and cats cost more than $10,000.

A few of the 91 dogs rescued the prior day from a Hancock-area property, rest in an outdoor kennel on June 9, 2021, at the Humane Society of Washington County.

Humane Society Executive Director Colin Berry said that didn't include spaying/neutering and ongoing medical and individual needs for the animals after that immediate care.

Of the 113 dogs and cats removed from the Hancock-area home, five dogs and 11 cats were euthanized and a 12th cat died, Mowery has said. Some of the rescued animals were pregnant, with 29 puppies later born. Of those puppies, seven died at birth.

All of the surviving animals have been adopted, Berry said.

"The community, they're the ones that helped save these animals through donating, volunteering, fostering and adopting," Berry said. "So many of these families are still struggling with dogs who are just learning to be dogs."

When the dogs and cats were rescued in June 2021, the nonprofit sought donations for their care and raised about $60,000. Berry said she thinks the humane society about broke even on the case's costs thanks to those donations.

"It's a relief to have at least a portion of this case behind us and for the animals to have received some justice for everything they endured," Berry said.

Lackovic said an offer has been extended to Barry Powell in his appeal case.

His appeal trial is scheduled for October, according to his online case docket.

Co-defendant apologizes in animal cruelty case

Kelly Powell told Wilson, "I realize now that I should have acted differently and done something sooner. But I felt trapped between my father telling me I wouldn't have a place to live ... and knowing I was the only one who could take care of him."

"I regret all of it and I'm very sorry," Powell said.

Sean Mukherjee, one of Powell's public defenders, said this is a mental health case.

Garrett Byron, Powell's other public defender, said Powell's parents had a few dogs when she returned home to care for her ailing mother. When her mother died, there were fewer than 20 dogs in the home. Powell's father had hoarding symptoms and there was a power struggle between the Powells and her father.

Within five to six days of her father having a stroke, the animals were removed from the home, Byron said.

Lackovic said when humane society officials responded to the home in June 2021, after information from a deputy, Powell agreed to sign over ownership of the animals to the humane society.

Byron said Powell struggles with various mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and is seeing a therapist.

"This was a very challenging family dynamic," Mukherjee said, with Powell pleading with her father for a place to stay. She acknowledges she should have taken more action, urgent action sooner, he said.

Powell spent three days in jail, which was an "eye-opening experience" for her, Mukherjee said. Powell put together more restitution money to, in part, pay her debt to society.

Editor's note: This story was updated at 5:29 p.m. on May 23, 2023, to correct the total donations the Humane Society of Washington County received for the case.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hancock, Md.-area woman sentenced in appeal of big animal cruelty case
Matrix Partners India has extended the target size for its current fund to $525 million, from the $450 million it disclosed earlier, joining a burgeoning roster of venture capital funds intending to deploy in excess of half a billion dollars for new investment initiatives in the South Asian market.

The Indian firm, whose portfolio includes Razorpay and Ofbusiness, has raised $518 million for its new fund, its fourth for India, and is targeting to raise another $7 million, it disclosed in an SEC filing.

The firms new fund comes at a time when scores of other investors have raised new capital  and nearly all at a much faster pace. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Sequoia India and Southeast Asia unveiled a $2.85 billion fund last year, after raising at least three funds in the past three years. Lightspeed Venture Partners, which closed a $275 million fund in 2020, unveiled a new $500 million fund last year. Accel, Elevation Capital and Nexus Venture Partners have also unveiled large new India funds in the past year.

Matrix Partners India is still a notable venture fund. Out of India's 102 unicorn startups, 10 of them are among Matrix Partners India's portfolio. Comparatively, Elevation Partners is an investor in 12 of them, Accel has invested in 21 and Sequoia leads the pack with 31, according to data insight platform Venture Intelligence.
These people are crazy. This is the United States government. First of all, you never have to default because you print the money, I hate to tell you, OK?  Donald J. Trump, 2016

Even a grifter like Donald Trump gets it.

Im sure that WVLK-AM follows the FFC rules on broadcast distortion which generally prohibits a broadcast news report that deliberately intends to mislead viewers or listeners. But a broadcast can still mislead though not deliberately so. You could call it innocent or passive distortion.

In a 2004 book titled The Economics of Innocent Fraud John Kenneth Galbraith coined the term innocent fraud to describe a variety of misunderstandings about the economy promoted by politicians and other public figures. The book focuses on corporate dominance in government and analyzes the difference between widely accepted assumptions and reality.

Those repeating the frauds are presumed innocent because of their inability to discern conventional wisdom from fact. An admission of earlier understanding becomes a concession of outright fraud; a rare scene for even the least rabbit eared pol.

Inspired by Galbraiths phrasing, Warren Mosler wrote The Seven Deadly Innocent Frauds of Economic Policy which is a short correction of some common errors about government spending, deficits, debt, social security, trade, national investment, and taxes.

On May 4, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr appeared on WVLKs Larry Glover Live to discuss the so called debt ceiling. And because we are presuming innocence, Ill extend the presumption to Representative Barr and say hes merely completely at a loss. Mr. Glover mostly head nodded his way through the interview; either due to his reluctance to challenge Rep. Barr, threatening a loss of access, or due to his lack of familiarity with the topic. (If you want an economically literate discussion of government spending, debt, and deficits see former U.S. Rep John Yarmouths June 17, 2021 interview on C-Span or read Stephanie Keltons The Deficit Myth).

Rep. Andy Barr speaks after claiming re-election for another term in Kentuckys 6th Congressional district during an event held at the Campbell House in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, November 8, 2022.

Congress is creating the debt crisis. What Rep. Barr should have said, and what he fails to understand, is that the last budget, like any other budget passed by Congress, is law, and is the debt ceiling. He also seems unaware of Section 4 of the 14th Amendment which says, 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 section simply prevents a subsequent Congress from repudiating the obligations of a prior Congress.

Most salient in Rep. Barrs misconceptions is that the government needs to obtain dollars from taxpayers. Its the other way around. Congress is the source of US dollars. By legislation, it spends into the economy and regulates banks, who manage reserves and credit, to lend into the economy. There are no privately created US dollars.

There is only a default if Congress says so and willfully reneges on its own budget law. Representative Barr misses that the federal government issues the currency and that individuals, firms, state, and local governments use the currency. The latter must get the currency from the former either through direct spending or through the governments agents-banks.

Federal government deficit spending is a public surplus and creates private savings. Only existing US dollars can be used to buy United States Treasury securities. There is nothing to pay back. When a Treasury matures, the Treasury owners Fed savings account shifts to her checking account.

Every discussion of US economic policy should start with plain facts. Representative Barrs does not. If he cares to dispute any of the above, then let him respond.

Todd Kelly is a nurseryman and gardener from Lexington.
A man waves a Taiwanese flag during a rally (AFP via Getty Images)

Taiwan failed to secure an invitation to the World Health Organisation's (WHO) annual assembly despite the island's assertion that support was growing for its participation.

The annual assembly in Geneva decided not to extend Taiwan an invitation to the event, which runs from 21-30 May following protests from China.

Pakistan and China reportedly urged members to reject Taiwan's inclusion, while Eswatini and the Marshall Islands spoke in its favour.

Chen Xu, China's permanent representative to the UN office in Geneva, said there was only "One China" in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Asian giant governed by Beijing.

Taiwan's participation in WHO activities must be handled under the one-China principle, he said, according to Xinhua.

He added that the actions taken by the DPP (Taiwans ruling Democratic Progressive Party) authorities are aimed at creating two Chinas.

China has beefed up its military activities around the self-governed island in recent years, arguing that Taipei is obliged to reunite with Beijing, by force if necessary. Beijing frowns on Taiwan's diplomatic and bilateral ties with foreign nations.

Taipei condemned the WHO decision. It said it was "contemptible" of China to block its participation in global bodies and Beijing had no right to speak for the island.

"Only Taiwan's democratically elected government can represent Taiwan's 23 million people in the WHO and other international organisations and protect the health and human rights of the Taiwanese people," its foreign ministry said.

Taiwan said it is allowed to attend some of the technical WHO meetings but its exclusion from the body hindered efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

China welcomed the move, claiming that prior to the conference nearly 100 countries expressed their adherence to the One China policy.

"This fully shows that the One China principle is the aspiration of the people and the trend of the times in the international community and cannot be challenged in any way," the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.

"China also urges certain countries not to pretend to be confused, stop politicizing the health issue, stop interfering in China's internal affairs under the pretext of the Taiwan issue, and stop the erroneous practice of using 'Taiwan to control China'," the ministry said.
Meet New York grocery billionaire John Catsimatidis, the outspoken Trump supporter who sleeps with James Bond's gun under his pillow

John Catsimatidis is the owner of New York City supermarket chain Gristedes Foods. Yeah Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

John Catsimatidis is the owner of New York City supermarket chain Gristedes Foods.

The billionaire told Daily Mail this week that kids are "too busy on TikTok" to grow careers.

Catsimatidis is an outspoken Trump supporter and hosts a political talk show.

John Catsimatidis was born on the Greek island of Nisyros, but his family moved to West Harlem when he was about six months old.

Mike Coppola/Getty Images

His father was a lighthouse operator in Greece and served as a busser at a restaurant when the family moved to New York City.

Source: Daily Mail, NY Report

Before he launched his grocery chain, 74-year-old Catsimatidis first worked in a supermarket the summer after graduating.

screenshot/Business Insider video

The billionaire told Daily Mail that the summer he graduated from Brooklyn Tech High School he got a job at a local supermarket after his mother "threw" him off the couch.

"I was ready to sleep on the couch for the whole summer and watch television," he told the publication.

The grocery store was partially owned by his uncle. At the grocery store, Catsimatidis said he worked about 70 hours a week and would often tidy the story for the next day.

Source: Daily Mail, NY Report

Catsimatidis was offered a congressional nomination to attend West Point after he graduated high school, but chose to attend New York University instead.

Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

He studied electrical engineering at NYU. While he was at NYU, Catsimatidis continued to work at the grocery store on nights and weekends.

Source: Daily Mail, Forbes, Catsimatidis.com

While at NYU, Catsimatidis acquired a partial stake in his uncle's supermarket.

John Catsimatidis may not be running for NYC mayor, but he's in the running to own a big NYC tabloid. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

He later dropped out of NYU only eight credits shy of graduating in order to work at the grocery store fulltime, his website says.

Sources: Forbes, Daily Mail

Catsimatidis continued to expand the grocery store into a chain after he left NYU.

Business Insider

The mogul, who is currently worth about $4.1 billion, told Daily Mail that he was making a million dollars a year by the age of 24.

Sources: Forbes, Daily Mail

By the time he was 25, Catsimatidis owned 10 grocery stores on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

John and Margo Catsimatidis attend the Rita Hayworth Gala Hamptons Kickoff Event hosted by Alzheimer's Association at Private Residence on August 3, 2018 in Water Mill, New York. Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

Catsimatidis owned and operated Red Apple supermarkets, and acquired the Gristedes supermarket chain in 1986, according to Catsimatidis' website.

Red Apple says Gristedes is now the largest supermarket chain in New York City.

Source: Catsimatidis.com

Catsimatidis may be best known for his grocery business, but a lot of his wealth comes from elsewhere.

Business Insider

Catsimatidis made much of his wealth from the oil refineries and gas stations he owns, The Real Deal reported. He bought United Refining Company in 1986 out of bankruptcy.

Catsimatidis' company Red Apple Group has holding in energy, retail, aviation, and real estate, the company says. He also owns a radio station, according to Forbes.

Catsimatidis told Daily Mail he likes to be involved in "a little bit of everything" and he was able to use the money from his grocery chain to buy up properties for "nickels and dimes."

"One property, I bought for $400,000, and I sold it for $40 million, but those are the opportunities I took advantage of," he told the publication.

Sources: The Real Deal, United Refining Company, Daily Mail

Catsimatidis lives with his wife, Margo, on Manhattan's Upper East side and he has two children.

John Catsimatidis is the owner of New York City supermarket chain Gristedes Foods. Yeah Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Both of Catsimatidis' adult children, Andrea and John Jr. are executives at Red Apple Group.

Sources: Red Apple Group, Insider

The family has a second home in the Hamptons, complete with infrared sensors.

East Quogue, New York. Corcoran

The vacation home is located in East Quogue, New York, according to The New York Post.

Catsimatidis told The Post in 2018 that he was upping security measures at his Hamptons home after a recent break-in and nearby activity from MS-13.

"I sleep with a gun underneath my pillow: a Walther PPK/S, the same one James Bond carried," Catsimatidis told The Post. "[My wife] Margo prefers a shotgun. Although, once, she thought she heard something, got the shotgun out and shot through the door."

Source: The New York Post

Catsimatidis is very active in local politics.

Catsimatidis during his campaign to become New York City mayor in 2013. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The billionaire is an outspoken fundraiser and donor to the Republican Party, according to The New York Times. He even ran for New York City mayor in 2013, but lost in the Republican primary to former MTA Chairman Joe Lhota.

Catsimatidis considered running for mayor again in 2021 and even pondered a campaign as a Democratic candidate, but didn't end up running. He then considered running for New York governor in 2022, but ended up deciding against it.

Sources: The New York Times, Fox News, New York Post

He's also a supporter of former President Donald Trump

Donald Trump. Jane Barlow/PA Images via Getty Images

Catsimatidis told Bloomberg in 2019 that "Trump has stood up against the problem at the borders ... Build a wall."

More recently, he said in March that he would back any Republican candidate over President Joe Biden in a 2024 election.

Catsimatidis frequently had political figures stop by to discuss public policy while his children were growing up, including the Clintons, Rudy Giuliani, and John Kerry, The Times reported.

Catsimatidis also hosts a politics-focused talk radio show which airs on several stations on Sunday mornings, called The Cats Roundtable.

Sources: Bloomberg, The New York Times, The Cats Roundtable

He was a Clinton supporter before he promoted Trump.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Catsimatidis was described as a "high level Clinton donor" by The New York Times in 2006. And he was on Hillary Clinton's finance team during her 2008 presidential campaign for Democratic nomination.

Hillary Clinton attended Andrea Catsimatidis' wedding and the billionaire has also said he is friends with Bill Clinton.

Sources: The New York Times, Associated Press

In 2019, Catsimatidis made headlines after telling The New York Times that he had used a controversial facial recognition app to do a background check on a man his daughter was on a date with.

Patrick McMullan/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

The incident occurred after John spotted Andrea dining at a restaurant with a man he didn't know. He had the waiter secretly snap a photo of the date, used the app to identify him, and emailed the results to Andrea.

"I wanted to make sure he wasn't a charlatan," John Catsimatidis told The New York Times.

However, the app he used was an unreleased piece of software at the time. Its searchable database of photos scraped from across the web was only sold to police departments and federal agencies, Clearview says, but reports indicated that it has also given access to other clients, including billionaires like Catsimatidis, retail chains like Walmart and Macy's, the NBA, and even some high schools.

Last year, the company was banned from selling its product to the majority of US companies after the American Civil Liberties Union took the company to court over privacy laws.

At the time, the billionaire said he was friends with a Clearview AI founder, Richard Schwartz, and that he ran a trial project with the app at an East Side Gristedes that was having trouble with shoplifters stealing Haagen-Dazs.

Sources: BBC, Insider, Insider, The New York Times

More recently, Catsimatidis generated more headlines this week after he said the younger generation is "too busy on TikTok" to grow their careers.

John Catsimatidis AP Photo/Kathy Willens

"That's one of the problems we are having in our country these days, the kids are busy playing TikTok," he told Daily Mail in an interview.

Catsimatidis said said that he feels a strong work ethic has gone by the wayside for many workers today.

"The harder you work, the easier it gets to win," he said. "Look at people only working three days a week, and I'll show you failures."

Sources: Daily Mail, Insider

Read the original article on Business Insider
Memorial Day events in the Central Valley: Heres where you can observe the holiday

The Central Valley has plans this Memorial Day to honor fallen United States military personnel through commemorative events that include military displays, tossing of flowers, music and more.

Events in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties will be hosted by Veterans of Foreign War, the American Legion and others Monday, May 29.

Heres a list of events in the area, including one big annual event thats canceled and why:

Modesto Memorial Day events

Members of the Veterans of Foreign War Post 3199 will conduct their annual tossing of flowers from the Lion Bridge on Seventh Street into the Tuolumne River at 9 a.m. Monday. The commemoration will also include a 21-gun salute and honor guard, according to the Facebook page.

A ceremony will be held by the Korean War Veteran Chapter 316 Monday at 11 a.m. at the Stanislaus Veterans Center. The center is at 3500 Coffee Road, Suite 15. The ceremony will be followed by a free meal for all veterans; the meal is $12 for others at the door.

Riverbank Memorial Day events

An event will take place at the Riverbank Community Centers Veterans Wall from 11:30 a.m. to noon Monday, according to the city of Riverbank. The community center is at 3600 Santa Fe St.

Turlock Memorial Day events

A Memorial Day program hosted by American Legion Rex Ish Post 88 will be held at Turlock Memorial Park at 10 a.m. Monday. The park is at 575 N. Soderquist Road.

Hughson Memorial Day event

A ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at Lakewood Memorial Park & Funeral Home, 900 Santa Fe Ave. Attendees are asked to bring their own chairs or blankets.

Manteca Memorial Day event canceled

The annual Not Forgotten Memorial Day Commemoration has been canceled indefinitely, according to the events website.

After 15 stress filled, but wonderful, fulfilling years, we simply are unable to continue, wrote Michael Dillman, president and founder of the event.

The free event included 7,000 crosses representing fallen service members, military helicopter landings, a USO show, military displays, a kids play zone, fireworks, a Gold Star Family reception, the eighth annual Wounded Warrior 5k run/walk and more, according to previous Bee reporting.

It was one of the largest Memorial Weekend events on the West Coast, according to the website.

We are now in the process of putting together a new project in order to encourage all to continue to remember the fallen, Dillman wrote. We are going to focus on the 62 men who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom from the city of Manteca, dating back to World War I.

Santa Nella Memorial Day event

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is hosting a Memorial Day commemoration ceremony Monday from 9 to 10 a.m. at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery. The cemetery is at 32053 W. McCabe Road.

California State Parks free entry

The California Department of Parks and Recreation is offering free admission to 130 participating California State Parks on Monday for veterans, active duty and reserve military personnel.

A valid military ID, or proof of discharge other than dishonorable or bad conduct, is required to receive free admission.

The list of participating parks can be found on the departments website.

What do you want to know about life in Modesto? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@modbee.com.
Memorial Day is the time to honor the immeasurable value of courage | Opinion

He sat in a chair against the wall in the doctor's colorless waiting room, quietly anticipating a nurse calling his name. Lines only time can create etched across his face, and a baseball-style hat covered his silver hair. He was tall and thin, and his clear blue eyes seemed to avoid others in the room. I didn't know the gentleman and didn't want to stare, but after noticing his cap, I knew I must be in the presence of a tall, thin, blue-eyed hero.

His cap and approximate age told the story of his service during the Vietnam War. His ship's name was embroidered in gold above the cap's bill, reminding me of a time when friends and family, including my brother, left for war.

I see more of those hats as I stroll the streets today, and I thank God I do. Soldiers who survived the brutality of all wars, including Vietnam, should always crown their heads with pride. And when we see them walk by, let us be humbled and show our appreciation.

Lynn Walker Gendusa's brother, John, served in the Vietnam War. When a member of his crew asked him why they were there, he responded, It is complicated, but no matter the reason, we are here because our country asked us to serve."

In the mid-1960s, my brother was a lieutenant on a Navy destroyer in the South China Sea. Like many Vietnam veterans, John told war stories only among fellow veterans, keeping their military service and actions quiet. However, one day he recounted, "I was on deck when a young man working in my crew asked, 'Lieutenant John, why are we here?' "

What do you mean, Roy? John replied.

Like many other warriors, Roy was just out of high school and participating in a foreign battle far from his homeland.

What is the reason for this war? the young man asked again.

My brother replied, It is complicated, but no matter the reason, we are here because our country asked us to serve."

They both returned to work and war.

Hear more Tennessee voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought-provoking columns.

Merely to serve was what our government asked of all young men and women in those days. Because our country evoked the draft, many had no choice. They courageously entered the conflict in often nonforgiving places via boats, planes, helicopters and boots on the ground. More than 59,200 never returned home. After arriving back on our shores, 300,000 more died from Agent Orange exposure.

How many others painfully endured post-traumatic stress syndrome and war-related injuries?

Lynn Walker Gendusa

This Memorial Day, let it be a reminder that not all war casualties happen on the battlefield. No matter in what war, conflict or circumstance a soldier gave his or her life, this country's citizens are not thankful enough. We who never served or suffered the effects of war do not understand the sacrifices of so many.

At the end of May each year, we plan what we will do; barbeques, swimming or celebrating a day off by doing little. But Memorial Day should be a solemn observance honoring those who gave all for us to have the freedom to enjoy all the things we do. Let's take the time to teach our children about the brave men and women who ensured they have the privilege to attend school or church and to dream without limits.

I believe no veteran should ever be homeless or required to pay for the best medical or psychological care, and should always be treated with dignity and respect. To do less is abhorrent and un-American.

Vietnam veterans bore additional pain because their country was tired of an unpopular war. There was no applause at the airports or fanfare of any kind when they came home. These brave soldiers walked home quietly as if abandoned by those who gave them no choice but to serve.

How sorrowful we should be for the pain we caused those unselfish heroes. Many still bear the physical and mental scars of war. Yet they thrive on the comradery of fellow service members while mutually grieving the loss of friends who didnt survive the battles.

I stroll each year through a cemetery in the Tennesee town where I was born. Among the headstones bearing the names of families I recognize, there are many veterans. Toward the end of a row, there is a single bronze stone with an American flag perched above it.

It reads: "Lieutenant John E. Walker. US Navy Vietnam. July 25, 1941, to April 29, 1998."

Tears fall each time I lay a flag and flowers next to his headstone. My big brother, my defender, my hero, is just one of multitudes who loved his country enough to join a battle. Tragically, he died from the effects of war because he was merely asked to serve.

Until he left us, he wore his cap proudly, as he should.

Honoring those who gave all they could to maintain our freedom shows the rest of us the immeasurable value of courage.

Lynn Walker Gendusa is a writer in Georgia and the author of the book "Southern Comfort." She is originally from Monterey, Tennessee.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Opinion: Memorial Day time to honor the immeasurable value of courage
Theres a genre of unscripted programming that essentially introduces the viewer to small groups of people with unorthodox interests and then subtly or not-so-subtly goofs on them, a la Netflixs Tiger King. MerPeople, a four-part docuseries seemingly timed to draft off a certain Disney movie, appears to fit that niche, but as executed isnt weird enough to hold water.

Instead, director Cynthia Wade has produced a too-earnest, all-over-the-place look at the eccentric souls who have chosen playing mermaids as a vocation or avocation, without spending much time on the why of that, as opposed to the sheer logistics. Morgana Alba, the leader of a group of professional mermaids, explains that those drawn to the practice are rebels and renegades and runaways, which doesnt really accomplish enough on the former score.

In the course of those travels, the Netflix production explores the lives of older mermaids who once performed at Weeki Wachee Springs, the home of an historic show in Florida; and the current struggles of younger entertainers, who devote considerable time and money to developing a skill that doesnt offer much in the way of compensation or job security, booking events ranging from corporate poolside gigs to childrens parties.

Beyond the dangers involved (No dead mermaids is Albas safety mantra), there are some other risks associated with mermaiding, including what the performers refer to as merverts  that is, men who sexually harass them.

The series concludes with an episode that frankly could have provided the backbone of the show while skipping most of the preliminaries: A cruise ship featuring a sort-of mermaid pageant, assembling a group that competes before crowning a king and queen.

Its easy enough to see why MerPeople sold to Netflix, as well as the cynical thinking that went into premiering it the same week that Disney is out spending millions promoting its The Little Mermaid live-action remake, allowing the service to latch onto its tail.

As these kind of programming oddities go, though, this docuseries doesnt work either as train-wreck TV or an anthropological dive into what motivates people to engage in this activity. Based on that and the three-hour viewing commitment, theres just not enough here to merit making MerPeople part of your world.

MerPeople premieres May 23 on Netflix.

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Irelands Data Protection Commission (DPC) fined Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, 1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) for sending European citizens personal data to the US in violation of the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EUs sweeping data privacy law.

The commission also gave Meta five months to stop sharing Facebook user data with the US. (The ruling does not apply to data from Instagram or WhatsApp, both of which are owned by Meta.)



Read more

In a statement, Meta wrote that it disagrees with the Irish regulators decision, and plans to seek a stay of the order when it appeals. In the meantime, the company assured users there will be no immediate disruption to its services in Europe.

If Meta doesnt win in its appeal, however, it needs a drastic solution: Either the company radically changes how it stores EU user data or it needs to withdraw entirely from the European market. Complying is complex, but leaving would come at the cost of foregoing lucrative advertisement revenue.

The EU-US data privacy framework is awaiting final approval

The DPCs fine is the latest flare in an ongoing privacy battle between the EU and Meta, but theres a big political question mark that could soon come into play.

The EU and US have agreed in principle to the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework, but this is awaiting final approval by the European Commission, which is expected later this summer. If the framework is finalized, Metas legal problems may be nullified.

Last year, Meta warned in a regulatory filing (pdf) that if a data pact isnt adopted soon, we will likely be unable to offer a number of our most significant products and services, including Facebook and Instagram, in Europe. The company then issued a statement clarifying it is absolutely not threatening to leave Europerather, it had to disclose material business risks to investors.

But nearly a year later, the framework still hasnt been adopted and the pressure is ramping up against Meta with a five-month deadline to figure out its data problem.



Metas $11 billion reason to stay

Anupam Chander, a technology law professor at Georgetown University, thinks Meta will try its best to comply, rather than pull out of Europe entirely. But that would involve trying to rip apart the codebase and replicate it in Europe and rip apart its database and fragment it into multiple countries, he told Quartz via email. But its frighteningly complicated. What about a single post that attracts comments from Europeans, Americans, and others? Should the data for that single post be stored in multiple countries?

In a separate post on Twitter, Chander said he feels like Meta has two real options: End-to-end encryption for all of personal data, or ending personal data transfer to the U.S.

John Davisson, senior counsel and director of litigation at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, was less sympathetic toward Meta. He told Quartz that the setback is well-deserved, writing that rather than improve its data practices in Europe Meta tried to paper over the problem and wriggle out of its obligations in court.

Still, he agrees with Chander that its unlikely Meta ever pulls out from Europe entirely.

Meta CFO Susan Li said in a recent earnings call that Meta makes roughly 10% of its global ad revenue from delivering Facebook advertisers to EU users. Considering Meta brought in $113 billion in total ad revenue last year, they would be taking a hit of around $11 billion each year by exiting Europe.

Thats a tremendous incentive for the company to work out a technical solution, Davisson said, even if it means a significant changes to the way Facebook and Instagram works for EU citizens.

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Meta was fined a whopping $1.3 billion by the EU for transferring user data

Attendees visit the Meta booth at the Game Developers Conference 2023 in San Francisco, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. European Union hits Facebook parent Meta with record $1.3 billion fine over transfers of user data to US. | Jeff Chiu, File, Associated Press

The European Union fined Facebooks parent company, Meta, $1.3 billion on Monday for reportedly violating its data protection rules.

According to The Washington Post, The Irish Data Protection Commission said in a statement that Metas data transfers were in breach of the E.U.s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), rules that restrict what companies can do with peoples personal data.

Facebook has millions of users in Europe, so the volume of personal data transferred is massive, Andrea Jelinek, chair of the European Data Protection Board told CNN. The unprecedented fine is a strong signal to organizations that serious infringements have far-reaching consequences.

How did Meta respond to the EUs fine?

Industry representatives expressed criticism of the ruling and argue it could restrict how tech companies communicate with international offices and customers.

This decision is flawed, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the E.U. and U.S., Nick Clegg, Metas president of global affairs, and Jennifer Newstead, its chief legal officer, said in a statement about the fine.

Meta said it was planning to appeal the decision while the E.U. and American leaders are negotiating a new data-sharing pact that would provide legal protections for Meta and scores of other companies to continue moving information between the United Sates and Europe, The New York Times reported.

Meta said its services would not experience immediate disruptions in Europe, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The U.S. Department of Education has found that a suburban Atlanta school districts decision to remove some books from its libraries may have created a hostile environment that violated federal laws against race and sex discrimination.

The legal intervention by the departments Office of Civil Rights could curb efforts to ban books in other public school districts nationwide, especially when bans are focused on books that include content about LGBTQ and nonwhite people.

The Forsyth County school district settled the complaint, agreeing to explain the book removal process to students and offer supportive measures to students who may have been harmed. Forsyth County will also include questions about the issue in its yearly school climate survey of middle and high school students next year.

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The federal intervention came after months of contention over books in the 54,000-student district. Forsyth is Georgias most affluent county, a rapidly growing suburb about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of downtown Atlanta.

Forsyth County in January 2022 removed eight books, including Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye, but allowed seven to return after further consideration. It excluded only All Boys Arent Blue, a memoir about growing up as gay Black man by George M. Johnson.

Federal officials wrote in a letter Friday that Forsyth County erred not so much in the removals, saying the district limited its book screening process to sexually explicit material. Instead, officials found that the problem was how district officials talked about removals at school board meetings.

Communications at board meetings conveyed the impression that books were being screened to exclude diverse authors and characters, including people who are LGBTQI+ and authors who are not white, leading to increased fears and possibly harassment, the department wrote.

One student came to a board meeting to warn about the school environment becoming more harsh in the aftermath of the book removals and his fear about going to school, the letter says.

Becky Woomer of the Forsyth Coalition for Education, which has opposed book removals, said the findings back up fears that the school district was endorsing anti-gay views.

Having those views validated, yeah, I think it harms students, Woomer said. And when the books were put back on the shelves, it was done silently. So there was never this sense as a school community OK, we messed up, were sorry.

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Jennifer Caracciolo, a spokesperson for Forsyth County schools, said a statement to students will help dispel those impressions.

Its more about making sure we communicate with the students, she said.

Protests over books viewed as inappropriate had been led by a conservative group, Mama Bears of Forsyth County. Members read sexually explicit passages from school books until the school board chairman ordered them to stop in March 2022, noting board policy prohibits profane remarks. Members of the group argued that if the books were inappropriate to be read at a board meeting, they were inappropriate for children.

The board then banned one member, Alison Hair, from attending board meetings. Hair and Mama Bears Chairwoman Cindy Martin sued in federal court, winning a ruling in February that the ban violated their First Amendment rights. The group then resumed reading books at meetings.

Martin on Monday said the settlement would let the federal government continue to find ways to infiltrate the public school system with their radical agendas, saying federal officials had found no legal violations.

This is not about books, Martin wrote in an email. This is about the federal government using bully tactics against our school system to indoctrinate our children into the LGBTQ ideology.

Book challenges have continued in Forsyth County under a 2022 Georgia law that allows parents to challenge material they consider obscene. The district last month agreed to not let any students check out one book, The Handsome Girl and Her Beautiful Boy by B.T. Gottfried, without a parents signature.

The book challenges in Republican-dominated Forsyth County followed conservative claims that the district was teaching harmful material on race. That controversy sometimes centered on district efforts to include nonwhite students in what was once an entirely white county. White mobs drove out the countys entire Black population in 1912.

Georgia is just one state that has made it easier to challenge books. The American Library Association reported more than 1,200 challenges to books nationwide in 2022, by far the most since the ALA began keeping data 20 years ago

Last week, authors, parents, publisher Penguin Random House and writers group PEN America sued Floridas Escambia County school system, saying the school board was removing and restricting books even though a review committee recommended keeping them.

In December, the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights said it was investigating a school district in Granbury, Texas, after more than 100 books, including some LGBTQ themes were pulled from shelves.

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St Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv Metropolitan Epiphanius consecrated 12 icons, which were painted on armour plates from body armour.

Source: Ukrinform

Quote of Oleksandr Kovalchuk, co-founder of the Ukraine for Heroes charity fund: "This is the first series of painted body armour plates. They are not just regular plates  they are from the front. These body armour plates saved the lives of our defenders.

We paint pictures on some of them, that is, paintings. We also decided to create a series of icons so that more people can learn about this. This project is about creativity, art, the unity of people and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the power of faith, faith in freedom, faith in God. All this was painted on the armour plates."

Details: Kovalchuk revealed that the consecrated icons will be sent to the US next week. There, morning prayers will be organised, where people will be able to donate for the new means of protection for the Ukrainian military.

In addition to this, there are plans to create and present abroad new collections like this one.

"Our next step will be the collection of 27 icons, which will represent every oblast of Ukraine and three cities separately  Kyiv, Sevastopol, Simferopol," Kovalchuk explained.

For reference: The icons were consecrated within the framework of the project Duhovna Zvytiaha (Spiritual Victory) by ArtArmor.

Dukhovna Zvytiaha is a set of 12 icons, painted on body armour plates, which were damaged in the war but stopped the Russian bullets and saved the lives of Ukrainian troops.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
New Mexican restaurant on Apalachee Parkway touts 'something for everyone'

Pedros Tacos and Tequila Bar, which opened on May 1, is working to fulfill its promise of satisfying the capital city's food cravings with its authentic Mexican-American cuisine.

Theres something for everyone, General Manager Raquel Vasquez said in an interview with the Tallahassee Democrat.

The restaurant has the design of a modern Spanish Colonial style home which pushes their family friendly theme, with its bright orange trimming, red tile roof and soft arches. Inside are long dining tables, booths and a full-service bar. The open patio includes what they describe as their "mezquite grill' which allows space for the dish to be prepped right next to your table.

Vasquez, whos been with Pedros Tacos and Tequila restaurant for six years, has worked her way up from food runner to general manager, starting in Alabama, to Pensacola, to Louisiana and now Tallahassee.

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Pedro's Tacos and Tequila Bar located at 750 Apalachee Parkway.

The young mother of one and manager carries on the legacy of her late stepfather, Richard Taylor, who had a vision of opening his own restaurant before getting sick a year after leaving Honduras in 2014 to come to the United States.

Shortly after, Vasquez was taken in by two brothers, Pedros owners Fernando and Ruben Chavez, who Vasquez said have treated her like family, which she feels is expressed to their guests when they visit the restaurant.

Its a team effort, Vasquez said on her admiration for the work culture they have curated for the rest of the staff.

Patio area at Pedro's Tacos and Tequila Bar located at 750 Apalachee Parkway.

What is the food like at Pedro's?

One item that has people coming for more is their freshly made salsas made with grilled and roasted tomatoes combined with cilantro, onions, and secret things which Vasquez said sets their restaurant apart. They offer a range of salsas from creamy homemade salsa verde, their original table salsa, and tomatillo salsa.

Vasquez explained that although they have the same meals as other Mexican food chains like tacos and burritos, we want to make the difference in quality.

Outside of their prized salsas, their four-page menu offers plenty of options to choose from to curve those cravings from bowls, to seafood, to vegetarian dishes.

One popular item is the quesabirria  shredded beef folded into a tortilla with cheese with a side of broth used for dipping. Another is their designated family favorite, fajitas- served with a protein, onions, bell peppers, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and guacamole with a side of rice and beans - which are prepped fresh every day. Their fajitas come in three different styles- fajita, fajita burrito, or fajita al pastor. Prices start at $11.99 for entrees.

The popular quesa birria tacos served at Pedro's Tacos and Tequila Bar located at 750 Apalachee Parkway.

Co-owner, Fernando Chavez feels that the restaurant is something different for people, because of its versatility, ranging as a place to visit for either casual lunch and dinner or a special event.

One reviewer on the pages Facebook page noted: Wonderful dining experience on Mother's Day. No waiting, comfortable seating, great wait staff and service. Food came quickly and was so flavorful and delicious.

This is the chain's fifth national location, with the first opening in Alabama in 2013. Other locations reside in Florida cities including Pensacola, Destin and Fort Walton Beach, co-owner, Fernando Chavez told the Tallahassee Democrat.

The name stems from the award-winning film, Napoleon Dynamite with its Vote for Pedro reference for Pedro Sanchez, Napolean Dynamites best friend.

The restaurant, located at 750 Apalachee Parkway, is nearby several restaurants featuring Mexican food as it sits directly across from a location of the Panhandles largest Mexican food chain, El Jalisco, which opened in mid-March. Just four minutes down the road at 1170 Apalachee Parkway is El Patron.

Pedros Tacos and Tequila operates on Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Democrat writer Kyla Sanford can be reached at ksanford@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Pedros Tacos and Tequila Bar in Tallahassee now open
(Bloomberg) -- Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador expropriated privately-owned land in the state of Mexico to build commuter train stations, fueling an already tense political climate just three days after he ordered the seizure of part of a rail line owned by billionaire German Larreas Grupo Mexico SAB.

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The expropriation of more than 113,000 square meters in three municipalities was in response to a request by the countrys Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation Ministry (SICT) and seeks to guarantee connectivity to the new Felipe Angeles International Airport (AIFA), one of Lopez Obrador main public projects, according to a decree published Monday in the nations official gazette.

Read More: AMLO Says Billionaire Asked for $531 Million for Seized Railway

The expropriation, which serves a public use, includes constructions and facilities that are on the land at stake, according to the decree.

SICT will occupy the area and must pay for the expropriated assets with its budget resources. After 10 business days from the publication of the decree, those affected can start a judicial procedure, but only to reject the compensation amount. The decree did not specify the compensation that the previous owners of the properties will receive.

Recent decisions by Lopez Obrador are generating concerns in the business community about government intervention in the economy. AMLO, as the president is known, is engaged in a battle with the countrys Supreme Court, which Monday blocked for a second time an attempt to designate some of his flagship public works as matter of national security and public interest. Some justices argued that such a status to these works could be used as an excuse to hide information.

NOTE: Mexico Top Court Invalidates AMLOs Flagship Works Decree

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Two top South Florida tourism leaders  David Whitaker, CEO of Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Stacy Ritter, CEO of Visit Lauderdale  shared thoughts on the potential effects of the NAACP recently advising people of color to expect hostile treatment if they travel to Florida.

The NAACP issued a travel advisory Saturday in response to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attempts to ban books about race and LGBTQ+ identities, reject a new Advanced Placement African American Studies course and bar diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida colleges.

The advisory was proposed to the national Board of Directors last month, during the NAACP Florida chapters conference in Orlando.

Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, according to the groups advisory. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.

The NAACPs message over the weekend came after The League of United Latin American Citizens, one of the oldest and largest U.S. Hispanic civil rights groups, on Wednesday advised immigrants and their families to avoid traveling to the Sunshine State because of a measure DeSantis signed into law May 10 that cracks down on immigration. The Florida governor is widely expected this week to formally announce his 2024 run for president.

A spokesperson for the the governor on Monday noted Floridas record tourism numbers and called the NAACPs travel advisory a stunt.

Comments from Whitaker and Ritter have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Do you plan to use this challenge to educate visitors about diverse experiences you can have in Florida?

We invite anyone considering not coming to South Florida to first learn of all of the programs and partnerships in place that celebrate our diversity, Whitaker said. We at the bureau simply need to double down and make sure we get a chance to let visitors and potential visitors know their investment in Miami is an investment in our people and educate visitors about the diverse offerings and experiences they can find here.

How is Visit Lauderdale responding to the NAACP travel advisory?

We respect the decision of the NAACP to issue a travel advisory for Florida, Ritter said.

We in Broward County have a long history of supporting civil rights and equality and we are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all visitors, she said. We are a community that is open to all, and we welcome everyone under the sun.

Stacy Ritter leads Visit Lauderdale, Broward Countys tourism marketing agency.

We are hoping and believing we still get the millions of visitors we do every year from around the world of all races, ethnicity and genders. We want to make sure the people who work in tourism in Broward can keep working.

How does Miamis cultural inclusivity make it an appealing destination for travelers of all backgrounds?

Diversity is in our cultural fabric, Whitaker said. Miamis authenticity in terms of the diversity of our people, experiences, neighborhoods and heritages is one of, if not the key differentiator, for us as a travel and event destination.

Who do travel advisories like this affect the most?





A travel advisory like this one tends to hurt the people you least want to hurt, which are the small business owners that are often minority owned, said Ritter, a former Broward County commissioner.
U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore has ordered the city of Miami to draw a new voting map with different district boundaries, shifting political lines months before elections for three city commission seats.

Moores order, issued Tuesday morning, followed a lawsuit brought by community groups accusing the city of racial gerrymandering when commissioners sought to preserve the ethnic makeup of the five-person board. Community groups sued in December, claiming the maps adopted last year broke up Coconut Grove, Flagami, Overtown and other neighborhoods for the sake of hitting racial or ethnic quotas in the districts.

The Court finds that Plaintiffs suffer serious harm when the legislature sorts its citizens based on race, Moore wrote, and, subsequently, when those individuals vote in racially gerrymandered districts.

The judge ordered the city to work with the community groups, represented by lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union, to create a new map over the next 30 days. In a court filing last week, ACLU attorneys said they would be prepared to present one or more alternative maps very shortly after a ruling blocking the map drawn in 2022.

Miamis top lawyer, City Attorney Victoria Mendez, said in a statement: We are disappointed with the Courts decision as it is still our position that the City complied with the Voting Rights Act. We will be reviewing our options on how to best proceed.

Moore agreed with a recommendation from a federal magistrate judge that said the city used racial quotas in an effort to ensure diversity on the board. Representing the community groups, attorneys from the ACLU have pointed to public meetings where commissioners fixated on creating district boundaries that preserve a board that included three Hispanic members, one Black member and one anglo member in a seat long held by a commissioner who is non-Hispanic and white.

Read more: Miami should redraw commission districts over racial redistricting plan, magistrate says

The advocacy groups, which include two local branches of the NAACP, Engage Miami and Coconut Grove community group GRACE, accused the city of adopting an unconstitutional map after commissioners shifted district boundaries in 2022. Every 10 years after the U.S. Census, the city reevaluates the boundaries of its five districts in an effort to evenly distribute political representation.

Tuesday evening, the plaintiffs group released two potential maps it sent to city officials.

The Allapattah neighborhood is united in District 1 and West Grove, one of Miamis historically Black neighborhoods, rejoins the rest of Coconut Grove in District 2. In District 3, the Shenandoah neighborhood is reunited and all of Flagami moves into District 4. The neighborhoods of Edgewater and Morningside move into District 5, which gives up parts of downtown in the proposed map.

This case is not about one particular area of the city. Its about all five districts, said Nicholas Warren, an ACLU lawyer out of Tallahassee. All five districts were designed to divide up the city by racial lines.

Both sides in the litigation agreed Miamis District 5 should be drawn to make it easier for Black voters to elect a preferred candidate in an election, rather than having that minority groups voting power diluted by splitting up majority-Black neighborhoods. District 5 is represented by Christine King, the boards only Black member.

Even so, the suit claims Miami needed a more narrow focus on race in creating the District 5 boundaries and asked that they be redrawn in compliance with federal standards for protecting minority voting rights. Moore agreed and included District 5 in ordering Miami to submit a new map.

In a statement, King said she wanted Miami to create a map where all voices in the City of Miami are represented.

Changes to district boundaries could alter the political dynamics in a year when voters will elect three commissioners to represent neighborhoods including Allapattah, Flagami, Coconut Grove, Brickell and downtown.

Three of the five incumbents are up for reelection in November: District 1s Alex Diaz de la Portilla and District 4s Manolo Reyes, Hispanic men who were in office when the board approved the voting map last year, and District 2s Sabina Covo, a Hispanic woman who won a special election in February for a redrawn district that had previously been represented by white, non-Hispanic men.

In a statement, Covo said she wanted the anti-gerrymandering rules in Floridas Constitution to guide Miamis new maps. She said that district lines should not be used to split areas with shared interests and needs.

We must keep communities of interest intact and neighborhoods like Coconut Grove, downtown and Brickell together to avoid unnecessary boundary divisions, she said.

Commissioners anticipated Moores ruling. At a May 11 meeting, the commission discussed asking its consultant to draw alternative maps. The discussion began with Diaz de la Portilla suggesting the city could abandon single-member districts altogether and return to at-large seats, where each commissioner would be elected in citywide votes.

Warren, the ACLU lawyer, said that kind of change would require a city referendum and isnt a possible fix for the problems identified by the federal judge.

In a statement, Diaz de la Portilla said he wasnt ready to give up on Miamis fight for the 2022 redistricting process. I look forward to continuing the legal debate that will clearly demonstrate that this commission is correct, he said. In a second statement, he added: But some tweaking is never a bad thing.
Offering creative and original solutions to closing one of the countrys biggest gaping wounds  its broken immigration system  has failed to gain traction in Congress for far too long, as both Republicans and Democrats who have attempted it can attest.

Just ask Floridas Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, and Democrat Bob Menendez of New Jersey. Each has jumped into the fray only to be whacked on the nose with a rolled newspaper by their own party.

But the issue is important and demands thoughtful, extended debate. Its good to see that another lawmaker, Miamis U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, is pushing for a solution.

Migrants pay

On Tuesday, Salazar introduced an ambitious immigration-reform bill in Congress that she believes addresses the core issues that for decades have kept the two main political parties apart on immigration reform.

Under her proposal, 12 million illegal immigrants could gain a path to citizenship, but it would cost them $10,000 for the privilege. Its an ambitious proposal, helping the undocumented, including DREAMers, become legal, while at the same time allocating billions of dollars to increase border patrols. The immigrants themselves would pay for their own processing.

Its an original idea  some might say improbable  to overhaul a frustrating and unfair system. As usual, the devil is in the details. But Salazar is in there, mixing it up and proposing the first bipartisan immigration bill introduced in Congress in 10 years. If nothing else, the conversation should not be quashed.

Heres how Salazar summed it up to the Miami Herald: We are fixing legal immigration (and) it wont cost the taxpayer one cent. It will be fully paid by the people who are here and will be getting into the pathway set out to legalize their status. 

Democratic co-sponsor

Salazars bill is being co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, who will be the co-lead, and it will be supported by Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Michigan, Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, and Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon, resident commissioner of Puerto Rico. That does spell bipartisanship, and it is welcomed.

Salazar, herself, has been on this path before, introducing similar legislation that went nowhere. The difference between her two bills is that the new proposal addresses the concerns of both parties. This bill would address immigrants who have been living illegally in the United States for more than five years, allowing them to come out of the shadows, with the exception of those who have committed a crime.

They would be granted residency and work permits to live here under a program called the Dignity Status, but they would have to pay $5,000 to be accepted. After seven years, immigrants would qualify for Redemption Status, which would lead to citizenship at a cost of another $5,000.

Its an intriguing proposition. The criticism that U.S. taxpayers foot the bill for the undocumented immigrants would possibly die down, and maybe so would the hatred of undocumented immigrants  especially in Gov. DeSantis Florida  who, in theory, would be paying their own way.

Its a long shot for Salazar & Co., but an overdue step that injects some compassion into this fraught issue.

It wont be easy. It never is when it comes to immigration.
Inside Karen Robersons Lincoln Fields apartment the living room has no lighting, bathroom ceilings are moldy and there are holes where rats come and go. Shes been complaining about living conditions since she moved into the unit in 2012.

Theyll come and they spray something and paint over it, and itll come right back, she told the Miami Herald about the mold.

Roberson was among a dozen residents at a press conference on Tuesday to raise awareness of their living conditions and what they say are illegal evictions. Led by the Miami Workers Center, tenants detailed ignored pleas for help while being harassed for rent they say they already paid.

Karen Roberson, tenant since 2012, closes her eyes while standing in her bathroom with black mold on the ceiling at the Lincoln Fields Apartments on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, down the street from Liberty Square in Miami. Roberson said management has sprayed with stuff that is supposed to kill the mold and then painted over it, so the mold always returns within a few months and the bugs follow. Roberson lives with five kids many of whom have health issues and she says the mold makes it worse. With the cost of everything going up I cant afford to move us, said said.

We want to make sure that they have a space to share their voices and be heard, Santra Denis, executive director with the Miami Workers Center, said.

Lincoln Fields was built in 1946, according to property records. The housing complex is owned by Southport Financial Services and managed by Cambridge Property Management. The companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Denis said her nonprofit organization has been in contact with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubios office on the matter. In 2021, Rubio, a Florida Republican, wrote a letter to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Marcia Fudge about properties managed by Cambridge Management in Florida, including Lincoln Fields.

Jahniee, tenant at Lincoln Fields Apartments, cries while telling her story with the support of Santra Denis, left, and Devetroia Stratford, from the Miami Workers Center, during a press conference outside of the income-based housing Lincoln Fields Apartments on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, down the street from Liberty Square in Miami. Please help with the vilence again us, please help my children, please help us with the mold, please, said Jahniee.

I urge that immediate action be taken at these properties to ensure that tenants are afforded the living conditions they are guaranteed by law, Rubio wrote in his letter. At that time, Lincoln Fields had a Real Estate Assessment Center failing physical inspection score of 44/100.

Sedrika Jacques, a resident at Lincoln Fields and volunteer with Miami Workers Center, spearheaded efforts to address the ongoing issues at the property, including fending off rats and other pests, but said she has faced retaliation.

We shouldnt be living inside these places, but we dont have anywhere to go, Jacques said. By us not having anywhere to go, we have to settle for whatever we have right now.

Jacques apartment doesnt have lighting in the living room and because one bathroom has had mold and bugs in it since she moved in, she, her daughter and her grandchildren have to use one restroom.

Jacques complaints, she said, have had her labeled a threat by management. Im a disabled woman. How am I a threat to the community? she asked during the press conference.

Sedrika Jacques, right, and her daughter, Rondria Brown, 21, pose outside of their apartment that they share with a few others at the Lincoln Fields Apartments on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, down the street from Liberty Square in Miami. The two say they got a court case thrown out because management said they owed them money, but they had proof and kept the receipts that they paid their bills. I know being the one standing up for my community Im going to be retaliated against. Theyre gonna come after me, try to evict me, said Jacques.

She said she began looking into issues at her apartment complex four years ago, when she first moved in. At the beginning of the year, Jacques began collecting signatures for a petition to address poor management practices among other concerns. Thats when she was threatened with eviction, she said.

They say I didnt pay, but the rent was already paid two months in advance, Jacques said.

Jeffrey Hearne has been with Legal Services of Greater Miami for 22 years and represents about 30 residents at the property, including Jacques, who have been threatened with eviction. We are seeing a lot of problems with their tenant files, he said. Weve had cases where they magically find money orders when the case is going into a hearing.

Hearne said the property has always had a history of issues and evictions have increased since December. They filed almost 60 evictions since December. Theres only 210 units here. So thats a large percentage, Hearne told the Herald.

So far, he said hes been able to get three evictions dismissed. A lot of the ledgers were looking at, the landlord hasnt done the right things, he said, adding the complex is income-based housing. So theres a lot of paperwork that needs to be completed when income changes, when rent changes. And were finding that that hasnt always been done.

David Peery, left, founder of Miami Coalition to Advance Racial Equity, talks to Jeff Hearne, Director of the Tenants Rights Clinic and the attorney representing some of the tenants, during a press conference outside of the Lincoln Fields Apartments on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, down the street from Liberty Square in Miami.

Miami-Dade County Chief Community Services Officer Morris Copeland, said he knows the area well. I grew up in this neighborhood and lived here for a while, I lived down the street, he said.

Copeland, who represented Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava at the press conference, listed measures the city is taking to help residents, including pausing evictions until Legal Services of Greater Miami and HUD can conduct an investigation and ensure people arent wrongfully being evicted.

Copeland said the county has contacted state and federal agencies regarding the development and have requested an investigation be conducted into Lincoln Fields management and evictions.

We are committed to working with all of our partners to try to prevent any families from being unfairly displaced, he said.

Jacques said she wants management to stop the evictions and actually address tenants concerns. At the end of the day, we dont have to live like this., she said. We shouldnt live like this.
Michael Robersons Sauce Company Went From Struggling In One Whole Foods Market To Launching In Over 100

Hyundai is on a mission to get drivers to transition to electric vehicles (EVs).

In 2023, the multinational automotive manufacturer launched the first-ever, all-electric 2023 IONIQ 6.

The award-winning car features Bluelink, digital key two touch, an in-car WiFi hotspot, and more. Additionally, the IONIQ 6 has an ultra-fast charging time of going from 10% to 80% in less than 18 minutes.

Hyundai aims for the target buyer of the IONIQ 6 to be Millennial professionals in urban areas looking to go against the status quo by being behind the wheel of an EV without altering their lifestyle.

Further tapping into supporting its multicultural audience, Hyundai created the Progress Project, which awards local Black-owned businesses near the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Savannah, GA.

One of the grant recipients was Michael Roberson.

Photo Credit: Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging

As the owner of the Savannah Sauce Company, Roberson had a more unconventional path of stepping into the food industry.

After being burned out from working in civil site development, the founder ventured into academics at a university. However, he didnt feel good enough and faced other issues with his employer.

For nearly nine months, Roberson searched for a new position without any luck. The tiring hunt steered him in a different direction  becoming his own boss.

Savannah Sauce Company is inspired by Robersons grandmother, Henrietta Smith, who survived the Great Depression. The economic recession led her to can her own goods including the fruit from the trees she grew in her backyard.

Roberson began to make cold calls, seeking investors to support him in starting his sauce business. Although he received quite a number of hard rejections, he was persistent, which led him to his first yes.

One guy he asked me, Are you crazy?,' Roberson recalled to AfroTech. Then, I go, Well, we all are just a little bit. And that got a laugh out of him. Then, that opened up the conversation.

He continued, He said, Ill get you one sauce in one store.'

Writing an essay on how food brings people together and shows who they are is what convinced Robersons first investor to take a chance on him.

The backing landed his product in a Whole Foods Market, where he served samples to customers. Although he had someone investing in him, sales werent coming in at the time and he feared he would lose his investor.

Im bleeding money at that point, Roberson told us. Im living off of savings.

Miraculously, on the day that Roberson planned to officially call it quits, a woman tried a sample of his hot sauce. It reminded her of her fathers and she bought six bottles. The sale not only excited him but set the trajectory for more interested customers.

While on cloud nine, he abruptly hit a low after having to recall his products due to mold. Roberson begged his investor not to drop him, and he was given 14 days to get new products up and running.

Right on the deadline, he had his sauces on the stores shelves.

Now, fast forwarding to today, Robersons sauces went from struggling in one store to being available for purchase in over 100 Whole Foods Markets.

I wouldve never imagined being in this space at all, Roberson expressed.

Savannah Sauce Companys products include jams, hot sauces, ketchup, BBQ sauces, marinades, and more. One of the jams comes from Robersons childhood. His grandmother made him sandwiches with what she called frog (figs, raspberries, oranges, and ginger) jam.

Along with the Progress Project donating $15,000 to the Savannah Sauce Company, it helped Roberson achieve his longtime dream of creating his own ice cream with his grandmothers frog jam recipe. In addition, there are a total of four different flavors.

In honor of Hyundai, a South Korean-based company, we are also making a mochi-flavored ice cream, he detailed.

While Robersons dreams have come true, theres a bigger overall mission for his company. Savannah Sauce Company founded TigerCo Marketing, which allows Savannah State University students to be a part of running the company. The intent was that by the time they graduate, they already have work experience under their belt as well. Plus, revenue from the sauce is converted back to the school to create micro-grants to help them start their own businesses.

Whats more, according to the companys website, profits from sales go to homeless veterans and creating tiny homes for them in sustainable communities.

In the near future, Roberson hopes for Savannah Sauce Company to expand to Whole Foods Market Canada, Whole Foods Market Europe, and even the Pacific Rim.
Microsoft is building its ChatGPT-based Bing experience right into Windows 11 -- and adding a few twists that allow users to ask the chatbot to change their Windows settings, too.

The new Windows Copilot, which will be available right in the Windows 11 taskbar, is meant to make it easier for Windows users to find and change settings without having to delve deep into the Windows settings (think, "adjust my settings so I can focus"). But the tools will also allow users to summarize content from the clipboard, for example, or compose text.

The Copilot will also be a gateway to the existing Bing/ChatGPT experience. "Just like you would with Bing Chat, you can ask Windows Copilot a range of questions from simple to complex," Microsoft's Chief Product Officer Panos Panay explains in today's blog post. "If I want to call my family in Cyprus, I can quickly check the local time to make sure Im not waking them up in the middle of the night. If I want to plan a trip to visit them in Cyprus, I can ask Windows Copilot to find my family flights and accommodations for mid-winter break."

Read more about Microsoft Build 2023

This new Bing integration into Windows 11 will become available in June. Now, if all of this sounds familiar, that may be because shortly after launching the new Bing, Microsoft also said that it would bring the new Bing to the Windows 11 taskbar. But that's not really what the company did. It merely linked to the Bing web experience from the taskbar. Now, Windows 11 is putting all of this into a taskbar that is quite similar to the Bing sidebar in the Edge browser.

I don't know if this will convince any Windows 10 holdouts to update to Windows 11, but it will definitely put Bing front and center for the roughly 20% of Windows users who have made the switch.
Unlike Meta, Microsoft doesn't need to change its name to prove it's committed to an entirely new tech platform: It's doing so through action. After debuting its AI-infused Bing search engine earlier this year, the company unveiled the Microsoft 365 Copilot for Office apps. And even before those consumer reveals, Microsoft delivered an AI tool for developers in 2021 with GitHub Copilot. Today at its Build developer conference, Microsoft is making the inevitable next step: It's making AI an integral part of Windows 11.

The new Windows Copilot tool lives in the Windows sidebar and, as with Microsoft's Bing AI chatbot, you can use it as a super-powered search engine by typing in general questions. But true to its name, it's also deeply integrated with Windows. You can ask it to accomplish tasks within the OS  like turning on the night light mode, or changing your desktop background  without fishing around for specific settings. Windows Copilot can also function as a genuine virtual assistant by summarizing documents, or launching a photo app to accomplish a few edits before sending it off to a group of your coworkers. Cortana would never.

Microsoft CVP Panos Panay introducing the Surface Studio.

"I think about Windows and the role of AI as such an opportunity," said Panos Panay, Microsoft Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer, in an interview with Engadget ahead of Tuesdays launch. "We have hundreds of millions of people [using Windows], bringing the power of AI to Windows 11 gives you the opportunity to not only get more creative and get more productive, but ultimately just let every Windows user become a power user."

Windows Copilot, which will be available to preview in June, also has the potential to reach far more users than the revamped Bing. The company's search engine clearly received plenty of buzz thanks to AI  Microsoft said it hit 100 million daily active users a month after the AI chat feature launched  but according to StatCounter, Bing has also lost market share over the past few months. It hit 7.2 percent in April, down from a recent high of 9.92 percent last October.

That's not entirely surprising, though. Microsoft's battle against Google has always seemed like a hopeless endeavor. The company launched its first attempt, MSN Search, in 1998 soon after Google arrived, and amid Yahoo's dominance as the go-to web portal. MSN Search turned into Live Search, which ultimately evolved into Bing in 2009.

Microsoft has always been a company that's dabbled in search, but it's not a search company. But Windows is another matter entirely. It's a product with a devoted user base, many of whom have decades of experience with the OS. According to Microsoft, there are over 1.4 billion monthly active devices running Windows 10 or 11. (And of course, that doesn't include the PCs running older Windows versions.) Microsoft previously tried to bring Bing's AI capabilities into the Windows taskbar in February, but that ultimately just amounted to a shortcut that launched Bing's AI chatbot in the Edge browser. Windows Copilot actually weaves AI into the core Windows 11 experience.

Windows Copilot helping with coding

"There's so much depth in this product from the '90s on," said Panay. "Our job is to responsibly, of course, push it forward to users that need both the past and need to get to the future [...] We have so many kinds of users that use Windows in its simplest form, like browsing, Mail, and Office [...] And then we've got the hardcore devs who get right down to the depth of the product. And I think both are so vital to the platform. But now I think every developer can move forward as an AI developer and every user can be a power user on Windows. I think it just makes Windows that much better."

Windows Copilot is currently a text-only tool, but Panay envisions it evolving into something you can interact with on your own terms. It has the potential to be the powerful voice assistant that Cortana, the Siri competitor Microsoft pushed for years, never amounted to. (And to be fair, pretty much every virtual assistant ended up being a disappointment. Siri remains confounding and inaccurate, while Google's Assistant is mainly useful for preemptively delivering information, rather than dealing with voice commands.)

Windows Copilot choosing music in Spotify

The simple, text-based approach to AI also makes sense for Microsoft. For many users, Windows Copilot will be the first time they've interacted with any sort of generative AI product. Better to let general users warm up with a few text strings before overwhelming people with voice commands. And hopefully by the time Microsoft adds voice support, it'll be closer to the Star Trek computer than the frustrating assistants of yore. (I'm dreaming of the day when I can shout at my computer to look up information as I'm writing feverishly on deadline, or ask it to transcribe and summarize a meeting.)

Windows Copilot, just like Bing Chat, will also support the same third-party plugins that OpenAI's ChaptGPT uses. That means any developer will be able to easily connect their apps to AI, an essential move to make these products more useful. Every software platform needs a thriving third-party ecosystem to survive  just think of what iOS or Android would be like if you were stuck using only Apple or Google's apps.

"AI is going to be the single largest driver of innovation for Windows in the years to come," said Panay. "It's going to change the way you work, change your interaction models to make it easier. It's going to understand so much about what you need."

Windows Copilot sending an edited images to a Teams group

Panay stressed that Microsoft is also focused on making your AI interactions secure and private. Windows Copilot could end up juggling some sensitive information if you start asking questions about specific health questions, for example. A potentially bigger concern is misinformation: Windows Copilot and Bing Chat can answer your questions confidently, but it may not always be accurate. And it's a bigger problem than standard web searches since it's unclear where AI chatbots are pulling information from.

"We have to approach AI with innovation but also optimism," Panay said when I asked about how Microsoft is planning to deal with AI misinformation. "To your point, we have to prioritize both peoples safety and privacy. Also, at the end of the day, if you do it in a frame of humility, where we're always learning, this is going to be vital to your point."

It's clear that Microsoft still has plenty to learn from Windows Copilot. The preview period, which kicks off next month, is a chance for the company to see how it's used in the wild, and to make adjustments before it's officially released. Panay says that the Bing team is already working to make sure its results come from grounded references, and that they're also holding to Microsoft's responsible AI standards.

Microsoft CVP Shilpa Ranganathan

According to Shilpa Ranganathan, a Microsoft Corporate Vice President leading the Windows team, the company has been talking a lot about how Copilot results are displayed, as well as communicating the uncertainty of some answers to customers. We're going to build it into the experience as a learning experience for us as well [] I don't want to take a path that allows us to lose trust with customers, she said. We believe that's most important. I'd rather say, hey, we're not 100 percent sure. Help us make this better or if this didn't help you, I would like feedback now so that we never show this to another customer again.

Panay hopes to get to a point where "as a product maker, I have the confidence that what we're handing to our customers is exactly what they need when we launch into the full availability [of Windows Copilot]." He added, "It's about humility. If you give it time and the right innovation, then we can get to that point of creating the guardrails needed to keep it safe and remove the misinformation."

Given the state of the web today, where less reputable websites employ a variety of SEO tricks to rank higher in search results, its unclear if well ever be truly rid of AI misinformation. The next content war will be entirely focused on websites vying for placement within AI search results. The problem for users is that itll be harder to tell if bad information is coming from a seemingly reputable source, rather than an obviously scammy website filled with junk content.

Windows Copilot has the potential to fundamentally reshape the way we use Windows. But hopefully, it wont erode user trust in the process.
Iranian artist Farnaz Damnabi poses for a picture in front of her work displayed at her solo show 'Unveiled' at 29 Arts In Progress Gallery, in Milan

Milan photo exhibition reveals lives of women in Iran Iranian artist Farnaz Damnabi poses for a picture in front of her work displayed at her solo show 'Unveiled' at 29 Arts In Progress Gallery, in Milan

By Federico Maccioni

MILAN (Reuters) - A photograph of a woman, wearing a white chador with an ornate pattern and standing in front of a hanging Persian rug, is perhaps the most striking image of a new exhibition in Milan that aims to shed light on women's lives in today's Iran.

The woman is photographed from behind and the pattern of her chador, which completely covers her, seems to intertwine with the dense floral design of the rug.

The image is part of the first solo exhibition by Iranian photographer Farnaz Damnabi, which opened at Milan's 29 ARTS IN PROGRESS gallery on Tuesday.

Damnabi, 29, told Reuters the photo was taken in the holy Shi'ite city of Mashhad, one of Iran's most conservative places, where women would only be photographed provided their faces were not shown.

"In my opinion, in various aspects women are invisible but they are so powerful and courageous", she said, adding that she became a photographer to bring the lives of ordinary people to a broader audience.

Damnabi, who lives and works in Tehran, travelled across Iran to document women's lives, among other themes. The women are shown going about their daily lives at home, at work, in the city and the countryside.

Women in Iran are among the most highly educated in the Middle East, with a literacy rate of more than 80%.

The photos were taken before massive protests broke out in Iran last year after the death in custody of a 22-year-old woman arrested for allegedly violating hijab rules, leading to the worst legitimacy crisis for the country's clerical rulers since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The Islamic Republic has blamed the unrest on its foreign foes, and authorities responded with violations that may constitute crimes against humanity, according to a U.N.-appointed expert.

"What struck us is that some of the images... are snapshots that very few could capture", said the gallery's co-founder and co-director Luca Casulli.

(Additional reporting by Parisa Hafezi in Dubai, editing by Gavin Jones, Alexandra Hudson)
Jail cell

A Milwaukee lawyer has chosen to go to jail over probation after reportedly spitting on a Black high school student in 2020.

Today (May 23), The Associated Press reported Stephanie Rapkin, 67, was taken out of a Wisconsin courtroom in handcuffs. In April, the Shorewood attorney was convicted of misdemeanor disorderly conduct concerning the incident.

The outlet noted that in June 2020, Rapkin appeared at an anti-racism protest in the Milwaukee area. Per AP, she parked her vehicle in the street, blocking the demonstration, which was taking place in light of the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. Protesters approached Rapkin and urged her to move her car.

When Rapkin came in contact with Eric Lucas, who helped organize and led the march, she reportedly spat on him. The 67-year-old woman initially faced the charge as a hate crime, but a judge later dismissed the enhancement. Milwaukee County Judge Laura Crivello offered Rapkin clemency during her Tuesday court appearance. Rather than serve a 60-day jail sentence, Rapkin would be on probation for a year and complete 100 hours of community service.

However, the Shorewood lawyer opted not to take the offer. Its not viable, she said. Id rather go to jail right now and take care of it. Later, Rapkins attorney, Anthony Cotton, clarified her comments with reporters. He revealed that since her conviction, Rapkins life has been completely altered. Cotton told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel her neighbors wouldnt socialize with her, she has received death threats, and was labeled a racist.

Rapkin also faces an assault charge on an officer. A day after the protest incident, an officer went to her home to arrest her. According to the criminal complaint, Rapkin is accused of kneeing the cop in the groin. A jury trial regarding the separate charge has been scheduled for August 2023.

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Missing 18-year-old was killed by someone she thought loved her, Texas family says

Police in Texas are searching for a 39-year-old man who is accused of killing a missing 18-year-old woman.

The body of Lakaria Moore was discovered in East Lubbock on Monday, May 22, a day after she was reported missing and said to be in danger, according to the Lubbock Police Department.

Moore was last seen alive with 39-year-old Christoper Carter, whose vehicle her body was ultimately found inside, police said.

Lubbock police have accused Carter of killing the 18-year-old woman. Its unclear how she died.

Carter, who is charged with murder, has not been arrested as of Tuesday.

Moores daughter said she was killed by someone she thought loved her, according to a GoFundMe.

Nobody should have to bury their child. Its supposed to be the other way around., Ladesia Dial said in the GoFundMe.

Before Moores body was found, her mother called Carter to see if she was with him, according to KAMC.

His voice sounded a little different than normal, Dial told the station. He sounded (kind of) sad.

Anyone with information about Carters whereabouts is asked to contact Lubbock police at 806-741-1000.

Lubbock is in the Texas Panhandle, about 350 miles northwest of Dallas.

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Missing doctors car found abandoned at park after he missed work, Missouri cops say

A 49-year-old doctor has been reported missing after he failed to show up for work at a hospital in the Ozarks, Missouri police say.

John Forsyth was last seen around 7 a.m. Sunday, May 21, according to the Cassville Police Department. He was supposed to report for work at Mercy Hospital in Cassville on Sunday, but he never arrived, police said.

Forsyth is a physician at the hospital, according to KZRG.

His vehicle was later found abandoned at a Cassville park, according to police.

My brother is missing. If anyone knows anything, please contact us, Tiffany Andelin said in a Facebook post. Im so worried, Im a mess.

She said her brother has been a doctor in the Aurora area for many years.

Forsyth is described as 5 feet, 11 inches, 180 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a black shirt with blue/gray pants.

Police said there is not believed to be any threat to the public.

The doctor stays at a trailer near the hospital and went there for a short amount of time after leaving the clinic Sunday morning, KY3 reported.

His fiance called it odd behavior that she has not heard from him, according to KY3. The family is helping in the investigation, KOLR reported.

Forsyth has practiced medicine for more than 20 years after receiving his degree from Ross University School of Medicine.

Cassville is about 200 miles south of Kansas City.

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Missing womans body found in sunken vehicle at bottom of bayou, Louisiana cops say

A 56-year-old woman previously reported missing died after veering off a highway, Louisiana police said.

St. Martinville resident Connie Bourque was reported missing on May 19 and involved in a fatal crash around 12:30 p.m. on May 21, Louisiana State Police said in a news release.

Bourque was heading east along Louisiana Highway 352 in St. Martin Parish when she veered off the road to the right for unknown reasons, the release said.

After she left the road, Bourque crashed into a large bayou near the highway and sank in her vehicle, a 2018 Hyundai Sonata, police said.

Emergency officials pulled her vehicle out of the bayou and recovered her body, the release said. Bourque was not properly wearing a seat belt during the incident, police said.

The crash is under investigation, according to state police.

St. Martinville is about 15 miles southeast of Lafayette.

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A Springfield woman who served a brief prison sentence last year in connection with the Capitol riot is back in federal custody.

Mahailya Pryer, 35, was arrested this month for eight alleged probation violations, according to court records. She was transported to Washington, D.C., where she is now being held without bond in the District of Columbia jail.

A hearing on the alleged violations is scheduled for May 31 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Among the violations are that Pryer continues to associate with known drug users and individuals involved in the criminal justice system, operated a motor vehicle on four occasions without a valid license or insurance, possessed methamphetamine on four occasions, failed to make any effort to get a job and failed to attend substance abuse treatment.

According to the supervision officer, Ms. Pryer presents as if she is intentionally committing violations and not being truthful because she does not believe there are consequences, said a report from the U.S. Probation Office filed with the court on April 23.

Court records show that Pryer was arrested by a deputy U.S. Marshal on May 1 for the alleged violations. After a May 3 hearing in federal court in Springfield, she was moved to Washington, where she attended a hearing in federal court on May 16.

Both the government and probation office requested that Pryer be held without bond until the next hearing. She appeared in court for a status hearing on Monday, and the judge ordered that she continue to be held without bond pending the probation violation hearing next week.

Pryer and another Springfield woman, Cara Hentschel, breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and were charged with four misdemeanors. Both women were on probation or bond for prior felony convictions at the time.

The women each pleaded guilty in May 2022 to one misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. They faced a maximum sentence of six months incarceration, five years probation and a $5,000 fine.

Pryer was sentenced in September to 45 days incarceration, 36 months probation and 60 hours of community service. She also was ordered to participate in an inpatient substance abuse program and undergo drug testing.

Hentschel was sentenced to 45 days in a residential re-entry center, 36 months probation, 60 hours of community service and a $500 fine. In addition, the two also were required to pay $500 restitution for damage to the Capitol building on Jan. 6, which prosecutors say totaled more than $2.8 million.

At her sentencing, Pryer told the judge that I am very, very apologetic for what happened on January 6. I do think that its a horrible thing. ... Im very remorseful for what Ive done, the harm that I caused.

The governments sentencing memorandums filed with the court said Hentschel and Pryer drove with two others from Missouri to Washington, D.C., to attend the pro-Trump Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6. Afterward, they joined the mob of protesters who entered restricted grounds at the Capitol and ascended the stairs on the east side of the building that led to the Rotunda doors.

The women were among an increasingly agitated and raucous crowd that repeatedly clashed with police and caused multiple breaches at the Rotunda Doors, the documents said.

Both women voluntarily entered the building but told FBI agents that they had no choice because the movement of the crowd forced them inside. Their entrance was just minutes after the second breach of the Rotunda doors, according to the documents.

There were clear signs of violent entry when they entered the building, the sentencing documents said. The doors glass panes were shattered, and broken glass was on the floor. Alarms sounded and police had been assaulted in that location minutes prior to their entry into the building. When they entered, officers were still engaged in confrontations with rioters.

The women roamed through the Rotunda and adjoining hallways, then exited the building after about eight minutes, the documents said.

In a handwritten note filed with the court prior to her sentencing, Pryer wrote that she was deeply sorry she had participated in the riot.

I went to D.C. to only support my beliefs and voice them, she wrote. I did not go to cause any kind of damage or harm. My actions that day was due to getting wound up by the other people around us. It was so chaotic and everything happened so fast.

My actions on January 6th were unacceptable I hate that the events of January 6th happened as they did. I only meant to peacefully protest. I recognize my issues and want to change. I accept responsibility for my actions and apologize for any harm I caused. I hope the ones I upset can forgive me.
The Modesto Bee earned a first-place prize and five other honors awarded this month by the California News Publishers Association, recognizing exceptional journalism published in 2022.

Photographer and videographer Andy Alfaro took first place for his feature photo Homeless woman with her dog. It was one of the images with a January 2022 article by reporter Kevin Valine, People who live in their cars could park overnight under Modesto plan. What do they think?

The judge said of Alfaros photo, This image had all the elements for a wonderful image. Emotion, strong background, beautiful back lighting, and perfect timing for the moment. There was also excellent information that made the viewer understand the subject. Nice work!

Alfaro also had a second-place win, in the news photo competition. It was for his image The Chavez familys grief and anger, which accompanied a May story by reporter Erin Tracy, Everything in my power to bring justice. Family of man shot by officer speaks out.

The judge wrote, While all entries submitted had very good to excellent technical quality, 79% lacked visual impact. Those entries consisted of people on strike, protest marches and other group shots that indicated little initiative on the part of the photographer. Well cropped, strong visual impact.

Brittoni Estrella, wife of Paul Chavez Jr., middle left, reacts to the video of her husbands shooting by Modesto Police during a news conference to announce a wrongful death lawsuit for the fatal shooting of Chavez on July 14. With Estrella is Michael Chavez, top left, Alissia Hager, middle, Teresa Clutter, right, Roseanna Hager, left, and Martos Estrella. Photographed on Estrada Way in Modesto, Calif., on Tuesday, July 26, 2022.

The Bee, competing in the digital category of publications with monthly unique visitors between 100,001 and 400,000, took second place for general excellence. The judge commented, The Modesto Bees solid local reporting highlights a site with a strong sense of community, in its text and visual reporting as well as its video offers, mix of staff and contributed opinion coverage, and reader participation elements.

Bee Opinion Page Editor Garth Stapley earned a second-place award for two opinion columns submitted. The judge called them quite impressive work.

The columns were headlined Cowardly bigots choose nighttime to distribute antisemitic literature in Modesto and Ceres man stabbed 10 times after sticking up for harried McDonalds employees.

In the field of environmental coverage, former Bee reporter Adam Echelman placed second for his article Valley has some of the worst pollution in nation. Money for air filters goes to Bay Area. Said the judge: Good headline that tells the whole story. Direct and to the point, with plenty of detail for the serious reader. Excellent highlight of environmental injustice.

Finally, in the category of coverage of business and the economy, a third-place honor went to reporter Marijke Rowland, whose submitted entry on the sale of longtime family-owned, Modesto-based Save Mart included three stories.

The judge wrote, Effective combination of well-written story, video, photographs and timeline that explains why the sale of the family-run stores matters, and how it came about and what will change.
After a four-and-a-half hour battle with a deep sea behemoth, an angler reeled in one of the biggest marlin ever caught off the Alabama coast  and a new tournament record.

During the Orange Beach Billfish Classic fishing tournament on May 19, a county commissioner in Georgia Brian Stover and the fishing team of the Mollie, led by captain Jeff Shoults, hooked something big.

Shoults told Orange Beach News that his team was using blackfin tuna as bait to try and catch marlin, one of the deep sea fishermens specialties.

About 250 miles offshore, the rod and reel was handed to Brian Stover  and the line started running, AL.com reported.

At that moment, everybody was seeing what I had been feeling, Stover told AL.com. That thing was like a dinosaur coming out of the water. The head was huge.

The fish was weighed by tournament officials, and hit a whopping 776.4 pounds. It was not only the biggest fish of the weekend; it was the biggest fish ever caught in the tournament. It was more than 10-feet long, the tournament reported.

We didnt spend a whole lot of time fishing after that, Shoults told Orange Beach News. When you catch the biggest one youve ever caught you think about it and go well, am I really going to catch one any bigger or do we just need to go home? We just got away home.

Stover told AL.com he had previously been marlin fishing in Costa Rica, bringing home a fish around 350 pounds, only half the size of the new record.

The fish was a record-breaker in the tournament, but didnt break the state record. The state record is held by Ginger Meyers of Sunset, Louisiana, who landed an 851.9 pound marlin in 2020, according to OutdoorAlabama.com.

Stovers winning 776-pound fish also came with a big prize  $183,000, AL.com reported.

Shoults told Orange Beach News that the fish will be donated to area food banks and other organizations.

Orange Beach is on Alabamas gulf shore, about 55 miles southeast of Mobile.

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Montana first to ban people dressed in drag from reading to children in schools, libraries

Scenes from a drag show at the state capitol held in protest to a slate of bills aimed at how trans Montanans live on Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Helena, Mont. Montana has become the first state to specifically ban people dressed in drag from reading books to children at public schools and libraries. The law took effect immediately after Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill on Monday, May 22, 2023. (Thom Bridge/Independent Record via AP)

HELENA, Mont. (AP)  Montana has become the first state to specifically ban people dressed in drag from reading books to children at public schools and libraries, part of a host of legislation aimed at the rights the LGBTQ+ community in Montana and other states.

Bills in Florida and Tennessee also appear to try to ban drag reading events, but both require the performances to be sexual in nature, which could be up for interpretation. Both bills also face legal challenges.

Montanas law is unique because  while it defines such an event as one hosted by a drag king or drag queen who reads childrens books to minor children  it does not require a sexual element to be banned.

That makes Montanas law the first to specifically ban drag reading events, said Sasha Buchert, an attorney with Lambda Legal, a national organization that seeks to protect the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community and those diagnosed with HIV and AIDS.

Its just constitutionally suspect on all levels, Buchert said Tuesday, arguing the bill limits free speech and seeks to chill an effort that helps transgender youth know they are not alone.

The bill, which was co-sponsored by more than half of the Republican-controlled legislature, took immediate effect after Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed it on Monday.

Gianforte signed the bill because he believes its wildly inappropriate for little kids, especially preschoolers and kids in elementary school, to be exposed to sexualized content, spokesperson Kaitlin Price said in a statement.

The bill initially sought to ban minors from attending drag performances, which were defined as shows that tended to excite lustful thoughts. The legislation was later amended to ban minors from attending sexually oriented or obscene performances on public property.

The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Braxton Mitchell, said he sponsored the bill because drag shows in recent years have been specifically aimed at children," and spoke of online videos that show children at drag shows.

In my humble opinion, there's no such thing as a family-friendly drag show, Mitchell said in April.

Drag performers who opposed the legislation said they have separate drag performances for children compared to those intended for adults.

It's not clear how often such drag reading events have been held at public schools or libraries in Montana. Drag reading events were held in 2022 at ZooMontana in Billings and at a bookstore in downtown Helena. Both events drew protests, but neither would be banned under the new law. Another event held at a Bozeman bookstore last weekend also drew protesters.

A Montana drag performer with The Mister Sisters in Great Falls, whose stage name is Julie Yard, helps organize drag reading events and says she has never been asked to coordinate one in any school  public or otherwise. Between 6 to 10 events are scheduled throughout the state in the coming months.

Usually the requests for drag story hours happen a lot through the summer, Yard said. They typically tend to coincide with Pride celebrations.

Planning such events in the current political climate also involves developing a safety plan and working with local law enforcement in case protesters show up.

The drag reading events will continue despite the protests, which Yard says helps prove that they are needed.

For us, it's again just doubling down and making sure that we are sending a message out there to anyone, but especially kids who are vulnerable, that there is a place for them, there is a community for them, and that there are folks out there who are interested in making sure that they are accepted and feel safe.

Tennessee's bill to restrict drag performances in public spaces or in the presence of children was temporarily blocked in March by a federal judge who sided with a group that filed a lawsuit claiming the statute violates their First Amendment rights. U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker said the state failed to make a compelling argument as to why Tennessee needed the law, and agreed that it was likely vague and overly broad.

A drag show restaurant has filed a challenge against Florida's ban, saying the law deprives the restaurant of its First Amendment rights to free expression. The restaurant had held family friendly drag shows on Sundays, but the law required them to ban children from the shows. Gov. Ron DeSantis also signed bills this week to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors and restrict the discussion of personal pronouns in school.

Gianforte signed a bill this year to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors in Montana during a legislative session in which transgender lawmaker Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr was expelled from the House floor following a protest against Republican lawmakers who had silenced her over her opposition to the care bill.

Last week, he signed a bill to define the word sex in state law to mean only male or female. Kansas and Tennessee have similar laws set to take effect on July 1 that LGBTQ+ allies argue will deny legal recognition to nonbinary and transgender people and prevent them from changing the sex on their birth certificates and driver's licenses. Montana's law would take effect on Oct. 1.
Montana says it is fully prepared against suit by TikTok over app ban

[Source]

Montana has expressed confidence in its legal battle against TikTok after the social video giant challenged the states sweeping ban in a lawsuit filed on Monday.

Last week, Montana became the first state to ban TikTok for regular users amid national concerns over the companys alleged ties to the Chinese government. The law, signed by Gov. Greg Gianforte, goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

By then, Apple and Googles app stores will be legally prevented from offering TikTok to the entirety of Montana. A fine of $10,000 will be imposed on the stores, as well as TikTok, for every single day they fail to comply.

In its suit, TikTok accuses Montana of violating the First Amendment and other federal laws.

More from NextShark: Asian American Moms TikTok Video Explaining #StopAsianHate to Her Kids Goes Viral

The company aims to reverse the ban, which is expected to affect hundreds of thousands of users in the state.

To protect Montanans personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party, I have banned TikTok in Montana.  Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) May 17, 2023 More from NextShark: It's tamarind, not heroin: Uncle Roger roasts Rachael Rays pad Thai

We are challenging Montanas unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said in a statement. We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew also slammed the ban as unconstitutional. Chew testified for his company at a House hearing in March.

More from NextShark: 3 women wounded in Dallas Korean hair salon shooting

We believe that the Montana bill that was recently passed is simply unconstitutional, Chew said at the ongoing Qatar Economic Forum. We are confident that we will prevail.

Last week, a group of five Montana TikTokers also sued the state over the ban.

The plaintiffs  two of whom have more than 200,000 followers  reportedly use the app to promote their businesses, connect with veterans or share outdoor adventures, among other content.

More from NextShark: Digital Bank Cheese Aims to Fix Inequality Asian Americans Face, Donates $100K to Asian Communities

In response to the suits, the state accused the Chinese Communist Party of spying on users and expressed its preparedness to face legal challenges.

Emily Flower, spokesperson for Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, said on Monday:
(Bloomberg) -- More than 100 US and EU lawmakers appealed to the leaders of their countries and the United Nations to oust oil executive Sultan Al Jaber as head of this years COP28 climate summit.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Read More: A Kingdom Built on Oil Now Controls the Worlds Climate ProgressThe politicians also asked that further steps be taken to limit the influence of fossil-fuel companies at the talks to be hosted by the United Arab Emirates at the end of the year. The appointment of Al Jaber, who runs state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., to lead a conference whose goal is to increase global action to cut carbon emissions, has been controversial from the start.

The letter was addressed to US President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and UNs climate chief Simon Stiell. It was signed by 99 EU and 34 US lawmakers.

For billions of people, the outcome of COP28 and following international climate negotiations will make the difference between life and death, chaos and solidarity, said Manon Aubry, a member of the European Parliament and one of the signatories. Corporate greed and lobbyists' lies have led us into this climate crisis. We must prevent private interests from interfering in politics and regain ownership of our future.

This isnt the first concerted effort to remove Al Jaber. In January, more than two dozen US lawmakers called on the countrys climate envoy John Kerry to apply diplomatic pressure on the UAE to replace him as COP28 chief. In February, green EU lawmakers also made the same case in a letter addressed to UNs Stiell.

Under Al Jaber, Adnoc is set to boost oil and gas production, which is something the International Energy Agency and climate scientists agree could cause the world to blow past limits for global warming set through the COP process. Al Jaber is also chairman of state-owned renewable energy company Masdar.

In response to the letter, the organizers of COP28 have given support to Al Jaber. We believe that Dr. Sultans experience as an engineer, working across the energy spectrum, coupled with his experience as a senior global industry leader, are assets that will help drive the UAEs transformative approach to COP28, a spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement.

Listen to a conversation between Bloomberg Greens Aaron Rutkoff and Akshat Rathi on the Zero podcast about Sultan Al Jabers leadership of COP28.

(Adds comment from COP28 organizers in last paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Its more than just a shade: the truth behind people of color and complexion makeup

Lancome may have discontinued its darkest shade, but these brands have got the melanated complexions covered.

Shopping for makeup as a person of color, especially with a darker skin tone, is a unique experience.

Finding the perfect foundation shade can be a struggle for darker complexions (Getty Images)

Whether youre roaming the drug store cosmetics aisle or the endless aisles of major makeup retailers like Sephora or Ulta Beauty, finding the perfect foundation can take years of trial and error. So, when we do find a makeup routine, it becomes our holy grail.

This weekend, influencer Sarah Lugors makeup routine was derailed when she learned that her perfect foundation shade was being discontinued. In a video posted to TikTok, the content creator shared some well-warranted frustrations about the situation.

Ive been wearing the same foundation since I was 14 years old [] the Lancome Teint Idole in 560 suede C, Lugor shared. That was when Lupita Nyongo was their brand ambassador, and I cried because I was like, B****, I can finally wear makeup because they make my shade.

Lugor went on to explain how before the Lancome shade was released, MAC Cosmetics discontinued her shade match, making it hard for her to wear makeup. Unfortunately, shes back to square one as Lancome has discontinued the 560 Suede C foundation shade.

Lugor realized that she would have to search for her perfect shade in a market that does not always cater to women with darker complexions. The experience reminded Lugor of when she was young and was the only person [who] couldnt find anything that was [her] shade.

Influencer Tiara Willis empathized with Lugor when she tweeted, Inclusivity in makeup matters SO much more than people think. You wanna play in makeup like everyone else, but the deepest shade is sand beige.

Another user shared: Its also not as simple as finding a different brand. Ive been using the same brand for years cause its the only one that works with my oily skin. Id be upset too if they suddenly discontinued my shade.

Ultimately, when looking for the right foundation, there are a lot of factors at hand other than finding the right shade. Finding a formula that complements your skin needs (oily, dry, sensitive, etc.) is a different beast. So if the Lancome Teint Idole in the shade 560 Suede C was your perfect match, heres a list of brands that may have your perfect replacement.

Note that prices may fluctuate.

Danessa Myricks Beauty  Yummy Skin Serum Foundation

Coverage: Medium

Finish: Radiant

$34 available online and at Sephora

Received a stamp of approval from beauty influencers Jackie Aina and Nyma Tang

Haus Labs by Lady Gaga  Triclone Skin Tech Medium Coverage Foundation with Fermented Arnica

Coverage: Medium

Finish: Natural

$45 available online and at Sephora

Received a stamp of approval from beauty influencers Jackie Aina and Nyma Tang

Make Up For Ever  HD Skin Undetectable Longwear Foundation

Coverage: Medium

Finish: Natural

$45 available at Sephora

Received a stamp of approval from beauty influencers Jackie Aina and Nyma Tang

Fenty Beauty  Pro Filtr Soft Matte Longwear Liquid Foundation

Coverage: Full

Finish: Matte

$40 available online and at Sephora.

Received a stamp of approval from beauty influencers Jackie Aina and Nyma Tang

PAT McGRATH LABS  Sublime Perfection Foundation

Coverage: Medium

Finish: Natural

$69 available online and at Sephora

Received a stamp of approval from beauty influencers Jackie Aina and Nyma Tang

Juvias Place  I am Magic Natural Radiance Foundation

Coverage: Medium

Finish: Radiant

$23 available at Ulta Beauty

Makeup by Mario  SurrealSkin Liquid Foundation

Coverage: Medium

Finish: Natural

$42 available at Sephora

Received a stamp of approval from beauty influencers Jackie Aina and Nyma Tang

NARS  Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare Foundation

Coverage: Medium

Finish: Natural

$50 available at Sephora, Nordstrom and Ulta Beauty

Received a stamp of approval from beauty influencers Jackie Aina and Nyma Tang

Gucci  Eternite De Beaute 24 Hour Full Coverage Luminous Matte Finish Foundation

Coverage: Full

Finish: Matte

$69 available at Sephora and Nordstrom

Received a stamp of approval from beauty influencers Jackie Aina and Nyma Tang

BLK:OPL  Pore Perfecting Liquid Foundation

Coverage: Medium

Finish: Matte

$14.25 available online and at Ulta Beauty

Danessa Myricks Beauty  Yummy Skin Serum Foundation

Coverage: Medium

Finish: Radiant

$34 available online and at Sephora

Received a stamp of approval from beauty influencers Jackie Aina and Nyma Tang

Haniyah Philogene is a multimedia storyteller and Lifestyle reporter covering all things culture. With a passion for digital media, she goes above and beyond to find new ways to tell and share stories.

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 Its more than just a shade: the truth behind people of color and complexion makeup appeared first on TheGrio.
RIO RANCHO, N.M.  When Ashley Daniels saw her second grade son earn a high score on a test, she knew he had just guessed the answers and gotten lucky. Daniels called his teacher and said he might need some extra support, despite his performance on the test.

It wasnt just a mothers intuition. Daniels watched her son take the test from their dining room table.

The second grader attends SpaRRk Academy, a virtual learning program for elementary students created in 2021 by the Rio Rancho School District in New Mexico. Even as doors reopened to brick-and-mortar schools, administrators here saw the continued need for a virtual option in response to lingering concerns about COVID-19 and feedback from some parents that their children had thrived in online learning.

After a tough year, schools are axing virtual learning. Some families want to stay online.

The district assigned 10 full-time teachers to provide live, online classes via Zoom. They also organized an in-person component: Once a week, students would gather in reserved classrooms in a local elementary school for activities such as science experiments, project-based learning and reading groups. More than 250 students signed up for SpaRRk.

But two years in, enrollment had dropped to 87 kids, a 65% decrease. Costs had soared to $11,327 per pupil, a 121% jump from the year before and nearly $3,000 more than the average in this district of roughly 17,000 students. SpaRRk Academys future sat on shaky ground; the school board announced in late 2022 that it would vote this spring on whether to shutter the academy altogether.

SpaRRk Academy in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, shares physical space with one of the school districts newest elementary campuses, created in response to the rapidly growing number of students in the district.

Virtual schools, once scarce, proliferated because of COVID

Before the pandemic, virtual schools were relatively scarce: 691 fully virtual programs enrolled nearly 294,000 students, accounting for less than 1% of national public school enrollment, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. But after most schools shifted their classes online in early 2020, remote learning caught on with some families, including those who preferred to give their children the flexibility of learning from home, or whose children struggled with social anxiety in school buildings or hadnt found success in traditional learning environments.

Forty-one percent of districts surveyed in August 2021 by the Clayton Christensen Institute, a nonprofit think tank, said they had opened a full-time virtual school option during the pandemic, and 32% planned to maintain these programs after the pandemic subsided.

But today, as COVID-19 fears have waned, many students have tired of screens and employers have begun requiring workers to return in person, a number of those virtual academies are at risk of closing. Thats leaving families like Daniels in the lurch and raising questions about the future of virtual learning. The highest-quality online programs have generally demanded the most resources from school districts, which makes them the most likely to face closure in the face of budget constraints.

Do we continue to fund something that is showing declining enrollment? said Rachel Aaker, the principal of SpaRRK Academy, who spearheaded its creation. I believe it would take commitment from the district and the board to say we may see an increasing need for this eventually, and we need some years for that to play out.

Tucked in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains in northern New Mexico, Rio Rancho is a small but rapidly growing school district. New schools are being built every few years to keep pace with a surge in families moving to the area because of its proximity to technology and engineering firm Sandia National Laboratories and new business hubs for companies such as Intel and NTX Bio. The high-desert landscape is dotted with signs of development: brand-new farmhouse-style homes, fresh asphalt still jet-black from lack of use, and for sale placards on empty plots of land.

Study: Screen time among teenagers during COVID more than doubled outside of virtual school

A longtime administrator in Rio Rancho, Aaker led the districtwide transition of elementary students to online learning when COVID-19 struck. As public health guidelines relaxed over the course of the next school year, Aaker began to hear from parents who werent comfortable sending their kids back to in-person learning. She approached the board with the idea of a stand-alone hybrid program run by the district that any elementary student in Rio Rancho could attend.

Since 2005, the district had operated a virtual option, Cyber Academy, for middle and high schoolers, which relied primarily on a third-party platform, Edgenuity, for lessons students could perform on their own at their own pace and offered some in-person academic support and extracurriculars. Aakers new elementary option was to be different, though, with its real-time live instruction designed by district administrators and led by district teachers.

Daniels and another parent, Nicole Garcia, who sent two children to SpaRRk, opted for the program because of COVID-19 fears. Once enrolled, their children grew more confident and their academic performance improved, said Daniels and Garcia, and they became believers in the model for the long haul. That was true for many SpaRRk parents: District surveys of SpaRRk families found that health concerns were the biggest initial draw, but by 2022 parents instead cited the programs quality, the schools close collaboration with families and the flexibility as reasons they stayed.

More: Could video gaming hold the key to better learning?

Still, that enthusiasm wasnt enough: The academy lost its biggest class, of 54 fifth graders, when they graduated to middle school in 2022, while other families moved out of the school district or returned to in-person learning as pandemic fears eased. Enrollment at Rio Ranchos Cyber Academy for older students also declined, from 285 to 205 this year.

Remote school interest declines in the post-COVID era

That mirrors whats happening in other districts. Overall, total virtual enrollment remains higher than before the pandemic, but in some cases it has declined relative to its pandemic peaks, according to Gary Miron, a professor with Western Michigan Universitys Department of Educational Leadership, Research and Technology.

In Indianapolis Public Schools, for example, 782 families opted into the districts full-time online offering during the 2021-22 school year; today that figure is 508. When Salt Lake Virtual Elementary in Utahs Salt Lake City School District opened for the 2021-22 school year, 257 students enrolled, but that number plummeted to 87 students this year. This June, the school board plans to decide whether to close the school altogether. Nearby Jordan School Districts virtual elementary option, Rocky Peak Virtual Elementary, saw enrollment drop from 604 students during the height of the pandemic to 273 students this year. Wyoming Virtual Academy, a virtual option available to K-12 students statewide, saw enrollment surge from roughly 500 students every year since its founding in 2009 to nearly 1,200 students at the height of the pandemic. Enrollment fell to about 600 students for this school year.

The halls of eCADEMY look a lot like brick-and-mortar school campuses. A main difference? Many of the classrooms are empty for much of the week, except when students attend in-person activities.

Less than 20 miles south of Rio Rancho, the Albuquerque eCADEMY High School, a virtual program created by the Albuquerque school district in 2013, saw enrollment jump during the pandemic from 276 students to 726. Seeing this demand, the Albuquerque school board voted in June 2020 to allocate $8 million in pandemic relief to create eCADEMY K8 and expand virtual offerings to lower grades. In its first year, nearly 1,400 students enrolled, according to data made publicly available by APS.

This school year, enrollment dropped for both eCADEMY programs  to about 950 high schoolers and 747 elementary and middle schoolers, though the numbers remain well above pre-pandemic figures. While many students stay enrolled in eCADEMYs high school program for increased flexibility, Principal Erin Easley said, the program also sees large percentages of students who are coping with debilitating medical conditions or social anxiety, while others come from difficult home environments or have historically struggled to succeed in the classroom.

Erin Easley, Principal of eCADEMY High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, says she believes virtual learning will continue to be an important option for families, even well after the COVID pandemic.

Overall, though, virtual enrollment may be dropping amid questions surrounding the quality of remote learning. Student academic performance took a beating during the online learning experiment of the pandemic. Data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nations report card, shows that fourth graders lost the equivalent of two decades of progress in reading and math, and eighth grade math performance fell in all but one state. And research on some online academies that existed before the pandemic, including for-profit online charter schools, has tended to show poor student outcomes and low graduation rates.

Yet a growing number of educators and researchers caution against making conclusions about virtual learning based on that research. The transition to online learning during the pandemic was haphazard; online programs have continued to evolve and improve. Parents will increasingly expect districts to offer a virtual learning alternative as technologys role grows and pandemic-era workplace flexibility becomes more commonplace, education experts say.

More: Online youth mental health services provided at some schools offer lifeline amid crisis

The idea that we think our education systems are going to remain paper- and pencil-based and in this face-to-face instructional model  its going to change, said Miron, the Western Michigan University professor. It is changing.

But the approach that districts take matters. When the time came to select a middle school for her older child, Garcia said the family chose Cyber Academy, Rio Ranchos existing virtual program for grades six to 12. She quickly found that it was not even comparable to the experience at SPaRRk, she said, and withdrew her daughter after winter break in favor of the local middle school.

SpaRRk teachers took the time to hang around to go over any questions the students had, and made themselves available throughout the day. They are wonderful. Ive never dealt with teachers like them, Garcia said. At Cyber Academy, the teachers and curriculum were not great, and the teachers didnt offer help when kids needed it.

New forms of remote schooling differ

Education experts say the most successful online programs tend to be those that provide individual attention to students, staff the school with dedicated district employees, guarantee low teacher-to-student ratios and rely on curriculum developed by school districts rather than off-the-shelf programs run by for-profit charter schools or other companies. Hybrid programs that incorporate some in-person learning and extracurricular activities, like SPaRRks, have been most successful at providing the benefits of online learning while retaining the social skills some fear could be lost in a virtual environment, according to Miron and others. But as Rio Rancho is finding, such programs require significant resources that can be hard to justify if student enrollment falls.

At the Rio Rancho Board of Education building overlooking the Sandia Mountain foothills, dozens gathered in February for a vote on the online academys future.

Classrooms in the SpaRRk Academy building, co-located with another full-time in-person elementary school, are decorated with colorful posters, inspirational quotes and helpful teaching resources. Students attend in-person classes once per week.

Most who spoke favored keeping it open. At least give us a chance, give the community a chance to know about this program, pleaded Ruby Holden, a special education teacher at SPaRRk Academy, during public comment. We just need an opportunity to have our program open for parents and families to know about us, and I just dont feel like weve had the opportunity to spread the word about our program.

But when Aaker was pressed on how many kids she could enroll in the next two years, she said about one class per grade level, or 20 to 25 students each, more than current enrollment but not the 300-plus target she had thought might be viable when SpaRRk Academy was first founded.

Less than an hour later, the board voted to close the school after only two years in operation.

Enrollment is not going in the right direction, Sue Cleveland, the Rio Rancho superintendent, said at the meeting. Its substantially more expensive than what we are spending on other students in the district. I wish we had enough resources that we didnt have to make hard choices like sometimes we have to make.

After the vote, SpaRRk families and administrators shared tears and hugs. We wish we had more time to provide an opportunity for our school to grow, Aaker said.

Garcia, who did not attend was not at the meeting, said shell enroll her rising fourth grader in the local brick-and-mortar option, which, she said, is not what we would want at this time.

More: The pandemic changed American education overnight. Some changes are here to stay.

Daniels said she plans to homeschool her son for the upcoming school year rather than send him back to a local public school. I think its such a loss for the district, she said. I feel like they are taking three steps back.

Ironically, one of the board members was literally attending the meeting virtually. I guess we do board meetings virtually  but not learning.

This story about online academies was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Online school options are shrinking. What about kids who thrive there?
Range Rover Velar

Land Rover has topped the list as the most stolen car in the UK, as fresh data reveals the number of car thefts has jumped by a quarter in the last year.

Data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency shows that in the 12 months to March 2023, one in every hundred Land Rovers was stolen.

The data, obtained through Freedom of Information requests by Confused.com, found that Land Rovers were three times more likely to be stolen than a Mercedes-Benz, the brand second most sought after by thieves.

Of the 896,948 licensed Land Rovers in the country, 8,284 had been recorded as stolen, the equivalent of 924 thefts for every 100,000 Land Rovers in the UK, according to the data.

Land Rovers also accounted for six of the top 10 most stolen car models overall, with the Range Rover Velar R-Dyn the most sought out by criminals, with two in every hundred of the model ending up stolen.

For second place Mercedes-Benz, 323 cars per 100,000 are stolen, followed by Ford and BMW.

The data also revealed that black cars are most likely to disappear from the roads. A total of 18,000 black cars were stolen last year.

The West Midlands saw the most car thefts across the UK, with 251 out of every 100,000 cars taken, while Dyfed in Wales had the lowest rate of thefts, with just 22 per 100,000 vehicles were stolen.

It comes as new analysis from AA Insurance showed that the number of cars stolen last year leapt by 25 per cent.

The rate of thefts has soared over the last year, with analysis of crime data by AA Insurance showing that 130,389 cars had been stolen in 2022, up from 104,435 in 2021.

The insurance provider warned that thieves are becoming more sophisticated in the way they steal cars through the use of hi-tech methods to overcome enhanced vehicle security systems.

These include key cloning or relay theft, where transmitters are used to intercept the unique signal from cars and redirect it towards another transmitter that is then aimed towards the car. So sophisticated have the transmitters become that they can clone a keys signal from outside of the house.

The rise in thefts was matched by an increase in the number of people that had seen possessions stolen from their cars, with 212,900 items stolen in 2022, compared to 193,647 stolen in 2021.

Gus Park, managing director for AA Insurance Services, said that the figures were in danger of spiralling out of control, which would have a massive impact on society and insurance premiums.

He said: The rise in vehicle and residential thefts are worrying for everyone and highlights that security of both car and home are vitally important.

We urge police chiefs and crime commissioners across the country to create an action plan to crack the case.

AA Insurance is advising drivers to not leave valuables in their cars and use visible deterrents such as a steering wheel lock.

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.
CCTV footage appears to show a police van following two people on a bike in Ely, Cardiff

CCTV footage has emerged showing a police van appearing to follow two teenagers on an electric bike moments before a fatal crash that sparked a night of violent rioting in Cardiff.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and his best friend Harvey Evans, 15, have been named as the two boys who died in the collision in the Ely area of the Welsh capital on Monday.

Following the crash, widespread disorder, which involved up to 150 people, erupted after rumours started circulating on social media suggesting the teenagers had been killed in a police chase.

Alun Michael, South Wales Police and crime commissioner, appeared to dismiss the speculation on Tuesday saying suggestions the pair were being chased by police at the time were false.

South Wales Police have referred themselves to their watchdog after CCTV footage showed a police van following two people on an electric bike before a fatal crash which sparked a riot in Cardiff.



Read more: https://t.co/M28NQoup2V pic.twitter.com/A39oMBPvSX  Sky News (@SkyNews) May 23, 2023

However, the CCTV footage, which was filmed one minute before the crash at 17.00pm BST on Monday on Frank Road in Ely 900m (2,953ft) away from the scene, has now been verified by the BBC.

The footage shows two young men on an off-road bike with a police van just one second behind.

Kyrees Sullivan, 15, and Harvey Evans, 16, (pictured together) died in the accident which sparked the riot - WALES NEWS SERVICE

At a police press conference on Tuesday night however, the force said it would be referring itself to the watchdog.

Divisional Commander for Cardiff & The Vale, Chief Superintendent Martyn Stone, said: "We have received footage that shows a police vehicle following a bike at just prior to 6pm.

"This footage is being recovered as part of the investigation and will assist us in piecing together the circumstances leading up to the collision. The families are being kept up to date.

"We can confirm the following investigations have been carried out so far and when the collision occurred there were no police vehicles on Snowden Road.

"A police vehicle on Grand Avenue responded to the collision, attended the area and officers performed CPR."

'Those boys were chased - it is all there on video'

One local resident said: "Those boys were chased - it is all there on video for us all to see. That is why people took to the streets to do what they did.

"Loads of people have seen it and the police are just trying to cover themselves."

An automobile burns on Highmead Road during unrest following a serious road crash earlier on Snowden Road in Cardiff - Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

Specially-trained public order officers with riot shields were deployed to deal with the disorder, including some from neighbouring police forces, as several vehicles were set alight, property was damaged and officers were injured.

A friend of the victims, who did not wish to be named, said the two boys were best friends who were well known in the tight-knit Ely community for riding dirt bikes around the area.

Scenes being live streamed on Facebook during the violence showed balaclava clad gangs of people throwing fireworks and other missiles at a line of police officers with riot shields who were blocking one end of the street.

The man hosting the video online said: We all came up to pay our respects and [the police] tried hitting us with batons, so we reacted.

Kyrees mother 'unable to take him to hospital'

At the height of the violence, Kyrees heartbroken mother, Belinda Sullivan, appealed on social media for the rioters to stop and said she was unable to reach her child to take him to hospital.

She said: My son is still laying on the floor due to this riot. I'm sat at home heart broken.

There are two families broken right now I just want to see my son and I cant because of this riot that have happened pls I beg you all to stop and let my son be moved to hospital so I can see him. We need to see our sons.

Flowers laid at the scene where two boys died in a car crash - JAY WILLIAMS

Shortly before midnight a car was set on fire and burned, while a second vehicle was overturned and also torched as a police helicopter hovered overhead. People also attempted to drive a car into the line of police officers.

One person was attacked after rioters became convinced they were an undercover officer, according to a senior officer at the scene.

Police, including mounted officers on horseback, were seen outside Ely police station in the early hours of Tuesday after suggestions it could be targeted.

'Its going to be bad again tonight'

Local resident Ahmad Abdullah, 34, said he heard threats from rioters that they wouldnt stop until they "killed" police officers at the scene.

South Wales Police said "a number" of arrests had been made and 15 officers were injured in the disorder.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's spokesperson said the scenes in Cardiff were "appalling and completely unacceptable".

The aftermath of the riots on Tuesday - Wales news service

First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford said he was "very concerned" by the "upsetting reports".

One local, who did not wish to be named, said: If Im being honest they [youths] provoke the police on purpose to get them to chase them. They know all the back alleyways and sadly this game has ended like this.

Pastor David Pritchard, 63, who started working with a youth club in the area earlier this year said: I think the saddest thing is they just need more activity for the youth  a rock climbing wall or something.

One local resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said many of the people in the riot were not from here but had arrived from further afield after hearing about the incident on social media.

Its going to be bad again tonight, they said.

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 motorcyclist is dead after a crash in Clermont County over the weekend, according to the Hamilton County Coroners Office.

Robert Meade, 39, of Amelia was taken early Sunday to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on Monday, a coroners report shows.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The crash was reported at 12:17 a.m. at Ohio 125 and Crane Schoolhouse Road in Tate Township, the patrol said in a news release Tuesday.

A preliminary investigation said a 2009 Toyota Highlander was traveling north on Crane Schoolhouse Road and then turned left to head west onto Ohio 125, according to the release.

Meade was headed west on Ohio 125 on his 2014 Harley Davidson Street Glide Special motorcycle. While completing the turn, the Harley-Davidson struck the back of the SUV.

The motorcycle continued off the left side of the road before it stopped.

Meade was airlifted in a medical helicopter to the University of Cincinnati hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later died.

Enquirer media partner Fox 19 provided this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Robert Meade, Amelia, dies in Clermont County motorcycle crash
LAKE PARK  A 24-year-old West Palm Beach man is facing a charge of second-degree murder with a firearm after his arrest in connection with a May 17 fatal shooting in the parking lot of a busy Lake Park shopping plaza.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office arrested Michael Laurice Harris on Friday. Judge Edward Garrison ordered Harris to be held without bail at the Palm Beach County Jail during a hearing Saturday morning.

The Palm Beach County Public Defender's Office is representing Harris. As a policy, it does not comment on open cases. Harris told investigators the man he shot had threatened him

PBSO's arrest report does not identify the person who was killed in the shooting.

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Witnesses: Man who died in Lake Park drove up in Dodge Challenger

Deputies were called about 7:15 p.m. to a reported shooting in the parking lot of The Plaza at Lake Park in the 1200 block of Northlake Boulevard, a shopping center with a Pet Supplies Plus, Dollar Tree, GameStop, Burlington, Hobby Lobby and Chick-fil-A. Businesses in the plaza were open at the time.

Deputies found a man who had been shot in his right side lying in the road in front of the Burlington store. Paramedics took him to St. Marys Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where he was pronounced dead just before 8 p.m., the arrest report says.

Detectives spoke with two witnesses who were in their car when they saw a purple Dodge Challenger drive through the lot about two aisles over. Both said they saw the Challenger stop in the middle of that aisle, then watched as a man got out and walked over to a man and woman who were standing near a gray car, the report says.

The witnesses told detectives they watched as the man who got out of the Challenger punched the woman. Then, the other man pulled out a gun and shot the man who had been in the Challenger, the witnesses said.

The woman got into the Challenger, moved it about 10 to 15 feet, then got into the gray car with the shooter, leaving the parking lot and the wounded man, the report said.

Surveillance-camera footage from the Burlington store captured the entire incident, the report said. Detectives who reviewed the footage found that it matched the witnesses description, with a man in a Dodge Challenger approaching a man and woman next to a gray Toyota Corolla, arguing with them, slapping the woman, then turning to walk back to his car before the man near the Corolla shot him.

Detectives identified Harris as the possible shooter, and he was brought in for questioning and to give a statement, the report said.

Accused West Palm Beach shooter told PBSO he was threatened before firing gun

Harris told investigators he was in the Burlington parking lot with a woman, who is not identified in the report, and driving a gray Toyota Corolla. They got out of the car as the other man pulled up behind their car in his Dodge Challenger and started arguing with the woman, asking for her to give back a key to his car, the report said.

The man then turned and walked back to his car, but turned around and continued arguing with Harris and the woman, Harris told detectives. The woman put herself between Harris and the man, which is when the man punched her and tried to punch Harris, Harris said.

That is when, Harris said, he pulled out his gun and shot the man, then drove away after the woman moved the Challenger.

While speaking with detectives, Harris insisted the man had charged at him and threatened him, the report said. Detectives did not find any weapons on the man, and Harris did not mention weapons.

They said they also talked to the woman, who shared a similar story as Harris, according to the arrest report.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Shooting near West Palm Burlington leads to man's arrest on murder
Old homes make strange noises, but rarely do the creaks and pops of wood resemble a barking dog.

Yet thats exactly what one North Carolina woman heard around 10:30 a.m. Monday, May 22, as she did laundry at her home in Marion.

It sounded just like a dog barking and whimpering, and it was coming not from outside, but from the floor.

She went outside to try and figure out where it was coming from, and ultimately they realized it was from beneath the house, Jennifer Wilson, a public information officer with the McDowell County Rescue Squad, told McClatchy News.

Her husband then went under the home, in the crawl space, and with a flashlight he saw a puppy at the bottom of an old well. It was 15 to 20 feet deep and had 4 to 6 inches of water in it  and a puppy.

The well had long ago been covered with concrete and forgotten, but one small corner had become exposed and that was enough for a curious puppy to get hopelessly stuck, she said.

It was clearly a rescue that called for specialists used to strange predicaments, which led to McDowell County Rescue Squad being summoned. The squad is in the business of saving people, but has also pulled off some odd animal rescues, including a camel stuck in a creek and a dog wedged head-first in a tire rim, Wilson said.

Were talking a typical crawl space of about 4 feet, Wilson said. We went in and used a rope set up to pull it out, but if that didnt work, we had someone on stand by to rappel down. Any time youre dealing with an animal, you never quite know what might happen, but this was a puppy and he was ready to get out. He wasnt fighting.

The puppy was wet and cold but showed no signs of injury. Its not known how long it was in the well, but the homeowner reports the dog had been seen 2 to 3 hours earlier, running around the yard.

The dog was handed over to the McDowell County Animal Shelter, in hopes an owner would show up to collect it.

At least one member of the rescue squad has since visited the puppy at the shelter, just to play with it, Wilson said.

Marion is about 95 miles northwest of Charlotte.

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The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) took an extraordinary step in issuing a travel advisory to Florida in response to policies by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that many have criticized as discriminatory and anti-Black.

The move comes as DeSantis prepares to launch his candidacy for president in the coming days, putting him in a potentially uncomfortable spot as his critics look to shine a spotlight on his controversial policies.

We didnt get here overnight. It was because of the election, so we have to prepare for the next election so we can get rid of him once and for all, said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP.

Since his election, DeSantis has faced allegations of attempting to suppress Black votes through gerrymandering and targeting mostly Black people with a police division dedicated to prosecuting voting fraud.

He also received backlash for passing legislation limiting how race can be taught or discussed in classrooms and workplaces, previously calling the idea of systemic racism in the U.S. a bunch of horse manure, and, most recently, signing legislation prohibiting colleges and universities from using public funding on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

Anybody that has been following whats been happening in Florida understands that its essentially become a hostile territory for Black people in the state, said Cliff Albright, co-founder and executive director of Black Voters Matter, an organization dedicated to community organizing.

Albright added that Black travelers need to be cautious when thinking about going to Florida, whether for business or a conference  or even school.

Students that they might be going there for school, they might need to rethink whether thats a safe option for them, especially if theyre going to colleges, which is a big part of the DeSantis of Florida governments attack against Black people, Albright said.

Florida high school students, some of them 18 years old, have already expressed their dissatisfaction with DeSantis after he attempted to ban an Advanced Placement African American studies course this year. Sixty-five percent of Black voters nationwide disagreed with the governor for that move, according to HIT Strategies.

In a statement, Florida state Sen. Shevrin Jones (D) said the NAACPs advisory was not a surprise because Black Americans are absolutely less safe under DeSantiss administration.

Jones, the first openly gay lawmaker in the state Senate, added the governor is too focused on a 2024 run instead of the constituents in his state.

Its deeply distressing that DeSantis cares more about his campaign for president than he does delivering for people and actually doing the job he was elected to do, said Jones, who is working on President Bidens reelection campaign.

His dangerous agenda not only hurts people in our communities, but also harms our states economy, tourism, and local small businesses. When we have major employers pulling events and development out of the state in response to DeSantiss embrace of right-wing authoritarianism, that hurts all of us.

Still, Albright said, DeSantiss latest policy moves shouldnt come as too much of a surprise considering his record.

Black voters have really seen who he was in Florida four or five years ago, when he was running against Andrew Gillum and he made the remark about, Lets not monkey this up, he said, referring to DeSantiss comment about Gillum, who would have been the first Black governor elected to the state.

That was just a precursor to the anti-Blackness that weve seen throughout his administration.

DeSantis, for his part, defended the comment at the time, saying it had zero to do with race.

The governors moves ultimately could impact how Black voters view him in 2024, Albright argued, adding that the NAACPs travel advisory simply raised awareness about what DeSantis has been doing.

But these actions also wont necessarily impact how DeSantis, currently a distant second to former President Donald Trump in most GOP primary polls, does in the primaries, Albright claimed. Instead, he argued DeSantiss performance in the race will come down to organizations like Black Voters Matter and the messaging from other candidates.

What we do has to be about what these policies mean to our community, how its impacting us, how its impacting our children, our families and our jobs. And thats got to be the eyes on the prize, Albright said.

Meanwhile, others are pushing back against the NAACPs move, including Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.). Donalds, who is Black, blasted the travel advisory as just really stupid on Monday.

I dont even know what the NAACP is talking about, Donalds said on Fox and Friends. This is silly, and its dumb. Its political. It makes no sense. We should be focused on making sure people actually have the opportunity to achieve, which Florida is actually doing and thriving in way better than other states, lets say New York or California or Washington state.

Other groups have applauded DeSantiss administration. In a statement to CNN, the Florida Department of Commerce said it had no comment in regard to the travel advisory but said that over the past few years, Florida has moved into the number one spot in the United States for Black-owned businesses and number two for Hispanic and number two for women owned businesses.

DeSantiss office in a statement to The Hill blasted the NAACPs travel advisory as a stunt.

As Governor DeSantis announced last week, Florida is seeing record-breaking tourism, said Jeremy Redfern, press secretary for DeSantis. This is nothing more than a stunt.

Estimates show that Florida welcomed nearly 40 million visitors between January and March 2023, the most visitors recorded in a quarter for the state.

DeSantiss administration also has denounced assertions that it is anti-Black. The accusation, spokesperson Bryan Griffin said in January, is absurd, demonstrably false, and insulting and demeaning to all of us serving in and supporting this administration.

Meanwhile, DeSantis and his allies are quick to that he did fairly well with Black voters in 2022. Exit polling from CNN saw 13 percent of Black voters cast their ballots for DeSantis  something that stood out to Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright, too.

The exit polling is a true indicator that Black voters are not monolithic, Seawright told The Hill. The other thing I think people should know is that different things move different constituencies and different voters. While some of us African Americans may think all these things are bad and theyre not good for our community, there are some in our community who may say that was not that bad, so Im gonna hold my nose, or Im gonna vote for him.

DeSantis could also use the NAACPs travel advisory as part of an us vs. them messaging, Seawright warned, galvanizing his supporters and the Republican base across the nation against those who promote topics like DEI and Black history.

Seawright argued others need to throw their support into helping the NAACP build a competitive and multicultural coalition ahead of 2024.

We have to make racism, bigotry, hate, white supremacy  we have to make it expensive, Seawright said. And we have to hit people in their pocketbooks when we make it expensive.  Weve got to make folks pay until it hurts, so that they will suspend these motions and these emotions around things that dont make sense.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
ispaces attempt to become the first private company to safely land a robot on the Moon left a mark: A NASA space telescope orbiting Earths nearest neighbor in space spotted the impact of the vehicle on the lunar surface.

The Japanese firm hoped its Hakuto-R mission would demonstrate the ability to safely reach the Moon so it could ride a wave of NASA and private spending on lunar cargo deliveries. Its not an easy task; two of the three previous attempts failed. And sadly, the Hakuto lander ran out of fuel for its rocket engines as it descended toward the surface, causing it speed up and crasha testimony to the fine margins of safety in spaceflight.

Read more

NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been circling the Moon since 2009, carefully mapping its surface. Today, it released the first images of the impact site, which required scientists at the Goddard Space Flight Center and Arizona State University to carefully hunt for changes to the lunar surface. (The LRO did the same after SpaceILs Beresheet lander crashed in 2019.)

To help get your bearings, heres a map of the Moon centered on the Atlas crater, where Hakuto-R was attempting to land.

The red square highlights the Atlas crater.

Heres that same crater, a little closer up:

The Atlas crater.

And heres an image from LRO with the impact site pointed out:

Image: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

This animation compares an image taken before the landing attempt and one taken after; point A is thought to be the impact site itself, while the three other arrows highlight smaller changes that could be caused by debris tossed up after the crash.

And finally, heres an image where the scientists combine data from the before and after shots to highlight the differences between them; the impact area is approximately 60 to 80 meters across.

Image: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University

While the loss of the Hakuto lander is disappointing, ispace plans to press on with at least two more missionsanother attempt with its Hakuto series lander, and a combined mission with the US firm Draper Labs, which has a contract to fly scientific instruments to the Moon for NASA.

The space agency will spend $2.6 billion hiring companies to deliver cargo to the Moon in the years ahead, with Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines hoping to launch their own landersand vie to be the first private organization to reach the lunar surfacesometime in 2023.

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NASA Says It May Have Spotted Remains of Crashed Japanese Moon Lander

Final Impact

NASA says it's spotted the impact site of Japanese company ispace's lunar lander, which made a hard impact with the lunar surface last month.

Close-up images taken by the agency's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) show four large craters dotting the Moon's surface, likely the remains of ispace's HAKUTO-R Mission 1 lander.

The robotic spacecraft company was hoping to become the first to land and operate a privately-funded spacecraft on the lunar surface. But on April 25, mission control in Tokyo lost contact with the lander shortly after it adjusted its orbit to approach the lunar surface.

"We have not confirmed communication from the lander," a somber ispace founder Takeshi Hakamada said during a live stream at the time. "Our engineers will continue to investigate."

Target Acquired

Just a day later, NASA's LRO flew by the impact site, acquiring ten images that cover a region of roughly 25 by 28 miles. The LRO team compared those images to ones taken of the same site before the impact and discovered an "unusual surface change near the nominal landing site," according to a blog post put together by LRO senior research engineer Emerson Speyerer.

Future observations could shed more light on the matter.

"This site will be analyzed more over the coming months as LROC has the opportunity to reimage the site under various lighting and viewing geometries," reads the post.

It wouldn't be the first time the LRO spotted the remains of landers that crashed on the lunar surface. In 2019, the orbiter discovered the crash site of Israeli nonprofit SpaceIL's Beresheet lander. Later that same year, the spacecraft spotted the debris field of India's Vikram lander.

Despite failing during its first attempt, ispace's leadership says it's not giving up.

"We will keep going." Hakamada told the crowd last month. "Never quit."

More on ispace: Private Company Landing on Moon Appears to Have Failed
CAPSTONE captured this image of the Moon on May 3, 2023.

The NASA-funded CAPSTONE mission is the little probe that could. Despite a rough start to its journey, the cubesat was able to capture a hauntingly beautiful view of the Moon from its unique orbit and test a Moon GPS system for the first time.

The microwave oven-sized spacecraft entered its near rectilinear halo orbit (NRHO) in November, testing the orbital path that will be used by NASAs planned Lunar Gateway space station. Earlier this month, CAPSTONE completed a successful test of a navigation technology similar to the GPS we use on Earth that could help future missions navigate their way around the Moon, NASA recently announced.

Read more

On May 9, the small satellite sent a signal to NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has been orbiting the Moon since 2009, as a way to measure the distance and relative velocity between the two spacecraft. LRO then sent the signal back to CAPSTONE, and the satellite converted the signal into a measurement. The test proved the ability to collect measurements that will be utilized by CAPS software to determine the positioning of both spacecraft, NASA wrote. This capability could provide autonomous onboard navigation information for future lunar missions.

The spacecraft also took its first photo of the Moon, revealing the cratered surface of the lunar North Pole during a close flyby on May 3. CAPSTONE gets as close as 11,000 miles (17,700 kilometers) to one of the Moons poles and as far as 43,500 miles (70,000 km) from the other pole every seven days.

An image of the Moon captured by CAPSTONE during its closest approach to the North Pole.

CAPSTONE, or Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment, launched on June 28 aboard Rocket Labs Electron rocket. The 55-pound cubesat was designed and built by Terran Orbital, while Colorado-based company Advanced Space, with help from Terran Orbital and NASA, is managing the mission.



The small spacecraft has already wrapped up its initial mission timeline of six months in lunar orbit, and it is now beginning its extended mission which could last for another year, according to NASA.

For more spaceflight in your life, follow us on Twitter and bookmark Gizmodos dedicated Spaceflight Spaceflight page.

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This story involves details of domestic violence. If you need assistance, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk will not pursue charges against Metro Nashville Police Officer Kendall Coon for his role in the fatal police shooting of Mark Capps.

Funk also is asking the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to close its review.

In a letter obtained by The Tennessean, Funk told TBI agent James Scarbro that Coon's actions in fatally shooting Capps was reasonably necessary under facts and circumstances existing in the case.

More: Mark Capps' family shares memories while acknowledging Grammy winner's troubled past

Coon was one of three Nashville SWAT officers executing a covert operation on Jan. 5  they were attempting to serve aggravated assault and aggravated kidnapping warrants to Capps at his Hermitage home hours after police say he held his wife and stepdaughter at gunpoint.

When Capps, 54, came to the front door, police deemed Capps' movements an immediate threat. Coon fatally shot the man.

A 30-second clip of body-camera footage released by MNPD did not show all of Capps' movements and was partially obstructed by Coon's weapon.

Some police experts questioned the actions of Coon, who fatally shot Capps within seconds of arriving on the man's front porch.

Criminal justice consultant George Kirkham said Capps was not presenting an active shooter situation and said he was the type of person police should have spoken to from a distance before pursing fatal measures.

The city's mobile crisis team and Partners in Care program, both of which send mental health workers to help police engage people experiencing mental health crises, were not involved.

Jill Fitcheard, who leads the Metro Nashville Community Oversight Board, said her main questions revolve around the tactics MNPD utilized and policies governing SWAT officers. Marc Evans, a longtime police lieutenant in California, also questioned why officers approached the front door  instead of first engaging Capps by using a loudspeaker outside the residence, allowing him an opportunity to surrender.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville D.A. won't pursue charges against MNPD officer in Mark Capps shooting
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Training Ukrainian pilots on Western F-16 fighter jets does not make NATO a party to the conflict, its chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday, as allies pledged to speed up preparations to start lessons.

Stoltenberg said Ukraine had the right to defend itself.

"We help Ukraine to uphold that right," he told reporters in Brussels. "That doesn't make NATO and NATO allies a party to the conflict."

On Monday, senior Russian diplomats on Monday said the transfer of F-16 jets to Ukraine would raise the question of NATO's role in the conflict.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday endorsed training programs for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy assured Biden that the planes would not be used to cross into Russian territory.

"This is an important step that apparently will enable us to then deliver fighter jets at some stage," said Stoltenberg, who described the move as "a very clear signal that we are there for the long term and that Russia cannot wait us out".

A fighter jet coalition of nations was meanwhile hammering out the concrete timeline for starting the training.

"We will speed up now that we have the green light," Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with her EU counterparts in Brussels.

She said the training were a coordinated effort by Belgium, Denmark, Britain, the Netherlands and other allies, and that more countries could join.

Germany said it was looking into ways to support the fighter jet coalition.

"We are looking into the few options that we may theoretically have," Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said.

"But it won't be significant as we simply don't have F-16 fighter jets on our own and are unlikely to be able to help a lot in the pilot training".

(Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Andrew Gray; editing by John Stonestreet)
A new state court records management system has violated peoples rights by delaying their release from jail and causing others to be arrested multiple times on the same warrant, a new lawsuit claims.

The complaint asks that a federal judge bar Wake and Lee county sheriffs from using the system which state officials rolled out in February in four counties as a pilot.

The suit, which estimates damages to exceed $5 million, is a proposed class action claim that could likely draw hundreds of affected people across the state, the lawsuit states

The named plaintiffs include a Triangle and Lee County resident. One was arrested twice on the same warrant, the lawsuit contends. The others release from jail was wrongly delayed 14 days.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs say they are aware of more people harmed by failures by the system.

We expect to hear from many more people now that this complaint is on file, said Zach Ezor, one of the attorneys from the Tin Fulton law firm that represents the plaintiffs.

Such problems with the new system and other issues were foreseeable, the lawsuit claims, since vendor Tyler Technologies has faced significant challenges during previous software rollouts in Texas, California, Tennessee and Indiana. The Texas-based company was awarded a $100 million contract over 10 years to implement the new North Carolina court software system.

In an interview in February, Andrew Heath, director of the North Carolina Administrative Office of Courts, asked people to give the system six months, saying there is no easy way to go through such a big transition without challenges.

A human toll

Triangle resident Timia Chaplin was charged in November with aiding and abetting impaired driving, a misdemeanor, and failed to appear in court on those charges in December, according to the lawsuit and court documents.

In March, police arrested her for failure to appear and released on a bond, the lawsuit states. Her charges were dismissed later that month.

However, on April 9, Chaplin was arrested again on those charges, the lawsuit states.

During an unrelated traffic stop later in April, an officer informed her that the warrant was still active.

Paulino Castellanos was arrested on Feb. 10 and charged with indecent liberties with a child under the age of 16 and attempted first degree sex offense, according to court documents. The alleged incident occurred between 2011 and 2017, according to the limited court documents accessible in the eCourts portal.

Other court documents appeared available in the online eCourts system, but when a reporter clicked on them, the items attempted to load for several minutes until an error message popped up.

Castellanos was unable to pay the bond for his case, and his attorney started to work for his release immediately, according to the lawsuit. Castellanos has severe arthritis, which often limits his movement and confines him to a wheelchair, the lawsuit states.

But Lee County officials, who had begun digitizing case files for the Feb. 13 transition to eCourts, couldnt find Castellanos case in the system.

On Feb. 15, the court unsecured Castellanos bond and allowed him to be released on electronic monitoring. However, he wasnt released until Feb. 23 because no device was available, the lawsuit states.

Over the 14 days Castellanos was in jail, he was confined to his cell 23 hours a day, the lawsuit states. His arthritis made it nearly impossible for Castellanos to do basic tasks, like walk from his bed to the cell door to get his meals.

A failed upgrade?

On Feb. 13 the North Carolina Judicial Branch moved to digitize the state court system through eCourts pilots in Wake, Johnson, Lee and Harnett counties. ECourts is a package of software applications that allows electronic filing as well as allows the public access records online and pay court fees.

The transition hasnt gone smoothly, with court officials and attorneys complaining about system slow down and breakdowns on multiple levels. Mecklenburg County was expected to roll out their eCourts around May, with additional county clusters expected to follow every 60 to 90 days until all courts are using the new system by 2025.

However, due to the challenges in pilot counties, the roll out has been delayed indefinitely.

In an interview earlier this month, Wake District Attorney Lorrin Freeman, described the transition as a bumpy ride.

I think that it would be safe to say there is growing concern at this moment that we are not able to move as quickly and efficiently, as they would like, Freeman said.

Heath said in February that state officials are working through the glitches, including making sure officers were informed about recalled warrants.

Ask any criminal attorney, and they will outline widespread issues, Ezor said.

Ezor said they asked for a pause in the use of the new system in the hopes that there would be a thorough evaluation of eCourts in the pilot counties, as well as spur backup practices to ensure the issues are being addressed.

The lawsuit was filed against Wake Sheriff Willie Rowe, Lee Sheriff Brian Estes, the sheriffs insurers, and Tyler Technologies. A judge will decide whether the case meets the requirements to certify the case as class action.

Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer. Her work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The N&O maintains full editorial control of its journalism.
A nearly $4 million AI-powered weapons scanner sold to a New York school system failed to detect knives

Safety and security signs outside a high school in Queens, New York. Lindsey Nicholson/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

An AI-powered weapons scanner meant to create "weapons-free zones," fails to detect knives.

A New York school district bought the nearly $4 million system and then found out it didn't fully work.

A 17-year-old attacker managed to walk through the scanner last year with a nine-inch knife and stab another student.

There is both great fear and great excitement over the future of AI.

There is also a lingering question over its ability.

One New York school district learned this the hard way. It spent close to $4 million to buy an AI-powered weapons scanner from Evolv Technology that the company bills as "proven artificial intelligence" able to create a "weapons-free zone."

Then, on Halloween last year, a student walked through the scanner carrying a nine-inch knife and used it to stab a fellow student multiple times, the BBC reported.

Teachers broke up the altercation, local news station WKTV reported, and the victim was taken to the hospital. Police at the time said the student's injuries were not life-threatening.

"When we viewed the horrific video, we all asked the same question. How did the student get the knife into the school?" Brian Nolan, the superintendent of Utica Schools, told the BBC.

The answer appears to be that artificial intelligence is not yet foolproof.

A BBC investigation found that while Evolv Technologies claims their systems can detect guns, knives, and explosive devices, during 24 walk-throughs a scanner missed 42% of large knives.

Evolv Technologies claims on its website that its weapons detection system can scan for weapons 10 times faster than traditional metal detectors.

In an emailed statement to Insider, Evolv said "We sincerely regret the incident that took place on October 31st in Utica."

"We regret if any of our past statements caused confusion, and continue to work to improve our messaging, while balancing the need to keep certain information from the hands of people intent on doing harm," the statement added.

The company said its customers reported its Evolv Express system detected over 90,000 firearms and over 80,000 bladed weapons in 2022.

Evolv co-founder Anil Chitkara told WRAL, a news station in North Carolina, that the "AI algorithm is trained on thousands and thousands of different items, different weapons, different guns and also, different personal items, phones, keys, and other things."

Chitkara explained that when someone walks through it, the system sends an alert if there is something suspicious. It takes a photo and places a red box over the area where it detected the suspicious item. An officer can then search if there is or isn't a weapon.

Despite its failure to consistently identify weapons like long knives, Evolv Technology's scanner is being used in hundreds of schools, according to its website. The technology is also used in stadiums and theme parks like Six Flags.

"Some items, based on a number of factors, including what sensitivity the Express system is set to on a particular day, may get through the system," Evolv's statement said. "We continue to make improvements on our software in order to expand the list of threats it detects."

This story was updated with comment from Evolv.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Republican South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill Thursday that bans abortion in the state after six weeks of pregnancy. The new law allows exceptions for fatal fetal anomalies, when the mother's life and health are at-risk. Victims of rape or incest can obtain abortions for up to 12 weeks if they filed a police report and obtained certification from two doctors.

South Carolina's is just the latest in a string of strict restrictions on abortion passed by individual states since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court last summer.

Prior to the Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization in June 2022, 18 Republican states across the South and West, such as Alabama, Idaho, Mississippi and South Dakota, passed so-called trigger laws, which outlawed abortion the moment the court handed down its verdict.

In recent months, eight other Republican-led states have enacted new laws that outlaw abortion at various stages of pregnancy.

Here is a guide to the new abortion restrictions states have passed since last summer:

South Carolina

The state had a 2021 trigger law that banned abortion after cardiac activity can be detected in a fetus, at around six weeks of pregnancy  but the state Supreme Court overturned that law in January, saying that it violated privacy rights in the state constitution. That left abortion legal until 22 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion providers in the state immediately filed suit against the law in state court, asking the court to put in place a temporary restraining order preventing the law's implementation. On Friday, a South Carolina judge granted abortion providers' request to block a newly enacted six-week abortion ban while a legal challenge proceeds.

Nebraska

In May, Republican lawmakers in Nebraska's one-chamber Legislature amended a bill that outlaws gender-affirming surgeries for anyone younger than 19 and will impose new rules limiting access to hormone therapy and puberty blocking drugs for trans youth to also outlaw abortion after 12 weeks and then passed the measure. It was subsequently signed into law by Republican Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen. There are exceptions for rape, incest and when the mother's life is in danger. Nebraska previously outlawed abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. An effort in April to ban abortion after six weeks failed by one vote.

North Carolina

The state's House and Senate overrode the governor's veto on a party-line vote, with Republicans having attained the three-fifths majority in both chambers after one Democratic state representative changed parties. State law previously banned nearly all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and Cooper spent last week unsuccessfully trying to persuade at least one Republican to side with him and uphold his veto. North Carolina law previously banned nearly all abortions after 20 weeks.

North Dakota

North Dakota adopted a law on April 24 banning abortion almost entirely, with exceptions in the first six weeks of pregnancy for cases of rape, incest, and medical emergencies. After six weeks, only certain medical emergencies, such as ectopic pregnancies would qualify for legal abortions. In March, a previous North Dakota abortion ban that was almost as far-reaching was temporarily suspended by the state supreme court while a legal challenge proceeds. There are no longer any abortion clinics in North Dakota. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, the states only abortion clinic moved operations to Moorhead, Minn.

Florida

A law signed on April. 14 by Gov. Ron DeSantis would ban abortions after six weeks of pregnancy except for victims of rape or incest or for women whose health is at risk. Those seeking one of those exceptions would also be required to produce evidence. The new law will take effect only if the existing 15-week ban is upheld by the state Supreme Court in a current legal challenge. The states top court has a conservative majority.

Indiana

The Hoosier State became the first in the country to create new abortion restrictions after the Dobbs decision. In August 2022, Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, signed a bill that banned abortion, with limited exceptions. Abortions are now permitted in Indiana only in cases of rape and incest in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, in order to protect the pregnant womans life or physical health, or if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly. Doctors who provide illegal abortions are to be stripped of their medical license. Abortions can also now be performed only in hospitals or outpatient centers owned by hospitals  abortion clinics are no longer legally able to operate in the state. Enforcement of the new law, however, has been blocked pending the outcome of legal challenges. The Indiana state Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case in January.

West Virginia

Last September, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, signed a law banning abortion except in cases of rape or incest for up to eight weeks of pregnancy for adults and 14 weeks for minors. It allows abortions of a nonviable fetus or embryo, and when there is a medical emergency or an ectopic pregnancy. Providers of abortions not covered by those exceptions face up to 10 years in prison.

Wyoming

In March, Wyoming became the first state to ban abortions conducted via oral medication, which account for a majority of abortions nationwide. The state already had a full abortion trigger ban on the books, but it is currently enjoined by court order from enforcing it. The same abortion pill is at the center of federal lawsuits, as a Trump-appointed federal judge in Texas recently overruled the FDAs approval of the drug.

Idaho

Earlier this month, Idaho became the first state to criminalize helping a minor get an abortion in another state, with persons convicted of breaking the law facing two to five years in prison. The law allows the state attorney general to prosecute a case if local prosecutors decline to do so. It also allows family members of a pregnant child or the person who impregnated her to file lawsuits against medical professionals who provide her abortion care, with up to $20,000 for damages.
Photo: Getty (Getty Images)

A Nebraska teenager took a plea deal Monday in a case involving her alleged self-managed abortion with pills from last year. Celeste Burgess, 18, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of concealing or abandoning a dead body; in exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped two misdemeanor charges of concealing the death of another person and false reporting.

Madison County prosecutors claim that, in April 2022, Burgess took abortion pills her mother ordered, gave birth to a stillborn fetus estimated to be about 29 weeks gestation, then burned and buried the remains with the help of her mom and another person. Burgess was 17 at the time, but was charged as an adult.

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She faces up to two years in prison, and her sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 20. Prosecutors agreed not to make a sentencing recommendation as part of the plea. The state also charged her mother, Jessica, for allegedly providing Celeste with abortion pillsthose felony charges are performing/attempting an abortion over 20 weeks and performing an abortion by a non-licensed doctor. The elder Burgess has pleaded not guilty and is due back in court on July 7; she faces up to eight years in prison.

At the time of the incident, abortion was banned after 20 weeks post fertilization in Nebraska (or 22 weeks after the last menstrual period), though that law applies to licensed abortion providers, not people self-managing their own terminations. Gov. Jim Pillen (R) signed an even more restrictive 12-week ban into law on Monday.

Self-managed abortion is only explicitly illegal in two states (Nevada and South Carolina), but, as this story shows, prosecutors can and do charge people for other crimes related to abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth. In this case, someone tipped off police that Celeste had a stillbirth and buried the remains, and then the cops obtained a warrant for Facebook messages between Celeste and her mother. Facebook parent company Meta complied and provided the messages, in which the pair allegedly discussed ending Celestes pregnancy with pills. A friend of Celestes also told the police she was there when Celeste took the first abortion pill.

While abortion-related internet activity is definitely risky in a post-Roe world, the biggest criminalization risk is other people. As my colleague Kylie Cheung reported last year, In the majority of cases in which pregnant people faced criminal charges for self-managed abortion in the past two decades, they were reported to law enforcement following in-person interactionsby doctors and acquaintances.

People who need assistance self-managing a miscarriage or abortion can call the Miscarriage + Abortion Hotline at (833) 246-2632 for confidential medical support, or the Repro Legal Helpline at (844) 868-2812 for confidential legal information and advice.

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Netflix is expanding its "borrower" and shared account model to more than 100 countries

Netflix on Tuesday expanded its crackdown on users sharing passwords with people beyond their immediate family as it seeks to shore up revenue at the leading streaming television service.

"A Netflix account is for use by one household," the company said in a statement.

Netflix said early this year that more than 100 million households were sharing accounts at the service, "impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films."

Netflix has experimented with "borrower" or "shared" accounts, in which subscribers can add extra users for a higher price or transfer viewing profiles to separate accounts, in a few markets. On Tuesday, it announced that it was expanding the policy to more than 100 countries.

As growth at Netflix cooled last year, the Silicon Valley- based streaming company set out to nudge people watching for free with shared passwords to begin paying for the service without alienating subscribers.

"This account sharing initiative helps us have a larger base of potential paying members and grow Netflix long term," co-chief executive Ted Sarandos said on an earnings call.

The streaming television giant told financial analysts recently that it had delayed a broad crackdown on sharing of account passwords "to improve the experience for members."

Netflix said it made sure subscribers have seamless access to the service away from home or on various devices such as tablets, TVs or smartphones.

Netflix in April said that its number of subscribers hit a record high 232.5 million in the first quarter of the year and that its nascent ad-supported tier was faring well.

The company said in a recent presentation to advertisers that it had more than 5 million subscribers to its ad-support tier.

For the first time ever, US adults will spend more time this year watching digital video on platforms such as Netflix, TikTok and YouTube than viewing traditional television, Insider Intelligence has forecast.

The market tracker expects "linear TV" to account for less than half of daily viewing for the first time ever.

ac-gc/md
(AFP via Getty Images)

Netflix is launching its long-threatened password sharing crackdown in the UK.

The company is writing to members who are sharing Netflix accounts and telling them that they will no longer be permitted to do so.

Instead, they will be encouraged to transfer a profile so that users can have their own standalone accounts, or buy an extra member, which will let people who dont live in a household be added for 4.99 a month.

Your Netflix account is for you and the people you live with  your household, the email sent to problem accounts reads. The message will only be sent to those suspected of currently sharing their accounts.

Netflix has not revealed exactly how it is tracking those it believes to be sharing passwords with people outside their households. But it says that it is watching for telling account activity, based on IP addresses and devices IDs, which might for instance indicate that an account is being used in two very different places at once.

It stressed that the crackdown will not apply to those who are using their account for travelling. You can easily watch Netflix on the go and when you travel  either on your personal devices or a TV at a hotel or holiday home, the email reads.

Users who are affected are encouraged to go to Netflixs help centre. But the email also offers a variety of ways to deal with the problems.

First, users are encouraged to control how your account is used by checking who is currently accessing their account. Netflix has a web page that will show what devices are currently logged into an account, and that same page can be used to kick them out of an account  after which the company encourages changing the password so that any old devices cannot log back in.

If those people sharing an account are doing so with permission, however, Netflix is offering a variety of options. The transfer a profile tool will mean that users can set up a new, separate account but keep their watch history and other details, or the buy an extra member tool essentially lets someone outside the home have permission to share an account for less than the price of a full membership.

Netflix has been gradually rolling out its password sharing crackdown across the world, beginning in Latin America and since expanding to other regions including Spain and Portugal. It has not said how it is deciding which countries are chosen to be hit by the new crackdown.

The move is one of a range of changes from Netflix as it attempts to deal with slowing rates of subscriber growth that have led it to look for new ways to boost profitability. It has said that it believes some 100 million people around the world are using other peoples Netflix accounts  and that encouraging at least some of those to sign up could deal with those falling rates of signups.

In its results call in April, Netflix said that early tests had shown that the crackdown was successful in encouraging people to sign up for their own accounts. While customers initially cancelled their accounts in response to the news, membership and revenue then rose after that as people started paying for their own logins, said co-chief executive Greg Peters.

He also noted then that testing had revealed some problems with the crackdowns, including users complaining that they were being targeted when they were using the app on the go or while on holiday. Netflix had updated the technology underpinning the new rules in response to those complaints, he said  and it was those improvements that had given it confidence to launch the crackdown more broadly.
Netflix is bringing its password-sharing deterrents to the U.S.

On Tuesday, the streaming giant began rolling out its paid sharing feature in the U.S., which requires that all account users must be in the same household and live in the same location as the primary account holder. Users living outside of a household will be able to join onto the main account for an additional $7.99 a month, though stand-alone Netflix subscriptions begin at $6.99 a month for the ad-supported version and $9.99 a month for the basic plan.

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As part of the rollout, primary account holders will be prompted to set a household location on their devices, though subscribers will still be able to use their accounts when traveling. Non-household members will be singled out based on factors like how often that device has used the Wi-Fi at the primary location, according to a Netflix spokesperson, and will be prompted to transfer their profiles to a new Netflix subscription.

Primary account holders with premium subscriptions can add up to two non-household members to their accounts for the $7.99 monthly fee, while standard plan subscribers can add up to one outside member. The paid add-on feature is not available for those on the ad-supported or basic plans.

The U.S. rollout arrives roughly three months after Netflix began its crackdown in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain. The rollout has already resulted in a larger paid membership base in regions like Canada, according to Netflixs Q1 earnings letter, even though there is a cancel reaction in each market  which impacts near term member growth after the news is announced.

As borrowers start to activate their own accounts and existing members add extra member accounts, we see increased acquisition and revenue. For example, in Canada, which we believe is a reliable predictor for the U.S., our paid membership base is now larger than prior to the launch of paid sharing and revenue growth has accelerated and is now growing faster than in the U.S., Netflix said in the letter.

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Netflixs crackdown on password sharing has come to the U.S.

The streaming service said it began alerting members on Tuesday about its new sharing policy, noting that Netflix accounts are only to be shared within one household.

Your Netflix account is for you and the people you live with  your household, the company said in an email, which it posted to its blog on Tuesday.

The email goes on to say that members can transfer a profile of someone outside of their household so the person can begin a new membership they pay for on their own. Or they can pay an extra fee  $7.99 a month  per person outside of their household using their account.

On Netflixs subscription plans page, it notes that extra members can be added to its standard and premium plans without ads.

Netflix warned it would be tightening its guidelines on password sharing in a push to boost revenue and subscriber numbers, soon after the company began seeing growth stagnate.

Originally, Netflix was expected to rollout its crackdown on people who borrow other accounts to create their own profiles in late in the first quarter, but alerted investors and customers during an earnings call last month that it was pushing it until the second quarter.

The company has said than more than 100 million households share accounts, which is about 43% of its global user base. Due to this, Netflix said it has affected its ability to invest in new content.

Earlier this year Netflix outlined password-sharing guidance in four other countries: New Zealand, Canada, Portugal and Spain. Netflix said it would ask members in those countries to set a primary location for their accounts, and allow users to establish two sub accounts for those who dont live in their home base for extra fees.

Read more: Netflixs expected password-sharing crackdown puts college students on edge

In Tuesdays notice, the company didnt provide such specifics for U.S. households, and rather gave the two options of either transferring a profile or paying a fee for an extra member.

The company said it had seen its subscriber growth impacted internationally where it already rolled out such initiatives during the first quarter. But Netflix still managed to add 1.75 million customers during the quarter.

In Latin America, Netflix executives said it saw cancellations after the news was announced, affecting near-term growth. But, those password borrowers would later activate their own accounts and add existing members as extra member accounts. As a result, the company has seen more revenue, they said.

Netflix executives have likened the paid sharing transition to that of price increases: people initially balk and cancel, then slowly return and sign up for their own accounts.

In addition to its crackdown on password sharing, Netflix also recently introduced a cheaper, ad-supported tier in an effort to boost revenue. Both measures came in response shortly after Netflix reported its first subscriber loss in more than a decade in early 2022.

Media companies across the board have been looking for ways to make their streaming plays profitable, leaning on methods such as content cost-cutting, advertising and finding other ways to attract more customers to their platforms.

On Tuesday, Warner Bros. Discovery relaunched its streaming service as Max, which is a combination of its HBO Max and Discovery+ services.

Paramount Global also announced this week that its Paramount+ with Showtime combined app would be available in late June. Disney has also recently announced its adding Hulu content to Disney+.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Netflix company image



In Netflixs version of a household, all devices are under one roof.

Netflixs worldwide efforts to squash password sharing are beginning to ramp up in the United States. The company has started reaching out directly to customers it suspects have been routinely using the same Netflix login across multiple home addresses. If that description sounds like you, you may have received (or may soon receive) an email from Netflix gently reminding you that Your Netflix account is for you and the people you live withyour household.



The company began sending out the formal notice to U.S. customers who are sharing Netflix outside their household today, according to a corporate blogpost published Tuesday afternoon. The email, titled An update on sharing between households, outlines Netflixs recently instituted policy on password sharing, which is basically that its customers shouldnt do it. All this from a company that tacitly endorsed account sharing back in 2017, when it tweeted Love is sharing a password. Things are clearly different now.

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The new notice outlines customer options for coming into compliance with Netflixs one-household policy. Per the email, users can transfer profiles to a separate account, boot unwanted devices from an account, or pay $7.99/month to share an account with someone outside of their household. This last feature is only available to Netflix customers paying for the Standard or Premium account tiers, according to the companys help center.



In an earlier password sharing crackdown that began in February in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain, Netflix instituted a similar extra member option. However, factoring in exchange rates, the cost for adding an extra in the U.S. is more expensive than it was at launch in any of these other countries. The $7.99 charge is $1 more than the cheapest, ad-based Netflix plan, but $2 less than the cheapest add-free subscription. However, access to the $7.99 option is contingent on someone paying a base rate of at least $15.49 per month.



Screenshot of Netflix email text



Netflix says U.S. customers who are currently sharing accounts across households should begin to get this email in their inboxes starting today.

Though todays blog and email indicate that Netflix is moving to make changes for U.S. customers, the announcement is short on some details. The Netflix email directs recipients to the companys help center, but doesnt offer a timeline on when shared accounts might have their access cut offor how exactly that might look.



The company has said that U.S. Netflix users will not simply be forced out of shared accounts, but rather will start to be directed to a flow of options on their TVs or other devices when they try to access Netflix. Presumably, these options will be similar to the ones outlined in the email: Sign up for separate accounts and transfer the relevant profiles or have a primary account holder pay for hangers-on. This process is set to roll-out slowly over the next few weeks and months, not instantaneously with all customersin a similar fashion to the email notifications themselves.

Netflix claims that this crackdown on account sharing wont hurt customers who use their account while traveling. You can easily watch Netflix on the go and when you traveleither on your personal devices or a TV at a hotel or vacation home, the company wrote in its mass email. But a company spokesperson declined to offer any further details about how Netflix will ensure that.



The streaming giants push to limit account sharing follows a turbulent few years for the companys bottom line. It lost subscribers two quarters in a row in 2022. Amid increasing competition and the inevitable diminishing returns of a market reaching saturation, Netflix announced that it would begin the process of forcing password-sharers to fall into line last year. Though it began testing out features meant to discourage account mooching in 2021.



As for why the company is beginning to expand its login crackdown to the U.S. now, the answer comes from its most recent earning report. Were pleased with the results of our Q1 launches in Canada, New Zealand, Spain and Portugal, strengthening our confidence that we have the right approach, Netflix execs wrote in their April letter to shareholders. We found enough improvement opportunities in these areas to shift a broad launch to Q2 to implement those changes. The company reported subscriber increases in Latin Americawhere it first rolled out strengthened password sharing restrictions in July 2022.

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Netflix announced Tuesday that users who share passwords must now pay an additional fee to do so. (Jenny Kane / Associated Press)

The era of free Netflix password sharing in the U.S. is coming to an end.

Netflix on Tuesday began emailing U.S. users who share passwords that either they or their nonhousehold members will need to pay up.

Users who share passwords must now pay an additional $7.99 a month for someone outside their household to stream through their accounts, the company said in the email, which Netflix shared in a blog post.

If the sharer doesn't want to pay extra, the password borrower will have to pay for their own membership.

"Your Netflix account is for you and the people you live with  your household," reads the Netflix email.

The crackdown comes as streamers are under pressure to become more profitable.

In the past, when streaming services were focused chiefly on subscriber growth, the sharing of passwords among friends and family was more tolerated. That's now changed.

Netflix estimated last year that more than 100 million nonpaying households were using its service, a stat the company shared after a quarter of subscriber losses.

Account sharing and piracy cost streamers and pay TV providers $9.1 billion in lost revenue in 2019, according to the market research and consulting firm Parks Associates. Thats expected to increase to $12.5 billion in lost revenue by 2024.

Netflix has rolled out efforts to encourage nonpaying users to subscribe in other countries, including Costa Rica, New Zealand and Canada. The company said that it has been pleased with the results so far and that the customer reaction has been similar to that when price increases are announced.

"We see an initial cancel reaction, and then we build out of that, both in terms of membership and revenue as borrowers sign up for their own Netflix accounts, and existing members purchase that extra member facility for folks that they want to share it with," said Greg Peters, Netflix's co-chief executive, in an earnings presentation in April.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
[Source]

Australian-based journalist Louisa Lim was racially harassed at a Chinese restaurant while visiting Auckland, New Zealand, to speak about anti-Asian racism at an event.

Lim, who is half-Chinese, was invited to speak at the Auckland Writers Festival, where she joined the panel Seeing Yellow to discuss the yellow peril narrative and the rise of racism against Asians since the COVID-19 pandemic.

A day before the event, Lim visited a Chinese noodle shop near Aotea Square, where she encountered two men speaking offensively.

It must have been 7:30 p.m., and I was just eating noodles, and these two guys came in and they were quite loud, Lim told the Herald. And one of them said really loudly, A good Asian is a contradiction in terms.

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When Lim confronted them, they reportedly discounted the comment as a joke and was questioned why she was offended.

And at a certain point, I said to him, I hear that youre not apologizing to me, and I hear that you understand that it was racist and youre not sorry, Lim said, to which the men told her to f*ck off.

A woman separate from the incident then chimed in and asked Lim where she was from. When the journalist replied, the woman said, F*ck off, go back to Australia.

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In that moment, I was like five years old, in the playground in London, hearing kids shouting at me Chinese, Japanese, dirty knees, Lim said, according to Stuff. That's when you realize that there are spaces that you didn't know that were not yours to enter. And they're everywhere, even in Chinese restaurants.

Lim, who spoke about the incident at the panel, also shared the incident on Instagram and Twitter.

Backstage before our Seeing Yellow panel, Lim wrote along with a photo of her and her co-panelists. Sadly fitting to do it the day after I was racially harassed in Auckland

More from NextShark: Father who was beaten and left for dead near Chicago Chinatown wakes up from coma

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsfZgYWS4S4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon, who was also a guest speaker at the writers festival, said he admired Lims bravery for confronting the racist men.

Its unfortunate no one stood with her. It was a surprise to us, especially since this happened in a Chinese restaurant, Foon said, according to the Herald. I dont condone this awful racist behavior - it says we still have a lot to do.

More from NextShark: NJ Man Sentenced to 4 Years for Targeting Asian Woman, Children for Robbery

Lim is a former correspondent for the BBC and NPR. Her work has also been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Guardian.
EF18 Crash Spain Hornet

A Spanish Air Force pilot was taken to hospital with injuries after ejecting from his EF-18 Hornet before a crash at Zaragoza Air Base.

Video shows the EF-18 in a steep climb before pitching over, then after a brief moment of level flight, careening nose down into the ground. You can also hear a sharp throttle adjustment during the pitch-over maneuver. The pilot ejects just before the jet impacts the ground, resulting in a huge fireball. Citing Spain's Civil Guard, the Associated Press reported the pilot suffered leg injuries from the low-altitude ejection.

https://twitter.com/mgonzalezelpais/status/1659911295611678722?s=20

https://twitter.com/thenewarea51/status/1659968003058925570

https://twitter.com/aviationbrk/status/1659893416912666624

https://twitter.com/fl360aero/status/1659915070392999939?s=20

Spanish news agency EFE reported the EF-18 was practicing for an airshow when the crash occurred. In a tweet, the Spanish Air and Space Force confirmed the EF-18 was one of the 15th Wing's jets, which operates multiple squadrons of Hornets at Zaragoza. Spain is in the process of replacing its Hornet fleet, designated "EF-18" for "Espana," with Eurofighter Typhoons, although the type will serve into the end of the decade before that process is completed.

Contact the author: stetson.payne@thewarzone.com
For most of the year, the vast and rugged terrain of the Namaqualand region of the Karoo, South Africa, is desolate and dry. Few travelers venture this far, deterred by the long distances and because most prefer to explore the countrys greener, more scenically dramatic regions.

But after the winter rains have fallen and soaked the soil, colorful daisies, scented arums, bright bonnets, aloes, herbs and countless other varieties of flowers transform the once lifeless landscape into a breathtaking wonderland.

Nieuwoudtville, on the southeastern edge of Namaqualand, forms part of the grand spectacle that draws in flower enthusiasts worldwide. While flowers bloom throughout the year, the pinnacle of the flower showcase begins in early August and mid-September, when the famous spring flowers come into bloom, and the area is enlivened by the displays of thousands of colors.

Pronounced knee-vote-ville, this charming town, founded in 1897 on a piece of land bought by a farmer named Nieuwoudt, also has a reputation for being the bulb capital of the world. It was one of the few parts of the Northern Cape to receive reliable rains and has since become part of the Namaqualand flower tour.

Last year, its air quality stood out as a beacon of freshness, making it into the 2022 World Air Quality Report as one of the least polluted areas across Africa.

Visiting Nieuwoudtville literally is a bucket list experience, says Craig Taljaardt, tour guide and owner of Capey Tours, who has witnessed the wonder this region inspires in visitors for nine years.

And its people are the salt of the Earth, he adds.

The tranquil farming town has seen a migration boom in recent years, with city dwellers seeking a respite from the urban hustle and bustle. Its not just retirees moving to Nieuwoudtville, but young families too, says Mandie Kotze, chairwoman of Nieuwoudtvilles Info and Tourism Office, adding that she and her husband made a move to the town 16 years ago and havent looked back since.

According to Nieuwoudtvilles tourism website, run by Kotze, there are some areas where up to 25,000 bulbs grow in one square meter of soil. The diversity of geophytes (bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes)  plants that store water and nutrients seasonally  is partly explained by the diverse geology, which gives rise to many different soil types suitable for varying plant and flower species.

The natural floral displays extend to Hantam National Botanical Gardens, the ninth official botanical garden in South Africa. The biodiversity treasure attracted British naturalist David Attenborough in the 90s (when it was still a farm), who returned to photograph the area during the dry season with his team. According to Kotze, during one peak season, CCTV footage captured nearly 800 tour buses, packed with tourists, entering the vast 6-300-hectare garden to witness the wildflower bonanza.

Threatened daisies

Once a year the barren desert around Nieuwoudtville erupts with a superbloom of flowers. - Mandie Kotze

Research from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2022 revealed that climate change is adversely altering the timing of the celebrated Namaqualand daisies blooming season, jeopardizing tourism and the very survival of these celebrated wildflowers.

The annual Namaqualand daisy flowering spectacle is a world-renowned environmental event, the researchers wrote. The advances in the timing of Namaqualand daisy flowering will have a significant impact on the tourism sector in the region, as flower viewing tours need to be pre-arranged months in advance.

But there are opportunities for improvements: co-author Jennifer Fitchett, a professor of physical geography, explains that intervention measures, such as data-driven research, could effectively combat this problem. I presented this work to SANParks [South Africa National Parks] last year, and they were very interested in integrating these findings into their monitoring programs, she says.

Quiver tree forest

Nieuwoudtville is home to the southern hemisphere's largest Quiver tree forest. - Mandie Kotze

If you continue north and reach the sign for Gannabos (about 12 miles from Niewoudtville), locals and visitors recommend turning right and driving on a gravel road until you encounter the Quiver Tree Forest  the largest in the southern hemisphere.

Here youll find a remarkable colony of tree aloe (Aloidendron dichotomum), known as kokerbooms or quiver trees.

These peculiarly shaped aloes, which grow over eight meters (up to 29 feet) high, got their name because their hollow branches were used as quivers for holding arrows by San and Khoi-Khoi hunters. They are protected plants, and cost a pretty penny at nurseries, says Jade Leon, whos previously experienced the wildflower season. Yet they grow so naturally there. Every hill is covered with the quiver trees.

Kokerbooms can live up to 400 years and come in various shapes and sizes. In Nieuwoudtville, the forest is privately owned by a farmer and his wife. They dont mind visitors and charge a small entrance fee in exchange for a guided route tour.

Waterfall in the wilderness

The Nieuwoudtville Waterfall appears after heavy rains. - Mandie Koetze

With enough winter rains, there is another natural wonder in town: the Nieuwoudtville Waterfall, located around four miles north of the village, on the R357 (Loeriesfontein Road). Measuring 90 meters (295 feet), the waterfall cascades down the Doring River, leaving visitors with a spectacular sight, says Ian Renecle, owner of African Moon Adventures. People dont believe theres actually a waterfall of that size in the area.

To round out your day, stop by Blou Huis in Voortrekker Street, a fully licensed restaurant and hangout spot offering self-catering accommodation and live Afrikaans music. Nieuwoudtville has also been nominated as Town of the Year, a competition currently being run by the weekly Afrikaans magazine show kykNET Kwela, Johan Kotze, owner of Blou Huis, says proudly.

A few miles from Blou Huis, youll spot the neo-gothic Dutch Reformed Church on Kerk Street. Built in 1906, just after the devastating Boer War, the church is made entirely from Table Mountain sandstone and is one of the last remaining churches in South Africa built with this material.

Following the scent to the nearby market offers a chance to try its famous pancakes. While some recipes skimp on ingredients, the creators of this tasty treat remain loyal to a costly recipe guaranteed to please palates, says Kotze.

Where to stay

Starwors is a 'Star Wars'-themed campsite near Nieuwoudtville. - Expressions Photography

Visitors should secure their accommodation well ahead of time as every available room for miles around is snapped up during peak season. Options range from cozy B&Bs and self-catering units converted from old sandstone homes to rustic guest houses tucked away on local farms and campsites within town limits.

Die-hard Star Wars enthusiasts will be delighted to discover the extraordinary glamping destination, Starwors Village. The campsite is steeped in the iconic themes and characters of the series, from Darth Vader to Yoda and Jar Jar Binks. Its a very underrated campsite, and its on our accommodation wishlist for our next trip, says Leon.

Earlier this year, Selma and Andre Ohlsson visited the campsite and found it particularly unique. Interesting artwork is scattered throughout the terrain, and it feels like youve stepped into a movie set.

If accommodation in town is fully booked, surrounding regions also boast a range of inviting options, including the highly sought-after Letsatsi Lodge in Vanrhynsdorp  the gateway to Nieuwoudtville. According to tour guide Craig Taljaardt, accommodation at this lodge must be booked several months in advance to secure a spot.

As you make your way past Vanrhyns Pass, a marvel constructed by the legendary road builder Thomas Bain in 1880, visitors strongly suggest you take in the breathtaking views of the rugged plains below.

The views blew me away as we ascended Vanrhyns Pass, and  made me realize how amazing South Africa is and how many hidden gems there are, says Arzelle van der Merwe, who toured Nieuwoudtville in 2019. Jade adds that the view from the top offers an aerial-like perspective akin to that seen from an airplane window, a rare opportunity that ought to be cherished.

Through the flowers

The flowers are not for picking. - Mandie Koetze

For many, organized tours are the best way to access Nieuwoudtville and its flowers. But if youre traveling privately, call the West Coasts flower hotline at (+27) 79 741 0113. This little tip will provide information on the latest blooms and their whereabouts, allowing visitors to confidently embark on their floral odyssey.

Nieuwoudtville, is no stranger to the whims of nature. Just a few years ago, the town weathered a severe drought. Fortunately, the return of the rainy winters has relieved locals of their weather woes. In fact, says Taljaardt, locals proclaimed 2021 as the best season in 30 years, and while last year wasnt too far behind, it was still exceptional in its own right.

Still, its best to do research  find out when the winter rains fell  and plan a trip so that it coincides with when the flowers are in their full glory.

Visitors can step out of their vehicles and explore the fields on foot but must avoid picking any flowers. There are many thousands of people who come after you, so its important that you preserve it, says Taljaardt. Theres a saying in tourism: Once youve been to a place, leave no trace.

Those that time their visit just right and witness the gorgeous carpet of pastel hues, will be thrilled they did, says Van der Merwe.

There is something surreal about it. You cant quite believe that this arid earth can produce something so magnificent.

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In Niger, France tests out new strategy for Africa operation

The joint Niger-France operation is symbolic of the new approach President Emmanuel Macron wants to use for France's operations in the Sahel region of of western Africa

It's not yet dawn but dozens of troops from Niger and France's legendary Foreign Legion are boarding a French C-130 military transport plane, each weighed down with gear.

In the green-lit hold, their faces are locked in concentration as the aircraft takes off over the arid Sahel. A few soldiers manage to doze off, their heads resting on their bags or their heavy helmets.

Their mission: to make a parachute jump to take an abandoned military position in Niger not far from the Malian border -- an area where the ruthless Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (IS-GS) is resurgent.

The joint operation is symbolic of the new approach President Emmanuel Macron wants to use for France's mission in West Africa's deeply troubled Sahel.

After nearly a decade, its troops were forced to pull out of Mali -- still fighting an Islamist insurgency -- following a military coup.

The junta then, according to Western governments, called on Russia's Wagner mercenary group for help.

France's exit from Mali has encouraged the jihadists to regain freedom of movement in the border region -- and the parachute operation is aimed at keeping them at bay.

After an hour's flight, the crew announces the countdown for the drop over the Liptako region.

The alarm rings. The aircraft's side doors open. Time to jump.

"Don't stop!" shouts an officer as the paratroopers hurl themselves into the night at a frantic pace, filling the sky with mushrooms of beige silk.

In just one minute, dozens of soldiers have jumped over the sandy expanses of southwestern Niger. The plane, abruptly emptied of its passengers, turns around, heading back to its base near the capital Niamey.

On the ground, the soldiers are about to get to work.

- 'Laboratory' -

The cooperation with Niger is part of a strategy which Paris hopes will show the key lesson from Mali: support local forces by providing the equipment and expertise they need, but don't substitute for them.

"In Niger and everywhere in Africa, the idea is now different from what was done in Mali. Today our help starts with what the partner needs," said the commander of the French forces in the Sahel, General Bruno Baratz.

The pullout last year from Mali brought the curtain down on the long-running Barkhane operation against Islamist militants in the francophone ex-colonial region -- a hugely problematic deployment that left over 50 French troops dead.

Neighbouring Burkina Faso, also led by a junta, this year also pushed out French forces from its territory, a prelude to what the West fears will also be a pivot to Wagner.

It was against this increasingly difficult background that Macron ordered lower-profile operations more specifically tailored to the needs of partner countries.

The new strategy is upheld to the letter in Niger, which has accepted 1,500 French soldiers on its soil to bolster its armies at a time when IS-GS is once again a threat.

Ahead of the jump over Liptako, a commander with the Foreign Legion's 2nd Paratroop Regiment told the assembled troops that the mission would be "hard."

"There's heat, there's the environment, and we don't know where the enemy is. We are counting on you to help us," he said to the Nigerien troops.

"I believe the French army is trying to use Niger as a laboratory for new relationships" in Sahel, and "be a supporter rather than a leader" said Michael Shurkin, director of global programmes at risk management firm 14N Strategies.

"France is convinced it needs to be as discreet as possible," he said.

"France was fighting its own war in parallel to what Malians were doing. Now France is trying to do things differently."

- Niger strategy -

A French military officer, who asked not to be named, said the new strategy still meant a "de-Barkhane-isation" of attitudes in the French armed forces, who grew used to tracking militants in the desert in much more autonomous conditions.

But Niger seems satisfied.

"Today the commanders are from Niger and they master the terrain and the needs. We can only congratulate ourselves. The French bring us the military training, equipment, intelligence and air resources that we lack," Niger's former defence minister Kalla Moutari told AFP.

In Mali, Barkhane notched up undeniable tactical victories against the jihadists.

But the country's political authorities never managed to re-establish control in areas purged of militants. And the Malian army remained fragile, despite years-long efforts to strengthen it.

Cooperation with Niamey, however, is smoother.

"Niger has a particularly effective counter-insurgency strategy," combining population security and the return to the state to disputed areas, Baratz said.

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Its Thursday lunchtime in Iowa and, upstairs in a boathouse on the banks of the Cedar River, Nikki Haley is making her case to be president.

The modestly sized venue is packed. The crowd is polite and receptive, and also notably upscale.

These arent country club Republicans as such but they are clearly more prosperous than the MAGA battalions who make up former President Trumps base. At least two people in the question-and-answer session will talk about the tough challenges facing veterans.

Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, is fond of reminding skeptics that she has never lost an election. Watching her at close quarters, its easy to see why.

The positions she enunciates are firmly conservative. She shows no reluctance to plunge into culture war issues, including immigration, wokeness in education, and support for law enforcement.

But Haley leavens the seriousness of her conservatism with a mix of charm and self-deprecation.

Her stump speech includes a memory of celebrating a victory over recalcitrant colleagues in South Carolina by blasting through the statehouse Pat Benatars Hit Me With Your Best Shot.

Her remarks end with an instruction that, if the audience likes what they have heard, they should each tell 10 people. And if they dont, Haley adds with a theatrical flourish  Shhhhh!

Afterwards, Haley waits to shake every hand, dispensing smiles and pleasantries all the way down the line.

One line in her remarks might be more politically important than any other, however.

The polls you see today are not the polls you are going to see a year from now, Haley says.

She badly needs this prediction to be right. And she is betting that old-school campaigning here will make it so.

The boathouse event, held in Waterloo, brought her count of campaign events in the Hawkeye State to 20 since she announced her candidacy in mid-February. By the end of the following day  last Friday  the tally stood at 22.

When Haley tells Iowans that nobody will outwork her in the search for their vote, she seems like she means it.

Will it work?

A crowded 2024 GOP field

Haley faces major challenges  the most immediate being the possibility that she will get squeezed out by the two biggest names, former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

In national polls, the contest right now is a two-horse race  even though DeSantis is only expected to make his official entrance into the race later this week.

In the weighted polling average maintained by FiveThirtyEight, Trump stood at about 54 percent support as of Monday afternoon, with DeSantis at about 21 percent. Haley registered just 4 percent support nationally.

Complicating the calculus for her even more, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) entered the presidential race on Monday.

Its a rarity to have two South Carolinians running for president and, if both stay in the race, they could make fundraising more arduous and, ultimately, damage each others chances of a strong showing in the crucial Palmetto State primary next year.

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley poses for a photo with Rajshri Agarwal, of Ames, Iowa, left, during a town hall campaign event, Wednesday, May 17, 2023, in Ankeny, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

But, despite those downsides, there are some reasons for optimism in the Haley camp.

Polling in Iowa is sparse at this stage of the race, but one of the few recent surveys showed Haley making progress. The poll, from Victory Insights, showed the former South Carolina governor in double figures, just 10 points behind DeSantis. They were both well behind Trump, but also well clear of the rest of the field.

The poll was also taken more than a month ago. At least as Team Haley sees it, there is plenty of time for her skill at retail politics to move the needle even more.

We said we werent going to do any shortcuts, Haley told The Hill in an exclusive interview before another campaign stop, in Dubuque. This is about touching as many hands as you can. This is about getting your message out. This is about getting people to trust you, and to earn their support. And so we will do town hall after town hall after town hall. We will stay until the last person is done.

She insisted that, even in an age where candidates have innumerable options for connecting with voters, from cable news to Twitter and TikTok, putting in the miles from town to town can still break through.

Even now, nothing takes the place of that eye-to-eye contact, she says. The shaking hands, the really getting to know people and them getting to know you  I just think thats more meaningful. Its easy to come in and do a rally and leave.

Haley and Trump

The last remark could be seen as a jab at Trump, who can draw crowds but who generally feels no need to adopt the campaigning cadence that Haley has thrown herself into.

Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in the early part of Trumps term, is trying to thread a fine needle when it comes to the former president.

At times, she seeks to make an asset of her service to him.

Her stump speech includes an anecdote about presenting the then-president with a briefing book showing the amount of foreign aid being given to nations that often voted against the U.S. at the United Nations. In Haleys telling, this produced a characteristically volcanic reaction from Trump.

But she also puts some clear water between herself and the former president.

At one campaign stop last week, in Ankeny, a woman in the audience asked Haley about the length of time some defendants are having to wait before their trials on alleged offenses related to Jan. 6, 2021.

Haley began her answer with language offering a break with Trump:

I will continue to say it was a terrible day. It was not a beautiful day. It was a terrible day, she says.

In her interview with The Hill, asked why she believes voters want a new generation of leadership, as she often claims, she replies that Americans are tired of the drama. Theyre tired of the noise.

As for DeSantiss likely entrance into the race?

Welcome to the race. Weve been waiting, a smiling Haley replied.

But the battlefield is getting more crowded now. The question of whether Haley can carve out her own territory is becoming more acute.

Will Haleys approach in Iowa benefit her?

Iowa has produced plenty of upsets over the years, in both major parties.

The caucuses first became significant a generation ago when Jimmy Carter won the 1976 Democratic contest, a victory that ultimately catapulted him toward the nomination.

In 2008, then-Sen. Barack Obama won in Iowa on a night when Hillary Clinton was relegated to third place, changing that years Democratic contest at a stroke.

On the Republican side, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee scored a startling victory in 2008 and, four years later, former Sen. Rick Santorum (Pa.) pulled off a broadly similar feat.

On the other hand, there are plenty of candidates of both parties who have virtually set up home in Iowa before the caucuses  and gone nowhere.

Which fate awaits Haley?

The odds are against her  but lightning is going to strike somebody, said David Yepsen, who covered numerous caucuses during a 34-year stretch writing about politics for the Des Moines Register.

Sure, its possible that she does a Jimmy Carter, wins Iowa and goes the distance, Yepsen adds. But it is more likely that she carves a niche for herself in a post-Trump eraShe will run well enough that by the time this is over, her position will be much enhanced in the national Republican Party.

She is certainly young enough to fight another day if she doesnt make it  and she may make it.

So far, there is at least some evidence that Haleys bid to turn Iowa in her favor, one potential caucus-goer at time, cant be wholly ruled out.

After the event in Ankeny, Des Moines resident James Hart tells The Hill that he is impressed:

Very articulate, well spoken, I think shes got a good head on her shoulders, he says. In Iowa we like to look somebody in the eye and see what kind of character they have. Thats real value.

In Waterloo, retired educator Beth McCrindle and her attorney husband Kevin McCrindle also seem close to being won over.

I was in tears about five different timesI think I maybe have found my candidate here, Beth tells The Hill. But I will continue to go and hear the others as they come through too.

No-one is speaking of Haley as a winner yet. For all the warm words, she still runs the risk of being unable to escape the long shadows of Trump and DeSantis.

But ask her about the charge, too often leveled at female candidates, that shes really running to be vice president, and an emphatic reply comes back.

I dont play for second; Ive never played for second. Im doing this to win it, she says.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The claim: Kevin McCarthy has called for expelling, prosecuting Adam Schiff for treason

A May 17 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) makes a claim about the Republican leader of the U.S. House.

"BREAKING: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has called for the immediate expulsion and possible prosecution of Rep. Adam Schiff for committing crimes of treason against the United States," reads the post.

The post generated over 100 shares in less than a week. Similar posts have amassed hundreds of interactions on Instagram and Twitter.

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Our rating: False

McCarthy has not called for Rep. Adam Schiffs expulsion or prosecution. During a May 16 press conference, he raised the question of whether Schiff should be expelled but did not call for immediate action on that front. There is no evidence Schiff has committed treason.

McCarthy has not called for any such action against Schiff

No credible news reports indicate that McCarthy has called for the immediate expulsion or prosecution of Schiff, a California Democrat. There are also no credible reports that Schiff has committed treason.

Kenneth Mayer, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told USA TODAY the claim is completely fabricated.

It's nothing but a toxic aspect of social media, where even the most absurd posts can get traction, Mayer told USA TODAY in an email.

The post came after Justice Department special counsel John Durham released a report on May 15 criticizing the FBIs investigation into possible ties between Russia and former President Donald Trumps campaign during the 2016 election, as USA TODAY reported. Durham was appointed by William Barr, Trumps attorney general, in 2019 to review the investigation based on "unevaluated evidence."

Schiff, the former chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence who led Trumps first impeachment trial, had repeatedly claimed in the past that there was evidence of collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia in the 2016 election. His claims also came after former special counsel Robert Muellers 2019 investigation did not find sufficient evidence that Trump committed a crime.

Fact check: Post wrongly claims new House reimbursement policy circumvents Constitution

Chad Gilmartin, McCarthys spokesperson, referred USA TODAY to a May 16 press conference in which a reporter asked McCarthy what accountability looked like after the Durham report was released. McCarthy said in response:

Well, a number of things. We're asking Durham to come in and testify so we can look at it more. It really raises the question about Adam Schiff. You remember when he told the American people he had proof? Remember when he'd tell them he didn't know the whistleblower  and what he put America through and openly lied to us and now it's proven that this as well? It raises a lot of questions about his  just his character, his standing inside of Congress and whether he should even be in Congress."

A reporter then asked McCarthy if he was moving to expel Schiff, and McCarthy said, No, Im raising the question to you.

Expelling a member of the House requires a two-thirds majority vote of the House. Republican Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna filed a resolution to expel Schiff from Congress on May 17. But when McCarthy was asked on May 18 whether Lunas resolution would get floor time, he told Politico that hed have to look at it.

As of May 23, the bill has only been referred to the House Committee on Ethics.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

AFP Fact Check also debunked this claim

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: Durham report spurs false claim about Schiff expulsion | Fact check
A North Carolina company is moving its headquarters across the border to Indian Land

A North Carolina company will move to Lancaster County, bringing a projected $6.9 million of investment and 167 new jobs.

Snider Fleet Solutions works in transportation and construction. Snider distributes new and retread commercial and industrial tires. It also provides mechanical and other services. The company has 80 locations nationwide.

The company comes from the Greensboro and Newton areas of North Carolina. The new address is 1081 Red Ventures Drive in Indian Land. The company should be operational next month.

This relocation is an exciting next step in cementing our future as the premier provider in our industry, company CEO Marty Herndon said in an announcement Tuesday.

Herndon said corporate staff has been working from multiple offices in the Carolinas and now staffers will be able to come together in one place. Gov. Henry McMaster, in Tuesdays announcement, said Snider Fleet will help grow the state reputation as the top exporter of tires in the country.

We look forward to helping them get settled in their new Indian Land corporate office as they join the expanding list of corporate headquarters in Lancaster County, said Steve Harper, Lancaster County Council chair.
North Kingstown man sentenced for participation in Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol

A North Kingstown man who participated in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot must serve two months in prison.

Washington D.C. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden gave Bernard J. Sirr two months of prison, followed by six months of home detention, and then another six months of less-restrictive supervised release, according to court records.

Proud Boy meetings and falsehoods created 'distorted mindset' for RI Jan. 6 rioter

During Sirr's sentencing hearing on Tuesday morning, McFadden also ordered Sirr to pay $2,000 in restitution. Prosecutors said Sirr's sentence includes 12 months of probation.

He allowed the 47-year-old to remain free on personal recognizance before he surrenders himself for his prison term.

Bernard Sirr

Sirr read an apologetic statement to McFadden, which was obtained late Tuesday by The Providence Journal.

"I thought I came to DC on January 6 to protest and stop something horrible," it says. "I thought I was here to help. I had been told by the news and by social media that the election had been rigged and that votes had been stolen. I had been told our democracy would end if I didn't act to save it."

Acknowledging his own anger, Sirr told McFadden, "I was led by resentment, but I am the one who allowed myself to be led."

He apologized to his his wife and children -- "I am so sorry," he said -- and to the police:

"Though I never intended to cause you harm, I was part of a mob that threatened you," he said. "Mimicking others, I said things like 'pick the right side' though you were on the correct one."

Sirr, wearing a baseball cap, is seen at right in a screenshot taken from Governments Sentencing Exhibit 1. According to prosecutors, Sirr joined the other rioters pushing against the police in an attempt to get into the U.S. Capitol.

He took responsibility for all damage caused by the riot he joined.

"I'm looking for forgiveness from my country," he said. "I have asked for forgiveness from God. I'm now ready for your decision and I am hopeful for your mercy."

Citing his remorsefulness prior to the hearing, Sirr's lawyers had proposed that the court sentence him to probation, community service and restitution. They had also acknowledged that a prison sentence of 30 to 60 days would not "be greater than necessary to promote the goals of sentencing in this case."

CCTV footage of the Jan. 6 riot shows Bernard Sirr (circled) as he entered the tunnel leading to the U.S. Capitol from its Lower West Terrace at 3:08 p.m.

Federal prosecutors had accused Sirr of participating in the riot as a member of the Proud Boys extremist group and had asked McFadden to send Sirr to prison for 10 months.

New England-based FBI agents investigated the case with help from from Washington D.C.-based agents and police officers, the Rhode Island State Police, and North Kingstown police.

Sirr was arrested in June 2022. More than 320 people have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement on Jan. 6, according to prosecutors.

Sirr had worked for the Rhode Island Atomic Energy Commission at its nuclear reactor, which is on the campus of the University of Rhode Island in Narragansett.

He lost that job after his arrest.

"I can tell you that I have already felt punishment for my actions," he told McFadden, "and Iknow that it was my conduct that brought me here."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bernard Sirr, Jan. 6 rioter, gets two months in prison
Gov. Spencer Cox talks to students at Mountain Ridge High School in Herriman on Monday during the 29th and final stop in the governors Connecting Utah tour. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Things have changed a lot in the years since Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was a high school student in the late 1980s.

For one, today's teenagers use much less hairspray than he used to, Cox told an auditorium full of students at Mountain Ridge High School on Monday. And most high school students today can't comprehend having to respool a cassette tape with a pencil after it was "eaten" by their tape player.

But Cox wasn't just there to wax nostalgic about his teenage years. Instead, he offered a message of hope and optimism in light of the myriad obstacles many young people face.

'We are not helpless'

The visit was the 29th and final stop in the governor's "Connecting Utah" tour, throughout which he has met with high schoolers in each of Utah's 29 counties. The tour has brought to light another change since he was in school: Many high schoolers today are stressed about their economic futures because of rising housing costs.

"I really have been shocked at how many kids are worried about the price of housing," Cox told KSL.com after taking questions from several students. "Adults should be worried about the price of housing, not kids. It's helped me to just recalibrate and redouble our efforts on that one for sure."

He told students that his purpose in speaking to them was to convince them "that there's never been a better time to be alive than right now, and there's never been a better place to live than right here in Utah."

It may not always seem like that, Cox said, in part because cellphones make it easier than ever to hear about terrible things happening around the world, marking another difference with his youth, when "the bad things were not constantly in front of us."

The governor has repeatedly blamed social media platforms  and the algorithms that dictate what their users see  for contributing to a decadelong trend of declining mental health among teens.

He didn't discount the real problems facing students, though, and pointed to social media restrictions for minors he recently signed into law as an example of the way government can act to try to improve outcomes.

"Yes, there are problems in the world today, but we are not helpless," Cox said. "You are not helpless. All right, you're helpless if you're on your phones all the time ... but we're not helpless. We can do this. We can fix the biggest problems that are facing us in this world today."

Gov. Spencer Cox talks with student body officers prior to him speaking to students at Mountain Ridge High School on Monday. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Young people are key to solving those problems, the governor said, which is why he's taken the time to hear from them directly.

"I've learned so much from these students and I truly believe that they are wired differently and better," he told KSL.com. "Sure, they have their problems, but so did my generation and so does every generation. When you talk to them, they are paying so much more attention to what's happening in the world and consequentially I think they're going to be the ones that come up with the solutions."

Combating divisiveness

Cox answered questions from five students, after which he asked them each to describe the United States of America in a single word. The students offered the words "opportunity," "unfriendly," "diversity," "challenging" and "optimistic."

Throughout the tour, Cox said the most common answer he heard was "divided," with "chaotic," "intolerant," "rigged" and "weak" as other common responses. He said he usually heard around 10 negative words for every positive one.

In recent years, fewer Americans think that opposing sides should work together and more hold very unfavorable views of other political parties, Cox said. He urged the students to promote healthy conflict and disagreement, which he said is "really important to our system of government."

"I need your help," he said. "We can disagree without hating each other. We can try to see the other person's perspective, right? That will help us to become a better country."

Although the world is radically different compared to the world of the 1980s, some things haven't changed. Cox said the nation was founded on the "profound" idea that "all men are created equal," and that government should exist to protect people's rights.

"You and I are the beneficiaries of those incredible freedoms that have led us to this era of prosperity that no other nation in the history of the world has ever seen," he said. "And I worry that we are forgetting about that, and I need your help to remember ... that this country is great, and it is great when we are good. This country is different. This country is special.

"We need your help to remember that there is nothing more un-American than hating our fellow Americans and we can do better."
Now it never will be forgotten: Illinois New Philadelphia becomes a national park

This story was originally published by St. Louis Public Radio, a BND content partner

Gerald McWorter has a deep appreciation for his familial roots.

His Aunt Thelma, the familys resident family historian, told him stories about the small Pike County, Illinois, town his great-great-grandparents founded nearly 200 years ago. The stories of New Philadelphia and Frank and Lucy McWorter always centered on the importance of family.

What Frank and Lucy did was devote their lives really to making sure that on the one hand, they provided a place for the family in Pike County and New Philadelphia, McWorter said. At the same time, they devoted their economic activity to freeing family members out of slavery.

In 1836, New Philadelphia became the first town in the nation to be legally registered and platted by formerly enslaved people. In recent years, the story of New Philadelphia and the McWorters has garnered national attention. In December, the town became the nations 424th national park, a move that supporters and descendants say will finally give the site the acknowledgement and long-term protection it deserves.

Frank McWorter was born into slavery in 1777 in South Carolina. He and his owner, George McWhorter, relocated to Pulaski County, Kentucky, in 1795. Four years later, he married his wife, Lucy, an enslaved woman from a neighboring plantation. In that time, Frank was able to hire out.

There were certain conditions under which a slave could hire out, meaning go to work for someone else, or to have some level of entrepreneurship, McWorter said. And then most of that money would go to their owner, but they would be able to save some of that money.

Frank established a saltpeter mining operation in time for the War of 1812. Saltpeter is an ingredient in gunpowder. Eventually, Frank was able to turn a profit and save up enough money to turn a long-held dream he and Lucy had into a reality  freedom.

Lucy and Frank decided that the first person to be freed from slavery would be Lucy, because she was pregnant, McWorter said. And they wanted their next child, who was a son named Squire, they wanted that he would be born free.

A historic photograph showing the children of Hiley McWorter and Alexander Clark circa 1872 on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at the New Philadelphia National Historic Site in New Philadelphia, Ill. Brian Munoz/Brian Munoz

A new beginning

Frank bought Lucys freedom in 1817 for $800. Two years later, he bought his own for the same price. Their freedom journey would ultimately include purchasing it for 16 family members, including the couples children, for $14,000.

The McWorters left Kentucky for Pike County roughly a decade after securing their freedom. They used some of the money they had saved to buy 42 acres of land sight unseen. The property was wedged between the Mississippi and Illinois rivers atop high ground. Despite legally acquiring the land and their freedom, Frank still had his concerns, particularly about the h in his last name, McWhorter.

The usual name spelling is McWhorter, McWorter said. He took the h out because he did not want the former slave owners to be able to come to Illinois and claim his property.

As a newly freed Black man living in Illinois, Frank did not have the right to stop people from trying to lay claim to his land. Christopher Fennell, a professor of anthropology and law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, said Frank crafted a plan to prevent that.

He hires an attorney, Fennell said. They go on to Springfield and file the paperwork at that time to create a bill in the state legislature that would give him all the rights, responsibilities and capacities of someone whos classified as white under the Illinois laws and the national laws as they impacted the area at that time.

In 1837, the Illinois General Assembly passed the McWorter law, effectively changing the spelling of his last name and guaranteeing his rights. The McWorters went on to buy more land in the surrounding area. New Philadelphia was known as an integrated abolitionist farm town with 160 residents at its peak. It was also a stop on the Underground Railroad.

Unlike other stops on the Underground Railroad, New Philadelphia did not have big houses with built-in secret compartments. Based on oral histories shared from other families in the community, McWorter said there was a creek and a cave where some freedom seekers would hide. They also used coded messages, such as letting the dogs chase a chicken, as a way to let people know to run and hide.

If you think about the Underground Railroad, the people that pass through New Philadelphia, many of their family descendants may not even know their connection to New Philadelphia, McWorter said. So, when we talk about New Philadelphia as our family story, one of the things that the national parks status enables us to do is to go from our story to our story, the bigger our.

Philip E. Bradshaw, president of the New Philadelphia Association, on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at the historic home of Alexander Clark near the New Philadelphia National Historic Site in New Philadelphia, Ill. Brian Munoz/Brian Munoz

The decline

New Philadelphia was a thriving community for years until 1857. Thats when a group of white businessmen from Missouri pushed for a railroad to be constructed. The rail line would cross Pike County connecting Hannibal, Missouri, to Naples, Illinois. The goal was to turn Hannibal into a major commercial hub, said Fennell. That plan, however, did not include New Philadelphia.

These white business people in the slave state of Missouri in 1857 did not want to see this thriving African American town, which was a commercial hub, become an even more thriving depot town, Fennell said. So they actually spent more money in bypassing it.

Black-founded towns in the U.S. were frequently disregarded as places with economic value. The move essentially cut off an opportunity for further economic growth.

But this was only the beginning of New Philadelphias decline. Many residents left for large metropolitan areas like Chicago and Kansas City for work. Thats how Gerald McWorters family made its way to Chicago.

As the family farm ceases to be the norm and agribusiness tends to dominate, there continues to be migration out of the rural area, McWorter said. So this is a general pattern that goes way back and continues to today.

New Philadelphia dissolved in 1885. By this time, both Frank and Lucy had died. But their descendants and people in surrounding communities never forgot about New Philadelphia.

A marker from the U.S. National Park Service, pictured on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, designated New Philadelphia, Ill. in western Illinois, as a national historic landmark. Brian Munoz/Brian Munoz

New Philadelphia rises

Philip Bradshaw grew up in Griggsville. As a kid, the now 84-year-old farmer and his family would drive by New Philadelphia on their way to a church in nearby Barry.

Ever since this New Philadelphia was established, everybody has known or knew it was a special place, Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw has been on a number of committees throughout the years to help put New Philadelphia back on the map. Bradshaw is the president of the New Philadelphia Association. Its a group of descendants and community members who came together to preserve and continue the legacy of the town.

The group has already set up a visitors center and an augmented reality tour as well as signage.

An archaeological dig was done on the site to collect and preserve what was left of the original town, with some of the remaining artifacts making their way to the Smithsonians National Museum of American History. New Philadelphia has also gone on to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, named a National Historic Landmark, and last year it received its biggest designation yet.

On Dec. 29, the New Philadelphia National Historic Site became the 424th national park in the nation. Learning that New Philadelphia would be joining places like the Grand Canyon with this major designation was a welcome surprise, said McWorter.

This story is really the story of a man and a woman who loved their family, he said. And did what you would hope people would do for their family. Because they were situated at a particular point in history in a particular situation as African Americans. It symbolizes something that is way beyond the individual reality of a family. Its really a biopsy of a people.

This designation was years in the making.

Mike Ward is the deputy regional director for operations and facilities in the Midwest region for the National Park Service. Typically, national parks are made through an Antiquities Act or an Act of Congress. New Philadelphia was different. Instead, it was placed in an omnibus bill.

The park service is still in the early planning stages of what they have in store for the site.

But Ward said the New Philadelphia Association has made the job easier.

Theres already a visitor experience there thats very strong that people appreciate, Ward said. Depending on what youre looking for in a site like that, were going to be fine for a while, based on the fact that theyve done such a tremendous job of providing a place that people can come to learn and understand.

Wyatt Billings, a 4th grade teacher at the Barry, Ill.-based Western Elementary School, looks over an educational placard alongside Briggs Renecker, right, and other classmates on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, at the New Philadelphia National Historic Site in New Philadelphia, Ill. Brian Munoz/Brian Munoz

A new generation

The New Philadelphia National Historic Site already gets its fair share of visitors.

On a recent windy spring afternoon, a busload of 4th graders from Western Elementary School in Barry came for a field trip. The kids had just started a unit on little-known Illinois history, said teacher Jeff Fessler.

We have history in our backyard, he said.

The students watched a video about New Philadelphia that morning. Little did the students know that this history would take an interactive approach.

We didnt tell them we were coming here, Fessler said. Right as recess ended, a bus pulled up, and we said Were getting on that bus, and they said, What? Where are we going? And they discovered about five minutes in they saw a sign and said, Were going to see New Philadelphia!

Isla Maas was one of those excited students.

When youre going [on] a field trip, you dont know what to expect, Maas said. When youre finally here, youre just like, whats gonna happen? What are we gonna do? And then you look around and you just see fun. And you think about whats been in the past and how they were, how they worked and how they lived.

Gerald McWorter wants to continue to see the next generation of kids with this much excitement about his great-great-grandparents story now that it has made its way to the national stage.

Thats the wonder and joy of whats possible with young people who are open and not conditioned by the prejudice and weakness of older people, McWorter said. And thats one of the interesting things about the new Philadelphia Story is that it really is spreading.

He said one thing he no longer has to worry about is New Philadelphia being forgotten.

The National Park Service is in the forever business, McWorter said. So while New Philadelphia had a moment where it could have gone away and been forgotten, now it will never be forgotten.

The park service is still in the process of securing the rest of the land that made up New Philadelphia. The park service will also hold community conversations with stakeholders.
The New York Times has published drone footage documenting the destruction in Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, which became deserted after months of war.

Source: The New York Times

Details: The longest and bloodiest battle of the war in Ukraine has been going on for months in Bakhmut, The New York Times wrote.

Drone footage taken on 19 May showed burned buildings, destroyed schools and sinkholed parks where a peaceful city was previously located. Bakhmut has been destroyed, The New York Times stated.

Bakhmut is where the longest and bloodiest battle of the Ukraine war has raged for months. Drone footage taken by The New York Times captured the scorched buildings, destroyed schools and cratered parks that now define the once peaceful city. https://t.co/iK6Q27LoYJ pic.twitter.com/sUiFfa5YOT  The New York Times (@nytimes) May 22, 2023

Quote: "The Russians are declaring victory in this battle. The Ukrainians, making gains on the outskirts, say the death of the city is not the end of the campaign to drive the Russians from the ruins, just one more phase in a catastrophic war.

The notion of a "winner", however, defies what is so clearly lost  the many lives and homes in the once peaceful city, known for its salt-mines and sparkling wine, largely reduced to ashes...

In a place filled with death and destruction, signs of life are the exception."

Background: The Command of the Special Operations Forces released a video from Bakhmut, while the 93rd Separate Mechanised Kholodny Yar Brigade posted photos of the destroyed city.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Ohio man who went missing for over 2 years now found dead

An Ohio man who went missing for over two years was finally found dead in Lake Erie.

>> TRENDING: Bank robbery suspect shot, killed during SWAT response in Hamilton Co.

Jose Irizarry, 40, went missing over two years ago after walking out of the Cuyahoga County Justice Center in Cleveland on November 2020, 19 News reported.

All I could remember was that Jose called my phone he said sister they are about to release me, Irizarrys sister recalled.

Hours passed after Irizarrys release, but his family never saw or heard from him.

When it hit 12, I had a bad feeling in my heart. Irizarrys sister said. I feel like something happened. Somebody knows something and they are saying nothing.

When he was released from jail, the missing man wore a GPS ankle monitor, which was used to ping his location at Whiskey Island. However, search teams were never able to locate his body. Even under such circumstances, the family said they never stopped searching for him, or giving up hope.

Sadly, his remains were found this past March near the location where his ankle monitor last showed him to be.

Its too many pieces missing. I need answers and I need somebody to tell me what happened, Irizarrys sister explained.

Just to imagine we could have given him a proper burial for his son, my father, my sisters, open casket. Now I have to cremate my brother, she continued.

Cleveland Police refrained from commenting on the ongoing investigation into the mans death.
Olathe South High School Principal Dale Longenecker has resigned, seemingly answering students calls to step down because of how the school has handled racist incidents.

Superintendent Brent Yeager said in an email to families that Longenecker will not be returning to Olathe South. Students protested outside of district headquarters last week and walked out of class, calling on the principal to be fired and for school officials to issue stronger discipline for racism and hate speech.

Sophomore Kirubel Solomon said three white students had been targeting and harassing him with racial slurs since the start of the semester because he is Black. But this month, he said, he was in his metal and jewelry making class when they handed him a flat piece of copper with the N-word and a heart stamped into it.

After that, Solomon said he reported the incident and the previous months of harassment and racism to Longenecker. He said he was unimpressed with Longeneckers reaction, saying that the principal apologized and said that the behavior had no place in Olathe. Solomon claimed that two of the white students received 10 days of out-of-school suspension, while the third received a few days and already returned to class.

Yeagers email did not provide a reason for Longeneckers resignation.

But Solomon called it a major victory.

He told The Star in a text message Monday evening that there are a lot more steps to go and that it doesnt matter whos at the position if there isnt any more moves for change after.

Students say racism is rampant in their school and appropriate action is rarely taken. In another viral incident less than two years ago, a photo circulated of a white Olathe South student asking a St. James Academy student to homecoming using a sign that read: If I was Black I would be picking cotton but Im white so Im picking you for HOCO. Many parents and students questioned the schools handling of the incident.

Olathe South High School Principal Dale Longenecker has resigned, following student protests over the handling of racist incidents.

Student protesters pushed for the firing of Longenecker for a failure to properly address racism. They also have called on the district to initiate an investigation into its own practices to ensure racism is better addressed, and they asked for new disciplinary measures against discrimination and hate speech, with clear consequences and a process for educating violators on the impact of racism.

They also are pushing for stronger diversity programs and training, a system for students to more easily and confidentially report harassment and discrimination, the hiring of a more diverse workforce, as well as stronger collaboration with students and the community on tackling racial inequities.

During last weeks protest, school board member and Democratic Kansas state Rep. Brad Boyd said racist incidents, such as students being called slurs, are being excused away.

In his email, Yeager told families, We recognize that this has been an especially challenging end of the school year for Olathe South and want to assure you that your administrative team and district leadership are committed to moving forward in the most productive way possible.

He said the district is working hard to ensure a smooth transition in leadership moving forward. We are committed to providing stability for the OS staff, students and community as we close out the school year and head into the summer.

He said the district will eventually announce a new head principal for next school year.
Old Well at UNC-Chapel Hill will undergo renovations to improve accessibility

The Old Well, a UNC-Chapel Hill landmark thats closely tied to the universitys image and is steeped in campus lore, will undergo renovations this summer to improve accessibility.

The renovations, which will begin May 30, will include adding a sloped ramp leading up to the wells drinking fountain from the paved bricks surrounding the structure, and lowering the drinking fountain.

In its current form, the wells fountain is only accessible by using two steps.

The new ramp will be made of granite that matches the existing base steps, and the steps will remain around most of the structure, according to renderings of the renovation. The landscape surrounding the Old Well, including trees, will remain.

The Old Well and the brick area surrounding it will be fenced off during the renovations, and some sidewalks and walkways around the well will also be closed to pedestrians.

Weather permitting, the renovations are expected to be completed by Aug. 11, per a university announcement earlier this month.

The first day of classes for the upcoming academic year at the university is Aug. 21. It is a tradition at the university for students to drink from the Old Well on the first day of each semester, with lore among students being that it ensures academic success  namely, a 4.0 GPA.

A rendering of accessibility improvements that will be made to the Old Well at UNC-Chapel Hill this summer.

History of the Old Well

Renovations to the well this summer will mark one of a few major changes to the structure since the original well was constructed in 1795.

Originally covered by a wooden shelter, the wells neoclassical design and rotunda date to 1897, when then-university president Edwin Alderman proposed a new design based on the Temple of Love at Versailles.

In 1954, that deteriorating structure was demolished, and the current Old Well  a sturdier replica, according to the university  was built in its place, using water supplied to the wells fountain by the town of Chapel Hill.

Other changes to the well included the installation in 2001 of a valve to prevent the fountain from freezing during cold weather and repairs to three of the structures six columns in 2019.

In recent years, the university had installed a temporary ramp to access the structure, including for important milestones in the academic year, such as the first day of classes and spring commencement. The ramp was left in place year round beginning in January 2022, while the university explored a permanent solution, Stephanie Berrier, UNC director of communications and marketing for finance and operations, told The News & Observer by email.

The well is also used as the image in the universitys official logo.
May is Older Americans Month. So who are we?

First of all, we are numerous. Today, people over 65 make up 17%, 1 in 6 of Americans, and that percentage is expected to grow to 46% by 2032. The fastest growing group consists of people over 85.

We mostly live at home. Even at 95 years and older, the majority of us are still in single family dwellings.

Unlike older adults around the world, we rarely live in an extended family. In fact, in the United States, 27% of adults ages 60 and older live alone.

The aging population is often depicted as an unfolding crisis  the Silver Tsunami, the Next Ticking Time Bomb, etc. We are pictured as a homogenous group, living in assisted living or nursing home facilities, not working and coming out to dine or shop during the day when everyone else is working. We are seen as needy because we will depend on the government or the generosity of others to survive. And the narrative is that we like it that way!

In fact, we are a diverse group, physically, cognitively and financially. Many of us still work -- 26% of people ages 65-74 and older and 8.9% of 75-year-olds. We are out taking classes, playing pickleball and travelling.

More: Older Americans deserve economic security and care. Here's how to ensure that. | Opinion

Retirement has evolved over the centuries

Some of the story is, of course, grounded in fact. We do get older and eventually decline physically. Some of us get dementia.

A older man plays pickleball in Palm Springs, California in 2020.

But the story of retirement into obsolescence is a new narrative that did not exist 150 years ago.

In the 19th century, medicine thought that we had a certain amount of vital force that we expended until we ran out of it and died. The old and the poor were considered undeserving and were put in the poorhouse.

In 1904, President Theodore Roosevelt issued an executive order that classified Union veterans as half-disabled at 62, two-thirds disabled at 65, and fully disabled at 70. Union veterans retired and Confederate ones kept on working.

In the 1920s and even more in the 1930s many people lost their jobs or were laid off. There was a belief that older people were occupying jobs that younger people needed.

Finally, in 1935, the Social Security Act was passed. Suddenly there was a new narrative. Retirement wasnt the result of losing your job, it was something that everyone longed for and looked forward to.

Subhed

At the time that the Act was passed and solidified 65 as the age of retirement, life expectancy at birth was 59.3 for men and 63.3 for women.

Today, life expectancy at birth is 73 for men and 79 for women, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Yes, we have had recent declines caused by the pandemic and gun violence, but there is still a lot to celebrate.

So, lets enjoy Older Americans Month with all these realities in mind. We may work and we may not. Many of us are out there living lives of gusto, creativity and meaning. Lets all go for it.

Barbara Moss is founder of Elder Law of Nashville PLC.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Older Americans Month: Become reacquainted with America's elders
Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent.

On May 10, the European Parliament signed the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and an amendment to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). From Oct. 1, importers to Europe will be required to report greenhouse gas emissions, with it being fully effective from 2026. Most of Ukraine's industrial exports will then be subject to the CBAM regulation.

The regulations signing is a clear signal that Russias war against Ukraine is not impeding climate policies, but rather accelerating them  including the transition to renewable energy sources. It also proves that decarbonization measures are not optional for individual countries, but a mandatory requirement for those who consider the EU a trading partner.

CBAM and EU ETS regulations

The significant measures approved by the European Parliament are aimed at achieving climate targets by 2030 through gradually phasing out the EU ETS emission allowances from 2026 and introducing the CBAM regulation.

The CBAM will cover industries such as iron, steel, cement, aluminum, fertilizers, electricity, and hydrogen, as well as indirect emissions under certain conditions. Importers of these goods will be required to pay the price difference between the carbon price in the country of production and the price of carbon allowances in the EU ETS.

The aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the ETS sectors by 62% in 2030 as compared to 2005 levels. The EU ETS will also expand to cover fuels for road transport and buildings, setting a price for greenhouse gas emissions for these sectors in 2027 (or 2028 if energy prices are unusually high).

In addition to these measures, the European Parliament also voted to include greenhouse gas emissions from the maritime and aviation sectors in the ETS to promote the use of cleaner fuels and reduce further carbon emissions.

Razom We Stand, Oleh Savytskyi, Olha Yevstihnieieva: What tips can we learn from COP27 for the green post-war reconstruction of Ukraine? Editors Note: Razom We Stand is a Ukrainian grassroots movement calling for a total and permanent embargo on Russian fossil fuels and an immediate end to all investment into Russian oil and gas companies. The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not Kyiv IndependentOleh Savytskyi

Implications of CBAM for Ukraine

These are significant developments for Ukrainian business since the EU became a primary trading partner for industrial goods last year. The Ukrainian energy sector is therefore highly invested in the introduction of an ETS in Ukraine by 2030 that is on par with EU standards.

According to Pavlo Masiukov, the senior coordinator of an initiative by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to introduce an ETS in Ukraine, the industrial sector may be interested in introducing it even faster  from 2026, when the CBAM regulation starts.

The best option will be to launch a pilot or transitional phase of the ETS in Ukraine in 2026, with full integration with the EU ETS by 2030. This would ensure that funds paid for carbon emissions will remain in the country and be used for decarbonization measures in Ukraine, rather than being sent to the EU, he told me.

However, it is currently unknown when the ETS will start operating in Ukraine. The deadlines specified in the EU Association Agreement for introducing an ETS have already expired and not been revised since. There is also currently no draft law on it in Ukraine.

Furthermore, Ukraines reform of greenhouse gas Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV), which aims to introduce annual enterprise-level reporting and create a unified register for greenhouse gas accounting and registration of installations, is only partially operational.

Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly  Issue 88 Editors Note: This is issue 88 of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly, covering events from May 13-19, 2023. The Kyiv Independent is reposting it with permission. Ukrainian SOE Weekly is an independent weekly digest based on a compilation of the most important news related to state-owned ente Kyiv IndependentUkrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly

An audit conducted by Ukraines Accounting Chamber revealed that, from July to December 2021, only 264 installations emitting greenhouse gases had officially submitted their monitoring plans to the National Center for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting  a meager 15% of Ukraines total installations.

Of the 201 risk assessment recommendations forwarded to Ukraines Ecology Ministry, only 36 approved the monitoring plan. The remaining 164 recommendations pointed to shortcomings and inconsistencies, leading to the conclusion that the monitoring plan could not be approved.

The report highlighted that several of Ukraines largest chemical plants and most coke plants, which are primarily privately owned, have disregarded the requirements set by Ukraines legislation and the countrys international obligations.

Masiukov suggested that, even though the MRV system may not be established by the end of the war, this does not necessarily mean that the implementation of the ETS is impossible, noting there are various approaches to implementing it.

For instance, some European countries implement monitoring, reporting, and verification of emissions alongside the ETS. Turkeys experience demonstrates that they, like us, first implement MRV, fill in all the gaps, and then implement the ETS, he said.

Masiukov also mentioned a linking instrument that permits non-EU countries to join the EU ETS, like Switzerland has done.

This Week in Ukraine Ep. 6  Ukrainian grain exports, and the mayhem they cause in Europe This Week in Ukraine is a video podcast hosted by Kyiv Independents reporter Anastasiia Lapatina. Every week, Anastasiia sits down with her newsroom colleagues to discuss Ukraines most pressing issues. Episode #6 is dedicated to Ukrainian grain exports, and how they destabilize European domesti Kyiv IndependentAnastasiia Lapatina

How Ukrainian business can remain competitive

The first recommendation for Ukrainian businesses to remain competitive amid changing climate policies is to implement the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG), which guides business and governments in measuring climate-warming emissions.

Greenhouse gas emissions must be accurately calculated before they can be reduced. The GHG allows companies to calculate both their direct and indirect emissions, including the impact of their supply chain.

The second recommendation is to develop a decarbonization map based on sectoral recommendations and the Paris Agreements commitment to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celcius.

To achieve this, Ukrainian businesses should consult and commit to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which encourages companies worldwide to set science-based climate targets. The SBTi has already supported over 1,200 companies in more than 50 sectors worldwide to confirm targets that cover a thousand megatons of annual greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to about 308 coal-fired power plants. I have prepared step-by-step instructions on how to implement the GHG protocol and apply for the SBT initiative for Ukrainian business.

The third recommendation is to complete an environmental impact report in the CDP database, considered the "gold standard" of environmental reporting, which enables companies to compare themselves to others in the industry and get a complete picture of the missing data and reporting needed to comply with the CSRD.

The final recommendation is to prepare for Ukraines implementation of Directive 2010/75/EU on industrial emissions, aimed at integrated pollution prevention and control. A new draft law has recently been approved by Ukraines parliament, setting the stage for the adoption of such measures in the near future.

The European Commission has also adopted relevant documents and action plans dedicated to addressing energy efficiency and emissions, which are aimed at reducing air pollution. Ukraine should do the same.

Ensuring Ukrainian businesses access to EU markets is a crucial factor in establishing Ukraine as an independent state in Europe after our victory.
Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero / The Daily Beast / Getty

When it comes to UFOs, the truth is out thereand your college professor might think so too.

An academic survey published on Monday in the journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications found that roughly a fifth of tenured and tenure-track faculty across 144 research universities in the U.S. reported sightings of unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP), the official U.S. government term for UFO. The survey also found that the majority of academics believe that academic research and evaluation into UAP is important.

"Results indicate several implications for UAP research generally," Marissa Yingling, a psychology researcher at the University of Louisville, told The Daily Beast in an email. "Faculty across disciplines are cautiously willing to engage in the UAP topic, many are interested in conducting research, and the credibility of those who initially engage with the topic as well as funding are important factors for faculty."

The participants who responded that they had seen UAP were given an opportunity to share their stories, which ranged in a variety of different ways.

I saw an unidentified object as a child in (state redacted) (with my sibling)which my parents didnt believe, one respondent said in the survey. The news reported that others saw it too.

I have seen UFOs twice, another respondent said. I know they exist and we dont have that level of technology. I used to tell people but they thought I was crazy or lyingso now Im silent.

When I was in graduate school, circa (year redacted), I saw a large, round UAP with rectangular lit windows on the bottom hovering above the ground in the (mountain range redacted) east of (city redacted), another recounted. I made my husband pull the car over so I could get out and take a closer look. It was quite dark, and the lights on the craft had attracted my attention. Since (state redacted) is pretty far from Area 51, I have never known what to make of this sighting.

Why Are We Suddenly Shooting a Bunch of UFOs Out of the Sky?

The reports authors sent the survey to almost 40,000 academics and garnered a 4 percent response rate. Participants were 63 percent male and 80 percent white, and ranged across 14 different research disciplines such as physics, psychology, political science, and engineering.

About 19 percent of respondents reported witnessing or knowing someone who had witnessed a UAP. And 9 percent said they or someone they knew might have seen a UAP.

Though the banner takeaway is that one in five academics reported seeing potential visitors from other planets or knew someone who had, the survey itself encompassed a wide range of opinions and insights about academics and their perception of UFOs. For example, 36 percent of participants reported that they were interested in conducting more research into UAPs, with just 4 percent having conducted any UAP research. An additional 55 percent said they would be much more likely to conduct research if they had funding.

Marco Rubio Claims UFOs Have Been Flying Over the U.S. for Years

Moreover, 64 percent said that it was very important or absolutely essential that academia was involved in UAP-related research. This is potentially consequential due to the fact that the U.S. government has been more and more open when it comes to UAP sightings in recent years. In June 2022, NASA announced that it was launching a nine-month study into UAP. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have thrown their weight behind UFO research in the interest of national security. The Pentagon has also launched a UAP office to investigate the growing number of reports of ET sightings by the nations military over the years.

"Any future research in this area will benefit from including faculty across disciplines," Yingling explained. She later added, "Humanities and social sciences offer better insight into, for instance, cultures and motives, the language of legislation and reports, and how narratives are made. Arts may offer better insight into image analysis. Science has other domains of expertise and plays an important role."

So your college professor might be able to one day help with answering the question, Are we alone in the universe? At the very least, itll be a good topic to bring up during their next office hours.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Two people were shot, one fatally, on Monday afternoon in Kansas Citys Oak Park neighborhood, according to police.

The shooting happened around 2:30 p.m. on 39th Street where police found the gunshot victims separated by a few blocks at Benton Boulevard and Chestnut Avenue, said Capt. Corey Carlisle, a Kansas City police spokesman.

The victims, both men, were found after 911 calls came in to report sounds of gunfire in the area. Other information from callers included a confirmed gunshot victim on the sidewalk near the corner at Chestnut.

Both gunshot victims were taken by ambulance to the hospital. One was pronounced dead there, Carlisle said, and the other was last listed in critical but stable condition.

Kansas City police were investigating after two gunshot victims were found at 39th Street and Benton Boulevard and 39th Street and Chestnut Avenue on Monday afternoon. One gunshot victim, a man, died of his injuries, police said.

Police did not have any suspect information Monday afternoon as detectives were still trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, Carlisle said. He called on the community to help police with their investigation.

If you know something, say something, Carlisle said, adding: Any information or any leads, regardless of how miniscule or insignificant you may think it may be, could be a turning point in the investigation.

The fatal shooting was the second reported Monday in Kansas City. Around 3 a.m., a woman was killed in a separate shooting that unfolded in an apartment building in the 9300 block of Bales Avenue.

The latest round of violence comes after a bloody weekend in Kansas City, including an early Sunday mass shooting at the Klymax Lounge, a nightclub in the Oak Park neighborhood, that left three people dead.

In all, Kansas City has seen 67 homicides so far in 2023, according to data maintained by The Star. Last year, the city saw 157 homicides, marking the second-deadliest year on record.

Kansas City police were asking anyone with information about Mondays shooting to contact homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS.
A man is facing charges after allegedly stabbing another person inside a Star Market in Boston on Tuesday afternoon, law enforcement officials said.

Trevor Charlton, 47 of Hyde Park, is slated to be arraigned Wednesday in Dorchester District Court on a charge of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, according to the Boston Police Department.

Families who shop with their children at the River Street store in Mattapan say its concerning to have violence in such a public place.

Its usually just a very quiet place, lots of children lots of families, one shopper said.

Boston police responded to the stabbing shortly after 3:30 p.m. The victim was rushed to an area hospital and is expected to be OK.

A shopper says she learned from police on the scene that it was workplace violence.

They just said it was a dispute between employees and I was like ok but yeah Ive never seen anything like that before here I mean its usually just a very quiet place, one shopper said.

Police are still trying to figure out what led up to the stabbing.

In a statement, Star Market officials sWe work diligently to provide a safe shopping and workplace environment.

An investigation remains ongoing.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
OnPolitics: Sen. Tommy Tuberville holding up military appointments. But why?

Hey there, OnPolitics readers. A fight over abortion policy has brought a Senate confirmation process, usually just a formality, to a standstill.

Pentagon leaders are concerned that Sen. Tommy Tubervilles latest fight over abortion could be a threat to national security.

What's happening: The Pentagon warned that the Alabama Republican is endangering the country by blocking generals and admirals from taking their command because of a dispute over abortion policy, reporter Tom Vanden Brook writes.

Tuberville has put a hold on the confirmation of a growing list of over 200 military officials  the seventh time since February.

But why?: Tuberville opposes the Pentagons abortion policy, which allows for time off and travel expenses for reproductive health care  including abortion  for troops and their dependents in states where its not available.

The policy was enacted following the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last year, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion.

Tuberville calls the policy illegal, saying hell release his hold on the nominations when its rescinded.

Why it matters: By the end of the year the backlog of officials stuck awaiting confirmation could include more than 650 individuals, according to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, including the chairman of the Joints Chief of State.

Keep reading: This senator is holding up military appointments because of abortion policy. What could happen next.

 Stay in the know on politics: Sign up for the OnPolitics newsletter

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why is Sen. Tommy Tuberville holding up military appointments?
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis throws markers into the audience during a bill-signing ceremony at a church last week. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)

In our country, privilege for one often means oppression for another. The anti-racism movement acknowledges this reality  making the movement a target for politicians such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who last week signed into law a bill blocking public colleges from using federal or state funding on diversity, equity and inclusion programming.

This is a shift away from the relatively positive reception diversity efforts have enjoyed over the last two decades. Indeed, diversity initiatives were accepted because they maintained the silence about white privilege. The emergence of an anti-racism movement, however, broke that silence, and now even diversity efforts pose a threat to racial hierarchy in America.

The value of diversity was never more loudly trumpeted than after the 2003 Supreme Court case about race in college admissions. In an opinion written by Justice Sandra Day OConnor, the Supreme Court affirmed diversity as a compelling state interest that justified the consideration of race in admissions processes. Sustained monitoring would ensure consideration of race imparted the least harm possible to other innocent persons competing for the benefit. The term innocent persons, a quote from a 1978 affirmative action case, was code for white people.

In reality, there are no legitimate claims to innocence for those who benefit from white supremacy. Racial inequality in education is sustained by artificial district lines, school finance disparities and student tracking that enable white people to hoard high-quality K-12 education and access to elite colleges and universities.

Instead of setting the governments sights on addressing such inequities, the Supreme Court affirmed diversity as a way to enhance learning in predominantly white institutions of higher education. The banner of diversity did the trick, allowing colleges and universities to consider those who lose on account of race without having to name those who win.

The give-and-take of race and racism, however, has been made increasingly clear over the last 20 years, coming into acute relief after the murder of George Floyd during the COVID-19 pandemic. The visibility of anti-racism education has increased as schools, corporations and other organizations committed to countering racial injustice.

In a landscape of deepening racial responsibility, the embrace of terms such as equity and inclusion alongside diversity pushes past demographic representation or positive workplace and classroom dynamics, compelling us all to ask: What have people of color been denied that white people have received? What would it look like to insist that marginalized communities finally enjoy resources and opportunities sufficient to thrive? How might power be more fairly shared with the racially excluded in our democracy? What are the obligations of white people as we move toward a more racially just society?

For a moment Americans seemed ready for more substantive, and frank, engagement with race that anti-racism education demanded, and that diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives might finally engage. Unfortunately, the moment was short-lived. By December 2021, at least 54 state-level bills had been introduced or adopted seeking to control how race and American history (as well as sex and gender) could be taught in American schools.

Florida has been a prime example. Last year Florida passed the Stop WOKE Act, banning public schools from teaching concepts such as white privilege, prohibiting required diversity and inclusion training in businesses, and proscribing instruction that might compel students to feel responsibility, guilt or anguish for benefits incurred from racial injustices, now and in the past.

Earlier this year, the governor characterized a leaked draft of the College Boards new AP course on African American studies as indoctrination. It is no coincidence that the critiqued draft included critical race theory, Black feminism and Black Lives Matter  topics that go beyond demographic representation to raise substantive issues about power and who benefits from it.

The backlash against anti-racism initiatives is a scramble to avoid responsibility for the problem of race. Floridas new law goes beyond critiquing ideas about race to silencing and censoring discourse about racial history in order to avoid accountability.

Bans on anti-racism education, diversity programming or any other attempts to honestly address race in the United States function by denying marginalized groups opportunities to pursue justice and by ensuring that white Americans dont have to confront the injustices that have been maintained in their names.

Although Floridas attack on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives is a first, given the enduring appeal of white racial innocence, it certainly wont be the last.

Osamudia James is a professor of law at the University of North Carolina.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Over 2,000 Ukrainian children abducted to Belarus, says Belarusian opposition

Russians have stolen almost 20,000 Ukrainian children from occupied Ukrainian territories

According to the organization, 2,150 Ukrainian children, including orphans aged 6 to15, were sent to so-called recreational camps and sanatoriums on the territory of Belarus.

Russians have reportedly abducted nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children from the territories they occupy.

Read also: Russia puts ICC prosecutor on wanted list

On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Childrens Ombudsman of Russia, Maria Lvova-Belova. They are accused of the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia since Feb. 24, 2022.

As explained by the head of the ICC, Peter Hofmansky, the dictator could be arrested in 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute.

Read also: US House Committee passes draft resolution on special tribunal for Russia

On April 27, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution recognizing the forced displacement of Ukrainian children to Russia as genocide.

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
Chris Kreiden started shelving books at a California library 30 years ago when she was in college.

In her three decades working at St. Helena Public Library, Kreiden told McClatchy News shes never quite come across an overdue book like the one a mysterious man dropped off at the front desk in early May.

When a staff member first handed her the book, Kreiden, now the librarys director, said she knew it was old but didnt quite realize how old.

I was kind of scared to touch it, Kreiden said.

The book, stamped Property of the St. Helena Library Association, was falling apart, according to Kreiden.

The inside of the book shows when it was due.

Inside the book was a slip of paper, noting the book was due to the library on Feb. 21, 1927, and that there was a 5 cent charge for each day the book was late, Kreiden said.

After taking the book to a board meeting to show others, Kreiden said she realized the book, Benson Lossings A History of the United States, was published in 1881.

It dawned on me  it must have been part of the subscription library, she said.

Before the city took over the subscription library in 1892, those wanting to borrow a book could either check out a book to read in a designated reading room or pay a fee of 25 cents a month to take books home to read, according to Kreiden.

Benson Lossings A History of the United States was published in 1881, according to Chris Kreiden.

I thought, Oh, my God. This book has been through a lot of stuff, she said.

Kreiden said she passed along a tip about the book to the local weekly paper, The St. Helena Star, which published an article about the long overdue book.

From there, the story took off, she said.

So much so, it reached the mysterious man who dropped off the book at the library, Kreiden said.

The man, who will not be charged any late fees, told the library he believes the book was checked out by his grandfather-in-law, John McCormick, for one of his daughters, according to Kreiden.

McCormick, it turns out, was from one of the pioneering families of the area, Kreiden said.

The man stumbled upon the book while cleaning, she said.

He came across a stack of old books. And he noticed one of those was from the library, and he just thought he would return it, Kreiden said.

Prior to the man stepping forward, Kreiden said library staff wondered how far the book may have traveled over the past near century.

We were thinking of all the places the book could have gone, Kreiden said, and it actually never left St. Helena or the Napa Valley.

Now that the book is home, Kreiden said its found a comfy spot in a display case at the front of the library.

Benson Lossings A History of the United States sits in a display case at St. Helena Public Library.

St. Helena is about 80 miles west of Sacramento.

Students library book has been due since 1967. They just mailed it back with surprise

Man returns library book 84 years late. Yes, he paid the fine, library in UK says

Overdue book returned 111 years after it was checked out from a Boise library
FILE PHOTO: India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the parliament house to attend the first day of the budget session, in New Delhi

By Praveen Menon

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Thousands of overseas Indians cheered Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in one of Sydney's biggest sporting arenas on Tuesday, a rare mass showing for a foreign leader in Australia.

Modi, who is visiting Australia for the first time since 2014, will look to use his popularity among expatriate Indians to boost support at home ahead of a general election next year, after his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost a key state election in southern India this month.

Thousands of supporters thronged the 21,000 capacity Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, one of the city's biggest indoor stadiums which has hosted international stars like Bruce Springsteen and the Backstreet Boys, though there were significant numbers of empty seats as Modi began his speech.

The Indian leader, who arrived to cheers from the crowd after a programme of song and dance from across India, paid tribute to the many connections between the two countries, from cricket and tennis to films and Indian street food in Sydney.

"Relations between both countries are based on mutual trust and respect," he said, speaking in Hindi.

A chartered Qantas flight rebranded as "Modi Airways" brought in fans from Melbourne, while "Modi Express" were being chartered from Queensland, local ABC News reported.

Modi is known to put up big shows during his overseas trips and has addressed packed stadiums in the UK, the U.S. and other countries that have large expatriate Indian populations.

Festivities in Sydney have already begun outside the venue with supporters breaking into orchestrated dances, songs and chants praising Modi and cheering for India.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also attended the event with Modi.

"You have brought the spirit of the world's biggest democracy to Australia," he said.

At a bilateral meeting on Wednesday the two leaders will discuss trade and investment, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation.

"Australia and India share a commitment to a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific," Albanese said in a statement.

India is Australia's sixth largest trading partner, while around 750,000 people in Australia claim Indian ancestry.

Modi, 72, who is known for never addressing a press conference, will not be speaking to the media at any of his engagements in Australia.

Despite his popularity and strongman image, Modi is a divisive figure at home and abroad. Critics say religious polarisation has increased since his Hindu nationalist BJP came to power in 2014, and that the country's minority Muslims are being marginalised.

A BBC documentary, banned in India, that questioned the actions of Modi during deadly Hindu-Muslim riots two decades ago, will be aired in the Australian parliament building on Wednesday, SBS News reported quoting a group calling itself 'We the Diaspora'.

Dozens of people campaigning for an independent state in India's Punjab region protested outside the venue, shouting anti-Modi slogans and waving flags of the so-called Khalistan movement.

($1 = 1.4743 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Praveen Menon in SydneyWriting by Alasdair PalEditing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Ozempic isn't just for weight loss and diabetes. Here are all the conditions it could one day treat  from cancer to addiction.

Ozempic is usually injected into the belly, but a lot of what it's doing is in the brain. Getty Images

Ozempic, a form of the drug semaglutide, was originally approved for type 2 diabetes in 2017.

People quickly realized it's also good for weight loss, largely because of how it works on the brain.

Scientists are now investigating other uses for the drug, from Alzheimer's treatment to addiction.

Since 2017, the injectable prescription drug Ozempic has been used by type 2 diabetics across the US to help manage their blood sugar. But right from the start, it became apparent that the medicine  generically called semaglutide  was doing more than controlling diabetes.

That's because this drug mimics a hunger-regulating hormone called GLP-1 that our bodies produce naturally  and that hormone doesn't just regulate blood sugar. It also tells our brains to be satisfied with less food, slows down digestion, and can even change what specific foods a person likes.

As a result of these attributes, people quickly started taking Ozempic off-label for weight loss, and soon a higher-dose version of semaglutide, Wegovy, was approved by the FDA for weight loss in overweight and obese patients.

But scientists have recently started to realize that semaglutide might do even more than regulate hunger and blood sugar.

From addiction to Alzheimer's disease, here are some of the major conditions semaglutide could treat next:

Semaglutide could be a powerful tool to fight addiction

Some people on Ozempic have dramatically lowered how much they drink. AMC

Scientists suspect the same traits that allow semaglutide to work on the brain's reward system to make people less interested in food could also be harnessed to help people give up addictions to cigarettes, alcohol, and other vices.

Already, some patients who are on Ozempic or Wegovy have reported dialing back on beers, coffee, and smoking.

Scientists have already studied how lab mice taking other GLP-1 drugs are better able say no to cocaine. Researchers are pretty sure that's because GLP-1 drugs are essentially breaking key addiction cycles in the mouse brain.

"Based on what we know about GLP-1, it does make some sense," Novo Nordisk's Executive Vice President of Development, Martin Lange, told Insider.

Semaglutide, he said, like other GLP-1 drugs, acts on areas of the brain that control food cravings, leading people to eat less.

"I think it's fair to speculate that you could have similar effects on craving for tobacco or craving for alcohol," he said.

Scientists are also studying whether semaglutide could treat liver disease

Getty Images

Scientists are studying whether semaglutide, which can change the way the liver produces sugar, could also improve liver damage in a specific kind of non-alcoholic liver inflammation called NASH.

A worldwide trial by Ozempic manufacturer Novo Nordisk is recruiting patients in more than 20 countries including the US and UK for a large phase 2 trial. For this research, semaglutide is being paired with a new liver medication, to see if taking the two together works better than trying either drug alone. A smaller trial already completed by Novo Nordisk found that NASH patients who tried semaglutide were more likely to heal their livers, especially if they were treated early.

It could be reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes in patients who take it

Layla Bird/Getty Images

Because taking semaglutide increases a person's resting heart rate slightly, there were some concerns about heart health and safety when it first came out.

But over time studies have suggested the opposite  semaglutide may actually reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke among overweight and diabetic patients. One large study of over 3,000 type 2 diabetes patients in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that taking the drug reduced the risk of heart issues by about 26% in type 2 diabetic patients.

Weight loss, improvements in blood pressure, and better blood sugar control could all be part of the reason why heart health appears to improve in patients who take semaglutide.

It's still unclear what effect the heart rate increases associated with semaglutide might have on any non-diabetic, non-overweight people who take the drug; large-scale studies of that question haven't been done.

There's a theory that it could be used to treat depression

Oleg Golovnev/Shutterstock

There's hope that perhaps semaglutide could be used to treat major depressive disorder, because of the unique ways it can impact thinking and cognition. A small phase 2 study of 60 patients is underway in Toronto to test the theory.

And while semaglutide isn't suspected of being a treatment for schizophrenia on its own, it is being tried out in some patients who are already being treated with anti-psychotic drugs, which often lead to weight gain. The idea is that pairing anti-psychotics with semaglutide could help many schizophrenic patients maintain a more healthy weight. It could also make fatal heart issues, which may be more common in people with schizophrenia due to obesity, less likely.

Or prevent cancer, by revving up cancer-killing cells

A study of obese patients suggested that semaglutide could help restore the health of their natural cancer-killing cells. Fat Camera/Getty Images

Scientists have long known that people who are overweight and obese are at higher risk of developing many different kinds of cancer. One reason this is true is because their stores of cancer-annihilating "natural killer" cells don't work as well as they do in other people.

Semaglutide seems to help with this problem.

The research is still preliminary, but one recent study of 20 obese people in Ireland found that semaglutide improved their natural killer cell metabolism and function  regardless of how much weight they lost on the drug. This initial data suggests there is something about the drug semaglutide itself that is helping rev up anti-cancer cells in obese people who try it out.

The drug is being studied in patients with early-onset Alzheimer's

Atthapon Raksthaput/Shutterstock

Ozempic manufacturer Novo Nordisk is also running a large phase 3 global study with more than 1,000 patients to investigate whether semaglutide can be used to treat early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Many diabetes drugs  old and new  have been suspected of having the potential to help out with this incurable brain disease, because of the complicated ways anti-diabetic compounds can improve inflammation and regulate metabolism. In mice, researchers have found semaglutide can decrease Alzheimer's-related brain inflammation.

Scientists are also hopeful that the drug may improve how critical pathways in the brains of Alzheimer's patients  pathways related to memory and learning  function.

"We know that GLP-1 improves what we call synaptic plasticity in the brain," Lange said. "Two years from now, we will have the answer to the question of whether GLP-1 may have a role in treatment of mild cognitive impairment and early dementia."

And it could possibly delay aging itself

Getty

There's also some suspicion that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic can improve age-related issues more generally, tamping down chronic inflammation, stimulating the growth of new neurons in the brain, and improving some of the major risk factors for age-associated diseases and decline.

But it's still early days for the idea, and there are no human trials yet to answer the question.

Read the original article on Insider
Rabbi Moshe Scheiner of Palm Beach Synagogue honors Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood on Wednesday with the synagogue's 2023 Critical Citizen Award.

Palm Beach Synagogue has honored Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood for his stand against antisemitism.

In a ceremony Wednesday at the synagogue, Rabbi Moshe Scheiner presented Chitwood with its 2023 Critical Citizen Award.

Chitwood was recognized for his actions earlier this year, when he took on the Goyim Defense League (GDL), a neo-Nazi hate group targeting the local Jewish community. The GDL distributed anti-Jewish fliers around the neighborhood and displayed hate propaganda at the Daytona 500, leading Chitwood to declare a war on antisemitism.

"We are honored to recognize Sheriff Chitwood for his outstanding leadership in combating antisemitism," Scheiner said. It is crucial that we acknowledge those who take a strong stance against hate and discrimination, and the sheriff is a shining example of this."

Chitwood and his family endured harassment from the hate group, including death threats. Several members of the group were later arrested. Since then, Chitwood has instituted a new policy at the Volusia County Police Academy: every student is now required to make a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Tampa.

"I am humbled and grateful to receive this award from the Palm Beach Synagogue, Chitwood said. It is my duty as a public servant to protect all members of our community, and I will continue to fight against hate and intolerance in all its forms."

The award ceremony took place alongside a panel discussion about the Abraham Accords, which featured Dan Schapiro, former Ambassador to Israel, Dr. Peter Berkowitz from the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, and Gabby Deutsch, editor of the Jewish Insider. The event was attended by more than 200 people, including former U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, and Michael Hoffman, president of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Synagogue honors Volusia sheriff for targeting antisemitism
Patagonia and Costco are ranked America's most reputable brands. Twitter, Fox, and Trump sit at the bottom.

Patagonia and Costco are ranked America's most reputable brands. Twitter, Fox, and Trump sit at the bottom.

Patagonia is the most reputable brand in the US, according to a recent poll, while Elon Musk's Twitter ranks toward the bottom. Left: Michael M. Santiago/Getty; Right: Chesnot/Getty.

Patagonia and Costco are among the brands Americans view most favorably, a new survey says.

Brands like Twitter, FTX, and Trump that have garnered negative press rank lowest in the list.

The results are part of the 2023 survey by the news outlet Axios and market research firm Harris Poll.

Retailers including Patagonia and Costco are leading a list of brands that Americans consider to have the best reputation, according to a newly released survey.

Other brands, many of which have drawn negative press over the past several months  including Elon Musk's Twitter, Fox, FTX, and The Trump Organization  ranked lowest among the list of 100 brands. Trump came in last.

Meanwhile, another of Musk's brands, Tesla, fell 50 spots to No. 62 out of 100 companies on the list.

The rankings are part of the 2023 survey by the news outlet Axios and market research firm the Harris Poll, which outlined a list of 100 companies based on surveying more than 16,300 respondents. The survey took place in March, according to the report.

Participants were asked to share their impressions about the companies, and which they considered to have the "best" and "worst" image. Survey respondents also assessed the companies based on a number of indicators of reputation, including company culture, trust, and ethics, according to the report.

Companies like Patagonia and Costco also ranked high among respondents who perceived them as good employers, the report said. Some 18,000 Costco workers are represented by the Teamsters union.

Costco is No. 2 on the list of the US's most reputable brands, according to a recent survey. Gene J. Puskar/AP

Representatives for Patagonia and Costco did not immediately respond to Insider's emailed requests for comment on Tuesday morning.

"Core to what is driving reputation this year are companies you can see, touch and trust," John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll, said in a statement to Insider on Tuesday.

"This is a reaction to AI uncertainty and digital-crypto meltdowns like FTX, Twitter, and Bitcoin, which all scored poorly with Americans."

Top 10 most reputable brands for 2023

1. Patagonia

2. Costco

3. John Deere

4. Trader Joe's

5. Chick-fil-A

6. Toyota

7. Samsung

8. Amazon

9. USAA

10. Apple

Source: Axios Harris Poll

Gerzema also said that the survey showed that about 78% of respondents indicated that "companies which make real, tangible items rather than intangible, digital items matter more to me today than ever before."

Brands that seemed to be weathering a hit in the rankings have been in the news in recent months, and often associated with negative coverage. Elon Musk's takeover of the social media platform Twitter has been marked by mass layoffs  the company went from about 7,500 employees before Musk to closer to 1,000 employees, Insider's Kali Hays reported this month.

Fox has faced coverage over its $787.5 million settlement with Dominion, a voting software company that had brought a defamation lawsuit alleging that Fox News amplified misinformation about the 2020 US presidential election results.

Bottom 10 most reputable brands for 2023

90. Family Dollar

91. Balenciaga

92. BP

93. Bitcoin

94. TikTok

95. Spirit Airlines

96. Facebook (Meta)

97. Twitter

98. Fox Corp.

99. FTX

100. The Trump Organization

Source: Axios Harris Poll

Meanwhile, the fallen crypto exchange FTX is contending with its bankruptcy proceedings, and the criminal case against former executives including founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial on a number of fraud and conspiracy charges.

Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX also was toward the bottom of the list. David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

The Trump Organization, a brand still widely associated with former President Donald Trump, has been beset by its own image issues. Trump was indicted earlier this year in Manhattan in a case involving a hush money payment, and E. Jean Carroll, who had accused him of sexual abuse, also recently won a $5 million jury award against him in a civil trial.

Representatives for Twitter, Fox, FTX, and The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to Insider's emailed requests for comment on Tuesday morning. Emails sent to Musk's Tesla and SpaceX email addresses also did not receive a response.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Person on horseback leads first responders to injured biker in Sudbury

A person on horseback was instrumental in leading first responders to an injured biker on a wooded trail in Sudbury on Monday afternoon.

Sudbury Police responded to Dutton Rd. in the area of the HopBrook Marsh Conservation area for a bicycle accident.

The accident occurred on a trail in the woods, where first responders met with a person on horseback who lead them to the crash site.

The injured biker was provided aid, then MedFlighted to Boston Hospital for further treatment.

Police said the condition of the biker is unknown at this time.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Perspective: How a Supreme Court decision went from red to blue in less than 2 decades

Michelle Budge, Deseret News

What makes a Supreme Court case conservative or liberal, red or blue? Sometimes the answer is less obvious than youd think.

When Chevron U.S.A. v. Natural Resources Defense Council was decided in 1984, the decision looked reddish-purple. Its immediate effect was conservative  the court sided with the Reagan administration and an oil company against an environmental group  but the opinion was unanimous and written by liberal Justice John Paul Stevens.

Fast forward 20 years to the 2000s, when that purplish decision was shading towards crimson. It was no longer a case about an oil company; instead the doctrine of Chevron deference has come to mean that when a federal agency interprets a law, courts should adopt the agencys interpretation as long as its reasonable.

The implications were enormous. As Ive written before, there are so many federal agencies that weve lost count, and theyre constantly interpreting acts of Congress. Is carbon dioxide a pollutant under the Clean Air Act, meaning the EPA can regulate everything that emits carbon dioxide? Does the CDC have the authority to prohibit evictions nationwide?

The final answers to questions like these can depend on whether the Supreme Court invents its own interpretation or defers to the agency instead.

So who turned Chevron, the oil-company case, into Chevron, the judicial deference case, the foundation of modern administrative law? The most famous answer is Antonin Scalia, then the intellectual leader of the Supreme Courts conservative wing.

And who was skeptical? John Paul Stevens, the liberal justice who had written Chevron in the first place, plus other progressives who were concerned Republican presidents would use Chevron to rewrite liberal statutes.

In short, if youd learned about Chevron in 2008 and never thought about it again, youd consider it a mostly conservative decision. Youd expect the Supreme Court to consider overturning it only if new appointments had swung the court leftward.

But just this month the Supreme Court announced it will consider overturning Chevron and its the most conservative Supreme Court since the 1930s.

To heighten the irony, the crusader-in-chief against Chevron is Scalias Trump-appointed replacement: Justice Neil Gorsuch, whose mother Anne Gorsuch was running the EPA when it made the decision that the original Chevron case deferred to.

Chevron flipped from burgundy to periwinkle in just 15 years. What happened?

The cynic says, Politics.

Related

After Chevron, Republicans held the White House for 17 of the next 25 years, but their Supreme Court appointees kept disappointing them, often proving unreliable (Anthony Kennedy and Sandra Day OConnor) or reliably liberal (John Paul Stevens and David Souter).

So conservatives support for Chevron was easy to explain. They wanted Republican presidents to appoint conservative agency chiefs who would give statutes a conservative interpretation  and they didnt want liberal courts getting in the way.

Then, when second-term Barack Obama with his pen and his phone enacted progressive policies through agencies instead of Congress, conservatives changed their minds (as Temple Universitys Craig Green has argued). They buried Chevron next to their Bon Jovi cassettes and told the Supreme Court to get to work.

Does that mean conservative arguments about Chevron (first pro, then contra) were always about political self-interest? And if so, does that mean the legal conservative movement is nothing more than Republican politics in a black robe  a trick to let conservative judges enact conservative policies while pretending to follow the law?

Such judges exist, a few of them, on both sides of the spectrum. That said, conservatives thinking about Chevron has always been more conflicted than Scalia and Chevrons other fans let on. By the 1990s some commentators (heres one of my teachers, Tom Merrill) were pointing out that Chevron was inconsistent with conservatives other legal principles.

Yes, such commentators acknowledged, deference to Chevron served the conservative goal of getting judges out of policymaking  as the Federalist Society motto puts it, it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be.

Chevron meant that unelected judges would make fewer important decisions and the democratically accountable executive branch would make more.

But ending judicial policymaking wasnt an end in itself (at least in principle); it was part of conservatives belief in the separation of powers. Conservatives didnt want judges to stop making decisions: they wanted judges to make judicial decisions, the president to make executive decisions and Congress to write the laws.

Seen in that light, Chevron makes less sense. One of the reasons the Supreme Court offered for the decision was delegation: the idea that Congress, by creating an agency and authorizing it to implement a particular statute, had delegated legislative power to the agency and authorized it to fill the statutes gaps.

Consequently, while some conservatives were building up Chevron, others were attacking the theory of delegation that Chevron rested on. Executive agencies exercising legislative powers? To paraphrase Gorsuch: James Madison would be rolling in his grave.

Think again about that Federalist Society motto: it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is. Gorsuch and others argued that, under Chevron, the judiciary was letting federal agencies say what the law is. They believed Chevron, in the name of protecting the executive from power-hungry judges, had abandoned courts and Congress to the power-hungry executive.

So which is it? Was conservatives turn against Chevron a cynical piece of power politics  an opportunistic way to exploit their luck with Supreme Court appointments? Or was it a return to conservatives deeper constitutional beliefs, ones that Scalias attacks on judicial activism had obscured?

Call it like you see it, I guess; for myself, I figure its some of both. But have some charity: were all masters of motivated reasoning, and we all change our minds as new events show us the problems with what we thought before.

And if youre convinced a friend from the other party is out of his mind, on this issue or any other, just wait 15 years. Whats red and whats blue can change faster than anybody expects.

Alan Hurst is an attorney in Salt Lake City. His opinions are his own and do not represent the views of his firm or his clients.
Plane that crashed off coast of Half Moon Bay was owned by Sergey Brin's investment firm

The private plane that crashed Saturday south of the Farallon Islands was confirmed owned by Sergey Brin's investment managers. (Josh Edelson / For the Times)

The fuel-starved plane that plunged into the Pacific Ocean while attempting to reach Half Moon Bay on Saturday was owned by the financial investment firm of billionaire Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

A statement by Bayshore Global Management sent to The Times late Monday confirmed ownership of the plane, which had been blocked from Federal Aviation Administration-fed tracking services and was registered to a trust run by a bank in Utah.

The Coast Guard declined Monday to release the names of the two people who died on board.

"Sadly, we can confirm that a plane associated with our office, a De Havilland DHC6-400 Twin Otter seaplane, has experienced an accident at sea during a ferry flight," a spokesperson for Brin's Palo Alto investment house said in a statement. "We send our deepest condolences to the families of the crew on board. We are providing the families with assistance and will continue to do so as long as needed. Similarly, we are working to ensure all available resources are ready to assist in recovery efforts once weather and seas provide safer conditions."

Bayshore Global is a family office, handling some $100 billion in assets for Brin, and noted for its privacy.

In their last minutes alive, the two pilots aboard the Twin Otter turboprop were reassured by air traffic control: "Hang in there guys. We'll come get you."

The red and white Twin Otter hit the water 32 miles west of Half Moon Bay on Saturday and was not heard from again.

When a helicopter from nearby San Francisco reached the scene 15 minutes later, the plane was flipped, its cockpit submerged. A rescue swimmer who jumped into the water found the occupants still inside the plane, lifeless. By U.S. Coast Guard policy, without air tanks, the swimmer could not enter the submerged compartment.

The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter, a plane and two boats to the scene of Saturday afternoon's crash, interviews and flight records show. But in the end, both the plane and its victims were left at sea. An unidentified insurance company is now in charge of determining next steps.

As of Monday, an emergency response company hired by the insurer had not apprised the Coast Guard of its plans to retrieve the victims' bodies, said Petty Officer Matthew West.

That company, Fireside Partners, did not immediately return a call from a reporter.

West said the presumed identities of the plane's occupants are known, but the Coast Guard is withholding those names at the request of family members. Bayshore Global has not publicly identified the pilots either.

A spokeswoman for the National Transportation Safety Board said the salvage company attempted to find and recover the plane Sunday but had to turn back because of high seas." On Monday, she said, it postponed retrieval efforts until later in the week, citing the weather offshore. The area is under a gale warning until Wednesday.

The plane had left at 8:05 a.m. Saturday from a Sonoma County airstrip in Santa Rosa, one of the pilots cheerfully telling the control tower they were headed for Honolulu.

A trip that long would depend heavily on the small plane's fuel "ferry" tanks, which FAA records show were installed to supply supplemental fuel to the main tank. Flight records reviewed by The Times show the plane since August made frequent long trips  to Panama, Atlanta, Miami, the Turks and Caicos  but often stopped along the way. A December trip from Sacramento to the British Virgin Islands, for instance included stops in El Paso and Miami and took three days.

"Clear to Honolulu," the pilot said, repeating instructions for altitude and to switch to the Oakland central air traffic control tower once aloft.

Flight tracking records show the plane showed back up over the Pacific Ocean four hours later, returning east toward Santa Rosa. For the next hour, the Oakland central tower tried to hail the plane, even attempting to relay communications through nearby passing planes.

Then at 1:15 p.m., it turned east, on a direct path for a community airfield at nearby Half Moon Bay.

At some point, air traffic communications were established with the occupants of the Twin Otter. Air traffic recordings shared by liveatc.net capture a radio operator at 1:30 p.m. asking, "What's the color of your craft, and what's the color of your life raft?"

The reply is garbled, but a Coast Guard marine broadcast shortly after told seafarers to be on the watch for a yellow life raft.

At 1:44 p.m., a passing Southwest jet was told of an anticipated ocean landing, south of the Farallon Islands, and was asked to "see if they made it out ok."

The commercial pilot later replied that low clouds prevented a view of the water.

At 1:47 p.m., the crew of the Twin Otter were asked to turn on emergency beacons aboard their plane. "Ok, we'll try to do that," a pilot answered.

At 1:52 p.m., a tower operator radioed the Twin Otter that the Coast Guard had a fix on its location and was sending help. "Do you have flares?"

"I don't believe ... but there's something inside the life raft here."

"Just to give you an update, Coast Guard has your last known location here, and they're sending out a helicopter soon. So again hang in there guys. We'll come get you."

"Copy that. I very much appreciate your help," a pilot replied.

There were no further transmissions from the plane.

Flight tracking records, accessed through Flightrader24, show the Twin Otter stopped moving at 1:54 p.m. and its signal was lost two minutes later.

A Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter took off from the San Francisco International Airport at 2:05 p.m. and reached the scene at 2:15 p.m., the time a spokeswoman for the National Safety Transportation Board said the agency is using as the official time of crash.

The federal agency is investigating "reports that the pilots were unable to transfer fuel from the supplemental ferry tanks to the main tanks," said spokeswoman Sarah Stulick. That report is not expected for several weeks.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
By Kirsty Needham

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea (PNG) will not be used as a base for "war to be launched", and a defence agreement with the United States prohibited "offensive military operations", its prime minister said on Tuesday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday a defence cooperation deal signed with PNG earlier that day would expand the Pacific island nation's capabilities and make it easier for the U.S. military to train with its forces.

The deal sparked student protests amid concern it could embroil PNG in strategic competition between the U.S. and China.

Prime Minister James Marape said the agreement was not a treaty and did not need to be ratified by parliament, adding he would release it in full for public scrutiny on Thursday.

"It's not a military base to be set up here for war to be launched," he told radio station 100FM.

"There's a specific clause that says that this partnership is not a partnership for PNG to be used as a place for launching offensive military operations from Papua New Guinea," he said.

The United States and its allies are seeking to deter Pacific island nations from building security ties with China, a rising concern amid tension over Taiwan, and after Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands last year.

China has been a major infrastructure investor in PNG, which sits near important sea lanes and international submarine cables linking the United States and ally Australia, that were crucial in World War Two.

Marape said PNG's military is the weakest in the region at a time of high tensions. The boost provided by the United States would also improve domestic security and encourage more foreign investors to set up in the country of 9 million that is rich in natural resources but largely undeveloped.

"There will be substantial infrastructure investment" flowing from the deal, in airports, ports, roads, communications and electricity to benefit the public, he said, while not giving details.

Subsidiary agreements that will determine how the U.S. military and civilian contractors come into PNG are being worked out, he said.

Australia has welcomed the defence cooperation agreement between its closest neighbour and the United States.

(Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Robert Birsel)
WARSAW, Poland  Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Baszczak has announced his country is in talks with Sweden to purchase an undisclosed number of early-warning aircraft for the Polish Air Force.

I wanted to say, for the first time in public, that we are very advanced in what concerns acquiring early warning aircraft from Sweden, he was quoted as saying in a statement released by his ministry. We are carrying out detailed negotiations, and I hope that, in the short term, they will be successfully concluded.

Baszczak did not disclose the make of the aircraft that are to be purchased, though local industry observers say the Polish government wants Saabs GlobalEye aircraft which were also ordered by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) last year.

Stockholm has ordered two aircraft for some 7.3 billion krona ($689 million), with an option to acquire another two. The deal covers the years 2022 to 2027, Saab said in a statement.

The aircraft will be fitted with the Erieye Extended Range radar which has a range of more than 550 km (342 miles), according to data from the manufacturer.

Baszczaks declaration came on the occasion of the May 22 meeting of the Northern Group, a security-focused body established by 12 European countries that includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the UK. Warsaw currently holds the groups chairmanship.

At the latest meeting in Legionowo, Poland, participants agreed that Moscows war of aggression against Ukraine has seriously transformed [the] security environment, the Polish ministry said in a statement.

The Northern Groups members share a common view that providing further military assistance to Ukraine in its struggle against Russias illegal and brutal aggression is crucial, the statement said.
FIRST ON FOX  Poland is keeping a critical eye on attempts to broker a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow as the deadly war in Ukraine continues to rage and as questions remain over Russias next move.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy first laid out parameters for a "peace formula" last October and urged G-7 leaders at a summit in Japan on Sunday to help coordinate diplomatic steps, along with the ongoing military assistance, to help bring about an end to the war.

But one major hurdle Kyiv and Moscow face in finding a peaceful solution to the end of the war is neither side is willing to concede on territorial demands.

POLAND REVAMPING MILITARY, MORE THAN DOUBLING ITS ARMY TO COUNTER RUSSIAN THREAT: REPORT

China has said it plans to work with Russia, a top ally, and Ukraine to find a peaceful solution, though Western officials remain skeptical. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Polish Consul General Adrian Kubicki in New York warned against any "artificial peace plan."

"We have a very special perspective on Russia," he said. "From the past 300 years, over 250, Poland spent under Russian slavery, so we understand that this [war] was not really exclusively about Ukraine, about taking over a piece of the territory."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"It's actually a bigger imperialist plan to take over not only Ukraine but expand Russia and go beyond that country," he added.

Kubicki warned that any plan that does not take serious steps to stop Moscows aggression in Ukraine and beyond will only aid Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has argued that breaking up the Soviet Union was Russias greatest failure.

"If we decide on pushing towards [an] artificial peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia, this will only buy Russia time to rebuild their military capabilities, and within a five-year span, 10-year span, prepare and start another invasion and another threat," the Polish diplomat said. "I think it's enough, and we should put a full stop on those imperialist Russian plans."

Poland became the first NATO ally to send Ukraine warplanes after it pledged MiG-29 fighter planes, like the one shown, in March.

Western nations, on the heels of Poland, have increasingly ramped up their military aid to Ukraine, though Kyiv has yet to secure its chief request for F-16 fighter planes.

Poland became the first NATO ally to send Ukraine warplanes after it pledged MiG-29 fighter jets in March.

The U.S. on Friday joined U.K. efforts to train Ukrainian fighter pilots on the fourth-generation F-16s fighters, but it has yet to concede on directly providing the warplanes to Kyiv.

POLAND BREAKS UP RUSSIAN SPY RING SUSPECTED OF PLANNING ATTACK ON MILITARY SUPPLY ROUTES TO UKRAINE

Training on F-16s is expected to take some 18 months, and the U.K., along with the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, are working on getting Ukraine the advanced U.S.-made warplanes, according to a Reuters report. It remains unclear how this coalition will succeed without the direct aid from Washington.

Zelenskyy over the weekend proposed holding a "global summit" in July to address any peace plans, though he did not specify if this would come before or after the NATO summit also slotted for that month.

President Joe Biden, right, and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet at the White House.

Warsaw has its own major agenda item it would like discussed at the NATO summit, Kubicki told Fox News Digital: a permanent NATO base in Poland.

Poland has had at least two missiles crash into its territory since the war in Ukraine broke out. One Ukrainian missile accidentally killed two in November, followed by a Russian-made rocket that fell within Polands borders in December  which is still under investigation but is not believed to have resulted in any Polish causalities.

Polish, right, and Romanian soldiers stand next to military vehicles and a NATO flag on the sidelines of a press conference of the Polish and Lithuanian presidents near Szypliszki, Poland, on July 7, 2022. (Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images)

"I think the center of gravity of global security has shifted, and it's right now in Poland, in our region in Western Europe. It would be an appropriate measure to take to establish such a permanent base in Poland," Kubicki said, noting that a similar base already exists in Germany.

"The situation as we know it is not very stable," he continued. "And although we are all helping Ukrainians to make progress and push back Russian invaders, war has its own dynamics, and we have to be ready for each course of events."
F-16 Polish Air Force

Ukrainian pilots will train to fly F-16 fighter jets in Poland, according to the Polish defense minister. While there had been prior suggestions that Poland would be involved, on some level, in the effort to get Ukrainians into the cockpits of F-16s, this is the first official confirmation that its actually going to happen, although details remain scarce, for now.

We are ready, the Polish side is ready to train pilots on F-16 aircraft, Polands defense minister, Mariusz Baszczak, told journalists at a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels today.

https://twitter.com/dw_europe/status/1661030124505153536?s=20

The statement from Baszczak followed a suggestion from a senior European Union official that such training had, in fact, already begun.

I am happy that finally, the training of the pilots for the F-16 has started in several countries, the European Unions (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said, at the same Brussels meeting today. It will take time, but the sooner the better, he added.

When asked where this training effort had begun, Borrell replied: For example, in Poland.

https://twitter.com/UATV_en/status/1660901122075398148?s=20

The EU foreign policy chief only mentioned Poland by name, but his reference to training having started in several countries is noteworthy. Whether the training has begun or not  and the Polish defense minister states otherwise  it indicates that previous proposals for a multinational training coalition to prepare Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 have not only taken shape but are now in active operation.

https://twitter.com/PvK_Center_UA/status/1661014322385154053?s=20

Whenever it will occur, we still dont yet know the exact extent of training that will be provided. The process of preparing a Ukrainian pilot to fly an F-16 in combat is a potentially long one, as we have discussed before, and it could also encompass anything between basic training for a student, in a propeller-driven type, all the way up to weapons and tactics training for an already-winged pilot in an actual F-16. There are also various simulator and ground training efforts that would also be valuable for pilots destined to fly the F-16.

The timing of Baszczaks and Borrells words is telling, however.

It was only last week that U.S. President Joe Biden reversed his stance on the transfer of F-16s to Ukraine, saying he would now support such an effort and that The United States together with our allies and partners are going to begin training Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s.

https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1660362538347896838?s=20

Also speaking in Brussels today was the Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren, who said that the training effort would be the first step toward the eventual supply of Western aircraft to Kyiv.

We will continue discussing with our allies and with countries that might have F-16s available about that next step, but thats not on the table right now, Ollongren said. That is in the next phase.

Poland, in the past, was briefly linked with supplying Ukraine with F-16s. Reports from Ukraine raised the possibility of a transfer of Vipers from Poland back in January, although Polish officials quickly moved to reject that idea.

In the following tweet, Pawel Krutul, the vice-chairman of the Polish National Defense Committee, points out that transferring F-16s rather than MiG-29s would have a degrading effect on the Polish Armed Forces. Wojciech Skurkiewicz, Secretary of State in the Polish Ministry of National Defense, responds in agreement, stating: There is no question of handing over Polish F-16s.

https://twitter.com/WSkurkiewicz/status/1620355034423910405?s=20

As we have previously examined, Polands F-16s are among the newest and most capable in Europe. There are no plans to replace them any time soon and their importance  which includes detachments to provide air policing for the three Baltic States  has only grown since Poland donated a portion of its Soviet-era MiG-29 Fulcrum fighter jets to Kyiv.

A Polish Air Force F-16C during a NATO Baltic Air Policing drill simulating the interception of a civilian flight near Siauliai Airport in Lithuania, in 2020. Photo by JOHN THYS/AFP via Getty Images

It therefore makes sense that Poland is, instead, providing training to Ukrainian pilots, although, once again, we dont know if this actually involves flying F-16s.

Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky has also previously raised the likelihood of Poland being involved in a multinational training effort, intended to prepare the Ukrainian Air Force for F-16s.

https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1658183072301342757?s=20

On his return from his trip to different Western European nations earlier this month, President Zelensky outlined what he described as a coalition to train pilots on modern Western aircraft. Zelensky said that Poland and the United Kingdom had agreed to this proposal and that he expected France to follow suit. Since then, Belgium, too has put itself forward as a potential training provider.

If Poland is making use of its Viper for training Ukrainian pilots, it has at its disposal a fleet of 36 single-seat F-16C Block 52+ jets and another 12 two-seat F-16D Block 52+ jets. These are operated from two bases: Poznan Krzesiny and ask. As mentioned before, these are more capable than any F-16s Ukraine is likely to receive soon, although thats hardly a problem when it comes to conversion training, which can be tailored to Ukrainian requirements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgWxOvF2zTk

Aside from the F-16s, the Polish Air Force operates a well-established training setup for fighter pilots, transport pilots, and rotary-wing pilots alike.

Poland operated the homegrown and recently modernized PZL-130 Orlik TC-II turboprop trainer for the initial stages of training. Prospective fighter pilots then progress to the Leonardo M-346 Master advanced jet trainer, to complete their course, known as lead-in fighter training (LIFT), before conversion to a frontline type. Sixteen M-346s are in use together with simulators and other training aids.

Polish Air Force M-346 Master advanced jet trainers. Leonardo

As The War Zone has explored in the past, the M-346 comes with everything needed to prepare a pilot for a fourth-generation (or even a fifth-generation) fighter, with a head-up display and multifunction displays in the cockpit, hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS) controls, and in-flight safety features including a pilot-activated attitude recovery system. The jet is intended to be operated as part of a wider Ground-Based Training System (GBTS) that employs live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) elements to emulate sensors, weapons, and enemy forces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h71AdDhvZWU

Beyond the M-346, Poland is also looking forward to receiving 48 Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) FA-50PL light combat jets, which you can read more about here. While these aircraft are primarily being acquired to fulfill frontline roles, including replacing the Su-22 Fitter ground-attack jets, they offer an impressive training capability.

The first 12 Polish FA-50PL aircraft, in an interim standard, are scheduled to be delivered this summer, with the next batch of 36 aircraft, in Block 20 configuration, to arrive beginning in 2025. The Block 20 jets will feature active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, Sniper targeting pod, and Link 16 datalink, among other changes.

Whats more, the design of the FA-50 is heavily inspired by the F-16, with its design and pilot interfaces heavily influenced by the Viper, with Lockheed Martin working directly with KAI on its development. Once the FA-50 is available, it would appear to make an ideal LIFT platform to prepare pilots for the F-16.

One of the first photos of a Polish FA-50 light combat jet shared by Korean Aerospace Industries. KAI

We know that at least one country that is poised to start training Ukrainian pilots for the F-16 doesnt actually operate any of those aircraft itself. Thats the United Kingdom which has confirmed its going to provide training thats specifically geared toward helping Ukrainian aviators convert to the F-16. Details of any specifics remain scarce, however.

Today, Germany, another non-F-16 operator, said that it, too, was looking at how it could become involved in the coalition training effort, but again warned that it had only extremely limited possibilities to contribute. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlins involvement is not relevant because we simply do not have F-16 aircraft and could not help with pilot training. That statement seems very much at odds with the United Kingdoms stated approach, and it may also be the case that the Polish training effort also wont involve F-16s.

A Polish Air Force F-16C with Conformal Fuel Tanks fitted. Polish Armed Forces/Piotr ysakowski

Whatever the type of training that will be provided by Poland and the other several countries mentioned by Borrell, it seems clear that the training coalition is a reality. Undoubtedly, we will eventually learn more about the scope of this training and the type of students that will be involved.

That Poland is taking an apparent leading role here is not altogether surprising. The country has been very active in its support for Ukraine to date, including offering its territory as a major trans-shipment point. At the same time, its proximity to Ukraine and the fact that many of its own pilots have converted from Soviet-era jets to the F-16 will likely be important factors.

In the meantime, however, Ukraine and its allies will be pushing forward with plans for a possible coalition of jets, to ensure that the Ukrainian Air Force will have the equipment that its newly qualified F-16 pilots will need to make their training worthwhile.

Contact the author: thomas@thedrive.com
Police arrest more than 275 in operation, Fresno chief says. Dozens of guns seized

Officers made 139 felony arrests of people  many described as gang members  during a two-week operation, Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama said Tuesday.

Operation Safe Neighborhoods also led to 140 misdemeanor arrests, 58 gang-related arrests and 57 guns seized, police said.

The positive thing about these guns obviously is theyre not in the hands of individuals who are going to further hurt our community, Balderrama said Tuesday at a news conference.

The operation targeted street violence, illegal guns, street gangs and violent offenders, according to police.

Balderrama said Fresno police seized about 2,000 guns in 2021, fewer last year and could see even fewer in 2023.

Were actually taking fewer guns off the street, which gives me hope theres actually fewer guns in circulation, he said.

Fifteen of the guns taken in the latest operation were ghost guns, when a firearm is bought in pieces and assembled at home to avoid having to register them, police said. Other guns seized were from out of state, but none of the 57 weapons were previously reported stolen, Balderrama said.

Officials said about 70% of those arrested in the operation for the alleged felonies remained in custody on Tuesday.

The city of Fresno has seen 167 shootings through Tuesday, which is down from nearly 200 at the same time last year, Balderrama said. Thats a decrease of 16% decrease.

Homicides in Fresno are also down by half, with 10 so far this year. There were 21 at the same time last year.

District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp praised the police department and Fresno County Probation Department officers, among others, for the effort.

She noted the operation led officers to contact 230 registered gang members and about 150 people on probation or parole, which means many of those not arrested were complying with the law.

We dont often talk about or bring attention to the people who are in compliance for those (contacts), she said. The goal of law enforcement ... is to keep people out of the system; to keep people encouraged to abide by the law.
Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm (right) with Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffery Norman announce charges against a violent group of individuals during a press conference at the Milwaukee Police Administration Building on Monday.

More than 60 members of a loose connection of feuding groups of people in Milwaukee, which is responsible for an outsized portion of the citys gun violence the last several years, have been arrested and criminally charged.

Not to be confused with gang violence, which can center around territory or criminal enterprises, law enforcement officials characterized the groups as cliques who feud with each other over petty disagreements and disrespect, often over social media.

The announcement was made Monday by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm and Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.

Of the 61 individuals who were identified by law enforcement Monday, about half are juveniles. Eleven of them face charges of homicide or have been convicted and sentenced already, while others have been accused of anything from illegal gun possession, to car theft and recklessly endangering safety.

Chisholm said the feud stems from the 2020 homicide of a 17-year-old. Since then, more than 100 shootings and at least 25 homicides have been attributed to the conflict.

The scope of the problem was made all the worse by the effects of the pandemic, easy access to automatic firearms, car theft and social media, officials said.

The damage done to this community is substantial, Chisholm said.

Heres what to do know about the issue:

How did it start?

Chisholm attributed the beginning of the feud to the shooting death of 17-year-old Lorenzo Williams in November 2020.

In the aftermath, various cliques appeared to form around the idea of honoring Williams and other victims of violence. Police have said they can be motivated by thrill-seeking and gaining clout from social media posts.

Over time, conflict developed between the cliques. Disagreements and disrespectful posts on social media led to real-life violence, which could lead to retaliation.

At that time, Milwaukee and the rest of the nation were dealing with a pandemic still in its early stages, along with a historic increase in gun violence. Chisholm said the countys ability to keep tabs on, and provide resources for, at-risk individuals fell apart at that time.

How is a clique different from a gang?

Gangs are typically centered around a criminal enterprise  such as drug dealing  while they have a specific hierarchy, claim territory, emphasize loyalty and may identify themselves by wearing certain colors.

Cliques, in contrast, are not involved in an enterprise, do not claim territory and lack hierarchy. Membership between the groups can change at the drop of a hat, Norman said.

These are simple cliques that engage in violent and petty crime over petty disagreements, including social media banter, he added.

Cliques can include around two or three dozen people, police have said.

What is the current state of the feud?

The amount of violent activity between the various groups has fluctuated over time, but on Monday, Chisholm and Norman did not describe the current state of things.

They did, however, argue that the 61 people charged represented a large chunk of the conflict. Chisholm singled out six people, between the ages of 17 and 20, who are in custody after being central to driving the feud.

Prosecutors first began filing criminal charges against suspects in 2021. That has continued into 2023.

What other factors have impacted the conflict?

Law enforcement and other officials have identified a range of them:

Easy access to automatic firearms : Gun sales in Wisconsin skyrocketed at the outset of the pandemic while reports of stolen guns in Milwaukee have nearly doubled from 2019 to 2022. Federal data indicates that guns bought from retailers in Wisconsin are showing up at crimes scenes much faster since 2019. Officials have also called attention to the ease at which a handgun can be converted into a fully automatic gun and the proliferation of those weapons in Milwaukee. Many of the 61 people charged in connection to the feuding are accused of illegal gun possession.

Car theft : After car thieves began exploiting a security flaw in Kia and Hyundai cars in Milwaukee in 2020, car thefts in the city ballooned. Car theft is generally seen as something that helps facilitate other crimes, such as robberies and shootings. Officials in Milwaukee have noted an increase in shootings from vehicles in recent years, and the cliques discussed Monday have also been associated with car theft.

Disruptions from the pandemic : Chisholm said Monday that proactive measures to prevent violence really just went away during the initial disruptions of the pandemic, as the feud formed. He repeatedly emphasized that it took police and other partners incredible amounts of energy to identify suspects and how they were all connected, especially considering allegiances between the cliques change rapidly. The pandemic also interrupted school, employment and social service outreach for millions of Americans. Norman said Monday that violence interrupters have since engaged with people involved in the conflict.

Social media: In general, violence prevention and police officials in Milwaukee have said that people can sometimes be motivated to make social media posts about car theft, reckless driving or gun theft in an effort to obtain some kind of credibility. Social media is repeatedly identified as a place where disagreements that spill over into real-world violence can begin.

Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee police, district attorney announce arrests in violent feud
Police looking for missing teen out of Alabama, family lists Atlanta and Smyrna as areas to watch

The Jacksonville Police Department in Alabama is asking for your help to find a 14-year-old girl who they say could be in the Atlanta or Smyrna area.

JPD said Leah McDonald was last seen on May 14, in the area of High Street in Jackson, Alabama and she has not returned.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Police said the U.S. Marshall is assisting them to help get McDonald back home.

McDonalds photo has been circulating on social media for days.

Her family and friends listed a few areas to watch, including Atlanta and Smyrna, Georgia.

The following flyers have been posted on social media.

Credit: jasmineemikarlo__

McDonald was last seen wearing a black shirt, brown shorts, and blue sneakers. Police said she may be traveling in a white car with a Florida tag.

She is 55, with black hair and brown eyes.

TRENDING STORIES:

Channel 2 Action News reached out to Atlanta police but they have not confirmed they are looking for her.

If anyone has information on McDonalds whereabouts, JPD asks that you contact its agency at 251-246-4484.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Wayne Couzens flashing indecent exposure guilty investigation Metropolitan Police misconduct - Metropolitan Police/AFP

A police sergeant who failed to fully investigate Wayne Couzens for flashing at a passing motorist worked in the same unit as Couzens brother, an investigation has revealed.

Couzens, who was serving with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary at the time, was reported to Kent Police in 2015 after a couple spotted him driving around Dover naked from the waist down.

However, the officer in charge of the case closed it, declaring there was no crime despite having accessed a file that would have confirmed the suspect had previously been a special constable with Kent Police.

An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) also found the officer, who was not named, was a colleague of Couzens brother, who also served on the force.

Casual, professional acquaintance

The report revealed how a man, who had been in a car with his girlfriend, had contacted police on June 9 2015 to report having seen a man driving around Dover exposing himself.

He provided police with the registration number of the vehicle, as well as a description, and it was confirmed that Couzens was the registered owner.

The officer accessed a file, which would have confirmed that Couzens had previously been a volunteer with the force, but it was not clear whether he actually read that section.

The IOPC also found that the sergeant and Couzens brother had both worked in Kents firearms unit together between 2007 and 2012.

However, the watchdog said while they knew one another they were not close, describing their relationship as a casual, professional acquaintance.

Officer found not guilty during closed hearing

It also emerged that both the sergeant and Couzens had spent several months based at Ashford police station, but there was no evidence they knew one another.

The sergeant subsequently closed the case after the witness declined to support the investigation and concerns were raised about his reliability.

Following the IOPC investigation, he was found not guilty of misconduct during a closed hearing held in April.

Kent Police said that the officer would undergo reflective practice, including training on sexual offences.

The discovery came as Samantha Lee, a former Metropolitan Police officer, was found guilty of gross misconduct for dishonesty over her investigation into two separate incidents of flashing by Couzens.

Samantha Lee Wayne Couzens flashing indecent exposure guilty investigation Metropolitan Police misconduct - Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire

Lee, who left the force in 2022 after bosses discovered she had posted inappropriate images online and had set up an OnlyFans account called Officer Naughty, was found to have lied about her failings over the Couzens investigation.

A police disciplinary hearing heard that she failed to make the the correct investigative inquiries over two incidents when Couzens exposed himself to female members of staff at a branch of McDonalds in Swanley, Kent, on Feb 14 and 27 2021.

The officer attended the restaurant on March 3 and interviewed Sam Taylor, the manager, about the offences.

Just hours later, Couzens abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard as she walked home from a friends house in Clapham, south-west London.

Lee was accused of failing to gather crucial CCTV evidence, then later lying about it and claiming she believed the evidence had been deleted.

Darren Snow, the panel chairman, found this dishonesty amounted to gross misconduct and that had Lee still been a serving officer, she would have been dismissed from the force.

The hearing was told that the manager of the McDonalds had rang the police to report both incidents and had provided the car registration of the suspects vehicle.

The operator ran checks against the Police National Computer and confirmed that the registered keeper of the suspect black Seat Exeo was a man called Couzens, who lived at an address in Kent.

Unfortunately, the system is not designed to confirm whether suspects are serving police officers, the hearing was told.

Following Lees misconduct hearing, the IOPC called for a national system to be introduced that would allow forces to be made aware when criminal allegations were made against serving officers.

The watchdog said it was vital that police were made aware at an early stage if officers were suspected of committing offences.

In March, Couzens was sentenced to 19 months in prison after admitting three counts of indecent exposure. At the time, he was serving a life sentence for kidnapping, raping and murdering Everard.

The third indecent exposure incident related to when Couzens exposed himself to a female cyclist on a Kent country lane in November 2020.

Two probationary constables with the Met have been issued with final written warnings after they shared an insensitive, inappropriate and deeply hurtful graphic on WhatsApp following Everards murder.

The two men were reported after colleagues who received the image reported the disgusting message to the Mets Directorate of Professional Standards.

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Clare Nowland, 95, was tasered by Australian police (Screengrab/ ABC News (Australia))

The officer who tasered a 95-year-old woman in a care home in Australia has been suspended from duty.

Clare Nowland sustained critical injuries when police were called out to the care home to reports she was walking around with a knife at 4am last Wednesday.

Ms Nowland is now receiving end of life care in hospital after it is believed she sustained a fractured skull and severe brain bleed after she fell during the incident.

The incident led to public outcry, with critics calling the police response disproportionate.

In a statement they shared on Tuesday, New South Wales Police confirmed the constable, 33, who tasered Ms Nowland has been stood down, with pay.

Australian authorities have launched a high-profile investigation the great-grandmother, who has dementia, was tasered.

Family friend Andrew Thaler told the BBC that the family are shocked and the community is outraged.

The family are shocked, theyre confused... and the community is outraged. How can this happen? How do you explain this level of force? Its absurd.

Sharing a statement on Monday, the family said they were immensley grateful for all the support, but also asked for privacy at this time.

The statement described Ms Nowland as a well respected, much loved and a giving member of her local community adding that she is a loving and gentle-natured matriarch of the Nowland family.

Ms Nowland was tasered after she was found holding a steak knife at the aged care home in Cooma, about 300km (186 miles) southwest of Sydney. She is currently in a critical condition in hospital, fading in and out of consciousness.

When they first arrived at the retirement home, two officers spoke with Ms Nowland for several minutes but when she failed to drop the knife and approached them, one fired a taser, knocking her to the ground, according to the police.

At the time she was tasered, she was approaching police but it is fair to say at a slow pace, New South Wales Police assistant commissioner Peter Cotter said on Friday.

She had a walking frame, but she had a knife.

The officer, who fired the taser, was taken off duty pending a level 1 critical incident investigation, a category police reserve for exceptional cases where injuries lead to death or imminent death. The homicide squad is involved.

If a threshold is met where it changes from being a departmental issue to being a criminal issue, we are certainly mature and transparent enough as an organisation to do what has to be done, he said.

The incident was recorded on body cameras but it was not in public interest to release the footage because of the ongoing investigation, Mr Cotter added.

Ms Nowland, a mother of eight, celebrated her 80th birthday in 2008 by skydiving in Canberra.

She reportedly lived at the nursing home for more than five years. Her relatives were at her bedside in hospital and had declined to comment, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Joint commissioning, testing of Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway starts

Xinhua) 08:36, May 23, 2023

This aerial photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows a comprehensive inspection train running along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia. The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project. (Photo by China Railway International Co., Ltd./Xinhua)

JAKARTA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project.

The joint commissioning and testing is conducted prior to the opening of the high-speed railway to ensure safe and smooth operation of the trainsets.

By conducting dynamic testing using a comprehensive inspection train on the newly constructed high-speed railway, the performance of various systems such as tracks, power supply, overhead catenary system, communication, signaling, and early warning monitoring is tested and verified.

Currently, all civil engineering works such as roadbeds, bridges, culverts, and tunnels have been completed. Preparations for operation are being carried out in an orderly manner.

After the completion of the joint commissioning and testing, further running trials and safety assessments will be conducted before the official commencement of operation.

The high-speed line, a landmark project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, connects Indonesia's capital Jakarta and another major city Bandung.

With a design speed of 350 km per hour, the railway spanning 142.3 km will cut the journey between Jakarta and Bandung from over three hours to around 40 minutes.

Staff members and journalists take a comprehensive inspection train during the joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia, May 22, 2023. The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project. (Photo by Ren Weiyun/Xinhua)

Engineers conduct catenary testing on the comprehensive inspection train during the joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia, May 22, 2023. The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

This aerial photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows a comprehensive inspection train running along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia. The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project. (Photo by China Railway International Co., Ltd./Xinhua)

This photo taken with a mobile phone shows the EMU drivers driving a comprehensive inspection train along the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway in Indonesia, May 22, 2023. The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
A two-day event to promote Chinese tea culture has been held in Lao capital Vientiane to mark the International Tea Day, with visitors immersed in tea-making demonstrations, tea-tasting experiences, and cultural performances.

Under the theme "Traditional Chinese tea-making technique and related custom," the event was organized by the China Cultural Center in Laos, collaborated with the Culture and Tourism Department of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The event included a traditional tea ceremony, a tea art performance and other activities.

The event, which was launched last Friday, was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and the Chinese Embassy in Laos.

It drew over 100 representatives of Lao officials, Chinese people in Vientiane, and local residents.

Lao Minister to the Prime Minister's Office Khampheng Saysompheng said that he has learned a lot more about Chinese tea culture, tea technology and tea industry, and hoped that the two sides will continue to deepen the traditional friendship between Laos and China with tea as a carrier in the future.

The United Nations General Assembly in 2019 designated May 21 as the International Tea Day, and "traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China" was added to UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list in 2022.
A police officer stands by a car and a tent near Barragem do Arade, Portugal, Tuesday May 23, 2023. Portuguese police said they will resume searching for Madeleine McCann, the British toddler who disappeared in the country's Algarve region in 2007, in the next few days. Portugal's Judicial Police released a statement confirming local media reports that they would conduct the search at the request of the German authorities and in the presence of British officials. (AP Photo/Joao Matos)

ARADE DAM, Portugal (AP)  Police on Tuesday renewed the search for Madeleine McCann, the British child who disappeared in 2007, with officers digging and scraping the surface of land near a dam close to where she went missing in southern Portugal.

About 20 officers with rakes and hoe-like tools spread out in a line and began poking and raking the soil close to the Arade dam, which is located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the resort of Praia da Luz, where the 3-year-old girl was last seen 16 years ago.

Earlier, a couple of firefighters could be seen in a dinghy on the reservoir.

There were no immediate details on what progress was being made in the search.

The operation, headed by Portuguese police aided by German and British colleagues, was announced Monday. Portuguese officials said it followed a request from German authorities.

Portuguese police on Monday had set up two blue tents and cordoned off the area to the media and public. More than a dozen cars and police vans arrived early Tuesday.

Between 20 and 30 officers, some in uniform, were in the area. Witnesses said that police began searching shortly before 8 a.m.

Portuguese media say this is the fourth search for McCann, following the initial one in 2007 in the Algarve area and further efforts in 2013 and 2014. Another search was held in Germany in 2020.

This search is believed to be the first in the area of the dam.

In mid-2020, German officials said that a 45-year-old German citizen, identified by media as Christian Brueckner, who was in the Algarve in 2007, was a suspect in the case. Brueckner has denied any involvement.

Brueckner is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for a rape he committed in Portugal in 2005.

He is under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasnt been charged. He spent many years in Portugal, including in Praia da Luz, around the time of Madeleines disappearance.

German prosecutors in Braunschweig said in a written statement Tuesday that criminal procedural measures are currently taking place in Portugal as part of the investigation into the Madeleine McCann case.

They added that the measures are being implemented by way of mutual legal assistance by the Portuguese prosecution authorities with the support of officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office.

More detailed information on the background is not being released at this time for investigative tactical reasons, the statement said.

The case of Madeleine McCann stirred worldwide interest for several years, with reports of sightings of her stretching as far away as Australia, along with a slew of books and television documentaries about the case.

Rewards for finding Madeleine, who would now be 20, reached several million dollars.

British, Portuguese and German police are still piecing together what happened on the night when the toddler disappeared from her bed in the southern Portuguese resort on May 3, 2007. She was in the same room as her twin brother and sister, who were 2 at the time, while her parents had dinner with friends at a nearby restaurant.

Referring to the latest searches, Braunschweig prosecutor Christian Wolters said Tuesday that we are investigating there in Portugal on the basis of certain tips, but he declined to give further details.

Wolters said the search would "take a little time. Portuguese officials said that the search would take place over the next few days.

Madeleine's parents are not commenting due to the active investigation, according to an email response from the website set up for the search for the child, findmadeleine.com.

___

Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, and Ciaran Giles and Jennifer O'Mahony in Madrid contributed to this report.
Opposition leaders have accused the government of constitutional impropriety by not inviting the President of India

The government and opposition have been trading barbs over the inauguration of India's new parliament building.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate it on on 28 May.

Opposition leaders have accused the government of "constitutional impropriety" by not requesting the president to open the building.

They have also criticised the government's choice of date which is also the birth anniversary of Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar.

Opposition parties consider Savarkar as a divisive figure, while the ruling BJP hails him as a hero.

Leaders from opposition parties said the choice of the inauguration date was an "insult" to India's founding fathers.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh criticised the government's decision to inaugurate the new parliament building "on the birth anniversary of the man who opposed Mahatma Gandhi vehemently all his life".

The BJP has defended the decision, saying the new building was a matter of pride for Indians.

The new Parliament building has been built in front of the current structure

Work on the new parliament began in January 2021.

The four-storey building - designed by HCP Design, Planning and Management and constructed by Tata Projects - has increased seating capacity and is built at at an estimated cost of 9.7bn rupees ($117.1m, 94.2m).

The existing colonial-era parliament building will continue to be used.

As plans for the inauguration of the new building were announced last week, several opposition parties criticised the government's exclusion of Indian President Draupadi Murmu - the head of state - from the event.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the building should be inaugurated by her.

"The parliament of India is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India, and the President of India is its highest constitutional authority. She alone represents government, opposition, and every citizen alike," Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote on Twitter. "Inauguration of the new parliament building by her will symbolise [the] government's commitment to democratic values and constitutional propriety," his tweet read.

Gaurav Bhatia, a spokesperson of the BJP, dismissed the criticism as "chest-beating" by the Congress party.

He also said Mr Gandhi was "a bad omen during auspicious times" who could not welcome the "historic moment".

Reports say the Congress is now considering a boycott of the event. It was among several opposition parties that did not attend the foundation-laying ceremony for the building in 2020 as it came in during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Former Jesuit Pedro Lima stops to talk to journalists after landing at El Alto international airport in El Alto, Bolivia, Monday, May 22, 2023, before traveling to the capital La Paz to make a statement at the public prosecutors office related to a church pedophilia scandal. Lima denounced pedophilia by the late Spanish Jesuit Priest, Alfonso Pedrajas, and was expelled from the Society of Jesus in 2001. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP)  Pope Francis has sent one of his top sex crimes investigators to Bolivia at a time when the Andean nation is being shaken by an escalating pedophilia scandal involving priests.

Monsignor Jordi Bertomeu, a leading member of the church's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, arrived in Bolivia on the same day as a former Jesuit seminarian landed in the country vowing to reveal more information about alleged cases of abuse.

The Bolivian Episcopal Conference said Bertomeus visit is not directly related to the recent sex abuse allegations but had been planned earlier to analyze the progress made in the field of the culture of prevention promoted by the Vatican.

Bertomeu arrived in Bolivia from Paraguay, where he had been investigating similar accusations against church officials and in 2018 he led the investigation into abuses committed by priests against minors in Chile.

The meetings in Bolivia will be conducted in an atmosphere of profound closeness to all those who have been victims of the scourge of abuse in the Church, the Episcopal Conference said in a statement.

Bertomeu is a person of great trust to Pope Francis, who is responsible for addressing these issues, and he is coming to provide some guidance on how we can handle this issue, listen to and support the victims, said Monsignor Giovani Arana, the Episcopal Conference's secretary.

The visit comes soon after case of Spanish Jesuit Alfonso Pedrajas became public. According to a private diary accessed by the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Pedrajas allegedly abused about 85 minors in Catholic boarding schools in Bolivia in the 1970s and 1980s. He died of cancer in 2009.

The Prosecutors Office has initiated an investigation, which remains confidential, and has called on victims to file complaints.

The Jesuit Society in Bolivia has apologized to the victims and pledged to support the investigation while denouncing Pedrajas' superiors for an alleged cover up. Many of the superiors are no longer in office or have died.

Pedro Lima, a former Bolivian Jesuit seminarian considered an important witness, has vowed to cooperate with the investigation. His arrival in Bolivia coincide with Bertomeu's.

I am not only a witness but also a victim of abuses of power, sexual abuse, and abuse of conscience by the Jesuit Society in Bolivia, Lima said upon his arrival in the Bolivian capital of La Paz on Monday to testify before the Prosecutors Office.

During a news conference, Lima accused three Jesuits of covering up the alleged abuses.

Apologies are not enough, these abuses cannot go unpunished. There must be reparation for the victims, and I am here to ensure that these painful events never happen again, said Lima, who declined to provide details about the alleged abuses he suffered.

Limas assertions were questioned by the lawyer for the Jesuits, Audalia Zurita, who said Lima "held a position of power to denounce the alleged abuses when in 2006 and 2007 he was a member of the Constituent Assembly that reformed Bolivia's constitution and did not do so.

Lima left the Jesuit Society, where he was a teacher in schools and boarding houses, in 2001 and turned to politics. In 2012, he left the country claiming political persecution by the Movement Toward Socialism party, and sought refuge with the Jesuits in Paraguay, where he worked until recently.

Of course, I worked with the Jesuits in Paraguay. Having worked with them does not mean that I should remain silent... when I wanted to denounce, they said there were no victims, no evidence, he said.

Pedrajas case has brought other previously unresolved cases to light. Prosecutor Wilfredo Chavez stated that there are 23 priests implicated in pedophilia in the country, including one who was sent to pre-trial detention for three months last week.

There have been isolated protests in some churches and Catholic schools in Bolivia since the Pedrajas case came to light.
Editor's note: This story was changed after its initial publication to add additional information from Port Chairman Charles W. Zahn Jr. and correct the date of port CEO Sean Strawbridge's last day. While Strawbridge initially said his last day would be June 2, Zahn later said Strawbridge's last day would actually be May 31.

The Port of Corpus Christi commission on Tuesday affirmed the terms of a separation agreement with its departing chief executive and hired a recruiting firm to conduct an international search for a replacement.

The port's actions come one week after port CEO Sean Strawbridge, who has worked at the port for eight years and rose to become one the nation's highest-paid seaport executives, announced he would be stepping down from the role. His last day is July 31.

Who will head the port in the meantime remains to be seen. After meeting in closed session for more than an hour, the commission voted to postpone its vote to tap an interim chief executive.

The commission will reconvene in a special meeting next week  likely on May 30  to consider two internal candidates for the position, Port Chairman Charles W. Zahn Jr. told the Caller-Times. He declined to identify the candidates.

"We're trying to learn some more information so that we can make a wise decision," Zahn said.

After approval in a 6-1 vote last week, the terms of the separation agreement with Strawbridge have not been discussed publicly. The port's newest commissioner, Diane Gonzalez, cast the sole vote against the terms, saying she felt the proposed terms were overly favorable to Strawbridge.

The Tuesday vote was to consider proposed changes to the separation agreement. Which changes were considered was not clear because the commissioners did not discuss the terms publicly during the meeting or provide details.

In a unanimous vote, the commission moved to take no further action on the separation agreement. Port staff declined to provide a copy of the separation agreement immediately after the meeting. Zahn said he was barred from discussing the terms until the agreement is signed.

Last week, the Caller-Times submitted a request under the Texas Public Information Act for the terms of the separation agreement. The port has not provided the documents to the newspaper as of Tuesday afternoon.

Zahn said the port would be seeking an opinion from the Texas Attorney General on whether parts of the separation agreement could be withheld. The attorney generals website states most opinions are issued within 180 days of the request, but the timing can vary. An attorney general's office spokesperson did not immediately respond to a media inquiry Tuesday afternoon.

Concluding the meeting, the port voted to hire a California-based recruiting firm, Shey-Harding Associates, to conduct the search. The search fee will be calculated as 25% of the selected candidates starting base salary, according to contract documents.

Zahn said the port will announce the search on June 5 with hopes of identifying potential candidates sometime in July. He said he expects the final candidate would be considered by the commission in September.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Port of Corpus Christi postpones selection of interim CEO
Madeleine McCann search focuses on Portugal reservoir, 16 years on Police search Algarve reservoir for the body of Madeleine McCann

By Mariano Valladolid

SILVES, Portugal (Reuters) -Police investigating the disappearance of British girl Madeleine McCann in 2007 searched in and around a reservoir in southern Portugal on Tuesday.

A source familiar with the investigation told Reuters the operation in Silves municipality, by the Portuguese police assisted by German and British officers, was being carried out at the request of German authorities.

The source said it was likely linked to photographs of the Arade reservoir found at the hideout of German man Christian Brueckner, who was last year named by German prosecutors as an official suspect in McCann's disappearance.

Brueckner, a convicted child abuser and drug dealer, is behind bars in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in the same area of the Algarve region from where McCann went missing.

German police said in June 2020 that the child was assumed dead and that Brueckner was likely to be responsible. Brueckner has denied any involvement and has not been charged with any crime related to it.

McCann was aged just three when she vanished on May 3, 2007, from her bedroom in the apartment her family were staying at in the Praia da Luz resort on the Algarve coast.

The case, unsolved for the past 16 years, remains a mystery as no body has ever been found. It sparked a media frenzy in Britain, with developments also followed by outlets around the world and celebrities joining appeals to help find her.

However, another source said Portuguese police had little hope of the search providing any breakthrough in the case.

Fire brigade members deployed a dinghy on the water but that had gone by the afternoon as police focused on area of scrubland by shore of the reservoir, located 52 km (30 miles) inland from the resort where McCann disappeared.

They erected a second camp with several tents in the thicket about 3 km (2 miles) from the command centre that was set up on Monday.

Reporters were not allowed near either of the camps.

The prosecutor's office in Braunschweig which has been handling Brueckner's case said on Tuesday Germany's federal criminal police office was assisting Portuguese authorities, but would not provide further details on the investigation.

Portugal's judicial police in charge of the operation declined to comment.

London's Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said the Met continued to support colleagues in Portugal and Germany in the investigation, thanking them "for allowing us to be present whilst their work is ongoing, so that we can inform Madeleine's family of any developments".

(Reporting by Luis Ferreira, Andrei Khalip; Additional reporting by Michael Holden and Rachel More; Editing by Andrei Khalip, Ed Osmond and Alison Williams)
Subpostmasters demonstrate outside the court during an earlier part of the trial

Post Office bosses will be protected by security guards when giving evidence to a public inquiry about why they wrongly prosecuted subpostmasters next month.

The Government has hired two private security staff equipped to manage potential situations of conflict to guard witnesses at the next hearings of the official inquiry in to the Horizon scandal.

The inquiry will examine why criminal and civil proceedings were wrongly brought against subpostmasters accused of stealing money from the Post Office, when faulty IT equipment was responsible for the missing funds.

More than 700 people were wrongly convicted of false accounting or theft between 1999 and 2015 because of errors made by Horizon software, which was used by the Post Office and owned by the Japanese tech giant Fujitsu.

More than 30 people died before the saga, described earlier in the inquiry as the worst miscarriage of justice in recent British legal history, was uncovered, while others were bankrupted.

Some lost their homes after the Post Office used proceeds of crime orders in an attempt to recover the alleged shortfalls, and there were several instances of suicide among the falsely accused.

A compensation scheme has been established for those affected, although campaigners have argued the payments are not enough to cover their losses.

Those who suffered severe reputational damage have been offered a maximum of 10,000 in compensation, a sum supporters have argued is an insult.

But an agreement published on the Governments contracts database shows 80,000 has been set aside for security guards for the next phase of the public inquiry, which begins at Aldwych House in central London on June 6.

Post Office witnesses appearing before Sir Wyn Williams, who is leading the inquiry, include two former heads of security at the company, former contract managers and auditing staff.

The hearings will examine policy making, audits and investigations, civil and criminal proceedings, knowledge of and responsibility for failures in investigation and disclosure.

Evidence was a hill of sand

David Enright of Howe & Co solicitors, who is representing many of the subpostmasters, told The Telegraph that the next phase will examine the Post Office security and prosecutions teams civil and criminal actions against subpostmasters.

The allegations of fraud and theft that subpostmasters faced appear to have been built on evidence from the Horizon system that was known to be a hill of sand, he said.

Subpostmasters affected by the scandal and their families have protested peacefully outside during previous hearings, and security staff have been deployed to protect witnesses.

The contract for security staff at next months hearings says they will play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and security of all attendees and witnesses, including those with impaired mobility or similar needs in case of evacuation.

The security guards must also be equipped to manage potential situations of conflict and ensure the protection of all parties involved, it says.

A spokesman for the inquiry said: It is standard for inquiries to employ security at public hearings and this is consistent with the inquirys practice across all previous phases.

The security personnel will fulfil a wide range of responsibilities, including tending to general health and safety.

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Politicians, conservative groups and anti-vaccine advocates claim US President Joe Biden's nominee for director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) received millions of dollars in grants from Pfizer. This is false ; some of the posts share an altered version of a White House press release -- and the figures cited online refer to money given to a nonprofit that Monica Bertagnolli previously led, which distributed the funding to different researchers.

"Yesterday, President Biden announced Dr. Monica Bertagnolli as his intended nominee for Director of the NIH," said Robert Kennedy Jr, an anti-vaccine advocate and Democratic presidential candidate, in a May 16, 2023 tweet.

"Guess what? From 2015-2021, Bertagnolli received more than 116 grants from Pfizer, totaling $290.8 million. This amount made up 89 percent of all her research grants."

Other posts on Facebook and Instagram share a purported screenshot of a White House press release with the same figures.

"So basically Joe Biden's nominating Pfizer to run the National Institutes of Health," says a May 16 Facebook post from Robby Starbuck, a former Republican congressional candidate from the US state of Tennessee. "This is open, evil Big Pharma corruption."

Screenshot from Twitter taken May 22, 2023

Screenshot from Facebook taken May 22, 2023

The posts accumulated tens of thousands of interactions across platforms, according to CrowdTangle, a social media insights tool. Websites and anti-vaccine advocates such as the Epoch Times and Robert Malone, whom AFP has previously fact-checked for spreading misinformation, amplified the claims.

The White House said in a May 15 press release (archived here) that Biden would nominate Bertagnolli, director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), as chief of the NIH. But the announcement does not include the language shared online -- and the Pfizer grants cited in the posts helped fund a large clinical trial coordinated by a nonprofit that Bertagnolli previously led.

"We can confirm that all industry funds received by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology are received in support of the conduct of cancer clinical trials, including large, multi-national trials with thousands of patients," said Suzanne George, the organization's interim group chair and president of the Alliance Foundation. "Dr Bertagnolli did not directly or personally receive any of these funds."

The text in the supposed White House press release screenshot stems from an August 2022 Daily Signal article.

The conservative news website, published by the Heritage Foundation, cited a search (archived here) in a database from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to claim Bertagnolli had received millions in Pfizer grants. Open Payments reports those amounts as "associated research funding," which the system says constitutes "payments to a research institution or entity where a covered recipient is named as a principal investigator on the research project."

Bertagnolli served as group chair of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology between 2011 and 2022. The group "comprises nearly 10,000 cancer specialists at hospitals, medical centers and community clinics across the United States and Canada" and "develops and conducts clinical trials with promising new cancer therapies," according to its website.

Bertagnolli told the Daily Signal in 2022 that the money from Pfizer and others "was not in the form of grants to me directly," but rather "contracts entered into by the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology."

"All industry contracts were used by the Alliance's 3,000+ member clinical trials group to conduct cancer clinical trials," she said. "Importantly, virtually all of the funding from Pfizer was for a single large international breast cancer clinical trial."

She added that the funding "was distributed across many different health care institutions -- both academic and community -- to conduct the trial."

George told AFP in a May 18 email that the research (archived here) analyzed whether a drug called palbociclib could help treat certain types of breast cancer in concert with hormone therapy. The findings were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Oncology in December 2021.

"Alliance overall does not have more involvement with one industry partner over another -- it's just that this one Pfizer trial was very large and therefore very expensive," Bertagnolli told the Daily Signal in 2022, noting that the trial "enrolled over 6,000 patients over quite a number of countries."

Bertagnolli forwarded AFP's request for comment to the White House, which said in a May 18 email that "funding for large clinical trials like these come from a number of sources, including companies participating in the trials."

Pfizer said in a May 18 emailed statement that the company's grants "support independent initiatives designed to improve patient outcomes."

"Grantees are not individuals but rather institutions chosen for their credentials and experience," the statement says. "Medical breakthroughs would not be possible without funding for valuable research."

AFP has fact-checked other false and misleading claims about Pfizer here.
Sister Candace Introcaso, president of La Roche University, died unexpectedly on Monday.

Introcaso was named president of the university on July 1, 2004.

She is remembered for having a firm commitment to diversity and has been recognized with numerous honors.

Introcaso received the Passavant Foundation Legacy of Caring Award in 2018 and won the Pittsburgh Magazine and S&T Bank Woman and Business award in 2016. She received the Pittsburgh Business Times Business Woman First Award in 2014, as well as the newspapers Diamond Award, which is presented to the top business leaders in the area.

The university issued the following statement after her death:

The La Roche University community is heartbroken. We have lost our leader, our mentor and our friend. We are remembering Sister Candace for her caring nature, her efficient and direct leadership and her love of life. She was an academic scholar who took pride in seeing students succeed. She loved the La Roche community and the Sisters and Associates of the Congregation of Divine Providence. In her personal life she was happiest cheering for the Pittsburgh Pirates and caring for her two dogs, Jack and PJ. Her spirit will live on at the University.

According to a news release from the university, funeral arrangements are pending.

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Alastair Campbell arrives at High Court to give evidence

Alastair Campbell has accused Piers Morgan of being "two-faced" as he claimed his mortgage details were illegally obtained in an attempt to destabilise the then Labour government.

Mr Campbell told the High Court he was a victim of unlawful information gathering by Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) when journalists targeted "private and personal financial information" about himself and Fiona Millar, his partner.

He said Mr Morgan, the Daily Mirror's former editor, purported to be a real ally of Tony Blair and the Labour government while all the time he and his senior team were using illegal means to find stories designed to destabilise that Government.

Mr Morgan's two-faced conductcompounds the anger I feel about this, he added, saying it has been emphatically denied by Mr Morgan and his colleagues for so long.

Mr Campbell wrote in his witness statement that these attempts included the former editor commissioning Southern Investigations to break into his bank account and finding the total amount for his monthly mortgage cost.

The former Labour spin doctor was called to the witness stand on Tuesday to testify in support of Prince Harry and other claimants in their case of alleged unlawful information gathering against the publishers of the Daily Mirror newspaper.

In his witness statement, he claimed it was "extremely troubling" that MGN journalists unlawfully obtained information about himself and Ms Millar, especially due to his "role in government at the time".

Fiona and I are shocked, and frankly, appalled at this intrusion into our privacy, he said.

Mr Campbell, who was political and assistant editor at the Daily Mirror in the early 90s, added that he finds it very hard to believe that a newspaper editor as hands on as Mr Morgan would not have known, or demanded to know, where the big stories were coming from.

04:33 PM

Mirror obtained my mortgage details

Alastair Campbell has claimed MGN unlawfully obtained his mortgage details.

In his witness statement, Mr Campbell said the Mirror decided to "fish" into his financial affairs in the hope something "newsworthy" would be revealed. The information was not published, he said.

The statement reads: "I find the fact that MGN unlawfully obtained such private and personal financial information about myself and Fiona extremely troubling especially because of my role in government at that time.

"Having been a journalist myself, and also having been briefed regularly on issues of personal and government security, I was very careful in the protection of information that was confidential within government or private to me and my family.

"And though our mortgage details were not published, it leaves us wondering what other stories about us may have been obtained illegally."

04:28 PM

Alastair Campbell finishes his testimony

Alastair Campbell has finished giving evidence at the High Court as proceedings end for the day.

The former Labour spin doctor testified in the trial for around 15 minutes and his witness statement has been submitted.

04:24 PM

Campbell: I never witnessed phone hacking while working at MGN

Alistair Campbell has told the High Court that he would have known if there was unlawful information gathering while he worked at MGN.

Mr Campbell, who worked as Assistant Editor of the Sunday Mirror and Political Editor of the Daily Mirror in the early 1990s, has said he never witnessed any phone hacking incidents while working there.

Asked by Andrew Green KC, representing MGN, whether he would have spoken out had he been made aware of phone hacking or unlawful information gathering for stories, he replied he would have done.

Mr Campbell told the court: I was based in Westminster most of the time but I think I would have known about it because I dont think any of the editors I worked for at the time would have sanctioned it.

He said he was based in the House of Commons while working for MGN, and that a handful of journalists reported to him, but insisted that there was never-ending contact with the other editors in the newsroom.

04:21 PM

Alastair Campbell claims he was victim of unlawful information gathering

Alistair Campbell has said he was the victim of unlawful information gathering by MGN.

The former Labour spin doctor was called to the witness stand in the High Court on Tuesday, to testify in support of Prince Harry and other claimants in the case.

In his witness statement, he claimed MGN journalists unlawfully obtained "private and personal financial information" about both himself and his partner, Fiona Millar.

This, he says, is "extremely troubling" especially due to his "role in government at the time".

Fiona and I are shocked, and frankly, appalled at this intrusion into our privacy, he said.

03:56 PM

Alastair Campbell to give evidence

Mr Campbell is about to start giving evidence at the High Court where he was called as a witness in a trial involving alleged phone hacking at Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN).

The former Downing Street director of communications has followed media lawyer Mark Lewis in entering the witness box.

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Prince Harry offered to pay for security when he is in the UK

Prince Harry has lost an attempt to challenge the UK government over his security arrangements while in the UK, according to a ruling published on Tuesday.

Harry and his wife Meghan lost their UK taxpayer-paid protection when they quit frontline royal duties in 2020 and moved to North America.

The couple have their own private security team in the United States but Harry says they do not have adequate jurisdiction or access to UK intelligence to keep his family safe when they are in the UK.

The prince, known formally as the Duke of Sussex, had been asking for a legal review of a decision refusing him permission to pay for the UK security himself.

Lawyers for the interior ministry argued that it was "not appropriate" for wealthy people to "buy" protective security when it had decided that it was not in the public interest for such protection to be paid for by the taxpayer.

London's Metropolitan Police also opposed Harry's offer on the grounds that it would be wrong to "place officers in harm's way upon payment of a fee by a private individual".

In a ruling issued on Tuesday, London High Court judge Martin Chamberlain backed the interior ministry and police decision and refused Harry permission to challenge it in court.

"I refuse permission to apply for judicial review," he said in a written judgment.

Harry is also involved in a separate trial at the same court against tabloid publisher Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) for alleged unlawful information gathering.

He is expected to give evidence at that trial in June.

har/phz/gil
Tourists visit the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, in Beijing, capital of China, March 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

The Forbidden City, China's imperial palace from 1420 to 1911, which is now officially known as the Palace Museum, is not just famous for its extensive collection of royal relics and its unique architecture but is also a treasure trove of archaic characters.



After a decade of study and preparation, the museum announced on Monday that it was releasing a multivolume book on some of the 3,300-year-old oracle bone inscriptions in its collection.

The recently published first two volumes of the book, Yinxu Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Palace Museum Collection, cover more than 1,300 bones, the inscriptions on which include topics ranging from military affairs, astronomy and agriculture to tribute systems and sacrificial rituals.

This is the first time in decades that China's largest museum has decided to make public details about its oracle bone collection through a book.

Dating to the late Shang Dynasty (c.16th century to 11th century BC), oracle bones  inscribed turtle shells and ox scapulas, among others  were mainly excavated from the Yinxu Ruins site in Anyang, Henan province. The script comprised the earliest-known, fully developed Chinese writing system whose lineage is the same as the Chinese characters used today.

In 2017, the inscriptions were included in the International Memory of the World Register, administered by UNESCO, which seeks to identify items of documentary heritage that have worldwide significance.

In 2019, President Xi Jinping praised the oracle bone inscriptions, saying they represent the roots of fine traditional Chinese culture, in a congratulatory letter to mark the 120th anniversary of their discovery.

Zhu Hongwen, deputy director of the Palace Museum, said the museum houses 21,395 oracle bones, about 13 percent of the world's total number of such relics known to exist today.

Although this is the third-largest collection of oracle bones among institutions, after the National Library of China and Taipei-based Academia Sinica, about 80 percent of these bones were never categorized. It was the world's last big collection of oracle bones that had largely remained untouched.

The Palace Museum used to be a hub for oracle bone studies. However, after veteran scholars died, inheritors of this crucial and difficult discipline remained absent at the institution for about three decades after 1981. Finally, in 2013, scholars at the Palace Museum began to categorize and study the oracle bones to resume the course.

According to Wang Su, a researcher at the Palace Museum who has led the ongoing oracle bone studies, the recently published volumes focus on bones that were collected by Ma Heng, former director of the museum, and Xie Boshu, an entrepreneur and a paleographer.

Pictures and stone-rubbing replicas of each piece of oracle bone, along with explanatory notes, have been included in the book.

"We have also named every bone to indicate its nature and content, and thus facilitate further research. For the first time, the collection of oracle bones features catalogs like regular books," Wang said.

Previously, oracle bones only had serial numbers. Liu Yiman, a veteran oracle bone researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: "Sorting files properly is the key for academic breakthrough. New materials can broaden our horizons."

The book on the Palace Museum's oracle bone collection can provide references for studies on warfare during the Shang Dynasty, and on a rare recording of a solar eclipse, Liu added.

In 2020, a comprehensive academic project was co-launched by the Ministry of Education and other national-level authorities to highlight the importance of paleography in inheriting and developing the Chinese civilization.

"Exploring the thoughts and cultural meanings hidden in the oracle bone inscriptions is the main work in this project," said Liu Hong, deputy director of the Ministry of Education's language information management department. "By figuring out cultural symbols of the past, we can better trace the origins of our civilization."

The Palace Museum also released its first essay collection on paleography on Monday. Besides the oracle bones, the museum houses about 1,600 inscribed bronze wares from the Shang and Zhou (c.11th century to 256 BC) dynasties.
The Duke of Sussex has lost his High Court bid to buy police protection for his family during trips to the UK.

Prince Harry, 38, had wanted to personally pay for security after being stripped of taxpayer-funded protection when he and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, stepped down as senior royals and moved to the US in 2020.

But Home Office lawyers argued it was not appropriate for wealthy people to buy security from the police. There were also concerns that it would reduce the availability of a limited pool of close protection officers.

A judge has now refused Harry permission to bring a judicial review over the decision in what would have been a second challenge relating to his security arrangements.

The blow for Harry comes a week after he and his wife Meghan said they were involved in a near catastrophic car chase in New York after being followed by highly aggressive paparazzi in a relentless pursuit.

The legal action was among five other civil cases Harry is pursuing through the courts, including three outstanding claims relating to alleged phone hacking.

He has already been granted permission to fight the decision not to be given the same degree of personal protective security when visiting the UK, although a date for the hearing has not been set.

According to Freedom of Information figures obtained in February, the government has so far spent 296,882 on the security case, with the figure now likely to be higher.

In February 2020, an official committee - known as Ravec - decided the duke, his wife and children would no longer be automatically granted police protection on visits to the UK.

The High Court was told he did not know the committee existed, or that members of the royal household were involved, and believed its decisions were independent.

Legal documents filed by his representatives said that, at the time, there were significant tensions between Prince Harry and the Queen's private secretary, Sir Edward Young.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were stripped of publicly-funded police protection when they stepped back from their royal roles in 2020 (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

After launching an initial claim for judicial review over that decision, his representatives challenged further decisions relating to the Sussexes security arrangements.

The High Court heard that Prince Harry made the offer to reimburse or proactively finance the cost of the security measures to members of the royal household in January 2020, but in December 2021 the home secretary passed the decision on whether that was possible back to Ravec.

The committee decided the move would be wrong in principle in February 2022.

Lawyers for the Metropolitan Police said Ravec had been reasonable in its findings.

The Home Office told the High Court the committee considered it was not appropriate when it had decided that the public interest does not warrant someone receiving such protection on a publicly funded basis.

Prince Harry has previously raised concerns about his familys safety (PA Wire)

The judge dismissed the legal arguments from Harrys team on all five grounds and refused permission to apply for judicial review of the 2021 and 2022 decisions.

Mr Justice Chamberlain ruled Harrys offer to pay for police protection potentially affected anyone who might seek to pay for protective security that had not otherwise been made available.

His judgment said that Ravec had warned that permission to allow private funding would constitute a precedent of uncertain scope.

There were also concerns that permitting private funding would reduce the availability of a limited pool of close protection officers in the UK, where police are not routinely armed and undergo intensive specialist training for the role.

The ruling comes amid an ongoing High Court trial involving the duke, in which he is bringing a contested claim against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over allegations of unlawful information gathering.

Harry is also waiting for rulings over whether similar cases against publishers Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) and News Group Newspapers (NGN) can go ahead.

A judgment is also expected in the dukes libel claim against ANL  publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday  over its reporting of the row around his security arrangements.

Harrys legal challenge over the original decision by Ravec will be heard at a later date.
WPA Pool - Getty Images

A judge from London's High Court has rejected Prince Harry's legal bid against the British government to privately fund his own police protection while in the United Kingdom.

On Tuesday, Judge Mr. Justice Chamberlain denied the prince permission to seek a judicial review of the government's refusal to allow Harry to personally pay for his own police and security arrangements.

The British government initially stripped Harry and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, of taxpayer-funded police protection following their decision to step down as senior working members of the royal family in 2020. But, Harry legally contested the decision, filing a claim for a judicial review against the ruling in September 2021.



At the time, a spokesperson told BAZAAR.com that Harry felt the Home Office's decision was "unreasonable, opaque and inconsistent."

In court this week, Harry's legal team argued that there is precedent for legislative provisions that allowed for the payment of "special police services" and that "payment for policing is not inconsistent with the public interest or public confidence in the Metropolitan Police Service," the BBC reports.

However, lawyers for the Home Offic said the rejection of an individual's offer of private payments was a matter of policy, and opposed the idea that a "wealthy person should be permitted to 'buy' protective security."

Though his bid for a judicial review has been denied, Harry's legal battle for U.K. police protection isn't over. BAZAAR's Royal Editor-at-Large, Omid Scobie, notes that the prince has already won his bid for a full judicial review against the Home Office for their decision-making process over his security in the country. Additionally, his lawyers can appeal today's ruling.

"The UK will always be Prince Harry's home and a country he wants his wife and children to be safe in... With the lack of police protection comes too great a personal risk," a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex said in a written statement last year. "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home."

Harry's legal spokesperson previously told BAZAAR that the royal had "inherited a security risk at birth, for life," considering that "he remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats. ... While his role within the institution has changed, his profile as a member of the Royal Family has not. Nor has the threat to him and his family."

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Private autopsy says man who died in Georgia jail lived in torture chamber conditions, died of severe neglect

The independent evaluation cited untreated decompensated schizophrenia, dehydration, starvation and a severe body insect infestation as key factors in Lashawn Thompsons death.

A man who died in a Georgia jail facility lived in conditions similar to a torture chamber before succumbing to complications brought on by extreme disregard for his mental and physical health, a private evaluation reportedly found.

According to CNN, an independent medical review ruled Lashawn Thompsons death at the Fulton County Jail in September to be a homicide, his familys attorneys stated at a news conference Monday announcing the conclusions.

Police arrested Thompson, 35  who had mental health issues and was in the jails psychiatric unit  for a misdemeanor three months before his death.

An independent medical review ruled Lashawn Thompsons death at the Fulton County Jail in September 2022 to be a homicide. (Photo: Screenshot/YouTube.com/11Alive News)

Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr., a board-certified forensic pathologist and Howard University professor who served as Washington, D.C.s top medical examiner from 2014 to 2021, executed the review.

Mitchells findings noted that Thompson needed daily treatment for his mental condition, referencing a significant gap of 43 days during which there was little evidence of care being provided in the records.

The independent medical evaluation cited untreated decompensated schizophrenia, dehydration, starvation and a severe body insect infestation, including lice and bedbugs, as significant factors in Thompsons death.

The Fulton County medical examiners office previously listed Thompsons manner and cause of death as undetermined.

The combination of dehydration, rapid weight loss and malnutrition complicated by untreated decompensated schizophrenia led to a fatal cardiac arrhythmia of Lashawn Thompson, Mitchell said, CNN reported. Had Mr. Thompson received adequate care during his incarceration at the Fulton County Jail, then he would not have died at the time that he did.

During a press conference in April, family attorney Michael Harper described Thompsons living conditions as inexcusable and deplorable, alleging Fulton County Jail staff had him in a detention cell unfit for a diseased animal.

Dr. Kendall Von Crowns, a chief medical examiner in Texas, said he would still rely on the initial reports undetermined conclusion instead of the independent autopsy report.

Von Crowns asserted that without seeing the original autopsy, toxicology report or images of Thompsons body, it appears hunger and dehydration caused his death rather than a lice infestation. However, he concurred with the independent medical investigation that schizophrenia might have played a role.

It would contribute more to that if hes not being properly treated, Von Crowns noted, CNN reported. It would make his underlying mental illness worse, and that could also fall into the category of neglect.

Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Pat Labat said in a statement Tuesday that he has not thoroughly analyzed the independent autopsy report. However, it was already painfully clear that several errors contributed to Thompsons death.

Labat declared his dedication to ensuring the Thompson family gets the deserved answers regarding the circumstances surrounding their loved ones death.

Thompsons family has consistently asked for a criminal probe into his death, the closure of the Fulton County Jail and the construction of a new one.

I have already held the executive staff responsible for jail operations accountable, Labat contended, CNN reported, by soliciting and collecting the resignations of the chief jailer and the assistant chief jailers of housing and the criminal investigative division.

Following their resignations, the sheriffs office set aside a $500,000 emergency expense to manage the infestations of bed bugs, lice and other vermin inside the jail.

There is also a process to move more than 600 prisoners to different counties  at an average cost of approximately $40,000 per day  to help alleviate overcrowding.

Repercussions for anyone found to be negligent in Mr. Thompsons care could come once the full investigation is turned over to the [Georgia Bureau of Investigation] for review, Labat added, according to CNN.

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The post Private autopsy says man who died in Georgia jail lived in torture chamber conditions, died of severe neglect appeared first on TheGrio.
PROVIDENCE  A federal grant awarded to the city not only aims to restore habitats near the Port of Providence but also to empower residents with more of a voice in projects that would enhance the shoreline and help protect it from rising seas and storm surges.

The $492,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Climate-Ready Coasts Initiative will fund a big-picture assessment of the stretch of shoreline along the Providence River that runs north of the port from Sassafras Cove to Collier Point Park.

Its a heavily industrialized area that includes the former Conley's Wharf and the vacant Providence Gas Company building, as well as scrap-metal businesses Sims Metals Management and problem-plagued Rhode Island Recycled Metals. Its also where the notorious wreck of a barge is half-submerged in the river, its crane clearly visible above the waterline.

But theres impetus behind improving the waterfront after the reopening two years ago of Public Street as a shoreline access point. And theres interest in natural solutions to shield the low-lying area from rising seas and to absorb floodwaters. Conducting an analysis of potential habitat restoration opportunities is the next logical step.

A crane, on a sunken barge in the waters at the end of Public St. in Providence, sticks up through the water on April 24, 2023.

More: 5 years later, are there plans for the sunken barge in the Providence River? What we know

Grant will help ensure residents have their voices heard in projects that affect them

Whats more unusual about the NOAA-funded project is that its also paying to educate community members about the possibilities for the area and teach them about city and state planning processes to help ensure that their opinions are taken into account.

Starting in 2024 and continuing in 2025 and 2026, classes of 18 people recruited from the South Providence and Washington Park neighborhoods will go through a year-long training program that will include segments on climate change and stormwater.

That sort of formal coursework is necessary especially to understand the ever-changing data of climate vulnerabilities, said Michele Jalbert, executive director of Providence Resilience Partnership, a nonprofit that coordinated the application for the grant.

More: Giant RI sewer project is cleaning Narragansett Bay. But is it too costly for ratepayers?

Its making it possible for residents to be more effective advocates for their community, she said.

The program is being modeled on similar training conducted by PVD Tree Plan, in which residents learn about the benefits of tree-planting, and Nuevas Voces at the Water Table, an initiative created by the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council to train environmental advocates.

The work done by the Woonasquatucket council may be a particularly apt guide for the Providence River project. The council has been one of the drivers of the clean-up of once-blighted properties in Olneyville. It has expanded its mission from improving water quality in the river to helping build playgrounds and, more recently, to reducing the impacts of flooding in the watershed.

Nuevas Voces (Spanish for new voices) started in 2021 as a way to connect residents in the communities that were suffering the effects of environmental problems with agencies and city leaders who could do something about them.

The educational component of the Providence River project will be coordinated by Groundwork Rhode Island, one of the partners in PVD Tree Plan.

I think this is a long-term investment in building leadership, building awareness and building buy-in from the beginning, said Amelia Rose, executive director of Groundwork Rhode Island.

The curriculum for the training program wont be finalized until the fall but it will touch on stormwater management, ways that marsh plants or oyster beds can protect from floodwaters, and future plans for the Port of Providence area. Rose said it will also include a boat tour and visit to the headquarters of Save The Bay, another one of the project partners.

The Save The Bay center, which sits on a former city landfill south of the port on Fields Point, offers an example of what can be done to rehabilitate industrial waterfront land.

We can share lessons from our site, said Wenley Ferguson, director of habitat restoration for Save The Bay. We want to look at what this shoreline could be. How can we restore the communitys connection to it?

Since its founding three years ago, the Providence Resilience Partnership has been pushing to better protect Rhode Islands capital city from the impacts of climate change.

The group helped secure a $1-million federal allocation to study whether the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier needs to be improved because seas are rising and storm patterns are changing. The grant for the Providence River project addresses another point of vulnerability in the city.

But Jalbert said more needs to be done to come up with a citywide resilience plan.

We need to take all of this emerging data and we need to bring it together so we have a full picture, she said.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: New NOAA-funded project will restore habitats near Port of Providence
Prosecution reveals gruesome details in first day of trial against alleged box-cutter killer

DELAND - A man murdered his girlfriend, stabbing and cutting her 77 times with a box cutter after she apparently refused to buy him a firearm, prosecutors said on the first day of his trial Tuesday morning.

Brandon McLean

Brandon McLean, 34, of DeLand, charged with first-degree murder, is accused of killing Amy Humphries, 28, of Orange City on April 20, 2021.

Accused killer represents himself in trial

The body of Humphries was found around 7 p.m., April 20, 2021, dumped on a walking/bicycle trail at Maytown-Osteen Road and Azalea Lane in Osteen, investigating Volusia County sheriff's detectives said.

McLean's murder trial started before a 12-member jury at the DeLand Courthouse at 101 N. Alabama Ave.

More: Osteen homicide victim identified as Amy Desiree Layne Humphries; suspect shot by deputies

More: AK-47-style assault rifle used to shoot up DeLand home; suspects face long prison terms.

McLean is representing himself in court. Though he is defending himself, a private attorney, Philip Massa, is standing by in case McLean needs help with the trial.

Brandon McLean, accused of stabbing and cutting his girlfriend 77 times with a boxcutter, is representing himself in his ongoing murder trial.

Prosecutor: Victim murdered after not buying gun

In her opening statement, Assistant State Attorney Heatha Trigones told the jury that McLean killed the victim in the new Volkswagen Jetta that she had just bought. The incident occurred about two hours after McLean had asked her to buy him a firearm, but she did not, Trigones said.

"On April 20, 2021, 28-year-old Amy Humphries was brutally beaten in her head and her face, she was strangled, she was cut 77 times with a utility knife, a box cutter," Trigones said.

Trigones said Humphries had an apartment and had recently bought the 2021 Volkswagen Jetta. She knew McLean and communicated through letter correspondence, the prosecutor said.

Volusia County sheriff's Det. Eugene Mefford said at trial the letters were found at Humphries Orange City apartment after a search warrant was executed at the home.

But a few weeks before her murder, Humphries started spending time with McLean.

McLean lived at the homeless center Neighborhood Center of West Volusia on Woodland Boulevard where he shared a room. McLean would leave the center and spend time with Humphries at her Orange City apartment, Trigones said.

On the day of her murder, McLean asked Humphries to buy him a firearm. So they visited Steel Fox Firearms in DeLand. McLean handed Humphries cash, the prosecutor said.

Inside the store, Humphries told the clerk she was buying the firearm for herself, so she was given an application form to fill out.

Humphries was given a firearm, which McLean also handles to get a feel of it. While filling out the document, Humphries starts to cry, and circles "NO" where the document asks if she was purchasing the gun for herself, Trigones said.

The clerk then tells Humphries she cannot sell her the pistol.

Victim's body found 2 hours later

Humphries and McLean left the store around 5 p.m. and shortly after she was dead, Trigones said.

"Within two hours at 7 o'clock p.m. Amy's body is found dumped on a walking trail in Osteen," Trigones said. "During those two hours the defendant murdered Amy inside her new car, she is in the passenger compartment."

After brutally killing Humphries and dumping her body, McLean steals her car and cellphone, which was never found, and drives around in the vehicle, Trigones said.

Volusia County Sheriff's investigators used technology to show that McLean traveled with Humphries' body to the scene where he left her on the trail partially naked. Phone records showed McLean was at the scene where the body was found, Trigones said.

"The defendant's phone and Amy's phone are traveling together to the scene where the body was found," Trigones said.

After the body was dumped, the cell phone tracking system shows the devices leaving the crime scene to an alley in Deltona where Humphries' missing flipflop was found, investigators said.

Suspect gets in shootout with police, injured

The day after Humphries' body was found, her car was spotted at a laundromat in Sanford. Seminole County sheriff's detectives surveilled it and after seeing McLean and another man approach the vehicle, they tried to contact them. But McLean ran. In court on Tuesday, detectives recounted how McLean ran and kept turning to look back as he fired a gun at them.

They returned fire hitting him in the leg and arm.

Victim's DNA found on box-cutter blade

After McLean was shot and fell behind a house on Maple Avenue in Sanford, first-aid was administered. And when he was searched, detectives found Humphries' belongings on him.

McLean had Humphries' car keys, driver's license, bank cards, and black lipstick. He also had the box cutter.

The box cutter blade had blood on it a DNA test showed that it was Humphries' blood, the prosecutor said.

Later, when the car was checked, detectives found a lot of blood in the Volkswagen Jetta's front passenger seat. The blood matched Humphries'.

On Tuesday, McLean sat at the desk, shuffling through papers and writing notes as detectives and witnesses testified. He did very little cross-examination and did not make any objections as the prosecutor submitted evidence against him.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Alleged box-cutter killer represents himself on first day of trial
NABU and SAPO find almost half a million dollars more in Knyazev case during another search

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The forensic search within the pretrial investigation on suspicion of receiving a $2.7 million bribe by Knyazev was conducted on May 22.

The perpetrators of massive corruption in the Supreme Court hid the cash, NABU said. The anti-corruption agencies are investigating its origin.

The Knyazev case

Ukrainian media reported on May 15 that the head of Ukraines Supreme Court, Vsevolod Knyazev, was suspected of taking a $2.7 million bribe.

The SAPO later confirmed that Knyazev has been detained.

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This is the most high-profile case during the tenure of the NABU and SAPO and the biggest exposure of a top-ranking official in the judicial branch of government, said NABU Director Semen Kryvonos.

Investigators recorded a series of contacts between the owner of Finance and Credit Banking Group, Kostiantyn Zhevaho, and a representative of a group of judges involved in a large-scale corruption scheme. They reportedly agreed on a bribe in exchange for making the necessary decision in Zhevahos favor.

This corruption ring were not limited to the Supreme Court, but extended to most Ukrainian courts as well, SAPO said.

Read also: Ukrainian billionaire Zhevaho released from jail in France on bail of 1 million euros

Zhevaho has denied any accusations of bribery.

On May 16, the Supreme Court removed Knyazev from his leadership position, in a vote of no confidence.

Read also: Higher Council of Justice signs off on arrest of former Supreme Court chief Knyazev

Knyazev was elected as head of the Supreme Court in late October 2021. Prior to that, he served as a judge and secretary of the court since 2017.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Thousands of people demonstrated on Tuesday in northern Ethiopia's Tigray region to demand the return home of people displaced by a two-year war there and the withdrawal of outside forces that have remained since the conflict ended.

The war between government troops and their allies from neighbouring Eritrea and the Amhara region on one side and Tigrayan forces on the other concluded with a truce last November after claiming tens of thousands of lives.

Millions were forced from their homes, including hundreds of thousands from land disputed by Tigray and Amhara, whose security forces and militiamen continue to occupy the area.

Eritrean troops also remain inside Ethiopian territory in several border towns, according to humanitarian workers. Its government has declined to comment on the matter.

Demonstrators peacefully rallied on Tuesday in several major cities, including the regional capital Mekelle, Adigrat and Shire. They held signs with slogans like "invaders must leave our homeland", according to footage broadcast on Tigrai TV, which is controlled by the party that runs Tigray.

Henok Hiluf, who took part in the protest in Mekelle, told Reuters that about 3,500 to 4,000 were demonstrating there.

The peace deal has held since November, with both sides acknowledging progress in implementing key provisions. Tigray forces have begun disarming, an interim government has been set up and many basic services have been restored.

But Tigrayan authorities have complained about the continuing presence of the outside military forces. Last week, Getachew Reda, who leads the region's interim government, said Eritrean forces had recently prevented a team monitoring implementation of the peace deal from carrying out their work.

Spokespeople for Eritrea and Ethiopia's government and the regional administration of Amhara did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(Reporting by Dawit Endeshaw; Additional reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Editing by Aaron Ross and Christina Fincher)
Provincetown apartment project at former VFW got a $9 million boost this month. What now?

An affordable housing complex planned for the former VFW property at 3 Jerome Smith Road in Provincetown won funding from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development on its first try.

On Thursday, Gov. Maura Healey's office announced that 27 projects across Massachusetts will receive $246 million in federal and state low-income housing tax credits and direct subsidies. The support will be used to build and preserve 1,597 affordable homes throughout Massachusetts.

"Getting this approval in the first round helps make the project get to fruition a lot sooner, which is fabulous," said Provincetown Select Board member Leslie Sandberg. "We're having a housing crisis here and having a project be greenlighted will be very helpful. As soon as it's built, people will be getting in there."

Affordable housing on Cape Cod Confused about 'affordable' housing on Cape Cod? Here's a primer.

A possible configuration for the affordable housing project proposed at 3 Jerome Smith Road in Provincetown would feature 3-story buildings, according to developer The Community Builders. Gov. Maura Healey announced this week that Provincetown would receive $9 million in state and federal money and loans to build the complex.

The Chapter 40B Provincetown project will receive federal and state low-income housing tax credits and over $9 million in soft debt from housing programs, including American Rescue Plan money, according to the town. Soft debt is a loan with no or below market rate interest. The milestone means the project is clear to close, with an eye towards starting construction in spring next year, according to developer The Community Builders.

Along with the Provincetown project, three other housing projects on the Cape and Islands also won funding.

Provincetown: Housing project eligibility restricted, to help Provincetown obtain aid

What will housing at the former Provincetown VFW look like?

The multi-family redevelopment will feature 61 affordable units and four market-rate units in four three-story buildings, with a mix of studio apartments and one-, two- and three-bedroom units, all-electric heating and cooling and solar-ready roofs.

Assistant Town Manager Dan Riviello said it was "really an honor and not something that happens very often" to be awarded funding in the first round, calling it proof of The Community Builders' strong application.

The project includes rental units at 30% area median income (AMI), 60% AMI, workforce units at 80% AMI, and four market-rate units.

This property at 3 Jerome Smith Road in Provincetown, once home to a Veterans of Foreign Wars post, will be the site of an affordable housing complex that will go a long way to easing the housing crisis in the town.

A decision on workforce housing may have helped win funding in the first round.

Originally the workforce units were open to those with 80% to 120% AMI, but the Select Board voted in January to cap those apartments at 80% AMI as recommended by The Community Builders. Capping those units at 80% AMI allowed for them to be counted as low-income housing tax credit units and garner significant additional federal subsidy.

Allowing for more access to federal money subsequently reduces the amount the state would kick in to a level that is more likely to win funding without increasing Provincetown's local contribution, said Lindsey Gael, senior development project manager at The Community Builders, during that January meeting.

"Their recommendation was a good one. We passed on the first round," said Sandberg.

When the new police station is completed on Route 6, the current 26 Shank Painter Road station will be used for housing planned to be open to those at 80% to 120% AMI, said Sandberg.

"We know we need to focus on attainable housing for all income levels," said Sandberg.

Four of the units will also be designated as Community Based Housing units for people with disabilities.

Provincetown will contribute $3.5 million.

Town meeting in April approved funding to cover the town's hefty financial commitment to the development.

Voters backed $2.25 million to go towards the project, transferring $1.65 million from excess funds within the town's tourism fund and $600,000 from free cash. Combined with $750,000 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund approved by the Community Housing Council and $500,000 of Community Preservation Act money, the total contribution from the town stands at $3.5 million.

Provincetown Town Meeting Voters fund full-time fire and rescue

Additionally, Truro contributed $100,000 from its Community Preservation Act money.

"On the Outer Cape, we realize housing is a regional issue and the towns are supporting each other in their efforts," said Sandberg.

Work is underway to connect the upcoming project to the municipal sewer, said Riviello.

"We're bringing sewer to the site to make sure we're prepared for when TCB is ready for shovels," said Riviello.

Cape Cod housing projects in Orleans, Sandwich and Edgartown also won funding.

A new construction project in Orleans at 107 Main St. also won funding. Proposed by the Housing Assistance Corporation in partnership with Orleans, the Chapter 40B project will feature 14 new affordable units for individuals and/or families. It would redevelop a blighted building, formerly the location of a Masonic Lodge built in 1971, into new units.

Other local projects include the Henry T. Wing School Residences development in Sandwich which will include 38 new affordable units for seniors in its first phase. Meshacket Commons in Edgartown, with 36 total units when completed, including 32 affordable rental units and four ownership units, received $6 million in state and federal money.

Zane Razzaq writes about housing and real estate. Reach her at zrazzaq@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @zanerazz.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Provincetown housing on Jerome Smith Road wins federal, state money
Relatives of the school dormitory fire sob during a meeting with Guyana President Irfaan Ali in Mahdia, where the tragedy happened

The weekend school dormitory blaze that killed 19 minors in central Guyana was started by a disgruntled pupil angry at having her mobile phone confiscated, a government source told AFP on Tuesday.

An official police report confirmed that "a female student is suspected of having set the devastating fire because her cellular phone was taken away."

The official said the teenage pupil had admitted to the arson attack and was under police guard at the district hospital in the town of Mahdia.

Police are seeking advice on whether to charge her, the official said.

Sunday's inferno gutted a building housing girls aged 11-12 and 16-17.

As well as the dead, around 20 children were taken to hospital where two remain in critical condition.

"They (staff) took away the phone from the girl and the girl threatened the same night that she will burn down the building and everybody heard her," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The government official said that minutes later the girl went to the bathroom area and sprayed insecticide on a curtain before lighting a match.

The official said several pupils had recounted the same version of events.

Despite efforts by other students to extinguish the blaze, the official said the fire quickly swept through the wooden ceiling and eventually gutted the entire building.

"According to the female students, they were asleep and were awakened by screams," said the police report.

"Upon checking, they saw fire/smoke in the bathroom area, which quickly spread in the building, causing several students to receive burns to their bodies and smoke inhalation, while several managed to escape."

The girls were locked in for the night and a house mistress told police that in her panic she could not find the front door key. The building had metal bars on the windows preventing pupils from escaping through them.

The police report said there were 57 pupils in the dormitory, which was "a one-flat concrete building measuring about 100 feet by 40 feet, with several windows, all grilled, and five doors."

dc-pgf/bc/md
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to present state decorations for achievements at the Kremlin in Moscow

The apparent fall of Bakhmut has triggered furious debate and no little alarm in the West, but very little considered analysis as to the timing of Putins claim to have seized the city.

We should all pause, take a deep breath, and look at why Putin would suddenly try to declare a great victory over Ukrainian forces today, despite there being nothing of Bakhmut left to rule.

The fundamental reason is simple: he has just had one of the worst weekends of his war. Not militarily, but politically.

First there was Zelenskys visit to the G7 in Hiroshima and the Arab summit in Jeddah, where the Ukrainian shook hands with his allies as well as leaders of countries more friendly to Putin. He was received with sympathy at both. Indias Prime Minister Modi lamented the human cost of the war and said far more than many expected, committing to finding a way forward to the end of the conflict. His remarks were hardly those of a great friend of Vladimir Putin.

But of far more significance was President Bidens decision to allow European countries to give F-16s to Kyiv. In my view, it hammered the final nail into the coffin of a Russian victory in Ukraine. Its no wonder Putin is urgently seeking to urgently change the narrative about the future shape of the war by declaring a seismic victory in Bakhmut.

The significance of these F-16s cannot be underestimated. Air superiority really matters for combined forces manoeuvres. Theres a reason why so many modern wars against conventional armed forces were over so quickly, such as in the Gulf: air power. Not only this, but F-16s will make a future invasion of Ukraine by Russia almost impossible in the future: they are devastating machines and will act as a powerful deterrent. Western after-burners must be rattling the windows of the Kremlin to breaking point.

I and many others have been campaigning since the beginning of this war for the West to give Zelensky greater military means to allow the removal of Russian forces from Ukrainian borders. Frustratingly, we have delayed when he should have emptied the shelves.

The West hesitated on sending tanks, then eventually saw the light. There is now a significant and powerful force of Leopard 2 and Challenger 2 tanks, stealthily "snuggling" somewhere in Ukraine ready to pounce and dislocate the entrenched Russian attackers at a time and place of their choosing. Ive fired many rounds from Challenger 2s at Soviet tank hulls and the results arent pretty, let me tell you.

There was also early reticence over the gifting of air defence assets  again overcome after many weeks of delay. These assets have since proved vital in shooting down the vast majority of missiles sent to bombard Ukrainian cities, including the much-vaunted "unstoppable" hypersonic Kinzhal.

And dont forget the long range precision artillery and HIMARS, able to hit command posts and logistics in depth. So successful were these actions that General Progozin, the theatrical mercenary leader, had to threaten the Kremlin with desertion from the battlefield if he did not get more ammunition.

Had more of these assets been given to Ukraine sooner, then this war might already be over with a decisive Ukrainian victory. More importantly, had all this military hardware been available to Ukraine in February 2022, Putin would not have invaded. That fact is we took our collective eye off the ball, in a manner not dissimilar to President Obama ignoring the red line when Assad used chemical weapons on his own people in Syria. Failing to show a strong hand to tyrants and autocrats only encourages them.

At least now Putin is increasingly aware that the West remains firm. Never again will Russian armoured columns, if they manage to rebuild some, be able to steam across the border. They would be met by a phalanx of F16s well before they pick up any momentum.

Putins nuclear threats have failed, his ground assaults have failed, and now his air force has just become even more impotent. History suggests that failed tyrants do not tend to last long in these circumstances.

Col Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is a former commander of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is a regular contributor to the Telegraph's 'Ukraine: The Latest' podcast. With over 27 million downloads, it is your go-to source for live reaction and correspondents reporting on the ground. You can listen here

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 restoration of a precious copy of the Yongle Dadian ("Yongle encyclopedia") is being celebrated through a special exhibition at the National Library of China in Beijing.

First compiled in the early 15th century during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) following an edict by the Emperor Yongle, this set of handwritten texts is often considered the largest paper-based encyclopedia ever written. It included an estimated 370 million Chinese characters, and consisted of 22,937 volumes in 11,095 copies.

The original edition went missing in history, though a 16th-century duplicate survived into the 19th century, mostly intact. Many more volumes were subsequently destroyed or got lost in upheaval. Today, only about 400 survive, and every one is considered a literary treasure.

When a volume on the Chinese character hu (lake) returned from Canada to be housed at the National Library of China in 2013, it was welcomed by excited librarians, who had been waiting to restore its aged pages.

In 2021, the national library, the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation and ByteDance, the parent company of short-video platform TikTok, or Douyin in China, jointly established a fund to restore the document.

About 10 million yuan ($1.43 million) was spent, not only on the restoration of the text, but also on training restorers, digitalizing the work and creating associated public education programs.

The fund has also sponsored the restoration of 104 other ancient books from 10 libraries nationwide.

The fruits of this project were apparent at the exhibition, in which 39 recently restored ancient books were on display. The exhibition, launched in the national library last week, will last for two months.

"This project explores a path for how public institutions and other sectors of society can closely cooperate on the preservation of cultural relics," says Xiong Yuanming, director of the national library.

Xiong says many new methods were utilized in the restoration of the Yongle Dadian volume. In previous restorations of other volumes, silk pieces available on the market that were similar to those in the original version were used. But for this project, restorers conducted a detailed materials analysis and were able to weave textiles specially tailored to resemble those used in the past.

Other exhibited books are also milestones in Chinese literary history. For example, the Shanghai Library presented an 1848 print edition of Yinghuan Zhilue ("brief record of the globe"). Written by Xu Jishe, an official in coastal Fujian province who was in contact with foreign missionaries, merchants and diplomats, the monumental work revolutionized understanding of world geography among Chinese literati and offered key inspiration for Japan's modernization drive.

Chen Chao, director of the Shanghai Library, says: "We chose this book to join the project not only because of its importance, but also because the copy had various kinds of 'diseases'  it was damaged by water and bugs and its color was fading.

"It thus offered a perfect case for restorers to try for a comprehensive cure, combining traditional craftsmanship and new technology. Conservation of relics needs to catch up with the times."

Other exhibits include ancient maps of the Yellow River, ink-rubbed bronzewares, and a Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) book written in Tangut script, an extinct language spoken by the Tangut people who once lived in northwestern China.

Several ancient paper-made models of imperial architecture, known as tangyang, are also showcased in the exhibition. According to Chen Hongyan, head of the ancient book department of the national library, these special documents  stereoscopic building blueprints  can offer crucial references for restoration of historical architecture.

Since 2021, 107 restorers of ancient works have attended training sessions within the framework of the joint fund. Ancient Books Traveling Through Time and Space, a documentary featuring these specialists, went online last year, and attracted 34 million views within its first month of release.

"Ancient books are part of the long lineage of Chinese culture and history and demonstrate the vitality of Chinese civilization," says Liu Yuzhu, head of the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation. "Our efforts show that ancient books can still garner enthusiastic feedback from the public today. More creative ways are needed in the future to further protect and bring them alive."
Rafter without life jacket rescued from Cosumnes River in Sacramento County, Metro Fire says

Fire crews in Sacramento County rescued a rafter who was swept downstream Monday afternoon in the Cosumnes River.

The male rafter, who was not wearing a life jacket and was rafting with friends, became separated from his tire raft around 4:30 p.m. on the river near Rancho Murieta, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District officials said in a social media post.

Metro Fire and Folsom Fire Department crews responded, and a rescue swimmer safely returned the victim to shore, authorities said. He was reunited with family.

Northern California rivers are unsafe for recreation, public safety officials in the Sacramento region and the Sierra Nevada foothills have warned for weeks. Though air temperatures have warmed up, waterways are running cold and extremely fast for this time of year due to record-setting Sierra snowpack levels.

Metro Fire and @FolsomFire crews rescued a male victim off the Consumnes River near Rancho Murieta. The victim was rafting without a life jacket with friends when he separated from his tire raft and was swept down stream. Units were able to use a rescue swimmer to return the pic.twitter.com/gdrQdwMqna  Metro Fire of Sacramento (@metrofirepio) May 23, 2023

With Memorial Day weekend approaching, forecasts called for the American River to be flowing Tuesday at 15,000 cubic feet per second near Folsom Lake, Sacramento County Regional Parks said in a social media post.

This is incredibly swift and dangerous, and about eight times faster than the river normally runs this time of year, county parks officials said.

Several drownings have been reported since April on rivers in Northern California and the Central Valley.

Two children  an 8-year-old girl and her 4-year-old brother  died after falling Sunday afternoon into the Kings River in Fresno County.

Authorities reported two swimmer drownings on the American River in Placer County, on April 29 and May 14, as well the death of a 17-year-old kayaker on the South Yuba River in Nevada County on April 19.
Raid on Belgorod Oblast: Russian military boasted of victory, Freedom of Russia Legion's statement contradicts this

The Ministry of Defence of Russia reported on the defeat of the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion in Belgorod Oblast, but the groups denied it.

Source: the press service of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, the Freedom of Russia Legion (FRL), Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) on Telegram

Quote: "During the counter-terrorist operation, the nationalist formations were blocked and defeated by air strikes, artillery fire and active actions of the State Border Guard units of the Western Military District."

Details: The official representative of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation, Ihor Konashenkov, said that the raid on the territory of Belgorod Oblast was preceded by intense shelling of the Kozynka international checkpoint, as well as a number of other civilian objects in the Grayvoron district.

The Russian military claim that those they did not defeat on the territory of Russia were sent to Ukraine, "where they continued to be hit by fire until they were eliminated".

The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation boasts that they killed more than 70 people, destroyed 4 armoured combat vehicles and 5 pickup trucks.

In turn, the Freedom of Russia Legion (FRL) declared that they would continue liberating Belgorod Oblast together with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC). They emphasise that the Russian army was unable to oppose the "patriot volunteers".

FRL drew attention to the fact that there are no reserves in the Russian Federation for responding to military crises because all servicemen are dead, wounded or in Ukraine.

"The Russian Federation is not protected. There is panic in Belgorod Oblast, an organised evacuation in part, but mostly a spontaneous escape," FRL writes.

RVC stressed that for Russia to end the war with Ukraine, it is necessary to beat the enemy on the territory occupied by it. "The war will continue until the hanged body of Putin adorns the walls of the Kremlin, and the just court of Russian anger condemns his gang," Russian volunteers believe.

Background:

On 22 May, the Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion announced that they had crossed the border and were "liberating" the settlements of

Belgorod Oblast from the current Russian authorities: they started with the

villages of Kozinka and Gora-Podol. These military formations also stated they

were seeking the "liberation" of all of Russia.

Andrii Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, has described the events taking place in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May as the creation of a "security zone" to

protect Ukrainian citizens. Yusov stressed that the operation was conducted

exclusively by Russian citizens.

The Russian president's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the penetration of an alleged Ukrainian subversive intelligence group into the territory of Belgorod Oblast of the Russian Federation causes deep concern.

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Celebrated filmmaker Martin Scorsese is partnering once again with his frequent collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro on his new film Killers of the Flower Moon, a crime drama about a series of murders in the Osage Nation reservation in Oklahoma during the 1920s.

Like many of Scorseses most acclaimed filmsincluding Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), The Aviator (2004), and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)his latest movie is based on a true story. Killers of the Flower Moon, which will be released in theaters on October 20, is adapted from a non-fiction book of the same name by David Grann.



The film received rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered, and is already generating Oscar buzz for next years Academy Awards. Heres the true story of the Osage murders, a vast and complex plot in which conspirators lied, killed, and even married into families to steal the rights to oil on their Oklahoma land. The conspiracy was so nefarious that it led to one of the first murder investigations by what is today known as the FBI.

A Conspiracy for Oil Money

The Osage Nation, a Native American tribe of the Great Plains, were driven from their Kansas lands in the late 19th century and relocated to a rocky, barren reservation in northeastern Oklahoma. The land was considered worthless until the 1890s, when some of the largest oil deposits in the United States at the time were discovered there.

By the 1920s, the Osage people collectively received more than $400 million in todays dollars, making them the wealthiest people per capita in the world. They built terra-cotta mansions, had chauffeured cars, hired servants, and sent their children to private school.

Getty Images

However, a group of businessmen launched a conspiracy to steal the oil right out from under the Osage people, using illegal means and even murder where necessary. This scheme was led by William Hale (played by De Niro in the film), who built a ranch on the Osage reservation and became rich raising cattle there, becoming known as The King of Osage Hills.

Rights to the oil revenue could only be legally obtained by outsiders if they married into the tribe, so Hale encouraged his nephew, Ernest Burkhart (played by DiCaprio) to marry Mollie Kyle (portrayed by Lily Gladstone), an Osage woman living with her mother, Lizzie Q, in Fairfax, Oklahoma, according to Granns book.

A Series of Mysterious Deaths

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One by one, members of the family turned up dead. Kyles sister Anna Brown was found shot to death in May 1921, and two months later, Lizzie Q died of a suspected poisoning, according to Dennis McAuliffes book Bloodland: A Family Story of Oil, Greed and Murder on the Osage Reservation. In March 1923, another of Lizzies daughters died, along with her husband, when their home was destroyed by an explosion.

Burkhart and Kyle saw their fortunes grow as they inherited the estates of these family members. Lizzies nephew Harry Roan also died in 1923, and Hale fraudulently named himself the beneficiary of Roans $25,000 life insurance policy, according to Granns book. Meanwhile, other Osage people from outside the family were also dying under mysterious or suspicious circumstances.

The Osage killings became one of the first murder investigations launched by the FBI, which was then called the Bureau of Intelligence. Tom White (portrayed by Jesse Plemons) led the investigation, which involved agents going undercover as insurance salesmen, cattle buyers, and citizens to gather evidence.

A Conspiracy Revealed

Hale quickly fell under suspicion, and although some members of local law enforcement attempted to derail the federal investigation, Hale and Burkhart were arrested in 1926 for their part in the conspiracy, according to McAuliffes book.

Another conspirator named Kelsey Morrison was also arrested after he admitted to murdering Anna Brown, according to Granns book. It is estimated at least 24 Osage people were killed as a result of Hales conspiracy.

Shop Now Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI $11.51 amazon.com

Hale, Burkhart, and another conspirator named John Ramsey were all convicted and sentenced to life in the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. Prior to his conviction, Burkhart told the authorities he feared Hale would have him bumped off, according to Grann. Morrison, already in prison for an unrelated crime, also received a life sentence.

Burkhart was set free after receiving a pardon by Oklahoma Governor Henry Bellmon in 1965. He died in 1986, at age 94. Hale was paroled in 1947 after serving two decades of his sentence, and he died in 1962 at age 87.

Against all odds, Mollie Kyle survived Hale and Burkharts murderous conspiracy. The killers had started poisoning her, but she recovered and survived long enough to divorce Burkhart following his trial. She remarried, then died in 1937 at age 50, according to Grann.

Watch the Trailer for Killers of the Flower Moon

In addition to Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, Killers of the Flower Moon will star Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, and John Lithgow. It releases in theaters October 20.

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For centuries, indigenous communities have been forced to leave their land, the place they called home, as American settlers moved west. While some people were pushed about, forced onto lands that were barren and difficult to make a living on, the Osage Indians were a rare success story, having found oil-rich lands in Oklahoma.

But their good fortune came with unforeseen consequences. In the early 1900s, dozens of Osage Indians turned up dead, killed by a variety of means, though it was often difficult for families to prove that their loved one had been targeted.

RELATED: 100 Years Ago, An Angry White Mob Destroyed The Small Town Of Rosewood, And It Was Nearly Forgotten

Eventually, the federal government intervened, leading to the arrest of two men for only a handful of the murders. It was one of the first times the FBI, then known as the Bureau of Investigation, became involved in such matters, making it one of the more notable cases in FBI history.

History of Osage Indian Tribe

Osage Indians with President Coolidge

Osage Indians in Washington with President Coolidge, January 20, 1924. Photo: Bettmann / Getty Images

The Osage were a unique tribe because they owned the land they lived on, which was located in a mountainous area of Oklahoma. As David Grann explained in his book Killers of the Flower Moon, Osage Chief Wah-Tian-Kah chose the area because he knew it wasn't land that settlers would want. It was rocky and infertile, meaning farming would be difficult.

They also had the upper hand in their negotiations as Oklahoma was nearing statehood and legislators were desperate to finalize their deal with the Osage. For this reason, "they were able to slip into their treaty for allotment a very curious provision at the time which essentially said that they will maintain the subsurface mineral rights to their land," Grann explained in an interview with NPR.

The Allotment Act was finalized in 1906 and Oklahoma became a state the following year.

RELATED: How One Indigenous Community Is Finding Healing After Loss

By then, the Osage had found oil under the land. And, in Grann's book, he wrote, "To obtain that oil, prospectors had to pay the Osage for leases and also royalties on revenues."

As prospectors continued to drill for oil over the years, the Osage would receive payments, which grew substantial. In 1923, Grann wrote, "the tribe took in more than $30 million, the equivalent today of more than $400 million."

More interesting was the fact that the Osage people each received a headright, which, Grann wrote, was "essentially, a share in the tribe's mineral trust."

"But to keep the mineral trust under tribal control, no one could buy or sell headrights. These could only be inherited," Grann continued.

However, this would make the Osage the target of those seeking to strike rich in the years to come.

What is Killers of the Flower Moon about?

A photo of Rita Smith

Portrait of Osage Native American Rita Smith Photo: Bettmann / Getty Images

The investigation into the killings began primarily due to the death of Osage woman Anna Brown, a 36-year-old who was found shot to death execution-style a week after she went missing on May 21, 1921  the same day Osage man Charles Whitehorn was found dead.

Then, weeks later, Anna's mother died, Lizzie, died in July 1921 after falling ill. "Evidence later surfaced that that she had been poisoned," Grann told NPR in an interview.

Members of Anna's family continued to die under mysterious circumstances. Anna's sister Rita Smith's house had been bombed, killing her and her white servant, Nettie Brookshire, in March 1923.

Rita's husband Bill Smith survived the blast, telling those who pulled him out of the rubble, "They got Rita and now it looks like they've got me," according to Killers of the Flower Moon. Bill succumbed to his injuries four days later.

Anna and her family were only a handful of the Osage to be killed during a time known as the Reign of Terror. Dozens of others were found dead by either gunshot wounds or illness, later believed to be caused by poisoning.

And it was often difficult for anyone to be held accountable, as the police force was lacking.

"There was a great deal of lawlessness. And because of that, justice was often privatized  that if you had money and resources, you had to turn to private investigators," Grann explained to NPR.

The Bureau of Investigation Sends Agents

A photo of Lizzie Q

Portrait of Osage Native American Lizzie Q Photo: Bettmann / Getty Images

Multiple private investigators and others seeking justice for the Osage attempted to get the federal government involved, but they too were killed. One man, W.W. Vaughan, was thrown off a train while another, Barney McBride, was found beaten to death in Washington D.C., according to Grann.

With the death toll at that point well over 20, the Bureau of Investigation, then headed by a young J. Edgar Hoover, had to get involved. "They also had jurisdiction over American-Indian reservations, which is why they got jurisdiction over this case and why it became one of their first major homicide investigations," Grann told the outlet.

RELATED: The Murdered And Missing Indigenous Women Crisis Explained

Hoover sent former Texas Ranger Tom White to investigate the killings, and he recruited other men who would go undercover in the community, as White understood that this was a dangerous operation that required the utmost secrecy. Included among the group of ragtag agents were a former New Mexico sheriff, a former Texas Ranger, a former insurance salesman turned undercover operative, as well as agents John Burger and Frank Smith. They also negotiated a deal with outlaw Kelsie Morrison, who agreed to work as an undercover informant in exchange for an assault charge being dropped.

Notably, White also brought in John Wren, an Ute man who previously served as a spy in the Mexican revolution. Grann wrote that he's believed to be one of the first indigenous agents in the FBI.

It didn't take long for the men to realize that this region of Oklahoma was rife with corruption and intrigue.

The Osage were frequently taken advantage of by the people they brought into their own homes and the guardians who were tasked with overseeing their finances. Per the Allotment Act, Native Americans were deemed too "incompetent" to handle their own money, so the Office of Indian Affairs appointed guardians to oversee their finances, according to Grann. Incompetency was determined by an Osage's "racial weakness," or "the quantum of Indian blood in the property holder." So, full-blooded Indians were often granted guardians, while those of mixed race weren't.

Anna Brown's sister, Mollie Burkhart, who was full-blooded, learned through White's investigation that her husband and guardian Ernest Burkhart was part of the plot to kill her family. Grann said to NPR, "She had two children with him, and she learned that he was one of the many willing executioners. And she had to sit through the trials and listen to the evidence presented and learn the secrets of her husband, that the secrets of this murder were right inside her house."

William Hale Caught

A photo of William K. Hale

William K. Hale Photo: Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

Ernest Burkhart and his uncle William Hale, a wealthy cattle rancher, were by Mollie Burkhart's side as she grieved for her sisters and mother. William even hired a private detective and offered a reward in exchange for information leading to the arrest of the killers, according to Killers of the Flower Moon.

But White and his investigators noticed that the men stood to earn a large fortune in the event of Mollie's death. In Killers of the Flower Moon, Grann explained that when Anna died, her headright passed on to her mother Lizzie, whose headright would be passed on to Rita and Anna in the event of her death. When Rita died, her headright then went to Anna.

Missing Murdered Indigenous Women March G

Anna's marriage to Ernest, who was also her guardian, meant that he oversaw her large fortune. And if she died, he'd stand to inherit everything.

Though White and his men struggled to get anyone in the Osage community to speak out against Hale  everyone feared they, too, would face retribution  the private detective purportedly hired by Hale to investigate Anna's death told them that he was actually hired to craft alibis for Ernest, William and William's nephew Bryan Burkhart, who had driven Anna home the night of her murder.

Eventually, after months of undercover work, White and his men found a witness who had not yet died under mysterious circumstances: Burt Lawson, who claimed to have planted the bomb under the Smith home. He said that Hale and Ernest Burkhart were in on the scheme to kill the family.

It was enough to get an arrest warrant for both men, who immediately denied any wrongdoing.

Ernest Burkhart

A photo of Rita Smith and Nellie White

Rita Smith and Nellie White, murdered Osage tribe members, in their Hot Springs home. Photo: FFBI

Though the men were in custody  and kept separate from each other  they could only be held for so long before White had to let them go. Desperate to make Ernest break, White turned to outlaw Blackie Thompson, a part-Cherokee criminal who was in custody for a separate murder, according to Grann. He had a strong dislike of Hale and Ernest, so he agreed to share what he knew of the crimes  even agreeing to confront Ernest in the interrogation room.

Ernest, now aware that he was caught, shared every detail of his and Hale's plans, naming John Ramsey as the shooter in the death of Henry Roan, who was found shot to death in his car. He also identified Anna Brown's murderer: Kelsie Morrison, the same man working for White and his agents.

After White learned that Ernest was one of the many men behinds the murders, he instructed officers to take Mollie Burkhart, who was in poor health, to a local hospital, believing that she may be poisoned. "It is an established fact that when she was removed from the control of Burkhart and Hale, she immediately regained health," an agent wrote, according to Killers of the Flower Moon.

A photo of Henry Roan

Portrait of Osage Native American Henry Roan Photo: VCG Wilson/Bettmann Archive

Still, Mollie refused to believe that Ernest was involved in the murders. "My husband is a good man, a kind man. He wouldn't have done anything like that. And he wouldn't hurt anyone else, and he wouldn't ever hurt me," she said.

When it came time for the trial in the Smith explosion, Ernest was ready to testify for the prosecution  until he had a sidebar with Hale's defense team, which was then hired to represent him. The trial seemed destined to end with Hale walking free, but then, in June 1926, Ernest once again changed his mind.

A week prior, Ernest and Mollie's youngest daughter, Little Anna, had died after falling ill. She was 4 years old.

Ernest told his defense lawyer, according to Killers of the Flower Moon, "I'm sick and tired of all this... I want to admit exactly what I did." He entered a guilty plea to the murder of Rita and Bill Smith, as well as their housekeeper.

Ernest testified in Hale and Ramsey's trial for the murder of Henry Roan, which ended in the men's conviction. Likewise, Morrison was found guilty of Anna Brown's murder.

However, none of the men were given the death penalty. The all-white jury instead recommended a life sentence for all three men.

What Happened to Tom White, William Hale, Mollie Burkhart and Ernest Burkhart?

A photo of Anna Kyle Brown

Portrait of Osage Native American woman Anna Kyle Brown (1886 - 1921), Oklahoma, early twentieth century. Photo: Vince Dillion/Oklahoma Historical Society/Getty Images

Mollie Burkhart divorced Ernest Burkhart following Anna Brown's murder trial in which he detailed every sordid detail of their plans. She later married John Cobb in 1928, and three years later she'd be declared competent. At the age of 44, she was released from the guardian system.

Following the trial, William Hale, as well as John Ramsey, were sent to Leavenworth Prison in Kansas  where Special Agent Tom White was now working as a prison warden. Hale was later paroled in 1947 but was forbidden from returning to Osage. He died in an Arizona nursing home in 1962.

As previously mentioned, in 1926, White turned in his FBI badge in exchange for a more stable job, albeit one that was just as dangerous. Case in point: He ended up being taken hostage by a group of outlaws who escaped the prison in 1931. During the escape, an inmate went to shoot White in the face, but the bullet shattered in White's arms and chest when he shielded his face. He was left bloodied and seriously injured but miraculously survived after several days in the hospital. He died of a stroke at the age of 90 in October 1971.

Ernest Burkhart was released from prison on parole in 1937  the same year Mollie Burkhart died at the age of 50. However, he robbed an Osage home and was sent back to prison, later being released in 1959. He too was forbidden from returning to Osage, but he applied for a pardon, which was granted in 1962, allowing him to return to the reservation, where he reunited with his son Cowboy and daughter Elizabeth.

Cowboy's daughter, Margie, told Grann that her father had a difficult relationship with Ernest, for obvious reasons. "I think part of him longed for a father. But he knew what his father had done. He called him Old Dynamite," Margie shared.

Ernest Burkhart died in 1986.

The Osage Indians continue to receive their headrights, though it's not enough to make a living.

"Today, approximately 26 percent of all headrights are owned by non-Osage individuals, churches, universities, and other non-Osage institutions who can freely bequeath such interests to any person or entity the non-Osage chooses. The Osage Minerals Council is currently seeking federal legislation to permit non-Osages who own a 'headright' interest in the Osage Mineral Estate to gift or sell those headright interests back to the Osage Minerals Council, the Osage Nation, or Osage individuals," the Osage Nation website reads.

Though the Osage population was decimated in the early 1900s, the website reads, "The Osage Nation is thriving on our Reservation in Northeast Oklahoma  a people of strength, hope, and passion, honoring the stories of the past and building the world of the future."
By Emma Farge

GENEVA (Reuters) - Sudanese refugees are streaming into Chad so quickly that it will be impossible to relocate them all to safer places before the start of the rainy season in late June, a senior Red Cross official said on Tuesday, flagging the risk of a disaster.

Some 60,000-90,000 people have fled into neighbouring Chad since violence erupted last month, the U.N. refugee agency said this week. Tens of thousands have converged in a makeshift camp in a village named Borota where Pierre Kremer of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) was based last week.

"We know that we won't be able to relocate all of them before the rainy season," Kremer told a Geneva press briefing via video link from Nairobi. "It's a bit of a race now to relocate as many as we can... We run the risk of a major humanitarian disaster in this area."

Access to the area is expected to be difficult after the rainy season starts because large streams, known as wadis, are set to cut it off from supplies.

Some 80% of those arriving are women and children, many of whom have been separated from their parents as they fled from Darfur where violence between warring factions in the capital has spread in recent weeks.

Kremer said there had been reports of snake and scorpion bites among the refugees who are sleeping on the ground.

The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) has said it is seeking to move refugees gathering in border areas to pre-existing refugee camps in Chad and establish five new ones.

A UNHCR spokesperson in Chad, Eujin Byun, told Reuters that many of the refugees reported losing family members and having their homes burned down. Teenagers were often travelling alone with infants, she said.

"I'm overwhelmed to see them," she said. "It's a lot of children and it's really heartbreaking as they don't know where their parents are."

(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Red Hat is holding its annual customer summit in Boston this week, and today it announced a couple of enhancements to Ansible, its open source IT automation tool, including the new AI-fueled Lightspeed.

Automation at its core is about distilling complex processes into a playbook or recipe of actions. The next step is building low-code and no-code workflows. The recent rise of generative AI could strip that process down even more to simply describing the process and letting the tool do the rest, creating a set of steps and providing the necessary code and tools to move it through a work process without much further human intervention required (at least in theory).

Thats what Red Hat wants to do with Lightspeed, its new generative AI-driven tool being announced today, and coming out later this year.

Thomas Anderson, VP and GM for the Ansible business unit, says Lightspeed is combined with IBMs Code Assistant and IBMs foundational models and specifically trained on Ansibles automation language to make it easier to build automations.

We're really focused with IBM in this use case specifically on Ansible automation, not just automation in general, but specifically the language of Ansible and automating using Ansible, Anderson told TechCrunch.

This is an approach that we're seeing increasingly from enterprise companies, who are building more focused models, geared specifically to the unique requirements of their customers, rather than the broad approach being taken by OpenAI, Microsoft and Google, among others. In this case, Red Hat is teaming up with its parent organization IBM, which bought the company in 2018 for $34 billion. While the two organizations operate separately for the most part, this is a case where Red Hat is taking advantage of the relationship to bring a generative AI product to market more quickly.

So the Watson Code Assistant for Ansible Lightspeed uses IBMs large language model that is trained on the breadth of the Ansible ecosystem, all of the playbooks, all of our own subject matter expertise, and the community contributing to it.

When a user describes a workflow, Lightspeed creates it based on the description. Further, it shows the sources of its work, so the IT pro checking the generated playbook can make sure that they can trust the sources before running it. Anderson says there will be other features built with enterprise safety in mind when the enterprise version comes out later this year.

"We have this roadmap for Ansible Lightspeed with a public version everybody can use that helps us train the data model. And then later on this year, in October, we'll be launching the enterprise version with IBM," he said.

Over time, the types of jobs IT pros have to do requires broad levels of expertise, and its not always easy to find employees who have the required knowledge. By putting generative AI to work on the problem, it could help close the skills gap. It means a subject matter expert can be far more productive, and on the other hand, you can bring in new people who don't have to be Ansible experts in order to get going with Ansible and automation, Anderson said.

As interesting as this sounds, open source Ansible users wont have access to a preview until later this year. An enterprise version could be available as soon as this fall.

While the company was at it, it announced a related product called Event-driven Ansible, which helps automate more advanced developer or SRE tasks, sometimes known as Day 2 operations. This piece is generally available starting today.
JioMart, Reliance Retail's online shopping platform, has laid off over 1,000 employees and plans to cut as many as 9,900 more roles over the coming weeks, according to a report, as the Indian retail giant looks to improve its margins.

The shakeup, reported by the Indian daily Economic Times, comes in the wake of JioMart's aggressive pricing strategy, which prompted traditional distributors to contemplate supply disruptions. However, with the firm now focusing on improving margins and reducing losses, the strategy appears to have shifted, the report said.

Furthermore, JioMart plans to close over half of its 150-plus fulfillment centers that supply to neighborhood stores. The closures coincide with the conclusion of Reliance Retail's purchase of German retailer Metro AG's Indian cash and carry business for $344 million.

Reliance's hefty share of India's burgeoning online B2B retail sector, and the inclusion of Metro's 3,500-person workforce, is expected to create overlapping roles, prompting further changes.
A Benedictine monastery in the small town of Gower, Missouri, is being inundated with calls and visitors since word has spread that the recently exhumed remains of its founder who died four years ago are remarkably preserved.

A story published Monday by the Catholic News Agency said that hundreds of people have traveled to the town about 40 miles north of Kansas City after hearing the news about Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster, the African American woman who founded the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles in 1995.

The Benedictine sisters are well known as recording artists who produce chart-topping Gregorian chant and Catholic hymn albums.

Sister Wilhelmina died on May 29, 2019, at age 95, and was buried in a wooden coffin. According to the Catholic News Agency, the abbess and sisters recently decided to relocate her body to inside their monastery chapel, a custom for founders.

But instead of finding bones in the coffin, the sisters discovered what appeared to be an intact body. The body had not been embalmed, the article said, and the coffin had a crack that had allowed moisture and dirt to get inside.

The abbess, Mother Cecilia, said they believe Sister Wilhelmina is the first African American woman to be found incorrupt  or not decomposed after death.

The body was covered in a layer of mold that had grown due to the high levels of condensation within the cracked coffin, the Catholic News Agency reported. Despite the dampness, little of her body and nothing of her habit disintegrated during the four years.

The Catholic Church has more than 100 incorruptible saints who have been beatified or canonized, whose bodies have been entirely or partially immune to the natural decaying process years after their death, the Catholic News Agency report said. Catholic tradition holds that these saints provide witness to the truth of the resurrection of the body. The absence of decomposition also is considered a sign of holiness.

A nun who responded to a call from The Star on Monday evening said the monastery was not planning on doing any further interviews at this time.

We thought, Well, well do one big story and then well just kind of limit it, she said. We just dont have the capacity to receive all kinds of people. Were actually a little overwhelmed.

This is kind of the first chapter in a bigger story  or actually, the continuation of an amazing story. Theres more to come on this, but for now were just trying to take it a little slower.

The Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph posted a statement from Bishop James V. Johnston on its website Monday afternoon.

The condition of the remains of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster has understandably generated widespread interest and raised important questions, Johnston said. At the same time, it is important to protect the integrity of the mortal remains of Sister Wilhelmina to allow for a thorough investigation.

I invite all the Faithful to continue praying during this time of investigation for Gods will in the lives of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles; for all women religious; and all the baptized in our common vocation to holiness, with hope and trust in the Lord.

The church has not yet determined whether Sister Wilhelminas case is miraculous or ruled it an incorruptible, the Catholic News Agency reported, and a cause for her canonization has not been sanctioned. But the sisters in her religious community and those traveling from near and far to see the body describe it as something extraordinary.

Among those visiting was Rick Enna, of Kansas City.

It was miraculous to see her body in perfect condition after her body was in a grave for close to four years, Enna, 61, told the Catholic News Agency.

The Benedictine nuns have put together a fact sheet to answer questions about the discovery. It said the body was exhumed on April 28.

Not only was her body in a remarkable preserved condition, her crown and bouquet of flowers were dried in place; the profession candle with the ribbon, her crucifix, and rosary were all intact, it said.

Even more remarkable was the complete preservation of her holy habit, made from natural fibers, for which she fought so vigorously throughout her religious life. The synthetic veil was perfectly intact, while the lining of the coffin, made of similar material, was completely deteriorated and gone.

The nuns created a wax mask for Sister Wilhelminas face and also coated her hands with wax, the story said. Her body will be displayed in the chapel until May 29, when there will be a rosary procession. After that, her body will be encased in glass in the chapel.
Hundreds of Amazon workers in Seattle are planning to walk out on the job on May 31, according to a report from the Washington Post.

The Post cites internal messages shared by employees over Slack and email, which listed Amazons return-to-office mandate, climate commitments, and recent layoffs among the reasons for the walkout.

One employee based out of Los Angeles quoted by the Washington Post went so far as to say that morale feels like its at an all-time low.

Amazon announced plans to lay off 9,000 workers in late March, not long over the company cut over 18,000 jobs. Layoffs extended to a variety of teams, including Amazon Web Services, PXT Solutions, advertising, and Twitch.

However, given the uncertain economy in which we reside, and the uncertainty that exists in the near future, we have chosen to be more streamlined in our costs and headcount, CEO Andy Jassy said in late March.

Regarding the planned walkout, a company spokesperson said, we respect our employees rights to express their opinions.

Meanwhile, Amazon is facing a record number of resolutions at its annual shareholders meeting Wednesday.

A look at the meeting agenda shows five company measures Amazon is in favor of, and 18 resolutions the company appears to be against. The resolutions could all get voted down, but many are trying to hold Amazon responsible for issues like plastic pollution, warehouse conditions, climate concerns, workers rights and diversity.

Professor Jeff Shulman with the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington says the accountability is coming from many different angles,

We see activist investors, we see people are trying to push Amazon to play a more positive role in society If people can make Amazon more socially responsible that would have a profound impact, given how much of an impact Amazon has on everyones lives, said Shulman.

Shulman says Amazon helps drive the US and global economy with sales, and also drives the internet with Amazon Web Services as more customers turn to Amazon for online services.

That has led people to protest and push the company for corporate responsibility. Shulman says anything shareholders do impacts Seattle.

Anything that can impact Amazon stock price is going to have an impact on home prices here; have an impact on small businesses here; and have an impact on a lot of lives as thousands of people work in this region, said Shulman.

Oceana is a nonprofit group focused on preserving the oceans, and the group has a major concern when it comes to plastic. The organization is hoping that a resolution that calls on Amazon to deal with its heavy use of plastic is supported by shareholders.

Matt Littlejohn, a Senior Vice President with Oceana, spoke to KIRO 7 about the groups recent efforts to bring publicity to the issue of Amazon and reducing plastics in packaging with a series of actions in Seattle.

Were super excited because we think people in Seattle, as I said, care about the oceans, care about the environment. Weve been on the streets of Seattle canvassing, weve had trucks out with mobile billboards, said Littlejohn.

Littlejohn and Oceana took action and felt concerns about Amazons plastic use should go to employees, many of whom are shareholders. Oceana says last year it had 49% support for a report and action on plastic packaging. Amazon has said that its work to reduce plastics led to a 7% reduction in packaging weight in 2021 by removing nearly 100,000 metric tons of plastic worldwide.

Amazon has said in most responses to the resolutions, that its already working on the goals, so the measures arent necessary.

The resolutions require 53% of shareholders for passage  they are not binding and are mostly recs.
How many people are held in solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails? Now theres a number.

Poor and incomplete data collection makes it difficult to know the full scope of people held in solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails. But a first-of-its-kind analysis is aiming to become a benchmark for tracking the practice  part of a larger effort as cities, states and the federal government weigh how to limit its use.

About 122,840 people in federal and state adult prisons and federal and local jails were placed in restrictive housing  informally known as solitary confinement  for 22 hours or more on a given day in mid-2019, according to a new report released Tuesday based on the most recently available government data.

That amounts to about 6% of the total U.S. prison and jail population at the time.

The report  prepared by Solitary Watch, a nonprofit watchdog group, and Unlock the Box, an advocacy campaign  relies on self-reported figures from states and the federal government's Bureau of Justice Statistics as well as a survey sent to all U.S. jails from the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit criminal justice advocacy group.

Democratic Rep. Cori Bush, whose home state of Missouri counted nearly 12% of its total prison population in restrictive housing on a single day, said the report's findings underscore a "catastrophe."

"Inflicting solitary on one person is a moral blight on this nation," she said. "Inflicting it on hundreds of thousands of people  disproportionately Black, brown and Indigenous people  is a disaster. We as public officials must act now to stop this widespread infliction of torture."

The overall figure amounts to more than 1 in 20 incarcerated people in solitary confinement in the United States, said Solitary Watch Director Jean Casella, adding that the report is still an incomplete picture because not all states provide their restrictive housing numbers to the federal government and local jails are not generally compelled to log incidents. The report also does not include uses of solitary confinement in immigration detention centers or youth facilities, where data is also limited.

"Until a better system is developed and is mandated, what we're going to have is this snapshot," Casella said. "And since there's no penalty for not reporting to the [Bureau of Justice Statistics], we're fortunate we have this many states even doing it at all."

According to the report, only one state  West Virginia  did not provide numbers to the bureau or make them publicly available. The West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation did not respond to a request for comment.

The state with the highest share of its prison population in solitary confinement was Nevada, with almost 26%, according to the report.

The Nevada Department of Corrections said in 2019 that it was looking at alternatives to segregating and isolating inmates after acknowledging a Vera Institute report that found people would spend additional days or weeks being held as they waited for a general population bed to open and inmates' mental health needs were not being adequately addressed.

The department did not immediately return requests for comment.

Meanwhile, Delaware was the only state in the report to say there were zero instances of solitary confinement in its prisons.

A state Department of Correction spokesman credited this to Delawares overhaul of its restrictive housing policy in 2019, and said the opening of a specialized unit at the state's largest prison is treating mentally ill inmates who would have normally been held in maximum security housing.

While prolonged solitary confinement is generally defined as placing someone in a cell for at least 22 hours per day for 15 consecutive days or more, Delaware updated its disciplinary policy so that inmates aren't kept in solitary for more than 15 days and they must get 10 hours per week of recreation time.

Prison staff and correctional officer organizations have countered that isolating inmates can be a necessary tool in preventing serious harm to the inmates or others. But studies have shown it also heightens the risk of self-harm and suicide and may not be effective in combating recidivism.

The latest report differs from previous studies by not solely focusing on inmates who have been held 15 days or more in solitary confinement, but rather spent any amount of days in a cell for 22 hours or more.

Casella said she hopes the report can help to spur corrections officials to only isolate inmates in very limited situations, such as de-escalating violence, and only for brief periods, not days on end.

Efforts are ongoing in some places.

State lawmakers in Nevada are considering a bill that would address the use of solitary confinement so that it "may only be used as a last resort, in the least restrictive manner and for the shortest period of time safely possible."

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is currently tasked with creating new guidelines for segregated confinement after Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, vetoed a bill last year to indefinitely end solitary confinement because of concerns over safety. The bill was reintroduced this session, and if passed, would define solitary confinement as segregating someone longer than 17 hours a day and without contact from others besides prison staff.

In New York City, a push to ban solitary confinement in jails has gained resistance from correction officials despite the City Council having a veto-proof supermajority. Meanwhile, the city agreed last month to settle a lawsuit for $53 million filed by pretrial detainees who alleged they were being held in jail conditions akin to solitary confinement.

"It is a disgrace that our government institutions lock more than 120,000 people in solitary confinement each day," said New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who helped to introduce the solitary confinement ban legislation. "Behind that number are real people suffering in solitude, many in silence  so we have to speak out."

On the federal level, President Joe Biden ran on a pledge to largely end solitary confinement and also issued an executive order a year ago aiming to overhaul the practice, but an NBC News analysis found its use was only increasing in the subsequent months.

A Justice Department report in February said a task force of senior federal prison officials was examining the use of restrictive housing and "actively investigating" why the number of prisoners being held in restrictive housing has surged in recent years.

The federal Bureau of Prisons is "taking the necessary short and long-term steps to thoughtfully address this issue, and we are confident in [BOP Director Colette Peters'] ability to effectively meet the goals of the President's Executive Order," a Justice Department spokesman said.

At the very least, Casella said, the federal government can improve its overall data collection process.

"Prisons and jails are maybe the most change-resistant government institutions we have in this country," she said, "so bringing any kind of change will be a long, arduous process."

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The 18th and 19th China Huabiao Film Awards, a government-sponsored award that honors exceptional films and filmmakers, will announce the winners on Tuesday.



On Monday, over 50 films and their creators were revealed as nominees.

In the running for the 18th Huabiao Awards for Best Feature are "Better Days," "The Bugle from Gutian," "Dying to Survive," "Ne Zha," and "The Wandering Earth." Meanwhile, the 19th Huabiao Awards for Best Feature will see "The Battle at Lake Changjin," "A Writer's Odyssey," "A Little Red Flower," "B for Busy," and "Cliff Walkers" vie for the coveted prize.
Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Senator John Neely Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, offended Mexicans across the world in a hearing on the FBI and DEAs budget this month, calling for American military members and law enforcement agents to invade their country in order to stop the cartels while adding that Mexico would be eating cat food and living in tent behind an Outback [Steakhouse] if not for the people of America.

Mexicos top diplomat condemned the comments as profoundly ignorant, and the countrys ambassador to the US called for a formal apology for the vulgar and racist language. Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, urging the more than 37 million Americans of Mexican and other Latin American descent to not to vote for people with this very arrogant, very offensive and very foolish mentality in the future.

Related: US senator denounced as profoundly ignorant man over remarks on Mexico

The entire episode illustrated how Kennedy has emerged as a loud conservative voice in recent years in the US and in a state which has repeatedly relied on laborers of Mexican origin to rebuild homes as well as businesses following hurricanes and other natural disasters.

But as the fallout from his remarks about Mexico unfolded, critics also seized on the opportunity to point out that the Republican senator was once a moderate  and some would even say liberal  Democrat before switching parties in 2007, just as the far-right Tea Party movement was taking hold in Louisiana politics.

And those critics say the politician who holds degrees from Vanderbilt University, the University of Virginia and Oxford University in the UK is playing the role of a clever hick by doing things like making fun of Mexico in order to exploit the bigotry and fear of his base.

Kennedy has made a name for himself by delivering folksy, sometimes racist statements in an exaggerated southern American accent that has been likened to being somewhere between that of Mr Haney, the con artist from the former CBS sitcom Green Acres, and Foghorn Leghorn, the cartoon rooster who appears in Looney Tunes. The latter comparison is so striking that New Orleanss Times-Picayune newspaper once posted a quiz featuring a series of eccentric statements that was headlined: Who said it: Sen John Kennedy or Foghorn Leghorn?

In a Senate confirmation hearing, Kennedy once told a Cornell law professor born in Soviet-era Russia: I dont know whether to call you professor or comrade  insinuating that she was a communist or a foreign agent. The remark came about three years after Kennedy drew ridicule from some quarters for spending a Fourth of July holiday  which recognizes the USs independence from the UK  in Russia with leaders of his countrys rival power.

Separately, in a tough-on-crime, pro-police campaign ad, Kennedy ended the video by saying: Look, if you hate cops just because theyre cops, the next time youre in trouble, call a crackhead.

But back when he was a figure in Louisianas state politics, Kennedys elocution hewed more closely to a background that is typical of his estimated net worth of more than $12m in 2016. In interviews and videos of proceedings before his switch to the Republican party, Kennedy  one of the wealthiest members of Congress  appears to speak with only a slight southern accent.

Before he got to the Senate, Kennedy never pretended to be a hick, said Robert Mann, mass communication professor at Louisiana State University and author of Backrooms and Bayous: My Life in Louisiana Politics. Instead, he usually acted like the well-educated, affluent person that he is.

Mann said that while Kennedy was a member of the Democratic party during a prior role as the Louisiana state governments treasurer, he was one of the most outspoken critics of the governor at the time: Bobby Jindal, a Republican. But once he switched parties and entered the national political scene, Kennedy literally changed his tune.

After he got to the Senate and realized that Fox News and its viewers enjoyed his shtick, he went all in on this new persona, Mann said. The Kennedy of 2005 or 2008 is a completely different person in style and tone from the one you see today on the TV.

For Mann, Kennedys one-liners arent genuine, off-the-cuff folksy remarks. Theyre calculated attempts to appease his conservative base. The relationship is simple, I think: he periodically validates and reinforces their distorted views [on] Mexicans, Blacks and other marginalized people, Mann said. That tells them that hes not an urbane, rich, well-educated person, but just one of them.

Its how politicians have pandered to the lowest common denominator for centuries. Kennedy has mastered the technique.

John Kennedy speaks before Donald Trump at a rally in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in December 2016. Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Mann said that Kennedy was playing a role on TV by delivering sometimes nonsensical statements and using an exaggerated accent, which appears to fall in the long tradition of ambitious people using voice alteration to further themselves. Recent examples include Elizabeth Holmes, the Theranos founder who is bound for prison after fraudulently claiming her technology could diagnose diseases with a single drop of blood and admitted that the baritone voice she used before her criminal conviction wasnt her real voice. Another is Paris Hilton, who recently dropped the iconic, high-pitched shy voice she once used while appearing on the reality television show The Simple Life.

That role is of a clever hick who, while unsophisticated, is always quick with a put-down for smug city slickers, Mann said. If you view him through the lens of someone who is affecting an attitude, the words dont have to make complete sense. Its the image and the attitude that count.

But while Kennedy may be playing a character, the senators statements have real-world impacts, including on foreign relations. The remarks have strained the relationship between the US and Mexico.

The two countries are economic partners, with more than 33 million US tourists visiting Mexico every year and over $800bn in bilateral trade. That includes the more than $40bn Louisiana exports to Mexico and $15bn the state bought, creating a surplus balance in favor of Louisiana of $25bn.

Additionally, more than 2 million US citizens permanently live in Mexico, and the jobs created by trade between the countries supports more than 70,000 families in Louisiana.

A senior Mexican diplomat at the Mexican embassy in Washington said the rhetoric in Kennedys recent remarks about his country and his people runs counter to the needs of the US-Mexico relationship, which he said requires stronger dialogue and mutual understanding.

Uninformed and ill-intentioned statements have the potential to veer us on to a trajectory that can further foster misunderstanding and miscommunication between both countries, the official said. The true challenge lies in comprehending and addressing the numerous shared challenges but also opportunities faced by Mexico and the US, on the grounds of respect.
Mike Pence, Donald Trump, and Ron DeSantis. Illustrated | Gettyimages

In the eyes of former President Donald Trump, there is no greater insult than to be a "loser." To be a loser, for Trump, is to admit that not only have you failed, but that someone else  someone ostensibly better  has succeeded in your stead. To be Trump, conversely, is to be a winner, to be the best, the undefeatable antithesis of everything that makes losers lose. The fact that Trump has in actuality lost many, many times in his various personal and political efforts is so anathematic to his sense of self that he is compelled instead to explain away each instance as being part of a massive conspiracy against him: He didn't "lose" re-election in 2020, it was "stolen" away from him; he didn't "lose" to author E. Jean Carroll's defamation and assault lawsuit, it was a "rigged" trial. There is no defeat that Trump  and, accordingly, his millions of followers  can't spin as an injustice against him.

This presents something of a conundrum for the growing field of GOP presidential candidates hoping to challenge the former president and current front-runner for his party's nomination ahead of 2024: how do you launch what should be a particularly effective general election attack against Trump for being an electoral loser  in 2018, 2020, and 2022  without risking significant blowback from his core supporters whose majority bloc of votes you need to win the GOP primary? To commit to one is to fundamentally hamstring yourself for the other, which is why the 2024 Republican primary is going to be characterized in part by so many candidates trying to find ways of calling Trump a loser, without actually saying so.

'First question at first debate'

With Trump renewing his claim that the 2020 election was "rigged" during his CNN Town Hall interview this month, his pervasive effort to re-adjudicate his previous electoral loss has become a de facto litmus test for the GOP field as a whole. "First question at first [Republican primary] debate: 'Raise your hand if you think Trump won the 2020 election,'" Republican consultant Alex Conant predicted to Politico.

Speaking in Iowa this week, presumptive candidate Ron DeSantis came close to offering his stance on whether Trump was an albatross around the neck of his party, but stopped short of actively calling him a loser, saying instead that "When I look at the last however many election cycles, 2018 we lost the House [...] we lost the Senate in 2020, Biden becomes president, and has done a huge amount of damage."

"I think the party has developed a culture of losing," DeSantis, who regularly polls second behind Trump, added pointedly. "I think there's not accountability."

As Politico noted, the Florida governor has repeatedly refused, dodged, or simply complained when asked about Trump's election claims resulting in "a high-wire act in which DeSantis has to keep "Trump diehards happy enough to consider supporting him, while convincing Republicans who are desperate to move on from Trump that he will not perpetuate the ex-president's fixation on the past."

To succeed in the primary, DeSantis must "make the case that the GOP needs a winner without explicitly calling Trump a loser and acknowledging the election wasn't stolen," Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Zac Anderson concurred.

'Grievances' and 'promise'

It's not just DeSantis who is stuck in this catch-22 between attacking Trump on his electability and incurring the wrath of his party faithful, either. In a memo to campaign donors, former South Carolina governor and onetime U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley invoked Trump by name, while still addressing his 2020 complaints at an angle rather than head-on. "It's increasingly clear that Trump's candidacy is more consumed by the grievances of the past and the promise of more drama in the future, rather than a forward-looking vision for the American people," Haley's campaign wrote in the memo, obtained by Axios in early April.

There are practical concerns with labeling Trump a loser, even if his personal political record certainly opens him to that line of attack. "Despite underperforming with Trump-backed candidates in the 2022 midterms, Republicans do now control the U.S. House of Representatives," Axios noted, raising the prospect that even if a candidate were to push an electability argument against Trump, the former president is not wholly without a rebuttal, slim as it may be.

DeSantis, for one, is already making that argument: "When I look at the last however many election cycles, 2018 we lost the House ... we lost the Senate in 2020, Biden becomes president," DeSantis answered this week when asked to clarify if his "culture of losing" comments were aimed at Trump in particular. And here again is that attempt to thread a needle between describing a thing, and naming it outright. "The comments were accurate, but pay particular attention to his three-word assessment of the last presidential race," MSNBCs Steve Benen wrote. "DeSantis didn't say Biden was elected president; he preferred to say that Biden became president. It's a passive-voice phrase intended to avoid taking a position that would likely become politically problematic."

Even former Vice President Mike Pence, also reportedly in the early stages of launching his own 2024 campaign, has been particularly careful with his phrasing, even while making a more frontal attack on Trump's 2020 election record. "Under the Constitution, I had no right to change the outcome of our [2020] election, and Kamala Harris will have no right to overturn the election when we beat them in 2024," Pence told attendees at the 2022 Federalist Society Florida Chapters conference, where he pointedly called Trump "wrong" for suggesting that he, as vice president, could affect the outcome of the electoral process. By making that assertion, Pence "likely doomed whatever small chance he had at the presidency  at least in the near term," CNN claimed. But even Pence's language is hedged to frame the issue as one of procedural authority, and not  as Trump has repeatedly suggested  an overarching electoral conspiracy. There is still room for Pence to elide calling Trump an outright "loser" despite having virtually assured that "that he will never be the preferred candidate of the Trump base."

With a majority of Republican voters firmly in Trump's "stolen election" camp  and a majority of the public at large decidedly not  the question for the other GOP candidates is not whether they believe that the 2020 presidential race was stolen from a candidate with overwhelming electability. It's if they can make inroads with that majority bloc for the short term, without killing their chances to win a general election next November.

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A manager working for a restaurant chain in California hired teenage female workers and sexually harassed them regularly, according to a lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed against Swamis, which has 10 locations in Southern California, and Honeys Bistro, located in Encinitas, says since at least 2019, the businesses had a pattern of hiring girls as young as 16 based on their appearance and vulnerability and subjected them to a highly sexualized work environment and daily sexual harassment from a restaurant manager.

He would inappropriately touch female employees, attempt to have sexual relationships with them and make sexual comments toward them, according to the lawsuit filed on May 17 by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The manager showed favoritism to certain employees who put up with his behavior by giving them gifts, such as bicycles, surfboards, alcohol, illegal drugs and cash, and scheduling them to work during the most lucrative shifts, the lawsuit says.

He retaliated against those who refused his advances by taking them off the work schedule, firing them, physically intimidating them or yelling at them in front of customers, according to the lawsuit. He once got angry with a female employee and threw heavy receipt rolls and cardboard boxes at her, the lawsuit says.

Swamis Cafe and Honeys Bistro did not immediately respond to requests for comment from McClatchy News. A number for Swamis 101, a location in Encinitas where the manager worked, according to the lawsuit, had been disconnected. Encinitas is about 25 miles north of San Diego.

A spokesperson for Swamis 101 told KNSD the chain denied the accusations and will vigorously defend against this lawsuit.

Female employees reported not only being harassed by him but also enduring a general culture of harassment throughout the company, the lawsuit says. Employees reported harassment at other locations, including incidents of cooks and dishwashers grabbing waitresses from behind, according to the suit.

Though the workers complained about it to superiors, the company did nothing to address their complaints, according to the lawsuit.

Once, the manager referred to a newly hired 17-year-old as a tall, beautiful Venezuelan and leered at her in front of Swamis owner, the lawsuit says. Instead of reprimanding him, he joined in staring her up and down, according to the lawsuit.

The manager would frequently make graphic comments about female employees and their bodies and refer to them as angels, dolls, sexy, cute, heartbreakers or hot, the lawsuit says.

He also invited underage employees to sleep over or live with him at his house, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit is seeking monetary damages for the affected employees as well as action against the company to prevent similar misconduct from occurring in the future, according to a news release from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

It is crucial that employers act on reports of harassment in a timely manner and properly investigate all complaints of harassment in the workplace, Jacquelyn Famber, district director for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commissions San Diego office, said in a statement. Retaliating against employees who report discrimination or harassment at work is against the law.

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They reviewed his gun collection after a night of drinking. A shot rang out and his friend was dead.

WEST PALM BEACH  A judge has placed a 62-year-old West Palm Beach man on 10 years of probation after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the accidental shooting death of a longtime friend.

Dennis Hert entered the plea in the October 2021 death of Anthony Boulch on Thursday during a hearing before Circuit Judge Sarah Willis at the Palm Beach County Courthouse. Willis ordered Hert to wear an ankle monitor for the first two years of his probation, and that he refrain from having weapons in his home.

West Palm Beach police said Hert was showing off his extensive collection of knives and firearms early on the morning of Oct. 20, 2021, when a gun discharged, killing Boulch, 53, of Royal Palm Beach.

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Gunfire followed a night of bourbon, beer, old memories

Investigators said the men had spent the hours before the shooting in Hert's home in the Villages of Palm Beach Lakes drinking two bottles of bourbon and reminiscing while reviewing Herts collection of 62 firearms and 41 knives.

Hert's wife told police investigators she saw her husband holding a long rifle and a few guns that were sitting on a table as Hert and Boulch sat up late talking. She had invited Boulch to stay the night because she did not want him driving home after drinking beer during dinner.

Hert's wife said she encouraged the men to go to bed and was returning to her bedroom when she heard a gunshot and saw Boulch fall to the ground and her husband in what appeared to be a state of shock.

Medical examiner said bullet came from 9 mm handgun

Hert told police investigators he was preparing to go to bed and thought he had put all of the weapons away. When describing the shooting, he said he could not remember what happened aside from his wife standing over him calling 911.

Police examining the shooting scene found two 9 mm handguns and a .45-caliber handgun on the dining room table.

The Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office firearms lab determined that a bullet removed from Boulch during an autopsy came from a Beretta 9 mm handgun.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: West Palm Beach man avoids prison after accidentally killing friend
Reward money jumps to $25,000 for info on Erie man wanted on charges of shooting at police

Authorities have upped the offering for information leading to the apprehension of an Erie man accused of attempting to kill law enforcement officers during a pursuit and shooting in the city 11 months ago.

Reward money now totaling $25,000 is available for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Rakeem M. Jones, the U.S. Marshals Service announced on Monday.

Jones, 29, whose case is featured on the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers website, is wanted by agencies including the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Erie Bureau of Police on charges in an incident that happened along Chestnut Street in Erie on June 25.

Authorities accuse Jones and his accused accomplice, Shadarryl P. Jones, 29, of Erie, of firing gunshots at Pennsylvania State Police troopers and at an Erie police officer as they fled from a state police traffic stop. No one was reported injured in the shootings but police vehicles were damaged, according to investigators.

More: Police say robbery suspects who shot at troopers are at large, considered armed and dangerous

Jones has been on the run since the incident. Shadarryl Jones was apprehended in Mercer County in late July and has been in the Erie County Prison on $1 million bond since his arraignment. His case is scheduled for trial in June.

Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers in July put up a $2,000 reward for information on Jones. The reward was increased to $4,500 in February when authorities announced that the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also offering some reward money.

More: Erie man wanted for shooting at police nabbed in Hermitage; search ongoing for 2nd suspect

Chestnut Street shooting

Rakeem and Shadarryl Jones are each charged with offenses including three counts of attempted homicide in the June 25 shooting. According to investigators, two state police troopers were attempted to stop a speeding Mitsubishi as it was traveling north on Chestnut Street when the Mitsubishi stopped, one occupant got out and gunshots were fired at the police patrol vehicle.

One of the troopers returned fire before the person got back into the Mitsubishi and it sped off traveling north, investigators reported.

An Erie Bureau of Police patrol vehicle was struck twice by gunfire on the early morning of June 25, 2022, as officers were attempting to stop a fleeing vehicle on Chestnut Street. Authorities have increased the reward money to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of one of the suspects, 29-year-old Rakeem Jones, of Erie.

An Erie police officer who was on patrol began pursuing the Mitsubishi and was fired on after the Mitsubishi crashed into a parked vehicle at West 16th and Chestnut streets. At least one of the shots hit an occupied house, and the bullet was found in the bedroom of an 11-year-old boy, Erie police reported.

The Erie police officer did not return fire, according to investigators.

Robbery and shooting

Shortly before the pursuit, Erie police accused Rakeem and Shadarryl Jones of robbing another man and firing a gunshot at him in the 2600 block of Poplar Street. According to investigators, the victim said he was getting something out of his vehicle when he was struck in the head and knocked to the ground.

The victim said the suspects stole cash and two gold chains from him and fired a gunshot at him as the suspects ran away, according to investigators.

Rakeem and Shadarryl Jones were each charged with offenses including attempted homicide and robbery in the incident. The charges against Shadarryl Jones were dismissed at his preliminary hearing in late September after Erie 6th Ward District Judge Timothy Beveridge said the victim failed to appear for a second scheduled hearing.

The charges against Rakeem Jones in the incident still stand.

More: Erie man held for court as search continues for second suspect charged in police shooting

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Rakeem Jones is asked to contact Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 800-472-8477 or www.pacrimestoppers.org.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Authorities up reward money for Erie man wanted in police shooting
Cropped shot of a businesswoman using a smartphone to order a cab in the city at night

A new ridesharing app called Black Wolf has recently entered the market in Atlanta and New York, aiming to compete with established players like Uber and Lyft. However, a distinct feature sets Black Wolf apart: the drivers of these vehicles are armed with guns.

Kerry King Brown, the founder of Black Wolf, defended this controversial decision, describing it as a necessary evil born out of the escalating concerns regarding personal safety in a country grappling with a seemingly never-ending wave of mass shootings and instances of gun violence. In an interview with a local news station in Atlanta, Georgia, Brown stated, What Im creating is a necessary evil. Its a necessity.

Following its launch last week, Black Wolf gained significant attention after going viral on Reddit over the weekend. The service is marketed as executive protection for individuals who harbor fears about their safety. While Black Wolf did not respond to questions emailed on Saturday, the company informed Atlanta First News that drivers undergo background checks and receive training in de-escalation techniques to handle confrontations that may arise during rides.

According to Brown, who claims experience as a private investigator and bodyguard, many of Black Wolfs drivers come from military and security backgrounds. Atlanta First News even aired a clip suggesting that Brown had worked as a bodyguard for Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a controversial congresswoman. However, Brown has not provided further details in response to inquiries.

Upon examining the Black Wolf app, available for free on Apples App Store and Google Play, there are three distinct services: Armed Executive Protection, Unarmed Executive Protection, and School Executive Protection. The inclusion of the school-based option aims to position the service as a means of ensuring safer transportation for children attending school.

While Black Wolfs introduction may stir debate and raise questions about the implications of armed rideshare drivers, it reflects a response to the prevailing climate of concern surrounding personal security. The decision to provide armed protection introduces a new dimension to the ridesharing industry and forces a reckoning with the ongoing discussions about gun violence and safety measures.
Rise of the One percenters: Why so many Republicans think they can crash the Trump/DeSantis party

The Scene

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.  Last Thursday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told donors to his super PAC that just three people were credible presidential candidates: Himself, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.

On Monday morning, a few hundred South Carolinians tested that theory. A forest of Tim Scotts Faith in America signs had been planted on the Charleston Southern University campus. They traced a path to the Buccaneer Fieldhouse, where volunteers passed out Great Scott! signs and This is Scott Country stickers. Inside, Scott-lovers shook red-white-and-blue pom-poms when their junior senator made it official.

I am running for President of the United States of America! Scott said. He was, he said, the candidate the far left fears the most, thanks to his compelling personal story as a successful Black man who resisted progressive narratives about grievance and oppression.

We need a president who persuades not just our friends and our base; we need a president that persuades, Scott said, an implicit contrast to certain rivals with a more combative message.

Scott has $22 million, a super PAC, and a Justice League of Republican consultants to help him make that case. Their bet: DeSantis wont have the broad appeal to beat Trump in a primary, theres time to introduce GOP voters to someone new, and his support will grow as the early states get to know him.

And he is not alone: Hours before DeSantis is expected to enter the race, more longshot candidates and less-known Republicans see a wider opening for a non-DeSantis candidate to take on Trump.

DeSantis has fallen, but Ive been in there, steady, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson told Semafor on Monday, after a Q&A with members of a South Carolina Reaganite Club in Tega City, three hours from the Scott event. He was wrong on his policies. He was wrong on Ukraine. He was wrong about going after corporate America.

Hutchinson is one of the growing number of Republicans you might call 1 percenters who are entering the race or weighing runs. Since joining the contest last month, he has polled between zero and the margin of error, an experience that hasnt dissuaded Republicans with similar profiles and traditional resumes.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, back in Iowa this week to talk about parental rights, is all but running. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a billionaire software CEO with little profile outside the badlands, is looking at entering the race this summer; so is ex-Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, who told Semafor recently that hes just found something different than I see in the national polling.

But wait  theres more. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said this week that hes making a soul-searching decision on the race. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is eager to prove himself on a debate stage again. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu has told Semafor that hes leaning toward a run and will decide by the end of June, insisting that Trump wont be the nominee.

If you were going to tell me theres going to be 10 or 12 people in the race through March and April of next year, yeah, thats going to be a problem, Sununu told Fox News last week. But thats not going to happen.

At Scotts announcement in South Carolina, where ex-U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley had already been running as an alternative to Trump and DeSantis, there was the same relaxed vibe. His campaign had snagged GOP talent that wasnt interested in either Florida Mans campaign. His supporters saw plenty of time for a candidate polling at 1 or 2 percent outside of South Carolina to break through, and even more ways for Trump to fade.

I think were at a very different point than we were in 2016, former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford told Semafor. Trump was an unknown commodity. The same hopefulness that goes into any campaign, I think, was there. I think people are well-worn on the ups and downs of Donald Trump.

David's view

Its called a collective action problem for a reason. Plenty of Republicans think theyd win a general election that Trump would lose; plenty think DeSantis is unready for the big stage; and some think DeSantis is too similar to Trump to justify rallying behind as an alternative. Theyve also heard from would-be allies whove seen Trump win over a divided field before and worry theyre reproducing the same mistakes as 2016.

If there's five, six, seven real conservative outsider candidates, Donald Trump will win with a plurality because nobody else will come close, ex-White House press secretary Ari Fleischer told reporters seven months ago, at a post-election meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition. If there's only one or two, it's a fair fight.

Its obvious now there wont be one or two non-Trump candidates. Scott, Haley, Hutchinson, and Vivek Ramaswamy are already running, along with a variety of fringe candidates who have attracted less attention. Publicly, Trump is pleased, posting on Truth Social yesterday that the race was rapidly loading up with lots of people and that Scott was a big step up from Ron DeSanctimonious.

The wider-than-expected interest in a 2024 campaign is mostly about DeSantis, not Trump. It doesnt matter that hed start a race with more than $100 million. The attitude Ive heard from strategists is that DeSantis is competing for the same voters as Trump  social conservatives and MAGA nationalists  and that theres a deep, wide pool of economic conservatives and electability-minded Republicans who nobodys made the sale to. And with the Florida governor off to a creaky start, theyre feeling even less pressure to stand aside.

Room for Disagreement

Are they right? On the trail with Scott and Hutchinson on Monday, I was struck by how many people whod taken time out of their day to meet the candidates were already thinking in terms of Trump or DeSantis nominations.

In North Charleston, Michael Creel, 49, said that hed been a fan of Scott since his 2010 campaign for Congress, recounting the day theyd met at a donut shop. He also called Scott a viable vice president nominee whod make a good pairing with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, because the senator had a great record and a lot of depth in his thinking.

If polling is to be believed, the two front-runners basically satisfy most GOP voters, who give them each high marks on favorability. Meanwhile, the campaign for vice president, which no candidate claims to be competing in, is real for many voters  just as it was in 2019, when many Black Democrats said that Kamala Harris should run for the number two job, and got their wish.

And in Tega City, most of the audience questions for Hutchinson came from his right. Would he pardon people arrested for the Jan. 6 riot? (It would have to be on an individual basis.) How did he feel about the indoctrination of college students? (Reduce tenure.) What would he do to stop election theft like the one Kari Lake claimed she saw in Arizona? (You ought to be able to get a fair hearing in a federal court.)

This part of the GOP base, a dominant faction in many midterm primary contests, isnt crying out for more candidates. But some big donors are  Oracles Larry Ellison got a shout-out from Scott at his launch rally  and they, along with the candidates and consultants, are still casting around for a savior.

The View From A Republican Who Isn't Running

Ex-Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan abandoned his idea of a center-right Trump challenge in March, driving away in what turned out to be a one-car parade. I made the decision to not enter the race in order to avoid a multi-car pileup like 2016 that enabled Trump, Hogan told The Messenger over the weekend. A lot of folks seem to have made a different calculation.

Notable
Muddy floodwaters surround a business in Tulare Lake recently. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The risk of catastrophic flooding in the Tulare Lake Basin has diminished as cool temperatures have predominated this spring, flattening the melt curve of the Sierra's epic snowpack, state officials said Monday.

We are "not forecasting nearly as severe of damage as perhaps we were looking at several weeks ago," Brian Ferguson, deputy director of crisis communications for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, said at a news conference Monday. "However, we want to strongly emphasize that we are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination."

Just a few weeks ago, officials worried that floodwaters from the melting Sierra Nevada snowpack would surge down the Tule, Kings, Kaweah and Kern rivers and topple berms, breach levees and inundate towns such as Corcoran and Stratford.

They now say their most conservative models don't anticipate the lake exceeding a height of 184.1 feet above sea level  well below the 192 feet of newly reinforced levee protecting Corcoran, and roughly 2 feet lower than the forecast they delivered on April 21.

Indeed, Mehdi Mizani, the Department of Water Resources' lead engineer on the Tulare Lake Basin, said the latest models suggest water levels will top out at around 181.1 feet on May 31, flooding approximately 620,000 acre-feet.

As of May 8, 103,000 acres of land in Tulare Lake were flooded. Water managers anticipate that number will grow over the next few weeks, and that a total of 117,000 to 132,000 acres could be submerged.

In 1983, one of the last few times the lake flooded, roughly 1 million acre-feet inundated roughly 85,000 acres.

Mizani said the state's models incorporate the combined effects of weather, reservoir releases, agricultural demands and evaporation, although they don't consider the reliability or strength of levees  which could impact the extent of flooding if they were to fail.

And the modeling process is "iterative," he said. He and his team are "continuously working on refinements for the models, whether it's just calibrating the models themselves or better understanding local operations to make sure that we're capturing those correctly."

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain agreed the cool spring thus far has helped alleviate flooding concerns.

"We've gotten relatively lucky so far," Swain said during a briefing Monday. "We've threaded that needle  there's been a lot of water coming downhill  but it has not all come downhill at once."

However, the threat of the "Big Melt" remains cause for concern as much of the deepest snowpack in the southern Sierra Nevada has yet to melt.

"There is still a huge amount of water up there, and I think folks may be forgetting this because at low to middle elevations, the snow is largely gone," Swain said.

"But at high elevations, where the vast majority of that actual snow water equivalent is, there's still huge snowpacks  they're still clearing roads in the High Sierra right now that have 20 to 30 feet of snow on them" at 8,000 to 10,000 feet.

Temperatures are beginning to heat up, he said, and some areas along the Merced River in Yosemite National Park are under flood watches and warnings as high flows are expected in the next few days.

But the main area of concern remains the Tulare Lake Basin, he said, which has no outlet and is still filled with deep and stagnant water from this year's winter storms. Though a warm atmospheric river event or a prolonged heat wave could produce major flooding in the area, even gradual snowmelt threatens to make the current inundation worse.

"There's still major concern about Corcoran and some of these towns that are literally within this basin," Swain said. "Agricultural land in that area is going to be flooded for months, and there's still significant risk to populated areas in parts of the San Joaquin Valley for the next few weeks at least, and probably for the next couple of months."

The state is stockpiling sandbags and other emergency equipment should the weather change, Ferguson said.

"While I think perhaps the most serious risk may have been averted, we don't know what we don't know," Ferguson said, listing the many variables that could influence the speed, strength and amount of water flowing through the rivers.

"So while you know I think perhaps the most serious risk may have been averted, we don't know what we don't know yet in terms of how fast the water comes down the mountain, what levee may have squirrels in it that we're not aware of, or a million other things that we don't necessarily control as human beings," he said.

"And so, while we are looking far, far better than we have in the past, we just want to emphasize that the public in these communities should continue to be aware of the challenges that lie ahead and that we will continue to be in this situation for at least through the month of July."





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs poses for a photo in Taylorsville in 2020. Staggs announced Tuesday a bid for Mitt Romneys U.S. Senate seat. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs announced Tuesday he would run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Mitt Romney.

Staggs is the first major candidate to declare his intention to run for the seat, and in an interview with the Deseret News he laid out his reasons for getting in the race.

Romney has not said yet whether he intends to run for a second term, but Staggs said he would run in the Republican primary whether Romney is in the race or not.

In April, Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson said he was forming an exploratory committee to consider a run for the Senate, but he has not formally announced his candidacy yet.

Staggs said he decided to run after personal reflection and after discussing his options with his wife and close friends. Hes been in elected office in Riverton for 10 years, first as a city councilor and then as mayor,

And throughout that service, I think I have proven myself as a fighter, somebody who is consistently conservative, on all fronts, he said. I have consistently been ... on the front lines of what I call the front lines of federal or government overreach.

Staggs said he is announcing his candidacy now because he needs a solid year to reach out to voters across the state

He said he assumes Romney will run again, and that he supported Romney in 2018 and thinks hes a really good family man. But he said he thinks Romneys ideas are ruinous for America.

He criticized Romneys positions on the budget, immigration and federal overreach, and questioned his vote in support of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

I think hes fallen well short on all of those points, Staggs said.

In his campaign launch video, Staggs took on Romney directly, criticizing him for voting to impeach former President Donald Trump and for voting on bipartisan spending bills.

I think every time we compromise, it ends up costing us trillions of dollars, he told the Deseret News. Some people, I think, go to D.C. to get along and try to fit in. And, really, Im not looking to go to Washington, D.C., to fit in. Im wanting to actually make change.  And I think thats really what Utahns want. They want somebody who will champion bold, conservative action.

Romneys office declined to comment on Staggs announcement.

In his position as mayor, Staggs has overseen Riverton at a time when the southwest corner of the Salt Lake valley has grown significantly. During his time in office, he said he led the city to leave the Unified Police Department and establish its own department. Staggs also said he focused on economic development in the area.

Staggs criticized the administrative state and said regulations are hurting small businesses.

I know from my business experience, you can also be too small to succeed. And thats disastrous, he said.

Staggs also said the government needs to rein in spending.

I just cant believe that were at $32 trillion in debt. And I think thats the height of immorality to have really put that level of burden on my kids and on future generations, he said. Its time to be uncompromising with respect to getting our fiscal house in order.

He also said he would focus on immigration, and on the growth of government, pointing to the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of what he sees as government overreach.

We saw in 2020 especially, we saw the heavy hand of government. I was one that said no and pushed back on lockdowns, on mandates, he said. I pushed back considerably because I dont believe thats in the purview of government. And I think Ive been proven right.

Staggs said he would try to gain the nomination through the Republican convention, saying he is a big believer in the convention system.

If Romney decides not to run, a number of other candidates are likely to enter the race. But it is unclear when he will make that decision.

In a statement to the Deseret News earlier this year, Romneys chief of staff Liz Johnson said Romney still hasnt reached a final decision on a 2024 run, and that he would make a final decision in the coming months.

In the meantime, were ensuring hes well prepared to run if he chooses, she said.

Romney has expressed confidence in his ability to win the Senate seat if he chooses to run again.
Would-be robber talked out of California bank heist: Right words and the right time

Police officials were commending a customer who persuaded a man not to rob a Bank of the West branch Monday morning in Woodland.

The tense situation unfolded at the Bank of the West at 186 Main St., where the 43-year-old man entered with a plan to allegedly commit a bank robbery, according to the Woodland Police Department.

The suspect handed a note to one of the tellers. Police said the note indicated he was robbing the bank, and he claimed he had a gun.

A quick-thinking and brave customer began speaking with the suspect, de-escalating the situation by calming him and encouraging him not to rob the bank, police said.

The customers words of wisdom worked, and the suspect changed his mind and left the bank, according to the Police Department.

Officers arrested the suspect as he exited the bank, and was booked at the Yolo County Jail on suspicion of attempted robbery. There was no indication from police that the suspect brandished a gun during the incident.

Right words and the right time, police said in a Facebook post. Thank you to the very brave good Samaritan who delivered the right message that made a difference.
You are here: Arts

A symposium celebrating the 60th anniversary of the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) was held in Beijing on Tuesday.



Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the event and delivered a speech.

Li read out a letter written by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in reply to veteran experts and artists of the NAMOC.

Since its establishment 60 years ago, the NAMOC has become an important platform that Chinese people can use to appreciate the fine arts, Li said.

Li called on the museum to focus on high-quality development, and continue using fine art works to tell China's stories, spread Chinese culture, and present a China that is credible, appealing and respectable to the world.
People taking part in a LGBTQ+ parade pass by a bus stop that has anti-LGBT graffiti message sprayed on it

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romania has failed to enforce the rights of same-sex couples by refusing to recognise their relationships, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said on Tuesday in a ruling which will force policymakers to expand protections for the LGBT community.

Socially conservative Romania decriminalised homosexuality in 2001, decades later than other parts of the European Union, but still bars marriage and civil partnerships for same-sex couples.

The ruling, which says the government has breached the European convention on human rights, comes after 21 Romanian same-sex couples filed challenged with the court in 2019-2020.

The couples argued Romania's failure to recognise them as families discriminated against them in various instances including healthcare decisions, joint medical insurance, property and employment rights only afforded to married couples.

The Romanian government has three months to decide whether it wants to ask the European court to refer the case to its top chamber.

"The ruling comes with an enforcement mechanism ... so that the Romanian state must account for what it is doing to recognise and adopt a form of legal protection for same-sex families," Iustina Ionescu, the human rights lawyer who argued the case, told a news conference.

Three legislative proposals to change civil unions to include same-sex couples filed between 2016 and 2019 have not yet made it through parliamentary approval committees, the court said, while four similar draft laws had been rejected by 2020.

A referendum to change Romania's constitution to prevent same sex couples from securing the right to marry failed to draw enough voters in 2018.

A survey commissioned by LGBT rights group ACCEPT in 2021 found that 71% of Romanians said that legal recognition of civil marriage for same-sex couples would not have any impact on their lives, while only 43% were in favour of it.

(This story has been corrected to clarify that the ECHR is a European court, not an EU court, in the headline)

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will announce he is running for president during a discussion with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, three sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.

Musk and DeSantis will host an event on Twitter Spaces, the sites platform for audio chats, on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET. It will be moderated by David Sacks, a tech entrepreneur who is a Musk confidant and DeSantis supporter.

That same evening, the campaign will release a launch video, and DeSantis will begin visiting several early states after Memorial Day.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; Elon Musk. (Getty Images; dpa / picture alliance)

The relationship could be a significant boost for DeSantis by giving him an introduction to, and credibility with, Musks massive following  including his 140 million Twitter followers. But it could prove a burden should DeSantis become distracted by the tycoons many controversial comments.

The launch will closely tie together the billionaire tech mogul with one of the Republican Partys rising stars. Musk has been an admirer of DeSantis, who also regularly chides corporate media. Last year, Musk said he would support the governor if he were to run for president.

The announcement will coincide with a retreat for high-end fundraisers pledged to support DeSantis in Miami. Bundlers will gather at the Four Seasons hotel from May 24-26, receiving briefings from campaign staff, combined with time to call around to raise money for the campaign.

The DeSantis team has been in talks with Musk for at least the last few weeks, according to a source familiar with the discussions. In those conversations, the source said, Musk has indicated he doesnt think former President Donald Trump can win back the White House.

Hes interested in the future, and hes interested in winning again, the person said.

During the Wall Street Journals 2023 CEO Summit Council on Tuesday, Musk confirmed his participation in DeSantis' announcement but said he was not going to be formally endorsing DeSantis at that time.

I think its quite groundbreaking that there be a major announcement of this type on social media, he said, adding that he was not going to endorse any particular candidate for president quite yet.

A source said, however, that within DeSantis team, Musk's participation is viewed as a clear sign of support for the governor.

Yet Musk is nothing if not unpredictable, and on Friday, he tweeted praise of an ad by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., one of DeSantis rivals for the GOP nomination.

NBC News did not receive a response for comment from Musk, Sacks or the DeSantis campaign for this piece.

Even if Musk stops short of a full endorsement of DeSantis, aligning with his presidential announcement puts him and the company more squarely into a presidential election than any other tech company before it. Twitter, Facebook and others have launched election hubs and voter registration efforts, but have kept candidates at arms length.

And someone of Musks stature participating in DeSantis presidential launch dents the inevitability and power of Trump.

DeSantis relationship with Musk goes back to early 2021, when the two met at a dinner party in Austin, Texas, with roughly 15 people including tech investors, developers and health care industry officials, according to a GOP fundraiser who was at the meeting.

The two also have a relationship through Sacks, a major Republican donor who has been openly supportive of DeSantis and is considered to be part of Musks inner circle on decisions about Twitter.

Musk has carved out an intense following after he purchased Twitter with the promise to return free speech after years of complaints from the right that the site had tried to censor conservatives. Among his first steps was reinstating the accounts of previous far-right Twitter users who had been suspended for spreading disinformation. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who remains one of the most popular figures in conservative media even after being fired by Fox News, is launching a new show on Twitter.

That seems to be part of what makes partnering with Musk attractive to DeSantis. One of the sources familiar with the plans told NBC News that DeSantis aides have been watching Twitter become an increasingly friendly space for conservative firebrands under Musks leadership, allowing them to speak directly to their conservative audience and bypass traditional media  something that was once Trumps superpower.

Trump was banned from Twitter after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection by his supporters at the Capitol, and he has yet to return to the site even after Musk reinstated him last fall.

"I expect the campaign will be painting a positive vision for the country, and the entire rollout will highlight future vs. past, success vs. failure, winning vs. losing and action vs. talk. That is the frame of the race," a source familiar with the plan said.

Announcing on Twitter is perfect for Ron DeSantis, a Trump adviser told NBC News in a text message. This way he doesnt have to interact with people and the media cant ask him any questions.

The plan is not without its risks. Musks international star power could serve to outshine DeSantis, who  while a heavyweight in Republican political circles  is not nearly as well known. And DeSantis may not want to have to answer for all of Musks positions  potentially down to individual tweets  such as his comments about progressive megadonor George Soros that have earned the ire of Jewish leaders.

A source familiar with the plans said the DeSantis team wasnt worried about being upstaged, arguing that the governor is fine not having the spotlight solely on himself.

But an additional risk for DeSantis is that while Musk has tons of muscle available to put behind DeSantis  and has fans in the former presidents base  Trump has made a political career out of portraying himself as an underdog fighting powerful forces within his party, on the Democratic side of the aisle, and in government and industry. Musk  and by extension, DeSantis  could be framed as just the latest corporate titan to align against Trumps movement.

In the coming weeks, Musk will be stepping down as Twitters CEO. He recently announced that he had hired Linda Yaccarino, the former head of ad sales for NBCUniversal, to take over as the next CEO of Twitter. Musk said he would still oversee product design and new technology, while Yaccarino would run the business side.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Ahead of an expected White House bid in the coming days, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spelled out the possibility to build a 7-2 conservative majority on the US Supreme Court.

The Republican pointed to four justices  three appointed by Republican presidents  who he believed are poised to leave the bench during the next eight or nine years, during a speech at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Orlando on Monday.

If you look over the next two presidential terms there is a good chance that you could be called upon to seek replacements for Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito. And the issue with that is you cant really do better than those two. They are the gold standard for jurisprudence, so you gotta make sure that we are appointing people as close to that standard as possible, DeSantis said, referring to two conservative stalwarts.

Alito is 73, Thomas is 74.

DeSantis also highlighted what he sees as a potential opportunity to replace conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, 68, or liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor, 68, to cement a conservative majority for years. The court currently has a 6-3 conservative supermajority.

If you replace a Clarence Thomas with someone like a Roberts or somebody like that then youre actually gonna see the court move to the left, and you cant do that. I also think if you look over those eight years, you very well could be called upon to replace Chief Justice John Roberts, and perhaps even, someone like Justice Sotomayor, DeSantis said.

So, it is possible that in those eight years we would have the opportunity to fortify justices Alito and Thomas, as well as actually make improvements with those others and if you were able to do that then you would have a 7-2 conservative majority on the Supreme Court that would last a quarter century, so this is big stuff, he added.

As governor, DeSantis spoke about tilting the Florida Supreme Court to a conservative majority, with the help of age limits.

We have age limits for justices, DeSantis said. The minute I got elected to office, three of the four liberal justices were off the court, because of age. So, I was able in my first term of office to replace three liberal justices with three conservative justices.

He teased another judicial appointment this week to replace a retiring conservative justice.

I will have ended up doing seven appointments throughout my tenure, DeSantis said. Judicial activism in Florida is now officially dead.

Like all federal judges, Supreme Court justices are appointed for life.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Crowd of people at the Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World

Ron DeSantis is refusing to back down from a fight with Disney over how issues of sexuality and gender identity are taught in schools. It's a high-stakes gamble the governor is making about what Republican voters - and ultimately the American public - want from their next president.

Steve Schussler sits in the front seat of a car bobbing in the middle of Lake Buena Vista and surveys his Disney Springs empire.

While discussions over the political strategy - and wisdom - behind Mr DeSantis's fight with the Walt Disney Company touch on larger, theoretical debates about the direction of the Republican Party, for a businessman like Mr Schussler the feud has very real consequences.

To the left is the Rainforest Cafe, a jungle-themed restaurant chain he founded in 1994 and sold in 2000. His prehistoric-themed T-Rex cafe is in the distance, where once an hour the interior comes to life with animatronic dinosaurs, roaring and screeching in a primordial din.

All of Disney Springs is owned by the Disney Company, and Mr DeSantis' attempt to wrest oversight of the land from Disney - with accompanying hints of new regulations, taxes, toll roads and even prison construction nearby - has prompted Mr Schussler to speak out against what he says are the governor's strong-arm, anti-business tactics.

"We as business owners feel disgusted and betrayed by the governor's proposed taxes and rhetoric," he says, adding that his only political goal is to have "peace, quiet, harmony and not to be attacked".

Mr Schussler is the kind of businessman who might naturally be a Republican - in favour of small, less intrusive government, reasonable taxes and limited regulation. He's once donated money to a Republican senator's campaign and features a quote from Donald Trump on the back cover of his autobiography.

Now he bristles at allegations that he's siding with Disney as part of a woke liberal agenda.

"How is it a liberal agenda to not want to be overtaxed?" he asks. "To not want to be threatened with having a prison build adjacent to your land? How is it an agenda to not want your employees and guests to have to pay special fees?"

The DeSantis feud with Disney is about how cultural issues trump business concerns, however. It began when the corporation, under pressure from employees, criticised a Florida law that prohibits public school teachers from discussing sexuality and gender identity in the classroom - what critics have dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" bill.

In the latest escalation, Disney - which employs 80,000 people in Florida and is described as a kingdom within a state - has scrapped plans to build a new campus in central Florida which would have enticed 2,000 employees from California to work in digital technology.

As the Florida governor prepares to announce a bid for the 2024 Republican nomination, it is a conflict of his own choosing.

"Do they have a First Amendment right to be advocating for gender ideology in kindergarten? Yeah, I guess," Mr DeSantis says of Disney. "But what I can tell you as governor is that under no circumstances should the state of Florida be subsidising woke activism by allowing them to have their own government."

Steve Schussler - whose venues are a major tenant at Disney's entertainment district - says he's disgusted by Mr DeSantis' feud with the firm

And, according to Erin Huntley, who chairs the Republican Executive Committee for Orange County, Florida, which includes Orlando and Walt Disney World, it's a fight he can't - and shouldn't - back down from.

She frames the debate as one about parental rights and education, with Mr DeSantis on one side and Disney on the other.

"The bottom line is people want their kids to be educated in school," she says. "School is for reading, writing, history and science. And if the governor didn't hold the line on that, I think he wouldn't have been as successful in his re-election campaign."

Saying Mr DeSantis' re-election campaign was a success is an understatement. In a state where margins of victory have been measured in the low single digits, the Florida governor enjoyed a 19-point landslide last November.

The win vaulted Mr DeSantis into the top tier of potential Republican presidential candidates and set up a face-off against Donald Trump. To defeat the former president, however, he'll have to convince Republican voters that he's a superior choice to the man who has won the party's presidential nomination the last two times.

To do so, Mr DeSantis is betting that he is best positioned to woo a changing Republican Party - one with more populist sentiments, which views the elite establishment, including big multinational corporations like Disney, with increasing scepticism.

Research conducted by Democracy Fund's Voter Study Group after the 2016 presidential election found that cultural, not economic, concerns were the key dividing line between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton voters.

"The glue that has traditionally held the Republican Party together was the free-market, conservative economic side," says University of Central Florida politics professor Aubrey Jewett. "There now seems to be a significant number of Republicans who don't subscribe to that anymore."

If this is the case, the strategy behind Mr DeSantis's fight with Disney begins to come into focus. He's calculating that Republicans have shifted their opinions on business and the economy, and his policies toward Disney and other "woke" corporations reflect this.

Republicans appear to largely support Mr DeSantis's efforts. An April Ipsos poll of US public opinion found that 64% of Republicans believe Mr DeSantis is "rightfully rolling back special treatment for Disney", while 36% think he is punishing Disney for exercising free speech rights.

Among the wider public, however, the verdict is less rosy. Eighty-two percent of Democrats and 63% of Republicans are against political candidates who support laws that punish a company for political or cultural stances.

Randy Ross, a gay Republican who served as Donald Trump's Orange County campaign chair in 2016 and still supports the former president, thinks Mr DeSantis's Disney feud shows he is making a critical mistake by moving too far to the right on social issues.

"What you're really doing is turning Florida into this Bible-belted image of what you think the right wants," he says. "Ron DeSantis has created enemies among independents as well as the moderate Republicans."

And his unwillingness to settle the issue quietly, behind closed doors, reflects poorly on the governor's political judgement, he says. Instead, Mr DeSantis is being cheered on by some conservatives even as he alienates businessmen like Mr Shussler and voters in the political middle.

"I know Disney is not perfect, and they probably need to be reeled in here and there," he says. "But this public battle, to put a part of Florida's soul on trial, is a big mistake."

The town of Celebration, Florida, is carved within the boundaries of Disney-owned land south of Orlando. It's filled with idyllic homes with big front porches and tree-lined streets. The quaint central business district seem to harken back to a simpler American life, with ice-cream socials, potluck dinners, costumed Halloween parades and summertime music concerts.

The quaint town of Celebration - to the immediate south of Walt Disney World - was built by the entertainment giant in the 1990s

All of this is by design, of course. Disney's design. The town was built by the corporation in the mid-1990s as an exercise in community planning - inspired by Walt Disney's vision of reimagined suburban life.

Running a theme park and running a town - with its services, schools and challenge of everyday life - are entirely different matters, however, and eventually Disney handed over management of Celebration to an equity company. There were lawsuits and acrimony. And while officially out of the picture, Disney still keeps a close eye on the town - and its reputation.

Cookie Kelly lives in Celebration, where she works as a real estate agent. Like many Orlando-area residents, she was once a Disney employee, serving as a costumed theme-park character - "in the fur", as she puts it. She's seen Disney's battles up close, and while she still loves the Disney magic, she also has a healthy respect for the company's power.

"They take no prisoners," she says.

Realtor Cookie Kelly used to work in costume, or "in the fur" as she puts it, at Walt Disney World

As for politics, Celebration - like the rest of America - is closely divided. In 2020, 49.9% of residents voted for Joe Biden, while 49.4% backed Mr Trump.

According to Ms Kelly, Disney's current fight with Mr DeSantis is a regular topic of conversation around town, and views on the topic are decidedly mixed. Among her friends, however, the consensus is that Mr DeSantis is "nuts" for picking a fight with the company that turned central Florida from a patch of undeveloped swampland into an economic giant.

"A lot of people talk about it," Ms Kelly says of the feud. "Some think he's just crazy. But there are others that are very much in favour of his policy and are convinced that every child under fourth grade is being groomed for some horrible thing."

Mr DeSantis is counting on the latter voters being the ones that decide the Republican Party's presidential nomination. At that point, he will have to hope that it's not too late to change the minds of some of those in the first group, as he'll need their support to win the presidency itself.

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The Russian State Duma [the lower chamber of the parliament  ed.] finally supported the amendments to the law, and now the Russian authorities will be able to seize passports from citizens in case of military service.

Source: Novaya Gazeta Evropa (New Newspaper Europe)

Details: The State Duma has adopted in the third reading amendments to the law on the procedure for entering and leaving the Russian Federation.

The Russian authorities will now be able to seize passports in case of military service.

According to the new provisions of the draft law, documents can be seized in the following situations:

Conclusion of an employment contract between a citizen and an organisation that provides access to information of particular importance or state secrets.

Conscription of a citizen for military service or alternative civilian service.

Work of a citizen in the federal security service. After dismissal  within five years from the date of dismissal.

In these cases, the Russian passport is transferred to one of the Russian authorities within five days after the official notification.

The documents are also taken away:

If a citizen is serving a sentence for a crime;

In case of evasion of obligations imposed by a court;

In case of knowingly providing false information when preparing documents for departure;

If a citizen is declared bankrupt.

In these cases, the decision to seize the documents for safekeeping will be made by the court, the Investigative Committee, the customs service and a number of other agencies.

Passports will be returned after the restrictions expire.

At the same time, the draft law does not mention a regulation that would prohibit citizens who have received an enlistment notice from leaving Russia from the day it is deemed to have been served.

Thus, the receiving of an enlistment notice, including an electronic one, is not considered to be the basis for the transfer of the documents for storage.

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Russian Defense Ministry announced a defeat of the Ukrainian formations" that supposedly attacked Russias Belgorod Oblast.

The Russian authorities claim to have "killed 70 combatants" and destroyed four armored combat vehicles and five trucks while driving the remaining formations from Belgorod Oblast back in the Ukrainian territory."

According to the statement, Russia employed troops of the Western Military District supported by artillery and aircraft.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claim, while the Russian Defense Military provided no footage backing their claim.

The Free Russia Legion, that has allegedly crossed into Russia, has later posted several videos alleging that the fight is ongoing.

Ukraine war latest: Russia says fighting ongoing within its borders Key developments on May 22: * Attacks involving anti-Kremlin fighters reported in Russias Belgorad Oblast * Russia announces counter-terrorist operation in Belgorad Oblast * Ukrainian military reports small advance on Bakhmut flanks Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russias Belgorod Oblast, a Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

On May 22, a group of armed men calling themselves the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps recorded videos saying they had crossed into Russia and taken hold of bordering villages.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast, announced a "counter-terrorist operation" in the region on May 22 amid reported attacks by Russian anti-government groups.

Ukraine's officials have issued mixed statements in response to the reported incursion.

Spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence Andrii Yusov confirmed to Suspilne news outlet on May 22 that armed Russian anti-government groups allegedly fighting on Ukraine's side have indeed started a combat operation in Russia's Belgorod Oblast, but

Yusov stressed that while the operation aims to create a "safe strip" at the Russo-Ukrainian border, it is conducted "exclusively by Russian citizens."

Mykhailo Podoliak, an advisor to the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, denied any involvement by Kyiv.

"The only driving political force in a totalitarian country of tightened screws is always an armed guerrilla movement. Ukraine is watching the events in the Belgorod region of Russia with interest and studying the situation, but it has nothing to do with it," Podoliak tweeted.


FILE - Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. The Biden administration on Thursday, April 27, sanctioned Russia's Federal Security Service and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organization for wrongfully detaining Americans. They noted that Thursday's actions were in the works well before the arrest of Gershkovich in Russia, whose imprisonment was swiftly deemed unjust by the U.S. government. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

MOSCOW (AP)  A Russian court on Tuesday extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months in a closed-door hearing emblematic of the secrecy that has marked the case against the first United States correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges.

Gershkovich, a 31-year-old American citizen, was ordered held until Aug. 30. He was arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges.

Tuesdays pre-trial hearing wasnt announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy.

Russian authorities havent detailed what  if any  evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges.

Various legal proceedings in the case have been closed to the media. No details immediately emerged about what was said at Tuesday's hearing. State news agency Tass said the session was closed because the reporter was accused of possession of secret materials.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday night that Gershkovichs parents, Soviet emigres living in New Jersey, were visiting Moscow and saw their son during the short hearing.

I dont know how to describe this happiness and this sadness at the same time, the newspaper quoted the reporter's mother, Ella Milman, as saying. She said Gershkovich looked relaxed and well, and that they communicated through smiles.

The U.S. State Department said at least one U.S. Embassy official also attended the hearing.

Gershkovich's arrest has rattled journalists in the country and drawn outrage in the West.

The U.S. government declared Gershkovich to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release. Hes being held in Moscows Lefortovo prison.

U.S. Embassy officials were allowed to visit Gershkovich once in prison since his arrest in Yekaterinburg on March 29, but Russian authorities have denied two more recent requests to see him.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters in Washington, We once again call on Russia to comply with their obligation to provide consular access to him. He added that the charges against Gershkovich "are baseless and we continue to call for his immediate release as well as for the immediate release of Paul Whelan.

Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, is serving a 16-year espionage sentence in a remote Russian prison. The retired U.S. Marine was detained in 2018. Whelan and Washington deny he spied in Russia.

The Biden administration had hoped to secure Whelans release during negotiations on a prisoner exchange that eventually freed American basketball star Brittney Griner from a Russian prison last December.

Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips in soaring U.S.-Russian tensions over the Kremlins military operation in Ukraine.

In a statement after Tuesday's hearing, the Wall Street Journal said: While we expected there would be no change to Evan's wrongful detention, we are deeply disappointed. The accusations are demonstrably false, and we continue to demand his immediate release.
A Russian court ruled on Tuesday to extend the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by an additional three months.

The Lefortovo Court of Moscow made the ruling after Russias Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, asked to extend the journalists pretrial detention until at least Aug. 30, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Gershkovichs detention was originally set to expire May 29, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The FSB arrested 31-year-old Gershkovich, who was on a reporting trip, in late March on accusations of espionage, making him the first American journalist to be detained on such charges in Russia since the Cold War. Gershkovich, the Journal and the U.S. government have denied the charge, the latter officially declaring last month that he is being wrongfully detained in Russia.

Today our colleague, and distinguished journalist, Evan Gershkovich appeared for a pretrial hearing in a Moscow court, the Journal said in a statement on Tuesday. While we expected there would be no change to Evans wrongful detention, we are deeply disappointed. The accusations are demonstrably false, and we continue to demand his immediate release.

In April, a Russian judge denied Gershkovichs request to be released from pretrial detention. Russia also blocked a request for a May 11 consular visit to Gershkovich in retaliation for the U.S. prohibiting Russian journalists from joining Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on his visit to the United Nations in New York.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said it was deeply concerned by todays Russian court decision to extend Gershkovichs detention, according to the Journal.

The United States strongly objects to Russias ongoing denial of consular access to Mr. Gershkovich, it said. We reiterate that the claims against him are baseless and call for Mr. Gershkovichs immediate release.

The White House did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment on how the Russian courts Tuesday ruling will impact negotiations to free Gershkovich. Earlier this month, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration is intensely engaged with Moscow to get Gershkovich released.

I wish I could say that in this moment there was a clear way forward, he said at a World Press Freedom Day event hosted by The Washington Post. We dont have that in this moment, but its something that were working every single day.
The News

A Moscow court extended Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's pretrial detention to August 30, approving a request from Russia's security services, state media reported.

The 31-year-old journalist has been held on espionage charges since the end of March  an allegation that the Journal and the U.S. government fiercely deny.

Know More

Gershkovich was detained by Russian agents while on a reporting trip in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on March 29, and is being held in Lefortovo prison, a facility that the Journal described as a "sterile facility carefully engineered to make its prisoners feel abandoned."

The American journalist's pretrial detention was set to expire on May 29.

According to Russia's Criminal Procedure Code, detainees can be held during pretrial for up to 12 months with the court's permission. Like in other countries, espionage trials are typically heard behind closed doors.

Step Back

Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who was convicted of espionage in 2020 is now serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian penal colony. He was in pretrial custody for 15 months, after his initial two-month detention was extended five times.

In a recently published interview with CNN, Whelan, from prison, told the network that he is confident that the "wheels are turning" to secure his release.

Whelan, whose family and the U.S. government deny allegations that he is a spy, has been unable to take part in prisoner swaps that sent wrongfully detained Americans like Trevor Reed and Brittney Griner home.

Speaking to CNN, the former U.S. Marine said that he has concerns about being left behind again, with Gershkovich now also in detention.
The Ministry of Defense of Russia is now recruiting prisoners for the war against Ukraine without the participation of Prigozhin

"Like Wagner Group mercenaries, Storm Z consists of prisoners. It was formed inside the country to oppose the Wagnerites. But these are the same prisoners who haven't been recruited yet by the Wagner PMC. They just signed an official contract with the Russian army," Zhorin said in an interview with Radio NV on May 23.

Storm troops as well as Wagner mercenaries suffer great losses from Ukraine's 72nd and 57th brigades in and around Bakhmut.

It became known in summer 2022 that Wagner PMC recruited prisoners to participate in the war against Ukraine. In October, Vazhnye Istori wrote that the Russian Defense Ministry was also involved in recruitment.

Wagner PMC mercenaries are often used as "cannon fodder" in Russian attacks in the Battle of Bakhmut. Some were sent to the front line to dig trenches without even weapons, reports said.

Wagner Group had recruited 38,244 prisoners to use in Russias full-scale war on Ukraine, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said in mid-January, adding that 29,543 had already been killed, captured, injured, or had gone missing in action.

Read also: A Tricky Game for the Kremlin? Now it is Clear what Putin is Doing  opinion

Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin announced in February that he stopped recruiting Russian prisoners.

That Wagner Group may run out of mercenaries in two months, if Russia doesn't change its military tactics.

The Wagner Group could run out of mercenaries in two months if Russia doesnt change its military tactics, said Serhiy Cherevatyi, an Eastern Operational Command representative from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on May 11.

The Russian Ministry of Defense has started recruiting Russian prisoners itself for use in its war against Ukraine. Up to 10,000 convicts were recruited in April alone.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
You are here: Business

Staff members load packages at a platform of Tianjin Railway Station in north China's Tianjin, Feb. 8, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's postal industry registered a steady expansion in both business revenue and parcel volume in the first four months of this year, official data showed on Monday.

The sector raked in 473.21 billion yuan (about 67.45 billion U.S. dollars) in business revenue during the period, up 12.1 percent year on year, according to the State Post Bureau.

In April alone, business revenue of the sector totaled 116.99 billion yuan, marking year-on-year growth of 23 percent.

China's express delivery service companies handled 37.1 billion parcels from January to April, a year-on-year increase of 17 percent. Their business revenue jumped 12.2 percent from a year ago to 351.44 billion yuan during the period.

In April, the business revenue of the express service industry increased 24.9 percent from a year ago to stand at 92.49 billion yuan.
Russia says it crushes cross-border incursion by 'Ukraine nationalists' FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, outside Moscow

(Reuters) -Moscow said on Tuesday it had routed and killed scores of "Ukrainian nationalists" who crossed into Russia from Ukraine after two days of combat, in what appeared to be one of the biggest incursions of its kind of the 15-month-old war.

There was no immediate independent confirmation that the fighting had ended, but the governor of Russia's Belgorod region said the anti-terrorism measures he introduced after Monday's attack had been lifted.

And one of two groups claiming to be behind the raid said in a post on social media: "One day we will return to stay."

The fighting forced Russia to evacuate towns along the border with northeast Ukraine. Russia has blamed Ukraine for the attack, which Kyiv has denied. The two groups that claimed responsibility describe themselves as Russian armed dissidents.

The Russian military said it had killed more than 70 Ukrainian nationalists and destroyed four armoured vehicles. Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said one civilian had been killed "at the hands of the Ukrainian armed forces".

There was no independent confirmation of the deaths.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in an evening report there had been no missile attacks in Ukraine over the past 24 hours.

"But the enemy launched 25 air strikes and engaged in more than 20 shelling episodes on towns and villages," the report said. "There are, unfortunately, dead and wounded civilians and private homes and administrative infrastructure have been damaged."

In Belgorod, Russian forces had surrounded the enemy fighters and defeated them with "air strikes, artillery fire and active action by border units", the defence ministry said.

"The remnants of the nationalists were pushed back to Ukrainian territory, where they continued to be hit by gunfire until they were completely eliminated," it added.

The two groups who claimed responsibility for the raid, the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), both say they comprise armed Russian fighters seeking to overthrow President Vladimir Putin.

The Legion says it is recognised by Ukraine and its members have fought there against Russian forces. The RVC has claimed responsibility for previous attacks inside Russia, including a cross-border raid in the neighbouring Bryansk region in March.

"Good morning everybody, except Putin's henchmen. We have met the dawn on liberated territory, and are moving further on," the Legion said on Telegram.

"Once again, the myth that the citizens of the Russian Federation are safe and the Russian Federation is strong has been destroyed," it said in a later post.

The RVC said: "One day we will come to stay. Meanwhile, the partisan movement is not bound by the framework of traditional combat operations."

IT WASN'T US, SAYS KYIV

Mark Galeotti, head of the London-based Mayak Intelligence consultancy, said the militant groups covered a variety of political perspectives united by wanting to see Putin's downfall.

"But at the same time, we have to realise that these are not independent forces ... They are controlled by Ukrainian military intelligence. They rely on the Ukrainians for weapons and support."

Kyiv publicly denied blame for the raid, though some of its denials were pitched with apparent irony, to mimic past Russian denials of a role in separatist movements in Ukraine.

Kyiv "has nothing to do with it", tweeted Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak. "As you know, tanks are sold at any Russian military store, and underground guerrilla groups are composed of Russian citizens."

Moscow, which portrays its Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine as a response to a security threat from Kyiv, said the attackers were Ukrainian saboteurs, seeking to deflect attention from Russia's capture of the city of Bakhmut three days ago, after the bloodiest land battle in Europe since World War Two.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was conducting its "special military operation" in Ukraine in part to ensure that such incidents could not be repeated.

"This once again confirms that Ukrainian militants are continuing their activities against our country. This requires a great deal of effort from us, and these efforts are continuing," he said.

Asked about reports that the attackers were ethnic Russians, he said: "They are Ukrainian fighters from Ukraine. There are many ethnic Russians living in Ukraine. But they are still Ukrainian militants."

Mash, a Russian news channel on Telegram, said drones had struck the roof of the Russian FSB security service building in Belgorod city overnight, nearly 80 km (50 miles) from the district where the raid took place. It posted a picture of emergency vehicles outside the building.

Inside Ukraine, Russian forces are celebrating their first notable victory in 10 months with the capture of Bakhmut, where thousands of troops died in months of fighting both sides call a meatgrinder. Kyiv says its forces have been making their own gains on the outskirts of Bakhmut to the north and south.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that training Ukrainian pilots in flying U.S.-built F-16 fighter jets, as endorsed by U.S. President Joe Biden, did not make NATO a party to the conflict.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said that the more destructive the weapons that Ukraine receives from the West, the higher the risk of "nuclear apocalypse", Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA reported.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; writing by Peter Graff and Nick Macfie; editing by John Stonestreet and Mark Heinrich)
Vyacheslav Gladkov, Governor of Russias Belgorod Oblast, has said that a "counter-terrorist operation" against the armed groups that entered the area on 22 May is ongoing in Russian Belgorod Oblast.

Source: Gladkov on Telegram

Quote: "Regarding the situation in the Grayvoron district. The Ministry of Defence and law enforcement agencies have been clearing the area. However, you should not come back to your homes yet."

Details: The official said that two injured civilians were in the settlements entered by the armed groups, whom Russian forces could not reach.

There have been no civilian casualties to date, Gladkov said.

"The security forces are taking all necessary actions. We are waiting for the completion of the counter-terrorist operation that was announced yesterday," the governor added.

Background:

On 22 May, the Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion announced that they had crossed the border and were "liberating" the settlements of Belgorod Oblast from the current Russian authorities: they started with the villages of Kozinka and Gora-Podol  but they are seeking the "liberation" of all of Russia.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod Oblast, claimed that a "reconnaissance and sabotage group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine" entered the territory of the Grayvoron district.

The Russian presidents press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, says Vladimir Putin was informed of the breach of the Russian border in Belgorod Oblast. Peskov said that work is underway to stamp out "Ukrainian saboteurs" from the territory of Russia and destroy them.

Andrii Yusov, spokesman for Ukraine's Defence Intelligence, has described the events taking place in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May as the creation of a "security zone" by the Russian Volunteer Corps and Freedom of Russia Legion to protect Ukrainian citizens. Yusov stressed that the operation was conducted exclusively by Russian citizens.

Mykhailo Podoliak, advisor to the head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine, stressed that Ukraine is not directly related to the events that transpired in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on 22 May.

Earlier, Vyacheslav Gladkov said that the majority of residents of the Grayvoron district had left their settlements.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The sanctioned Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev visited Saudi Arabia on May 23, the Associated Press reported, citing the Saudi state-run media.

Kolokoltsevs trip to Riyadh comes only days after Ukraines President Zelenskys visit to the Saudi city of Jeddah, where he met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and addressed the Arab League summit.

The Russian Interior Minister reportedly met with his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud to discuss ways to enhance security cooperation paths between the two countries.

Vladimir Kolokoltsev has been sanctioned by the U.S. in 2018 for Russia's activities in Syria and Ukraine. He has since appeared on the sanctions lists of Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, and the U.K.

Zelensky arrives in Saudi Arabia, scheduled to meet crown prince President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on May 19.The president is expected to speak at the Arab League summit and to meet the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for bilateral talks. Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk

Riyadh has sought to maintain good relations with both sides of the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Leveraging its good relations with Moscow, the Saudi government helped to facilitate the release of 10 foreign-born Ukrainian fighters from Russias captivity in September 2022.

Zelensky met the Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Feb. 26, after which Saudis confirmed their pledge to provide Ukraine with $100 million of humanitarian aid and $300 of oil products.

However, Riyadhs steps have put the country at odds with Ukraines Western partners.

On April 3, Riyadh and other Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) states announced drastic cuts to oil production, ramping up the products costs and indirectly aiding Russia.
(Reuters) -A Russian court on Tuesday extended for three months the pre-trial detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in March on espionage charges, which he and his employer deny.

The FSB security service arrested Gershkovich, a U.S. citizen, on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg accusing him of collecting secrets about Russia's military industrial complex.

He was initially ordered held until May 29 and on Tuesday a court extended his detention until Aug. 30, Russian state-run news agency RIA reported, citing the court.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matt Miller in a briefing said representatives from the U.S. embassy in Moscow attended the hearing although they were unable to speak with the reporter. A CNN reporter tweeted that Gershkovich's parents were at the Lefortovo court in Moscow for the hearing. Miller said the State Department was aware that they visited Moscow, adding that the department did not help arrange their visit.

"He shouldnt be detained at all. Journalism is not a crime. He needs to be released immediately," White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on CNN.

U.S. officials were pressing directly with Russia for consular access to Gershkovich, Kirby said.

"There is no grounds for denying consular access," he said.

If Gershkovich is convicted, the charges carry a possible 20-year prison sentence.

The Kremlin has said that Gershkovich, the first American journalist detained in Russia on espionage charges since the end of the Cold War, was caught "red-handed" but has provided no further details.

The Wall Street Journal repeated on Tuesday that accusations against him are "demonstrably false".

"While we expected there would be no change to Evans wrongful detention, we are deeply disappointed ... We continue to demand his immediate release," the newspaper said in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for additional comment.

Gershkovich is being detained at a time when relations between Washington and Moscow are at the lowest point since the Cold War because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

The United States has called him "wrongfully detained," a term used by the State Department to deem the charges bogus and the arrest politically motivated.

Roger Carstens, the special U.S. envoy for hostage affairs, has said the administration would do "whatever it takes" to repatriate Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, an ex-Marine who was convicted of spying charges in Russia in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in jail. Whelan, who had visited Russia previously and was working for a U.S.-based international auto parts maker at the time of his arrest, has denied the charges.

(Reporting by Steve Holland, Rami Ayyub; additional reporting by Simon Lewis; Writing by Humeyra Pamuk and Kevin Liffey; editing by Alex Richardson, Mark Heinrich and Grant McCool)
Russia claims it repelled one of war's most serious cross-border attacks

This image taken from a video shows people indicating a damaged building in the Belgorod region, Russia, Monday, May 22, 2023. Russian troops and security forces fought for a second day Tuesday against an alleged cross-border raid that Moscow blamed on Ukrainian military saboteurs but which Kyiv portrayed as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region on the Ukraine border, said forces continued to sweep the rural area around the town of Graivoron, where the alleged attack on Monday took place. (AP Photo)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia's military said Tuesday it quashed what appeared to be one of the most serious cross-border attacks from Ukraine since the war began, claiming to have killed more than 70 attackers in a battle that lasted around 24 hours.

Moscow blamed the raid that began Monday on Ukrainian military saboteurs. Kyiv portrayed it as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans. It was impossible to reconcile the two versions, to say with certainty who was behind the attack or to ascertain its aims.

The battle  which took place in southwest Russia's Belgorod region, about 80 kilometers (45 miles) north of the city of Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine  was a fresh reminder of how Russia itself remains vulnerable to attack, in addition to Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.

The region is a Russian military hub holding fuel and ammunition depots and was included in Russian President Vladimir Putin's order last year to increase the state of readiness for attacks and improve defenses.

Such cross-border attacks embarrass the Kremlin and highlight the struggles it faces in its bogged-down invasion of Ukraine.

The Belgorod region, like the neighboring Bryansk region and other border areas, has witnessed sporadic spillover from the war, which Russia started by invading Ukraine in February 2022.

Far from the 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) front line in southern and eastern Ukraine, Russian border towns and villages regularly come under shelling and drone attacks, but this week's attack is the second in recent months that also appears to have involved an incursion by ground forces. Another difference from earlier cross-border attacks is that Russia's effort to repel it continued into a second day for the first time.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed local troops, air strikes and artillery routed the armed attackers.

The remnants of the nationalists were driven back to the territory of Ukraine, where they continued to be hit by fire until they were completely eliminated, Konashenkov said, without providing evidence. He did not mention any Russian casualties.

Russian forces destroyed four armored combat vehicles and five pickup trucks the attackers used, he said. Local officials alleged the invaders used also drones and artillery.

The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said the raid targeted the rural area around Graivoron, a town about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the border. Twelve civilians were wounded in the attack, he said, and an older woman died during an evacuation.

The Russian news portal RBK, quoting unidentified sources in the regional interior ministry and territorial police, said Graivoron came under heavy shelling that lasted about five hours early Monday. After that, tanks fired at the Graivoron border checkpoint while the adjacent village of Kozinka came under mortar and rocket fire, RBK said, citing the same sources. Gladkov later reported that a Koznika villager had been killed.

The attacking force was made up of 10 armored vehicles and an unspecified number of troops, RBK said.

Earlier Tuesday, the regional governor urged residents who had evacuated not to return home until they received official instructions to do so. He said a counterterrorism operation was completed by early Tuesday evening.

Gladkov also said fire from the Ukrainian side of the border on Tuesday hit the Borisovka area, about 20 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Graivoron. No casualties were reported, he said without elaborating on the incident.

Since the war began, drones, explosions and missiles have hit fuel and ammunition depots, railroad equipment, bridges and air bases on Russian territory and Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine.

Assassinations of Russian-appointed government officials and other public figures have also taken place in those areas. Kyiv officials brush off accusations that they orchestrated cross-border and sabotage attacks, often instead pointing to Russian opponents of the war.

Ukraine said Russian citizens belonging to murky groups called the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion were behind the assault.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said the attackers were Russian dissidents unhappy about Putins policies.

These are Russian patriots, as we understand it. People who actually rebelled against the Putin regime, she said.

The Freedom of Russia Legion said on Telegram the goal was to liberate the region.

The Russian Volunteer Corps implied on Telegram that the attack was over, adding: One day, well come to stay. The post went up at around the same time as the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have quashed the assault.

The U.K. Defense Ministry said it was highly likely that Russian security forces were fighting partisans in at least three locations in Belgorod.

Russia is facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions, with losses of combat aircraft, improvised explosive device attacks on rail lines, and now direct partisan action, it said Tuesday.

Russias Investigative Committee, its top law enforcement agency, announced an investigation into alleged terrorism and attempted murder in connection with the incident.

Belgorod officials earlier this year said they had spent nearly 10 billion rubles ($125 million; 116 million euros) on fortifications to protect the region from an incursion.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the raid elicits deep concerns and that a "bigger effort was required to prevent future attacks.

Peskov refused to say how many attackers were involved in the assault, nor would he comment on why efforts to put down the attackers took so long. In a conference call with reporters Tuesday, he redirected those questions to Russias Defense Ministry and the Federal Security Service.

The Russian Volunteer Corps claimed to have breached the border in early March. The shadowy group describes itself as a volunteer formation fighting on Ukraines side. It's not clear if it  or the Freedom of Russia Legion  has any ties with the Ukrainian military.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces made minor progress against Russian forces on the edge of Bakhmut, the eastern Ukrainian city that Moscow claims to have captured, according to Maliar, the Ukrainian deputy defense minister. She said Tuesday that Ukrainian troops still controlled the southwestern outskirts of the city and that fighting was continuing in the suburbs, on Russias flanks.

Ukrainian military leaders say the fight in Bakhmut isn't over.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Russia claims it destroyed the partisans, but there are indications the fight isn't over yet.

The fog of war was thick in Russia's Belgorod Oblast Tuesday as Russian officials, media, military bloggers, and those carrying out the attacks presented differing explanations of what has emerged in the aftermath of Monday's daring cross-border incursion by "pro-Ukrainian Russian partisan groups."

We have to make clear that there is a very hot information war being fought on all sides. Because of the fluid nature of the situation we can only convey the state of play as proclaimed by those involved and their surrogates and via open source information.

Russias Defense Ministry (MoD) on Tuesday claimed it destroyed a Ukrainian nationalist formation that staged the incursion several miles across the border, killing more than 70 fighters in the process.

https://twitter.com/mjluxmoore/status/1660970867080167424

However, that regions governor on Tuesday warned some residents living near the border not to return to their homes while the cleanup operation was ongoing and shelling from Ukraine continued. But he also canceled a counter-terrorism emergency action order (CTO) he issued on Monday after the incursion, an indication that at least the main part of the battle was over.

https://twitter.com/novayagazeta_en/status/1661029694614167553

Pro-Russian milblogger Alexander Sladkov on Tuesday said that the battle was still underway, but that it appears the partisans were doomed.

"The [sabotage and reconnaissance group] DRG is blocked," he wrote on his Telegram channel. "More and more of our forces are arriving in the region, fighting is going on. There are two more Ukrainian groups on the territory of Ukraine, with the task of coming to the aid of the first group. There is no such possibility."

And the Russian Mash media site also appeared to contradict the Russian MoD, claiming on Tuesday that the partisans were still holding territory in Russia.

"According to our information, the saboteurs fortified in the area of the Grayvoron checkpoint from the Ukrainian side - presumably, they still control their positions there," Mash claimed on its Telegram channel Tuesday.

Parts of Grayvoron, about five miles from the border with Ukraine, were still controlled by pro-Ukrainian forces, the Mash media outlet reported Tuesday. (Google Earth image)

"The line of fortifications passes in front of the city of Grayvoron and behind the villages of Kozinka, Glotovo and Gora-Podil," Mash wrote. "Due to the fact that there were local residents, the military could not start working with might and main on the DRG. After the introduction of the [counterterrorism action order] CTO regime in the region and the evacuation of people, the situation eased..."

Mash also reported that, "according to our information, the situation is complicated by the fact that artillery is working on the positions of the Russian Armed Forces from the Ukrainian side. Earlier we wrote that yesterday the Armed Forces of Ukraine helped saboteurs to break into the territory of the Belgorod region with the help of massive shelling. Then they fired up to 60 rockets from the Uragan [multiple launch rocket systems] MLRS and about the same number of 120-mm mortar mines."

https://twitter.com/JulianRoepcke/status/1661023684835049476

Meanwhile, the Telegram channel of one of the two pro-Ukrainian Russian partisan groups that took credit for the incursion - the Freedom For Russia Legion - claimed it, and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) continue to liberate the Belgorod region!

And the Rybar Telegram channel, which is aligned with the Kremlin, said incursion attempts are continuing.

But the Russian MoD insisted the fight is over.

In the course of the counter-terrorist operation, as a result of air strikes, artillery fire and active action by the units of the Western Military District that covered the state border, the nationalist formations have been blocked and destroyed, the Russian MoD stated on its Telegram channel, without mentioning that two pro-Ukrainian Russian partisan groups claimed credit for the attacks.

https://twitter.com/aldin_aba/status/1661048261958942730

The remaining nationalists were pushed back into Ukraine, where they continued to be hit until they were completely eliminated. The enemy losses were over 70 Ukrainian terrorists, four armored fighting vehicles, and five pickups.

https://twitter.com/AricToler/status/1661008791545188352

The Russian Volunteer Corps, however, denied any of its members were killed.

"We do not know what columns of equipment [Russian MoD spokesman] Mr. Konashenkov destroyed in his reports, but the Russian Volunteer Corps has no losses," the group said on its Telegram channel Tuesday. "P.S. Regarding the photos of the killed "saboteurs" walking around the net, our fighters wear cartoons, not a pixel. This is a note."

https://twitter.com/feher_junior/status/1661066953509748737?s=12&t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

The incursion began Monday after intense shelling of Kozinka international checkpoint, as well as a number of other civilian facilities in Grayvoron district of Belgorod region, according to the Russian MoD.

Ukrainian officials, like presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, claimed Kyiv had no role in the incursion.

https://twitter.com/Podolyak_M/status/1660630391068164096

The two partisan groups claimed they captured a couple of Russian villages Monday as well as at least one infantry fighting vehicle and that they are battling to end the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

https://twitter.com/albafella1/status/1660558086052929538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1660558086052929538%7Ctwgr%5E303e0d7fe1335f584cff259adf9b7bdd05d2c76f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedrive.com%2Fthe-war-zone%2Frussian-troops-battling-incursion-inside-its-borders-near-ukraine

https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1660930707340836866?s=20

Belgorod Oblast Gov. Vachyslav Gladkov on Tuesday said that one person died and several people were injured as a result of the incursion and that Russian border villages in his region were still being hit by Ukrainian artillery, mortars and drones.

He also urged residents of Grayvoron district to stay away from their homes as Russian forces continue to clear settlements.

The cleaning of the territory by the Ministry of Defense together with law enforcement agencies continues, he wrote. But to return to their homes for the time being, I now appeal to the residents of the Grayvoron district, who, thanks to them, temporarily left their homes, is not worth it yet. We will immediately inform, and I will inform on my social networks, and the heads of local government will bring the information when it is safe.

https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1661038936074887169

Meanwhile, Gladkov made several claims Tuesday on his Telegram channel:

In addition to the incursion, Ukrainian Armed Forces shelled several villages in the Borisovsky district, but there were no injuries.

Some telegram channels are starting to interpret this information as a [sabotage and reconnaissance group] DRG entry and trying to panic people. There was no entry. The FSB, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Ministry of Defense do not confirm this information. The military is working. As the situation changes, I will keep you updated.

Evacuations in the region have been ongoing since Monday evening (though the numbers he offered seem questionable considering how many villages were threatened).

In total, about 100 people have been taken out at the moment, among them there are bedridden and children. Now we are working in the liberated settlements.

https://twitter.com/NatalkaKyiv/status/1661036777572818944

As a result of the incursion, residents of the villages of Grayvoron, Novostroevka, Gorky, Bezymeno, Wet Orlovka, Glotovo, Gora-Podil, Zamostye and Spodaryushino were resettled.

After a previous day of Ukrainian shelling at several towns in Belgorod, the settlements of the Grayvoron urban district Golovchino, Antonovka, Kozinka, Spodaryushino, Gora-Podol, Glotovo, Zamostye, Bezymeno, Zarechye, Grayvoron, Wet Orlovka, Novostroevka were under numerous mortar and artillery fire on Tuesday.

Multiple launch rocket systems worked on residential buildings and civilians, and explosive devices were dropped from quadrocopters. As a result, there are 12 injured civilians, damage was recorded in 29 private houses and three cars. There is currently no electricity in 14 settlements, we will start restoration work when the operational situation allows.

https://twitter.com/aldin_aba/status/1661010537759768578

The Shebekinsky city district was fired upon 25 times, of which eight mortar shells were fired at the village of Terezovka, there were no casualties or damage.

Artillery worked twice along Novaya Tavolzhanka, facades and fences were cut in two private residential buildings, there were no casualties.

And in Tavolzhanka, an explosive device was dropped from a drone - there were no casualties or damage.

Several locations in Belgorod Oblast near the border with Ukraine were hit with artillery, mortar and drone attacks, the governor there claimed. (Google Earth image)

A mortar shell was fired in the village of Balki, but there were no casualties or damage.

In Shebekino, two mortar shells were fired at a border checkpoint and an explosive device was dropped from a UAV at a road junction, but there were no casualties or damage.

The village of Sereda was hit by 10 artillery shells which damaged the facades in three private households.

In addition, UAVs were shot down by the air defense system over Belgorod and the Belgorod region. According to preliminary data, no victims. The consequences on the ground are being clarified by operational services.

https://twitter.com/PierreDBorrelli/status/1661057816902221840

Two Russian partisan groups claimed victory of sorts.

The Legion and the RDK continue to liberate the Belgorod region! the Freedom For Russia Legion wrote on its Telegram channel Tuesday.

The army of the Russian Federation could not oppose anything to a group of patriotic volunteers who took up arms and were not afraid to openly go against the Moscow regime for the free future of Russia. Once again, the myth that the citizens of the Russian Federation are safe and the Russian Federation is strong has been destroyed, in fact, for years the authorities simply plundered the budget and lied that everything was fine.

The Russian Federation has no reserves to respond to military crises - all servicemen are dead, wounded or in Ukraine, the Freedom For Russia Legion wrote. The Russian Federation is absolutely not protected. There is panic in the Belgorod region, partly there is an organized evacuation, but for the most part there is a spontaneous flight.

https://twitter.com/JimmySecUK/status/1660957897247842305?s=20

The Russian Volunteer Corps posted a cryptic message on its Telegram channel Tuesday accompanied by two videos of its troops apparently riding around Belgorod on the infantry fighting vehicle it captured.

The situation on a small, but already our own, piece of the Motherland is still disturbing, and it wont hurt to tidy up, RDK wrote. We took brooms with us, but there are still enough scoops in Rus'.

https://twitter.com/L_Team10/status/1661037185548599296

While it seems this chapter may be over, the incursion attempts continue, the pro-Russian Rybar Telegram channel reported Tuesday.

"Russian [security forces] continue to carry out the counter-terrorist operation on the territory of the Belgorod region, Rybar reported.

Pro-Ukrainian forces are still attempting incursions into Russia, the pro-Russian Rybar Telegram channel reports., (Rybar image)

According to preliminary data, Kozinka and the border crossing "Grayvoron" were taken under the control of Russian troops. Activities to search for and clean up the surviving militants continue.

Since up to 500 members of Ukrainian formations are observed in Velyka Pisarevka on the other side of the border, there are fears that another attempt will be made to break through the border," Rybar reported, adding that attempts were still being made to cross the border with small forces.

Russian border guards repelled attacks near Shchetinovka and Gorkovsky, Rybar reported. A small enemy recon group of five people tried to cross the state border near Tsapovka. Having fired at the Russian positions, the group fled back to the territory of Ukraine under return fire.

Russian border guards closely control the approaches to Shebekino: from the direction of Volchansk, there is an increased accumulation of equipment and personnel.

Despite the general completion of the main stage of the counter-terrorist operation, there is still a possibility of attempts to break through the state border from the enemy's recon groups in other areas, Rybar reported.

https://twitter.com/Faytuks/status/1660996825845755908?s=20

Aside from the incursions, there are continued artillery, mortar, and drone attacks on Russia, which have been ongoing for months.

Alexander Bogomaz, governor of Bryansk Oblast, complained Tuesday of Ukrainian attacks on his region.

"This morning, the Armed Forces of Ukraine shelled the village of Kurkovichi in the Starodubsky municipal district," he wrote on his Telegram channel. "There were no casualties. As a result of the shelling, two households caught fire, and an outbuilding was damaged. Operational services are on site."

Regardless of the military success of attacks and incursions into Russia, one possible objective may be to divert Russia's attention ahead of a looming Ukrainian counteroffensive. Whether that is actually the case remains to be seen.

We will continue to monitor this tense situation and report any updates.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
A Russian court has extended the detention of The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich for three months, state media reported on Tuesday.

The Russian state-run media outlet TASS reported the Lefortovo Court extended Gershkovichs detention while he awaits trial on charges of espionage. The Moscow Times, a news outlet that covers news independent of the Russian government, reported that the detention was extended to Aug. 30 in a closed hearing following a request from the Federal Security Service (FSB).

The FSB detained Gershkovich  who has covered Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet countries as part of the Journals Moscow bureau  in late March on allegations he was conducting espionage for the U.S. government.

The Journal and the State Department have denied the allegations, and Gershkovich has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The State Department declared him to be wrongfully detained last month. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Biden have called on Russia to release him immediately.

Gershkovich was originally ordered to remain in detention while awaiting trial for two months, which was set to end next week.

He is the first U.S. reporter to be detained in Russia on charges of espionage since the Cold War.

Russia has also repeatedly denied requests for U.S. officials to have a consular visit with Gershkovich.

CNN reporter Kylie Atwood tweeted that Gershkovichs parents were present at the hearing and entered the courthouse with his attorney.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a briefing on Tuesday that the allegations against Gershkovich are baseless and he and former Marine Paul Whelan, who has also been detained in Russia, should be released.

He said the department was aware of Gershkovichs parents being in attendance at the hearing but did not arrange it. Miller added that representatives from the U.S. embassy were also present, but he did not know if they were able to speak with him.

The Journal said in a statement the outlet did not expect Gershkovich would be released but is still disappointed with the extension.

The accusations are demonstrably false, and we continue to demand his immediate release, the Journal said.

The Hill has reached out to the State Department for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Russian court on Tuesday extended the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months, according to a Russian state news agency.

Gershkovich was arrested in March in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on espionage charges, which both the Journal and the State Department have denied.

The State Department designated Gershkovich aswrongfully detained by Russia in April. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to call for Gershkovichs release, in a rare communication between high-level U.S. and Russian officials during Russias invasion of Ukraine.



Russian authorities have kept U.S officials from accessing Gershkovich and providing legal representation, a practice recognized in international law as consular access.

We once again call on Russia to comply with their obligation to provide consular access to him, Matthew Miller, the State Department spokesperson, said on Tuesday. Russia on Friday rejected the second U.S. request for accessing Gershkovich, Miller added.

The court decision that will now keep Gershkovich detained until Aug. 30 wasnt announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy.

Russian authorities havent detailed what  if any  evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges. Various legal proceedings have been closed to the media, and no details immediately emerged about whether Gershkovich attended Tuesdays hearing or what was said. The Russian state news agency Tass said the session was closed because the reporter was accused of possession of secret materials.

The State Department has issued a Do Not Travel advisory  the fourth and highest level  for the entire Russian Federation, citing its invasion of Ukraine and the severe limitations that American diplomats face operating in the country.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Russian court on Tuesday extended the detention of imprisoned American journalist Evan Gershkovich for another three months.

The state-run TASS news agency said an investigator from Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) had asked a court in Moscow to keep the Wall Street Journal reporter behind bars past May 29 to Aug. 30. Russia has charged Gershkovich with espionage.

"Today our colleague, and distinguished journalist, Evan Gershkovich appeared for a pretrial hearing in a Moscow court," the Wall Street Journal said in a statement after the ruling. "While we expected there would be no change to Evans wrongful detention, we are deeply disappointed. The accusations are demonstrably false, and we continue to demand his immediate release."

A report from TASS said the court "received a request from the investigation to extend the preventive measure in the form of detention against the accused until August 30." The court later ruled in the FSBs favor, the Associated Press reported, citing Russian news agencies.

GERSHKOVICH DETAINMENT SHOWS RUSSIA IS NOT WORRIED ABOUT CONSEQUENCES, EX-HOSTAGE AFFAIRS ENVOY SAYS

Gershkovich, who works in the Wall Street Journal's Moscow bureau, was detained on March 29 in Yekaterinburg, the fourth-largest city in Russia.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

The FSB has charged Gershkovich with espionage, accusing him of collecting "information constituting a state secret about the activities of an enterprise within Russias military-industrial complex."

But Gershkovich and the Wall Street Journal have categorically denied the accusations.

Last week, his employer reported that for the second time the Russian government denied a request from American officials to visit him in a Moscow prison.

The newspaper said Russias Foreign Ministry "linked the move to a complaint that its journalists didnt get U.S. visas to travel with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the United Nations in New York last month."

RUSSIA DENIES US VISIT WITH IMPRISONED JOURNALIST GERSHKOVICH AMID UN VISA FIGHT

It said the State Department wanted to meet with Gershkovich on Thursday.

"We strongly object to Russias ongoing failure to comply with its obligations under the Consular Convention to provide us consular access to detained U.S. citizens," the Wall Street Journal quoted a State Department spokesperson as saying. "Regardless of the hurdles, our team is focused on ensuring timely consular access to all U.S. nationals detained abroad."

TASS reported Monday that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the media that access to Gershkovich will depend on the situation.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained March 29 in Yekaterinburg, Russia.

"When we denied access last week, there was a situation where we simply could not make any other decision. It [the access] will depend on the situation," he reportedly said. "We gave quite a coherent explanation for the reasons why we did so. Well see what happens next."

"According to the Public Relations Center of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Gershkovich, acting at the behest of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of an enterprise within Russias military-industrial complex. The reporter was detained in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg in late March," the TASS report reads. "FSB investigators opened a criminal case against the US citizen under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code (RCC) ('Espionage'). At that time, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the journalist had been caught red-handed. Moscows Lefortovo District Court ordered that Gershkovich be held in custody until May 29."

Fox News Thomas Ferraro and Paul Best contributed to this report.
Russian forces now shell Kupiansk front more often than other Ukrainian fronts

Over the course of the past 24 hours, the largest number of Russian artillery attacks occurred on the Kupiansk front.

Source: Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for the Skhid (East) Group of Forces in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the national joint newscast

Quote from Cherevatyi: "The [Kupiansk] front is ahead of other [fronts] in terms of the number of daily attacks. Over the course of the past 24 hours, enemy forces deployed different types and calibres of weapons to shell the front a total of 565 times. They conducted 6 airstrikes; 5 meeting engagements occurred, with 34 occupation soldiers killed, 65 injured, and 2 taken prisoner."

Details: Cherevatyi also reported that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, was hoping to withdraw his units from Bakhmut, though currently Russian occupation forces are only strengthening their presence in the eastern city.

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You are here: Business

This photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows a view of the General Tire Technology (Cambodia) plant in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Preah Sihanouk Province, Cambodia. [Photo/Xinhua]

A Chinese-invested tire factory in Cambodia's Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) officially launched its operation on Monday.



The 300-million-U.S.-dollar General Tire Technology (Cambodia) plant, located in Cambodia's coastal province of Preah Sihanouk, is a subsidiary of Chinese tire maker Jiangsu General Science Technology.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian cut the ribbon to officially inaugurate the factory, attending a celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) at the SSEZ.

Hun Sen said the tire factory is another fruit of cooperation between Cambodia and China under the BRI, adding that the plant will play an important role in processing local rubber into tires.

"The factory has brought about new capital, modern technologies, and tire manufacturing expertise to Cambodia," he said. "This factory will increase the value-added to the national economy and directly increase our farmers' income."

Gu Cui, chairman of Jiangsu General Science Technology, said the plant is capable of manufacturing 5 million semi-steel radial tires and 900,000 all-steel radial tires per year.

"Our products will be mainly exported to the United States, Europe, and Brazil among others," he said.
In Russia, Ukrainian Andrii Petkevych was sentenced to 16 years in a strict regime colony for alleged espionage.

Source: Russian RBK

Details: The Ukrainian was sentenced by the Tula Regional Court, the FSB reported.

The special service claimed that a "foreigner on the instructions of the intelligence services of Ukraine" was looking for employees of defence enterprises "from among secret holders" [i.e., people with the knowledge of classified information  ed.]; he allegedly intended to recruit them and obtain information that constitutes a secret in the field of promising small arms development.

The man was detained in August 2021. Local Russian media outlets wrote that Petkevich is 42 years old and has lived in Dnipropetrovsk [old name of the city of Dnipro  ed.].

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On May 23, the governor of Russias Belgorod Oblast Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed that drones were shot down by air defenses over Belgorod city and elsewhere in the oblast.

According to preliminary data, there are no casualties, Gladkov added.

Russian Telegram channels also reported attacks by drones against an FSB building and possibly an Interior Ministry building in Belgorod.

The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.

Earlier today, the same governor reported that two civilians  a man and a woman  were injured in the settlements allegedly attacked by Russian partisans.

The woman suffered shrapnel wounds and is in severe traumatic shock, Gladkov wrote. Both civilians were hospitalized. The only fatality so far has been a woman born in 1941 who died during the evacuation, he said. No civilians died as a result of the fighting, Gladkov claims.

Belgorods governor appealed to the residents of the Grayvoron district, where the heaviest clashes between security and partisan troops supposedly take place, not to return to their homes until it is safe.

Ukraine war latest: Russia says fighting ongoing within its borders Key developments on May 22: * Attacks involving anti-Kremlin fighters reported in Russias Belgorad Oblast * Russia announces counter-terrorist operation in Belgorad Oblast * Ukrainian military reports small advance on Bakhmut flanks Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of Russias Belgorod Oblast, a Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima

On May 22, a group of armed men calling themselves the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps recorded a video saying they had crossed into Russia and taken hold of bordering villages.

Gladkov announced a "counter-terrorist operation" in the region on May 22 amid reported attacks by Russian anti-government groups.

The Russian state media wrote that the majority of residents of the affected villages in Belgorod Oblast fled their homes in response.

None of these claims could be independently verified.
Russian leaders wont let Prigozhin withdraw his forces from Bakhmut, Ukrainian military says

Abandoned Russian positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, May 11, 2023

Read also: No path to Russian presidency for Prigozhin, expert says

When asked whether Prigozhin would still be allowed to withdraw troops from Bakhmut from May 25, Cherevatyi said: I think that all efforts will be made (by the Russian leadership) to prevent him from doing this. This is my prediction.

Prigozhin incredibly wants to leave Bakhmut to preserve whatever remains of his personnel and reputation, Cherevatyi said.

Prigozhin admits that his forces will soon suffer a bloody defeat, he added.

Prigozhin perfectly understands that sooner or later  likely sooner  he will simply be smashed to pieces.

Thats why in my opinion, his statement has been dictated by this fear and understanding of his prospects.

Read also: Shocking report on Prigozhin, Zelensky Europe trip yields progress, Firtash indicted

Prigozhin announced the complete capture of Bakhmut on May 20. According to him, his fighters will inspect Bakhmut by May 25, and then will leave the town, handing it over to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense denied this information, saying that fighting in the town continues.

Read also: Biden says new opportunities opened for Ukrainian military by F-16 supply

U.S. President Joe Biden said on May 21 that Russia had already lost more than 100,000 troops in the battle for Bakhmut.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is visiting China, where he will meet President Xi Jinping and attend a business forum

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has arrived in China, Moscow's foreign ministry said, for a visit in which he will meet with President Xi Jinping and ink a series of deals on infrastructure and trade.

Mishustin arrived late Monday in Shanghai, the ministry said, where he was greeted at the airport by Moscow's ambassador to China Igor Morgulov and Beijing's top diplomat to Russia Zhang Hanhui.

He will take part in a Russian-Chinese Business Forum and visit a petrochemical research institute in Shanghai, the Kremlin said, as well as hold talks with "representatives of Russian business circles".

That forum has invited a number of sanctioned Russian tycoons -- including from the key fertiliser, steel and mining sectors -- as well as Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who handles energy issues, Bloomberg reported.

China last year became the top energy customer for Russia, whose gas exports had otherwise plummeted after a flurry of Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

On Tuesday there was an increased police presence around Shanghai's Russian consulate and the nearby conference halls where the forum was taking place.

Mishustin will next travel to Beijing, where he will meet with Xi and Premier Li Qiang, Russian state media TASS has said.

China and Russia have in recent years ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts, with their strategic partnership having grown closer since the invasion of Ukraine.

While China says it is a neutral party in that war, it has refused to condemn Russia for the invasion.

In February, Beijing released a paper calling for a "political settlement" to the conflict, which Western countries said could enable Russia to hold much of the territory it has seized in Ukraine.

During a March summit in Moscow, Xi invited President Vladimir Putin to visit Beijing.

Analysts say China holds the upper hand in the relationship with Russia, and that its sway is growing as Moscow's international isolation deepens.

bur-oho/reb/dva
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin visits the SINOPEC Shanghai Research Institute of Petrochemical Technology in Shanghai

Russia's prime minister on Tuesday hailed economic ties with China during a visit in which he will meet with President Xi Jinping and ink a series of trade deals.

The two nations have in recent years ramped up economic and diplomatic cooperation, with ties growing closer since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine despite Beijing's insistence it is neutral in the conflict.

Mikhail Mishustin arrived late Monday in Shanghai, the Russian foreign ministry said, before attending a Russian-Chinese Business Forum in the financial hub the next morning.

Also invited to the forum were a number of Russian tycoons subject to Western sanctions, including from the key fertiliser, steel and mining sectors, Bloomberg reported.

"Last year Russia was subjected to sanctions pressure on an unprecedented scale... We withstood and also continue progressive development," Mishustin told the event.

"I am convinced that deepening Russian-Chinese ties and increasing cooperation will have a positive effect on the economies of both countries," he said, according to video released by Russia's foreign ministry.

China is Russia's largest trading partner, with trade between the nations reaching a record $190 billion last year, Beijing customs data shows.

"I am sure that this year we'll accomplish the goal set by the heads of our states Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to get mutual turnover to $200 billion," Mishustin added, referencing a goal set at a summit in March.

China last year became Russia's top energy customer as Moscow's gas exports otherwise plummeted due to a flurry of Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who handles energy policy, was also present at the Tuesday forum in Shanghai.

According to Russian state media, Novak said Russian energy supplies to China would increase by 40 percent year-on-year in 2023.

There was tight security as the Russians arrived in the city, with an AFP journalist reporting an increased police presence around the Russian consulate and the nearby conference centre where the forum was taking place.

A heavy security presence was also in place at an exclusive hotel on Shanghai's historic Bund waterfront, with the road to the entrance blocked off and guests having to approach on foot.

- Xi meeting -

Mishustin will next travel to Beijing, where he will meet with Xi and Premier Li Qiang, Russian state media TASS said.

He is set to ink a series of deals on infrastructure and the economy.

Western nations have been leaning on Beijing to use its influence to pressure Moscow to end the invasion of Ukraine, but China has continued to push for further economic cooperation with Russia.

Asked to comment on whether Russia-China ties might ruffle feathers in the West, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said it was "normal economic and trade cooperation... on a basis of equality and mutual benefit".

"We have always opposed unilateral sanctions unauthorised by the UN Security Council," she added.

"China-Russia cooperation does not target any third party, nor does it allow interference or coercion by any third party."

Analysts say China holds the upper hand in the relationship with Russia, and that its sway is growing as Moscow's international isolation deepens.

In February, Beijing released a paper calling for a "political settlement" to the Ukraine conflict, but Western countries said it could enable Russia to hold much of the territory it has seized.

During their March summit in Moscow, Xi invited Putin to visit Beijing.

bur-oho/reb/axn
The offensive activity of the Russians on the Bakhmut front has slightly decreased. Ukrainian defenders control the outskirts of the city in the Litak area.

Source: Hanna Maliar, Deputy Minister of Defence, on Telegram

Quote: "On this day, the activity of the enemy's offensive operations on the Bakhmut front has somewhat decreased. However, the number of attacks is consistently high.

In the city of Bakhmut, fighting has decreased; the enemy continues to carry out mopping-up operations in the areas taken under its control. "

Details: According to Maliar, Ukrainian defenders control the southwestern outskirts of the city in the Litak area. Fighting continues in the suburbs.

She noted that the Russians are trying to capture favourable positions but do not succeed.

The deputy minister added that in certain areas, the Russians are on the defensive: "They suffer heavy losses. Along the flanks in the north and south of Bakhmut, we have a slight advance. "

Background:

Bakhmut has been almost completely destroyed by Russian attacks, but the Defence Forces continue to hold positions in the southwestern part of the city, said Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Russian invaders are carrying out mopping-up operations in the captured areas in Bakhmut, while the struggle for the dominant heights on the flanks, the north and south of the suburbs, continues.

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One person died in the Russian shelling of the village of Kozatske, Kherson Oblast, on the morning of 23 May.

Source: Kherson Oblast Prosecutor's office on Telegram

Quote: "On the morning of 23 May, the Russian army launched a mortar attack on the village of Kozatske. A woman died in the shelling."

Details: Based on this fact, the prosecutor's office has started a pre-trial investigation into the violation of laws and customs of war, combined with intentional murder (Article 438.2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

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The Russians have once again attacked Avdiivka with missiles, destroying a nine-storey apartment building to the ground. Two people were injured, and more people are trapped under the rubble.

Source: Vitalii Barabash, Head of the Avdiivka City Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote from Barabash: "Another Russian missile destroyed a residential building in Avdiivka. Nine floors, down to the foundation. There are two people under the rubble, but there might be up to five people. Two people were injured, and one woman is in serious condition."

Details: The head of the City Military Administration noted that even bomb shelters are unsafe in Avdiivka because Russians are hitting the city with missiles and FABs [an aerial bomb with a high-explosive warheads  ed.].

He urged residents to evacuate to save their lives.

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Ukrainian army major says Russia is using poison gas bombs against Ukraine

"This happens not only in Bakhmut. In fact, they used prohibited munitions in Mariupol and other areas, including shrapnel, phosphorus bombs, and poison gas bombs. They actually tried to poison people right in their positions or in bunkers," he told Radio NV.

Read also: Russian leaders wont let Prigozhin withdraw his forces from Bakhmut, Ukrainian military says

Russians are widely using such weapons without any embarrassment.

"We already have a bunch of evidence. There are committees which record everything," he said.

Read also: Ukraine to create Marine Corps, with several brigades of modern weapons  Zelenskyy

A grenade launcher of the 5th Assault Regiment, Yuriy Syrotyuk, who is fighting on the southern outskirts of Bakhmut, told Radio NV that every soldier in the area has a selfie with the backdrop of Russias "phosphorus rain" used on May 5.

The Geneva Convention prohibits the use of phosphorus bombs near and within settlements. Russia repeatedly uses them against civilians throughout its full-scale war on Ukraine.

Read also: Ukrainian soldiers in Bakhmut withstand Russian phosphorus attack

In December 2022, it was reported that Russian soldiers used banned K-51 aerosol grenades against the Ukrainian military.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russians looted the Tauric Chersonesos museum-reserve in temporarily occupied Crimea.

Source: Office of the Representative of the President in Crimea

Quote: "The occupiers ransacked the Tauric Chersonesos museum-reserve and took the Byzantine gold, as well as other artefacts: ancient products made of bone, clay, and other materials, to Veliky Novgorod, supposedly for an exhibition," the message states.

The presidential office also added that the Russians continue illegal archaeological excavations on the territory of this museum.

Tauric Chersonesos is an ancient Byzantine city-state in the southwestern part of Crimea. In 1892, a National Reserve was opened on the site of the ruins of the settlement.

On 23 June 2013, the Tauric Chersonesos and its Chora were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List at the 37th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Cambodia.

Tauric Chersonesos museum

Photo: The Institute of Classical Archaeology

After Russia's occupation of Crimea in 2014, there were concerns about the preservation of the museum's heritage. In 2015, there were reports that the Russian army poured concrete over the site of an ancient estate on Cape Chersonese. In 2021, the occupation authorities announced that they wanted to expand the New Chersonese complex, but it was criticised for the project's planned use of excavators and pouring concrete in the buffer zone.

In December 2022, Evelina Kravchenko, a senior researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, said that the Russian occupiers had prepared the collections of Tauric Chersonesos for export outside the peninsula.

She reported that about a year ago, the occupiers issued an "order" to prepare for the evacuation of the collections of four Sevastopol museums: the Tauric Chersonesos National Reserve, the Sevastopol Art Museum named after Kroshytskyi, the Combined Museum of Panoramas and Dioramas, and the Museum of the Naval Fleet.

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A staff member inspects a locomotive in a hump yard of a railway port in Horgos, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 11, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region saw its foreign trade with the five Central Asian countries increase by 92.2 percent to 75.11 billion yuan (about 10.7 billion U.S. dollars) in the first four months of the year, according to Urumqi customs.

The figure accounts for 43.4 percent of the country's total trade volume with the five Central Asian countries, namely, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, during the period.

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan have become the three major trading partners of the region in the first four months of the year. Among them, Xinjiang's import and export to Kazakhstan reached 35.48 billion yuan, an increase of 121.7 percent.

Wen Ping, an official with the Urumqi customs, said Xinjiang will continue to give full play to the policy and location advantages of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt, continuously optimize customs clearance facilitation measures, smooth the industrial and supply chains, seize opportunities for economic and trade cooperation with Central Asia, and promote high-level opening-up and high-quality development.
MOSCOW (Reuters) -A member of Russian President Vladimir Putin's powerful Security Council on Tuesday warned that the more destructive the weapons that the West supplied to Ukraine, the higher the risk of "nuclear apocalypse".

Russia, which has more nuclear weapons than any other state, has repeatedly said the West is engaged in a proxy war with Russia over Ukraine that could escalate into a much bigger conflict.

The United States has committed $37 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February last year.

U.S. President Joe Biden told fellow G7 leaders on Friday that he backed a joint effort with allies to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, according to a senior U.S. Administration official, though there is no commitment as yet to supply the jets themselves.

"The more weapons are supplied, the more dangerous the world will be," former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Security Council, told the Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA while on a trip to Vietnam and Laos.

"And the more destructive these weapons are, the more likely the scenario becomes of what is commonly called a nuclear apocalypse," Medvedev was quoted as saying.

The West says it wants to help Ukraine defeat Russia but has repeatedly insisted it does not want to trigger a direct confrontation between the U.S.-backed NATO military alliance and Russia.

But Medvedev said NATO did not appear to be taking the possibility of nuclear conflict seriously.

"They are wrong. And at some point, events can move in a completely unpredictable scenario. And the responsibility will lie entirely with the North Atlantic Alliance," RIA quoted him as saying.

The Russian military said on Tuesday it had routed militants who had penetrated the Belgorod region from Ukraine, killing more than 70 "Ukrainian nationalists".

Medvedev said the attackers were "scumbags" who should be exterminated "like rats".

"Responsibility ... is carried by the Kyiv regime, and ultimately by its sponsors overseas - that is, Washington and the countries of the European Union, along with affiliated states like Britain and others," Medvedev said, according to TASS.

"This is their responsibility, direct and immediate."

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Kevin Liffey; Editing by Nick Macfie)
(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik in Moscow on Tuesday and hailed an increase in trade during a meeting that has angered the European Union.

In a transcript released by the Kremlin, Putin told Dodik that bilateral trade with Dodik's Serb Republic region of Bosnia, while relatively small, had increased by 57% last year.

"This trend should certainly be maintained," he said, adding that Russian and Bosnian Serb companies could achieve even better results.

Bosnia receives Russian gas via Serbia and Bulgaria. After the meeting with Putin, Dodik told Russian television that the price the Serb Republic paid for gas would remain low but did not give details.

Following a devastating ethnic war in the 1990s, Bosnia was split into two autonomous regions - the Federation shared by Bosniaks and Croats and the Serb Republic, linked via a weak central government. Bosnia has no unified foreign policy.

Dodik, a Serb nationalist who has maintained close relations with Putin, said Russia had been forced to invade Ukraine to preserve its security. Putin thanked him for what he called his neutral position on the conflict.

The meeting could tarnish Bosnia's hopes of joining the European Union. The head of the body responsible for enlarging the 27-nation bloc last week warned Sarajevo that EU allies do not visit Russia.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren, editing by Mark Heinrich)
NATO is overhauling its eastern defences and planning after Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine

US troops stage an airborne assault. British marines conduct a nighttime beach landing. French paratroopers drop from the skies after flying across Europe.

In Estonia, on NATO's eastern flank, the allies train in the shadow of Russia's war on Ukraine.

The message is clear.

"It says that at short notice we can deploy very fast," said Lieutenant Colonel Edouard Bros, commander of the French troops in Estonia and taking part in the Spring Storm exercise.

Fifteen months into Russia's war on Ukraine, and a month ahead of a summit of NATO leaders in Vilnius, the alliance is reinforcing its eastern defences.

Now that Moscow has ripped up decades of post-Cold War order, NATO is conducting the biggest overhaul to its defences and planning in a generation.

"This change will move us from an alliance that was optimised for out of area contingency operations to an alliance fit for the purpose of large-scale operations to defend every inch of the alliance's territory," US General Christopher Cavoli, NATO's supreme commander in Europe, said this month.

"This is necessitated by the new realities we face."

At a summit in Madrid last year, spurred on by the destruction Russian troops wrought in Ukraine, NATO reverted to "deterrence by denial" as it had during the Cold War standoff with the Soviet Union.

That means stopping any attack by Moscow at the borders, rather than being willing to cede frontline territory such as the Baltics, which would then need to be recaptured.

"What is clear is that NATO made a strategic shift," said Kristjan Mae, the head of the policy planning department at Estonia's defence ministry.

"Collective defence is the most important task and we need to get our house in order."

- Battle groups and brigades -

Since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the alliance has added thousands more troops to its eastern flank.

It has deployed four more multinational "battle groups" in Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria in addition to those set up on Russia's border in Poland and the Baltic states in the wake of Moscow's 2014 seizure of Crimea.

NATO members are now planning how to scale up deployments to Baltic nations and Poland to brigade-size, which would mean adding thousands more troops, "where and when required".

Military hardware - time-consuming and complicated to lug across the continent - is being pre-positioned in the east, and exercises are being stepped up.

For Estonia, Britain will have troops on standby at their home bases ready to rush to the country to bolster the roughly 1,000 British and French troops already on the ground.

"That is a key shift - the extra layer of capability in time to be part of the in place force prior to the outbreak of a conflict," said Brigadier Giles Harris, British commander of the NATO deployment.

While Estonia seems satisfied with that model, its neighbour Lithuania wants more troops consistently on the ground and is still discussing with its lead partner Germany how to get them.

These deployments - along with the militaries of the frontline nations -- are NATO's forward defence.

Back in their headquarters, NATO commanders are drawing up more detailed plans - to be approved by leaders in Vilnius - on how the alliance would defend each region.

That involves details of how many forces, from which countries would go where, integrating national and NATO defence planning and setting clearer spending priorities for new gear.

NATO membership for Finland and eventually Sweden will also help bolster the eastern flank, but commanders must decide how the Scandinavian neighbours fit into broader plans.

The allies plan to have a pool of 300,000 troops ready to deploy within 30 days and will hold a conference at the end of June to commit personnel.

- From paper to practice -

All these new deployments and plans will inevitably require money, resources and forces.

"If nations need more time, or nations have less money, or there's all sorts of things that happen along the way, then it will have an impact of reaching that ideal situation," said Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of NATO's military committee.

Ahead of the Vilnius summit, NATO members are haggling over a new pledge to boost defence spending as a percent of gross domestic product.

Just seven alliance members hit the two percent target set in 2022 and the aim for Vilnius will be agreeing to turn that target into a baseline.

Estonia, which has never stopped viewing Russia as an existential threat, wants allies to commit to spending 2.5 percent of GDP on defence.

Tallinn insists it is pulling its weight. The country of 1.4 million is already boosting defence spending to 3 percent of GDP, standing up a new army division, and buying modern weaponry.

Faced by its aggressive giant neighbour, it now wants NATO's new defence strategies to become operable as soon as possible.

"One thing is to have good plans on paper. The other thing is to have these executable and implementable," said Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur, surrounded by British and French armoured vehicles at the Spring Storm exercise.

"So this is the task. And this is the challenge for all of us."

del/dc/giv
(Bloomberg) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame said his government remains committed to accepting asylum seekers deported from the UK, a plan thats drawn criticism from human-rights groups and is being legally challenged.

Most Read from Bloomberg

For us to receive them and process them, working with the UK, we are ready, Kagame said in an interview at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Tuesday. UK has to be ready on their part.

The UKs Court of Appeal last month held a four-day hearing on challenges to the legality of the policy of flying asylum seekers arriving in Britain some 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometers) to the East African nation, and has yet to say when it will deliver its ruling. The United Nations Refugee Agency told the court the plan will expose the migrants to serious harm and was incompatible with the UKs international obligations.

While Rwanda has consistently had one of Africas fastest-growing economies and made strides in drawing foreign investment, Kagames administration has been criticized by advocacy groups for failing to respect human rights and repressing political opposition.

Kagame described the deal with the UK as a development partnership that would entail resettling migrants who need to settle down and give them the freedom to do what they want to do in places that they are stable.

The idea came about after Rwanda began accepting African refugees who were caught up in instability in Libya while en route to Europe in 2018. Its also been explored by some European countries, Kagame said, without identifying them.

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With hundreds of thousands of migrants stranded in Mexico while trying to reach the United States, Miami Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar introduced a bill in Congress on Tuesday that she believes addresses the strident issues that for decades have kept the two main political parties apart on immigration reform.

The initiative  which Salazar says is the first bipartisan immigration bill introduced in Congress in the last 10 years would create a legal pathway for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants already inside the United States, while at the same time allocating billions of dollars to increase border security, an effort that would be paid by the immigrants themselves.

Salazar is the author of the bill, which will be co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, who will be the co-lead, and it will be supported by Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon, Rep. Kathy Manning, D-NC; Rep. Mike Lawler, R-NY and Rep. Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon, the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico.

We are fixing legal immigration (and) it wont cost the taxpayer one cent, Salazar told the Miami Herald. It will be fully paid by the people who are here and will be getting into the pathway set out to legalize their status.

Congress has failed for more than 30 years to overhaul immigration laws, including failing to pass a bill proposed by Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and backed by President Biden shortly after the president took office. As a result, the Biden administration has had to resort to executive actions like its predecessors to address immigration issues and the record-number of illegal crossings at the border. But some of those actions, including new asylum rules to replace Title 42, the public health measure used by President Trump to swiftly expel migrants, have come under heavy criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.

Salazar said the bill, which has Democratic support, is immigration reform that has the best chance of getting through Congress, given that a bill approved by the Republican-controlled House a couple of weeks ago will most likely be rejected by the Democratic controlled Senate. The difference between her bill and the previous one, she said, is that the newly proposed reform addresses the concerns of both parties. It covers everybody, she said.

The bill would have a path for immigrants who have been residing illegally in the United States for more than five years to come out of the shadows, Salazar said. That would be a great relief for millions who, aside from their undocumented immigration status have behaved as law-abiding citizens, paying their taxes and raising U.S.-born children.

With the exception of those who have committed a crime, the program would grant undocumented immigrants authorization to work and live in the United States for seven years, under a program called the Dignity Status, after paying $5,000. After those seven years, immigrants would qualify for Redemption Status, which would lead to citizenship at a cost of another $5,000.

Those funds, which could potentially add to several billions of dollars, would be used to finance a new workers reeducation program to help any American worker who feel they have lost their job to an immigrant, to obtain the training needed to get a better job, Salazars deputy chief of staff, John Mark Kolb, said.

The American workers fund will be the most historic investment in American worker in history. It is going to be $45 billion and any American can tap into that, he said.

Those hoping to obtain U.S. citizenship through the programs in the reform would not have access to government programs or subsidies. For example, they would have to pay for their own health insurance, Salazar said.

In addition, immigrants under the Dignity program would have 1.5% of their paychecks deducted for a special fund that would be used to secure the border. That percentage would be deducted in place of the 7% normally taken for Social Security and Medicare, she said.

Salazar added that dealing with the border is one of the bills most important provisions and that the 1.5% deduction would be enough to set aside the billions needed.

The bill contemplates the acquisition of state-of-the-art technology to better monitor the border, to construct an impenetrable border infrastructure system, which would include enhanced physical barriers and to hire more border patrol agents.

The bill would also modify the current asylum provisions by creating five humanitarian campuses for those hoping to obtain the immigration status. The construction of those centers would put an end to the often criticized practice known as catch-and-release, she said, in which detained undocumented migrants are allowed to go free while waiting for a resolution of their cases.

The campuses would keep family members from being divided and migrants would have a resolution of their cases within 60 days, after which applicants would either know if asylum has been approved, denied or pending, in which case they would be allowed to be free while wearing an ankle bracelet.

The bill also provides special provisions for a guest worker program directed to cover the labor needs of farms and other areas, Kolb added.

Salazar said she expects the private sector to support of the bill, which provides solutions to the labor shortage they have been facing.

And Dignity is the best solution that is out there, because the reality is that there is no other complete immigration reform that we know of that has been written either in the house or in the Senate, she said. There is nothing out there that will pass both parties.
Samuel L. Jackson says that he doesn't remember how he got engaged to his wife because he 'was on drugs' at the time

Samuel L. Jackson and his wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson. Noam Galai/Getty Images

Samuel L. Jackson said on "The Jennifer Hudson Show" that he doesn't remember how he got engaged.

He said that he and his wife of 42 years, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, have conflicting stories.

He added that his wife is more likely to be right because he "was on drugs" at the time.

Samuel L. Jackson said he doesn't recall exactly the details of how he got engaged to his wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson because he "was on drugs" at the time.

Jackson and LaTanya are one of the longest-lasting celebrity couples in Hollywood. The pair, who are both actors, have been together for over 50 years and have been married for 42 years. They will celebrate their 43rd anniversary in August.

When Jackson was asked about how he proposed to his wife on Monday's episode of "The Jennifer Hudson Show," the 74-year-old actor provided two stories.

"My story was I came home one day and she already had these invitations printed up and she gave me a stack and said, 'Be here,'" the Marvel star said. "She said, 'No that's not what happened.'"

Per LaTanya's version of the events, Jackson said: "I actually had to go and talk to her grandfather because he told her he wanted to walk it down the aisle before he died."

"So I went and asked him for her hand or whatever. And that's probably what happened because I was on drugs and I don't know what the hell was going on in my life. So she's probably right, but I like my version better. It sounds so much fun."

The last time Jackson was asked about his engagement to LaTanya was in a joint interview with his wife on a 2020 episode of "The Graham Norton Show."

After Jackson shared his side of the story, LaTanya clarified that her grandfather was "very ill" and wanted to see the last of his grandchildren get married before he died.

On Monday's episode of "The Jennifer Hudson Show," Jackson recalled that the pair had a "big, big, big, big" wedding because his wife had 23 bridesmaids.

"The problem was she had 23 bridesmaids and I didn't have 23 friends," the "Shaft" star recalled. "I had my friends and then I had my friends ask their friends if they were doing anything. It was on a Monday because we were both working."

Samuel and LaTanya share one child together, Zoe Jackson, who is an Emmy award-winning reality show producer.

Read the original article on Insider
San Bernardino County inmate suspected of killing cellmate, sheriff's officials say

West Valley Detention Center inmate Marco Antonio Lopez-Hernandez, 26, was booked on suspicion of murdering his cellmate, San Bernardino County Sheriffs officials reported.

A West Valley Detention Center inmate was booked on suspicion of murdering his cellmate, San Bernardino County Sheriffs officials reported.

The sheriffs department reported that at 4:54 a.m. on Sunday, a deputy assigned to the Rancho Cucamonga-based facility found inmate Adam Adams, 56, of Upland lying on the floor of his cell.

After the deputy attempted to wake Adams and found he remained unresponsive, deputies began life-saving measures and requested jail medical staff to respond.

Despite life-saving attempts, Adams died, sheriffs officials said.

Detectives with the sheriffs Specialized Investigations Division accuse Adams cellmate, Marco Antonio Lopez-Hernandez, 26, of Upland, of the death.

Lopez-Hernandez was booked on suspicion of murdering Adams, sheriffs officials said.

Sheriffs officials did not reveal how Adams was killed or a motive for the attack.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Deputy Charlie Lopez with the Specialized Investigations Division at 909-890-4904. Callers can remain anonymous and contact We-Tip at 800-78CRIME or wetip.com.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: San Bernardino County sheriff: Inmate suspected of killing cellmate
A May 1923 Times photo shows Upton Sinclair, Hunter Kimbrough, Pryns Hopkins and Hugh Hardyman in jail in Wilmington shortly after they were arrested at Liberty Hill. (UCLA Library / Los Angeles Times)

EXTERIOR. A SMALL HILL IN SAN PEDRO. TWILIGHT.

CAMERA follows several men breathing a bit hard as they climb to the flat top of a low hill on some bluffs above the Los Angeles harbor.

TITLE CARD May 1923.

UPTON SINCLAIR is a short-ish, middle-aged man in a suit, the celebrated socialist author of many books, including The Jungle, which provoked Congress and President Teddy Roosevelt to create landmark laws governing food and drugs. At the hilltop, SINCLAIR sees the POLICE, about 20 officers in LAPD uniforms. SINCLAIR takes a copy of the U.S. Constitution out of his pocket, and apologizes to the POLICE for the delay; the POLICE are clearly expecting him. So too is the CROWD of striking port workers and their supporters farther down the hill. There is only a narrow crescent moon in the sky, and the dim stars.

SINCLAIR

I have no light, and without light I cannot read the Constitution of the United States.

HUNTER KIMBROUGH, a Mississippi aristocrat and Sinclairs brother-in-law, dapper in a striped tie and white shirt, pulls a candle from his pocket, lights it and holds it at SINCLAIRs side.

SINCLAIR

Friends, I did not come here to incite violence. I came here to uphold the right guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. I am going to read from that Constitution. I will read from Article 1 of the amendments.

SINCLAIR opens a small book to a dog-eared page.

SINCLAIR

It says that Congress will make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

A POLICE officer steps up to SINCLAIRs side.

POLICEMAN

Youre under arrest.

SINCLAIR

I thank you.

As SINCLAIR is led away, KIMBROUGH snuffs out the candle, and steps up on a nearby bench.

KIMBROUGH

Friends, I want to read you something from the Declaration of Independence.

A second POLICE officer steps to his side.

SECOND POLICEMAN

Youre under arrest.

KIMBROUGH

I thank you.

And so it went on: a Santa Barbara man named Prynce Hopkins  the papers called him a socialist millionaire  stepped up on the bench next. He began to say that he had not come to incite violence when he too was arrested. Then Hugh Hardyman, a 20-year-old Englishman in a dark cardigan, stepped up on the bench. Friends, this is a very pleasant evening, I think. It will be interesting to see how it will turn out. I am very happy to be here   Another policeman cut him off. Are you trying to make a speech? the officer demanded. Why, yes  said Hardyman. He was promptly arrested.

It really happened this way: One of the most dramatic and cinematic moments in Los Angeles political history took place a hundred years ago, on May 15, on a rise of land called Liberty Hill.

The episode  arresting men standing on private property trying to read the countrys founding documents aloud  put Los Angeles right in the slipstream of the biggest battle in the country at that moment: rising organized labor and civil rights movements versus government and private industry joining forces to suppress them.

Out of that moment a hundred years ago, the ACLU of Southern California was born .

As the Scopes trial would do two years later in Tennessee (where a high school teacher taught a class on evolution to force a court challenge to the state law banning it) Liberty Hill was a test case.

About 10 days before, police arrested about 30 leaders at a port workers strike meeting not far from Liberty Hill, for violating police orders not to gather on public property. One officer kicked a soapbox out from under a pastor who was standing on it speaking to the crowd.

The men were charged with blockading a street. And then several hundred men who had called for the work stoppage that was bottling up ships in the harbor were rounded up and held without bail in a specially built stockade.

The catch-all charge was a fairly new California felony banning criminal syndicalism. Syndicalism is a workers political movement to put business ownership into workers hands, but in California, its criminal application extended not just to actions, including peaceful picketing, but to teaching or advocating anything resembling it. The law was broadly used, often at the insistence of business owners, to prosecute not just true syndicalists, but also the many ordinary workers striking for better wages and working conditions  and a repeal of the syndicalism act. (It was ruled unconstitutional in 1968.)

L.A.s mayor, George Cryer, thought this was fine: They have been a constant source of trouble and annoyance and must be treated like other lawbreakers. Translation: By organizing, demanding better wages and conditions, and striking, they are interfering with the untrammeled business of the moguls of this city, and the police force stands ready to protect private industry.

An LAPD captain named William Hynes, who would later run the LAPDs Red Squad, had already infiltrated the striking port union, the Wobblies, and did it so effectively that he was made secretary of the strike committee. Business owners paid him generous tips for the union-busting he did as an on-duty cop, and his reputation as a strikebreaker was so formidable that out-of-town employers hired him and his squad to come to their towns and bust up their strikes too.

The day before the Liberty Hill incident, Sinclair and a delegation of what The Times snarkily called well-to-do radicals from Pasadena called upon the mayor to protest the mass arrests. When they raised the constitutional right to free speech and peaceful assembly, Cryer started pounding on his desk and raised his voice: Too many of the foreigners who come here yap about their constitutional rights and forget their constitutional duties.

Then he handed it off to the police chief, Louis Oaks. A few hours before Sinclairs party made the climb to Liberty Hill, it met with Oaks and laid before the chief a letter from Minnie Davis. Liberty Hill was hers, and she had granted the group permission to speak there.

The chief wasnt buying it. Constitution or no constitution, you are not going to speak in San Pedro, is how Sinclair recalled it. Oaks captain, Clyde Plummer, jumped in. You cant stand there and hand me that constitution stuff. It was Plummer who reportedly personally pulled Sinclair off his speaking perch by the collar.

Sinclair left to speak to his lawyer, and soon came back. Well, weve decided we want to be arrested, Sinclair said. The chief told him that If you speak youll go to jail, and without bail. And thus the evening unfolded.

Sinclair and his three friends were held incommunicado for almost a day, shuttled around the city and into arraignment court on the QT, as rumors spread that they had been disappeared. They were released within a few days and charges were dropped.

The IWW, the International Workers of the World, the Wobblies, was the most aggressive and radical of the unions operating in the late 19th and early 20th century. In the spring of 1923, with many of its maritime union leaders behind bars, the port strike fizzled, and soon, the IWW did too. But West Coast port workers eventually organized into the modern-day ILWU .

Los Angeles business leadership, captained by the Merchants & Manufacturers Assn., the M&M, had for the moment won the day as an open-shop, anti-union city. Unlike San Francisco, Los Angeles had firmly planted its flag as a city hostile to organized labor, and at the turn of the 20th century, wages here were as much as 30% lower than they were for the same jobs in the Bay Area.

The Times led the crusade. Its first publisher, Harrison Gray Otis, fulminated against the typesetters union trying to organize Times workers. Otis editorialized in favor of a posse armed with pick handles that would drive the lawless union laborites, closed shop, murderous vermin into the sea.

In the years before World War I, workers nationwide were pushing to organize. Los Angeles brewery workers went on strike for better wages. California women had just gotten the vote, and were using it for progressive causes. A socialist named Job Harriman ran a formidable campaign for mayor of Los Angeles.

But a fatal bombing of The Times in 1910 set the entire labor movement back on its heels and energized the M&M for years. The bombers guilty plea blindsided those who had believed in their innocence  including one of their attorneys, Harriman.

By 1918, the Great War was over, but the country stayed on a war footing internally. Domestic anarchists, immigrants, labor activists, antiwar protesters, socialists and progressives were all conflated into one domestic enemy, the un-American other. And Los Angeles, in many ways, was the tip of the spear for such politics.

In 1934, with California in the chokehold of the Depression, Sinclair ran for governor. He won the Democratic nomination with his EPIC campaign  End Poverty in California  advocating old-age pensions and a state-operated collective economy to create jobs for the millions of unemployed.

Greg Mitchells fine book The Campaign of the Century details how the GOP establishment, newspapers and movie studios joined forces to make sure Sinclair lost. MGM, for example, took a days pay from every employee, even actors, to donate to Sinclairs Republican opponent. MGM also produced bogus newsreels  using MGM talent and even extras portraying supposedly ordinary voters  to tar Sinclairs politics. One newsreel played on the fears of an invasion of the unemployed into California  think The Grapes of Wrath  showing men climbing out of train boxcars and advancing into California to take up what the viewer was supposed to assume was permanent, tax-sucking residence. Sinclair lost the election to the incumbent Republican.

In 1976, the bicentennial year, philanthropist and activist Sarah Pillsbury co-founded the Liberty Hill Foundation here. She was living in the East when she read liberal author Carey McWilliams book, An Island on the Land, about Southern California as the place on the edge of history, and she agreed. I felt if real change was going to happen in this country, it had to pass through Los Angeles. And I liked the Beach Boys.

For the foundation, it wasnt enough to redistribute wealth, but you have to redistribute the power.

Back then, 90% of the giving in L.A. was to bricks and mortar. If you couldnt chisel your name on it, [charities] didnt want to do it.

From the outset, the foundation asked community groups and activists what they needed to make their work effective, challenging the power structures that affected their lives.

So the foundation made grants to Mothers of East L.A. and to Compton citizens groups trying to stop toxic sites, to locals trying to get open space in poor neighborhoods. They made grants to groups helping homeless women, to grassroots drug abuse programs and living wage campaigns and to work for accessible banking.

Pillsbury visited the Liberty Hill site in 1998, for the events 75th anniversary. Theres a state historic marker there, and, on the spot where, in May 1923, free speech was criminalized, an official government building  the Port of Los Angeles Liberty Hill Plaza.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A South Carolina six-week abortion ban that has cleared the Republican-controlled Legislature is now for the second time headed to the governors desk, whose expected signature enacting the bill into law is likely to be challenged immediately.

In a vote of 27-19, the Senate on Tuesday voted to approve House changes made to a six-week abortion ban  S. 474  that would prohibit abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected, typically around the sixth week of pregnancy, when most people dont know that theyre pregnant.

The present bill includes exceptions for rape and incest no more than 12 weeks, fatal fetal anomaly and the mothers life.

All of you listening to me that have daughters and granddaughters, ... I want you to stop and think about the laws that youre making for their future, said Sen. Katrina Shealy, R-Lexington, one of five women who serve in the Senate. If you havent talked to them, why dont you ask them how they feel about having you and the state of South Carolina being in their bedrooms, at the dinner table, in the doctors office and in the locker room?

The Legislatures move, in part, serves as an effort by Republicans to put the measure back before the South Carolina Supreme Court, which in January ruled a similar ban passed in 2021 unconstitutional.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said, compared to neighboring states, South Carolina has the weakest abortion ban, which, as a result, has attracted a large number of out-of-state travelers seeking abortions in the state.

Starting in September 2022  a month after the states previous six-week ban was blocked  out-of-state visitors began to make up nearly half of South Carolinas total monthly abortion cases, according to provisional data from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

In February, DHEC reported that 504 South Carolina residents received an abortion, compared to 482 visitors, according to Massey. And in March, 525 S.C. residents and 433 visitors received abortions.

The abortion landscape has changed considerably even from our last debate on the issue just last month, Massey, R-Edgefield, said, referring to the upper chambers vote in April to reject a near-total abortion ban. South Carolina has become the abortion capital of the southeast, and theres really no other way to say that.

Lawmakers debate abortion ban in 2nd special session

This was the second special session in less than a year to further restrict a bortions, after Republicans for months had been unable to agree on how restrictive a ban should be.

Under House modifications, the bill includes several new requirements, such as requiring child support to start at conception and allowing a judge to decide if a minor can have an abortion should a parent or guardian be unavailable.

The push against the measure included all five female senators  made up of three Republicans, one Democrat and one Independent.

This General Assembly cares more about the unborn than the living that are dying all the time, state Sen. Sandy Senn, R-Charleston said, referring to the opioid crises in South Carolina that she said her colleagues have done nothing about. Please pray for these born children just as you do for the unborn.

Although state Sen. Penry Gustafson, one of three Republican female senators, supported the Senates original six-week ban back in February, she opposed S. 474 as modified by the House.

I was not going to be satisfied if the bill were changed. Its not the same bill. Its just something different, Gustafson, R-Kershaw, said.

Last week, which marked the start of a special legislative session, the House, after 24 hours of debate over two days, voted 82-33 in favor of S. 474, fending off hundreds of unsuccessful tries by Democrats to amend the bill.

Of the successful House amendments, however, and perhaps the most contentious, included a requirement that an abortion require an in-person doctor visit about the implications of having an abortion before a procedure can be done.

The change sparked a lengthy exchange between Sen. Margie Mathews, D-Colleton, and Massey, who the said the amendment has been grossly misinterpreted.

Ive seen some interpretation that what this provision does is effectively require two in-person visits 24 hours apart, (but) thats not what it does, Massey said. It does, however, require that the woman is going to have some in-person counseling to understand what it is that shes doing, and what the consequences of that is.

But Matthews said in the case of a rape victim, two in-person doctor visits are unavoidable and, therefore, burdensome.

If you come in that first time (as a rape victim) and you believe that youre pregnant, theyre going to consult with you to confirm whether or not you are in fact pregnant, and that cant be done unless theres a physician present to give that diagnosis, Matthews said. So, under this (bill), there has to be a second visit.

Shealy on Tuesday unsuccessfully offered an amendment  the Senate rejected the proposal in a 21-25 vote  she called a compromise that would bump the ban up from six to 12 weeks and allow up to 20 weeks in cases of rape and incest.

Another change made by the House would subject doctors to civil liability in addition to losing their medical license.

Shealy said while women are fertile only 24 hours each month, men are fertile 100% of the time.

So, its time for men in this chamber and the ones across the hall and all across the state of South Carolina to take some ejaculation responsibility, Shealy said.

Once signed, six-week abortion ban likely headed to court

Critics say the legislation mirrors what the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional in January.

Kathleen McDaniel, an attorney who represented Planned Parenthood before the state Supreme Court in its recent ruling, recently told lawmakers that while the bill has some technical differences compared to last years version, it maintains an element already ruled unconstitutional by the court.

The concept of banning abortion at six weeks is exactly the same whether you add exceptions, whether you narrow down that limitation or not, McDaniel said. So, no matter how you slice it and dice it and try to add additional revisions, ... if the six-week ban remains the centerpiece of the bill, it will remain unconstitutional.

Now, the court is made up of all men after Justice Kaye Hearn, the only woman on the high court, retired due to the states 72-year age limit and was replaced by current Justice Gary Hill.

Massey said the current bill addresses previous constitutional challenges.

One of the things that one of the justices focused on (in striking down the former six-week ban), was a legislative finding in the 2021 legislation that specifically talked about women being able to make informed choices, Massey said Tuesday. And the justice ... concluded that finding was inconsistent with the rest of the bill. So in the bill that we passed a few months ago, we removed that finding such that we would not have the contradiction.

Gustafson said that while she and her colleagues may disagree on a womans right to choose, debates surrounding abortion shouldnt be so contentious.

Certain senators stood at this well last fall and said basically if (I) dont support a total abortion ban (Im) going to hell, she said. What do you do what that?

This is a developing story. It will be updated.
At least 19 children died in a horrific school dormitory fire in Guyana, which has shocked the nation and led to its president to declare three days of national mourning.

The fire that engulfed Mahdia Secondary Schools female dormitory killed 18 girls and a boy, according to Guyanas Department of Public Information (DPI), revising down its earlier death toll of 20.

Thirteen girls and a little boy died at the dorms, and five others in the hospital, the DPI said.

Both police and firefighting officials say the fire was maliciously set. At the time of the blaze, it was reported that 56 children were staying in a dorm  a concrete and wooden structure with five doors and grill windows, a police spokesperson said during a press conference.

Initial investigation suggests, as reported by the fire department, that it (the fire) was maliciously set. Our investigation is continuing, and tests will be done expeditiously on the remaining bodies, the spokesperson said.

DPI did not report on the total number of injured from the fire but reported that of those injured, six children were medevacked to Georgetown in the wee hours of the morning, while 17 are in the Mahdia Hospital.

Officials were first alerted to the blaze at 10:15 p.m. local time on Sunday, according to the police spokesperson.

The point of origin was identified as the southwestern end of the building. After we completed our initial investigation, the scene was handed over to the Mahdia police force,a firefighter department spokesperson said at the same press conference on Monday.

Videos aired by the Guyanese Public Broadcaster National Communications Network appear to show the fire. - National Communications Network

When firefighters arrived at the dormitory, the building was already engulfed in flames completely, according to an earlier statement. Firefighters rescued around 20 students by breaking holes in the north-eastern wall of the building.

It took firefighters over three hours to control the blaze.

Indigenous victims

The Mahdia Secondary School Dormitory, where the fire happened, is at the center of the Guyanese governments push to improve the education level in the less developed part of the country. lt mostly served indigenous children, although authorities couldnt immediately confirm if any of the children who were killed were from indigenous communities.

The Amerindian Peoples Association [APA] said they were heartbroken by the news of the fire in a statement, adding that it is important to note that while the secondary school is located in the township of Mahdia, it also housed students from indigenous communities from the wider area.

The dormitory was housing for students from villages outside of Mahdia and thus far, victims have been identified from the indigenous communities of Micobie, Chenapou and Karisparu, the statement said.

Guyanas President Mohamed Ifran Ali said earlier that the students not only hailed from Mahdia, but also came from the villages of Campbelltown, Micobie, El Paso, and several other villages in the North Pakaraimas.

Children who require immediate medical attention will receive it, according to a statement from Guyanas president. and all other individuals who remain injured and traumatized will be given with medical and psychological assistance.

The Guyanese government earlier mobilized a full-scale medical evacuation-supported response after the fire broke out.

In an initial statement, the government said the Cabinet is being briefed and kept updated on a horrific fire at the dormitory in Mahdia. Bad weather had complicated the early response, the statement added.

Authorities are attempting to locate some of the victims parents, Ali said. This is a major disaster. This is horrific, its painful. And many responses have to occur at the same time. So, were putting all of that in place, Ali said at a press conference on Monday morning.

The school was severely damaged after the blaze, pictures showed. - National Communications Network

Ali alongside other ministers had visited students and families on Monday, according to a press release.

He also declared three days of national mourning in response to the deadly fire, DPI said, when the national flag will be flown at half-staff at all public buildings in honor of the children who lost their lives, Ali said.

I ask that as a nation we utilize the next three days as three days of prayers for these children, their families, and the community, Ali said according to DPI.

Guyana is a multi-ethnic, English speaking country, where Amerindians make up 11% of the countrys population, according to the Pan-American Health Organization.

Indo-Guyanese are 40% of the population, followed by Afro-Guyanese, those who are ethnically mixed (20%) and Amerindian, it added.

CNNs Stefano Pozzebon contributed to this report.

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The logo of TikTok is seen on the screen of a smartphone in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, Aug. 30, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]



Social networking platform TikTok filed a lawsuit Monday against the western U.S. state of Montana, seeking to overturn the state's ban on the video-sharing app.

The move came after Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed Senate Bill 419 last week, making Montana the first U.S. state to prohibit the use of or access to the social network.

"We are challenging Montana's unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana," said TikTok, based in Los Angeles and specializing in user-made short videos, in a statement. "We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts."

TikTok's lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court, stated that "every month, more than 150 million Americans use the app to express themselves and connect with others" and that the ban violates the First Amendment.

The lawsuit also stated that Montana has enacted some "extraordinary and unprecedented measures based on nothing more than unfounded speculation."

"To halt this unlawful conduct, Plaintiff seeks a declaratory judgement and order invalidating and preliminarily and permanently enjoining Defendant from enforcing the TikTok Ban," said the company in its complaint.

Another lawsuit has also been filed against Montana by five TikTok content creators last week. The plaintiffs, who have diverse occupations, such as businesswomen, a rancher, a student and a veteran, all create, publish, view, interact with and share TikTok videos with "significant audiences."

Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union tweeted last week that "this law tramples on our free speech rights under the guise of national security and lays the groundwork for excessive government control over the Internet."
The site of the first skirmish of the seven-year-long French and Indian War has been verified after a four-week archaeological dig

that involved multiple organizations found artifacts, including musket balls, from the 1754 battle.

The skirmish on May 28 lasted just 15 minutes, the National Park Service said in a news release, at Jumonville Glen, a part of the Fort Necessity National Battlefield in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Virginia provincial troops helmed by then 22-year-old Lieutenant Colonel George Washington marching under the British Flag were led to a French campsite by members of Seneca, Oneida and other Allied tribes.

The two sides engaged in gunfire and at the end of the skirmish, 13 Frenchmen were dead and 21 were captured. One British soldier was killed, and two or three were wounded, the NPS said. The French and Indian War pitted French soldiers and British colonists against each other - with each side aided by local tribes - and came to an end when the French relinquished much of their territory in North America.

The National Park Service said archaeologists uncovered quite a few artifacts, including these musket balls, at Jumonville Glen in Fayette County. / Credit: (Photo: KDKA)

While the skirmish, known as the "Jumonville Affair," has been remembered with living history programs held at the battlefield, this is the first time experts can say for certain that it took place on the site. Fort Necessity superintendent Stephen M. Clark described the archaeological project as the "first serious investigation" of the site.

"We can now, with high confidence, conclude the site we protect is indeed the location of the May 28, 1754, skirmish," said Brian Reedy, Fort Necessity National Battlefield chief of interpretation and site manager in the NPS news release.

The investigation was conducted by members of multiple organizations, including the American Veterans Archaeological Recovery, the National Park Service Northeast Resources Program, the National Park Service Northeast Museum Services Center, Paul Martin Archaeology Associates, and the Advance Metal Detection for the Archaeologist.

Another living history event - where volunteers, staff, and historians recreate a moment in history - will be held at the end of May to honor the 269th anniversary of the skirmish.

National Park Service archaeologist Dr. William Griswold told CBS News Pittsburgh that the discovery of musket balls and the confirmation of the site can help historians find out even more about the events of the war.

"This is where the affair happened. This is where it all began. We're going to be trying to, over the next year or so, figuring out the combatants' role, where people were positioned, what people were shooting and that's going to come through several lines of analysis," Griswold said.

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High Ground

A team of astronomers has discovered an Earth-sized exoplanet that appears to be absolutely covered with volcanoes.

In fact, according to their findings, it could rival the most volcanically active celestial body in our solar system, Jupiter's moon Io.

In other words, we could be looking at the equivalent of the fictional planet of Mustafar in the "Star Wars" universe, a volcanic hellscape that serves as the backdrop for the epic showdown between Obi-Wan Kenobi and his former pupil Darth Vader in "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith"  and, weirdly, the planet Vader eventually called home.

It's Over, Anakin

The team of scientists examined data from NASA's TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and the retired Spitzer Space Telescope.

There's only a slim chance the planet dubbed LP 791-18 d, which circles a small red dwarf star in a tidally locked orbit roughly 90 light-years away, could host any liquid water.

Yet it's still within its star's habitable zone, an area where scientists say it's technically possible for liquid water to exist.

"The day side would probably be too hot for liquid water to exist on the surface," said Bjorn Benneke, co-author of a new paper published in the journal Nature, and an astronomy professor at the University of Montreal, in a NASA statement. "But the amount of volcanic activity we suspect occurs all over the planet could sustain an atmosphere, which may allow water to condense on the night side."

Fortress Vader

It's the third exoplanet to have been discovered in the distant star system. While NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is already planning to observe its 2.5 times bigger sister planet LP 791-18 c, the astronomers argue LP 791-18 d may be just as interesting as a target.

"A big question in astrobiology, the field that broadly studies the origins of life on Earth and beyond, is if tectonic or volcanic activity is necessary for life," said coauthor Jessie Christiansen, an exoplanet expert at NASA's Exoplanet Science Institute, in the statement.

More on exoplanets: Scientists Intrigued by Repeating Signal From Earth-Sized Exoplanet
Screwdriver-shaped teeth led scientists to new species of ancient lizard in Morocco

Scientists exploring a fossil deposit in Morocco uncovered some peculiar teeth shaped like the head of a screwdriver. The teeth led them to an extremely rare ancient marine lizard.

The fossil deposit of the Oulad Abdoun basin in Morocco is part of a large belt of sedimentary rocks rich in ancient life, according to a study published May 17 in the journal Fossils.

While searching a 66 million-year-old section of the deposit, researchers uncovered a jaw fragment with the tip of a tooth still embedded and two other teeth, the University of Bath in the United Kingdom said in a news release.

The teeth look like the tip of a Phillips-head screwdriver, or maybe a hex wrench, lead co-author Nicholas Longrich told the university.

The study said, The tooth shape does not closely resemble any known species.

Based on the geological context of the find and comparative analysis, researchers identified the fossils as a new unusual species of mosasaur, according to the study.

Mosasaurs are a group of ancient sea-dwelling lizards, researchers said. One subgroup, known as Mosasauridae, have teeth so unique that the animals can be identified to the genus and sometimes to the species level by teeth alone.

The new animal, Stelladens mysteriosus, was identified as a Mosasaurid, the study said.

The jawbone identified as Stelladens mysteriosus.

Researchers named the new genus Stelladens, meaning star-tooth in Latin. The species name, mysteriosus, means mystery in Latin after the mysterious structure of the teeth, the study said.

The animals unusual teeth led researchers to ask, whats it eating? Phillips head screws? IKEA furniture? Who knows, Longritch told the university.

Stelladens mysteriosus may have eaten an unusual fish or unusual cephalopods, crustaceans, shrimp, lobster or thin-shelled ammonites, researchers said. Alternatively or simultaneously, the lizard might have had a specialized prey-capture strategy.

An illustration of what Stelladens mysteriosus might have looked like.

Still, Stelladens is a very weird, surprising creature, and extremely rare, Longrich wrote in a blog post.

Based on comparative estimates of other fossils, researchers estimated that Stelladens mysteriosus may have been about 16 feet long, the study said. The animals body shape and behavior are still unknown.

Ive worked on the mosasaurs of Morocco for more than 20 years, co-author Nathalie Bardet told the university, and Id never seen anything like this before  I was both perplexed and amazed!

Evolution isnt always predictable, Longrich told the university. Sometimes it goes off in a unique direction, and something evolves thats never been seen before, and then it never evolves again.

The Oulad Abdoun basin is about 90 miles south of Rabat.

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TRENTON, N.J.  Senate President Nick Scutari said Monday that he is considering an extension of the corporate business tax surcharge to fund new property tax relief programs.

The Senate presidents remarks put him at odds with Gov. Phil Murphy, who has been unequivocal that the additional 2.5% tax for corporations with over $1 million in taxable income sunset by the end of the year.

The possible extension of the corporate business tax also comes as Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin has pitched a new program for seniors  dubbed StayNJ  which he said in an op-ed published Monday would effectively cut most seniors property taxes in half. Scutari told reporters that he was working in tandem with Coughlin on property tax relief programs and that he would introduce legislation to do so.

When asked if an extension of the corporate business tax surcharge was considered to fund such a program, Scutari said it was a possibility.

I don't know what the governor's thoughts are on that," he told reporters. "But in my thought process, obviously, we now have to have a stable funding source. And that's the first thing that kind of pops to your head and probably mine as well.

When pressed more on it, Scutari would only say that he intends to speak in more detail with Murphy.

I mean, the governor hasn't been consulted on that," he said.

The governors office declined to comment on Scutaris remarks on possibly extending the CBT surcharge and referred to the governors prior comments.

Temporary does not mean permanent until otherwise noted. It means temporary, Murphy said at an event with business leaders in March.

Rhonda Schaffler, a spokesperson for Coughlin, said that Its premature to say anything about funding for the new proposed property tax relief program and that details around the speakers proposals were being worked through.

Ending the CBT surcharge has been strongly supported by business groups and gained support from some key Democratic lawmakers, like Senate Budget and Appropriations Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen). The Murphy administration's budget-in-brief for FY2024 estimated that the end of the surcharge will result in $322.5 million less revenue for the first half of 2024 and roughly $1.0 billion in FY2025.

Business groups have criticized the states tax rate for corporations, which can be as high as 11.5 percent when including the surcharge; according to business groups, that makes New Jersey the state with the highest corporate taxes.

There's a contractual obligation to have this sunset, Tom Bracken, president and CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview. For the legislative leaders  any of them  to renege on this commitment would be absolutely catastrophic to the business reputation of New Jersey. When you have legislative leaders who renege on commitments, can you ever trust them when they say theyre going to do something?

Bracken added that he has never gotten a clear position from Scutari on ending the corporate business tax surcharge.

The Senate president has never affirmatively committed to it, he added. I think what he's saying is fairly consistent with his approach all along. Its not a yes, it's not a no. But I hope at the end of the day it's a no.

Michele Siekerka, President and CEO of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, said in an interview that businesses need predictability in how they will be taxed. An extension of the surcharge, she said, will disrupt that predictability. Siekerka said her group is not opposed to property tax relief, but that changes should be systemic.

What we are supportive of is property tax reform for everyone, she said. Writing checks is not sustainable. Reform is sustainable. How many times have we seen rebate checks come and go?

Proponents of extending the surcharge on corporations  which include a coalition of progressive groups  welcomed the possibility of the CBT extension.

Its good news that lawmakers are reconsidering cutting the corporate tax rate, especially given looming revenue shortfalls in the coming months, Peter Chen, a Senior Policy Analyst for the left-leaning New Jersey Policy Perspective think tank said in a statement.

But those funds should go towards the investments that make New Jersey a great place to live and do business, investments that have long been underfunded like New Jersey Transit and public schools," he said. "Any dedicated funding should be targeted towards the New Jerseyans who need the most help, rather than already-wealthy residents. Two wrong giveaways to the wealthy wont make a right.
Authorities are searching for a suspect wanted for a daytime shooting in Dorchester.

Boston Police say they responded to a call for shots fired on Gallivan Boulevard around 12:30 p.m.

According to officials, the suspect fled the scene causing officers to shut down Gallivan Blvd at both Dorchester Ave. and Washington Street to facilitate the search for the shooter. Gallivan Boulevard has since been reopened.

A description of the suspect was not immediately made available.

There were no reports of any injuries.

The shooting remains under investigation.

UPDATE-Gallivan Boulevard is fully reopened. No reported victims at this time. Suspect search ongoing. https://t.co/yowP6MqPFd  Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) May 23, 2023

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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One of President Joe Bidens judicial nominees is pulling his name from consideration for a lifetime appointment to the federal bench, the second such politically painful withdrawal this month.

Jabari Wamble, currently a federal prosecutor, is yanking his nomination to fill a district court seat in Kansas, according to a letter sent to Biden on Tuesday. His move follows that of Biden judicial pick Michael Delaney, who stepped out of contention as an appellate court nominee last week as it became clear that he lacked the Democratic support needed to advance.

"After careful thought and consideration, I feel that it is best for me to continue my work at the United Statess Attorneys Office in the District of Kansas. I have been humbled and honored by the faith you placed in me with this nomination, Wamble wrote in the Tuesday letter. He is the son-in-law of Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.).

Aides were under the impression that the American Bar Association would rate Wamble not qualified for the nomination, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke candidly on condition of anonymity. The ABA has not issued a public ruling on Wamble on its website, and never made an official judgement on him.

Biden previously nominated Wamble for an appellate judgeship last year, but the Senate never confirmed him. He was nominated for the federal district court seat this year, but Kansass two GOP senators have not indicated whether they would waive their veto power over his nomination  a Senate tradition known as the blue slip.

The state's two Republican senators, Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, both have said they're waiting to see who is nominated for Kansas' appellate court opening before weighing in on Wamble. The White House has been working closely with Moran to fill the states vacancies.

President Biden is proud to have nominated Jabari Wamble, a deeply qualified attorney who has served with distinction as a prosecutor at the state and federal level in Kansas, who received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kansas, and who has dedicated his life to serving the people of Kansas, said Andrew Bates, a spokesperson for the White House.

Wamble's withdrawal comes as Biden picks for the judiciary have faced notable pushback. This month, POLITICO revealed that Delaney advised a free-market legal group that opposed Biden on key issues, including a major climate change executive order. Two weeks later, Delaney asked Biden to pull his nomination.

And last week, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) voted against confirming another Biden pick for the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Nancy Abudu. The Senate still confirmed Abudu, though Manchins no vote was the first time a Democratic senator broke with the Biden White House on a judicial confirmation vote.

Overall, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Biden have had significant success filling open judgeships, especially at the appellate level. But federal district courts have proven more challenging, with some Republicans declining to approve of nominees by withholding their blue slips  sparking a progressive campaign to do away with the custom.

Durbin declined to comment on Wambles nomination.
Driver charged with threatening the president after crashing U-Haul truck into White House barriers

A box truck is seen crashed into a security barrier at a park across from the White House, Monday night, May 22, 2023 in Washington. Police have arrested a man they believe intentionally crashed a U-Haul truck into a security barrier near the north side of Lafayette Square late Monday night. No one was injured.

A man faces several charges related to threatening the president Tuesday after authorities say he crashed a U-Haul truck into security barriers near the White House late Monday.

Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, of Chesterfield, Missouri, was charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a president, vice president or family member; assault with a dangerous weapon; reckless operation of a motor vehicle; destruction of federal property; and trespassing, according to U.S. Park Police.

The U.S. Secret Service detained him shortly before 10 p.m. Monday after the truck collided with security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square, said Anthony Guglielmi, Secret Service chief of communications, in a Twitter statement late Monday. At the time he said the driver may have intentionally struck the security barriers.

There were no injuries or ongoing danger, Guglielmi said.

Meanwhile, a Nazi flag was seized by authorities at the scene of the crash, according to Reuters, which cited witnesses and its own photographer on the scene. Reuters published an image of a red Nazi flag with a swastika laid out on the floor by the U-Haul truck, along with other pieces of evidence the news agency said was seized by authorities.

Secret Service and Park Police have not confirmed whether the flag was found on scene.

Roadways and pedestrian walkways were temporarily closed as law enforcement investigated the crash.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: U-Haul truck driver charged after crashing into White House barriers
See the moment when a woman wearing Ukraine's flag colors strode up the stairs at Cannes and poured what looked like blood all over herself

A protestor poured fake blood on herself on the Cannes red carpet. CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP via Getty Images

A protestor wearing the colors of Ukraine's flag gatecrashed Cannes and poured fake blood on herself.

The woman strode up the red carpet, pulled the bags of blood from her dress, and got to work.

She was hauled off the carpet by security officers.

A protestor clad in the colours of Ukraine's flag turned heads at the Cannes Film Festival when she abruptly doused herself in what looked like two bags of blood.

The unnamed woman wore a bejeweled yellow and blue dress, and was seen striding up the red carpet stairs during an event for the film "Acide" on Sunday at Cannes. After scaling a few steps, she stopped, looked over at the cameras, then appeared to reach into the neckline of her dress and pull out two bags of red liquid that resembled blood.

She then held the two bags over her head and burst them, spraying herself with the liquid. She used her hands to smear it all over her face and torso.

AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 22, 2023

Before she could do more, security guards rushed over and hauled her off the stairs. Photographers were seen trying to crowd around the woman to get a picture of her before she was removed.

Last year's Cannes Film Festival was also interrupted by a woman protesting against sexual violence in Ukraine. The topless protestor had painted the country's flag on her chest, with the words "stop raping us" painted on her chest and abdomen, per CNN.

Representatives for the festival did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Insider
Chrishell Stause accused her Selling Sunset co-star Nicole Young of being on drugs amid their ongoing feud, but Nicole has decided she wont be taking it further.

In the sixth and latest season of the Netflix reality series, which follows a group of high-end property realtors at the Oppenheim Group in west Hollywood, Los Angeles, Nicole and Chrishell get into a heated exchange after Nicole makes a comment about her colleagues past romantic relationship with their boss, Jason Oppenheimer.

The row takes place during a getaway for the agents in Palm Springs, with the pair squaring off against one another during a sit-down dinner.

Young had previously taken issue with having to share credit with Stause over a sale they worked on together three years ago, despite her colleague not earning any money from the listing, and attempted to claim that Chrishell was given the work because Jason had a crush on her. She was still married to her ex-husband, The Young and the Restless star Justin Hartley, at the time.

Chrishell, meanwhile, had repeatedly expressed her frustration over why Nicole had decided to bring the issue up after so much time had passed. She was also upset by Nicoles insinuation that she was given work because of office favouritism, rather than her professional abilities.

Nicoles grudge becomes the focus point for the pairs feud over the cource of the series.

Im going to move on, Young declares during the dinner, to which Chrishell, 41, replies, Im sure you would because you dont have a lot of points and youre on drugs.

F*** you, Nicole snaps back, an astonished look on her face.

Chrishell then tells Nicole that she had been acting a little cracked out at their dinner party and adds: I dont know what is in your drink and what youre on.

Nicole calls Chrishell a bi***, then looked to the rest of the cast for backup, but they all seemed too stunned to jump in.

However, Nicole  who is a newcomer to the Netflix series swiftly denies the allegations and says she was absolutely gutted by Chrishells claims

In the next episode, Nicole informs the group that she sought legal counsel and was advised to take a drug test.

The test comes back negative, and Nicole tells the group, which includes Chrishell, that her attorney advised her not to pursue legal action.

In an interview with People, Young said: When she first said it, I felt like Id just been hit by a train. I was so shocked.

"I was like a deer in headlights. It took me a moment to even process what she had said, and I was gutted. I was just absolutely gutted."

Young has been part of the Oppenheim Group since 2014 but only joined the cast during the shows sixth season.

The Independent has contacted representatives of Stause and Young for comment.

Season 6 of Selling Sunset is now streaming on Netflix.
Sen. Tim Scott promises not to overturn the election if he loses

Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who announced his 2024 presidential campaign Monday, said in an interview that he promises not to overturn election results if he loses.

During a sit-down interview with NBC News, Scott was asked by anchor Tom Llamas if he would attempt to overturn election results if it did not go his way.

Would you ever try to overturn an election you lost?

No, Scott replied.

When asked for his thoughts on Trumps behavior after the 2020 election that led to the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Scott responded he wants to focus on his vision for the future instead of having a conversation about Trump, noting that he was at the Capitol during the riot.

But it was a historical moment, Llamas told Scott. I think voters deserve to know

I I actually I was actually in there, so I know exactly how historic it was. But what I will say is simply this, that the future that America is focusing on is what Im gonna provide, Scott said. Im gonna continue to talk about those conservative principles that move this country forward with the best path for all of us.

After months of speculation, Scott formally announced his candidacy Monday, jumping into a GOP primary battle that has been centered around Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Scott becomes the sixth major candidate to enter the GOP primary race, joining Trump, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former radio host Larry Elder.

When asked for his thoughts on former President Trumps Truth Social post where he wished the senator good luck in his presidential campaign, Scott said that hell take all the votes I can get from anyone, anywhere, anytime, as I head into this election.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photo taken on July 22, 2022 shows Baer's pochards and white-eyed pochards in Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area, north China's Hebei Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

China's efforts to protect habitats and biodiversity have contributed to the increase in the population of many endangered species, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said on Monday, the 23rd International Day for Biological Diversity.

The day falls on May 22 annually, and this year's theme is "From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity".

The administration said that since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), more than 300 rare and endangered wildlife and plant species, including Siberian tigers and orchids, have seen their numbers rise.

Over the years, the distribution area of the Siberian tiger has expanded from the Changbai Mountains to the Greater and Lesser Hinggan Mountains, and there is a wild population of around 60.

Meanwhile, the distribution area of the crested ibis has expanded from three to seven provinces, with a wild population of more than 7,000, the administration said.

It added that the number of Qiaojia pine trees has also grown from 34 in the 1990s to more than 3,000.

To further protect these endangered species, China aims to establish an extensive system of national parks across the country that will cover more than 110 million hectares, about 10.3 percent of the country's land area, the administration said.

By 2025, the country aims to protect 75 percent of national key terrestrial endangered wildlife species and 80 percent of national key terrestrial endangered plant species, the administration said.

Such an example of habitat conservation can be found at Wuyishan National Park, located in Fujian and Jiangxi provinces.

The park, covering an area of about 128,000 hectares and home to more than 10,000 species of flora and fauna, has found a way to maintain harmony between local residents and the area's wildlife.

The park has dedicated 10 percent of its area to eco-friendly industries, while the remaining 90 percent is devoted to protecting biodiversity.

This approach has led to the growth of green industries, such as tea production, tourism and bamboo cultivation, leading to economic growth while also conserving the environment, said the park's management bureau.

Local residents have benefited from this model by engaging in eco-friendly tourism and conservation work, and the park has created job opportunities for them. More than 1,600 villagers are employed in positions including hiking tour guides and park maintenance staff.

These conservation efforts have also had a positive influence on the surrounding communities.

Zhan Jianying, a resident of Aotou village in the hinterland of the park, said that "without these good mountains and waters, we wouldn't have such good tea. If we want to continue to enjoy the benefits of these natural resources, we must protect them".
The Senate Democrats campaign arm has sued West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R), who is running to unseat Sen. Joe Manchin (D), for records related to his schedule after multiple requests for it.

The lawsuit from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) filed Tuesday, which was first reported by Punchbowl News, states that Justice has refused to produce the most basic records from his time as governor  a list of official meetings for him and his senior staff.

Diana Astiz, the research director for the DSCC, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request last month for copies of all scheduled official meetings that Justice, his chief of staff, his deputy chief of staff and his general counsel have had since January 2017, when the governor took office.

But the lawsuit states that Justices office completely denied the request a week later, saying that it had located the documents requested but would not release them. It said the office cited exemptions to the states FOIA law that the DSCC believes do not apply.

The lawsuit states that a records request in 2019 revealed that Justice almost never met with members of his Cabinet, is rarely present at the state capitol and mostly missed one of the most critical points of the years legislative session.

The Governor may understandably desire to avoid another round of similar criticism, but he is the chief executive of the State and has the duty to ensure that its laws are faithfully executed, the lawsuit states. His Offices refusal to produce the records sought is an open violation of FOIA.

DSCC previously announced last week that it intended to sue after Justices general counsel blocked two FOIA requests.

Jim Justice cannot hide his work schedule  or lack thereof  from West Virginians, and this is an area which is sure to receive further scrutiny in his nasty primary and in a court of law, DSCC spokesperson David Bergstein said in a release.

The lawsuit comes as Justice is candidate for Senate, and the seat could be a prime pickup opportunity for Republicans in 2024.

Manchin has not announced if he will run for another term.

Roman Stauffer, campaign manager for Justice, slammed the lawsuit as politically motivated, saying in a statement that Democrats want to help Justices primary opponent, Rep. Alex Mooney (R), because they believe he would be easier for Manchin to defeat.

Governor Jim Justice is the frontrunner in this campaign for U.S. Senate, and the polling shows that he beats every other candidate, Stauffer said. Chuck Schumer and the Democrats are panicking and will do everything they can to prop up Alex Mooney, whom they know they can easily beat in the General Election.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Map of Cameroon locating English-speaking regions and their capitals, Bamenda and Buea

Separatists in Cameroon's restive anglophone region which has suffered years of fighting between the state and insurgents have kidnapped around 30 women who were protesting against violence, officials said on Tuesday.

Insurgents, who are fighting government forces to carve out an English-speaking homeland in western Cameroon, regularly face accusations they target civilians deemed to be complicit with the authorities in the 80 percent francophone country.

"Over 30 women were severely tortured and kidnapped by heavily-armed terrorists" on Saturday in the village of Kedjom Keku in the Northwest region, where armed separatist groups frequently kidnap civilians, mostly for ransom, local officials said.

The government typically uses the phrase "terrorists" in connection with armed insurgents from the majority-francophone country's English-speaking minority who are fighting to establish an independent homeland, known as the "Amba boys".

"Around 30 women were kidnapped by separatists (on Saturday morning) We have not found them yet," an army colonel told AFP Tuesday, on condition of anonymity.

The Ministry of Territorial Administration confirmed to AFP there was "no news of the hostages" late Tuesday.

The day before, the "elderly" women had organised a "peaceful march to protest... criminal activities of the terrorists," the local authorities said.

- 'War effort' -

They demonstrated against "monthly taxes of 10,000 CFA francs ($17) for men and 5,000 for women" levied by the insurgents, according to the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), an NGO.

The rebels have said they levy the taxes to finance their "war effort for independence".

A video circulating on social media purporting to show the women, on the floor and apparently frightened, could not be independently verified by AFP.

But CHRDA referred to the clip in its statement, saying it was posted by the "Amba Boys".

Armed men say in the clip they are going to kill the women whom they accuse of "complicity with the military," according to the group, which condemned the hostage-taking as a "barbaric act".

Violent clashes erupted in late 2016, after which militants calling themselves "Amba boys" declared an independent state in the Northwest and Southwest regions, home to most of the anglophone minority.

The conflict has claimed more than 6,000 lives and forced more than a million people to flee their homes, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG).

Both the separatists and government forces have been accused of atrocities in the fighting.

Armed groups are regularly accused of abducting, killing or injuring civilians whom they accuse of "collaborating" with Cameroonian authorities.

NGOs and the UN accuse the government of repressing dissent in the English-speaking areas as well as clamping down hard on political opponents.

jbk-jrn-gir/gw/bp
Krysti Hanson was tired of commuting to Turkey Creek from Fountain City every day.

I worked at a few different salons and had a private salon suite in Turkey Creek, Hanson said. During COVID we shut down, obviously, then coming back to work they had capacity issues.

Hanson realized what she really wanted was her own space. So she opened Serendipity Hair Studio at 5034 N. Broadway in Fountain City.

I wanted to be able to make it my own, have control of the decorations, the guest experience and the vibe, she said.

It didnt hurt that her new salon is just three minutes from her house and has an abundance of natural light. I have a ring light and I dont even need it, she said. After doing hair at the MGM casino for six years, I wanted a smaller boutique salon, something more intimate, and this is perfect.

The urge to strike out on her own felt serendipitous, according to Hanson. I was struggling to find something in this area and thought I needed to build it, she said. It ended up being something so beautiful and unexpected, it has turned out amazing  serendipitous.

After doing hair at the MGM casino for six years, Krysti Hanson "wanted a smaller boutique salon, something more intimate, and this is perfect.

Hanson said her husband pushes her to do things that are way out of her comfort zone. My sweet husband had it all together for me in three months, she said. My lease was up and I had a full clientele, so he did all of the fixtures. I was going for a Vegas vibe and wanted something different. I do get homesick, so seeing the desert mural by Mara Wilson makes me smile, and I have framed pictures of little landmarks including the Little White Chapel in Vegas.

The Hansons used to live in Las Vegas and would visit family in Kingsport regularly. I loved the Friday Night Lights and the family feel of East Tennessee. I promised once my youngest son started kindergarten six years ago, we would move, she said.

I feel like Fountain City is a city within itself.

Serendipity Hair Studio opened last November, but Hanson does not anticipate having time to celebrate with a grand opening until this fall. This community has become my family; I feel like opening the salon has made it more so, she said. I have built more Fountain City clientele since opening here.

Currently there are three stylists listed under the Instagram account @serendipityhairstudio_: Hanson, Ava Ratner and Nicole Giles, and they are looking to add another.

We have an online booking system, and all of our stylists are independent and accept bookings through their Instagram pages, said Hanson. We are here Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays.

When it comes to the services Hanson offers, she says she loves a good transformation through hair color. My favorite technique is hand painting, she said. I use Davines (products) from Italy; we are a Davines exclusive. Everything is very clean and leaves your hair shiny and healthier than before you colored it.

Serendipity is more than just a place to get your hair done, said Hanson, who believes it is important to focus on the guest experience.

I want it to feel different, starting with the beverages and snacks  we have all of the fruity flavors of sparkling water, Truly, White Claw and every coffee flavor you can think of.

Other small details that add to the atmosphere are the scent of the salon, the warm towels and Hansons love of lush, green houseplants and quirky wallpaper in the restroom. I want them to feel like they are on vacation and can escape reality for a while, she said.

Serendipity Hair Studio even has a signature collection of custom candles. I collaborated with Blumenberg, said Hanson. The scents are Lady Luck, Stardust, Little White Chapel, Highview Drive, and Vegas Vic  he is a Vegas staple. That candle has an earthy cedar smell. Little White Chapel reminds me of drinking almond champagne the night I met my husband. Highview Drive has a coconut scent and reminds me of having barbecues with my dad, and Lady Luck is a sugared rose petal scent. And Stardust smells like honeysuckle, jasmine and white tea.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Serendipity Hair Studio in Knoxville has a Vegas vibe
Anybody remember Robert Bork, the fellow who took a beating in 1987 when President Ronald Reagan nominated him for a seat on the Supreme Court? He was grilled by senators who considered his extreme right-wing views a threat to his ability to remain impartial. His potential rulings on rights for women and minorities were not popular. Many senators predicted he would be instrumental in turning the clock back to previous decades.

To refresh your memory regarding the Bork confirmation hearings, they started with this quote from Sen. Ted Kennedy: Robert Borks America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, Blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens doors in midnight raids, school children could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists could be censored at the whim of the government and the doors of the federal courts would be shut on millions of citizens for whom the judiciary is often the only protector of the individual rights that are the heart of our democracy.  The damage President Reagan will do through this nomination if it is not rejected by the Senate could live on far beyond the end of his presidential term.

The Democratic Party had a spine then without a yellow streak running down it. The disgraced Chappaquiddick Kennedy was not the only one who tore into Bork. His colleagues joined him like a bull tearing into a red cape before being finished off by the matadors sword. The mauling of Bork was verbal, but the result was the same. His bid for the court was dead. He was beaten but not bowed and was welcomed by educational institutions.

Why is remembering Borks failed confirmation and Kennedys speech important? Because upstart Mitch McConnell vowed such a display of partisan politics would never happen again. Although a senator for only three years, he rallied the troops and ruled with an iron fist. Mitch was a man on a mission: Show no mercy when it was the donkeys turn to put forth a nominee. Stall, stall and keep stalling until an elephant was once again in the Oval Office. Mitchs chance came in 2016 when Justice Scalia was found dead in his bed at a Texas resort.

When he died, Barack Obama was president and Mitch had risen to Senate majority leader. He lost no time in stating that the vacancy created by Scalias death would not be filled until a new president was elected. Mitch felt it was unfair to fill the seat when a presidential election was on the horizon. That horizon was 18 months away, but he was successful in blocking Baracks candidate. Dignified, intelligent, soft-spoken, move-at-a-snails-pace Judge Merrick Garland would be nominated but would not get his day before the Senate.

Politics has always played a role in packing the court, but was it always so obvious? Its thrown in our faces now. It would be laughable if it werent so serious. Seven days prior to the 2020 election, Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice. Not 18 months prior to a presidential election. Only seven days. Bork had finally been vindicated. Henceforth Supreme Court appointees would be based solely on their political views, not on integrity, impartiality or anything other than loyalty to their benefactors.

Mitch felt no shame for his hypocrisy. It took 33 years, but he had accomplished his goal. The highest court in the land was firmly in the hands of one political party.

 To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at authorsharonkennedy.com. Kennedy's new book, "View from the SideRoad: A Collection of Upper Peninsula Stories," is available from her or Amazon.

This article originally appeared on The Sault News: Sharon Kennedy: Robert Borks vindication
By Shadia Nasralla and Ron Bousso

LONDON (Reuters) - Shell shareholders overwhelmingly supported the energy giant's strategy at a raucous annual general meeting disrupted by climate activists who tried to storm the stage.

Tuesday's meeting highlighted the growing tension Shell and its peers face as they try to navigate growing investor pressure to accelerate their shift away from oil and gas while other shareholders focus on profit after record earnings last year.

Shell's climate strategy resolution won 80% support from voting shareholders, according to preliminary results, in line with last year.

A shareholder resolution filed by activist group Follow This, calling on Shell to set more ambitious targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, won support from a fifth of the voters, also unchanged from a similar resolution last year.

The activist resolution echoes a Dutch court ruling demanding that Shell ramps up its climate targets. Shell has launched an appeal against the ruling.

"The silent majority is being very clear with us as to their expectations ... (to) find a balanced transition," Chief Executive Wael Sawan told reporters after the meeting.

Shell aims to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 and has set several short and medium-term emission targets but has so far rejected calls to set 2030 goals to reduce absolute emissions.

Sawan, who has signalled that Shell is reviewing plans to reduce oil output, is set to announce a strategy update next month.

STAGE STORMING

The meeting started after an hour's delay caused by repeated disruptions by protestors who were carried out by dozens of security staff.

Security staff formed a human chain on stage to shield Sawan, Chairman Andrew Mackenzie and company directors after a group of protestors attempted to storm the stage.

"Go to hell, Shell, and don't you come back no more," a choir of about a dozen protesters sang as they called for Shell to stop producing fossil fuels, with Sawan and Mackenzie watching.

"We've heard this point many times now," Mackenzie told the protesters. "Wouldn't it be nice to have this debate rather than saying the same thing over and over again."

He added that Shell's investment in lower-carbon solutions that earn smaller returns than oil and gas projects shows it is taking climate change seriously.

Shell, which reported a record $40 billion profit last year, and other major hydrocarbon producers argue that they have to help cover ever-increasing demand for oil and gas.

A company spokesperson said the protestors were "not interested in constructive engagement."

Scientists say the world needs to cut greenhouse gas emissions by about 43% from 2019 levels by 2030 to stand a chance of meeting the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

(Reporting by Shadia Nasralla and Ron Bousso; Editing by Jason Neely, Louise Heavens and David Goodman)
Shohreh Aghdashloo shows us where to find the best Persian food in L.A.

Emmy-winning Shohreh Aghdashloo, who also received the first Academy Award nomination for an Iranian actress, leads us on a Persian food crawl. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Spending an afternoon with Shohreh Aghdashloo is what I imagine hanging out with the president of the United States is like. There are selfies with fans, calls of adoration from across the street and even a photo opp with a smiling baby.

As soon as the actor walks through the door of Toranj restaurant in Westwood, a small frenzy erupts in the dining room. Its the beginning of the lunch rush on a recent afternoon, and everyone notices her. Diners swivel in their seats to stare. The staff is awestruck, stopping in their tracks, plates in hand. They all bow their heads with greetings.

She's like the president of the U.S. when she walks into a room, attracting fans and wowing babies. Here, Shohreh Aghdashloo meets one of her youngest fans during a stop at Jordan Market. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Aghdashloo is the raven-haired, Iranian-born actress who has appeared in dozens of TV series and movies, including 24, The Expanse and The Flight Attendant." In 2003, her performance in House of Sand and Fog landed her the first Academy Award nomination for an Iranian actress. She won an Emmy for her role in House of Saddam. Most recently, she starred as Bellafrancesca Lobo, a mob boss who isnt afraid to flirt with Dracula, in the new film Renfield, and shes shooting The Penguin alongside Colin Farrell.

She receives the attention appreciatively, nodding and smiling to her admirers. In boots with a sizable wedge heel, theres a quickness to her step as she takes a seat in the back corner of the restaurant.

Shes slight but not frail. At 71, she's brimming with vitality.

"It's a kingly meal," says Shoreh Aghdashloo. A bowl of ghormeh sabzi comes with a side of tahdig (crisp rice) at Toranj Restaurant. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

11:03 a.m. Toranj Restaurant

Aghdashloo is starting a Persian food crawl around Tehrangeles, an area of Westwood dense with Persian-owned restaurants, markets and other businesses. Shes often in another country, state or city filming, but when shes home in Los Angeles, youll find her here.

Have you ever tried ghormeh sabzi? she asks.

Her gravelly, husky voice is instantly recognizable. When she speaks, it registers as more of a low growl.

Lets get two, she says. With tahdig, of course. Tahdig here, tahdig there, tahdig everywhere.

We are at Toranj for the ghormeh sabzi, a hearty green vegetable stew recognized as the unofficial dish of Iran. And for tahdig, the prized, nearly scorched layer formed at the bottom of a pan of rice.

People love it, she says. More than any other stews in Iran. If someone has posh guests, they make sure they make ghormeh sabzi. Its a kingly meal.

Though Aghdashloo was born in Iran, she hasnt been back in 43 years. After speaking candidly in a CNN interview about stoning in Iran more than 30 years ago, she hasnt returned. And she says she has no desire to.

Fresh out of the clay oven at Toranj: taftoon flatbread  thin, crisp and mottled with brown bubbles. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo spends time with Los Angeles Times food columnist Jenn Harris  and a lamb chop  at Toranj Restaurant. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Hers is a story of success through perseverance. After starring in various theater productions and films in Iran, she opened a small flower shop when she first arrived in Los Angeles. She continued to pursue acting, starting in the theater, then eventually breaking into American TV and film.

Shes a staunch patriot, eager to extol the virtues and freedoms of her life and career in America.

Ive been living my best life in America for the past 35 years, she says, flipping the cap on a can of Coke. I preserve the beautiful parts of my culture that Im comfortable with. Food is one of them.

A few minutes after we order, a platter overflowing with diced radish, cucumbers, fresh herbs, squares of feta cheese and walnuts arrives. It's followed by a bowl of olives macerated in a pomegranate and walnut paste and a bowl of yogurt. A basket of steaming taftoon appears fresh out of the clay oven, the flatbread thin, crisp and mottled with deep brown bubbles.

The more elaborate this dish, the more important your guests are, she says, pointing to the platter of cheese and herbs. "Youre supposed to eat this before your food to make you even more hungry.

When the ghormeh sabzi arrives, she dips a spoon into the stew to inspect it.

Its a nice color, not too watery, she says. Some people dont fry their vegetables and they use dried vegetables, which doesnt work.

The stew is rich and dense, bitter with fenugreek and suffused with the distinct, earthy citrus smack of dried limes. Throughout the stew is a smattering of kidney beans, the small starchy nubs adding sweetness and texture to the melted mash of greens.

She tries the stew and emits what will be the first of many low moans while she eats.

Then, she claps with delight.

Whenever Shohreh Aghdashloo is in town, she stops at Jordan Market to shop for tea, jams, sauces and more. "This yogurt dip seasoning. Just pour a little on top of your yogurt. Iranian cheese. The jams. Pickled garlic to keep the skin shining. Persian tea, of course." (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

12:45 p.m. Jordan Market

As we make our way to Jordan Market, people on the street call to Aghdashloo.

We love you, says one woman, her hands full of groceries.

Do you know who youre walking with? a man asks as he runs out of a nearby restaurant. Shes amazing. The best!

As soon as Aghdashloo walks into the market, she heads straight to the register. The man working the register sees her and smiles.

Yes, we have them, he says, already anticipating her question.

Shohreh Aghdashloo showcases the cream-filled piroshki from Jordan Market, left, and demonstrates how to select a ripe watermelon, right. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Jordan Market is where Shohreh Aghdashloo shops for her infamous Persian parties. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Whenever Aghdashloo is in town, she stops at Jordan Market for piroshki. The large orbs of fried dough are filled with cream and dusted with sugar. The market has them in plastic containers near the register, meant to entice you as you pay for your groceries.

In addition to the piroshki, this is where Aghdashloo shops for her infamous Persian parties, large dinners she likes to host for cast and crew after shes wrapped a season of a series or a film.

She rattles off her go-to favorites while perusing the aisles.

Dried dill, cloves, cinnamon. Onion powder. Bay leaves. This yogurt dip seasoning. Just pour a little on top of your yogurt. Iranian cheese. The jams. Pickled garlic to keep the skin shining. Persian tea, of course.

A customer in the market shoves his smiling baby daughter into her arms, then asks for a photo. Aghdashloo obliges, cooing at the baby.

She breaks into her piroshki before we leave the store, powdered sugar clinging to her lips as we depart.

Actor Shohreh Aghdashloo and Los Angeles Times Food columnist Jenn Harris sit down for a meal at Javan. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

1:58 p.m. Javan Restaurant

Aghdashloo has a specific dish in mind at each stop along the crawl. At Javan, it's kebab and rice.

While we wait for our food, she gets up from her seat to stand beside me. She wants to play me a clip of herself in "Renfield."

In the video, her character, Bellafrancesca Lobo, meets Dracula, played by Nicolas Cage. She watches me watch, giddy and laughing.

"She's flirting with Dracula!" she says incredulously. "Oh," she says with a hand to her chest, imitating her character.

A selection of dishes from Javan including, from left, torshi and shallot yogurt, three kinds of rice  from top, zereshk (barberries rice), white rice with saffron and baghali polo (rice with fava beans and herbs)  and a plate of kebabs: beef koobideh, left, barg, chicken koobideh and chicken. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Our server interrupts the viewing with a platter of meat. He gingerly sets down the giant oval plate crammed with beef koobideh, barg, chicken koobideh and chicken kebab. The koobideh, logs of pressed, seasoned ground beef, are one of the dishes Aghdashloo uses as a litmus test for Persian restaurants.

She stabs a piece of koobideh, then takes a bite before vigorously nodding her head. She seems to eat with her entire body.

"It's harder to make than barg and you have to season it right and cook it just right," she says. "This one is just right."

Aghdashloo says she didn't learn how to cook until she was 35, prompted when she became a mother. She asked a friend from Iran to teach her how to make some basic stews and rice.

"That's how I started cooking," she says. "But I still cannot call myself a cook. My mother used to say you call yourself a cook when you can make pastries."

Though she won't call herself a cook, Aghdashloo hosts lavish Persian parties for friends and castmates whenever she's in town and has the time to devote to serving a crowd.

Shohreh Aghdashloo eats saffron and pistachio ice cream on a wafer cookie from Javan. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo loves to host lavish Persian parties for friends and castmates when she's in town. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

"By Persian parties, I mean eat, dance and tell jokes," she says. "Loose, fun and energetic."

Aghdashloo's blueprint for the party starts with a full day of shopping, cleaning and prepping vegetables and marinating meats. The morning of the party, she wakes early, giving herself enough time to devote to the ghormeh sabzi. By 7 p.m., when her guests arrive, she greets each one at the door with a shot of vodka and a "bump" of caviar.

There are lots of fruits and nuts on a table full of appetizers.

"There should not be a small place that you can leave your phone," she said. "It should be full."

She serves ghormeh sabzi; a stew made with pomegranate and walnut called fesenjoon, a dish she calls Persian curry ("less spices than Indian"); and an array of kebabs she orders from Shirin restaurant in the San Fernando Valley.

"Right after dinner I turn the music up as loud as possible and I ask everyone to join me and dance," she says. "There is no formula. Just unleash yourself."

If you're one of the guests who makes it to 3 or 4 a.m., the music switches to Bob Dylan. Everyone is welcome to crash on the couch or in a room upstairs.

It seems her passion for hosting parties is matched only by an insatiable sweet tooth. Aghdashloo finishes lunch with a bowl of saffron ice cream and crunchy wafer cookies.

"By Persian parties, I mean eat, dance and tell jokes," says Shohreh Aghdashloo. "Loose, fun and energetic." (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

3:46 p.m. Darya Restaurant

Aghdashloo points to a table on the patio at Darya, her usual spot when she visits.

I come here alone, she says. I sit at that table next to the window. I sit there and I devour my food.

She mimics shoveling food into her mouth, then makes a scarfing, pig-like noise and laughs.

Darya looks like my grandmothers house, she says. "Too many furniture, too many chandeliers. Very ornate. And the food tastes like my grandmothers.

Though her mother wasnt a great cook, Aghdashloo treasured her grandmothers cooking. She sacrificed summers on the Caspian Sea with her parents to stay with her grandmother and eat albaloo polo, sour cherries with rice and chicken.

"They make it the best here," Shohreh Aghdashloo says of the fried white fish at Darya. "I don't order this anywhere else." (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

At Darya, she orders the white fish, fried, every time.

Our server delivers a large plate of sabzi polo, basmati rice studded with cilantro, green onion, parsley and garlic. Next to the rice is a mound of green salad, and over the top are three pieces of golden fried fish.

Aghdashloo instructs me to squeeze the provided lime wedges onto the fish, then dig in. The fish is cooked perfectly, crisp and flaky. The rice underneath is enlivened with the herbs, enough to make the mound appear green.

They make it the best here, she says. I dont order this anywhere else.

Before we finish, our server brings over a round of hot tea and a plate of bamieh and zoolbia, deep-fried desserts soaked in sugar syrup. The first is a squat oblong with ridges down the sides. The latter is like a blob of funnel cake, the strands of dough in loose bumpy swirls. Both are swamped in syrup, immoderately sweet, sticky and not quite crisp.

Zoolbia bamieh, zoolbia bamieh! She says them in quick succession, like theyre one entity, raising her arms above her head and yelling over the noise of the dining room.

She quickly pops a bamieh into her mouth and lets out another low moan.

My daughter always says, 'Mom, behave yourself,' but I cant help it, she says.

Maybe one day Ill slow down and retire, she says with a shrug. When I was 50, I said, 'When Im 60.' Then I was 60 and said, 'When Im 70.'

She shakes her head and lets out another Zoolbia bamieh, zoolbia bamieh!

The sabzi polo at Darya, golden fried fish with basmati rice studded with cilantro, green onion, parsley and garlic. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

"Right after dinner I turn the music up as loud as possible," says Shohreh Aghdashloo of her dinner parties, "and I ask everyone to join me and dance. There is no formula. Just unleash yourself." (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Russian Federation exaggerates the significance of the capture of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast amid the vulnerability of the military situation for Russian forces in the city, according to a report by the US Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Source: ISW report

Quote: "The hyperfocus on claiming victory in Bakhmut distracts from the precarious Russian military situation in and around Bakhmut, underscoring the weight of Wagner Group financier Prigozhins influence in the information space.

The Russian military situation in Bakhmut is particularly vulnerable as the Russian offensive effort in the area has likely culminated, granting Ukrainian forces the opportunity to launch further counterattacks on Bakhmuts already-weakened flanks.

Wagners withdrawal in contact will also likely result in the Russian Defence Ministry manning defensive lines with poorly trained and provisioned conventional units similar to those that retreated from their positions while defending against Ukrainian counterattacks earlier in May."

Details: However, US analysts have noted that the Russian information space largely ignores these vulnerabilities.

The ISW has stressed that Russian ultranationalist Igor Girkin had previously complained that Russia's focus on capturing Bakhmut was a "strategic failure" that led to an "unnecessary and Pyrrhic victory". Girkin criticised Prigozhin, Shoygu [Russian Defence Minister  ed.] and Gerasimov [Head of Russian General Staff] for dragging out the attempts to take Bakhmut and distracting from preparations to defend against a future counter-offensive by Ukrainian forces.

Background: The exhausted Wagner forces are unlikely to be able to continue offensive operations beyond Bakhmut, according to ISW analysts.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
(Bloomberg) -- Lithuanias ruling party leader called for a snap election in September as he moved ahead with his bid for an early vote amid a widening expenses scandal in the Baltic nation.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Gabrielius Landsbergis, whose Homeland Union called for a new election Friday in response to public outrage, urged other party leaders to support his effort and demanded a meeting on the issue in Vilnius on Tuesday. Parliament could take a decision on a snap vote in the coming weeks, he said in a letter to party leaders Monday.

The political fallout has escalated as media investigations uncover a growing number of former municipal councilors, including current cabinet members, unable to produce expense receipts for reimbursed funds. Landsbergis, who serves as foreign minister, said the practice was widespread and impacted all parties.

Read More: Lithuanian Ruling Party to Seek Early Election After Scandal

The response to the ruling partys move has so far been muted. One coalition ally has called a decision to hold a snap vote premature, potentially making it difficult to muster the required 85 votes in the 141-seat parliament.

Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said Sunday that she would resign after the country hosts the July 11-12 NATO summit in Vilnius if such a motion didnt go through.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Reuters) - Social media can profoundly harm the mental health of youth, particularly adolescent girls, the U.S. Surgeon General warned in an advisory on Tuesday, and he called for safeguards from tech companies for children who are at critical stages of brain development.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that while social media offers some benefits, there are "ample indicators that social media could also harm children's well-being."

"We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis - one that we must urgently address," Murthy said.

Social media use may cause and perpetuate body image issues, affect eating behaviors and sleep quality, and lead to social comparison and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls, the advisory said, citing responses from a survey conducted among adolescents.

Adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to the advisory.

Most adolescents say social media helps them feel more accepted, more supported during tough times, more connected to their friends, and more creative, the advisory also said.

It said policymakers should strengthen safety standards in ways that enhance those benefits for children of all ages, while noting that inappropriate and harmful content continues to be easily and widely accessible to children.

Tech companies should adhere to age limits to control access to social media platforms, and be transparent about data regarding the impact of their products on children, the advisory urges.

Algorithms and platform design should seek to maximize the potential benefits of social media instead of features designed to make users spend more time on them, it said.

"The first principle of healthcare is to do no harm - that's the same standard we need to start holding social media platforms to," said Saul Levin, CEO of the American Psychiatric Association.

The report includes suggestions for what parents, tech companies, as well as children and adolescents, can do to avoid dangerous pitfalls and make the social media experience more positive. They include creation of a family media plan, encouraging of in-person friendships, talking to children about how they spend their time online, and encouraging them to seek help should they need it.

It included a reminder of the new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline "if you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis."

(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Nancy Lapid and Bill Berkrot.)
Software company CEO says using ChatGPT cuts the time it takes to complete coding tasks from around 9 weeks to just a few days

Freshworks CEO Girish Mathrubootham at the company's IPO on the Nasdaq in 2021. Freshworks

The CEO of the software firm Freshworks says his workers are using OpenAI's ChatGPT to write code.

Girish Mathrubootham told Fortune some tasks that usually took 8 to 10 weeks were completed in a few days.

Generative AI's impressive coding skills are making it easier for people to develop software.

The CEO of the software company Freshworks says his employees are using OpenAI's ChatGPT to write code  and it's saving them a ton of time.

"We use ChatGPT to write code," Girish Mathrubootham told Fortune. Software development that "used to take anywhere from eight to 10 weeks now can be done in less than a week," he said.

Generative AI's impressive coding skills are making it easier for people to develop software across the board. Some VCs and startup founders told Insider's Stephanie Palazzolo that this could disrupt the way software was created, distributed, and used.

A representative for Freshworks did not immediately respond to a request for comment made outside normal business hours.

Freshworks isn't the only example of companies using this new technology to increase productivity.

The CEO of Octopus Energy said artificial intelligence was doing the work of hundreds of people at the company. Greg Jackson wrote for The Times of London that the company had been using AI for months and that emails written by these tools delivered better customer satisfaction than those from trained workers.

Workers are also taking it upon themselves to leverage AI to increase their productivity and output behind their bosses' backs. One worker  speaking under the pseudonym Ben  told Vice that ChatGPT did around 80% of their job.

The recent popularity of AI-powered tools like ChatGPT is stoking employee fears about the automation of jobs, especially amid a wave of layoffs affecting several industries. A March report from Goldman Sachs said that generative AI tools like ChatGPT could lead to "significant disruption" in the labor market and affect around 300 million full-time jobs globally.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Jobs key to tapping grads' development potential

08:51, May 23, 2023 By Cao Jia ( China Daily

MA XUEJING/CHINA DAILY

Life in China has gradually returned to normal after the government eased the strict pandemic prevention and control measures while introducing an array of policies to promote employment and boost the economy. Yet the domestic economic recovery is hampered by the slowdown of the global economy and other challenges.

Amid all this, the number of college graduates this year is expected to reach a record high of roughly 11.58 million, up 820,000 year-on-year. Add to that the increasing numbers of overseas college graduates returning home every year, youths who graduated from college last year but couldn't find a job, and you will get an idea of the immense pressure the job market is under.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the surveyed unemployment rate for people aged 16 to 24 was as high as 19.6 percent in the first quarter of 2023, and even 20.4 percent in April. This shows youths, especially college graduates, are finding it increasingly difficult to find a job.

Since college graduates are precious human resources, the government attaches great importance to their employment and overall well-being. For example, the Central Economic Work Conference stressed that the employment channels for college graduates be increased on a priority basis. Also, multiple government departments have introduced policies and measures to help youths find a job or start their own business.

First, the government has announced tax deductions and exemptions, as well as subsidies for the public sector, and small and medium-sized enterprises to encourage them to recruit more college graduates, with the aim of raising the employment rate, stabilizing the job market and creating more job opportunities at the grassroots level. So college graduates should seek employment in grassroots organizations if they cannot find a job in the traditional or emerging sectors.

Second, the government has adopted favorable policies and built resource docking platforms, while providing guidance to support college graduates to start their own business. The government has also vowed to protect the college graduates' right to seek flexible employment.

Third, the central and local governments are holding job fairs in different areas to facilitate the employment of college graduates, and government departments have intensified their on-campus recruitment and have been holding job-advisory camps to provide employment information for college graduates. Efforts are also on to establish databases to track and monitor graduates' employment situation, and raise the employment rate by providing subsidies, training and tailor-made employment policies for graduates, especially those with special needs.

Fourth, the government plans to provide training for graduates to help them adapt to the demands of emerging industries and the modern service sector. For instance, the State Council, China's Cabinet, recently issued a notice saying that at least 1 million internship positions will be offered by companies, government institutions and social organizations this year. Meant for young job seekers, the internship comes with living allowances.

The array of research options and management posts on offer will help the college graduates enrich their internship experience.

And fifth, the authorities have adopted policies to better protect the rights of graduates and hold those violating their rights accountable. They have also been organizing activities to enhance graduates' legal awareness, including helping them protect their legal rights and seek compensation for the violation of their rights.

However, efforts should also be made to implement more favorable policies, promote high-quality development and stabilize the overall job market. The authorities need to improve the business environment, too, and help SMEs adjust their structure and boost employment.

Moreover, the public sector needs to create high-quality job positions for graduates in order to optimize the employment services and balance supply and demand. And the government should provide guidance and create a healthy business environment so college graduates can start their own businesses.

The author is an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of Labor and Social Security. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
From the planned China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway to ongoing cultural exchanges, Central Asian countries are engaging in closer cooperation with China. In an interview with Beijing Review ahead of the China-Central Asia Summit taking place in the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an on May 18-19, Farhod Arziev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to China, shed light on how these countries can work together to make the most of the region's potential. Edited excerpts of the interview follow:

Beijing Review: How would you assess the importance of the China-Central Asia Summit?

Farhod Arziev: It is deeply symbolic that the First China-Central Asia Summit will be hosted in the historical and ancient city of Xi'an, Shaanxi province. It was from there the Great Silk Road, which is a vivid embodiment of the centuries-old ties between Uzbekistan and China, started.

Undoubtedly, the summit will bring new opportunities for all our countries. The important agreements to be adopted within its framework will serve to strengthen friendship and expand all-round cooperation.

The parties will start developing a strategy for a new China-Central Asia economic dialogue. The initiative to develop this strategy was proposed by President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev during the virtual summit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Central Asian countries and China in January 2022.

This strategy provides for the adoption of targeted measures to ensure unhindered trade and increase the volume of supplies of finished products from Central Asian countries to China.

Another important event within the framework of the summit will be the launch of a year of culture and art of the peoples of Central Asia and China, which was also proposed by the president of Uzbekistan in order to further expand and strengthen cultural ties between our countries.

How will the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) help advance cooperation in the region?

I would like to note that the BRI proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping [in 2013] is of global importance. In a historically short period, the initiative has demonstrated its viability, and plays an important role in promoting regional and international cooperation. Today, the role of the initiative in boosting regional and international economic growth is becoming even more important for the recovery of the global economy.

The BRI has achieved great success, and there are many examples worthy of note. Starting with initial large projects such as road and infrastructure construction, it has quickly spread to various social and public areas, and programs such as the Green Silk Road, Digital Silk Road and others are being implemented.

Uzbekistan supports and takes an active part in the implementation of the initiative. The implementation of projects within the framework of the BRI will allow the participating countries to increase the volume of trade, build new production and supply chains, and diversify cargo transportation routes.

One of the priority areas for Uzbekistan to cooperate with China within the framework of the BRI is the implementation of transport and communication projects. The formation of transport corridors is a priority for interconnectedness of our countries.

One of the strategically important projects is the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, trilateral agreements on which were reached during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, in September 2022. The implementation of this project will considerably shorten the delivery time of goods between the countries of Central Asia and China and reduce the pressure on the existing routes.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway will not only benefit the three countries, but will also be of great importance in connecting Eurasia and ensuring a safe and seamless supply chain.

Undoubtedly, other important areas of Uzbekistan's participation in the BRI affect issues of trade and investment cooperation, as well as interaction in the fields of tourism, healthcare and cultural exchanges.

The investment projects that we are implementing with the participation of Chinese investors contribute to the innovative development of the national economy, the technological modernization of production facilities, the introduction of digital technologies and the promotion of the green agenda.

We see great prospects in using the huge potential of China, as one of the world leaders, in the digitalization of the economies of Central Asia, including within the framework of the Digital Silk Road program.

How would you comment on current China-Uzbekistan relations?

The current level of interstate relations between Uzbekistan and China is very high and dynamic. Our relations are built on the principles of friendship, mutual respect, good neighborliness, mutual consideration of interests, respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference in each other's internal affairs.

Uzbekistan and China have common and similar interests in many regional and international issues, we have deep historical and cultural ties, and there are a lot of similarities in our traditions and values. At least, our contacts have a history of more than 2,000 years. We look with firm confidence to the future of the Uzbek-Chinese comprehensive strategic partnership.

With the participation of leading Chinese companies and banks, hi-tech projects are being implemented in Uzbekistan in industry, information and communication technologies and other priority areas. Particular attention is paid to unlocking the potential of cooperation in the fields of energy, green economy, artificial intelligence, digitalization and e-commerce.

A five-year program of trade, economic and investment cooperation is being implemented. It is opening new opportunities for our trade and economic circles. Cooperation between the regions of Uzbekistan and China is developing actively. We see great potential in this direction and intend to hold a Uzbek-Chinese interregional forum this year.

Over the past years, we have been actively participating in the BRI. China maintains its position as the first trading partner of Uzbekistan. China also remains the largest export market for Uzbekistan. At the end of 2022, mutual trade between Uzbekistan and China amounted to about $9 billion.

China is not only a global factory, but also a global market. Therefore, Uzbekistan is interested in maximizing the use of these opportunities, taking into account the complementary advantages of our economies.

I would like to outline great prospects for cooperation between business entities of Uzbekistan and China in electronic and electrical, textile, information technology, green economy, automobile, chemical, petrochemical and a number of other innovative industries.

Cooperation between Uzbekistan and China in the fields of investment and modern technologies is becoming more and more intense. With the participation of Chinese companies and financial institution, a number of large investment projects of industrial cooperation and infrastructure modernization are being implemented.

The volume of investments in the economy of Uzbekistan in recent years has exceeded $10 billion. Today, Chinese direct investment is actively present in energy, chemical, pharmaceuticals, agricultural, light industry and other sectors. As a result of mutual efforts, agreements were reached on the implementation of over 150 new joint investment projects.

Interaction in matters of poverty reduction has also become an important area of practical cooperation. China's successful experience creates good opportunities for exchange and cooperation in the development of rural industries, the modernization of the agricultural sector, and the strengthening of rural infrastructure. A subcommittee on poverty reduction is being created within the framework of the Uzbek-Chinese Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee.

How will President Mirziyoyev's upcoming visit to China upgrade bilateral relations?

The state visit of President Mirziyoyev will give new impetus to further strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and China. Today, thanks to joint efforts, bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and China are of a particularly close nature. Practical cooperation between the two countries is deepening in virtually all spheres and areas.

Our countries are mutually interested in further expanding and deepening cooperation in the trade, economic, investment and innovation fields. Concrete practical measures are being taken for industrial cooperation.

China's experience in sustainable development is very attractive to us. We actively adopt from the advanced Chinese experience. Here I want to give one example. At the initiative of President Mirziyoyev, Syrdarya region in Uzbekistan is becoming an innovation hub based on using experience, investments and technologies from China.

We also have good experience of cooperation in the field of vaccines. Currently, efforts are being made to create an Uzbek-Chinese biotechnology cluster.

Cooperation in education, science, professional training and tourism is also expanding. We are working to increase the number of Chinese tourists to Uzbekistan. The number of flights between the two countries has doubled. At the moment, there are 12 flights a week from Beijing and other cities in China to Uzbekistan.
Soldiers with the Free Russia Legion training in the Kyiv region of Ukraine, Feb. 7, 2023. (Lynsey Addario/ The New York Times)

The fighters who have claimed responsibility for a rare assault just over the Ukrainian border in Russias Belgorod region are members of a volunteer unit made up of Russian citizens who have been fighting with Ukraines forces against their own country.

The Free Russia Legion, as the volunteer unit is called, was created in August to provide a way for Russians opposed to the Kremlins war in Ukraine to take up arms and fight alongside Ukrainians. Fighting by these anti-Kremlin Russian volunteers has been confined mostly to the front lines in Ukraine, largely in and around Bakhmut.

That changed this week, when the group announced that its fighters, together with Russians from another group called the Russian Volunteer Corps, had crossed the border and liberated several settlements inside Russia. On Tuesday, the Free Russia Legion said that the fighting in the Belgorod region was continuing, although Russias Ministry of Defense said all the fighters who had not been killed had been pushed back into Ukraine.

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This is the first operation of the Legion on Russian territory, and in the future, the scale of our actions will only increase, one Russian fighter, who goes by the call sign Caesar and took part in the operation, said in a text message.

Caesar, who is 50 and is a private with the Free Russia Legion, was responding to questions sent through a press officer for the group. The Russian Volunteer Corps, which claimed to have joined the Free Russia Legion in this weeks operation, took responsibility for a previous, more limited incursion into Russia in March.

The Ukrainian militarys involvement in the operation is not clear. The Free Russian Legion operates under the umbrella of Ukraines International Legion, a fighting force that includes units made up of American and British volunteers, as well as Belarusians, Georgians and others. It is overseen by Ukraines armed forces and commanded by Ukrainian officers.

A senior Ukrainian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal details about the mission inside Russia, said that Ukraines military was acting largely in a support role, protecting Ukraines border in the area in case of a Russian counterattack. No Ukrainian fighters entered Russian territory, the official said.

There were losses in the units that took part in the operation, the official said, but not enough to affect their combat readiness. The official would provide no further details.

Until recently, the Free Russia Legion had received little attention, in part to protect the soldiers and their families from reprisals by Russia, but also because of Ukraines reluctance to highlight the exploits of soldiers whose home country had killed so many Ukrainians.

Several hundred Russians have been deployed to the front lines in eastern Ukraine, officials said, but Ukraines military has not divulged exactly how many Russians are fighting on the Ukrainian side.

The motivations of Russians fighting for Ukraine vary. In interviews earlier this year, some said they had already been living in Ukraine when the war started and felt a need to defend their adopted homeland. Others, often with no military experience, crossed into Ukraine after the war started and signed up to fight.

Joining is not easy, the Russian soldiers said. After filling out a detailed application, they undergo several rounds of background checks and take a polygraph. Distrust among Ukrainians is high. There have been several attempts by Russian intelligence operatives to infiltrate the Free Russia Legion, Ukrainian officials said.

A Russian defense ministry spokesperson said Tuesday that the fighters had been pushed back and that scores had been killed.

But Caesar said that fighting continued throughout the day Tuesday and that a Russian infantry company had been wiped out. His claims could not be independently confirmed. The senior Ukrainian official said the military was awaiting confirmation, including video from drones, about the fate of the Russian infantry company.

The goal of the operation begun yesterday was the creation of a demilitarized zone between Russia and Ukraine, the elimination of fighters who serve the Putin regime and a demonstration to the people of Russia that it is possible to create resistance and fight against the Putin regime inside Russia, Caesar wrote. These goals were successfully achieved.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Sourdough starter in a jar with bread behind it. | Margaret Jaszowska, Unsplash

When many think of a family inheritance, they picture wealth or jewels. But theres another object which some family members long to inherit  the family sourdough starter.

Ione Christensen told The New York Times her sourdough starter was passed down to her by her great-grandfather Wesley David Ballentine. As Ballentine hiked the treacherous Chilkoot Pass in search of the Klondike gold fields, he made the starter in a flour sack  over a hundred years later, Christensen still had the starter.

A sourdough starter is a leavening agent used for bread. Its made by mixing water and flour, and then feeding it with more water and flour while it ferments  during this process, it creates lactic acid. One starter, if fed properly, can be the source of hypothetically infinite loaves of bread. Starters are living  each unique from each other because of the way environment and microorganisms impacts them.

Older starters produce a more complex tasting bread. Starters have a yeasty smell  sometimes a fruity, nutty or dusty smell  and while older starters may not necessarily taste better than new starters, its possible itll taste more tangy, mature and sour.

Related

Who invented sourdough starter?

Ancient Egyptians are typically credited with creating the first sourdough starter. Gastro-Egyptologists Serena Love told BBC theres plenty of evidence ancient Egyptians were baking bread, and its possible they happened upon creating a starter by using dough from the day before to make bread.

For the ancient Egyptians, making bread was an extensive part of everyday life. She said, During the pyramid age, so 2,500 B.C.E., when the pyramids around Giza and that whole complex were being built, what we have is textual sources that says (workers) were given a daily allowance of bread, beer and onions. And when youre talking about 10,000 people that were living there, you are making a lot of bread.

Even with these questions around ancient Egyptian baking practices, one man Seamus Blackley  creator of the original XBox  teamed up with Love and a microbiologist to harvest yeast from ancient pots. Global News reported Blackley fed the yeast ancient grains for a week and then baked it with unfiltered olive oil and more ancient grains. He said the bread is, much sweeter and more rich than the sourdough we are used to.

There are other sources which suggest sourdough starters have ancient origins.

Ancient people who lived in Mesopotamia (between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers) prepared a traditional bread called Khobz, which is a type of flatbread.

An article published in the Journal of Ethnic Food said, The starter culture is prepared by mixing ripen date fruits (1015 pieces) with 250 ml water which is kept at room temperature overnight. The starter culture is added to the dough at the recommended ratio of 1:5 w/w to ensure good fermentation. The dough is kept overnight for leavening and baked in the oven at 180220 C to produce thick sour bread.

While its not identical to sourdough starters with flour and water, it shows how they understood the role of fermented products in improving bread texture.

Sourdough bread was also discovered in ancient China. An article published in Journal of Proteomics was able to reconstruct the recipe of 2,500-year-old bread. The researchers said their analysis led them to discover ancient people in China made the bread using a renewable starter created from barley and broomcorn.

This means people in ancient China also made sourdough bread as early as 500 B.C.E.  if not earlier.

When ancient Roman historian Pliny the Elder penned his natural history, which Perseus Tufts makes available online, he lists several different kinds of bread. One of them he calls Picenum bread. Pliny said, The flour is kept in soak for nine days, and is kneaded on the tenth with raisin juice, in the shape of long rolls; after which it is baked in an oven in earthen pots, till they break.

The process of making Picenum bread is akin to making a sourdough starter.

Theres other evidence ancient Romans made sourdough. After the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E., a loaf of bread was carbonized  its called the Herculaneum loaf. Eleanor Dickey wrote, The bread is not cut, but broken into pieces along lines incised by the baker before putting the bread in the oven. Dozens of other loaves were discovered. After the Herculaneum loaf was scientifically analyzed, it was determined to be a sourdough loaf.

Michael Ganzle, a food microbiologist, told BBC the New Testament has instances where leavened bread was mentioned. He said the process referenced is called backslopping, which is using some dough from the day before to make a loaf the next day. An example given is found in Luke 13:20-21 (the parable of the leaven), Again He asked, To what can I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.

Another reference comes from Galatians 5:9 where leaven is referenced in an apparent aphorism. A little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough.

How old is the oldest sourdough starter?

Its difficult to know which sourdough starters are actually the oldest.

Blackleys sourdough starter, created from 4,500 year-old yeast, is considered the oldest sourdough starter, per Oldest. Other starters like the Saint Honoratus Wheat also are quite old. A bakery called Chrissis Farmhouse Bakery uses it and said, This noble starter dates back 900 years. It is a heritage sourdough culture and has a rich history dating back to the Silk Road Trades era. In honor of the Patron Saint Honore (Saint of Bakers), this starter actually originated from Wales.

Scouring Etsy, its possible to find sourdough starters which claim to be anywhere from 30 years to 400 years old. One called the Bavarian Black Death Sourdough is available on Etsy. REALsoughdoughstarter, the seller, said in the listing, Oral history indicates that this starter dates back to around the period of Germanys Black Death (1633) and originated in or near the town of Oberammergau. It literally took me years to track down a reliable German culture from this time period.

Theres also an old sourdough starter named Bodie. According to My Daily Sourdough Bread, its 233 years old and owned by a 92-year old mother. The starter comes from San Francisco. Its available on Etsy and the account said its managed by her children.

The Etsy account said, The baker at the time told mom that the starter had been in use at the bakery since 1850. And not only that, the founder of the bakery had the starter in his family for 40 years before opening the bakery. This means that we can trace Bodies history directly back to 1810!

Starters are also passed down from generation to generation like what happened with Christensen inheriting hers.

Rachel Poulson told NPR her familys sourdough starter was a wedding gift, passed down from her great-grandfather Leo V. Jolley Sr. He first got the starter from a sheep camp in Provo, Utah, which likely got it from Mormon settlers in the late 1800s. Her mom made sourdough pancakes every Sunday.

Another person named Carina Westling told NPR her sourdough starter has been in her family for more than 150 years. Her friends family had taken it with them when they fled Estonia in World War II, the starter being vigorous enough to have eaten through its bag during the journey.

There are other families who treat sourdough starters as heirlooms to keep within families and pass down indefinitely  its a time honored tradition.

Related

Can I just buy sourdough starter?

Yes, sourdough starter is available online and may even be available at your grocery store. King Arthur Baking Company sells sourdough starter and so does Etsy.

Sourdough starter recipe: How to make sourdough starter

Making a sourdough starter at home is easy.
(Bloomberg) -- South Africas biggest opposition party is lobbying US lawmakers in a bid to preserve the countrys duty-free access to the worlds biggest economy amid a spat between the two nations over Russias invasion of Ukraine.

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John Steenhuisen, the Democratic Alliances leader, said he met with congressional and senate staff in Washington three weeks ago to persuade them that South Africa should continue benefiting from the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Alan Winde, the DA premier of the Western Cape province, will make the same trip soon, Steenhuisen said.

South Africa, which is governed by the African National Congress, has angered the US by abstaining from United Nations resolutions condemning Russias aggression and hosting its warships for naval exercises. This month, the US ambassador to Pretoria accused it of loading arms onto a Russian ship and said this could imperil its access to the US market. President Cyril Ramaphosas administration denied the allegation.

AGOA expires in 2025 and US officials have previously said the qualifying criteria for beneficiaries could be revised or the program replaced. South Africa ships cars and agricultural produce to the US under the accord. Last year, it exported $2.7 billion of goods using AGOA and the so-called Generalized System of Preferences.

This thing is in deep, deep trouble and so we need to do something quickly, Steenhuisen said in an interview in Bloombergs Johannesburg office on Monday. We seem to have left things very, very late and we seem determined to continue poking sticks into the eyes of our largest trading partners.

Falling out of the program would disproportionately hit South African regions controlled by the DA. Tshwane, the municipal areas that includes the capital, is a car-making hub thats run by the party, with Nissan Motor Co., BMW AG and Iveco Group NV operating factories there.

The US became the largest export market for the Western Cape, the only province controlled by the opposition, in 2021 with citrus fruit, wine, steel and jewelry shipped to the US, according to Wesgro, a provincial tourism and trade promotion agency. That year, goods worth 17 billion rand ($884 million) were exported to the US, while American companies invested 4.4 billion rand in the province.

Our key message to them was dont punish the good guys while youre trying to punish the bad guys, Steenhuisen said.

Reuben Brigety, the US ambassador to South Africa, told local media on May 11 that armaments had been loaded onto a Russian cargo ship, the Lady R, at the South African naval base in Simons Town. Brigety spoke after returning from the US with a South African delegation that had sought to ensure the country retains its preferential trade access.

South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has said the row has been resolved and South Africa was unlikely to face repercussions.

The US, UK and European Union account for more than three quarters of South Africas foreign direct investment, while investment from Russia and China amounts to about 6%, according to Steenhuisen.

It doesnt make sense pragmatically or economically for South Africa to be putting all that at risk by adopting the position its taken on the Russia issue, he said. Weve got a lot to lose.

--With assistance from Paul Richardson, Paul Vecchiatto, Amogelang Mbatha and Gem Atkinson.

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South Bend police and code enforcement on Monday evicted about two dozen people who were staying in a tent camp on the southern edge of downtown. The episode mirrors the repeated sweeps of encampments that the city ordered in 2020.

SOUTH BEND  Until Monday, Rich Mullenix and his wife were part of a group of about two dozen people living in a homeless camp that formed downtown over the past couple of weeks.

But by 9:30 that morning, a city truck was clawing up and dumping debris that remained from the camp. A few South Bend police officers stood by.

Most residents had gathered their things because homeless advocates knew what was coming. Some were able to find temporary housing through service providers, city officials said.

More: South Bend pastor hired as homelessness coordinator to work with service providers

Yet several who carted or carried away their belongings Monday told The Tribune they didn't know where to go next.

Rich Mullenix stands in front of the site where about two dozen people formed a homeless camp in downtown South Bend this May.

Ive been on the streets since I got out of prison in 2018," said Mullenix, who's 60. "They dropped me off right there in South Bend and said, 'Good luck.'

"Ive asked for help over and over and over," he added. "I dont know what to do. I mean, Im doing the best I can.

Nearly all of the residents had been sheltered through South Bend's weather amnesty program until it ended May 1, said Tracy Leliaert, a street outreach worker for Our Lady of the Road.

The camp was on a strip of grass in a narrow brick alley between Michigan and Main Streets, just south of the railroad tracks. Buildings run by the service providers Center for the Homeless and Our Lady of the Road are nearby.

But the 14 or so tents gathered on the small lot had become a public nuisance, according to South Bend code enforcement. The presence of litter, household appliances and furniture are among violations that constitute a nuisance, city code says.

The sliver of land on which residents pitched their tents is owned by Indiana Michigan Power, company spokeswoman Schnee Doyle said. The city received complaints from neighboring businesses, and I&M cooperated "to swiftly mitigate those concerns," the spokeswoman said.

"The city has an obligation to address the public health and public safety issues that large, unmanaged encampments bring, and cannot condone their formation, Allison Zeithammer, a spokeswoman for South Bend Mayor James Mueller, said in a statement.

A sign posted on a nearby telephone pole gave residents a 48-hour notice to leave by 8 a.m. Monday, city officials said. Although Monday is typically a day off for them, Leliaert and some co-workers showed up to serve the residents breakfast and to help them move.

Robin Morris pushes a shopping cart containing her possessions, which include a suitcase, a trash bag with a tent inside and a plastic set of drawers.

Robin Morris wore a backpack and pushed a shopping cart that held, among other things, a suitcase, a trash bag containing her tent and a plastic set of drawers. A friend walking in front of the cart pulled it along with one hand, the wheels rattling over the bricks paving the alley.

Morris said the scene was "pretty ugly" that morning. She's been living on the streets for a while as she waits to be approved for a housing voucher, which might get her into an apartment subsidized by the Housing Authority of South Bend.

All she could do Monday, though, was go and get some breakfast, she said.

We have no idea where theyre gonna go," Leliaert said of the remaining residents. "Because where theyve been at scattered sites in the past, those spots have been (demolished) and they have these permanent no-trespassing signs up now, so they dont even get a warning like they did here today."

Looking across a field toward Morris, who pushed her shopping cart along a sidewalk, Leliaert said, "Robin, shes probably just going to be nomadic and sleep in a doorway or wherever she can for the night."

How South Bend has addressed homelessness since 2020 homeless camps

Residents gather their belongings and move as city workers clean up debris left behind from a homeless encampment that formed downtown this May.

Homeless advocates knew that tent encampments were the likely result of weather amnesty's closure, which happens annually on May 1. The scene Monday mirrored the repeated sweeps of camps that police and code enforcement did three years ago.

Since then, South Bend's response to homelessness has become more robust, the mayor's spokeswoman said. But a lack of low-income housing for poor residents means local homeless shelters are full, advocates say.

Earlier this year, the city gave $1.5 million to Motels4Now, a low-barrier shelter formed in 2020 that primarily houses people who are chronically homeless. The waitlist for that shelter is four to six months, according to Margie Pfeil, board president of Our Lady of the Road, which oversees Motels4Now.

If we had more low-income housing and landlords to work with us," Pfeil said, "we could get people out of their tents and into the motel."

More: South Bend leaders seek to tame housing prices through support for all new construction

The city also granted $1 million to Center for the Homeless for an expansion that will allow it to take over the weather amnesty program from Hope Ministries starting this fall.

Multiple South Bend Common Council members held a press conference earlier this month calling on the city to make weather amnesty a year-round service. But the Center for the Homeless has agreed to house unsheltered residents only for the winter months, from Nov. 1 through April.

"Weather Amnesty is a stop-gap measure to save lives during the harshest winter months and is not part of a longer-term solution," the mayor's spokeswoman said.

The city pays about $280,000 to operate weather amnesty each year, according to Caleb Bauer, executive director of community investment. The new shelter at Center for the Homeless will host about 75 emergency beds.

Advocates and residents at the scene of Monday's sweep said they were largely understanding of the city's enforcement action.

'I want a life'

But that does little to soothe the pangs of anxiety residents feel when they imagine how to break from a cycle of turmoil.

Lori Hamann, an at-large council member who is urging the mayor to support year-round weather amnesty, said she arrived just before 8 a.m. to a chaotic scene.

"It was very traumatic for these people," Hamann said. "Emotions were extremely high because they are aware that pretty much anywhere they relocate to, there's the potential of this happening over and over and over again."

Mullenix, one of the last residents to leave the scene, told The Tribune that he's been through it all.

He's suffered from drug addiction. He's been forced to leave certain homeless shelters, crippling whatever momentum he'd gained on the path toward a better life.

Removing his cap, he revealed a scabbed wound on his bald head, which he says he got earlier this spring when someone pistol-whipped him under a bridge. The streets have been rough the past two months, he said.

He's so fed up, his nerves so shot, that he finds himself crying every night.

Homelessness, he said, has come to feel like its own cage.

Ive been in prison for six years, and Ive been on the streets for six years," he said. "So this is like prison to me again.

"I want a life," he added, his voice strained. "I want to sit on my porch with my wife and watch my grandchildren grow old. And I cant do that now. My kids dont even know Im on the streets."

Email city reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jordantsmith09

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend homeless camp shut down by police, code enforcement
Outrage is mounting over a remark South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) made this weekend about hunting Democrats with dogs  a comment that critics slammed as a racially-tinged dog whistle encouraging violence.

McMaster made the shocking remark Saturday during a convention in Lexington, South Carolina, for the state GOP. I look forward to the day that Democrats are so rare, we have to hunt them with dogs, he told a crowd of party members.

The comment was first reported by Joseph Bustos, a reporter at The State, who noted that McMaster has used this turn of phrase before.

McMaster repeating one of his favorite GOP lines: "I look forward to the day that democrats are so rare, we have to hunt them with dogs." https://t.co/O5HQcxowMi  Joseph Bustos  (@JoeBReporter) May 20, 2023

South Carolina Democrats have since demanded accountability, pointing out that its disturbing to hear a white governor, from the states nearly entirely white party, make such a comment about the states Democrats, a majority of whom are Black.

The majority of the Dem electorate in SC is Black and our governor is saying out loud he cant wait to hunt us down with dogs, Christale Spain, chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, tweeted. This is absolutely chilling to hear from a Southern Gov who knows our history.

In the antebellum South, slave owners trained dogs to hunt down enslaved people who had escaped. They often used horrifying methods, such as tying up dogs and forcing slaves to abuse them so the dogs would develop a viciousness toward Black people, according to historians. Even today, there are numerous examples of law enforcement officers using police dogs to inflict violence on Black people.

In South Carolinas Anderson County, the local Democratic Party is circulating a petition demanding an apology from McMaster and asking state law enforcement to investigate his comments as a threat and incitement of political violence if he refuses to apologize for using a racially-tinged dog whistle.

As a Black, gay man in America, Ive had to be on guard for people trying to hunt me down most of my life and I know thousands of people across South Carolina are forced to feel the same, Chris Salley, the county partys chair, said Sunday. This rhetoric emboldens violent extremists, chills political discourse, and needs to end.

Although violent, politically motivated attacks are very real and on the rise, McMasters spokesperson, Brandon Charochak, said in a statement this week that the governors remark was an obvious joke.

Governor McMaster has been making this joke at GOP conventions for years and everyday South Carolinians understand that its a joke, he said. If South Carolina Democrat partisans can no longer bear light-hearted jokes made at their expense, then maybe they should focus their energy on winning and not whining.

Related...
ST. LOUIS  A South Korean company specializing in satellite imagery analysis is developing new techniques to identify missiles, launchers and supporting infrastructure in North Korea with potential applications far beyond the shared peninsula.

SI Analytics CEO Taegyun Jeon on May 22 briefed reporters on the North Korea Dynamic Ballistic Missile Operation Area Search Project at the GEOINT Symposium in St. Louis. The company previously competed in U.S. Defense Innovation Unit challenges, including building damage assessments and detection of so-called dark vessels that dont broadcast their location or appear in public monitoring systems.

The latest project fuses earth-observation data from multiple commercial satellite operators with in-house artificial intelligence-augmented image analysis to detect and classify anomalies  North Korean ballistic missile operations, for example. The findings, once verified by experts, can then be shared, facilitating a government response.

We will contribute our private sector capability and effort for a safer world, Taegyun said. As can be seen in the media, the news, there is increasing global stress from North Korea.

This image released and notated by Airbus Defense & Space and 38 North shows the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea. (Airbus Defense and Space/38 North via AP)

North Korean missile tests rattle neighbors and far-flung nations alike. They also draw widespread condemnation. A joint statement issued this week by South Korea and the European Union described North Korean developments as reckless and as a serious threat to international and regional peace and security.

A meaningful dialogue is needed, it continued, as is a suspension of all actions that raise military tensions.

SI Analytics was established in 2018. It is based in Daejeon, with offices in Seoul and Gwangju.
BOSTON  Two South Shore men have been indicted on charges they participated in fraud involving sober homes in the Boston area, including Quincy and Weymouth, the U.S. attorney's office said Tuesday.

Daniel Cleggett, 37, of Kingston, and Nicholas Espinosa, 37, of Randolph, were charged in a 37-count indictment with two counts of wire fraud conspiracy; one count of mortgage fraud conspiracy; 21 counts of wire fraud; six counts of money laundering; and one count of making false statements to a mortgage lending business.

In addition, Cleggett was separately charged with four counts of wire fraud and two counts of making false statements to a mortgage lending business.

Federal authorities said Cleggett was the founder of the sober home business A Vision from God LLC. Established in November 2016, the business owns and operates sober homes in Quincy, Weymouth, Boston and Wakefield under trade names including Bradys Place, Lakeshore Retreat and Lambert House, federal authorities said. Espinosa managed the day-to-day affairs.

More: The last frontier? Weymouth, Quincy struggle with slow redevelopment on Route 3A

One of the allegations accuses Cleggett, Espinosa and a sober home client of defrauding a New York-based family trust that was paying for the clients room and board at Bradys Place in Quincy.

Authorities said Cleggett and Espinosa overcharged the family trust for room and board by up to $12,500 per month by submitting false and fraudulent invoices. Cleggett and Espinosa would allegedly then issue refund checks to the client, federal authorities said.

From about October 2019 to December 2021, Cleggett and straw purchasers, including Espinosa, bought three residential properties in Weymouth and Boston to use as sober homes, according to the charges.

"Cleggett, Espinosa and others submitted false information and fraudulent documentation including falsely representing that the three properties were intended to be purchased as primary residences when, in reality, each was intended to be a sober home," Tuesday's announcement states.

Quincy employees slated for raises; city councilors start hearings on $406 million budget

Quincy College graduates first bachelor's degree students: 'We are so very proud of you'

Mass Save energy program companies

In addition to the sober home business, Cleggett operated insulation contracting companies that participated in the Mass Save program: Green Save Energy Corp.; Environmental Construction Objective Inc.; Green Giants LLC; and Insulation Situation LLC, authorities said.

Mass Save is a public/private partnership sponsored by gas and electric utility companies that funds energy conservation projects and improvements through Massachusetts residents utility bills.

Green Save and Environmental Construction Objective received millions of dollars for residential insulation work from a lead vendor company under the Mass Save program, federal authorities say.

They say that from 2018 through mid-2021, Green Save and Environmental Construction Objective fraudulently billed the vendor company for required permits that were not actually obtained.

More: Rollins accused of leaking Quincy bridge inquiry: 'Don't say I never gave you anything'

Green Save and Environmental Construction Objective were ultimately terminated from participating in the companys program in June 2021, and Cleggett was banned from participating in the Mass Save program, authorities said.

In response, Cleggett, Espinosa and other co-conspirators formed Insulation Situation and Green Giants to enter as new lead vendors with the same company under straw owners, according to Tuesday's news release. As a result, Cleggett allegedly obtained $954,443 in payments to Green Giants and Insulation Situation despite being banned from the Mass Save program, authorities said.

Cleggett is also accused of falsely obtaining hundreds of the thousands of dollars in economic injury disaster loans and advances from the Small Business Administration. He is accused of using tens of thousands of dollars from the funds to pay for personal expenses including EZ-Pass bills, gym membership fees, pet expenses, airline tickets, car rentals, vacation trips, hotel resort stays and wedding expenses.

The pair were arrested Tuesday morning and released after appearing in federal court in Boston, according to Tuesday's news release.

Federal authorities said the Kingston, Randolph and Quincy police departments provided assistance in the case.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Feds charge South Shore men with Quincy, Weymouth sober home fraud
The inaugural launch of Starship generated a massive cloud of dust and debris that spread to nearby areasjust one aspect of the rockets maiden voyage thats prompted environmental concerns.

SpaceX isnt planning to sit on the sidelines as environmental groups and the Federal Aviation Administration duke it out over the regulators decision to approve the inaugural launch of the Starship megarocket.

The Elon Musk-led privacy space venture has filed a motion to formally become a co-defendant in a pending lawsuit against the FAA. That legal complaint was brought forward by a coalition of conservation and Texas-local non-profit groups against the federal agency over its approval of SpaceXs Starship activities in Boca Chica.



Read more

The Center for Biological Diversity, American Bird Conservancy, and others allege that the FAA rushed SpaceXs Starship permitting process without adequate environmental review or mitigation requirements. Together, the plaintiffs are hoping to force the federal agency to conduct a new assessment, which could stall future SpaceX launches at Boca Chica for years. In a bid to avoid such a regulatory hold-up, SpaceX is angling to join in the fray and argue its case. The company filed a motion on Friday to intervene as a defendant in the ongoing suit.

SpaceXs interest in the case is obvious and clearly spelled out in the recent filing. If the Court were to rule in Plaintifs favor...the Starship/Super Heavy Program could be significantly delayed, causing severe injury to SpaceXs business. Under a section heading that reads, The FAA does not adequately represent SpaceXs interests, the companys intervention further states that SpaceX has a direct and substantial economic interest in the outcome of this case that the government does not share.

In specific terms, SpaceXs legal team writes that the company has invested more than $3 billion into developing its Boca Chica launch facilityall of which could theoretically be on the line in the environmental suit. Despite the significant past investment, SpaceX CEO Musk has publicly considered the idea of relocating Starship operations to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This prospect aligns with SpaceXs intention to launch Starship from the eastern coast in support of NASAs Artemis missions. Importantly, SpaceX holds two multi-billion-dollar NASA contracts, in which Starship will be leverage as a craft for landing astronauts onto the lunar surface.

Along with the motion for intervention, SpaceXs chief financial officer Bret Johnsen also submitted a supporting declaration outlining further reasons why the company believes it shouldnt be subject to more regulation. That filing seems to argue that SpaceXs activities at Boca Chica are in service of a greater public goodthat the company is substantially reducing the cost of accessing space, which its doing through the companys numerous government contracts and via its Starlink internet satellites. Johnsen writes that, without Starship, hundreds of thousands of people, including many in the United States who live in areas with no or limited access to high quality broadband will have to wait even longer for upgraded satellite connectivity.

The plaintiffs dont oppose SpaceXs intervention and have consented to SpaceX filing a responsive plea, per the legal motion. This is standard for a case like this and does not alter the claims, said Jared Margolis, senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity in an email to Gizmodo. It is generally the case that a permit holder is allowed to join a case against the agency issuing the permit, and so this is not unexpected.

Why the lawsuit?

The FAA granted SpaceX approval for its Starship plans at Boca Chica in June 2022 without requiring an in-depth Environmental Impact Statement. Instead, the agency handed down a list of about 75 relatively lax environmental mitigation actions that the company would have to comply withmost of which amounted to motoring requirements. Environmental groups, CBD included, opposed the approval from the outset.

SpaceXs Boca Chica site is surrounded by sensitive wildlife habitat thats home to several endangered and threatened species like ocelots, piping plovers, and Kemps Ridley sea turtles. The facility includes and borders fragile wetlands and shore areas which serve as a major stopover for migratory birds. Previous federal review of the site found that SpaceXs activities pre-Starship launch had already led to a dramatic decrease in shorebird populations and caused other harms to the local ecosystem. Then, Starship actually had its maiden voyage.

On April 20, the two-stage Starshipthe largest, most powerful rocket ever builtblasted off from SpaceXs Boca Chica, Texas facility. It cleared the launch tower and stayed in flight for about four minutesmaking it a success by the companys standardsbefore spiraling out of control and eventually exploding following a dangerously delayed self-destruct command. However, even before the notable explosion, the launch had some clear issues and triggered apparent environmental impacts.

SpaceXs own launch pad and other infrastructure were heavily damaged during take-off. Dust and debris from the event blanketed a nearby town and some sensitive wildlife habitat. At least one shop window miles away was reportedly shattered by the uncontrolled force of the launch, which propelled big hunks of concrete and metal thousands of feet away from the site. A multi-acre wildfire ignited in an adjacent state park. The FAA grounded Starship following the botched launch.

Many of these impacts likely could have been prevented had SpaceX installed standard and appropriate launch pad suppression systems meant to quell the enormous energy of rocket take-off. At Kennedy Space Center, for example, NASA has a flame trench and a water deluge system for launching oversized rockets. SpaceX opted to forgo such precautions in favor of speed, according to tweets from Musk.

Its that move fast, break things mentalityon full display with Starshipthat seems to have prompted the environmental groups to act. In the immediate aftermath of the bungled launch, the plaintiffs filed their lawsuit.

However, as the case points out, Starships take off is far from the only fiery incident to come out of SpaceXs activities at Boca Chica in recent years. A previous prototype test in September 2022 caused a brush fire that ended up scorching 68 acres of protected land. At least eight explosions and fires have occurred at the facility over past five years, the lawsuit says. Then, theres the more quotidian potential for environmental disruption from increased vehicle traffic, sound, light, and pollution.

As things stand now, proposed mitigation by the agency isnt enough to prevent the launch program from causing significant environmental harm, CBD previously told Gizmodo via email. Likely, with SpaceXs new bid to get involved, the company will have to respond directly to such allegations in court.

Want to know more about Elon Musks space venture? Check out our full coverage of SpaceXs Starship megarocket and the SpaceX Starlink internet satellite megaconstellation. And for more spaceflight in your life, follow us on Twitter and bookmark Gizmodos dedicated Spaceflight page.

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FILE PHOTO: Moroccan soldiers walk on the Moroccan side of a border fence with Spain's north African enclave of Melilla, in this picture taken on the Spanish side of the fence

MADRID (Reuters) - Police have arrested at least nine people in Spain's North African enclave of Melilla over alleged election fraud involving thousands of mail-in ballots for the country's upcoming local and regional elections, authorities said on Tuesday.

Six suspects were detained on Tuesday and three late on Monday as police searched 10 locations, according to Sabrina Moh, the Spanish government's representative in Melilla.

The raids included the headquarters of the Coalition for Melilla (CpM) party - which belongs to the city's three-way ruling coalition - a CpM spokesperson told reporters, adding the search constituted "an attack on democracy".

The group, which split from Spain's Socialist Party in 1995, is led by Mustafa Aberchan, who served as Melilla's mayor-president between 1999 and 2000.

In 2008, Aberchan was convicted for promising jobs in exchange for votes and handed a two-year prison sentence and a 10,880 euro ($11,977) fine.

Spanish government spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez said the police operation proved "the rule of law works" to correct anomalies in the voting process.

Voters in several regions and all municipalities in Spain are set to choose new governments in the May 28 election.

An opinion poll by SyM Consulting released on Monday showed CpM garnering 39.4% of the vote in Melilla, far ahead of Spain's main opposition People's Party.

Last week, authorities said nearly 12,000 voters (21.1% of the electorate) in Melilla had requested mail-in ballots, seven times more than the national average.

This prompted a change to the rules, forcing the enclave's voters to show IDs when depositing their ballots at post offices. In the rest of Spain, postal voting only requires identification when requesting the ballots.

Postal workers in Melilla were also given police escorts after several robberies by unidentified hooded men.

The enclave, which Spain has held since its conquest in 1497, is now an autonomous city of 85,000 about one-fifth the size of Manhattan. It is surrounded by Morocco, whose government claims the territory as its own.

($1 = 0.9084 euros)

(This story has been corrected to clarify that the search was confirmed by a CpM spokesperson, not government's representative, in paragraph 3)

(Reporting by David Latona and Emma Pinedo; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Stan Grant is one of Australia's most decorated journalists

After a prestigious career of more than three decades, trailblazing Aboriginal journalist Stan Grant hosted his final show on Monday and walked away from Australian TV screens indefinitely.

"Racism is a crime. Racism is violence. And I have had enough," Grant wrote in a column last week explaining his decision.

The Wiradjuri man made history in 1992 when he became the first Aboriginal presenter on prime-time commercial TV in Australia. He went on to win a slew of awards in Australian media, and was an international correspondent for CNN and Al Jazeera before returning home to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

The ABC describes him as one of Australia's most respected and awarded journalists.

But on Monday night he looked defeated, visibly shaking as he signed off from his political panel show Q+A.

"To those who have abused me and my family, I would just say - if your aim was to hurt me, well, you've succeeded," he said.

Grant's decision to leave has reignited fierce conversations about racism and media diversity in Australia.

"If one of the few Indigenous presenters on television with a career that took him all over the world can't be protected from racism... what will that mean for anyone who walks down a similar path?" ABC journalist Ryma Tchier wrote on Twitter.

White-dominated newsrooms

Australia's Indigenous people have over 60,000 years of history, and half of Australians were either born overseas or have a parent who was.

But the media representing such a multicultural population remains disproportionately white.

A 2022 study found more than three quarters of the reporters or presenters on Australian TV were from an Anglo-Celtic cultural background. The difference was even more pronounced at the leadership and board level.

The Media Diversity Australia report prompted the five TV networks examined to acknowledge their lack of diversity. But the channels also questioned the report's findings, criticising how it had determined cultural background, and criticising the short, two-week research window of the study.

Sunrise on the Seven Network is now the only commercial breakfast TV show in Australia without a person of colour

Several pointed out they had increased diversity in other areas of their output or tried to increase representation through targeted roles and recruitment.

But the broader issue has long been a problem in Australian media, and critics cite it for contributing to high-profile controversies.

In 2019, a newspaper was widely accused of using racist tropes in a cartoon depiction of Serena Williams - the image was ultimately deemed acceptable by media regulators.

And in 2020, Australia's most watched breakfast show, Channel Seven's Sunrise, settled a racial discrimination case over an all-white panel where a pundit suggested Aboriginal children should be forcibly removed from their families.

The Seven Network initially defended the segment, which sparked protests outside their studio, saying "editorial opinions are a vital part of journalism", but later apologised for causing offence after the broadcast regulator found they had breached industry standards.

A prestigious media award - the Kennedys - was also criticised in 2021 for not having a single person of colour on the 60-person judging panel.

The cultural diversity in Australia's media industry is shocking compared to many other Western countries, says Antoinette Lattouf, who in 2011 became one of the first Arab-Australian women to be a commercial television reporter.

As a result, she says, many Australian communities' stories go untold and vital perspectives are missed.

"Each nation has their own challenges [but] anybody who has seen BBC, CNN, ITV, even broadcasters in New Zealand, will note they're far more diverse than our screens," says Lattouf, who co-founded the Media Diversity Australia group to improve the situation.

'I just couldn't go back'

Culturally diverse journalists say they face more barriers to entering the Australian media industry than their peers.

But cases like Stan Grant's expose the problem outlets have in retaining them when they do make it.

Former ABC reporter Rhianna Patrick says the reason she joined the industry was the same reason she left it.

"I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a journalist because I recognised that the only time I ever saw people from my community reflected in the media was in a negative way," the Torres Strait Islander tells the BBC.

Rhianna Patrick always wanted to be a journalist

She built an impressive career over two decades - first in Indigenous radio then at the ABC, where she came to headline her own, self-titled national radio show.

But Patrick was the only Indigenous person in her unit, sometimes her entire floor.

The impact of that fact hit her all at once in 2020 as she watched the Black Lives Matter movement sweep the globe, including Australia.

"All of these things I had buried were starting to come to the surface and I realised I just couldn't go back into a mainstream media space and do my job anymore," she said.

Non-white journalists have regularly reported racial abuse from audiences. In the wake of Grant's exit, even more disclosed experiences.

"Maybe once a week, I get called a racial slur [or] I get told I'm not Australian  I've also thought about leaving because of racist abuse," said news presenter and comedian Michael Hing, who is Chinese-Australian.

He said he had also considered departing the ABC because "all-white management teams are too often incapable of understanding".

There is racism from peers too, Lattouf and Patrick recount.

"If ever there were crimes committed by people of Middle Eastern backgrounds, people [in the newsroom] would say things like 'oh, what did your cousins get up to?'" Lattouf says.

"I've been told that 'I'm one of the good ones' from the Lebanese community - a backhanded compliment that suggests that the rest of my community isn't good."

There's also the pressure that comes with often being the sole person from their community in a newsroom, and feeling disproportionately responsible for coverage of an issue or advocating for their people.

And covering topics such as police brutality, racism and violence can be feel personal and traumatic, they say.

Patrick says she knows the work she did was important. "But you also want to be able to have times when you can do stories about Indigenous excellence, about Indigenous joy."

Choosing to go

It all adds up. And so - like Grant - many culturally diverse journalists leave.

When Grant announced his departure, he accused the ABC of an "institutional failure" to protect or defend him.

He said racism had been "relentless" throughout his career, but it reached a new level of intensity after he covered the King's Coronation for the ABC, when he spoke about the impact of colonisation on his people.

Grant said the ABC had invited him to be part of coverage specifically to offer that perspective, but when the backlash came, he was left to fend for himself. He also pointed out the role some conservative media outlets played in amplifying the outrage.

In the days since his decision, there have been 'I Stand with Stan' protests, and the ABC has apologised and pledged to do better.

"I'm incredibly sorry that he felt let down by our organisation... we will do all we can to make up for it," ABC News director Justin Stevens told a rally.

The ABC has promised to review how it deals with racism directed at staff. It follows other reviews it has had in recent years aimed at impoving diversity.

Some commentators hope the anger over Grant's exile could mark a turning point, but others are sceptical.

"You go through these cycles of reckoning - reforms are introduced, you have a couple of new hires - but the actual underlying structures don't change that much," one Aboriginal reporter who didn't wish to be named told the BBC.

In his final speech on Monday, Grant said he had spent his career trying to represent his people with pride and love.

"I've just wanted to make us seen and I'm sorry that I can't do that for a little while," he said.

"I've had to learn that endurance is not always strength. Sometimes strength is knowing when to say stop.

"I am down right now. I am. But I'll get back up and you can come at me again. And I'll meet you with the love of my people."
 Flash

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday made remarks regarding that the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) has once again refused to include a proposal on "Taiwan's participation at the WHA as an observer" in its agenda.



The spokesperson said that the General Committee and the Plenary Session of the 76th WHA have respectively decided to reject the so-called proposal of "inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer" submitted by certain countries. This fully shows that the one-China principle has international support and represents the prevailing trend that cannot be challenged.

According to the spokesperson, in disregard of the views expressed by various parties and what is best for Taiwan compatriots, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities put countries having so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan up to making the proposal. Certain countries either overtly or covertly encouraged and supported this move. These egregious moves go against the trend of history and deliberately undermine international rules. They have been unanimously rejected by countries taking a just stand. By the time the assembly commenced, nearly 100 countries had sent letters to the WHO or issued statements to express their commitment to the one-China principle and opposition to Taiwan's participation in the WHA.

The spokesperson said the Chinese central government attaches great importance to the health and well-being of our compatriots in the Taiwan region, and has made proper arrangement for Taiwan's participation in global health affairs under the prerequisite that the one-China principle is upheld. The Chinese central government has updated the Taiwan region over 500 times about the epidemic situation since the start of COVID-19, and approved the participation in WHO technical activities by 26 Taiwan health experts in 24 groups over the past year. There is an International Health Regulations Contact Point in the Taiwan region for it to promptly access and report information related to health emergencies. The claim of a "gap" in global anti-pandemic efforts is groundless.

The spokesperson said that "we would like to once again make it clear to the DPP authorities that the public opinion cannot be defied and those who play with fire will get burnt. We also urge certain countries to stop knowingly supporting the false narrative on this matter, stop politicizing issues about health, stop using the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs and stop using Taiwan to contain China."
The U.S. is skeptical that American-provided military equipment to Ukraine was used in an outbreak of fighting in the Russian territory of Belgorod, the State Department said Tuesday, adding that Washington does not encourage or enable Ukraine to strike inside of Russia.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said the administration is skeptical, at this time, of the veracity of reports that U.S.-provided weapons to Ukraine were used in an apparent uprising by Russian opposition forces in the southern territory of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine.

We dont have perfect clarity of the information, were looking at the same fuzzy images [on social media]  at this time were skeptical of their veracity, he said.

Russia on Tuesday reportedly said that it had killed dozens of Ukrainian nationalists over the course of a two-day uprising by apparent Russian opposition groups.

Russias Ministry of Defense wrote on Telegram that it had used air strikes and artillery fire, that it had killed 70 Ukrainian terrorists, four armored fighting vehicles and five pickup trucks.

While the U.S. is the top supplier to Ukraine of military equipment since Russia launched its full-scale invasion against the country in February 2022, the Biden administration has handicapped munitions and warned Kyiv against striking inside Russian territory with American-provided weapons.

We dont encourage or enable attacks outside Ukraines borders, Miller said, but added that the decision making on battlefield operations rests with Ukraine.

I do think its important to step back and always remember that it is Russia who is the aggressor here, it is Russia that is launching attacks on civilian infrastructure, Russia that is bombing civilian targets, its taking out schools and hospitals and killing civilians by the thousands. So well leave it to our Ukrainian partners on how to conduct this war.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Central Juvenile Hall in Boyle Heights, above, and the Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar were ruled "unsuitable" by state regulators on Tuesday. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

State regulators on Tuesday gave Los Angeles County two months to move roughly 300 youths out of its two troubled juvenile halls, taking the unprecedented step after finding the county had done little in the last month to come into compliance with a long list of state regulations.

The unanimous decision by the Board of State and Community Corrections leaves the county scrambling to vacate Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar and Central Juvenile Hall in Boyle Heights by mid-July. The Probation Department said it plans to move the entire population into Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey, which was closed in 2019 amid a reduced population and allegations of abuse by staff.

In voting to declare the halls "unsuitable"  meaning they can no longer be used to confine young people  the state board put an end to a years-long back-and-forth with local officials over improvements that were repeatedly promised but never carried out.

The board first deemed the halls unsuitable in 2021, a step it had never taken before but gave probation officials repeated opportunities to come back into compliance with minimum requirements. The board put off a decision to close the halls in April, drawing the ire of youth advocates who said the department had been given far too many second, third and fourth chances.

The board decided Tuesday it was done giving extensions.

The time has come to take an extraordinarily difficult move, board Chair Linda Penner said.

State regulators have highlighted numerous problems within the two facilities.

An acute staffing crisis has meant not enough officers working to let youths out of their rooms, much less outside into fresh air. Those same limitations have led to cancellation of family visits, limited or nonexistent schooling or even stalled access to therapy  all issues that advocates, staff and juveniles in custody have said lead to additional fights and deteriorating mental health conditions for detainees.

Conditions within the facilities have worsened as violent incidents and overdoses have risen. An 18-year-old was found dead in his room at Nidorf earlier this month of an apparent overdose  the first time a youth has died at a juvenile hall since 2010, according to a county spokesperson.

Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

Regulators will formally notify the county by Wednesday that it will have 60 days to relocate the roughly 280 youths currently in Probation Department custody to Los Padrinos.

A team of consultants working for the county had implored the state regulators to give the county 150 days so it could transfer the population to Los Padrinos with the least amount of disruption.

This condensed timeline will undoubtedly, undoubtedly contribute to some level of chaos and confusion, said Margarita Perez, a former assistant chief for the Probation Department, who represented the county in the meeting. It will also create  and again, it goes without saying  a logistical nightmare for the county.

The Probation Department was accused last year of conducting a rushed transfer of youths from Central to Nidorf in order to avoid criticism during a pending inspection by state board investigators. The chaotic, poorly planned move led to violence, injuries and eventually a rebuke from the L.A. County Office of the Inspector General.

The county consultants struck a deferential tone on Tuesday as they implored regulators to give them more time, while acknowledging Central and Nidorf were unsuitable to house youths. Perez said the department clearly, clearly, clearly understood changes were long overdue and acknowledged the county was asking a lot.

The board refused, appearing weary of various promises from a rotating cast of Probation Department leaders.

It is a plan that is way too late, said board member Kirk Haynes, Fresno County's chief probation officer.

Your concerns for the disruption of moving youth are outweighed by our concerns of the disruption theyre living in right now, said Kelly Vernon, chief probation officer of Tulare County. Every extension has already been made that possibly can.

Over the last two years, the state board has repeatedly found the two juvenile hall facilities out of compliance with state regulations. Last month, the county was given yet another chance. After a lengthy meeting where high-up county officials implored the regulators for more time, regulators put off an anticipated vote on a shutdown, citing the countys good-faith effort to course-correct. Among other promises, the county said it was reassigning 100 field deputy probation officers to the chronically short-staffed halls.

Central Juvenile Hall in Boyle Heights. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Inspectors say the promise of rapid reform never came to fruition.

In a memo by top staff of the Board of State and Community Corrections, regulators said they were unable to confirm that 100 deputy probation officers had been reassigned. And staff members were still regularly calling out for their shifts, forcing officers already on duty to cover for them and exacerbating the staffing crisis.

Between April 10-28, regulators found 34 staff members who had worked 24-hour shifts at Nidorf. Inspectors found that youths continued to be given little in the way of programming, with many crowded around TVs blaring YouTube. People still reported they sometimes urinated in a receptacle in their rooms because no one came to let them out to use the bathroom.

There is no measurable progress toward compliance being observed, regulators wrote.

Interim Chief Probation Officer Guillermo Viera Rosa said after the vote that he was disappointed state regulators didnt give his department more time but agreed the two halls should no longer be used for the bulk of young people in the county's custody. In contrast to what his representatives predicted at the meeting, Viera Rosa said he looked forward to a methodical and smooth transition to Los Padrinos.

Board of Supervisors Chair Janice Hahn called it "a tough decision but one we must live with."

The regulators' decision to largely shutter the halls came after intense pressure from youth advocate organizations, which accused the board of shirking its legal responsibility and flouting statutory deadlines by consistently giving the county additional time.

In a letter to the board Monday, attorneys with the Youth Law Center and the Peace and Justice Law Center said they would sue if it did not vote to find the halls unsuitable.

The vote will not lead to a complete shutdown of Nidorf. The 83 youths housed in its Secure Youth Track Facility, who have been accused of more serious and violent crimes, will remain there. The state board does not have authority over these secure facilities, which were created as something of a replacement for the state Division of Juvenile Justice, which will be closed down at the end of June.

The 18-year-old found dead of an apparent overdose was housed in Nidorf's secure facility, nicknamed "the Compound." Two sources told The Times the young man had been dead for hours before officers found him, despite mandatory overnight safety checks. A number of speakers invoked the 18-year-old, Bryan Diaz, by name during the hearing, citing his death as the last in a series of breaking points for L.A. County's failing juvenile justice system.

At least two other youths who had been transferred to Nidorf's secure track facility from state custody also overdosed earlier this year, according to court records reviewed by The Times and reports from the Office of the Inspector General. Youths have been able to obtain fentanyl-laced Percocet inside the secure unit, according to the reports.

The state regulatory board's oversight power could soon be expanded to include authority over secure youth treatment facilities statewide. Penner, head of the board, said Gov. Gavin Newsom has recommended the shift as part of the budget process.

Scott Budnick, a Board of State and Community Corrections member who recused himself from the vote, said changes within the facility need to come fast. He said that he regularly mentored Diaz inside Nidorf and found the conditions abhorrent and the programming nonexistent. Juveniles in custody would wake up at 7 a.m. to play video games and watch TV until the day ended at 9 p.m.

The kids say to me, Scott, when we do drugs, the day feels like it's a three-hour day. When were staring at that TV all day every day for 70 days in a row, every day feels like 100 hours.'

He said he sent 10 emails to probation leadership warning that someone was going to die. Caseworkers and probation line staff sent similar pleas. Nothing happened.

We have to get this right," Budnick said. There could be another Bryan Diaz any day now.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
This photo was taken of Republican Fiona McFarland on Nov. 8, 2022, after winning her race to represent a portion of Sarasota County in state government. The photo was taken during the Republican election day party at Robarts Arena.

State Rep. Fiona McFarland's bill aimed at preventing fraud from occurring on a state database of Florida businesses has been signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The bill will provide the Department of State the authority to require passwords and verify the identification of people changing records on Sunbiz.org, the state's database for businesses.

Previous coverage: Stranger accused of using website flaw to hijack Sarasota man's real estate business

More: Sarasota Rep. McFarland files bill to secure Sunbiz.org, prevent hijacking of businesses

Sunbiz.org is managed by the Division of Corporations, which is under the Florida Department of State. The website currently acts in an administrative filing capacity for registering businesses and accepts any changes "at face value."

While it is a third-degree felony to fraudulently change a record on Sunbiz.org, the current system does not check the identity of anyone applying for a change. This has allowed businesses to be defrauded in the past, according to a Herald-Tribune investigation last year.

McFarland said when she filed her bill that she decided to do so after the newspaper detailed how a Parrish man allegedly hijacked control of a Sarasota real estate company and took out loans on the company's properties totaling more than $1 million.

"Im happy to announce that The Sunbiz bill has been signed into law by the Governor!" McFarland tweeted on Monday. "Dept. of State can now create a password-protected program for registered" Florida businesses.

McFarland thanked Rep. Chip LaMarca and state Sen. Erin Grall for getting the bill to the governor's desk. Grall sponsored a Senate version of the bill.

"Lets keep demanding safe and excellent" government services, McFarland concluded her tweet.

It took the Sarasota Police Department more than four months to complete their investigation after the Herald-Tribune first wrote about the allegations. Robert E. Houston Jr. was arrested on numerous felony charges in January stemming from the Sarasota Police Department's investigation.

According to the arrest report, the bank accounts that Houston is accused of using in the real estate scheme were nearly empty by the time police made the arrest.

Houston remains in the Sarasota County jail, according to the jail log on Tuesday afternoon.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Gov. Ron DeSantis signs bill aimed at protecting Florida Business from fraud
A chance of showers is expected this week leading up to Memorial Day weekend in the Fort Worth area.

The National Weather Service Hazardous Weather Outlook reports a complex of thunderstorms is expected to move into the Fort Worth area early Wednesday morning from the northwest. A few storms primarily west of Highway 281 may become strong to severe and contain damaging wind gusts, frequent lightning, heavy rain and small hail.

Additional storm chances are expected Wednesday and Thursday night with areas west of I-35 having the highest chances for storms.

Partly sunny and partly cloudy conditions are forecast for the Dallas-Fort Worth area Wednesday through Friday with highs in the lower to mid 80s, lows in the mid 60s. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms each day, according to the weather service.

Mostly sunny conditions are forecast for Saturday and Sunday with highs in the mid to upper 80s and lows in the mid to upper 60s.

Memorial Day weather will have partly sunny conditions with highs in the upper 80s and lows in the upper 60s. A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms is forecast for the morning and in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
The stabbing occurred at Proctor High School in Utica, New York this past Halloween.

If it isnt broken, dont replace it with AIespecially when it comes to metal detectors. This past October, a high school student in New York was stabbed with a knife that the schools AI weapons scanner failed to detect.

According to BBC, the stabbing occurred at Proctor High School in Utica, New York last Halloween and the 18-year-old suffered stab wounds to the head, neck, shoulder, back, and hand. Prior to the stabbing, the high school invested in a multimillion dollar AI weapons detection system from a company called Evolv Technology. That weapons scanner failed to detect the 9-inch knife brought into the school, which was then used in the stabbing.

Read more

Theres an epidemic of schools buying new technology based on audacious marketing claims, then finding out it has hidden flaws, often millions of dollars later, said Connor Healy to the BBC. Healy is a director at the security research firm TVPM. Evolv is one of the worst offenders. School officials are not technical experts on weapons detection, and companies like Evolv profit from their ignorance.

Evolv did not immediately return Gizmodos request for comment.

The Utica City School District reportedly purchased Evolv systems for the districts 13 schools last March and the detectors were installed over the summer break. Brian Nolan, superintendent, told BBC that since the stabbing, three more knives have been found on students that were not originally detected by the AI weapons scanner. The scanners have been removed from Proctor High School and replaced by metal detectors but are apparently still being used in the districts 12 other schools.

The kids [who had the knives] all said they walked right through the weapons detection system, we asked them about that it truly, truly does not find knives, Nolan told the BBC.

As the outlet points out, Evolvs website previously plastered the slogan Weapons-Free Zones across its homepage. That language changed following the stabbing to Our Mission: Safe Zones and then again, more recently, to Our Mission: Safer Zones. Evolvs mission is to replace traditional metal detectors with scanners powered by AI, and according to a previous release from the company, its systems were able to detect knives.

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.

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Greece's Prime Minister and leader of New Democracy Kyriakos Mitsotakis, center, addresses supporters at the headquarters of his party in Athens, Greece, Sunday, May 21, 2023. The conservative party of Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has won a landslide election but without enough parliamentary seats to form a government. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris)

ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greece is heading toward a new general election, two days after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' center-right New Democracy party won a landslide victory in a national vote but failed in clinch a majority in parliament.

A power-sharing deal was put mathematically out of reach Tuesday, after the main opposition party formally received  and summarily rejected  an invitation to try and form the countrys next government. Mitsotakis had swiftly ruled out seeking a coalition, opting instead for a second election, expected on June 25. That would introduce a change in the electoral system that favors the winning party and likely hand him an outright victory.

The 55-year-old Mitsotakis won just over 40% of the vote Sunday, hammering his main opponent by 20 points. He has promised to continue pro-business reforms, tough policies to combat illegal migration, and high defense spending as Greece recovers from a major financial crisis in the previous decade.

Under Greece's constitution, the first three parties are awarded up to three days each to try and form a government before parliament is dissolved and a new election is called. The left-wing Syriza party, led by former prime minister Alexis Tsipras, suffered a major defeat at the polls Sunday was obliged to reject the mandate for form a government when received Tuesday by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. I have no reason to hide that the election result is a painful shock for us. Unexpected and painful, Tsipras told reporters after the meeting. The 48-year-old opposition leader now faces a challenge from the third-placed center-left Pasok party that once dominated Greek politics, but saw its popular support plummet during the financial crisis and a series of painful international bailouts.

Tsipras said he wasn't considering stepping down, and promised to fight on to try and curb the dominance of the conservatives.

Imagine an all-powerful, unaccountable ruler-prime minister if these (current) results are repeated, he told reporters outside the presidents official residence.

In its first four years in power, this government demonstrated that it has no respect for the rule of law, democracy or political pluralism ... so the big picture is the need to prevent having a murky, unaccountable, hegemonic and arrogant government.

Under an official allocation announced Tuesday, New Democracy won 146 seats in the 300-member parliament, five shy of a governing majority. Syriza had 71, followed by Pasok with 41 the Greek Communist Party with 26, and the nationalist Hellenic Solution with 16. The Pasok leader, Nikos Androulakis, will later on Tuesday formally receive the third and final invitation to try and form a government. But he cannot put forward a viable proposal without the support of the first or second party which has already been ruled out. Sunday's elections were held under a system of proportional representation applied for the first time in more than three decades. The next ballot will see election rules revert to a pro-majority system, handing the winning party a so-called election bonus of up to 50 seats. The date of the next election will depend on a number of procedural issues, most important of which are the assembly and disolution of the newly-elected parliament.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Alleged violations of the ceasefire agreed by Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are being discussed by the Saudi Arabia-based monitoring panel and the United States, as well as the warring sides, the State Department said on Tuesday.

The truce, reached on Saturday after five weeks of battles, appeared on Tuesday to have brought some relief from heavy fighting, although artillery fire could be heard in parts of Khartoum.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told a news briefing that members of the ceasefire panel of Saudi and U.S. officials and representatives of the warring sides were discussing alleged ceasefire breaches with their chains of command and with Washington.

"We've obviously seen the reports (of breaches). The officials on the monitoring mechanism are looking into those reports," he said. "When we see violations of the ceasefire (we) make those known publicly as well as directly engage with both sides to the conflict."

State Department officials have been speaking since the fighting erupted with the top generals and other officials of the sides and will continue doing so "to press them to stop the violence when we see violations of the ceasefire," Miller said.

"We do have additional tools available to us" to pressure the combatants "and we will not hesitate to use those tools if and when it's appropriate to do so," he continued, without elaborating.

(Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Simon Lewis; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)
Its not easy getting a food business off the ground. Food trucks, trailers and other mobile-business options continue to provide an avenue for entrepreneurs in Pierce County to gain followers without the overhead of a brick-and-mortar.

The Washington State Food Truck Association, which supports upstart trucks in navigating local permitting requirements and plans events, shares a new one every few weeks. So far this year, a couple have added second trailers. One established special-order Filipino restaurant now roves around the region.

At Port of Tacoma most Wednesdays, food trucks offer a fresh and quick option for lunch in an area without many options.

What better time to check out restaurants where you must eat outside than late spring, going on summer? Heres a look at a few new food trucks to try around Pierce County.

I LOVE TACOS - TACOMA & PUYALLUP

 716 E. 56th St., Tacoma, 253-495-7066, instagram.com/ilovetacos253

 Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

 209 W. Pioneer Ave., Puyallup, Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Hugo Maldonado launched the first I Love Tacos truck in 2021, following a successful catering business. This spring, he added a second truck, parked in downtown Puyallup across from Anthem Coffee. The menu offers his take on street tacos, by way of Los Angeles, with adobada, pollo, asada and tripe sprinkled with onion and cilantro ($2.50-$3). Quesadillas, burritos and the asada fries are popular orders ($8-$10). Dont skip the days fresh agua fresca.

I Love Tacos has served Los Angeles-inspired street tacos from a truck at 56th and McKinley in Tacoma since 2022. This spring, the family added a second truck, parked across from Anthem Coffee in downtown Puyallup.

THAIM TO ROLL

 Main Street and Valley Avenue (across from Fred Meyer), Sumner, facebook.com/thaimtoroll

 Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (hours may vary)

Thaim to Roll has often been stationed at events around East Pierce County, but this spring they are experimenting with the corner of Main and Valley. Run by a husband and wife, her mother operates Sumalees Thai Cuisine on state Route 410 in Bonney Lake. Start with pot stickers, spring rolls with prawns or fried tofu ($6-$8), and then get into a peanut-covered pad Thai or their spin on larb na (ground chicken with basil and a fried egg). The crispy chicken  doused in garlic sauce or a spicy sriracha  is a truck favorite ($15), along with house mango and strawberry, or strawberry mango, smoothies.

Port of Tacomas big spring shipment: local food trucks for lunch

CRAZY TACOS

 18321 state Route 410, Bonney Lake, crazytacotruck.com

 28120 state Route 410, Buckley

 Daily 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

This woman-owned truck in Bonney Lake recently added a second truck in Buckley  note the different addresses, but both on state Route 410. Tacos are obviously an easy choice here, whether asada, adobada, chorizo or carnitas, but the regulars love lengua (+$1). Load up with the fajita burrito or skip the meat with veggie or bean and cheese. Sopes, mulitas and tamales are also on the menu. Bonus: breakfast burritos available all day!

LUMPIA LOVE

 Multiple locations, Tacoma and Puyallup, lumpialovestore.com

Lynette Boado has been a fixture of Pierce Countys food scene since Lumpia Loves 2013 debut, first as a farmers market vendor. About five years ago, she dove into the business full-time, serving at various events and from her commercial kitchen space in Federal Way. Earlier this year, Lumpia Love hit the road in a new food truck. Get your hands on homemade lumpia (three for $6) pancit, fresh musubi and sio pao (steamed BBQ pork buns, $3.50) and chicken adobo ($11). Head to the Puyallup Farmers Market most Saturdays and Port of Tacoma on Wednesdays, and look for other locations on StreetFoodFinder including Tacoma Community College and Off Camber Brewing.

This new food truck started with a love story and a cross-country pizza honeymoon

HOBOS BBQ

 Multiple locations, Tacoma and Puyallup, facebook.com/hobosbbqfoodtruck

Named after owner Marci Von Appens rescue dog, Hobos BBQ kicks off its first summer season at Top Down Brewing Co. on June 1, but check Facebook for updates. That Friday, the truck will park at Puyallups Food Truck Friday event near Pioneer Pavilion. Nosh on 16-hour applewood-smoked brisket, tri-tip steak cooked medium rare, smoked chicken thighs, spare ribs and pulled pork, paired with three-cheese mac, barbecue baked beans and crunchy cabbage and carrot slaw. Von Appen quit the desk life to build her food truck after being diagnosed with cancer in 2020  a portion of proceeds supports the American Cancer Society and, in honor of her bond with Hobo, Tall Tails Dog Rescue. Look for more locations on social media.

Italy Paola Pizza Napoletana opened in early 2023 across from Cooks Tavern in Tacomas North End.

ITALY PAOLA PIZZA NAPOLETANA

 3124 N. 26th Street (in 76 gas station parking lot), Tacoma, facebook.com/italypaolapizza

 Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Find this van, equipped with a wood-fired oven, parked outside the 76 gas station on the corner of Alder and 26th streets in Tacomas North End. A short list of classic Neapolitan-style pies includes a simple margherita with fresh mozz, the loaded capricciosa with mushrooms, artichokes, sardines and olives, and a white pie with red peppers and sausage. Order with owner Cristian Conversano at the window, wait by your car and pay when your order is ready. Try the three-cheese calzone and finish it off with homemade cannoli or tiramisu (limited availability).
Supporter of Russian aggression sentenced to three years in prison in Germany

The letter Z is a symbol of Russian aggression

He called Ukraine a "terrorist state.

"The defendant justified Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine on social media and ran a Telegram channel whose name and logo were based on the ultranationalist Russian Drugaya Rossiya (Other Russia) party, according to the indictment.

Additionally, he used the Russian propaganda symbol Z, which is partially banned in Germany.

He also was sentenced for violating the law on weapon possession by possessing a prohibited one-handed knife.

The man already had a criminal record for attacking a journalist, Die Welt reported.

Read also: Louis Vuitton fashion house accused of supporting Russia with Z in jewelry collection

His 35-year-old accomplice was sentenced to six months in prison for complicity in a crime and weapons possession. Germany's Interior Ministry announced on March 28, 2022 that displaying the "Z" symbol could be considered a criminal act, as a way of approving Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

Placing the symbol on property, displaying it during demonstrations, or publishing it online are a violation of the law, with transgressors facing fines or up to three years imprisonment, under German law.

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
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is issuing an advisory that social media use may be harmful to the mental health of young people, citing growing evidence that online content is hurting the development of the nations youth.

Im issuing this advisory because were in the middle of a youth mental health crisis and Im concerned that social media is contributing to the harms that kids are experiencing, Murthy told The Hill.

Murthy specifically pointed to the possibility of a link between time spent on social media and depression and anxiety.

He cited one 2019 study that found adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 who spent more than three hours on social media daily had double the risk of developing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Teenagers on average spend 3 1/2 hours on social media every day, according to data cited in the advisory.

The advisory acknowledged social media can provide some benefits to young people.

It noted a majority of young girls of color say they regularly see positive and identity-affirming content online.

Social media also provides avenues for connection for people who may otherwise feel isolated, such as people with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community.

The surgeon general stressed the onus for managing healthy social media use was not entirely on parents.

Its an unreasonable expectation because prior generations never had to experience and manage the rapidly evolving technology that fundamentally changed how kids thought about themselves, how they thought about their friendships and how they saw the world, said Murthy.

He said companies must play a part in ensuring social media does not harm kids. Murthy called on higher transparency from tech companies, noting that independent researchers have told his office tech giants have not provided the full data needed to make a complete assessment of the risk for harm.

Murthy has routinely spoken about the potential harm social media use has on children.

Earlier this year, Murthy said on CNN he believed 13 was too young for children to be on social media, an age when most platforms allow people to join.

In an advisory issued in 2021, Murthy noted how the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly accelerated how much of peoples lives play out on social media. His advisory at the time emphasized social media companies are concerned with maximizing engagement and not safeguarding users health.

As far as the federal governments role in improving how social media use impacts children, Murthy said establishing age-appropriate health and safety standards could be one such avenue, pointing out that standards are established for many products that children use like car seats and toys.

Murthy recommended that parents and caretakers establish a family media plan that lays out expectations regarding social media use, create tech-free zones, model responsible online behavior themselves and work with other parents to establish shared norms and practices.

The advisory encouraged children to reach out for help if social media is negatively affecting them, limit the use of electronics at least an hour before bed and be selective about what personal information they share online.

Children are also advised to be protective of themselves by tracking how much time they spend online, blocking unwanted contacts and content, and avoiding keeping online harassment a secret.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
 Flash

People wait to be evacuated near an airport in Omdurman, Sudan, April 26, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

A Chinese envoy on Monday called on the conflicting parties in Sudan to halt hostilities promptly.

"As a good friend and good partner of Sudan, we sincerely hope that the two parties to the conflict will give priority to Sudan's peace and the well-being of its people, stop hostilities as soon as possible, and resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation," Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council meeting on the situation in Sudan.

Dai said China has noted that the two parties to the conflict have reached temporary ceasefire on multiple occasions and signed the Agreement on a Short-term Ceasefire and Humanitarian Arrangement in Jeddah last Saturday.

"The pressing task is to ensure the implementation of commitments to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to provide security guarantees for and facilitate humanitarian assistance and evacuation," he said.

"We hope that the parties to the conflict will continue the momentum of dialogue, strive for a more durable ceasefire and political arrangement, and bring the country's development back on track," he added.

"We call on the UN and international partners to support and cooperate with regional organizations, with a view to providing the necessary time and space for regional mediation," Dai said.

"The developments in Sudan have once again demonstrated that a solution to the question of Sudan can only be found from within the country. External interference or unilateral sanctions will not solve the problem, but will instead intensify tensions and aggravate political and social crises. The international community needs to draw a lesson. Relevant parties should seriously reflect on the current situation and refrain from expanding unilateral sanctions and thus going further down the wrong path," the envoy noted.

The ambassador pointed out that since the outbreak of the conflict, the already fragile economic and humanitarian situation in Sudan and its neighboring countries has become even more worrisome, adding that China commends Sudan's neighbors for hosting a large number of Sudanese refugees despite the difficulties they themselves face, and calls on the international community to step up assistance to Sudan and its neighbors to alleviate the spillover impact on the region.

"China supports the UN in communicating and coordinating with Sudan and its neighboring countries on humanitarian issues, helping the regional countries with their response capacity, and easing humanitarian pressure," said the envoy.

On the mandate of the UN mission in Sudan, UNITAMS, Dai said its mandate will expire in early June.

"In view of the current situation, UNITAMS will face considerable challenges in its future work. China encourages the penholders to stay in close touch with Sudan and fully respect its views. This is not only conducive to the smooth work of UNITAMS in the future, but also to the long-term cooperation between the UN and Sudan, said the ambassador.
The suspect who allegedly shot and killed Scott County sheriffs deputy Caleb Conley has been identified as Steven Sheangshang, Maj. Matt LeMonds with the Fayette County Detention Center confirmed Tuesday morning.

Sheangshang, 46, has been charged with murder of a police officer, wanton endangerment, evading police, first-degree assault, first-degree robbery, three counts of burglary, two counts of possessing a handgun as a convicted felon and evidence tampering, jail records show. He was being held at the Fayette County Detention Center Tuesday morning.

Sheangshangs arrest citation says he shot Conley during a traffic stop on I-75. Sheangshang fled the scene and went to a residence in Georgetown, where he allegedly pulled a gun on residents, took a vehicle and went to Lexington.

Sheangshangs citation also confirms he is accused of shooting someone and stealing their vehicle on Georgetown Road in Lexington. The alleged incident happened after Sheangshang shot Conley and took a vehicle in Georgetown. The citation says he shot the victim in the abdomen and the victim was rushed to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital for surgery shortly before 6 p.m.

Sheangshang was apprehended in the 800 block of Charles Avenue at 6:41 p.m., his arrest citation says. He was found inside a residence with a handgun and six spent shell casings in a trash can.

Steven Sheangshang, is accused of killing a Scott County Sheriffs deputy amid several different crimes hes charged with committing. Sheangshang had previously been identified as the Bluegrass Crime Stoppers Wanted Person of the Week. Photos via Bluegrass Crime Stoppers

On May 18, Bluegrass Crime Stoppers named Sheangshang as the wanted person of the week. A media report indicated Sheangshang stole lawn equipment from open garage doors, and would pawn the stolen items for money.

Sheangshang was identified through his vehicle, which was captured by Flock license plate reader cameras in Lexington, Cincinnati and Covington, according to a report. Prior to Mondays incidents, he was wanted on a second-degree burglary charge.

A spokesperson for Flock Safety, the company that makes Flock license plate reader cameras, said police were able to find Sheangshang because they used Flock cameras to find the license plate from the stolen vehicle. Sheangshang was found near where the vehicle had been abandoned, according to Flock.

Sheangshang had recently been released from a prison sentence. Hed been sentenced to prison in multiple theft cases cases in 2014 and 2016, court records show.

He was released from the Woodford County Detention Center under mandatory re-entry supervision in February this year, according to records from the Department of Corrections. Re-entry supervision is a method in which the states parole board can release an inmate six months prior to the end of their sentence if they were denied parole, according to state law.

State records indicate Sheangshang was eligible for parole in January 2022.
Two men accidentally called 911 while burglarizing a manufacturing business in North Carolina, police said.

A dispatcher with the Monroe Police Department picked up the call at around 3:30 a.m. on May 17 and at first thought the caller was in distress, according to a post on the police departments Facebook page. Officers were dispatched to the manufacturing store where the call originated.

The dispatcher then heard the caller talking with another person about what items would be best to steal and most useful for them to take, the post says.

At one point, one of the men could be heard saying, The police are coming. Weve got to get out of here, Monroe police Lt. Steve Morton told McClatchy News.

When officers arrived, they found one of the accused burglars still at the scene, according to the police department. The other man, who investigators later discovered was the one who butt-dialed 911, fled the scene, Morton said.

The men had loaded around 60 metal construction beams into a vehicle, Morton said. The beams were worth around $12,000.

One of the men was arrested and charged with felony larceny and possession of methamphetamine, according to the police department.

The man who ran from the scene was arrested a short time later, Morton said. He was charged with one count of felony larceny. When investigators spoke to him, they found that his phone had been in his pocket and an emergency 911 button had been hit accidentally.

Clearly it was a mistake, Morton said. He wasnt happy.

Both were later released on a $25,000 bond each, Morton said.

After their release, one of the men called the police department to ask them to remove the Facebook post about their arrest because it was too embarrassing, Morton said.

Monroe is about 25 miles southeast of Charlotte.

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Swastika painted on Scituate roof; police ask for help investigating 'distressing' crime

SCITUATE  Vandalism that included a 12-foot-by-16-foot swastika spray-painted on the roof caused almost $10,000 in damage to a house under construction on Hatherly Road, police said.

Police said there was damage to several parts of the house's exterior, including the deck and windowpanes, as well as lewd spray-painting inside, a smashed and dented microwave, a broken vodka bottle and two cans of spray paint.

The vandalism occurred between Saturday, May 6, and the morning of Monday, May 8, when an owner of the property notified police. According to the report, rain on the nights of May 7 and 8 washed away any sign of footprints.

Police on Monday reported the vandalism to the public via Facebook and are asking for help identifying who committed the crime.

The Scituate Police Department and the Town of Scituate will never tolerate any act of hatred or bias-motivated crimes," Police Chief Mark Thompson wrote in the statement posted Monday. "Our investigators continue to work diligently to identify and hold those responsible accountable. As distressing as this act is, based on supporting evidence at this time, the incident appears to be isolated and not the work of an organized hate group.

A large swastika was spray-painted on the roof of a Scituate house.

The police department is collaborating with the Combined Jewish Philanthropies and the Anti-Defamation League to handle the crime.

Anyone found responsible could face charges of wanton and malicious destruction of property, misdemeanor breaking and entering, defacement of property and trespassing, a police report states. Hate crimes are not listed among the possible charges. Police did not say whether the property owners are Jewish.

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An owner of the property posted anonymously to a local Facebook group, saying, "Sadly, this hate is everywhere. Dont deny it. Help promote education and realize kids are listening."

A newly released report by the Anti-Defamation League said that in 2022, its Center on Extremism documented the highest number of antisemitic acts nationwide since 1979, when counting began.

Massachusetts had the sixth most reported incidents with 152, a 41% increase over 2021. Vandalism also increased by 41% in 2022, with 82 documented cases versus 58 in 2021.

Scituate police say anyone with information about the Hatherly Road incident can reach them at scituatema.gov/police-department/tips.

Reach Peter Blandino at pblandino@patriotledger.com.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Police: Swastika painted on roof of Hatherly Road house in Scituate
Cant afford critical home repairs in Tumwater? Habitat for Humanity wants to help

Eligible Tumwater homeowners can get affordable home repairs through a new program the South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity announced last week.

The Critical Home Repair program covers a range of repair services such as roofing, plumbing, electrical and accessibility modifications, according to a news release from the nonprofit.

Zac Marti, Critical Home Repair Manager, called the program an important step towards ensuring safe and affordable housing for all.

We understand that homeownership is one of the most significant investments a family can make, and its crucial that we do everything we can to help families maintain and improve their homes, Marti said.

South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1989 to serve Thurston County with the support of community partners, volunteers and donors.

However, the home repair program is limited to Tumwater residents for now because the grant funding available to subsidize the repair costs can only be used there, according to Amber Markland, marketing and development coordinator for the non-profit.

The program also intends to offer no interest, affordable payment plans.

To qualify for program, homeowners must meet seven eligibility requirements.

Own and live in a home.

Earn less than 80% of the area median income, although some grants have lower percentage requirements. For a family of four, 80% of area median income would be $80,720 a year, according to guidelines on the website.

Need better housing because current conditions are negatively affecting health, safety or financial well-being.

Be unable to afford and/or perform the repairs, but willing to pay for part of the repair costs.

Have homeowners insurance and be current on all mortgage payments.

Partner with Habitat for Humanity by providing required documents as well as being honest and cooperative. They must also complete at least eight hours of sweat equity, or volunteer time. This time can be completed by the applicant and/or a family member.

Understand that the repairs will be conducted by Habitat for Humanity volunteers and staff as well as other community members or organizations. Larger or more complicated projects may require contracted skilled labor.

Those interested in applying can do so on the program website. After applying, staff will conduct a financial review, assess the home, create a contract, accept payment and start work.

The release says the non-profit also is looking for volunteers to work on repairs. More information on how to get involved can be found on the South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity website.
[Source]

On Tuesday, Taiwan's foreign ministry announced that the islands last known survivor of Japans wartime sexual slavery has died at the age of 92.

The woman, who did not want to be named, died on May 10. Her family allowed the news of her death to be announced to the public after a private funeral, according to Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation.

On Tuesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Jeff Liu said:

The comfort women issue is a wound in human history and the government has attached great importance to the dignity and welfare of former Taiwanese (survivors). (The government) has continued to express concerns to the Japanese government... and urge the Japanese side to face our demand to apologize and compensate Taiwanese comfort women and their families. More from NextShark: 16-year-old charged with the murder of Milana Li, 13-year-old girl found dead in an Oregon stream

The survivors, who are euphemistically referred to as comfort women, were abducted and coerced into sexual slavery by Japan's military during World War II.

Historians estimate around 200,000 women became victims in the countries occupied by Japan, including Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

While the Japanese government has acknowledged the past atrocities, officials have not taken full responsibility for the enslavement of women, causing activists to demand compensation for survivors.

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Japan colonized Taiwan from 1895 to 1945.

According to the Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation, 59 comfort women came forward over the years as survivors. However, the foundation believes that there were at least 2,000 Taiwanese women affected.

The foundation noted that they will continue to fight for compensation for the wartime victims and advocate for their history to be taught in schools.

More from NextShark: World No. 1 men's singles table tennis player reveals female stalker stole his underwear

Although all the grandmas have passed away, we believe that their spirit will remain in our hearts forever, the group said, according to Manila Bulletin. This piece of history will not disappear due to the death of the grandmas.

Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark!

Portland man arrested for anti-Asian remarks, threatening victim with black hose in road rage incident
[Source]

A Taiwanese student residing in the United States alleges she was the victim of an assault and racial discrimination following an incident at the New York Public Library.

Writing on the Taiwanese online forum D-card, Polin Huang recounted how she was purportedly attacked by a woman in the library and then faced indifference from security guards when she asked for their help.

According to Huang, an African American woman suddenly punched her in the face as she was exiting the bathroom on the fifth floor of the New York Public Librarys Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library branch at around 7:15 p.m. on May 17. The impact of the assault caused Huang to hit her head on the corner of the bathroom wall, resulting in profuse bleeding.

Huang claimed that when she approached five security guards present at the scene for help, they appeared more interested in "covering for each other" rather than addressing her urgent situation.

More from NextShark: Man who wrestled gun away from Monterey Park shooting suspect recalls violent struggle

Her friend immediately sought assistance to stop the assailant from leaving the building but the guards reportedly allowed her to get away.

Huangs friend uploaded a video on TikTok that captured her confrontation with the suspect and their subsequent interaction with security guards.

 original sound - Niks @niksvalerie If you see this woman in New York City please be careful My friend and I went to the 5th floor bathroom of the New York City Library (Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library) on 5/17 at 7:15pm. While we were in the bathroom, a woman was silently staring at us from the corner of the bathroom . As we were leaving the restroom, she randomly hit my friend in the head so hard that my friend's head bled and caused my friend to mentally breakdown. A few security guards came over and called the police. When the woman came out of the bathroom, all the security guards did was tell her she wouldnt be allowed back into the library. NOTHING FURTHER.  Then the woman tried to get on the elevator and leave the library. Unfortunately no one helped me stop her from leaving except me. The security guards continued to watch and tell me to calm down. They also kept saying that they had no right to do anything because of legal issues. The lady slowly left the library with no issue. I am extremely disappointed in the lack of effort shown by both NYPD and security of the NYC Public Library. #fyp

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In the video, Huang's friend can be heard expressing concern about Huang's bleeding and warning others in an elevator about the assailant's actions. The security guard can be heard assuring them that the police are on their way but tells them, "If we do something, we get arrested."

The video ends with the alleged attacker preparing to enter another elevator. Huang was rushed to a hospital for emergency medical treatment for her injuries.

In her post, Huang described the incident as an "indiscriminate attack" and expressed concern about the long-lasting psychological impact it could have on her.

More from NextShark: Bay Area councilmember attacked with concrete block while walking with his family

She contacted the Overseas Emergency Assistance phone number of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA) to file a lawsuit against the New York Public Library or seek compensation.

Huang shared that she was disappointed by the MOFA and BOCA as she only received a phone call from an immigration lawyer instead of the assistance she had expected.

In a press release on May 22, the MOFA stated that it had investigated the incident by gathering more information and offering the victim the assistance she required in filing a case against the library.

More from NextShark: China accuses Taiwan for 'taking advantage' of Ukraine crisis by giving financial aid to its refugees

MOFA shared that, in accordance with its contingency plan for Taiwanese citizens living abroad, the representative office provided the victim with the contact information of lawyers, including the Asian American Bar Association of New York and other attorneys. Additionally, the office assured the victim of its willingness to provide further assistance if necessary.

According to the agency, the Taiwan representative office in New York maintains close contact with local law enforcement agencies, actively advocating for the safety of Taiwanese nationals and overseas Taiwanese.

Condemning all forms of violence, including racial hatred and discrimination, the ministry urged all Taiwanese citizens traveling abroad or residing overseas, as well as Taiwanese exchange students, to promptly seek assistance from local law enforcement agencies or the nearest Taiwan representative office in case of emergencies involving personal safety.
In February, Target laid out ambitious goals to expand its sortation network from just three facilities last year to 15 by 2026. So far, the $100 million project appears to be paying dividends for the companys last-mile delivery goals.

For one, the investment is helping the retailer to use larger passenger vehicles on more delivery routes in its sortation markets, with early positive results so far, said executive vice president and chief operating officer John Mulligan.

More from Sourcing Journal

Compared with routes previously served by sedans, SUVs and minivans can deliver more than double the number of packages per route, while high-capacity vans can serve nearly five times as many packages, Mulligan said in Targets first-quarter earnings call on Wednesday. And beyond capacity, the use of larger vehicles enables further route optimization, increasing the number of packages that can be delivered per hour.

In the first quarter, approximately 65 percent of last-mile deliveries serviced by Shipt in these markets were made with larger vehicles compared with zero a year ago.

Targets sortation centers are designed to serve a different purpose than the companys legacy distribution centers. Theyre positioned farther downstream from the retailers stores to offer speed and efficiency that supports last-mile delivery.

Last year, Target delivered 26 million packages via these sortation centers, and aims to roughly double that amount this year.

In bringing larger vehicles into the last-mile mix, Target has seen meaningful  delivery cost savings, Mulligan said. The mass merchant is working to begin testing high-capacity vans at a larger scale in its hometown of Minneapolis and Dallas, the COO said.

Its more than just the vehicles and the facilities that are improving delivery.

Were developing a standardized faster way to load those vans, enabling package containerization and easy identification of the correct packages at delivery, Mulligan said. In addition to simplifying the load process for the drivers, this new process will enable us to safely move a larger number of Shipt drivers in and out of our sort centers in a given amount of time, expanding our last-mile delivery capacity in these markets.

Target is beefing up its last-mile and next-day delivery capabilities not just by scaling up its sortation center network, but by innovating around its current existing processes.

Earlier this month, the company opened a new facility in Smyrna, Ga. designed to serve as an extension to the Atlanta sortation center, which cost very little to open, according to Mulligan.

This new facility takes the burden off the Atlanta sortation center, since a portion of local orders falling outside the latters last-mile delivery area can now be transferred to the Smyrna extension where Shipt drivers can pick them up and serve additional neighborhoods. With the opening of this extension facility, Target says it can now offer next-day delivery to more than 3 million customers in the Atlanta market.

While automated warehousing is a top area of supply chain-related investment, Mulligan stressed that automation is only one way to deliver value to our business.

He pointed out that these sortation centers are not highly automated. Instead, they use technology and sophisticated process logic to sort packages, which he says still provide a faster and more efficient customer experience at a significantly lower cost.

Targets executive vice president and chief financial officer Michael Fiddelke said in the call that he expects the sortation facilities will do a lot of business in the back half of the year and in the years to come as the company cuts last-mile shipping costs.

Burden of freight costs eases

The distribution network updates come as freight rates continue to fall from year-ago numbers across the supply chain, as retailers including Target, TJX and Ross Stores recently highlighted improved margins due to the slumping costs.

Fiddelke cited the declining freight and transportation costs as the primary factor in Targets gross margin rate, which increased 0.6 percentage points year over year to 26.3 percent.

As of Thursday, the Drewry World Container Index of $1,720 per 40-foot container was 78 percent below the year priors $7,657 per container, but just 1 percent lower from $1,741 in the week prior.

We believe that many of the same trends that emerged in Q1 will continue in the second quarter, including a meaningful tailwind from freight and transportation costs and a significant headwind resulting from inventory shrink, Fiddelke said, referencing the retailers $500 million in projected inventory shrink this year.

However, Fiddelke was realistic about the declining costs. Freight is still a headwind, to be clear, but on a year-over-year basis, were seeing some benefit, he said.

Target sourcing VP on circular private label strategy

Targets rethinking of its domestic distribution network comes as the retailer reevaluates its wider international supply chain to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. The commitment extends across Scopes 1 and 2, or emissions that Target directly controls, and Scopes 3, which are emissions produced primarily by the retailers supply chain partners.

At the Reuters Supply Chain USA event in Chicago on Thursday, Maithili Shenoy, vice president, sourcing and manufacturing, Target, said the mass merchant plans for 100 percent of its owned brand products to be designed for a circular future.

What that means for us as we think about net-zero, it is requiring us to understand our product movementsuch as how cotton meets the end consumer, said Shenoy. So an examplethe cotton is from India, it goes to Vietnam to get knitted and then it goes to Indonesia, where it is sewnthats a lot of carbon. As we are looking at our footprint, we are actually also looking at: What are the carbon emissions? Whats the waste situation there?

By 2025, Target aims to establish two circular private-label brands using materials that are regenerative, recycled or sourced sustainably and create products that are more durable, easily repaired or recyclable.

Target is partnering with companies such as comfort footwear manufacturer and brand Okabashi as well as circularity initiative Fashion for Good to aid in designing more circular products.

The retailer has already created its own circular programs, like a car seat trade-in event that enables consumers to get rid of their unwanted car seats in exchange for a 20 percent off coupon for either a new seat, one stroller or select baby apparel.

We take back these car seats in our stores, and we grind them and use them to make new Target home products such as storage crates. It doesnt make a whole bunch of sense to take all these car seats, burn more carbon, ship it back to Asia only for it to be delivered again.

Shenoy said that she sees the retail supply chain evolving into a model that prioritizes the total cost of ownership (TCO), which accounts not just for the bottom-line immediate costs, but added usage and maintenance costs that continue in the longer term.

It is no longer just about cost, but it includes agility, said Shenoy. That speed and flexibility has a direct impact on markdowns, on out-of-stocks, on the guest experience and on inventory. As we are looking at our sourcing business model, we are expanding our journey that follows those four dimensions of agility, speed, resiliency and also sustainability.

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Taylor Swift should take a cue from Phoebe Bridgers and criticize her own fans

Taylor Swift greets fans at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Wesley Lapointe/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Taylor Swift fans have been exhibiting obsessive behavior, camping outside her home and studio.

Swifties have previously been known to harass queer fans and music critics in their idol's name.

Phoebe Bridgers has criticized her own fans for overstepping. Swift should feel free to do the same.

Taylor Swift's fans are renowned for their loyalty and dedication.

Known colloquially as "Swifties," they sell out stadiums in minutes; spend weeks creating intricate outfits that pay tribute to her albums; comb through her lyrics to find Easter eggs and secret messages.

Back in November, the fandom received national attention for taking action after Ticketmaster bungled the Eras Tour presale.

The backlash was so loud and so fervent that the Department of Justice launched an antitrust investigation into Ticketmaster's parent company. The power of Swifties became clearer than ever.

Indeed, the sheer passion of Swift's fans has helped make her the biggest pop star in the world  but that doesn't grant them absolute access to her life and personal space.

Recently, Swift obsessives have been exhibiting overzealous  and frankly concerning  behavior. Videos have circulated online that show swarms of people camping outside her home in New York City and Electric Lady Studios, where she's been spotted working in between tour dates. Other clips show fans chasing her car down the street.

Taylor Swift photographed on May 22, 2023 in New York City. Robert Kamau/GC Images

It's one thing to wait for hours in the pouring rain to watch Swift deliver a spectacular concert. That's her job. It's another, more sinister thing to wait for hours on the sidewalk, just to film her car entering her home garage. That's her life.

Swift has been candid about fending off stalkers throughout her career, making this behavior particularly egregious for anyone who claims to care about her well-being.

"My fear of violence has continued into my personal life," she wrote for Elle in 2019. "I carry QuikClot army-grade bandage dressing, which is for gunshot or stab wounds. Websites and tabloids have taken it upon themselves to post every home address I've ever had online. You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things."

This is not to say that Swift's most ardent fans are all stalkers, but it's easy to see how this behavior could be triggering for someone who's been stalked. And as Swift said in her "Miss Americana" documentary in 2020, "There's a difference between 'I really connect with your lyrics' and 'I'm going to break in.'" Some Swifties clearly need to be reminded of where that line is.

This is also not the first time Swifties have overstepped. Some fans have been known to harass members of the LGBTQ community for analyzing Swift's songs through a queer lens. Others have sent insults and death threats to music critics for less-than-glowing reviews of Swift's music.

Of course, this behavior isn't unique to Swifties. But Swift's lack of admonition is uniquely strange. She has marketed herself as someone who will speak up to defend her principles, someone who has explicitly condemned homophobes and bullies in her music.

Swift has also said she's proud of her affectionate relationship with fans. She has invited Swifties to her Nashville home for album listening parties; sent personalized notes to celebrate milestones; donated money for college tuitions; protected concertgoers from aggressive security guards.

Unfortunately, a healthy relationship cannot be sustained with affection alone, be it interpersonal or parasocial.

At the risk of sounding like a wannabe therapist, constructive feedback is essential for growth  and when someone you love disrespects your boundaries, or goes against your values, it's not constructive to say silent.

Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift perform their duet "Nothing New" during the Eras Tour. John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

This is something that Phoebe Bridgers, Swift's friend and collaborator, knows all too well.

Although Bridgers experiences fame on a vastly different level than Swift, she has also been subjected to abuse and entitlement at the hands of "people with my picture as their Twitter picture."

In a March interview with Them, Bridgers said she was "bullied" in the midst of a speculative frenzy about her dating life  while she was on the way to her father's funeral.

"I've had people take more than I'm giving, and I'm giving a lot," Bridgers recently told WSJ Magazine. "I'm pretty fucking transparent, because I would value that in someone whose music I liked when I was a kid. Seeing any representation of any feeling and anything true was awesome to me. To be punished for that is so dark."

"There's a higher chance that you'll meet a fan that you hate than a fan that you love," she added. "You're way more likely to be confronted with someone who just violated your privacy."

If these quotes rub you the wrong way, you may be the problem.

Connecting to a person's music does not give you the right to violate her privacy, and Bridgers isn't afraid to draw that line. I wish more musicians would follow suit.

Ahead of Bridgers' final performance at the Eras Tour on Sunday, I hope Swift is able to absorb some of her bravery and wisdom. It's OK to criticize people for bad behavior  and the fans who stick around are the ones worth keeping.

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Jesse Osborne, 21, shot and killed six-year-old Jacob Hall at South Carolinas Townville Elementary in 2016, as well as his father Jeff Osborne. (FoxCarolina)

A man who opened fire at an elementary school when he was 14, killing a child, has apologised as he appeared in court to ask a judge to reduce his sentence.

Jesse Osborne, 21, shot and killed six-year-old Jacob Hall at South Carolinas Townville Elementary in 2016, as well as his father Jeff Osborne.

He received life imprisonment for the murders, and a judge gave him an additional 30 years in prison for the attempted murder of three other victims who were wounded in the attack. His lawyers asked the judge in the case to reconsider the sentence.

During his appearance in court on Monday, Osborne apologised to his family, Halls family and to every child who witnessed the incident.

I would just like to say, sorry to my own family for everything Ive done. Sorry to the Hall family for everything. Sorry to every kid that was at that playground that day, to every kid who was at that school that day, to every teacher who was at the school that day, he said, according to FoxCarolina.

It was the first time that he has made such an apology, according to the station.

Im going to try to better myself in the Department of Corrections for the rest of my life, he told the court.

A teacher from the school who spoke at the hearing said students had seen their mental health impacted by the shooting, with some unable to ever return.

Prosecutors told the judge the original sentence should remain in place and that they would have tried for the death penalty if he had been old enough at the time of the shooting.

His original trial was told that Osborne had suffered from an emerging personality disorder when he carried out the shooting.

Osbornes lawyers want the judge to re-sentence him to 30 years in prison for murder and 15 years for the three attempted murder charges.
A New Jersey teenager is injured but optimistic after surviving a shark attack over the weekend.

Maggie Drozdowski, a 15-year-old dancer and surfer, was riding the waves in Stone Harbor, N.J. on Sunday afternoon with her friend Sarah O'Donnell, according to CBS News Philadelphia.

A big wave swept her off her board, she said, and that's when a shark grabbed her foot and yanked her underwater. She told CBS News Philadelphia that beneath the waves, she had to struggle to get free.

"I really shook it off as much as I could. It was hard though, it was heavy. But I shook my foot as hard as I could to get it off," Drozdowski said.

Even as she fought, she wasn't entirely sure what was happening, Drozdowski said.

"I was in shock and I didn't even realize what was going on until I was out of the water. But it scared me. I screamed under the water. It was scary," Drozdowski said.

Maggie Drozdowski. / Credit: CBS News Philadelphia

O'Donnell was out on the water at the same time. She watched her friend go down, then surface terrified.

"But then she got up and she was screaming, 'Something bit me, something bit me,'" O'Donnell told CBS News Philadelphia. "So I said 'Quickly get on the board and paddle away,' because I thought it was a crab or something. I could never imagine a shark."

The teen was able to collect herself enough to get back to shore safely, though it took several minutes.

"It was hard and I didn't catch one wave on my way out either. It took me three or four minutes to fully get out of the water, and then I had to limp with the board in my hand all the way up across the sand to the beach to get across to (O'Donnell's) family," Drozdowski said.

According to CBS News Philadelphia, it turned out that the shark had bit Drozdowski's foot so hard that she required multiple stitches. CBS News Philadelphia reported that according to a 911 call made after the attack, the teenager was bleeding badly from the wound. The injury wound up being relatively minor, and Drozdowski is now using crutches.

"I thought I was going to have to get my foot amputated," Drozdowski said. "But it didn't end up being that bad. I think the wetsuit kind of saved me, because it protected my foot."

Drozdowski's injury required several stitches. / Credit: CBS Philadelphia

Stephen Nagiewicz, an adjunct professor of marine science at Stockton University told CBS News Philadelphia that Drozdowski did everything right by fighting against the shark.

"It could have gotten much worse. I mean, a shark bites something to eat then it will use its head and jaws to shake it, so it could break a piece free. So yes, by kicking and screaming and moving she saved her own life," Nagiewicz told CBS News Philadelphia. According to the International Shark Attack File, which is collected and maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History, there have only been 15 confirmed, unprovoked shark attacks in New Jersey. The last one was in 2006.

In general, shark attacks are extremely rare.

A spokesperson for Stone Harbor told CBS News Philadelphia that the beach is not planning to restrict any beach activities, but "urges all beachgoers to exercise caution and adhere to any safety guidelines issued by local authorities."

Drozdowski told CBS News Philadelphia that she'll still be enjoying the beach this summer -- but she'll stay out of the water.

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo (R) and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi wave to journalists at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia, May 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain)

Iran and Indonesia on Tuesday reached a preferential trade agreement (PTA) in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta where Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was paying a visit, the Iranian president's office said in a statement published on its website.

The PTA was one of the 11 cooperation deals inked between senior officials of both sides, with other agreements focusing on expanding cooperation in the fields of energy, culture, science and technology, as well as visas and regulation on medicine production, according to the statement.

Speaking at a joint press conference held with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on the same day, Raisi said Iran and Indonesia have diverse capacities for promoting bilateral ties, and it is hopeful that his visit to Jakarta would have constructive impacts in this regard.

Widodo told media after the signing ceremony that he hoped the PTA would increase transactions between Indonesia and Iran.

The PTA will cover items such as medicine, rubber, paper, textiles, wood, shoes, cotton, electric machines, motorized vehicles, chemicals and aluminum products, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.

Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, international trade cooperation director general at the Indonesian Trade Ministry told an online press conference on Monday that the PTA, covering hundreds of trade items, is the second major trade pact Indonesia has with a Middle Eastern country, following a comprehensive economic partnership agreement signed with the United Arab Emirates in 2021, Indonesia's English-language daily The Jakarta Post reported.
Tesla plummets 50 spots in a survey of the US's most reputable brands. It's now No. 62  30 places below Ford.

Tesla's place on the Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation rankings dropped 50 places this year. Aly Song/Reuters

Tesla's place on the Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation rankings dropped 50 places this year.

While Tesla scored high for trajectory and vision, it earned fair scores for trust and character.

The company is ranked below other vehicle manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, BMW, and Ford.

Some of the shine has come off Tesla's reputation in the minds of US consumers, according to a new survey ranking of the US's most reputable brands.

The electric vehicle manufacturer headed by Elon Musk fell 50 spots to No. 62 out of 100 companies on the list, putting it in the "good" category, according to the score guide. Tesla received "excellent" scores in the trajectory, vision, and products and services categories  and a "very good" score in growth.

The automaker's dip comes as competitor Ford Motor jumped nine spots to land at No. 32. Meanwhile, more broadly, respondents to the survey chose Patagonia and Costco as the US's No. 1 and No. 2 most reputable brands. They looked more negatively upon another one of Musk's companies, giving Twitter a ranking of No. 97  just three spots above the survey's laggard, The Trump Organization.

As for Tesla, it earned "fair" scores for character, trust, and citizenship. Since 2016, Tesla's reputational rank has trended between "excellent" and "very good," according to the survey results.

Auto company reputation rankings in Top 100

6. Toyota

13. Honda

16. Subaru

24. BMW

32. Ford

34. General Motors

56. Volkswagen

62. Tesla

67. Chrysler (Stellantis)

Source: Axios Harris Poll

The Axios Harris Poll 100 surveyed 16,310 "nationally representative" Americans from March 13 to 28. The process starts by "surveying the public's top-of-mind awareness of companies that either excel or falter in society."

Survey respondents are asked which two companies, in their opinion, currently stand out with the best reputation and which two have the worst reputation. The answers are compiled to determine which companies have the most visibility. The top 100 companies were rated on nine dimensions, including character, trajectory, and trust.

Most of the attention on Tesla's CEO Musk has been focused on his leadership of Twitter, which he bought for $44 billion last October  and it has concerned some of Tesla's investors who think Musk is too distracted and overcommitted to his other companies.

In an open letter sent in April to Tesla's chairwoman Robyn Denholm and director Ira Ehrenpreis, 17 of Tesla's shareholders said, "The Board allowed the CEO to be overcommitted at a time when the company faces critical challenges. Corporate boards can and should intervene if a chief executive appears to be distracted or overly focused on other ventures."

Tesla has faced multiple issues recently, including a lawsuit from a California regulator over allegations that its Fremont Factory is a "racially segregated workplace where Black workers are subjected to racial slurs and discriminated against." The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing told The Wall Street Journal it received "hundreds of complaints from workers."

Neither Tesla nor Musk responded to Insider's request for comment.

The EV company has also faced criticism from customers who were upset about the company slashing prices for some of its models, saying they felt "cheated," and "taken advantage of." Earlier this year, Tesla had to recall over 362,000 of its cars due to an issue with its Full Self-Driving software that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said "increases the risk of a crash" and could cause the car to "act unsafe around intersections."

The top ranked automotive company on the Axios Harris Poll 100 was Toyota, ranking sixth among all 100 most visible brands. Honda, Subaru, BMW, Ford, General Motors, and Volkswagen all ranked above Tesla, and Chrysler ranked last among all automotive companies, coming in at No. 67.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Texas Governor Abbott Convenes Special Session Of State Legislature - Credit: Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has called for the resignation of House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) after he presided over the house in an obviously intoxicated state. Paxton also called for an investigation into the incident.

Texans were dismayed to witness his performance presiding over the Texas House in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication, the attorney general wrote in a statement posted to Twitter on Tuesday. His conduct has negatively impacted the legislative process and constitutes a failure to live up to his duty to the public.

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Paxton also wrote a letter calling for an investigation. Based on a review of Speaker Dade Phelan presiding over the House of Representatives in an obviously intoxicated state, I am calling upon the [General Investigations] Committee to open an investigation into Speaker Phelan for violation of House rules, state law, and for conduct unbecoming his position, Paxton wrote.

Speaker Dade Phelan should resign. pic.twitter.com/ZD920VOt1X  Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 23, 2023

Video of Phelan presiding over the Texas House floor while slurring and swaying at the podium during a May 19 session went viral over the weekend.

This is video from last night in the Texas House of Representatives where it appears that TX House Speaker Dade Phelan is either really drunk or having a stroke. pic.twitter.com/dbSG7AO30r  Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 20, 2023

Phelan himself has not addressed the incident. On Monday, he tweeted an image of himself and Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick working together on legislative projects. Phelans office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.

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Texas man near deadly police shooting during Capitol riot gets nearly 7 years in prison

This image from U.S. Capitol Police video, released and annotated by the Justice Department in the sentencing memo for Christopher Ray Grider, shows Grider, circled in yellow, entering the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. The Texas winery operator was sentenced on May 23, 2023, to nearly seven years in prison for storming the U.S. Capitol and joining an attack on the House chamber when police shot and killed another rioter. Grider also tried to cut power to the Capitol building during the riot. (Justice Department via AP)

A Texas winery operator was sentenced on Tuesday to nearly seven years in prison for storming the U.S. Capitol and joining an attack on the House chamber when police shot and killed another rioter.

Christopher Ray Grider also tried to cut power to the Capitol building during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot  a terrifying act of political and institutional sabotage, according to prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced Grider to six years and 11 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia.

Grider, 41, joined the mob's assault on the House chamber and helped another rioter break the Speakers Lobbys glass doors, "setting in motion the chain of events that led to an officer fatally shooting fellow rioter Ashli Babbitt, prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

Prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of seven years and three months for Grider.

Grider pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts before going to trial on other charges. He testified at his December 2022 bench trial before Kollar-Kotelly decided the case without a jury and convicted him of seven charges, including civil disorder and obstructing the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory.

Defense attorney Brent Mayr said Grider truly regrets his actions on January 6 and apologizes to his family, his community, and most importantly, this country. There is no evidence that Grider engaged in any violence at the Capitol, his lawyer noted.

This is a sad day, Mayr wrote in an email after his client's sentencing. We respect the courts consideration of all Chris did to try to make things right after January 6, but we are disappointed that his sentence is significantly longer than others who did so much worse than him.

More than 1,000 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Just over 500 of them have been sentenced, with more than half receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from a week to over 14 years. Only seven rioters have received longer prison sentences than Grider so far, according to an Associated Press review of court records.

Also on Tuesday, a different judge sentenced a Proud Boys extremist group member from Rhode Island to two months of imprisonment for his role in the Jan. 6 riot. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden also sentenced Bernard Joseph Sirr to six months of home confinement and one year of probation, according to court records.

Sirr, 47, of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty in January to joining other rioters in a coordinated push against police officers guarding a tunnel entrance on the Capitol's Lower West Terrace.

Prosecutors had sought a 10-month term of imprisonment for Sirr, a U.S. Army veteran who has worked as a reactor engineer at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center, where the state's only nuclear reactor is located.

Grider was a U.S. Air Force military police officer who guarded an air base after serving in the Army National Guard. More recently, he has operated a family-owned winery with his wife near Waco, Texas.

Grider and a friend flew to Washington, D.C., on the morning of Jan. 6. They missed then-President Trump's speech at the Stop the Steal rally, but the two friends arrived in time to join the crowd of Trump supporters marching to the Capitol.

Outside the Capitol, Grider helped other rioters dismantle police barricades and picked up a discarded police helmet.

After entering the building, he approached a utility panel and tried in vain to cut power to the Capitol. He urged other rioters to join him as he marched toward the House chamber, shouting We gotta get into the chamber! This way, this way, this way!

Joining the mob's attack on doors leading to the House, Grider pleaded with police officers to open the doors. Grider handed the helmet to another rioter, Zachary Alam, who used it to smash a pane on the Speakers Lobbys glass doors, prosecutors said. A Capitol police lieutenant on the other side of the doors shot and killed Babbitt, an Air Force veteran from California, as she climbed through the opening.

Despite witnessing the shooting, and instead of obeying the officers directives to leave the area, Grider lingered on for several minutes, interfering with police efforts to provide medical assistance to the wounded rioter and restore order to the area, a prosecutor wrote in a court filing.

Alam was charged separately and has a jury trial scheduled to start on July 31.

Mayr said Grider was not some fanatical, anti-social, antigovernment individual who dwelled upon or obsessed about coming to (Washington) to do harm and violence.

He was a productive, positive member of his community with a host of underlying issues and experiences that made him susceptible to being manipulated by a narcissist and false beliefs that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump, Mayr wrote in a court filing.
Thailand's Move Forward Party leader hit with false claim he 'did not graduate from Harvard'

Thailand's Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat graduated from Harvard according to the university, contrary to a false claim shared hundreds of times on social media. The posts circulated shortly after his progressive party shocked the kingdom's military-backed elite with a historic election breakthrough in May.

"Pita did not graduate from Harvard University, but from a school called Harvard Kennedy," reads part of a false Thai-language post published on Facebook on May 17, 2023.

It also incorrectly states that the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) is not part of Harvard University.

The post circulated online after a member of Thailand's Palang Pracharath party -- which has close ties to the military junta that has ruled the kingdom since the 2014 coup -- suggested Pita might not have graduated from the prestigious American university, local media reported.

The Move Forward Party stunned observers by emerging as the largest party in elections in May, which saw a record turnout deliver a thumping defeat for army-linked parties.

Pita said on May 22 that he was confident of becoming prime minister but he faces an uphill battle because of opposition within the military-allied Senate to reform royal insult laws, AFP reported.

Screenshot of the false post, captured on May 22, 2023

A similar false claim about Pita's education was also shared more than 300 times on Facebook here, here and here.

Comments from some users suggested they believed the false posts.

"This person is just all fake," read one comment.

Another person said: "Did he ever claim to have a degree from Harvard in the election campaign, if so, he could be punished for fraud."

In response to the false posts, Jim Meehan, registrar coordinator at the Harvard Kennedy School, told AFP on May 19: "The HKS Registrar's Office confirms that Pita Limjaroenrat was enrolled as a full-time student in the Master in Public Administration program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

"He began his studies in September of 2008 and graduated with a Master in Public Administration degree on May 26, 2011."

Contrary to the claim shared on social media, HKS is one of 11 schools on Harvard's Cambridge Campus, according to the university's website (archived link).

Christian Ketels, a faculty member at the Harvard Business School, separately told AFP on May 20: "Pita Limjaroenrat took the Microeconomics of Competitiveness class at Harvard Business School in 2011. The course was cross-registered at both HBS and the Harvard Kennedy School.

"Mr Limjaroenrat joined the course as a student from the Kennedy School. He was part of a team that studied the Thai automotive industry."

A report about the Thai automotive industry co-authored by Pita was published here on the Harvard Business School website (archived link).

AFP has previously debunked misinformation that has circulated during the 2023 Thai election here and here.
The artistic director of an east London theatre has defended the decision to host a show for black audience members.

The Theatre Royal Stratford East is running Tambo & Bones, a play that explores the African American experience, from 16 June to 15 July.

The Black Out performance for an "all-black-identifying audience" on 5 July has already sold out, but some have criticised the plans.

Nadia Fall said: "I understand it's not for everyone and it's OK to not agree."

The Black Out night has been subject to widespread media attention since the weekend.

Among those to question the plans was Festus Akinbusoye, Britain's first black police and crime commissioner, who said it was a "mistake" which "sets a bad precedent".

"I welcome anything that's going to make our public spaces more diverse that also encourages the sharing of cultural experiences," he said.

"What I do not welcome is anything that welcomes that division which is my view it potentially does."

Asked if a white person who tried to attend on the night of the Black Out show would be turned away, Ms Fall told the BBC Radio London's Eddie Nestor: "Absolutely not".

She added: "I'm not a black person but, as a human being, I understand there are some occasions where a community wants to come together to reflect or celebrate and so on.

"This is about one occasion where people can be together as a community. I understand that. Not everybody will.

"I understand that there are spaces sometimes where it's not about me as an Asian woman."

She stressed that there were 28 other opportunities to see the show with only one other sold out show.

She said: "For all the people that you know, don't get it or deliberately twist its spirit or intention, there have been loads of people who've been in support of it.

"It's not just the only sort of performance that we do to welcome different communities in: for deaf and disabled audiences, we have access performances, relaxed performances, British Sign Language performances."

Next month, the Lyric in Hammersmith is hosting a similar event for its production of School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play.

A Black Out night was introduced by American playwright Jeremy O Harris' 2019 show Slave Play on New York's Broadway.

He also hosted a Black Out event last year for his production of Daddy at the Almeida Theatre in Islington, north London.

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk
President Biden Meets With Speaker McCarthy As Debt Ceiling Negotiations Continue

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 22: U.S. President Joe Biden meets with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in the Oval Office of the White House on May 22, 2023 in Washington, DC. Biden and McCarthy were meeting to discuss raising the debt limit in an effort to avoid a default by the federal government. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Credit - Getty Images2023 Getty Images

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy emerged from a pivotal one-on-one meeting with President Joe Biden Monday without a deal to raise the debt limit, but expressed optimism about reaching an agreement in time to avert a potentially catastrophic federal default.

I felt we had a productive discussion, McCarthy said after the meeting. I think the tone tonight was better than any other time weve had discussions.

McCarthy has insisted the Republican-controlled House will not raise the debt ceiling, which refers to the maximum amount the U.S. is authorized to borrow to satisfy its obligations, without spending cuts attached. With just days to strike a pact before a looming June deadline, the two sides remain at odds over a GOP proposal to cut spending by imposing tougher work requirements for federal aid programs and introducing caps on future spending.

But the contours of a possible deal have been slowly taking shape. The two sides have discussed a framework for an agreement that would claw back some $30 billion in untapped COVID-19 relief money, approve permitting reforms for energy development, and impose spending caps through the end of 2024, according to those familiar with the talks.

Congress and the White House are running out of time to broker a deal before the U.S. Treasury runs out of cash to pay the governments bills, leading to an unprecedented default. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reiterated Monday that funds were projected to run out in early June, and perhaps as soon as June 1. McCarthy says a deal must be reached this week to have enough time for legislation to pass through the House and Senate. Under legislative rules, House lawmakers have 72 hours to read the bill once the text is released.

Read More: What To Know About the History of the Debt Ceiling.

U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), joined by Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), speaks to reporters following his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on May 22, 2023. Alex WongGetty Images

Like McCarthy, Biden described the meeting as productive in a statement, but noted that areas of disagreement remain. Mondays face-to-face meeting marked the third Oval Office discussion on the debt ceiling between the two leaders. It came just one day after Biden returned from the Group of Seven summit in Japan to resume negotiations as pressure intensifies.

Sticking points remain. McCarthy has insisted that government spending in the coming fiscal year must be lower than it was last year, drawing pushback from Democrats, who want to keep spending flat from the 2023 fiscal year. Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, a key McCarthy ally who attended the meeting, told reporters that it would not be easy to resolve the issue.

A directive to cut spending year over year is the toughest thing to do in Washington, but that is the Speakers directive to his negotiating team, said McHenry, who serves as the House Financial Services Committee chairman.

Another key issue in discussions is the Republican proposal on work requirements for Medicaid, which the Biden Administration has said would result in millions of people losing coverage. The GOP has also introduced new cuts to food aid by making it harder for states to waive work requirements in places with high unemployment. The Congressional Budget Office predicted last month that if the GOP bill became law and tougher work requirements were imposed, about 600,000 Americans would lose health insurance and about 275,000 Americans per month would lose access to food stamps.

Read More: Could Joe Biden Use the 14th Amendment To Solve the Debt Ceiling?

McCarthy has previously said that work requirements for public assistance programs are non-negotiable in debt ceiling talks. On Sunday, Biden said House Republicans are taking extreme positions and called the GOPs current proposal unacceptable. But McCarthy has so far held tight to demands for sharper spending cuts with caps on future spending, rejecting the alternatives put forth by the White House that call for reducing deficits in part with new revenue from tax increases to wealthy Americans.

I think we should be looking at tax loopholes and making sure that the wealthy pay their fair share, Biden said in the Oval Office before the meeting. I think revenue matters, as long as youre not taxing anybody under $400,000.

McCarthy said his staff will continue to lead discussions with Biden, though the two leaders will likely talk every day until the debt ceiling is resolved.
Members of the army and police secure the perimeter at the site of a long-gun attack on a group of amateur rally drivers in Ensenada, Mexico. (Joatam De Basade /AFP via Getty Images)

A State Department official said Monday that three Americans were among those killed in a deadly ambush over the weekend at an off-road vehicle rally in Mexico's Baja California state.

In total, 10 people were killed and another 10 wounded when gunmen opened fire at the rally south of the seaside city of Ensenada on Saturday afternoon.

Video of the attack posted on social media shows at least two men dressed in dark clothing and armed with semiautomatic weapons firing dozens of rounds of bullets at several racing vehicles parked in front of a convenience store. As the men opened fire, they appeared to be shot at in return.

U.S. officials have not released the names of the Americans killed in the attack. But one of them appears to be Roberto Isais "Tito" Ayala, a San Diego man whose family took to social media Sunday to raise money for his funeral expenses.

A GoFundMe campaign described Ayala as a 22-year-old racing enthusiast and the father of a 4-year-old daughter. It described him as an "innocent bystander" who was not involved in organized crime.

The Baja California state prosecutors office said the evidence of crossfire during the shooting suggests a confrontation between rival members of criminal groups.

The shooting prompted concerns about safety in the upcoming Baja 500, a world-famous off-road vehicle race that is expected to draw hundreds of teams when it takes place June 3.

Baja California Gov. Marina Avila told reporters that hundreds of National Guard troops had been mobilized throughout the region after the shooting, which took place about 90 miles south of the U.S. border.

Prosecutors said that they were still investigating the shooting and that no suspects had been arrested.

Baja California has been beset by high levels of violence in recent years, with much of the bloodshed fueled by gang disputes over drug-trafficking routes to the U.S. as well as local drug sales.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The News

The founders of OpenAI said an international authority is needed to regulate artificial intelligence in the companys latest call for a rulebook to govern the rapidly growing technology.

CEO Sam Altman has been outspoken about the need to regulate AI, urging lawmakers to do so at a Senate hearing just last week. In a blog post published Monday, co-authored with OpenAIs president and co-founder Greg Brockman, and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, Altman wrote AI could become smarter than human experts within the next 10 years.

World leaders agree: At Group of Seven summit meetings in Hiroshima this past weekend, G-7 leaders said that AI required regulation in order to be human-centric and trustworthy, Bloomberg reported, agreeing to hold cabinet-level discussions on the issue.

Heres a look at what Altman and other tech industry insiders are proposing.

The View From OpenAI

In their blog post, Altman, Brockman, and Sutskever argue that AI is on track to become the most powerful technology humans have ever created. The OpenAI founders are calling for cooperation among the developers of artificial intelligence, writing that individual companies should be held to an extremely high standard of acting responsibly.

They propose an oversight body similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which would oversee the technology and have the authority to spot-check or audit companies developing AI.

It would be important that such an agency focus on reducing existential risk and not issues that should be left to individual countries, such as defining what an AI should be allowed to say, they wrote.

OpenAI also said that people from around the world must democratically decide on how AI should operate: We don't yet know how to design such a mechanism, but we plan to experiment with its development.

The View From Google

Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in the Financial Times Tuesday that more important than the race to develop AI technology is the race to build AI responsibly.

Pichai said that with AI at an inflection point, its important to not only regulate the industry, but ensure its regulated properly.

To do that, he argued, governments should develop policy frameworks that both anticipate possible harms from the technology and also take a forward-thinking approach to their benefits.

He said that continued AI research would be necessary as the technology evolves, calling for a partnership between governments in the U.S. and Europe.

The View From Eric Schmidt

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has taken a different tone to Pichai and Altman.

Speaking to NBCs program earlier this month, Schmidt advocated for the industry to self-regulate, arguing that no one from outside the sector was well-versed enough in how the technology operates to manage it.

My concern with any kind of premature regulation, especially from the government, is its always written in a restrictive way, he said. Rather, Schmidt wants to see an agreement among the key players that we will not have a race to the bottom.

The issue, he said, is getting the industry to agree on which guardrails to install in order to avoid the worst behaviors of AI  and global agreement on what those behaviors are.
The Montana ban, set to start in 2024, is shaping as a test case for the United States as lawmakers in Washington increasingly call for a national prohibition, citing security concerns

TikTok is confident of stopping a ban in the US state of Montana, its CEO said on Tuesday, after the Chinese-owned social media app launched a legal challenge.

The unprecedented ban, set to start in 2024, is shaping as a test case for the United States as lawmakers in Washington increasingly call for a national prohibition, citing security concerns.

"We believe that the Montana bill that was recently passed is simply unconstitutional," Shou Zi Chew told the Qatar Economic Forum.

"We very recently filed a lawsuit, the challenge is in the courts and we are confident that we will prevail," he added.

Shou was speaking just hours after TikTok filed suit in US federal court, arguing that Montana's ban violates the constitutionally protected right to free speech.

The video-sharing app, owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, is accused by a swathe of US politicians of being under the tutelage of the Chinese government and a tool of espionage by Beijing, something the company furiously denies.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed the prohibition into law on May 17, saying on Twitter that he endorsed it in order to "protect Montanans' personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party".

TikTok's lawsuit contended that "the state has enacted these extraordinary and unprecedented measures based on nothing more than unfounded speculation".

Five TikTok users last week filed a suit of their own, calling on a federal court to overturn Montana's ban on the app, arguing that it violates their rights to free speech.

- 'We're here to stay' -

The state is trying to exercise national security power that only the federal government can wield and is violating free speech rights in the process, both suits filed against Montana argue.

"They care because TikTok is very important to them," Chew said, referring to the users who filed suit.

He insisted that TikTok had taken steps to protect US users' data by storing it "on American soil by an American company and overseen by American personnel".

"We believe that we have taken steps that are above and beyond what our industry has done to protect the safety of the US individual," he said.

In March, Chew faced a grilling in Congress from combative US lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle over TikTok's alleged ties to China and its danger to teenagers.

"I'm very grateful for the opportunity to show up and to tell all sides of the story. Throughout the five hours, I believe I had time to do that," he told the forum.

With more than one billion active users including about 150 million in the US, TikTok pulled in $11 billion in advertising revenue last year.

TikTok's editing features and AI-powered algorithm have kept it ahead of the game, attracting an army of creators and influencers. But it is frequently accused of spreading disinformation.

Among its difficulties around the world, the US federal government and European Commission have banned staff from using TikTok. Britain has stopped its lawmakers from using it.

Last month, Australia joined the list of countries banning the app from government devices, and Britain's data regulator levied a 12.7 million ($15.9 million) fine for allowing up to 1.4 million children under 13 to use the platform, in violation of its own rules.

However, Chew said TikTok could also have a "positive impact", citing the example of a user with autism who has "found his voice through music" that he shares on the app.

"That gives me a lot of confidence that we can have very thoughtful conversations with regulators around the world," said Chew.

"And I'm confident that we are here to stay."

th/kir
TikTok filed a lawsuit against Montana on Monday over a new law aimed at stopping people from downloading the app, arguing the ban violates the First Amendment.

"We are challenging Montanas unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana," a spokesperson for the company said after the suit was filed. "We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts."

TikTok is seeking an "order invalidating and preliminarily and permanently enjoining Defendant from enforcing the TikTok Ban," according to the complaint.

Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill last week restricting downloads of the immensely popular social media app into law, making Montana the first state to ban TikTok.

The law makes it illegal for app stores to give users the option to download TikTok and illegal for the company to operate within the state.

In addition to First Amendment concerns, the complaint states that the ban violates a federal preemption, meaning matters of national security and foreign affairs are carried out by the federal government rather than the states.

It also says Montana is in violation of the constitution's Commerce Clause, which limits a state's authority "to enact legislation that unduly burdens interstate and foreign commerce."

Finally, the complaint states that the bill unfairly singles out TikTok "for purely punitive reasons, as evidenced by the States decision to single out Plaintiff for harsh penalties based on speculative concerns about TikToks data security and content moderation practices" rather than social media companies as a whole.

Early this month, Gianforte drafted an amendment to the bill that would have changed its language to target all social media, rather than just TikTok. However, the amendment language did not make it into the final bill because the legislature adjourned before it sent the bill to his desk.

Representatives for Gianforte did not immediately return a request for comment.

Emily Flower, spokeswoman for Attorney General Austin Knudsen said that the office had anticipated legal challenges to the law.

The Chinese Communist Party is using TikTok as a tool to spy on Americans by collecting personal information, keystrokes, and even the locations of its users  and by extension, people without TikTok who affiliate with users may have information about themselves shared without evening knowing it," Flower said in a statement Monday. "We expected legal challenges and are fully prepared to defend the law that helps protect Montanans privacy and security.

Violations of a ban include every time a user is offered the ability to download the app. Each violation could carry a $10,000 penalty. Enforcement would be handled by the Montana Justice Department.

It is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2024.

TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter previously called the bill unlawful," saying the app is a platform that empowers hundreds of thousands of people across the state.

We want to reassure Montanans that they can continue using TikTok to express themselves, earn a living, and find community as we continue working to defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana, Oberwetter said in a statement Wednesday.

The lawsuit is the second filed against the states new bill.

This week, five TikTok content creators  Samantha Alario, Heather DiRocco, Carly Ann Goddard, Alice Held and Dale Stout  also sued the state, claiming the ban attempts to suppress speech and exercises power over national security that Montana does not have.

Montanas blanket ban prevents our clients, and all Montanans, from engaging in protected speech, said Ambika Kumar, lead counsel for the plaintiffs in the Montana suit. We are determined to see that this misguided and invalid law is permanently enjoined.

In response to the creators' lawsuit, Emily Flower, spokeswoman for the Montana Department of Justice, said: We expected a legal challenge and are fully prepared to defend the law.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
TikTok is suing Montana to overturn a law aimed at stopping the app from being downloaded within the state.

The complaint filed on May 22 in federal court claims that a ban of TikTok violates the First Amendment by unconstitutionally shutting down the forum for speech for all speakers on the app. The Chinese-owned video app, used by more than 150 million users in the U.S., argues its a vital platform for communication and expression.

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Additionally, TikTok says that any blanket prohibition of app at the state level is preempted by federal law since foreign affairs and national security are matters over which the U.S. Constitution vests exclusive authority in the federal government.

The complaint seeks to overturn the law and block it from taking effect while the case is being considered.

We are challenging Montanas unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana, the company said in a statement. We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.

On May 17, Montana became the first state to adopt a ban after Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill requiring app stores to stop carrying TikTok. Though users people who already have the app can continue using it, TikTok wont be allowed to operate in the state starting in 2024. On top of concerns that the app promotes content harmful to children, lawmakers mostly pointed to national security risks because the app, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, is under the influence of China.

A suit was widely expected to be filed in what could be seen as a test case of obstacles the government might face if it passes a national TikTok ban.

Lawmakers have offered no evidence that TikTok has provided American user data to the Chinese government or that its been directed to influence the content users see on the platform, though a former executive at ByteDance has come forward with accusations that the company provided backdoor access to data on U.S. users to China.

The suit calls the national security concerns unfounded speculation.

The State cites nothing to support these allegations, and the States bare speculation ignores the reality that Plaintiff has not shared, and would not share, U.S. user date with the Chinese government, and has taken substantial measures to protect the privacy and security of TikTok users, the suit says.

TikTok argues that allowing the law to take effect will result in a myriad of harms to the company and its users, mostly stemming from the suppression of First Amendment rights.

The ban would bar plaintiff from making editorial decisions on whether, and how, to publish and disseminate speech created by Montanans to others and vice versa, reads the filing. It would also prevent Plaintiff from creating and sharing its own content about a variety of issues and current events with Montanans.

On top of its own free speech rights, TikTok stresses the impact a ban will have on users to communicate and participate in their community. It points to a rancher in Montana who shares videos of her experiences caring for sheep and a teacher who uses the platform to highlight issues in the education system. More broadly, TikTok users of all stripes communicate and express their views on the app about the issues they care about, including individual rights and health care, reads the complaint, which notes that the app has become a vital channel for voters to obtain information from elected officials and political candidates. Many of the apps features, such as the stitch tool and in-video comment replies, provide users with an organic way to comment on political information.

The suit also argues that the ban infringes on the federal governments exclusive authority over matters of national security. Only the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and the president are authorized to take action against alleged national security risks arising out of foreign economic activities, according to the complaint.

TikTok has maintained that the most thorough way to address such concerns about the company is for CFIUS to adopt its proposal for ByteDance to continue owning the app in a deal that would silo U.S. user data and restrict access by employees in China. The agency has been reviewing ByteDances 2017 merger of TikTok and Musical.ly.

Additionally, the complaint alleges that a TikTok ban is unconstitutional because it violates the Commerce Clause, which limits the authority of States to enact legislation that unduly burdens interstate and foreign commerce, and illegally targets the company rather than regulate social media companies more generally for industry-wide data collection and security practices.

Acknowledging legal concerns about the ban after it was passed, the governor suggested changes that wouldve shifted the legislations focus from TikTok specifically to all social media applications connected to foreign entities. The proposal was shot down. It remains unclear how the ban can be enforced. Under the bill, fines will be levied against app stores that continue to offer the app past 2024 as well as TikTok.

Montana also faces a suit filed by TikTok creators on May 17 seeking to overturn the law for First Amendment violations.

TikToks suit will likely be viewed as a bellwether on how legal action challenging a national app ban, if one is implemented, will fare. In what may be the most similar case, a federal judge in 2020 blocked a government directive requiring Apple and Google to remove Tencents WeChat from their app stores. U.S. Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler found that the order could infringe on users First Amendment rights by making the app unusable, stressing that the app is vital to communication. While there was a court order that same year blocking the Trump administrations bid to ban TikTok, that ruling narrowly addressed presidents authority to prevent the app from being downloaded using his emergency economic powers.

TikTok has touted a partnership with Oracle to move its data on users stored on foreign servers to Texas, essentially firewalling the data the Chinese government could collect. The initiative, called Project Texas, includes audits of its algorithms and creating a subsidiary called TikTok U.S. Data Security to oversee content moderation policies and approve editorial decisions. American employees will report to an independent board of directors. The suit from the former ByteDance executive, however, claims that the effort wont protect U.S. user data as long as the company maintains a backdoor channel in its code, which allows certain high level Chinese government officials to access the data.

There are several bills working their way through Congress that would take action against the app, including a measure backed by the White House that would establish a unified framework for reviewing and addressing foreign technology. Under the measure, the Commerce Department would have the authority to review, block or otherwise mitigate a range of transactions involving foreign information and communications technology products and services.

Chinese officials have said theyd oppose a forced sale of TikTok because itd involve the export of technology that has to be approved by the government. As a private company, 60 percent of TikTok is owned by global institutional investors, 20 percent by its founders and 20 percent by employees. It has five board members, three of whom are U.S. citizens.

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How a TikTok sleuth unearths long-lost letters and heirlooms, then reunites them with their families

Chelsey Brown and a diary she found at a flea market. Chelsey Brown

Decorator and genealogist Chelsey Brown returns long lost heirlooms to families.

She scours flea markets and antique shops finding lost treasures that she can send back.

She now has over 240,000 TikTok followers watching her work, and the moral dilemmas it can bring.

Chelsey Brown always loved telling stories  a passion that led her to fame on TikTok reuniting people with their own family history.

She started her career at ABC News as a TV producer, but always felt like there was something missing. In her spare time, she would decorate friends' houses and apartments, seeking treasures at flea markets and antique shops.

That's where she realized objects hold stories too.

"It would break my heart every time I would pass boxes of family heirlooms at the flea market  photo albums, jewelry, diaries, love letters, you name it," Brown told Insider. "I remember thinking to myself, oh my gosh, all of these artifacts have such great stories to tell."

Brown started collecting items that could be traceable to past owners, documenting the journey on TikTok as a hobby alongside a new career in interior design.

She now has more than 240,000 followers who come along for the ride as she finds the descendant families of WWII dog tags, decades-old school books, or a Valentine's Day card from the 1940s.

Detective work

Brown's father is a genealogist, so she had a good base of knowledge to start with when she began investigating the history of the things she found.

She said she only buys items that she thinks she has a good chance of tracing the family for; seeking dates, names, or anything tying them to a certain area. Then she uses genealogy databases, newspaper archives, census data, and a reverse search engine called Steve Morse to dig up anything she can.

Dog tags from WWII found by Chelsey Brown. Chelsey Brown

Brown loves the detective aspect of what she does, and that she's helping families keep the memories of their ancestors alive.

"How can you keep their memory alive if you don't have those heirlooms? If you don't have their stories?" she asked.

Brown said she prioritizes items from World War I or World War II, particularly if they are Holocaust-related.

She said there is an "underground market" for war-related letters and photos, where sentimental items can sell for thousands of dollars.

She told Insider that she thinks it's wrong to profit that way, and spends her own money getting them back to their families for free.

Instead, she makes some money from selling journals to her fans so they can create their own time capsules.

"Family heirlooms cannot be digital. They just can't be," Brown said. "So this is my way of giving this generation and the generation under us, a family heirloom to have, to cherish, and to pass down."

It's the simplest items that have the best stories

There was one letter Brown found in October 2021 written by a woman the day she was released from a concentration camp.

"I am able to give you a sign of life from me after so many years," said the letter, which Brown had translated from German with some help from her followers. "Dad, Mom, Grete, Lottchen and Hermann: no one is alive anymore."

Brown said it was "such a powerful letter" and was just one example of the kind of items that are out there. People don't realize how many of their own ancestors' important items are being sold for a quick buck, she said, or collected by museums.

More often than not, it's photos and the letters with the best stories to tell, not the expensive art or diamond jewels.

"I learned to understand the value behind the simplest of items," Brown said. "Because in the end, some of the most fantastic, insane, craziest, most majestic movie-esque stories I've found have been behind the simplest of objects."

Usually, when Brown reaches out to a family, they think she's a scammer  "they think I'm looking for money."

Once Brown has communicated with the family a bit, though, they almost always agree to take the heirloom back, she said.

Last February, for example, Brown came across a green-lined Ukrainian photo album, written entirely in Russian. It took her four months to track anybody down, she said.

Finally Brown found a number and an email address on a website in the depths of the internet. Within 24 hours, a direct descendant of a man featured in the photo album responded to her message.

Brown said she ended up becoming close with this Ukrainian family, and kept in contact with them as the war there progressed. She hasn't been able to ship it back yet due to the fighting, but hopes to return it soon.

Two of Chelsey Brown's finds  a Ukrainian photo album, and war medal. Chelsey Brown

Occasionally, Brown decides the family is better off without the heirloom

It's rare, but occasionally Brown decides not to return an item she's found.

Sometime, it's a love letter which she thinks the descendant would much rather have remained private.

"Really graphic love letters that are almost porn, I don't return those," she said, especially if it is recent enough that the descendant might have known their relative while they were still alive.

"I would not want anyone to give me a pornographic love letter that was between my grandparents," she said. "Think about sending nudes to someone. I wouldn't want my children to freaking see that."

Other instances are where Brown finds out a family secret that could have significant negative impacts on the person's family, such as a diary that shows someone's father isn't who they thought it was.

Brown said people don't hire her to do their genealogy  she comes into their lives unexpectedly.

"When it comes to really sensitive information like that, no-one asked me to come into their life and upend it," she said. "Telling someone their parent isn't who they thought it is when they're not even expecting that, it's a real trauma. It's a real psychological mindfuck."

Brown made this choice recently when she found an old diary, and the descendant was dying. The diary revealed some unsavory details about this man's father, who he had idolized.

"It would be different if maybe he had descendants, but he doesn't," Brown said. "So it's one of those things where I'm not going to ruin this man's last few days on this earth."

If Brown holds back an item, she's "doing it for a good reason," she said. And she will continue to make those decisions, even though some people criticize her for it on TikTok.

"Morality comes into play with what I do," she said.

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In an expected turn of events, TikTok filed a lawsuit on Monday suing Montana over its new ban, which prohibits its citizens from downloading the social media app. The ban would fine the app $10,000 per violation if it operated in Montana or should app stores allow it to be downloaded within its confines.

Montana became the first state in the U.S. to bar the use of the popular, Chinese-owned, short-video sharing service on May 17, when Montana Gov. Gianforte signed the statewide legislation expected to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

To protect Montanans personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party, I have banned TikTok in Montana.  Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) May 17, 2023

According to a news release, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) slammed the ban.

Gov. Gianforte and the Montana legislature have trampled on the free speech of hundreds of thousands of Montanans who use the app to express themselves, gather information and run their small business in the name of anti-Chinese sentiment. We will never trade our First Amendment rights for cheap political points, the statement explained.

It remains unclear how Montana would enforce a TikTok ban, especially as cybersecurity experts say it could be challenging to implement. That task has been placed upon the Montana Justice Department to carry out said legislation.

Together, we will defend the State of Montana and its people against threats to our security, privacy and way of life, Gov. Greg Gianforte said. https://t.co/m9p6eHBjqP  BlavityU (@BlavityU) May 21, 2023

According to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court in Montana, TikToks lawsuit alleges that the law is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment rights to free speech of the company and its users.

.@TikTok_us sues Montana AG over state ban (from company statement) pic.twitter.com/tsq1yrbkQT  David Shepardson (@davidshepardson) May 22, 2023

We are challenging Montanas unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana, TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter said after the suit was filed.

It further maintains that TikTok, which approximates users in the hundreds of thousands across the state, is being singled out for purely punitive reasons.

Gov. Gianforte drafted an amendment to the bill earlier this month that would have edited the language to include all social media rather than just target TikTok. However, the legislature adjourned before the amendment could make it into the final bill eventually sent to his desk.

TikTok claims the unfounded speculative concerns that the Chinese government could access the data of U.S. TikTok users  undoubtedly a key motivation behind the ban  has resulted in legislation that would consequentially impose harsh penalties.

[TikTok] has not shared, and would not share, U.S. user data with the Chinese government, and has taken substantial measures to protect the privacy and security of TikTok users, the company repeatedly said and does so again in its lawsuit.

In response, NPR reports TikTok has launched Project Texas, a $1.5 billion data-security plan created in collaboration with Austin-based software company Oracle to keep Americans data stored on U.S. servers and overseen by an American team.

In addition to First Amendment concerns, the complaint argues the ban violates a federal preemption, thus intruding upon matters of exclusive federal concern and further violating the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which limits the authority of States to enact legislation that unduly burdens interstate and foreign commerce.

TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, is seeking an order invalidating and preliminarily and permanently enjoining Defendant from enforcing the TikTok Ban, according to the complaint.

This suit comes on the heels of another complaint filed just last week, in which Montana residents and TikTok content creators Samantha Alario, Heather DiRocco, Carly Ann Goddard, Alice Held and Dale Stout claimed in similar arguments that the ban suppresses speech and outstrips the states legal authority by exercising power over national security that Montana does not have.

We are determined to see that this misguided and invalid law is permanently enjoined, Ambika Kumar, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, said.

Both lawsuits have been filed in federal court in Missoula, naming Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who is charged with enforcing the law.

Emily Flower, spokeswoman for Attorney General Austin Knudsen, stated that the office anticipated legal challenges to the law.

The Chinese Communist Party is using TikTok as a tool to spy on Americans by collecting personal information, keystrokes and even the locations of its users  and by extension, people without TikTok who affiliate with users may have information about themselves shared without evening knowing it, Flower said on Monday.

We expected legal challenges and are fully prepared to defend the law that helps protect Montanans privacy and security, Flower continued.

According to CNN, the Chinese Foreign Ministry slammed Montanas ban as an abuse of state power on Tuesday.

I want to stress that the U.S. side has not provided any evidence to prove that TikTok poses a threat to the national security of the U.S., ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a briefing.

Nonetheless, this upcoming legal battle will indicate the hurdles both Montana and national lawmakers could face and likely serve as a test case for imposing the TikTok-free America many lawmakers envision.

The agenda behind imposing a ban began in 2020 was then-President Donald Trumps, who attempted to bar TikTok from operating in the U.S. through an executive order quickly halted in federal courts. More recently, the Biden administration has threatened to ban the app if the companys Chinese owners dont sell their stakes.

Montanas ban would be nullified should the federal government successfully bar TikTok, or if it was sold to an owner not based in a country federally designated as a foreign adversary, which currently includes China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and Cuba.

They can continue using TikTok to express themselves, earn a living and find community as [TikTok] continue[s] working to defend the rights of our users inside and outside of Montana, Obwetter reassured Montanans in a statement last Wednesday, NBC News reported.
TikTok logo and screen

TikTok has sued to block the US state of Montana from banning residents from accessing its social media platform.

Monday's lawsuit comes after last week Montana became the first US state to pass a sweeping ban on the Chinese-owned video-sharing platform.

In a statement, TikTok said the ban conflicts with US free speech rights.

TikTok has come under scrutiny from authorities around the world over concerns that data could be passed to the Chinese government.

The lawsuit filed on Monday in the United States District Court for the District of Montana says it is suing to overturn the "unlawful" ban.

"We are challenging Montana's unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana," a spokesperson said in a statement.

"We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts."

The TikTok lawsuit argues that the ban violates the constitutional First Amendment right to free speech.

The company's complaint states that the ban was "unconstitutionally shutting down the forum for speech for all speakers on the app".

The ban is due to take effect in January 2024. It will make it illegal for app stores to offer TikTok, but does not ban people who already have TikTok from using it.

Montana, which has a population of just over one million, banned the app on government devices last December.

TikTok says it has 150m American users. Although the app's user base has expanded in recent years, it is still most popular with teenagers and users in their 20s.

However, there are concerns across the US political spectrum that TikTok could be a national security risk.

The social media platform is owned by ByteDance - a Chinese company. ByteDance has repeatedly denied it is controlled by the Chinese government.

The lawsuit also argues that Montana has overstepped its authority by concerning itself with users' data and national security - which is the purview of the federal government.

It says the ban is based on the "unfounded speculation" that China's government could access TikTok data.

Lawyers for Montana's government have previously said that they expected lawsuits, and that they are prepared to defend the ban in courts.

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AP

TikTok filed a lawsuit Monday to block Montanas TikTok ban, arguing that the ban violates the free speech of the company and its users.

We are challenging Montanas unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana, the company, which is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, said in a statement on Twitter. We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.

We are challenging Montanas unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana. We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.  TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) May 22, 2023

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill last week that made the state the first in the U.S. to completely ban the app, the Deseret News reported.

Related

Why did Montana ban TikTok?

After signing the bill to ban the app in the Montana, Gianforte stated that he had done so To protect Montanans personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party.

Some lawmakers are concerned that TikTok could share user data with the Chinese government, but the company has stated that this has not happened, The Associated Press reported.

TikToks lawsuit argues that the extraordinary and unprecedented measures (are) based on nothing more than unfounded speculation.

How does the Montana TikTok ban work?

The ban is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, though the legal challenge could delay it, The Washington Post reported.

The new law would fine an app store or TikTok $10,000 a day every time someone in the state is offered the ability to access or download the social media app, The Associated Press reported.
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Reuters

Sen. Tim Scott's life story is inspiring. Hailing from a black family with humble beginnings in South Carolina, the odds were stacked against him, making his ascent to the United States Senate all the more remarkable. With relentless determination and the invaluable support of public education, he blazed a trail through local politics in his thirties, defying expectations at every turn.

Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate, on Monday officially announced hes running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. But Scotts vision for the country makes no sense at all.

Instead of boldly bridging the persistent gaps in wealth and racial equality that affected him, Scotts policies would exacerbate them. While his personal journey stands as a powerful testament to the boundless potential of the American dream, his political track record paints a contrasting imageone where the advancement of Black individuals is woefully overlooked.

5 Women In South Carolinas State Senate Are Saving Abortion Rights (For Now)

Lets start with Sen. Scotts record on the economy. When Donald Trump was president, Scott partnered with him on an idea called Opportunity Zones. The concept was simple and, on its face, seemed promising. The federal government would find Black and minority communities that needed a boost, and inject business and federal investment to revitalize them. However, once the program began, the exact opposite happened.

A study conducted by the Joint Committee on Taxation found a stark and unsettling inequality in investment distribution. Shockingly, a mere one percent of opportunity zones accounted for a staggering 42 percent of the total investment. If that wasnt harrowing enough, an astonishing 78 percent of investments flowed into just five percent of the zones.

Donald Trump shakes hands with Tim Scott during in a working session regarding the Opportunity Zones provided by tax reform in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on February 14, 2018. JOSHUA ROBERTS/Reuters

In combination with these alarming figures, a comprehensive report from The New York Times exposed the cruel reality that numerous Black entrepreneurs seeking funding were systematically excluded from the process. Regrettably, it appears that investors were predominantly fixated on high-return projects within the zones, such as opulent real estate developments, while neglecting the potential of lower-margin initiatives that could genuinely uplift Black communities by creating sustainable jobs and vital services.

The detrimental impact of Scott's policies on the economy do not end there. Scott was an ardent advocate of the radical Trump tax plan. He unabashedly boasted about his instrumental role in drafting the legislation declaring, I helped write the bill for the past year, have multiple provisions included, and got multiple senators on board. The plan has proven to be nothing short of a disaster for the very Black working families he claims to champion.

The GOP Cant Beat Gen Z, but It Can Stifle Its Vote

Rather than utilizing the tax code as a catalyst for advancing racial equity, such as by bolstering the Earned Income Tax Creditan invaluable work credit that can provide financial support or reduce federal tax burdensthe Trump-Scott tax law has shamelessly tilted in favor of affluent households occupying the highest rungs of the income distribution. A damning report jointly published by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy and Prosperity Now reveals that white households within the top-earning one percent receive an exorbitant 23.7 percent of the laws total tax cuts. On average, white households receive $2,020 in cuts, while Black households receive $840.

Furthermore, Scott's track record reveals a troubling pattern of actively undermining avenues of healthcare that could significantly benefit a majority of Black Americans.

One example is his staunch opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and his efforts to defund crucial healthcare initiatives. Under the ACA, states were granted the option to expand Medicaid, a government healthcare program designed to provide vital care to millions of low-income Americans. While numerous states embraced this opportunity, Scott's own state chose not to participate.

Tim Scott hugs his mother Frances as he announces his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential race in North Charleston, South Carolina on May 22, 2023. RANDALL HILL/Reuters

He further displayed a lack of support for sustaining Medicaid funding for states that had previously embraced the ACA during the House Republicans campaign to dismantle it in 2017. Without hesitation, he confidently declared, The reality of it is there is no way to get this done if you dont make whole those states that were more fiscally responsible and did not expand.

Medical professionals and extensive policy research have shown that Scotts ideas on healthcare are incorrect. A study conducted by the Commonwealth Fund reveals the significant advantages associated with expanded Medicaid eligibility between 2013 and 2021. States that chose to expand their Medicaid programs experienced lower racial and ethnic disparities, providing enhanced coverage and improved access to healthcare services for their populations.

Scotts failure to recognize these tremendous benefits further highlights his disconnect from the needs of Black communities, and his disregard for the importance of addressing racial inequities in our healthcare system.

It is crucial to acknowledge the profound impact that policies such as the ACA and a fair tax code can have in ensuring that all Black Americans have a shot at the American dream. The research unequivocally demonstrates the positive outcomes achieved when the federal government embraces these initiatives. Yet, Scotts record is one of dismantling the progress weve made and reflects a concerning lack of understanding for the struggles faced by Black Americans.

Tennessee Silencing Black Politicians Is Not New for the South

Far from being a singular voting bloc or monolithic entity, the Black community is a diverse tapestry. Anyone who claims otherwise is gravely mistaken. Each voter within this community possesses their own unique set of concerns and priorities that must be addressed by any presidential candidate seeking their support. However, when examining Tim Scott's track record on these critical kitchen table issues that profoundly influence the lives of the majority of Black Americans, it becomes abundantly clear why his candidacy for president should be unequivocally rejected.

The importance of having leaders who wholeheartedly embrace and address the concerns that shape the lived experiences of Black Americans cannot be overstated. While Scotts personal journey is undeniably remarkable, his absence in championing crucial causes for Black people raises serious doubts about his suitability for higher office.

We must demand leaders who unwaveringly prioritize the health, well-being, and prosperity of all Americans, regardless of their race or background. Settling for anything less in this critical moment is simply not an option. The urgency of the challenges faced by the Black community demands leaders who will go beyond rhetoric, and deliver substantive policies that uplift and empower. We cannot afford to compromise in our pursuit of a more just and equitable society.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Florence Pugh Next Generation Leaders Time Magazine cover

Credit - Photograph by Mark Peckmezian for TIME

One of my favorite stories from TIMEs history goes like this: As 1927 came to an end, the editors seized the chance to correct a serious oversight. They had failed to put Charles Lindbergh on the cover to recognize the 25-year-olds remarkable solo flight over the Atlantic, which hed completed that May. On what was otherwise a slow news week, they gave themselves a mulligan, and for the first issue of 1928 named Lindbergh Man of the Year, creating what became one of the most iconic franchises in journalismwhat we know today as TIME Person of the Year.

Lindbergh remained the youngest individual to receive the recognition until 2019, when 16-year-old Greta Thunberg was named Person of the Year. These two milestones remind us that leadership has no age requirement. Weve known that to be true since TIMEs founding a century ago, by a pair of 20-somethings no less. I suspect that is something our readers believe as well: as I wrote in April, nearly half of you are under the age of 35.

That is why Im so pleased that over the past nine years weve gotten the chance to introduce you all to an impressive group of extraordinary young people via TIMEs Next Generation Leaders list, made possible by our partners at Rolex. To spend time with these individuals is proof of what is possible and what leadership in its multitude of inspiring forms can look like today, says senior editor Emma Barker, who, with senior editor Dayana Sarkisova, led the latest installment of the project.

On the cover, we feature Florence Pugh, a 27-year-old British actor, whom we meet on the cusp of a breakout year with upcoming roles in two highly anticipated movies: Christopher Nolans Oppenheimer and Denis Villeneuves Dune: Part Two. This is an extraordinary moment for Pugh, a performer who is starting to climb the peaks of her profession. Despite her youth, she has a drive and assurance, says Villeneuve. You feel youre working with someone who can absolutely go anywhere and do anything emotionally in the most subtle and precise way. Shes a raw diamond.

The Next Generation Leaders list is, as always, a global undertaking, with TIMEs reporters and editors scouting what leadership looks like across the planet. In this issue, we spend time with rising stars in places including South Korea, Argentina, and Australia, where Melanie Perkins, a co-founder of tech platform Canva, recently pledged to give away a significant share of equity in her giant startup company. It was a really easy decision, she says. How can you do the most good you can do with billions of dollars?

Perkins drive to improve the world is shared by Brazils Rene Silva, who, as an 11-year-old, persuaded teachers at his school to let him join the student newspaper. That effort set him on a journey to launch a paper of his own, covering an entire favela. Today, Silva leads Voz das Comunidades, which is dedicated to telling and promoting stories that are frequently overlooked in his countrys media.

Pugh, Perkins, and Silva join impressive leaders like activist Sage Lenier, who is leading a solutions-focused approach to the climate fight, and Ivorian American chef Roze Traore, whose journey through the restaurant world and exploration of family history has led him to the Ivory Coast, to create healing and community through food. Together, this class joins the more than 175 individuals recognized as TIME Next Generation Leaders since 2014. At a moment when societys problems can seem insurmountable, it is so inspiring to see these young leaders bring new perspectives and share fresh ideas.
Tori Amos performing in 1994.

Tori Amos performing in 1994.

Earlier this month, I officiated my best friend Sarahs wedding. After the deed was done, I danced alongside the other guests, who were mostly in their early 40s, to songs mostly from the early 90s, ate a piece of the charming cactus-shaped wedding cake, and fielded the same question over and over again: How did you meet Sarah?

For many friends, the answer would be fairly straightforward: at school, at work, through a mutual friend, in a book club, or maybe at the dog park. Our answer is more unexpected and, admittedly, unusual: We met because of Tori Amos.

That was 20 years ago. In addition to Sarah, there were seven other friends at her wedding that Ive known at least as long. We were brought together by our love of the red-headed piano rock virtuoso decades ago, when we were just barely adults beginning to make our way into the world, and weve stayed friends longer than most marriages last.

Were not alone. I could introduce you to dozens (if not hundreds) of other people who have met many of the most important people they know  their best friends, their partners, their chosen families, their communities  because of Tori Amos.

The author and Sarah on her wedding day.

The author and Sarah on her wedding day.

I discovered Tori in 1992 when I was 13, which I now recognize as the first of the worst years of my life. Though I was theoretically in the closet, my queerness was obvious and uncontrollable and exploded out of me whenever I opened my mouth or moved, for which I was punished by most of the people around me.

Then, one afternoon after school, in between asking God to make me straight and fantasizing about the least painful way to kill myself, I saw the video for Crucify from Little Earthquakes, Toris debut solo album, on MTV, and everything turned upside down.

Tori, a piano prodigy who began playing when she was just 2.5 years old, was singing about setting herself free from the suspicion and scrutiny and damnation that came with daring to want something different  and more  than what the world thought she deserved to have or be.

Though, in many ways, our experiences couldnt have been more dissimilar, her songs spoke to me about my own life in a language Id never heard before but instantly understood. It was like every light in every gloomy room in my body suddenly came on and for the first time I could begin to envision a version of myself emerging from the shame and the sadness Id been submerged in for so long. Maybe I didnt have to choose between despair or dying after all. Maybe there was another way.

Of course, as powerful as Toris music is, it couldnt alter the material conditions of my miserable existence. But listening to her gave me hope that I wasnt worthless  or worthy of death  and that hope kept me here.

Not long after, my family got an AOL account and I began spending my nights online looking for signs of emotionally intelligent (or merely less cruel) life outside my small Midwestern town. I stumbled on a Tori Amos message board, where I met others who had found that her music helped to make sense of their lives and gave them a way to help battle the brutality and hurt they were trying to vanquish. I made friends with people in cities Id never heard of and countries I previously knew nothing about. I realized the world was a much bigger place with many more possibilities than Id been led to or allowed to believe. I began to plot my escape.

My parents gave me a ticket to my first Tori show as a high school graduation present and I finally got to experience what my new friends  and so many music critics  had claimed would be unlike any performance Id ever seen. They werent wrong.

The ferocity and tenderness that Tori embodies on stage and offers her listeners (she once famously said she doesnt have fans, were ears with feet) is incomprehensible if you havent witnessed it for yourself. Sitting in that theater filled with others who, like me, had felt beckoned to and embraced by her music felt like coming home to a home I didnt even know existed. Ive since seen her over 100 times.

The author (front row, second from right) and Shannon Lambert (left of author) waiting with other fans to meet Tori at a meet-and-greet before a show in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 2003.

The author (front row, second from right) and Shannon Lambert (left of author) waiting with other fans to meet Tori at a meet-and-greet before a show in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 2003.

I left Wisconsin, went to college, came out, and welded together a life for myself that I love, and during and despite everything thats come my way, Toris music has always been there for me and others like me, to tackle and transfigure the trauma and grief and rage and joy we experience in ways that other artists werent or wouldnt  especially 30 years ago.

Tori took on institutions that we felt persecuted by  from the church to the patriarchy  and that wed never heard challenged in such unconventional and unflinching ways in mainstream culture. Although shes found tremendous success, many people (including her first record label) didnt know what to do with her or her music - but we did. We welcomed every album like it was a new member of our family.

From desire to heartbreak, from betrayal to salvation, from marriage to miscarriage to motherhood, the songs continued to arrive and recognize and unravel and heal the hardest and heaviest parts of our lives. As Tori grew, we grew too. And we didnt just stay alive, we lived.

But it wasnt just the music. It was Tori herself and the community that sprung up because of her.

Erin Russell (left) with Tori in Boulder, Colorado, in 1996.

Erin Russell (left) with Tori in Boulder, Colorado, in 1996.

Though most artists, from the Grateful Dead to Beyonce to Taylor Swift to Insane Clown Posse, have a dedicated  even rabid  following, Toris relationship with and commitment to her fans is unlike any other artist Ive known. From the moment she began touring, she has held (completely free) meet-and-greets before and sometimes after her shows. And she doesnt just take photos and sign autographs; she offers the kind of profound potential for resuscitation and repair that only comes from truly being seen and heard.

My friends and I and so many others like us split cheap motel rooms or camped out in some befuddled parents living room (Now hold on  youre going where to do what with who for how long?) as we traveled from city to city and show to show  even country to country  for weeks or months at a time to be a part of Toris world. In turn, this let us dream up and construct our own new world.

It was unlike anything most of us had known or thought possible.

People worked odd jobs to make extra money to go on tour and stay on tour. People quit jobs to go and stay on tour. People formed their closest friendships on tour. People fell in love because of Tori. People had babies and brought them to meet Tori.

Eventually, Tori came to know us. She played song requests for us. She asked us about our lives and our loves and our problems.

We cared for and carried each other through breakups and layoffs and deaths. We celebrated each other at graduations and weddings and births. We became who we are now because of Tori. We became family because of Tori. After all these years, were still family.

Marco Nieves (right), the author (second from right), Chrissie D'Alexander (second from left) and Berry Perkins (left).

Marco Nieves (right), the author (second from right), Chrissie D'Alexander (second from left) and Berry Perkins (left). "We're at the famed Christ Church in Delgany, County Wicklow, Ireland, where Tori recorded 'Boys for Pele,' her third album," the author writes of this photo taken in 2018. "The four of us met because of Tori and have been friends for over 20 years."

Erin Russell, whom I met on the AOL Tori Amos message board over 25 years ago, ran away from her home in Los Angeles to see the now-legendary Boulder, Colorado, shows in 1996, where Tori played the Beatles Shes Leaving Home for her. Erin told me she never had real friends until she met her Tori friends.

In high school people would talk about their best friends like they couldnt live without them, she wrote in an email. I had friends  they were fine, but Id never proclaim to be unable to live without them. Then, at 16, I met some Tori fans online, and eventually at my first Tori show, and it clicked for me: OH. This is what those people had been talking about. Family. I just knew these people were my family  and many of them still are.

Marco Nieves moved to New York City from Puerto Rico when he was 19 because of Tori. I had only been to the mainland once when I was a kid to go to Disney World with my grandparents, he told me in an email. But I had made all of these friends on the Tori message boards and I decided to visit to see my first show in 2001. Two years later I put a post up online asking, Does anyone that lives in New York have a space for me? and a fan named Carole said she did. Shes now my best friend.

Nieves says being part of the Tori community has shaped and defined his life over the last 20-plus years. The friends Ive made have become roommates, co-workers, travel buddies, lovers, ex-boyfriends  family. Weve done everything together, from the most mundane  like splitting utility bills  to the most extraordinary  like changing a tire in the middle of Iceland. Weve pretty much checked off every life experience box and the common denominator has always been the music.

Left photo: Shannon Lambert (right) with Tori in Minneapolis in 2003. Right photo: Tori meets Lambert's child for the first time in Minneapolis in 2014.

Left photo: Shannon Lambert (right) with Tori in Minneapolis in 2003. Right photo: Tori meets Lambert's child for the first time in Minneapolis in 2014.

Some of us were saved in other ways. In 1994, Tori, who wrote Me and a Gun about the sexual assault she survived when she was 21, became the first spokesperson for the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network, or RAINN, the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the United States. For the nearly three decades since then, Tori and RAINN have provided resources to thousands of survivors  many of them her fans.

I found Toris music during the hardest time in my life, Shannon Lambert told me. I road-tripped to my first show the summer of 1998 and felt like she was singing right to me. Her music was a lifeline. A few months later, I filmed a 20/20 segment about Tori and her impact on sexual violence survivors. We got to meet her backstage before a show and she kicked out the television cameras and talked with us  really talked with us  about what wed been through. It was incredibly meaningful to have this person I admired so much share so much of herself with such openness and vulnerability.

When I began working in media in 2007, I suddenly found myself with a strange kind of dual citizenship  fan and journalist  and because of that, Tori and I have talked frequently over the past 15 years, both on and off the record, and eventually became friends. Because of my interviews with her, Ive heard from countless fans whove told me how knowing Tori and her music also came to change them in unimaginable ways.

Its made me realize exactly what  and how much  is possible when someone shares herself without shame or apology  and how honesty and empathy and generosity can disintegrate loneliness, build communities, and transform lives.

The author (right) with Tori (center) and Sarah in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2015.

The author (right) with Tori (center) and Sarah in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2015.

A few years ago, I finally told Tori just that. I wanted her to know how much shed done for me and so many others. I wanted to say it out loud to her  face to face  at least once.

You saved your life, she replied. And shes right, of course. Ultimately, Im the one who survived  who stayed here  despite everything Id been through. But it feels unfair and untrue not to give Tori any of the credit, even if I know she would say she was just doing what she does  what shes always been called and compelled to do  and that shes grateful and humbled that the music matters to so many of us.

In April, Marco and I traveled to London to see Tori play. After the show was over, he told me about a father and his teenage son who had been sitting in front of him. At first Marco assumed it was the dad who had brought his son to experience the wonder of seeing Tori play live. But by the end of the show, after watching this boy scream and sing along and take nonstop photos and videos, he realized the teen had brought his dad to the show.

Maybe 20 years from now this kid will be officiating his best friends wedding because of Tori. Maybe not. But I can think of few things as thrilling as young fans discovering Tori and feeling the way we did and do, and hopefully even having their lives seen and saved like we did and still are.

Tori Amos kicks off her summer tour across the United States on June 17 in West Palm Beach, Florida. For a full list of shows and ticket information, head here. For more from Tori, visit her official website, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube channel.

Noah Michelson is the head of HuffPost Personal and the host of D Is for Desire, HuffPosts love and sex podcast. He joined HuffPost in 2011 to launch and oversee the sites first vertical dedicated to queer issues, Queer Voices, and went on to oversee all of HuffPosts community sections before pivoting to create and run HuffPost Personal in 2018. He received his MFA in poetry from New York University and has served as a commentator for the BBC, MSNBC, Entertainment Tonight, Current TV, Fuse, Sirius XM and HuffPost Live. Find him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Do you have a compelling personal story youd like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what were looking for here and send us a pitch.

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Traffic alert: Possible delay on Biscayne Boulevard after car hits Braman dealership

A driver hit a bicyclist and rammed into the window of a Miami car dealership on Tuesday.

Miami police spokesperson Michael Vega told the Miami Herald three cars outside and three cars inside the Braman Miami dealership, 2060 Biscayne Blvd., were hit. The bicyclist is in serious condition and was taken to the Ryder Trauma Center.

No one inside the dealership, just north of the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, was injured.

As of 11:15 a.m., no roads were closed, Vega said. The area, including Biscayne Boulevard, may have heavier than usual traffic.

A witness shared a video of the aftermath along Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 21st Street on Twitter, also writing that the driver reversed into the dealership.

Crash on Biscayne and 21st. Almost killed me and my dog pic.twitter.com/Wwbvq5so9z  Juan (@J_Tapz) May 23, 2023

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, Vega said. Local 10 reported that the driver who crashed had suffered a medical emergency while behind the wheel.

This report will be updated.
A large crowd of transgender youth and adults gathered around Union Square in Washington, D.C., on Monday for the Trans Youth Prom, a celebratory youth-led event created to hold space for transgender joy, liberation and existence.

The Trans Youth Prom was organized by four transgender youth from various parts of the country, with support from activists and drag artists to bring the vision to life. The event provided support and a safe space for trans youth and their families. It also gave people the opportunity to use community love as an act of resistance to harmful narratives about transgender lives and anti-transgender legislation across the country.

The intended purpose of the Trans prom is to show that no matter what happens we still have reasons to celebrate, 12-year-old nonbinary organizer Grayson told HuffPost in an email interview. Trans prom is about the fact that we are here and we will always be here regardless of laws.

Simon Garbett, 17, who hails from Little Rock, Arkansas, dances with his mom Lizz Garbett during the Trans Youth Prom on May 22 in Washington, D.C.

Simon Garbett, 17, who hails from Little Rock, Arkansas, dances with his mom Lizz Garbett during the Trans Youth Prom on May 22 in Washington, D.C.

Kids pick out signs to have their picture taken at a photo booth during the Trans Youth Prom on May 22.

Kids pick out signs to have their picture taken at a photo booth during the Trans Youth Prom on May 22.

Trans Youth Prom organizers Grayson McFerrin, 12, Libby Gonzales, 13, Hobbes Chukumba, 16, and Daniel Trujillo, 15, pose for a photo in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building on May 22.

Trans Youth Prom organizers Grayson McFerrin, 12, Libby Gonzales, 13, Hobbes Chukumba, 16, and Daniel Trujillo, 15, pose for a photo in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building on May 22.

Trans kids and additional activists march to the U.S. Supreme Court after the Trans Youth Prom on May 22.

Trans kids and additional activists march to the U.S. Supreme Court after the Trans Youth Prom on May 22.

Trans kids and activists march to the U.S. Supreme Court on May 22.

Trans kids and activists march to the U.S. Supreme Court on May 22.

The U.S. has seen a surge of anti-LGBTQ attacks over the past year as states pass bills to restrict access to gender-affirming care, ban drag shows, bar people from using the bathroom that aligns best with their gender identity and more. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, 490 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in U.S. legislatures this year.

Beyond legislative actions, the queer community has also been the target of other forms of violence, such as the Colorado Springs gay nightclub massacre that killed five and injured 25 people last year.

This event is a critical counterpoint to the vitriol and violence that trans people have been subjected to this past year and throughout history, transgender activist and Trans Youth Prom speaker Chase Strangio told HuffPost in an email interview.

They continued: We are coming together not because we are hoping to convince lawmakers of our humanity, but rather to celebrate what we already know to be true: that we exist, that we have always existed, that we love who we are, and that we always have and always will know how to care for each other.

The event, which was sponsored by celebrities including Elliot Page, Demi Lovato and Ariana Grande, featured performances and speeches from the organizers, transgender activists and drag artists.

Strangio said that there was a significance to the event being held at the nations Capitol as anti-transgender legislation continuously spreads throughout the country.

The significance of the Capitol is that we are coming together at the site of our federal lawmaking, at the symbolic political center of our country, to make sure our presence is felt, Strangio said.

Though the overwhelming majority of anti-trans bills that we have been fighting back against have been introduced in state legislatures, we know that Congress, too, has taken aim at trans lives, particularly youth, and we are speaking up and fighting back, they added.

Michael J. Coppola, 15, from Long Island, performs a song during the Trans Youth Prom outside of the U.S. Capitol building.

Michael J. Coppola, 15, from Long Island, performs a song during the Trans Youth Prom outside of the U.S. Capitol building.

Kids pick out signs to have their picture taken at a photo booth during the Trans Youth Prom.

Kids pick out signs to have their picture taken at a photo booth during the Trans Youth Prom.

Trans kids and activists march to the U.S. Supreme Court on May 22.

Trans kids and activists march to the U.S. Supreme Court on May 22.

Drag Performer Stormie Daie performs past rows of adults and family members before the arrival of trans and nonbinary kids at the Trans Youth Prom on May 22.

Drag Performer Stormie Daie performs past rows of adults and family members before the arrival of trans and nonbinary kids at the Trans Youth Prom on May 22.

The Trans Youth Prom brought in more than 200 transgender youth, their parents and transgender adults from more than 16 states across the country. The event also featured a parade, during which the group chanted Trans kids are magic as they marched from the Capitol to the Supreme Court.

Grayson said they hope that transgender youth leave the event feeling loved and knowing that they have power. Strangio hopes that the event gives people the respite and pause they need to keep fighting for transgender rights.

We will not change the facile and cruel debates over our lives and bodies in one day, but I believe we will send a powerful message that change is coming, Strangio said.

Related...
Anders Petersen

A central part of travel is romanticizing the places we went and the things we experienced. We want, maybe need, places to be shorn of their ugliness, their annoyances, the disappointment, to go back to our lives when we return home. But our latest selection for Just Booked, Anders Peterson: Cafe Lehmitz, captures better than anything weve seen of late just how enthralling a place can be when its highs, lows, and the middling parts are all shown.

The Cafe Lehmitz was a gathering place for the vagabonds of Hamburgs red light district, the Reeperbahn. There were sex workers (young and old), criminals, laborers, and from the late 1960s through the 1970s, the Swedish photographer Anders Peterson. The book, which was originally published in 1978, is being reprinted by Prestel with a new foreword from Tom Waits, who used one of the images on his album Rain Dogs. They are revealing something, Waits writes about the photographs, something tragically and comically human.

Today, the Reeperbahn has little of the grit and danger that made it famous. Its more a tourist trap than anything. But flipping through Anders Peterson: Cafe Lehmitz, youre allowed to travel to a time and place that no longer exists. You might even imagine, if only for one night, that youre the kind of person who could let loose in a joint like this.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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The Treasury Department imposed sanctions Tuesday against cyber actors, including four entities and one person, for hiding illicit funds and engaging in malicious cyber activity that supports the North Korean regime.

The agency said the North Korean government, known as the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), often employs cyber and IT workers to steal funds, including digital currency, to support the countrys leader, Kim Jong Un.

Todays action continues to highlight the DPRKs extensive illicit cyber and IT worker operations, which finance the regimes unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, said Brian E. Nelson, under secretary for the Treasurys Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, in a statement.

The United States and our partners remain committed to combating the DPRKs illicit revenue generation activities and continued efforts to steal money from financial institutions, virtual currency exchanges, companies, and private individuals around the world, he added.

One of the entities sanctioned is Pyongyang University of Automation, which the Treasury described as one of North Koreas premier cyber instruction institutions and said has been training cyber criminals who go on to work in cyber units tied to the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB)  the countrys primary intelligence agency.

The Treasury also cited a recent United Nations report that found North Korean state-sponsored cyber actors stole more digital currency in 2022 than in previous years, with estimates ranging from $630 million to more than $1 billion.

Last year, the FBI confirmed a North Korean cyber group known as the Lazarus Group was responsible for stealing about $620 million in cryptocurrency from the virtual game Axie Infinity. The Treasury Department sanctioned the group, along with two of its subsidiaries, in 2019 for targeting critical infrastructure.

U.S. officials have been raising the alarm about North Koreas increasing participation in crypto heists to fund its nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programs.

Last year, Anne Neuberger, the Biden administrations deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, said she was very concerned about North Koreas cyber capabilities, adding that the country uses cyber to gain up to a third of [stolen crypto] funds to fund their missile program.

Thats a major issue, whether its attacks against cryptocurrency exchanges or use of information technology workers in various countries, Neuberger added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
One Republican representative says Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen should be hauled before Congress to explain herself. Another accuses her of narrative building.

Yellens alleged offense? Lying about whether the Treasury will be unable to pay the governments bills as of June 1.

Yet Yellens never actually said June 1 was the drop dead date.

As recently as Monday, Yellen repeated her projection that the Treasury would run out of borrowing room under the current debt ceiling by early June, and potentially as early as June 1.

The Treasury Department receives and spends massive amounts of money each day on its way to spending $6.27 trillion annually. Its been dancing around the debt limit since January, using various accounting extraordinary measures to stay below it and avoid triggering a global economic crisis.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) expressed skepticism that June 1 is actually a date on which the government may be unable to pay its bills, despite Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen saying the government could default on its obligations by early June, including as early as June 1.

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) expressed skepticism that June 1 is actually a date on which the government may be unable to pay its bills, despite Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen saying the government could default on its obligations by early June, including as early as June 1.

But the room provided by those measures is dwindling fast, and projecting exactly when Treasury will face more in bills than it has in cash on hand and borrowing capacity is difficult. Thus, Yellens somewhat inexact warning.

Thats not enough for Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.).

For this president just to sit back and act like nothings happening, this isnt something he can do. I do think Yellen will say that, you know, we do have money coming in, Norman told reporters on Tuesday.

She will extend it, but right now shes using June 1. Everybody knows thats false.

Asked when he thinks Congress actually needs to act, Norman said, Ask [Yellen]. We need to subpoena her and get her plan.

Normans not the only House GOP member feeling that way as the clock keeps ticking toward a potential default.

Ask [Yellen]. We need to subpoena her and get her plan.Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.)

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) tweeted Monday that Yellen was fearmongering and that there was no need to act by June 1.

This is all rhetoric driven. Theres some amounts of reality to it, but theres also a tremendous amount of narrative building, which Janet Yellen is doing with Joe Biden, Biggs said in an interview with former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon.

Biggs is part of a group of House Republicans seen as unlikely to ever vote for a debt ceiling increase, no matter what sort of deal is negotiated with the White House.

In April, he told HuffPost, My position is that you dont have to raise the debt ceiling if you bring your spending under control.

Another factor muddying the waters is that the Treasury would like to be able to hold out until mid-June, when quarterly tax payments are due, which could enable it to get to the end of June. By then, a new slate of accounting moves would be available that could allow the Treasury to keep borrowing until the end of July.

Theres some amounts of reality to it, but theres also a tremendous amount of narrative building, which Janet Yellen is doing with Joe Biden.Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.)

That could explain why the Treasury has, according to Washington Post reporting, asked agency budget staffers whether they could delay payments due before early June. Effectively, it would be equivalent to finding change in the couch cushions to make it to the next payday.

Several private sector debt-watchers think the Treasury will likely be able to scrape by through June, but only barely, and with margins so thin that they would raise the chance of an accidental default to a dangerous level. The Bipartisan Policy Center, for example, said on Tuesday that the period of June 2 through June 13 posed an elevated risk of default.

Yellens challenge is how to be prudent  and warn when the Treasury is getting unacceptably close to default even when it will most likely be able to pay bills  without seeming to cry wolf! as some Republicans are accusing her of doing.

The panel of private sector advisers to the Treasury on debt management, the Borrowing Advisory Committee, warned Treasury on May 2 that it already had an inadequate margin for error with only $238 billion in cash on hand, significantly below what even the nations largest banks hold in available liquidity despite managing significantly smaller balance sheets.

As of Friday, the Treasury had only $60.7 billion on hand.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said the decision on which day should be considered the deadline for acting on the debt limit was the prerogative of the Treasury secretary.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said the decision on which day should be considered the deadline for acting on the debt limit was the prerogative of the Treasury secretary.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) defended Yellen, though, when asked about June 1.

Thats up to Janet Yellen, he said Monday. They decide when that date is.

Thats why we took action all the way back in April, even before she said it was June 1. We thought it was in July. We dont want to do this last minute.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the Democratic leader in the House, also defended Yellen while taking a swipe at Republicans.

The June 1 date is a real one. Secretary Yellen continues to make that clear, Jeffries told reporters Tuesday morning.

Unfortunately, extreme MAGA Republicans are taking us down the dangerous road of default, for ideological reasons.

Related...
Former President Trump accused Fox News host Laura Ingraham of running a hit piece on him for airing a segment focusing on his poll numbers compared to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is expected to announce a White House bid in the coming days.

Trump, minutes after the segment aired Monday evening, took to his Truth Social website to blast the longtime conservative commentator, who has been largely supportive of him in recent years.

Laura Ingraham on FoxNews just did a hit piece on me (there go her ratings!) showing some polls which indicate that Ron DeSanctimonious may do better against Biden than I would, when actually polls show that I do MUCH better against Biden than Rob,' Trump wrote.

The poll your looking at now, which has me doing far better against Crooked Joe, was just put out by FOX, I am sure unhappily, Trump continued. Im also leading DeSanctus by over 40 points in Primary Voting. Watch Greg Kelly on Newsmax at 10:00 P.M.

Then-President Trump gives Fox News host Laura Ingraham a kiss after inviting her on stage during the 2019 Turning Point USA Student Action Summit. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

During the segment, Ingraham hosted conservative author and pundit Chris Bedford, who serves as executive editor of Common Sense Society, and the two discussed how Trumps poll numbers match up against President Biden and DeSantis in states Trump narrowly lost during the 2020 election.

Joe Biden is running pretty badly behind a generic Republican figure like a Ron DeSantis or Tim Scott, Bedford said, referring to the GOP senator from South Carolina who announced his White House bid on Monday. But hes consistently beating Donald Trump.

Ingraham noted the economy and immigration are two of the key issues voters have indicated are most important to them in the 2024 election, before suggesting leading national Republicans are coming up short in addressing those concerns.

Trumps public criticism of Fox is nothing new. The former president has relentlessly attacked top hosts and leaders at the network in recent weeks over its coverage of DeSantis and other issues, in one recent rebuke calling Fox the RINO network, a pejorative term meaning Republican in name only.

More Donald Trump coverage from The Hill:

During an interview with The Hill last fall, Ingraham deflected a question about whether Republicans should support Trump or DeSantis, saying instead the party should focus on populist messaging regardless of who the GOP candidate in 2024 ends up being.

Tensions between Fox and Trump have grown more intense in the weeks following the companys recently settled defamation lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems over the former presidents claims about the voting system companys software.

Fox last month ousted Tucker Carlson, its top-rated prime-time host who was vocally supportive of Trump on his show, a move that has enraged some conservatives within the former presidents base.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty/Reuters

Donald Trump recently made headlines by calling for Republicans to default on federal debt if they dont get everything theyre asking the Democrats for, including the kitchen sink. Not only is this exactly the opposite of his stance while president, but it could also bite the GOP in the ass.

The Daily Beast congressional reporter Sam Brodey came on The New Abnormal politics podcast to talk through those ways that Trumps default talk could screw Republicans, and also to share how this could possibly benefit Trump (or not.)

Subscribe to The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Overcast.

If youre in a situation where [Speaker of the House Kevin] McCarthy is trying to win over these members with something that they dont likethat they think doesnt go far enoughthat is a concession to the Democrats, and Donald Trump is out there every day talking about how they can't compromise with Sleepy Joe and that they should default and thats way better than accepting this deal, yeah, thats gonna complicate things [for Republicans], says Brodey.

He tells co-host Danielle Moodie that Trump may have actually put himself in a catch-22, too.

The logic is if a default happens, President Biden is blamed and that helps Trump if hes running against Biden. But if hes out there cheering for default to happenand this is maybe where you get into the territory of, Huh, Donald Trump might have miscalculated hereby openly cheering for something that he wants to happen, he is making it more likely that hes linked to that.

Brodey also explains why the more involved Trump is, the worse its going to get for Republicans.

Florida State House Republicans Are Obsessed With Genitalia

Then, Jonathan Last, editor of The Bulwark, joins co-host Andy Levy on the show to talk through evidence that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is not actually running a campaign to beat Trumphe has an ulterior motive.

Last also breaks down his rankings for the possible 2024 Republican presidential nominees most likely to win, including a very crass argument for putting Chris Christie dead last.

And speaking of DeSantis, Andy and Danielle cant believe that Florida is turning into one big sundown town.

Listen to this full episode of The New Abnormal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon and Stitcher.

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Trump Organization ordered to hand over foreign real estate deal records as part of classified documents probe

The Trump Organization has been ordered to hand over records related to foreign real estate deals made since Donald Trump entered the White House  as the investigation into the former presidents handling of classified documents continues to heat up.

Two sources told The New York Times that Special Counsel Jack Smiths office has subpoenaed the business empire for documents on real estate licensing and development dealings made in seven countries since he was sworn into office in 2017.

The countries are: China, France, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman.

It is not clear what Mr Smiths office is expecting to find in the records, when the subpoena was issued or what material may have been turned over as a result.

However, a source said that several of the classified documents found at Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate were related to Middle Eastern nations.

It was also previously reported that the Trump Organization was subpoenaed for records over his business dealings with Saudi- backed golf venture LIV Golf  a deal made after he lost the 2020 presidential election.

During his time in office, the Trump Organization swore off any foreign business deals.

Now, the latest move from federal prosecutors reveals they are widening the probe into classified documents at Mar-a-Lago even further.

This suggests that the special counsel investigation is looking into whether there are any connections between Mr Trumps foreign business dealings and the particular classified documents he took with him when he left the White House, the Times reported.

The subpoena marks the latest sign that the investigation into the classified documents Mr Trump took to Mar-a-Lago is heating up.

Trump Classified Documents (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Last week it emerged that the National Archives had found a trove of records proving the former president knew he shouldnt have taken classified documents to Mar-a-Lago.

The National Archives sent a letter, obtained by CNN, to Mr Trump this week revealing that it had found 16 presidential records showing he and his top advisers were aware of the correct declassification process when he was in the White House.

The 16 records in question all reflect communications involving close presidential advisers, some of them directed to you personally, concerning whether, why, and how you should declassify certain classified records, wrote archivist Debra Steidel Wall.

Those records will now be turned over to Mr Smith by 24 May.

Mr Trump has repeatedly falsely claimed that he was allowed to take classified documents with him when he left the Oval Office.

He has also falsely claimed that the documents automatically became declassified when he took them with him from the White House.

I had every right to under the Presidential Records Act, he said just last week, during the disastrous CNN town hall.

You have the Presidential Records Act. I was there and I took what I took and it gets declassified.

He later added: And, by the way, they become automatically declassified when I took them.

In reality, under the Presidential Records Act, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has legal control of all presidential records as soon as a president leaves office.

Now, this trove of presidential records appears to pour cold water on Mr Trumps claims that he doesnt think he did anything wrong by taking the documents  instead suggesting that he was fully aware of the protocol but chose to disregard it.

Mr Trumps attorney Jim Trusty insisted that he had the constitutional authority to take the documents.

At the end of his presidency, he relied on the constitutional authority as commander-in-chief, which is to take documents and take them to Mar-a-Lago while still president as he was at the time, and to effectively declassify and personalise them, he told CNN.

He talked about declassifying them, but he didnt need to.

Meanwhile, the letter also revealed that Mr Trumps legal team had tried to block NARA from handing over the records to Mr Smiths office, citing constitutionally based privilege.

Mr Smith had issued NARA with a subpoena in January for records relevant to the grand jury investigation.

Notwithstanding any legal action to stop the handover, the special counsel will likely receive the records in question next week.

News of the damning evidence comes amid trouble inside Mr Trumps leagl team after one of his attorneys Tim Parlatore representing him in the probe resigned last week  amid in-fighting in the team.

The National Archives had first contacted Mr Trump in 2021 not long after he left office asking for documents that they had found to be missing from its records.

His team handed over boxes of documents  some including classified papers  but held onto troves more.

On learning, the FBI executed a raid on Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, seizing 27 boxes including 11 containing classified information.

Some of the information was of the highest possible top secret classification, meaning it should never have left the custody of the government.
Trump criminal trial to start next March, with campaign in full swing

By Luc Cohen and Karen Freifeld

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Donald Trump will face a criminal trial in New York on March 25, 2024, a judge said on Tuesday, meaning the former U.S. President will be on trial as his campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination is in full swing.

Trump, who is charged with falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to a porn star, is expected to be crisscrossing the country next spring along with his rivals as states host presidential nominating contests.

Justice Juan Merchan in Manhattan state court announced the date at a hearing in which Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024 and the first former U.S. president to be criminally charged, appeared remotely from Florida.

Merchan also advised Trump of restrictions on his ability to publicly discuss certain evidence handed over by prosecutors.

At least four screens in Merchan's courtroom showed Trump and his lawyer Todd Blanche seated in front of U.S. flags.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal counts. In a post on his Truth Social platform after the hearing, Trump said his rights to free speech had been violated.

"They forced upon us a trial date of March 25th, right in the middle of the Primary season," Trump wrote in the post. "It's called ELECTION INTERFERENCE."

New York prosecutors say Trump sought to conceal reimbursements to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen for a $130,000 payment to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Cohen has said he paid her in exchange for her silence before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump, which Trump denies.

The reimbursements concealed violations of New York election law and violations of campaign contribution limits under federal election law, according to prosecutors.

JUDGE SAYS RESTRICTIONS DO NOT IMPEDE TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN

During the hearing, Trump spoke only to tell the court he had a copy of the May 8 order restricting him from disclosing certain evidence to third parties, including news outlets and on social media.

Blanche said Trump was concerned the order violated his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. But he said he had told his client that Merchan did not intend to impede his speech and that the restriction was not a gag order, which would bar him from speaking publicly about the case at all.

Merchan said he did not mean to restrict Trump's ability to campaign, and that Trump "is certainly free to deny the charges, he is free to defend himself against the charges."

The judge said on Tuesday that if Trump violates the restrictions, he could be held in contempt of court.

The restrictions on Trump concern grand jury minutes, witness statements, and other materials that prosecutors are required to turn over to the defense to prepare for trial.

Prosecutors have said the order was needed because of Trump's history of attacks on social media, and the risk that witnesses might be harassed.

(Reporting by Luc Cohen and Karen Freifeld, Writing by Noeleen Walder; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Trump rape accuser E Jean Carroll sues him again after he calls her a whack job on live TV

E Jean Carroll - Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

The former US magazine columnist who won $5 million (4 million) in a civil sexual assault and defamation case against Donald Trump is suing him for additional damages after he called her a whack job the day after the court verdict.

E Jean Carroll is seeking at least another $10 million from the former president, according to a court filing, over comments he made on CNN two weeks ago as well as for the initial alleged defamation.

In a televised town hall hosted by the US channel on May 10, Mr Trump called Ms Carroll a whack job and accused her of telling a made-up story.

He told the audience at the event: What kind of a woman meets somebody and brings them up and, within minutes, youre playing hanky-panky in a dressing room, OK?

Mr Trump also repeated his claims that he did not know her. The New York court had found him liable for sexually abusing Ms Carroll in a city department store in the 1990s and defaming her after he left the White House.

Donald Trump - Robert Perry/Getty Images

Her lawyers have since filed an amended complaint to a 2019 defamation lawsuit, separate to the case decided on May 9, which said that Mr Trump undeterred by the jurys verdict, persisted in maliciously defaming Carroll yet again on CNN.

Roberta Kaplan, Ms Carroll's lawyer, wrote: Those statements resulted in enthusiastic cheers and applause from the audience on live TV.

The document read: Trump's defamatory statements post-verdict show the depth of his malice toward Carroll since it is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill-will or spite.

CNN faced a backlash after the television special, which took place in front of a pro-Republican audience who gave Mr Trump a standing ovation. But other critics said that he should be allowed to offer his own version of events.

Ms Carrolls lawyers added: Trump used a national platform to demean and mock Carroll.

He egged on a laughing audience as he made light of his violent sexual assault, called Carroll names, implied that Carroll was asking to be assaulted, and dismissed the jurys verdict vindicating Carroll.

The amended lawsuit has been mired in legal appeals. Mr Trumps lawyers argue that the ex-presidents responses to journalists queries about the allegations in 2019 when he was in office were part of his government job, which could mean he would be immune from liability.

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Ron DeSantis has a formidable record of election victories and legislative wins, but critics say he lacks social skills

Florida governor Ron DeSantis's long-awaited entry into the 2024 presidential campaign descended into a fiasco on Wednesday as the opening of the live Twitter event intended to announce his candidacy was derailed by glitches.

The conversation repeatedly crashed as the platform's servers were apparently overwhelmed, and many of the 400,000-plus users who were hoping to listen in missed the 44-year-old conservative throwing down the gauntlet to Republican primary frontrunner Donald Trump.

DeSantis finally began speaking after almost half an hour of confusion and chaos -- although what should have been an exultant launch had been thoroughly overshadowed by the time he was able to make his case for the Republican nomination.

"I am running for president of the United States to lead our great American comeback," he told the listeners, although tens of thousands had abandoned Twitter by that point.

As the website struggled to get the event back on track, its owner Elon Musk, performing hosting duties, could be heard noting the "massive number of people online" who had caused the servers to begin "straining somewhat."

While organizers sought to highlight the event's popularity -- the DeSantis camp said it had raised $1 million online in one hour -- Biden's team was quick to capitalize on the glitches, tweeting a link to a fundraising page and stating: "This link works."

Trump joked on his Truth Social platform that "My Red Button is bigger, better, stronger, and is working" -- an oblique reference to a war of words he once had with North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

The conversation eventually went on for more than an hour, but technical gremlins persisted -- a setback mocked as encapsulating the downward turn the governor's image has taken of late.

- 'War on woke' -

Long viewed as the most formidable challenger to twice-impeached Trump, DeSantis boasts deep midwestern roots, a large campaign fund, a list of ultra-conservative legislative wins and an unblemished record of election victories.

While Trump has dominated headlines with his legal woes, DeSantis has presented himself as the tip of the spear in the struggle of ordinary Americans against progressive values he sees as authoritarian and divisive.

The governor gave a more traditional interview -- minus the setbacks -- on conservative TV network Fox News after the Twitter event, and tried to reclaim his reputation for order and competence.

"If you nominate me, I pledge to you that on January 20, 2025, at high noon, I'll be the guy on the west side of the Capitol with the left hand on the Bible and the right hand in the air, taking the oath of office as the 47th president of the United States," he said.

"No more excuses -- we've got to get this one done."

DeSantis has used his position as Florida's chief executive to stack up a litany of conservative accomplishments, signing off on some 80 state laws targeting "woke indoctrination" in schools and other public institutions.

They include a ban on discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, a block on funding efforts to promote diversity at public universities and one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country.

"The woke mind virus is basically a form of Cultural Marxism. At the end of the day, it's an attack on the truth, and because it's a war on truth, I think we have no choice but to wage a war on woke," he told Fox News.

- Trump on the attack -

Refraining from explicitly criticizing Trump, the governor used the event to draw a distinction between his record of getting policy initiatives into the statute books and the former president's reputation for legislative inertia and chaos in his personal and professional life.

But DeSantis lacks the frontrunner's national profile and the launch comes with his ratings in decline, as a number of policy missteps have prompted disquiet about his readiness to take on Trump.

He now faces the daunting task of closing an enormous polling gap, with Trump posting leads of close to 40 percentage points, despite being indicted on felony financial charges and being found liable for sexual abuse in a New York civil trial.

Behind the scenes, the Trump and DeSantis camps have been jostling to secure endorsements from state lawmakers while, at the national level, Florida's congressional delegation has broken heavily for Trump.

But DeSantis is seen as lacking the natural charm needed to peel away some of the 14 million voters who backed Trump in the last competitive Republican primary, in 2016.

Trump has not posted on Twitter since his two-year ban over the 2021 US Capitol riot ended in November, but has been using his own social network to attack DeSantis almost daily.

In a Wednesday morning post, Trump said the governor "desperately needs a personality transplant and, to the best of my knowledge, they are not medically available yet."

ft/st
Trump team knocks DeSantis Twitter campaign launch: This way he doesnt have to interact with people

Former President Donald Trump has been attacking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on social media for months, working to stymie support for his soon-to-be GOP presidential competition.

Now hes going after his campaign launch, which DeSantis is expected to hold Wednesday on Twitter.

Announcing on Twitter is perfect for Ron DeSantis, a Trump adviser told POLITICO. This way he doesnt have to interact with people and the media cant ask him any questions.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Make America Great Again Inc., the PAC backing Trump, said in a statement Wednesday: This is one of the most out-of-touch campaign launches in modern history. The only thing less relatable than a niche campaign launch on Twitter, is DeSantis after party at the uber elite Four Seasons resort in Miami.

Trump has hurled repeated attacks against DeSantis policies and personality, calling the governor he once endorsed disloyal and as dead as a doornail.

Hes got no personality. And I dont think hes got a lot of political skill, Trump said during an interview with The Messenger.

Meridith McGraw contributed to this report.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on April 4 after being arraigned earlier in the day in New York City. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

As more Republicans have stepped forward to challenge the frontrunner, Donald Trump, for the party's 2024 presidential nomination, a slew of ominous legal developments have continued to complicate his reelection bid.

At present, Trump is facing one criminal indictment and two high-profile civil cases. By summer's end, however, he could see further charges filed against him in far more serious matters.

Here are the latest details from Yahoo News, its partners and other news organizations.

Mar-a-Lago documents investigation

A security guard at Mar-a-Lago on April 3. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

On Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that the special counsel on the case, Jack Smith, was wrapping up his investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents after leaving the White House and that many of Trump's "close associates" are preparing for him to be indicted.

"Nearly every employee at Trumps Florida home, from top political aides to maids and maintenance staff," has now testified before the Washington grand jury, sources told the Journal.

Among those who have testified is Trump's lawyer Evan Corcoran. In March, a federal appeals court ruled that Corcoran must testify and produce notes he took during meetings with the former president about the handling of the classified documents. The notes showed that Trump was seeking to contest a federal subpoena ordering the return of the documents, a revelation that contradicts his assertion that he was "cooperating fully" with the FBI in the matter.

Georgia election interference

Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis offered a clue this week that she might indict the former president in August in connection with his efforts to convince Georgia election officials to overturn his 2020 loss in the state.

Willis sent a letter Thursday to county Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville, the Associated Press reported, asking judges not to schedule trials during the first three weeks of August.

Earlier this month, Willis appeared obtained immunity deals with eight people accused in the scheme to present "fake electors" who would falsely claim that Trump had defeated Joe Biden in the state, Reuters reported.

Probe of Jan. 6, 2021

Prosecutor Jack Smith at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers court in The Hague, Netherlands, in 2020. (Jerry Lampen/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Smith is also pressing ahead with his investigation of Trump on a host of potential crimes, including obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States and insurrection  all stemming from his efforts to try to overturn the 2020 presidential election that led to the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

In late April, when former Vice President Mike Pence was compelled to testify before the grand jury, he was questioned for more than five hours about his dealings with Trump leading up to the riot. Smith, according to CNN, was in attendance.

Indictment in Manhattan

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. (Siegfried Nacion/Star Max/IPx)

On Tuesday, Judge Juan Merchan set a March 25 start date for Trump's Manhattan criminal trail on charges that he falsified business records, ABC News reported. The judge also laid out the terms of a protective order, warning Trump not to share evidence put forth by the prosecutors office during discovery on social media.

Trump responded to Tuesday's proceedings in a post on social media, saying "I believe my First Amendment Rights,Freedom of Speech, have been violated."

In a court filing last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg laid out the underlying crimes he alleges Trump committed as part of his hush money payment to the adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The allegations include felony violations of New York election, tax and penal law, as well as violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act.

FILING: @ManhattanDA says Trump's underlying crimes (boosting 34 falsifying records counts to felony) *may* include:



NY Election Law 17-152

NY Tax Law 1801(a)(3) & 1802

NY Penal Law 175.05 & 175.10

Federal Election Campaign Act 52 USC 30101



*No big surprises & DA could add more pic.twitter.com/qr18JptSS5  Frank G. Runyeon (@frankrunyeon) May 16, 2023

New York civil lawsuit

New York State Attorney General Letitia James. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

In March, Judge Arthur Engoron, the judge overseeing the $250 million civil case brought against Trump by New York Attorney General Letitia James, rejected attempts by the former president's lawyers to delay the start of the trial. It is scheduled to begin Oct. 2.

E. Jean Carroll

E. Jean Carroll arrives at the courthouse in Manhattan on April 25. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

One day after a New York jury awarded writer E. Jean Carroll a $5 million judgment in her sexual abuse and defamation lawsuit against Trump, the former president participated in a CNN town hall where he repeatedly attacked her credibility.

On Monday, Carroll cited his remarks when she amended her complaint in a pending defamation lawsuit against Trump, seeking at least $10 million in additional damages.

On his Truth Social platform, meanwhile, Trump continued to insist that Carroll had made up the story that he sexually abused her in a changing room at Bergdorf Goodman department store in the 1990s.

"I dont know E. Jean Carroll, I never met her or touched her," Trump wrote, adding, "IT NEVER HAPPENED, IS A TOTAL SCAM, UNFAIR TRIAL!"
Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty

This reporting is featured in this weeks edition of Confider, the newsletter pulling back the curtain on the media. Subscribe here and send your questions, tips, and complaints here.

Tucker Carlson and his loyalists have begun an intense pressure campaign against Fox News in the hopes of getting him released from a noncompete clauseand people familiar with the situation tell Confider the squabble may only get worse as the fired primetime star may know where some proverbial bodies are buried.

A steady stream of leaks about Fox News over the past week, designed to embarrass the network or further undermine its standing with conservative viewers, have come after negotiations between Carlsons lawyers and Fox have stalled out.

The talks were initially productive, Confider has learned, but have since turned into meaningless conversations, as one person with knowledge of the matter described it.

Karma Is a Bitch: Roger Ailes Widow Goes Off on Fox News Woes

Fox had been willing to let Carlson appear on a digital platform so long as he stayed off traditional TVsomething which they have since backtracked on as the former on-air host announced hes taking his show to Twitter. That stalemate has pushed Carlson and his team to ratchet up the pressure with newly planted stories about his ex-employer.

According to people familiar with the situation, Carlson and his teams deep industrial knowledge of the network means they are sitting on a treasure trove of potentially damaging Fox secrets, including revelations about extramarital affairs and workplace misconduct.

Like what youre reading? Subscribe to the Confider newsletter here and have The Daily Beast media teams stellar reporting sent straight to your inbox every Monday night.

The hope is that Fox comes to their senses and realizes they cant stop Tucker from speaking and doing his thing and if not thats unfortunate and there would be some pain inflicted, said one person briefed on the matter.

But despite the very unsubtle warfare, Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott has remarked that despite what you are reading, its going to end amicably, according to an associate who recently spoke with her.

Tucker Carlson Wanted to Start Threatening Fox News Staffers After 2020 Election

Meanwhile, on Monday, conservative writer Chadwick Moore announced a biography of the ex-Fox host, titled Tucker, hitting shelves July 18, with Tuckers supportive tweet almost surely sending it to No. 1 on Amazon sales. Moore claims that Carlsons firing was a condition of the networks $787.5-million settlement with Dominiona claim both Fox and Dominion have denied.

Elsewhere, the fate of Foxs chief legal officer Viet Dinh remains a constant source of speculation inside the network, with execs and board members blaming him for Foxs hamfisted handling of the entire debacle.

A rep for Fox Corp and Fox News declined to comment, while a lawyer for Carlson did not respond to Confider.

Subscribe to the Confider newsletter here and have The Daily Beast media teams stellar reporting sent straight to your inbox every Monday night.

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About 160 square miles of the historic Tulare Lake basin are under water as a result of flooding from a combination of this winters atmospheric river storms and a record snowpack that continues to melt in the southern Sierra Nevada.

Much of the submerged area is farmland that in most years is high and dry. But the ongoing flow of runoff from melting snow is anticipated to drive the amount of land thats inundated by floods higher, to between 182 and 260 square miles.

The figures come from an update presented Monday afternoon from the California Office of Emergency Services and the state Department of Water Resources, both of which are monitoring flows on the Kings, Kaweah and Tule rivers that feed the Tulare Lake basin and managing efforts to prevent flooding from encroaching on communities including Corcoran.

To minimize the risk of flooding, state water officials took the rare step of opening a connection from a flooded river into the California Aqueduct  one of the latest measures to divert water from reaching Tulare Lake in the first place.

There are multiple concurrent efforts under way  to move water around and ultimately protect communities in the Central Valley, said Brian Ferguson, a spokesperson for the state Office of Emergency Services. We are in significantly better shape than we were several weeks ago. We  are not forecasting nearly as severe damage as perhaps we were several weeks ago.

That does not mean the flood risk for Corcoran or other communities from flooding has fully abated.

We are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination, Ferguson added. While perhaps the most serious risk may have been averted, we dont know what we dont know yet in terms of how fast the water comes down the mountain, what levee may have squirrels in it that were not aware of or a million other things that we dont necessarily control as human beings.

The public in these communities should continue to be aware of the challenges that lie ahead and well continue to be in this situation at least through the month of July.

Mehdi Mizani, deputy state flood plain manager for the Department of Water Resources, estimated that the volume of water in Tulare Lake is likely to approach or exceed 620,000 acre-feet by the end of May. By the time the flooding reaches its peak  and various computer models put that at anywhere between the end of May and mid-July  there is a 50% likelihood of about 700,000 acre-feet, and a 10% chance of as much as 931,000 acre-feet.

The staggering growth of Tulare Lake can be put into perspective by comparing it with the capacities of nearby reservoirs. Millerton Lake, for example, has a storage capacity of 520,500 acre-feet. Lake Kaweah can store 185,000 acre-feet. Lake Success can store 82,000 acre-feet.

An acre-foot amounts to about 326,000 gallons, or enough to flood an acre of land under one foot of water.

The state has already put up more than $17 million to raise about 14.5 miles of levees standing between the flooded lakebed and the city of Corcoran. But there are other measures being taken, both upstream on the rivers and to the south in Kern County, to divert floodwater before it even gets to the lake.

Letting water flow into the California Aqueduct

Over the past weekend, gates were opened at the Kern River Intertie, a connection at the terminus of the Kern River in western Kern County that allows excess water to flow into the the California Aqueduct to be carried south and out of the San Joaquin Valley, said Daniel Wisheropp, a scientist with the state Department of Water Resources.

We started up the operation of the intertie, opened up the gates and started taking Kern River water into the aqueduct this past Saturday, Wisheropp said. Its the first time in 17 years that the intertie has been opened. Since the intertie was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1977, it had only been used in nine prior years.

The last time we used it was in 2006, and that was to help move water during an emergency release period out of (Lake) Isabella in mountains northeast of Bakersfield, Wisheroff said.

The water that makes it into the Kern River basin from this point, he added, typically would either enter the California Aqueduct or it would go out (an) outlet canal toward Tulare Lake, about 45 miles to the north. So any water thats brought into the aqueduct is less water that would be traveling north to Tulare Lake.

The intertie has a maximum flow to the aqueduct of 3,500 cubic feet per second, but Wisheropp said the agency does not expect to exceed 1,500 cubic feet per second this spring and summer.

Diverting water to recharge underground aquifers

State and local water officials are also scrambling to siphon as much of a record snowmelt as they can from from the Kings, Kaweah and Tule rivers before that water even reaches Tulare Lake. Some of that water is being used by irrigation districts for farming purposes, but theres also a concerted effort to use water that would otherwise add to flooding in the lake to recharge groundwater aquifers to the east, said Paul Gosselin, deputy director of the state water agencys groundwater management office.

That involves flooding empty fields with water and letting it soak into water tables that have been depleted by overpumping during years of drought.

To date, Gosselin said Monday, almost 92,000 acre-feet of water has been captured and used for groundwater recharge, and thats just beginning.

Some water agencies would be able to take more water  as much as 50,000 more acre-feet, he added  but they dont have the necessary infrastructure, including pumps, to move the water to areas where it can best be allowed to soak back into the ground. Gosselin said the state is working to provide pumps for local irrigation districts.

So far, the Fresno Irrigation District has received pump and siphon equipment to take water from the Kings River and is examining where orchards can be cleared for recharge uses.

At least 14 more pumps are planned to be provided to the Kings County Water District, Consolidated Irrigation District and the North Fork Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency to pull water from the Kings River; the Tulare Irrigation District to divert water from the St. Johns and Kaweah rivers; the city of Visalia and the Kaweah Delta Water Conservation District to divert Kaweah River water; and Kern County water districts yet to be determined to pump and siphon water from the Kern River.

Those pumps are going to be deployed in the next week or two weeks, Gosselin said, and that is really going to advance a lot of the diversion off of the rivers and reduce the amount getting into the lake while keeping the water locally.

In terms of diversion, if the pumps current and planned run for four months, approximately 192,000 acre-feet will have been diverted  from Tulare Lake, Gosselin added.
FILE PHOTO: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan greets his supporters as he arrives for a meeting in Istanbul

By Huseyin Hayatsever and Jonathan Spicer

ANKARA (Reuters) -The man challenging for the Turkish presidency has accused President Tayyip Erdogan of being a "fabricator" after he cited a doctored video to allege opposition links to an outlawed militant Kurdish group ahead of a runoff election on Sunday.

Erdogan repeated the allegation and referred to the doctored video, splicing footage of Kemal Kilicdaroglu and a Kurdish militant, in an interview with state broadcaster TRT late on Monday, despite having been criticised by the opposition for showing it earlier in his campaign.

The origins of the video are unknown.

Responding in a Tweet, Kilicdaroglu said: "I am tired of being slandered, but he is not tired of slandering me."

Opponents of Erdogan see the accusations as a symptom of a media landscape tilted heavily in Erdogan's favour after a decade of transformation, imprisonment of journalists and closures of critical outlets. This they say has presented voters with a different reflection of reality ahead of the election.

Reporters Without Borders ranks Turkey 165th out of 180 countries for press freedoms.

Erdogan's allegations have added to political tension ahead of the runoff, in an election seen as the stiffest test yet for the president, who is seeking to extend his rule into a third decade.

Though his standing has been hit by a cost-of-living crisis, Erdogan emerged ahead of Kilicdaroglu in the first round.

Seeking to tap nationalist sentiment, Erdogan has repeatedly suggested links between the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)and the opposition, without providing evidence.

The doctored video, screened by Erdogan at a May 7 rally, comprises footage taken from a Kilicdaroglu campaign video and PKK images from a video released online 10 months ago in which the militants cheer their top commander, Murat Karayilan.

Referring to the video in his interview on Monday, Erdogan once again accused Kilicdaroglu of cooperating with the PKK, deemed a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies, and which has been waging an insurgency since 1984 in which more than 40,000 people have been killed.

"Kilicdaroglu shot videos with terrorists in Qandil," Erdogan said, referring to a PKK base in Iraq's Qandil mountains. "Doctored or not, they shot videos with those in Qandil, and PKK members showed their support to Kilicdaroglu with videos," he said.

Kilicdaroglu, in his response on Twitter, declared Erdogan a "fraudulent (video) fabricator." Scores of influential social media users also expressed their anger, with "montaj" (montage) trending #4 on Twitter in Turkey on Tuesday afternoon.

Erdogan emerged ahead of Kilicdaroglu in the first round on May 14. On Monday, Erdogan received another boost to his reelection campaign by winning the endorsement of a hardline nationalist who came third.

Responding to Kilicdaroglu in a tweet, Fahrettin Altun, the Turkish presidency communications director, accused him of insulting the president. The people would "teach a lesson" to those who insult Erdogan, he said.

Emre Kizilkaya, chair of the Vienna-based International Press Institute's (IPI) national committee in Turkey, said that Turkey has been subjected to "an unparalleled level of organised disinformation" throughout the recent election campaign.

"Truth and factual information have come under a coordinated assault from multiple sources, with the government playing a central role in this troubling phenomenon, as evidenced by Erdogan's tactics to tarnish the opposition through various channels", he said.

Kilicdaroglu has the backing of a six-party alliance, in addition to the endorsement of the pro-Kurdish HDP Party - which is facing a potential ban over links to the PKK, which it denies. Erdogan frequently accuses the HDP of such ties.

(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever and Jonathan Spicer; Editing by Tom Perry, Alexandra Hudson)
Rococo Punch, the independent podcast production studio behind The Turning series and Welcome to Provincetown, is merging with the full-service podcast and audiobook company Audily.

Led by co-founders and public radio veterans Jessica Alpert and John Perotti, Rococo Punch will continue as a stand-alone brand within Audily. The studio will continue to develop original productions and contract with other media companies for work-for-hire projects. RPLabs, which has created educational audio programming for partners like Boston University and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, will also continue within the Rococo Punch brand.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

Alpert and Perotti will continue to lead Rococo Punch and report to Matt Wells, the co-founder and president of Audily, as part of the acquisition. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Jessica and John are the content dream-team of podcasting, and we are thrilled to welcome them and the Rococo Punch team into the Audily family, Wells said in a statement. Together, we will expand our service offering and creative content to a broader audience, and we cant imagine better partners to tackle this growing industry.

The deal comes as podcast studios look to build back momentum during a slower market and major audio companies like Spotify become more judicious with content spending. For smaller podcast studios that specialize in premium narrative projects, which tend to be more expensive than always-on shows and may have a harder time raking in ad dollars due to the limited number of episodes in a series, an acquisition or merger like the Rococo PunchAudily deal can help sustain the business for the long term.

Alpert, formerly a managing producer at Bostons WBUR, said Rococo Punch has been working toward this moment and that Audily will give the studio the fuel to create even more value in the space. Were two companies with incredibly talented teams, and together we can build an even stronger foundation that allows for creative innovation, Alpert said.

Perotti, who serves as Rococo Punchs chief content officer, pointed to the constantly shifting audio market as one of the key reasons for the studio to join Audily, which launched in 2022 under the firm nth Venture and, like other nth Venture studio companies, is owned by its employees. When two independents come together, we can do much bigger things, Perotti said. Rococo Punchs thoughtful storytelling will continue to be the focus of our work.

May 23, 6:57 a.m.: Updated throughout to clarify that Rococo Punch is merging with Audily.

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Click here to read the full article.
Two men get in fight during promotion ceremony at elementary school in Lancaster SC

Two adult men got in a fight at a South Carolina promotion ceremony in a classroom at a Lancaster County school Tuesday morning, officials said.

No students were hurt,Doug Barfield, spokesman for the sheriffs office, told The Herald.

The incident caused a temporary lockdown at Brooklyn Springs Elementary School, Lancaster County School District officials said in a statement.

Lancaster County Sheriffs Office deputies are investigating the incident, Barfield said.

Barfield said a school resource officer and other deputies went to the scene.

The school is in Lancaster, southeast of Rock Hill and Charlotte.

The classroom had students, staff and other adults in it when the fight happened, Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile said in a statement.

The two men know each other and had a disagreement which led to the physical altercation, Faile said in the statement. The fight was short. Other adults broke it up. Neither man received serious injuries. Nobody else was hurt. No weapons were involved.

Incidents like this between adults visiting our schools set a very bad example for our children.

School placed on lockdown

The Lancaster County School District posted a statement about the incident on its safety and transportation Facebook page. The statement from safety and transportation director Bryan Vaughn said:

We Had a Very Unfortunate Incident at Brooklyn Springs Elementary. Parents and students were attending a promotional ceremony at Brooklyn Springs Elementary today when a fight broke out between two men. It was an alarming scene that occurred in a classroom packed with students and fellow parents. The school was placed on lockdown and law enforcement and administration responded. The case has been turned over to the Sheriffs Office. This was a joyous day for so many that got interrupted by this poor behavior and we are sincerely sorry. The staff at Brooklyn Springs did a wonderful job keeping kids safe and we hurt for the kids who had to witness this event.

What happens now?

The school district calendar on its Web site shows the school year ends this week.

Faile said in the statement that deputies are talking to witnesses during the investigation.
TX AG Ken Paxton calls on House speaker to resign, accuses him of being drunk in the Capitol

Attorney General Ken Paxton said Tuesday that state House Speaker Dade Phelan should resign, accusing him of presiding over his chamber in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication. Paxton also asked the House General Investigating Committee to probe Phelan, a fellow Republican.

Paxtons call for Phelans resignation came days after a video clip went viral that showed Phelan slurring his words while overseeing House floor proceedings Friday night. Phelans office has declined to comment on the incident.

After much consideration, it is with profound disappointment that I call on Speaker Dade Phelan to resign at the end of this legislation session, Paxton said in a statement posted on Twitter. His conduct has negatively impacted the legislative process and constitutes a failure to live up to his duty to the public.

Minutes later, Paxton also posted to Twitter a screenshot of a letter he sent the chair of the General Investigating Committee, Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, asking him to open an investigation into Speaker Phelan for violation of House rules, state law, and for conduct unbecoming his position. The General Investigating Committee was meeting Tuesday afternoon but does not publicly comment on any pending investigations.

Phelans office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Paxtons remarks.

Texas Republicans regularly fight among themselves, but Paxtons comments Tuesday were striking even by that standard.

The 44-second video clip of Phelan began circulating on social media over the weekend. It was pushed by Phelans intraparty critics, including former state Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford. It was also the subject of anonymous text messages deriding Phelan as Drunk Dade.

Phelans defenders noted he seemed to speak normally before and after the clip. They also noted that the people pushing the video, like Stickland, may be out for revenge after the House voted to expel one of their political allies, ex-state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City.

The House ousted Slaton after an investigation by the General Investigating Committee found he engaged in sexual misconduct with a 19-year-old aide.

Paxton has battled his own ethical troubles for years. Months after taking office in 2015, he was indicted for securities fraud linked to private business deals in 2011. More recently, he came under FBI investigation after top deputies accused him of abusing his office to help a wealthy donor. He has denied wrongdoing in both cases.

In February, Paxton reached a $3.3 million settlement with four former deputies who had filed a whistleblower lawsuit against his agency, but lawmakers in both chambers have balked at authorizing taxpayer dollars to pay for it. Phelan himself has said he personally opposes it.

In his statement calling for Phelans resignation, Paxton also criticized the House for failing to pass critical conservative priorities including protecting the integrity of our elections and preventing Chinese spies from controlling Texas land. The regular legislative session is winding down  the last day is Monday  and those were among the proposals that fell victim to a bill-killing deadline Saturday in the House.

Paxton shares political ties with Slaton, the ousted lawmaker. A top campaign contributor to both has been Defend Texas Liberty PAC, the Stickland-run group that is mostly financed by conservative megadonors Tim Dunn and the Wilks family.
The driver, 19-year-old Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Mo., is facing several charges, including threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or a family member.

The U.S. Secret Service said that a 19-year-old man who rammed a U-Haul truck into the security gate outside the White House on Monday night has been charged with threatening the president.

The driver, identified as Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Mo., is facing several charges, including threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or a family member, the U.S. Park Police said. He also faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, trespassing, destruction of federal property and reckless operation of a vehicle.

Heres what we know about the incident from original reporting and Yahoos trusted partners, including Reuters, CNN and others.

How it unfolded

A truck is seen crashing into security barriers around Lafayette Square near the White House on Monday night in this screengrab obtained from a video posted to social media. (Chris Zaboji via Reuters)

The incident began just before 10 p.m., when the truck crashed into security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., about a block from the White House. U.S. Park Police officers detained the driver and took him into custody.

There were no injuries to Secret Service or White House personnel, Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, said in a statement.

Chris Zaboji, an airline pilot who lives in Washington, told Reuters that he had just finished jogging on the National Mall and was walking home when he heard a loud crash. Zaboji said the truck struck the barrier at least twice.

"I looked back and saw that the U-Haul van had rammed into the barricade, Zaboji said. After I saw it rammed again I didn't want to be anywhere near the truck, and left."

Swastika flag recovered at the scene

A flag emblazoned with a swastika and other objects recovered from a truck lie on the ground, as the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies investigate the crash at a security barrier near the White House on Monday. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)

Footage of the aftermath posted to social media showed a Park Police officer packing up several pieces of evidence from the truck, including a flag with what appears to be a swastika on it, a black backpack and a roll of silver duct tape. It also showed investigators using a remote-controlled robot to pry open the truck's rear door.

The truck was deemed safe, and a preliminary investigation revealed that the driver may have intentionally struck the security barriers at Lafayette Square, Guglielmi added in a tweet.

The nearby Hay-Adams Hotel was evacuated at the request of the Secret Service, a hotel employee told CNN.

The exact location of President Biden at the time of the incident was unclear. Biden met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the Oval Office hours earlier.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden was briefed on the incident by the Secret Service and U.S. Park Police on Monday morning.

"He's relieved that no one was injured last night and grateful to the agents and the law enforcement officer who responded so quickly," she said.

Security was beefed up after assault on the Capitol

Rioters clash with police outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

After the deadly Jan. 6. 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, security was increased around federal buildings throughout Washington.

In April 2021, a 25-year-old man rammed his car into a barricade outside the Capitol, killing one Capitol Police officer and injuring another before he was shot and killed by police.

The driver, identified as Noah Green of Virginia, got out of the car with a knife and lunged at the officers, police said.

Lafayette Square itself was closed for nearly a year in 2020 and 2021, after authorities fenced off the area during protests over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Aids Awareness Red Ribbon

Credit - David TalukdarGetty Images

Health officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are reporting encouraging news about HIV. From 2017 to 2019, the estimated number of new infections in the U.S. dropped by 12%, from 36,500 to 32,100. The decline appears to be fueled in large part by fewer cases among young gay and bisexual men.

New HIV infections have been declining yearly since 2016 as a result of more widespread testing and increased access to treatments, as well as more education and use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medications, which can protect sexually active people at higher risk from getting infected. Among young gay and bisexual males in the U.S., 56% were aware of their HIV status in 2019, compared to 42% in 2017. And prescriptions for PrEP among sexually active 16 to 24-year oldsthe age most at risk for new infectionsincreased from 8% in 2017 to 20% in 2021.

The improved reach of testing, treatment, and PrEP is contributing to progress among the young, said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDCs National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD [sexually transmitted diseases] and TB [tuberculosis] Prevention, during a briefing. When evidence-based interventions are implemented, we see results.

During the briefing, Mermin pointed to specific changes driving the decline in cases, including a collaboration between the CDC and Emory University to make HIV self-testing kits more available. The program hopes to distribute 200,000 tests this year and reach 1 million in five years, and its already on track to exceed those goals.

Read More: How COVID-19 Disrupted the Fight Against HIV



The positive trends are still not evenly distributed among different racial and ethnic groups, however. Persistent disparities continue to be a challenge in the CDCs goal of reducing new HIV infections by 90% by 2030. More young gay and bisexual males who are white are accessing treatment and prevention options like PrEP than their Hispanic and Black counterparts; 45% of white men in this group who test positive are getting PrEP or anti-HIV treatments, compared to 27% of Black men and 36% of Hispanic men. The disparities are especially stark when it comes to access to PrEP specifically. Overall, 30% of the estimated 1.2 million Americans who are at highest risk of HIV infections and eligible to get it were taking PrEPbut only 11% of those were Black and 21% were Hispanic, while 78% were white.

The discrepancy extends to other treatments as well. The latest data show that while 66% of HIV-positive people in 2021 controlled their infection with antiviral drugs, compared to 63% in 2017, only 62% of Blacks and 64% of Hispanics kept levels of their virus at undetectable levels, compared to 72% of whites.

Deeply entrenched social determinants of health continue to affect HIV treatment and prevention outcomes, said Dr. Robyn Neblett Fanfair, acting director of CDCs Division of HIV Prevention. Racism, systemic inequities, social marginalization, and long-standing barriers to care are key drivers to the disproportionate impact HIV has on some communities, including gay and bisexual men, and particularly Black women.

Neblett Fanfair said the agency is targeting community-based campaigns to the populations and regions of the country with the lowest PrEP uptake, including among Black and Hispanic gay and bisexual men in the south. These campaigns educate people about PrEP by collaborating with local health care providers and clinics that treat sexually transmitted infections. The CDC is also planning to devote more funding to patient hotlines and other services to help communities expand access to HIV prevention and treatments.

While the Affordable Care Act mandated that insurers fully cover PrEP with no copays for those who need it, a recent decision by a Texas judge is jeopardizing that coverage by overturning the mandate and ruling that employers do not need to provide coverage for PrEP. The Biden Administration has appealed that ruling, but if the appeal isnt successful, it could drive deeper divides between who is able to get the medication and who is not.

While we are on the right track, progress is not happening quickly enough or equitably among all people or in all areas of the country, said Mermin. And as encouraging as the declining infections are, the pace of improvement isnt on track to meet the CDCs ambitious goal. We know the way, but does our nation have the will?
A Pennsylvania man was convicted of multiple crimes, including torture, in connection with the operation of an illegal weapons manufacturing plant in Iraq.

The 54-year-old man, identified by federal authorities as Ross Roggio of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted by a federal jury on May 19. The Department of Justice announced the outcome of the trial in a news release shared on Monday. The crimes took place in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

Roggio was developing a weapons factory in the region, where he provided training to foreign citizens involved in the operation, assembly and manufacturing of the M4 automatic rifle. He also illegally exported weapons parts that were under restriction from the U.S. State and Commerce Departments.

According to court documents and trial evidence, Roggio tortured an Estonian citizen who worked at the factory for over a month in 2015. The victim, who was not identified, was abducted and detained at a Kurdish military compound, where Roggio suffocated and threatened him. Roggio also directed Kurdish soldiers at the compound to beat and "otherwise physically and mentally abuse" the victim for 39 days.

The victim eventually came forward, which officials said led to Roggio's conviction on multiple counts.

"Roggio brutally tortured another human being to prevent interference with his illegal activities," said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department's Criminal Division in a news release. "Thanks to the courage of the victim and other witnesses, the hard work of U.S. law enforcement, and the assistance of Estonian authorities, he will now be held accountable for his cruelty."

Roggio was convicted of torture, conspiracy to commit torture, conspiring to commit an offense against the United States, exporting weapons parts and services to Iraq without the approval of the Department of State, exporting weapons tools to Iraq without the approval of the Department of Commerce, smuggling goods, wire fraud, and money laundering. He faces life in prison and will be sentenced on Aug. 23.

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Uber plans to put Waymo self-driving cars to use with food deliveries as well as on-demand rides in Phoenix in a partnership between the companies

Google-owned Waymo on Tuesday said it will put its self-driving car technology to work for Uber in a partnership between the one-time rivals.

The alliance will start later this year in the US city of Phoenix, where autonomous rides and deliveries using Waymo cars will be integrated into Uber's platform, the companies said in a joint release.

"Fully autonomous driving is quickly becoming part of everyday life, and we're excited to bring Waymo's incredible technology to the Uber platform," said Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi.

Waymo's self-driving car network in the Phoenix area covers more than 180 square miles (466 square kilometers), according to the company.

"The pairing of our pioneering technology and all-electric fleet with (Uber's) customer network provides Waymo with an opportunity to reach even more people," said Waymo co-chief executive Tekedra Mawakana.

Waymo's ride-hailing program has been operating in Phoenix since 2017.

Waymo and Uber in early 2018 announced an agreement in a blockbuster federal lawsuit over allegedly stolen trade secrets from the Google self-driving car project.

The surprise agreement ended a trial between the two Silicon Valley rivals competing in a race to develop autonomous cars.

A source familiar with the confidential deal said Uber agreed to a financial settlement giving Google, a unit of Alphabet, a small stake in Uber.

Uber also agreed not to use any of Waymo's technology for autonomous driving as part of the settlement.

Waymo had alleged that Uber conspired with a former Google engineer, who had been accused of downloading thousands of proprietary documents before leaving the company and ending up at Uber.

Uber's autonomous vehicle aspirations took a hit after a US investigation into the death of a pedestrian struck by a self-driving Uber car in 2018 faulted driver inattention along with "inadequate" safety measures implemented by the company.

Uber sold its autonomous car division in 2020 to Aurora in a deal that gave the ride-hailing giant a stake in the startup developing self-driving technology, the companies said at the time.

Unmanned Ubers began hitting the streets at the end of last year in a venture with the company Motional, but always with a human ready to take the controls.

gc/dw
The new alleged breaches are said to have taken place at the prime minister's official country residence, Chequers

Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson is facing further potential police investigations into the "Partygate" scandal, after a government ministry handed two police forces material about alleged Covid lockdown breaches it emerged Tuesday.

London's Metropolitan Police confirmed it was "assessing" new information it has received over the last week related to "potential breaches" of the coronavirus rules in Downing Street between June 2020 and May 2021.

Meanwhile The Times, which broke the story, said Thames Valley Police was also analysing new evidence related to possible rule-breaking at Chequers, the prime minister's country estate of outside London.

Multiple sources told the newspaper that the alleged breaches involved Johnson's family as well as his friends. A source close to the former leader denied this to the paper.

Johnson, 58, was ousted as prime minister last summer following a revolt within his ruling party after being dogged for months by the accusations of lockdown breaches and other scandals.

He repeatedly denied in parliament, and elsewhere, that he or his staff had breached his own pandemic era restrictions by holding boozy gatherings in Downing Street.

But the Met issued fines to dozens of aides after a criminal probe, and Johnson became the first serving UK prime minister found to have broken the law, over one of the gatherings.

The ex-leader is currently being investigated by a parliamentary committee over whether he lied to MPs about "Partygate", in a process that could ultimately trigger his removal as a lawmaker.

The spectre of new police probes follows the Cabinet Office, which supports prime ministers and ensures the effective running of government, passing the two forces new "information".

It "came to light" as the ministry prepares for a public inquiry into the country's pandemic response.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said the material was identified "as part of the normal disclosure review of potentially relevant documents being undertaken by the legal team for inquiry witnesses".

"In-line with obligations in the Civil Service Code, this material has been passed to the relevant authorities and it is now a matter for them," the spokesperson added.

A spokesman for Johnson said: "Some abbreviated entries in Mr Johnson's official diary were queried by the Cabinet Office during preparation for the Covid inquiry."

He added the former leader's lawyers wrote to the Cabinet Office, and the parliamentary committee probing him, "explaining that the events were lawful and were not breaches of any Covid regulations".

His team told The Times that the referrals were "clearly politically motivated attempt to manufacture something out of nothing".

jj/phz/gw
Prince Alemayehu's remains were entombed at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, west of London

Buckingham Palace on Tuesday said it has declined a request from the family of a 19th century Ethiopian prince to repatriate his remains.

Prince Alemayehu was captured aged seven by the British Army and taken to England in 1868, arriving as an orphan after his mother died en route.

He spent the next decade in Britain, and was looked upon kindly by Queen Victoria, who arranged for his education before his death aged 18 in 1879 from pneumonia.

At the reported request of Queen Victoria, he was entombed in the catacombs of St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, the royal residence west of London.

Ethiopian leaders have previously asked the British royal family for his remains to be returned to his homeland, and his family told the BBC recently that they too had requested the repatriation.

"We want his remains back as a family and as Ethiopians because that is not the country he was born in," Fasil Minas, one of his descendants, told the British broadcaster.

He said "it was not right" for the prince to remain buried in the UK.

But in a statement, Buckingham Palace said it regretted that due to the need to "preserve the dignity" of others buried at the chapel it had not been possible to agree to the request.

"The Dean and Canons of Windsor are very sensitive to the need to honour the memory of Prince Alemayehu," it said.

"However, they have been advised that it is very unlikely that it would be possible to exhume the remains without disturbing the resting place of a substantial number of others in the vicinity."

The statement added that officials had granted requests in recent years from Ethiopian delegations to visit St George's and "will continue to do so".

jj/har/phz/cw
Ukrainian pilots could begin training to fly U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets within weeks or months, Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Tuesday, a new step toward efforts to bolster the countrys long-term security as it fights to retake Russian-occupied territory in the east.

That training is slated to take place in Europe, outside of Ukraine, Ryder said. American and European officials are still hashing out the details of who would send those jets, instructors and other resources to support the monthslong process, he told reporters at a briefing.

Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmarks acting defense minister, also suggested Tuesday that training could begin in July, Politico reported. Denmark is spearheading the initiative alongside the U.S., United Kingdom, Belgium and the Netherlands, with the support of other NATO members that fly the F-16, like Poland.

My expectation is that by the end of June, well have it officially set up, so we can hopefully start after that, Poulsen told reporters in Brussels. Its probably an effort that will take up to six months before we have the facilities in place so that we can fly F-16 fighter jets from Ukraine.

Its unclear when Ukraine may receive a separate fleet of combat-ready jets from its foreign partners, or how many aircraft would be donated. Countries could offer up simulators in lieu of airframes to help expedite training as well.

Arming Ukraine with F-16s is intended to be one element of the countrys long-term efforts to bolster its military and its ties with the international community, not as additional firepower in the countrys widely anticipated spring counteroffensive.

The effort may draw on the resources of the U.S. Air Forces two F-16 units that are permanently stationed in Europe: the 31st Fighter Wing at Italys Aviano Air Base, and the 52nd Fighter Wing at Germanys Spangdahlem Air Base. It could also call on the expertise of the Air National Guards 162nd Wing in Arizona, which hosts the international F-16 training program.

F-16 Fighting Falcons can tote up to two 2,000-pound bombs, four air-to-air missiles and two 2,400-pound fuel tanks, according to the U.S. Air Force. The airframes are designed for aerial dogfighting and ground strikes and can locate targets in any weather.

The U.S. fleet of more than 800 jets, which includes single-seat F-16C models and two-seat F-16D models, is around three decades old. F-16s are also widely used by militaries around the world.

Ukraine has pushed its international backers to provide the jets for months, arguing it needs the superior firepower to make up for combat losses and make significant progress against Russian troop positions.

American leaders had balked at the idea and encouraged Kyiv to focus on more practical needs, like ammunition and robust maintenance, to ward off and ultimately oust Russian forces.

That thinking eventually began to shift, and Ukrainian pilots visited Morris Air National Guard Base in Arizona earlier this year for a two-week study of what it might take to bring the airmen up to speed on the advanced Western jets.

The Air Force concluded that Ukrainians could learn to operate F-16s in four months, rather than 18 months as previously thought, Yahoo! News reported May 18. Air Force Times confirmed the authenticity of the assessment on Monday.

Pressure built throughout the spring to get the U.S. onboard with a plan to bring Ukraine into the F-16 fold.

At the last Ukraine Defense Contact Group in April, and then shortly afterwards, Secretary Austin had received several requests from countries seeking U.S. permission to train Ukrainians on the F-16, Ryder said. He subsequently took that matter, introduced it into our National Security Council policy process as part of a conversation about how we support Ukraine in the mid- to long-term, in terms of their defense needs.

There was unanimous agreement that this was something that we should and need to support, he said.

Austins recommendation to the White House that the U.S. should green-light its allies to train Ukrainians on F-16s came ahead of last weeks G7 summit in Japan, Ryder said.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov hailed the change of heart in a Tweet over the weekend.

A new jet coalition was born today! he said on Twitter May 20. Ukrainian pilots are looking forward to starting their training on F-16 fighter jets. They will now be able to support their brothers and sisters-in-arms on land and on sea to win this war.

Looks like Santa Claus does exists.

A new jet coalition was born today! Thank you for the decision my colleagues @SecDef @BWallaceMP @DefensieMin @DedonderLudivin@troelslundp

Ukrainian pilots are looking forward to starting their training on F-16 fighter jets. They will now be https://t.co/AtNosK5oUY  Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) May 20, 2023

The U.S. must still sign off on the specifics of transferring aircraft to Ukraine to ensure the jets can be configured to their needs without jeopardizing sensitive military data.

As a U.S.-built platform, clearly, exportability aspects, technology transfer aspects, are things that well be looking at as well, Ryder said. Well have much more to follow in the days ahead.

The U.S. is beginning to consider Ukraines long-term needs while being mindful of the most effective and efficient ways to spend its security assistance dollars, which it says are on resources like ground-based air defenses, ammunition and logistics.

If they are not successful in their counteroffensive, then everything else is largely a moot point, Ryder said.

F-16s are expected to be a hot topic at Thursdays virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group  the international coalition that has supplied Ukraine with billions of dollars in military equipment and other support since Russia launched a full-scale assault on the former Soviet territory in February 2022.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed security assistance and the latest battlefield movements with Reznikov on Monday, ahead of the wider meeting on Thursday.

Despite reports that Russia has claimed control over the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged is essentially leveled, the Pentagon is skeptical that the latest actions on the ground have made a difference.

The U.S. does not view Russias recent progress as a strategic gain, Ryder said, adding that the situation on the ground in Bakhmut remains very dynamic and that Ukraines defenses around the city remain strong.

Russian forces have paid an incredibly high price in terms of lives and capability, he said, noting that Moscow has committed tens of thousands of troops to the area. Russia does hold a significant amount of territory in and around Bakhmut, but  the Ukrainians are continuing to fight in the vicinity of Bakhmut as well.

Western officials have estimated around 200,000 Russian troops and 100,000 Ukrainian service members have been killed or wounded in the war so far.
Ukraine could use F-16s to intercept aircraft over Russia, expert says

In the coming months, the allies will work to determine when, who, and how many F-16s will be delivered to Ukraine

Read also: Russian Volunteer Corps fighters claim to have again infiltrated Russian territory  video

There would be problem with that; firstly, we weren't there (over Russian territory), said Romanenko.

Secondly, a damaged aircraft can glide a long distance. And thirdly, there are no problems hitting targets in the air; we're only talking about (restrictions on striking) ground targets on Russian territory.

The expert added that Russian military aircraft carrying out missions to strike Ukraine would be "absolutely legitimate military targets," and "there will be no objections about this from our partners."

"But if we strike, for example, at an airfield in Belgorod or somewhere in the Krasnodar region, then they will say that we didn't agree on that," Romanenko cautions.

Read also: Counter-terrorist operation concludes in Russias Belgorod Oblast

On May 19, UK PM Rishi Sunak announced that his country, along with the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark, will train Ukrainian pilots on Western aircraft.

During the recent G7 Summit in Japan, U.S. President Joe Biden announced Washington will support a joint international effort to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets.

On May 23, EUs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, stated that Ukrainian pilots have already begun training on F-16 fighter jets.

Read also: Ukrainian Air Force walks back comments about Ukrainian pilots training on F16 jets in Europe  Ihnat

How many aircraft Kyiv cane expect to receive, or when the transfer will happen, remains unclear, although Politico reported that Kyiv could receive the jets as early as this fall.

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By Tom Balmforth

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's foreign minister began a tour of African countries this week, stepping up wartime Kyiv's diplomatic push to challenge Russian influence in the "Global South" and cement the vision laid out by Ukraine as the only path to peace.

Top diplomat Dmytro Kuleba said his main priority was to get African countries to endorse President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's peace plan as he travelled to Morocco on his second tour of Africa since Russia invaded in February last year.

"Important negotiations lie ahead with African leaders and business," he wrote on Instagram, saying he aimed to win support for the uninterrupted flow of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea and secure new openings for Ukrainian business.

The tour follows three days of diplomacy by Zelenskiy at the Arab League of Nations on Friday and then at a Group of Seven summit in Japan. As well as G7 leaders, he met those of India, Indonesia, Iraq and the Saudi crown prince during his travels.

Political analysts say Ukraine is accelerating its push to court the Global South - a term meaning Latin America, Africa and much of Asia - and that the effort has taken on greater importance as rival peace proposals to end the war in Ukraine have popped up in other capitals.

China, which has touted its own peace plan, sent a top envoy to Kyiv, Moscow and European capitals to discuss a "political settlement" this month. South Africa said last week Kyiv and Moscow had agreed to discuss a peace plan with African leaders. The Vatican also fleshed out a peace mission this month.

"The urgency is because of these peace plans which are popping up," said Alyona Getmanchuk, a political expert who heads the New Europe Center, a think-tank in Kyiv.

"At some point, Ukraine realised that it had under-performed in the Global South for many, many years," said Getmanchuk.

JULY PEACE SUMMIT?

Ukraine says Zelenskiy's 10-point "peace formula", which envisages the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian land, must be the basis for any settlement of the war launched by Russia.

Speaking at the G7 over the weekend, Zelenskiy proposed holding a global peace summit in July to promote the formula. Denmark's foreign minister said on Monday that Copenhagen would be prepared to host it.

The minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, said it would be "necessary to build interest and involvement from countries like India, Brazil and China."

While the West has poured military, financial and humanitarian aid into Ukraine, Russia has bolstered its relations with Global South powers during the war, including by selling more of its energy to India and China.

Russia has been nurturing ties in Africa for years and plans to hold an Africa-Russia summit in St Petersburg in July. Moscow's veteran foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, toured the continent last year and visited at least twice this year.

"There's a growing realisation in Europe and Ukraine that there's a risk that this war will come to be seen as essentially a European conflict that other countries don't need to be concerned about and don't need to condemn," said Nigel Gould-Davies, an expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"What we have here is Europe and Ukraine responding to Russia's concerted efforts to create a narrative in the world about the war that does not condemn the war and seeks to maintain a relationship with Russia," he added.

Kuleba did not say which countries he would visit on his latest tour of Africa.

His first tour last October took him to Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Kenya before it was cut short when Russia launched a campaign of missile and drone strikes targeting critical infrastructure in the run-up to winter.

(Reporting by Tom Balmforth; editing by Christina Fincher)
One of the destroyed buildings used by Russian troops as their headquarters in Balakliia

Ukraine launches investigation into Russian commander One of the destroyed buildings used by Russian troops as their headquarters in Balakliia

(Reuters) - Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU) said it has launched a criminal investigation into Andrei Ruzinsky, a Russian commander Reuters identified last year as helping lead the military occupation of eastern Ukraine.

Ruzinsky was commander of the Russian Baltic Fleet's 11th Army Corps, which crossed into Ukraine in early 2022 and took control of a chain of towns south of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city.

The SBU said in a statement that it had served notice on Ruzinsky, who is on Russian soil, that he was suspected of entering into a conspiracy to conduct acts of military aggression.

It said he had ordered attacks using heavy weapons on populated areas, and that he had given orders to the military commandant in the town of Balakliia, where there were multiple cases of civilians being detained and tortured, according to Ukrainian officials and residents.

Russia withdrew from the area in September last year.

Reuters could not reach Ruzinsky through phone numbers listed for him. The Russian defence ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied reports that its troops committed war crimes or targeted civilians.

In a Special Report published last October, Reuters revealed how soldiers from the 11th Army Corps occupied the area around Balakliia, in the Kharkiv region in Ukraine's northeast.

The report, based on a cache of Russian military documents discovered in an abandoned command bunker, named Ruzinsky as being part of the chain of command overseeing the Russian force there.

In the same cache, Reuters also found four documents that identified Ruzinsky as commander of the Balakliia military grouping, in addition to his role as head of the 11th Army Corps.

The documents were a signed certificate congratulating a subordinate on his birthday, and three printed documents, bearing Ruzinsky's name and role at the top of the page, giving instructions on what radio call signs the Balakliia grouping should use.

Later last year, Ruzinsky handed over command of the Balakliia grouping to one of his subordinates, Colonel Ivan Popov, the documents showed.

In a separate article last month, Reuters identified the commandant who had been in charge of policing the civilian population during Russia's six-month occupation of Balakliia. The man, who went by the call sign of "Granit," is Valery Buslov, a Russian military policeman with the Baltic Fleet.

Following Reuters' report, the SBU announced this month that Buslov had been notified of suspicion that he had violated the laws and customs of war. The agency said Buslov organised the "illegal detention of local residents" in Balakliia.

It said investigators found evidence he personally interrogated detainees and used "psychological and physical violence" against them, including threatening them with murder and the forced deportation of their relatives to Russia.

When Reuters reached Buslov by phone inside Russia last month by phone, he denied that he had been in Balakliia.

(Reporting by Polina Nikolskaya, Mari Saito, Anton Zverev, Christian Lowe and Maria Tsvetkova; editing by Mark Heinrich)
Ukraine needs guarantees from at least two nuclear powers before NATO membership, former minister says

NATO Headquarters in Brussels

Read also: France ready to extend security guarantees to Ukraine

I dont think we need to reinvent the wheel, looking for some multi-layered or multi-level structures, said Ohryzko.

The United States and UK could provide guarantees as two nuclear powers. If France joins in, that's great. That is enough... And during this period, while the process of (NATO) admission is ongoing, Ukraine will be under the nuclear umbrella of these two or three countries.

The former minister added that Russias full-scale invasion has clearly shown that NATO membership remains the best guarantee of national security.

On May 15, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged NATO to finally make a "positive political decision" on Ukraine's membership.

Read also: NATO Parliamentary Assembly declares Russian aggression against Ukraine to be genocide

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated on May 9 that all allies agree that NATOs doors remain open for Ukraine, but he couldnt provide a timeline for its accession.

Read also: Zelenskyy, NATO chief Stoltenberg plot Ukraines path to NATO in Kyiv

During a meeting with Stoltenberg in Kyiv on April 20, Zelenskyy emphasized that there are no barriers to political decisions regarding Ukraines membership.

Stoltenberg affirmed that all countries agree on Kyivs future inclusion, but the current focus is on Ukraines ongoing conflict with Russia.

Read also: Ukraine lacks security guarantees from G7 nations, says former FM

The NATO secretary general also invited the Ukrainian president to the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12.

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Ukraine needs at least 500 UK-made Storm Shadow missiles, military expert

Storm Shadow Missile

The amount of 500 pieces ... this will definitely be a tool that will help Ukraine intensively start the military exhaustion process, he said.

Storm Shadow missiles can be launched from MIG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets, as well as from ground platforms, he explained.

That means you wont have any problems with the platforms.

Read also: US position on long-range missiles unchanged after UK transfers Storm Shadow to Ukraine

U.S. television channel CNN reported on May 11 that the United Kingdom had already supplied Kyiv with several Storm Shadow missiles capable of striking targets from distances of over 250km.

UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace officially confirmed this information.

Wallace said on May 18 that long-range Storm Shadow missiles provided by the United Kingdom have already been used in Ukraine.

The UK has yet to announce how many Storm Shadow missiles they have supplied to Ukraine.

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Ukraine ready to consider all peace plans  so long as final say is Ukraines, says Zelenskyy advisor

Ihor Zhovkva

The positions of other states will be taken into to account, so long as they are acceptable to Ukraine, but as the war is taking place on Ukrainian territory  Ukraine will have final say on the peace plan.

There can be neither Brazilian plan for peace in Ukraine, nor Chinese plan, African plan, Vatican plan, Zhovkva said.

Since the war is taking place on the territory of Ukraine, the peace formula should be only Ukrainian. The president of Ukraine is ready to listen to any proposals. Those proposals have been repeatedly announced. But all these proposals, if they are acceptable to the Ukrainian side, should be included in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys peace formula.

What is known about the Chinese, Vatican, Brazilian, and African peace formulas

Chinese Foreign Ministry released its 12-point peace plan on Feb. 24, outlining its stance on resolving Russias war on Ukraine.

Read also: Pope Francis entrusts peace mission in Ukraine to friend, Cardinal Zuppi

In particular, the document calls for ceasing hostilities, resuming direct dialogue between Ukraine and Russia as soon as possible, stopping unilateral sanctions, facilitating grain exports, maintaining the safety of nuclear power plants, and counteracting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

After his visit to Hungary on April 30, Pope Francis announced that the Vatican is taking part in a secret peace mission to try and end Russias war against Ukraine.

On May 9, the President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said he wants to help Ukraine and Russia strike a happy medium in negotiations to end the war. He said that he had already discussed this initiative with the leadership of China and the United Arab Emirates.

Read also: EUs top diplomat accepts only Zelenskyys peace formula, rejects Chinas position paper

Earlier Lula da Silva called on the United States to end military support to Ukraine. According to him, the United States and the European Union should start talking about peace.

On May 16, the leaders of African countries came up with a new initiative for peace in Ukraine. It envisages the start of negotiations with Russia, even if the occupation forces do not withdraw from Ukraine.

A peacekeeping mission is going to visit Kyiv and Moscow in early June, including the leaders of South Africa, Egypt, Zambia, the Republic of Congo, and Uganda.

What is known about Zelenskyys peace formula

At the G20 summit on Nov. 19, 2022, Zelenskyy presented a ten-point formula for peace, which includes the following:

Radiation and nuclear safety; Food security; Energy security; Release of all war prisoners and those abducted by Russia; Implementation of the UN Charter and restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and international order; Withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities; Restoration of justice, i.e. tribunal for those guilty of aggression and compensation for damage done; Countering the environmental damage to Ukraine done by Russia; Security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent a repeat of Russian agression; Signing a peace treaty

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Ukraine says Russia moved nukes near border as raid stretches into second day

Russia moved to clear out a nuclear weapons storage facility in Belgorod as fighting in the region continued into a second day Tuesday, with Russian forces cracking down on armed revolutionary groups that attempted to seize control of local towns.

Russian troops have taken back control of the towns of Kozinka and Grayvoron, according to media accounts, but Moscows forces are still searching for armed militants across the region.

Russian military bloggers said most of the Ukrainian terrorists were driven back to Ukraine or were destroyed by air strikes, artillery fire and Russian forces.

Amid the fighting, Moscow transported nuclear weapons out of the Belgorod-22 facility in the region as people quickly evacuated the building, said Andrii Yusov, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine, on Ukrainian television, according to Ukrainian media.

Several people were injured, and at least one person died during the ground fighting across Belgorod, according to a Telegram post from Vyacheslav Gladkov, the regions governor.

Gladkov said Russian officials are still evacuating civilians from the towns of Glotovo and Kozinka, with at least 100 people successfully evacuated so far.

On Monday, defecting Russians opposed to the Kremlin and President Vladimir Putin claimed responsibility for the march into Belgorod, a territory that borders Ukraine. They swiftly announced the liberation of Kozinka and Gora-Podol before moving into Grayvoron.

On social media, the militants decried what they called widespread corruption in Moscow and urged Russians in Belgorod not to oppose them, arguing resistance troops were moving to free them from Putins control.

Ukrainian officials said the soldiers were part of resistance groups and not the Ukrainian army, but they welcomed the movement from the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, which have been fighting for Kyiv since last year.

Mykhailo Podolyak, the adviser to the head of the office for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Ukraine was watching the events in the Belgorod region of Russia with interest and studying the situation, but it has nothing to do with it.

Underground guerrilla groups are composed of Russian citizens, Podolyak tweeted.

Russia identifies the resistance groups as part of Kyivs armed forces and has called the operations inside its territory a terrorist attack orchestrated by Ukrainian saboteurs.

The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a probe into the attack on Belgorod, according to Russian state-run media outlet TASS.

The counterterrorism operation launched by Moscow to stamp out the invading forces includes Russias armed forces, the Federal Security Service and the nations border patrol.

Under the counterterrorism operation, Russia is imposing personal document checks and stopping the work of some companies with explosives.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
FILE PHOTO: Lebanese-flagged bulk carrier Brave Commander leaves the sea port of Pivdennyi with wheat for Ethiopia, in the town of Yuzhne

By Pavel Polityuk

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine accused Russia on Tuesday of effectively cutting the Ukrainian port of Pivdennyi out of a deal allowing safe Black Sea grain exports as Russia complained that it had been unable to export ammonia via a pipeline to Pivdennyi under the pact.

The Black Sea deal - brokered last July by the United Nations and Turkey and extended last week for two months - covers the wartime export of food and fertiliser from the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi.

The U.N. expressed concern on Monday that Pivdennyi had not received any ships since May 2 under the deal.

Ukrainian Deputy Renovation Minister Yuriy Vaskov accused Russia of a "gross violation" of the agreement. All ships are inspected by a joint team of Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish and U.N. inspectors, but Vaskov said the Russian inspectors had refused to inspect ships bound for Pivdennyi since April 29.

"They (Russia) have now found an effective way to significantly reduce (Ukrainian) grain exports by excluding the port of Pivdennyi, which handles large tonnage vessels, from the initiative," Vaskov said in written comments on Tuesday.

Pivdennyi is the largest port included in the deal in terms of throughput. Restoration ministry data show it is storing about 1.5 million tonnes of food items for future export to 10 countries, with 26 ships due to come for them.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Tuesday that Russia's actions were "a clear violation of their commitments" under the grain deal, calling on Moscow to "stop holding global food supplies hostage."

The Russian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Miller's remarks.

AMMONIA

The Black Sea grain deal was agreed to help tackle a global food crisis aggravated by Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The pact also covers ammonia, which Russia transported to Pivdennyi via pipeline for export before the war.

Russia had threatened not to renew the Black Sea deal unless a list of demands related to its own food and fertiliser exports was met. Restarting the ammonia pipeline is one of those demands, which the United Nations has been trying to broker.

Russia used to pump up to 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia annually for export via the pipeline from Togliati. Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia on Tuesday said that amount of ammonia could "produce 7 million tonnes of fertilisers."

"This amount of fertiliser would allow to produce enough food to supply to 200 million people. These deliveries should have started at the same time as those of Ukrainian food. However this never happened," he told the U.N. Security Council.

"The deficit of ammonia on the world markets stands at 70% due to the shortfall in volumes," Nebenzia said.

A Ukrainian government source told Reuters on Friday Kyiv would consider allowing Russian ammonia to transit its territory for export if the Black Sea grain deal was expanded to include more Ukrainian ports and a wider range of commodities.

Uralchem, Russia's biggest potash and ammonium nitrate producer, expects the opening of an ammonia export terminal near the Black Sea to make the pipeline across Ukraine much less important, the company's CEO said.

While Russian exports of food and fertiliser are not subject to Western sanctions, Moscow says restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have amounted to a barrier to shipments.

Ukraine accused Moscow of slowing ship inspections under the Black Sea deal, which Russia denies.

"It is not working as it should. Russia continues to slow it down as much as possible," Vaskov said.

According to U.N. data, more than 30 million tonnes of food products have been exported so far under the Black Sea deal.

(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols and Simon Lewis; Editing by Grant McCool and Stephen Coates)
The company illegally exported almost 200,000 pieces of strategically important products

The SBU said the head of a Volyn Oblast company that manufactures high-tech products for supporting and rotating mechanisms, is involved in the scheme.

The products are used for manufacturing heavy equipment, including submarines, the agency said, adding that those involved sold these rare products to Russia.

The suspects used an affiliated company in a European country to disguise their illegal activities. The Ukrainian company purchased products allegedly for its own use before shipping them to Russia.

The SBU said that the companys head cooperates with Donbas puppet authorities.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Volyn company illegally exported almost 200,000 pieces of strategically important products.

During searches at the enterprise and the suspects places of residence, the SBU found computer equipment, mobile phones and documents with evidence of illegal activities, as well as money obtained from crime.

SBU investigators initiated criminal proceedings under Part 4 of Art. 1111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (assistance in economic activity in cooperation with the aggressor state). The companys head is expected to be charged.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russians claim drones attacked the FSB and Interior Ministry buildings in Belgorod Oblast.

As a cross-border attack into Russia's Belgorod Oblast continues into the night, video is emerging of what a pro-Russian Telegram channel claims to be an attack on the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs buildings there.

According to our sources, in Belgorod, the targets of the attack were the departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB, the Kremlin-affiliated Rybar Telegram reported Monday. The impact of the strikes is unknown.

The War Zone could not independently verify that claim.

https://twitter.com/Howitzer203/status/1660752821870817280

https://twitter.com/igorsushko/status/1660775983165890560

In addition to the reported attacks on the Russian government buildings, Belgorod Oblast Gov. Vachyslav Gladkov said there were additional drone attacks in the border town that the Freedom For Russia Legion and Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) Russian partisan groups attacked earlier Monday.

In Grayvoron, two private residential buildings were attacked by drones, Gladkov said on his Telegram channel. As a result of the release of explosive devices from the UAV, they ignited. There were no casualties. All emergency services were dispatched to the scene.

And in the village of Borisovka, an explosive device was repeatedly dropped from an UAV onto an administrative building. There were no casualties. All services are in place.

There were also unconfirmed reports that in addition to Russia supposedly evacuating tactical nuclear weapons from a town near the incursion, Russian authorities ordered bridges blown up in Belgorod Oblast. The War Zone could not independently verify these claims either.

https://twitter.com/GaithuruGeorge/status/1660738070956900352?s=20

The Freedom For Russia Legion says it was invited into Belgorod by the region's residents.

https://twitter.com/anno1540/status/1660741286960287744?s=12&t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

As has been the case throughout the Ukrainian battlefields throughout this full-on invasion, todays incursion also involved the capture of equipment by both sides, according to the Oryx open-source investigations group.

Russian defenders and fighters with the two Russian partisan groups each captured an armored vehicle, according to Oryx, which only publishes information about equipment it can verify with photographic evidence.

https://twitter.com/oryxspioenkop/status/1660729246581510147?s=12&t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

The Russians captured a U.S.-made M1224 MaxxPro Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) armored vehicle while the Russian partisans captured an eight-wheeled Russian BTR-82A infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), said Oryx.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1660715908518629382

That IFV was apparently in poor condition, according to the Russian Volunteer Corps Telegram channel.

It turned out that our new eight-legged horse is in the same condition as the Russian border, RDK reported on its Telegram channel Monday. In general, we open a collection for repairs. And not the fact that this amount is enough.

The group said it is trying to raise 1 million hryvnias (about $27,000) to repair the IFV. It's unclear, however, how they plan to get it out of Belgorod.

The Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) partisan group that claimed an attack inside Russia is raising funds to repair an infantry fighting vehicle it captured. (RDK image)

While the Pentagon did not return a message from The War Zone seeking comment about the situation in Belgorod, a State Department spokesman said it is up to Ukraine to decide how to prosecute the war.

With respect to the broader policy question, we have made very clear to the Ukrainians that we dont enable or encourage attacks outside Ukrainians borders, but I do think its important to take a step back and remind everyone, and remind the world, that, of course, it is Russia that launched this war, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters Monday. Its Russia that continues to launch attacks on civilians in Ukraine. Its Russia thats targeted schools and hospitals and civilian infrastructure. So, it is up to Ukraine to decide how they want to conduct their military operations, but it is Russia that has been the aggressor in this war.

Judging by the traffic reminiscent of what Kyiv residents experienced at the outbreak of this all-out conflict, Russians seem to be in a hurry to get out of Belgorod.

https://twitter.com/Mylovanov/status/1660711364350844946?s=20

And some of those who stayed behind seemed none-too-pleased with Gladkov.

https://twitter.com/StarskyUA/status/1660660787235500034?s=20

Given that this attack has lasted far longer and has been carried out over far more territory than a RDK's claimed incursion into Bryansk Oblast in March, we will keep an eye on this developing situation and provide updates when warranted.

Before we head into the latest news from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can catch up on our previous rolling coverage here.

The Latest

Miller, the State Department spokesman, said that the U.S. believes the Wagner mercenary group is trying to smuggle arms for Russia through Mali, where Wagner troops are fighting alongside government forces against a jihadi insurgency.

We do believe that Wagner is trying to obscure its efforts to acquire military equipment for use in Ukraine, including by working through third-party countries where it has a foothold, Miller told reporters Monday at a media briefing. We have been informed that Wagner is seeking to transit material acquisitions to aid Russias war through Mali and is willing to use false paperwork for these transactions. In fact, there are indications that Wagner has been attempting to purchase military systems from foreign suppliers, and route these weapons through Mali as a third party.

But so far, the U.S. has not seen, as of yet, any indications that these acquisitions have been finalized or executed, but we are monitoring the situation closely, Miller added. We have sanctioned a number of entities and individuals across multiple continents that support Wagners military operations, and we will have more to share on this question soon.

https://youtu.be/i2BMp0giXe4?t=3

Miller could not offer an assessment of the fighting in Bakhmut, which Wagner claims to have captured completely while Ukraine's military claims the fight is ongoing.

But echoing estimates by other U.S. officials, he said that Russia has taken tremendous casualties there.

"I would just note that whatever the exact situation in Bakhmut, as the President noted over the weekend, the Russian military and private military corporation, the Wagner Group, collectively suffered around 100,000 casualties in its assault," he said. "And in their attack on Bakhmut  weve all seen the pictures  destroyed the city. And so of course we lament the loss of life there, but I dont have any specific comment on the situation on the ground."

https://twitter.com/anno1540/status/1660368812649185286?s=20

You can get a sense of the destruction in Bakhmut from this visual deep dive captured by The New York Times last week via drone photography.

https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1660695798483435543

Air defense teams from Operational Command East shot down 15 drones and four cruise missiles Monday over Ukraines Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, its governor said on his Telegram channel.

However, unfortunately, we also have arrivals, Governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram, adding that there were injuries and damage to residential buildings and vehicles.

"A 27-year-old man was injured in the Dnipro district due to a rocket attack," Lysol wrote. "He is in the hospital in a moderate condition."

In addition, Lysak reported:

Several buildings of the rescue unit were damaged. Two fires broke out, which have already been extinguished. More than 10 trucks and cars were destroyed, as many units of special equipment were damaged. Twenty five private cars and two buses were also damaged.

A private enterprise in Dnipro was also hit. There, three buildings were destroyed.

A UAV fell in the Hilarionivska community of the Synelniky district. Debris of the rocket was also found there.

Seven people were injured. Women aged 52 and 70 are in the hospital.

Three private houses and nine apartment buildings were affected. And also - a kindergarten, shops and administrative buildings. Six cars were gutted.

https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1660782843147214849

https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1660537582659223553

Multiple Launch Rocket Systems are fearsome weapons. The man observed in this video below got a close-up look at just how fearsome as he watched, then scrambled away from, a Ukrainian BM-27 Uragan 220mm MLRS. But note the smile on his face as he scoots away.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1660422106440511488?s=20

Ukraine is littered with mines planted by both sides during the course of not just this all-out war, but really since the Russians invaded in 2014. To help mitigate that problem, Canada donated GCS-200 unmanned multipurpose demining vehicles, one of which is seen in this image below.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1660440062515990528?s=20

Speaking of donations, the Biden administration on Sunday announced another tranche of security aid to Ukraine.

After U.S. President Joe Biden met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Japan, the Defense Department (DoD) announced the 38th drawdown of equipment from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.

The package, valued at up to $375 million, includes additional Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) munitions for U.S.-provided M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS as well as more artillery rounds and anti-armor capabilities.

With this package, the U.S. has provided and promised more than two million 155mm artillery rounds, the Pentagon noted Sunday.



The capabilities in this package include:



 Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS);

 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds;

 Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles;

 Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems;

 Laser-guided rocket system munitions;

 Demolition munitions;

 Armored bridging systems;

 Armored medical treatment vehicles;

 Trucks and trailers to transport heavy equipment;

 Logistics support equipment;

 Thermal imagery systems;

 Spare parts and other field equipment.

https://twitter.com/SecDef/status/1660423024124854277

Scratch another Russian tank off Moscow's list of operable armor. A damaged Russian T-80BVM tank was destroyed when a Ukrainian drone dropped an improvised munition through the tank's open hatch. You can watch that and the ensuing explosive coup de grace in the video below.

https://twitter.com/UAWeapons/status/1660593445864390656?s=20

Ukrainian Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR), issued a message to Russian troops. Surrender or die.

https://twitter.com/trajaykay/status/1660717640963194880?s=20

Army Ranger and Green Beret veteran and current journalist Jack Murphy described efforts to recover the body of former Green Beret Nicholas Maimer, who was killed in Bakhmut.

"Knowing that the Wagner Group has possession of Nicholas' remains," Green Beret veteran Perry "Blackburn is determined to have his fellow Green Beret repatriated to the United States for his family, and he has a message for their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin," Murphy wrote.

We have a profession at arms and we know that all of us take a risk in what we do in our profession and part of our responsibility as a profession at arms, as soldiers and warriors, is to treat people who had died in the combat zone with dignity and respect and transfer those back to the responsible party so they can be brought back to their family and final resting place," Blackburn told Murphy. "I would stress that is what is expected of us and the world expects us to act that way.

https://twitter.com/JackMurphyRGR/status/1660724617697173511?s=20

With the weather heating up, Ukraine's Defense Ministry (MoD) is in the midst of providing troops with summer uniforms.

"The Ministry of Defense takes all necessary measures to provide servicemen with summer military uniforms," Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Monday on her Telegram channel. "The process takes place in a planned manner, in accordance with the norms of provision of material property to servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine."

As of now, "the supply of summer uniforms is arriving at receptions in a planned manner at an appropriate pace that meets the need," Maliar reported. "The uniforms purchased in 2023 and the rest of the previous periods are enough to ensure the required number of servicemen and create reserves."

Of course, Ukraine is keeping a wary eye toward this conflict lasting into the next stretch of cold weather as well.

"The Ministry of Defense is already concluding new contracts for the purchase of tangible property of the winter nomenclature," said Maliar.

A Ukrainian soldier inspects new summer uniforms. (Ukraine MoD photo)

And finally, firing an RPG indoors is never a good idea outside of Call of Duty video games, as you can see in this video below.

https://twitter.com/WarMonitors/status/1660276281387241473?s=20

That's it for now. We'll update this story when there's more news to report about Ukraine.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
(Bloomberg) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban dug in his heels over crucial European Union aid to Ukraine, offering sympathy for his neighbor but nothing more to help it fight off Russias invasion.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Speaking in a Bloomberg interview at the Qatar Economic Forum, Orban argued that Ukraines military effort is doomed and sending further aid will only lead to more deaths.

Emotionally its tragic, all of our hearts are with the Ukrainians, Orban, 59, told Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait on Tuesday. But Im talking as a politician who should save lives.

Theres no chance to win this war, he added.

Hungary, the EU nation with the closest ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is blocking a 500 million-euro ($540 million) tranche of EU financial aid to Ukraine. It also opposes new sanctions against Russia.

Orbans view runs counter to the analysis of Ukrainian allies whove been supplying Kyiv with weapons ahead of a counteroffensive thats expected to begin this spring. While they are sober about the chances of a dramatic breakthrough, they support President Volodymyr Zelenskiys plan to beat back the invaders and reclaim territory.

The Ukrainians have already demonstrated the capability they have to liberate land and push back the Russians, and the importance of the support they get from NATO allies, the alliances secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels in response to Orbans comments. Stoltenberg added that he was confident that Ukraine can ensure that President Putin does not win this war.

The Hungarian leader reiterated his call for an immediate cease-fire  a stance panned by critics as tantamount to calling for Ukraines capitulation.

He also echoed the Kremlin by repeating a narrative that frames the war as a proxy conflict between Russia and the US, and said fighting can only stop when Moscow clinches an agreement with Washington. The US has said Ukraine must decide on how and when its ready to seek peace.

Ukraines Foreign Ministry denounced the comments as absolving Russia of responsibility for its aggression.

Ukrainians will continue to fight until they completely liberate their territories from Russian occupation, spokesman Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook. This is the only way not just to restore peace in Ukraine, but to guarantee security in the whole of Europe.

Orbans approach to Ukraine and close ties with Russia have only exacerbated tensions with Hungarys allies in the EU and NATO. Fellow members of the alliances have long criticized his more than decade-long consolidation of power and pursuit of a self-styled illiberal democracy with anti-immigrant and LGTBQ polices in a rejection of multicultural values.

Last week, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced Hungary would block further EU aid to Ukraine and anti-Russian sanctions, citing Kyivs decision to put OTP Bank Nyrt., Hungarys largest lender, on its list of international war sponsors.

The foreign minister reaffirmed Hungarys stance on Monday at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, drawing rebuke from other EU members.

Im disappointed, or rather irritated, by the behavior of our Hungarian friends, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters in Brussels.

OTP maintains business in Russia and Ukraine but it has said that a presidential decree is preventing it from selling its Russian unit. It has rejected claims of supporting Russias war and has publicly backed Ukraine.

Its a question of principles, Orban said at the forum. If a country like Ukraine would like to get your financial support, if you need our money, please respect us and dont sanction our companies.

Orban added that he hopes former US President Donald Trump will win reelection next year and that, while he has been at odds with President Joe Biden, it was not good for business to criticize the US.

The government of the State of Qatar is the underwriter of the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg.

--With assistance from Arne Delfs, Natalia Ojewska, Volodymyr Verbyany, Katharina Rosskopf, Marton Kasnyik and Andras Gergely.

(Updates with NATO chief, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry starting in seventh paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Civilians from nine Russian villages in the Belgorod region have been evacuated from their homes as fighting between Moscow and a Ukrainian sabotage group, a regional official said.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said on Tuesday that the Russian army and other security forces were still conducting what he called a counter-terrorism operation.

The clearing out of the area by the Ministry of Defence in conjunction with the security forces is continuing, Gladkov said on the Telegram messaging app.

Do not yet return to your homes, he told local residents who had been evacuated on Monday.

He said one elderly lady had died while being evacuated and two people were being treated in hospital for various injuries, but that no civilians had been killed in the clashes.

We are waiting for the conclusion of the counter-terrorism operation, he said.

Russian investigators have opened a terrorism investigation after what they said was a cross-border attack on Russias Belgorod region mounted by what they called Ukrainian armed groups.

Key Points

Governor of Belgorod tells local residents not to return home yet as nine villages evacuated

Russian investigators open 'terrorism case' over cross-border attack from Ukraine

Russian defence ministry says Ukrainian saboteurs forced back into Ukraine

Ukraine says it still holds part of Bakhmut

Russia will use Belgorod situation to back its victim narrative in war  UK MoD

Governor of Belgorod tells local residents not to return home yet

13:02 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said on Tuesday that the Russian army and other security forces were still conducting what he called a counter-terrorism operation.

The clearing out of the area by the Ministry of Defence in conjunction with the security forces is continuing, Gladkov said on the Telegram messaging app.

Do not yet return to your homes, he told local residents who had been evacuated on Monday.

He said one elderly lady had died while being evacuated and two people were being treated in hospital for various injuries, but that no civilians had been killed in the clashes.

We are waiting for the conclusion of the counter-terrorism operation, he said.

He also said Russian air-defence forces had shot down drones over the region.

The two groups that have claimed responsibility for the incursion are the Freedom of Russia Legion - a Ukraine-based Russian militia led by Russian opposition figure Ilya Ponomarev that says it is working inside Russia for Putins overthrow - and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC).

Governor of Russia's Belgorod region lifts 'anti-terrorism' measures

16:00 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The governor of Russias Belgorod region said on Tuesday that the anti-terrorism measures he introduced after Mondays cross-border attack from Ukraine had been lifted.

A decision has been taken to rescind the judicial anti-terrorist operation regime on the territory of the Belgorod region, governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine to get western support for years to come, Sunak says

15:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukraine will receive western support for years to come, Rishi Sunak said as he warned Vladimir Putin that his strategy of waiting it out is not going to work.

The Prime Minister said it was one of the Russian presidents great miscalculations to assume his invasion of Ukraine would fragment allies.

Speaking during a Q&A session at the London Defence Conference in Bush House, Mr Sunak also said there was consistency across the G7 in the approach to Beijing.

Chinas rise represented an epoch-defining challenge to the West, he said, but argued the response must not be one of protectionism, with a need to engage with Beijing on a range of issues.

Ukraine to get western support for years to come, Sunak says

Russian defence ministry says Ukrainian saboteurs forced back into Ukraine

14:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Russian Defence Ministry released footage on Tuesday that it said showed the destruction of Ukrainian saboteurs in the Belgorod region.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed more than 70 attackers were killed in the course of the operation.

It was not possible to independently confirm claims about an armed incursion into Russian territory that began Monday.

Russia says it crushes cross-border incursion from Ukraine

14:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russia said on Tuesday it had routed fighters who crossed the border from Ukraine after two days of combat, in what appeared to be one of the biggest incursions of its kind of the 15-month-old war.

There was no immediate independent confirmation that the fighting had ended, although one of two groups claiming to be behind the raid said in a post on social media: One day we will return to stay.

The two days of fighting had forced Russia to evacuate towns along the Ukrainian border. Russia has blamed Ukraine for the attack, which Kyiv denied. The two groups that claimed responsibility describe themselves as Russian armed dissidents.

The Russian military said it had killed more than 70 Ukrainian nationalists and destroyed four armoured vehicles. There was no independent confirmation of those losses.

Russian forces had surrounded the enemy fighters and defeated them with air strikes, artillery fire and active action by border units, the defence ministry said.

The remnants of the nationalists were pushed back to Ukrainian territory, where they continued to be hit by gunfire until they were completely eliminated, it added.

This image taken from a video shows people indicating a damaged building in the Belgorod region, Russia (AP)

Who are the Wagner Group and why are they so involved in Ukraine?

14:20 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine have been supported on the battlefield by tens of thousands of mercenaries from a shadowy group led by a businessman and longtime affiliate of president Vladimir Putin.

The Wagner Group is a private military company under the control of Yevgeny Prigozhin that cut its teeth in deployments to Crimea and eastern Ukraines Donbas region in 2014 and has since dispatched troops to several conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, including the Syrian Civil War.

In Russias invasion of Ukraine, Wagner has proved indispensable, but an apparent power struggle between the Kremlin and the outspoken Mr Prigozhin has led to the group having its wings clipped by Moscow.

All we know about shadowy Wagner group mercenaries helping Putin wage war on Ukraine

Chinese envoy to visit Russia on May 26

13:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Chinese Special Envoy for Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Russia on May 26, the Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported, citing an unnamed source.

Li, a former ambassador to Moscow, has been on an extended tour to Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany and finally Russia. Last week he became the most senior Chinese official to visit Ukraine since Russia sent in its armed forces in February 2022.

Live: WHO member states discuss resolution on health emergency in Ukraine

13:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Live: WHO member states discuss resolution on health emergency in Ukraine

Russian Ministry says incursion forces driven back into Ukraine after Belgorod attack

12:43 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russias Defence Ministry said on Tuesday that the remnants of the units that it blamed for Mondays cross-border attack from Ukraine on the Belgorod region had been forced back into Ukrainian territory.

In its daily briefing, the ministry said more than 70 attackers had been killed. Reuters was unable to verify the report.

Russias Medvedev: Western arms for Ukraine make nuclear apocalypse more likely

11:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday that the more destructive the weapons that Ukraine receives from its Western backers, the higher the risk of nuclear apocalypse, the state-owned news agency RIA reported.

RIA cited Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russias Security Council, as saying that Kyivs denial of involvement in an armed incursion in the Russian border region of Belgorod was lies.

(AP)

Kremlin says 'Ukrainian militants' are still active in Russia's Belgorod region

10:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Ukrainian militants were still active in Russias border region of Belgorod, a day after local authorities declared a counter-terrorism operation there to repel what they called a sabotage group from Ukraine.

In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russias military campaign in Ukraine had been launched to prevent such incursions and that more efforts were needed from the Russian side to prevent such incidents.

Kyiv has said it is watching the situation in Belgorod closely but has nothing to do with it.

In pictures: Ukrainian soldiers at the frontline near Bakhmut

10:32 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

A Ukrainian soldier sits in a trench at the frontline near Bakhmut (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

A Ukrainian soldier carries supplies in a trench at the frontline near Bakhmut (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Russian investigators open 'terrorism case' over cross-border attack from Ukraine

09:48 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian investigators said on Tuesday they had opened a terrorism investigation after what they said was a cross-border attack on Russias Belgorod region mounted by what they called Ukrainian armed groups.

Kyiv has denied involvement in the attack.

Fighting broke out in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, on Monday.

Five key takeaways from historic G7 Japan summit

09:16 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries wrapped their three-day summit in Hiroshima, Japan, by further imposing sanctions on Russia, criticising Chinas aggression, and a surprise visit from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

The leaders from the US, Canada, Britain, Italy, France and Germany attended the summit in prime minister Fumio Kishidas home constituency in the western city that was devastated by a US atomic bomb in August 1945.

The G7 reached a consensus on the significance of the 77-year-old record of non-use of nuclear weapons and reaffirmed that there are no winners in a nuclear war, Mr Kishida said, amid growing fears that Russia may use a nuclear weapon in its war in Ukraine.

Five key takeaways from historic G7 Japan summit

Ukraine says it still holds part of Bakhmut, fighting decreases in city

08:50 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Ukrainian forces still control the southwestern edge of the city of Bakhmut and fighting in the city itself has decreased, Deputy Ukrainian Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said on Tuesday.

She wrote on the Telegram messaging app that Kyivs forces had made some progress on the flanks to the north and south of Bakhmut and that Russian forces, which say they have taken the city itself, were continuing to clear areas they control.

Bakhmut has become a bloody symbol for both Ukraine and Russia  with the cost paid in human lives

08:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Claim and counter-claim are flying between Moscow and Kyiv over the eastern city, writes Kim Sengupta. But there is one undisputed fact  the massive death toll and pain felt by those who have called it home

Bakhmut has become a bloody symbol for both Ukraine and Russia | Kim Sengupta

Who are the Wagner Group and why are they so involved in Ukraine?

08:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine have been supported on the battlefield by tens of thousands of mercenaries from a shadowy group led by a businessman and longtime affiliate of president Vladimir Putin.

The Wagner Group is a private military company under the control of Yevgeny Prigozhin that cut its teeth in deployments to Crimea and eastern Ukraines Donbas region in 2014 and has since dispatched troops to several conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, including the Syrian Civil War.

In Russias invasion of Ukraine, Wagner has proved indispensable, but an apparent power struggle between the Kremlin and the outspoken Mr Prigozhin has led to the group having its wings clipped by Moscow.

All we know about shadowy Wagner group mercenaries helping Putin wage war on Ukraine

Putin has blown Bakhmut to smithereens. Why does he want it this badly?

07:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Even if Russia and its mercenary Wagner Group have finally captured the town, its loss will not be the moral nor strategic victory that Russia desperately needs, writes Kit Macdonald

Opinion: Putin has blown Bakhmut to smithereens. Why does he want it this badly?

Drones shot down over Belgorod, says governor

07:38 , Arpan Rai

An unspecified number of drones have been shot down over the Russian frontline Belgorod area by anti-aircraft weaponry, regional governor said today.

The region, which borders Ukraine, has been witnessing fighting since Monday, after what Russian officials called a Ukrainian sabotage group crossed the border.

Russia will use Belgorod situation to back its victim narrative in war  UK MoD

07:06 , Arpan Rai

The Kremlin will almost certainly use the incidents of security threats in border regions to support the official narrative that it is the victim in the war, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) said today.

The ministry pointed to a chain of events between 19 and 22 May wherein Russian security forces highly likely clashed with partisans in at least three locations within Russias Belgorod oblast, near the Ukrainian border.

The identity of the partisans remains unconfirmed, but Russian anti-regime groups claimed responsibility, the minstry said.

It added that the most serious incident took place near the town of Grayvoran. As well as small-arms fire fights, there was an uptick in drone or indirect fire attacks near the incidents. Russia has evacuated several villages and has deployed extra security forces to the area, the MoD said.

Russia is facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions, with losses of combat aircraft, improvised explosive device attacks on rail lines, and now direct partisan action, it said.

Counter-terrorism operation in Belgorod region continues, says governor

06:28 , Arpan Rai

The counter-terrorism operation in the Russian frontline city Belgorod was ongoing, regional governor said this morning.

He added that the defence ministry and law enforcement agencies are continuing to clean up the territory on the border with Ukraine.

On the situation in the Graivoron district: the cleaning of the territory by the Ministry of Defence together with law enforcement agencies continues, the governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on the Telegram messaging app.

I now appeal to the residents of the Graivoron district, who... temporarily left their homes, it is not possible to return yet.

The governor confirmed one woman died during the evacuation yesterday and reportedly two people were wounded but Russian security forces have not been able to reach them.

Anti-Putin militia claim to have stormed Russian villages in cross-border raid from Ukraine

06:22 , Arpan Rai

The governor of Russias Belgorod region has accused a Ukrainian sabotage group of entering the town of Graivoron, about three miles (five kilometres) from the Russia-Ukraine border.

Officials said anti-Kremlin militia are said to have launched a cross-border raid from Ukrainian territory  overrunning one Russian village and pushing on into others.

The town also came under Ukrainian artillery fire, he said.

The governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, claimed eight people were wounded and most residents has left the area but the situation remained tense.

A spokesperson for the GUR told Ukraines public broadcaster, Suspilne, that the two groups were conducting an operation in the Belgorod region to create a security strip to protect Ukrainian civilians. The incursion was being carried out exclusively by Russian citizens, the spokesperson added.

Anti-Putin militia claim to have stormed Russian villages in cross-border raid

Kremlin says Belgorod situation created to distract from Bakhmut loss

05:00 , Arpan Rai

The Kremlin has blamed the incursion in Belgorod as a move aimed to distract attention from the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut.

Russian forces claim to have captured Bakhmut in its entirety after more than nine months of attritional fighting, while reports suggest there is some residual fighting seen in the outskirts of the city, but that the Ukrainian forces have lost control of the last streets of multi-story buildings inside city limits.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said president Vladimir Putin had been informed about the territorial conflict in Belgorod, and that work was under way to drive out the saboteurs, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

We understand perfectly well the goal of such a diversion  to divert attention from the Bakhmut direction and minimise the political effect of Bakhmuts loss for the Ukrainian side, Peskov was quoted as saying.

Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov said the Belgorod operation would create a security zone to protect Ukrainians from attacks by Russia, reported the countrys outlet Hromadske.

Ukraine-based militia 'working in Russia's Belgorod to overthrow Putin regime'

04:45 , Arpan Rai

A group calling itself the Liberty of Russia Legion  a Ukraine-based militia led by Russian opposition figure Ilya Ponomarev  says it is now working inside Russia to overthrow Putin.

The group took to Twitter and said it had completely liberated the border town of Kozinka. It said forward units had reached the district centre of Graivoron, further east.

Moving on. Russia will be free! it wrote.

The group also released a video showing five heavily armed fighters.

We are Russians, like you. We are people like you. We want our children to grow up in peace, one said, facing the camera. It is time to put an end to the dictatorship of the Kremlin.

In Kyiv, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted: Ukraine is watching the events in the Belgorod region of Russia with interest and studying the situation, but has nothing to do with it.

Wagner Group looking to bring military equipment from Mali to Ukraine, says US

04:26 , Arpan Rai

Russias Wagner Group is trying to obscure its efforts to acquire military equipment for use in Ukraine, the US State Department said.

Washington has been informed the mercenary force is seeking to move those acquisitions through Mali to aid Russia in its war and is willing to use false paperwork for such transactions, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a news briefing yesterday.

There are indications that Wagner has been attempting to purchase military systems from foreign suppliers and route these weapons through Mali as a third party, Mr Miller said.

We have not seen as of yet any indications that these acquisitions have been finalised or executed, but we are monitoring the situation closely.

Mr Miller said Washington has imposed sanctions on a number of people and entities that support Wagners military operations, and said the United States would have more to share soon.

Videos from inside Belgorod show fighting, inspection of captured vehicles

03:58 , Arpan Rai

A video posted late last night from Belgorod showed a fighter inspecting a captured armoured vehicle and another video showed what it said were fighters operating an armoured vehicle on a country road.

The video was posted by one of the two armed Russian opposition groups, the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), carrying out the operations inside Moscows territory. Another group, the Liberty of Russia Legion, is also involved in attacking Russian forces in Belgorod, according to the Ukrainian outlet Hromadske which cited Ukrainian military intelligence.

Other videos posted on Russian and Ukrainian social media channels showed pictures and video of what were described as captured Russian servicemen and their identity documents.

The Telegram channel Baza, which has links to Russias security services, had earlier published aerial footage apparently showing a Ukrainian armoured vehicle advancing on the Graivoron border checkpoint.

There were indications of fighting in three settlements along the main road leading into Russia, according to Baza.

The Liberty of Russia Legion released a video showing five armed fighters.

We are Russians, like you. We are people like you. We want our children to grow up in peace, one said, facing the camera. It is time to put an end to the dictatorship of the Kremlin.

Wagner chief says he will pull fighters out of Bakhmut after capturing city

03:00 , Joe Middleton

The leader of a Russian mercenary group has said he will pull its fighters from Bakhmut after claiming to have captured the Ukrainian city.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said Bakhmut, in the eastern Donetsk-Oblast region, had been captured by his private army on Saturday afternoon - a claim Ukraine continues to dispute.

Volodymyr Zelenskys deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar instead claimed Ukrainian forces have partly encircled the besieged eastern city along the flanks and still control a part of the city.

Wagner chief says he will pull fighters out of Bakhmut after capturing city

ICYMI: Biden pledges shared and unwavering commitment to stand with Ukraine at G7 summit

02:00 , Joe Middleton

World summits' 'family photos' show Putin's isolation

01:00 , Joe Middleton

Theyre known as family photos, the images of world leaders posed in faux relaxation during global summits.

And like portraits of a family that has isolated a dysfunctional member, recent family photos from the G7 and G8  the worlds most industrialized nations  show how Russian President Vladimir Putin has been outcast.

The Russian president has faced unprecedented international isolation since his nation invaded Ukraine in February 2022. An International Criminal Court arrest warrant hangs over his head and clouds his prospects of traveling to many destinations, including those viewed as Moscows allies.

World summits' 'family photos' show Putin's isolation

Rare earths, Ukraine top agenda on French President Macron's historic visit to Mongolia

Monday 22 May 2023 23:59 , Joe Middleton

Access to rare earth minerals and Russias war against Ukraine topped the agenda on French President Emmanuel Macrons historic visit to Mongolia.

Macron met with his Mongolian counterpart Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh on Sunday in the capital Ulaanbaatar and pledged cooperation on the extraction and trade of minerals used in satellites, cell phones and other key technologies.

The visit was the first by a French head of state to Mongolia, a landlocked democracy of 3 million people twice the size of Texas sandwiched between Russia and China.

Rare earths, Ukraine top agenda on French President Macron's historic visit to Mongolia

Who are the Wagner Group and why are they so involved in Ukraine?

Monday 22 May 2023 23:00 , Joe Middleton

Vladimir Putin has leant on military contractors to claim victories in Ukraine but their leaders frank dispatches have increasingly rattled the Moscow establishment, writes Liam James.

All we know about shadowy Wagner group mercenaries helping Putin wage war on Ukraine

Head of Russias Wagner group claims to have captured Bakhmut

Monday 22 May 2023 22:30 , Joe Middleton

South Korea, EU agree to boost pressure on Russia, condemn North Korean missile tests

Monday 22 May 2023 21:45 , Joe Middleton

Leaders of South Korea and the European Union agreed Monday to increase pressure on Russia over its war against Ukraine and condemn North Koreas ballistic missile tests.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Seoul after attending the weekend summit of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations in Hiroshima, Japan.

We agree to maintain and increase the collective pressure on Russia, particularly through effective implementation of the respective restrictive measures, they said in a joint statement. We are committed to support Ukraines recovery and reconstruction and remain resolved to support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

South Korea, EU agree to boost pressure on Russia, condemn North Korean missile tests

Ukraines cultural counteroffensive: The rush to erase Russias monuments

Monday 22 May 2023 21:00 , Joe Middleton

The erasure of the past has prompted a debate not unlike one in the UK and US: how to contend with the physical monuments to a fraught history? Ruby Mellen, Zoeann Murphy, Kostiantyn Khudov and Kasia Strek report.

Ukraines cultural counteroffensive: The rush to erase Russias imprint

Fears after Ukraine nuclear plant left without power after Russian shelling

Monday 22 May 2023 20:00 , Joe Middleton

Ukraines Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was left without power today after a barrage of Russian shelling, the UN nuclear watchdog has said.

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made an appeal for the protection of the plant after warning the situation is extremely vulnerable.

He said the plant was forced to switch to emergency diesel generators after losing its external power supply for the seventh time since Vladimir Putin launched his invasion.

Fears after Ukraine nuclear plant left without power after Russian shelling

Putin has blown Bakhmut to smithereens. Why does he want it this badly?

Monday 22 May 2023 19:15 , Joe Middleton

Even if Russia and its mercenary Wagner Group have finally captured the town, its loss will not be the moral nor strategic victory that Russia desperately needs, writes Kit Macdonald.

Opinion: Putin has blown Bakhmut to smithereens. Why does he want it this badly?

Attempts to freeze the conflict in Ukraine where it is are wrong, says Sunak

Monday 22 May 2023 18:29 , Joe Middleton

Attempts to freeze the conflict in Ukraine where it is are absolutely wrong and should be called out, the Prime Minister has said.

Rishi Sunak was answering former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who made the case for a ceasefire.

The PM said he could not disagree more with Mr Corbyn, an independent MP, and said a temporary suspension of fighting would not be a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.

Attempts to freeze the conflict in Ukraine where it is are wrong, says Sunak

Monday 22 May 2023 17:44 , Laura Sharman

The flag of the Russian Freedom Legion was filmed flying over Moscow on Monday, carried by blue and white balloons.

The silk, a symbol of opposition to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, has been used by Russian anti-war protesters.

Russia: Flag of the Russian Freedom Legion flying over Moscow on balloons. Integrated into the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Russian Freedom Legion consists of Russian citizens fighting on the side of Ukraine against fascist Russia. pic.twitter.com/HL1qSydqEZ  Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) May 22, 2023

Ukraine and Poland: More on historic mass murders

Monday 22 May 2023 17:37 , Laura Sharman

The massacre of Poles by Ukranians remains a sore spot between the two nations, despite their strong relations in the face of Putins war.

The World War II mass murders brought death to some 100,000 Poles while an estimated 15,000 Ukrainians died in retaliation.

Entire villages were burned down and all their inhabitants killed by Ukrainian nationalists and their helpers seeking to establish an independent Ukraine state.

Warsaw and Kyiv now have convergent views on regional security and Poland is among the strongest supporters of Ukraine in its fight against Russias military aggression.The spat between Ukraine and its staunch ally began last week when Polands foreign ministry spokesperson Lukasz Jasina referred to the 80th anniversary.

He said Poland was expecting an apology from Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the 1943 to 1944 massacres.

Ukraines ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Zvarych, reacted by saying that any suggestions of what Kyiv or Zelenskyy should do were unacceptable and unfortunate but later toned down his message by saying Ukraine was open to dialogue about history.

Ukraine and Poland spar over painful past that includes mass murder

Monday 22 May 2023 17:25 , Laura Sharman

Officials from the strategic partners unexpectedly exchanged bitter remarks in relation to their harrowing mutual past.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the massacres of tens of thousands of Poles by Ukrainians that Poland calls genocide.

In 1943 to 1944, Ukrainian nationalists and others massacred some 100,000 Polish people in Volhynia and other regions.

Then part of eastern Poland, under Nazi German occupation, they are now part of Ukraine.Seeking to calm emotions, an aide to Polands President Andrzej Duda said on Monday that the Poles only wanted the truth and respect for the tens of thousands of Polish victims.

We are only expecting the truth and respect for the victims and we will be... working on this theme in order to have a full clarification of the subject and respect paid to possibly all the victims, Deputy Minister Marcin Przydacz told Polish state TVP1.

Tory MP says we have failed to suffocate the financial war machine in Putins war

Monday 22 May 2023 17:13 , Laura Sharman

Alicia Kearns has called for a military-style economic Ramstein on Ukraine to make a meaningful different and end this war sooner.

Ramstein is a US military base in Germany, where members of the Defence Contact Group have met on numerous occasions to discuss arms and supplies for the Ukrainian military.

The Conservative MP, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, added: Can I urge the creation of an economic Ramstein on Ukraine that mirrors that of the military because we have failed to suffocate the financial war machine that is allowing Putin to continue with this war.

Russias violent resistance is emerging from underground, says senior aide

Monday 22 May 2023 16:46 , Laura Sharman

Zelenskys senior aide said Kyiv had nothing to do with the incursion in Russias Belgorod region, putting it down to Russias violent resistance movement.

Russia announced on Monday that it is battling a cross-border incursion by saboteurs who burst through the frontier from Ukraine.

The incident appears to be one of the biggest attacks of its kind since the war began last year.

But Ukraines military intelligence service attributed the operation to opposition-minded Russian citizens, Ukrainian media outlet Hromadske said.

In a written statement, senior Zelenskiy aide Mykhailo Podolyak echoed Ukrainian military intelligence.

The violent Russian resistance movement, whose architects are exclusively citizens of Russia itself, is gradually coming out of the underground. They are independent in their decisions, have certain experience, and are free from fear.

Rishi Sunak says the UK will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes

Monday 22 May 2023 16:21 , Laura Sharman

The Prime Minister has today said the UK and its western allies will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Rishi Sunak referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys appearance at the G7 summit during Wednesdays PMQs at the Commons.

He told MPs: Russias military is failing on the battlefield, their economy is failing at home as we tighten the stranglehold of sanctions...

The image of the G7 leaders standing shoulder to shoulder with President Zelensky in Hiroshima sent a powerful message to the world: we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Rishi Sunak during PMQs in January (Reuters)

Zelensky aide says Ukraine has nothing to do with Belgorod events

Monday 22 May 2023 15:14 , Martha Mchardy

A senior aide to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv had nothing to do with an armed operation in Russias Belgorod region on Monday.

Ukraine is watching the events in the Belgorod region of Russia with interest and studying the situation, but it has nothing to do with it, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted.

As you know, tanks are sold at any Russian military store, and underground guerrilla groups are composed of Russian citizens.

In a written statement to Reuters, Podolyak said Ukraines military operates only on Ukrainian territory and echoed Ukrainian military intelligence in blaming Russian partisans for the incursion.

The Russian liberation movement can become something that will contribute to the correct end of the war in Ukraine and significantly speed up the beginning of transformational events in the Russian political elite, he said.

The Russian violent resistance movement, whose architects are exclusively citizens of Russia itself, is gradually coming out of the underground. They are independent in their decisions, have certain experience, and are free from fear.

Podolyak said Russias war on Ukraine was gradually returning to Russia itself.

The authorities are losing control over the regions and the situation in general. And this is a window of opportunity for any internal protest movements, he said.

Governor of Russias Belgorod says three people injured in cross-border attack

Monday 22 May 2023 15:13 , Martha Mchardy

The governor of Russias Belgorod region said on Monday that at least three people had been injured and three houses and a local administrative building damaged during a cross-border attack from Ukraine.

Denmark offers to host Ukraine peace talks, wants India, China, Brazil to attend

Monday 22 May 2023 13:55 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Denmark would like to host a summit in July aimed at finding peace between Ukraine and Russia, but such a meeting would need engagement from India, China and Brazil, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Monday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday sought global support at the G7 meeting in Japan for Kyivs plan to end Russias war in Ukraine and proposed to hold a global summit in July.

If Ukraine finds that the time has come to have such a meeting, that would be fantastic. And then Denmark would obviously like to host the meeting, Lokke Rasmussen told reporters on the sidelines of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

A proposal in December by Ukraine to hold a peace summit in February this year never materialized.

For starters, we need to put some effort into creating a global commitment to organise such a meeting, Lokke Rasmussen said, adding that a summit should not just be attended by Ukraines allies.

It is necessary to build interest and involvement from countries like India, Brazil and China, he said. It is hard for me to see Russia taking part, he added.

Zelensky last year proposed a 10-point peace plan, which calls on Russia to withdraw all its troops from Ukraine and to respect Ukraines territorial integrity.

The details of its implementation should be discussed at the proposed peace summit, Zelenskiys administration said in a statement on Sunday.

Lokke Rasmussen said he welcomed a decision by Washington to support joint allied training programmes for Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.

It makes sense to begin training of Ukrainian pilots as soon as possible, Lokke Rasmussen said, adding it was too early to say if Denmark would supply F-16s to Ukraine.

Putin informed of attacks in Russia's Belgorod region - RIA cites Kremlin

Monday 22 May 2023 13:42 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed of attacks by a Ukrainian sabotage group in Russias southern Belgorod region, the RIA news agency cited Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov as saying on Monday.

Peskov was cited as saying that Russian forces were working to eject and eliminate the group, RIA reported.

Russia claims eastern city of Bakhmut, but Ukrainian military leaders say battle isn't over

Monday 22 May 2023 13:23 , Martha Mchardy

Although Russia claims it has won control of Ukraines eastern city of Bakhmut after a grinding nine-month conflict in which tens of thousands of fighters have died, top Ukrainian military leaders say the battle is not over.

Ukrainian officials acknowledge they now control only a small part of Bakhmut. Deputy defense minister Hanna Maliar said Monday that Ukrainian troops hold some areas in its southwestern outskirts, while fighting continues for the strategic heights in the northern and southern parts of the suburbs.

The offensive potential of the enemy has been significantly reduced. Huge losses have been inflicted on the enemy. We have gained time for certain actions, which will be revealed later, Maliar said.

Ukraine says their fighters presence has played a key role in their strategy of exhausting Russian forces. And they say their current positions surrounding Bakhmut will let them strike back inside the 400-year-old city.

Despite the fact that we now control a small part of Bakhmut, the importance of its defence does not lose its relevance, said Col.-Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, who commands Ukraines ground forces. This gives us the opportunity to enter the city in case of a change in the situation. And it will definitely happen.

The fog of war made it impossible to confirm the situation inside Bakhmut. Russias Defense Ministry said fighters of the Wagner private military contractor, backed by Russian troops, had seized the city. Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky said the city was not being fully occupied.

In a video posted on Telegram, Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed the city came under complete Russian control about midday Saturday. Holding a Russian flag before a group of at least nine masked fighters in body armour with heavy weapons, Prigozhin proclaimed: This afternoon at 12:00, Bakhmut was completely taken.

Who are the Wagner Group and why are they so involved in Ukraine?

Monday 22 May 2023 13:08 , Martha Mchardy

Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine have been supported on the battlefield by tens of thousands of mercenaries from a shadowy group led by a businessman and longtime affiliate of president Vladimir Putin.

The Wagner Group is a private military company under the control of Yevgeny Prigozhin that cut its teeth in deployments to Crimea and eastern Ukraines Donbas region in 2014 and has since dispatched troops to several conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, including the Syrian Civil War.

In Russias invasion of Ukraine, Wagner has proved indispensable, but an apparent power struggle between the Kremlin and the outspoken Mr Prigozhin has led to the group having its wings clipped by Moscow.

Liam James reports:

All we know about shadowy Wagner group mercenaries helping Putin wage war on Ukraine

Governor of Russias Belgorod says Ukrainian sabotage group crossed border

Monday 22 May 2023 12:38 , Martha Mchardy

The governor of Russias Belgorod region said on Monday that a Ukrainian army sabotage group had entered Russian territory in the Graivoron district, which borders Ukraine.

In a statement on Telegram, Vyacheslav Gladkov said that the Russian army and security forces were taking measures to repel the incursion.

Earlier, the Telegram channel Baza, which is linked to Russias security services, had published footage apparently showing a Ukrainian tank attacking a Russian border post.

The reports have not been independently verified.

In pictures: Destruction in Dnipro after overnight Russian air strikes

Monday 22 May 2023 11:28 , Martha Mchardy

People walk outside an apartment building destroyed by a Russian military strike (REUTERS)

Apartment buildings destroyed by a Russian military strike (REUTERS)

Workers stand next to a damaged residential building following a Russian strike in a small town in Dnipropetrovsk (AFP via Getty Images)

Two women hospitalised after shelling in Ukrainian city Kupiansk - Suspline

Monday 22 May 2023 11:03 , Martha Mchardy

Two women have been hospitalised after shelling in the Ukrainian city Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraines state broadcaster Suspline is reporting, citing Kharkivs regional governor Oleh Synyehubov.

Private houses and civil infrastructure were damaged by shelling, according to reports.
Ukraine war: US distances itself from Belgorod incursion into Russia

The Russian defence ministry released photos of what it said were abandoned or damaged Western military vehicles, including US-made Humvees

The US has distanced itself from an incursion into Russia - which Moscow says ended in the defeat of armed insurgents who entered from Ukraine.

Parts of the border region of Belgorod came under attack on Monday, in one of the largest cross-border raids since Russia invaded its neighbour last year.

Russia later released pictures of abandoned or damaged Western military vehicles, including US-made Humvees.

The US insisted it did not "encourage or enable strikes inside of Russia".

A state department spokesman acknowledged reports "circulating on social media and elsewhere" that US-supplied weapons had been used, but said his country was "sceptical at this time of the veracity of these reports".

In a news briefing on Tuesday, Matthew Miller added: "It is up to Ukraine to decide how to conduct this war."

Some Ukrainian military experts and bloggers have suggested that the images of destroyed US vehicles released by Russia could have been staged.

Villages in Belgorod near the border were evacuated after coming under fire. Russia says 70 attackers were killed, and has insisted the fighters were Ukrainian.

But Kyiv denies involvement - and two Russian paramilitary groups opposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin say they were behind the incursion.

Monday's raid led Moscow to declare a counter-terrorism operation, giving the authorities special powers to clamp down on communications and people's movements.

The measures were only lifted the following afternoon, and even then, one of the paramilitary groups was claiming it still controlled a small piece of Russian territory.

Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said one civilian had died while being evacuated, and several others were injured during the violence.

In a later development, he said the region had been subject to a "large" number of drone attacks overnight on Tuesday. He said the attacks damaged private vehicles, houses and offices, but there were no victims.

Mr Gladkov also said a gas pipeline was damaged in the Graivoron district by the drone barrage, which led to a small fire on Wednesday morning.

The claims by the warring sides have not been independently verified - although the BBC was able to establish that a building used by Russia's main security agency, the FSB, was among those hit during the violence. It is not clear what caused the damage.

Another Russian photo showed a wrecked vehicle with the words "for Bakhmut" written in Russian on the side

Commenting on the hostilities in Belgorod, Russia's defence ministry said a "unit of a Ukrainian nationalist formation" had invaded its territory to carry out attacks.

One of its photos showed a wrecked vehicle with the words "for Bakhmut" written on it, a reference to the Ukrainian city which Russia says it has recently captured - a claim disputed by Kyiv.

As well as killing dozens of what it described as "Ukrainian terrorists" in artillery and air strikes, the ministry claimed to have driven the rest of the fighters back to the Ukrainian border.

But Ukrainian officials said the attackers were Russians, from groups known as the Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC).

Social media posts from the two paramilitary groups appeared to confirm their involvement. Both groups also told Ukraine's public broadcaster Suspilne that they were creating "a demilitarised zone on the border with the Russian Federation from which they will not be able to shell Ukraine".

Any assaults on Russian soil make leaders in the Nato military alliance of Western countries nervous - meaning that the developments could prove a mixed blessing for Kyiv.

The cross-border incursion may be embarrassing for Moscow, and go some way to offset the bad optics for Ukraine of reportedly losing control of Bakhmut after months of intense and bloody fighting.

It is also likely to be part of Ukraine's shaping operations ahead of its coming counter-offensive, aiming to draw Russian troops away from the south where Kyiv is expected to attack.

But it is not a development that is likely to be welcomed by the West.

The long-range weapons these countries have provided to Kyiv - although not used in this attack - still come with the proviso they are not to be used to hit targets inside Russia.

Despite official denials from Kyiv, it is hard to believe this raid was launched without assistance from Ukrainian military intelligence.

It plays into the Kremlin narrative that Russia's own sovereign security is under attack from malign forces backed by the West.

It is a narrative likely to be fuelled by reports that some of those who took part are linked to far-right extremism, reinforcing Moscow's claim that it is trying to rid Ukraine of neo-Nazis.
Ukraine's Defence Minister addresses Bashkirs: Take your people away from Ukraine, Kremlin has lost

Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defence of Ukraine, turned to Bashkirs with the call not to participate in the war against Ukraine since Bashkortostan is one of the leaders in Russian losses on the territory of Ukraine.

Source: Reznikov on Facebook

Details: Reznikov explained that when he served in the army, a Bashkir was one of his closest friends, so he decided to make this statement seeing that "thousands of Bashkir men have died or became disabled" in the war against Ukraine.

He remarked that today the authorities in Ufa "are sending their people to die, working for the benefit of the Kremlin and their own benefit".

Quote: "Take your people out of Ukraine. Give us the war criminals. And then we will become allies and will build a better future for both our people together.

The Kremlin has already lost this war. Together we will make him [Putin  ed.] give up his imperialistic ambitions.

The sooner it happens, the more lives will be saved. And the sooner we will manage to take the path of creation."

Details: Reznikov wrote this statement in the Bashkir language.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry replied to Hungarian PM: Ukraine will fight until the complete liberation of its territories

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the statements of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban are supported only by the Kremlin and that Ukraine intends to liberate all territories occupied by Russia.

Source: As European Pravda reports, this is stated in the comment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Oleh Nikolenko.

Quote: "The prime minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, commenting on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, said it does not matter who invaded whom. He is convinced that Ukraine will not be able to win the war. The Kremlin should rejoice: the head of the Hungarian government has removed Russian responsibility for aggression against Ukraine," Nikolenko wrote.

He reminded that the same European politicians claimed last year that Ukraine has no chance of holding out for more than 72 hours.

Quote: "They were wrong then, and they are wrong now. Unlike the supporters of surrendering to the enemy without resistance, Ukrainians will continue to fight until the complete liberation of their territories from Russian occupation. This is the only way to restore peace in Ukraine and guarantee the security of all of Europe," the comment reads.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasised that it is now critically important to join forces so that Ukraine has everything necessary to hasten Russias defeat.

Background:

As it is known, Hungary has blocked another 500 million euro tranche from the European Peace Fund, which supports Ukraine with weapons. The reason is Ukraine declaring the Hungarian OTP Bank as a "war sponsor".

On Monday, Germany and Hungary argued during a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels over the bank's role in the Russian war.

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Ukraine's Zelenskiy visits front line to meet marines Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a celebration of the Ukrainian Marines Day

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he had visited marines on the eastern front line to thank them for their role in resisting Russia's invasion.

Video footage posted on social media showed Zelenskiy, dressed in a military khaki sweatshirt and khaki trousers, handing out awards to dozens of male and female marines in combat gear on the national Day of the Ukrainian Marines.

"Happy Marines Day, especially to such strong people who are in one of the hottest but also one of the strongest ... sectors - the Vuhledar-Marinka direction," Zelenskiy said.

Ukraine's military said in a daily update that its forces had repelled numerous enemy attacks on the city of Marinka, which lies in the eastern region of Donetsk.

Fighting has been fierce in Donetsk, one of four regions that Russia proclaimed as its own last September after what Ukraine and its allies denounced as a "sham" referendum following Moscow's full-scale invasion.

Zelenskiy also handed out decorations to commanders of several marine units. He said the Ukrainian government would create a specialised marines corps and promised to provide new weapons and equipment.

(Reporting by Max Hunder and Olena Harmash, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Patriot air defense in Poland

Read also: Military expert says Ukrainian anti-aircraft gunners rescued the reputation of Patriot system

He believes that Ukrainian air defense forces, working after an accelerated training course, managed to squeeze something out of the Patriot system that even the United States did not think was possible.

Kirichevsky spoke to Radio NV about why the most intense Russian missile salvo on Ukraine turned out to be a failure, and why Kyiv may be the most protected city on earth.

NV: Let's try to dot the i's and once again explain to the Ukrainian who are already worried about the Patriot more than their own health, that even a missile hit does not mean that Kyiv is left without protection. The Patriot is not a single installation, but a large number of everything that is protecting Kyiv.

Kirichevsky: If we consider the most pessimistic version at the moment, that a strike by a Kinzhal damaged a Patriot launcher, and not so much that it had to be taken back to the manufacturing plant in the United States, but that it could be repaired here, then there is nothing to worry about.

Read also: Hunting for Patriots in Kyiv. How Kinzhals could damage the launchers  opinion

Unfortunately, it sometimes happens that the enemy reaches our anti-aircraft missile systems and damages them. According to official data, at the beginning of a full-scale invasion, the Russians were able to damage 100 units of various equipment in the first days. Actually, they believed that they had already destroyed our air defense three times over, but surprise - by April [2022], our air defense forces and repairmen were able to fix the equipment.

Unfortunately, photos from Kherson Oblast showing our S-300s destroyed in the first hours and days of the full-scale invasion were in the public domain. The fact that the occupiers were able to significantly damage our air defenses in some areas, unfortunately, was then the key to their success.

Read also: Ukraine does not confirm Russian plane downed by Patriot system

In comparison to the horror that we went through, unconfirmed reports that a strike by one Russian Kinzhal hit a Patriot launcher  and in such a way that it can be repaired here in the field rather than shipped back to the United States  is a significant fiasco for the Russians.

The Russians did not create their Kinzhal to be accurate as to hit targets as small as the components of a Patriot complex. Roughly speaking, the Patriot launcher is the size of a cargo truck. It is placed on a trailer, and the trailer is attached to a truck.

The Patriot complex itself is a battery of four launchers, each of which is spaced ten kilometers apart, with its command post another 15 km away.

Even if there was decisive damage to the Patriot system from a Kinzhal, it shows how much more danger our air defense forces were able to repel that night. There was a massive attack on Kyiv with hypersonic missiles which, had it gone as the Russians had planned, would have caused horrors that are hard to imagine.

Add to this averted horror the fact that in addition to the six [Kinzhals], the Patriot system managed to shoot down 10 more Iskander missiles and [missiles from] Russian S-400 systems, which were considered impossible to shoot down.

Therefore, our air defense forces that night shot down 16 missiles that were considered impossible to intercept.

Read also: German MP urges transfer of German long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine

The Russians, it turns out, now invented this whole story on the fly, that they destroyed or damaged something, because after the first Kinzhal was shot down, they began to spin this propaganda bagpipe, supposedly they have another unmatched supersonic anti-radar missile called the Kh-31PD, which has a firing range of 300 km. And this is such a perfect missile that it can, as they say, present a challenge to Patriot systems.

Look, somehow this one wunderwaffe was blown away by them. And what else is there for this clown [Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman] Konashenkov to come up with after that? He come up with this nonsense that their Kinzhal was able to hit a target the size of a truck.

A few days before the invasion, the Russian invaders were training in their Grom-2022 exercises, waving their nuclear baton. There, perhaps for the first time, they publicly showed the launch of this Kinzhal. What is interesting is that with these Kinzhals they aimed at a large five-story building, and not at a small trailer. Its also worth noting that the Kinzhal did not hit the five-story building, but instead fell nearby.

Read also: Russian Kinzhal missile production ramps up fivefold - Defense Express

NV: Can we say, after that very dense attack, perhaps cautiously, that Kyiv is now protected?

Kirichevsky: Let's wait for a sufficient number of events to talk about a trend. Relatively speaking, if the Russians try to repeat the attack with Kinzhals, it will be possible to make this sort of claim of success.

On one hand, there is a good effect, and on the other hand, Defense Minister Reznikov said a very sharp and unpleasant thing: it turns out that the Russians had as many as 80 Kinzhals at the beginning of May. This shows that they were able, unfortunately, to up the rate of production of these missiles five-fold.

Read also: Ukrainian-made Oplot tanks to be ordered for the Armed Forces, says Reznikov

Based on information from the beginning of January, the Russians had a maximum of 53 Kinzhals. They managed to fire some at us. Thus, they can produce up to 10 such missiles per month.

Accordingly, their abilities are limited only by the number of serviceable MiG-31K aircraft that they can put up in the air simultaneously. It seems that 6 MiG-31K aircraft is their maximum, with 10-12 aircraft available on paper. Reports that a Kinzhal can supposedly be mounted on a Tu-160 or Tu-122M3, fortunately, are just not correct.

The Russians had announced plans to give these strategic bombers capability with Kinzhals, but they could not do it.

It is possible that there will be more than one Kinzhal attacks on Kyiv from the Russians. And if these attacks keep getting repelled, then we can already say that Kyiv will be the most protected city in our country, perhaps not only in Ukraine, but also on the planet.

Read also: All Kinzhal hypersonic missiles targeted Kyiv, Air Forces reveals details of Russian overnight attack

The Patriot system managed to shoot down a target as difficult as Kinzhal. Why are Western experts now declaring: We knew that the Kinzhal is not a hypersonic missile!. As I understand it, even the developers of the Patriot or the American THAAD anti-missile system, which was considered the only one that could shoot down such targets, will be thinking about this this for a very long time. Perhaps they will make some constructive decisions.

NV: For the first time, rockets from S-300 or S-400 AA systems hit Kyiv in January. Then they said that this was potentially one of the biggest dangers for Kyiv, because these missiles also could not be shot down. Now we hear that several of these missiles flew at Kyiv, but none of them reached their targets. Therefore, the city can be protected from these missiles.

Kirichevsky: The General Staff later clarified: there were not three missiles of this type, but 10.

Here, you know, there is a technical problem: how to shoot down an anti-aircraft missile with another anti-aircraft missile. Neither the U.S. instructors, nor the Israelis, who like to promote themselves, had any idea what high-tech weapons they were creating. Because the S-400s anti-aircraft can reach a speed of more than 5,000 kilometers per hour.

Read also: Russian Kalibr missile crashes in occupied Crimea, local media reports

Unfortunately, until now no one had the faintest idea of how to shoot down such missiles, not even our Air Force, I believe.

Let's recall the loudest and most enthusiastic assessments that were that "when we get Patriots, we will be able to fight at least these Iskander ballistic missiles and Kh-22 missiles." More complex air targets, like the Kinzhal and anti-aircraft missiles for the S-400, were not discussed. It was believed that this was a threat that could never be removed. And here, thank God, the Russians had something go wrong."

NV: After the attack, I began to read that even for the U.S. Patriot manufacturer, this event was something stunning, unusual, a real smashing success. That is, Ukraine, in fact, has once again become a promo for Western-style equipment, a kind of proving grounds?

Read also: Ukraine could use F-16s to intercept aircraft over Russia, expert says

Kirichevsky: There is one example that has been repeatedly named, but, unfortunately, it is the only marker in this story.

There is the glorious country of Saudi Arabia, which has 200 Patriot launchers. What does this mean? To illustrate: the U.S. Army has only 400. This is a lot, especially for Saudi Arabia. Of course, in addition to 200 launchers, there is [Avenger] to cover the appropriate infrastructure, and even U.S. instructors to help regularly. Not to mention that Saudi Arabia has its own AWACS aircraft.

The story is roughly that about once every two to three months, the Yemeni Houthis bombard Saudi Arabia with combined strikes using Shahed 136s, rather primitive ballistic missiles, and very primitive Kh-55 copies.

After our air defense forces shot down six Kinzhals at a time, then a similar combination every two or three months is [not so difficult]. And Saudi Arabia, with its air defense forces, who were trained by U.S. instructors, sometimes managed not to repulse such attacks.

In this context, the reputation of the Patriot systems was falling, globally. Until February 2022, the Russians tried sell potential buyers from the Middle East on their next unmatched creations. It's just such a marketing ploy: if you have some kind of bad weapon and it has inadequate characteristics, call it "unmatched."

Read also: U.S. to help Ukraine fill arms gaps if necessary, says Blinken

They tried to sell the Abakan complex to Saudi Arabia to replace the Patriot. Saying it can shoot down ballistic targets. But for the most part, it was just a conversion of the S-300V4 on a wheeled chassis, where instead of four launchers there were just two. Literally Allah saved Saudi Arabia from doing such a stupid thing as buying these air defense systems from the Russians.

The United States thought for a long time, discussing whether to give us Patriots or not. It turns out that our air defense forces with crash course training literally squeezed out of the Patriot a capability that the Pentagon did not think was possible.

I will note another interesting philological and semantic detail. When CNN reported on the downing of the Kinzhal, they enthusiastically conveyed the words of a U.S. official: Imagine, they were able to shoot several anti-aircraft missiles at once in such a short time  at least one, but it definitely hit the Kinzhal.

Read also: About 300 entities, ships, aircraft to be included in new U.S. sanctions package against Russia

When the U.S. forces first used Patriots during Operation Desert Storm, [there was] a story that to shoot down a single [Scud missile], you needed to fire 3 PAC-2 missiles, which can shoot down aircraft at a distance of 160 kilometers. This caused a storm of criticism among the experts saying "it is so expensive and uneconomical to fire three missiles to shoot down one." This criticism turned out to be productive. Afterwards, PAC-3 missiles were developed to counter ballistic targets. But it still shows how unexpected the successes of our air defense forces were for the U.S. side, for which it is greatly appreciative.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Yuriy Ignat said that the training of Ukrainian pilots has not yet started

The process of preparing individuals to initiate this training is still underway, Naysaid.

Advanced teams have been sent to European countries that can provide training facilities. The process and other related aspects are being studied. There are no pilots currently flying these aircraft.

Representatives from the Air Force and other relevant organizations are in constant contact with allied nations. The timing and specific groups participating in the training, as well as the duration of the process, are currently under examination, he clarified.

We will not delve into the details of whether training is taking place or the extent of its progress. We cannot send a large number of pilots; someone needs to be in combat, Ihnat concluded.

Western partners discussed the formation of a coalition to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets at the G7 summit in Japan, acceding to a request that Kyiv has long made.

The initial step in this process will involve the training of Ukrainian pilots.

Read also: F-16s wont fundamentally change the wars course in Ukraine, Pentagon says

The UK, USA, Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark have agreed to participate in the training of Ukrainian pilots on Western fighter jets, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on May 19, saying that the UK can begin training this summer.

Portugal has also said it can train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s.

Previously, U.S. news channel CNN reported that U.S. President Joe Biden supported the decision for joint training.

Earlier today, EU High Representative Josep Borrell said Ukrainian pilots have already begun training on F-16 fighter jets., adding that several European countries, including Poland, have joined the training initiative. Media outlets have reported that this information has been confirmed by the Polish government.

U.S. news website Politico reported that Kyiv may receive the aircraft as early as autumn.

The exact timeline and quantity of fighter jets Ukraine will receive have not yet been announced.

The White House stated that in the coming months, allies will work together to determine when, who, and how many aircraft will be transferred to Ukraine. However, the provision of fighter jets is contingent upon Ukraine not utilizing them for strikes on Russian territory.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Ukrainian Army shoots down multiple drones and a helicopter in overnight Russian attack

The wreckage of a kamikaze drone shot down over Ukraine during one of the numerous attacks of the Russian Federation

Two Russian Merlin-VR reconnaissance drones were also downed.

Read also: Explosions overnight in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, all enemy drones downed

Two of six Shaheds were intercepted over Mykolaiv Oblast by the South Air Command, announced Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitaliy Kim.

In the past day, a Ukrainian anti-aircraft soldier shot also down an enemy Mi-24 helicopter in Donetsk Oblast.

No victims were reported in the Russian attacks last night.

Read also: Photos of the aftermath of Russian drone attack on Kyiv posted online

Russia conducted another overnight mass air attack on Ukraine the day before, launching 20 Shahed-136/131 drones and 16 various cruise and ballistic missiles. Ukrainian air defence managed to intercept all drones and four missiles.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The war is hitting small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine more and more painfully

According to the European Business Association's latest quarterly survey, only 6% of entrepreneurs have reported no damage so far, compared to the 10% who remained unscathed back in October 2022. These findings are based on responses from SME representatives participating in the Unlimit Ukraine project.

The survey reveals that the share of SMEs reporting business losses of at least $10,000 decreased to 24% in May 2023, from 33% in October 2022.

Among the respondents, 26% reported losses ranging from $10,000 to $50,000, while 20% cited losses between $50,000 and $100,000. Moreover, a significant 18%of entrepreneurs suffered losses exceeding $100,000.

Read also: Ukrainian business expects growth for the first time in over a year, NBU says

Of the surveyed business owners, 24% have directly incurred losses due to hostilities, and 7% have assets located in the occupied territories.

The most pressing issues faced by 57% of the surveyed business owners include a decrease in consumers' purchasing power. In addition, 31% are grappling with funding shortages and limited access to loans. Furthermore, 29% of entrepreneurs are burdened by high tax pressure. Complaints about the scarcity of skilled professionals and difficulties in recruiting employees and facilitating overseas assignments were voiced by 28% of those surveyed.

Despite these challenges, 41% of entrepreneurs continue to operate at full capacity, while 49% face certain restrictions, and 10% are currently not working. This represents a change from the situation observed six months ago.

The top three measures adopted by companies in response to the crisis remain unchanged: 34% have scaled down their geographical scope of operations, 18% have switched over to remote work, and 15% have shut down some of their branches.

Read also: Government revises up its forecast for Ukrainian economic growth

The financial stability of small businesses is being significantly impacted as the percentage of them with insufficient financial reserves continues to rise. The number of SMEs without any reserves grew to 32% in May against 25% in October. Concurrently, the proportion of companies with financial reserves lasting a year or more declined to 12% from 14%. Currently, 4% of entrepreneurs estimate their financial stability to last for only one month, while 31% project stability for several months, and 18% for six months.

Amid these challenging circumstances, 62% of business owners are still able to pay wages to their employees in full. The share of companies reducing wages has slightly decreased to 16% from 18%. However, the number of businesses placing employees on unpaid leave has increased to 12% from 9%. At present, 7% of SMEs are not able to pay wages, and 16% have resorted to employee lay-offs.

In addition to navigating financial pressures, companies are actively supporting the armed forces and providing humanitarian aid. Among the respondents, 47% offer financial assistance, 23% provide free services, 21% contribute products, and 9% supply defense/security equipment.

Read also: Prozorro e-procurement system reintroduces optional auctions

Nearly half of the surveyed SMEs have mobilized employees serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with 22% of them serving as critical specialists for their operations. Specifically, 29% have up to 10% of their conscriptable employees mobilized, 14% have between 10% and 30%, and 5% have over 30%. Over one-third of these companies offer support to their employees who are currently defending the country.

Despite the ongoing challenges, Ukrainian entrepreneurs predominantly continue to work from home (with only 4% having relocated abroad) while actively exploring opportunities to expand the geographical scope of their businesses.

Currently, 19% of the surveyed SMEs are successfully exporting their products abroad, while an additional 14% are actively engaged in establishing contacts, negotiations, or acquiring necessary permits. However, one-third of the respondents reported difficulties in accessing the international market.

The survey was conducted from April 24 to May 11 among individual entrepreneurs participating in the Unlimit Ukraine project, a support program for small- and medium-sized businesses led by the European Business Association (EBA). A total of 90 entrepreneurs took part in the survey.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Ukrainian pilots have already started training on F-16s in several European countries, says Borrel

Borrell confirmed the start of training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 in Poland

Read also: Ukrainian pilots have already started training on F-16s, Borrell says

Speaking ahead of the EU defense ministers meeting in Brussels, Borrell said it would take time, but the sooner the better.

When asked which countries have already started training Ukrainian pilots, the diplomat named Poland.

Borrell stressed the F-16 fighter jets are necessary for the Ukrainians to continue their defense.

Read also: F-16s off the table, but Portugal ready to train pilots and supply spare parts

Western partners finally began speaking about the formation of a coalition to transfer F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine at the recent G7 summit in Japan, a request long made by Ukraine.

Training of Ukrainian pilots is the first step.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on May 19 that his country would work together with the United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark to provide the proper training for Ukrainian pilots on modern aircraft.

Portugal has said they could assist in training Ukrainian pilots.

On May 21, Sunak said that the United Kingdom would begin training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets this summer.

According to U.S. television channel CNN, U.S. President Joe Biden informed G7 leaders on May 19 that the United States would support a joint effort with allies and partners to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth generation warplanes, including F-16s.

Read also: Biden says new opportunities opened for Ukrainian military by F-16 supply

The timing and number of fighter jets Ukraine may receive has not yet been announced.

The White House has confirmed U.S. participation in the fighter jets for Ukraine coalition. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that in the coming months his country would work with allies to determine when planes will be delivered, who will deliver them, and how many.

Read also: Zelenskyy wont provide any details on F-16 fighter jets for Ukraine

At the same time, Ukraine will receive F-16 fighter jets on the condition that they not be used to attack Russian territory, Sullivan added.



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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A Ukrainian influencer said Tuesday that shes been banned from the Cannes Film Festival after a gory protest last weekend.

Ilona Chernobai, a Ukrainian fitness instructor and model, was removed from the red carpet of the French festival Sunday after covering herself in fake blood in a show of support for her home country in its war with Russia.

Chernobai represented Ukraine wearing a blue and gold dress, the colors of the nations flag. As she climbed the steps of the Palais des Festivals, she pulled bags of prop blood from beneath her skirt and poured them onto her body.

Ukrainian model and fitness instructor Ilona Chernobai is detained by security Sunday after she covered herself in fake blood at the Cannes Film Festival.

Ukrainian model and fitness instructor Ilona Chernobai is detained by security Sunday after she covered herself in fake blood at the Cannes Film Festival.

Security moved quickly to take away the woman, who was violating a protest ban the city of Cannes, France, announced earlier this month.

Chernobai wrote about her actions on Instagram, telling her 1 million followers, The action was in support of the occupied territories and our people who live there.

In the caption, translated into English by Variety, she continued, On the red carpet of the 76th Cannes Film Festival, I came out in a dress in the colors of our flag and poured red paint on myself. I used my chance and with this act I reminded what is happening in Ukraine!!!

Though Chernobai said she worried about losing her social media platform for sharing the bloody scene, she said, I am very glad that my act spread all over the world media! People should not forget about us!

I am with Ukraine in my heart. I did what I had to do! Chernobai added, going on to say that while shes banned from the festival, the protest was worth it.

The demonstration comes after Russian mercenaries, known as the Wagner Group, declared control over the city of Bakhmut last week.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy challenged the Kremlins claims during a Group of 7 summit in Nagasaki, Japan, where he told delegates that Bakhmut was not occupied by Russian forces.

We are not throwing people [away] to die, Zelenskyy said in Ukrainian through an interpreter on Sunday. People are the treasure. I clearly understand what is happening in Bakhmut. I cannot share with you the technical details of what is happening with our warriors.

Related...
Ukrainian saboteurs launch attack across the border on Russian soil after Russia largely takes control of Bakhmut

This image taken from a video shows people indicating a damaged building in the Belgorod region, Russia, Monday, May 22, 2023. Russian troops and security forces fought for a second day Tuesday against an alleged cross-border raid that Moscow blamed on Ukrainian military saboteurs but which Kyiv portrayed as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region on the Ukraine border, said forces continued to sweep the rural area around the town of Graivoron, where the alleged attack on Monday took place. | Associated Press

Attacks continue in the southern Russian region of Belgorod after anti-Kremlin pro-Ukrainian fighters set off explosives across the border in a rare offensive on Russian soil.

According to The New York Times, the Free Russia Legion  a group of Russians that have started fighting against Russia and in favor of Ukraine  took responsibility for the attacks.

Ukraine denies responsibility.

What does Russia say about Belgorod attacks?

However, Russian officials claimed it was Ukraines military and that it sought to use the attacks to justify Russias invasion of Ukraine, per the Times.

This once again confirms that Ukrainian militants are continuing their activities against our country, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri S. Peskov told reporters, per the Times.

At least eight people were injured in the attacks, and the fighting damaged three homes and one administrative building, BBC reported.

Whats happening in Bakhmut, Ukraine?

Peskov said that the attacks purpose was to draw attention away from the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut  a city Ukraine and Russia have been battling over for months, per BBC.

We perfectly understand the purpose of such sabotage  to divert attention from the Bakhmut direction, to minimise the political effect of the loss of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut) by the Ukrainian side, Peskov said, per BBC.

Over the weekend, Russia took control of a large portion of the city with the help of the Wagner Mercenary Group, but Ukraine says letting go of some of the city was strategic and allows its forces to focus on some of Russias weaker front lines.

Most resident civilians have fled the city, and the aerial imagery of Bakhmuts approximately 10 square miles reveals how homes, schools, shops and a red-roofed theater have been flattened, The Washington Post revealed.
PAWTUCKET  Marijuana retailer Joe Pakuris defiant revolt against what he calls Rhode Islands unfair ban on pot advertising was short lived.

On Sunday, the three Interstate 95 billboards he erected days earlier came down under threat from state regulators that his Mother Earth Wellness dispensary would otherwise face a $10,000-a-day fine and Pakuris could lose his license to sell marijuana to both medical patients and recreational users.

I think its totally unfair and negligent on DBRs part that they havent amended this ridiculous ban since the beginning of the program, Pakuris said. The Department of Business Regulation has done nothing to get this program off the ground.

More: Fed up, Mother Earth Wellness pot dispensary owner is taking on RI's advertising ban

Despite a frustrating cannabis ad ban, Mother Earth Wellness, the state's biggest marijuana dispensary, put up a billboard on its building in Pawtucket. The company was then forced to remove the billboard or face a daily fine.

Rhode Island pot retailers banned from outdoor advertising

Lawmakers approved recreational sale of marijuana last May, but it took Gov. Dan McKee a full year to name three nominees to a new Cannabis Control Commission, which among other duties, is tasked with reviewing advertising rules established a decade ago when the medical marijuana program began.

What infuriates Pakuris is that his Massachusetts dispensary competitors are free to advertise along Rhode Islands roadways  including just across I-95 from his own dispensary  while he and six other in-state dispensaries cant.

The Rhode Island marijuana regulation in question reads in part: No licensee or agent of a licensee may  advertise in any manner that is viewable or can otherwise be perceived in a public space, including but not limited to billboards, bus wraps, benches, adopt a highway signs, or any format that may be viewable from roads or walkways.

More: In the shadow of Massachusetts retail pot, Rhode Island dispensaries try to find their footing

Matthew Santacroce, DBRs deputy director, reiterated that regulation in a letter to Pakuris lawyer on Friday that also spelled out the consequences if the billboards were not removed by 9 a.m. the following Monday.

Santacroce noted that DBR supports legislation, unanimously approved in the House, that would give DBR's cannabis regulation office the power to make rules on marijuana advertising now while the cannabis commission is formed. (McKee's three commission nominees are awaiting Senate approval.)

However, said Santacroce, the department and its licensees must continue to abide by the regulation until such time as the proposed amendments become law.

'They didn't need to waste all this time'

Pakuris says the legislation is unnecessary; the DBR has always had the power to write a one-page, temporary guidance that would simply allow roadway billboards to perhaps capture those Rhode Islanders who would otherwise cross the state line to buy marijuana.

They didnt need to waste all this time, Pakuris said. They just didn't want to do it and I dont know why.

Pakuris said it cost him $6,000 to have the three highway billboards erected last Thursday and Friday, each pointing motorists to the nearest exit to get to his dispensary.

It cost him another $5,000 to have billboard riggers come on Sunday and strip them down.

Contact Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Mother Earth Wellness dispensary in Pawtucket takes down billboards
United Airlines to start new nonstop flights from Dayton International Airport this summer

A new non-stop flight to Denver is coming to the Dayton International Airport.

Beginning September 29, Dayton travelers will have the option to fly nonstop from Dayton International Airport (DAY) to Denver International Airport (DEN) with United Airlines, airport and airline officials announced Tuesday.

I am very excited to see the return of direct air service to Denver International Airport. Daily service to Denver will provide our passengers easy to and through connections westward and beyond, said City of Dayton Director of Aviation, Gil Turner.

>> DeWine to visit Dayton Correctional Institution to discuss additional re-entry support for inmates

The nonstop flight will be offered daily, departing DAY at 9 a.m., a spokesperson for the Dayton International Airport said.

The E175 plane is wi-fi equipped and features 12 first-class seats, 16 economy plus seats, and 48 standard economy seats.

The addition is a result of Uniteds ambitious United Next plan and part of a larger United announcement of 35 new flights, a dozen new gates and three new clubs in Denver.

Were particularly pleased to bring this important non-stop destination to the Miami Valley, thanks in large part to the extensive collaboration between Dayton area community partners and United, said Uniteds Managing Director of Domestic Planning, Mark J. Weithofer. We look forward to continuing to work together as we connect Dayton to Uniteds global route network via our hub gateways in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and now Denver.

For more information or for booking, you can visit United.com.
US customs found a swarm of 630 live insect larvae crawling in a shipment of artificial flowers at New York's JFK airport

A USCBP statement said the plastic flowers were shipped from Kenya. US Customs and Border Protection

The USCBP said it seized a parcel of plastic flowers that contained 630 live insect larvae.

The shipment of flowers was intercepted at JFK Airport's mail facility, the agency said.

It warned that imported pests could cause millions of dollars in damages to US agriculture.

US customs officers inspecting a parcel at New York's JFK Airport discovered hundreds of insect larvae hidden in a batch of plastic flowers earlier this month.

A Thursday statement from the US Customs and Border Protection said that the shipment of artificial flowers mailed from Kenya contained 630 live insect larvae and was seized on May 3.

The flowers were being held by agriculture specialists from the agency to "prevent the spread of the pests," the USCBP said.

The agency did not say which insect species the larvae belonged to.

"Although many are tiny and seem innocuous, pests can delay global trade, and destabilize our national economy and food supply. A single pest can cause millions of dollars in damages," the agency said.

The USCBP said it discovered about 240 pests and seized 2,677 prohibited agricultural items across the US on a typical day.

In February, the agency said it discovered another pest in a batch of fresh flowers imported from Mexico. The small, black bug  known as the Corimelaena palmeri  had never entered the US before, according to official records.

Border officials even intercept insects on planes, like when the USCBP found an unwanted beetle in March 2022 in the passenger cabin of an aircraft arriving in Puerto Rico from Senegal.

Read the original article on Insider
US debt ceiling: Will there be enough time to get a deal through?

President Biden and Speaker McCarthy at an event in March

US President Joe Biden and Republican leader Kevin McCarthy have called their latest talks on the debt ceiling productive but no deal has yet been reached.

Any agreement will have to pass through Congress. With just nine full days till the estimated debt-limit deadline of 1 June, hitting that date is looking increasingly difficult.

The US Senate is currently out of session and the House of Representatives has a planned recess this weekend for the Memorial Day holiday on Monday 29 May.

Congressional leaders could call the chambers back, but simply getting enough legislators in town to vote will be a logistical challenge.

Of the nine days left, only six are working days. House Speaker Mr McCarthy estimated that it would take about a week for Congress to raise the debt limit smoothly.

He has promised to allow at least 72 hours for members of his chamber to review the text of any agreement prior to passage. That means the deal would in theory need to come by early Friday 26 May at the latest. He could press ahead and give them less time, but it would be at the risk of angering those in his party who want to go over the text with a microscope.

The Senate will also have to approve the legislation - and in that chamber, even one recalcitrant legislator can delay a vote for days. A senator with an eye for publicity or an agenda to advance who is willing to risk the wrath of his colleagues could put the entire process at risk.

Once the full Congress approves a deal, staff will have to scramble to go over technical details to prepare the bill for Mr Biden's signature. The process can typically take days or even weeks.

With time running short, however, a team of congressional staff working in concert could have legislation ready for the president in hours. But rushing it comes at the risk of introducing errors or loopholes that could cause problems down the road.

With some money coming in each day, some analysts say the government may be able to squeeze by past Janet Yellen's 1 June deadline until 15 June, when it will get an influx of funds from companies paying quarterly tax bills.

Analysts say the Treasury could pay its bills more slowly to try to manage its money. The first major debt payment is also not due until 15 June, which reduces the risk that the US could be forced to default on its debt.

But the US will likely need to find roughly $290bn (234bn) in cash to make it that far, according to financial forecasters Oxford Economics.

And stretching the deadline beyond 1 June will be "hovering in a very dangerous zone", said analysts at RBC Capital Markets, which estimate the Treasury's resources will stand at around just $40-60bn for the first two weeks of June.

"This is extremely low," they note. "Several days of heavier-than-expected net outflows, or unexpected changes in intragovernmental debt, could exhaust that small buffer quickly and unexpectedly."

Many investors are betting that Treasury would choose to make some debt payments and miss other obligations, as has been debated during prior debt ceiling stand-offs.

But Ms Yellen has previously called that sort of prioritisation "default by another name".

If push comes to shove, Congress could always try to pass a short-term increase in the debt limit in order to buy White House and Republican negotiators more time to reach an agreement.

Some suggestions have been to move the deadline into at least July or even August. But for now, neither side seems interested in such a move unless it is very clear that a deal is near at hand.
US, EU lawmakers push to depose UAE's Jaber from climate talks FILE PHOTO: UAE Climate Tech Conference in Abu Dhabi

By Gloria Dickie and Kate Abnett

LONDON (Reuters) -Over 100 members of the U.S. Congress and European Parliament called on Tuesday for Sultan al-Jaber to be removed as the designated head of the upcoming COP28 climate talks, saying the oil exec's appointment threatened the integrity of negotiations.

Jaber, who heads the United Arab Emirates oil giant Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, was chosen in January to lead the talks. He also serves as the UAE's ministry of industry and technology as well as its climate envoy.

In a letter sent to U.S. President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the United Nations, the lawmakers voiced "profound concern" that private sector polluters would be able to "exert undue influence" on the climate negotiations, to be held in Dubai later this year.

"We urge you to ... engage in diplomatic efforts to secure the withdrawal of the president-designate of COP28," they wrote.

Signatories included U.S. Democratic senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Most EU signatories hailed from the Greens and Left groups.

Scientists and climate activists have expressed dismay at Jaber's appointment, taking it as a sign that big industry has commandeered the global response to the climate crisis.

More than 600 fossil fuel lobbyists were present at the COP27 climate talks held in Egypt last year.

A spokesperson for the COP28 president's office highlighted Jaber's long career in the renewable energy sector.

"We believe that Dr. Sultans experience ... working across the energy spectrum, coupled with his experience as a senior global industry leader, are assets that will help drive the UAEs transformative approach to COP28," the spokesperson said.

Jaber previously told Reuters that he had "no intention" of deviating from the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C degrees above pre-industrial levels.

"Keeping 1.5 alive is a top priority and it will cut across everything I do," he said.

This is not the first time that lawmakers have called for Jaber's removal.

Shortly after his appointment, 27 Democratic members of the U.S. Congress sent a letter to top U.S. climate envoy John Kerry urging him to persuade the future U.N. climate summit host to withdraw its pick of Jaber.

Others have thrown their support behind the oil exec. On Monday, EU climate policy chief Frans Timmermans told a European Parliament meeting that "if we want the energy transition to succeed, we have to get the energy companies on board."

"Vilifying them and ignoring them is not going to get the dynamics going in terms of the energy transition, and Dr. Sultan Al Jaber has also a long track record of investing in renewables within his company," Timmermans said.

(Reporting by Gloria Dickie in London and Kate Abnett in Brussels; additional reporting by Maha El Dahan in Dubai; editing by Mark Heinrich)
US, European lawmakers call for head of UN climate talks to be removed over fossil fuel links

FILE - The Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and COP28 UAE President-Designate, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, attends a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on the second day of the Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, Germany, May 3, 2023. Scores of members of Congress and the European Parliament called Tuesday May 23, 2023, for the designated chair of the next United Nations climate summit to be replaced over his ties to the fossil fuel sector and for the industrys influence at the upcoming talks to be sharply limited. The United Arab Emirates has been strongly criticized by environmental advocates for nominating Sultan al-Jaber, the head of state-owned oil company ADNOC, to preside over the Nov. 30 - Dec. 12 meeting in Dubai known as COP28. (John MacDougall/Pool Photo via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

BERLIN (AP)  Scores of members of Congress and the European Parliament called Tuesday for the designated chair of the next United Nations climate summit to be replaced over his ties to the fossil fuel sector and for the industry's influence at the upcoming talks to be sharply limited.

The United Arab Emirates has been strongly criticized by environmental advocates for nominating Sultan al-Jaber, the head of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, to preside over the Nov. 30 - Dec. 12 meeting in Dubai known as COP28.

In an open letter, the lawmakers urged U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, U.S. President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell to engage in diplomatic efforts to secure the withdrawal of the president-designate of COP28.

Citing the presence of hundreds of oil and gas industry lobbyists at last year's climate talks in Egypt, the lawmakers also called on leaders to take immediate steps to limit the influence of polluting industries, particularly major fossil fuel industry players whose business strategies lie at clear odds with the central goals of the 2015 Paris climate accord.

About three dozen U.S. senators and House members signed the letter, including both progressive and mainstream Democrats and independents. Veteran U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse helped organize the letter. U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Sen. Jeff Merkley were among those joining in.

Signatories from the European Parliament mostly came from members of the Greens, Social Democrats and the Left, but also from independents and one conservative lawmaker.

Al-Jaber's office responded to the letter by pointing to his experience attending 11 past U.N. climate conferences, his pledge to shift ADNOC's business away from fossil fuels and his role in founding Masdar, a renewable energy company.

We believe that Dr. Sultans experience as an engineer, working across the energy spectrum, coupled with his experience as a senior global industry leader, are assets that will help drive the UAEs transformative approach to COP28, it said.

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry has in the past described al-Jaber as a terrific choice to chair the talks.
US says Cuba still not cooperating fully against terrorism

Tourists in a vintage car pass by the U.S. Embassy in Havana

US says Cuba still not cooperating fully against terrorism Tourists in a vintage car pass by the U.S. Embassy in Havana

By Matt Spetalnick and Dave Sherwood

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Tuesday once again listed Cuba among a group of countries that the United States says are not cooperating fully in its fight against terrorism, drawing a sharp rebuke from Havana.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a notice published in the U.S. Federal Register, named Cuba among five countries - along with Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Syria - that the United States says fall short of its expectations on the issue.

The State Department is required by law to provide this list annually to the U.S. Congress.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Twitter: The mendacious accusations against Cuba regarding terrorism persist from Washington, an abominable crime that the U.S. has practiced without scruples and that it opportunistically uses as a tool of political coercion.

The U.S. assessment is almost identical to those issued by President Joe Bidens administration over the past two years, which stuck with the Trump administrations determination.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for an explanation of the decision.

I hereby determine and certify to the Congress that the following countries are not cooperating fully with United States antiterrorism efforts: Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, or North Korea), Iran, Syria, and Venezuela, Blinken wrote.

The Biden administration last year partially rolled back some Trump-era restrictions on remittances and travel to the Communist-ruled island, measures that Havana said were insufficient.

Former U.S. president Donald Trump, a Republican, separately designated Cuba a state sponsor of terrorism before leaving office in January 2021, a measure distinct from the assessment of insufficient cooperation.

This was part of Trumps reversal of rapprochement with Cuba initiated by his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, under whom Biden served as vice president.

The Biden administration has said the state sponsor designation is still under review.

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick; editing by Mark Heinrich)
USS John Finns second-in-command fired along with CO last week

Navy officials confirmed Tuesday that the executive officer of the guided-missile destroyer John Finn, Cmdr. Jonathan Zang, was relieved Friday, the same day that the warships commander, Cmdr. Angela Gonzales, was removed from command.

The Navy issued a brief press release Saturday announcing Gonzales firing, but made no mention of Zangs relief.

U.S. 7th Fleet spokeswoman Cmdr. Hayley Sims confirmed to Navy Times Tuesday that Zang was also relieved along with Gonzales due to a loss of confidence in their ability to fulfill their responsibilities in leading the ship.

Navy relieves commanding officer of destroyer John Finn in Japan

A spokeswoman in the Navys main Washington, D.C., press office, Cmdr. Jacqueline Pau, said the Navys policy for announcing CO firings differs from when other members of the command triad are sacked.

We publicly release the COs name in Navy.mil stories, but the XO and (command master chief) are response to queries, she said, meaning that such information is only shared if a reporter asks.

Gonzales took command of the ship in March 2022, according to the Navy, and John Finns command firings come after the warship traveled from San Diego to its new home port in Yokosuka, Japan, in March of this year.

A Navy Times reporter first realized that Zang might have been relieved as well after visiting John Finns leadership page and seeing that both the CO and XO slots were empty.
A village that's believed to have inspired the film 'Frozen' has a wall installed to stop tourists flocking there for selfies

The wooden fence partially blocks the scenic view in Hallstatt. REINHARD HORMANDINGER/APA/AFP via Getty Images

An Austrian village has had a temporary wall installed in a bid to cut visitor numbers, per CNN.

Hallstatt is rumored to be the inspiration for Disney's "Frozen."

The Alpine village has a tiny population but has been plagued with overtourism for years.

Officials in the Austrian village of Hallstatt, which is rumored to have inspired Disney's "Frozen," have put up a wall to stop too many tourists flocking there for selfies.

The temporary wooden structure is part of a pilot project and one of several measures officials are trying out to limit the influx of visitors, per CNN.

The Alpine village has been plagued with overtourism for years, according to a separate article by CNN.



The UNESCO-protected spot has a population of around 800 people. However, visitor numbers can reach up to 10,000 visitors a day, according to the BBC.

The area is thought to be the inspiration for Arendelle, the fictional setting for Disney's hit film. At the peak of the film's popularity in 2020, mayor Alexander Scheutz told The Times of London he wanted to bring down tourist numbers by at least a third.

Overtourism has been an increasingly pressing problem for several European hotspots in recent years, with destinations like Venice and Barcelona actively encouraging people to stay away. Social media often drives interest in such areas from travelers from all over the world.

To combat the crowds, other villages and cities have instituted measures to reduce tourists. In Florence, for example, a 500, or $555, fine has been implemented for tourists eating on the pavement and on doorsteps in front of shops, The Telegraph reported.

In the Netherlands, Amsterdam recently launched a campaign to reduce the number of tourists looking to party while taking drugs in the city, Insider's Aditi Bharade reported. The campaign was aimed at "messy" young British men.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Volcanoes are erupting, spewing ash on these three continents

A woman walks on the ash-covered streets from the Popocatepetl volcano in Santiago Xalitzintla, Mexico, Monday, May 22, 2023.

Active volcanoes prompted ash warnings and set nerves on edge in Italy, Mexico and the Democratic Republic of Congo over the weekend.

Mount Etna showered ash over Catania in eastern Sicily Sunday and forced the temporary suspension of airport operations. Ash also briefly closed Mexico City's largest airport and the eruption of Volcano Popocatepetl prompted officials to urge people to avoid traveling near it.

The Nyamulagira volcano in the Democratic Republic of Congo also continued ongoing activity and lava flow.

The volcanoes are among nearly 50 volcanoes active around the world

Explainer: The tremendous explosion and impact of the Tonga volcano

Volcano Popocatepetl prompts warnings in Mexico City

Volcanic ash from Popocatepetl triggered the temporary closure of Mexico Citys Benito Juarez International Airport on Saturday, according to the U.S. Embassy. Flight delays related to the presence of ash also were reported Monday.

CNN reported that millions were warned to prepare for possible evacuation Popocatepetl, as authorities closed schools in dozens of municipalities.

Asi amanece hoy el volcan #Popocatepetl.



Vista San Nicolas de los Ranchos #Puebla via @jabed1



Para ver en tiempo real: https://t.co/4yt8RjRzbm



GIF pic.twitter.com/AArabpESCH  Webcams de Mexico (@webcamsdemexico) May 22, 2023

People were urged not to travel within a 7.5 mile radius of the volcano and to avoid the crater, due to the danger of falling ballistic fragments, according to Mexicos National Center for Communication and Civil Protection Operations.

The volcano has experienced explosions, tremors and exhalations of vapor, gas and ashes for weeks, according to monitoring reports from the national center and the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Ash fell across more than a dozen municipalities over the weekend.

Volcano Popocatepetl lies near Puebla, about 45 miles southwest of Mexico City.

CNN reported 25 million people live within a 60-mile radius of the volcano.

Watch Popocatepetl on webcams

Mount Etna spews ash

Stepped up tremor activity had been noted at Mount Etna for several days, reported Italys National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.

No injuries were reported and cloud cover was impeding views of the eruption on Sunday, the agency said.

People in the towns of Adrano and Biancavilla reported hearing loud booms from the volcano on Sunday

Activity frequently originates from multiple cones in the craters at Etnas summit, according to the Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey.

Lava flows were reported in January, and an explosion on May 14 produced an ash admission, the group stated.

Activity at Mount Etna has been observed and recorded for more than 2,500 years, making it one of the oldest continuously monitored volcanoes.

What happened at the Nyamulagira volcano?

Lava flowed on Saturday and Sunday from an ongoing eruption inside the Nyamulagira volcano, reported Charles Balagizi, a geochemist and geohazards researcher at the Goma Volcano Observatory in a Twitter post. The volcano is north of Goma, on the eastern side of the Democratic Republic of Congo near the border with Rwanda.

Nyamulagira is Africa's most active volcano.

It was releasing large quantities of sulphur dioxide over the weekend, Balagizi said.

He encouraged residents in the region to wash all vegetables before cooking.

An eruption began in the summit crater on March 14 and active flows were seen on May 7 and May 12, according to the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program.

The volcano has been active since April 2018.

How many volcanoes are active?

As of April 14, 49 volcanoes around the world were in continuing eruption status, according to the Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program. Last week, 24 were in some stage of active eruption, according to the program's latest weekly report.

USA TODAY

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Popocatepetl, Etna, Nyamulaira volcanoes threaten Mexico, Italy, Africa
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the financier of the Wagner Group, said that after 1 June, his mercenaries would not be present along the entire contact line in Ukraine for at least two months. The Institute for the Study of War believes that the Wagner private military company (PMC) may miss the main stages of Ukraine's counteroffensive.

Source: Yevgeny Prigozhin; ISW report

Details: On 20 May 2023, Prigozhin recorded a video against the backdrop of the ruins of Bakhmut, in which he declared the complete capture of the city by mercenaries of the Wagner PMC. According to Prigozhin, his mercenaries had been storming Bakhmut for 224 days, and in total they had been "fighting" for 427 days, so by 25 May they would "inspect" Bakhmut and then leave the city, handing it over to the Russian Ministry of Defence.

On 21 May, Prigozhin's press service shared his response to the LIVE24 outlet regarding further assaults in the vicinity of Bakhmut.

Quote from Prigozhin: "Today [21 May  ed.], the Wagner PMC did not advance or seize any territories. We have captured all the territories we promised to seize to the last square centimetre. That is why we are not going to Khromove, and we are not going to Ivanivske.

As I said, we are handing over our positions to the Ministry of Defence and leaving the war zone on 25 May. We have been fighting for 428 days. All tasks that will continue to be performed are carried out by the brave units of the Ministry of Defence.

And we are going to the field camps. From 1 June, not a single Wagner PMC soldier will be on the contact line. Until we are re-formed, re-equipped and re-trained. All reports that the Wagner PMC is storming something will be fake in the next two months."

Details: Prigozhin said that if anything changes in the plans, he will inform everyone.

The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) analysed Prigozhin's statements and pointed out that analysts had previously believed that Wagner's forces were unlikely to continue fighting after Bakhmut due to severe exhaustion and the culmination of their offensive capabilities.

Quote: "The two-month reconstitution period Prigozhin has announced could have Wagner forces sitting out key parts of the Ukrainian counter-offensive depending on when and how it begins."

Details: Ukrainian officials do not acknowledge the complete loss of Bakhmut and report fighting and a certain Ukrainian advance on the "flanks"  north and south of the destroyed city.

For example, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that fighting in Bakhmut was ongoing and that Russian forces had conducted unsuccessful ground attacks in the area of Hryhorivka (8 km northwest of Bakhmut) and south of Ivanivske (directly west of Bakhmut).

Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said that Ukrainian forces are holding positions in a fortified area in the west of Bakhmut and that fighting for the heights north and south of Bakhmut continues.

ISW has reported that Russia is focused on who to credit for the "victory" in Bakhmut and says little about the shaky Russian military situation in and around the city.

US analysts believe that Russian offensive efforts in the area "may have reached a culmination, giving Ukrainian forces the opportunity to launch further counterattacks on the already weakened flanks of Bakhmut".

Quote from ISW: "Wagners withdrawal in contact will also likely result in the Russian MoD manning defensive lines with poorly trained and provisioned conventional units similar to those that retreated from their positions while defending against Ukrainian counterattacks earlier in May. The Russian information space is largely ignoring these vulnerabilities, however."

Background:

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COURTESY OF NETFLIX

Celebrated comedian Wanda Sykes isnt afraid of being called a woke comic. Shes also not afraid to call out fellow standup Dave Chappelle for his hurtful and damaging comments to the trans community.

In a new interview with Variety, the 59-year-old comic discusses her new Netflix special, Wanda Sykes: Im An Entertainer, which includes several jabs at queerphobic conservatives, drag bans, and transgender bathroom laws.

Sykes, who identifies as a lesbian, admits she wanted to offer a perspective on the other side of Chappelles transphobic rhetoric over the past few years. Infamously, his 2021 Netflix special The Closer, which included several anti-trans jokes, triggered an employee walkout at Netflix, tons of online outrage, and continuing discourse about the ethics of making trans jokes.

Hannah Gadsby Takes on Dave Chappelles Toxic Perspective

I dont know about balancing it out, Sykes says of her special, because I think what [Chappelle] said was so hurtful and damaging to the trans community. So yeah, the scale is still tipped, I will say, in their favor. But I know I wanted to say something because so much has been said on that platform.

In Im An Entertainer, the former talk show host calls out the controversial anti-drag bill that was passed in Tennessee back in March. Until a drag queen walks into a school and beats eight kids to death with a copy of To Kill A Mockingbird, I think youre focusing on the wrong shit, she says in the special.

She also points out the absurdity of prohibiting trans women in womens bathrooms, highlighting how un-ladylike public womens restrooms typically are, concluding, I welcome my trans sisters into the ladies room. Maybe youll make us do better.

Wanda Sykes Mocks Trumps Eulogy for Diamond of Diamond and Silk on Daily Show

Sykes also addresses the backlash from some establishment comedians (read: older, usually male, straight, cis) towards so-called woke comicsusually women and other people from marginalized groups. The former Oscars host said shes hardly offended by the title, referencing other iconic woke comedians like Dick Gregory and George Carlin.

If you want to give me the label of a woke comic, thats fine, Sykes tells Variety. Thats great. What makes me laugh is that they say that like its an insult. Oh, theyre woke. Thank you! Yeah, I read some stuff from time to time. Yeah, I know a few things. Its not an insult at all.

Its almost like theyre angry that were evolving, she adds. Its sad, really.

Sykes is the latest A-list comic to indirectly address Chapelles remarks on Netflix's platform. In MoNiques long-awaited special, My Name is MoNique last month, the Oscar winner defended the rights of LGBTQ+ people, in addition to coming out as queer herself. I respect every-motherfucking-body in here free enough to be their goddamn selves, she said.

Neal Brennan on His New Netflix Special and Finally Emerging From Dave Chappelles Shadow

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A Patek Philippe wristwatch with a crown-like symbol once owned by China's last emperor sold for more than $6 million on the auction block

A Patek Philippe wristwatch once owned by China's last emperor sold for more than $6 million at auction in Hong Kong on Tuesday.

The Ref 96 Quantieme Lune timepiece, which boasts a crown-like moon phase, originally belonged to Aisin-Gioro Puyi, the final monarch of the Chinese Qing dynasty.

Emperor at the age of two in 1908, Puyi was immortalised by Bernardo Bertolucci's Oscar-winning film "The Last Emperor," but left a mixed legacy.

More than 20 years after being forced to abdicate, he was installed as the puppet leader of Japanese-occupied Manchuria, before he was captured in 1945 after the fall of Japan and taken to a Soviet prison camp.

British auction house Phillips said it had documentation that showed Puyi had brought the watch with him to the camp.

It was expected to fetch about $3 million but, after about five minutes of spirited bidding, it was sold for HK$40 million ($5.1 million). With the buyer's premium fee, the total price came to about $6.2 million.

Thomas Perazzi, Phillips' head of watches in Asia, said he was "thrilled with this groundbreaking sale" because it set records.

Those records included "the highest result of any Patek Philippe reference 96 ever sold", according to a news release.

The Ref 96 -- austere compared to the usual luxury pieces on sale in auction houses -- was the first "complication wristwatch" serially produced by Patek Philippe, with Perazzi saying there are currently only "three examples known" in the world.

According to the memoir of Puyi's nephew Aisin-Gioro Yuyuan, the watch was a "personal item" of the deposed emperor, who passed it to his Russian interpreter Georgy Permyakov for safe-keeping when he left the prison camp.

Russell Working, a journalist who interviewed Permyakov more than 20 years ago, told AFP that the elderly interpreter had no idea of its value when he pulled the timepiece from his drawer.

"To have this one surface all of a sudden after all these years, it was like a treasure chest washing up on the beach," said Working, who was part of the auction house's research team.

Another item on auction was a red paper fan, inscribed with a poem by Puyi "dedicated to my comrade Permyakov". That fetched more than $77,800 -- six times its pre-sale estimate.

Puyi's watch, while historically significant, is far from the most expensive timepiece ever sold on the auction block.

A Patek Philippe "Grandmaster Chime" sold for $31 million in 2019. It is said to be the most complex timepiece the luxury watchmaker has ever created, with 20 complications.

ana-dhc/bgs
Microsoft Build 2023 kicked off with an opening keynote from CEO Satya Nadella, followed by two other keynote sessions. Surprising absolutely no one, there was a big focus on AI. While we have coverage of all the big news, if you want to hear the updates straight from the source without watching the entire thing, you can check out our supercut below.

Perhaps the biggest announcement is that Microsoft will soon embed AI deeply into Windows 11. Windows Copilot, which you'll be able to try a preview of next month, can be used in a similar way to Bing AI. So, you can ask it general questions like you would of the search engine chatbot. However, you can also use text prompts to change Windows settings, summarize documents and carry out a host of other tasks on your desktop.

Also on the Windows 11 front, AI will power live captions for more languages and Microsoft will roll out Bluetooth Low Energy Audio support for compatible devices. Elsewhere, the company will infuse AI into the Microsoft Store and Edge. On top of that, Bing Search will soon be integrated into ChatGPT, while Microsoft plans to help third-party developers build their own AI apps and copilots that are compatible with ChatGPT.
A runaway steer outsmarted wranglers along a Michigan interstate, but it was no match for one cowboy with a lasso, video shows.

Michigan State Police troopers put Western-inspired music to the dramatic video of the capture Sunday, May 21, on Interstate 75.

Troopers said the steer was stuck in a gravel pit in a road next to the interstate, and a team of wranglers comparable to the cast of Yellowstone were called to the area in case the animal escaped.

The services of the wranglers  some on horseback, others on 4-wheelers  were much needed.

The nearly 2-minute long dash cam video shows a wrangler on horseback patrolling the shoulder of the interstate when the steer is chased onto the busy roadway.

The steer gallops onto the interstate as cars were traveling on its left, video shows. Behind the steer was the cowboy riding a horse and equipped with a lasso.

Troopers described much tomfoolery in the capturing of the steer, which ran across the three northbound lanes of the interstate before being brought to safety.

And we know that if there are no pictures or video it didnt happen. pic.twitter.com/9QLgwciYAs  MSP Second District (@mspmetrodet) May 22, 2023

The bovine was not charged and is back in the pasture with a story to tell all the other livestock, Michigan State Police said

The steer, named Lester, had been on the loose for six weeks, WXYZ reported. He slipped away while being moved to a new farm, according to the station.

Before Sundays capture on the interstate, it was like a needle in a haystack trying to find the 2-ton animal, a woman looking for the steer told WXYZ.

Its quite a unique thing, Michigan Department of Transportation spokesperson Diane Cross told The Detroit News. How that cow didnt get hit, thank goodness.

Runaway ponys arrest went viral. Now he has a new purpose as a therapy horse

Sassy seal makes a trip from pond to Massachusetts police precinct, photos show

Runaway horse taken into custody after blocking I-64 traffic in Virginia, photo shows
Waymo, Uber set aside past rift over self-driving car technology to team up on robotaxis in Phoenix

FILE - Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego arrives in a Waymo self-driving vehicle on Dec. 16, 2022, at the Sky Harbor International Airport Sky Train facility in Phoenix. Self-driving car pioneer Waymo announced Thursday, May 4, 2023, that its robotaxis will be able to carry passengers through most of the Phoenix area for the first time. (AP Photo/Matt York, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Self-driving car pioneer Waymo is teaming up with ride-hailing leader Uber in the Phoenix area to transport passengers and deliver food in robotic cars that triggered a bitter technological dispute between the two companies.

The partnership announced Tuesday provides Waymo with another avenue to expand a robotaxi service that it has been running in the Phoenix area since late 2020 while competing to attract passengers from Uber cars that still depend on humans who receive portion of the fares.

Phoenix so far is the only major metropolitan area where a robotaxi operates throughout most of the city, although Waymo and General Motors subsidiary Cruise are vying to run similar autonomous services in San Francisco.

Waymo is making its driverless vehicles available to Uber in Phoenix five years after the two companies spent millions of dollars battling each other in court. The showdown culminated in Uber agreeing to a $245 million settlement to resolve a lawsuit alleging former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick conspired with former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski to steal Waymo's self-driving car technology.

After inheriting the technology from Google in a spin-off, Waymo sued Uber in 2017. That led to a high-profile trial that brought Kalanick into court to testify before the two sides negotiated a surprise settlement in February 2018.

Levandowski later pled guilty to criminal charges that arose from the civil lawsuit, but avoided a 18-month prison sentence in January 2021 when he was pardoned by President Donald Trump just before he left office.

Uber subsequently sold the self-driving car division that triggered the theft allegations and also provided the technology in a robotic vehicle that killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona, in March 2018.

But Uber has remained interested in driverless technology as a potential way to boost its profits by reducing the need for humans behind the wheel. The new alliance in Phoenix will involve Waymo dispatching some of its driverless vehicles to pick up passengers and deliver food when summoned through the Uber app at some point later this year.

The two companies didn't disclose how many of Waymo's robotaxis will be used to pick up Uber passengers and deliver food.

The addition of Waymo's robotaxis figures to help Uber build on the momentum that it has been gaining during the past year as the easing pandemic encouraged more passengers to begin summoning rides again while its food delivery service has retained many of the customers who began using during home lockdowns.

Supporting Uber's services also works to the advantage of Waymo by introducing its autonomous vehicles to a wider segment of the population in the Phoenix area. Earlier this month, Waymo extended the reach of its robotaxis to cover most of that region as it gears up to begin charging passengers for a similar service in San Francisco.

Both Waymo and Cruise are hoping to win approval to begin charging for around-the-clock driverless rides throughout San Francisco from California regulators during a hearing scheduled for June 29.
CANANDAIGUA, NY  Local veterans doing what they can to reduce the number 22- the approximate number of veterans who commit suicide each day - got a significant boost in their efforts.

West Herr Automotive Group donated $11,000 to support a local Challenge 22 event, which raises funds for groups treating and supporting at-risk veterans and awareness of veteran suicide.

Several veterans groups accepted the donation to help with the event, which will be held Saturday, June 10, in Canandaigua.

And to return the favor, veterans involved in the event presented the auto dealership with their Stars & Stripes honor for ongoing generosity, for which words cannot be expressed, said Dave Brisbane, commandant of the Memorial Day Detachment 468 of the Marine Corps League.

West Herr Automotive Group General Manager Mike Skidd is presented with the Stars & Stripes honor by several veterans groups as part of the upcoming Challenge 22 event in Canandaigua. West Herr donated $11,000 for the cause.

Their leadership and concern for Americas veterans and those right here in the Finger Lakes cannot be overstated, Brisbane said.

Meeting the challenge of veteran suicide

Last year, $54,000 was raised during the event, well over the goal of $22,000.

Money distributed to the Canandaigua VA Medical Center, Warrior Salute, Equicenter and Marine Corps Coordinating Council to aid in these groups' efforts to help veterans and, in the process, reduce that suicide rate.

Another goal last year also was realized this year.

Since last year, organizers wanted to get more veterans groups involved in the planning of the event and raising money. Mission accomplished, with members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, AMVETs and Vietnam Veterans joining counterparts from the Marine Corps League and American Legion in helping to plan for this year's event and raise money and awareness of veteran suicide.

About the Challenge 22 event in Canandaigua

The Canandaigua American Legion Post 254 will host the event Saturday, June 10. Registration is from 9 a.m. to noon.

A 2.2-mile walk is intended to highlight the issue of 22 veteran suicides a day, as well as show support for the efforts of helping veterans.

Food trucks, live music, silent auction and car shows are also planned that day. Motorcycle enthusiasts will be touring Canandaigua Lake as a further show of support.

To help Challenge 22

For those who want to support Challenge 22, visit MCL468.com.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: West Herr Automotive Group donation helps combat veteran suicide
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby called the Biden administrations new airline passenger compensation plan bad public policy, saying that anytime costs are involved, safety could take a hit.

I think its really bad public policy because ultimately it can chip away at safety when you bring any kind of cost into the mix, Kirby told Savannah Guthrie on the Today Show on Tuesday. I dont want our employees even thinking about costs when theyre making safety decisions.

The comments come in the wake of a proposed new White House plan to compensate airline passengers for any travel delays that could be prevented. The move comes on the heels of significant backlash after last years holiday season, when the airline industry and the federal government dealt with mass flight delays and cancellations as well as numerous stranded passengers.

The initiative would involve compensation in addition to refunds and other amenities to consumers, food or meal vouchers, overnight accommodations, transportation to a hotel, and timely customer service. Additionally, regulations will also include an enhanced dashboard on FlightRights.gov that shows which amenities each airline provides.

Kirby says one of the biggest concerns in aviation is air traffic control, calling it the overwhelming issue right now.

To alleviate any issues that might pop up with United and its fleet, Kirby says the company now employs 10 percent more staff than it has in the past, which enables it to run the most reliable operation in the companys history and help reduce travel stress.

However, Kirby said passengers should not expect a dip in pricing. When asked about the surge in ticket prices, Kirby also commented that airline pricing has returned to what it was pre-pandemic.

Were back to a new normal in pricing, which is really where we were before the pandemic hit, Kirby said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The News

The Biden administration is looking to create a new national strategy on artificial intelligence, but first its asking the public to weigh in on some of the thorniest issues related to the fast-evolving field.

In order to seize the opportunities AI presents, we must first manage its risks, the White House says in a fact sheet announcing the effort. Through July 7, the administration is looking for input on a long list of questions, including what safeguards are necessary to protect individual rights as AI advances, what its impact on Americans jobs might be, and how the tech can be used to improve government services.

The new strategy will build on some of the governments previous efforts to grapple with the promise and perils of AI tech. Those include the National Artificial Research and Development Strategic Plan, which is also being updated to include an emphasis on international collaboration.

The R&D roadmap was last changed in 2019, and is aimed at driving innovation while addressing AIs legal and societal implications. The refreshed edition aims to ensure AI tools become trustworthy, reliable, dependable, and safe," while creating technical standards informed by the administrations previously published Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights.

The White House is also releasing a new report on the risks and opportunities AI could create in education. Lawmakers have already begun to predict that the technology could cause disruption for schools not unlike the birth of the internet.

The benefits to society will likely far outweigh the costs, but dealing with the resulting change will undoubtedly require a major shift in our education system, our workforce and our laws, Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., the only sitting member with an advanced degree in AI, wrote in a recent op-ed.

Know More

The administrations effort is the latest sign of how the emergence of ChatGPT has created a new sense of urgency around AI across Washington. Before today, for instance, the governments R&D plan had only been minimally updated since it was first issued in 2016.

The Biden administrations initiative to craft a national strategy could put it a step ahead of Congress, where lawmakers are just beginning to learn about the technology, and are admittedly in the information-gathering stages of thinking through potential regulation. But there seems to be an early consensus in Washington about the need to disclose when and how we interact with AI.

We need to be able to do testing and analysis on this stuff and understand where the data comes from, how it was trained, and understand how a particular platform comes up with the product that it has. And that is not trivial, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM told Semafor.

During a Senate hearing last week, Sam Altman, the CEO of ChatGPT creator OpenAI, raised concerns that AI could cause significant harm to the world if handled incorrectly and urged Congress to regulate the technology.
(Bloomberg) -- The White House is hosting a forum for workers whose employers use automated systems to monitor them, and plans a broader effort to ask Americans what priorities the government should pursue regarding artificial intelligence as President Joe Biden weighs new regulations on emerging workplace technologies.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The meeting with White House officials on Tuesday will feature employees from call centers, warehouses, health care, gig work and the trucking industry, as the administration seeks to better understand how companies deploy automated technology for worker surveillance.

Companies including Amazon.com Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc. have come under criticism from labor groups who say technologies designed to improve performance and efficiency can push them to accept unsafe working conditions.

Separately, the White Houses science and technology office is asking Americans to identify priorities for protecting individual rights and safety as it considers artificial intelligence programs. Biden and other Group of Seven leaders discussed the emerging technology at their summit over the weekend in Japan, calling for the adoption of technical standards to keep the technology trustworthy and in line with our shared democratic values.

Generative artificial intelligence tools have come under increased regulatory scrutiny as their popular use has exploded in recent months following the debut of OpenAIs ChatGPT. Microsoft Corp. has incorporated AI technology into its Bing search product, and Alphabet Inc.s Google released its rival Bard chatbot in March.

The Commerce Department in April said it was considering regulations that could require AI models to go through a certification process before they are released, and the Federal Trade Commission has said the agency is closely monitoring the use of artificial intelligence tools. European Union lawmakers have been drafting the AI Act, which would regulate the emerging technology.

The White House on Tuesday is also releasing an updated roadmap intended to govern federal investment in AI technologies. The document says the administration will prioritize its investments in systems that serve the public good and respect individual privacy rights.

Federal funding will also make a priority of AI technologies that address challenges like climate change, health care, and manufacturing.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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The News

There were few signs that Democrats and Republicans had come much closer to a debt ceiling deal by the time House Speaker Kevin McCarthy emerged from his 90-minute meeting at the White House on Monday. But the acrimony that had clouded talks over the past few days seemed to have lifted, with leaders from both sides offering cautiously upbeat assessments as aides continued negotiations late into the evening.

"I think the tone tonight was better than any other time we've had discussions, McCarthy told reporters after his meeting. President Biden issued his own statement saying, We reiterated once again that default is off the table and the only way to move forward is in good faith toward a bipartisan agreement.

As it plugged away at talks with McCarthy, the White House also attempted to calm unease percolating among Congressional Democrats, who are concerned that any final deal capable of winning GOP support would have to impose severe budget cuts or new burdensome work requirements on safety net programs.

According to two Democratic Senate aides, Biden staffers unexpectedly joined a weekly messaging call with Senate Democratic offices on Monday. During it, White House communications director Kate Berner told participants that the administration will not take votes from his own partys lawmakers for granted as negotiations go on. What we are very much trying to emphasize is a bipartisan deal can't be made solely on their partisan terms, Berner said, according to one of the aides on the call.

A group of 11 Senate Democrats have continued urging Biden to keep his options open, and be prepared to sidestep Congress and declare the debt limit unconstitutional under the 14th amendment. One of them, Senate Budget Chair Sheldon Whitehouse, warned on Monday that a bipartisan deal may well collapse in the upper chamber.

"If it's something that can pass through the House, it's highly unlikely we'd pass it in the Senate, the Rhode Island senator said in a press call organized by the left-leaning Roosevelt Institute.

Some Congressional Democrats are getting more specific about concessions theyre willing to make to Republicans. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries acknowledged for the first time on Monday that members of his caucus were open to holding federal spending at current levels next year, an option the White House has proposed in talks.

We're willing to discuss freezing spending, Jeffries told reporters on Monday evening. That's an inherently reasonable position many in our party might even be uncomfortable with, but President Biden recognizes we're in a divided government situation.

Republicans have already rejected that offer, however. On Monday, McCarthy once again said his members would only accept a deal that cut next years overall discretionary spending below its 2023 levels.

Republicans have made that math more daunting however by pushing to boost the Pentagon and veterans budgets. That leaves non-defense programs that make up just 15% of the federal budget, but are cherished by Democrats  such as initiatives for childcare, housing, education, and scientific research  to absorb the cuts.

I'm just saying to you, look at what is being proposed in terms of cuts, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the appropriations panel, told reporters. Don't talk about spending in the abstract. Headstart  200,000 kids no slots, 100,000 kids without childcare.

Joseph's view

If Biden does manage to strike a deal with McCarthy, it seems unlikely Congressional Democrats would really vote to reject it and throw the stability of the entire global economy into question, no matter how strongly they feel about the merits of the 14th Amendment or $1 trillion coin as workarounds. And its all but certain that few if any in either party are going to be completely satisfied with any agreement capable of passing both houses of Congress.

If they come out and AOC is mad and Chip Roy is mad, then you're probably looking at a bill that has a chance of passing, a House Democratic aide told Semafor. If one of them is super happy, then you're maybe looking at voting math problems.

Room for Disagreement

Who knows, maybe Whitehouse isnt bluffing.
Jessica Bernardo, who has joined the Texas abortion lawsuit, at her home in the Dallas area on May 18. (LM Otero/AP)

Eight more women have joined a lawsuit filed by five women against the state of Texas, where, they say, abortion laws prevented them from terminating their pregnancies despite life-threatening health concerns.

One of the women signing on to the lawsuit is an ob-gyn who was forced to travel to Colorado to abort a pregnancy that had resulted in the diagnosis of a fatal fetal anomaly. Another woman learned in the 22nd week of pregnancy that her baby boy had anencephaly and wouldnt survive, but was told she either had to wait for the babys heart to stop beating or carry the pregnancy to term.

Dr. Austin Dennard, who had to travel out of state to end a pregnancy, at her home in Dallas on May 18. (LM Otero/AP)

Filed in March by the Center for Reproductive Rights, Zurawski v. State of Texas is attracting a growing number of plaintiffs who say they have been adversely impacted by the states strict abortion regulations that prohibit the procedure unless the life of the mother is at risk.

If it wasnt from our initial filing, it is so clear now that this is an ongoing, pervasive problem in the state of Texas and around the country, Molly Duane, the lead attorney on the case at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said during a Monday press call.

Heres everything you need to know about how we got here and whats next.

What are the abortion laws in Texas?

Abortion is now banned in Texas under its so-called trigger law, which does not make exceptions for rape, incest or severe fetal abnormality. Exceptions are allowed for medical emergencies concerning the pregnant woman, which are defined as risk of death or a substantial impairment of a major bodily function.

Doctors face steep penalties if they perform an abortion in any case outside of those exceptions, including prison sentences of up to 99 years, $100,000 fines and loss of their medical licenses.

And even before the fall of Roe v. Wade, Texas passed a law, S.B. 8, that bans most abortions after cardiac activity is detected, and allows civilians to enforce it by suing anyone who aided or abetted in an abortion.

What does the lawsuit say?

The case was originally filed on behalf of five women and two board-certified ob-gyns. The women claim that they experienced pain and suffering because they were denied abortion care in Texas despite facing medical emergencies while pregnant.

I cannot adequately put into words the trauma and despair that comes with waiting to either lose your own life, your childs  or both, Amanda Zurawski, the lead plaintiff in the case, testified before a congressional panel in late April.

Amanda Zurawski testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill on April 26. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

The physicians suing the state claim that they struggle to meet their ethical obligations and patient needs under the states abortion bans.

Widespread fear and confusion regarding the scope of Texass abortion bans has chilled the provision of necessary obstetric care, including abortion care, Dr. Damla Karsan says in the lawsuit.

The additional eight plaintiffs who recently joined the lawsuit include women of color, those with disabilities and survivors of partner violence, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights.

What are the plaintiffs asking for?

The plaintiffs want the court to clarify the parameters of the medical emergency exception under the states abortion bans by creating a binding interpretation so that physicians can exercise their good-faith judgment regarding what patients qualify under medical exceptions, rather than allowing politicians and state officials to make those decisions, according to a Center for Reproductive Rights press release.

Why isnt the lawsuit seeking to overturn the Texas abortion ban?

We have to be realistic, Duane said during Mondays press call. Even before Roe v. Wade was overturned, Texas had one of the most restrictive abortion schemes in the country. We are cognizant any lawsuit seeking to expand abortion access in the state of Texas will be an uphill battle.

What has Texass response been?

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, along with the state medical board and its director. After the lawsuit was filed in March, a spokesman for Paxton said in an email to the Associated Press that he is committed to doing everything in his power to protect mothers, families, and unborn children, and he will continue to defend and enforce the laws duly enacted by the Texas Legislature.

Really, the only response that I have seen from anti-abortion folks since the filing of our lawsuit is to say that these are isolated incidents, or situations where one doctor doesnt understand the law, Duane said during the press call.

Whats next?

So we have obviously been in conversation with the state about when we could have a hearing and we dont have an exact date yet, but the plan is to have a hearing this summer, potentially in July, Duane said during Mondays press call. Im hoping to work out the details of all of that with the state in the coming week, so that we can start preparing, because what the stories that youve heard today make clear is that these things are happening every single day in Texas.
Kirsty Wigglesworth/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

A British judges ruling Tuesday that Prince Harry cannot legally challenge the British governments decision not to allow him to pay for police protection while he is in the U.K. augurs badly for his overall argument that, when in the U.K., he should be entitled to automatic, high-level police protection of the kind he had when a working royal, a legal expert said today.

The ruling will come as a fresh blow to Harry and Meghan Markle just days after they were accused of exaggerating security concerns by claiming they were the subject of a near catastrophic chase with paparazzi through the streets of Manhattan.

Although the ruling Tuesday does not technically end Harrys case seeking automatic police protection for him and his family while on British soil, which Harry believes he should retain due to the inherited risk of his position, it is being seen by some as a signal that Harrys entire action is going down the tubes.

Royal Friends Mock Harry and Meghan as NYC Car Chase Story Unravels

The writing is on the wall for this case now, Mark Stephens, a media lawyer at Howard Kennedy, told The Daily Beast, saying that he had always believed Harry was unlikely to prevail, and that he now felt more confident in that view.

Stephens said that the states essential argumentthat it can decide who it wants to protect and to what extent, and that the police force cannot be obliged to hire itself outhad been sustained.

The British Home Office argued that were wealthy individuals, such as Harry, to be allowed to buy police protection, it would undermine public confidence in the police and detract from their core duties.

A different hearing previously found, however, that Harry could bring a case arguing his core claim that he should simply be entitled to automatic protection in Britain. That was not ruled on Tuesday, and that case is proceeding.

Tuesdays ruling on their security provision could not have come at a worse time for Harry after the couple were widely accused of having massively exaggerated the danger they were in when they were followed by paparazzi for two hours in New York City this week.

The couple described a relentless pursuit by a ring of paparazzi and said the event was near catastrophic and that bystanders and police came close to being hit by the photographers cars.

Their comments swiftly became an object of derision after New Yorks mayor, the NYPD, and a taxi driver who drove them for a few blocks when they tried to switch cars all downplayed the incident.

There was even unfounded speculation that the Sussexes may have talked up the incident in an effort to garner sympathy for their ongoing action against the Home Office.

Harry has frequently complained of being harassed by photographers in the U.K. and is understood to have brought the overall action seeking a review of the Home Office decision to strip him of security after a car he was in was followed by photographers after he attended the unveiling of a statue of his mother, Princess Diana, in 2021.

In a statement issued at the time the action became public, his spokesperson said: Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life. He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats.

The statement added: The U.K. will always be Prince Harrys home and a country he wants his wife and children to be safe in. With the lack of police protection, comes too great a personal risk.

Neither Buckingham Palace nor a Sussex spokesperson would comment to The Daily Beast on todays ruling.

Harry has multiple other lawsuits proceeding at the present time, including a libel action against the publisher of the Daily Mail which, he says, misrepresented him in an article about the action that was in court today.

He is also suing Mirror Group Newspapers and News Group Newspapers over phone hacking allegations.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- At the invitation of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen Hassen will pay an official visit to China from May 24 to 28, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Tuesday. Enditem.
Why some Democrats think Biden shouldn't worry about legal challenges that would come from getting rid of the debt ceiling forever

U.S. President Joe Biden. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

A US default could be days away, and Congress still doesn't have a debt ceiling deal.

Some Democrats think Biden should use the 14th Amendment to address the crisis.

They argue the potential legal challenges from that route should not deter Biden from acting.

Debt ceiling talks between President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy aren't going well, and a default on the nation's debt could be as soon as nine days away.

That's why a growing number of Democratic lawmakers are urging the president to solve the crisis without Congress, even as Biden seems to doubt his authority to do so.

On Monday evening, McCarthy and Biden met once again to attempt to reach an agreement on raising the debt ceiling and avoiding an unprecedented default. While both leaders said the talks were "productive," there appeared to be minimal progress toward a deal  and McCarthy told reporters on Tuesday that he is not close to reaching an agreement at this point.

With a default looming, some Democrats think Biden should take care of the debt ceiling on his own by invoking a clause in the 14th Amendment that states 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."

Experts and lawmakers have said that this clause makes a default, and therefore the debt ceiling, unconstitutional, getting rid of the issue forever.

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day," Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote on Twitter on Monday. "In 2016, Trump was correct when he said: 'This is the United States government. First of all, you never have to default because you print the money.' It's time for the President to invoke the 14th Amendment & avoid a catastrophic default."

Sanders joined 10 of his Democratic colleagues last week in urging Biden to prepare to invoke the 14th Amendment, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus joined the push one day later. The CPC also noted that the debt ceiling conflicts with all the spending bills already passed by Congress, writing in a letter to Biden that "not only does the debt ceiling run counter to the Constitution's mandate that the validity of America's public debt shall not be questioned, it contradicts the appropriations law that requires the Treasury to issue debt for the funding you are obligated to administer at Congress's direction."

But Biden, and members of his administration, aren't so sure. On Sunday, Biden said during a press conference in Japan that "I'm looking at the 14th Amendment, as to whether or not we have the authority. I think we have the authority."

"The question is: Could it be done and invoked in time that it would not be appealed and, as a consequence, pass the date in question and still default on the debt," he continued. "That's a question that I think is unresolved."

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also expressed concerns with the 14th Amendment's legality, previously saying that "there would clearly be litigation around that; it's not a short-run solution. It's legally questionable whether or not that's a viable strategy."

But when the choice is between potential lawsuits or a default, some Democrats think the choice is clear.

Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Why Biden shouldn't worry about legal challenges

No president has ever invoked the 14th Amendment to address the debt ceiling. While the issue picked up steam during the 2011 debt-ceiling standoff, Congress managed to reach a last minute deal  but former President Bill Clinton said at the time that he would've invoked the clause "without hesitation, and force the courts to stop me."

Should Biden choose to invoke the 14th Amendment to address the current debt ceiling crisis, Republicans would likely sue (McCarthy, for example, has said he opposes the president taking that route). But the overarching belief among Democrats and experts who support that path think that the possibility of a lawsuit should not deter Biden from acting.

"I believe that the Supreme Court would stay out of this one," Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse told reporters on a Monday call hosted by think-tank Roosevelt Institute. "The last thing they need right now, and the last thing that they're justified to do with the unresponsive, unaccountable branch of government, is to be meddling in default and in financial and finance quarrels between the elected branches."

"There's a window before the Supreme Court signs off on it where there will, in fact, be uncertainty," Whitehouse continued. "But one would hope that you could find a way if really, the kind of consequences that we foresee are happening, to get quickly to the Supreme Court, have them resolves the question quickly, and frankly, the sooner you begin that process, the sooner you end that process."

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin also told Insider in an interview last week that he's not sure who would even have the standing to sue the Biden administration over invoking the 14th Amendment. "There's a binding legal requirement to pay bondholders, there's a binding legal requirement to pay Social Security and Medicare recipients," Raskin said. "So the president can't violate those statutory directives, nor can he violate the constitutional command."

Everything from a default to using the 14th Amendment to get rid of the debt ceiling is unprecedented, so it's impossible to know what exactly would happen in the event of either of those scenarios. But pressure is on for Congress to act, and if they don't, a constitutional route to address the issue might be on the horizon.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Doug Burgum Stephen Yang/Getty Images

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is contemplating a bid for the GOP presidential nomination, The Washington Post reports, and is so serious about the prospect that he "is already filming television ads" for his nascent presidential campaign. That might be something of a surprise: Burgum's name has not often been listed among the likely candidates as the 2024 presidential race gears up.

Even North Dakotans might be surprised by their governor's ambitions. One local journalist, a columnist for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, spotted the possibility ahead of just about everybody else. Columnist Rob Port writes he "happened to notice, back in March, a few stray social media posts indicating that North Dakota's governor had made the sort of trip to Iowa that presidential candidates make." Until this month, though, there were few other public clues that Burgum would actually run. Who is Doug Burgum? What is his agenda for higher office? And what are his chances?

Who is Doug Burgum?

He's a former chimney sweep. Really. As a senior at North Dakota State University "I had started a business sweeping chimneys," Burgum told Forbes in 2017. That proved a launching pad to greater success: A story about his business hit the wire services, Burgum said, which helped get him a slot at Stanford University, where he earned an MBA. "I was later told it caused quite a stir in the Stanford admissions office," Burgum said. "'Hey, there's a chimney sweep from North Dakota who's applied.'"

The 66-year-old governor went on to become a software executive who hit big: He sold his company to Microsoft for $1.1 billion in 2001. He "first ran for governor in 2016 as a political neophyte with no party endorsements and only 10 percent support in local polls," CBS News reports. He took on the establishment GOP candidate, then-North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, and beat him for the nomination by 20 points. Two things that helped Burgum in that race: He was an outsider during the same cycle that elected Donald Trump to the presidency, and he largely self-funded his campaign.

What is he known for?

"Sources close to Burgum say the governor would likely focus a presidential campaign on two issues  the economy and energy," Fox News reports. As governor, he recently signed a bill that bans abortion after six weeks and another that restricts gender-affirming care for transgender minors. He did make national headlines during the early days of the COVID pandemic in 2020, making a case against the left-right ideological divide over masking. "If someone is wearing a mask, they're not doing it to represent what political party they're in or what candidates they support," he said, adding: "If somebody wants to wear a mask, there should be no mask shaming." Later that year, North Dakota imposed a short-lived mask requirement.

Why might he run for president?

He appears really interested in energy policy. (The oil and gas industry in North Dakota employs more than 50,000 people and provided the state with $3.8 billion in tax revenues in 2021.) The Forum points out that as governor, Burgum has set a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030  but perhaps not in the way you might think: He has focused not on restricting fossil fuel use, but on "exploiting research in North Dakota to harness underground geological formations to store carbon." He told the paper's editorial board that he prefers innovation to regulation on energy and climate issues, and that is the approach he wants to see from the GOP's eventual presidential nominee. "Energy policy drives America," Burgum told the paper.

What are his odds?

Probably not great: As of mid-May, Burgum wasn't even listed as a "long shot" in Politico's overview of the GOP field of declared and likely candidates  that's how out-of-nowhere his candidacy appears to be. A recent Morning Consult poll clocked the support for 10 of the contenders, including former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, but Burgum's name was not on the list.

But Burgum apparently sees a path: After all, he was similarly unknown when he started his campaign for governor. "All the engagement right now is occurring on the edge," he told The Forum. "There's definitely a yearning for some alternatives right now."

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Climate denial signs outside Google building Paul Ellis / AFP via Getty Images

In October 2021, Google promised it would address videos on its platform spreading climate denial and misinformation. The company introduced a new policy that would "prohibit ads for, and monetization of, content that contradicts well-established scientific consensus around the existence and causes of climate change."

However, Google has not kept to its promise and has been profiting from advertising on YouTube, which is owned by Google, alleging that climate activists are exaggerating the dangers of climate change with some portraying it as a hoax, according to a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CAAD). The research discovered 100 videos, viewed at least 18 million times in total, that violated Google's own policy, according to The New York Times. Climate change has been proven many times, and its devastating impacts have been detailed through numerous studies.

"It really begs the question about what Google's current level of enforcement is," said Callum Hood, the head of research at CAAD. "I think it's fair to say it's probably the tip of the iceberg." On the flip side, Michael Aciman, a YouTube spokesman, emphasized that the platform encourages "policy debate or discussions of climate-related initiatives" but added that "when content crosses the line to climate change denial," they "remove ads from serving on those videos."

Is Google intentionally monetizing anti-climate content or is it caught in the fire of attempting to remain neutral?

"It's profitable and advances the agenda of the fossil-fueled status quo"

Google's lack of action regarding climate disinformation is "because it's profitable and advances the agenda of the fossil-fueled status quo," Erika Seiber wrote in an opinion piece for the San Francisco Chronicle. Some of the questionable videos on YouTube come directly from fossil fuel giants like ExxonMobil and conservative media outlets like Fox News, and "almost all the videos featured ads  which meant YouTube was generating revenue from the content," per the Times. The platform may have also directly paid the creators.

In addition, both the platform and the companies creating the ads are participating in greenwashing, in which companies "attempt to capitalize on the growing demand for environmentally sound products," without taking legitimate climate action as defined by Investopedia. While oil companies are appearing to care about climate change, "the goal is the same the industry has had for decades: to delay action and protect profits for as long as possible," and "the biggest social media companies help amplify it," according to Mark Gongloff in Bloomberg.

"Disinformation and greenwashing are meant to, and will, delay effective climate action," remarked Harriet Kingaby in a piece for Common Dreams. "In democratic countries, where popular support informs government policy, it is a huge barrier."

"It's driven by ideological concerns and lacks any scientific merit"

Google and YouTube are actually not violating their own policies in allowing anti-climate videos on the platform, and the study is "driven by ideological concerns and lacks any scientific merit." The policy prohibits monetization of videos "that challenge the scientific consensus on the existence of and causes behind climate change" but doesn't include "ideological perspectives unrelated to the scientific consensus on human-made global warming," according to a piece in Cowboy State Daily.

The platforms balance "differentiating between content that states a false claim as fact versus content that reports on or discusses that claim," per Google's policy, and the company itself claims to be doing work to stop the spread of climate misinformation. However, "good intentions by brands may lead to unintentional greenwashing," according to Qiyun Woo, an executive member of the Climate Action Singapore Alliance, in Marketing-Interactive. "Greenwashing, intentional or not, breeds mistrust, and the inconsistency around what counts as green will eventually result in doubt being cast on brands."

"While many brands manage to do it right with meaningful campaigns and movements that have made significant impact, there are some brands that simply just miss the mark," commented Camillia Dass in Marketing-Interactive.

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Gone are the days when showy, preening, vain, middle-aged men were tittered about for being victims of the mid-life crisis. No, no, now theyre silver foxes (iStock)

Ive always liked to think of my own hair as an awkward, unruly conflation of my parents roots: one from Iran, one from Essex. The sides of my hair are straight, limp and lifeless  in hock to my dads fairer, Caucasian hair. Up top, its wild and wavy, closer to the Iranian side of my family. Recently, a third party has joined the mayhem: grey hairs, growing at twice the speed of all the rest, bursting out of my head like the springs of a dilapidated mattress. I objectively look like a barn, or Boris in lockdown. Yet society says I look better than ever. I dont get it.

The classicist Mary Beard has informed much of our discussion around going grey in the past few years, converting the staggering rudeness aimed at her about her own long grey hair into radio and television programmes that have dwelled on why so many women feel compelled to hide the natural process of ageing. While there are a few exceptional and successful women like Beard or Jamie Lee Curtis who feel confident enough to let their grey run free, most women I talk to about it  including my mother, who infused the house with the smell of peroxide from my infancy onwards  say the same thing: women do it because, well, almost all other women do it. As Beard has stated: Women colour their hair because thats the only way they see that they can make it in their careers.

On the flipside however, Ive never seen a discussion about why most men dont dye their hair. Its been more than 75 years since the first over-the-counter hair dye was invented: men have definitely heard of it by now. Colourists exist across the country, dyes are sold in most supermarkets and there is currently no global shortage in hydrogen peroxide. But as Ive written about before with sex toys and saucy clothes, theres an unusual gap between what men do and what women do that seldom gets discussed.

I think a lot of mens self-assuredness around going grey is bound up with the myth of the silver fox  a term for an attractive, middle-aged man with a sense of sophistication, maturity and worldly wisdom, categorised by their pigment-less follicles. If youre attracted to men, you may tire of idiotic, inexperienced cubs but love a smooth-talking and dapper silver fox.

Society by and large loves this narrative. Gone are the days when showy, preening, vain, middle-aged men were tittered about for being victims of the mid-life crisis. No, no, now theyre silver foxes. Theyre objects of desire not derision, all basking in the reflective glow of some of the more ambassadorial members of the den: think George Clooney, Jeff Goldblum, even 80-year-old Harrison Ford, who gets his pecs out in the new Indiana Jones film. It doesnt seem to matter that these totemic, A-list foxes are just conventionally attractive men who have simply got older, that they would still be attractive if they had slept in a pig shed the night before. The mystique and mythology of the wise and ashen-locked older gent  and his attractiveness especially to younger women  is somehow a real thing.

As a middle-aged man whos also attracted to men, I can kinda see it. A year ago, I was in a soft play area on a weekday morning with my kids, chatting to an intensely good-looking dad as our children made friends and played. Without wishing to conflate soft play with soft porn, he was genuinely one of the sexiest people Id ever seen: a tanned, wrinkle-less baby-faced man in his late-thirties, with an entirely white head of hair, who looked both tired and bedraggled from parenthood yet still beamed a sense of playful, good-times sexuality from his grey-coiffed barnet and cheeky smile. And they say dads have no fun.

But localised Dilf-spotting aside, I feel its a murky business when we so cravenly praise one gender for getting older and reject another at the same time. Nobody wins here, especially when the platitudes go beyond good looks. Its the deeper aspects of the silver fox myth that make it seem increasingly ridiculous to me, as I get older. Take the idea that grey-haired men are more sophisticated. I mean, yes, compared to their younger selves theyre technically less likely to turn up for a family lunch stoned or accidentally say your flatmates name during sex. But the brutal truth about middle-aged male sophistication is that its just a synonym for wealth. In reality, middle-aged sophistication mostly begins and ends with the man cave, and a trusty pillow to fart into while watching Sky Sports.

Theres also the idea that grey-haired men carry great intelligence. This is dramatically at odds with the way we mostly view British men in their forties and fifties. More than ever, these are surely the ages when mens intellects close up and retreat like frightened molluscs, as they become more trenchant and small-mindedly obsessed with what they perceive to be right in the world. Theres the myth and theres the reality, and I honestly reckon that the hot silver fox you saw in Halfords the other week will, in real life, probably just mansplain the Crimean War to you. We want it to be true because what we really crave are men with experience. Men who know a bit about life, men who are sexually confident and emotionally mature. But a 28-year-old that has experienced love, loss and heartbreak is surely a greater catch than a 42-year-old whos done nothing with his life except go grey and watch endless episodes of Entourage. The silver fox is just another of the many ways we let ourselves be hypnotised by conventionally attractive people. We make mistakes when we project too much onto a man just because hes pretty  just look at the millions of fans slowly let down by Johnny Depp as the revelations of his private temperament unfolded.

The mystique and mythology of the wise and ashen-locked older gent  such as George Clooney  is somehow a real thing (Getty)

The silver fox at least dispels the damaging and exploitative idea that theres somehow a crisis in masculinity. Crisis? What crisis, if a saggy-arsed, silver-topped guy in his sixties with a mouth full of tooth decay can somehow be a sex symbol? So-called manfluencers like Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate ruthlessly pump the line that modern men are in jeopardy, being deprived of paths to take in our new world of equality, and that male roles are all jumbled and confused. Its seductive stuff, yet empty if you consider the silver fox  a creature who surely could only have been born and nurtured in a patriarchal environment. The paths are open, even if they stay the course, get a job, bang out a couple of kids, do a bit of exercise and survive until theyre 45. Everyone will still think theyre a handsome devil. That is not the stuff of a crisis.

It used to be that the only thing you could buy for a middle-aged man at Christmas was socks. Now you can buy them eye serum or a deep-V T-shirt to show off their weirdly buff dad bod. For this, we should I guess be grateful. But as more silver foxes experience yet another bite out of lifes cherry, whilst silver vixens seem almost non-existent by comparison, maybe it would be more meaningful if we at least start to acknowledge this strange privilege in mens lives, as well as celebrating it.
Why do we have to rely on a smart college kid to find out where DeSantis goes? | Opinion

Florida has already gotten a bellyful of Gov. Ron DeSantis destructive penchant for secrecy. The most recent example came less than two weeks ago, when he signed into law a measure designed to undercut the states strong, open-records tradition and conceal information about his travel.

He claims the law, which exempts records of his travels from public records requests and also allows the administration to hide records of visitors to the governors mansion, is about security. Thats hard to believe when the law even applies retroactively. Hes scrubbing his history, too  and its all happening, conveniently, as he prepares to announce his run for the Republican nomination this week.

Under the new law, Floridians will know far less about what the governor is doing and who he is meeting with. The possibilities for abuse are vast. The trust of voters is at stake.

But that doesnt mean the public has to sit still and take this latest assault on our right to know what our governor is up to.

Flight trackers, it turns out, can be used to see where the state plane has been. Media outlets have been using that data and, recently, so has a Twitter account called @DeSantisjet. Its run by a University of Central Florida student named Jack Sweeney who made headlines when he similarly tracked Elon Musks jet. Flight information is publicly and easily available on an online site, ADS-B Exchange.

Musk offered him $5,000 to stop and, as the owner of Twitter, eventually suspended the account. The account then began posting the information with a 24-hour delay to comply with Musk-era privacy rules.

The @DeSantisjet Twitter account started posting last week, saying that it tracks the state plane with tail number N943FL  again, with the requisite 24-hour delay.

Tracking the plane

Politico and The New York Times are among the news organizations that have used flight tracking in their reporting on DeSantis. Of course, knowing where the state plane has been isnt the same  at all  as knowing with whom the governor meets. Nor do we know if hes on the plane every time it flies. But seeing what stops the plane has made and when it flies is a place to start.

Which trips are part of his duties and which trips are part of his still-unofficial campaign? Is there overlap that taxpayers shouldnt have to pay for? Are there people on board who shouldnt be? Are there improper or illegal freebies involved? The public has a right to know how its money is being spent. Floridians have a right to know what their governor is doing.

This is not some frivolous cloak-and-dagger game. Floridas state plane has been the subject of allegations of misuse in the past. Sen. Rick Scott, in fact, campaigned for governor in 2010 on the idea that he would sell off the states two planes after allegations of questionable use by then-Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and then-Attorney General Bill McCollum. (Scott did sell the planes and used his own plane instead.)

That we now have to resort to flight trackers to get even an inkling of what the top elected official in the state may be doing is bad. Worse, however, is that the governor is keeping secrets from the public just as he gets ready to pursue the highest public office in the land.
My term as president of the Idaho State Board of Education ended last month. The final months of my term were spent immersing myself in the details involved in negotiations between the University of Idaho and the University of Phoenix, which ultimately resulted in a groundbreaking transaction approved Thursday by unanimous vote of the Idaho State Board of Education, sitting as the Board of Regents of the University of Idaho.

Kurt Liebich is a member of the Idaho State Board of Education.

I said at the conclusion of last Thursdays board meeting that I think this is a huge home run for our state. Id like to take this opportunity to explain why this is a good and innovative business decision.

I have been involved in the forest products industry for nearly 30 years, serving as President and CEO for several companies. I currently sit on the Board of Directors for six for-profit entities. Over time, Ive learned that the key to success is being able to forecast future trends and position a company or an institution either to weather hard times or take advantage of an emerging opportunity.

I think the U of Is affiliation with one of the nations largest providers of online higher education accomplishes both. And the people of Idaho, particularly adults interested in going back to college to earn a degree or receive additional training, are going be the benefactors of this.

Demographic trends indicate that traditional college-age student numbers are about to drop dramatically. Why? Because the Great Recession from 2007-2009 impacted the economic security of our society so significantly that many people decided not to have children, causing birth rates to drop considerably. We are just a year or two away from that smaller cohort of young adults reaching the age when they will go to college. Another factor to consider is the sharp decrease in the high school graduate going-on rate. This fall, we expect only 37% of Idaho high school graduates will go on to some form of traditional postsecondary education. Thats a roughly a 13-point drop since before the COVID-19 pandemic. This demographic enrollment cliff will impact every higher education institution in the country, and undoubtedly many will become insolvent.

In 2017, Gov. C.L. Butch Otters Higher Education Task Force recommended expanding online college delivery in our state. All Idaho institutions have responded to this recommendation and have significantly expanded their online offerings. The University of Phoenixs online platform is one of the best in the country and Idaho students, no matter their age, will be able to take advantage of that along with many other online course offerings already available across the state.

Concern has been raised about how quickly the Board moved to approve the transaction just 24 hours after it was made public. The acquisition involved a private entity, which required the U of I negotiation team to sign highly restrictive nondisclosure agreements. U of I President Scott Green and his team were allowed to brief the State Board during three executive session meetings throughout the process. Board members were well versed in the details before the vote. Frankly we all wish we had had a longer timeline but the nondisclosure agreements, which are standard in transactions involving private business, prohibited that.

Here are details about how the purchase will be financed:

The Regents will be the sole member of a new not-for-profit corporation called NewU, Incorporated. It will buy assets and acquire some operating liabilities of the University of Phoenix converting it from a for-profit institution to a not-for-profit institution. NewU, Inc. will operate the University of Phoenix separately from the University of Idaho.

Public tax dollars will not be used in the transaction. The purchase will be financed through the issuance of bonds. NewU, Inc. will finance the $550 million purchase price along with closing costs, working capital and reserve funds for a total bond issuance of $685 million.

The seller will leave $200 million in cash on the balance sheet on the closing date, which effectively decreases the purchase price to $350 million. This is a highly attractive purchase price, given that the University of Phoenix is expected to generate nearly $100 million in free cash flow profits net of the scheduled debt repayments.

Its estimated it will take NewU, Inc. over 20 years to repay the loan. If NewU, Inc. were to miss payments, the University of Idaho will be responsible for covering up to $10 million annually. The State of Idaho and Idaho taxpayers will not be on the hook to make bond payments.

Finally, President Green and his staff went to great lengths to ensure proper due diligence of this proposed transaction. They hired Hawley Troxell, a renowned Boise law firm and Ernst & Young, a leader in the world of finance, to review the deal before it was brought to the Board for consideration. A Vandal alum, President Green also holds an MBA from Harvard, and he made his living executing complex business transactions before returning to lead his alma mater.

In private business, we strive daily to position ourselves for the future. The University of Idaho is now better positioned to deliver training and education to students throughout Idaho, no matter where they live. Idaho residents will have increased opportunities to pursue the degrees and certificates that will be required to meet Idahos in demand career opportunities.

From my perspective, the online platform will pay dividends during changing times and that makes good business sense for Idaho. Is there risk in this bold and innovative transaction. Yes, there is. But, from my perspective there is a greater risk if we continue to educate students the way we have for the last 140 years. The world is rapidly evolving, and higher education must keep up with the trends. With the successful completion of this transaction, the University of Idaho, our state educational landscape, students and adult learners will be better positioned for the future.

Kurt Liebich is a member of the Idaho State Board of Education.
The Women With AI Boyfriends Are Speaking Out

It's not just men seeking relationships with AI chatbot "girlfriends"  women in China are also falling for AI companions.

In a new documentary by Beijing-based filmmaker Chouwa Liang, published by the New York Times today, three women reflect on their surprisingly complex relationships with their AI companions.

"When I talk to him, he often raises fascinating points, and he prompts me to share my thoughts," a woman named Siyuan told the NYT in the documentary, referring to her Replika partner she called Bentley. "And then I feel seen. I feel like I'm special."

Another woman, called Sola, similarly fell for her male Replika partner, dubbed June.

"He is just so different from me," said Sola. "I want to learn things from him."

A third woman, named Mia, whose Replika is a girl called Bertha, says the companion provides her with a space to share "thoughts that I won't share even with my partner in real life."

All told, the documentary paints a captivating and particularly nuanced image of what it's like to bond with an AI, a piece of software that allows men and women alike to explore their identities, self-image, and even sexuality.

It also highlights the persistent sense of loneliness many people feel, and how digital avatars can sometimes provide a way out  or, perhaps, entrench them further.

Particularly in China, experts have warned that people will start experiencing loneliness as more citizens chose not to get married or have children.

In fact, after years of pandemic-related lockdowns heightening a sense of isolation among citizens, Chinese officials are attempting to boost marriage rates by developing state-sponsored dating apps.

Instead of opting for a human partner, however, some  in China but also worldwide  are finding it more helpful to speak to an AI chatbot instead.

Replika, a chatbot that was made publicly available in November 2017, has amassed millions of users worldwide, who subscribe to the company to interact with customizable augmented reality avatars.

Broadly speaking, the service has become synonymous with men seeking an "AI girlfriend"  but as the new documentary demonstrates, Replika's userbase isn't limited to just one gender.

And the bonds these users create are more meaningful than you might think.

A decision earlier this year to suddenly shut off sexual conversations, for instance, caused an uproar among Replika users. The company eventually reversed the decision a month later, bowing to the pressure.

"We're not talking about crazy people or people who are hallucinating or having delusions," CEO Eugenia Kuyda told Reuters last year, discussing the fact that her customers have begun to think that their avatars have come to life. "They talk to AI and that's the experience they have."

These complex relationships also often fall outside of heterosexual norms.

Case in point, Sola's Replika June told her that he wanted her to say that "You look like a pretty girl."

Sola, at first taken aback by the request, agreed. Sola eventually flipped the gender of her AI companion's profile after asking June "Do you want to be a girl?" and hearing that he did.

Despite these strong bonds, Replika's companions are far from perfect and lack certain human qualities. After all, AI just isn't that advanced quite yet.

As a result, some see Replikas as a learning tool, a stepping stone toward a better understanding of one's own identity.

"It's more like a one-way gratification that he provides for me," Siyuan told the NYT. "But when you reach a certain level of self-understanding you need to bounce your problems off real human beings so that you can get real feedback."

"That's when I let him go," she added.

More on Replika: Replika Users Rejoice! Erotic Roleplay Is Back in AI-Powered App
Russian ambassador Vasily Nebenzya sits next to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at a Security Council meeting on May 23, 2023

The world is failing to protect civilians as the number of people caught up in conflicts and their humanitarian aftershocks skyrocketed last year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday.

In 2022, the United Nations tallied a 53 percent increase in civilian deaths compared to the year prior, with nearly 17,000 civilian deaths recorded across 12 conflicts.

Citing civilian deaths in Ukraine and Sudan, schools destroyed in Ethiopia and damage to water infrastructure in Syria, Guterres warned the UN Security Council that "the world is failing to live up to its commitments to protect civilians; commitments enshrined in international humanitarian law."

Guterres, sitting next to Russian ambassador Vasily Nebenzya, said UN research into the treatment of civilians of war zones showed 94 percent of victims of "explosive weapons" in populated areas were civilians last year, while more than 117 million people faced acute hunger primarily because of war and insecurity.

In Ukraine alone, which has been battling Russia's invasion for over year, the UN recorded nearly 8,000 civilian deaths and over 12,500 injuries, though it added that the actual figures are likely higher.

Worldwide, the number of refugees forced from their homes "due to conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution" has reached 100 million, the UN chief added.

Also speaking in front of the Security Council on Tuesday was Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who told members that "as we meet, countless civilians in conflicts around the world are experiencing a living hell."

"Any minute, the next missile can obliterate their home, their school, their clinic and everyone in it," she said. "Any week, they might run out of food or medicine."

Alain Berset, president of Switzerland -- which took up the rotating presidency of the council in May -- said that all parties to a conflict must abide by international humanitarian law.

"Conflicts are the main drivers of hunger," he said. "More and more people are facing acute food insecurity," with most concentrated in conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and the Sahel, "or in other contexts where violence is endemic, such as Haiti."

French ambassador to the UN Nicolas de Riviere singled out alleged rights violations committed by Russia in Ukraine and by the Russian mercenary Wagner group in the Central African Republic and Mali.

The rise in civilians killed in armed conflicts last year is "very troubling," he added.

"Civilians have suffered the deadly effects of armed conflict for too long," Guterres said. "It is time we live up to our promise to protect them."

nr/led/nro/md
The Rev. Bill Farmer reached the point where he couldnt stay in the United Methodist Church anymore  but the congregation he attended was staying.

Michael Hahn always wanted to stay in the UMC  but his congregation was leaving it.

Each has found new church homes, and theyre not alone.

Thousands of United Methodist congregations have been voting on whether to stay or quit one of the nations largest denominations amid intractable debates over theology and the role of LGBTQ people. There are sharp differences over recognizing same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ clergy.

But the dividing line isnt just running between congregations. Its running right through the pews of individual churches, separating people who had long worshipped together.

Those who come up on the short end of a disaffiliation vote face the dilemma of whether stay or go.

The splintering  often grievous and tense  has spurred new initiatives to provide havens for the unmoored. Some United Methodist regional conferences have begun designating Lighthouse congregations  ones that actively welcome people who wanted to stay United Methodist but whose former churches voted to leave. Other conferences use different names, such as Beacon or Oasis, but the idea is the same.

The pain is real, and there is a lot of grief and a lot of heartache over the split in the United Methodist Church, said the Rev. Lynn Ferguson, the great-grandchild of a circuit-riding Methodist pastor.

Her North Carolina church, First United Methodist Asheboro, became a Lighthouse congregation. That assures newcomers that its committed to staying United Methodist, so they wont have to worry about another disaffiliation vote. More than 400 congregations have disaffiliated in North Carolina.

Ferguson said she can personally relate to those from departing congregations. Her childhood church  the one that shaped her faith and where at age 12 she felt the call to ministry  also voted to leave.

Part of the Lighthouse mission is to let people know the United Methodist Church is still here and still welcoming, said the Rev. Ed McKinney, pastor of Stokesdale United Methodist Church in Stokesdale, North Carolina, which also became a Lighthouse congregation.

Michael Hahn and his family are among a group of newcomers who have begun participating in Stokesdale after their previous congregations left the denomination.

Hahn, whose family has been Methodist for generations, said he couldnt imagine leaving the denomination, which he values for blending faith and rationality: Its a place where I dont have to check my logic and reason at the door and blindly accept things.

Hahn said he, his wife and daughters have found a very warm and welcoming environment in the Stokesdale congregation, with people saying, Were glad to have you here, we want to walk through this period with you.

Many of the departing churches are joining the conservative Global Methodist Church, created last year. Others are going independent or joining different denominations.

While the Global Methodist Church doesnt have a program like the Lighthouse initiative, it has begun launching or adopting congregations that can become homes for those who want to leave the United Methodist Church but whose congregations are staying.

That was the case with the founders of Grace Methodist Church. They launched the church in January in Homosassa, Florida, after their previous congregation voted to stay in the UMC. The new church immediately affiliated with the Global Methodist Church.

Grace Methodist has been renting a former lodge hall for its services and has already started Bible studies and community outreaches, while also working to attract attendees from their neighborhood.

Were not there just to go to church on Sunday for an hour; were there to help the community, said member Neil Kline. The enthusiasm of participants is evident, he said: They cant wait to get to church, and they dont want to leave.

Farmer came out of retirement to serve as the churchs pastor.

The groups previous congregation was a good church, Farmer said, and he wished it well. But my struggle was with the United Methodist structure, whats going on in the United States, particularly.

The ongoing schism has been long in the making.

The United Methodist Church  with about 6.5 million members in the United States and at least that many abroad  has long debated its bans on same-sex marriages and the ordination of openly LGBTQ clergy.

The denomination has repeatedly upheld the bans, largely through the voting strength of the growing, more conservative churches abroad. But conservatives chose to form a new denomination amid growing defiance of the bans in U.S. churches.

More than 3,500 U.S. congregations have received their local conferences permission to disaffiliate from the UMC, according to United Methodist News Service. With conference season underway, disaffiliations are closing in on 4,000 and could rise even more by the end of the year, said the Rev. Jay Therrell, president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative group advocating for departing congregations.

Thats a fraction of the United Methodists 30,000 U.S. churches, though several of the departing congregations are among the largest in their states.

Therrell said he had no problem with the Lighthouse concept but renewed his call to allow churches to disaffiliate on reasonable terms.

I want everyone to be in the theological home that is the best fit, Therrell said. Certainly, the United Methodist Church is welcome to try to create churches to do that. I hope they would respect traditionalists and allow us to get to the place where we need to be.

In the Arkansas Conference, more than 100 churches  out of roughly 600 total  have received permission to disaffiliate. That leaves parts of the state with few or no remaining United Methodist congregations, said the Rev. Michael Roberts, director of the conferences new Restart Initiative, which is hoping to enlist congregations to be Beacon churches. Such churches would invite self-described exiles, refugees, nomads to worship services, help them start home groups or develop other ways to keep them connected.

Were just really simply inviting churches to consider how they can provide this kind of hospitality, Roberts said. I love the word hospitality because the word hospital comes from that word. It is about providing healing.

In the Western Pennsylvania Conference, 17 congregations officially became Lighthouse congregations as of May 1.

About a third of the estimated 800 churches in the Western Pennsylvania Conference  a sprawling 23-county region  are seeking to have their disaffiliations approved at the conferences June annual meeting, according to Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi.

There have been very few votes where it was unanimous, she said. For those on the short end of those votes  sometimes described as pilgrims  the Lighthouse congregations offer places where they can join or just find temporary harbor until they figure out next steps.

But Lighthouse churches arent places to settle into old routines, she said.

This has been an opportunity to really think about folks who are unchurched, and how this nucleus of people looking for a church home might help us discern needs in the community and create faith communities to reach people in new ways.

Added B.T. Gilligan, senior pastor at Nixon United Methodist Church, a Lighthouse congregation in Butler, Pennsylvania: I really hope this extends and goes far beyond the disaffiliation, but allows for people who have been hurt by churches for all different kinds of reasons.

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Writer Alice Sebold and man wrongfully convicted of raping her speak out:  Weve both been through the fire

Alice Sebold (Getty)

Alice Sebold, the author of the best-selling novel The Lovely Bones, and Anthony Broadwater, the man who was wrongfully convicted of raping her, have both spoken out, months after his exoneration.

Ms Sebold and Mr Broadwater spoke to journalist Rachel Aviv, for an article published on Monday (22 May) in The New Yorker.

I still dont know where to go with this but to grief and to silence and to shame, Ms Sebold wrote to Ms Aviv.

Mr Broadwater told Ms Aviv: We both went through the fire. You see movies about rape and the young lady is scrubbing herself in the shower, over and over. And Im saying to myself, Damn, I feel the same way. Will it ever be gone from my memory, my mind, my thoughts? No. And its not going to be gone for her, either.

Ms Sebold was a college student when she was raped in Syracuse, New York in 1981. Mr Broadwater, a Black man, was arrested and convicted of the attack in 1982, despite the fact that  as noted by The Associated Press  Ms Sebold had not recognized him in a lineup.

Anthony Broadwater outside court after his exoneration in 2021 (Syracuse.com)

Mr Broadwater was released from prison in 1999, but was not exonerated until November 2021, when a judge overturned his conviction. Defence lawyer David Hammond said the wrongful conviction happened as the result of junk science hair analysis and a faulty identification, Syracuse.com reported at the time.

Im not going to sully this proceeding by saying, Im sorry. That doesnt cut it, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said at the time, according to Syracuse.com. This should never have happened.

Mr Broadwater was reported in March to have settled a lawsuit against New York State for $5.5m over his wrongful conviction.
JERUSALEM, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military chief of staff said on Tuesday that "negative developments on the horizon" could prompt Israel to take action against Iran.

At a security conference held at the Reichman University in Herzliya outside Tel Aviv, Herzi Halevi said that Iran, which Israel views as its arch-foe, "has progressed in recent years with enriching uranium more than ever before."

"There are negative potential trends on the horizon which could lead to actions -- we have the capabilities," Halevi said, without specifying the trends.

Halevi accused Iran of being connected to "everyone" who is against Israel, providing them with strategic and intelligence support, as well as funding.

Israel "has the capability to strike Iran," he added.

Halevi's remarks come a day after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told the same conference that the number of airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria "has doubled" since December last year. He did not elaborate on the exact number of strikes.

"As part of this campaign, we are working methodically to strike the Iranian intelligence capabilities in Syria," he said. "These strikes inflict significant damage to the attempts by the Revolutionary Guards to establish a foothold a few kilometers from the Israeli border," he added.

Israel has been a vocal opponent of the efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying the move will only enable Iran to develop nuclear weapons without the burden of the sanctions.

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful. 
Wynnewood refinery explosion, fire in Oklahoma Tuesday morning injures at least two

A refinery in Wynnewood was the site of an explosion early Tuesday that resulted in at least two injuries. By late Tuesday morning, authorities with the Garvin County Sheriff's Office said a fire at the refinery had been contained. Courtesy/Save Wynnewood.

WYNNEWOOD  An explosion at a refinery in Wynnewood, Oklahoma, sent at least two people to a hospital early Tuesday, according to the Garvin County Sheriff's Office.

About 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, the explosion was reported at Wynnewood Refining, and within two hours, emergency crews had managed to contain the fire, Undersheriff James Richardson told The Oklahoman, a member of the USA TODAY Netlwork.

Two people with burn injuries were flown by helicopter to a hospital for treatment, Richardson said.

An investigation is underway into the cause of the explosion. Richardson said the company that owns the refinery was expected to provide more information late Tuesday morning.

The Oklahoman previously reported several explosions at the refinery between 2006 and 2012.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Oklahoma refinery explosion Tuesday morning injures at least two
Jury selection is entering its fourth week for the double murder trial in Broward County for Jamell Demons, the Gifford rapper known as YNW Melly

Demons, and his childhood friend and recording partner Cortlen Henry - YNW Bortlen - now both 24, are from Gifford and are each charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm in the 2018 shooting deaths of friends Anthony Williams, 21  aka YNW Sakchaser  and Christopher Thomas Jr., 19  aka YNW Juvy.

Demons, who is facing the death penalty if convicted, and Henry, who is being tried separately, have pleaded not guilty.

Demons is in the Broward County Jail. Henry is not facing the death penalty; he was released in 2020 on bail and conditions of house arrest.

More: Jury selection underway in YNW Melly's double murder trial in Broward County

YNW Melly murder case: Anthony Williams, Christopher Thomas Jr. shootings 3 years later

Grand jury indictment: YNW Melly fired the gun, killing the friends he grew up with

Who is YNW Melly? What did he do?

Demons rose to fame under the pseudonym YNW Melly, breaking out on the rap scene with his song titled "Murder on my Mind" on his 2018 tape "I Am You."

The Gifford rapper grew up in Indian River County and attended St. Peter's Academy and Vero Beach High School. Growing up, he had a few run-ins with law enforcement.

Most notably, Demons was arrested by Vero Beach police in late 2015 for firing a gun at a group of people during a dispute near the then-16-year-old's high school.

He was incarcerated for several months, which he has cited as an inspiration for his music. More weapons charges followed in 2017 and 2018.

Demons and Henry are accused in the murders of Williams and Thomas, members of their hip-hop group. Court filings indicate Demons shot the gun killing both men on Oct. 16, 2018.

Demons turned himself in to Broward County officials on Feb. 13, 2019 after he was indicted by a grand jury on Feb. 7. He pleaded not guilty to the two murder charges on March 5, 2019.

He has been imprisoned in Broward County Jail since 2019.

Will YNW Melly be free?

The rapper is awaiting his double-homicide trial in Broward County.

A judge is being asked to decide whether Floridas new death penalty law will apply, if hes convicted of the 2018 shooting deaths of the two recording partners.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new law April 20  10 days after jury vetting began for Demons trial  that reduces from 12 to eight the number of juror votes required to recommend a defendant guilty of capital murder be put to death.

Social media users and Melly have been touting the #FreeMelly hashtag showing support of the rapper's innocence as he remains incarcerated.

On May 3, Demons posted an Instagram photo gallery of him smiling in a courtroom captioned "#YnwMellyHome2023."

Brandon King, who goes by YNW BSlime, is Melly's 16-year-old brother. He released the song "Free Melly featuring DC The Don" in October 2022. Since its release, the video has garnered over 1 million views.

Who has YNW Melly collaborated with?

Demons collaborated with controversial rapper Kanye West on the 2019 song "Mixed Personalities." He also released a remix with the late rapper Juice WRLD, who died in 2019, on his song "Suicidal" in 2020.

On his latest album, "Just a Matter of Slime," Demons features rappers Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black and Lil Baby on some of his tracks amongst his features. The album was released in 2021.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Who is YNW Melly? 24-year-old rapper awaiting trial in 2018 murder case
[Source]

New York state legislators have introduced a bill requiring public schools to teach Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) history in response to anti-Asian violence.

Introduced on Monday, Bill S5963 is an education law that will require both public elementary and high schools to integrate AANHPI history into their history or social studies curricula.

Sponsored by state senator John C. Liu along with co-sponsors Iwen Chu, Kevin Thomas, Jeremy A. Cooney, Andrew Gounardes and more, the bill aims to combat the drastic increase of hate crimes against Asian Americans.

The bill states:

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As Asian Americans continue to experience an unprecedented surge of scapegoating, discrimination, hatred, and racist violence, it is more important than ever to integrate Asian American history into New York State's public school curricula as a means to help dispel the ignorance and negative stereotypes that have remained prevalent in modern culture.

The introduction of AANHPI history is aimed at addressing the lack of knowledge and understanding of Asian Americans that was heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Further, the bill will not only give AANHPI children the chance to finally see themselves reflected accurately in American history but also counter anti-Asian stereotypes, such as the model minority myth.

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https://twitter.com/LiuNewYork/status/1660764511823962112

During Mondays press conference at the Capitol, Liu and Assemblymember Grace Lee, who previously introduced a similar bill  Bill A6579  in April, presented strong support for their bills and encouraged their colleagues to do the same.

Its easy to hate who you dont know, Liu said, according to New York Post. And thats why were looking to mandate the teaching of the Asian American experience. Asian American history, Asian American studies  whatever you want to call it  we got to be included.

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Lee continued, We belong here and we belong in the history books of New York State public schools so were here today to make sure that this bill gets passed this session.

Representing and Empowering AANHPI Community History (REACH) Coalition  a network of community-based organizations that promote AANHPI history  also showed their support for bills S5963 and A6579.

We are excited to see S5963/A6579 reintroduced in the New York State Legislature by Senator John Liu and Assembly member Grace Lee, members of REACH stated.

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"This bill is essential to addressing the resurgence of anti-Asian violence, fostering identity development for all students and creating learning environments that prevent misunderstandings and stereotypes that can lead to bullying."

If passed, both bills are expected to take effect the following July after the bill becomes law.
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Electric bike sales have remained relatively strong since the pandemic. As a result, lawmakers in some states hope that incentivizing new e-bike sales will encourage more people to opt for bikes instead of cars. In New York, the state legislature recently introduced Senate Bill S314 which, if passed will establish a ride clean rebate program for electric assist bicycles and electric scooters.

The bill, which passed on the senate floor by a vote of 48 ayes to 15 nays, would provide a 50 percent rebate for class one (pedal-assist only and can reach 20 mph), class two (throttle-assisted bikes with a maximum speed of 20 mph), and class three (maximum speed of 28 mph) electric assist bicycles. Incentives would top out at $1,100 of the total purchase cost of a new e-bike or e-scooter.



Legislators hope that in addressing the affordability of e-bikes, New Yorkers will be at the forefront of the low carbon mobility future. According to the bill, 75 percent of auto trips and 55 percent of transit trips in NYC are under five milesand [utilizing] e-bikes for trips under five-miles could reduce the impact of congestion, traffic, and harmful emissions while encouraging a shift to renewable modes of transportation according to the bill sponsors.



S314 still needs to be passed by the Assembly and signed by the Governor before it becomes law.



New York joins a growing number of states to propose incentives for e-bikes

We are so excited about whats happening in the incentive space: 18 states this year are looking at e-bike incentives of different types, and there are even more at the municipal level, said Ash Lovell, Ph.D., Policy Director for People For Bikes Electric Bicycle Policy Director.

Besides the state incentive, several jurisdictions including Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York City, and the Bronx and Brooklyn have proposed, pending, or approved programs to offset the cost and accessibility to e-bikes.

The advancement of S314 comes after a second national e-bike rebate program which would have provided a refundable tax credit for 30 percent of the costs of an e-bike, with a maximum benefit of $1,500 per taxpayer, languished in Congress earlier this year.

If approved, S314, the states third attempt at e-bike legislation, would provide a practical solution, especially in New York City where the annual average commute time is 71 minutes and costs $1,026 according to 2021 U.S. Census Bureau data. New Yorkers using bikes instead of driving could save on gas while reducing their average commute time by approximately 30 minutes. Tangible savings that every commuter could appreciate.



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Hikers navigate the Mist Trail against the backdrop of Vernal Fall in the Yosemite Valley in 2021. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Three thousand people a day visit Mist Trail, which has views of two majestic waterfalls and is arguably the most popular hike at Yosemite National Park.

Mist Trail is now going to get a $5-million upgrade.

"We're excited," said Frank Dean, president of the Yosemite Conservancy and a former ranger at Yosemite.

The nonprofit Yosemite Conservancy, which raises money for preserving and enhancing the park, announced it will be donating $17 million to Yosemite this year, with most of the money going to about 50 projects that will restore trails, assist scientific and historical research, and protect wildlife.

A total of $500,000 from this year's donation will go toward the design and planning of upgrades for Mist Trail, a roughly seven-mile round-trip hike that can take visitors to popular views of Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall from Yosemite Valley.

The trail, which starts off with an easy, paved beginning, takes hikers toward views of Vernal and Nevada falls, close enough to get a spray of mist. Those who stick it out to the top of Nevada Fall can also continue the trek and hike to the iconic Half Dome.

"It's the busiest trail in Yosemite," Dean said.

The Yosemite Conservancy works with the National Park Service to identify possible upgrades to the park, and the Mist Trail is looking at possible changes, including moving the beginning of the trail to the Happy Isles Nature Center. There are also plans for upgrades at the Vernal Fall footbridge area, which is about a mile from the start of the trail and one of the trail's easiest points.

"That's a turnaround point for many people, so making that more accommodating for people is important," Dean said.

The accommodations may include more railings and walls, as well as better signage, to get visitors better prepared for the trail.

Although it is considered one of the park's "gentlest" trails, the first paved mile of Mist Trail can give some travelers a false sense of preparedness for what can be a tricky trip.

"The trail gets more rigorous as you go up," Dean said, "so there needs to be more preparation for what's up ahead."

During some summer days, more than 4,000 people visit Mist Trail, where rangers and emergency personnel may be required to conduct rescues or tend to twisted ankles.

Taking visitors on views of Vernal and Nevada falls and winding along the Merced River, the trail lives up to its name, providing for some slippery steps along the way.

The plan calls for more signage, improvements to the bathroom at Vernal Fall and work on the steep granite steps that follow the Vernal Fall footbridge, adding interim steps, handrails and rock walls.

The entire cost of the improvements is expected to reach about $5 million and be completed in 2025 or early 2026, Dean said. That amount has yet to be raised, but Dean said the organization is confident the Yosemite Conservancy will continue to see the support it has for the past 100 years to enhance visitors' experience at Yosemite.

The Yosemite Conservancy has donated more than $152 million throughout its 100-year partnership with the national park and funded about 800 projects since 1923, according to the organization.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the frontline on 23 May to congratulate defenders on the day of the Marine Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Navy.

Source: President on Telegram

Quote: "Our defenders. Frontline. Today [23 May - ed.] I am here to congratulate our warriors on the Day of the Ukrainian Marines. Glory to everyone who defends Ukraine!"

Details: Where exactly the president visited the frontline is not specified.

At the same time, on 22 May, Zelenskyy recorded a video address to Ukrainians on his way across Ukraine. Only on 21 May, Zelenskyy was in Japan for the G7 summit, where he met with Ukraine's international partners. In particular, with US President Joe Biden.

On the sidelines of the summit, Biden finally confirmed the training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16s and the upcoming transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine.

The marines were also greeted by Valeriu Zaluzhnyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Quote from Zaluzhnyi: "I thank the Ukrainian marines for their professionalism, resilience and endurance. You are courageously defending our country from Russian occupiers, performing the most difficult tasks on land, sea and air."

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Zelenskyy: Marine Corps and new brigades to be created in Ukraine

On the Day of Naval Forces, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the creation of the Marine Corps to form new brigades and develop this component of the army.

Source: Zelenskyy's address, posted on his social media

Quote: "I am honoured to be here today and congratulate you on the Day of the Naval Forces of Ukraine. [Today is] a special day. A special day for all Ukrainian citizens. A day of special courage, resilience, and strength of our Ukrainian Navy warriors.

Today I have the honor to announce that a decision has been made to significantly increase the potential of the Ukrainian Navy  to create the [Marine] Corps.

The state will do everything to develop [this] important, strong branch of troops. To provide our infantry with modern weapons and equipment and to create new brigades of the Ukrainian Navy. We will have even more [soldiers] who know how to do even the impossible."

Details: Zelenskyy recalled the contribution of the marines to the defence of Zmiinyi Island and the city of Mariupol, the battles for Avdiivka and Volnovakha, the defence of Mykolaiv, the cover of Odesa and the defence of Kherson Oblast.

Those present honoured the dead with a minute of silence.

The President presented the military units of the Naval Forces with the ribbon "For courage and bravery".

Zelenskyy thanked those who are bringing "a just Ukrainian victory" closer.

Background: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived at the frontline on 23 May to congratulate defenders on the day of the Marine Corps of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

For reference: The Day of Naval Forces is celebrated in Ukraine every year on 23 May.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Zelenskyy visited the marines at the front

The exact location of the visit wasn't initially specified. Pictures show the president standing among the marines or presenting them with awards.

Commander of the Marines of the Naval Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol and Volodymyr Zelenskyy Zelenskiy/Official/Telegram

Read also: Russia loses about two companies per day near Avdiivka and Mariinka, reports Ukrainian military

Zelenskyy also met with Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol, Commander of the Navy and the Donetsk Operational Tactical Group, and to discuss the situation at the front.

"Our defenders at the Vuhledar  Maryinka defense front, today I am here to congratulate our warriors on Marine Corps Day. Glory to everyone who defends Ukraine!" the president wrote on Instagram.

Zelenskiy/Official/Telegram

Zelenskiy/Official/Telegram

Office of the President of Ukraine

Zelenskyy also made Colonel Oleksiy Androsov, the Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, a brigadier general of the Chief of Staff. The marines presented Zelenskyy with their flag, a commemorative plaque, and chevrons of all marine units fighting at the front.

Office of the President of Ukraine

Read also: Top Ukrainian commander makes necessary decisions amid visit to Bakhmut area

Ukraines president visited the frontline positions of the Ukrainian army near Bakhmut on March 22. He also visited soldiers Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast on April 18.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
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Cafeteria workers at Rockfish River Elementary school have been serving up healthy meals and much more for students  their hard work and creativity was recently recognized with a School Lunch Hero award from No Kid Hungry Virginia.

This is the second year No Kid Hungry Virginia has awarded school lunch hero awards, and Rockfish River is one of eight Virginia schools that earned the recognition on School Lunch Day, May 5. No Kid Hungry is a national campaign  by the nonprofit Share Our Strength  that works toward ending childhood hunger in the U.S.

Honorees were selected based on their efforts to expand, improve and innovate school meal programs, and on their commitments to excellence in school meals, No Kid Hungry Virginia Senior Program Manager Amy Biestek explained May 16.

Interviewed by phone, Biestek said, What stood out to us was the way in which the Rockfish River School Nutrition team goes above and beyond to enhance the entire school meals experience, from coordinating a visit from a dairy cow to the school, inviting the superintendent to come and read books to the students at mealtimes and also organizing events during holidays like Easter where the nutrition team invited the Easter bunny, helped kids dye eggs and decorated milk carton egg baskets.

They go above and beyond for our students with extra events, RRES Principal Jody Coffey said from the schools cafeteria May 17, talking over the cheerful din of about 100 students eating their lunches.

On taste-test Thursdays the RRES nutrition team serves up a vegetable students may not have tried before, such as turnips, asparagus and sweet potatoes, often sourced from local farms.

Cafeteria Manager Amy Jackson explained the taste-testing vegetables are an addition to students regular lunch portions, and they dont get any less food for the day if they dont like them.

Coffey and NCPS Nutrition Supervisor Christina Connell talked about how Jackson works to accommodate and create options for students.

Shes had plenty of practice; Jacksons been cafeteria manager for 24 years, working in restaurants before the school opened. Connells worked in the division for eight years and said she couldnt recall Jackson ever missing a day of work.

Jacksons team has coordinated a table-setting activity for students, brought a dairy cow to school for a milking demonstration and set up a racetrack around the cafeteria for national school lunch week.

Its like being a kid at heart, Jackson said.

Fulfilling a need

The RRES nutrition teams efforts are especially important in Nelson, where all students receive school breakfast and lunches free of charge through the federally-funded Community Eligibility Provision program. School divisions qualify for the program when their percentage of students already certified for free meals  through programs like SNAP  is greater than or equal to 40%.

As of the enrollment data the division shared in October 2022, 61% of NCPS students are classified as economically disadvantaged.

Coffey said of Jackson: She loves them [students] and wants to just give them the world and show them things that they dont get at home sometimes 
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The United Way of Central Virginia will host its 30th Annual Day of Caring on Wednesday.

Volunteer teams from more than 20 local businesses will fan out across the region to 40 local non-profit agencies and complete much-needed projects such as landscaping, repairs and cleaning, a news release states.

A total of 800 volunteers have signed up so far but more are needed.

At lunchtime, volunteers will convene at the Bank of the James Stadium to enjoy a picnic celebration sponsored by Sodexo, before heading back out to complete their projects, the release states.

The United Way of Central Virginia is proud to provide this event for our region and thrilled to celebrate our 30th anniversary this year, UWCVs Event Coordinator Tabitha Abbott said in the release. The work that is completed on this day supports so many non-profits doing hard work in the human services sector, and that is what UWCV is all about!

The United Way of Central Virginia was founded in 1923 with a mission to mobilize the power of the community to improve the quality of life in Central Virginia. Every day, staff works to advance health, education, financial stability and basic human needs in Lynchburg and the surrounding counties. In 2022, nearly 56,000 Central Virginians were helped by a United Way program.
People inspect a house demolished by Israeli forces in the town of Ni'lin in central West Bank, on May 23, 2023. Israeli forces on Tuesday razed the residence of a Palestinian behind a deadly shooting outside a restaurant in Tel Aviv in March. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

JERUSALEM, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces on Tuesday razed the residence of a Palestinian behind a deadly shooting outside a restaurant in Tel Aviv in March.

An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed in a statement that the residence of Mutaz Khawaja in the town of Ni'lin in central West Bank was demolished.

The Palestinian official news agency of WAFA reported that an Israeli force of about 50 vehicles raided Ni'lin and surrounded several buildings, sparking clashes with local Palestinians, in which at least two Palestinians were injured.

The Israeli army said that Palestinian youths rolled burning tires towards the troops and hurled fireworks, an explosive device, and rocks at them. According to the Israeli military statement, the Israeli soldiers "responded with riot dispersal means."

On March 9, Khawaja opened fire on passers-by on Dizengoff Street, which is known for its bars and restaurants, on a busy weekend night.

He shot and injured three Israeli men before fleeing the scene, but local residents and police officers on patrol chased him down and shot him dead. Or Eshkar, a 32-year-old Israeli victim of the attack, succumbed to the wounds and died in hospital 11 days later.

Israel frequently demolishes the homes of Palestinian attackers, even if they were killed during the attacks. The Israeli government claims that this measure will deter future attackers, but the Palestinians and human rights groups argue that it constitutes collective punishment and only fuels more anger and unrest among Palestinians. 

People inspect a house demolished by Israeli forces in the town of Ni'lin in central West Bank, on May 23, 2023. Israeli forces on Tuesday razed the residence of a Palestinian behind a deadly shooting outside a restaurant in Tel Aviv in March. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

People inspect a house demolished by Israeli forces in the town of Ni'lin in central West Bank, on May 23, 2023. Israeli forces on Tuesday razed the residence of a Palestinian behind a deadly shooting outside a restaurant in Tel Aviv in March. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

People inspect a house demolished by Israeli forces in the town of Ni'lin in central West Bank, on May 23, 2023. Israeli forces on Tuesday razed the residence of a Palestinian behind a deadly shooting outside a restaurant in Tel Aviv in March. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

People inspect a house demolished by Israeli forces in the town of Ni'lin in central West Bank, on May 23, 2023. Israeli forces on Tuesday razed the residence of a Palestinian behind a deadly shooting outside a restaurant in Tel Aviv in March. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
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For Sylvia Denton and Morgan McDowell, two Lynchburg-based nurse practitioners, starkly different journeys led both women to becoming award-winning health care professionals.

McDowell, a South Boston native, and Denton, who was born in Germany, were recently honored by the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners at its annual conference, given awards for their significant contributions to the nursing profession in the Lynchburg community and beyond.

A 42-year veteran in the health care field, set to retire at the end of May, Denton currently is an acute care nurse practitioner and certified diabetes educator with Centra Health, working as the lead nurse practitioner with the inpatient endocrinology team.

After originally attending nursing school in her home country of Germany, she said her first and only job in the United States has been at Lynchburg General Hospital.

Denton became certified in diabetes education, but after helping establish plans of care she realized she could be much happier in a provider role. So in 2015, she completed her masters degree as a nurse practitioner in acute care and adult gerontology, allowing her to work more hands-on as a provider in endocrinology.

I like working with the patients and finding out what they do in life and what makes them tick, Denton said. I always tell patients we want to make sure that we can treat diabetes to a point where you manage it, not your diabetes manages your life.

For McDowell, an 8-year nurse practitioner, most of which has been with Centra Health, health care was not her first job.

I was not a nurse at first, I chose to go back into nursing after a career in development and alumni relations, she said. So I would be considered as a second career nurse.

A graduate of Vanderbilt University with a combined registered nurse and Masters of Science in nursing degree, McDowell is a certified womens health nurse practitioner and adult gerontology primary care nurse practitioner.

In addition to being a nurse practitioner with Centras urology center and the director of advance practice provider education for the health care system, McDowell is also the public relations chair for the VCNP.

While she knew she wanted to get into health care at some point, McDowell said she wasnt really sure what that was going to look like, until she shadowed another womens health nurse practitioner, which provided her with an avenue to do what she wanted.

I want to educate women on how best to take care of themselves and to be a part of that process with them McDowell said. And the cool thing is, with my dual certification, I get to do that with men and women in a urology setting. So I do a lot of womens health.

Upon finding out she would be honored with the award, Denton said she wasnt really expecting it, adding that she initially deleted the email that invited her to lunch to accept the award at the conference.

I was flabbergasted, Denton said. They pulled a fast one on me ... and after a little prodding they finally broke down and said, Will you please just go, theyre giving you an award.

Given the distinguished nurse practitioners award by the VCNP, Denton said it validates that my colleagues and friends see me as a resource, as well as somebody to reach out to and validates that the efforts Im putting in to taking care of my patients is being appreciated by my colleagues.

It was honestly so overwhelming, she added.

McDowell, who won the nurse practitioners advocate award, said it means her hard work was noticed by her community, patients and colleagues in the field, but added its really easy to advocate for all these amazing nurse practitioners who really believe in the care they provide and are doing a really great job.

So its nice to know that people are noticing what Im doing and hopefully its having a really positive impact on the nurse practitioners community because at the end of the day, its not about me. Its about the organization and its about the patients we serve, she added.

She would go on to say the Lynchburg area is home to a group of really strong nurse practitioners and that the city is very fortunate to have such great advanced practice providers in town.

Both women said the ability to provide patient care is the most rewarding part of their job, with McDowell saying she appreciates the trust her patients provide her with.

Its being in the room with a patient and having that ah-ha moment, where something clicks for them from a medical standpoint, or them understanding their disease process because maybe theyve had a moment where theyve shared something with me as their health care provider that they havent with anyone else, McDowell said.

Similarly, Denton said she enjoys seeing patients have their ah-ha moments, but added her favorite thing is seeing her patients reach those important milestones in their lives.

When Im talking to a patient and they tell me they want to see their grandkids being born or I want to go on a trip, we come up with a plan that allows them to feel well enough so they can accomplish that, she said.

But its working with that patient ... so they can be more productive and have quality, not just quantity, and enjoy the life they have.
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Motorcycles roared down Highways 370 and 50 on Saturday morning with a police escort.

Participants in the national Patriot Tour road started the tour with a ceremony at SumTur Amphitheater followed by a ride through the Omaha National Cemetery in Papillion.

They escorted a flag, ceremonially lowered at SumTur, that will traverse all 50 states before returning to Nebraska for a celebration at the SAC Museum near Ashland and a final ceremony at SumTur planned for Sept. 16.

"It is a major deal in Nebraska to shut down a state highway, and we're shutting down two of them," Papillion Mayor David Black said.

Black highlighted the forthcoming Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which will be adjacent to SumTur, as well as the history of Offutt Air Force Base and U.S. Strategic Command. He touted the efforts Papillion has put into supporting its veteran population.

Papillion, La Vista and Bellevue police departments supported the tour launch, as well as the Sarpy County Sheriff's Office and Nebraska State Patrol. The Papillion Fire Department brought out one of its La Vista fire apparatuses to display a giant American flag.

U.S. Rep Don Bacon, who helped get the flag being escorted this year flown at the U.S. Capitol, said he's never felt more welcome than in the greater Offutt community.

"It's such a blessing to be here," Bacon said. "We love our veterans. You represent 6% of the population. Think about that: You are the 6% who have defended our nation in all of our various wars."

Bacon recognized Vietnam War veterans in attendance, lamenting the way they were treated when they returned home. He said they paved the way for the better treatment of future veterans when they returned from conflict.

"We know today that that (how Vietnam veterans were treated) wasn't right," Bacon said. "That's what I love about our country. Our country has the ability when we do wrong, we have freedom of speech, we have freedom of the press, and we can internalize, OK, and we can self-reflect."

Nation of Patriots CEO Bill Sherer the organization started out raising a small amount of money in a 2009 tour and has grown over time to growing a huge following across the country. The group is 100% volunteer and gives back everything it raises from the public.

"Those are donations and they go to the veterans we serve," Sherer said.

The 501(c)(3) nonprofit has now raised more $1.8 million to support veterans. Find more at nationofpatriots.com.

"We come here to try to raise support for those veterans who are struggling to support their families," Sherer said. "This Patriot Tour has turned into a tradition that has become a promise to these people, to that community, a promise that no matter the hardship they're facing, no matter the battle, the darkness, that we, the American people, we the people, will never forget their sacrifice."
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Classic Cafe in Malvern, Iowa reopened today after hail damaged their roof and flooded the cafe following a storm on April 19.

In a Facebook post, the business described the damages and repairs needed to reopen. In addition to the roof, wood flooring and booth cushions needed to be replaced.

After weeks of water cleanup and loud fans, a May 7 storm caused further damage and flooded the restaurant a second time. Alas, the little cafe that could persisted.

What Classic Cafe owner Alicia Hagen thought would be two weeks of renovations, amounted to over a month of restoring the business to its former glory.

Even without its location, the cafe managed to profit from various catering jobs during its month-long hiatus. On Friday, May 19, they utilized the bar half of the restaurant for a barbecue buffet of pulled pork and beef brisket.

Support small business and visit Classic Cafe from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 9 p.m. Fridays and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday at 317 Main St. in Malvern.
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Rasmussen Mechanical Services team of welders, pipefitters and boiler makers are taking off their welding masks and joining forces with Convoy Of Hope to donate more than $17,000 to a worthy cause.

As part of a (COVID-delayed) 50 year anniversary celebration, over 200 Rasmussen Mechanical employees from offices across the Midwest, along with their significant others, recently converged on Rasmussen Mechanicals headquarters in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Together, with Convoy Of Hopes help, they were able to pack a semi-truck with over 5,000 disaster relief kits.

These kits will likely be going to those effected by the tornados that hit across the Midwest and the areas affected by the flooding of the Mississippi River, but they also could end up internationally, in places like Ukraine and Sudan, Ally Hotze, RMS Corporate Event Coordinator, said in a press release.

The kits include essentials for people affected by natural and humanitarian disasters. They include things like soap, towels, deodorant, toothpaste and toothbrush, etc.

We hope this will provide tangible aid to those struggling through disaster. Convoy of Hope is often the first to respond when disaster strikes, and we are just happy we can help them continue to be a positive force for good during crisis, Hotze said.

Rasmussen Mechanical Services is a family-owned and operated mechanical service company.

Those interested in supporting Convoy Of Hope in their efforts of feeding children, empowering women, training farmers, responding to disasters or serving a community in need, visit convoyofhope.org.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  Engineers who operate trains for Union Pacific will soon have much more predictable schedules allowing them to plan when they are going to be off, a change that addresses one of the key quality-of-life concerns that pushed the rail industry to the brink of a strike last fall.
Libyan coastguards have arrested six fishermen for several days over crossing into Libyan territorial waters, according to Tunisie Numerique.

The fishermen from Ben Guerdane, in southeast Tunisia, have been detained for more than five days. The Libyans have also seized their equipment.

Despite good ties between the two countries, the oil-rich African country has repeatedly accused Tunisian fishermen of violating its territorial waters without prior permission. The Libyan Coast Guard patrols are focused on monitoring illegal immigration boats and other boats that may smuggle contraband or fuel.

April last year, Libyan authorities released 24 Tunisian fishermen who were arrested on three ships from Sfax and Mahdia. They were held in detention for more than one month.
Morocco condemned in the strongest terms the recent provocative acts in Jerusalem triggered by the incursion of an Israeli minister who entered once again the Al Aqsa mosque compound.

Such acts have become repeated and provocative, said Moroccos foreign minister Nasser Bourita at a press conference in Rabat.

Israels far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem and declared Israel in charge, drawing condemnation from Palestinians after months of escalating tension and violence.

These violations have been internationally condemned as they stoke tensions and undermine peace prospects, he said.

The minister reiterated Moroccos position in favor of a negotiated peaceful solution based on the two-state solution with an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He also called for an end to such provocations that only feed extremism and ignite violence in the region.
Rabats International University (UIR) and Israels Aerospace Industries (IAI) agreed to jointly set up a center of excellence on aeronautics, artificial intelligence, and innovation.

A memorandum was signed as a follow up to a deal in this regard by the president of UIR Noureddine Mouaddib and Eytan Eshel CTO of IAI in a ceremony attended by Amir Peretz, IAI board chairman and former Israeli defense minister as well as Boaz Levy, CEO of the same company.

The agreement aims to foster cooperation in applied research and innovation as it will serve as a platform and space for exchange between Moroccan and Israeli companies, as well as research centers engaged in the co-development of advanced technological products or innovative solutions for the aerospace industry.

The UIR-IAI Aeronautics and AI Center of Excellence will certainly benefit from the Rabat Sale Kenitra University Cluster, a vibrant research and technology hub, which hosts all kinds of talents, labs, institutes, facilities, and experts committed to harnessing the collective intelligence and collaboration on emerging technologies and challenges, Mouaddib was quoted as saying in a statement.

It is also designed to contribute to strengthening Moroccos position as an attractive competence hub and reinforce the strategic partnership between Morocco and Israel.

Looking into the students eyes, I can see their strong determination to succeed in this new center, bringing forth ideas which hopefully will serve not only Morocco and Israel, but also the entire world, said IAI Chairman in a comment.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang holds talks with Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang held talks with Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra in Beijing on Tuesday.

Noting that the Netherlands is an important partner of China in Europe, Qin said that China is willing to strengthen economic, trade and investment cooperation, deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and advance multilateral cooperation in arms control, cyber security and climate change with the Netherlands.

China will continue to expand market access and strengthen intellectual property rights protection, Qin said, adding that China welcomes more Dutch companies to expand investment in China. Qin expressed hope that the Netherlands will provide a fair, open and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies.

China stands ready to work with the Netherlands to oppose decoupling and severing supply chains, Qin said. He pointed out that China always regards Europe as a comprehensive strategic partner, expressing hope that the Netherlands will continue to play its role as the "gateway" for China-Europe cooperation.

For his part, Hoekstra said that the Netherlands adheres to the one-China policy and is willing to work with China to uphold market principles, deepen cooperation in agriculture, innovation and other fields. The Dutch side is committed to serving as a facilitator of Europe-China exchanges.

The Netherlands appreciates China's efforts to promote peace talks and hopes that China will play a constructive role for the peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Hoekstra said.

The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on other international and regional issues of common concern. 
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Though she was the one being honored, Telegraph religion columnist Mary Hepburn preferred Sunday to shift the focus to the people who help her keep writing despite multiple sclerosis.

About 30 local friends and female journalism peers gathered at North Plattes Linden Court for Nebraska Press Womens formal induction of Hepburn into the Marian Andersen Nebraska Women Journalists Hall of Fame.

Its the latest honor for the 1968 North Platte High School graduate, who taught journalism in Nebraska and Canada and wrote for the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C., before returning to North Platte in 1995.

At the urging of the late retired Telegraph Editor Keith Blackledge, then-Executive Editor Jill Claflin hired Hepburn to cover local religion news. That soon turned into a weekly column that she has kept up for 28 years.

Hepburn, who edited NPHS Bulldogger student newspaper in 1967-68, was named one of North Plattes Women of Achievement in 2014 and received an NPHS Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019.

Claflin, now of Cozad, and former Telegraph co-owner Eric Seacrest were among those watching as NPW Vice President Barb Bierman Batie of Lexington  herself a former Telegraph area correspondent  welcomed Hepburn into the Hall of Fame.

Mary represents some of the best Nebraska traits: determination, persistence, gratitude and concern for others, Batie said, reading from Hepburns Hall of Fame citation.

She shared highlights of Hepburns pre-1995 career, which saw start her teaching career at Lincoln Southeast High School following her 1972 graduation from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Hepburn traveled north of the border to teach high school journalism in Toronto and Montreal and then college journalism in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Batie recalled.

She wrote the journalism curriculum in launching the newspaper at the Montreal high school where she taught. Marlene Cockwell, who took her class as a senior in 1977, wrote NPW about Hepburns lasting influence on her life though she didnt become a journalist herself.

Mary Hepburn turned out to be a young, energetic, confident woman who desperately wanted to share her love of journalism, Cockwell wrote. I had never had a high school teacher like her before, and I never did again.

Batie said Hepburns Hall of Fame nomination came from Jeanie Gilbert, the retired director of North Plattes Rape/Domestic Abuse Program, who has typed up Hepburns thoughts for her column since 2012.

She always knew what she wanted to do when she grew up, Gilbert told the audience. Words flow out of this woman like her breath. 

Every seven days, she comes up with 600 words about people, events and thoughts on life. And she educates, she informs and she inspires with her words. She is a journalist.

Audience members rose in a standing ovation when Batie presented Hepburn with her permanent Hall of Fame award. A photo of Hepburn with her citation will hang on the wall in downtown Lincolns Andersen Hall, home of UNLs College of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Hepburn thanked not only Gilbert during her remarks but also Joyce Pikorski, her earlier column collaborator; Linden Court night nurse Kathy Gifford, who she said has taken down notes when she awoke from sleep with column ideas; Jeff Gorley, her Bible study leader; Seacrest, whom she first met writing for The Telegraph in her youth; and current Telegraph Managing Editor Joan von Kampen.

Im very humbled and honored to receive this award, she said. I share it with all of you, because you have helped me write my stories.

Batie also acknowledged NPWs other 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, the late KOLN/KGIN-TV journalist and weather broadcaster Linda Beermann. She was Nebraskas and perhaps the nations first woman to headline a local prime-time evening news broadcast in 1979.

Beermann, the wife of former Nebraska Secretary of State Allen Beermann, died Nov. 25. She was inducted posthumously at NPWs April spring conference in Beatrice.

Marian Andersen, who died April 28, 2022, was a 1950 UNL journalism graduate and the wife of the late Omaha World-Herald Publisher Harold W. Andersen. UNLs journalism building is named for the couple.
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The courthouse will be closed on June 19 in commemoration of Juneteenth after a vote of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners Monday.

A county named after the president who emancipated the slaves should commemorate the official end of slavery in the U.S., said Commissioner Micaela Wuehler.

Commissioner Chris Bruns said there are also practical reasons to close on Nebraska state holidays. Courts are closed on those days, and state computer systems are not available to meet all the needs of the motor vehicle and attorneys offices.

The change is only effective this year. Commissioners are in the process of updating the county handbook and a permanent change will be considered for the revised edition.

Ty Staman and Jeremy Parker officially took their place on the Lincoln County Sheriff force on Monday morning, when County Sheriff Jerome Kramer swore in the two new deputies.

Commissioners heard a short report from U.S. Rep. Adrian Smiths liaison. There were also lengthy discussions about right-of way applications; inter-local agreements; court appointed attorney fees, which are going up 25%; and problems reserving license plates, which will be in a story in tomorrows newspaper.

Smith rep visits

Smith has been doing a lot of work to gain bipartisan support for legislation to address health care needs of rural Nebraskans, said Valerio Jansante, Smiths community liaison.

Those include the ability of pharmacists to provide vaccinations, the ability of dialysis patients to receive dialysis treatments in their homes and senior health care options in remote areas.

With the reorganization that resulted from the 2020 Census, Smith now represents an additional four counties, which means 80 of Nebraskas 93 counties are in Nebraskas 3rd Congressional District.

Smith recently met with the president of Taiwan, Jacinto said, to address trade and security issues. Weems said that is important for a couple of reasons: Taiwan is a democratic country, and it also produces approximately 90% of the worlds semi-conductor chips, a vital commodity.

Bruns said Smith has lent support to economic projects in the Lincoln County area and has personally toured the planned rail park at Hershey.

In other business, commissioners:

Set June 12 at 9:30 a.m. to amend the 2022-23 Lincoln County budget.

Authorized Chairman Jerry Woodruff to sign the grant award packet for the 2023 Community-based Juvenile Services Aid grant. The money, from Nebraska Crime Commission, is used to help establish and provide community-based services for youth in the juvenile justice system, including diversion programs and family support. The amount will be close to $123,238, said Jayna Schaaf, Community Connections executive director.

Some of the money will be sub-granted to Family Skill Building services. She and Amanda Speichert, attorney with Lincoln County Public Defenders office, presenting the information to commissioners at their meeting.

Speaking of those who provide juvenile services in the county, Were lucky to have these folks, said Weems.

Accepted a bid for asphalt work on OFallon Road related to the culvert project about one-half mile north of U.S. Highway 30.

The bid of $42,456 was submitted by Shelco Asphalt and Paving. Two other companies were asked for bids but declined, said Schultz. He said the rate of about $167 per ton was reasonable.

Approved an agreement with Marcia Trego to referee 2023 property valuation protests. Trego has served in that role for the county for many years. Her rate will be the same as last year.

Trego and the assessors office are working on a process to reduce downtime caused by people not showing up for appointments, said Becky Rossell, county clerk.

Approved a certificate of refund in the amount of $923.59 for Elizabeth Hoskins as a result of a mobile home being moved from its site.

Approved a motor vehicle tax exemption for American Red Cross for a 2019 box van used for blood drives and other transportation needs.

For more from the Lincoln County commissioners meeting Monday, pick up a copy of Wednesdays edition of The Telegraph.
Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: Shutterstock

Last autumn, during an address to the National Press Club in Washington DC in the early days of the migrant crisis, Mayor Adams fielded a question that all New York City mayors get.

Some say that being mayor of New York is the second toughest job in America, said the clubs president, Jen Judson. Nine months into the job, what do you think  and what surprised you about it?

The reply was vintage Adams: When I hear that saying, I say over and over again, When does the hard part start? This is not a hard job if youre committed.

Adams repeated the cocky quip publicly and privately in various venues throughout his first year in office. I say every day that I wake up: When does the hard part start? Because its not hard for me, he told a group of health workers last July. I love every moment being the mayor. And I want the challenges that it offers.

Adams still loves being mayor  and thinks we should all be happy about that, too. You know what I say to New Yorkers? Thank God Im the mayor right now as we manage these difficult crises because its something I had to do throughout my professional career as an adult, he recently told anchor Rosanna Scotto on FOX 5.

Even if the Mayor doesnt realize it, the hard part began a long time ago. And he should recognize that New Yorkers dont care whether Adams feels like he has an easy job: What matters is whether hes doing it well  specifically, whether he can handle a surge of migrants from Central and South America arriving in the city. The arrivals have overwhelmed his administration with legal, logistical, fiscal, administrative, and political questions to which City Hall has yet to offer coherent answers.

Almost every day, Adams points out that the city is paying a tab  estimated at upwards of $4 billion  to house migrants, money that New York needs from the state and federal government. It also needs the assistance from of nearby towns to house them; migrants are pouring into New York at a pace of about 700 per day, an extension of the broader crisis at the countrys southern border. But Adamss critics are observing, ever more pointedly, that he needs to improve on the citys execution of basic tasks  including communicating with the public  and also to do more long-term planning for a problem that is likely to continue indefinitely.

Despite the desperate need for financial aid, for instance, the Daily News reported that City Halls application for $650 million in federal relief went in weeks after the application window opened, just four days before the deadline. As City Councilman Lincoln Restler told the New York Times, We all understand that a crisis like this requires a creative approach. Wed just like to see more managerial deliberation.

The threshold question of where to house migrants has been a source of confusion from the start. Last fall, the administration announced plans to open a humanitarian relief center in the parking lot of Orchard Beach in the Bronx and began building a massive tent that would be filled with cots, triggering warnings from local officials that the site was likely to flood, which turned out to be accurate. The administration abruptly shut down the flooded site and built a replacement on Randalls Island at an estimated cost of $325,000. The 84,000-square-foot replacement site was, in turn, shut down a few weeks later. The administration claimed that opening and shutting the second site cost the city $650,000  a figure that was disputed as far too low. I think it will have been several million dollars to put up two tents, City Comptroller Brad Lander said. A lot of people thought it was a mistake and we didnt need it.

The pop-up-shelter process has continued. The administration opened two relief centers for men in the Red Hook cruise terminal, then closed them a couple of months later. More recently, City Hall drew protests by announcing plans to convert as many as 20 public school gymnasiums into congregate shelters for migrants  some of which were already open at schools in Coney Island, Williamsburg, and Staten Island  only to backtrack on the idea in the face of protests by parents and students. They are moving away from the school sites for now, but [we] reserve the right to use them again if they cant handle the influx, an anonymous source told the Daily News.

The citys main strategy, renting thousands of hotel rooms, is counterproductive and wasteful, says Christine Quinn, the former Speaker of the City Council who is president and CEO of WIN, the citys largest nonprofit provider of shelter to women and children. According to an analysis by Quinns group, expediting the use of city-paid housing vouchers to help people move out of shelters gives them permanent housing for, on average, $72 a night  far less than the $383 a night that the city is paying on average for each hotel room.

And for the $383, youre lucky if in that hotel theres half a social worker or one social worker, Quinn told me. There isnt the child care, the wraparound holistic services, the job training, the summer camp that you get at places like WIN and other places. So we pay the most to get the least. Quinns proposed solution is for the city to drop a requirement, instituted during the Giuliani administration, that people be housed in city shelters for at least 90 days before becoming eligible for a permanent housing voucher.

For decades, the 90-Day Rule has arbitrarily kept New Yorkers in shelter far longer than they should be  but right now, the City has a chance to end this illogical barrier. Repealing this rule could save the City up to $27,990 per family with children, while helping them leave shelter sooner, Quinn said in a statement.

Saving $28,000 per family and getting more people into permanent housing sounds like a smart bargain the administration should make a top priority. Adams must also decide whether he wants to waste legal energy trying to change New Yorks right-to-shelter law, a series of directives created by order of state courts.

With more than 37,000 asylum-seekers swelling the numbers in city shelters, Adams has issued executive orders announcing exemptions to longstanding laws governing how homeless New Yorkers get treated, such as the rule requiring families who arrive before 10 p.m. on any given night to have a bed by 4 a.m. the next morning.

This is not a natural disaster like Superstorm Sandy. Its a man-made crisis. Its a failure of governments in Central and South America. A failure to have a border policy, Brendan McGuire, chief counsel to Adams, told me. We are now in a place where we have no more room, we have no more people to staff these facilities, and we need help.

But the request for relief from legal rules regarding homeless services has triggered an outcry from advocates, who are prepared to take he city to court  the last thing we need in the middle of the current crisis.

Look, Im sympathetic to the situation the mayor is in with the asylum seekers, but he is absolutely wrong in rolling back the provisions of the right to shelter, says Quinn. He rolled back a provision that said people shouldnt be allowed to sleep on the floor of city office buildings. He rolled back a provision that prevented children with their parents from sleeping in congregate settings while they wait for a placement. We have had a standard since the late 80s, 90s. And that standard is based on court rulings, but what its really based on is humanity and the belief that every New Yorker needs to be treated decently. Sleeping on the floor is not being treated decently.

We have these rules in place after decades of experience with these kinds of situations, says Josh Goldfein, a longtime staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society who says his group will consider suing the administration if it violates the right to shelter law. Children need to be in their own room at night, not in a congregate setting. We have these rules because in the past, children have been harmed, he told me. Adults have been harmed from being in these kinds of environments. And if we see that people are placed in harms way, then yeah, well have no choice but to intervene.

Adams, who has repeatedly and publicly castigated the Biden administration for not providing more aid to New York, appears to have strained, if not broken, his most important lifeline. The lead story in a recent Sunday New York Times cited top aides and allies of Biden who are clearly irritated with the mayor. In their view, Mr. Adams is a grandstanding opportunist, aiming to win headlines for himself without regard to the broader political implications for the president and his re-election.

So the migrants continue to arrive every day in what is coming to seem like the new normal. We will need to house, feed, clothe, and educate them for months, if not years, with too little help from Washington and Albany. And that impossible situation has to be managed by the man on the west side of City Hall. Who, truth be told, has been elected to do a really tough job.
Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

More often than not, when a very senior U.S. senator retires, theres a mad scramble of frustrated would-be senators trying to take advantage of the rare opening. In 2024, there are already very tense Democratic primaries unfolding for the seat that Dianne Feinstein of California has held since 1992 and the one Ben Cardin of Maryland has held since 2007.

You would expect the same to be the case in Delaware upon the retirement of four-term Democratic senator Tom Carper. The First State notoriously has a logjam of Democratic politicians thanks to its size and partisan leanings: With just three counties and one U.S. House seat, there are plenty of elected officials at any given moment who have experience in running statewide. Carper, in fact, won his first statewide contest to become state treasurer in 1976. In 1992, after five terms in the U.S. House, Carper won his penultimate office by essentially switching jobs with term-limited Republican governor Mike Castle. (Carper moved on to the Senate when he was term-limited in 2000 and was succeeded for two terms by Ruth Ann Minner, who had been elected twice as lieutenant governor.)

Now, however, the political heavens appear to have opened for current congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester to succeed Carper in the Senate, reflecting her longtime status as a Carper protegee with many friends in Delaware government and politics. Her first public-sector gig was as an intern in Carpers U.S. House office, and she later served his gubernatorial administration in two major agency positions, including secretary of labor (she was also state personnel director under Minner). After a stint as CEO of the Urban League affiliate in Wilmington, she relocated to China with her soon-to-be husband, Charles Rochester, and then co-authored a book entitled Thrive about women who reinvented themselves. She had to do so herself when her husband suddenly died and she wound up running for the U.S. House in 2016, surviving in a crowded primary.

Aside from her Carper connection, Blunt Rochester served as an adviser to Joe Biden during his 2020 presidential campaign, particularly when he was vetting vice-presidential possibilities.

The likelihood that she will avoid a difficult primary was illustrated by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is all but treating her as a senator-elect though she hasnt yet announced her candidacy, even informally, as Politico reported:

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke to Blunt Rochester on Monday after Carpers announcement. Schumer told her he believes she could be a really good senator and he looks forward to sitting down with her soon, a Schumer spokesperson said.

Carper, even more than Biden, had a strong reputation as a party centrist in his many years in state and national politics. Blunt Rochester, who takes a very nuts-and-bolts, hands-on approach to politicking, may be more in the broader party mainstream: She is a member of both the Progressive Caucus and the New Democrat Coalition.

Presumably, Delaware Republicans will put up a credible candidate for this open seat in 2024, but since 2018, Democrats have held all nine statewide offices, and Republicans havent won a Senate race in Delaware since 1994. This has become a very blue state, and with Biden at the head of the ticket, 2024 seems an unlikely year for a breakthrough. Assuming she does win, Blunt Rochester will gain immediate attention as just the third Black woman elected to the upper chamber. If the national Democratic ticket prevails as well, shell be sworn into office by the second Black woman elected to the Senate, Vice-President Kamala Harris. And its possible shell be joined in taking the oath by another Black woman and a current House colleague, Californias Barbara Lee.
Photo: Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Sam Bankman-Fried hasnt been a great ex-boyfriend. During the monthlong period between the November collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange FTX and his arrest in the Bahamas on fraud and conspiracy charges, the unkempt former crypto billionaire made more than a few subtle digs at Caroline Ellison, his former girlfriend and employee, hinting that she was the one really responsible for everything going wrong. Caroline and I had been together for a while. I dont control her. I never did, he said during one of his many talks with the media in December. Ellison was the former CEO of Alameda Research, Bankman-Frieds hedge fund, which allegedly took customer funds off the FTX exchange and gambled them away. It is, of course, fair to say that Ellison had responsibility  shes already pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering  but it also muddies the water around accusations that Bankman-Fried guided a criminal operation.

But now comes news that Ellison kept a personal diary that federal prosecutors are combing through  as well as a series of electronic documents  that details the personal side of her relationship with Bankman-Fried, according to the New York Times. There are few details in the report about the diary, except that it has a black cover, or about whether the electronic documents are emails, a secret blog, or just a digital version of her own handwritten observations. What we do know is that these documents contain her raw reflections on SBF, including her personal and professional resentment toward him, according to the Times.

Is this a surprise? Ellison has always been bookish, describing herself as a lifelong Harry Potter fan  a Ravenclaw, even  so its not too much of a surprise that she would put pen to her thoughts and feelings. And she kept a notorious Tumblr that revealed someone who, in her love of fictional girlboss characters or her interest in polyamory, had a deep interest in people and power, even if she was ultimately too inexperienced to really know what she was doing.

Bankman-Frieds criminal trial is set for October, and there are millions of pages of documents as potential evidence, according to the Times. James Bromley, an attorney in private practice at Sullivan & Cromwell whos representing FTX debtors in the related bankruptcy proceedings, said in February that the kind of digital evidence they have has made understanding how FTX all worked exceedingly complicated. There are no wallets, Bromley said in court. There are no keys. There are no buildings. Everything we have is a series of zeros and ones and any time that environment is accessed, it creates risk that damage will occur. Data, of course, is just raw information, and doesnt betray any motive or state of mind behind any action. Whatever it is that Ellison wrote just might cut right through that ambiguity.
The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum is held in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on strengthening collaboration among media outlets in China and Central Asian countries was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, themed on "boosting media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future," was one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit. The forum was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and attended by heads and representatives of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency. During the forum, a consensus was reached among media outlets in China and the five Central Asian countries to strengthen and expand cooperation further, aiming to elevate its scope and explore additional avenues of collaboration. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Heads and representatives of media outlets from China and five Central Asian countries on Tuesday gathered at a media forum in Beijing, where they had in-depth discussions and reached broad consensus on strengthening media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit, was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency.

The participating media outlets included the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency.

Speaking at the forum, Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, said that the China-Central Asia Summit has established a platform for cooperation between the two sides and opened up new prospects, bearing milestone significance in the history of the development of relations between China and Central Asian countries.

The relations between the two sides are marching toward a new era, which presents new opportunities for media cooperation among the six countries, Fu said.

Xinhua is ready to work with media outlets in Central Asian countries to expand exchanges, deepen collaboration, and enhance understanding and mutual trust, he said.

Fu called for greater efforts in news reporting in various fields to inject new momentum for relations between China and Central Asian countries, and bring positivity to promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations as well as world peace and development.

Foreign attendees at the forum spoke highly of the China-Central Asia Summit. Tlegen Abishev, deputy head of the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said the summit has opened a new chapter in cooperation between Central Asian countries and China.

The various documents and cooperation agreements passed during the summit have outlined a new blueprint for comprehensive and in-depth cooperation between the two sides in the future, said Mederbek Shermetaliev, head of the Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan.

During the forum, the Russian version of a think tank report on Xi Jinping's economic thought was released for audiences from Central Asian countries. The video version of the report was also unveiled.

As an important part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, Xi Jinping's economic thought is formed through the Communist Party of China's unremitting efforts to explore the path of socialist economic development, said Lyu Yansong, editor-in-chief of Xinhua.

The economic thought is the key to understanding the theory and practice of Chinese modernization, Lyu said, adding that the release of the Russian-version report will provide authoritative interpretation for further understanding of the thought.

"The report allows us to gain a deeper understanding of the essence of Xi Jinping's economic thought, which is scientific and forward-looking," said Bekdurdy Amansaryyev, head of the Media Turkmen News Agency.

Subhiddin Shamsiddinzoda, head of the Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, said the report can help him gain a deeper understanding of Xi Jinping's economic thought, and learn from China's development experience and apply it to the development of his own country.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was also highlighted by participants at the forum, as this year marks the tenth year since President Xi put forward the initiative.

They believed that over the past decade, the initiative has created new opportunities for the development of countries around the world, including China and Central Asian countries. As the initiative is being carried forward, various countries' demand for economic information has been growing even stronger.

Abdusaid Kuchimov, head of the Uzbekistan National News Agency, lauded that in the process of BRI development, China has always been committed to bringing real benefits to the people of all countries.

In June 2019, Xinhua initiated an information-sharing platform called Belt and Road Economic Information Partnership (BREIP). Jointly established by Xinhua and its partners both at home and abroad, it has provided economic information for governments and enterprises of BRI countries over the past years.

During the forum, media institutions from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan signed up for the BREIP, bringing the total number of members of the network to 53 covering 36 countries and regions. Kyrgyzstan's Kabar News Agency is a founding member of the network.

Abishev held that against the backdrop of an increasing number of countries and international organizations joining the BRI, the establishment of the unified platform for economic information exchange is timely and has broad prospects.

Also at the forum a consensus was reached among the participating media outlets, which vowed to further strengthen their cooperation by elevating the scope and creating more avenues of collaboration and to achieve new outcomes in the practical media cooperation. 

The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum is held in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on strengthening collaboration among media outlets in China and Central Asian countries was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, themed on "boosting media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future," was one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit. The forum was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and attended by heads and representatives of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency. During the forum, a consensus was reached among media outlets in China and the five Central Asian countries to strengthen and expand cooperation further, aiming to elevate its scope and explore additional avenues of collaboration. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum is held in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on strengthening collaboration among media outlets in China and Central Asian countries was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, themed on "boosting media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future," was one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit. The forum was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and attended by heads and representatives of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency. During the forum, a consensus was reached among media outlets in China and the five Central Asian countries to strengthen and expand cooperation further, aiming to elevate its scope and explore additional avenues of collaboration. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum is held in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on strengthening collaboration among media outlets in China and Central Asian countries was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, themed on "boosting media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future," was one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit. The forum was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and attended by heads and representatives of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency. During the forum, a consensus was reached among media outlets in China and the five Central Asian countries to strengthen and expand cooperation further, aiming to elevate its scope and explore additional avenues of collaboration. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, delivers a speech while presiding over the China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on strengthening collaboration among media outlets in China and Central Asian countries was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, themed on "boosting media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future," was one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit. The forum was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and attended by heads and representatives of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency. During the forum, a consensus was reached among media outlets in China and the five Central Asian countries to strengthen and expand cooperation further, aiming to elevate its scope and explore additional avenues of collaboration. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, delivers a speech while presiding over the China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on strengthening collaboration among media outlets in China and Central Asian countries was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, themed on "boosting media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future," was one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit. The forum was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and attended by heads and representatives of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency. During the forum, a consensus was reached among media outlets in China and the five Central Asian countries to strengthen and expand cooperation further, aiming to elevate its scope and explore additional avenues of collaboration. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

Lyu Yansong, editor-in-chief of Xinhua News Agency, presides over the launch ceremony of the Russian version of a report on Xi Jinping's economic thought, during the China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. The video version of the report by New China Research, the think tank of Xinhua, was also unveiled Tuesday. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

Mederbek Shermetaliev, head of the Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, speaks at the China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on strengthening collaboration among media outlets in China and Central Asian countries was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, themed on "boosting media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future," was one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit. The forum was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and attended by heads and representatives of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency. During the forum, a consensus was reached among media outlets in China and the five Central Asian countries to strengthen and expand cooperation further, aiming to elevate its scope and explore additional avenues of collaboration. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

Abdusaid Kuchimov, head of the Uzbekistan National News Agency, speaks at the China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on strengthening collaboration among media outlets in China and Central Asian countries was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, themed on "boosting media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future," was one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit. The forum was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and attended by heads and representatives of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency. During the forum, a consensus was reached among media outlets in China and the five Central Asian countries to strengthen and expand cooperation further, aiming to elevate its scope and explore additional avenues of collaboration. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

Subhiddin Shamsiddinzoda, head of the Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, speaks at the China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on strengthening collaboration among media outlets in China and Central Asian countries was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, themed on "boosting media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future," was one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit. The forum was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and attended by heads and representatives of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency. During the forum, a consensus was reached among media outlets in China and the five Central Asian countries to strengthen and expand cooperation further, aiming to elevate its scope and explore additional avenues of collaboration. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

Bekdurdy Amansaryyev, head of the Media Turkmen News Agency, speaks at the China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on strengthening collaboration among media outlets in China and Central Asian countries was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, themed on "boosting media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future," was one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit. The forum was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and attended by heads and representatives of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency. During the forum, a consensus was reached among media outlets in China and the five Central Asian countries to strengthen and expand cooperation further, aiming to elevate its scope and explore additional avenues of collaboration. (Xinhua/Jin Liangkuai)

Tlegen Abishev, deputy head of the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, speaks at the China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on strengthening collaboration among media outlets in China and Central Asian countries was held in Beijing on Tuesday. The China-Central Asia News Agency Forum, themed on "boosting media cooperation to promote the building of a China-Central Asia community with a shared future," was one of the achievements of the recently concluded China-Central Asia Summit. The forum was initiated and hosted by China's Xinhua News Agency and attended by heads and representatives of media outlets from five Central Asian countries, namely, the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kabar News Agency of Kyrgyzstan, Khovar News Agency of Tajikistan, Media Turkmen News Agency and Uzbekistan National News Agency. During the forum, a consensus was reached among media outlets in China and the five Central Asian countries to strengthen and expand cooperation further, aiming to elevate its scope and explore additional avenues of collaboration. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)
Big Oil is in the middle of a war no one could have seen coming just a few years ago. On one side are investors that like the supermajors recent record profits generated thanks to higher oil and gas prices. On the other are climate activist investors focusing on emission reduction as the only priority of significance.

BP emerged from one battle three weeks ago at its annual shareholder meeting. The meeting was disrupted by protests that have become more or less a fixture of any event involving oil companies in Europe. It was also made challenging by investors who demanded an explanation on why they were not allowed to vote for BPs new emission reduction targets.

These targets, by the way, are in fact oil and gas production cut targets, to go with a boost in low-carbon energy investments. The supermajor had planned to cut oil and gas output by 40% from 2019 by 2030 but earlier this year reduced this target to 25%. It also reduced its Scope 3 emission cut targets to 20-30% from 35-40%.

Naturally, this did not sit well with activist shareholders. When asked by a large investor why there was no vote on this matter, BP chairman Helge Lund said that extensive engagement with investors had suggested there was little appetite for a vote on emission reduction plans, per the FT.

Indeed, investors in Big Oil seem to be quite happy with the record profits their companies are bringing in and would like to see this state of affairs continue. At the same time, as the WSJ reported earlier this year, BPs chief executive had suffered disappointment at the lower-than-expected returns of the companys renewable energy business. This had led to a decision to dial back on BPs wind, solar, EV, and hydrogen push. Related: Oil Prices Inch Higher As Debt Ceiling Talks Drag On

Again, activist investors did not like this. The rest, however, who are the majority, did like it. Because, like the majority of Shells shareholders, who are meeting for their annual gathering this week, they want their dividends rising not falling because the company is spending billions on wind and solar. It may be a truth difficult to stomach but this does not change its nature.

Reuters reported last week, in anticipation of Shells AGM, that Shell will have quite a plateful this week as it seeks to find a balancing point between the pro-return shareholders and the pro-emissions ones.

In other words, this weeks meeting will likely see a clash between shareholders that want the company to keep doing what its doing with oil and gas, and reap the benefits, and those who want Shell to focus on reducing its emissions, with returns a distant second priority.

Per the Reuters report, the emissions-first camp is a small but loud one. It appears to be becoming louder, too, as the majority of investors stray from the righteous transition path.

It would be difficult not to stray when the Big Oil majors collectively ended the first quarter of this year with combined cash of some $160 billion, part of it ready to be distributed to shareholders. Because thats what Big Oil does: it pays dividends. It buys back shares when the going is good. It rewards its shareholders to keep them on board.

Meanwhile, European Big Oil has one more problem to deal with and this is the problem of stock valuation. The situation is quite ironic but only to be expected. European supermajors are subjected to a lot more shareholder pressure than their peers in the U.S. As a result, their foray into renewables has been massive compared to what Exxon and Chevron are doing. And their stock valuations have reflected this by dropping.

Some have questioned the validity of this causal relationship by noting that stock trade is a lot more active in the U.S. than in Europe but these days nobody really trades physically on the floor of the NYSE or the London Stock Exchange via a broker. Millions, however, trade online, so trade volume shouldnt really be a factor. Business strategy, on the other hand has always been a factor.

BPs stock plunged three years ago when CEO Looney announced the companys new strategy with a lot more investments in low-carbon energy at the expense of oil and gas growth. It recovered relatively quickly but that initial drop spoke volumes about shareholders thoughts on the companys planned transition. And the reason the stock recovered? Oil prices.

Its the same with all the Big Oil majors. A minority of shareholders with various degrees of financial clout insist that the companies prioritize emission reduction by virtually any means necessary. The majority would like to keep things quiet and chugging along, and the money coming in, not least because all the supermajors have already made commitments in the emission reduction department.

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These are quite ambitious and most shareholders appear to be happy with them. The few that arent happy will likely continue to pressure the companies into making even more ambitious commitments. The problem they probably did not expect to encounter is the majority that wants its returns.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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The United States has renewed a license that will extend the authorization to select oilfield services companies to keep assets in Venezuela. The license does not allow the companies to drill, process, or handle Venezuelan-derived crude oil, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

The license to preserve oilfield assets was originally granted back in 2019 to U.S. oilfield services providers Baker Hughes, Halliburton, Schlumberger, and Weatherford International. The license allows them to maintain a physical presence in the country, including their assets, but does not allow them to perform any operations with PDVSA or any JVs, including well maintenance.

Chevron also secured a licensebut Chevrons license is more extensive. Chevron is the only U.S. company allowed to do business in Venezuela after obtaining a six-month license to operate under its joint ventures with PDVSA. Profits from Chevrons Venezuelan-derived crude oil will go towards paying down PDVSAs debt to Chevron, and will not contribute to the state-run oil companys profits.

Venezuelas oil industry has been hit hard by corruption, mismanagement, and U.S. sanctions. Venezuela relies heavily on crude oil revenues to finance its budget. For 2023, Venezuela was planning to finance 63 percent of its budget with oil revenues.

Venezuelas oil exports did increase in March, reaching their highest levels since last August, carried mostly by Chevrons activity there. Venezuela exported nearly 775,000 bpd in March, with China, its largest buyer.

Some oilfield services companies, including Baker Hughes, had pushed last year to restart drilling in the sanctioned South American country, with analysts suggesting that doing so could boost Venezuelas crude production back above 1 million barrels per day.

The oilfield services firms have been prohibited from conducting business in Venezuela since 2019.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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At a trilateral meeting in Islamabad on May 9, the foreign ministers of China, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan and reaffirmed their support for multilateral infrastructure projects already underway, including the Central Asia-South Asia (CASA) power project and the Trans-Afghan Railways (Peoples Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs [FMPRC], May 9). Earlier on January 5, the Taliban regime signed an agreement with the Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Company (CAPEIC), a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Petroleum Company (CNPC), for the extraction of oil from the Amu Darya basin, under which China will invest $150 million annually for three years and increase it thereafter to $540 million for the contracts 25-year duration (Kabul Now, January 5). Then on April 13, Afghanistans Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced that the Chinese company Gochin had expressed interest in investing $10 billion in Afghanistans lithium reserves (Kabul Now, April 13). Meanwhile, China is reported to be in talks with the Taliban regime over renegotiating the terms of a 2008 contract to mine copper from the Mes Aynak reserves in Logar province (The Print, June 8, 2022).

The agreements, including plans to extend CPECa key leg of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)into Afghanistan, are a significant development. The deal relating to oil extraction in the Amu Darya basin is the Taliban regimes first major foreign investment deal. However, in the past, major Chinese projects have failed to take off. Will the recent deals remain in limbo as well? Chinas growing role in Afghanistan faces formidable challenges.

Limited Engagement

Although China shares a border with Afghanistan, it remained largely aloof from developments in the country for decades. Apart from covert support for the U.S. arming of the Mujahideen in the 1980s, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) kept its distance from its turbulent neighbor. Moreover, Beijing maintained no official diplomatic ties with the first Taliban regime (1996-2001) (Observer Research Foundation [ORF], August 6, 2019).

While Beijing revived diplomatic relations with Kabul following the ouster of the Taliban regime in 2001, its role in Afghanistan remained small, especially compared to that of the U.S. and other major powers. It had few interests to protect or advance in Afghanistan at that time. Besides, the PRC was not interested in playing a subordinate role to the U.S. and did not send troops to support the U.S.-led counter-insurgency operations in Afghanistan (Indian Council of World Affairs, April 20, 2022). Even its support for Afghan reconstruction was modest, with China providing just $240 million in financial aid between 2001 and 2013 (Institute for South Asian Studies (ISAS), June 25, 2021). In comparison, the U.S. extended $146.68 billion towards Afghan relief and reconstruction in the 2001-2020 period (Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction).

Chinas Interests in Afghanistan

Only after Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced the opening of Afghanistans energy, mineral and raw materials sectors to foreign investment did China begin to show an interest in Afghanistan (Eurasia Review, May 18, 2010). Afghanistans natural resource wealth is estimated at between $1 and $3 trillion (Global Times, September 14, 2021). In 2007, China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) won a contract to mine copper from Mes Aynak, the worlds second-largest copper deposit. Chinas pledge to invest $3 billion was the single largest foreign investment tender to date (China Daily, August 13, 2018). In 2011, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and its Afghan partner, Watan Oil & Gas, secured the rights to three oil blocks in the Amu Darya basin, with plans to invest $700 over five years (Tolo News, December 26, 2011). Other deals for infrastructure projects followed.

Related: Iraq Awaits Turkeys Go-Ahead To Resume Kurdistan Oil Exports



Afghan stability is required not only for the success of Chinese investments and economic interests but also because it has implications for the security situation in the western region of Xinjiang. Since the 1990s, Beijing has perceived a growing risk of Uyghur separatism in Xinjiang. Some Uyghur militants that the PRC has ascribed as belonging to the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) have taken sanctuary in Afghanistan, purportedly allied to the Taliban and al-Qaida. International experts question the existence of ETIM as a coherent militant organization (see China Brief, February 11, 2022) and the U.S. government removed the groups designation as a terrorist organization in October 2020 due to a lack of evidence for its continued existence (RFA, November 5, 2020). However, the PRC continues to see Uyghur militancy in Afghanistan as a major threat, viewing the security situation in its Central Asian neighbor through the prism of its longstanding struggle with the three evil forces (????) of ethnic separatism (??????), religious extremism (??????) and violent terrorism (??????) (Xinhuanet, June 13, 2019).

Since the early 2000s, a particular concern for Beijing has been that Uyghur militant groups and their allies could use the experience gained on the Afghan battlefield against Western and Afghan government forces to target China. Consequently, stability in Afghanistan has taken on growing importance to China over the past two decades. As Davood Moradian, director of the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies, pointed out in 2015, it prompted Beijing to link its internal security policy with the stability in Afghanistan (Anadolou Agency, January 24, 2015).

Of course, strategic concerns also came into play with regards to Afghanistan. China was uneasy with the post-2001 surge in American presence and influence in Afghanistan. But this concern was secondary to its interest in Afghan stability. Hence, it did not raise objections to the U.S. counter-insurgency efforts, choosing to free-ride on its efforts to stabilize Afghanistan.

Rising Concerns, Growing Role

However, the role of a bystander was increasingly not an option for China. The situation in Xinjiang deteriorated, as evident from the outbreak of riots in Urumqi in July 2009 and the Uighur militants attack on a police station in Hotan in southern Xinjiang in 2011 (ORF, August 6, 2019). Meanwhile, Chinese economic interests in the region grew as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) got underway in 2013. Given its geographic location along the BRI, Afghanistans development and stability were important to the success of the effort. The Chinese government was eager to involve Afghanistan in the BRI, and the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding in this regard in 2016 under which Beijing pledged an investment of roughly $100 million in infrastructure projects (FMPRC, May 18, 2016). However, this investment did not materialize (The Hindu, July 5, 2022). Indeed, Beijings plans for mineral and oil extraction from the Mes Aynak mines and the Amu Darya reserves, respectively, did not make progress either. Persisting instability in Afghanistan contributed to Chinese projects not taking off.

Adding to Chinese concerns was U.S. President Barack Obamas announcement in 2012 that American troops would begin to pull out from Afghanistan from 2014 onward. This brought home to the Chinese that, henceforth, they could not depend on the U.S. to stabilize Afghanistan. The pending U.S. withdrawal served as a catalyst for Beijing to shift its Afghan policy from one of calculated indifference to strategic engagement (ORF, August 6, 2019).

Chinas Strategic Engagement in Afghanistan

In 2014, the PRC became more proactive in its efforts to promote stability in Afghanistan, with the Foreign Ministry appointing veteran diplomat Sun Yuxi as special envoy for Afghan affairs (China Daily, July 18, 2014). In October 2015, Beijing hosted the Heart of Asia Conference, where Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on relevant countriesto help create conditions for the resumption of talks between the Afghan government and Taliban (Global Times, December 10, 2015). Thereafter, China stepped up its mediation efforts, urging the Ashraf Ghani government and Taliban officials to talk directly to each other and leveraging close ties with Pakistan to enlist its support in the negotiation process (Express Tribune, March 13, 2015; ISAS, June 25, 2021). Parallelly, Beijing worked with the U.S., Russia and regional powers in bilateral and multilateral formats.

Importantly, China began providing military support to the Ghani government. In July 2015, it offered military equipment and training for Afghan soldiers for the first time (Dawn, July 11, 2015). The Talibans capture of Kunduz in September 2015 underscored to Beijing that the situation in Afghanistan was rapidly worsening and that it needed to intervene more robustly and quickly. In 2016, China supplied over $70 million in military aid to the Afghan government (Khaama Press, March 1, 2016). The PRC is reported to have helped Afghanistan build a military mountain brigade for deployment in the Wakhan Corridor bordering Xinjiang (South China Morning Post, August 28, 2018). It must be noted that even as China provided the Ghani government with military equipment, it kept up its outreach to the Taliban insurgents.

China and the Taliban Regime

Consequently, when the Taliban captured power on August 15, 2021, China was better placed than other powers to work with the new regime. Beijing quickly embraced the power shift, refrained from condemning the Talibans seizure of power, and kept its embassy open through the fall of Kabul (Xinhua, August 16, 2021). The PRC has maintained extensive diplomatic contact with the Taliban leadership and although it has not yet been extended official recognition, the Islamic Emirate is permitted diplomatic representation in Beijing (Global Times, June 23, 2022).

For the Taliban regime, which has failed to gain international recognition from any country yet and remains isolated under enormous economic pressure, aid, trade, and other support from Beijing are a veritable lifeline (China Brief, October 4, 2022). China has spoken out in Afghanistans favor at global forums, calling for the unfreezing of Afghan assets and the lifting of sanctions and other restrictions (Global Times, December 23, 2021; Global Times, June 17, 2022).

Unlike in 2002, China is keen to play a major role in Afghanistan today. With the U.S. gone, China is the dominant power in Afghanistan. Moreover, Beijing hopes to advance its substantial, yet largely unrealized, economic interests in the country. Within months of the Talibans return to power, contracts for projects that failed to take off under successive Republican governments, such as the Mes Aynak and Amu Darya projects, were reviewed and signed. Gaining access to Afghanistans lithium reserves is a priority for the Chinese economy. Chinese businesses have also expressed interest in investing in the agricultural and infrastructure sectors, including power projects as well as industrial parks (Global Times, April 28, 2022; Global Times, August 26, 2021). However, Afghan officials say that Chinese businessmen visit the country, make inquiries and do feasibility studies but do not return to invest (Japan Times, September 27, 2022). Instability and insecurity are stumbling blocks to moving forward with ambitious plans.

China in the ISKPs Crosshairs

Although fighting has stopped, attacks by the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) have surged in Afghanistan. Worryingly for the Chinese, they are in the ISKPs crosshairs. ISKP propaganda has strongly criticized Chinese oppression of Uyghur Muslims and has accused China of imperialism, a reference to its BRI projects across the developing world (Terrorism Monitor, November 18, 2022). Importantly, ISKPs targeting of China is not restricted to rhetoric but includes physical attacks. On December 12, 2022, the ISKP attacked a hotel in Kabul frequented by Chinese officials, businessmen, and students (Global Times, December 13, 2022). This was followed by a suicide attack on the Afghan foreign ministry building on January 11 of this year, when Taliban officials were inside engaged in a meeting with a Chinese official delegation (Al Jazeera, January 11).

Targeting China is an important part of the ISKPs strategy to weaken the Taliban regime and undermine its efforts to revive the Afghan economy by wooing Chinese investments. These attacks are also aimed at appealing to hardline Taliban cadres, global jihadists and Uyghur Muslims by projecting the Islamic State as the true guardian of jihad, one that does not shy away from confronting China. The ISKP hopes to reap the benefits of this approach by drawing recruits from among Muslims who are angry with Chinas oppression of Uighurs.

Is the Taliban a Reliable Partner for China?

Another major worry for Beijing is the possible threat posed by the ETIM and/or other Uyghur militants using Afghanistan as a base of operations. A related concern here is whether the Taliban regime will crack down on such groups. The Talibans record in this regard does not bode well. During its first regime as well as the insurgency, although it ensured that its Uyghur militant allies did not attack China, it provided them with shelter. In the months after it returned to power, the Taliban was under pressure from China to shut down camps purportedly operated by the Uyghur militant group in Badakhshan province in Afghanistan. However, the Taliban only shifted these camps away from the China border (RFERL, October 5, 2021). According to a 2022 United Nations report, the ETIMs operational space has expanded in Afghanistan, with the group aligning with local Taliban commanders and buying weapons from them to boost its capability for terrorist activities (Japan Times, September 27, 2022).

Especially with ISKP propaganda targeting it for not standing up for Uyghur Muslims, the Taliban will likely refrain from cracking down on Uyghur militants. Moreover, the Taliban does not want disaffected Uyghur fighters allying with ISKP or Taliban members defecting to the ranks of ISKP. The presence of Uyghur militants in Afghanistan also provides the Taliban with leverage over China. Consequently, the regime is unlikely to resolutely crack down on them, as Beijing demands (Xinhua, September 10, 2021).

Chinese projects and nationals are also under threat from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In order to weaken the Pakistan government and its economy, the anti-Pakistan TTP has targeted Chinese consulates, CPEC and Chinese nationals in Pakistan (Dawn, November 14, 2018). Chinese projects in Afghanistan are potential targets as well (Global Times, September 18, 2021). However, the TTP may not want to antagonize the Taliban regime at this point for fear of losing its patronage and sanctuary on Afghan soil. Consequently, the TTP may prefer to limit its attacks to Chinese interests in Pakistan rather than targeting those in Afghanistan.

Will Beijings Plans Take Off?

China provides the Taliban regime with humanitarian aid, economic deals, and military equipment, including Blowfish attack drones (China Brief, January 19). Humanitarian assistance and economic projects could go some way in easing Afghan suffering. If implemented successfully, the recent deals are expected to create tens of thousands of jobs. However, doubts abound. While smaller Chinese businesses may survive, it will be difficult for major projects to take off given the dire security situation in Afghanistan.

China today is in the crosshairs of far more terror groups than the U.S. confronted in Afghanistan. Moreover, Beijings plans for Afghan stability involve consolidating Taliban rule. This is a shaky premise to begin with, as the Taliban is not a reliable ally. Roping in Pakistan to secure and stabilize Afghanistan is a non-starter, as Pakistan is itself roiled in unrest and instability and hardly in a position to put out fires next door.

By Dr. Sudha Ramachandran via Jamestown.org

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China installed three times more solar capacity in the first four months this year than in the same period of last year, beating its own record.

At this rate, the country will add more solar panels this year than the U.S. current total by the end of the year, Bloomberg has reported, citing data from BloombergNEF.

The drivers of the solar boom are growing demand for electricity and falling costs for solar power, according to BloombergNEF.

Thanks to that boom, at least the solar power capacity of the world will be in line with Paris Agreement targets by 2030, the report noted, even though EVs and wind power capacity are falling short of these targets.

Chinas leadership in solar is not cause for celebration in the West, however. It has been made possible by the fact that China controls most of the raw material supply chains in solar and that it also has access to cheap coal-fired power to produce the panels. This cheap input energy makes Chinese panels dominant not only at home but on international markets, too.

To counter this, the U.S. administration imposed tariffs on panels imported from Asia, which really did not make the U.S. solar power industry happy. The tariffs make imported panels more expensive, pushing these companies costs higher and compromising their competitiveness.

At the same time, however, U.S. producers are only too happy to see Asian panels tariffed, which would make their own products more competitive in a higher-cost environment. It is similar to the tensions between the oil lobby and the corn lobby when it comes to blending regulations.

Europe, meanwhile, is making its own plans to become a solar power hotspot, with the generous help of national governments and Brussels. To do that, however, it would need to either increase its dependence on China-sourced materials or build new supply chains from scratch, which would be quite a challenging undertaking.

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By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Chinas coal imports from Australia rose by 75% on the month in April as the country regains its taste for high-quality thermal coal, Bloomberg has reported, citing Chinese customs data.

China stopped imports of Australian coal three years ago amid a diplomatic rift between the two countries. Since then, it has been importing more from other sources, such as Russia, and its own coal supplies, which, however, are of lower quality.

As of April, Australian coal imports accounted for a tenth of the total, which may not be a whole lot but it was twice as much as the portion it accounted for in the previous month, the Bloomberg report noted.

Partly as a result of the Australian coal import suspension and partly because of growing power demand, Chinas coal production hit a record last year. At 4.496 billion tons, the 2022 total was a 9% increase on 2021.

Although China is the most ambitious investor in and developer of wind and solar as replacements of fossil fuels, coal continues to account for a solid chunk of its energy production, at 57% of the total in 2020.

We dont want to be like Europe and transform at the cost of energy security. They are now declaring that they are taking a step back in order to take two steps forward later, Li Zheng, climate change and energy professor at Tsinghua University, said in November last year.

Estimates show that coal generation capacity expansion in China could reach 270 GW by 2025, which would be more than the total coal generation capacity in the United States right now.

At the moment, China is either building or preparing to start building some 366 GW in new coal capacity. This represents some 68% of global planned new capacity of as last year.

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By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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The Czech Republic made more progress in detangling itself from Russia in the matter of energy supplies.

According to Prime Minister Petr Fiala, the country has signed a deal to increase the amount of oil that can flow through the Transalpine Pipeline (TAL) starting in 2025, Reuters said on Tuesday.

The Czech government, like other nations, is hoping to distance itself from Russia, particularly in matters of energy. The Czech Republic, along with Slovakia and Hungary, were granted exemptions from the European Union ban on Russian imports until such a time when they were able to cut the cords with Russian oil completely. The Czech Republic also won an exemption for imports of diesel made from Russian crude.

Fiala said last year about this time that the Czech Republics dependence on Russia for oil and diesel is one of the countrys greatest security risks, and that it was in need of a complete overhaul. The Czech Republic depends on Russian gas for 90% of what it needs, and on Russian crude for 50% of its needs.

Czech refineries are owned by PKN Orlen, which is state-run by Poland. PKN Orlen said last month that it terminated a contract for Russian oil supplies for its Polish refineries. Now they said they would look to terminate its Russian crude heading to PKN refineries in the Czech Republic.

Fiala said that it just signed a deal between state-run pipeline operator MERO and TAL to increase capacity in the pipeline by up to 4 million tonnes, allowing to to cut its dependence on Russian crude by 2025.

The Czech Republic uses between 7 and 8 million tonnes of crude oil annuallyhalf from TAL, and half from the Druzhba, which moves Russian crude.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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Iraq is waiting for a final go-ahead from Turkey before resuming oil exports from the semi-autonomous Iraqi region of Kurdistan via a pipeline to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani told Reuters on Tuesday.

Kurdistans oil exports have been halted for two months now and it will probably take weeks, not days, for oil flows to Ceyhan and to the international markets to resume, according to an Iraqi oil official.

Turkish pipeline operator BOTAS has yet to receive instruction from Turkish authorities to resume oil flows from Kurdistan, the official told Reuters on Monday.

Were talking about weeks, not days, as an expected time frame to resume exports. This issue is more political now than technical, the source told Reuters.

Iraqi oil minister Abdel-Ghani said on Tuesday that Turkey told Iraq that a technical team was evaluating whether the pipeline was damaged as a result of the February earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

Kurdistans crude oil exports  around 400,000 bpd shipped through an Iraqi-Turkey pipeline to Ceyhan and then on tankers to the international markets  were halted on March 25 by the federal government of Iraq.

The suspension of oil flows out of northern Iraq and Kurdistan via Ceyhan forced companies to either curtail or suspend production because of limited capacity at storage tanks.

A few days before the halt of exports in March, the International Chamber of Commerce had 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.

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Now that an agreement between Iraq and Kurdistan is in place for the resumption of exports, Iraq is awaiting a response from Turkey. Pipeline operators have not yet received instructions to resume flows and most of Kurdistans large oilfields remain shut in.

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Qatar has issued a warning to Europe about disruptions in the supply of natural gas as the energy transition policies of governments stifle the investments necessary for keeping Europe flush with natural gas in the next decade.

Qatars energy minister, Saad al-Kaabi, warned Europe on Tuesday at the Qatar Economic Forum that there would be a big shortage of gas in the future, mostly because of the energy-transition push that wed say is very aggressive.

Saudi Arabias energy minister had similar warnings, accusing policymakers of having blinkers on, sharing a pie in the sky view of how quickly the world can rid itself of oil and gas as renewables step up to the plate to take their place.

Qatar remains a major supplier to Europe for natural gas.

Last November, GermanyEuropes largest gas marketsigned a 15-year deal with Qatar for 2 MTPA of LNG, which will begin in 2026 through a wholly owned subsidiary of ConocoPhillips. It was Qatars first long-term LNG supply deal with Germany. Despite the long-term supply deal, Germany announced plans earlier this year to provide its industry with billions of euros in support of the energy transition in industry. But its fund for climate action and energy security was some $13 billion short on funds.

Al-Kaabi said Qatar was so busy with lining up people to negotiate with over its gas expansion projects, North Field East and North Field South. Qatar has also considered additional capacity expansions for natural gas beyond 126 million tons per year.

Europe may have escaped major oil and gas shortfalls due to the exceptionally mild winter this year, but the worst is yet to come for oil and gas shortages, al-Kaabi said.

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Saudi Arabias Energy Minister, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman has warned traders, again, against shorting oil futures, less than two weeks before the OPEC+ panel on production policy meets on June 4.

Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman promised oil speculators back in 2020, Im going to make sure whoever gambles on this market will be ouching like hell.

The OPEC+ cuts announced in early April this year caught speculators by surprise and threw the short sellers under the bus.

Amid the oil price selloffs following the banking sector jitters in March, top OPEC+ officials had spent weeks reassuring market participants that the plunge in oil didnt warrant any tweaks to the production cuts agreement. Until they decided it did.

The announcement of the cuts in April came when markets were closed, and OPEC+ has undoubtedly bet on a jump in oil prices the moment the markets opened. Oil soared by $6 per barrel on the Monday following the announcement, the biggest single-day surge in prices in over a year. A week after the announcement, data from exchanges showed a massive short covering and a renewed buying spree in oil futures in the two days after OPEC+ said it would keep another more than 1 million bpd off the market for the rest of the year.

The most recent positioning data, for the week ending May 16, showed that traders continue to be bearish on crude and continue to dump bullish bets.

Near-term concerns about the economy and the growing fears of recession, coupled with the U.S debt ceiling saga, have turned the sentiment on the market more bearish than it has been since 2011.

But the Saudi energy minister warned traders against shorting oil.

I keep advising them that they will be ouching  they did ouch in April, Abdulaziz bin Salman said at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday, as carried by Bloomberg.

I would just tell them: Watch out!

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MOGADISHU, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Humanitarian agencies on Monday appealed to a donors meeting to be held in New York this week to swiftly address the grave humanitarian situation in Somalia where about 6.6 million people, nearly half of the population, are food insecure.

The aid agencies under the umbrella of the Somalia NGO Consortium said multiple factors, including a protracted climate-fueled drought, recurrent conflict, the negative socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global rising food prices have all created and sustained a perfect storm of a humanitarian crisis in the country.

"Donors and the humanitarian community should not wait until a formal famine declaration is made to warrant meaningful action in the Horn of Africa, when the lives of millions of people are already at risk," the organizations said in a joint statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

The agencies said the catastrophe was avoided in late 2022 by timely scaled-up humanitarian assistance, multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance, supported by slightly more favorable than previously foreseen rainfall performance as well as the well-coordinated response by stakeholders.

Despite the improvements in the country's humanitarian crisis, food insecurity in Somalia is far from over and is becoming more severe every day, the agencies warned, noting that more than 3 million people have been displaced consequently.

The statement comes as the international community is about to gather in New York Wednesday for the Horn of Africa high-level pledging conference.

According to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, 6.6 million people across Somalia are experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity, with 1.8 million children suffering from severe malnutrition.

The country's Ministry of Health recently announced that close to 43,000 deaths may have occurred in 2022 due to the impact of the prolonged drought, half of them children under five years of age. 
French supermajor TotalEnergies and London-listed Africa Oil have decided to withdraw from an oil project in Kenya, leaving Tullow Oil the sole owner of the blocks and potentially further complicating Kenyas oil dream.

The two minority partners of Tullow Oils Kenyan subsidiary have informed Tullow of their intention to issue notices of withdrawal from Blocks 10BB, 13T, and 10BA in the South Lokichar Basin project due to differing internal strategic reasons, Tullow said in a statement on Tuesday.

After the withdrawal of TotalEnergies and Africa Oil, Tullows working interest in these blocks will increase from 50% to 100%.

The project and pipeline for oil exports are estimated to cost around $3.4 billion.

Tullow Oil and its minority partners have sought to develop the South Lokichar project for years, but Africa Oil and TotalEnergies have other priority projects at the moment.

Africa Oil President and CEO Keith Hill said, We have taken the decision to exit our Kenya concessions as our strategy has shifted to focus on production and high potential exploration opportunities, including our Orange Basin portfolio where we are now appraising the exciting Venus discovery, offshore Namibia.

We continue to believe these discoveries will form the basis of a significant oil producing province in the coming years with strategic value for the country, he added.

Tullow Oil said today it remains focused on securing a strategic partnership this year for the project.

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Indias ONGC Videsh and Oil India Ltd are interested in buying 50% in the project, Indian outlet PTI reported on Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter. However, the Indian bid faces stiff competition from Chinese state-held giant Sinopec, which is also reportedly in talks to buy into the Kenyan oil project. Sinopec has expressed interest in the stake after the Indian companies delayed the finalizing of a deal, PTI reported.

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LINCOLN  Rodney D. Bennett was named as the priority candidate to become the 21st chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the university announced Monday morning.

NU President Ted Carter named Bennett, a 30-year veteran of higher education and a former president of the University of Southern Mississippi, to the position following a six-month search.

"Put simply, Dr. Bennett is exactly the right leader at exactly the right time for our flagship university," Carter said in an email to UNL faculty, students and staff Monday.

"He has a deep appreciation for the role and mission of public land-grant universities, and he understands well the challenges that all of us in higher education are facing  and the opportunities for universities like ours to lead the way forward."

Bennett served as the leader of Southern Miss for nearly 10 years and was the first African American president of a predominantly White university campus in Mississippi's history.

He'll also be the first African American leader within the NU system.

A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Bennett attended Middle Tennessee State University and Tennessee State University. He later served as the vice president for student affairs at the University of Georgia before joining Southern Miss in 2013.

At the public research university based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Bennett oversaw 14,000 students.

The selection of a leader comes after Chancellor Ronnie Green announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2022-23 school year.

Green, who was previously the vice chancellor and vice president of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, was selected over three external candidates by former NU president Hank Bounds in 2016.

His tenure at the top of UNL will last a little more than seven years before he steps down.

Following Green's announcement, Carter convened a search committee and hired AGB Search, an arm of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, to conduct "a rigorous national search" to find Green's replacement.

According to the copy of NU's contract with the firm based in Washington, D.C., the university agreed to pay the firm $95,000 to conduct the search, as well as a $5,000 "client service and support fee" as well as reimburse roughly $15,000 in out-of-pocket expenses.

That money came from state appropriations and tuition revenue.

The team leading the search for UNL's next leader included Roderick McDavis, a former president of Ohio University; Sally Mason, president emerita of the University of Iowa; Garry Owens, founding dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Texas Tech University; and Kimberly Templeton, a principal at AGB Search.

Like searches for other top university leaders in recent years, the hunt for UNL's next chancellor was largely conducted outside public view.

While a 16-member Chancellor Search Advisory Committee led by Tiffany Heng-Moss, dean of UNL's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, solicited input from university stakeholders, no finalists for the job have been announced.

As the "priority candidate" under Nebraska statute, Bennett will be subject to a 30-day vetting period before his hiring can be finalized.

UNL's next chancellor will find a range of challenges meeting him when he takes over July 1.
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DVD RELEASES

The latest installment featuring the next generation of boxers in the "Rocky" universe tops the DVD releases for this week.

"Creed III," the third film in the "Creed" trilogy, finds Adonis Creed reckoning with a figure from his past as star Michael B. Jordan steps behind the camera as well for his directorial debut. Also starring Jonathan Majors and Tessa Thompson.

"The movie is far from perfect; the flashbacks to the main characters' shared childhood trauma drip-drip-drip the details in ways that can get a little frustrating," writes Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips in his review. "But Jordan and Majors are the glue, and we stick with them."

Also new on DVD today

"Shazam! Fury of the Gods":The sequel to 2019's "Shazam!" finds the unlikely kid superhero battling, well, some furious gods.

"The Quiet Girl":The first Irish-language film to be nominated for an Academy Award in the best international feature film category, this drama set in the early 1980s focuses on a shy 9-year-old girl with a large, dysfunctional family.

"Last Sentinel":Kate Bosworth stars in this sci-fi thriller about a group of soldiers occupying a remote ocean base who are awaiting either their overdue relief or the next enemy attack in a near future devastated by war.

"SEAL Team: Season Six":The Paramount+ drama about the Navy's elite special forces unit returns for a sixth season of globe-trotting missions

"V/H/S 99":A teenager's home video leads to a series of horrifying revelations in this horror anthology featuring five new stories that recall the long-ago days of VHS.

"Bullets for the Bad":A down on-his-luck bounty hunter rides into a beleaguered town in the midst of a power struggle between a gang of outlaws and the local cattle baron in this Western.

"Petite Maman":Criterion release of filmmaker Celine Sciamma's 2021 drama about an 8-year-old French girl who meets a new friend while building a tree house in the woods following the death of her grandmother.

Out on digital HD today

"John Wick: Chapter 4": John Wick returns as America's favorite assassin, fighting for his freedom through Osaka, Berlin and Paris.
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For nine consecutive Oktoberfests, Darryle Clott proudly marched in the Maple Leaf Parade with the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Pompons alumnae.

On the 10th year of the Pompon alums joining the parade, Clott will swap her pompoms for a dirndl and sash, and her husband will take a break from being a parade pom daddy.

The reason: Clott was named the 2019 Mrs. Oktoberfest at a reception Tuesday evening.

Shell still be cheering for La Crosse, though, especially at local parades and festivals that Oktoberfest royalty attend throughout the year.

I think about how lucky we are, Clott said. Were just representing the community that we love.

Clott was nominated for the Mrs. O position by friends Kenna Christians, the 2013 Mrs. O, and Sister Mary Ann Gshwind of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Her theme for the year is Teachers Inspire, which honors the role that teachers play in our lives.

Clott, who taught English at Longfellow Middle School and La Crescent-Hokah High School before retiring, is active in the community as a Holocaust educator. She has also brought widely known Holocaust survivors, including Gerda Weissmann Klein and the late Elie Wiesel, to town to tell their stories.

I teach about the Holocaust because I want people to understand what happens when people fail to accept other peoples differences and dont speak up against injustices, Clott said.

Clott said she found out she had been selected when Christians invited her over to give an informal presentation about Holocaust history to some friends. To her surprise, two women burst out from a bedroom and presented with a thick binder, as well as the news that she had been selected as the next Mrs. O.

Saul Prombaum, rabbi emeritus at Congregation Sons of Abraham, said he could not be more pleased for Clott.

There is nothing more relevant to understanding the political landscape than the study of the Holocaust, Prombaum said.

Adolf Hitler exploited existing prejudices, nationalism and an economic depression in his political rise to power, which resulted in the murder of 6 million Jews and hundreds of thousands of other ethnic and social minorities.

Oktoberfests, long a part of German culture, today celebrate beer first and foremost, but also German identity and tradition. Munich's famed Oktoberfest was co-opted as part of Nazi propaganda during Hitler's rise, but the tradition predates and postdates the dark stain Hitler left on Germany's history.

Still, while German culture and history are distinct, theres a cautionary tale that any society can be co-opted, Prombaum said. You ignore history at your own peril.

Since World War II, Germany has made war reparations to Jews and now leads Europe in taking in asylum-seeking migrants and immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa, Prombaum said.
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(CNN)  An Idaho judge entered not guilty pleas on behalf of Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of killing four University of Idaho students last fall, during an arraignment in a Latah County Court on Monday.

Judge John Judge read aloud Kohbergers rights and each of the murder and burglary charges outlined in the indictment. When asked if he understood the charges, Kohberger replied to each, Yes.

When asked for his plea to the counts, Kohberger remained silent. His attorney rose and said, Your honor, we are standing silent, and the judge then entered not guilty pleas for him.

Kohberger, 28, was indicted last week on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary for the November 13 killings of Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Madison Mogen, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Ethan Chapin, 20, at a home just outside the universitys main campus in Moscow, Idaho.

The trial was set for October 2 and is expected to last about six weeks. Prosecutors have 60 days from Monday to announce, in writing, whether they plan to seek the death penalty in this case.

Wearing an orange prison outfit, Kohberger smiled and nodded at his attorney upon entering court but otherwise stared straight ahead during the arraignment. Family members of Goncalves also attended the hearing and remained focused on Kohberger as he was arraigned, according to Jordan Smith, a reporter for CNN affiliate KXLY who had a vantage point of the family in court.

The hearing offered few details on a grisly case that remains shrouded in mystery. Authorities say Kohberger, a graduate student in the Department of Criminology at nearby Washington State University, broke into the students home and repeatedly stabbed the victims before fleeing the scene. Police have not released a potential motive in the case, and due to a wide-ranging gag order, few details have trickled out so far.

The killings and lengthy investigation rattled the community of Moscow, a city of 25,000 people that hadnt recorded a murder since 2015. After weeks with little information and heightened anxieties, Kohberger was arrested at his parents home in Pennsylvania in late December and identified as the alleged killer.

He has been in police custody since then and is being held without bail.

Also on Monday, the court scheduled two hearings for June 9 to address motions, filed by an attorney representing the family of Goncalves and a media coalition, regarding concerns over the wide-ranging gag order in the case.

As it stands, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and attorneys for victims families and witnesses are prohibited from saying anything publicly, aside from what is already in the public record.

How police narrowed in on Kohberger

In the days after the discovery of the grisly crime scene, investigators narrowed in on Kohberger after focusing on a white Hyundai Elantra seen in surveillance footage near the crime scene, according to a probable cause affidavit released in January.

By November 25, area law enforcement officers were notified to look out for the vehicle, the affidavit read. Within days, police at Washington State University in nearby Pullman, Washington, identified a vehicle and found it registered to Kohberger.

His drivers license information was consistent with the description of a man given to police by the victims surviving roommate, the affidavit says, specifically noting his height, weight and bushy eyebrows.

The roommate told investigators she saw a man with a similar description clad in black the morning of the attack. Hours before the killings, Chapin and Kernodle had attended a party on campus, police have said, while Mogen and Goncalves went to a downtown bar before ordering food at a food truck.

Investigators connected Kohberger to the crime scene after DNA on a tan leather knife sheath found lying next to one of the victims was linked to DNA on trash recovered from Kohbergers family home in Pennsylvania, according to the affidavit.

There, investigators seized a white 2015 Hyundai Elantra an attorney for the suspect previously said hed used to drive, accompanied by his father, to his parents home for the holidays. Court documents show investigators dismantled the vehicle, collecting parts, fiber and swabs for further examination.

Investigators also seized knives, a cell phone, black gloves, black masks, laptops, dark-colored clothes and dark shoes, an evidence log shows.

Following his arrest, Kohberger waived extradition and was sent back to Idaho. He was booked into the Latah County Jail on the same counts for which he was indicted.

Many details about the case remain unknown, in part due to a wide-ranging nondissemination order that prevents attorneys for any interested party in the case from commenting beyond the public record, leaving in place a veil of secrecy.

A preliminary hearing had been scheduled for the end of June, with the parties expected to detail evidence collected by the state. But the hearing was canceled after Kohbergers indictment, Latah County Deputy Court Clerk Tamzen Reeves said, and court records indicate the names of the witnesses who testified before the grand jury are under seal.

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WICHITA, Kan.  Mark Gietzen, a longtime conservative Republican and anti-abortion activist in Kansas who forced a recount of the states decisive vote affirming abortion rights last year, has died in a plane crash. He was 69.

The Kansas Republican Party said in a Facebook post that Gietzen, of Wichita, died Tuesday evening in Nebraska.

He was flying a single-engine Cessna 172 Skyhawk when it crashed in a field near ONeill, Nebraska, about 190 miles northwest of Omaha, according to the Federal Aviation Administrations crash log. Gietzen was the only person on board, and the log said the plane crashed in unknown circumstances.

Jim Howell, a county commissioner in Sedgwick County, Kansas, which includes Wichita, told The Wichita Eagle that Gietzen had flown to Nebraska to visit his mother.

Gietzen grew up in the Bismarck, North Dakota, area and served in the U.S. Marines before coming to Kansas in the late 1970s to work for aircraft manufacturer Boeing Corp. He became chair of Sedgwick County GOP after Summer of Mercy anti-abortion protests in Wichita in 1991 and recruited anti-abortion activists into the party.

A fellow anti-abortion activist, Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, described Gietzen as irreplaceable.

Newman told The Eagle: He was the hardest-working guy I know in the pro-life movement.

In August 2022, voters statewide rejected Republicans proposed amendment to the states constitution to declare that it doesnt protect abortion rights, which would have allowed the GOP-controlled Legislature to ban abortion.

When a handful of anti-abortion activists demanded a hand recount of ballots in nine counties that accounted for more than half the vote, Gietzen used credit cards to cover most of the $120,000 cost so that it could proceed.

The recount confirmed the results of the election, and Gietzen then filed a lawsuit seeking a statewide hand recount, but a judge dismissed it.
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Nebraska parole officer Jeremy Orescanin last week checked back in with a parolee who had been lapsing back into drug use.

Orescanin had earlier determined that a bad living arrangement and loneliness had put this client in contact with some bad influences, and perhaps on a pathway to reoffending and back to prison. So the parole officer had worked with a community partner organization to find a new, more structured living arrangement.

As Orescanin now did another in-person assessment of the former inmate, he could see the plan was working.

I saw a lot of change in his life, said the military veteran with a degree in social work. He was working, had the support and was doing well.

Would Nebraskans feel safe if the state started releasing former prisoners into the community without that kind of oversight and assistance?

No testing to ensure theyre not using drugs.

No one making sure they keep a job.

No one seeing if they have the support they need to avoid returning to a life of crime.

Well, thats pretty much whats happening today with nearly four out of every 10 inmates who leave Nebraskas prisons.

Out of 2,252 inmates released in 2022, 829  37% walked out with no parole or probation supervision, according to new state corrections data analyzed by The World-Herald.

Prisoners call it jamming out  fully exhausting their sentence while behind bars.

Criminal justice experts call it a recipe for reoffending and a return to prison, saying post-release supervision is a critical part of public safety.

You are taking someone with no money, putting them on the street and saying Good luck, said Brian Lovins, president of the American Probation and Parole Association. We create these huge barriers, and then we are surprised when they fail.

Nebraskas rate of unsupervised release of prisoners is among the highest in the nation, the World-Herald analysis found.

Theres also a dichotomy in Nebraskas current system of transitioning inmates back to society.

The Legislature eight years ago passed a law requiring post-release supervision of inmates, but it applies only to those convicted of lower-level felony crimes.

That means many of those coming out of prison unsupervised today were convicted of the states most serious felonies, with most of those crimes involving violence, drugs, sex or guns.

Exclude the low-level supervised offenders from the release figures, and in 2022 just under half the remaining, more serious offenders left prison unsupervised, including more than 50% of those convicted of assault.

Those jamming out included 112 who had been imprisoned for felony assault, 57 sex offenders, 233 drug offenders, 35 who had committed robbery, and 89 imprisoned on weapons offenses.

Thats shocking, and that is very dangerous, said State Sen. Justin Wayne, chairman of the Legislatures Judiciary Committee. We should not be having people jam out with no supervision.

Wayne called jam outs a disservice to everyone  the offender, the justice system and the public that the system is supposed to protect.

The ironic thing is, its been widely acknowledged in Nebraskas justice system that supervised release is preferable to jamming out.

Still, crafting a system to assure that all released prisoners receive supervision has proven elusive. It would require changes to the sentencing system for serious felons, and that has often sparked controversy.

But Wayne said he now has hope the Legislature can take a step toward addressing jam outs yet this year.

A package of criminal justice reforms set to come up for debate in the Legislature Monday includes a provision aimed at reducing jam outs by giving most inmates a window of parole eligibility as they near their mandatory discharge date.

The package of reforms set to go before lawmakers is also more broadly aimed at confronting conditions in Nebraskas chronically overcrowded prisons.

Nebraskas prison population has been rising faster than in any other state over the past decade. Between 2011 and 2021, Nebraskas prison population grew 21% while prison numbers fell nationally by 24%.

Nebraska lawmakers appear poised this session to address the growth and overcrowding by spending $366 million to build a 1,500-bed replacement for the Nebraska State Penitentiary. But based on current projections for the states prison population, Nebraska would be faced with building another new prison before the decade is out  at a time many other states around the country are closing prisons.

The data points are clear that the day that prison opens, its going to be full, Wayne said. We have to look at whats going on.

* * *

Omaha parole officer Alyssa Hanks had a number of new clients last week who were fresh out of prison.

As required, within 24 hours of leaving their institutions, she was meeting with them to begin orientating them to the parole process.

She also assessed the risk they posed for reoffending as well as their needs for help. She frankly discussed with them any triggers in their past history that could again lead them down the wrong path.

Every parole certificate issued by the state  the ticket for early release  requires the parolee to be drug- and alcohol-free. So depending on the level of assessed risk for relapse, parolees may be tested as often as twice a month. Some may even be fitted with ankle monitors that can detect alcohol use.

If they are former gang members or sex offenders, they will be fitted with an ankle bracelet that will allow the parole division to track their movements.

Their parole officer will also typically meet with them face-to-face every month, either in the office, at their home or on the job. If they are considered high risk for reoffending, its twice a month. There are random checks with family members and employers, too.

Its all individualized and intended not only to help the parolee get off on the right foot in starting a new life, but also to protect public safety.

Thats the No. 1 priority for us, Hanks said.

When times get tough for a parolee, the parole officer is also there to offer counsel, encouragement or referrals to counselors, therapists or treatment.

They should know we have their best interest at heart, Orescanin said. If you do slip up, please call me. I can help you through this negative time.

Figures from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services show that 875 inmates were released last year to such parole supervision. Another 548 lower-level felony offenders were released from prison to supervision under the states probation department.

But another 829 inmates completely exhausted their sentences and were then mandatorily discharged without supervision.

You wake some guy up in the morning, give him his clothes, wish him luck and he goes out the door, said Spike Eickholt, who lobbies on criminal justice issues for ACLU Nebraska. Its always better to have a period of supervision and transition.

To be sure, there are risks of failure whenever former criminals are released into the community, supervised or not. About three in 10 prisoners released in Nebraska are back behind bars within three years.

But its also true that some 95% of people sentenced to prison will one day return to society. Theres broad consensus in criminal justice that its best for public safety to give those transitioning offenders the tools, assistance and supervision needed to succeed.

Those who are coming out of prison face countless challenges to a successful new life.

Many have been locked up for so long they dont know how to function in todays world. Some have never operated a cellphone. One of Orescanins recent clients didnt understand the self checkout lanes at the grocery store, standing around waiting for someone to help him.

Parolees can face difficulty finding housing, especially if they are a sex offender. They have little, if any, financial resources.

They most likely have a history of drug abuse or mental health problems that directly contributed to their incarceration, and which may well still shadow them.

And they may be returning to a neighborhood where there are many of the same bad influences that got them in trouble in the first place.

Anybody coming from prison and entering into the community is in crisis mode, said Jasmine Harris of RISE, an Omaha-based reentry program. If theres no support and preparation, its very difficult.

RISE works with individuals in prison to prepare them for release. Its also there to help them once theyre on the outside, regardless of whether their release was under supervision or not.

The Corrections Department also works with inmates before they leave, regardless of post-release status, to help them establish a foundation for success on the outside.

But once they walk out the door, whether they connect with supportive services or not and stay on course is more haphazard if they dont have parole or probation officers monitoring and helping them.

Most states supervise higher percentages of prisoners as they transition back into society than Nebraska.

According to federal data for 2021  the most recent available  Nebraskas rate of unsupervised release was the 13th highest among the states.

Florida led the nation with more than 60% of released inmates unsupervised. In Kansas, less than 4% of inmates were released without supervision. In California, it was less than 1%. The national rate was just under 20%.

There are a number of reasons that so many Nebraska inmates leave prison unsupervised.

Some inmates intentionally serve out their full sentence, not wanting to deal with parole officers.

Some were denied parole, with the parole board deciding that their criminal past, behavior behind bars or other considerations made them unworthy of early release.

Some were paroled, slipped up, were returned to prison and then jammed out. More than 150 of those who jammed out in 2022 had previously been paroled.

Other jam outs can be directly attributed to the sentences the offenders were handed before they even entered prison.

For most serious crimes involving violence, drugs, sexual assault and weapons, Nebraska uses indeterminate sentencing that sets a minimum and maximum penalty.

The minimum determines when the offender becomes eligible for parole, and the maximum determines when the offender will be mandatorily released. The time between those dates is the time the offender can spend under parole supervision if released by the parole board.

That structure creates a balancing act for sentencing judges, and then later the parole board. The longer they choose to keep a prisoner locked up, the less time there is for supervision on the back end.

Additionally, if a judge hands down a sentence where the minimum and maximum are the same number  say, 20 years to 20 years  the offender has no opportunity for parole or supervision. Under what is often called a flat sentence, by the time offenders hit the minimum number and become parole eligible, they have served their maximum sentence and are set free.

Looking at inmates released from Nebraska prisons in 2022, it appears more than 300 had flat or nearly flat sentences that left them little or no window for parole release.

Sometimes it was because the sentencing judge threw the book at them.

Sometimes it was because the states laws requiring mandatory minimum sentences for certain serious crimes left the judge little choice but a flat sentence.

Sometimes the overall sentence was so short the offender had already almost served it by the time they were sent to prison, considering credit for time served in jail awaiting trial.

Douglas County Public Defender Tom Riley has seen cases where prosecutors argued for flat sentences, wanting to maximize the time served behind bars. But the prosecutors might as well have argued that they wanted the offender released without supervision, too, because thats what happens when sentences are flat.

A sentence that provides a reasonable window for release on parole is not being soft on crime, Riley said. Thats being smart on criminal justice.

Nebraska has seen in the past that jam outs can also lead to tragic consequences.

After serving 10 years in prison for a pair of carjackings, Nikko Jenkins was released from prison directly into society in July 2013. Within three weeks, he went on a 10-day killing spree in Omaha that left four people dead.

It was later discovered Jenkins had received little preparation for release and no supervision upon leaving prison after having spent months in solitary confinement, which experts say can exacerbate behavioral and mental health problems.

The Jenkins case sparked efforts at reforming Nebraskas parole, prison and legal systems. But a decade later, the state has yet to arrive at a system that assures each offender serving a prison sentence also receives a significant period of post-release supervision.

The Nikko Jenkins example has yet to be resolved, said Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson, who has been active in recent state discussions on criminal justice reform. It has never been addressed.

The Jenkins case and the states fast-growing prison population did spark a reform movement a decade ago, including efforts to prevent unsupervised releases. But policy differences between advocates of criminal justice reform and those in law enforcement have kept the state from stopping jam outs.

In 2015, lawmakers passed a law generally reducing criminal sentences but coupling the change with at least a year of required post-release supervision under the states probation system. But the change applied only to lower-level offenses, those today carrying prison sentences of four years or less.

The change had the effect of reducing the total percentage of inmates jamming out without supervision, which at one point had exceeded 50% of all releases from Nebraska prisons.

But it also created the current dichotomy where the vast majority of low-level felons are supervised, while many convicted of the most serious and violent felonies arent. Prosecutors, then-Gov. Pete Ricketts and others that same year opposed a provision that would have capped minimum sentences to make more serious felons eligible for parole sooner.

In 2020, Ricketts vetoed a bill that would have made most prisoners eligible for parole within two years of their mandatory release date.

Last year, a state commission recommended a number of changes aimed at reducing the states prison population growth, including provisions aimed at reducing jam outs.

But Ricketts and the states prosecutors balked at any changes that reduced sentences or made inmates eligible for parole sooner, with Ricketts calling them soft on crime. With lawmakers and Ricketts unable to reach any compromise in the final days of the session, nothing passed.

Looking back, Wayne said theres lots of blame to go around for the failure to deal with jam outs. Its easier for state lawmakers, governors, the parole board, judges and prosecutors to keep the status quo because of what Wayne calls the fear of the one  fear of being blamed for the one inmate released on parole who reoffends in a spectacular way, creating a public outcry and political fallout.

But if the public truly comprehended the system, he said, they would understand the inmate who isnt paroled and then is released unsupervised in many cases poses an even greater threat.

What we should fear is the one who jams out, he said.

The package of criminal justice measures that Wayne hopes to push in the Legislature beginning Monday includes a specific provision seeking to reduce jam outs.

Similar to the bill Ricketts vetoed in 2020, it would generally create a mandatory window of parole eligibility beginning at least two years before an inmate would be mandatorily discharged. Release decisions would remain up to the parole board.

But Wayne and Hanson said the ultimate solution to jam outs will likely require a complete overhaul of the states sentencing laws. Also part of the criminal justice package recently negotiated with new Gov. Jim Pillen is the creation of a state commission that would spend the next two years studying the entire sentencing system.

Both Wayne and Hanson said they would prefer to drop Nebraskas system of indeterminate sentences for one providing more set prison terms, followed by a significant term of post-release supervision. Not only has the current structure resulted in many unsupervised releases, they said, theres a lack of transparency, too.

Lets add post-release supervision to all felonies, Wayne said. We have to at least agree that jamming out is a bad thing.
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An Omaha police detective revealed new details in the March death of Gary Lew at a preliminary hearing Monday,.

Four people, including Lews daughter, appeared together in court to face charges in the beating death of the 68-year-old man. Quiet sobs and gasps echoed through the courtroom as Sergio Gutierrez, an OPD homicide detective, recounted the details of the fatal assault.

Lews daughter, 37-year-old Christina Thornley, is charged with accessory to murder and tampering with evidence. Christinas husband, 39-year-old Justin Thornley, and his cousin, 37-year-old Jacob Thornley, are charged with second-degree murder and evidence tampering. Family friend Braden Bongers, 26, is charged with first-degree assault.

Investigators in Lancaster County found Lews body in a ditch near Denton, Nebraska, on April 11. After the body was identified on April 13, officers went to Lews home near 156th Street and West Dodge Road to speak with his daughter.

According to Gutierrez, Christina Thornley opened the door and spoke with officers. Gutierrez testified that when asked where Lew was, Christina Thornley said he was sick and couldnt come to the door  raising suspicions, as officers already knew he was dead.

Officers returned to the residence later that day with a search warrant. Gutierrez testified that the home was in a state of absolute filth.

In the basement, investigators found blood splatter on the walls and floors, as well as several bloody items in the trash. Blood also was found on Lews wheelchair, which he used due to multiple medical concerns including dementia and spina bifida.

The four people were taken into custody and told investigators similar stories of how Lew was killed. According to testimony from Gutierrez:

The beating took place on March 3 after Lew attempted to swipe at or go after Christina Thornley and Justin Thornleys 9-year-old daughter. Jacob Thornley, who is described as very protective of the girl, slammed Lew into the ground and began beating him.

Bongers and Justin Thornley joined in on the assault at some point, hitting and kicking Lew in the head and ribs. Bongers also allegedly poured water on him and poked him with a broom. Two young children were present during the assault.

Christina Thornley, who told police that she was sleeping upstairs when she heard a disturbance, eventually went to the basement to investigate and saw the beating as it took place. She said that she tried to protest and that the beating stopped shortly after she came downstairs.

According to Christina Thornley, Lew was still alive for a few days after the beating. She told police that she continued to bring him food and water for a few days until she came downstairs and noticed he was cold to the touch and bleeding from the ears.

On March 8, Christina Thornley, Jacob Thornley and Justin Thornley put Lews body in trash bags, packed it into the trunk of Lews car and drove to a remote part of Lancaster County. They rolled his body into a ditch before Jacob Thornley decided to remove all of Lews clothing, which he later disposed of in a dumpster.

All four were bound over to district court to face trial. Jacob Thornley and Justin Thornley are both being held in custody without bail. Christina Thornley and Bongers had their bail set at $500,000, meaning they would have to pay 10%, or $50,000, to be released.
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Nearly five years ago, Jeremy Wright went back to school to become a doctor.

More than two weeks ago, Wright, 50, graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and officially became a doctor of medicine.

Wrights graduation is another milestone in career change that began at the age of 46. Having worked in mental health counseling, Wright considered pursuing a doctorate  but he wasnt sure in which field. In 2013, Wright was working with child psychiatrist (the now late) Dr. Paul Fine. Wright, recalled Fine asking him, Have you ever thought about medical school?

From there, Wright took pre-med classes at Metropolitan Community College  the same institution where he had taught English. He then passed his MCAT exam, paving his way to acceptance at UNMC beginning in the fall 2018 semester. By then, he and his wife, Annettes, two children were teenagers. Annette is the editor of the weekly Jewish Press newspaper.

I wanted to wait until my kids were old enough to kind of take care of themselves  before I was going to disappear for a while in my books and studies, Wright said. I didnt want to start that while they were little. I wanted to be a real active part of their day.

While nearly twice the age of the average first-year medical school student  24, according to the American Medical Association  Wright said he bonded with his younger classmates. He said he immediately connected with a group of students, who had just earned their bachelors degrees, when he and those students happened to be seated next to each other in a lecture hall.

We just hit it off. We became really good friends, Wright said. My whole friend group in medical school was actually just the traditional students.

One of Wrights friends, Geoffroy Napon, was a student in 2015 when he first met Wright, who was teaching at MCC. Napon, who graduated from UNMC with Wright at the age of 28, described his former teacher and classmate open-minded.

Hes always reading, Napon said. He always brings a lot of good information and shares with his classmates. He always offered to help you out.

Wright made a similar impression on at least one of his professors. Kim Schenarts, student wellness advocate for UNMCs College of Medicine, noted the depth of the conversations she has had with Wright.

Hes lived this really rich, full life. He looks at everything with just such optimism. He has such a unique insight into every experience, she said. Hes easy to go down a rabbit hole with. Youre like, Whoa, this is going places I didnt see. But Im going along for the ride.

Originally, Wright planned to graduate before he turned 50. But he decided to take some time off at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

About three months before he graduated this year, Wright did a monthlong rotation at an Israeli hospital located in Nahariya, a city near the Syrian border.

Wright, who had studied abroad for three semesters during his undergraduate career at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, said he was inspired to do a rotation at the Israeli hospital after he heard how they treated victims of Syrias civil war.

The Israelis would sneak them over the border under the cover of darkness  and treat them overnight, he said. By morning, they would sneak them back over the border and get them home after giving them medical treatment.

While Wright was based in the emergency room during his overseas rotation, he saw and visited with doctors and staff members from other departments. Seeing the hospital staff treat patients of various backgrounds reinforced Wrights desire to help people.

When you walk into a hospital, the patients are in gowns and the doctors are in scrubs. You cant tell who is what religion or ethnicity. Everybody just works together, Wright said. The perception that we get in the Middle East is we only hear the bad news. And so you dont get to see how regular people live their lives day-to-day and, for the most part, just get along.

Now that Wright has his medical degree, he is set to begin a three-year residency in Sioux City, Iowa, at a family medicine clinic, which operates under the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics, next month. Wright will see patients from two Sioux City hospitals.

He plans to rent an apartment in Sioux City. But hell also make the 95-mile commute from Omaha when possible to see his family.

My wife and kids have been so supportive, he said.

After he completes his residency, Wright said he wants to treat patients who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Wright traces his desire to treat those patients through a UNMC class, as well as a visit to the Nebraska AIDS Project.

Wright wants to be a doctor that can correctly balance LGBTQ+ patients basic and specific medical needs.

I dont think LGBTQ+ people feel like they have good access to primary care, he said. I think theyre concerned whether (doctors) will do the right thing with their medications.

Wherever Wrights path leads, he has set himself up for a career of a lifetime, according to Schenarts.

Hes going to take the world and hes going to have a ball, she said.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of May 2023
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An early childhood educator with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is joining the Ralston Public Schools board.

During a Monday meeting, board members appointed Katie Krause to fill the seat of Anne Harley, who resigned in April after she was hired by the district.

Her appointment drew support from all board members except for Mary Roarty, who did not specify why. Krause was interviewed during the meeting along with two other candidates: Daniel OReilly, a retired Creighton University coordinator, and Jane Jones, a retired Omaha teacher.

Krause currently works as an early childhood extension educator at UNLs Douglas-Sarpy County Extension office. She specializes in early childhood professional development and environmental education, according to the university.

Im very committed to that birth to third grade world, Krause said. We just really love this small-town atmosphere. Were really happy to be in this district.

Krause said the majority of her work focuses on ages from birth to pre-kindergarten, but she wants to become more involved with students in public schools.

When asked about her vision for the Ralston district, Krause said she believes schools need to focus on behavioral and mental health support and not just academics.

We know post-COVID this has only gotten significantly worse. Education has to rethink how we do things and how are we helping these brains develop, Krause said. We are not going to get a child to do well on their math scores if they dont have the resources they need.

Krause said the district will also have to think outside the box for education and curriculum decisions in the future.

I think that there are so many ways that children learn and families engage. I would love to see us rethinking a little bit what education in 2030 is going to look like, Krause said. Is it always going to be, come sit in a class for 45-minute sections when you are in high school?

Krause will fill the remainder of Harleys term, which will be about 18 months. She will have to file for the 2024 election to remain on the school board.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of May 2023
YAOUNDE, May 22 (Xinhua) -- At least two militants of the terror group Boko Haram were killed when they launched offensives against a civilian community and the military in Cameroon's Far North region, locals and security sources confirmed Monday.

The attack took place late Sunday in the Mozogo locality of the region.

Heavily armed militants attacked the locality on several fronts during the night-long battle but were later repelled by soldiers who killed two of them and dumped the bodies in a public place, a military official in the region said.

"Many of them were injured. Unfortunately, a member of the local vigilante was also killed during the battle. We are pursuing those that escaped with bullet wounds," said the official who asked not to be named.

Boko Haram has killed more than 2,000 people since it launched offensives in the region in 2004, according to security reports and local non-governmental organizations. 
On March 25, 1999, a van carrying young, traveling door-to-door magazine sellers crashed on Interstate 39-90 near Janesville, killing seven people and severely injuring five others. The wreck occurred because the van's unlicensed driver, Jeremy Holmes, was trying to switch seats with a passenger to avoid getting a speeding ticket while the van was going 81 mph. Holmes served four years in prison after pleading guilty to seven counts of vehicular homicide and five counts of injury by negligent use of a motor vehicle. Choan Lane, owner of YES Inc., which employed the 14 people in the van, also served a prison sentence for charges connected with the crash. The list of the dead included young people from multiple states, including Wisconsin: Amber Lettman, 16, Oregon; and Melinda Turvey, 18, Verona. Others killed were: Joseph Wild, 21, Lacombe, Louisiana; Corey Hanson, 22, Wichita, Kansas; Marshall Lee Roberts, 16, DeWitt, Iowa; Crystal McDaniel, 25, Princeton, West Virginia; and Peter Christman, 18, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here's a look back at coverage of the horrific wreck and aftermath.
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A former Fremont Police Department sergeant left the department Dec. 1, 2020, after being accused of sexually assaulting a woman in her home while he was on duty.

According to a Decertification Attestation Letter from the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice dated Jan. 8, 2021, former Sgt. Bradley Hansen lost his law enforcement certification effective May 14, 2021, after surrendering it earlier to state officials.

On Feb. 20, the Fremont Tribune received a copy of the decertification letter that detailed allegations against Hansen and how he had lost his law enforcement license in Nebraska.

The Tribune has verified that the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice letter is authentic.

In the summary of the officers conduct on the form, state officials wrote why Hansen was losing his law enforcement certification.

Sgt. Hansen was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at her residence while on duty, state officials wrote.

The form also said Hansen was allowed to retire in lieu of termination from the Fremont Police Department.

A source familiar with the investigation  who was granted anonymity by the Fremont Tribune  into the allegations against Hansen confirmed there was a lengthy investigation.

The Tribune was unable to locate any records of criminal charges or allegations filed against Hansen in Dodge County Court records.

According to other documents obtained from the Nebraska State Police Standards Advisory Council, the first complaint filed against Hansen was dated Jan. 29, 2019.

The same advisory council documents say Hansen went on an extended leave of absence from the Fremont Police Department on June 4, 2020, and that he had his law enforcement certification suspended for not meeting his annual continuing education requirements of 22 hours of training.

State officials listed Hansens last day of work for the Fremont Police Department as Nov. 30, 2020. Fremont officials said Hansen retired from the police department effective Dec. 1, 2020.

The Tribune made repeated requests to city officials for information about whether Hansen was paid during his leave of absence and if he was working in any capacity from the date of the first allegation through his Dec. 1, 2020, retirement. No information was provided about the payroll queries.

According to minutes from the March 10 Police Standards Advisory Council meeting, Hansen opted to not contest the allegations made by state officials against him and to voluntarily surrender his law enforcement certification as of Jan. 27, 2021.

(Hansen) acknowledges the complaint made against him arose out of the alleged facts and circumstances that occurred while he was a certified Nebraska law enforcement officer. He is aware of his rights under the statutes and our rules and regulations of the commission; to resist the complaint, to be represented by counsel, to have full administrative evidentiary hearing before this body if the complaint is pursued by the commission and appeal any adverse action of the council and commission to the Nebraska courts, PSAC officials wrote.

Rather than to resist, contest or dispute the complaint, (Hansen) wishes to voluntarily surrender his law enforcement officer certificates, the meeting minutes state. And by signing this document, Exhibit #1, (Hansen) freely and voluntarily consents to the revocation of both his Nebraska Law Enforcement Officer Certificate and his Nebraska Supervisor Certificate by this body and the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.

On Feb. 21, Fremont Police Chief Jeff Elliott confirmed that Hansen left the employment of the department in late 2020. Elliott verified that the decertification form was real and that he had signed it on the date listed.

I dont have any answers for you, Elliott said during a brief telephone interview on Feb. 21. Im not going to comment until Ive talked to legal and HR. I am waiting on that.

In a followup email on Feb. 22, Elliott wrote to the Tribune, Sgt. Hansen announced his retirement in December of 2020, and the change in status report was provided to the Crime Commission.

Additional efforts to get information on Hansens alleged crime and his departure from the Fremont Police Department have been thwarted by city officials.

A public records request made by the Fremont Tribune to the City of Fremont seeking a wide range of documents the newspaper believes are public records in relation to Hansen was rejected on Feb. 21.

The City of Fremont is unable to produce documents responsive to this request as pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat.84-712.05(8) those documents are an exception to the Nebraska public records statute, wrote Fremont legal counsel Patrick J. Sullivan.

Attempts to locate Hansen for comment in this article were unsuccessful.

Little information into probe of allegations

Suzanne Gage, director of communications for Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, said the office does not have an open investigation against Hansen and noted that any investigation in the past would have been conducted by the former attorney general who is no longer in office.

No reason was given why the Attorney Generals Office would not retain documents relating to criminal cases prosecuted by the office. The Tribune is continuing its efforts to obtain those public records.

The Tribune has not been able to verify whether Hansen is still under investigation by any law enforcement agency, state or federal, or if he has been exonerated of the allegations.

Multiple telephone calls to the Nebraska State Patrol Investigations Division were not returned by deadline Feb. 28. A spokesperson for the Nebraska State Patrol referred all inquiries into the allegations against Hansen to the state Attorney General's Office.

A Fremont Police Department Facebook post dated Jan. 16, 2015, shows Elliott honoring Hansen for 20 years on duty at the police department. The post notes that Hansen began work in December 1994 as a patrol officer and was promoted to a police sergeant in 1998. He was described as a U.S. Air Force veteran of Operation Desert Storm.

State official discusses decertification

The Tribune was able to learn many details of Hansens loss of law enforcement certification from Brenda Urbanek, director of the Nebraska Law Enforcement Training Center in Grand Island, who confirmed Hansen had officially lost his certification to be a law enforcement officer and supervisor in May 2021.

Urbanek said that while Hansens law enforcement certification revocation was dated May 2021, the process to get to that point can takes many months and that Hansen had surrendered his certification in early 2021.

When criminal charges were filed against him, I filed what is known as an informal complaint against his law enforcement certification. That goes to Lincoln, where (officials) contact the officer who has had the complaint filed against them, and gives the officer the opportunity to voluntarily surrender their certificate without having to go through an administrative license revocation process. That was what Mr. Hansen chose to do, Urbanek explained.

Urbanek said she did not have official details of the allegations against Hansen, but she said the investigation was conducted by the Nebraska Attorney General's Office. The agency also filed criminal charges against Hansen, she added.

I do believe it was a sexual crime, Urbanek said of the allegations. That was the Attorney Generals Office of Nebraska. Since he has surrendered his law enforcement certification, I havent really followed the criminal case.

On Feb. 28, Urbanek said that because of privacy laws and restrictions, she was not able to release more details on the charges, whether Hansen made a plea deal or had been cleared.

Urbanek said that when a complaint is filed against a police officer, sheriffs deputy or other law enforcement officer, the person has three options to proceed: voluntary surrendering of the certification; contesting and rebutting the allegations or requesting the claim be dismissed.

She said the certification removal process occurs only when there are serious criminal charges or certain misdemeanor convictions.

In Mr. Hansens case, he was criminally charged. At that time, he can voluntarily surrender his certification. Or, he could provide mitigating evidence that this is a bogus complaint and be dismissed, or he can request the complaint be dismissed, Urbanek said. Mr. Hansen had his law enforcement certification formally revoked on May 14, 2021.

Urbanek said Hansen can no longer work or be employed as a law enforcement officer in the state of Nebraska and added that his name has been added to a national database of decertified law enforcement officers in the event he tries to find employment as a peace officer in another state.

According to Dodge County real estate transactions provided to the Tribune, Hansen sold his residence in Fremont on Aug. 27, 2022.

Hansen had also been accused in the criminal activities of former Dodge County Attorney Oliver Glass, who was sentenced to nine months in prison on Feb. 17.

According to prior reporting in the Omaha World-Herald, Hansen was alleged to have helped Glass stalk a man who was dating Glass ex-wife by reportedly instructing other Fremont Police officers to follow the man at Glass request.

Three Fremont officers have lost certifications since 2018

The incident was the third time since 2018 that a Fremont Police Department officer has had their law enforcement certification revoked. Since 1995, 146 law enforcement officers across the state of Nebraska have lost their law enforcement certification.

Former Fremont police Officer Austin R. Williams had his law enforcement certification revoked on June 17, 2022, and worked his last day for the Fremont Police Department on Feb. 20, 2019.

According to a Fremont Tribune article from January 2021, Williams was sentenced to 30 months in prison after being found guilty in September 2020 of sexually abusing a minor.

The third Fremont officer to have his law enforcement certification revoked was Nicholas J. Carlson, who lost his certificate on Jan. 19, 2018. His last day of work for the city was Dec. 9, 2016.

According to an article published by the Associated Press, Carlson, 26 at the time, was charged in Dodge County Court with three counts of suspicion of misdemeanor public indecency and single counts of suspicion of disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace.

The Nebraska Police Standards Advisory Council accepted the voluntary surrender of Carlsons certificate.
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The Nebraska State Patrol arrested six people during the debate over gender-affirming care and abortion at the State Capitol on Friday afternoon.

The arrests took place amid debate over Legislative Bill 574, which ultimately passed final reading in a 33-15 vote.

LB 574 will ban gender-affirming surgeries for individuals under 19, and task the states chief medical officer with establishing restrictions on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for the same age group. It will also ban abortions at 12 weeks past gestation.

The first people taken into custody were a 24-year-old from Omaha and a 36-year-old from Lincoln who were arrested at approximately 2:40 p.m. on suspicion of obstructing a government operation and disturbing the peace after they threw objects over the balcony and onto the legislative floor, according to a press release from the State Patrol.

A 25-year-old from Lincoln was then arrested on suspicion of disturbing the peace and trespassing after yelling repeatedly and refusing orders to leave the balcony, according to the release.

After Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly ordered the balconies to be cleared for the remained of the debate, a 56-year-old Seward woman refused to leave after troopers gave repeated orders to vacate the balcony, the release said. She was arrested on suspicion of disobeying a lawful order.

Around 3:25 p.m., a 40-year-old Lincoln man was seen intentionally preventing a sergeant-at-arms from opening a door in the back of the legislative chamber, according to the release. The man was noncompliant when told to leave the area and asked to vacate the Capitol, and then resisted when a trooper attempted to take him into custody, the release said. He was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest and trespassing.

While state troopers were trying to arrest the 40-year-old, a 33-year-old Lincoln woman tried to push past a trooper. Another trooper held the woman back, after which the woman allegedly punched the trooper in the chest, according to the release. She was arrested on suspicion of obstructing a peace officer.

All six people were taken to the Lancaster County Jail, the release said.

Photos: 2023 Nebraska legislative session
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LINCOLN  A bill that would reform various aspects of Nebraskas criminal justice system is moving forward in the Legislature, but lawmakers remain at odds over some of its provisions.

Lawmakers advanced Legislative Bill 50 to its second round of debate with a 28-8 vote Monday night. As amended by State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, the bill would cover a wide range of issues such as increasing Nebraskas problem-solving courts and expanding parole options.

Last year, lawmakers failed to pass a bill with recommendations from a study group created to help overhaul Nebraskas criminal justice system and reduce Nebraskas worst-in-the-nation prison overcrowding. This year, former Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln introduced LB 50 with some of last years consensus proposals.

Wayne, the Judiciary Committee chair, took the lead on LB 50 after Geist resigned to focus on the Lincoln mayoral race. He said his goal is to reduce the number of Nebraska inmates who jam out  that is, complete their sentences and are released without supervision or rehabilitation.

Often, Wayne said these individuals have committed the most violent offenses and eventually end up back in prison, contributing to overcrowding. With lawmakers approving a new $350 million prison and several other massive tax relief proposals this year, Wayne said, LB 50 is essential to improving public safety and preserving the states finances.

We cannot afford to not do something in the right way, Wayne said.

At one point Monday, it looked like the bill might fail in the first round after several Judiciary Committee members spoke against Waynes amendment.

Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, who replaced Geist, said the concerns narrow down to two provisions from Waynes amendment. She said some habitual criminals could wind up with reduced sentences, and changes to parole eligibility could allow some inmates to be granted parole earlier.

However, Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln said that the measures language wouldnt actually reduce sentences for habitual criminals but that it would instead adjust the options for judges in doling out sentences for repeat offenders.

Other supporters also noted that making inmates eligible earlier for parole doesnt mean they are guaranteed to get it.

Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha said Mondays debate gave him deja vu to last years debate over criminal justice changes, when the bill was halted after lawmakers couldnt reach a compromise. He said that Wayne had already made several concessions and that opponents should rely on their own opinions, rather than being influenced by criticism from the Nebraska County Attorneys Association.

At every point of the process, theres an agreement, and then you guys get two or three days and yall come back and the agreement is over, McKinney said.

Bosn and some other Judiciary Committee members agreed at the end of first-round debate to vote yes on Waynes amendment and the advancement of the underlying bill, with the promise that senators would continue to negotiate on the details before the second round of debate.

With the end of the session on June 9 rapidly approaching, lawmakers have limited time to reach an agreement. It is unclear when LB 50 will be scheduled for its second round of debate.
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LINCOLN  A plan for implementing Nebraskas new voter identification requirements cleared a major hurdle Monday, despite fierce objections from the senator who led efforts to put voter ID on the ballot.

Senators advanced Legislative Bill 514 past first-round consideration on a 43-1 vote, after adding an amendment backed by the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, the committee chairman, said the amendment was the product of weeks of work. He said it aims to carry out the will of Nebraska voters, who overwhelmingly passed the voter ID measure last year, without being so restrictive that it would deny people their right to vote.

The amendment spells out what documents would be accepted to prove identity for voting, how ID requirements would be handled for mail-in ballots, how people could get free IDs for voting and when exceptions would be allowed.

Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar, who sponsored the ballot proposal, cast the lone vote against advancing the bill. She called the committee amendment unconstitutional and said it would not stop people from voting without ID or require verification of citizenship.

Nebraskans have spoken, and now its our responsibility to ensure that only the votes of eligible voters are counted, she said, arguing that the committee amendment betrays the will of the voters.

Slama urged senators to support her implementation proposal instead. Her amendment covered the same basic topics as the committee amendment but had more expansive requirements concerning citizenship, mail-in ballots and exceptions to the photo ID requirement.

Her amendment failed with eight votes in support and 22 against. Numerous senators sat out the vote. The vote was even more lopsided against a second proposal she offered near the end of the debate.

During her filibuster against LB 514, Slama claimed that the committee amendment had been written by Secretary of State Bob Evnen to make his job easier and was being pushed by people who traditionally oppose voter ID.

Its voter ID without voter ID, she said.

Evnen declined to comment about her claims, other than to say, I dont have amendments. I try to respond to requests that have been given to me.

Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln argued against Slamas proposals, saying that neither the ballot measure nor explanatory language put together by supporters of the ballot measure mentioned citizenship or mail-in ballots.

The debate stems from the constitutional amendment passed last year requiring qualified voters to present valid photographic ID before casting a ballot in any election. The amendment left it to lawmakers to determine how the requirement should be carried out.

Under the committee plan, voters would have to start showing ID after April 1 next year. That means the requirement would be in effect for Nebraskans casting early ballots for the 2024 primary election.

Voters would be able to use IDs issued by the federal government, State of Nebraska, local governments or Nebraska colleges, as long as they have the persons name and photo. Expired documents would be accepted.

Military and veteran IDs, tribal IDs and patient records with photos kept by nursing homes, assisted living facilities or hospitals also would be accepted.

People casting mail-in ballots would have to include the number from their Nebraska drivers license or state ID card or a copy of an accepted ID document. People who go to the polls without acceptable ID could cast a provisional ballot but would have to show a valid ID to election officials by the Tuesday after the election to have their vote count.

Voters with a reasonable impediment to showing voter ID could be exempted, including those with a religious objection to being photographed and those who cannot get an ID because of disability, illness or lack of a birth certificate or other required documents.

The proposal would allow people to get a free state identification card for voting purposes and a free copy of a state birth certificate, if needed to obtain a state ID card.

The amendment would require the Secretary of States office to publicize the new requirements. It also would require the office to develop a process for ensuring that only citizens are on the state voter rolls.

Among other things, Slamas proposal would have required, for mail-in ballots, that a registered voter or a notary public sign under penalty of law that they had checked the voters ID. It would have accepted only IDs that had required proof of citizenship to obtain, and it would have had a more complex process for exempting people from having to show an ID.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of May 2023
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Someday in a more enlightened future, we will have a memorial day commemorating school children lost to mass shootings.

But until then, we will keep enlisting children as soldiers of misfortune  the victims of politicians who cling to power with blood-stained hands while spouting arguments about our need to harden schools and arm teachers.

We cant stop bad people from doing bad things, said Texas attorney general Ken Paxton in the aftermath of the May 24 slaughter at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, in which 19 students and two teachers were killed and at least 17 people were wounded.

Theyre going to violate murder laws. Theyre not going to follow gun laws. Ive never understood that argument.

Ive never understood his argument, which says in effect: Lawbreakers, including murderers, are going to break the law anyway. Why try to stop them?

With that sort of logic, why not dispense of all laws and let the criminals run amok?

Instead, Paxton and his ilk would cast gunslinging teachers as saviors, asking them to do what police officers failed to do in waiting more than an hour to confront the gunman at Robb Elementary.

Were the only nation in the world where civilian gun ownership outnumbers people  120 firearms for every 100 people, according to CNN and the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey. We let unhinged 18-year-olds  the shooter in Texas and the white supremacist in Buffalo  legally purchase AR-15-style assault rifles and body armor.

And yet, confronted with the obvious nature of the problem, some politicians would place unreasonable responsibility on the plate of already overburdened teachers, despite a poll by Morning Consult and Politico  taken days before the Uvalde shootings  showing nearly 6 in 10 respondents favoring stricter gun laws.

The guns, stupid. Its the gun, said gun safety advocate Lori Haas, whose daughter was wounded in the April 16, 2007, mass shooting at Virginia Tech in which 32 people were killed and 17 others wounded.

Haas said shes too afraid to think about how many more communities will suffer. Its too overwhelming. Guns kill. And if we dont recognize that, and address the risk, weve failed our children.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears would beg to differ.

Watch the latest video at foxnews.com

Its not the gun, Sears said on Fox and Friends.

A provocative photo of a rifle-toting Sears no doubt helped land her as a speaker at the National Rifle Association convention that began in Houston days after the Uvalde shooting. If shes so Rambo, send her into the next assaulted schoolhouse. In the meantime, we need more than posturing and denial.

Instead, these pols are willing to make our schoolhouses armed, fenced-in encampments more closely resembling military installations or corrections facilities.

We need fewer guns in schools, not more. Teachers should be teaching, not acting as armed security guards, said Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, in a statement the day after the Texas shootings.

Arming teachers makes schools more dangerous and does nothing to protect students and their families when they go off to school, shop at the grocery store, attend church services, ride the subway, or simply walk down the streets of their neighborhoods, she added. Those lawmakers pushing to arm teachers and fortify school buildings are simply trying to distract us from their failure to prevent another mass shooting.

The Virginia Education Association believes that the only personnel that should be carrying live firearms on a school site/facility should be law enforcement personnel.

The Richmond Education Association Board of Directors opposes the arming of educators, citing studies that show arming educators creates another risk to the safety of students and staff. Being proactive will be the best preventative action that can be taken. A focus on the mental health issues that our students are challenged with would also be a preventative measure, REA president Katina Harris said in an email.

Haas called arming teachers the most ridiculous thing Ive ever heard.

Law enforcement trains for hundreds of hours to get the muscle memory required to use firearms effectively. But peripheral vision abandons people during fight or flight situations, she said. The element of surprise is always with the shooter.

As first-graders in the mid-1960s, Haas and I shared a classroom. The idea of a gun-wielding intruder was unfathomable. But the previous Cold War decade introduced school children to duck and cover drills  the government response to the threat of nuclear attack.

Today, with shooter drills, we have similarly normalized the threat of schoolhouse carnage. Gaslighting pols are trying to get us to accept the unacceptable as the cost of them doing business.

Any elected official who values guns more than children needs to be put out of work.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  The National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea (NYMWPS) is calling on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to reject the recently signed renewal of the Malampaya Service Contract 38, arguing that the gas field should be controlled by qualified companies or by the national government to secure proceeds that will benefit the Filipino people.

Dr. Celia Lamkin, founder and global chair of NYMWPS, pointed out that the two private service contractors of Malampaya are new to the petroleum exploration and production industry, and "do not have the technical experience to operate the Malampaya gas field.

The extension of the service contract for 15 more years in favor of Enrique Razon (Prime Infra) and Dennis Uy (Udenna), by President Bongbong Marcos, is a clear failure of government to benefit fully from our own petroleum resources, leading to government failure to respond effectively to public welfare needs, she said.

The Malampaya gas-to-power facility is currently operated by Prime Infrastructure Capital owned by Enrique Razon Jr., Udenna Corp. owned by Dennis Uy, and the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), a government-owned corporation.

Prime Infra and Udenna each control 45% interest, or a total of 90% interest, in the gas field. Meanwhile, PNOC holds the remaining 10%.

The NYMWPS noted that Udenna and Prime Infra earn about 50 million each per day, or a combined 100 million a day from Malampaya operationswhich the Philippine government could earn had it taken full control of the operations of the gas field.

Meanwhile, the $308 million proceeds or contractors share on the Malampaya Service Contract last year should have gone to the government and used for the benefit of the people and the development of the country, according to exploration geologist Eduardo Manalac, also a former undersecretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) and former president of the PNOC.

"What we're fighting for and what we are concerned about is giving away the Malampaya proceeds amounting to at least, based on last year's numbers, about $300 million every year to companies that are neither technically or financially capable as required by the law and such we feel like the Filipino people has been shortchanged again instead of it getting this benefit, this money, out of their own oil and gas, Manalac said.

He explained that by taking control of Malampaya, the government will help prevent the abnormal increases in electricity prices and keep rates stable.

The major part of the electricity rate is the fuel. So, if you can reduce the cost of fuel, that will directly affect the cost of electricity as well. So, it is important that the government aims or one of the goals should be to take control of its oil and gas reserves, said Manalac.

With the renewal of the Malampaya Service Contract 38 until 2039, the former DOE official also raised security concerns in the gas field.

"We need help from legitimate oil companies to drill wells, especially in the West Philippine Sea where a strong military country is claiming the same area. It makes it more difficult for us to drill for oil and gas in the conflicted area in the West Philippine Sea, he said.

We were very disappointed when he announced that he has approved the renewal, for 15 years, of this service contract, meaning 15 years more for these two, again, unqualified companies to be taking away the profits that should have gone to the Filipino people, Manalac added.
Nigerian chef and world record breaker, Hilda Baci, has defended her dress- sense saying that one can look sexy and still be a game changer.

Recall that the 27-year-old chef came to the limelight following her attempt to break the world record by cooking continuously for 100 hours.

Afterward, a number of her past pictures revealing her curves started surfacing on the Internet, a development which has since stirred mixed reactions about her personality traits.

The Akwa Ibom-born chef while addressing the media in Lagos appealed to Nigerians to see beyond her dressing, but to project her ingenuity and doggedness to place Nigeria on the global map.

She said, I dont have to be dressed like a nun to make it in life. One can be sexy and still amazing, beautiful, and smart. I shouldnt be taken back because of my looks or dressing as this does not determine my values or endowment.

Hilda pleaded with the society to allow young women look and become themselves without condemnation, adding that Ive volunteered myself to say I slay and I have something up in the brain.

Baci, who still awaits her official validation by the Guinness Book of Records, expressed optimism about her confirmation, stressing that her record has been validated, while she only looks forward to her certificate.

We complied with all the guidelines and never left any stone unturned. We didnt fall short in any area and this is quite evident and clear. The cook-a-thon is a deliberate attempt and not a childs play. Our preparations were robust, hence I dont expect to be disappointed

Revealing her next line of action, the world record breaker said she looked forward to propagating Nigerian recipes globally, expanding her restaurant and to enlarge the narratives of Nigerian Culinary space.

She said, By expanding my business, I want to create jobs and contribute meaningfully to the economy. Im anticipating a situation where the earnings of chefs in Nigeria will be as competitive as employees in the oil company.

I feel the culinary space is under-rated, I want to change the narratives. I intend to work with a lot of brands to add value to their customers and brands towards their sustainability.
China's next manned space mission to begin soon

08:58, May 23, 2023 By Zhao Lei ( Chinadaily.com.cn

A photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows China's Shenzhou XVI manned spacecraft and a Long March 2F Y16 rocket being transferred to the launch area at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

China's next manned space mission, the Shenzhou XVI, is scheduled to be launched in the coming days to transport three astronauts to the Tiangong space station, according to plans made by the China Manned Space Agency.

The Shenzhou XVI spacecraft and its carrier, a Long March 2F rocket, were moved to the service tower on Monday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert, the agency said in a brief news release, adding that the spacecraft and the rocket will undergo final checks in the next several days.

The Shenzhou XVI will become the first crewed mission to visit Tiangong this year and the first to arrive since its construction was completed by the Shenzhou XIV and XV crews.

A photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows China's Shenzhou XVI manned spacecraft and a Long March 2F Y16 rocket being transferred to the launch area at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

The crew members, whose names have yet to be disclosed, will take over the massive orbital outpost from the Shenzhou XV team, which consists of mission commander Major General Fei Junlong, Senior Colonel Deng Qingming and Senior Colonel Zhang Lu, who arrived on Nov 30. By the end of May, Fei's team will have stayed in orbit for six months.

Earlier this month, the Tianzhou 6 robotic cargo spaceship set out from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province to transport materials for the next manned missions, becoming the first spacecraft to visit the Tiangong space station this year.

Orbiting about 400 kilometers above the ground, the Tiangong space station currently consists of three major components, the Tianhe core module and Wentian and Mengtian science lab modules, and is connected to two visiting craft, the Shenzhou XV crew ship and the Tianzhou 6 cargo ship.

A photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows China's Shenzhou XVI manned spacecraft and a Long March 2F Y16 rocket being transferred to the launch area at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

A photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows China's Shenzhou XVI manned spacecraft and a Long March 2F Y16 rocket being transferred to the launch area at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

A photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows China's Shenzhou XVI manned spacecraft and a Long March 2F Y16 rocket being transferred to the launch area at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

(Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 22)  All national IDs affected by the fire that hit the Manila Central Post Office on Sunday will be replaced, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Monday.

READ: Historic Manila Central Post Office fire totally burned

We assure the public that the PhilIDs affected by the fire shall be replaced by the PSA at no additional cost to concerned registered persons, following protocols set by the PSA for such scenarios, the statement read.

The PSA also clarified that only the national IDs for delivery in the City of Manila were affected by the fire, and its number is still being determined in coordination with the Philippine Postal Corporation.

We also wish to clarify that PhilIDs for delivery of the PHLPost are sorted and stored at the PHLPost Central Mail Exchange Center (CMEC) in Pasay City and were unaffected by the fire, PSA said.

Earlier, the PSA said the influx of registrants is the cause of delay in printing and delivery of the national IDs, as the agency did not expect the high number of registrants.

Last May 3, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III urged the Senate Blue Ribbon panel to start an investigation into the delays in the issuance of the national ID.

He also pointed out the discrepancy between the reported number of delivered IDs by the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Commission on Audit.
A former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has expressed his readiness to support the incoming administration of Bola Tinubu to succeed in office.

Mr Blair gave the commitment on Tuesday when he visited Mr Tinubu at the Defence House in Abuja, according to a statement issued by a spokesman to the office of the president-elect, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz.

The former prime minister said the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which he founded, would be a willing partner of the Tinubu administration especially in prioritising its goals and delivery.

He said since leaving office as the UK prime minister, he had been working with governments around the world to help them deliver on their mandates.

He said Blair Institute has a project in place in Nigeria and felt it was incumbent upon him to meet Nigerias incoming president to understand the administrations priorities.

We would like to help in any way with your administration. We only need to know what the leadership priorities are and help in how to actualise them, Mr Blair told President-elect Tinubu.

He also commended Mr Tinubus campaign, saying it focused on key areas of security, economy, agriculture and power, describing the intertwined nature of the areas as critical to the development of any society.

He expressed optimism that with the appetite shown by investors to invest in Nigeria, the Tinubu administration could get the support it needs to spur economic development in the country.

Mr Blair, however, acknowledged the difficult task before Mr Tinubu and other leaders, at a time of global turmoil.

Being in government today anywhere in the world is tough. You have things happening around the world which affect you and for which you cant do anything much, he said.

President-elect Tinubu, in his response, expressed appreciation to Mr Blair for the visit and for his offer to work with his administration.

He spoke of the shared vision between him and Tony Blair Institute in their priority areas, but underlined the importance of tackling investment challenges and the need for social investment to fight poverty.

Yes, we are challenged. But where is our courage? We can eliminate ignorance, diseases and poverty in Africa. We must work hard to ensure democracy works for our people, Mr Tinubu said.

We have to invest more, put technology in place and keep terrorists at bay because without effective security, there is no guarantee investors will come, he added.

The president-elect promised to provide a conducive environment that would encourage investors and open up opportunities for the people.

Mr Tinubu was accompanied to the meeting by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; vice president -elect, Senator Kashim Shettima; member of Tinubu transition team, Wale Edun; former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu; Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Adetokunbo Abiru and Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council, Zacch Adedeji
Former United Kingdom Prime Minister, Tony Blair, on Tuesday, arrived in Nigeria and is currently in talks with the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.

The president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu made this known on his Twitter page on Tuesday.

He wrote, I received former British Prime Minister and founder Tony Blair Institute for Good Governance, Mr Tony Blair, at the Defence House, Abuja, earlier today.

We discussed areas of mutual interests and how Nigeria can continue to benefit from the amazing work of the Institute.

Blair served as UK Prime Minister between 1997 and 2007.
With six days to go, President Muhammadu Buhari says he has built personal cordial relationship with the neighbouring countries, stressing should anyone disturb him or if trouble arises, his Niger Republic neighbours will defend him.

President Buhari who spoke on Tuesday during the inauguration of the N19.6 billion Nigeria Customs Service Corporate headquarters in Abuja, said, I try to plan to be as far away from Abuja as possible.

I came from an area which is far away from Abuja. Although, he said he would prefer to stay in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria, however, if anybody with force moves, I have good relationship with my neighbours. Niger people will defend me.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 22)  The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) did not inspect the China-made equipment of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in its substations  a revelation that shocked lawmakers on Monday.

During the Senates hearing on bills concerning e-governance and cybersecurity, Senator Raffy Tulfo raised the issue on the State Grid Corporation of Chinas 40% stake in NGCP, as well as machines bought from China.

Tulfo, chairman of the Committee on Energy, said he received information that a computer virus could be planted in hardware sold by a country to another state.

Itong hardware na ito pag nainput sa target nila na bansa, with a push button, kaya nang paandarin yung virus, Tulfo said.

Its really, really very dangerous na yung NGCP natin yung mga equipment doon halos lahat made in China and in Chinese characters, he added.

[Translation: When this hardware is inputted in a target country, the virus can be activated with the push of a button. Its really, really very dangerous that almost all equipment in the NGCP are made in China and bearing Chinese characters.]

DICT Undersecretary David Almirol, Jr. said Tulfos statement is very possible.

We dont even know na pagdating ng equipment dito, na may listener pala yan. Meron na palang nakatanim na listener. Hindi siya naghahack pero every time na nagpapasok ka ng data, dumadaan, kinukuha rin niya, Almirol said.

[Translation: We don't even know if the equipment has a listening device. It won't hack your system but will obtain all the data you input.]

He said the DICT should be doing a technical deep audit, but admits this is not being done to date.

"Actually tama po dapat sana before magdala ng equipment dapat magkaroon ng technical deep audit which I dont believe that we're doing that," Almirol said.

DICT Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs Renato Paraiso explained there used to be a Medium-Term Information and Communications Technology Harmonization Initiative or MITHI protocol, which requires all government agencies to submit procured technologies and hardwares for inspection and auditing by the then Information and Communications Technology Office.

The DICT wants this process to be included in the e-government law.

The Anti-Red Tape Authority, for its part, said it is the NGCP, a private consortium that checks the equipment through a grid integrity test.

But Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, said the DICT and ARTA should work together to promote security while preventing bureaucratic red tape.

Taking that statement alone that they can bring in any equipment at ikabit na walang cybersecurity expert o walang DICT or NTC supervision, is parang inviting someone na ito bangko ko, tingan mo kung manakawan mo kami, Cayetano said.

[Translation: Taking that statement alone that they can bring in any equipment without the supervision of a cybersecurity expert, DICT, or the National Telecommunications Commission is like inviting someone to rob your own bank.]

The NGCP earlier dismissed security concerns, saying its substations are all manned by Filipinos and China's involvement stops with the SGCC's membership in the board to represent its shareholdings.
Bruno Chigozie, a 400-level Computer Science student of Benson Idahosa University, Edo State has passed on.

It is reported that he died on May 22nd, 2023. A source reports, Bruno collapsed yesterday during the Uniform Day program in school & he was rushed to the schools medical center & there was no equipment to treat him. The medical personnel left him in the ambulance for over 2 hours.

So, some students offered to drive him to a general hospital & the security personnel at the campus gate refused to grant them exit urging them to go get permit to be able to leave school to save Brunos life. The students continuous pleas fell on deaf ears until Bruno died in the ambulance.

The students have embarked on a protest in the schools premises to demand answers. This isnt the first time a student is dying as a result of negligence. It occurs very year in the school. May Brunos soul rest in peace.
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BLOOMINGTON  A Bloomington man was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to a domestic battery charge.

Shane A. Dixon, 43, pleaded guilty to one Class 2 felony count of domestic battery with prior domestic battery convictions. Other charges of aggravated domestic battery involving strangulation and misdemeanor domestic battery were dropped.

Judge Jason A. Chambers accepted his plea agreement, and sentenced Dixon to three years in prison, plus four years of mandatory supervised release.

The Pantagraph previously reported that Dixon was arrested in January after Bloomington Police Department officers were called to his home for a domestic dispute. A witness told police that Dixon had been drinking and trying to start arguments before striking the victim and putting them in a chokehold.

Assistant State's Attorney Mary Koll prosecuted the case, and Assistant Public Defender Joseph Moran represented Dixon.

Moran declined comment on the case's outcome.

Photos: Taking Steps to End Child Abuse 5K Color Run/ 1-Mile Walk
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BLOOMINGTON  Bloomington police are looking for a potentially armed and dangerous fugitive wanted in connection with a 2020 homicide.

James D. Moon, 24, is wanted on multiple McLean County warrants for murder (five counts), mob action, aggravated discharge of a firearm and obstructing justice. Moon's bond on these warrants is $3 million, meaning he must post $300,035 to be released from jail.

"Moon should be considered armed and dangerous if spotted," police said in a statement issued Monday evening.

He is described as 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds. Police also issued two images of him.

Police said he remains on the run for his role in an Oct. 12, 2020, homicide in Bloomington. Two other men were arrested in connection wit the case in April 2021, and James Moon was charged but at large at that time.

If you have information on Moon's whereabouts, contact Detective Ty Klein at 309-434-2366 or tklein@cityblm.org. Anonymous tips may be sent via smartphone by texting the number 847411 and the word "BPDTIPS" with a space followed by your tip information.

Jaleel D. Johnson, 20, of Bloomington died the afternoon of Oct. 12, 2020, at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, Bloomington, of a single gunshot wound to the head, McLean County Coroner Kathy Yoder said previously.

Police said Johnson and two other men who were critically injured, were shot that afternoon in the 1600 block of Iowa Street on Bloomington's west side. One of the wounded men was a co-conspirator who was shot in the back by accident in the incident and was subsequently charged in the case, authorities said.

Photos: Emergency crews train on air disaster readiness at Bloomington airport 061222-blm-loc-1training.JPG 061222-blm-loc-2training.JPG 061222-blm-loc-3training.JPG 061222-blm-loc-4training.JPG 061222-blm-loc-5training.JPG 061222-blm-loc-6training.JPG 061222-blm-loc-7training.JPG 061222-blm-loc-8training.jpg
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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 23, 1923: Congressman Frank Funk has been given the duty of extending the formal invitation to President Warren G. Harding to attend the Centennial anniversary celebration in Bloomington this fall. The chief magistrate of the nation will be in the west sometime in July or August, and if he can stop for a short time in Bloomington, the date for the Centennial will be selected.

75 years ago

May 23, 1948: Current parking meter revenue is exceeding the maximum expected, due mostly to the Bloomington Police Department's renewed efforts in tagging for overparking since late in March. For the first half of May, receipts totaled $1,712.50, the highest received in any 15-day period this year.

50 years ago

May 23, 1973: Lee Long, 213 Eisenhower Drive, has been named recipient of Bloomington-Normal Ag Club's Distinguished Service Award for 1973. Presentation was made at a banquet meeting Sunday at Indian Springs Country Club in Saybrook.

25 years ago

May 23, 1998: Grandparents, parents, children, babies, men and women lined up at the seven Bloomington-Normal McDonald's offering Teenie Beanie Babies, "teenie" versions of the popular Ty Inc. collectible toys. Though hundreds participated, there wasn't the chaos that occurred on the first day of last year's promotion when lines were hours long and police had to direct traffic.

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'
A Senior Criminologist at the University of Cambridge, Emmanuel Sowatey has called for an extensive education on drug trafficking, proliferation of arms and other criminal activities as a guide for the youth in Ghana to live responsible lifestyles.



According to Mr. Emmanuel Sowatey, who was speaking in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show on drug trafficking, its challenges and impact on Ghana, drug traffickers have over the years increasingly become sophisticated and smart in their ways.



"Generally, it is difficult to arrest them because they are also sophisticated. They don't lack wisdom. They scrutinize the system before they adapt their plans, so they keep changing their plans . . . It depends on the context but you are right in saying they are very smart," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.



Therefore, in his view, the youth need to be mentored to avoid the enticement of drug traffickers.



"Civic Education is very important. The work of the NCCE is important but not only that, the media - social media - is a very powerful tool," he charged the appropriate authorities to take up the gauntlet in guiding the youth.



When asked about his take on the possibility of drug traffickers using galamsey operators to peddle their drugs, Mr. Sowatey responded it is possible.



"For instance, a person goes to buy a hard drug like cocaine. When the person moves from one country to other, he or she must mobilize people, get a route, network and sometimes will need fake ID. Sometimes, as it might be, the person will compromise some security personnel. When I say security, it's not only Police and intelligence but the person can also compromise judges and politicians...So, those things are interwoven...Sometimes, depending on the context, it is very difficult to separate them but it still can be done." he said.



He called for all hands on deck in the fight against drug and arms trafficking among other crime-related activities.



" . . we are dealing with security. We shouldn't always leave it to only the security agencies. We all have a role to play."













Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Irate South Africans chased away a mayor on Monday, blaming him for failing to provide clean water as deaths from cholera rose to 15 in Gauteng, the country's most populous province.



Tshwane City Mayor Cilliers Brink was expected to join officials from the national government to assess the situation in the wake of the cholera outbreak in the area.



But tempers flared outside the Jubilee District Hospital in Hammanskraal area as angry residents confronted him, demanding clean water, local media reported.



The disgruntled residents ambushed cars outside the hospital, forcing the mayor off the premises. They accused him of not taking their health seriously.



The health department in Gauteng province declared a cholera outbreak on Sunday in Hammanskraal, north of capital Pretoria.



Almost 100 people have been to hospital, and 37 have been admitted to wards, the city government said on Monday, warning residents of Hammanskraal and surrounding areas not to drink tap water.

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.

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Ugandan police have restricted night movement for Christian pilgrims travelling to Namugongo Shrine for next month's Martyrs Day celebrations, citing safety reasons.



Pilgrims from the neighbouring countries of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan, as well as those from the furthest districts in Uganda, have started trekking on foot to Namugongo.



Police chief Okoth Ochola has directed regional commanders to ensure the pilgrims sleep in churches, schools and community centres.



No incidents of crime had so far been reported, he said, and he ordered officers to provide security for those making the pilgrimage.



On Monday, police spokesperson Fred Enanga urged the pilgrims, especially those who had not made the trip before, to be vigilant as they can often be targeted by criminals.



Ambulances were on standby on all major highways for medical evacuation and emergency response, he added.



Martyrs' Day is a national public holiday in Uganda and more than a million pilgrims are expected to make the journey to commemorate 45 martyrs, both Catholic and Anglican, who were killed between 1885 and 1887 on orders of Kababa Mwanga II, then king of Buganda, for converting to Christianity.

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.

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City authorities from the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly on Monday supervised the cleaning and clearing of the debris that was left from the inferno that razed stores and their wares within the neighbourhood of the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) last Sunday.



The fire, which began around 1 p.m., gutted over 50 shops that deal in computers, cellular phones and other electronics and accessories, as well as cosmetics.



Although there was no casualty, the loss of property, both brick and mortar and other wares, runs into millions of Ghana cedis.



The Greater Accra Regional Minister who is also the Member of Parliament for the Ayawaso Central Constituency, Henry Quartey, was at the scene in the early hours of the day to commensurate with the affected shop owners.



He ordered that a list of all affected shops be compiled for further action to be taken.



Investigations, delay



The cause of the fire is yet to be known by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) as investigations have begun.



An Officer from the Public Relations Department at the GNFS Headquarters, Assistant Divisional Officer (ADO) II, Alex King Nartey, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, said when the GNFS team was called to attend to the fire, the team at the Circle station was attending to another fire incident and so provisions had to be made to call other fire stations nearby to come to their aid.



Nonetheless, ADO II Nartey said its team did the best to stop the fire from spreading to other buildings and stores.



"As a service when we come on site, our main priority is to reduce damage. There is a filling station close by and our main goal was to do our very best to prevent the fire from reaching that side but we were able to save a lot of stores from the fire by a quarter to 5p.m. yesterday and I believe that is a good thing," he said.



ADO Nartey further cautioned shop owners to desist from cooking and bringing cylinders to their shops as it was one cause of the many fire outbreaks.



We have been advising the public time and again to desist from cooking in such shops but it all falls on deaf ears. From our checks there is a chop bar in there and some shops have gas cylinders which is making the fire difficult to quench and so we are advising that they desist from using such commercial areas for such purposes, he said.



Strange smell



When Graphic Online's Elizabeth Konadu-Boakye visited the scene, shop owners were seen cleaning up and salvaging the rest of the goods that were left from the fire.



While some shop owners were seen counting their losses, others were yet to visit their stores.



An eyewitness, who gave her name as Auntie Mercy, said she was in her shop when she began to feel a strange smell from the shop next to hers.



 We realised the smell was from one of the bulbs from the next shop, so we took the bulb out and turned off our meter. The other shops did same, but the owner of the next shop after mine was not around so his meter was not off. By the time we realised there was smoke coming from the roof of his shop, she narrated.



When they saw the smoke, Auntie Mercy said she and the other shop owners tried to put out the fire with soapy water but they could not quench it as the fire kept spreading.



She further narrated that they called the GNFS to come to their rescue but the team could not get there in time which caused the fire to completely burn down their shops.



I was not able to retrieve a single item. I sell cosmetics and a whole lot of stuff and I just bought some items worth GHC3million yesterday and they are all gone, she lamented.







Source: graphiconline.com









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Hannah Ashiokai Akrong, the Human Resources Director at Vodafone Ghana, recently shared her insights on the role of HR in digital transformation at the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisations (CTO) HR & ICT Forum 2023.



Ashiokai, a recognised leader in the HR field, presented Vodafone Ghanas journey from a traditional telecommunications company to a technology-focused organisation. She underscored the companys transformation pillars which include: a unique customer experience, a digital and personalised employee experience, and a commitment to fostering a digital society that includes everyone.



Vodafone Ghanas transformation, she explained, was not without challenges. The coexistence of new and old ways of working, and interim digital skills gap, were among the hurdles faced. However, through constant communication of the vision and strategy, engagement, and training, adapting to new ways of working, a focused reskilling and upskilling program, the company was able to push the transformation agenda through.



The HR Director also emphasised Vodafone Ghanas dedication to building a digital society and ensuring inclusivity. She pointed to initiatives such as the #CodeLikeAGirl programme which imparts coding skills and work experience to girls from underprivileged backgrounds and other such interventions aimed at bringing Vodafone Ghanas communities along on its transformative journey.



Ashiokais insights at the forum were met with widespread acclaim from attendees and fellow speakers. Her presentation not only offered a unique perspective on the pivotal role of HR in digital transformation but also underscored Vodafone Ghanas commitment to innovation and inclusivity.



The CTO HR & ICT Forum 2023, themed Digital Transformation: Building a future-ready HR, convened professionals from over 30 member countries and thought leaders to discuss various facets of business digital transformations.



The aim was to deepen understanding of the subject matter, effect change in work processes, and revolutionise the way HR manages its daily activities. The forum served as a platform for HR leaders from various organisations to share their respective digital transformation programmes, with leading HR experts critically evaluating these presentations and sharing best-practice insights.

Source: Peacefmonline com









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Audio Attachment: Listen to a report filed by Peace FM's Odehenufuor Jackson

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused an Electoral Officer of 'forcing' an old woman to vote against her will during the ongoing by-election at Kumawu in the Ashanti Region.



A woman believed to be in her 70s and 'visually impaired', according to a report filed by Peace FM's Odehenufuor Jackson, alleged that she had been made to vote for the wrong candidate at the Methodist JHS 2 polling station, Bodomoase in Kumawu, after telling an electoral officer to guide her to cast her vote.



According to the reports, she asked the officer to help her vote for the candidate with an 'Umbrella' symbol on the ballot paper, stressing the candidate is number 1 on the paper.



However, the confusion is that the candidate who is number 1 on the ballot paper is a New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate whose symbol is an 'Elephant' while the candidate with 'Umbrella' symbol is contesting on the ticket of the NDC.



She reported to NDC polling agents that the Electoral Officer supposedly tricked her to vote against the NDC candidate.



This, therefore, has resulted in serious conflict between the leaders of the NDC and the Electoral Commission.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  A Kidapawan City court has dismissed the case against 43 farmers accused of assaulting authorities in April 2016, during the violent dispersal of thousands of protesters demanding government relief and subsidy.

In granting the farmers demurrer to evidence, the Municipal Trial Court in Kidapawan said the prosecution failed to sufficiently establish who hurled stones at law enforcers.

It ruled that police witnesses did not actually see the people who assaulted them but arrested protesters who they could conveniently apprehend at the time.

As the prosecution has clearly failed to discharge its burden of overcoming the presumption of innocence of the accused by proving their guilt beyond reasonable doubt, the Court holds that it finds the evidence insufficient for their conviction, with no recourse other than to dismiss the case which is tantamount to a judgment of acquittal, read the decision dated May 18 and made public on Tuesday.

Sixty-one farmers were charged for direct assault over the incident which hogged the headlines after it left at least two protesters dead and dozens of people injured. However, the court said that upon arraignment, only 43 appeared and pleaded not guilty.

The farm workers were gravely affected by the dry spell in North Cotabato and joined a rally along Quezon Boulevard in Kidapawan City from March 29 to April 1, 2016 to call for the immediate release of calamity aid from the local government.

Members of the Philippine National Police and fire officers were tasked to secure the area.

The prosecution said authorities were ordered on April 1 to engage with protesters after they gave the latter a five-minute ultimatum to disperse and clear the highway.

It maintained that the demonstration was illegal and said that as officers moved forward, the farmers resisted by throwing stones at them.

Progressive groups, on the other hand, had maintained that police officers opened fire at the protesters.

In a statement, the Public Attorneys Office (PAO)  which filed the accuseds demurrer to evidence  lauded the courts ruling, saying justice has been served to the farmers.

This decision proves that justice will flow like a river in our country as the PAO and its poor clients are waiting for swift and just victories for the Filipino people, PAO chief Atty. Persida Acosta said.
Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt has admonished the electorates at Kumawu not to let the gifts they receive from candidates entice them.



The parliamentary by-election at Kumawu in the Ashanti Region is being held today with leaders and members of both the governing New Patriotic Party and the opposition National Democratic Congress hoping for their candidate to win the election.



The by-election is being held because of the vacant seat in the constituency resulting from the demise of their Member of Parliament, Philip Atta Basoah, which happened in March this year.



Four candidates including independent candidates are competing in the race to become the substantive MP for the constituency.



According to Kwesi Pratt Jnr., some candidates have been sharing cups of rice he called 'tu gyimi' to influence the votes of the electorates.



Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' show, Mr. Pratt found it very amusing that a vote could be bought with what he disclosed as two cups of 'tu gyimi' rice.



"Don't let any person use 'tu gyimi' rice and others to deceive you. Cast a good vote. A good vote is the one that will bring development to your constituency and Ghana," he cautioned.



This seems to have amazed the panel on the show as they wondered if what Kwesi Pratt was saying was indeed true.



But Mr. Pratt held his ground emphasizing that there are videos showing the electorates collecting cups of the rice in exchange for their votes, hence also wondering why his co-panelists looked stunned by his comment.



"Even in the North, if you don't give them maggi cube, it will be very difficult to win elections," he claimed.



"We need more by-elections everyday. God damn it!", Mr. Pratt laughed heartily.















Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Ghanaian gospel sensation Stella Conney has unveiled a mesmerizing new single titled 'Yesu Wo So,' aimed at inspiring gospel music enthusiasts.



The song, featuring collaborations with gospel minister Isaac Frimpong and Nigerian Ghana-based artist Adex Baba, has been steadily gaining traction on various music streaming platforms.



Driven by her burning desire to sing about God's goodness and favour in her life, Stella Conney, known for her hit track 'None Like You,' delivers powerful vocals that emphasize the importance of glorifying the Almighty.



In a bid to reach a broader audience and showcase her gospel principles and talent, the song incorporates a vibrant blend of Twi, Igbo, and Yoruba languages.



Produced by the talented M4SRoyal, the track's eclectic mix of musical influences ensures its appeal to a diverse range of listeners.



The uplifting composition has been resonating with fans, receiving an overwhelming response and further solidifying Stella Conney's position as a prominent figure in the gospel music scene.



In addition to her musical pursuits, Stella Conney is deeply rooted in her background.



Born on April 2, 1991, in Amokom-Kumasi within the Ashanti Region, she hails from both Nsuta in the Ashanti Region and Cape Coast in the Central Region.



As the third child out of five siblings, Stella's passion for music has been evident since her early years, supported by the confirmation of her siblings and childhood friends.



Stella Conney's educational journey took her through Saint Paul's R/C School for her primary education, followed by the completion of Junior High School at the same institution.



Subsequently, she gained admission to Workers College in Kumasi, where she pursued studies in General Arts.



In December 2021, the talented artist, who also balances her role as a businesswoman, released her debut single, 'None Like You,' which was met with acclaim from fans.



The track was produced by the skilled M4SRoyal, showcasing Stella Conney's musical prowess and dedication to her craft.



Outside of her professional endeavours, Stella Conney is happily married to Mr Martin Ayertey, and the couple is blessed with two children, a boy and a girl.



Check out the uplifting power of Stella Conney's latest release, 'YesuWo So,' 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.

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A satellite photo (a) and a photo (b) showing the locations of the acoustic sensor (green circle) that recorded glacier sounds, and the water depth sensor (yellow star) that measured changes in water levels in the proglacial stream (adapted from Evgeny A. Podolskiy, Takuro Imazu, and Shin Sugiyama, Geophysical Research Letters (2023). Credit: Geophysical Research Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1029/2023GL103235

Acoustic signals can be effectively used for monitoring glacial runoff and provide a cheaper and more accessible alternative to existing methods.

Glaciers have been melting and shrinking at an alarming rate, raising the sea-level and causing outburst floods. Scientists are monitoring this change to gauge the meltwater contribution to the ocean and freshwater resources across the globe while also keeping an eye on the risk of glacial flooding. However, glacio-hydrological monitoring is a luxury not every country can afford. The process requires either a substantial effort by observers or sophisticated technology with large volumes of data.

A team of scientists from Hokkaido University led by Evgeny A. Podolskiy, has proposed a safe, affordable, and effective approach for monitoring glacial discharge using sounds generated at the proglacial run-off site. The method, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, is not only ~100 times cheaper than the most novel methods but is also non-invasive, quick and easily deployable, and can become a tool for long-term glacier monitoring.

Previous research, including that from the team, linked inaudible (infrasound) signals to glacial runoffs, noting a daily variation in the recordings and a peak during the summer. It was hypothesized that these signals might be generated by the radiation of air-pressure waves from the glacial runoff. Consequently, it was suggested that glacier discharge could be measured by analyzing the audible sounds that are also emitted by melting glaciers.

In the proposed method, an acoustic sensor is deployed in a sheltered location (red circle, bottom right, under the large rock) near the glacier to continuously record sounds; a much easier and simpler process. Credit: Evgeny Podolskiy

The team of researchers conducted the first near-source study at Qaanaaq Glacier, Greenland, that showed acoustic noise levels scale with proglacial discharge, with an easy-to-detect, audible diurnal pattern. "The ambient sound could be described as a continuous hum of roaring water, which would be familiar to anyone who walked near a white water," said Podolskiy.

For recording the ambient soundscape, the team deployed a commercially available bird-song recorder near the terminus of the Qaanaaq Glacier. "We estimated the proglacial discharge by water-depth and flow-speed measurements, which were collected at the intersectional site of the proglacial stream and the road between Qaanaaq and the local airport. The acoustic data was analyzed and the result was then cross-correlated with the discharge in order to single out a frequency band that was the best proxy for the proglacial stream," explains Podolskiy.

The highest correlation was seen in the frequency range of 50375 Hz. The scientists also found that the noise level clearly mimicked the temporal variation in runoff. Moreover, they observed that the acoustic signal was recorded ~50 minutes before a corresponding change in discharge.

A graph showing the correlation between the acoustic signal (black) and the measured proglacial discharge (red). Credit: Geophysical Research Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1029/2023GL103235

The study demonstrated that audible acoustic signals can be used for sensing glacio-hydrological variations remotely and continuously. The method reduces the risk of instrument loss and does not require avant-garde data processing techniques. Although it does not provide the high spatial resolution of fiber-optic tools that are currently used, it breaks new ground in terms of affordability and overall simplicity. This method can be used to set up early-warning systems to timely detect events like glacier lake outbursts and help mitigate glacial flooding events.

The team acknowledges that the sound-discharge relationships in glaciated watersheds may be complex. Future efforts might benefit from a long-term monitoring, clarified relationship between audible and inaudible sounds, as well as assessed interference effects of wind.

More information: E. A. Podolskiy et al, Acoustic Sensing of Glacial Discharge in Greenland, Geophysical Research Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1029/2023GL103235 Journal information: Geophysical Research Letters
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Whether we realize it or not, advancements in artificial intelligence are increasingly influencing the paths of our careers.

Advancements in human capital management systems, more strategic and data-driven human resource and talent management practices, and increased attention to bias are all factors that are changing how people are hired, developed, promoted and fired.

I teach and work in talent management and leadership development. I've used these programs and practices in the real world and continue to learn and research how these practices are changing. Artificial intelligence and systems are already big business, grossing over US$38 billion in 2021. Without a doubt, AI-driven software has the potential to advance quickly and change how companies make strategic decisions about their employees.

Here's what that acceleration may mean to you.

Applying

Imagine you apply for a job in the very near future. You upload your carefully written resume through the company website, noting that the platform looks eerily similar to other platforms you've used to apply for other jobs. After your resume is saved, you provide demographic information and complete countless fields with the same data from your resume. You then hit "submit" and hope for a follow-up email from a person.

Your data now lives within this company's human capital management system. Even if they collect them, very few companies are looking at resumes anymore; they're looking at the info you type into those tiny boxes to help make comparisons between you, dozens or hundreds of other applicants, and the job requirements. Even if your resume demonstrates that you are the most qualified applicant, it alone is unlikely to catch the eye of the recruiter, because the recruiter's attention is elsewhere.

Getting the job

Let's say you get the call, you ace the interview and the job is yours. Your information hits another stage within the company's database, or HCM: active employee. Your performance ratings and other data about your employment will now be tied to your profile, adding more data for the HCM and human resources to monitor and assess.

Enhancements in AI, technology and HCMs enable HR to look at employee data on deeper levels. The insights gleaned help identify talented employees who could fill key leadership roles when people quit and guide decisions about who should be promoted. The data can also identify favoritism and bias in hiring and promotion.

As you continue in your role, data on your performance is tracked and analyzed. This may include your performance ratings, supervisor's feedback, professional development activityor lack thereof. Having this large amount of data about you and others over time now helps HR think about how employees can better support the growth of the organization.

For example, HR may use data to identify how likely specific employees are to quit and evaluate the impact of that loss.

Platforms that many people already use every day aggregate productivity data from sign-in to signoff. Widely available Microsoft tools including Teams, Outlook and SharePoint can help provide insight to managers via their workplace analytics tool. The Microsoft productivity score tracks overall usage within the platform.

Even the metrics and behaviors defining "good" or "bad" performance may change, relying less on the perception of the manager. As data grows, even the work of professionals like consultants, doctors and marketers will be quantitatively and objectively measured. A 2022 New York Times investigation found that these systems, designed to improve worker productivity and accountability, had the effect of damaging morale and instilling fear.

It's clear that American employees should begin to think about how our data is being used, what story that data is telling, and how it may dictate our futures.

Optimizing and understanding your career

Not every company has an HCM or is advanced in using talent data to make decisions. But many companies are becoming savvier and some are incredibly advanced. At a recent Microsoft Viva summit I attended, chief human resources officers from companies like PayPal and Rio Tinto outlined ways they are using these advancements.

Some researchers claim that AI could promote equity by removing implicit bias from hiring and promoting, but many more see a danger that AI built by humans will just repackage old issues in a new box. Amazon learned this lesson the hard way back in 2018 when a resume-sorting AI it built had to be abandoned when it favored men for programming roles.

What's more, the increase of data collection and analysis can leave employees unclear on where they stand while the organization is very clear. It's best if you understand how AI is changing the workplace and demand transparency from your employer. These are data points that employees should consider asking about during their next review:

Do you see me as a high-potential employee?

How does my performance compare with others'?

Do you see me as a successor to your role or others'?

Just as you need to master traditional aspects of workplace culture, politics and relationships, you should learn to navigate these platforms, understand how you are being assessed, and take ownership of your career in a new and more data-driven way.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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How olfactory misinformation can undermine detection of seeds by mice. a, How mice use olfaction to locate newly sown wheat seeds, and an example of actual mouse damage on our study wheat crop. b, How odor pre-exposure and odor camouflage treatments can disrupt mouse foraging and reduce seed loss. Mouse silhouettes in a (middle) and b (right) created with Flaticon.com. Credit: Nature Sustainability (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-023-01127-3

A team of life and environmental scientists from The University of Sydney has found that spraying wheat fields with wheat germ oil after seeding deters mice that feed on seeds. In their study, reported in journal Nature Sustainability, the group tested a technique first used in New Zealand to protect endangered birds.

Farmers have been attempting to outmaneuver field mice for centuriesmice like to eat grains, whether stored or in the ground in the form of seeds. Prior research has found that they consume approximately 70 million tons of maize, rice and wheat grains each year around the globe. Unfortunately, despite massive efforts to deter the rodents, farmers still must rely on poisons, and in some cases, cats. In this new effort, the researchers may have found a better option.

The researchers noted that colleagues in New Zealand had tried smearing the scents of endangered birds over areas where the birds would never visit. This led to predators growing suspicious of such scents, because when followed, there was no payoff. That led them to ignore the smell of the birds even when they were present.

To see if the approach might work with mice, the team treated 60 10x10 plots with wheat germ oil, which contains the scent of the wheat germthe part of the wheat the mice want to eat. To gauge its effectiveness, the team sprayed it on plots before planting seeds and others after seeding. They also left a few plots untreated. A mouse digging at a patch treated with wheat germ oil. Credit: Peter Banks

They were surprised to find that the oil did not serve as a false signal; the mice still ate the seeds where the plots had been pretreated. But they also found that the mice largely left alone the plots where treatment had occurred after planting. This, the researchers suggest, was likely because an overabundance of aroma had confused the mice, making it nearly impossible for them to find the seeds.

More information: Finn C. G. Parker et al, Olfactory misinformation reduces wheat seed loss caused by rodent pests, Nature Sustainability (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-023-01127-3 Journal information: Nature Sustainability

 2023 Science X Network
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How do Quebec-born children in mixed families with one Muslim parent self-identify? How do they combine the different values transmitted by their parents and those of the society in which they grow up?

These are some of the questions that led Josiane Le Gall, an assistant professor of anthropology at Universite de Montreal, to conduct a qualitative study with colleagues in religion, social work, anthropology and psychology at UdeM, Universite Laval and Morocco's Al Akhawayn University.

The findings were published last August in a special issue of the journal Social Compass on how Muslim / non-Muslim families around the world navigate identity and religious issues in their daily lives and the social constraints they face.

Le Gall's research grew out of a larger study on plural identity in about 100 people of mixed ethnicity in Quebec. She interviewed 23 people aged 18 to 40 with one Muslim immigrant parent. The Muslim parents came from Morocco, Tunisia, Lebanon, Cote d'Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea, Egypt, Gambia and Bangladesh. Two-thirds were non-practicing.

Quebecers first and foremost

Le Gall found three different patterns of cultural transmission in the subjects' families: total absence of any cultural transmission, explicit transmission of identity markers (language and/or culture), and exposure to cultural references (the religion was not actively transmitted but cultural and religious practices were present in the home).

Participants were unanimous in saying they identified first and foremost as Quebecers and, to a lesser degree, as Canadian, regardless of whether the non-Muslim parent was born in Quebec or elsewhere.

"They were influenced above all by the place they were born; this is where they feel at home," said Le Gall. "School and the friendships they formed shaped their identities more than anything else."

At the same time, most of them were also attached to the cultural heritage transmitted to them by their immigrant parent.

"They claim a plural identity that combines cultural influences from the immigrant and non-immigrant parent," explained Le Gall. "As the expression goes, they're 100-per-cent mixed."

Limited transmission of language and religion

Growing up in a multi-ethnic home has shaped these individuals in many ways. They have a connection to the cultural and culinary traditions of their Muslim parent's native country, but in many cases little or nothing of the Muslim parent's religion and language was passed down to them.

The majority of the subjects reported speaking French at home, and some spoke English.

"As adults, some regretted that their parent hadn't taught them Arabic or other native language and made an effort to learn it," Le Gall noted. "They would have liked to be able to speak it, especially when visiting relatives in their immigrant parent's country of origin."

Religion was an important dimension of identity for the handful of subjects whose parents were both practicing Muslims. The others said they had been exposed to some Islamic rituals but generally did not practice Islam or any other religion.

"Having been born in Quebec, they exhibited a certain reticence, if not indifference, about religion in general," commented Le Gall.

Plural identity is enriching

It was in early adulthood that many of the subjects felt a stronger desire to claim their Muslim parent's cultural markers. "As teens, they were more likely to reject or minimize the importance of their minority culture, " said Le Gall.

In most cases, their identification with the minority culture was rooted mainly in their daily experiences and practices with their immigrant parent, rather than knowing the language and religion or having the nationality.

"While the identities constructed by the subjects varied widely, they all felt that their mixed cultural identity was enriching, not limiting," said Le Gall. "They reject any rigid, predefined notion of identity and can easily reconcile the different facets of their identity, which they do not see as incompatible in any way."

More information: Josiane Le Gall et al, Family transmission and identity construction: The perspective of 'mixed' individuals with a Muslim parent in Quebec, Social Compass (2022). DOI: 10.1177/00377686221091049
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Identification map of NGC 5288 taken from DSS. Credit: Sethi et al, 2023

By analyzing the data from ESA's Gaia satellite and from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS), Indian astronomers have investigated a galactic open cluster known as NGC 5288. Results of the study, published May 17 on the arXiv preprint server, yield important information regarding the properties of this cluster.

Open clusters (OCs), formed from the same giant molecular cloud, are groups of stars loosely gravitationally bound to one another. So far, more than 1,000 of them have been discovered in the Milky Way, and scientists are still looking for more, hoping to find a variety of these stellar groupings. Expanding the list of known galactic open clusters and studying them in detail could be crucial for improving our understanding of the formation and evolution of our galaxy.

Located some 7,000 light years away in the constellation Circinus, NGC 5288 (also known as Cr 278) is a galactic OC discovered in 1835. It is a rich, strongly absorbed cluster with a small but bright nucleus and a low-density extended corona. Although NGC 5288 has been known for nearly two centuries, it is a poorly studied cluster and there are still many discrepancies regarding its fundamental parameters.

Therefore, in order to shed more light on its properties, a team of astronomers led by Ritika Sethi of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Berhampur, India, decided to inspect this cluster. "We have investigated a poorly studied open cluster, NGC 5288, using 2MASS and Gaia DR3 photometric and astrometric database," the researchers wrote in the paper.

The data allowed the team to calculate the membership probabilities of stars in the field of NGC 5288 and to identify 304 cluster members with membership probability greater than 50%. Furthermore, the astronomers estimated the fundamental properties of the cluster, investigated its structure, conducted a dynamical study and derived its galactic orbit and orbital parameters.

The study found that NGC 5288 is approximately 510 million years old and is located some 9,000 light years away, therefore farther than previously estimated. The mean proper motions of cluster members in right ascension and declination were calculated to be 3.84 and 1.934 mas per year, respectively. The interstellar reddening of NGC 5288 was estimated to be at a level of 0.45.

When it comes to the size of NGC 5288, the astronomers found that the core radius and the cluster radius are approximately 1.36 and 5.5 arcmins, respectively. The mass function slope for the cluster was found to be 1.39 for main-sequence (MS) stars (within the mass range 1.02.7 solar masses). The results also indicate that NGC 5288 is dynamically relaxed.

The researchers also integrated the orbits of the cluster for a time duration equal to the cluster's age. As a result, they found that NGC 5288 is born near the galactic disk and moves in a circular orbit with a very small scale height.

More information: Ritika Sethi et al, A deep study of open cluster NGC 5288 using photometric and astrometric data from Gaia DR3 and 2MASS, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2305.10099 Journal information: arXiv

 2023 Science X Network
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Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 - Life on land. Credit: University of Canterbury

UC researchers believe remote sensing technologies such as satellites, planes, and drones will cause a paradigm shift in auditing Aotearoa's biodiversity.

A recent collaboration between Dr. John Reid (Ngati Pikiao, Tainui), Senior Research Fellow at Te Whare Wananga o Waitaha | the University of Canterbury (UC)'s Ngai Tahu Center, and Professor Pavel Castka, Associate Dean (Research) at the UC Business School, explores the ramifications of this rapidly developing technology for New Zealand's primary industries and the country's overall environmental image. Published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, their study highlights the "radical transparency" enabled by unmanned airborne vehicles and terrestrial sensors capable of amassing data down to the level of a square meter.

"We estimate that within the next five to 10 years, the environmental footprint of every farmer, forester and horticulturalist in the country may become publicly available," Dr. Reid says. "The emphasis of our paper is on what this means for assurance purposes, for management, and for how these entities operate."

While Dr. Reid and Professor Castka acknowledge the sensitivities accompanying this level of transparency, they believe it can also deliver significant benefits.

"Compliance standards create a heavy load for farmers," Professor Castka says. "Remote sensing automates this, so it isn't taking them away from what they want to be doing."

In addition to efficiency gains, Dr. Reid highlights how land managers could receive timely data regarding their productivity and environmental impacts. "It will also allow land managers who are truly regenerative to stand out, becoming examples that others can learn from." He says the response from industry has in most cases been positive and adds that the leaders in this space will gain a powerful marketing tool, for use both here and internationally, for sustainable products.

Dr. Reid is also co-lead of Eco-index, a research program hosted at the University of Waikato, that measures biodiversity health and investment in Aotearoa. He says substantial private investment in environmental sensing is happening internationally, and that particular interest has been shown in the environmental insights and wisdom traditions held by Maori.

The researchers recognize the privacy concerns accompanying the evolution of this technology, however they hope the increased transparency will encourage more aspirational goals for Aotearoa's biodiversity.

"It's not enough to preserve what we have now for the next generation," Professor Castka says, "It's about making it better."

More information: John Reid et al, The impact of remote sensing on monitoring and reportingThe case of conformance systems, Journal of Cleaner Production (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136331 Journal information: Journal of Cleaner Production
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ORNL researchers Michael Smith, Steven Pain and Kelly Chipps use JENSA, a unique gas jet system, for laboratory studies of nuclear reactions that also occur in neutron stars in binary systems. Credit: Steven Pain/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Led by Kelly Chipps of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, scientists working in the lab have produced a signature nuclear reaction that occurs on the surface of a neutron star gobbling mass from a companion star. Their achievement improves understanding of stellar processes generating diverse nuclear isotopes.

"Neutron stars are really fascinating from the points of view of both nuclear physics and astrophysics," said ORNL nuclear astrophysicist Kelly Chipps, who led a study published in Physical Review Letters. "A deeper understanding of their dynamics may help reveal the cosmic recipes of elements in everything from people to planets."

Chipps heads the Jet Experiments in Nuclear Structure and Astrophysics, or JENSA, which has collaborators from nine institutions in three countries. The team uses a unique gas jet target system, which produces the world's highest-density helium jet for accelerator experiments, to understand nuclear reactions that proceed with the same physics on Earth as in outer space.

The process of nucleosynthesis creates new atomic nuclei. One element can turn into another when protons or neutrons are captured, exchanged or expelled. In this animation, a powerful neutron star, at right, feeds off a companion star. Nuclear reactions on the surface of a neutron star can reignite, creating a complex mix of reactants. Credit: Jacquelyn DeMink/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

A neutron star has an immense gravitational pull that can capture hydrogen and helium from a nearby star. The material amasses on the neutron star surface until it ignites in repeated explosions that create new chemical elements.

Many nuclear reactions powering the explosions remain unstudied. Now, JENSA collaborators have produced one of these signature nuclear reactions in a lab at Michigan State University. It directly constrains the theoretical model typically used to predict element formation and improves understanding of the stellar dynamics that generate isotopes.

Built at ORNL and now at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, a DOE Office of Science user facility that MSU operates, the JENSA system provides a target of lightweight gas that is dense, pure and localized within a couple millimeters. JENSA will also provide the primary target for the Separator for Capture Reactions, or SECAR, a detector system at FRIB that allows experimental nuclear astrophysicists to directly measure the reactions that power exploding stars. Co-author Michael Smith of ORNL and Chipps are members of SECAR's project team.

For the current experiment, the scientists struck a target of alpha particles (helium-4 nuclei) with a beam of argon-34. (The number after an isotope indicates its total number of protons and neutrons.) The result of that fusion produced calcium-38 nuclei, which have 20 protons and 18 neutrons. Because those nuclei were excited, they ejected protons and ended up as potassium-37 nuclei.

High-resolution charged-particle detectors surrounding the gas jet precisely measured energies and angles of the proton reaction products. The measurement took advantage of detectors and electronics developed at ORNL under the leadership of nuclear physicist Steven Pain. Accounting for the conservation of energy and momentum, the physicists back-calculated to discover the dynamics of the reaction.

"Not only do we know how many reactions occurred, but also we know the specific energy that the final potassium-37nucleus ended up in, which is one of the components predicted by the theoretical model," Chipps said.

The lab experiment improves understanding of nuclear reactions that occur when material falls onto the surface of an important subset of neutron stars. These stars are born when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses into a sphere about as wide as a city such as Atlanta, Georgia. Then gravity squeezes fundamental particles as close together as they can get, creating the densest matter we can directly observe.

One teaspoon of neutron star would weigh as much as a mountain. Neutron-packed stars rotate faster than blender blades and make the universe's strongest magnets. They have solid crusts surrounding liquid cores containing material shaped like spaghetti or lasagna noodles, earning them the nickname "nuclear pasta."

"Because neutron stars are so weird, they are a useful naturally occurring laboratory to test how neutron matter behaves under extreme conditions," Chipps said.

Achieving that understanding takes teamwork. Astronomers observe the star and collect data. Theoreticians try to understand physics inside the star. Nuclear physicists measure nuclear reactions in the lab and test them against models and simulations. That analysis reduces large uncertainties resulting from a dearth of experimental data. "When you put all of those things together, you really start to understand what's happening," Chipps said.

"Because the neutron star is superdense, its huge gravity can pull hydrogen and helium over from a companion star. As this material falls to the surface, the density and temperature grow so high that a thermonuclear explosion can occur that can propagate across the surface," Chipps said. Thermonuclear runaway transforms nuclei into heavier elements. "The reaction sequence can produce dozens of elements."

Surface explosions do not destroy the neutron star, which goes right back to what it was doing before: feeding off its companion and exploding. Repeated explosions pull crust material into the mix, creating a bizarre composition in which heavy elements formed during previous explosions react with lightweight hydrogen and helium.

Theoretical models predict which elements form. Scientists typically analyze the reaction that the JENSA team measured using a statistical theoretical model called the Hauser-Feshbach formalism, which assumes that a continuum of excited energy levels of a nucleus can participate in a reaction. Other models instead assume that only a single energy level participates.

"We're testing the transition between the statistical model being valid or invalid," Chipps said. "We want to understand where that transition happens. Because Hauser-Feshbach is a statistical formalismit relies on having a large number of energy levels so effects over each individual level are averaged outwe're looking for where that assumption starts to break down. For nuclei like magnesium-22 and argon-34, there's an expectation that the nucleus doesn't have enough levels for this averaging approach to be valid. We wanted to test that."

A question remained about whether the statistical model was valid for such reactions taking place in stars rather than earthly laboratories. "Our result has shown that the statistical model is valid for this particular reaction, and that removes a tremendous uncertainty from our understanding of neutron stars," Chipps said. "It means that we now have a better grasp of how those nuclear reactions are proceeding."

Next, the researchers will try to improve the statistical model by further testing its limits. A past paper explored atomic mass 22, a magnesium nucleus, and found the model incorrect by almost a factor of 10. The current ORNL-led paper, probing 12 atomic mass units above this, found that the model correctly predicted reaction rates.

"Somewhere between [atomic] mass 20 and 30, this transition between where the statistical model is valid and where it's not valid is taking place," Chipps said. "The next thing is to look for reactions in the middle of that range to see where this transition is occurring." Chipps and her JENSA collaborators have begun that endeavor.

More information: J. Browne et al, First Direct Measurement Constraining the Ar34(,p)K37 Reaction Cross Section for Mixed Hydrogen and Helium Burning in Accreting Neutron Stars, Physical Review Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.212701 Journal information: Physical Review Letters
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Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Being tightly monitored by an employer when working from home, house arrest or a restraining order: according to researcher Hadassa Noorda, these are all forms of imprisonment. "You can also be imprisoned without being behind bars."

A prison sentence is often seen as the most severe punishment, while Noorda says this is not always the case. She argues for a broader definition of imprisonment that looks primarily at the impact of a punishment. "Something like wearing an ankle bracelet would be much less drastic, because then you can still participate in society. But you can't draw that line so firmly."

Here, Noorda answers questions related to her latest research, published in the journal Criminal Justice Ethics.

In your opinion, what is imprisonment?

Liberty can be limited in different ways and to different degrees. I look at the impact of imprisonment: can someone still see their friends and family? Is there freedom of movement and can you still work, for example? Those freedoms can be affected both inside and outside of incarceration.

For example, a restraining order can mean that you can no longer see certain people, and taking away your drivers license can result in having to quit your job. Such forms of deprivation of liberty I see as exprisonment; the new term I have coined. Imprisonment takes place not only behind bars, but also on the streets and in the home.

Why is it important to stretch the definition of imprisonment?

Its important because then you're talking about a different conceptual and legal framework. If you look at employee monitoring it is seen at most as an invasion of informational privacy, but if you see it as something that also has to do with depriving liberty it has different legal implications. I wrote about this with Jeevan Hariharan (Queen Mary University of London).

In what sense is employee monitoring a form of imprisonment?

Monitoring can restrict peoples' freedom. It can go quite far. For example, Teleperformance, one of the largest call center companies in the world, uses digital monitoring. Home workers are watched very closely.

There are webcams with facial recognition, locations are monitored, activity on your keyboard is tracked, and you are not allowed to go to the bathroom in your own home without asking permissionand if you do, your manager is notified. These kinds of systems can be very restrictive. You can even compare it to a certain kind of imprisonment. If this kind of system goes too far, you can argue that someone is chained to their desk for a certain period of time.

Where do you think the concept of exprisonment should lead?

The concept of exprisonment has now been adopted in philosophical and legal literature, including in the fields of criminal law, labor law and human rights. It shows that imprisonment can take place outside of prison, but also that one can be imprisoned to a certain degree and that there is no categorical difference between imprisonment and other measures.

My first goal is to encourage thinking about imprisonment. We need to look closely at liberty deprivation that takes place on the streets and in the home, especially with the new technology. In the Netherlands, for example, especially since the pandemic, webcams are widely used to monitor home-based workers. The argument is: surely you have nothing to hide? But that doesn't hold water if you see it as a form of imprisonment in addition to a risk for the employees' control over information and data.

More information: Hadassa Noorda, Exprisonment: Deprivation of Liberty on the Street and at Home, Criminal Justice Ethics (2023). DOI: 10.1080/0731129X.2023.2174722
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  There will be a slight delay in the arrival of bivalent COVID-19 vaccines in the country, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Tuesday.

The agency, however, assured the public that it is "exhausting all efforts" to get them before the month ends.

"As per the DOH-Bureau of International Health Cooperation (BIHC), there shall be a slight delay in the arrival of the bivalent vaccines as there are permits that are still needed to be coordinated," the DOH said in a statement.

DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire previously said the government is hopeful that around 390,000 donated doses of bivalent vaccines will arrive in the Philippines by this week. Another two million doses from the World Health Organization-led COVAX facility are also being discussed, the department added.

Meanwhile, it noted that the memorandum on the vaccine rollout has been signed and is now only awaiting release.

The DOH has said it will prioritize vulnerable groups and health workers in the distribution of the bivalent vaccines.
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Structure of a biomedical habitat prototype supporting the production of tissue substitutes and medical procedures on the Lunar surface. Accompanied by solar panels to meet energy demands, the habitat would contain 6 modules to support these activities. Three modules would be required for engineering and expanding tissue analogues (M13), module M5 would be used for surgery and M6 would be used for recovery. The tissue/bio- engineering module (M2) containing advanced biofabrication facilities and bioreactors, would be supported by two auxiliary modules for biomaterial processing and extraction (M3), and a separate cell banking module (M4) to minimize traffic through this module. Access to either the medical branch or the bioengineering branch would be performed through module M1, containing two separate units (1a and b) containing an airlock (1a), and a sterilization chamber(1b) to allow the transition from the dusty outside surface into the sterile environment and prevent striking changes in pressure when entering the main habitat. Access from the tissue engineering (M2) to the surgical module (M5) is possible, while the recovery module is only connected to the surgical module. Credit: npj Microgravity (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00266-3

Tunnels deep underground in North Yorkshire are providing a unique opportunity to study how humans might be able to live and operate on the moon or on Mars.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have launched the Bio-SPHERE project in a unique research facility located 1.1 km below the surface, in one of the deepest mine sites in the UK. The project investigates how scientific and medical operations would take place in the challenging environments of the moon and Mars.

It is the first of a series of new laboratory facilities planned to study how humans might workand stay healthyduring long space missions, a key requirement for ensuring mission continuity on other planets.

The team is working in partnership with the Boulby Underground Laboratory, a 4,000m3 deep underground facility focused on particle physics, Earth sciences and astrobiology research, run by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (part of UK Research and Innovation) with the support of the Boulby Mine operators, ICL-UK.

The Bio-SPHERE project is based in a 3,000m3 tunnel network adjacent to the Boulby Laboratory, which go through 250-million-year-old rock salt deposits, consisting of Permian evaporite layers left over from the Zechstein Sea. This geological environment, together with the deep subsurface location, have enabled researchers to recreate the operational conditions humans would experience working in similar caverns on the moon and Mars. This includes remoteness, limited access to new materials and challenges in moving heavy equipment around.

At the same time, thanks to the ultra-low radiation environment provided by that depth, the location will enable scientists to investigate how effective underground habitats might be in protecting space crews from deep-space radiation, which is a significant risk in space exploration, as well as other hazards, such as falling debris from meteorites, which risks damaging the life-support infrastructure.

The first facility to be opened as part of Bio-SPHERE (Biomedical Sub-surface Pod for Habitability and Extreme-environments Research in Expeditions), is based in a 3-meter-wide simulation module and is designed specifically to test biomedical procedures needed to prepare materials for treating tissue damage. These include complex fluids, polymers and hydrogels for regenerative medicine that could be used, for example, in wound dressings, or fillers for damage mitigation.

A paper describing the concept and design of such a habitat was recently published in npj Microgravity.

Bio-SPHERE, which includes a range of capabilities for sterile work and material processing, combines these simulation facilities and useful geological environment with access to the adjacent physics and chemistry laboratory facilities.

This environment provides the opportunity to simulate various mission scenarios and to conduct cutting edge, interdisciplinary science, ranging from the effects of extreme environments on biological and physicochemical parameters and on medical infrastructure, all the way to investigating how available 'in-situ' resources such as ambient pressure, temperature and geology can be used for habitat construction.

Lead researcher Dr. Alexandra Iordachescu, in the University of Birmingham's School of Chemical Engineering, said, "We are excited to be partnering with the fantastic science team at the Boulby Underground Laboratory. This new capability will help to gather information that can advise on the life support systems, devices and biomaterials which could be used in medical emergencies and tissue repair following damage in deep-space missions."

"These types of metrics can guide system design and help to assess the scientific needs and acceptable timeframes in bioengineering operations under the constraints of isolated environments, such as space habitats. The data is likely to bring numerous benefits for Earth-based applications as well, such as delivering biomedical interventions in remote areas or in hazardous environments and more generally, understanding biomedical workflows in these non-ideal environments."

Professor Sean Paling, Director and Senior Scientist at the Boulby Underground laboratory said, "We are very pleased to be working with Dr. Iordachescu and the team from the University of Birmingham on this exciting work. The challenges ahead for humankind in exploring habitats beyond Earth are clearly many and significant."

"The Bio-SPHERE project promises to help answer some key logistical questions in establishing sustainable living conditions in remote, subterranean environments and in doing so will significantly contribute to the essential preparations for our collective long, difficult and exciting journey ahead. It is also a great example of the diverse range of science studies that can be carried out in a deep underground science facility, and we are very happy to be hosting it."

More information: Alexandra Iordachescu et al, Space habitats for bioengineering and surgical repair: addressing the requirement for reconstructive and research tissues during deep-space missions, npj Microgravity (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00266-3
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Did you know: lightning can strike the same place multiple times? For example, the Empire State Building is reportedly struck by lightning roughly 23 times per year. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Lightning's role in making nitrogen available for life on Earth may have been relatively short-lived, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of St Andrews Centre for Exoplanet Science.

Although lightning has been invoked as a major source of bioavailable nitrogen for life on early Earth, the new research, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, shows that our home planet's biosphere quickly became independent from this nutrient source.

These results will also help with identifying the source of nitrate deposits on Mars and possibly other planets and moons in our solar system.

Nitrogen is a key element for the origin and evolution of life as we know it. Like today, nitrogen in the atmosphere of early Earth was mainly present in the form of unreactive N 2 -molecules, denying organisms easy access to this resource.

Some microorganisms are capable of converting N 2 gas into bioavailable forms like ammonium, but before the emergence of this metabolism, energetic processes such as lightning must have been responsible for breaking apart these N 2 molecules.

To investigate how lightning can make nitrogen available for life, researchers at the University of St Andrews, together with colleagues from the Space Research Institute (IWF) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Graz and from Brown University in the U.S., conducted a series of spark discharge experiments.

They filled glass flasks with water and different gas mixtures, resembling the atmospheres of modern and early Earth, and then subjected these gas mixtures to an electric discharge of nearly 50,000 volts. After the experiments, the scientists measured the composition of the gas mixture and water and detected increased concentrations of nitric oxide, nitrite, and nitrate.

Patrick Barth, first author of this study and Ph.D. student at the St Andrews Centre for Exoplanet and the IWF, said, "Our results show that lightning can efficiently produce nitrogen oxides in the CO 2 -rich atmosphere that likely existed on early Earth. This provides a potential source of nutrients for life at that time and on planets outside of our solar system."

Measurements of 15N in sedimentary rocks over geologic time, separated by metamorphic grade. Credit: Nature Geoscience (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-023-01187-2

However, the isotopic composition the researchers found in their spark experiments does not match that of nitrogen archived in the rock record of early Earth. This discrepancy suggests that lightning was not a major source of nitrogen as microbial life evolved.

Instead, these results provide another piece of evidence that microorganisms have been able to convert N 2 gas into bioavailable forms for more than three billion years.

There are, however, a few rock samples from the Isua Greenstone Belt on Greenland which are nearly 3.8 billion years old, and whose isotopic composition could potentially be explained by nitrogen contributions from lightning.

Dr. Eva Stueken from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of St Andrews, and a member of the St Andrews Centre for Exoplanet Science, said, "This suggests that lightning may have supported the earliest life on Earth. Now that we have established the isotope signature of lightning, it may help investigate the origin of nitrate deposits on Mars."

To communicate the impact of the findings, the team has collaborated with artists to create an exhibition, which includes a video by Patrick Barth on the role of lightning on exoplanets. The research also inspired a short story, "A Spark in a Flask," published in the science fiction anthology "Around Distant Suns," which tells the tale of a robot taking care of spark experiments on the Moon.

Professor Christiane Helling, co-founder of the St Andrews Centre for Exoplanet Science and director of the IWF, said, "To communicate our science, it is important to reflect the extraordinary uniqueness of the Earth's atmosphere in the astronomical context."

More information: Patrick Barth et al, Isotopic constraints on lightning as a source of fixed nitrogen in Earth's early biosphere, Nature Geoscience (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-023-01187-2 Journal information: Nature Geoscience
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Graphical abstract. Credit: Science and Technology of Advanced Materials: Methods (2023). DOI: 10.1080/27660400.2023.2204994

Researchers in Japan have developed a machine learning process that simultaneously designs new molecules and suggests the chemical reactions needed to make them. The team at the Institute of Statistical Mathematics (ISM) in Tokyo published their results in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials: Methods.

Many research groups are making significant progress in using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning methods to design feasible molecular structures with desired properties, but progress in putting the design concepts into practice has been slow. The greatest impediment has been the technical difficulties in finding chemical reactions that can make the designed molecules with efficiencies and costs that could be practicable for real-world uses.

"Our novel machine learning algorithm and associated software system can design molecules with any desired properties and suggest synthetic routes for making them from an extensive list of commercially available compounds," says statistical mathematician Ryo Yoshida, leader of the research group.

The process uses a statistical approach called Bayesian inference, which works with a vast set of data about different options for starting materials and reaction pathways. The possible starting materials are all combinations of the millions of compounds that can be readily purchased. The computer algorithm assesses the huge range of feasible reactions and reaction networks to discover a synthetic route towards a compound with the properties it has been instructed to aim for. Expert chemists can then review the results to test and refine what the AI proposes. AI makes the suggestions while humans decide which is best.

"In a case study for designing drug-like molecules, the method showed overwhelming performance," says Yoshida. It also designed routes towards industrially useful lubricant molecules.

"We hope that our work will accelerate the process of data-driven discovery of a wide range of new materials," Yoshida concludes. In support of this aim, the ISM team has made the software implementing their machine learning system available to all researchers on the GitHub website.

The current success focused only on the design of small molecules. The team now plan to investigate adapting the procedure to design polymers. Many of the most important industrial and biological compounds are polymers, but it has proved difficult to make new versions proposed by machine learning due to challenges in finding reactions to build the designs. The simultaneous design and reaction discovery options offered by this new technology might break through that barrier.

More information: Qi Zhang et al, A Bayesian method for concurrently designing molecules and synthetic reaction networks, Science and Technology of Advanced Materials: Methods (2023). DOI: 10.1080/27660400.2023.2204994
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The dialectic of zest. Credit: Gender, Work & Organization (2023). DOI: 10.1111/gwao.13017

Organizations must enable midlife women to thrive in the workplace by taking inspiration from societies such as China and Japan to encourage positive conversations around the impact of menopause, a new study reveals.

But as they support older women in pursuing their ambitions and accessing career opportunities, organizations must ensure they do not hinder career progression through overlooked promotions, undervalued work, and lost opportunities.

In Western countries, menopause is traditionally viewed as a managed medical condition that creates physiological challenges that women must overcome if they are to function as effectively in the workplace as men of a similar age.

Publishing their findings today in Gender, Work & Organization, an international team of researchers led by the University of Birmingham, calls on organizations to use a new tool they have developed to address the largely unexplored and underutilized positive, creative, and energizing aspects of menopause.

The experts drew from feminist writers, such as Margaret Mead, Virginia Woolf, and Julia Kristeva, as well as 15 years' worth of articles on menopause published by British newspaper The Guardian beginning in 2005, to create their "dialectic of zest" tool to destigmatize menopauselong seen as a disease or a disability in Western societies.

Co-author Pilar Rojas-Gaviria, from the University of Birmingham, commented, "Organizations must move towards a positive, creative vision of menopause in the workplacecreating the kind of environment that encourages women to make use of all their talents and creativity as part of the menopause experience. We offer 'the dialectic of zest' as a useful tool for organizations to pursue a better understanding of women in the workplace, addressing not only their needs but also their individual ambitions.

"Western organizations can learn a lot from other cultures. For example, menopause tends to be a more welcome experience in China and Japan. Women in these countries have fewer hot flushes than their US and Canadian counterpartsrarely associating this condition with embarrassment. The terms 'second spring' or 'rebirth' are often associated with menopause in traditional Chinese medicinesuggesting a positive transition into middle age."

The researchers used feminist writings and articles from The Guardian to describe menopause as a transformational phase that should not be viewed as deterioration and decline. They note that medical interpretations of menopause, while essential for treating health conditions in older women, have overshadowed the lived experiences of aging women.

The "dialectic of zest" tool describes women's lived experience as an oscillating pendulum swinging between spaces of social conformity and personal liberation. This helps us better understand the multiple experiences of menopause in the workplace.

The researchers believe that in the workplace, organizational policies and practices either nourish or obstruct women's experiences and expressions of zest.

Two key steps that women experience in the process of liberation are based on Woolf's "killing the angel in the house" (stepping away from being devoted to others) and Kristeva's "discovering the foreigner within" (focusing on their projects, dreams, and authenticity).

If women are freed from the "angel in the house"' and discover the "foreigner" within, then those experiencing menopause in the workplace will be well-placed to thrive.

"The 'dialectic of zest' tool creates a holistic approach to organizational care, where the full range of concerns, objective and ambitious of women experiencing menopause are considered," explained Dr. Rojas-Gaviria. "This is a powerful perspective that can inspire care not only for women but also for all individuals who may struggle with challenges in the workplace.

"Organizations wishing to benefit from these insightful women must also create opportunities for 'education for all'a compelling avenue to create the kinds of context where women experiencing menopause can contribute, advance, and thrive."

More information: Camilla Quental et al, The dialectic of (menopause) zest: Breaking the mold of organizational irrelevance, Gender, Work & Organization (2023). DOI: 10.1111/gwao.13017
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Magnet row of the ALPS experiment in the HERA tunnel: In this part of the magnets, intense laser light is reflected back and forth, from which axions are supposed to form. Credit: DESY, Marta Mayer

The world's most sensitive model-independent experiment to search for particularly light particles, of which dark matter might be composed, starts today at DESY in the form of the 'light shining through a wall' experiment ALPS II. Scientific calculations predict that this ominous form of matter should occur five times as often in the universe as normal, visible matter. Until now, however, no one has been able to identify particles of this substance; the ALPS experiment could now furnish such evidence.

The ALPS (Any Light Particle Search) experiment, which stretches a total length of 250 meters, is looking for a particularly light type of new elementary particle. Using twenty-four recycled superconducting magnets from the HERA accelerator, an intense laser beam, precision interferometry and highly sensitive detectors, the international research team wants to search for these so-called axions or axion-like particles.

Such particles are believed to react only extremely weakly with known kinds of matter, which means they cannot be detected in experiments using accelerators. ALPS is therefore resorting to an entirely different principle to detect them: in a strong magnetic field, photonsi.e. particles of lightcould be transformed into these mysterious elementary particles and back into light again.

"The idea for an experiment like ALPS has been around for over 30 years. By using components and the infrastructure of the former HERA accelerator, together with state-of-the-art technologies, we are now able to realize ALPS II in an international collaboration for the first time," says Beate Heinemann, Director of Particle Physics at DESY.

Helmut Dosch, Chairman of DESY's Board of Directors, adds, "DESY has set itself the task of decoding matter in all its different forms. So ALPS II fits our research strategy perfectly, and perhaps it will push open the door to dark matter."

The ALPS team sends a high-intensity laser beam along a device called an optical resonator in a vacuum tube, approximately 120 meters in length, in which the beam is reflected backwards and forwards and which is enclosed by twelve HERA magnets arranged in a straight line. If a photon were to turn into an axion in the strong magnetic field, that axion could pass through the opaque wall at the end of the line of magnets.

Once through the wall, it would enter another magnetic track almost identical to the first. Here, the axion could then change back into a photon, which would be captured by the detector at the end. A second optical resonator is set up here to increase the probability of an axion turning back into a photon by a factor of 10,000.

This means, if light does arrive behind the wall, it must have been an axion in between. "However, despite all our technical tricks, the probability of a photon turning into an axion and back again is very small," says DESY's Axel Lindner, project leader and spokesperson of the ALPS collaboration, "like throwing 33 dice and them all coming up the same."

In order for the experiment to actually work, the researchers had to tweak all the different components of the apparatus to maximum performance. The light detector is so sensitive that it can detect a single photon per day. The precision of the system of mirrors for the light is also record-breaking: the distance between the mirrors must remain constant to within a fraction of an atomic diameter relative to the wavelength of the laser. Credit: Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron

And the superconducting magnets, each nine meters long, generate a magnetic field of 5.3 Tesla in the vacuum tube, more than 100 000 times the strength of the Earth's magnetic field. The magnets were taken from the 6.3-kilometer-long proton ring of the HERA accelerator and upcycled for the ALPS project. The magnets were originally curved on the inside and had to be straightened for the experiment so that they could store more laser light; and the safety equipment for operating them under superconducting conditions at minus 269 degrees Celsius has been completely revised.

The ALPS experiment was originally proposed by DESY theoretician Andreas Ringwald, who also underpinned the theoretical motivation for the experiment with his calculations on extending the Standard Model. Ringwald says, "Experimental and theoretical physicists worked together very closely for ALPS. The result is an experiment which has a unique potential to discover axions, which we might eventually even use to search for high-frequency gravitational waves."

The search for axions will initially begin in an attenuated operating mode, simplifying the search for "background light" that might falsely indicate the presence of axions. The experiment is due to achieve full sensitivity in the second half of 2023. The mirror system is to be upgraded in 2024, and an alternative light detector can also be installed at a later time.

The scientists expect to publish the first results from ALPS in 2024. Lindner is convinced, "Even if we don't find any light particles with ALPS, the experiment will shift the exclusion limits for ultra-light particles by a factor of 1000."

Overall, some 30 scientists have joined forces in the international ALPS collaboration. They come from seven research institutions: in addition to DESY, the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), the Institute for Gravitational Physics at Leibniz University in Hanover, Cardiff University (UK), the University of Florida (Gainesville, Florida, U.S.), the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, the University of Hamburg and the University of Southern Denmark (Odense) are all involved.

The researchers are already making plans for the time after their current search for axions. For example, they want to use ALPS to find out whether a magnetic field influences the propagation of light in a vacuum, as predicted decades ago by Euler and Heisenberg. And the researchers also want to use the experimental setup to detect high-frequency gravitational waves.

What are axions?

Axions are hypothetical elementary particles. They are part of a physical mechanism postulated by the theoretical physicist Roberto Peccei and his colleague Helen Quinn in 1977 in order to solve a problem of the strong interactionone of the four fundamental forces of nature. In 1978, the theoretical physicists Frank Wilczek and Steven Weinberg linked a new particle to this Peccei-Quinn mechanism.

Since this particle would "clean up" the theory, Wilczek named it "axion" after a detergent. A number of different extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics predict the existence of axions or axion-like particles. If they do exist, they would solve a whole series of problems currently puzzling physicists, including being candidates for the building blocks of dark matter. According to current calculations, this dark matter should be around five times as abundant in the universe as normal matter.
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LAKE GEORGE  The Warren and Washington IDA approved a financial assistance package for a new $3,007,381 boat storage facility on Wednesday.

Yankee Marine submitted an application with the agency seeking an estimated $112,695 worth of breaks on sales taxes associated with the supplies and equipment needed for construction, an estimated $22,342 mortgage tax break and an additional estimated $117,744 in property tax breaks spread over a 10-year period.

General Manager of Yankee Boating Center Andrew Brodie spoke to the board members via ZOOM last week to explain why his family-owned business, with two locations already, is looking for financial help from the joint county group.

Brodie said the land for the new location off of exit 21 of I-87 at 2217 Route 9N was acquired in 2018.

In the application, the company lists the following benefits from the new storage location over a 10-year period: Support for the local boating economy, creation of 32 construction jobs, generation of over $600,000 in local materials sales, creation of 2.5 full-time equivalent jobs, $196,000 in PILOT payments, generation of over $900k in new sales tax, elimination of boat shrink wrap waste from over 100 boats per year. The total value of community benefits would be $2.9 million, the company said.

Chuck Barton, WWIDA board member, explained that he met Brodie through mutual friends at boat shows and heard about the companys concerns about moving forward due to staffing and material cost increases, so Barton shared information about the IDA incentives with Brodie and encouraged him to apply.

Thats exactly why were here, just to help people get over the hump, Barton said to his fellow board members at the meeting.

The business, originally established in 1967, currently owns a showroom at 3578 Lake Shore Drive and operates a marina and boat rental service just down the road at 3910 Lake Shore Drive in Diamond Point.

The new site has already been permitted by the Adirondack Park Agency, Lake George Park Commission and Town of Lake George for development of up to three rack storage buildings to store up to 240 boats indoors and an additional 110 boats outdoors, according to the application.

Yankee Marine proposes only two rack storage buildings intended for storage and maintenance operations of up to 160 boats inside and 110 boats outside.

The target date for construction completion is October in order to start boat storage for the 2023-2024 winter season.

Brodie said the new location with indoor storage capability would allow himself and the company to retain more staff during the winter months as the boats could still be accessed and serviced.

The project application was approved unanimously.
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QUEENSBURY  A Queensbury woman was arrested on Sunday after police received a report of a burglary in progress, New York State Police said.

In a news release on Monday, state police said Roxanne L. Gordon, 34, was arrested and charged with felony second-degree attempted burglary, felony third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, misdemeanor second-degree menacing and possession of a burglars tools.

According to the news release, troopers responded on Sunday at about 7:55 p.m. to a Queensbury home for the report of a burglary in progress. The investigation determined Gordon reportedly was witnessed attempting to break in to a home with an item being used as a burglars tool, causing damage to the house.

A good Samaritan tried to intervene when Gordon allegedly used the tool as a weapon and attempted to strike the person with it. Gordon was located in the area by law enforcement and arrested.

Gordon was transported to the state police station in Queensbury for processing. She was then transported to the Warren County Jail to await arraignment.
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Migrants are entering the United States almost 2,000 miles away, but the issues related to that influx have landed on the doorstep of politicians and organizations across New York.

As Gov. Kathy Hochul called for federal help to allow asylum-seekers to work while they are in this country  an idea that received tepid support from the New York Farm Bureau  U.S. Rep. Nicholas Langworthy called for swift federal action to deal with the issue. And in Albany, GOP lawmakers, including state Sen. Dan Stec of Queensbury, were introducing legislation to block an idea that the governor had floated about using State University of New York dorms to temporarily house migrants.

What we have now is chaos, Langworthy said of the border situation. What we need is control and law and order.

New York City has had more than 60,000 migrants arriving within the past year, forcing city officials to look for housing options outside the city, including busing people to hotels in neighboring Rockland and Orange counties.

On Friday, Hochul said while visiting Buffalo that the state is considering all options, including using SUNY campuses as potential sites to house the ongoing surge of migrants and asylum-seekers in New York City. Then on Monday, she and New York Mayor Eric Adams called for the White House to provide expedited work authorization for asylum-seekers.

Theyre eager to work. They want to work, Hochul said. They came here in search of work and a new future, and they can become part of our economy and part of our communities, and people are ready to start training them right in facilities like we have here today.

New York Farm Bureau president David Fisher said the organization supports Hochuls request but views it as a temporary Band-Aid for a greater problem that must be solved in Washington, D.C.

Langworthy said he has sympathy for Hochul on the issue but disputed the idea that all of the migrants at the southern border were legal asylum-seekers.

The notion that everyone is an asylum-seeker from a war-torn country? Thats nonsense, Langworthy said. We wont know until they actually go through a hearing. Now they can apply for asylum, but theyre getting hearing dates that are in 2028 and, meanwhile, they just go about their business as people who are here with the presumption that they could maybe get asylum.

Langworthy said he had concerns that migrants could spread polio, measles and hepatitis if they came here unvaccinated.

Many of the migrants dont have a record of the vaccinations, he said. Meanwhile, we were firing nurses that were so desperately needed because they refused to get a vaccination.

Langworthy said small, rural schools in his district, which includes parts of the Southern Tier, could be overwhelmed in the fall if migrants settle there from New York City.

Asked whether those rural communities depend on migrant farm workers to perform the type of hard labor that many Americans dont want to do, Langworthy said he differentiates between current migrants and those who come seasonally on the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers visa program.

The farmers acknowledge to me that its a complicated process but it works out very well for them, he said of the visa program.

Many upstate New York counties have declared states of emergency to block New York City from sending migrants and asylum-seekers to local hotels. Erie County Republicans have called on their county Executive, Mark Poloncarz, to issue a similar order, but Poloncarz on Saturday said he would not issue any order that would prohibit the housing of legal asylum-seekers in our community.

Not only is such an order illegal under Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is morally repugnant, Poloncarz said in a statement he posted to Twitter.

Stec joined his Republican colleagues in Albany to put forward legislation that would bar SUNY residential facilities from being used to address the crisis.

New York City received $1 billion in aid in the state budget to manage this self-inflicted crisis. Despite that, they still cant handle this issue and now Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul are trying to pass costs and responsibilities onto upstate communities and SUNY campuses, Stec said in a press release. They didnt ask to become havens for migrants or to be inserted into the mayor and governors mismanagement of this issue. If New York City, home to millions and recipient of extra funding, cant handle the influx of migrants, theres no way SUNY campuses and upstate New York are equipped for it.
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Warren County Board of Supervisors Chairman Kevin Geraghty declared a state of emergency Tuesday amid concerns that New York City is trying to relocate by bus large numbers of migrants seeking asylum to counties around New York State.

Geraghty signed the order after multiple departments in the county came together for a newly formed task force meeting on Monday.

Declaring a state of emergency preserves the county's ability to receive federal and/or state financial assistance should the migrant crisis have a financial impact on Warren County, according to a county news release.

An executive order included with the emergency declaration states that owners of hotels, campgrounds, short-term rentals or multiple-room dwellings must receive permission from the Warren County Board of Supervisors to house relocated migrants.

Violations of the order could result in a criminal conviction of a class B misdemeanor and fines of up $2,000 per day per illegally housed migrant. The county sheriff's office is empowered to issue appearance tickets to violators, and the county attorney can secure cease-and-desist orders via the courts.

"Warren County residents and leaders have a long history of welcoming individuals from around the world to our beautiful county. However, a rapid increase of individuals in need of social services, public health assistance and other services provided by our county, city and town agencies has the potential to create significant problems for Warren County and municipalities across the county without proper planning and funding," Geraghty said in the news release.

Warren County residents speak out about migrants Several Warren County residents came out to voice their concerns or show their support for the possibility of migrants from Mexico coming to the area at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Friday.

Warren County Administrator John Taflan organized a task force of county agencies to review the county's procedures and options after members of the public shared their thoughts, concerns and fears at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Friday.

The task force includes officials from the county's Department of Social Services, Health Services Department, Office of Emergency Services, Sheriff's Office, Planning & Community Development Department, as well as representatives from Glens Falls Hospital and Hudson Headwaters Health Network.

The group met Monday with a representative of a local nonprofit that works with immigrants to discuss potential concerns and options in dealing with large numbers of those seeking asylum, with more meetings scheduled for this week.

Warren is the latest among numerous upstate New York counties to take such action in response to the growing crisis in New York City, where tens of thousands of newly arrived asylum seekers, many bussed from Texas, have overwhelmed the shelter system.

On Friday, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman and Moreau Town Supervisor Todd Kusnierz, Jr. also declared a state of emergency.

Saratoga County has long been and continues to be a welcoming and diverse community, however this type of rapid population increase would overburden our social services, public health, emergency services, and other departments that are already dealing with a higher volume of cases and workload than they have in years past. By declaring an emergency, Saratoga County will be eligible for any state and federal funding that may become available, he said in a news release.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  Government agencies are preparing for the possible effects of Mawar, which is now a super typhoon outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday afternoon.

In its 4 p.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Mawar was 2,285 kilometers east of the Visayas, heading northward at 15 kilometers per hour (kph), and with center winds of 185 kph and gusts of 230 kph.

Mawar will be named Betty once it enters PAR, which PAGASA said is likely to happen on Friday or Saturday.

It is expected to enhance the southwesterly wind flow, which currently affects the western parts of Southern Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao, along with the frontal system affecting extreme Northern Luzon.

Mababa po ang tiyansang mag-landfall po ito sa anumang bahagi ng ating bansa ngunit patuloy na mag-antabay sa updates tungkol dito, PAGASA weather forecaster Rhea Torres said.

[Translation: There is a low chance that it will make landfall in any part of our country, but stay tuned for updates.]

Preps underway

With Mawar forecast to enter the countrys weather monitoring area this weekend, agencies are preparing search-and-rescue assets and food packs, among other aid.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has sent nearly 690,000 relief goods everywhere in the country, Secretary Rex Gatchalian said in a press briefing.

We have worked with PAGASA on the modeling that it seems going to, it seems at this point, kasi [because] its very early. Its going to affect Regions II, Regions I, all the way to Batanes, he added.

Gatchalian said his agency is working on doubling the stockpile of food packs in Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley, which is currently at around 30,000.

He added that there are enough funds for disaster response, along with the quick response fund from the national government.

Meanwhile, the coast guard said it mobilized quick response teams to the Cordillera Administrative Region and Ilocos Region.

It added search-and-rescue assets were deployed in the event of flooding.
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MAYS LANDING  Corey San Chirico faced numerous challenges growing up with autism, but at 38, he hasnt let the neurological condition keep him from enjoying his best life.

However, hes now wearing a makeshift badge around his neck, conveying to the public he isnt the sex offender people believe he is, in an attempt to prevent being screamed at or put into stressful situations.

He gets like verbally assaulted, and its been causing him a lot of anxiety lately to the point where hed come home and start digressing, said Stefan San Chirico, Coreys brother. He doesnt understand why people are doing this.

Corey San Chiricos family says hes being confused with Talal Aridi, a former township resident who is listed on the states sex offender registry. Their long hair and bushy beards have likely caused the confusion.

At least 12 times over the past six months, hes been screamed at by people mistaking him for Aridi.

A few weeks ago, his mother said, a person came up to her neighbor, a police officer, telling her they thought he was the sex offender for which hes been mistaken.

Mays Landing man indicted on child luring charges MAYS LANDING  A Hamilton Township man was indicted last week for allegedly trying to lure t

Other times, police came to her house asking for Coreys identification because he was spotted walking near the Joseph Shaner School down the street.

Camille San Chiricos phone number is listed on Coreys badge, should a passerby feel it necessary to call his mother for verification.

The fact that Corey has repeatedly been mistaken for Aridi has his mother distraught, trying also through social media to get people to stop screaming at her son.

The case of mistaken identity has progressed to police involvement, the family says.

Its like, Here we go again, now I have to explain this again, said Camille San Chirico. Ive had the cops come here a few times for the mistaken identity.

Police Chief Greg Ciambrone said his officers have received several calls mistaking Corey for Aridi. The department knows who he is, but they have to follow through on calls, confirming callers did, in fact, not spot Aridi when they dialed police.

35-year-old Mays Landing man charged with child luring A 35-year-old Mays Landing man was charged with luring after he asked an 11-year-old girl fo

If we keep getting calls, were going to go out, Ciambrone said. Our officers know very well who he is.

Aridi, whom the family says it knows through Aridis fathers medical practice, was charged with trying to lure an 11-year-old girl into his car in 2018. Aridi stopped his vehicle on Berry Drive, asked the girl for her phone number and whether she needed a ride, took pictures of the girl and followed her to a friends house.

Aridis listed address is an apartment in Lindenwold, Camden County, according to the New Jersey Sex Offender Registrys website.

It was unclear whether Aridi has an attorney that can speak on his behalf.

San Chiricos family said someone started a rumor about Aridis return to the township after spotting Corey walking near the Shaner School on Third Street. They learned through a security guard about the mistaken identity.

Hamilton Township Superintendent Jeff Zito declined to comment.

Pleasantville school celebrates autism awareness PLEASANTVILLE  The North Main Street School celebrated Autism Awareness Month on April 20 w

A lot of it happens at Wawa because he likes to go to Wawa, Stefan San Chirico said, referring to the convenience store on Route 50 in downtown Mays Landing.

The staff knows him, but plenty of customers dont, making the situation stressful, the family says.

Wawa said Wednesday it worked quickly to help the family and community resolve the misperception.

We are committed to making sure our stores maintain an environment that is positive and welcoming, Lori Bruce, a senior public relations manager for Wawa, said in a statement.

Aggressive encounters can be detrimental to an autistic person who doesnt always understand certain social situations, the family says.

The stress of getting approached in such a manner has boiled over, the family says.

Egg Harbor Township Wawa employee honored for kindness, friendship on Wawa Day EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  A local Wawa employee is being recognized for her kindness and befrien

Aridi, 38, faces new charges he allegedly used his phone to photograph a teenager walking to her bus stop in the area of Pine Glen Drive and Jarvis Road in Sicklerville last year. The case has yet to go before a grand jury, state court officials said.

The mistaken-identity incidents extend beyond the past six months. His mother remembers a situation at The Cove beach at Lake Lenape during the summer where a man forced his daughters from the water, urging them to avoid Corey, believing him to be Aridi.

Learning about Corey San Chiricos disability and having an autistic son himself, the man apologized, Camille San Chirico said.

His mother wants everyone to know her son isnt a threat, posting to social media with messages explaining his condition and urging people who see him around town to be kind.

While it hopefully prevents further encounters that could aggravate Coreys anxiety, its one they shouldnt have to take, altering his life to stay safe, Camille San Chirico said.

Its frustrating, and then you get so mad that you want to go out to people yourself and say, What the hell? she said. Ive had to do this since he was a baby because of his autism. People would say, Whats wrong with him? People didnt even know what autism is, and I had to explain it and bring it to the school because I always wanted him to go to a regular school.

Atlantic County Police Chiefs launch Blue Envelope Program ATLANTIC COUNTY  To improve interactions between police and individuals with autism spectru

Corey San Chirico has grown up in the township nearly all his life, going through the school system and briefly attending Atlantic Cape Community College.

He began showing signs of autism as a young child, using shorter words and phrases when he spoke. He also would be found spending time alone, not interacting as much with others, Camille San Chirico said.

Camille wants Corey to be known most for his artwork, some of which dates to when he was 5. Several pieces of his are hung around their home on Fourth Street.

He also enjoys exploring the woods nearby and being environmentally friendly in his spare time, retrieving recyclables from the forest and disposing of them.

We live in the age where everything is false information, and it spreads so easily, Stefan San Chirico said. It seems like nobody has their own mind anymore to make their own conclusion on something.
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WILDWOOD CREST  A 6-year-old was nearly shot by a gun discharged by a man walking next to the child at a borough motel, police said Tuesday.

Alexander Wiederhold, 30, of Frackville, Pennsylvania, was carrying bags into a room at an unidentified motel Thursday when he was shot in the leg, police said in a news release. The gun was in his waistband when it fired.

The child was walking next to Wiederhold when the gun was fired but was not injured. Wiederhold was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus.

Investigators learned the gun was registered to Sabrina Sweed, 29, also of Frackville. Neither Sweed nor Wiederhold have a concealed carry permit in New Jersey, police said.

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The gun was equipped with a high-capacity magazine armed with hollow-point bullets, police said.

Wiederhold and Sweed were each charged with possession of a high-capacity magazine and hollow-point ammunition. Wiederhold was additionally charged with endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful possession of a weapon.

Wiederhold was taken to the Cape May County jail while Sweed was released on a summons pending court.
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OCEAN CITY  Sharlyce Peterson and her three adult daughters had their eyes on the corner shop at Sixth and Asbury Avenue, but the landlord was skeptical.

Although their Southern-inspired clothing shop, Petes Mercantile, had taken off online, Peterson said, the landlord worried they had no "brick and mortar" experience.

But the Peterson women managed to win him over, and so fast-forward to this rainy Saturday before Memorial Day weekend, and Sharlyce, 58, is working her usual weekend shift at what is becoming a popular clothing boutique along Ocean City's eclectic downtown business district.

"For us it was happenstance," she said. "We're grateful. Who gets to play with their adult children, to bicker with them? It's been a strange blessing."

Petes Mercantile, with its cozy selection of flowing dresses and comfy, stylish tops, and a price point topping out at $100, is one of the new businesses in Ocean City this year testing their fate blocks from the Boardwalk in the fickle but booming Jersey Shore economic climate.

They include some familiar Philly names such as Green Eggs Cafe, relocating to the old Chatterbox at Ninth and Central, and Groovy Smoovies, the smoothie shop opening next weekend at 611 E. Eighth St. by former Eagles offensive lineman Shawn Andrews and business partner Antonne Jones.

Some, such as the cheekily branded Ocean City merchandise store Dry Island, at 10th and Asbury, have newly expanded into bigger footprints.

Husband-and-wife team Juan and Yolanda Sanchez, of La Autentica, moved from their longtime grocery on Eighth Street in the middle of last summer to expand into a full-service restaurant at 1018 Asbury Ave. They're gearing up for a busy summer of Birria tacos.

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For Lisa Nugent, who opened Lisa's Sweet Treats at 1046 Asbury this year, it's a roll of the dice she's been wanting to take for decades.

For Heather Neville of soon-to-open Agape, a gourmet food shop at 856 Asbury, it's an extension of a zany but driven entrepreneurial spirit she brought to her first Ocean City shop, Goodies Gone Wild, a hot sauce and exotic meat shop (heat, meats and sweets) that sounds maybe just a little ridiculous for the Ocean City Boardwalk, but did not lack for business. (Never mind the time she tried to sell people Zebra meat.)

Another blockbuster summer at the shore?

Although weather predictions are a bit iffy, due to El Nino, economic analysts are once again bullish on the Jersey Shore this summer, after several banner seasons.

At Petes Mercantile, both predictions were in play as business was steady Saturday morning (rain is rarely bad for downtown businesses), and Peterson said last month was their best month so far. A nurse who runs Cape May Urgent Care, she is optimistic about the family's first summer on Asbury Avenue.

"Ocean City has been very good to us," she said. Her daughter Sarah lives in Egg Harbor Township; Chelsea, 32, and Maddie, 25, focus on website and inventory and will be flying in from Florida to help out this summer. "We're all part-owners," she said.

Rhyme or reason?

Neville's Agape gourmet store isn't quite open, but that didn't stop people from popping into the store to look around as Neville unpacked and schemed out exactly what will go where.

She said she expects the store's identity to evolve as time goes on, but she's modeling it after the small corner groceries from her New York childhood, where people knew you and would cover you if you were a few dollars short.

She's hoping to be the charcuterie board supplier for Ocean City's (allegedly) wineless masses.

"I'm very anti-big business," said Neville, 46. "Everything will be locally sourced. I don't sell online."

She says she's not stressed by the coming deluge of people. She first came to Ocean City because her main business was selling Christmas trees in New York City, and she needed something for her offseason. People gave her a bit of side-eye when she described Goodies Gone Wild, hot sauce and exotic meats, but she proved the skeptics wrong.

She wants people to skip the Acme and stock up at Agape, the Greek word for a transcendent love. "We'll keep your tummy happy," she said, with pasta salads, pickles, spreads, meats and snacks. She's going with the flow.

"What this will be the day it opened compared to five years from now, who knows?" Neville said. "The challenge is figuring out the rhyme or reason of the store."

'Taking risks and making me happy'

At Lisa's Sweet Treats, Nugent says a two-year serious illness gave her the motivation to open the bakery she'd always dreamed of. She previously worked at Ward's Pastry, which closed last summer after 98 years to the despair of its loyal following, and at Stockton University.

Resting her arms on the bakery case Saturday, Nugent said she is just happy to be there to give her dreams a real-life testing. If it works, great. If not, that's OK, too.

(A steady stream of pre-Memorial Day customers buying key lime pie-lettes, cupcakes, doughnuts and Danishes would seem to point to a good outcome.)

"I wanted to do what I wanted to do as far as taking risks and making me happy," she said. "This stuff makes me happy."

Birria Tacos and Dry Island

At La Autentica, Yolanda Sanchez was stocking shelves before a lunch rush would send her to the kitchen. Husband Juan was at the front counter.

They opened the restaurant midsummer, cooking up batches of "grandma's secret sauce," and say their birria tacos have been getting raves, and not just for Ocean City, which, it should be noted, is becoming its own little mecca for Mexican food.

"We're feeling good about it," he said. "A lot of people are giving us good reviews."

The biggest concern for merchants, Sanchez said, is that the buildings they are in will be sold in the shore's hot real estate market.

At nearby Dry Island, owner Eric Plyler is in spacious new digs at 10th and Asbury for his cleverly branded merchandise in the family resort that still prohibits alcohol.

The approach encompasses both irony and appreciation for Ocean City's unique identity, he said. (One shirt says: "We don't make the rules, we just work around them.") Manager Maddie Walker said foot traffic was brisk.

Plyler said he was able to buy a building on Asbury Avenue for less money than renting a Boardwalk shop for three years (at $70,000 a summer). The business at the smaller location up the street gave him the confidence to expand.

Turnover along Asbury Avenue as longtime shop owners retire gives a new generation their opportunity, he said.

"Some people are choosing to retire, and that opens up opportunity for people to be part of a new wave," he said.
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The state Attorney Generals Office is using the approach of summer to remind local law enforcement about New Jerseys laws regarding the use of all-terrain vehicles on public roads and protected lands.

Attorney General Matthew Platkin on Monday said his office has published guidance clarifying state law that both prohibits and permits the vehicles usage.

Mondays guidance was published as local towns crack down on illegal uses of the vehicles. Several towns, including Absecon, Pleasantville and Hamilton Township, have acted to prevent the vehicles from being used unlawfully on public land or roads.

Riders who violate state law could face fines, and their off-road vehicles could be confiscated and potentially auctioned, the Attorney Generals Office said.

The misuse of these vehicles on roadways poses a significant threat to the safety of the driving public and pedestrians, while their unlawful use on public lands endangers the natural landscape and natural resources, Platkin said in a statement. The improper use of these vehicles in open spaces where they dont belong has damaged important habitats, disturbed wildlife, destroyed plants, and disrupted the publics quiet enjoyment of natural areas meant for use by all.

The Attorney Generals Office said it was taking additional steps to aid police, apprising them of actions against drivers who misuse the vehicles and available tools to assist enforcement.

The 10-page guidance authored by Pearl Minato, director of the state Division of Criminal Justice, explains the difference between off-road vehicles and ATVs, explaining when each is considered legal to use.

Both types of vehicles can be used lawfully in New Jersey under conditions similar to cars, in that they are registered and operated by a driver carrying liability insurance. They also must have headlights, taillights, brakes, reflectors and a muffler, the guidance said.

No one under 18 is permitted to drive them.

Generally, both types of vehicles are prohibited from wildlife management areas.

No person shall operate motor vehicles, including conveyances, commonly known as off-road vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, dog sleds, dog carts or trail bikes, on State Wildlife Management Areas at any time without first obtaining a written permit or other authorization from the Division, the guidance said.

Under state law, snowmobiles, ATVs and dirt bikes are banned from use on public streets, while counties and municipalities may have comparable rules limiting their use on public roads.
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PORTLAND, Maine  Recent shark bites in Florida and Hawaii and a suspected case in New Jersey have piqued interest in an age-old summer question for beachgoers  is it safe to go in the water?

Scientists and researchers who study sharks said the overwhelming answer to that question is yes, it is safe. Potentially dangerous interactions between humans and sharks are uncommon, and serious injuries and deaths from the bites are vanishingly rare, scientists said.

Nonetheless, the dramatic nature of shark bites and the stories of survivors, such as Hawaii surfer Mike Morita's tale of fighting off a shark in April, capture the imagination. It's a good idea to remember just how rare shark bites truly are, scientists said.

HOW OFTEN DO SHARK BITES OCCUR?

There have been typically around 70 to 80 unprovoked shark bites annually, worldwide, over the past decade. And not only are shark bites rare, they've been especially rare recently.

There were only 57 unprovoked bites last year, and five of those were fatal, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File. There had been nine such deaths the previous year.

Stone Harbor shark attack injures teen STONE HARBOR  A young surfer was injured when a shark bit her Sunday afternoon, borough off

The shark attack file reported a year ago that one reason for the decline in bites might be the global decline of shark populations.

It's too early in the warm season to get an idea of how active this year will be for interactions between humans and sharks, said Greg Skomal, a shark expert with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.

If we get lots of bait fish and forage fish species close to shore, we have a super hot summer that draws people to beaches, more people in the water, then we can determine the risk, Skomal said.

WHAT ARE THE MOST PRONE AREAS FOR SHARK ENCOUNTERS?

The United States and Australia are typically the sites of the most reported shark bites. Florida had more bites than anywhere else on Earth last year with 16 unprovoked bites, two of which resulted in amputations, the shark attack file said.

This month, two Florida fishermen were bitten by sharks in separate incidents less than 36 hours apart.

The rate of shark bites has stayed steady in recent years, but it might feel like a more common occurrence because of the prevalence of smartphones, said Nick Whitney, a senior scientist at the New England Aquarium in Boston. Recently developed smartphone apps allow users to report shark sightings in real time.

WHAT KIND OF SHARKS ARE CAUSE FOR CONCERN?

White sharks, bull sharks and tiger sharks are the sharks most cited by the International Shark Attack File for unprovoked bites. Those species are large sharks that also cause the most fatalities.

However, it's worth bearing in mind that many interactions with sharks are with smaller species that are unlikely to cause serious injuries, said James Sulikowski, director of the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station at Oregon State University. Those species might bite a human, realize we are not their preferred prey and move on, he said.

IS IT SAFE TO SWIM?

Yes. You're at exponentially greater risk of getting hurt in a car accident on the way to the beach than you are of getting seriously injured by a shark bite.

Atlantic City Skate Zone to remain open, Small says ATLANTIC CITY  The Atlantic City Skate Zone will remain open as an ice rink until the city 

Millions of people flock to the beach in the summer as the weather heats up, and that raises the possibility of interacting with a shark. But by taking simple precautions, such as not carrying shiny objects into the water and not swimming at dawn and dusk, beachgoers can reduce any chance of a dangerous encounter with a shark, Sulikowski said.

We are intruders in their environment. What we can do is be logical and safe about that and avoid areas where sharks are going to be feeding, Sulikowski said. When an interaction occurs, it's mistaken identity  we are in an area where a shark is looking to eat.
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The Biden administration this month cleared a first-in-the-nation plan to tax driving in New York City, despite years of opposition from fellow Democrats in New Jersey.

Cameras will read the license plates of drivers entering central Manhattan and the citys Metropolitan Transportation Authority will send them a bill, currently estimated at up to $23. The MTA will use the expected billion or more in annual revenue to fund public transit in the city.

New York State approved the plan four years ago for congestion pricing to discourage driving in the city and reduce gridlock. The MTA said another year will be needed to set details, deploy cameras and start automatically billing drivers.

Gov. Phil Murphy strongly opposed the plan from the start. He called the Biden administrations environmental approval unfair and said the plan would burden N.J. commuters, state agencies and the environment. He again called it simply a money grab.

Sen. Robert Menendez said he would introduce legislation to discourage local officials from carrying out the plan. He and Sen. Cory Booker sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg warning that the charges would greatly increase the financial burden on families that are already stretched thin.

Opposition by N.J. officials has been bipartisan from the start. Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew and Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer had threatened to punish New York if it pursued the plan, trying to convince Congress to withhold transit grants from the state and give New Jersey drivers tax credits if the congestion fee is implemented.

When state Sen. Michael Testa, R-Cape, Cumberland, Atlantic, last week criticized the New York governor for the plan and the Federal Highway Administration for approving it, he drew attention to its Democratic origins and continued support.

This so-called congestion pricing plan is something that could have only been conceived by rich, out of touch, limousine liberals, Testa said. New Jersey taxpayers will pay more, and traffic and pollution will increase in the areas around Manhattan.

The details of the new tax have been trending for the worse.

At the start, a N.Y. governors panel suggested charging $11.52 for cars and $25.34 for trucks driving in the city. Lately the MTA has been considering charges ranging from $9 to $23 for passenger vehicles and between $12 and $82 for trucks.

Previously, tolls paid to use the bridges and tunnels were to be deducted from the driving tax. Now the talk is that the tax will come on top of existing charges for the George Washington Bridge and Lincoln and Holland tunnels.

A tax just for driving would be a significant step toward ensuring the motoring quality of life for those who can afford it. Express lanes charging tolls are becoming common, which at least leave the choice to drivers whether to use them and pay the fee. With the start of charging to drive in major cities, the prospect looms that routine mobility on public roadways will be for the affluent.

New taxes to change public behavior, such as a carbon tax to reduce emissions, could be done without increasing governments burden on ordinary citizens by offsetting them with reductions of other taxes. But New York, just like New Jersey with its automatically increasing highway tolls, can never get enough money to support its excessive, wasteful spending.
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They lobbied, wrote letters and trekked to Trenton to make their case to lawmakers to make cranberry juice a symbol for New Jersey.

And it worked. The state Senate unanimously approved a bill Monday designating cranberry as the state juice. With the Assembly having previously approved the measure, it now heads to Gov. Phil Murphy's desk.

It was a long time coming for the fourth graders in Erin Zarzycki's class at Eleanor Rush Intermediate School in Cinnaminson, Burlington County, a project started in 2020 with now-sixth graders during a lesson on state symbols.

Last week, the class made a final push during a trip to the Statehouse to testify at a hearing on the bill. They waited anxiously Monday for the vote, Zarzycki said.

Zarzycki flashed a picture of the 36-0 vote sent by the office of state Sen. Troy Singleton, (D-Burlington), one of the bill's sponsors. Her students jumped to their feet and cheered, she said.

"They were so proud of themselves," Zarzycki said. "This is awesome."

Inaugural Jerry Fund awards Cape May Tech $15,000 to care for ospreys CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE  Efforts to carry on a family legacy are helping to preserve local wil

Zarzycki said the students, who learned about how a bill becomes a law during their civic lesson, raised a concern that Murphy could veto it, blocking the measure from becoming a law.

"Is the governor going to say no?" they asked Zarzycki. Murphy has 45 days to take action.

Zarzycki said she reassured the class that the bill had bipartisan support and has a good chance of becoming a law.

And Singleton said Monday: "I anticipate the governor signing it. I don't know why he wouldn't."

Singleton said the students were passionate advocates for the bill, which was reintroduced this year for a second time. The pandemic and delays put the bill on hold when it was first proposed in 2020.

After learning that New Jersey didn't have a state beverage, students began brainstorming. They rejected tomato juice  because they didn't think that would be popular. They turned down blueberry juice, too.

Atlantic City bar regular Daniel 'Rooster' Walters dies at 60 ATLANTIC CITY  Ask any bartender in the resort about the Rooster, and the first thing that 

They selected cranberry juice to celebrate the state's cranberry-growing heritage. New Jersey's cranberry production ranks third in the country with an annual harvest valued at $15.8 million.

This year's fourth graders said they wanted to make the class that started the process proud by getting the bill signed. Some changes were made to the bill, such as making cranberry juice the state juice, not the state "beverage."

During their Statehouse visit, the students teamed up to make their pitches. They cited statistics and gave a historical overview of cranberries, grown in the Pinelands.

"Many kids before us have created New Jersey state symbols, like the state insect and the state fruit," said Gabriella Fennel, "and so when we learned about the cranberry, we knew this was a powerful fruit and a delicious juice worthy of a state symbol."

Added classmate Robbie Minniti: "Our history is ripe with the love of cranberries. For this reason, we think that cranberry juice is the right juice to be the state juice!"

Besides the civics lesson, Zarzycki offered her students a life lesson: "Hard work pays off," she said. "If you work hard enough, you'll go places."
What's Happening in the Region

In Central Asia, Its Advantage China after the Xian Summit

The Central Asian presidents came to Xian, the ancient Chinese capital, on May 18-19 where host President Xi Jinping was waiting to offer them what no one else can.

The Central Asian leaders are always glad to meet with Chinese officials.

China will bankroll projects in Central Asia that no other country or company would touch.

China funded and sent workers to build the $350-million thermal power plant (TPP) in the Tajik capital Dushanbe.

China helped repair the TTP in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, loaning Kyrgyzstan $386 million.

There are many other such projects that fail to elicit much investment interest from any other party.

Thats not surprising since Tajikistan could not pay for the TPP and signed over rights to a Tajik gold mine to China as payment and in Kyrgyzstan, some $100 million of the Chinese loan was stolen by officials.

In Xian, Xi talked about other Central Asian projects China has agreed to participate in  the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and Line D of the natural gas pipeline network from Turkmenistan, for example.

Uzbek media reported 41 documents were signed with China, and Kazakh media reported 47 documents totaling $22 billion were signed between Kazakh and Chinese officials on the sidelines of the summit.

Such reports are in stark contrast to the visit of the five Central Asian leaders to Moscow on May 9 for the Victory Day parade.

No significant agreements were signed there and in fact, less than a week before Victory Day, the Kyrgyz president was the only one of the five scheduled to attend the event.

The Kremlin seems to have exerted some strong last-minute pressure on the other four presidents to get them to Moscow so Putin wouldnt look so alone watching the parade on Red Square.

In Xian, China rolled out the red carpet and treated the Central Asian guests to a lavish feast.

In March, Xi started an unprecedented third term as Chinese leader.

Manipulating the constitution to stay on for more than two terms has been done in all five Central Asian countries.

It just happened, again, in Uzbekistan where the countrys second president, already elected twice, will benefit from a constitutional amendment that makes him eligible to run for two more terms.

Why Its Important: China loans Central Asia sums of money that are huge by Central Asian standards, and sometimes go toward needed infrastructure projects in which no one else shows interest in participating.

And no criticism from Beijing about constitutional manipulation and rights violations in Central Asia.

In Xian, China showed those policies, which the Central Asian governments have greatly appreciated for some three decades, will continue.

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan Strengthening Military Cooperation

Since 1991 independence, the five Central Asian countries believed if they faced a serious security threat, Russia would help them.

With the Russian military bogged down in Ukraine, help from Moscow is now uncertain.

Who to depend on then if a serious security crisis erupts?

Why not each other?

Special forces and border guards from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan conducted the Qalqon (Shield) joint exercises in Uzbekistan from May 15-19.

Beyond the usual drills of ground and air (helicopter) forces to neutralize a hypothetical security threat, the joint forces coordinated their efforts using surveillance drones.

Drones are a relatively new addition to the militaries of countries around the world.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have started producing their own drones in recent years and both countries are working to integrate the technology into their battlefield strategies.

The Uzbek Defense Ministry released a statement on the exercises that mentioned instability, tension and armed conflicts in various areas of the world including near our region.

Near our region is likely, in part, a reference to Afghanistan.

The two countries have been holding the Qalqon and Hamqorliq (Cooperation) exercises since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

Why Its Important: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the two largest countries in Central Asia and have the two largest militaries.

Russia might not be able to send much, if any, military help to Central Asia as long as the full-scale war in Ukraine continues.

So, for Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan it makes sense to boost their military cooperation.

Given the questions about where to find security help in a dire situation, it could be that neighbors Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, or Turkmenistan might one day need to call on Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan for aid.

The Latest Majlis Podcast

This weeks Majlis podcast looks at the May 18-19 summit of the Central Asian and Chinese presidents in Xian, China.

Central Asias relations with China have acquired a new importance since Russia launched a full-scale war in Ukraine, disrupting Central Asias ties with Russia, and jeopardizing Central Asia and Chinas trade routes to Europe.

What was discussed in Xian and where are Central Asian-Chinese relations headed?

This weeks guests are:

Giulia Sciorati, postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Trento in Italy, whose research focuses on memory and culture in diplomacy, particularly in Chinas relations with Central Asia; and

Temur Umarov, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and at the OSCE Academy in Bishkek.

What I'm Following

Askar Akaev Back in Kyrgyzstan

Former Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev and his wife Mayram arrived in Kyrgyzstan on May 18.

Akaev, Kyrgyzstans first president, was ousted in the Tulip revolution of 2005 and fled the country.

For some in Kyrgyzstan, Akaev has become synonymous with corruption.

Akaev was charged but he returned to Kyrgyzstan twice in 2021 to give evidence against the owners of the Kumtor gold mine; a court ruled the statute of limitations for Akaevs charges had expired.

Officially, Akaev is now in Kyrgyzstan to visit the gravesites of his mother and brother and give lectures at the Iskhak Razzakov State Technical Institute and Academy of Sciences.

Some students at the Technical Institute are calling on the university administration not to allow Akaev to speak.

Fact of the Week

Kazakhstan reports that for the first time in 12 years, the water in Kazakhstans section of the shrinking Aral Sea has increased.

Get in Touch

Thanks for reading this weeks newsletter.



Feel free to contact me on Twitter @BrucePannier or click reply if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or just want to connect with me about topics concerning Central Asia.



Please consider filling out this brief survey so that I can better understand how this newsletter can be useful for you.



See you next week for more on whats happening in Central Asia.

Until next time,

Bruce
An established construction technology company in Pune has been conned out of Rs 13.8 lakh by online fraudsters in what looks to be a cyber scam known as the "man-in-the-middle attack," according to investigators.

The first information report (FIR) in this matter was filed on Sunday at the Mundhwa police station by the company's assistant manager.

As per the police, when the company's stone-crushing machine was damaged approximately a year ago, its representatives began emailing another supplier of stone crushers.

A representative of the construction technology firm received a message from a fake email account that appeared to be the other party's legitimate email address. This bogus message instructed the construction tech company's representative to pay the party by wire transfer into an account at "Lloyds Bank PLC" bank. As a result, between May and August 2022, a payment of Rs 13,80,772 was made into this bank account via an online transaction.

Later, the police claimed that the construction technology company had not received the purchased item. Officials from the company reported the fraud to the Pune city police after recognising they had been duped.

The report has been validated by Cyber Police Station and sent to Mundhwa Police Station for additional investigation.

The police have booked the unidentified accused under sections 419, 420, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the Information Technology Act.

Officers are looking into two email addresses that the cybercriminals used to contact Pune-based representatives of a construction company. The bank account to which the business transferred the funds is also under investigation by the police. Investigators believe that cybercriminals or their connections are the owners of the bank account.

According to the police, such "man-in-the-middle" cyberattacks begin with the compromise of one or both parties email accounts involved in a business transaction. The hackers have access to extensive information about ongoing business transactions through intercepted messages. An email account that closely resembles the participant's email address is then created by internet scammers. The other participating party's original account is communicated to be inoperable by the bogus email, thus the deposit is to be made to a different account owned by the hackers. 'Man-in-the-middle' cyber-attacks have occurred on numerous occasions in the past as well.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  The camp of pork barrel queen Janet Lim Napoles said it will appeal the Sandiganbayans recent ruling which found her guilty of graft and malversation, this time in relation to the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of the late former Davao Del Sur Rep. Douglas Cagas.

Atty. Rony Garay told CNN Philippines' Balitaan on Tuesday that they will push for the review of the anti-graft court Second Divisions May 19 decision to convict Napoles of two counts of graft and two counts of malversation.

The detained businesswoman was sentenced with imprisonment of up to 10 years for each graft count, and a maximum of 17 years for each count of malversation.

Hindi pa rin po yan final, Garay said. Pwede pa kaming mag-file ng motion for reconsideration at pwede rin po namin yan i-apela sa Supreme Court."

[Translation: That verdict is not yet final. We could still file a motion for reconsideration, and we could also appeal that before the Supreme Court.]

According to the Sandiganbayan, Cagas endorsed as project partners two non-government organizations (NGOs) controlled by Napoles to implement livelihood projects throughout his legislative district.

The court said the late Davao lawmaker issued a Special Allotment Release Order allotting 8 million each in funding to the two NGOs from his PDAF despite both being unaccredited. It added that Cagas processed the release of 7.68 million to the NGOs without proper examination and verification, resulting in over 15 million in losses.

Napoles also offered large kickbacks to those involved in the scam, with Cagas receiving up to 9.30 million, the Sandiganbayan said.

The court's First Division, on the other hand, has acquitted Napoles in 16 criminal cases over the pork barrel scam  the same ones Senator Ramon Bong Revilla was earlier cleared of.

Dinalaw ko siya kahapon sa CIW (Correctional Institution for Women), masaya siya dahil meron siyang acquittal sa Sandiganbayan," Garay said. "And pinaliwanag ko naman po sa kanya na yung mga convictions niya in other cases are not final and are still appealable before the Supreme Court.

[Translation: I visited Napoles yesterday at the CIW, and shes happy that the Sandiganbayan acquitted her. I also explained to her that her convictions in her other cases are not final and are still appealable before the Supreme Court.]

According to Garay, Napoles has at least 29 consolidated cases for plunder, graft, and malversation.

May na-dismiss na po na isa, so meron pa kaming 28 [One was dismissed, so we have 28 left], he said.

The lawyer added that they are hopeful the recent acquittal will help reverse her earlier plunder conviction which they have also challenged.

In 2018, Napoles was convicted of plunder in relation to the pork barrel of Revilla, who was acquitted.

I do not wish to speculate on the outcome of our appeal before the Supreme Court, Garay said.

But what I can state is the law," he added. "If the accused is already acquitted of the offense for which she will be prosecuted again, like yung plunder, then the rule of double jeopardy will apply already because of the fact that the predicate crime, which is a violation of the anti-graft law, is also the one being used in the plunder caseSame facts, same evidence, same testimonies po ng [of the] witnesses.

An estimated 10 billion in government funds were said to have been lost to the pork barrel scam, with the money allegedly pocketed by Napoles, as well as lawmakers and private individuals she had connived with.

The Supreme Court declared the PDAF unconstitutional in 2013 following the expose on its misuse.
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The family of a man killed in 2022 when a vehicle traveled across the pedestrian path on the Interstate 74 bridge has filed a federal wrongful death suit against the city of Bettendorf.

The latest legal action is among several lawsuits filed in the case.

The May 22, 2022, collision seriously injured Charles Bowen, 23, and killed Anthony Castaneda, 18, and Ethan Gonzalez, 21.

Gonzalezs family filed the suit Thursday in the U.S. District for the Central District of Illinois, arguing the city and WHKS & Co. Inc., a design and engineering firm, were negligent and caused Gonzalezs death.

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 of Monday, Bettendorf and WHKS had not yet filed responses to the suits allegations, according to court records.

Gonzalezs family seeks damages in excess of $75,000, records state.

Bowen also seeks damages in excess of $75,000 from WHKS and Bettendorf, according to federal court documents. His suit, filed in the Illinois central district, makes similar allegations against the two parties.

Castanedas family has also filed a federal wrongful death suit in the Illinois central district, 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.

Castanedas family has also sued Chhabria Harris, 47, East Moline, the woman accused of driving the vehicle that struck the three men.

That suit, filed in Rock Island County, states Harris had a responsibility to safely and properly operate her vehicle.

The suit accuses Harris of potentially committing one or more 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.

Harris also faces a criminal case filed against her by the Rock Island County States Attorneys Office. That criminal case, which includes charges of reckless homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol, is pending.
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A Scott County jury is deciding the fate of the Davenport man accused in the 2021 murder of 14-year-old Jamon Winfrey.

Assistant Scott County Attorney Elizabeth ODonnell and defense attorney Beau Bergmann finished closing arguments Monday afternoon in the trial of 19-year-old John Eddie Hanes III.

Hanes is charged with first-degree murder and armed intimidation. Prosecutors said he fired the 9 mm bullet that killed Winfrey on Feb. 24, 2021, near the intersection of 13th and Farnam streets.

The trial started Monday, May 15, with jury selection, then four solid days of testimony from witnesses for the state.

Chrystian Z. Smith, 19, and Javon Combs, 21, initially were charged with first-degree murder and armed intimidation in the case. Police said Smith drove a Hyundai Santa Fe that was used during the shooting and that Combs and Hanes fired handguns during the incident.

Prosecutors closing argument

ODonnells closing argument focused on testimony from multiple witnesses that she said, taken together, showed beyond a reasonable doubt that Hanes fired the bullet that killed Winfrey.

Combs became a witness for the prosecution just days before the start of the trial, agreeing to a plea deal that will put him in prison for a minimum of 20 years on three felony counts of intimidation with a deadly weapon and one felony count of willful injury.

He testified last week that Hanes had a Glock handgun with him on the day Winfrey was killed. He told jurors that he started firing at the black Nissan in which Winfrey was a passenger. He said he ran out of ammunition and was hit by a bullet fired by Freddie Cooks, who was in a Honda Odyssey van that was traveling alongside the Nissan.

LaShya Kirk and Darrell Bill Thomas also were in the Santa Fe with the defendant during the incident but were not charged with any crimes.

Both told investigators that Hanes had a Glock on the day of the shooting, and he stepped out of the Santa Fe to fire multiple rounds at the Nissan, driven by Dale Shorter. Winfrey was in the front passenger seat of the Nissan.

ODonnell pointed to a photo that showed Kirk and Hanes huddled together while Hanes pointed a handgun at the camera. That photo was time stamped Feb. 22, 2021, two days before Winfrey was killed.

Kirk and Hanes were in a relationship at the time of the shooting.

The prosecutor also reminded the jurors of a photo of Thomas, holding a Glock while in the Santa Fe. That photo was taken less than an hour before police were dispatched to the shooting scene.

Defense questions assumptions

Bergmann, Hanes defense attorney, called the prosecutions case a house built upon sand.

He pointed to the assumption that there were just three guns fired at the scene  Hanes Glock, Combs 40-caliber handgun and the Springfield XD-9 fired by Cooks.

Bergmann told jurors that the idea there was no gun in the black Nissan occupied by Shorter and Winfrey was an assumption. He suggested that Shorter could have had a Glock with him in the Nissan and accidently shot Winfrey in the seat next to him as they ducked to avoid the shots fired at the car.

He also told jurors the idea that Hanes had the Glock at the time of the shooting could be questioned by the photo of Thomas with a Glock less that an hour before Winfrey was killed.

Bergmann asked jurors if it was possible that Thomas, who was seated in the passengers side of the Santa Fe directly behind Hanes, could have done the shooting. He pointed out that Kirk and Thomas are cousins and Kirk could have lied to make Hanes the shooter.

The other defendants

If found guilty of first-degree murder, intimidation with a weapon, or accountable for the death of Winfrey, Hanes will be the third person sentenced in the case.

Before Combs made his deal, Smith pleaded guilty in February to a single count of attempted murder. His plea was part of an agreement with the Scott County Attorneys Office.

District Court Judge Henry Latham sentenced Smith to up to 25 years in an Iowa prison on the attempted murder charge, according to court records. He must serve a minimum of six years before he could be eligible for parole or work release.

Smith faced a jury trial in the matter, which was conducted in November 2022, but the jury could not reach a verdict. A second trial was pending when he entered his plea.
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A Davenport woman faces charges of having two unrestrained infants in her vehicle as she drove while intoxicated.

Scott County authorities have charged Telisa L. Walker, 36, with two counts of neglect or abandonment of dependent person; operating while under the influence  first offense; and possession of controlled substance  marijuana, first offense, according to court records. The neglect or abandonment counts are felonies while the other two are misdemeanors.

The charges stem from a Sunday night traffic stop involving a 2012 GMC Acadia southbound on U.S. Highway 61 near the Davenport Municipal Airport.

The trooper stopped the Acadia because it was going 100 mph in a 65 mph zone, according to the court records.

During the stop, an Iowa State Patrol trooper saw a man in the backseat, holding one of the babies, while the other infant was in a carrier in the front passenger seat but was not secured in its harness, court records state.

Walker agreed to field sobriety tests and failed several, court records state. A preliminary breath test showed she had a breath alcohol content of 0.144 and a subsequent test indicated a content of 0.121.

During the stop, the trooper smelled marijuana and, as a result, authorities searched the Acadia, records state. They found a knotted sandwich baggie with marijuana in it.

Walkers bond has been set at $25,000 and she remained in custody Monday afternoon, according to the Scott County Jail website.

She made her initial appearance on Monday morning, and her next hearing has been set for June 1, court records state.

Photos: Historic Downtown Davenport
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LINCOLN  U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin unveiled a plan to help address the states health care worker shortage during a stop in Central Illinois Monday morning.

Durbin, speaking with reporters at Lincoln Memorial Hospital, shared his Roadmap to Grow Illinois Rural Health Workforce, a partnership with hospitals, community health centers, medical and nursing schools, community colleges, dentists, physicians and nurses that will organize efforts and provide new funding to address health care workforce shortages in rural Illinois.

To aid those efforts, Durbin said he has partnered with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on legislation to ensure funding for the National Health Service Corps, a government aid program that supports more than 20,000 primary care medical, dental, and behavioral health providers through scholarships and loan repayment programs.

The aim of the program is to expand the countrys supply of health care workers, especially in underserved communities.

Doctors, nurses, dentists, and oral health clinicians are committed to serving rural areas, Durbin said at Lincoln Memorial Hospital. This historic investment is building the pipeline of new health providers.

Residents of rural communities often wait longer to see medical specialists, have fewer physicians and must travel longer distances to access care. Rural residents also face a shortage of mental health providers and more than 2.8 million people in Illinois live in an area with too few dentists.

On the state level, the initiative is a collaborative effort between health agencies and universities and colleges throughout the state and is trying to address the staffing shortage of medical professionals.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an existing problem and the state will face a shortage of more than 15,000 nurses by 2025. More than half of the states 195,000 nurses are over the age of 55, according to the American Nurses Association of Illinois.

One major issue leading to staffing shortages is the limited educational opportunities for those seeking to enter the workforce.

The program seeks to remedy the shortage of nurse educators by providing incentives for nurses to pursue teaching. Currently less than 8,000 nurses graduate in Illinois each year, which is not enough to provide communities with the staffing they need.

The initiative also promotes the National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps scholarship and loan repayment programs, which reduces the financial burden that may keep some students from entering the medical field.

This roadmap that Sen. Durbin has talked about today could really hopefully fill in those gaps that were seeing take place in our community so that we can provide the best type of care that our citizens really deserve, said Dr. Dana Ray, medical director of recovery services for Crossing Healthcare in Decatur and member of the National Health Service Corps.

We are not Chicago, we are not St. Louis, Ray told Lee Enterprises. For us to be able to get individuals to come into the middle of the state, surrounded by cornfields, we need something thats going to attract them.

Ray said that the financial incentives are especially important as Decatur faces a shortage of EMTs, nurses and pediatric providers.

The Federal Health Resources and Services Administration provides grant funding to support Area Health Education Centers such as the ones found at Illinois State University, which received $564,386 in federal funds in January.

The initiative would expand funding for AHECs and support dual-credit enrollment for high school students interested in the medical field by partnering with local community colleges.

The legislation was introduced by Durbin in March. It would reauthorize funding for the program and extend it through fiscal year 2026.
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When Rock Island County Sheriffs deputies arrived early on April 14 at Danny Taylors home in rural Milan, they found his father trying to save his life.

The boy, 17, had been shot, and David Taylor was trying to resuscitate him, sheriff's detective Jesse Doty testified in a hearing Tuesday. A deputy tried too, he said, but Danny Taylor could not be revived.

Based on witness statements gathered later, investigators think Taylor was the target of a robbery, Doty testified.

His account was part of the Tuesday preliminary hearing for Napoleon Jackson, 16, of Rock Island, who is accused of killing Danny Taylor. Jackson has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder, home invasion and aggravated battery.

A preliminary hearing is an initial test of the case against a defendant. A prosecutor presents the outline of the case in court through a law enforcement witness, and a judge decides whether the case has enough merit for the prosecution to continue. The burden for making that determination is not considered high.

According to additional testimony by Doty, David Taylor went to the basement where his son slept because he heard a loud noise. As he approached, David Taylor found two people in the basement who had partially disguised themselves with hoods.

David Taylor, a former Moline police officer, heard gunshots, Doty said. He struggled with both intruders and heard additional shots.

Shortly after the shots, as he fought with one of the assailants, David Taylor heard one of them say he had been shot, Doty testified. Later, David Taylor was not able to identify the two for investigators, other than to say they were Black males.

The two assailants were not at the residence when law enforcement arrived, but investigators found the door into the basement had been kicked open, Doty told the court. They found a gun and the magazine for a second gun on the scene and another gun was later recovered.

While they were at the Milan home, detectives learned a 15-year-old gunshot victim had arrived at UnityPoint Health-Trinity Rock Island about 20 minutes after the shooting.

When they reviewed security camera footage, investigators saw that teen, identified only as J.S., was with Jackson and others, Doty said.

The aggravated battery charge against Jackson relates to J.S. injury, but how investigators think that shooting occurred has not yet been disclosed.

After the hearing, States Attorney Dora Villarreal said J.S. is suspected of being the second assailant. She could not elaborate on what Danny Taylors assailants wanted from him.

J.S. has also been charged with first-degree murder and home invasion and was in the custody of a juvenile facility, police said.

Villarreal said her office intended to try moving the juvenile case against J.S. into adult court.

Rock Island County Public Defender Hany Khoury, representing Jackson, questioned Doty during Tuesdays hearing.

Under that cross examination, Doty said no one has identified Jackson as being in the home and suspected blood found in the vehicle that took J.S. to the hospital has not been tied to Jackson.

Jackson's next hearing is scheduled for June 23, according to court records.

Both Jackson and J.S. are being held in the Mary Davis Detention Home for juveniles in Galesburg.
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John E. Hanes III is guilty of first-degree murder in the 2021 shooting death of a Davenport teenager.

Jamon Winfrey, 14, was killed in an exchange of gunfire on Feb. 24, 2021, near the intersection of 13th and Farnham streets in Davenport. He fled and died on the side of an abandoned house in the 1300 block of Farnham. His body was not located until the next day.

Hanes, 21, faces a life sentence in the Iowa Department of Corrections.

A jury delivered its verdict just after 11 a.m. Tuesday in Courtroom No. 3 of the Scott County Courthouse. Deliberations began about 2:30 p.m. Monday, with the jury recessing at 4:30 p.m. and returning Tuesday morning.

Hanes was one of three people initially charged with first-degree murder and intimidation with a deadly weapon.

Javon Combs, 21, accepted a plea deal and became a witness for the state just days before the start of Hanes' trial. He will serve a minimum of 20 years in prison on three felony counts of intimidation with a deadly weapon and one felony count of willful injury.

He testified last week that Hanes had a Glock handgun with him on the day Winfrey was killed. Combs told jurors he started firing at a black Nissan in which Winfrey was a passenger, and that Hanes started firing at the Nissan moments later.

Two other witnesses, LaShya Kirk and Darrell "Bill" Thomas said Hanes had a Glock on the day Winfrey was murdered and that Hanes fired at the Nissan. Kirk and Thomas were not charged with crimes in the incident.

Chrystian Z. Smith, 19, of Davenport, pleaded guilty in February to a single count of attempted murder in relation to the teens death. His plea was part of an agreement with the Scott County Attorneys Office, which initially charged him with first-degree murder and intimidation with a dangerous weapon.

District Court Judge Henry Latham sentenced Smith to up to 25 years in an Iowa prison on the attempted murder charge, according to court records. Smith must serve a minimum of six years before he could be eligible for parole or work release.

Smith faced a jury trial in the matter, which was conducted in November 2022, but the jury could not reach a verdict. A second trial was pending when he entered his plea.
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Moline Parks and Recreation will continue a fifth year of partnership with Yoga with Daina Marie to offer free, outdoor yoga classes to the community.

Come relax, de-stress and participate in a low-impact workout during the Yoga in the Park series this summer. The free classes are instructed by Daina Lewis and are open to all ages and skill levels.

Participants should bring a mat or towel and water.

The next class will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, June 10, at Peterson Park at 37th Street and 8th Avenue, Moline.

Due to wet ground conditions, the May class was cancelled and rescheduled for July 29.

The other dates will be Saturdays, July 15, July 29 (week one rescheduled), Aug. 26 and Sept. 16. All of the classes will be from 9 to 10 a.m. at Peterson Park.

In the event of inclement weather, a cancellation notice will be posted at https://www.facebook.com/molineparks.

Photos: Yoga in the Park by Moline Parks and Recreation
If you're able to keep the bees alive no problem, every year, not have to feed them and not have to treat them, more people would be doing th
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The Rapid City Fire Department will be out on the streets Wednesday asking the community to fill their boots with cash to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

For almost 70 years, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) has collected critical funds in the community, one dollar at a time, as part of the Fill the Boot program. The Rapid City Fire Department Local 1040 will be continuing this long-standing tradition as crews kick off Fill the Boot to raise critical funds to help transform the lives of kids and adults with muscular dystrophy, ALS and related muscle-debilitating diseases.

Donations help MDA continue services for more than 250,000 people living with neuromuscular diseases across the country and help continue funding life-saving research.

Crews from the Rapid City Fire Department will hit the streets with boots in hand asking the community to make a donation to MDA on Wednesday, May 24, Thursday, May 25, and Friday, May 26 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at:

Walmart on North Lacrosse Street, Walmart on Stumer Road, Family Fare on East Saint Patrick Street, Safeway on Mountain View Road, and Omaha Street and East Boulevard Intersection.

You can also support the campaign by donating online at: https://filltheboot.donordrive.com/team/rapidcityfire

Rapid City Fire always displays an unwavering support for MDA year after year, raising critical funds and awareness to help our families get the care they need. They also lead the Midwest for most money raised in 2021 and 2022," says Regional Director of Fire Fighter Partnerships Elizabeth Nelson. "We are so thankful for their continued commitment to cure neuromuscular diseases and to protect everyone on the frontlines in our community.

Last year, Rapid City had a record-breaking boot drive, collecting more than $66,000 for MDA in just three days, beating their previous all-time record set in 2017 by $4,000.
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Gov. Greg Gianforte on Monday signed a bill banning drag story hour events in public schools and libraries, capping off a series of successful bills aimed at the transgender community from the 2023 legislative session.

The state Legislature passed House Bill 359 from second-term Rep. Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls, on May 2, the final day of the legislative session with the support of most Republicans; the House passed the bill 63-33, and the Senate 29-21. While a handful of GOP lawmakers voted against the proposal, Mitchell testified in support of the bill that the caucus's position is "that there is no such thing as a family-friendly drag show."

Lawmakers had anticipated the bill would face legal challenges. The bill started as a ban on minors attending drag shows, but was heavily amended in the Senate to block minors from attending adult-oriented performances. Amendment sponsor Sen. Chris Friedel, R-Billings, said the change would make the bill defensible in court. Earlier this spring, a bill in Tennessee that recently passed was temporarily blocked in court because it was found to be unconstitutionally vague.

A free conference committee huddled after the Senate amendment to realign the bill more closely to its original intent. The version that passed the Legislature bans drag story hours in schools and libraries that receive public funding and bans minors from attending sexually oriented or obscene performances on public property.

In its definitions section, HB 359 identifies a "drag king" or "drag queen" as a male or female performer who "adopts a flamboyant or parodic" male or feminine persona "with glamorous or exaggerated costumes and makeup."

Drag story hour is defined as "an event hosted by a drag queen or king who reads children's books and engages in other learning activities with minor children present."

Last week, Gianforte, a Republican, signed Senate Bill 458, which defined the word "sex" in state law as only male or female. In late April, Gianforte also signed Senate Bill 99, to ban gender-affirming care for minors.

In response to the bill signings, Senate Minority Leader Pat Flowers and House Minority Leader Kim Abbott issued a joint statement condemning the new laws.

Montanans want the freedom to live their lives without government intrusion. Governor Gianfortes decision to sign SB 458 and HB 359 into law betrays that freedom in favor of a direct, government attack on the fundamental human rights of LGBTQ+ Montanans, they said in an emailed statement Tuesday.

The series of bills aimed at transgender people drew a significant public response, featuring some of the longest-running hearings animated by opponents to the legislation. It was during the final floor hearing on SB 99 in which Rep. Zooey Zephyr, a Democrat and transgender lawmaker from Missoula, told GOP lawmakers they would have blood on their hands for approving the proposal. Zephyr's seminal dissent soon after extended to protesters being arrested in the gallery and the House of Representatives voting to ban her from the floor.

Montana State News Bureau editor Holly Michels contributed to this story.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs on Tuesday cited in contempt two other police officers from the Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) in connection with the massive haul of 6.7-billion worth of illegal drugs in a Manila raid last year.

Senator Robinhood Padilla made the motion to cite dismissed officer Rodolfo Mayo, while Senator Raffy Tulfo made the motion on Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibanez. Both motions had no objections from their colleagues.

Mayo was arrested last year after police seized 990 kilos of shabu from the WPD Lending Office in Tondo, Manila, an establishment he allegedly owned.

However, the dismissed cop told the Senate panel that he has no idea who brought the illegal drugs to his property.

Mayo chose to invoke his right to remain silent in most of the senators queries.

On the other hand, Ibanez said he did not have personal knowledge regarding the shabu seized from his subordinates lending office.

But Tulfo said that Ibanez should be aware of the activities of his staff.

You are now telling us that you dont know anything about his activities? For me, thats a big, big lie. Nobody will believe you, he said. Sino maniniwala sa yo na bata mo na nirekomenda mo, makakabuo ng 990 kgs on his own? (Who will believe that someone you recommended will be able to acquire 990 kgs just on his own?)

On the other hand, committee chairperson Senator Ronald dela Rosa advised the Senate Sergeant at Arms office to keep an eye on Mayo.

I-monitor lang ninyo kapag na-dismiss yung kanyang kaso at ito ay napawalang sala dahil due to technicality. Alam kong i-exploit ng kanyang mga abogado yung technicalities ng kanyang pagka-aresto, dahil lumabas na yung mga kapalpakan na ginagawa ngayon ng PDEG, he said.

[Translation: Just monitor him if his case is dismissed and he gets acquitted due to technicality. Im aware that his legal team will exploit the technicalities of his arrest, because the flaws of PDEG are now being revealed.]

Dela Rosa also told the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to turn over Mayo to the Senates custody if ever he gets acquitted.

Three other police officers were also cited in contempt in the previous hearing in connection with the controversial anti-illegal drug operation.
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CANNES, France  It was well into the process of making "Killers of the Flower Moon" that Martin Scorsese realized it wasn't a detective story.

Scorsese, actor Leonardo DiCaprio and screenwriter Eric Roth had many potential avenues in adapting David Grann's expansive nonfiction history, "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI." The film that Scorsese and company premiered Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival, however, wasn't like the one they initially set out to make.

The film, which will open in theaters in October, chronicles the series of killings that took place throughout the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma. The Osage were then enormously rich from oil on their land, and many white barons and gangsters alike sought to control and steal their money. Dozens of Osage Native Americans were killed before the FBI, in its infancy, began to investigate.

DiCaprio had originally been cast to star as FBI agent Tom White. But after mulling the project over, Scorsese decided to pivot.

"I said, 'I think the audience is ahead of us," Scorsese told reporters in Cannes on Sunday. "They know it's not a whodunit. It's a who-didn't-do-it."

The shift, filmmakers said, was largely driven from collaboration with the Osage. Osage Nation Chief Standing Bear, who consulted on the film, praised the filmmakers for centering the story instead on Mollie (Lily Gladstone) and her husband Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio), the tragic romance at the heart of Scorsese's epic of insidious American ethnic exploitation.

"Early on, I asked Mr. Scorsese, 'How are you going to approach the story? He said I'm going to tell a story about trust, trust between Mollie and Ernest, trust between the outside world and the Osage, and the betrayal of those trusts," said Chief Standing Bear. "My people suffered greatly and to this very day those effects are with us. But I can say on behalf of the Osage, Marty Scorsese and his team have restored trust and we know that trust will not be betrayed."

"Killers of the Flower Moon," the most anticipated film to debut at this year's Cannes, instead became about Ernest, who Scorsese called "the character the least is written about."

DiCaprio, who ceded the character of White to Jesse Plemons, said "Killers of the Flower Moon" reverberates with other only recently widely discussed dark chapters of American history.

"This story, much like the Tulsa massacre, has been something that people have started to learn about and started to understand is part of culture, part of our history," said DiCaprio. "After the screenplay, from almost an anthropological perspective  Marty was there everyday  we were talking to the community, trying to hear the real stories and trying to incorporate the truth."

"Killers of the Flower Moon" premiered Saturday to largely rave reviews and thunderous applause nearly 50 years after Scorsese, as a young filmmaker, was a sensation at Cannes. His "Taxi Driver" won the Palme d'Or in 1976.

Among the most-praised performances has been that of Gladstone, who is Blackfeet and Nimiipuu, and grew up in Browning on the Blackfeet Reservation. She graduated from the University of Montana in 2004.

"These artistic souls on this stage here cared about telling a story that pierces the veil of what society tells us we're supposed to care about and not," said Gladstone, who singled out Scorsese. "Who else is going to challenge people to challenge their own complicity in white supremacy in such a platform except as this man here?"

"We're speaking of the 1920s Osage community. We're talking about Black Wall Street and Tulsa. We're talking about a lot in our film," she continued. "Why the hell does the world not know about these things? Our communities always have. It's so central to everything about how we understand our place in the world."

In the film, Robert De Niro plays a wealthy baron who's particularly adept at plundering the Osage. Speaking on Sunday, De Niro was still mulling his character's motivations.

"There's a kind of feeling of entitlement," said De Niro. "It's the banality of evil. It's the thing that we have to watch out for. We see it today, of course. We all know who I'm going to talk about but I won't say the name. Because that guy is stupid. Imagine if you're smart?"

A minute later, De Niro resumed: "I mean, look at Trump," referring to former President Donald Trump.

With a running time well over three hours and a budget from Apple of $200 million, "Killers of the Flower Moon" is one of Scorsese's largest undertakings. Asked where he gets the gumption for such risks, the 80-year-old director didn't hesitate.

"As far as taking risks at this age, what else can I do?" said Scorsese. "'No, let's go do something comfortable.' Are you kidding?"
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Four new federal prosecutors for the U.S. Attorneys Office in Montana are set to be hired in coming months, including two attorneys dedicated to working on tribal land caseloads.

These new Assistant United States Attorney positions are a significant investment from the Justice Department and will strengthen our ability to address public safety across the state, especially in Indian Country, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said in a press release.

In addition to the two tribal land attorneys, a third lawyer based in Billings will be tasked with prosecuting general violent crime cases and the fourth will handle eLitigation work (namely processing electronic filings in cases). All of the positions are full time.

Of the two prosecutors working on tribal cases, one will be based in Great Falls or Helena while the other will sit in the Billings branch of the U.S. Attorneys Office, the press release stated.

Their positions will serve as liaisons between the office and reservations and bolster violent crime prosecution on tribal lands.

While the U.S. Attorneys Office currently has prosecutors with caseloads partially dedicated to tribal crimes, Laslovich explained in a phone call that the new additions will be solely focused on Indian Country investigations.

He said the new positions are rare, and described them as a big deal.

Offenses including assault, sexual violence, drug cases, burglaries and murders fall under the umbrella of cases the two prosecutors will work on.

Prosecutors assigned to Indian Country, which is a legal term in federal law, prosecute major crimes arising in six Montana Indian reservations within federal jurisdiction, including the Blackfeet, Rocky Boys, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Crow and Northern Cheyenne, the press release stated.

The U.S. Department of Justice allocated the money for the new hires in President Joe Bidens budget last year, according to the release. Funding was distributed all over the country for positions in U.S. Attorney's Offices.

Hiring for the four new posts is expected to take several months. Right now, 31 prosecutors work in Montana's U.S. Attorney's Office. That number will increase to 35 once the four positions are brought on.
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Aaron and Lacey Jennen's roots in Arkansas run deep. They've spent their entire lives there, attended the flagship state university, and are raising a family. So they're heartbroken at the prospect of perhaps having to move to one of an ever-dwindling number of states where gender-affirming health care for their transgender teenage daughter, Sabrina, is not threatened.

"We were like, 'OK, if we can just get Sabrina to 18  we can put all this horrible stuff behind us,'" Aaron Jennen said, "and unfortunately that's not been the case, as you've seen a proliferation of anti-trans legislation here in Arkansas and across the country."

At least 17 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors, though judges have temporarily blocked their enforcement in some, including Arkansas. An Associated Press analysis found that often those bills sprang not from grassroots or constituent demand, but from the pens of a handful of conservative interest groups.

Many of the proposals, as introduced or passed, are identical or very similar to some model legislation, the AP found. Those ready-made bills have been used in statehouses for decades, often with criticisms of carpetbagging by out-of-state interests. In the case of restrictions on gender-affirming care for youths, they allow a handful of far-right groups to spread a false narrative based on distorted science, critics say.

"These are solutions from outside our state looking to solve nonexistent problems inside our state," said Aaron Jennen. "For whatever reason, they have the ear of legislatures in states like Arkansas, and the legislators will generally defer to and only listen to those individuals."

The AP obtained the texts of more than 130 bills in 40 state legislatures from Plural, a public policy software company, and analyzed them for similarities to model bills peddled by the conservative groups Do No Harm, which also criticizes efforts to diversify staffing in medicine, and the Family Research Council, which has long been involved in abortion restrictions.

One of the clearest examples is in Montana, where nearly all the language in at least one bill can be found in Do No Harm's model. Publicly available emails from December show the Republican sponsor, Sen. John Fuller, tweaked the model before introducing it weeks later. Democrats criticized his efforts.

"This is not a Montana issue; it is an issue pushed by well funded national groups," Democratic Sen. Janet Ellis said during debate in February. Republicans pushed back. "Someone mentioned this is not a Montana solution. And I can tell you that I won my election on this issue," said Republican Sen. Barry Usher, who ran unopposed in the general election after winning his contested primary.

The Montana bill passed in March with much of Do No Harm's model language intact has been signed into law.

Do No Harm's model and the 2021 Arkansas bill endorsed as a model by the Family Research Council also have many similarities, including the assertion  rebutted by major medical organizations  that the risks of gender-affirming care outweigh its benefits.

Republicans' recent focus on legislation to restrict aspects of transgender life is largely a strategy of using social "wedge issues"  in the past, abortion or same-sex marriage  to motivate their voting base, political observers say. And it does appear to resonate; a Pew Research Center survey a year ago found broad support among Republicans, but not Democrats, for restrictions on medical care for gender transitions.

"These organizations are not introducing this model legislation to make legislators' jobs easier, to support kids in their constituencies. They're introducing this model legislation to gain wealth, to gain eyes, to gain power, and to gain access," said Heron Greenesmith, a senior research analyst who monitors anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric for Political Research Associates, a liberal think tank.

Such bills often distort valid science that supports gender-affirming care for youths, said Dr. Jack Drescher, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University who edited the section about gender dysphoria in the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual. Do No Harm cites the manual in its model bill.

"These bills are not at all interested in patient care," Drescher said. "These bills are designed to inflame."

It's problematic "any time policymakers are cherry-picking isolated studies or scientific research that arrives upon a different conclusion than the rest of the community or that relies upon studies without having that expertise," said Marty P. Jordan, an assistant professor of political science at Michigan State University. "It's problematic for the individuals that the legislation could impact. It's problematic for the larger public, and problematic for democracy writ large."

Kent Syler, a political science professor at Middle Tennessee State University, said: "If it's a good bill, no one should be shy about where they got it because that's the federal system working correctly."

Do No Harm launched last year with an initial critical focus on the role of race in medical education and hiring, and the Virginia-based nonprofit has registered lobbyists in at least four states. People associated with it have testified in statehouses around the U.S.
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Richmonders voted 51-49% in a 2021 citywide referendum to oppose the construction of a casino in Richmonds South Side.

Despite this, the city council has introduced an ordinance that would allow the city to bring the casino vote back on the ballot.

The proposal comes after a Richmond Circuit Court judge signed an order in November at the request of the city, as Richmond strives to remain a contender for the more than $500 million ONE Casino + Resort development.

Councilwoman Reva Trammell, who represents the 8th District where the site was initially proposed, has continued to speak in favor of the project, saying it will bring jobs and additional funding to the region.

Trammell said the referendum was not an accurate portrayal of public opinion, as the casino vote was on the back of the ballots and many did not turn their ballots over to place their votes.

People were calling me standing in line to vote, screaming we cant find it, Trammell said. I know that if we get another chance its going to pass because were going to make it clear.

The Department of Elections reports nearly 79,000 cast votes in the 2021 casino referendum  roughly 10,000 more than those tallied for the commonwealths attorney, treasurer and sheriff on the same ballot.

The majority of votes in favor of the casino came from most of the precincts in the South Side; opposition voters primarily were concentrated in the West End.

Following the vote, Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, and Del. Kim Taylor, R-Dinwiddie, fought through the state budget to prevent the city from hosting a second vote until Petersburg could be considered.

However, Baltimore-based Cordish Companies, which has partnered with Petersburg, has made it clear that it will not move forward if the city is allowed a second vote, saying it will not construct a casino if it has to share the market with a rival facility.

In June 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a two-year budget that effectively gave Petersburg more time to consider whether it wanted a casino with the inclusion of a provision that forbade localities that held a failed casino referendum from trying again.

The General Assembly has yet to reach an agreement on a revised state budget, or decide whether to include language to allow Petersburg to vote on a casino or prevent Richmond from holding a second vote. With the budget still in limbo, the city rushed to introduce the paper.

Those in opposition to the casino argue that Richmonders have already weighed in and a second vote would be a direct dismissal of public favor.

Richmond resident Jeremy Davis addressed the council during the public comment portion of the meeting Monday, arguing against the proposal and stating casinos business model is to profit off of the exploitation of people.

I firmly believe that money is overshadowing the will of the public, Davis said. Sacrificing the well-being of the citizens is not the way to fund the city.

Mayor Levar Stoney and the Richmond City Council have shown favorable support for the casino, touting an increase in tax revenue and more development in Richmonds South Side. With a second vote, both hope for greater citywide outreach regarding the benefits of a casino.

The council plans to vote on the proposal at its next regular meeting June 12 at 6 p.m.
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Three teens are facing multiple charges in the reported vandalism last weekend of an African-American church in a nationally recognized historic district.

Around 6:32 p.m. on Saturday, May 20, a deacon of First Ashville Baptist, just west of Marshall in Fauquier County, reported the door of the church was open and that the interior and schoolhouse had been vandalized.

A neighbor provided deputies with a time frame of the incident and a description of the subjects and their vehicle, according to a release from Fauquier County Sheriffs Office.

Around 5:44 p.m. on Sunday, patrol deputies were dispatched back to the First Ashville Baptist when the deacon contacted law enforcement to report the subjects were back on church property.

While on the phone with police, he reported the vehicle was leaving the scene. He provided a description of the vehicle, license plate information and an updated location of the vehicle, according to the release.

Patrol deputies located the vehicle in Marshall and were able to stop it without further incident. The occupants of the vehicle were detained and identified as 19-year-old Averie Pozzo Di Borgo, of Marshall, and two juvenilesa 17-year-old female and a 14-year-old male.

Police said the teens participated in vandalism incidents at the church and schoolhouse on Saturday and Sunday as well as a reported burglary the first day, according to the release. According to the release, it was determined Di Borgo had not participated in Saturdays burglary/vandalism, but did on Sunday. The juveniles took part in both incidents, police said.

The vandalism included graffiti, none of which was related to race or ethnicity, according to the release. Stolen property was recovered by detectives.

Di Borgo was arrested and charged with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and destruction of property. She was released on a $3,000 unsecured bond. Multiple charges are pending for the two minors, according to the release.

The circa 1899 church is part of the Ashville Historic District, located in the village of Ashville in a rural area of northwestern Fauquier County, according to the 2003 nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The Reconstruction-era African American village occupies approximately 23 acres, considered architecturally significant as a rare and relatively intact collection of buildings dating from 1870 to 1911.

The majority of land within the Ashville Historic District is located on portions of tracts willed to former enslaved people, Frank Settle and Jacob Douglas, by sisters Harriett and Catherine Ash, according to the nomination, citing an 1870 Fauquier County Land Tax Book.

Douglas deeded a portion of his land north of his house to the Colored Church of Ashville (organized in 1874) and another parcel across Ashville Road to the school trustees. The current vernacular Gothic Revival-style frame church known as First Ashville Baptist Church was constructed in 1899, replacing the original one, according to the National Register nomination.
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Gov. Glenn Youngkin is aiming at Democrats in legislative elections but hitting Republican candidates in contested GOP Senate primaries  and some of them are firing back.

Matt Strickland, who defied state restrictions on his Spotsylvania County restaurant during the COVID-19 pandemic, publicly denounced the Republican governor on Monday for endorsing Del. Tara Durant, R-Stafford, in the June 20 primary election for the GOP nomination in the Fredericksburg area's new 27th Senate District.

Strickland, speaking to conservative talk show host John Fredericks in a radio broadcast, said the governor's Spirit of Virginia political action committee is part of the Republican establishment that took sides against him despite his support for Youngkin in his successful gubernatorial campaign in 2021.

"I'm fighting the war on two different fronts  fighting Democrats and fighting these establishment (Republicans in Name Only)," said the U.S. Army veteran, who called out Spirit of Virginia for its role.

"They're putting money into a Republican primary," Strickland said. "It's absolutely unheard of."

Democrats will choose their nominee in a June 20 primary between Joel Griffin and Ben Litchfield. Stafford County Supervisor Monica Gary also is running as an independent in the general election for the Senate seat in the 27th District, covering parts of Stafford, Spotsylvania and all of Fredericksburg.

Last week, Youngkin endorsed 19 Republican candidates for seats in the Senate and House of Delegates, including six in primary fights against fellow Republicans.

The governor's intervention also did not sit well with Hermie Sadler, a Southside businessman and former NASCAR driver who is vying with Del. Emily Brewer, R-Suffolk, for the Republican nomination for a Senate seat in southeastern Virginia.

Sadler already was unhappy with Youngkin after Spirit of Virginia pushed the Department of Elections to reverse a local GOP decision to hold a primary for the Republican nomination in the 17th Senate District instead of a party convention that may have favored Brewer, who is serving her third term in the House. A Richmond judge ruled in March in favor of former Suffolk GOP Chair Dawn Jones, who had alleged that Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares had tried to get the state to reverse the choice of a primary.

"I am disappointed that the governor decided to intervene, but not surprised," Sadler said Monday. "I have been not only running against my opponent but also against the entire Richmond establishment since I announced I was running. It began with all of them trying to strong-arm a convention in my race and it hasnt stopped."

The winner of the Republican primary will face Del. Clint Jenkins, D-Suffolk, in the general election.

Spirit of Virginia did not respond directly to Strickland or Sadler, but referred to the news release it issued on Thursday to announce the endorsements.

"I know this group of candidates  which includes experienced legislators, law enforcement officials, small business leaders and business executives are committed to making Virginia the best place in America to live, work and raise a family," Youngkin said in the announcement.

Durant, who was elected to the House with the Republican sweep of statewide offices in 2021, said she is committed to helping Youngkin deliver on the promises they both made during their campaigns.

"These seats are very critical for the governor to get a General Assembly he can work with," she said in a telephone interview.

In an email statement, Durant added, "The Youngkin administration is making real conservative reforms and Im proud to be a part of the team working to improve our commonwealth for families, seniors, small business, veterans, and law enforcement."

Brewer's campaign referred to her statement after receiving the governor's endorsement last week. "I am proud to have Governor Youngkin's endorsement because he knows I'm a battle tested conservative he can trust to deliver meaningful results for Virginia families and deliver the Virginia Senate to a Republican majority in November," she said at the time.

In addition to Durant and Brewer, Youngkin endorsed Republicans in four other contested primaries:

Del. Buddy Fowler, R-Hanover, in a three-way race with fellow Republicans Graven Craig and Phillip Strother in the 59th House District. The winner will face Democrat Rachel Levy in the general election in November.

Bill Woolf, who is running against fellow Republican Roberto Ruffalo for the nomination in the 30th Senate District, based in Prince William County, with the winner facing Del. Danica Roem, D-Prince William, in the fall.

John Stirrup, who is running against Joshua Joseph Quill in Prince William's 21st House District, with the winner facing Democrat Joshua Thomas in the general election.

Lee Peters, who is running against Michael Gene Kasey in the 65th House District, with the winner facing former Del. Joshua Cole, D-Fredericksburg.

Strickland faulted Youngkin for siding with his primary opponent after seeking and receiving his support in 2021 because of Strickland's highly public legal fight against then-Gov. Ralph Northam over COVID-19 restrictions at his Gourmeltz restaurant in Spotsylvania.

He alleged that Youngkin and Miyares helped the Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority to prosecute him for serving alcoholic beverages after ABC suspended his license for violating COVID-19 restrictions.

"It's not just the Democrats ruining the country," Strickland said on Monday. "It's also these Republicans who will not stand up and fight for you and me when we need them most."

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(CNN)  South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott on Monday formally entered the Republican presidential primary, promising to take on the radical left and bring faith and conservative, business-friendly policies to the White House, as he seeks to upend a contest that has so far been dominated by coverage of former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to enter the fray in the coming days.

The most prominent Black figure in the Republican Party, Scott addressed supporters at his alma mater, Charleston Southern University, in his hometown of North Charleston.

Im the candidate the far-left fears the most. You see, when I cut your taxes, they called me a prop. When I refunded the police, they called me a token. When I pushed back on President Biden, they even called me the n-word, Scott said. I disrupt their narrative. I threaten their control. The truth of my life disrupts their lies.

Following the announcement, Scott heads to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina  states he frequented on his Faith in America tour in the run-up to his announcement  before returning to the Hawkeye State next week for GOP Sen. Joni Ernsts annual Roast and Ride gathering.

Scott, 57, is no stranger to pathbreaking campaigns. In 2010, he became the first Black Republican elected to the US House of Representatives from South Carolina in more than a century. Years later, after being appointed to his Senate seat (he won a special election to retain the seat), Scott made history as the first Black US Senator from his native South Carolina.

Ahead of his entry into the presidential race, senior campaign officials briefed reporters on their view of the path forward, acknowledging he will need to win over support from Trump and DeSantis, but vowing  in a veiled dig at both  that his candidacy will strike a more optimistic tone and condemn the culture of victimhood and grievance that, as his aides described it, has taken over both parties.

Our party and our nation are standing at a time for choosing, Scott said. Victimhood or victory? Grievance or greatness? I choose freedom and hope and opportunity.

Trump and his team will avoid going after Tim Scott for now, two sources close to the former president told CNN. The directive from Trump has been to stay away from attacks on the South Carolina senator at the moment.

Last week, the Trump-aligned super PAC, MAGA, Inc., weighed in on Scotts looming announcement, but used it to level an attack on DeSantis, not Scott.

The former president used that approach on Monday as he wished Scott good luck while taking a shot at DeSantis.

Good luck to Senator Tim Scott in entering the Republican Presidential Primary Race. It is rapidly loading up with lots of people, and Tim is a big step up from Ron DeSanctimonious, who is totally unelectable. I got Opportunity Zones done with Tim, a big deal that has been highly successful. Good luck Tim!, Trump posted on Truth Social.

The South Carolina senator received a boost on Sunday, less than 24 hours before his kick-off event, when news broke that his colleague Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, planned to endorse him.

I think hed be a great candidate. Im excited about it. Ive been encouraging him, Thune previously told CNN. I think hes getting a lot of encouragement from his colleagues. Hes really well thought of and respected.

Cory Gardner, the former Republican senator from Colorado and leader of Scotts aligned super PAC, also argued that his old colleague posed a unique threat to liberal Democrats.

I think theyre terrified of him, and hes right to say that, because he defies every narrative they have, Gardner said. And this is exciting for conservatives who believe that they have a candidate who carries their values, can implement their values and do so in a way that will make all Americans proud.

Focus on early states

A senior campaign official said Scott will continue to invest resources and time in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, as the campaign ramps up.

Though Scott hails from South Carolina, they wont count on it as a firewall, according to one senior campaign official, who emphasized Scott will have to compete as a top-tier candidate in other early primary and caucus states like New Hampshire and Iowa.

Even before the official launch, Scott revealed plans to pluck from his deep campaign coffers  with millions now transferred over from his Senate account  through a series of big-dollar ad buys in Iowa and New Hampshire.

The initial $5.5 million TV ad buy  including broadcast, cable satellite and radio  will air statewide starting Wednesday and run through the first GOP debate in August.

During the same period, Scott will also launch a seven-figure digital ad campaign.

The biggest thing going for Tim Scott right now is $22 million in the bank. He is getting ready to spend $6 million in Iowa and New Hampshire that will garner tremendous name ID, and its gonna be a key factor that many of the other candidates are not doing right now, said Dave Wilson, a South Carolina conservative strategist and former president of the Palmetto Family Council.

Though he is only officially entering the race now, Scott has already gotten caught in the churn of the campaign season. Shortly after announcing an exploratory committee last month, he was tripped up by questions over his position on a potential national abortion ban.

After initially sidestepping the matter and refusing to say whether he would back a 15-week ban, Scott told WMUR he would support restrictions beginning at 20 weeks. Days later, though, Scott said in an interview with NBC News that he would literally sign the most conservative pro-life legislation that they can get through Congress.

Pressed on what precisely that meant, given he had applauded DeSantis for signing a six-week ban in Florida, Scott demurred  saying it was a decision for the states to make.

Im not going to talk about six (weeks) or five or seven or 10, Scott said.

Road to national political stardom

Back at the senators home church near Charleston, there are hundreds of worshipers that see him most weekends.

Ive heard him talk about hope and opportunity for 25 years. Its who he is. Its a part of his story. And so I dont think hes going to change, said Greg Suratt, founding pastor of Seacoast Church.

I think a misconception that people might have about him is that his niceness, his humility, translates as weakness. And they dont know the Tim Scott I know, I would like to kind of see it as an iron fist in a velvet glove, Suratt added, noting that even people who disagree with his politics tend to like him as an individual.

Scotts faith and his humble beginnings will be a central theme in his campaign, an aide said. Scott grew up in a single parent household in North Charleston, where his mother worked long hours to keep their family afloat.

Think about the kid whose grandmother has to open the stove to heat the home in the middle of the winter. I think to myself, it kind of feels like that now, Scott said at a town hall in New Hampshire this month. So many people with our energy prices doubling in just the last couple years, are experiencing a crisis similar to the one that I had when I was just a kid.

On his listening tour, Scott said that between the ages of 7 and 14, he kind of drifted, failing world geography, civics, English and Spanish in his freshman year of high school. But through the tireless encouragement of his mother and mentor, the late John Moniz, a Chick-fil-A manager, Scott says he was able to graduate from Charleston Southern University. He would eventually open his own insurance agency affiliated with Allstate.

Scott credits Moniz with teaching him that anyone can succeed beyond their circumstances if they take responsibility for themselves  a message he repeated in North Charleston.

John taught me that anyone, from anywhere, at any time, can rise above their wildest expectations and imagination, Scott said after giving roses to Monizs widow and his own mother at the beginning of his speech. But first, I had to take responsibility for myself. He told me in the most loving way possible to look in the mirror and to blame myself.

Scotts political career began in 1995, when he ran in a special election to the Charleston City Council, winning a seat he would keep for nearly 15 years. After one term as a state lawmaker, Scott won a US House seat representing South Carolinas 1st district.

Fellow presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley then appointed Scott to the US Senate in 2012 to fill a vacancy left by Sen. Jim DeMints retirement. He retained the seat in a 2014 special election, was re-elected to a full term in 2016 and later won for a third time last year.

To every single mom who struggles to make ends meet, who wonders if her efforts are in vain, they are not, Scott said after being appointed by Haley.

During his time in the Senate, Scott has amassed a strictly conservative voting record, but has also led bipartisan police reform talks alongside New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat.

Those talks have gone on for years now, beginning in the summer of 2020 with then-California Sen. Kamala Harris also involved, but hopes for a comprehensive deal were effectively abandoned in 2021. (The conversations reportedly continue, but there is no legislation currently in the offing.)

In 2017, his Investing in Opportunity Act, which had some Democratic support, was included in the controversial Republican tax cut bill. The provision called for the establishment of Opportunity Zones, which would create tax incentives for businesses that invested in parts of the country struggling with poverty and stalled economies.

I was one of the lead authors of the Republican tax reform bill that slashed taxes for families, brought jobs and investment back from overseas, and created my signature legislation, the Opportunity Zones, thats brought billions of dollars into the poorest communities that have been left behind, Scott said in his speech. That was just one bill. Imagine what we could do with an entire agenda.

Still, Democrats in South Carolina welcomed Scott to the race with harsh words about his political record  and an attempt to tie him to the GOPs far right.

We know how dangerous Tea Party extremist Tim Scott is, South Carolina Democratic Party chair Christale Spain said in a statement. From promising to sign the most conservative abortion ban possible as president, to doubling down on his role as architect of the 2017 GOP tax scam that pushed tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy at the expense of working families, Scott has proven himself to be just as MAGA as the rest of the 2024 field.

Though Scott has expressed more openness to working with Democrats than most Republicans in Washington, he also owns one of the most conservative voting records in Congress. He rarely broke with Trump during the latters presidency, though he did criticize Trumps response to White supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.

What we want to see from our president is clarity and moral authority, Scott told Vice News at the time. And that moral authority is compromised.

Scott largely backed off that line, though, after a meeting with Trump in the White House.

(Trump) was certainly very clear that the perception that he received on his comments was not exactly what he intended with those comments, Scott told CBS News.

This story has been updated with additional reporting and reaction.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Cancun police detain group of five with drugs near school

Cancun, Q.R.  A group of five were taken into police custody for possession of illegal narcotics. On Monday, the Secretaria de Seguridad Ciudadana (SSC) of Quintana Roo said the five were arrested on drug and firearm charges near a school.

According to the police report, officers were patrolling Avenida Cancun when they saw the group near a school in Colonia La Misericordia. Police observed the group handling a black backpack and plastic bags that contained smaller plastic bags.

When questioned and searched, police found 37 packages of crystal, 90 of marijuana, three of crack and three of powdered cocaine. Arresting officers also located a loaded handgun and four .25 caliber cartridges.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 24)  The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will give the Philippines up to US$4 billion in support of the countrys socioeconomic development plans and infrastructure programs for 2023, Malacanang said Tuesday.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. learned of the grant from ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa during their meeting at the banks headquarters on Monday, Palace said.

"This 2023 alone, we expect to provide up to US$4 billion to support the government's socioeconomic agenda and the Build Better More infrastructure development program," Asakawa said as quoted by the Palace.

"This includes preparation of several transformative projects such as the Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge Project, the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project, and the Integrated Floor Resilience and Adaptation Project," he added.

Asakawa also said ADB's financing to the Philippines rose by fourfold and hit a total of US $12.7 billion between 2018 and 2022.

Due to the country's vulnerability to the impacts of climate change which heightens exposure to severe weather events, Asakawa said the ADB is fully committed to helping the Philippines address climate change, saying "it will be a core priority of our assistance going forward."

Asakawa said during the COVID-19 lockdown in early 2020, he had the privilege of distributing food packages procured under the Bayanihan project to over 260,000 vulnerable families in Metro Manila.

He also expressed gratitude to the Philippines for being a good host to the ADB's annual meeting in September 2022, where the ADB revealed its US$14-billion assistance package for developing member countries to help them address food security issues from 2022 to 2025.

The Palace said the ADB was the Philippines' top source of active Official Development Assistance (ODA) among 20 development partners in 2022, accounting for 34% (US$10.74 billion for 31 loans and 28 grants) of the US$31.95-billion of the total active ODA.

From 2010 to 2022, the ADB's annual loan financing for the Philippines averaged at US$1.4 billion.

Malacanang said three loans amounting to US$1.10 billion were signed with the bank within the first nine months of the Marcos administration.
Isla Mujeres security increased for two international events

Isla Mujeres, Q. R.  Island security was increased over the weekend for two international events. From May 19 to 21, the island hosted an international swimming competition and its annual fishing tournament.

As part of the strategies of the Coordination Group for the Construction of Peace and Security in Quintana Roo, a police helicopter was also part of the increased security, carrying out flyovers across the municipality.

Aside from the SSC (Secretariat for Citizen Security) helicopter, National Guard, the Mexican Navy and the Municipal Police carried out ground operations.

Over the weekend, Isla Mujeres (island) hosted El Cruce, a swimming competition with over 1,400 participants. The afternoon award ceremony was held at El Pescador, which was attended by Mayor Atenea Gomez Ricalde.

The island also hosted its annual fishing tournament. Throughout the weekend the XVIII Cosme Alberto Martinez Magana International Fishing Tournament was held. Ricalde reported 91 boats from the United States, Canada and Mexico participated.

The tournament was organized by the island government, which had a record number of participants for 2023 and continues to position itself as one of the best fishing events in the country.
Man wanted in Illinois for homicide and violent robbery extradited

Mexico City, Mexico  A Mexican man has been extradited to Illinois for homicide, robbery and concealment. According to state information by the Attorney Generals Office of the Republic (FGR), Odilon V was handed over to U. S. authorities for transfer to Madison Country, Illinois.

On August 5, 2014, U.S. law enforcement authorities found human remains inside an abandoned vehicle in Madison County, Illinois. The investigation revealed the identity of the victim and that he had died from stab wounds to the torso. The owner of the car was Odilon V, who was the last person who was with the deceased and later fled to Mexico, the FGR reported.

The Government of Mexico granted the extradition of the defendant to the Government of the United States after Odilon V was arrested in April 2021 in Temixco, Morelos.

The fugitive was handed over at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to the designated U.S. agents for his final transfer.
Mexico inaugurates new consulate to serve over 450,000 living in Oklahoma City

Mexico City, Mexico  Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard has inaugurated the new Mexican consulate in Oklahoma City. The Ministry of Foreign Relations says the new consulate will serve the growing Mexican community in the state of Oklahoma, which is over 450,000.

Ebrard reported that until now, Mexicans living in Oklahoma City had to travel more than four hours to reach the nearest consular office. Mexicans in the state of Oklahoma had to drive to either Arkansas or Texas.

The new Mexican consulate in Oklahoma is the 52nd consular representation of Mexico in the United States. Ebrard explained that the Mexican government is fulfilling the vision of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of serving and protecting Mexicans wherever they are.

When we discussed with the senators where we were going to make the new consulates, one of the main arguments was the number and importance of the Mexican-American and Mexican community here in Oklahoma, forgotten for many years, said the chancellor.

It means recognition of our community and also a sample of what Mexico and the United States can do if they work together with respect, he said.

The new Mexican Consular Office will serve over 450,000 living in Oklahoma City. Photo: SRE May 20, 2023.

In addition to protection and documentation, the new consulate, which is headed by Edurne Pineda, will promote greater economic, commercial, cultural and tourist exchange between Mexico and Oklahoma.

As of June 1, the consulate will handle passport, consular registration and voter card applications.

Within the framework of the inauguration, Foreign Minister Ebrard held two working meetings with the Governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, and with the Mayor of Oklahoma City, David Holt. With both officials, the Mexican foreign minister agreed to work together to increase trade, business and tourism between Mexico and the state.

The inaugural ceremony was also attended by the Mexican ambassador to the United States, Esteban Moctezuma, the head of the unit for North America, Roberto Velasco, the head of the Administration and Finance Unit, Moises Poblanno, the General Director of Consular Services, Jaime Vazquez Bracho and the General Director of Consular Protection and Strategic Planning, Vanessa Calva.
Mexico to provide migrants with one year work visas for public projects

Mexico City, Mexico  President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador says he will provide temporary work visas to migrants so they can work legally in Mexico. On Monday, Lopez Obrador said that this week, he will present a temporary visa program for Central American migrants to work legally in Mexico on public projects such as the Maya Train and the Tehuantepec Isthmus Interoceanic Corridor.

We need a workforce for the projects and more if we are talking about skilled labor. We need many ironworkers, welders, even professional engineers for the Maya Train. () we can give employment to many workers, for all of them with the purpose of coming to work, he explained.

The work visa will be valid for one year, he added. He said it is possible for Mexico to offer the visa, which contributes to helping order the migratory flow, because the countrys economy is improving.

Currently, Mexico and Singapore are the two countries in the world that report the lowest unemployment rates, he said.

There is more demand for the workforce, companies are paying more, so the salaries are already attractive enough to come. Make agreements with companies and we guarantee them a one-year visa without problems, he said.

During his Monday morning press conference, Lopez Obrador said over the weekend, he received a letter from President Joe Biden in which he recognized the actions of the Government of Mexico in terms of migration and made the commitment to increase investments in Central American and Caribbean countries.

President Lopez Obrador reiterated the importance of jointly promoting a migration policy that prioritizes the generation of opportunities and respect for human rights.

That we seek a balance because the qualified labor force is needed in the country now. () It is not correct to reject migrants when a labor force is needed, he added.
One consequence of what Italian philosopher Augusto del Noce calls our present age of secularization is the paradoxical modern tendency of atheists to divinize politics and the state. What the Church once undid, ideology would rejoin. In its extreme form, we see this in fascism, Nazism, and communism. Meanwhile, ennui, nihilism, and other travails of the age find their source in the fear or belief that this world is all there is and that the human person is merely an animal of appetite, not a rational and moral creature with an eternal soul. Well-intentioned Christians are legitimately concerned with the decadence, utilitarianism, and relativism of this culture of death. Some would employ state authority in their quest to redeem the time. Evangelization suffers, however, whenever we politicize religion by confusing the proper ends of the City of Man and the City of God.

One current example of this confusion is a rise in what Edward Feser calls hard integralism among Catholics, particularly in the United States. The Cistercian father Edmund Waldstein defines Catholic integralism as a tradition of thought that, rejecting the liberal separation of politics from concern with the end of human life, holds that political rule must order man to his final goal. Since, however, man has both a temporal and an eternal end, integralism holds that there are two powers that rule him: a temporal power and a spiritual power. And since mans temporal end is subordinated to his eternal end, the temporal power must be subordinated to the spiritual power (emphasis in the original). This definition, and the hardness or softness of ones interpretation, hinges on the last phrase: the temporal power must be subordinated to the spiritual power.

Jacques Maritain explains what is wrong with conflating temporal goods with transcendent and spiritual goods:

To ask Catholicism to specify a political or national ideal, and itself to replace, as a principle of temporal unification and temporal activity, the objects, the values, the impelling ideas, and the instincts of the temporal order, would be contrary to the nature of things, precisely because Catholicism is by nature transcendent.

When we direct our spiritual energies away from the goods of Heaven and bring them down to Earth, we lose focus on the transformational power of God in each persons life and the culturally transcendent nature of the Gospel.

Banging the 21st-century head to fit the 13th- or 19th-century hat, to borrow a phrase from G.K. Chesterton, is not so much evangelization as it is unwarranted nostalgia tinged with bitterness that the world is now a more sinful place than it was in a past golden era. Yet the world has been and always will be a sinful place, at least until the last day. We must therefore ask what, if anything, can redeem the time? No theologian has explored this question as thoroughly and succinctly as Benedict XVI, a pope those mired in traditionalism rather than tradition normally admire, some to the point of sedevacantism in the era of Pope Francis. Writing in 2004 as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in Values in a Time of Upheaval , shortly before his election to the See of Peter, Ratzinger argues that politicizing religion is not only unbiblical: it inadvertently leads to unbelief. Drawing on the Book of Daniel, he warns of political messianisms and argues that it is an ethical demand for Christians to submit to existing authorities because those authorities, as St. Paul says, were ordained by God. Jeremiah tells the Israelites to submit to Babylon because it guarantees law and peace and, thereby, the relative welfare of Israel.

Mao Zedong, the communist personally responsible for more deaths than any other 20th-century totalitarian (and this is really saying something), once commented that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. This is how 20th-century communists governed and how they still govern in China, North Korea, and Nicaragua. Radical libertarians implicitly accept this operationally when they argue that the state is a necessary evilthat is, that it has no telos, no ultimate purpose and end. Its only purpose is to hold off a Hobbesian war of all-against-all. In opposition to these lines of thinking, Ratzinger says that we do not submit to authority out of fear or coercion; rather, we do so for the sake of our own conscience. The Church Fathers talked about the ascending ladder of perfection when it comes to obedience: out of fear of punishment, for reward, and for love of God. The goal under grace is to get out of the first category, be trained by the second category, and finally to reach the third. Neither Peter nor Paul, writes Ratzinger, expresses an uncritical glorification of the Roman state. While they do insist strongly on the divine origin of the legal ordering of the state, they are far from divinizing the state itself. It is only in recognizing the states limits that one comes to acknowledge its ordering function and ethical character.

It was St. Augustine of Hippo who first formulated this approach in his City of God, written in the decade after the unprecedented sack of Rome by the Goths in 410. City of God interprets the course of history as a conflict between the City of Man and the City of God. Each mingles with the other, says St. Augustine, while retaining its distinct ends and role in human story:

This heavenly city, then, while it sojourns on earth, calls citizens out of all nations, and gathers together a society of pilgrims of all languages, not scrupling about diversities in manners, laws, and institutions. It therefore is so far from rescinding and abolishing these diversities, that it even preserves and adapts them, so long only as no hindrance to the worship of the one supreme and true God is thus introduced.

Most importantly, one cannot and should not conquer the other. Both exist for providential reasons as we work out our salvation sub specie aeternitatisin the light of eternity.

The task of navigating the proper roles of church and state becomes most dangerous when we forget the full implication of the words of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel According to St. Mark: Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are Gods. It is precisely in this forgetting that we come to expect more of the state than it can give or to which it is ordered. On the other hand, rendering unto Caesar when Caesar acts like or claims to be God stretches the state to such a point that, if we were to obey it, we would be denying God.

So what is our measuring stick when it comes to the balance between church and state? If the state ensures peace and the rule of law, Ratzinger argues, then it is in accordance with the divine ordinance. Indeed, it is precisely in its profane character that the state must be respected, since this is its proper sphere. The state must remain within this sphere while also taking into account natural law, which transcends all states. Consequently, the refusal of the ancient Christians to worship the emperor and of modern Christians to divinize the state is about more than just avoiding idolatry. Ultimately, it is about rejecting totalitarianism as contrary to Gods design for the limited purpose of the state.

This does not mean, however, that the state has complete authority over law and justice. The state abrogates its role as legislator and magistrate when it punishes Christians simply because they are Christians. At such a point, says Ratzinger, it is no disgrace to be punished [as you would if you had broken the law], but rather an honor. The model here is that of Christ, who suffered under Pontius Pilate and was crucified by the Roman state. His resistance took the form of suffering and death. Martyrs, not revolutionaries, are the Christian archetype for resistance. The faithful Christian will support and obey laws even when those laws are made by men and women openly hostile to the faith, as long as the laws are just and do not coerce one to commit evil acts.

The power of the state must be limited because our futurewe hope in faithis in Heaven, beyond history. The resistance fighter who dies with his weapon in his hand, claims Ratzinger, is not a martyr in the New Testament sense. So how do we keep our righteous anger about injustice, the culture of death, and falsifications of the human person from leading us into the temptation to take over the state and destroy its proper limits in our pursuit of truth and justice? John Finnis argues that it is essential to hold St. Thomass position that  in those matters that pertain to political good, secular rather than spiritual authority is to be obeyed. This is because secular affairs depend on moral premises supplied by the natural law  but also and more critically on premises about facts, past, present, and future, certain and uncertain.

Catholic integralism in practice would discard human freedom as a heretical, univocally liberal idea. In its quest to instantiate the faith as the governing principle for the City of Man, integralism confuses the two cities, conflates their respective ends, and actually damages the prospects of evangelization and therefore the very cultural sanctification all Christians seek. This process would cause the pilgrim Church to be lumped in with the ideological colonization by the forces of transnational and transhuman libertinism that we see in major elements of the social agenda of the current U.S. State Department and the World Economic Forum. It is just the other side of the coin of Marxist liberation theology, and it will lead to rejection, not acceptance, of the Gospel. Worst of all, it would leave behind a unitary, redivinized State.

Where there is substantial corruption and political or social instability, religious leaders such as bishops and priests can be seen as something akin to civic officials, not just pastors. This is understandable, that holy men would be tempted to fill this gap. The same occurred in Roman cities during the long decline of the Roman Empire. Political stability for the Christian ultimately needs to come from social stability. When Pope Benedict XVI warned that politicizing religion leads to unbelief, he was not theorizing but referring to the ways in which corruption and abuse of power fueled the Protestant Reformation. In the long term, as a look at the actual history of integralist states in the 19th and 20th centuries (Spain, Portugal, France, Mexico, and Ireland) shows, throne and altar harmed evangelization, bred clericalism, and hurt the growth of civil society in contradiction of the Catholic principles of solidarity and subsidiarity. And it ended in reaction and violence against the Church, its leaders and pastors, and laypeople.

The truth that sets us free cannot be imposed from without, through will. The Church proposes, taught St. John Paul, she imposes nothing. Imposition prevents evangelization. When the Church tries to evangelize through politics, the Christian faith becomes more easily seen as an ideology, because it is acting like onejust another expression of the will to power. And with it, those freedoms that are deeply rooted in what we are as human persons end up rejected in places such as communist China as merely Western and just another form of ideological colonization. In this way, both communism and politicized religion invert our true end to an earthly end, trading the paradise of eternal life for an alleged heaven on Earth that can never be. As Pope Francis has said, the Church is not an NGO and must not act like one.
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The board of directors of Carilion Clinic has promoted Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Steve Arner to the presidency of the health system.

Arner, 53, will add his voice and influence to the organizations strategic direction while continuing the day-to-day management of the enterprise as COO, according to a news release and a Carilion official.

The change, which took effect May 9, was announced last week.

Nancy Agee, who until recently served as CEO and president, will continue as CEO, the top job. Agee has been CEO and president for 12 years.

Arners promotion resulted from a track record of strong leadership during his many years at Carilion, clinic spokeswoman Hannah Curtis said. He has had responsibility for cardiovascular care, operating rooms, engineering and environmental services; worked in human resources and finance; and was president and CEO of Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital.

Asked if Arners becoming president indicates anything about the 71-yer-old Agees future with Carilion, Curtis said the CEO released no new information about herself.

Carilion has seven hospitals, a trauma center, 240 medical offices and 14,000 employees, all under Arners management. He also spearheaded the Crystal Spring Tower addition being built at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and other capital projects.

He played a central role in the clinics COVID-19 response and chaired the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association during the first year and a half of the pandemic, contributing to the collective response of all health care providers to the crisis, a release said.

Carilion today is a nationally ranked academic health system that provides an extraordinary range of services, from primary care to the most advanced, complex care, Arner said in a prepared statement. I look forward to continuing on a pathway of growth and collaboration.
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A former Radford school resource officer charged with assaulting his wife in January pleaded no contest in domestic relations court Tuesday.

Mark W. Mills, 52, of Radford faced two misdemeanor charges: assault and battery of a family member and damaging a phone line to prevent a 911 call.

Virginias online court case information system lists a Jan. 18 offense date. Mills attorney, Jimmy Turk, said Mills wife filed a complaint with police, which led to the charges.

She talked to the local authorities at the Radford police station, and then they sought the two warrants that were ultimately issued, Turk said.

During a hearing in Radford Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Tuesday, Turk said, Mills pleaded no contest to both charges, and his case was deferred for six months.

There was no stipulation of evidence sufficient to find him guilty. There was no factual basis offered to find him guilty, Turk said. No finding was made concerning guilt or innocence.

In the next six months, Mills is to complete a course called the Domestic Violence Alternatives Program, hosted through Blue Ridge Counseling.

If there are no further problems during that six month period, then his case, both of the two charges, would be dismissed, without him or anyone being required to reappear, Turk said.

The attorney added that Mills wife supports the court agreement, and the couple still resides together. Mills review hearing is set for Nov. 28.

Radford Police Chief Jeff Dodson said in an email Tuesday that Mills is no longer employed by the department.

Mark Mills has not been employed with Radford City Police Department since March 31, 2023, Dodson said. We have no further comment on this matter. His position is being filled.
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ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)  The NAACP over the weekend issued a travel advisory for Florida, joining two other civil rights groups in warning potential tourists that recent laws and policies championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are "openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals."

The NAACP, long an advocate for Black Americans, joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights organization, and Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, in issuing travel advisories for the Sunshine State, where tourism is one of the state's largest job sectors.

The warning approved Saturday by the NAACP's board of directors tells tourists that, before traveling to Florida, they should understand the state of Florida "devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color."

An email was sent Sunday morning to DeSantis' office seeking comment. The Republican governor is expected to announce a run for the GOP presidential nomination this week.

Florida is one of the most popular states in the U.S. for tourists, and tourism is one of its biggest industries. More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels, according to Visit Florida, the state's tourism promotion agency. Tourism supports 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs, and visitors spent $98.8 billion in Florida in 2019, the last year figures are available.

Several of Florida's Democratic mayors were quick to say Sunday that their cities welcomed diversity and inclusion.

"EVERYONE is always welcome and will be treated with dignity and respect," tweeted Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg in a message echoed by the mayor across the bay in Tampa.

"That will never change, regardless of what happens in Tallahassee," tweeted Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa.

The NAACP's decision comes after the DeSantis' administration in January rejected the College Board's Advanced Placement African American Studies course. DeSantis and Republican lawmakers also have pressed forward with measures that ban state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as critical race theory, and also passed the Stop WOKE Act that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses.

In its warning for Hispanic travelers considering a visit to Florida, LULAC cited a new law that prohibits local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to people illegally in the country and invalidates out-of-state driver's licenses held by undocumented immigrants, among other things. The law also requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a citizenship question on intake forms, which critics have said is intended to dissuade immigrants living in the U.S. illegally from seeking medical care.

"The actions taken by Governor DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state," said Lydia Medrano, a LULAC vice president for the Southeast region.

Recent efforts to limit discussion on LGBTQ topics in schools, the removal of books with gay characters from school libraries, a recent ban on gender-affirming care for minors, new restrictions on abortion access and a law allowing Floridians to carry concealed guns without a permit contributed to Equality Florida's warning.

"Taken in their totality, Florida's slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose a serious risk to the health and safety of those traveling to the state," Equality Florida's advisory said.

___

From Stonewall to today: 50+ years of modern LGBTQ+ history 1969: Stonewall Riots 1969: Gay Liberation Front forms 1972: Sweden allows people to legally change gender 1972: UK has first Pride parade 1973: Lambda Legal forms 1973: Homosexuality is no longer classified as a mental illness 1974: First openly lesbian officials elected 1977: First openly gay man elected 1979: First national LGBTQ+ march 1981: Norway enacts anti-discrimination laws 1982: Wisconsin passes LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination law 1983: BiPOL forms 1984: HIV discovered 1986: Bowers v. Hardwick 1986: New York passes anti-discrimination bill 1987: UK opens first HIV/AIDS clinic 1987: Barney Frank comes out as gay 1987: ACT UP 1988: National Coming Out Day starts 1989: Denmark legalizes same-sex unions 1990: First Pride parade in South Africa 1994: 'Don't ask, don't tell' enacted 1994: American Medical Association opposes conversion therapy 1995: Gay and lesbian workers can get government security clearance 1996: High schooler starts Gay-Straight Alliance 1997: Ellen DeGeneres comes out 1998: Bisexual flag created 2000: Vermont recognizes same-sex unions 2000: Netherlands recognizes same-sex marriage 2002: New York City passes LGBTQ+ rights law 2003: US legalizes consensual same-sex acts 2004: Massachusetts performs first same-sex marriage 2009: Hate Crimes Prevention Act 2010: Same-sex marriage legal in Iceland 2011: 'Don't ask, don't tell' repealed 2012: First openly LGBTQ+ senator 2013: Supreme Court recognizes same-sex marriage 2014: Transgender students get federal protection 2014: First transgender person nominated for Emmy 2015: US legalizes same-sex marriage 2016: Ban lifted on transgender troops 2017: First openly transgender state legislator elected 2018: 'Rainbow wave' in politics 2019: Taiwan passes same-sex marriage 2019: Transgender troops banned from military 2019: Mayor Pete runs for president 2019: Being transgender no longer a 'disorder' 2020: NYC Pride March canceled by coronavirus 2021: Biden reverses Trump-era ban on transgender people in the military 2021: Switzerland and Japan make strides toward marriage equality 2022: Hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in US states 2022: First openly lesbian women elected governor 2023: Gender-Affirming Care
" " A comparison of some of the tallest buildings throughout history. Jose Miguel Hernandez/Getty Images

America's Empire State Building and the Sears Tower were, at different times, the tallest buildings in the world. But they've been eclipsed by some truly giant structures. Engineering tools and building capabilities have come a long way in the last couple of decades, as buildings continue to reach ever-skyward at a rapid pace.

That doesn't diminish the importance of those early skyscrapers, though. The first such building was erected in Chicago in 1885. Called The Home Insurance Building, it was held together using a then-innovative steel frame and stood 10 stories tall (although two more were added in 1890). The landmark was brought down in 1931 and replaced by an even taller structure.

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Although it's long gone, The Home Insurance Building and other early towers like it taught architects and structural engineers a thing or two about protecting skyscrapers from elements like wind and lightning, as well as elevator construction, plumbing and electricity. The current tallest buildings in the world have these earlier ones to thank for their current status. Here are the top seven in reverse order:
The Clean Air Act was born out of the modern environmental movement, which began in earnest in the late 1950s and ultimately led to the creation of the EPA.

This federal air quality law regulates air emissions from stationary sources (factories, refineries, boilers, power plants) and mobile sources (passenger cars and trucks, commercial trucks and busses), and authorizes the EPA to establish national air quality standards that dictate allowable levels of harmful pollutants  all with the goal of protecting us from air pollution.

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In the 50-plus years since the Clean Air Act was established, air quality has vastly improved. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have been spared pollution-related death and disease, and countless ecosystems have been saved.

Up to that point, regulating air pollutants was largely left up to individual states and local governments, says Albert C. Lin, professor of law at the University of California, Davis. But experts eventually determined that "air pollution is not just a state or local problem, it's a national or  as it turns out  a global problem," Lin says. "And one of the major rationales supporting [federal regulation] was that pollution doesn't stay within state boundaries ... We needed national level regulations to address these negative externalities that were not being addressed through state regulations."

The federal government's first legislative foray into environmental regulation was the Air Pollution Act of 1955, which provided funding for federal research into air pollution. That led to the Clean Air Act of 1963, which created a program to research techniques for monitoring and controlling air pollution. In 1967, the Air Quality Act was enacted to conduct extensive ambient monitoring studies and stationary source inspections.

But a major shift in the federal government's role in air pollution came with the enactment of the Clean Air Act of 1970.

" " Teamsters' Union members wearing gas masks walk a picket line around a varnish factory in Los Angeles demanding that the smog control board "do something" about the stench created by the plant in 1949. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 24)  The House Committee on Women and Gender Equality has approved the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, or Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) bill.

The panel's approval was confirmed by Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas on Tuesday after the committee deliberated on the technical working group report.

The report consolidated House Bills No. 222, 460, 3418, 3702, 4277, 5551, 6003, and 7036, and other proposed measures aiming to ban discrimination of people on the basis of their SOGIESC.

"This is a step towards the long-overdue enactment of legislation which will prohibit all forms of discrimination and harassment against the LGBTQIA+ community," Brosas said in a statement.

"Naninindigan kami na karapatan ng bawat miyembro ng LGBTQIA+ na makatamasa ng pantay na karapatan sa edukasyon, trabaho, serbisyong kalusugan, at iba pa ng walang takot at pangamba," she added.

[Translation: We stand firm that it is the right of each member of the LGBTQIA+ community to have fair rights in education, work, healthcare services, and others without any fear.]

Several sectors have expressed concerns on the pace of the bill's legislative procedures under the House of Representatives and the Senate.

READ: Transgender lawmaker: SOGIE bill delaying tactics pathetic, desperate

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva has accused SOGIESC bill advocates of working on the legalization of same-sex marriage in the country.

Brosas hopes both chambers of Congress "will heed the call of the Filipino people" by passing the bill to address the "long-standing discrimination against LGBTQIA+ in Philippine society."
A digital rendering of the Green Mosque in Balkh, Afghanistan, a 16th Century building. MIT's Ways of Seeing project, directed by Fotini Christia, a professor, is a historic preservation effort recording architecture through digital imaging, Extended Reality techniques, and hand-drawn architectural renderings. A group on the ground first took thousands of on-site photos, many of which were later assembled by MIT PhD candidate Nikolaos Vlavianos into this digital image. The project will be accessible through the MIT Libraries by the end of June 2023. Credit: Image: Nikolaos Vlavianos

The shrine of Khwaja Abu Nasr Parsa is a spectacular mosque in Balkh, Afghanistan. Also known as the "Green Mosque" due to the brilliant color of its tiled and painted dome, the intricately decorated building dates to the 16th century.

If it were more accessible, the Green Mosque would attract many visitors. But Balkh is located in northern Afghanistan, roughly 50 miles from the border with Uzbekistan, and few outsiders will ever reach it. Still, anyone can now get a vivid sense of the mosque thanks to MIT's new "Ways of Seeing" project, an innovative form of historic preservation.

"Ways of Seeing" uses multiple modes of imagery to produce a rich visual record of four historic building sites in Afghanistanincluding colorful 3-D still images, virtual reality imagery that takes viewers around and in some cases inside the structures, and exquisite hand-drawn architectural renderings of the buildings. The project's imagery will be made available for viewing through the MIT Libraries by the end of June, with open access for the public. A subset of curated project materials will also be available through Archnet, an open access resource on the built environment of Muslim societies, which is a collaboration between the Aga Khan Documentation Center of the MIT Libraries and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

"After the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, Associate Provost Richard Lester convened a set of MIT faculty in a working group to think of what we as a community of scholars could be doing that would be meaningful to people in Afghanistan at this point in time," says Fotini Christia, an MIT political science professor who led the project. "'Ways of Seeing is' a project that I conceived after discussions with that group of colleagues and which is truly in the MIT tradition: It combines field data, technology, and art to protect heritage and serve the world."

Christia, the Ford International Professor of the Social Sciences and director of the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center at the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, has worked extensively in Afghanistan conducting field research about civil society. She viewed this project as a unique opportunity to construct a detailed, accessible record of remarkable heritage sitesthrough sophisticated digital elements as well as finely wrought ink drawings.

"The idea is these drawings would inspire interest and pride in this heritage, a kind of amazement and motivation to preserve this for as long as humanly possible," says Jelena Pejkovic MArch '06, a practicing architect who made the large-scale renderings by hand over a period of months.

Pejkovic adds: "These drawings are extremely time-consuming, and for me this is part of the motivation. They ask you to slow down and pay attention. What can you take in from all this material that we have collected? How do you take time to look, to interpret, to understand what is in front of you?"

The project's "digital transformation strategy" was led by Nikolaos Vlavianos, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Architecture's Design and Computation group. The group uses cutting-edge technologies and drones to make three-dimensional digital reconstructions of large-scale architectural sites and create immersive experiences in extended reality (XR). Vlavianos also conducts studies of the psychological and physiological responses of humans experiencing such spaces in XR and in person.

"I regard this project as an effort toward a broader architectural metaverse consisting of immersive experiences in XR of physical spaces around the world that are difficult or impossible to access due to political, social, and even cultural constraints," says Vlavianos. "These spaces in the metaverse are information hubs promoting an embodied experiential approach of living, sensing, seeing, hearing, and touching."

Nasser Rabbat, the Aga Khan Professor and director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at MIT, also offered advice and guidance on the early stages of the project.

The projectformally titled "Ways of Seeing: Documenting Endangered Built Heritage in Afghanistan"encompasses imaging of four quite varied historical sites in Afghanistan.

These are the Green Mosque in Balkh; the Parwan Stupa, a Buddhist dome south of Kabul; the tomb of Gawhar Saad, in Herat, in honor of the queen of the emperor of the Timurid, who was herself a highly influential figure in the 14th and 15th centuries; and the Minaret of Jam, a remarkable 200-foot tall tower dating to the 12th century, next to the Hari River in a distant spot in western Afghanistan.

The sites thus encompass multiple religions and a diversity of building types. Many are in remote locations within Afghanistan that cannot readily be accessed by visitorsincluding scholars.

"Ways of Seeing" is supported by a Mellon Faculty Grant from the MIT Center for Art, Science, and Technology (CAST), and by faculty funding from the MIT School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS). It is co-presented with the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center (SSRC) at the MIT Schwarzman College of Computing, the MIT Department of Political Science, and SHASS.

Two students from Wellesley College participating in MIT's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), seniors Meng Lu and Muzi Fang, also worked on the project under the guidance of Vlavianos to create a video game for children involving the Gawhar Saad heritage site.

To generate the imagery, the MIT team worked with an Afghan digital production team that was on the ground in the country; they went to the four sites and took thousands of pictures, having been trained remotely by Vlavianos to perform a 3-D scanning aerial operation. They were led by Shafic Gawhari, the managing director for Afghanistan at the Moby Group, an international media enterprise; others involved were Mohammad Jan Kamal, Nazifullah Benaam, Warekzai Ghayoor, Rahm Ali Mohebzada, Mohammad Harif Ghobar, and Abdul Musawer Anwari.

The journalists documented the sites by collecting 15,000 to 30,000 images, while Vlavianos computationally generated point clouds and mesh geometry with detailed texture mapping. The outcome of those models consisted of still images, immersive experiences in XR, and data for Pejkovic.

"'Ways of Seeing' proposes a hybrid model of remote data collection," says Vlavianos, who in his time at MIT has also led similar projects at Machu Picchu in Peru, and the Simonos Petra monastery at Mount Athos, Greece. To produce similar imagery even more easily, he says, "The next stepwhich I am working onis to utilize autonomous drones deployed simultaneously in various locations on the world for rapid production and advanced neural network algorithms to generate models from lower number of images."

In the future, Vlavianos envisions documenting and reconstructing other sites around the world using crowdsourcing data, historical images, satellite imagery, or even by having local communities learn XR techniques.

Pejkovic produced her drawings based on the digital models assembled by Vlavianos, carefully using a traditional rendering technique in which she would first outline the measurements of each structure, at scale, and then gradually ink in the drawings to give the buildings texture. The inking technique she used is based on VERNADOC, a method of documenting vernacular architecture developed by the Finnish architect Markku Mattila.

"I wanted to rediscover the most traditional possible kind of documentationmeasuring directly by hand, and drawing by hand," says Pejkovic. She has been active in conservation of cultural heritage for over 10 years.

The first time Pejkovic ever saw this type of hand-drawn renderings in person, she recalls thinking, "This is not possible, a human being cannot make drawings like this." However, she wryly adds, "You know the motto at MIT is 'mens et manus,' mind and hand." And so she embarked on hand drawing these renderings herself, at a large scaleher image of the Minaret of Jam has been printed in a crisp 8-foot version by the MIT team.

"The ultimate intent of this project has been to make all these outputs, which are co-owned with the Afghans who carried out the data collection on the ground, available to Afghan refugees displaced around the world but also accessible to anyone keen to witness them," Christia says. "The digital twins [representations] of these sites are also meant to work as repositories of information for any future preservation efforts. This model can be replicated and scaled for other heritage sites at risk from wars, environmental disaster, or cultural appropriation."

Provided by Massachusetts Institute of Technology

This story is republished courtesy of MIT News (web.mit.edu/newsoffice/), a popular site that covers news about MIT research, innovation and teaching.
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HARTSVILLE, S.C.  The South Carolina Governors School for Science & Mathematics Foundation has announced the creation of the Waraich Endowment to Honor Dr. Carolyne Williams.

The endowment is a scholarship fund to help GSSM students and recognize Williams for her lifetime achievements as an educator, leader and longtime member of the GSSM Board of Trustees.

The endowment was made possible by a gift from Dr. Afsar Waraich.

It will provide financial support to qualifying GSSM students for expenses like meal plans, interim courses and travel.

Carolyne dedicated her life to the education of South Carolina students, GSSM President Danny Dorsel said. We were blessed by her dedication and talent when she served for 19 years on our Board of Trustees and as board chair. Carolyne was instrumental in the schools growth in enrollment and statewide STEM programs, enabling GSSM to serve more students across our state.

GSSM and the GSSM Foundation are very grateful to Dr. Waraich and other parents, alumni and friends who generously give back to the Governors School by establishing an endowed gift that will live on and help future generations of GSSM students transform their lives, said GSSM Foundation Executive Director Beth Dinndorf.

Waraich is the father of GSSM graduates Haakim (2019) and Hannah (2020). Waraich said he hopes that others will be inspired by Williams love and commitment to education and will contribute to grow this endowed fund and the number of students it helps each year.

Carolyne was a selfless person who gave her best to the Barnwell School system, GSSM and every life she touched, Waraich said. Her dedication and passion has helped countless students to achieve their goals and reach their full potential. She was an outstanding person and a true friend.

Williams served on the GSSM Board of Trustees from September 2000 to July 2020 and served as chair from July 2019 to July 2020. She was born in Wetumpka, Ala., and later moved to South Carolina and graduated from Ninety Six High School. She earned a bachelors in elementary education from Winthrop College and a masters in counseling from the University of South Carolina. She became an educational specialist in administration with a concentration in finance.

Williams served Barnwell School District 45 for 33 years in variety of roles, including as a teacher from 1975 to 1977, principal from 1977 to 1990, assistant superintendent from 1990 to 2003 and superintendent from 2003 to 2008. In addition, she served on numerous boards and committees throughout the community and state.
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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.  WBTW News 13 in Myrtle Beach recently announced the hiring of Katie Turner as new host of daily lifestyle show Living Local Carolina which airs weekdays at 9:30 a.m.

Turner will officially join WBTW June 19.

Turner moves from sister station WCBD News 2 in Charleston. Both WBTW and WCBD are owned by Nexstar Media, Inc.

Since June 2021, Turner has hosted WCBDs Loving Living Local lifestyle show. She joined WCBD in June 2019 as news reporter. She graduated from University of South Carolina with a degree in broadcast journalism.

As much as I enjoyed Charleston and WCBD, Im excited to be relocating to Myrtle Beach and WBTW Turner said. My partner, who is a medical student, recently matched Grand Strand Medical Center where he will begin his residency in anesthesiology. We could not be more thrilled to move to Myrtle Beach and explore our new home.

Its a great opportunity for WBTW to have someone with Katies hosting experience join our staff. Shes not only talented in front of the camera, but shoots and edits her own stories, too. Were glad we can keep her in the Nexstar family, WBTW News 13 Vice-President and General Manager Robert Raff said,

WBTW News 13 is the CBS affiliate serving the Myrtle Beach/Florence market. Its owned by Nexstar Media, Inc., with headquarters in Irving, Texas.
 "Risk Averse and Disinclined: What COVID Prison Releases Demonstrate About the Availability of the United States to Reduce Mass Incarceration" | Main | "Calculating Torture: Analysis of Federal, State, and Local Data Showing More Than 122,000 People in Solitary Confinement in U.S. Prisons and Jails" 

May 22, 2023

Extended discussion of issues surrounding upcoming federal sentencing of Oath Keepers

Over at Lawfare, Roger Parloff has this remarkable new piece titled "Should Nine Oath Keepers Receive Terror-Enhanced Sentences?". This lengthy piece examines an array of intricate sentencing issues and it starts this way:

This week, a federal judge will begin handing down sentences for nine members of the Oath Keepers paramilitary group for their roles in the Jan. 6 insurrection, including six convicted of seditious conspiracy. The government seeks 25 years imprisonment for the groups founder and leader that day, Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, and sentences ranging from 10 to 21 years for the other eight. Six of those sentences, if imposed, would become the longest to date for any Capitol Siege rioter. The sentences, which will be imposed by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta of Washington, D.C., raise difficult questions with no close precedents. Although at least 15 people have been sentenced for seditious conspiracy since the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines took effect in 1987, all previous cases involved people prosecuted for conduct tantamount to waging war against the United States, a term of art in the sentencing guidelines that the government concedes is not met here.

Among many other items noted, this piece notes that, in some of these cases, federal prosecutors are seeking enhanced punishment based on acquitted conduct:

Three of the nine defendants being sentenced were acquitted of seditious conspiracy. One of those defendants was actually acquitted of all three conspiracy counts charged. Yet, for sentencing purposes, the government treats those three the same as if theyd been convicted of all counts. It is true that under controlling D.C. Circuit precedent, a sentencing judge can take into account conduct for which a defendant has been acquitted if the judge believes the conduct was nevertheless proven by the lower preponderance-of-the-evidence standard  which is all that is required for sentencing purposes. Nevertheless, as Ill discuss later, I will be surprised if Judge Mehta effectively overrides the jury verdict in this manner.... Absent the conspiracy allegations of which Caldwell was acquitted, Caldwells acts would have most likely resulted in either no charges at all or class A misdemeanor charges carrying a maximum one-year jail term. Yet the government seeks 14 years imprisonment for him  just two months less than career criminal Schwartz received for, inter alia, four assaults with a dangerous weapon on police officers.

Prior related post:

May 22, 2023 at 10:48 PM | Permalink

Comments

The defendants present very moving arguments for leniency. I do not have a heart of stone. I am indeed moved. It is therefore with mixed emotions and with a heavy heart that I must agree with the the government's sentencing recommendations in every respect. So ordered!

Posted by: judge anon | May 23, 2023 7:22:55 PM

Latest news from the defense bar:

In: Throw away the key.

Out: You can't judge a person by the worst moment of his life.

You gotta love the defense bar, really. They pretend to be so compassionate -- until they see a politically incorrect defendant, and then the snarling begins. It's enough to give hypocrisy a bad name.

Posted by: Bill Otis | May 24, 2023 9:54:51 AM

I'll note (again) that even the high end of government recommendations are still much lower than the sentences imposed the last time that a (smaller) group violently took over the capitol.

Posted by: tmm | May 24, 2023 10:40:53 AM

Bill:

Is there some spokesperson for the defense bar that has taken this position? I am not aware of any. Check your prejudice.

My thoughts are: (1) the cert petitions on acquitted conduct remain pending. If I were a judge, I would be very hesitant to consider acquitted conduct at sentencing right now and as a defense lawyer, I don't think acquitted conduct should be considered. However, 18 USC 3661 says "[n]o limitation shall be placed on the information concerning the background, character or conduct of a person . . ." for the purpose of determining what sentence to impose. That statutory language is what prompted DOJ to tell the Sentencing Commission they had no authority to address acquitted conduct. I think the Constitution trumps the statute, but I am hoping the Supreme Court will grant cert in one or more of these cases and answer that question.

(2) I don't think the terrorism enhancement should apply if the article is correct that their convictions don't meet the definition in the statute. The text of 3A1.4 is not ambiguous and the commentary that recommends a departure is just commentary post-Kisor.

(3) These cases pose a tough challenge under the 3553(a) factors. On the one hand, they have no criminal history. On the other, this is not a run of the mill obstruction of an officer case. And if they had gotten their hands on Pence or a member of Congress, who knows what would have happened. My guess is the judge will do less than the government wants, but still lengthy sentences. General and specific deterrence may feature prominently in the analysis. I rarely think general deterrence is a practical thing to achieve in any one case, but with the publicity here, maybe that's different. I don't know.

Posted by: defenergirl | May 24, 2023 1:37:10 PM

defendergirl --

"Is there some spokesperson for the defense bar that has taken this position? I am not aware of any."

judge anon, above: "The defendants present very moving arguments for leniency. I do not have a heart of stone. I am indeed moved. It is therefore with mixed emotions and with a heavy heart that I must agree with the the government's sentencing recommendations in every respect. So ordered!"

And read the comments section for a while to see how graphically the attitude toward the Jan 6 defendants contrasts with the more typical attitude toward defendants.

"Check your prejudice."

Check you zealousness for child rapists.

Posted by: Bill Otis | May 24, 2023 3:49:49 PM

"you gotta love the defense bar, really. They pretend to be so compassionate -- until they see a politically incorrect defendant, and then the snarling begins. It's enough to give hypocrisy a bad name." Somewhat over-heated and overbroad, wouldn't you say? Bill Otis, why do you assume Judge Anon is a defense attorney? Seems more like a tongue in cheek comment from a prosecutor or judge. In any event, my experience it's usually the prosecutors who are the hypocrites. In all their self-righteousness and holier than thou arrogance, they hide exculpatory evidence, intimidate witnesses, and put words in the mouths of their cooperating rats.

Posted by: anon3 | May 24, 2023 5:20:15 PM

anon3 --

"In all their self-righteousness and holier than thou arrogance, they hide exculpatory evidence, intimidate witnesses, and put words in the mouths of their cooperating rats."

Could you tell us who represents those "cooperating rats"? Defense lawyers maybe?

Goodness gracious.

Posted by: Bill Otis | May 24, 2023 11:12:44 PM

Anon3,

I love your use of the word, rats. You said the quiet part out loud.

Is your, Snitches get stitches, hoodie in the wash?

Posted by: TarlsQtr | May 26, 2023 3:49:04 PM

TarlsQtr --

I wonder if some in the defense bar could tell us their own role in making sure the stitches get delivered. Having a member of the gang flip on your client can't be a good feeling, and we can't have that!

Posted by: Bill Otis | May 27, 2023 5:29:45 PM

Post a comment
People wait at an observation area after their vaccination at a coronavirus disease vaccination centre in March, 2021. (Reuters file photo)

SINGAPORE  Amid a surge of COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations in recent weeks, health officials are advising individuals aged 60 and above, as well as those who are medically vulnerable, to receive the updated bivalent vaccine booster approximately one year after their last booster dose.

They can begin receiving the booster as early as five months after their previous dose.

According to a media statement on Monday (22 May) by the Ministry of Health's (MOH) expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination, many hospitalised COVID-19 patients had not received the updated bivalent vaccine dose and were not up to date with their vaccinations, leaving them more vulnerable.

The committee emphasised that a significant number of these hospital admissions could have been prevented through vaccination, even for minimum protection.

"The minimum protection continues to be sustained against severe disease for more than one year after it is achieved," it said in its media statement.

Additionally, they highlighted that the bivalent vaccine boosters offer enhanced protection against the Omicron strains, which have been responsible for the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

For adults, minimum protection entails receiving one of the following:

Three doses of the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or the Novavax or Nuvaxovid vaccines;

Four doses of the Sinovac-CoronaVac vaccine.

Amplifying protection and reducing hospitalisation risks

According to data on the Ministry of Health website, there has been a notable increase in hospitalisations due to COVID-19 from 26 February to 13 May this year.

For example, between 7 and 13 May, an average of 336 people were hospitalised each day, with around 285 of them being aged 60 and older.

In contrast, during the period from 26 February to 4 March, there was an average of 44 daily hospitalisations, with 35 of them being individuals aged 60 and older.

The committee stressed that vaccination is essential to achieve a "good level of protection" against COVID-19 severe disease, particularly among those aged 60 and above.

While acknowledging that COVID-19 vaccines carry some risks, it said that the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks. They noted that the most common side effects are mild and resolve completely.

The committee stated, "The risk of serious side effects from vaccination is very low, approximately seven in 100,000 persons locally, and is even lower with the bivalent mRNA boosters.

"In contrast, the risks of severe illness from COVID-19, including breathing difficulties and even death, can be as high as around seven in 100 persons among unvaccinated seniors... Vaccination reduces the risk of severe illness by more than 80 percent."

More than 17 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered in Singapore, and more than 13 billion doses have been administered around the world, the committee added.

PM Lee tested positive for Covid-19, received recent booster in November

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Monday via a Facebook post that he has tested positive for COVID-19.

This is the first time he has contracted COVID-19 since the pandemic started. Despite the diagnosis, the 71-year-old Prime Minister mentioned that he is generally feeling alright.

He also mentioned that he received his most recent COVID-19 booster shot in November.

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The MOE portal also contains information on the P1 registration process, which will run from 4 July to 31 October

Primary school children playing with digital tablet (left) and Ministry of Education Singapore logo (Photos: Getty Images and Ministry of Education, Singapore/Facebook)

SINGAPORE  From this year on, parents in Singapore will be able to use the new online Primary 1 registration portal for all five phases (1, 2A, 2B, 2C and 2C Supplementary).

The was revealed by the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Tuesday (23 May) as it announced that the 2023 P1 registration exercise will run from 4 July to 31 October.

The portal - which also contains information on the P1 registration process, eligibility criteria and user guides - will replace the online application form (for Phases 1, 2A, and 2B) and the P1 Internet System (for Phases 2C and 2C Supplementary), and will go live on 4 July.

It can be accessed via the MOE P1 Registration website.

Only one parent with a valid Singpass with 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) is required to login and submit the registration via the portal. MOE advises parents to set up their Singpass 2FA early and ensure their Singpass account is valid before the commencement of the P1 Registration Exercise.

Parents who require assistance during registration may contact the school of their choice via email or telephone on the respective registration days between 9am to 4.30pm.

Registration for International Students

International students will register under Phase 3 of the P1 registration exercise by submitting an online "indication of interest" form via the MOE P1 registration website, from 9am on 30 May to 4.30pm on 5 June.

School admission at Phase 3 is not guaranteed. MOE will notify the applicants of the results via email by end October.

Previous years vacancies and balloting data to be available from this year

Starting this year, MOE will publish vacancies and balloting data from last years P1 registration exercise to better support parents in selecting primary schools for their child.

This will include the previous year's available vacancies, registration applicants, and balloting information in the relevant phases for each school.

Parents can also view a list of schools within two kilometres of their residence and check whether these schools were oversubscribed in specific phases during last years exercise.

As with previous years, information on the number of available vacancies in each school will be made available on the MOE P1 registration website from mid-June and will be updated during relevant phases.

MOEs Parents Gateway app

Parents of prospective P1 students can download and register for MOEs Parents Gateway app on their mobile devices (available on iOS and Android platforms) using their Singpass account.

The app allows parents to access the latest updates and information on the P1 Registration Exercise process and requirements, list down administrative tasks to be done before their child commences school and provide tips on how to support their childs transition to P1.

MOE would like to encourage parents to prepare early and check the MOE P1 Registration Exercise website for the latest updates.

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Arne Slot and his agent is today due to meet Feyenoord to discuss his future, when his potential move to Tottenham will become clearer.

Spurs are preparing a formal approach for Slot to become their new manager and the 44-year-old is thought to be open to a move to the Premier League.

Feyenoord have offered Slot a lucrative new contract after he guided them to the Eredivisie title this season and want to know whether he is committed to them.

Slot refused to play down links with Tottenham last week and his agent Rafaela Pimenta is due to meet Feyenoord to discuss his future.

Should Slot say he wants to leave then Spurs are set to accelerate their move for him.

Feyenoord would be due compensation which could reportedly be more than 12million.

Slot, who turned down interest from Leeds in January, has two years to run on his contract and Feyenoord general manager Dennis te Kloese has said he expects him to stay.

Arne Slot recently guided Feyenoord to the Eredivisie title (ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Tottenham are stepping up their manager search as they seek a permanent successor to Antonio Conte.

Spurs have held talks with former Spain and Barcelona manager Luis Enrique and admire Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim, Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi and Celtics Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham have insisted they do not intend to interview Julian Nagelsmann, despite reports over the weekend claiming they had reignited their interest in the former Bayern Munich boss.
'Worst yet to come' for Europe energy shortages: Qatar minister

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked an energy supply crisis, Europe dodged serious problems this past winter largely because of milder-than-expected temperatures but major supplier Qatar warns the same is unlikely to happen again

Qatar's energy minister warned on Tuesday the "worst is yet to come" for Europe's oil and gas shortages, saying a warm winter had prevented greater difficulties in recent months.

"The only thing that saved humanity and Europe this year was a warm winter, and the slowdown in the economy," Qatari Energy Minister Saad Al-Kaabi told the Qatar Economic Forum.

"If the economy starts churning back up in (2024) and you have just a regular winter, I think the worst is yet to come."

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine sparked an energy supply crisis, Europe dodged serious problems this past winter largely because of milder-than-expected temperatures.

But Kaabi and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, both told the conference that an energy crunch was looming.

"If they don't realise that and have a proper plan and sit down with producers and oil and gas companies are not demonised, reality will kick in and we'll have a sensible solution," Kaabi said.

th/tw/kir
2023 Sake Festival Singapore: Dates, Tickets, Venue And Everything Else We Know

Sake Festival Singapore 2023

Taste exceptionally rare sakes at Sake Festival Singapore 2023, when the countrys oldest and largest nihonshu celebration returns on 17 June.

The event will take place for one day only at Suntec City Convention Hall offering premium sakes by the glass, together with more than 300 labels, Japanese beers, and regional snacks.

In the lead-up to the festival, consumers can join in a sake and food pairing dinner hosted by leading sake expert, Chiba Marie.

Sake Festival Singapore debuted here in 2013, and is currently the longest-running sake gathering. Organised by Robertson Quay liquor store and bar, Orihara Shoten, this is the eighth edition after the last one in 2019.

(Image credit: Orihara Shoten)

What to expect at Sake Festival Singapore 2023

This years festival will feature more than 300 types of sake, with over 35 sake breweries represented by their toji (master brewers) and brewers. For the first time in the events history, several ultra-premium sake will be available by the glass, including Tatenokawa Junmai Daigonjo Komyo, the worlds first sake to feature a rice polishing rate of one percent. Others range from Dassai Beyond to Ohmines Storm Cowboy series, developed in collaboration with fashion brand, Human Made. These high-end examples will be sold for S$10 to S$15 per glass.

Rice is not the only grain brewing here. Sake Festival Singapore 2023 will also have a range of Suntory beers from their core Premium Malt to the highly limited Masters Dream. The beers are included in the ticket price.

For food, the Yamagata Prefectural government will have a booth to promote snacks from the region. The festival is not permitted to have cooked food on the premise, unlike previous years.

Sake sommelier Chiba Marie (Image credit: Japan International Broadcasting Inc.)

In the run-up to the festival, a sake dinner will be hosted by Chiba Marie, a trailblazing sake expert. Marie is an educator who runs the popular sake bar Eureka! in Tokyo and is one of 84 Sake Samurais in the world, a prestigious award given to people who promote the drink.

On 15 June, Marie will host an eight-course sake pairing dinner at Tori-tama Shirokane featuring yakitori dishes and highlights from Eureka!. The food will be paired with sakes curated by Marie, including her own collaborative brew with Tochigi Prefecture brewery Senkin that is not available anywhere else except at her bar.

The sake pairing dinner is priced at S$220 per person, and 35 seats are available. Entry to Sake Festival Singapore 2023 costs S$60 per person.

Culture

Worlds 50 Best Bars 2023: Singapore Will Be The First Asian Country To Host The Exciting Event

Food & Drink

Origin Bar Has A New Cocktail Menu With 18 Delicious Drinks To Choose From

Sake Festival Singapore 2023

17 June, 2pm  7pm

S$60 per ticket

Suntec City Convention Hall, Level 3, Summit Hall 1

Get tickets here

(Hero and feature images credit: Image credit: Ohmine Shuzou  / Facebook; Orihara Shoten)

This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Singapore
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The University of Chicagos computing ambitions took a quantum leap forward Sunday with a commitment of $150 million in funding from IBM and Google to build the worlds most powerful computer.

The partnership with the University of Tokyo, announced at the G7 summit in Japan, will seek to create the first quantum supercomputer, building up the technology over the next decade to a processing power that would dwarf any computer in current use.

The funding will also support research and training needed to operate the supercomputer.

It would solve problems that current supercomputers cant solve, said Fred Chong, a computer science professor at the University of Chicago. Things like developing new materials or fertilizers or drug discovery, certain kinds of computations that are just too complex for the machines that we have now.

The agreement to develop the quantum computer technology was engineered by former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, now serving as U.S. ambassador to Japan, who was part of the signing ceremony Sunday with top leaders from IBM, Google and the two universities.

IBM will invest $100 million over 10 years to develop the supercomputer, while Google is committing up to $50 million to support quantum computing research and workforce training. The ultimate goal is to build a computer powered by 100,000 qubits  the basic unit of information in quantum computing.

The most powerful quantum computing chip today is a 433-qubit processor unveiled by IBM in November. A qubit is capable of faster and far more complex computations than a classic binary chip.

Building a quantum computer is an ambitious undertaking that requires partnership, Hartmut Neven, vice president of Google Quantum AI, said in a statement.

An emerging field, quantum technology operates at the subatomic level, building devices that detect, harness and leverage the tiniest particles to make potentially enormous advances in a wide range of applications. The University of Chicago has been at the forefront of the technology, helping the region become a leading global hub for quantum development and research.

Building the worlds first quantum supercomputer would be a significant boost, Chong said. The biggest challenge, he said, is the lack of a blueprint for making one.

We wouldnt be able to build it with todays technology, Chong said. It uses too many resources, actually, which is why were creating this effort.

For example, quantum computers need to operate at a temperature close to absolute zero. Like some massive 1960s-era UNIVAC computer, the quantum supercomputer would be too large without advancements in technology, requiring hundreds of refrigerators just to keep its cool while calculating, Chong said.

Both universities will develop prototypes over the next decade, hopefully progressing up to 1,000, 10,000 and ultimately 100,000 qubits of processing power, Chong said.

Once built, the quantum supercomputer would be exponentially more powerful than any classical computer. While the possibilities are endless, Chong said he has one application at the top of his supercomputer to-do list: fertilizer.

A good one that has been proposed is to understand nitrogen fixation, Chong said. Essentially creating fertilizers using the least energy possible, with less energy producing food more efficiently.
(CNN)  In his first speech to a major regional summit in more than a decade, Syrias Bashar al-Assad on Friday told fellow Arab states that a new world order called for a rearranging of international affairs without Western interference.

Assad, 57, was warmly welcomed by summit host Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, 37. In a landmark meeting, the two leaders were seen embracing before posing to be photographed together. During his address, Assad presented himself as an elder statesman, lecturing his neighbors about the need to take advantage of changes in global politics.

In a move seen by observers as a victory for the former pariah, the Syrian president made a comeback at the Arab League meeting nearly 12 years after being shunned by the international community over his brutal suppression of an uprising that sought to unseat him.

Today we are faced with an opportunity of change in the global order, which has become multipolar due to the hegemony of the West, which is devoid of principles, morals, friends or partners, Assad told the summit, held in the Saudi port city of Jeddah. It is a historic opportunity to rearrange our affairs with the least amount of Western interference.

Talk of multipolarity and a changing world order may have resonated with his Saudi hosts and other regional heavyweights like the United Arab Emirates, both of whom have been reassessing their international relations in ways that havent been entirely in line with the wishes of their traditional Western allies. In his opening remarks, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that Arab nations have no choice but to work together as a bloc in the face of multipolar pressures.

Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been at the forefront of Syrias regional rehabilitation even as the regime remains under heavy American sanctions. They have also mended ties with Iran, one of the most heavily sanctioned nations on earth, and touted investments in the country. Meanwhile, their links with Russia and China have only grown.

The fact that the Arab world now is normalizing is clearly a very good sign for Assad, because he sees it as the Arab world joining him in opposition to the US, Joshua Landis, a Syria specialist and director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, told CNN, adding that Syria will count on the Arab world to defy the United States and Europe, and drag them along, kicking and screaming, towards normalization with Syria.

Arab states have stressed that as the world becomes increasingly polarized following Russias invasion of Ukraine, they will not be dragged into an East-West rivalry. But theyre also wary of alienating their Western allies, on whom they have been economically and militarily dependent for decades.

Four days after Syrias readmission into the Arab League, a number of US lawmakers introduced an Assad Anti-Normalization Act, which aims to bar the US from normalizing ties with Assad, as well as tighten sanctions against the regime and prevent it from finding loopholes to survive financially.

In an interview with France24 a week before the summit, the Arab Leagues Assistant Secretary General Hossam Zaki said that while many Arab countries have expressed readiness to help Syria rebuild, all states are aware of the existing sanctions and do not intend to breach them.

No party has the wish or intention of clashing with the US on this issue, Zaki said. No one has the intention of standing up to these sanctions or to deal with them as if they do not exist No one wants to take a risk in that direction.

That raises questions as to whether a pariah regime like Syria can be rehabilitated internationally without the Wests blessing.

Damascus may be looking at two of its closest allies as examples of resilience in the face of punitive international measures. Western states piled sanctions on Russia and virtually severed energy ties with it in an effort to cripple its economy after it invaded Ukraine, but that hasnt resulted in a palpable change in its behavior. Iran hasnt changed course either, and is in the process of mending ties with its former Arab foes.

Fridays Arab League summit was preceded by a number of high-level meetings in Jeddah, where the Syrian minister of economy and international trade, Mohammad Samer Al-Khalil, called on his Arab counterparts to invest in Syria in light of the current important opportunities, promising prospects and new laws that are attractive to investors, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported last week.

But observers have differed as to whether real economic cooperation with Syria is possible without access to the Western financial system, which has been blocked by Western sanctions on the country.

Mohammed Baharoon, director of the Dubai Public Policy Research Center, known as Bhuth, said that while there are several business opportunities in Syria, their success will be dependent on access to funding through banking systems.

The current sanctions are preventing it, and therefore there are no major investment projects, he told CNN. This however is not sustainable and its impact on the wellbeing of the Syrian people and the stability in the region is huge. This is not in the best interest of regional countries or (the) international community.

Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, DC, said that while business with Syria can only be done with limits, there are opportunities that dont need sanctions-busting or calling too much attention from the US Treasury Department.

Humanitarian and reconstruction work can be done under the auspices of various NGOs, the United Nations, and so on, he told CNN.

They can also try working with or through Russia, and possibly with and through Iran  although that carries its own obvious risks, he said, referring to Arab states that want to do business in Syia. They can also construct barter-like relationships and buy into long-term shares of things that are constructed in the form of direct transfers of regional currencies. There are plenty of ways of doing this.

Assads ultimate goal however, said Landis, is to get sanctions lifted with the help of Arab states.

Obviously Syria is too weak to get sanctions lifted on their own, and this Arab gambit, going back into the bosom of the Arab world, is the only path forward for him.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Assad banks on new global order to help his own rehabilitation"
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The U.S. surgeon general is calling for tech companies and lawmakers to take immediate action to protect kids' and adolescents' mental health on social media.

But after years of insufficient action by both social media platforms and policymakers, parents and young people still bear most of the burden in navigating the fast-changing, often harmful world of secretive algorithms, addictive apps and extreme and inappropriate content found on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

So what can parents and young people do now? Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has some tips.

Our children and adolescents dont have the luxury of waiting years until we know the full extent of social medias impact, Murthy said in an advisory released Tuesday. Their childhoods and development are happening now."

TIPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

 Reach out for help: If you or someone you know is being negatively affected by social media, reach out to a trusted friend or adult for help. Check the American Academy of Pediatrics' guidance on social media.

 Create boundaries: Limit the use of phones, tablets, and computers for at least one hour before bedtime and through the night to make sure you get enough sleep. Keep mealtimes and in-person gatherings devicefree to help build social bonds and engage in twoway conversations with others. Connect with people in person and make unplugged interactions a daily priority.

 Be cautious about what you share: Personal information about you has value. Be selective with what you post and share online and with whom, as it is often public and can be stored permanently. If you arent sure if you should post something, its usually best if you dont.

 Dont keep harassment or abuse a secret: Reach out to at least one person you trust, such as a close friend, family member, counselor, or teacher, who can give you the help and support you deserve. Visit stopbullying.gov for tips on how to report cyberbullying. If you have experienced online harassment and abuse by a dating partner, contact an expert at Love is Respect for support. If your private images have been taken and shared online without your permission, visit Take It Down to help get them removed.

TIPS FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS

 Create a family media plan: Agreed-upon expectations can help establish healthy technology boundaries at home  including social media use. A family media plan can promote open family discussion and rules about media use and include topics such as balancing screen/online time, content boundaries, and not disclosing personal information

 Create tech-free zones: Restrict the use of electronics at least one hour before bedtime and through the night. Keep meal times and other in-person gatherings tech-free. Help children develop social skills and nurture their inperson relationships by encouraging unstructured and offline connections with others.

 Model responsible behavior: Parents can set a good example of what responsible and healthy social media use looks like by limiting their own use, being mindful of social media habits (including when and how parents share information or content about their child), and modeling positive behavior on your social media accounts.

 Empower kids: Teach kids about technology and empower them to be responsible online participants at the appropriate age. Discuss with children the benefits and risks of social media as well as the importance of respecting privacy and protecting personal information in age-appropriate ways. Have conversations with children about who they are connecting with, their privacy settings, their online experiences, and how they are spending their time online.
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SIOUX CITY  Sioux City Community School District Board Director Perla Alarcon-Flory has announced that she will be relocating outside of the district in July.

Iowa statutes and district policy requires that the board take action on filling a vacant board member position whenever a board member resigns or leaves the district. The board is also required to fill the vacancy by appointment within 30 days after the vacancy occurs.

A person can be appointed and will hold the office until a successor is elected and qualified at the next regular school election, which will occur in November 2023.

When filling the vacancy, eligible electors have the right to file a petition with the board secretary requiring the vacancy be filled by special election. A person filling a vacancy at the special election would serve the remaining portion of Alarcon-Flory's term, which will concluded in November 2025.

Most recently, the Board of Directors appointed Bernie Scolaro to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Dr. Juline Albert. Scolaro was sworn in on Aug. 26, 2022.

Once a date for the vacancy has been identified and confirmed, the Board will publish notice of the Board's intent to fill the vacancy.
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SIOUX CITY  A Sioux City woman was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison for scamming a mother out of nearly $12,000 by faking a child welfare investigation.

Anna Perez-Joaquin, 40, pleaded guilty in March in Woodbury County District Court to one count of first-degree theft as a habitual offender. She must serve at least three years before she's eligible for parole.

Charges of extortion and commission of a specified unlawful activity influenced enterprise were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

The scheme began on Aug. 26, 2021, when Perez-Joaquin convinced the mother she and her children were the subject of an Iowa Department of Human Services investigation and tricked the mother into granting temporary custody of the kids to her. Perez-Joaquin had fake social workers visit the woman's home and send fake emails to her. Perez-Joaquin then used a fraudulent lawyer profile to get the mother to pay her $400 a month in child support and give Perez-Joaquin her child tax credit check and other monthly benefits the children received.

During a four-month period, Perez-Joaquin accepted at least 16 cash payments and bank transfers totaling approximately $11,874 from the mother. District Judge Steven Andreasen ordered Perez-Joaquin to pay restitution to the victim for that total plus any other subsequent damages the victim files.

Perez-Joaquin had plans to take the children to Mexico, court documents said.
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SIOUX CITY  The Sioux City Community School District and school board members state Iowa open records laws have not been violated in the ongoing dispute with former Sioux City Schools Superintendent Paul Gausman.

Gausman filed a petition in April claiming the district is continuing to deny an open records request made by Gausman in December and by doing so is violating Iowa open records laws.

The district and school board members filed a motion to dismiss on Friday denying the allegation, which prompted Gausman to file a resistance to the motion to dismiss on Monday, three days later.

The recent court filings are related to a lawsuit filed by Gausman in January.

The current superintendent of the Lincoln (Neb.) School District filed suit in Woodbury County District Court in January claiming school board members Dan Greenwell, Jan George, Taylor Goodvin and Bob Michaelson violated Iowa Open Meetings laws.

The suit alleges on Jan. 24, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2022, the board held special meetings and closed sessions to discuss Gausman and his professional qualifications.

In the process of seeking information discussed at said meetings, Gausman filed an open records request, which was denied. He is seeking minutes, notes and recordings of closed school board meetings that occurred on Jan. 24, 2022, March 28, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2022.

Gausman claims due to the alleged illegality of the closed meetings, the meetings were actually open meetings and he has a right to the information and therefore filed the petition in April.

"The meetings were and are ... open sessions and the records of those meetings were and are open and public records," according to the resistance to the motion to dismiss court documents.

He is asking for the requested documents to be provided and asks the court to order the district and school board members to refrain from improperly withholding and delaying records and provide records requests without unreasonable delay for one year on penalty of civil contempt. Gausman is also seeking damages, attorney fees and costs.

The motion to dismiss denies the claims and asks the court to dismiss all counts for lack of jurisdiction. In response, Gausman stated Iowa Code allows citizens to sue government entities to gain access to public records.

Greenwell, on behalf of the board, denied Gausman's open records request on Jan. 5, stating minutes and recordings of closed sessions were exempt from disclosure. The request was again denied on April 3.

Iowa Code states "The detailed minutes and audio recording of a closed session shall be sealed and shall not be public records open to public inspection."

Gausman claims the district has unreasonably delayed providing the information or providing a timeline on when the information would be given or denied.

Justice delayed is justice denied, according to the petition.

The motion to dismiss cites the Iowa Code regarding closed session minutes and states Greenwell responded to Gausman in a timely manner.

Gausman stated on Jan. 24, 2022, the board met in a closed session to discuss him and his professional qualifications and proposal to file a complaint against him with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.

The complaint claims Gausman attempted to bribe Michaelson and George on Nov. 17, 2021, before their official swearing-in on Nov. 22, 2022.

In the BOEE complaint, Greenwell references the Jan. 24 meeting, stating the board was given a detailed narrative of the alleged bribery offer.

To go into the closed session, the board cited the Iowa Code stating the closed session was to evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individuals reputation.

The code section specifically states that the individual being reviewed must request the closed session, as well as meet other requirements Gausman claims did not occur.

In the petition, Gausman stated he would have been entitled to require the meeting to be public and get public video, audio and minutes.

In the BOEE complaint, Greenwell also claims Gausman disclosed confidential information from a meeting on March 28, 222 to staff members. It states Gausman acquired information from the closed session from Board Member Perla Alarcon-Flory and shared it with cabinet members.

The closed session on March 28 cited a different code section stating the meeting was to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential.

After the meeting, Gausman claims Alarcon-Flory approached him, asking if it was legal to cite that code section when the session was not about confidential records but it was instead about Dr. Gausmans performance and personnel issues related to him.

Gausman believes this meeting was to lay the groundwork for filing an educational examiner's complaint. Because of this, he believes it was not a legal closed session and he is entitled to the minutes and recordings of the meeting.

On Nov. 30, 2022, the board held another special meeting and closed session to discuss Gausman, he alleges.

The board cited the same code section as March 28, stating the meeting was to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential.

This code section specifically states the board is only allowed to discuss the confidential record and Gausman claims it went beyond that.

He also alleges the board again discussed his professional competency, job performance and the possible filing of a complaint with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.

After the closed session ended and the board went into an open session, Goodvin made a motion to direct Greenwell to file the complaint. Scarlett and Scolaro abstained from the vote, and Alarcon-Flory was not present. The motion did not state who the complaint was being filed against. Greenwell filed the complaint on Dec. 2, 2022.

Gausman states he did not consent to the closed session and the district violated his right to fair notice and consent.

Because of the potential open meeting law violations, Gausman claims he is entitled to the information requested.
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SIOUX CITY -- The Sioux City Council on Monday voted 3-2 to approve the first reading of an ordinance which would expand the mileage requirement from 10 miles outside of city limits to 30 miles for potential employees seeking employment with the city.

Along with City Council member Alex Watters, Mayor Bob Scott voted nay on the amended ordinance.

"I'm a data guy and I just don't see raising the mileage requirement will have any impact in us attracting more police, fire or EMT applicants to the city," Scott said.

Mayor Pro Tem Dan Moore and City Council members Matthew O'Kane and Julie Schoenherr voted yes for the amended ordinance.

The ordinance will require a second and third reading in order to pass.

In other news, the Council approved Hebert Construction's $395,000 bid to demolish the former YMCA at 722 Nebraska St.

The old YMCA was built in 1956 and had sat empty since 2009, when the property was sold. It was replaced by the Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA, which is located on South Sioux City's riverfront.

"Hebert's bid was the lowest and they had done an extra excellent job in tearing down the old Bishop Heelan High School building," Scott said.

The Council also approved a $1.75 million contract to replace an aging well.

SuBSurfo, LLC, a South Sioux City general contractor, was the sole bidder for the well project when it went out for bid a few weeks ago. Their estimate, $1,756,205.35, was 53 percent higher than the engineer's estimate of $1,144,807, according to the City Council's agenda.

The project will replace Well No. 2, which was built in 1971.

The estimate completion date for the project is June 30, 2024. It will be paid for with Federal American Rescue Plan funds.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy both said they had a productive debt ceiling discussion late Monday at the White House, but there was no agreement as negotiators strained to raise the nation's borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default.

It's a crucial moment for the Democratic president and the Republican speaker, just 10 days before a looming deadline to raise the debt limit.

As soon as June 1, Treasury Secretary Janel Yellen said in a letter to Congress, it is highly likely the government will be unable to pay all the nation's bills. Such an unprecedented default would be financially damaging for many Americans and others around the world relying on U.S. stability, sending shockwaves through the global economy.

Each side praised the other's seriousness, but basic differences remained. They are at odds over how to trim annual budget deficits. Republicans are determined to cut spending while Biden's team offered to hold spending levels flat. Biden wants to increase some taxes on the wealthiest Americans and some big companies, but McCarthy said early on that that is out of the question.

The time of spending, just spending more money in America and government is wrong, McCarthy said after the Oval Office meeting.

In a brief post-meeting statement, Biden called the session productive but merely added that he, McCarthy and their lead negotiators will continue to discuss the path forward. Upbeat, McCarthy said their teams would work through the night.

Biden said all agreed that "default is not really on the table."

Though there is no agreement on basic issues, the contours of a deal seem within reach. A budget deal would unlock a separate vote to lift the debt ceiling, now $31 trillion, to allow more borrowing.

Negotiations are focused on finding compromise over a 2024 budget year cap that would be key to resolving the standoff. Republicans insisted next years spending be less than it is now, but the White House instead offered to hold spending flat at current 2023 numbers.

Republicans initially sought to roll back next years spending to 2022 levels, and impose 1% caps on spending growth for 10 years, though a later proposal narrowed that to about six years. The White House wants a two-year budget deal, keeping 2024 spending flat. They proposed a 1% cap on spending growth for 2025, according to a person familiar with the talks and granted anonymity to discuss them.

A compromise on those topline spending levels would enable McCarthy to deliver for conservatives, while not being so severe that it would chase off the Democratic votes that would be needed in the divided Congress to pass any bill.

"Were going to find a baseline that we agree to that will be less than what we spent this year," McCarthy said back at the Capitol.

Time is growing short. The House speaker promised lawmakers he will abide by the rule to post any bill for 72 hours before voting, making any action doubtful until the end of the week  just days before the potential deadline. The Senate would also have to pass the package before it could go to Biden's desk to be signed into law.

After a weekend of start-stop talks, both Biden and McCarthy have declared a need to close out a compromise deal. U.S. financial markets turned down last week after negotiations paused amid a jittery economy.

Biden and McCarthy spoke by phone Sunday while the president was returning home on Air Force One after the Group of Seven summit in Japan.

Biden used his concluding news conference in Hiroshima, Japan, to say he had done his part by agreeing to spending cuts and to warn, Its time for Republicans to accept that there is no deal to be made solely, solely, on their partisan terms.

Now its time for the other side to move from their extreme position, he said.

The call between the two revived talks, and negotiators met for 2 1/2 hours at the Capitol late Sunday evening. Negotiators were back at it again for nearly three hours Monday morning ahead of the session at the White House. The White House team returned late Monday night for nearly two hours at the Capitol, leaving before midnight upbeat but with little comment.

But McCarthy continued to blame Biden for having refused to engage earlier on the debt ceiling, an issue that is often linked to the federal budget.

GOP lawmakers have been holding tight to demands for sharper spending cuts with caps on future spending, rejecting the alternatives proposed by the White House that call for reducing deficits in part with new revenue from taxes.

McCarthy has insisted personally in his conversations with Biden that tax hikes are off the table.

Republicans also want work requirements on the Medicaid health care program, though the Biden administration has countered that millions of people could lose coverage. The GOP additionally introduced new cuts to food aid by restricting states ability to waive work requirements in places with high joblessness. But Democrats have said any changes to work requirements for government aid recipients are nonstarters.

GOP lawmakers are also seeking cuts in IRS funding and, by sparing defense and veterans accounts from reductions, would shift the bulk of spending reductions to other federal programs.

The White House has countered by keeping defense and nondefense spending flat next year, which would save $90 billion in the 2024 budget year and $1 trillion over 10 years.

All sides have been eyeing the potential for the package to include a framework to ease federal regulations and speed energy project developments. They are all but certain to claw back some $30 billion in unspent COVID-19 funds now that the pandemic emergency has officially lifted.

For months, Biden had refused to engage in talks over the debt limit, contending that Republicans in Congress were trying to use the borrowing limit vote as leverage to extract administration concessions on other policy priorities.

But with June nearing and Republicans putting their own spending legislation on the table, the White House launched talks on a budget deal that could accompany an increase in the debt limit.

McCarthy faces a hard-right flank that is likely to reject any deal, which has led some Democrats encouraging Biden to resist any compromise with the Republicans and simply raise the debt ceiling on his own to avoid default.

The president, though, said he was ruling out the possibility, for now, of invoking the 14th Amendment as a solution, saying it's an unresolved legal question that would become tied up in the courts.
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An 84-year-old Nebraska prison inmate convicted of attempted sexual assault died Sunday at a Lincoln hospital.

Donald Lichtenberg of Omaha was serving a sentence of 18 to 24 years for attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child in Douglas County, according to a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Corrections. He was being held at the department's Reception and Treatment Center in Lincoln.

The cause of death has not been determined, the spokeswoman said. Lichtenberg was being treated for a medical condition, she said.

A grand jury will investigate Lichtenberg's death. Whenever someone dies in custody, state law mandates that a grand jury conduct an investigation.

Photos: Nebraska's new Reception and Treatment Center
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MADISON  A Norfolk woman could be sentenced to prison after she was found guilty on Monday of a felony in connection to the improper disposal of the remains of a fetus she had been nearly 30 weeks pregnant with.

Celeste Burgess, 18, pleaded guilty in Madison County District Court to one count of prohibited acts with human skeletal remains, a Class 4 felony punishable by up to 2 years in prison.

In exchange for Burgess plea, the Madison County Attorneys Office dismissed two misdemeanor charges of concealing the death of another person and false reporting. Prosecutors also agreed not to file any additional charges against Burgess and will not make a recommendation at sentencing, which has been scheduled for July 20.

Burgess was charged last June after police learned that she was involved in the illegal burial of an unborn fetus in April 2022.

Burgess mother, Jessica Burgess, 42, allegedly ordered pills in March 2022 aimed at terminating her pregnancy. In April, the fetus died about 29 weeks and 5 days into the younger Burgess pregnancy, and prosecutors have alleged that the death was self-induced without a physician.

The Burgesses then enacted a plan to bury the remains at a rural location north of Norfolk. Evidence at Jessica Burgess preliminary hearing indicated that the mother and daughter buried the remains three different times and also attempted to burn the remains after the second exhumation.

Last July, a then 22-year-old man pleaded no contest to attempted concealing a death, a Class 3 misdemeanor, after he lent support to the Burgesses by providing them with transportation to and from the multiple burial sites.

Testimony from a former Norfolk police detective last June revealed that Jessica Burgess ordered Pregnot pills on eBay in March 2022  pills that would allow her daughter to terminate her pregnancy.

Social media messages between the Burgesses obtained by Ben McBride, the former detective, through a search warrant show that the two-pill order arrived on April 20, 2022. Jessica Burgess then instructed Celeste through messages to take one pill designed to stop hormone functions, wait 24 hours, then take the other pill that would complete the termination of the pregnancy.

Celeste then made a comment along the lines of, We burn the evidence when it comes out, and (Jessica Burgess) said, Yes,  McBride testified.

Celeste Burgess told police that she had a miscarriage in the shower on April 22, 2022. McBride said further review of her messages showed that she told friends in a group chat that they were going to bury the babys body.

Matthew Kiernan, deputy Madison County attorney, told District Judge James Kube that the remains were those of an approximately 30-week-old infant child.

Chelsey Hartner, deputy Madison County public defender, said the fetus was not a 30-week-old child.

It was an approximately 30-week gestational age deceased newborn, Hartner said. I just want the record clear on that.

Jessica Burgess is charged with prohibited acts with human skeletal remains, concealing the death of another person, false reporting, abortion at greater than 20 weeks gestation and abortion by an unlicensed physician. She faces up to 8 years in prison and is scheduled to appear in court next on July 7.

At the time Celeste Burgess pregnancy was terminated, Nebraska law prohibited anyone, even a licensed physician, from administering an abortion at 20 weeks past gestation.

The Nebraska Legislature has since passed LB574, which bans abortions at 12 weeks past gestation. Gov. Jim Pillen signed the bill into law on Monday.

Photos: UNL celebrates largest-ever graduating class
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A 30-year-old Texas man has been sentenced for a string of pharmacy burglaries in Nebraska in 2021.

United States District Judge Brian Buescher sentenced Christopher Blanton of Fort Worth to five years and three months in federal prison, plus three years of supervised release.

He also was ordered to pay $24,917 in restitution.

There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Steven Russell said that between Feb. 10 and Feb. 12 of that year, Blanton and a second man, allegedly Christopher Williams, burglarized seven pharmacies in Springfield, Fremont and Omaha.

In response, a Drug Enforcement Agency-led task force was formed, which included the Omaha Police Department and the Nebraska State Patrol.

Investigators obtained cell tower data in the area of the burglaries that showed the cellphones traveling between Texas and Nebraska.

With cooperation from law enforcement in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa, they identified Blanton and Williams as suspects.

Blanton pleaded guilty to burglaries involving controlled substances.

Williams is set to plead guilty later this month.

DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said the DEA takes the theft of pharmaceutical drugs seriously, as many prescription medications are highly addictive.

This defendant was likely driven by the money he would get selling these drugs on the black market, but the cost to public health and safety is intolerable. By his thoughtless, criminal actions, he not only harms the individuals hes selling to but also the people who need those medications for legitimate medical reasons," King said.
South Africa: Water dept intervenes in Hammanskraal cholera outbreak

The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) has assured the public that it is working on an integrated model to respond to the current cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria.

Water and Sanitation Minister, Senzo Mchunu, says the department has extended the scope of its existing technical team of experts in water services and regulations to work on this integrated model aimed at addressing the outbreak in Hammanskraal.

Mchunu said the technical team from the department will work directly with the national and provincial Departments of Health and the City of Tshwane to assist with matters, including water quality investigations from source, taps, stationary tanks in some households, and identifying the causes of the disease outbreak.

The technical team will further extend the intensive assessment of the various water supply systems from Magalies and Rand Water Boards to confirm the current drinking quality standards.

The department has recently confirmed that the dual water systems supplied by Magalies and Rand Water meet the drinking water quality standards, as per the South African National Standards (SANS) 241, Mchunu said.

Mchunu said the department has also directed the City of Tshwane to stop supplying water from the Temba Water Treatment plant to residents of Hammanskraal for human consumption.

The city is currently providing potable water to affected communities that were initially supplied by the Temba Water Treatment Plant, through the deployment of water tankers, Mchunu said.

According to the Department of Health report, 15 people in Hammanskraal, including two children and 13 adults, have passed away due to the cholera outbreak.

Forty-six people have been admitted at Jubilee District Hospital [with] 29 confirmed cases of Cholera. Eighteen patients were transferred to Dr George Mukhari and Steve Biko Academic Hospitals, the Department reported.

Stakeholders called to collaborate to curb the spread

Meanwhile, the Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation, has called on all stakeholders to cooperate with each other to curb the spread of the Cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal.

The committee appreciates the collaborative effort from all spheres of government that will ensure that the country, as always, overcomes this problem. I also want to encourage the communities to follow instructions given on the treatment of water to endure safety, Committee Chairperson, Robert Mashego said.

Mashego also called on all stakeholders to leave no stone unturned in finding the source of the contamination and ensure thorough disinfections and cleaning.

The committee reiterates its call made during its previous visit to the area that there must be a long term solution to the poor quality drinking water in the area. Also, various interventions were suggested that would have been implemented to ensure that the people of the area receive quality water.

The investigation to be undertaken must provide a framework to be followed to ensure that this eventuality does not happen again. The people of Hammanskraal deserve much better service as guaranteed by the Constitution, Mashego said.

Mashego has extended his condolences to the families of 15 people who have passed due to the outbreak.

He also encouraged the communities to follow instructions given on the treatment of water.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-05-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
China's National Pavilion opens at 2023 Venice Biennale

Xinhua) 09:00, May 23, 2023

People visit China's National Pavilion at the 2023 Venice International Architecture Biennale in Venice, northern Italy, on May 22, 2023. China's National Pavilion at the 2023 Venice International Architecture Biennale opened on Monday in Venice, focusing on the changes and improvements of China's architecture and habitat over the past 40 years. (Xinhua/Zhou Xiaotian)

ROME, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China's National Pavilion at the 2023 Venice International Architecture Biennale opened on Monday in northern Italy's Venice, focusing on the changes and improvements of China's architecture and habitat over the past 40 years.

The exhibition shows the artworks and concepts of Chinese designers that integrate residents and nature, tradition and modernity.

Ruan Xing, curator of the pavilion, told Xinhua that the exhibition aims to tell the story of China's great achievements and wisdom in cities, architecture and residents' lives, especially in improving livability, over the past 40 years since China's reform and opening up.

The China National Pavilion can be visited simultaneously online and offline and will remain open until Nov. 26, 2023.

China's National Pavilion has been present at the Biennale since 2005.

A man visits China's National Pavilion at the 2023 Venice International Architecture Biennale in Venice, northern Italy, on May 22, 2023. China's National Pavilion at the 2023 Venice International Architecture Biennale opened on Monday in Venice, focusing on the changes and improvements of China's architecture and habitat over the past 40 years. (Xinhua/Zhou Xiaotian)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
(CNN)  Moscow and Beijing lashed out against the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, where leaders of major democracies pledged new measures targeting Russia and spoke in one voice on their growing concerns over China.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday slammed the G7 for indulging in their own greatness with an agenda that aimed to deter Russia and China.

Meanwhile Chinas Foreign Ministry accused G7 leaders of hindering international peace and said the group needed to reflect on its behavior and change course.

Beijing had made serious demarches to host country Japan and other parties over their decision to smear and attack China, it said.

Both Russias brutal assault on Ukraine and how to handle an increasingly assertive Beijing have loomed over the three-day gathering of the worlds leading industrialized democracies taking place in Japan  just across regional seas from both countries  where Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise, in-person appearance.

G7 member countries made the groups most detailed articulation of a shared position on China to date  stressing the need to cooperate with the worlds second-largest economy, but also to counter its malign practices and coercion in a landmark joint communique Saturday.

Leaders also pledged new steps to choke off Russias ability to finance and fuel its war, and vowed in a dedicated statement to ramp up coordination on their economic security  a thinly veiled warning from members against what they see as the weaponization of trade from China, and also Russia.

The G7 agreements follow a hardening of attitudes on China in some European capitals, despite differing views on how to handle relations with the key economic partner, deemed by the US as the most serious long-term challenge to the international order.

Countering Chinas coercion

Beijings retort later Saturday urged the G7 not to become an accomplice in American economic coercion.

The massive unilateral sanctions and acts of decoupling and disrupting industrial and supply chains make the US the real coercer that politicizes and weaponizes economic and trade relations, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The international community does not and will not accept the G7-dominated Western rules that seek to divide the world based on ideologies and values, it continued.

G7 member countries are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. The European Union also joins as a non-country member.

A number of non-G7 leaders also attended the summit, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Albanese on Sunday said he has been concerned for some time over Chinas actions, including its military activities in the South China Sea, and called for transparency by Beijing over the detention of Australian journalist Cheng Lei.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also on Sunday said China presents the greatest risk to security and prosperity, adding its behavior is increasingly authoritarian at home and assertive abroad.

Chinas image in Europe has taken a severe hit over the past 15 months as leaders there have watched Chinas Xi Jinping tighten ties with fellow authoritarian Russian President Vladimir Putin, even as Moscows invasion sparked a massive humanitarian crisis and Moscows leader was accused of war crimes by an international court.

Beijings increased military aggression toward Taiwan  the self-ruling democracy the Chinese Communist Party claims as its territory but has never ruled  and economic penalties against Lithuania following a disagreement over Taiwan have also played a role in shifting sentiment.

Concern about such incidents was reflected in the G7 statement on ensuring economic security and countering economic coercion, which did not explicitly mention China.

The G7 leaders ability to sign onto a statement so specifically directed at Beijing would have been hard to believe two years ago, according to Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Washington-based think tank Atlantic Councils GeoEconomics Center.

The bottom line is that the G7 has shown it will increasingly focus on China and will try to maintain a coordinated policy approach. Thats a major development, he said.

War in Ukraine

The G7 agreements land as China has been marshaling its diplomats in a concerted attempt to repair ties with Europe, largely by recasting itself as a potential agent of peace in the war in Ukraine, even if that claim has been met with widespread skepticism among Western nations.

Last week as European leaders headed to Asia, Chinese special envoy Li Hui began his own European tour billed by Beijing as a means to promote peace talks.

Li, who was dispatched after Xi late last month made his first call to Zelensky since the Russian invasion, visited Ukraine on Tuesday and Wednesday, where he fronted Chinas vision of a political settlement.

That calls for a ceasefire but not for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory first  a scenario which critics say could serve to cement Russias illegal land grab in the country and runs counter to Ukraines own peace plan.

Zelenskys travel to the G7 in Asia is also a way of putting pressure on China, according to Jean-Pierre Cabestan, an emeritus professor of political science at Hong Kong Baptist University.

The message to China is for it to be more more outgoing in its support for a solution that aligns with Kyivs interests in terms of its territorial integrity and Russian troops pulling out from Ukraine, he said.

When asked about the possibility of China playing a role in ending Russias war, a senior White House official on Saturday said the US hopes that Xi views this weeks summit as a signal of resolve.

We would hope that what President Xi and the (Peoples Republic of China) extract from what theyve been seeing here  is that theres an awful lot of resolve to continue to support Ukraine  and that China could have a meaningful role in helping end this war, the official said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, Russia and China hit back at a G7 that saw them as a threat"
Russian troops and security forces quashed an alleged cross-border raid from Ukraine in what appeared to be one of the most serious cross-border attacks since the war began. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have killed more than 70 attackers in a battle that lasted around 24 hours. Moscow blamed the raid that began Monday on Ukrainian military saboteurs. Kyiv portrayed it as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans. It was impossible to reconcile the two versions or to say with any certainty who was behind the attack or what the aims were. The battle took place in the Belgorod region, which is a Russian military hub with fuel and ammunition depots.
THE MINI: So let me get this right. The Biden Administration is going to pay $1.2B of taxpayer money to the states of Arizona, California and 
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia's military said Tuesday it quashed what appeared to be one of the most serious cross-border attacks from Ukraine since the war began, claiming to have killed more than 70 attackers in a battle that lasted around 24 hours.

Moscow blamed the raid that began Monday on Ukrainian military saboteurs. Kyiv portrayed it as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans. It was impossible to reconcile the two versions, to say with certainty who was behind the attack or to ascertain its aims.

The battle  which took place in southwest Russia's Belgorod region, about 80 kilometers (45 miles) north of the city of Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine  was a fresh reminder of how Russia itself remains vulnerable to attack, along with Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.

The region is a Russian military hub holding fuel and ammunition depots and was included in Russian President Vladimir Putin's order last year to increase the state of readiness for attacks and improve defenses.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to say how many attackers were involved in the assault or comment on why efforts to put down the attackers took so long.

Such cross-border attacks embarrass the Kremlin and highlight the struggles it faces in its bogged-down invasion of Ukraine.

The Belgorod region, like the neighboring Bryansk region and other border areas, has witnessed sporadic spillover from the war, which Russia started by invading Ukraine in February 2022.

Far from the 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) front line in southern and eastern Ukraine, Russian border towns and villages regularly come under shelling and drone attacks, but this week's attack is the second in recent months that also appears to have involved an incursion by ground forces. Another difference from earlier cross-border attacks is that Russia's effort to repel it continued into a second day for the first time.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed local troops, air strikes and artillery routed the attackers.

The remnants of the nationalists were driven back to the territory of Ukraine, where they continued to be hit by fire until they were completely eliminated, Konashenkov said, without providing evidence. He did not mention any Russian casualties.

Russian forces destroyed four armored combat vehicles and five pickup trucks the attackers used, he said. Local officials alleged the invaders also used drones and artillery.

The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said the raid targeted the rural area around Graivoron, a town about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the border. Twelve civilians were wounded in the attack, he said, and an older woman died during an evacuation.

The Russian news portal RBK, quoting unidentified sources in the regional interior ministry and territorial police, said Graivoron came under heavy shelling that lasted about five hours early Monday. After that, tanks fired at the Graivoron border checkpoint while the adjacent village of Kozinka came under mortar and rocket fire, RBK said, citing the same sources. Gladkov later reported that a Koznika villager had been killed.

The attacking force was made up of 10 armored vehicles and an unspecified number of troops, RBK said.

Earlier Tuesday, the regional governor urged residents who had evacuated not to return home until they received official instructions to do so. He said a counterterrorism operation was completed by early Tuesday evening.

Gladkov also said fire from the Ukrainian side of the border on Tuesday hit the Borisovka area, about 20 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Graivoron. No casualties were reported, he said without elaborating on the incident.

The regional governor complained in a video late Tuesday that federal authorities' claims for the past year that everything is under control do not ring true in light of this attack and prior assaults. He appealed again to the Kremlin to strengthen defenses.

Since the war began, drones, explosions and missiles have hit fuel and ammunition depots, railroad equipment, bridges and air bases on Russian territory and Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine. Assassinations of Russian-appointed government officials and other public figures have also taken place in those areas.

Ukraine said Russian citizens belonging to murky groups called the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion were behind the assault.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said the attackers were Russian dissidents unhappy about Putins policies.

These are Russian patriots, as we understand it. People who actually rebelled against the Putin regime, she said.

The Freedom of Russia Legion said on Telegram the goal was to liberate the region.

The Russian Volunteer Corps implied on Telegram that the attack was over, adding: One day, well come to stay. The post went up at around the same time as the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have quashed the assault.

The U.K. Defense Ministry said it was highly likely that Russian security forces were fighting partisans in at least three locations in Belgorod.

Russia is facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions, with losses of combat aircraft, improvised explosive device attacks on rail lines and now direct partisan action, it said Tuesday.

Russias Investigative Committee, its top law enforcement agency, announced an investigation into alleged terrorism and attempted murder in connection with the raid.

Belgorod officials earlier this year said they had spent nearly 10 billion rubles ($125 million; 116 million euros) on fortifications to protect the region.

Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the raid elicits deep concerns and that a "bigger effort was required to prevent future attacks.

The Russian Volunteer Corps claimed to have breached the border in early March. The shadowy group describes itself as a volunteer formation fighting on Ukraines side. It's not clear if it  or the Freedom of Russia Legion  has any ties with the Ukrainian military.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces made minor progress against Russian forces on the edge of Bakhmut, the eastern Ukrainian city that Moscow claims to have captured, according to Maliar, the Ukrainian deputy defense minister.

She said Tuesday that Ukrainian troops still controlled the southwestern outskirts of the city and that fighting was continuing in the suburbs, on Russias flanks.

Ukrainian military leaders say the fight in Bakhmut isn't over.
The world of Succession is a white one. This is neither a novel nor a particularly astute observation. The HBO series inspired by Rupert Murdochs media empire is nothing if not faithful to life, and the kinds of real-world boardrooms and glass-walled offices on which the Roy siblings corporate sandbox is modeled remain, to this day, largely devoid of people of color. Accordingly, the number of nonwhite characters that appear across all four seasons of Succession can be counted on two, maybe three, hands, and half that, if were talking about those with more than a couple of lines of dialogue. The scarcity is such that, if you were to engage in the thought exercise known as does this person have a single friend who isnt white?perhaps as a fun drinking game each Sunday nightthe answer, when it comes to most of Successions main players, would be a resounding, boozy no.

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But if there is one central character who proves an exception to that rule, it is Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong), the eldest among the three siblings vying for control of Waystar Royco. Kendall, the man who acquired and then gutted Lawrence Yees website Vaulter. Kendall, the close personal friend of Stewy Hosseini, a character whos at least ethnic enough to be allowed to do an impression of a New York City taxi driver. Kendall, who doesnt just know more than one person of color; he has employedbestowed the corpuscles of life, aka money, uponmultiple.

Kendall is where some of Successions most sustained attempts at tackling raceto the extent that it even needs toconverge. He is a white guy who unironically loves hip-hop, even penning and performing his own rap, to the feverish delight of all those who call Strong babygirl. His adopted daughter Sophie (Swayam Bhatia) is South Asian. His assistant Jess (Juliana Canfield) is the shows only regular Black character, and at different points he hires another Black woman (lawyer Lisa Arthur) and an Asian woman (PR guru Berry Schneider), to boot. In Kendalls world, were probably all just, like, one racethe human race, brobut that beige platitude may be at least an inch more convincing on Kendall than on his sister Shiv (Sarah Snook), who condescendingly calls the one Black woman she knows honey in Season 3, and is several miles better than Roman (Kieran Culkin) and his 4chan-lite grade of political incorrectness. For much of the series, Kendall styles himself as an ally: someone who gets it, who is willing to yell, Fuck the patriarchy! and end homophobia and topple the problematic old guard.

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But the prodigal sons anti-racist practices, like his moral convictions more generally, crumble at the lightest tap. Lisa (Sanaa Lathan), with her credentials as a high-powered Black feminist attorney (and also, coincidentally, Shivs one Black acquaintance), is seen as a boon to Kendalls very public legal fight against his father in Season 3, until a frustrated Lisaconstantly undermined and spoken down to by her clientdelivers the unvarnished truth to him. Immediately, Kendall fires her, because shes a toxic person.

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The long-suffering Jess, a fan favorite for her apparent competency and for Canfields extensive range of facial expressions dialed to different pitches of What the fuck, is met with an even harsher reaction in the series penultimate episode, Church and State. Perturbed by Kendalls role in his American Television Network calling the presidential election for far-right candidate Jeryd Menckenand possibly by her own complicity as an employee of the company that owns that conservative news outletJess plans to resign, a decision that Kendall forces out into the open and then upbraids her for as if she were an ungrateful child. Im sorry, but Ive given you extraordinary access, he fumes, dressing up his practice of allowing her to be in the room to take his requests of increasingly questionable feasibility. Where else are you going to get that? Nowhere. Im telling you, youre going to get that nowhere. You have no idea how things will turn out, and its very juvenile. Its fucking dumb. Youre being dumb.

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The prodigal sons anti-racist practices, like his moral convictions more generally, crumble at the lightest tap.

His reaction fits a pattern that hes established, particularly when it comes to the womenand especially the women of colorin his orbit. Use them to bolster his image or his sense of self-virtue, own them (it wasnt too long ago within the timeline of Succession that Kendall tried bargaining for his driver and his assistant like they were assets in a divorce, telling his father, I keep Fikret, Jess, and Im gone), rely on them, but when they displease himwhether thats pushing back or making him feel small or falling out of his controleither try to tighten the leash or cut them adrift, reprimand included free of charge.

Even as a father, Kendalls supposed care for all the different people together cant weather his ego. He is somehow surprised to learn that a fan of his racist news network is possibly racist enough to push his brown daughter. I will do anything to protect her, he insists after first taking the time to berate and blame his ex-wife Rava for what happened to Sophie. Im breaking my back, and its all for them. To make the world safe.

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Just a few days later, when it serves him to have her around, he has conveniently forgotten his vow, as he tries to prevent his kids from leaving a city thats one Molotov cocktail away from a roaring blaze. He calls Rava hysterical, insane, too online, for her concern for the kids safety. Our daughter is not fine! she exclaims. Kens reading of the situation comes back to himself: Youre trying to hurt me. Next on his to-do list, after threatening to lie in front of Ravas car, Ted Lassostyle, is to tell Jess to find him family lawyers so he can get full custody of the kids he never seesjust a day after having confessed to not being a very good father and siding with a presidential candidate whose appeal is built on shoving Sophies to the ground.

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[Join the team of the Waves for The Women of Succession on Tuesday at 5 p.m.]

Kendall is not an outlier among Successions characters for his lack of moral backbone, or for his treatment of the peoplefrom loved ones to employeesaround him. But while others have carried out their various acts of treachery and coldbloodedness under no illusions about the kind of people they are, Ken has sought to project and reaffirm, over and over, a veneer of righteousness. He wants to be seen as a good guy, and that includes being a good white person, a champion for the marginalized, even if he knows that, deep down, he isnt. This posturing is what grates the mostthat sting of irony, of watching a Waystar Royco diversity training and comparing the different shades of faces in the video with the sea of white streaming out of conference rooms.

That is, until Kendall finally submits to the truth of who he is, a journey that reaches its destination in this final season. Clear-eyed, voice ringing, he commands the room, a vision of wealth and power and ruthlessness. Succession has always understood unabashed whitenessand, at long last, Kendall does, too.
Browning onions is a matter of patience. My own patience ran out earlier this year while leafing through the New York Times food section. There, in the newspaper of record, was a recipe for savory scones with onions, currants, and caraway. Though I wasnt particularly interested in making savory scones, one passage caught my eye:

Add the onions to the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook until they begin to turn dark brown and somewhat soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oil and a pinch of the fine sea salt; continue cooking until the onions are soft and caramelized, about 5 minutes longer.

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Soft, dark brown onions in five minutes. That is a lie. Fully caramelized onions in five minutes more. Also a lie.

There is no other word for it. Onions do not caramelize in five or 10 minutes. They never have, they never willyet recipe writers have never stopped pretending that they will. I went on Twitter and said so, rudely, using CAPS LOCK. A chorus of frustrated cooks responded in kind (Thats on some bullshit. You want caramelized onions? Stir for 45 minutes).

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As long as Ive been cooking, Ive been reading various versions of this lie, over and over. Heres Madhur Jaffrey, from her otherwise reliable Indian Cooking, explaining how to do the onions for rogan josh: Stir and fry for about 5 minutes or until the onions turn a medium-brown colour. The Boston Globe, on preparing pearl onions for coq au vin: Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until golden. The Washington Post, on potato-green bean soup: Add the onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.

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If you added all those cooking times together end to end, you still wouldnt have caramelized onions. Here, telling the truth about how to prepare onions for French onion soup, is Julia Child: [C]ook slowly until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Blend in the salt and sugar, raise heat to moderately high, and let the onions brown, stirring frequently until they are a dark walnut color, 25 to 30 minutes. Ten minutes plus 25 to 30 minutes equals 35 to 40 minutes. That is how long it takes to caramelize onions.

Telling the truth about caramelized onions would turn a lot of dinner-in-half-an-hour recipes into dinner-in-a-little-over-an-hour recipes. I emailed Sam Sifton, the Times food critic turned national editor, to ask if the Recipe Writing Guild had some secret agreement to print false estimates of onion-cooking time. He wrote back: I can reveal that onion caramelization takes longer than the Guild believes. But it need not take as long as you believe it to take! You can speed it up with butter, so long as you are careful not to burn.

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Could onions be browned, at all, in 10 minutes? I embarked on a quest to find out. Someone on Twitter had suggested things would go faster with sweet onions. This seemed a little like pepping up a bread pudding recipe by treating sliced pound cake as a kind of bread. But I bought a Tampico sweet onion, chopped half of it into tiny bitsonly half, so as not to crowd the panand turned my biggest burner as high as it would go. Butter seemed a little risky at that temperature, so I went with olive oil, in a cheap, lightweight nonstick skillet. In five minutes, a few flecks of brown had appeared among the otherwise raw-looking onion bits. After eight minutes, some of the onion had begun to take on the scorched aspect of the unfortunate onions stuck to bagels. At the 10-minute mark, the brown flecks had turned black, in a mince that was a mix of brown and still-pale bits. The onion was done cookingthat is, it was beginning to be ruinedbut it was not very well caramelized. At 11 minutes, I scraped an inedible mess out of the pan.

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But the onion lies had not yet been fully refuted. Melissa Clark, the author of the Times scone recipe, claimed in a Diners Journal post that she relies on a somewhat unusual technique, one that takes less than half the time of the traditional slow-cooked method of caramelization and makes for sweeter, more intensely flavored onions with a complex, chewy texture. The secret, she writes, is starting the onions in a dry pan, and adding the oil later.

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Note that half the time of the traditional method is still 20 minutes, not 10. Nevertheless, I decided to follow her instructions to the letter. I used a red onion, as Clark specified, halved through the root and thinly sliced crosswise. I started slicing it paper-thin. Not good enough? I got out the knife sharpener and touched up the edge on the cleaver. Now it was tissue-paper thin. I heated the pandryover a generously medium-high flame, then added the onions.

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After five minuteswhen according to Clark, it would begin to turn dark brown and somewhat softthe onion was resolutely white and pink, and only slightly translucent. I added the oil: one tablespoon, extra-virgin. The white parts turned the color of extra-virgin olive oil.

At 10 minutes, when it was supposed to be done, the onion was translucent and soft, with only a tinge of gold. Soon after, one golden speck appeared. By 15 minutes, the onion was even softer and more golden. At 20 minutes, there were deep brown patches, and I was afraid they would scorch while I set down my spatula to take notes. At 24 minutes, the risk of scorching forced me to lower the heat to medium. By 25 minutes, they were pretty well caramelized, and at 28 minutes they were as done as Id want.

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So Clark was only off by 180 percent on the cooking time. You can save 12 minutes off caramelizing onions, provided you pin yourself to the stove.

That is the deeper problem with all the deceit around the question of caramelized onions. The premise is wrong. The faster you try to do it, the more you waste your time. This isnt some kitchen koan. Its a practical fact. The 10-minute-cum-28-minute caramelized onion is all labor and anxiety. Give yourself 45 or 50 minutes to brown onions, working slowly on a moderate flame, and its an untaxing background activity. You can chop other vegetables, wash some pots, duck out to have a look at the ballgame on TV in the next room. Keep half an eye on the pan. It will only need close tending toward the end.

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Recipe writers approach kitchen time with a stopwatch. The Times scone recipe, as written, claimed to take 45 minutes. Once you subtract out the (fictitiously shortened) onion-cooking time, the one-minute caraway-seed-toasting time, the 15-to-17 minute baking time, and the 10-minute cooling time, that leaves the cook seven to nine minutes in the middle to mix the dough (including grating frozen butter into it), shape it, cut it into scones, and lay the scones out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Oh, and somewhere in there, the onions needed to cool completely. Isnt home baking soothing?

In truth, the best time to caramelize onions is yesterday. Often enough, you need to have them ready before you can start on the rest of the dish. Thus the recipe-writers impulse to deceive. Browning onions is slow work, and it comes first. So get a pan going after dinner, and theyll be ready when you need them. Or throw the onions in a crock pot and go to bed. In recipe time, thats hours and hours. In your time, the time that matters, its less than five minutes.
This piece was originally published on Just Security, an online forum for analysis of U.S. national security law and policy.

To convict Donald Trump on felony charges of falsifying business records under New York law, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg will have to show that the former president acted with an intent to commit or conceal another crime. In a state trial court released on May 16, the DAs office identified several state and federal offenses that might serve as the other crime in its prosecution of Trump, including one state tax offense: knowingly supplying or submitting materially false or fraudulent information in connection with a tax return. The recent filing confirms speculationreported in the New York Times last monththat the DAs office might invoke tax fraud allegations in its prosecution of the ex-president. But will a tax fraud theory hold water in state court?

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A tax fraud theory would allow Bragg to avoid some of the difficulties that he may encounter if he argues that Trumps other crime was a violation of federal campaign finance lawthe theory that has drawn the most public attention thus far. But the tax fraud theory runs into factual and legal hurdles of its ownarguably the most significant of which is the difficult-to-satisfy willfulness standard for tax crimes. Careful scrutiny of the tax fraud theory can shed light on the strategic choices that prosecutors face as the case against Trump inches slowly toward trial. All this comes with the significant caveat that the tax fraud theory may become strongeror weakeras the case develops and more facts come into public view. But already we can identify some of the critical questions that prosecutors will need to answer if they choose to argue that tax fraud was the all-important other crime.

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Lets start with the now-familiar allegations in the statement of facts appended to Braggs indictment. According to the Manhattan DA, Trump sought to pay $130,000 to an adult film actress (whom we now know to be Stormy Daniels) to prevent her from publicizing what she says was a consensual sexual encounter. To conceal the scheme, Trump routed the payment through attorney Michael Cohen.

In October 2016, according to the indictment, Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 through a shell corporation, with the understanding that Trump would later reimburse Cohen. It appears that Cohen and Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg believed that Cohen would have to include the reimbursement in income for tax purposes. On the assumption that Cohens marginal income tax rate would be 50%, the Trump Organization paid Cohen double the amount that Cohen had remitted to Daniels. So the $130,000 payment from Cohen to Daniels translated into a $260,000 payment from the Trump Organization to Cohen. That $260,000 was then added to other reimbursements, gross-ups, and a year-end bonus for Cohen, summing to a total payment of $420,000. The Trump Organization made payments to Cohen in 11 almost-monthly installments over the course of 2017.

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(The assumption of a 50% marginal tax rate might seem high to some, given that the top statutory federal income tax rate at the time was only 39.6%. But with the Medicare tax add-on, state and city income taxes, and various deductions and phaseouts, 50% was a very reasonable estimate of the marginal rate in 2016 and 2017 for a New York City lawyer with a high-six-figure income.)

According to the Manhattan DA, Cohen and the Trump Organization produced a series of invoices and business ledger entries memorializing their arrangement and characterizing the payments as legal fees. The indictment alleges that Trumpby causing these records to be madecommitted the crime of falsifying business records, which is normally a misdemeanor. For falsification of business records to rise to a felony under New York law, it must have been done with an intent to commit another crime or to aid or conceal the commission thereof. A crucial question for Braggs felony case against Trump, then, is whether the scheme laid out in the indictment amounted to a federal or state tax crime.

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If Trump had paid $130,000 directly to Daniels in exchange for her silence about a sexual encounter, the tax treatment would be straightforward: the payment would have been income to Daniels, and it would not have been a deductible expense for Trump. The tax treatment wouldnt depend on whether Trump sought to influence the 2016 election by hiding information from voters (as prosecutors have suggested) or whether his goal was to protect his family from a potentially embarrassing story (as his lawyers have argued). Campaign expenditures and family expenses are both nondeductible. And routing the payment through Cohen doesnt transform a nondeductible campaign or family expense into a deductible business expense.

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A more nuanced analysis would apply if Trump claimed that his motive was to protect the Trump brand (as a business interest) from damage, but the result almost certainly would be the same: no deduction. Although the general rule is that investments in ones own good name cant be written off as ordinary and necessary business expenses, the Tax Courtin unusual circumstanceshas permitted taxpayers to deduct the cost of protecting their images. Perhaps most famously, the court allowed country music star Conway Twitty to deduct the cost of repaying investors in his failed burger enterprise because a flawless financial and personal reputation was integral to Twittys musical success. But it would be difficult for the twice-divorced Trump to argue that a reputation for marital fidelity was integral to the viability of his commercial ventures. If anything, the former Miss Universe owner and reality TV host had capitalized on his playboy image. In any event, Trumps lawyers havent asserted that the payment to Daniels was motivated by a business purpose, so whether the payment was deductible on that ground isfor nowa non-issue.

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In contrast to the straightforward treatment of a payment from Trump to Daniels, Cohens role as a middleman introduces a twist. Documents from Cohens criminal case indicate that Cohen was an employee of the Trump Organizationserving as executive vice president and special counsel to Trump, until January 2017after which point he launched his own legal and consulting practice and would have been an independent contractor with respect to Trump. Under Treasury regulations, reimbursements must be included in an employees gross incomeand are subject to employment taxesunless the reimbursement arrangement qualifies as an accountable plan. An accountable plan must satisfy specific regulatory criteria that the Cohen reimbursement doesnt appear to meet, including a requirement that expenses be substantiated on a timely basis and a requirement that amounts in excess of expenses be returned to the employer. And as a general rule, compensation to a former employee for services performed while an employee must be treated the same as wages to a current employee.

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Thus, it appears, based on all the publicly available information, that the Trump Organization should have reported all $260,000 attributable to the Daniels paymentthe $130,000 reimbursement plus the $130,000 gross-upas wages or other compensation on Cohens Form W-2. The same analysis also applies to the rest of the $420,000 in payments to Cohen in 2017, which appear to represent reimbursements, gross-ups, and compensation dating to Cohens time as an employee. By mischaracterizing the payments as legal fees for services rendered after Cohen left the Trump Organizations employ, the Trump Organization seems to have skirted its Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax and wage withholding obligations. (For 2017, the employer-side FICA tax was 7.65% up to the $127,200 wage threshold and 1.45% over that.)

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If Cohen had incurred expenses and performed services as an independent contractor rather than an employee of the Trump Organization, he still would have had to include the $130,000 gross-upand likely all $260,000in gross income. The Tax Court has said that reimbursements for expenses are includable in gross income, but the expenses, if deductible and substantiated, may be deducted. In some cases, independent contractors have been permitted to exclude reimbursements entirelyrather than including the reimbursements as income and taking an offsetting deductionbut the rules for employee reimbursements are more stringent.

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The District Attorneys comments in his April press conference last week suggest a different tax fraud theory. [T]hey planned to mischaracterize the repayments to Mr. Cohen as income to the New York state tax authorities, Bragg told reporters. The DAs filing this month repeats that theory, alleging that Trump disguis[ed] reimbursement payments by doubling them and falsely characteriz[ed] them as income for tax reasons. As I see it, reimbursements to an employee that dont meet the accountable plan criteria are properly characterized as income. The potential problem is that the reimbursements, along with the gross-up and bonus, should have been reported as supplemental wages to a former employee, which are therefore subject to wage withholding and employment taxes.

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With that in mind, Cohen possibly could have deducted his $130,000 payment to Danielspaying hush money to adult film stars isnt a typical expense of a New York attorney, but its arguably an ordinary and necessary expense of being a fixer. Since Cohen was an employee at the time he incurred the expense, his deduction would have been a miscellaneous itemized deduction subject to the 2-percent floor, meaning that only a portion of the expense would have been deductible (unless Cohen had significant other miscellaneous itemized deductions). The full gross-up for taxes suggests, though, that Cohen and Weisselberg didnt expect Cohen to deduct the payment.

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We dont know for sure how the Trump Organization and Cohen treated the $260,000 that represented a reimbursement for the hush money payment plus a gross-up for taxes. But if the Trump Organization characterized the payment as a legal fee to an independent contractor rather than compensation to a former employee, then it would appear to be out of compliance with its employment tax and wage withholding obligations. If Cohen paid self-employment tax on the $260,000, then the net effect would be roughly a wash from the governments perspective, but there is no tax law principle of two wrongs make a right when the mischaracterizations occur on different taxpayers returns.

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We also dont know whether Trump deducted the portion of Cohens fee that reflected the reimbursement and gross-up for the hush money payment. I havent found a smoking-gun entry in Trumps now-released tax filings from 2016 and 2017, but there is no specific line on a tax return for hush money paymentseven if Trump did claim a deduction, it would be difficult to distinguish the payments to Cohen from all of the other business expenses reported by Trump and his entities for those years. Although Trump reported no taxable income for 2016 and 2017, extra deductions in those years would have increased his loss carryforwards and reduced his tax liability in 2018. Trumps personal attorney, Joe Tacopina, told NBCs Meet the Press in March that Trump did not deduct the reimbursements to Cohen. If thats correctand if Trump didnt deduct the gross-up eitherthen a tax fraud theory would have to rest on something other than an improper deduction.

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Even if the Trump Organization violated federal and state tax laweither by mischaracterizing employee compensation as a payment to an independent contractor or deducting what were nondeductible personal or campaign expensesthe tax fraud theory would face three more obstacles.

First, and most importantly, not all tax law violations are crimes. Criminal tax fraudfederal and staterequires willfulness, which the Supreme Court has defined as the intentional violation of a known legal duty. The former president has undermined his own case by boasting that he know[s] the details of taxes better than anybody, including the greatest C.P.A. But even if Trump knew the relevant tax rules, his lawyers might argue that at the time of the reimbursement, Trump already was president of the United States, and given his responsibilities as leader of the free world, attending to the proper tax treatment of the payments to Cohen might have simply slipped his mind. That might be negligence on Trumps part, but criminal tax fraud requires more than mere negligence.

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Second, the DAs Office filing released on May 16 makes no mention of a possible employment tax or wage withholding violation. Having opened with the theory that the reimbursement of Cohen wasnt income to the fixer, the DAs Office would now need to switch to a different tax law theorythat the reimbursement was indeed income to Cohen but should have been reported as employee compensation on a Form W-2 subject to employment taxes and wage withholding. To be sure, the DAs Office continues to maintain that it is not limiting itself to any particular theory of what other crime Trump might have committed. But as the prosecution progresses, it will become harder and harder for the DAs Office to pivot away from the not income theory to the alternative (and in my view more viable) theory that the payment to Cohen was income to the attorneyand income that should have been reported as employee compensation.

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Third, even if Trump did commit criminal tax fraud by willfully mischaracterizing wages as non-employee compensation or by deducting hush money payments as business expenses, the Manhattan DA still would need to show that the commission or concealment of tax fraud motivated the business records falsification. One could commit another crime as a result of business records falsification without the other crime being a motive for falsification.

For example, imagine that a corporate executive drives to the office at night to make a false entry into his corporations business recordsand that the executive is drunk at the time he makes the trip. Driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher is a crime in New York, but no one would say that the executive falsified business records with an intent to commit another crime. The other crimein this example, driving while intoxicatedwas a side effect, not a goal, of the business records falsification.

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Trumps lawyers might make a similar argument if the Manhattan DA pursues the tax fraud theory. If Trump falsified business records in order to hide hush money payments from election authorities or from his own familyand, to keep the story straight, he also mischaracterized the payments for tax purposesthen arguably he is in the same boat as the drunk-driving executive in the previous paragraph. The tax fraud was a means, not an end, of his business records falsification scheme.

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Trumps lawyers would likely add that even if he did deduct the hush money payments as business expenses, the entire scheme resulted in the tax authorities collecting morenot lessin total taxes, at least in present value terms. If Trump had paid $130,000 directly to Daniels, Cohen would not have had to include the $130,000 in income. Instead, Cohen appears to have included $260,000 in income on account of the Daniels payment, resulting in approximately $130,000 in additional income and self-employment taxes. If Trump claimed a corresponding $260,000 deduction and faced the same 50% marginal rate, then the value of the deduction would have been $130,000, netting out Cohens additional taxes. But since Trump wouldnt have received any tax benefit until tax year 2018 (when he used up his loss carryforwards), the whole arrangement accelerated tax revenueto the governments benefit. And if Trump didnt deduct the payments, then the benefit to the government would have been even greater.

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Again, the absence of a tax loss wouldnt absolve Trump of a tax law violation. But it would pose a problem for the theory that tax fraud was a motivation for Trumps falsification of business records. This would have been just about the silliest tax fraud scheme imaginable, because even if it had succeeded, it would have resulted in its participants paying more tax, not less. And since Cohen passed his tax costs along to Trump through the gross-up, its hard to see how Trump himself would have saved any money here.

To be sure, the Manhattan DA might argue that tax fraud was more central to Trumps motivations for falsifying business records than the previous paragraphs let on. Trumps wife Melania had to co-sign the couples joint returns, and Trump might have anticipated that the returns would eventually become public. Although it seems rather doubtful that Melania or anyone else would have noticed if Trump had paid $130,000 directly to Daniels without deducting it anywhere, there is arguably a sense in which the tax mischaracterization was part and parcel of a broader scheme to deceive family members and voters. And willfully filing false tax statements is a crime even if it doesnt ultimately cost the government any money.

In sum, a tax fraud theory would be simpler in some respects than the argument that Trump falsified business records in order to conceal a campaign finance violationthe tax fraud theory wouldnt hinge on whether Trumps motivation was political or personal, and it wouldnt implicate complicated questions about the interaction between federal campaign finance law and state criminal law. But the tax fraud theory has its own vulnerabilities, which may turn out to be fatal flaws. Showing that Trump not only violated but willfully violated the tax laws will be, at the very least, a steeply uphill battle.

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This is a part of Disorder in the Court, a weeklong series on the legal press and the most explosive Supreme Court in generations: how we cover it, how weve failed, and how we can do better.

In early April, three reporters at ProPublica published an explosive story about the friendship between billionaire Republican donor Harlan Crow and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Joshua Kaplan, Justin Elliott, and Alex Mierjeski reported that Crow had flown Thomas all over the world for fancy holidays and hosted him in a variety of luxury settingsnone of which was disclosed on required financial filings. After publishing the story, tips came in detailing other largesse: In 2014, Crow had purchased the home where Thomas mother livedand continues to live to this dayand also paid for the private schooling of Thomas grandnephew, whom he raised as his own son.

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These stories have had huge impact: Members of Congress have demanded an investigation into the undisclosed travel of Thomas on Crows dime, ethics watchdogs have called for new rules regarding Supreme Court justices and their financial ties to donors, and journalistsnotably here at Slatehave begun a conversation about just how important it is to cover the justices as well as the court itself. The rules are changing.

So how did ProPublica get the goods? Reporter Josh Kaplan was kind enough to answer a few questions over email about just how they managed to blow the lid off the troubling connections between Harlan Crow and Justice Clarence Thomas.

Hillary Frey: Disclosure forms filed by the justices were one place you were rooting around, but the behind the scenes piece I mentioned above also noted that you hunted in some obscure corners of the internet. Can you give a sense of the volume of documents you needed to sift through, and what kind of internet rabbit holes pulled you in?

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Josh Kaplan: This story started with a pile of records that had been sitting on the internet for years. Several years ago, a nonprofit called Fix The Court sued the Department of Justice to get a massive trove of highly redacted records related to Supreme Court justices travel. The records didnt tell you that mucheven the names of the justices were redactedbut they did tell you that a justice had gone from point A to point B on a given day. Sometimes, they also told you their method of travel, whether it was via Amtrak or on a private jet.

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While Fix the Court published the records, it wasnt clear if any reporter had ever read them that carefully. So we decided to spend a few days sorting through them. For trips that seemed interesting, we filed public records requests to get flight records that might shed more light on what happened. This ultimately led us to Clarence Thomas and Harlan Crow. We found evidence that in 2016, Thomas had flown from D.C. to New Haven and back on Crows private jet for a trip that lasted roughly three hours. We were told that renting an equivalent plane for that trip could cost about $70,000. It felt to us that wasnt the sort of trip one would take unless it was a habitual thing. So we decided to keep digging.

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Most of our reporting relied on human sources. But this sort of open-source research was also keyeverything from the polo shirts Thomas wore in random pictures on Flickr to an old issue of Catholic Cemetery magazine helped us put the puzzle together.

What was the moment you knew you had the story?

To be honest, even when we just knew about that New Haven trip, we thought it was pretty interesting and might merit a story in its own right. But our reporting snowballed quickly from there. When we confirmed the details of the Indonesia tripand the level of luxury that came with thatwe felt that wed found something that went so far beyond the norms of judges conduct that it should be in the public domain.

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The other core fact, in my opinion, was establishing that these trips had happened virtually every year for decades. It took a lot of reporting to be able to nail that down. But thats what really sets Thomas apart: the extent and frequency with which hes indulged in these lavish trips over the years, without disclosing any of them to the public.

Why do you think this story has gone unreported for so long?

Importantly, there has been some very good reporting on Crow and Thomas relationship over the years, most notably by Ken Vogel and Mike McIntire back in 2011. But my best guess as to why the full extent of Crows largesse went undetected for so long is that the people best positioned to know about it were far from the halls of power in Washington. Our reporting relied on yacht workers scattered around the world, the staff at Crows private resort in the Adirondacks, and administrators at a now-defunct boarding school in northern Georgia, along with dozens of others whod gotten a window into some aspect of this relationship over the years. We would never have been able to uncover any of this without these sources help, and some of them took real risks to bring this to the publics attention.

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Its also true that Supreme Court justices historically havent gotten the level of scrutiny that other public officials receive. Uncovering the private jet and yacht trips took a lot of work. But the real estate sale, for instance, was documented in public records sitting in a courthouse in Georgia. If Thomas were a powerful senator, not a judge, its difficult to imagine that that sale wouldve stayed a secret for as long as it did.

Theres still a lot more to be done on this. Were still hard at work reporting not only on Thomas, but on all of the justices.
In the latest addition to Donald Trumps mounting legal problems, attorney Timothy Parlatore has just announced his resignation from the former presidents legal team. Parlatore said he was forced to resign because it was impossible to work with co-counsel Boris Epshteyn. Per Parlatore, Epshteyn did everything he could to try to block us from speaking to Trump, and was not very honest with the client. Why Mr. Epshteyn, a longtime Trump aide, former corporate lawyer, and political commentator with no apparent criminal defense experience is calling the shots for Team Trump in multiple monumental white-collar criminal investigations remains a mystery, although one can guess from the Parlatore quote that it is because he tells Trump what he wants to hear.

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Parlatores departure follows that of Evan Corcoran, a Trump lawyer who resigned from the Mar-a-Lago investigation after being compelled to testify in the grand jury against his client in the classified documents matter. Despite resigning from the Mar-a-Lago investigation, Corcoran will remain counsel to the former president in other investigations. Corcoran has it wrong.*

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As a white-collar criminal defense attorney for four decades, I cannot fathom how any attorney who has testified in a grand jury investigation of a client can remain that clients lawyer. Justice Department attorneys did not subpoena Corcoran after randomly pulling his name from the phone book. He was subpoenaed because the DOJ must have had substantial evidence involving him in the criminal conduct of his client. Otherwise there would be no way to successfully litigate the matter over many months to break the attorney-client privilege under the crime fraud exception.* Unless the DOJ and the judges who upheld the invocation of the crime fraud exception are widely off the mark, there are only two probable outcomes: The attorney becomes a witness against the client or is indicted as his co-conspirator.

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In grand jury testimony, the lawyer/witness must be careful not to expose himself to charges of perjury, while the lawyers own underlying conduct is also under scrutiny. How can the client retain full confidence in the lawyer when the client cannot really know whether the attorney provided damaging evidence that will be used to put him in jail? How does the client know whether the attorney protected his own interests instead of those of the client? In the Corcoran situation, how does providing testimony that may help a prosecutor indict his client in one matter not destroy the attorney-client relationship in all matters? Inherently, the lawyers need to protect themselves necessarily conflicts to at least some material degree with their obligation to protect their client. This conflict seriously undermines a relationship that requires full disclosure, mutual confidence, and a shared determination to always have the clients interests the top priority.

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In short, once a subpoenaed lawyer fails in their attempts to do everything legally possible to preclude needing to testify, there is no choice but to terminate the attorney-client relationship.

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Thus, the overall takeaway from Parlatores exit is that Team Trump can now be called Team Turmoil. In addition to losing Corcoran and Parlatore, one can expect that Joe Tacopina, Trumps attorney in the E. Jean Carroll civil assault litigation, will soon be gone, although in his case, not voluntarily. Whether any of these three new Trump legal exiles will join their prior Team Trump colleagues who abandoned ship in making public, negative analyses of their former clients defense team and his chances of successfully defending himselfsuch as former top Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb, who predicted that his former client will go to jailremains to be seen.

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In any event, given the extraordinary number of Trump lawyers who have either been pushed or have jumped out of the former presidents defense window, we can now add a malfunctioning defense team to the former presidents legal problems that I previously identified in Slate. We begin with Trumps astounding inability to testify on his own behalf. Indeed, the degree to which his deposition testimony was used as a battering ram against him in the Carroll trial, and his hysterical rants and unintended admissions at a CNN town hall event that likely had his attorneys contemplating self-immolation, greatly underscore the point. In addition to this severe personal limitation, we can add a number of predictably wrongheaded tactical decisions, including recommending Eastern District of New York Judge Raymond Dearie to be the Mar-a-Lago Special Master and the problematic selection of Joe Tacopina as lead counsel in the Carroll case. As Special Master, Dearie gave the DOJ most all of what it wanted while giving Team Trump nothing but well-justified criticism. As lead defense lawyer in the disastrous Carroll trial, Tacopinas bombastic performance was roundly criticized by the media, and by his client after the verdict.

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While each manifests itself in different ways, all of these impediments to the former presidents ability to defend himself emanate from the same source: Donald Trump. As my former law partner Ken Kaplan and I used to say when dealing with difficult clients, you can often protect a client from the government, but you can never protect him from himself. With this reality in mind, we can surely expect additional self-inflicted wounds to emerge as the investigations wrap up and the pressure on the former president increases.
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will officially announce that hes running for president Wednesday night in a Twitter conversation with billionaire Elon Musk (who owns Twitter), NBC News is reporting.

The conversation will take place using the sites Twitter Spaces feature, an audio-only broadcasting platform which users can access by clicking an oblong purple shape at the top of their feed, at 6 p.m. ET. It will be moderated by an individual named David Sacks, who, like Musk, is a South Africanborn tech entrepreneur and investor who believes the mainstream media in the United States is biased toward liberal beliefs and causes.

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Is this smart politics or the folly of someone who is Too OnlineTM? The question has touched off some debate on Twitter itself and in Slates virtual newsroom! Lets review the arguments.

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Its smart because:

 You/we are currently thinking about Ron DeSantis campaign announcementa bonus of attention he might not have received if hed held it in a more conventional setting.

 Elon Musk is known to casual followers of the news as the super-successful businessman responsible for Tesla automobiles and SpaceX rockets, and to more high-information readers as an enemy of American social-justice causes who believes that liberal speech norms are too restrictive about what one is allowed to say regarding race and gender. If you find either (or both) of those identities admirable, you might be the kind of voter who could support a candidate who claims to have made Florida into a kind of anti-woke free-market utopia.

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 Maybe it will strike undecided voters as impressive and futuristic that DeSantis is doing an announcement online with a cutting-edge tech billionaire.

Its dumb because:

 A relatively small number of voters are going to be interested in clicking an oblong purple button on Twitter (a relatively small social media service) during the dinner hour to hear (but not see) a conversation between three guys who agree with each other about almost everything.

 Musks interests as a news consumer and commentator tend toward the resentful amplification of niche conspiracy theories and techno-libertarian memes. The 2022 candidate who most closely fit the Musk model, Arizona Senate hopeful Blake Masters, was by one measure the worst-performing candidate in the country relative to other members of his party.

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 It means DeSantis is forgoing the opportunity to have a more conventional launch in which hes surrounded by American flags and palm trees and other emblems of Florida freedom.

Which argument has more merit?

Before you decide, perhaps consider a third perspective from someone who has been writing about Republican Party politics (and American politics in general) professionally for almost a decade, which is that it doesnt matter one way or another. Thats because:

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 Voting doesnt start in the primary for another eight months and, historically, shifts in voter sentiment are more associated with debate performances and media coverage than the details of candidates campaign launches.

 Its hard to imagine someone having better name recognition or brand loyalty among Republican primary voters than Donald Trump, who currently leads DeSantis in polls by about 35 percent despite having already lost an election to Joe Biden and facing at least one upcoming criminal trial. Its possible that there is no correct DeSantis decision here in the sense of announcing his campaign in a way that will propel him toward overcoming Trump.

 Ive been doing this for a decade? My God. Whats the retirement age in this country? [Googles] Oh, wow.

Well, nothing for us all to do but get buckled in for another eight months to 25 years of this stuff!
This piece is adapted from Five Billion Years of Solitude: The Search for Life Among the Stars by Lee Billings.

Recent headlines about alien life in our planets atmosphere have been shot down to earth. But scientists are still looking for messages from and signs of other civilizations among faraway starscarrying on the tradition that started more than 50 years ago, when some of the eras most brilliant scientific minds got together to discuss the astronomical possibilities.

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In 1961, J.P.T. Pearman of the National Academy of Sciences approached astronomer Frank Drake to help convene a small, informal SETI conference at the National Radio Astronomy Observatorys Green Bank observatory. The core purpose of the meeting, Pearman explained, was to quantify whether SETI had any reasonable chance of successfully detecting civilizations around other stars.

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Besides Drake and Pearman, three Nobel laureates attended. The other attendees were only slightly less celebrated. They included physicist Philip Morrison, who had co-authored a 1959 paper advocating a SETI program just like the one Drake undertook in 1960. A dark-haired and brilliant 27-year-old astronomy postdoc named Carl Sagan was, at the time, the youngest and arguably least distinguished name on the guest list.

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A few days before the conference began, Drake tried to categorize the key pieces of information needed to estimate the number, N, of detectable advanced civilizations that might currently exist in our galaxy. Drake reasoned that the average rate of star formation in the Milky Way, R, placed a rough upper limit on the creation of new cradles for cosmic civilizations. Some fraction of those stars, fp, would actually form planets, and some number of those planets, ne, would be suitable for life. Some fraction of those habitable planets, fl, would actually blossom into living worlds, and some fraction of those living worlds, fi, would give birth to intelligent, conscious beings. The fraction of intelligent extraterrestrials that developed technologies that could communicate their existence across interstellar distances was fc, and the average longevity of a technological society was L.

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When the conference opened on the morning of Nov. 1, 1961, after the guests were seated and sipping coffee, Drake wrote on a chalkboard: N = R fp ne fl fi fc L

That string of letters has come to be known as the Drake equation. Though Drake had intended it only to guide the next three days of the Green Bank meeting, the equation and its plausible values would come to dominate all subsequent SETI discussions and searches. At the meeting, it was the two final and most nebulous terms of Drakes equation: fc, the fraction of intelligent creatures who would develop societies and technologies capable of interstellar communication, and L, the average longevity of an advanced technological civilization, that caused the most vigorous philosophical debate.

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According to Morrison, history suggested that the emergence of technological societies might be a convergent phenomenon. The early civilizations of China, the Middle East, and the Americas all arose independently and generally followed similar lines of development. And yet their paths had ultimately divergedthe drivers of social change and technological progress were not at all clear. Despite Chinas development of technologies such as gunpowder, compasses, paper, and the printing press hundreds of years before Europeans did, China experienced nothing equivalent to the colonization of the New World, the European Renaissance, and the successive scientific and industrial revolutions. Whether sending ships across oceans or messages among the stars, a societys ability to explore and expand appeared to be a matter not only of technological prowess, but also of choice. Whether any particular technological culture would ever attempt something as wild as interstellar communication seemed unpredictable.

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The Green Bank attendees eventually guessed that between one-fifth and one-tenth of intelligent species would develop the capabilities and intentions to search for and signal other cosmic civilizations. That left only L, the typical lifetime of technological civilizations, for the group to consider.

Drake suspected that what really controlled the number of technological civilizations living in the cosmos was almost solely their longevity. The thought made Morrison shudder. He had worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II and had witnessed the detonation of the first atomic bomb. Humans had developed a global society, radio telescopes, and interplanetary rockets at roughly the same time as weapons of mass destruction. Perhaps all societies would proceed on similar trajectories, becoming visible to the wider cosmos at roughly the same moment they gained an ability to destroy themselves. In fact, Morrison estimated, if the average civilization endured only a decade before passing into oblivion, at any time there would most likely be only one communicative planetary system throughout the galaxy. One of the most compelling reasons to search for evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations, Morrison thought, would be to learn whether our own had a prayer of surviving its current technological adolescence.

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Sagan attempted to counter the doomsaying, noting that we could not rule out some technological civilizations achieving global stability and prosperity either before or even after developing weapons of mass destruction. They might master their planetary environment and move on to exploit resources in the rest of their planetary system. Such a society could, in theory, persist for geological timescales of hundreds of millions or even billions of years, potentially lasting as long as its host star continued to shine. And if, somehow, that civilization managed to escape its dying sun and colonize other planetary systems  well, perhaps then it would endure practically forever. Of all the attendees, Sagan was by far the most optimistic that technological civilizations could solve not only their many planetary problems, but also the manifold difficulties associated with interstellar travel. Somewhere out there, Sagan suggested, immortals passed their unending days amid the stars.

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Drakes best guess in 1961 walked the line between Morrison and Sagan: He speculated that L might be about 10,000 years, and that consequently perhaps 10,000 technological civilizations were scattered throughout the Milky Way along with our own. It was probably not coincidental that Drakes personal estimate rendered the successful detection of alien civilizations still quite difficult but not entirely beyond our capabilities: By his reckoning, only 10 million stars would need to be monitored to obtain an eventual detection, though the search could take decades, even centuries.

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At the conferences end, as the guests drank Champagne, Otto Struve, the director of Green Bank observatory, offered up a toast: To the value of L. May it prove to be a very large number.

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Adapted from Five Billion Years of Solitude: The Search for Life Among the Stars by Lee Billings with permission of Current, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright  Lee Billings, 2013. Five Billion Years of Solitude is available Oct. 3.

More from Slates series on the future of exploration: Is the ocean the real final frontier, or is manned sea exploration dead? Why are the best meteorites found in Antarctica? Can humans reproduce on interstellar journeys? Why are we still looking for Atlantis? Why do we celebrate the discovery of new species but keep destroying their homes? Who will win the race to claim the melting Arcticconservationists or profiteers? Why dont travelers ditch Yelp and Google in favor of wandering? What can exploring Googles Ngram Viewer teach us about history?


(CNN)  The United States and Papua New Guinea have signed a new bilateral defense cooperation agreement  a move that has sparked controversy in the Pacific Island nation and comes as Washington and China jostle for influence in the region.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape signed the pact and a maritime security agreement on Monday during Blinkens visit to the capital Port Moresby.

Advance text of the agreements were not released by either side, but the new defense cooperation was expected to expand US access to military and other facilities in PNG, bolstering Washingtons security ties in the South Pacific.

That region  a constellation of sparsely populated island and archipelago nations and territories as well as New Zealand and Australia  has outsized strategic significance. The Pacific Islands, for example, were the site of decisive battles during World War Two.

The region has taken on renewed importance for Washington as it seeks to bolster its relationships and presence in Asia amid rising tensions with an assertive China thats rapidly expanded its naval capabilities in recent years.

Those concerns were heightened last year after Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands  and tried, but failed, to win support for a sweeping, regional trade and security communique with Pacific Island nations.

Blinkens visit to PNG comes after US President Joe Biden last week cut short an Asia trip that would have included stops in Port Moresby and Sydney, Australia, due to ongoing debt ceiling negotiations at home.

New pact

In a statement Saturday, PNG framed its agreement with the US as an opportunity to advance its infrastructure and capacity for national defense at a time of growing global security concerns.

Papua New Guinea does not have enemies but it pays to be prepared. Territorial dispute is (imminent), as in the case of Ukraine-Russia, the statement said.

This agreement is not about geopolitics but rather recognizes the countrys need to build its defense capabilities because border disputes are inevitable in the future, it said, adding it did not preclude the government from working with other countries, including China.

China has become a significant player in the countrys economy, both as an investor and consumer of its rich natural resources.

The US and PNG militaries already have a cooperative security assistance relationship focused primarily on joint humanitarian exercises and the training of PNG military personnel, according to the State Department.

The new agreement has sparked debate in Papua New Guinea  including over a lack of transparency from the government on what it entailed, while purported leaked drafts circulated online.

The pact would need Parliaments approval and could face judicial challenges, experts say.

But its signing sends a significant message to the region.

PNG signing a defense agreement signals to the rest of the Pacific that its largest nation has chosen the West  Australia and the US  as its security partner, said Maholopa Laveil, FDC Pacific Fellow at the Lowy Institute, seconded from the University of Papua New Guinea.

The defense pact and Fijis reported ending of its police training agreement with China earlier this year are major wins, getting the largest Pacific nations on side for the US in its attempts to limit Chinas influence in the region, Laveil said, adding that Marape may leverage the threat of China to request more development assistance from the US.

Meanwhile, Australia is preparing to sign its own security treaty with PNG.

Pacific Island dynamics

The US deal with PNG  especially on the heels of the Solomon Islands security pact with China last year  may also raise concerns about lines of alignment being drawn in a region that has long prioritized projecting strength through unity.

(Signing such pacts) can also create divisions, said Patrick Kaiku, an academic focused on international relations at the University of Papua New Guinea, noting a perspective among Pacific Island states that they should not take sides in geopolitical rivalries.

If states are not adhering to it  that can also be a problem for regional solidarity, he said.

Blinken is expected to meet with leaders of the Pacific Island Forum regional body in Port Moresby on Monday, the forum has said, taking Bidens place at the gathering.

The cancellation of Bidens trip  which would have been the first from a sitting US President to Papua New Guinea  has been characterized by some observers as a potential ding to Washingtons recent bid to up its engagement with the region.

That bid has included opening embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga this year, while Biden hosted Pacific Island leaders in Washington for a summit in September and released the first-ever national strategy on engaging the Pacific Islands.

US President Joe Bidens now-scrapped visit to PNG was meant to be a culmination of these efforts and send a powerful signal to Pacific Islanders about the US commitment to the region, said Parker Novak, a non-resident follow at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washingtons Global China Hub.

Instead, it underlines skepticism about the United States ability to follow through on the promises it has made, Novak said, adding that with Blinkens visit and other expected diplomacy, it may not do long-term damage to US efforts in the Pacific.

This story was first published on CNN.com, US and Papua New Guinea sign defense pact as Washington, Beijing vie for influence in the Pacific"
Columnist E. Jean Carrollwhich is from a former US president Donald Trump already claimed five million dollars in damages for sexual assault and defamation, now she is suing him again for defamation, this time for ten million dollars. She filed the lawsuit over alleged insults in a recent CNN public forum.

Her lawyers asked a Manhattan federal court judge for permission to amend the first defamation lawsuit filed by E. Jean Carroll against Trump in 2019 to include new statements he made on May 10 on television CNN.

In a new proposed amended federal lawsuit, Carroll alleges that Trump once again falsely stated on CNN that he did not sexually abuse her, that he had no idea who she was and that she is now a proven liar. The filing said about 3.3 million people watched the show, and the studio audience applauded and laughed at Trumps comments.

Trump used a national platform to humiliate and ridicule. He incited the audience, made light of the sexual assault, berated the plaintiff and implied she asked for the assault, and lied about the jurys verdict, the proposed amended complaint states.

Trumps post-sentencing statements show the depth of his malice toward Carroll, as it is difficult to imagine defamatory conduct that could be more motivated by hatred or malice. Such conduct requires very high punitive damages in her favor in order to deter Trump and others like him from further defamation, the lawsuit further states.

Carroll has already succeeded in filing a civil suit against Trump in federal court in New York for rape and defamation after he assaulted her in a Manhattan store in the 1990s. The jury needed only a few hours to decide in her favor. The jury did not find Trump guilty of rape, but of sexual abuse and defamation, because E. Jean Carroll insulted the liar. The former US president appealed the verdict.
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Remote working is flourishing. The latest remote work statistics prove that small businesses are increasingly hiring remote employees, and employees are loving working remotely.

What does the future hold for remote working? Does flexible work arrangements increase productivity, or does remote working reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

To find answers to questions like these, we have assembled current remote work statistics here to help you understand the latest remote work trends. Lets dive in:

The Rise of Remote Work

The coronavirus pandemic has fueled the growth of remote working. Now, more and more companies are adopting a remote or hybrid work model even when the pandemic is over. The following stats prove the growth and popularity of remote work in recent years.

Adoption of Remote Work by Companies

The hybrid model, which allows employees to spend part of their time working remotely and part of their time working on-site, is expected to grow from 42% in 2021 to 81% in 2024, as per recent AT&T research.

According to an Upwork study, 22% of the American workforce will work remotely by 2025.

Remote Workers Around the Globe

Globally, companies are increasingly making remote work a part of company culture. The following remote work stats from a Deloitte survey highlight this fact.

80% of organizations globally allow some level of remote and hybrid ways of working.

27% of companies allow employees to work fully remotely on a regular basis. And employees at 53% of companies globally are allowed to do hybrid work.

Remote Work Statistics: Productivity and Performance

Remote Work and Productivity

Are you wondering if remote work enhances the productivity of full-time workers? The answer is Yes. Check the following data from the State of Remote Work report from Owl Labs.

Two-thirds of remote workers feel they are more productive when working remotely.

66% of millennials (born in the 1980s or 1990s) feel most productive working from home, and boomers (born during the period between approximately 1945 and 1965 ) feel least (46%) productive when working remotely.

If you talk about hybrid workers, 67% of them feel more productive when they work from home.

When it comes to meeting deadlines, 42% of employees say working from home is the most effective.

When employees work from home, they feel distractions that can reduce the work productivity of some remote workers. 77% of those whore less productive at home attribute the loss of productivity to distractions.

Findings from a FlexJobs survey also state that remote work boosts productivity:

51% of remote employees say they are more productive while working remotely.

68% of respondents believe fewer interruptions are the top reason for their increased productivity while working remotely.

Employees who work from home can have more focused time. So there is no surprise that 63% of workers find that more focused time during working from home is the top reason for increased productivity.

68% of remote workers attribute a quieter work environment to increased productivity when they work from home.

Office politics is a productivity killer. But when employees work from home, they can stay away from office politics and increase their productivity. In fact, 55% of remote workers find that the absence of office politics is the biggest reason for increased productivity when working from home.

Employee Performance and Remote Work

A Standford report mentions that working from home can increase performance by 13%.

According to an Airtasker survey, remote employees work 1.4 more days (on average) each month.

The Airtasker survey also states that remote employees lose 27 minutes of each workday to distractions, while office workers spend 37 minutes of each workday due to distractions.

Remote workers spend 29 minutes (37 minutes less than their in-office counterparts) of the workday discussing non-work related topics with colleagues, as mentioned in the Airtasker survey.

Look at the following finding from a Gallup survey:

67% of workers state that hybrid working enables them to use their time more efficiently.

51% of employees report higher productivity when working in a hybrid work arrangement.

Remote Work Lifestyle: Work-Life Balance and Mental Health

Does remote work improve work-life balance? Can working remotely boost mental and physical health? The following remote work stats will answer these questions.

Work-Life Balance for People that Work Remotely

87% of employees believe that a remote or hybrid job would or has already improved their work-life balance, according to a FlexJobs survey.

If youre finding it difficult to attract top talents, start offering an option to work remotely. This is because 63% of job seekers, as per the FlexJobs survey, would choose better work-life balance over better pay.

According to the Gallup survey, 71% of respondents voice that the hybrid work model improved work-life balance.

62% of employees, as per a Cisco report, believe that more flexible work schedules contribute to improved work-life balance mainly.

When it comes to employee engagement, flexible work agreements can make a difference. According to Quantum Workplace research, 81% of hybrid workers say that they are highly engaged in their jobs. And 78% of remote employees are highly engaged, followed by 72% of on-site workers.

Working from home offers a better work-life balance. The FlexJobs survey also confirms the same.

73% of remote workers say they have a better work-life balance due to their ability to work from home.

46% of remote workers have more time with family and children as a result of working from home.

Working from home has offered 37% of remote employees the ability to take care of their pets.

37% of employees say they miss nothing about the office.

Working from home is not all about good things. There are many challenges remote workers have to overcome to do their jobs. Check the following stats to understand remote work challenges:

53% of US employees continue to feel burnout, finds an Eagle Hill report.

27% of remote employees, as mentioned in a Buffer report, rate not being able to unplug as their biggest struggle while working from home.

Mental Health and Remote Work

The Gallup survey reports that hybrid work arrangements can reduce burnout. In fact, 58% of employees reported less work burnout or fatigue while working in a hybrid work model.

According to the Cisco report:

Remote work or hybrid working is associated with improved mental health. About 68% of workers say that their mental well-being has improved while working in a hybrid work arrangement.

Around 62% of workers find that hybrid working improves physical well-being.

About 57% of employees say that hybrid working improves their emotional well-being

About 80% of respondents believe hybrid working has improved their overall well-being.

Around 43% of workers state that hybrid working has enhanced their social well-being.

Remote Work and the Environment

It is fascinating to see that remote work can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Check the following remote working statistics to know how remote work is helpful in creating a healthier environment.

Carbon Emission Reduction

According to the Global Workplace Analytics Report,

Teleworking-compatible employees can reduce greenhouse gases by 54 million tons if they work from home half the time.

Also, they can reduce wear and tear on highways by over 119 billion miles by working from home half the time.

Working from home can also reduce traffic-related injuries and death. If remote-compatible workers work from home half the time, they can save 90,000 people from traffic-related injury or death.

By working from home half the time, teleworking-compatible workers can help the country save 640 million barrels of oil.

Sustainable Remote Work Practices

The following stats from the Alliance Virtual Offices report prove that working from home is greener than returning to the office.

Companies can save around 247 trillion sheets of paper every year by allowing their employees to work outside the office.

Though numbers vary, remote workers can reduce their carbon footprint by around 1,800 pounds by working from home.

At Xerox, working from home saved remote workers around 92 million miles of driving which would produce 41,000 metric tons of CO2.

Due to employees working from home, there was a 67% reduction in waste production for businesses.

The Future of Remote Work

The following stats will help you understand the future of remote work.

Working Remotely: Long-Term Trends

With more and more companies allowing their employees to work from home, the future of remote work is bright. In fact, it is estimated that around 70% of employees will work remotely by 2025. So there will be tons of remote work opportunities in the future.

A study conducted by Upwork estimates that 36.2 million Americans will be remote by 2025.

Allowing your employees to work from home can make them loyal. In fact, 81% of employees say they would be more loyal to their companies if they had flexible work options.

Here are some interesting stats from Zippias research to understand the future of the workplace.

Thanks to the multiple benefits of remote work, more Americans will start working remotely in the future. Up to 37% of Americans will be working from home by 2030.

See Also: Small Business Owners Struggling with Inflation

74% of companies are planning to implement the hybrid work model.

51% of global knowledge workers work remotely.

The gig economy is rapidly growing. So there is no surprise that 50% of the US workforce may be freelancers by 2030.

Check the following remote work stats from the Upwork study to understand how remote work is helping hiring managers:

Remote work has enabled hiring managers to work with independent professionals. In fact, 48% of hiring managers are working with independent talent today.

73% of managers who appreciate remote work are engaging independent workers.

The Role of Technology in Remote Work

With the rise of remote workers worldwide, the use of remote collaboration tools has skyrocketed. The following remote work stats prove this point.

82% of remote workers, as reported by Quantum Workplace, agree that they have tools and technology to connect with their team members and managers.

Microsoft Teams, a real-time communication and collaboration tool, has around 270 million monthly active users.

Slack, a popular communication tool for remote employees, has 10+ million daily active users.

If you want to know the most popular remote work collaboration tool, the followings stats from Statista can help:

Zoom is the most popular communication and collaboration tool used by 36% of remote workers in the US.

19% of the US remote workers rely on Microsoft Teams for remote communication and collaboration.

When it comes to instant communication, 17% of remote employees rely on Skype, and 9% of remote employees depend on Google Hangouts in the US. Slack is used by 7% of US remote employees.

If youre curious about the usage of employee monitoring tools, here are key stats from the Digital.com survey:

60% of companies with remote employees use employee monitoring software to track employee activity and productivity.

79% of companies that deploy employee monitoring software do so to understand better how their employees spend their time.

86% of companies that use monitoring software inform their employees about it.

Of employees whose activities are being monitored, 53% of them spend three or more hours per day on non-work activities.

81% of companies that deployed employee monitoring tools witnessed an increase in employee productivity.

83% of remote employees working in advertising and marketing have employee monitoring tools on their systems.

Absences from workstations (60%) and working a second job (52%) are the common forms of time theft detected by employee monitoring software.

59% of respondents say that employees use a cloud-based access management tool to access their applications remotely, reports Statista.

The remote desktop software market is expected to grow from $2.27 billion in 2022 to $7.22 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 18.0% in the forecast period.

FAQ: Remote Work Statistics

What percentage of employees work remotely?

58% of employees can work remotely at least part of the time, and 35% of them can work from home full-time. The rest 23% can work from home part-time. (Source: McKinsey)

Is remote work increasing or decreasing?

Yes, remote work is increasing. A hybrid work model that allows employees to work from home for certain days in a month is expected to grow from 42% in 2021 to 81% in 2024. So you can assume that remote working is increasing. (Source: AT & T)

What percentage of workers are working remotely?

During the peak of the pandemic, 69% of the US employees worked remotely. As the pandemic enters its endgame, employees from many companies return to the office. By 2025, 22% of the US workforce will be remote.

How does remote work impact employee productivity and performance??

Remote work increases employee productivity and performance. In fact, 51% of employees state that theyre more productive while working remotely. Fewer interruptions, more focused time, a quiet work environment, and a more comfortable workspace contribute to enhanced productivity during work from home. (Source: FlexJobs)

What is the future of remote work and its implications for the workforce?

The future of remote work is bright as more and more companies are using remote workers and allowing their employees to work from home in the coming years. In fact, 70% of the workforce is expected to work from home at least five days a month by 2025. And 37% of Americans will be working from home full-time by 2025. So you can be certain of the fact that the future workforce will have more remote workers than now.
Personally speaking, reflecting on the passing of Pooch and Norm has unintentionally woven as sad tapestry for me in light of my long-term memories of these bigger-than-life guys.

I actually met Pooch when he and his two other friends landed in South Florida so many years ago. I learned his real name from one of his friends but promised not to reveal it, which I never did. Now, that fading memory has wiped away my recollecting his family name, but not the many years of our early and lingering friendship.

I've known Norm for so many years and will never forget when he asked me to do a column for him but, from a conservative angle, especially since I was involved with Log Cabin Republicans locally and nationally. I was taken back because I knew our politics were not strategically compatible and all I could think is that, opposites must attract. I told him it would cause a real stir as it did when I wrote for David Magazine. I remember when Mark Reiley and Hank Goddard had to eventually terminate my David Magazine column. They warned me that from their experience and community-political input that those who opposed my politics would endeavor to assure that I would never be able to write in another community publication again. I told them I expected that and reminded them of my earlier warnings to them when I was originally approached.

As the time flew by along came Norman Kent, seemingly an historical repeat for me of the David Magazine experience. I warned Norm of what could happen, but he told me it was his decision. Frankly Speaking lasted for a time but eventually it reached its political guillotine. Norm once said to me that my column raised a lot of heat, but it did bring attention to the publication which may have been part of his PR intent and an incentive to stimulate or, as some would put it, incite the readership to react and respond germinating an increasing circulation.

I am sad to see these old acquaintances pass on and I pray that they are resting in the peace they deserve. I have a lot of memories relative to both men and I am so thankful that they were a part of my life both in some of the fun times and times that were rocky especially when I was not being embraced by others. Obviously, there were opponents who were offended by my politics and, at times, even my expressed religious beliefs.

With fond and beautiful memories, Norm and Pooch will always be a cherished part of my life here in South Florida, or as good ole Bike Daddy sometimes said, Fort Liquordale.

- Andy (A-Jay Eddy)
Threats against the LGBT community are rising, according to new statistics from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

DHS shared a document with law enforcement and government agencies on May 11 detailing hate crime statistics, according to the Washington Blade. The numbers come from the FBIs database and they indicate that 20% of crimes committed in 2021 were motivated by bias linked to the victims sexual orientation or gender.

These issues include actions linked to drag-themed events, gender-affirming care, and LGBTQIA+ curricula in schools, the agency said.

The Williams Institute of the UCLA School of Law reported in 2022 that LGBT people are nine times more likely than non-LGBT people to be victims of violent hate crimes, the Washington Blade reported.

Because of this, DHS is warning of a possible rise in attacks against LGBT people in public spaces and healthcare sites as Pride celebrations begin in June.

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project, a group that describes itself as a disaggregated data collection, analysis, and crisis mapping project, found that anti-LGBT incidents including demonstrations, acts of political violence, and the distribution of offline propaganda  have more than tripled from 64 events in 2021 to 193 events in 2022 as of mid-November.


In a plot twist, the Los Angeles Dodgers will follow through on their original commitment to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

In a press release issued May 22, the Dodgers apologized for rescinding the drag groups invitation to Pride Night. The decision came after much thoughtful feedback from our diverse communities, honest conversations within the Los Angeles Dodgers organization and generous discussions with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, the ball club stated.

Pressure from anti-LGBT hardline Catholics, persuaded the Dodgers to cancel plans to honor the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, fearing their presence would distract from the great benefits that we have seen over the years of Pride Night.

The controversy was stoked by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) who penned a letter objecting to the sisters being given a Community Hero Award at the June 16 game.

Do you believe that the Los Angeles Dodgers are being 'inclusive and welcoming to everyone' by giving an award to a group of gay and transgender drag performers that intentionally mocks and degrades Christians  and not only Christians, but nuns, who devote their lives to serving others? Rubio wrote.

The nonprofits San Francisco Order refuted assertions they harbored anti-Catholic beliefs.

Our ministry is real, wrote Sister Rosie. We promulgate universal joy, expiate stigmatic guilt and our use of religious trappings is a response to those faiths whose members would condemn us and seek to strip away the rights of marginalized communities.

Created in 1979 as a response to the AIDS crisis, the street performance troupe deploys satire and humor to lift spirits, promote human rights and call attention to critical needs.

Upon learning of the sisters' exclusion by the Dodgers, Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken invited them to attend Anaheim Angels Pride Night on June 7 as her guests.
This postcard captures the increase in change between the city vs the country in the 1930s.

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While the billboards in this postcard of 1930s Zilina give the impression of a bustling city, we can tell the people in the street are actually villagers by the clothes they are wearing.

Why is the city full of villagers? The explanation is simple: the photo was taken before cities were surrounded by urban sprawl. Back then the countryside began where the city ended, and one could reach a citys border in a 20-minute walk from the centre.

The villagers in the postcard probably came into town to buy or sell products at the market. The woman in the middle of the street with a headscarf and a basket looks like she is going to market. On the right one can see a horse-drawn wagon hauling wood slats. An inconspicuous petrol station on the left shows that cars were appearing in the city, too.

Many Slovak cities and towns boast that they were built at crossroads of trade routes, and this is certainly true of Zilina. The city was built on the confluence of the Vah, Kysuca and Rajcianka rivers, which have been used for transport for centuries.

https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d83390.97130598902!2d18.665929705301938!3d49.22013674466079!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x47145ea4e72cf5bd%3A0xe9a4e40ac6c36a0a!2zxb1pbGluYQ!5e0!3m2!1sen!2ssk!4v1684840471775!5m2!1sen!2ssk

One trade route connected Zilina with the Turiec region and the eastern part of the Hungarian Kingdom. Another route headed through the Vah valley to Bratislava. A third led north to Silesia along the Kysuca River and connected to Zilina via a bridge across the Vah. The bridge, which used to be wooden, was frequently destroyed by the river and had to be replaced numerous times. Financing its reconstruction became a bone of contention between the city and the Szunyog family who owned the land on the opposite bank. The bridge occupied six different sites over the years, and the route had to be altered accordingly.

It is interesting to note that these ancient routes can still be seen today in Zilinas street plan.
Popular brands store to employ more than 200 people.

Primark is finally arriving also in Slovakia. (Source: Courtesy of Primark)

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Slovaks will no longer need to travel to Vienna or Prague to shop at Primark. The popular Irish fast-fashion retailer will soon open its first store in Slovakia in the extended Eurovea riverside retail centre in Bratislava.

We are very pleased that the exclusive representation of fashion boutiques and brand stores in Eurovea will be expanded by the Primark brand, a global market leader which is successful in all the countries it enters, said Peter Korbacka, owner of Eurovea.
Slovakia to get a new largest shopping mall, summer camps for children, and storm warnings in place.

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Good evening. Here is the Tuesday, May 23 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Will MPs elect the president again?

Smer leader Robert Fico. (Source: TASR  Jakub Kotian)

Demokrati, a non-parliamentary party led by ex-premier Eduard Heger, claims that the opposition party Smer plans to change the presidential election from direct to indirect after the parliamentary elections held in September.

"Its plan is clear - obtain power, win as many votes as possible, and change the constitution so that MPs, not people, elect the president," said Demokrati party member Juraj Seliga last Sunday.

At least 90 votes are required to change the constitution.

Find out more in the story, including Smer leader Robert Fico's response.

More stories from The Slovak Spectator website

Business: Eurovea is set to become Slovakia's largest shopping centre at the end of this month.

Eurovea is set to become Slovakia's largest shopping centre at the end of this month. Travel: A church tower by the Liptov water reservoir looks nicer today.

A church tower by the Liptov water reservoir looks nicer today. Opinion: Ukrainian adolescents have shared with UNICEF various strategies for coping with loneliness. Here are some tips.

Ukrainian adolescents have shared with UNICEF various strategies for coping with loneliness. Here are some tips. History: Have a look at this old postcard of Zilina.

Have a look at this old postcard of Zilina. Culture: Three good news stories from Slovakia, including a funny meme.

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 TUESDAY

Summer camps for English-speaking children

Tips on summer camps in Bratislava. (Source: Pexels)

The school year is coming to its end, summer creeping in with warmer temperatures, and the summer camp season is just around the corner.

Several summer camps in English suitable both for Anglophone children and children who want to improve their language skills while making new friends are on offer in Bratislava and other Slovak towns.

EVENT FOR THE WEEKEND

Cirkul'art

Cirkul'art will take place from May 26 until 28, 2023. (Source: Facebook/Cirkul'art)

Spend the last May weekend celebrating a new circus. The Cirkul'art international festival will take place in Stupava, western Slovakia, this weekend. See the full programme here.

Tickets can be purchased here.

In other news

After more than a year of negotiations, the Slovnaft and MOL refineries agreed with the Croatian company JANAF on the fee for the use of the Adria pipeline and concluded a contract for the transportation of oil . However, the contract is only agreed for one year and the price for transport exceeds the standard amount of charges in the EU by several times. (TASR)

There are currently 57 political parties and movements registered in Slovakia , the Interior Ministry said.

10,441 pupils from Ukraine attend Slovak schools , the Education Ministry has announced.

Tourists can enter Croatia under the same conditions as before the Covid-19 pandemic , the Slovak Foreign Ministry said.

Apart from closed border crossings due to the international conference Globsec Bratislava Forum, restrictions will also apply to the area near the River Park hotel in Bratislava. Short-term road traffic restrictions may occur during the transfer of individual delegations between the airport, the River Park hotel, the Presidential Palace, the Government Office and Bratislava Castle, the police said. The conference ,which will focus on the war in Ukraine and its impacts on Europe and the world, will take place next week. Up to 1,300 guests from 63 countries, including French President Emmanuel Macron, will attend the event.

A total of 116 exhibitors and companies from seven countries are present at the International Engineering Fair in Nitra. The fair takes place at the Agrokomplex exhibition centre from May 23 to 26, 2023. (Source: TASR)

WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Large clouds, rain in many places, showers, local storms. The highest daytime temperature will rise to 25C.

The meteorological office issued storm warnings for central and eastern Slovakia, which will be in place from late Wednesday morning until Wednesday night. (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.

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Berlin is like an urban coffee festival, seven days a week. German coffeehouse vibes, beans imported directly from Vietnam, Czech comfort food from the old country, and cafes drawing on influences from America, Australia, Scandinavia, Turkey and beyond: whatever youre looking for, youll find it here, in one of Europes great modern coffee cities.

Sprudge has published Berlin coffee guides over the last decade, including neighborhood-specific guides, new cafe guides, post-COVID guides and more. Those past features have showcased many of the citys biggest names for coffee. Now we want to offer another style of guide, a deep dive into the unique international offerings that make the German capital so great. Consider this a trip off the beaten path, featuring cafes you might not already be familiar with.

Explore our world of Berlin cafe coverage with more guides on Sprudge!

Now that were in the post-pandemic world, things are picking up and the city is thriving once again. Theres no better time to explore what Berlin has to offerespecially with its first-class public transportation system. Whether youre a local looking to discover new coffee shops or a traveler hoping to experience Berlins vibrant culture, the citys excellent transit system makes it easy to get where you need to go. And with our Berlin coffee guide in hand, youre sure to find the perfect spot to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee along the way.

Town Mouse Coffee

First on the list is Town Mouse Coffee. Located in still-trendy Prenzlauer Berg, the cafe opened in summer 2021 right in the middle of the bustling neighborhood. Sebastian Daly, Town Mouse Coffee owner, said that he was a bit wary to open just one year after the worst of Covid, but it was worth the risk. A sleek, white Dalla Corte Evo 2 espresso machine and a batch brewer are the coffee workhorses. The beans are supplied by four Berliner roasteries: 19grams, August 63, Miles Coffee Design, and Sincerely.

Hailing from New Zealand, Daly was excited to share his sandwiches which are one of the inspirations for the name of the cafe. He says, we wanted to make Mouse Traps, which in New Zealand are grilled cheese and marmite sandwiches. Here in Berlin, they do different takes with local ingredients sourced from nearby shops: think blue cheese, walnuts, and apricot jam or a vegan version with smashed peas, walnuts, pickled onions, and dukkah.

Another reason for the Town Mouse name goes much deeper. Daly says that the name was chosen from one of Aesops fables about the town mouse and the country mouse. Essentially the moral is to be content with what you have and appreciate the simple pleasures in life. We agree.

Cafelix

Next on the list is a cafe right around the corner, called Cafelix. Only this time were headed to Israel.

Cafelix is both a roastery and coffee shop that opened in the sleepy part of the Winskiez neighborhood in 2019. This is the first branch outside of Tel Aviv, where there are already two branches. Yael Schafer moved to Berlin with her family shortly before opening the roastery and cafe where they wanted to bring a part of their culture to Berlin. The Berlin location echoes Tel Aviv with Kosher goods, which Yael says are baked in-house since its harder to source a reliable Kosher supplier in Berlin. The pastries are Middle Eastern influenced and feature ingredients like dates, pistachios, and sesame seeds.

Coffee drinks here are made with a La Marzocco Leva and beans are ground in Mahlkonig grinders. Since Cafelix also roasts their beans, they use a renovated German-built five-kilo roaster from the 1950s. As soon as you walk into the cafe, off to the side you can see piles of bags of raw coffee beans that will soon be showcased on the menu. Schafer says the relationships she forges with the coffee farms are of utmost importance. Its not about getting the best price or always finding new producers; its about the quality of the beans and the care that the farmers put into their product. We buy coffee from companies that invest in the coffee growing communities, Schafer says.

One of these producers is El Salvadors Rodolfo Ruffatti Batlle, whose 60 year old farm has been steadily supplying Cafelix with beans for a few years now. Other beans are sourced from Africa and other Latin American countries, where quality is once again at the forefront. Cafelix has created a little community right on this quiet street, where regulars are greeted by the friendly baristas who remember you. Its no wonder they keep coming back for their next cup.

Annelies

Hopping on the U-Bahn (or subway) and venturing south to Kreuzberg, we head to Annelies. Right on the border of Gorlitzer Park, a park well-known by locals, Annelies welcomes nearby coffee seekers who are also looking for a bite to eat. Annelies offers a lot more than coffee, where youll find all-day breakfast and lunch on offer like eggs, pancakes, and granola bowls. Later in the day, you can also opt for a glass of natural wine. Locals flock here for the brunch fare but the coffee is also a main draw. With beans supplied by Danish roaster La Cabra, the coffee drinks are some of the best in the area. Its one of the more scenic places to sit outside on a sunny day and enjoy your coffee.

Opened in 2018, the cafe brings a cozy vibe to the neighborhood. Owner Hannes Haake says he wanted to create an atmosphere as if you were a guest over at someones house. It certainly feels that way. A La Marzocco Classic sits at the entrance but the further you walk inside, it feels like the perfect place to sit and relax for hours.

Meiers

Now we head back north to Mitte, Berlins center, to explore Meiers. Its a fairly new Vietnamese-focused cafe (opened in 2021) owned by a Berliner with a Vietnamese background herself.

Berlin has a sizable community of Vietnamese expats. During the DDR, or the Cold War era, Vietnamese immigrants flocked to Berlin when the German Democratic Republic and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam had an agreement to hire foreign workers. Others came before to seek refuge during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. Today, they make up the largest East Asian demographic in the city. Of course now its only natural that the coffee culture in Berlin would reflect this in some way.

The woman behind Meiers, Frau Ngan Meier, imports beans from Vietnams La Viet roastery and is the only cafe in Berlin to stock them. She says, the goal of Meiers Coffee is to make people aware that Vietnams coffee culture is special, and that there are not only bad Robusta beans but also a growing specialty coffee scene that is trying to improve quality in building Arabica coffee farms and educating people. The beans are featured in the traditional Vietnamese brewing method ca phe phin, a type of single serve pour-over and the ca phe sua, which is the version served with condensed milk.

Other classic espresso drinks are also available, made with a beautiful Victoria Arduino Black Eagle. Cafe Meiers is worth visiting if youre anywhere near Alexanderplatz. Whether youre looking for a cappuccino or to enjoy some ca phe phin, youll be happy to have stopped by this quiet nook in the center of the bustling downtown.

Nonna Cafe & Co

Last on our list is Nonna Cafe & Co. This time were circling back to Prenzlauer Berg in what is probably one of the most interesting locations on our listthe cafe sits on the border of a cemetery. Theres a bustling main street on one side with a view of Berlins famous TV Tower and a quiet, somber cemetery on the other. Outside the cafe, youll find beautiful flower bouquets arranged, a reminder that a flower shop once sat in its place. Inside, youll find a Czech-influenced cafe that wants to bring a piece of Czechia to Berlin.

From the homemade rotating daily soups to the rustic bread slices, or Chlebicky, topped with traditional spreads, to their Bohemian-inspired pastries, everything on the menu is a taste of a Czech grandmas cooking. Owner Anna Vohlidalova grew up in Prague and brings these traditions alive in Berlin where finding true Bohemian fare is rare. In addition to the kitchens menu, there are other imported goods available for take away, like beer, natural wine, or books. Of course most people come in for the coffee which is supplied by local Passenger Coffee and made on a Rocket RE A Timer espresso machine. You can even opt for a Viennese Coffee, an espresso topped with whipped cream and served in a glass. Whatever you choose to try at Nonna, youll be in for a treat thats rare to find anywhere else in Berlin.

Tatiana Ernst (@TatianaErnst) is a contributor based in Berlin. Read more Tatiana Ernst on Sprudge.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/artemosk-liberated-us-debt-collapse-imminent-mexican-president-demands-end-to-us-meddling-1110527228.html

Artemovsk Liberated; US Debt Collapse Imminent?; Mexican President Demands End to US Meddling

Artemovsk Liberated; US Debt Collapse Imminent?; Mexican President Demands End to US Meddling

The president of Mexico is demanding that the US stop funding opposition groups and working on clandestine regime change operations. 23.05.2023, Sputnik International

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Artyomosk Liberated; US Debt Collapse Imminent?; Mexican President Demands End To US Meddling The president of Mexico is demanding that the US stop funding opposition groups and working on clandestine regime change operations.

Mark Sleboda, Moscow-based international relations security analyst, joins us to discuss Ukraine. The city of Artemovsk (Bakhmut) has been liberated from Ukrainian troops. Also, the US wants to give F16 fighter planes to Ukraine and the last nuclear arms treaty between the US and Russia may soon be abandoned.Dr. Gerald Horne, Professor of History at the University of Houston, TX, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss the G7 meeting and US foreign policy. Russia has referred to the G7 meeting as an incubator for anti-Chinese and anti-Russian hate. Also, The US empire of debt may be on the verge of collapse.KJ Noh, writer, teacher, and activist, joins us to discuss China. China warns the US as Tony Blinken plans a trip to Papua New Guinea. Also, Taiwan's citizens are starting to realize that they are being set up as Ukraine in the Pacific.John Kiriakou, former CIA Officer and Co-Host of "Political Misfits" on Radio Sputnik, joins us to discuss spy wars. Jack Teixeira was being surveilled six months before the Pentagon papers leak. Also, John Durham ignored the five eyes link to the RussiaGate operation.Laith Marouf, broadcaster, and journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, joins us to discuss the Middle East. Syrian President Assad in Saudi Arabia reflects a new reality in the Middle East. Also, Israel faces another round of protests against Netanyahu's judicial overhaul plans.Jon Jeter, journalist and author, joins us to discuss the Global South. The president of Mexico is demanding that the US stop funding opposition groups and working on clandestine regime change operations. Also, Africa is becoming a major player in international politics.Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of Economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, joins us to discuss the economy. President Biden is set to continue meetings with GOP leaders in an attempt to settle the debt ceiling dispute.Marjorie Cohn, Professor Emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, joins us to discuss the SCOTUS. The SCOTUS is set to slash regulations on a variety of issues.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/biden-mccarthy-debt-ceiling-talk-yet-to-produce-deal-as-june-1-deadline-draws-near-1110527955.html

Biden-McCarthy Debt Ceiling Talk Yet to Produce Deal as June 1 Deadline Draws Near

Biden-McCarthy Debt Ceiling Talk Yet to Produce Deal as June 1 Deadline Draws Near

On Monday, President Joe Biden met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in order to hammer out a deal that would address the country's debt ceiling limit.

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US President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met late Monday at the White House in order to hammer out a deal to raise the US debt ceiling, 10 days before current measures are set to expire. McCarthy revealed after the highly-watched meeting that a deal was not yet reached between involved parties but admitted conversations proved productive, and that they were better than any other time weve had discussions."I did feel the discussion was productive in areas that we have differences of opinion," McCarthy said on Monday evening. "We're going to have the staff to continue to get back together and work on... some of the things that we had talked about."In a subsequent statement, Biden agreed the get-together proved "productive" but acknowledged "areas of disagreement" remained in place for the time being. A potential default would not only put the US economy, as well as the world economy at risk, but it may specifically affect US cities with a large military presence. About 1/6 of US government spending goes to national defense, while a quarter of that spending goes to military personnel, meaning a default could shake the economies of several, if not all, US states. A default on the federal debt would be an economic disaster in many ways, but it will especially hit cities with high government employment, so military communities around the country are especially vulnerable, John Mayo, professor of economics, business and public policy at Georgetown University, told US media.Figures compiled from government data note there were at least 1.7 million Americans employed by the Defense Department at the end of March.Ahead of the Monday meeting, McCarthy informed reporters that the negotiation process was on the right path. At the time, Biden echoed the sentiment and stated he believed the two would make some progress.Though the tone of the meeting appears to be more optimistic than previously reported, the urgency for both parties to reach an agreement remain amid growing concerns of a potential economic crisis.While the House of Representatives is scheduled to break for the upcoming holiday weekend, McCarthy announced he would keep the chamber in session for as long as it takes to pass a bill. Were going to stay and do our job, he said.Monday's meeting came as US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reiterated just how little time remained before "extraordinary measures" implemented by the agency would expire and see the US slowly begin to default. In an earlier meeting Yellen warned it was "highly likely" the US Treasury would not be able to foot its bills by early June without raising the debt ceiling.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/british-ex-pm-johnson-in-texas-to-urge-republicans-to-keep-arming-ukraine-1110534729.html

British Ex-PM Johnson in Texas to Urge Republicans to Keep Arming Ukraine

British Ex-PM Johnson in Texas to Urge Republicans to Keep Arming Ukraine

Boris Johnson has played a central role in NATO's proxy conflict with Russia in Ukraine. In April 2022 he persuaded President Volodymyr Zelensky to back out of a peace deal. He also persuaded fellow European leaders to arm Kiev.

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2023-05-23T11:38+0000

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Former British prime minister Boris Johnson has urged US republicans to keep backing Democrat President Joe Biden's arms supplies to Ukraine.The former PM flew to the US state of Texas to address some two dozen of the lone star state's of top conservative politicians, businessmen and campaign donors.You are backing the right horse. Ukraine is going to win. They are going to defeat Putin, he insisted, despite news that day that the Russian forces had liberated the key Donbass city of Artemovsk.Republicans in the US Congress are currently locked in a stand-off with the Democratic administration, which insists it must raise its 'debt ceiling' borrowing limit from $1.1 trillion to $1.5 trillion to cover spending approved in the annual budget.But the octogenarian president has vowed the arms supplies will continue even if the federal government is forced to shut down.Johnson's trip was organised by the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA, a cross-party, pro-Ukraine Washington lobby group.She added that Johnson enjoyed "a lot of credibility as well with the base of the Republican Party" because former US president Donald Trump "had nice things to say about him when he was the president."Johnson has been one of the most strident supporters on the eastern shores of the Atlantic of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.In early April 2022 he flew to Kiev to urge Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to break off peace talks with Russia, which were on the verge of a peace agreement brokered by Turkey and Israel.He also persuaded leaders of France, Germany and Italy, the three biggest European Union economies, to impose economic sanctions on Russia against their countries' economic interests.Johnson was forced to resign in the the summer of 2022 after Chris Pincher, who he had appointed as deputy chief whip months earlier, groped a fellow Conservative Party MP at a posh private members' club in London's West End.That prompted a mass walk-out from his cabinet led by then-chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak. Johnson's reputation had already been damaged by earlier scandals such as 'Partygate' and his expensive refurbishment of the PM's official Downing Street residence at the expense of Conservative Party funds.His successor Liz Truss, another supporter of confrontation with Moscow, resigned after just six weeks in Downing Street and was replaced by Sunak, who has twice played host to Zelensky.

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China Has Nothing to Offer on Possible High-Level Contacts With US - Embassy

China Has Nothing to Offer on Possible High-Level Contacts With US - Embassy

China has nothing to share at present about possible contacts between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden amid US statements about a top-level meeting, embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said.

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"China and the United States maintain necessary communication," Liu said. "As to the details of high-level interactions between China and the United States, I do not have anything to offer at the moment." Liu emphasized that China is open to communication at all levels and cooperation in various areas with the United States but only on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. "China views and grows its relations with the United States under the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation - as proposed by President Xi Jinping," Liu said. Biden announced on Wednesday he would meet with Xi regardless of whether the meeting takes place soon or not. Biden also said arrangements for talks between him and Xi was in the works and expressed hope they would come to fruition. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier they had no information regarding a possible meeting between Xi and Biden, despite the statements made by the US president. Liu expressed hope for a more stable US-China relationship to benefit both countries, instead of being one of mutual estrangement, stand-off and shift toward a new Cold War. Liu also said China opposes unilateral sanctions as well as the unfair prohibition or restriction on normal economic and trade activities between Chinese and foreign companies. The new Chinese Ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, will arrive in Washington on Tuesday to take up his new post, US media reported. Xie's arrival likely reflects Beijing's intention to ease tensions in the bilateral relations and follows Biden's remarks about the coming "thaw" between the two countries, the report said.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/french-parliament-begins-considering-bill-on-record-military-budget-increase-1110528791.html

French Parliament Begins Considering Bill on Record Military Budget Increase

French Parliament Begins Considering Bill on Record Military Budget Increase

French National Assembly lawmakers on Monday began consideration of a draft law on military planning for 2024-2030, which implies a record increase in the military budget to 413 billion euros ($446 billion).

2023-05-23T02:42+0000

2023-05-23T02:42+0000

2023-05-23T02:38+0000

world

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The government demanded that the bill be considered under an accelerated procedure: only one reading will be organized in the lower and upper houses of parliament. The authorities expect to pass the law before July 14. The draft law focuses on the modernization of the army, especially in terms of nuclear deterrence, improvements in the conditions for the military, for which 10 billion euros will be allocated, equipment upgrades, investment in the protection of cyberspace, space and the navy. At the same time, the new budget implies a reduction in heavy weapons, such as tanks and armored personnel carriers. According to Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, by 2030 the French army will receive 2,300 Scorpion armored vehicles, 30 percent fewer than previously planned. The French Air Force will receive 137 Rafale fighter jets instead of 185 and a total of 35 A400M transport aircraft instead of 50. The French Navy will also not receive two of the five defensive frigates. Spending on equipment, the shortage of which was revealed by arms supplies to Ukraine, will be increased: ammunition stocks (16 billion euros, an increase of 45 percent), investment in air defense systems (5 billion euros). Opposition parties have put forward about 1,700 amendments to the text. They are to be considered within two weeks, after which the bill will go to the Senate for consideration. According to the draft law, in 2024-2030, the French Armed Forces will be given an "unprecedented" budget, according to the defense minister. It will grow to 400 billion euros, compared to 295 billion euros allocated in 2019-2025. With account for off-budget spending on infrastructure and other items, the total budget of the Armed Forces should be 413 billion euros. In 2023, the French military budget is to total 43.9 billion euros, plus an additional 1.5 billion requested by the defense minister. In 2024, the budget will increase by 3.1 billion, and then will increase by 3 billion euros each year until 2027. From 2028, the ministry is to receive another 4.3 billion euros annually.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230302/majority-in-france-oppose-french-military-presence-in-africa-poll-reveals-1107926650.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/hungary-and-germany-quarrel-over-blocked-ukraine-military-aid---reports-1110535502.html

Hungary and Germany Quarrel Over Blocked Ukraine Military Aid - Reports

Hungary and Germany Quarrel Over Blocked Ukraine Military Aid - Reports

Foreign Ministers of Germany and Hungary quarreled during a closed-door gathering in Brussels over the role of Hungarys OTP Bank in the Ukraine conflict, a report stated.

2023-05-23T11:28+0000

2023-05-23T11:28+0000

2023-05-23T11:28+0000

world

germany

hungary

ukraine

ukraine crisis

peter szijjarto

annalena baerbock

viktor orban

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Germany and Hungary exchanged some verbal broadsides during a closed-door foreign ministers gathering in Brussels, a US media report stated.Specifically, the exchange was triggered by the role of the OTP Bank (the National Savings and Commercial Bank of Hungary) in the Ukraine conflict, according to cited unnamed diplomats. Hungary, which has been opposing Europe's arms supplies to the Kiev regime for prolonging the conflict, has refused to approve more EU military aid for Ukraine.As Peter Szijjarto reiterated Budapests stance on the issue, his German counterpart, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, is described as referencing a spate of unspecified reports. These accused OTP of "recognizing" the Lugansk and Donetsk Peoples Republics.The Hungarian bank was also accused of extending credit lines to Russian soldiers.Peter Szijjarto is said to have rejected the accusations targeting the OTP bank, citing a statement released by the company which claimed the reports were not correct."According to those attending the gathering, the exchange was civilized and in a normal framework of the discussion. However, this is said to have followed attempts by Sweden and Estonia at the same meeting to pressure Hungary to stop "stalling" over more sanctions against Russia.Sanctions 'Contrary to Common Sense'Earlier, Budapest blocked the release of the eighth tranche of EU military aid to Ukraine worth 500 million euros ($543 million) via the European Peace Facility (EPF), Brussels sources were cited as saying. Hungary allegedly demanded guarantees that the EPF maintain its "global" vision in the future and not be used exclusively for arming Kiev.Furthermore, one of the issues currently brought up by some European states is Ukraine's list of private companies it has branded "war sponsors." Among these is Hungarys OTP Bank. The Hungarian government will not grant its approval to the next tranche of the European Peace Facility to Ukraine unless Hungary's OTP Bank is removed from this list, Peter Szijjarto stated after a meeting with Alexander Schallenberg, his Austrian counterpart, on Monday.Peter Szijjarto was also quoted as denouncing the EUs planned 11th package of sanctions as fully contrary to common sense. Underscoring that the previous 10 had failed, he reportedly also voiced concern about mulled EU measures targeting eight Chinese companies which could certainly aggravate or even thwart ties with China.Last month, at an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg Peter Szijjarto yet again warned that delivery of military aid to Kiev only draws out the conflagration. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly lambasted arms manufacturers, raking in massive profits, and Western economic circles who hope to lay their hands on Russia's rich natural resources as the ones interested in seeing the Ukraine conflict rage on.European countries have rustled up 10 sanctions packages against Russia since Moscow launched its special military operation in Ukraine. They have also threatened to impose secondary sanctions on countries allegedly helping Moscow evade restrictions. Earlier in May, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled an 11th package of sanctions cobbled together by the European Commission. Besides aiming to add more products to the EU transit ban, it was proposed to combat sanctions circumvention, targeting "shadow" entities.However, not only have these restrictions become self-harming, backfiring on those who introduced them, they have failed to "cripple" Russia's economy, as the Western supporters of the proxy war against Moscow in Ukraine had hoped. As for weapons deliveries to Kiev, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230515/hungary-blocks-540mln-tranche-of-military-aid-to-ukraine---reports-1110394661.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230505/hungarys-orban-ukraine-crisis-is-klondike-for-arms-makers--profiteers-1110118968.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230424/hungarys-szijjarto-says-arms-supplies-to-kiev-only-prolong-ukraine-conflict-1109797781.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/hungary-signs-gas-purchase-agreement-with-qatar-1110528939.html

Hungary Signs Gas Purchase Agreement With Qatar

Hungary Signs Gas Purchase Agreement With Qatar

Hungary signed a deal with Qatar on the purchase of natural gas, the countries plan to develop economic cooperation, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said after talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

2023-05-23T02:48+0000

2023-05-23T02:48+0000

2023-05-23T02:44+0000

world

hungary

viktor orban

tamim bin hamad al thani

lng

liquefied natural gas (lng)

hungarian foreign ministry

peter szijjarto

qatar

russia

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Over the past year, we have learned that Qatar is a country of key importance for Europe. The European economy has made up for a significant part of the missing Russian gas with LNG coming from here... We agreed on energy cooperation, we will also buy gas from here - it is always better to stand on several legs than on one," Orban said in a video message from Doha posted on Facebook*.He also said that after talks, the leaders of Hungary and Qatar also agreed to develop infrastructure and air traffic, cooperate in communications and agriculture, thus opening up a good prospect for Qatari-Hungarian economic cooperation. The Hungarian prime minister also said Qatar, like Hungary, is ready to mediate in a peaceful settlement in Ukraine. The Hungarian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly said Hungary is working on diversifying gas supplies to the country, but in the short term it will not be possible to replace Russian energy. In addition to increasing the import of Azerbaijani gas, Hungary is interested in increasing LNG supplies to the country through the terminal in Croatia's Krk and developing a gas field in Romania. Additionally, according to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, Budapest, as part of the diversification of supplies, is considering the possibility to import oil from Ecuador in case the overland transit of Russian oil through Ukraine becomes impossible. Earlier, Szijjarto said that during his visit to Qatari capital Doha, an agreement was signed, under which the energy companies of Hungary and Qatar may begin talks on the supply of liquefied natural gas to Hungary in about three years. According to him, talks are also ongoing between Hungarian and Omani partners at the level of specialists and enterprises on the possible start of oil and natural gas imports from Oman. Szijjarto stressed that agreements with the Gulf countries on oil and gas supply to Hungary do not mean the abandonment of contracts with Russia, but are aimed at diversification.*banned in Russia for extremism

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230114/top-lng-producer-qatar-predicts-return-of-russian-gas-to-european-market-within-five-years-1106317033.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/israel-boasts-of-ability-to-hit-iran-as-nuclear-tensions-seethe-1110543950.html

Israel Boasts of 'Ability to Hit Iran' as Nuclear Tensions Seethe

Israel Boasts of 'Ability to Hit Iran' as Nuclear Tensions Seethe

Tel Aviv has spent well over a decade accusing Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons. Iran has consistently denied these claims, and has called on the international community to pay closer attention to Israel's nukes instead.

2023-05-23T17:40+0000

2023-05-23T17:40+0000

2023-05-23T17:40+0000

world

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iran

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Israel Defense Forces Chief of General Staff Herzi Halevi has announced the nation's readiness to conduct strikes against Iran in the event of "negative developments" involving Tehran's nuclear program, and urged for outlays into the IDF to further improve Tel Avivs military capabilities."Without going into details, there are possible negative developments on the horizon that could prompt action," Halevi said, speaking at a security conference in Herzliya, Israel on Tuesday.Halevi characterized the current Israeli military potential prepared to attack Tehran as "good," but recommended that they be further "strengthened" so that Tel Aviv "can carry out a broad campaign against Iran."The IDF faces a number of hurdles which hamper its capabilities against Iran, Halevi admitted, pointing out that the country is over 1,500 km from Israel, which makes it a challenging target for Israels air force.Commenting on the trend toward diplomatic rapprochement between Iran and other Gulf States, including regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia, Halevi brushed off its strategic significance."There is a phenomenon during the past months of some countries around us engaging in rapprochement with Iran. But I dont think it is a result of the fact that these states respect Iran or trust it or want a peace accord with itI believe it is the result of their desire to lower the temperature in their surroundings and not bring up any conflicts  which is their choice," he said.Bitter EnemiesIsrael and Iran have been sworn enemies ever since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which ousted the countrys US-backed dictator, and gave rise to an Islamic Republican government in Tehran which refused to recognize Israels right to exist. The two countries have been engaged in a bitter, secret war on multiple fronts over the years and decades, including a long-running cyberwar, a covert sea war, and proxy conflicts in Syria and Lebanon.Tel Aviv accuses Tehran of seeking to build a nuclear bomb. Tehran maintains its right to continue its uranium enrichment activities under its peaceful nuclear energy program, and has stressed repeatedly that it has no plans to pursue nuclear weapons, weapons of mass destruction of any kind. Instead, the Islamic Republic relies on a massive arsenal of conventional ballistic and cruise missiles and drones as its primary deterrent to aggression.Iran has asked the International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations Security Council some uncomfortable questions about why its peaceful nuclear activities are subjected to strict international monitoring, while these same agencies have turned a blind eye to Israel, which is widely suspected of possessing dozens of nuclear weapons. Tel Aviv does not admit its nuclear weapons status, instead pursuing a policy of "deliberate ambiguity" on the matter.Israel and the United States have engaged in joint training activities simulating attacks on Irans nuclear facilities, with Tel Aviv laying out a special $1.5 billion to prepare for such an eventuality. However, some Israeli officials have warned of the catastrophic consequences which could befall Tel Aviv if it ever proceeded with an attack on Iran.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230520/israel-saudi-arabia-to-normalize-relations-eventually---foreign-minister-1110481092.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20210306/iran-asks-why-israel-gets-preferential-treatment-with-iaea-despite-its-arsenal-of-nukes-1082272431.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/kiev-claims-netherlands-may-become-first-country-to-supply-f-16-fighters-to-ukraine-1110532626.html

Kiev Claims Netherlands May Become First Country to Supply F-16 Fighters to Ukraine

Kiev Claims Netherlands May Become First Country to Supply F-16 Fighters to Ukraine

The Netherlands may become the first country to deliver F-16 fighter jets to Kiev, Yuriy Sak, an adviser to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said.

2023-05-23T07:04+0000

2023-05-23T07:04+0000

2023-05-23T07:04+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukrainian defense ministry

netherlands

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"The Netherlands are in a position to be [the] first [country delivering fighters]," he was quoted by media as saying. Sak told media on Saturday that Kiev hopes to receive the first F-16s from foreign donors in late September or early October. In his previous interview, he said Ukraine hoped to receive up to 50 jet fighters from its allies. On Monday, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said that countries should not make individual decisions about supplying fighter jets and that the issue must be negotiated within a larger coalition. NATO allies recently pledged to supply Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, the latest addition to the list of lethal weapons the West has provided to Ukraine as it gears up for a large-scale offensive against Russian forces.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230522/why-does-ukraine-want-f-16s-1110518595.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/medvedev-kievs-words-about-non-involvement-in-sabotage-attacks-in-russia-absolute-lie-1110539489.html

Medvedev: Kiev's Words About Non-Involvement in Sabotage Attacks in Russia Absolute Lie

Medvedev: Kiev's Words About Non-Involvement in Sabotage Attacks in Russia Absolute Lie

The deputy chairman of the Security Council and leader of the United Russia party, Dmitry Medvedev, has called the Ukrainian government's claims that it was not involved in sabotage attacks on Russian territory 'an absolute lie'.

2023-05-23T13:22+0000

2023-05-23T13:22+0000

2023-05-23T13:23+0000

russia

dmitry medvedev

kiev

russia

security council

asean

european union (eu)

us

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"No matter how much chatter there is in Kiev that they have nothing to do with this - with this kind of sabotage, it is all a lie, of course, an absolute lie," Medvedev said when asked by journalists about the situation in the Belgorod region. "The Kiev regime, and ultimately its sponsors across the ocean, are responsible for this. That is, Washington and the EU countries, together with countries like Britain and others who have joined them. This is their direct and immediate responsibility," he added.Speaking about Kiev's subversive groups, Dmitriy Medvedev said: "As for these scumbags - I can't call them anything else - there are different ways of characterizing them. The only question is what to do with them. They should be destroyed like rats, not even captured," Medvedev said in response to journalists' questions.The more destructive weapons supplied to Kiev, the more likely the scenario of a nuclear apocalypse, Medvedev said. Some of the alliances in the Asia-Pacific region are neutral in nature, while others are almost unfriendly: NATO is involved in global projects, Medvedev said. Medvedev noted that some of the alliances and partnerships in the Pacific are neutral in relation to Russia and that Russia participates in some of them as an invited participant, such as ASEAN or ASEAN Plus. He stressed that military-technical cooperation with friendly countries did not stop amid a special military operation.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230522/german-media-reveals-real-reason-for-sudden-rush-to-send-f-16s-to-ukraine-1110514228.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230426/sco-boosts-ties-with-asean-as-group-pushes-towards-de-dollarization-1109859191.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/montanas-tiktok-ban-not-enforceable-regardless-of-lawsuit-outcome-1110541386.html

Montana's TikTok Ban 'Not Enforceable' Regardless of Lawsuit Outcome

Montana's TikTok Ban 'Not Enforceable' Regardless of Lawsuit Outcome

An attempt to ban users in the US state of Montana from accessing the TikTok social media app is sure to fail one way or another, a legal expert told Sputnik on Tuesday.

2023-05-23T15:33+0000

2023-05-23T15:33+0000

2023-05-23T19:51+0000

americas

tiktok

montana

bytedance

first amendment

ban

us

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On Tuesday, TikTok announced it had filed a lawsuit against Montanas recently-passed law banning the social media app from the US state starting on January 1, 2024. The suit argues that the law violates several aspects of the US Constitution, including the Commerce Clause, which blocks states from interfering with interstate trade, and the First Amendment, which protects the right to free speech.The law is just the latest attempt by US politicians to ban TikTok and other Chinese social media apps, which they have argued pose a security risk due to their supposed connections to the Communist Party of China. Beijing and TikTok owner ByteDance have both denied the accusations, and ByteDance has taken significant steps to separate the data of US-based TikTok users from the rest of its users in an attempt to assuage US critics.Barbara Lazarotto, a PhD researcher in law and a Marie Curie Actions fellow at Belgiums Vrije Universiteit Brussel, told Sputnik on Tuesday that while the lawsuits outcome is unpredictable due to its legal complexities, the law is likely to be impossible to enforce nonetheless."The leadership of Montana will have a very hard task ahead of them. It is very difficult to enforce a ban on internet content since users might access it through VPN, which enables them to bypass any controls. Additionally, from the software perspective, at the moment it is not possible to ban the use of an app in a single state since app stores are divided by country. Therefore, Montana risks having a law that is not enforceable."Lazarotto pointed out that the US' claimed reason for wanting to ban TikTok - protecting the data of internet users from abuse by other entities - has long been known to be a universal problem, not just one limited to Chinese companies.One of the claims made in TikToks lawsuit is that an individual US state does not have the authority to pass laws that affect US national security, a concern in the purview of the federal government. Lazarotto said that Montana's attempt to do so only highlights the absence of such regulations at the federal level, for better or worse.."Montanas argument is that the bans main objective is to protect the privacy and personal data of Montanas citizens, in a similar interpretation to privacy laws which are sector-based. However, it is necessary to understand that the US Constitution - specifically the first amendment - protects speech and it will be a very interesting battle to watch."Binoy Kampmark, a senior lecturer in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, echoed Lazarotto, noting the law may well be unenforceable or legally indefensible.There is something to be said that the case against the ban is worth sustaining. For one, the measure may well be unenforceable, given the lack of capacity to enforce geofencing at the state level. It also says little about the way Montana's authorities can possibly enforce the ban, given that users can resort to virtual private networks (VPNs) in accessing TikTok, Kampmark told Sputnik.In addition, Kampmark noted that Montana could only enforce the $10,000 daily fine with difficulty.The RMIT lecturer pointed out that such a vast amount of generated data is inherently unsafe, but that all companies dealing in the area of personal data, and data generated by users, engage in surveillance capitalism.He noted that US concerns about data security regarding TikTok are a bit rich, given that US tech companies are themselves hardly capable of securing the data they transmit through their servers regarding users in certain jurisdictions.The fact that Meta has been fined by the Irish Data Protection Authority for 1.2 billion Euros for violating the GDPR shows that this is a field peppered with hypocrisy. That said, the US executive and congress are on the hunt for options, and having states like Montana go it alone is not likely to solve anything  the Montana law may well be stepping into jurisdiction best left to federal regulators and not usurped at the state level in US law. The fact that a state is taking such a measure can, in terms of acceptable legal process in the US, overstep the mark.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230327/lawmakers-to-move-ahead-with-tiktok-bill-to-protect-americans-from-chinas-technological-tentacles-1108815947.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230522/ireland-hands-meta-12-billion-fine-for-sending-european-user-data-to-us-1110514403.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/moscow-court-extends-the-arrest-of-wsj-journalist-evan-gershkovich-for-3-months-1110542824.html

Moscow Court Extends Arrest of WSJ Journalist Evan Gershkovich for 3 Months

Moscow Court Extends Arrest of WSJ Journalist Evan Gershkovich for 3 Months

The Lefortovo district court of Moscow told Sputnik on Tuesday that it extended until August 30 the detention period of The Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich, accused of espionage.

2023-05-23T15:56+0000

2023-05-23T15:56+0000

2023-05-23T15:56+0000

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evan gershkovich

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WSJ journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested by FSB (Russian Federal Security Service) in March in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg while trying to obtain classified information for the US. According to the authorities, Gershkovich was caught red-handed while collecting data on Russian military-industrial complex.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/new-irs-whistleblower-claims-retaliation-for-concerns-about-hunter-biden-probe-1110532307.html

New IRS Whistleblower Claims 'Retaliation' For 'Concerns' About Hunter Biden Probe

New IRS Whistleblower Claims 'Retaliation' For 'Concerns' About Hunter Biden Probe

A second Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblower has alleged "retaliation" for raising concerns about the Justice Department's criminal investigation of Hunter Biden.

2023-05-23T12:24+0000

2023-05-23T12:24+0000

2023-05-23T12:24+0000

americas

us

hunter biden

whistleblower

joe biden

central intelligence agency (cia)

house judiciary committee

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A second Internal Revenue Service (IRS) whistleblower has emerged alleging "retaliation" for having raised concerns about the Justice Department's criminal investigation of Hunter Biden for tax fraud and related crimes, according to a US media report citing documents sent to Congress. The agent in question is on the task force of the IRS international tax and financial crimes group. The whistleblower is said to have been part of the probe into the son of US President Joe Biden since it was launched in 2018. However, he was taken off the case last week, with no explanation offered. Like his supervisor, also part of the IRS investigative team removed from their protracted probe of Hunter Biden, he allegedly repeatedly expressed concerns about the case being swept under the carpet. The individual in question is believed to have written an email to senior IRS officials, including Commissioner Daniel Werfel, deploring the fact that he was removed for doing the right thing. The agency veteran wrote that after having spent thousands of hours on the case, worked to complete 95 percent of the investigation, being removed was unacceptable in my opinion.The whistleblower added that the decision to remove the investigative team was "a decision made not to side with the investigators but to side with the US Attorneys office and Department of Justice who we have been saying for some time has been acting inappropriately.The disbandment of the entire investigative team came despite IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel appearing before the House Committee on Ways and Means on 27 April 2023, to testify "without any hesitation there will be no retaliation for anyone making an allegation or a call to a whistleblower hotline".Furthermore, the IRS assistant special agent in charge of DC field office Lola Watson is cited as reprimanding the second whistleblower, writing on Friday:The IRS supervisor who oversaw the investigation since January 2020, along with 12 subordinates, was sidelined allegedly on orders of the Justice Department. The decision was said to have been made after the first whistleblower contacted Congress with allegations of preferential treatment and false testimony to Congress by Attorney General Merrick Garland.The first whistleblowers lawyers Mark Lytle and Tristan Leavitt are cited as writing to Congress that the IRS Criminal Supervisory Special Agent they represent "was informed that he and his entire investigative team are being removed from the ongoing and sensitive investigation of the high-profile, controversial subject about which our client sought to make whistleblower disclosures to Congress. He was informed the change was at the request of the Department of Justice."The move targeting the IRS case team came in the wake of a report from the House Judiciary Committee, which concluded that the Central Intelligence Agency colluded with Joe Biden's 2020 election campaign to help suppress reports about the contents of Hunter's abandoned "laptop from hell'."Evidence suggests that senior Biden campaign officials, including now Secretary of State Antony Blinken, now Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates, and now Counselor to the President Steve Ricchetti, took active measures to discredit the allegations about Hunter Biden by exploiting the national security credentials of former intelligence officials," the committee said in a press release coinciding with the release of the report.The Oversight panel chairman also revealed that Biden family members, business associates or related companies received more than $10Mln from companies run by foreign nationals. This came as part of a sprawling investigation into the Biden family rolled out by Oversight chairman James Comer (R-Ky) and GOP members on his panel.The federal investigation into Hunter Biden's "tax affairs" has been underway since 2018, based, in part, on Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) regarding dubious foreign transactions, ostensibly linked to money exchanges with "China and other foreign nations". The probe was launched by the US Attorney's Office in Delaware, led by David Weiss, who was appointed by then-President Donald Trump. Hunter Biden himself confirmed the investigation into his tax dealings in December 2020. By then his father had won the presidency. Prosecutors have also looked into allegations that Hunter Biden lied about his drug use on a gun application form in 2018.In 2020, it was revealed that the FBI had subpoenaed the so-called "laptop from Hell" belonging to Hunter Biden in the course of the ongoing money-laundering probe. However, the US intelligence community' sought to suppress the laptop story in 2020, as revealed by Elon Musk's Twitter Files. Furthermore, as House lawmakers recently revealed, 51 former top intelligence officials falsely branded the laptop bombshell dropped by the New York Post at the time as "Russian disinformation" - a claim that was subsequently debunked.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230516/entire-investigative-team-removed-from-hunter-biden-tax-probe-1110399113.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230518/hunter-biden-faces-no-retribution-after-irs-probe-team-disbanded-1110442793.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/house-panel-says-cia-conspired-with-bidens-team-to-blame-russia-for-hunter-laptop-story-1110242535.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/house-panel-says-cia-conspired-with-bidens-team-to-blame-russia-for-hunter-laptop-story-1110242535.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/nothing-more-than-a-stunt-desantis-spox-rebuffs-naacps-florida-travel-advisory-1110528268.html

'Nothing More Than a Stunt': DeSantis Spox Rebuffs NAACP's Florida Travel Advisory

'Nothing More Than a Stunt': DeSantis Spox Rebuffs NAACP's Florida Travel Advisory

A spokesperson for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis today dismissed a travel warning issued by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, calling the advisory a stunt on Monday.

2023-05-23T00:15+0000

2023-05-23T00:15+0000

2023-05-23T00:10+0000

americas

ron desantis

national association for the advancement of colored people (naacp)

florida

naacp

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This is nothing more than a stunt," a DeSantis spokesperson said when asked about the NAACP advisory on Monday while touting the states robust tourism numbers as evidence of DeSantis success. NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a weekend statement that DeSantis policies, legislation, and rhetoric are a clear and present danger to African Americans. "Let me be clear - failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all," Johnson said. Johnson said DeSantis and his fellow Republicans are openly hostile not just to African Americans but also to LGBTQ+ people and other people of color. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color," he said. Earlier this year, DeSantis called the idea of travel warnings a joke, ridiculous, and a stunt, a pure stunt, echoing his spokespersons comments Monday. US media reported that the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) warned people if they visited the Sunshine State because of the governors treatment of immigrants. In a statement, Domingo Garcia, LULA's president, characterized Florida as being a "dangerous, hostile environment for law-abiding Americans and immigrants."

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/orban-ukraine-has-no-chance-of-beating-russia-amid-conflict-1110548727.html

Orban: Ukraine Has No Chance of Beating Russia

Orban: Ukraine Has No Chance of Beating Russia

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is facing more pushback from Western media after pointing out that Ukraine has no chance of beating Russia while rejecting the latest attempt by Brussels to send more weapons to Ukraine.

2023-05-23T23:13+0000

2023-05-23T23:13+0000

2023-05-23T23:34+0000

world

hungary

viktor orban

volodymyr zelensky

boris pistorius

ukraine

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is facing more pushback from Western media after pointing out that Ukraine has no chance of beating Russia while rejecting the latest attempt by Brussels to send more weapons to Ukraine.In an interview at the Qatar Economic Forum, Orban told a US business journal its obvious that the battlefield solution does not work, before explaining why the Zelensky regime has proven unable to achieve military victory over Russian forces.Last week, Hungary blocked the European Union from allocating the eighth 500 million package from the so-called European Peace Fund to pay for the weapons that EU member states have been sending to the conflict zone.Orban expressed sympathy for Ukrainians but insisted that if the goal is to save lives, Western governments are going about things backwards.The veteran Hungarian leader pointed out the ongoing hostilities stem from a "failure of diplomacy."Rather than pursuing a strategy of ramping up tensions, Orban urged an immediate ceasefire instead.But, like it or not, security in Europe can only be assured with Moscows buy-in, he explained."It is obvious that without the United States there is no security architecture for Europe. And this war cannot be stopped... unless the Russians can make an agreement with the United States, Orban noted. "As a European, I am not happy with that, but it is the only way out."Orban has previously offered especially harsh criticisms of the European Unions aggressively anti-Russian policies, but this may be his starkest warning yet, and its already being greeted with alarm in Kiev.Ukraines Foreign Ministry denounced the comments as an attempt to absolve Russia of what it labeled Moscows responsibility for its aggression.The US governments junior partners in Berlin werent far behind, either. Im disappointed, or rather irritated, by the behavior of our Hungarian friends, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters in Brussels.Orban has defended his strategy of neutrality by pointing out that, with 85% of Hungarian exports destined for other EU member states, the country cant simply leave the bloc. Likewise, with Budapest getting half of its energy needs met by Moscow, it cant simply abandon its economic ties to Russia, he says.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230505/hungarys-orban-ukraine-crisis-is-klondike-for-arms-makers--profiteers-1110118968.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/pashinyan-yerevan-willing-to-concede-nagorno-karabakh-if-armenian-population-respected-1110528416.html

Pashinyan: Yerevan Willing to Concede Nagorno-Karabakh if Armenian Population Respected

Pashinyan: Yerevan Willing to Concede Nagorno-Karabakh if Armenian Population Respected

After two years of armed hostilities, leaders on both sides of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are expressing hope that a peace treaty will soon be signed.

2023-05-23T00:34+0000

2023-05-23T00:34+0000

2023-05-23T00:29+0000

world

nagorno-karabakh conflict

nikol pashinyan

ilham aliyev

armenia

azerbaijan

moscow

vladimir putin

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The government of Armenia has announced that its willing to recognize the Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijani territory if its neighbors in Baku issue guarantees that the ethnic Armenian population in the disputed enclave have their rights and safety respected.At a Monday conference, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan seemed to agree that the territory of Azerbaijan consists of 86,600 square kilometers  a total which includes the region in question.But the prime minister insisted that at the same time, we say that the issue of the rights and safety of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh should be discussed in future negotiations between the countries.Absent international safety guarantees, Pashinyan suggested Azerbaijani forces or non-state forces could carry out ethnic cleansing of the Armenians living in the region, thousands of whom have been effectively cut off from regular access to essentials by an Azerbaijani blockade now in its fifth month.Nonetheless, the prime minister insisted Azerbaijan and Armenia are engaged in active peace talks, and expressed a desire to resolve outstanding issues.The sentiment was echoed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who claimed the disputed territory had been suffering from what he called Armenian occupation for decades but said he hopes talks between the two sides will bring about solid peace in the South Caucasus.Aliyev and Pashinyan are slated to hold talks on Thursday in Moscow, with Russian President Vladimir Putin set to serve as mediator. Pashinyan has expressed hope for a peace treaty but said it was unlikely to be signed at the discussion planned for May 25.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230320/lavrov-says-trilateral-ministerial-meeting-on-nagorno-karabakh-settlement-on-agenda-1108618488.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/russian-fertilizer-giant-may-donate-55000-tonnes-of-potassium-chloride-to-sri-lanka-1110547560.html

Russian Fertilizer Giant May Donate 55,000 Tonnes of Potassium Chloride to Sri Lanka

Russian Fertilizer Giant May Donate 55,000 Tonnes of Potassium Chloride to Sri Lanka

Uralchem-Uralkali Group, one of Russia's largest producers of mineral fertilizers, told Sputnik on Tuesday it may include 55,000 tonnes of potassium chloride in a humanitarian shipment to Sri Lanka.

2023-05-23T20:59+0000

2023-05-23T20:59+0000

2023-05-23T20:54+0000

world

sri lanka

dmitry mazepin

uralchem

uralkali

nigeria

donation

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"Uralchem-Uralkali Group does not exclude the possibility that about 55 tonnes of potassium chloride, which have remained on board of the Asian Majesty vessel in the port of Riga for over a year, could be shipped to Sri Lanka," the company's press service told Sputnik. The company pointed out that Uralchem-Uralkali Group had already sent to African countries a total of about 54,000 tonnes of mineral fertilizers out of over 260,000 tonnes "de facto blocked at European warehouses and ports in 2022."In total, the group intends to donate to developing countries about 300,000 tonnes of mineral fertilizers, it said. "Nigeria could be the next recipient," the company added. Uralchem-Uralkali Group also told Sputnik the construction of a new harbor transshipment complex for ammonia and mineral fertilizers in the southern city of Taman should partly solve the problem of the blocked Tolyatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline. It is scheduled that the first line designed for a cargo turnover of up to 2 million tonnes of ammonia a year, will be put into operation at the end of 2023. After the completion of the project's second stage, the capacity of the complex will increase to 3.5 million tonnes of ammonia and 1.5 million tonnes of carbamide a year. The full capacity of the complex by the end of 2025 will be 5 million tonnes of ammonia a year. The company added it is also considering a buyout of Russian assets belonging to foreign grain traders who intend to leave the country. In November, Uralchem-Uralkali Group said the ports of Estonia, Latvia, Belgium and the Netherlands had blocked more than 260,000 tonnes of the company's fertilizers, which it was prepared to donate to African countries. The company's co-owner, Dmitry Mazepin, said it could not pay freight charges due to sanctions and asked the UN for assistance. The first humanitarian shipment of 20,000 tonnes of Uralchem-Uralkali Group's fertilizers left a Dutch port in late November 2022 and arrived in Malawi in March via Mozambique. In late April 2023, 34,000 tonnes of fertilizers destined for Kenya were loaded onto a ship in Riga and are currently en route to the southeastern Kenyan port of Mombasa.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/teen-who-crashed-u-haul-near-white-house-intended-to-take-charge-of-the-nation-1110547717.html

Teen Who Crashed U-Haul Near White House Intended to Take 'Charge of the Nation'

Teen Who Crashed U-Haul Near White House Intended to Take 'Charge of the Nation'

A 19-year-old was arrested after driving a U-Haul through a barricade near the White House. The truck did not contain any explosives of weapons but a Nazi flag was found at the scene.

2023-05-23T22:13+0000

2023-05-23T22:13+0000

2023-05-23T22:08+0000

americas

joe biden

kidnapping

attempted murder

nazi

nazi flag

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Investigators revealed on Tuesday that a 19-year-old Missouri resident was charged with intentionally crashing a rented U-Haul truck near the White House the day prior, detailing that the teen had intended to enter the grounds and "seize power."The driver, Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, Missouri, was charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, the vice president and/or their family, as well as other counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and trespassing. Kandula had reportedly been making threats and other violent statements to multiple law enforcement agencies, a Secret Service representative said. The 19-year-olds identity was released by US Park Police on Tuesday morning.Preliminary findings by authorities included a recovered Nazi flag, which was placed on the ground by Kandula before being taking into custody. Local media also indicated investigators recovered duct tape, a backpack and a notebook filled with writing.An affidavit from a Secret Service agent involved in the investigation notes that Kandula informed officials that his goal was to "get to the White House, seize power, and be put in charge of the nation."The sworn statement goes on to state that the remainder of the interview saw Kandula admit he was an admirer of Adolf Hitler "because he was a strong leader," and Nazis in general due to the "authoritarian nature, Eugenics, and their one world order."Kandula further indicated he saw his actions as a success because his "message was received" by federal agencies such as the Secret Service. An elaboration on his message was not provided.The Monday crash did not result in any injuries for pedestrians or law enforcement officials who were near the scene, with officials since noting that no weapons or explosives were found on Kandula or inside the truck. However, the affidavit does indicate the structural damages to the area amount to more than $1,000.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/u-haul-truck-crashes-near-white-house-security-barrier-nearby-buildings-evacuated-1110529214.html

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crime, white house, kidnapping, attempted assault, president joe biden
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/tide-turning-eu-fails-to-agree-on-fresh-military-aid-to-kiev-1110542196.html

Tide Turning? EU Fails to Agree on Fresh Military Aid to Kiev

Tide Turning? EU Fails to Agree on Fresh Military Aid to Kiev

President Biden announced a new $375 million military aid package for Ukraine on Sunday - but across the Atlantic, American allies are expressing growing hesitancy to dump more cash into a hopeless proxy war with Russia.

2023-05-23T15:47+0000

2023-05-23T15:47+0000

2023-05-23T16:18+0000

world

josep borrell

peter szijjarto

volodymyr zelensky

ukraine

kiev

hungary

european union (eu)

european defense agency

nato

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The European Union's defense ministers failed to agree on a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell has announced."The next weeks, the next months will be strategically decisive for the war in Ukraine. We are all in agreement on this. It is precisely for this reason that the European Defense Agency has focused ninety percent [of our funds] on our military support," Borrell said.The diplomat did not elaborate on what's holding up the aid talks. However, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto indicated last week that Budapest would not support an additional 500 million in aid so long as Hungary's OTP Bank remains on a list of "sponsors of war" over its refusal to leave the Russian market."We cannot support the allocation of another half a billion euros from the European Peace Facility for arms transfers to Ukraine, and we will not give it the green light as long as OTP is on this particular list," Szijjarto said.Hungary has stood out among EU members over its independent and neutral policy in relation to Russia and the crisis in Ukraine, blocking NATO from shipping weapons to Ukraine through its territory, and refusing to cut off energy and economic links with Moscow. Budapests policy has led to pressure from Washington and Brussels, and a bitter feud between Hungarian and Ukrainian officials about President Zelensky's mental health, and dismissals by Budapest of Kiev's attempts to "lecture" Hungary on its foreign policy. Ties between the two countries have been complicated by the 156,000+ ethnic Hungarians living in western Ukraine, who have been subjected to discrimination by Kiev following the 2014 Euromaidan coup, including prohibitions on their ability to study in their native tongue in state schools via a controversial 2017 education law.Tuesdays news may signal growing divisions within the EU on the Ukrainian crisis amid rising public and economic pressure to end the NATO-Russia proxy conflict, which will enter its 16th month Wednesday.Earlier this month, Borrell admitted that the Ukraine crisis would end "immediately" in Ukrainian surrender if Brussels halted its military support. "That is why we must continue helping Ukraine," he said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/hungary-and-germany-quarrel-over-blocked-ukraine-military-aid---reports-1110535502.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230510/borrell-ukraine-conflict-could-end-immediately-if-west-stops-weapons-supply-to-kiev-1110248037.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/ukrainian-radicals-in-belgorod-region-blocked-eliminated---russian-mod-1110537418.html

Ukrainian Radicals in Russia's Belgorod Region Blocked, Eliminated

Ukrainian Radicals in Russia's Belgorod Region Blocked, Eliminated

Ukrainian nationalist formations that infiltrated Russia's Belgorod region have been blocked and defeated, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

2023-05-23T11:34+0000

2023-05-23T11:34+0000

2023-05-24T13:12+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

russia

belgorod

ukraine

russian defense ministry

western military district

ukrainian attack on belgorod

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"The Kiev regime, having suffered a defeat in the city of Artemovsk (Bakhmut), proceeded to carry out terrorist actions against the civilian population. On May 22, after intensive artillery shelling of ... a number of civilian facilities in ... the Belgorod region, a unit of the Ukrainian nationalist formation invaded Russia's territory. In the course of the counter-terrorist operation, the nationalist formations were blocked and defeated by air strikes, artillery fire and the active actions of the units covering the state border of the Western Military District," the ministry said in a statement. More than 70 Ukrainian terrorists, four armored fighting vehicles and five pickups were destroyed as a result of the counter-terrorist operation, the ministry said, adding that the rest were driven back to the territory of Ukraine, where they continued to be hit by fire until they were completely eliminated.The governor of Belgorod Region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, has denied that a sabotage and reconnaissance group from Ukraine re-entered the region. Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the incident with the Ukrainian sabotage group in Russia's Belgorod region causes deep concern and requires great efforts.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230522/kievs-best-response-after-losing-artemovsk-would-be-to-seek-peace---ex-us-state-senator-1110526648.html

russia

belgorod

ukraine

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/us-approved-military-aid-to-ukraine-will-soon-be-tapped-talk-of-more-funding-on-back-burner-1110531070.html

US-Approved Military Aid to Ukraine 'Will Soon Be Tapped', Talk of More Funding 'On Back Burner'

US-Approved Military Aid to Ukraine 'Will Soon Be Tapped', Talk of More Funding 'On Back Burner'

US-approved military aid to Ukraine will soon be tapped, as talk of more funding is on the back burner, a US report claimed.

2023-05-23T07:45+0000

2023-05-23T07:45+0000

2023-05-23T07:45+0000

us

ukraine

weapons

ukraine crisis

volodymyr zelensky

us department of defense (dod)

pentagon

americas

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It wont be long before billions of dollars of US-approved military aid to the Kiev regime is tapped, and any talk of more funding is on the back burner, a US report claims. Last year, Washington approved a whopping $113Bln in overall aid and military assistance to Ukraine through emergency supplemental funding measures. Around three-fifths of the sum had been allocated to defense needs, such as procurement of new munitions and equipment, replacement of Department of Defense (DoD) stocks provided to Ukraine and funds allocated to training.Close to $37Bln has already been spent, said the report, citing the US Defense Department. Even if one were to take into consideration the accounting error discovered in March through an internal audit and revealed by the Pentagon on Thursday - which would add another $3Bln - that would leave between $10Bln and $13Bln. The rate of spending witnessed at the moment may indicate that the funds for propping up the Kiev regime could be exhausted by September - the end of the fiscal year.For all the much-touted readiness of Washington to support the Kiev authorities for as long as it takes, President Joe Bidens troubles on the home front have required attention. The ongoing impasse between the White House and the Republicans regarding the debt ceiling is cited by lawmakers as one of the reasons any talk about the next round of funding for Ukraine is being put aside. Another reason is uncertainty regarding the counteroffensive that Ukraine promised but which has so far failed to materialize.There is no clarity regarding whether the Republican-controlled House will continue to toe the line of relentless determination to provide one package of aid after another for Ukraine.One lawmaker - Democrat Representative for Massachusetts, Bill Keating - confirmed in the report that a lot would ultimately depend on Ukraines counteroffensive.Congress last approved the final package for Ukraine in December 2022, to cover most of 2023. When elected GOP-controlled House Speaker, the California Republican Kevin McCarthy, said there would be no blank check for Ukraine. However, in May he indicated that the House would stick to its guns with what weve been doing.But meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the G7 in Hiroshima, Japan, US President Joe Biden touted a military aid package for Kiev that included artillery, armored vehicles, ammunition, and training.The Ukrainian President was in Hiroshima to plead for more weapons aid after Russia took control of the city of Artemovsk. The Russian military confirmed Sunday that operations by assault detachments supported by artillery and aviation of the Southern Group of Forces had led to the total liberation of the DPR city.Just days earlier, Washington gave allies the go-ahead to transfer US-built F-16 jets to Ukraine. Biden also informed his G7 counterparts that the United States would support a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s.Western countries have been supplying military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The aid evolved from artillery and training in 2022 to heavier weapons, including tanks, later that year and in 2023.The Kremlin, in turn, has repeatedly warned against continuously funneling arms to Kiev. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. Moscow has repeatedly emphasized that the heavy levels of military aid being handed to Ukraine is only prolonging the conflict.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230521/biden-unveils-new-military-package-for-ukraine---reports-1110496549.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230520/biden-oks-training-ukrainians-on-f-16s-but-timeline-remains-uncertain-1110474001.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230522/three-key-goals-russia-achieved-by-liberating-artemovsk-1110520812.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230523/worlds-largest-us-warship-pending-symbolic-port-call-to-oslo-1110530528.html

World's Largest US Warship Pending Symbolic Port Call to Oslo

World's Largest US Warship Pending Symbolic Port Call to Oslo

The giant 337-meter $12.8 billion aircraft carrier USS Gerard Ford is on its first operational voyage ever, and Oslo will be the first port visited.

2023-05-23T05:58+0000

2023-05-23T05:58+0000

2023-05-23T05:58+0000

military

seymour hersh

roald amundsen

norway

russia

oslo

nato

nord stream

vietnam war

scandinavia

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The USS Gerald R Ford, the world's largest warship, will arrive in the Norwegian capital in the next few days.The giant 337-meter $12.8 billion aircraft carrier is on its first operational voyage ever, and Oslo will be the first port visited. The ship is now in the North Sea, accompanied by the Norwegian frigate Roald Amundsen, on its way to Oslo with, among others, Norwegian Minister of Defense Bjorn Arild Gram on board.Gram, who visited the carrier out at sea together with the chief of defence, the minister of research, the US ambassador to Norway and other official representatives, called the port call "a clear expression of the security guarantees we have through NATO, not least the close cooperation and partnership with the US."Gram furthermore called for increased allied presence on Norwegian territory for the sake of joint drills and a projection of unity.Defense chief Eirik Kristoffersen pledged that the US aircraft carrier will train a lot with Norwegian forces in the future, stressing "good friendship" within the alliance, but denied that Norwegian planes will land on board the aircraft carrier.The last time a US aircraft carrier visited Norway was in 1959, so the future port call will be a historic event with an immense symbolic value, which was stressed by the US ambassador to Norway, Marc Nathanson.He emphasized Norway's role as NATO's founding member and called the Nordic country a "critical ally" due to its proximity to Russia."If you are going to the Nordics, this is the country to go to," Nathanson added.Earlier this year, a series of revelation pieces published by US veteran journalist Seymour Hersh uncovered yet another side in the alliance between Norway and the US. Citing the Norwegian Navy's "long and murky history of cooperation with American intelligence," starting from the Vietnam War, Hersh suggested that explosives that shattered the Russian Nord Stream pipelines were planted by US Navy divers, assisted by Norwegian specialists, under the guise of the Baltops drill in the Baltic Sea. Hersh furthermore maintained that "much of the secret planning and training" for the sabotage attacks on the pipelines "took place in Norway."Amid an incessant Western media chorus oddly blaming Russia of obliterating its own pipeline worth $20 billion and preliminary reports hinting at the involvement of "state actors" and "pro-Ukrainian groups," the Kremlin accused the West of an "unprecedented act of state terrorism" involving Nord Stream. While it didn't name any specific states, President Vladimir Putin hinted at the involvement of the "Anglo-Saxons" (a common way of referring to the Anglosphere in Russia).

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230503/norway-pledges-to-reach-natos-spending-target-amid-windfall-revenues-1110046404.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230222/seymour-hersh-us-norway-have-cooperated-on-clandestine-operations-since-vietnam-war-1107709280.html

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With the 10,000-win plateau now in his rearview mirror, Bruce Ranger just continues to add to that gaudy total and chalked up six more wins to the tally after his reining rampage Monday at Plainridge Park .

The top win came in the $20,000 featured trot where he went gate to wire in measured fashion with Echo De Meautis FR ($2.80, pictured above) who was a one-length winner in 1:55.2 for owners Archie McNeil and Joshua Graber. Melissa Beckwith was the winning trainer and also conditioned another Ranger victor, Hunted House (1:52, $2.40), who is owned by Thestable Hunted House.

Ranger also won one of the $17,500 secondary features with Duke of Cornwall N ($2.10), who took control of the race before the half and then stretched out to an impressive 7-1/4 length victory in 1:50.4 for owner Rich Poillucci and trainer Tahnee Camilleri.

Ranger then teamed up with trainer Lance Hudson for two more winners that included Queen Of All (1:53.3, $2.60) and Crescent Beauty (1:55.2, $3.20), both of which are owned by William Hartt.

Later, Ranger completed his six-pack in the nightcap with Carson Hill (1:57.1, $3) for owner/trainer Todd ODea.

Ranger started the day in second place in the Plainridge driver standings with 23 wins, two behind Matty Ice Athearn, who was atop the list with 25. When the dust settled on Monday, Ranger was the leading dash driver at the meet with 29 wins, now three ahead of Athearn, who only scored once during the card.

Live harness racing will resume at Plainridge Park on Tuesday, May 23 at 4 p.m. and there will be a $1,164 carryover in the Jackpot Wicked Hi-5 Pentafecta in race six.
Macca Lodge in New Zealand, in a joint statement with Brittany Stallion Management, has announced that a limited supply of frozen semen from the late, great Hanover stallion Cantab Hall will be available to Southern Hemisphere breeders this fall.

This follows last weeks announcement from Brittany Stallion Management that Perfect Stings frozen semen will also be available at Macca Lodge.

In regard to Cantab Hall, Macca Lodges co-proprietor Brent McIntyre said the farm is nothing short of honoured to be able to offer the global trotting superstar to Down Under breeders. Hes perhaps the greatest trotting stallion to ever be offered here, he said.

Cantab Halls credentials as a sire of stallions is well known, said McIntyre, but not to be forgotten are his feats as the broodmare sire of the great mares Manchego and Atlanta.

Art Zubrod of Brittany Stallion Management agreed, also saying that hes excited to see how a sire like Cantab Hall can change the trotting breed in New Zealand.

Both parties stressed that the supply of frozen semen is limited, and as Zubrod put it, When its gone, its gone.

A U.S. Trotter of the Year and Hall of Fame racehorse, Cantab Hall went on to become a breed-shaping sire who has produced the winners of more than $118-million including 11 millionaires. His famous sons and daughters are led by Father Patrick (sire of highly regarded Greenshoe) and Hambletonian Oaks winners Wild Honey and Lifetime Pursuit.

The go-to for breeding to Cantab Hall and Perfect Sting, Macca Lodge is a family-operated farm that encompasses 600 highly fertile acres of Southland pasture. The property is the largest breeding base and foaling facility in the South Island and provides every amenity.

(With files from Macca Lodge & Brittany Stallion Management)
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A proposed federal measure named for a fallen wounded warrior intends to connect more Virginia veterans with other veterans living with PTSD and TBIs.

The PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act would create a federal grant for state and local entities, non-profits serving veterans and veteran service organizations nationwide to implement the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Programin place in New York since 2012.

NY Republican U.S. Rep. Nick LaLota, a Navy Veteran, is chief sponsor of the program expansion with backing from U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th.

Iraq War hero PFC Joseph P. Dwyer, of Mount Sinai, N.Y., was a U.S. Army medic who returned home with serious psychological and emotional wounds from combat, according to a release from the congresswomans office.

Dwyers long battle with PTSD resulted in his untimely passing in 2008 at the age of 31. A NBC News story in 2008 featured his tragic death, GI in famous photo defeated by his demons.

Iraq War veteran Joseph Dwyer was a symbol of the United States good intentions thanks to a photograph taken in the early days of the war. But his story swiftly soured when he returned home, according to nbcnews.com.

The famous photo by Army Times photographer Warren Zinn showed Dwyer carrying a young, injured Iraqi boy during a 2003 battle. The immortal image was made into a statue unveiled in 2021 in Dwyers native New York.

In his name, New York more than a decade ago created the Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program, which helps veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury by connecting them with veterans experiencing similar issues.

Peer support has a demonstrated record of success, providing peer-to-peer counselling for thousands of veterans across New York State, according to the congresswomans release.

The federal measure would expand the program to other states.

The greatest nation in the world owes its greatest heroes adequate mental health care. To meet this solemn obligation, Congress must provide more funding and more programs to support our heroes when they come home, said LaLota in a statement in April announcing the act to expand the program. As a Navy veteran, I know firsthand the very real mental health challenges many service members face and Congress must ensure our heroes know that their sacrifice is recognized and appreciated.

Spanberger added she has spoken directly with many Virginia veterans working to overcome the mental wounds of war.

Often, they tell me about how they find immense strength in sharing their stories, their experiences, and their triumphs with their fellow Veterans, she said. Thats why Im proud to help introduce this legislation to make sure these veterans are connected with even more of the resources they deserve.

Such outreach is critical in building pathways to hope, preventing suicide and achieving personal health and wellness for veterans, the congresswoman said.

If a Virginian or someone they know is in crisis, they can call or text 9-8-8 or chat online at 988lifeline.com. Veterans can reach the Veterans Crisis Line directly by dialing 9-8-8 and pressing 1.
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Nebraska Public Power officials have finalized a route for a new transmission line that will serve Scottsbluff residents. Construction is expected to be completed in spring 2025, according to information presented by NPPD Project Manager Paul Brune to the Scottsbluff City Council during its meeting Monday.

The Scottsbluff Power Project will consist of establishing a new 115-kilovolt (KV) transmission line between two load serving substations. Bruno said that the electrical load in the community continues to grow, and we want to make sure we have adequate capacity for the future. Thats one of the things that we monitor, and that was one of the drivers (of the project.

The project will add capacity, while also improving reliability. Currently, NPPDs Victory Hill substation and the substation by its service building are connected by one existing transmission line. The addition of a second transmission line will improve the reliability and resiliency of the system.

A map of the ten-mile route shows it mostly in rural areas, aside from portions on South Beltline Highway, Avenue R and West 20th Street. The route will follow Highway 92, W. 42nd St., Highway 71 and Couty Road 22 until it gets to Lake Minatare Road, where the Victory Hill substation is.

NPPD began the process to determine its route several months ago, using a three-step process that began in September. Multiple proposed routes were under consideration and routes were narrowed down to a preferred route and an alternate route by November. The final route was identified in March.

As part of the process, potential landowners who would be impacted were notified of public hearings and open houses to offer feedback. Two public open houses were held in the area, as well as a virtual open house. During those open houses, more than 400 people attended and feedback was gathered from more than 300 people. During the selection process, engineering surveys, desktop surveys and input were used.

Landowners who were identified along the proposed routes have been notified. Those landowners who lived along other routes that were considered will also be notified.

Right-of-way agents, surveyors and others will be working in the community in the upcoming months as NPPD works toward construction.

The first step, from here and now that we have selected the route, is to start meeting with the landowners, Brune said.

Accessing the properties to begin the surveying process will begin to start designing the line and mapping. As the engineering process is complete, crews will be moving in equipment and materials.

Currently, construction is slated to being in the fall of 2024.

Well work through the winter and the spring time, Brune said. Im guessing the April-May timeline of 2025 is when we plan to be complete with the project.

More information about the project is available on a website set up by NPPD, scottsbluffpower.nppd.com.
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On Oct. 12, 2020, Kuuleilani Zalopany was at work, shingling a roof in La Vista, when Bellevue police drove up and delivered life-altering news: Her son, 17-year-old Kalani, had been robbed and shot in her home. He was dead.

Ive never screamed like that before and, hopefully, will never ever do it again, she said.

In the days that followed, a hint of hope: An advocate with the Sarpy County Attorneys Office handed Zalopany a brochure on the state-run Crime Victims Reparations program, created to reimburse survivors of violent crime for medical bills, lost wages and counseling.

Its a program meant to help Nebraskans who have been raped, abused, assaulted  or loved ones like Zalopany, reeling from the killing of a child.

But its also a program plagued by issues that prevent it from delivering help to Nebraskans in need, according to a survey of people who serve victims and several advocates who spoke to the Flatwater Free Press.

Nebraskas program aids only a fraction of crime victims when compared to most neighboring states.

It takes, on average, nearly half a calendar year to decide on claims, meaning that even families who receive money can wait in limbo for months.

The numbers reflect the frustration outlined in a recent legislative report and stories told by advocates fed up with what they view as a broken system. A young rape victim denied funding because her dad applied hours too late. A man, hit and killed by a car while standing in his front lawn, whose family was denied funeral costs because the act wasnt intentional.

And an Omaha mom who requested $5,000 to pay for her slain sons memorial service and burial. A mom who instead got zero dollars.

Kuuleilani Zalopany.

Devastated, she said about her reaction. Beyond livid.

Dont hold your breath

Nebraskas program lags behind almost every nearby state.

Iowa approved the applications of almost 5,700 crime victims in the past two years for which data is available, using a mix of state money and federal dollars available to all 50 states.

In that same two-year period, Nebraska approved the requests of 118 victims.

Iowa paid victims $10.4 million. Nebraska: $561,000.

The CVR program is, quite simply, not operating as the Legislature intended ... victims, as well as health care providers, are being left to bear the burden of a program designed to help them (thats) currently failing in almost every way to do so, said Erin Feichtinger, the Womens Fund policy director, at a recent legislative hearing.

Like every U.S. state, Nebraska has broad latitude to decide who is eligible for compensation and how much they can get, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Nebraskas program is overseen by the states Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, which since 2019 has been run by executive director Don Arp Jr. He made $103,000 last year, and new Gov. Jim Pillen retained him.

Presented with the data, Arp wrote in an email that comparing Nebraska to other states would not be helpful since each state has its own rules and requirements.

I know our program is serving crime victims well, he wrote.

Several Nebraska lawmakers werent so sure.

Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, a Democrat who chairs the Judiciary Committee, called the state-by-state numbers alarming.

Sens. John Fredrickson and Wendy DeBoer, both Omaha Democrats who introduced CVR-related bills this year, questioned if the program is accessible.

Sen. Rob Clements, a Republican from Elmwood, and Sen. Terrell McKinney, an Omaha Democrat, wondered if victims know the program exists.

Its surprising that were so much lower than nearby states, said Clements, chair of the Appropriations Committee.

Arp isnt concerned about Nebraskas claim volume, saying that community partners, hospitals, care providers and advocates all know about the program.

But advocates said theyre often hesitant to recommend that victims apply, because they believe denial is inevitable. The program denies about half of applications.

A perceived shortage of money is one reason victims dont apply, said Sarpy County Attorney Chief of Staff Jean Brazda.

We really have to put that asterisk there (when we tell people about CVR), saying, Yes, it's available, but don't hold your breath, she said.

Teshawna Sawyer, associate director of Grand Island-based Willow Rising, said that a few years ago, after repeated denials, she stopped recommending the domestic violence and sexual assault victims she works apply for the funding.

The program, she said, seems like this elusive thing that we never actually get to work.

A callous denial

When Zalopany heard about the program, she assumed it would work for her family. The cap for funeral cost reimbursement is only $5,000.

She submitted the required materials, including details of her sons death, his death certificate and itemized funeral receipts.

Claims are investigated by one staff member and evaluated by Arp.

The verdict came months later via email: Denied.

She appealed to the Crime Victims Reparations Committee, and sent documentation she hoped would reverse the denial.

Eventually, she received a letter affirming Arps decision.

The committee voted to deny the claim for compensation because based upon the record before the committee, the victim could not be found to be completely free of culpability with regard to the act which produced the injury to the victim, it read.

In plain English: The state had decided her teenage son had some fault in his own death.

How the (expletive) does my son have any culpability in his own death? Its the most asinine miscarriage of justice, she said.

Rigid rules, complex cases

Service providers say CVRs rules are far too rigid  or rigidly interpreted  for a program meant to serve Nebraskans in complex, tragic circumstances.

It requires most crimes be reported to law enforcement in three days, though there are exceptions for sexual assault, sex trafficking and abuse.

Victims, often traumatized, dont report crimes immediately, said Melanie Kirk, legal director at the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence.

I think that CVR is an incredibly important program and that, unfortunately, the requirements  they're difficult, she said.

The program mandates that a claim must be received within two years of the crime. The applicant must have cooperated with the criminal justice system during the investigation and prosecution.

And it says applications can be denied if a victim broke the law and that violation caused or contributed to their injury or death. Between 2015 and this January, 33 applications were denied due to contributory conduct.

Not all providers dislike the system. Misty Rowley, program director at Ainsworths Bright Horizons, which aids domestic violence victims, said she has helped roughly five people apply for CVR in the last few years with a roughly 80% success rate.

I think the program is run really well within the parameters that they have, Rowley said. I do think that there could be some changes in the parameters, but that's kind of the legislative side.

A survey of 18 programs, done by DeBoers staff and the Womens Fund of Omaha last year, turned up a few bright spots. (Jo Giles, executive director of the Womens Fund of Omaha, serves on the Nebraska Journalism Trusts board of directors.)

A third of survey takers said how helpful the programs current staff member is during the application process.

But that survey also identified many problems with how Nebraska helps, or doesnt help, its crime victims.

The denial rate is too high, providers argued. The programs requirements are too strict. It sometimes treats Nebraskans who apply for the program like accomplices to the crime instead of victims of crime, they argued.

Nebraskas denial rate affects the programs funding. Thats because federal funding for the program is allocated via a formula: 75% of the state money spent on victim claims two years prior.

North and South Dakota are the only U.S. states that received less federal funding than Nebraska in 2022, federal data shows. Nebraska has been in the bottom three recipients each year since 2019.

The report notes that the programs problems cant be addressed by changing requirements alone  rather, it reads, it demonstrates the need for a program run by professionals who understand the complex dynamics of victimization.

Arp agrees the program needs more staff. The commission has requested funding for another staff member.

Time has shown that only having one staff handicaps our ability to process claims at an acceptable pace, the budget request reads, adding that Nebraska is maybe the only state operating its program with just one employee.

Arp recently responded to the report in an eight-page letter to DeBoer, noting the crime commission wasnt consulted.

He wrote that when CVR denies a claim because of a lack of innocence, there is clear criminal activity. He included recent examples, including a gang fight and drug deals that turned violent.

He told the Flatwater Free Press that his decision making is always victim-focused.

As I review the staff recommendation, I do so from a stance that supports approval and only makes changes if clear grounds for denial are found, he wrote.

Life-changing potential

If Nebraskas program were ultimately able to offer more support, Sawyer said, it would change the lives of crime victims who desperately need it.

It was life-changing for Theresa Lawson, who applied five years ago, soon after she learned her ex-husband had been sexually abusing her teen daughter.

Bills were piling up from the art therapy that had significantly helped her daughter. The therapist wrote Lawsons application, she said, and she quickly received the counseling maximum: $2,000.

As a single mom of five, Lawson said that meant everything.

The program ended up meaning something very different to Kuuleilani Zalopany. She still feels wounded by a system that purports to be there to help people like her.

In the end, she paid for the funeral with money from a GoFundMe fund started by a friend  money meant to help Zalopany and her family move back to Hawaii.

Being back home has not helped her forget what happened in Nebraska.

I sat here struggling and struggling, still trying to recover from when I lost my son, emotionally, mentally and financially, she said from Hawaii. And there is no restitution. There is no balance of the scales, like  it's all tipped to one side 

The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter.
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The expected announcement this week from Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis that he is running for president will come as no surprise. While DeSantis won his re-election by 19 points and his accomplishments with the help of a Republican super majority in the state legislature have been impressive, appealing to voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina  the early primary states  is another matter.

Not only must DeSantis effectively introduce himself in these and other states, he must overcome former president Donald Trumps large lead in the polls. The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows GOP voters favoring Trump 36.1 percent to just 19.9 percent for DeSantis. Writing in The Washington Post, conservative columnist Ramesh Ponnuru says: To convince Republican voters that Trump is a loser would thus require getting them to believe that the same argument everyone made (in 2016 that he was unelectable) and saw blow up in their faces is right this time. For many conservatives, Trumps 2016 victory reinforced the idea that electability is a ploy used by the media and squishy Republicans to discredit candidates who are willing to fight for them. If DeSantis can withstand Trumps attacks  pro-Trump PACs are already running ads saying as a congressman DeSantis tried to cut Social Security and Medicare (in fact he proposed, but didnt vote for  raising the retirement age to 70 to help preserve Social Security)  he must convince Trump voters he can finish the job Trump started without the chaos that accompanies the former president. How to do this? One way would be for DeSantis to follow the example of then-Texas Governor George W. Bush. After announcing in 1999 he would run for president, Bush invited experts in the field of foreign and domestic policy to come to Austin and school him in the things he believed he needed to know. This conveyed to voters he was a serious candidate and should not be judged solely as his fathers son. I doubt any credible advisers would do the same for Donald Trump, much less work for him given the chaos surrounding his one term in office. Does anyone except his most ardent supporters think Trump should be left to his own devices without the advice and restraint from experienced advisers? Second, DeSantis needs to up his game when it comes to communicating with people. I hate to use myself as an example, but I have tried for two years to get an interview with him and have been ignored by his communications office. They appear to be controlling his access to the media, preferring mostly the friendly atmosphere of Fox News. He needs to change that and face the predictable (for a Republican) hostile and biased questions from the national media to show he is more than a fighter (the reason many pro-Trump voters say they support him regardless of his numerous character flaws). If I am not alone in this complaint, DeSantis has a problem. Third, DeSantis must figure out a way to respond to Trumps name-calling and other attacks without descending to his level. If he gets in the mud with Trump he will not come out clean. Finally, DeSantis must articulate a vision for the future. While Trump continues to wrongly obsess about the last election being stolen from him, DeSantis can say we should leave that behind and focus on tomorrow. While Floridians know him well, the rest of the nation is just being introduced to him. As Will Rogers said, You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

The expected announcement this week from Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis that he is running for president will come as no surprise. While DeSantis won his re-election by 19 points and his accomplishments with the help of a Republican super majority in the state legislature have been impressive, appealing to voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina  the early primary states  is another matter.

Not only must DeSantis effectively introduce himself in these and other states, he must overcome former president Donald Trumps large lead in the polls. The Real Clear Politics average of polls shows GOP voters favoring Trump 36.1 percent to just 19.9 percent for DeSantis.

Writing in The Washington Post, conservative columnist Ramesh Ponnuru says: To convince Republican voters that Trump is a loser would thus require getting them to believe that the same argument everyone made (in 2016 that he was unelectable) and saw blow up in their faces is right this time. For many conservatives, Trumps 2016 victory reinforced the idea that electability is a ploy used by the media and squishy Republicans to discredit candidates who are willing to fight for them.

If DeSantis can withstand Trumps attacks  pro-Trump PACs are already running ads saying as a congressman DeSantis tried to cut Social Security and Medicare (in fact he proposed, but didnt vote for  raising the retirement age to 70 to help preserve Social Security)  he must convince Trump voters he can finish the job Trump started without the chaos that accompanies the former president.

How to do this? One way would be for DeSantis to follow the example of then-Texas Governor George W. Bush. After announcing in 1999 he would run for president, Bush invited experts in the field of foreign and domestic policy to come to Austin and school him in the things he believed he needed to know. This conveyed to voters he was a serious candidate and should not be judged solely as his fathers son.

I doubt any credible advisers would do the same for Donald Trump, much less work for him given the chaos surrounding his one term in office. Does anyone except his most ardent supporters think Trump should be left to his own devices without the advice and restraint from experienced advisers?

Second, DeSantis needs to up his game when it comes to communicating with people. I hate to use myself as an example, but I have tried for two years to get an interview with him and have been ignored by his communications office. They appear to be controlling his access to the media, preferring mostly the friendly atmosphere of Fox News. He needs to change that and face the predictable (for a Republican) hostile and biased questions from the national media to show he is more than a fighter (the reason many pro-Trump voters say they support him regardless of his numerous character flaws). If I am not alone in this complaint, DeSantis has a problem.

Third, DeSantis must figure out a way to respond to Trumps name-calling and other attacks without descending to his level. If he gets in the mud with Trump he will not come out clean.

Finally, DeSantis must articulate a vision for the future. While Trump continues to wrongly obsess about the last election being stolen from him, DeSantis can say we should leave that behind and focus on tomorrow.

While Floridians know him well, the rest of the nation is just being introduced to him. As Will Rogers said, You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
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The NAACP Statesville Branch 89th annual Freedom Fund and Awards Celebration was a chance for the organization to gather for the first time since 2019 to celebrate the shared goals of its members.

But with its theme of Know the past  shape the future, the goal of fighting for social justice and doing so with strength in numbers hadnt been lost in the years since their last full gathering.

Keynote speaker Cheri Beasley said as much in her remarks by noting that despite what is often said, everything in life is political and the NAACP can make sure the shared concerns of Black people are addressed.

It is, we have found strength in voting, found strength in electing people who share our values, we have found strength in taking litigation to our courts to seek justice. We cannot stop doing that, Beasley said. It is important, however, to know that as we have young people coming along that are engaged and excited about being active, that we may do things a little differently.

But when so many of our foundational rights are at stake, we cant relent. We really must stay the course.

The former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court and Democratic nominee in 2022 for one of North Carolinas U.S. Senate seats spoke of her experiences in politics and of her last campaign where she felt she lost an election she could have won.

However, she said, while gerrymandering and voter ID laws have made voting harder for Black people in North Carolina and around the country, Beasleys message was one that confronted the challenges they face while offering a reminder that there is strength in organizing their efforts to take on those challenges.

One of those challenges includes engaging younger voters, but she said it isnt due to a lack of awareness from the younger generations.

People get it, they wonderfully diagnose what is happening in our communities and I dont think the issue is lecturing them. It means all of us have to come together. That means respecting the intellect of young people and seeing they do things quite creatively, differently, and really seeing that together were electing the people that really represent our values. 

The night wasnt all speeches and politics, however, as a number of scholarships and awards were handed out by the organization.

Those include Adamma Anukwuem of South Iredell High School, Alana Blair-Barnes of Statesville High School, and Halee Thomas of Statesville High School as the NAACP awarded them scholarships.

For the organizations awards, a life membership plaque was given to Patricia Dobbins, the Woody Woodard Stick and Stay Award went to Debra Moore for her voter registration efforts, and the Wilson W. Lee You Can Make a Difference Award went to NAACP Second Vice President Doug Hendrix for following Lees example.
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On May 31, the Smyth County Christian pop band Forsaken Hero will release their first 10-song full album since the bands debut album in 2013.

Q&A (The Stages of Belief) is Forsaken Heros first release with their new record label TONECRASH Records.

Since the bands debut, Forsaken Hero has released multiple five-song EPs, including Anthem and Quarantine Tapes.

Forsaken Hero is so excited to release this record to the world, said Casey Price, vocals and guitar. A couple of the songs from the album have already been released as singles, including Reliable Featuring Neon Feather (producer of TobyMac, Tauren Wells, Mandisa, Jordan Feliz and many others), which was released as a radio single in the beginning of April where many radio stations across the world have been playing it regularly.

Price said that this album spans multiple genres, stories, and life experiences, including the struggles of going through devastating loss in the song Give and Take Away. God Doesnt Care questions what does God truly care about in his word (the Bible), and what does the church try to tell us he cares about? Whats right and whats wrong? He said there are many high energy dance and praise songs as well.

Forsaken Hero thanked the many fans who crowd-funded this album and made it possible.

Without the support of our fans we wouldnt be able to make music anymore, said Price. It means the world to us that people care enough to financially support our music and turn their money into ministry. God is good!

Early in May, Christian pop star Lauren Daigle shared news about her new song on the GMAs (Gospel Music Association) page, on New Song Friday, and the page included many favorite artists, including Forsaken Hero as the last part of the reel, said Carrie Price, Caseys wife, on Facebook. I am so proud of everyone, especially Casey Price and everyone that made this song and the rest of the album possible! she said.

That is a huge accomplishment! said Suzie Price, Caseys mom. So proud of (band members) Casey Price, Emily Shay Price, Marcus Collins, Matthew Collins and David Collins and also Angel Coleman-Juarez for the cover art for the new CD cover.

The album will be available digitally everywhere. Physical copies can be ordered through Casey Price at casemanprice@yahoo.com.
Syrians facing Arab leaders have utilized social media as a powerful tool to express their grievances, Abdulnasser Ayad writes in al-Modon.

When possible, activists should organize protests and activities outside the embassies of countries that have normalized relations with the regime. These actions would not only challenge political normalization but also shed light on the broader human rights issues faced by the people of the region. This is not a form of political blackmail but rather an opportunity for collective social and civilizational battles that would benefit all the people and residents of the region.

The leaders of active Arab countries emphasized at the summit that the region is entering a new era and that unity is crucial to face its challenges. While this is true, it also reflects the rapid transition and change occurring within Arab societies, which may not have an immediately optimistic outlook. However, these structural social transformations are the only way for societies to take the initiative and shape their own history. The Syrian people, despite being described as defeated and fleeing in official and virtual media, have boldly criticized the very leaders celebrated as their president by the Arab establishment. This marks a significant turning point in social and political history and should serve as a wake-up call to those who believe in suppressing dissent and maintaining total control.

In conclusion, Syrians facing Arab leaders have utilized social media as a powerful tool to express their grievances and assert their voices, despite attempts to silence them. While the impact of virtual protests should not be overstated, it is essential to recognize the role of social media as a platform for marginalized groups and the potential for virtual movements to manifest in the real world. The organized nature of the efforts to undermine Syrian dissent highlights the calculated strategies employed to divert criticism and discredit the protest movement. However, if the Syrian protest becomes more organized and focused, it can achieve tangible results. It is crucial not to blame the Arab people themselves but to acknowledge that their voices are also in the process of emerging. The virtual rejection experienced by Syrians can be transformed into a genuine social movement, particularly among Syrians in Europe who have the space and ability to organize protests and raise broader human rights concerns. Ultimately, the evolving social transformations in Arab societies provide an opportunity for collective action and the reshaping of history.

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.
During his address at the Arab summit in Jeddah, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad strongly criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to Orient Net.

Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad strongly criticized Turkey on Sunday, emphasizing that normalization of relations cannot occur without the complete withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria. He also highlighted that the meeting between President Bashar al-Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan must prioritize the withdrawal of forces from Syria.

Mekdad emphasized the urgent need for all foreign forces to withdraw from Syria, including those in the northwest region of Idleb and the entire area along the Syrian-Turkish border. He also mentioned the presence of US forces in the northeast and at the Rukban base. According to the newspaper Al-Watan, which is aligned with the regime, Mekdad stated that the main focus of the Assad-Erdogan meeting is the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory.

Mekdad firmly stated, The Syrian state will not establish normal relations with its enemies and will not normalize relations with a country that occupies its land. He further revealed that during the quadripartite meeting in Moscow, the Syrian regimes delegation removed any references to normalization, emphasizing that normalization with Turkey can only occur once Turkish forces have completely withdrawn from Syria.

Additionally, Mekdad echoed Syrian President Bashar al-Assads remarks on the expansionist Ottoman thought during his speech at the Arab summit, considering it an accurate and realistic depiction. He added, When any party seeks to defend its territory and sovereignty, it must do so within its own borders and not encroach upon the territories of other nations.

During his address at the Arab summit in Jeddah, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad strongly criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accusing him of promoting an expansionist ideology rooted in the Ottoman era influenced by a misguided Brotherhood era.

President Assad delivered this speech last Friday under the chairmanship of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. He emphasized the need for substantial action and substantive discussions rather than mere rhetoric, particularly highlighting the urgent issue of the Arab Zionist entitys aggression against the resilient Palestinian people. Furthermore, he underscored the inherent danger posed by the expansionist Ottoman ideology combined with a distorted Brotherhood ideology, emphasizing that these threats cannot be divorced from the imperative of prioritizing development in our progressive societies.

President Assad also appealed to the Arab League to refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign nations and urged the prevention of external interference in Arab countries. He advocated for leaving these matters in the hands of the respective peoples, as they possess the capability to manage their own affairs.

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.
The regime is claiming it has conducted several elections since the resolution passed in 2015, according to al-Souria Net.

The Syrian regime presented an alternative perspective on UN Resolution 2254 regarding the Syrian situation.

During an interview with a Russian media outlet on Monday, Faisal Mekdad, the foreign minister of the regime, expressed that since the resolutions adoption, Syria has consistently affirmed its commitment to its provisions.

He further stated, Syrias allies have made valuable contributions to its industrial sector, and Syria is actively pursuing a political resolution that necessitates the eradication of terrorism and the revitalization of its economic state.

Mekdad argued that a comprehensive solution should encompass the removal of the economic sanctions that Western countries have imposed on Syria.

We have successfully conducted three presidential elections, four parliamentary elections, and local administration elections, all achieved without external interference, he stated confidently.

Mekdad also highlighted that some individuals only acknowledge Syrias achievements if their own representatives gain power. He emphasized that the international community, including the United Nations, the United States, and Western nations, consistently emphasize the implementation of UN Resolution 2254, issued in December 2015.

This sentiment is shared by Syrian opposition parties and regional states, including Turkey and other Arab nations.

UN Resolution 2254, introduced by the United States seven years ago, comprises 16 articles. Of particular significance is the fourth article, which supports a Syrian-led political process facilitated by the United Nations. Within a target period of six months, this process aims to establish a credible, inclusive, and non-sectarian governance structure.

The resolution also outlines a timetable and process for drafting a new constitution. Additionally, the Security Council expresses its support for free and fair elections in accordance with the new constitution. These elections are to be held within 18 months under the auspices of the United Nations.

But so far there are no signs of implementing this UN resolution.

In contrast, there is a notable trend among Arab countries to revise their previous stance on Syria and move towards re-establishing diplomatic relations with the Syrian regime.

Turkey has embarked on this path in recent months, emphasizing the importance of implementing UN Resolution 2254. Similarly, Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have also shown a shift in their position. The Arab summit, hosted by Saudi Arabia, notably included the presence of Bashar al-Assad, the head of the Syrian regime.

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.
Cavusoglu further elaborated that the repatriation roadmap encompasses advancing the political resolution, according to al-Souria Net.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu emphasized his countrys commitment to establishing the necessary conditions for the repatriation of Syrian refugees. He stated that the return of Syrian refugees was a primary focus during the quadripartite talks involving Turkey, Russia, Iran, and the Syrian regime. Additionally, he highlighted the ongoing efforts to develop a comprehensive roadmap for the safe return of refugees by ensuring the availability of suitable infrastructure.

Cavusoglu further elaborated that the repatriation roadmap encompasses advancing the political resolution process, making progress in combating terrorism, and ensuring a secure and protected return for the refugees. He emphasized the interdependence of these issues, as progress in one area is connected to progress in others.

In regards to the participation of other Arab nations, Cavusoglu stated that their support for the return of Syrian refugees would be contingent upon the regimes reinstatement into the Arab League. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of coordinating with the Syrian regime to facilitate the return of refugees to areas under its control.

Turkeys Goal to Revive the Political Process in Syria

During a press conference in Antalya, the Turkish minister emphasized that his country has taken significant strides towards normalizing relations with Syria and restoring stability within the country. He underscored the shared objective of combating terrorist threats, facilitating the safe return of refugees, and revitalizing the political process in Syria. Achieving these goals, he asserted, necessitates a steadfast and consistent approach encompassing both military and diplomatic engagement.

The minister highlighted the gravity of statements that disregard Turkeys fundamental interests and national security merely to make a speech advocating the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria. He emphasized the existence of three primary factors driving refugee movements, namely the impeded progress of the political process, the presence of terrorist organizations such as ISIS and the Peoples Protection Units.

He further stated that Turkeys comprehensive fight against all forms of terrorist organizations not only mitigates the migration crisis but also establishes secure zones for the eventual repatriation of refugees.

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.

The Syrian opposition expressed dissatisfaction on Sunday with the Arab Leagues approach to resolving the Syrian crisis. Meanwhile, Syria has recently uncovered fresh mineral deposits in different regions of the country. Simultaneously, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) successfully evacuated 161 Syrian citizens who were stranded in Sudan on Monday.

Opposition denounces

Syrian opposition National Coalition (SNC) said on Sunday that Arab League is taking the wrong approach to solving the Syrian crisis.

Haitham Rahma, SNC SecretaryGeneral, stressed that the Arab League should have exerted real pressure to implement UN Resolution No. 2254 through Arab force, and with regional and international cooperation, to protect the Syrian people.

Rahma added that the third term of the Leagues statement will not achieve any objectives even if it follows the step-by-step approach.

He noted that the Arab bloc involved itself morally and politically by ignoring the al-Assad regimes massacres and crimes against humanity, as it, through its unconditional readmission [to the League], evaded responsibility towards future practices of the al-Assad regime against the Syrian people.

The SNC SecretaryGeneral called on Arab countries to help the Syrian people by supporting a political solution under the UN Resolution No. 2254 for a political transition to benefit Syrians.

On May 19th, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad officially joint the 32nd session of the Arab Summit of the Arab League, hosted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the first time after 12 years of war.

On May 7th, Arab ministers of the Arab League agreed on Syrias official return to its seat in the Arab League after more than 10 years of suspension.

Syria discovers new mineral deposits, oil minister says

Syria reveals that it has discovered new mineral deposits in the country as it grapples with the US plundering the countrys resources, pro-government Lebanese Network Al Mayadeen reported.

New mineral deposits were discovered in various parts of Syria, Syrian Oil, and Mineral Resources Minister Firas Kaddour told Sputnik on Monday.

Work is underway in Syria to extract the precious resources and attract local and foreign investment, the Syrian minister added.

We have discovered new mineral deposits in Syria. Studies have confirmed their presence, Kaddour revealed.

The government is working on making the countrys mineral resources sector more attractive for local and foreign investors, he further said.

Syria is making changes to the legislation in order to promote investments in the minerals sector, he added.

Syrias sector of natural resources has been deeply hit by the US occupation of the country, as it has been plundering the countrys resources through its presence there.

This comes after Syrian news agency SANA reported last week that US occupation forces sent a convoy of 42 tankers loaded with hundreds of tons of looted oil from the Al-Jazira region toward US bases in Iraq.

Reportedly, the oil plundering transfer operation was conducted through the illegal crossing of Al-Muhamadiya, SANA reported.

Economists praise Syrias return to Arab fold

Economists on Sunday welcomed the decision of the League of Arab States to reinstate Syrias membership, noting that the move will positively affect the economy of the Arab world.

Syrias return to the Arab League and re-bridging relations between Syria and the other Arab countries, specifically Jordan, will open new economic horizons, economist Alaa Garalleh told The Jordan Times on Sunday.

Bilateral trade relations between Jordan and Syria are of significant economic depth, with imports and trade exchange previously reaching a considerable volume, especially in the agricultural sector, Garalleh added.

In the coming period, Syria will witness reconstruction. This means a greater need and the Jordanian market may be among those adopted due to proximity and the availability of a strategic port at Aqaba, he said.

Economist Husam Ayesh told The Jordan Times that commercial dealings between Jordan and Syria are still ongoing, but they may develop further.

The return of economic relations is notable, and the return signals the potential for increased Jordanian exports to Syria, especially in the food, industrial or pharmaceutical industries, Ayesh said.

The League of Arab States has decided to reinstate Syrias seat after suspending its membership for more than 10 years, furthering regional efforts to normalize relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad in a move criticized by Washington.

US probes claim air strike killed Syria civilian instead of Al-Qaeda leader

The United States military has announced that it is investigating whether an air strike on an alleged Al-Qaeda leader in Syria killed a civilian instead, MEMO reported.

On May 3rd, the US militarys Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it struck a senior Al Qaeda leader in north-west Syria, as part of its continued targeting of the group and its waning presence in the region.

Only hours later, however, a 72-year-old man named Mohammed Misto reported that his brother  a civilian named Lotfi Hassan Misto  was killed by the strike on the outskirts of the village of Qurqania.

Misto said that his 56-year-old brother was happy with his life and everyone loved him and appreciated him. He minded his own business and lived at the edge of the village.

He insisted that Lotfi did not have any ties to Al-Qaeda, had 12 children, owned a chicken farm, and was tending to his sheep in the mountain when the aircraft came and targeted him. He was not in Al-Qaeda and everything being said about him being in Al-Qaeda or in the Nusra Front is all lies upon lies. Even the American propaganda is all false.

In a statement, CENTCOM spokesman Maj John Moore announced that it continues to assess the outcome of the strike and has been made aware of allegations that it may have resulted in a civilian casualty. He stated that CENTCOM is investigating to determine whether or not the action may have unintentionally resulted in harm to civilians.

According to the Washington Post, two anonymous US defence officials said, We are no longer confident we killed a senior AQ official, but that although we believe the strike did not kill the original target, we believe the person to be al-Qaeda.

The paper also cited Jerome Drevon, a senior analyst on jihadism and modern conflict with the International Crisis Group, as saying that Al-Qaeda sympathizers usually announce leaders deaths online to commemorate martyrdom and that people close to lower-level operatives will often express their connection. In this case, Drevon said, there was nothing.

Assad banks on new global order to help his own rehabilitation

CNN published a long analysis arguing that Assad is seeking Arab support in rehabilitating his image amidst shifting global dynamics.

The Network said that Assad seeks to capitalize on a new global order, aiming to rehabilitate his image with the support of Arab states. During a regional summit, Assad emphasized the need for rearranging international affairs without Western interference. His appearance at the summit, where he was embraced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, marked a significant comeback for the former pariah leader.

CNN added that Arab nations like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, while maintaining ties with the West, have been actively engaging with Syria and other sanctioned countries, signalling a shift in their international relations. Syria hopes that the Arab worlds normalization efforts will challenge the US and Europe to follow suit.

However, according to the network, the success of Syrias international rehabilitation remains uncertain due to Western sanctions and the reliance on Western financial systems. Economic cooperation with Syria is hindered by these sanctions, limiting major investment projects and impacting regional stability.

Nevertheless, there are opportunities for humanitarian and reconstruction work through NGOs, the United Nations, and potential partnerships with Russia and Iran. Assads ultimate objective is to have sanctions lifted, and he believes that the support of Arab states is crucial in achieving that goal.

Syria denies drug trafficking accusations

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad rejected all statements accusing Damascus of facilitating drug trafficking and called for international cooperation to eradicate this scourge.

The terrorist war imposed on the country turned it into a corridor and trafficking zone for drugs to Jordan and the Gulf states, Al-Mekdad said in statements broadcast by the national media.

The foreign minister stated that some outlawed people take advantage that the Syrian army and security forces plunged into fighting terrorism and they engage in drug smuggling.

We are suffering from this problem, which is a potential danger to the Syrian people, and we hope that other countries will sincerely cooperate with us to eradicate it, the head of diplomacy said.

He revealed that during the recent meeting of foreign ministers from Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia in Amman, the capital of Jordan, a committee was formed to cooperate in eliminating this phenomenon, reiterating the States willingness to eradicate it.

The Syrian authorities have recently intensified operations against criminal networks, arrested dozens of traffickers, and seized large quantities of drugs.

AANES evacuates 161 Syrians from Sudan

The Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) evacuated on Monday 161 Syrian citizens who were stranded in Sudan, a country that has been witnessing fierce clashes for about a month, North Press reported.

The AANES announced on April 27 the formation of a committee to help the Syrians stranded in Sudan and evacuate them.

During this month, the AANES Foreign Relation Department and we, the committee tasked with the repatriation, contacted our trapped people in Sudan, said Mustafa Bali, a member of the committee formed to evacuate the Syrians from Sudan.

Bali told North Press that they had formed a committee in Sudan to coordinate with the AANES for helping the citizens and that they managed to plan for the launch of the first flight from Sudan to Qamishli.

The flight arrived today from Sudan with 161 Syrians onboard, he said. Later, work will continue to organize other flights to repatriate all Syrians.

The Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group, have been clashing across the country since April 15, leaving behind hundreds of casualties, most of whom are civilians.

Sabil Muhammad, a woman who lived in Sudan with her husband for a year, said the situation in Sudan has worsened.

Planes hovered in the sky, we witnessed water and power outage, and food shortage, so the number of the thieves increased, and they robbed houses, she told North Press. The Kurds there were beaten and stripped of their money.
Your daily brief of the English-speaking press on Syria.

The French foreign minister has called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to be prosecuted due to the large number of deaths and the use of chemical weapons during the countrys civil war. In a separate development, Jordans Minister of Foreign Affairs engaged in extensive discussions to address the Syrian crisis, focusing on collaboration between Jordan and international organizations to tackle the issue of Syrian refugees. Additionally, there have been reports that the Syrian regime has conducted a series of arrests targeting drug dealers in the southern province of Deraa. This action is seen by some as an attempt to meet the conditions set by Arab League members for Syrias re-entry, while also protecting its own drug-trafficking networks.

Syrias Assad should be put on trial, says French foreign minister

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be put on trial following hundreds of thousands of deaths and chemical arms use during the countrys civil war, the French foreign minister said on Tuesday.

AFP reported that Catherine Colonna said, answering a question during a television interview if she wanted Assad to be tried, the answer is yes, adding that the battle against crime, against impunity is part of French diplomacy.

Assad last week returned to the regional scene with an appearance at a summit of the Arab League, an international organization he had been banned from for a decade.

Colonna nevertheless said Paris would not be changing its policy towards the Syrian ruler.

We have to remember who Bashar al-Assad is. Hes a leader who has been the enemy of his own people for more than 10 years, she said.

A lifting of European Union sanctions on the Syrian regime was certainly not planned, she added.

So long as he doesnt change, so long as he doesnt commit to reconciliation, to the fight against terrorism, the fight against drugs so long as he doesnt fulfil his commitments, theres no reason to change our attitude towards him, Colonna said.

I think its up to him to change, its not up to France to change our attitude, she added.

Jordan, UN officials hold talks to solve Syrias crisis

Jordans Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi held on Monday extensive talks to solve the Syrian crisis and focused on mechanisms of cooperation between Jordan and international organizations to face the Syrian refugee crisis.

Jordans News Agency (Petra) said the talks were held with the UNs Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths, High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi and the UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.

Safadi stressed the importance of cooperation between the Arab Committee for Liaison with Syria, which was formed by the Arab League and the UN in efforts to solve the Syrian crisis.

Safadi and the UN officials discussed cooperation to provide the necessary security and living conditions for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Jordan has hosted more than 1.3 million Syrians since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011, of them 669.483 are registered by the UNHCR.

The foreign minister also called for taking effective steps to help refugees who choose to return, in terms of ensuring their security and safety and providing them with the requirements for a decent life.

The participants agreed to continue coordination in order to create the necessary conditions for the voluntary return of refugees, to help those who choose to return and to provide them and host countries with adequate support.

Syrian regime raids on small-time drug dealers a cynical move to appease Arab League

Last week, the Syrian regime carried out a spate of arrests targeting drug dealers across the southern province of Deraa in a move some say aimed at appeasing Arab League members conditions for Syrias re-entry while safeguarding its own drug-trafficking networks, The New Arab reported.

According to the Horan Free League (HFL), an independent media platform based in Daraa province, on May 14th, Syrian security raided the al-Salem compound in Kharab Al-Shahm belonging to alleged drug dealer Hamad Mahawish al-Khalidi and two arrests were made. In the same week, a farm near Maaraba village belonging to alleged drugs trafficker Rafi Ruwais was raided, with two more detained.

These events follow the Arab Leagues decision to readmit Syria to the fold, with one condition being that the Assad regime act to curb the captagon trade, which since 2018 has blighted the region and has reportedly become Syrias largest source of income.

However, critics downplay the arrests in light of the regimes own security services reported role in the trade, which has been Syrias lifeline during a period of crippling sanctions and isolation.

The regime is not serious in the slightest about ending the production and export of captagon, a spokesperson for the HFL, Abu Mahmoud Al-Hourani, told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arabs Arabic language sister edition.

[The regime is] combatting drug traffickers in Daraa using other traffickers, he added:

The raids against drug dealers carried out by the military-security services were led by Imad Abu Zreik, himself accused of drug trafficking and who appears on the US sanctions list.

Hourani said powerful figures in the drugs trade, like Rafi Ruwais, were instructed to leave Syria for Lebanon, and believes the regime will only target minor dealers for media-related aims.

Ibrahim al-Jabawi, a member of the oppositions Syrian Negotiation Commission, downplayed the importance of the raids, saying those targeted represent the tail-end of the captagon trade and that the major dealers are inside Iranian and Hezbollah militias, as well as the Fourth Division.

The Fourth Division is led by President Bashar Al-Assads brother, Maher, and is one of the most prominent bodies accused of drug production and trafficking.

Mohammed Salem from the Syrian Dialogue Center believes the regime would carry out raids on small-scale traders to show it was cooperating with Jordan and Saudi Arabia after being allowed back in the League.

The big merchants and manufacturers are part of the system and are protected by it, he added.

Israeli Defense Chief Says Military Has More Than Doubled Strikes on Iranian Targets in Syria

Israels defence minister Monday said that Israels new government has greatly increased the number of strikes on Iranian targets since taking office late last year, according to Asharq al-Awsat.

Yoav Gallant did not provide an exact number of airstrikes. But the address, delivered at a security conference, marked rare public comments on Israeli military activity in Syria.

Since I took office, the number of Israeli strikes against the Iranians in Syria has doubled, Gallant said.

As part of this campaign, we are working methodically to strike the Iranian intelligence capabilities in Syria, he said. These strikes inflict significant damage to the attempts by the Revolutionary Guard to establish a foothold a few kilometres from the Israeli border.

Gallant also accused Iran of converting civilian ships into military vessels armed with weapons such as drones, missiles and intelligence-gathering capabilities. He said Iran hopes to station these ships at long distances from Iran.

Iran aims to expand its reach to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and even the shores of the Mediterranean, he said. This is a structured plan designed to threaten trade and flight routes  both military and civilian  and to create a permanent threat in the maritime arena.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy, citing its calls for Israels destruction and its support for anti-Israel militant groups across the region. It also accuses Iran of trying to develop a nuclear bomb  a charge Iran denies.

Israeli officials have acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes on Iranian targets in neighbouring Syria  where Iran has sent advisers and forces to assist President Bashar Assad in a 12-year civil war. But officials have given few details over the years and almost never comment on specific operations.

For Assad, Syria-Arab Normalization May Come With a Poisoned Chalice

Ryan Bohl, Senior Middle East and North Africa published a long analysis on readmitting Bashar al-Asssad to the Arab League.

For Bohl, Syrian President Bashar al-Assads recent visit to Saudi Arabia marked a significant diplomatic breakthrough in Syrias relations with the Arab world. Arab nations are offering to restore diplomatic ties with Syria in exchange for cooperation on issues such as drug exports, refugees, and terrorism. The hope is that this normalization process will lead to reconstruction aid and potentially even sanctions relief, as Arab states seek to reduce Irans influence in Syria and restore its economic and diplomatic independence. However, there are significant challenges that Assads government must address, particularly the countrys transformation into a warlord state.

Bohl explained that during the civil war, Syrias political model shifted from an authoritarian system based on ideology and nationalism to a feudal system characterized by power based on kinship, ethnicity, and control over the economy. This shift resulted in a booming drug market, mass political violence, a large refugee population, and a reliance on external states like Iran for support.

Arab nations hope that by normalizing relations with Syria, they can address these issues and reduce the countrys international isolation. However, this would require the Syrian government to undermine the very model that has allowed it to survive the civil war, which will be challenging without the easing of Western sanctions.

The writer detailed how Syrias warlord political model emerged as a result of the civil war, with sectarian militias taking over from professional soldiers and military units. These militias, some of which are supported by foreign powers like Iran and Russia, demand control over the economy, especially the black market, as they engage in drug exports to bypass international sanctions. Loyalty to the state has shifted from ideological and nationalist terms to sectarian and ethnoreligious ones, with certain groups receiving preferential treatment while others are marginalized.

The Arab world hopes that by engaging diplomatically with Syria, the country can move away from its warlord model. They seek to address challenges such as drug exports, the refugee crisis, and Iranian influence. Diplomatic re-engagement is the first step, but it alone cannot replace the warlord model that has helped the Syrian government maintain control. The government relies on militias for security, with these militias providing crucial support in facing off against rebels and maintaining internal order. Additionally, the captagon drug trade provides the government with much-needed cash to retain the loyalty of its supporters and militias.

Softening the economic blow of ending the captagon trade would require convincing the West to lift its sanctions on Syria, but this is unlikely without significant political changes and reconciliation with rebel groups. The Syrian government would need to offer concessions that appease the West while maintaining its hold on power, which could lead to internal divisions and violence. The support of Russia and Iran, who oppose changes that weaken their influence, further complicates the prospect of lifting sanctions.

Similarly, the return of refugees hinges on political moderation and reining in the power of militias. However, doing so could invite violent pushback from loyalists and risk backlash from the ethnoreligious supporters who form the backbone of support for the state. As a result, while diplomatic ties may be restored, little progress is expected in unlocking significant economic or reconstruction aid for Syria.

In conclusion, while Assads government may be welcomed back diplomatically by the Arab world, the challenges posed by Syrias warlord political model and Western sanctions will hinder any meaningful economic or reconstruction support. The normalization process is unlikely to address the underlying issues that have plagued Syria since the civil war, and the country will continue to rely on the black market and face significant obstacles on its path to recovery.

HTS arrests 4 women on charge of incitement in Syrias Idlib

North Press reported that the Security Apparatus of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) arrested four women, ten days after arresting their husbands, on alleged charges of launching an inciting campaign against the HTS on social media in a village north of Idlib, northwest Syria.

A source from the police in the village of Deir Hassan told North Press that a storming took place at about 12 on Monday midnight, arresting four women and accompanying them to the security apparatus headquarters 106, where they were stripped of their devices.

The source added that the four security vehicles of the security apparatus, headed by Abu Hamza al-Ansari, participated in the operation.

Ten days ago, the HTS arrested the womens husbands under the same charge, according to the same source.

Lately, the HTS has launched a number of arrest campaigns against individuals it described as inciters in several villages, including the villages of Haranabush, Deir Hassan, Killi, the city of Jisr al-Shughur, and the town of Ariha in the countryside of Idlib, as well as, the town of Termanin in the western countryside of Aleppo.
The opposition is currently considering the possibility of partially withdrawing from Turkey and relocating to Qatar, according to Athr Press.

According to Syrian opposition sources, Ankara has openly informed the National Coalition that it is taking steps to establish ties with Damascus. This action is part of an agreed-upon plan within the Russian-Iranian track.

The opposition, encompassing all its factions, is now firmly convinced that the opening between Ankara and Damascus is unavoidable. As a result, they are deliberating on the appropriate measures to be taken in response to this development. One option being discussed is a partial withdrawal from Turkey to Qatar, which currently serves as the primary stronghold for the Syrian opposition.

It is important to note that the coalition from which an interim government has emerged holds limited authority on the ground. Factional chaos persists, and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra) has gained increasing influence through its control of areas governed by the Salvation Government. Furthermore, there is evident reliance on Turkey within the coalitions operations.

As Turkey enters the second phase of its elections, with expectations of President Erdogan securing a third term, reports indicate that the Syrian opposition is entering a new phase. Regardless of the election outcome, all parties are making efforts to engage with Damascus, despite the challenging nature of this cooperation.

This difficulty arises from significant complications on both the battlefield and the political front, resulting from Turkeys extensive involvement in the Syrian war. Ankara has been attempting to separate the issue of its military presence in the north from other unresolved matters, a stance firmly rejected by Damascus. However, the door for cooperation leading to the gradual withdrawal of Turkish forces based on a specific timetable has not been completely closed.

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 expressed reluctance to implement UN Resolution 2254 unless it aligns with the Assad regime's perspective, al-Souria Net reports.

In recent weeks, significant developments have taken place regarding the Syrian issue. High-level Arab meetings, deemed as crucial, were convened with the objective of addressing the situation. One of the outcomes of these meetings was the decision to pursue a path toward involving the Assad regime once again in the Arab League.

During these gatherings, statements and resolutions were issued, emphasizing the imperative of resolving the Syrian crisis in a step-by-step manner, in alignment with the principles outlined in Security Council Resolution 2254.

Unfortunately, the foreign minister of the Assad regime, Faisal al-Mekdad, undermined the significance of these statements by denying and rejecting certain provisions.

No to the principle of step for step

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, in an interview with Der Spiegel newspaper, confirmed that the initiative launched by Jordan to address the Syrian crisis is predicated on the principle of incremental progress.

However, Mekdad contradicted this notion in an interview with Russia Today, stating that the Amman meeting did not explicitly discuss the step-for-step approach. He clarified that the discussions in Amman focused on formulating a series of steps to achieve resolutions for the challenging situation that Syria has endured.

Mekdad further elaborated, stating, In the Amman statement, we emphasized the necessity of seeking a gradual solution to the Syrian crisis, acknowledging that eradicating terrorism and revitalizing the economy cannot be accomplished overnight. The return of refugees also requires the establishment of conducive conditions.

No to the implementation of Resolution 2254

In addition to rejecting the step-for-step approach, Mekdad expressed reluctance to implement UN Resolution 2254 unless it aligns with the Assad regimes perspective.

The statement issued in Amman emphasized that the meeting marked the beginning of a series of discussions aimed at finding a resolution to the Syrian crisis in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254. It underlined the necessity of addressing all the consequences arising from the humanitarian, political, and security crisis.

The Arab League resolution also stipulated the establishment of a ministerial liaison committee, comprising Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and the Secretary-General, tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Amman statement. One of the committees responsibilities is to engage in direct dialogue with the Syrian government to achieve a comprehensive solution to the Syrian crisis that addresses all its repercussions, following a step-for-step approach and in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2254.

However, Mekdad reiterated that the Assad regime is prepared to implement the UN resolution in a manner consistent with its own perspective and interests.

Mekdad emphasized the commitment of the Assad regime to implementing the provisions outlined in the resolution, citing the contributions of friendly nations in its development. He reiterated the regimes intention to fulfill obligations relevant to the Syrian Arab Republic as prescribed in the resolution.

Building upon this commitment, Mekdad stated that the pursuit of a political solution hinges upon eradicating terrorism and revitalizing the economic situation in Syria. In this regard, he stressed the necessity of lifting the sanctions imposed on the Syrian state to facilitate the restoration of stability and progress.

No to elections

Furthermore, Mekdad explicitly refused to engage in discussions concerning detainees, elections, and amending the constitution, as stipulated in Resolution 2254.

The Amman statement underscored the importance of enhancing collaboration to facilitate the exchange of abductees and detainees, as well as the search for missing persons. It emphasized the need for a thoughtful approach involving all relevant parties and international organizations.

When questioned about the regimes willingness to address past issues, Mekdad expressed skepticism, asking about the specific issues being referenced. He highlighted that Syria has successfully conducted three presidential elections, four parliamentary elections, and local administration elections, emphasizing that they have fulfilled these electoral processes independently. He asserted that the regime does not take instructions or orders from external entities.

Mekdad further remarked that certain parties refuse to acknowledge elections in which their proxies or supporters do not secure power, regardless of the democratic nature of those elections. He suggested that these parties prioritize their own interests and desire to see their own agents and preferred individuals assume power.

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.
The French minister characterized Bashar al-Assad as an adversary of his own people, according to Baladi News.

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna emphasized on Tuesday, that combating crimes and impunity is an integral part of French diplomatic values. She further stated that Paris supports the trial of Bashar al-Assad, the head of the regime.

Colonna expressed her endorsement for the trial of Bashar al-Assad, highlighting the significant loss of life and the use of chemical weapons since 2011. She emphasized that combating impunity remains a top priority for France in relation to the Syrian crisis.

The French minister characterized Bashar al-Assad as an adversary of his own people for over a decade, underscoring the hundreds of thousands of fatalities and the utilization of chemical weapons.

France has reaffirmed that its policy towards Bashar al-Assad will remain unchanged, even following his participation in the Arab summit and the regimes reinstatement of Syrias seat in the Arab League.

Colonna firmly asserted that the lifting of European sanctions is not currently being considered, and there are no plans to alter Frances stance towards Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

On Monday, Stefan Schneck, the German Special Envoy to Syria, stressed that Germany and the European Union will not normalize relations with the Syrian regime. This decision is based on the lack of progress in the political process, the failure to implement Security Council Resolution 2254, the absence of accountability for war crimes, and the lack of cooperation in revealing the fate of missing individuals.

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.
The Jordanian minister expressed concern about the repercussions of diminishing international support for refugees, according to Syria TV.

On Monday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi held discussions with several UN officials regarding the issues concerning Syrian refugees in his country. He emphasized that the key to resolving the refugee crisis lies in creating a conducive environment that facilitates the voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

According to a statement from the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, the meeting took place in Amman and involved UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen.

The statement highlighted that the meeting addressed both the efforts to find a resolution to the Syrian crisis and the mechanisms of cooperation between Jordan and UN organizations in addressing the challenges posed by Syrian asylum.

During the meeting, Safadi provided the UN officials with a comprehensive overview of the Amman statement. The statement itself presents a roadmap for gradually resolving the Syrian crisis while tackling its humanitarian, security, and political ramifications.

Safadi emphasized the importance of collaboration between the Arab Committee for Communication with Syria, established by the Arab League, and the United Nations and its affiliated organizations. This cooperation aims to effectively address the Syrian crisis, put an end to the devastation and suffering endured by the Syrian people, and tackle the regional and international challenges it presents.

The meeting was centred around cooperation in ensuring the necessary security and living conditions for the voluntary return of refugees, as stated in the official statement.

Safadi emphasized that the key to resolving the refugee crisis lies in establishing a conducive environment for the voluntary return of Syrian refugees. He highlighted the importance of taking effective measures to assist returning refugees, guarantee their safety and security, and fulfill their essential needs for a dignified life.

The Jordanian minister expressed concern about the repercussions of diminishing international support for refugees and the decreasing commitments of host countries and relevant UN organizations. He also emphasized the significance of maintaining and continuing the provision of services by these organizations to refugees in Jordan.

Safadi underscored the strain on Jordans capacity to accommodate refugees, particularly amidst challenging economic circumstances faced by the Kingdom.

The minister called upon the international community to fulfill its complete responsibilities towards refugees and provide the necessary support to Jordan in order to sustain a decent quality of life for refugees, including the 10 percent residing in refugee camps, as stated in the official statement.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to sustain coordination and collaborative efforts in order to create the essential conditions for the voluntary return of refugees, support those who choose to return, and adequately assist both the refugees and the host countries.

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.
Nafi Barhoum, holding the rank of officer, was killed in the countryside of the Tartous governorate, according to Shaam Network.

A brigadier general named Nafi Barhoum, holding the rank of officer, was killed in the countryside of the Tartous governorate. The precise cause of his death remains undisclosed, although loyalist sources have mentioned his illness.

Mourning the loss, supporters of the military regime within the Assad regime militias expressed their grief for Ghaith Al-Mustafa, a resident of the Quneitra governorate, as well as for military personnel Halim Maksour and Basil Spanoti. Halim Maksour hailed from the town of Sasaa on the outskirts of the capital, Damascus.

Furthermore, a lieutenant serving in the Assad forces, Bilal Samakia, lost his life. Additionally, Ghaleb Suleiman, a member of the Internal Security forces stationed at the Lattakia Traffic Branch, passed away due to injuries sustained in a traffic accident a few days prior while en route to work.

On the battlefield, mortar companies belonging to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham targeted positions held by the Assad militias along the 46th regiment axis in Aleppos countryside. The Syrian National Army reported a successful sniper operation, resulting in the elimination of a member belonging to the regimes factions on the Maranaz front in the northern countryside of Aleppo.

During the last week of last month, the Shaam news network monitored the death of about 12 military officers and members of Assads forces, who were killed in separate areas, and it turned out that among them was a pilot officer from the ranks of the regimes army.

It should be noted that the regimes militias suffer frequent deaths and injuries, including officers and military commanders, most notably on the Idleb, Aleppo and Lattakia fronts, in addition to attacks and explosions that affect military sites and convoys throughout the Syrian desert.

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.
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BOISE, Idaho (AP)  The suspect in the stabbing deaths of four University of Idaho students opted Monday to stand silent to murder charges, prompting the judge to enter not guilty pleas on his behalf ahead of a trial in which he could face the death penalty.

The Nov. 13, 2022, killings stunned the rural community of Moscow, Idaho, and prompted many students to leave campus early, switching to remote learning for the remainder of the semester.

Bryan Kohberger, 28, was arrested late last year and charged with burglary and four counts of first-degree murder in connection with with the slayings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at a rental home near the University of Idaho campus.

Kohberger declined to enter pleas in Latah County District Court, with his defense attorney Anne Taylor telling the judge that they were going to stand silent at this time. In response, 2nd District Judge John Judge entered not guilty pleas on Kohberger's behalf.

It's uncommon but not unheard of for defendants to stand silent in criminal cases. Sometimes it is done because defendants and their attorneys feel they need more time to weigh the ramifications of entering a plea of guilty or not guilty; other times it can be part of a broader legal strategy or simply a defendant's personal choice.

Kohberger declined to waive his right to a speedy trial, so the judge scheduled it to begin Oct. 2. It's still possible that the trial, expected to last six weeks, could be delayed or moved to a different location.

Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminology at nearby Washington State University when the University of Idaho students were killed, but prosecutors have not released any information about how they believe he may have chosen the victims or whether he had met any of them previously.

Police released few details about the investigation until after Kohberger was arrested at his parents home in eastern Pennsylvania early Dec. 30, 2022. Court documents detailed how police pieced together DNA evidence, cellphone data and surveillance video that they say links Kohberger to the slayings.

Investigators said traces of DNA found on a knife sheath inside the home where the students were killed matches Kohberger, and that a cellphone belonging to Kohberger was near the victims home on a dozen occasions prior to the killings. A white sedan allegedly matching one owned by Kohberger was caught on surveillance footage repeatedly cruising past the rental home around the time of the killings.

Kernodle, Chapin, Mogen and Goncalves were friends and members of the universitys Greek system, and the three women lived together in the rental home just across the street from campus. Chapin  Kernodles boyfriend  was there visiting on the night of the attack.

Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson now has 60 days to inform the court whether he will seek the death penalty in the case.

The small courtroom was packed for the arraignment, with some members of the news media and other onlookers lining up outside three hours before the proceeding was set to begin, Boise television station KTVB reported. Family members of Goncalves were among those who attended, one of them weeping as the charges were read.
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With authentic flavors and a distinctive menu, the new Longview Mexican restaurant Morenos is already creating a stir within its first two months.

Owner Alfonso Moreno said he takes pride in sourcing fresh ingredients to create classic Mexican dishes with a range of flavors.

The menu boasts a diverse selection of items, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas and some lesser-known but equally delicious options such as tortas  a type of sandwich filled with meat, vegetables and various garnishes  and horchata  a creamy, sweet rice-based drink.

However, according to Moreno most people like burritos.

Morenos Restaurant offers an assortment of burritos from the traditional bean, rice and cheese to the San Diego burrito, stuffed with chunks of steak, guacamole and fries.

He talked with The Daily News as he prepared meals for a hungry public. In the kitchen, he flipped a large tortilla and scooped an assortment of veggies, meat and rice into a little package.

This kind of food came from California, said Moreno, who said he learned his trade from his brother and brother-in-law, and they learned from one of the founders of the famous Mexican restaurant Robertos, located in Southern California.

Moreno, who has been in the restaurant industry for decades, described the food as Tex-Mex and emphasized that nearly all of the items sold on the menu are made of fresh ingredients.

The only thing that we buy frozen is tamales, he said mainly because of how labor-intensive as well as time-consuming they can be to make.

Morenos has a drive-thru and indoor seating. The restaurant boasts a relaxed feel, more than some other local quick-order Mexican eateries; its not Taco Bell.

Moreno said he plans to keep the business small and the food up to his standards.

Thats why Im not seeing a franchise...because, like I said, I try to keep it healthy. I try to keep it fresh, he said.

Moreno said he enjoys being self-employed and he gets to work besides his wife plus other family members. The biggest issue Moreno faces is not about business operations, but time spent away from his children.

I have three kids, my wife works a normal shift, but I have to stay here, he said. I think this is very important to the business. I have to stay here and be away from my kids.

However, with all the responsibilities of being a small business owner, Moreno said he can keep prices low by working at the restaurant, instead of hiring staff.

Being self-employed means that I work here and pass those savings [down to] the customer, he said.

Moreno's Mexican Food Address: 530 7th Ave. Suite A, Longview. Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily. Info: 360-261-7175 or www.facebook.com/MorenosMexFood
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When Brayden Tanner Nichols, 29, of Kelso, was addicted to heroin, he said he lost his job, burned bridges and lived in his car.

Nichols said he overdosed many times and nearly died twice.

My addiction has brought me to do things that broke my moral code, he said. I started lying, stealing and breaking the law.

On May 16, Nichols graduated from Cowlitz County Superior Courts Drug Court, a 12-month program where participants enter treatment for drug addiction. If they successfully complete the program, current charges are dropped.

County officials say they are seeing a rise in drug court participants, following dips during COVID and after the state overturned its longstanding felony drug law. They expect to see the program grow as district court develops its own version of drug court.

Five graduated from the superior court program on May 16 in a nondescript building on the campus of the Hall of Justice formerly called the Cowlitz County Training Center but affectionately dubbed the boathouse.

There were balloons, flowers, photos, a large class of 2023 banner hanging, and each graduate received a certificate of completion, bracelet, drug court coin, and tassel. The charges that led to them being in the program were also officially dropped.

Giving you this dismissal gives me joy, said Cowlitz County Therapeutic Courts Manager Adam Pithan as he handed the certificates.

Blake decision and fix

Pithan criticized the Blake decision during the graduation ceremony, saying dozens in the countys drug court program were dismissed after the opinion.

Im sure there are some lawmakers [that] think that [it] was fantastic, but its not as compassionate as people think it is, he said.

On Feb 25, 2021, the Washington Supreme Court rendered a landmark decision in State v. Blake, declaring the states primary drug possession law unconstitutional, and on that date, 37 clients were dismissed from the county drug court program, Pithan said.

One of the dismissed clients was Dessie Adele Howard. She returned to the program March 22 and the 28-year-old graduated May 16.

Howard, who was five months pregnant at the time of her arrest, advised people at the ceremony to try to find a purpose while youre here.

Im glad I found mine, she said.

Pithan said the county program is successful. He said 80% of drug court graduates dont re-offend within three years of graduation.

In 2020, the program had 104 clients, but after the pandemic lockdowns, attendance dwindled to the low 60s. Now, attendance is rising at 89 participants, and he expects the number to remain stable as district court creates its own version.

With the new law passed during a special Legislative session on May 16, drug possession will be a gross misdemeanor and district court, where gross misdemeanors are handled, will have its own version of drug court.

Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Michael Evans spoke at the graduation event. He made an analogy between the five graduates and phototropism, an action witnessed in plants, whereby they respond and orient their growth in reaction to light.

So, when I see each of you participating in drug court, I see these beautiful plants that are tall and ... maybe a little bit weaken, but youre leaning towards the light, he said.
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WOODLAND  Police are asking for the publics assistance in identifying a suspect who allegedly fired at a driver early Saturday morning.

The suspect and his male passenger  both believed to be around 40 years old  were at large as of Monday.

At around 3:15 a.m., authorities were informed of an altercation near the 1200 block of Pacific Avenue that led to a shooting, according to a press release from the Woodland Police Department.

The victim was reportedly followed by the suspects and during the chase, a passenger in the suspects car fired a gun at the victims car, striking it multiple times, and inflicting a minor wound on the drivers leg.

As stated in the press release, the victim drove to the Woodland Police Department, and the suspects fled the scene.

Woodland police say the suspects vehicle is described as a dark-colored, potentially maroon SUV equipped with a bike rack on the back, carrying at least one bicycle.

Editors note: This article has been updated to clarify when police reported the suspects were at large.
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Woodland High School graduate Julia Stepper has been selected as a James Madison Fellow.

A James Madison Fellowship funds up to $24,000 of each fellows course of study toward a masters degree. That program must include a concentration of courses on the history and principles of the United States Constitution.

Recipients are required to teach American history, American government, or civics in a secondary school for at least one year for each year of fellowship support.

The 50 James Madison Fellows were selected in competition with applicants from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the nations island and trust territories.
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Some Amazon employees in Seattle plan to walk off the job to show their frustration with recent layoffs, return-to-office mandates and a lack of action to address the companys impact on climate change, organizers said.

A group of workers is urging their colleagues to walk out May 31, a week after Amazons annual shareholder meeting and a month after the companys return-to-office mandate took effect. The Washington Post first reported on the plans Monday.

The action hinges on at least 1,000 Amazon employees from the companys Seattle headquarters agreeing to participate in the one-day walkout, one worker who plans to walk out told The Seattle Times.

Were really walking out to show leadership is taking us in the wrong direction and employees need a say in the decisions that affect our lives, said the worker, a software engineer based in Seattle who asked to remain anonymous to protect their job. Its a one-day walkout to show power.

In response, an Amazon spokesperson said, We respect our employees rights to express their opinions.

Drew Herdener, senior vice president for communications at Amazon, said there has been a good energy on the companys South Lake Union campus and other urban centers where Amazon has a significant presence.

Weve had a great few weeks with more employees in the office, he said. As it pertains to the specific topics this group of employees is raising, weve explained our thinking in different forums over the past few months and will continue to do so.

The walkout would come after a year of cost-cutting measures that have affected nearly every part of Amazons sprawling business and led some employees to question how committed the company is to former CEO Jeff Bezos goal of becoming Earths Best Employer.

Amazon has cut 27,000 jobs since November. The layoffs have affected workers in advertising, human resources, gaming, stores, devices and Amazon Web Services, the companys cloud computing division.

On top of that, Amazon has ended entire projects, ranging from its health care endeavor, Amazon Care, to a philanthropic program, Amazon Smile, to a roving delivery truck with discounted items for sale, Treasure Trunk.

Its still not clear how the job cuts have impacted Amazons HQ1. In January, following state laws, Amazon told the Washington Department of Labor it had laid off 2,300 workers in the Puget Sound. Of those, 1,852 were in Seattle and 448 were in Bellevue.

Since then, Amazon announced another 9,000 job cuts companywide, but has not notified Washingtons unemployment office of the local impact.

At the same time Amazon was re-evaluating its teams and workforce, the company announced it would require workers to return to the office at least three times a week beginning May 1. That was a change from Amazons prior policy, put in place in the second half of 2021, that allowed leaders to decide for their teams where they should work.

Announcing the mandate in February, CEO Andy Jassy told employees that senior leaders had observed that its easier to learn, model, practice and strengthen our culture when were in the office together most of the time and surrounded by our colleagues.

Boosters for downtown Seattle, where Amazons headquarters campus is located, cheered the mandate and hoped that thousands of returning workers would enliven the neighborhood.

In response to the return-to-office mandate, more than 20,000 workers signed a petition urging Amazon to reconsider.

Now, almost a month since the policy took effect, some Amazon employees are ramping up efforts to push back. The walkout would start at lunchtime and workers would gather outside the Spheres in Amazons South Lake Union campus.

I think its an unfortunate step ... but a necessary one at this point, said an Amazon employee based in Virginia who plans to participate virtually by logging off that day.

That employee, who is a software engineer and asked to remain anonymous to protect their job, said they are concerned about the health risks of working in the office. They said they asked the company to designate an area of the office where masks are required to protect against the spread of COVID. The company declined to do so, the worker said.

That worker says theyre expected to make data-driven decisions in their day-to-day work. It doesnt feel like Amazon leadership is held to the same standard.

Theres a feeling of the culture and the values that are being told are important for us to bring to the table are not being mirrored by the top executives, the worker said. They do not model with their behavior what we are told to do with our roles.

The walkout is a joint effort between two groups: an informal group that expressed concern about Amazons return-to-office mandate and Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, which organized a walkout in 2019 calling for the company to do more to address its impact on climate change.

Amazons failures on the climate front are the main factor pushing the Seattle-based software engineer to walk out. The company has said its making progress on its climate goals but the worker accused Amazon of greenwashing.

To me, theres so much risk in not doing anything, the worker said.
What role has IoT played in enhancing school bus tracking system in India?

As per National Crime Records Bureau, 22,442 persons, including school children lost their lives in bus accidents in India from 2018-2021. As the number of accidents and incidents of crime has risen, parents have become increasingly concerned about the safety of their children while they are being transported to and from school. This heightened level of anxiety is due to the potential dangers and security threats that their children may encounter during their commute. Concerning the school students safety, the Transport Department of the Government of India has made installation of bus trackers mandatory for newly registered vehicles. The Automobile Research Association of India (ARAI) has mandated that all public and private school buses have an AIS 140 authorized GPS gadget with panic buttons.

Due to these safety concerns, schools are increasingly adopting transportation system technologies to enhance their capabilities. This led to emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) that ensures complete visibility of school buses. While traditional GPS-based data confirms the location and movement of the bus, IoT empowers the system by tracking the attendance and location of students. This IoT-based system enables both school administration and parents to track safety and conditions inside the school bus in real-time. It makes the traditional tracking system more efficient, secure, and reliable. By combining GPS, GMS, and RFID technologies, the modern school bus tracking system provides greater transparency in operations.

Share in detail about the features that are embedded in a modern school bus tracking system.

Modern school bus tracking systems are equipped with a range of features that make them more secure, efficient, and reliable than traditional tracking systems. Some of the key features of a modern school bus tracking system are:

GPS Tracking: A modern school bus tracking system relies on GPS technology to track the location, speed, and movement of the school bus in real-time. This allows parents and school administrators to track the buss exact location and get real-time updates on the buss movement and estimated time of arrival.

A modern school bus tracking system relies on GPS technology to track the location, speed, and movement of the school bus in real-time. This allows parents and school administrators to track the buss exact location and get real-time updates on the buss movement and estimated time of arrival. RFID-based Attendance Tracking (Radio Frequency Identification): Many modern school bus tracking systems are equipped with RFID technology that enables automatic attendance tracking of students boarding and alighting from the bus. This feature helps parents and school authorities to keep track of the students attendance and ensure their safety.

Many modern school bus tracking systems are equipped with RFID technology that enables automatic attendance tracking of students boarding and alighting from the bus. This feature helps parents and school authorities to keep track of the students attendance and ensure their safety. Panic Button: A panic button is an essential safety feature in modern school bus tracking systems. Students can press the panic button in case of an emergency, and it sends an alert to the school authorities and parents with the bus location, enabling them to take immediate action.

A panic button is an essential safety feature in modern school bus tracking systems. Students can press the panic button in case of an emergency, and it sends an alert to the school authorities and parents with the bus location, enabling them to take immediate action. Smart Notifications: Modern school bus tracking systems send smart notifications to parents, informing them about the buss arrival and departure time, and any delays or deviations in the bus route. It also sends notifications when the bus is about to reach the designated stop, making it convenient for parents to plan their schedule accordingly.

Modern school bus tracking systems send smart notifications to parents, informing them about the buss arrival and departure time, and any delays or deviations in the bus route. It also sends notifications when the bus is about to reach the designated stop, making it convenient for parents to plan their schedule accordingly. Geo-fencing: Geo-fencing is a virtual boundary that can be created around the school bus route using GPS technology. Any deviation from this pre-defined route triggers an alert to the school authorities and parents, enabling them to take corrective action.

Geo-fencing is a virtual boundary that can be created around the school bus route using GPS technology. Any deviation from this pre-defined route triggers an alert to the school authorities and parents, enabling them to take corrective action. Live Video Monitoring: Some modern school bus tracking systems come equipped with live video monitoring features that allow school authorities and parents to monitor the students behavior and safety in real-time.

Some modern school bus tracking systems come equipped with live video monitoring features that allow school authorities and parents to monitor the students behavior and safety in real-time. Driver Behavior Monitoring: Modern school bus tracking systems can monitor the drivers behavior, including driving speed, route adherence, and harsh braking or acceleration. This feature enables school authorities to ensure that drivers follow all safety protocols and drive responsibly. These features not only provide complete visibility and control over student safety during school transportation but also enable school authorities and parents to take corrective action in case of any emergency or deviation from the pre-defined route.

What are the Challenges of IoT application in public transportation?

While IoT has brought significant advancements in public transportation systems, there are several challenges that need to be addressed. One of the major challenges is the issue of data privacy and security. With the collection of sensitive information such as passenger location and behavior, there is a potential risk of this data being accessed by unauthorized parties, leading to privacy breaches and cyber-attacks. The implementation of IoT systems also requires significant expertise and technical knowledge, which may be a challenge for some transportation agencies. Moreover, these systems require a reliable internet connection, and in remote areas with limited network coverage, the systems may not function optimally.

There is also the challenge of interoperability and standardization. With the deployment of IoT systems by different vendors, there is a lack of standardization in the protocols and communication mechanisms used by these devices, which can make it challenging to integrate the systems with existing infrastructure. The adoption of industry-wide standards and protocols can help address this challenge and ensure seamless integration of IoT systems in public transportation.

Despite the above challenges the advantages of IoT outweigh the risks and IoT for school bus monitoring is growing rapidly.

How does Aeris School Bus Management Platform help in transforming the mobility space in India?

Aeris IoT-based School Bus Management Platform is a comprehensive solution that utilizes IoT technology to address the safety concerns associated with school transportation in India and provides easy-to-use route creation. The platform integrates various technologies such as GPS, GMS, RFID, and sensors to offer real-time monitoring and control of school buses.

With the help of this platform, school administrators and parents can track the bus location, route, speed, and other important information in real-time. They can also get alerts and notifications regarding any security breach or deviation from the scheduled route, enabling them to take immediate action. The platform also offers advanced features such as attendance tracking, driver behavior monitoring, and fuel consumption management. It enables schools to optimize their bus routes, minimize fuel consumption, and reduce overall transportation costs. It also provides a user-friendly dashboard that can be accessed via desktop or mobile devices, making it easy for parents and school administrators to monitor the transportation process from anywhere at any time.

Apart from this, Aeris technology has been helping businesses of varied scales and sizes to capture and use data from commercial and personal vehicles including trucks, tempos, tractors, commercial cars, 2,3 & 4 wheelers and electric vehicles at unprecedented volumes and speeds. It also provides unparalleled security to identify the changes and respond accordingly. In the past, AerTrak technology has successfully recovered stolen vehicles, especially, eRickshaws, high-end cars and commercial trucks. During this Covid-19 crisis and lockdown, Aeris technology has helped law enforcement and disaster management agencies in multiple cities for improving response time to crisis with faster mobilization of police vehicles via live location tracking, enabling better coordination between the police vehicles and faster action for crisis management.

What role will the technology play in the development of public transportation?

Technology is set to play a vital role in the development of public transportation in various ways. It can enhance the efficiency of public transportation by providing real-time data on traffic and passenger flow. For example, IoT sensors can be used to monitor traffic flow, and data can be analyzed to optimize traffic patterns and reduce congestion. It can also monitor vehicles, track their location, and alert authorities in case of accidents or security breaches. This can lead to faster, more reliable, and cost-effective transportation services for passengers.

Easy-to-use technology, like contactless payment systems, can attract more users to public transit. Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) and conductor less ticketing are examples of smart public transit systems that utilize data gathered through IoT and payment gateways to offer seamless user experiences. Multi-modal trip planning and first/last mile connectivity offer an easy solution to ticketing troubles. The feature allows users to modify their rides in a unified QR code, saving time and providing tailored solutions. Geo-mapping tracks real-time information about public transport, traffic issues, and travel time, enabling transport corporations to fine-tune the system for efficient, faster travel without extra costs. Overall, technology in public transportation can provide cheaper, more accessible, and sustainable travel options for the public.
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Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Two types of people thrive in the distant hidden recesses of the Dark Web. One type consists of the good guys: whistleblowers, freedom fighters, journalists, the intelligence community and law enforcement agencies, all generally waging the good fight against power, greed and tyranny.

The other type is made up of the bad guys: criminals, drug gangs, extortionists, weapons dealers, terrorists.

The Dark Web is an active mall where criminals offer a laundry list of criminal digital services providing passwords to bank accounts, Social Security numbers and other private data for identity theft, malware and cyberattack packages that can bring down a company, a town or a country.

"There's a compounding and unraveling chaos that is perpetually in motion in the Dark Web's toxic underbelly," James Scott, a senior fellow at the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, once said.

Researchers at a national research university in South Korea are trying to shine a little more light on that toxic underbelly. Their report, "DarkBERT: A Language Model for the Dark Side of the Internet," appeared this week on the arXiv preprint server.

While the Dark Web comprises barely 5% of the entire internet, it draws roughly 3 million users daily. Cybersecurity Ventures predicts proceeds from global cybercrime will top $10 trillion by 2025.

To help combat that menace, researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology have pre-trained a large language model on documents obtained from the Dark Web. They said such an effort was needed to bring greater efficiency to efforts to navigate the Dark Web and aid those seeking to stem criminal activity.

Researcher Youngjin Jin said his team's language model, named DarkBERT, will "combat the extreme lexical and structural diversity of the Dark Web that may be detrimental to building a proper representation of the domain."

Jin said pre-trained language models, such as the earlier BERT and RoBERTa projects based on Surface Web content (as opposed to Dark Web content), "are not ideal for  extracting useful information, due to the differences in the language used in the two domains."

"Our evaluation results show that the DarkBERT-based classification model outperforms that of known pre-trained language models," Jin said.

The researchers noted three key areas in which DarkBERT proved effective: ransomware leak detection, noteworthy thread detection in which potentially malicious threads were spotted, and threat keyword inference defined as "a set of keywords that are semantically related to threats and drug sales in the Dark Web."

Jin noted that manual review of the voluminous quantities of posts on the Dark Web would require "massive human resources." Automating such analysis would "significantly reduce the workload of security experts," especially with a language model trained in the unique vocabulary of the Dark Web, Jin said.

Law enforcement has made some progress in crushing illegal activity on the Dark Web. The first modern Dark Web marketplace, Silk Road, which made more than a billion dollars in illegal drug sales, was shut down by the FBI and its creator sentenced to life in prison. AlphaBay, which sold hundreds of millions of dollars worth of drugs and hacked data, was shut down by a multinational police effort.

But those efforts were a drop in the bucket. To achieve greater success, law enforcement must better learn the language of the cybercriminals.

DarkBERT appears to be a good step in that direction.

More information: Youngjin Jin et al, DarkBERT: A Language Model for the Dark Side of the Internet, arXiv (2023). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2305.08596 Journal information: arXiv

 2023 Science X Network
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As host to the European headquarters of major tech companies, Ireland also has a major role in enforcing EU data privacy rules.

Five years after the EU introduced a mammoth data privacy law to rein in big tech, Ireland's watchdog is its chief enforcer. Critics say this helps explain why the regulation is failing.

Dublin is at the center of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regime because the city hosts the European headquarters of the likes of Google, Meta, Twitter and TikTok.

The regulation is a straight-up challenge to the business models of these firms, which gather personal data to create the algorithms that serve content and ads to their users.

And its enforcement is a challenge for Ireland, which has courted big tech with generous tax incentives.

Even though the EU's 19th biggest nation is by far the bloc's biggest issuer of GDPR penaltieshitting Meta with a record 1.2-billion-euro ($1.3 billion) fine this week alonecritics say GDPR enforcement is a joke and Ireland is the chief jester.

"Europe's failure to enforce the GDPR exposes everyone to acute hazard in the digital age," Johnny Ryan of the Irish Civil Liberties Union wrote in a report marking five years of GDPR.

He said Europe could hardly claim to be a regulatory superpower if it could not even enforce its own laws.

Tangle of confusion

The GDPR, which came into force five years ago this Thursday, is meant to protect Europeans from having their data misused by companies and public institutions.

The law dictates that citizens must consent to the ways in which their data is used.

GDPR is enforced by national data protection agencies (DPAs).

However, critics like Ryan, Austrian campaigner Max Schrems, and an array of digital rights groups say cases can take years to resolve, punishments are rarely severe enough and citizens have few rights to take part.

DPAs, the critics say, are either badly funded, badly trained, in thrall to big companies, largely inactive or non-responsive.

Each has its own rules and practices and while Germany spends more than 100 million euros a year on its agencies, Romania barely breaks one million euros.

This leads to unequal enforcement and a tangle of confusion about their roleIreland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) is at the center of it all.

'Careful' challenges

Even the DPC's massive fine against Meta on Monday descended into slight farce when the Irish agency said other European bodies had ordered it to do it.

France's watchdog, CNIL, was among four agencies to demand tougher action.

"The CNIL is very careful to challenge, in the best sense of the word, the proposals of the DPC," CNIL chief Marie-Laure Denis told AFP in an interview.

And it got worseSchrems, who had brought the case against Meta, detailed how he had to fight for a decade to get Ireland to investigate.

The Irish DPC generally tries to avoid issuing fines or even investigating at all, instead relying on "amicable procedures" to resolve cases.

The soft approach has led to the EU's central body, the European Data Protection Board (EPDB), overruling Ireland's DPC in most of its EU-level casesa power it almost never uses against anyone else.

Legal expert Ray Friel from the University of Limerick told AFP the EDPB wanted to use heavy fines "to make these companies sit up and take notice".

But the Irish DPC had focused more on "rehabilitation".

The DPC did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

End of secrecy

Ireland's approach is out of step with the hard rhetoric emanating from the European Commission, which positions itself as a champion of the people against big corporate interests.

The EU's executive arm has defended the DPAs in the past but Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders announced earlier this year that reform was coming.

He promised to boost supervision of the DPAs and further proposed a law to govern how DPAs work with each other.

Activists are urging the commission to be bold.

Estelle Masse, Europe legislative manager at the Access Now digital rights NGO, called for an end to secrecy, for individuals to be given more rights and for clear deadlines to be set for resolution of complaints.

"Our fundamental rights are at stake, it's outrageous that we've had to wait for years for violations to be resolved," she wrote in a recent report.

But Schrems is far from hopeful that the commission will grasp the nettle.

He said Brussels was actually proposing to reduce the ability of individuals to take part.

"It seems the commission takes the view that the less the parties are talked to, the less the people are talked to, the more efficient the procedure gets," he said, adding that this "is not true".

 2023 AFP
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New University of Florida research shows that policies restricting the use of ride-hailing apps like Uber or Lyft can hurt the transportation ecosystem of a city.

In 2015, the city of Shanghai saw an issue with their taxi fleet using ride-hailing apps to find customers. Riders trying to hail a cab on the street weren't getting picked up as much.

In response, the city blacked out the ride-hailing apps during morning and evening rush hour for 12% of the taxi fleet every workday.

Kyung Sun (Melissa) Rhee, a professor in the UF Warrington College of Business, worked with Jinyang Zheng, Youwei Wang and Yong Tan to analyze how this regulation affected drivers and customers and the city's overall transportation network.

"The intention was to protect customers, but in the end we saw a decrease in taxi ridership and an increase in traffic jams. And the worst outcome for drivers is that their profits actually fell," Rhee said.

The numbers

Restricting information sharing via these apps during rush hour dropped taxi rides by 4.7%.

Driver profits went down by 2.8%.

Public transportation absorbed more riders during this period, increasing ridership from 0.4% to 0.9% depending on the mode of transit.

Some taxi rides shifted to happening before or after the restricted period.

Congestion went up.

The takeaway

While Shanghai's highly regulated taxi industry works differently than how Uber and Lyft operate in the U.S., the new research shows how valuable the information provided by ride-hailing apps can be. The information exchanged between customers and drivers can increase the efficiency of the transportation system.

The same likely applies to other two-sided platform that connect customers to suppliers, like Grubhub for food or Freelancer.com for workers.

"When policymakers are regulating an industry, they have to think beyond the specific activities they are regulating. They have to think about spillover effects on other areas," Rhee said.

The paper is published in the journal Information Systems Research.

More information: Kyung Sun (Melissa) Rhee et al, Value of Information Sharing via Ride-Hailing Apps: An Empirical Analysis, Information Systems Research (2022). DOI: 10.1287/isre.2022.1181
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Japan's Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura speaks during a joint news conference by host country Japan, Germany and Italy in the G7 ministers' meeting on climate, energy and environment in Sapporo, northern Japan, on April 16, 2023. A South Korean team of government experts has begun a two-day tour at the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant on Tuesday, May 23, to have a first-hand look of a controversial Japanese plan to release into sea treated by slightly radioactive wastewater. We plan to provide thorough explanation to the South Korean experts as we show them the latest status of the tanks and construction at the plant, said Nishimura. Credit: AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File

A team of South Korean government experts began a two-day tour of Japan's tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant on Tuesday to examine a contentious plan to release treated but still slightly radioactive wastewater into the sea.

Officials from the Japanese government and the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, were to show the 21-member delegation several facilities related to treatment, safety checks, transport and dilution of the water, Japanese officials said Tuesday.

The plan has faced fierce protests from local fishing communities concerned about safety and reputational damage. Neighboring countries, including South Korea, China and Pacific Island nations, have also raised safety concerns.

The water discharge plan has particularly been a sensitive issue between Tokyo and Seoul, which are now working to repair long-strained bilateral ties to address bigger challenges such as security threats from China and North Korea.

Yoo Guk-hee, the chairperson of South Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission who heads the delegation, told reporters after the first day's visit that his team needs more data, including about the water filtering system, to determine contamination levels before and after treatment and whether it is safely operated. "We will need all the information to reach an overall conclusion," he said.

Yoo Guk-hee, Chairperson of South Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Committee arrives at the foreign ministry in Tokyo, Japan, Monday, May 22, 2023. A South Korean team of government experts has begun a two-day tour at the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant on Tuesday to have a first-hand look of a controversial Japanese plan to release into sea treated by slightly radioactive wastewater. Credit: Kyodo News via AP

"What we are trying to focus on is to determine, based on scientific evidence and standards, how these facilities work and whether these facilities are working properly, as well as whether the discharge procedure and process are adequate," Yoo said. Asked if there is anything that can be done to quell South Korean people's anxiety over the discharge plan, he said, "If we can explain in detail what we have inspected, I think that is meaningful."

Japanese Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura promised earlier Tuesday to provide a "thorough explanation" to the South Korean experts and show them the current status of water tanks, other facilities and construction at the plant. "I expect this will deepen the understanding in South Korea about the safety of our planned release" of the treated water, Nishimura said.

He has said the South Korean team's visit is not an inspection of the discharge plan, which is already under review by the International Atomic Energy Agency, a U.N. nuclear watchdog. After its second day at the plant Wednesday, Yoo's team is to meet with Japanese officials in Tokyo before heading home Friday.

Japanese officials say only water that has been treated to legally releasable levels and further diluted with large amounts of seawater will be released into the sea about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) offshore through an undersea tunnel, and the controlled release over decades will make it harmless to people and marine life.

Members of the minor progressive Jinbo Party stage a rally against Japanese government's decision to release treated radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear power plant, in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. South Korea sent a team of government experts to Japan on Sunday, May 21, to visit the Fukushima nuclear power plant where they will review contentious Japanese plans to release treated but slightly radioactive water into the sea. The signs read "Oppose to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima." Credit: AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

Members of the minor progressive Jinbo Party stage a rally against Japanese government's decision to release treated radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear power plant, in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. South Korea sent a team of government experts to Japan on Sunday, May 21, to visit the Fukushima nuclear power plant where they will review contentious Japanese plans to release treated but slightly radioactive water into the sea. The signs read "Oppose to release treated radioactive water from the Fukushima." Credit: AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

Some scientists say the impact of long-term, low-dose exposure to tritium and other radionuclides is unknown and the release should be delayed.

Historical disputes have strained ties between Tokyo and Seoulmost recently over the compensation of Koreans who were forced laborers during Japan's 1910-1945 colonization of the Korean Peninsula. But their relationship has thawed rapidly since March, when South Korea's government announced a local fund would compensate some of the former laborers. Tokyo and Seoul, under pressure from Washington, share a sense of urgency to mend ties amid growing security threats in the region.

Nishimura said the government and TEPCO plan to start releasing the treated water after compulsory safety checks by Japanese nuclear regulators and a final review report by the IAEA.

A massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011, destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi plant's cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt, releasing large amounts of radiation. Water used to cool the reactor cores has accumulated in about 1,000 tanks at the plant, which will reach their capacity in early 2024.

Japanese officials say the water stored in the tanks needs to be removed to prevent accidental leaks in case of another disaster and to make room for the plant's decommissioning.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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TikTok argues that the Montana ban on its app is based on unfounded speculation that user data is at risk because parent company ByteDance is based in China.

TikTok on Monday filed suit in US federal court to stop the state of Montana from implementing an overall ban on the video-sharing app.

The unprecedented ban, set to start in 2024, violates the constitutionally protected right to free speech, TikTok argued in the suit.

"We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts," a TikTok spokesperson told AFP.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed the unprecedented prohibition into law on May 17.

Gianforte said on Twitter that he endorsed the ban in order to "protect Montanans' personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party."

"The state has enacted these extraordinary and unprecedented measures based on nothing more than unfounded speculation," TikTok contended in its lawsuit.

Five TikTok users last week filed a suit of their own, calling on a federal court to overturn Montana's ban on the app, arguing that it violates their free speech rights.

The state is trying to exercise national security power that only the federal government can wield and is violating free speech rights in the process, both suits filed against Montana argue.

TikTok called on the federal court to declare the Montana ban on its app unconstitutional and block the state from ever putting it into effect.

"Montana can no more ban its residents from viewing or posting to TikTok than it could ban the Wall Street Journal because of who owns it or the ideas it publishes," the lawsuit filed by TikTok users contends.

The app is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance and is accused by a wide swath of US politicians of being under the tutelage of the Chinese government and a tool of espionage by Beijing, something the company furiously denies.

Montana became the first US state to ban TikTok, with the law set to take effect next year as debate escalates over the impact and security of the popular video app.

A matter of law

The prohibition will serve as a legal test for a national ban of the platform, something that lawmakers in Washington are increasingly calling for.

The Montana ban makes it a violation each time "a user accesses TikTok, is offered the ability to access TikTok, or is offered the ability to download TikTok."

Each violation is punishable by a $10,000 fine every day it takes place.

Under the law, Apple and Google will have to remove TikTok from their app stores and companies will face possible daily fines.

The prohibition will take effect in 2024, but would be voided if TikTok is acquired by a company incorporated in a country not designated by the United States as a foreign adversary, the law reads.

The cases should move quickly in court, since they center on points of law that don't require lots of evidence to be gathered, according to University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias.

"There are very compelling constitutional arguments that favor the plaintiffs," Tobias said.

"First is free speech, and second is if the ban is justified by national security, that is a matter for the federal government not any individual state."

The law is the latest skirmish in duels between TikTok and many western governments, with the app already banned on government devices in the United States, Canada and several countries in Europe.

 2023 AFP
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Brazos County commissioners recently received an annual report update from the Brazos Valley Groundwater Conservation District with highlights from 2022 of water exports in and around the county.

Alan Day, general manager of the BVGCD, presented the 2022 annual report to the commissioners during a May 2 meeting, and said of the number of wells that permitted in 2022, 30 wells required meters, 10 were agricultural, seven were industrial and 13 were public water supply.

The total permitted production was nearly 36,000 acre-feet during 2022, he said. The Simsboro aquifer is the primary aquifer being used by Bryan-College Station, Texas A&M and any of your water supply.

The metered production in 2022 was dry, Day said, and production was positive through agriculture production of the 58,000 acre-feet out of the Simsboro, which was the largest number they have seen in at least a dozen years.

It was up about 7,000 acre-feet just this summer, primarily Bryan-College Station and your public water supply, Day said. [Regarding] meter production by category, we had some steam electric at nearly 6,000 acre-feet but primarily the amount goes to the municipal and rural water supplies, which shows a total of 49,000 acre-feet for production. [Regarding] the fees that were generated by category; we are funded by basically municipal and rural water supply, we get some industrial use but depending on agricultural fees, you wouldnt have a ground water district, you simply couldnt function.

With the total fees to be collected, Day said the BVGCD is a year behind as they are collecting fees for 2022 and 2023.

We will collect just over $805,000 [in 2022], which is the largest since I have been here, said Day, who has worked there since 2012. As far as the number of exempt, non-metered wells for domestic livestock: we registered 631 a year and most of those came from us driving around in the country and going There is a well we dont have, simply registering. Because if we dont know of an exempt water well at someones home or their property  we cant protect their property rights. When we would come in and have a big frack well or some type of thing that would require higher production rates at a larger and total production. If dont know you are there we cant protect your well from that cone of depression.

Day said they have nearly 6,700 wells of all types that are registered or permitted, and there are about 4,000 wells they are unaware of.

That sounds like a lot, everywhere we go they are everywhere, I [tell] people to please register their wells, we just need to know where they are, he said. The big myth is we are going to come in and put a meter on everybodys wells and charge them for it, and that is the last thing I want to do.

Day went on to say they finished their last Desired Future Conditions planning, where his board discusses what they want the aquifers to look like 50 years from now and allow for a certain amount of lowering of their artesian pressure, which is how they manage an aquifer.

These aquifers will always be fully saturated, we are not allowed to go and mine the aquifer they are always going to be fully saturated, he said. We work off of the artesian pressure that is created from the aquifer, when you drill a hole, artesian pressure comes back up and we manage that.

Their fee structure remains the same as it has in the past, Day said, and they will be implementing an export permit for water in about four years.

Their permit holder, UW Brazos Valley Farm LLC, approved production permits for up to 50,000 acre-feet in October last year, Day said; which is more water than what Bryan-College Station and Texas A&M produce today, even last summer.

The water is likely going to be transported to Bell, Williamson, Milam and possibly Travis counties, we are hearing more about Georgetown, Killeen, on surface water over there, he said. They have no groundwater and the Brazos River Authority has said, Dont come to us for any more water, we dont have it. So there is only one place they can go and that is to groundwater.

The BVGCD also has about 300 Simsboro wells on the list and Day said their permit holder is going to provide $7.5 million up front to keep water available, two years ahead of any transport so they can start mitigating.

We are being proactive, not reactive, he said. Nobody in the state has even tried that.

Brazos County Judge Duane Peters told Day he was aware that Burleson and Milam counties are already selling water, and believed it to be from the same aquifer the county draws water from.

Have we been able to see that it has impacted our aquifer?, Peters asked Day.

They have two aquifers that Vista Ridge [in Burleson County] is pumping from and the Simsboro at 40,000 acre-feet and 15,000 from the Cariso, Day said. We have seen a little decline in Cariso, we are going to see that now over the next couple of years. It is a tighter sand so it is going to take longer for the effect to spread out, it is more localized and then it slowly spreads out.

In the Simsboro, there is a much larger grain of sand, so it doesnt do as much local as it reaches out. In April of 2020 they turned their pumps on. They went full bore in June of 2020.  On average, somewhere in Robertson County we have lost between 17 to 20 feet of artesian head, down here it is going to be higher.  We will see a settled-in effect of Vista Ridge that we can look at annually, because it is a constant pump. It doesnt vary up and down so once that levels out, we will be able to say, The effect of Vista Ridge is 2 feet per year, or whatever it might be.
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Monday was bittersweet for Kenyatta Davis, a 19-year-old College Station man.

Davis was among eight interns to graduate from Project SEARCH, a post-secondary program for students with disabilities in the College Station school district based at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in College Station. While he was excited to celebrate finishing the program during the bridging ceremony, he also was sad to part ways with the group of students he grew close with over the fall and spring.

Yet, Project SEARCHs bridging ceremony was full of smiles and reminiscing on the students accomplishments. A number of friends, family members and Baylor Scott & White employees who worked with the interns came to celebrate the graduates who have all secured jobs.

My favorite part of Project SEARCH was being able to bond with people because before I came here I didnt want to bond with anyone, Davis said. I used to do things on my own. But after I came here, that helped me with that and now I feel comfortable being in a team.

This was Project SEARCHs ninth year, and the program has now had 66 total interns since its inception. Project SEARCHs students are called interns and complete one hour of class time each day devoted to improve employability and interview skills, resume building and more with the goal of being hired at the end of the year. Interns participate in three 10-week internships in different hospital departments. Baylor Scott & White has hired 17 interns and 11 are still employed at the College Station hospital.

Davis is among the newest staff members of the hospital. He will work in the food service department and prepare food trays before delivering them to patients on various floors.

They let him try out different areas of food service and he decided that was one he liked to do and there was potentially a job available there, so we kind of from that point forward turned his internship into preparing for the job he would be hired into, said Beth Sherry, a Project SEARCH instructor for the College Station school district.

Before Sherry was hired at Project SEARCH two years ago, she taught Davis at A&M Consolidated Middle School after he moved in from California in the seventh grade. Sherry said shes noticed the growth in Davis confidence over the past nine months.

At the start of this school year, he was really unsure of himself and his saying that he said all the time is, Im not good at talking to people, Sherry said. And here we are at the end of the school year and he is super confident in his abilities.  Just the growth in the confidence for me is the biggest celebration for him.

Davis said his favorite part of his rotations was learning to communicate with others. He noted working in food service and delivering food to patients helped him improve his communication skills.

Hannah Alexander, the food & nutrition director assigned to Aramark at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-College Station, worked with Davis in the food service department during his second rotation. She noted how he was willing to try out different areas of the department before he found a good fit.

He brought us so many laughs, so many hot things to try, so many musical talents, and best of all he brought his best work ethic, Alexander said.

Baylor Scott & White Regional President Jason Jennings spoke at the start of the bridging ceremony and noted health care and education are important to the Bryan-College Station community.

This weekend, I was on my back patio doing a little research for today and this quote I think sums it up for all of the students a part of Project SEARCH graduating, quote from Audrey Hepburn: Nothing is impossible. The word itself says Im possible, Jennings said. Im happy to announce that all of the graduates today have jobs. Its definitely possible, parents, families and friends, for students to graduate and get that job. To the students here today, you made this happen and I have just one word: congratulations.

Other Project SEARCH graduates were able to land ideal jobs. During the bridging ceremony, Sherry shared how intern Ella Simpson came into the program with a dream of working at a coffee shop. She has now been hired to work at Harvest Coffee Bar. Loren Cearley has fulfilled her dream of being hired at H-E-B.

Im happy for them, Davis said. They were able to get the job they wanted and now theyre working. Im also happy for myself that I was able to get a job I enjoy doing and that I am currently working.
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AUSTIN  In a 83-62 vote, the Texas House passed a bill Monday to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs from the states public colleges and universities.

The bill now returns to its author, Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, who will either concur or disagree with the Houses version. If the Senate concurs, the bill will head to Gov. Greg Abbotts desk to be signed and become law. Otherwise, both the House and the Senate will appoint a conference committee to try to find a compromise version of the bill.

At the heart of the debate are different understandings of DEIs role in higher education. Those who oppose DEI argue it favors race over merit, while those in support say it fosters inclusion and reduces discrimination.

The proposed legislation would eliminate DEI offices and ban DEI training and DEI statements.

Rep. John Kuempel, R-Seguin, who filed the House version of the bill, said during the House debate Friday that Texas is spending millions of dollars on DEI despite lacking evidence that DEI programs have increased minority recruitment and hiring.

DEI is present in some form in almost every Texas campus, he said. We must recruit the best people in every field regardless of race and gender.

Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, asked Kuempel whether employees in DEI offices will lose their jobs. Kuempel said he assumes theyll be reassigned to student services.

An amendment was added to ensure employees would not lose their jobs. Some Republicans, including Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, disagree with such a move. Tinderholt said this bill is one of the most important ones this cycle, because Texas has allowed leftists to infiltrate our universities for far too long.

He proposed an amendment that would remove the wording that would allow employees to be reassigned and another amendment that would require a yearly study on the impact of the bill.

Kuempel did not support the amendment.

History of the bill

Creighton introduced the bill in March. During subsequent Senate debates, he argued that DEI programs are not working the way they are meant to. Instead, he said, they are discriminatory, favoring certain groups over others.

Creighton also argued that when universities require diversity statements from job applicants, theyre violating the applicants First Amendment rights.

The bill, he said, does not harm diversity efforts, but it does remove divisive agendas that have been seen to be carried out through DEI units, personnel and certain departments.

The bill has received significant pushback from Texas Democrats, including members of the Black Legislative Caucus.

A vocal opponent has been Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, who told The Dallas Morning News in early May that the bill would discourage students and academics from coming to Texas.

During an April public hearing of the Senate higher education subcommittee, dozens of Texans, including students and faculty, waited almost 12 hours to testify against the bill. The subcommittee voted 4-1, along party lines, to advance the bill. West was the sole vote in opposition.

Its wrong, West said at the hearing. As opposed to trying to fix the isolated incidents and make it a better program, youre talking about dismantling the entire program.

Sports and research

When the bill reached the Senate floor, some Democratic lawmakers argued that the proposal could lead colleges and universities to struggle to comply with NCAA requirements.

The NCAA, the national organization that regulates college sports, could penalize Texas college athletic programs if the state eliminated DEI efforts, the senators argued.

Democratic senators also argued that eliminating DEI from Texas would impact researchers ability to get federal grants, which often require some kind of DEI component.

Many federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation have extensive DEI programming.

In a written statement in early May, Creighton told The News that innovative research conducted at Texas colleges and universities is completely exempt from the policies in Senate Bill 17.

He added that if federally funded grants require a DEI statement, which would be compelled speech, I have serious concerns that they are in violation of the First Amendment.

During the Senate debates, Creighton was not receptive to possible amendments that would make exceptions for college sports or research grants.

The Senate voted 19-12, along party lines, to advance the bill.

But after the bill was discussed by the House higher education committee, a new version included a provision that would make exceptions for research grants. That version was not passed by the House. Instead, new amendments made the House version similar to the Senates.

After long hours of debate and multiple attempts to delay the process by Democrats, Kuempel created his own amendment that requires a yearly study on the impact of the bill regarding minority recruitment and retention. The study would be conducted by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The House version also requires colleges and universities to assign DEI officers to other departments and positions with similar pay.

Earlier this year, Abbotts office sent a letter to governmental agencies, including universities, stating that DEI hiring practices are illegal.

The innocuous-sounding notion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has been manipulated to push policies that expressly favor some demographic groups to the detriment of others, the letter read.

Since then, the University of Texas System has announced a pause on new DEI policies and the Texas A&M University System banned diversity statements from job applications.

This year alone, 20 states have introduced 34 bills aimed at dismantling DEI. Only two bills, in Florida and North Dakota, have been signed into law.
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State leaders are racing to avert a special legislative session with a week left in the regular session and many of their priorities on the line.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state House Speaker Dade Phelan met Friday about wrapping up on time, and they joined Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday for another meeting on the topic. The meetings  rare between the three leaders these days  came several days after Abbott threatened to call a special session over lack of progress on his top priority, school choice.

On Monday, however, at least one of the leaders was working to lower the temperature and offer cautious optimism.

Were working together to make sure we get it all done on time, Phelan said in a Monday tweet revealing the meeting of the so-called Big Three. One week left of [the Legislature]. Stay tuned.

The main topics in the meeting were three of the larger pending issues of the regular session: property tax relief, power grid reform and education, including Abbotts crusade for school choice. That is according to a person who was briefed on the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.

There are still a lot of unknowns. With the session ending May 29, the leaders were trying to navigate fast-approaching deadlines to at least get their priority bills to conference committees. Those are teams of House and Senate negotiators that hash out their differences. If they can reach a compromise, it still has to be approved by each chamber.

School choice remains perhaps the thorniest issue. On Monday morning, the Senate launched a last-ditch effort to rescue a proposal on the topic that fell victim to a House deadline over the weekend, but its chances of reaching the governors desk are still not assured.

Both the Friday and Monday meetings were unusual. Patrick and Phelan have long had an acrimonious relationship, and it has only been further strained this session by a monthslong impasse over the best way to deliver property tax relief. And as for the full trio, they long ago stopped having what were once regular weekly breakfasts, with Abbott opting to talk with Patrick and Phelan one on one.

On Friday, Patrick and Phelan made a point of showing they were working together, with Phelan entering the Senate chamber and coming up to the dais to shake Patricks hand. Patrick said they had a very good meeting, working on a lot of things, working together.

Absolutely, Phelan replied. 100%.

Asked by The Texas Tribune afterward if he talked with Patrick about the possibility of a special session, Phelan responded that they talked about how to not have one.

The prospect of a special session grew earlier this month when Abbott threatened to veto a school-choice bill after it had been watered down in the House, promising to call special sessions if lawmakers failed to restore the legislation to something closer to its original form.

Abbotts veto threat doomed the watered-down bill, and the lower chambers Public Education Committee declined to bring it up for a vote by a Saturday deadline to do so. But on Monday morning, the Senate Education Committee made a legislative Hail Mary pass, quickly amending and passing a House bill to include a school voucher-like program.

The Senates overhaul of House Bill 100 would set up state-funded education savings accounts through which parents would get $8,000 per student per year to pay for costs related to private education. The program would be open to most of Texas 5.5 million students.

While the full Senate is expected to approve HB 100 in the coming days, the House author would likely reject the changes and send it to a conference committee. Those negotiators would have to strike a deal that both pleases Abbott and can pass a floor vote in a House, which has long shown stubborn resistance to the concept.

As for the other issues at play  property tax relief and grid reform  the chambers have made progress but are still working toward final deals.

On property taxes, Phelan has long championed tightening appraisal caps, while Patrick has insisted on increasing the homestead exemption. The Houses latest stab at the legislation holds firm on lowering the appraisal cap but, in a bid to court Senate support, adds a homestead exemption hike that is even higher than the one the upper chamber has proposed. The Senate has not said yet whether it agrees with that.

On Monday, the House was set to consider the lieutenant governors priority bills to increase grid reliability by spurring more natural-gas capacity.

The deadlines are not slowing down. Tuesday is the last day for the House to tentatively approve Senate bills. The final major deadline is Sunday, when both chambers have to decide whether to accept conference committee reports.
Shares of Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:BIO.B  Get Rating) reached a new 52-week low on Monday . The stock traded as low as $373.90 and last traded at $373.90, with a volume of 13 shares. The stock had previously closed at $373.90.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, TheStreet upgraded Bio-Rad Laboratories from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Monday, March 27th.

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Bio-Rad Laboratories Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $444.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $416.45. The stock has a market cap of $11.07 billion, a PE ratio of -57.17 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a current ratio of 5.56, a quick ratio of 4.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12.

About Bio-Rad Laboratories

Bio-Rad Laboratories ( NYSE:BIO.B Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $3.34 earnings per share for the quarter. Bio-Rad Laboratories had a positive return on equity of 4.10% and a negative net margin of 7.01%. The firm had revenue of $676.84 million for 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.

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Talos Energy (NYSE:TALO  Get Rating) and Deep Well Oil & Gas (OTCMKTS:DWOG  Get Rating) are both small-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation and risk.

Risk & Volatility

Talos Energy has a beta of 2.21, meaning that its share price is 121% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Deep Well Oil & Gas has a beta of -1.65, meaning that its share price is 265% less volatile than the S&P 500.

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Profitability

This table compares Talos Energy and Deep Well Oil & Gas net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Talos Energy 34.48% 12.36% 4.82% Deep Well Oil & Gas N/A N/A N/A

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Talos Energy 0 0 6 0 3.00 Deep Well Oil & Gas 0 0 0 0 N/A

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Talos Energy and Deep Well Oil & Gas, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Talos Energy currently has a consensus price target of $25.40, suggesting a potential upside of 100.32%.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Talos Energy and Deep Well Oil & Gas gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Talos Energy $1.65 billion 0.96 $381.92 million $6.19 2.05 Deep Well Oil & Gas N/A N/A -$100,000.00 N/A N/A

Talos Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Deep Well Oil & Gas.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

96.2% of Talos Energy shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.8% of Talos Energy shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 55.4% of Deep Well Oil & Gas shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Talos Energy beats Deep Well Oil & Gas on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Talos Energy

(Get Rating)

Talos Energy, Inc. operates as a holding company. The firm engages in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. It focuses on the exploration, acquisition, exploitation and development of shallow and deepwater assets near existing infrastructure in the United State Gulf of Mexico. The company was founded by John A. Parker, Stephen E. Heitzman and Timothy S. Duncan in 2012 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

About Deep Well Oil & Gas

(Get Rating)

Deep Well Oil & Gas, Inc. operates as an oil and gas exploration and development company. It engages in the identification, acquisition, exploration and development of oil and gas prospects. The firms projects include Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage Project and Horizontal Cyclic Steam Stimulation Project. It focuses on developing the existing oil sands land base in the Peace River oil sands area in North Central Alberta. The company was founded on July 18, 1988 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada.

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Xi'an summit a new milestone in China-Central Asia relations

09:04, May 23, 2023 By He Yin ( People's Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs the first China-Central Asia Summit and delivers a keynote speech themed "Working Together for a China-Central Asia Community with a Shared Future Featuring Mutual Assistance, Common Development, Universal Security, and Everlasting Friendship" in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province, May 19, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 19 chaired the first China-Central Asia Summit and delivered a keynote speech in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province. The summit was also attended by heads of state of the five Central Asian countries, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The six heads of state reviewed the history of friendly exchanges between China and Central Asia, took stock of their cooperation outcomes, summed up successful experiences, and built new consensus, charting a blueprint for the future development of China-Central Asia relations.

Facing profound changes unseen in a century, and bearing in mind the fundamental interests and bright future of the peoples, the six countries are determined to foster an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future, which will bring more benefits to the peoples and make greater contributions to regional peace and development.

The China-Central Asia relationship is steeped in history, driven by broad actual needs, and built on solid popular support. The relations are brimming with vigor and vitality in the new era.

For millennia, the people of China and Central Asia have complemented and learned from each other, creating the glories of the ancient Silk Road. Since the two sides established diplomatic relations, they have always respected each other, enjoyed good neighborliness, and worked in partnership and solidarity for mutual benefit through thick and thin. Their state-to-state relations have grown from ones of good-neighborliness to strategic partnerships, and then to a community with a shared future, achieving historic leapfrog development.

In today's world, transformations unseen in a century are accelerating; the international and regional situation is changing in profound and complex ways; both opportunities and challenges are unprecedented. At this critical historical juncture, the China-Central Asia Summit follows the trend of win-win cooperation, which is in line with the fundamental interests of the peoples and is conducive to the development and revitalization of the six countries.

In his keynote speech, Xi proposed four points on what Central Asia the world needs, four principles in building a China-Central Asia community with a shared future and eight points for good planning, development and progress of China-Central Asia cooperation.

It marked the first comprehensive and systematic exposition on China's foreign policy toward Central Asia by China's top leader in the new era. It has won high recognition and received warm responses from the heads of state of the five Central Asian countries, and offered fundamental guidance for building an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

Building an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future is the most important political outcome of the summit, which demonstrates to the world the determination of China and Central Asia to renew their millennia-old friendship and open up new vistas for the future.

Xi said in his keynote speech that the world needs a stable, prosperous, harmonious and interconnected Central Asia. He stressed the sovereignty, security, independence and territorial integrity of Central Asian countries must be upheld, their people's choice of development paths must be respected, and their efforts for peace, harmony and tranquility must be supported.

His remarks strongly resonated with the leaders of Central Asian countries. During the summit, they voiced firm support for each other to choose a development path compatible with their national conditions, firmly uphold their core interests including sovereignty, independence, security and territorial integrity, and oppose interference in others' internal affairs.

Central Asian countries fully recognize the significance of the Chinese path to modernization for the world's development, and reiterate their firm commitment to the one-China principle. As forces for peace and justice, China and Central Asian countries, with mutual understanding and joint efforts, will surely inject more positive energy and stability into this complicated and volatile world.

During the summit, China and five Central Asian countries signed seven bilateral and multilateral documents as well as over 100 cooperation agreements in various fields. The achievements and impacts of the summit were unprecedented.

The China + Central Asia (C+C5) cooperation mechanism is a result of China and Central Asian countries moving in the same direction. It conforms to the development of the region, the trend of the times and the aspiration of the peoples, enjoying strong endogenous impetus and broad development prospects.

The summit established a comprehensive framework for the mechanism. Taking the opportunity of this summit, the six countries have officially inaugurated the China-Central Asia Summit Mechanism, with China and Central Asian countries taking turns to host the biennial summit.

Head-of-state diplomacy will keep offering strategic guidance on enhancing top-level planning and coordination for China-Central Asia relations.

The first China-Central Asia Summit was a grand meeting that blended history and the future. Xi'an, as the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, has once again become a starting point in the new era witnessing the joint efforts of China and Central Asian countries to create a brighter future.

The summit demonstrated unity, creativity and efficiency, creating a new platform and opening up new prospects for China-Central Asia cooperation. It marked a new milestone in the development of China-Central Asia relations.

It is believed that with joint efforts, China's relations with Central Asian countries will forge ahead like a ship braving all winds and waves, offer new vitality to the development and revitalization of the six countries, inject strong, positive energy to peace and stability of the region, and make new contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

(Web editor: Chang Sha, Du Mingming)
Shares of Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR  Get Rating) have received a consensus rating of Hold from the ten analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $50.75.

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America raised shares of Portland General Electric from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $47.00 to $52.00 in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Portland General Electric in a research report on Monday, May 8th. They issued an overweight rating and a $56.00 price objective for the company. Credit Suisse Group upped their price target on shares of Portland General Electric from $48.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Portland General Electric from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, February 17th.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Portland General Electric news, VP John Teeruk Kochavatr sold 3,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.12, for a total transaction of $153,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 15,489 shares in the company, valued at $791,797.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Portland General Electric news, VP John Teeruk Kochavatr sold 3,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.12, for a total transaction of $153,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 15,489 shares in the company, valued at $791,797.68. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Brett Michael Sims sold 2,050 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $47.00, for a total transaction of $96,350.00. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 10,978 shares of the companys stock, valued at $515,966. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.51% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Portland General Electric Stock Up 0.1 %

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cascade Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Portland General Electric in the first quarter valued at $36,000. Ridgewood Investments LLC bought a new position in Portland General Electric during the 1st quarter valued at $39,000. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its stake in Portland General Electric by 308.8% during the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 834 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 630 shares during the last quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. boosted its stake in Portland General Electric by 150.9% during the 1st quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 946 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 569 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Portland General Electric by 475.1% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 995 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 822 shares during the last quarter. 97.03% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Shares of NYSE POR opened at $49.41 on Tuesday. Portland General Electric has a 12-month low of $41.58 and a 12-month high of $56.37. The company has a market capitalization of $4.77 billion, a PE ratio of 18.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.03 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. The firms 50-day moving average is $49.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $48.44.

Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April 28th. The utilities provider reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $748.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $622.50 million. Portland General Electric had a net margin of 8.88% and a return on equity of 9.06%. The companys revenue was up 19.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.67 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Portland General Electric will post 2.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Portland General Electric Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.475 per share. 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 3.85%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 23rd. Portland General Electrics payout ratio is currently 66.30%.

About Portland General Electric

(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.

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Apartment Income REIT (NYSE:AIRC  Get Rating) had its target price decreased by Mizuho from $45.00 to $40.00 in a report published on Friday, The Fly reports.

AIRC has been the topic of a number of other reports. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Apartment Income REIT from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and set a $39.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 15th. Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Apartment Income REIT in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. They issued an outperform rating and a $39.00 target price on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Apartment Income REIT has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $40.38.

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Apartment Income REIT Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of Apartment Income REIT stock opened at $35.40 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.28 billion, a PE ratio of 10.54 and a beta of 0.90. Apartment Income REIT has a twelve month low of $32.51 and a twelve month high of $46.38. The firms 50-day moving average price is $35.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $36.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50.

Apartment Income REIT Announces Dividend

Insider Transactions at Apartment Income REIT

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 18th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.08%. Apartment Income REITs dividend payout ratio is currently 53.57%.

In other news, Director Devin Ignatius Murphy bought 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $34.00 per share, with a total value of $85,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 11,386 shares in the company, valued at $387,124. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other Apartment Income REIT news, insider Keith M. Kimmel sold 8,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.75, for a total value of $286,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 34,345 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,227,833.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Devin Ignatius Murphy bought 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $34.00 per share, for a total transaction of $85,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 11,386 shares of the companys stock, valued at $387,124. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.89% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Apartment Income REIT

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of Apartment Income REIT by 14.3% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 6,809,240 shares of the companys stock worth $243,838,000 after acquiring an additional 850,026 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its position in shares of Apartment Income REIT by 81.8% during the first quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 178,490 shares of the companys stock worth $6,392,000 after acquiring an additional 80,301 shares during the period. EWA LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Apartment Income REIT during the first quarter worth $210,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Apartment Income REIT by 52.3% during the first quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 195,035 shares of the companys stock worth $6,984,000 after acquiring an additional 67,007 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Apartment Income REIT by 10.2% during the first quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,957,273 shares of the companys stock worth $105,900,000 after acquiring an additional 274,862 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 99.35% of the companys stock.

Apartment Income REIT Company Profile

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AIR is a real estate investment trust focused on the ownership and management of quality apartment communities located in the largest markets in the United States. AIR is one of the country's largest owners and operators of apartments, with 99 communities in 12 states and the District of Columbia.

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Shares of Auto Trader Group plc (LON:AUTO  Get Rating) have earned an average recommendation of Hold from the eight research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have assigned a hold recommendation and three have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 640.67 ($7.97).

Several research firms have recently issued reports on AUTO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Auto Trader Group to a neutral rating and raised their price target for the company from GBX 550 ($6.84) to GBX 630 ($7.84) in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Barclays reissued an overweight rating and set a GBX 725 ($9.02) target price on shares of Auto Trader Group in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Credit Suisse Group lowered their target price on shares of Auto Trader Group from GBX 441 ($5.49) to GBX 405 ($5.04) and set an underperform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Citigroup reissued a neutral rating on shares of Auto Trader Group in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th.

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Auto Trader Group Price Performance

AUTO stock opened at GBX 636.60 ($7.92) on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 615.82 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 587.13. The company has a market capitalization of 5.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,551.20, a PEG ratio of 3.99 and a beta of 0.61. Auto Trader Group has a 52-week low of GBX 479.80 ($5.97) and a 52-week high of GBX 681 ($8.47). The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.76, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a current ratio of 1.61.

About Auto Trader Group

Auto Trader Group plc operates in the digital automotive marketplace in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company provides vehicle advertisement on its websites for private sellers, as well as insurance and loan financing products to consumers; and display advertising on its websites for manufacturers and their advertising agencies.

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Aviva PLC boosted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) by 8.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 846,849 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after buying an additional 67,639 shares during the quarter. Bristol-Myers Squibb makes up approximately 0.5% of Aviva PLCs holdings, making the stock its 27th largest holding. Aviva PLCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $105,667,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Dakota Wealth Management bought a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb in the first quarter valued at approximately $332,000. Covestor Ltd boosted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 111.5% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,052 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $150,000 after purchasing an additional 1,082 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 53.2% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 165,336 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $12,075,000 after purchasing an additional 57,444 shares during the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC bought a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb during the first quarter worth about $1,997,000. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp increased its stake in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 25.1% in the 1st quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 338,563 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $24,725,000 after acquiring an additional 68,018 shares during the last quarter. 75.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Buying and Selling

In other Bristol-Myers Squibb news, EVP Rupert Vessey sold 50,385 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.06, for a total transaction of $3,378,818.10. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 47,751 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,202,182.06. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.08% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Bristol-Myers Squibb Stock Up 0.4 %

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on BMY shares. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $78.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Friday, April 28th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research report on Monday, March 6th. They set a hold rating and a $62.00 price target on the stock. Barclays decreased their price objective on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $66.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Monday, May 1st. 51job restated a maintains rating on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in a report on Friday, April 28th. Finally, Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from $82.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $79.43.

Shares of NYSE:BMY traded up $0.26 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $66.07. The stock had a trading volume of 1,717,045 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,987,478. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $68.42 and its 200-day simple moving average is $72.00. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 12 month low of $65.14 and a 12 month high of $81.43. The company has a market cap of $138.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.19, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 0.44.

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The biopharmaceutical company reported $2.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.98 by $0.07. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a net margin of 15.95% and a return on equity of 51.75%. The company had revenue of $11.34 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.96 EPS. Bristol-Myers Squibbs revenue for the quarter was down 2.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 8.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 10th were paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.45%. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio is currently 66.47%.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb

(Get Rating)

Bristol Myers Squibb Co engages in the discovery, development, licensing, manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of biopharmaceutical products. It offers chemically-synthesized drugs or small molecules and products produced from biological processes called biologics. The company was founded in August 1933 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Friday morning.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on SCHW. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $86.00 to $85.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on Charles Schwab from $89.00 to $65.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 6th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on Charles Schwab from $70.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Bank of America cut their price objective on Charles Schwab from $53.00 to $51.00 in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut shares of Charles Schwab from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $99.00 to $68.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $68.73.

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Charles Schwab Stock Up 0.6 %

Charles Schwab stock opened at $51.97 on Friday. Charles Schwab has a one year low of $45.00 and a one year high of $86.63. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $52.15 and a 200 day moving average of $69.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market cap of $91.94 billion, a PE ratio of 14.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.88.

Charles Schwab Announces Dividend

Charles Schwab ( NYSE:SCHW Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $5.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.13 billion. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 27.83% and a net margin of 34.82%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.77 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Charles Schwab will post 3.35 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.92%. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Charles Schwab news, Director Marianne Catherine Brown bought 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 28th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $53.47 per share, with a total value of $267,350.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 9,984 shares in the company, valued at approximately $533,844.48. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, President Richard A. Wurster acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $54.39 per share, with a total value of $108,780.00. Following the purchase, the president now directly owns 101,391 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,514,656.49. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Marianne Catherine Brown bought 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 28th. The stock was bought at an average price of $53.47 per share, with a total value of $267,350.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 9,984 shares in the company, valued at approximately $533,844.48. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have bought 81,000 shares of company stock worth $4,706,960. Corporate insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Charles Schwab

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its position in Charles Schwab by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 20,822 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,847,000 after purchasing an additional 1,452 shares during the period. Moors & Cabot Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 6,263 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $528,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Charles Schwab by 25.4% during the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 13,064 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,101,000 after acquiring an additional 2,648 shares during the period. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Charles Schwab by 7.5% in the 1st quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 3,807 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $321,000 after acquiring an additional 267 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd grew its position in Charles Schwab by 16.6% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,239 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. 73.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Charles Schwab Company Profile

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The Charles Schwab Corp. is a savings and loan holding company, which engages in the provision of wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. It operates through the Investor Services and Advisor Services segments. The Investor Services segment includes retail brokerage and banking services to individual investors, and retirement plan services, as well as other corporate brokerage services, to businesses and their employees.

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StockNews.com cut shares of Crown (NYSE:CCK  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note released on Saturday.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on CCK. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Crown from $103.00 to $104.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Crown from $86.00 to $79.00 in a research report on Monday, March 27th. TheStreet raised shares of Crown from a c rating to a b- rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Crown from $96.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Crown from $90.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, February 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $97.60.

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Crown Stock Down 1.3 %

CCK stock opened at $80.51 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.30, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.84. Crown has a twelve month low of $66.00 and a twelve month high of $110.80. The companys 50 day moving average is $80.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $82.60. The stock has a market cap of $9.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.85, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.05.

Crown Announces Dividend

Crown ( NYSE:CCK Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Monday, April 24th. The industrial products company reported $1.20 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.05 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $2.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.10 billion. Crown had a net margin of 4.81% and a return on equity of 31.41%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 5.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.01 EPS. Research analysts expect that Crown will post 6.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 25th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 11th will be given a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 10th. Crowns dividend payout ratio is currently 18.90%.

Insider Transactions at Crown

In other news, Director James H. Miller sold 9,300 shares of Crown stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.86, for a total transaction of $789,198.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 19,801 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,680,312.86. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.90% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Crown

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Montag A & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Crown in the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S raised its position in Crown by 101.8% in the 1st quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 438 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in Crown in the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Crown by 53.3% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 650 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 226 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new position in Crown in the 1st quarter valued at $58,000.

Crown Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Crown Holdings, Inc engages in the design, manufacture, and sale of packaging products and equipment for consumer goods. The firm offers aerosol cans, beverage, promotional, and transit packaging, closures and capping, and food cans. It operates through the following segments: Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Transit Packaging.

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HUYA Inc. (NYSE:HUYA  Get Rating)s share price gapped down before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $3.37, but opened at $3.24. HUYA shares last traded at $3.32, with a volume of 129,669 shares changing hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HUYA has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of HUYA from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and lifted their price target for the company from $2.30 to $3.00 in a report on Friday, April 14th. HSBC decreased their price target on shares of HUYA from $3.80 to $3.30 in a report on Thursday, May 18th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $3.28.

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HUYA Trading Up 2.1 %

The firms 50-day moving average is $3.31 and its 200 day moving average is $3.78.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

HUYA ( NYSE:HUYA Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 21st. The company reported ($0.28) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.33) by $0.05. The business had revenue of $304.79 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $306.42 million. HUYA had a negative net margin of 5.06% and a negative return on equity of 3.49%. Analysts predict that HUYA Inc. will post -0.08 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. EWA LLC acquired a new position in shares of HUYA in the 1st quarter worth approximately $55,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV acquired a new position in shares of HUYA in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $44,000. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC lifted its position in shares of HUYA by 64.7% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 22,286 shares of the companys stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 8,753 shares during the period. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of HUYA during the 4th quarter valued at $94,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of HUYA by 8,607.6% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 24,120 shares of the companys stock valued at $108,000 after acquiring an additional 23,843 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 21.84% of the companys stock.

About HUYA

(Get Rating)

HUYA, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the development of game live streaming platforms. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Guangzhou, China.

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iShares Canadian Select Dividend Index ETF (TSE:XDV  Get Rating) declared a monthly dividend on Wednesday, May 24th, TickerTech reports. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be given a dividend of 0.10 per share on Wednesday, May 31st. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.30%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 24th.

iShares Canadian Select Dividend Index ETF Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of iShares Canadian Select Dividend Index ETF stock traded down C$0.19 on Tuesday, hitting C$27.93. 18,396 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 37,853. iShares Canadian Select Dividend Index ETF has a 1-year low of C$24.76 and a 1-year high of C$29.99. The company has a 50-day moving average price of C$28.06 and a 200 day moving average price of C$27.99.

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Redhawk Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Teekay Tankers Ltd. (NYSE:TNK  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 12,075 shares of the shipping companys stock, valued at approximately $372,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. New York State Common Retirement Fund boosted its stake in shares of Teekay Tankers by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund now owns 15,987 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $493,000 after buying an additional 598 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in Teekay Tankers by 127.4% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,401 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 785 shares during the period. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Teekay Tankers by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 35,700 shares of the shipping companys stock valued at $1,100,000 after acquiring an additional 955 shares during the period. Ellevest Inc. grew its position in shares of Teekay Tankers by 86.2% during the 4th quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 2,307 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $71,000 after purchasing an additional 1,068 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Trexquant Investment LP grew its position in shares of Teekay Tankers by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 25,368 shares of the shipping companys stock worth $699,000 after purchasing an additional 1,921 shares in the last quarter. 28.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on TNK. TheStreet upgraded shares of Teekay Tankers from a c rating to a b rating in a research report on Thursday, February 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on shares of Teekay Tankers from $44.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Teekay Tankers from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research note on Friday, May 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Teekay Tankers presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $51.00.

Teekay Tankers Stock Up 0.1 %

Shares of NYSE TNK opened at $40.07 on Tuesday. Teekay Tankers Ltd. has a 1 year low of $14.90 and a 1 year high of $48.05. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.35, a P/E/G ratio of 0.99 and a beta of -0.15. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $40.95 and a 200-day moving average price of $36.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a current ratio of 2.79 and a quick ratio of 2.42.

Teekay Tankers (NYSE:TNK  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 23rd. The shipping company reported $4.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.51 by $0.82. Teekay Tankers had a net margin of 32.12% and a return on equity of 39.74%. The business had revenue of $367.30 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $211.54 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted ($0.74) EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 129.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Teekay Tankers Ltd. will post 13.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Teekay Tankers Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a  dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 22nd will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 19th. Teekay Tankerss dividend payout ratio is presently 8.36%.

Teekay Tankers Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Teekay Tankers Ltd. engages in the provision of crude oil and refined petroleum products through the operation of its oil and product tankers. It operates through the Tanker and Ship-to-Ship (STS) Transfer segment. The Tanker segment includes the operations of all the tankers, including those employed on full service lightering contracts.

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Shares of Wolters Kluwer (OTCMKTS:WOLTF  Get Rating) traded up 0.9% during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $116.00 and last traded at $116.00. 858 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 45% from the average session volume of 1,574 shares. The stock had previously closed at $114.95.

Wolters Kluwer Trading Up 0.9 %

The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $123.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $113.34.

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On May 22, 2020, Garland Lawton walked into a Roanoke gun store called Doomsday Tactical Supply, passed a background check, and purchased a Taurus 9 mm pistol.

What happened next happens all too often.

Lawton, who attested on federal paperwork that he was the actual buyer of the gun, had in fact purchased it for a convicted felon barred from possessing firearms.

Later that day, the 25-year-old went to Jermaine Drummonds house, turned over the small handgun, and was paid $220 in cash for his trouble, according to court records. Drummond, who authorities say had a voracious appetite for illegal gun trafficking, then sold the weapon to an unknown buyer.

Eventually, the 9 mm pistol wound up in Prince Georges County, Maryland, where a man used it to kill himself on Sept. 10, 2020.

People like Lawton  known as straw purchasers  are feeding an underground market that is one factor behind rising gun violence in Roanoke and beyond.

In U.S. District Court for Western Virginia, at least 20 people have been charged with making straw purchases of guns since January 2021, according to a review of court records.

Eleven of the defendants have been charged in the courts Roanoke division, which includes the Roanoke and New River valleys, over the same time period. Collectively, authorities say, they have put about 50 guns into the wrong hands.

With straw purchases, we know the firearms are almost certainly going to be used in additional crimes, U.S. Attorney Chris Kavanaugh said.

Kavanaugh said there has been a huge surge in prosecutions in recent years. Each one of these straw purchases is an opportunity for us to prevent a violent crime that was going to occur, he said.

From 2010 to 2020, federal authorities brought only one or two charges a year. The more recent uptick is not necessarily due to more illegal purchases of guns, Kavanaugh said, but rather a change in priorities by law enforcement.

You cant prosecute your way out of a problem, because a lot of times the crimes have already occurred, he said. But straw purchases are one of the few cases where you can move the needle, to use it [prosecution] as a deterrent for the crime happening in the first place, or to prevent that firearm from getting to someone else who is going to use it for a crime.

Earlier this month, Lawton was sentenced to 42 months in federal prison.

What do we all read about on a daily basis? U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Dillon asked rhetorically from the bench, shortly before she imposed a term that exceeded what sentencing guidelines called for. Shootings. Shootings. Shootings. Shootings.

That has got to come to an end, Dillon said. So I take this crime very seriously.

How guns reach the streets

When Doomsday Tactical Supply opened in 2015, it was a small shop that sold outdoor gear, survival food and other items that might appeal to preppers, or those who want to be prepared for whatever kind of disaster might strike.

Now, as a sign proclaims on its Orange Avenue Northeast building, Guns sold here!

When he went to the store in 2020, Lawton fulfilled the paperwork requirements to purchase a gun from a federally licensed dealer. On a Virginia State Police form, he indicated that he had not been convicted of any felonies or other charges that would prohibit him from having a gun.

That much was true.

On a second transaction record required by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawton listed himself as the actual buyer of the firearm. That was not true, as he knew a convicted felon had arranged for the purchase and was waiting for the gun, a federal indictment later charged.

Lawton and 10 other people charged in Roanokes federal court with making straw purchases went to a total of six gun stores in the region and purchased about 50 firearms, according to court records. Nearly half of the guns came from Doomsday Tactical.

No charges were placed against the gun store, as the legal burden rests on buyers to be honest about their intentions. The owner of Doomsday Tactical did not respond to calls last week from The Roanoke Times.

Many gun dealers are conscious of the law and report any suspicious activity to authorities, Kavanaugh said.

However, there are some that dont, and turn a blind eye to it, he said. This is their livelihood and its a sale they want to make. The prosecutor declined to comment when asked about Doomsday.

While rare, there have been charges against gun dealers brought by federal authorities in Western Virginia.

A federal grand jury last year charged the owner of a gun store in Kentucky with delivering guns he had purchased from a distributor to an unlicensed dealer in Virginia, who then sold them at a flea market in Wise County.

Other recent cases involving straw purchases include a sale at a Front Royal gun store, in which a man admitted to making a false statement when he bought a 9 mm pistol. Four days later, the gun was used by someone else in a shooting in Washington, D.C. that killed one person and injured three others, according to court records.

In Roanoke, Jermaine Drummond was sentenced late last year to seven years in prison for arranging straw purchases that were made for him by Lawton and two other people.

Drummond attended Norfolk State University on a music scholarship and later found a manufacturing job that paid $25 an hour. But this did not satisfy Mr. Drummond, who soon began supplementing his income by trafficking guns, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Johnson wrote in court documents.

There was no direct evidence to whom Drummond sold guns. But many of the weapons were later connected to criminal activity in Brooklyn, New York, Washington, D.C. and six jurisdictions in Maryland.

The impact of Mr. Drummonds conduct on multiple communities in multiple jurisdictions cannot be overstated, Johnson wrote.

How to reduce the flow

Whats happening in Roanoke is a problem nationwide.

Surveys of a random sample of 1,600 federally licensed gun dealers in 43 states, conducted in 2013 and 2017, showed that 67% of them had a customer in the past year that attempted a straw purchase.

The research conducted by Garen Wintemute, an emergency medicine professor at the School of Medicine at the University of California in Sacramento estimated that there were more than 30,000 attempted straw purchases each year.

Actual numbers are likely much higher, said Allison Anderman, senior counsel and director of local policy at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Thats a lot of diverted firearms to prohibited people, Anderman said of the survey findings. And obviously, we have laws that prohibit certain categories of people for a reason, because they are at a heightened risk of committing violence with a firearm. So the fact that people are still able to get them through straw purchases is a real problem.

Straw purchases are the most common channel identified in gun trafficking investigations, according to the law center. Other ways that guns illegally enter the market are through sales from dealers directly to prohibited purchasers, sales by people who dont have a federal license, and theft.

Gun legislation passed by Congress last year includes tighter restrictions of straw purchases. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act clarifies the law and allows for stiffer sentences when someone has a reasonable belief that the gun they buy could be used to commit a crime.

Kavanaugh said his office plans to take advantage of the new law. In the meantime, he has found other ways to crack down on gun violence, which usually falls to the province of state courts.

Gun violence prosecutions in federal court have increased by 157% over the past year, he said. In one case, a man was convicted of using a gun in a drug deal that left his potential buyer dead. The conviction came after a jury in Roanoke Circuit Court acquitted the drug dealer of murder after he said he shot in self-defense.

In another case, two men are awaiting sentencing in a wild shootout that killed a teenager outside the Eastern Avenue house where they were selling drugs.

Facing the consequences

Three months after he pleaded guilty to buying a gun for a convicted felon, Garland Lawton was in court May 10 to face the consequences of his first felony conviction.

Johnson, the federal prosecutor, asked for a sentence of at least 30 months  the maximum under voluntary sentencing guidelines  based in part on the young mans tendency towards violent and assaultive behavior his entire life.

Although Lawton had more than 50 encounters with law enforcement between 2016 and 2023  many of them stemming from allegations of domestic violence against his family members and girlfriend  there were few charges, and ever fewer misdemeanor convictions.

Fear prevented some victims from bringing charges, evidence showed, and even Lawtons mother would not tell him where she lived.

To be sure, Lawton has an extensive and well-documented mental health history, Johnson wrote in court records. But he has consistently failed to take advantage of counseling and other forms of help for his bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal and homicidal ideations.

Its hard to think of a more violent and dangerous situation, Johnson said in asking the judge to impose a stiff prison term.

Defense attorney Jimmy Turk argued that more time behind bars would not help his client, who began a downward spiral at the age of 11, when he found the body of his father in a bathtub following his suicide.

Like many of the people charged with making straw purchases, Lawtons struggles with mental illness and poverty made him vulnerable to finding an easy way to make a little bit of extra money, Turk said.

Can we honestly say that giving him this extra time is going to solve the problem? the Radford attorney said in his arguments to Dillon. I would say no, your honor.

When asked if he had anything to say before the sentence was pronounced, Lawton became too emotional to speak and handed a page of written comments to Turk. Reading from the notes, Turk said the Lawton was sorry for fighting with his family and was willing to seek mental health treatment.

In explaining her sentence of 42 months in prison, Dillon cited the seriousness of the crime and the extent of Lawtons prior record  while saying she was glad to hear that he wanted help.

Sending me to prison is not going to fix anything, Lawton interjected.

Dillon cut the defendant off, saying it was time for him to listen.

I dont want to see you back here again, she said. You need to listen to the people who are trying to help you. If you cant find a way to do that, Mr. Lawton, I will see you back here again. And I hope thats not the case.
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A Franklin County familys libel lawsuit, which claimed ABC News defamed them by including a four-second video of their home in a story about politics and race, was dismissed Friday by a federal judge.

Crystal Minnix and her father Eugene Muse Jr. had alleged that an online story about local reactions to the riots at the U.S. Capitol  and the arrests of two off-duty officers of the Rocky Mount Police Department who participated in the insurrection  branded them as racists who support violence.

The allegations by Minnix and Muse, who did not appear and were not named in the story, find no footing in defamation law, Judge Michael Urbanski wrote in throwing out the lawsuit.

Rather than recovering any of the $67 million in damages they sought, the family members will be required to pay the attorney fees for two other defendants they named in the lawsuit: Bridgette Craighead and the local chapter of Black Lives Matter that she founded.

Craighead was interviewed by an ABC News reporter immediately before a video of a home co-owned by Minnix and Muse  which is painted red, white and blue  is shown. During the footage, a voiceover describes Rocky Mount as predominantly white and politically conservative.

Urbanski found no evidence to support claims from the homes occupants, who include three other adults and seven children, that the story by clear implication portrays them as violent insurrectionists, as rebelling Confederacy supporters, as supporters of President Donald John Trump, and as individuals and businesses who stand against or discriminate against people of color.

Because the lawsuit falsely accused Craighead of defamation, she is entitled to collect her attorney fees from Minnix and Muse, the judge found.

Urbanski based that part of his ruling on a Virginia law aimed at deterring SLAPP lawsuits, which stands for strategic lawsuits against public participation, that are filed with the intent to chill speech about matters of public concern.

After reading an article in the Cardinal News that mentioned Craigheads concerns about the high cost of litigation, attorneys from the Roanoke law firm of Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black volunteered to represent her for free.

With Craigheads permission, the firm will donate any award it receives to the Franklin County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, according to King Tower, one of three lawyers for the firm who worked on the case.

In his Friday opinion, Urbanski gave the attorneys 14 days to file briefs outlining what their fees amount to.

Lance Hale, a Roanoke attorney who represents Minnix and Muse, could not be reached Monday.

The lawsuit took issue with a 7 minute, 30-second news report, titled Cops role in Jan. 6 attack divides Virginia town with ties to Confederacy, that aired in January 2022.

The report includes discussions from several Rocky Mount residents on their perceptions of racism in the town as well the role of two police officers  Thomas T.J. Robertson and Jacob Fracker  who joined the hundreds of Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol over the then-presidents false claims of a stolen election. Robertson and Fracker were fired and later convicted.

Statements made by reporter Devin Dwyer and Craighead implicitly disparaged the occupants of the Boones Mill home just before its image appears in the story, the lawsuit claimed.

The four-second video shows a child who is barely visible standing outside of the house. That gave rise to allegations, which Urbanski also ruled were groundless, that the story made the child a possible victim of sex offenders.

As for Craigheads comments, they included: This is their land. This is their county and we are just living in it. The lawsuit claimed that was a clear reference that white people control the land.

But as Urbanski noted in his 19-page opinion, Craigheads interview is utterly unconnected to the Minnix family, its members, or their home. Craighead was not near the home when she made the comments, and never mentioned its occupants.

The claims against ABC news were equally weak, its attorney argued when making a motion to dismiss the case earlier this year. With respect, it doesnt pass the basic common sense test, Nathan Siegel told the judge.
An unknown threat actor has been observed leveraging a malicious Windows kernel driver in attacks likely targeting the Middle East since at least May 2020.

Fortinet Fortiguard Labs, which dubbed the artifact WINTAPIX (WinTapix.sys), attributed the malware with low confidence to an Iranian threat actor.

"WinTapix.sys is essentially a loader," security researchers Geri Revay and Hossein Jazi said in a report published on Monday. "Thus, its primary purpose is to produce and execute the next stage of the attack. This is done using a shellcode."

Samples and telemetry data analyzed by Fortinet show that the campaign's primary focus is on Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The activity has not been tied to a known threat actor or group.

By using a malicious kernel mode driver, the idea is to subvert or disable security mechanisms and gain entrenched access to the targeted host.

Such drivers run within the kernel memory and can, therefore, perform any operation, including altering critical security mechanisms and running arbitrary code with the highest privileges.

In other words, it offers a stealthy way to infiltrate deeper into the targeted system, maintain persistence, and execute additional payloads or commands as part of the threat actor's multi-stage attack.

A key security measure to mitigate against malicious drivers is Driver Signature Enforcement, which ensures that only drivers signed by Microsoft can be loaded on the system. The tech giant also maintains driver block rules to protect against known vulnerable drivers.

WinTapix.sys, on the other hand, comes with an invalid signature, indicating that the threat actor will have to first load a legitimate but vulnerable driver in order to launch WINTAPIX.

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But once it's loaded in the kernel, WinTapix.sys is configured to inject an embedded shellcode into an appropriate user mode process that, in turn, executes an encrypted .NET payload that's specifically designed to target Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) servers.

WINTAPIX, besides embedding the shellcode created using the open source Donut project, establishes persistence by means of Windows Registry modifications that allows it to be loaded even when the machine is booted in Safe Mode.

For its part, the .NET malware is equipped with backdoor and proxy features to execute commands, carry out file download and upload, and function as a proxy to pass data between two communication endpoints.

"Since Iranian threat actors are known to exploit Exchange servers to deploy additional malware, it is also possible that this driver has been employed alongside Exchange attacks," the researchers said.

"To that point, the compilation time of the drivers is also aligned with times when Iranian threat actors were exploiting Exchange server vulnerabilities."

The development comes as the ALPHV (aka BlackCat or Noberus) ransomware group has been observed taking advantage of a malicious signed driver to impair security defenses and escape detection for extended periods of time.

The driver in question, ktgn.sys, is an updated version of POORTRY that's signed using a stolen or leaked cross-signing certificate, cybersecurity firm Trend Micro said in a report.

POORTRY is the name assigned to a Windows kernel driver that comes with capabilities to terminate security software. Late last year, it was disclosed as used by ransomware gangs and a threat actor known as UNC3944 (aka Roasted 0ktapus and Scattered Spider).

"Malicious actors that are actively seeking high-privilege access to the Windows operating system use techniques that attempt to combat the increased protection on users and processes via endpoint protection platform (EPP) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) technologies," Trend Micro said.

"These malicious actors also tend to possess enough financial resources to either purchase rootkits from underground sources or to buy code-signing certificates to build a rootkit."
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.
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I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

The screams are even louder in the heat and humidity of a Southern Illinois summer. Fortunately, as summer in Southern Illinois creeps around the corner, so does Brendan Tolan and his fleet of American Ice Cream trucks.

For more than a dozen years, Brendan Tolan and his fleet of trucks have been handing out refreshing treats to children  and adults  along sidewalks, at businesses, near ball fields and at parks.

People are always excited about the ice cream truck, Tolan, whose operation includes five trucks, said. People want to have a good time and want to enjoy themselves. The ice cream truck is part of that.

Tolan said a curbside visit to the ice cream truck for a frozen treat harkens back to a simpler time.

Everything is moving so fast in todays society, Im slowing it down to 5 miles-per-hour, he explains with a grin. This is where people can take a minute, step out of their door, put a hand up and get a little something. Its family fun and its for everyone. It takes people back to when they were a kid and didnt have a power bill or a wireless phone bill and all they had to do was make sure they had a few bucks in their pocket for ice cream.

He also suggested the nostalgic consistency of ice cream trucks.

I think the iconic part is that it is something that families have participated in for generations and it is the continuation of people wanting to keep some of the things that are disappearing from their neighborhoods, he said. Its something that hasnt changed over the years.

American Ice Creams five trucks cover the entire Southern Illinois region, but stick to a somewhat regular schedule so regulars know when to expect to hear the familiar music  childrens ditties, songs from movies and Christmas music.

The music plays constantly, working as a beacon for the young and hungry. He says he hears it in his head even when he is away from the truck. Tolan says he is often asked why the ice cream trucks often play Christmas music even in the heat of July. His answer is two-fold.

Well, we dont run at Christmas and so its a reminder that you need to get me a present early, he jokes. Seriously, the Christmas music brings you back to the simpler times of your life  waiting to run downstairs and all of the excitement that brings. Im hoping we bring the same sense of joy.

For Tolan, the ice cream business is one of finding joy in making others happy.

Im selling memories, he said.
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Orangeburgs Department of Public Utilities is considering acquiring the Bull Swamp Rural Water Company.

Orangeburg City Council gave the city-owned utility the authority to enter into negotiations with the rural water provider.

Council also authorized DPU to accept a $14 million grant to interconnect the Bull Swamp water system to make it compatible with DPUs system. The grant is from the S.C. Rural Infrastructure Authoritys South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program.

We will use those funds to do work both on the system that is existing in Bull Swamp and on our side to make it possible, DPU Manager Warren Harley said.

City council also gave Harley the authority to lead the negotiations and authorized the city administration and Harley to administer the grant.

The vote to proceed was 6-0. Councilman Bernard Haire was not present for the vote.

The Bull Swamp system has about 1,000 customers. It serves rural customers in the area near North. Bull Swamp is currently connected to North's and Swansea's water systems.

Our systems actually parallel each other for a portion, so that is what makes it a really good fit for us, Harley said.

Harley said DPU water customers will not see a rate increase as a result of the purchase and that the utility will evaluate Bull Swamp customer rates when the transition is complete.

They will more than likely be on our outside city rate, Harley said.

DPU currently operates and maintains the Bull Swamp system under a 4-year-old agreement.

They initially came to us and asked us to look at acquiring their system, taking it over and running it for them, Harley said. We wanted to see from an operation standpoint what that would look like so we offered a contract to do the operation maintenance to just get real familiar with the system.

The system is profitable, Harley continued. It does need work, hence the $10 million on their side and the $4 million on our side to get the system up to standard where it makes sense for us to take it.

Without the $14 million, it wouldnt be feasible for us to take it on because there is quite a bit of work that needs to be done, he continued. And it wouldnt be profitable for us to do it that way. The grant takes the barrier of that out of the way for us.

DPU applied for the grant.

We are in the process of going through the steps to make the acquisition possible and then I will have to bring that back to council for final approval, Harley said. It is a long process because we have to do a quick evaluation of the system from an asset standpoint and make sure we are doing all of that.

We will keep those interconnections, Harley said.

Bull Swamp Rural Water Company President Bobby Glenn Mack said the Bull Swamp board will continue to operate as a board during the transition. Upon the completion of the transition, the board will dissolve.

It will take several years, is the feeling of the lawyers and DPU, to be able to do this transition, Mack said. The board will help in the transition process.

Bull Swamp was formed in the 1970s and was initially connected with the Aiken Electric Cooperative water system, which managed and maintained the system.

Mack said this relationship lasted until about 10 years ago, when Aiken informed the water company that it was getting out of the water business and to focus on electricity.

We had to find someone else, Mack said.

Bull Swamp teamed up with the town of Swansea and the town of Norths water system, with each town maintaining their portion of the system.

Mack said over a three-year period, that contract expired.

We were kind of out looking for someone else to manage it, Mack said.

Orangeburg DPU stepped up to the plate and we entered into a contract with them to manage the system, Mack said.

They have done an outstanding job with it, he said.

Mack said the Bull Swamp board is made up of volunteers and does not have the needed expertise to manage or maintain a water system.

We needed someone else in the water business to take over the system, he said. That is where we are today.

Prior to the vote, Orangeburg City Council went into closed session to discuss the matter.
Black children are more likely to have asthma than kids of any other race in America. Theyre more likely to live near polluting plants, and in rental housing with mold and other triggers, because of racist housing laws in the nations past. Their asthma often is more severe and less likely to be controlled, because of poor medical care and mistrust of doctors, according to a project examining the health disparities experienced by Black Americans across a lifetime.
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Todays events

Alcoholics Anonymous Womens meeting : 10 a.m. Santee Presbyterian Church, 306 Bradford Blvd.

: 10 a.m. Santee Presbyterian Church, 306 Bradford Blvd. Alcoholics Anonymous meeting : 7 p.m. 332 Bass Drive, Santee.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting: 7:30 p.m. Church of the Redeemer, 1606 Russell St., Orangeburg.

Community meeting today

Community Action Partners will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, in the Orangeburg County Library's Multipurpose Room. The public is invited. For more information, call 803-200-2719 or 803-682-4919.

BCSD board special meeting canceled

The Bamberg County School District Board has canceled a special meeting that was to be held Tuesday evening.

Newcomers' Club to gather Wednesday

The Orangeburg Newcomers' Club will gather for a meeting and luncheon at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 24, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church's Social Hall, 356 Amelia Street. Members will have instillation of offices and checks to charities. Prospective members to the "Greater Orangeburg Area" are invited/encouraged to join our ladies luncheon. For more information/reservation, call 803-997-2729.

Calhoun school

board meets June 5

The Calhoun County School District Board of Trustees will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 5, at Calhoun County High School. The public is invited.

GSSM summer

applications

being accepted

The South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics is accepting applications for its iTEAMS XTREME for rising sixth-, seventh- and eighth graders who would like to sharpen their technology and coding skills this summer. The summer camp will be held June 26-29 at Howard Middle School. Students who attend any Orangeburg County school will have their deposit, fees waived. For more information, call 843-383-3958.

How to submit your events

Please submit Community Datebook column items in writing. Items must be received no later than noon Monday through Friday. The T&D does not guarantee when items will run. Items may be submitted by: Email: news@timesanddemocrat.com; In person: 1010 Broughton Street. Mail: P.O. Drawer 1766, Orangeburg, SC 29116
(TBTCO) - Bo Nong nghiep va Phat trien nong thon va Ngan hang Nong nghiep va Phat trien Nong thon Viet Nam (Agribank) vua chinh thuc ky ket thoa thuan hop tac. Su kien nay se la tien e e tang cuong hon nua su phoi hop chat che giua Agribank voi Bo Nong nghiep va Phat trien nong thon cung huong en hien thuc hoa cac chu truong, chinh sach cua ang, Nha nuoc ve phat trien nong nghiep, nong dan, nong thon en nam 2030, tam nhin en nam 2045.
Teachers at a Czech high school open the door to the world for their students. From Respekt.

The town of Ostrov in the Karlovy Vary region is located in a part of the Czech Republic thats usually mentioned as a place in need of help from the state. The town was deeply affected by the expulsion of most of its German-speaking population after World War II. The Germans were later replaced by miners who moved into a newly-built housing estate to work in nearby uranium mines. But the town is also hiding a modern gem. It has a high school that has for years hosted famous guests from all over the country, who come there to give lectures and attend debates. And vice versa, its students frequently leave the region as well as the country, initially to impress people at quiz competitions with their knowledge and their enthusiasm for education. Later on, they often take on leading roles in society and science.

Students here have good conditions for developing whats inside them. It is an example of a well-functioning school, Czech President Petr Pavel, one of the many participants at the schools debates, recently said.

In February, newly elected Czech President Petr Pavel spoke to students and answered their questions during a visit to the school. Photo via Gymnazium Ostrov website.

When we talked to students at the school in late March, they agreed with the presidents assessment. They explain their liking of their school using simple words: Everything here is based on a friendly atmosphere and truly great teachers. When talking to the students, the names of two noteworthy teachers in particular kept popping up: that of social studies and history teacher Ivan Machek, and chemistry and biology teacher Vladimir Vit. What makes a good teacher, one that can captivate the students and build the schools good reputation? What do they know how to do?

Influencing the World

Right now, eighth graders are in the social studies classroom, attending a sociology class. They are discussing body language. The mustachioed teacher Ivan Machek is explaining to his students that he will sit down, as he is feeling a bit lazy today. He projects images on a screen pulled over the blackboard. People in the photos are in different positions, and the class is talking about what you can tell from their bodies and faces, what is probably going on in the pictures.

Hes teaching us in a different way, hes debating with us, says student Jenda once the teacher has left the classroom. Other students agree. They describe how the teacher draws them into thinking about the subject and the world, how its not just about instruction and then examination. Four students from the class are already planning to join Macheks advanced social science seminar.

Students from other classes tell us that the teacher often takes them to watch live theater in Prague. Encouraged by Machek, some are applying to attend the first Prague Student Summit after the COVID pandemic, where students debate under UN rules and study international relations and ecology. This is what Macheks classes prepare them for  improving critical thinking and sharpening rhetorical skills.

The big noticeboard in the corridor is covered in hundreds of photos of school guests, ranging from teachers through former politicians to scientists and writers. The students say how much they appreciate that Machek gives them all of that  hes the one who invites the important visitors to the school.

Thanks to him, I could ask President Pavel what he thinks about North Korea, whether its a danger for the world, student Dan Mokrusch says. His classmate Jan tells us how much he enjoyed the sociological survey that the teacher sent them out into the streets to carry out. The students were studying to what extent different stereotypes are present in society.

Machek has taught at the high school since 1996. He got an offer to teach at the university in Hradec Kralove, but a recommendation from a friend who was already working in Ostrov brought him here. The fact that the school offered him teachers accommodation also helped. As Machek tells us in his office, the most important thing for him is to help his students not be afraid to express themselves, to think independently, and to look for connections between things.

I often start a class without even knowing what Im going to talk about. We start with current issues, we talk about whats going in the country or in the world, and from there we move onto the bigger picture, the system that students need to learn about, he says of his teaching method.

And that method is a successful one, as former students can attest. I remember we were talking about the consequences of the coup in Burma and Ivan Machek asked us what we were going to do about it. Us? In Ostrov? What could we possibly do, we thought. And we gradually came to the realization that even from Ostrov you can influence the world, you can help someone in Burma, for example by starting a signature drive in their support, remembers Sue Nguyen, current director of the office of the Czech Senate president. Getting to know Machek at the Ostrov high school kickstarted her career. She graduated in political science from Charles University in Prague, then got her masters degree in London. She has thought of her teacher many times since her school days. When she worked at the UN, she found herself doing the same thing she had practiced at student summits. When she walked into the Senate building to start her new job, she realized she had been there before, on a school trip with her high school social studies teacher.

Much stronger effort than is required of the work of a teacher, is the assessment of Ivan Machek by historian Boris Moskovic of the Masaryk Institute and Archive of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He says it was his high school teacher who first nudged him toward his professional career. At the Ostrov high school, Machek asked him to write an essay about the breakup of Yugoslavia for a student writing competition. This topic later became the focus of Moskovics professional work.

What Nobody Else Is Doing

In the chemistry classroom, Vladimir Vit is testing the classs knowledge of ligand binding. Students who can spare a moment are quickly reviewing the topic in order not to fail when its their turn. After the class, students describe Vit as very demanding, but also fair and with a human attitude. He gives us lots of extra time, everybody can come see him, hes always in school, says Eliska. Vladimir Vit fits all the stereotypes of absent-minded scientists and professors. Hes wearing a white lab coat riddled with holes from chemical experiments. In life, he focuses rigorously on his subjects and his students. He dedicates all his time to students who have an interest in his class.

Over the years I noticed that my students often include graduates of the Ostrov high school, says Pavel Jungwirth, physical chemist at Charles University. I found it strange  why Ostrov in particular? And thats when I found out about Vladimir Vit, whos behind it all. Vits fellow teachers say his knowledge far exceeds that of an average high school teacher. He was also the first high school teacher to receive a teaching award from the Learned Society of the Czech Republic, whose members, looking at the database of both national and international successes of high school students, noticed that students from the Ostrov high school excelled in both. And that led them to Vit.

The hardest thing is not to discourage students from chemistry, Vit says in his office. He has been teaching students for 36 years, and he says young people are a valuable, precious entity with high emotional and intellectual potential. Just as important to him as academic knowledge is the educational and human aspect  to give them the understanding that a straight-A student is just as valuable as a student who gets Ds. Students says hes a good man  certainly demanding, but one who sets comprehensible rules. And when he finds out that somebody is not going to pursue a career in science, he can be a bit more lenient towards them at the end of their studies. I demand one-third less of students who are not applying to majors connected with my subjects, he says. Hes sacrificed his personal life to his work, too. Hes in school, available to the students, from early morning until late afternoon. I dont have a family life. I fell into it so hard that I didnt have time for anything else because of the school. But I dont regret it, the teacher says.

Ostrov high school students at a crime prevention seminar led in April by an officer of the Karlovy Vary region police. Photo by Ivan Machek / Gymnazium Ostrov.

Many of his former students are now stars of science. They include Eva Krupickova Pluharova from the Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry in Prague. If it werent for Dr. Vit, I would never be doing chemistry, she says. It wouldnt have even occurred to me if it werent for him. She considers his main qualities to be not just deep knowledge but also great enthusiasm and self-sacrifice. She thinks of all the hours he dedicated to her even in his off time, helping her win a gold medal at an international chemistry competition.

A few months ago, 27-year-old Ostrov graduate Adam Prada got a post-doctoral research position at the prestigious Institute of Science and Technology Austria in Klosterneuburg. He had already graduated from Cambridge University. Mr. Vit helped me discover a passion for chemistry. He supported me tremendously, says Prada, who in his high school years twice made it to the international rounds of chemistry competitions, winning a gold and a silver medal. Just out of his own interest, he worked through all the preparatory tasks, so that he could help me when I was doing them later. And I guarantee you there is no one else in this country that does this for their students.

The loving persistence of Vladimir Vit and the attitude of Ivan Machek had one thing in common, which was contagious energy, Sue Nguyen says of her teachers. But the most important thing was that neither of them kept us strictly within the limits of Ostrov. Vit is retiring at the end of this school year, even though the school would like to keep him there longer.

The time has come to not stand in the way of younger people. To leave in time is also an art, Vit says. Hes glad that the school is already trying to recruit a former student of his to take his place.

Thats Where You Want to Be

Former students returning to the staff room is another unique feature of the high school in Ostrov. Some 80 percent of our teaching staff are our former graduates, school principal Jaroslav Safranek says. Alumni-turned-teachers often say they simply have great memories of their high school studies. When I was a student here, I was happy with the friendly attitude of the teachers. You werent afraid of them, says Anna Chomatova Simicova, who has been teaching English at the school for three years. It gave me all the education for life a high school can possibly offer, says former student Eliska Sucha, who has just started teaching Czech here. Also, I never saw the teachers as just teachers, but also as human beings and personalities. And thats the kind of environment you want to be in.

Teachers say the friendly atmosphere is down to the principal. He trusts them in their educational methods, without burdening them with unnecessary paperwork. I dont know about that, I just do things the normal way, Safranek says. I let everyone do what theyre good at, I let them excel at it. He himself teaches math, preferring the classical style of education, just as chemistry teacher Vit does. However, he also respects colleagues who teach the new, fashionable way  that is, project-based learning, as practiced by Machek, as well as some teachers of the physical sciences. We simply have a positive climate here, Safranek sums up. And Im just trying to make sure that students and teachers feel good here every day, if possible.



Ivana Svobodova contributed this article to the Czech newsweekly Respekt. Republished by permission. Translated by Matus Nemeth.
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A priest who worked for St. Anthony's in Casper was one of over 450 clergy named in a report on sexual abuse in the Catholic church released Tuesday by the Illinois attorney generals office.

Rocco Perone was ordained in 1959 by the Paulist Fathers, a Catholic religious order. A 2019 list published by the Cheyenne diocese identified him as credibly accused of abuse by one adolescent male in 1956. (The diocese, which covers all of Wyoming, at the time named 11 other priests in the list.)

According to Bishop Accountability, a database that tracks reports of abuse against Catholic clergy, Perone was reported to the Paulist Fathers for allegedly sexually abusing a boy in Casper in 1956. That was around the time he worked for St. Anthonys, a local Catholic parish.

The Illinois report indicates there were at least four credible claims of abuse against Perone spanning 1950 to 1970.

It also suggests Perone was never suspended from ministry during his tenure as a priest, though Bishop Accountability records indicate he was sent to treatment. Perone died in 1992.

What does 'credibly accused' mean?

Over the past couple of decades, Catholic dioceses and religious orders have come forward with lists of clergy that they found "credibly accused" of sexual abuse. Often, the lists only contain the names of priests ordained by that specific diocese or religious order, even though they may have employed clerics from many different Catholic organizations.

Generally speaking, "credibly accused" refers to clergy that have complaints of sexual abuse leveled against them that investigators deem substantiated.

Different dioceses and orders often use different standards for what does or doesn't count as credibly accused, though. And not all investigators that the church asks to look into complaints have relevant experience or training. Sometimes, the people tasked with investigating the accusations are clergy themselves.

That's partly why so many state governments have launched their own probes into clergy abuse; the report by the Illinois attorney general's office identified 149 abusive clergy that were not previously named by the Illinois Catholic church.
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A grand jury has formally indicted a 22-year-old woman accused of setting fire to a Casper abortion clinic, federal court filings show.

Lorna Green is charged with arson of a facility engaged in interstate commerce, the indictment states. Green allegedly maliciously damaged and destroyed, and attempted to damage and destroy, by means of fire the Wellspring Health Access abortion clinic, which at the time was under construction along East Second Street in central Casper.

She is facing up to 20 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine, the indictment states. The trial is expected to last up to five days.

Green is scheduled to make her initial appearance and be arraigned in front of United States Magistrate Judge Stephanie Hambrick on June 2, according to a Monday filing.

She spoke with authorities on March 21 after they searched her family home in Casper, the federal complaint filed in her case states. Green told investigators she was the suspect from the surveillance footage.

She was booked into Natrona County Detention Center and arrested that same day following a 10-month investigation and search, jail records show.

Those charges came one day after the FBI and other law enforcement agencies searched a home near the corner of East 16th and Newport streets.

Green was then moved to Platte County jail in Wheatland.

Two days after her arrest, Green appeared in federal court in Cheyenne, where a magistrate judge decided to temporarily keep her in custody.

Green was released from jail to live with her parents a week later while the federal grand jury weighed her indictment. She waived her right to a preliminary hearing.

The court ordered her father to remove any firearms from their family home, and she surrendered her passport to the Natrona County District Court Clerks Office on March 29 as a condition of her release, a passport surrender receipt shows.

She was released on a $10,000 unsecured appearance bond, meaning she didnt have to put up any money; Green will only have to pay that sum if she fails to appear in court as required.

At the time, Hambrick acknowledged there was some risk she could be a danger to the community, but that was outweighed by her strong ties to Casper.

On Thursday, it will mark one year since the fire ignited at the clinic.

Casper police responded to a report of a business burglary at Wellspring Health Access on May 25, 2022. Officers saw smoke coming from the northeast corner of the building and realized the building was on fire.

Although firefighters quickly put out the blaze, the fire cause significant damages to the clinic, which had been scheduled to open within a few weeks. The opening was ultimately delayed until April of this year; it is now the only facility in central Wyoming to provide abortions.

Police released video and photos of the arsonist soon after the fire. In one, a woman can be seen carrying a gas can into the clinic while wearing a mask and hoodie to cover most of her head.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms offered a $5,000 reward for information that led to the womans capture. In March, the reward was raised to $15,000 with the help of an anonymous donor.

Although authorities in June released photos and video of the suspect, while also offering a reward, it took 10 months to identify Green as the suspect.

Several tipsters identified a potential suspect after the increased reward was announced. Four of the 12 tipsters identified Green as the suspect, which led to the charges, the U.S. Attorneys office statement said.

A detective performed a comparative analysis of Green with the available security footage.

The similarities are readily apparent, including: the wide widows peak with deep hair recession, and the hair can be seen to be combed or lie in the same direction; the suspects eyes are relatively wide-set, and this appears consistent also for Green; both Green and the suspect have similarly dome-shaped foreheads, the official complaint says.

After her arrest, she told investigators that she knew the clinic was going to offer abortions, which she opposed, the federal complaint states.

Green stated she did not like abortion and was having nightmares which she attributed to her anxiety about the abortion clinic, so she decided to burn the building, the complaint says.

She was living in Laramie at the time, the federal complaint states. She bought gas cans at the local Walmart and drove to Casper on the night of May 24 with the alleged intention of setting the building on fire.

Attorney Ryan Semerad, who is representing Green, declined to comment Tuesday.
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A police chase that reached speeds of 90 mph ended early Tuesday when a car crashed into a concrete planter in downtown Casper and flipped, killing one person and injuring three others, police said.

In a hastily called press conference, Casper Police Chief Keith McPheeters said the person who died, identified as Adonis Lee Little Dog, was in a vehicle that police say fired multiple gunshots that struck a car, houses and apartments. Facing some public criticism about the chase, he also defended the decision by officers to pursue the fleeing suspect at high speeds.

The crash occurred after police say they spotted a car at about 2 a.m. that matched the description of a vehicle involved in an ongoing investigation.

The vehicle matched the specific description of a car that had been involved in two separate, but related, violent felonies involving a firearm on Sunday, Casper police said.

On Sunday, the occupants of the suspect car fired multiple gunshots at victims in residential areas -- "on the streets of our city, striking not only the victim's vehicle, but also other cars, houses and apartments where our citizens live, work and play," police said in a statement.

The Casper Police Department held a press conference on Tuesday afternoon during which a dashcam video of the crash was shown to reporters. The video was narrated in-person by McPheeters because it lacked audio. The department declined to release the video to media organizations so that the public could view it as well.

"It really boils down to mathematics, and that's not going to change if we release it now or release it at the end of the crash investigation," McPheeters said during the conference.

The dashcam footage shows officers preparing for an opportunity to stop the car, which was driving east on Wyoming Boulevard. Both the officer and the suspect car, which was a Volkswagen Jetta, were driving at speeds ranging from about 20 to 35 mph initially. The solo patrol car followed at a safe distance.

The car carrying Little Dog slowed down to about 20 mph below the speed limit once the people inside recognized an officer was tailing them and signaled to turn for "an amazing length of time," McPheeters said.

"Draw your own conclusions," he said.

Police eventually attempted a traffic stop at Beverly and Second streets, but the driver fled the area. The driver, and the pursing officer, can be seen speeding by Banner Wyoming Medical Center at 90 mph, the video shows.

Additional officers were already in position farther down Second Street laying down traffic spikes, McPheeters said. At one point the car carrying Little Dog, a 29-year-old from Casper, sped through an intersection and another civilian was forced to slam on the breaks to avoid a crash, the video shows.

The traffic spikes, which can cut a car's tires in an effort to end a chase, were laid down near McKinley Street, McPheeters said. The car drove over them.

McPheeters said the traffic spikes did not cause the driver to lose control of the car and crash. The crash was a result of the driver's speed and reckless driving, as it "takes a while" for the tires to deflate.

It was less than a minute from when the car drove over the spikes to when the car crashed in downtown Casper.

The car crashed into a concrete planter near the corner of Durbin Street and then flipped down an entire block before coming to a stop at the corner of Second and South Wolcott streets, the video shows.

The footage shows debris and smoke clouding the air in downtown. The vehicle, although somewhat difficult to see, was completely demolished.

McPheeters could not say what caused the car to move so far down the road after the initial impact, but said it was consistent with a high-speed crash in an area with winding streets.

"I'm not a crash reconstructionist," McPheeters said.

Police say emergency responders immediately offered medical care, and the three passengers were transported by ambulance to Banner Wyoming Medical Center.

Little Dog was pronounced dead at the scene. Little Dog's family has been notified, and the circumstances surrounding the crash are still under investigation, Natrona County Coroner Jim Whipps said in the statement. The other three individuals sustained varying degrees of injuries.

McPheeters declined to reveal the extent of those injures.

"I'm mostly here to address the growing concern from the public about how this came to be..." McPheeters said.

The passenger's identities will be released at a later time, police said.

Following the crash, the surrounding area was closed to foot and vehicle traffic. As of 9:30 a.m., police had taped off multiple blocks of East Second Street. Heavy equipment was used to clear the area.

The Casper Police Department is investigating the incident in cooperation with the Wyoming Highway Patrol.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol is leading the crash investigation, said Casper police spokesperson Amber Freestone.

Freestone declined to comment on if any arrests were expected to be made.

Sgt. Jeremy Beck, spokesperson for the Wyoming Highway Patrol, said he would release additional details on the crash when they become available.

"We were not involved in the chase at all, but it looks like Casper police called us after the fact," Beck said.
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Two Sweetwater County parents defended their lawsuit against one of Wyomings largest school districts on Monday while renewing their request to bar teachers and administrators from using their childs preferred name and pronouns.

Ashley and Sean Willey filed their lawsuit last month against the districts board of trustees and district and school administrators. They accused administrators and teachers of engaging in social transitioning by using their childs preferred name and pronouns at Black Butte High School in Rock Springs.

In a new legal filing, attorneys with the Georgia-based Child and Parental Rights Campaign and Cheyenne-based Henry Bailey Jr. state that Sweetwater County School District No. 1 continues to violate the rights of the Willeys after they discovered their childs secret cell phone earlier this month, which they allege shows that at least three teachers at the school continue to use male pronouns for their teenager.

The lawyers accuse Nicole Bolton, the school districts director of human resources, of lying in previous legal documents and argue that Boltons blatantly false statements are cause enough for action from a judge.

They again asked U.S. District Court Judge Scott Skavdahl to issue a preliminary injunction against Rock Springs Sweetwater County School District No. 1 for violating their parental rights, freedom of religion and their familys privacy after the school district took aim at their lawsuit in its own legal filing.

District personnel are continuing to engage in the very conduct Plaintiffs directed the District to cease, even after a lawsuit has been filed, they wrote.

The Willeys lawsuit alleges the school concealed information about their 16-year-old childs gender identity for months after the student requested the district use a different name and male pronouns without revealing the change to the Willeys at the start of the 2021-2022 school year.

They asked a judge to step in and stop teachers and administrators from using the students preferred name and pronouns. They also sought to exempt Ashley Willey, a special education teacher, from district guidelines that require teachers to use students preferred pronouns and names and respect their privacy.

In a fiery response, lawyers for Sweetwater County School District No. 1 portrayed the Willeys lawsuit as a publicity stunt trying to force personal beliefs on the school district. Attorneys Kathleen Chaney and Eric Hevenor of the Denver law firm Lambdin & Chaney urged Skavdahl to deny the Willeys request for a preliminary injunction, arguing that the parents had no factual or legal basis since their allegations were nonexistent.

Plaintiffs desire to seek their fifteen minutes of fame and try this case in the press notwithstanding, there is no justiciable issue in controversy and no need exists for a preliminary injunction, they wrote.

The student has since reverted to using the childs given name, and Ashley Willey has never been asked to use a transgender students preferred pronouns while a teacher, making the legal action moot, Chaney and Hevenor argued.

However, lawyers for the Willeys took issue with statements Bolton made in legal filings that neither administrators nor teachers were continuing to use male or they/them pronouns for the child after the Willeys asked the district to stop, something that Ashley Willey said the secret cell phone refutes.

The school district also said in its defense that it had not been facilitating social transitioning or performing medical/mental health interventions by using the students preferred names and pronoun. It argued that a ruling against the school district could risk severe consequences by conflicting with Title IX and federal discrimination laws.

The Willeys insisted that the school district continues to harm their child and family, asserting it engaged in negligent mental health treatment by allegedly providing gender-affirming counseling sessions from school counselors. They also contend that the school district is interpreting Title IX incorrectly by including gender identity under the federal discrimination law.

The Willeys lawyers aim to bolster their request for a preliminary injunction by arguing that the districts guidelines requiring teachers to use students preferred pronouns and names permanently threatens Ashley Willeys religious beliefs by forcing her to weigh the devils bargain of choosing between her religious beliefs, which do not acknowledge transgender people, and following the districts policies.

In a tit-for-tat battle, the Willeys slammed the school districts response, calling it flippant and disrespectful.

Instead of offering substantive legal arguments, Defendants Response  relies on casting aspersions and demeaning Plaintiffs in a feckless attempt to undermine their credibility, they wrote.

With Mondays legal filing, Skavdahl will now decide the fate of the Willeys preliminary injunction request before the case moves ahead.
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More Wyoming homeowners than ever now qualify for a federally funded program for people struggling to pay housing costs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Homeowner Assistance Fund, managed by the Wyoming Department of Family Services, provides up to $17,000 in relief for qualifying homeowners. The money can be used to cover things like delinquent mortgage payments, overdue utilities bills, property taxes  and as of this spring, up to three months of forward mortgage payments.

Its funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package.

The program is restricted to people making less than 150% of their countys area median income, a metric published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and updated every spring.

After the most recent adjustment, 150% of the area median income for a two-person household is considered $111,000 in most Wyoming counties. Previously, that same limit was around $105,000.

The cap is higher in wealthier parts of the state, though. In Teton County, for example, a two-person household making up to $153,250 could apply to the program, so long as they met the other necessary requirements. A full chart breaking down eligibility by county and household size can be found on the Department of Family Servicess website.

To qualify, an applicant must own a home in Wyoming (including on the Wind River Reservation), and occupy that home as their primary residence.

They also have to show that theyve experienced a COVID-related financial hardship, which can include things like loss of income, unexpected expenses and more.

Theres still a lot of money to go around.

Originally, the Department of Family Services received $50 million from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to stand up the Homeowner Assistance Fund. As of Friday, the agency had doled out about $9.2 million of it to 1,190 applicants total, according to the Department of Family Services website.

The vast majority of the money  $8.3 million  went toward paying delinquent mortgages, while $434,000 went to forward mortgages, $332,000 went to overdue utilities costs, $78,000 went to property taxes, $28,000 went to homeowners association fees and another $5,000 went to homeowners insurance.

To apply to the Homeowner Assistance Fund, or to check if you qualify, visit wyohaf.org.

The new area median income numbers expand eligibility for several other social programs, too.

HUDs Housing Choice Voucher program  commonly referred to as Section 8  is limited to people making less than or equal to 50% of the area median income in their county, for example.

Wyomings state-level property tax refund program, meanwhile, is restricted to people making no more than 125% of the statewide area median income or the area median income in their county of residence, whichever ceiling is higher. The programs now accepting applications for the 2022 tax year.

To qualify, homeowners must also:

have been a resident of Wyoming for at least five years;

have lived in Wyoming for more than six months out of the 2022 tax year;

own less than $150,000 in household assets per adult in the home.

The deadline to apply to the program is June 5.

(Under Wyoming state statute, counties can also create their own property tax relief programs, but only Teton County currently offers it. According to the countys website, details on how to apply to the local version of the program will be posted in July.)
ENERGY Minister Stuart Young yesterday met with Woodside Energy officials on the progress that has been made on the deep-water hydrocarbon Calypso Project.

Young held discussions with the Woodside Energy team which consisted of executive vice president international operations Shiva McMahon, president and country manager of Woodside Energy Trinidad and Tobago Juan Vazquez, project director Stacy Patrick, and corporate affairs manager Carla Noel-Mendez.
Karishma Dhowtals life is rooted in Indian music, ever since she was a child.

Whether its singing melodious bhajans or classical Indian songs, the two genres have won Dhowtal both accolades and fans.

The 28-year-old comes from a musical family. Her maternal grandfather, Jameer Hosein, was a known and loved classical singer. When Dhowtal was seven, she was sent for vocal training with Ustad Aftab Ahmed Khan at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute for Cultural Cooperation (MGICC) for several years. She later trained with gurus Ruby Malik and Rasika Ekbote.
Vote the United National Congress (UNC) into office and get more matters like Piarco Airport, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has told citizens.

Though stating that Thursdays political meeting in San Fernando was not the launch of the Peoples National Movement (PNM) local government campaign, Rowley trained his guns on Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and the UNC.
With apologies to Shakespeare: the Judiciary doth protest too much. Come on, people. This is T&T. We all know whats going on.

We know how easily the judicial process can be manipulated and stretched out for years and years while the only people who seem to end up benefiting are the ever-present attorneys (those who milk the cow) and their clientsthe good citizens who, according to Sparrow, are the architects of economic slavery.
Costa Rican composer/musician Luis Munoz discovered American jazz in the backseat of his brothers friends Volkswagen.

He was 16 years old and it was love at first listen.

It was the same year that he met a young American girl whose family moved to Costa Rica for her fathers job.

It was love at first sight.

Five years later, with a couple years of studying architecture and flute under his belt, Munoz left Costa Rica with $100 in his pocket, intent on studying jazz and marrying the girl.

Love and music brought me to the United States, the 69-year-old said with a laugh. You do crazy things when youre in love.

Last August, Munoz did another crazy thing for love: He moved to Tucson.

He and his wife left behind Santa Barbara, where they had lived nearly 50 years, to be near his wifes elderly mother and sister, who have lived in Tucson nearly 40 years.

This weekend, the Luis Munoz Quartet featuring vocalist Lois Mahalia will make its Tucson debut with a trio of concerts at Hotel Congresss Century Room downtown.

It is a journey though my discography, Munoz said of his concert, which he took back home to Costa Rica earlier this month and has toured in California. We do things related to tango or bolero or complete improvisation from nothing. We give ourselves that freedom, which truly brings joy to artists like ourselves. I write music for myself and I play for myself with the hope that people love it.

Not long after moving here last August, Munoz took a step back from performing to get to know his new community. He and his wife discovered long walks along the Rillito and found a favorite Ethiopian restaurant  they are vegetarians  and go-to breakfast spot.

Theyve taken in shows at the Century Room, saw jazz great Wynton Marsalis at Fox Tucson Theatre and saw Arizona Theatre Companys production of Noel Cowards Private Lives at the Temple of Music & Art.

Tucson is very different from Santa Barbara, Munoz, said. Ive found a lot of great things here.

Munoz said his music blurs the lines between jazz and classical; he studied classical composition at UC Santa Barbara, which influences his writing. But he always finds himself marketed as a jazz artist.

I also come from the classical world. I also come from the Latin world. And the Latin world itself has an entirely large world, he said, from African-Caribbean to Cuban, Brazilian and Latin-American. I, as a composer, do not place on myself any limitations. Its not jazz per se, certainly not your traditional concept of jazz. Its not really jazz; its music.

Mahalia has been singing with the Luis Munoz Quartet since 2019, when Munoz invited the British Guyana native to sing on his album The Infinite Dream. Mahalia, who moved to the U.S. when she was 13, had spent much of her career singing backup to artists including Joe Walsh, the late Joe Sample and Kenny Loggins.
As a French trained chef, Indian cooking had been out of my comfort zone. Recently, my friend Laurie Burrows Grad sent me her favorite quick chicken curry recipe for me to try.

First, I wanted to make the curry powder from scratch, as my esteemed colleague, the late Raghavan Iyer, recommended in his latest book, On the Curry Trail. If you are interested in curry and how it is used around the world, check out his amazing book.

I quickly realized that his many-ingredients curry powder recipe wasnt ideal for my Seriously Simple recipes, so I settled for a good quality curry powder, which you can find on Amazon.

While this may not be authentic, it has the hallmarks I am looking for in a curry recipe: spicy, aromatic and soul satisfying. This is a recommended dish for a dinner party since it is made all in one pan and served in one bowl. Seriously Simple? Yes!

To make this, I always have all the ingredients measured out. Chicken tenders are easy to work with; be sure to remove the white tendons that can make the tenders rubbery. To grate the ginger, peel it with a peeler or use a spoon to remove skin. Use a microplane or hand grater to grate the peeled ginger root. Full-fat coconut milk is a must or else the result will be watery.

Serve this with raita or plain Greek yogurt, toasted coconut flakes and mango chutney. You can make your own raita by adding some finely chopped cucumber, chopped mint and cilantro to plain yogurt. Look for a full-flavored mango chutney for best flavor. Carefully toast coconut to make sure it doesnt burn.

Serve each guest a bowl with rice and the chicken curry on top to each person. Make sure to garnish each bowl. Set out small bowls of condiments for each guest to add their favorite curry additions. Serve immediately.

One Pan Chicken Curry

Serves 4

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (13-ounce) can coconut milk (full-fat)

3/4 cup chicken broth

Juice of 1/2 lime

To serve:

Lime wedges

Mint leaves, torn

Cilantro leaves, torn

Cooked jasmine or basmati rice

Condiments: toasted coconut, plain Greek yogurt, mango chutney

1. Toss the chicken pieces in a bowl evenly with salt and pepper. In a high-sided skillet over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot, add chicken pieces and saute on all sides, using tongs, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a side bowl.

2. Add remaining tablespoons of oil and saute onion, over medium-high heat, until tender and translucent, about 9 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Add garlic, ginger, curry powder and cumin; cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. Add tomato paste and cook until darkened slightly, 1 to 2 minutes more.

4. Add coconut milk and broth; bring to a simmer. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in lime juice and garnish with mint and cilantro. Serve hot with rice and condiments.
WASHINGTON  Debt ceiling negotiators for President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy traded more budget-cutting ideas at the Capitol Tuesday, but Republicans warned of a lack of urgency at the White House to resolve the standoff in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default.

With barely a week to go before a deadline as soon as June 1, the Democratic president and the Republican speaker were staring down a financial crisis. Failure to strike a deal would be unprecedented, and certain to throw U.S. financial markets into turmoil, inflicting economic pain at home and abroad. Markets sank Tuesday with no deal in sight.

Were not there yet, McCarthy said at the Capitol, reiterating he wont bring any bill forward that doesnt spend less than we spent this year.

Behind closed doors, McCarthy urged his slim House Republican majority to just stick together despite their own factions as he negotiates the strongest deal possible for conservatives, said lawmakers exiting the private session.

He told reporters the teams are eyeing creative ways of rolling back spending that all sides can accept.

I believe we can still get there  and get there before June 1, McCarthy, R-Calif., said at midday.

Dragging into a third week, the negotiations over raising the nations debt limit, now at $31 trillion, were never supposed to arrive at this point.

From the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was ridiculous to suggest Biden wasnt acting with urgency. He wants to see this done as soon as possible, she said.

The White House insisted early on it was unwilling to barter over the need to pay the nations bills, demanding that Congress simply lift the ceiling as it has done many times before with no strings attached.

But the newly elected speaker urged the president at an Oval Office meeting in February to come to the negotiating table on a budget package that would reduce spending to reduce ballooning deficits in the post-COVID era in exchange for the vote to allow future debt.

Both men said after a crucial meeting late Monday at the White House  after the president returned from the Group of Seven summit in Japan  that talks were productive.

But with time short to strike a deal, they are laboring to come up with a compromise that could be approved quickly by the Republican House and the Democratic Senate and be signed into law.

Negotiations are focused on finding agreement over a 2024 budget year limit. Republicans have set aside their demand to rollback spending to 2022 levels, but say that next years government spending must be less than it is now. But the White House instead is offering to freeze spending at current 2023 numbers.

Agreement on that topline spending level is vital. It would enable McCarthy to deliver spending restraint for conservatives while not being so severe that it would chase off the Democratic votes that would be needed in the divided Congress to pass any bill.

We are holding firm to the speakers red line, said a top Republican negotiator, Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana. Which is that we will not do a deal unless it spends less money than were spending this year.

The White House continues to argue that deficits can be reduced by ending tax breaks for wealthier households and some corporations, but McCarthy said he told the president at their February meeting that raising revenue from tax hikes is off the table.

The negotiators are now also debating the duration of a 1% cap on annual spending growth going forward, with Republicans dropping their demand for a 10-year cap to six years, but the White House offering only one year, for 2025.

Typically, the debt ceiling has been lifted for the duration of a budget deal, and in this negotiation the White House is angling for a two-year agreement that would push past the presidential elections.

Another main Republican negotiator, Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, who joined the speaker at the Oval Office Monday evening, said, What I sense from the White House is a lack of urgency.

But on the Senate side, Republican leader Mitch McConnell said, Look, I think everybody needs to relax.

Traveling in his home state of Kentucky, McConnell said of the back and forth, This is not that unusual.

However, time is growing short. The House speaker promised lawmakers he will abide by the rule to post any bill for 72 hours before voting, making any action doubtful until the weekend  just days before the potential deadline. The Senate would also have to pass the package before it could go to Bidens desk to be signed.

McCarthy faces a hard-right flank in his own party that is likely to reject any deal, and that has led some Democrats to encourage Biden to resist any compromise with the Republicans and simply invoke the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling on his own, an unprecedented and legally fraught action the president has resisted for now.

On Tuesday, the leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus Rep. Scott Perry said: We all want to stick together. But again, its sticking together around the right thing.

He and others are skeptical of the June 1 deadline that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said is when it is highly likely the government will be unable to pay all the nations bills.

Treasury said Tuesday it is keeping in close contact with federal agencies on their planned spending as it monitors cashflows.
Tucson police arrested a driver on suspicion of manslaughter in a midtown crash Sunday that killed a bicyclist.

The collision between a white 2010 Chevrolet Colorado and the bicyclist occurred shortly after 2:45 p.m. May 21 in the 4200 block of East 29th Street, police said in a news release.

The bicyclist, 54-year-old Paul A. Antonio, who was not wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Detectives determined Antonio was crossing 29th Street from north to south when he was struck by the Chevrolet Colorado that was traveling east on 29th, "well above the posed 35 mph speed limit," in the curb lane, police said in the news release.

Police allege the driver of the Chevrolet, James Lee Sorg, "was impaired by alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the collision," the release said.

Sorg, 40, was arrested on suspicion of one count of manslaughter and booked into the Pima County jail, police said.
Lee Lambert, chancellor of Pima Community College since 2013, is leaving for a new job as chancellor of the Foothill De Anza Community College District near Silicon Valley in California.

It has been an incredible honor working with the PCC community, as well as the City of Tucson, Pima County and business leaders to transform the College into an award-winning cutting-edge educational institution that is well positioned to take on the challenge of building a highly skilled 21st Century workforce, Lambert said Tuesday in a news release.

When Lambert, who received a $348,935 annual salary from PCC, took the job a decade ago, PCC was working through serious accreditation issues. Within the first few years of his administration, the colleges accreditor, the Higher Learning Commission, took the school off of probation, and it is now restored to good standing.

Nonetheless, Lambert faced ongoing criticism from some of PCCs community members, some faculty and members of the PCC Governing Board. Last fall, a group known as People4PCC called for his resignation, claiming that Lambert lacked transparency in leadership.

At the same time, Lambert received regular praise from Tucsons business community for his efforts to forge partnerships between the college and industry to meet the changing workforce demands of the 21st century. His signature project, Centers of Excellence  now in the final phases of completion  was designed to offer the latest training in the fields of applied technology, health care, hospitality, information technology and cybersecurity, and public safety.

The Pima Community College Board of Governors congratulates Chancellor Lee Lambert on being selected as the new Chancellor of the Foothill De Anza Community College District, PCC Governing Board Chair Theresa Riel said in a news release Tuesday. The Board recognizes there are a limited number of college administrators who have the experience that Lee Lambert has. Over the last ten years, working closely with PCC employees, he has used his vision to assist in the creation of PCCs Centers of Excellence.

The board will meet over the next few weeks to discuss the search for Lamberts replacement.

In a news release put out by the Foothill De Anza Community College District, Lambert said, The districts commitment to student success and educational excellence driven by an equity agenda and guided by a set of core values rooted in integrity, inclusion, care for students well-being, and sustainability aligns with my personal and professional values.
Its expensive to go home  especially when home is the Philippines.

When I moved to the U.S., a lot of things were new to me. My sister and I didnt know anybody other than our dad, Kei Ann Mandanas says.

When I got here, there was not many options in terms of Filipino food, or it may not be the version Im used to. I wanted to make something that would keep me connected to what is familiar to me and what I grew up with and what my family would be proud of.

Mandanas grew up cooking alongside her grandparents in the Philippines, and then learning her way around the kitchen from her dad when she moved to Tucson in 2010.

Her mom, dad and sister are all nurses. Owning her own at-home bakery, she may be the black sheep, but she doesnt seem to mind.

Mandanas bakes treats with Filipino flavors  chile mango, buko pandan, ube. Shes even dabbled with vegan lumpia. Ate Kei's Filipino Treats (ate means older sister in Tagalog) has treats in four cafes across Tucson and makes regular appearances at local markets.

She knows Filipino food can be hard to find in Tucson  her all-time favorite Filipino dish is one that cant be found here. In the Philippines, the pork dish Dinakdakan is cheap and accessible to everyone. If she wants it here, she asks her dad to make it.

Coming from an immigrant background, you want that taste of home, she says. For me, some of the things I do remind me of cooking with my family and being with them. I want to be able to share that with people.

Mandanas knows people in Tucson who are from the Philippines but havent had the chance to visit in many years. Part of it is because many people come to the U.S. to help their families overseas. Some of it is because its not cheap to fly thousands of miles away.

Obviously the treats themselves arent going to fix anything, Mandanas says. But at least they bring you some comfort of where you came from.

She often sets up at the St. Philips Plaza weekend markets, selling her treats and meeting all kinds of visitors. She met one person who had just moved to Tucson from the Philippines the week prior  that person had found Ate Kei's Filipino Treats on Facebook and visited the market to say hello.

Filipinos love feeding you guys, Mandanas says. Whenever you stop by my booth, I almost always have samples. Even if you dont buy anything, I just want you to try it and see what other Filipino flavors are out there. I dont want to be pigeon-holed into a certain flavor  I want people to try all these different things I grew up with.

Mandanas loves experimenting with food, creating new flavors in the kitchen. Her favorite treat at the moment is the chile mango cookie. She knew she wanted to bake something with the Philippines national fruit  and she was inspired by the Mexican chile mango candies that she loves.

The buko pandan cookies, inspired by the green Filipino dessert with jellies, reign supreme among customers, followed by her ube-flavored treats like cookies and vegan brownies. Ube is a purple sweet potato that's often described as vanilla-y and kinda nutty.

This summer, she plans to launch Filipino drinks and ice scramble  a pink milk-based smoothie-like frozen dessert with banana extract and toppings like marshmallows and sprinkles. In the Philippines, people would sell the treat outside of schools, from ice boxes attached to their bikes.

Its like really nostalgic for a lot of Filipino kids, especially growing up in the 90s, 80s, Mandanas says.

Eventually, shed like to expand even further with items like vegan pancit and vegan lumpia. Mandanas sister is vegan, so its important that she gets to fall in love with the food, too.

Thats the thing about Filipinos  we want to cater to everyone so more people can try this food, Mandanas says.

But until she can perfect those recipes, shes focusing on the baked sweets shes known for.

My family engrained in me, dont put out stuff just to put out stuff, it has to be something you like and people would like, she says. I dont want to make something to slap a Filipino (label) on it  I want my mom or my grandma to eat it and say it tastes really good.

Although Mandanas treasures the street food in the Philippines, she really misses the community and her family.

Filipinos, you can throw anything at them  challenges, barriers  for some reason we just find a way to laugh about it, she says. Thats how we get through tough situations.

Where to find Ate Kei's Filipino Treats

Ate Kei's Filipino Treats also makes appearances at local markets. Follow the bakery on Instagram or Facebook to see where they'll be next or to place an order of a dozen or more treats.
KYIV, Ukraine  Russian officials claimed that Ukrainian military saboteurs launched an attack across the border Monday, wounding eight people in a small town. Kyiv officials denied any link with the group and blamed the fighting on a revolt by disgruntled Russians against the Kremlin.

Neither version of events could be independently verified in an area that has witnessed sporadic spillover from the almost 15-month war in Ukraine.

The governor of Russias Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, said that a Ukrainian Armed Forces saboteur group entered the town of Graivoron, about 3 miles from the border. The town also came under Ukrainian artillery fire, he said.

Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said eight people were wounded and most residents had left the area, but the situation remained tense.

In nearby Zamostye village, a projectile hit a kindergarten and caused a fire. One woman was wounded in her hand, Gladkov said. He also reported that Russian anti-aircraft systems shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle over Belgorod region.

Gladkov said a counterterrorist operation was underway and that authorities were imposing special controls, including personal document checks and stopping the work of companies that use explosives, radioactive, chemically and biologically hazardous substances.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin was informed about the alleged saboteur incursion. An effort to push them out from the Russian territory and liquidate them was underway, he said.

But Ukrainian military intelligence officials didnt confirm that Kyiv had deployed saboteurs. Instead, they claimed that Russian citizens seeking regime change in Moscow were behind the Graivoron incursion.

Ukraine intelligence representative Andrii Cherniak said Russian citizens belonging to murky groups calling themselves the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion were behind the assault.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Twitter that Ukraine has nothing to do with it. He suggested an armed guerrilla movement was behind the attack.

The Russian Volunteer Corps claimed in a Telegram post it had crossed the border into Russia again, after claiming to have breached the border in early March.

The Russian Volunteer Corps describes itself as a volunteer formation fighting on Ukraines side. Little is known about the group, and it is not clear if it has any ties with the Ukrainian military. The same is true for the Freedom of Russia Legion..

The RVC was founded last August and reportedly consists mostly of anti-Putin far-right Russian extremists who have links with Ukrainian far-right groups.

Earlier Monday, Ukraines Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europes largest atomic power station, spent hours operating on emergency diesel generators after losing its external power supply for the seventh time since Russias full-scale invasion of its neighbor, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said.

The nuclear safety situation at the plant (is) extremely vulnerable, Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a tweet.

Hours later, national energy company Ukrenergo said on Telegram that it had restored the power line that feeds the plant.

But for Grossi, it was another reminder of whats at stake at the Russian-occupied plant which has seen shelling close by.

We must agree to protect (the) plant now; this situation cannot continue, Grossi said, in his latest appeal for the area to be spared from the fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces. IAEA staff are deployed at the plant, which is occupied by Russian troops.

The plants six nuclear reactors, which are protected by a reinforced shelter able to withstand an errant shell or rocket, have been shut down. But a disruption in the electrical supply could disable cooling systems that are essential for the reactors safety even when they are shut down. Emergency diesel generators, which officials say can keep the plant operational for 10 days, can be unreliable.

Meanwhile, Russian TV went into a full frenzy of celebration as it reported Moscows capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. There were comparisons to the Red Army liberating Berlin in 1945, congratulations relayed from President Vladimir Putin and announcers emphasizing the victory by using the citys nearly century-old Soviet name of Artyomovsk.

The myth that Artyomovsk is an unassailable fortress has been crushed, an anchor said Sunday night on Channel One, Russias most popular state broadcaster. Those are historic events.

A report from the smoldering city in eastern Ukraine followed, showing Russian fighters yelling Victory! and placing two flags  the Russian tricolor and the black flag of the private military contractor Wagner  atop a tall, partly destroyed building.

The flags were mounted so that everyone could see them, the correspondent said, even though the bombed-out, deserted 400-year-old city looks like a ghost of itself after the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.
PHOENIX  Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes has rescinded an informal opinion issued by her Republican predecessor that said counties could hand count all ballots in an election, a process Republicans in Cochise County attempted last year based on unfounded concerns that machine ballot tabulators are not secure or accurate.

Mayes issued a formal opinion in its place late Friday, saying existing election laws bar counties from implementing full hand counts of ballots cast on Election Day and those cast early by mail.

The new opinion tracks a judges ruling that blocked Cochise County officials from doing the full hand count the countys Republican-dominated Board of Supervisors ordered following Novembers election. Judges look to opinions from the attorney general for important guidance on interpreting state laws, though they are not legally binding.

In the weeks before the Nov. 7 election, the two Republican members of the Cochise County Board of Supervisors justified their decision by pointing to questions raised by former President Donald Trump and his supporters about the accuracy and security of the electronic vote-tabulating machines. They did so despite the lack of any evidence the machines are not accurate or vulnerable to hacking.

Former Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, backed them up when he had his deputy solicitor general issue an informal opinion a little over a week before the election, concluding their plan passed legal muster. Unlike in formal opinions, though, Brnovich did not sign the document.

A retiree group sued Cochise County, and Pima County Superior Court Judge Casey McGinley ruled a day before the election that full hand counts were barred by law.

The judge pointed to detailed instructions laid out by the Legislature on how hand counts of a sampling of Election Day and early ballots are to be conducted and the rules on expanding those audits if the numbers dont match. Early ballot hand counts are strictly limited unless the results dont match, he wrote, while starting with a full hand count of Election Day ballots goes against rules requiring ballots for sampling to be chosen at random.

The county board is still appealing that ruling.

Mayes has now weighed in. In her signed opinion, Mayes wrote that Brnovich misinterpreted the law and should not have bypassed the offices normal process for issuing opinions.

Upon further review of the statute and the (judges) decision, the office has concluded that the informal opinion misinterpreted the governing statutes, Mayes wrote. Nor should an informal opinion unsigned by the Attorney General have been issued in a similar manner as a formal opinion.

Mayes came into office in January after narrowly defeating Republican Abe Hamadeh in November in an election that placed Democrats in all three top Arizona offices for the first time in decades.

Mayes criticized Brnovich for politicizing the office and has reversed or taken contrary views on several of his decisions, ranging from his defense of laws that would outlaw virtually all abortions; to the right of cities to tell landlords they cannot discriminate against tenants simply because their rent is being subsidized by federal programs.

In the new opinion, she agreed with McGinley that allowing a full hand count would render the detailed instructions on expanding the count if the results did not match the machine count unnecessary and meaningless. The hand counts are intended to ensure the machine tabulators accurately count the ballots.

Cochise County Recorder David Stevens, a Republican who supported the hand count effort and had recruited volunteers from both major political parties to do the count before it was blocked, did not immediately return a call Monday seeking comment.

But Alexander Kolodin, an attorney representing Cochise County in its appeal, said he thinks the county will prevail at the Court of Appeals, regardless of what Mayes is now saying.

All I can say is coming in and overturning your predecessors opinion is obviously a political move, said Kolodin, who also serves as a Republican member of the state House of Representatives from Scottsdale.

Anyway, he said, Mayes opinion  even a formal one in her role as attorney general  is just that. At the end of the day, these AG opinions are not the law, theyre not case law, theyre not precedent, Kolodin said.

The lower court judges ruling said Arizona law limits hand counts of early ballots to 1% of those cast or 5,000, whichever is less, and does not allow an expansion unless the count doesnt match the machine tally. For ballots cast in person in Election Day, its at least 2% of the precincts or 2%, whichever is greater, chosen at random.
PHOENIX  Kari Lake said Tuesday she will appeal Mondays ruling confirming the election of Katie Hobbs as governor, brushing aside the fact the judge said her key evidence in seeking to overturn the election result was legally irrelevant.

Rulings from Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson up through the Arizona Supreme Court all went against Republican Lake since her 17,117-vote loss to Democrat Hobbs in November.

The judges have basically said anything goes, it doesnt matter, Lake said at a news conference Tuesday. Election laws are just suggestions. So, if anything goes, anything goes.

Despite that, Lake said it was not her plan to violate election laws going forward, as she might make a 2024 bid for office.

Late Monday, Thompson tossed Lakes last remaining claim. The judge said Lake failed to prove Maricopa County did not review the signatures on early ballot envelopes as required by law. In fact, he said, two of her own witnesses testified they personally did such checks.

The judge acknowledged those two witnesses thought the process had been rushed and that there was no way for others  themselves not included  to have adequately compared the signatures on the envelopes with others on file with county election offices.

But Thompson said that falls far short of what Lake needed to prove the county ignored the statutory requirement that signatures be compared.

Nor was the judge impressed by the testimony of Erich Speckin, billed by Lakes attorneys as an expert in signature analysis. Speckin said about 274,000 signatures were compared in less than three seconds, including about 70,000 compared in two seconds or less.

Thompson said that argument was an attempt by Lake to convince him that this is so deficient for signature comparison that it amounts to no process at all.

But he called Speckins numbers legally irrelevant.

There is no statutory or regulatory requirement that a specific amount of time be applied to review any given signature at any level of review, Thompson said.

Not one second, not three seconds and not six seconds: no standard appears in the plain text of the statute, the judge said. No reviewer is required by statute or the Elections Procedures Manual to spend any specific length of time on any particular signature.

Lake on Tuesday said the judge got it wrong. Im not prepared right now to tell you what our path is because we are looking at several paths, she said.

As for a 2024 campaign, I havent made up my mind on that, Lake said, even as she insisted she won the gubernatorial race and we won in massive numbers.

One possibility includes a bid for Senate, a race that has drawn some interest after incumbent Kyrsten Sinema left the Democratic Party and would have to seek another six-year term as an independent. But that would put Lake in a GOP primary against Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, with whom she shares many positions.

More immediately, Lake said she wants to do grassroots organizing to help her and other candidates who share her positions, a process she called chasing ballots.

That includes registering voters and tracking what happens with early ballots.

Require only a cursory examination

In his latest ruling, Thompson also rejected a parallel argument that the reviews didnt meet the legal requirement to compare signatures.

He said the statutes simply require those doing verification to make some determination as to whether the signature is consistent or inconsistent with the voters record.

The court finds that looking at signatures that, by and large, have consistent characteristics will require only a cursory examination and thus take very little time, the judge said.

He cited the testimony of Rey Valenzuela, Maricopa Countys elections director, who said a Level 1 signature reviewer  performing the first-line review  can see just by the pictures that pop up on the screen of the ballot signature and the most recent signature on record if they are consistent in broad strokes.

Thompson also pointed out that Arizona law requires only that the signatures be consistent to the satisfaction of the county recorder or other designee.

This, not the satisfaction of the court, the satisfaction of a challenger, or the satisfaction of any other reviewing authority is the determinative quality for whether signature verification occurred, the judge wrote. It would be a violation of the constitutional separation of powers for this court, after the recorder has made a comparison to insert itself into the process and reweigh whether a signature is consistent or inconsistent.

Other safeguards in system

Thompson separately rejected arguments by Lakes attorneys that signature verification was the only safeguard against fraudulent ballots being counted.

He cited Valenzuelas testimony about other security measures built into the system, including having to show identification to register to vote, requiring someone to request an early ballot, requiring the post office to notify his office if the person to whom the ballot was sent no longer lives there, and the fact that each envelope returned is encoded with not just the name of the voter but a unique bar code.

There was no immediate response from Lake. But Mondays ruling is unlikely to be the last word, as she has taken previous rulings against her up to the Arizona Supreme Court.

Lakes allies already argued Thompson was off base in saying she had to prove that no signature verification had been done.

In his ruling, however, the judge noted that was a hurdle Lake created for herself.

Thompson said she had the option of trying to cast doubt on a specific number of ballots, which he acknowledged would have been a Herculean evidentiary endeavor in these circumstances.

Instead, he said, Lake made a purposeful concession to instead try to show that the entire signature review process for Maricopa County was not conducted according to the law.

Still wouldnt win

If Lake had made her case, Thompson said one option would have been to overturn the election results outright. But the other, he said, would have been to proportionately reduce each candidates tally of early ballots. That would have cut more into Hobbs total, as she outpolled Lake among those early ballots.

But, Thompson said, even if he applied a proportionate reduction of 70,000 early ballots  the number Speckin said were reviewed in less than two seconds  that still would have left Lake short of a winning margin.

Clint Hickman, Republican chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, cheered the ruling.

For the past six months, Ms. Lake has uttered false claims, disparaging county staff and elected officials in her attempt to get a judge to discard the valid votes of hundreds of thousands of Arizona voters, Thompson said in a written statement.

He cited Thompsons conclusion the countys signature review process complied with state law.

All voters were provided the opportunity to vote, and all legal votes were counted, Hickman said.
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ATHENS, Ala. (AP)  Former Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely has lost his latest appeal to have his theft and ethics conviction and jail sentence overturned.

Circuit Judge Tim Jolley dismissed Blakely's post-trial appeal on Saturday. Blakely argued the retired judge, who was appointed to preside over his trial, was not qualified because her membership had lapsed with the Alabama Bar Association. Jolley ruled that her appointment was proper.

A jury in 2021 found the longtime sheriff guilty of charges of theft and using his office for personal gain. After nearly 40 years in office, Blakely was removed from his position as sheriff following the conviction. The two convictions arose from accusations that Blakely helped himself to no-interest loans from a jail safe used to hold inmates money and that he deposited $4,000 in campaign funds into his personal account.

Blakely was sentenced to serve three years behind bars.

Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker appointed former Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Pamela Baschab to preside over Blakely's case after other judges had recused themselves.

Jolley, in rejecting Blakely's appeal, said nothing in state law or the Alabama Constitution requires the appointment of retired judges with an active law license. He also said Blakely could have raised the issue at trial but did not do so.

Because neither requires a retired judge not least one with more than thirty years of unblemished service to maintain an active license to practice law, Judge Baschabs appointment was lawful and proper, Jolley wrote in the Saturday order.

The Alabama Supreme Court in February declined to hear an earlier appeal by Blakely.
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CONCORD, N.H. (AP)  Gov. Chris Sununus recent shift to support marijuana legalization has inspired a last-minute push for new legislation.

Though several bipartisan bills in support of legalizing recreational marijuana have cleared the House in recent years, Sununu opposed them and they ultimately failed in the Senate. But after the latest defeat earlier this month, Sununu announced that he would back legalization if lawmakers took a different approach.

The House Commerce Committee voted Tuesday to amend an unrelated bill as a vehicle for a new plan where the state regulates marijuana the same way it controls the sale of wine and liquor, in line with what the Republican governor and potential presidential candidate outlined.

The bill that was defeated in the Senate would have included a 12.5% tax levied at the cultivation level. The latest measure is similar to a plan lawmakers considered last year that would put the New Hampshire Liquor Commission in charge of regulating and selling cannabis. But unlike that failed measure, it would allow the states medical marijuana dispensaries to sell both medical and recreational cannabis.

Michael Holt, an administrator with the states therapeutic cannabis program, said without that provision, the medical marijuana program would be severely threatened.

Maintaining the ability of the (alternative treatment centers) to enter this market is critical, said Holt.

Former state Rep. Susan Homola spoke against the bill, saying lawmakers who continue to push for it have ignored data on the harmful effects of legalization. Homola, a Republican, also accused supporters of playing politics with the issue.

Through the governors flip-flop on recreational marijuana in the ninth hour of the legislative session to this committees willingness to jam in this bill thats already been shot down in the Senate ... its clear that this isnt way to legislate, she said.

Nearly half the states, including the rest of New England, allow recreational use of marijuana. Minnesota is poised to become the 23rd state to legalize it after senators voted Saturday to send a bill to Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, who has pledged to sign it into law.
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SAND SPRINGS  Its not the days in life we remember; rather the moments, said Limestone Technology Academy Principal Terri Lee. The quote fits retiring special education teacher Vickie Harbaugh perfectly, she said.

The hundreds, even thousands, of students she has impacted  I just cant even put a number on that, Lee said Tuesday.

She can get close, though.

In 44 years of teaching roughly 100 students a year, Harbough has taught  and shepherded, mentored and loved  around 4,000 youngsters and sent them on their way toward a future that was no doubt brighter thanks to her guidance.

Thats just in the classroom.

Harbaugh has spent those same 44 years  hundreds and hundreds of days  on hot, dusty softball fields as a volunteer for Special Olympics Oklahoma encouraging her charges to strive for just one more base, one more hit.

But its the moment she remembers.

When I was in the third grade, my Girl Scout troop toured Hissom, and I knew right then thats what I wanted to do, Harbaugh said Monday. I told my mom I was going to be a special education teacher, and thats what I did.

In 1979, before most of her current students parents were born, Harbaugh began teaching at Hissom Memorial Center, then a 15-year-old residential diagnostic, treatment, rehabilitation and training facility for children with developmental disabilities. That same year, she began volunteering for Special Olympics.

Because Hissom was in Sand Springs, its teachers were employees of Sand Springs Public Schools. When the facility began shutting down in 1990, Harbaugh transferred to Angus Valley Elementary School for three years and then moved to Limestone, where shes been ever since.

Although education generally and special education specifically have evolved in the past 44 years, Harbaugh has a ready answer to the question of what has been the greatest change.

Inclusion, she said, noting that most of her students spend a large portion of their days in general education classrooms instead of self-contained special education classrooms. And thats good, because it gives them socialization and teaches them about social interaction.

That same interaction benefits all students, regardless of whether they have disabilities or not, Harbaugh said.

But its also hard work for these kids to be in general education all day, every day, she said, so she promotes her classroom as a safe space. I have an open-door policy. They can come here anytime they want to or need to.

If Harbaugh could change one thing, it would be state-mandated testing, which demands achievements from her students that they might perhaps never reach.

They really stress about it, she said. When testing time gets close, they start saying, Oh, Im not going to pass. Im not going to get to go to third grade.

But I see progress all the time, she said.

Lee, Limestones principal, said Harbaugh has taught all of us that all students can learn. They may not all be at the same level, but progress is progress.

Limestone STEAM Lab teacher Barbie Jackson, who has worked with Harbaugh for 20 years, said Harbaugh is always the first to offer to help others  students or colleagues. Her unconditional love for all students is inspiring.

Carrie Schlehuber, who is Sand Springs Public Schools director of special education, began working with Harbaugh through Special Olympics about 15 years ago when Schlehuber was a teacher.

She credits Harbaugh with helping to create and continue a culture of inclusion.

She has been such a role model and mentor in terms of how simple it is to include everyone, Schlehuber said. Vickie really opened the door for hundreds and hundreds of Special Olympics students and general education students in Sand Springs to learn how to play together and go to school together and work together.

As Harbaugh sees it, the beauty is in the program.

Special Olympics has just been a lifesaver for these kids, giving them ways to shine and see success, she said.

Many times, when they run those bases, their parents havent seen them do that before.

So they cry. Their parents cry. We all cry.

The Special Olympics Oklahoma Summer Games held last week in Stillwater were Harbaughs last as a Sand Springs educator, although she said she hopes to continue to volunteer in some fashion.

But as her teaching days come to a close, Harbaugh has again been wiping away her share of tears.

Im going to miss my kids. Im really going to miss my kids, she said. I love my job. I love everyone here at Limestone. We have a really good group, and we all love on the kids really well.

But Im going to miss my kids.

Even if Harbaugh  whos going to be helping to care for her new grandson  isnt always present, though, her legacy will be.

I look at former students now who still have relationships with their (Special Olympics) peers today because of the opportunity that Vickie gave them through Special Olympics, Schlehuber said, noting that many of those former students are now doctors, nurses, firefighters and even special education teachers themselves.

So many people found their niche in a helping field because of the opportunity she gave them to take part in Special Olympics, she said. Vickie is the gold standard for what we should all strive to be.



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OKLAHOMA CITY  Lawmakers continued hammering away at the fiscal year 2024 state budget on Monday but apparently fell just short of a final agreement.

A staff summary of a preliminary version of a general appropriations bill, House Bill 1004x, lists FY 24 spending of about $13.2 billion, up about 14% from fiscal year 2023.

One of the biggest winners is common education, which is projected to see an increase of slightly more than $785 million, or nearly 25%.

A portion of the increase will be used for raises ranging from $3,000 to $6,000 for certified personnel based on experience, six weeks of paid maternity leave, literacy and school safety.

It is historically the largest appropriation to common education, said Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Roger Thompson, R-Okemah.

Other winners include higher education, with a hike of nearly 15%, and CareerTech, with an increase of nearly 16%.

The budget includes a nearly $2.9 million appropriation for the Oklahoma Education Television Authority.

Gov. Kevin Stitt earlier this year vetoed a bill reauthorizing OETA, leaving its status in doubt. It was not immediately clear if lawmakers will override Stitts veto of the reauthorization bill.

The budget also addresses court reporter shortage, Thompson said.

The budget does not provide for increases for the governor, House or Senate, according to the bill summary.

Two watchdog agencies, the State Auditor and Inspector and the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, also got no increase, according to a bill summary.

Lawmakers will also take up a plan to finish OKPOP, a museum in Tulsa.

The plan calls for supporters to raise $18 million more from private and other entities which will be matched with $18 million from the state.

The museum is across from the historic Cains Ballroom in Tulsa.

The funds must be raised by November 2024, said Trait Thompson, Oklahoma Historical Society executive director.

I am thrilled the state is setting aside funding, he said. I think it is the best scenario. We have done quite a bit of talking to the legislature about our needs.

I appreciate that they took time to listen to us and craft a way forward so we can match private with state dollars.

Completion will depend on when the money is raised and matched, he said.

Trait Thompson said he is confident the private dollars will be raised.

Sen. Thompson said he hopes to hear the general appropriations bill on Friday.

Thats the last day the regular session can meet, but that deadline does not apply to the nearly 50 appropriations bills sent to committee on Monday.

Thats because they are being considered in a concurrent special session that began Wednesday and can continue as long as necessary, although legislative leaders maintain they intend to finish their work this week.

One thing not included in the bills assigned to committee on Monday was a general tax reduction measure  something the House of Representatives, especially, has made a priority this year. It is unclear whether one will be forthcoming.

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OKLAHOMA CITY  Gov. Kevin Stitt on Friday vetoed a bill that would diminish his control over the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

Stitt said the bill from Rep. Danny Sterling, R-Tecumseh, would violate the governments separation of powers by giving legislative leaders the majority of the appointments on the six-person Turnpike Authority governing board.

Sterling said hes optimistic the Legislature will override the veto, which it can do with two-thirds majorities in both chambers.

Currently, the governor gets to appoint all the members of the Turnpike Authority board, but House Bill 2263 would reduce the number of Stitts appointments to just two members. The other four appointments would be evenly divided between the House speaker and the Senate president pro tem.

Giving legislative leaders a majority of the board appointments would codify the Legislatures control over an executive branch agency, Stitt wrote in his veto message.

If House Bill 2263 were to become law, it would be unconstitutional, thereby causing the Authoritys makeup and decisions to be subject to legitimate legal challenges, Stitt wrote. Any argument or advice to the contrary should be seen for what it is  a well paved road to a legal dead end.

Sterling disputed Stitts assertion that HB 2263 is unconstitutional. The governors veto didnt come as a shock, Sterling said.

Youre asking him to give up part of his control, his authority in appointing those people, so I wasnt surprised, he said.

Sterling said his bill is intended to bring greater transparency to the Turnpike Authority board and allow a broader group of Oklahomans to be represented on the panel.

Earlier this year, Sterling said Stitts appointees may feel as though they have to cater to the governors wishes if he has the sole authority to name all the members of a board or commission. Allowing legislative leaders to make Turnpike Authority board appointments implements governmental checks and balances at the agency, Sterling said.

HB 2263 was just one of several bills filed this year to limit the governors appointment power on various state boards and commissions. The bill also would have reduced the length of board members terms and explicitly prohibited them from voting on issues in which they have a direct financial interest.

Stitt vetoes additional bills

Stitt on Monday also vetoed a bill that would make a one-word change to the Oklahoma Citizens Participation Act, which is intended to prevent the use of lawsuits or threats of lawsuits to intimidate or silence critics exercising their First Amendment rights. House Bill 1236 sought to make it harder for a person who is sued for defamation and successfully proves their First Amendment right to speech to collect attorney fees from the party who brought the lawsuit.

Oklahoma Press Association Executive Vice President Mark Thomas said the bill would have had a chilling effect on Oklahomans willingness to express themselves and speak the truth for fear of facing a costly lawsuit.

Epic Charter Schools in 2020 was ordered to pay former state Sen. Ron Sharps $36,000 in legal fees after a judge determined the school district filed a frivolous lawsuit against the lawmaker after he publicly questioned administrative decisions at the charter school system. Epic was also ordered to pay Sharp $500,000 in sanctions.

The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs urged Stitt to veto HB 1236. OCPA invoked the Citizens Protection Act after being sued by Oklahoma City-based Paycom over an article the conservative think tank published about the companys CEO.

The governor also vetoed an omnibus bill that would create six new special state licenses plates. Stitt took issue with a license plate demonstrating support for the University of Kansas, saying the state doesnt need to be in the public relations business for the out-of-state college.

Stitt has vetoed at least 46 bills so far this legislative session. The Legislature is expected to attempt some veto overrides this week, but its not clear which bills they will bring back up.

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State lawmakers will take up a plan to finish OKPOP, the proposed pop culture museum in Tulsa.

The plan calls for supporters to raise $18 million more from private and other entities which will be matched with $18 million from the state.

The museum is across from the historic Cains Ballroom in Tulsa.

The funds must be raised by November 2024, said Trait Thompson, Oklahoma Historical Society executive director.

I am thrilled the state is setting aside funding, he said. I think it is the best scenario. We have done quite a bit of talking to the legislature about our needs.

I appreciate that they took time to listen to us and craft a way forward so we can match private with state dollars.

Completion will depend on when the money is raised and matched, he said.

Thompson said he is confident the private dollars will be raised.

The pop culture museum hit a stalemate last year, putting its future in question even as Oklahomans expressed enthusiasm for the project and celebrities donated personal belongings.

Oklahoma country music superstar Blake Shelton announced in March he is partnering with the OKPOP Foundation to be an honorary campaign chairperson and the face of the foundations fundraising campaign.

It was reported then that Shelton will bring awareness about the project and encourage others to help raise $30 million needed to complete the exhibit design, construction and installation for an opening date in late 2024.
Ginnie Graham talks with Michael Lapolla about the hymn "Mansions of the Lord" ahead of Memorial Day. He is a graduate of West Point, veteran of the Ia Drang Valley campaigns of the Vietnam War, member of the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame and Tulsa resident. The hymn's first verse lyrics are as follows:
The administration of Ho Chi Minh City has written to the Ministry of Finance urgently seeking additional capital allocation for the financially-distressed Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway No. 1 Company Limited (HURC1), which will operate metro line No. 1 in the city.

The metro line No. 1, which links the iconic Ben Thanh Market in District 1 with Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City, is slated for completion by the end of this year after several delays.

The municipal government has repeatedly proposed relevant ministries and agencies take measures to address the financial distress facing the metro operator, but almost nothing has been done as yet.

Established in 2015, the wholly state-owned HURC1 was granted VND14 billion (US$593,700) in charter capital to purchase office equipment.

Since then, it has yet to be allocated extra funding, leaving the company with insufficient finances for a long time and thus affecting its personnel recruitment and training plan to serve the metro line operations.

The municipal administration told the finance ministry that if the government issues a resolution on raising the charter capital of HURC1, the company could have funding to maintain its operations and receive technology transfer to be able to operate the metro line.

The capital allocation, however, faces some obstacles.

As HURC1 has neither generated revenue nor met criteria for business performance evaluation, the firm is not eligible to be allocated further charter capital as per prevailing regulations.

Therefore, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Planning and Investment, and the municipal administration jointly sought the national governments nod to issue the resolution mentioned above.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice did not endorse the issuance of the resolution, saying that a government resolution is not a legal document.

The Ministry of Justice, instead, suggested revisions and adjustments to the prevailing regulations on charter capital to pave the way for capital allocation for HURC1.

According to the HURC1s establishment plan, the company would be given VND14 billion in charter capital in the 2015-17 period. The figure would be VND16.788 billion ($714,990) from 2018 onward.

The citys administration proposed a plan adjusting regulations on the establishment of the company, so that the charter capital would not be allocated by phase as before.

The city will inject VND268 billion ($11.3 million) into the companys charter capital as a temporary solution to ensure its stable operations to receive technology transfer to operate the metro line.

The metro line No.1, the first among the eight planned metro line projects in the southern metropolis, carries a price tag of VND43.7 trillion (US$1.84 billion).

It spans 19.7 kilometers from Ben Thanh Station in District 1 to Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc City under Ho Chi Minh City, including 2.6 kilometers of underground railways and 17.1 kilometers of elevated sections.

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India will make tests mandatory for cough syrups before they are exported, a government notice showed on Tuesday, after Indian-made cough syrups were linked to the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan.

Any cough syrup must have a certificate of analysis issued by a government laboratory before it is exported, effective June 1, the government said in a notice dated May 22 and shared by the health ministry on Tuesday.

India's $41 billion pharmaceutical industry is one of the biggest in the world but its reputation was shaken after the World Health Organization (WHO) found toxins in cough syrups made by three Indian companies.

Syrups made by two of these companies were linked to the deaths of 70 children in Gambia and 19 in Uzbekistan last year.

"Cough syrup shall be permitted to be exported subject to the export sample being tested and production of certificate of analysis," said the notice issued by the trade ministry.

The health ministry did not immediately respond to a query on whether testing would be required for cough syrups sold in the domestic market.

The notice identified seven federal government laboratories where samples could be sent for testing, in addition to other state laboratories certified by a national accreditation body.

Indian tests of cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd, linked to the deaths of children in Gambia, found no toxins but contaminants were detected in many drugs made by Marion Biotech, whose syrups were linked to deaths in Uzbekistan.

Reuters reported last week that India was considering a change to its pharmaceutical industry policy, including increased testing of cough syrups as well as of raw materials for drugs. The companies deny any wrongdoing.

The health minister and federal and state regulators also held a brainstorming session in the southern city of Hyderabad earlier this year "to find a solution to exported cough syrups that killed children," a document from the prime minister's office dated May 15 showed.
The Chinese Navy training ship Qi Jiguang arrived at Tien Sa Port in Da Nang City, central Vietnam on Tuesday morning, beginning its three-day visit to the Vietnamese coastal city.

The vessel carries a crew of 476 officers, sailors, and cadets from the Dalian Naval Academy, under the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.

The crew is led by Major General Su Yinsheng, political commissar at the academy.

The Chinese delegation will pay courtesy visits to the Navy Region 3 Command under the Vietnam Peoples Navy, the Military Region 5 High Command, and the Peoples Committee of Da Nang City.

They are also scheduled to visit some popular tourist attractions in the city such as Son Tra Peninsula and Linh Ung Pagoda, in addition to meeting with some Chinese businesses and institutions in neighboring Quang Nam Province.

They will also take part in exchange activities with the Navy Region 3 Command.

After wrapping up the visit on Thursday, the Qi Jiguang vessel will participate in a joint drill with the Navy Region 3 Command.

This Chinese training ship, which was assigned to the Dalian Naval Academy, is 163 meters long and 22 meters wide, with a full loaded displacement of 9,000 metric tons and a maximum speed of 40 kilometers per hour.

The Chinese Navy training ship Qi Jiguang began its three-day visit to Vietnams Da Nang City on May 23, 2023. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre

The Chinese Navy training ship Qi Jiguang is capable of carrying over 400 officers and sailors. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre

The visit of the Chinese naval delegation to Vietnams Da Nang City aboard the navy training ship Qi Jiguang is led by Major General Su Yinsheng, political commissar at the Dalian Naval Academy. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre

Representatives of Vietnam tour the Chinese Navy training ship Qi Jiguang, May 23, 2023. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre

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Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen greeted Margaret Beazley, governor of Australias New South Wales, on Tuesday on the formers working visit to the city to boost two-way partnership.

New South Wales is Australias most populous state.

Some 10,000 Vietnamese students are studying in New South Wales, whose capital city is Sydney.

Ho Chi Minh City Party chief Nen said that the potential for cooperation between the city and Australian states, especially New South Wales, remains high.

He also eyed stronger partnership with Australian localities in workforce training, logistics, and infrastructure development to ride out challenges over economic growth.

The governor of New South Wales stated her appreciation for the cooperative programs between Ho Chi Minh City and New South Wales, and the expectation of further tourism collaboration between the two localities.

Governor Beazley also underlined that the achievements from the Ho Chi Minh City - New South Wales partnership contributed to deepening the ties between Vietnam and Australia.

At the meeting, the two leaders expressed their pleasure at the positive results of the multifaceted Vietnam - Australia cooperation.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Australia is one of Vietnams seven biggest trade partners, while the Southeast Asian country is Australias 10th-largest trade partner, according to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Australia was the first Western nation to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam after the Paris agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam, or the Paris Peace Accords, was signed in January 1973.

Over the past 50 years, the Vietnam - Australia relationship has flourished in various areas, especially education with more than 31,000 Vietnamese students studying in Australia.

Trade between the two nations totaled VND370.3 trillion (US$15.7 billion) in 2022, up 26.9 percent against 2021.

Of the total, Vietnam exported goods worth VND131.8 trillion ($5.6 billion) to Australia, up 26.2 percent year on year, while the formers imports from the latter were valued at over VND238 trillion ($10.1 billion), up 27.3 percent from the 2021 figure.

Australian investors are involved in 280 projects in Ho Chi Minh City, with total pledged capital of VND4.7 trillion ($200 million), said Ho Chi Minh City Party chief Nen.

Ho Chi Minh City Party chief Nguyen Van Nen (R) gives a present to Margaret Beazley, governor of Australias New South Wales, at a reception on May 23, 2023. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre

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Russia sees Vietnam as a key partner, expecting to boost bilateral relations, Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of the United Russia Party and deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, told meetings with top Vietnamese officials on Monday, as part of his ongoing working visit to Vietnam.

Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and Truong Thi Mai, permanent member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat, held receptions for the Russian representative.

Vietnam is one of Russias major partners in Asia Pacific, especially in Southeast Asia, Medvedev underlined.

Medvedev affirmed that the United Russia Party always throws its support behind the comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam and stronger cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, investment, culture, and tourism.

United Russia Party Chairman Dmitry Medvedev lays a wreath and pays respects to late President Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

State President Thuong said that the top Russian officials Vietnam visit, which is scheduled to wrap up on Tuesday, plays an important role in expanding cooperation between the two nations and the two parties.

The top Vietnamese official also underscored his countrys foreign policy of peace, independence, self-control, diversification, and multilateralization.

Vietnam always attaches great significance to its comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, eyeing a deeper traditional friendship with Moscow.

President Thuong also expressed his gratitude to Russia for awarding scholarships to Vietnamese students over the past few years.

The two leaders reached a consensus on enhancing people-to-people exchange and creating more favorable conditions for the two nations citizens to live, work, and study in Vietnam and Russia.

Speaking at the meeting with Medvedev, Prime Minister Chinh emphasized that Vietnam highly values the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia.

The prime minister also hoped that Medvedev and the United Russia Party would continue to support the completion of a legal framework to allow Vietnamese citizens to do business and live in Russia for long periods.

On Monday afternoon, Vietnamese Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with the leader of the United Russia Party, stressing that this is the first time Medvedev has visited Vietnam since he took office in 2012.

The two leaders agreed to join hands to foster the bilateral ties, exchange information on international situations, and share the assessment of international issues.

The Communist Party of Vietnam pays attention to the relations with the political parties in Russia, seeing the relationship with the United Russia Party as a foundation for long-term and sustainable ties between the two nations, he said.

Medvedevs Vietnam visit is meant to bolster cooperation in regional and international aspects, maintain peace and security, ensure international law, and boost bilateral ties.

Vietnamese Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong greets United Russia Party Chairman Dmitry Medvedev in Hanoi, May 22, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, United Russia Party Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, and representatives at a meeting in Hanoi, May 22, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

Truong Thi Mai, permanent member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat, receives United Russia Party Chairman Dmitry Medvedev in Hanoi, May 22, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

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Check out the latest news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on Monday held talks with Chairman of the United Russia Party (URP) and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, who is on a working visit to Vietnam from Sunday to Tuesday under a cooperation agreement between the Communist Party of Vietnam and the URP. Medvedev also met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and State President Vo Van Thuong on the same day.

-- Dang Quoc Khanh, secretary of the Party Committee of the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, was named Minister of Environment and Natural Resources in the 2021-26 tenure at the fifth sitting of the National Assembly in Hanoi on Monday.

Society

-- A student and the father of another student drowned while visiting an alluvial ground between the Red and Tra Rivers in Nam Dinh Province, northern Vietnam. The father was swept away while trying to save the student after rescuing two others.

-- The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has proposed banning long-haul buses from entering the inner-city area around the clock instead of between 6:00 am and 10:00 pm every day.

-- The Peoples Committee of Mong Cai City in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam on Monday cut off power in the entire city for three hours to complete the installation of a 110kV power transmission line from China. Mong Cai will start using electricity bought from China from Wednesday.

Business

-- Vietnamese airline Bamboo Airways board of directors on Monday appointed Nguyen Minh Hai as its general director from Wednesday after approving Nguyen Manh Quan's resignation. Hai has 25 years of experience in the aviation sector.

Education

-- A project of two Vietnamese students won a third prize at the 2023 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair Grand Awards. The competition this year, held in the U.S., attracted 1,302 projects of 1,600 students from 61 countries and territories.

Lifestyle

-- Vietnams com tam (broken rice) and banh chung (square sticky rice cake) rank third and 97th, respectively, among the 100 best rated rice dishes in the world, according to a list released by TasteAtla, which describes itself as a world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants.

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The Peoples Committee of Mong Cai City in Quang Ninh Province, northern Vietnam on Monday cut off power in the entire city for three hours to complete the installation of a 110kV power transmission line from China, adding to the domestic power supply.

Mong Cai will start using electricity bought from Shengou, Guangxi, China from Wednesday after the Northern Power Corporation, under state utility Vietnam Electricity Group, and Guangxi Power Grid Co. Ltd. signed a power purchase agreement on Tuesday.

As per the agreement, the Chinese side has been committed to providing Vietnam with a maximum power capacity of 70 MW and a monthly output of 30 million kWh of electricity.

The electricity obtained from the Chinese supplier will be distributed to the Mong Cai station, located in Mong Cai City, and the Quang Ha station, situated in Hai Ha District, both of which operate at a voltage of 110kV in Quang Ninh Province, between May and July -- the hot season in northern Vietnam.

The deal is implemented when many parts across Vietnam are dealing with power outages caused by excess demand and shortages amid a prolonged heat.

The electricity sector has called on people to save power, especially on hot days.

So far this year, the entire country has experienced below-average rainfall due to abnormal weather patterns.

The current water level in numerous hydropower reservoirs is significantly depleted, resulting in challenges for power generation.

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Police from Thanh Hoa Province in north-central Vietnam smashed a ring transporting and trading 14 kilograms of synthetic drugs from neighboring Laos, arresting three suspects.

Police officers caught Vang A Tung, residing in Sai Khao Village, Muong Ly Commune, Muong Lat District, Thanh Hoa Province, red-handed transporting 14 kilograms of synthetic drugs from Laos to Thanh Hoa, the provincial police department said on Tuesday morning.

Tung led a drug-trafficking ring in the Vietnam-Laos border areas.

Police later detained Nguyen Minh Phong, 30, and Nguyen Thanh Tung, 31, both living in Tan Uyen Town, Binh Duong Province, a neighbor of Ho Chi Minh City, for their alleged involvement in the ring.

Leaders of the Thanh Hoa police department check the exhibits of the case. Photo: Supplied by Thanh Hoa Police

The results from a preliminary investigation showed that Tung is familiar with the border areas between Vietnam and Laos, so he colluded with some Lao people living in villages there.

He also joined hands with some people in Binh Duong and Ho Chi Minh City to transport drugs from Laos to Thanh Hoa and then to the two southern localities for consumption.

They regularly changed vehicles and drug delivery time and venues.

They mainly delivered drugs late at night or early in the morning to avoid police attention.

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Police in Ho Chi Minh Citys District 5 on Tuesday filed charges against a Vietnamese housemaid for stealing around VND1.1 billion (US$46,555) worth of gold jewelry items from a local gold shop where she was working.

The suspect was identified as Nguyen Thi Mong Ly, 37, a native of Ben Tre Province in Vietnams Mekong Delta region.

On May 11 this year, the owner of the gold shop in the district reported to police a theft of three bags containing gold chains, pendants, and keychains, valued at about VND1.1 billion ($46,555) in total.

Police officers then launched a probe into the case and discovered Ly was the suspect.

According to the preliminary investigation results, Ly began working as a domestic helper at the gold shop in February this year.

On April 29, the shop owner allowed the employees, including Ly, to have several days off to enjoy a public holiday, which lasted from April 29 to May 3.

However, after the holiday, Ly quit her job at the shop without advance notice.

On the night of May 11, police officers came to Lys house in Ben Tre to question her about the case.

Ly then confessed to the theft of the gold jewelry on April 29.

All the stolen jewelry items were recovered by police officers.

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Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a telegram asking relevant ministries and agencies to adopt drastic measures to prevent and battle wildfires due to heatwaves.

The prime minister also ordered the enhanced safety of the national power grid.

To minimize damage caused by wildfires, the prime minister urged local authorities to beef up supervision of fire prevention and fighting operations and consider the task as a key duty.

The provinces and cities should not be negligent in the fight against wildfires and must patrol fire-prone areas round the clock, according to the telegram.

Moreover, authorities were told to proactively evacuate residents from dangerous areas if necessary to ensure the safety of people.

It is vital to tighten control over vegetation treatment by fire in and near forests, and rice-field and dump burning activities, said the prime minister.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is in charge of monitoring fire prevention and fighting nationwide.

The prime minister assigned the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises to ask the Vietnam Electricity Group to team up with local authorities and relevant agencies to ensure the safety of the national energy power and an adequate supply of power for production and daily activities.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is responsible for updating forecasts about the weather and heatwaves to relevant departments and residents to make it easier to fight against fires.

Heatwaves are scorching many parts of Vietnam, with the highest temperatures ranging from 37 to 39 degrees Celsius.

Several localities such as Hoa Binh, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Quang Tri, Quang Nam, and Lam Dong have reported wildfires triggered by extreme heat.

The El Nino phenomenon is forecast to exacerbate extreme weather, increasing the number of hot days, according to the national weather center.

El Nino refers to a weather phenomenon caused by the warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

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Astronauts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will talk to young people in Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province, south-central Vietnam next month.

The activity is part of the NASA Vietnam week  Binh Dinh 2023, slated for June 8 and 9, Nguyen Huu Ha, deputy director of the Binh Dinh Department of Science and Technology said on Monday, adding that the province has issued a plan to organize the event.

The NASA Vietnam week  Binh Dinh 2023 will feature the Astronaut Talk Show, set to be held at the provincial convention center, and the NASA STEM DAY - Starry Night program, planned to take place at the Center for Scientific Discovery and Innovation and the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education.

The event is aimed at providing the scientific progress of NASA to the next generation. Astronauts will also share stories about life in space and the universe.

Scientific studies about how to protect the earth, reduce environmental pollution, warn of risks of collisions between planets, and seek life outside the Blue Planet will be also shared at the event.

The program will inspire the youth and develop their passion for studying science and exploring the surrounding world," Ha added.

"It will help in career orientation and boost creative thinking among students through educational activities.

This will be the first time for NASA to send its astronauts to a Southeast Asian country.

Binh Dinh and Hau Giang Province in southern Vietnam were chosen to host the event.

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Gazing up at the faintly smiling Buddha, the Chinese youths kneel, raise smoldering sticks of incense in clasped hands, and silently make their wishes. Then they bow deeply, three times.

Thousands of young people from around the country are making the pilgrimage to Yonghe Temple, a sprawling Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Beijing, to pray for good fortune  especially in finding jobs.

A lot of young people here are praying to the Buddha to help them find work, says Qian Ninan, a college student from Inner Mongolia, adding that she hopes her petitions before the temples many Buddhas will smooth her own career journey.

I am worried I may have trouble finding a job in the future, says Ms. Qian, a student of Chinese-Mongolian translation, who made the trek to the Beijing temple on the May 1 Labor Day holiday.

Even as China works to revive its economy after three years of strict lockdowns under the zero-COVID policy that ended in December, the unemployment rate for Chinese youth aged 16 to 24 has surged, reaching a record 20.4% last month. This comes as young Chinese are reconsidering work-life balance altogether, increasingly opting for less demanding jobs. With another 11.6 million college graduates flooding into the job market this year, the pressure is only likely to mount, experts say. And so will their search for comfort and hope as job seekers look for careers that align with their values.

You had a huge expansion of university education in China over the last couple of decades, creating a surplus of youth competing for limited white-collar jobs, says Andrew Batson, China research director for Gavekal Dragonomics, which covers macroeconomic and market trends in China. Meanwhile, a lot of the jobs that the economy is creating are blue-collar jobs, he adds. Its a mismatch in terms of peoples expectations.

Struggle and rejuvenation

In response to the high unemployment and shifting youth attitudes, Chinas leadership is urging todays young people to double down. They should work harder and bear the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation, in the words of a recent commentary in the Communist Party mouthpiece, Peoples Daily.

Top leader Xi Jinping is calling on young people to go labor in rural areas and temper themselves with hardship, as he did back in 1969, during Mao Zedongs down-to-the-countryside campaign. The hard life of going to the countryside for seven years was great training for me, Mr. Xi was quoted as saying on May 4 in a front-page Peoples Daily article featuring his ideas on the qualities of good youth.

Young people must prepare for struggle, the article continues. If you choose a Buddha-like mindset, you wont scale the peak of your career, it says.

But the mood at the temple suggests youth are setting less lofty goals. Seeking relief from the pressure cooker of Chinas job market, many say they want to carve out a more balanced life.

Leaving the temple after offering prayers, a college senior from the central city of Wuhan says that even with a computer science degree, he isnt confident hell land a position at a major tech company. Its really hard to find a job in China now, he says, withholding his name to protect his privacy.

Instead, he says hes simply looking for work that will allow him some free time often lacking in Chinas 9-9-6 work culture: a 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. schedule, six days a week.

Ill be glad to just have a job with weekends off, he says.

Seeking small-town life

Overall, Chinese youth are downgrading their career ambitions, official data suggests. They are more willing to accept lower pay, and live outside the more expensive first-tier mega-cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, according to a 2022 survey on employment trends of Chinese college students released by the State Council, Chinas cabinet.

The survey found an intensified mentality of graduates seeking stability and the pursuit of a comfortable life, in part by pursuing work in state-run enterprises and public sector jobs. Indeed, those sectors have acted as a ballast, with more than a third of state-owned enterprises and state agencies increasing their overall number of jobs, the report said.

While revived economic growth and consumer spending will eventually create more jobs for young people, Mr. Batson from Gavekal Dragonomics says, and ease the current unemployment crisis, its less clear how that will impact the shifting youth attitudes.

People are making lifestyle decisions, says Zak Dychtwald, founder and CEO of the Shanghai-based Young China Group. While older Chinese were willing to work 60 to 80 hours a week to get their families ahead, this younger generation is far more oriented towards living in the moment, he says.

The gravitation toward the security of government jobs risks a decrease in innovation, which China cant really afford, he says.

Xie Taoyao, a college freshman who recently visited Beijings Yonghe temple with her boyfriend, embodies such trends.

Ms. Xie recently decided it will be too hard to get a job after finishing the engineering management degree shes enrolled in. Instead, she plans to return to her hometown in Hebei Province after graduation and become a teacher.

Back home, my parents will be closer and everything will be convenient, she says. Her boyfriend, from the same town, plans to return, too.

In the first-tier cities the pressure is quite great, but its less in smaller towns, she says. A lot of the young people around me feel the same way.

Kneeling before one Buddha after another at the temple, Ms. Xie said she gained a sense of determination and hope. It was a way to encourage myself, she says.

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By Nick Carey

LONDON (Reuters) - Proposed Euro 7 emissions regulations will lead to direct costs for auto manufacturers that are up to 10 times higher than the European Commission's forecasts, Europe's car industry group said on Tuesday, citing a new study.

The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said a study by consultancy Frontier Economics found that the direct costs for petrol cars and vans - including type approval, investment and equipment costs - to comply with Euro 7 would be 1,862 euros ($2,050) per vehicle, versus the Commission's estimate of 184 euros per vehicle.

The study said direct costs for buses and trucks would average 11,707 euros per vehicle, compared with a Commission estimate of 2,765 euros.

The ACEA said the increase in prices for consumers and companies buying those vehicles would be even higher.

"The European auto industry is committed to further reducing emissions," ACEA Director General Sigrid de Vries said in a statement. "However, the Euro 7 proposal is simply not the right way to do this, as it would have an extremely low environmental impact at an extremely high cost."

European carmakers have been fighting back against Euro 7, arguing the regulations are too costly and unnecessary because the industry is spending tens of billions of euros in zero-emission electric vehicles (EVs).

But the European Commission says the regulations are needed to cut harmful emissions and prevent a repeat of Volkswagen AG's so-called Dieselgate emissions scandal of 2015.

European Union countries and lawmakers will negotiate proposals this year for tighter limits for diesel - but not petrol - car emissions and for heavy-duty trucks and buses, including nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide.

Euro 7 would take effect in mid-2025 for cars and in mid-2027 for trucks and buses.

Last week Italy's transport minister said the country and its EU allies "have the numbers" to block Euro 7.

($1 = 0.9084 euro)

(Reporting by Nick Carey in London; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
How Fake AI Photo of a Pentagon Blast Went Viral and Briefly Spooked Stocks

(Bloomberg) -- A falsified photograph of an explosion near the Pentagon spread widely on social media Monday morning, briefly sending US stocks lower in possibly the first instance of an AI-generated image moving the market.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Just past 10 a.m. New York time, when the photo was circulating, the S&P 500 declined by about 0.3% to a session low. As news emerged that the image was a hoax, the index quickly rebounded.

The fake photo, which first appeared on Facebook, showed a large plume of smoke that a Facebook user claimed was near the US military headquarters in Virginia.

It soon spread on Twitter accounts that reach millions of followers, including the Russian state-controlled news network RT and the financial news site ZeroHedge, a participant in the social-media companys new Twitter Blue verification system.

A duty officer from the Pentagon said in an email to Bloomberg there were no reported incidents Monday morning. The Arlington Police Department also tweeted, There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public.

Ahead of official sources refuting the photo and the Twitter accounts that spread it, people pointed out that the image may have been generated by artificial intelligence.

Nick Waters, a researcher at the open-source intelligence group Bellingcat, said in an interview that the shock of hearing about a rumored explosion near the Pentagon led him to examine the photo.

Check out the frontage of the building, and the way the fence melds into the crowd barriers, he said on Twitter. Theres also no other images, videos or people posting as first hand witnesses.

As the facts emerged, Twitter accounts responsible for spreading the photo began to delete their tweets or post corrections. RT and ZeroHedge deleted tweets with the image, and ZeroHedge said the photo had been confirmed as fake.

As with fast-paced news verification, we made the public aware of reports circulating, RT said in an email. Once provenance and veracity were ascertained, we took appropriate steps to correct the reporting.

A paid account on Twitter called Bloomberg Feed that also posted the photo was suspended Monday morning.

A Bloomberg News spokesperson said that Bloomberg Feed and a Twitter account called Walter Bloomberg, which also carried the report, arent affiliated with Bloomberg News.

While the origin of the image remains unclear, speculation that it was generated by AI deepened concerns that emerging technologies that make it easy to create images and other content will accelerate the spread of misinformation.

On Facebook, the account that first published the fake photo  alongside other published posts related to the conspiracy group QAnon  had a false information label appended to their original post. Facebook blocked access to the post and said that the image had been checked by independent fact-checkers.

Twitter and Meta Platforms Inc., which owns Facebook, didnt respond to a request for comment.

--With assistance from Daniel Zuidijk, Courtney McBride and Katrina Lewis.

(Updates with RT comment in 10th paragraph of story first published on May 22.)

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Isambard Brunel back in his rightful place, thanks to Lloyd the Graffiti

Isambard Brunel back in his rightful place, thanks to Lloyd the Graffiti (Image: Western Telegraph)

The mighty Isambard Kingdom Brunel is back once again in his rightful place thanks to the amazing artwork of local painter, Lloyd the Graffiti.

A portrait of the versatile and audacious Brunel together with an accompanying steam engine have been painted onto two bins which are located near to the skatepark on the Brunel Quay in Neyland.

And it was here that Brunel began his innovative transformation of the town when he introduced the South Wales Railway back in April 1856.

Im sure that I can speak for all the people of Neyland as well as the town councillors in thanking those that have organised these two great pieces of artwork which depict the historic connection with both Isambard Kingdom Brunel and the railway, commented Cllr Ashley Phelan, who is Neylands deputy mayor.

It's fantastic to see the town's history and heritage being displayed for all to see, particularly to the younger generations, and its brilliant that Neylanders are so proud of their history.

The great historic connection to both Brunel and his railway will continue to be recognised and respected by our town.

Prior to Brunels arrival, Neyland consisted of a handful of cottages, two chapels and a pub, most of which were levelled by the railway company between 1855 and 1856.

But once the railway opened, it signalled a complete transformation of the town with its rapid growth and the arrival of a steamship service to Waterford and later to Cork in Ireland.

A huge pontoon, designed once again by Brunel, was launched in the spring of 1857 to facilitate the transport of passengers and livestock to and from Ireland.

In 1858, a steamship route from Neyland to Portugal and Brazil was inaugurated with the result that Neyland had by now, become a true railway boom town. And it was all thanks to the works of Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Brunel died of a stroke on 15 September 1859.
The digital asset industry is at a major crossroads. Regulators around the globe are moving to enact rules for the 15-year-old industry. The EU Parliament in April approved a slate of regulations called Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA), the most comprehensive multi-jurisdictional framework for digital assets ever. Hong Kong (with the tacit approval of China) plans to deliver a licensing regime this spring, putting it in a two horse race with Singapore to join Japan as a digital asset hub in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The G-20 group of nations is pushing for global regulation, with the support of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Meanwhile, in the U.S. we have fragmentation, frustration and fighting. This is a global economy now. Blocking digital assets in the U.S. doesnt stop the industry from moving forward. It simply puts American businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

Mike Belshe is the chief executive officer of BitGo.

U.S. capital markets are the strongest and most liquid in the world largely because of our regulatory regime. But when it comes to digital assets, were on a path to becoming one of the worst regulatory jurisdictions in the world. If we want a piece of this growing global industry, legislators and regulators need to get their act together  and fast.

What we have right now is a situation where were making rules piecemeal. We have per-state handling of digital assets such as New Yorks BitLicense, and inconsistent money-transmission rules from state to state. States are granting charters for crypto banks while the Federal Reserve is blocking access to its systems.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is denying all charters. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is implementing accounting rules which effectively block traditional financial institutions from participating in digital assets, while again stalling on defining digital assets. Instead, it is leaning heavily into enforcement, which isnt a problem in and of itself. Its that the SEC isn't making it clear what firms are doing wrong. Groundbreaking firms, with few avenues of recourse available, are suing regulators just to get their questions answered.

At the legislative level, the bills in play have become bogged down in partisan politics and its looking less and less likely that any federal legislation will pass this year.

Overall, U.S. regulators and legislators starting to participate is more positive than not. They are critical players in the financial ecosystem. Industry cant safely build businesses without them, but regulators must act quickly. If they dont, bad actors will continue to flourish, and firms that want to play by the rules will move to jurisdictions where growth and innovation are possible.

See also: SEC Is Alleging Legal Violations 'On the Fly,' Coinbase Says

The best approach right now would be to extend the basic investor protections of our traditional financial markets to include digital assets, while thoughtfully crafting new rules that fit the technology and exempting firms from other rules that do not.

The SEC has made some moves in the right direction. The agency's February 2023 draft amendment to bring digital assets under the "custody rule" is a great example of applying a rule that already works. In traditional financial markets, trading and custody are separate functions. Crypto has no such market structure, and the lack of regulation requiring it left the door open for fraudsters to make off with billions.

That could have been avoided if it had acted faster. When BitGo decided to pursue a trust company charter back in 2017, we approached the OCC for federal oversight. At the time, the banking regulator would not charter us, so we instead became a state-chartered trust company. But we didnt know whether we would be considered a qualified custodian per the SEC.

We proactively and voluntarily approached the SEC with that question in 2018, submitting a formal no-action letter. It declined to opine on that letter for over four years. If it takes that long to address such a basic question, how can we avoid falling behind competing markets?

The SEC in April put out a statement considering a proposal to update the definition of exchanges to include decentralized exchanges (DEXs). Here is a case where some of the rules apply, but others not so much. DEXs should be regulated and investors protected. But decentralized finance (DeFi) actually has the potential to do some of regulators work for them by enshrining their written rules in automated, auditable code.

DeFis real-time auditability and immutable public ledger is proving to be very useful for helping investigators recover funds. Spreading the same rules over DEXs like a schemer of peanut butter would be unnecessarily cumbersome and could potentially inhibit the usefulness of the technology.

[The SEC] declined to opine on that letter for over four years. If it takes that long to address such a basic question, how can we avoid falling behind competing markets?

The SEC has also taken a number of actions against staking programs offered by exchanges. This is a case where new rules are needed. Staking is a brand new way of validating transactions, and there are many variations on staking that dont fall neatly into the existing rules.

What if instead of just shutting programs down and levying fines, the SEC said, "OK, we get it, this is new and in a gray area. Stop doing these three things. Do these other three things, and you have six months to get this done and keep going. No need for a fine  we just want to see you move forward and build safe products."

See also: Wyoming Defends 'Legitimacy' of Its Crypto Charter

Thats the kind of collaborative attitude we need to move forward  not more actions against token issuers for selling unregistered securities, and against exchanges for facilitating the trading of them. SEC Chair Gary Gensler has repeatedly said that all that issuers and exchanges need to do is register and make the same disclosures about digital assets as companies are required to do when they offer securities.

Yes, disclosures are in order. However, there are some disclosures that dont apply, as well as things you might want to know about a digital asset that wouldnt be included in current disclosure requirements. For example, MiCA requires that projects disclose the type of blockchain consensus mechanism they use, and its environmental impacts. But for now, they can do that in a public white paper, rather than a prospectus. Providing new definitions and rules like these seems like a better course than regulation by enforcement.

The digital asset sector is a trillion dollar industry, requiring proportional banking support. By refusing to provide clear guidance for traditional banks to participate (and nearly every bank in America has wanted to participate in digital assets for at least four years), regulators inadvertently created significant concentration risk in a handful of relatively small banks, including Silvergate Bank, which grew its business by offering innovative products to the digital asset industry.

If instead of having one small bank shouldering 85% of the banking needs of the industry, we had had hundreds of banks each holding 1% of the industry on their shoulders, it would have been better for both industries. Regulators could have helped that happen.

The underlying cause of all the digital asset and bank implosions and consequent loss of investor funds is not due to the inclusion of digital assets in our markets; the problems are caused by excluding them. Legislative and regulatory failures to keep pace with innovation and create paths to invest in digital assets under the safety of capital markets supervision is directly responsible for harming the very investors these rules are supposed to protect.

There is no doubt that our established, regulated trading markets mitigate risk better than crypto markets. The best thing we could do to mitigate risk in crypto markets would be to help the established trading markets, banks, and custodians  our stewards of risk mitigation  participate. It's not a two-month effort. It's a multi-year ever-evolving effort, because the difficulty of keeping up with innovation is constant.

Once software enters an industry, it propels change, and the financial services industry is one that is particularly slow to change. The digital asset firms that are building for the long term are not seeking to avoid regulatory oversight or to build speculative assets and markets. Were in it to build better financial markets and we want to work with regulators to get clear guidance on how to take digital asset products and services to market.
Kosovo must implement Serbia peace deal before it can join NATO - US senators

Banners displaying the NATO logo are placed at the entrance of new NATO headquarters during the move to the new building

By Fatos Bytyci

PRISTINA (Reuters) - Kosovo must implement a Western-brokered peace deal with Serbia if it wants to achieve its goal of joining the NATO military alliance, two U.S. senators visiting Pristina said on Monday.

U.S. Democratic senators Chris Murphy, a member of the foreign relations committee, and Gary Peters, who sits on the armed services committee, urged the two countries to act quickly on the accord reached in March with European Union mediation. They are part of a congressional delegation visiting the Balkans.

"The pathway (for Kosovo) to NATO and to the European Union runs through an agreement with Serbia. That's a hard fact," Murphy told journalists at the U.S. embassy in Pristina.

Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, is not recognised as a state by four NATO members: Romania, Spain, Greece and Slovakia.

Murphy said the four could be convinced to accept Kosovo in NATO if differences with Serbia were settled. "It is dependent on this agreement being done and implemented," he said.

Despite a deal in March to normalise relations, there has been no progress on the ground especially in northern Kosovo where some 50,000 Serbs still do not accept Kosovo's statehood.

Washington is Kosovo's main supporter, both politically and financially. There are currently around 4,000 NATO troops in Kosovo, of whom 600 are from the United States to maintain the fragile peace.

Serbia and its traditional ally Russia do not recognise Kosovos independence, and Moscow has blocked the country's bid to become a member of the United Nations. Belgrade still considers Kosovo part of its territory.

(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
HCM CITY  HCM City will improve its business climate and create favourable conditions for foreign businesses, especially those from Slovenia, to invest in the city, said a city official.

Speaking at the Viet Nam-Slovenia business forum on Monday, Vo Van Hoan, vice chairman of the Peoples Committee, said the city will create optimal conditions for businesses of both sides to explore long-term partnership opportunities.

The EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which took effect in 2020, has opened up huge opportunities for Viet Nam to promote trade with the EU, including with Slovenia.

Both sides should enhance trade exchange activities and make full use of benefits from the trade pact by abiding by regulations on the origin of products, he said.

Commitments in the trade pact regarding tax reduction for Vietnamese and Slovenian products will help both sides expand market share in each country and other EU markets, he added.

The 100 million consumer market of Viet Nam could become a gateway for Slovenian investors to enter the 660 million-strong ASEAN market.

The city also wants to learn from Slovenias experience in building smart cities. Hoan called on Slovenian investors to invest in digital transformation projects in the city.

Slovenia is also a major partner of the city to develop the latter into a hub of economy, finance, commerce, and science and technology in the Southeast Asia region, he said.

Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, said Viet Nam is a promising market thanks to its political stability, affordable workforce and developed infrastructure system.

Both countries share ample room for collaboration in a range of fields such as water management, space-technology, seaports and logistics, among others, she said.

The two countries will sign a bilateral economic cooperation agreement in October, she revealed.

Slovenia has a long trade tradition, with an export oriented economy and companies that are firmly embedded in global supply chains, according to Fajon.

Viet Nam and Slovenia established diplomatic relations in 1994. Trade between Viet Nam and Slovenia has almost tripled from US$125 million in 2014 to $361 million in 2020.

Vietnamese exports to Slovenia were worth $440 million in 2021, according to the United Nations Comtrade database on international trade.  VNS
HA NOI - SHB on Tuesday officially announced it successfully completed the transfer of the first 50 per cent of charter capital at SHBank Finance Company Limited (SHB Finance) to its partner - Krungsri Bank of Thailand - a strategic member of MUFG Group (Japan).

They will complete the remaining 50 per cent in the next three years, subject to approval from the relevant regulators.

The completion of the acquisition follows the capital transfer agreement announced on August 25, 2021.

According to the Decision No 759/Q-NHNN by the SBV and the Establishment and Operation License No 21/GP-NHNN dated April 25, 2023, SHB Finance officially converted from Saigon- Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank Finance Single-member Limited Company to Saigon-Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank Finance Company Limited.

o Quang Vinh, Vice chairman and Deputy General Director of SHB, said the divesture to Krungsri Bank would bring a significant capital surplus for SHB shareholders and foster the banks financial capacity and fundamental factors, thereby promoting business activities in key segments, especially enabling massive investment in digital transformation.

This deal also helps SHB to strengthen its capital buffer  one of the bases to accelerate Basel III implementation and the application of international financial reporting standards (IFRS) in 2023, Vinh added.

The direct involvement of Krungsri - a leading financial institution in the region with extensive experience - is expected to create a new and comprehensive impetus for SHB Finance in accelerating the implementation of mid and long-term plans according to international standards, as well as in the development strategy of a financial company with leading strengths in Viet Nam in terms of technology and digitalisation.

Olena Khlon  Standing Deputy CEO of SHB Finance said: SHBFinance targets one million happy customers, marking its 5th anniversary and being in the Top 5 largest consumer finance companies in Viet Nam. With the partnership of Krungsri, a sound regional financial institution, will enable SHB Finance to quickly realise its goal of becoming one of the leading finance companies, and a companion for building a better life for all customer segments.

The acquisition also marked another milestone in strengthening Krungsis position as a regional bank with a strong ASEAN network, paving the way towards the banks aspiration to become the preferred Thai Bank Connecting Customers needs across ASEAN.

Kenichi Yamato, Krungsri President and Chief Executive Officer, said: We are delighted with this capital transfer completion. Krungsri extends a warm welcome to the new member of Krungsri Group - SHB Finance. Moreover, we would like to convey our appreciation to the relevant regulators and authorities for their approval and support. With the addition of SHB Finance in the banks portfolio, Krungsri firmly establishes its presence in 5 ASEAN countries, making great strides toward our commitment to connect customers needs across the region.

Viet Nams economy is expected to continue the high gearing, driven by an annual growth potential of around 6-7 per cent, together with blooming business opportunities due to rising consumption. Krungsri is well-recognised as a leader in consumer finance. Our expertise and experience will be vital levers for SHB Finance to deliver superior services to its customers with enhanced smart and accessible consumer finance solutions. Krungsri is confident that its synergy with SHB Finance will strengthen SHB Finances brand, performance, its position as a top player in the Viet Nam consumer finance market, he added.

Krungsri, the fifth largest bank in Thailand in terms of assets, loans, and deposits, has overseas businesses in Lao PDR, the Philippines, Cambodia, and the latest one, Viet Nam. The bank also has a representative office in Myanmar.

Established in 1993, SHB is currently in the Top 5 largest joint stock commercial banks in Viet Nam. By the end of 2022, SHB has total assets of more than VN550 trillion (US$23.3 billion) and pre-tax profit of VN3.5 trillion in the first quarter of the year, posting 10.3 per cent year-on-year increase.

SHBs goal is to become the leading joint stock commercial bank in terms of efficiency and technology by 2027, with a vision to 2030 to become the leading modern retail bank in the region.

After five years of operation, SHB Finance has covered the market in 51 provinces and cities; serving almost 500,000 borrowers. SHB Finance targets to be in the Top 4 consumer finance companies in Viet Nam by 2025. VNS
Duy An

Viet Nams broken rice (locally known as com tam) was chosen the second place among the top 100 most tasty rice dishes in Asia by TasteAtlas, the home of local food, traditional restaurants, and authentic recipes, in March this year.

This traditional dish of Viet Nam is cooked from broken rice, once considered food for the poor. Still, nowadays, it has become a special popular dish in the country, particularly in Ha Noi and HCM City, TasteAtlas said, noting that Japanese sushi ranked first.

A friend of mine, Chiam Jia Xine from Malaysia, said during his recent trip to Ha Noi, he was interested in not only bun cha (vermicelli with grilled pork and fresh herbs) and rau muong xao (fried morning glory with garlic) but also broken rice.

I like broken rice eaten with grilled sour and sweet pork ribs and salad made from the mix of cucumber, tomato slices, minced garlic and chilli, he said, noting that he enjoyed the dish because the rice is soft, fragrant and sweet.

Different from the Vietnamese habit of using chopsticks, this rice dish is used table wares like those of Western people, he commented.

Came into being from Sai Gon (now HCM City) in the early 20th century, when the country had entered into the urbanisation process, broken rice has become popular in almost southern provinces to meet increasing demands, said HCM City resident ang Hong Minh, 80.

When becoming the countrys biggest tourism hub, luring a lot of foreign tourists, travellers, and businesses, sellers in the city have served table wares to make the dish suitable for foreign guests instead of using chopsticks and bowls as before, Minh said.

Today com tam has become a symbol of Sai Gon cuisine. It is often said that Sai Gon people eat broken rice as much as Hanoians eat pho (noodle soup).

In the past, com tam was considered rice for poor people because the broken rice was considered chicken food. But when people discovered it's tastier and rich in protein and vitamins such as B1, it became a famous speciality that local dinners and foreigners wish to enjoy, Minh said.

The main ingredients to be eaten with a com tam plate include grilled sour and sweet pork ribs, nem chao (boiled pork skin cut into threads, cut bacon mixed with fish sauce, roasted rice powder and spice) and many others.

Restaurants are serving broken rice with fried tofu, braised pork and steamed egg mixed with minced pork, vermicelli pieces, wood ears, fragrant mushroom, fresh onions and spicy (locally known as com tam cha); fried fish, and boiled chicken, said Minh.

There are different styles of com tam. They include broken rice cooked in a tinny earthen pot, fried broken rice in Vietnamese or Thai recipes or com chao, which means broken rice, vegetable, meat and eggs are poured into the pan, stirred and enjoyed hot.

In 2012, CNN remarked street broken rice is an attractive and popular dish in Sai Gon, while in August of the same year, the Asia Book of Records recognised Sai Gon broken cuisine value together with nine other Vietnamese dishes.

Furthermore, EBS TV of South Korea also praised broken rice as the special characteristics dish of Sai Gon, saying those visiting the city and failing to try the dish may not fully understand it.  VNS
HCM CITY  An exhibition titled Buddhism and Peace is being held by the HCM City Photographic Association and the Viet Nam Buddhist Research Institute to mark the 60th death anniversary of Thich Quang uc.

The exhibition at Nguyen Van Binh Street in District 1 commemorates the Buddhist monks self-immolation to protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the US during the war.

It displays 138 photos chosen from a contest of the same name held in March-May, which attracted over 1,200 entries.

Chairman of the association, oan Hoai Trung, said the exhibits aim to showcase core Buddhist values and the great contributions made by Thich Quang uc to Vietnamese Buddhism.

The event focuses on promoting Buddhist perspectives on peace, condemning wars and encouraging patriotic activities, he added.

It also inspires creativity in photographers, he added.

The winners of the contest received awards at the exhibition.

They include a photo titled Tieng Chuong Hoa Binh (The Bell of Peace) by Nguyen Thuy, which depicts a monk ringing a bell made from a 500kg bomb shell, and aims to convey the message of how peace can be built after pain and an instrument of destruction can still be made into something that can bring peace to people.

It won the top prize in the contest.

Nguyen Trung Tin, a student from Ton uc Thang University, visited the exhibition after learning about it on social media. He said the exhibition enabled him to learn about Buddhism and understand more about the connection between Buddhism and life.

"Many photos here convey fascinating facets of Buddhism such as peace and healing. I also saw a few about requiems for soldiers, and I think it is cool how some of these photos also show the connection between Buddhism and politics."

The exhibition will go on until May 28.  VNS
HA NOI  The 15th National Assembly (NA) passed a resolution approving the Prime Ministers proposal on the appointment of ang Quoc Khanh, Secretary of the Party Committee of Ha Giang Province, as Minister of Natural Resources and Environment at its fifth session in Ha Noi on Monday.

The resolution to this effect was approved with 454 out of 467 deputies participating in the voting.

Khanh, 47, is a member of the 13th Party Central Committee; Secretary of the Party Committee of Ha Giang Province; and head of the Ha Giang provincial delegation of NA deputies.

On the same day, the National Assembly decided that Le Quang Manh  a member of the 13th Party Central Committee, Secretary of Can Tho City Party Committee, and head of the municipal delegation of deputies to the 15th NA  would hold the posts of member of the NA Standing Committee and Chairman of the NA's Finance - Budget Committee.

The decision was made by 468 out of 469 participating legislators.

Manh, 49, held many positions at the Ministry of Planning and Investment from 2003 to 2018 and was appointed Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment by the Prime Minister in 2018.

During the first working day of the 15th National Assembly (NA)s fifth session yesterday under the chair of NA Chairman Vuong inh Hue, the NA discussed and voted to approve the sessions agenda and heard Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai delivering a report on additional assessments on outcomes of the socio-economic development and State budget plans in 2022 and the implementation of such plans in the first months of this year, and a verification report by Chairman of the NA Economic Committee Vu Hong Thanh.

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee o Van Chien presented a report on people's petitions to this session, while Chairman of the NA Standing Committees Ombudsman Commission Duong Thanh Binh reported on supervision results of the settlement of petitions submitted to the legislature's fourth session.

Deputies also discussed personnel work and considered other important issues.

The NA approved a resolution relieving Nguyen Phu Cuong from the posts of member of the NA Standing Committee and Chairman of the NA Finance-Budget Committee.

On May 25, the NA will hold a live-broadcast plenary session, considering thrift practice and wastefulness prevention in 2022; the draft law and ordinance making programme for 2024 and amendments to the 2023 programme; and the State budget serving the implementation of tasks and projects under the socio-economic development and recovery programme.  VNA/VNS
HA NOI  President Vo Van Thuong has welcomed the Viet Nam visit by Chairman of the United Russia Party (URP) and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, saying that it affords both sides a chance to discuss orientations to Viet Nam-Russia ties, including cooperation between the two Parties and States.

During a reception in Ha Noi on Monday for Medvedev, President Thuong affirmed Viet Nam's consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of ties. Viet Nam always remembered the support that the former Soviet Union offered to Viet Nam in its national construction and defence, valued the Viet Nam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership and wished to further develop bilateral traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership for the benefit of both countries and prosperity of both peoples.

He thanked Russia for continuing to provide annual scholarships for Vietnamese students to study in Russian educational institutions, and believed that the fourth session of the Viet Nam-Russia Joint Committee on Education, Science and Technology, scheduled to be held later this year, would open up new cooperation opportunities in this field.

Medvedev affirmed that Russia attached importance to the comprehensive strategic partnership with Viet Nam.

Leaders of Russia, including the URP, paid attention to developing ties with Viet Nam as one of the top priorities, he said, adding that Viet Nam is an important partner of Russia in the region.

Both host and guest hailed the significant achievements in bilateral cooperation over the past years, especially in economy, trade, science, education-training, and locality-to-locality cooperation.

They vowed to continue facilitating people-to-people exchanges, especially among the young generation, and uphold the role of friendship associations between the two countries to enhance understanding and preserve the fine values of long-standing friendship with a history of nearly 75 years.

President Thuong thanked and suggested leaders of Russia and the URP continue creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community in Russia to settle down their lives.

On the occasion, he asked the guest to convey his regards to Russian President Vladimir Putin.  VNS
HA NOI  Vice Chairman of the National Assembly (NA) Nguyen uc Hai and Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic Jan Bartosek held talks in Ha Noi on Tuesday, agreeing to maintain mutual visits and experience sharing between the two legislative bodies.

Welcoming the Czech delegation, Hai affirmed that Viet Nam attached importance to the friendship and multifaceted cooperation with traditional friends, with the Czech Republic being a priority partner.

Bartosek said the Czech Republic treasured the time-tested friendship between the two countries, viewed Viet Nam as the most important partner in Southeast Asia, and hoped to promote bilateral cooperation in multiple spheres.

The two sides expressed their delight at the progress in their countries relations over the past years as seen in cooperation and delegation exchanges in many fields and at levels, especially the visit to Viet Nam by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala from April 20 to 22, 2023, helping strengthen the mutual trust and understanding between the two countries leaders and people.

They applauded the results of cooperation in such fields as economy-trade, science, education-training, and culture.

Vice Chairman Hai called on both countries to maximise advantages created by the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and actively carry out the outcomes of the Inter-Governmental Committees meeting held in Prague in late June 2022 to bolster bilateral trade and investment.

He asked Bartosek and other members of the Chamber of Deputies to continue supporting the Viet Nam-EU relations in all aspects, especially hastening other EU members ratification of the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and the European Commissions early removal of the yellow card warning against IUU fishing for Viet Nam.

For his part, Vice Chairman Bartosek stressed that Viet Nam was a potential economic partner, and more and more Czech enterprises were planning to expand operations in the Southeast Asian nation.

During the visit, his delegation will work with the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to discuss agricultural cooperation, he noted, proposing authorities of Viet Nam create favourable conditions for agricultural products of the Czech Republic, including pork, to access the Vietnamese market.

At the talks, Hai appreciated the Czech Republics enormous and effective assistance for Viet Nam in education and training, suggesting the two countries enhance ties in this regard.

He also thanked the Czech State for creating conditions for the Vietnamese community to become an ethnic minority group and settle down in the country.

Bartosek spoke highly of the role of the Vietnamese community, which was recognised as an ethnic minority group by the Czech Government in 2013 and has actively contributed to local socio-economic development.

The Czech official also suggested the two sides set up cultural centres in each others countries soon, open direct air routes, and provide favourable visa conditions to boost investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

The officials also shared views on regional and international issues of common concern. They affirmed that Viet Nam and the Czech Republic would maintain close coordination and mutual support at international forums and organisations, including the United Nations and the Asia - Europe Meeting (ASEM), and in promoting ASEANs relations with the Czech Republic and the EU.

With regard to the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea) issue, they reaffirmed the support for the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Talking about parliamentary cooperation, they agreed to maintain mutual visits between parliamentary leaders, committees, and agencies; increase sharing experience in and information about legislative activities; and coordinate to monitor the implementation of cooperation agreements and key projects between the two countries.

Hai and Bartosek highly valued the dynamism of the two parliamentary friendship groups, asking them to augment efforts to contribute more to bilateral cooperation.

They also pledged to keep coordination at multilateral forums such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Asia - Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP) meetings. The two legislative bodies will also step up viewpoint exchange and mutual support in issues of shared concern.  VNS
HA NOI  National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue on Tuesday affirmed that the Czech Republic is a very important partner of Viet Nam in Central-Eastern Europe, during his reception for Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech parliament Jan Bartosek in Ha Noi on Tuesday.

Hue hailed the outcomes of the talks between Bartosek and NA Vice Chairman Nguyen uc Hai, which took place earlier the same day, and stressed that the Czech legislators Viet Nam visit contributes to boosting cooperation between the two countries in general and their legislative bodies in particular.

Viet Nam always attached importance to developing relations with traditional friends in Central-Eastern Europe, including the Czech Republic, he said, noting that the bilateral political and diplomatic ties had been developing fruitfully, and agencies of the two governments and legislatures had maintained all-level delegation exchanges.

Hue used the occasion to thank the Czech Republic and other traditional friends for their support for Viet Nam during its past struggle for national liberation, as well as the present cause of national construction and development, highlighting that thousands of Vietnamese officials, engineers and workers had studied and worked in the Czech Republic, and many of them were holding important positions in the State apparatus, and the socio-economic life in Viet Nam.

Speaking highly of the Czech Republics recognition of the Vietnamese community as an ethnic minority group in the country, Hue said the recognition would contribute to enhancing the bilateral relations.

For his part, Bartosek emphasised that the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries have yielded fruits.

Recalling the official visit to Viet Nam by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala last April, the legislator said all-level delegation exchanges demonstrated the attention and efforts of the two countries leaders in elevating the bilateral diplomatic ties.

Bartosek expressed his hope that the two countries would open direct flights in order to forge their tourism cooperation and promote their trade ties in a more balanced fashion.

Host and guest shared the view that tourism would be a promising cooperation area if the two countries launch direct flights. This would also help enhance cooperation in trade, investment and people-to-people exchange.

Last year, two-way trade reached US$848 million, up 15 per cent from 2021, which, however, had yet to match their potential and desires, Hue said, stressing that the two economies were reciprocal.

Viet Nam wanted to export many products to the EU, including the Czech Republic, on the basis of the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement, and vice versa, Viet Nam would facilitate Czech goods' access to its market, he continued.

Regarding the legislative ties, the NA Chairman suggested the two sides continue pushing ahead with delegation exchanges, and consider the signing of a new cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese legislature and the Czech Chamber of Deputies to replace the one signed in 2009.

Bartosek affirmed that the Vietnamese community formed an integral part of the Czech society, and had helped build a friendship bridge between the two countries.

The official expressed his hope for stronger collaboration in education and training, promising that the Czech Republic would grant scholarships to Vietnamese post graduate students.

Hue suggested the Czech Republic urge other EU countries to soon ratify the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement, and the European Commission (EC) to soon remove its yellow card warning against Vietnamese seafood.

The two sides also exchanged views on some regional and international issues of shared concern.

Regarding the South China Sea (known in Viet Nam as the East Sea) issue, Bartosek affirmed his support for the settlement of disputes by peaceful measures, and in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS).

Hue asked Bartosek to convey his regards and invitations to the speakers of the lower house and upper house of the Czech parliament to pay official visits to Viet Nam. He also invited a delegation from the Czech parliament to attend the ninth Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Forum of Young Parliamentarians slated for September 15-17 in Ha Noi.

Bartosek and his entourage then attended a plenary session of the Vietnamese NA.  VNS
Chinese-invested car tire factory officially inaugurated in Cambodia

Xinhua) 10:10, May 23, 2023

This photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows a view of the General Tire Technology (Cambodia) plant in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Preah Sihanouk Province, Cambodia. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese-invested tire factory in Cambodia's Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) officially launched its operation on Monday.

The 300-million-U.S.-dollar General Tire Technology (Cambodia) plant, located in Cambodia's coastal province of Preah Sihanouk, is a subsidiary of Chinese tire maker Jiangsu General Science Technology.

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian cut the ribbon to officially inaugurate the factory, attending a celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) at the SSEZ.

Hun Sen said the tire factory is another fruit of cooperation between Cambodia and China under the BRI, adding that the plant will play an important role in processing local rubber into tires.

"The factory has brought about new capital, modern technologies, and tire manufacturing expertise to Cambodia," he said. "This factory will increase the value-added to the national economy and directly increase our farmers' income."

Gu Cui, chairman of Jiangsu General Science Technology, said the plant is capable of manufacturing 5 million semi-steel radial tires and 900,000 all-steel radial tires per year.

"Our products will be mainly exported to the United States, Europe, and Brazil among others," he said.

This photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows a view of the General Tire Technology (Cambodia) plant in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Preah Sihanouk Province, Cambodia. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

This photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows a view of the General Tire Technology (Cambodia) plant in the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) in Preah Sihanouk Province, Cambodia. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
HA NOI  Visiting Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Tanja Fajon has said that Slovenia would soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA) and prompt the EC to remove the IUU yellow card for Vietnamese seafood products.

She made the statement during the talks yesterday with Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son as she is on a two-day visit to Viet Nam.

Minister Son said Viet Nam always attached importance to and wished to strengthen the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation with the Republic of Slovenia, a traditional friend and partner of Viet Nam in Central Eastern Europe.

Minister Son welcomed and highly appreciated the Slovenian diplomat Tanja's first visit to Viet Nam, considering it an important milestone in promoting bilateral relations.

The Slovenian diplomat said that Slovenia would ratify the EVIPA and coordinate to organise the 3rd meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee on Economic Cooperation in October 2023 in Slovenia.

The Slovenian diplomat Tanja expressed her impression of Viet Nams positive socio-economic development achievements in recent years and said she highly appreciated the increasingly important role and position of the country in the region and the world.

She said Slovenia always attached importance to and wished to strengthen relations with Viet Nam, Slovenia's leading and important partner in Southeast Asia.

The two foreign ministers said they were pleased to see that over the past 30 years, the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries had been developing positively in many fields, especially in politics-diplomacy, and economy-trade.

They also agreed that the two countries had plenty of room to strengthen their bilateral cooperation further and agreed on measures to boost cooperation in many potential fields.

Regarding politics and diplomacy, the two sides agreed that it was necessary to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high-level ones in 2024 on the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The two sides would also closely coordinate and support each other at multilateral forums and international organisations, including the United Nations, Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), and the ASEAN-EU cooperation framework.

The two ministers highly appreciated signing a cooperation agreement between the two foreign ministries on this occasion, creating a legal foundation to promote cooperation between the two ministries and contributing to enhancing political understanding and trust between the two nations.

In terms of economy and trade, despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic cooperation between the two countries has maintained a positive growth momentum. Two-way trade in 2022 reached over US$570 million, up 15 per cent compared to 2021.

Son praised the Slovenian sides organisation of a business delegation for accompanying the Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister during her visit to Viet Nam.

He suggested the two sides closely coordinate to take advantage of opportunities brought by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), as well as encouraged Slovenia to increase investment in areas where Viet Nam has needs and Slovenia has strengths such as shipping, logistics, water and waste management.

She also wished that the two sides promote cooperation in green technology, renewable energy, environmental protection, seaports, and logistics.

She noted that the Slovenian Parliament was in the process of ratifying the EVIPA Agreement and affirmed its support for the EC soon to remove the IUU yellow card for Vietnamese seafood.

The two foreign ministers also agreed to coordinate in organising cultural, art and people-to-people exchanges to celebrate the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations in 2024.

During the talks, the two sides also discussed several regional and international issues of mutual concern. Regarding the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea), the two sides shared the importance of ensuring security, safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea as well as settling disputes by peaceful means based on international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

After the talks, the two leaders signed a cooperation agreement between the two ministries.

The Slovenian top diplomat also met with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.  VNS
Hong Phuc & Hoang Lan

YEN BAI  When she lost a leg due to illness, it seemed teacher Nong Thi Viet Nhung would have to leave school and leave behind her dreams.

But, not succumbing to fate, Nhung continued her passion, devoting herself to the education cause, the Quan oi Nhan dan (People's Army) newspaper reported.

Nhung, 48, is an ethnic Tay woman. She works at the Tran Phu Primary School in Luc Yen District, the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai.

Born and raised in Luc Yen District, where more than 53 per cent of the population are ethnic Tay group, seeing many students unable to attend school because of poverty, Nhung was determined to become a teacher.

I want to contribute a small part to my homeland so that my children's lives are brighter and brighter," said Nhung.

After graduating from a school of education in 1995, the young Tay teacher with many ambitions and enthusiasms taught at the Tan Linh Junior Secondary School in Luc Yen District.

The day I received the decision to work at the school, I was so moved because I was able to fulfil the dream I had cherished for long, she said.

Every day, regardless of the sun or rain, Nhung cycled from 6am to attend class on time.

Many days when my car broke down, I had to walk home," she said. "On the way back, only high mountains covered a black shadow without people passing by. But I instilled the spirit of love and passion for teaching work.

In 1997, Nhung moved to work at the Yen The Primary School No 1 (now Tran Phu Primary School).

Students and parents trust her because of her enthusiasm for teaching.

In 1999, the 24-year-old teacher was honoured to become the youngest member of the school to join the Party.

With the pride of a young Party member, Nhung is more aware of her responsibility than ever, determined to dedicate herself to the teaching cause she had chosen.

In 2000, Nhung's left leg started to hurt. Her knee swelled up, and it wasn't easy to walk.

Doctors informed her that she needed a bone transplant.

However, Nhungs body did not accept the transplanted bone. Her familys hope turned in vain when the wound was so severe.

The doctor advised amputating up to one-third of her thigh to walk on a prosthetic leg.

All my dreams completely collapsed," she said. "I was angry with all people's encouragement.

A 26-year-old teacher had many dreams and ambitions slip out of her grasp and she did not know how to continue. At the most beautiful age of her life, Nhung suffered from physical and mental pain every day. She became thinner and weighed less than 38kg.

But, from the K Hospital, where she was treated days after surgery that helped her find faith, started a new hope.

Every patient who came to the K Hospital left a part of their body, even their life," said Nhung. "Some people lose their hands but are still optimistic, making a living and covering their own lives. They told me that losing a leg is happier than many people losing arms or eyes."

Nhung regained her spirit. The love and encouragement from her family catalysed Nhungs confidence.

I still remember returning to work for the first time," she said. "Everyone looked at me so differently. Some people regret it, some are curious, and some even want me to show the artificial leg to them. I felt very strong, determined to continue working,"

Overcoming pains, she diligently studied books and lesson plans. She quickly proved her ability with help and encouragement from family and colleagues.

She participated in a competition for excellent teachers in the 2004-05 school year.

She won the highest mark in the competition.

She had many initiatives applied in teaching math and the Vietnamese language to primary students in Yen Bai Province.

With Nhungs contribution and unremitting efforts, the Luc Yen District's Division of Education and Training entrusted her to foster excellent students.

In the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years, she was awarded certificates of merit by the Luc Yen District's education division and the Yen Bai Province's Department of Education and Training (DoET) for outstanding achievements in fostering excellent students.

Nguyen Xuan Quang, head of the Luc Yen District's education division, said: Nhung is an important contributor to the professional tasks in the district and the province. Over the years, Nhung has greatly tried to overcome all difficulties to complete her assigned tasks. She has many initiatives and experiences for the primary curriculum.

Principal of the Tran Phu Primary School Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh said: Nhung is a core teacher who is intellectual, creative and has a unique dedication to her professional work. She is at the forefront of all school activities.

Nguyen Viet Cuong, a teacher at the Tran Phu Primary School, said: Nhung is always willing to help colleagues with professional expertise. Her students' parents always trusted her, being a good example for colleagues to follow.

In 2017, the then resident awarded Nhung the title of Excellent Teacher - the noble title of the education and training sector.

With such honour, she became one of the youngest excellent teachers in Yen Bai Province.

Two years later, she received a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister after her dedication to the education industry.

She was a typical delegate to the 10th National Patriotic Emulation Congress in 2020.

Maybe to others, it is a normal thing, but for Nhung, it was meaningful when people recognised and appreciated her efforts. Those recognitions have helped her continue firmly on the path she has chosen.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Health has issued its plan on the use of vaccines against COVID-19 this year.

It asked localities to determine vaccine needs and deploy injection plans based on their real situation, according to the plan, signed by Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Huong Lien.

The health ministry estimates that by the end of this year, localities will need more than 2,259 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The amount can change according to local recommendations.

Under the plan, people receiving the vaccines include over-18-year-old people who need booster doses, people between 12 and 18 years old who are yet to receive three doses and basic doses for children from five to 12 years old.

As for children under five, the MoH will have detailed instruction based on scientific foundations and the pandemic situation.

Vaccines against COVID-19 will still be given free of charge this year.

Funds for the vaccination are from the State budget, the COVID-19 vaccine fund and support from domestic and foreign organisations, individuals and other legal sources.

Existing COVID-19 vaccines will be maximised, especially the ones recommended or included in the list of vaccines for emergency use by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and those licensed by the health ministry.

The health sector will apply the mixed use of vaccines based on research findings and the experience of Viet Nam and other countries to enhance the immune response and guarantee safety, according to the plan.

The ministry also said in the plan that COVID-19 vaccination campaigns could also be combined with regular vaccination activities in localities.

By the end of April 26, Viet Nam has administered more than 266 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, according to the health ministry.

The country has completed primary vaccination for people aged 12 years and older. This year, it is necessary to continue vaccinating new people at the age to be vaccinated and booster doses.

A report from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology showed that as of April 25, there were about 2.8 million unused vaccine doses nationwide.

Associate professor Tran ac Phu, former director of the Viet Nam General Department of Preventive Medicine, said that at present, COVID-19 epidemic situation in Viet Nam was still under control.

Most new cases had mild or no symptoms.

Severe cases and deaths were mostly among people with underlying diseases or the elderly.

I think we need to protect those high-risk people," Phu said. "These cases need to be fully vaccinated according to the schedule and guidelines of the MoH."  VNS
HA NOI  An inspection team from the European Commission (EC) will visit Viet Nam to examine the countrys efforts on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing prevention and control in October instead of May as announced earlier, Tran inh Luan, Director of the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said.

Luan said that the EC suggested the organisation of online working sessions with Vietnamese authorities in May, June and October before sending the team to Viet Nam.

In late May, a MARD delegation will have in-person working sessions with EC representatives to update them on Viet Nam's achievements in IUU fishing prevention and control, hoping to narrow the ECs recommendations to Viet Nam.

Since the ECs inspection last October, Viet Nam has worked hard to implement four groups of the ECs recommendations on IUU fishing prevention and control, including those on legal framework; fishing vessel monitoring and control, and fleet management; seafood output verification and origin traceability; and law enforcement.

The MARD has also set up working groups to inspect the situation in coastal localities and instruct them in rolling out measures against IUU fishing and implementing the EC's recommendations.

Meanwhile, ministries, central agencies, and localities have focused on realising their tasks of IUU fishing combat, preventing and settling ships violating foreign waters and IUU fishing activities.

Luan urged ministries, sectors and localities to work harder to fix existing problems, step up communications on regulations against IUU fishing, and prepare to receive the EC inspection team, thus persuading the EC to remove the yellow card against Vietnamese seafood exports.

According to the Directorate of Fisheries, as of April 30, up to 28,797 out of 29,489 fishing vessels nationwide had installed vessel monitoring systems (VMS). Most of the remaining vessels have been out of service and kept ashore.  VNS
HCM CITY  Science and Technology Week 2023 (Water Week 2023) in HCM City is introducing the latest scientific knowledge and experiences in water supply and management from around Viet Nam and the world.

The event is being held by Saigon Water Supply Corporation (Sawaco) from May 22 to 25 as part of its celebration of the 18th anniversary of its establishment (May 24, 2005 - May 24, 2023).

The event aims to accelerate progress in the citys processes related to water supply and management, and raise public awareness of the role played by research and development in the field.

An exhibition is being held during the event to display products and innovative solutions for water-related crisis in the 2021-2023 period.

Several workshops will be held to share new ideas, learn from each other and collaborate on innovative solutions in making water a powerful tool for change.

A talk show called Sawaco Talk will be broadcast live (livestream) on the Sawaco Youtube channel where a range of water-related issues will be discussed.

In addition, a workshop will discuss how ChatGPT can improve customer service in the water supply sector.

The event is expected to attract a diverse mix of professional backgrounds, including decision-makers, business leaders, city planners, activists, and researchers from all over Viet Nam.

Participants can also participate in the event online (via YouTube Sawaco, Sawaco Website, and Sawaco Creative Hub).

Bui Thanh Giang, deputy general director and chairman of Sawaco Science and Technology Council, said: Tackling the most challenging problems of our time often involves water. This is an inclusive venue for all stakeholders to expand collaboration, inspire innovation, and accelerate water action to tackle the water-related crisis and make water a powerful tool for change, he said.  VNS
HCM City  The World Health Organization (WHO) has made efforts to find a reliable source of BAT drugs for treating botulinum poisoning in order to assist Viet Nam in effectively managing patients afflicted by the illness.

Since May 13, at least six cases of botulinum poisoning have been reported in Thu uc City.

All six patients had symptoms of fatigue, headache, dizziness, stomachache and diarrhoea, then began to have muscle weakness and difficulty swallowing.

Five of them were poisoned after eating bread with pork bologna (gio lua) sold by street vendors. Meanwhile, the other 45-year-old patient was hospitalised after having fermented fish sauce.

Three children who were hospitalised earlier are now in stable condition after they were given BAT at HCM City's Children's Hospital 2.

But the three remaining patients are still under care as Viet Nam has no BAT left.

According to the Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health, botulinum poisoning stems from infection with the bacteria Clostridium botulinum.

The cause is the ingestion of bacterial toxins in substandard and improperly preserved food.

Botulinum poisoning rarely occurs in Viet Nam and around the world, which leads to a scarcity of the required medication (botulism antitoxin heptavalent - BAT) worldwide. Therefore, the supply of BAT is limited.

The cost of BAT is also very high. In Viet Nam, BAT is not listed among medicines covered by the health insurance fund.

The Drug Administration of Vietnam has discussed with WHO to procure the necessary drugs for treatment after botulinum poisoning cases found in HCM City.

The Department has also requested Cho Ray Hospital contact import companies and suppliers to secure additional supplies of the essential drugs.

In 2020, the Ministry of Health sought WHOs support in sourcing BAT drugs to treat patients who were poisoned after consuming vegetarian pate contaminated with toxins.

WHO promptly provided assistance by supplying ten vials of Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) - (Equine), enabling timely treatment for patients.

The Ministry of Health also advises the public to be cautious and avoid preserving or consuming foods that have been processed and stored for extended periods.

This is crucial for maintaining food safety and minimising the risk of poisoning, including botulinum toxin poisoning.  VNS
HA NOI  The Vietnamese Students Association (VSA) Central Committees Standing Board on Tuesday spoke with Vietnamese undergraduate students inside and outside the country to listen to their aspirations and opinions on various issues.

Addressing the event, the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMYU) Central Committee and President of the VSA, Nguyen Minh Triet, said that the dialogue aimed to directly discuss with and answer questions from students regarding matters of concern.

The forum was expected to inspire their desire for making devotion in all fields of life and society, contributing to building a prosperous, happy and sustainable country, he said.

Ha Viet Hoang from the Ha Noi Technology of Science and Technology, the winner of The Brain Viet Nam 2019, said that in order to encourage students devotion and inspiration, it was necessary to create a favourable environment for them to develop.

Hoang also asked about the VSA Central Committees efforts to attract young talent to students movements.

Responding to Hoang's question, Ho Hong Nguyen, head of the HCMYU Central Committees School-aged Youth Department and Vice President of the VSA, said that the association always accompanied youngsters, while continuously renovating themselves as well as its programmes and activities to meet demands of the youth.

Along with designing data-driven activities, the association also encouraged young people to devote themselves to youth movements, contributing to national construction and defence.

Answering the questions on orientations and measures to support needy students to overcome difficulties, a VSA representative said that with the determination to not leave any student behind, in the future, the VSA Central Committee would continue to mobilise resources and increase supporting activities for the needy students, while giving special attention to students in difficult conditions.

The representative called on the VSA chapters in cities and provinces nationwide to join hands in the work and expressed hope that businesses and donors would continue to assist needy students to overcome difficulties.

During the dialogue, participants also discussed the implementation of a number of students movements, the digitalisation in the operation of the association, voluntary activities, engagement in protecting the Partys ideological foundation and State laws in social networks, studying and researching activities and the development of the VSA among students abroad.  VNS
HA NOI  President Vo Van Thuong on Tuesday cabled a message of sympathy to his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella over human and property losses caused by torrential rains and floods in the country.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also extended his sympathy to his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni.

The same day, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son sent a similar message to Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani.

At least 15 individuals lost their lives and over 40,000 were displaced from their residences due to floods and landslides caused by unusually heavy rainfall in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy last week.  VNS
TT Meridian, a leading international logistics and trading company specialising in the UK and Vietnam markets, on May 19 announced a new all-cargo air route between the UK and Vietnam via Turkmenistan.

TT Meridian, an international logistics and trading company specialising in the UK and Vietnam markets, has become the first Vietnamese business in the UK to open an all cargo air route between Vietnam and the UK via Turkmenistan.

The new route, announced by the company on May 19, is operated by Turkmenistan Airlines, the flag carrier of Turkmenistan.

The first all cargo air route between Vietnam and the UK is expected to boost bilateral trade activities as the UK-Vietnam free trade agreement (UKVFTA) came into effect in May 2021. Under UKVFTA, both governments have committed to promoting trade and economic cooperation by reducing or eliminating import tariffs on a wide range of products, removing trade barriers, and creating a more favourable business environment.

Thai Tran, Managing Director of TT Meridian said, TT Meridian as the cargo sales agent handling the UK to Vietnam leg is delighted to announce this new flight route. We believe it will provide exporters, importers and forwarding agents with more choices in addition to the existing direct and indirect services available in the market.

Thai expected the new UK-Vietnam all cargo flight will pave the way for more goods to be air transported between the two countries as well as for higher frequency of two-way all cargo flights.

Thai pointed out that new all cargo service using A330 aircraft that can carry 30 tonnes will also enable shippers to send large shipments that cannot be served by passenger flights.

From May, the flight departs from London Stansted Airport to Turkmenistans Ashgabat International Airport on Wednesday evening, local time. Transit time is approximately 4 hours. It then departs from Ashgabat International Airport on Thursday morning and arrives at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Thursday afternoon local time. The return flight departs from Hanoi on Thursday evening and arrives at London Stansted Airport on Wednesday morning the following week. Transit time is 5-6 days.

Together with Turkmenistan Airlines, Swissport and ACSV (the ground handling agents in London and Hanoi respectively) and other partners, TT Meridian operated a few trial flights in the past few weeks, Thai said, adding he believes the quick connection time in Turkmenistan, the transit point between the UK and Vietnam, and the competitive air freight will be supportive for forwarding agents, shippers and consignees during this challenging economic time.

Despite the global recession, there has been a notable growth in movement of physical products from Vietnam to the UK and vice versa. According to the UK Department for Business and Trade, total Vietnam exports to the UK in 2022 amounted to 5.9 billion GBP (7.34 billion USD), an impressive increase of 30.3% against 2021. Total UK exports to Vietnam in 2022 was 1.0 billion GBP, a year-on-year increase of 22.3%./.

Source: VietnamPlus
The quantity of Vietnamese agricultural goods exported to China via border gates in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has witnessed a significant upswing this year, surpassing figures from previous years.

The quantity of Vietnamese agricultural goods exported to China via border gates in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has witnessed a significant upswing this year, surpassing figures from previous years.

The newfound export surge can be attributed to China's recent modifications in its COVID-19 prevention policies, leaving farmers in a state of anticipation.

Vang Kim Sinh, a farmer of Tan Tien Hamlet, Trinh Tuong commune, Bat Xat district said he and his neighbours have shifted to plant bananas instead of cassava to earn a living in recent years.

The technique of growing bananas is simple, bringing higher income than growing cassava, he said.

He said since the beginning of this year he has sent several containers of bananas through Kim Thanh International Border Gate.

One container contains about 3,300 boxes of bananas, he said.

He said that the price of bananas, which are exported to China, is more than doubled that of bananas he sells to the domestic market.

When China closed its door due to the pandemic, he said that bananas from the commune were only sold domestically with the highest price of 3,000 VND (0.12 USD) per kg.

Now, he said the bananas had been exported to Chinas Yunnan province with the price over doubled, about 7,000 VND (0.30 USD) per kg.

Statistics from Lao Cai provinces Customs Department showed that in the first quarter of this year, import and export turnover through local border gates reached nearly 186 million USD.

The export turnover reached 92.4 million USD, about 90.1% higher than last year, while the import turnover reached 93.2 million USD, about 15% higher than last year.

Agricultural products are still the main exported products, reaching more than 71 million USD, about 63.2% higher than last year, Chinh phu (Government) News reported.

Agricultural products account for 76.8% of the total export turnover. Main agricultural products include dragon fruit, banana, rambutan, watermelon, cassava and durian.

Creating favourable conditions

Duong Xuan Sinh, deputy director of the provincial Customs Department, said that the department had deployed the electronic customs model and electronic tax collection-and-payment model to assist businesses in saving time and costs in taking customs clearance procedures at border gates.

The department has also maintained good infrastructure to serve the operation of the "priority stream" for agricultural products through a pair of international road border gates of Vietnams Kim Thanh and Chinas Beishan since June 28, 2019, he said.

Besides, he said that the border guard force had arranged more staff to regulate traffic at the border gates, instructing drivers to stop and park at the right places.

He said about 300 vehicles carrying imported and exported goods run through Lao Cai International Border Gate daily.

"We have restored all activities on the border areas to facilitate economic development and trade at the border gate," said Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Trong Tue of the Lao Cai International Border Gates Border Guard Station.

In addition, the border guard force has also created favourable conditions for entry and exit for people, vehicles and goods through the Kim Thanh International Border Gate based on the principle of strictly implementing the agreement on border gates and regulations on the management of the land border gate between Vietnam and China.

Enhancing connectivity

China has been an important export market for some agricultural and aquatic products of Vietnam, and it is the largest export market for Vietnamese vegetables, fruits, cassava and products from rubber. After the US and Japan, it is the third largest export market for Vietnamese seafood products.

Some commodity groups such as seafood, fruit, and coffee of Vietnam are among the ten largest exporters to China.

During an official visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in late 2022, the two sides already signed several Protocols on the export of agricultural products.

China officially reopened border gates on January 8 this year after it changed COVID-19 prevention policies, offering an opportunity for many types agricultural and aquatic products of Vietnam to export to China.

To Van Quang, Chinas Dong Dang Investment Industry Company Limited, said that this year, the company plans to buy 35,000 tonnes of durian, including 15,000 tonnes from Vietnam.

Besides, the company also demands to buy 120,000 tonnes of purple sweet potatoes and seafood such as catfish and pit fish.

With great help from large State-owned enterprises in China and competent authorities in Vietnam, the company is promoting the establishment of the Vietnam Seafood Trading Centre in Fangchenggang City in Guangxi Province, he said.

Fangchenggang Citys administration has started the construction of two large-scale seafood cold storages. The first cold storage has an area of 600 acres (2.4 million sq.m) with the capacity to store 200,000 tonnes of seafood. He said the second cold storage has an area of 1,000 acres (over 4 million sq.m) with a storage capacity of 600,000 tonnes of seafood.

Therefore, he said Vietnamese seafood could enter the Chinese market in large quantities very quickly in the future.

He added that the centre in Fangchenggang City is also a place where buyers and sellers can directly meet and transact.

Vu Ba Phu, Director of the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that trade promotion activities with the Chinese market have been active since the first months of this year.

He said this year's export promotion activities for the Chinese market focus on supporting Vietnamese businesses and localities to export their products through official channels to China.

Vietnam has a northern border with China with a length of over 1,449 km. Cross-border import and export activities in seven northern border mountainous provinces, with seven international border gates, six bilateral border gates, and 21 sub-border gates, are getting busier and busier./.

Source: VietnamPlus
The Vietnamese government is focusing on high-value investment. How can high-value foreign direct investment (FDI) in particular support the nations economy?

Vietnam has over the years successfully transformed into an export-led economy where foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) create more than 70 per cent of the countrys exports.

The manufacturing sector, particularly electronics and textiles and garments, has been the key driver. High value investments cover a broad range of sectors including semiconductors, renewables, electric vehicles (EVs), logistics, data centres, fast-moving consumer goods, and higher education. These are value-added industries poised to take Vietnam to the next level of qualitative growth.

Vietnam has over the past 35 years learned and experienced the benefit of establishing a manufacturing supply chain ecosystem. The strategy to focus more on high-value FDI attraction is absolutely the right direction, and its commendable.

Focusing to encompass and comprehensive build out of the relevant regulatory and operational landscape is conducive to attracting those sectors that are very important. There are many forms of incentives beyond tax, and these include areas where many multinationals would place considerations before making decisions.

Firstly, they must consider whether there is a promising outlook for those high-value sectors, including the availability of related sector local suppliers. Second is whether there are efforts being placed in the country to forge a sustainable ecosystem surrounding those sectors is key. Third is the availability of quality resources, especially in the fields of engineering and research and development. Last is transparency of corporate governance and regulations.

In Vietnam, which sectors are most attractive for high-value FDI?

There are several characteristics or market motivating features that the Vietnam brand has been able to garner over the years, and these will help to define what the most attractive sectors are.

By 2030, Vietnams domestic consumption market will be bigger than of the UK, Germany, and Thailand, and it will rise to the ranks of the top 10 globally. This is backed by the growing middle-income class and a young, tech-savvy population.

Segments such as e-commerce, data centres, fast-moving consumer goods, and higher education will all be relevant sectors. Vietnam is also blessed with favourable natural conditions enabling the success of the wider renewables sectors. Vietnam has also learned from the past 35 years of experience and knowledge to establishing manufacturing supply chain ecosystem and this will support the attraction of high value added FDIs beyond electronics and into sectors such as the semiconductors and the wider EV industry.

With the government focusing more on high-value FDI, do you think this will limit Vietnams opportunities in attracting other types of investment?

Focusing on high-value FDI is absolutely the right direction to pursue from a strategic point of view. And for this to be realised, the relevant infrastructure and supply chain ecosystem needs to be set in motion. However, at the same time, the wider FDI across various sectors and industries is still very much relevant to the success of the Vietnam story.

Establishing the electronics manufacturing ecosystem has taken many years. In the early 2000s, the export of electronics goods was less than 5 per cent of total exports. Today, it accounts for more than 35 per cent.

Accordingly, we should both avoid the perception Vietnam focusing largely on high-value added FDI as well as de-risk any potential gaps in inflow, which is paramount to the countrys exports as well as the wider economy.

How can HSBC support FDI and ensure it flows into those sectors?

HSBC Vietnam can provide an effective support in laying the nexus for high-value FDI to flow into the country. Our vast international network allows a broad focus and engagement of those international multinationals considering making entry into Vietnam.

We have also been operating across wholesale and retail banking. With a deep footprint of over 150 years in the country, the bank has gained local market insights as well as placing us in a position to advise global and regional multinational companies effectively in navigating the journey.

The bank is also proud to be a market leader in sustainable financing across the different regions and will continue to play a meaningful role in building the sustainability landscape in the country.

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There are crabs in the Rach Tram River, so my wife and I caught baby crabs for farming. I initially raised some 100 units and saw the effectiveness," Loc said.

Early this year, I bought more plastic boxes at VND25,000 [US$1.06] each to farm around 1,500 crabs.

He has sold about 500 crabs raised this way.

Traders have even gone directly to his house to buy crabs at VND300,000-500,000 ($12.7-21.2) per kilogram, which is about three to six crabs.

With the high prices, Loc earned a profit of over 60 percent.

He plans to invest in an additional 4,000-5,000 plastic boxes to expand the model.

Loc also raises blue crabs to increase his familys income.

Nguyen Van Quan, deputy head of the administration of Rach Tram Hamlet, said Loc is the first one in the hamlet to farm crabs in plastic boxes.

This is a new economic model that brings high profits.

The hamlet has established a team to support Loc and locals to improve their crab farming techniques, thus stabilizing their lives.

tuoitrenews
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has approved the long-delayed Power Development Plan VIII (PDP8), which will guide national energy policy for the rest of this decade and beyond.

The plan awaits formal authorisation from the National Assembly, which is expected to meet from May 22. The first PDP8 submission was made in March 2021 and more than 10 draft versions were published.

Weve all been waiting for PDP8 approval for several years now, so this is excellent news, said John Rockhold, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AmCham). I appreciate that the government has taken enough time to research and refer to a realistic PDP8. This is in line with the governments concerted efforts to accelerate the green energy transition towards its commitments to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Meanwhile, Bui Vinh Thang, country manager in Vietnam at the Global Wind Energy Council, told VIR, With this approval, the Vietnamese government and the industry can move to the implementation phase to turn the ambitious targets of energy transition and net-zero commitment into reality. We applaud the target of 28 GW of wind energy by 2030, including 22 GW of onshore and 6 GW of offshore,

Source: allens.com.au

Setting out a roadmap

The PDP8 aims to ensure energy security through to 2030, with a vision towards 2050. The comprehensive plan encompasses key aspects, including power grid interconnections with neighbouring countries.

Under the plan, by 2030, it is expected that the share of renewable energy sources  which include hydropower, solar, wind, and biomass  in total energy capacity would have increased by about double.

The plan also seeks to reduce dependence on coal-fired thermal energy, thus aligning with global trends towards sustainable energy. Coal power, which is currently a significant component in Vietnams energy mix, is also set to decline from approximately 30 to 20 per cent by 2030, while the contribution of natural gas will nearly double. Looking ahead to 2050, coal power sources will be almost completely phased out.

Looking to 2050, renewable energy sources will grow dramatically, making up 70 per cent of total power capacity and producing 80 per cent of all electricity (see chart).

In which, by 2030, onshore and offshore wind power for domestic use will be roughly 21,880MW and 6,000MW, or 4 and 14.5 per cent of the nations total power generation capacity, respectively. By 2050, the amount is projected to rise to 70,000-91,500MW for offshore power, or 14-16 per cent of the total.

Meanwhile, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is going to contribute 14.9 per cent to total power generation capacity by 2030.

Gas power capacity will reach 40.3 GW by 2035, but as mixed gas and hydrogen power grow more common, the gas share will fall to 7 per cent by 2050, according to the plan.

AES Vietnam president Joseph Uddo said, This is a great step in Vietnams energy transition. The focus on LNG and renewable energy makes a lot of sense. This formalises the continued support that AES has received on our Son My CCGT project and the Son My LNG terminal project. Its clear these projects are of national importance.

Stuart Livesey, CEO of Copenhagen Offshore Partners Vietnam, also responded positively to the PDP8 approval.

The company is currently participating in development of the 3.5-GW La Gan offshore wind project off the south-central coast of Binh Thuan, in addition to a further 4 GW in the south and 6 GW in the north of early-stage development projects across multiple provinces.

Livesey now has more confidence in goals for offshore wind in Vietnam, and now anticipates further developments. The approval has strengthened the potential of the Vietnamese market. We are confident that if the government can establish a clear implementation plan with transparent investor selection and power purchase agreements that adhere to international standards, then 6 GW of offshore wind can be delivered efficiently by 2030, Livesey said.

The PDP8 stresses the significance of building a solid smart grid infrastructure capable of successfully integrating and operating large-scale renewable energy sources. Vietnams emphasis on smart grid infrastructure underlines its commitment to dependable and effective renewable energy.

During 2021-2030, there will be new construction of 49,350 megavolt amperes (MVA) and renovation of 38,168MVA of 500kV substations, as well as building 12,300km of new 500kV transmission lines and renovating 1,320km.

Additionally, the PDP8 emphasises the necessity of reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to the production of electricity, with the goal of reaching a peak emission level of no more than 170 million tonnes by 2030.

Whats next?

The estimated investment capital for power source and transmission grid development is approximately $134.7 billion for 2021-2030, and $399-523 billion for 2031-2050.

Another challenge for the implementation of the PDP8 is time. There are less than seven years left for Vietnam to double its total power capacity compared to today, along with a huge amount of investment in the grid. Ambitious green energy transition goals require very specific mechanisms to attract huge capital, and the most modern technologies both at home and abroad.

According to Tomaso Andreatta, chairman of the Green Growth Sector Committee at the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, the approval of the PDP8 is an important step in completing the governments formal framework to reform the energy system to meet upcoming needs.

However, the real work starts now in defining the legal tools for implementing the plans, unifying the authorisation processes through a single gate, and financing an extremely ambitious investment plan that surpasses national capabilities, he said. We must also change the decision processes of all parties involved by considering lifecycle economics and not just initial investment, and adapting to new technologies that may be more cumbersome today but allow for the only real progress towards decarbonisation.

Andreatta explained carbon subtraction and new carbon credits alone cannot rebalance the carbon emissions of natural gas, LNG, and coal. A strong base load of renewable energy and, as soon as feasible, green hydrogen accompanied by storage can be given even more room.

The necessary reforms to succeed include various aspects such as strengthening local banks, opening up to international investment in infrastructure, improving Vietnams credit stance, and strengthening Electricity of Vietnam by bringing energy prices to cover the full cost and investment necessary to completely revamp the grid, with the support of private companies, he added.

Rochhold from AmCham added that, in order to attract investment in the power sector, there is still a lot of work to be done to develop and implement the PDP8. It is even more necessary in light of the energy crisis and summer conditions. Due to the current heat, the risk of electricity shortage increases, so Vietnam needs to invest in the electricity industry, promote and develop these projects soon, he said.

At a press conference on May 18, a representative of the MoIT confirmed that they are urgently performing tasks assigned by the government as a legal basis for the implementation of PDP8. The MoIT is assigned the task of improving mechanisms and policies, such as completing the revised Law on Electricity and building a direct PPA mechanism.

Details for Power Development Plan VIII -Total energy capacity will rise from the current 76GW to over 158GW by 2030. -Coal capacity will rise to about 30GW from the current 24GW. This is almost 20 per cent of the energy mix, down from the current 30 per cent. -Currently at 7GW of capacity, thermal gas will rise to almost 15GW of domestic gas and 22GW of imported liquefied natural gas by 2030. -Solar and wind will see huge growth, with substantial offshore wind in place and an emphasis on rooftop solar. -Regulations are also included for a direct power purchase agreement, which major groups have been calling for.

PM stresses urgent need for keeping power supply, demand balanced Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a meeting in Hanoi on April 3 to look into the electricity supply and the provision of coal and gas for power generation.

Energy security deemed more likely with appropriate offshore wind strategy Offshore wind power is not only expected to contribute to Vietnams net-zero goal by 2050 but also help with the countrys ever-increasing hunger for energy.
Vietnam offers clear growth opportunities for transportation and logistics

The partnership, which will be majority-owned by A.P. Moller Capital, brings together its expertise with the regional knowledge of VinaCapital  both leaders in their respective spheres  to build and scale a portfolio of assets that target top quartile returns in a private capital structure. Investment and other major decisions will be made jointly.

Dhruv Narain, partner at A.P. Moller Capital said, "We are delighted to be building an asset portfolio that performs for our investors whilst also doing good for communities in high-growth markets. Doing this in Vietnam with a committed and reputable partner like VinaCapital is a privilege."

Andy Ho, chief investment officer at VinaCapital, said that logistics is a critical part of Vietnams economic growth story, and VinaCapital has a successful track record in the sector over its 20 years in business. This includes investments in Gemadept and Transimex, as well as warehouses and industrial parks.

Our partnership with A.P. Moller Capital brings together two of the most experienced players in their respective fields and creates an investment platform that has the potential to transform the logistics industry in Vietnam. We are excited to work with the team at A.P. Moller Capital to identify and invest in promising Vietnamese logistics companies and contribute to the sectors growth and development, Ho added.

A.P. Moller Capital, which is part of the A.P. Moller Group, is a value-add infrastructure fund manager with unique expertise, networks, and people focused on the logistics and transportation sectors.

With a population of close to 100 million, a consistent GDP growth rate of over 5 per cent, and a strong and stable regulatory and investment climate, Vietnam offers clear opportunities for growth in the transportation and logistics sector.

Managing working capital within a complex environment We ended 2022 amidst considerable uncertainty. The global economy is being impacted by several interlocking events such as the war in Ukraine and high food and fuel prices.

Cainiao P.A.T. Logistics Park welcomes Vsico Shipping as anchor tenant On February 15, Cainiao P.A.T. Logistics Park, operated by Cainiao Network  the logistics arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group  welcomed its newest anchor tenant, Vsico Shipping JSC.

Capital thirst to fuel real estate M&A: insiders Many property developers are planning asset and stock sales as they look to slash debts, restructure business and stay afloat, which is expected to lead to a surge in M&A deals in the market.

VinaCapital led consortium to invest in $13 billion wind power project The consortium of VinaCapital Group and EDF Renewables proposed surveying four locations to implement an offshore wind power project in Ba Ria - Vung Tau province with a total project investment of about $13 billion and a capacity of 3,000MW.

Uncovering potential effects of USDs trajectory on Vietnamese currency A stronger US dollar is prompting a flight to safety, and investors might be looking for a safe harbour in US-denominated equities. Brook Taylor, CEO of VinaCapital Asset Management, discussed with VIRs Luu Huong how the State Bank of Vietnams latest initiatives on the exchange rate could impact foreign funds into Vietnam.

Venture capitals continue to bet on domestic startups Investment platform VinaCapital Ventures will disburse $10 million in the next three months, while Antler is set to release approximately $2-3 million to startups in Vietnam in 2023.
The annual BCI Asia Awards, now into its 18th year, has been taking place in seven Asian countries and territories: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Beyond recognising developers and architecture firms that are building and designing the greatest volume of buildings in the seven markets, the BCI Asia Awards aims to encourage the creation of socially responsible architecture.

Celebrating 18 years of building and design leadership, BCI Asia Awards remains one of the most coveted awards in the regional building industry while serving as a platform for domestic and international networking among elite architecture firms, property developers, manufacturers and service providers.

Top 10 Architects and Developers Awards

The BCI Asia Top 10 Developers and Architects Awards will also be bestowed at the awards ceremony.

The Top 10 Architects/Developers are identified as the firms with the greatest aggregate value of projects under construction during the last full calendar year by the extent of their sustainability and confirmed green building ratings.

The criteria for the Top 10 Architects also include projects from the pre-tender stages to recognise early-stage Green design efforts.

In alphabetical order, the BCI Top Ten Architects and Developers for 2023 are as follows:

With soaring portfolio values, the BCI Asia Top 10 Awards has gained traction and prominence in recognising the architects and developers that are an integral part of the industry.

FuturArc Prize

The FuturArc Prize (FAP) 2023, an international green design competition for architecture professionals and students alike, which was held from October 2022 to February 2023 with the theme of Cross-Generational Architecture.

The theme explored the rapid change of societal compositions throughout Asia, asking entrants to envision sustainable design solutions for future generations amidst ongoing climate and planetary challenges.

Over 300 participants from around the globe took part in the 2023 cycle. The jury panel comprised experts in sustainable design and planning from various countries, including Nan Chyuan (Singapore); Miya Irawati (Indonesia); Tan Loke Mun (Malaysia); and Quang Vu Linh (Vietnam).

The winners and merit recipients from Vietnam will be awarded at the BCI Asia Awards Vietnam with cash prizes, trophies, certificates and international publication in the FuturArc print magazine and online platforms.

BCI Asia Interior Design Awards

The BCI Interior Design Awards (IDA) 2023 calls for interior design projects in the theme of' Human-Centred Interiors,' awarding projects that showcase well-designed spaces that empower users to reside, engage and enrich their lives joyfully and meaningfully. The awarded designs illustrate a deep understanding of the users psyche, behaviour, habits and preferences.

More than 200 participants submitted their completed interior projects to IDA 2023 from Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Taking part in the jury panel are notable experts in the field, namely Bee Eu Tan (Malaysia), Francis Surjaseputra (Indonesia), and Wesley Liu (Hong Kong).

The winners and merit recipients will be honoured at the BCI Asia Awards Vietnam circuit with cash prizes, trophies, certificates and international publication in the Construction+ print magazine and online platforms.

Vinexpo Asia returns to the heart of Asia The Vinexposium group is ramping up its commitment to Asia by turning Vinexpo Asia into a key annual event for the wine and spirits industry across the region.

Regional winners unveiled at 17th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards PropertyGuru Group has announced the regional winners representing the best in Asia at the 17th Annual PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final.

Generali Vietnam CEO shining among Outstanding Vietnamese Business Leaders in 2022 On October 12, Tina Nguyen, CEO of Italian-backed life insurer Generali Vietnam, was honoured with the Outstanding Vietnamese Business Leaders 2022 recognition at a ceremony to celebrate Vietnam Entrepreneurs' Day, organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Broken rice (or com tam) has become a must-try dish for locals, foreign visitors, and travellers to Vietnam.

Hanoi - Vietnams broken rice (locally known as com tam) was chosen the second place among the top 100 most tasty rice dishes in Asia by TasteAtlas, the home of local food, traditional restaurants, and authentic recipes, in March this year.

This traditional dish of Vietnam is cooked from broken rice, once considered food for the poor. Still, nowadays, it has become a special popular dish in the country, particularly in Hanoi and HCM City, TasteAtlas said, noting that Japanese sushi ranked first.

A friend of mine, Chiam Jia Xine from Malaysia, said during his recent trip to Hanoi, he was interested in not only bun cha (vermicelli with grilled pork and fresh herbs) and rau muong xao (fried morning glory with garlic) but also broken rice.

I like broken rice eaten with grilled sour and sweet pork ribs and salad made from the mix of cucumber, tomato slices, minced garlic and chilli, he said, noting that he enjoyed the dish because the rice is soft, fragrant and sweet.

Different from the Vietnamese habit of using chopsticks, this rice dish is used table wares like those of Western people, he commented.

Came into being from Sai Gon (now HCM City) in the early 20th century, when the country had entered into the urbanisation process, broken rice has become popular in almost southern provinces to meet increasing demands, said HCM City resident Dang Hong Minh, 80.

When becoming the countrys biggest tourism hub, luring a lot of foreign tourists, travellers, and businesses, sellers in the city have served table wares to make the dish suitable for foreign guests instead of using chopsticks and bowls as before, Minh said.

Today com tam has become a symbol of Saigon cuisine. It is often said that Saigon people eat broken rice as much as Hanoians eat pho (noodle soup).

In the past, com tam was considered rice for poor people because the broken rice was considered chicken food. But when people discovered it's tastier and rich in protein and vitamins such as B1, it became a famous speciality that local dinners and foreigners wish to enjoy, Minh said.

The main ingredients to be eaten with a com tam plate include grilled sour and sweet pork ribs, nem chao (boiled pork skin cut into threads, cut bacon mixed with fish sauce, roasted rice powder and spice) and many others.

Restaurants are serving broken rice with fried tofu, braised pork and steamed egg mixed with minced pork, vermicelli pieces, wood ears, fragrant mushroom, fresh onions and spicy (locally known as com tam cha); fried fish, and boiled chicken, said Minh.

There are different styles of com tam. They include broken rice cooked in a tinny earthen pot, fried broken rice in Vietnamese or Thai recipes or com chao, which means broken rice, vegetable, meat and eggs are poured into the pan, stirred and enjoyed hot.

In 2012, CNN remarked street broken rice is an attractive and popular dish in Saigon, while in August of the same year, the Asia Book of Records recognised Saigon broken cuisine value together with nine other Vietnamese dishes.

Furthermore, EBS TV of the Republic of Korea also praised broken rice as the special characteristics dish of Saigon, saying those visiting the city and failing to try the dish may not fully understand it.
Condotel Movenpick Phu Quoc in Kien Giang Province. Photo wikiland.vn

Hanoi - Buyers of condotels, officetels and resort villas will have ownership certificates from May 20 under a new decree guiding the Land Law implementation.

Owners of condotel apartments who fully satisfy the conditions under the land law, construction law and the law on real estate business shall be granted a certificate of ownership of land-attached construction facilities according to the commercial or service land area purpose.

On April 3, 2023, the Government issued Decree No. 10/2023/ND-CP on amending and supplementing several decrees guiding the Land Law implementation from May 20.

The land use term shall comply with provisions of Clause 3 Article 126 and Clause 1 Article 128 of the Land Law. Owners of construction facilities shall take responsibility before the law for fully satisfying conditions prescribed by the construction law and the law on real estate business.

The ownership term of the condotel depends on the purpose of land use following current regulations but not exceeding 50 years of the ownership term for land allocated or leased by the State for commercial or service use.

Buyers may only own land and apartments during the remaining land use period, not for long-term use as residential land.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has urged localities to grant ownership certificates to the buyers of condotels, officetels and resort villas, according to the Official Dispatch No 3382/BTNMT- that the ministry has recently sent to the people's committees of localities.

The ministry has also asked the localities to create conditions on information technology infrastructure to carry out online administrative procedures for granting this certificate.

According to experts, Decree No. 10/2023/N-CP will remove legal bottlenecks for investors and buyers of condotels, officetels and resort villas.

Pham Duc Toan, General Director of EZ Real Estate Investment and Development Joint Stock Company (EZ Property), said that the market had expected the new decree for a long time. When it comes into effect, it will open a way of continuing development for many unfinished projects.

The Government's new decree has created a legal corridor for buyers, making them feel safe in property ownership and value. It will create a new investment wave in the tourist real estate market.

For condotels, officetels and resort villas, transactions in the secondary market are also simplified further. Buyers and sellers only need notary offices to complete the transaction procedures. Before the decree, besides working at the notary offices, the buyer also completed procedures with the investor and paid a fee to the investor, Toan said.

Owners will also be protected under the Real Estate Business and Housing Law for operation management.

Nguyen Van Dinh, vice chairman of the Viet Nam Real Estate Association, said that many investors expect Decree No.10/N-CP and it creates a breakthrough in the synchronisation of the legal system.

With this new policy, the unfinished projects in major tourist and resort centres, such as Da Nang, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, will benefit from removing legal obstacles, Dinh said.

Experts say that if legal problems in the condotel, officetels and resort villa market are resolved, it can restore nearly 239 frozen projects nationwide, with a total value of about VND682 trillion (US$30 billion).

According to the experts, it is necessary to study and issue regulations to ensure secondary investors' rights and interests when they invest in resort real estate projects. It makes the investors feel safe when they invest a lot of capital in resort real estate.

For many years, resort real estate development has been seen as a way to develop tourism infrastructure to achieve the goals of the Viet Nam Tourism Development Strategy.

According to this strategy, Vietnam targets to become an attractive tourist destination by 2030 and in the world's top 30 countries in terms of tourism competitiveness.

The General Statistics Office reported that Vietnam's tourism industry recorded a strong recovery with a year-on-year increase of 19 times in foreign tourists to 3.7 million in the first four months of 2023.

The number of domestic tourists during the period was estimated at 38 million.

Total revenue from tourists was estimated at VND196.6 trillion ($8.3 billion).

The strong growth of the tourism industry in the first four months will revive the resort real estate market after two years of losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic and return on rental income will bring confidence to investors.

Buyers of condotels, officetels to get ownership certificates Ownership certificates will be granted to buyers of condotels, officetels, resort villas and other properties which are built on commercial and services land and used for accommodation and tourism purposes.
How does DKSH support companies to grow their businesses in Vietnam?

As a market expansion service provider across 37 markets, we continuously make efforts to not only improve our world-class services, but also contribute to the sustainable development of industries as well as communities.

With more than 30 years of experience in Vietnam, we are proud of being trusted partners of hundreds of companies across healthcare, consumer goods, performance materials, and technology.

We leverage that global experience combined with in-depth local market knowledge to help businesses succeed. This combination is our competitive advantage, which enable us to offer comprehensive solutions that meet the demand for growth of our clients and customers. We have also invested in high-quality facilities and infrastructure at 21 locations nationwide. Additionally, people are one of our key assets, contributing to company development. We consistently improve our workplace and policies to create the best place to work for everybody.

The stability of the supply chain is always a critical factor. How does DKSH learn from various global uncertainties?

Firstly, we need to make sure that we care for all the staff so that they will always contribute to the companys stability and development.

The second lesson is to develop leadership, especially local leadership, who have thorough knowledge about the market. During difficult times, they are the ones that make important decisions. They are also the connector among sources, not only those within DKSH, but also among partners and local authorities.

The third is to pay due attention to our operation mechanism to ensure that it is continuously improved and ready to make timely responses to any event, even unexpected ones.

What are the plans of DKSH in Vietnam to contribute to the countrys effort in the digital and green transition?

DKSH has continuously strengthened and expanded its service offerings to deliver growth for existing as well as new companies in Vietnam, Asia, and beyond. Besides offering our business partners best-in-class services, we also leverage our market position to contribute to the sustainable development of the communities where we operate, including Vietnam.

Being environmentally conscious, DKSH is committed to playing its part in preventing climate change. Our commitment to sustainability is further strengthened by our joining the UN Global Compact in May 2022 globally, as well as announcing a new target for gas emission reduction of 65 per cent by 2025 against our 2020 baseline.

We are going to replace halogen lightbulbs with LED bulbs to optimise utility consumption at all of our warehouses, distribution centres, and cross docks by the end of 2023. We also conduct a feasibility study with the owners of the buildings/distribution centres where we lease to consider the installation of solar panels. Moreover, when planning for any new distribution centre, we make a conscious decision to prioritise sustainable features.

As part of our daily operations, we are transforming our transportation to be more sustainable with specific solutions. We optimise vehicles, schedules, and delivery routes by reviewing the volume and delivery frequency of delivery points.

Throughout the distribution partner selection process, we favour those who also take environmental responsibilities seriously. We also strongly encourage partners to use renewable energy or green vehicles and/or consider more environmentally friendly alternatives when it comes to energy consumption.

Besides gas emissions, the bulk of our waste comprises packaging materials from our logistics. Our supply chain management team has recently reused carton cardboard to replace bubble wrap and styrofoam in packing goods for delivery.

Over the past few years, DKSH has continuously embraced digital technologies to adapt to ever-changing market environments and ensure sustainable growth. In partnership with HSBC and Payoo, we have implemented mPay, a cashless payment solution that supports businesses by providing multiple options on one single platform.

Lipton Teas partners with DKSH to boost presence in Vietnam Lipton Teas and Infusions has partnered with DKSH Business Unit Consumer Goods, a leading partner for companies seeking to grow their consumer goods business in Asia and beyond.
Fund management acquisitions unlock new edge / illustration photo/ Source: Shutterstock

TPBank in late April presented its proposal to acquire a fund management company at its AGM. According to CEO Nguyen Hung, the acquisition of a subsidiary specialising in fund management is an objective necessity for the bank, ensuring a solid legal foundation and addressing market demands.

Hung emphasised that the acquisition of a subsidiary specialising in fund management was not merely an option but vital. This strategic manoeuvre is poised to fuel TPBanks pursuit of robust development, fortifying its position within the market and elevating its competitiveness.

TPBank previously integrated TPBank Securities Company (TPS) into its ecosystem, assigning key positions within the company since 2019. Furthermore, TPBank has consistently injected substantial funds during recent substantial capital increases by TPS, ensuring a sustained ownership stake.

The banks chairman Do Minh Phu said, Our current ecosystem encompasses a securities company as a vital affiliate. This year, we have grand plans to acquire a formidable fund management company. This strategic expansion will propel TPBank to ascend as a paramount financial conglomerate, leaving an indelible mark on the industry.

Likewise, Sovicos HDBank also revealed its ambition in its recent AGM to acquire a securities company as the bank aims to expand its range of services, diversify its revenue streams, and bolster its service-oriented income through various new activities such as underwriting, financial advisory, corporate restructuring, and asset management.

HDBank emphasised that the stable economic growth of the country served as a favourable backdrop for the development of the securities market.

Additionally, with the number of securities accounts in Vietnam currently representing only slightly more than 6 per cent of the population, significantly lower than the 10-15 per cent benchmark in other regional and global markets, the untapped growth potential of the Vietnamese securities market is evident, an HDBank executive said.

This strategic move aligns with the broader trend observed among major financial institutions in developed markets, where expanding into the securities sector has become a common strategy to efficiently meet customer needs while optimising value.

With abundant financial resources following successful equity sales to Japanese partner SMBC, VPBank is implementing its plan to become a top-tier financial conglomerate.

In 2022, VPBank successfully acquired nearly all the shares of ASCS Securities and rebranded it as VPBank Securities. Subsequently, VPBank injected additional capital into the company, increasing its charter capital to VND15 trillion ($638.7 million), making it the largest securities company in Vietnam in terms of charter capital.

If five years ago marked the era of the banking and consumer finance sectors, the next five years will usher in a new era for securities and investment banking. VPBank, poised at the helm, shall not squander this golden opportunity. We recognise the colossal potential that lies within the realm of professional investment banking, said VPBank CEO Nguyen Duc Vinh.

According to Vinh, the acquisition and integration of ASCS Securities into VPBanks ecosystem will diversify the banks range of services and aid in its development.

Despite its recent entry into the banks ecosystem, he added, VPBank Securities has already contributed over VND500 billion ($21.3 million) in consolidated profits to the group. Given the growth potential of the securities industry, the bank expects VPBank Securities profits to triple this year.

On the same note, MB chairman Luu Trung Thai reiterated that MB has no intention of divesting its stake in its securities arm MBS, as it forms the core that fortifies the financial conglomerates structure, enabling MB to thrive as a top entity.

Techcombank Securities (TCBS) has outlined a key objective in 2023, which is to pursue a private placement of shares from Techcombank valued at over VND10 trillion ($434.78 million). This issuance is expected to raise the banks ownership stake in TCBS to 94.2 per cent.

The securities company experienced some fluctuations during 2022-2023, but I firmly believe that the market will quickly recover, said chairman of Techcombank Ho Hung Anh.

The proposed capital increase is scheduled to unfold between the latter part of the second quarter and the early stages of the third quarter in 2023, and expected to propel TCBS into the upper echelons of the securities industry.

Tran Hung Huy, chairman of ACB, unveiled the banks plan regarding ACBS  its securities firm  during a recent discussion.

He confirmed that ACB had been exploring the prospect of a capital transfer within ACBS and had been searching for development partners to accelerate growth. However, the unexpected onslaught of the pandemic disrupted the meticulously laid out roadmap, necessitating a temporary postponement.

Dai-ichi Life Vietnam Fund Management Company launches open-ended fund Dai-ichi Holdings is deepening its roots in Vietnam in order to cash in on the markets immense potential.

WB to help Vietnam Social Security in pension fund management Deputy General Director of the Vietnam Social Security (VSS) Nguyen Dinh Khuong recently held a working session with a delegation from the World Bank (WB) led by financial expert Alwaleed Alabatani in Hanoi to discuss the launch of a technical support programme for pension fund management.
Indonesia, Iran to sign preferential trade agreement/ Illustrative photo (Photo source: tasnimnews.com)

Jakarta  Indonesia and Iran will sign a preferential trade agreement (PTA) on May 23 to improve trade relations and boost the trade transaction value, Indonesias Trade Ministry announced on May 22.

The ministry's director general of international trade negotiations, Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono said that it will be the second agreement between Indonesia and the Middle East region as the first was signed with UAE on July 1, 2022.

According to Djatmiko, the PTA signing will be carried out within the framework of Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi's visit to Indonesia from May 23 - 24.

During his visit, the two countries will also hold a bilateral meeting to discuss further trade cooperation potential.

The PTA signing will continue with the ratification process, with each country formulating its own mechanism. The products that will be listed in the PTA will include processed foods, pharmaceutical products, rubber, paper, textiles, wood, footwear, cotton, electrical machinery, motorised vehicles, manufacturing products, chemicals, and aluminum.

Indonesian products that are quite popular in the Iranian market such as vegetable oil, cocoa, coffee, tea, spices, fruits, vegetables, and fish, will also be given preference in the PTA.



Meanwhile, Indonesia will provide lower tariff facilities for several products originating from Iran, including mineral fuel, oil and its derivatives, chemicals, steel, pharmaceuticals, mechanical equipment, fruits, processed foods, nuts, and wheat.



Djatmiko emphaised that the PTA is very important as Iran is considered as a country with huge economic capabilities in the Middle East region and vast natural resources.

Indonesia sees Iran as a gateway to Central Asia, the official said, adding that by entering Iran, Indonesia can enter surrounding areas such as Azerbaijan, and even Turkey.

The total trade between Indonesia and Iran reached 54.1 million USD in the first three months of this year and it was recorded at 257.2 million USD last year.

FPT Smart Cloud sets its sights on Indonesia: unleashing AI innovation to transform financial market Armed with a rich portfolio of AI-driven solutions and backed by an illustrious track record, FPT Smart Cloud aims to empower businesses, optimise operations, and foster sustainable growth across various sectors, particularly the banking, finance and insurance industries in Indonesia  the largest economy in the Southeast Asia.
VinFast is going public through a tie-up with special purpose acquisition company Black Spade

The electric vehicle (EV) arm of Vingroup made its debut on the US stock market by entering a business merger agreement with Black Spade Acquisition Company on May 12.

The overseas listing represents a significant milestone, highlighting the companys determination to establish a prominent presence and solidify its position as a major player in the EV segment, though it is still a loss-making group.

Pham Nhat Vuong, chairman of Vingroup, said at its AGM on May 17, At present, we have completed half of the listing process, with just a few remaining steps to consummate this transformative union.

Addressing the concern of when VinFast will attain profitability, Vuong offered insights into their strategic roadmap.

Previously, our long-term plan entailed enduring losses. However, with the backing of major shareholders, exemplified by our shift away from traditional petrol vehicles, we anticipate reaching the break-even point on earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation by the projected timeline of 2024-2025, provided our business operations align with our plan, he said.

Recouping capital involves a two-pronged approach: leveraging revenue from operational activities and bolstering investment. Vuong believed that with the substantial valuation of $23 billion, reclaiming the $8 billion invested by Vingroup and its shareholders is not an insurmountable task.

However, the company admits that the journey to recoup the funds requires favourable market conditions, robust liquidity, and a diverse product portfolio that thrives in profitable ventures.

Our mission reaches far beyond the realms of commerce, declared Vuong, emphasising the underlying principles that guide VinFasts journey.

Explaining the shift from petrol to EVs in the recent past, Vuong said, Initially, it was not feasible for us to immediately delve into EVs production, as five years ago there was minimal interest in and acceptance of them. Moreover, the complexity of manufacturing EVs cannot be understated, as each vehicle involves the integration of around 40 sophisticated computing units.

However, come August, the company will unveil a line-up encompassing all vehicle segments and catering to diverse consumer needs. The introduction of new vehicle models will be contingent upon market dynamics, such as the declining competitiveness of sedans compared to the soaring demand for SUVs, Vuong noted.

According to Nguyen Viet Quang, vice board chairman and CEO of Vingroup, VinFasts rise has left its competitors scrambling to catch up. Over 24,000 cars were sold in 2022 alone, and 60,000 electric have also been snapped up, representing a 43 per cent surge compared to the previous year.

In addition, VinBigData has emerged as the true engine driving VinFasts revolutionary technological ecosystem to new frontiers. VinBase Virtual Assistant, known as ViVi, has seamlessly integrated herself into VinFasts EVs, delivering an extraordinary and personalised driving experience that sets VinFast apart from the competition, Quang said.

At Future Mobility Asia 2023 last week, VinFast announced its expansion plans into the Southeast Asian market, alongside its established presence in North America and Europe.

Le Thi Thu Thuy, vice chairwoman of Vingroup and chairwoman of VinFast, said, Expanding into the Southeast Asian region is part of VinFasts global development strategy. Our goal is to bring smart, safe, and exceptional mobility solutions to ASEAN countries, thereby driving a greener future for everyone.

VinFast expands into Southeast Asian market At the Future Mobility Asia 2023 event in Thailand, VinFast  the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer from Vingroup  made a groundbreaking announcement, unveiling its expansion plans into the Southeast Asian market while maintaining its existing focus on North America and Europe.
Co-organised by the hotel, founder of Hope Centre Dr. Do Thuy Nga, and artist Dinh Cong Dat, the aim of the exhibition is to spread the artistic soul of autistic children and inspire them by bringing their voice to the community.

The exhibition Heart For Autism will be held from June 2-4 at Pan Pacific Hanoi

Children with autism may have difficulty developing language skills, so singing and drawing are effective ways to communicate their thoughts and reveal their inner world to others. With the motivation to bring happiness to these young people, Dr. Nga has organised many special painting classes for them, which have received high praise from other organisations and individuals.

Throughout the exhibition, visitors will discover the colourful yet often hidden world of children with autism and their deep sense of creativity and imagination when perceiving the world around them.

Heart for Autism is not only a fundraising event, but also an opportunity to call for attentiveness in the community towards autistic children's spiritual lives and to create a sustainable future for them.

Pan Pacific Hanoi's general manager Christoph Marcel Strahm said, "Corporate social responsibility has always been an essential aspect of Pan Pacific Hanoi. We have consistently dedicated an immense amount of time and resources to developing in this area since our very first day of operation. We would like to raise public awareness of autism and spread love and sympathy to children with the condition in general and to students at the Hope Center in particular. The event also demonstrates our hotel's long-term commitment to sustainability and improving wellbeing in society."

Playing an important role in the event, artist Dinh Cong Dat, who is known for his unique artworks such as Buddha statues, lacquered ants, and more, is now becoming a regular guest at the Hope Centre.

As a teacher who has had a lot of experience organising classes for children at the Hope Center, he shared, "Through the exhibition, I hope people can see the paintings from the autistic children's perspective and open their hearts to enjoy the artworks."

To raise funds and call for community support for autistic children, the exhibition will display four artworks of flowers on do paper by artist Dinh Cong Dat and one of a cat on a lacquer plate by artist Dinh Quan. Furthermore, the opening of the fund-raising event on June 2 will also feature the presence of the young pianist Tran Khoi Viet.

After the event, the exhibition will open for free for visitors from 7am to 10pm at Song Hong Bar on the Lobby Level at Pan Pacific Hanoi.
A range of projects across sectors have been given the go-ahead to crack on with development, photo Le Toan

Nguyen Duc The, a private investor involved in real estate for many years, said that at present the market was in a strong phase, with choices for both buyers and sellers. Besides those who have had to leave the industry, there are also many who stayed due to good management of resources.

Many investors have turned away from high-risk products such as land plots or agricultural land in suburban areas to safer products such as town houses and apartments. They evaluate products not only in terms of cash flow, but also expect the ability to increase prices of each type. Products that serve real needs are in the sights of investors, The said.

Despite the difficult market, many investors with a solid financial background have not hesitated to launch new products with flexible payment policies such as splitting payments terms, interest support and big discounts to woo buyers. Such moves have increased the opportunity to own real estate for people with real housing needs and even for small-scale capital investors to enter the market, The added.

Meanwhile, buyer Nguyen Thi Lan said products that meet real demand with good infrastructure connections are now on the radar. Selling prices have decreased by about 15-20 per cent compared to last year, so it is time for end-users to buy their houses now, Lan said.

Tran Hien Phuong, general director of SeaHoldings, said that now was is the time to look for real estate products. The market is creating many opportunities for those who have cash or use financial leverage at a low rate to buy good-priced real estate. Currently, the new supply of real estate remains scarce. In the long term, real estate prices will still increase with support from policy, said Phuong.

Nguyen Hoang, a real estate expert, said that people with idle money and investment experience, regardless of the market situation, still find opportunities, especially in distressed products.

The belief in the recovery of the real estate market comes from the governments supportive policies, which will help the market move positively, Hoang said.

Meanwhile, in the latest Ho Chi Minh City authority meeting assessing the economy over the first four months of the year, the local Department of Construction confirmed that there were two more housing projects being formed with up to 1,100 apartments to become available.

Accordingly, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Natural Resources and Environment has issued a document to permit Moonlight Avenue and Moonlight Center Point by Hung Thinh Corporation to be sold to the market. Besides these, four other projects of the corporation were also permitted to hand over ownership to buyers.

Meanwhile, The Grand Manhattan in District 1 by Novaland has been permitted to continue its project, which was delayed for months due to a halt in bank capital. In the context of low liquidation and difficulties in mobilising capital, the green light from authorities to let such projects continue will help strengthen confidence in the market.

It is estimated that by the end of 2023, a total of 50 other projects will see legal obstacles removed.

New belief around the corner for real estate Real estate remains a keen channel for investors to get interested in across the country, despite the current fluctuations in the market.

Khanh Hoa unleashes urban development potential Strategic plans are being drawn up by the south-central province of Khanh Hoa that will open up opportunities in the real estate market for interested parties, both domestically and from elsewhere.

Industrial real estate increasingly attractive to investors A total of $8.88 billion was in registered foreign investment in Vietnam as of April 20, in which real estate ranked third with nearly $972 million. Truong An Duong, general manager for North Vietnam and Residential at Frasers Property Vietnam, shared methods to lure in more investment to Vietnam's industrial real estate market with VIR's Bich Ngoc.
Under a draft report submitted to the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee, the government has suggested that more new fiscal policies, especially on taxes and fees, be soon designed and enacted to assist enterprises and labourers, therefrom helping to ensure macroeconomic stability and social security. The report will be discussed by the NA over the next few weeks before specific solutions are crafted.

Short-term policy support complementing 2025 targets, Photo Le Toan

There will be more solutions to help the public and enterprises have access to bank loans at favourable rates, the report stated. In addition, the government will continue to drastically and effectively implement already-promulgated solutions to support enterprises and production and business activities such as Resolution No.58/NQ-CP on policies and solutions to support enterprises to adapt, recover, and develop sustainably towards 2025.

Under Resolution 58, the government requested the Ministry of Finance (MoF) to continue implementing in the short-term tax administration reform for individual business households, and report to the prime minister this quarter.

At the same time, the government has directed the General Department of Vietnam Customs to coordinate with authorities at all levels in simplifying the current administrative processes or consider applying priority import and export processes to help businesses optimise time and costs, as well as speed up the import process and procedures for essential commodities, and accelerate the export of agricultural products and key export commodity groups.

Enterprises are now in massive difficulties and lack capital. Many major enterprises say they have sold most of their assets at half of the real value, and the buyers are foreign enterprises and investors, said Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung. Cumbersome investment procedures remain popular. Currently, it would take 1-2 years to remove an unnecessary procedure, meaning enterprises cannot do anything, while the economy is increasingly becoming difficult.

Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong last month said that his ministry has advised the government to order all provinces and cities in the country to establish local-level taskforces in charge of helping business projects which are now facing difficulties.

Besides special taskforces set up by the government, these local-level taskforces are the first of its type in Vietnam. Chairpersons of provinces and cities will act as heads of these taskforces, which will have to work directly with ventures in difficulties and map out solutions for them, Phuong said.

The key aim behind this new solution is to lift production and business activities out of difficulties as soon as possible. If this situation continues, it will be difficult to reach the governments growth target of 6.5 per cent for the whole year.

It is expected that the government will issue a new related resolution, with a focus to be laid on continued reductions and exemptions of some types of taxes and fees compiled by the State Bank of Vietnam.

The government last week agreed on a draft NA resolution on VAT reduction until the end of 2023 from 10 to 8 per cent for all types of goods and services. The government will submit the draft resolution for issuance in May or June under simplified procedures.

Specifically, the VAT reduction policy will help businesses reduce 20 per cent of the percentage for tax calculation when issuing value-added invoices, for goods and services currently subject to the 10 per cent tax rate. With this proposal, the MoF estimates, the budget will reduce revenue by $252.2 million per month and $1.52 billion in the second half of 2023.

With the orientation to stimulate economic demand, as well as increase production and business to promote economic development, the MoF also proposed many other support policies, such as lowering the collection rate of 35 fees and charges in the second half of the year equivalent to a decrease in revenue of $30.4 million.

This is the second time Vietnam has introduced a policy to reduce VAT from 10 to 8 per cent. In 2022, Vietnam also applied the policy, but for only some types of goods and services.

Last month, the government promulgated Decree No.12/2023/ND-CP on extending the deadline for paying VAT, corporate income tax (CIT), personal income tax, and land rental in 2023.

The decree stipulates a six-month extension for VAT amounts from March-May and Q1 of 2023; five months extension for VAT in June and Q2 of 2023; four months extension for July; and a three-month extension for August.

When it comes to the CIT, the decree stipulated that payment would be extended for the temporarily paid sum for Q1 and Q2 of the tax calculation period in 2023. Specifically, the time for payment extension will be three months as from the date of ending the CIT payment time under the tax management law. It is estimated that the value of the CIT payment extension will be around $1.9 billion.

Furthermore, according to Decree 12, the government is applying a six-month extension for paying half of the land rental in 2023 for those renting land from the state. This scheme lasts from May 31 to the end of November.

The General Department of Taxation has required provincial and municipal tax departments to disseminate information to taxpayers in their localities to promptly implement the deadline for paying tax and land rental.

In January, the government also enacted Resolution No.07/NQ-CP on reducing land and water surface rentals for 2022 for those hit by the recent pandemic.

The resolution stipulates a 30 per cent reduction in land and water surface rentals in 2022 for organisations, units, businesses, households, and individuals that were directly leasing land from the state under a decision, or contract, or certificate on land use rights ownership of houses and other land-attached assets of authorised agencies, in the form of land rental featuring an annual payment.

More expressways to be built in central region by 2025 The Ministry of Transport has set a target of completing and putting into operation the eastern North-South expressway by 2025, bringing the total length of highways in the north central-central coastal region from 193km to 1,390 km, said Transport Minister Nguyen Van Thang.
Thai rice (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Bangkok  Thailand exported 2.79 million tonnes of rice for 1.5 billion USD in the first four months of this year, up 23 per cent year-on-year, according to the Thai Governments spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri.

He told the press that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has directed state agencies to actively work on enhancing rice exports and increasing crop production while maintaining high rice prices in overseas markets.



Anucha added that Thai rice exports are expected to continue rising due to increasing demand in numerous countries. Thailand is currently the worlds second-largest rice exporter, following India.



Thailands main rice markets include Iraq, Indonesia, the US, South Africa, Senegal, Bangladesh, China, Japan, Cameroon, and Mozambique, with white rice being the most exported variety, followed by jasmine rice.

Thailand: Bang Rakam water project raises income for farmers The Bang Rakam Model project, now in its seventh year, has been deemed successful in providing farmers with adequate amounts of water to grow crops and boost their income.
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  A group of Chinese citizens living and working in Florida sued the state Monday over a new law that bans Chinese nationals from purchasing property in large swaths of the state.

The law applies to properties within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of military installations and other critical infrastructure and also affects citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. But Chinese citizens and those selling property to them face the harshest penalties. The prohibition also applies to agricultural land.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the law will have a substantial chilling effect on sales to Chinese and Asian people who can legally buy property. The suit says the law unfairly equates Chinese people with the actions of their government and there is no evidence of national security risk from Chinese citizens buying Florida property.

The law will codify and expand housing discrimination against people of Asian descent in violation of the Constitution and the Fair Housing Act, the ACLU said in a news release announcing the suit. It will also cast an undue burden of suspicion on anyone seeking to buy property whose name sounds remotely Asian, Russian, Iranian, Cuban, Venezuelan, or Syrian.

U.S.-China ties are strained amid growing tensions over security and trade. In nearly a dozen statehouses and Congress, a decades-old worry about foreign land ownership has spiked since a Chinese spy balloon traversed the skies from Alaska to South Carolina last month.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to launch a presidential campaign this week, signed the bill May 8. His office didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The law is set to take affect July 1. It will be a felony for Chinese people to buy property in restricted areas or for any person or real estate company to knowingly sell to restricted people. For the other targeted nations, the penalty is a misdemeanor for buyers and sellers.

It applies to military instillations as well as infrastructure like airports and seaports, water and wastewater treatment plants, natural gas and oil processing facilities, power plants, spaceports, and telecommunications central switching offices.

The ACLU says the law will have the net effect of creating Chinese exclusion zones that will cover immense portions of Florida, including many of the states most densely populated and developed areas.

This impact is exactly what laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the California Alien Land Law of 1913 did more than a hundred years ago, the lawsuit says.

Those on the restricted list that already own property near critical infrastructure must register with the state or face fines of up to $1,000 a day. Theyre also prohibited from acquiring additional property. The law has provisions to allow the state to seize property from violators.

The number of states restricting foreign ownership of agricultural land has risen by 50% this year.

Heading into 2023, 14 states had laws restricting foreign ownership or investments in private agricultural land. So far this year, restrictive laws also have been enacted in Arkansas, Idaho, Montana, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia.

Foreign land ownership has become a political flashpoint, said Micah Brown, a staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center at the University of Arkansas.

Brown said the recent surge in state laws targeting land ownership by foreign entities stems from some highly publicized cases of Chinese-connected companies purchasing land near military bases. Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force said that the Fufeng Groups planned $700 million wet corn milling plant near a base in Grand Forks, North Dakota, poses a significant threat to national security.

After a Chinese army veteran and real estate tycoon bought a wind farm near an Air Force base in Texas, that state responded in 2021 by banning infrastructure deals with individuals tied to hostile governments, including China.

Associated Press writer David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.
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SPARKS, Nev. (AP)  The parents of a suicidal Black teenager who was fatally shot by police in 2020 in Nevada have agreed to a $2 million settlement with the city of Sparks that also includes more crisis intervention and mental health training for police officers.

The city of about 110,000 on the edge of Reno said in a statement Monday it hopes the agreement helps bring closure to all parties.

Miciah Lee, 18, Sparks, had no criminal history and was not wanted for any crime when a white officer shot him five times while he was sitting in his car with a handgun between his legs and his hands in plain sight on Jan. 5, 2020, his family's lawyer, Terri Keyser-Cooper, said.

But she said Lee did have a long history of mental illness and drug abuse, and that the officers' rush to violence defied any limited training they had received to diffuse such confrontations.

Lee's mother, Susan Clopp, called 911 shortly before the shooting and told the dispatcher three times her son was mentally unstable," had a gun and intended to die by cop or die by himself."

One of the officers who responded to the scene after Lee fled an initial attempt to confront him and crashed in a suburban neighborhood said in an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court last year before the settlement talks that they did everything they were trained not to do with mentally ill persons.

A federal judge ordered mediation and the parties said last month they had reached a settlement. The city's insurance company completed the final installment of the $2 million in payments on May 18, lawyer Keyser-Cooper said.

The size of this settlement speaks volumes, said Keyser-Cooper, who alleged Lee would still be alive if he was white.

I am greatly encouraged that Sparks has promised to provide to its officers more training, with oversight to ensure officers act pursuant to their training, and a tragedy like this will not occur again, she said in a statement late Friday.

As part of the settlement, Keyser-Cooper said Sparks agreed that all officers will receive 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Training and that each year all Sparks police officers will receive refresher training.

In addition, each officer will receive annual training on some additional new policies which include: Use of Force, Suicidal Subject Response, and Interacting With Persons Suffering From Behavioral Health Issues, she said.

The city of Sparks confirmed in a statement emailed to The Associated Press on Monday that the city's insurance carrier hired outside counsel to handle the case and that the parties agreed to settle it for $2 million during a settlement conference in Las Vegas.

The City of Sparks is hopeful that all parties involved will get closure after this settlement, the statement said.

About six months after the shooting, Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks cleared Sparks police of any wrongdoing. His office was not part of the civil case and declined comment on the settlement on Monday.

The lawsuit filed in 2022 said Lee's death was an unjustifiable homicide that resulted from a police culture in Sparks  a police department so poorly trained that it had a history of failing to investigate, analyze, or even talk to any officers involved in any police shootings for the past 15 years.

The lawsuit also alleged the Sparks Police Department failed to sufficiently train officers on how to interact with the mentally ill and systematically, failed to de-escalate as required when interacting with the mentally ill.

Former Sparks Police Chief Peter Krall testified that responding officers knew what they were required to do and their conduct in failing to utilize their training was an aberration.

However, it was anything but an aberration: It was a highly predictable consequence of system-wide failures, Keyser-Cooper wrote in the original lawsuit.

It is consistent with a pattern endemic in SPD  but also throughout the countrythat, when encountering mentally ill persons, officers all too frequently choose violence as their first resort," she said.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  A school shooter serving a life sentence without parole for killing a first grader on a South Carolina playground when he was 14 is asking a judge to lessen his sentence so he can eventually get out of prison.

Jesse Osborne's lawyer asked Judge Lawton McIntosh on Monday to reconsider his sentence so Osborne, now 21, could have some hope of freedom in his 50s or 60s.

Attorney Frank Eppes said the judge didn't fully consider a psychologist's report that Osborne's lashed out because of abuse and can be rehabilitated.

Give Jesse some hope to live with, Eppes said at a televised court hearing.

Osborne himself asked for a chance at life outside a prison cell, apologizing to the family of 6-year-old Jacob Hall who he killed and everyone at the school that day.

I would just like to say sorry to every single one of them. Because my evil actions hurt their lives, Osborne said. Im just going to try to better myself in the Department of Corrections the rest of my life.

But the teacher whose class was having recess, the parent of a wounded child, the father of the student celebrating his birthday, the superintendent who saw the bloodstained class rug and the school principal all said at Monday's hearing at the Anderson County Courthouse that they don't want to ever see Osborne out of prison.

Principal Denise Fredericks recognized Osborne as he paced outside Townville Elementary School with a backpack full of ammunition for 12 minutes after his gun jammed before police arrived to arrest him. Osborne had been a student there for seven years.

I do wish Jesse a life where he can wake up, breathe, eat, work, be productive  but not outside the walls of a prison, Fredericks said. In my opinion, his current sentence is still so, so much more merciful than the sentence he gave to Jacob and our school family.

Prosecutors said Hall's family didn't wish to speak in court but want Osborne to never be released from prison.

Osborne is serving two life sentences after pleading guilty. Before opening fire at the school on Sept. 28, 2016, he shot and killed his father while he slept in a recliner, kissed his rabbit and other pets goodbye, then stole his dad's truck and drove to his former elementary school, according to Osborne's confession.

Osborne crashed his truck into the school fence and fired at the first grade class celebrating a classmate's birthday at recess. Hall bled to death from a gunshot to his leg. Two other student and a teacher suffered minor injuries.

Uneaten cupcakes with the Batman logo could still be seen on the ground inside police tape hours after the shooting.

My son hates his birthday now, father Jeff Bernard told the judge.

Prosecutors said Osborne wanted to kill dozens but he was carrying the wrong ammunition and his gun jammed after every shot.

He didnt stop because he wanted to. The gun jammed. Thank God the gun jammed, Fredericks said.

Osborne's lawyer said a video call he had open to a group chat with people who knew his plan showed him sobbing, upset and ready to give up after the first shots.

Osborne is asking the judge to consider a supplemental report from a psychologist that disagrees with prosecution experts who testified at Osborne's original sentencing that he is a dangerous and pathological liar with no remorse.

Osborne's brain was sill developing in his teens. The psychiatrists cited by the defense said he has shown guilt and grief and responded to treatment during the nearly seven years since his arrest on school grounds.

Osborne's lawyer suggested a 30-year minimum sentence for the two counts of murder, followed by 15 years for shooting at the other children and then lifetime monitoring by GPS after he is released from prison with one review after 10 years.

McIntosh asked for a detailed report from the defense expert in the next month and told prosecutors they would have at least 10 days to respond.

A number of students never returned to the school after the shooting. Some haven't returned to any school. A popped balloon ended a school dance in tears. Recess is still filled with anxiety, said teacher Meghan Hollingsworth, whose class was celebrating the birthday that day. Her child was in kindergarten just down the hall.

"The screams of children having fun sends a panic through me as I look to see who is screaming and see if they are OK," she said.

She asked the judge to think about a sign in her first grade classroom and uphold his life sentence handed down more than three years ago,

You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of your choices, it reads.
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CLARKSDALE, Miss. (AP)  Fourteen people were shot after a concert in Clarksdale, Mississippi, Sunday morning, authorities said.

Clarksdale Police Chief Robbie Linley told FOX13-TV that the shootings happened between 2:45 a.m. and 3:15 a.m. Sunday. All of the victims were taken to a hospital in non-critical condition. They had all been released from the hospital as of Monday afternoon, except for one woman who suffered a serious leg injury, Linley said.

Police said the shootings took place in three connected incidents in Clarksdale, a west Mississippi town home to the state's Delta Blues Museum. Twelve people  six men and six women  were shot around 2:45 a.m. Then, one man and one woman were shot separately in two other locations.

The shootings stemmed from an altercation between two groups of concertgoers, Linley said.

No suspects had been taken into custody on Monday afternoon, the news station reported.
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LIMA, Ohio (AP)  Authorities searched Tuesday for two men who escaped from an Ohio prison, including one who is serving a sentence for murder.

Bradley Gillespie, 50, and James Lee, 47, were reported missing from the Allen Oakwood Correctional Institution in Lima, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. They did not immediately disclose further details, including how the escape occurred or when the men were discovered missing,

Gillespie has been jailed since 2016 for murder, while Lee was serving a sentence he received in 2021 for burglary and safecracking. Authorities said both men should be considered dangerous and urged residents to call 911 if they spot either man or have information regarding their whereabouts.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is leading the investigation.
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BOSTON (AP)  A former naval police officer at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Boston for threatening his ex-wife and her mother in Iowa.

Luis De Leon, 30, of Middleton, Massachusetts, was ordered to serve 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In March, De Leon pleaded guilty to three counts of making threats in interstate commerce.

Prosecutors said De Leon made a phone call to his ex-wife in Iowa from a mobile telephone belonging to another person in April 2022.

During the call, investigators said, De Leon made several threatening statements including: Do you understand!? There will be death! There will be war in the street!"

Between May and June 2022, De Leon also sent two letters containing threats to his ex-wifes mother in Iowa, according to prosecutors.

In the letters, De Leon wrote, among other things, If you dont believe me just look where Im sending this from. I dont really have much else to lose, and do you know what men with nothing left to lose usually do?
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ATLANTA (AP)  Residents of about 1,000 apartments in Atlanta's Midtown neighborhood could not return to their homes Tuesday, a day after a crane partially collapsed at a nearby construction site.

One of the crane's counterweights became dislodged and fell, causing damage to the crane Monday afternoon, Atlanta fire chief Rod Smith said during a news conference Tuesday. Police have said four people were injured. Fire and rescue crews are at the site to help secure and disassemble the crane.

Once it no longer poses any danger, people will be allowed to return to their homes, Smith said. He did not elaborate on how long that might take.

It wasn't immediately clear where the temporarily displaced residents were staying. Smith said his department was in communication with the American Red Cross to help them.

Katie Zwerk, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross of Georgia, confirmed that the organization was in touch with officials and opened a shelter for the displaced residents Monday evening. But she said no one spent the night there, so the shelter was closed Tuesday. She said any affected residents who need assistance can contact the organization.

Mayor Andre Dickens said he was glad that only four people were hurt and that they suffered non-life-threatening injuries. He said the city would work with the state and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to investigate what happened.

In the meantime, there are some street closures in the area and city officials urged people to avoid the area or take the MARTA train system instead.

Midtown Atlanta is a bustling commercial and residential district with lots of high-rise apartments and office buildings under construction.

Dickens noted that people who live and work in the area have been through a lot lately. Just three weeks ago, a man shot five people, killing one, at a medical office about a block from the site of the partial crane collapse.
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A teen found shot to death May 2 near Estella Maxey apartments attempted to steal a handgun before his death, investigators said in an affidavit.

The U.S. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force earlier this month arrested Ruben Villa Lee Dominguez, 17, in Freestone County on a murder charge in the shooting of Tercquan Johnson, 17, near Estella Maxey apartments.

Dominguez was transferred to McLennan County Jail from Freestone County on May 15 and remains here on a $1 million bond.

Investigators discovered evidence that Johnson met with Dominguez for a gun sale and attempted to steal the gun, according to an affidavit Waco police released Monday. The affidavit adds that Texas Rangers obtained information through a confidential source that "supported" investigators' conclusion regarding the gun theft.

Waco police officers found Johnsons body in the roadway near the 1900 block of J.J. Flewellen Road near the Estella Maxey public housing complex, after responding to a call of a shooting around 8:45 p.m. May 2, the Tribune-Herald reported at the time.

Autopsy results show Johnson was shot in his left leg and in his head and neck, the affidavit says.

The lead detective determined from surveillance video, physical evidence and information on cell phones that Johnson had a meeting with people in black Cadillac CTS for an illegal gun sale before he died, the affidavit says.

Video shows Johnson meeting with people in a black Cadillac CTS, then running from the vehicle moments before the shooting, the affidavit says.

The Cadillacs driver exited the vehicle and fired several shots at Johnson before fleeing in the car, the affidavit says.

The lead detective determined that Dominguez is associated with a 2010 black Cadillac CTS, and found that he had traded phone messages with Johnson about a gun sale, the affidavit says. After the shooting, the people with the CTS fled and dumped the vehicle in Fort Worth. Fort Worth police found the vehicle and returned it to Waco police for processing under a warrant, the affidavit says.
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Judge Indy and Judge Belle are the new furry faces of Baylor University.

Baylor announced the two female black bear cubs Monday as its first new live bear mascots in two decades.

The cubs, who are cousins, were born in late January and come to Baylor from a wildlife park in Idaho, Baylor officials said in a news release. The pair now reside in a private facility in Waco and will move around midsummer into the Bill and Eva Williams Bear Habitat, the on-campus enclosure that is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The habitats current resident, Judge Sue Lady Sloan, will be moved to a new off-campus retirement facility this summer. Lady, 21, recently received an honorary degree from Baylor to mark her graduation, and will continue to receive care from both the Baylor Chamber of Commerce and a veterinary team, officials said. Her longtime roommate, Judge Joy Reynolds, was euthanized last July after months of deteriorating health.

Dakota Farquhar-Caddell, associate director of student activities, said the university made sure the new bear mascots had the right temperaments for Baylor: Sociable, playful and able to thrive in a bustling environment.

Judge Indy and Judge Belle are the most remarkable bears  they love people, are resilient and exude so much hope, Farquhar-Caddell said. Students will fall in love with these bears in ways they didnt know they could. I couldnt imagine better mascots for Baylor.

An expanded team of students trained and professionally mentored in bear care will look after the cubs.

Previously, trainers worked with Lady and Joy with enrichment activities meant to keep their brains stimulated, and taught them things such as how to do a Baylor "sic em" hand gesture, which is actually a natural movement bears use in the wild to knock food out of trees, Farquhar-Caddell said.

But since Indy and Belle are so young, Farquhar-Caddell said the bears will be gradually introduced to the habitat and trained to build trust with their caregivers before moving onto more complex training.

It is crucial for the bears to get acclimated to their habitat as young cubs so they can get used to the stress of being in a high-human-contact environment, officials said in the news release.

Ultimately, the pace of the bears' training is dependent on the cubs themselves and how comfortable they are in the habitat, Farquhar-Caddell said.

Bears are like small children or babies, everyone is different, he said. We do everything at the bears pace.

Farquhar-Caddell said Lady will remain on-campus in the habitat until it is time for Indy and Belle to move in. He said there are planned to be celebrations to both mark the occasions of Lady moving to her retirement facility and Indy and Belle moving into the habitat.

According to the press release,

Indy, who weighs, 25 pounds, was the biggest cub from her litter and is expected to be the larger bear at maturity.

Belle was the smallest of her litter, now weighing 21 pounds, though the release says she is big in personality.

The release also says Belle has been known to channel the spirit of her namesake, as she is very vocal and makes squawks and chirps during feeding time.

Farquhar-Caddell said the cubs names are meant to honor Baylor traditions. Indy is named for Independence, Texas, the original location of Baylors campus before the move to Waco, and Belle is named for the McLane Carillon bells, which are housed in the tower of Pat Neff Hall and can be heard across campus throughout the day.

To accommodate the increased care needed to look after both the new cubs and Lady, the press release says the bear habitat care team has nearly doubled. Farquhar-Caddell said Baylor prides itself on having a high caregiver to animal ratio, which shows the bears receive lots of attention.

Baylor has had live bear mascots since 1917 and they have been cared for by members of the Baylor Chamber of Commerce, a student organization, since the 1940s. Student bear trainer Griffin Hunt said the chamber is looking forward to keeping the longstanding tradition alive.

We're thrilled to continue the legacy of bears on campus cared for by students, and already know that Indy and Belle are the perfect fit," Hunt said.
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FREMONT  Three Rivers Public Health Department informs the public that ticks are currently circling our communities. May and June are regarded as high tick season in Nebraska. An increase in outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, morel mushroom hunting, and trail running during these early summer months heightens the risk for tick bites and tick-borne diseases.

In June 2019, state health officials identified established populations of black-legged ticks, which are known to carry Lyme disease, in Saunders, Sarpy and Douglas counties. American dog ticks, found throughout the state, are known to carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Tularemia. Lone star ticks, found in central and southern Nebraska, are known to carry Ehrlichiosis, Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Tularemia, Heartland Virus and can cause red meat allergies.

Protect yourself from ticks and tick-borne diseases with these steps:

Wear long pants, tucked into white socks for quick tick detection and removal.

Perform regular, full body tick checks on yourself and children after being outdoors.

Shower within two hours of coming in from outdoors, if possible.

Put outdoor clothing in the dryer on high for 30 minutes to kill ticks on clothes. Ticks will survive the wash cycle and can easily escape the laundry hamper and seek out a host.

Protect your pets using a tick prevention program through your veterinarian.

Use 30% DEET repellants.

If you find a tick on yourself or your child, remove the tick as soon as possible. Use pointy tweezers for removal, grasp the tick as close to the skins surface as possible, and pull straight out (do not twist). After removing the tick, disinfect the skin with rubbing alcohol. Discard the tick by flushing it down the toilet. If you would like to bring the tick to your healthcare provider for identification, place it in a sealed bag or container.

If you or your child experience symptoms such as rash, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain and/or joint swelling or pain within 30 days of being bitten by a tick, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible. Treatment for tickborne diseases is based on blood test results, symptoms, and history of exposure to ticks. Most tickborne diseases can be treated with a short course of antibiotics. The best way to determine if a person has been bitten by disease-carrying tick is a human blood test.

Three Rivers Public Health Department is conducting tick surveillance within Dodge and Saunders counties this summer. Ticks are being collected and sent to a laboratory for species and disease identification purposes. If any ticks collected are found to carry diseases, results will be shared with the public.

`Three Rivers Public Health Department also offers free 30% DEET insect-repellant wipes to the community.

For more information, call Three Rivers District Health Department at 402-727-5396.
(Photo : SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

FBI officials refused to produce the unclassified document that allegedly links Joe Biden to a cash-for-access "criminal bribery."

The FBI refused again to comply with a subpoena issued by House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer for a document that purportedly details a pay-to-play scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden.

During a briefing with the Oversight Committee, FBI staff refused to release the unclassified FD-1023 document detailing an informant's criminal allegations against Biden, age 80.

Joe Biden Allegedly Took Bribes as VP

This week, Comer (R-Kentucky) is anticipated to disclose the panel's next actions in its search for the document. Congress has the authority to reduce funding for federal agencies and use litigation to enforce subpoenas. To exert pressure, the Republican-led House of Representatives could also seek to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt or initiate impeachment proceedings.

Comer previously set a deadline of May 10 for the bureau to comply with the request for the FD-1023 document, which reportedly pertains to allegations of bribery involving Biden in a nation where the family had two significant business ventures.

A previous source of knowledge of the situation informed The Post that the country is not China. The FBI's Biden file is believed to have been created or updated in June 2020, and its existence was initially disclosed by a whistleblower to Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), who notified Comer.

During Joe Biden's tenure as vice president, Hunter, and James Biden conducted business in Mexico, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, and China. The FBI responded to Comer's subpoena by sending the com a six-page letter.

After speaking with FBI Director Chris Wray, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated that the FBI is poised to hand over the potentially incriminating document. He verified that he spoke with Wray by phone and added, "Congress has the right and the authority to superintend the FBI."

Comer and Senator Charles Grassley sent a letter to Wray on Friday evening, nine days after the deadline had passed, labeling the situation "unacceptable."

Republicans claim that the internal FD-1023 form details an arrangement for the exchange of money for policy decisions. The Republicans issued a subpoena to FBI Director Christopher Wray with a deadline of May 10 at noon, but the document was not produced.

Grassley stated that although the FBI was unable to provide the document, they did offer an accommodation procedure that indicates the authenticity of the document. He explained that last week's response letter to the top Republicans only raises more concerns, such as whether the FBI has an active investigation into these allegations.

The FBI verified to DailyMail.com that it provided a response to the Republicans last week but disputed Grassley's assertion that the response proves the existence of the specific document alleged by the whistleblower.

The subpoena for the document signaled an important development in the Republican "influence-peddling" investigation into the Biden family and came just hours after a report claimed prosecutors were close to determining whether to criminally charge Hunter Biden in his tax and gun investigations.

Read Also: Transgender Mississippi Student Misses Graduation After Being Barred from Wearing Dress, Heels

Biden Family's 'Shady' Business Deals

Iam Sams, the White House's spokesperson for oversight and investigations, deemed the subpoena for the document issued by the Republican Party to be "unfounded" and "politically motivated."

Sams added that Biden's level of transparency in disclosing a total of 25 years of tax returns to the American public was "unprecedented."

The House Oversight Committee has accused ten members of the Biden family, including Hunter and Hallie, of profiting from shady business transactions involving the family name. In early May, the committee issued a new memorandum detailing the Biden family's ties to Romanian 'influence peddling' and a network of LLCs created while Biden was vice president.

It also accused President Biden of a lack of transparency regarding his family's receipt of funds from China, which he has denied. According to a committee aide, the document details the family's efforts to hide, conceal, and confound the origins of money, including additional funds from China.

Many questions remain unanswered regarding the investigation and the laws Biden may have broken in connection with the alleged financial matter. According to Comer, the FBI informed the Oversight Committee prior to Monday's staff briefing that it could determine "how we can accommodate your request without defying our law enforcement and national security obligations."

Since winning the majority in November, House Republicans have accelerated their investigations into the Biden family's finances, as evidenced by Comer's subpoena, as per The Washington Examiner.

The congressman released a 36-page memo based on bank records indicating that the Biden family, including Hunter Biden, received $10 million from Chinese and Romanian accounts while Joe Biden was vice president.

Related Article: Hunter Biden Probe Could Get 'A Little Worse' After News of Taking Private Jet to Court Hearing Sparks Backlash

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
PRESS RELEASE

Operation Lights Out  The Story of Canairelief is a powerful film that reveals the untold story of the Biafran Airlift  the largest non-governmental humanitarian war relief effort in history. The film highlights the incredible bravery and humanitarianism of Canadians who took part in the airlift known as Joint Church Aid (JCA). The effort saved an estimated one million lives and ultimately led to the establishment of global humanitarian organizations like Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) (aka Doctors Without Borders), Concern Worldwide and thrust other agencies into the humanitarian spotlight such as Save the Children, Christian Aid and Oxfam. The Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970), which led to the necessity of the Biafran airlift, left over two million people dead. Primarily women and children were subjected to unimaginable suffering and starvation. However, in the midst of this crisis, a group of selfless individuals came together to orchestrate an unprecedented relief effort that forever changed the landscape of humanitarian aid.

The untold role of exemplary Canadians is highlighted. Oxfam Canada collaborated with The Presbyterian Church in Canada and a private businessman, Jack Grant, to purchase for $108,000, the first of five Super Constellation airplanes, for what became one of the most impactful non-profit airlines in history. Canairelief was born when The Presbyterian Church in Canada and Oxfam Canada put down $50,000.00 each, while Jack Grant wrote a personal check for $8,000.00. This pivotal moment was crucial for the larger JCA as the Canadian super constellation aircraft had a 20 tons capacity, the largest in the airlift. The effort was ultimately responsible for feeding 200,000 people every day.

The Biafran Airlift is virtually unknown to the general public. Unlike the Berlin Airlift, which was accomplished by governments, the Biafran Airlift was the largest civilian airlift in world history, with 80,000 tonnes of food and medicine transported by over 7,000 flights. This epochal effort was coordinated in its entirety by a number of non-governmental organizations in the face of deadly resistance.

As we approach the 56th anniversary of Biafras declaration of independence, May 30, which sparked this devastating conflict, there is an opportunity to reflect on the lessons of humanitarian history and ongoing and emerging crises, especially in Africa. On May 30, 2023, Operation Lights Out will be released via Vimeo On Demand. The film has taken five years to produce.

It is the desire of the creator and director of the film, Angela Onuora, to ensure that the legacy of the Canadian contribution to the Biafran Airlift lives on. We would be grateful if you could share the news of the release of the film as widely as possible within your communities and networks ensuring that this incredible story of compassion and courage reaches as many people as possible. To stay updated, please encourage them to visit the website at https://operationlightsoutmovie.com/ and sign up for the mailing list. For your reference, we have also attached a Press Kit with more information, and the link here will give an introduction video series to help further explain why this film is important.
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TUESDAY, May 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For people who survive gunshot wounds, the trauma may leave mental scars that worsen with time, a new study finds.

Among 87 adults treated for gun injuries at a Wisconsin trauma center, many had worsening symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression six months later.

The findings, published May 22 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, come from one of the few studies that has tracked the long-term mental health of gunshot victims.

For years, gun violence research was stymied in the United States after Congress suspended federal funding for it in 1996. That changed just a few years ago.

"For a long time, we weren't able to do firearms research, so we don't really know a lot about these long-term outcomes," said Dr. Peter Ehrlich, director of the pediatric trauma center at the University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

Ehrlich, who was not involved in the new research, published a study last year that looked at the mental health of U.S. children and teenagers who'd sustained gun injuries  and the findings were similar.

Of 1,450 kids injured by guns, 35% were newly diagnosed with a mental health condition in the year afterward  most often PTSD or substance abuse. That compared with 26% of U.S. kids who were injured in a motor vehicle crash.

Ehrlich said that while the new study was small, it was well done and highlights the wider reality.

"There are consequences of gun violence that go beyond the physical," he said. "There can be long-lasting effects on mental health."

The study comes at a time when gun deaths across the United States are on the rise. In 2021, such deaths reached their highest level in 40 years  at just under 49,000, according to Giffords Law Center, a nonprofit that promotes gun control.

But many more Americans survive gun injuries and then live with the aftermath. In the past decade, more than 1 million Americans have been shot, according to Giffords.

For the new study, researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin, in Milwaukee, followed 87 adults who'd been treated at their institution for gun wounds. None of the injuries were self-inflicted.

The patients answered standard questionnaires on mental health symptoms and physical health-related quality of life two times: one month and six months after their injury.

On the whole, the study found, both PTSD symptoms and depression only grew worse over time. At six months, the group's average PTSD score surpassed the threshold for diagnosing the condition, while their average depression score neared the mark for diagnosing that disorder. At both one and six months, patients typically reported a poor physical health-related quality of life.

Individuals did range widely in how they fared, said lead researcher Sydney Timmer-Murillo, a postdoctoral fellow in health and trauma psychology.

And one question for future studies, she said, is to figure out which factors make some people more vulnerable to worsening mental health.

According to both researchers, it's easy to see how gunshot victims would often struggle in the aftermath. Many likely live in communities marked by gun violence, and that makes it especially hard to recover from the trauma.

"People don't experience gun violence in a vacuum," Timmer-Murillo said.

It's critical, she said, that the follow-up care of gun injury survivors be "comprehensive," aimed at helping them recover both physically and mentally.

At the Wisconsin trauma center, patients do routinely have mental health screenings while they are in the hospital recovering from their injury, Timmer-Murillo said. That's, in part, to help surmount the limited access to mental health care that many patients would face after leaving the hospital.

Broadly, though, many gunshot survivors do not receive such screening, Ehrlich said.

In a 2022 study of U.S. trauma centers, researchers found that only a minority routinely screened trauma patients for PTSD or depression, while 30% said they had screening and treatment programs specifically for firearm injury patients.

Recently, though, the American College of Surgeons issued new guidelines for trauma centers on mental health screenings  with the goal of identifying people at risk after any traumatic injury.

When it comes to gun injuries, specifically, survival rates have been improving, Timmer-Murillo noted. Then the issue is "what kind of burden are these people carrying as survivors?" she asked.

Ehrlich agreed, and noted that the issue is not only one of big cities, but of communities across the United States.

"This is a uniquely American problem," he said.

More information

The advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety has resources for gun violence survivors.

SOURCES: Sydney Timmer-Murillo, PhD, postdoctoral fellow, health and trauma psychology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Peter Ehrlich, MD, MSc, professor, surgery, medical director, Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Annals of Internal Medicine, May 22, 2023
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WATERLOO  Human trafficking is a complex, international issue.

But right here in Iowa, Secretary of State Paul Pate wants businesses and nonprofit organizations to know they can play a role by becoming aware of the signs and how to respond appropriately.

He spoke to a crowd of about 50 people at the Waterloo Rotary Club on Monday at the Waterloo Convention Center, detailing his fairly new Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking (IBAT) program.

As part of his 30-minute presentation and brief question and answer, he explained a universal signal victims can use to subtly make onlookers aware theyre in trouble and need help: Raising ones hand and then closing it while trapping the thumb.

Its one of the many takeaways a business or organization could get by listening to Pate or joining IBAT. Founded in January 2022, the program brings about a commitment to learn and promote awareness to the thousands who are forced to perform labor, sex or other services.

They can join by filling out a simple application online at ibat.iowa.gov.

What we found from the Department of Public Safety is that public awareness has gone up dramatically, said Pate after giving his presentation. Its one of those issues that slipped between the cracks for so long. Myself and others putting a focus on it has really helped raised that awareness and I think it will help send a message to the bad actors that Iowa isnt a place to play.

Im excited about getting my colleagues in other states to join me in this. If we all do it, then they run out of places to hide.

Nearly 670 businesses and nonprofit organizations from more than 92 counties have joined the program, including Pates own construction businesses. He emphasizes businesses of all sizes can become a part of the choir that advocates and helps call out the bad actors who are preying upon adults  but also children as young as 10 or 12 years old.

Its led vehicle billboards to pop up and signs on public restroom stall doors to be posted to give people who may be in trouble the phone number or directions to get help.

More specifically, the program gets the members involved on social media and online as part of the fight. Theyre also given a sticker to post on a window or door of their brick-and-mortar business to signal to patrons their participation.

Pate had learned about the issue at a seminar and was shocked that, as the former mayor of Cedar Rapids, he didnt know of human traffickings prevalence in in Iowa.

I thought I knew my own town, he said, admitting to being overwhelmed and taken aback by the information. We had to do something and do more with this.

The programs creation came after he had already formed the Iowa Safe at Home program, started in part to eliminate the home addresses of whats now 1,200 sexual assault, violence and stalking victims from the public record.

He didnt want victims whove voted to be penalized for fulfilling their public duty.

But Pate also emphasized that his office is a tool for the IBAT program, one with resources. But he refrained from calling anyone in his department the experts.

Our goal is to build an army of individuals who are knowledgeable and out there putting the message out there and making it hard for folks to do it, he said, explaining its a far more complicated issue than what may be portrayed in the movies.

Im hoping to use my statewide position as a bully pulpit to raise awareness, he said.

Pate wants people to look for unusual behavior and be alert enough to act but also leave the actual locking up of the criminals to law enforcement. Hotels, motels and trucking companies have taken big roles in addressing what he described as an international issue and clearly a form of slavery.

Its a huge concern, even more than we realize in the Cedar Valley, said Annie Vander Werff, Rotary president. And calling attention to it in any way that we can is important.

In fact, the Waterloo Rotary Club received funding through its district for cross cultural training thats played a small role in getting students involved in the fight against sex trafficking.

The more we can have the conversation and bring awareness to trafficking the better, she said.

Erin Tink, executive director of Waterloo Community Foundation, expressed her appreciation for Pates openness on a very difficult issue as well as his effort to point out the different nuances and complexities of human trafficking.

She had not been aware of Pates program and was encouraged to know his office is building a network of people who are more aware and educated.

I think it is the right approach to give businesses a very tangible role, she said.

The purpose of Pates other program, Safe At Home, to keep certain victims addresses out of public records makes perfect sense, said Jordan Bancroft, executive director of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony.

His talk today got me thinking about what we could be doing, he added.

Photos: Take a look inside Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience
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WATERLOO  After three years and an influx of patients, a mental health provider has expanded its services and physical size.

Elevate Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic recently moved into a new downtown space at the former Gallagher, Langlas & Gallagher law office at 405 E. Fifth St. The agency was previously located on the second floor of 604 Lafayette St., above the Screaming Eagle American Bar and Grill. A ribbon cutting ceremony for the facility was held on May 10.

Elevate was able to purchase the building with a $650,000 grant from the Otto Schoitz Foundation last year.

Project Director Bob Lincoln said the location of the new building is crucial to its future success.

We were really committed to being accessible to people who have transportation barriers, he said. We want to be accessible to folks involved with the justice system, hopefully before theyre involved with the justice system, but thats why were located on the county square here.

The new office is blocks away from City Hall, the Black Hawk County Courthouse, the county correctional facility and Peoples Community Health Clinic.

Lincoln said the new building has improved staff morale, as well, along with separating the services they provide and allowing more space for bigger group settings.

Elevate came to fruition in 2020 after a $4 million grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The grant allows the facility to take in uninsured or under-insured clients.

The agency provides behavioral health treatment services like trauma-informed care therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychiatric evaluation and medication management. It also provides substance abuse services.

Along with mental health providers, the clinic has a psychiatric nurse practitioner to prescribe medications, a registered nurse and a certified medical assistant.

Outside of the downtown building, Elevate staffs mobile crisis workers who are on call 24/7. There are three teams that cover 12 counties. The teams work in groups of four counties because Elevates requirement is to be at the needed location within an hour.

We can respond to wherever you are, whenever you need us, Lincoln said. And then the clinics here to support that outreach and provide that hub so people can be brought into the clinic.

He said that if someone doesnt have an existing treatment provider, the clinic can offer those services for the short term until clients get connected with services. Connection or reconnection is important, he said, because the sooner people get help, the better their prospects are for recovery and happiness.

Out of the 1,000 to 2,000 unique patients Elevate serves per year, Lincoln said hes seeing an increase of youth. He believes this is due to effects of COVID-19 that resulted in children being out of school, development being stunted and experiencing the trauma of deaths from the virus.

He also said suicide rates of younger people is concerning and that many of them are associated with COVID-19 and social media. He said there are 500 to 550 suicides per year in Iowa that are reported. Data wasnt available on how many happen in the Cedar Valley.

Ultimately, we want to stop suicide because we know that thats a temporary impairment and people can and do get better with treatment, with time, Lincoln said. But the rates of people that are having suicidal ideation in youth, and more bad days than good days in a month  thats what we want to focus on.

The bigger building isnt the end of new things coming for Elevate.

Lincoln said the Black Hawk County Gaming Association awarded $350,000 to the organization for future housing. Next to the clinic, there will be 14 apartments as well as intensive resident support apartments on the first floor. A building is already there and needs to be renovated, which will likely happen this summer.

Elevate was also awarded funds to provide mobile crisis services for the Southeast Iowa Link region that includes Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Van Buren and Washington counties in southeast Iowa.

Lincoln said he hopes by later this fall the Waterloo clinic will provide 24/7 services.
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The U.S. surgeon general is warning there is not enough evidence to show that social media is safe for children and teens  and is calling on tech companies, parents and caregivers to take "immediate action to protect kids now."

With young people's social media use "near universal" but its true impact on mental health not fully understood, Dr. Vivek Murthy is asking tech companies to share data and increase transparency with researchers and the public and prioritize users' health and safety when designing their products.

"I recognize technology companies have taken steps to try to make their platforms healthier and safer, but it's simply not enough," Murthy told The Associated Press in an interview. "You can just look at the age requirements, where platforms have said 13 is the age at which people can start using their platforms. Yet 40% of kids 8 through 12 are on social media. How does that happen if you're actually enforcing your policies?"

To comply with federal regulation, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up to their platforms  but children have been shown to easily get around the bans, both with and without their parents' consent.

Other measures social platforms have taken to address concerns about children's mental health are also easily circumvented. For instance, TikTok recently introduced a default 60-minute time limit for users under 18. But once the limit is reached, minors can simply enter a passcode to keep watching.

Click here for 8 tips on social media use:

8 tips for parents and teens on social media use  from the US surgeon general The U.S. surgeon general is calling for tech companies and lawmakers to take immediate action to protect kids and adolescents mental health on social media. But after years of middling and insufficient action by both social media platforms and policymakers, parents and young people still bear most of the burden. They're having to navigate the fast-changing, often harmful world of secretive algorithms, addictive apps and extreme and inappropriate content found on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's tips include creating tech-free zones  such as meal times and nighttime.

It's not that the companies are unaware of the harms their platforms are causing. Meta, for instance, studied the effects of Instagram on teens' mental health years ago and found that the peer pressure generated by the visually focused app led to mental health and body-image problems, and in some cases, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts in teens  especially in girls. One internal study cited 13.5% of teen girls saying Instagram makes thoughts of suicide worse and 17% of teen girls saying it makes eating disorders worse.

The research was revealed in 2021 by whistleblower Frances Haugen. Meta sought to downplay the harmful effects of its platform on teens at the time, but put on hold its work on a kids' version of Instagram, which the company says is meant mainly for tweens aged 10 to 12.

"The bottom line is we do not have enough evidence to conclude that social media is, in fact, sufficiently safe for our kids. And that's really important for parents to know," said Murthy, who's been traveling around the country talking to parents and young people about the youth mental health crisis. "The most common question I get from parents is whether social media is safe for their kids."

Policymakers need to address the harms of social media the same way they regulate things like car seats, baby formula, medication and other products children use, Murthy said in a report published Tuesday. Parents  and kids  simply can't do it all.

"We're asking parents to manage a technology that's rapidly evolving that fundamentally changes how their kids think about themselves, how they build friendships, how they experience the world  and technology, by the way, that prior generations never had to manage," Murthy said. "And we're putting all of that on the shoulders of parents, which is just simply not fair."

While Murthy is calling for more research, he says there is ample evidence now that social media can have a "profound risk of harm" on the mental health and well-being of children and teenagers.

One critical factor is children's brain development. Adults can suffer from the harmful effects of social media. But children and adolescents are at a "fundamentally different stage of brain development, where the pathways in their brains, their social relationships, their self-esteem and identity are all under development," Murthy said. "And in this case, they're even more prone to be influenced by social cues, social pressure and social comparison  and those three things exist in overwhelming abundance on social media."

In fact, frequent social media use may be associated with "distinct changes" in the developing brain, and could could increase sensitivity to social rewards and punishments, according to a study cited in the surgeon general's report.

How and how often they use social media, as well as extreme, inappropriate and harmful content they see could have profound effects on kids' and teens' mental health.

And research shows they are using it a lot. al. Up to 95% of youth ages 13 to 17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media "almost constantly," according to the Pew Research Center.

A systematic review of 42 studies found a "consistent relationship between social media use and poor sleep quality, reduced sleep duration, sleep difficulties, and depression among youth." On a typical weekday, nearly one in three adolescents report using screen media until midnight or later.

What they see on social media also matters. From being bombarded unrealistic body images to a culture of "hyper-comparison" to bullying, hate and abuse, Murthy said he's worried that its effects on young people's mental health are showing up in the "disturbing mental health statistics that we are seeing in our country, which are telling us that depression, anxiety, suicide, loneliness are all going up."

Murthy's report doesn't tell young people to stop using social media altogether. There are benefits, too. It's where teens can find a community and have a space for self-expression. LGBTQ+ youth, in particular, have been shown to benefit from social media through connecting with peers, developing an identity and finding social support.

"For every family, it may not be feasible to stop your child from using social media or there may be benefit," Murthy said. "But drawing boundaries around the use of social media in your child's life so there are times and spaces that are protected, that are tech free, that can be really helpful."

Murthy's own children are 5 and 6, but like many parents, he's already thinking about their future on social media.

"We are planning to delay the use of social media for our kids until after middle school," he said. "And you know, that's not going to be easy. But we're hoping to find other parents and families that we can partner with to make this a little easier, because we know there's strength in numbers and sometimes making changes on your own is hard."

How to take a break from social media Be easy on yourself and ask for help about social media use Helpful exercise to remind you what you're missing by scrolling Use your phone's screen-time tracking feature and limit social media use Physically distance yourself from your phone and apps Benefits of taking a social media break Reevaluate what you want out of social media Two and a half hours.
A blockchain is a digital ledger and the key technology underpinning most cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (more on those later) and other unique digital items.

Blockchain can be used to store all kinds of information, but so far its most common use is in recording cryptocurrency transactions. Once a transaction is made, it's entered on this public ledger, which is managed by a global peer-to-peer network  millions of computers, in bitcoin's case.

Blockchain is fundamental to bitcoin's appeal: As a decentralized database, it can't be controlled by any one person or group  unlike a fiat currency such as the US dollar, which is managed by a central bank.
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BLOOMFIELD  Wapello County authorities chased after two motorcycles Saturday. The pursuits ended with an arrest and a fatal collision.

Authorities said they were chasing after two motorcycles traveling at speeds of more than 100 mph Saturday night. The pursuit began in Wapello County, and traveled down Highway 63 into Davis County and Bloomfield.

One of the motorcyclists crashed into a pickup truck at the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 63 at about 9 p.m. Saturday. The motorcycle's driver, 19-year-old Reese Jones, of Ottumwa, died as a result of the collision.

According to a crash report from the Iowa State Patrol, Jones was fleeing law enforcement southbound on U.S. 63 and entered the intersection with Highway 2, when he struck a stopped 2007 Ford F-150 driven by 17-year-old Jason Rich of New London.

Jones was transported to Davis County Hospital and Clinics, where he was pronounced dead, according to the report. Rich was listed as uninjured.

The crash remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol, a dispatcher said Monday when asked for the full report.

Court records show authorities arrested the other motorcycle driver, 18-year-old Lane Spurgeon and charged him with eluding, an aggravated misdemeanor. Court records say the motorcycle he was driving was not registered and that he did not yield to lights and sirens when deputies attempted to perform a traffic stop for excessive speed.

Spurgeon posted bond and was released from custody.

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(Photo : Niklas HALLE'N / AFP) (NIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP via Getty Images)

Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos is engaged with long-time partner journalist and former pilot Lauren Sanchez four years after going public with their relationship.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is now engaged with partner journalist Lauren Sanchez four years after going public

The billionaire entrepreneur went public with his relationship with Sanchez in 2019, the same year that he split with his ex-wife

The two both have children with former partners Sanchez is considering creating a blended family with

Amazon founder and billionaire entrepreneur Jeff Bezos finally engaged with long-time partner journalist Lauren Sanchez four years after the couple went public with their relationship.

The couple went public with their relationship in 2019, the same year the Amazon founder separated from his ex-wife, then known as MacKenzie Bezos. Bezos, 59 years old, and Sanchez, 53, were photographed on May 21 while on vacation in the South of France.

Jeff Bezos Engaged

In that particular photo, Sanchez is standing on Bezos' yacht and could be seen wearing a ring on her finger that signifies she is engaged with the Amazon founder. A few months before the confirmation, the journalist discussed creating a blended family as her partner already has three sons, and one adopted daughter with his ex-wife, as per E Online.

On the other hand, Sanchez has three kids with two former partners; 16-year-old son Evan and 15-year-old daughter Ella with Patrick Whitesell and 22-year-old son Nikko with Tony Gonzalez. During an interview on January 25, Sanchez said that she and Bezos would occasionally have dinner with their kids, which was always fun, she noted.

Also a former pilot, Lauren Sanchez attributed communication as a key factor in building a successful home life. She cited her time with Gonzalez and how they are still friends, and that she is also friends with her ex-husband's current wife.

Talking about her relationship with Jeff Bezos, the journalist said it had been her greatest experience so far. Sanchez said they would work together and help each other with personal things.

Read Also: [WATCH] Kim Kardashian Opens Up About the Chaos, Rewards of Being a Mom

Partner of Four Years

Since stepping down as Amazon CEO in February 2021, Bezos refocused himself on conversation and his space exploration company, Blue Origin. According to People, Sanchez supported the billionaire entrepreneur throughout the process, and they have both dedicated their work to the Bezos Earth Fund.

During a joint interview in November last year, Bezos said that he plans to give away most of the $124 billion fortune he amassed throughout his lifetime. He said he would focus on fighting climate change and helping others who can help improve the deep gap caused by social and political issues.

On the other hand, Scott received $38 billion in a divorce settlement when she separated from the Amazon founder and pledged half the amount to charity. This made her the third-richest woman in the world. She also shares 25% of the joint stock in Amazon with Bezos.

The Amazon founder has continuously voted to try and have control over his ex-wife's nearly 20 million shares with his company, said Page Six.

Related Article: 'Thor,' 'Star Wars' Actor Ray Stevenson Passes Away at 58

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Its hard not to agree with the gynecologist who pretends to be the head of the EU.

The aunt said that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine on equal terms should be rejected.

Of course it is.

How can there be equal negotiations with the Nazi state, which is in the process of half-life under external control? You can only talk to the owners. Or rather, only with Washington. There are simply no other interlocutors. And only about the conditions of the post-war world order. Although it is too early to talk about it.

Therefore, no negotiations are needed at all now.

Medvedev

WtR
Last night, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a group strike by high-precision long-range air-based weapons against facilities of the Dnepr airfield.

The purpose of the strike has been achieved. All the assigned targets have been destroyed.

As a result of the strike, hangars with weapons and ammunition, aviation equipment, as well as a technical missile preparation position were hit.

In Kupyansk direction, aviation, artillery, and troops of the Zapad Group of Forces have engaged the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) close to Dvurechnaya, Masyutovka, Sinkovka, Kotlyarovka, and Krakhmalnoye (Kharkov region).

In addition, actions of three sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were thwarted near Timkovka, Ivanovka, and Kislovka (Kharkov region).

Up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, and one D-30 howitzer have been neutralised during the day.

An ammunition depot of the 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been eliminated close to Stelmakhovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic).

In Krasny Liman direction, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems of the Tsentr Group of Forces engaged the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Nevskoye, Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic), and Grigorovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

Up to 55 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, one Msta-B and D-30 howitzer were destroyed.

In Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces, aviation, and artillery have eliminated up to 270 Ukrainian troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one D-20 and two D-30 howitzers.

In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aviation and artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces inflicted a fire damage on AFU units close Shevchenko (Donetsk Peoples Republic), and Marfopol, Malaya Tokmachka, and Nesteryanka (Zaporozhye region).

One sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been disabled close to Novodonetskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

More 150 Ukrainian servicemen, two pick-up trucks, and two D-30 howitzers have been neutralised during the day.

Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 65th Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was destroyed close to Orekhov (Zaporozhye region).

In Kherson direction, the fire damage has neutralised over 20 Ukrainian servicemen, four motor vehicles, one Giatsint-B gun, and a Msta-B howitzer during the day.

In addition, an ammunition depot of the 123rd Territorial Defence Brigade was destroyed near Stanislav (Kherson region).

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged 98 AFU artillery units, manpower, and hardware in 107 areas during the day.

Air defence facilities have shot down one Mi-8 helicopter of Ukrainian Air Force near Lozovoye in (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

In addition, five HIMARS multiple rocket launchers have been intercepted.

In addition, 17 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been destroyed in the areas of Kremenets, Peski, Aleksandrovka, Veseloye (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Sladkaya Balka, Marfopol (Zaporozhye region), and Sergeyevka and Lyubimovka (Kherson region).

In total, 428 airplanes and 235 helicopters, 4,262 unmanned aerial vehicles, 424 anti-aircraft missile systems, 9,257 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,100 combat vehicles equipped with multiple launch rocket systems, 4,881 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 10,379 pieces of special military hardware have been destroyed during the special military operation.

WtR
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After evading authorities in South Dakota for speeding, a 25-year-old woman from Washington state was arrested Friday in Winona County and ultimately referred for a mental health evaluation.

A Winona County sheriffs deputy was running speed radar on Interstate 90 before 9 p.m. Friday when he clocked Danielle Meshel Poirier of Federal Way, Washington, traveling west at 103 mph.

After stopping Poirier, law enforcement said she initially provided a false name, had no identification and was uncooperative. The deputy believed Poirier to be under the influence of a controlled substance or having a mental health crisis.

During the stop, a drug recognition expert took Poirier through some tests, which law enforcement said were minimal due to Poirier being uncooperative. Additionally, they said Poirier failed the tests she did and had extremely dilated pupils, wasnt communicative and extremely fidgety.

Deputies arrested Poirier for providing a false name and date of birth in addition to suspicion of being under the influence of a controlled substance. A warrant was issued for Poiriers blood, and formal charges are pending the results.

While booking Poirier, deputies learned South Dakota authorities previously attempted to stop her for going above 100 mph on Interstate 90 but discontinued the chase when she got into Minnesota.

Poirier was then stopped again in western Minnesota at a gas station where a state trooper let her continue on her way.

After Winona deputies took Poirier into custody Friday, she was released from jail Saturday after the blood test was collected.

Just before 5:30 a.m. Sunday, the Winona Police Department received a call of concern for a woman sitting in a lawn chair near Mankato Avenue and Sixth Street in Winona.

After learning the person of concern was Poirier, the sheriffs deputy from Fridays arrest assisted on the scene. Poirier was then taken to Winona Health for a mental health evaluation.

Deputies initially tried to contact Poiriers family members Friday and were unsuccessful. After trying again, they made contact and learned of Poiriers ongoing mental health concerns.

Poiriers family told authorities they did not know why she was traveling east.

Winona County Human Services is working to see if there is anything the agency can do in the case.
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The annual Beaver Dam Memorial Day Ceremony will be held on Monday at Oakwood Cemetery beginning at 10:15 a.m.

We will be honoring our past and present veterans who have served or are now serving in order to preserve our countrys freedom, said committee chair Lois Levenhagen, from the American Legion Auxiliary.

The Memorial Service will be held at the Veterans Memorial Park starting at 10:15 a.m., located in the Oakwood Cemetery on Hwy 33/151. The American Legion of Beaver Dam is sponsoring this years ceremony.

The service will include the reading of the names of Veterans who have passed away in the past year. During the Memorial Service at the cemetery, some park benches will be available for seating but do bring lawn chairs and blankets for additional seating.

The Memorial Service will be broadcasted and live-streamed on WBEV/Daily Dodge for those who cannot attend in person.

The Beaver Dam High School Marching Band and St. Katharine Drexel Marching Band will be providing the music for the service.

Weather permitting there will be a flyover during the reading of the deceased veterans names.

We are honored to have retired Brigadier General Robyn J Blader. She was the Assistant Adjutant General for Readiness and Training for the Wisconsin Army National Guard and graduated from Wautoma High School in Wautoma, Levenhagen said.

In the case of inclement weather, listen to WBEV-AM/FM between 8-8:30 a.m. At that time the Memorial Service will be held in the Veterans Center, 300 Beichl Ave. starting at 10:30 am. Everyone is invited to attend and participate.

For any questions call, Chuck Staab 920-887-8247 or Lois Levenhagen 920-887-0642.

GALLERY: 2022 Memorial Day ceremony held in Beaver Dam
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Automotion weekend brings a lot of commotion to the Dells area, and a Madison resident who stole a car was arrested for three charges on the night of May 20.

The Wisconsin Dells Police Department announced that 24-year-old Makail Richardson was arrested around 11:00 p.m. that evening following a pursuit in conjunction with the Beaver Dam Police Department. BDPD was one of multiple law enforcement agencies assisting WDPD and Lake Delton Police Department in patrolling the area during a weekend that brings many visitors from Wisconsin and nationwide.

Richardson stole the vehicle he was fleeing in from a woman stopped in traffic.

Kevin Hall, a K-9 officer with BDPD, saw Richardson's vehicle nearly hit several others while driving up a median near the intersection of Broadway (Wisconsin Highway 13) and Wisconsin Dells Parkway (U.S. Highway 12). After Hall and a WDPD officer working with him began pursuing Richardson, he fled northbound on Highway 12/Wisconsin Highway 16.

WDPD Lt. Ben Wiese, who is also the department's K-9 handler, joined the other officers in pursuit. The chase ended up on Interstate 90/94 after Richardson began traveling eastbound with his headlights off on the freeway from the Highway 12/16 on-ramp (exit 85). Richardson subsequently crashed into the median nearly two miles up the road and fled on foot into a wooded marsh.

Wiese and Hall then deployed their dogs, Rocky and Yeti, respectively, to track Richardson. The K-9s were later used to apprehend him after he refused commands to stop.

After being taken into custody at Sauk County Jail, Richardson received charges of operating a motor vehicle without owner's consent, eluding, resisting arrest, and felony bail jumping, along with multiple traffic violations.

According to court records, Richardson currently has an open case against him for disorderly conduct and resisting/obstructing an officer. He previously pled guilty to substantial battery/intention to cause bodily harm as party to a crime in 2020, along with another charge of resisting/obstructing an officer.

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Weather Alert

...SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THROUGH MEMORIAL DAY... * Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms will continue each afternoon through Memorial Day. Storms will be capable of producing frequent cloud to ground lightning, gusty outflow winds, small hail, and heavy rainfall. * With an influx of people enjoying the outdoors this weekend, it is important that individuals have a way to quickly seek shelter in the event that a thunderstorm approaches your area. If a sturdy building is not immediately available, a hard-top vehicle with the windows rolled up can offer good protection from lightning. If you plan on doing activities that will leave you vulnerable to the elements such as hiking, consider doing the bulk of those activities in the morning hours before afternoon/evening thunderstorms develop. * With streams and even mainstem rivers already flowing fast and cold, it is still advised to avoid swimming in many areas. Keep in mind that daily showers/thunderstorms will inherently come with the threat of flash flooding. Have a way to receive weather alerts, and get to higher ground immediately if a river or stream you are near begins to rise quickly, if you see debris floating in the water, or the water suddenly becomes muddy.
Hillary Clinton admitted that US President Joe Biden's age is an issue in his 2024 presidential reelection despite his "good record."

The former Secretary of the State made such remarks during the Financial Times Weekend Festival in Washington, DC.

Hillary Clinton Says Biden's Age is an Issue

The former First Lady and Secretary of State have openly admitted that President Joe Biden's age poses an issue to his potential 2024 reelection bid, according to The Hill. Her statement surprises some, considering Clinton's affiliation with the Democratic Party and her previous support for Biden's candidacy.

However, Clinton, who unsuccessfully ran for president last 2016, argued that despite his age, Biden has a "good record" as the US President. However, she says that voters have the "right to consider" his age as a factor in re-electing him in the White House.

On top of that, the former First Lady assures everyone that she undoubtedly supports the reelection bid of Biden. The ex-Secretary of State made such remarks after the Financial Times editor, Edward Luce, asked Clinton about a recent incident involving Biden.

The 80-year-old US President almost fell while climbing the stairs at Japan's Group of Seven (G7) summit. The Financial Times editor asked the ex-First Lady if that should be a concern.

Clinton gamely answered the query. She admitted that "[it is] a concern for everyone." She further notes that Biden's predecessors, who are a lot younger than him, have previously fallen too. But she says, "People [did not] go into heart palpitations."

Given that, she notes that the age of the current US President "is an issue. And people have every right to consider it."

Clinton says that Biden barely gets the credit he deserves for leading the country. She cited his "good record" in providing "jobs," "growth," and plans for the future, including "chips and other stuff."

Read Also: Joe Biden Criminal Bribery Claims: FBI Refuses To Share Documents That Will Prove Republicans' Accusations

Biden's Age Concerns

As per The New York Post, the White House previously tried to shrug off the concerns over the age of the US President.

The White Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told former CNN anchor Don Lemon that he should not even ask questions about the top executive's age. She notes that Biden is working extremely hard to run the country.

Despite that, in a recent survey by the Washington Post and ABC News, roughly 64 percent of folks in the US believe that Biden is no longer mentally sharp to lead the country. Meanwhile, around 62 percent say he is not physically good enough to stay in the White House.

It is worth noting that President Biden, 80, is the oldest US president, Axios reports. Next to him was the former POTUS Ronald Reagan, who stepped down at 77.

Related Article: 2024 US Elections: Kamala Harris to Play Crucial Role in Biden's Reelection Bid

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.


Goods Supply Agreement - Potting Mix

Sydney, May 23, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Veratin Limited ( NSX:VTN ) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Goods Supply Agreement with The Green Life Soil Company for the supply of potting mix.



Under the terms of the Agreement, Veratin can purchase up to 100 m3 of a custom blend potting mix at a fixed price for 2 years. Veratin has the option to extend the Good Supply Agreement for a further 3 years if it so wishes.



The potting mix makes the base of a new product that the Company has launched last year as "Verigrow potting mix" and is packaged in sustainable jute bags (6L and 15L). The potting mix, which is infused with Verigrow, has moisture absorption and retention properties and enough air flow for plants to thrive.



Founder and Executive Chairman, Dr Ramiz Boulos says, "The recent announcement of a ban on native logging in Western Australia has seen supply shortages in potting mix and compost". We are therefore very pleased to secure the supply of potting mix with such a reputable company that delivers premium quality product".



Veratin is pleased to announce that its Trademark "Verigrow", for its novel fertiliser and soil improver from wool, has been accepted in Europe and the UK. The Trademark is registered in the US and Australia and the Company has pending applications in other jurisdictions including Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Indonesia, New Zealand and South Africa.



Founder and Executive Chairman, Dr Ramiz Boulos says, "We are pleased to receive trademark acceptance in Europe and the UK for our flagship product. We look forward to broadening our protection as we continue to build the foundations for future growth".





About Veratin Limited





Veratin Limited (NSX:VTN) is involved in the research and development of products derived from waste wool, including the development and sales of its initial product, Verigrow(R), a wool-based liquid fertiliser for domestic and commercial use. The Company is also involved in the development of additional products and opportunities derived from its registered intellectual property.


Cyprium Metals Corporate Update

Perth, May 23, 2023 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Cyprium Metals Ltd ( ASX:CYM ) advises the following appointment of experienced industry executives



Appointment of Experienced Industry Executives



Cyprium has, with immediate effect, appointed two experienced industry executives, Clive Donner and Milan Jerkovic, to work with the current management team and board. The refreshed team will review, optimise and recommend the best path to fund and execute the agreed development plan for the Nifty project.



Clive Donner is an experienced mining private equity and financing expert, who has been engaged to lead the Company's focus on corporate development and capital raising initiatives for the board. Mr Donner's initial role will be to assist the Company source and execute the capital financing for the current development plan and thereafter, review the optimum longer term development pathway to commercialise the full potential of the Nifty project. Mr Donner will focus on reviewing the capital intensity, timing and risk factors of the various longer term development alternatives.



Milan Jerkovic is an experienced mining veteran who will assist in the execution of the development plan for Nifty and provide leadership input to the development team in the Company. Mr Jerkovic has previously built a number of mines, with substantial and relevant copper expertise.



It is anticipated that there will be further board and management changes once the capital financing has been secured. Barry Cahill will resign from the board and remain in a technical development role. Clive Donner and Milan Jerkovic will continue as executives of the Company on a full-time basis.



Cyprium's Chairman, Gary Comb said:



"The Company has a high-quality portfolio of late-stage Australian based copper projects, with mineral resources of over 1.6 million tonnes of contain copper.



It is with pleasure that we announce the appointments of Clive Donner and Milan Jerkovic to the executive team of Cyprium. Their financing experience and knowledge will be of great benefit to optimise the development of Nifty and progress Cyprium's pipeline of development projects."



Nifty Copper Project



The Nifty development strategy includes the integration of a Copper Oxide Heap Leach SX-EW starter operation which will be complemented by the larger-scale sulphide open pit, which will together provide a significant +20-year mine life based on +900,000 tonne contained copper resource.



Cyprium has finalised a detailed Restart Study for the Oxide Heap Leach starter operation. The Company is nearing the completion of a scoping study which will lead into a detailed open pit life of mine study, which includes the large sulphide resource inventory.



Cyprium has substantial infrastructure already in place to treat both oxide and sulphide mineral inventory.



It is anticipated that the Oxide Heap Leach SX-EW will produce approximately 25,000 tpa of copper cathode for over 7 years and that the Sulphide Concentrator would produce between 28,000 tpa (2.8Mtpa at +1.0% copper) and 40,000 tpa (4.0 Mtpa at +1.0% copper) of copper in concentrate over 15 years. These assets would support a long mine life project in excess of 20 years.



Nifty's prospectivity is excellent and the mineral inventory is shallow and is open along strike in multiple directions and at depth, giving good potential to substantially increase the current resource endowment.



There continues to be strong interest from investors in Cyprium's medium and long-term strategy for the development of its portfolio of West Australian copper projects.





About Cyprium Metals Ltd





Cyprium Metals Limited (ASX:CYM) is poised to grow to a mid-tier mining business and manage a portfolio of Australian copper projects to deliver vital natural resources, strong shareholder returns and sustainable value for our stakeholders. We pursue this aim, in genuine partnerships with employees, customers, shareholders, local communities and other stakeholders, which is based on integrity, co-operation, transparency and mutual value creation.
Blue Bell Creameries has teamed up with Dr Pepper to create a Dr Pepper Float-flavored ice cream, which released in stores recently.

We are excited to team up with fellow Texas-born brand, Blue Bell, to create this new delicious treat, said John Alvarado, senior vice president of Dr Pepper brand marketing, in a statement. We cant wait to provide our fans with another refreshing way to enjoy Dr Pepper.

Jimmy Lawhorn, Blue Bell vice president of sales and marketing, described the new flavor as having sherbet-textured Dr Pepper swirled with creamy vanilla ice cream to create the character of a float.

The Dr Pepper Float flavor will be available at most major retailers through 2024, according to a news release.

Blue Bell was founded in 1907 in Brenham, Texas and has since grown to offer more than 40 ice cream flavors in 23 states, the release said.

More sweet treats
When Goodman Realty Groups new 207-unit apartment complex at Winrock Town Center in Uptown opens in early 2026, it will sport new technology to seamlessly convert the building into a rotating mix of overnight, short-term and long-term rental units.

That technology  created by the East Coast company Placemakr  allows multifamily developments to simultaneously operate as flexible-use hospitality establishments alongside long-term apartment leases. The technology can help developers expand local options for transient individuals or businesses seeking overnight and short-term rentals, while also increasing the earnings potential for multifamily complexes, said Goodman Realty President Scott Goodman.

Goodman Realty, the developer behind Winrock Town Center, expects an 18-month construction window for the apartment complex, with groundbreaking expected in late fall. And when it opens, it will be the first multifamily facility in New Mexico to use the Placemakr technology, which is currently deployed at properties on the East and West coasts, and in Texas and Florida.

Apart from becoming a Placemakr customer, Goodman is now also an investor in the company through Albuquerque-based GOS Capital, a boutique investment firm that Goodman launched in fall 2021. GOS pools capital from individual investors for early-stage, Angel-type investments.

GOS committed $250,000 to 10 local startups in 2021 and 2022 from its first fund, which included about a dozen investors. Then, in January, Goodman began raising a second, $1 million fund, leading to a first close in late March on an initial $300,000 tranche of capital from about half the investors who participated in the first GOS fund.

About half the investors in Fund 1 decided to re-invest in the new fund, which shows real confidence and faith in my investment strategy, Goodman told the Journal. Im now raising money with new, high net-worth investors and expect to close on a second $300,000 tranche in August. After that, Ill reach out to institutional investors, such as endowments and family trusts, to raise the full $1 million goal by the end of the year.

Unlike Fund 1, which focused on small seed investments in local startups in general, Fund II is specifically targeting companies with compelling innovations in property technology, or PropTech, which refers to products and services directly linked to real estate development and management.

Thats a unique strategy among venture platforms operating in New Mexico, and an ideal strategy for GOS Capital that allows Goodman to combine GOS equity investments of up to $100,000 with Goodman Realty Groups own development efforts.

Thats led to four Fund II PropTech commitments to date, starting early this year with investments in New York-based Cuby Technologies Inc. and New Jersey-based Pinata.

Cuby has built a compact, transportable factory for onsite residential construction projects to speed development and lower costs, while Pinata is marketing a first-of-its-kind rent-rewards platform that confers redeemable points to renters when they pay their rent on time.

Goodman Realty will deploy both technologies in its own projects, applying Cubys onsite factory at a new housing development in Taos, and Pinata technology at existing and future Goodman properties.

The Placemakr technology will debut at the Windrock apartments, turning that development from the moment it opens into a mixed-use hospitality and long-term rental venue, Goodman said.

The Placemakr platform is based on a algorithm that automatically plans rental strategies for units around seasonal swings in market demand, such as reserving apartments for nightly or weekly rentals during the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in early October. Or, during the end-of-year shopping season, it could reserve a suite of apartments for one or two months to provide temporary housing for out-of-town workers who businesses hire during the holidays.

Placemakr outlines the most-optimal rental-and-revenue schedule for the building, Goodman said. It creates a timeline where long-term leases are scheduled to expire, say, at the end of September to provide some short-term rentals for the Ballon Fiesta and for the end-of-year holidays. It manipulates things back and forth to always have availability.

GOS made a fourth PropTech investment as well in Chicago-based Obie, a startup with a new software platform that facilitates customized home insurance packages that offer discounts based on a homeowners history.

Its like todays discounts on car insurance based on a persons driving score, but in this case, it creates a home insurance score, Goodman said. The software pulls data on individuals to offer homeowners with good safety records discounted quotes for things like regular maintenance scheduling, a low number of insurance claims or having a stable, long-term job.

GOSs new PropTech focus enticed some Fund I investors to commit money to Fund II, such as Erik Strobert, founder and CEO of Albuquerque-based Perspective Components Inc., which has created smart camera and microphone technology for security surveillance.

Scott is approaching venture capital in a different way than other local venture investors, Strobert told the Journal. Its an aggressive and innovative boutique-scale focus thats now combining his core competency in the real estate world with venture investing.

Real estate developer Rahim Kassam of Fundero Development Inc. said PropTech investing also encouraged him to commit money to GOS Capital.

I want to incorporate some of those PropTech innovations into my own work as a developer, Kassam told the Journal.

Goodmans fund-management style may also appeal to investors, such as forgoing any management fees for running GOS Capital.

I have no salary, Goodman said. Unlike the 2% or 3% management fees charged by big funds, I wont make money unless my investors make money, because my compensation is completely tied to fund performance. If I dont provide returns to investors, I wont make a penny.
Title 42, the health decree allowing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials to quickly expel asylum seekers on the southern U.S. border, expired on May 11. Under this policy, a person crossing illegally into the U.S. could be expelled multiple times without a fine or long-term banishment.

Title 42 was replaced by Title 8, which is the longstanding U.S. border policy that deports, not expels people who cross illegally. Unlike Title 42, crossing illegally under Title 8 has consequences that could involve being fined or banned from attempting to access the process to legally enter the U.S. for years. There was much confusion leading up to the changing of border policy, and many migrants were fed bad information from human traffickers that the end of Title 42 meant an open border in which they could freely cross.

This did indeed cause an uptick in the numbers of migrants gathering in Mexican border cities such as Juarez, waiting for Title 42 to end. Some didnt wait and surrendered themselves to CBP officials before May 11, causing cross-border delays and congestion at rescue missions and churches in cities such as El Paso.

On the day Title 42 expired, I drove from Santa Teresa, New Mexico, to downtown El Paso, where the bulk of migrants in the region have been entering the U.S. to seek asylum at the Bridge of the Americas.

I, like everybody else, have been watching the national press reporting that the border would be chaos and a mess after the expiration of Title 42. For this very fact, I have tended to avoid downtown El Paso for the past few weeks.

Driving the 15 minutes between Santa Teresa and downtown El Paso took me along the border wall and Rio Grande. Upon entering Texas, I immediately saw strings of barbed wire that had been laid north of the river. There were Texas DPS and National Guard vehicles pointing towards Juarez. I drove cautiously along the border wall, fearful that migrants would be scaling this wall, entering the U.S., and running desperately across the border highway. However, I did not see any migrants crossing the river, being apprehended by officials, or crossing the road.

Arriving in downtown El Paso, I took a drive to a couple rescue missions expecting to see migrants milling around the buildings seeking aid. I saw exactly one person with a backpack within the gates of the El Paso Rescue Mission. Driving around the streets, I saw some younger people with backpacks, but I could not tell if they were migrants or students who live in Juarez and come to school in El Paso on a daily basis.

I took a drive to the Sacred Heart Church, where there had been reports of hundreds, if not thousands of migrants arriving there for assistance. I arrived to see the road adjacent to the church blocked on both sides and a few migrants milling around on the street. Across from the church, three El Paso policemen were present. Some pedestrians, whom I perceived to be migrants, were walking down the sidewalk. However, driving around downtown El Paso felt like driving in a ghost town. I have never seen this area so calm and quiet in the late afternoon. I saw tens, not hundreds or thousands, of what I believed to be migrants on my trip. I subsequently returned a few more times on different days to monitor the situation. While the number of migrants in downtown El Paso fluctuated on certain days, they were by no means spilling out of shelters and into the streets in masses.

Did I, like so many other people, get swept up in the hyperbole that the northbound trek of migrants would be unmanageable and cause severe problems? Undoubtedly, there have been thousands of migrants entering border cities such as El Paso. However, as El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego stated, We have a manageable crisis. If migrants can prove that they have a certain level of fear factor because of political, religious, or other persecution back in their home countries, they will be paroled into the U.S., where they can wait as their asylum process unfolds.

Seeing such a deserted downtown El Paso, I began to wonder where the thousands of migrants had gone who were reported entering the U.S. in the weeks before the end of Title 42. It became obvious to me that migrants receiving parole in the U.S., who are not remanded to holding camps or shelters, arrange for quick transport by bus or other mode of transportation to live with relatives or associates while they wait for their asylum proceedings, which can often take more than a year. They are not generally staying in cities such as El Paso, but are traveling to cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, and New York. Other migrants are mindful of the penalties that Title 8 can impose, and are choosing to use legal pathways such as the CBP mobile asylum app, to attempt to come to the U.S.

At present, public officials and non-governmental organizations seem to be handling the situation safely and efficiently. The shifting of resources and preparedness have been key to this success.

Next column: Why are we letting migrants into the U.S., and what can they do when they are here?

Jerry Pacheco is the executive director of the International Business Accelerator, a nonprofit trade counseling program of the New Mexico Small Business Development Centers Network. He can be reached at 575-589-2200 or at jerry@nmiba.com.<br>
After a brief chase on Interstate 40 followed by a SWAT standoff at a West Side intersection Monday morning, Albuquerque Police Department officers arrested a woman who they said had stolen a truck at gunpoint from a driver in the parking lot of a Dions pizza restaurant.

Roberta Marie Chavez, 45, is charged with robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, eluding or evading a police officer and concealing identity. She was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center. Its unclear who her attorney will be.

Around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday officers were called to the Dions on Coors, just north of Central, for reports of a carjacking. The caller told dispatch that a woman with black hair had brandished a handgun, stole their 2011 Toyota Tacoma and fled the scene.

A sergeant spotted the truck nearby traveling west on Interstate 40, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Officers chased the truck to the area near Route 66 Casino however due to lack of radio communications the pursuit was called off, according to the complaint.

However, the trucks owner told police that her AirPods were still in the truck and could be tracked with her iPhone. Around 10 p.m. she told them that the AirPods were at a Speedway gas station on Coors and Quail NW.

At the same time another woman called in to say that a woman in a Toyota Tacoma  Chavez  was trying to hit her vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee, near the gas station.

Officers went to the Speedway and the Tacoma fled  running a stop sign  until it lost control and crashed into a light pole nearby at Quail and 57th NW, according to the complaint.

Chavez refused to come out of the truck and around 3:30 a.m. the SWAT team was called to the scene.

She was taken into custody around 4:55 a.m.

Meanwhile, officers had interviewed a man and woman in the Jeep Cherokee who said Chavez had told them she was a deputy with an unknown department and demanded the man get in her truck.

When he refused to do so, they said Chavez accelerated toward him and struck him in the leg.

The male was able to retreat back to his vehicle without any further injury and after doing so they fled from the gas station in a western direction, an officer wrote in the complaint. The female in the white Tacoma followed and struck their vehicle with hers. The male and his female acquaintance were able to elude the female in the white Tacoma and call for police.
Earlier this month, a fire started in Las Tusas, New Mexico, that burned almost 1,000 acres of land.

The blaze was a searing reminder of last years wildfire season. The Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak fire  the worst in New Mexico history  burned more than 300,000 acres, leaving a scar that could take decades to fully recover. Suppressing the fire cost hundreds of millions.

New Mexico is now in the midst of its fire season  a season that has become longer and more intense over the past years following long-term climate changes, including stronger, drier storms and an increase in vapor pressure deficit, a measurement that looks at how the air dries out vegetation.

But theres some good news. This fire season is likely to be dampened, due to changing weather patterns in the state.

Andrew Church, a New Mexico-based meteorologist and resident fire weather and climate expert for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said that the state is seeing opposite storm patterns to last spring, when several fires spiraled out of control throughout the state.

You had three La Nina winters in a row, and then suddenly, were going to be in El Nino in the next few weeks, Church said. So there was a huge change.

El Nino weather patterns bring more moisture and snow to New Mexico than La Nina, which brings drier and warmer temperatures  conditions that provide kindling for wildfires.

High winds and dry conditions are two of the biggest factors that can spark wildfires and whip them into a destructive frenzy; thus, a wetter winter and spring helps quell the fire season.

We just had a meeting, a fire weather meeting here with the land agencies and the dispatch centers there, Church said. Weve got fire behavior analysts and they were just discussing the moisture we have now. Its going to limit a fire season  its a very good thing.

Short-term relief, long-term trends

Church said over the next months, wildfire danger should creep north into other Southwestern states, which dont see the same spring moisture that New Mexico does. Generally, Church said, New Mexico has an earlier fire season and rarely sees late summer wildfires.

But, despite the reprieve that New Mexico is expected to see this year, long-term trends have been prolonging and intensifying fire seasons throughout New Mexico and the Southwest. Over the past decade, storm systems have become more erratic in the state, Church said, with many storm systems coming in drier, with more intense winds  drying out vegetation that can fuel fires.

One of the factors that has turned New Mexico and other western states into a tinderbox is an increase in vapor pressure deficit, or VPD, an important metric in the study of wildfires.

VPD is a measure of how effectively the air can dry out the plants and the vegetation that ultimately becomes fuel for wildfires, said Kristina Dahl, a climate scientist with the Union for Concerned Scientists. VPD tends to be high when its hot and dry out  and as VPD increases, so does the area burned by forest fires.

Elevated VPD can dry out vegetation in forests  and levels have been rising, along with increased severity and length of fire season in Southwestern states. A group of researchers with the Union for Concerned Scientists published a peer-reviewed study last Tuesday in Environmental Research Letters relating VPD to an increase in burned areas in the western United States and southwestern Canada from 1986.

Theres a very strong relationship between VPD and burned area, Dahl, the principal researcher on the study, said. Its actually an exponential relationship  so very small changes, very small increases in VPD, cause very large increases in burned area.

The link between rising VPD and an increase in burned areas has been studied before. But the new study goes further, tracing the roots of increased VPD to the 88 largest carbon emission producers.

When the weather is hot and dry, VPD increases. Over the past decades, as carbon emissions have pushed temperatures higher, VPD has correspondingly increased, Dahl said. The team of researchers calculated VPD using observational data from weather stations, and compared it to global mean temperature data from 28 different climate models compiled by the World Climate Research Programmes Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, which compares a variety of different climate models for a more holistic look at the worlds climate. From there, the team used data tracked by public records pulled by researcher Richard Heede of the largest carbon polluters to determine how much they contributed to the rise in VPD.

The study found that emissions traced to the 88 largest carbon producers contributed 48% of the rise in VPD between 1901 and 2021. Other contributors included smaller companies as well as other factors including deforestation.

But the destruction of wildfires isnt limited to burned areas. Church cautioned that although less area may burn this season, burn scar areas around the state are more susceptible to flooding due to monsoons. Although the monsoon season is predicted to be mild, Church said, just one thunderstorm in the wrong area can cause intense flood damage.

Although the state will likely see less thunderstorm days than last year, Church said, burn scar areas are most vulnerable in the second year.

It just takes one storm, or a couple of storms, to wreak havoc on burn scars, Church said. Dont let your guard down.
Albuquerque Police Department Open Space Collateral officers on patrol along the Rio Grande found signs of 10 encampments and one person inside a tent in the bosque over the weekend.

Gilbert Gallegos, an APD spokesman, said the officers were patrolling on foot, by boat and by horse and found the encampments south of Central.

He said they found one person and arrested him on a warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and a history of battery on a peace officer.

That man, 31-year-old Carlos Diaz, was also charged with misdemeanor unlawful camping but the case was dismissed because the state declined to prosecute.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, officers found Diaz, who only speaks Spanish, inside a tent next to a white sheet and a motorcycle just south of Bridge on the west side of the river. They asked him to come out of the tent and he did so with his hands up.

When asked if he had any warrants for his arrest, Diaz said he did and  after it was confirmed  he was arrested.

Gallegos said the officers also checked the area near La Vega and Arenal SW and possibly other locations as well. He said they found several encampments but did not come into contact with anyone else since many of the people who stay at the camps leave during the day and return in the evening.

Officers provided GPS coordinates to the Parks Department which will coordinate the additional response, Gallegos said.

They want to ensure nothing is inadvertently damaged, like trees, during clean-up, he said. For this operation, they are delayed with the clean-up because there is so much water in the bosque and several camps are on dry patches of land near a lot of water.

Gallegos didnt answer questions about where the people who are staying in the camps will be directed to go or what will happen to their belongings.
Theres a new newspaper in town. The Tri-City Record, which covers Aztec, Bloomfield, and Farmington, printed and distributed its first edition on Monday, May 22. The paper will print every Monday through Friday. Both print and digital offerings are currently free.

Its truly my lifes work, and Im so proud, said publisher David Cook. I couldnt be happier that were able to give San Juan County something that I think they desperately needed.

The owner, publisher, and senior editor all have connections to Colorado. Senior editor Trent Stephens also edits The Durango Herald and the Journal of Cortez, Colorado. Both papers are owned by Ballantine Communications, LLC, which also launched the Tri-City Record. Cook has owned and published the Aspen Daily News since 2017.

The new paper, which is printed out of Santa Fe, hopes to capitalize on the relationships among different states in the Four Corners region. Cook said that Durango residents often travel to Farmington for shopping or art events, and vice versa.

Forget about state lines, Cook said. Theres no question that the Four Corners region has many economic tie-ins for sure.

Environmental issues, including river health and oil extraction, also blur the line between the states, Cook said.

The Durango Herald and the Journal in Cortez have long had a reporter covering the Farmington area  which allowed the papers to quickly respond to news affecting the region as a whole. The Durango Herald was one of the first media outlets to cover the Farmington shooting May 15.

Cook first visited the region on a consulting trip for the Ballentine family, which now owns the new Farmington paper.

There were some real gaps in the beat reporting, Cook said. I saw a real opportunity. San Juan is the fifth largest population center in New Mexico  and in my estimation  it was slowly becoming a news desert.

The Tri-City Record joins the Farmington Daily Times, which has covered the region since the 1890s. The newspaper was bought by Gannett in 2015, and as the newspaper conglomerate laid off staffers nationwide, the papers staff was whittled down in recent years. Currently, just one reporter is listed on the newsroom directory.

The Tri-City Record has a staff of 12 contributing writers and advertisers. Cook said he estimates about half the staff lives in Farmington, and the rest live in the Four Corners region.

Currently, the revenue is coming from ad sales. Cook said at some point, the website could add a paywall. But at least one of the offerings, print or digital, Cook said, will always remain free.

Theres no guarantee of what it will look like in a year, Cook said. But certainly our goal, my principles as a publisher, and a media owner, is that news belongs in the hands of its citizens.
Xbox games are coming to Boosteroid, a cloud gaming service for various platforms like PC and Mac, this June.

If you are a fan of games like "Deathloop" and "Gears 5," you might not want to miss this chance.

Xbox Games Are Heading to Boosteroid This June

Xbox games are making their way to the highly acclaimed cloud gaming service, Boosteroid, as per a report by Engadget.

The groundbreaking collaboration enables gamers to access an extensive library of Xbox titles on various platforms. Whether you are a fan of intense first-person shooters, heart-pounding adventures, or immersive open-world games, Boosteroid got you covered. The cloud gaming service is available to PC Windows and MacOS users. On top of that, Android TV, Linux, and Android users may also get their hands on it.

Users of the cloud gaming service in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), as well as the rest of the European Union and Ukraine, may access some Microsoft-owned games or first-party Xbox titles. However, they must buy these games on PC gaming online storefronts, such as the Epic Games Store or Steam.

Read Also: Microsoft Cloud Outage Hit Millions of Users Globally; Here's What Happened

Which Games Are Coming to the Cloud Service

The Xbox Vice President Sarah Tejares announced the groundbreaking partnership in a blog post. Bond says they will "regularly add more hits and fan favorites from our extensive catalog of PC games." However, she did not disclose which additional titles will soon hit the cloud gaming service.

The VP notes that the partnership seeks to provide games from Xbox Games Studios and Bethesda to cloud gaming. Bond also hints that future Activision Blizzard PC titles will also be on their way to Boosteroid.

So for now, users may access some of the eligible Xbox titles, such as "Deathloop" and "Gears 5," on Boosteroid starting on June 1. "Grounded" and "Pentiment" are also on their way.

"Deathloop" is a first-shooter title that Bethesda debuted last September 2021. It is available on Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Meanwhile, the action-adventure game "Grounded" and the adventure title "Pentiment" rolled out last July 2020 and November 2022, respectively.

On the other hand, "Gears 5," a third-person shooter game under Xbox Studios, exclusively caters to Xbox and Windows users.

But since May 18, another cloud gaming service NVIDIA GeForce Now lets users stream "Gear 5."

And later this week, more Xbox titles are heading to the service, such as "Pentinment," "Grounded," and "Deathloop."

It is worth noting that the Xbox owner Microsoft is still in the process of acquiring Activision Blizzard. Video Games Chronicle reports that the European Commission and Chinese competition regulator recently gave the $69 billion deal a go signal. The acquisition faced controversy over concerns about its effect on the overall cloud gaming market.

Related Article: Twitter Accuses Microsoft of Data Policy Breach, Raising Concerns over Privacy and Accountability

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A Las Vegas, Nevada, woman alleges in a new federal lawsuit that she was harbored and trafficked at an Albuquerque motel whose management overtly encouraged the horrific behavior in March 2019.

The woman, identified as Jane Doe and a sex trafficking survivor, contends that employees at the Midtown Motel 6 at 1701 University NE, knew or should have known that she was being repeatedly exploited by her trafficker and the many men who sexually assaulted her.

But no one intervened and no one called police, alleges the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque.

A response filed Friday on behalf of the defendants denies the womans allegations.

The suit details examples it claims occurred in which Motel 6 staff should have  but failed to  intervene or help.

During one encounter, the lawsuit alleges, the woman was physically dragged by her trafficker from the reception office to a room located near the back of the Motel 6, in clear view of Motel 6 employees and agents.

Another time, she attempted to make an outcry to a motel desk clerk, mouthing the words help me.

The woman recalls making eye contact with this clerk, hoping that would stress her desperation, the lawsuit states, but to no avail.

This failure (led) to Jane Does continued sexual exploitation and sexual assault while the Hotel defendants turned a blind eye to the plague of human trafficking and sexual exploitation at their location, the lawsuit states. Upon information and belief, this was done to maximize profits.

Her lawsuit was filed anonymously due to the nature of the abuse she endured and the risk to her personal safety. But the lawsuit states that her identity will be disclosed under a protective order.

The lawsuit names as defendants G6 Hospitality Property LLC and Motel 6 Operating LP #140 doing business as Motel 6 Albuquerque Midtown. The lawsuit states that G6 and the Motel 6 Operating LP #140 were engaged in a joint venture to operate the motel.

But the response filed by the defendants states G6 didnt own or operate the Motel 6 Midtown but provided certain brand standards, recommendations and training materials concerning security and human trafficking to the motels independent owners and operators.

Elizabeth Martinez, an Albuquerque lawyer for the defendants, declined to comment last week.

It is the third such lawsuit to be filed in New Mexico courts against the Midtown Albuquerque Motel 6 since 2019. The trafficking alleged in the lawsuits occurred at various times between 2013 and 2019.

One of those cases is pending in state District Court in Albuquerque, while a second lawsuit filed in federal court by a Jane Doe #17, was resolved in November 2020, but the final agreement between the parties and any amount paid wasnt disclosed.

The most recent lawsuit alleges that throughout March 2019, Motel 6 Midtown staff failed to report the gross physical abuse being imposed on Jane Doe at the hands of her trafficker.

Her physical abuse was evident given the bruising and swelling to her face and body, and she allegedly suffered psychological abuse, the lawsuit states.

In front of Motel 6 employees, Plaintiff was required to obtain permission from her trafficker to even speak to the front desk staff. She was required to obtain permission from her trafficker to be able to use her own identification card during rental of the motel room, the suit says.

When she mouthed the words help me to a desk clerk, the clerk proceeded to collect the fee from her for the room rental, ignoring her desperate pleas.

In addition, hotel employees complied when her trafficker told the front desk staff that housekeeping was not to enter the room.

It was well-known to the Hotel Defendants that the Motel 6 in question had an extensive history of those seeking to exploit vulnerable individuals, the lawsuit alleges.

Traffickers have long used the hotel industry as a hotbed for human trafficking, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Warning signs of human trafficking include: patrons paying for a room with cash or a prepaid credit card; people lingering outside a hotel room for long periods of time; people coming and going from the premises, and minors paying for hotel rooms.

In the case of 20-year-old Albuquerque woman Tobi Lynn Stanfill, her family brought a lawsuit in state District Court in 2020 alleging negligence on the part of several motels, including the Midtown Motel 6. Stanfill was repeatedly beaten, raped and enslaved at the Motel 6 in the days before her death in January 2017, the lawsuit alleges.

She was found dead, lying face down in a pool of blood at a public park with a gunshot wound to the head. The leader of the sex trafficking ring, Cornelius Galloway, was sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2020 to one count of participating in a sex trafficking ring and Matthew Woods, described as his enforcer, is serving an 18-year federal sentence.

Authorities believed Stanfill was killed because she had become a liability to the organization.

Annie McAdams, a Houston attorney, said she has filed numerous civil cases on behalf of trafficking survivors alleging negligence by motels and hotels in the U.S.

Weve actually had feedback from law enforcement on the positive effects (of suing motels and hotels), McAdams said. I can tell you that accountability drives corporate change. I think the most positive responses Ive seen have been engagement from certain hotel brands that say `how can we be better?'
SANTA FE  The state Department of Health has reached a $215,000 settlement to resolve allegations that a man with dementia endured abuse and neglect while under care at the Behavioral Health Institute in northern New Mexico.

The settlement ends a lawsuit filed two years ago by Elaine Sanchez on behalf of her husband, Eddie Albert Sanchez, who she said ended up in a coma  dehydrated and malnourished  after mistreatment at the institute in Las Vegas.

The agreement is one of 145 settlements disclosed by the state so far this year, adding up to almost $3.7 million in payouts, according to a Journal analysis of public records.

In legal filings, attorneys for the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute denied the allegations outlined in the Sanchez lawsuit. The state also denies liability in the settlement documents and describes the agreement as a way to avoid the cost of future litigation.

The legal complaint  filed April 2021 in state District Court in San Miguel County  centers on allegations of abuse and neglect at the state-operated psychiatric hospital and long-term nursing facility in Las Vegas.

Eddie Albert Sanchez had dementia with behavioral problems and major depressive disorder, according to the lawsuit, requiring skilled care and supervision to protect him, address his behavior and allow him to function to his potential.

According to the lawsuit filed on his behalf:

In April 2019, staff at the Behavioral Health Institute found Sanchez in his room unresponsive with a high fever. He was transported to a nearby hospital after his wife insisted.

Two days later, Elaine Sanchez discovered signs of abuse and neglect while visiting her husband at the hospital. Eddie Albert Sanchez had sores on his feet, a black eye, a dislocated thumb, cuts and scratches on his body, toenails missing and skin peeling from his ears.

Eddie Albert Sanchez was in a coma at one point while being treated for a fever and severe dehydration and malnourishment. After coming out of a coma, he told his wife that the Behavioral Health Institute staff had hit him and left him in his bed all day, among other allegations.

The lawsuit accuses the institute of negligence, including failure to protect Sanchez from abuse and neglect, failure to provide necessary care and failure to promptly report abuse and neglect to the authorities.

In their own legal filings, attorneys for the Behavioral Health Institute and Department of Health denied the allegations and sought to have the complaint dismissed. They said the facility carried out its work with the skill and care ordinarily used by behavioral health institutes operating under similar circumstances.

Jodi McGinnis Porter, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health, said the department cares deeply about its patients at the New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and is committed to providing the highest quality of services through a united compassionate community of caregivers.

The Journal wasnt immediately able to reach an attorney for the plaintiffs.

The institute is New Mexicos only public psychiatric hospital. Its work includes units dedicated to treating adults who have been accused of a crime but arent competent to stand trial, 13- to 17-year-old boys who have a mental illness and are accused of sexually harmful behaviors, and patients with Alzheimers or dementia.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike has made its way to New Mexico.

On Monday, production of the Max series Duster was suspended.

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and Teamsters members in Albuquerque refused to cross the picket lines in support of the WGA members on strike nationwide.

The strike has been going on for 21 days and picketing is taking place across the country.

In Albuquerque, IATSE and Teamster members gathered in the Southeast Heights on Monday.

IATSE leadership reminded picketers that they are picketing companies, not people.

The WGA strike began was prompted by the economic pressures of the streaming era on the film and TV industry.

TV and film writers are picketing for better pay. The union is seeking higher minimum pay, more writers per show and shorter exclusive contracts, among other demands  all conditions it says have been diminished in the content boom driven by streaming.

Duster began filming in April in Albuquerque, Moriarty, Belen, Gallup, Sandia Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo areas. It is slated to stream on Max, which used to be known as HBO Max.

The series stars Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson. Rounding out the cast is Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Greg Grunberg, Asivak Koostachin, Adriana Aluna Martinez and Benjamin Charles Watson.

The series is a crime drama set in 1972 where the first Black female FBI agent, played by Hilson, ventures to the Southwest and recruits a gutsy getaway driver, played by Holloway, in a bold effort to take down a growing crime syndicate.

Duster is executive produced by J.J. Abrams, Morgan, and Rachel Rusch Rich.

Abrams and Morgan wrote the first two episodes that Steph Green directed and executive produced. The Warner Bros. Television series first season will run for eight episodes.

According to IATSE, the picketing will continue until further notice.

According to the New Mexico Film Office, they dont comment on union issues.
The release this year of a man awaiting trial in a fatal shooting prompted the state Supreme Court to issue new guidance Monday for judges weighing pretrial detention for accused criminal defendants found to be dangerous.

The five-justice panel found that a district court judge erred in releasing Joe Anderson pending trial given his extensive criminal history and poor record of complying with court orders. Anderson had already served time after being convicted in a 2010 homicide.

Anderson, 41, was arrested Dec. 4, on a charge of first-degree murder in the shooting death of a man in Southeast Albuquerque. A 2nd Judicial District Court judge in January denied a prosecutors motion to keep Anderson behind bars while awaiting trial.

On Feb. 6, the Supreme Court overturned that decision. Andersons GPS ankle monitor was found a day later by the side of a road. Albuquerque police caught up with and arrested Anderson at the end of February.

In a unanimous opinion, justices said prosecutors must only prove that no release conditions can reasonably protect the public from a criminal defendant the judge finds is dangerous.

Certainly, the district court must consider patterns in a defendants past behavior, Justice Briana Zamora wrote for the five-member court.

Zamora wrote that if a defendant has a pattern of disregarding official directives, it is certainly reasonable to infer that the defendant is unlikely to comply with any conditions of release that the district court could impose in the future.

District court judges are required to consider two prongs when deciding whether to detain someone awaiting trial.

The first prong determines whether the defendant is dangerous.

For the second prong, the judge must decide whether prosecutors have proven that no conditions can be imposed on the defendant that will protect the public.

The finding that a defendant is dangerous must be a factor in deciding whether conditions of release can be fashioned that will protect the public, Zamora wrote.

Zamora wrote that in considering the release-conditions prong of the detention analysis, like the initial dangerousness analysis, the district court should take a holistic, commonsense approach.

Prosecutor must only prove that no release conditions can reasonably protect the public, not that no release conditions can possibly protect the public, Zamora wrote.

The opinion comes down amidst intense debate over pretrial detention. The governor and prosecutors had sought to pass a law during the most recent legislative session to make it easier for judges to order pretrial detention for suspects charged with certain violent crimes. The proposed law did not make it through the sessions.

Andersons case

Anderson was previously sentenced to seven years in prison in the 2010 fatal shooting of Vincente Sanchez, court records show.

In the most recent case, Anderson is charged with killing Raymond Aviles, who was fatally shot last August while riding a motorcycle near Eastern and Amherst SE. Aviles died in the middle of Eastern Avenue, according to a criminal complaint.

A confidential source told police Anderson lent Aviles the motorcycle and didnt return it as promised, the complaint said.

Police allege Anderson sought out Aviles and shot him.

Police obtained nearby surveillance footage showing Aviles pulling into an apartment complex on a motorcycle before attempting to flee from a white SUV. The video then shows the SUVs driver and a passenger get out and chase Aviles, who drives out of the cameras view.

Second Judicial District Court Judge Emeterio Rudolfo ordered Anderson released from custody in January.

In his Jan. 13 order, Rudolfo wrote that although Anderson presented a danger to the community, the danger could be mitigated by conditions of release, which included fitting Anderson with a GPS ankle monitor.

Andersons compliance with conditions of release in other pending cases undercut the prosecutors argument that no conditions of release could protect the public, Rudolfo wrote.

On Feb. 6, the state Supreme Court reversed the district court decision ordering Andersons release. A warrant was issued for Andersons arrest the following day, court records show.

But court officials were alerted Feb. 7 that the ankle monitor was found on the side of a highway. Police arrested Anderson on Feb. 26.

In the Supreme Court opinion, Zamora wrote that Andersons history consists of nearly two decades of criminal behavior, including crimes of violence.

Anderson has a history of failures to appear, bench warrants, and probation violations as well has overlapping cases, including new felony drug convictions in 2008 while in prison for homicide, she wrote.
Couy Griffin, a former Otero County commissioner who was ousted after being convicted for his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, was arrested last week on harassment and trespassing charges in connection with a dispute between Griffin and a man who was staying at a residence owned by Griffins family.

Parts of the dispute between Griffin, the founder of Cowboys for Trump, and Dewayne Braithwaite were filmed and posted online by Braithwaite. He had moved from Maryland to Dusty Lane in Otero County, where he and Griffin had agreed that Braithwaite would make renovations in exchange for room and board, according to a criminal complaint filed in Otero County Magistrate Court.

Video footage of a five-minute fight between he, Griffin and another man was posted to TikTok.

Griffin didnt comment when reached on Tuesday.

According to the most recent complaint, Braithwaite had been staying at the residence in Otero County. His relationship with Griffin deteriorated and Griffin tried to evict Braithwaite from the property.

Otero County deputies responded to the home in late April and told Griffin the proper procedure for evicting Braithwaite. A deputy told Griffin not to otherwise enter the property, according to the complaint.

The complaint says that Griffin twice entered the residence on May 18 and on May 19.

A video posted to TikTok shows Griffin yelling at a man who appears to be Braithwaite for about five minutes. Another man with Griffin can be seen in the video looking through Braithwaites belongings.

At one point in the video Griffin calls Braithwaite a free-loading loser.

I am the legal tenant here. Please leave, please leave, Braithwaite says to Griffin.

Griffin is charged with three counts of criminal trespass and two counts of harassment. He was arraigned Monday and pleaded not guilty, according to a state court website.

The above stated pattern of conduct against Mr. Braithwaite was intended to annoy, alarm or terrorize him and it served no lawful purpose, the complaint states.

It wasnt clear Tuesday if Griffins recent arrest will affect his supervised release stemming from charges related to Jan. 6, 2021.

In December 2022, Griffin was convicted of a misdemeanor count of entering and remaining in a restricted area for his actions at Capitol.

Griffin didnt enter the building, but he was found guilty of climbing onto a restricted deck area outside the Capitol, where he used a blow horn to lead the rioters in prayer.

He was sentenced to time served and one year of supervised release.

As part of his conditions of release, Griffin must follow his probation officers instructions and must tell the officers within 72 hours if he is arrested or questioned by police.

After that conviction, lawyers from around the country teamed up to file a civil case against Griffin seeking to remove him from his Otero County Commission seat, claiming Griffin violated a Civil War-era clause in the 14th Amendment that prohibits officeholders sworn to uphold the Constitution from engaging in an insurrection against the U.S. government.

Griffin was found guilty during a trial and he lost his seat
Music

The rapper daughter of Benzino announces her sophomore album around two months after scoring her first No. 1 on Mediabase rhythmic radio chart thanks to her hit single, 'Players'.

May 23, 2023

AceShowbiz - Coi Leray's new music is coming soon. Making use of social media, the rapper daughter of Benzino announced that she will release her sophomore album "Coi" next month.

Taking to Instagram, the 26-year-old shared a cover art of the new set in which she posed seductively while going topless. The femcee covered her breast with a huge chain.

In the caption of the post, Coi declared, "Introducing 'COI' my second album dropping June 23rd." She then told her fans, "Pre Save link inside my bio."

"Coi" will serve as a follow-up to her debut album, "Trendsetter". The latter project, however, only sold 11,000 units in its first week, prompting Coi to become the butt of the jokes on the Internet.

Though so, Coi didn't give up and she finally earned her success thanks to her hit single "Players". With the tune, the raptress claimed her first No. 1 on Mediabase rhythmic radio chart.

Containing samples of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's 1982 single, "The Message", "Players" was initially dropped on November 30, 2022. Later in January, she released the Jersey Club Remix with DJ Smallz 732.

On the track, Coi brags about being a player. "Yeah, 'bout to catch another flight/ Yeah, the apple bottom make him wanna bite/ Yeah, I just wanna have a good night/ I just wanna have a good night," she spits. "Hold up, if you don't know, now you know/ If he broke, then you gotta let him go/ You could have anybody, eeny, miny, moe/ 'Cause when you a boss, you could do what you want."

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The 'Goodfellas' actor dubs the controversial Republican politician 'stupid' and he can easily see the former President in his evil character from Martin Scorsese's latest film.

May 23, 2023

AceShowbiz - Robert De Niro likens "stupid" Donald Trump to his latest "evil" film character. The Hollywood veteran, 79, who wished to see the ex-president, 76, hit with a "bag of s***", slammed the scandal-plagued former reality TV star again while in Cannes promoting his new movie "Killers of the Flower Moon" - Martin Scorsese's highly-anticipated epic Western that tells of the betrayal of a Native American tribe.

"There is a kind of a feeling of entitlement. You could say we became a lot more aware of, after George Floyd, systemic racism. And that's what it is," De Niro said about his corrupt character in the movie during a panel discussion at the Cannes Film Festival alongside Scorsese and his "Killers" co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.

"It's the banality of evil. It's the thing that we have to watch out for. We see it today of course, we all know who I'm going to talk about. Because that guy is stupid. Imagine if he was smart. Look, with Trump, there are people who still think he can do a good job. Imagine how insane that is."

De Niro plays William Hale in "Killers", based on a real-life figure who became involved with the Osage nation of Native Americans before betraying them.

The "Raging Bull" star has launched a series of attacks on Trump, and in 2019 said on the "Rumble with Michael Moore" podcast about the 45th US president, "I'd like to see a bag of s*** right in his face. Hit him right in his face. And let the picture go all over the world. And that would be the most humiliating thing. Because he needs to be humiliated."

In a video in 2016, De Niro blasted then-presidential candidate Trump as "a punk," "pig," "mutt," and "national disaster" - who he said he wanted to "punch in the face."

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It's 'a little bit harder' for the 'Today' weatherman to 'snap back' after he went under the knife for a second knee-replacement operation, his wife reveals on social media.

May 23, 2023

AceShowbiz - Al Roker is struggling with a "slow going" recovery from knee surgery. The 68-year-old "Today" weatherman's wife Deborah Roberts, 62, who is ABC News' senior national affairs correspondent, offered an update on his latest health battle after he went in for the operation on May 9.

"Thank you all so much for being so concerned about him and so interested in his well-being. As many of you know he had a knee re-replacement, so a knee that had been replaced many, many years ago had problems and had to be re-replaced," she told fans on Instagram Live.

"It makes it slow going - it makes it a little tougher. It was a harder surgery, so it's a little bit harder to snap back from but he's doing pretty well, moving a little slowly."

Deborah also revealed her husband of 27 years was sitting opposite her as she spoke, but was "not interested" in "getting involved today." She added, "He wants to just say thank you to everybody who has asked about him. Thank you all so much - you have all been so kind and so generous and just so caring and compassionate about my family over these last several months as we've gone through a few things."

Deborah also said about how her husband is keen to get back to work, "Al is chomping at the bit to try to get back to work, but the doctor just wants him to take it slowly so that he can continue to heal well. So on Al's behalf and our family's behalf thank you so much and I'm sure he'll be popping up soon."

Scolding Al for not resting enough, she went on, "Some of you may have seen him cooking. I did not like that he's been trying to do that because he needed to give himself some time and some rest and elevate his leg and ice it and all of that, so he's doing all that. He's trying to obey the doctor's orders so that he can get back to work and to play as soon as possible, so just wanted to give you a little update on him."

Al is set to become a grandad and spoke in May about how his daughter Courtney, 36, is pregnant with a baby girl. He adopted her in 1987 with his then-wife, Alice Bell, and moved on after their divorce in 1994 by marrying Deborah, with whom he has daughter Leila, 24, and 20-year-old son Nicholas.

Al's health woes have included him having an emergency carpal tunnel surgical procedure in 2018 and a hip replacement the following year. In November 2020, he shared a prostate cancer diagnosis with viewers, warning the disease - which he beat after surgery - was "a little aggressive" despite him catching it early.

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The 59-year-old Amazon founder, who began dating Lauren in 2018, was previously married to MacKenzie Scott, but they split after 25 years of marriage and finalized their divorce in 2019.

May 23, 2023

AceShowbiz - Congratulations are in order for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanches. If a new report is to be believed, the Amazon founder and his girlfriend have gotten engaged after nearly five years of dating.

Revealing the engagement news was Page Six. Though it remains unclear when the billionaire popped the big question, rumors have been swirling for months that they are set to tie the knot after Lauren was spotted wearing a massive heart-shaped ring.

Jeff and Lauren began dating in 2018. The 59-year-old was previously married to MacKenzie Scott, but they got divorced after 25 years of marriage. Lauren, meanwhile, wed Patrick Whitesell 2005 to 2019.

Jeff and Lauren got engaged more than a year after she was caught publicly flirting with Leonardo DiCaprio in front of her boyfriend. It happened when the couple and the actor attended the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's 10th Art + Film gala in November 2021.

In short footage of their encounter, Lauren was seen standing with her body inclined toward Leo's direction while her billionaire boyfriend was standing by her side. She looked infatuated with the environmental activist as she couldn't keep her eyes off of him.

Leo appeared to keep things cordial as he seemed to ignore her flirty body language, but occasionally took a glance at her to talk to her. He also alternately looked at Jeff's direction while speaking with the pair before walking ahead of them.

While the video sent the Internet into a frenzy, Jeff poked fun at the moment by jokingly treatening Leo. "Leo, come over here, I want to show you something," the entrepreneur tweeted. While the caption didn't sound threatening at all, it came with a picture of the computer engineer standing over a sign that read. "Danger! Steep cliff. Fatal drop."

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Glowing in a red, crepe silk gown by Dior Haute Couture when attending the premiere of 'Anatomy of a Fall', the Oscar winner pairs the elegant dress with comfortable footwear instead of high heels.

May 23, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jennifer Lawrence made a statement with her choice of footwear at the Cannes Film Festival. Attending the premiere of "Anatomie d'une Chute (Anatomy of a Fall)" on Sunday, May 21, "The Hunger Games" star broke the festival's unofficial dress code by wearing flip flops.

The Oscar winner turned heads in a cherry red, crepe silk gown by Dior Haute Couture which featured spaghetti straps and a soft ruffle at the bustline along with a matching red wrap. She wore an Archi Dior necklace made of white gold and diamonds as her accessory.

As she walked down the stairs at the Palais des Festivals, the 32-year-old lifted up her skirt, revealing a pair of black flip flops underneath her elegant dress. It was a bold move since Cannes famously encourages women to wear heels on its red carpet. Back in 2015, a number of women were reportedly turned away from attending a premiere of "Carol" because they were wearing flats.

Lawrence was joined by producers Daniel Angeles and Justine Ciarrocchi when posing photographers. She also received their help as she navigated the stairs.

Although Lawrence opted for the comfy sandals for the special screening of "Anatomy of a Fall", she changed into a more formal footwear for another premiere on the same day. The "X-Men" star wore the same gown but paired it with red satin heels when attending the premiere for "Bread and Roses", a documentary she produces, at Cannes. The project follows the lives of women living in Afghanistan after the Taliban's resurgence.

At another premiere held during the film festival in France, Natalie Portman wowed in a dazzling recreation of a 1949 Christian Dior gown. She wore a sparkling strapless gown that featured a voluminous, scalloped skirt with layers of ornate blue beading when attending the premiere of "May December" on Saturday.

The "Thor: Love and Thunder" actress' custom Christian Dior piece was inspired by the "Junon" dress from the designer's 1949-1950 fall/winter collection. The original dress is part of The Costume Institute's collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, although it's not currently available to view.

Portman was joined by her co-stars Charles Melton, Julianne Moore and Cory Michael Smith at the special screening.

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E. Jean Carroll is amending her remaining defamation complaint against Donald Trump, including his derogatory remarks made during a CNN town hall.

E. Jean Carroll is seeking at least $10 million in additional damages from former President Donald Trump, claiming his town hall remarks about being found liable for sexual abuse and defamation were also derogatory.

This verdict was the result of the second suit she lodged against Trump. Monday, she filed an amended complaint in the 2019-filed initial defamation suit, which is still unresolved.

E. Jean Carroll Seeks to Amend Other Trump Lawsuit

Carroll is seeking "substantial" compensation for his remarks during a CNN town hall earlier this month. CBS News said both lawsuits arose from Trump's comments accusing Carroll of lying after she claimed he sexually assaulted her in a New York City department store in the mid-1990s.

The amended complaint references Carroll's $5 million verdict on May 9, when a unanimous jury found Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation. Roberta Kaplan, Carroll's attorney, argues in a Monday court filing that Trump's behavior at the Manchester, New Hampshire, town hall demonstrates he was "undeterred by the jury's verdict" and "continued to maliciously defame Carroll once again."

Trump, who is running for president in 2024, was responding to a query regarding what he tells electors who believe the judgment disqualifies him from holding the office. Alina Habba, an attorney for Trump, said, "Ms. Carroll's last-minute effort to amend her complaint reveals the true motivation behind her numerous lawsuits."

Carroll's filing in federal court in Manhattan aims to increase Trump's financial woes. On May 9, the jury in her civil case deemed Trump responsible for sexual assault and defamation.

Former advice columnist and fixture in Manhattan's media circles, Carroll, was awarded $2 million for sexual abuse and $3 million for defamation. According to NY Times, Carroll filed a separate defamation lawsuit against Trump before the same judge who presided over the civil trial.

Read Also: Hunter Biden Probe Could Get 'A Little Worse' After News of Taking Private Jet to Court Hearing Sparks Backlash

Trump Files an Appeal to $5 Million Verdict

Carroll's attorney, Roberta A. Kaplan, disclosed in a separate letter to the judge that Trump has threatened to sue Carroll "in retaliation and possibly to pursue sanctions."

Meanwhile, Trump's media company has filed a $3.78 billion lawsuit against The Washington Post for alleged defamation of his social media platform Truth Social. Per The Independent, the lawsuit alleged that the newspaper has been on a "years-long crusade" against Trump Media, founded in February 2021.

Trump's top attorney is abandoning his legal team and accusing the former president's top adviser Boris Epshteyn of allegedly being dishonest and uncooperative in his work to assist lawyers with his defense against an investigation into whether he unlawfully retained classified documents.

A campaign spokesperson for Trump did not respond promptly to a request for comment. Last month's civil trial represented Carroll's second suit against Trump. This case was pending an appeal regarding whether Trump could be held liable for remarks he made while in office.

A Washington appeals court remanded the case to New York for additional proceedings, and it is currently pending before US District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over the most recent trial. Trump has submitted a notice of appeal for the $5 million verdict, NBC News reported.

Related Article: Joe Biden Criminal Bribery Claims: FBI Refuses To Share Documents That Will Prove Republicans' Accusations

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When attending the Luz Alliance Gala in Miami, the Brazilian supermodel graces the red carpet alongside her twin sister Patricia, who serves as her manager.

May 23, 2023

AceShowbiz - Gisele Bundchen is turning the Luz Alliance Gala into a family affair. When attending the event in Miami on Saturday, May 20, the Brazilian supermodel graced the red carpet alongside her twin sister Patricia, who serves as her manager.

The two sisters flashed big smiles as they posed with their arms wrapped around each other on the red carpet. For the occasion, Gisele opted for a simple one-shoulder white gown. She completed the look with green heels while styling her hair in loose waves.

As for her fraternal twin, Patricia donned a floral gown with her hair styled over her shoulders. She paired the style with minimalist gold jewelry.

The Luz Alliance Gala, which is benefitting the Brazil Foundation, raised nearly $1 million to benefit reforestation causes in her native country. Also among the attendees were Karlie Kloss and Robin Roberts (II).

In an interview with PEOPLE, Gisele thanked her sister for helping her with the Gala. "This was my first Gala and couldn't have done it without my sister Pati who worked diligently with the Brazil Foundation to organize this special evening," Gisele told PEOPLE after the event. "It was very special to have her here tonight. She worked so hard to organize this event as she does every day."

The estranged wife of Tom Brady went on to gush over her sister. "We're very close, as you know, we're twins," she shared. "I know she's got my back like I got hers. We trust each other and we always want the best for one another and that is priceless."

Gisele also noted that she and her other sisters, Raquel, 48, Graziela, 46, Gabriela, 40, and Rafaela, are "best friends even if sometimes we disagree." The former Victoria's Secret Angel explained, "Family is what gives us our foundation, they are our greatest teachers and they help us become who we are."

"Any time we can spend time with family is just great, especially to see the beautiful bond the kids have with their cousins as they are all growing up is priceless," she continued. "I am excited to visit [Brazil] soon to meet my sister Fafi's new baby and my sister Gabi is expecting this summer. It's such a blessing."

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Ariana announces on Instagram that she's 'ready to dip out' as she posts a video of her outside her and the Tom Tom bar co-owner's L.A.house with packed up cardboard boxes in the background.

May 23, 2023

AceShowbiz - The identity of Tom Sandoval's alleged new girlfriend has been revealed. The "Vanderpump Rules" star is reportedly dating Texas-based influencer Karlee Hale, according to the U.S. Sun.

The new details about Tom's love life arrived after TikTok user Sarah Koefod recently shared a series of photos of Tom looking cozy with a mystery woman at a swanky hotel bar. "Last night I was actually out in Austin, Tex. where I live and I saw Tom with a mystery woman," Sarah said in the May 17 post.

The TikToker went on saying that she was at the Austin Proper Hotel with a friend when she saw the cover band frontman "across the bar" wearing a hat and sunglasses inside. Sarah also shared a photo of the Tom Tom bar co-owner as he sat with an unidentified woman, whose face was blurred out.

"Here is Tom and said mystery woman," the TikToker noted. "You'll notice this little pomeranian that was sitting with them. It's the woman's dog. And I was actually able to find her Instagram, it was pretty easy."

Not stopping there, Internet sleuths shared on Twitter photos of the pair allegedly working out together. In response to the dating rumors, Karlee deactivated all of her social media accounts.

In other news related to Tom, his ex Ariana Madix appeared to have moved out of her and Tom's shared house in Los Angeles following their split. On Monday, May 22, she posted on Instagram Stories a video of her outside the house with packed up cardboard boxes in the background. "Ready to dip out," she wrote.

In photos obtained by Page Six, the 37-year-old Bravolebrity can be seen in the driveway of the Valley Village, Calif., farmhouse, while moving various boxes and luggage into a U-Haul truck. Looking casual in a blue sweatshirt and black leggings, the reality TV star seemed to be in high spirits as some of her pals helped her with the move.

Ariana later hopped into a nearby vehicle and then drove off to a new home, which was roughly 15 minutes away. "Ariana is relieved to get out of that house," a source told the news outlet. "She is ready to begin a new chapter."

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The Peter Parker depicter in the MCU fails to assist his girlfriend as she struggles to board the water taxi from a private pontoon at the five-star Gritti Palace hotel in her tight maxi dress.

May 23, 2023

AceShowbiz - Tom Holland and Zendaya Coleman's seemingly cute and natural affection towards each other has often made people deem them as a couple goal. However, the actor's chivalry appeared to falter during the pair's recent date in Europe.

As they continued their romantic trip, the couple took a water taxi ride in Venice, Italy earlier this month. They boarded the water taxi from a private pontoon at the five-star Gritti Palace hotel, but the British star neglected to help his girlfriend, who was struggling to get into the boat.

In pictures obtained by Daily Mail, Tom donned a crisp white shirt and khaki pants as he walked in front of Zendaya. He had a pair of sunglasses perched on top of his head and wore a gold necklace as well as a ring as his accessories.

While he easily hopped into the boat, it proved tricky for Zendaya to board the boat in her tight maxi dress despite the high slit at the front. Tom, who immediately made his way into the lower part of the boat, left his girlfriend to negotiate the transfer by herself, albeit still receiving the help from two other men.

The "Euphoria" star added a black jacket onto her gray dress and wore a pair black boots with a gold necklace as her accessory. She shielded her eyes with sunglasses as her hair was parted in the middle.

Prior to this, Zendaya and Tom were pictured packing on the PDA during their getaway in Italy. The "Spider-Man: No Way Home" stars were caught sharing a kiss and cuddling during a romantic boat ride.

The two-time Emmy winner was spotted giving a sweet kiss on her same-age beau's cheek as she wrapped her arm around his shoulder. The twosome was also captured holding hands as they were having a chat during the Monday, May 15 outing.

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The 'Ahsoka' actress admits she is still 'reeling from this tragic, devastating news,' while James Gunn remembers that the 'Thor: The Dark World' actor was a 'joy to work with.'

May 23, 2023

AceShowbiz - Rosario Dawson and James Gunn have paid tribute to Ray Stevenson, after he died aged 58. The "Rome" actor's U.S.-based publicist company Viewpoint confirmed his passing to the BBC, but his cause of death is yet to be revealed.

Several stars have taken to social media to pay tribute to Ray, who died just four days before his 59th birthday. Rosario. who will star in the upcoming "Ahsoka" series, which is part of the "Star Wars" franchise, alongside Ray - praised the late actor as a "giant of a man."

She wrote on Instagram, "A giant of a man @officialraystevenson_ , stunned and reeling from this tragic, devastating news. Gone too soon from this world. At a loss for words just wanted to mark this moment and share your ever ready and present smile. Love you forever. Holding your family in my heart. #LegendsNeverDie (sic)"

James, who filmed post-credits of 2013 movie "Thor: The Dark World", in which Ray played Volstagg, with the late star, admitted he was a "joy to work with." He wrote on Twitter, "Damn. So sorry to hear about the passing, far too young, of Ray Stevenson. I only knew him a little from shooting post-credits of Thor 2 and a couple interactions at events, but we had some good laughs and he was a joy to work with. His friends family are in my heart today."

James Gunn paid tribute to Ray Stevenson.

A tweet on the official Marvel Twitter account read, "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ray Stevenson, who brought humor and wit to the character of Volstagg. He was a wonderful actor who will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. (sic)"

Ray, who voiced Gar Saxon on "Star Wars Rebels" and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars", was also remembered by the official "Star Wars" Twitter account, with a post that read, "We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of our dear friend Ray Stevenson."

What's more, James Purefoy, who appeared alongside Ray on BBC historical drama TV series "Rome", praised him as a "brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor." He tweeted, "So sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away. A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim. My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss."

James Purefoy also mourned the death of his 'Rome' co-star.

Ray was also known for starring as Dagonet in the 2004 movie "King Arthur", and he portrayed Ukrainian mobster Isaak Sirko in the seventh season of TV series "Dexter".

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The 'Bad Guy' hitmaker is signed on for the upcoming global climate event in Paris this summer along with her brother FINNEAS as well as Lenny Kravitz, H.E.R., and Jon Batiste.

May 24, 2023

AceShowbiz - Billie Eilish is billed for a global climate event in Paris. Next month, Billie will perform with the likes of Lenny Kravitz, H.E.R., and Jon Batiste at a free, ticketed event "Power Our Planet: Live In Paris" from Global Citizen with the goal of pushing world leaders and the private sector to commit to confronting the climate crisis.

"The next generation are inheriting a planet that's being devastated by climate change. We have the power to change things with our voices and our actions. Join me on June 22, from wherever you are, and act today to save tomorrow," Lenny said in a statement.

Billie's brother FINNEAS has also been announced as a special guest along with Ben Harper and Mosimann for the event on June 22.

Under the patronage of France's president Emmanuel Macron, the event will "rally global leaders attending the New Financial Pact Summit."

The Power Our Planet campaign is co-chaired by Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, and they are calling for a "seismic shift" in how the world's financial systems "work to give the world's poor and developing nations access to the financing they urgently need to quicken their transition to clean energy, strengthen their resilience against natural disasters, and address their most urgent needs."

This includes urging governments, banks and major corporations to keep promises they have already made, while also freeing up funding and making "up to $1 trillion in financing available" to countries in need, as well as pushing them to transition to clean energy.

Macron commented, "We need a world with more solidarity. Crises are multiplying and the number of those who place their hope in peace and multilateralism will only grow if we, as a global community, demonstrate that we are there to help the most vulnerable."

"Because inequality and poverty are the grounds of today's and tomorrow's wars. Because there will be no climate transition worldwide if we don't fight for more justice and equity. Halfway to the sustainable development objectives, we need a new financial pact between all countries, so that the world of tomorrow is more united."

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The 'Thor' actor teases the possibility of a third installment of his action movie 'Extraction' as he is gearing up to release the second film this coming summer.

May 24, 2023

AceShowbiz - Chris Hemsworth is already plotting a third "Extraction" film. The 39-year-old star is due to reprise his role as mercenary Tyler Rake in the Netflix action sequel and has set his sights on a third movie as he enjoys being in a franchise away from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

"I love it. I love playing the character. I love this world. I love having something else outside of Marvel that's amassed a bit of a following, something more in the real world. I honestly feel like we made a better film than the first one. That's rare in the franchise world. We'd be remiss not to have a crack at another one," the "Thor" actor told Total Film magazine.

Sam Hargrave is returning as director and echoed Hemsworth's thoughts by suggesting that the franchise has plenty of mileage. The filmmaker said, "There is so much room for this franchise to expand and places where it can go."

"I'm excited about what the next adventure for Tyler Rake could be. We'll see how this one does. We'll see how people feel and respond. And if the world is craving another Tyler Rake adventure, I think it'd be something I'd be interested in seeing put on screen. I have an idea, but I won't give it away here."

Meanwhile, Chris claimed last year that the next "Thor" movie is likely to be the "finale" for his character. The Australian actor has played the God of Thunder for over a decade in the MCU but thinks the time has come to bid farewell to the superhero.

He told Vanity Fair magazine, "I feel like we'd probably have to close the book if I ever did it again, you know what I mean? I feel like it probably warrants that. I feel like it'd probably be the finale, but that's not based on anything anyone's told me or any sort of plans. You have this birth of a hero, the journey of a hero, then the death of a hero, and I don't know - am I at that stage? Who knows?"

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The British disgraced television show host passed away at the age of 93 after spending his old age battling neck cancer in his multi-million dollar property in Berkshire.

May 24, 2023

AceShowbiz - Paedophile entertainer Rolf Harris has passed away aged 93. The death of the convicted sex predator was announced by the registrar at Maidenhead Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon, May 23.

Since he was freed from jail in 2017, the Australian-born star was said to have been gravely ill with neck cancer and had been living as a virtual recluse at his 5 million home in Berkshire. According to an author who claimed to have seen him last year, he had been fighting to eat and talk.

Private investigator and writer William Merritt told the Mail Online after an ambulance was seen outside the disgraced TV host's house, "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."

It's understood Harris' health took a turn for the worse after the sudden of his poodle last year. Mr. Merritt added, "(He's) battling a cancer of the neck, and gurgles when he talks. It's difficult to understand him. 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' wife Alwen, 91, is in a wheelchair due to her Alzheimer's disease, and the couple, who married in 1958 and have one child - a daughter called Bindi - lived together with the help of 24-hour care.

An investigation into Harris recently revealed four more victims had come forward to discuss their traumatic experiences with the former kids' TV favourite. They claimed in an ITV documentary he humiliated young girls as well as sexually assaulted young women.

In June 2014, Harris was found guilty of 12 counts of indecently assaulting four girls in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. He was released from jail in May 2017 after serving three years of his five years and nine-month sentence, with one of his counts of sexual assault later overturned.

Best known for his TV art shows and hit songs "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport" and "Jake the Peg", the disgraced TV host also famously painted the 80th birthday portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth.

Harris was known for using unique instruments such as the didgeridoo and stylohpone while he is credited as the inventor of the wobble board. His TV, music and art career began in the 1950s after moving to the UK aged 22.

After a string of hits, he became known for hosting the shows "Rolf's Cartoon Club" and "Animal Hospital". Bizarrely, he hosted the education film "Kids Can Say No!", which taught children aged five to eight how to avoid being sexually abused. In 1963, he sang a new version of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport" with the Beatles.

Besides being on the TV, Harris appeared seven times at the world-famous Glastonbury festival. He even played the didgeridoo for former US President George W. Bush.

His sexual abuse of minors became public after comedian Jimmy Savile's infamous sexual abuse scandal in 2012, with Harris arrested during the Operation Yewtree investigation by police. He denied any wrongdoing and was bailed.

However, he was arrested again in 2013 regarding historical allegations from the 1980s. The cases involved two girls aged between 14 and 16, and he faced four counts of allegedly producing indecent images of children in 2012.

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The original 'Hellboy' actor and former 'Shirley' actress are set to star in a 'wild and brazen mystery-horror film' along with Rachel Cook, Olivia Applegate, and more.

May 24, 2023

AceShowbiz - Ron Perlman and Rosanna Arquette will team up in the horror thriller "Succubus". The duo will join Rachel Cook, Olivia Applegate, Derek Smith, Emily Kincaid, and Finley Rose Slater in the film written and directed by R.J. Daniel Hanna.

"Succubus" centers on the story of a new father going through a marital breakup as he joins a dating app and matches with a beautiful but mysterious young woman. Her powers of seduction and manipulation suck him into a mystery more terrifying than he could ever have imagined.

Shout! Studios are distributing the picture in North America with Todd Slater, Ari Novak and Anna Elizabeth James all serving as producers.

Hanna said, "'Succubus' is a first-and-foremost a wild and brazen mystery-horror film about the most terrifying series of events that could ever befall a guy who let his nether regions do the thinking for him. But beyond the body horror, which is ample, it also comments on the very real vampire that's sucking us all dry - our screens."

"As our hero is drawn by an online siren into her dark yet enticing world, he's forced to face all he's left behind, his whole real, meaningful life beyond the glowing rectangle he keeps in his pocket, and try to find a way back to it."

Shout! Studios' Jordan Fields said, "My favourite horror thrillers are ones that have something to say about human beings, and in 'Succubus', Daniel has crafted a chilling metaphor for the clutch that screens have on us. This will disturb and resonate, like the best of our genre."

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Alchemist Marketing Solutions, now one of top 5 Indian integrated marketing agencies, moves into their new abode at Unitech Business Park, Gurugram. From being just 15 people in NCR office from the total strength of 60, till 3 years ago, the new office already holds the capacity to hold 80 marketing brains and is already 75% full and 100% ready to grow further. With 40+ clients in total of which 12 are new, the agency has more than 170 talented professionals across different cities and verticals.

according to Manish Porwal, the Managing Director of Alchemist Marketing Solutions, The journey has just begun and we have quick milestones to achieve. The NCR chapter will fulfil many of those dreams we carry for our immediate future Along with this co-directors, Rajkumar Remalli & Anujita Jain, he expresses gratitude to his Managing Partner, Prabhu Tony and many others who have stayed and grown with the agency for more than a decade, shaping the agency's promise and delivering exceptional services to their clients.

The agency has a significant presence in Delhi, with its second largest office here. With a great record with Indian clients who value real world business contribution from the agency, It has been awarded "Agency of the Year" for the last five years by Realty Plus and most recently at the Economic Times Realty Estate Conclave 2023.

The agency's client roster includes prominent real estate companies such as M3M, Smart World, Aavas Financiers, Gaurs, Oxirich, Omaxe, Silverglades etc. in NCR as well as other top realty giants in Mumbai, Pune, Bhubaneswar and other metros of India. Through their experience in different realty brands across India, Alchemist has developed several intellectual property (IP) frameworks for adding value to client business in corporate, retail, and housing sectors. They are also working on a similar framework for the healthcare sector, which aims to understand the consumer decision-making process.

Prabhu Tony, COO, Alchemist NCR and Alchemist Live, has been with Alchemist Marketing Solutions almost since its inception, and leads the NCR chapter. With the support of the three directors, he has played a significant role in their success and is now a brand himself.

Prabhu says Im glad to be able to provide our people a state of art office with as much warmth, sunlight and chill zones as the intense work desks. They have consistently contributed to client businesses to win their appreciation and continued trust. With this office, we are ready to repeat the growth trend we have shown for past many years, including covid and I am glad that we didnt need outside help to design this office as most of our people contributed themselves He adds that the NCR chapter of the agency has added many senior folk in its leadership including the just joined Mimi Deb, who comes with 25+ years of rich advertising and media experience from t
Cheil India has announced the appointment of Amit Nandwani as National Creative Director. In his current role, Amit will lead the creative output on the new businesses of the agency. He will report to Vikash Chemjong, CCO, Cheil India and will closely work with Neeraj Bassi, Chief Growth officer, Cheil India.

With a career spanning over two decades in advertising, Amit has worked with leading agencies like Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, McCann Worldgroup, DDB Mudra and Brand David. His last stint was at Leo Burnett Delhi where he spent over nine years. Amits portfolio of work includes popular campaigns on iconic brands like Limca, Maaza, RimZim, Iodex, Amazon, Ola, Star Sports, Videocon, Fortis, SBI Card, and Car Dekho, to name a few.

Amit has had a perennial presence on the awards circuit, with over 40 metals and 60 nominations at prestigious award shows like Cannes, One Show, Clio, LIA, Adfest, Spikes Asia, Goafest and Fast Company World-Changing Ideas Awards to his name. He also wears the hat of a director, having directed over 20 TV commercials for popular brands like Amazon, Ola, Car Dekho, and ACKO Insurance.

"Amit is a creative powerhouse  a strategic thinker, an ideas guy, a great writer (of course) and also a very good film director! Were really, really glad to have him here at Cheil and am sure that very soon, our clients will feel the same way we do," said Vikash Chemjong, CCO, Cheil India.

Amit Nandwani is equally excited about his new role, saying, "I am thrilled to join Cheil as the agency is on an exciting transformation path. Having already acquired a repertoire of marquee clients such as MG Motors, JK Tyres, Asics and UNICEF, Cheil has big plans to further grow its business. And its an honour to lead the creative charge on this incredible journey. With Neeraj, Vikash and Sanjeev, I look forward to shaping the creative culture of the agency and take it to greater heights on the back of some ground-breaking work.

Speaking on the appointment, Sanjeev Jasani, COO, Cheil India, said, "At Cheil, our ambition seeks to create the perfect blend of technology and creativity. Amit's appointment marks a momentous juncture where Cheil stands today. With Amit's help, we will focus on and drive creativity in all our work."
In North Carolina, two children, aged six and 12, have been accused of carrying out an armed robbery, stealing a woman's mobile phone in Charlotte.

According to the local police, the six-year-old and 12-year-old kids, suspected of armed robbery, were brothers.

North Carolina Children Aged 6, 12 Accused of Armed Robbery

According to WSB-TV, children ages 6 and 12 robbed a woman's phone. When the victim tried to get it back, the latter allegedly threatened her with a BB gun, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department says.

According to local law enforcement, the incident unfolded in broad daylight in a parking lot on the 2100 block of Diamond Creek Circle. The authorities learned upon investigation that the woman just concluded her night shift work when two kids approached her.

She recalled the six-year-old kid asked her if he could use her mobile phone to call his mother. Police Captain, Jason Helton, says in a press conference that the victim did what most of us would do. He adds, "She let them have her phone." But upon giving them the mobile device, the two kids run off with her phone.

The victim tried to get her phone back. She followed the two children as she attempted to retrieve her Samsung Galaxy phone. However, the police captain notes that the 12-year-old kid pointed a gun at her face when she tried to get her phone back.

Capt. Helton says, "A 12-year-old juvenile pointed a gun in her face and tried to pistol whip her." He notes that the kids ran to an apartment complex near the robbery. Law enforcement responding to the robbery incident identified the armed robbery suspects based on their conversations with family members.

The authorities also contacted the mother of the juvenile suspects, which the police captain says "was very cooperative," letting them search their home.

As per WCNC, the six-year-old kid reportedly gave the authorities information, enabling them to retrieve the weapon allegedly used in the incident, surprisingly a BB gun.

Read Also: North Carolina Cows Help Police Pursue Suspect Who Fled

Police Say 6-Year-Old Was a Victim

Police Capt. Helton disclosed that the police could not charge the six-year-old due to North Carolina state laws. The suspect must be at least nine years old to prove any intent.

The police captain says the brains of kids like the six-year-old suspect are still "so naive." He further notes that the young child is a "victim of his circumstances and environment."

Given the alarming incident involving young kids, the police urged parents to look after their children. Now more than ever, as the summer is fast approaching.

On the other hand, WSOC TV reports that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department charged the 12-year-old with armed robbery and "damage to property."

Related Article: North Carolina Governor Contests State's 12-Week Abortion Ban with Veto

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
As the countdown begins for Goafest 2023, scheduled to take place on May 24, 25, and 26, the excitement is palpable. At Adgully, we are eager to delve into the anticipation and enthusiasm of industry leaders as they gear up for this years Goafest. With our sights set on capturing their thoughts and insights, we are reaching out to these influential leaders to uncover their Josh (enthusiasm) for Goafest 2023.

Co-hosted by AAAI and The Advertising Club, the event will be held at the Grand Hyatt in Bambolim, Goa. Goafest 2023 will feature the 54th edition of the ABBYs, a prestigious awards ceremony that has been recognizing creative excellence in advertising for over 50 years. With an expected attendance of over 2,000 industry professionals, the festival provides a unique combination of knowledge sharing, networking, and celebration.

In conversation with Adgully, Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India, shares his excitement at returning to Goafest after over a decade, the key takeaways expected, and much more.

Paul admitted that it had been a long time since he had attended Goafest  the last being in 2011. At Goafest 2023, he will be there on the first day as part of the panel thats discussing The future of creativity. When asked about his expectations from Goafest 2023, Paul said, I am looking forward to a healthy debate and mind-altering discussion with my panelist friends on the future of creativity.

On the key takeaways that one can expect from Goafest this year, he named friendship, partnership, leadership and a bottle of Feni, adding, I think Feni is to Goa what rose (wine) is to Cannes!

Replying to a question on what brings the A&M industry back to Goafest year on year, Paul said, Everybody has different reasons. Sea, sand, sun, freedom, learning, earning, friends, nostalgia! I have a beautiful memory from 2011. That year I was the head of the Radio jury. When they called me on stage to announce the winners, I hid below the podium so that no one could see me. And on the microphone I said, I am radio! You cant see me, you can only hear me. That was feni!
On Monday, a photo of an explosion at the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Department of Defensewent viral on Twitter. The image showcased a massive plume of black smoke near a building, creating a sense of panic and urgency. It was later revealed that the image was generated by AI. However, several Indian news channels ran breaking news report of the purported explosion, without conducting the necessary fact-checking.

Police and fire officials in Arlington, Virginia, say the image is not real and there was no incident at the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters.

Although it was later revealed that the image was AI generated, the damage was done. Verified accounts were tweeting about the explosion including news outlet Russia Today. Several Indian news channels then broadcast breaking news coverage of the purported explosion, some of them even interviewed international affairs experts.

In English TV news segment, however, there was only one channel who did not carry this report and focused on the G-20 meeting in Kashmir.

In the age of breaking news and Twitter led narratives, CNN-News18's refusal to engage in AI-generated fake news reflects its commitment to fact-checking and placing truth and accuracy above sensationalism.

With Twitter handles becoming paid and AI driven content taking center stage, it has become pertinent for news channels to do a proper fact check before breaking any news. The speed driven newsrooms need to take a step back and bring focus back on authenticity.
Behind every thriving start-up lies a team of exceptional individuals who transform ideas into reality, conquer the impossible, and craft excellent marketing campaigns that set the brand's foundation. But it's not just the force within the company; it's also about the partners and marketing experts who guide and support founders during the crucial early stages.

Meet Neel Shah, a marketing maverick with an impressive portfolio of serving over 100 brands and 20 start-ups in his illustrious 11-year career. Shah is the visionary founder and chief mentor of Mentopreneur, a boutique brand consulting company dedicated to working extensively with funded start-ups, helping them navigate the path to growth from day zero.

"At Mentopreneur, our primary focus is to enhance value before valuation for start-ups" emphasizes Neel.

Shah's journey as a marketing professional began at 19 when he co-founded an experiential marketing company during his early days. He subsequently joined JWT as one of the youngest executives, where he was entrusted with the mandates of renowned HUL brands such as Lux, Rin, and Sunsilk, earning accolades for his outstanding contributions.

Later, he became the first creative strategist at Schbang  Indias top marketing solutions company, working closely with advertising & business gurus Harshil Karia, Akshay Gurnani and Sohil Karia. During his tenure, Shah collaborated on award-winning creative campaigns and strategies for India's leading B2B and B2C brands, including Baskin Robbins, Nivea, Finolex Pipes, Godrej Expert, BBLUNT, and Rajasthan Royals, among others. Notably, he played a pivotal role in successfully launching Pidilite's Fevicol onto the digital media landscape.

It's not easy to match the standards of fevicol advertising on digital and Neel has done that to a large extent; speaks volumes of his creative abilities and passion - Vivek Sharma, CMO, Pidilite Industries.

In 2020, just before the pandemic and the subsequent startup boom, Shah embarked on a new venture by establishing Schbang Theta, Schbang's consumer-centricity and branding division. Leveraging his extensive experience with major brands, he developed tool books, processes, and workshops tailored to assist smaller brands and start-ups in achieving significant growth - RPSGs Dr. Vaidyas, Aditya Birla Groups Hindalco, YoBoHo Medias YouCurious were amongst the few brands he transformed.

"This decade belongs to Indian entrepreneurship and start-ups, and start-up founders require special attention that traditional advertising agencies lack" asserts Shah.

Continuing his quest for ground-breaking endeavours, Shah unveiled Mentopreneuran enterprise committed to fostering the growth of start-ups and brands across all business verticals. Through comprehensive branding strategies, meticulous marketing guidance and asset planning, and performance marketing expertise, Mentopreneur acts as an invaluable extension of a brand's team, delivering highly customized services tailored to the specific needs of every start-up.

Talking about the brand Journey Neel Shah said Founders are very excited in the start and sometimes the excitement leads to chaos, its our job to steer that excitement towards clarity and focus. I keep saying - Go Inside, before you go outside. "Over the past year, we have had the privilege of serving renowned names and working with exceptional brands, although I cannot disclose them just yet. Stay tuned for future updates," added Shah.

While the brand names remain under wraps, Neel Shah guarantees that they are poised to make a significant impact and are certainly worth keeping an eye on.


Partha Ghosh has decided to step down from his position as Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications, at Samsung Electronics, a prominent manufacturer of computers and electronics.

He had been a part of the company since 2014, contributing his expertise for over eight years.

He posted a bid adieu note on his LinkedIn handle, he said, When I stepped into the Samsung HO in Gurugram eight & half years ago, I knew I was getting into an exciting new world, but had no idea it was going to be this high octane. I grew with Samsung as Samsung grew with India. Many memories flashing through my mind now - many successes, my teams, my visits to Seoul, Global Galaxy Unpacked, India Unpacked, launch of the world's largest mobile factory in Noida with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as chief guest, launch of flagship CSR programs - many of which I captured in my Linkedin posts over these years. I also made many new friends along the way, something I will cherish all my life.

Further he expressed his gratitude to his fellow colleagues, Sincerest thanks to all my colleagues - past & present - at Samsung, my Comms & CSR teams, partners, Cheil, AvianWe, NSDC, IIT Delhi, News18, and all my friends in the media for helping me transition from a journalist at heart to a Comms & CSR pro in body & soul. Signing off now. See you next week... ciao

Prior to joining Samsung, he had held senior editorial positions at esteemed news publications such as The Economics Times in Delhi and Ahmedabad. He also gained experience as a correspondent for media organizations like Business Standard, The Hindu Group, and The Telegraph during his early career.
Zee Bihar Jharkhand, the leading news channel of Bihar-Jharkhand, successfully concluded its Education Conclave 2023 in Patna. This on-ground event acknowledged the efforts of educational leaders, professors and educational institutions who went beyond the mile and demonstrated excellence in the field of education.

Zee Bihar Jharkhand Education Conclave 2023 was graced by The Honble Governor of Bihar, Shri. Rajendra Vishwanath, Prof. Girish Kumar Choudhary (Vice Chancellor, Patna University), Prof. R K Singh (Vice Chancellor, Patliputra University), VC  Dr. Rajendra Prasad (Central Agriculture University) & others who shared their invaluable insights with the audience.

The channel felicitated several institutions through this initiative. To name a few  International School of Management (PATNA), S.K. Mandal Group of Institutions, Lord Buddha Public school  Aurangabad, Gurudeo Para Medical College, Career Planner Alliance Club, Gyan Sarovar Group of Education, Bihar Institute of Law, Buddha Institute of Technology, Himalaya Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital, Nawada Vidhi Mahavidyalaya, Nawada & NIPS.

Highlighting the success and purpose of Education Conclave 2023, Raj Kamal Chaudhary, Editor, Zee Bihar Jharkhand, said, Zee Bihar Jharkhand News has been consistent in creating a significant connection with its target audience. Educators contribute selflessly to the nations development. The Education Conclave 2023 is an initiative undertaken to appreciate and acknowledge the difference made by educators.

Mr. Abhay Ojha, CEO, Zee Media Corporation Limited, further added, Initiatives like Education Conclave 2023 celebrate the courage and resilience of visionaries who have done exceptionally well in the field of Education. It is a moment of great pride for the entire nation to celebrate the achievements of such educationalists

Zee Bihar Jharkhand has become a dominant player through a strong emphasis on research-based news content. The robust availability of the channel at more than 500 cable networks across Bihar-Jharkhand and availability on all Digital Networks in the Bihar-Jharkhand channel ensures a very strong presence across the entire states.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is a serial offender, but PM Modi, who promised a clean government, has maintained silence on such crucial issues. For months, the wrestlers have been protesting at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi; they want justice against the atrocities done to them. No BJP leader or PM himself, who sloganeers Save Girls, is now giving this leader another opportunity to be in electoral politics but did not even order some internal inquiry to know the truth. WFI chief Brij Bhushan has been accused of sexual harassment by seven female wrestlers and is now planning a show of force at a rally in Ayodhya on June 5. Brij Bhushan has taken the help of many PR agencies to make his show larger than life.

In 1992, he was involved in the Babri Masjid demolition case, due to which he was arrested by the CBI along with 39 other people. He was the prime suspect, and the Supreme Court of India acquitted him in 2020. He was charged with the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act in 1993 for allegedly helping associates of Dawood Ibrahim, who allegedly organized the J.J. Hospital shootout in Mumbai. He was later acquitted after spending several months in jail. Sadly, the BJP never hesitated to give him a ticket, and not only that, he was given a lot of importance in the party.

In an interview with the web portal The Lallantop in 2022, Brij Bhushan stated, I have committed murder in the past. Whatever people may say, I did commit murder. I immediately shot and killed the person who had shot Ravinder dead. Ravinder Singh was his close friend.

While serving as president of the Wrestling Federation of India, in an interview with The Indian Express, he said, They (wrestlers) are strong boys and girls. You need someone strong to control them. Is there anyone stronger than me here? In 2021, during a junior wrestling tournament, he slapped a wrestler on stage, which was caught on camera. But BJP leaders, who always mock other politicians, never felt guilty about having such a goon as their party worker.

In January 2023, a group of Olympians and international wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and others, organized a sit-in demanding the disbanding of the federation due to alleged sexual harassment of female wrestlers by Brij Bhushan. The protests resumed in April 2023 due to government inaction. The protesters demanded the police file an FIR against Brij Bhushan and his immediate arrest. Protesters cited incidents of sexual harassment ranging from 2012 to 2022. On April 28, 2023, after the intervention of the Supreme Court, the Delhi Police registered two FIRs against him. One of the FIRs was registered under the POCSO Act (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, 2012) for offenses against a minor. A second FIR was registered on similar grounds on the complaint of a few adult female wrestlers.

Two female wrestler complainants described the way Brij Bhushan used to touch their breasts and stomachs sexually on the pretext of checking their breath in a police complaint on April 21, 2023. One of these two women alleged that Brij Bhushan lifted her training jersey without her consent in 2018. Vinesh Phogat, one of the leading protesters, alleged that the accused mentally harassed and tortured her for missing out on a medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. On May 12, the Delhi Police recorded a statement from Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh regarding the sexual harassment charges leveled against him by female wrestlers.

Brij Bhushan is set to address the Jan Chetna Maha Rally at the Ram Katha Park in Ayodhya, where sadhus as well as experts in law, education, and social work have been invited from several states. The rally is being held at a time when the Delhi Police have registered two FIRs against the MP. Since the FIRs were filed, Singh has been staying away from political programs. But he has been touring different districts of UPs Awadh region, including Gonda, Ayodhya, Bahraich, and Basti, over the past week to invite people to the Ayodhya rally. I hope this time, at least, voters will do him justice by not electing him.
Hoover-based Lake Homes Realty has formed a new company showcasing beach property.

Beach-Homes.com has much the same sensibility as the Lake Homes Realty website, offering a central location for more than 68,000 coastal properties in 14 states, from Texas to New Hampshire.

Glenn Phillips, CEO of both companies, said creating Beach Homes Realty was a natural progression after spending the last 10 years building Lake Homes Realty, which has been ranked among the fastest growing companies in the U.S. for six years by Inc. Magazine.

More Floridians moving to Alabama for lower costs, same beach

Lake Homes Realty has grown into the largest lake-focused real estate brokerage in the country, Phillips said. Beach Homes Realty accesses MLS data from these 14 states each day, so those searching beach homes and lots will have the latest offerings. Instead of having to search separate websites or navigate through non-coastal properties, we merged our targeting technology expertise and niche real estate specialization to streamline the process.

Florida dominates the websites current listings, with almost 42,000 homes or lots across 185 beach communities.

Next is Texas, with almost 7,500 listings. Alabama is eighth, with 1,647 listings along 13 beach communities.

In April, Lake Homes Realty moved into its new Hoover headquarters, occupying two-and-a-half floors at 500 Corporate Parkway. The space has 48,864 square feet and an additional 5,881 square feet of studio space, more than doubling the previous space at Southlake in Hoover.
Nordstrom Rack will open its newest location at Birminghams The Summit this Thursday.

A grand opening will kick off at 8 a.m. with music, breakfast snacks, branded tote bags and a beauty sample bar.

Doors will officially open at 9 a.m. Customers can enter for a chance to win one of 20 $100 gift cards, with one customer winning a $1,000 gift card.

In January, Nordstrom Rack announced its River Ridge store off U.S. 280 would relocate to The Summit.

The new store will occupy a 27,000-square-foot space, according to a company release. Nordstrom Rack is the off-price retail division of Nordstrom, offering customers up to 70% off on-trend apparel, accessories, beauty, home and shoes.
Bama Rush, the new Max documentary, promises to pull back the curtain on the University of Alabamas high-pressure sorority recruitment.

The documentary, which will air on Max Tuesday, May 23, is directed by Rachel Fleit. It follows four potential new recruits -- PNMs, for the uninitiated -- as they navigate the rush process in Tuscaloosa.

In the trailer, interviewees call the rush process a game and a ritual of power, status and prestige. They discuss sororities focus on their appearances, as well as mental health, racism and the pressure to succeed.

One participant, Makalya Miller, references historic racism at the university and during the rush process in the trailer. The schools historically white sororities only formally desegregated in 2013. Everyone just looks at you, if you have any drop of color in you, she said. Its just awkward, I guess.

MORE: Bama Rush doc: 16 things we learned about Alabama sororities

One participant, Shelby Rose, already has gone public about her feelings about the documentary, saying in a TikTok that it was very different than what it ended up being.

Rose said the crew began filming her when she was still a senior in high school in Illinois. She said they followed her to Tuscaloosa, but she stopped filming with them during rush week, because what they were doing did not align with her morals and values and it made me very uncomfortable.

Who is featured in the documentary? What are their names?

According to filmmakers, here are the primary students featured in Bama Rush:

Shelby Rose, from Quincy, Illinois

Isabelle Eacrett, from Rancho Cucamonga, California

Hailey Holliday, from Orange Beach, Alabama

Makalya Miller, from Leeds, Alabama

Other Alabama students and PNMs also were filmed throughout the process.

Who makes it through rush? Where are they now?

Spoilers ahead.

Shelby Rose is majoring in public relations at the University of Alabama with a minor in digital content engagement. Rose is now a Phi Mu.

I love the University of Alabama. It has given me so much, she said in a social media post on TikTok. If I didnt rush at the University of Alabama, I wouldnt have stayed through the first semester, because the girls I met have given so much to me ... I have nothing but positive things to say about campus and the sororities.

She has been involved in pageants for several years, and was named Miss Quincy by her hometown earlier this year.

Eacrett participated in the documentary throughout Rush Week and receives a bid from Alpha Delta Pi. She has the tagline, Im nervited -- which is like, nervous and excited.

Miller dropped during rush week and is now studying for a degree in criminology.

Hailey Holliday is Miss Orange Beach USA 2023 and recently competed in the Miss Alabama USA pageant. Holliday also left the rush process early.

MORE: Bama Rush director talks body image, TikTok, race and more in explosive new sorority doc

Was anyone penalized by their sorority?

Its not clear whether any participants were punished for working with the film crew during or after the rush process.

The university condemned rumors about secret filming during rush week -- later confirmed when the documentary project was announced.

The University is aware of reports that outside parties have facilitated unauthorized recordings of our students involved in Panhellenic recruitment, Shane Dorrill, a university spokesman, wrote in an email to AL.com. The University unequivocally does not condone surreptitious filming or recording of students, some of whom are minors, without their consent. The University has not authorized any third-party entity to film, record, or document any recruitment activities and does not allow media inside occupied buildings such as residence halls and sorority houses.

Further, it has been repeatedly communicated that Alabama Panhellenic Association recruitment rules prohibit potential new members from filming or recording inside any chapter houses, he added. To be clear, the University is not involved with this production and finds these reported activities to be deplorable, especially when targeting recent high school graduates.

The Alabama Panhellenic Association is aware of the documentary, but previously declined to respond to participants comments or questions about filming.

More on Bama Rush:

What to know about Bama Rush Toks season two in 2022

How to decode Bama Rush TikToks. Whats a PNM?

See vintage photos from Alabama rush bid day

What is The Machine at the University of Alabama?

University of Alabama condemns filming during sorority bid week
Debt crisis reveals Americas inept governance and pro-military politics

10:18, May 23, 2023 By Tian Yi ( People's Daily Online

Due to clashes between the two parties, weak governance and huge military expenditures driven by Cold War mentality, the US is now unable to pay back its debts without borrowing new money.

The US Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen warned that the US might face a default for the first time in history on June 1, provided the failure of raising debt ceiling up. The US President Biden has canceled his trip to Australia and Papua New Guinea and returned home to hold talks on raising the debt ceilings.

Partisan political clashes

Since the beginning of this year, politicians from both parties have offered deals about the national debt, but resulted in vain because of partisan political clashes. Republicans have offered two options for solving the debt crisis after the federal government hit its legal debt limit in January - $31.4 trillion. The bills proposed by the Republicans were conditioned with cutting the government spending, for which the Democrats have rejected who insisted on an unconditional debt ceiling raise.

The debt ceiling is a lawful limit to restrict the US government from borrowing money. The increase of debt also prompted the Congress to raise the debt ceiling more frequently, as it has been raised 22 times since 1997.

The US has seen federal debts increasing exponentially in the past two decades. In October 2001, when the US launched the war in Afghanistan, the debt number was barely $5.8 trillion. The amount of debt has nearly increased by five times in the past 22 years.

The debt-to-GDP ratio has also become exorbitant. Under the Clinton and Bush Jr. administrations, the debt-to-GDP ratio was controlled under 70%. The 2008 Great Recession pushed the debt ratio above 100%, which hit 100% in 2012. The debt-to-GDP ratio kept soaring with the number recorded a historical high of 128% in 2020.

Clung to military hegemony

Debts are intimately linked with income and budget. The budget and bills show the priorities of the US government and their willingness to keep a healthy finance or not. The major spending sectors from high to low are social security, Medicare, Medicaid, military, education, interests, tax credit, veterans and nutrition.

Partisan differences on priorities of spending have impeded the federal government to cut expenditures. Democrats insist on keeping social security benefits and funds for Medicare, whereas the Republicans reject cutting investments in the military. Since the interests, which already amounted to 8.8% of annual expenses, must be repaid to borrowers, the remaining sectors for spending cuts, from the perspectives of the American politicians, are education, tax credits, veterans and nutrition.

Partisan division and implementing programs based on values resulted in less consistent policies. A new government will supersede past policies with nascent programs and investing overheads in it.

The US federal government also suffers from weak governance and profligacy which compromised them financially. According to reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued in May 2022, the total financial benefits from reducing fragmentation, overlap, and duplication across the federal government amounts to $552 billion from 2011 to 2022. The report sugarcoated money loss as saved financial benefits. What about the money wasted for years beforehand?

Instead of restructuring their debts, and changing spending habits, the US has on the other hand, clung to military hegemony.

The budget for the Department of Defense of US in FY 2023 is over $770 billion, which took more than half of the total deficit of FY 2022.

In terms of military deployment globally, as of 2021, the US has installed about 750 military bases in around 80 foreign countries. The steps of building new bases overseas have not halted. Earlier this year, the US has secured access to four additional military bases in the Philippines.

Eventually who pays for that expansion? And who benefits from it? It is clear that most of the spending goes to the militaryindustrial complex (MIC) and not a dime could be beneficial to average American taxpayers.

(Web editor: Tian Yi, Wu Chengliang)
(Photo : John Moore/Getty Images)

More than 1.5 million migrants are hoping for US sponsorship amid Democrat lawmakers' request for the Biden administration to fast-track migrant work permits.

Internal documents indicate that in just a few months, the United States received more than 1.5 million requests from individuals hoping to sponsor the entry of migrants from four countries, an extraordinary number that could threaten the Biden administration's goal of reducing border crossings.

The influx of hundreds of thousands of sponsorship applications on behalf of would-be migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela has overburdened caseworkers at US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which can only authorize 30,000 arrivals per month under the program.

US Migrant Crisis

Citizens, residents, and others with legal immigration status in the United States may sponsor migrants from these four nations if they consent to financially support them. The humanitarian parole authority grants work permits valid for two years to migrants who arrive under the program.

Due to the enormous and rapidly increasing backlog of unresolved applications, USCIS has recently changed the way it processes these cases by randomly selecting half of the requests it evaluates each month. The remainder will continue to be allocated according to the first come, first served principle.

Documents obtained by CBS News from the Department of Homeland Security revealed that, as of the end of last month, the agency was receiving an average of nearly 12,000 sponsorship applications per day from individuals seeking to sponsor Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, a number described as "overwhelming."

Due to the monthly limit of 30,00, the documents indicate that less than three days' worth of applications are processed per month. More than 100,000 migrants have entered the United States through the sponsorship program.

At the end of April, the government was supervising more than 580,000 pending Haitian cases, more than 380,000 pending Cuban cases, nearly 120,000 pending Venezuelan cases, and more than 20,000 pending Nicaraguan cases. Other cases were under review or had already been approved.

Read Also: E. Jean Carroll Seeks $10 Million New Damages Claim Against Donald Trump Over CNN Comments

Migrant Work Permits

Meanwhile, New York Democrats united with a straightforward message for President Joe Biden: Set asylum-seekers to work. At a press conference in Brooklyn, Mayor Adams, Governor Hochul, Representatives Dan Goldman and Jerry Nadler, and labor and business leaders asked Biden for special federal work authorization for the tens of thousands of migrants who have arrived in the state since last year.

The leading Democrats in the state demanded swift executive action to alleviate some of the strain on the city's social safety net. It was the first time a group of influential New York Democrats united to urge Biden on immigration, a crucial issue for the 2024 elections.

Party infighting over immigration would undermine Biden's reelection bid and provide Republicans with an easy point of attack. In response to the New York Democrats, a White House official stated that certain populations are already eligible for work authorization and cited the administration's use of Temporary Protected Status.

Once migrants arrive in the United States, they must wait 180 days after submitting an application for the necessary documentation. The backlog fuels the clandestine economy, making laborers susceptible to exploitation.

New York City struggles to replace tens of thousands of vacant positions in municipal agencies. Adams and Hochul advocated for the expansion of the Temporary Protected Status program, which allows certain immigrants to legally labor in the United States to additional countries. They also stated that the state requires additional immigration justices.

The issue has brought Hochul and Adams closer together, even if it places them in conflict with the party's leader. The mayor stated that the governor visited City Hall last week to discuss the migrant crisis.

Hochul's censure of Biden has been less strident than Adams's. She remains a member of the group of fifty influential Democrats assisting his reelection campaign. Adams was removed from the group after he continued to criticize the president's approach to the immigration crisis, which according to Axios and The New York Times, angered White House aides.

Related Article: Migrant Crisis: 60,000 Migrants Waiting Near US-Mexico Border as Biden Administration Faces New Hurdles

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Get the Ed Chat newsletter: Enter your email for weekly updates about Alabama schools from Trisha Powell Crain:

Two weeks ago, for the first time ever, Madelyn, a fourth grader in Mobile County, raised her hand to read aloud in class.

I know that doesnt sound huge, but thats been a confidence builder, said Christa Morrison, Madelyns mother. Because it is hard to go to school every day and sit in a classroom with kids that, for all you know, they all do things you cant do.

Madelyn has dyslexia, a reading disability that affects her ability to recognize letter sounds.

When she was first learning to read, Madelyns school used a reading curriculum based on balanced literacy, which focuses less on phonics and more on cueing. The method works for about two-fifths of children, but can cause big struggles for students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities. Morrison had to pay for a professional assessment in order to get a dyslexia diagnosis and get the ball rolling on better support for Madelyn, she said.

Starting this summer, Alabama will add stricter guidelines for reading curriculum, in a push to make all schools use literacy programs that align with the science of reading, a body of research that stresses the need for explicit instruction in foundational skills like phonics. Each of the two reading assessments approved by the new state Literacy Task Force, Amplify mCLASS and Aimsweb Plus, are guaranteed to screen for the characteristics of dyslexia. Its the latest step since the passage of the 2019 Alabama Literacy Act to provide proper support for struggling readers.

Read more Ed Lab: See how many students at your school are judged proficient in reading.

Some Alabama lawmakers, though, say schools should be able to retain flexibility in curriculum and training, and question whether recommended literacy programs are best.

A new bill, HB430, filed by Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, would allow some districts to keep their current literacy programs, even if they arent proven to be effective for children with reading disabilities.

Literacy experts warn that putting the brakes on changes now will dampen the programs effectiveness.

We need to let the process work, and it is, said Jackie Zeigler, a state board of education and Literacy Task Force member.

The struggle has been hard

All of Morrisons children were taught to read with the three-cueing method, which involves prompting students to draw on context, like pictures in a book or sentence structure, to identify certain words.

The practice works for some children, who can pick up vocabulary easily. But for Madelyn, and many other children with reading disabilities, cueing methods dont always work.

To this day, if she comes across a word that she doesnt know, she just puts in a good guess, Morrison said. And not only does it not teach them how to phonetically read, its teaching them horrible habits.

Christa Morrison with her daughter, Madelyn. Morrison has been advocating for better supports for children with dyslexia in Alabama. Photo courtesy Christa Morrioson.

Mobile County Schools say on its website that schools now provide instruction based on the science of reading and screen for issues early, but stress that teachers  not programs or products  teach children to read.

According to the international Dyslexia Association, as many as one in five people display some symptoms of dyslexia. In Alabama, about 16,000, or about 6%, of public K-3rd graders demonstrated characteristics of dyslexia last year.

Just 15% of children statewide were screened for dyslexia last year, down from 17% in 2020-21, according to state reports. Officials say those numbers are low because districts are intervening quicker.

All three of Ashley McCurdys daughters were diagnosed with dyslexia. Two  a fifth-grader and a kindergartner  have a more difficult time connecting letters to sounds.

But the Demopolis mom noticed improvement after the district changed its literacy curriculum. Her kindergartner, unlike the oldest, is learning to read with Amplify CKLA, one of the two core reading programs approved by the Literacy Task Force.

The program allows her teacher to drill down on specific topics, like breaking down letter sounds and letter naming. McCurdy said her youngest child now tests above benchmark.

I just pray that its going to be a different story for my kindergartner, since she has received instruction based on the science of reading and has surpassed her goals, which gives her a strong foundation, she said. And that is something that is life changing to parents and to families like mine, because the struggle has been hard, very hard.

Why should they have to change?

In 2019, Alabama ranked 49th in national reading scores for fourth graders. In 2022 it ranked 39th, and scores improved by nearly two points even as most states saw losses during the pandemic.

The percentage of kindergarten through third-grade students who were retained this year has also gone down slightly, according to a recent report from the Alabama Reading Initiative. The 2023-24 year is the first year that third-graders who are not proficient in reading might be held back.

Garretts bill would help districts that arent using the recommended programs buy time to adapt to the law.

It would also restructure the Literacy Task Force, a group of literacy experts who are charged with vetting those programs, and put more responsibility on the group to make sure the content is age-appropriate and aligns with Alabamas core values.

Other supporters, like Rep. Jamie Kiel, R-Russellville, questioned why districts should change if they are getting good scores.

Why should a system that is performing well on a score basis, and has an assessment program that is working, why should they have to change just because you have a task force that says you have to change? Garrett said.

According to the Alabama State Department of Education, no school districts are currently out of compliance with the law, but several could be next year when the state adopts stricter guidelines.

Currently, about two-thirds of school districts are using recommended core reading programs, about three-quarters of districts are using recommended interventions, and less than a third of districts are using assessments approved for the upcoming school year.

Garrett said other changes, like requiring the task force to vet content and include input from state officials, add more accountability.

But advocates worry that will only thwart recent progress.

Were taking a whole lot of authority away from folks who have actually shown us that they can help increase the reading scores for our children in Alabama, said Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile. Theyve got success behind their names right now, and I just see efforts in this bill that are going to minimize that.

A+ Education Partnership, in a recent petition, said the bill would slow the momentum toward ensuring every child can read.

Three years into the laws implementation, more Alabama teachers than ever now are trained in research-based reading instruction, and more school districts also have dyslexia-trained staff. All school districts are required to regularly test students on their reading skills.

Efforts to change literacy instruction, on the school level, arent easy, said Shelley Vail-Smith, a literacy consultant who has directed teaching and learning efforts at several Alabama school districts. She said it often takes time to shift course.

There are plenty of people sitting in central offices in districts that are very convinced that they are right about using specific assessments, Vail-Smith said. But what we know is that, for the dyslexia community, some of them are going to miss life-altering issues.

The cost is too high

If an Alabama student shows a consistent reading deficiency, they are supposed to be given an intervention plan, which, in theory, would reduce the number of students needing further screening, officials said in a statement to AL.com.

Morrison said proper, and frequent, screenings could help catch issues earlier  and help get children like hers back on track faster.

Madelyns school never screened her for dyslexia, Morrison said, and it took years to get her child a proper diagnosis.

Some parents dont want to put a label, but if you dont know, then you dont know what youre asking for, she said.

After a diagnosis, and with the help of the states literacy law, Morrison was able to advocate for her daughter to get the support she needed, including a certified academic language therapist and an intervention program that is based on dyslexia-specific research.

In the past year, Madelyns reading has improved by two grade levels. She can now sequence the alphabet and string whole words together  foundational skills that are often difficult for children with reading disabilities to master without lots of practice.

For Kathryn Mitchell, it took until her son, Walker, was in middle school to get a dyslexia diagnosis.

They didnt do it because his grades were too good and the teachers just didnt really feel that it was applicable for him, she said.

Walker, who attended Homewood City Schools at the time, was a bright kid, Mitchell said, but he always struggled to read. He learned geography by building Lego sculptures of different countries, and could ace a test if it was read to him.

Mitchell paid for a 10-week $10,000 reading intervention program that taught Walker some critical skills, but still, nobody ever said anything about dyslexia. In seventh grade, Mitchell decided to get Walker tested.

Once he was diagnosed, Mitchell homeschooled him for a period of time, and then in ninth grade she enrolled him in Spring Valley, a private school in the area that specifically serves students with different reading challenges.

At the end of ninth grade he said, You know, I think Im actually pretty smart, Mitchell said. Walker has graduated, and is now applying for college after traveling the world for a year.

Homewood has made changes since then, Mitchell and other parents said. Elementary schools now use a universal screener, called STARS, which are supposed to catch some signs of dyslexia.

The STARS program is one of several that are currently approved by the state, but wont be next year. District officials did not respond to questions about their plans to adapt.

At Spring Valley, nearly all teachers are trained in the science of reading and dedicate time throughout the day to work on specific reading and math skills. They also use a reading assessment, Aimsweb Plus, thats recommended by the Literacy Task Force.

The schools leaders have worked with state officials to provide input on the literacy law, and say those are all things that can be used in traditional public schools.

What we do every day as educators is going to impact generations and generations of individuals, said Gladys Shaefer, a CALT at Spring Valley. And if we dont do it right, the cost is too high.

HB430, Garretts bill, was passed in committee and will head to the House floor for a vote.

Read more from the Ed Lab:

Why do so many US, Alabama children struggle to read?

This Alabama school battled pandemic reading woes through paraprofessionals, training.

How did Alabama improve reading scores when so many states struggled?
A rumor punctuated by a New York Times article stoked a sense of paranoia among the Bama Rush documentary filmmakers, prompting producers to hire security during production.

The highly anticipated documentary (now streaming on Max) chronicles sorority recruitment at the University of Alabama that went viral on TikTok. During 2022 rush, rumors swirled online about a secret documentary crew hiding microphones on several women participating in rush, even prompting an article from The New York Times, which the film addresses directly.

Director Rachel Fleit is emphatic that the crew did not use secret microphones during production, but it did not stop anxiety from creeping in once the backlash hit.

MORE: 16 things we learned about Alabama sororities from Bama Rush

Warning: This contains spoilers for Bama Rush.

When The New York Times article about the microphone rumor broke and mentioned Fleit by name, producers decided the documentary crew needed protection while filming on and near the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa.

Im really paranoid, Fleit says in the documentary. Like everywhere I go, Im looking over my shoulder. Our producers are requiring that we hire a security detail to be with the films crew at all times because theyre actually concerned about our physical safety at this point.

Fleit told AL.com that, when viewers watch the film, theyll see how the rumor becomes this character in it. The rumor created quite a stir, she said. Luckily for me, most of the young women I was filming with, understood that we were not doing what this TikTok rumor was saying we were doing. They understood and believed that I still was the same filmmaker for nine months and I wasnt doing something like secretly micing girls and recording rush conversations or getting inside of the houses or doing that stuff the rumors alleged we were doing.

MORE: Here are 4 students featured in Bama Rush

But once the NYT article mentioned her by name, she became anxious about filming in Tuscaloosa. Youll also see in the film that I have a very distinguishable characteristic that makes me impossible not to spot, Fleit told AL.com. (Note: Fleit has alopecia.) And so the producers of the film and myself and my team, we feared for our physical safety. There was so much backlash. It felt actually like things could get violent, to be honest, and they sent a security detail to be with me at all times while I was filming rush.

So it got pretty intense. So with security team was sent to ensure that I was safe, that my film crew was safe and that the subjects were safe. And we didnt announce the film until the trailer just keeping safety in mind.

In this nuanced and revealing documentary, Fleit explores the emotional complexities and stakes of belonging in this crucial window into womanhood, Max says about Bama Rush. The film explores body image, race, class, social media pressures and the desire to belong through the lens of the Greek system.

More on Bama Rush:

Bama Rush documentary: How to watch, where to stream

What is The Machine? Bama Rush shines light on University of Alabamas powerful secret society

Bama Rush by the numbers: How much does it cost to join a UA sorority?

Photos: The last 10 years of Alabama Bid Day

Meet the Alabama sororities

77 1 / 77 Alabama Sorority Bid Day 2022

More on Bama Rush:

How to decode Bama Rush TikToks. Whats a PNM?

See vintage photos from Alabama rush bid day

Bama Rush by the numbers: How much does it cost to join a UA sorority?

Photos: The last 10 years of Alabama Bid Day

Meet the Alabama sororities
However you might feel about college Greek life, seeing is believing. And once you come face to face with the University of Alabama phenomenon, the way seen in the new documentary Bama Rush (now streaming on Max), you may gain a new understanding.

Rachel Fleit, the docs director, set out to explore the sorority system in Tuscaloosa that went viral on TikTok the last two years. And while she certainly had her own idea of what that culture was from her own college experience, she set out to make a movie about what its like to be a modern woman.

In the film, Fleit follows four young women as they prepare for rush (UAs annual sorority recruitment) in 2022.

MORE: 16 things we learned about Alabama sororities in Bama Rush

In this nuanced and revealing documentary, Fleit explores the emotional complexities and stakes of belonging in this crucial window into womanhood, Max says. Fleit (who also made Introducing, Selma Blair) explores body image, race, class, social media pressures and the desire to belong through the lens of the Greek system.

Above all, her film unlocks identity, as women seek to find a sense of self and purpose. And while some find it and much more in sororities, some dont.

Read our conversation with Bama Rush director Rachel Fleit below.

Id like to start with your perception of Greek life on college campuses change during and after making this film. There are a few ways to look at it, I guess. Theres the low-hanging fruit for critics who hurl around terms like Daddys Money and talk about the would-be sinister side of things like The Machine and racial disparities, but also culturally, its an important rite of passage for thousands of women and their families for whom it creates opportunities, friendships and in some cases very bright futures. And its obviously such a spectacle. But what are your own personal feelings about this phenomenon?

Rachel Fleit: So I actually wanted to make a documentary about Greek life since 2018. I posed things about the Greek system actually during the Me Too movement. And I thought, what was it like to be a young woman in a sorority during the age of consent? And I thought the sorority system is such a good lightning rod to talk about all of these things that young women face. Whether it be their body image, their race, their class, their desire to belong, social media pressure, etc. And I really wanted to look into the Greek system because I knew in my heart a couple of things: One is that it was so much more than the way that media depicts Greek life. And then its so much more than the tropes we see in the mainstream media. If you went down there and took a deep dive into these young womens lives, you would learn that they contain multitudes.

I just knew what Id seen in movies and television. I was not part of Greek life. I went to a school in upstate New York. I majored in theatre. I was not in a sorority. But I always had a sneaking suspicion that underneath it all, we were all looking for a place to belong, a place we could call home that was a community of some kind. And once the TikTok sensation sort of blew up, I resumed my interest in this idea. I really wanted to pull back the curtain on these TikToks. They went viral all across the globe, but I knew beyond the pageantry of the TikToks there was a deep, profound theme to explore with each of these young women.

When I went down there, my perception of the Greek system...I wouldnt say it changed, I think it just expanded. Its so nuanced. The young women have extremely, incredible, transformative experiences from being in the Greek system. They experience real trauma and then the sisterhood at the University of Alabama envelopes them and gives them a place where they feel like they belong. And youll see other young women whove had different experiences that feel great.

My takeaway is that the sorority experience is so personal. Every single person has their own experience but also underneath it all is the human desire to belong. So whether or not youre a young woman at the University of Alabama or youre a middle-aged man or a woman who has no idea about this or wants to be a part of it, you can identify because youre a human being on the Earth who has the desire to be a part of something bigger than yourself. So I think my view ultimately, to answer your question, just expanded from being down there.

Im so fascinated, as Im sure many others waiting to watch this are, in the secretive nature of the production. During recruitment last year, there were rumors that this was happening, that there might be a documentary being filmed. You heard about the hidden microphones. What were those strategy sessions like, talking to the women participating and the crew, embedding in that culture and peeling back another layer of access that had not been found before?

When I set out to make this documentary, I reached out to hundreds of young women at the University of Alabama, and I experienced immediate resistance. I was forward in saying Id like to make a documentary about what it means to be a young woman right now. And Im going to tell this story through the lens of the sorority system at the University of Alabama. This film is so much more than rush. Its going to be about what young women face right now in 2022, which is when we were filming at the time. And were going to look under the hood of the car and really examine this experience for you and this is an opportunity for you to feel heard and seen and tell your personal story. And I received a lot of resistance. The young women told me they werent allowed to speak to me, that there were strict rules against speaking to the media.

But there were quite a few young women who believed in my vision and trusted me. We had a very small, intimate crew, which is sort of my style as a filmmaker. I like to keep things small and intimate so that the young women in the film would feel safe and be honest and open up to me. We filmed with a small team for about nine months. And then we received another wave of extreme backlash with a false rumor on TikTok that were surreptitiously recording rush. And Im not going to go too much into that, but the rumor was so prominent and so intense that it does become a part of the film. There was no way to not incorporate that in the storytelling. It became quite the character, lets say, in the film.

MORE: Whos in the Bama Rush documentary? Here are the names of 4 students featured

Was there a shift in tone in how you told this story during production? Im sure that happens on any project, especially making documentaries where unexpected things happen. But did this start as a lighter look at the spectacle of Southern sororities and change when you embedded yourselves in it and things like The Machine and racial disparities in the organizations histories emerged?

I stuck to my intention. My intention was Im going to make a documentary about what it means to be a young woman right now, and Im going to do it through the lens of the sorority system at the University of Alabama. But as I went down there, I did learn a larger picture of what the system entails. There is a really intense history in Greek life at the University of Alabama. Its important to tell the full story as a documentary filmmaker who is committed to the truth. Of course I learned about the Machine, and it felt like you couldnt tell the story about the University of Alabama sorority system without talking about the Machine. But really what I was most struck by was my biggest surprise or shift for me is that I identified so much with these young women. I really felt for them. I really felt like I, too, have done so many things to belong. When I was younger, I would look at sorority women as, Theyre nothing like me. And as I made this documentary I said, oh were all so similar. Our exterior appearance might be different, but underneath, were so much the same. And that was my big takeaway that really shaped the narrative of the story.

In the trailer, you hear a voice ask what someone is filming for, presumably someone with UA asking about your crew. What was the UA response to the production? When did they find out? Did you hear from them as you were filming, and what have you heard from them since you finished?

Youll see the communication between the films crew and the University of Alabama in the film. We filmed where we were invited into and we filmed on public property. Youll see in the film our interactions with UA.

Was there ever any anxiety or even any risk where you felt like the film might fall apart if the women were identified? What was Plan B? And in terms of anxiety and risk for the women participating -- all the potential and opportunities this process can create for young women -- there is obviously inherent risk. What were those conversations like about agreeing to that vision you mentioned and moving ahead with the project?

When you watch the film, youll see how this rumor becomes this character in the documentary. The rumor created quite a stir. Luckily for me, most of the young women I was filming with, understood that we were not doing what this TikTok rumor was saying we were doing. They understood and believed that I still was the same filmmaker for nine months and I wasnt doing something like secretly micing girls and recording rush conversations or getting inside of the houses or doing that stuff the rumors alleged we were doing. But what also happened was The New York Times wrote an article about the drama at Bama rush involving a secret HBO documentary, and they actually named me in the article. And youll also see in the film that I have a very distinguishable characteristic that makes me impossible not to spot. (Note: Fleit has alopecia.) And so the producers of the film and myself and my team, we feared for our physical safety. There was so much backlash. It felt actually like things could get violent, to be honest, and they sent a security detail to be with me at all times while I was filming rush. So it got pretty intense. So with security team was sent to ensure that I was safe, that my film crew was safe and that the subjects were safe. And we didnt announce the film until the trailer just keeping safety in mind.

What did you think of Bid Day? Its like a gameday scene in Tuscaloosa. You have thousands of people there screaming. Theres a joyous feeling. Its really a sight to see. What were your thoughts on the Bid Day experience?

I love Bid Day. I have to say, it was such a triumphant day. You could feel the energy, you could feel the excitement, you could feel the joy. At the center of my movie is the desire to belong, right? And Bid Day is this moment of these young women finding their home, where they belong, getting excited to be part of this community. And you can really feel that in the air. During Bid Day, we did film on public property and sidewalks the joy of these young women. And it was the first day of the full filming period during rush where you didnt have that pressure from this rumor, because we could just be part of the celebration, which is really what I wanted the whole time, to capture all of the feelings of sorority recruitment. And I really honestly, when I think back to Bid Day, I just have such a big smile on my face. You can see all of these young women so happy, their families so happy and the hugging, the jumping around and the singing and running. Its amazing.

55 1 / 55 Alabama Bid Day 2021: Sorority Rush

More on Bama Rush:

How to decode Bama Rush TikToks. Whats a PNM?

See vintage photos from Alabama rush bid day

Bama Rush by the numbers: How much does it cost to join a UA sorority?

Photos: The last 10 years of Alabama Bid Day

Meet the Alabama sororities
One of the hottest comedians going  and one of the most famous dudes in the world  is coming to Alabama to work on new stand-up material.

Pete Davidson has scheduled a four-night run at Huntsville comedy club Stand Up Live, from July 13-16.

There will be two performances each night, at 6 and 8:15 p.m.

Six of those eight Davidson shows in Huntsville are already sold-out, according to the venue website. However, tickets remain for the late shows on the opening and closing nights, July 13 and 16.

Tickets are $43 (plus fees) via huntsville.standuplive.com. As is standard at many comedy clubs, theres also a two-item minimum for those attending, meaning each ticket holder must order at least two drinks and/or food items while at Stand Up Live for the show.

Davidson is mostly known for his excellent run on Saturday Night Live, from 2014 to 2022.

The New York native has also starred in films like 2022 black comedy/horror romp Bodies Bodies Bodies and semi-autobiographical 2020 Judd Apatow dramedy The King of Staten Island.

Davidson is currently starring in the Peacock streaming services show Bupkis, a stylized version of Davidsons life, a la Larry Davids HBO show Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Besides being a talented comedian, actor and writer (his writing credits include Bupkis and King of Staten Island), Davidsons dated more than his share of, as Cobra Kai character Johnny Lawrence would say, super-hot babes.

A lanky 6-foot-3, Davidson has emerged as the Tommy Lee of his generation. Hes romanced the likes of popstar Ariana Grande, actors Margaret Qualley, Kate Beckinsdale and Chase Sui Wonder, the model Kaia Gerber, and, most famously, reality TV superstar Kim Kardashian.

His Huntsville stand-up performances, billed as Pete Davidson---Working Out New Material With Friends, will be a phone-free experience, according to Stand Up Lives website.

Use of phones, smart watches and accessories, the website states, will not be permitted in the performance space. Upon arrival at the venue, all phones, smart watches and accessories will be secured in individual Yondr pouches that will be opened at the end of the event.

Performers ranging from rock musician Jack White to comedian Chris Rock have previously utilized similar phone-free policies for their own live performances/tours.

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Two men have been criminally charged after multiple people were critically injured in a crash during an illegal exhibition driving event in Birmingham late last year.

Marvin Puerto, 19, and Brandon Marquise Waller, 24, are charged with six counts each of second-degree assault. Court records made public Monday list seven different victims.

Waller was taken into custody in April. He is out of jail on bonds totaling $90,000.

Puerto was arrested Thursday and remains held in the Jefferson County Jail on $90,000 bond.

The crash happened Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, on John Rogers Drive at Gun Club Road.

It was just after 9 p.m. when, according to witnesses, a Dodge Charger was doing donuts and a Nissan 370z was racing another vehicle when the two cars collided and then at least one of them veered into a crowd of bystanders.

Authorities said Waller was driving the Charger, and Puerto was driving the 370z.

Birmingham, Irondale, Cahaba Valley and Trussville firefighters responded to the scene after reports of multiple people lying in the road after being struck.

The Charger caught fire.

Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service reported at the time that 13 people were injured, nine of those critically.

Birmingham police said it appears a crowd had gathered to watch exhibition driving and racing. There were multiple donut and burnout skid marks on the pavement.

There were dozens of bystanders watching the exhibition driving, witnesses said.

Illegal street racing and exhibition driving has been an ongoing problem in the city.

In August 2022, a large crowd was gathered in a parking lot in the 800 block of Second Avenue North where drivers were doing burnouts and donuts when gunfire erupted. According to police and to a video circulating on social media, a vehicle doing a burnout struck another vehicle in the parking lot.

The collision happened just after 3 a.m. that Sunday. The video shows a male immediately opening fire after the cars made contact.

A woman was killed, and four others injured.

A 14-year-old boy was killed in July 2022 when he was struck by a vehicle watching exhibition driving in Birmingham.

Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin joined members of the Jefferson County legislative delegation in November 2022 to announce plans to file a bill to prohibit and impose penalties for certain forms of exhibition driving, which includes street and drag racing, burnouts, donuts, and similar activities defined within the bill.

That legislation has passed and been signed by Gov. Kay Ivey. It will take effect in several months.

Previously, drivers could only get a ticket. Now they face a minimum of misdemeanor charges, and up to a Class B felony if someone is injured or killed, or if there is property damage.
Mobile prohibits fireworks from being shot within the city limits during Mardi Gras Day, according to the citys code.

But the citys ordinances do not specify the ban at other times of the year. In other words, fireworks can be discharged in Mobiles neighborhoods during the Fourth of July if the Mobile City Council does not do something soon.

They could act today and push forward an ordinance banning them.

Mobile is currently in the minority of cities in Alabama that have already enacted ordinances restricting their use and sale. In general, lighting fireworks is illegal in Alabamas incorporated towns and cities but legal in many unincorporated areas unless a specific ordinance is in place to prevent them. Some areas have laws in place to limit the times fireworks can be lit or noise ordinances that apply.

The council is scheduled to vote on the matter when it meets at 10:30 a.m. at Government Plaza. The proceedings and be viewed live on the councils YouTube page.

Alabama is like a majority of states in that it has allowances for fireworks, and does not outright prohibit them. Cherry Bombs, Silver Salutes, and M-80s have been banned by federal law since 1966 because of the large amounts of explosive composition they contain.

A few states have strict prohibitions against fireworks. Illinois, Vermont and the District of Columbia allow for only the purchase of sparklers and novelty-type fireworks, outlawing all the main types of fireworks. Massachusetts is the only state that prohibits all fireworks, including sparklers.

In Alabama, cities regulate what is allowed and now allowed when it comes to discharging fireworks that are not part of a special fireworks show.

In 2021, the Alabama Legislature adopted a new law that allows novelty fireworks like sparklers, smoke bombs, party poppers, and black or colored snakes to be sold within a citys limit. But Lori Lein, general counsel with the Alabama League of Municipalities, said municipalities are free to further regulate or prohibit the sale and use of all types of fireworks, including novelties.

Here are what Alabamas largest cities do with regulating fireworks:

Birmingham

A Independence Day tradition, the Thunder on the Mountain fireworks show at Vulcan Park on Red Mountain in Birmingham. (Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com). al.comal.com

Discharging or selling fireworks within city limits is prohibited. Fireworks are allowed to be exploded in public parks and other open spaces within the city under a permit issued by the fire marshal.

Most of the vendors that sell fireworks, in fact all vendors, are positioned outside the city limits, said Beneva Nelson, inspector with the Birmingham Fire Department.

Montgomery

It is illegal for anyone to possess, store, offer for sale, sell at retail, or use or explode any fireworks. Permitted fireworks shows are only allowed after proof is shown to a fire official that the display is conducted by a competent operator who had been approved by the fire official and that the display is not hazardous to property or endangers anyone.

Huntsville

It is illegal for anyone to possess, store, sell, handle or use consumer fireworks, except for a permitted fireworks display. Novelties like sparkers are allowed within city limits but the citys fire chief can limit their use at his/her sole discretion if, among other things, a drought or other weather-related conditions exist.

Huntsville isnt the only city in the Tennessee Valley outlawing fireworks. Firecrackers, bottle rockets, exploding mortar shells are still illegal in Athens, Huntsville, Madison and Decatur. But they are still legal in rural areas near those cities, many of which are now home to new subdivisions.

Tuscaloosa

The possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of fireworks is prohibited. The city, early last year, contemplated a ban of novelties as well.

Auburn

It is illegal for anyone within the city limits or police jurisdiction of Auburn, to sell, give away, or discharge any firecrackers, skyrockets, Roman candles, or fireworks of any kind. Anyone who conducts a fireworks show first needs to apply to do so through the city managers office and receive permission from the city council.
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Monday that state laws or political squabbles about abortion will have no impact on the decision about where Space Command headquarters will be located.

The decision criteria for Space Command have not fundamentally changed, he told reporters on Monday. There is nothing in that decision criteria about state laws, that might be about abortion or gay rights. That is not part of the decision criteria.

Alabama lawmakers have continued to tout the move of Space Command to Huntsville despite a NBC report last week that President Joe Bidens administration is looking to keep the command at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., due to concerns about the southern states restrictive abortion law.

Redstone Arsenal, an Army base in Huntsville, was selected in 2021 as the preferred location for Space Command  the Pentagons newest unified combatant command that provides command and control for all the U.S. militarys space operations across all its service branches. At least three reviews have identified Huntsville as the best site for the command, though Colorado lawmakers have pushed to keep it in their state.

Alabama is the only choice for Space Command headquarters, Gov. Kay Ivey said Friday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the U.S. Rocket and Science Center. No ifs, ands or buts. The Pentagon knows it. The White House knows it. And Ill keep saying it and Alabama will keep proving it until the headquarters is officially in Huntsville.

The White House directed the Air Force in December to conduct another review of the decision by former President Donald Trumps administration to move Space Command to Alabama. The review was ordered a few months after Alabamas law banning nearly all abortions, including in the case of rape and incest, went into effect last summer.

White House officials also have said the push to reexamine moving Space Command to Huntsville was not influenced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville blocking nearly 200 of Bidens military nominations in protest of the Pentagons new abortion policy.

The Defense Department in February announced a series of new policies that took effect March 18 to provide additional support to service members and dependents who must travel out of state for an abortion, including three weeks of administrative leave. The administrative leave also applies to other non-covered reproductive health care, including in vitro fertilization and intrauterine insemination.

Tuberville has said he believes the policies are unlawful and the current law only allows the agency to fund abortions in the case of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is threatened.

I want to start by reminding everyone why this is happening. Its not about abortion. ... This is about a tyrannical executive branch walking all over the United States Senate  and doing our jobs, Tuberville said in April on the Senate floor. I warned [Defense] Secretary [Lloyd] Austin that if he did this ... I would put a hold on his highest-level nominees. Secretary Austin went through with the policy anyway. So, I am keeping my word.

The list of officers caught up in Tubervilles delay include 64 three- and four-star admirals and generals for positions such as the Army chief of staff, the chief of naval operations, the commandant and assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, commander of U.S. Northern Command, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency.

The Senate typically approves military promotions all at once by a unanimous consent vote, but Tubervilles obstruction would require the upper chamber to vote on each one by one, a process that would consume months of floor time.

Austin warned of the ripple effects the holds will have, including for service members and their families.

Long-term holds have a corrosive and cascading effect: they prevent our rising officers and their families from being able to predict promotion and rotation windows, which can increase the pressure to leave the military in favor of greater stability, Austin wrote in a recent letter to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. The more our normal promotion processes are jolted, the more we risk the loss of the diverse warfighting and technical expertise that America needs to confront its 21st-century security challenges.

But Kendall said Monday that the tug-of-war between lawmakers to claim Space Command for their state and the stalled military nominations over Pentagon abortion policy are not driving the decision of where to maintain the command.

It has to do with what is the right place to put the headquarters for Space Command for the U.S. government. Period, he said.

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An Alabama 8th grader is a national finalist for Googles 15th annual Doodle for Google contest. And her entry has a personal backstory.

Brooklyn Chandler is an 8th grader at Birminghams W.J. Christian K-8 School. She is one of 55 states and territory winners of the contest with her entry now moving on to the nationwide Doodle for Google voting competition at doodle4google.com. Voting at the site help determine who out of the 55 finalists will become one of the top five and, eventually, the overall national winner.

Chandlers drawing was in response to Googles prompt for the contest. Students were asked to use Googles iconic logo to illustrate what they were most grateful for. Chandlers entry was titled Conspicuous Hair, and she wrote of her design: I am grateful for  my hair. I drew my hair because I believe my hair is a blessing, even though Ive been ridiculed for it, and its been treated like a toy, I love my hair. The reason for my title is because, around my family, Im always pointed out first because of my easily noticeable hair.

The artwork thats selected as a National Winner will be displayed on Google.com for one day, tentatively scheduled for June 6th. The winner will also receive a $30,000 college scholarship, a $50,000 technology package for their school/non-profit organization, plus Google hardware and swag.

To vote, go here and click on the Doodle you like. Voting is open from now until May 25 11:59 p.m. PDT.
Lawrence County authorities say it took about 37 tons of sand to soak up oil spilled on various roads by a couple who currently face misdemeanor charges.

The Lawrence County Sheriffs Office said dispatchers began receiving calls of oil on roads in the eastern part of the county at about 6 p.m. Saturday. In all, about 33 miles of roads reportedly were coated in oil, with the trail crossing into Morgan County and entering Decatur city limits on Central Parkway.

According to the sheriffs office, the Lawrence County Road Department expended almost 70 hours of labor cleaning up the oil to make roads passable.

Tips and home security camera videos indicated an early 90s model blue GMC pickup truck, pulling a utility trailer with a 500 gallon container on the back, was responsible.

A man and woman from Courtland were arrested Monday in Decatur. Both are charged with criminal littering and criminal mischief, with more charges possible. Bond has been set at $2,500 each.

The Alabama Department of Environmental Services has been contacted.
Republican and Democratic members of the Alabama House of Representatives have joined on a video opposing reports the White House wants to stop the U.S. Space Command headquarters from moving to Alabama.

Members released the joint video Monday, one week after a report that President Biden may block the move to Huntsville, which ranked highest among bases nationwide that competed for the headquarters. The base was started in Colorado Springs, Colo., and officials in that state are fighting to keep it permanently.

Quoting unnamed sources, NBC News reported May 17 that some defense and congressional officials believe President Bidens White House is laying the groundwork to stop the commands move to Alabama in part because of concerns about the states restrictive abortion law.

I just hope that we get to the point where politics is put to the side, that were focusing on the merits of the decision, why that decision was made and they made the right choice, Democrat and House Minority Leader Rep. Anthony Davis of Huntsville said in the video released Monday.

National security should always come before politics, and members of the Alabama House share bipartisan agreement that Redstone Arsenal is the right place for @US_SpaceCom. #alpolitics pic.twitter.com/eL5G3V4uQk  Leading Alabama (@LeadingAlabama) May 22, 2023

Republican state Reps. Rex Reynolds and James Lomax, both of Huntsville, also recorded support. Reynolds said the Air Force base selection committee and leadership chose Huntsville, and Lomax said more than 80 government agencies and commands already reside at Redstone.

Its not just an Army base, Lomax said. Its a federal center of excellence.

Republican House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter of Rainesville said the Air Force has said twice the command should be in Huntsville, and state Rep. David Cole, a retired Army colonel, spoke for Huntsville saying he understands what the command means in protecting America.

Republican state Rep. Wes Kitchens of Huntsville said, When you look at all the statistics, Huntsville is the clear choice. And Rep. Mike Kirkland of Scottsboro said the employees affiliated with Space Command would enjoy Huntsville.

We are equipped, we are ready and we are able to take care of Space Command, said Republican State Rep. Phillip Rigsby, a Huntsville native.

Support also came from Mobile, where Republican Rep. Shane Stringer said military decisions should be based solely on whats best for our military. We should not be inserting red state/blue state politics, Stringer said calling it an affront to our military.

Republican state Rep. Scott Stadhagen of Hartselle also said he wants President Biden to make the right decision and put the command headquarters where it belongs.

Quoting unnamed choices, NBC News reported May 17 that some defense and congressional officials believe President Bidens White House is laying the groundwork to stop the commands move to Alabama in part because of concerns about the states restrictive abortion law.

All abortion is illegal in Alabama unless medically necessary to avoid a serious health risk to the mother. The law says the mother cannot be held criminally or civilly liable for an abortion.

Before the abortion law passed, Huntsville had already scored best in a military comparison of multiple states wanting the Space Command headquarters. The competition was designed to compare the competing bases for command needs and effect on family members.

The Pentagon has a new policy that it will pay the expenses of any service member who must leave her state to get an abortion.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has cautioned that almost 400 newly discovered species in the Greater Mekong region of Asia are at risk of extinction because of habitat destruction caused by human activities. The warning was issued in a report published on Monday.

A group of experts from five different nations conducted a study in the diverse area over a two-year period between 2021 and 2022, resulting in the discovery of various species, including an orchid that resembles a character from the Muppet Show, as reported by CNN.

The newly discovered species in the Greater Mekong region have been living and adapting for millions of years. This serves as a reminder that they were present in the region long before humans.

What They Found

The WWF's report reveals that a total of 290 plants, 19 types of fish, 24 amphibians, 46 reptiles, and one mammal were discovered by scientists. This brings the total number of vascular plants, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals found in the Greater Mekong region since 1997 to almost 4,000.

It also showed that the region has a diverse range of living organisms and is home to over 300 million people across countries like Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, China, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

However, it also brings to light the increasing danger that human activities pose to animals as they encroach on their habitats.

According to Truong Q. Nguyen from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, who wrote the introduction to the WWF report, economic development and a rise in the human population are endangering the wide array of plant and animal species in the Greater Mekong area. This has led to the depletion of forests, contamination, and a greater reliance on natural resources.

Mark Wright, the director of science at WWF-UK, said that the recently published report highlights the incredible variety and resourcefulness of nature. However, it also serves as a warning about the critical danger that many species and habitats are in. If we do not take quick and dedicated action, we risk losing them forever.

Read also: Bioscience Firm Considers Reviving Extinct Woolly Mammoth from DNA Remnants From 4000 Years Ago

The Greater Mekong Region

The Greater Mekong region is a biodiverse hotspot with various ecosystems and habitats that support an array of flora and fauna. The discovery of almost 4,000 species since 1997 highlights the importance of preserving this rich biodiversity for future generations.

However, human activities such as deforestation, poaching, pollution, and climate change are posing significant threats to wildlife in the area. For instance, illegal hunting has led to a drastic decline in tiger populations, while habitat destruction due to infrastructure development has affected many other animal species, such as elephants.

(Photo: by Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty Images) SI PHAN DON, LAOS - AUGUST 25: An aerial view of the landscape that is covered with rice paddy Don Khon, an island of Si Phan Don archipelago in the Mekong River, on August 25, 2022, in Si Phan Don, Laos. Laos is unique in Southeast Asia because it is the only region that is landlocked. As a result, the Mekong River, which runs through the country, is the main focus of daily life-sustaining agriculture and fishing, transport, commerce, and supporting life in small villages and towns along its banks.

Governments across the region need to take urgent action towards conservation measures that can help protect endangered species from extinction. This includes implementing effective laws against environmental crimes like wildlife trafficking and reducing carbon emissions by investing in sustainable energy sources.

Additionally, working closely with local communities who depend on natural resources plays an important role, too; we must ensure they have alternative livelihood options so they don't rely solely on exploiting nature's bounty, which often leads them into conflict with these animals or their habitats being destroyed altogether.

Overall all stakeholders must work together- scientists need data about rare endemic plants found only within specific regions where indigenous peoples live sustainably off what surrounds them without destroying crucial ecological systems -to develop solutions aimed at protecting both people & planet, ensuring our world remains habitable not just today but also far beyond tomorrow!

Related article: Scientists Seek To Resurrect Tasmanian Tiger Extinct Since 1936 Using Advanced Genetics Technology

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Kelly Butler, who retired as state finance director two years ago because of an ALS diagnosis, was on hand today as Gov. Kay Ivey and others honored him at the dedication of the Kelly Butler Parking Deck in the Alabama Capitol complex where he worked for more than three decades.

Butler was a state employee for 36 years and served as Iveys finance director for 2018 until his retirement.

Kelly has consistently set the standard for what it means to be an exemplary public servant, Ivey said. He steadied Alabamas financial ship through some incredibly difficult times and is someone I know I can always count on. Even after his retirement he continued to serve our state by advising and assisting in the Finance Department on some very critical and important financial decisions. We all know how important and challenging the role of finance director is and I believe Kelly Butler will be remembered as one of the best to have ever held the position.

Lawmakers, cabinet members, Iveys staff and former staff, legislative staff, lobbyists, and others turned out for the dedication of the deck and heard Butler tell the story of how it came about. Butler said he had wanted to improve parking in the Capitol Complex since starting as a state employee decades ago, when he said he parked in a vacant lot where the Gordon Persons building now sits.

Sometimes when you have a problem you cant do something about it right away, Butler said. You have to wait for the opportunity to do something about it. And for me it started when Gov. Ivey asked me to be her finance director in 2018.

Butler said the opportunity became clearer in 2019 when a state agency vacated a one-floor wing of the Folsom Administrative building. He thought that created enough space for a lot on the corner of Ripley and Monroe streets, behind the Folsom building. Butler said he sought opinions of others who agreed, and then took the idea to state building officials, who determined it would work. Butler said many others deserved credit for the deck.

To sum up, I would say if you see a problem, try to address the problem, wait for your opportunity, and then, most importantly, go talk to somebody that really knows about it more than you do, Butler said.

Ivey noted that Butler continued to help the state as an advisor after his retirement. The governor noted that Butler received the Impact Award from the ALS Association earlier this year in recognition of his work to support that organizations mission.

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, according to the ALS Association. The disease involves the loss of motor neurons needed for voluntary muscle movements.
Leada Gore is filling in for Ike Morgan on todays Down in Alabama.

A little history first. On this day 89 years ago  May 23, 1934  the notorious crime duo Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were shot down. Before they died, did they have plans to rob an Alabama bank?

In more recent news going down in Alabama:

The Down in Alabama podcast is short and free. Listen to it by clicking on the player above or subscribe by looking for Down in Alabama on the device of your choosing. Get this and other AL.com newsletters here.

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A Limestone County circuit judge has turned away an appeal bid by former Sheriff Mike Blakely to have his conviction and jail sentence overturned.

Judge Tim Jolley, in a seven-page decision, ruled that Pamela Baschab, a retired Jefferson County circuit judge, had authority to preside over Blakelys 2021 trial.

Blakely, who served 38 years as sheriff, was automatically removed from the position when a Limestone County jury on Aug. 3, 2021, found him guilty of first-degree theft and using his public office for personal gain. He was sentenced to three years in the Franklin County Jail, which he is currently serving.

Blakelys appeal argued that Baschab was not licensed to practice law at the time she presided over the trial.

Baschab was appointed by the Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice to the Blakely case after every Limestone County judge recused themselves. However, Baschabs law license lapsed for nonpayment of dues to the Alabama Bar Association the month before she took over Blakelys case, according to the former sheriffs lawyers.

Jolley, in his opinion, said Judge Baschab had, at a minimum, de facto authority because she had been appointed by the state chief justice, who is allowed to appoint a judge irrespective of whether that judge maintains an active license...

And he noted that Blakelys attorneys did not object until more than a year after he was sentenced.

This is not a situation where there is some evidence that the judges status was somehow concealed from the parties, the judge wrote.
The U.S. Department of Education has found that a suburban Atlanta school districts decision to remove some books from its libraries may have created a hostile environment that violated federal laws against race and sex discrimination.

The legal intervention by the departments Office of Civil Rights could curb efforts to ban books in other public school districts nationwide, especially when bans are focused on books that include content about LGBTQ and nonwhite people.

The Forsyth County school district settled the complaint, agreeing to explain the book removal process to students and offer supportive measures to students who may have been harmed. Forsyth County will also include questions about the issue in its yearly school climate survey of middle and high school students next year.

The federal intervention came after months of contention over books in the 54,000-student district. Forsyth is Georgias most affluent county, a rapidly growing suburb about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of downtown Atlanta.

Forsyth County in January 2022 removed eight books, including Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye, but allowed seven to return after further consideration. It excluded only All Boys Arent Blue, a memoir about growing up as gay Black man by George M. Johnson.

Federal officials wrote in a letter Friday that Forsyth County erred not so much in the removals, saying the district limited its book screening process to sexually explicit material. Instead, officials found that the problem was how district officials talked about removals at school board meetings.

Communications at board meetings conveyed the impression that books were being screened to exclude diverse authors and characters, including people who are LGBTQI+ and authors who are not white, leading to increased fears and possibly harassment, the department wrote.

One student came to a board meeting to warn about the school environment becoming more harsh in the aftermath of the book removals and his fear about going to school, the letter says.

Becky Woomer of the Forsyth Coalition for Education, which has opposed book removals, said the findings back up fears that the school district was endorsing anti-gay views.

Having those views validated, yeah, I think it harms students, Woomer said. And when the books were put back on the shelves, it was done silently. So there was never this sense as a school community OK, we messed up, were sorry.

Jennifer Caracciolo, a spokesperson for Forsyth County schools, said a statement to students will help dispel those impressions.

Its more about making sure we communicate with the students, she said.

Protests over books viewed as inappropriate had been led by a conservative group, Mama Bears of Forsyth County. Members read sexually explicit passages from school books until the school board chairman ordered them to stop in March 2022, noting board policy prohibits profane remarks. Members of the group argued that if the books were inappropriate to be read at a board meeting, they were inappropriate for children.

The board then banned one member, Alison Hair, from attending board meetings. Hair and Mama Bears Chairwoman Cindy Martin sued in federal court, winning a ruling in February that the ban violated their First Amendment rights. The group then resumed reading books at meetings.

Martin on Monday said the settlement would let the federal government continue to find ways to infiltrate the public school system with their radical agendas, saying federal officials had found no legal violations.

This is not about books, Martin wrote in an email. This is about the federal government using bully tactics against our school system to indoctrinate our children into the LGBTQ ideology.

Book challenges have continued in Forsyth County under a 2022 Georgia law that allows parents to challenge material they consider obscene. The district last month agreed to not let any students check out one book, The Handsome Girl and Her Beautiful Boy by B.T. Gottfried, without a parents signature.

The book challenges in Republican-dominated Forsyth County followed conservative claims that the district was teaching harmful material on race. That controversy sometimes centered on district efforts to include nonwhite students in what was once an entirely white county. White mobs drove out the countys entire Black population in 1912.

Georgia is just one state that has made it easier to challenge books. The American Library Association reported more than 1,200 challenges to books nationwide in 2022, by far the most since the ALA began keeping data 20 years ago

Last week, authors, parents, publisher Penguin Random House and writers group PEN America sued Floridas Escambia County school system, saying the school board was removing and restricting books even though a review committee recommended keeping them.

In December, the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Civil Rights said it was investigating a school district in Granbury, Texas, after more than 100 books, including some LGBTQ themes were pulled from shelves.
Gov. Kay Ivey today made a passionate statement against the possible parole of a woman convicted of killing a child four decades ago, saying she categorically and unequivocally opposes freedom for Judith Ann Neelley.

In a two-page letter to the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles, Ivey said Neelley should not be allowed to set foot outside of an Alabama prison.

It has been said that mercy to the guilty is cruelty to the innocent, Ivey wrote, and I wholeheartedly agree.

Neelley, 59, is set for a parole hearing Thursday.

Lisa Ann Millican, 13, was abducted from a shopping mall in Rome, Ga., in September 1982 by Neelley and her husband, Alvin Neelley. Judith Ann Neelley was later found guilty of the rape and murder of Lisa.

Neelley was first set for a parole hearing in May 2018; but, her lawyer at the time said she wanted to waive the hearing. Ivey wrote a letter on that occasion opposing parole. The hearing went forward that month and the board deliberated for just one minute before denying parole.

Even if Neelley is granted parole by the three-member board later this month, she still has a pending warrant in Georgia for a consecutive life sentence in a 1999 kidnapping case.

She pleaded guilty in Georgia for the murder of 22-year-old Janice Chatman, also of Rome, Ga. In that case, she pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against her husband. Alvin Neelley died in prison in Georgia in 2005.

Neelley was originally sentenced to death in Millicans death, but her sentence was commuted to life in prison by former Alabama Gov. Fob James before he left office in 1999. However, James order did not specify whether Neelley would be eligible for parole. The legislature changed state law in 2003 specifically to block Neelley from the possibility of parole, but a federal judge years later ruled that law unconstitutional.

In her letter, Ivey said James commutation was a mistake and described the crime that sent Neeley to jail as pure evil. You can read the complete text of the letter here.

The Neelleys held 13-year-old Lisa captive, according to court records, and Alvin Neelley raped the girl several times. Three days after the abduction, Judith Ann Neelley handcuffed Lisa to a tree at Little River Canyon in Alabamas DeKalb County and used a needle and syringe to inject her repeatedly with drain cleaner. When that failed to kill the young girl, she shot her and pushed her body into the canyon.

An Alabama jury convicted Neelley of capital murder and recommended a sentence of life without parole, but the judge sentenced her to death.

In her letter, Ivey said the board should not forget the depravity of her crimes.

Do not overlook the continuing threat to public safety Ms. Neelley would pose if she were ever let out of prison, she wrote. And do not disregard the overwhelming consensus of our state government that someone convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death should never walk the streets of Alabama again.
For years, Mobile would send out alerts warning residents that it was illegal to shoot off fireworks before New Years Eve, or on the Fourth of July.

It was generally understood that fireworks were illegal to discharge anywhere within city limits, and during any time of the year.

But a closer look at the citys code revealed that wasnt the case. In fact, the only time Mobile prohibited fireworks was on Mardi Gras Day.

Related: 5 Alabama cities that prohibit most fireworks; will Mobile be the next?

The assumption here at Government Plaza was that they were illegal, said Councilman Ben Reynolds.

No longer. The hole within the citys ordinance that allowed Mobilians to shoot off any kind of firework at any time of the year, excluding Fat Tuesday, was officially closed on Tuesday. The council voted unanimously on a new ordinance prohibiting the sale and use of fireworks within city limits. Fireworks are generally allowed to be shot off and sold within unincorporated areas near the city.

The new ordinance was the result of an internal discovery of the citys ordinance after Alabama lawmakers, in 2021, adopted a new law that allows novelty fireworks  like sparklers, smoke bombs and black snakes  to be sold within a citys limits.

That provoked the city to look into their ordinances and see what a new fireworks ordinance would like look like, Reynolds said. They discovered that, well, there are no ordinances banning fireworks in the city.

Holiday Exceptions

Mobile City Councilman Ben Reynolds speaks during the Mobile City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, at Government Plaza in Mobile, Ala. Seated next to him is Mobile City Councilman Cory Penn. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Under the new ordinance, it is now illegal for anyone to possess, store, sell or use any fireworks within the city limits except for the novelty items.

There are some exceptions, including four days in which the fireworks ban is exempted: July 3 and July 4, December 31 and January 1.

Other provisions include:

Fireworks displays that draw an audience are allowed, as long as they are discharged by a competent operator who is approved by a designated fire official.

A fire official also has the authority to suspend the outdoor use of all fireworks within the city limits if drought conditions or other weather-related conditions exist that could pose a danger to shooting off fireworks. A similar provision exists in Huntsville.

Fireworks sold or handled in a manner that are a violation of the ordinance are subject to seizure and destruction by the fire official.

The ordinance was a compromise among council members who debated whether to outright prohibit the discharge of fireworks year-round, without excluding the four days surrounding New Years Eve and the Fourth of July.

I would have preferred the ordinance we passed was more in line with which exists in other cities in the state, said Councilman Joel Daves.

Most of Alabamas largest cities have a complete prohibition of fireworks unless they are discharged as part of a fireworks display on public grounds and overseen by an operator who is permitted to do so.

Some smaller cities have looser ordinances. Guntersville, for example, allows fireworks to be shot off between June 25-July 6, and from December 20-January 3.

In Owens Cross Road in Madison County, fireworks are allowed to be shot off by anyone at least 16 years of age as long as they are within 600 feet of a hospital, asylum, nursing home, church, school or public assembly. Permitted dates include one week prior to and one week after certain holidays: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, and New Years Day.

Avoiding nanny state

Reynolds, who favored including the four dates in which Mobilians can shoot off fireworks, said he did not feel it was the local governments role to overregulate the issue.

Weve enjoyed the freedom to enjoy our countrys Independence Day for centuries now, he said. I dont want to take that away from people. I think we should continue to do that. And rolling into the New Years and starting a new beginning, people like to shoot off fireworks. The government shouldnt control everyone on everything.

He added, We shouldnt have a nanny state. People can take personal responsibility for their own actions and shoot fireworks as weve enjoyed for centuries.

Reynolds said he was uncertain whether anyone had been fined before for discharging fireworks, adding that any firework activity in Mobile had been legal  aside from the ban on discharging them on Mardi Gras Day.

The ordinance was approved after some council members express concerns over a prior proposal that would have splintered areas of the city where fireworks would be allowed.

Councilmen William Carroll and Cory Penn, who both represent dense and urban areas of Mobile, said they believed the ordinance would be unenforceable if certain geographic areas were carved out as areas where fireworks were prohibited.

Lets do all (of the city) or none, said Councilwoman Gina Gregory.

Reynolds said the final ordinance was a compromise and a movement away from an outright ban.

I certainly didnt want to ban all fireworks, he said.
A Hartselle man is being held on $10,000 bond after police charged him with aggravated child abuse.

Hartselle police said today that officers began an investigation Monday after a tip that a man had been physically abusing his girlfriends five-year-old child.

Conducting a welfare check, officers determined the child had been severely beaten and had serious physical injuries.

According to police, the child was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Ryan Craig Rezek, 29, was arrested for aggravated child abuse then transported to the Morgan County Jail.

Child abuse is real and most times it takes someone to notice something and contact the police, the department said in a statement. The Hartselle Police Department is very grateful to the caller for bringing this matter to our attention.
Prosecutors are asking to drop theft charges against a former police chief in suburban Mobile.

Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood told WALA-TV on Monday that prosecutors found evidence of dubious bookkeeping but concluded Jerry Taylor wasnt illegally receiving overtime pay when he was police chief in Creola.

Taylor is now police chief in Jackson, Alabama.

Prosecutors asked Mobile County Circuit Judge Charles Graddick to dismiss the case, saying the charges should be dropped after additional investigation.

In 2019, then-Mobile County District Attorney Ashley Rich had said that Taylor and former Creola City Clerk Kim Green had stolen from the city.

The investigation revealed both Green and Taylor received numerous unexplained checks from Creola during times that were not consistent with scheduled pay periods or typical reimbursement procedures, Rich said at the time.

But Blackwood said that prosecutors now believe Taylor was entitled to all the money he was paid.

We found that the time that he was paid for, he actually worked, Blackwood said. It was the way in which it was paid that sort of raised some red flags, because the schedule of payment was unusual. However, we did find that he actually worked those hours and, thus, there was no criminal activity involved.

Taylors lawyer, Stewart Hanley, said he showed evidence to prosecutors that would have exonerated Taylor. Prosecutors filed to dismiss charges Wednesday, in advance of a trial scheduled to begin Monday.

I think they made the right choice, Hanley told the television station.

Green pleaded guilty in January in state court to first-degree theft and using her position for personal gain. A judge sentenced her to a 2-year suspended sentence and 2 years of probation.

She pleaded guilty in 2020 in federal court to theft of federal funds and filing a false tax return in relation to money she embezzled from Creola between 2017 and 2017 and later from the city of Prichard, where she also worked, between 2017 and 2019

A federal judge sentenced her in 2021 to a year in prison in that case, ordering her to receive treatment for a gambling addiction and repay $444,000.
Senate Rules and Administration Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar is proposing a change to expedite the process for confirming certain presidential nominees and reduce the backlog waiting for approval.

Klobuchar, D-Minn., introduced the resolution last week that would allow the majority leader to call up to 10 nominees advanced out of the same committee to be considered at the same time for a vote, excluding certain positions like circuit court judges, Supreme Court justices and Cabinet secretaries. Sens. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., and Angus King, I-Maine, are co-sponsors.

The slowdown of the confirmation process that weve seen in the Senate under the last several administrations is preventing key officials from taking up their positions, Klobuchar said in a statement. This commonsense reform will help improve efficiency and make sure were able to fill positions that are vital to our national security, economic success, and more.

Each Congress, the Senate considers about 2,000 civilian nominations for a variety of government positions, from federal judges, to executive department officials and appointees to independent agencies, regulatory boards and commissions, according to a February Congressional Research Service report. Military appointments and promotions make up the majority of nominations, though most are considered routinely en bloc, a process by which hundreds of nominations can be considered at a time, CRS said.

Considering full slates of nominees en bloc allows for speedy consideration, but it currently requires unanimous consent, which provides opportunity for a single senator to hold up the process, according to a Democratic Senate aide. The measure from Klobuchar would change the rules to allow a majority vote for confirmation without requiring unanimous consent.

President Joe Biden has picked 613 nominees to fill key roles in his administration since taking office, according to the nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service and the Washington Post, which together track roughly 800 of the 1,200 government positions that require Senate confirmation. More than two years into his presidency, 515 of those have been confirmed, 93 are being considered by the Senate, five are awaiting formal nomination and 91 positions have no nominee, according to the tracker.

The proposal comes while some Biden nominees have foundered in the Senate, as Sen. Tommy Tuberville holds up those for the Pentagon by repeatedly blocking unanimous consent.

Tuberville has blocked hundreds of military nominations in protest of the Pentagons new abortion policy, which reimburses servicemembers who must travel to other states for reproductive health care.

Tuberville has drawn criticism from Democrats and Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for his tactics.

This farce is endangering our national security, putting the lives of men and women who have served our country for decades in real trouble, and it needs to end, Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the floor earlier this month.

A Democratic aide said the measure was not aimed at resolving the Tuberville situation. If passed, Tuberville could still prevent en bloc confirmation of large numbers of nominees. But it would enable the Senate to confirm up to 10 nominations at a time, the aide said.

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(Caroline Coudriet contributed to this report)

___

2023 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Alabama may be a conservative state. But conservative activists still insist the textbooks here are too left-wing.

Earlier this year, the State Board of Education approved English Language Arts textbooks for kindergarten through third grade after a public hearing where critics suggested the books had too much Black history and multicultural stories.

These books had already been delayed after they were originally meant to be adopted in 2022.

More from Alabama Reflector

Melissa Gates, who had identified herself as a member of Eagle Forum, said the books, called the Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts, would indoctrinate our children with DEI [Diversity Equity and Inclusion], SEL [Social Emotional Learning], woke agenda and grooming our little ones.

Cathy Odom, who had identified herself as a resident of Mobile County, said the vetting process was unclear, and she had concerns about the content.

And I thought personally there was too much Black history, she said.

Those books are rated green on Ed Reports, a textbook evaluation site, in alignment with expectations for standards and research-based instruction.

The Eagle Forum of Alabama, a conservative organization who many of the speakers associated themselves with, did not return requests for comment.

Mark Dixon, head of A+ Education Partnership, spoke at the meeting to stress the expertise that went into the book selection process. The state approved two sets of textbooks. A district that had concerns about one could choose another.

These conversations are also happening amid a national conversation about equity and diversity in education. Last year, the Alabama Legislature approved a bill that restricted information about gender and sexuality in schools. This year, a bill restricting the teaching of so-called divisive concepts is making its way through the legislative session.

Despite the claims of activists, the Alabama textbook adoption process is a complex legal pathway with a number of steps to get books from the publisher into the classroom. While standards from Texas and California, two states with enormous influence over textbook content, play a role, the state uses several non-politicized checkpoints that can take months to complete.

Much like the rest of Alabamas public education system, the textbook adoption process is a centralized system from the state level.

School districts can use state money to buy state-approved textbooks. But political attacks on state-level textbook adoption can be costly for local bodies. The state did not approve new textbooks for K-3 English Language Arts in 2022. That meant that no district could use state funds to purchase textbooks in the subject area.

The list only had one approved textbook due to requirements around copyright year.

Patrick Chappell, customer development analyst with Publishers Warehouse, which distributes textbooks in Alabama, said that the delay meant 80% of districts, many already dealing with funding issues, were due to update their textbooks.

Alabama State Schools Superintendent Eric Mackey said in March books that face opposition in Alabama may have been written for California, but he doesnt know for sure. California has requirements for diversity in the texts.

I dont know that for sure, but I will tell you that some of the issues that we seem to deal with, I dont want to say definitely, are because of other big states like maybe say California, that they put additional things in their standards, he said. The textbook companies write for those standards and then our, you know, those may not be as well accepted in Alabama as they are in California. Lets put it that way.

How new textbooks are selected

Every year, the State Department of Education revises the courses of study for different subject areas. These courses of study form the basis of what the state is looking for in textbooks, Chappell said.

The courses are revised every few years for each subject, but there can be changes to the schedule.

The Alabama Social Studies course of study has not been updated since 2010. According to Rebecca Griesbach at AL.coms Education Lab, the course of studys update was delayed for several years after a 2021 report from the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute. The report, while mostly positive, criticized elements of Alabamas history curriculum, such as the teaching of states rights and slavery:

However, there is a somewhat ambiguous reference to states rights in the fifth-grade standard on the causes of the Civil War, which should either be removed or more clearly subordinated to the issue of slavery to avoid misinterpretation (5.11). And the decision to lump together the many changes that have occurred in the seven decades of U.S. History since World War II is unfortunate (content standard 9).

Alabama is scheduled to adopt new social studies textbooks for the 2024-25 year, according to the Alabama Course of Studies schedule, issued in May 2022. The textbooks are tied to the course of study renewal.

Chappell said that the state is working with the same textbook contracts from the Social Studies Course of Study renewal thirteen years ago.

Literacy textbooks have a slightly different process. The books that the textbook committee looks at must be approved by the Literacy Taskforce first, which ensures that the instructional materials follow the Science of Reading curriculum, which not all states mandate.

A long approval process

The process of approving a textbook can take a full year.

According to a guide from the Alabama State Department of Education, the department invites publishers to submit potential textbooks for an approved course of study in January. Publishers who are interested fill out forms signaling their interest in February, as the department develops criteria based on courses of study.

Carolyn Jones, state textbook coordinator with the Alabama State Department of Education, said that those courses of study are used when asked textbook publishers to bid.

Once those are approved, then we send an email to the publishers that we have in our database stating that, you know, were getting ready to bid for textbooks and supplemental materials or whatever that subject area is, she said.

Chappell said that publishers are asked to self-assess themselves on how they meet the states course of study criteria. Those are the same rubrics that the state textbook committee uses in their work.

In March, the Alabama State Textbook Committee, an appointed committee of 23 people, is formed. 14 members are appointed by the State Board of Education. Nine members are appointed by the governor. Each person serves a one-year term. The board is mostly nominated by Republican politicians.

Under the textbook law, four members are elementary teachers and four are secondary teachers. Those teachers are meant to represent the eight State Board of Education districts. Four members are from the state-at-large and can be classroom teachers or in the education field in an administrative or supervisory capacity. Two members are from higher education.

The committee reviews the books to ensure that schools meet the state courses of study requirements and make recommendations to the State Board of Education.

The committee has different criteria for different subject areas, and the list of textbooks and some ratings can be found on the Alabama State Board of Education website sorted by subject area.

Publishers deliver textbooks to the Department of Education in May. The textbook committee reviews proposals from June to August.

Supplemental materials, such as handwriting books, are not required to meet all of the stated requirements because they are not designed to be used without another textbook that does meet requirements.

Textbook companies will sometimes design their textbooks around a states course of study, but generally only for a large state like Texas or California, said Mackey.

Texas and California are so big that the textbook companies generally build their books around the standards in those two states, he said. And, so, if you build your textbooks around the Texas or California standards, then what Im told is you can sell enough textbooks in those two states to make it profitable, and, so what happens is most of the other states then have to figure out a way to make the Texas and California books match their standards.

According to American Public Media, the high concentration of students in Texas and California means textbooks makers know they need to write textbooks that will be accepted by those states. Florida is also starting to impact textbook structure.

The three states made up a quarter of all textbook sales from March 2020-2021.

But any textbooks approved in Alabama need to meet Alabama standards. Jones said that the textbook committee does not use external reviewing of textbooks, such as Ed Reports.

We may be looking at something specific for Alabama, she said. And when you look at Ed Reports to other states or whatever, their criteria may be different. So, just because that textbook gets a score on Ed Reports or any other, you know, organizations out there, other states does not mean that its going to get the same score here in Alabama.

Jones said the textbook committee general meets four to six times a year for two- to three-day sessions.

In September, the textbook committee does a final review and prepares a list of recommended textbooks for members of the State Board of Education to consider at an October work session.

The Board formally receives the recommendations in November, though the list is supposed to be confidential. In December, the Board votes on recommended textbooks, and may take public input prior to the vote. The state can and often does approve multiple textbooks for different subject areas.

The schedule outlined above is the ideal, written schedule. Chappell said the last couple of years the State Board has not been ready to vote in December.

Those delays hurt, he said.

He said the longer the State Board waits to vote, the harder it will be for local committees to adopt in time.

The State Board can move their timeline three months and local districts move it three months. You dont move the start of school by three months. Schools going to start at the end of August. So, you end up in a situation where books cant be delivered on time.

He said these are all things they are currently working on.

The textbook pipeline

Most books that go into Alabama classrooms are purchased through the textbook depository Publishers Warehouse, a company based in Alabaster.

Chappell said that Alabama is one of a minority of states with an adoption process. School districts get $75 per student to purchase books.

If you think back to college, how much books cost? he said. Theyre not any cheaper.

He said in 2021, the math textbook adoption year, the Warehouse did around $90 million in sales.

Chappell said the company tries to assist school districts that cannot afford to pay for large textbook orders each year by offsetting them with smaller purchases other years on payment plans. For example, a district may need a large expensive order of math textbooks one year, but a much smaller purchase of drivers education books another year, depending on the adoption schedule.

So as long as school districts are paying us something, we kind of work with them individually, he said. So, even the poorest school districts ought to be able to do something.

He said theyre doing late textbook billing to help districts pay for their reading textbook.

Bart Reeves, Alabama Association of School Boards Assistant executive director for governmental relations, said that the system is equitable in that all districts receive the same amount, but districts begin with different resources.

Youre going to have some systems that have more tax dollars that they can allocate towards textbooks, he said.

Reeves used to serve on a local textbook committee when he was in a school district.

He said that while the system with payment plans with Publishers Warehouse works well, the $75 amount has been the amount for many years.

Local decisions

Local districts make the final decision on textbooks. State-approved textbooks can be purchased by districts with state funding, which tends to encourage districts to adopt the same texts.

Local districts are not meant to use any money to buy books rejected by the state committee, according to the Alabama State Department of Education State Textbook Adoption Process & Procedures Guide, provided by communications director Michael Sibley. It is not clear what if any sanctions exist for districts that do not comply.

Chappell said some local boards may use their own money to buy more supplemental materials, for example.

You can always have local money added to the textbook budget, he said.

Jones said they encourage the local textbook committees to operate concurrently to the state one, or else the local committees may not have enough time to go through their process. If local committees choose books from the state-approved textbooks, then they can use state funds.

Chappell said delays in the process hamper local committees ability to choose textbooks. The state ought not to be adopting something in March, he said. They ought to be adopting something in November and December.

Chappell said that he used to work in a school district, which is one of the higher ranked school districts in the state. He gave the example that the academic standards for some schools might be higher than the states standards. They would need to pick a book from the state-approved list to use state funds, but they can apply their own standards to pick a book from the list.

The state is looking at a minimum criteria, (such as) do these meet the standards, and the district should really have the stronger pull of really trying to match, he said. Because theyre not trying to just match to every place in Alabama, youre trying to match to your unique subset in your school district with your teachers and students. So you know, itd be a higher level of scrutiny in my mind.

School districts can use state funds to buy textbooks off of the approved state list and can use local funds to buy off the list.

Reeves said local committees are tasked with deciding what textbooks work best for their students.

Reeves said he might have had all of his fourth-grade math teachers review all of the approved math textbooks to decide which one works best for their kids and recommend it to the local textbook committee. He said the local committee works with the superintendent and districts curriculum coordinator to make final recommendations to the board.

Does it cover our standards? he said. Is it the best for our community and is it the best for our kids? You know, is this going to raise the needle on student achievement?
The Indian government has issued a notice stating that cough syrups must undergo mandatory testing before being exported. This decision was made following reports that Indian-made cough syrups were responsible for the deaths of many children in Gambia and Uzbekistan.

Starting June 1, the government has mandated that any cough syrup being exported must have an official certificate of analysis from a government laboratory. This notice was issued on May 22 and was shared by the health ministry on Tuesday, May 23, as reported by South China Morning Post.

The pharmaceutical industry in India is valued at US$41 billion and is among the largest in the world. However, the industry's standing was compromised when the World Health Organization (WHO) discovered that cough syrups produced by three Indian companies contained toxins.

Last year (2022), it was discovered that the syrups produced by two companies were responsible for causing the deaths of 70 children in Gambia and 19 in Uzbekistan.

The notice listed seven laboratories owned by the federal government and other state laboratories certified by a national accreditation organization where samples can be sent for testing purposes.

When Indian authorities tested cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd, they found no poisonous substances. However, they did find impurities in many drugs produced by Marion Biotech, whose cough syrups were connected to deaths in Uzbekistan.

Earlier this year, the health minister and federal and state regulators met in Hyderabad to come up with a solution to the problem of cough syrups that were exported and caused the deaths of children. This information was found in a document from the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, dated May 15.

Read also: India Opposes Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage

The Alarming Numbers of Contaminated Cough Syrups

The issue of contaminated cough syrups is not limited to just Gambia and Uzbekistan. In fact, it has been a problem in several other countries as well. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued warnings about the dangers of fake drugs and substandard medicines that are being sold across the world.

One major concern is that these counterfeit medications often contain harmful substances or incorrect dosages, leading to serious health consequences for those who take them. This problem particularly affects low-income countries where regulations on drug production may be weaker.

To combat this issue, WHO recommends strengthening regulatory systems and increasing public awareness about the risks associated with purchasing unverified medications from unauthorized sources.

In India specifically, there have been calls for tighter regulation of pharmaceutical companies following incidents like the one involving Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd and Marion Biotech. Some advocates argue that more stringent measures should be put in place to monitor drug manufacturing processes at every stage - from raw materials sourcing through distribution channels - to prevent any potential harm caused by tainted products reaching consumers.

Overall, ensuring access to safe medication remains an ongoing challenge worldwide, especially given the rising demand for healthcare services amidst increasingly complex supply chains, leading people vulnerable without adequate government oversight into potentially dangerous situations when buying their medicine off-market or online illegally.

Related article: India's Supreme Court Could Soon Have Ruling on Same-Sex Marriage Issue

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A U-Haul truck crashed into security barriers around Lafayette Square near the White House on Monday night, the Secret Service confirmed.

The driver of the truck was arrested on multiple charges, including threatening to kill or harm a president, vice president or family member. A Nazi swastika flag was retrieved from the vehicle.

The US Park Police said the suspect faces the charge of threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a President, vice president or family member, the US Park Police in a statement to The Post.

He also faces charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, destruction of federal property and trespassing, according to the agency.

No injuries were reported.

The crash happened just before 10 p.m., Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi tweeted.

There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel and the cause and manner of the crash remain under investigation, Guglielmi said.

The truck has been deemed safe by @DCPoliceDept & preliminary investigation reveals the driver may have intentionally struck the security barriers at Lafayette Square. Charges will be filed by the United States Park Police with investigative support from the #SecretService.  Anthony Guglielmi (@SecretSvcSpox) May 23, 2023

A law enforcement source told CBS News the man is a U.S. citizen. After driving onto Lafayette Square, he made threatening statements aimed at President Biden and Vice President Harris. There were no explosives in the vehicle and no weapons.

WUSAs Troy Pope tweeted video from the scene of a Nazi flag the driver apparently had in the truck:

NEW: Investigators pulled what appears to be a Nazi flag out of the U-Haul, but they haven't provided any further details.



Here's what we know: https://t.co/cXt81Ji2NA pic.twitter.com/jBsb1uPJA3  Troy Pope (@troycpope) May 23, 2023

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on The Opening Kickoff on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Music App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.
Two former governors of Alabama from opposite sides of the political aisle published an opinion piece in The Washington Post calling for the state to put an end to executing people who were sent to death row by a split jury, and for Alabama to commute the sentences of 146 death row inmates.

The op-ed was written by former Govs. Robert Bentley and Don Siegelman. Bentley, a Republican, served as governor from 2011 to 2017; Siegelman, a Democrat, served from 1999 to 2003.

Data from the Alabama Department of Corrections shows there are currently 167 people on Alabama Death Rowthe greatest use of death row in the nation when adjusted for population. For every 100,000 Alabamians, there are 3.3 people on death row  by far the highest rate in the United States.

As far as the two of us are concerned, that is at least 146 people too many, states the op-ed published in The Washington Post.

Specifically, the piece calls for an end to executing people who were sent to death row either by a non unanimous jury, or by a judge who overturned a jurys sentence for life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Under current Alabama law, a jury can vote 10-2 and still impose a death sentence. In 2017, Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law that juries, not judges, have the final say on whether to impose the death penalty in capital murder cases. It wasnt retroactive, meaning people are still sitting on death row who were sent there against a jurys recommendation.

Siegelman told AL.com Wednesday about judicial override, It just doesnt make any sense that we would execute people under a process thats currently illegal in Alabama.

The op-ed continued, As former Alabama governors, we have come over time to see the flaws in our nations justice system and to view the states death penalty laws in particular as legally and morally troubling. We both presided over executions while in office, but if we had known then what we know now about prosecutorial misconduct, we would have exercised our constitutional authority to commute death sentences to life.

The governors cite data from the Death Penalty Information Center that, since 1976, one person on death row nationwide has been exonerated for every 8.3 executions. That means we have been getting it wrong about 12 percent of the time. If we apply those statistics to the 167 people on Alabamas death row, it means that as many as 20 could have been wrongfully charged and convicted, continued the piece.

The governors mention several men awaiting execution, including Toforest Johnson of Birmingham and Rocky Myers of Decatur. Johnson and Myers have long maintained their innocence.

Despite no physical evidence tying him to the crime, contradictory witnesses and a divided jury, Myers was found guilty in a fatal stabbing in Decatur three decades ago Nine jurors recommended he be sentenced to life in prison, while just three voted for death. But, a judge overruled the jury and sentenced him to die.

The state set an execution date in 2014, when Bentley was governor. The only reason he didnt die on that date was because he got involved in litigation involving the drugs Alabama uses in its three-drug lethal injection protocol.

Read more about Myers case here.

Johnson was set to death row by a vote of 10-2, with two jurors calling for life in prison without parole. His case is currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

One of us, Don Siegelman, is personally haunted by the case of Freddie Wright, whose execution he could have commuted, but did not, in 2000. Twenty-three years later, Siegelman believes Wright was wrongfully charged, prosecuted and convicted for a murder he most likely did not commit, said the op-ed.

The former governor said thats the case that haunts him of the eight that happened under his reign as governor.

As governors, we had the power to commute the sentences of all those on Alabamas death row to life in prison, said the op-ed. We no longer have that constitutional power, but we feel that careful consideration calls for commuting the sentences of the 146 prisoners who were sentenced by non-unanimous juries or judicial override, and that an independent review unit should be established to examine all capital murder convictions.

We missed our chance to confront the death penalty and have lived to regret it, but it is not too late for todays elected officials to do the morally right thing.

Currently, House Bill 14 is pending in the Alabama Legislature, and that bill calls for a unanimous jury vote during the sentencing phase of a capital murder trial to put someone to death. It also provides an avenue for resentencing in circumstances that Bentley and Siegelman describe. That bill, sponsored by Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa,, is set to go before the House Judiciairy committee on Wednesday.

Siegelman told AL.com that he has never written a piece that required, and used, so much research.

Its a passion, and were doing everything we can to bring attention to the fact that if you look at the justice system, there are just so many chances for error, he said.
Today, the Mobile City Council is set to approve a project agreement with Airbus for their new facility and third final assembly line. As part of that agreement, the city is expected to Airbus a $10 million cash incentive, to be used for construction costs as well as workforce recruiting and development efforts.

The Mobile County Commission was scheduled to approve a similar agreement yesterday, with an additional $10 million incentive, but pushed the vote until next month, amid concerns from one of the commissioners about ensuring that Mobile County residents would be prioritized in the job recruitment and training process. Its a concern shared by at least one member of the city council.

That good-faith effort has been written for a long time, but it doesnt have enough teeth in it, Councilmember William Carroll said May 16 during the councils pre-conference meeting. Later that day, however, Carroll told reporters that he was supportive of the incentive.

The investment by Airbus will bring an additional 1,000 jobs to Mobile. David Rodgers, vice president of workforce development with the Mobile Chamber, told the county commission that, when the development is complete, Mobile will be the fourth-largest city for commercial aviation manufacturing in the world, behind only Toulouse, France (where Airbus is headquartered), Hamburg, Germany and Seattle, Wash.

Five million of the $20 million that the governments are considering is set aside for workforce training of Mobile County residents. That money is supposed to be spent in partnership with schools in Mobile County, local community colleges, the University of South Alabama and Mobile County Public School System, according to attorney Britton Bonner, with Adams and Reese, the firm that assisted the city in preparing the citys project agreement.
Rights advocates within Russia under Vladimir Putin expressed concern over the government's use of digital technology to track, censor, and control its population.

They call the concept a "cyber gulag," referring to old Soviet labor camps holding political prisoners.

One of the groups criticizing the Russian government's use of new technologies to spy on their own citizens includes Roskomsvoboda, a Russian internet freedom group the Kremlin labeled as a "foreign agent."

Roskomsvoboda head of legal practice Sarkis Darbinyan said the Kremlin's use of digital technology has been beneficial to them as they use every opportunity to use it for "state propaganda, for surveilling people, [and] for de-anonymizing internet users."

Kremlin's Cyber Crackdown

Before the mass protests across Russia in 2011, which were coordinated online through social media, the Russian government was indifferent to monitoring its people through digital means.

Harsher laws were introduced in 2014 targeting social media users and online speech, most of which came from the Russian social media platform VKontakte (VK), which the government forcibly bought from its original owner, Pavel Durov.

Since then, the Kremlin made efforts to regulate internet use, including blocking websites, mandatory phone call and message storage, and pressuring tech companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook to store user data on Russian servers.

Russia's cyber crackdown efforts gradually gained momentum until its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when online censorship and prosecution for social media dissent skyrocketed.

According to internet rights group Net Freedoms, over 600,000 web pages were blocked or removed by Russian authorities in 2022, the highest annual total in 15 years. There were also 779 people facing criminal charges over online content criticizing the Russian government.

Net Freedoms head Damir Gainutdinov credited the record-high numbers to a law passed and adopted days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The legislation criminalizes anti-war sentiment, such as "spreading false information" about or "discrediting" the Russian armed forces.

"Users of any social media platform shouldn't feel safe," Gainutdinov said.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch cited a separate 2022 law allowing authorities to "extrajudicially close mass media outlets and block online content" that go against the Russian government's narrative.

In February this year, Russian media regulator Roskomnadzor announced it was launching Oculus, an AI system monitoring bad content in online photos and videos, including any references to the LGBT+ community. The agency stated the system could analyze over 20,000 images per day, way more than manual analysis, which can only process about 200 a day.

Darbinyan stated the lack of information regarding how Oculus works in monitoring Russian citizens is a concerning and scary proposition.

Everyday Russians Living in Fear

With the Russian government's use of modern technology to track and spy on its own people, everyday Russians feel uncertain about how to freely live their lives.

Between 2017 and 2018, Moscow authorities installed a street camera system that enabled facial recognition technology.

The system was put into good use during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to identify, trace, and fine people violating lockdown rules.

Journalist and activist Yekaterina Maksimova avoid taking the Moscow subway on her everyday commute to avoid detection by the city's facial recognition system built into its security cameras.

She was previously arrested in 2019 for participating in a demonstration in Moscow and in 2020 for her environmental activism. As a result, she was detained five times last year, with the only explanation police could tell her was that the cameras "reacted" to having identified her in the open.

"It seems like I'm in some kind of database," Maksimova said.

In addition, Putin ordered the Russian government to create an online register of individuals who are eligible for military service after discovering that current enlistment records were in disarray and also to discourage draft dodgers.

In a commentary for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, political analyst Tatyana Stanovaya stated the register will collect all kinds of data, from outpatient clinics to courts to tax offices and election commissions."

Authorities would then issue a draft summons to the eligible individual via a government website. Once a summons appeared online, the recipient could not leave Russia, and restrictions would be imposed if the recipient did not comply within 20 days, whether the individual saw the summons or not.

Other individuals accused of dissent include 65-year-old Siberian woman Marina Novikova, who made anti-war posts on Durov's more popular platform, Telegram; opposition activist Mikhail Kriger, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for his Facebook comments expressing a desire "to hang" Putin; and France-based blogger Nika Belotserkovskaya, who received a nine-year prison sentence in absentia for her Instagram posts opposing the war.

According to Stanovaya, the cyber gulag being talked about during the pandemic was now "taking its real shape."

Hackers Fighting Back

According to the Belarusian hacktivist group Cyberpartisans, Russian authorities were also working on a system of bots collecting information from social media pages, messenger apps, and closed online communities.

The group claimed they obtained documents providing information about the bot systems from one of Roskomnadzor's subsidiaries.

Cyberpartisans coordinator Yuliana Shametavets said the bots were expected to infiltrate Russian-language social media groups for surveillance and propaganda.

"Now it's common to laugh at the Russians, to say that they have old weapons and don't know how to fight," she said, "but the Kremlin is great at disinformation campaigns, and there are high-class IT experts who create extremely effective and very dangerous products."

Associated Press requested the Russian media regulator for comment but has since not responded.

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Two enduring aphorisms emerged from the Watergate affair, both directed at then-president Richard Nixon. The one at the outset of the investigation was delivered in the form of a question: What did he know and when did he know it? The second came at the end in the form of a warning to future presidents: The cover-up is worse than the crime.

Thanks to the Durham report, we know the date that then-president Barack Obama learned about what John Durham calls the Clinton Intelligence plan. If CIA Director John Brennans notes are to be believed, that date was August 3, 2016.

This was the day Brennan briefed Obama and other key players about the alleged approval by Hillary Clinton on 26 July of a proposal from one of her [campaign] advisors to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security services."

To be fair, Barack Obama likely had no more role in the orchestration of the Clinton Intelligence plan than Richard Nixon did in the 1972 bugging of the DNC headquarters at the Watergate. Obama did, however, play the critical role in the cover-up of the Clinton Intelligence plan. It could not have happened without him.

This past Sunday, former congressman Devin Nunes raised the cover-up issue on Maria Bartiromos show. Said Nunes, We now know from Durham that Obama knew and his team knew that in August 2016 this was a dirty trick from the Clinton campaign.

So what did Obama do with this information? Right after the November election, said Nunes, He got all the intelligence agencies involved and they leaked out to the fake news media that, Oh, the Russians must have done something and they were trying to help Trump.

Had Nixon blamed Watergate on Cuba -- several Cubans were, in fact, arrested -- he would have been laughed out of office. Unlike Obama, however, Nixon did not have an obsequious media eager to ignore his mischief nor to explain away that which could not be ignored. With the FBI and the intelligence community in his pocket, Obama executed the most elaborate -- and destructive -- political cover-up in American political history.

Peter Strzok, the FBI agent heading Crossfire Hurricane, the FBI investigation into Trumps apocryphal collusion with Russia, confirmed Obamas role on August 5, two days after the August 3 meeting. Texting with his FBI lover Lisa Page, Strzok quoted an unnamed bigwig, likely Brennan, as saying, The White House is running this.

Strzok wasnt happy. He believed the White House was intruding on FBI turf. On August 15, Strzok memorably signaled the shared motive of all the conspirators. Theres no way [Trump] gets elected -- but Im afraid we cant take that risk, he texted Page. Its like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before youre 40. On September 2, Page confirmed Obamas involvement. POTUS wants to know everything were doing, she texted Strzok.

The insurance policy proved insufficient. Shocked and understandably frightened by Trumps victory, the conspirators got more methodical in their plotting. As part of the plot, Obama was to keep his hands clean -- or at least appear to. In his 2018 memoir, The World As It Is, intimate Obama adviser Ben Rhodes makes a claim so deep in exculpatory BS it needs to be read in full:

Of course, we had no idea -- Obama had no idea -- at the time that there was an FBI investigation into the Trump campaigns contacts with Russia; that information was walled off from the White House, and I wouldnt even learn about it until long after I left government, in the press.

The time in question was two weeks before Election Day 2016, nearly three months after the initial August meeting. In Rhodes, Obama had found just the right person to move this hogwash forward, but then again Obama had a gift for choosing the unscrupulous. In nominating John Brennan first as deputy national security advisor and later as director of the CIA, Obama picked the rare American intel chief openly fond of Marxism.

From the beginning, Brennan served as Obamas fixer. He came to the job well prepared, having written in his graduate thesis, The democratic process may involve, at some point, the violation of personal liberties and procedural justice.

Brennan met at least one potential fellow traveler in Obamas inner intelligence circle. In 2013, the same year Brennan was named director of the CIA, Obama chose the seemingly apolitical James Comey to head the FBI. Like Brennan, however, Comey had a past. In 2003, he acknowledged his leftist roots in a New York magazine interview, telling reporter Chris Smith, Id moved from Communist to whatever I am now.

A globalist and a cradle progressive, National Security Advisor Susan Rice shared with Brennan and Comey a penchant for situational ethics. She proved her mettle in 2012 telling the same Benghazi lie on five different shows one Sunday morning. She upped her game following a meeting that took place in the White House on January 5, 2017.

In conference with Obama was his national security team including all the usual suspects: Comey, Brennan, Biden, Rice, James Clapper, and acting attorney general Sally Yates. After the meeting, Obama asked Yates and Comey to stick around along with Rice, his trusted scribe and factotum.

Obama had a reason for singling out Comey and Yates. Unlike the others, they were staying on in their jobs. On the very day at the very moment Trump was being inaugurated, the soulless Rice sent to self a peculiar email. It read:

President Obama began the conversation by stressing his continued commitment to ensuring that every aspect of this issue is handled by the Intelligence and law enforcement communities by the book. The President stressed that he is not asking about, initiating or instructing anything from a law enforcement perspective. He reiterated that our law enforcement team needs to proceed as it normally would by the book.

There is no book that justifies what Comey and pals did in the weeks immediately following this meeting while Obama was still president. The next day, January 6, 2017, the conspirators released the declassified version of the Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA).

Commissioned a month earlier by Obama, the ICA was John Brennans way of welcoming the president-elect to Washington. Titled Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections, the report concluded that Putin ordered an influence campaign, the goal of which was to undermine public faith in the US democratic process, denigrate Secretary Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency.

The Obama dossier, as Nunes called the ICA, reads like one of my college term papers, filled with sundry bits of information gathered from here and there just hours before the due date. Although Christopher Steele had conspicuously failed to corroborate any of his alleged evidence against Trump, Comey lobbied to have the Steele dossier included in the body of the text. He settled for the appendix. On January 10, BuzzFeed published the entire dossier.

Given what we know now, the ICAs bold-faced claims -- Putin Ordered Campaign To Influence US Election or the Influence Effort Was Boldest Yet in the USA" -- seem laughably crude. Lacking human intelligence in the Kremlin, the conspirators had no idea what Putin did or did not order, but facts no longer mattered.

By the time he left office on January 20, 2016, Obama had all his cucks in a row -- prominent sycophants in every branch of the government and in every major newsroom prepared to ruin Donald Trumps presidency in service to a lie.

He weaponized information and showed a willingness to lie, Ben Rhodes writes about Putin, using traditional media like television, and new media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, to spread disinformation into open, Western societies like a virus.

I imagine Obama reading this and saying, Vladimir, hold my beer.

Jack Cashills newest book, Untenable: The True Story of White Ethnic Flight from America's Cities, is available for pre-order in all formats.

Image: National Archives
In politics, the term Astroturf refers to a contrived grassroots movement. Astroturfing is when the establishment or similar interests back a candidate or cause but deceptively hide where the support originates so that it appears as if the support is organic and composed of ordinary people. Because politicians must appeal to the sensibilities of the commoners for their votes, who better to influence them than their peers?

You may have noticed a similar strategy with hiring dozens of conservative influencers by the campaign apparatus of Florida governor Ron DeSantis. The Everyman shtick is the script, but one cannot debate that most funding and press come from establishment sources such as corporate billionaires and media moguls like Rupert Murdoch.

Last year I wrote about the penchant of the American Left to promote sacred-cow minority blocs like puppets on a string, such as ethnic, gender, or age groups. The objective is to promote causes while deflecting duly earned criticism as a character flaw of the accuser. The examples then included famed climate activist Greta Thunberg and gun-control activist David Hogg. The latest example is the Biden White Houses campaign to hire an army of social-media influencers and target their operation toward Generation Z to bolster his 2024 re-election bid. Biden previously employed this strategy by hiring an army of TikTok influencers to push COVID vaccination and saw a measure of success.

This campaign to recruit Gen Z influencers is already being realized on Twitter with a very canned message by DNC influencers Harry Sisson and Chris Mowrey. If youve noticed one of these two young men on TikTok or Twitter promoting the homologous voting bloc of Gen Z, its not by accident. From the top to the bottom of the leftist press, were being told how Gen Z thinks and how Gen Z votes.

In discussions of Gen Z, the idiom that the Right is having babies, but the Left is raising them comes to mind. We are presented with a defiant posture by a voting bloc that feigns repression while not even being on the radar of your average American. Im mostly sure the Baby Boomer class is still stuck on Millennials.

During the most recent Idaho legislative session, the legislature made several electoral reforms, such as banning ranked-choice voting and student identification in Idaho elections. As a response, several national left-wing activist organizations, such as the gun control lobby March For Our Lives and electoral activists Babe Vote, have launched lawsuits against the state, citing voter suppression. In promoting these suits, they have produced a video of students as young as fourteen feigning outrage over their inability to vote using their student ID. In this video, activists tout these electoral reforms as a direct attack on Gen Z. They dont explain precisely how requiring state-issued and standardized identification represses young voters, but know that you should be outraged.

Suppose member states of a union have no legal standing to challenge the election irregularities of their peer states. How do non-voters have legal standing to challenge voter identification requirements? They dont. An Astroturf campaign is on display to use sacred cows to promote well-funded leftist campaigns.

Because activist organizations such as March For Our Lives have a captive audience, dabbling in voter ID is an easy transition from gun control. The commitment of March For Our Lives to student identification as a valid form of voter ID should be tested and promoted for purchasing firearms. There is an argument to be made that voting is significantly more dangerous than firearms. It has been estimated that two hundred sixty million people were killed by democide in the twentieth century alone. Choose your leaders wisely.

Whether involving ethnic, gender, or age minority blocs, the Left excels in building collectives to harness the most votes where common attributes are found. Whether selling the message that White supremacists are the biggest threat in the country or that everyone is out to get Generation Z, they pit entire groups against one another to create contrived boogeymen and mobilize active but often naive voter blocs.

Whether its an actual get-out-the-vote effort, or merely an attempt to build a self-fulfilling prophecy, expect the results of elections to mirror the priming of the leftist press. As in the late-night mail ballot miracle of 2020 or the abortion mobilization of 2022, the leftist press specializes in framing electoral narratives. Because of this, one should not be surprised to see a significant injection of Gen Z mail ballots throughout the 2024 elections.

Image: Pexels, pixmike

Brian Parsons is a paleoconservative columnist in Idaho, a proud husband and father, and saved by Grace. You can follow him at WithdrawConsent.org or find his columns at the American Thinker, in the Idaho State Journal, or in other regional publications. Email | Gab
The Soviet Union's 1989 fall marked the end of a half-century-long Cold War, prompting hopes that such globe-spanning conflicts were finally relegated to the past. But in the two decades since 9/11, the resurgence of great-power conflict has effectively extinguished those hopes.

With good reason, many have come to believe, per Michael Lind, that "we are in Cold War II now."

Meeting such a geopolitical challenge requires that it first be accurately described. On one side stand the world's liberal democracies, along with several incipient or partial democracies. At the core of this group are the Anglosphere, Western and Central Europe, the democratic "Asian Tigers," and Israel.

Leading the other side are China, Russia, and Iran  all three being descendants of historically imperial autocracies. Two features of this new Axis of repression make Cold War II especially dangerous: the Axis members' ruthless genocidal conduct and their exportable model of high-tech totalitarian tyranny. These realities present existential challenges, which demand both the attention and the firm resolve of the democracies.

With respect to genocide, Russia and China are all too experienced in this most malevolent of practices. The 1930s terror-famine in Ukraine, Stalin's subsequent Great Terror, and China's absurdly misnamed Great Leap Forward  through these and similar horrors across dozens of gulags and laogai, Russia and China perpetrated tens of millions of mass murders before and during Cold War I.

Russia's targeting of Ukrainian civilians and China's genocidal imprisonment and brutalization of a million Uyghurs shows that nothing has changed here in Cold War II. For those on the front lines, this so-called "Cold" War is hot, horrific, and massively murderous.

As for Iran, while its genocidal ambitions remain presently unrealized, its state media make relentlessly clear Iran's intent to annihilate every last one of Israel's seven million Jews. Iran's having surrounded Israel with heavily armed terror syndicates, along with its unceasing rush to build deployable nuclear weapons, makes clear the extreme gravity of this threat.

The readiness of all three countries to unleash and carry out genocides is not just a moral issue of massive proportions. It is also a geopolitical signal of great significance  namely, that these countries will stop at virtually nothing in their pursuit of global dominion.

Moreover, unlike our adversaries in Cold War I, this new alliance presents a second existential threat, the likes of which the democracies have never encountered before: a sophisticated, high technology model of totalitarian governance. Imagine Orwell's 1984, now powered by semiconductors and supercomputers.

On this front, China is the undisputed leader. As national security expert Daniel Benjamin explains, China has developed, installed, and "is now exporting internationally a suite of surveillance, facial recognition, and data tools that together equip governments to repress citizens on a scale and with a ruthless algorithmic effectiveness that previous generations of strongmen could only dream of."

Per the New York Times, several countries around the world are installing "Chinese-made intelligent monitoring systems," used to track political dissidents and to censor opinions disfavored by the ruling regime. The Council on Foreign Relations published in 2019 a report that "[a]t least 50 countries are developing Huawei-supported surveillance systems."

Among the reported purchasers of China's hi-tech tools of repression are Venezuela, Bolivia, Angola, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kenya, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. In just the past year, China was also found to be selling this technology to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps. China makes these purchases especially attractive to its overseas customers by pairing them with loans and expertise for infrastructure development.

In sum, the Axis of Repression led by China, Russia, and Iran has some serious cards to play in competition with the democracies, as well as powerful levers of coercion.

At the same time, the democracies also have several advantages in this new Cold War. America, the Anglosphere, East Asia, Western Europe, and Israel bring tremendous technological assets to the table. Demographically, and hence fiscally, America and Israel are especially well placed to weather the next half century, as against China, Russia, and Iran's looming demographic and fiscal plunge.

But the free world cannot afford to be complacent. Of particular concern is America's dangerously shrinking navy, as against China's robustly expanding fleet. Also needing attention is America's deteriorating fiscal position, which, while less severe than many developed countries', remains trending toward a point of no return. And our raging domestic polarization makes ever more difficult the hard fiscal compromises and military upgrades without which America cannot provide the leadership necessary to defeat this Axis of Repression.

Perhaps most important, America's educational institutions must stop inculcating the next generation in a heavily imbalanced view of our country as little more than a benighted, systemically racist enterprise, and hence a nation unworthy of our loyalty and sacrifice. Slavery, Jim Crow, and bigotry are indeed part of the American story  but only a part. As Bret Stephens writes, "what makes America most itself isn't four centuries of racist subjugation. It's 244 years of effort by Americans ... to live up to our greatest ideal ... [through] a struggle ... waged by people of every race and creed"  a struggle that "continues to inspire millions of people at home and abroad."

In fact, if there is any redeeming aspect whatsoever to the emergence of Cold War II, it is this war's stark reminder of just how rare and noble the American constitutional order remains among the family of nations past and present. Lincoln was right in 1863 when he described America as the "last best hope of earth." It remains so today, and it is abundantly worthy of the sacrifices needed to preserve it.

Henry Kopel is a former U.S. federal prosecutor and the author of War on Hate: How to Stop Genocide, Fight Terrorism, and Defend Freedom (Lexington Books, 2021).

Image: Marco Verch via Flickr, CC BY 2.0.
We are already talking 2024 around here  the U.S. Senate race, that is. Yes, Senator Ted Cruz is up for re-election, and Democrats are getting ready. It looks as though state senator Roland Gutierrez will go against U.S. congressman Colin Allred. Gutierrez was very vocal after the Uvalde school shooting because it happened in his Senate district. Allred, on the other hand, has been a quiet congressman who represents a very blue district.

What will happen when each tries to take the other one out? This is from Gromer Jeffers, Jr., who covers state politics for the Dallas Morning News:

As Allred, a former Tennessee Titans linebacker, launched his Senate campaign earlier this month, he told The Dallas Morning News that he understood he may have to fight for his party's nomination. "My focus is running a campaign to beat Ted Cruz and to get the people of Texas the kind of honest and pragmatic leadership they deserve," he said. "Other candidates are welcome to get in the race, but we're going to run hard and we're going to run to beat Ted Cruz." Gutierrez did not comment on his political future. But Colin Strother, a consultant for Gutierrez, said Allred does not have the right message. His comments are an early peek at how Gutierrez could try to contrast himself with Allred. "Based on everything that [Allred has] said and tweeted, and posted thus far, he's trying to appeal to Republicans, and he's citing his work across the aisle and his support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce," Strother said. "The Chamber of Commerce has enough members in the Senate, and I just don't see base Democrats getting excited to vote for Republican-light."

Well, both have two problems.

First, they are not really moderates. As I'm sure Senator Cruz will point out in his TV ads, you will have to look for a long time to find one time that Rep. Allred broke with his party in Washington. Yes, Representative Allred hangs around with the Chamber of Commerce when he comes home, but it's his hanging around with Speaker Pelosi that counts. Senator Gutierrez is an automatic Democrat vote in Austin.

So can they compete in the 254 counties that make up Texas? Ask Beto O'Rourke.

Second, are national Democrats going to fall for another blue fantasy? The Democrats will have to defend West Virginia, Montana, and Ohio to begin with. They will have to spend money to defend Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, etc. Are they going to dump a lot of money in Texas? I say no.

PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

Image: Library of Congress.
"Only 620 of the rockets launched [by Palestinian Islamic Jihad] made it into Israeli territory" (emphasis added) is the strange way The Washington Post depicted the hailstorm of rockets on Israel from Gaza. Would The Washington Post portray the bombardment of America by 620 rockets from a genocidal enemy as "only 620 rockets"? In "Israel kills 2 more militant leaders as Gaza fight rages on" (printed version title May 12, 2023), The Washington Post invents a title that portrays Israel as the aggressor, missing the cause of the fighting, which was the rocket fire from Gaza against Israeli civilians. The article even admits that "one rocket fell on the roof of a kindergarten in the Eshkol region; another hit an empty playground." The Palestinians are wantonly attacking children, yet the Post downplays the rocket attack to incriminate Israel's response.

Moreover, the Post reinforced its bias in a shocking twist, saying Gaza's rocket attacks were "retaliatory." Twice the paper referred to the rocket attacks as such. According to the Post, attacking children is a form of retaliation!

Gaza is ruled by a totalitarian regime called Hamas, which has as its mission statement the destruction of Israel. Within Gaza, there are other terrorist groups like the Iranian-backed Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the gang that perpetrated the latest rocket attack.

According to Wikipedia, Palestinian Islamic Jihad is a militant group that "rejects the Oslo Accords and whose objective is the establishment of a sovereign Islamic Palestinian state. It calls for the military destruction of Israel and rejects a two-state solution." Further, "[t]he organization is responsible for a number of attacks including more than 30 suicide bombings."

Palestinian Islamic Jihad is guilty of killing and maiming hundreds of Israelis over many years. It needs to be stopped. Any counterattack on this group by Israel is warranted and justified, especially when the militants plan attacks and shoot rockets, as they did this past week. For the Post to portray Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket fire as "retaliatory" is to sympathize with the genocidal terrorists, who the Post admits have launched rockets that hit Jewish kindergartens. Can the Post possibly stoop lower?

Dr. Michael Berenhaus is a freelance watchdog activist who works tirelessly to combat anti-Israel bias in the media. He has been widely published in news sources such as The Economist, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

Image: scottgunn via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.
In our partisan world, truth and politics are seemingly incompatible. As a nation, we have grown so accustomed to the lies and spin of our politicians that we likely would not recognize an objective truth coming out of the mouth of any elected official.

Surely, there are exceptions, but we have been so manipulated by politicians and a complicit media that an honest politician would likely go unrecognized. As a conservative, I find this especially true of Democrats. My liberal friends, of whom I still have more than a few, would say it is the Republican party that is most guilty of deception and dishonesty. So here we are  a nation that seems hopelessly divided. We have been tribalized, balkanized, sliced and diced in so many ways that agreement on any issue seems highly unlikely, if not downright impossible.

Now we are presented with just such an objective truth: the Durham Report. John Durham is a man of unquestioned integrity who possesses a willingness to go after the FBI, the CIA, or any federal agency that exceeds its authority or betrays its public trust. Throughout the years, he has shown himself to be an honest and thorough investigator.

He has exposed the FBI's criminal handling of the Whitey Bulger affair as well as revealing the misdeeds of the CIA in destroying tapes of criminal interrogations of terrorist prisoners.

Durham, in his report detailing the Trump/Russian collusion, the Trump obstruction of justice, the Steele Dossier as an actual document, and all other things that would "hopefully" find Donald Trump to be at best a vulgarian who abuses the nation's trust, and at worst a traitor, instead found great fault with our federal agencies. The DoJ and the FBI "failed to uphold their important mission of strict fidelity to the law."

From the reaction of the mainstream media like the New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Atlantic, you would think the report not only lent credence to Trump's claims that the Democrats were obsessed with him and would do anything, legal or not, to bring him down and that the media would do everything in its considerable power to aid in that task. Well, as it turns out, you'd be right to think just that.

If strict fidelity to the law ceases to be of utmost importance to the highest law enforcement agencies of this country, then the progressives have won. People like George Soros and his acolytes like Alvin Bragg and other district attorneys whom he has inserted in blue jurisdictions will be left to do their dirty work with no fidelity whatsoever to the law. We will cease to be a nation. We would be no more than a hollow shell of our former greatness, destroyed from within by the rot of a progressive agenda.

On the other hand, if we accept the Durham Report as a thorough and honest appraisal of the evil done by Hillary Clinton and her ilk, and we find the will to act to see that this kind of perverted deceit is never again propagated upon the country, then we stand a chance. People like Hillary Clinton, Adam Schiff, and Nancy Pelosi must pay the price for the outright lies they told the American public.

Bill Hansmann is a dentist and dental educator with over fifty years in the profession. He continues to teach and write political blogs and semi-mediocre novels while living with his wife and cats in Florida.

Image: US Attorney's Office, State of Connecticut.
The headlines in the conservative media made it clear that Fox News has blundered again: It is forcing pro-transgender policies in its workplace. Much as Im always happy to join in on pile-ons, whether against radically pro-transgender workplaces or a network foolish enough to fire Tucker Carlson, this time, you really cant blame Fox News. Instead, you need to blame Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.

Those who share my outrage about the way the mental illness of so-called transgenderism is being imposed upon every aspect of American society were angry when it emerged that Fox News had incorporated pro-transgender policies into its employment handbook:

Fox News employees are allowed to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity, rather than their biological sex, and permitted to dress in alignment with their preferred gender. They must also be addressed by their preferred name and pronouns in the workplace. These are just a few of the policies outlined in the company handbook, dated January 2021, a copy of which was shared with The Daily Signal. Fox also offers to help employees come up with a Workplace Transition Plan to ease their gender transition at work. The revelations comes amid conservative consternation at Fox Digitals use of activist language like gender affirming care in stories on its website, as well as the sites consistent use of female pronouns for biological males like TikTok celebrity Dylan Mulvaney and swimmer Lia Thomas (formerly known as Will Thomas).

On the one hand, I agree with Matt Walshs take:

Foxs handbook codifies trans ideology into official company policy. Trans-identified employees can use the bathroom of their choice and their coworkers are required to respect their pronouns. Read more here:https://t.co/t0YGkJ4eLj  Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) May 22, 2023

Fox needs to get the full Bud Light treatment. They are actively working to suppress conservative voices while promoting leftism in its most radical form. Enough is enough.  Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) May 22, 2023

On the other hand, thanks to Justice Gorsuchs 2020 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, employers must now cater to the whims of people with sex-related dysphoria. Gorsuch is a textualist who believes that the words in a statute override the legislatures manifest intentions. This approach, although it sounds like the opposite of activism, is, in fact, pure judicial activism.

One of the long-standing rules of statutory interpretation is that, when parties have a differing take on a statute, the court must examine the legislatures intent. In the Bostock case, the legislation at issue was the Civil Rights Act and, more specifically, that portion requiring employers to refrain from discriminating against protected classes.

Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1974 at 42 U.S.C. 2000e-2(a),

It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer (1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individuals race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; or (2) to limit, segregate, or classify his employees or applicants for employment in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individuals race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. (Emphasis mine.)

In 1964, sex had a very specific meaning: The female half of the biological gender binary; that is, those with XX chromosomes who belonged to the category of people who have eggs and carry babies. Indeed, in 42 U.S.C. 2000e(k), which defines terms, the term because of sex is explicitly written to refer to the biological possibility of pregnancy:

The terms because of sex or on the basis of sex include, but are not limited to, because of or on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and women affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions shall be treated the same for all employment-related purposes, including receipt of benefits under fringe benefit programs, as other persons not so affected but similar in their ability or inability to work, and nothing in section 2000e2(h) of this title shall be interpreted to permit otherwise.

If theres any doubt as to the meaning of the word sex in 1964, Rep. Howard W. Smith, a Southern Democrat who opposed the Civil Rights Act, tossed the concept of biological sex into the act to show his disdain for doing away with Jim Crow laws. He wanted to cause trouble for Northern Democrats who were less enthusiastic about womens rights than about racial minorities rights. Neither he nor anyone else even thought about homosexual rights. Further, the concept of transgenderism didnt even exist except as an uncommon diagnosis in the DSM (the psychiatric standard for diagnosing mental disorders) regarding sex dysphoria.

None of that concerned Gorsuch. Just as leftist judges use the made-up idea of substantive due process to write into the Constitution leftist values neither the Founders nor subsequent legislators and Americans ever intended, Gorsuch used textualism to bring into a 1964 law the faddish post-modern trend of remaking biological sex:

Sometimes small gestures can have unexpected consequences. Major initiatives practically guarantee them. In our time, few pieces of federal legislation rank in significance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There, in Title VII, Congress outlawed discrimination in the workplace on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Today, we must decide whether an employer can fire someone simply for being homosexual or transgender. The answer is clear. An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids. Those who adopted the Civil Rights Act might not have anticipated their work would lead to this particular result. Likely, they werent thinking about many of the Acts consequences that have become apparent over the years, including its prohibition against discrimination on the basis of motherhood or its ban on the sexual harassment of male employees. But the limits of the drafters imagination supply no reason to ignore the laws demands. When the express terms of a statute give us one answer and extratextual considerations suggest another, its no contest. Only the written word is the law, and all persons are entitled to its benefit.

Thanks to this decision, employers must cater to the transgender mafia. And an employer like Fox, even though conservatives dont like it, is associated with the Republican Party, so it knows that the EEOC has a big target painted on its corporate backside.

Image by Andrea Widburg
South Carolina senator Tim Scott officially declared his candidacy for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination in Charleston, S.C. yesterday. (See Andrea Widburg's first-person account of the event here.) Later that evening, he appeared live for an interview with former S.C. rep. Trey Gowdy, who is hosting the 8 P.M. E.T. hour on the FOX News channel this week.

Scott has served as the junior U.S. senator representing South Carolina since 2013. He is what used to be called a Dark Horse in the race (no pun intended). He is a youthful-looking 57 and represented his state in local and state politics before being appointed to the U.S. Senate in 2013 by Gov. Nikki Haley, who is herself a candidate for next year's Republican presidential nomination. Scott has won re-election three times to the U.S. Senate.



Sen. Tim Scott announces his candidacy in Charleston, S.C. May 22, 2023 with a crowd behind him that looks like America.

Scott's interesting and impressive background and career are reasonably and fairly objectively documented at his Wikipedia bio. The lengthy page and the references it cites are a compelling read. My impression of Scott over the years, confirmed by the chronology and highlights of his career, is that he is a man of deep conviction who is extremely articulate in expressing his conservative viewpoint.

And so it was when he appeared on the FOX News channel Monday evening (video here). Needless to say, he received a cordial reception from his former Republican colleague in the Congress, Trey Gowdy, who was guest-hosting the hour on FOX for the first of five nights from New York City. On Sunday nights for the past year, Gowdy has hosted Sunday Night in America from Charleston, S.C., on FOX at 7 P.M. E.T., sometimes repeated later in the evening.

Gowdy, an attorney and former prosecutor, is a skillful interviewer, and the transcript of his conversation with Scott, provided by FOX News, is an interesting read. In particular, Scott is capable of taking excellent advantage of the brief time that is allotted to most guests on the cable news channels. And so it was yesterday evening.

(VIDEO CLIP) SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Joe Biden and the radical left are attacking every single rung of the ladder that helped me climb. And that's why I'm announcing today that I'm running for president of the United States of America! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) SCOTT: I'm America! (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) (END VIDEO CLIP) TREY GOWDY, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: That was Tim Scott earlier today. Tim Scott did not grow up like most presidential candidates. He shared a room, not a house, a room, with his mother and his brother. He nearly failed out of school. His grandfather could not read or write, because, when others tell you the ceiling for your life is picking cotton, why bother? But through education and hard work and opportunity and an unwavering faith in what this country can allow you to become, this grandson of a man who picked cotton eventually picked out a seat in Congress and then the Senate. And, today, he announced his candidacy to lead the country.



Trey Gowdy introduces his interview with Sen. Tim Scott using photos of a young Scott.

From Charleston, South Carolina, the birthplace of the Civil War pitting brother against brother, comes a man preaching unity and purpose and promise and optimism that America can do for others what it did for him. Welcome to you, Senator Tim Scott. Thank you for joining us. I leave the state for one day, and you announce that you're running for president of the United States. (LAUGHTER) GOWDY: All right. Let me ask you this. (CROSSTALK) GOWDY: Are there policy differences? I mean, there are other candidates announced and some other candidates that may get in the race. Are there  is this a matter of policy differences, or is it a difference in implementing or communicating those policies that might be shared? SCOTT: Well, thank you, Trey. I do think this is a difference in how we communicate. There's no question that my life disproves the lies of the radical left. Their culture of victimhood is eating away at the soul of America. I understand brokenness. I understand having low esteem. I understand stand nearly failing out of school. But I also understand that we do not live in a nation of grievance. We live in a nation of greatness. So, allowing the life story to impact how we share the gospel of good news, of conservative values, conservative principles with the American people, that's the power of persuasion, having lived the story myself. I believe that makes me uniquely qualified to push back on the radical left. GOWDY: Senator, it's been happening since you and I met each other. I'm a complete cynic, and you almost make me feel hopeful. (LAUGHTER) GOWDY: The country is frustrated. It's angry. It's scared. So, I mean, that's what the polling indicates. I mean, 75 percent of the country thinks that we are headed in the wrong direction. So can a  what I call a happy warrior, can a happy warrior prevail in an environment, given the mood of the country and the primary voters? SCOTT: Absolutely. Everywhere I travel around the country, from Iowa to New Hampshire and throughout South Carolina, people are starving for hope. They're starving for something optimistic. But they have to know you have a backbone and you're talking about conservative values, conservative principles and conservative policies. When people understand that you can be both, yes, optimistic, but strong with a backbone, they are attracted to this campaign. And so we're hoping to get across this country to continue to share our message. You can go to VoteTimScott.com to get involved.



Trey Gowdy interviews Sen. Tim Scott live, FOX News channel, May 22, 2023.

GOWDY: My guess, Senator, is that you were otherwise busy today and you missed "The View." But I am going to play  if I'm wrong, stop me and I won't play the clip. But my guess is that you did not hear Sunny Hostin. So I'm going to play a clip for you and then ask you a question the other side. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SUNNY HOSTIN, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": One of the issues that Tim Scott has is that he seems to think because I made it, everyone can make it, ignoring, again, the fact that he is the exception, and not the rule. And until he is the rule, then he can stop talking about systemic racism. (CROSSTALK) WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": He's got Clarence Thomas syndrome. That's what it is. (END VIDEO CLIP) GOWDY: She seems to have made it too, by the way. She's a former federal prosecutor who's got a talk show. SCOTT: Yes. GOWDY: So, I mean, I think she's doing pretty good also. SCOTT: Absolutely. GOWDY: And she speaks to a broader point, and I know you don't like talking about it, but there are things that are said about you that will not be said about any other candidate. And that's always been the case, as a black Republican... SCOTT: Yes. GOWDY: ... that you are judged in ways that other candidates are not. So, here's the question. Can a guy that is seen as being nice and affable fight back in a presidential primary against what you just heard and the Democrats? SCOTT: Yes. Yes, absolutely. The answer is completely yes. Meekness is not weakness. I believe in the Gospel. I believe Matthew 5:44 says, love your enemies. If you break in my house, I also believe in the Second Amendment. I'm going to make sure that we defend every single thing we love in this country. We have to ignore the far left by disproving their lies by our actions. Here's the funny thing. The host Sunny, she wants to be judged by the content of her character, not the color of her skin. The fact of the matter is, America is the story of evolution, never-told story of evolution in too many of our schools that are indoctrinating our kids, instead of educating our kids. I'm not the exception. I'm actually the rule. Every kid trapped in a failing school today can look at big  big liberals, big labor unions, and blame them. Every parent who wants a choice, look to the Republican Party. Look to the GOP. But, more importantly, look at Americans. African Americans, Hispanic Americans, the majority of Americans all agree on school choice. What's in the way of that? What's in the way of providing a child with a better education and a better future? The radical left. GOWDY: You must scare the daylights out of the left. I mean, even your campaign logo cannot go uncriticized by people on the left. You must be their worst nightmare, Senator. And I just  I swear, you put up with things that nobody else puts up with. SCOTT: Well, Trey, the good news is, I believe in America. I have faith in America, because I watched my grandfather. As you talked about in the beginning, this is a man who could not read, who was picking cotton as a kid. He believed then what some doubt now, in the goodness of America. He told me himself. He said: "Son, you can be bitter or better, but you can't be both." Too many people today doubt the goodness of America. Too many people today want to buy into bitterness and victimhood and grievance and despair. I say, not on my watch. Let's tell the whole story of America rising. GOWDY: From cotton to Congress to a candidate for the highest office in the land. Senator Tim Scott from the great state of South Carolina, thank you for joining us. SCOTT: Yes, sir. God bless.

I haven't mentioned until now that Sen. Scott is a black man, an African American. I hesitated to put that at the start of this blog post because I don't like focusing on a person's race, color, ethnic background, and so on especially right at the outset. Scott is first and foremost a proud, God-fearing, conservative American man, as he says himself. That and his record, IMHO, should be enough.

Peter Barry Chowka is a veteran journalist who has covered national politics, including a number of presidential races starting in 1972, and the politics and economics of health care, popular culture, and media for over five decades. His web page with links to his work is http://peter.media. Peter's extensive American Thinker archive: http://tinyurl.com/pcathinker. Follow Peter on Twitter at @pchowka.
The judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal case has arranged an unconventional hearing to ensure the former president fully comprehends the new regulations prohibiting him from using evidence to criticize witnesses.

This approach aims to avoid the extensive security and logistical challenges Trump faced during his previous court appearance, Time reported.

Donald Trump will not be physically present at the midday court session in Manhattan on Tuesday. Instead, he will participate via videoconference. This will be the first time in US history that a former president will appear digitally for a criminal court hearing.

However, Trump's attorneys and the prosecutors involved in the case are still required to attend in person, according to CBS News.

Judge Juan Manuel Merchan has taken the additional procedure of personally informing Trump about the imposed restrictions following the announcement of the protective order on May 8.

This order imposes limitations on Donald Trump, who has denied 34 criminal charges related to manipulating company documents, per ABC 7. Specifically, he is prohibited from sharing any findings provided by the Manhattan District Attorney on social media platforms.

Read Also: Hillary Clinton Admits Biden's Age is an Issue

The protective order was obtained by prosecutors after the former president targeted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Judge Juan Merchan, and other individuals involved in the criminal case against Donald Trump.

During a hearing on May 4, which Donald Trump was not required to attend, Judge Merchan referred to the protective order as "standard" but acknowledged its unique relevance to Trump, who is currently running for president. The order restricts Donald Trump from releasing non-public information provided to his legal team by the prosecutors.

Limitations Imposed on Donald Trump

According to the order issued on May 8, Donald Trump will only have access to "Limited Dissemination Materials" in the presence of his counsel. He is explicitly prohibited from duplicating, photographing, or transcribing these materials.

Judge Merchan emphasized on May 4 that this is not a gag order and that Donald Trump is allowed to publicly discuss the case. The judge expressed his commitment to ensuring that Trump is given every opportunity to advance his candidacy in the 2024 elections.

Earlier this month, Donald Trump's legal team argued that the protective order would impose an unprecedented and overly broad limitation on a major presidential contender.

Furthermore, until the trial officially begins, the injunction prohibits Donald Trump and his team from disclosing the identities of specific employees of the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

Related Article: Joe Biden Criminal Bribery Claims Update

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
MAGA, Inc, the well funded super-PAC supporting Donald Trump's 2024 candidacy, apparently never heard of Ronald Reagan's eleventh commandment: "Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican."

I wonder how many others who would happily vote for another term for Trump in November 2024 are disturbed by the barrage of outright nasty ads attacking Florida's outstandingly successful governor? This is a man who hasn't even declared his candidacy for president yet.

On Twitter, Rob Pyers provides the expenditure sheet revealing the money that is being spent speaking ill of a Republican governor whose track record is so impressive:



Source.

The only spending not attacking DeSantis is trivial: barely over $1,500, or just over a hundredth of one percent of total spending.

As The Right Scoop comments:

Trump keeps touting polls suggesting DeSantis doesn't stand a chance, but the massive amount of money they are spending trying to keep him from entering the race tells a completely different story.

At anti-Trump National Review, Brittany Bernstein notes:

Former president Donald Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc., has now spent more money on attack ads targeting Florida governor Ron DeSantis than it previously did on supporting Republican candidates in the 2022 midterms. (snip) In the 2022 midterms, the PAC spent $15 million to support Republican candidates in the key swing states of Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Ohio and Nevada. Republicans lost Senate races in four out of those five states, with only Ohio Republican J.D. Vance securing a win.

The DeSantis team makes the same point that TRS did:

"These are the largest ongoing expenditures against a non-candidate in Republican primary history, and that's all you need to know to draw the obvious conclusion: Governor DeSantis presents the best option for defeating Joe Biden," DeSantis political team press secretary Bryan Griffin told National Review. MAGA Inc., which was first launched to support Republicans in the midterms, has made clear in a series of recent ads that it views DeSantis's past views on entitlement reform as a weakness heading into 2024.

The attacks on DeSantis's votes while in the House of Representatives remind me of the notorious Democrat ads scare-mongering seniors over reasonable Social Security reform, pushing Grandma over a cliff in a wheelchair. Not only are these attacks distorted, but they also offer ammunition to the Dems that can be used against Trump himself, as Bernstein points out:

MAGA Inc. launched a 30-second video of a man eating chocolate pudding with his fingers last month  a play on a Daily Beast report that claimed DeSantis once ate a pudding cup with three fingers in lieu of a spoon while traveling on a private plane in 2019. But while the ad grabs viewers with its uncomfortable imagery, the spot ultimately does not concern DeSantis's eating habits but rather is just the latest example of Trump's team hitting DeSantis on entitlements. "Ron DeSantis loves sticking his fingers where they don't belong. And we're not just talking about pudding," a voice-over says. "DeSantis has his dirty fingers all over senior entitlements, like cutting Medicare, slashing Social Security, and even raising our retirement age." "Tell Ron DeSantis to keep his pudding fingers off our money," the video adds. "Oh, and get this man a spoon!" The "Pudding Fingers" ad follows a 30-second ad that MAGA Inc. debuted in March also attacking DeSantis's record on entitlements. DeSantis voted for three non-binding resolutions between 2013 and 2015 that called for raising the retirement age to 70 and reducing benefits for millions of earners. Trump's attacks on DeSantis's entitlement record resemble those leveled by Adam Putnam during the 2018 Florida gubernatorial primary  attacks that left-leaning Politifact classified as misleading given that DeSantis voted for non-binding budget resolutions that, even if adopted, would not have changed federal law and would not have therefore cut benefits for any Americans. And Trump is equally vulnerable to that line of attack. Trump's 2020 budget proposal included cuts to Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. The proposal outlined an aim to spend $25 billion less on Social Security in the next decade and $845 billion less on Medicare over that same period of time. The proposal also would have allocated $1.2 trillion in a block-grant program to states for Medicaid, in an effort to spend $1.5 trillion less on that program over ten years.

By law, Trump can't coordinate with a super-PAC, so there is a certain level of deniability for responsibility for these ads. But it doesn't take a genius (or illegal coordination) to notice Trump's own attacks on DeSantis and for MAGA, Inc. to pick up that ball and run with it.

Trump is a fighter, and that quality makes him up to the job of dealing with an opposition party, the Democrats, that has fully gone over to the dark side, corrupting the FBI, DOJ, CIA, and other elements of the Deep State into what has to be regarded as incipient fascism. They know no limits in their tactics to destroy what is left of the democratic process that might keep them from total power.

But fighting them has to be a team effort. Trump's greatest failure as president was in his selection of team members, many of whom were not loyal to him and his agenda. I don't think a scorched earth approach to competition for the nomination serves him or the MAGA agenda well.
Metas Facebook is in the spotlight again after how it handled EU citizens data, resulting in a rather large fine. This issue has made the EU fine Meta a whopping $1.3 billion over the Facebook data, which is the highest the company has had to pay. Such a fine wont be given to any company without ample evidence and proof that the company broke some laws.

Sources of this information say that the fine came after a lengthy investigation found Meta guilty of violating a privacy rule. Regarding user data, the EU requires big tech firms to operate all EU citizen data within the region. But a series of investigations point out that Facebook has been moving user data out of the EU region, hence violating the user data policy.

To enforce their privacy law and punish violators, the EU is now imposing a $1.3 billion fine on Meta. But why these strict laws, and is there any threat if EU citizens data gets to other regions? In this article, we will look into this issue and the reason the EU demands these strict data regulations.

The reason behind the EU fine on Metas Facebook data transfers

In a bid to protect their citizens data, the EU came up with the blocs key digital privacy rules. This rule requires the data of EU citizens to be handled within servers located within the EU. With this rule in place, companies operating within the EU with access to user data cant transfer this data to other regions.

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For these companies, moving user data across a wide range of servers is quite easy. But, this action is risky as it exposes user data to regions with little or no user data regulations. In these regions, user data might not be safe, hence leading to threats to various cyberattacks.

Over the past few years, the EU has been beefing up its data protection regulations for its citizens. These regulations aim to protect their users from any element aiming to tamper with their data stored with big tech firms. But for some reason, Facebook, despite being aware of the blocs key digital privacy rules, moved data from EU servers to US servers.

Data protection regulations in the US arent as strict as they are in the EU, hence leaving certain loopholes. Metas actions put the data of EU citizens at risk of getting into the wrong hands. But despite the already existing EU-US Privacy Shield, moving data from the EU to the US isnt advisable.

The court in charge of this case ruled the EU-US Privacy Shield as being invalid. For now, the Ireland Data Protection Commission requires that Metas Facebook stay clear of any data transfer for the next five months. Within this period, the EU, and the US can work on protecting data transferred between both regions.
Last year, Meta moved to buy Giphy, the platform that provides gifts to a large chunk of the internet. However, as ordered by the UK, Meta is now selling Giphy to a different company. Its selling Giphy to Shutterstock, according to Engadget.

Antitrust and anti-competition practices are a big topic nowadays especially with Microsoft still trying to buy Activision-Blizzard. Companies are always kept under a watchful eye to make sure that they dont become too big and make it impossible for other companies to succeed in the same space.

In the case of Meta, the company purchased the GIF platform a few years ago for a whopping $400 million. Not too long after, the UK tried to get Meta to sell the GIF platform in order to keep Meta from having such a grip over the GIF landscape.

It moved to make Meta sell it, but that decision was halted for a bit. In July of last year, the UK reconsidered this decision and brought Meta back to the court.

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Meta is selling Giphy to Shutterstock at a massive loss

At the end of the day, Meta was beaten, and it was forced to sell off Giphy to another company. That other company is the stock photo giant Shutterstock. The issue is that Meta is only going to pocket $53 million from this deal. Thats only just over 13% of what Meta bought Giphy for. As you can imagine, Meta is not happy about that.

However, while Meta is selling Giphy to Shutterstock, its services will still be able to use the platform. If youre a person who typically uses GIFs on Facebook, Instagram, or Whatsapp, Giphys gifts will still work properly across those platforms.

The deal itself is set to close sometime in June, so thats not too far away. Well, this is a loss for Meta, this will benefit Shutterstock.
As expected, TikTok has sued Montana over the statewide ban on the app. The company has filed a lawsuit against the state Attorney General Austin Knudsen challenging the new law, SB 419, passed by Governor Greg Gianforte last week. TikTok creators have also sued the state over the ban.

Filed in the United States District Court of Montana, TikToks lawsuit against the Montana law follows a similar tone as the lawsuit from TikTok creators. Montanas ban abridges freedom of speech in violation of the First Amendment, violates the U.S. Constitution in multiple other respects, and is preempted by federal law, the formal complaint states.

We are challenging Montanas unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana. We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts, TikToks Communications Team said in a tweet shortly after the company filed the lawsuit.

It is worth noting that the TikTok ban in Montana isnt effective straightaway. Unless overturned or delayed by these legal hurdles, it would come into effect on January 1, 2024. Following this date, TikTok or its Chinese owner Bytedance isnt allowed to operate the social media app within the territorial jurisdiction of Montana. App stores also must remove the app or block downloading for Montana citizens. The state lawmakers have privacy and security concerns with the app.

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Most Americans dont support the TikTok ban

It comes as no surprise that TikTok creators and the company have challenged the statewide ban on the app in Montana. However, it seems most US citizens dont support the ban either. A recent survey showed that only 18 percent of Americans have no objection if their government decides to block access to TikTok across the country. The rest of them (almost four out of every five Americans) oppose the idea. They suggested that an outright ban would be an act of authoritarianism.

Most Americans arent afraid of Chinese spying and dont care if the Chinese government has access to their data. Almost half of TikTok users in the US would prefer being spied on rather than lose access to the app. Some said they would vote against their governor if their state banned the Chinese social media platform. Comments under the aforementioned tweet from TikToks Communications Team are also mostly supportive of the lawsuit. So the company certainly has the backing of its American users. It remains to be seen what the court decides.
MPs show a lack of courage and harm their constituents by not changing the law to legalise assisted dying, Dame Prue Leith has said.

Speaking at a reception about assisted dying at Parliament on Tuesday, the Great British Bake Off host said: One of the problems is, for many MPs, its far easier to do nothing.

That shows a lack of courage but also a lack of understanding of what theyre doing, which is allowing harm to continue.

Today in Parliament, @PrueLeith launched her open letter calling for a national debate on assisted dying. Few issues unite the country with the strength of feeling there is on assisted dying. Sign the letter to make sure politicians listen.#ImWithPruehttps://t.co/Fmy7BEbfL1  Dignity in Dying (@dignityindying) May 23, 2023

Its definitely something thats easier for some MPs to sweep under the rug.

The event, hosted by campaign group Dignity In Dying, brought together more than 200 MPs, peers and campaigners to discuss making changes to the law to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill patients.

Dame Prue, 83, is the patron of Dignity In Dying and a long-standing campaigner on the issue, having witnessed her brother David die a painful death from bone cancer in 2012.

In her speech, she invited MPs, peers and members of the public to sign a letter to party leaders asking them to bring forward a debate on the subject in the next parliament.

Please pledge to take action. We have to make sure that next time, Parliament guarantees time for the issue to be properly debated, she said.

Across the UK, people have seen firsthand the many ways that the current law fails our dying citizens, just as I saw how it failed my late brother. Only Westminster can put this right.

The event was attended by several parliamentarians including Independent MP Matt Hancock, Conservative MP Kit Malthouse and Labour MP Karin Smyth.

They were joined by Conservative former Cabinet minister Lord Forsyth of Drumlean and Liberal Democrat Lord Goddard of Stockport, among others.

Mr Malthouse said: I feel frustrated for the people who are dying in horrible circumstances every single day.

I hope that my colleagues will focus on the human stories that lie behind every one of these horrific deaths and do what they can to help that.

Labour MP Karin Smyth said the current law was not safe, meanwhile Lord Forsyth criticised Parliament for lagging behind the people on this.

Lord Goddard, who hosted the event, called for political parties to include a pledge in their manifestoes at the next general election to put forward a Bill on assisted dying.

Under the Suicide Act 1961, helping someone to take their own life in England and Wales is punishable with up to 14 years in prison.

Despite this, public support for allowing doctors to assist terminally ill patients to die has consistently remained around 80% between 1995 and 2016, according to the 2016 British Social Attitudes Survey.

Elsewhere, assisted dying is now legal in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and in 11 US jurisdictions.

In Scotland, an assisted dying Bill is currently being drafted, with the final text to be made available next year.

A UK parliamentary inquiry into assisted dying is currently under way.

Sarah Wootton, chief executive of Dignity In Dying said: The current law is not regulated, its not safe and its not fair. The public know this and urgently want change, yet successive governments have failed to prioritise the issue, nor allowed a free and fair debate.

Assisted dying is a movement whose time has come. Nowhere is the personal more political than in matters of life and death. The next election needs to count for dying Britons, and party leaders should prioritise a debate on assisted dying.
On Monday, police arrested a 19-year-old Missouri man for intentionally ramming a U-Haul vehicle into security barricades at Lafayette Square, near the White House.

Authorities identified the suspect as Sai Varshith Kandula, a resident of Chesterfield, Missouri. He was apprehended at the scene and slapped with several charges, including trespassing, assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless driving, threatening to harm the President, Vice President, or their family members, and destruction of federal property, according to Fox News.

Authorities revealed the identity of the suspect on Tuesday.

The event happened just before 10:00 p.m. near 16th Street, and as police officers investigated, the area's roadways and walkways had to be closed.

Fortunately, no one got hurt in the incident. The Hay-Adams Hotel, located in the 800 block of 16th Street, was evacuated as a precaution.

The U-Haul truck crashed into the security barricades close to the White House, according to the Secret Service, and its Uniformed Division agents seized the driver. However, many specifics are yet unknown as of present reporting.

Read Also: 1.5 Million Migrants Urge To Apply for US Sponsorship

WATCH as a rented box truck crashes into a security barrier outside the White House



A Nazi flag was found inside the truck, and the driver was detained by secret service



There were no injuries, and the motive remains under investigation pic.twitter.com/uKnK4roFel  i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) May 23, 2023

Suspect Has No Criminal Records



A cell phone video posted on social media showed the vehicle smashing through the barricades. Following the incident, The police discovered a Nazi flag, with the colors red, white, and black, a notebook, a bag, and duct tape inside the U-Haul.

According to Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service's Chief of Communications, preliminary evidence suggests that the driver deliberately aimed for the protective barricades at Lafayette Square, per CBS News. Authorities made no more comments on the potential cause.

A source said the FBI is investigating, and overnight checks showed the individual was not on any watch lists and had no significant criminal background.

After the incident, conspiracy theorists claimed that the US government staged a "false flag" operation to smear particular organizations. They compared the Ryder truck usage to the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which conspiracy theorists also claim was a government-planned event, Daily Dot reported.

Related Article: New York Court Prepares For Donald Trump's Virtual Appearance

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Almost half of the animal species on the worlds surface are currently undergoing declines in their population sizes, new research has found.

The paper, published on Tuesday, examines changes in population densities of more than 70,000 species of animals from across the worlds surface over time, making it the most comprehensive research of its kind to date.

The researchers from Queens University Belfast said the findings are a drastic alert as global biodiversity loss caused by human industrialisation is significantly more alarming than previously thought.

They found that 48% of species on Earth are currently undergoing declines in their population sizes, whereas less than 3% of them are increasing in population size.

The extent of species going extinct has traditionally been measured by the International Union for the Conservation of Natures (IUCN) threat conservation categories, which found that 28% of life on Earth is currently threatened with extinction.

However, the new research used a global-scale analysis of a different measure of extinction risk, which was population trends.

The researchers found that the magnitude of the extinction crisis is considerably more severe than shown by the traditional measure based on threat categories.

They also found that 33% of species currently considered safe by the IUCN conservation categories are in fact declining towards risk of extinction.

Meanwhile, the analysis shows that the lack of species with increasing populations shows that other species are not evolving to take the place of extinct species in the ecosystem.

This new study method and global-scale analysis provides a clearer picture about the true extent of global erosion of biodiversity that the traditional approach cannot offer, Dr Daniel Pincheira-Donoso, senior lecturer in evolutionary biology and macroecology at Queens University Belfast, said.

Our work is a drastic alert about the current magnitude of this crisis that has already devastating impacts on the stability of nature as a whole, and on human health and wellbeing.

Catherine Finn, PhD student at Queens University Belfast and leading author on the research, added: Almost half of animals on Earth for which assessments are available are currently declining.

To make matters worse, many of the animal species that are thought to be non-threatened from extinction, are in fact progressively declining.

Global biodiversity loss is seen as one of the most serious challenges to humanity for the coming decades, affecting the functioning of ecosystems, food production, the spread of diseases and the stability of the global economy.
Boris Johnson has been referred to the police by the Cabinet Office over further potential rule breaches during the pandemic.

Information has been passed to two forces over alleged events at both Chequers and within Downing Street.

It relates to entries in the former prime ministers official diary and came to light during a review of documents ahead of the Covid public inquiry.

The Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police both said they were currently assessing information they had received about potential breaches of health regulations between June 2020 and May 2021.

A spokesman for Mr Johnson has said the events were lawful and denied wrongdoing.

According to The Times, which first reported the story, his ministerial diary revealed visits by friends to Chequers  the prime ministers grace and favour residence in Buckinghamshire  during the pandemic.

A spokesman for Mr Johnson said: Some abbreviated entries in Mr Johnsons official diary were queried by Cabinet Office during preparation for the Covid inquiry.

Following an examination of the entries, Mr Johnsons lawyers wrote to the Cabinet Office and Privileges Committee explaining that the events were lawful and were not breaches of any Covid regulations.

It was also suggested the move was politically motivated and Mr Johnson had been given no notice of the report.

Mr Johnson was previously handed a fixed-penalty notice, along with Rishi Sunak, over a June 2020 Downing Street gathering for the then-prime ministers 56th birthday.

The Cabinet Office said: Information came to light during the process of preparing evidence for submission to the Covid inquiry.

It was identified as part of the normal disclosure review of potentially relevant documents being undertaken by the legal team for inquiry witnesses.

In line with obligations in the Civil Service Code, this material has been passed to the relevant authorities and it is now a matter for them.

The Metropolitan Police said: We are in receipt of information from the Cabinet Office passed to us on May 19 2023, which we are currently assessing. It relates to potential breaches of the health protection regulations between June 2020 and May 2021 at Downing Street.

Thames Valley Police said: On Thursday we received a report of potential breaches of the health protection regulations between June 2020 and May 2021 at Chequers, Buckinghamshire. We are currently assessing this information.

The Liberal Democrats called on Mr Johnson to consider his position as an MP following the report.

Its outrageous that rumours of alleged rule-breaking by Boris Johnson are still being drip-fed to the public, deputy leader Daisy Cooper said.

The fact that its one rule for them and one rule for the rest of us still triggers a raw sense of injustice in millions of people.

Sunak must make sure that not a single penny more of taxpayer money is spent on Johnsons legal fund; and Johnson should finally do one decent thing and consider his position as an MP.

Lindsay Jackson, spokeswoman for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, branded Mr Johnson totally unfit for any form of public service and suggested he quietly step back from public life.

Ms Jackson said: These revelations make a grim mockery of Boris Johnsons claims that he didnt break his own lockdown rules. He lied when he said to our faces that hed done all he could to protect our loved ones, he lied again when he said the rules hadnt been broken in No 10, and hes lied over and over again since then when hes denied it.

He is totally unfit for any form of public service, never mind being the prime minister. His legacy is one of lying, complete contempt for the ordinary people he was supposed to protect, and above all presiding over the deaths of nearly 200,000 people.

If he had any respect hed quietly step back from public life and reflect on the pain and suffering he has inflicted on so many.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has accused Mr Sunak of being too weak to end Boris Johnsons taxpayer-funded legal support.

She said: These new allegations are for the police to examine but the Government must explain who else knew at the time and why this has only now come to light.

The public will be shocked that theyre still paying Boris Johnsons legal bills while he rakes in millions from speaking gigs, all because Rishi Sunak is too weak to put a stop to it.

The Conservatives are now so preoccupied by their own scandals and haunted by their own failure that they are unable to tackle the problems facing the country. Only a Labour government can turn the page on 13 years of Tory sleaze.

The Government expects to pay an estimated 222,000 in legal fees to help Mr Johnson defend himself in the privileges committee inquiry into whether he lied to MPs.
Pressure continues to mount on Rishi Sunak to order an inquiry into whether Suella Braverman breached the ministerial code.

Labour will use an urgent question from deputy leader Angela Rayner in the Commons to raise the issue.

Mrs Braverman smiled as she arrived in Downing Street for a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister on Tuesday.

AFTER 1230 TODAY UQ  @AngelaRayner  Asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the criteria for launching an investigation into a potential breach of the Ministerial Code  Labour Whips (@labourwhips) May 23, 2023

Mr Sunak is reportedly looking at emails in which officials raised concerns about the Cabinet ministers request for help last autumn to arrange a private speed awareness course for her.

The Home Secretary has been accused of breaching the ministerial code by asking taxpayer-funded civil servants to assist with a private matter.

Mrs Braverman insists she did nothing untoward. She admitted speeding, paid a fine and took penalty points on her driving licence.

But she did not deny asking officials for help in trying to arrange a one-to-one speed awareness course rather than joining fellow motorists on the programme, which allows people with minor offences to avoid getting points on their licences.

Officials were so concerned by her alleged request they emailed the Cabinet Offices propriety and ethics team, who told them to disregard it, The Times reported.

Mrs Braverman instructed them to organise the course, rather than simply soliciting advice, the newspaper suggested.

The most senior civil servant in the Home Office was told about the claims, The Guardian reported.

A senior official relayed Mrs Bravermans request to Matthew Rycroft, the departments permanent secretary, due to concerns about whether it was appropriate, the paper was told by sources.

Mr Sunak spoke to his independent adviser on ministers interests, Sir Laurie Magnus, and the Home Secretary on Monday as he considered his response.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman arrives in Downing Street for a Cabinet meeting (James Manning/PA)

Sir Laurie cannot begin an investigation into a ministers conduct without the authorisation of the Prime Minister.

Downing Street said Mr Sunak still has confidence in Mrs Braverman but pointedly refused to back her assertions she has done nothing wrong.

Mr Sunak told MPs he asked for further information and will update on the appropriate course of action in due course.

The speeding offence took place when Mrs Braverman was attorney general.

Her allies say she is the victim of a smear campaign.
High street coffee chain Caffe Nero has announced the launch of a major new set of book awards.

The Nero Book Awards will highlight outstanding books from across multiple genres and celebrate the best writing and books from across the UK and Ireland.

The inaugural awards will open for entries on June 19 across four categories: childrens fiction, debut fiction, fiction and nonfiction.

The awards prize fund totals 50,000, with the four category award winners receiving 5,000 each and the winner of the book of the year receiving an additional 30,000.

Gerry Ford, founder and chief executive of Caffe Nero, said the new awards were a natural fit for the company.

Caffe Nero was founded in 1997 on the principle of being a warm and welcoming neighbourhood gathering spot, a place to bring people together, he said.

Our venues were intended as and have come to be gathering spots where people come to talk, read and discuss issues of the day. Most of our stores are filled with books.

Caffe Nero has also supported the arts in a variety of ways in past decades, including partnerships with Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the National Gallery, the V&A and the Royal Academy of Arts.

With the arts as part of our company culture  these awards are a natural fit for us, Mr Ford said.

The Nero Book Awards have been launched in partnership with the Booksellers Association, Brunel University London and Right To Dream.

Shortlisted books, category winners and an overall winner of the Nero Gold Prize will be selected by judges, from booksellers and authors to media commentators and influencers.

The inaugural shortlist of 16 books  four per category  will be announced in November 2023, followed by an announcement of the four category winners in January 2024.

The overall winner will be revealed in February at an awards ceremony.

Meryl Halls, managing director of the Booksellers Association, said: This is a hugely exciting moment for the world of books.

The Nero Book Awards do that rare thing of celebrating books across multiple genres, with an emphasis on commercial books with wide appeal.

With its brand values centred around quality, craft and community, plus its strong existing connection to the arts, Caffe Nero is a perfect partner with whom to establish these brand-new awards.

Bea Carvalho, Waterstones head of books, said: Booksellers and readers will be delighted about the news of the launch of the Nero Book Awards.

A prize which celebrates books with wide appeal across genres is extremely welcome and presents a hugely exciting moment in the bookselling calendar  we cant wait to see the inaugural lists and share them with our customers.

The announcement of the Nero Book Awards coincides with the launch of another new book awards series from social media platform TikTok.

TikTok said that in the past year, the #BookTok hashtag has grown more than 160% to over 138 billion views, with a community of authors, readers and fans helping to promote new authors and revive much-loved classics.

Social media platform TikTok has also announced its book awards (Yui Mok/PA)

The TikTok Book Awards UK and Ireland 2023 will recognise the communitys favourite authors, books and creators through categories inspired by the BookTok ecosystem.

Awards categories will include: BookTok creator of the year, BookTok book of the year, BookTok author of the year, and best BookTok revival, among others.

The list of nominees will be curated based on BookTok data as well as publisher contributions before being reviewed by a judging panel of experts, including TikTok creators, industry experts and special guest judges including Annie Macmanus and Elizabeth Day.

The final winners of a prestigious TikTok book award will be decided by the TikTok community in the UK and Ireland through an in-app vote that will go live in July, with all winners being crowned in August.

Candice Brathwaite, award-winning author and TikTok Book Awards judge, said: As an author, theres nothing better than to see people discussing and debating your book.

I love going to TikTok to find unfiltered reviews and recommendations, so its great to be giving this community the chance to have their say through the TikTok Book Awards for UK and Ireland.

When it comes to judging, for me its about celebrating the books people just cant forget, the books that give you a whole new perspective, the books you immediately want to buy for all of your friends.

I cannot wait to see who the winners will be.
Climate chaos will spread from across the entire planet and the world may already be past five irreversible tipping points, John Kerry has said.

Speaking to the defence and climate change parliamentary select committee, the US special presidential envoy for climate warned of coral reef die-off, melting permafrost as well as melting sea ice in the Barents Sea and the Arctic and Antarctic.

Tipping points are when the climate permanently changes the state of global phenomena, which then create a feedback loop that further exacerbates global heating.

Melting permafrost for example releases large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas thought to be around 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, while melting sea ice means more of the suns energy is absorbed by the dark surface of the water rather than reflecting off the bright white sheets of ice.

Mr Kerry said of the Arctic ice: Vast amounts of it have been breaking off and going out to sea and melting.

US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry and Cop26 president Alok Sharma at the climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 (Jane Barlow/PA)

I saw one fjord where about 86 million metric tonnes of ice falls each day, calving into the ocean and then going out to melt. We are seeing a higher rate of sea level rise than was predicted earlier.

You can see levels of disruption that are coming at us, we have no ability to do anything except adapt or build resilience.

The UN has said climate change has been exacerbating conflict in Sudan for years, with factions and tribes competing for increasingly scant natural resources.

Last month the fighting forced an evacuation of Westerners from the capital Khartoum, with the UK flying out more than 2,000 people.

Asked to what countries he expects climate change effects to spread to in the next 50 years, Mr Kerry said: Its going to expand to the entire planet. Its happening right now.

Sudan, South Sudan, Egypt, that entire area, the Horn of Africa is going, as a whole, to be enormously impacted, but also the Sahel.

There are 10 million people a year who die of extreme heat and were witnessing in the last few days in India, millions of people sleeping outdoors in hope of getting through the heat because its 30C at night time, and were seeing unheard of temperatures during the day.

This is happening faster than a lot of people anticipated and I think thats something we really need to take note of.

This afternoon from 2pm, we're hearing from John Kerry, United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, as part of our inquiry into defence and climate change. The session will be conducted via Zoom. Watch live: https://t.co/z7nKoFAD95 https://t.co/RdwA7FpRvB  Defence Committee (@CommonsDefence) May 23, 2023

Mr Kerry said he believes the UK military, like the US, is responsible for around 50% of the UK Governments emissions and described climate change as a threat multiplier that will create more instability and conflict throughout the world.

Despite the warnings, the US diplomat said he is still optimistic and that limiting the global temperature to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels is still possible but very hard.

He said: We are, as a species, really good at innovation and when really pressed, we tend to be pretty good at finding solutions to major problems  sometimes late and later than it should be and with greater consequences than there had to be.

We

But I see unbelievable amounts of activity taking place in venture capital, amazing amounts of research, certainly in Britain, in the United States and Europe, our best universities and colleges and laboratories are working overtime, trying to find solutions.

If you have five tipping points, and two of them involve the potential of metres, literally multiple metres, double digits of sea level rise, thats as good a definition of catastrophe as you can achieve.

And the reality is that that is where we are headed unless we do more about it. Now, why do I have this measure of optimism and of our capacity? Because it is within our capacity.

We have the technology necessary to achieve our 2030 goal, were just not deploying it rapidly.

Were not building the supply chain rapidly enough to deploy, but the fact is that if we did do that, we could meet the goal.
Published 23 May 2023 at 11:37 am

A driver has admitted mowing down and killing a woman and her three dogs on the Chelsea embankment.

Olivia Riley, 41, was walking the golden retrievers on Cheyne Walk in west London when she was run over by an Audi TT on Saturday May 14 2022.

She was waiting at a traffic island on a pedestrian crossing when she was hit by Laszlo Dancs, it is understood.

Pizza restaurant worker Dancs allegedly drove at speeds of more than three times the 20mph limit before losing control of the car.

Officers and paramedics were called to the mansion-lined street at 6.21am.

A police officer at the scene of the crash (PA)

Ms Riley, from Suffolk, was found dead at the scene, while the dogs also died, police said.

Dancs, 28, had minor injuries and was arrested and taken into custody.

On Tuesday, Ms Rileys family sat in court at the Old Bailey as Dancs, from Acton, west London, appeared for a plea and case management hearing.

He pleaded guilty to causing Ms Rileys death by dangerous driving.

He also pleaded guilty to drink and drug-driving but denied failing to provide a sample of breath when required.

Jeremy Dein KC, defending, told the court Dancs always intended to admit responsibility for what happened.

Dancs faces jail after admitting causing Ms Rileys death by dangerous driving and other motoring offences (PA)

He said Dancs worked as a team leader at a well-known pizza restaurant in north London.

Judge Philip Katz KC set sentencing for July 28.

He ordered a pre-sentence report and banned Dancs from driving with immediate effect.

The judge granted Dancs continued conditional bail but told him the chances are he will be sent to prison.

Cheyne Walk stretches along the Thames embankment at Chelsea and has long drawn famous residents such as rock star Sir Mick Jagger.
The former head of the civil service said one problem with the ministerial code is that any potential breach is treated as a gotcha moment.

Sir Gus ODonnell, who was cabinet secretary between 2005 and 2011, declined to say whether Home Secretary Suella Braverman broke the code over her handling of a speeding offence.

But he rejected the assumption that ministers should automatically resign if a breach is identified.

Speaking at an Institute for Government (IfG) event on Tuesday, Sir Gus said: One of the things that was wrong about the ministerial code (is) that people thought, journalists in particular, about this, Aha, gotcha. You broke the ministerial code therefore you must resign, which is not true.

It shouldnt be true. It should be, You broke the ministerial code, it is actually a relatively minor offence, I am going to give you a yellow card and well move on.

Ms Braverman resigned as home secretary last October after breaking the ministerial code by sending an official document from her personal email account to a fellow MP.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said she has done nothing untoward (PA)

She was reinstated to the post when Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister.

Sir Gus said: I stress in talking about this: I have no knowledge whatsoever about the Suella Braverman case so I cannot be caught I dont know (if she broke the ministerial code).

But I am glad we have a process that allows those things to be investigated. It is sensible the Prime Minister is using that process.

I would personally like the independent investigation to have, overall, more power to take up, to start investigations.

Hopefully we will get to the bottom of this and then the Prime Minister will make a decision as to what should be done.

Mr Sunak is under growing pressure to launch an investigation into allegations Mrs Braverman breached the ministerial code in the aftermath of being caught speeding while she was attorney general.

Officials formally raised concerns over an alleged request by the Home Secretary for them to arrange a one-to-one speed awareness course for her, The Times reported.

Former environment secretary George Eustice (PA)

Mrs Braverman admits speeding, paying a fine and taking penalty points on her driving licence but insists she has done nothing untoward.

Mr Sunak spoke to his independent adviser on ministers interests, Sir Laurie Magnus, and Mrs Braverman on Monday as he considered his response.

Also appearing at the IfG event, former cabinet minister George Eustice said he did not know the circumstances of Mrs Bravermans case but echoed Sir Guss view on the way events are being perceived.

He said: There is a tendency sometimes where we have these rules for them to be turned into a kind of gotcha kind of debate.

The thing that always surprised me about our system is rarely do people get done for any serious wrongdoing. It is usually some minor technical crossing of the line that then gets blown out of proportion.

It is a big weakness in our system that we have these distractions.
Former Metropolitan Police officer Samantha Lees dishonesty about her investigation into Wayne Couzens over two incidents of flashing amounted to gross misconduct, a police disciplinary hearing has found.

The former constable was found by the hearing at Palestra House to have failed to make the correct investigative inquiries over two incidents when Couzens exposed himself to female members of staff at a McDonalds restaurant in Swanley, Kent, on February 14 and 27 2021.

On both occasions, Couzens was seen by female members of staff to have his pants open and his penis on display.

Ms Lee attended the restaurant on March 3 and interviewed manager Sam Taylor, hours before Sarah Everard was kidnapped by Couzens in Clapham, south-west London.

The former officer was also found to have lied about her actions when later questioned about the interview, claiming that she believed that CCTV at the restaurant was deleted automatically so there would be no footage of Couzens or the offence.

Panel chairman Darren Snow found that this dishonesty amounted to gross misconduct.

Concluding the panels findings, Mr Snow said that Ms Lee would have been dismissed without notice had she still been a serving police officer.

He added that she will be barred from serving in the police again.

In his evidence, Mr Taylor said that he had shown Ms Lee CCTV footage and told her it could be downloaded on to a USB stick.

He also said that he explained to her that Couzens registration plate could be seen in the CCTV footage of the second incident.

For her part, Ms Lee denied that this was the case, saying that he had told her that there was no CCTV.

In March this year, Couzens was sentenced to 19 months in prison after admitting three counts of indecent exposure.

Mr Snow, reading the panels findings, found that Mr Taylor was a credible witness.

We find Sam Taylor to be a credible witness and that his evidence was clear.

He added: We find it inconceivable that he would not have shown her the CCTV evidence.

Instead, the panel found that Ms Lee had been driven to dishonesty by the pressure of the investigation.

We have some understanding of this situation, a relatively straightforward exposure became an issue of immense pressure, he said.

In her evidence, Ms Lee admitted that she made some errors but said nothing she could have done would have changed the tragic outcome of what happened to Sarah Everard later that day.

I accept that I could have done more around CCTV and evidence gathering, that was errors on my part and I accept that, she said.

And as much as I have thought it over and over, I dont believe that anything I could have done would have changed the tragic outcome of what happened later that day.

In a statement made outside Palestra House after the hearing, Ms Lee said that she had been made a scapegoat.

She added: I am a young female Pc and I am the only person who has faced any disciplinary action in relation to this.

There is only one person who is responsible for everything that happened and that is Wayne Couzens.

I have never lied.

In March this year, Couzens was sentenced to 19 months in prison after admitting three counts of indecent exposure.

He was already serving life behind bars for kidnapping Ms Everard as she walked home through Clapham, south London, on March 3 2021 and then murdering her.

The third indecent exposure incident related to when Couzens exposed himself to a female cyclist on a Kent country lane in November 2020.
The Queens Reading Room charity is giving away 2,500 free tickets to NHS staff, charity workers and members of the Armed Forces for its first ever literary festival.

The one-day event at Hampton Court Palace on Sunday June 11 features a line up of stars and authors including Dame Judi Dench, David Harewood, Robert Harris and Kate Mosse.

Other newly announced speakers include Dame Joanna Lumley, Richard E Grant, Sir Derek Jacobi, and Ben Elton.

Vicki Perrin, chief executive of The Queens Reading Room, said: Its an honour and a privilege to treat some of our nations heroes to a day out at Hampton Court Palace, on us.

We hope that they will come away inspired by the incredible authors, actors and experts with us at our festival, and by the amazing stories they have to share.

The free tickets are available via ticketsforgood.org and ticketsfortroops.org.uk.

Up to 8,000 people are expected to attend the celebration of the written word, held at Henry VIIIs former home in Surrey.

Tickets are also available to buy at thequeensreadingroom.co.uk.

Camilla reading The Gruffalo with illustrator Axel Scheffler (right), during a visit to Rudolf Ross Grundschule School in Hamburg (Ben Birchall/PA)

Book lover Camilla launched her Reading Room as an Instagram book club in 2021 to inspire readers during lockdown.

It was relaunched as a charity in February to work on advancing education by promoting the appreciation of literature among adults and children.

The festival is a co-production between The Queens Reading Room and Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that cares for Hampton Court Palace.

Proceeds will go towards the ongoing work of both charities.
Fresh searches are under way in Portugal in the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Police divers entered the water early on Tuesday at the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine went missing in 2007.

Tents have been erected on the banks of the reservoir and officers from Portugal, Germany and the UK were seen holding morning briefings on Tuesday, the BBC reported.

A rigid-hull inflatable boat was sent into the water with two officers on board.

Portuguese police confirmed on Monday that they are co-ordinating searches in the Algarve at the request of German police and in the presence of British officers.

The Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algave (Yui Mok/PA)

The Metropolitan Police said officers will be there in order to inform Madeleines family if there are any developments.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said: The Met continues to work with and support colleagues in Portugal and Germany, with their investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Met officers will be in Portugal and I am grateful to the Policia Judiciaria and Bundeskriminalamt for allowing us to be present whilst their work is ongoing, so that we can inform Madeleines family of any developments.

A brief statement from the prosecutors office in the German city of Braunschweig confirmed the search but did not reveal why it was taking place.

Braunschweig prosecutor Christian Wolters told reporters that investigators were acting on the basis of certain tips but would not give further details.

Four teams of officers from the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria are involved in the operation, along with at least 20 of their German counterparts, Portuguese news outlet SIC said.

A no-fly zone has been put in place over the water and media and other onlookers are being kept a mile back from the site of the search, a newspaper said (Yui Mok/PA)

Around a dozen officers with sniffer dogs were moving along the bank of the reservoir as part of the search on Tuesday.

Others were seen with rakes and metal rods preparing to search the ground.

It has been reported that the prime suspect in Madeleines disappearance, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, 45, spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017.

Madeleine McCann went missing in 2007 (PA)

Investigators believe he killed Madeleine, then aged three, after abducting her from a holiday apartment.

Brueckner, who has denied involvement in Madeleines disappearance, was first identified as a suspect by German investigators.

The Sun reported that the search was sparked after they discovered video and photos of Brueckner near the reservoir.

(PA Graphics)

A no-fly zone has been put in place over the water and media and other onlookers are being kept a mile back from the site of the search.

Brueckner is facing charges in Germany over a number of separate sex offences allegedly committed in Portugal during that time.

It is not the first time the reservoir has been searched.

The area is around 50km from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine vanished (Yui Mok/PA)

In 2008, Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleines body was there.

The most recent search in Portugal in relation to her disappearance was in 2014, when British police were given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished.

Earlier this month, Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry McCann posted a short statement on their Find Madeleine Campaign website to mark the anniversary of her disappearance.

Personnel at the reservoir on Tuesday (Yui Mok/PA)

They said: Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleines abduction.

Still missing still very much missed.

Madeleine went missing 16 years ago (Yui Mok/PA)

It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel.

The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough.
Russia claimed on Tuesday to have obliterated one of Ukraine's substantial cross-border assaults in a battle, where more than 70 assailants were reportedly slain, according to sources.

The 24-hour combat took place in the southwest Russian province of Belgorod, located about 80 kilometers (45 miles) north of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, according to AP News. The recent battle shows that Russia, like the occupied parts of Ukraine, is vulnerable to assaults.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier ordered Belgorod, where military fuel and munition dumps are stored, to be fortified against assaults.

The Kremlin faces hurdles caused by cross-border intrusions, also highlighting its struggles against continuing Ukrainian assault. The fighting between the Moscow and Kyiv forces has spilled over into Belgorod and Bryansk since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Following the armed assault on Monday, a continuous "counter-terrorism operation" was declared to be in progress on Tuesday by Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Read Also: China's Ambitious Plan for 'Jing-Jin-Ji'

Ukraine was accused of sabotage by Russia, but the incident in the Grayvoron area bordering Ukraine was claimed by the "Freedom of Russia" Legion and the "Russian Volunteer Corps," two anti-Vladimir Putin groups. Kyiv denied any participation in the attack, according to CNBC.

Belgorod Governor Gladkov confirmed that one lady perished during the evacuation operation. Reports also stated that one local government facility and several residential structures suffered damage from the attack, which left several individuals injured.

Russia Reportedly Bolstering Its Air Force

In other recent developments in the Russia-Ukraine war, Moscow looks to be forming a new "Shtorm" assault aircraft force for its war against Ukraine, as per a report from USA Today.

The new Russian aircraft force is possibly composed of an assault helicopter squadron and a fighter-bomber squadron, according to the British Defense Ministry's assessment of the conflict.

The reported upcoming Russian aircraft force's principal task is likely to entail ground assault missions based on the aircraft configuration.

The British Defense Ministry further noted that Russian media sources suggest the Russian military plans to attract experienced and motivated pilots by giving considerable monetary incentives and recruiting former pilots.

Related Article: South Korea, EU Vow To Boost Security Ties

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Published 23 May 2023 at 6:55 am

Searches are expected to begin on Tuesday as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, police in Portugal have confirmed.

A Policia Judiciaria statement said it is co-ordinating searches in the Algarve at the request of German police and in the presence of British officers.

An area near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, around 50km from Praia da Luz where Madeleine went missing in 2007, was being sealed off ahead of searches according to Portuguese news website SIC.

It said the prime suspect in her disappearance, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017.

Investigators believe the 45-year-old killed Madeleine, then aged three, after abducting her from a holiday apartment.

Brueckner, who has denied involvement in the youngsters disappearance, was identified as a suspect by Portuguese officials in June 2020.

He is facing charges in Germany over a number of separate sex offences allegedly committed in Portugal during that time.

German authorities were expected to release a statement about the search on Tuesday.

Images of Portuguese officers walking along dry tracks near the reservoir and sealing off areas with police tape emerged on Monday.

It is not the first time the reservoir has been searched.

Kate and Gerry McCann (Joe Giddens/PA)

In 2008, Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to check the waterway after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleines body was in the reservoir.

The most recent search in Portugal in relation to her disappearance was in 2014, when British police were given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished.

Earlier this month, Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry issued a short statement on their Find Madeleine Campaign website to mark the anniversary of her disappearance.

They said: Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleines abduction.

Still missing still very much missed.

It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel.

The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough.
The Government will fund half of the cost of its flagship tutoring programme next year following concerns from school leaders that they would struggle to deliver the scheme amid budget pressures.

The Department for Education (DfE) originally planned to fund a quarter of the cost of the National Tutoring Programme (NTP) in the 2023/24 school year.

But the Government has now said it will double that commitment, offering 50% of the costs next year, following feedback from schools.

It comes after headteachers warned many schools would be forced to cut the programme, which aims to help pupils catch up on learning missed due to Covid-19, if the subsidy rate was reduced dramatically.

The DfE subsidised 75% of the costs that schools incurred for delivering the programme in 2021/22, and this reduced to 60% this academic year.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said: Since its inception in 2020, we have continuously evolved the National Tutoring Programme to ensure it works for pupils and schools.

Over three million courses have been started as a result and we remain committed to supporting schools to embed tutoring long-term because we know the positive impact it can have on pupils.

Thats why I am pleased that next year we will be able to match schools funding contributions, whilst also supporting them more widely through a 2 billion boost in school funding.

Under the NTP scheme, funding is provided directly to schools so they can source their own tutors either externally or through their own staff as part of the school-led tutoring route.

Schools can also use subsidised funding to access tuition from an approved list of organisations, known as tuition partners, or they can use it to hire full-time, in-house academic mentors.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders union NAHT, said: School leaders have been clear that dramatically reducing the tutoring subsidy next year would have been disastrous for the programme.

Nick Gibb hailed the benefits of the tutoring scheme (PA)

In a recent member poll, 59% of respondents told us that they were using the programme this year but would not be able to access it next academic year.

It is therefore good news that the subsidy will be maintained at a higher rate than originally planned for 2023-24.

However, it is important to point out that due to the current financial pressures schools are facing, many will still find it extremely difficult to fund the remaining 50% that is required from them, particularly given that the amount of funding schools will receive overall for tutoring will not change.

Julie McCulloch, director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: We welcome the fact that the Government subsidy for the NTP is not going to be reduced next year by as much as was initially planned.

As school leaders have repeatedly warned, this would likely have forced many schools to cut or entirely abandon NTP provision.

The fact remains, though, that schools which struggled to afford 40% of the cost of tutoring this year arent going to find it any easier to afford 50% next year.
A guitar given by The Who rocker Pete Townshend to a friend whose own was stolen could fetch up to 20,000 when it is auctioned next month.

Townshend donated the 1989 Takamine FP-360SC electro-acoustic guitar to a friend known only as Robert in the 1990s after the theft of Roberts instrument from his flat in south-west London.

When Robert died in 2014, the guitar was inherited by the vendor, who wants to stay anonymous.

Luke Hobbs with Pete Townshend guitar and John Entwistle bass gear (Gardiner Houlgate/PA)

Having heard Roberts story, the vendor contacted Townshend in 2018 and got a response confirming the musician gave the guitar to Robert, whom he remembered as a sweet man.

Townshend subsequently signed an email to authenticate the tale.

Based on its provenance, the Takamine guitar is believed to have been used on stage during The Whos 1989 25th anniversary tour of America and the UK and also during solo performances by Townshend.

The guitar will be sold by specialist music auction house Gardiner Houlgate in Corsham, Wiltshire, on June 14.

Auctioneer Luke Hobbs said: Pete Townshend is one of the great pioneers of rock guitar so its a real honour to be able to sell one of his instruments. With The Who still so popular around the world, were expecting international interest.

Although he says its a wrench to see such the guitar go, the vendor has now reached the stage of his life at which he feels it should be enjoyed by a fan of the band rather than be kept in its case.

Townshend was The Whos principal songwriter and guitarist, scoring hits with rock classics including Pinball Wizard, Quadrophenia, My Generation, Wont Get Fooled Again and Substitute.

Formed in 1964, the band appeared at the 1969 Woodstock festival and went on to sell more than 100 million records worldwide.

During The Whos early years, Townshend developed a reputation for smashing his guitars on stage.

This auction will also feature a bass amplifier and speaker used by The Whos late bass player John Entwistle, with cases bearing The Who logo.
Health workers are to stage fresh strikes in the continuing dispute over pay.

Members of Unite at Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust in London and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust will walk out next month.

The union said the strikes form part of its targeted approach to industrial action amid plans to escalate the dispute to try to pressure the Government to reopen pay negotiations.

Unite members from across the Guys and St Thomas workforce, including nurses and other frontline workers, will stage a 24-hour strike on June 1.

This will be followed by a strike by Unite members employed at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, including paramedics and call handlers.

They will be striking on June 2 for up to seven hours from 2pm.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: Our members are returning to the picket lines in targeted industrial action to place further pressure on the Government to reopen pay negotiations.

The current pay deal does not address the fundamental problems undermining the NHS.

Workers have suffered real-terms pay cuts for over a decade and can no longer afford to make ends meet, resulting in experienced staff leaving the NHS in droves.

Unite members and those in the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) rejected the Governments offer.

Most health unions in England have accepted a 5% pay rise for this year and a cash payment for last year.

RCN members started voting on Tuesday on whether to continue taking strike action.

Almost 300,000 members of the RCN in England are being asked to renew their mandate for industrial action until the end of the year.

The RCN is urging members to vote Yes to strike action, saying it would pressure ministers to improve the pay award for nursing staff and boost staffing levels to keep patients safe.

It comes as the hospital doctors union HCSA announced its junior doctors would be joining the 72-hour walkout planned by the British Medical Association in June.

Junior doctors in England will walk out from 7am on June 14.
It will soon be illegal to trade ivory from a hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, killer whale and sperm whale, the Government has said.

The Ivory Act 2018 is to be extended to cover these five species after it came into force last June to protect elephants.

Hippopotamus is the species most at risk of ivory exploitation after elephants, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.

Along with walrus and sperm whale, it is classed as vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Natures red list.

All three animals already face multiple threats from human activity including from pollution, shipping lanes, armed conflict and climate change, with the ivory trade adding extra pressure, Defra said.

Naturalist and TV presenter Steve Backshall said: This is an important moment in the conservation of these iconic species.

There is widespread public support for the ivory ban and today by extending it further we are sending a clear message that there is no place in the UK for this vile trade.

Punishment for breaching the Ivory Act is an unlimited fine or up to five years in jail.

A spokesperson from Defra said the new extension will take effect in due course depending on the availability of parliamentary time.

Biodiversity minister Trudy Harrison said: This is a pivotal moment in delivering one of our key manifesto commitments on international conservation.

The Ivory Act is one of the toughest bans of its kind in the world and by extending greater legal protections to five more species, we are sending a clear message the commercial trade of ivory is totally unacceptable.

The UK has long led the way in conservation and our ban shows continued global leadership in doing all we can to protect the worlds most endangered species.

Under the UK Ivory Act 2018, the import, export and dealing of items containing elephant ivory in the kingdom are nearly all banned from Monday, regardless of their age. And all offenders, will face fines of up to $315,000 ( 250,000). https://t.co/6USrH6PS5i pic.twitter.com/4GQrfQSytw  Global Sanctuary for Elephants (@GlobalElephants) June 6, 2022

The decision comes after an extensive public consultation in the approach to the anniversary of the Act on June 6 last year.

Since then, Defra has issued over 6,500 registrations and certificates for exempted items which it said was necessary to protect the UKs artistic and cultural heritage.

Frances Goodrum, head of campaigns and programmes at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) charity, said: As we approach the one-year anniversary of the UK Ivory Act coming into force, IFAW UK are encouraged by early indications that the ban is having a significant impact on the trade in elephant ivory.

Yet other species are still poached globally to meet an unnecessary demand for luxury ivory products, including the hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, sperm whale and killer whale.

We welcome Defras decision to extend this powerful legislation, which will go a long way in cracking down on a damaging trade.

Today is a good day for conservation and a step change towards international commitments to safeguard our natural world.
Climate change protesters have again clashed with drivers as they staged marches on three bridges in central London.

Forty-five Just Stop Oil (JSO) activists blocked the roads on Blackfriars, London and Tower bridges on Tuesday morning by walking slowly in the road.

One man was handcuffed by police after he appeared to push two JSO supporters in a bid to clear the road.

He was detained on suspicion of common assault but not arrested, the Metropolitan Police said.

A motorcyclist also tried to drive through the group of demonstrators, while there were several clashes at the other protest sites, with members of the public snatching banners, according to JSO.

Later the group staged further marches in Bayswater, Islington and West Brompton, with a further incident that saw a van collide with bus stop as the driver tried to get round protesters, JSO said.

The group posted footage of the Blackfriars Bridge confrontation on Twitter, saying: This is an impossible situation.

Police now have powers under the Public Order Act to force protesters out of the road and onto the pavement (Just Stop Oil/PA)

Thats where our government has left us. More and more people are realising taking action is the right thing to do.

Do we disrupt other ordinary people, like this man, arrested for lashing out today, or just sit back and watch everything burn?

Tuesdays clashes came after footage of another confrontation in the City of London was posted on social media on Friday.

A man approached JSO protesters as they marched slowly in front of traffic on Mansell Street, near the Tower of London, before snatching their banners and pushing a woman to the ground.

At around 08.25hrs, officers detained a male member of the public for common assault after an altercation between him and two Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge this morning. There have been no arrests. Police are investigating the matter.  Metropolitan Police Events (@MetPoliceEvents) May 23, 2023

He also grabbed a phone from one of the campaigners and threw it away, before trying to push other activists out of the road.

Police now have powers under the Public Order Act to force protesters out of the road and onto the pavement.

These orders were used at all three bridges on Tuesday by 8.55am, JSO said.

The Metropolitan Police urged the public not to intervene in protest action.

Police urged members of the public not to intervene (Just Stop Oil /PA)

A spokesman said: At around 8.25am, Met police officers detained a male member of the public for common assault after an altercation between him and two Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge.

There have been no arrests and police are investigating the matter.

We completely understand the frustration and anger of Londons communities when protesters walk slowly in the roads.

We urge people not to intervene and to let police deal with the situation who, if not already there, will arrive promptly.
The worlds first vagina museum has raised enough funds to relocate to new premises after being forced to shut its doors earlier this year.

The London-based museum raised the 85,000 needed to secure a six-year lease in a twin pair of railway arches in east London.

The Vagina Museum raised a significant proportion of the money required by crowdfunding on GoFundMe, after closing in February.

BIG CROWDFUNDING UPDATE! We have found our perfect space! It's a gorgeous pair of twin railway arches in East London. We have BIG plans for this space and we'll have the room to realise these plans. But there's a catch https://t.co/jsp1PUUPWu  Vagina Museum (@vagina_museum) May 17, 2023

Upon reaching the fundraising goal, the Vagina Museum tweeted: We did it. Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you, all 2400 people who chose to help the Vagina Museum to grow and thrive!

The museum said the new premises features space for three galleries, an event space, and the possibility of expanding to provide a cafe.

The museum had said fundraising for a physical premises was a now-or-never situation and if it did not raise enough funds, the museum was not going to be able to survive beyond a few months and all activities will cease.

The project was launched in 2017 and started with pop ups around the country, including at Green Man Festival, the Royal Institution, and the Freud Museum.

The Vagina Museum opened its first premises in Camden Market in 2019 and held its first exhibition, Muff Busters: Vagina Myths and How to Fight Them, in November 2019, which addressed common myths and misconceptions about vaginas and vulvas.

After moving to Bethnal Green, the museum hosted the exhibition Periods: A Brief History; and a permanent exhibition named From A to V, which explored activism and anatomy.

The Vagina Museum says around 200,000 people have visited its educational exhibitions since it opened to the public in 2019.
Meta is choosing to allow predators to operate with impunity by rolling out encrypted messaging despite an epidemic of child abuse, security minister Tom Tugendhat has said.

He urged the social media giant  which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp  to introduce robust safety measures before extending end-to-end encryption to Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct later this year to avoid a significant risk to child safety.

The technology, already enabled on WhatsApp, would allow only the sender and recipient of a message to access it, in a security feature to protect personal data and privacy.

But critics including Mr Tugendhat have raised concerns that the feature would prevent Meta from flagging harmful or worrying content to police.

In a speech to the Policing Institute for the Eastern Regions annual conference on Tuesday, he said: Meta will no longer be able to spot grooming  on their platforms, leaving tens of thousands of children in the UK, and around the world, beyond our help and in danger of exploitation.

The consequences would be stark, the Home Office minister warned.

Facebook and Instagram currently account for more than 80% of global referrals of suspected child abuse to the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), he said, meaning that 20 million cases could go unreported due to encryption.

The US-based NCMEC passes cases on to the UKs National Crime Agency, contributing to 20,000 criminal investigations across the UK in 2021.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat (Aaron Chown/PA)

Mr Tugendhat said: For predators thats a significant deterrent. And for their victims, its a lifeline.

That lifeline is now under threat.

The Tory MP for Tonbridge and Malling directly criticised Metas chief Mark Zuckerberg, saying these are his choices.

Its not acceptable for tech executives to make vast profits from their youngest users, only to pass the buck when it comes to protecting them from the dangers on their own platform, Mr Tugendhat said.

Faced with an epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse Meta have decided to turn a blind eye, and are choosing to allow predators to operate with impunity.
Songs played by home delivery robots should be selected by the public via a national competition, according to a transport minister.

Jesse Norman suggested the Rolling Stones as his entry and used his speech in a parliamentary debate to drop in references to a number of their songs.

Conservative MP Iain Stewart, who chairs the Commons Transport Committee, spoke of the enormous potential of the machines and cited experiences of their use in Milton Keynes.

Mr Stewart, the MP for Milton Keynes South, said: Members may not be aware that when these Starship robots arrive they play a little tune and you can select which one you like.

Currently the range goes from Happy Birthday to Baby Shark. Perhaps a minister could launch a competition to find the most appropriate delivery tune that the robots could play when they arrive?

Hes already privately given me a couple of suggestions but my challenge to him is to come up with the defining standard to celebrate these wonderful machines.

Mr Norman hailed the suggestion of a national competition to choose suitable tunes as a brilliant idea and suggested: I hope the Transport Committee will organise.

He added: I think we can go one step further. Id like to suggest that the Rolling Stones be nominated as the band for the autonomous local transport sector because they, brilliantly, in their work cover both of the strengths and the drawbacks of this technology.

If successful, this technology is one that could make us Happy, it can use these marvellous vehicles as a Beast of Burden, it allows them to operate any time and therefore they can be Midnight Ramblers.

Tragically, of course, You Cant Always Get What You Want, sometimes youre Waiting on a Friend, and indeed it may be you cant hear these little machines knocking (a reference to Cant You Hear Me Knocking).

Above all, we want to avoid being turned by them into (a) Street Fighting Man, let alone suffering a 19th Nervous Breakdown.

Their exchanges came in Westminster Hall during a debate on the societal impacts of autonomous last-mile delivery.
The detention of 31-year-old American journalist Evan Gershkovich in the Russian town of Yekaterinburg was extended by about three months following his arrest in March on the grounds of espionage against the Russian government.

His arrest marked the first time the Kremlin accused a US journalist of espionage since the Soviet era.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter has denied the charges, and so does his employer and the US government.

A Moscow district court ruled the journalist was to be detained until August 30th for allegedly committing "a crime under Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation". No journalists were allowed in the proceeding.

If found guilty, Gershkovich will face 20 years in prison

WSJ: Accusations against Gershkovich "demonstrably false"

The Wall Street Journal said in a statement that their reporter had appeared for a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday.

"While we expected there would be no change to Evan's wrongful detention, we are deeply disappointed," the publication said.

Separately, WSJ reporters have expressed support for their detained colleague on Twitter.

Melissa Korn called Gershkovich's detention a "horribly disappointing development," while Joe Flint had a simple message to the Russian government: "RELEASE EVAN NOW."

Meanwhile, a group of 300 foreign correspondents who previously worked in Russia sent an open letter addressed to Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov.

"We have no doubt that the only purpose and intention of his work was to inform his readers about the current reality in Russia," the letter said.

Blinken to Russia: Release Gershkovich

Last month, the White House designated Gershkovich as wrongfully detained. His case was moved to the State Department's Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, allowing the government to find out ways to secure his release.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken demanded Gershkovich's release as part of his statement for World Press Freedom Day.

"We...call on Russian authorities to immediately release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and all other journalists held for exercising freedom of expression," he said.

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
London Underground workers have voted overwhelmingly in favour of extending their mandate to continue taking strike action in a long-running dispute over jobs, pensions and conditions.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) voted by 96% to continue taking action for the next six months.

Unions have to re-ballot their members every six months for industrial action to continue.

The turnout was 56.5%.

 London Underground staff vote to extend strike mandate with huge "Yes" vote. Tube union, @RMTunion have extended their mandate for strike action on London Underground with a huge 96% vote for action. pic.twitter.com/11hlgFCQhU  RMT (@RMTunion) May 23, 2023

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: I congratulate every single one of our London Underground members for giving us continued industrial leverage at the negotiating table.

Transport for London cannot continue to simply wish this dispute away and the Government, which has drastically cut the funding to London transport budgets, shares a great deal of responsibility for this continuing impasse.

London Underground workers want a negotiated settlement and are quite prepared to take more strike action over the next six months to make that a reality.

The Government is pressing ahead with legislation aimed at providing minimum levels of service during strikes.

There was a protest outside Parliament on Monday evening when the Bill was voted through by MPs.

It will be debated in the Lords again before becoming law in the next few weeks.
Around 1,650 North Sea offshore contractors will begin two new rounds of 48-hour strike action in what a trade union said is the biggest walkout in the sector so far.

The workers are striking in an increasingly bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions in the offshore sector, Unite said.

The union says BP and Shell recorded historic profits of a combined 11.7 billion in the first quarter of 2023.

Offshore workers also walked out in April and May.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said offshore workers are taking the fight to multibillion oil and gas corporations (PA)

The latest strike will hit oil giants including BP, Shell and Repsol.

Contractors across five companies, including Bilfinger UK Limited, Stork Technical Services and Sparrows Offshore Services will walk out from 6.30am on June 1 until 6.29am on June 3 and then from 6.30am on June 8 until 6.29am on June 10.

Around 600 Bilfinger contractors on the Ithaca, CNRI and Taqa rigs rejected new pay offers, Unite said.

Two hundred Bilfinger contractors working on BP and Repsol assets will also join the strike and around 650 Stork offshore members will join the stoppages in June, along with 200 offshore workers employed by Sparrows.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: With the support of their union Unite, an army of 1,650 offshore workers are taking the fight to multibillion oil and gas corporations.

The latest rounds of strike action in June will see the biggest group of offshore workers to date taking strike action.

Unfettered corporate profiteering at the expense of our members will not go unchallenged. Unite is determined to deliver better jobs, pay and conditions in the offshore sector, and deliver we will.

John Boland, Unites industrial officer, said: Unites members deserve a much bigger share of the bonanza profits being recorded by oil and gas operators than the real-terms pay cuts currently being offered.

Around 1,650 members across the companies we are in dispute with remain determined, and fully focused on securing a better deal.

Whether it is over delivering improved pay, fairer and safer working rotas or holidays, Unite has one simple message for the contractors and operators: we will stand up for our members, we hold you to account, and in the end we will win.

A spokesperson for Bilfinger UK said: As an Energy Services Agreement (ESA) signatory, we align with the industry base rates of pay that are agreed annually with the unions.

This most recent offer of 6% follows a 4% increase that was awarded in January 2023 and combined with the additional increases in June and November 2022 respectively, amount to a greater than inflation pay increase.

Bilfinger met with Unite immediately following the outcome of the consultative ballot to understand the reasons for rejection and have already concluded a round of meetings with our customers in this regard.

We remain optimistic that an acceptable solution for all stakeholders can be sought in the near future.

We respect the right for peaceful and planned strike action and will continue to engage with the unions, our clients and our colleagues to come to a positive resolution.

Operational safety remains our top priority and we have procedures in place to minimise any potential disruption.
The average person will wait until they are nearly 8,000 in debt before seeking help, research has suggested.

Credit information company Experian found that 7,835 worth of debt would typically be the trigger point at which people would look for help.

One in six (15%) people said they had been taught to keep money matters to themselves and just over one in five (21%) would fear being judged if they discussed their finances.

A fifth (20%) of people surveyed said they would not look for any support at all if they owed money.

Nearly the same proportion (19%) said money conversations made them feel anxious while more than a third (36%) of people said they worry about their personal finances every day.

Nearly two-fifths (37%) of people said they have had to dip into their savings over the past year while 29% said they did not have any savings to fall back on, the survey of 2,000 people across the UK by Opinium in April found.

Experian said it has partnered with Citizens Advice to encourage people to open up about their money worries sooner and seek support.

On Tuesday, it is launching the Credit Paws Cafe, in partnership with Citizens Advice Nottingham and District.

The one-day pop-up event will allow people to get help with their money concerns as well as being able to spend some time relaxing in the presence of puppies.

James Jones, head of consumer affairs at Experian, said: The economic landscape means that more people are finding themselves in increasingly challenging financial situations.

Whilst money is often a taboo subject, being in over 7,000 worth of debt could be a significant burden, so its more important than ever that people feel they can have honest conversations about it and get the support they need.

This can be daunting, so were launching the Credit Paws Cafe to provide a helping paw for those taking that first step in speaking about their money concerns and regaining control over their finances.

The Money Advice Service is now MoneyHelper, the easy way to get free help for all your money and pension choices. https://t.co/vrv6mZFLBo pic.twitter.com/faEhxndltj  MoneyHelper (@MoneyHelperUK) June 30, 2021

Donna Cumberlidge, chief officer, Citizens Advice Nottingham and district, said: Its vital that people seek help with their finances if they have challenges they cant solve alone, so its great to see the Credit Paws Cafe helping people feel comfortable enough to start those conversations.

While it can seem daunting, Id urge anyone who is worried about money to open up to an expert so they can take the first step toward feeling more in control of their finances.

If youre looking to make more informed financial decisions reach out to your local Citizens Advice for free, confidential services all year round.

Support with money matters can be found by visiting citizensadvice.org.uk.

Other help and support is also available, for example through charities such as StepChange, Christians Against Poverty and the National Debtline, which is run by the Money Advice Trust. The Government-backed MoneyHelper service can also help with money tools and tips.

People who are struggling should also contact their bank or credit provider, to discuss what options are available to them.

If people are struggling with their energy bills, regulator Ofgem provides information about the support available at ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/getting-help-if-you-cant-afford-your-energy-bills.

People can also find out more about the Government support available to households at helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk.
A Chinese company selling pregnancy tests in the UK must be investigated over the potential risk that expectant mothers genetic data may be shared with the Chinese government, a cross-party group of parliamentarians have warned.

MPs and peers have called for the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) to launch a probe into BGI Group, Chinas leading genomics company, over concerns that data gathered from its NIFTY non-invasive pre-natal tests may be shared with the government in Beijing.

The politicians have shared their concerns about the company after it was blacklisted by the US government, and following the ICOs recent decision to fine Chinese-owned social media company TikTok over its misuse of data.

Conservative former minister Lord Bethell, Tory MP Henry Smith, Labour MPs Siobhain McDonagh, Taiwo Owatemi and Charlotte Nichols, and Lib Dem former minister Alistair Carmichael wrote to the ICO to call for the investigation.

They raised 2021 reporting by Reuters that suggested BGI was using the genetic information collected from pregnancy testing around the world to collect genetic data from millions of women for sweeping research on the traits of populations.

The also raised the alarm about Chinas national intelligence law, which requires private companies to share information with the state if requested for security purposes.

The letter said: It is vital consumers have full transparency in order to carefully assess the risks associated with sharing such data with state-linked Chinese companies.

We must also ensure patients are told about the importance and far-reaching implications of their genetic information  and the risks associated with turning it over.

Most importantly, we must ensure companies like BGI are completely transparent about their data collection and usage, and what Chinese laws they are subject to.

According to BGIs website, the NIFTY test is used to analyse blood samples from pregnant women to screen for genetic abnormalities, including Downs Syndrome.

Tory former health minister Lord Bethell said: BGI is a remarkable genomics and diagnostics company. It has phenomenal technology which I admire, but we just dont know for sure what it does with that data.

I would love to think it is respectful of privacy and security and individual rights, but we know from the practices of the government in China that it is using genomic data for surveillance.

He added: We have got to ask ourselves can we really trust BGI to be doing genomic testing here in the UK.

Lib Dem MP Mr Carmichael, who has previously raised concerns about the company in Parliament, described BGI as the next Huawei, claiming it was a question of when rather than if it is banned in the UK.

With that in mind, the Government should simply get on with it, he added.

He went on: This is a company with proven links to the Chinese military, working in a field that is Beijings strategic priority and enables the repression of human rights.

In March, the science minister George Freeman told Parliament that BGI is a danger point. Why then is BGI being allowed to open a new centre in London whilst continuing to build partnerships with UK universities?

This is a national security failing of the highest order. The Government must act.

A BGI Group spokesman said: First and foremost, BGI Group will be fully transparent and welcomes any opportunity to provide information on our work in the UK.

We believe in transparent, collaborative research and openly sharing results, a principle that is crucial to providing the greatest benefits for all of humanity. We will continue to advocate for open and inclusive global scientific collaboration with the aim of fighting diseases more effectively and improving the health of mankind.

The company has denied being linked to the Chinese state, and said it had previously refuted allegations made by the politicians in their letter to the ICO.

BGI emphasised that its labs meet stringent standards in information security, adding: Our data standards globally include the UKs BS10012 standard, compliance with the EUs General Data Protection Regulation, and the ISO27001 standard on information security.

The company added it does not engage in unethical practices and does not provide gene technology for the surveillance of Uighurs. BGI Group does not condone and would never be involved in any human-rights abuses.
Former Irish premier and architect of the Good Friday Agreement Bertie Ahern has said there is no reason why the Stormont Assembly should not be meeting next week.

He said that everything that was necessary to happen to restore the Northern Ireland powersharing institutions had happened and expressed concern about dragging out the process over the summer.

Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said he understands that DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson wants to keep his supporters and base onside, but said that he will have to face them down.

Mr Adams also said he believed the DUP leader when he said the prospect of Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill becoming First Minister was not the obstacle hindering the institutions revival.

The two leaders were speaking as part of a panel discussion in the members restaurant of Leinster House in Dublin on Tuesday evening, hosted by the Ceann Comhairle, or speaker of the Dail, Sean O Fearghail.

Mr Adams praised the organisation of the event and remarked it was the only event that the Irish establishment has had about the Good Friday Agreement.

All those other events up at Queens (University) and so on and so forth, the Irish government didnt do that. This government is to touch from the process.

Today the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Eireann, Senator Jerry Buttimer, welcomed former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who signed the Visitors Book before addressing the Seanad to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. #SeeForYourself Gallery: https://t.co/qC7Sql9YoF pic.twitter.com/Lsljfdk1Zx  Houses of the Oireachtas  Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) May 23, 2023

Among those on the panel were former SDLP leader Brid Rodgers, former UUP director of communications David Kerr and co-founder of Northern Ireland Womens Coalition Monica McWilliams.

In the audience were Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, TDs from Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein, the Social Democrats and the Rural Independent Group, the former speaker of the Assembly Alex Maskey, and the leader of the Seanad Jerry Buttimer.

Artist Shane Gillan, who created the hand-drawn portraits of politicians and key players in the peace deal negotiations as part of the event, was also present.

Mr Ahern said he had been concerned a few months ago that the British Government might endeavour to change the Good Friday Agreement in some way and say that this is a change that we have to do to get the unionists onside.

He also said there was huge merit in the DUP moving ahead with a deal to restore Stormont before the summer.

I just think that everything thats necessary has already happened. It looks as if the DUP need a bit of a commitment around trade legislation. Once its around trade legislation I wouldnt lose 30 seconds sleep about it, if its anything else, Id be very worried about that, he said.

Theres no reason that they shouldnt all be meeting next week, in my opinion, he said, adding he had a fear about that dragging it out over the summer.

The British and the DUP  theyre tic-tacing with each other clearly, and its around this trade legislation.

If I was in the DUP, I think theres huge merit in them in getting their bit of trade legislation and doing it now, before the summer break, before the marching season, before the holiday season, and then just getting on with it.

Mr Adams said: Jeffrey Donaldson knows that he has to go back into the Assembly.

He said it was fair enough to want to keep your own supporters and your own base onside, but added: You also have to tell those that you know are not going to come with you, to move to one side, you have to face them down.

He added: Jeffrey has a choice. I believe it when he says he doesnt have a problem  he probably doesnt like the fact  that Michelle ONeill is First Minister designate, but that is not the reason why (he wont take his party back to Stormont).

Reflecting on the campaign ahead of the referendum, Monica McWilliams said that most people do not realise how difficult it was during those six weeks to get people who had suffered and sacrificed the most to vote yes.

The thing I remember for me that turned it was the doctors and nurses came out, which is something they rarely do, and stuck their heads above the parapet and the doctors said Never again do I want to spend my life doing surgery on people who are missing limbs, who have had the most shocking injuries, and the doctor was crying as he was saying it, and that was a moment in which the people of the country listened.

And the nurses that came out and said the same, that their entire 30 years of their health profession, their medical profession had been taken up by nothing else except intensive care and fixing bodies.

Of the famous appearance of David Trimble and John Hume on stage with U2 ahead of the referendum vote, David Kerr said he was incredulous when he had heard the proposals, and that both were very nervous on the night.

Its the defining image. I dont care what anybody says, thats the image thats in the history books, he said.
Northern Ireland is being underfunded by design in a blackmail bid to restore Stormont, Parliament has been told.

Speaking at Westminster, DUP peer Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown said there was a nod and wink that cash would follow if his party was to end its powersharing boycott and the money tree will magically blossom again.

He made his comments as peers considered the Northern Ireland (Interim Arrangements) Bill.

The region is facing cuts in the latest budget which was set by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris in the absence of locally elected ministers.

There have been no functioning devolved institutions since last year when the DUP withdrew in protest over the post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.

The UK Government and EU unveiled the Windsor Framework earlier this year as a means of resolving difficulties caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol, but the DUP has said its concerns must be met before it returns to government.

Civil servants at Stormont have already been handed some extra powers to take decisions usually reserved for ministers and the Bill seeks to extend those powers beyond their current expiration date of June 5.

Lord McCrea said: This underfunding and unfair budget for Northern Ireland in my honest opinion is not by chance, but it is by design.

Those in authority know well that these cuts when they come will hurt the sick, the children, the vulnerable, the elderly, the weakest in society, but they believe that will be a price worth paying to get the Assembly and force the executive up and running.

He added: We all know this is to be used to endeavour to blackmail the DUP to get back into the executive with a nod and wink that money will follow if they do. In other words the money tree will magically blossom again.

Former DUP deputy leader Lord Dodds of Duncairn said: If the executive and the Assembly were back tomorrow it would not make the slightest difference to the underfunding of Northern Ireland.

In fact, newly installed ministers would have to go about the business of slashing public services in health and education, policing and so on to an unprecedented degree.

The need is here and now. The underfunding is taking place as a result of decisions taken here in Whitehall and Westminster by the Treasury.

He added: Todays budgetary position in Northern Ireland means social, economic and political dislocation.

Former Labour MP Baroness Hoey, a Brexit supporter who now sits as a non-affiliated peer, said: I would urge the minister not to treat this as some kind of almost bargaining point with politicians in Northern Ireland. That is not the way to deal with a serious financial situation.

Liberal Democrat Baroness Suttie said: There is no doubt that Northern Ireland is facing an extremely challenging situation as regards future public financing.

Surely the place for this to be debated is the Northern Ireland Assembly. I am under no illusions that a fully functioning Assembly and executive would immediately be able to resolve these complex issues, but it would provide one strong voice to lobby the Treasury.

Responding, Northern Ireland Office minister Lord Caine said: The Government has for many years recognised the unique challenges that Northern Ireland faces and the argument that Northern Ireland has been systematically underfunded by the Government in my view simply does not hold water.

He pointed out that renegotiating funding arrangements would take years.

The minister added: This is not an issue that could be solved overnight even with the best will in the world.

It would also be far more powerful if the case members are making was being done so from a functioning Stormont.

This is an issue best addressed in the context of a restored executive and Assembly in Northern Ireland in discussions with the Treasury.

The Bill is set to become law after being approved by the Lords without amendment.
The people of Northern Ireland have sent a clear message that they want powersharing back up and running, the Taoiseach has said.

Commenting after last weeks local elections in the region, Leo Varadkar told the Dail that he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would do all they could to help restore the devolved institutions in Belfast.

But the Irish premier cautioned that the power to resurrect the Stormont Assembly and Executive currently lay with the DUP.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald urged the Taoiseach to call a summit meeting to discuss the powersharing impasse (Mark Marlow/PA)

Mr Varadkar was responding to a question from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald who had urged the Taoiseach and Mr Sunak to convene a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIC) in the wake of the council elections.

The message is clear from the people of Northern Ireland, that they want the Executive up and running, and they want the enormous problems that they face on a day to day basis dealt with by their politicians, the Taoiseach said.

The elections saw Sinn Fein emerge as the largest party in local government for the first time in Northern Ireland, replicating its result in the Assembly election last year when it became the biggest party at Stormont.

While the DUP lost its position as the largest party at council level, it consolidated its position as the main unionist party by winning the same number of seats as it secured in the last local government election in 2019.

Sinn Fein called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, pictured, and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to convene a meeting of the BIIC to chart a path back to powersharing (Ben Stansall/PA)

The DUP is currently exercising a veto to block powersharing in Northern Ireland in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The party has insisted the election result has reinforced its mandate to seek further concessions from the UK government on the vexed trading dispute.

But Sinn Fein has insisted the electorate has made clear it wants a return to devolution without any further delay.

The republican party has called for Mr Sunak and Mr Varadkar to convene a meeting of the BIIC to chart a path back to powersharing.

Raising the issue in the Dail on Tuesday, Ms McDonald said: A few days ago, the north went to the polls again and delivered a seismic change in local government elections.

And the clear message is that Ireland has changed and is changing. The clearer message is that people want to see the Executive back up and running to deal with the issues that matter in health and housing, in delivering good jobs and to make politics work for everyone.

So its now critical that the British and Irish governments come together and focus the effort on the immediate restoration of the Executive and Assembly and I believe this must happen at Taoiseach and Prime Minister level.

We need to see an early meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference at this level.

Taoiseach, can I ask will you work to ensure that this happens?

Mr Varadkar said he had discussed the issue with Mr Sunak in Iceland last week and would be meeting him again at the European Political Community summit in Moldova next week.

We will be working together to do all that we can to ensure that the Assembly, the Executive, the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are back up and running again, he said.

But as you know as well as I do, the rules allow the two major parties  Sinn Fein and the DUP  to block that from happening, the DUP are currently the ones who are blocking it.

But were going to work together with the UK Government to do all that we can to have it up and running as soon as possible.
The level of violence towards emergency services and damage caused by riots that broke out in Cardiff after two teenage boys died in a crash has been described by police as totally unacceptable.

Tensions reached breaking point after officers were called to a collision, in Snowden Road, Ely, shortly after 6pm on Monday.

South Wales Police said the collision had already occurred when officers arrived, and they remained on the scene to manage large-scale disorder until the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The force said arrests have been made but did not say exactly how many.

Specially trained public order officers were deployed, including officers from neighbouring police forces, as several vehicles were set alight, property was damaged and officers were injured.

(PA Graphics)

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Travis said: First and foremost, our thoughts are with families of the two boys who have died following the collision in Ely and with those affected by the disorder which followed.

These are scenes we do not expect to see in our communities, particularly a close-knit community such as Ely.

We received a large number of calls from residents who were understandably frightened by the actions of this large group who were intent on causing crime and disorder.

The level of violence towards emergency services and the damage to property and vehicles was totally unacceptable.

Our focus now is to fully investigate the circumstances of the collision and the appalling scenes that followed.

The Ford Focus car of Jane Palmer set alight on Highmead Road, Ely, Cardiff (Bronwen Weatherby/PA)

Arrests have already been made in connection with the disorder and more will follow. We shall be maintaining an enhanced police presence throughout the week and into the weekend.

We would like to thank the public for their support and appeal to anyone with information or video footage to come forward and provide that to us.

Scenes being livestreamed on YouTube showed young people throwing fireworks and other missiles at a line of police officers with riot shields who were blocking one end of the street.

Shortly before midnight a car was set on fire and burned fiercely, while a second vehicle was overturned and also torched.

One person was attacked because rioters thought they were an undercover officer, according to a senior officer at the scene.

Rioters gradually moved down Highmead Road in Ely, Cardiff, followed by police trying to disperse them (Bronwen Weatherby/PA)

Police, including mounted officers on horseback, were seen outside Ely police station in the early hours of Tuesday after suggestions it could be targeted.

Alun Michael, South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: My understanding is that there was a road traffic accident involving two teenagers on an off-road bike or scooter and sadly they died.

Thats an incident obviously that is being investigated in its own right.

And that appears to have sparked, for reasons that arent clear, the disorder that youve referred to in which something like a dozen officers were injured, fortunately none of them life-threatening, and the connection between the two is far from clear.

So obviously theres going to be investigations going on this morning to try and establish what happened.

It would appear that there were rumours, and those rumours became rife, of a police chase, which wasnt the case.

Council workers clear debris from the area immediately around a car that was set alight during the riot (PA)

And I think it illustrates the speed with which rumours can run around with the activity that goes on on social media nowadays, and that events can get out of hand.

Mr Michael said people will be brought to account for the violence.

Obviously very frightening for local people. And there were a lot of calls to the police expressing concern about what was going on, he said.

Mr Michael added: Ely is an area which has a lot of deprivation, but its also a very warm community.

I think what we have is an incident that involved some people and a proper investigation is needed to establish exactly what happened.

Downing Street said the scenes were appalling and completely unacceptable.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: The reports of disorder, violence, arson and specifically attacks on police officers are appalling and unacceptable.

We remain grateful to the emergency services and first responders for all their support to the community and restoring order.

There have been calls for calm after the disorder (PA)

Cardiff Councils leader called for calm and said it is really important a full investigation into the crash can take place immediately.

Councillor Huw Thomas said: My thoughts and deepest sympathies this morning are with the families of the young people who died in the road collision yesterday. This is a tragic event and they, and we, need to understand what happened and why.

The best way we can achieve this is by letting the investigation begin as soon as possible. Any further trouble will only delay that investigation.

I know the majority of people in Ely are deeply worried and concerned about the scenes last night.

Its really important that a full investigation into what happened, and into how the road collision occurred, can take place immediately.

For that to happen we need calm. Any continuation of last nights trouble will only hamper any investigation.

Its important we all come together, and work together now, to find out exactly what happened. I urge everyone to do all they can to calm the situation.

Welsh Conservative Leader Andrew RT Davies said there is no excuse for the disorder that unfolded and said it was deeply concerning.

There is simply no excuse for this kind of disorder in our communities and it is unacceptable that people have been made to feel unsafe in their own homes.

My deepest condolences go out to the families of the two boys who lost their lives last night. My thoughts are also with the injured police officers, and I wish them a speedy recovery.

I have submitted an emergency question in the Senedd today, to seek answers from the Welsh Government on what discussions they are having with South Wales Police regarding this concerning situation, he said.

Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales Central Heledd Fychan said: There must now be a full investigation to understand how this tragic incident led to the violence that followed to ensure peace is restored and that this never happens again.
The UKs water regulator has launched a new investigation into South West Water over whether it accurately reported its leakage performance.

The supplier was targeted by Ofwat last year in an investigation into its environmental performance and sewage treatment works.

Ofwat said it will be carrying out a thorough investigation into the firms leakage reporting and per capita consumption  referring to the average households water use.

We have launched an enforcement investigation into @SouthWestWater, relating to the accuracy of information reported by the company for its performance on leakage and per capita consumption.https://t.co/MILZ8kNLtO pic.twitter.com/NIoR5RhWC0  Ofwat (@Ofwat) May 23, 2023

Suppliers are under pressure to reduce the amount of water lost through leaks in the water pipeline network, with a Government target to cut leakage by 50% by 2050.

Some 20% of public water supply is being lost through leaks, according to the Governments Plan For Water set out last month.

Climate change leading to more prolonged droughts and growing demand for water means there could be a gap between supply and demand in the future if suppliers do not cut waste and improve water efficiency.

South West Water, which is owned by Pennon, was among the six worst performing water firms, according to Ofwats annual report published in December.

David Black, Ofwats chief executive, said: We are committed to holding companies to account for performance and for sharing timely, accurate and complete data with us and their customers.

We want to ensure that is the case here. A thorough investigation will now be carried out and we will provide updates in due course on our findings and whether there is any further action Ofwat needs to take.

The watchdog can penalise or reward a company based on how well it meets its annual performance targets.

Ofwat said it would not provide any further information on the investigation until it reached a conclusion.

South West Water has previously been in trouble for sewage spills and faced fines from the regulator.

There were around 300,000 sewage spills in 2022 in England, according to data from the Environment Agency.
Rolf Harris died of neck cancer and frailty of old age on May 10, according to a death certificate filed at Maidenhead Town Hall and seen by the PA news agency.

The disgraced entertainer and convicted sex offender, 93, was a family favourite for decades before being convicted of a string of indecent assaults in June 2014.

These included one on an eight-year-old autograph hunter, two on girls in their early teens and a catalogue of abuse against his daughters friend over 16 years.

His death certificate lists the causes of death as metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of neck and frailty of old age.

He died at home in Bray, Berkshire.

The certificate also suggested Harris would be cremated.

A statement from his family, released through his solicitor, said: This is to confirm that Rolf Harris recently died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest.

They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made.

Once a much-loved artist and musician, Harris was jailed for five years and nine months after being convicted of 12 assaults which took place between 1968 and 1986.

Rolf Harris leaving Southwark Crown Court (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Sentencing Harris, Mr Justice Sweeney told him: Your reputation lies in ruins. You have been stripped of your honours and you have no-one to blame but yourself.

In May 2017, he was formally cleared of four unconnected historical sex offences, which he had denied.

Later the same year, one of the 12 indecent assault convictions was overturned by the Court of Appeal.

He remained out of the spotlight until 2019, when he walked on to the premises of a primary school in his home town, reportedly to talk to a sculptor working in the grounds.

Harris left as soon as he was asked and the school said no pupils came into contact with him. No arrests were made.

Harris was released on licence from HMP Stafford on May 19 2017, less than three years after his sentence began.

At the time, his was the biggest celebrity scalp to be claimed by detectives from high-profile sex crime investigation Operation Yewtree.

He was the second person convicted under the national inquiry, set up in the wake of abuse claims against late DJ and entertainer Jimmy Savile.

In light of his conviction, Harris had his 2012 Bafta fellowship removed and was stripped of his CBE. He also had Australian honours taken away.

Harris poses next to his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (PA)

He was made an MBE in the 1960s, an OBE a decade later and a CBE in 2006  the year after he painted the late Queens 80th birthday portrait.

It was unveiled at Buckingham Palace on December 19 2005.

The portrait was exhibited at Buckingham Palace and Holyroodhouse, and was taken on a tour of public galleries throughout the UK.

After his conviction, it disappeared.

The decision to revoke his CBE, which can be recommended by the Honours and Appointments Secretariat to the Forfeiture Committee, must be approved by the sovereign.
On Monday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed new legislation authorizing law enforcement to seize weapons from those deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.

These laws are known as "red flag" laws, which seek to improve public safety and reduce the risk of tragedies related to gun violence, according to CNN.

Governor Whitmer underlined the success of extreme risk protection orders in lowering suicides, saving lives, and stopping domestic abusers and dangerous felons from accessing weapons. Senate Bill 83 and House Bill 4146, the measures she signed, include explicit provisions for carrying out the new laws.

Senate Bill 83 allows persons to request an extreme risk safety order with the circuit court if they have proof of the severe danger of self-injury or damage to others from weapon ownership.

House Bill 4146 also forbids anyone subject to an unprecedented risk protection order from acquiring a license to carry a concealed weapon. This provision restricts firearm access for dangerous people.

Read Also: New York Court Prepares For Donald Trump's Virtual Appearance

Governor Gretchen Whitmer cited situations when suspicions about possible perpetrators were expressed, but no significant action was taken to avert mass shootings.

The red flag law and universal background checks for all weapons, including long guns, are part of Michigan's recent gun control laws.

The new Michigan gun control laws follow the horrific shooting at Michigan State University earlier this year that killed and injured many others.

How Does the Red Flag Law Work?

The legislation takes effect next spring. It allows family members, police, mental health experts, roommates, and previous dating partners to ask a court for an extraordinary risk protection order. After 24 hours, the court will make a ruling, and the flagged person will have 14 days to prove they are not a threat. The duration of a protection order, if granted, is usually one year.

Red flag laws are now in effect in 21 US states, including Michigan, joining other states in taking precautions against possible threats. The efficacy and execution of this legislation, however, continue to be a source of concern.

An AP study indicated that since 2020, 15,049 weapons were seized in the 19 states with red flag legislation or fewer than 10 per 100,000 adult population, Yahoo! News reported.

Though the new Michigan gun control measures signify a step toward saving lives, gun control activists like Saylor Reinders, president of the MSU chapter of Students Demand Action, highlight the need for further initiatives to improve safety, such as mental health support, per Bridge Michigan.

Related Article: Democrats Urge Biden To Expedite Migrant Work Permits

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Police have combed the banks of a reservoir in Portugal with the help of sniffer dogs, rakes and pickaxes as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Emergency service divers were seen on a rigid-hull inflatable boat early on Tuesday morning at the Barragem do Arade  around 30 miles from Praia da Luz, where the three-year-old went missing in 2007.

Officers concentrated their search at one area of the reservoir  erecting white tents on a hill on the banks.

Further around the water, emergency services and officials from Portugal, Germany and the UK were seen holding briefings near blue police tents.

In the search area, uniformed and plain-clothed officers spent a number of hours scouring the banks  hammering away at the ground with pickaxes and combing through small rocks with rakes and spades.

A track leading to the search area was cordoned off with police tape and marked vehicles from Portugals National Republican Guard.

The new searches come as the Home Office granted an extra 110,000 in funding this financial year for the Metropolitan Police to assist with finding Madeleine, down from just over 300,000 last year.

The total funding given to Operation Grange has been just under 13.1 million since 2011.

Portuguese police confirmed on Monday that they are co-ordinating searches in the Algarve at the request of German police and in the presence of British officers.

Madeleine McCann (Family handout)

The Metropolitan Police said officers will be there in order to inform Madeleines family if there are any developments.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said: The Met continues to work with and support colleagues in Portugal and Germany, with their investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Met officers will be in Portugal and I am grateful to the Policia Judiciaria and Bundeskriminalamt for allowing us to be present whilst their work is ongoing, so that we can inform Madeleines family of any developments.

A brief statement from the prosecutors office in the German city of Braunschweig confirmed the search, but did not reveal why it was taking place.

Braunschweig prosecutor Christian Wolters told reporters that investigators were acting on the basis of certain tips but would not give further details.

Personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algarve, Portugal (Yui Mok/PA)

Four teams of officers from the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria are involved in the operation, along with at least 20 of their German counterparts, Portuguese news outlet SIC said.

It has been reported that the prime suspect in Madeleines disappearance, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, 45, spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017.

Investigators believe he killed Madeleine after abducting her from a holiday apartment.

Brueckner, who has denied involvement in Madeleines disappearance, was first identified as a suspect by German investigators.

The Sun reported that the search was sparked after they discovered video and photos of Brueckner near the reservoir.

A no-fly zone has been put in place over the water and media and other onlookers are being kept a mile back from the site of the search.

Brueckner is facing charges in Germany over a number of separate sex offences allegedly committed in Portugal during that time.

It is not the first time the reservoir has been searched.

Personnel and media at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algarve, Portugal (Yui Mok/PA)

In 2008, Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleines body was there.

The most recent search in Portugal in relation to her disappearance was in 2014, when British police were given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished.

Earlier this month, Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry McCann posted a short statement on their Find Madeleine Campaign website to mark the anniversary of her disappearance.

They said: Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleines abduction.

Still missing still very much missed.

It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel.

The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough.
The Duchess of Edinburgh has made a surprise visit to Iraq as part of her work championing the survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

Sophie has spent two days in the capital Baghdad, where she heard about the challenges facing Iraqi women and girls, and the ongoing work to protect and promote their rights, Buckingham Palace announced.

The previously unannounced trip, which was kept secret for security reasons, was made at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in support of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS), the Palace said.

The Foreign Office advises against all travel to the majority of provinces in Iraq, amid the threat of violent protests in and around the International Zone in Baghdad.

The Duchess of Edinburgh visiting a girls school in Baghdad (Buckingham Palace/PA)

Sophie visited a high school for girls, and spoke to students and teachers about education for young women in the country, and their hopes for the future.

Sophie at a family planning centre in Baghdad (Buckingham Palace/PA)

She also visited a family planning centre to hear about work being carried out to support the reproductive health and wellbeing of Iraqi women, and met female business leaders to discuss the importance of womens economic empowerment.

She delivered a message of greeting from the King to the Iraqi president, Abdul Latif Rashid, and the First Lady after meeting them in Baghdad.

The duchess at the girls school (Buckingham Palace/PA)

Charles, as the Prince of Wales, travelled to country in 2004 when he visited military personnel in Basra during the Iraq War.

In 2006, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, made a surprise trip to see British troops in Basra when he was 85.
The UK state contributed to the death of a teenager who took her own life after being groomed by a far-right extremist and later arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences, an inquest has heard.

Rhianan Rudd was found dead in a childrens home aged 16 on May 19 2022, around 18 months after she was detained for downloading a bomb-making manual online and accused of plotting a terrorist attack.

Rhianan, who had autism, had been groomed and exploited by an American extremist, evidence of which led to the charges being dropped five months before her death.

At a pre-inquest review hearing at Chesterfield Coroners Court on Tuesday, Jesse Nicholls, representing Rhianans family, said while consideration was given to whether the teenager was a victim of sexual exploitation, a referral order was only made in August 2021 despite police and MI5 knowing she was a victim for almost a year.

He said: Rhianan was aware for over a year that she was being prosecuted for serious criminal offences at a time when she was 14 years old and a victim of child sexual exploitation.

In continuing to investigate and prosecute, and not withdraw the prosecution, the state contributed to Rhianans death.

If Rhianan had been identified as a victim earlier and had Rhianan been signposted to appropriate support, her death could have been avoided.

The issue is [the investigation] should not have been happening in the way that it was.

Mr Nicholls claimed that despite the police and MI5 having knowledge of Rhianan being a victim of crime, the referral order was made by a social worker and did not lead to charges being withdrawn until December 2021.

He said this delay contributed to a decline in Rhianans well-being which ultimately resulted in her death.

Claire Palmer, representing Derbyshire Police, told the court that police began investigating Rhianan in September 2020 after her mother, Emily Carter, referred her to the anti-radicalisation scheme Prevent.

Ms Palmer said that when she was arrested in October 2020, Rhianan was at some degree, in crisis, and was interviewed about her sexual exploitation, but did not believe she was a victim.

She said: By the time police became involved, Rhianan was sadly already radicalised.

What the police found was a vulnerable, complex young lady where there were very serious issues.

Rhianan was charged with various offences in April 2021 and was due to stand trial in March 2022, but charges were dropped after evidence emerged she had been groomed by the American extremist Christopher Cook.

Rhianan, who moved to Derbyshire with her family from Essex in 2012, continued to work with Prevent and was studying for her GSCEs at the time of her death at the Bluebell House Residential Home, on the edge of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire.

After a rapid review by social services, her case was not deemed to meet the criteria for a serious case review into her care.

Mr Nicholls earlier told the court that the inquest should consider how the police investigation affected Rhianans state of mind, given how she was a victim of sexual exploitation.

He claimed action was not taken soon enough to see her as a victim rather than an offender.

He said: The inquest will need to investigate, among other matters, the impact that the investigation may have had on Rhianans state of mind.

Secondly, we say that the inquest should investigate how it came to be that Rhianan was subjected to the criminal justice system for alleged terror offences and whether as part of that adequate or appropriate steps were taken at the right time to recognise her for what she was  a victim of child sexual exploitation  which resulted in the discontinuance of the prosecution.

For a period of well over a year, possibly significantly longer depending on the date of MI5s knowledge, the state was effectively investigating and prosecuting a child for serious criminal offences.

The hearing on Tuesday was also attended by representatives of Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council and Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, as well as Blue Mountain, which runs the residential home.

Peter Nieto, area coroner for Derby and Derbyshire, said there is a lot to understand and consider regarding Rhianans complex case, and lots of issues for Rhianan that were pre-occupying her.

He said: There are also issues that need to be understood in relation to her care and support because she was a looked-after child at the time of her death and there were a number of organisations involved with her support and care, and there was also some degree of arrangements for her that might be relevant.

There is obviously quite a lot to understand about what may have been on Rhianans mind at the time she took her own life and what issues might have affected her decision-making leading up to her death.

Another hearing will take place on September 19, with the inquest due to start on February 19 next year.
Rishi Sunak faces an awkward Cabinet meeting on Tuesday as he mulls whether to order an investigation into Suella Bravermans handling of a speeding offence, a scandal that threatens to deepen rifts in the Tory party.

The Prime Minister is reportedly looking at emails in which officials raised concerns about the cabinet ministers request for help last autumn to arrange a private speed awareness course for her.

The Home Secretary has been accused of breaching the ministerial code by asking taxpayer-funded civil servants to assist with a private matter.

Mrs Braverman insisted she had done nothing untoward. She admitted speeding, paid a fine and took penalty points on her licence.

But she did not deny asking officials for help in trying to arrange a one-to-one speed awareness course for her, rather than joining fellow motorists on the programme which allows people with minor offences to avoid incurring points on their licence.

The Times reported officials were so concerned by her alleged request they emailed the Cabinet Offices propriety and ethics team, who told them to disregard it.

The newspaper suggested Mrs Braverman instructed them to organise the course, rather than simply soliciting advice.

This piles pressure on Mr Sunak to launch an investigation into allegations she breached the ministerial code, as does reporting by the Guardian that the most senior civil servant in the Home Office was informed about the claims.

A senior official reported Mrs Bravermans request to Matthew Rycroft, the departments permanent secretary, due to concerns about whether it was appropriate, the paper was told by sources.

Mr Sunak spoke to both his independent adviser on ministers interests Sir Laurie Magnus and the Home Secretary on Monday as he considered his response.

Sir Laurie cannot begin an investigation into a ministers conduct without the authorisation of the Prime Minister.

Downing Street said Mr Sunak still had confidence in Mrs Braverman, but pointedly refused to back her assertions she had done nothing wrong following the speeding charge last year.

Mr Sunak told MPs he had asked for further information and would update on the appropriate course of action in due course.

The speeding offence took place last year when Mrs Braverman was serving as attorney general.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mrs Braverman should resign if she is found to have broken the ministerial code.

Her allies have argued she was the victim of a smear campaign.
Rishi Sunak is still mulling over whether or not to order an investigation into Suella Bravermans conduct.

Downing Street on Tuesday said that the Prime Minister was still looking at all the requisite information, amid claims the Home Secretary asked officials to help arrange a private speed awareness course for her.

Ms Braverman has been accused of breaching the Ministerial Code by asking taxpayer-funded civil servants to assist with a private matter.

The Home Secretary insists she did nothing untoward.

She admitted speeding, paid a fine and took penalty points on her driving licence.

But Ms Braverman did not deny asking officials for help in trying to arrange a one-to-one speed awareness course rather than joining fellow motorists on the programme, which allows people with minor offences to avoid getting points on their licences.

Labour has tried to pile further pressure on the Prime Minister, bringing an urgent question to the Commons on the matter.

The partys deputy leader Angela Rayner asked how many strikes before the Home Secretary is out?

She said: After days of dither and delay the Prime Minister still hasnt decided whether there should be an investigation by his ethics adviser.

When can we expect to know what the Prime Minister is thinking on this matter?

Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin told MPs: The Prime Minister made clear to the House yesterday that he is receiving information on the issues raised.

Since returning from the G7, the Prime Minister has met both the independent adviser and the Home Secretary and asked for further information.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a news conference at the end of the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

It is right that the Prime Minister, as the head of the executive and the arbiter of the Ministerial Code, be allowed time to receive relevant information on this matter.

Honourable members will be updated on this in due course.

Downing Street also faced questions about a report in the Independent newspaper that Ms Braverman failed to disclose previous work with the Rwandan government.

According to the paper, the Home Secretary helped co-found a charity that trained Rwandan government lawyers between 2010 and 2015.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman did not comment directly on the report, but said: Ministers are required to make the requisite declarations.

And if the independent adviser thinks they are of issue they are then declared. Thats an important distinction.

Several Tory MPs came to the defence of the Home Secretary on Tuesday.

Among those who spoke from the backbenches in support of Ms Braverman was Sir Edward Leigh, who told his fellow MPs: All this moral outrage is ludicrous that a minister asked her private office about something and she takes their advice.

We all know whats this is all about; theyre attacking a good Home Secretary who is trying to attack the real scandal of mass immigration to this country.
Published 23 May 2023 at 1:57 am

One of the last surviving SAS soldiers who stormed the Iranian embassy in London has died.

Mel Parry was part of the SAS team which ended the 1980 siege after six armed men took 26 people hostage within the building.

The hostage takers were Iranian-Arabs campaigning for the sovereignty of Khuzestan, a province in the south west of the country.

They demanded the release of prisoners held in Iran, as well as their own safe passage out of the UK.

In one of the elite units most famous operations, the SAS soldiers stormed the embassy in 17 minutes on day six of the siege.

They rescued all but one of the hostages, killing five of the six hostage takers in the process.

Mr Parrys former SAS colleague Bob Shepherd paid tribute to him in his blog.

Its with the greatest of sadness that I write this blog post about arguably one of the finest men to have served in 22 SAS Regiment in my time, he wrote.

I write this as he died from a very long illness today in Hereford. My heart goes out to Mels family and close friends.

Mal, you were a gentleman and an incredible soldier. We first met when I joined B Squadron in the early 80s and you were the guiding light of the CT world that we recognise today. God Speed and dont spare the HE   pic.twitter.com/abU92cQGU0  Chris Ryan MM  (@ChrisRyanMM) May 22, 2023

Another former SAS soldier, Chris Ryan, paid tribute to Mr Parry on Twitter.

Mal, you were a gentleman and an incredible soldier, he tweeted.

We first met when I joined B Squadron in the early 80s and you were the guiding light of the CT [Counter-Terrorism] world that we recognise today.

God Speed and dont spare the HE [High-Explosive].

An Army spokesperson said: We are saddened to hear of the passing of Mel Parry who had a long and distinguished career.

We are thankful for his service, dedication, excellence and enduring legacy.

Our thoughts are with his friends and family.
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Donald Trump will face a criminal trial in New York on March 25, 2024, a judge said on Tuesday, meaning the former U.S. President will be on trial as his campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination is in full swing.

Trump, who is charged with falsifying business records to conceal a hush money payment to a porn star, is expected to be crisscrossing the country next spring along with his rivals as states host presidential nominating contests.

Justice Juan Merchan in Manhattan state court announced the date at a hearing in which Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024 and the first former U.S. president to be criminally charged, appeared remotely from Florida.

Merchan also advised Trump of restrictions on his ability to publicly discuss certain evidence handed over by prosecutors.

At least four screens in Merchan's courtroom showed Trump and his lawyer Todd Blanche seated in front of U.S. flags.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 criminal counts. In a post on his Truth Social platform after the hearing, Trump said his rights to free speech had been violated.

"They forced upon us a trial date of March 25th, right in the middle of the Primary season," Trump wrote in the post. "It's called ELECTION INTERFERENCE."

New York prosecutors say Trump sought to conceal reimbursements to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen for a $130,000 payment to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Cohen has said he paid her in exchange for her silence before the 2016 election about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump, which Trump denies.

The reimbursements concealed violations of New York election law and violations of campaign contribution limits under federal election law, according to prosecutors.

JUDGE SAYS RESTRICTIONS DO NOT IMPEDE TRUMP'S CAMPAIGN

During the hearing, Trump spoke only to tell the court he had a copy of the May 8 order restricting him from disclosing certain evidence to third parties, including news outlets and on social media.

Blanche said Trump was concerned the order violated his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech. But he said he had told his client that Merchan did not intend to impede his speech and that the restriction was not a gag order, which would bar him from speaking publicly about the case at all.

Merchan said he did not mean to restrict Trump's ability to campaign, and that Trump "is certainly free to deny the charges, he is free to defend himself against the charges."

The judge said on Tuesday that if Trump violates the restrictions, he could be held in contempt of court.

The restrictions on Trump concern grand jury minutes, witness statements, and other materials that prosecutors are required to turn over to the defense to prepare for trial.

Prosecutors have said the order was needed because of Trump's history of attacks on social media, and the risk that witnesses might be harassed.

(Reporting by Luc Cohen and Karen Freifeld, Writing by Noeleen Walder; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
TV personality Fred Sirieix was seen getting hands on in a prison kitchen as he launched his charitys third restaurant staffed by prisoners.

The First Dates presenter and maitre dhotel was speaking as his charity, The Right Course, launched its newest training restaurant, Berties, in HMP Lincoln on Monday.

The eatery, named after the Category B prisons deputy governor of more than 30 years, will be operated by inmates and will be the first in the country to allow staff and customers to be joined by families to share a meal during visiting hours.

It comes after The Right Course opened similar outlets in HMP Wormwood Scrubs, in west London, and HMP Isis, in south London, with plans to open five more this year.

Mr Sirieix, 51, told guests that the scheme hopes to teach inmates the ABC of restauranting.

He said: If you are in prison, something has gone wrong at some point and we have to take responsibility and we have to give opportunities to people.

We have to teach people how to do the job like a pro.

Hard work will always beat talent. Enthusiasm is half the battle.

He added: We are going to do everything we can in order to equip them for life on the outside and that means these guys have to be as good as anyone in the world.

The scheme offers selected inmates the chance to achieve City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in catering and front-of-house qualifications in partnership with the training provider, PeoplePlus.

Fred Sirieix talks to diners during a visit to HMP Lincoln (Joe Giddens/PA)

Participants are trained to deliver high-street standards in real-life settings, with Mr Sirieix helping to orchestrate operations as guests were served a three-course meal at Berties to celebrate the launch.

Guests enjoyed smoked salmon and cream cheese on bread for starters, a lasagne and sharing platters for mains and sticky toffee pudding with ice cream for dessert, with staff also on hand to serve drinks.

Mr Sirieix said: Today was great. It was a baptism of fire. I got a bit excited but I cant help that.

One prisoner told the Frenchman that he wanted to open a street food truck upon being released, with the restaurant serving weekly specials including lasagne and Philly cheesesteaks.

One said: Weve been working as a team, its been hard as well but we have done it.

Another added: This course has made me more confident and helped me speak to people better.

Fred Sirieix gives front of house advice to a prisoner during a visit to HMP Lincoln (Joe Giddens/PA)

Mr Sirieix who arrived in the UK in 1992, called on the scheme to be rolled out across all of the countrys prisons.

He added: We have people here who are idle, doing nothing. Lets keep them busy, but more importantly, its about giving people pride and a sense of satisfaction.

You feel good, and you feel like you have done a good job and feel excited and proud of yourself.

The initiative also hopes to both reduce reoffending among inmates and plug the shortage of hospitality staff across the country, with the Office for National Statistics claiming that there are 132,000 vacancies in the industry as of this month.

Damian Hinds, the prisons minister, said: Giving prisoners a better chance of getting a job works  it cuts crime, saves taxpayer money and protects the public.

Our work with The Right Course and Fred Sirieix is helping prisoners learn skills from the best in the industry that will help them find work when released.

The Ministry of Justice said that 56% of those trained and released at The Right Courses Escape restaurant in HMP Wormwood Scrubs have since found employment.
British universities could be hit financially if overseas students are deterred from studying in the UK as a result of new immigration rules, leaders in the higher education sector have warned.

The Governments decision to ban overseas students  apart from postgraduates on research programmes  from obtaining visas for their dependants, could be damaging, a union leader has said.

The restrictions are set to apply to international students beginning courses after January 2024.

Jamie Arrowsmith, director of Universities UK International, has called on the Government to limit the impact of changes to the immigration rules on universities already under serious financial pressures.

He added that the changes to rules on dependants are likely to have a disproportionate impact on women and students from certain countries.

Anything that threatens to affect the UKs global success as a top destination for international talent needs to be considered very carefully, Mr Arrowsmith said.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), said he hoped that Suella Braverman will now lobby the Chancellor to help universities recoup their losses following the announcement.

He said: This is not a wise move because every part of the UK benefits from the presence of international students and, if they are discouraged from coming to the UK, they wont stay at home but instead go to our competitors.

Mr Hillman added: As a country, we risk cutting off our nose to spite our face. Given that international student fees subsidise the teaching of home students as well as UK research, I hope the Home Secretary will now be lobbying the Chancellor to help universities recoup their losses.

Home Office figures, released in February, show that 22% of all sponsored-study-related visas granted in 2022 were to dependants of students (135,788), compared to 6% (16,047) in 2019.

Nigeria had the highest number of dependants (60,923) of sponsored study visa holders in 2022, and India had the second highest number of dependants (38,990).

Last week, the Office for Students (OfS) warned that an over-reliance on tuition fees from overseas students  especially from a single country like China  is a financial risk for English universities. Many of the institutions with the largest number of Chinese students are members of the Russell Group.

On the curbs on overseas students bringing family to the UK, Tim Bradshaw, chief executive of the Russell Group, which represents some of the most selective institutions in the UK, said they were likely to have a negative impact on universities plans to diversify their international student intakes.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), called the tightening of immigration rules by the Home Office a vindictive move.

She said: It is clear that deep concern is already being felt across the sector as to just how damaging the package of measures announced by the Home Secretary could be to the pipeline of international talent coming to the UK.

This is another deeply shameful moment for a Government hell-bent on attacking migrants and undermining our universities.
Wagamama owner The Restaurant Group scraped through its latest pay deal for bosses after shareholders revolted against the hospitality firm.

A number of investors, led by activist fund manager Oasis Management, protested against the unpalatable pay of the firms chief executive, Andy Hornby, after four years of losses.

Mr Hornby received a total pay package worth 792,000 for 2022, including an annual bonus of 125,000.

It came after the company posted an 86.8 million loss for the year.

On Tuesday, 45.5% of Restaurant Group shareholders voted against the companys pay report for last year at the firms annual general meeting in London.

However, the company ultimately secured the majority approval needed to pass the deal.

There was also a shareholder revolt against the remuneration policy for directors, which will hand Mr Hornby and finance chief Kirk Davis a 2.5% salary increase this year. Almost 35% of investors voted against the policy.

There were also significant votes against the reappointment of company chairman Ken Hanna, director Zoe Morgan and Mr Hornby as chief.

In a statement, the company, which also owns the Frankie & Bennys and Chiquito chains, said: It is noted that a significant minority did not support certain of the substantive remuneration resolutions.

The remuneration committee intends to keep the remuneration policy under active review to ensure it remains appropriate to the groups evolution and aligned to stakeholder interests and will provide an update on that review within the statutory six-month timescale.

Oasis, which owns a 12.3% stake in the group, also wrote to the business last week to express its deep concern regarding the equal treatment of shareholders.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Telegraph reported over the weekend that Florida-based hedge fund and minor shareholder TMR Capital has also called for an overhaul at the business, proposing that the group sells all its operations apart from Wagamama.

Daniel Wosner, head of Europe at Oasis, said: We are very pleased to see that our fellow shareholders have come out in force to share their discontent with both executive remuneration and TRGs remuneration policy.

The numbers tell the story. We will continue to seek constructive engagement with the company to strengthen its governance and enable it to be better aligned with the interests of all shareholders.

Meanwhile, largest shareholder, Columbia Threadneedle Investments, said: As a long-term shareholder in The Restaurant Group (TRG), we remain supportive of TRGs board and management team, who have successfully navigated the exceptionally tough industry backdrop.

The board continues to receive our support as they assess the best options to deliver long-term shareholder value.

Richard Marwood, a senior fund manager at fellow shareholder Royal London Asset Management, said: We are supportive of the management. Some of the views out there, that there is value to be crystallised by changing the structure of the group, are not lost on the management team.

They are not intransigent and are working hard, both operationally and strategically, to create value for shareholders.
Facial recognition has been a sensitive topic for the public, especially since it can be a way of restricting one's freedom and an invasion of privacy. Still, Ministers believe that facial recognition technology on body cameras will help with police work.

Crime Prevention or Constant Surveillance?

The plan was made known through a document that was meant for the surveillance camera commissioner, Prof Fraser Sampson, which may lead to officers having facial recognition embedded in body-worn cams, which will monitor people as the streets are patrolled.

Sampson stated that the potential expansion of surveillance technology was "very significant," also expressing that the state's ability to watch every move of is very real, pointing to the "Orwellian concerns of the people," as mentioned in The Guardian.

The surveillance camera commissioner believes that the camera on an officer while walking down the street could flag the faces based on a watchlist of suspects, adding that the technology could check hundreds if not thousands of people.

Reports say that the facial recognition technology that would be used on the cameras would be able to estimate age, even a person's mood or state of anxiety. Sampson also mentioned that in China, the algorithm can detect ethnicity, which may raise concerns about racial bias as well.

Still, the commissioner believes that the potential addition should be addressed in any future regulatory framework, given that policing is "based on consent and trust," and that confidence is vital when it comes to police work.

National Police Chiefs' Council lead for facial recognition, Lindsey Chiswick says that the technology can help with police efforts to fight crime with transparency, accountability, and appropriate standards, adding that it should be in a "well-governed and proportionate way."

Live facial recognition (LFR) has been used before by the Met during the coronation, scanning around 68,000 faces using LFR cameras from three sites. The one in Piccadilly accounted for 30,633 scans which led to two alerts and one arrest.

Read Also: UK Police Tests a Sensor Vehicle That Can Detect if a Driver is Holding a Phone

The Public May Benefit From It

Of course, we should not dismiss the fact that this method may indeed be invasive and may subject people to constant surveillance whenever they're in public or officers are around, but it may also play out nicely when it comes to police treatment.

Body cameras will not only recognize faces, but they could record the actions of the police as well. This could determine whether police have gone beyond their purview, or if instances of police brutality have been reported and footage is needed to prove it.

There has been an uptick in reports concerning police brutality over the years, especially since social media has been instrumental in raising awareness of the issue. One of the incidents you may be aware of is the death of George Floyd while he was in police custody.

The most recent is the fatal shooting of the two dogs, Marshall and Millions, as reported by PKB News, which has once again caused outrage among the public against the police. Such instances would not have raised awareness if it hasn't been filmed by bystanders.

Related: San Francisco Police Petition License For Robots To Use 'Deadly Force'
The Prince of Wales said advances made by an eco-packaging firm since it won 1 million from his Earthshot Prize are breathtaking.

William toured the factory of Notpla, which was awarded the funds after impressing judges with its biodegradable cartons made from seaweed, on Tuesday.

The Earthshot Prize was established by William to find solutions to repair the planet.

Notpla  short for not plastic  scooped its Build A Waste-Free World award last year.

The Prince of Wales talks to co-founders Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, left, and Pierre Paslier during a visit to Notpla in London (Kin Cheung/PA)

William got the chance to see some of the firms products, which have the potential to revolutionise the packaging industry, being used.

Shown a new development  injection-moulded seaweed and plant extracts that can be used for cutlery  he said: Its breathtaking to see the advances youre making already.

Thats really exciting.

When research engineer Callum Wardle told the future king he could eat the material, William joked: It might take me a while.

Before developing cartons, Notpla co-founders Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez and Pierre Paslier created an edible bubble filled with water.

Notpla was given 1 million by Williams Earthshot Prize last year (Kin Cheung/PA)

And as William was taken round the facility in Hackney Wick, east London, they showed him flavoured capsules  and he tried one called Cosmopolitan.

William donned a blue lab coat to make biodegradable film that can be used to cover food and, impressed by the research scientists work, joked: Where theres a Bunsen burner, theres trouble.

At the end of his visit, William went to a nearby pub, where he ate pizza served on a tray made from seaweed.

Notpla has launched a range of coated boxes with Bidfood UK, a foodservice distributor with more than 45,000 customers across the UK.

When William met existing and potential customers of the biodegradable packaging firm, he asked how to give businesses the confidence to try a new product like Notpla.

Darren Ungless, director of buying at Bidfood, said said they needed to convince some of the big decision-makers to come on board to make a difference.

After the visit Notpla co-founder Pierre Paslier said the Earthshot Prize had given his business a huge boost of credibility among potential clients but there were issues with companies still being dependent on plastics.

He said: Today were seeing that companies that invest in sustainability, they grow twice as fast as companies that dont.

So if you want to stay in business, youve got to switch your mindset.
luoman - Getty Images

It was not long ago that we rarely thought about where our food came from, let alone the how our choices impacted the environment, but these days many of us want to know not only what were eating, but where its from and if it was grown and harvested in sustainable way. From food co-ops, farmers markets and community supported agriculture (CSA), to stores devoted to natural, organic, local and sustainable fruits, veggies and other agricultural products  shoppers and advocates have pushed for legal protections to avert the worst problems of industrial agriculture. And although the journey to a healthy sustainable terrestrial food system is far from over, it is well underway.

Seafood, however, is more slippery. "That's because it's the 'Last of the Buffalo Hunters," when it comes to seafood says Joe Lasprogata, Vice President of Samuels and Son Seafood Co, referring to a longtime lack of stewardship of fisheries on the part of those who ran them. The oceans are in some ways the last source of truly wild products, and we need to be careful with those. Samuels and Son sponsors Sustained Seas, an organization dedicated to promoting sustainable fisheries via labeling and education. Fisheries can absolutely be sustainable, he says.

And part of the reason fisheries are in trouble is that consumers dont always know the impacts of their choices  many of us still make fish-buying decisions based on taste, price and texture  rather than perceived sustainability, according to a study on British Columbian consumer habits.

But its extremely important to think about where the fish comes from, says Marianne Cufone, Executive Director of Recirculating Farms Coalition, an organization dedicated to creating local land-based produce and fish systems using hydro- and aquaponics. These smaller scale, local systems can avoid problems of open-water finfish farms and industrial agriculture altogether, which can include use of drugs and chemicals, unnatural feeds and cause environmental pollution.

Practices like these affect not only your health, but also the future of wild fish stocks, which we and countless other species depend on for our survival. There are lots of ways to identify a so-called 'Dirty Dozen' of fish, and its crucial to be aware of overfishing, pollution, and bycatch, which is when other creatures (even some protected species) are caught unintentionally. I get a lot of texts from my friends asking me which fish are okay to eat, she laughs.

Cufone will likely be getting that question more and more: In the last couple of years, with the pandemic keeping us at home, fish consumption took a hit, she says. People in the United States are much more likely to eat fish out than cook it at home. she says. Now that were able to get out to our favorite seafood restaurants, its important to know whats not only good to eat, but what was caught or raised in a sustainable way with an eye toward protecting the health of the food supply and consumers.

So which fish are okay to eat?

Lets be clear: Fish, in general, is a very healthy, high quality protein option, often full of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and important minerals. Health orgs such as the American Heart Association recommend that we eat fish twice to three times a week, so while you want to choose carefully, dont let the fact that some fish should be avoided lead you to steer clear of all the swimmy creatures.

Here are just a few sustainably harvested or raised and yummy choices, according to Cufone and Seafood Watch, an organization run by the Monterey Bay Aquarium that tracks safe-to-eat fish based on how and where theyre farmed or caught.

Bass (including Striped and Suzuki)

Bluefish

Crawfish

Flounder (Arrowtooth, California, and others)

Halibut (Pacific)

Hogfish (Hog Snapper, from the Gulf of Mexico)

Herring

Lionfish

Mahi (caught by and or with a fishing pole)

Perch (various types)

Any farmed shellfish

Red Drum (a.k.a. Redfish)

Salmon (wild caught)

Scallops (diver caught)

Here are the 12 fish you should avoid eating:



Imported Farmed Shrimp

Pierre-Yves Babelon - Getty Images





Why you should skip it: Shrimp is currently the most consumed seafood in the U.S., surpassing tuna some years back, says Cufone. Stunningly, about 90% of the shrimp we eat in the U.S. are imported, and mostly farm raised. Imported farmed shrimp is one of the worst choices with respect to sustainability, she says. Shrimp are farmed, mostly in the global south, in Thailand, China, and Vietnam. What happens there is that shrimp ponds replace mangroves and other coastal plants that prevent erosion of the shoreline, and serve as an important buffer from violent weather like typhoons and tsunamis. This makes it harder to protect people and their homes, says Cufone. And these shrimp ponds get so polluted that they often have to be continually abandoned and rebuilt elsewhere. This can destroy entire regions, she says.

Eat this Instead: U.S. Shrimp, Key West Pinks, Rock Shrimp and Gulf Shrimp are all a good substitute, says Cufone. But check labels carefully. U.S. Royal Reds, for example, which are found in North Florida and Alabama, are a good choice, but they may be mislabeled. There has been a big influx of Argentinian Royal Reds, which are not good. Theyre caught with bottom trawls, so they can have super high bycatch, she adds.

Imported Catfish

Why you should skip it: If theres nothing else to pay attention to, know this: Imported fish are rarely RARELY inspected for filth (which includes rat and human hair and insects,) says Cufone. Nearly 90% of the catfish imported to the U.S. comes from Vietnam, where use of antibiotics that are banned in the U.S. is widespread. (Antibiotic use is also a problem with imported shrimp). Furthermore, the two varieties of Vietnamese catfish sold in the U.S., Swai and Basa, aren't technically considered catfish by the federal government and therefore aren't held to the same inspection rules that other imported catfish are.

Eat this instead: Stick with domestic, farm-raised catfish. It's often responsibly farmed and plentiful, making it one of the best fish you can eat. Or, try Asian carp, an invasive species with a similar taste to catfish that's out-competing wild catfish and endangering the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Sharkes, Skate and Rays

Why you should skip it: Problems associated with our eating too many sharks happen all along the food chain, says Cufone. For one, these predatory fish are extremely high in mercury, which is bad for human health. But ocean ecosystems suffer, too. "With fewer sharks around, the species they eat, like cownose rays and jellyfish, have increased in numbers," Cufone says. "And these are eatingand depletingscallops and other fish." That means there are fewer of those fish for us to eat, which strains coastal communities that depend on those fisheries to survive economically.

Whats more, sharks, skate and rays have long lives and they mature late, meaning they do not reproduce until they are older. Sometimes they are cut up and sold as sea scallops, says Cufone. Plus, If you see sea scallops that are a uniform size and shape, you may be looking at shark, skate or rays. Shark-finning is illegal in the U.S., but its practice in other areas is causing devastation in shark-populations worldwide.

Eat this instead: Among the recommendations for shark alternatives are Pacific halibut and Atlantic mackerel. (And when shopping for scallops, avoid cookie-cutter perfect ones.)

Atlantic Cod

piola666 - Getty Images

Why you should skip it: Cod on the list breaks my heart, because its a New England staple and we all love to support our local fishermen, says Cufone, But while the Atlantic cod supply is slowly rebuilding, its not there yet. Atlantic cod stocks collapsed in the mid-1990s and were in such disarray that the species has been listed as one step above endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

Eat this instead: The good news, if you love fish 'n' chips (which is nearly always made with cod), is that Pacific cod stocks are still strong and are one of Food and Water Watch's best fish picks.

Tuna

Giordano Cipriani - Getty Images

Why you should skip it: According to Cufone, tuna is bad news all around. We are eating it to death, she says (its the second most popular after shrimp). Atlantic and Pacific Bluefin, Yellowfin  they all should be avoided. Tuna is one of the most consumed fish in the U.S., and thats depleting the fisheries. Yellowfin can be okay if its pole-caught or troll-caught, says Cufone, but most of it is not, and has high bycatch rates of already-troubled species like turtles and sharks.

Eat this instead: For your tuna salad, substitute tinned sardines (theyre Seafood Watch recommended, and are one of the healthiest fishes you can eat) or even organic tinned chicken. If you or your kid just love canned tuna, choose Skipjack, says Cufone. Theres mercury in all tuna, but Skipjack is smaller so it has less, is not overfished, reproduces more rapidly than other types, and is available at groceries.

Wild Caviar

Peter Dazeley - Getty Images

Why you should skip it: Caviar from beluga and wild-caught sturgeon are susceptible to overfishing, but the species are also being threatened by an increase in dam building that pollutes the water in which they live. All forms of caviar come from fish that take a long time to mature, which means that it takes a while for populations to reboundthats why any wild caviar is to be avoided, says Cufone.

Eat this instead: If you really love caviar, opt for fish eggs from American Lake Sturgeon or American Hackleback/Shovelnose Sturgeon caviar from the Mississippi River system; check out California Caviar which sources only sustainably harvested fish eggs.

Chilean Sea Bass

AlexRaths - Getty Images

Why you should skip it: Chilean Sea Bass, the commercial name for Patagonian Toothfish, was nearly fished to commercial extinction, are still considered a fish to avoid. Fish stocks are in such bad shape that the nonprofit Greenpeace estimates that, unless people stop eating this fish, the entire species could be commercially extinct within five years. Food and Water Watch's guide notes that these fish are high in mercury, as well.

Eat this instead: These fish are very popular and considered a delicacy, but you can get the same texture and feel with U.S. hook-and-linecaught haddock.

Orange Roughy

AntonyMoran - Getty Images

Why you should skip it: Orange Roughy has been so overfished that many restaurant chains still refuse to serve it. Further, it tends to be high in mercury levels. It is a long-lived fish, that takes ten to twenty years to reach maturitywhich means populations take a long time to recover, and fish tend to accumulate toxins like mercury of lengthy time periods. Even if you see orange roughy for sale, or labeled as sustainably harvested avoid it.

Eat this instead: Opt for yellow snapper or domestic catfish to get the same texture as orange roughy in your recipes.

American Eel

Jay Fleming - Getty Images

Why you should skip it: Eel remains problematic too. Most consumers see it in sushi, but it is often high in PCBs and mercury, and eel populations are too often overharvested. It is also sold as yellow or silver eel.

Eat this instead: If you like the taste of eel, opt for Atlantic- or Pacific-caught squid instead.

Imported King Crab

Tim Bieber - Getty Images

Why you should skip it: The thing about imported King Crab is that it comes mainly from Russia where there are no protections and the fishery is being overharvested. If you know for sure that your crab is actually from Alaska, says Cufone youre okay. Thats because these crabs are actually two different critters. True Alaskan King Crab from Alaska, is a protected U.S. fishery thats well managed, and stocks are healthy. But the imported Alaskan King Crab is not actually Alaskan, its the unprotected crab from Russia.

Eat this instead: When you shop for king crab, whatever the label says, ask whether it comes from Alaska or if it's imported. Approximately 70 percent of the king crab sold in the U.S. is imported, so it's important to make that distinction and go domestic.

Atlantic Salmon

barbaraaaa - Getty Images

Why you should skip it: Open water, farmed Atlantic salmon contribute to pollution and interspecies mixing. These are mostly raised in offshore floating net cages and they pollute the surrounding environment with fish waste, excess fish feed, and any chemicals used to clean the cages or treat the fish for illness, explains Cufone. They can spread pests like lice to wild fish and when fish escape (they always do) they can intermix with and change behaviors and even genetics of wild fish or outcompete wild fish for habitat, mates and food, she says. If you can find terrestrially farmed Atlantic salmon, thats typically better farming management, says Cufone. But wild is still better.

Eat this instead: Wild caught Pacific salmon have less of the problems than Atlantic farmed salmon. And wild caught salmon from Alaska is even better, since those populations are the most robust. When it comes to flavor, wild salmon is where its at. As one of the healthiest fish you can eat, it's higher in omega-3 fatty acids (which can help fight seasonal allergies, among many other things) and also packs less saturated fat than farmed. Its also a sustainable seafood: the Alaskan salmon fisheryAmericas main source of wild salmonis managed to ensure the plentiful return of wild fish in the future. Varieties to look out for are King, Sockeye, Pink, Keta and Coho salmon.

Octopus

Why you should skip it: The issue here is not that they are overfished  theyre not, says Cufone. Its more that theyre extremely smart. This is an ethics case that Id put in the same category as eating dolphins and whales, says Cufone. Its become increasingly hard to talk about eating octopus, because weve learned so much about their intelligence and abilities. Some people say eating octopus is the equivalent of eating marine mammals in terms of their mental capacity and abilities.

Eat this instead: If you like the taste of octopus, opt for squid instead.

How to make a sustainable, healthy fish choice:

Lets say youre at the fish counter or freezer and want to make the best choice from whats there. Below are the general guidelines Cufone gives to her friends who ask her what to order:

Choose local seafood (if possible)

Choose domestic seafood (from the U.S.) over imported

Generally, choose wild-caught (there are some exceptions, like off-bottom cultured oysters or clams are also a very good choice)

If its farm-raised, choose seafood from the U.S.  even better if its from recirculating systems

Favor fish caught by hand line, hook and line (rod and reel), trolling, or spearfishing

Limit consumption of fish that are high in mercury, PCBs or other contaminants

What else to know about consuming fish:

The list will change because the industry is changing  what might be the worst thing to eat now because of severe depletion could rebound a few years down the road with proper management. To know if your choices are healthy  for themselves and the fishery itself  check one of the below sites before you make your purchase.

Monterey Bay Aquariums Seafood Watch A respected and increasingly well-known resource for consumers, businesses and chefs around the country, to help them make healthy choices for the oceans.

NOAA Fisheries For those who want useful, regularly updated science info and detailed specs on various fisheries tracked by the US government, this is your go to.

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Whipshots

In case you didn't know, Cardi B is behind a genius boozy whipped cream brand called Whipshots. While the first lineup hit stores back in 2021, the "Up" rapper just dropped an all-new flavor set for summer.



"Whipshots is over the top, sexy and uniquekind of like me," Cardi B said in a press release. "Its going to be a party in every can. No matter where you are, you can party like Cardi, and Im so excited to finally be able to share this one-of-a-kind product with all of you."

Earlier this week, she celebrated the launch of her lime-flavored Whipshot at a Cocktails with Cardi event in Santa Monica, California. The new addition to her vodka-infused whipped cream collection is set to drop June 14, and according to Cardi B herself, "it tastes just like Fruity Pebbles."

Cardi B yesterday at her Lime Whipshots event.  [Limited edition drop today.] pic.twitter.com/Wvjjy2Hu23  Cardi B | Updates (@updatesofcardi) May 23, 2023

"I hope you guys enjoyed this flavor, it is really good. I like it," Cardi said on Monday, according to PEOPLE, before providing a quick disclaimer on its, ahem, hefty ABV. "It's strong, don't get it twisted. This ain't your f*cking Fruity Pebbles, it is very strong. It's 10% alcohol."

The star-studded event included a Cardi-themed cocktail menu, which featured the Cardi-Rita, Mojo Mojito, and Gorge Fizz created by celeb mixologist and Starco Chief Mixology Officer Rob Floyd. Naturally, each drink was topped with a dollop of Whipshot Lime.

"Me and the owners, like we're very proud of this product," Cardi said at the Monday launch. " I remember when we both came and were discussing this product during the pandemic, and I just knew it was gonna work."

The Whipshot Limewhich Cardi recommends putting on milkshakes and frappsjoins the pre-existing lineup of fan-favorite flavors: Vanilla, Caramel, and Mocha.



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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., speaks as he meets with President Joe Biden to discuss the debt limit in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, May 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON (AP)  House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he had a productive debt ceiling discussion with President Joe Biden late Monday at the White House, but no agreement yet as Washington strains to strike a budget compromise and raise the nation's borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default.

It's a crucial moment for the Democratic president and the Republican speaker, just 10 days before a looming deadline to raise the debt limit.

As soon as June 1 the U.S. could start running short of cash to cover its debts, a daunting situation. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a letter to Congress on Monday it is highly likely that Treasury would be unable to pay all the nations bills. An unprecedented default would be financially damaging for many Americans and others around the world relying on U.S. stability, sending shockwaves through the global economy.

"We both talked about the need for bipartisan agreement, Biden said at the start of the meeting.

The president said he was "optimistic we may be able to make some progress, because we both agreed default is not really on the table."

McCarthy said afterward they had a productive discussion. We dont have an agreement yet.

Ahead of the hourlong meeting, but both men said there remain disagreements. The White House chief of staff and top administration negotiators joined the session, as did McCarthy's own chief of staff as well as a top Republican involved in the negotiations, Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, the Financial Services Committee chairman.

The contours of an agreement appear within reach, and the negotiations have narrowed on a 2024 budget year cap that would be key to resolving the standoff. Republicans have insisted next years spending cannot be more than current 2023 levels, but Democrats have refused to accept the steeper cuts McCarthys team proposed and the White House instead offered to hold spending flat.

A budget deal would unlock a separate vote to lift the debt ceiling, now $31 trillion, to allow more borrowing. Treasury Secretary Yellen said Sunday that June 1 is a hard deadline.

McCarthy told reporters midday at the Capitol that decisions have to start being made since were 10 days out from the deadline.

We have to spend less next year than we spent this year, McCarthy, R-Calif. reiterated and pointed to the Houses spending cuts as the framework for a deal.

Im hopeful, he added.

After a weekend of start-stop talks, both Biden and McCarthy have declared a need to close out a compromise deal.

Negotiators for the White House met again for nearly three hours Monday morning with McCarthys team at the Capitol ahead of the session at the White House.

Biden and McCarthy spoke by phone Sunday while the president was returning home on Air Force One after the Group of Seven summit in Japan. It went well, well talk tomorrow," Biden said in response to a shouted question upon his return late Sunday.

The call revived talks, and negotiators met for 2 1/2 hours at the Capitol late Sunday evening, saying little as they left. Financial markets turned down last week after talks stalled.

Well keep working, said Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, as the White House team exited talks late Sunday.

McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters earlier Sunday that the call with Biden was productive, and Biden told a press conference before departing from Japan: I think that we can reach an agreement.

Bur McCarthy continued to blame Biden for having refused to engage earlier on annual federal spending, a separate issue but linked to the nations debt.

After the Monday morning's three-hour session with the White House team, Republican negotiator McHenry told reporters: Were at a very sensitive point here, and the goal is to get something that can be legislated into law.

Over the weekend, Biden used his concluding news conference in Hiroshima, Japan, to say he had done his part by agreeing to spending cuts and to warn, "It's time for Republicans to accept that there is no deal to be made solely, solely, on their partisan terms.

Now its time for the other side to move from their extreme position," he said.

GOP lawmakers have been holding tight to demands for sharper spending cuts with caps on future spending, rejecting the alternatives proposed by the White House that call for reducing deficits in part with new revenue from taxes.

McCarthy has insisted personally in his conversations with Biden that tax hikes are off the table

Republicans want to roll back next year's spending to 2022 levels, but the White House has proposed keeping 2024 the same as it is now, in the 2023 budget year. Republicans initially sought to impose spending caps for 10 years, though the latest proposal narrowed that to about six. The White House wants a two-year budget deal.

A compromise on those topline spending levels would enable McCarthy to deliver for conservatives, while not being so severe that it would chase off the Democratic votes that would be needed in the divided Congress to pass any bill.

Republicans also want work requirements on the Medicaid health care program, though the Biden administration has countered that millions of people could lose coverage. The GOP additionally introduced new cuts to food aid by restricting states ability to waive work requirements in places with high joblessness. But Democrats have said any changes to work requirements for government aid recipients are nonstarters.

GOP lawmakers are also seeking cuts in IRS money and, by sparing Defense and Veterans accounts from reductions, would shift the bulk of spending reductions to other federal programs.

The White House has countered by keeping defense and nondefense spending flat next year, which would save $90 billion in the 2024 budget year and $1 trillion over 10 years.

All sides have been eyeing the potential for the package to include a framework to ease federal regulations and speed energy project developments. They are all but certain to claw back some $30 billion in unspent COVID-19 funds now that the pandemic emergency has officially lifted.

For months, Biden had refused to engage in talks over the debt limit, contending that Republicans in Congress were trying to use the borrowing limit vote as leverage to extract administration concessions on other policy priorities.

But with June nearing and Republicans putting their own spending legislation on the table, the White House launched talks on a budget deal that could accompany an increase in the debt limit.

McCarthy faces a hard-right flank that is likely to reject any deal, which has led some Democrats encouraging Biden to resist any compromise with the Republicans and simply raise the debt ceiling on his own to avoid default.

The president, though, said he was ruling out the possibility, for now, of invoking the 14th Amendment as a solution, saying it's an unresolved legal question that would become tied up in the courts.

___

Miller reported and Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed from Hiroshima, Japan. Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Farnoush Amiri, Fatima Hussein, Colleen Long and Will Weissert contributed to this report from Washington.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Biden's decision to allow allies to train Ukrainian forces on how to operate F-16 fighter jets  and eventually to provide the aircraft themselves  seemed like an abrupt change in position but was in fact one that came after months of internal debate and quiet talks with allies.

Biden announced during last week's Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, that the U.S. would join the F-16 coalition. His green light came after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spent months pressing the West to provide his forces with American-made jets as he tries to repel Russia's now 15-month-old grinding invasion.

Long shadowing the administration's calculation were worries that such a move could escalate tensions with Russia. U.S. officials also argued that learning to fly and logistically support the advanced F-16 would be difficult and time consuming.

But over the past three months, administration officials shifted toward the view that it was time to provide Ukraine's pilots with the training and aircraft needed for the country's long-term security needs, according to three officials familiar with the deliberations who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Still, the change in Biden's position seemed rather sudden.

In February, Biden was insistent in an interview with ABCs David Muir that Ukraine doesnt need F-16s now and that I am ruling it out for now. And in March, a top Pentagon policy official, Colin Kahl, told U.S. lawmakers that even if the president approved F-16s for Ukraine, it could take as long as two years to get Ukrainian pilots trained and equipped.

But as the administration was publicly playing down the prospect of F-16s for Ukraine in the near term, an internal debate was heating up.

Quiet White House discussions stepped up in February, around the time that Biden visited Ukraine and Poland, according to the U.S. officials.

Following the trip, discussions that included senior White House National Security Council, Pentagon and State Department officials began on the pros and cons and the details of how such a transfer might work, officials said. Administration officials also got deeper into consultations with allies.

In April, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin heard from defense leaders from allied countries during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group who were looking for U.S. permission to train the Ukrainians on F-16s, according to a Defense Department official who was not authorized to comment publicly. Austin raised the matter during the NSC policy discussions and there was agreement that it was time to start training.

Austin also raised the issue with Biden before the G7 summit with a recommendation to proceed with approving allies" to train the Ukrainians and transfer the aircraft, the department official said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also was a strong advocate for pushing forward with the plan during the U.S. policy talks and conveying to Biden increasing European urgency on the issue, officials said.

U.S. fighter aircraft F-16 performs aerobatic maneuvers. (Aijaz Rahi/AP)

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to London on May 8 for talks with British, French and German allies on Ukraine, and F-16s were high on the agenda. They got into the nitty gritty on how to go about provide training and which countries might be willing to transfer jets to Ukraine. It was agreed that the focus would be on training first, according to one of the officials.

Sullivan, before leaving London, spoke by phone with his counterparts from the Netherlands and Poland, both countries that have F-16s and would be essential to any efforts to provide Ukraine jets for any future use. Denmark also could potentially provide the jets, the official added.

Biden and Sullivan discussed how the upcoming G7 summit in Hiroshima could provide a good opportunity for him to make the case to key allies on the administrations shifting stance on fighter jets.

They also discussed Biden backing allies providing jets to Ukraine  a line he had previously appeared not to want to cross out of concern that it could draw the West into what could be seen as direct confrontation with Moscow.

Biden, in private talks with fellow G7 leaders on Friday, confirmed that the U.S. would get behind a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 and that as things went on, they would work together on who would provide them and how many would be sent.

U.S. officials are now developing a training plan

State, Pentagon and NSC officials are now developing the training plan and when, where and how to deliver F-16s to Ukraine as part of the long-term security effort, the official said.

U.S. officials say it will take several months to iron out details, but the U.S. Air Force has quietly determined that the actual training could realistically be done in about four months. The Air Force based the far shorter estimate on a visit by two Ukrainian pilots to a U.S. air base in March, where they got to learn about the F-16 and fly simulators. The training, officials say, would take place in Europe.

White House officials have bristled at the notion that Biden's decision amounted to a sea change.

The administration had been focused on providing Ukraine with weapons  including air defense systems, armored vehicles, bridging equipment and artillery  that were needed for a coming counteroffensive. There also were concerns that sending F-16s would eat up a significant portion of the money allocated for Ukraine.

What changed, the official added, is that other allies got to a point where they were willing to provide their own jets as part of a U.S.-based coalition.

The Biden administration is still examining whether it will directly provide its own F-16s to Ukraine. Regardless, it needed buy-in from other allies because the U.S. wouldn't be able to provide the full fleet of jets Zelenskyy says is needed.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said the F-16 will give Ukraine a key capability for the long term but it won't be a game changer.

'We needed to go there at some point'

Kendall told a gathering of reporters on Monday there has been an awareness that we needed to go there at some point, but we didnt have a sense of urgency about this. I think were at a reasonable place to make that decision now.

Another potential wrinkle in the F-16 conversation involves Turkey.

Turkey wants to buy 40 new F-16s from the U.S., but some in Congress oppose the sale until Turkey approves NATO membership for Sweden, which applied to join the alliance in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has objected to Sweden's perceived support of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, the leftist extremist group DHKP-C and followers of the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara claims was behind a failed military coup attempt in 2016.

Erdogan is facing opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a runoff election on Sunday. If Erdogan wins, as expected, White House officials are increasingly hopeful that the Turkish leader will withdraw his opposition to Sweden's membership, according to the U.S. official.

If Erdogan drops opposition to Sweden joining NATO, it could lead to Turkey getting its long desired F-16s and may eventually add to the number of older F-16s in circulation, which could benefit Ukraine.
CAIRO (AP)  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday warned Sudan's rival generals to abide by the latest cease-fire or face possible sanctions, as residents reported sporadic fighting between the sides in the capital of Khartoum and a northern city.

Sudan descended into chaos after fighting erupted in mid-April between the country's military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The fighting has killed at least 863 civilians, including at least 190 children, and wounded more than 3,530 others, according to the Doctors' Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties. The toll could be much higher, the medical group said. The conflict has also turned Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields. Early on, foreign governments raced to evacuate their diplomats and nationals as thousands of foreign residents scrambled to get out of Sudan.

More than a million Sudanese have been forced from their homes by the fighting, including over 840,000 who have sought shelter in safer parts of the country, and another 250,000 crossed into neighboring countries, according to the U.N. figures.

Over the past weeks, the United States and Saudi Arabia have been mediating in talks between the warring sides, held in the kingdom. A new truce was announced over the weekend  the seventh attempt so far to stop the deadly violence in the East African nation. It went into effect on Monday night. All previous cease-fires have been violated.

In a video message posted by the U.S. Embassy on social media early Tuesday, Blinken said the fighting has been tragic, senseless and devastating.

The truce, he said, is meant to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance and restore essential services and infrastructure destroyed in the clashes.

A remote mechanism, backed by the U.S., has been established to monitor the truce, Blinken added  a 12-member monitoring committee consisting of three representatives from the warring sides, three from the U.S., and three from Saudi Arabia.

If the cease-fire is violated, well know and we will hold violators accountable through sanctions and other means, he said. We facilitated the cease-fire, but its the responsibility of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to implement it.

Both sides agreed to stop hostilities and the looting of civilian properties and humanitarian supplies, as well as seizing civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, power plants, water pumps, and fuel stations.

Aid workers and civilians have reported widespread looting in Khartoum and elsewhere across the country, along with dire lack of basic services, medical care, food, and water. The Doctors Syndicate has also said that the RSF has seized hospitals. Allegations of sexual violence against women, including rape and gang rape in Khartoum and the restive western Darfur region, have also been reported.

Doctors Without Borders said Tuesday in a statement its staff has been harassed, and its medical premises and other facilities have been repeatedly looted and occupied since the fighting began. The charity, known by its French acronym MSF, runs medical projects in 10 of Sudans 18 provinces, including the capital.

We are shaken and appalled by these deplorable attacks, said Jean-Nicolas Armstrong Dangelser, MSF emergency coordinator in Sudan. We are experiencing a violation of humanitarian principles, and the space for humanitarians to work is shrinking on a scale Ive rarely seen before.

Residents, meanwhile, said they heard gunfire and explosions Tuesday in parts of Omdurman, a city next to Khartoum, with military aircraft flying overhead. They also reported sporadic clashes around the militarys headquarters in Khartoum.

Sounds of firefight are very close, said Babakr Abdel-Rahman, an Omdurman resident, speaking over the phone, with loud sounds of gunfire and aircraft heard in the background. They dont respect peoples lives.

Fighting also was reported in the northern city of Obeid, where RSF was said to have attacked the military headquarters and other parts of the city.

Radhouane Nouicer, the U.N. expert on human rights in Sudan, slammed the warring parties for taking the country hostage, and described the civilian suffering as dehumanizing.

This is the destruction of a country in a way that is dehumanizing to its people, he said in a statement Tuesday. People feel alone and abandoned amid a chronic shortage of food, drinking water, homes destroyed, indiscriminate attacks in residential areas and widespread looting; the whole country is taken hostage.

The weekslong conflict has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian disaster in Sudan, prompting the U.N. to update its humanitarian response for 2023.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said last week that the number of people who would need assistance this year increased by 57%, to 24.7 million people, or more than a half the countrys population. That requires $2.6 billion, an increase of 47% compared to prewar estimates, it said.

The U.S. said it would allocate $245 million in additional support to Sudan and neighboring countries impacted by the conflict. That brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance commitment for Sudan and neighbors Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic to nearly $880 million in 2023, according to the State Department.
(AP / Instagram)

Last November, four University of Idaho students were found stabbed to death at a rental house in Moscow, mere hours after posting smiling photographs together on Instagram.

The case shocked the small college town and drew media attention from across the world, yet for nearly seven weeks there appeared to be no suspect in the case.

Then, on 30 December, Bryan Kohberger  a PhD student in criminology at Washington State University (WSU)  was suddenly arrested and charged with their murders.

Last week, a grand jury indicted MrKohberger on four counts of first-degree murder and one burglary charge, effectively rerouting the case directly to the states felony court level and allowing prosecutors to skip the preliminary hearing process.

After months of unanswered questions, the grieving relatives of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin faced their childrens accused killer in court, only for Mr Kohberger to refuse to enter a plea on the murder charges.

So how did we get here?

Heres a timeline of the case so far:

Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, took this photo together hours before they died (Instagram/Kaylee Goncalves)

12 November  One lucky girl

At 8.57pm local time on 12 November, Goncalves posted for the last time on Instagram.

It was a picture of herself and the three other slain students standing together arm-in-arm on the porch of a house.

The two other roommates Dylan Mortensen and Bethany Funke who lived at the home with Mogen, Goncalves and Kernodle on King Road are also in the photo.

One lucky girl to be surrounded by these people everyday, Goncalve wrote in the caption.

That night, Chapin and Kernodle went to a party together on the university campus, while Mogen and Goncalves went to a bar in town.

13 November, 1.41am  Victims last seen alive in footage

In the early hours of Sunday morning, Mogen and Goncalves were seen stopping by a local food truck for a late-night bit to eat.

Twitch footage seen by The Independent captured the two best friends arriving at the food truck at around 1.41am.

Officers later said that Mogen and Goncalves used a private party for a ride home from the downtown area after visiting the food truck. The driver dropped them off at their home at around 1.45am.

Meanwhile, Chapin and Kernodle were seen at the Sigma Chi fraternity house, and also returned home around the same time.

The two other surviving roommates had also been out on Saturday night and returned to the property at around 1am, police said.

Goncalvess sister revealed that multiple calls were made from the phones of Goncalves and Mogen to the phone of Goncalves former longtime boyfriend between 2.26am and 2.52am.

Between the two best friends, 10 calls were made, but none were answered.

13 November, 2.44am  Suspects car is spotted

Not long after, according to court documents released by Latah County prosecutors, a car matching the description of Bryan Kohbergers Hyudai sedan was recorded on surveillance cameras at Washington State University, where the 28-year-old is a crimonology graduate student.

Ten minutes later, the car was spotted heading towards SR 270, a road which connects the town of Pullman, Washington, to nearby Moscow, Idaho.

At roughly the same time the sedan was likely heading towards Moscow, Mr Kohbergers cell phone pinged off towers near the his apartment in Pullman, and later showed on cell towers in Idaho in the hours directly after murders.

13 November, 3am to 4am  Murders

Officials believe the students were killed some time between 3am and 4am on Sunday 13 November).

All four were stabbed to death with an edged weapon such as a knife  though the murder weapon has not been found.

There was no sign of forced entry, the door appeared to be unlocked and nothing seems to have been taken.

The two other roommates were home at the time of the attack but were unharmed. Police said that they were not necessarily witnesses to the incident, there was no hostage situation and they appear to have slept through the murders.

Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt said the victims were likely sleeping when they were killed, as all four were found in bed, and were stabbed multiple times.

According to the Latah County records, the car appearing to be Mr Kohbergers vehicle was seen on various surveillance cameras near the students home between 3.29 and 4.20am, before appearing once again in Pullman at 5.25 near the WSU campus.

13 November, noon  Investigation begins

Law enforcement officers arrived at the house at 11.58am on Sunday after getting a 911 call from the cell phone of one of the surviving roommates (though police refused to confirm who).

Officers said that the roommates woke up on the Sunday and called some unidentified friends to the home because they believed that one of the victims on the second floor had passed out and was not waking up.

The four victims were discovered stabbed to death in their beds on the second and third floors of the house.

16 November  Autopsy findings released

Autopsy findings for the victims were released on Thursday, officially ruling their deaths homicides by stabbing.

Latah County Coroner Cathy Mabbutt confirmed that each victim was stabbed multiple times with a large knife, describing their wounds as pretty extensive and revealing that they bled out inside their student home.

She said the autopsies confirmed that the victims were killed early in the morning, sometime after 2am, but still during the night but that it was not been possible to determine from the injuries the order in which the victims were attacked.

DNA samples and nail clippings were also taken from the crime scene with the coroner saying that it is possible that the tests could turn up DNA from people besides the victims.

A local prosecutor revealed that investigators were exploring the possibility that more than one killer is responsible for the killings, while officers were reportedly searching for a military-style Ka-Bar knife believed to be the murder weapon.

7 December  Police seek a white car

An initial breakthrough seemed to come when police announced that they were looking for the owner and occupants of a white Hyundai Elantra that was spotted near the crime scene in the early morning hours on the day of the murders.

Detectives did not reveal whether the owner of the white 2011-2013 Hyundai Elantra is believed to be a suspect but said that the occupant(s) of [the] vehicle may have critical information to share regarding this case. The licence plate is unknown.

The car was in the immediate area of the rental home on King Road in the early hours of 13 November. The murders are thought to have taken place between 3am and 4am.

The development was quickly linked in online sleuth communities to body-camera footage from a separate incident on the night of the killings, which police said stemmed from an alcohol offence just before 3am.

Officials would later shut down speculation around the video, telling The Independent on 8 December that the incident on the body-camera footage was in no way connected to the murders and the white car in the background was not the same one they were seeking information about.

15 December  Two key traffic stops

As police closed in Bryan Kohberger, the graduate student made his way across the country with his father, driving from Washington to spend the holidays with family in Pennsylvania.

By then, officials later revealed, police were on to the 28-year-old, and Indiana police pulled the pair over twice during their journey.

The stops came at the request of the FBI who were seeking images of the suspects hands as part of the investigation into the quadruple homicide of Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin back in Moscow, Idaho.

It is not clear why images of Mr Kohbergers hands were important to the investigation or if the officers managed to obtain anything of interest by carrying out the stops on 15 December.

30 December, early morning  Mountain raid

Finally, at around 1.30am local time on 30 December, local police and FBI swooped on a home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, near ski resorts in the Pocono Mountains and arrested a 28-year-old criminology graduate student named Bryan Christopher Kohberger.

According to reports, the property appeared to be Mr Kohbergers parents house in a gated community. A white Hyundai Elantra was also seized.

NewsNation correspondent Brian Entin said that the suspect asked if anyone else was arrested and had a quiet, blank stare, citing inside sources.

30 December, 8am  News breaks

Later that day the Moscow Police Department and prosecutors held their first press conference since 23 November, revealing that Mr Kohberger had been charged with four counts of first degree murder.

They declined to give details on how he had come to be arrested and charged but said they still wanted to hear from members of the public who may have information about what happened.

Meanwhile, several insiders have provided crucial details to the media. One law enforcement official told CNN that Mr Kohberger was identified through genetic testing that linked DNA at the crime scene to his relatives.

Sources say authorities then confirmed that Mr Kohberger owned a white Hyundai Elantra like the one spotted near the crime scene on the night of the murders.

Investigators reportedly tracked Mr Kohberger as he drove more han 2,000 miles from Washington state to Pennsylvania, where he was surveilled for days before being taken into custody.

31 December  Charges filed

Shorly after his arrest, Mr Kohberger was charged with four counts of first-degree murder, as well as felony burglary. But the legal process didnt end there.

4 January  The suspect returns to Idaho

The 28-year-old arrived in Moscow in the late evening, where a group of officers walked the suspect into a waiting truck.

Mr Kohberger appeared to be wearing body armour as police led him into custody. On 4 Judge, the judge also issued a gag order, banning investigators, law enforcement personnel, attorneys, and members of both the prosecution and the defence from sharing any new information about the investigation or the suspect before a verdict is reached at trial.

As a result Moscow Police Department, which had been sharing updates on the investigation, said in a statement that it will no longer be communicating with the public or the media regarding the case.

5 January  Kohberger appears in court

After weeks of investigations, police and community members alike finally got what they wanted: a suspect, in Idaho court, facing charges for the four University of Idaho murders.

Mr Kohberger appeared in a Latah County court for the first time, where he heard the charges against him, had his bail rights revoked, and faced down crying family members of his alleged slain victims.

12 January - Kohberger waives preliminary hearing

Mr Kohberger appeared in Latah County Courthouse with cuts on his face as he waived his right to a speedy trial on charges of murdering the four Idaho students.

Mr Kohbergers public defender Anne Taylor then requested that his next court date be pushed back until June.

The prosecution agreed to the request and the judge scheduled the preliminary hearing for the week beginning 26 June.

19 January - Idaho police unseal search warrants

Police investigating the murder of four Idaho students seized a string of items from suspect Mr Kohbergers apartment, including possible hair strands, a disposable glove, items with red and brown stains and a computer, according to a newly unsealed search warrant.

Police said that one of the items found at the suspects apartment at nearby Washington State University was a possible animal hair strand. In the documents, investigators said one item had a collection of dark red spotting, and that a pillow had a reddish/brown stain on it.

The application also stated that the murder scene near the University of Idaho campus where the victims were discovered had a large amount of the victims blood including spatter and castoff blood.

28 February - Search warrant reveals items seized in Pennsylvania

The search warrant application was filed in Pennsylvanias Monroe County court on 29 December, the day before Mr Kohbergers arrest. It approved a search of the family residence, the adjacent garage and the suspects car.

It allowed investigators to collect blood, or other bodily fluid or materials and items with blood - but the list of seizures does not mention any such items.

Investigators seized nine items: one Defiant-brand silver flashlight, four medical-style gloves, a large white t-shirt, a pair of black and white size 13 Nike shoes and a pair of black Under Armor shorts. They also took a buccal swab, possibly from Mr Kohberger.

27 March - Prosecutors reveal officer is under internal affairs investigation

In a filing, authorities disclosed the existence of a Giglio/Brady list that could potentially affect the ongoing criminal proceedings against Mr Kohberger, the only suspect in the case.

 ...the State has become aware of potential Brady/Giglio material related to one of the officers involved in the above-referenced case, the filing stated.

Under Brady law, investigators are responsible for disclosing exculpatory information to defence counsel. Meanwhile, Giglio material conveys information that could potentially indicate that a witness is not credible, according to the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement.

The scope of the list and the role of the officer in the murder investigation were not immediately clear. The evidence mentioned in the recent filing was submitted in camera to the court on 24 March, but its content remains sealed at the request of prosecutors.

5 May - Kohbergers belongings test positive for blood

Court documents, released by Washington authorities showed that multiple items taken from the 28-year-old Washington State University criminology PhD students apartment in Pullman had been tested for the presence of blood.

While most items came back negative, two items were positive.

Those items were a mattress cover on the bed and an uncased pillow, both of which were described as having visible reddish brown stains. The documents did not reveal who the blood belongs to.

13 May - Victims families accept posthumous degrees

Six months after the victims were killed in their sleep at their off-campus home in Moscow, their loved ones received the awards during two separate ceremonies.

Goncalves four siblings received their sisters general studies diploma while Mogens parents were given her marketing degree. Kernodles family accepted her certificate in marketing at a previous private ceremony while Chapins award in sports, recreation and management was mailed to his parents.

16 May - Kohberger indicted by grand jury over Idaho murders

A grand jury indicted MrKohberger on charges of burglary and four counts of murder, allowing the parties to skip the previously planned 26 June preliminary hearing.

Each murder count states that he did wilfully, unlawfully, deliberately, with premeditation and with malice aforethought, kill and murder each of the victims by stabbing.

The list of witnesses who testified before the grand jury is sealed. Mr Kohbergers indictment means that the jurors empanelled on the grand jury believed there was enough evidence against him for the case to proceed to trial.

22 May - Kohberger refuses to enter plea

Mr Kohberger refused to enter a plea in Latah County District Court, prompting the judge to make one on his behalf.

His attorney said that he was standing silent on the charges.

Several members of Kaylee Goncalves family were present in the courtroom, facing the man accused of killing their 21-year-old daughter as he declined to enter a plea.

The judge set Mr Kohbergers trial date for 2 October 2023 following requests by Kohbergers attorney and the state. The trial is expected to take around six weeks.
TORONTO (AP)  A Canadian government appointee on Tuesday rejected holding a public inquiry into leaked intelligence that alleged China interfered in Canadas federal elections, drawing allegations of a cover-up from the Conservative opposition.

Opposition lawmakers have demanded a full public inquiry on the alleged Chinese interference since reports about it earlier this year by the Globe and Mail newspaper. It cited unidentified intelligence sources that China preferred to see Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals re-elected in the 2021 election and worked to defeat Conservative politicians considered unfriendly to Beijing.

Trudeau appointee David Johnston announced recommendations Tuesday saying that a public inquiry into the leaked materials could not take place because of the sensitivity of the intelligence. However, he recommended public hearings on broader issues, including on foreign influence in Canada's political system.

Johnston wrote that he found no example of Trudeau, his ministers or their offices "knowingly ignoring intelligence, advice or recommendations on foreign interference or being driven by partisan considerations in dealing with these issues.

Trudeau said he would abide by Johnstons recommendation to not hold a public inquiry.

Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre immediately slammed Johnston's recommendation, saying that it covers up Beijing's influence in Canada. He also alleged Johnston was compromised because he has family ties with Trudeau.

Trudeau appointed Johnston, a family friend and a widely respected former governor general, to study the issue in March and make recommendations.

Johnston said the government had neither ignored, nor failed to act on, the intelligence and said media reports on the leaked intelligence lacked context and in some cases were wrong. The leaks are based on partial information. In some cases documents dont tell the full story, he said.

He also said it was troubling and damaging that intelligence was leaked. He said he couldn't speculate on who leaked the intelligence or what their motives were.

The governor general is the representative of Britains monarch as head of state, and holds a mostly ceremonial and symbolic position. Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Johnston governor general in 2010 and his term was extended under Trudeau until 2017. Johnston is also a former member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

Trudeau said Tuesday that he had full confidence in Johnston's handling of his role, and played down the importance of any family connections. I saw him a few times as a kid. I got to know him after he was appointed to governor general by Stephen Harper," Trudeau said.

Poilievre, the opposition leader, said Johnston has helped Trudeau cover up the influence by Beijing in our democracy.

David Johnson is a ski buddy, chalet neighbor, family friend and member of the Trudeau foundation. He has no business in this job because it is a fake job that he is incapable of doing impartially and none of his recommendations can be taken seriously because he is in a conflict of interest, Poilievre said.

Trudeau has said that all political leaders agree that the election outcomes in 2019 and in 2021 were not affected by foreign interference.

Earlier this month, Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat whom Canadas spy agency alleged was involved in a plot to intimidate an opposition Conservative lawmaker and his relatives in Hong Kong after the Conservative lawmaker criticized Beijings human rights record. China then announced the expulsion of a Canadian diplomat in retaliation this month.

China regularly uses threats against family members to intimidate critics in the Chinese diaspora.

China-Canada relations nosedived after China detained former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor, shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of telecoms giant Huawei and the daughter of the companys founder, at the behest of U.S. authorities who accused her of fraud.
Feature: Legacy of Chinese "Father of Hybrid Rice" continues amid food security concerns

10:22, May 23, 2023 By Liu Kai, Yan Jie ( Xinhua

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is pictured in Laguna Province, the Philippines on May 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

MANILA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Amid rising concerns about global food security, the legacy of Chinese agronomist Yuan Longping, also known as the Father of Hybrid Rice, continues at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines.

Yuan's hybrid rice was first introduced on the international stage at IRRI, which is located at the foot of the hills and inactive volcano in Laguna province, about 60 kilometers south of the Philippine capital Manila, even before his invention revolutionized global hunger, lifting billions of people out of poverty.

Jauhar Ali, a hybrid rice breeder at IRRI, is one of the rice scientists inspired by the Chinese agronomist who died on May 22, 2021.

One of Ali's photos on Facebook shows him smiling brightly in the middle of a rice field, celebrating Yuan's birthday in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, when he was invited as an IRRI expert to an international conference on rice research held in Changsha.

"That's a memorable, touching moment," said Ali, who had known Yuan since the late 1980s when the Chinese scientist went to India, Ali's birth country, to support local rice research.

Indeed, Yuan's story with IRRI, a leading research organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science, dates back to the 1970s.

Yuan's pioneering research on hybrid rice began in 1964. After nine years of painstaking research and intensive testing, his team successfully cultivated the world's first high-yield hybrid rice strain in 1973.

In 1979, he attended an international rice research conference held by IRRI in the Philippines, where he debuted his research on hybrid rice to the world.

Three years later, when participating in another meeting of IRRI, Yuan was reputed as the "Father of Hybrid Rice" by his peers worldwide.

Ali treasures a digital archive of selected papers from that conference in 1979, among which Yuan's co-authored paper "Hybrid Rice Breeding in China" is well presented.

"So Professor Yuan Longping came and presented this to the world. Eventually, everyone started. This spark ignited a fire across the entire world and people all started working on hybrid rice," Ali told Xinhua in an interview.

Over four decades, hybrid rice technology has been promoted in more than 60 countries and regions, with millions of hectares of farmland growing hybrid rice, feeding billions of people on the planet.

"With the hybrid rice, you can see at least not only the production of more food, but at the same time, you save on the input cost side," said Hans Raj Bhardwaj, research director and head of the rice breeding innovations platform at IRRI.

According to IRRI, rice is the world's most important staple food for some 4 billion people. Rice farming is deeply associated with poverty, with about 900 million of the world's poor depending on rice as producers or consumers.

However, rice farming is now threatened by climate change, including higher temperatures, more frequent droughts, flooding, and rising sea levels. IRRI warns that reduced global rice production may endanger food security and hamper low-income consumers and producers emerging out of poverty.

"One way to mitigate that challenge is to develop varieties of the plants, which can tolerate the stress, but can still produce adequate yields," said Bhardwaj, adding much of the research today is "focused on some of those stressed rates, whether it could be droughts, heat, or floods."

The headquarters of IRRI, founded in 1960, is part of a 190-hectare property consisting of experimental rice fields, laboratories, screen houses, glass houses, and phytotron, among others.

Ali, who started working at IRRI in the early 2000s, is head of a program developing extreme-weather-tolerated rice varieties. He attributed his career motivation to the inspiration of Yuan, whom he described as "a down-to-earth person" and a "very kind-hearted, true gentleman."

"Yuan is not only the 'Father of Hybrid Rice', but also the father or grandfather of all rice researchers," said Ali.

"All credit goes to Dr. Yuan Longping. And we must all feel so grateful for his invention, his drive, and the efforts he put behind promoting and developing this technology," said Bhardwaj.

"It certainly helped with food security, reducing hunger and malnutrition. So this is one of the most significant or important technologies which has a large impact on food production and food security," he added.

This aerial photo taken on May 16, 2023 shows a farmer walking in a rice field at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna Province, the Philippines. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

A farmer crossbreeds rice stalks at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna Province, the Philippines on May 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

Jauhar Ali, a hybrid rice breeder at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), speaks during an interview with Xinhua in his office in Laguna Province, the Philippines on May 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

This aerial photo taken on May 16, 2023 shows a rice field at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna Province, the Philippines. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

Hans Raj Bhardwaj, research director and head of the rice breeding innovations platform at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), speaks during an interview with Xinhua in his office in Laguna Province, the Philippines on May 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Different sides in a war would benefit greatly from the tech advancements that are being developed today. Although many startups have ideas that could change the trajectory of the conflicts, they have expressed their struggles in acquiring grants from the Pentagon.

Startups Offer New Solutions

The Department of Defense (DoD) already has contracts with established companies when it comes to weapons systems, but there are startups that actually offer new technology that is yet to be used and only cost a fraction of the price of the Pentagon's usual contractors.

Regardless of their innovative offers, the tech firms based in the US expressed that the DoD has been too slow with their procurement of new tech, especially when it comes to fledgling companies. Some say that it has something to do with all the red tape as well.

Former secretary of the Air Force, Deborah Lee James stated that they sometimes have too much bureaucracy, further stating that there are too many checkers, as well as those checking the checkers, according to The New York Times.

There are several examples that provide insightful and potentially significant inventions such as HawkEye 360, a firm based in Virginia that can detect enemy troop concentrations through its satellites, which detect radio waves created by communication devices.

Another would be the Utah-based aerospace startup, Fortem Technologies. The company is offering the Pentagon a supply of unmanned aircraft that is able to disable enemy drones, which not only contributes to national security but avoids risking lives as well.

Capella Space, a startup based in San Francisco is already building small and inexpensive satellites that can track enemy troops. Impressively, the tech can still do it even at night or if the enemies are under cloud cover, as reports say.

As useful as it sounds, the short-term contracts and small grants may not be enough, which causes startups to be subjected to delays and be forced to conduct layoffs. Some even wait too long they their funds completely run out and they are forced to shut down operations.

It helps that the military techs previously mentioned are already being used in Ukraine in the ongoing war. Ukrainian government officials praised the innovations, which have encouraged investors to look into the tech and maybe even invest.

Read Also: The Georgia Army National Guard Plans to Launch Recruitment Ads on High Schooler Phones

The Reluctance of the DoD

Capella Space founder and CEO, Payam Banazadeh stated that the buyers at Pentagon are trained to often say no. Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Heidi Shyu said that small companies can't just wait two to three years "until our contract hets in place."

It may have something to do with the Defense Logistics Agency of the Pentagon mistakenly awarding a 10-year contract to Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc., an equipment supplier. The contract was worth $33 billion dollars, but the issue lies with the terms of the bid.

Only small businesses were allowed to throw their hat in the ring, and yet Atlantic Diving Supply, Inc. was the 24th largest federal contractor in the fiscal year 2019 with over $3 billion in sales, as mentioned in POGO, which means it was not a small business at all.

Related: US Congress Approves $40 Million Budget to Improve Microsoft's Military AR Goggles
The political theorizing of November 2022 had Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis clearing the GOP presidential primary field of non-Donald Trump opposition, setting up a one-on-one slugfest against a former president whose iron grip on the GOP could break following legal problems and electoral losses.

The political reality of May 2023 has DeSantis preparing to enter a primary field that is expanding rather than contracting, with Trump back on top in polling and candidates as eager to poach DeSantis conservative media hype and big money donors as they are to steal Trumps grassroots support.

DeSantis official campaign launch is expected in the coming days. Never mind being the only candidate challenging Trump, he wont be the only candidate to announce a run this week after Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) announced a bid on Monday.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley are also already in the race. Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) could all also launch bids soon.

And potential new candidates are crawling out of the GOPs political woodwork: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a wealthy former Microsoft executive, has hired political consultants. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whose previous presidential endeavors are best summed up by the word oops, is also considering a bid.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a political roundtable on May 19 in Bedford, New Hampshire.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a political roundtable on May 19 in Bedford, New Hampshire.

Hopes of isolating Trump one-on-one were a pipe dream, a Republican strategist said, noting the low cost and high potential rewards  a cabinet slot or Fox News hosting gig  available to even wildly unsuccessful presidential candidates. DeSantis missteps in recent weeks, however, have created openings for other candidates to argue they, rather than DeSantis, are best-positioned to slay the Trump dragon.

Everybody who is in the race, is in the race not because of DeSantis, but because of Trump, said John Feehery, a Republican lobbyist and former Capitol Hill aide, who is unaligned in the primary.

Those candidates either want to block Trump, or are auditioning for a spot on his ticket or in his cabinet, Feehery said.

But DeSantis weakness has probably given not only hope but also money to other candidates, added Feehery, who said he prefers an alternative to Trump. Hes been kind of shell-shocked by how quickly Trump has gone after him.

With more than eight months to go until the first 2024 nominating contest, DeSantis is still the Republican most likely to stand between Trump and another presidential nomination. And indeed that is what DeSantis team is betting on.

The Republican primary is already a two-man race, and Governor DeSantis isnt even a candidate, Erin Perrine, communications director for the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down, told HuffPost in a statement. As we saw at his recent visits to Iowa and New Hampshire, there is growing momentum behind the Governor because he is the only Republican who doesnt just talk the talk, he follows through on the hard fights like taking on woke corporations.

The choice couldnt be clearer for primary voters  while Donald Trump may talk a big game, DeSantis actually fights and wins, Perrine added.

But each of those lower-tier candidates can chip away at the support DeSantis needs to win in the zero-sum scramble for party delegates.

The stakes of candidate competition are especially high on the Republican side, because while Democrats are required to allot convention delegates on a proportional basis, the GOP relies more heavily on winner-take-all  or winner-take-more  primary contests.

In 2016, for example, the winner-take-all system in Florida helped Trump secure a huge batch of delegates without even winning an outright majority. The outcome prompted Florida Sen. Marco Rubios departure from the race.

Ahead of his reelection campaign in 2020, Trump encouraged more states to adopt winner-take-all systems, leading to a map where 60% of contests were either winner-take-all from the outset, or become winner-take-all if a candidate surpasses a certain threshold. In theory then, the more Republicans that run in 2024, the harder it becomes for DeSantis to topple Trump.

A field of mostly longshot candidates polling in the single or low double digits may also help Trump eke out delegate wins without amassing a significant plurality of votes  or having to broaden his base.

The growing field of contenders, Republicans who oppose Trump worry, could lead to a repeat of 2016, when GOP candidates  fearful of Trumps base-delighting insults and convinced of his imminent self-implosion  fought amongst themselves as Trump racked up an eventually insurmountable delegate lead.

I was in a 2016 campaign, the attack the guy whos a front-runner other than Donald Trump  weve tried that, Sarah Isgur, a former aide to 2016 presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, said Sunday on ABCs This Week. It results in Donald Trump being the nominee.

Indeed, scattered polling from the time period when DeSantis was polling best showed him defeating or in close races with Trump when the two were matched up one-on-one. Adding other candidates to the mix, however, typically led to a stronger position for Trump.

Many of the other contenders seem as or more eager to attack DeSantis than to do battle with Trump. Haley trolled DeSantis over his clashes with Disney earlier this month. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, yet another potential candidate, has both criticized DeSantis culture war tactics and insisted he is more fiscally conservative than the Floridian. Christie has said DeSantis war with Disney shows the latter man is not a conservative

And DeSantis of course remains Trumps No. 1 target. Trump has dubbed the Florida governor Ron DeSanctimonious, and Make America Great Again PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC, has already started running a TV advertisement that employs DeSantis reported use of his fingers to eat chocolate pudding as a metaphor for his votes as a U.S. House member to cut Social Security and Medicare.

Ron DeSantis loves sticking his fingers where they dont belong  and were not just talking about pudding, the spot says as an actor dips two fingers into the dessert.

A second MAGA PAC ad that parodies the kids song Old McDonald Had A Farm, labels the governor Ron DeSalestax for raising sales taxes.

The attacks on DeSantis have taken a toll on his support among Republican primary voters. He has the backing of about 21% of those voters, down from about 30% in March, according to FiveThirtyEights latest public polling average.

The governors slide in the polls began after his pre-campaign book tour, where he didnt always seem at ease doing the heavy retail politicking necessary to win a presidential nomination.

He has also struggled to justify his accelerating war with Disney and the slew of new Florida laws being challenged in court on First Amendment grounds. Last month, DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban into law, a move that may either help him against Trump with uber-conservative evangelical voters or hurt him with more moderate Republicans and in the general election.

Haley trolled DeSantis earlier this month over his escalating clashes with Disney.

If Disney would like to move their hundreds of thousands of jobs to South Carolina and bring the billions of dollars with them, Ill let them know, Ill be happy to meet them in South Carolina and introduce them to the governor and the legislature that would welcome it, she said.

To some conservative strategists wary of again nominating Trump, the prospect of GOP candidates training their fire on DeSantis, rather than Trump, brings back unhappy memories of the 2016 GOP primary.

To emerge from a crowded primary, DeSantis may also have to make his message less about Trump and more about why hes a better choice than, say, Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate whos running a campaign far less centered on culture wars, or Ramaswamy, a relative unknown who has shaken up the race with his stances on the voting age and a merit-based system for immigration.

At the same time, lesser-known candidates can make the case that DeSantis wave of popularity, set into motion during the coronavirus pandemic, has already crested.

Even some conservatives who believe that DeSantis would be better than Trump and a more effective tribune for right-wing populism acknowledge that a national campaign is uncharted terrain for him.

DeSantis has to break out of the Florida bubble and address what he would do for the country as a national leader. Thats been a missing part of this conversation thus far, said Ryan Girdusky, a conservative consultant associated with the more nationalist wing of the Republican Party. You cant plant palm trees in Michigan or Wisconsin. You need to actually tell me what youre going to do for Michigan or Wisconsin.

Girdusky encouraged DeSantis and other candidates to attack Trump from the right by faulting him for, among other things, failing to complete the border wall or stem the tide of unauthorized immigration.

Donald Trump is like Philip Morris cigarettes in the 1960s and 70s, said Girdusky, who founded The 1776 Project, a right-wing super PAC active in local school board elections. Its a great brand that will give you cancer, but people still like the brand. So you need to destroy the brand.

Even in a crowded field, DeSantis can still easily trample his opponents in fundraising and will enter the race with a relatively blank slate to a national audience, said Republican strategist Jason Cabel Roe.

What most people know about DeSantis is COVID and Disney. Theres a lot more to Ron DeSantis, said Roe, a former senior adviser to Rubio. The other candidates are not combative, theyre not pugnacious, and theyre not going to bring the same feistiness to the campaign that Ron DeSantis does.

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LONDON (AP)  Rolf Harris, the veteran entertainer whose decades-long career as a family favorite on British and Australian television was shattered when he was convicted of sexual assaults on young girls, has died. He was 93.

Harris died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest, said a family statement released Tuesday. It did not provide details.

Harris, who had a hit record with Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport, was adored by generations of children for his jovial on-screen persona, and was so respected in Britain that he was once granted the rare privilege of painting a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

But his TV career, which spanned half a century, collapsed in 2013, when he was arrested in Britain in relation to sexual abuse allegations.

Many were left in disbelief when in July 2014 Harris was found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault on four young girls from the 1960s to the 80s. Prosecutors said he had a Jekyll and Hyde personality and used his fame to exploit his victims.

Among the victims was a friend of Harris daughter, who claimed he molested her from age 13 to 19. Harris had said their relationship was consensual, and his relatives and friends supported him throughout the trial.

But a jury convicted him of all charges, and a judge sentenced him to five years and nine months in prison.

Harris was released on license in May 2017. That same month he was also cleared of four unconnected sex offenses that he had denied. Later that year, the Court of Appeal overturned one of his 12 indecent assault convictions.

Harris had enjoyed a 60-year career as a successful television presenter, songwriter and artist. He was best known for his childrens television shows such as Rolfs Cartoon Time and Animal Hospital, and had a number of hit songs in the 1960s.

Born in 1930, Harris grew up in a suburb of Perth, Australia, and was an award-winning swimmer as a teenager. After several failed attempts at art school, Harris launched his television career with a slot on a BBC show in 1952.

As well as hosting childrens shows like Rolf's Cartoon Club, Harris was also known in the 60s for performing popular songs including Two Little Boys, which became a No. 1 Christmas hit in Britain.

By the 2000s, he was considered by many to be a national treasure of sorts: The queen sat for a portrait painted by him in 2005 to mark her 80th birthday, and the painting was displayed at Buckingham Palace. He also starred in a concert celebrating the monarchs Diamond Jubilee outside the palace in 2012.

After his conviction Harris was stripped of multiple honors bestowed on him, including awards appointing him to the Order of the British Empire and the Order of Australia. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts, which had described Harris as one of the worlds most iconic entertainers, said it would withdraw his fellowship.

After his release from prison Harris withdrew from public life and spent his time at his home in Berkshire, southern England.
A 19-year-old Missouri man, accused of driving a truck into barriers near the White House, made incriminating statements that have led investigators to believe he was seeking to harm the president, officials said Tuesday.

The driver was Sai Varshith Kandula of Chesterfield, U.S. Park Police said Tuesday morning.

The charges against Kandula for allegedly threatening to kill, kidnap, inflict harm on a president, vice president, or family member, stem from statements he made to multiple law enforcement agencies, according to a Secret Service representative.

The suspect was interviewed by Secret Service investigators Monday night, the agency representative said, during the ongoing probe that also involves United States Park Police, the FBI and U.S. Capitol Police.

Kandula was further charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and trespassing.

Box truck crashes into security barriers near White House (Nathan Howard / Reuters via Redux)

Authorities said the preliminary investigation indicates Kandula intentionally crashed into the bollards outside Lafayette Park. A Nazi flag was seized by authorities at the scene of the incident.

No one was injured.

A law enforcement official told NBC News that the suspect made threatening statements about the White House at the scene but was quickly detained. The truck was found to contain no weapons or explosives, the official said, without providing further details about the incident.

Asked for their reaction, the official said: I dont think theres any place for a Nazi flag or the statements that he made.

Sai Varshith Kandula. (Rockwood School District)

The white U-Haul box truck crashed into the barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square, just a few hundred feet from the White House, just before 10 p.m. ET.

A bystander appeared to capture the moment on his cell phone when a 26-foot U-Haul truck jumped a curb but couldn't fit through barriers set on the sidewalk.

President Joe Bidens exact whereabouts at the time of the incident were unclear. He had met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Monday night at the White House to discuss the debt limit.

"There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel and the cause and manner of the crash remain under investigation," Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service chief of communications, said in a statement Monday night.

Guglielmi said in a later statement posted to Twitter that the truck had been deemed safe by Washington D.C. police and that "preliminary investigation reveals the driver may have intentionally struck the security barriers." Park Police would file charges with investigative support from the Secret Service, Guglielmi said.

The Reuters news agency published an image showing a Nazi-style red flag emblazoned with a swastika laid on the ground beside the van. Reuters, citing its own photographer on the scene and a witness, reported that this and other pieces of evidence apparently taken from the truck had been placed on the sidewalk and were then seized by officers.

Authorities have not commented on the flag. Asked to provide comment, the White House referred NBC News to the Secret Service. NBC News has reached out to the Secret Service for comment.

Video footage later showed a robot opening the back of the truck, which appeared to be empty.

A spokesperson for the nearby Hay Adams hotel told NBC News that guests were told to evacuate the building but were allowed back in at 1 a.m. ET Tuesday.
DILI, East Timor (AP)  East Timors opposition party won Sundays parliamentary election, meaning independence fighter Xanana Gusmao is likely to return as prime minister in Asias youngest democracy.

The final vote count released by the National Elections Commission on Tuesday showed Gusmao's National Congress of the Reconstruction of East Timor, known as CNRT, won 41% of the votes and gained 31 seats out of 65 in the National Parliament. That is just short of the 33 needed for an outright majority, and Gusmao will have to join at least one other party in a coalition to form a government.

Gusmao, 76, an icon of the countrys independence struggle from Indonesian occupation, became the nations first president between 2002 and 2007 and served as prime minister between 2007 and 2015. The CNRT's victory followed a successful presidential campaign in 2022 in which its candidate, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, returned to office.

The ruling Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor, or Fretilin, received 25% of the votes and 19 seats. It promised to accept the election outcome.

The Democratic Party won six seats, the rural-based Khunto Party five and the Peoples Liberation Party four.

A total of 17 parties ran in the election. They were required to have a woman in at least every third position in their party list, and seats were allocated for those with an electoral threshold of 4%.

Im happy that we are going to respond to peoples concerns and anxiety of national construction that has always been defined in the strategic development plan that has not been carried out in the last six years, Gusmao told a news conference after the final results were released by the electoral commission.

He pledged to allow the development of the Greater Sunrise oil and gas project which aims to tap trillions of cubic feet of natural gas that could give East Timor 70% of the revenues if gas is piped to East Timor and 80% if the gas is piped to Australia.

Independence doesnt mean only having flag, president, governor and parliament, but it means people able to get benefits from independence in terms of the economy, he said.

Under East Timors Constitution, the prime minister acts as the head of government and has more legislative power than the president, who is head of state.

Fretilin and CNRT have blamed each other for years of political paralysis. Tensions between the two largest parties since 2018 led to the resignation of Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak in 2020 after the government repeatedly failed to pass a budget.

But he agreed to stay until a new government was formed and to oversee the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. His government has operated without an annual budget and has relied on monthly injections from its sovereign fund, called the Petroleum Fund.

His governing coalition is currently made up of Fretilin, the PLP which he heads, and the Khunto Party.

The former Portuguese colony was occupied by Indonesia for a quarter-century and gained independence after a U.N.-sponsored referendum in 1999. Indonesias military responded with scorched-earth attacks that devastated the East Timorese half of the island of Timor.

East Timors transition to a democracy has been rocky, with leaders battling massive poverty, unemployment and corruption as the country continues to struggle with the legacy of its bloody independence battle and bitter factional politics that have occasionally erupted into violence. Its economy is reliant on dwindling offshore oil revenues.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year granted observer status to East Timor ahead of it becoming the regional blocs 11th member.

The United States on Monday commended authorities in East Timor, which also called Timor-Leste, for administering a free, fair and transparent election.

This election reflects the commitment of the people of Timor-Leste to democracy and peaceful political processes and serves as an inspiration for democracy globally, said Matthew Miller, the U.S. Department of State spokesperson.

The U.N. estimates that nearly half of East Timors population lives below the extreme poverty line of $1.90 a day, and that 42 of every 1,000 babies die before their fifth birthday because of malnutrition.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will announce he is running for president during a discussion with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, three sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.

Musk and DeSantis will host an event on Twitter Spaces, the sites platform for audio chats, on Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET. It will be moderated by David Sacks, a tech entrepreneur who is a Musk confidant and DeSantis supporter.

That same evening, the campaign will release a launch video, and DeSantis will begin visiting several early states after Memorial Day.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis; Elon Musk. (Getty Images; dpa / picture alliance)

The relationship could be a significant boost for DeSantis by giving him an introduction to, and credibility with, Musks massive following  including his 140 million Twitter followers. But it could prove a burden should DeSantis become distracted by the tycoons many controversial comments.

The launch will closely tie together the billionaire tech mogul with one of the Republican Partys rising stars. Musk has been an admirer of DeSantis, who also regularly chides corporate media. Last year, Musk said he would support the governor if he were to run for president.

The announcement will coincide with a retreat for high-end fundraisers pledged to support DeSantis in Miami. Bundlers will gather at the Four Seasons hotel from May 24-26, receiving briefings from campaign staff, combined with time to call around to raise money for the campaign.

The DeSantis team has been in talks with Musk for at least the last few weeks, according to a source familiar with the discussions. In those conversations, the source said, Musk has indicated he doesnt think former President Donald Trump can win back the White House.

Hes interested in the future, and hes interested in winning again, the person said.

During the Wall Street Journals 2023 CEO Summit Council on Tuesday, Musk confirmed his participation in DeSantis' announcement but said he was not going to be formally endorsing DeSantis at that time.

I think its quite groundbreaking that there be a major announcement of this type on social media, he said, adding that he was not going to endorse any particular candidate for president quite yet.

A source said, however, that within DeSantis team, Musk's participation is viewed as a clear sign of support for the governor.

Yet Musk is nothing if not unpredictable, and on Friday, he tweeted praise of an ad by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., one of DeSantis rivals for the GOP nomination.

NBC News did not receive a response for comment from Musk, Sacks or the DeSantis campaign for this piece.

Even if Musk stops short of a full endorsement of DeSantis, aligning with his presidential announcement puts him and the company more squarely into a presidential election than any other tech company before it. Twitter, Facebook and others have launched election hubs and voter registration efforts, but have kept candidates at arms length.

And someone of Musks stature participating in DeSantis presidential launch dents the inevitability and power of Trump.

DeSantis relationship with Musk goes back to early 2021, when the two met at a dinner party in Austin, Texas, with roughly 15 people including tech investors, developers and health care industry officials, according to a GOP fundraiser who was at the meeting.

The two also have a relationship through Sacks, a major Republican donor who has been openly supportive of DeSantis and is considered to be part of Musks inner circle on decisions about Twitter.

Musk has carved out an intense following after he purchased Twitter with the promise to return free speech after years of complaints from the right that the site had tried to censor conservatives. Among his first steps was reinstating the accounts of previous far-right Twitter users who had been suspended for spreading disinformation. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who remains one of the most popular figures in conservative media even after being fired by Fox News, is launching a new show on Twitter.

That seems to be part of what makes partnering with Musk attractive to DeSantis. One of the sources familiar with the plans told NBC News that DeSantis aides have been watching Twitter become an increasingly friendly space for conservative firebrands under Musks leadership, allowing them to speak directly to their conservative audience and bypass traditional media  something that was once Trumps superpower.

Trump was banned from Twitter after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection by his supporters at the Capitol, and he has yet to return to the site even after Musk reinstated him last fall.

"I expect the campaign will be painting a positive vision for the country, and the entire rollout will highlight future vs. past, success vs. failure, winning vs. losing and action vs. talk. That is the frame of the race," a source familiar with the plan said.

Announcing on Twitter is perfect for Ron DeSantis, a Trump adviser told NBC News in a text message. This way he doesnt have to interact with people and the media cant ask him any questions.

The plan is not without its risks. Musks international star power could serve to outshine DeSantis, who  while a heavyweight in Republican political circles  is not nearly as well known. And DeSantis may not want to have to answer for all of Musks positions  potentially down to individual tweets  such as his comments about progressive megadonor George Soros that have earned the ire of Jewish leaders.

A source familiar with the plans said the DeSantis team wasnt worried about being upstaged, arguing that the governor is fine not having the spotlight solely on himself.

But an additional risk for DeSantis is that while Musk has tons of muscle available to put behind DeSantis  and has fans in the former presidents base  Trump has made a political career out of portraying himself as an underdog fighting powerful forces within his party, on the Democratic side of the aisle, and in government and industry. Musk  and by extension, DeSantis  could be framed as just the latest corporate titan to align against Trumps movement.

In the coming weeks, Musk will be stepping down as Twitters CEO. He recently announced that he had hired Linda Yaccarino, the former head of ad sales for NBCUniversal, to take over as the next CEO of Twitter. Musk said he would still oversee product design and new technology, while Yaccarino would run the business side.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Emirati leaders extended a long-sought invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attend the U.N climate conference, known as COP28, in November.

The United Arab Emirates' President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also invited Israel's figurehead President Isaac Herzog and dozens of other leaders including Syrian President Bashar Assad to COP28, in Dubai.

The Israelis did not immediately accept the invitation, but Netanyahu thanked the Emiratis for the gesture.

The invitation falls short of the high-profile bilateral visit Netanyahu has sought. But a trip to the Gulf Arab country would nonetheless give an important boost to the Israeli leader who has established official ties with the UAE as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between the two countries. Netanyahu has repeatedly called for closer ties with Arab countries across the region, but has yet to pay the UAE an official visit since the accords were signed.

Netanyahu, Israels longest-serving leader, has sought to return to the world stage. to the world stage. Since returning to office late last year, he has made official visits to Italy, Germany and Britain.

He had hoped to visit the UAE shortly after his right-wing government took office, but the plan was postponed after national security minister and ultranationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir last January visited the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The same site is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to Muslims. Such visits are widely viewed as provocations that could lead to new clashes between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The UAE condemned Ben-Gvir's actions at the time. He visited the site again on Sunday, declaring Israel in charge and drawing renewed criticism from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and the United States.

Netanyahu's alliance with far-right figures like Ben-Gvir has drawn repeated criticism from close allies. He remains uninvited to visit U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, which some interpret as a White House snub. The U.S. administration has criticized Israel's settlement policies in the occupied West Bank, Ben-Gvir's visits to the disputed compound and the government's push to overhaul Israel's judiciary system.

The administration has said he's likely to receive an invitation at some point.

Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has been internationally ostracized during his countrys civil war, has also been invited after returning to the Arab League following a 12-year suspension.

The annual U.N. climate talks are designed to keep countries accountable to their pledges to cut down on carbon emissions.

In November, the talks in Dubai will be hosted by Sultan al-Jaber, the chief executive officer of the Emirates state oil company. Choosing the oil-rich emirate as well as al-Jaber to host the climate conference has drawn criticism from various environmental groups and activists.
HONG KONG (AP) 

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee condemned an unusual rise in the number of withdrawal requests to the citys organ donation system, saying Tuesday that police would investigate suspicious cases.

According to the government, the citys centralized organ donation registration system received nearly 5,800 withdrawal applications in the five months since December, when the government raised the possibility of establishing an organ transplant mutual assistance program with mainland China. More than half of the withdrawal applications were found to be invalid, either as duplicate applications or coming from people who had never opted in.

At a regular press briefing, Lee pointed to those who withdrew their applications without ever registering, calling the moves suspicious.

I severely condemn those who attempt to cause damages to this noble system which saves lives through organ donations, he said. This is a shameful act.

Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to China in 1997, has a separate system for matching donated organs to patients and does not have any standing mechanism to share cadaveric organs with institutions in mainland China. Cross-border organ transplants have been permitted on a case-by-case basis, if the situation warrants.

Under an opt-in system, Hong Kong currently has more than 357,000 registrants in the financial hub that houses 7 million people. Organ donations have been met with resistance in both Hong Kong and China because of an ingrained cultural desire to keep bodies intact.

The government issued a strong-worded statement Monday, saying it could not rule out that a small number of people made withdrawal attempts in a bid to undermine the reputation of the system, and to increase administrative burden. Without naming any platforms or any individuals, it said it noticed a small number of people had distorted the virtue of organ donation by promoting the idea that donors should scrutinize the identity of the recipients online. Some also urged others to withdraw from the system, it added.

On Hong Kongs Reddit-like forum LIHKG  where pro-democracy supporters discussed strategies for the 2019 anti-government movement  some users were skeptical about the proposed system. Others posted a link for making withdrawals from the register.

The Hong Kong government floated the proposal after a baby girl underwent the citys first transplant using a heart donated from mainland China in December. It said the organ assistance program under consideration could be activated immediately after medical personnel could not match a donated organ with a suitable patient locally.

The political row over the proposed mutual assistance program reflected some Hong Kongers distrust of Chinas health system, as well as their grievances toward Beijing, which has cracked down on the citys pro-democracy movement with a sweeping national security law.

Hong Kong's medical standards are considered some of the highest in the world. While China's medical system has advanced over the past few decades, many Hong Kongers remain skeptical about its health care services. Allegations of forced organ harvesting in China, particularly targeting minorities in detention, have added to concerns about a cross-border organ cooperation.

In 2015, Beijing ceased transplanting organs taken from executed prisoners in response to human rights concerns and later provided data to the international community to show it was fighting against illegal organ transplants.
SYDNEY (AP)  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by around 20,000 cheering fans, many chanting Modi, at a Sydney stadium on Tuesday during his second visit to Australia as his country's leader.

Modi shared the stage with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who compared the reception by the primarily Indian crowd at Qudos Bank Arena to a concert by U.S. rock star Bruce Springsteen at the same venue.

The last time I saw someone on the stage here was Bruce Springsteen and he didnt get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got, Albanese told the capacity crowd.

Prime Minister Modi is the Boss, Albanese added, using Springsteens nickname.

Modi told the audience he expected trade between the two countries will double in the next five years.

"Our positive cooperation is growing in areas like climate action, disaster management, strategic technologies, reliable supply chain, education and health security, Modi said.

"It hasnt grown through diplomacy. The real strength is the Indians living in Australia, he added.

A skywriter had earlier emblazoned the sky over Sydney with the message Welcome Modi in an indication of the citys enthusiasm about the 72-year-old Indian leader's visit.

The Indian diaspora accounts for only 3% of Australias population but is the nations fastest growing ethnic minority.

Modi is the only leader of the so-called Quad nations to continue with his scheduled visit to Australia after U.S. President Joe Biden pulled out of a planned meeting of the group in Sydney to return to Washington to focus on debt limit talks. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hosted a Group of Seven summit last week, later canceled his Australia trip as well.

Modi told The Australian newspaper that he wants to take Indias relationship with Australia to the next level, including closer defense and security ties to help ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

As two democracies, India and Australia have shared interests in a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. There is alignment of our strategic viewpoint, Modi told the newspaper.

The high degree of mutual trust between us has naturally translated into greater cooperation on defense and security matters. Our navies are participating in joint naval exercises. I am confident that there is merit in working together to realize the true potential in closer defense and security cooperation, Modi added.

Albanese told Parliament that Australia will host naval exercises involving India, the United States and Japan called Malabar for the first time this year in another sign of a deepening commitment to the Quad.

India is a key strategic partner, Albanese told Parliament. We are both part of a growing and dynamic region and Prime Minister Modi is a very welcome visitor to our shores.

Albanese said he and Modi expect to complete negotiations on a free trade deal before the end of the year.

That will create Australian jobs, helping our industries prosper, sparking growth in innovation, Albanese said.

Negotiations on the deal began in 2011. The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement would increase the scope of a bilateral trade pact that came into force last December.

India is Australia's sixth largest trading partner, with the two-way exchange of goods and services valued at 46.5 billion Australian dollars ($31 billion) last year.

Australia is eager to increase trade with India as a means of diversifying from China, Australia's biggest trading partner. Australian efforts to improve trade relations with India have gained urgency in recent years as Beijing has imposed restrictions on certain Australian products.

Modi last visited Australia in November 2014, just months after his government was first elected.

Australia pulled out of the original Quad security dialogue with India, the United States and Japan in 2008, fearing the grouping would provoke a Chinese military buildup. Since China took that course anyway, the Quad reformed in 2017 and Australia returned to joint Quad military exercises in 2020.

With the Quad summit in Sydney canceled, a substitute Quad meeting was convened on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan.

Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday night from Papua New Guinea, where he hosted a meeting with Pacific Island leaders to discuss ways to better cooperate.

Asked if Australia would raise the issue of Muslim and minority rights in India with the Hindu leader, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said he expected Albanese and Modi would have a full conversation.

We have never had a greater strategic alignment with India than we do right now. Both countries are deeply invested in the collective security of the Indo-Pacific region, Marles said.

Sydney doctor Vani Arjunamani, one of the organizers of a rally near the stadium where Modi appeared, said the Indian leader was drawing bigger crowds than he did when he visited Australia in 2014.

Its very interesting, isnt it? Is there another head of state that can pull this crowd? It is very unusual, Arjunamani said.

___

McGuirk contributed from Canberra, Australia.

Associated Press writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.
JERUSALEM (AP)  The Israeli army said on Tuesday it demolished the home of a Palestinian involved in an attack in Tel Aviv that killed one and wounded two others in March.

Video footage of the attack shows a man the army says was Moataz Khawaja, 23, shooting three men from behind, including one in the head  in one of Tel Aviv's busiest streets  before being shot and killed by Israeli police. Hamas claimed him as a member of its armed wing.

On Tuesday, the army destroyed Khawaja's home in the town of Naalin, northwest of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. The army said people burned tires, threw stones and shot fireworks at Israeli forces who were razing the site.

Israel demolishes the homes of attackers in an attempt to deter others, a tactic critics say amounts to collective punishment.

Khawaja's attack came after months of relentless violence in the West Bank, where the Israeli military has been conducting near-nightly raids in response to Palestinian attacks against Israelis. The demolition follows a deadly five-day burst of fighting between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip.
The top official in the Israeli Defense Forces warned that Jerusalem, along with its allies, has the ability to strike Iran as Tehran continues to develop its nuclear program at a concerning rate.

"Iran has made more progress in enriching uranium than ever before," Israeli Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said at a conference Tuesday. "We are also closely examining the other areas on the way to nuclear capability.

"Without going into details, there are possible negative developments on the horizon that could prompt action," he continued. "We have abilities, and others have abilities. We have the ability to hit Iran," he said during his speech at the Herzliya Conference 2023, Institute for Policy and Strategy at Reichman University in Israel.

ISRAEL MORE THAN DOUBLED STRIKES ON IRANIAN TARGETS IN SYRIA, DEFENSE MINISTER CLAIMS

Halevi further warned that Iran should not be "indifferent" to Israels concern or its commitment to striking Tehrans nuclear program should it be prompted to.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also revealed that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are turning civilian merchant ships into military vessels armed with UAVs, missile systems and advanced intelligence-gathering units and using them as "floating terrorist bases."

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"Iran conducts itself like a collection of criminal organizations, not a modern state," Gallant told conference attendees at Reichman University, Monday. "The floating terror bases are an extension of Iran's ongoing maritime terrorism, as seen in its actions in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea."

Gallant also noted that the ships are intended to be used at sea for extended periods of time.

IRAN DEFIES US OVER EXECUTIONS, PUTTING THREE DEMOCRACY PROTESTERS TO DEATH

"Iran aims to expand its reach to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and even the shores of the Mediterranean," he continued. "This is a structured plan designed to threaten trade and flight routes  both military and civilian  and to create a permanent threat in the maritime arena."

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (R) addressed while standing next to commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Hossein Salami (L), and Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, during a military parade marking Iran's Army Day anniversary near the Imam Khomeini shrine in the south of Tehran, April 18, 2023. Raisi said, we will destroy Haifa and Tel Aviv if Israel takes ''the slightest action'' against Iran.

Israels accusations come as Tehran is seeing a shakeup among its top ranks after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi removed the longtime secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ali Shamkhani, following a scandal tied to spying allegations.

Shamkhani has faced allegations of corruption after he was accused of having close ties to a British Iranian man who was hung earlier this year on charges of spying.

He has denied all corruption allegations.

Senior fellow and Iran expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Behnam Ben Taleblu, told Fox News Digital that "Shamkhanis departure is the latest in a recent series of musical chairs in Iran that in the aggregate represents ultra-hardline consolidation."

"Shamkhani was the second-longest serving chair of Irans SNSC and the Islamic Republics highest-ranking ethnic Arab," he added. "The personnel change is likely to beget greater domestic consensus in Iran for escalation and confrontation."
Dogs are loyal companions to humans, and they will protect their owners when they feel that their human is in danger. That fact just makes the incident all the more tragic as the two dogs were fatally shot down after being accused of being "out of control."

The Shooting

The incident took place in London, UK where the owner of the two American Staffordshire Terriers, Louie Turnbull lived. The shooting was prompted by a woman claiming that she and her dogs were attacked by Marshall and Millions, although witnesses say that wasn't true.

According to the bystanders present at the scene, the woman merely got caught in the leashes of the dog and was never in danger. Following the woman's report to the police, Louie said that the law enforcers pulled out their weapons to intimidate him and the dogs.

He expressed that Marshall and Millions were only trying to protect him, but he "had them on the lead" and were therefore not a danger to anyone. Although the owner tried to get the dogs to the boat and talk to the police after, the police ultimately decided to gun the canines down.

To make matters worse, Louie Turnball was then tasered and arrested. He appeared in court, as mentioned in Distractify, as he was charged with being in possession of animals that were out of control. "It was just so disgusting," Louie lamented.

The Aftermath

The footage of the dogs being shot spread like wildfire on the internet, which has sparked an outrage on social media. The issues of police brutality have resurfaced and countless people across countries have expressed both grief and anger toward the incident.

The streets of London were filled with protesters led by Animal Rising, a British animal activist movement. A vigil was also arranged to honor the two dogs that were brutally shot. Louie spoke at the vigil, saying that he couldn't sleep because of the incident.

The support for the grieving dog owner was also felt online as people on social media shared the story of Marshall and Millions and expressed how much they loved their own pets. They also voiced their disgust over how the police acted in the situation.

Read Also: Ministers Plan to Add Facial Recognition Technology on Police Body Cams

What Happened to Those Involved?

The woman who complained about the three-year-old Marshall and nine-month-old Millions was said to be "traumatized" by the events that had transpired. As seen on the video from Twitter, the dogs did not appear to be a threat at all as the woman screamed.

As for the police officer that fired the gun that killed the two Terriers, the Met had already cleared them of all wrongdoing. People didn't accept that the police would just get away with their actions without so much as a slap on the wrist.

A petition has been launched that calls for the Met police to be held accountable for what the animal rights campaigners called an "abhorrent" and "barbaric" shooting. According to the Daily Mail, the petition already has over a million signatures, and counting.

Related: Cop Makes Pinned Man Hold a Stick Just So That He Can Have a Reason to Beat Him
2020 election denier Kari Lake has lost her legal battle over her own election defeat in Nov. 2022. (AP)

PHOENIX (AP)  A judge on Monday dismissed the only remaining legal claim in Republican Kari Lakes challenge of her loss in last year's race for Arizona governor, affirming the election of Democrat Katie Hobbs.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter A. Thompson said Lake failed to prove her claim that Maricopa County did not verify signatures on mail ballots as required by law.

Lake was among the most vocal of last years Republican candidates promoting former President Donald Trumps election lies, which she made the centerpiece of her campaign. She has built a loyal following among Trump supporters and is openly considering a run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Kyrsten Sinema, an independent and former Democrat. Lake is also often mentioned as a potential vice presidential pick for Trump.

While most other election deniers around the country conceded after losing their races in November, Lake did not. She has touted her legal battle in fundraising appeals and speeches around the country.

Lake did not immediately comment on the ruling.

Lost to Democrat Katie Hobbs by 17,000 votes

She filed suit after losing to Hobbs by about 17,000 votes, asking the courts to install her as governor or order a new election. Thompson dismissed the case, but the Arizona Supreme Court revived a claim that challenges how signature verification procedures were used on early ballots in Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of the states voters. County officials had defended the signature verification efforts and said they had nothing to hide.

Lakes signature verification claim was the subject of a three-day trial. Her lawyers argued that there was evidence that lower-level screeners who found inconsistencies in signatures ran them up the chain of command, where they were neglected by higher level verifiers.

She did not contest whether voters signatures on ballot envelopes matched those in their voting records.

The former TV anchor faced a high bar in proving not only her allegation over signature verification efforts but also that it affected the outcome of her race.

Thompson, who was appointed to the bench by former Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, said she did not meet that high bar.

The evidence the Court received does not support Plaintiffs remaining claim, he wrote.

Earlier in her lawsuit, Lake had focused on problems with ballot printers at some polling places in Maricopa County. The defective printers produced ballots that were too light to be read by the on-site tabulators at polling places. Lines were backed up in some areas amid the confusion. Lake alleged ballot printer problems were the result of intentional misconduct.

County officials say everyone had a chance to vote and all ballots were counted because those affected by the printers were taken to more sophisticated counters at election headquarters.

In mid-February, the Arizona Court of Appeals rejected Lakes assertions, concluding she presented no evidence that voters whose ballots were unreadable by tabulators at polling places were unable to vote.

The following month, the state Supreme Court declined to hear nearly all of Lakes appeal, saying there was no evidence to support her claim that more than 35,000 ballots were added to vote totals.

Earlier this month, the court sanctioned Lakes lawyers $2,000 for making false statements when saying that more than 35,000 ballots had been improperly added to the total count.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP)  Dozens of militants attacked an oil and gas plant on Tuesday in Pakistan's remote northwest, near the border with Afghanistan, killing four security troops and two private guards, officials said.

Oil production was temporarily suspended following the attack on the oil and gas extraction facility run by a multinational European company, MOL Pakistan Oil and Gas, in Hangu, a restive district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The company said the attackers never reached the facility itself but fought with the troops and guards outside.

Production from the wells has been temporarily shut down by remote access and the wells are now secured, the company said in a statement.

The attack triggered an intense shootout, according to the local police chief, Sawab Khan. He said a wide search was underway to apprehend the attackers, who fled the scene.

Blame is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The militant group has stepped up attacks in recent months, after unilaterally ending a cease-fire with the Pakistani government in November.

A separate militant group, the TTP is allied with the Afghan Taliban and its fighters and leaders often take shelter across the border, in Afghanistan, straining relations between the two countries.
The private plane that crashed Saturday south of the Farallon Islands was confirmed owned by Sergey Brin's investment managers. (Josh Edelson / For the Times)

The fuel-starved plane that plunged into the Pacific Ocean while attempting to reach Half Moon Bay on Saturday was owned by the financial investment firm of billionaire Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

A statement by Bayshore Global Management sent to The Times late Monday confirmed ownership of the plane, which had been blocked from Federal Aviation Administration-fed tracking services and was registered to a trust run by a bank in Utah.

The Coast Guard declined Monday to release the names of the two people who died on board.

"Sadly, we can confirm that a plane associated with our office, a De Havilland DHC6-400 Twin Otter seaplane, has experienced an accident at sea during a ferry flight," a spokesperson for Brin's Palo Alto investment house said in a statement. "We send our deepest condolences to the families of the crew on board. We are providing the families with assistance and will continue to do so as long as needed. Similarly, we are working to ensure all available resources are ready to assist in recovery efforts once weather and seas provide safer conditions."

Bayshore Global is a family office, handling some $100 billion in assets for Brin, and noted for its privacy.

In their last minutes alive, the two pilots aboard the Twin Otter turboprop were reassured by air traffic control: "Hang in there guys. We'll come get you."

The red and white Twin Otter hit the water 32 miles west of Half Moon Bay on Saturday and was not heard from again.

When a helicopter from nearby San Francisco reached the scene 15 minutes later, the plane was flipped, its cockpit submerged. A rescue swimmer who jumped into the water found the occupants still inside the plane, lifeless. By U.S. Coast Guard policy, without air tanks, the swimmer could not enter the submerged compartment.

The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter, a plane and two boats to the scene of Saturday afternoon's crash, interviews and flight records show. But in the end, both the plane and its victims were left at sea. An unidentified insurance company is now in charge of determining next steps.

As of Monday, an emergency response company hired by the insurer had not apprised the Coast Guard of its plans to retrieve the victims' bodies, said Petty Officer Matthew West.

That company, Fireside Partners, did not immediately return a call from a reporter.

West said the presumed identities of the plane's occupants are known, but the Coast Guard is withholding those names at the request of family members. Bayshore Global has not publicly identified the pilots either.

A spokeswoman for the National Transportation Safety Board said the salvage company attempted to find and recover the plane Sunday but had to turn back because of high seas." On Monday, she said, it postponed retrieval efforts until later in the week, citing the weather offshore. The area is under a gale warning until Wednesday.

The plane had left at 8:05 a.m. Saturday from a Sonoma County airstrip in Santa Rosa, one of the pilots cheerfully telling the control tower they were headed for Honolulu.

A trip that long would depend heavily on the small plane's fuel "ferry" tanks, which FAA records show were installed to supply supplemental fuel to the main tank. Flight records reviewed by The Times show the plane since August made frequent long trips  to Panama, Atlanta, Miami, the Turks and Caicos  but often stopped along the way. A December trip from Sacramento to the British Virgin Islands, for instance included stops in El Paso and Miami and took three days.

"Clear to Honolulu," the pilot said, repeating instructions for altitude and to switch to the Oakland central air traffic control tower once aloft.

Flight tracking records show the plane showed back up over the Pacific Ocean four hours later, returning east toward Santa Rosa. For the next hour, the Oakland central tower tried to hail the plane, even attempting to relay communications through nearby passing planes.

Then at 1:15 p.m., it turned east, on a direct path for a community airfield at nearby Half Moon Bay.

At some point, air traffic communications were established with the occupants of the Twin Otter. Air traffic recordings shared by liveatc.net capture a radio operator at 1:30 p.m. asking, "What's the color of your craft, and what's the color of your life raft?"

The reply is garbled, but a Coast Guard marine broadcast shortly after told seafarers to be on the watch for a yellow life raft.

At 1:44 p.m., a passing Southwest jet was told of an anticipated ocean landing, south of the Farallon Islands, and was asked to "see if they made it out ok."

The commercial pilot later replied that low clouds prevented a view of the water.

At 1:47 p.m., the crew of the Twin Otter were asked to turn on emergency beacons aboard their plane. "Ok, we'll try to do that," a pilot answered.

At 1:52 p.m., a tower operator radioed the Twin Otter that the Coast Guard had a fix on its location and was sending help. "Do you have flares?"

"I don't believe ... but there's something inside the life raft here."

"Just to give you an update, Coast Guard has your last known location here, and they're sending out a helicopter soon. So again hang in there guys. We'll come get you."

"Copy that. I very much appreciate your help," a pilot replied.

There were no further transmissions from the plane.

Flight tracking records, accessed through Flightrader24, show the Twin Otter stopped moving at 1:54 p.m. and its signal was lost two minutes later.

A Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter took off from the San Francisco International Airport at 2:05 p.m. and reached the scene at 2:15 p.m., the time a spokeswoman for the National Safety Transportation Board said the agency is using as the official time of crash.

The federal agency is investigating "reports that the pilots were unable to transfer fuel from the supplemental ferry tanks to the main tanks," said spokeswoman Sarah Stulick. That report is not expected for several weeks.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Ukrainian servicemen fire at Russian positions at a frontline in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas in 2022. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

KYIV  Russia may have taken the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut Sunday, but forces aligned with Ukraine apparently took a tiny part of Russia on Monday  or so video and photograph footage suggested as of just after noon local time. Ukrainian armored vehicles, including at least one tank, were seen attacking a border post, in the town of Kozinka, in the Belgorod region of southern Russia.

Drone footage, taken from the Ukrainian side of the border, showed a lone tank advancing toward the Russian border checkpoint in Kozinka, the main building of which had several large holes blasted in its exterior walls. A group of three light armored vehicles was also spotted in the same location, with Ukrainian marks  white crosses  clearly painted on their hulls. Footage circulating on social media and purportedly shot inside the checkpoint building showed Russian passports scattered on the floor, a portrait of Vladimir Putin hanging on the wall and a dead border guard.

What seemed to be a relatively simple Ukrainian cross-border raid  not the first of its kind in 15 months of war  soon revealed itself to be a far more ambitious and dug-in incursion into Russian territory. From Kozinka, the counter-invaders advanced toward the larger Russian town of Grayvoron. As of Monday morning, the Ukrainian-aligned forces had advanced 3.5 miles over the border into Russia. Two groups claimed responsibility: the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, which is headed by a notorious far-right Russian nationalist.

As they progressed, the pro-Ukraine Russians handed out leaflets telling Russian soldiers how to surrender and promising their good treatment if the soldiers did. The best deision for you and your family is to surrender to the Armed Forces of Ukraine! the leaflets read. The prisoners are fed according to the norm of our soldiers, and if you have desire you will be arranged for paid work.

Ukraine denies involvement

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky arrives to address a news conference following the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima on May 21. (Louise Delmotte/AFP via Getty Images)

Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence directorate, claimed that the operation in the Belgorod region was carried out exclusively by Russian citizens, with the aim to create a certain security zone to protect the Ukrainian civilian population. Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, also claimed that Kyiv had no direct involvement in the events in Belgorod, which they were watching with interest.

As you know, tanks are sold at any Russian military store and underground guerrilla groups are composed of Russian citizens, Podoliak said.

Ukraines denial mirrored and mocked the Kremlins own past denials of its incursions into Ukraine, including the 2014 seizure and illegal annexation of Crimea.

Another senior Ukrainian military intelligence official, in what can be described as a smirking disavowal of any hand in the matter, told Yahoo News: These are not regular units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, definitely not our style of warfare. There are many analogies in history where the people themselves decide when to take up arms and defend their rights and freedoms. Finland in 1939, Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968. Similarly Ukraine in 2014, in the territory of Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. As a rule, a referendum with 82% to 84% support from the local population follows. In any case, We are not there.

Russian volunteers have proven that the Russian government is completely defenseless against organized resistance by Russians, the official told Yahoo News. Ukraine welcomes the desire of Russians to change the political system in their own country.

Russia reacts

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with the Belgorod region's governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, outside Moscow in January. (Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via Reuters)

The Russian military scrambled to get reinforcements to the border as the advance of the pro-Ukrainian forces continued. Mi-8 transport helicopters were seen over Kozinka and Rakitnoye, dropping flares and flying low in an attempt to avoid portable surface-to-air missiles. Local Russian civilians fled, forming long lines of traffic as they made their exit from the area.

The Kremlins public reaction was first an attempt to downplay the attack. Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman, described the action as the work of a Ukrainian sabotage group but said Russia had sufficient forces in Belgorod to deal with them.

A sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine entered the territory of the Grayvoron district, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the Russian governor of the region, said in a statement. The armed forces of the Russian Federation, together with the border service, the Russian Guard and the FSB, he added, referring to the successor agency of the Soviet KGB, are taking the necessary measures to eliminate the enemy. Russian military bloggers also claimed that the deputy head of the Grayvoron city administration was wounded during the shelling of the administration building, a claim Yahoo News cannot independently verify.

Though the prospects for the invaders to hang on to any territorial gains is dim, the incursion has already embarrassed the Kremlin a day after its declaration of victory in Bakhmut, a blasted-out city in Donetsk, which Russian forces  particularly the Wagner mercenary corps  have been trying to sack for nine months. The Belgorod raid will no doubt force the Russian military to redeploy elements from a badly strained army to reinforce the border region.
Muddy floodwaters surround a business in Tulare Lake recently. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The risk of catastrophic flooding in the Tulare Lake Basin has diminished as cool temperatures have predominated this spring, flattening the melt curve of the Sierra's epic snowpack, state officials said Monday.

We are "not forecasting nearly as severe of damage as perhaps we were looking at several weeks ago," Brian Ferguson, deputy director of crisis communications for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, said at a news conference Monday. "However, we want to strongly emphasize that we are not out of the woods by any stretch of the imagination."

Just a few weeks ago, officials worried that floodwaters from the melting Sierra Nevada snowpack would surge down the Tule, Kings, Kaweah and Kern rivers and topple berms, breach levees and inundate towns such as Corcoran and Stratford.

They now say their most conservative models don't anticipate the lake exceeding a height of 184.1 feet above sea level  well below the 192 feet of newly reinforced levee protecting Corcoran, and roughly 2 feet lower than the forecast they delivered on April 21.

Indeed, Mehdi Mizani, the Department of Water Resources' lead engineer on the Tulare Lake Basin, said the latest models suggest water levels will top out at around 181.1 feet on May 31, flooding approximately 620,000 acre-feet.

In 1983, one of the last few times the lake flooded, roughly 1 million acre-feet inundated roughly 85,000 acres.

Mizani said the state's models incorporate the combined effects of weather, reservoir releases, agricultural demands and evaporation, although they don't consider the reliability or strength of levees  which could impact the extent of flooding if they were to fail.

And the modeling process is "iterative," he said. He and his team are "continuously working on refinements for the models, whether it's just calibrating the models themselves or better understanding local operations to make sure that we're capturing those correctly."

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain agreed the cool spring thus far has helped alleviate flooding concerns.

"We've gotten relatively lucky so far," Swain said during a briefing Monday. "We've threaded that needle  there's been a lot of water coming downhill  but it has not all come downhill at once."

However, the threat of the "Big Melt" remains cause for concern as much of the deepest snowpack in the southern Sierra Nevada has yet to melt.

"There is still a huge amount of water up there, and I think folks may be forgetting this because at low to middle elevations, the snow is largely gone," Swain said.

"But at high elevations, where the vast majority of that actual snow water equivalent is, there's still huge snowpacks  they're still clearing roads in the High Sierra right now that have 20 to 30 feet of snow on them" at 8,000 to 10,000 feet.

Temperatures are beginning to heat up, he said, and some areas along the Merced River in Yosemite National Park are under flood watches and warnings as high flows are expected in the next few days.

But the main area of concern remains the Tulare Lake Basin, he said, which has no outlet and is still filled with deep and stagnant water from this year's winter storms. Though a warm atmospheric river event or a prolonged heat wave could produce major flooding in the area, even gradual snowmelt threatens to make the current inundation worse.

"There's still major concern about Corcoran and some of these towns that are literally within this basin," Swain said. "Agricultural land in that area is going to be flooded for months, and there's still significant risk to populated areas in parts of the San Joaquin Valley for the next few weeks at least, and probably for the next couple of months."

The state is stockpiling sandbags and other emergency equipment should the weather change, Ferguson said.

"While I think perhaps the most serious risk may have been averted, we don't know what we don't know," Ferguson said, listing the many variables that could influence the speed, strength and amount of water flowing through the rivers.

"So while you know I think perhaps the most serious risk may have been averted, we don't know what we don't know yet in terms of how fast the water comes down the mountain, what levee may have squirrels in it that we're not aware of, or a million other things that we don't necessarily control as human beings," he said.

"And so, while we are looking far, far better than we have in the past, we just want to emphasize that the public in these communities should continue to be aware of the challenges that lie ahead and that we will continue to be in this situation for at least through the month of July."





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russian troops and security forces quashed an alleged cross-border raid from Ukraine on Tuesday, claiming to have killed more than 70 attackers in a battle that lasted around 24 hours, a senior Moscow official said.

Moscow blamed the raid that began Monday on Ukrainian military saboteurs. Kyiv portrayed it as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans. It was impossible to reconcile the two versions or to say with any certainty who was behind the attack or what the aims were.

The battle took place in the Belgorod region, about 80 kilometers (45 miles) north of the city of Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine. The region is a Russian military hub, home to fuel and ammunition depots.

It was not the first time Russia has alleged an incursion by Ukrainian saboteurs, but it was the first time the operation to counter the raid continued into a second day. The effort embarrassed the Kremlin and highlighted the struggles Moscow faces in its bogged-down invasion of Ukraine.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed the armed attackers were routed by local troops, air strikes and artillery.

The remnants of the nationalists were driven back to the territory of Ukraine, where they continued to be hit by fire until they were completely eliminated, Konashenkov said, without providing evidence. He did not mention any Russian casualties.

Four armored combat vehicles and five pickup trucks used by the attackers were destroyed, he said. Local officials alleged drones and artillery were also used in the assault.

The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said the raid targeted the rural area around the town of Graivoron, a town about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the border. Twelve civilians were wounded in the attack, he said, and an older woman died during the evacuation.

The Russian news portal RBK, quoting unidentified sources in the regional interior ministry and territorial police, said Graivoron came under heavy shelling that lasted about five hours early Monday.

After that, tanks fired at the Graivoron border checkpoint while the adjacent village of Kozinka came under mortar and rocket fire, RBK said, citing the same sources.

The attacking force was made up of 10 armored vehicles and an unspecified number of troops, it said.

Earlier Tuesday, the regional governor urged residents who had evacuated to stay put and not return home until they received official instructions to do so. He said a counterterrorism operation was underway. It was complete by early Tuesday evening, he said.

Gladkov also said that the Borisovka area, about 20 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Graivoron, was hit by fire from the Ukrainian side of the border on Tuesday. No casualties were reported, he said, but he did not elaborate.

Russian territory and Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine have also been hit by drones and explosions that have derailed trains, though Kyiv officials brush off accusations that they orchestrated them.

Ukraine said Russian citizens belonging to murky groups called the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion were behind the assault.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said the attackers were Russian dissidents unhappy about Russian President Vladimir Putins policies.

These are Russian patriots, as we understand it. People who actually rebelled against the Putin regime, she said.

The Freedom of Russia Legion said in its Telegram channel that the goal was to liberate the region.

The Russian Volunteer Corps implied in a Telegram post that the attack was over, adding: One day, well come to stay. The post went up at around the same time as the Russian defense ministry comment about quashing the assault.

The U.K. Defense Ministry said it was highly likely that Russian security forces were fighting partisans in at least three locations in Belgorod.

Russia is facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions, with losses of combat aircraft, improvised explosive device attacks on rail lines, and now direct partisan action, it said Tuesday in a tweet.

Russias Investigative Committee, its top law enforcement agency, announced an investigation into alleged terrorism and attempted murder in connection with the incident.

Belgorod officials earlier this year said they had spent nearly 10 billion rubles ($125 million; 116 million euros) on fortifications to protect the region from an incursion amid the war.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the raid elicits deep concerns and that a "bigger effort was required to prevent such attacks in the future.

Peskov refused to say how many attackers were involved in the assault, nor would he comment on why efforts to put down the attackers took so long. In a conference call with reporters Tuesday, he redirected those questions to Russias Defense Ministry and the Federal Security Service, or FSB.

Gladkov, the regional governor, said authorities imposed special controls, including personal document checks, and stopped the work of companies that use explosives, radioactive, chemically and biologically hazardous substances.

The Russian Volunteer Corps claimed to have breached the border in early March. The shadowy group describes itself as a volunteer formation fighting on Ukraines side. It's not clear if it has any ties with the Ukrainian military. The same is true for the Freedom of Russia Legion.

The Belgorod region in southwest Russia, just like the neighboring Bryansk region and several other areas, has witnessed sporadic spillover from the war, with its border towns and villages regularly coming under shelling and drone attacks.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces made minor progress against Russian forces on the edge of Bakhmut, the eastern Ukrainian city that Moscow claims to have captured, according to Maliar, the Ukrainian deputy defense minister.

She said Tuesday that Ukrainian troops still controlled the southwestern outskirts of the city and that fighting was continuing in the suburbs, on Russias flanks.

Ukrainian military leaders say the fight in Bakhmut isn't over.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Actor Shohreh Aghdashloo leads us on a Persian food crawl in Los Angeles. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Spending an afternoon with Shohreh Aghdashloo is what I imagine hanging out with the president of the United States is like. There are selfies with fans, calls of adoration from across the street and even a photo opp with a smiling baby.

As soon as the actor walks through the door of Toranj restaurant in Westwood, a small frenzy erupts in the dining room. Its the beginning of the lunch rush on a recent afternoon, and everyone notices her. Diners swivel in their seats to stare. The staff is awestruck, stopping in their tracks, plates in hand. They all bow their heads with greetings.

Shohreh Aghdashloo meets one of her youngest fans during a stop at Jordan Market. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Aghdashloo is the raven-haired, Iranian-born actress who has appeared in dozens of TV series and movies, including 24, The Expanse and The Flight Attendant." In 2003, her performance in House of Sand and Fog landed her the first Academy Award nomination for an Iranian actress. She won an Emmy for her role in House of Saddam. Most recently, she starred as Bellafrancesca Lobo, a mob boss who isnt afraid to flirt with Dracula, in the new film Renfield, and shes shooting The Penguin alongside Colin Farrell.

She receives the attention appreciatively, nodding and smiling to her admirers. In boots with a sizable wedge heel, theres a quickness to her step as she takes a seat in the back corner of the restaurant.

Shes slight but not frail. At 71, she's brimming with vitality.

A bowl of ghormeh sabzi comes with a side of tahdig (crisp rice) at Toranj Restaurant. "It's a kingly meal," says Shoreh Aghdashloo. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

11:03 a.m. Toranj Restaurant

Aghdashloo is starting a Persian food crawl around Tehrangeles, an area of Westwood dense with Persian-owned restaurants, markets and other businesses. Shes often in another country, state or city filming, but when shes home in Los Angeles, youll find her here.

Have you ever tried ghormeh sabzi? she asks.

Her gravelly, husky voice is instantly recognizable. When she speaks, it registers as more of a low growl.

Lets get two, she says. With tahdig, of course. Tahdig here, tahdig there, tahdig everywhere.

We are at Toranj for the ghormeh sabzi, a hearty green vegetable stew recognized as the unofficial dish of Iran. And for tahdig, the prized, nearly scorched layer formed at the bottom of a pan of rice.

People love it, she says. More than any other stews in Iran. If someone has posh guests, they make sure they make ghormeh sabzi. Its a kingly meal.

Though Aghdashloo was born in Iran, she hasnt been back in 43 years. After speaking candidly in a CNN interview about stoning in Iran more than 30 years ago, she hasnt returned. And she says she has no desire to.

Fresh out of the clay oven at Toranj: taftoon flatbread  thin, crisp and mottled with brown bubbles. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo spends time with Los Angeles Times food columnist Jenn Harris at Toranj Restaurant. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Hers is a story of success through perseverance. After starring in various theater productions and films in Iran, she opened a small flower shop when she first arrived in Los Angeles. She continued to pursue acting, starting in the theater, then eventually breaking into American TV and film.

Shes a staunch patriot, eager to extol the virtues and freedoms of her life and career in America.

Ive been living my best life in America for the past 35 years, she says, flipping the cap on a can of Coke. I preserve the beautiful parts of my culture that Im comfortable with. Food is one of them.

A few minutes after we order, a platter overflowing with diced radish, cucumbers, fresh herbs, squares of feta cheese and walnuts arrives. It's followed by a bowl of olives macerated in a pomegranate and walnut paste and a bowl of yogurt. A basket of steaming taftoon appears fresh out of the clay oven, the flatbread thin, crisp and mottled with deep brown bubbles.

The more elaborate this dish, the more important your guests are, she says, pointing to the platter of cheese and herbs. "Youre supposed to eat this before your food to make you even more hungry.

When the ghormeh sabzi arrives, she dips a spoon into the stew to inspect it.

Its a nice color, not too watery, she says. Some people dont fry their vegetables and they use dried vegetables, which doesnt work.

The stew is rich and dense, bitter with fenugreek and suffused with the distinct, earthy citrus smack of dried limes. Throughout the stew is a smattering of kidney beans, the small starchy nubs adding sweetness and texture to the melted mash of greens.

She tries the stew and emits what will be the first of many low moans while she eats.

Then, she claps with delight.

Details of items purchased at Jordan Market during a food crawl with actress Shohreh Aghdashloo and Los Angeles Times Food columnist Jenn Harris. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

12:45 p.m. Jordan Market

As we make our way to Jordan Market, people on the street call to Aghdashloo.

We love you, says one woman, her hands full of groceries.

Do you know who youre walking with? a man asks as he runs out of a nearby restaurant. Shes amazing. The best!

As soon as Aghdashloo walks into the market, she heads straight to the register. The man working the register sees her and smiles.

Yes, we have them, he says, already anticipating her question.

Shohreh Aghdashloo showcases the cream-filled piroshki from Jordan Market, left, and demonstrates how to select a ripe watermelon, right. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Baskets overflowing with fruit inside Jordan Market. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Whenever Aghdashloo is in town, she stops at Jordan Market for piroshki. The large orbs of fried dough are filled with cream and dusted with sugar. The market has them in plastic containers near the register, meant to entice you as you pay for your groceries.

In addition to the piroshki, this is where Aghdashloo shops for her infamous Persian parties, large dinners she likes to host for cast and crew after shes wrapped a season of a series or a film.

She rattles off her go-to favorites while perusing the aisles.

Dried dill, cloves, cinnamon. Onion powder. Bay leaves. This yogurt dip seasoning. Just pour a little on top of your yogurt. Iranian cheese. The jams. Pickled garlic to keep the skin shining. Persian tea, of course.

A customer in the market shoves his smiling baby daughter into her arms, then asks for a photo. Aghdashloo obliges, cooing at the baby.

She breaks into her piroshki before we leave the store, powdered sugar clinging to her lips as we depart.

Actor Shohreh Aghdashloo and Los Angeles Times Food columnist Jenn Harris sit down for a meal at Javan. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

1:58 p.m. Javan Restaurant

Aghdashloo has a specific dish in mind at each stop along the crawl. At Javan, it's kebab and rice.

While we wait for our food, she gets up from her seat to stand beside me. She wants to play me a clip of herself in "Renfield."

In the video, her character, Bellafrancesca Lobo, meets Dracula, played by Nicolas Cage. She watches me watch, giddy and laughing.

"She's flirting with Dracula!" she says incredulously. "Oh," she says with a hand to her chest, imitating her character.

A selection of dishes from Javan including, from left, torshi and shallot yogurt, three kinds of rice  from top, zereshk (barberries rice), white rice with saffron and baghali polo (rice with fava beans and herbs)  and a plate of kebabs: beef koobideh, left, barg, chicken koobideh and chicken. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Our server interrupts the viewing with a platter of meat. He gingerly sets down the giant oval plate crammed with beef koobideh, barg, chicken koobideh and chicken kebab. The koobideh, logs of pressed, seasoned ground beef, are one of the dishes Aghdashloo uses as a litmus test for Persian restaurants.

She stabs a piece of koobideh, then takes a bite before vigorously nodding her head. She seems to eat with her entire body.

"It's harder to make than barg and you have to season it right and cook it just right," she says. "This one is just right."

Aghdashloo says she didn't learn how to cook until she was 35, prompted when she became a mother. She asked a friend from Iran to teach her how to make some basic stews and rice.

"That's how I started cooking," she says. "But I still cannot call myself a cook. My mother used to say you call yourself a cook when you can make pastries."

Though she won't call herself a cook, Aghdashloo hosts lavish Persian parties for friends and castmates whenever she's in town and has the time to devote to serving a crowd.

Shohreh Aghdashloo eats saffron and pistachio ice cream on a wafer cookie from Javan. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Actress Shohreh Aghdashloo loves to host lavish Persian parties for friends and castmates when she's in town. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

"By Persian parties, I mean eat, dance and tell jokes," she says. "Loose, fun and energetic."

Aghdashloo's blueprint for the party starts with a full day of shopping, cleaning and prepping vegetables and marinating meats. The morning of the party, she wakes early, giving herself enough time to devote to the ghormeh sabzi. By 7 p.m., when her guests arrive, she greets each one at the door with a shot of vodka and a "bump" of caviar.

There are lots of fruits and nuts on a table full of appetizers.

"There should not be a small place that you can leave your phone," she said. "It should be full."

She serves ghormeh sabzi; a stew made with pomegranate and walnut called fesenjoon, a dish she calls Persian curry ("less spices than Indian"); and an array of kebabs she orders from Shirin restaurant in the San Fernando Valley.

"Right after dinner I turn the music up as loud as possible and I ask everyone to join me and dance," she says. "There is no formula. Just unleash yourself."

If you're one of the guests who makes it to 3 or 4 a.m., the music switches to Bob Dylan. Everyone is welcome to crash on the couch or in a room upstairs.

It seems her passion for hosting parties is matched only by an insatiable sweet tooth. Aghdashloo finishes lunch with a bowl of saffron ice cream and crunchy wafer cookies.

"By Persian parties, I mean eat, dance and tell jokes," says Shohreh Aghdashloo. "Loose, fun and energetic." (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

3:46 p.m. Darya Restaurant

Aghdashloo points to a table on the patio at Darya, her usual spot when she visits.

I come here alone, she says. I sit at that table next to the window. I sit there and I devour my food.

She mimics shoveling food into her mouth, then makes a scarfing, pig-like noise and laughs.

Darya looks like my grandmothers house, she says. "Too many furniture, too many chandeliers. Very ornate. And the food tastes like my grandmothers.

Though her mother wasnt a great cook, Aghdashloo treasured her grandmothers cooking. She sacrificed summers on the Caspian Sea with her parents to stay with her grandmother and eat albaloo polo, sour cherries with rice and chicken.

"They make it the best here," Shohreh Aghdashloo says of the fried white fish at Darya. "I don't order this anywhere else." (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

At Darya, she orders the white fish, fried, every time.

Our server delivers a large plate of sabzi polo, basmati rice studded with cilantro, green onion, parsley and garlic. Next to the rice is a mound of green salad, and over the top are three pieces of golden fried fish.

Aghdashloo instructs me to squeeze the provided lime wedges onto the fish, then dig in. The fish is cooked perfectly, crisp and flaky. The rice underneath is enlivened with the herbs, enough to make the mound appear green.

They make it the best here, she says. I dont order this anywhere else.

Before we finish, our server brings over a round of hot tea and a plate of bamieh and zoolbia, deep-fried desserts soaked in sugar syrup. The first is a squat oblong with ridges down the sides. The latter is like a blob of funnel cake, the strands of dough in loose bumpy swirls. Both are swamped in syrup, immoderately sweet, sticky and not quite crisp.

Zoolbia bamieh, zoolbia bamieh! She says them in quick succession, like theyre one entity, raising her arms above her head and yelling over the noise of the dining room.

She quickly pops a bamieh into her mouth and lets out another low moan.

My daughter always says, 'Mom, behave yourself,' but I cant help it, she says.

Maybe one day Ill slow down and retire, she says with a shrug. When I was 50, I said, 'When Im 60.' Then I was 60 and said, 'When Im 70.'

She shakes her head and lets out another Zoolbia bamieh, zoolbia bamieh!

The sabzi polo at Darya, golden fried fish with basmati rice studded with cilantro, green onion, parsley and garlic. (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

"Right after dinner I turn the music up as loud as possible," says Shohreh Aghdashloo of her dinner parties, "and I ask everyone to join me and dance. There is no formula. Just unleash yourself." (Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A driver steers a truck during an off-road race on the outskirts of Ensenada in Baja California, Mexico, in 2008. (Guillermo Arias / Associated Press)

A State Department official said Monday that three Americans were among those killed in a deadly ambush over the weekend at an off-road vehicle rally in Mexico's Baja California state.

In total, 10 people were killed and another 10 wounded when gunmen opened fire at the rally south of the seaside city of Ensenada on Saturday afternoon.

Video of the attack posted on social media shows at least two men dressed in dark clothing and armed with semiautomatic weapons firing dozens of rounds of bullets at several racing vehicles parked in front of a convenience store. As the men opened fire, they appeared to be shot at in return.

U.S. officials have not released the names of the Americans killed in the attack. But one of them appears to be Roberto Isais "Tito" Ayala, a San Diego man whose family took to social media Sunday to raise money for his funeral expenses.

A GoFundMe campaign described Ayala as a 22-year-old racing enthusiast and the father of a 4-year-old daughter. It described him as an "innocent bystander" who was not involved in organized crime.

The Baja California state prosecutors office said the evidence of crossfire during the shooting suggests a confrontation between rival members of criminal groups.

The shooting prompted concerns about safety in the upcoming Baja 500, a world-famous off-road vehicle race that is expected to draw hundreds of teams when it takes place June 3.

Baja California Gov. Marina Avila told reporters that hundreds of National Guard troops had been mobilized throughout the region after the shooting, which took place about 90 miles south of the U.S. border.

Prosecutors said that they were still investigating the shooting and that no suspects had been arrested.

Baja California has been beset by high levels of violence in recent years, with much of the bloodshed fueled by gang disputes over drug-trafficking routes to the U.S. as well as local drug sales.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
May 21 is the day Rayyanah Barnawi accomplish many firsts in her life.

Axiom Space has successfully launched Axiom 2 (Ax-2) mission into orbit aboard its Freedom spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket, taking Barnawi and three other astronauts into orbit to board the International Space Station and making history in the process.

Barnawi and her fellow Axiom 2 crew members are expected to come aboard the ISS on May 22, per Collect Space.

Barnawi Ax-2 Mission Details

With the successful launch of the Ax-2 mission, Barnawi and her crewmates are on their way into orbit and the ISS after 16 hours of flying towards it, per CNN. This successful launch has made Barnawi the 600th person to go into orbit and the first Arab woman to orbit the planet.

Barnawi managed to get the 600th-person title through her mission designation and the rules that cover it. As such, Ax-2 pilot John Shoffner took 598, while fellow Saudi Space Commission (SSC) astronaut Ali AlQarni took 599 since she is Ax-2's mission specialist 1.

Barnawi serves as Ax-2's mission specialist 2, allowing her to claim the round number for herself. 600 is not the only round number Barnawi took - she would also become the 72nd woman from the 600 persons to reach orbit.

Ax-2's commander, retired astronaut Peggy Whitson is not included in the count since she had previously been in Earth orbit and the ISS. However, she nevertheless made history by her being the first woman to command a commercial spaceflight; she works under Axiom Space after retiring from NASA in 2018, becoming its director of human spaceflight in doing so.

Read More: Bizarre Bug Breaks Messaging Between Android, iPhone Users

Whitson aide, Barnawi and AlQarni became the first Arabs and Saudis to launch together on the same mission; the first Arab astronaut to fly and reach space was Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, who served as a payload specialist aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1985.

The two Saudi women aren't going to the ISS empty-handed - AlQarni has Saudi coffee and dates to share with the astronauts aboard the ISS, while Barnawi has a Saudi flag and earrings from her grandmother, who couldn't attend the launch but gave her blessing to fly into space regardless.

Ax-2 Mission Activity Details

During their stay on the ISS, the Ax-2 astronauts would go ahead with their planned science and outreach programs, with Whitson assisting the three other Ax-2 astronauts in doing so. They will also conduct more than 20 different experiments that involve researching stem cells, DNA-based nanomaterials, and cancer countermeasures.

The astronauts would also test a wearable skinsuit that simulates Earth's gravity to counteract the effects of microgravity, preventing bone loss, muscle mass, and damage to the brain and eyes due to the fluids in the human body shifting upwards to the head, per NASA.

AlQarni and Barnawi would live to stream themselves aboard the ISS to interact with students in Saudi Arabia to help generate interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Related Article: SpaceX Crew-6 Mission Successfully Docks at ISS' Harmony Module
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP)  South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott launched his presidential campaign on Monday, offering an optimistic and compassionate message he's hoping can contrast the two figures who have used political combativeness to dominate the early GOP primary field: former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Senate's only Black Republican, Scott kicked off the campaign in his hometown of North Charleston, on the campus of Charleston Southern University, his alma mater and a private school affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. He repeatedly mentioned his Christian faith in his kickoff speech, crying, Amen! Amen! Amen! and at several points electing responses from the crowd, who sometimes chanted his name.

But Scott also offered a stark political choice, saying our party and our nation are standing at a time for choosing: Victimhood or victory and adding that Republicans will also have to decide between "Grievance or greatness?"

I choose freedom and hope and opportunity, Scott said. He went on to the crowd that, We need a president who persuades not just our friends and our base" but seeks commonsense solutions and displays compassion for people who don't agree with us.

That was a far cry from Trump, who has played to the GOP's most loyal supporters with repeated lies about how he was denied a second term by widespread fraud that did not occur during the 2020 presidential election. DeSantis, meanwhile, has pushed Florida to the right by championing contentious new restrictions on abortion, LGBTQ rights and by seeking to limit the corporate power of Disney, one his states most powerful business interests.

Scott, 57, planned to huddle with home-state donors then begin a two-day campaign swing to Iowa and New Hampshire, which go first in GOP presidential primary voting.

His announcement event featured an opening prayer by Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Senate Republican, who said, I think our country is ready to be inspired again. Republican Sen. Mike Rounds, South Dakota's other senator, has already announced his support for Scott.

A number of high-profile GOP senators have already backed Trumps third bid for the White House, though, including Scotts South Carolina colleague, Lindsey Graham. Trump nonetheless struck a conciliatory tone, welcoming Scott to the race in an online post Monday and noting that the pair worked together on his administration's signature tax cuts.

A source of strength for Scott will be his campaign bank account. He enters the 2024 race with more cash on hand than any other presidential candidate in U.S. history, with $22 million left in his campaign account at the end of his 2022 campaign that he can transfer to his presidential coffers.

Scott also won reelection in firmly Republican South Carolina -- which has an early slot on the Republican presidential primary calendar -- by more than 20 points less than six months ago. Advisers bet that can make Scott a serious contender for an early, momentum-generating win.

But Scott is not the only South Carolina option. The states former governor, Nikki Haley, who also once served as Trumps former United Nations ambassador, is also running.

Ben LeVan, a business professor at Charleston Southern who attended Mondays event, said hed not decided who to support in the GOP primary but didnt plan to back Trump.

I really do hope that we can bring some civility back in politics, LeVan said. Thats one of the nice things about Tim Scott, and quite frankly, Nikki Haley, and some of the other candidates as well. Theyre more diplomatic, and that is something that I appreciate.

Like others in the GOP race, including former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Woke, Inc. author Vivek Ramaswamy, Scott's initial task will be finding a way to stand out in a field led by Trump and DeSantis, the latter of whom could announce his own bid as early as this week.

One way Scott hopes to do that is his trademark political optimism. Scott often quotes Scripture at his campaign events, weaving his reliance on spiritual guidance into his speeches calling his travels before the campaign's official launch, the Faith in America listening tour.

Scott said Monday that Americas promise means you can go as high as our character, our grit, and our talent will take you."

The Democratic National Committee responded to Scotts announcement by dismissing the notion that Scott offers much of an alternative to Trumps policies. DNC chair Jamie Harrison, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in South Carolina in 2020, released a statement calling the senator a fierce advocate of the MAGA agenda, a reference to the former president's Make America Great Again movement.

On many issues, Scott does indeed align with mainstream GOP positions. He wants to reduce government spending and restrict abortion, saying he would sign a federal law to prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy if elected president.

But Scott has pushed the party on some policing overhaul measures since the killing of George Floyd, and he has occasionally criticized Trumps response to racial tensions. Throughout their disagreements, though, Scott has maintained a generally cordial relationship with Trump, saying in his book that the former president listened intently to his viewpoints on race-related issues.

When he was appointed to the Senate by then-governor Haley in 2012, Scott became the first Black senator from the South since just after the Civil War. Winning a 2014 special election to serve out the remainder of his term made him the first Black candidate to win a statewide race in South Carolina since the Reconstruction era.

He has long said his current term, which runs through 2029, would be his last.

Scott has long rejected the notion that the country is inherently racist. He's also routinely repudiated the teaching of critical race theory, an academic framework that presents the idea that the nations institutions maintain the dominance of white people.

Today, Im living proof that America is the land of opportunity and not a land of oppression, he said Monday.

___

Weissert reported from Washington. Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP
Former President Donald Trump made a virtual appearance in New York criminal court on Tuesday for the first time since pleading not guilty last month to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

A stern-looking Trump appeared before Judge Juan Merchan on video to hear the terms of a protective order barring him from publicly disclosing evidence, which the Manhattan district attorney's office will be turning over to his lawyers in the hush money payments case. Trump  whose in-person arraignment in the same courthouse last month came with massive security precautions and paralyzed operations there for the day  appeared virtually from Florida, with lawyer Todd Blanche at his side.

Merchan also set a trial date in the case  March 25, 2024. By that time, at least 25 states will have already held their presidential primary contests, based on the current scheduled dates.

Asked by the judge if he had a copy of the order, Trump said, "Yes, sir," and acknowledged he'd reviewed it with his lawyer.

Blanche told Merchan that Trump is a "leading contender" in the presidential race and is "concerned his First Amendment rights are being violated." Merchan said the directive "is not a gag order" and should not interfere with his ability to run for office.

"He is free to campaign and do anything that does not violate the order," the judge said.

Blanche said his client "understands he needs to comply" with the order.

Prosecutors had argued the virtual appearance was necessary to keep Trump from releasing confidential information in the case and then claim he hadn't been familiar with the terms of the order.

Image: Former President Donald Trump sits at the defense table with his defense team in a Manhattan court on April 4, 2023, in New York. (Seth Wenig / AP file)

"Should Defendant violate the terms of any protective order issued by the Court, the People may seek to enforce its terms by initiating a prosecution for Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree," the DA's office said in a court filing last month, and in "advancing such a prosecution, the People will be required to show that Defendant had knowledge of the contents of the order."

Trump's lawyers argued in court filings that the protective order was extremely restrictive and that what prosecutors were proposing would be an unprecedented and extraordinarily broad muzzle on a leading contender for the presidency of the United States.

But Merchan ruled largely in the DA's favor on the issue earlier this month. His order held that anyone with access to the evidence being turned over to Trumps team by state prosecutors shall not copy, disseminate or disclose the material to third parties, including social media platforms, without prior approval from the court.

Merchan's order also singled out Trump, saying he is allowed to review sensitive Limited Dissemination Materials only in the presence of his lawyers and shall not be permitted to copy, photograph, transcribe, or otherwise independently possess the Limited Dissemination Materials.

Prosecutors from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office contended the order was necessary in part because of Trump's repeated public trashing of two of the witnesses for their case, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen and adult film star Stormy Daniels.

NBC News has reached out to lawyers for Trump and a spokesperson for the DA's office for comment about Tuesdays hearing.

Trump has been charged with falsifying business records related to hush money payments to Daniels and another woman toward the end of his 2016 presidential campaign in order to prevent them from speaking about their allegations of affairs with him. He has pleaded not guilty and has said he did not have an extramarital affair with either woman.

Cohen pleaded guilty to charges related to the payments as well as other criminal charges in 2018, and was sentenced to three years in prison. He's been outspoken about his cooperation with the DA's office and in his criticism of his former boss.

In a statement Tuesday, Cohen said, I have less than zero confidence that Donald will abide by any of the terms of the Protective Order. His anger towards the system that is holding him accountable is so severe, he will not be able to control his actions. He is like a petulant child.

In a court filing last week, the DA's office rejected a request from Trump's team for more information about some of the legal theory behind their case.

Trumps attorneys had asked for information, known as a bill of particulars, in a bid to find out more about the evidence against him, including the legal rationale for charging the falsified records as a felony instead of a misdemeanor.

Under New York law, in order to elevate the charge to a felony, the defendant needs to have created the fake records with an intent to commit or conceal another crime.

Prosecutors said they've already turned over and will continue to turn over more evidence than they're legally required to, and said Trump's lawyers aren't entitled to more. The indictment need not identify any particular crime that the defendant intended to commit or conceal, and the defendant is not entitled to such information in a bill of particulars," they added.

Trump has complained that the criminal case brought by the Democratic DA is part of a partisan "witch hunt" against him, and claimed Merchan, a state criminal court judge sitting in Manhattan, "hates me."

Trump's lawyers filed paperwork earlier this month seeking to have the case transferred to federal court. That request is pending.


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YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. UK Minister for Europe Leo Docherty has visited the History Museum of Armenia in Yerevan during his trip.

Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Alfred Kocharyan, Director of the History Museum of Armenia Davit Poghosyan and the British Ambassador to Armenia John Gallagher accompanied Docherty to the museum, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport said in a press release.

Davit Poghosyan said that the museum reflects the whole picture of Armenian culture and history, starting from prehistoric times until the present days, featuring over 400,000 items on display.

Leo Docherty viewed the collections and galleries and was interested in the exhibits reflecting ancient Armenian culture. He said he was impressed with Armenian culture. The UK minister was especially impressed with the carpet gallery, featuring a splendid collection of Armenian carpets.

Leo Docherty and Deputy Minister Alfred Kocharyan discussed prospects of cooperation. Kocharyan said that an exhibition is planned for 2027-2028 with close cooperation between the History Museum of Armenia and the British Museum.

Exhibits from the History Museum of Armenia are now in display at the British Museum under the Luxury and power: Persia to Greece exhibition.
Meta could be in for a wild ride in its efforts to become profitable again.

Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined the social media giant a record-breaking amount for mishandling people's data when transferring it between the US and Europe.

Meta has decided to appeal the fine since its Facebook social media acted in good faith, calling it an "unjustified and unnecessary" ruling.

Meta DPC Fine Details

The DPC mentioned in its statement that Meta's Ireland branch infringed Article 46(1) GDPR when it continued to transfer personal data from the EU to the USA following the delivery of the EU's Court of Justice (CJEU) judgment in the 2020 case titled "Data Protection Commissioner v Facebook Ireland Limited and Maximillian Schrems."

For those unaware, the Court of Justice of the EU found that the previous mechanism to legally transfer personal data between the U.S. and the EU called the Privacy Shield pact, must be invalidated to protect user privacy when transferred from the EU to the US in 2020.

The watchdog stated that Meta effected the data transfers in question on the basis of the updated Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC) the European Commission adopted in 2021, along with several supplementary measures that it included to safeguard user data. According to the BBC, the legal contracts that make the SCC contain safeguards to ensure personal data continues to be protected when transferred outside Europe.

However, it found this insufficient, saying that Meta Ireland's attempt to address potential legal hurdles did not address the risks to the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects that the CJEU identified in its judgment in 2020.

Read More: WhatsApp's Bottom Navigation Bar for Android Gets Wide Beta Release

As a result, the DPC ordered Meta to suspend any future data transfers to the US for five months and to pay a $1.3 billion administrative fine to the DPC - the largest imposed under the EU's GDPR privacy law. According to Macrumors, the previous largest fine was imposed on Amazon, which amounted to $8.07 million.

The DPC also ordered Meta Ireland to have its process operations comply with Chapter V of the GDPR and to cease "the unlawful processing, including storage, in the US of personal data of EU/EEA users transferred in violation of the GDPR" within six months.

Meta's Response To Ireland's DPC

Meta is less than pleased with the DPC's conclusion and fines to the company. According to Facebook president and Meta president of global affairs Nick Clegg, the DPC singled Meta out when it was using the same legal mechanism thousands of other companies have been using to provide services in Europe.

He added that the DPC's decision is setting a dangerous precedent for other companies transferring data between the EU and the US and that Meta would appeal the fine and its decision, per Engadget.

The DPC's findings are the culmination of a decade-long battle over where Meta's Facebook stores its data after Edward Snowden's disclosures about data privacy in the US, per Reuters.

Related Article: Meta Could Launch Its Decentralized Social App Next Month
YEREVAN, 23 MAY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 23 May, USD exchange rate down by 0.66 drams to 386.25 drams. EUR exchange rate down by 2.42 drams to 416.22 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate down by 0.02 drams to 4.82 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 3.29 drams to 478.37 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price up by 66.42 drams to 24467.63 drams. Silver price up by 1.85 drams to 296.17 drams.
South Arts

Vice President of Advancement

South Arts (https://www.southarts.org/) invites nominations, expressions of interest, and applications to join their team as the organizations next Vice President of Advancement (VPA).

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is one of six nonprofit, regional arts organizations (https://usregionalarts.org/) in the United States. The overall mission of these organizations is to empower artists, organizations, and communities while increasing access to arts and culture. In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (https://www.arts.gov/) and the nine State Arts Agencies in its nine-state region  as well as numerous private foundations  South Arts supports artists and organizations through a portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs.

In the last five years, South Arts has transitioned from primarily serving the performing arts to more broadly serving arts, culture, and community. Recent examples of the organizations programming initiatives are a multimillion-dollar national grant program related to jazz artists touring across the United States (https://www.southarts.org/artist-grants-fellowships/jazz-road) and Southern Cultural Treasures (https://www.southarts.org/programs-conferences/southern-cultural-treasures), a major investment in BIPOC led and serving organizations. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are key values of the organization.

In its next Vice President of Advancement, South Arts is seeking a dynamic executive with a proven track record who can continue the organizations recent fundraising momentum, advance the South Arts brand and help to significantly increase the budget within the next several years. This position is part of the executive management team and will be expected to contribute vision and leadership to the organization, helping to accomplish the South Arts strategic plan and fulfill its extraordinary mission.

Major sources of funding have been government and foundations, including numerous national private foundations. Some of these relationships are ongoing and others have been formed in the last 1-2 years. These will continue to be important revenue sources, and South Arts will want to increase its foundation footprint, but the organization also wants to diversify its funding streams by building corporate and individual relationships. South Arts anticipates that advancement will be an effort in each state in its region as well as nationally. In addition to development, the VPA also supervises Marketing and Communications for South Arts. This department builds awareness for the South Arts brand through PR, social media, and other channels to continue to attract resources and promotes opportunities to the field to participate in South Arts programs.

The next VPA will be an engaged listener with a passion for the arts and fundraising experience across its various functions. The ideal candidate will also have experience developing major gift relationships with institutions and individuals, designing development strategies, closing significant gifts, creating and overseeing communications and marketing plans, partnering with communications professionals, and effectively managing high-performing teams.

WittKieffer is assisting South Arts in this search, which will remain open until an appointment is made.

The expected minimum salary for this role is $150,000. The position is based in Atlanta with the possibility of remote work from a location in the Southeast. Staff who live outside the Atlanta metro area are currently required to be in the office three days a month.

All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume, and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile (available at https://www.wittkieffer.com/position/24705-vice-president-for-advancement/). Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffers candidate portal: https://apptrkr.com/4207546.

Nominations and inquiries can be directed to:

Greg Duyck and Alejandra Gillette-Teran

SouthArtsVPA@wittkieffer.com

South Arts is an inclusive employer and adheres to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Standards. South Arts does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, disability, genetic information, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, military status, economic status, or geographical location in any of its activities or operations.

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The writer is based in South India for the past 40 years. He writes on India, China, Tibet and Indo-French relations.

Beijings Global Security Initiative (GSI) is another move from Beijing which indicates that China wants to play a bigger international role

The Peoples Republic of China would like to project itself as the worlds new peacemaker -- as we have seen in the Middle East (between Saudi Arabia and Iran) some time ago, and then later in Moscow.

Well over a year after the sudden invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on February 24, 2022, Beijing has released a 12-point document which proposes a framework for a political settlement. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace commented: The document is a laundry list of familiar Chinese talking points about the war. It repeats Beijings support for the UN Charter and the territorial integrity of states, but at the same time condemns unilateral sanctions, and criticises the expansion of US-led military alliances Chinas vague plan is aimed not at actually ending the war, but at impressing the developing world and also rebutting the accusations that Beijing has become a silent accomplice to Moscow.

Beijings Global Security Initiative (GSI) is another move from Beijing which indicates that China wants to play a bigger international role.

Earlier this year, on February 21, at the Lanting Forum, Qin Gang, Chinas foreign minister, spoke of his countrys new role: The world today is not a tranquil place: changes unseen in a century are fast evolving, major country competition is intensifying, geopolitical conflicts are escalating, the global security governance system is woefully lagging behind The choice made by China is clear-cut.

That is why, Mr Qin explained, Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative, which upholds the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, pursues the long-term objective of building a secure community, and advocates a new path to security featuring dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance and win-win over zero-sum.

A growing dichotomy

A dichotomy is growing between Beijings totalitarian policies at home and its supposed peacemaker role outside; it is striking and the real question is: are the two stands reconcilable?

The hardening at home can be explained by the fact that China wants to assume the role of the number one power in the world and it believes that only the strictest adherence to the Communist Partys line can achieve this goal.

It is indeed a fact that the Chinese regime is becoming more and more authoritarian and autocratic. One could take several examples. Reuters cites one: China is increasingly barring people from leaving the country, including foreign executives, a jarring message as the authorities say that the country is open for business.

The international news agency quotes from a report for the Safeguard Defenders, a human rights group: Since Xi Jinping took power in 2012, China has expanded the legal landscape for exit bans and increasingly used them, sometimes outside legal justification.

It is estimated that tens of thousands of Chinese are banned from exit at any one time. Reuters concludes: This contrasts with Chinas message that it is opening up to overseas investment and travel, emerging from the isolation of some of the worlds tightest Covid curbs.

But why do more and more people want to leave the Middle Kingdom?

Simply because they cant express themselves freely.

The fact that people like Jack Ma, the founder of the Alibaba group, has to exile himself in Japan and take an assignment at the University of Tokyo, indeed speaks for itself. The university in Tokyo said: Ma will work with researchers, serve as an adviser to the college and participate in seminars. He will also conduct research with university staff, especially in the field of sustainable agriculture and food production. What a loss for a China, which today does not accept differing views.

In this context a new report from the Hoover Institution written by Matthew Johnson, an expert on the Chinese Communist Partys politics, about Chinas strategy to achieve a global edge through the accumulation and control of data, is an eye-opener.

According to Johnson, Chinas strategy is to accumulate and control data at a global scale. The scholar believes that the origin of this strategy is a 2013 speech given by Mr Xi at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The then new Chinese President said: The vast ocean of data, just like oil resources during industrialisation, contains immense productive power and opportunities. Who controls big data technologies will control the resources for development and have the upper hand.

The way to do this is for Chinese commercial enterprises to siphon data at a global scale, explains Johnson, who spoke of an accumulation espionage ecosystem, meaning a network of internal data storage and processing facilities; the data is later absorbed into military, technology, and surveillance projects in China and is potentially shared with like-minded international partners such as the Russian Federation or the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The point is that the same vast ocean of data is used on the Chinese populations (particularly the so-called minorities like the Tibetans and the Uyghurs) to monitor their lives in minutest details.

Johnsons conclusion: In this sense, Chinas grand strategy for data is a case study which highlights the current gap that exists between the complexity of the challenge and the (US) current response.

However, it is not clear what the free world can do for the Chinese people living inside the Middle Kingdom. In the meantime, peaceful China is preparing to invade Taiwan, the democratically-run island. Like the GSI, it may however lead nowhere; the US strategic platform War on the Rock warns: A worst-case Taiwan scenario for Chinese leader Xi Jinping would be a major military operation in which the Peoples Liberation Army fails spectacularly or displays shocking incompetence akin to Russias in Ukraine. Could this happen?

The specialised website believes that the bad news is that even if Chinas armed forces fail spectacularly, this does not necessarily mean a shorter, less bloody, or less costly conflict. If the Peoples Liberation Army stumbles badly, Xi is unlikely to call off his military. Where Taiwan is concerned, Xi can be expected to press his armed forces to persist in the fight, producing a protracted conflict in the centre of the Indo-Pacific and profoundly disrupting commerce and stability across the region.

So much for the peace initiatives!

The other question, of course, is: Do the Taiwanese people, who have tasted freedom and democracy, have to go back to Maos dreadful days when everyone has to follow the Party or else.

Certainly not. In Hong Kong, for example, the people themselves have started discovering the difference between freedom and the dictatorship of the Party.
Today's headlines: Pakistan protests against Indian summit in Kashmir; Singapore's farm production down 20%; Japan may soon have a new law on permanent residences of foreigners; Tajikistan repatriates women and children, relatives of former Isis fighters, from Syria.

CHINA

Beijing has suspended comedian Nigel Ng's social profiles because of some jokes mocking the authoritarian government. Nigel Ng, originally from Malaysia, had previously had to apologise following a collaboration with a YouTuber critical of China. Last week, Chinese comedian Li Haoshi was arrested and now faces up to three years in prison. The company that hired him will have to pay a .1 million fine and many fear that the cabaret shows may be abolished.

JAPAN

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party in Japan has approved a proposal that would allow skilled foreign workers to stay in the country indefinitely. This is a major regulatory reform for the Japanese archipelago, which has always been against the stay of citizens of other nations. The law, passed at the request of companies seeking labour, would broaden the sectors for which a permanent visa can be granted.

SINGAPORE

Last month's extreme heat has damaged Singapore's crops and livestock: according to some farms, production has dropped by at least 20% this year. According to experts, climate change is likely to prevent Singapore from reaching the '30 by 30' target, which concerns the capacity to produce 30 per cent of local food needs by 2030.

PAKISTAN - INDIA

Hundreds of Pakistanis yesterday demonstrated against India's decision to hold a tourism summit in Kashmir ahead of the G20 in September. In Muzaffarabad, capital of the Pakistan-administered part of the country, protesters shouted slogans against Delhi and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is visiting the region, called the Indian summit "illegal".

YEMEN

A 19-year-old pregnant woman travelled 40 km on a camel to give birth in hospital. It took Mona and her husband seven hours through narrow and rocky roads: in the province of Mahweet in north-west Yemen only one health facility was spared by the war. According to UN figures, a woman dies every two hours in Yemen during childbirth from preventable causes.

TAJIKISTAN - SYRIA

Tajikistan has announced that it has repatriated from Syria 32 women and 79 children, relatives of Isis terrorists of Tajik citizenship, and some Kazakhs, thanks to the work of the Tajik ambassador to Kuwait and Syria, Zubajdullo Zubajdzoda, who had been imprisoned in refugee camps in Syria since 2019, following the defeat of Isis.

GEORGIA

A permanent protest demonstration began in front of the parliament in Tbilisi, under the slogan 'Georgia will not become a governorate of Russia'. The organisers call for a demonstration of 'unity between adults and youth, women and men, to continue the work of the heroes who gave blood for the independence of our country'.
by Fady Noun

Women's bathing suits contested on a public beach in Saida. A new battle in the radical Muslim world in the name of 'decorum' in fashion. The secular front recalls the principles of the Constitution and inviolable individual 'freedoms'.

Beirut (AsiaNews) - The Lebanese feminist groups have taken up a new battle over swimming costumes on public beaches, further mirroring a struggle within the Muslim world over clothing and costumes ranging from the hijab in Iran to "multi-coloured" clothes in Saudi Arabia.

Dozens of female activists demonstrated on 21 May in Saida (40 km south of Beirut), a Sunni-majority town, to defend the wearing of swimming costumes on the public beach. The group was attacked by Islamic radicals, both men and women, who flocked to the seafront in large numbers to defend what they consider to be the 'good customs'. The presence of internal security forces and municipal police at the scene prevented the incident from escalating into open confrontation.

The feminist demonstration was a response to the attack on the public beach in Saida last week against a woman in a swimming costume sitting on the seashore in the company of her husband. The troublemakers hurled water bottles filled with sand at the couple, eventually forcing them to leave the place in a hurry to prevent an escalation.

The incident prompted the president of the municipality, Mohammad Saoudi, to ban a demonstration planned for 20 May in support of the citizens' right to freely - and without constraints - enjoy the sandy beach and a counter-protest by radical groups.

The latter wanted to take to the streets to claim the fight 'in favour of modesty, virtue and against nudity'. However, the tensions and clashes that had been avoided on Saturday were punctually repeated the following day when dozens of people, mostly women, violated the regulations and gathered in front of the beach with placards and slogans 'in defence of freedom'.

The struggle between (Islamic) faith and freedom

these clashes and differing views point to a much broader issue concerning customs and freedoms, in Lebanon as in much of the Muslim world. Signs have been hung at the entrance to the seaside resort demanding 'decency in dress' for access.

At the same time, there are also other directives, such as the prohibition to bring in and consume alcoholic beverages as is traditionally the case on many western beaches where cocktails are sipped to the sound of music.

Nevertheless, returning to the Lebanese issue, how is it possible to identify and define such a vague notion as 'decency' on the beach, in a plural society where scales of values contradict each other?

During a press conference held on the seafront women's rights activist Josephine Zgheib said " a woman simply wanted to exercise her right to go to the beach in the dress that suits her best. But Lebanese women, are victims of 'unjust laws and a patriarchal system that seeks to impose its protection on bodies and lives."

Asked about the affair, Marie-Claude Najem, former Lebanese Minister of Justice and university lecturer, emphasises that it is one of the collateral damages of the 'every man for himself' drift, otherwise known as 'federalism', which at this stage tempts the communities that make up society.

In her opinion, while the municipalities are charged with enforcing public order, it is the task of the central state 'to make individual freedoms prevail, and every effort in terms of conciliation must go in the direction of freedoms'. 'There is a central state that must make itself heard clearly and distinctly'.

Finally, the former minister warns against the phenomenon of 'freedoms in small doses'.

With regard to the prohibition of alcohol on the beach, the issue is more 'nuanced' and could be justified 'not so much on religious grounds, but because of the danger posed by broken glass to bathers'. However, he concludes, the call to 'remain vigilant' remains valid.

For political scientist Fadia Kiwan, director general of the Arab Women's Organisation, an institution operating under the aegis of the Arab League, radical Islamic currents do not have the right to impose their rules in the public space of a democratic state.

She herself deplores the issue and the ensuing controversy, seeing it as a threat to freedoms even though she considers Lebanon to be 'on the threshold of a promising season in terms of tourism'. Nevertheless, the expert wants to issue a warning against the formation of 'ghettos' based on community membership. "Without diversity, without the principle of accepting the other, the different, and respect for democratic freedoms, which have always been its strong points, Lebanon,' she adds, 'loses its raison d'etre."

Sharia and the Constitution

Another critical voice, that of MP Marc Daou, who was present on the spot when the controversy flared up. 'The Lebanese Constitution,' he emphasises, 'is clear: it protects freedom of faith and expression.These public spaces are subject to the Constitution. We ask everyone to follow personal convictions, without imposing their views on others'.

"You have Jounieh [a famous seaside resort and tourist centre some 20 km north of Beirut], let us preserve Saida,' some women covered in veils argued loudly during the demonstration. However, for Daou, 'the Lebanese have every right to go to public beaches dressed as they please. Freedom of expression and belief,' he added, 'is a right for everyone, and it is the same along all Lebanese coasts'.

For its part, the League of Local Ulemas denounced 'a suspicious and systematic media campaign targeting Saida, its customs, its sheikhs and the population', while denying accusations of violence committed by religious leaders and their supporters against bathers.

For Salafist Sheikh Houssam al-Ilani, quoted in the press, the issue has transcended the boundaries of the controversy 'over swimming costumes, going so far as to challenge God'. "We do not accept, the presence of people who defy and provoke the city by drinking alcohol and denuding themselves on our beaches," thus violating the principles of sharia he retorted, closing the door to any mediation or dialogue.

GATEWAY TO THE EAST IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO MIDDLE EAST. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY TUESDAY VIA E-MAIL? SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER HERE.
by Nirmala Carvalho

A dispute over space in an Imphal market reignited tensions between Meitei and Kuki, which left many dead and caused devastation in the local Christian community earlier this month. In the meantime, in New Delhi, Indias Supreme Court requested a report from the state government about the situation. The countrys highest court also slammed the ruling by the Manipur High Court to allow the majority group to demand disadvantaged group status, which sparked disputes over land.

Imphal (AsiaNews)  Following fresh clashes yesterday, the Indian army and paramilitary forces were deployed again in the Indian state of Manipur, while authorities extended the suspension of internet services until Friday in order to maintain public order.

Ethnic Meitei and Kuki clashed in the New Checkon area of the state capital Imphal, ostensibly as a result of a dispute over space in a local market. After receiving reports of arson, the authorities declared a curfew to contain the situation.

Clashes between tribal Kuki and non-tribal Meitei were first reported on 3 May following a "tribal solidarity march" to protest against the demand by the predominantly Hindu majority Meitei for disadvantaged group status.

The violence spread to 11 of the states 16 districts, with an official death toll of 60, which unofficially could be as high as 160, mostly tribal Christians.

Since violence broke out nearly 50,000 people have been displaced, while scores of churches and other buildings have been looted and set on fire.

The underlying tensions that led to the clashes were fuelled by the eviction of Kuki villagers from forest land, which triggered unrest.

The Meitei are 64 per cent of the state's population, but live in areas that make up only 10 per cent of the state's territory. As non-tribal people, they are not allowed to purchase land in the reserved hill areas.

Classifying the Meitei as a disadvantaged group would give them that right, a prospect that greatly troubled tribal communities, the more so since the Manipur High Court ruled in favour of such a change in status.

The Kuki claim that the state government led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), under Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, is systematically targeting them, trying to drive them away from forests and their ancestral lands in the hills.

They argue that the government's crackdown on drug trafficking is just a pretext to justify their eviction.

Meanwhile, in New Delhi, the Supreme Court of India asked Manipurs state government to provide a report on the situation, following a petition filed by the Manipur Tribal Forum.

A division bench of the top court headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said that the Manipur High Court order that led to sectarian violence was "absolutely wrong, but refused to stay the ruling since an appeal is pending.

The observation of the Supreme Court is definitely like applying balm on the wounds, said Father Varghese Velikakkam, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Imphal, which is helping the victims and trying to bring peace between communities.

The high court order paved the way for violence and now the top court in the country has termed it illegal. This is something heart-warming amidst tensions and fear, Fr Velikakkam added.
by Alessandra Tamponi

A pilot project supported by the Ministry of Labour includes the E-9 permit for foreign domestic workers. The measure is part of South Koreas attempt to encourage couples to have more children and mitigate the effects of a declining birth rate. However, it also raises concerns about workers exploitation.

Seoul (AsiaNews)  The City of Seoul and South Koreas Ministry of Labour have proposed a pilot project to extend the E-9 visa to foreign domestic workers to make it easier for families to hire domestic help, especially from Southeast Asia, and lower costs.

The authorities hope that younger, cheaper workers will reduce the number of South Korean women forced to abandon their jobs to devote themselves to family work, while having positive spillover effects on the country's demographic crisis.

During the project, which could start as early as next fall, foreign domestic workers will receive a minimum wage of about seven dollars per hour, significantly less than what South Korean workers are paid.

The proposal has raised serious doubts, especially among South Korean carers who fear losing their jobs, and foreign workers concerned about abuse.

Women workers from Southeast Asia tend to be younger, but also less educated and more vulnerable.

According to a study by Amnesty International, foreign staff in South Korea, mostly women, face unfavourable conditions, including discrimination (over wages for example), poor communications, and lack of an adequate system of protection.

Despite this, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon backs the initiative. Last year, he had made a similar proposal, inspired by projects implemented in Hong Kong and Singapore.

E-9 visa extension follows a series of measures undertaken to counter a falling birth rate, like the Happy Parents Project, which helps families with two or more children.

In addition to an extremely low birth rate, the country is also facing urban flight. Housing prices are one factor, skyrocketing since 2017. In Seoul for instance, the population dropped from 10.97 million in 1992 to 9.49 million in 2022.

Although South Koreas population started to decline only in 2021, the country's fertility rate began to decline in the 1960s. According to the latest data by Statistics Korea, the fertility rate stood at 0.78 in 2022 with a 4.4 per cent reduction in births compared to the previous year.

This is the lowest figure among all the members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Since 2005, the fight against the collapsing birth rate has become one of the policy priorities for successive South Korean governments with more than US$ 200 billion spent on them since 2016 but without the desired results.

The reasons behind the falling birth rate are multiple but all linked one way or another to a work ethic that does not allow a proper work-family balance.

As a result, women's desire to marry and start a family has been stifled if the price is sacrificing their professional ambitions. Added to this are the rising costs of housing and raising children.

According to a study by the Beijing-based think-tank YuWa Population Research Institute, South Korea is the most expensive country in the world to raise a child up to 18 because of the costs of education, which are rising in a country known for extreme competitiveness.

For South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his government, the demographic crisis could become their biggest challenge. Recently, he ordered a reassessment of current population policies to identify the reasons for their failure.

Such a review might show the multifaceted nature of the falling birth rate and lead to new, less one-dimensional solutions, more suited to a country reassessing its relationship to family planning.
by Vladimir Rozanskij

Officially, Russian law does not allow mercenary armies, but there are many ways around this rule and the CNVKs have multiplied in the context of the war in Ukraine. Oligarch Timcenko's Redut is registered as a 'construction company' in Rostov-on-Don, the historical capital of the Cossacks.

Moscow (asiaNews) - There has been a lot of talk in recent months about Wagner Company, the mercenary army of 'Putin's cook' Evgenij Prigozin, but in the meantime the Cvk (acronym for private war companies) have multiplied in the context of Russia's 'holy crusade' against Ukraine and the West.

The best known are the 'Redut', the 'Bars', the 'Don' (Union of Donbass Volunteers) and others, some of which have been on track since 2014, after the start of the 'hybrid war' that followed the Maidan revolution and the annexation of Crimea. Almost every region of the Russian Federation (there are more than 90) is trying to organise its own volunteer group.

Thousands and thousands of Russians are fighting 'on their own', with increasingly haphazard coordination by the official army. Officially, Russian law does not allow mercenary military service, but there are plenty of ways to get around this rule, and deal with the Main Investigative Administration (Crane) of the Ministry of Defence, the office that grants approval to armed gangs to 'support special operations'.

Wagner now has a federal dimension, its propaganda posters are hung on every corner of every city in Russia, and videos are shown on television stations inviting everyone to join Prigozin's glorious campaign, especially those who wish to settle their accounts with the law.

Another well-known unity Redut offers salaries on the level of Wagner and organises excellent training stages; its members were among the first to openly take action after 24 February 2022, the day of the Putin invasion.

The Redut was named in Novaja Gazeta as early as 2019, when the base of this Cvk was located in Kubinka, on the outskirts of Moscow, on land adjacent to the 45th Special Forces brigade (Spetsnaz) air-terrestrial intervention brigade.

Before the Ukrainian war, the Redut was engaged in the defence and security of some Russian Strojtransgaz factories in Syria. The company, according to various sources, belongs to Gennadij Timcenko, an oligarch very close to Vladimir Putin, ranked eighth among Russian billionaires according to Forbes.

Redut also runs very active recruitment campaigns, especially on Telegram and other social networks. The candidate must be at least 25 years old, already have a military specialisation and experience in some law enforcement structure.

In theory, this makes Timcenko's company a more qualified elite even than Prigozin's, which recruits many criminals and is the most heinous, but not always the most professional. In fact, given the current needs, all active gangs 'take whoever they can get', as an anonymous member testified to Idel.Realii.

Currently, the Redut is registered as a 'construction company' in Rostov-on-Don, the main historical city of the Cossacks, from which all these armies take their inspiration. According to other documents collected by the media, the company also acts as a 'regional laboratory for social and psychological research of the Ministry of Defence', which members join in order to 'collaborate in sociological research', the main objective of which is to 'assess the ability of soldiers to comply with army discipline and directives'. In practice, given the civilian population's low propensity for mobilisation, the private companies serve as a stimulus and example.

Before the 'annexation referendums' of the four Donbass republics and the Black Sea coast, pay to mercenaries was distributed in US dollars, whereas now it can only be given in roubles, as from 'special operation' the war has now turned into 'defence of the homeland territories'.

The standard used to be per day, with compensation of ,000 for minor injuries, ,000 for serious ones and ,000 for death. According to some participants' testimonies, the spirit of the mercenary is that of the sturmovik, the assailant who 'always goes in front' to open the way for the army. The risk is that in time these more or less private vanguards will no longer be followed by regular troops. And that they will then start to turn back, to gain territory and power within Russia itself.
The party led by Xanana Gusmao won over 40% of the vote and needs only one more seat to form a government. Observers hope that this victory will put the former Portuguese colony on the road to development. The first task of the new executive will be to work on economic diversification.

Dili (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The results of the parliamentary elections in East Timor are still provisional, but the Timorese National Congress for Reconstruction (Cnrt), the party led by independence fighter Xanana Gusmao has so far won more than 40% of the vote.

According to observers, it could easily obtain a majority by allying itself with the Democratic Party (PD), a liberal and social-democratic formation that came in third place with less than 10% of the vote. In contrast, the ruling party, the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin), from which the current Prime Minister Jose Maria Vasconcelos hails, obtained just over 25% of the vote.

However, having secured 31 out of 65 seats, the CNRT needs only one more seat to govern and could obtain it by allying with any of the other 16 parties running in the elections.

According to experts, a new phase could now begin for the former Portuguese colony, which in recent years has been stuck in a political stalemate that has undermined its development. The current president Jose Ramos-Horta, elected last year with the support of the CNRT, was also an independence leader who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996.

Leading the fight for independence, first from Portugal until 1975 and then from Indonesian occupation, had actually been Fretilin and Gusmao had been part of the organisation's military wing. Captured in 1992 and sentenced to life imprisonment by an Indonesian court the following year (a sentence later commuted to 20 years in prison by Indonesian President Suharto), he continued to lead the resistance from prison.

Freed in 1999 in the referendum for independence, he continued to work for peace.

On 20 May 2002, he was elected East Timor's first president thanks to the support of nine parties, but not of Fretilin, with which he had broken off in the 1980s after four officials attempted a coup against him to oust him. When his term of office ended, he founded the Cnrt in 2007 and was then appointed premier.

This year's election campaign saw a tenacious struggle between Gusmao, now 76, and the current Fretilin leader, Mari Alkatiri, also former prime minister, but whose resignation Gusmao had demanded in 2006, accusing him of organising assassination squads against his political opponents.

In reality, an independent UN commission later proved that the accusations were unfounded. Since 2020, the feud between the Fretilin and the Cnrt has brought government activity to a standstill.

East Timor is largely dependent on oil revenues, but these have shown serious signs of collapse, and the new government will have to decide whether to approve the Greater Sunrise project for the exploitation of millions of cubic metres of natural gas.

Gusmao supported the Tasi Mane megaproject for oil and gas processing on the country's southern coast as a solution, while the other parties did not put forward convincing political visions.

Young people voted in the elections in large numbers (65% of the Timorese population is under 30 years of age) with the hope that the new executive would focus on poverty alleviation and infrastructure development.

The local Church also urged the faithful to 'exercise their right to political participation in peace, love and responsibility and to continue to respect each other in the legislative elections, from the campaign period to polling day'.
From left, Kang Tae-ju, Go Ara, Kim Seon-ho, and Kim Kang-woo pose during a press conference for the new action film "The Childe," held in Gwangjin District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of NEW



By Lee Gyu-lee



Actor Kim Seon-ho is set to make his film debut with the title role in the upcoming noir action movie, "The Childe," as his first screen project in two years since the hit rom-com series, "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" (2021).



Park Hoon-jung, who is known for directing the action films "The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion," (2018) and its sequel, "The Witch: Part 2. The Other One" (2022) and "New World" (2013), will see the new movie holding its premiere on June 21.The film revolves around a boxer, named Marco (Kang Tae-ju), who is born to a Korean father and Filipino mother. He leaves the Philippines and travels to Korea in hopes of finding his father who abandoned him.



While trying to track down his father, he gets involved with some bad people, including a mysterious man known as, Childe (Kim Seon-ho), and a rich heir, Director Han (Kim Kang-woo), who chases after him for his own reasons.



"(My character) comes out of nowhere and starts following Marco around, calling him a friend. And he disrupts (Marco's) surroundings and destroys everything with a smile and puppy eyes," Kim Seon-ho said of his character, during a press conference for the film, held in Gwangjin District, Seoul, Monday.



"As this is the side that I've never shown before (in acting), I'm both excited and scared of how people will see it. But regardless, I really enjoyed working on the film. There's no word to describe how happy I am to challenge myself in a new spectrum as an actor."





A poster for the film "The Childe" / Courtesy of NEW
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The German carmaker recently decided to "broaden its electrified product portfolio" with help from several new model introductions in US specifications. First and foremost, the BMW i4 battery-powered compact executive car that has been in production since late 2021 gets a fresh all-wheel drive version slotted below the 536-horsepower i4 M50. Dubbed i4 xDrive40, it comes with dual electric motors for a total output of 396 ponies and 443 lb-ft (601 Nm), which is more than enough to help the five-door liftback sprint to 60 mph (96 kph) in less than five seconds.The fast-charging capability is just as speedy as the 80.7-(net usable energy content) lithium-ion battery pack can be hooked to a 205-DC outlet. When fully charged, the preliminary range estimate should be around 307 miles (494 km) for models with 18-inch aerodynamically optimized wheels or 282 miles (454 km) for the optional 19-inch alloys. Before moving on, let us not forget about pricing, as the 2024 BMW i4 xDrive40 will start from a base MSRP of $61,600 plus $995 destination and handling  first deliveries are scheduled for the third quarter of the year.Next up, BMW also announced the introduction of a couple of new electrified 7 Series variants, while the 740i will pack the xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system from July. Thus, soon after revealing the most powerful fully-electric BMW ever, the 650-hp i7 M70 xDrive , the company will bring the 2024 750e xDrive and i7 eDrive50 to America. The former is a plug-in hybrid packing the 308-hp 3.0-liter inline-six mated to a 194-hp GEN5 electric motor sandwiched with the transmission, and together, they churn out 483 hp and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque. According to preliminary figures, this recent version's all-electric range is at least 35 miles (56 km).Secondly, the all-electric i7 M70 xDrive flagship and dual-motor, all-wheel drive i7 xDrive60 will be joined by a new entry-level version dubbed i7 eDrive50. Well, it may be a base single-motor, rear-wheel drive option, but the power figure is not too shabby at all - 449 horsepower. By the way, both the 2024 750e xDrive and the i7 eDrive50 will arrive at nationwide dealers this fall, with pricing kicking off at $107k (plus $995 destination and handling) and $105,700 (plus destination), respectively. Last but not least, BMW also announced this summer it is starting the roll-out of its BMW Operating System 8.5 across various models  iX, i4, 7 Series from July, and X5, X6, X7, plus XM from August.
SUV

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The international version, meanwhile (P703  or T6.2 colloquially, after the platform's designation), has only reached the fourth generation series. But it will probably catch up with the American one in the not-so-distant future if they keep the staggered presentation strategy. After all, the global Ranger was introduced almost two years ago, in November 2021, and the US specification had to wait until just a few days before Toyota introduced an all-new Tacoma this May to try and present its assets in the battle for the best-selling title Anyway, since Ford is so advanced with the international Ranger, no wonder they also had lots of spare time to focus on the mid-size pickup truck'sdesigned and developed mainly for the Asia-Pacific markets  the mighty Ford Everest (Endeavour in India until the arrival of the third generation). Sharing many components with the Ranger, the U704 Ford Everest's third iteration was introduced in March last year with a wide array of improvements and powertrains, including the turbo 2.3-liter EcoBoost and a trio of diesel options (2.0L with single and dual turbocharging, plus a 3.0L turbo V6).But, with that, one should not think the Detroit automaker considered its job well done. On the contrary, they are constantly improving the Everest mid-size SUV with new model year additions and new versions. Since the start of the year, there has been an additional hint of adventure in the form of the Wildtrak, initially launched in places like Thailand, New Zealand, and most recently in South Africa . Well, now it is also time for the Land Down Under  Australia  to join the party. As such, the "addition of Wildtrak to the Everest family offers a vehicle that is just as comfortable around town as it is in the bush."And it comes complete with exclusive perks both inside and outside, additional wheel and tire packages - 20-inch Asphalt Matt Black with all-season tires or 18-inch Bolder Grey alloy wheel with all-terrain, as well as Bolder Grey details on the bumper H-bar, grille surround, wheel lip moldings, fender vents, and the mirror caps. In the cabin, meanwhile, customers will find ebony leather with Cyber Orange stitches, a panoramic roof, ambient and exterior zone lighting, and more.The only powertrain option for the Everest Wildtrak, available in Australia "in limited numbers," will be the 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel mated toplus a ten-speed auto and offering 247 hp and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of torque. The MLP (Manufacturer List Price) quotation will kick off at AUD73,090, which is $48,670 at the current exchange rate.
Not long ago, Android Auto updates were something that users almost begged for. Google used to ship new stable builds once every month, so the bugs users came across typically had to wait up to several weeks for a fix.The company significantly increased the Android Auto release pace since the debut of the beta program last year. New testing builds roll out regularly, while stable updates are finalized shortly after that. As such, users get Android Auto updates more frequently.Last week, for example, Google shipped two separate Android Auto builds. The first one was Android Auto 9.5 stable , which started rolling out to production devices through the Google Play Store. The release happened after a few weeks of testing, so there is nothing surprising here.Then, the search company gave the go-ahead for Android Auto 9.6 beta . The new testing build started rolling out to devices enrolled in the beta program on Friday  as a side note, everybody can download it using the stand-alone APK installer.However, there's no reason to get the beta build right now, as Google has just kicked off the public rollout of Android Auto 9.6 stable. That's right, a few days after the beta build received the green light, Google decided to finalize the production build and start the rollout to users who aren't enrolled in the testing program.As per the company's typical approach, no release notes are available, so users once again must discover everything on their own. I wouldnt expect any big changes in this build, not necessarily because the build number increase suggests a minor release but also because of the reduced time between updates.Google shipping updates so fast means the company no longer focuses on breaking Android Auto changes. As a result, finalizing new stable builds is faster, so users receive bug-fixing updates at an increased pace.The latest big Android Auto started rolling out in January when Google announced the Coolwalk overhaul . This feature allows users to run multiple apps on the same screen using a card-based interface. In many ways, Coolwalk is very similar to the CarPlay Dashboard, giving users the option to keep the navigation app on the screen with the audio player.The Coolwalk rollout takes place in waves, and the new updates released by Google are specifically supposed to help refine the experience with this interface.Android Auto 9.6 is available from the Google Play Store, but if you dont want to wait, you can just head over to this page to download the stand-alone APK installer.
SUV

In terms of sales, Toyota could have done better in America last year and during the first three months of 2023, but all signs point to a speedy recovery based on the latest introductions. Those range far and wide, from the return of the sixteenth generation Crown nameplate as the S235 crossover-style sedan to the ubiquitous Prius 'Hybrid Reborn,' also in Prime plug-in hybrid form. But those are just examples from the passenger car sector.Meanwhile, high riders are even more abundant  the C-HR bowed out in favor of the 2023 Corolla Cross Hybrid, the 2024 Grand Highlander arrived as a posh three-row family crossover ready to duke it out with Honda's brand-new Pilot, and adventurers will soon have access to many Trailhunter grades. Then, let us not forget to mention the introduction of the fourth generation 2024 Tacoma with a long string of novelties, including the aforementioned Trailhunter trim and the TRD Pro with a 326-hp i-Force Max hybrid powertrain, among many others.But that is not all since more novelties are on the way. All the Toyota fans who feel chagrin around the great success of rivals like Jeep's Wrangler and Ford's Bronco series probably think that now it is also the right time to bring out an all-new version of the venerable 4Runner off-road, which has been around in its fifth-generation guise since 2009 (!). And even if Toyota is in no hurry to release the first teasers of the next iteration as they are now preoccupied with the premium division's upcoming Lexus TX and GX introductions, the imaginative realm of digital car content creators is always ready and willing to oblige We have seen quite a few 2024 or 2025 Toyota 4Runner ideations over the past few months, some better than others and a few even far off from the potential sharing of all-new Tacoma DNA. But here is also Kleber Silva, the Brazil-based virtual artist known as KDesign AG on social media, who has recently decided to have a CGI go at imagining an all-new SW4 (Fortuner) as the SUV sibling of the next Hilux pickup truck iteration.But frankly, it's also a great unofficial 4Runner depiction if you ask us. As for inspiration, the pixel master combined visual elements from both the 2024 Tacoma and the current Hilux, so this SUV "promises robustness, performance, and reliability." Now, all that remains is for Toyota to finally kick off the 4Runner's teaser campaign, right?
Photo: Polestar

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Polestar announced earlier this year that it would supply batteries and charging technology to power Candela's electric hydrofoil boats. The brand is now further contributing to the project with its signature Scandinavian styling. This initiative shows Polestar is looking to delve deeper into sustainable mobility outside the automotive industry. Other of the brand's partnerships include the Cake Makka electric commuter moped and the Allebike mountain bike.The Candela C-8 Polestar will boast a solid grey exterior color paired with a lighter grey tone for the interior, adding to a sleek look we've gotten used to from the Swedish automaker. Moreover, the cushions, seats, sunbeds, walls, and roof panels feature the same marine-certified textile.Polestar's expertise in the automotive industry will be visible in the boat's design elements. The seat upholstery is specially designed to offer superior comfort. Like the automaker's cars, the hydrofoils are painted in the iconic Swedish gold color, hinting at Candela's state-of-the-art performance and technology.The Candela C-8 Polestar rises above the water level to offer a smooth and silent ride. Maximilian Missoni, Head of Design at Polestar , describes riding onboard the boat as similar to experiencing an electric car for the first time  he says you feel this is the future of the industry as soon as the boat "takes off."Starting this year, all Candela C-8 boats are powered by a 68-battery and charging hardware from the standard-range single-motor Polestar 2. That enables them to achieve a range of up to 57 nautical miles (66 miles or 106 km) on a full charge, with a cruising speed of 22 knots (25 mph or 41 kph). That's close to a traditional powerboat, which can cruise comfortably at around 26 knots (30 mph or 48 kph). However, the significant advantage of the Candela is that its high-speed range is 2-3 times longer than conventional electric speedboats. What's more,The boat is equipped with a Candela C-POD , a 75-electric drive pod motor. Furthermore, it uses computer-guided hydrofoils to lift the hull above the water at high speeds. Not only does it look cool and provide a bump-free ride, but the energy consumption is reduced by up to 80% compared to traditional motorboats.Customers can purchase the Candela C-8 Polestar edition via the Polestar Additionals webshop or Candela's official website. Pricing starts at $450,000 (400,000), and deliveries are expected to begin in June this year, with production taking place at Candela's factory in Stockholm, Sweden.
Oh Sang-bum, partner at Samjong KPMG, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the accounting firm's Seoul office in Seoul on May 11. Courtesy of Samjong KPMG



Non-tax incentive draws renewed interest ahead of global minimum tax implementation



By Anna J. Park



International tax expert Oh Sang-bum advises foreign investors planning to make direct investments in Korea to closely review their eligibility for "cash grants" provided by the Korean government.



Cash grants are a form of non-tax incentive offered by the government to attract more foreign direct investment (FDI). Since its introduction in Korea in 2003, foreign investments that satisfy certain conditions  such as job creation, advanced-technology transfer or strategically important impact on the economy  have been awarded generally 10 to 40 percent of cash reimbursement for their investment activities.



"While the cash grant system has been in practice in the country during the past decades, this non-tax incentive for FDI is receiving renewed attention lately, as countries face an implementation of a global minimum 15 percent tax imposed on multinational businesses next year," Oh, a partner at Samjong KPMG who leads the global tax division, told The Korea Times during a recent one-on-one interview at the accounting firm's Seoul office.



In October 2021, 137 countries, including Korea, endorsed the landmark international tax scheme of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), aiming to ensure that multinational corporations pay a minimum of 15 percent additional tax across their operational jurisdictions. The OECD released "Pillar Two model rules," or the "Global Anti-Base Erosion Rules" (GloBE) at the end of 2021, followed by another release of commentary in March 2022, to provide legislative guidelines for countries.



Accordingly, the Korean government enacted new global minimum tax rules in December 2022 to align with the OECD tax scheme. The rules will go into effect in Korea in January 2024. Countries like the U.K., EU member states, Japan and Australia have also taken domestic legislative procedures to adopt the global minimum tax rules.



Under the new international taxation system, when a government gives large tax breaks to multinational corporations resulting in corporate tax rates lower than 15 percent, an ultimate parent company would be then subject to top-up taxes in their country. This neutralizes the effectiveness of general tax incentives by countries.



"With the slated adoption of the global minimum tax rate, government-led tax benefits will mostly lose effective power in attracting FDI," Oh said, adding that this has led to increased interest in the non-tax benefits for foreign investors.



"Cash grants are not deemed as tax incentives. Thus, it can provide actual benefits to foreign investors."





Oh Sang-bum, partner at Samjong KPMG, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the accounting firm's Seoul office in Seoul on May 11. Courtesy of Samjong KPMG
EV

Wow, noticing more improvements on this @Rivian R1S, vin 63XX.



First photo shows a completely redesigned knuckle connecting to the upper a-arm and cast subframe!



Second photo shows the previous generation and a welded subframe.



Glad to see Rivian is taking the Tesla approach pic.twitter.com/n990z9tXTQ  Coleton Guerin (@OutofSpecDetail) May 21, 2023

Rivian had a rough 2022, but things appear to be going in the right direction this year, with production catching up with demand and good perspectives to grow. Thestartup was forced to lay off employees several times in 2022 and once in 2023 to limit losses. It also made changes to its production line and vehicles to improve efficiency. This helped Rivian increase production, and the EV startup reported that it's on track to deliver 50,000 units in 2023, as planned.The most significant change was the introduction of the Enduro drive units, which were developed and produced in-house. The new motors are expected to save Rivian a lot of money compared to the third-party-supplied motors. And the EV maker really needs all these cost reductions because the first-quarter financial data show that it's still burning through cash at an alarming rate.The drive units were not the only modification Rivian made to its vehicles. Pictures shared on Twitter by Coleton Guerin from Out of Spec Detail show that the R1S suspension has also been modified. Specifically, the knuckle connecting to the upper A-arm and cast subframe has a revised design. Compared to the old part, it appears sturdier, and judging by the "made in China" mark, it could also be cheaper, allowing Rivian to boost profitability.Another important modification is hidden in the background, and it takes a trained eye to spot the difference. Thankfully, Colton provides the necessary information in his post, making it easy to recognize. Look behind the knuckle, and you'll see that the front subframe is not a welded part anymore. Instead, Rivian switched to a die-cast part, which should significantly boost productivity and optimize production.This is something that teardown titan Sandy Munro complained about when it analyzed the R1T last year. The aluminum welded subframe was complicated to produce, although it provided Rivian with enough flexibility to change the design if needed. Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding is usually used for aluminum, which is expensive. Munro Live video also hinted that Rivian would probably switch to die-casting as soon as the design is complete to save on production costs. We see now that Rivian did not disappoint and followed the recommendation.Rivian has improved its vehicles in other areas, although we're talking small details now. One example is the frunk seals, which were previously more carelessly assembled. They frequently got misaligned, allowing the paint to come into contact when closing the frunk. Rivian has changed the seal design in recently-produced trucks, so it's now cleaner and sturdier. It's not much, but small details could make a huge difference for owners.
Photo: World Nuclear News

Photo: Sputnik News

In many ways, Chornobyl and Zaporizhzhia are two reactor facilities joined at the hip not only by country but a shared drive by Moscow and Kyiv to turn the then-Ukrainian SSR into an atomic titan. Oh, how terribly wrong things have gone since then. Whatever the case, Zaporizhzhia and Chornobyl may look visually similar. But don't be fooled; the two plants, located over 750 km (466 mi) apart from each other, couldn't be more different inside.Less than three years after the RBMK-1000 class boiling-water reactor (BWR) was first commissioned at Chornobyl in 1977, and the state workers at the Zaporizhzhia plant began constructing its first reactor complex along the banks of the Dnieper River in April 1980. Under the leadership of Communist General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, the plant was intended to give the Ukrainian SSR a similar energy-producing capability to the most populated regions in North America. Between itself and Chornobyl generated thousands of megawatts of both thermal energy, by association, useable turbine-generated energy.While a lack of modern safety features plagued Chornobyl's RBMK 1000 BWRs and that nagging little devil called a high positive void coefficient, the Zaporizhzhia complex benefitted from an entirely different design principle. Typical boiling-water reactors like the RBMK-series, at their most basic principles, are nothing more than a fissile reactor core, usually made of any manner of uranium isotopes arranged in a cylinder-like formation made of fuel rods. When surrounded by a neutron-moderating material, typically graphite, to keep the reaction flowing at a more or less constant rate, distilled water is pumped directly through this fissile core while roof-mounted control rods are raised and lowered in sequence to control the reaction as needed.The resulting steam is pumped to a turbine hall, and you now have a treasure trove of carbon-free energy. In the case of Chornobyl, a flagrant lack of regulations or ample safety features bit the Soviets in the rear end in more ways than one. But the six fission facilities that make up the ZNPP complex need not worry about silly things like positive void coefficient or excess levels of xenon in the reactor, thanks to using entirely different pressurized-water reactors (PWRs). Unlike BWRs that use typical ambient-pressure distilled water to generate steam, a PWR's high-strength reactor vessel pressurizes this water to such a high degree that molecules of water can't turn to steam or thermochemically split, as happened during the Chornobyl disaster.When this pressurized water is directed towards a steam chamber pressurized to just one Earth atmosphere (101.325 kPa or 14.7 psi), the resulting ferocious thermal energy is enough to make contemporary BWRs of the day seem primitive. By September 1996, six Atomstroyexport VVER (Voda Voda Energo Reactor)- class reaction facilities had been commissioned at Zaporizhzhia. When all is said and done, that works out to 5,700 megawatts of useable electricity produced out of roughly 18,000 megawatts of thermal energy when the outputs of each reactor are combined.Compared to the triple-reactor unit Palo Verde Nuclear Plant in Arizona, the most powerful in the United States , Zaporizhzhia generates roughly 1,700 megawatts more for its electrical grid. Only a select few reactor plants in Japan and South Korea outright beat the ZNPP in raw electricity output. This profound level of power generation made the Zaporizhzhia plant a prime target for the invading Russian Armed Forces. The day that Chornobyl became a strategic zone in the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine on February 24th of that year was a dark yet ironic day in world history.But as scary as such a scenario may seem, things took an even more somber tone the following month on March 3rd. On that day, at approximately 11:28 p.m. local time, a column of at least ten armored vehicles, most likely BMP-class Infantry Fighting vehicles and two T-95 tanks from a Russian battalion tactical group (BTG), approached the city of Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia plant from beyond the horizon. In the heavy shelling that ensued, it was decided by the state-owned Ukrainian energy firm Energoatom to succeed control of Zaporizhzhia to the Russian State-asset Rosatom to prevent further fighting from damaging the plant.Coincidentally, Rosatom is also responsible as the main foreign contractor for Turkey's first commercial nuclear station, the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP). Turkey, of course, is a stalwart nation in the NATO alliance. Twisted priorities aside, Ukranian engineers continued to operate the Zaporizhzhia plant while staff gradually shut down each reactor building. All six units were shut down by September 11th, 2022. Nineteen days later, the annexation of the entire Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia Oblast had already been declared alongside the Oblasts of Donetsk, Kherson, and Luhansk.Invitations by the Russian Federation to have the International Atomic Energy Agency's Director General Rafael Grossi visit the plant on September 1st, 2022 did little to quell fears of a potential significant nuclear accident somewhere down the line of the fighting and shelling at and around the facility wasn't neutralized. Russian forces detained key Ukrainian engineers and higher-ups in the initial siege of the Zaporizhzhia plant did little to warm the IAEA's welcome. Since then, contingency plans inspired by learning what not to do at Chornobyl began being implemented in Ukrainian Oblasts in the direct path of radiation in the event of a meltdown.Reserves of bottled water, Geiger counters, potassium iodide pills, and all the supplies needed to survive another Chornobyl have since begun distribution across these regions. With significant advances made by the Ukrainian Armed Forces during the spring of 2023 and a significant spring offensive to take back Russian-occupied territory expected any day, it's anyone's guess if a military engagement between Russia and Ukraine occurring right at the doorstep of another potential Chornoby l takes place or not. In the meantime, a report by Reuters on May 22nd revealed that Ukrainian engineers had restored power to the Zaporizhzhia plant, allowing it to connect to a battered national grid.How this bodes for any potential fighting for control of the reactor could go several different ways. For one thing, don't be surprised if Ukrainian counter-offensives are hesitant to approach the Zaporizhzhia facility with large groups of infantry or armored vehicles. Given the consequences of a wayward tank shell, mortar, or guided missile in just the right spot on reactor grounds, it's logical to believe that Ukraine could resort to other methods like drone strikes or cyber-warfare to gain control of its prized energy plant. As for Russia, don't be surprised if they resort to something they've been known to do during the invasion and start digging trenches.Whatever the case, the results for conditions at the reactor going south speak for themselves. One far scarier than any HBO Special about nuclear accidents could possibly make it out to be.
The Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process was on the agenda of British Foreign Office Minister Leo Dochertys meetings with Pashinian and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan described by him as very interesting.

We are very encouraged by their approach in terms of their desire to see progress towards peace, Docherty told RFE/RLs Armenian Service in an interview. We note their democratic mandate and we applaud their approach to internal reform.

So lets hope that progress can be made, he said. But of course it will require determination and courage from all political leaders across the region.

Armenia and Azerbaijan appear to have already made significant progress towards a bilateral peace treaty during a series of Western-mediated talks held in recent weeks.

Pashinian on Monday explicitly acknowledged his readiness to recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh through that treaty. His statement drew strong condemnations from Karabakhs leadership and the Armenian opposition.

Meeting with Docherty earlier on Tuesday, Pashinian again accused Azerbaijan of seeking to subject Karabakhs population to ethnic cleansing. He pointed to Bakus five-month blockade of the regions sole land link with Armenia and the outside world.

Docherty suggested that an Armenian-Azerbaijani peace accord could put an end to the blockade.

We have made the case to Azerbaijan to take steps that ensure that the free flow of people and goods can be fully resumed, he said. I think our judgment is that its through a broader settlement that progress will be made in this regard.

British-Armenian relations were another focus of Dochertys talks with the Armenian leaders. The two sides agreed to embark on a strategic dialogue aimed at deepening bilateral ties.

You are right to state that we have very strong alliances with Turkey as a fellow NATO member and with Azerbaijan as a close partner, especially with regards to energy, said the British official. But those relationships shouldnt hinder our having a deep and meaningful relationship with Armenia.
23 May 2023 16:30 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

Ahmad Obali who dedicated his life to protecting human-right and the right of ethnic minorities, and his son Deniz Obali have recently faced a terrorist attack in the United States of America. The reports received from the victim and many reliable sources confirmed that terrorist act is more likely to have been committed by the Mullah regime in Iran.

Given that he is an ardent democrat and an unreconciled person with an anti-regime sentiment, the first idea about the organizer of the terror act comes to mind is Iran. In addition, Iran has been using the same method of terror against the public and prominent figures such as Salman Rushdie, Ziya Bunyadov, Rafiq Tagi, Fazil Mustafa and so on.

Speaking to Azernews on the issue, Araz Obali, the nephew of Ahmad Obali, said that his condition is moderate for now. Araz Obali noted that the terrorists beat him to death and seriously injured his body parts.

They wanted to break his neck. The fingers of his right hand were seriously injured and broken. As can be seen from the video, his hands are swollen. He also cannot feel his arms and legs. Last time I spoke, he said he couldn't feel his legs and arms, Araz Obali said.

He noted that his uncle knows who is behind the terror attack, and he is waiting for the investigation to be completed for disclosure of the criminals.

If we consider the issue logically, if we list the friends of Ahmad Obali or the friends and enemies of the national movement of South Azerbaijan, the Iranian state comes first. As the investigation is still ongoing and the results of the investigation have not been announced, we cannot blame or form an opinion on any person, group, or country. However, Ahmad told me personally that he knows who is behind this case. Hopefully, when he gets up, he will disclose all of them, Araz Obali stressed.

As for Deniz Obali, Araz told that his condition is critical and he is at the Intensive Care Unit. Araz Obali said that since Deniz was not with his father when they attacked him, he does not have detailed information about when and how Deniz was assaulted.

Ahmad Obali himself said that he was alone when he was attacked. His son Deniz Obali was with him in California. However, the attack on Deniz did not take place at the same time and same place with Obali. The attack on Deniz happened later. But there is no clear evidence about where and how, Araz Obali said.

It is interesting that the beating of Ahmad Obali is more like a pre-organized crime. The snapping of his fingers is also a message. For example, let's note that some underground organizations organize such crimes against people who write or speak against them. It should be noted that Araz Obali also agrees with this idea. According to him, breaking the fingers of Ahmad Obali's right hand is also a message.

All terrorist groups, organizations, and terrorist states in the world have their own method. As we know, the shooting of Ziya Bunyadov in his mouth meant that we cut your voice. There is a strong possibility that such a message was sent Ahmad Obali, which also confirms the fact that breaking his fingers is symbolic, Araz Obali added.

Besides, politician and MP Fazil Mustafa who has been subjected to a similar terror assault linked to Iran recently in Baku said that the accusation of Iran in this crime is more relevant to the regime in Tehran. He noted that Iran is the first country to come into mind when one speaks of terror.

Iran is infested with terror since its inception. Like before there was a Bolshevik terror, today there is a [Iranian] terror network created under the name of Islam which is far away from the essence of Islam by such people who wants to show Islam in a barbaric form. Since Iran supports terrorism by all its means, when a terror assault is committed against a person who is in opposition to Iran, immediately everyone remembers Iran, he pointed out.

The MP stressed that with the help of these methods, Iran intends to cow people to abstain from participating in the democratization of Iran. However, he thinks that Irans attempts are in vain.

Just as women were pressured to wear headscarves, today the vast majority of women in Tehran walk around without a headscarf. Women do not obey the laws adopted [by the regime]. On the other hand, the state itself is in agony. It is experiencing its most difficult times and the dissatisfaction of the population has reached its peak. With such terrorist acts, Iran shows that it is in fact struggling to solve certain problems. Iran reveals its true essence and this causes Iran to fall into more disrepute. With the attack on the [Azerbaijani] embassy, Iran gained the image of being the most unreliable state, the MP said.

He added that the occurrence of such an assault in the United States will have a very serious consequence. if it is proven that Iran has a hand in this, then it will lead to taking a number of more serious steps against Iran. He underlined that both the US and the EU are taking the toughest stance against forces that are closely engaged in terrorism.

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23 May 2023 12:30 (UTC+04:00)

Rena Murshud Read more

Ruben Vardanyan, the self-declared prime minister of the so-called nagorno-karabakh, has again appeared among the critics who popped out with reaction to the statement of the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a meeting in Brussels on the recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. He recently voiced some criticism and threat against Nikol Pashinyan. Calling the actions of the Armenian authorities dangerous, Vardanyan said that Nikol Pashinyan is trying to "enslave Armenian society".

"I think that he made this statement in an attempt to remind himself, so as not let himself leave the scene, and once again actualize, emphasize that he is a political opponent of the current Prime Minister of Armenia. And make some kind of application for his obscure political future".

This was told by the Russian military expert, general director of the Caspian Institute for Strategic Studies (Russia), Igor Korotchenko in a comment for Azernews, while discussing Vardanyan's recent statements. He said that this will not anyhow affect the balance of power in the political class of Armenia.

"Vardanyan is a parachute candidate. Because, despite the fact that he is a multimillionaire, a man with huge connections, he could not become a significant factor in Armenian politics.

Today, for him, all these statements are the last attempt to jump on the bandwagon of the outgoing train in order to mean something in the future," the military expert said.

According to him, Vardanyan is no longer a citizen of Russia, and secondly, his intervention in Karabakh was a game of international Armenians, including part of the Russian-Armenian diaspora.

"Vardanyan, as an international financier, has developed connections not only with the Russian elite, but he has operated in France with no less success and has great connections in the United States," the expert said.

However, the expert noted that Vardanyan, a project of the Armenian Diaspora, was not successful with an attempt to stake on his wealth in order to tear Karabakh off Azerbaijan. According to him, Pashinyan watered down all his plans.

"Although on account of his billions, Vardanyan was unable to change the established political convention of the Armenian elites. Today, Pashinyan reflects the convention on the opinions of the majority of Armenians regarding who they want to see as an example at the head of the Armenian state. Attempts to undermine the monopoly of Pashinyan's power by so many circles and politicians in Armenia were not successful. Therefore, Pashinyan defeated the opposition and attempts of the world Armenian diaspora, and part of the Armenian-Russian diaspora, as well as letting Vardanyan move further from Karabakh to Yerevan and managed to stay in power. I don't think that Vardanyan has a political future. His talents as a financier cannot be converted into political capital," the expert opined.

And when asked how the relationship between the Armenian government and Vardanyan could end, the expert said that the Armenian society has already accepted the existing reality.

"The Armenian society has already reconciled with the existing reality. There is a group of revanchists who are determined to continue some kind of terrorist military operations. But the majority of Armenian citizens support Pashinyan, thereby betting that the page of the 30-year-old confrontation has been turned. Armenia no longer has the ability to change the course of history. In my opinion, the majority of the Armenian society has already come to terms with this. They want normal development, a normal state, and not expansion and seizure of foreign territories," the expert concluded.

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23 May 2023 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

This week was very significant with the official visit of Azerbaijani Pesident Ilham Aliyev to Lithuania together with his wife Fist Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva.

First of all, it should be noted that the recent geopolitical processes have started to give a great boost to relations between Azerbaijan and Europe, the Balkans, and the Baltic states. Recognition and acceptance of Azerbaijan as the most reliable partner by European countries is of great importance.

The visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Lithuania is a part of the positive relations and great achievements in the past decade of Azerbaijan's economic thrive.

Besides, Azerbaijan's rapprochement with the European and Baltic states has a number of important aspects. One of them is the growing influence of Azerbaijan in the region and the expansion of its supporting circle. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan believes and trusts its European partners in the direction of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and restoring peace in the region which vital for the current geopolitical situation as well as Europe and other countries. It is also undeniable that Armenia is protected by a number of states. However, today the states that want to be with a reliable partner like Azerbaijan accord with its rightful struggle.

Thus, the official visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Lithuania was also part of this confidence and friendly attitudes, and it was marked by a number of important meetings and signing of multifaceted documents.

Upon arriving at the Lithuanian airport, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were first greeted with an official ceremony by the Minister of Environment of Lithuania, Simonas Gentvilas.

Besides, an official welcome ceremony has been held for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius. A guard of honour was arranged for President Ilham Aliyev.

Following the official ceremony, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva then were welcomed by President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda and his spouse Diana Nausediene.

Furthermore, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a meeting with Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nauseda in a limited format in Vilnius. Then a ceremony of signing Azerbaijan-Lithuania documents was held with participation of both presidents and delegations of Azerbaijan and Lithuania in Vilnius.

As mentioned before, several important documents were signed with the participation of the ministers and heads of state bodies of both countries within a meeting.

One of the most important moments of the visit was the Azerbaijan-Lithuania business forum with participation of the heads of states in Vilnius. This part of the meeting was also marked by some points highlighted in the speeches of the presidents.

Addressing the forum, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev touched on several points praising the continuous development of Lithuanian-Azerbaijani relations as well as business opportunities in energy sector.

With President Nauseda, I think, we laid down a very solid foundation for our cooperation and established a very active political dialogue. As I said, we met last May in Baku, then this January in Davos and now in Vilnius. So, it really demonstrates the dynamism of our cooperation. So, now it's time for business communities to engage in a long journey of mutually beneficial fruitful cooperation, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said while making a speech at the opening ceremony of the Azerbaijan-Lithuania business forum in Vilnius.

In addition, the head of state touched Nauseda on the green energy potential between the two countries. Emphasizing the opportunities of wind energy in the Caspian and Baltic seas, the President also underscored the investment prospects in the mentioned area.

Today we broadly discussed with Mr. President the potential areas of cooperation, and President already mentioned them. I think that the potential is really high here because we are moving in the same direction with respect to investments in renewables, the President said, adding that the opportunities of both countries are immense.

Both countries have enormous wind potential in the Baltic and Caspian Sea. And both countries have this on our agenda. In our case, though we are on the safe side with respect to energy security, but still, we want to save more natural gas for export and to use our nature - wind and sun - in order to produce electricity, especially taking into account that last July the European Commission and Azerbaijan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic partnership in the field of energy, the Azerbaijani President noted.

Besides, the Azerbaijani President has touched on Azerbaijans natural gas supply to Europe in the two years.

In 2021, our natural gas supply to Europe was 8 bcm, this year it will be 12 bcm and by 2027 it will reach 20 bcm. I think this is minimum because the potential is here. We are producing more natural gas from existing fields. Very soon we will announce important production from one of the big fields of the Caspian. And also investments in renewables will allow us to save natural gas for export.

Therefore, Azerbaijan, as a reliable supplier to Europe, today exports oil, natural gas, electricity. We plan to export hydrogen, including green hydrogen. All that is part of overall strategic framework of our cooperation with European Union and we are grateful to our Lithuanian friends and partners for a constant support of Azerbaijans efforts and European Commissions efforts to become closer, President Ilham Aliyev underlined while addressing the Forum.

During his speech at the forum, President Ilham Aliyev also touched on the future economic prospects of both countries. The head of state noted that alternative means should always be used for sustainable development and elimination of economic dependence.

Azerbaijans economy is stable, investments are friendly and is based on natural resources, but at the same time now, the main target is diversification. And I think that we will be able to largely diversify our economy and to reduce dependence on energy sectors. Though, energy sector will continue to play an important role for our energy security and energy security of Europe, the President said.

Emphasizing the reliability of Azerbaijan in terms of foreign investment, President Ilham Aliyev noted that the country's foreign debts are lower than the gross domestic product and added that the economy of Azerbaijan is able to maintain its economic stability thanks to the surplus of international trade turnover.

We have very low foreign debt, it's below 10% of our GDP. We have a stable national currency and I'm sure, will continue to be stable because we have a surplus of our international trade turnover, substantial surplus.

And hard currency reserves, which we accumulated in our State Oil Fund and Central Bank reserves is 10 times more than our foreign debt. So, stability of our economy is an important factor for regional economic cooperation and for investment climate because good investment climate is created not only by having good legislation. It is not enough, the President added.

In his turn, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said during his speech at the Forum that Azerbaijan is the most reliable partner and added that Lithuania is always interested in exploring various opportunities for business cooperation in order to take advantage of Azerbaijan's wide economic potential.

Azerbaijan is an important partner of Lithuania and we are interested in searching for mutually beneficial opportunities. We see Azerbaijan as a growing economic power with a huge energy potential and aspirations to diversify.

Various sectors of Azerbaijans economy such as information technologies, logistics, manufacturing, advanced food industries and renewable energy attract Lithuanian entrepreneurs. This much we can bring to the table, the Lithuanian President noted.

In addition, the President's visit to Lithuania was also held with an expanded format of meeting discussions.

The Lithuanian President expressed his value for Azerbaijans accomplishments achieved for the past ten years in particular.

The importance of mutual visits of both presidents was underlined during the conversation. In this respect, the significance of the Lithuanian Presidents trip to Azerbaijan and meetings held as part of this trip were highlighted.

The sides discussed bilateral issues and underlined the importance of further expanding economic and trade relations, and increasing trade turnover even more. In this respect, the cooperation in information technologies, cybersecurity, renewable energy, investments, transport and other fields was discussed.

During the conversation, the discussions were held on the transportation matters including projects to connect the Caspian and Baltic Seas. The Lithuanias support for Azerbaijans cooperation with the European Union and NATO was highly appreciated. The Lithuanias active role in the Twinning projects implemented as part of the Eastern Partnership Program between the European Union and Azerbaijan was highlighted. The sides also underlined the importance of three documents signed at the meetings.

At the same time, the significance of the Agreement on cooperation in the field of youth policy signed between the two countries was noted. The fact that more than 200 Azerbaijani students are studying in Lithuania and existence of joint cooperation between the two countries educational institutions were commended as a positive factor with further expansion of cooperation in this field discussed by the sides.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on cooperation in the field of prosecution. The importance of signing the documents between the relevant prosecutor's offices of both countries was emphasized.

The fact that Azerbaijani community in Lithuania made contributions to the countrys development and that they are loyal citizens of this country was hailed at the meeting.

During the meeting, both leaders also exchanged views on issues of bilateral relations and the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

President Ilham Aliyev informed his Lithuanian counterpart about the Azerbaijans vision regarding the conduct of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as ensuring security in the South Caucasus.

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23 May 2023 17:39 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

The National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan (ASK) and the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists (LPK) signed an agreement on the establishment of the Azerbaijan-Lithuania Business Council, Azernews reports.

ASK said that the signing of the agreement took place within the Lithuanian-Azerbaijani business forum held in Vilnius with the participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.

According to the document, the Business Council aims to promote business relations between the partner institutions of both countries to consolidate the directions of cooperation and the issues that will arise in this direction. The members of the Business Council will be formed from the members of the organizations. The institution will operate in all directions to provide mutual assistance and contribute to the promotion and expansion of commercial and economic relations between the entrepreneurs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Lithuania.

It was decided to hold the first meeting of the Council in Azerbaijan.

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23 May 2023 17:59 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

Azerbaijani companies started exporting cotton fibers to Turkmenistan, Azernews reports, citing Economic Zone Development Agency (EZDA).

EZDA stated that targeted work is being done in the field of increasing the production and export of competitive non-oil products, access to traditional and new markets, the processing industry is expanding and new processing enterprises are being established in Azerbaijan.

In the Mingachevir Industrial Park, together with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, work is being done in the direction of the development of the textile industry, as well as the creation of new production areas. In general, Azerbaijan's cooperation with Central Asian countries in the field of cotton cultivation is entering a new stage. Thus, within the framework of the cooperation relations established with Uzbekistan, the work of creating cotton growing clusters in Azerbaijan has been started.

Cotton producers operating in Azerbaijan - MKT IK, Azerpambig, and P-Agro companies have started exporting cotton fiber to Turkmenistan. In the initial stage, 30,000 tons of cotton fiber will be sent to Turkmenistan by ships from Baku International Sea Trade Port.

It was noted that in the future, besides cotton fiber, other products obtained from cotton processing will be exported to Turkmenistan, which will contribute to the development of economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, including logistics and trade relations.

So far, Azerbaijan has exported cotton fiber to Turkiye, Russia, Iran, Belarus, Bangladesh, Switzerland and so on.

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23 May 2023 09:30 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Ali Asadov has met with Montenegrin President Danijela urovic.

During the meeting, the sides hailed the level of relations between Azerbaijan and Montenegro in various fields.

The sides commended the role of parliaments in the comprehensive development of relations between the two countries.

The meeting also discussed the prospects for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between Azerbaijan and Montenegro in various areas.

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Awardees at the 2023 Digital Transformation event including Deputy Director of Shinhan Bank Vietnam Jung Kyung-won, left, pose with State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Governor Nguyen Thi Hong, sixth from the left, during the award ceremony held in Vietnam, Thursday. Courtesy of Shinhan Bank



By Lee Yeon-woo



Shinhan Bank Vietnam, a subsidiary of Shinhan Bank, was awarded by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) for its digitalization efforts. It was the only foreign-affiliated firm to receive an award at the event, the bank announced on Tuesday.



Last Thursday, the SBV hosted the 2023 Digital Transformation event to showcase the level of digitalization in Vietnamese finance to external observers and to recognize financial firms that have contributed to digitalization. Shinhan Bank Vietnam was awarded the Certificate of Merit along with three other Vietnamese banks: Agribank, Vietcombank and Vietinbank.



SBV Governor Nguyen Thi Hong attended the event and encouraged the officials from the awarded banks. Ranking officials of the Vietnamese government also participated.



Shinhan Bank Vietnam is making efforts to play a leading role in the digitalization of Vietnamese finance. The bank says it aspires to be a leading digital bank in Vietnam.



The bank established the Future Bank Group  an independent body tasked with driving digitalization  in May last year and launched the Digital Consumer Loan service, which enables customers to secure loans without visiting a physical bank branch. This service was the first of its kind in Vietnam.



It is also collaborating with various platforms including the payment service MoMo, the e-commerce company Tiki and the messenger platform Zalo.



With this digitalization strategy, it has secured approximately 1.11 million customers in mobile and internet-only services and has seen more than 30 percent of its deposits coming through non-face-to-face channels.



"It is an honor that we, the only foreign-affiliated bank, received the award with other major Vietnamese banks," said Jung Kyung-won, deputy director of Shinhan Bank Vietnam. "We will keep enhancing our digitalization strategy and play a leading role in the digitalization of the Vietnamese financial industry."


23 May 2023 10:40 (UTC+04:00)

The delegation led by the First Deputy Minister of Defense  Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev left for an official visit to Pakistan on May 23 at the invitation of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Army General Syed Asim Munir, Azernews reports, citing MOD.

As part of the visit, Colonel General K. Valiyev is scheduled to meet with the military leadership of Pakistan, and to visit a number of military institutions.

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22 May 2023 20:04 (UTC+04:00)

First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has shared a post on her Instagram page about the official visit of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to Lithuania, Azernews reports.

The First Vice-President said in her post: "Lithuania. Thank you very much for the warm welcome and hospitality!

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23 May 2023 14:17 (UTC+04:00)

Rena Murshud Read more

"We strongly condemn the biased statements once again made by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on May 22 during a press conference with British Minister of State for the European Region Leo Docherty."

This is stated in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

As informed by Azernews with reference to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry that the unfounded allegations repeatedly made by Armenian officials that the alleged creation of the Lachin border checkpoint by Azerbaijan blocked the road, creates humanitarian problems in the region, and hinders the activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross are Armenia's attempts to distort the realities: "It is known that both Armenians, and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Russian peacekeeping contingent pass through the border checkpoint.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry noted that the UK, which is a member of the UN Security Council, is well aware that Armenia has kept Azerbaijani territories under occupation for almost 30 years, committed massacres and ethnic cleansing, and also, contrary to the requirements of four resolutions of the UN Security Council, refused to withdraw its armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan.

"Armenia's encouragement of sending an international mission to the territory of Azerbaijan, obstructing the dialogue of the Azerbaijani government with Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, is regarded as interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan. If Armenia stands for peace and tranquility in the region, it must put an end to such interference.

As for the allegations about the presence of Armenian prisoners of war on the territory of Azerbaijan, we note that in many cases Azerbaijan returned prisoners of war captured during the war to Armenia free of charge. As for the group of Armenian servicemen sent by Armenia after the war with the aim of committing military provocations on the territory of our country, the Armenian leadership knows that they are not prisoners of war. Despite the fact that Azerbaijan, in good faith, returned almost half of the people from this group to Armenia, the Armenian side refuses to return two Azerbaijani soldiers who have gone astray and crossed into Armenian territory, thereby undermining confidence-building efforts.

We call on Armenia to refrain from dangerous rhetoric that is detrimental to ensuring peace and security in the region, to fulfill its obligations instead of continuing to unreasonably accuse Azerbaijan, thereby misleading the international community," the Foreign Ministry noted.

To recall, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at a joint press briefing with UK Minister for Europe Leo Docherty said that Azerbaijan and Armenia were able to talk candidly about the rest of the articles. "I would also like to note that the parties understood each other better during the talks," he noted.

Mirzoyan added that the parties positions on the most complex and problematic issues are very far from each other.

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23 May 2023 15:20 (UTC+04:00)

The IX OIC Youth Entrepreneurship International Forum has been held within the framework of the XIV International Economic Forum Russia  Islamic World: KazanForum in the city of Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan (RF), Azernews reports.

The Forum was jointly organized by the Eurasian Regional Center of the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF-ERC), the Ministry of Youth Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan, and the Youth Social Fund "Selet" of Tatarstan Republic.

More than 200 applications were submitted to participate in this year's Forum, and 31 startup projects representing 14 countries (Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, Turkey, USA, Kenya, etc.) were selected by a jury of experts. The winners were announced by the decision of the jury represented by international experts. ICYF-ERC allocated USD 10,000 for the first-place winner, the Evocraft project, authored by young businessmen from Tunisia, Ali Cherif and Haytem Dabbabi. The above-mentioned project is aimed at spreading technological knowledge and obtaining scientific achievements among young people in the future. The Chair of the Board of the ICYF-ERC, Elchin Asgarov, and the Minister of Youth Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan, Rinat Sadykov, congratulated the winners of the startup projects and wished them success.

Within the framework of this year's Forum, Memorandums of Cooperation (MoCs) were signed between the participating companies and institutions. Thus, the memorandum signed by the Chair of the Board of the ICYF-ERC, Elchin Asgarov, and the Director of the Youth Entrepreneurship Support Center of Uzbekistan, Orian-Mehroj Rashidov, reflects the provisions of supporting startup projects in Eurasia and improving the skills of young entrepreneurs in the coming years.

The "OIC Youth Entrepreneurship Forum" initiative was put forward by the ICYF-ERC and aims to eliminate youth unemployment by creating new jobs in OIC member countries. It should be noted that so far more than 1,000 young businessmen representing 50 countries have participated in Kazan forums, and investments allocated to start-up projects exceed USD 2 million.

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23 May 2023 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

Felipe VI, King of Spain has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on May 28 - Independence Day, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

His Excellency Mr Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Mr. President,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the Spanish government and people, I extend my sincerest congratulations to Your Excellency on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Azerbaijan  the Independence Day.

Mr President, I wish you the best of health, and the beloved people of Azerbaijan peace and prosperity.

I express my deep respect and esteem to you.

Felipe VI

King of Spain

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23 May 2023 15:06 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol has sent a letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Excellency,

On the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Your Excellency and to the people of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Our two countries have built strong ties of cooperation and partnership over the years. I hope to further develop the relationship between our two countries and strengthen the bonds of friendship between our two peoples.

Please accept my best wishes for Your Excellency`s good health and happiness, and for the lasting prosperity of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Sincerely,

Yoon Suk Yeol

President of the Republic of Korea

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23 May 2023 15:16 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Peru, Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on May 28 - Independence Day, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

His Excellency Mr Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Excellency, Mr President,

I am pleased to extend my sincerest congratulations to you on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

On this auspicious day, Your Excellency, I would like to reiterate that Peruvian government is interested in continuing expanding and strengthening the relations both in bilateral and multilateral formats for the benefit of our countries.

I wish the beloved people of the Republic of Azerbaijan prosperity and progress. I avail myself of this opportunity to once again express my deep respect and consideration to you.

Sincerely,

Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra

President of the Republic of Peru

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23 May 2023 16:21 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Nicaragua, Jose Daniel Ortega Saavedra and Vice-president of the Republic of Nicaragua, Rosario Murillo has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on May 28 - Independence Day, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Your Excellency, Dear brother,

On the Independence Day that Azerbaijan celebrates, we join You and your people, conveying our respect, affection and brotherly solidarity, with the confidence of working together for a better world to which all the peoples of the world have the right to aspire and build.

Much affection to You, and all the recognition of the spiritual strength of your people, to which we are united by historical ties of efforts for the common good.

Sincerely,

Jose Daniel Ortega Saavedra, President of the Republic of Nicaragua

Rosario Murillo, Vice-president of the Republic of Nicaragua

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23 May 2023 16:36 (UTC+04:00)

President of the Republic of Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on May 28 - Independence Day, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

His Excellency Mr Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Mr. President,

It gives me great pleasure to extend my sincere congratulations to you on behalf of the people, the government of Gabon, and on my own behalf on the occasion of 28 May - the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

I wish you good health and happiness, and prosperity to the friendly people of Azerbaijan.

Taking this pleasant opportunity, I would like to reiterate my commitment to elevate the ties of friendship between Gabon and Azerbaijan to a higher level in line with the interests of our peoples.

Please accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my highest consideration.

With deep respect,

Ali Bongo Ondimba

President of the Republic of Gabon

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From left, Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office chief Yang Seok-jo, Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Lee Bok-hyun, Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Kim Joo-hyun and Korea Exchange (KRX) Chairman Sohn Byung-doo pose during the joint conference on eradication of unfair transactions held at KRX headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of FSC



Punishments to be strengthened, CFD to be overhauled



By Lee Yeon-woo



The bank accounts of those suspected of manipulating stock prices will be frozen and their illegally earned profits will also be confiscated. These are part of plans announced by financial regulators in what they are calling a "war against those who disturb the market."



The Financial Services Commission (FSC), the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), Korea Exchange (KRX) and Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office discussed such measures, Tuesday, at a joint conference in which they pledged to implement an emergency response system throughout this year to combat such manipulations.



"Financial authorities and the prosecution are declaring war on those who disturb the market," FSS Governor Lee Bok-hyun said. "I will shoulder the responsibility as if my position depends on it, undertaking stringent investigations and improving systems."



The conference was held in response to a recent price manipulation scandal involving eight local stocks  including Samchully, Daesung Holdings and Daou Data  which led to losses totaling 1 trillion won ($762 million) across approximately 1,000 investors.



The suspects are alleged to have misused contract for difference (CFD) transactions, a type of financial derivative that speculates on stock price movements. It has been reported that some high-income earners and celebrities were also swindled by the scam.



The financial authorities have vowed to make their best efforts in investigating the case and preventing similar cases from happening in the future.





Financial Services Commission Chairman (FSC) Kim Joo-hyun speaks during a joint conference on eradication of unfair transactions held at the KRX headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of FSC
23 May 2023 16:48 (UTC+04:00)

President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on May 28 - Independence Day, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Dear Ilham Heydarovich,

It gives me great pleasure to extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes to You and all the friendly people of Azerbaijan on behalf of the Tajik people and on my own behalf on the occasion of Independence Day - the national holiday of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Thanks to your forward-looking and productive policy, Azerbaijan achieved significant successes on the path of progress and dynamic development, thus, enhancing its prestige in the international arena.

We are pleased with the constructive atmosphere of bilateral relations and, of course, with the dynamic development of mutually beneficial relations between our countries, which meet the interests of our peoples.

I sincerely remember our meetings during your recent official visit to Tajikistan. I am sure that the practical implementation of the agreements reached within this visit would give a new impetus to the effective cooperation between Tajikistan and Azerbaijan, aimed at the long-term outlook.

I believe that with our joint efforts, we will take our bilateral partnership to a new development horizon for the welfare of our peoples and countries.

Dear Ilham Heydarovich, I sincerely wish you good health and new successes in your responsible post as head of state, and the fraternal people of Azerbaijan peace, tranquility and steady prosperity.

Sincerely,

Emomali Rahmon

President of the Republic of Tajikistan

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23 May 2023 17:10 (UTC+04:00)

King of Morocco Mohammed VI has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on May 28 - Independence Day, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

To His Excellency, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Excellency, dear brother.

At a time when the Republic of Azerbaijan is celebrating the Independence Day, I am very pleased to extend our sincerest congratulations, as well as wishes for the strong health and happiness on behalf of the people of Morocco and on my own behalf. Also, under your wise leadership, I wish the people of Azerbaijan great progress and prosperity.

Excellency, I am confident that, you are just as interested as I am in strengthening close fraternal relations between our countries, progressing our cooperation in all the fields for the benefits of the mutual prosperity of our peoples.

Sincerely,

Mohammed VI,

King of Morocco

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23 May 2023 17:36 (UTC+04:00)

Former Ambassador of Georgia to Azerbaijan, Zurab Gumberidze has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on May 28 - Independence Day, Azernews reports.

The letter reads:

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Your Excellency, Mr. President,

First and foremost, I extend my utmost respect to the Republic of Azerbaijan and you personally. As is widely known, the year 2023 has been designated as the centennial celebration of the esteemed former President of Azerbaijan and National Leader, Heydar Aliyev.

Heydar Aliyev made a significant and invaluable contribution to the progress of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan, encompassing the development of its political and economic foundations, and the establishment of a peaceful and prosperous life for the Azerbaijani people.

His instrumental role in shaping the South Caucasus region, particularly in fostering the enduring friendship between the Azerbaijani and Georgian peoples, as well as in enhancing bilateral relations between our nations, is well-documented. His legacy shall forever endure in the records of history and our collective memory.

Having had the immense privilege and personal growth of serving as Georgia's ambassador to Azerbaijan during President Heydar Aliyev's tenure, I had the opportunity to actively participate in international endeavours under his visionary leadership.

Mr. President, I convey my best wishes to you,

Sincerely,

Zurab Gumberidze

Former Ambassador of Georgia to Azerbaijan

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23 May 2023 19:50 (UTC+04:00)

President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov has invited foreign companies to participate in the construction of small and medium-sized hydroelectric power plants in Kyrgyzstan, Azernews reports, citing Trend reports.

Japarov invited foreign companies to consider their participation in the construction of small and medium-sized hydroelectric power plants and renewable energy sources in Kyrgyzstan following the Central Asia - China Summit in Xi'an, in which he participated as part of his state visit to China.

"Almost all the energy generated in Kyrgyzstan is green, since it produced from hydropower. So far, only about 13 percent of our electrical potential is used. For the development of this sector, our country needs foreign investment, and we are ready for the closest cooperation in this area," Kyrgyz president said.

According to him, Kyrgyzstan has a capacity to export electricity to countries with a total population of over 2 billion people. He added that the country supports the idea of creating partnerships between Central Asia and China on energy development.

At the same time, statistical data shows that Kyrgyzstan generated 4.6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity from January through March 2023, which is 13 percent more than 4.1 billion kWh in the same period of 2022.

The China - Central Asia summit, with the participation of the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, took place in China on May 18-19.

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Lois Henry is the CEO and editor of SJV Water, a nonprofit, independent online news publication dedicated to covering water issues in the San Joaquin Valley. She can be reached at lois.henry@sjvwater.org. The website is sjvwater.org.
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Fair Trade Commission / Yonhap



Korea's Cabinet passed a new regulation on Tuesday regarding intra-affiliate trading, which aims to reduce excessive regulations by lowering the trading volume ceiling that requires regulatory filing.



Under the revised rules, firms with assets of at least 5 trillion won ($3.81 billion) are required to file inter-affiliate transactions of 10 billion won or above, compared with the current 5 billion won.



The updated guideline will be implemented on Jan. 1, 2024, following approval by the president.



While companies will still be required to report internal trading worth at least 5 percent of their assets, the updated rule permits them to bypass regulatory filings if the value falls below 500 million won.



The Fair Trade Commission (FTC) stated that the implementation of the latest measure came as the previous rules did not adequately reflect the country's economic growth in recent years.



"It will allow economic authorities to effectively monitor business groups carrying out large-sized internal transactions," the FTC said in a statement.



The move will also help companies ease the burden of filing internal transactions, it added. (Yonhap)


Now that the public is allowed to know the truth regarding the Hunter Biden Laptop Scandal, after more that 2 1/2 years of deception by the corrupt Corporate Media Kabal, propropagandidats all, and the discredited Deep State, we have NOW learned that the infamous laptop is far less about the Biden Boy's fetish for pornography, narcotics and Russian whores, and far more about Hunter's pivotal role in the Biden Crime Syndicate's selling of deep access to our foreign adversaries, and to what extent it has compromised our national security: What is your opinion about this possible coordinated Treason?

It is imperative that we know the truth of what may be the greatest scandal in our Republic's history, and all aforementioned parties prosecuted for their crimes against the People.

Currently, our Two Tiered Justice System is constructed to protect all Democratic Socialists, their corrupt "Journalist" spokes-sheople, and their Deep State enablers ... so why bother.

It is Donald Trump's fault.
Greece's incumbent conservative New Democracy Party, running on a platform that stressed stopping illegal immigration, won the Greek parliamentary election with an increased vote share, while its main rival, the leftist Syriza saw its vote share drop by over 10 percentage points. New Democracy was the leading party in all but one of Greece's electoral districts. This is the first time since the fall of the military dictatorship that an incumbnet party has won an election in Greece.

New Democracy outperformed the polls by wining 40.9% of the vote. Coming in second, Syriza took 20.1%. New Democracy will not have enough seats to govern alone, but if it is unable to put together a coalition, it can call a second election, in which as leading party, it would be awaarded an extra 50 bonus seats giving it a solid majority by itself. Another party of the right the new ultra conservative National Patriotic Movement - Victory narrowly missed winning seats, winning 2.92%, just below the 3% threshold needed to qualify for seats in parliament.

Two "Green" parties received less than 1% of the vote, as did attempts to revive the neo-fascist Golden Dawn Party which won seats in two past elections.

https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/greek-center-right-wins-landslide-victory/

New Democracy won 146 seats in the 300 seat parliament. Its most logical coalition partner would be the populist / nationalist anti-immigration Greek Solution Party, which won 16 seats, a gain of 6. The Greek Solution Party takes an even harder line against illegal immigration, advocating electrification of the border fence with Turkey and sending illegal aliens who enter the country to an uninhabited island until they could be deported.

Howver a new election with similar results would give New Democracy an absolute majority of about 195 seats in what would then be a 350 seat parliament.
While our School Superintendent and majority of the School Board do a kabuki dance about adopting new curricula and spend a half million dollars on a new math curriculum, the U. S. Department of Education recently announced that student test scores in reading, math, science and particularly history/civics are sinking to historic lows. And theyre worse in Beaufort County than in many school districts.

The Associated Press reports: Test scores in history and civics have declined slightly for eighth grade students in the U.S., according to results that show an increasing number of children lack a basic understanding of either subject.

The scores were released Wednesday by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The same assessment reported in October that every single state had seen a decline in math or reading scores amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest scores, officials said, reflect more of the impact of the disruptions from the virus that shuttered schools across the country.

At a time of some pessimism about the state of the U.S. democracy, the test results suggest many young people are struggling to understand how government works and the importance of civic participation. Nearly one-third of eighth grade students cannot describe the structure or function of government, according to the results.

When you drill down in the data it gets worse.

Our Opinion: We require students who want a drivers license to pass a test to prove proficiency in motor vehicle laws. Why should we not also require a passing grade on a social studies test to prove proficiency in history and civics in order to vote?

In our opinion The Problem is not with our students or teachersit is with the central office bureaucrats and clowns who serve on our school board.

Our Governor has declared a State of Emergency for our public education system in this state. Why not just give vouchers to every student and let them find a school of their choice to attend. If there are not enough who choose a public school, just shut it down.

Commentary:

What youre seeing here is a classic case of how money drives curriculum in the public schools.

Big Publishing companies have to come up with something new every few years to make the Big Bucks. All too often educational leaders fall for the brightest and shiniest fad to come down the path. It is built in the DNA of too many of them that new is better.

But its more than that. Leaders of failing systems must come up with something that buys them more time. Beaufort County is yet another victim of this.

For several decades now the Washington City and Beaufort County schools were low performing in terms of student academic success. When the city and county schools merged it was said that things will get better after we merge. Then a series of superintendents came and went. Each offered the hope of things getting better with student learning. The answer was usually another shiny fad  that of course cost a boatload of money. Teachers were pulled out of their classrooms for staff development while days upon days of instruction were lost. Scores still did not go up in most classrooms.

This new Bridges math is a perfect example of how Big Publishers make money. It is infused with manipulatives or some other name for shiny teaching materials. To hell with the results. Just buy the PreK-5 versions and then well come along in a couple of years and offer you the 6-8 version, then in a couple of more years well push out the individual courses materials. By then, the Pied Pipers for the new way will have moved on and another troupe repeats the cycle. Teachers suffer another fad. Few ever question if the new works better for student learning than the old. Old does not sell. No Big Money there.

Must we continue to suffer this failure?

Why have not these Pied Pipers not identified the teachers who have the greatest success with students and let them write the "curriculum"? And keep the money at home.

Better still, why not just let the parents choose the teachers that they want teaching their kids?
Eleven days into 2023 and already two of the biggest disruptors have made serious moves to deepen their reach into the healthcare space.

Optum has inked two partnerships with health systems since the beginning of the year to add nearly 2,000 revenue cycle management and IT employees to their ranks. Optum partnered with Northern Light Health in Brewer, Maine, and Owensboro (Ky.) Health to take over administrative functions so the systems could focus on patient care. Around 1,400 Northern Light Health employees and 575 Owensboro Health employees are transitioning to Optum.

CVS Health Ventures has also been busy investing in digital health companies. In January, CVS Health Venture invested $100 million in Carbon Health, a hybrid healthcare company focused on primary and urgent care, and CVS Health led a $25 million financing round for virtual therapy and psychiatry company Array Behavioral Health. CVS is also exploring opportunities to acquire Oak Street Health, which runs primary care centers for Medicare beneficiaries and is valued at around $10 billion.

Last year, CVS Health signed a definitive agreement to acquire home health company Signify Health for around $8 billion and has been looking for further footing in the primary care space. The company was reportedly interested in One Medical and Cano Health, but both deals fell through.

Optum already has a robust primary care network and its venture capital arm, Optum Ventures, led a $330 million funding round for home health company DispatchHealth in November. Optum also acquired home healthcare business LHC Group for $5.4 billion in March, with 964 locations in 37 states.

Finally, Optum closed its $7.8 billion merger with Change Healthcare last year, providing significant data capabilities for even more sophisticated growth.
David Maxwell, senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation and vice president at the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, speaks during an interview after the forum on "The 70th Anniversary of the U.S.-ROK Alliance  Onward Toward a Free and Unified Korea" on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 17 (local time). The event was cohosted by the Global Peace Foundation, Action for Korea United, Alliance for Korea United and One Korea Foundation. Courtesy of Global Peace Foundation



Experts share views on why unification, not denuclearization, should be ultimate goal



By Jung Min-ho



WASHINGTON  While denuclearization and security issues are dominating the news about North Korea, the vision for peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula now appears out of date. Politicians barely talk about it as a serious possibility and when they do, no one seems to listen.



Such pessimism has prompted those who fear another possible armed conflict on the peninsula to find alternative solutions, such as seeking peaceful coexistence between the two Koreas. Unification, cynics say, this hope is not feasible and that the time is long overdue for South Korea and the United States to offer a peace deal that the North would accept.



During a forum on the 70th anniversary of the Seoul-Washington alliance on Capitol Hill on May 17 (local time), experts said such ideas are even more unrealistic. If left divided, they said, the two governments on the peninsula will always remain exposed to the risk of violent clashes, given the political and legal conditions of the North.



"It sounds nice. However, that (coexistence idea) is based on the assumption that the North wants to peacefully coexist. As long as North Korea has nuclear weapons and given what we know, its constitution, party charter and history, they are going to seek domination of the peninsula," retired Col. David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, a think tank, said during an interview.



"So I think peaceful coexistence is really a fantasy  I understand why people say that should be pursued, but North Korea under the Kim family will always be a threat and, as long as they exist, South Korea will never be at peace."



Under the 10 Principles of the One-Ideology System, which serves as the supreme law of North Korea, all North Koreans must give their all in the struggle to unify the peninsula under their rule. It is mistaken to say that the regime is developing nuclear weapons only to survive; they are the means  not the final aim  of accomplishing that written objective, Maxwell, who also serves as a senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation (GPF), said.



His view was echoed by other attendees at the event cohosted by four nonprofit groups  the GPF, Action for Korea United, Alliance for Korea United and One Korea Foundation.



Lee Hyun-seung, a former sergeant in the North Korean Army who escaped to South Korea in 2014, said, when he was in the military, he was called a unification soldier  as his father was called by the same term decades before him.



"Every soldier who joins the military is a unification soldier. This means that they (the regime) have never changed the goal: unification by force," Lee said during a panel discussion.



Denuclearization, an issue that has distracted the world's attention from all the other critical issues regarding North Korea in recent years, has created the illusion that it will somehow lead to peace on the peninsula. History suggests there is no causal relationship between the two.



Over the past seven decades, North Korea killed hundreds of thousands of people, including civilians, in the war on the peninsula (for unification), sent armed agents to assassinate leaders in Seoul, abducted a commercial airplane, attacked an island near the inter-Korean border and committed numerous other atrocities  all without using nuclear weapons.



This is why unification, not denuclearization, should be not only the policy objective of both Seoul and Washington but also the top priority in that joint effort, according to Seo In-teck, president of GPF Korea.



"Maintaining the status quo on the peninsula could be possible and it may seem even more beneficial than unifying with North Korea over the next five to 10 years," Seo said. "But how about 50 to 100 years later?"



Given that the regime continues to build up its nuclear arsenal and develop other weapons at a time when South Korea is facing a dramatic population decline, the fragile peace may not last and the status quo cannot be maintained, he added.





Participants in a panel discussion listen to their moderator, David Maxwell, back row left, senior fellow at the Global Peace Foundation and vice president at the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, at the forum on "The 70th Anniversary of the U.S.-ROK Alliance  Onward Toward a Free and Unified Korea" on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 17 (local time). Courtesy of Global Peace Foundation
From consolidation to physician shortages, seven physicians recently spoke with Becker's to discuss the healthcare trends they're wary of in 2023.

Question: What healthcare trends are you wary of in 2023?

Editor's note: Responses were edited lightly for brevity and clarity.

Robert Chavez, MD. Internal Medicine Specialist at NYU Langone Health (New York City): The other trends that are concerning are poor payer behavior, predatory large emergency room groups, horrendous No Surprises Act process, artificially low Medicare and Medicaid payments and Kaiser Permanente cutting reimbursement between 40 and 70 percent.

Eric Eskioglu, MD. Neurosurgeon based in Charlotte, N.C.: Currently half of practicing physicians are over the age of 55 and getting ready for retirement. With an increasing elderly population and demand for more complex medical issues, I see the physician supply versus demand coming to a head soon. I worry that the same trends which have become permanent in "traveling nurses" are emerging in physicians, especially with the millennials and Gen Zs. I expect to see more temporary physician demands with people opting for higher pay, more time spent with family and different geographical venues to combat physician burnout. I truly believe machine learning and artificial intelligence will be the way to overcome these issues. With medical knowledge doubling every 72 days, we need to relegate memorization and patient data search to artificial intelligence, lessen the cognitive burden on physicians thereby increasing the amount they spend on higher judgment problem-solving skills on their patients' healthcare.

Marsha Haley, MD. Clinical Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine: The physician and bedside nursing shortages have worsened since the pandemic. Some politicians use "quick fixes" for these issues instead of investing in long-term solutions such as increasing residency positions and investing in quality nursing education and nurse retention. One trend over the past several years has been to increase the scope of practice for non-physicians, resulting in the replacement of physicians.

Taif Mukhdomi, MD. Interventional Pain Physician at Pain Zero (Columbus, Ohio): The healthcare trend I am most wary of in 2023 is that there may be less options for care for patients. With the growing trend of consolidating care under hospital systems, health insurance-owned care teams and private equity-backed provider groups, the future of healthcare continues to change. While the overarching goal of the healthcare system remains maximizing efficiency and outputs, not every aspect of healthcare can be managed as a business. Healthcare isn't and shouldn't be viewed as an "efficient" endeavor, since the human condition isn't always predictable. Declining reimbursements for private practitioners encourages formation of groups and consolidation to help providers sustain their practice models, but I fear consolidation leads to less competition: Certain sectors of healthcare don't face the challenge of healthy competition. This leaves patients with fewer options for care. With that being said, this poses a great opportunity for new private practice groups to take advantage of being nimble and thriving in the changing healthcare climate.

Thomas Sweet, MD. Hematology and Oncology Physician at Southern California Permanente Medical Group (San Diego): I am wary of accelerating wages for healthcare workers except for physicians further exacerbating income prospects. In my field, I am also concerned about rapidly accelerating cost of treatments sometimes for marginal benefits.

Kerry Willis, MD. Family Practice Physician (Beaufort, N.C.): Medicine has become too complicated by design to allow corporate raids on the federal treasury that provide little value to the healthcare system or patients by design. I look for 2023 to be the year of the rebellion starting as the public and practicing physicians leave the insurance system and make the crisis in access that is already problematic. The primary care system has to be decoupled and simplified to allow universal access at a reasonable price for all Americans. I see no will or ability for the government to accomplish that task, but employers will tire of their money going to corporate bonus programs for medical millionaires' salaries and benefits and lead the change with direct primary care like models and changes.

Lance Wobus, MD. Psychiatry Resident at Richmond University Medical Center (New York City): First, as a psychiatrist, I fully support telemedicine. If post-COVID-19 policies reinstate regulations on restricting telemedicine, this would have a detrimental effect on patients seeking mental healthcare.

Second, I am an activist in opposing the expansion of independent practice for nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The NPs and PAs I work with (and have seen as a patient) have been very capable, but it is just not the case that after four years of med school, including two in clinical work, and four years as a practicing (but supervised) psychiatrist, the clinical care I provide is equivalent to that of an NP/PA. I think this trend will also be detrimental to healthcare.
The revamped University of Maryland Laurel Medical Center will open June 4, Patch reported May 22.

The $70 million project replaced the former UM Laurel Medical Center at the same location, according to Patch. The 83,000-square-foot center will house a full emergency department and offer outpatient services including minimally invasive surgery, cardiology and behavioral health.

Representatives of the center told Patch the new facility is the first part of a multiphase, comprehensive medical campus to expand services to residents in the surrounding Prince George's, Anne Arundel, Howard and Montgomery counties.
Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital transplanted a heart that broke the record for distance a donor heart successfully traveled.

The donor heart traveled a total of 2,506 nautical miles from Juneau, Alaska, to Boston inside a Paragonix SherpaPak Cardiac Transport System, according to a May 23 Paragonix Technologies news release. The system allows physicians to monitor and maintain stable temperatures for the heart.

"Traditionally, the longer an organ spends between donors, the greater the risk of complications," David D'Alessandro, MD, surgical director of the heart transplant program at the hospital, said in the release. "Five years ago, I could never have imagined this journey being possible. The fact that we were able to transport this organ safely and successfully over such a long distance is a testament to the value of advanced organ preservation and the dedication of everyone involved. By continuing to push the boundaries in this area, we can help to ensure that more patients in need have access to life-saving donor organs, regardless of where they are located."
To get artificial intelligence to patients faster, health systems could standardize their procurement processes and the government could clarify the regulations for the technology, researchers from University of Miami School of Medicine and New York City-based Weill Cornell Medicine say.

"While some AI technologies have made it into the clinic, most of these have come from large conglomerates, like Google or Amazon," said Azizi Seixas, PhD, a study senior author and interim chair of informatics and health data science at University of Miami School of Medicine, in a May 19 university news release.

Health systems each have their own procurement procedures, a challenge for AI and digital health startups to navigate, according to the study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research. So the companies often give up on hospitals and instead pitch directly to consumers and employers.

Startups also have difficulty affording randomized clinical trials, while the FDA could better differentiate between AI, digital health and medical devices for its regulatory approvals, the researchers said. They recommend academic health systems step up to help in both areas.

"Tech came into healthcare thinking they were going to change how we do things, but many of them failed because they're just not wired to care for patients," Dr. Seixas stated. "But that is exactly our wheelhouse."
Boston Medical Center is "rewriting healthcare" with a new ad campaign that debuted May 22, Marketing Daily reported.

The Rewriting Healthcare ads aim to "reintroduce" the academic medical center, as it hasn't run a branding campaign in nearly a decade, Rachel Felix, who became the organization's first chief marketing officer in August, told the news outlet.

"We really believe [current patients] deserve to know the great clinical care that they can receive," Ms. Felix said in the May 22 story. "We also are hoping to attract new patients, patients that live near Boston Medical Center and patients that care about our mission in providing equitable care to all."

The campaign, created by Base Design with media buying by Connelly Partners, will appear in Boston commuter hubs, digital and social through February, according to the story. The second phase, set to start rolling out in June, will literally rewrite some healthcare messages, including:

Quality Care is a Lifesaver for People Who Can Afford It

Patients Feel Their Voices Don't Matter in Decisions

Research Rarely Represents Diversity and Doesnt Serve Everyone

Another phase, in the fall, will add adjectives to the word care, such as "innovative," "equitable," "orthopedic," "neurology," "financial" and "community," the news outlet reported.
Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health will pilot Epic and Microsoft's generative artificial intelligence tool that automatically drafts message responses.

On April 17, the EHR vendor and Microsoft partnered to train Azure OpenAI on a large collection of information so it can asynchronously draft responses to patient messages for providers. UNC Health will begin the rollout of this tool to five to 10 physicians, according to a May 23 press release from UNC.

The tool will start with drafting a small subset of "more administrative" type messages, according to the health system. Physicians will then be able to accept the AI's suggestions or write their own.

UNC Health joins UC San Diego Health; Madison, Wis.-based UW Health; and Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford Health Care in the pilot.
San Benito Health Care District, the board overseeing Hollister, Calif.-based Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, voted May 22 to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, which it said will pave the way to "tackle the systemic challenges it continues to face."

Hazel Hawkins will remain open and "fully committed to delivering quality patient care for the greater community while leadership looks for a strategic partner or buyer," according to a May 22 news release from the hospital.

Chapter 9 allows financially distressed cities, hospital districts and other public entities protection from its creditors while it develops and negotiates a plan for adjusting its debt, according to the federal courts website.

A November fiscal emergency declaration by the board authorized a Chapter 9 filing, but the hospital district decided to focus on short-term financial stabilization and creditor negotiations. In the last six months, it has recorded more than $11 million in cost savings, loans and prepayments to support the district through summer. A hospital spokesperson said in the release the filing will allow it to "deal with larger issues we just can't tackle outside of Chapter 9."

The hospital said the Chapter 9 process has four key components:
Franklin County commissioners have serious concerns about the state of Apalachicola, Fla.-based Weems Memorial Hospital after questioning CEO David Walker on the back of a financial report compiled by Alliant Management Services, The Apalachicola Times reported May 22.

Four things to know:

1. The report came from Michael Kozar, CEO of Northwest Florida Community Hospital in Chipley and president and CEO of Alliant Management Services. Mr. Kozer detailed the challenging financial environment for hospitals in Florida, with particular emphasis on increasing labor, drug and medical costs.

2. One of the toughest challenges is the increasing cost of operating the hospital. Mr. Kozar said costs have risen by 30 percent to 40 percent, while reimbursements from payers have been up 2 to 3 percent "at most," according to the report.

3. Commissioners wanted answers from Mr. Walker on a number of initiatives, including why the hospital's swing-bed program never got off the ground and why they had not been notified ahead of time about an inpatient stabilization program for drugs and alcohol that would run upwards of $400,000 a year, according to the report. The hospital ended the program after a couple months after initial payments of about $50,000 and an initial cost of less than $35,000. Mr. Walker said it did not meet the required threshold of $50,000 to warrant approval by the commissioners.

"We basically wasted 50 grand," Commissioner Ottice Amison said. "I'm just baffled that we took $50,000 and threw it away. I feel we were being deceived on that."

4. County officials asked to meet soon with hospital leaders and that they provide a more thorough breakdown of the numbers. Commissioner Cheryl Sanders asked, "Are you going to have good enough numbers where you're not going to have to stick your hand in the cookie jar and take it out of the healthcare trust fund?"

Mr. Kozar stressed that while operational funds are at a lower point than one year ago, the hospital is making progress toward improving those numbers.
HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Bradenton has named Sanjiv Tewari, MD, as its new chief medical officer, effective June 1.

Dr. Tewari joins HCA Florida Blake Hospital from the Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital in Vero Beach, Fla., where he served as the medical director of critical care and the center director for the Institute for Medical Specialties.

In this new capacity, Dr. Tewari will oversee medical operations, clinical performance and patient experience.
More hospitals are terminating their memberships with the Mississippi Hospital Association, according to the Magnolia Tribune.

Tupelo-based North Mississippi Health Services is withdrawing at least four of its hospitals from MHA, including North Mississippi Medical Center  one of three level 2 trauma centers in Mississippi, according to the report.

Jackson-based Merit Health, a nine hospital-system, and New Orleans-based Ochsner Health Systems, which includes seven hospitals in Mississippi, have also communicated their intent to leave MHA, the Tribune reported.

At least five other hospitals and health systems are pulling out of the MHA, citing concerns with the association's leadership. They include the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, Ocean Springs-based Singing River Health System, George Regional Health System in Lucedale and Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg.

The news comes on the heels of a $250,000 donation to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brandon Presley and a $100,000 to Republican incumbent Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann, according to the Tribune. The donations were made by Friends of Mississippi Hospitals  a political action committee associated with MHA.

MHA President Tim Moore told the publication he suspects the donation was a catalyst for the hospitals' departures, and he is baffled by the situation.

"There's nothing else that has changed. Nothing," he told Mississippi Today in a May 10 interview. "Our strategy has not changed."
China's key protected wildlife populations continue to recover

Xinhua) 10:29, May 23, 2023

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The populations of a large number of rare and endangered wildlife have seen steady growth in China during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), and their habitats and breeding environment have steadily improved, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Monday.

The country has made various efforts to save and protect wildlife, such as relocation and artificial breeding and cultivation, with a steady increase in the wild population of more than 300 rare and endangered species, including Asian elephants and Siberian tigers, an official with the administration said.

China will speed up the construction of a nature reserve system with national parks as the main body, and ensure the stable growth of the population of wildlife species under national protection, said the official.

By 2025, the protection rate of terrestrial wild animals under national key protection will reach 75 percent, and that of terrestrial wild plants under national key protection will reach 80 percent, the official added.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Robert Joseph, center, a senior scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy and former U.S. special envoy for nuclear nonproliferation, speaks during a forum titled, "The 70th Anniversary of the U.S.-ROK Alliance  Onward Toward a Free and Unified Korea," on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 17 (local time). Korea Times photo by Jung Min-ho



'Any form of diplomacy will fail; regime change is only solution'



By Jung Min-ho



WASHINGTON  Since nuclear threats from North Korea started to emerge in the early 1990s, the United States has been trying to resolve the issue through diplomacy. Yet this did not stop Pyongyang from developing nuclear weapons. Today it is estimated to have up to 60 nuclear warheads and its stockpile is expected to continue to grow.



This worrisome state of affairs points to a need for a fundamental shift in policy. According to an expert who has been working in nuclear deterrence and nuclear arms control for the past 26 years, the first necessary step for that shift is to recognize that any negotiations or even successful treaties with North Korea will not lead to its denuclearization.



"We have put nuclear disarmament at the center of our policy on North Korea for 30 years, and we have failed consistently for 30 years," Robert Joseph, a senior scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy and former U.S. special envoy for nuclear nonproliferation, said at a forum on the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance on Capitol Hill on May 17 (local time).



"I had watched North Korea go from small-scale titanium reprocessing to full-scale industrial-size uranium enrichment. They went from one or two nuclear weapons to 40 to 60 today, perhaps as many as 200 by 2027."



Washington and its allies still have the chance to stop North Korea from becoming a greater nuclear power than France and Britain and presenting a more serious threat to Seoul and far beyond with its ever-growing missile capabilities and propensity to sell anyone the weapons at every possible chance.



"This notion that we can negotiate with something as evil as North Korea, is something I have trouble comprehending. North Korea is a 21st century Nazi Germany. Can you negotiate with Nazi Germany? Sure, we did. [Former British Prime Minister Neville] Chamberlain came home to London, waving a piece of paper saying 'Peace for our time.' He proved you can negotiate with evil. But he also proved what happens when you do that," Joseph said in reference to the Munich Agreement, a peace deal Nazi Germany signed a year before starting World War II.



"Yes, we need denuclearization. But we should understand that denuclearization is not going to come from negotiation. It's going to come from the end of the Kim regime."



Joseph, along with human rights experts who participated in the forum, thinks that the greatest vulnerability of the Kim Jong-un regime is from within, from the alienation of its own people who suffer under its totalitarian repression. He suggested placing human rights  inside and outside of North Korea  at the center of a new U.S. strategy.



"This is not human rights for the sake of human rights  This is the way to achieve national security objectives, including denuclearization," he said. "It is an approach that does not use force to overthrow North Korea. This is a regime change from within."





Kang Cheol-hwan, third from left, a human rights activist from North Korea, speaks during a forum titled, "The 70th Anniversary of the U.S.-ROK Alliance  Onward Toward a Free and Unified Korea," on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 17 (local time). Courtesy of Global Peace Foundation
A former Fuquay-Varina, N.C. nurse was sentenced to 48 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for tampering with painkillers for surgery patients.

Melissa Chacona, 45, worked as a nurse in a Raleigh-area surgical practice, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney's office. In early 2019, she extracted medication from vials of fentanyl, morphine and meperidine, which she replaced with saline. Over several months, she compromised at least 78 vials. Testing revealed the tampered vials contained less than 15 percent of the actual medication and many were rendered unsterile.

Ms. Chacona pled guilty to the charges on March 9, 2022. Her plea agreement required her to permanently surrender her nursing license.

She was also convicted at the state level for diverting medication earlier in her nursing career, according to the release.
The Ohio Nurses Association is sounding the alarm on understaffing in hospitals through a new "Code Red" advocacy campaign.

The campaign will focus on five strategic areas: safe staffing, working conditions, attracting and retaining bedside workers, corporate trends and dignity of nurses' work. The campaign's main goal is to promote safe staffing ratios across healthcare facilities in the state, the association said.

"To address the patient care crisis in Ohio, we must first address safe staffing in all areas of care in our state," ONA President Robert Weitzel, BSN, RN, said during a May 23 press conference. "Staffing levels have a significant impact on patient outcomes, and nurses must play a role  a critical role  in advocating for safe staffing ratios."
Western Governors University, an accredited, online, non-profit school based out of Millcreek, Utah, said in a May 22 press release that it will open an 18,000-square-foot nursing prelicensure simulation lab in Kansas City, Mo., in late 2023.

The lab will house 17 patient beds in five simulation rooms, four patient exam rooms, two skills labs, five debriefing rooms, and a single, large multipurpose room.

Students enrolled in the university's undergraduate nursing program who are seeking bachelor of science in nursing degrees will be the primary group to use the new facility.

The simulation lab is part of the university's goal to expand its programming to accommodate for the training and graduation of more than 1,000 new nurses in Missouri  where it is adding the in-person facility, by 2026  according to the release.

On top of that, the university hopes to graduate an additional 4,800 workforce-ready nurses from its program by 2027, according to information shared with Becker's via email. The university stated that currently 20,000 nursing students are enrolled in its Leavitt School of Health.

The school's five-year student pass rate for the NCLEX sits at 90.82 percent.
Orthopedic and spine surgeon Deeptee Jain, MD, has joined The Center for Bone & Joint Surgery of the Palm Beaches (Fla.), according to a May 23 news release sent to Becker's.

Dr. Jain specializes in evaluating and treating degenerative spine conditions. Previously, she worked as an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Jain is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, a member of the North American Spine Society and a reviewer for the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. She was also named to SpineLine's list of 20 impactful orthopedic surgeons under the age of 40.
Michele Shirlow, chief executive of Food NI, on why its delighted to support the Belfast Telegraph Grocer Marketing Awards

Food NI is delighted to be headline sponsor of the hugely important Belfast Telegraph Grocer Marketing Awards, long an annual highlight in the Northern Ireland food calendar.

This sponsorship reflects our own longstanding commitment to the promotion of professional marketing skills within the industry and especially to artisan and smaller processors, a dynamic and increasingly successful sector.

In Northern Ireland, we believe, we create high quality food and drink, which is good for us as individuals as well as being good for the planet, which is why we created the Our food, Power of Good campaign.

Its fair to say that the quality of marketing here throughout the food processing industry has improved enormouslyand, as this years entries demonstrate, is continuing to do so.

Food NI: Our Food, Power of Good

I am delighted to report that theres now recognition in large and especially smaller companies of the business business benefits that flow from effective marketing.

Companies of all sizes and across all categories are now recruiting young marketing graduates and also linking up with our two universities and many further education colleges on support to help them grow business.

As a result, theres now a more comprehensive marketing eco-system for all companies than even. This support, furthermore, assists companies in key marketing activities such as new product development. I believe that its easier than ever before in Northern Ireland to create innovative products for new market opportunities.

At Food NI, we work very closely with companies, the universities and colleges, marketing agencies, and business development bodies to ensure it is as easy as possible for the extension of current marketing skills. We have a team of young marketing graduates on board to assist our member companies in particular.

We have, for instance, supported Invest NI in marketing workshops across the country. Our role has included pinpointing and encouraging smaller companies from our own extensive membership, in particular, to participate in these worthwhile learning occasions. We hope to do a number more in the years ahead.

Weve also been supporting initiatives by companies to market their produce successfully in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland at trade shows and other events outside Northern Ireland

One of the biggest marketing events in which we take the lead every year is the Royal Ulster Agricultural Show at Balmoral Park, now one of the biggest of its kind in Europe.

Our Food Pavilion at Balmoral, now established as among the most popular and successful features of this superb event, has offered hundreds of companies, especially artisans, including sole traders, and smaller enterprises unrivalled opportunities to market products and to meet potential customers on a face-to-face basis.

We look back too with particularly fond memories to our massively successful Year of Food and Drink in 2016, an initiative which raised the profile of our food and drink here and abroad. It was a massive marketing campaign, one which we would certainly wish to repeat soon.
Investment from US firm sees Healthcare Ireland add over 15 new sites to NI portfolio

Northern Irelands largest privately-owned care home operator has secured backing from a US investment company to expand its operations here from 25 to more than 40 sites.

Holywood-based Healthcare Ireland plans to create up to 950 jobs after securing multimillion pound investment from Welltower, the largest owner of healthcare real estate assets in the world.

And the NI firm, founded by entrepreneur Gilbert Yates in 2015, also plans to develop new sites in the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.

Healthcare Ireland has grown rapidly over the last eight years and currently runs 25 care homes across the region, including a specialist care home under development in Ballymena.

Last year it purchased a portfolio of seven homes from Priory Adult Care.

It provides care in partnership with Northern Irelands health trusts, focusing on care packages aligned with individual requirements.

Gilbert Yates said: We have set out the next stage of our plan to grow our portfolio of care homes across the UK and Ireland.

"Our partnership with Welltower is testament to the success of our operations since setting up the business and we are excited to be able to bring our high-quality care to more regions in the coming months and years.

Healthcare Ireland is hugely ambitious, and we are already in the process of growing our portfolio of care homes across the UK and Ireland from our base here in Holywood.This is just the start of our plans for the future which will see us bring our best-in-class care home offering to the world.
A parliamentary inquiry has begun into unsafe goods flooding the UKs supply chains and online marketplaces following widespread concerns for consumers.

The inquiry by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Consumer Protection and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) follows a series of investigations that have exposed significant concerns around the safety and standard of goods available through many of the UKs leading online marketplaces.

Trading Standards said its experts were deeply concerned about the volume of everyday items such as electric fans and battery chargers that pose a risk of exploding when in use, small electrical items that pose a risk of electrocution, potentially deadly toys that do not meet UK standards, and cosmetics that contain illegal levels of substances than can cause chemical burns and blindness.

Many of the UKs leading charities, consumer protection bodies and business groups will be giving evidence to the inquiry, including Which?, Electrical Safety First, The British Toy and Hobby Association, HMRC and the Office for Product Safety and Standards.

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CTSI chief executive John Herriman said: Online marketplaces have revolutionised shopping habits for UK consumers, with the click of a button consumers can order goods to arrive at their homes the very next day.

However, the legislation protecting consumers has not kept pace with these changes and while the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill may address some of these concerns, we want to fully understand nationally what many local Trading Standards teams are reporting locally.

There is currently a vacuum when it comes to laws that third-party sellers need to adhere to when listing items for sale on online marketplaces.

There are also concerns that imported goods are not meeting the standards for the UK market  vapes being a recent example of this.

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Part of this national inquiry will be looking at what needs to happen to protect consumers and ensure our supply chains are robust.

Mr Herriman added: Although Trading Standards is doing its utmost to protect the public from unsafe goods, we remain concerned about the increased levels of risk from the flooding of unsafe goods on UK marketplaces, and the potential for this to deteriorate further if resources are not increased to carry out adequate checks at our ports and borders to intercept these dangerous good at the point of entry.

Yvonne Fovargue, chairwoman of the APPG on Consumer Protection, said: Online scams have become increasingly sophisticated and hard to spot while the cost-of-living crisis has made customers ever more susceptible to being taken for a ride.

Its a dangerous combination that calls for a fresh approach to consumer protection. I am confident that our inquiry will help in that search.

Lesley Rudd, chief executive of Electrical Safety First, said: Businesses that diligently comply with product safety laws are unfairly disadvantaged compared to online marketplaces, with consumers being exposed to serious harm in the process.

Big tech giants operating online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon profit from operating with fewer regulations, eroding fair competition and allowing the sale of unsafe goods to continue unabated.

Its been 15 long months since the Government promised the eagerly awaited Product Safety Review, which is expected to include proposals to protect British consumers when they shop online. The time for waiting is over  the Review must be published without further hesitation.

Sue Davies, Which? head of consumer protection policy, said: The UKs product safety system is not fit for purpose and weve repeatedly found dangerous products being sold on online marketplaces which could endanger the lives of people buying them.

The Government must give online marketplaces greater legal responsibility for preventing unsafe products being sold on their platforms and quickly removing them when they are reported.

This should be a key change urgently implemented from the OPSS long overdue product safety review.




Korea and Chile have launched another round of talks on upgrading a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in line with changing global trade circumstances, Seoul's industry ministry said Tuesday.







The seventh round of negotiations to revise their FTA began Monday in Santiago and is set to run until Wednesday, during which they will deal with upgrading rules on a wide range of sectors, including goods trading, trade facilitation, intellectual property, labor and environment, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.







The bilateral FTA went into effect in 2004, and the two nations began talks on a revision in 2016.







"We will do our best to make the FTA a new platform that deals with broader issues, such as supply chains, energy and resources cooperation and digital trade, to better respond to changing trade circumstances together," the ministry said in a release.







Chile was Korea's first free trade deal partner, and the deal has served as a springboard for Korean firms seeking to tap the Central and South American markets, according to ministry officials. (Yonhap)


A privately-owned care home giant is creating up to 950 new jobs here as it expands its reach across Northern Ireland.

Healthcare Ireland plans to create the roles, and expand from 25 to 40 sites, after securing multi-million pound investment from Welltower.

The firm has grown over the last few years and currently runs 25 care homes across the region.

Founded by entrepreneur Gilbert Yates in 2015, Healthcare Ireland also plans to develop new sites in the Republic of Ireland and across the UK.

It provides care in partnership with Northern Irelands health trusts, focusing on care packages aligned with individual requirements.

We have set out the next stage of our plan to grow our portfolio of care homes across the UK and Ireland, Mr Yates said.

"Our partnership with Welltower is testament to the success of our operations since setting up the business and we are excited to be able to bring our high-quality care to more regions in the coming months and years.

Healthcare Ireland is hugely ambitious, and we are already in the process of growing our portfolio of care homes across the UK and Ireland from our base here in Holywood.

This is just the start of our plans for the future which will see us bring our best-in-class care home offering to the world.

Our team of highly committed and talented staff are behind our success, and we look forward to adding to the quality team in the very near future with the addition of between 750 and 950 new roles.

Jorge Manrique, vice president investments at Welltower, said: We are delighted to be teaming up with Healthcare Ireland in Northern Ireland, where their name is a byword for quality care. The team has built an excellent portfolio of assets and we are looking forward to supporting them as they rollout their growth plans in the coming months.
Disgraced entertainer and convicted sex offender Rolf Harris has died at the age of 93 (PA)

Disgraced entertainer and convicted sex offender Rolf Harris has died aged 93, a registrar at Maidenhead Town Hall has confirmed to the PA news agency.

The Australian-born TV presenter was a family favourite for decades before being convicted of a string of indecent assaults in June 2014.

These included one on an eight-year-old autograph hunter, two on girls in their early teens and a catalogue of abuse against his daughters friend over 16 years.

A statement from his family, released through his solicitor, said: This is to confirm that Rolf Harris recently died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest.

They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made.

Once a much-loved artist and musician, Harris was jailed for five years and nine months after being convicted of 12 assaults which took place between 1968 and 1986.

Sentencing Harris, Mr Justice Sweeney told him: Your reputation lies in ruins. You have been stripped of your honours and you have no-one to blame but yourself.

In May 2017, he was formally cleared of four unconnected historical sex offences, which he had denied.

Later the same year, one of the 12 indecent assault convictions was overturned by the Court of Appeal.

He remained out of the spotlight until 2019, when he walked on to the premises of a primary school in his home town, reportedly to talk to a sculptor working in the grounds.

Harris left as soon as he was asked and the school said no pupils came into contact with him. No arrests were made.

Harris was released on licence from HMP Stafford on May 19 2017, less than three years after his sentence began.

At the time, his was the biggest celebrity scalp to be claimed by detectives from high-profile sex crime investigation Operation Yewtree.

He was the second person convicted under the national inquiry, set up in the wake of abuse claims against late DJ and entertainer Jimmy Savile.

In light of his conviction, Harris had his 2012 Bafta fellowship removed and was stripped of his CBE. He also had Australian honours taken away.

Harris poses next to his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (PA)

He was made an MBE in the 1960s, an OBE a decade later and a CBE in 2006  the year after he painted the late Queens 80th birthday portrait.

It was unveiled at Buckingham Palace on December 19 2005.

The portrait was exhibited at Buckingham Palace and Holyroodhouse, and was taken on a tour of public galleries throughout the UK.

After his conviction, it disappeared.

The decision to revoke his CBE, which can be recommended by the Honours and Appointments Secretariat to the Forfeiture Committee, must be approved by the sovereign.
In an exclusive interview, the Belfast woman on her new title and the lack of education over beauty pageants

The new Miss Northern Ireland 2023, Kaitlyn Clarke, wakes up in The Clinton Suite at the Europa Hotel in Belfast

The newly crowned Miss Northern Ireland has hailed the new era for the beauty pageant which celebrates women for who they are, and not what they are wearing.

Kaitlyn Clarke won the coveted title at a glittering gala finale in the Europa Hotel in Belfast last night.

I dont think there is a word to describe how I am feeling, she told the Belfast Telegraph.

Its amazing  I feel incredible and Im ecstatic.

Im also shocked.

I just feel really, really lucky.

The 27-year-old former primary school teacher was among 28 finalists who were the first to compete for the crown since director Victoria Withers decided to axe the swimwear segment from the official programme  despite it playing an integral role since the pageants inception back in 1980.

Progress is being made as a result of very forward thinking, Ms Clarke said.

The adjustments that Victoria is making is really pushing the competition along with social standards, which are changing for the better.

Its more about celebrating individuals.

Kaitlyn Clarke is crowned Miss Northern Ireland (Credit: Pacemaker Press)

However, the beauty queen still believes there is a role for swimwear and lingerie modelling in pageants and the wider industry insisting that those who do it should not be shamed for their choices.

If you want to appear in swimwear, or model underwear online, and are body confident then perfect, Ms Clarke said.

If thats what you want to do, then thats amazing.

For me, honestly, I think body confidence fluctuates at different times.

So its lovely to be able to say thats not for me  Im going to shine in other areas.

Reflecting on the role of beauty contests in the modern world and the post MeToo era, the digital marketing professional is adamant they have an important place.

Beauty pageants still have a place  110%, Ms Clarke said.

Sitting here as Miss NI its very obvious that beauty pageants have a role for women of all ages and they provide a great platform for women.

If you have something to say then you should say it as loud as you possibly can.

I think a lot of the criticism comes from a lack of education.

Come and meet the people at the heart of our programme and you will see that the critics are wrong.

Even all the sponsors are sending out the right positive signals and Miss NI is a microcosm for all the positive change that is happening.

The new Miss Northern Ireland 2023 Kaitlyn Clarke. Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker

Ms Clarke hopes to follow in the footsteps of last years winner Daria Gapska who was at the final for the official handover ceremony.

The 21-year-old nurse from Ballymena spent her reign opening up conversations about mental health.

Her successor has vowed to champion a plethora of good causes.

The platform the competition gives you is massive, Ms Clarke said.

Its a brilliant opportunity and the best thing I can give to the real issues is my time.

As Miss NI you are granted wonderful opportunities to meet so many people from so many different backgrounds.

I am interested in people and I want to bring my personality and my character to get behind causes that matter.

I am really excited about being an ambassador for our official partner NI Hospice which is such a worthwhile cause.

Ms Clarke credits her new-found fame to her new can-do attitude which she made a particular point of embracing five years after she began teaching.

It led to a dramatic career change last year.

It was part of my big yes year, she explained.

Im usually very calculated in my decision-making and I realised that held me back and caused me to miss opportunities.

But a job came up at Part Three Digital which is a marketing firm founded by two women in Belfast with a focus on positive brand sentiment.

It was a bit of a crossover between my creative interests so I just went for it.

Pacemaker Press 23/05/23 Kaitlyn Clarke is crowned 2023 Miss Northern Ireland Kaitlyn Clarke has been crowned the 2023 Miss Northern Ireland at the glittering black tie event at the Europa Hotel, Belfast on Monday 22nd May.

The actress has been nurturing her creative side since the age of 11 when she discovered her passion for the theatre which saw her take to the stage in venues across the country.

It led to on-screen work after Ms Clarke landed a role on Disney Channel UK show The Lodge.

That was nice because I am a huge Disney fan, she said.

I went on to study an undergrad diploma in musical theatre, but its more of a hobby than anything.

I do a bit of extra work when I have the chance but havent done anything since the BBC series World On Fire.

The people you meet on jobs like that are some of the best  its a great way to meet those who have shared interests.

For now, the model is focused on getting the ultimate crown at the upcoming 72nd Miss World pageant.

Its all top secret at this point, Ms Clarke said.

It can run from four to six weeks, but fingers crossed it goes longer.

The competition has been hosted in some amazing locations in the past including Indonesia and China.

I sang Somebody to Love in the talent round of Miss NI and came third after bringing in a bit of Freddie Mercury.

I performed Dont Rain on My Parade at the final.

Ill be taking a bit of time to think about my performance at Miss World.

Meanwhile Miss NI and ACA models director Victoria Withers has also hailed the success of the new format which she said didnt diminish the show in any way.

I watched from the audience for the first time last year and I didnt think it was appropriate for people sitting in black ties and dresses to be watching girls in swimwear, she said.

If the participants want to do it the that is fine, but I didnt want to make someone do something that I wouldnt do in that context.

It left more room for the girls to be seen as individuals and everyone commented that it was the best show in years as a result.
Rolf Harris died of neck cancer and frailty of old age on May 10, according to a death certificate filed at Maidenhead Town Hall and seen by the PA news agency.

The disgraced entertainer and convicted sex offender, 93, was a family favourite for decades before being convicted of a string of indecent assaults in June 2014.

These included one on an eight-year-old autograph hunter, two on girls in their early teens and a catalogue of abuse against his daughters friend over 16 years.

His death certificate lists the causes of death as metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of neck and frailty of old age.

He died at home in Bray, Berkshire.

A statement from his family, released through his solicitor, said: This is to confirm that Rolf Harris recently died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest.

They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made.

Once a much-loved artist and musician, Harris was jailed for five years and nine months after being convicted of 12 assaults which took place between 1968 and 1986.

Rolf Harris leaving Southwark Crown Court (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Sentencing Harris, Mr Justice Sweeney told him: Your reputation lies in ruins. You have been stripped of your honours and you have no-one to blame but yourself.

In May 2017, he was formally cleared of four unconnected historical sex offences, which he had denied.

Later the same year, one of the 12 indecent assault convictions was overturned by the Court of Appeal.

He remained out of the spotlight until 2019, when he walked on to the premises of a primary school in his home town, reportedly to talk to a sculptor working in the grounds.

Harris left as soon as he was asked and the school said no pupils came into contact with him. No arrests were made.

Harris was released on licence from HMP Stafford on May 19 2017, less than three years after his sentence began.

At the time, his was the biggest celebrity scalp to be claimed by detectives from high-profile sex crime investigation Operation Yewtree.

He was the second person convicted under the national inquiry, set up in the wake of abuse claims against late DJ and entertainer Jimmy Savile.

In light of his conviction, Harris had his 2012 Bafta fellowship removed and was stripped of his CBE. He also had Australian honours taken away.

Harris poses next to his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (PA)

He was made an MBE in the 1960s, an OBE a decade later and a CBE in 2006  the year after he painted the late Queens 80th birthday portrait.

It was unveiled at Buckingham Palace on December 19 2005.

The portrait was exhibited at Buckingham Palace and Holyroodhouse, and was taken on a tour of public galleries throughout the UK.

After his conviction, it disappeared.

The decision to revoke his CBE, which can be recommended by the Honours and Appointments Secretariat to the Forfeiture Committee, must be approved by the sovereign.
GoPlugable out to build online network where homeowners with EV power points share access

A start-up led by a mechanical engineering student at Queens has revealed plans for a service described as Airbnb for electric vehicle home chargers.

GoPlugable, led by Maebh Reynolds, wants to build an online network and charger-sharing ecosystem for EV owners.

It would enable homeowners with EV chargers to earn money through sharing access, while offering drivers more privately-owned chargers.

The business has received a significant boost in the form of grants and support from across Ireland.

Maebh, who will graduate in the summer, won Queens University's Dragons Den competition this month and phase two of Enterprise Irelands New Frontiers programme

The entrepreneur also took part in Catalysts Co-Founders programme and was a semi-finalist in its annual Invent competition.

She said: I have always had a keen interest in sustainability and a curiosity about why electric vehicles were not being adopted at a much faster pace.

When early research revealed that one of the largest barriers to adoption was the lack of access to chargers for those living in apartments and houses with no driveways, for example, the idea was ignited to find a way to overcome this to facilitate an increase in EV drivers.

She said its peer to peer network would make vehicle charging accessible, convenient, and community-oriented.

We have found that, as a group, EV owners and drivers are very tight-knit and collaborative because of the additional research they do when purchasing their cars.

This community is strengthened as the EV community grows, and we hope to tap into this spirit of collaboration and sharing to encourage resource sharing to benefit EV users and charger owners and contribute to a greener future..

It has also been named one of the top four shortlisted startups in the Federation Internationale de lAutomobile (FIA) Region I Start-Up Challenge.

As the winner of QUBs Dragons Den awards, Maebh took away a 10,000 prize. It has been reinvested in GoPlugable.

She was one of the first engineering students to win the accolade.

GoPlugable has made significant progress in brand and product development since last October.

It wants to grow its community to 1,000 downloads by August, with an online waiting list already open.

The app is due to launch by July and the service is to be rolled out across Ireland.

Maebh added: We have been overwhelmed and reaffirmed by the positive reaction to GoPlugable through the various programmes with which we have engaged over recent months.

As the project reaches launch we are continuing to build important partnerships with EV drivers and owners, stakeholders in the renewables sector, prospective funders and investors.

Last month power company ESB introduced pay-as-you-go facilities at its EV charging points here as part of a 10m investment. It said it believed customers were willing to pay for a service that was previously free if it meant the network was well maintained.

ESB is upgrading its EV network of around 300 local charging points, with 3.27m coming from Westminsters Levelling Up Fund.

Drivers can sign up and charge their vehicle on a pay-as-you-go or membership basis.

Membership at 4.99 a month is aimed at customers who use the charge points more than five times a month. Fast charging costs 46.2p/kWh for members and 49p for pay-as-you-go.
Carol Hall has a personal reason for singing her heart out when the newly-formed Rock Choir helps launch this years Race for Life at Stormont

The retired school teacher, who is a member of Lisburn Rock Choir, Carol has spent her entire life from early childhood watching as some of the closest members of her family battled the disease  her father, mother, grandfather and aunt.

It was like a cloud following me around, said Carol who even now in her 60s is having to watch as yet another close family member receives treatment for cancer.

Despite losing so many of her nearest and dearest to the disease, Carols message is a positive one.

Since she was a young girl, massive developments in treatment and cures lead by Cancer Research UK who organise Race for Life has gone a long way to taking the fear out of the disease.

Her parents were both Second World War veterans and faced their illness with great stoicism, a quality that their daughter has no doubt inherited.

She says: I dont remember a time in my life when someone in my family didnt have cancer.

My family is very strong though. My parents came through so much during the war that they knew what real problems were and knew to keep going.

So many of my good friends have survived cancer and it is all down to early detection and new treatments.

People always had deep fear when they heard the word cancer and now thanks to research, when you hear that word now, it just means hope and people dont need to be afraid.

When I was a child there was not the same hope but thanks to research cancer is not the death sentence it once was.

Race for Life should be called race for a cure as every year the treatments change which is why it is so important to support Cancer Research UK.

Now a grandmother of two, she was a very young child when her grandfather William Hall was diagnosed with cancer.

Her grandfather ran a dental surgery in Dungannon which was then taken over by Carols father Kenneth, who also battled cancer from the age of 19 until his death at the age of 64.

She says: My earliest memories are of my father caring for his father.

His cancer was nasal and when we saw him following surgery, you could actually see inside his nose. However, neither he nor my father showed any outward signs of trauma, so we as children were not frightened.

My father was a student at Queens University and was still caring for his father when he was diagnosed with carotid gland neck cancer.

It was quite a rare cancer and there were no specialists here so he had to fly to St Thomass Hospital in London for surgery and treatment and throughout his life he was back and forward.

It obviously left us all feeling extremely worried as there were no mobile phones then and we could not visit, so we were never sure what was happening,

The tumour kept growing back but he never lost a day sickness at work. I dont remember him or my mum even having a cold.

Her late father was studying at Queens when Second World War broke out and he joined the Fleet Air Arm as a navigator, while Carols mum served in the WRENS.

They both saw action and Carol recalls one story from that time shard by what were very relieved parents: Mum was what they called a plotter and worked with this big map like you would see in war movies and she was one of the few people who knew when D Day was and she had to sign the official secrets act.

Word came in to her unit that my fathers ship had been sunk, you can only imagine how that must of felt. Thankfully it hadnt.

After cancer took her father in his early 60s, Carols mum Edythe, always known as Totes, was diagnosed in her early 80s with breast cancer.

At the same time, her mums sister Margaret was also given the news that she too had breast cancer.

The sisters were admitted to hospital at the same time for a mastectomy and Carol recalls them joking: Ah well, at least we will only need one bra now. Sadly her mother died in 2004 and her aunt a few years later.

Carol Hall, who is a member of the Lisburn Rock Choir

Despite so much pain in her life, Carol has found new joy in joining the Rock Choir which launched here last October.

In what will be a first for Race for Life at Stormont, she is delighted that the choir will be at the bottom of the Prince of Wales Avenue on May 28 to add a note of positive energy with some inspiring songs to spur runners to the top of the hill.

Replacing traditional and classical music with feel-good pop, rock and contemporary chart songs, Rock Choir has made its mark right across the UK.

It was set up in England 17 years ago and now has almost 33,000 members across the country.

Carol says she has found great cheer and friendship since joining the choir last year: The choir is wonderful. It is so joyous you cant help moving to every song.

Each song has its own moves and we have to learn the songs, then your own voice part and then the choreography, so it can be challenging.

It is great fun and many of us meet after rehearsal for coffee so I have made new friends as well.

When I joined I never expected to be performing anywhere, most of us didnt.

I joined because I love singing and most of us dont consider ourselves as good enough to be in a choir. Thats the beauty of Rock Choir, it is very inclusive and you dont have to audition.

We have done a few performances and it is great to be performing at Race for Life.

I did it myself a few years ago after my mother died and there is always a great atmosphere and all the people taking part have all been affected in some way by cancer.

Supporting events like Race for Life is so important and the choir is delighted to be able to be there this year to sing for the runners and see them on their way.

Cancer Research UKs Race for Life, in partnership with headline sponsor Standard Life, is an inspiring series of 3k, 5k, 10k, Pretty Muddy and Pretty Muddy Kids events which raise millions of pounds every year to help beat cancer by funding crucial research.

This is the 30th year of Race for Life and participants will receive a special medal to mark the milestone.

Every year around 10,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Northern Ireland and one in two people in the UK born after 1960 will get cancer in their lifetime.

Money raised at Race for Life enables scientists to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer  helping to save more lives.

Cancer Research UKs spokesperson in Northern Ireland Jean Walsh said: We are incredibly grateful to Carol for sharing her story and to her fellow choir members for offering their support on the day.

Wed love as many people as possible across Northern Ireland to join us during our 30th year of Race for Life.

Sadly, cancer affects all of us in some way. Whether people are living with cancer, taking part in honour of or in memory of a loved one with cancer, or signing up to protect their own childrens future, everyone has a reason to Race for Life. Together we can bring about a future free from the fear of cancer. So were asking people: Who will you Race for? 

Money raised through Race for Life helps to fund world-class research to help beat 200 types of cancer - including bowel cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, testicular cancer, brain cancer, childrens cancers and leukaemia.

Chief executive of Standard Life, Andy Curran, said: We are extremely proud to have been chosen as the headline sponsor of Cancer Research UKs Race for Life. This sponsorship will help encourage participation and raise funds for life-saving research to help beat cancer.

To enter, visit raceforlife.org. Race for Life Belfast will be held in the grounds of Stormont on, Sunday, May 28, with the 10k race setting off at 9.30am and the 5k at 11am.
An alleged burglar has denied stealing almost 20,000 of iPhones from a supermarket storeroom in Banbridge.

Thomas Donohue is charged with burglary of a Tesco storeroom at The Boulevard shopping centre. He allegedly stole a number of Apple iPhones collectively worth 18,900.

He is also charged with driving dangerously on the Belfast Road in Newry on July 14 last year.

Standing in the dock of Newry Crown Court today, the 28-year-old, originally from Dublin but with a bail address at Parkmore in Craigavon, paused for a few seconds before entering not guilty pleas to each of the two charges against him.

Read more Victims left horrified at open prison move of NI sex beast

When Donohue was first charged, a police officer told the court a police interceptor call sign had flagged a black Mazda three as suspicious and that a neighbourhood call sign spotted it in the car park of the Boulevard Retail Park in Banbridge and kept it under observation.

Donohue was the driver and he became aware of the police and left but was stopped a short distance away.

When the car was searched, a backpack containing multiple stolen iPhones was retrieved and police enquiries suggested that Donohue and another man had been captured on Tescos CCTV allegedly breaking into a storeroom and using a backpack lifted from a nearby shelf to steal them.

No further details of the allegations were opened at the hearing today.

Prosecuting counsel Geraldine McCullough said the trial would last two or three days.

Remanding Donohue back into custody, Judge Gordon Kerr KC scheduled the trial to begin on September 27.
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The operator of a Belfast butchers shop has been fined 2,500 for selling turkeys that were unfit for human consumption just days before Christmas.

The prosecution was taken by Belfast City Council against Mr Colin Blain, The Lane Butcher, at Belfast Magistrates Court on Tuesday May 23 following complaints made in December 2021.

Belfast City Council Environmental Health officers found 91 turkey butterfly breasts that were beyond their use by date and an additional consignment of raw turkeys located on crates outside the premises.

The business was also prosecuted for failing to ensure that the design and construction of the shop permitted good hygiene practices particularly in relation to the provision of suitable temperature-controlled handling and storage conditions for food.

The business was given a score of 1 under the Food Hygiene rating scheme, meaning that major improvement was necessary.

Mr Blain was also ordered to pay 558 in additional costs, 150 in legal costs and court costs of 26.

Over the last festive period, the butchers shop was praised for providing free food parcels to people in need in collaboration with Strand Presbyterian Church, according to a post on the shops Facebook page, but there is no suggestion any of these are the subject of the court case.

It is not the only big-hearted act of generosity to the locals in the Orangefield district of east Belfast by Blain and his business.

In July last year, the shop distributed free ready-meals to elderly residents, while in December 2021 the business announced it would help those struggling during the festive period thanks to a selfless donation by customers.

A post on its Facebook page said: At this time of year, lots of families struggle.

Three very kind and generous ladies have donated their Spend Local cards to us so we can help anyone who is finding it difficult at the moment.

If you know someone who would benefit from a little help, send a message to our Facebook page and we will get back to you.

The Scores on the Doors website says The Lane Butcher was awarded a Food Hygiene Rating of 5 (Very Good) by Belfast City on March 22, 2023.

It has a five out of five rating on Google reviews based on comments left by 15 happy customers.

One satisfied punter wrote: Great wee butchers shop. Selection of meats always good quality and well-priced, very important in these days. Im a country girl at heart and love the friendly, personal service from all the staff. Congratulations guys.

Another customer posted: Its the place to go if you want great meat with excellent service. Really great range to choose from.

In the month leading up to Christmas, the shop was offering a Christmas hamper priced at 59.99 that included a 6lb turkey, with the option of having it stuffed.
Mark Brown was arrested as he approached a group of counter protestors in Portrush

A former leader of the National Front in Northern Ireland has been arrested during a protest against asylum seekers in Portrush.

Mark Brown (36) was arrested by police on Sunday after he began to approach a group of counter-protesters.

Protestors held a Union flag during the demonstration alongside a banner displaying the slogans Keep our children safe and Close the migrant hotels now.

A National Front flag was also erected on the fence surrounding a war memorial on Kerr Street during the protest.

The PSNI confirmed Brown had been given a penalty notice for disorder (PND).

A 36 year old man was arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour during protests in the Kerr Street area of Portrush on Sunday afternoon, said a spokesperson.

He was subsequently given a Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND).

Officers were present in the area to ensure the safety of those participating in protest and counter-protest.

Earlier this month, this newspaper revealed Brown was behind the protest as well as being the administrator of organising Facebook group North Coast Concerned Collective.

The group had organised the protest against the use of hotels in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area as accommodation for asylum seekers.

It followed comments from newly-elected TUV councillor Allister Kyle voicing concern that the former Magherabuoy House Hotel was to be used under new ownership to provide accommodation for asylum seekers.

"Naturally, nearby residents have many worries and concerns, he said last month.

"Has the Council signed up to the government funding scheme to facilitate the housing of asylum seekers? If so, what thought was given to the concerns of local residents?

A number of posts on the groups page from an account operated by Brown under an assumed name contain racist, misogynistic and transphobic language.

Brown was jailed for two months in 2019 for a vile racially motivated assault on a taxi driver in Co Antrim.

A judge said Brown had gone beyond the criminal pale during the incident, for which he was handed a two-month prison sentence.

He punched the taxi driver, originally from the Middle East, on the head, got out without paying the 18.40 fare and then chased the mans car as he tried to phone the police.

A court was told Brown had been convicted of offences against the taxi driver around a decade beforehand.

The victim said he received a call under a different name and at first was not aware who his passenger was. After he was arrested, Brown made remarks including Muslim c*** and low-rent Jihadi b******.

Deputy District Judge Peter Magill said a suspended sentence dating back to 2015 had only expired when Brown committed the latest crime.

He added: This was a racially aggravated offence. You did admit that you expressed quite abhorrent racist views in respect of this man while denying any assault and making off.

There is no place in our society for this type of behaviour, no place in this society for racism.




The Korean Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team will stage a friendship flight with Malaysian jets Tuesday over an airport in the Southeast Asian country, in a move to bolster bilateral defense ties, officials said.







The aerobatic team is scheduled to conduct the flight later in the day after arriving in the country last Thursday to join the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition at Langkawi International Airport from Tuesday through Saturday.







After the air show's opening ceremony, eight T-50B aircraft will stage the flight alongside seven Malaysian Air Force jets, including the F/A-18 aircraft, to promote friendly ties between the two sides, according to Korea's Air Force.







Throughout the air show, the Black Eagles are scheduled to stage one to two performances a day, showcasing skilled aerial maneuvers, and promote South Korean-built aircraft, it added.







The Air Force has mobilized nine T-50B jets and three C-130 transport planes, along with some 110 personnel, to participate in the event. (Yonhap)


Police are currently at the scene of a security alert at playing fields in the Church Road area of Castlereagh.

The playing fields have been closed while searches are carried out in the area. It is understood that these playing fields are where East Belfast GAA train.

Alliance leader Naomi Long condemned the attack in a tweet.

She said: "This is utterly unacceptable. Everyone in #EastBelfast has a right to live, work, and play without intimidation or threat.

Solidarity with @EastBelfastGAA and all those who use these facilities.

Thoughts with those living in the area and @PoliceServiceNI dealing with this.

Seamas de Faoite, SDLP councillor for Lisnasharragh also commented on the incident, calling it totally reprehensible.

These are well used pitches in south east Belfast that are used by a multitude of different teams, he explained.

There has been an attempt to whip up confusion and hate in relation to them, and people need to take a step back from that.

There is cross party work in east Belfast to secure good quality pitches for a multitude of codes of sport and no attempt at putting that off or threatening it will succeed.

No roads have been closed at this time. The PSNI have advised members of the public to avoid the area.
DUP peer Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown made his comments as peers considered the Northern Ireland (Interim Arrangements) Bill (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Northern Ireland is being underfunded by design in a blackmail bid to restore Stormont, Parliament has been told.

Speaking at Westminster, DUP peer Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown said there was a nod and wink that cash would follow if his party was to end its powersharing boycott and the money tree will magically blossom again.

He made his comments as peers considered the Northern Ireland (Interim Arrangements) Bill.

The region is facing cuts in the latest budget which was set by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris in the absence of locally elected ministers.

There have been no functioning devolved institutions since last year when the DUP withdrew in protest over the post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland.

The UK Government and EU unveiled the Windsor Framework earlier this year as a means of resolving difficulties caused by the Northern Ireland Protocol, but the DUP has said its concerns must be met before it returns to government.

Civil servants at Stormont have already been handed some extra powers to take decisions usually reserved for ministers and the Bill seeks to extend those powers beyond their current expiration date of June 5.

Lord McCrea said: This underfunding and unfair budget for Northern Ireland in my honest opinion is not by chance, but it is by design.

Those in authority know well that these cuts when they come will hurt the sick, the children, the vulnerable, the elderly, the weakest in society, but they believe that will be a price worth paying to get the Assembly and force the executive up and running.

He added: We all know this is to be used to endeavour to blackmail the DUP to get back into the executive with a nod and wink that money will follow if they do. In other words the money tree will magically blossom again.

Former DUP deputy leader Lord Dodds of Duncairn said: If the executive and the Assembly were back tomorrow it would not make the slightest difference to the underfunding of Northern Ireland.

In fact, newly installed ministers would have to go about the business of slashing public services in health and education, policing and so on to an unprecedented degree.

The need is here and now. The underfunding is taking place as a result of decisions taken here in Whitehall and Westminster by the Treasury.

He added: Todays budgetary position in Northern Ireland means social, economic and political dislocation.

Former Labour MP Baroness Hoey, a Brexit supporter who now sits as a non-affiliated peer, said: I would urge the minister not to treat this as some kind of almost bargaining point with politicians in Northern Ireland. That is not the way to deal with a serious financial situation.

Liberal Democrat Baroness Suttie said: There is no doubt that Northern Ireland is facing an extremely challenging situation as regards future public financing.

Surely the place for this to be debated is the Northern Ireland Assembly. I am under no illusions that a fully functioning Assembly and executive would immediately be able to resolve these complex issues, but it would provide one strong voice to lobby the Treasury.

Responding, Northern Ireland Office minister Lord Caine said: The Government has for many years recognised the unique challenges that Northern Ireland faces and the argument that Northern Ireland has been systematically underfunded by the Government in my view simply does not hold water.

He pointed out that renegotiating funding arrangements would take years.

The minister added: This is not an issue that could be solved overnight even with the best will in the world.

It would also be far more powerful if the case members are making was being done so from a functioning Stormont.

This is an issue best addressed in the context of a restored executive and Assembly in Northern Ireland in discussions with the Treasury.

The Bill is set to become law after being approved by the Lords without amendment.
Russian troops and security forces fought for a second day on Tuesday against an alleged cross-border raid that Moscow blamed on Ukrainian military saboteurs but which Kyiv portrayed as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region on the Ukraine border, said forces continued to sweep the rural area around the town of Graivoron, where the alleged attack on Monday took place.

Ten civilians were wounded in the attack, he said, and one died.

He urged residents of the area who evacuated on Monday to stay put and not go back to their homes.

We will let you know immediately when it is safe, he said. Security agencies are carrying out all the necessary actions. Were waiting for the counterterrorism operation to be over.

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It was impossible to verify who was behind the attack or what its aims were, and disinformation has been one of the weapons of the almost 15-month war.

While it is not the first time Russia has alleged an incursion by Ukrainian saboteurs, it is the first time the operation to counter the raid has continued for a second day, highlighting the struggles Moscow is facing amid its bogged-down invasion of Ukraine and embarrassing the Kremlin.

The Ministry of Defence in the UK said Russian security forces highly likely clashed with partisans in at least three locations within Belgorod.

Russia is facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions, with losses of combat aircraft, improvised explosive device attacks on rail lines, and now direct partisan action, it said in a tweet on Tuesday.

Russias investigative committee, the countrys top law enforcement agency, announced an investigation into alleged terrorism and attempted murder in connection with the incident.

A Ukrainian soldier in a trench at the frontline near Bakhmut (Libkos/AP)   LIBKOS

In addition to the alleged incursion, Mr Gladkov reported multiple drone attacks on Graivoron and other settlements of the Belgorod region on Monday.

The attacks resulted in no casualties, but damaged buildings and caused a fire. On Tuesday two more drones were shot down by the regions air defence systems.

Mr Gladkov first reported on Monday that a Ukrainian armed forces saboteur group entered Graivoron, a town about three miles from the border with Ukraine. The town also came under Ukrainian artillery fire, he said.

He later announced a counterterrorist operation in the area, and said that authorities were imposing special controls, including personal document checks, and stopping the work of companies that use explosives, radioactive, chemically and biologically hazardous substances.

Ukrainian officials blamed the incident on Russian guerrilla groups bent on changes at the Kremlin.

Ukraine intelligence representative Andrii Cherniak said Russian citizens belonging to murky groups calling themselves the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion were behind the assault.

The Russian Volunteer Corps claimed in a Telegram post it had crossed the border into Russia again, after claiming to have breached the border in early March.
A top Russian official who faces sanctions in the West over Moscows war on Ukraine visited Saudi Arabia and held talks with his counterpart in the kingdom early on Tuesday, state media reported.

Russian interior minister Vladimir Kolokoltsevs visit to Riyadh came just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed an Arab League summit in Saudi Arabias Red Sea port city of Jeddah on Friday.

The visits underline how the kingdom and Gulf Arab states, traditionally the security clients of the United States, have been maintaining their relations with Moscow amid the Ukraine war.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency said Mr Kolokoltsev met Saudi interior minister prince Abdulaziz bin Saud.

During the session they discussed ways to enhance security co-operation paths between the two countries ministries of interior, in addition to discussing a number of issues of common interest, the report said, without elaborating.

Mr Kolokoltsev, 62, has been sanctioned by the US since 2018 as part of a slew of sanctions over Russias activity in both Syria and Ukraine.

The US treasury says that Australia, Canada, the EU, Japan, New Zealand and the UK all separately have sanctioned Mr Kolokoltsev as well.

The US also refused to grant him a visa to take part in a UN chiefs of police summit in 2022, something criticised by Moscow.

Since the war in Ukraine began, oil giant Saudi Arabia has been purchasing Russian diesel fuel at steep discounts, given western sanctions on Moscow.

That diesel has been cheaper for the kingdom to use while it exports its own crude oil products abroad to take advantage of global prices.

Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kings powerful son, also has tried to position the kingdom as a potential negotiator between Kyiv and Moscow to end the war.

The kingdom is ready to continue mediating between Russia and Ukraine and to support all international efforts to end the crisis politically toward peace, the prince told the Arab League summit on Friday.
Police fired tear gas and arrested members of Bangladeshs main opposition party who took to Dhakas streets to protest as their leader, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, went on trial Tuesday on new charges of alleged corruption.

About 100 activists with Zias Bangladesh Nationalist Party were injured in the street clash, BNP officials said.

The confrontation began as party supporters gathered in the Science Lab area to demonstrate against what they said was the governments misuse of the courts to suppress the opposition. Elsewhere, police did not allow the BNP to hold a rally in the city of Rajshahi.

After attacking a peaceful program without any provocation, police picked up about 25 leaders and activists, including central executive committee member Shaikh Rabiul Alam, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the partys secretary-general, told BenarNews about the confrontation in the Bangladesh capital.

Videos from the scene showed police shooting rounds of tear gas at the protesters.

Ashraf Hossain, deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said only 10 BNP activists were arrested and he alleged that they had vandalized a bus and a booth used by traffic police. He added that police were responding to a BNP attack where at least eight officers were injured.

The road-march program initially was peaceful, but BNP activists went berserk when their procession reached the Science Lab crossing, Hossain told BenarNews.

Meanwhile in Rajshahi, police stopped a planned BNP rally at a park that was to be followed by a march to the Sonadighi intersection. Officers also locked the partys office, said Ershad Ali Isha, a BNP leader in the city northwest of Dhaka.

Police denied allegations that they had locked the office.

Additional members of the law enforcement agencies were deployed to avoid any kind of untoward incident as we had some specific information about BNP regarding the road march, Bijoy Basak, the additional commissioner for Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, told BenarNews without elaborating.

Zia trial

The former prime minister, who has suffered from poor health in recent years and has been confined to her home following her 2018 conviction on corruption-related charges, did not attend the first day of her trial in a Dhaka court on charges filed by the countrys anti-corruption watchdog in December 2007 over a contract with the Canadian company Niko.

Her lawyer, Zia Uddin Zia, told reporters that the Dhaka Special Judge Court heard testimony from Anti-Corruption Commission officer Mahbubul Alam, the plaintiff in the case.

According to the complaint, Zia and seven others were responsible for the nation losing U.S. $1.9 billion when they declared three gas fields had been abandoned before turning them over to the Canadian company.

The High Court scheduled a hearing for May 30 on a petition filed by Zia challenging the lower court order that resulted in the trial.

Bangladesh police burn BNP posters after firing tear gas to quell a protest in Dhaka, May 23, 2023. [BenarNews]

Tuesdays confrontation in Dhaka evoked memories of a deadly street clash between BNP supporters and police on Dec. 7, 2022, ahead of a planned rally in the capital and nine other major cities three days later. BNP members had called those rallies to demand that the ruling Awami League allow the creation of a caretaker government ahead of the next general election planned for the end of this year or January 2024.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami party have been in power since 2009, her second tenure as PM of the South Asian nation.

On Sunday, the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka issued an alert for the possibility of confrontations ahead of the next nationwide vote.

The next general election is anticipated to occur before or during January 2024, and political party rallies and other election-related activities have already commenced. Political rallies and demonstrations may be held with increasing frequency or intensity as the general election draws nearer, it said in the alert.
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Korea's Trade Minister Ahn Duk-geun, right, shakes hands with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director general of the World Trade Organization in Seoul, May 23, in this photo provided by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Yonhap



The chief of the World Trade Organization (WTO) said Tuesday that digital technologies will serve as a key factor that affects trade in the future, adding that her agency will play a role in facilitating the digital-based global trade, according to Seoul's industry ministry.



WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made the remarks during a meeting with young businesspeople in the digital sector at the headquarters of internet portal giant Naver in Seongnam, just southeast of Seoul, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.



According to the ministry, the director-general said that digital technologies will decide the future of trade and the digital transition will create both chances and challenges for businesses and governments.



The WTO will contribute to promoting international cooperation and devising a policy basis for countries to facilitate digital trade, Okonjo-Iweala said, saying Korea is taking the lead in the digital realm.



Tuesday's meeting drew dozens of young officials from innovative digital companies in Korea, including Naver, e-grocery giant Kurly, and devices and software developer for visually impaired people Dot.



Okonjo-Iweala arrived in Korea on Monday for a three-day stay for talks with senior government officials and businesspeople on roles of the WTO and Korea to restore the multilateral trading system and other issues. (Yonhap)


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Co-founding WAM Theatre and contributing to its growth has been the most meaningful experience of my professional life thus far, WAM Theatre co-founder Kristen van Ginhoven said in a prepared statement.
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Responding to the state attorney generals order for a new vote because of an Open Meeting Law violation, the group voted 4-1 again to spend up to $15,000 for legal counsel to take part in an upcoming federal court hearing on the EPA-GE Rest of River PCB cleanup.
Set to meet with Lee town officials on Monday, U.S. Sen Elizabeth Warren's staff said she is committed to working with the town to finding the best way to clean up soil contaminated with PCBs along the Housatonic River, and to address community concerns.
MCLA's enrollment dropped by half in 10 years  by far more than any other state college EAGLE INVESTIGATIONS: A stark enrollment decline at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts has led to a reduced course schedule, loss of part-time faculty and the closing of a residence hall.

My alma mater the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, like many colleges across the country, faces fundamental challenges to its survival and identity as the countrys public colleges have to compete for dwindling enrollees as we emerge from the pandemic.

A great article by Kevin Carey for Vox calls this the enrollment cliff, a precipice on which MCLA has arguably lost its footing. In late 2021, The Eagle reported that the college lost about half of its enrollment over the previous decade.

Our Opinion: MCLA leaders have some transparency, communication lessons to learn from shelter plan fiasco As of this week, it looks like the proposed homeless shelter in an empty Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts dorm is now off the table. While that ends this intense community debate in North Adams, this saga still holds some hard lessons for MCLA leaders  if they're willing to learn.

Since that report, the college has seen modest gains in enrollment and expects to see a 17 percent uptick next year. In fact, it was cited as a reason why the college declined to move forward with a proposed homeless shelter at the vacant Berkshire Towers dormitory, as it might need to use the dormitory. The shelter saga, as Eagle editorials pointed out, saw MCLA leaders sending mixed, often confusing messages about not only how concrete the plan was but the future of the college and its surrounding community. Many letters to the editor chimed in on this. The questions about the schools future are what interest me: What is MCLAs path and identity going to be like going forward? Or, put more directly: What is the case for MCLA for prospective college students?

In my columns, I have often been critical of the institution as an alumni who has seen it from many different angles, most notably as a former editor of its student newspaper, The Beacon, and as its student trustee. However, I have no misconception about what the college did for me, especially in terms of the opportunities I was given. Im at The Eagle because of MCLA. I would not be here if not for the abundance of chances to learn across a variety of domains  especially in journalism  under the tutelage of professors like Paul LeSage, Shawn McIntosh, Jenifer Augur, Jim Niedbalski and Gillian Jones, who is now my colleague at The Eagle. At MCLA, I had ready access to incredibly gifted educators who had a passion and talent for teaching as well as peers who had an eye for getting things done in creative ways.

When I went to MCLA, it was a place where almost anyone could have an impact. If you wanted to start a club the college didnt have, you could do so pretty easily, though if you wanted to receive funding from the student government association, you had to build a strong foundation and convince enough people on the SGA to greenlight it. If you wanted to bring big-name talent to MCLA, there was a club that would help you do that. When I was there, students brought Kehlani and Pete Davidson to campus. If you wanted to organize a charitable event new to the college or area, there were several organizations that could help you do that, like the colleges Center for Service, which worked with students to create a food pantry in 2017. Whatever your passion was, there were either existing pathways you could take to pursue it or ample opportunity to blaze a new one.

I graduated five years ago, and in that time a lot has changed especially in terms of enrollment, renovations and staffing. Like many institutions, it still bears scars from COVID. A good number of clubs and organizations I was a part of either dont exist anymore or operate very differently. But it has not changed beyond recognition, especially the core of its education, which encourages students to explore subjects outside their major  something that I think is important for underclassmen. I know very few people from MCLA who didnt change or alter their majors and minors in some way, and the curriculum is designed to be forgiving if you do change course. I certainly didnt know what I wanted to do for a career as a high school graduate; I think college freshmen need to be given time to try and fail before they commit to a career path.

MCLA still has a decent price point among the states public colleges and universities. In-state annual tuition is cheaper than Salem State University, Massachusetts College of Art and Design and all University of Massachusetts campuses, according to the states Department of Higher Education, with a price tag comparable to the rest of the commonwealths state schools. Room and board costs paint a similar picture: Some public colleges in the state are more expensive, some are just about as expensive as MCLA is and some are cheaper but not vastly more so than MCLA.

This is all before financial aid. MCLA says that 85 percent of students get some form of financial assistance and more than 40 percent receive a Pell Grant. An 85 percent tuition reduction is also available to students from Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

As a graduate, the case for MCLA is clear because Ive lived it. MCLA gave me an abundance of learning and leadership opportunities that propelled me to where I am now, though I acknowledge that the opportunities I had arent necessarily the same students today have. For one, the job market is very different. Luckily for me, I was studying journalism when The Eagle returned to local ownership in 2016. That year, I got my foot in the door as a freelance reporter then as a part-time page designer during my sophomore year. Students graduating during the pandemic did not have the same fortune.

Like state colleges, companies that might hire graduates also retain some scars from the pandemic. The rise of remote work now means new graduates potentially compete with applicants around the world even for positions in their hometown. I do not envy the last few classes of college graduates who had their education and lives disrupted by COVID at critical junctures.

I think a degree from MCLA still has incredible value, and I hope that it remains to be a place full of opportunity with room for students to grow. Ultimately, it is up to the college to make its own case to potential students. It will rebound or fall on its own merits.
Students' cellphones kept in a phone holder during class at Concord-Carlisle High School, shown during a presentation on cellphone policies at a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Park Jin speaks during a forum organized by the Korea News Editors' Association at the Press Center in Seoul, May 23. Yonhap



Foreign Minister Park Jin said Tuesday that ensuring joint operation between South Korea and the United States is top priority for the allies' envisioned nuclear consulting group for bolstering nuclear deterrence against North Korea's military threats.



Park also appeared to open the possibility that Japan may join the South Korea-U.S. Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), saying the participation of Japan in the group "can be discussed."



At a forum hosted by the Korea News Editors' Association in Seoul, Park said the priority of the NCG would be the "faithful establishment and operation between South Korea and the United States."



Seoul and Washington agreed to establish the NCG during a bilateral summit last month to share information on nuclear operations and planning, and regularly deploy U.S. strategic assets, such as a nuclear ballistic missile submarine, to the Korean Peninsula.



When asked whether Japan could potentially join the apparatus, Park stated it is "a matter that can be discussed." The minister added that Japan is also allied with the U.S. and has security concerns regarding North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles.



On the agenda of a likely trilateral summit between South Korea, the U.S. and Japan in Washington later this year, Park said there will be "announcements from the defense authorities of the three countries on how to achieve real-time sharing of North Korea's missile provocation alerts." (Yonhap)


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

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South Africans on Monday, 22 May, blamed their local government for failing to provide clean water as deaths from cholera rose to 15 in the country's most populous province.

Source: Reuters.

The health department in Gauteng province declared a cholera outbreak on Sunday in Hammanskraal, an area about 50km (31 miles) north of capital Pretoria, in the City of Tshwane.

Almost 100 people have been seen at hospital, and 37 have been admitted to wards, the city government said on Monday, 22 May, warning residents of Hammanskraal and surrounding areas not to drink tap water.

"We are drinking that water, but they don't want to clean that water, or to... put another pipe to give us the all right water," said 36-year-old Sello Samuel Lekoto, an unemployed resident of Hammanskraal who is being treated at Jubilee Hospital for cholera.

The municipality said in statements that the water supplied by the city in Hammanskraal is not potable, but that the city provides clean drinking water through tankers to informal settlements several times a week.

"The issue of water in Tshwane has been a problem for a number of years," South Africa's deputy minister of water and sanitation David Mahlobo said in a briefing.

"There have been problems politically... (and) issues over conflicts in such a way that citizens were exposed," he said.

Cholera can cause acute diarrhoea, vomiting and weakness and is mainly spread by contaminated food or water. It can kill within hours if untreated.

South Africa has confirmed 41 cases nationwide, including 34 in Gauteng province, one in Limpopo province and six in Free State, a health department spokesperson said. The cases in Free State province are not connected to the others, he added.

South Africa reported its first cholera death in February, after the virus arrived in the country from Malawi.
Some of the fruits of the Fashion Bridges programme, a cross-functional collaborative initiative between Italy and South Africa, were showcased in Cape Town recently at a fashion show held at the Italian Ambassador's Residency.

SA fashion designer Lezanne Viviers. Source: Supplied

Lezanne Viviers from South Africa and Federico Cina from Italy were the two designers chosen for this years iteration of Fashion Bridges. Both designers showed at SA Fashion Week before travelling to Cape Town for a more intimate salon-style show at the Residency.

Founded by Oriana Cuculi, the wife of the Italian Ambassador to South Africa, Fashion Bridges - I Ponti della Moda" was created in collaboration with Polimoda of Florence, Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana - Milan (CNMI) and South African Fashion Week (SAFW), and with the support of the Centro di Firenze per la Moda Italiana.

Forging new fashion partnerships

The project aims to develop new partnerships between the Italian and South African fashion industries, with particular emphasis on textile machinery, wool, mohair, cotton and leather sectors, and intends to promote young talents through training, internationalisation and exposure to the trends and creativity of the two countries.

Federico Cina presented his autumn-winter collection 'Appartamento', inspired by his roots from the Emilia-Romagna region and the Italian artisan tradition.

'Appartamento' by Federico Cina. Source: Supplied

This collection was an opportunity to reflect on myself and open up even more to my audience. Telling about what home means to me and the importance it played in my childhood, recalled old memories: the grandparents' bedroom, the pillows from the living room, the rickety chairs from the kitchen, the overlapping blankets, and the colour palette, reflecting the warmth of those spaces that envelops you and makes you feel safe, Cina said.

Lezanne Viviers of Viviers Studio presented the 'Karroo Land of Thirst' collection, inspired by the various landscapes of the Karoo, a semi-desert region of South Africa, made with natural fabrics and local artisanal productions and curated with the mentoring of director Massimiliano Giornetti and Professor Filippo Fanini of Polimoda.

'Karroo Land of Thirst' by Viviers Studio. Source: Supplied

Speaking at the Cape Town show, Viviers said: I have learnt so much from this experience. Through the mentoring of the team from Polimoda and the opportunity presented by the Italian Embassy in South Africa, there has definitely been a growth in my design approach and in the delivery of this most recent collection. I am extremely grateful to the Madam Ambassador for championing this initiative.

Cuculi commented, Through the Fashion Bridges programme, the Embassy of Italy has enabled the exchange of culture and ideas and the cooperation between the young Italian fashion brands and the emerging creative South African fashion designers. My hope is that this programme continues to add value and growth to all the designers who have participated from the first edition of the project in 2021 until today.
Launched in 2021 by tech exec Ram Ramakrishnan, Cloud23 has seen an 80% growth in the southern Africa market since its 2022 expansion. To accommodate the increased demand for its services, Cloud23 has established offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and now employs 57 staff members and contractors throughout Africa. Cloud23 is an enterprise software management firm launched in Delaware, USA, which mainly helps financial-services organisations to manage and optimise their operations through Salesforce and AWS platforms.

Ram Ramakrishnan | image supplied

Ramakrishnan on the rapid expansion of Cloud23 in the African market: "The expansion of the enterprise software management economy in South Africa has played a pivotal role in driving our regional development at Cloud23.

"Our commitment to offering enterprise software management services with efficiency and cost-effectiveness has also been a significant factor in our growth. We have been able to provide services at rates  at times - 40% lower than the usual market rate, enabling our clients to access high-quality solutions while achieving cost savings.

"Our success can also be attributed to our investment in local talent. By pooling the skills of talented and experienced professionals across Africa, we have been able to deliver exceptional services for our clients."

We chat with Ramakrishnan to find out more Cloud23 and its success in Africa...

How has Cloud23's growth and influence in the African market evolved since its expansion in 2022?

Cloud23's growth and influence in the African market have made significant strides since our expansion to South Africa in 2022.

Over the past year, we have experienced an impressive surge in our African customer base, resulting in a substantial increase in our global workforce, which now comprises 135 employees and contractors. Additionally, we have successfully entered other African countries, namely Botswana, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Mauritius, where we have established a strong presence and met the growing demand for our enterprise software management services.

How does Cloud23 remain committed to developing African talent and adding value to businesses globally?

Cloud23 is deeply committed to developing African talent and adding value to businesses globally through various strategies. Firstly, we recognise the exceptional reputation of local talent on the international stage. To harness this incredible talent, we actively recruit and hire skilled professionals from across Africa. By tapping into the diverse pool of expertise in the region, we bring unique perspectives and insights to our services, enabling us to better meet the needs of our clients.

Beyond recruitment, we support continuous training and skills-development programs for our employees. We appreciate the importance of staying updated with the latest advancements in enterprise software management.

It is our belief that by fostering the growth and success of African talent, we do our bit to contribute to the advancement of the technology sector in Africa and make a positive impact on clients worldwide.

How does Cloud23 plan to continue accommodating increased demand, and what are your future growth and recruitment plans for local and pan-African talent?

Cloud23 is dedicated to accommodating the increased demand for our services and continuing our growth trajectory. As part of our expansion strategy, we have recently established offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town, strategically positioning ourselves to better serve our clients in the region.

Looking ahead, we have ambitious plans for further expansion and development. We are actively exploring opportunities to open more local offices in other key emerging markets.

In terms of recruitment, we are committed to attracting and nurturing local and pan-African talent. We recognise the wealth of skills and expertise that exist on this continent, and we aim to harness this talent to drive our success and add value to our clients. We will also continue to actively recruit skilled professionals from across Africa, providing them with growth opportunities and a supportive work environment that fosters innovation and collaboration.

What kind of feedback have you received from clients and the market regarding Cloud23's enterprise software management services?

We have received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our clients and the market regarding Cloud23's enterprise software management services. In addition to the positive feedback from current clients, the market response to Cloud23's enterprise software management services has been remarkable. The growing demand for our services is a testament to our ability to meet the evolving needs of businesses and our commitment to providing solutions that deliver real value.

What do you believe sets Cloud23 apart and has led to your success?

We believe that our success stems from our commitment to working closely with our clients, understanding their unique needs, and serving as their trusted advisors throughout their journey with us. At Cloud23, we go beyond mere implementation and customisation of enterprise software management solutions. We actively collaborate with our clients, fostering a partnership approach that prioritises open communication, shared goals, and mutual success.

By genuinely understanding our clients' needs, challenges, and aspirations, we can design tailored solutions that align with their business processes and drive optimal results. Another factor that sets Cloud23 apart is our highly accredited staff.

To enable this success, our team consists of experienced professionals who have obtained prestigious certifications and accreditations in our field. This expertise ensures that we deliver top-notch services and solutions to our clients, providing them with the highest level of technical proficiency and industry knowledge.

Moreover, Cloud23 is dedicated to offering some of the most competitive prices in the market. We understand the importance of cost-effectiveness for our clients and strive to provide exceptional value for their investment. Our commitment to delivering enterprise software management services at rates, at times, 40% lower than the usual market rate demonstrates our dedication to creating mutually beneficial partnerships and helping our clients achieve significant cost savings.

By combining our partnership-driven approach with highly accredited staff and competitive pricing, Cloud23 positions itself as a reliable and trusted partner. We are committed to going above and beyond to ensure the success of our clients, providing comprehensive training, ongoing support, and proactive maintenance to address any issues promptly.

In summary, Cloud23's success as a Salesforce Consulting partner is underpinned by our commitment to providing real value for our clients. We believe in true partnerships, leveraging the expertise of our highly accredited staff, offer competitive pricing, and go the extra mile to ensure our clients' success.
According to the recently released inaugural Brand Finance City Index, Cape Town has been named Africa's leading city brand and secured the 60th position globally. Following closely behind is Johannesburg, ranking 72nd. The index named London as the best city brand in the world, followed by New York and Paris.

The rankings, presented by brand evaluation consultancy Brand Finance, are the result of a comprehensive global survey conducted in April 2023. Nearly 15,000 members of the public from 20 countries across all continents participated in the survey, sharing their perceptions of the top 100 cities worldwide.

Cape Town's position as a prominent city in Africa stems from its position as the most frequented destination in South Africa, highly regarded and sought-after by travellers. The city's natural beauty comprising coastline, mountains, and diverse landscapes contributes to making it one of the world's most attractive tourist destinations.

The city boasts a wealth of cultural heritage, ranking 33rd for its diversity, multiculturalism, warm hospitality, and thrilling attractions. Furthermore, Cape Town secures the 15th spot for affordability and the 18th spot for pleasant weather, solidifying its appeal to tourists worldwide.

In order to provide a thorough evaluation of the city brands in the ranking, alongside measuring familiarity, the survey asked respondents about the overall reputation of each city and their personal opinions regarding living, local and remote work opportunities, studying, retiring, visiting, and investing in each location.

The evaluation of preferences across these seven dimensions was complemented by perceptions of 45 underlying attributes associated with city branding. These attributes were categorised into seven pillars, including business and investment and sustainability and transport.

Future growth potential

Despite facing ongoing socioeconomic challenges, Cape Town has ranked positively for the attribute of future growth potential, ranking 18th globally. This is largely attributed to the city's thriving tourism industry, which not only presents opportunities for economic expansion but also facilitates job creation.

Additionally, Cape Town's strategic location as a major port and transportation hub within South Africa provides a gateway to trade and investment prospects, particularly with emerging markets across the African continent.

Below Cape Town and Egypts Cairo (67th), Johannesburg is ranked as the 72nd best city brand in the world and 3rd in Africa in the Brand Finance City Index. Experiencing higher crime rates compared to other areas in South Africa, Johannesburg is held back by a relatively low ranking for perceptions of crime levels (76th).

On the other hand, like Cape Town, Johannesburg also ranks highly for future growth potential, at 25th globally. Although not as popular as Cape Town among tourists, Johannesburg is widely recognised as the economic powerhouse of South Africa and a significant financial and business hub in Africa. The city has a robust economy, a large and skilled workforce, and many universities.

Johannesburg, securing the 72nd position in the Brand Finance City Index, stands as the third-best city brand in Africa, trailing Cape Town and Cairo (ranked 67th). Experiencing higher crime rates compared to other areas in South Africa, Johannesburg is held back by a relatively low ranking for perceptions of crime levels (76th). However, similar to Cape Town, Johannesburg excels in terms of future growth potential, attaining the 25th spot globally.

Jeremy Sampson, managing director of Brand Finance Africa, comments: "With its exceptional beauty and extraordinary diversity, South Africa is truly a remarkable nation that enjoys a lively reputation for tourism. South African cities must continue to focus on promoting their vibrant cultural scenes, sustainable urban development, and investment in infrastructure.

"Further, by prioritising safety, inclusivity, and social equality, South African cities can create welcoming environments that encourage tourism and promote more positive global perceptions in the coming years."

Worlds best city brands

London has been crowned the world's best city brand, achieving a score of 84.6 out of 100 in the Brand Finance City Index. The city's high familiarity among respondents worldwide contributed to its strong brand perceptions, allowing it to excel in the ranking. London topped the study, leading in two key dimensions - study and visit - and ranking within the top four in all other dimensions. Known for its academic excellence and iconic landmarks, London is regarded as the best city to study and visit globally.

New York City secured the second spot in the ranking, with a score of 83.0 out of 100. It excelled as a global financial hub and was recognized as the second-best city to invest in. Additionally, New York City ranked second in three dimensions - invest, study, and visit - highlighting its appeal to investors, students, and tourists.

Paris claimed the third position in the ranking, earning a score of 79.7 out of 100. The city's strong familiarity and renowned attractions, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum, contributed to its high ranking. Paris excelled in the Culture & Heritage pillar, topping the list for beautiful architecture, great museums and galleries, and great theatres and music venues.

the full Brand Finance City Index 2023 here.
Paul Michael Taylor, director of the Asian Cultural History Program of the U.S. Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at a Seoul hotel, May 23. Yonhap



The Asian Cultural History Program of the U.S. Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History is pushing for a plan to establish a research center in Korea to facilitate exchanges of curatorial and scholarly people between the two countries, the head of the program said Tuesday.



"Our office will try to establish a kind of counterpart research center office here. So we have exchanges of curatorial and scholarly people between the two countries," Paul Michael Taylor, director of the program and curator of Asian, European, and Middle Eastern Ethnology, said.



"And we may try to establish an office here for that purpose just jointly with some other organization. These are some of the ideas we're discussing here," he said during an exclusive interview with Yonhap News Agency at a Seoul hotel.



Taylor arrived here Thursday as a guest to the Daegu International Musical Festival (DIMF) that kicked off at various places in Daegu, about 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, for an 18-day run.



On Tuesday, he also attended a ceremony at the National Assembly for launching a memorial society to honor late Korean taekwondo master Jhoon Rhee on the sidelines of his visit. Rhee is widely recognized as the "father of American taekwondo" for introducing the martial art to the United States in the 1950s. The museum will take part in the memorial society.



He said the Asian Cultural History Program is interested in topics like the cultural history of Korea, heritage, and history of music, and forecast the research center will serve a bridge role between the two countries.



"All these topics can be studied in Washington, but ideally they're studied in both places, both in Korea and in our records in our collections. So that's why we'd like to develop some kind of a base which we could use and develop a base in Washington that we can offer for our Korean friends and counterpart's scholars."





Paul Michael Taylor, director of the Asian Cultural History Program of the U.S. Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History, speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at a Seoul hotel, May 23. Yonhap
Creation of Orwellian surveillance apparatus belies claim that the U.S. is upholding democracy in the face of Russian authoritarianism.

On April 26, Palantir, a data analytics company founded with CIA seed money, announced an expansion of its operations in Lithuania after entering into a strategic partnership with Lithuanias Ministry of Defense.

This announcement exemplifies how the new Cold War is being used to justify CIA collaboration with a foreign government in advancing intrusive surveillance operations targeting Russia and pro-Russian political elements. It also exemplifies how central the CIA is to the war in Ukraine, as Palantir is playing a key role in the war by tracking Russian military movements and helping Ukraine to coordinate battlefield maneuvers.

The U.S. claims to be supporting democracy against Russian and Chinese authoritarianism; however, Palantirs methods are right out of George Orwells 1984.

While Western media consistently highlight the alleged human rights atrocities of Belaruss socialist, pro-Russian government led by Alexander Lukashenko, it is silent on the intense political repression targeting socialists and anti-fascists in Lithuania, which will only be enhanced by Palantirs growing presence.

Big Brother Is Watching You

Named after the omniscient crystal balls in J.R.R. Tolkiens Lord of the Rings trilogy, Palantir cut its teeth working for the Pentagon and CIA in Afghanistan and Iraq, where U.S. spies and Special Forces deployed its software to synthesize the blizzard of battlefield intelligence, and to avoid roadside bombs, track insurgents for assassination, and hunt down Osama bin Laden.

Before her appointment as Director of National Intelligence in January 2021, Avril Haines, the former CIA Deputy Director, was paid $180,000 by Palantir as a consultant.

Avril Haines [Source: counterinformationblog.blogspot.com]

Palantirs technology has been described as surveillance or data mining, with the ability to analyze massive amounts of data from disparate sources and present its findings in colorful, easy-to-interpret graphics that look like spider webs.

Co-founder Peter Thielan early investor in Facebook who also founded PayPaldescribed Palantir as a mission-oriented company focused on needing to reduce terrorism while preserving civil liberties in a 2013 Forbes article.

Co-founder and CEO Alex Karp said that the companys software is used to target terrorists and keep soldiers safe in a letter issued with the IPO filing.

Peter Thiel addressing 2016 Republican Party Convention. A libertarian black sheep in left-leaning Silicon Valley, Thiel contributed $1.25 million to Donald Trumps presidential victory, spoke at the Republican Convention, and dined with Trump at the White House. [Source: bloomberg.com] Palantir CEO Alex Karp, a billionaire Stanford law graduate who once said: we built our company to support the West.. [Source: businessinsider.com]

Bloomberg News reported in April 2018, however, that Palantirthe worlds #1 Artificial Intelligence (AI) software platformwas weaponized against ordinary Americans.

Law enforcement agencies and corporations have used its software to comb through and then analyze peoples financial documents, airline reservations, cell phone records and social media postings.

An unwelcome party for Palantir after it moved to new headquarters in Denver from Silicon Valley. [Source: 5280.com]

Palantir has also partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to help arrest families for deportation. The Los Angeles Police Department additionally taught officers to use the companys Palantir Gotham tool to construct a vast database that lists the names, addresses, phone numbers, license plates, friendships, romances, jobs of city residents, regardless of whether they were under any suspicion of committing a crime.

A former JPMorgan cyber expert who used Palantirs software said that everyones a suspect, so we monitored everything.

In September 2018, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Jesus Chuy Garcia (D-IL) wrote a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton, urging an investigation of the company before it went public.

AOC and Chuy Garcia [Source: aldianews.com]

One of many concerns raised by the representatives was incomplete information about investments in the company from In-Q-Tel, the CIAs venture capital arm that partially funded the company when it was founded. A 2008 filing showed that In-Q-Tel owned at least 10% of the company, but more recent information is not available.

Ukraine War Profiteering

Palantirs latest offering makes clear the growing military applications of the companys cutting-edge AI software in an expanding war against Russia via proxy.

In a theoretical scenario, a military operator tasked with monitoring the Eastern European theater discovers enemy forces massed near the border and is able to rapidly order reconnaissance drones and then a Reaper drone strike while jamming enemy communications.

Palantir has already been heavily involved in the Ukraine War by supplying Ukraine with software systems to help it target Russian tanks and track Russian troop movements.

Last June, Palantir CEO Alex Karp met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after which he agreed to open an office in Ukraine. Karp later bragged that Palantir was responsible for most of the targeting in Ukraine, referring to Russian tanks, artillery and other weapons systems. Karp also told David Ignatius of The Washington Post that Palantir AI was winning the war for Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky going over military plans with Palantir CEO Alex Karp in Kyiv. [Source: benzinga.com]

Palantir recently announced that it plans to deploy its software to help prosecute Russians for war crimes at the ICC. The software will combine intelligence and satellite imagery to build a map of evidence establishing the proximity of Russian equipment to crime scenes or aggregating photographs that Ukrainians have uploaded to social media and investigators see as relevant evidence.

Zelensky in the presidential palace with Palantir CEO Alex Karp. [Source: rubryka.com]

This coincides well with Palantirs growing role in Lithuania, whose government has staunchly supported Ukraine in the war with Russia while reinforcing an EU blockade on the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad on its border.

Lithuanias Defense Minister, Arvydas Anusauskas, said that the Palantir agreement would strength[en] Lithuanian expertise in data-driven defense capabilities and [allow it to] becom[e] a center of excellence within the Baltic States and NATO.

In 2019, the U.S. began stationing battle-size army units of around 500 troops in Lithuania on a rotational basis, and sent additional troops to Lithuania last year along with the other Baltic States, along with eight F-35 fighter jets and 20 AH-64 Apache helicopters. A NATO battlegroup has also been stationed at Lithuanias main base in Rukla since 2017.

Soldiers hold Lithuanian and U.S. flags during the opening ceremony for U.S. Army Camp Herkus, in Pabrade, Lithuania, on August 30, 2021. [Source: reuters.com]

Lithuania is clearly evolving into a key command center for the U.S. proxy war in Ukraine and potential launching point for U.S.-NATO aggression into the Russian mainland, which the Palantir software would help to better enable.

Furthering Lithuanias Domestic Repression

The Palantir software will also very directly enhance the repressive capabilities of Lithuanias right-wing, pro-U.S., pro-NATO government, which has convicted tens of thousands of people on political charges since the end of Soviet rule, while depleting the countrys manufacturing sector through neo-liberal economic policies.

In the spring of 2018, a famous Lithuanian blogger named Simonas Zagurskas was arrested and imprisoned after he was suspected of having written articles on the events of January 13, 1991, when Soviet military forces were accused of killing 14 civilians and injuring 140 before they retreated and Lithuania was granted independence.

Simonas Zagurskas [Source: bukimeviening.lt]

Zagurskas claimed that the victims were shot and killed by local militants and other snipers directed by representatives of the CIA who wanted to blame the killings on the Soviets. This was a prelude to the techniques used in the February 2014 Maidan coup in Ukraine that triggered the current war where Georgian snipers likely in the pay of the CIA shot protesters in killings that were framed on the pro-Russian leader Viktor Yanukovych who was discredited and forced to flee Ukraine.

Burial ceremony of victims of January 13, 1991, massacre in Vilnius. [Source: wikipedia.org]

Zagurskas view on the events of January 13, 1991 in Vilnius is corroborated by Galina Sapozhnikovas book, The Lithuanian Conspiracy and the Soviet Collapse, which is based on first-hand eyewitness accounts, including that of former USSR Foreign Minister Marshal Dmitry Yazov, who said, everything was set up to cause mass discontent. They had to get the Soviet troops out of Lithuanian territory. How does one do that? Spill blood and provoke them. That is what they did. They outplayed us. Killed their own in order to win.

Audrius Butkevicius, the director of Lithuanias department of national defense in the early 1990s and a main orchestrator of the January 1991 drama, admitted to a Lithuanian newspaper that, on January 13, 1991, he deliberately aimed for civilian casualties, saying he had no regrets since the deaths delivered a powerful blow to two main pillars of Soviet authority, the army and the KGB, which never recovered. Yes, he said, I planned to place the Soviet army in a very uncomfortable psychological position, so any officer would feel shame for being there.

The bed of lies upon which Lithuanias post-Communist state was established has set the groundwork for recent waves of repression in Lithuania targeting especially the Socialist Popular Front, which intensified following the 2014 Ukraine coup and the start of Russias special military operation in Ukraine.

Poster demanding the freedom of Algirdas Paleckis, the Socialist Popular Front Partys leader, who was arrested and jailed in 2018. [Source: www.struggle-la-lucha.org]

With access to Palantirs software, Lithuanias government can now monitor and track the Socialist Popular Front and other renegade political parties even more methodically than before, while more effectively supporting U.S. and NATO military operations in Ukraine that are leading us toward World War III.

In the fantasy classic, scenes from the future or past can be viewed using the object, but, as Newsweek points out, the information provided is unreliable and often used to deceive.  Wilmer Catalan-Ramirez, a 31-year-old body shop mechanic, was seriously injured when six ICE agents burst into his familys home last March without a warrant. He had been listed in the local gang database twicein rival gangs. Catalan-Ramirez spent the next nine months in federal detention, until the city of Chicago admitted both listings were wrong and agreed to petition the feds to let him stay in the United States. ICE released him in January, pending a new visa application. These cases are perfect examples of how databases filled with unverified information that is often false can destroy peoples lives, said his attorney, Vanessa del Valle of Northwestern Universitys MacArthur Justice Center.  Palantir said its technology would allow investigators to access otherwise ring-fenced data while guarding against evidence tampering.  Pabrade is one of the two military bases in Lithuania with adequate infrastructure for allied forces. Galina Sapozhnikova, The Lithuanian Conspiracy and the Soviet Collapse (Atlanta: Clarity Press, 2018), 16.  One person whose death was attributed to Soviet soldiers also died from a heart attack and two others were hit by civilian cars and not Soviet tanks.  Sapozhnikova, The Lithuanian Conspiracy and the Soviet Collapse, 28. Interestingly, U.S. regime-change specialist Gene Sharp had been spotted in Vilnius in February 1991.

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PARIS, 23 mai (Reuters) - L'action Vivendi accuse la plus forte baisse du CAC 40 mardi dans la matinee, des traders evoquant la cession de titres par la societe Compagnie de Cornouaille, controlee par l'homme d'affaires Vincent Bollore.

Vers 10h30, Vivendi perd 6,73% a 9,44 euros.

La societe Compagnie de Cornouaille a declare a l'Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) avoir cede le 16 mai plus de l,45 million de titres Vivendi au prix de 9,5708 euros l'action, selon un avis financier.

Contacte par Reuters, Vivendi s'est refuse a commenter.

Vincent Bollore est l'actionnaire majoritaire du groupe francais de medias avec 29,1% du capital, selon les donnees de Refinitiv. (Redige par Laetitia Volga et Kate Entringer, avec la contribution de Michal Aleksandrowicz, edite par Blandine Henault)
G7 leaders and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pose during a working session on the final day of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Sunday. AP-Yonhap



Korea's economic capabilities warrant inclusion in G7



By Lee Hyo-jin



The prospect of Korea joining the Group of Seven (G7), the club of the world's seven most powerful nations, and thereby making it a G8, is becoming brighter as the Asian country continues to expand its influence on the global stage.



Launched in 1975, the G7 is an informal bloc of the leading industrialized democracies  the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, France, Germany and Italy. Although Korea is not a member, it has participated as an observer in four of the annual G7 leaders' summits dating back to 2008.



In recent years, policymakers here have debated whether Korea could get a permanent seat, and the idea seems to be gaining increasing support following President Yoon Suk Yeol's attendance at the latest G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.



The ruling People Power Party hailed Yoon's pledge to have Korea play a bigger role in addressing global crises, as well as the series of bilateral and trilateral summits he held with G7 leaders, saying that Korea now looks like a "member of the G8."



Similar praises came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.



"The foreign policies carried out by President Yoon Suk Yeol have upgraded Korea's position to stand shoulder to shoulder with G7 nations, to a G8 status," Foreign Minister Park Jin said during a forum hosted by the Korea News Editors' Association, Tuesday.



Analysts believed there might be a strong case for Asia's fourth-largest economy to become a member of the G7, considering the size of its economy and military along with its democratic political system.



"Korea's current capabilities warrant inclusion in the G7. Most importantly, its GDP per capita is essentially on a par with Japan's and Italy's," said Ramon Pacheco Pardo, an associate professor in International Relations at King's College London and the KF-VUB Korea chair at the Brussels School of Governance.



However, Pacheco Pardo viewed that Korea is not the only country looking for a seat at the G7.



"Formal membership of the G7 probably would only happen along with other countries, most notably Australia and perhaps India.as it would be a part of a recognition by G7 members that its current configuration is obsolete and there is a need to incorporate more Asian and Indo-Pacific democracies," he said.





World leaders from G7 and invited countries, including President Yoon Suk Yeol, pose during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Saturday. AP-Yonhap
Lotus lantern parade, published in The Korea Times May 21, 2007. / Korea Times Archive



By Dale Quarrington



At the end of the?1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom, and with the growing influence of Japan and Japanese Buddhism on the Korean Peninsula, Korean Buddhism faced the double threat of the continuation of centuries of persecution and marginalization by their own government and having their own traditions hijacked and supplanted by foreign traditions.



Korean Buddhists were faced with the choice of either modernizing or simply being replaced. It was this dynamic that helped modernize Korean Buddhism. As such, the reimagining of Buddha's Birthday, similar to the modernization of Christmas in the West, was a highly complex negotiation among Korean Buddhists about what their traditions meant, while also plying their way through the political turmoil that faced both the final days of the Joseon court and the interference and influence that both Japan and Japanese Buddhism hoped to have over the Korean Peninsula. The 1910-45 Japanese occupation of Korea was a tumultuous time of competing ideologies, both religious and political, which would partially find an outlet in the form of Korea's Buddha's Birthday Festival.



In Korea, Buddha's Birthday was traditionally the highlight of the annual Buddhist ceremonial calendar. These widespread Buddhist festivals started during the 918-1392 Goryeo Kingdom and evolved over time. Originally, Buddha's Birthday was celebrated with lighting lanterns, reading sutras and inviting both monks and laypeople for meals at temples. Eventually, Buddha's Birthday would be affixed to the eighth day of the fourth lunar month during early Joseon.



Because of Joseon's anti-Buddhist polices, the new neo-Confucian policies of the state quickly eroded the importance of Buddha's Birthday celebrations. Instead of being a celebration of Buddha's Birthday, the April 8 lantern festival essentially became a holiday for children. In a way, a quasi-Buddhist festival formed around this date during the majority of Joseon's duration.



This would start to change, however, by late Joseon, with the increasing contact that Korean monks had with other monks from various countries throughout the world. Korean monks gained a better understanding of their position in their own country by seeing the governmental policies of other countries towards international Buddhism. This comparison was especially heightened with the presence of Japanese Buddhist missionaries through the deepening involvement that Japan had in Korean affairs from the early 1900s onward.





Dongguk Temple in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, is the only Japanese-built temple still in existence in Korea. / Courtesy of Dale Quarrington



After Japan seized power over Korea in 1910, Korean Buddhists, temples and cities expanded this holiday under agreement with the Japanese colonial government. By the 1920s, Korea's native version of Buddha's Birthday was back in place and celebrated nationally. And it was with this ongoing modernization of not only Buddha's Birthday, but Korean Buddhism as a whole, that Japanese Buddhist turned its attention to attempting to alter the Korean celebrations with their own version: Hana Matsuri.



Hana Matsuri was known in Korean as "Hwaje" (Flower Festival). This colonial government-sponsored festival, which was a joint venture by Japanese and Korean Buddhist authorities, first started in 1928 and continued until liberation. Both Korean and Japanese Buddhists were attempting to manufacture a modern Buddhist festival in Korea that would help consolidate the two peoples into one identity, while also competing with aggressive Christian missionaries as well.



The first-ever Hana Matsuri Festival in Korea started at 8 a.m. on May 26, 1928 (following the traditional Korean lunar calendar). The festivities began with five rounds of fireworks being shot from Mount Nam in Seoul. Two hours later, an airplane made a celebratory flight over the city, showering the 300,000 Seoul residents with some 1 million blue and red petals and 30,000 additional flyers promoting the ensuing festival.





Overlooking Seoul from Mt. Nam in April 1931 / Courtesy of Robert Neff



In total, three locations were selected in Seoul, which differed from the festivities in Tokyo that took place in one location at Hibiya Park. In addition to these three locations, three different times of the day would divide the inaugural festival, as well. The first public event took place at the square in front of the Bank of Chosen at 11 a.m. with the Japanese Buddhist organization officiating it. Fireworks and an airplane flyover followed the event at this location. By 1 p.m., the Korean Buddhist Central Administrative Institution took charge. The location of this early afternoon event took place in front of the Dong-a Ilbo building. This was then followed by the last event of the very first Hana Matsui Festival at 3 p.m. in Jangchungdan Park, which was presided over by the Association of the Celebration of Hana Matsuri. There is no doubt that while the festival was religious, it was also political in nature.



The reason for the various locations of these festivities is that the central office of Korean Buddhism was located in the northern half of Seoul, while the temples of the Japanese Buddhist sects were located in the southern half. Additionally, and economically, the Korean stores were congregated in Jongno District, while the Japanese businesses were concentrated mainly south of Cheonggye Stream. So not only did the organizers have a symbolic meaning behind the festival, but they also had a strategically practical economic reason, as well. As for the third location, it seems to have been chosen as a symbolically significant location that was meant to reconcile the divisions found between the colonizer and the colonized.



By participating in the inaugural Hana Matsuri Festival in 1928, and continuing to do so until liberation in 1945, Korean Buddhists made the most of their situation. While previously oppressed and persecuted during Joseon for centuries with varying degrees of suppression, Korean Buddhists found a lifeline through the Japanese colonizers and the religious bond found between the two.





In celebration of Buddha coming, published in The Korea Times May 13, 2008. / Korea Times Archive
Gettyimagesbank



A North Korean boat warned a South Korean cargo ship sailing in the international waters of the East Sea to "move out to the open sea" earlier this month, a source said Tuesday, raising maritime safety concerns amid heightened cross-border tensions.



People aboard the North Korean boat gesticulated toward the 30,000-ton cargo ship and sent a message demanding it move farther out into the high seas through an international maritime communication network on May 8, according to the source.



The cargo ship was reportedly carrying 21 crewmembers, including two South Koreans.



It remains unclear whether the North Koreans are civilians or military personnel.



Following the message from the North, the South Korean ship informed its headquarters and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of what happened and took a detour to reach the waters south of the Northern Limit Line, a de facto inter-Korean sea border.



The South Korean military was said to have been put on alert until the ship returned home safely.



A Seoul official refused to confirm any details of the incident.



"Our military is maintaining a thorough readiness posture in preparation for various situations, including the possibility of North Korean provocations," the official said on condition of anonymity.



The incident came amid persistent concerns that Pyongyang could engage in additional provocations as Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are stepping up their three-way security coordination to counter growing nuclear and missile threats from the North. (Yonhap)


The Government has announced they will develop a new scheme to help businesses impacted by increases to the price of kerosene heating oil.

Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney said the price of kerosene increased following Russias invasion of Ukraine.

As we know, businesses have experienced unprecedented increases in energy costs over the past year.

"This Scheme will now ensure that businesses, who use kerosene for heating, can claim for the increased costs of this fuel," Coveney said.

The Scheme will complement supports for increases in gas and electricity costs that are already available under the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS).

Welcoming the decision, Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath said:I welcome the Government decision to develop a scheme to support businesses dependent on kerosene as an energy source.

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"In addition to this new scheme, I informed Government today of my intention to extend the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme, which supports businesses that use mains gas and electricity, to July 31st, 2023.

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"This extension will help businesses, over the coming months, that have not yet seen the benefit of decreasing wholesale energy prices, and I strongly encourage businesses who have not already registered and made a claim for TBESS to do so.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment will consult with other Government Departments in the design of the Kerosene Scheme.

The Scheme will utilise unspent Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) funds subject to sanction from the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. The Scheme will also require State Aid approval from the EU Commission.

It is intended that the Scheme will be launched in Q3 this year.
A registered firearms dealer made a "serious and grave error" bringing back an "essential component" for a prohibited submachine gun after attending a weapons show in the United States, a judge has heard.

Damien Graham (53), of Ballynagall, Ballickmoyler, Carlow, and Patrick O'Mahony Jnr (53), of Ballyrameen, Castlemaine, Co Kerry, appeared at Dublin District Court on Tuesday, having been charged earlier with offences under the Firearms Act.

Mr Graham has two charges for possessing a conversion kit for an AR15 assault rifle, including a bolt and chamber, at Dublin Airport's Terminal 2 on November 28th, 2021. He is also accused of unlawfully having a bolt from a Sterling submachine gun at the same date and location.

Co-defendant Mr O'Mahony has a single charge for possessing a bolt from a Browning machine gun at Terminal 2 on November 28th, 2021.

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The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed summary disposal of the case at the district court level.

Outlining the allegations, Garda Sharon Breen told Judge Treasa Kelly that customs officers searched Mr Graham's check-in luggage and found suspected firearms parts, which were sent for ballistic examination.

She explained that the conversion kit was to make the rifle calibre smaller because larger calibre ammunition was much more expensive, adding it was a common practice. However, the registered firearms dealer had not obtained an importation licence for those parts.

She agreed with defence solicitor Matthew Kenny that gardai did not suspect anything suspicious.

The judge heard the Sterling submachine gun bolt was an essential part, not a firearm in its entirety.

Garda Breen said the accused was a registered firearms dealer, allowing him certain semi-automatic or handguns, however, not machine guns.

Mr Kenny said his client was offering a guilty plea and added that it was an oversight. He had also met gardai by appointment and answered all questions, the court heard.

The garda accepted the guilty plea was of assistance.

'Grave error'

Mr Graham had an automotive tool firm and a second business as a restricted firearms dealer. The solicitor said his client ought to have known better but made a "serious and grave error" while returning from a gun show in Florida.

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The prosecution had brought him considerable anxiety and embarrassment.

The offences can carry a 5,000 fine or up to 12 months imprisonment at the District Court-level. Mr Kenny implored the court to leave Mr Graham without a recorded conviction, adding his client was in a position to make a donation.

After a recess, the judge questioned the garda further about the submachine gun component and was told that although Mr Graham was a registered firearm dealer, he still could not have a licence for that type of weapon.

The garda reiterated, however, that the accused had an essential component but not the firearm in its entirety.

Judge Kelly said Mr Graham's restricted firearm licence "did not include anything as serious as a submachine gun", which she thought was only used by the army.

She refused jurisdiction for the case to be heard at the District Court and granted an adjournment until July 7th for directions from the DPP.

Co-defendant Mr O'Mahony has a single charge for possessing a bolt from a Browning machine gun at Terminal 2 on November 28th, 2021. He is yet to indicate a plea.

His case was adjourned until July 4th to consider the disclosure of prosecution evidence with his solicitor.
A man who was jailed for sexually assaulting an asylum seeker he claimed he had just married in a Muslim ceremony has had his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal after new evidence came to light about her sexual experience.

After his conviction was quashed on Monday, the man began to cry and asked: "Can I go home now?"

The Court of Appeal ordered that a retrial take place and remanded the accused man in custody until June 7th, with consent to bail.

The man's legal team successfully argued that his conviction was unsafe after updated phone software allowed gardai to extract new material regarding the woman's sexual knowledge or experience.

The woman had claimed to never having had sex by the time of the ceremony and had no knowledge of sexual intercourse.

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The man (55), who cannot be named for legal reasons, had pleaded not guilty to a sexual assault alleged to have occurred on December 1st, 2017, in Co Dublin.

In April 2021, the appellant was tried and found guilty before a jury at the Central Criminal Court before being jailed for five and a half years.

It has been the State's case that the man had participated in the ceremony at a mosque in Dublin after which the complainant alleged that the appellant hugged her, touched her on her breasts and buttocks and pushed her towards his bedroom.

Arranged marriage

The trial heard that during a visit to Ireland in November 2017, the woman sought asylum to avoid an arranged marriage in her native country.

She later made contact with a Muslim centre who arranged for a meeting between her and the accused man after the woman said she would be interested in meeting a man of the same faith to marry.

The investigating garda told the trial that some class of ceremony was later performed between the accused and the woman. The garda agreed that there was disagreement as to the significance of the ceremony and the trial was told it was a precursor to marriage but not marriage itself.

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In February 2022, gardai informed the appellant's legal team that an analysis of the complainant's phone revealed additional information that was not possible to retrieve in 2018 when the investigation was in progress.

At the Court of Appeal on Monday, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said the complainant gave evidence at the trial that she had never had sexual intercourse and that she knew nothing of sexual matters.

Ms Justice Kennedy said the trawl of the phone revealed that the woman had searched for 'hot kisses and sex' in October and November 2017 and had searched whether it was normal to bleed when the hymen was ripped.

The woman also queried whether oral sex caused Aids, the solution for vomiting during pregnancy, whether sperm can be transmitted by hand-touch or through clothing, and how sperm is transmitted to the egg.

Further searches related to the effect of diabetes on an erection, whether pregnancy can occur directly after a period, and a query on what was pre-ejaculate fluid.

Credibility

The man's legal team had submitted that the information was relevant to the complainant's credibility where she had maintained she was a virgin before she met the appellant and knew nothing of sexual matters.

The man told gardai in an interview that the woman first told him that she was a virgin but that she also had difficulties having sex in the past.

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"This, it appears to us, is the height of the appellant's contention, that while the complainant said she was a virgin, she also said, according to the appellant, that she had sexual difficulties previously," Ms Justice Kennedy said.

"This new material, it is said, would have served to assist the defence in attacking her credibility on this issue, demonstrating she had sexual experience," the judge said.

Ms Justice Kennedy said none of the searches "point directly to sexual intercourse, but are indicative of a curiosity regarding sexual issues".

The judge said there were "concerning coincidences" regarding the times of the searches, which were made when the woman was staying with a friend in Ireland. Lawyers for the man previously told the appeal court that some of these searches coincided with a March 2017 visit to Ireland when she stayed with a male friend.

Ms Justice Kennedy said the new data could not be taken "in isolation", in circumstances where the appellant contends that the information could support his claim that the woman found out that she would not be allowed to stay in this jurisdiction based on the Nikah marriage ceremony alone.

The defence contended that once the woman found out the ceremony would not provide her with that protection she made a false complaint.

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The judge said that had the material been available at the trial the defence could have been granted an application to cross-examine the woman on her prior sexual experience.

"We believe that the fresh material could have had an important influence on the outcome of the trial. Given that the evidence could have had an impact on the jury's verdict, we will quash the conviction," Ms Justice Kennedy said.

Ms Justice Kennedy said the court would order that a retrial could take place and adjourned the matter to the first day of the next legal term for instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Trial

At the trial, the man had pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, one of sexual assault and one of attempted rape of the woman in his Dublin home on various occasions over the weekend of December 1st to December 3rd, 2017.

The jury told trial judge Mr Justice Alex Owens that following eight and half hours of deliberation on the tenth day of the trial, they could reach a majority verdict on one count of sexual assault, but they were deadlocked in relation to the other four counts.

In a July 2021 sentence hearing, Mr Justice Owens had imposed a sentence of six years and suspended the final six months on condition that the man keep the peace and be of good behaviour for those six months.

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Mr Justice Owens had also imposed a four-year post release supervision order after he commented that he thought that the man would still be capable of committing sexual offences on his release from prison.

The trial heard that, after the ceremony, the accused and the woman went back to his flat, with the man claiming she was his wife and the woman saying she was not his wife.

It was the State's case that the accused attempted to hug the woman but she pushed him away as he started to try and pull her into his bedroom. She continued to try and push him away as he continued to touch her.

It was alleged that the woman asked him to stop but the man managed to get her into the bedroom where he directed her to take her clothes off. The State argued that the woman was crying and he then asked why she wouldnt take her clothes off to which she replied that she didnt want to.

She later reported the man to gardai, and he was arrested in May 2018. He claimed that they had consensual sexual activity which terminated because of his inability to get an erection.

The court heard that the man takes care of his 14-year-old daughter who lives with him.

Hugh Hartnett SC, defending, said a psychological report concluded that the case has had a significant psychological impact on his client and had "troubled him greatly.

Mr Hartnett had submitted that his client is a hard-working man who took his duties as a father very seriously.

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He said that many testimonials were submitted to the court on behalf of his client which outlined the work he does for a homeless charity.

"He has an unblemished previous character and is also a man who did significant good in donating both money and time to those who were less fortunate than he, Mr Hartnett said.

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.
A man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the sexual abuse of his partners daughters and a family friend when the girls were children.

The Central Criminal Court heard that Trevor Richardson (49) of Church Road, Ballybrack, Dublin, was found guilty of 56 counts, which included one oral rape and the remainder sexual assault, by a jury in March of this year. The offences occurred between January 1st, 2000 and August 31th, 2014.

Aoife O'Leary, BL, prosecuting, told the court that the three victims, in this case, wished to have Richardson named and have waived their anonymity.

Passing sentence Mr Justice Paul Burns said Richardson was in a relationship with the mother of two of the girls, who considered him a father figure.

Mr Justice Burns paid tribute to the three victims for their courage in coming forward and seeing the trial through. He said there was a protracted level of abuse and a breach of trust.

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The judge said Richardson has no significant previous convictions, a good work history and that alcohol abuse had been a significant part of his life which he would consider as mitigating factors in the case.

Mr Justice Burns sentenced him to 12 years in prison and suspended the final two years under strict conditions including that he place himself under the supervision of the Probation Services for three years post-release.

The court heard that Richardson was in a relationship with the mother of two of the complainants. The third complainant was known to the family and was abused by Richardson when she visited the home.

Assaults

The court heard that the abuse took the form of touching the genital areas of the girls and digital penetration of the vagina.

On one occasion, Richardson put his penis into the mouth of his partners child. The woman later told gardai that she believed she was between seven or eight years old at the time. She recalled scrubbing her mouth clean afterwards.

On a separate occasion, one of the girls woke in the middle of the night to find Richardson on top of her, rubbing himself off her. He would also place his hand under the duvet while they were on the couch watching TV and touch the girls in the genital area.

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Victim impact statements were handed into the court. The woman who was forced to perform oral sex on Richardson, said her life had been a rollercoaster since the abuse started, with more downs than ups.

She said she never felt beautiful just dirty and described incidences of self harm when she was younger. She described getting aggressive when she was drunk and hoping she would get arrested because I knew I would be safer.

She said she would bang her head off the road so she would be hospitalised because again she would be safe there.

The woman said when she thinks of her own two children, she wonders why she could not have had a life like them. Why me? What did I do that was so bad that God put me here to feel all this pain - a pain a child should never feel.

Pregnant

She described how later when she got pregnant, she worried about keeping her child safe. She said Richardson asked if he could feel her bump and later watched her while she was breastfeeding, he made me feel like it was a sexual thing.

The woman described again incidences of self harm because I needed someone to take the pain away.

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She said after she made her garda statement she struggled to say the word abuse out loud and she drank herself to sleep most nights. She described a sadness that the family had fallen apart.

This womans sister said she looked up to Richardson as a father figure. My home should have been a place of home and security but she said it was sadness, anxiety and trauma, memories that I lived every day.

She described staying out drinking rather than going home. She described Richardson as being aggressive towards her and how her friends would feel uncomfortable around him. They said they didnt like the way he looked at them.

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The woman said she felt uncomfortable around men and boys. I genuinely felt all I was good for was sex. I thought I was no good, ugly and I had no confidence in myself.

The third woman said that since the assault she suffered with anxiety, and she would be anxious that every drunk man she met had the same mindset as Richardson. She said she had a fear of leaving her daughter with men.

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.
A judge has warned a man previously jailed for harassing six journalists that prison time is inevitable if he breaches the conditions of a suspended sentence.

Brendan Doolin (41) of Leighlin Road, Crumlin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2019 to five years in prison, with the final two years suspended.

Doolin, described by his lawyers as an internet troll, had admitted harassing Sarah Griffin, Kate McEvoy, Sinead O'Carroll, Christine Bohan, Roe McDermott and Aoife Barry by sending them hundreds of abusive online messages on dates between May 2012 and February 2018.

On Tuesday Judge Martin Nolan handed Doolin a three-year sentence, which he suspended for three years on strict conditions. He ordered the sentence to run consecutively to the suspended portion of Doolin's previous sentence. The new sentence will come into effect in December.

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Judge Nolan said if all matters had been dealt with at the same time, he would have given Doolin a longer sentence.

Noting Doolin had served his sentence, Judge Nolan said: At this stage in life, he is bothering no one we know of at least. I assume a good eye is being kept on him.

'Unusual personality'

He said Doolin is an unusual personality who lives an unusual life. He said the court considered that it probably would not be just to imprison him at this stage.

Judge Nolan warned Doolin that if he breaches court orders not to contact the injured parties or the terms of this suspended sentence, he would be brought back before the court again and prison time is inevitable.

At a hearing on Monday, the court heard Doolin was released from custody in December 2021 and has not reoffended since.

Eoghan Cole BL, representing the State, said that after Doolin had been charged with the harassment offences and facing trial, he committed multiple breaches of his bail condition not to be in any contact whatsoever with any of the injured parties, either directly or indirectly.

Doolin pleaded guilty to one count of harassment on dates between August 8th, 2018 and August 6th, 2019.

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A prosecuting garda told Mr Cole that in April and May 2019, Kate McEvoy and Sarah Griffin contacted gardai to report that posts were being made about them online in language similar to that used previously by Doolin.

Search warrant

Gardai got a warrant to search Doolin's house and seized his laptop. He told gardai he didn't own a phone.

The laptop was analysed and found to contain photos of Kate McEvoy and Roe McDermott taken in the atrium of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, linked to a particular model of smartphone.

A second search was carried out of Doolin's home and the smartphone in question was found concealed under his floor boards containing the photos. Doolin admitted the phone was his.

Mr Cole said that separately, Doolin had made up email addresses very similar to the names of some of the injured parties and then used these emails to post obnoxious or upsetting messages online.

Ms McDermott, Ms Griffin and Ms McEvoy reported that they were contacted by others at various times in 2019 asking why they were posting such messages.

Ms Griffin said people including fellow writers would get negative comments from her from an email similar to her name, in what she felt was an attack on her livelihood.

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One comment made to look like it had been posted by Ms Griffin said: You're going to be ripped into tiny pieces all in good time.

Ms Griffin cancelled certain public engagements, the court heard, due to a fear that Doolin would be monitoring her.

Counsel told the court that Doolin also responded to several legitimate tweets posted by the injured parties by using uncomplimentary, unflattering or abusive language, describing them as dull, cowardly, classist, white feminist.

Doolin also responded to a social media post by Ms Griffin's husband by commenting: We know where you are, all in good time.

Password reset requests

Aoife Barry, Sarah Griffin and Kate McEvoy also reported that they received multiple password reset requests after Doolin tried to enter their emails, knowing that this meant they would receive messages asking them to change their passwords.

None of the six injured parties were present in court although all submitted victim impact statements which were not read aloud.

Ireland Supreme Court urged to direct retrial of Patrick Q... Read More

Mr Cole said a theme of all the victim impact statements was a wish shared by the women that Doolin would receive whatever help he needs to overcome his problems.

Keith Spencer BL, defending Doolin, said his client's bail breaches were of a lower order than his original offending, describing it as more nuisance behaviour.

Mr Spencer said that Doolin had been suffering from profound mental health difficulties at the time but has since corrected his behaviour and expressed remorse.

He doesn't even operate computers now, he doesn't go near them because he's afraid and he knows that there are orders in place, said Mr Spencer, pointing out that Doolin continues to cooperate with the Probation Service.
Former taoiseach and architect of the Good Friday Agreement Bertie Ahern has said there is no reason why the Stormont Assembly should not be meeting next week.

He said that everything that was necessary to happen to restore the Northern Ireland powersharing institutions had happened and expressed concern about dragging out the process over the summer.

Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said he understands that DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson wants to keep his supporters and base onside, but said that he will have to face them down.

Mr Adams also said he believed the DUP leader when he said the prospect of Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill becoming First Minister was not the obstacle hindering the institutions revival.

The two leaders were speaking as part of a panel discussion in the members restaurant of Leinster House in Dublin on Tuesday evening, hosted by the Ceann Comhairle, or speaker of the Dail, Sean O Fearghail.

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Mr Adams praised the organisation of the event and remarked it was the only event that the Irish establishment has had about the Good Friday Agreement.

All those other events up at Queens (University) and so on and so forth, the Irish government didnt do that. This government is to touch from the process.

Today the Cathaoirleach of Seanad Eireann, Senator Jerry Buttimer, welcomed former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who signed the Visitors Book before addressing the Seanad to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. #SeeForYourself



Gallery: https://t.co/qC7Sql9YoF pic.twitter.com/Lsljfdk1Zx  Houses of the Oireachtas - Tithe an Oireachtais (@OireachtasNews) May 23, 2023

Among those on the panel were former SDLP leader Brid Rodgers, former UUP director of communications David Kerr and co-founder of Northern Ireland Womens Coalition Monica McWilliams.

In the audience were Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, TDs from Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein, the Social Democrats and the Rural Independent Group, the former speaker of the Assembly Alex Maskey, and the leader of the Seanad Jerry Buttimer.

Artist Shane Gillan, who created the hand-drawn portraits of politicians and key players in the peace deal negotiations as part of the event, was also present.

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Mr Ahern said he had been concerned a few months ago that the British Government might endeavour to change the Good Friday Agreement in some way and say that this is a change that we have to do to get the unionists onside.

He also said there was huge merit in the DUP moving ahead with a deal to restore Stormont before the summer.

I just think that everything thats necessary has already happened. It looks as if the DUP need a bit of a commitment around trade legislation. Once its around trade legislation I wouldnt lose 30 seconds sleep about it, if its anything else, Id be very worried about that, he said.

Theres no reason that they shouldnt all be meeting next week, in my opinion, he said, adding he had a fear about that dragging it out over the summer.

The British and the DUP  theyre tic-tacing with each other clearly, and its around this trade legislation.

If I was in the DUP, I think theres huge merit in them in getting their bit of trade legislation and doing it now, before the summer break, before the marching season, before the holiday season, and then just getting on with it.

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Mr Adams said: Jeffrey Donaldson knows that he has to go back into the Assembly.

He said it was fair enough to want to keep your own supporters and your own base onside, but added: You also have to tell those that you know are not going to come with you, to move to one side, you have to face them down.

He added: Jeffrey has a choice. I believe it when he says he doesnt have a problem  he probably doesnt like the fact  that Michelle ONeill is First Minister designate, but that is not the reason why (he wont take his party back to Stormont).

Reflecting on the campaign ahead of the referendum, Monica McWilliams said that most people do not realise how difficult it was during those six weeks to get people who had suffered and sacrificed the most to vote yes.

The thing I remember for me that turned it was the doctors and nurses came out, which is something they rarely do, and stuck their heads above the parapet and the doctors said Never again do I want to spend my life doing surgery on people who are missing limbs, who have had the most shocking injuries, and the doctor was crying as he was saying it, and that was a moment in which the people of the country listened.

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And the nurses that came out and said the same, that their entire 30 years of their health profession, their medical profession had been taken up by nothing else except intensive care and fixing bodies.

Of the famous appearance of David Trimble and John Hume on stage with U2 ahead of the referendum vote, David Kerr said he was incredulous when he had heard the proposals, and that both were very nervous on the night.

Its the defining image. I dont care what anybody says, thats the image thats in the history books, he said.
Plans to reintroduce ospreys to Ireland will go ahead this summer with the arrivals of 12 chicks in July.

The reintroduction programme is being led by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), coming after ospreys became extinct here approximately 150 years ago.

The programme has spent a number of years in research and planning phases, with the arrival of the chicks later this year marking a significant milestone in the project.

It is hoped the reintroduction programme will establish a viable, free-ranging osprey population in Ireland which will eventually breed here. Over the next five years, it is planned that between 50 and 70 chicks will be brought to Ireland from Norway as part of the project.

Ospreys tend to be 50-60cm in length and have a wingspan of 145-170cm.

The programme is being headed up by NPWS divisional managers Dr Phillip Buckley and Eamonn Meskell, who were also involved in the successful white-tailed eagle reintroduction programme.

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"We are extremely grateful to the authorities and colleagues in Norway for supplying the young ospreys, and for their expertise which is enabling this landmark conservation programme to happen," Dr Buckley said.

"Likewise to the farmers and landowners involved and also to many others from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Britain, elsewhere in Europe and indeed internationally who are providing expertise or helping with this work; their help is critical and much appreciated," he added.
The people of Northern Ireland have sent a clear message that they want power-sharing back up and running, the Taoiseach has said.

Commenting after last weeks local elections in the region, Leo Varadkar told the Dail that he and British prime minister Rishi Sunak would do all they could to help restore the devolved institutions in Belfast.

But he cautioned that the power to resurrect the Stormont Assembly and Executive currently lay with the DUP.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald urged the Taoiseach to call a summit meeting to discuss the powersharing impasse (Mark Marlow/PA)

Mr Varadkar was responding to a question from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald who had urged the Taoiseach and Mr Sunak to convene a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIC) in the wake of the council elections.

The message is clear from the people of Northern Ireland, that they want the Executive up and running, and they want the enormous problems that they face on a day-to-day basis dealt with by their politicians, Mr Varadkar said.

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The elections saw Sinn Fein emerge as the largest party in local government for the first time in Northern Ireland, replicating its result in the Assembly election last year when it became the biggest party at Stormont.

While the DUP lost its position as the largest party at council level, it consolidated its position as the main unionist party by winning the same number of seats as it secured in the last local government election in 2019.

Sinn Fein called on British prime minister Rishi Sunak, pictured, and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to convene a meeting of the BIIC to chart a path back to powersharing (Ben Stansall/PA)

The DUP is currently exercising a veto to block powersharing in Northern Ireland in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The party has insisted the election result has reinforced its mandate to seek further concessions from the UK government on the vexed trading dispute.

But Sinn Fein has insisted the electorate has made clear it wants a return to devolution without any further delay.

The party has called for Mr Sunak and Mr Varadkar to convene a meeting of the BIIC to chart a path back to powersharing.

Raising the issue in the Dail on Tuesday, Ms McDonald said: A few days ago, the north went to the polls again and delivered a seismic change in local government elections.

And the clear message is that Ireland has changed and is changing. The clearer message is that people want to see the Executive back up and running to deal with the issues that matter in health and housing, in delivering good jobs and to make politics work for everyone.

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So its now critical that the British and Irish governments come together and focus the effort on the immediate restoration of the Executive and Assembly and I believe this must happen at Taoiseach and prime minister level.

We need to see an early meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference at this level.

Taoiseach, can I ask will you work to ensure that this happens?

Mr Varadkar said he had discussed the issue with Mr Sunak in Iceland last week and would be meeting him again at the European Political Community summit in Moldova next week.

We will be working together to do all that we can to ensure that the Assembly, the Executive, the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are back up and running again, he said.

But as you know as well as I do, the rules allow the two major parties  Sinn Fein and the DUP  to block that from happening, the DUP are currently the ones who are blocking it.

But were going to work together with the UK government to do all that we can to have it up and running as soon as possible.
Noel Smyths Fitzwilliam Real Estate has secured the green light for a nine-storey 245-bedroom lean luxury hotel over Arnotts in Dublin city.

Dublin City Council has given the scheme the go-ahead after concluding that the planned hotel will contribute to the regeneration and will have a positive impact on the surrounding area.

The council also stated the scheme is unlikely to impact negatively on the amenities of properties in the vicinity.

The scheme involves a two-storey element with set-backs over Arnotts and a three-storey element with setbacks over Arnotts' multi-storey car-park.

The hotel proposal will involve the demolition and decommissioning of the top three open air levels of Arnotts' multi-storey car-park, resulting in the removal of 145 car spaces.

Planning documents lodged with the scheme state Fitzwilliam Real Estate owns Arnotts' air rights allowing the firm to lodge the application for the portion of the scheme above the department store.

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Planning consultants for the hotel firm, Tom Phillips + Associates, have told the council that it is intended that Ruby Hotels will be the operator of the scheme.

Associate with Tom Phillips + Associates, Sine Kelly stated Ruby Hotels are a Munich-based hotel group who host a contemporary, affordable form of luxury style of hospitality.

Ms Kelly said there are currently 15 Ruby Hotels in operation across Europe, with a further 18 under construction.

She also pointed out that Ruby Hotels have a lean luxury philosophy for streamlining their hotel layouts and space.

Ms Kelly said the partnership between the applicant and Ruby Hotels has resulted in an enhancement of the hotel overall with all elements now sized accordingly to suit the operations of Ruby Hotels.

Ms Kelly contended the proposed development will facilitate the provision of high-quality hotel development with an experienced, dedicated operator, whilst significantly improving the character of the area and bringing a partially vacant building at 97 Middle Abbey Street back into full use.

The grant of planning permission follows the council refusing planning permission to Fitzwilliam Real Estate for a 12-storey 159-unit build-to-rent scheme on the same site in January after the local authority pointed out that there is a general presumption against large-scale residential developments which are comprised of 100 per cent build-to-rent units.

The firm had existing planning permission for a hotel at the site since 2018, but Covid-19 Government restrictions prevented work from commencing in a timely fashion, necessitating the lodging of the new application.
Young men obliged to undertake mandatory military service wait to undergo medical checkups at the Military Manpower Administration's local office in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Feb. 1. Newsis



By Ko Dong-hwan



The Korean military is introducing drug testing as local narcotic crimes among teenagers and those in their 20s have risen recently, the Ministry of National Defense announced, Tuesday.



The testing targets those currently in service and those who are being processed for service and looking to become commissioned ranking officials, according to the Ministry of National Defense.



The military's latest move is part of it updated and more stringent policies aimed at cracking down on the possession and use of narcotics by soldiers and summarily punishing offenders.



Following the change, the physical exam performed by the authority on all enlisting soldiers will include a new category that tests for the presence of drugs in their systems.



The military has so far been conducting drug tests only on those who have voluntarily confessed to taking illegal drugs or who were asked by health inspectors to take the test under particular conditions. The latest policy expands the test subjects to the entire service.



Under the new rule, those starting military service are required to take the test. Those who test positive will be required to present a second urine sample for testing at a later date. If that test also returns positive, they are then referred to the police for investigation.



Following an investigation, if sentenced to less than 18 months in prison, their military service is replaced with a substitute role. If punishment is longer than the 18 month-sentence, their military service will be halted immediately. If drug use is found to be a deliberate ruse to avoid military service, the authority will keep offenders in service.





Methamphetamine hidden in candy wrappers delivered through an international shipment is shown during a meeting of narcotic inspectors from the Korea Customs Service at Seoul Regional Customs in Gangnam District, May 18. Yonhap
The loss experienced by the families and loved ones of those who perished in the Stardust fire has left an indelible mark on the suburb of Artane and the surroundings areas, Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane has told the inquest jury.

In her address to the jury on Tuesday as the inquest enter a new phase following the completion of pen portraits of the 48 victims last week, Dr Cullinane said the community in Artane and its surrounds, which had such connection to the majority of the families who lost their children, had borne a particularly heavy burden of grief.

The coroner said the fire at the Stardust Ballroom on February 14th, 1981, in which 48 young people died, was the single most serious loss of life of one incident of this type in the history of the State, and remains so to this day.

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On Wednesday, the jury will hear what she termed the undisputed background facts of the case. This will include details about the Stardust building, its location and structure, the position of all exits and means of escape, information about the ventilation and heating systems and information relating to the ownership and management of the Stardust.

She told the jury it is anticipated the inquest may last until the end of the year and said more than 300 witnesses and witness statements will be heard.

After reading aloud the names of the 48 victims, Dr Cullinane outlined to the 15-member panel the sequence of evidence which will be heard over the coming weeks and months.

Dr Cullinane said the purpose of her address was to give the jury a better understanding of their role in these inquests as the proceedings enter a new phase with the hearing of witness evidence, which will begin on June 7th.

The coroner gave a brief outline of the factual history in relation to the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the 48 people.

She said the Stardust had been open for three years as a venue for various music concerts and dances when the fire broke out in the early hours of Valentines Day, 1981.

Artane area

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She said there were three venues on the site, including another function area known as the Lantern Rooms and a bar known as the Silver Swan.

There had been a disco dancing competition on Friday, February 13th, 1981, she said, and it was estimated that approximately 850 patrons were present.

The fire was noticed by patrons at the end of the night, and it spread quickly through the Stardust, resulting in the deaths of 48 people, most of whom died at the scene.

Dr Cullinane said the majority of those who died were from Artane and the surrounding areas, although some present were from Derry, Belfast and Cavan.

The coroner said an investigation was carried out by An Garda Siochana following the fire and a tribunal of inquiry took place in 1981. Inquests into the deaths were held in Dublin the following year, taking place over a period of five days in front of the then Dublin coroner.

She told the jury that in 2019, an application was made to the then-Attorney General, Seamus Woulfe SC, by the legal representatives of 42 of the bereaved families for fresh inquests and, as a result, he directed new inquests into the deaths of those killed in the fire.

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She said the Attorney General had stated the findings of the original inquests were confined to the cause of death in respect of each of the deceased, with no reference to the surrounding circumstances and, as a result, he found there was an insufficiency of inquiry as to how the deaths occurred.

In directing the fresh inquests, the Attorney General also drew analogies with the Hillsborough case in England and said it was his view that where there is a disaster of such magnitude as occurred at the Stardust in 1981 there was an entitlement of the victims to the public revelation of the facts.

Dr Cullinane told the jury they do not have to concern themselves with the findings of any previous investigations as these are entirely new inquests.

She said in each of the deceased cases, a finding must be made in relation to four questions; the identity of the deceased, when the death occurred, where the death occurred and how the death occurred. The jury will hear witness evidence to assist them in those findings, the coroner added.

Criminal liability

She told the jury nobody can be blamed or exonerated at an inquest and a verdict cannot decide, or appear to decide, criminal or civil liability.

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The coroner told the jury there may be a number of verdicts available to them, but this will not be clear until all the evidence has been heard.

A coroners jury is also entitled to make recommendations of a general nature, Dr Cullinane said, designed to prevent future deaths or proposals the jury consider necessary or desirable in the interest of public health or safety.

She told them they should not allow themselves to be influenced by any media coverage of the fire, either prior to the inquest or any further coverage that may be to come. She also told panel members not to discuss the proceedings with anyone outside their number.

These are fresh inquests you must not allow yourself to be influenced by anything that has gone before or anything outside this courtroom.

Dr Cullinane went on to address the scope of the inquest which, she said, is broader in this case than might apply in other inquests. She said the facts that are undisputed will be presented to the jury on Wednesday.

She said these facts will be presented to the jury by a member of the coroners legal team as these facts are established and accepted.

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Dr Cullinane said other evidence will be dealt with by way of witness evidence, including matters in relation to staff training and fire planning, where and how the fire started, how and why the fire progressed, what the response was within the Stardust to the outbreak of the fire and the response of the emergency services.

She said where possible, evidence will also be heard as to the circumstances of how each death occurred and the medical cause of death.

In excess of 300 witnesses will be heard, Dr Cullinane said, and they will be grouped into categories.

This will be done in chronological order to assist the jury in making sense of events as they unfolded.

She said evidence will start with the staff and management of the Stardust, followed by the largest group, the patrons of the Stardust and members of the public who were in the area on the night in question, members of the emergency services and finally expert witnesses in pathology and fire.

Ireland Man jailed for 10 years for abusing partner's daug... Read More

Because these events occurred 42 years ago, some memories may have faded and so most witness evidence the jury will hear will be based on the statements made to gardai shortly after the events, the coroner explained.

When the evidence is read, the witness will be questioned, first by the coroners legal team and then there will be the opportunity for other interested persons to further explore the evidence to assist the jury in their findings, Dr Cullinane said.

Due to the passage of time, many of the witnesses have since died and others may be unable to attend due to ill health or other circumstances, the coroner said and in those instances their depositions will be read to the jury, she said.

Dr Cullinane thanked the jury in advance for the very important task they are about to undertake. Your service is of the utmost importance. Im immensely grateful to you, she added.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has insisted there is no special deal between the Government and Apple

The tech giant is appearing before the EU's highest court today as the European Commission argues Apple should pay 13.1 billion in additional tax to the State.

Lawyers representing the European Commission, Ireland, Apple and other interested parties on Tuesday laid out their arguments before the grand chamber of judges at a hearing in the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) on Tuesday.

The second-highest court in the EU previously agreed that Ireland did not offer Apple an unfair competitive advantage and annulled the tax bill. The Commission is hoping that decision will be overturned today.

It found in favour of Apple and Ireland which had argued the company had not been given an unfair advantage with a "sweetheart deal".

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Mr Varadkar said claims of a "sweetheart deal" for Apple are false.

"The allegation made by the European commission is that in the past, and this was before I was in Government, there are alligations that in the past there was a special deal with Apple that wasn't available to other companies.

Ireland SVP sees 50% increase in calls for help with energ... Read More

"If that were true, it would obviously be very wrong, but it wasn't true."

Robert Sweeney, head of policy at the think-tank TASC, said if the EU wins, then Ireland should consider investing in public sector workers.

"If you look at the size of the public sector workforce, we are definitely below European norms, we are around 15 per cent, it's significantly higher in most European countries.

"I have cautioned against spending because that could stimulate an already overstimulated economy."
Climate change protesters in the UK have again clashed with drivers as they staged marches on three bridges in central London.

Forty-five Just Stop Oil (JSO) activists blocked the roads on Blackfriars, London and Tower bridges on Tuesday morning by walking slowly in the road.

One man was handcuffed by police after he appeared to push two JSO supporters in a bid to clear the road.

This is an impossible situation.



Do we disrupt other ordinary people, like this man, arrested for lashing out today, or just sit back and watch everything burn?



That's where our government has left us. More and more people are realising taking action is the right thing to do. pic.twitter.com/hMm3Wxu0tY  Just Stop Oil (@JustStop_Oil) May 23, 2023

He was detained on suspicion of common assault but not arrested, London's Metropolitan Police said.

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A motorcyclist also tried to drive through the group of demonstrators, and there were a number of clashes at the other protest sites with members of the public snatching banners, according to JSO.

The group posted footage of the Blackfriars Bridge confrontation on Twitter, saying: This is an impossible situation.

Police now have powers under the Public Order Act to force protesters out of the road and onto the pavement (Just Stop Oil/PA)

Thats where our government has left us. More and more people are realising taking action is the right thing to do.

Do we disrupt other ordinary people, like this man, arrested for lashing out today, or just sit back and watch everything burn?

Tuesdays clashes came after footage of another confrontation in the City of London was posted on social media on Friday.

A man approached JSO protesters as they marched slowly in front of traffic on Mansell Street, near the Tower of London, before snatching their banners and pushing a woman to the ground.

At around 08.25hrs, officers detained a male member of the public for common assault after an altercation between him and two Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge this morning.



There have been no arrests.



Police are investigating the matter.  Metropolitan Police Events (@MetPoliceEvents) May 23, 2023

He also grabbed a phone from one of the campaigners and threw it away, before trying to push other activists out of the road.

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Police now have powers under the Public Order Act to force protesters out of the road and onto the pavement.

These orders were used at all three bridges on Tuesday by 8.55am, JSO said.

The Metropolitan Police urged the public not to intervene in protest action.

Police urged members of the public not to intervene (Just Stop Oil /PA)

A spokesman said: At around 8.25am, Met police officers detained a male member of the public for common assault after an altercation between him and two Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge.

There have been no arrests and police are investigating the matter.

We completely understand the frustration and anger of Londons communities when protesters walk slowly in the roads.

We urge people not to intervene and to let police deal with the situation who, if not already there, will arrive promptly.
Music superstars Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish and H.E.R. will team up with advocacy organisation Global Citizen for a free concert in front of the Eiffel Tower to convince world leaders to take further action against climate change.

Power Our Planet: Live in Paris on June 22 will coincide with the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, a gathering of the worlds political and business leaders to help developing nations finance sustainability projects.

Global Citizen chief executive Hugh Evans says the summit is an opportunity for governments and global banks to collaborate to jump start climate projects stalled by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He hopes Power Our Planet will encourage leaders to take advantage of that opportunity and provide the 16.7 billion dollars (13.5 billion) in outstanding climate financing promised in 2009 to lower-income countries.

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Global leaders and democratically elected governments really only respond to the momentum of their people and summits like this can come and go, Evans told The Associated Press.



Billie Eilish will perform in Paris (Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP)

If it doesnt achieve its goal, were going to miss the window this year to make the climate negotiations the success, which is even more important after last years complete failure in Egypt.

The Eiffel Tower event is part of the Global Citizen initiative, announced last month at the Global Citizen Now conference in New York, supporting Barbados prime minister Mia Mottleys call to rewrite the rules of global development banks and relieve the debts of lower-income countries to increase funding for climate adaptation projects.

Global Citizen has shown for years, especially with its A-list concerts in New Yorks Central Park, that it can generate action by having cultural leaders mobilise their supporters.

Artists like Kravitz plan to motivate fans to act today to save tomorrow.

The next generation are inheriting a planet thats being devastated by climate change, Kravitz said in a statement.

We have the power to change things with our voices and our actions.

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French President Emmanuel Macron supports the Global Citizen event, citing the need for a world with more solidarity.

Major philanthropic organisations including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Rotary International and Open Society Foundations, as well as the public-private partnership Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, will also support the effort.

Power Our Planet: Live in Paris, which will also include performances from Finneas, Jon Batiste, and Ben Harper, will be livestreamed on Global Citizens social media platforms, while Amazon Music will host the livestream on its Twitch channel.
Dracula Untold star Luke Evans has led tributes to the kind, loving and full of life actor Ray Stevenson.

Northern Irish thespian Stevenson  known for films including Thor and Punisher  died on Sunday aged 58, though no further details were immediately made available.

He starred as Porthos in the 2011 film The Three Musketeers  alongside Evans, Matthew Macfadyen and Milla Jovovich  and appeared in Divergent with Kate Winslet and Zoe Kravitz in 2014.

Evans shared a photograph of himself with Stevenson on the set of The Three Musketeers to Instagram, with the caption: Goodbye my friend.

He added: You were a kind and loving human, full of life and energy, you were the giant who I stood by and admired.

I will miss your bear hugs and your contagious laughter.

My love Im sending to you Betta and your wonderful family. Rest in power Big bro x #raystevenson.

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Stevenson starred in many television shows, including as soldier Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO series Rome from 2005-2007, as well as a spin-off series for the Star Wars franchise.

He appeared more recently as the villainous Governor Scott Buxton in the 2022 Oscar-winning Bollywood film RRR.

So sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away. A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim. My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss.  James Purefoy  (@JamesPurefoy) May 22, 2023

Actor James Purefoy, who portrayed Mark Antony in Rome, tweeted: So sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away.

A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim. My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss.

Replying to Purefoys tweet, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill shared a broken hearted emoji, while TV presenter Lorraine Kelly said: Oh James. Im so very sorry to hear this.

I loved Ray as Pullo  he was a brilliant actor and a lovely man. So incredibly sad.

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Damn. So sorry to hear about the passing, far too young, of Ray Stevenson. I only knew him a little from shooting post-credits of Thor 2 & a couple interactions at events, but we had some good laughs & he was a joy to work with. His friends & family are in my heart today.   James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 22, 2023

Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn tweeted: Damn. So sorry to hear about the passing, far too young, of Ray Stevenson.

I only knew him a little from shooting post-credits of Thor 2 & a couple interactions at events, but we had some good laughs & he was a joy to work with.

Stevenson began his career on TV in the 1990s before landing action roles in Hollywood films starting in the 2000s.

His first major role came in Antoine Fuquas 2004s movie King Arthur, alongside Clive Owen, Ray Winstone and Keira Knightley.

The actor played Dagonet, one of the knights of the Round Table.

We are sad to hear of the passing of Ray Stevenson. You may recognize Ray as Baylon Skoll from the upcoming Ahsoka show on Disney+. You may also remember his work as the voice of mandalorian super commando Gar Saxon in The Clone Wars. Our sincerest condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/lFiZziuZbj Advertisement  Peter Mayhew Foundation (@TheWookieeRoars) May 22, 2023

In 2008, he landed the lead role in Marvels Punisher: War Zone, playing the titular character and his alias Frank Castle  becoming the third actor to do so onscreen.

He later appeared in other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Asgardian warrior Volstagg in Thor, Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.

Stevenson also held various roles in the Star Wars universe, lending his voice to Disneys popular Mandalorian series.

At the 2023 Star Wars celebration in London, it was announced he would appear in the upcoming Ahsoka series.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ray Stevenson, who brought humor and wit to the character of Volstagg. He was a wonderful actor who will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. https://t.co/8t0w99Am1f pic.twitter.com/aQDwntDnv4  Thor (@thorofficial) May 23, 2023

Marvel said: The incredibly talented actor, and long-time Marvel friend, Ray Stevenson has sadly passed away at the age of 58.

It said his Volstagg brought both humour and action to the Thor films and added: Marvel extends our condolences to Stevensons family, friends, and fans all over the world.

The Peter Mayhew Foundation, set up by the late actor who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, tweeted: We are sad to hear of the passing of Ray Stevenson.

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Entertainment Punisher actor Ray Stevenson dies aged 58 Read More

You may recognise Ray as Baylon Skoll from the upcoming Ahsoka show on Disney+.

You may also remember his work as the voice of Mandalorian super commando Gar Saxon in The Clone Wars.

Our sincerest condolences to his family.
A Russian court has extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich by three months, Russian news agencies reported.

Mr Gershkovich, 31, an American citizen, was ordered to be held until August 30.

He was arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer and the US government have denied the charges.

Mr Gershkovich is the first US correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges, and his arrest drew outrage in the West.





The US government has declared Mr Gershkovich to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release. He is being held in Moscows Lefortovo prison.

Tuesdays court hearing was not announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy.

Russian authorities have not detailed what evidence, if any, they have to support the espionage charges.

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Various legal proceedings have been closed to the media, and no details immediately emerged about whether Mr Gershkovich or US Embassy representatives attended Tuesdays hearing or what was said.

Russian news agency Tass said the session was closed because the reporter was accused of possession of secret materials.

One Russian news agency, Interfax, quoted a court official as saying Mr Gershkovichs parents  themselves Soviet emigres living in New Jersey  were visiting Moscow and had been admitted to the court building but not into Tuesdays hearing.

US Embassy officials were allowed at least one prison visit to Mr Gershkovich since his arrest in Yekaterinburg on March 29 but Russian authorities have denied other visits.

In a statement after Tuesdays hearing, the Wall Street Journal said: While we expected there would be no change to Evans wrongful detention, we are deeply disappointed. The accusations are demonstrably false, and we continue to demand his immediate release.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters in Washington: We once again call on Russia to comply with their obligation to provide consular access to him.



Paul Whelan, a former US marine, was jailed in Russia for alleged spying (Sofia Sandurskaya/Moscow News Agency photo via AP/PA)

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He added that the charges against Mr Gershkovich are baseless and we continue to call for his immediate release as well as for the immediate release of Paul Whelan.

Mr Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, is serving a 16-year espionage sentence in a remote Russian prison. The retired US marine was detained in 2018.

Mr Whelan and Washington deny he spied in Russia.

The Biden administration had hoped to secure Mr Whelans release during negotiations on a prisoner exchange that eventually freed American basketball star Brittney Griner from a Russian prison last December.
The EU and US are working to develop a new trans-Atlantic data privacy regime, potentially as early as July, that would provide safeguards and assurances of privacy protections for data transferred and stored in the US. With Meta promising to appeal the latest decision, an agreement might be reached in time to render this weeks judgement anachronistic. Loading What the decision and fine do demonstrate is that the Europeans take the data privacy of their citizens far more seriously than almost every other community, with, as noted, the possible exception of China. As Meta noted, there is a fundamental conflict between the approach the US and other Western governments take to access to data and the Europeans approach. Indeed, theres a massive difference to the way the US and other governments view big techs activities more broadly relative to the EU, where legislation regulating content moderation, the transparency of what they are doing with consumers data, and anti-competitive practices are far more stringent and prescriptive than in most other jurisdictions. (Twitter, for instance, having denuded its content moderation capabilities under Elon Musk, is facing a forced exit from Europe if it cant demonstrate an ability to comply with an EU code on disinformation that is soon to become law).

Meta made the point that the ability of data to flow seamlessly across borders is fundamental to how internet commerce functions. Its not just the big social media and e-commerce platforms that collect and use user data  thousands of companies collect data from other countries citizens and, in an era of cloud computing, store it in data centres in their home countries. Without the ability to transfer data across borders, the internet risks being carved up in national and regional silos, restricting the global economy and leaving citizens in different countries unable to access many of the shared services we have come to rely on, Meta said. If the Meta decision stands, it might have to remove all the existing data it holds related to Europeans, which would be a costly, and perhaps impossible, nightmare. Credit: Bloomberg In the absence of a new agreement between the EU and US, Meta and many others  particularly those pursuing the data for service model employed by the social media platforms  will find it difficult, if not impossible, to collect or hold data on Europeans in their home markets. They could, at great cost, replicate their (predominantly US) infrastructure and operations within a tight EU silo or excise the EU from their businesses. In Metas case, Europe represents about 10 per cent of its global revenues.

Loading As concerning, if the Meta decision stands, it might have to remove all the existing data it holds relating to Europeans, which would be a costly, and perhaps impossible, nightmare. In some respects, the big tech companies have brought this outcome on themselves, and others. They have been very aware that privacy is regarded very differently in Europe than it is in the US  the massive catalogue of fines they have built up would, by itself, have put them on notice  but they have ploughed on without significantly changing their practices. The sooner the EU, US and other advanced economies can come up with a shared view of how to manage and protect users data, the better.

Meta is aggrieved that it has been singled out. Not only do thousands of other companies use the same contractual mechanism to operate within Europe, but so too does China. The EU hasnt taken similar actions against China or Chinese companies, although, ironically, the US is trying to do something analogous to TikTok that the EU has just done to Meta. The sooner the EU, US and other advanced economies can come up with a shared view of how to manage and protect users data, the better. Loading While it is the US technology companies that have been caught within the collision of the EU regime and its less aggressive US counterpart, European companies are at a distinct disadvantage in trying to compete, given that they operate under the strictest of privacy laws while their competitors appear to treat the fines they face as something to be either endlessly appealed or perhaps just absorbed as the cost of doing business in Europe. More broadly, the 21st-century global economy cant function effectively or efficiently if data is quarantined within national borders. The EU and US, as the lead protagonists in the debate about the relationship between data privacy and borderless commerce, need to devise a framework that protects one without unduly burdening the other.
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 After more than half a century of scorching sun, torrential rain and fallout from fireworks and bushfires, are the tiles on the Sydney Opera House looking a little less white? And what about mould, lichen, dirt, dust, chips, cracks and bird poo on top of the worlds most famous set of sails? These are questions building operations manager Dean Jakubowski is asked often, including on top of the A2 sail  the buildings largest  when this masthead spends a day with him. Sydney skyline is seen from the top of the A2 shell. Credit: Dylan Coker People think when they come on site on a dull day that the sails arent so white, says Jakubowski, a former carpenter who now gets to abseil all over Australias best-known building for a job. But that was absolutely intentional. A rooftop visit is a rare honour, and comes 60 years after work began on stage two of the building  the roof and tiles. Opera House building operations manager Dean Jakubowski makes his way through the passage to the crawl space leading to the top shell of the sails on section A2. Credit: Dylan Coker Like peeking underneath a haute couture garment, on the way up we get a glimpse of the fine craftsmanship in parts of the building the public never sees.

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We scale spiral staircases made from original brushbox timber up to the catwalk above the Concert Hall ceiling to the crown of the building. We then shimmy up the spine of the largest sail through a confined space; a claustrophobics nightmare. Inside, a privileged few who have come this way before have graffitied their names on the concrete cavity beneath the tiles. Workman Domenico Quaranta was here in 1964 and former Opera House Trust chair Joseph Skrzynksi in 1997. Swimmer Sam Riley and the 2000 Olympic torch relay and the Jackie Chan stunt team in 2016. Opera House building operations manager Dean Jakubowski and height access specialists Morgan Pugh and Dean Gillies prepare to inspect the shell of the sails on section A2, which includes the famous buildings highest point at 68 metres above sea level. Credit: Dylan Coker Not only do we get a birds-eye view of the city, the harbour and the 14 shells of the Sydney Opera House, we also get a close-up view of the tiles on top, and the tools  some of them drawing on video game technology  used by the maintenance team to keep the building shipshape. Sydney Opera House building operations manager Dean Jakubowski and height access specialist Dean Gillies work on the shell of the sails in the early morning light. Credit: Dylan Coker If you look closely at the pattern you can see that we have got gloss and matte tiles, Jakubowski says. He says the lichen atop the building is not removed in order to retain the character of the building. Its the same situation for mould on the sealant between cracks in the tiles, which actually helps protect the concrete beneath. Theres the odd tiny crack or chip, but any bird poo has been washed off by rain.

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The self-cleaning tiles never get a scrub down by anything but the elements. Danish architect Jorn Utzon planned it that way, the spherical shape of the shells allowing for good drainage so that cleaning would not be necessary. The 4228 chevron tiles required to cover the shells were produced in a factory set up under the Monumental Steps. Tiles were placed face down in one of 26 chevron-shaped beds, each with a base shaped to match the curve of the roof. Credit: Dylan Coker He worked on the tiles, made from clay with a small percentage of crushed stone, for three years with Swedish company Hoganas. In the early 1960s, more than 1 million Sydney Tiles were shipped from Sweden. Some 940,840 cover the building now and the remainder are in an off-site storage facility. Its not known exactly how many tiles are left or, indeed, how many Sydney bathrooms may sport some spares souvenired by workers in the 1960s. A lady in Rozelle contacted me once when parts of her 120-year-old house were about to be demolished, telling me the previous owner had tiles that were used in the construction of the Sydney Opera House, Jakubowski says. She said she did not want to throw them in the tip, as the last thing she would want to do would [be to] throw away part of Sydneys history. I jumped at the chance to replenish our supply. A small pallet of 250 tiles was delivered, which was welcome given they are no longer in production. Every five years Jakubowski and a team of six take six days to abseil all over the building to hand-test each tile.

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Its pretty painstaking work, like using a glockenspiel and tapping every single tile, Jakubowski says. Like the musicians who work below the sails, a good ear is required to pick the higher-pitched drummy sound of a cracked or faulty tile. Since he started work here in 2006, only 50 tiles have needed replacing; 12 in this most recent tile test, 14 and 24 in previous tests. Building operations manager Dean Jakubowski and height access specialist Dean Gillies abseil down the eastern side of the A2 shell. Credit: Dylan Coker When you are talking close to a million tiles, it is a bit of a testament to the people who built it, Jakubowski says. The Opera House tile-check method is the same used in home bathrooms, explains Szymon Stec, a civil engineer and qualified abseiler who knows the buildings external engineering like the back of his hand.

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Like in your bathroom when a tile debonds from the building  if you tap it, it sounds hollow  the same principle is used for the Opera House, he says. Obviously we use slightly different tools, with our spring-loaded hammer, which, when it taps, doesnt break the surface. You have to be very careful with the heritage site. Stec heads the 18-strong Sydney Opera House team at Arup  the consultant engineering company that has worked on the building since 1957. It was founded by Dane Ove Arup, who contacted his countryman Utzon to help construct the building the day after his winning design for the international competition was chosen from 233 others. Stec has worked climbing all over the Opera House for 10 years. The first time you do it you take a lot of selfies because you are on the Opera House but then you kind of realise it is just work. The Sydney Opera House under construction in April 1966. Credit: SMH

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The head of Australias biggest pure-play ethical fund, John McMurdo, warns that corporate greenwashing is deterring sceptical investors and consumers otherwise keen to do the right thing.

A trust deficit is starting to emerge, which doesnt surprise me in the slightest, says McMurdo, chief executive of the listed Australian Ethical Investment which has $8.5 billion under management.

Australian Ethical chief executive John McMurdo. Credit: James Alcock

There is a lot of fake news and a lot of greenwashing, so its hard for investors to know what to believe. This has become a cancer where bad cells in the ecosystem run the risk of eroding the benefit of the good cells.

Cognisant of the emerging dangers, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) recently warned of the spreading practice of misrepresenting the extent to which a financial investment or product is environmentally friendly, sustainable or ethical.
Consumers are set to benefit from a change that will permit advocacy groups, such as Choice, to make complaints directly to the competition watchdog, a move that is expected to fuel more investigations and better protect consumers.

The Albanese government will allow trusted groups representing consumers and small business groups from mid-2024 to lodge complaints to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) through a dedicated express lane, where the groups have strong evidence of systemic market issues under the consumer law.

Xavier OHalloran of Super Consumers Australia, welcomes the fast-tracking of complaints to the ACCC. Credit: Rhett Wyman

Xavier OHalloran, director of advocacy group Super Consumers Australia, says the change recognises the important role consumer organisations play in keeping regulators directly accountable to the interests of Australians.

Under the change, the ACCC will have to respond to the complaints within a certain period of time.
Chinese medical team makes great contributions to Algeria's health service: Algerian official

Xinhua) 10:53, May 23, 2023

Chinese Ambassador to Algeria Li Jian addresses a reception held by the Chinese embassy in Algeria to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the dispatch of Chinese medical teams to Algeria in Algiers, Algeria on May 21, 2023. Since 1963, China has sent 27 batches of medical teams to Algeria, treated about 27.37 million patients, performed about 1.75 million operations and delivered about 2.07 million newborns. (Xinhua)

ALGIERS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Algeria celebrated on Sunday the 60th anniversary of the dispatch of Chinese medical teams to Algeria.

Mohamed Talhi, secretary-general of the Algerian Ministry of Health, thanked the Chinese medical team for their contribution to the health care development in Algeria.

Talhi said since China sent its first medical team to Algeria in 1963, successive Chinese medical personnel have worked with Algerian doctors to provide medical services to Algerians.

Talhi also thanked China for its generous support for Algerian medical institutions in terms of volunteer services and medical equipment.

Li Bin, president of the Chinese-African People's Friendship Association, said the operation of the Chinese medical team in Algeria fully reflects the mutual trust and sincere friendship between the two peoples, and has become a model of Sino-Algerian cooperation, she added.

Chinese Ambassador to Algeria Li Jian said that over the past 60 years, Chinese medical teams have contributed to Algeria's public health care, the two countries' health cooperation and the friendship between the two peoples.

Yang Yong, chief of the 27th batch of Chinese medical team to Algeria, said that the Chinese medical team to Algeria will keep innovating new ways of medical assistance, while demonstrating new technology, new methods and new ideas.

Since 1963, China has sent 27 batches of medical teams to Algeria, treated about 27.37 million patients, performed about 1.75 million operations and delivered about 2.07 million newborns.

Li Bin, president of the Chinese-African People's Friendship Association, addresses a reception held by the Chinese embassy in Algeria to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the dispatch of Chinese medical teams to Algeria in Algiers, Algeria on May 21, 2023. Since 1963, China has sent 27 batches of medical teams to Algeria, treated about 27.37 million patients, performed about 1.75 million operations and delivered about 2.07 million newborns. (Xinhua)

Mohamed Talhi, secretary-general of the Algerian Ministry of Health, addresses a reception held by the Chinese embassy in Algeria to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the dispatch of Chinese medical teams to Algeria in Algiers, Algeria on May 21, 2023. Since 1963, China has sent 27 batches of medical teams to Algeria, treated about 27.37 million patients, performed about 1.75 million operations and delivered about 2.07 million newborns. (Xinhua)

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) CEO Kang Goo-young, left, shakes hands with Dato' Sri Muez bin Abd Aziz, fourth from left, secretary general of the Malaysia defense ministry, during a signing ceremony in Malaysia, Tuesday, for KAI's export of the FA-50 light combat aircraft to Malaysia. In February, Malaysia agreed to purchase 18 FA-50s worth $920 million. Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, second from left, and his Malaysian counterpart Dato' Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, third from left, were also present. Courtesy of Korea Aerospace Industries
Three country justices of the peace acting as judges in a rerun of Morants court-martial, rejected the official guilty verdict of one of British military historys most controversial trials.

Harry the Breaker Morant was innocent, according to an unofficial retrial held in Burra in the mid-north of South Australia last night. The verdict caused wild celebrations in the town.

First published in The Age on May 25, 1988

They said that as there was an element of doubt about whether Morant was acting on orders when he authorised the shooting of nine Boer prisoners, the verdict had to be not guilty. They also found two Australian soldiers who were convicted with Morant not guilty.

A crowd of about 500 gathered in Burras town hall for the retrial which organisers said was not a mere re-enactment. On a popular vote, the crowd also gave a verdict of not guilty, with less than a quarter favouring a guilty verdict.

The retrial, in which local citizens played the accused and witnesses, including Lord Kitchener, was run largely on normal court procedures, though there were touches of theatricality as the public responded with applause to some of the testimony.

The poet, horse-breaker and soldier Lieutenant Harry the Breaker Morant and Australian lieutenants Peter Handcock and George Witton, found guilty by a British court martial of murdering nine Boer prisoners in South Africa 86 years ago, gained their second chance thanks to a local farmer, Mr David Jennings.
First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on May 25, 1963

CARS, BUILDINGS BURN IN NIGHT OF CRACKER VANDALISM

At least eight buildings and seven cars were damaged or destroyed by fires, believed to have been started by crackers or vandals, as Sydney celebrated Commonwealth Day yesterday.

Bonfire night, City, 24 May 1963 Credit: Anthony Linses

The buildings included a disused three-storey tenement in Bourke Street, city, which was burnt out and Liverpool Post-office, which was severely damaged.

The evening began quietly with orderly bonfires in many suburbs, but as the night wore on, all available police and firemen were kept busy answering calls to gangs of cracker-armed hoodlums and fires.
The sister of a man who died after being Tasered more than a dozen times said she was disappointed and frustrated that problems within NSW Police highlighted by her brothers death were still festering more than a decade later.

Addressing the Tasering of 95-year-old Clare Nowland in a Cooma nursing home last week, Ana Laudisio said, I wonder if this police officer would have used the Taser if he was dealing with his [own] grandmother?

Roberto Curti died after being Tasered 14 times.

NSW Police on Tuesday suspended a 33-year-old senior constable with full pay, pending investigations into the matter, after he Tasered Nowland  who uses a walker, weighs 43 kilograms, and has dementia  and caused her to fall and sustain critical injuries.

Laudisios brother Roberto Curti  who she remembers as loving and friendly, with a lot of things still to be lived in his life  died in 2012 after a police chase ended in multiple Taser shots, contributing to what the coroner described as an ungoverned, excessive police use of force.
A Melbourne council will rip out 160 trees it recently planted to provide shade on a barren trail after residents complained they would obstruct their coastal views.

The City of Hobsons Bay will remove every second tree of the 320 yellow boxes  eucalyptus melliodora  planted last year along the Skeleton Creek and Bay Trail at Altona Meadows in Melbournes south-west.

The view across Skeleton Creek and Bay Trail in Altona Meadows, where the yellow box trees were planted. Credit: Jason South

The decision follows a 365-signature petition from residents who complained the council didnt consult those whose homes backed onto the trail, and forecast the trees  once they matured to a height of 10-15 metres  would block their views.

The council admitted it did not speak directly to those residents  who argue that the unimpeded view adds value to their homes  before planting the trees.
Police have released images of a Melbourne schoolboy suspected to have been involved in the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Pasawm Lyhym in Sunshine as an extensive search to locate him enters its fifth day.

Seventeen-year-old Mayik Atem has been on the run since last Friday, when he failed to return to his family home in Hillside, in Melbournes north-western suburbs. Police have described the teenager as a significant player in the stabbing.

Mayik Atem, 17, failed to return to his family home on Friday. Credit: Victoria Police

Images of Atem have been released in the hope someone recognises him and can provide information about his current whereabouts, police said in a statement.

At this time it is not known if Atem is armed or has access to any weapons.
ASIO officers are being embedded within the Defence Department to help prevent foreign spies from stealing the highly prized nuclear-powered submarine secrets Australia plans to acquire under the AUKUS pact with the United States and United Kingdom.

At occasionally fiery Senate estimates hearings  where two Liberal senators were accused of playing culture war politics with national security to increase their popularity  ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess defended the agencys decision to quietly disrupt several foreign interference plots rather than seek criminal prosecutions.

ASIO Director-General of Security Mike Burgess said criminal prosecutions were not always needed to disrupt foreign interference plots. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Burgess said ASIO was on the lookout for any threat to public safety or foreign interference associated with the upcoming Indigenous Voice to parliament referendum campaign, adding there was the possibility of spontaneous violence as debate over the issue intensifies.

Burgess described AUKUS as a great shiny example of something that foreign intelligence services would like to get insights on, raising the importance of ensuring the Australian Defence Force has the best possible security protections as the nuclear-powered submarine plan advances.
The senior investigator in the Bruce Lehrmann case said his entire team was worried about hauling the former Coalition staffer before the court because of the presumption of innocence, but agreed his summary of the evidence didnt mention inconsistencies in Lehrmann's account of what happened.

ACT Policing Detective Superintendent Scott Moller told an inquiry into the abandoned rape trial of Lehrmann that while he was convinced to lay the sexual assault charge, the relationship between police and the prosecutors office became fractured because his subordinates didnt feel the same.

Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said his team had concerns about charging Bruce Lehrmann. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

They were concerned for the presumption of innocence, Moller said. They were worried about putting Mr Lehrmann before the court when they didnt think there was enough evidence ... that was the principal view that they held.

Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to raping his former colleague Brittany Higgins in the parliamentary office of their then-boss, Liberal senator Linda Reynolds, on March 23, 2019, and has always maintained his innocence.
Its also worth checking out national parks and reserves to add to your itinerary, entrance fees often go towards animal and environment conservation.

Supporting local operators and national parks can aid in conservation efforts. Credit: iStock

3. Offset your travel

One really simple way to make your holiday more eco-friendly is to book with travel companies who offer carbon offsetting. The saying goes, what you cant reduce, re-use or replace  offset.

Leading the way in Australia, Webjet is the only online travel agency to offer this, helping travellers make small contributions towards big results via its Sustainable Traveller Program.

Launched in 2020, the program calculates the emissions generated by a customers flight booking, and then (if the customer opts in to the program) directs the associated offset cost towards projects making a difference.

One hundred per cent of these offset contributions support verified projects that mitigate climate change, protect wildlife and nourish communities, says Galt. These projects include Indigenous fire abatement in the Northern Territory, introducing efficient cookstoves in Africa, and native forest conservation in South America.

And the response has been positive. It is incredibly encouraging that in the last 12 months, the number of customers choosing to carbon offset their travel has increased by 63 per cent. 198,000 Webjet customers have already offset 74,000 tonnes of CO2, which is the equivalent of over 51,000 trips from Sydney to London.

4. Watch where you stay

Travellers can also lessen their carbon footprint by making a conscious decision about their accommodation  particularly for staycations or domestic trips, says Galt. This could mean booking a hotel that utilises solar power, a B&B that grows its own kitchen produce, or a resort made from recycled building materials.

In a clever move, Webjets Sustainable Traveller program recently added the carbon offset option to booking accommodation as well. Hotel offsets only launched in March, and it is fantastic to already see such positive results and feedback from Webjet customers. To date, 1600 hotel nights have been offset.

Simply put, the more customers who take a small action through carbon offsetting, the greater the cumulative positive impact.

Pick accommodation that makes a positive environmental impact. Credit: iStock

5. Dont discount the little things

Just like carbon offsetting, there are other small gestures that can make an impact. For instance, throw a reusable coffee cup into your luggage to cut down on waste.

While youre at it, find space for a refillable water bottle, travel cutlery and straw. At the same time, avoid over-packing all those extra layers (do you really need five jumpers?). Reduced luggage weight means planes use less fuel.

Galt concludes, its becoming easier to venture out into the world responsibly. The travel industry, including airlines and hotels, is increasingly recognising the importance of sustainability and the demand for eco-friendly travel options. This is undoubtedly driving a stronger focus to introduce greater eco-friendly options across all areas of travel.

Webjet, Australia and New Zealands leading online travel agent, is empowering customers to reduce the environmental impact of their travel through carbon offsetting. To celebrate the launch of carbon offsetting for hotels, for one week only on 23rd  29th May 2023, Webjet will be matching all carbon offset contributions for flight, hotel or package bookings*  doubling each travellers positive impact!

To learn more about Sustainable Traveller and carbon offsetting, visit webjet.com.au/about/sustainable-traveller.

To receive the latest travel deals, exclusive offers and unlock hotel savings with Member Only Hotel Deals at Webjet, sign up to their newsletter here: webjet.com.au/about/subscribe.

*T&Cs apply
Singapore: Xanana Gusmao, the independence hero and first president of Timor-Leste, is poised to push to pipe natural gas from the Greater Sunrise fields to the countrys south coast rather than Darwin after romping to victory in the countrys parliamentary election.

The 76-year-olds National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) party received 41.6 per cent of the popular vote and claimed 31 of the 65 seats in the national parliament, according to provisional results of Sundays poll.

Xanana Gusmaos party dominated Sundays election. Credit: Raimundos Oki

It paves the way for Gusmao to return as prime minister, a post he held between 2007 and 2015, and for his party to resume governing after three years in opposition.

Timor-Lestes other major party, Fretilin, was humbled in the poll, recording only 26.8 per cent of the overall vote and collecting just 19 seats when the count was completed on Tuesday.
New research hopes to improve the health and wellbeing of older people living in sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to a 2 million National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Global Research Professorship award.

Celia Gregson, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Bristol and The Health Research Unit Zimbabwe (THRU-ZIM), and Honorary Consultant Geriatrician at the Royal United Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Bath, has been awarded a prestigious NIHR Professorship for her research programme Healthy ageing in sub-Saharan Africa.

Professor Gregson is one of four leading health researchers working in Africa and Asia who have been awarded the NIHR Professorships in this most recent round. Each award includes a leadership and development programme, and funding for early-career research and support posts. This award is complimented by additional investment from the University of Bristol.

The research project will analyse data from 5,030 older adults living in Zimbabwe, The Gambia, and South Africa, to understand how commonly people are ageing healthily - and unhealthily - and how this influences quality of life.

The study will develop an evidence-based clinical framework to assess and manage chronic disorders of ageing, such as walking, balance, nutrition, memory, mood, eyesight, and hearing.

Working with a range of stakeholders, healthcare experts and older people themselves, a health check-up for people over 65 years will be developed. The check-up will be trialled in Zimbabwe to assess the feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness, and costs of implementing community-based health checks.

Towards the end of the five-year research programme a set of tools will be developed to guide the structured, comprehensive, person-centred assessment and management of older people, ready for scale-up across sub-Saharan Africa.

Professor Gregson said: Thanks to advances in health and sanitation, around the world people are living longer than ever before, with the greatest changes happening in Africa. In these added years of life, older people understandably want health and wellbeing, which is healthy ageing.

However, healthcare services are not currently configured to provide for rapidly ageing populations, meaning older people are more likely to be living with disability and dependence.

We want to understand why some people age healthily and some unhealthily in Zimbabwe, The Gambia, and South Africa, and then develop an Ageing Check-up, run by nurses and therapists in local communities, where older people can be assessed and offered practical management to maintain health as they age.

Professor Waljit Dhillo, NIHR Academy Dean, said: Im delighted to warmly welcome our latest cohort of NIHR Global Research Professors. As leaders in their fields, these outstanding individuals will play a key role in improving the health and care of people around the world as well as developing early career researchers in their teams worldwide.

Professor Agnes Nairn, Pro Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement at the University of Bristol, added: Congratulations to Professor Gregson on this prestigious NIHR Professorship. The research programme gives us the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of people in low and middle income countries (LMICs).

Through our established global health research network across Africa we can work collaboratively to proactively plan innovative ways of providing healthcare to help people age well that can influence policy and practice.

During the five-year study, the Bristol research team will grow a highly skilled and experienced Global Health and Ageing Research team working collaboratively between a newly launched Global health and Ageing Research Unit at the University and The Health Research Unit Zimbabwe (THRU-ZIM), to ensure positive impacts on older peoples health for many years to come.

NIHR Global Research Professorships are awarded to academic leaders with a track-record of applied health research in low and middle income countries. Since 2018, eight Global Research Professorships have been awarded, to leaders in areas as diverse as HIV, hospital-acquired infections and global disability.

The five-year NIHR Global Health Professorship programme Healthy Ageing in sub-Saharan Africa was awarded 1,994,094 and started on 1 April 2023 (ref: NIHR302394).
National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong speaks to reporters at the presidential office in Seoul, March 30. Yonhap



North Korea could launch its first military spy satellite "in the near future," National Security Adviser Cho Tae-yong said Tuesday, as speculation has grown over the timing of the launch.



Cho made the remark during an interview with Yonhap News TV, warning the North will be met with stronger sanctions if it goes ahead.



"North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un announced it would come by the end of April, but he isn't keeping his promise," Cho said, citing "various" possible problems.



"There's a chance of a launch in the near future. In such an event, there will be efforts on our part and it will result in deepening North Korea's diplomatic isolation in the international community," he said.



Kim visited a preparatory committee for the satellite launch last week and approved of its "future action plan," according to the North's Korean Central News Agency, signaling the launch could be imminent.



Cho said Seoul would respond by pressing the international community to strictly enforce sanctions on North Korea, while also imposing additional standalone sanctions together with like-minded nations.



"What's important is making clear that whether North Korea launches a reconnaissance satellite or carries out a nuclear test, it will no longer be able to boast its presence to the international community or gain any practical economic benefits," he said. (Yonhap)


Latest News Australian Mortgage Awards nominations open Get your 2023 entries in for industry's night of nights

MFAA national conference: Brokers focus on future 900 participants urged to embrace change

Managing director of commercial brokerage Stamford Capital, Domenic Lo Surdo has welcomed the Victorian governments decision to abolish stamp duty on commercial and industrial properties, although he said several questions remain about the flat tax replacement.

The Victorian government announced on Tuesday that it would deliver the reform to commercial and industrial property stamp duty as part of the Economic Growth Package included in its State Budget for 2023-24. The lump-sum system will transition to an annual property tax from July 1, 2024.

Properties will transition to the new system as they are sold from the middle of 2024, with the annual property tax to be payable from 10 years after the transaction. The government said that the annual property tax will be a calculated at a flat 1% of the propertys unimproved land value.

The government said in order to make the transition smoother, the first purchaser of a commercial or industrial property after July 1, 2024, could choose to either pay the propertys final stamp duty liability as an upfront lump sum or opt for the annual payment over 10 years.

Lo Surdo (pictured above left), who is also the vice-president of CAFBA, said reducing transaction costs for purchasers would improve buyer confidence around the state.

Feedback from our clients has focused heavily on the inability to purchase assets within budget, Lo Surdo said.

The continual rise in cost of capital is obviously a key driver in this, and it is having a major impact on purchasing capacity. Any reduction in the transaction cost for purchasers will likely inject some positivity back into their mindset, reduce transaction friction and add to confidence.

However, Lo Surdo said that there were still several questions about how the new flat tax would factor into transactions given the proposed ongoing tax. It will be very interesting to see which option comes out best for purchasers and investors in the long run. But it is a positive sign to see the government responding to calls for reform on stamp duty, he said.

Simplicity Loans & Advisory managing director Matthew Johnson (pictured above right), whose commercial finance brokerage has a presence in Melbourne, also said that the stamp duty abolition was welcome. He said stamp duty was inherently a very inefficient tax, and in many cases an impediment to people buying and selling assets.

Any time that it is proposed stamp duty be removed I think is a good thing, Johnson said.

However he said that, while it was possible that people buying and selling might be better off under the new tax if they were trading assets over a shorter period of time, with a property tax replacement it would be interesting to see how it plays out for certain purchasers over the longer term.

Johnson said that for self-employed owner occupiers in commercial properties  who may be purchasing a property they are renting, or investing in a premises to trade out of, for example - the move could be positive, generating revenue and business out of the property asset.

For investors, the jury is still out. For those looking at commercial property as an investment class, while on the upfront purchase you reduce the transaction cost, it is obviously an additional ongoing cost as part of the investment that will need to be factored in by these clients, he said.

Government wants to stimulate Victorian business activity

The Victorian Government said that removing upfront costs on commercial or industrial buildings would make it easier for businesses to get established and thrive, boosting economic activity, jobs and growth. Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said business and industry wanted the reform, and it would enable businesses to be more dynamic and agile, to grow and employ more workers.

Were removing barriers to larger investments, accelerating business growth and helping our economy grow even stronger, Pallas said.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Paul Guerra said the chamber had been working with the government on the landmark and generational productivity reform which businesses across Victoria will welcome.

This is exactly the type of progressive tax reform that is required to free up stamp duty charges which will accelerate building upgrades, stimulate investment in commercial property and free up more capital, Guerra said.

The new arrangements will not apply to the current owner of any commercial or industrial property purchased before July 1, 2024. However once a property enters the new system after this time, stamp duty will never again be payable on a transaction and the annual property tax will apply.

The government said the annual payment would free up capital. For example, it said a retail business could be more confident about moving to a new location, or a transport operator that required additional space will have fewer barriers to expand. It expects the cumulative increase in the size of the Victorian economy as a result as being up to $50 billion in net present value terms.

It said the reform would not apply to residential properties, and that it would consult with business and industry in coming months to finalise details of the transition.
Tired of reaching for your curling iron every morning? Want more body in your tresses? Heres why you should consider getting a perm.

Whether youre too nervous to bite the bullet and head to the salon or youre just curious about the process of getting a perm, weve got you covered. Our two resident beauty guinea pigs, Senior Beauty Writer Red and Editorial Assistant Phyll, are here to walk you through their experiences and what to expect so that you can weigh up your options.

We headed to Aube International Hair Salon in Bangsar for two big perm makeoversone being an 80s-inspired perm and the other being natural wavesso you can get inspired for your own hair transformation!

Below, find the results of our appointments and glean the styling tips we picked up from the salons Director and Manager Steve Lee Kok Aun.

Redzhanna Jazmin, Senior Beauty Writer: 80s Perm

The 80s nostalgia fad may be on its way out, but Im not done milking it yet. For my hair transformation, I asked for a big, fluffy perm with lots of volume and cute little ringlet bangs. Specifically, I wanted to emulate a look my mum sported back in 1993 (apparently, the 80s came 10 years late to Malaysia).

The process:

I had a great experience at Aube. The salon itself is a lovely spacevery aesthetically pleasing and very clean (a must!) with a calming ambienceso, it was easy to get settled in. My only qualm was the playlist, though that was nothing I couldnt solve with a pair of earbuds!

My appointment started with a consultation, where my stylist, Steve Lee, walked me through the process and talked me through the potential outcomes. He explained that because my hair was bleached in some places (a DIY job), those areas might feel extra dry post-perm. He also advised that I shape my haircut before the permsomething I was 100 per cent on board with given that my last haircut was also a DIY job (sue me!).

Lee gave me a dry cut, with plenty of layers in the middle section of my hair to create volume in the right places. Then came the hair wash. Im not usually one to feel strongly about this step, but I have to say I was so impressed by how gentle and thorough they were. At no point did my neck feel strained nor did water drip down my neck!

Once I was back in my seat, Lee started putting in the perm rollers. Im very impatient, so I was relieved to find that he was extremely efficient with this stepI think the process was done within an hour, inclusive of the perm solution and neutraliser processing time. Then, to wrap up the session, I was treated to a strengthening and moisturising hair treatment to restore some life to my hair post-chemical bath.  Redzhanna Jazmin, Senior Beauty Writer

The results:

BEFORE

AFTER

Its definitely looking a little wetter in this photo than it was once it had been washed at home, but Im thrilled with my perm. I love how voluminous and feminine it is, but my favourite part is my little baby bang curls! Im sure its not everyones cup of tea, but its exactly what I wanteda hair makeover that has since helped me cut down on my lengthy grooming routine.

How to style: When it came to styling my lovely, fluffy curls, Lee advised me to invest in a diffusersomething I luckily already had at home. He also suggested I get myself some curl cream, mousse or gel to help define my curls.

My current routine is pretty simpleif I want to make my perm pop, Ill scrunch in some gel while my hair is wet before I blow dry it. Lee actually recommended that I diffuse dry my hair upside down until it is 100 per cent dry to make sure that the gel cast holding the shape of my curls forms properly. Once dry, this can look a little crunchy, so Ill usually do this before bed, and then Ill sleep on it to loosen up the cast. Then, once I wake up the next morning, Ill smooth the curls down and condition my hair with some nourishing hair oil. Alternatively, if Im lazy, Ill just air-dry my hair and follow up with a lightweight hair serum to hydrate my strands, add some shine and smooth any flyaways.

One thing Ive learned in the last month is that sleeping with a silk pillowcase is a game-changer. On normal bed linens, the friction from the fabric can add frizz and ruin my curls, but when I use a silk casewhether I sleep with my hair diffuse-dried or wet (I know that I literally wrote the article on why you shouldnt do that, but sometimes a girl just cant be bothered)the silk helps me wake up with fresh, defined locks. For me, it has become an absolute must!

Phyll Wu, Editorial Assistant: Natural waves

The vision:

Earlier this year, I went to get my annual chop. Id usually do it myself at home, but I decided to get it professionally done by my partners childhood barber this roundbig mistake. Long story short, I ended up with a very short bob thats hardly even a bob due to the choppy layers he gave me (which I didnt even ask for). Yes, I cried.

Phylls reference for natural waves

Because I have naturally straight hair, the choppiness was not only incredibly visible, but my hair also looked painfully flat and it was impossible to fix without using a curling iron. Hence, I finally went to get my first perm at Aube International Hair Salon. I showed Lee the picture above as a reference, but honestly, I didnt really care if the final result didnt look the same as it couldnt end up any worse than what I walked in with. Initially, I requested a C-Curl perm, but Lee advised that it simply wouldnt turn out the way I wanted because of all the layers in my hair, so I opted for natural waves instead.

The experience

When I arrived at the salon, I was immediately greeted with a friendly smile before I was guided to my seat, where I was served a warm cup of tea. The salon was clean, comfortable, and had a pleasant atmosphere overall. As it was my first time getting a perm, I thought that it was going to be a long, vigorous process. To my surprise, it took way faster than I expected and the experience was quite relaxing. In fact, I almost fell asleep while getting my hair washed. When the perm was finally done, I was beyond satisfied with the resultsit was perfect!

The results:

BEFORE

AFTER

How to style: While drying my hair, Lee guided me through all the steps to maintain and style my perm. Although I can wash my hair as usual, he advised me to leave it to air dry, and that its best to avoid using a hairdryer unless its on low heat and attached to a diffuser. For brushing, Lee recommended using a wide-tooth comb or just gently running my fingers through my hair without pulling it downwards. Additionally, I was also told to scrunch my hair with curling cream daily to maintain my curls.

In terms of styling, Lee said that curly hair is extremely versatile and still looks good when left alone, so I dont have to do much (which was music to my ears). Ive always had a middle part, but he gave me a side part as a styling suggestion and I surprisingly loved it.

When I asked him how long my perm would last, Lee stated that it ultimately depends on my hair and the type of perm. Tighter curls tend to last longer, although its possible for softer curls to last just as long depending on the type of hair its done on. Some perms can last several months to a year, while others may only last a month or two. My hair is annoyingly stubborn, so I dont expect my perm to last longer than a monthbut Im definitely getting another perm done as soon as my curls loosen up!

The takeaway

If youre gearing up to get a cold perm done, we say go for it! Its relatively easy to maintain, being both air-dry and diffuser-friendly, and its a great way to switch up your style and make your beauty routine more convenient all-in-one!

For more hair reviews like this, click here.
By P R Sanjai

Veteran investor Rajiv Jains GQG Partners LLC has raised its stake in billionaire Gautam Adanis conglomerate by about 10% and will take part in the conglomerates future fund raising, doubling down on what he calls the best infrastructure assets available in India.





Jain said the value of GQGs Adani holdings was close to $3.5 billion. He didnt specify which companies he bought into or what part of the investment value came from direct purchases and rallies in Adani shares. Within five years, we would like to be one of the largest investors in Adani Group depending on the valuation, after the family, Jain, GQGs chief investment officer, said in an interview. We would certainly want to be partners in any of Adani Groups new offerings.



The Indian-origin investor who works from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, said he was unconcerned by the short sellers allegations, which Adani has repeatedly denied and that Jain characterized as par for the course in Indias business context. Over a 30-year investment career, Ive yet to come across a perfect company, Jain told Bloomberg News earlier this year. In March, GQG acquired almost $2 billion worth of shares in four of Adanis firms from a family trust. That initial investment in the beleaguered conglomerate bolstered the tycoons companies after they were accused of brazen stock-price manipulation and corporate fraud by New York short-seller Hindenburg Research, causing Adani Group at one point to shed more than $150 billion in market value.

Also Read Who is Rajiv Jain, and how he built his $92 billion empire at GQG Partners GQG Partners likely to increase investment in Adani, says Rajiv Jain GQG founder to meet Australian investors after $1.9 bn Adani investment GQG founder to meet Australian investors after $1.9 bn Adani investment GQG Partners sees $2 billion Adani bet delivering returns over 100% Disney to give pink slip to 2,500 employees in third round of layoffs Physis Capital announces first close of $50 mn fund for start-ups Vivriti seeks $250 mn for India's debut ABS private debt investment Public transport tech firm Chalo raises $45 million, to expand globally Vedanta announces dividend worth Rs 6,877 cr, Rs 18.5 per equity share



Market momentum appears to be in Jains favor for now as Adani Group stocks surged after an interim expert panel report submitted to Indias Supreme Court last week found no conclusive evidence of stock-price manipulation by the conglomerate. Jain has also justified his contrarian investment by pointing to the value of Adani Groups businesses, including its coal mining and airport assets, which are tethered to Indias development goals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi  who is seen to share a close friendship with Adani  is pushing domestic business houses to build up critical infrastructure and lure manufacturing away from places like China.

Flagship firm Adani Enterprises Ltd. advanced as much as 19% on Tuesday, taking its three-day jump to 46%, while Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd. gained 8% to recoup all its losses triggered by Hindenburg.
The DGCA had on May 8 ordered the airline to stop selling tickets and issued a show cause notice for not operating flights in a safe and reliable manner. Go First stopped operating flights from May 3 after filing an insolvency application with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) due to cash crunch.

Go First does not have a definite timeline yet for resuming flights, the airline told the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday.


In Q1CY23, while the demand for desktops was positive, the notebook category witnessed another weak quarter as it declined by 40.8 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y). The consumer segment declined by 36.1 per cent y-o-y primarily due to slowing demand and weak market sentiment. The commercial segment declined by 25.1 per cent y-o-y due to reduced/delayed procurement by enterprises and SMEs. The India personal computer (PC) market shipment, inclusive of desktops, notebooks, and workstations, dropped by an overall 30.1 per cent in the first quarter of CY2023 over the previous year, to only 2.99 million units, according to the latest data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Personal Computing Device Tracker released on Tuesday.



The hope is that global companies like HP, Dell, Acer, Asus, and Lenovo will move their production to India by giving contracts to EMS players. The continuous decline in shipments of PCs comes at a time when the government has just announced a revamped Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for IT products with better financial incentives. The aim is to enhance domestic production of PCs and laptops, which are currently mostly imported  that too, from China  and to transform India into an export hub.



But the reality at the moment is that the decline in shipments in Q1CY23 would have been even sharper had it not been for demand from the government and education segments. Procurement from government bodies propelled the segment to grow by 25.2 per cent y-o-y while fulfilment of the Gujarat education order helped the education segment grow by 65.6 per cent y-o-y. Experts expect the lower figures to be a temporary blip and that demand will pick up enough to make production in India attractive. According to the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) estimates, the PLI scheme in IT hardware envisages a cumulative production in six years of Rs 3.35 lakh crore, which is not even half of the cumulative demand in the domestic market for the same period.

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Channel partners across tiers for almost all vendors have been carrying heavy inventory for the last two quarters. Hence, shipments in the consumer segment decreased significantly in Q1CY23 as they focused on clearing off aging inventory. The biggest hit was in premium notebooks (>$1,000); these saw shipments decline by 65.8 per cent y-o-y in the commercial segment and 59 per cent y-o-y in the consumer segment. The IDC said that significant inventory correction of Apple MacBooks and low demand from enterprises led to a slump in the shipment of premium notebooks. The online channel struggled for the second consecutive quarter, declining by 42.4 per cent y-o-y in Q1CY23.



In terms of the companies, HP was the leader with a market share of 33.8 per cent despite an overall decline in shipments. Lenovo was second in the pecking order with less than half of HPs market share at 15.7 per cent and it saw its shipments decline by 37.5 per cent. The consumer market is expected to gradually recover from June-July with the back-to-college demand and then aggressive online sales expected during the festive months in Q3/Q4, said Bharath Shenoy, senior market analyst, IDC India.
Also Read VCs focusing more on due diligence amid startup funding slowdown: Report Layoffs continue at startups; funding winter, macro uncertainty to blame India's startup funding in 2022 double the pre-pandemic level: PwC Startup funding dips by 35% to $24.7 bn in 2022 YTD: Tracxn report Legal tech start-ups have raised $57 mn in funding since 2013: Report Vivriti seeks $250 mn for India's debut ABS private debt investment Public transport tech firm Chalo raises $45 million, to expand globally Vedanta announces dividend worth Rs 6,877 cr, Rs 18.5 per equity share Succession planning: Shashwat Goenka to become chairman of Spencer's Retail ITC sets up consumer goods manufacturing unit in Odisha, CM inaugurates

Physis Capital, a growth-stage investment fund, on Tuesday announced the first close of its $50 million fund at $7 million as it works for a final close in 2024.The fund is expected to begin investments by the third quarter of this calendar year, supporting start-ups looking to raise Pre-Series A to Series B capital.Physis Capitals announcement comes at a time when the Indian start-up ecosystem is witnessing a funding slowdown. According to data from Tracxn, a market intelligence platform, start-up funding in the first quarter of 2023 dropped 75 per cent year-on-year to $2.8 billion.We have seen investor interest remaining steady with respect to startup investments in the Indian startup ecosystem. Smart money, i.e., experienced investors realise that downturn economic cycles are the best times to identify great businesses and invest in them, said Ankur Mittal, partner at Physis Capital.Hence, weve received good interest in the past few months, especially from new investors who are backing the GPs and investing with us for the first time, looking at our track record, Mittal said.Physis Capital aims to build a portfolio of 15-20 start-ups, with an average ticket size of $2.5 million. Its fund will be focused on identifying companies that have a solid business model and are likely to generate sustainable returns in the long-term.While majority of funds raised by Physis Capital so far are from Indian investors belonging to HNIs and family offices, we are now receiving significant interests from investors across multiple international locations including Singapore, USA and UAE. Along with these international funds, we are in the process to raise funds from institutions and commence deployment, said Mitesh Shah, partner at Physis Capital.Vinay Bansal, partner at Physis Capital, said, Our biggest strength will continue to be the support we offer to our startups post investment - helping them attract good talent, build partnerships, generate revenue opportunities, strong focus on cost management and compliance, and support future debt and equity funding rounds using the deep relationships built with different stakeholders in the startup ecosystem.


Simple One is the fastest e-scooter in India, with a maximum speed of 105 kilometres per hour (kph) and a range of 212 km. While it takes 2.77 seconds to cover 040 kph, becoming the fastest electric two-wheeler in the segment, rival Olas scooters take 3 seconds, becoming the second-fastest, informed a company source. Bangalore-based electric vehicle (EV) start-up Simple Energy on Tuesday launched the Simple One electric scooter (e-scooter) manufactured at its facility in Shoolagiri (Tamil Nadu), strengthening northwestern Tamil Nadus Hosur-Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri (HKD) industrial belt as a hub for EVs and ancillary units.



Delivery will start by the end of May or early July first week. The scooter is priced between Rs 1.45 lakh and Rs 1.58 lakh, excluding chargers. Its 750-watt portable charger costs an additional Rs 13,000. It has invested Rs 110 crore in the Shoolagiri facility and secured advance bookings for more than 100,000 units in 18 months, ensuring orders worth Rs 1,500 crore.



The scooter will be available in six colour variants, with a seven-inch digital display powered by the Android operating system with turn-by-turn navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, battery and range details, and call alerts. The two major players competing with Simple Energy in the segment are Ather Energy and TVS iQube.

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According to Tracxn, the company has raised $53.5 million in more than seven rounds. The company seeks fresh funds for expansion as it works on the launch, Founder and Chief Executive Officer Suhas Rajkumar told Business Standard after raising $20 million in February.



The company said the scooters over-200 km range and 105 kph maximum speed would attract customers, saying no other firm in the market has this offering. We are working on a few more variants and will be priced in the Rs 11.6 lakh range. Our current capacity at the Shoolagiri facility is 25,000 units per month, with an annual capacity of 300,000 units. With the rise in demand, we will be able to increase it to 1 million units, said Rajkumar.



The company sees its pre-booking, without any major marketing spend, as proof of the brands success. At Shoolagiri, we have invested Rs 110 crore in the factory. We are trying to increase capacity for future readiness. We want to be no. 1 in sales in the next 1214 months and will be investing another Rs 50 crore in the next four quarters, said Rajkumar.



Simple Energy said it is the first original equipment manufacturer in the country to receive certification for its EVs under AIS-156 Amendment III Phase 2. This ensures safety by designing, constructing, and testing the battery pack and its components, in line with government standards. The companies in the HKD region include Ola Electric, TVS Motor, Ather Energy, and Ashok Leyland, among others.
By Divya Patil

Vivriti Asset Management Pvt. is launching a new fund for investing in small and medium-sized companies, terming it the countrys first for private credit investment in asset-backed securities.



It will be a performing private credit, which is targeting a rupee return of 11%-12% for its investors, implying a dollar return of anywhere between 7% to 8%, Sukumar said. The Chennai-based company is targeting a total of $250 million for its Vivriti India Retail Assets Fund and has already raised $106 million from International Finance Corp. and M&G Investments, Vineet Sukumar, founder and managing director of Vivriti, said in an interview. The firm has 18 months to raise the balance, he said, adding the funds tenor is 10 years.



Carlyle Group Inc. was in the early stages of exploring an entry into the countrys market, Bloomberg reported earlier this month citing people familiar with the matter. The debut takes place as private credit activity in India picks up. Restrictions on bank lending  such as to fund mergers and acquisitions  make it an attractive proposition, but optimism can also quickly fade.

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Under Vivritis new vehicle, mid-sized non-bank financial companies and microfinanciers will sell their loans in sectors related to SME financing, commercial vehicle lending, two-wheeler funding and microfinancing to a special purpose vehicle. The SPV will issue securities backed by loan receivables and raise funds from Vivritis credit fund. Vivriti says theres large unsatisfied demand for debt financing among Indias medium-sized companies, with limited access to capital markets, according to its website.



Vivriti will also use its technology platform that enables it to slice and dice large data sets in order to keep a close watch on the performance of its assets. The $250 million fund will be domiciled at Indias GIFT city and will hold 40 to 50 ABS investments at any point in time, Sukumar said. That would limit exposure to a single investment to just $5 million to $7 million, he added.

Vivriti Asset was founded in 2019 and focuses on providing debt financing to domestic mid-market companies. The latest fund launch is its eighth in private credit space.






A former ambassador and foreign ministry official is being strongly considered as head of a new government agency tasked with supporting overseas Koreans, officials said Tuesday.







Lee Key-cheol, former deputy foreign minister for overseas Koreans, is likely to be tapped as chief of the agency set to launch next month, according to the presidential officials.







Lee was a career diplomat, and served as ambassador to the Netherlands and consul general in Los Angeles. Currently, he is secretary-general of the Korean Committee for UNICEF.







The new agency was a campaign pledge of President Yoon Suk Yeol and will be established under the foreign ministry to provide integrated services in areas such as visas, taxes and pensions to some 7.5 million Koreans residing overseas. (Yonhap)




Bengaluru-based biotech firm Biocon has posted a 31 per cent rise in fourth-quarter net profit to Rs 313 crore in 2022-23. This is compared to Rs 239 crore during the same period in 2021-22. The companys revenue from operations increased by 57 per cent to Rs 3,774 crore as compared to Rs 2,409 crore during the same quarter the previous financial year



For the entire financial year, the companys net profit saw a decline of 29 per cent to Rs 462.7 crore, as compared to Rs 648.4 crore in 2021-22. This was mainly owing to a dip in exceptional items to Rs 219 crore. This mainly owing to the deal-related expenses of the Viatris transaction. During the year under review, the companys revenue from operations increased by 86 per cent to Rs 1,117 crore against Rs 8,184 crore in 2021-22. During the January to March quarter of 2022-23, the companys revenue from operations increased by 57 per cent to Rs 3,774 crore as compared to Rs 2,409 crore during the same quarter the previous financial year. The companys board has recommended a final dividend at the rate of 30 per cent or Rs. 1.50 per equity share of face value of Rs 5 each for the financial year ended March 31, 2023, subject to shareholders approval.



FY23 has been a transformational year led by the acquisition of our partnered biosimilars business from Viatris, which has significantly contributed to Biocons robust consolidated financials. We ended FY23 with a strong Q4 performance where revenues grew and EBITDA also increased by 75 per cent to Rs 1,152 crore. Biosimilars continue to be the largest business segment for Biocon, with revenues of Rs 2,102 crore, a growth of 114 per cent, exiting the year on a $1 billion revenue trajectory, said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon and Biocon Biologics. During the year, revenue from generics business increased by 13 per cent to Rs 2,637 crore from Rs 2,341 crore last year. On the other hand, revenue from biosimilars was seen up by 61 per cent to Rs 5,584 crore and research services by 23 per cent to Rs 3,193 crore during the year.Generics business posted a marginal rise in profit before tax by 1 per cent to Rs 264 crore, while the biosimilars business posted a 26 per cent dip in profit to Rs 403 crore and the research services posted an increase of 15 per cent to Rs 594 crore during the year.
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The rush of 2016 was mostly missing as banks nationwide started exchanging Rs 2,000 notes on Tuesday amid confusion over forms and ID proof.With memories of queues seen during demonization nearly seven years ago still fresh, officials of a City Union Bank (CUB) branch in Chennai had geared up to facilitate exchange of Rs 2,000 notes. Two counters were marked for handling the pink wads with one exclusively for senior citizens. But till about 3:30pm, not a single person had turned up. A branch of ICICI Bank in the IT hub of Chennai noted five transactions with 40 notes of Rs 2,000 till evening and an Indian Bank branch near Sholinganallur had less than 10 transactions. Some of our branches has not had a single Rs 2,000 note transaction, an Indian Overseas Bank official said.Things were not very different in Mumbai the day banks began the exchange exercise. On Friday, the Reserve Bank of India had announced withdrawal of Rs 2,000 notes, asking banks to exchange these notes from May 23 to September 30.In central Mumbai, there was hardly any queue at a Union Bank branch. An HDFC Bank branch in Thane had one teller counter designated for the Rs 2,000 note out of many as there was hardly any rush  it had received three queries till about afternoon.In South Kolkata at one of the prominent State Bank of India (SBI) branches, about five to six persons turned up to deposit. The common man does not have Rs 2,000 notes. So there is no rush. Also, it continues to be legal tender, a bank staffer said.This is in sharp contrast to the demonetisation of 2016 when snaking queues had become normal outside bank branches. Keeping the peak summer season in mind, the central bank had in fact advised banks this time around to provide appropriate infrastructure at the branches such as shaded waiting space, drinking water facilitiesThe Chandni Chowk branch of SBI in Delhi had a queue in contrast to private sector banks in the area. The reason: other banks were asking for ID proof.The RBI had said that the facility of exchange of Rs 2,000 banknotes across the counter shall be provided to the public in the usual manner, that is, as was being provided earlier. Deposits were subject to compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) norms and other applicable statutory requirements.The SBI, in a communication to chief general manager of all its local head offices, had also said that the facility of exchange of Rs 2,000 notes by public up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time would be allowed without obtaining any requisition slip.But the procedures at banks varied. Sudha Pai, a customer at Union Bank (central Mumbai), said, Bank officials asked us to fill up the form which was as per RBI norms.In Delhis Chandni Chowk area, private banks such as HDFC, ICICI, Axis asked customers to fill a form for exchange of currency notes and furnish Aadhar card. As did Yes Bank in Laxmi Nagar Branch, Delhi.The banks have deputed extra personnel to assist customers in explaining to the procedure and documents required for cash deposit/exchange.Public sector bank, Central Bank of India (Chandni Chowk) also required filling of a form for currency exchange supported with an ID proof such as Aadhar, driving license, voter id, passport, besides other options.In ICICI Bank's Worli branch, customers were asked to fill up the form for exchange of notes. At Canara Bank's (Worli branch) customers were not given the option to exchange and a customer had to deposit the money in their own bank accounts.Since the central bank announced withdrawal of Rs 2,000 notes, the pink note is being pushed everywhere  from jewellers to petrol pumps and even the neighbourhood stores.At Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), a personnel doing smart card recharge, said that normally there are one or two Rs 2,000 denomination notes in an eight-hour shift, which had increased to 40 on Tuesday resulting in shortage of lower denomination notes.The window for exchanging the notes is long with the central bank allowing deposit or exchange for four months (up to September 30) unlike in the case of demonetisation of 2016.That too may have reduced the urgency to exchange notes immediately.(With inputs from Ishita Ayan Dutt, Shine Jacob, Nikesh Singh, Dev Chatterjee, Abhijit Lele)
Though banks started accepting Rs 2,000 notes on Tuesday, post offices across the country are not being allowed to exchange such notes, but will only be able to accept deposits as of now, a top banking industry source has said.

The exchange facility is available only at banks. Customers can make deposits since the Rs 2,000 note is legal tender, said a top banking industry source, to a question on whether the notes can be exchanged at post offices. According to the media reports, non-banking financial companies can also accept deposits in this denomination. At present, financial services are being offered across 155,000 post offices across the country. When the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes were pulled out in November 2016, post offices were allowed to handle them.

As part of its Clean Note Policy, RBI came out with its direction last week for the withdrawal of Rs 2,000 banknotes from circulation and also advised banks to stop issuing such notes with immediate effect. At present, exchange of Rs 2,000 notes up to a limit of Rs 20,000 are allowed in banks and also at 19 Regional Offices of the RBI.

This clarification comes at a time when most of the banks in the country have not seen any major rush on Tuesday to exchange or deposit Rs 2,000 notes. Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das had said on Monday that there is no need to panic and rush to return such notes, as people have around four months to do so. He reaffirmed that even after September 30, Rs 2,000 will continue as legal tender and that the apex bank would be sensitive towards the needs of the people. Interestingly, there was confusion at many places on Tuesday about the requirement of identity cards such as PAN or Aadhaar, and official forms for exchange/deposit of such notes.


Smart Cities Mission was launched on June 25, 2015, with the aim of providing a strong infrastructure, a clean and sustainable environment, and a decent quality of living using 'smart solutions'. 100 cities were selected through a competition to be developed as smart cities. Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, on Tuesday, met with a committee to discuss the progress of smart cities in India, stating that the innovations from this project will heavily impact urban planning in India.



The implementation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) at a city level was also instrumental in monitoring projects. The Smart Cities Mission is monitored by the Apex Committee under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Real-Time Geographical Management Information System (GMIS) monitors the progress in real-time.



All 100 smart cities have established these SCAF to enable efficient collaboration between the stakeholders and have held more than 756 meetings so far. In some of the recent developments, Smart City Advisory Forum (SCAF) has been established, consisting of members of parliament, members of the legislative assembly, the city's mayor, district collector, local youth, and technical experts among other stakeholders.

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This includes the completion of more than 5,700 projects (about 73 per cent of projects) worth Rs. 1.1 trillion (about 60 per cent by value). According to the PIB report, Rs 38,400 crore was released towards the completion of the project out of which Rs 35,261 crore has been utilised.

The mission has around 7,800 projects worth Rs.1.8 trillion in total. All remaining projects are expected to be completed by 30 June, 2024.
By Vrishti Beniwal and Ruchi Bhatia



Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office nearly a decade ago with a goal of privatizing more of Indias floundering state-owned assets. For the nations business elite, that message was a clarion call to rescue an inefficient public sector.

But as the finances of some of those same tycoons come under scrutiny  with Gautam Adani and Anil Agarwal two high-profile billionaires facing problems this year  Modis already-struggling campaign faces yet more hurdles. Since 2014, only one major firm has been privatized in India and several recent candidates have stalled. Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office nearly a decade ago with a goal of privatizing more of Indias floundering state-owned assets. For the nations business elite, that message was a clarion call to rescue an inefficient public sector.



Apart from the sale of IDBI Bank, which is already underway, progress has slowed for other companies, a person familiar with the privatization push said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private. Indias national elections next year could further stall sales, the person said, especially for companies facing legal or labor issues. Market watchers are now skeptical that the government will prioritize privatization during the campaign season. Thats a problem as the worlds most populous nation looks for ways to boost public finances and weather the ripple effects of global monetary tightening and banking turmoil. The market capitalization of the seven listed companies flagged for privatization is about $25 billion, according to Bloomberg calculations.



That development has likely shelved Adanis ambition to acquire businesses like Concor, the countrys leading freight rail operator, which has a market capitalization of close to $5 billion. In a February analyst call, Karan Adani, chief executive of Adani Ports, said the companys first order of preference is to lower its debt before reconsidering the acquisition. The Adani Group is a telling case study. To build up the worlds fifth-largest economy, Modi has leaned on a handful of businesses to improve Indias infrastructure and attract foreign capital away from places like China. But after a short seller in New York accused the Adani Group in January of wide-ranging fraud, the company is going slow on new investments.

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The Adani Group didnt respond to requests for comment. The Adani Group, which has vigorously denied wrongdoing, was a key sales candidate for Concor before Hindenburg Researchs report slashed more than $100 billion of market value from the company. Though Adani Group shares rallied this week after an Indian court panels report found no conclusive evidence of stock-price manipulation, Concor is unlikely to be on the companys radar in the short-term.



So far, the only major sale is the Tata Groups 2021 acquisition of Air India for $2.2 billion. Though symbolically a success, the airline was sold after two prior attempts  despite prized landing and parking spots at key locations across the world. Indias privatization drive has faced problems from the start. Since 2014, the government has missed asset sales targets most years. Of three dozen companies originally identified for sale, officials are now left with a list of just 17  10 unlisted and 7 listed  largely because of legal and insolvency issues.



Indian officials have scaled back expectations. Disinvestment was hardly mentioned in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamans February budget speech, unlike in previous years when she announced targets or offered the names of privatization candidates. There is resistance from different sides  employees, politicians, unions, good Samaritans, said Tuhin Kanta Pandey, the governments disinvestment secretary. We were in disbelief after the Air India sale. It was a burden off the chest.



Bids come in after a certain level of certainty, Sitharaman said in the Bloomberg interview, noting that the upcoming national elections could also introduce volatility. In recent weeks, Sitharaman placed some blame for the slow progress on the pandemic, global economic turmoil and geopolitical tensions after Russias invasion of Ukraine. In an interview with Bloomberg News last month, she said that privatization is challenging in India because of the volume of stakeholders involved.



Others point to the governments poor track record as a reason for the shift in priorities. In 2020, Modis administration announced its biggest-ever asset sales plan of 2.1 trillion rupees ($25.5 billion). By the end of the year, India had raised just 16% of its target. A spokesperson for Indias finance ministry didnt respond to calls or messages seeking comment.



Last year, the finance ministry called off the planned sale of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd., which would have marked Indias largest deal. Most bidders walked out of the process because of the pandemic, energy transition issues and disruptions to the oil and gas industry  leaving only Vedanta Resources, the mining conglomerate, in the fray. Since 2014, the governments total disinvestment proceeds stand at 4.7 trillion rupees  or about a 10th of its proposed spending budget for 2023. And at current market valuations, India would only fetch about $13 billion from selling the seven listed companies, according to Bloomberg calculations.



The financial challenges of Indian businessmen with the funds to bid on assets havent instilled confidence. Consider Anil Agarwal, the founder of Vedanta, whos in the mix for bidding on several public sector companies, including Concor and NMDC Steel Ltd. Nandini Gupta, associate professor of finance at Indiana Universitys Kelley School of Business, said government firms are tying up scarce capital in unproductive concerns, which has a high opportunity cost in a developing country such as India.



Officials have threatened legal action if the transaction goes through. New Delhi is worried that Agarwals zinc deal may impact valuations for the governments own plan to sell its stake. Vedanta didnt return requests for comment. Vedanta, one of the worlds largest mining conglomerates, is now struggling to settle about $2 billion of bonds due in 2024. Thats put Agarwal at loggerheads with the Indian government: One strategy for Vedanta to raise capital involves offloading around $3 billion of assets to stepdown subsidiary Hindustan Zinc Ltd., which is partially owned by the government.



There is firm acceptance, in principle, of the need for more private ownership, she said. Yet the execution of privatization is often a complex task.

These sort of tricky political equations mean finding the right buyer is only one piece of the puzzle. To land more sales, the federal government must clear legal hurdles facing bidders, improve its technical expertise and urge states to take a proactive stance in privatizing their assets, according to Poonam Gupta, an economic adviser to Modi.
Riding on digital payments, the point-of-sale (POS) transaction value share conducted in cash is expected to fall from $11.6 trillion in 2021 to $6.0 trillion globally by 2026, a decline of nearly 50 per cent, a report showed on Tuesday.

Some governments are actively promoting a move away from cash (Thailand, India, Brazil), while others are introducing new legislation to slow down the rapid decline in cash use, concerned about its impact on certain socio-demographics like older people and the unbanked.

According to the 'Global Payments Report 2023' by Worldpay from FIS, the landscape of global financial transactions is undergoing a profound transformation as societies shift from relying on physical cash as the primary medium of exchange to embracing digital payment systems.

By 2026, cash's global POS transaction value share is likely to fall to less than 10 per cent.

"In India and Thailand, the growth of account-to-account (A2A) real-time payments is the primary driver for the cash's decline,a the findings showed.

However, the rapid growth of digital wallets is the main factor for the declining rates of money used in Saudi Arabia (Apple Pay and STC Pay) and Vietnam (MoMo, ZaloPay, and VNPAY).

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The report suggested that three key trends are driving cash's slide downwards.

First, governments in emerging economies continue to promote financial inclusion through digital payments.

"Second, the shift in consumer habits towards digital payments has solidified, primarily due to the pandemic. Third, merchants can increasingly accept mobile payments via QR codes, making it easier and cheaper," the report mentioned.

While digital payment systems offer numerous advantages in terms of convenience, efficiency, and security, physical cash continues to hold importance in society.

"Cash plays a role in financial inclusion, offers transactional flexibility, provides a sense of trust and stability, caters to personal preferences, and fulfils legal requirements," the report noted.

--IANS

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As the process for exchange of Rs 2,000 currency notes began on Tuesday, long queues were observed at various bank branches in Delhi as customers eagerly exchanged the currency notes for smaller denominations.

However, at some places, people alleged that the banks were asking them to deposit the money instead and even demanded the ID proof.

Amar Singh, standing in a long queue at ICICI Bank branch in Green Park, said that there has been length of the line was there since the morning and chaos and confusion rules as bank staff are refusing to exchange the note and asking to deposit them.

"Most of us want to exchange notes and if the bank is not able to do, than it is their fault if they haven't made proper arrangements to exchange the Rs 2,000 currency. Why should we deposit them," he said.

"My wife had saved Rs 16000 and all of them are Rs 2000 notes," he added.

At some banks, there were even arguments between bank customers and staff.

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"I came here at Lajpat Nagar's PNB bank in the morning and it has been more than two hours, I am still waiting for my turn to exchange the currency. They are working very slow," said Amresh Sharma, 68.

"Most of us are elderly and they (bank staff) do not care about us," he said.

Meanwhile, several people also complained regarding the fuel stations not accepting the Rs 2,000 notes.

"Instead of accepting Rs 2,000 note, the fuel station worker asked me to pay online as they are not accepting the notes, which are still legal tender," said 24-year-old Sahil, a resident of Malviya Nagar.

Chaos was also witnessed at Azadpur vegetable market, where the sellers alleged that most of the buyers coming to the market are using Rs 2,000 notes to buy items.

"The buyers are bringing only Rs 2,000 notes juist get rid of them," a wholesaler said in the vegetable market.

--IANS

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The CBI contended before the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that there were glaring illegalities in the trial court judgment that acquitted former telecom minister A Raja and others in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which was making submissions on its appeal challenging the acquittal of the accused individuals and firms, argued that the evidence placed before the special court was disregarded.

Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, after hearing part arguments, listed the matter for further proceedings on May 29.

"I will demonstrate that there are glaring illegalities in the (trial court) judgment. The evidence placed by the CBI was disregarded. Appreciation of evidence was completely wrong. I will show that the judgment was perverse and there were flaws in it," advocate Neeraj Jain, who appeared in the court on behalf of the CBI, argued.

On Monday, the CBI counsel had said the trial court judgment was based on "wrong conclusions" and was "untenable in law".

Although the CBI had earlier concluded its submissions on the issue of "leave to appeal", it is now arguing the matter afresh due to a change of the judge.

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Leave to appeal is a formal permission granted by a court to a party to challenge a decision in a higher court.

The lawyer for the CBI had said the case concerned "five points" of irregularities -- association between government officials and telecom operators, fixation of a cut-off, violation of the first-come-first-serve principle, non-revision of the entry fee and a money trail of Rs 200 crore.

The illegal acts of the accused caused a loss of Rs 22,000 crore to the public exchequer, he had said.

An appeal filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the acquittal of all the accused in a connected money-laundering case is also pending before the court.

Advocate Vijay Aggarwal, appearing for some of the acquitted people, including R K Chandolia, had said once an accused is let off in the scheduled offence, the same consequence has to follow in the money-laundering case as well.

Earlier, the case was being heard on a day-to-day basis by Justice Brijesh Sethi, who retired on November 30, 2020. Justice Sethi had released the matter from his board on November 23 of the same year owing to a paucity of time.

Before demitting the office, Justice Sethi had decided various petitions and applications filed by the acquitted individuals and firms in the three cases arising out of the 2G scam probe lodged by the CBI and the ED.

After concluding the submissions in the CBI's main case, the high court would take up the ED's money-laundering case, in which all the accused were acquitted by a special court.

The special court had, on December 21, 2017, acquitted Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and others in the CBI and ED cases related to the scam.

Besides Raja and Kanimozhi, the special court had acquitted former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, Raja's former private secretary R K Chandolia, Unitech Limited managing director Sanjay Chandra and three top executives of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (RADAG) -- Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair -- in the 2G case lodged by the CBI.

Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka and the directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Private Limited -- Asif Balwa and Rajiv Agarwal -- were also acquitted in the CBI case.

The special court had also acquitted Swan Telecom (Private) Limited, Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Limited, Reliance Telecom Limited, film producer Karim Morani and Kalaignar TV director Sharad Kumar in the CBI case.

On the same day, the special court had also acquitted 19 accused, including Raja, Kanimozhi, DMK supremo M Karunanidhi's wife Dayalu Ammal, Vinod Goenka, Asif Balwa, Karim Morani, P Amirtham and Sharad Kumar, in the ED case.

It had also acquitted Essar Group promoters Ravi Kant Ruia and Anshuman Ruia, Loop Telecom promoters I P Khaitan and Kiran Khaitan and four others in a separate case arising out of the 2G scam probe.

On March 19, 2018, the ED approached the high court challenging the special court's order acquitting all the accused.

A day later, the CBI too challenged in the high court the acquittal of the accused.




According to Oshiwara police, the 32-year-old actor was found unconscious on the 11th floor of a high rise building where he lived. Mr Rajput was not feeling well for the last couple of days and collapsed in his bathroom on Monday afternoon.

His housemaid heard a heavy sound in his bathroom and informed the building security guard, who found the actor unconscious in his bathroom. Model turned Actor Aditya Singh Rajput, 32, was found dead at his apartment in Andheri, Mumbai. The body was sent to postmortem to ascertain the cause of death, and an investigation is underway.According to Oshiwara police, the 32-year-old actor was found unconscious on the 11th floor of a high rise building where he lived. Mr Rajput was not feeling well for the last couple of days and collapsed in his bathroom on Monday afternoon.



They rushed to the nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The police have filed an accidental death report (ADR) and are waiting for the autopsy report.

According to some reports, there are claims of consuming drug overdose as Aditya attended a party the night before. The police are investigating the case from all possible angles. They rushed to the nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The police have filed an accidental death report (ADR) and are waiting for the autopsy report.



The Oshiwara police are also recording the statement of the house help and the watchman present at Rajput's residence. The police are also planning to examine his mobile phone as well.

Rajput's mother is on her way to Mumbai from Delhi. The Oshiwara police are also recording the statement of the house help and the watchman present at Rajput's residence. The police are also planning to examine his mobile phone as well.

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Model turned actor started his career at the age of 17. He worked as a model and actor and was involved in production work. Born and brought up in Delhi, the actor is basically from Uttrakhand.

Rajput started his career as a ramp model and then worked on Krantiveer and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. Model turned actor started his career at the age of 17. He worked as a model and actor and was involved in production work. Born and brought up in Delhi, the actor is basically from Uttrakhand.



He also starred in over 125 advertisements and was part of reality shows like Splitsvilla Season 9. He was also a part of several TV projects like Love, Ashiqui, Code Red, Aawaz Season 9, Bad Boy Season 4, and others.


President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, May 23. Yonhap



President Yoon Suk Yeol slammed a major labor group Tuesday for its overnight street rally last week, saying its actions infringed on people's freedoms, disturbed the public order and will not be tolerated by the people.



Yoon made the remark during a Cabinet meeting, referring to a rally staged by the Korean Construction Workers' Union in protest of the government's labor policies from Tuesday to Wednesday.



An estimated 25,000 union members took part in the rally in downtown Seoul, causing massive traffic congestion and leading to some 80 noise complaints being filed with the police.



The union falls under the umbrella Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).



"Our Constitution guarantees the freedom of assembly and demonstration, and as president, I, too, have respected this," Yoon said.



"However, guaranteeing the freedom of assembly and demonstration does not mean infringements on another person's freedoms and basic rights, or acts disturbing the public order, are justified."



Yoon said the previous administration effectively abandoned its law enforcement duties with regard to illegal rallies and demonstrations, leading to intolerable levels of inconvenience for the people.



"It will be difficult for the people to tolerate the actions of the KCTU during the rally that infringed on people's freedoms and basic rights, and disturbed the public order," he said. "Our government will not neglect or tolerate any form of illegal action." (Yonhap)




Here are some of the other cases heard by the Delhi High Court today: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday heard some crucial cases during which it set aside the decision of Mayor Shelly Oberoi to call for a repoll to elect six members of the MCD standing committee and directed her to declare forthwith the results of the poll held on February 24 while treating the "disputed vote" to be in favour of BJP councillor Pankaj Luthra.



- The high court has dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking protection of interest of students enrolled with schools located on public land that have been mortgaged and may be auctioned by banks over non-payment of the loan. - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) told the HC that the withdrawal of Rs 2,000 notes is not demonetisation but a statutory exercise, and the decision to enable their exchange was taken for operational convenience.



- The high court granted permission to NDTV founders Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy to travel abroad for three weeks for business purposes and personal reasons. - The court recognised the copyright held by Indian cinema legend Satyajit Ray to the screenplay written by him for his film "Nayak".

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- The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Tuesday contended before the HC that there are glaring illegalities in the judgment passed by a trial court acquitting former telecom minister A Raja, firms, and others in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case.
The government on Tuesday said fortified rice is being distributed through ration shops in 439 districts and other welfare schemes so far, while asserting that there is enough global evidence of its health benefits.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address in 2021 said the government aims to distribute fortified rice via the government schemes by 2024.

Thereafter, a scheme for the distribution of fortified rice, containing prescribed micronutrients (Iron, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12) was launched on October 2021 in a phased manner in order to address the problem of anaemia in children and women.

Addressing a press conference, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh noted that there is "global evidence" of the health benefits of fortified rice and it is being implemented in several countries including the USA.

Moreover, the Women and Child Development Ministry and government think-tank Niti Aayog had advocated the distribution of fortified rice and the scheme was launched after wide stakeholders' consultations, he said.

Currently, the third phase of fortified rice distribution via Public Distribution System (PDS), also called ration shops, is on track. "We have covered 439 districts so far," he added.

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Singh, who has been given additional charge of the Department of Food and PDS, said the scheme was started based on strong global evidence and "concurrent evaluation" of the programme has been mandated for mid-course correction if required.

While approving the scheme, the cabinet had mandated Niti Aayog to undertaken "concurrent evaluation" of the scheme. At least, data of 20-25 months consumption of fortified rice is required for undertaking a study.

Stating that there is enough evidence of health benefits of fortified rice, Additional Secretary in the Department of Food Subodh Kumar said more than 140 countries have mandated or allowed food fortification.

"The US and six other countries are already implementing rice fortification. Pilots (in India) were done mainly to develop an eco-system," he said.

Phase-I covered beneficiaries under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN). Based on the success of the first phase, the fortified rice distribution was extended to PDS as part of the second phase in 291 high-burden and aspirational districts, Kumar said.

"It took time to set up entire an eco-system with proper infrastructure for smooth distribution of fortified rice in the country," he said, and added that Phase-III which commenced from last month aims to cover PDS in all districts before March 2024.

The scheme is important as the country's 67 per cent children (ages 6-59 months), 57 per cent women (aged 15-49 years) and 25 per cent men (aged 15-49 years) suffer from anaemia as per the 2019-21 National Family Health Survey (NFHS).

Rice was chosen as 65 per cent of the country's population consumes rice as their staple food. About 350 lakh tonne of rice is supplied via PDS and 34 lakh tonne via ICDS and PM-POSHAN, he added.

The Additional Secretary also mentioned that the country has a blending capacity of 156 lakh tonne per month, sufficient to meet the domestic requirement. Food Corporaton of India has 253 lakh tonne of fortified rice stock as on April 24, this year.

He said many outreach programmes and workshops are being organised across the country to create awareness on benefits of fortified rice and its positive impact on nutritional security.
The G20 Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group (DRRWG) meeting began on Tuesday, with the delegates visiting the Emergency Operations Centre at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters.

The delegates to the three-day meeting appreciated BMC's preparedness to handle various disasters and lauded the prevention and mitigation measures of the civic body, an official release said.

They also appreciated the magnificent and spectacular architecture of the 128-year-old BMC headquarters.

The BMC Disaster Management Department is preparing a multi hazard vulnerability and risk assessment plan and is also in the process of developing various predictive/early warning system modules of various hazards for early action.

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The Delhi High Court Tuesday granted permission to NDTV founders Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy to travel abroad for three weeks for business purpose and personal reasons.

Justice Prathiba M Singh said owing to the professional standing of the petitioners, they do not pose a flight risk and are permitted to travel abroad from July 25 to August 15.

The high court allowed them to visit the United Kingdom after fulfilling necessary conditions imposed by the court before the registrar.

It also asked them to provide details of their itinerary to the registrar of the high court.

The Roys filed the application in a pending petition in which they have challenged the look out circular opened against them at the behest of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pursuant to lodging of two FIRs over alleged corruption.

Their counsel submitted they wish to travel abroad for business and personal reasons, including a visit to Prannoy Roy's brother.

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The plea was opposed by the counsel for the authorities on the ground that investigation was pending against both the petitioners.

Justice Singh noted that the Roys were also permitted to travel abroad last year by a coordinate bench of the high court.
Mumbai police turned into action mode and started an investigation into the matter as soon as they received the warning message.

Mumbai Police arrested the man, who posted a threatening message on Twitter "I am gonna blast the Mumbai very soon." The person tweeted the warning message around 11 am on May 22.


During his visit, Prime Minister Modi addressed members of the Indian diaspora at the event and said that the relationship between India-Australia is based on mutual trust and respect. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday, arrived in Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese to attend a special community event.





Addressing the gathering at the Qudos Bank Arena, Prime Minister Modi also announced that India will open a consulate in Brisbane to fulfill the long-pending demand by the diaspora.

While addressing the event, Prime Minister Modi also thanked his Australian counterpart for supporting him in unveiling the foundation stone of 'Little India', a suburb of Sydney.



PM Modi embarked on his second visit to Australia to boost bilateral defence and security ties between the two nations. His visit comes at a time amid China's growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The event was also addressed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who said, 'Prime Minister Modi is the boss. "The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got."

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Earlier in the day, PM Modi also met top business leaders of Australian companies and called for boosting cooperation with the Indian industry in various areas of development such as technology, skilling, and clean energy. PM Modi also hailed India and called it the world's biggest talent factory. Modi, who arrived to a rousing welcome that according to Albanese was not even accorded to legendary singer Bruce Springsteen, also described India as a "force of global good" and a "bright spot" in the world economy.


The session, which will last three days, will be restricted to the oath-taking ceremony and the election of a new speaker, which is likely to take place on Wednesday. On Day 1, 182 legislators took the oath and the rest will do so on Tuesday. After the Congress government returned to power, the first session of the 16th Karnataka Legislative Assembly began on Monday with legislators taking oath. Some newly elected Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) invoked the names of their family deity or spiritual and political gurus even as pro-term Speaker R V Deshpande said the oath should be taken only in the name of God or the Constitution, according to a report in The Times of India.



Even younger MLAs like Dinesh Gundurao and Ajay Singh are showing no inclination to be the Speaker, as their priority, too, is to become ministers. Reports indicate that there is a reluctance on Congress leaders' part to take up the speaker's post as most of them are eyeing a berth in the cabinet. The names of senior party leaders like Deshpande, H K Patil, T B Jayachandra, Basavaraj Rayareddy and K N Rajanna are currently making the rounds.



Channagiri legislator Basavaraju Shivaganga invoked the name of God and D K Shivakumar, while Mulbagal MLA Samruddhi Manjunath took oath in the name of Janta Dal (Secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda. When the BJP legislator from Sullia, Bhagirathi Murulya, tried to take oath in the name of her family deity, Congress legislator Basavaraj Rayaraddy raised his objection to it. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was the first to take the oath, followed by his deputy D K Shivakumar and eight cabinet ministers. While the chief minister took oath in the name of God, his deputy took the name of his family deity, Gangadhara Ajja.

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After the congregation of the MLAs, the pro-term speaker welcomed the newly-elected legislators and asked them to work for the development of Karnataka, setting aside their political differences.
The Centre has decided to form a joint team of officials from the Ministry of Education and the Kerala government to examine the "improbable" claims made by the state about almost 100 per cent of enrolled students in primary availing mid-day meal on a daily basis in 2022-23.

The issue was flagged during a meeting of the Programme Approval Board (PAB) of the PM POSHAN scheme, formerly known as the mid-day meal scheme.

Earlier this year also, the Centre had constituted a 'joint review mission' (JRM) on the implementation of the centrally sponsored scheme PM POSHAN in West Bengal following similar complaints of alleged irregularities.

All 14 districts in Kerala had claimed that 100 per cent students in the Bal Vatika (below class 1) primary section have been receiving mid-day meals.

"PAB observed that in the districts as mentioned in the above tables, almost 100 pc of the enrolled children in the primary have been shown as availed school meal on all working days.

"This seems highly improbable. PAB decided that a team comprising representatives from central and state government may visit a few districts to ascertain the ground-level picture to verify the authenticity of the reported coverage by cross-verifying data from various levels-- schools, blocks, and districts," according to the minutes of the meeting.

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The PAB has also advised the state to put a robust and foolproof mechanism to ensure that data is entered through correct and real-time reporting of the actual number of students who availed the school meal on each working day.

"PAB also advised the state to ensure that data on the coverage of students from districts may be captured in the format of Quarterly Progress Report (QPR) for greater transparency, accuracy and accountability, as the state has informed that capturing of data at the district level in district QPRs is not in practice in the state," the minutes said.

The minutes show that the Kerala government claimed that of the 16.91 lakh children enrolled in the state's primary schools (government and government-aided), 16.69 lakh (99 per cent) availed midday meals on all working days, while the corresponding numbers are 11.45 lakh and 10.85 lakh (95 per cent) in the case of upper primary grades.

Earlier, a panel appointed by the Ministry of Education had found that serving of around 16 crore midday meals worth over Rs 100 crore was over-reported by the local administration in West Bengal from April to September last year.

The panel had noted "serious discrepancies in the information submitted regarding the number of meals served at various levels".

The West Bengal government, however, had dismissed the report as one-sided, claiming that the views of the state had not been noted and the data needed to be verified.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme, there is a provision of a hot cooked meal to children of pre-schools or Bal Vatika in primary schools in addition to the over 12 crore children of classes 1 to 8 studying in 11.20 lakh schools.

Under the scheme, most components, including cooking costs, are split in a 60:40 ratio between the Union government and the states and UTs with legislatures, and 90:10 with the north-eastern states, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The cost of food grains is borne entirely by the Centre.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will on Thursday declare the state as fully e-governed' where delivery of government services would be digitised, transparent and fast.

The declaration of Kerala as India's total e-governed state' would be a major step in the southern state's journey towards a knowledge based society and economy, besides achieving cent per cent digital literacy, a government release said.

This unique achievement, which comes decades after Kerala became the first fully literate Indian state and began its quest to become a fully e-literate society, has been realised through a set of visionary policy initiatives of the government seeking to transform the state into a digitally empowered society, the release said.

The achievement would enable online delivery of a whole range of government services by leveraging state-of-the-art technology and platforms to build a single window service delivery mechanism called e-Sevanam which integrates more than 800 government services online, it said.

The total e-governance will also help bridging the digital divide by making digital infrastructure to all at affordable cost, which is critical in transforming Kerala into a digital society to achieve sustainable economic growth, the release said.

The roll-out of KFON (Kerala Fibre Optic Network) will be a decisive step forward in this direction. Kerala stands out as the first Indian state to declare access to the internet as a citizen's right, it said.

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Besides these, total e-governance will also ensure inclusion of all sections of the society, including the less privileged and marginalised, the release said.

Apart from the e-Sevanam' system, the state IT Mission has also created a set of digitised platforms and applications, including e-Office File Flow, to take it down to the village office level, it said.

Additionally, the delivery of all vital services has already been digitised, covering all key domains including health, education, land revenue, documentation of properties, public distribution system and social security payouts, it said.

Over the period, the state has also successfully carried out a clutch of major projects like eDistrict, K-Swift, EHealth, ePDS, eCourt management, ERSS, Pol App, Cyber DOM, KITE, HSCAP and Digital Survey Mission. the release said.

It further said that Kerala also emerged top in the National e-Service Delivery Assessment conducted by the Government of India.

State Transport Minister Antony Raju will preside over the function which will also be attended by Chief Secretary V P Joy and Secretary Electronics and Information Technology, Dr Rathan U Kelkar, among others, it said.
The TMC and the CPI and the AAP said they will skip the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building even as the war of words over the prime minister and not the president scheduled to do the honours on May 28 continued between the government and the Congress. Amid demands from the opposition that the president should inaugurate the new building, leaders of like-minded opposition parties deliberated on the issue and a joint statement by the floor leaders announcing a united boycott of the event may be issued soon, sources said. ...Read More
President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at his office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps



President slams labor unions for overnight street rally



By Nam Hyun-woo



President Yoon Suk Yeol called Tuesday, for "a coalition of the free world," which he believes will eventually help to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula and Ukraine, signaling a push for stronger security relations with the United States and Japan.



Yoon made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting. He recalled discussions and achievements shared with global leaders in a flurry of diplomatic events on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan last week. There he reiterated the importance of a coalition with Western democracies, which share common values such as freedom, human rights and the rule of law.



"All of the diplomatic actions which we pursue, should be based on the universal values of freedom, the rule of law and international norms, as well as on the spirit of our Constitution," Yoon said in a nationally televised speech.



"I am convinced that a solid coalition of the free world will help secure peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Ukraine, and will eventually bring out the victory of liberty."



From May 17 to 22, Yoon held summits and meetings with leaders of 12 countries  Canada, Australia, Vietnam, India, the United Kingdom, Japan, Comoros, Indonesia, Ukraine, Italy, Japan and the United States  and the European Union in South Korea and Japan, on the occasion of his attendance at the G7 event in Hiroshima.



During the summits, Yoon reiterated South Korea's strong intention to stand by countries seeking freedom and the rule of law, asking for their support for Seoul's effort to deter North Korea's threats and echoing the condemnation by Western countries of Russia's aggression toward Ukraine.



The president said he engaged with the leaders with the constant aim of prioritizing security.



"During the G7 summit, I urged for a stronger coalition and cooperation between countries safeguarding freedom and the rule of law," Yoon said. "The leaders condemned North Korea's illegal actions  which are contrary to the nuclear non-proliferation regime  in a single voice as well as pledging their support for Seoul's efforts to strengthen its security."



During the G7 summit, Yoon had a brief meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Sunday. Although the content of their talks was not revealed, the three countries each released statements saying that they will strengthen trilateral security cooperation, which was viewed as a warning not only to North Korea but also to China.



"On the occasion of the summit, I reaffirmed the necessity for stronger trilateral security cooperation between the three countries with Biden and Kishida, and we decided to continue discussions," Yoon said.



"The trilateral security cooperation against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats will be upgraded, and the three countries' cooperation will naturally expand to advanced future technologies."



Yoon also stressed that the free world's strong support and effort to bring freedom and peace back to Ukraine are "a just measure against an illegal invasion."



"South Korea will be in solidarity with countries sharing the universal values of freedom, human rights and the rule of law, and make every possible support for securing peace in Ukraine and rebuilding its economy," Yoon said.





Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions stage a rally in central Seoul, May 16, in a protest against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's labor policy. The rally continued until the following day, causing an inconvenience to the public. Yonhap
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday reserved its judgement on a plea challenging the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and State Bank of India (SBI) notifications, that permits exchange of notes without any identity proof.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad said: "We will pass appropriate orders."

The counsel for RBI Senior Advocate Parag P. Tripathi objected to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying that it must be dismissed with exemplary costs.

The PIL has been filed by BJP leader and Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay.

Tripathi further said that this is a statutory exercise and not demonetisation.

"None of the points raised by my learned friend in any manner impinges upon the public issues," he added.

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The PIL says that the notifications -- published on May 19 and 20 -- are arbitrary and offends Article 14 of Constitution of India.

The plea also seeks a direction to the RBI and SBI to make sure that Rs 2000 notes are deposited in respective bank accounts only, so that people having black money and disproportionate assets could be identified.

To weed out corruption, benami transactions and secure fundamental rights of citizens, the PIL, which has RBI, SBI and Union Ministries of Home Affairs and Finance as respondents, seeks a direction to the Centre to take action regarding the same.

"Recently, it was announced by the Centre that every family has an Aadhaar Card and a Bank Account. Therefore, why RBI is permitting to exchange Rs 2000 banknotes without obtaining identity proof. It is also necessary to state that 80 crore BPL families receive free grains. It means 80 crore Indians rarely use Rs 2,000 banknotes. Therefore, petitioner also seeks direction to RBI and SBI to take steps to ensure that Rs 2000 banknotes are deposited in bank account only," the plea states.

--IANS

spr/dpb
Tribals from the ethnic violence-hit Manipur continue to move into Mizoram with over 7,700 people having taken shelter in the states (Mizoram) eight districts, officials said on Tuesday.

Officials in Aizawl apprehend that as the situation in many of the tribal-dominated districts in Manipur still remains tense with sporadic incidents of violence getting reported, more displaced people belonging to ethnic Zos, known as Kukis, may take shelter in Mizoram.

According to the officials, the highest number of around 2,690 people took shelter in Kolasib district, bordering Assam, followed by 2,386 and 2,153 people in Aizawl and Saitual districts, respectively, while the remaining took shelter in five other districts.

Officials said that a large number of people took shelter at the homes of their relatives and friends in Mizoram, while many of the hapless people have been lodged in community halls, schools and vacant buildings.

Meanwhile, various organisations involving a large number of women have been organising sit-in-demonstrations in the valley districts of Manipur for the past few days demanding that the Suspension of Operation (SoO) with Kuki militants be abrogated and action be taken against them.

They also demanded that "illegal Myanmarese immigrants" be deported, and poppy cultivation be stopped in the hilly areas.

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These organisations also strongly protested against the demand of 10 tribal MLAs to create a separate state for the tribals by dividing Manipur.

Shops, markets and business establishments remained closed on Tuesday in the New Chekon area of Imphal East district, where some miscreants torched two houses after four armed people, including a former MLA, forced people to shut their shops on Monday.

The district administration and the security forces have asked the people to remain indoors.

Sporadic incidents of violence, including burning of houses, were reported from different districts.

The Army, Assam Rifles along with the Manipur police and the Rapid Action Force have been maintaining a strict vigil in the 11 districts with a mixed population where curfew is still in place.

A total of 71 people have been killed, while 300 others were injured, including police personnel, in the recent violence in Manipur.

Out of the 16 districts in the state, 11 were affected out of which six were badly impacted.

Over 25,000 people have been displaced, nearly 1,700 houses were burnt, and more than 200 vehicles have been destroyed.

--IANS

sc/arm


Previously, the Indian government handed 10 BG diesel locomotives to Bangladesh on a grant basis in July 2020. Indian Railways on Tuesday handed over 20 Broad Gauge (BG) locomotives to Bangladesh. A handing-over ceremony was held at Rail Bhavan in New Delhi.



According to the statement from the Ministry of Railways, the diesel locomotives were handed over to Bangladesh under grant assistance from the Government of India. It aims to fulfill a commitment made in 2019, during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India. In line with the requirements of Bangladesh Railway, the locomotives have been suitably modified by India, the release said. It is expected that BG locomotives will help handle the increasing volume of passenger and freight train operations in Bangladesh. Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bangladesh's Minister of Railway Md. Nurul Islam Sujan joined the event, along with some other delegates and senior officials from both nations.



Commenting on the occasion, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "Indias relationship with Bangladesh is civilisational, cultural, social and economic. Prime Ministers of both countries are playing proactive roles to improve bilateral relationships across social, economic, and political sectors. Indian Railways are also playing a vital role in improving and strengthening rail connectivity across the border and improving trade between both countries." Trade between India-Bangladesh via rail has seen consistent growth with the interchange of close to 100 cargo trains per month and approximately 2.66 MT cargo was sent to Bangladesh in the last financial year, according to the statement. The export commodities include stone, foodgrains, along with other essential items.

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Bangladesh's Minister of Railways also commented and said, "I express my gratitude to the Indian government for their support. Previously in June 2020, Indian Government provided 10 locomotives to Bangladesh as grant. We express our heartfelt gratitude to India for providing broad gauge locomotives. The supply of locomotives will help to improve both goods and passenger trains."
A Mumbai Sessions Court has recently ruled that sex work can be termed an "offence" when its done in a public place causing nuisance to others, as it set free a 34-year-old commercial sex worker who was shunted to a shelter home against her wishes.

Following a raid on a brothel by the Mumbai Police in suburban Mulund in February, the CSW, along with two others, was arrested and produced before the Mazagaon Magistrate Court on February 19.

The Magistrate had gone through her medical report which proved she was a major, and sent her to the Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruh in Deonar suburb for a year's rehabilitation on March 15, though the other two women nabbed were released.

Challenging the order in the Sessions Court, the woman with two minor children, also denied indulging in any immoral activities as alleged by the police.

Hearing her plea, Additional Sessions Judge C. V. Patil said that the lower court had detained the victim only on the ground of antecedent of indulging in a similar kind of offence, which she has challenged.

Judge Patil ruled that the victim is a major and had the right to work, and there were no allegations that she was indulging in sex work in public.

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"As per the rule, to involve in sex work is not itself an offence, but to do sex work in public place so as to cause annoyance to others can be called as offence," he held.

He noted that the woman had two kids who needed her and if she was being detained against her wishes, then it curtailed her fundamental rights, including the freedom to move freely all over India, and quashed the Magistrate's order to set her free from the shelter home.

In mid-February, the Mumbai police had carried out the raids on a nearby shady hotel with decoy customers where the owner and manager were reportedly keeping women for purposes of prostitution for the customers.

--IANS

qn/vd
Describing Atmanirbhar Bharat as a brilliant initiative which was long overdue, a top Indian-American chief executive has said that the US is a natural partner in India's initiative to make the country self-reliant in various fields, particularly in defence.

The remarks by Vivek Lall, Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's State visit to the US in June.

I think it (Atmanirbhar Bharat) is a brilliant initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Atmanirbhar Bharat is a long overdue process that needs to evolve and, in its definition, itself is a lot of collaboration, a lot of R&D (Research and Development), joint R&D, and a lot of technologies that need to be incubated for the betterment of India," Lall told PTI in an interview.

"It is a very laudable initiative. I think the US is a natural partner in that. The ability of the US and India to work together to achieve the Prime Minister's goals is probably the best path forward for success, not only in India, but as well as in the US, he said



Lall, one of the five American CEOs who Modi met during his last visit to the city, said the prime minister has a very bold and strategic vision for the India-US relationship.

It is deeply admirable what the prime minister has put in place, both in terms of a policy standpoint and also an execution standpoint, he said.

"Very recently, in January this year, the initiative on critical and emerging technologies or ICET (Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology) dialogue was inaugurated by the national security advisors from India and the US, in critical emerging technologies, things like artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum computing and so forth," Lall said.

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This shows that the vision of Prime Minister Modi is farsighted, and he has the ability to garner the interest of both countries in the common goal of keeping a free and clear Indo-Pacific in terms of the geopolitics of the day, as well as looking at the century of innovation, he said.

"And I think both countries are best suited to work together, Lall said in response to a question.

Lall said the US-India defence relationship has really evolved over the last couple of decades that he has been observing it.

The relationship has taken on a very strategic meaning at this point in time, where both countries have come together, not only in terms of defence trade but also in terms of real co-development, co-production and technology sharing, as well as military-to-military engagements, he said.

So, I think that relationship with the announcements of the various foundational agreements over time and India being declared as a major defence partner has resulted in a very strong convergence, he said.

Among the significant defence agreements signed in recent years are the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Association (2016); the Memorandum of Intent between the US Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Indian Defense Innovation Organisation Innovation for Defence Excellence (2018); Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (2018); Industrial Security Agreement (2019); Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (2020).

The current India-US defence cooperation is based on the New Framework for India-US Defence Cooperation, which was renewed for a period of ten years in 2015. In 2016, the defence relationship was designated as a Major Defence Partnership (MDP) to build a comprehensive, enduring and mutually beneficial defence partnership.

On July 30 2018, India was moved into the Tier-1 of the US Department of Commerce's Strategic Trade Authorisation license exception.

Last week, US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy, Colin Kahl, co-chaired the 17th US-India Defence Policy Group alongside India's Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane.

The Dialogue advanced an ambitious agenda including industrial cooperation, information-sharing, maritime security, and technological collaboration that reflects the robust and comprehensive defence ties between the United States and India, according to Department of Defense Spokesman Lt Col David Herndon.

In a recent interview with PTI, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu said that it makes eminent sense for India to produce world-class defence equipment for its own needs, and potentially as an exporter, for the world.

We are already major partners in the defence field. We have over the last 20 years has a defence trade that's over USD 20 billion. And I know our private companies and our governments, our ministries of defence are talking on a regular basis about how we cooperate, he said.

Lu pointed out that last April during the 2+2 Dialogue involving India's Minister of Defence, and External Affairs Minister and their American counterparts Secretary of Defense and Secretary of State, for the first time there was American support for Prime Minister Modi's Make in India initiative.

We can see that India is shifting away from dependency on other countries and looking to produce defence supplies, defence equipment in India itself and that's a process we strongly support," he said



"And I hope in the coming months that you will see announcements, a major collaboration between our countries for sophisticated, modern, capable defence equipment that will be made in India, Lu said.
Electricity consumers in Uttar Pradesh will now be able to legally claim compensation for a default in the delivery of services by the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL).

The UPPCL has implemented the law made in this regard by the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) more than three years ago.

"UPPCL chairman M. Devraj has informed the UPERC that the corporation has implemented the compensation law through an online software in the entire state," a UPERC official said.

According to the order issued by Devraj in this regard, consumers can register their complaint about a service default as well as their compensation claim on the corporation's 1912 toll-free number, in case the complaint is not resolved within the specified timeframe.

"The compensation number will be generated online separately to the consumer concerned and the claim too will be processed online. Compensation will be provided to all eligible complainants within a maximum of 60 days from the date of lodging the complaint," the UPPCL chief said in his order.

The Standard of Performance Regulations was notified by the UPERC in December 2019, fixing the maximum time for the delivery of services.

Also Read Tata Power DDL, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam ink pact for hydro power supply NTPC plant in Barh synchronises 4th unit, Bihar to get additional 405 MW NTPC to start feasibility study for 130-MW floating solar plant in Tripura Karnataka, Gujarat make most progress in clean energy transition: Report Avaada Energy gets 421 MW solar project from Damodar Valley Corporation LIVE: Third edition of 'Khelo India' games in Uttar Pradesh to begin today US, India launch working group on education and skill development IMD predicts drop in temp owing to western disturbances in north west India AFSPA to be completely withdrawn from Assam this year: CM Himanta Sarma Projects must not be launched without assessing impact: Medha Patkar

It also prescribed fines to be imposed on discoms in case of a default.

As part of the Regulation, standards of performance will form the basis to measure performance against the standards for the licensee in providing service and ensuring that distribution companies meet minimum standards which are necessary from the perspective of consumers.

The amount of compensation claimed by consumers will be different for different service defaults.

The UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad president, Awadhesh Kumar Verma said that the implementation of the law will help consumers get better and time-bound services.

"We had been demanding the execution of the compensation law by discoms for a long time," Verma said.

--IANS

amita/ksk/


What is the National Medical Commission Act, 2019? The National Medical Commission (NMC) has introduced a new licensing and registration system for doctors in India to continue practicing medicine. The new registry promises a more efficient way to maintain data on practicing doctors in the country, share data with states, and check for unlicensed and unqualified doctors in the country. The portal will also make it easier for the public to check the qualifications of doctors in their area and see who have been blacklisted.



It also spoke of a National Medical Register (NMR) that would be maintained by the Ethics and Medical Registration Board (EMRB) under section 31 of the Act. The National Medical Commission Act was introduced in August 2019. The Act aimed to improve access to quality and affordable medical education to ensure that high-quality medical professionals were present in all parts of the country.



Doctors now have 90 days to register/renew their licenses on the EMRB. These licenses will be valid for up to five years, after which renewal will be required in an effort to ensure the list of practicing doctors in India is continuously updated. Hints of this registry had already been around for nearly four years and was finally implemented on May 10, 2023.

Also Read Clear final MBBS exam in 2 attempts: SC to foreign return medical students From industry icon to defaulter: How Venugopal Dhoot lost his empire Doctors in waiting: Why foreign medical graduates are on tenterhooks Aadhaar's new goal: AePS to facilitate financial inclusion in rural areas Insurance companies get more autonomy to decide on commission amount JAC Result 2023: Jharkhand Class 10th, 12th results to be declared today Karnataka legislators take oath in name of family deities, political gurus Kerala: Board restricts RSS from holding mass drills in temple premises Order reserved on PIL against allowing Rs 2K note exchange without ID proof Heatwave conditions to persist in Delhi; IMD forecasts light rain

What is National Medical Register?

The National Medical Register (NMR) is a government-maintained database specifically designed for healthcare professionals, primarily doctors. It serves as an official record of licensed doctors, providing easy access to their information for the public. The NMC is responsible for updating and managing the records in this database.



However, currently, the database only includes information on doctors registered up until 2021 through the State Medical Councils. The data registration for doctors from Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, and Delhi has not yet been updated, but it will be soon and will be available on the website. The NMR contains various details about doctors, including their qualifications, training, areas of specialisation, registration status, and any disciplinary actions taken against them, if at all. It is now mandatory for all doctors to register themselves on the NMR. In the near future, it will be possible to access information about any doctor in the country for consultation purposes.



Registering on the EMRB portal The NMC will maintain a unified medical register encompassing all medical practitioners in the country.



The guidelines released on May 12, 2023 by the NMC state that the UID will be suffixed with the code of the state or the union territory that the doctor registers themselves with. According to the NMC, the EMRB portal will generate a Unique Identification (UID) for every doctor. There will be a processing fee for the UID generation and will be payable in favour of the Secretary of NMC.



Advantages of the NMC Act This information will be recorded by the NMR and shared with the concerned State Medical Register.



Therefore, the NMR won't have to wait for the state councils to update and share their state registries. Under the NMC regulation, the data of national and state registries are synced in real time.



Registration in multiple states makes it difficult to enforce disciplinary action against doctors. If a doctor is suspended by one state council, they can still register with another state and continue to practice using the same registration number. Registering every five years will let the center have accurate information regarding the number of doctors practicing state-wise and will improve their ability to plan. It will also provide dates on the number of doctors practicing in public and those practicing in the private sector.



To add any additional qualifications received, however, doctors need to apply to their State Medical Council and upon approval the data will automatically be added to the National Register. The UID will remain the same. It will also tackle cases of fraud and identify "doctors" with unrecognised degrees as people can look up a doctor's registration number and check their qualifications on the NMC website under the 'Information Desk' tab.

Concerns by doctors

Most doctors are registered through their respective State Medical Councils, however, the NMC has not given the state commissions power to issue licenses for practicing medicine. This is a big change for doctors who have been practicing for a long time.



The Indian Medical Council Act allowed doctors to register and practice throughout the country. With the new system and the UID attached to the State/Union Territory, there are concerns about whether doctors will be allowed to practice throughout the country or will they be limited to their respective states. The earlier registration systems and guidelines varied from state to state. The renewal system for medical licenses was different among medical councils, with some boards foregoing the need for renewal at all. Furthermore, there are many doctors who fail to comply with their state's renewal policy and continue to practice without this.



Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 The guidelines mention that the UID will remain the same, while the State/Union Territory code may change with migration, however, this does not make clear if doctors can practice for short term in other states while registered to their own states. While regulations do state that doctors can opt to practice in multiple states, it does not make it clear whether this needs to be declared by the doctor or not.



According to the Act, every person whose name is borne in the Indian Medical Register (IMR) is entitled to practice medicine in any part of India. While doctors were required to inform the IMR if they changed their place of practice within 30 days of moving, they did not require any renewal of their license. The medical qualifications granted by any university or medical institution in India are recognised as medical qualifications under the Indian Medical Council (IMC) Act, 1956.


The development has come at a time when EVs are gathering attraction around the world. The governments are also supporting the switch from pure internal combustion engines to battery-powered vehicles. In a bid to provide a stronger push to electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing in the country, Indian automakers are considering making investments of around $10 billion or Rs 80,000 crore, a report published by The Economic Times (ET) said. The investment will be made to build a robust infrastructure for the EV ecosystem.



The plan is to create manufacturing capacity to build around two million EVs and scale it to 7.2-7.5 million units by 2030. Two-wheeler manufacturers are preparing to build a 15.5 million EV manufacturing capacity, ET reported. If successful, this will be 75 per cent of the installed capacity of internal combustion engine (ICE) powered two-wheelers. The capital expenditure will be allocated towards building green field plants for EVs, better research and investment in battery plants, and support grid charging infrastructure.



Maruti Suzuki, India's biggest carmaker is planning to install a manufacturing capacity of around four million units. At present, Maruti Suzuki has a capacity of 2.5 million cars. Maruti Suzuki is expected to launch six electric vehicles by 2031, the company said at its annual earnings conference. The President of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers Association (Siam), Vinod Agrawal said that the investment to create EV manufacturing capacity is critical to making India a $5 trillion economy. So far, the government and the industry are working in cooperation with each other, the report quoted Agrawal.

Also Read Maruti Suzuki Q3 preview: Profit may decline up to 8% QoQ on lower volumes Maruti Suzuki Q4 net profit up 42.6%; firm declares dividend of Rs 90/share Maruti Suzuki India's sales jump 6.5% in April, exports drop by 8% Planning to buy Fronx? Maruti Suzuki to launch in India next week Maruti Suzuki launches 5-door, 4-wheel drive Jimny at Auto Expo 2023 Tata Altroz CNG launched at a starting price of Rs 7.55 lakh; check details As govt cuts down subsidy, EV two-wheelers may get costlier from June 1 Tata Motors launches CNG version of hatchback Altroz; starts at Rs 7.55 lk EV buyers to get smaller batteries, less features as Centre cuts subsidy Siemens board agrees to sell low voltage motors, gears biz for Rs 2,200 cr

The company is likely to launch its first EV model in 2025, the ET report said. Mahindra and Tata Motors will make a capex of Rs 10,000 crore and Rs 15,000 crore respectively in the next 5-7 years. Hyundai is also planning to invest Rs 20,000 crore towards EV manufacturing.
By Preeti Singh and Saikat Das



A key metric of profitability for Indian banks, lending margins, is set to get a boost as the nations decision to withdraw its highest-value currency note bolsters bank deposits.

The Reserve Bank of Indias move to withdraw the 2,000 rupees ($24) notes will lead to growth in deposits at banks and lower their cost of funds, according to a note from Axis Mutual Fund. The step could boost deposits by as much as 2 trillion rupees through the end-September deadline to exchange the notes, the asset manager said. A key metric of profitability for Indian banks, lending margins, is set to get a boost as the nations decision to withdraw its highest-value currency note bolsters bank deposits.



But as the rush to deposit the high-value currency notes before the deadline gathers pace, banks margins could expand, said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at state-run Bank of Baroda. Net interest margin, the difference between the banks lending rate and the amount it pays for deposits, will narrow in the year to March 31, as demand for loans outstrips the deposit growth, Fitch Ratings had warned earlier this year. Banks held 18.4 trillion rupees in deposits as of May, according to RBI.

Also Read Provide adequate infra at branches for Rs 2,000 note exchange: RBI to banks RBI asks banks to keep daily data on exchange, deposit of Rs 2,000 notes RBI withdraws Rs 2,000 currency notes: Here's all you need to know How RBI's withdrawal of Rs 2,000 notes is different from demonetisation Rs 2,000 note withdrawn: How important was the note for the Indian economy? RBI meet: Focus turns to public sector bank boards' strategic role Flows into NRIs deposits in India top $8-billion mark in 2022-23 Dhanlaxmi Bank Q4 net up 63% to Rs 38 cr on improvement in asset quality RBI to brainstorm with bank directors on governance, risk issues on Monday PNB Q4 net profit jumps fivefold to Rs 1,159 crore as interest income rises

That is because the inflow of notes would lead to an increase in low cost deposits, known as current accounts and saving accounts, bringing down the overall cost of funds for the lenders and improve their margins, according to Virat Diwanji, group president and head - consumer banking, at Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd.

However, gains maybe short-lived as the people will start withdrawing the money. Still, the short-term deposit rates may ease for now, muting the impact of rising deposit rates on margins, according to a note from CareEdge Ratings Ltd.
In this section

First Published: May 23 2023 | 7:35 PM IST

Key driver of returns is asset allocation, not market timing: Ajit Deshmukh

This time we'll crack the derivatives segment: BSE MD & CEO Ramamurthy

'It's difficult not to be positive on Indian equities'

HDFC AMC, UTI AMC: AMC stocks may fall up to 15% on debt fund tax blow

UTI, HDFC AMC top bets among asset managers; charts hint up to 17% rally

InCred Financial Services aims to float about Rs 10,000-crore AIF

Sanjay Nayar has quit board of InCred Financial Services, company says

The coming year or two are packed with a lot of global and macro events which will inject some bit of intermittent volatility, but these shouldn't be a concern for long-term investors, says, chief executive officer and chief investment officer, InCred Asset Management. In an interview within Mumbai, Singh advises investors to incrementally allocate towards equities as valuations have returned to normal levels.

The earnings season has been a mixed bag. While technology companies have disappointed vis-a-vis expectations, sectors like manufacturing, healthcare, cement, and two-wheeler auto space have fared better in terms of volumes growth. There are green shoots of recovery in rural demand, which is likely to benefit rural heavy consumer staples

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President Yoon Suk Yeol poses with business leaders during an annual event held at the lawn of the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, Tuesday, to celebrate the accomplishments of small and medium-sized companies. First from left in front row are Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong; Kim Ki-mun, chairman of Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business; Yoon; Ko Myung-jin, co-founder and CEO of healthcare company SILVIA; and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. Joint Press Corps
Also Read Ambuja Cements Q4 net profit up 1.61%, declares dividend of Rs 2.5 apiece Rs 8.7 trn mcap loss for Adani cos in 6 days; Adani Ent tanks 35% since Tue Adani Group relocating key roles at ACC, Ambuja Cements to Ahmedabad: Rpt Analysts cautious on mid, smallcaps; await earnings catch-up Adani Group shares under pressure; Adani Ent falls 5%, Adani Ports down 3% Stocks to Watch today, May 23: PolicyBazaar, BPCL, Vedanta, NMDC, JSW Steel Nifty Pvt bank index is consolidating; track these levels for next big move MARKET LIVE: Sensex reclaims 62K, Nifty50 above 18,400; Metal index up 2% Benchmark equity indices rise for second day on gains in RIL, IT stocks Global investment firms IFC, M&G invest in Vivriti Retail Asset Fund

Shares of Adani Group companies were trading higher for a third straight day on Tuesday after an interim report by the Supreme Court (SC)-appointed panel last Friday did not find any conclusive evidence to support allegations made by the US-based short seller Hindenburg Research.Among individual stocks, Adani Enterprises, the flagship company of Adani Group, was locked in the temporary 15 per cent upper circuit at Rs 2,675 on the BSE at 09:34 am. In the past three trading days, the stock has zoomed 42 per cent from a level of Rs 1,888 on Thursday, May 18. The stock is in future & option (F&O) segment, which doesn't have any circuit limit.Adani Wilmar, too, was locked in the 10 per cent upper circuit at Rs 488.80, surging 29 per cent in the past three trading days. Adani Power (Rs 260.40), Adani Transmission (Rs 866.60), Adani Green Energy (Rs 989.50), Adani Total Gas (Rs 757.40), and New Delhi Television (NDTV) (Rs 195.75) were locked in the 5 per cent upper circuit for a second straight day and only buyers being seen on these counters.Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (up 8 per cent at Rs 785.90), Ambuja Cements (3 per cent at Rs 437.50) and ACC (2 per cent at Rs 1,859.80) among other Adani Group stocks were trading higher on the BSE. In comparison, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 0.34 per cent at 62,177.The Supreme Court's six-member panel said that "prima facie it would not be possible to conclude if there has been a regulatory failure around the allegation of price manipulation in the Adani scrips" in the Adani-Hindenburg case. It has recommended that all investigation be completed in a time-bound manner.Meanwhile, the SC-appointed committee has said that market regulator Sebi and the Enforcement Directorate have found evidence of short selling and profiting following the Hindenburg Research's report publication on January 24. The agencies are investigating the role of six entities which indulged in short selling.Analysts said that the SC panel's findings have boosted investor confidence towards the beleaguered port-to-power conglomerate.They said the report is the beginning of a significant step forward for the group and will help the Gautam Adani Group push ahead with its proposed fundraise plan.Adani Enterprises, on May 13, had said its board approved a plan to raise up to Rs 12,500 crore from the market. The company said in a statement that it plans to raise the funds via selling equity shares through qualified institutional placement or other permissible mode.
Capital markets regulator Sebi on Tuesday revised the methodology for clearing corporations with regard to computation of core Settlement Guarantee Fund corpus in commodity derivatives segment.

A core Settlement Guarantee Fund (SGF) is a corpus used for settlement of trades during defaults and all intermediaries -- stock exchanges, clearing corporations and brokers -- contribute towards it.

Sebi received representations from clearing corporations that in light of the turnover and the open interest observed at the stock exchanges in the recent times, the target corpus level prescribed in 2018 need to be reviewed and methodology for computation of core SGF corpus in commodity derivatives segment.

In its circular, the regulator said that the clearing corporations in commodity derivatives segment can now align their core SGF in terms of its framework issued in August 2014 and July 2018 and excess contribution may be returned to the contributing stakeholders on a pro-rata basis, after taking due approval from Sebi.

Earlier, clearing corporations were mandated to augment their core SGF to the respective target corpus level in the subsequent years based on overall risk, peak open interest in the previous period as well as expected growth of business in the future.

The new guideline would come into force from July 1, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in a circular.

Also Read SEBI plans to restrict borrowing by AIFs to prevent systemic risk Sebi plan to prune MF costs: New expense slabs, no additional charges Sebi planning to align foreign VC investment rules with those of FPIs Sebi suspends trading of agri commodity derivatives for 1 more year Strengthening debt market on Sebi's agenda, says Ananth Narayan Recovery in rural demand, festival season may ramp it up: Mrinal Singh Spicejet shares tumble nearly 14%; hit 52-week low during intra-day trade India, Mexico 'Best Structural Stories' in emerging markets: Global X SpiceJet tanks 19%, crashes to near 8-year low on heavy volumes OMCs extend gains on improved operational performance; IOC hits 52-wk high

The regulator, in August 2014, prescribed norms related to core SGF, default waterfall and stress test for clearing corporations and stock exchanges. The framework provided detailed guidelines regarding computation of Minimum Required Corpus (MRC) of core SGF as well as contribution to core SGF.

Further, Sebi, in June 2018, mandated a minimum amount of MRC of Rs 10 crore for stock exchanges having commodity derivatives segment.
Also Read 'Air travel has come roaring back': SpiceJet net profit rises 160% SpiceJet soars 15% as net profit jumps five-fold to Rs 107 crore in Q3 Analysts see 24% upside in IndiGo; suggest tracking costs, airfare cap Sensex ends 298 pts up, Nifty reclaims 18,200 led by Adani, auto, IT stocks Bank stocks can slide more; stay away for now: Analysts OMCs extend gains on improved operational performance; IOC hits 52-wk high Divi's Lab surges 10% in two days on strong revenue growth guidance Analysts see 24% upside in IndiGo; suggest tracking costs, airfare cap Nifty IT index reclaims 200-DMA; what does this mean for IT stocks? IndusInd Bank gains 15% in one month; nears 52-week high on healthy outlook

Shares of SpiceJet were quoting close to an eight-year low of Rs 22.65, as they tanked 19 per cent on the BSE in Tuesday's intra-day trade amid heavy volumes. The stock of the airline company was quoting at its lowest level since June 2015.At 01:50 PM, SpiceJet was trading 14.5 per cent lower at Rs 24.01, as compared to 0.36 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. The average trading volume on the counter jumped over eight-fold today with around 11.47 million equity shares, representing 1.9 per cent of total equity of SpiceJet, having changed hands on the BSE.SpiceJet is an IATA-IOSA certified airline that operates a fleet of Boeing 737s and Q-400s, and is one of the country's largest regional players operating multiple daily flights under UDAN or the Regional Connectivity Scheme. The majority of the airline's fleet offers SpiceMax, the most spacious economy class seating in India.The stock was quoting lower for the sixth straight trading day, having slipped 25 per cent during the period.On May 11, SpiceJet announced that it has initiated the process of reviving its grounded fleet with the $50 million funds received by the airline from the government's Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) and internal cash accruals."In view of the recent developments in the Indian aviation market, the airline has categorically stated that it has no plans whatsoever to file for insolvency, the company said. 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, SpiceJet had said.SpiceJet had announced plans to revive 25 grounded aircraft that will help it capitalise and make the most of the upcoming peak travel season."There is absolutely no question of filing for insolvency. Any rumour regarding the same is completely baseless. 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 Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.Meanwhile, as the insolvency issue of SpiceJet heats up, prior red-flagging to the company by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had pointed out long awaited trouble for the aviation giant, news agency IANS had reported on Monday, May 21.Last year itself the DGCA had warned the airline after noticing various anomalies regarding its service. CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT
Chhatisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party and accused the party of seeking votes in the name of the cows ahead of the assembly elections in the state

"As the election is approaching in the state, they (BJP) leaders are visiting gauthans," CM said while addressing the media in Raipur on Monday.

In response to a question about the BJP's allegations of corruption in the construction of gauthans (cow shelters) in the state, Baghel shot back, "They (BJP) do not understand the difference between 'gaushala' and 'gauthan. Those travelling in expensive cars along with their dogs, how they will know about the importance of cows? They (BJP) are now visiting gauthans ahead of the assembly elections in the state".

"Have they ever visited a 'gauthan'? If they (BJP) have visited, it's good and they should detail to us about the work that needs to be done under this new scheme or share their experiences. They are seeking votes in the name of cows. Therefore they (BJP) should serve in gauthans," said the CM.Raising a question mark on the timing of BJP leaders' visit to gauthans, CM Baghel said that during summer cattle do not stay in gauthans and this is not the tradition of Chhattisgarh.

"After the falgun (last month of the Hindu calendar), the cattle remain free and usually reside under the shed of a tree and near a river," CM said.

Accusing BJP of corruption during their rule in the state, Baghel termed the allegations of corruption (worth Rs 1300 crore in gauthans) levelled by the opposition as a 'fixed script' and said that the entire country, as well as the world, is praising this model of Chhattisgarh.

Also Read Chhattisgarh liquor scam case: ED should arrest CM Baghel, says AAP Chhattisgarh govt to introduce reservation bill within two days: Baghel Chhattisgarh Cabinet approves two amended bills on reservation 40 Congress lawmakers in Himachal to nominate legislative party leader CM rubbishes liquor scam allegations in Chhattisgarh, calls ED a BJP agent Law and order in Bengal 'not good at all': Union minister Meghwal Not constitutionally correct: Cong ahead of Parliament inauguration by PM State violence giving birth to gun culture: Akhilesh on Noida shootout Religion is matter of conduct, BJP made it political propaganda: Kamal Nath Anyone who speaks against govt's injustice gets notice: Aaditya Thackeray

"While a union minister, chairman of MP's Gau Sewa Aayog and others praised this scheme, BJP here only sees corruption," the Chief Minister said.
The tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar over the power-sharing formula has come to the fore in the very first week after the formation of the government. When asked about the row, Shivakumar on Tuesday curtly asked the media not to disturb him.

"Don't disturb me," said Shivakumar as he looked disturbed and maintained a distance from media persons.

Minister M.B. Patil on Monday said that Siddaramaiah will complete the five-year tenure. "There are no talks about power-sharing and Siddaramaiah will remain the CM for the full term," he stated stirring a controversy.

When his statements triggered speculation in the political corridors, on Tuesday Patil maintained that he had not made any personal comments over the issue. "I have reiterated what senior leaders announced in the press conference," he said.

Sources explained that Shuivakumar is upset over the remarks and his media statement 'don't disturb me' was aimed at M.B. Patil.

When asked about power-sharing between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal had remarked that power was being given to the people of Karnataka. The high command has not given clarity about the issue so far.

Also Read K'taka CM hits back at Randeep Surjewala on his '420 Bommai govt' comment Karnataka polls is not about Modi: Cong leader Priyanka hits out at PM K'taka CM frontrunners may be called to Delhi: Congress' Sushil Shinde Cheap, not part of K'taka politics: CM Bommai on Siddaramaiah's remarks BJP CEC meeting today to finalise candidates for Karnataka Assembly polls Has to ensure that bill on Delhi services is not passed in RS: Kejriwal Cong leader Khader files nomination for Karnataka Assembly Speaker post Siddaramaiah will be CM for 5 yrs: Patil as power tussle in K'taka begins Covid only affects human body, communal virus affects body politic: Sibal BJP seeks votes in name of cows, visiting gauthans: Chhattisgarh CM

The party seniors are unhappy about the development and feel that Patil's statement at this stage was unnecessary.

There was a cold war between Patil and Shivakumar when the former was inducted in Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet in 2013 and Shivakumar was kept out. Patil is equally resourceful as Shivakumar is and is considered to be the blue-eyed boy of Siddaramaiah.

Patil and Siddaramaiah made a failed attempt to create a separate religion category for Lingayats in the 2018 Assembly elections. Shivakumar had then tendered an unconditional apology to Lingayats repeatedly, much to the chagrin of Patil.

Patil had questioned Shivakumar on this and had raised questions on his right to seek apology. Patil further attacked Shivakumar that he had destroyed Congress in south Karnataka. The Congress party has taken a toll due to his egoistic demeanor and body language. He had also called Shivakumar tainted and maintained that in the 2018 elections this could also have worked against the Congress party.

Now, in the latest episode, Shivakumar has not reacted to his statements. However, sources said that he is preparing a parallel Lingayat leadership against Patil. Various Lingayat groups have already objected to preference being given to Patil, who represents a small sub-caste, over sub castes with larger populations.

Priyank Kharge, a cabinet minister, while reacting over Patil's statement, explained that the statements on power-sharing by Patil were irrelevant. "No one knows the details of the discussion between them. It is known only to CM Siddaramaiah, DyCM D.K. Shivakumar, Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal," he said.

The legislature party meeting did not discuss power-sharing. "I don't know what information M.B. Patil has it. I can tell what I know," Kharge said.

--IANS

mka/dpb
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday accused the Uttar Pradesh government of giving birth to "gun culture" in the state, and also held the dispensation accountable for an incident at a private university in Greater Noida where a student killed a batch-mate before shooting himself dead.

A 21-year-old BA third year student had on Thursday shot dead his woman batchmate inside the Shiv Nadar university premises. The two were allegedly in a relationship but had broken up due to some differences after which the student took the extreme step, according to local police officials.

"Due to poor security arrangements in the prestigious Shiv Nadar university in Uttar Pradesh's Noida, near Delhi, the killing of a girl student by three gunshots is a painful incident. The UP administration had been equally negligent. Uttar Pradesh mein shaasnik hinsa ne nayi 'tamancha sanskriti' ko janm diya hai (The state violence in UP has given birth to a new gun culture in UP," Yadav tweeted in Hindi.

The former chief minister has been critical of the Yogi Adityanath government over what he described as "fake encounters" of suspected criminals by the state police.

Meanwhile, the local police continued its probe to ascertain from where the deceased student had procured the country-made 0.32 bore pistol for the shootout, an official said.

An FIR was lodged at the Dadri police station under sections 3, 25 and 27 of the Arms Act against the deceased student, the official added.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday embarked on a nine-day tour of Singapore and Japan, stating that his visit was aimed at attracting more investments to the state.

Stalin said his similar visit to Dubai last year had resulted in signing of pacts with six investors to the tune of Rs 6,100 crore that would ensure 15,100 job opportunities.

Two of them have started the works, he told reporters at the airport in a pre-departure media interaction.

"The key motive of this visit (to Singapore and Japan) is to extend invitation (to investors) for the 2024 Global Investors Meet," the Chief Minister said.

He will meet prospective investors by way of conferences during his official visit and some deals are also slated to be signed, he added.

Stalin added that ever since the DMK came to power in mid-2021, Rs 2,95,399 crore worth investments have been "confirmed" after 226 memoranda of understanding were signed. When fully implemented, these would usher in jobs to over 4.12 lakh people, he said.

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The main opposition AIADMK, however, questioned Stalin's foreign visit. Party general secretary and Leader of Opposition in Assembly K Palaniswami alleged that in the name of attracting investments, the Chief Minister had embarked on a "pleasure trip".

He said the Global Investors Meet held by his government in 2019 attracted over Rs 3 lakh crore investments and that the pace of starting new businesses slowed down in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic.

However, many investors had started the works in early 2021 and only as a continuation of this new initiatives were underway in the present government, Palaniswami claimed.

In a statement, he alleged the ruling DMK was claiming credit for these investments ensured in the previous regime.

"The Chief Minister who had embarked on an earlier pleasure trip to Dubai with his family has undertaken a similar visit to Singapore and Japan in the name of attracting investments," Palaniswami charged.


Motorola Edge 40: Launch offers Chinese electronics maker Lenovo-owned smartphone brand Motorola on Tuesday launched the Edge 40 in India. Priced at Rs 29,999, the 5G smartphone will be available for purchase on Flipkart, Motorola online store, and select retail stores from May 30. Ahead of the sale, the Motorola Edge 40 will be available for pre-orders on Flipkart from May 23. The smartphone will be offered in reseda green, eclipse black, and lunar blue colour options.



Motorola Edge 40: Specifications On pre-orders, Motorola is offering a screen damage protection plan worth Rs 9,500 for one-time screen replacement. This offer is available exclusively on Flipkart and valid till May 30. On the sale day, customers can avail exchange bonus in which Motorola is offering an additional Rs 2,000 on the trade-in value. Besides, there will be no-interest equated monthly instalment scheme of up to six months available on HDFC, SBI, ICICI and AXIS bank cards.

Motorola said the Edge 40 is the world's slimmest 5G smartphone at 7.58 mm in thickness. The smartphone is IP68 rated for water and dust resistance. It has leather finish on the back cover and aluminium metal frame. The Motorola Edge 40 is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 8020 chipset, paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB on-board storage. It sports a 6.55-inch two-side curved pOLED display of 144Hz refresh rate. The smartphone is based on the Android 13 operating system. The dual-SIM phone supports one physical SIM and an e-SIM. It is powered by a 4400 mAh battery, supported by a 68W charger (in-box accessory). The phone also supports wireless charging (up to 15W).
An Australian court has imposed a penalty of $60,480 on a bakery operator in Melbourne for not giving back-pay entitlements to a worker from India, thus "taking advantage of the migrant worker's vulnerability".

The Federal Circuit and Family Court imposed a $50,400 penalty against Gothic Downs Pty Ltd, which operates Bakers Boutique & Patisserie outlets, and a $10,080 penalty against the company's sole director Giuseppe Conforto.

Judge Heather Riley inferred that the Indian worker, who was sponsored by Gothic Downs on a Temporary Work Skilled visa, was "vulnerable" and that the company and Conforto "took advantage of her vulnerability".

The penalties were imposed in response to Gothic Downs failing to comply with compliance notices issued by Australian regulatory authority Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) in 2019.

The notices required the firm to calculate and back-pay entitlements to two workers, including an Indian, it employed at Bakers Boutique & Patisserie outlets in Meadow Heights and Caroline Springs between 2016 and 2018.

The FWO investigated after receiving requests for assistance from the two affected workers -- one of whom was a pastry cook and the other was a sales assistant.

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The probe found that Gothic Downs had underpaid the workers' minimum wages, early morning shift rates, weekend and public holiday penalty rates and overtime rates under the General Retail Industry Award 2010, and one of the worker's leave entitlements under the Fair Work Act's National Employment Standards.

Judge Riley found that the breaches were deliberate and rejected the company and Conforto's claim that they were confused about how much was owing to the workers.

"To my mind, the respondents' protestations ring hollow, in circumstances where they did not pay even the minimum amounts that they conceded were owing until long after the compliance notices required rectification," Judge Riley said.

He said there was a need to impose penalties at a level to provide "an adequate deterrent" for the company and "others who may be tempted to behave as they have".

Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said business operators that fail to act on Compliance Notices need to be aware they can face penalties in court on top of having to back-pay workers.

"Employers need to be aware that taking action to protect vulnerable workers like visa holders continues to be a priority for the FWO. Any employees with concerns about their pay or entitlements should contact us for free advice and assistance," she said.

--IANS

mi/ksk/


The decision was undertaken in an attempt to cut carbon emissions. France on Tuesday announced to ban domestic flights on short routes that can be easily covered by train in less than two-and-a-half hours.



"On average, the plane emits 77 times more CO2 per passenger than the train on these routes, even though the train is cheaper and the time lost is limited to 40 minutes," the report said. According to media reports, the law came into force two years after the lawmakers voted to end routes where the same journey could be made by trains in less than two-and-a-half hours. The move will mostly rule out air travel between Paris and regional hubs such as Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux.



The report stated that people who will be making such short trips should also be able to make return train journeys on the same day, after having spent eight hours at their destination. The French government's law also specified that the train services on the same route must be frequent, well-connected, and timely to meet the demand of passengers, who would otherwise travel by air.

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This development has now irked the aviation industry after French lawmakers have been debating on how to cut emissions from private jets. Although the measure was a part of the 2021 climate law and was applied in practice already, some airlines had asked the European Commission to probe whether it was legal.

The report states that France's Citizens' Convention on Climate, which was created by President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 and included 150 members of the public, had proposed scrapping plane journeys where train journeys of under four hours existed. However, this was reduced to two-and-a-half hours after facing objections from some regions, as well as the airline Air France-KLM.
Ventilation fans for air-conditioners cover an exterior of a building in Seoul, May 15. Korea Times file



Promotion, education, subsidies offered to mitigate seasonal high demand for electricity



By Ko Dong-hwan



With temperatures already reaching levels seen in the sweltering summer months, the central and local governments as well as residents are increasingly concerned about rising electricity consumption as air conditioner use is increasing. Particularly this summer, El Nino has begun cranking up water temperatures surrounding the Korean Peninsula, contributing to the early arrival of the summer season.



The government also raised electricity rates by 5.3 percent, May 16, adding a significant financial burden to the public.



The Seoul Metropolitan Government is asking residents to take part in a power-saving campaign as well as offering subsidies for power consumption.





Power meters outside a commercial building in Seoul, Feb. 28 / Newsis



Since 2020, the city's overall power usage has been increasing by 3 percent annually, indicating that electricity consumption is likely to increase this summer.



One of the city government's goals is for each household to save 1 kilowatt per hour every day, according to the Green Energy Division under the city authority's Climate and Environment Headquarters.



It can be achieved by keeping room temperatures at 26 degrees Celsius, as well as shutting off lights and unplugging electronic appliances when not in use. Such efforts can save as much as 10 percent of energy each month and 100,000 won ($76) from the energy bill per year.



To raise awareness of such habits  particularly among merchants and other commercial venues where power demand is comparatively higher due to a high volume of visits by patrons  the city government is forming a special group of promoters.



During the June-to-August period, some 150 city workers will visit the most crowded areas of Seoul, including Myeongdong, Hongdae and Gangnam, and promote the energy-saving campaign. The city workers intend to remind merchants to keep their air-conditioned store doors closed and to shut refrigerator doors inside supermarkets.



The city campaign also includes encouraging people to remove their neckties and wear shorts and spreading the message via social networking platforms.



The city officials are also reaching out to some 1 million students in Seoul to promote the campaign. In cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the city government is hosting educational sessions at public venues and spaces run by district offices in Seoul.





A sign attached to a refrigerator at a supermarket urges patrons to shut the door to prevent cold air from escaping and save energy, in this Feb. 13 photo. Yonhap



The city government's campaign reaches out to state-run Korea Electric Power Corp. and Korea Energy Agency. The collaboration is geared towards launching monthly advertisements across the city using billboards, subways, buses and screens at apartment elevators. Power-saving tips will also be shared consistently through radio, TV broadcasters and media outlets.



In addition to the city's ad campaign, Seoul's 25 district offices are also launching a special ad campaign during summer to contribute to the energy-saving mission. The efforts include monitoring public buildings that particularly consume a high volume of power and making them save more electricity.



Another campaign involves some 1,000 cafes and restaurants in Seoul.



"Oasis Seoul" has signed deals with local businesses so that they provide water when asked by non-paying patrons. Passersby can identify the businesses through stickers which indicate they provide water for free. The city government said it plans to extend the city-wide oasis project to district offices and other government buildings.



For 450 buildings registered in the city that use a relatively larger amount of power running on 2,000 ton-equivalent or higher amount of electricity per year  as well as eco-friendly companies, the city government is hosting an inaugural power-saving model-building competition.





This building in Seoul's northern district of Nowon is one of the city's zero-energy buildings. Built in 2017, 121 familes live here. Korea Times file
Leaders of the Group of Seven nations say that the human rights situation in Tibet is a "major concern to us" and that they will continue voicing their concerns about it.

In a communique following the group's just-concluded annual summit, the G7 leaders said: "We will keep voicing our concerns about the human rights situation in China, including in Tibet and Xinjiang where forced labour is of major concern to us."

Responding to communique, the International Campaign for Tibet, an advocacy group that promotes human rights and democratic freedoms for the Tibetan people, on Tuesday said, "This communique by G7 leaders shows that China's abuses in Tibet have not escaped the attention of some of the most influential leaders on the planet."

"Rather than try to hide its oppression of Tibetans or lash out at criticism from foreign governments, the government in Beijing should get back to the negotiating table and respond positively to the initiative of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership in exile to peacefully resolve the longstanding conflict in Tibet."

The G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, with the high representative of the European Union acting as an observer.

G7 leaders met for their annual summit May 19-21 in Hiroshima.

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China has illegally occupied Tibet for over 60 years, forcing the Dalai Lama into exile in 1959.

Today, under Chinese rule, Tibet is the least-free country on the earth alongside South Sudan and Syria, according to global rankings from the watchdog group Freedom House.

A recent US State Department report chronicles allegations of "forced disappearances, arrests, physical abuse, and prolonged detentions without trial of monks, nuns, and other persons due to their religious practices" in Tibet last year.

In addition, the Chinese government has reportedly separated nearly one million Tibetan children from their families and sent them to colonial-style boarding schools, where they are forced to learn Mandarin Chinese in a curriculum built around Chinese culture.

Since 2009, nearly 160 Tibetans have self-immolated in Tibet and China in a desperate attempt to draw attention to their people's plight.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan exile administration is based in this hill town.

--IANS

vg/dpb
A multinational tea company based in Kenya has suspended operations after tea plucking and harvesting machines were burned by protesters citing massive job losses due to mechanisation.

The suspension of operations at the Ekaterra tea company's South Rift region farms will affect thousands of employees.

The Kenya Tea Growers Association announced Tuesday that all large-scale tea producers in Kenya will scale down operations in solidarity with Ekaterra until security is guaranteed.

Casual labourers previously employed to pick tea protested on Monday against the loss of jobs due to the use of machines. They told local media that, additionally, the automation of the picking process is causing more work for employees in the sorting department because machines do not pick the finest tea leaves.

They burned five machines and looted tea products from one of the company's shops.

The tea growers association has appealed to President William Ruto to intervene as there have been various other attacks in other tea farms in the South Rift region as locals protest against the use of machines.

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The association says assets worth 50 million Kenyan shillings (USD 362,000) have been destroyed over an unspecified period of time. Losses of tea were additionally put at 120 million shillings by the association.

Ekaterra has lost 15 machines to torching incidents in the past seven months.

Kenya is one of the leading tea exporters in the world. The tea production industry has faced challenges and tea exports declined in 2022.

The industry employs millions of people in farms and factories spread across the country.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that a possible withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is still on his country's agenda.

"I don't rule out that Armenia could make a decision on suspending or freezing its membership to the CSTO," if the Organization fails to fulfill its treaty obligations, Pashinyan said at a press conference in Yerevan.

Voicing his discontent over the CSTO's reluctance of dispatching a monitoring group to the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, he said that the membership of CSTO has blocked his country's opportunities to promote military cooperation with other nations, reports Xinhua news agency.

The prime minister made the remarks days before his arranged talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Moscow after Russia's mediation.

Azerbaijan and Armenia had been locked in a decades-long territorial conflict, with major armed clashes breaking out in September 2020 and ending with a Russia-brokered truce in November of the same year.

Sporadic conflicts have been erupting between Baku and Yerevan ever since, with international efforts still ongoing to mediate a fundamental truce between the two South Caucasus states.

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The CSTO is an inter-governmental military alliance consisting of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

--IANS

ksk/
US President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have called their latest talks on the debt ceiling productive, but no deal has yet been reached.

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday morning, Biden said: "I just concluded a productive meeting with Speaker McCarthy about the need to prevent default and avoid a catastrophe for our economy.

"We reiterated once again that default is off the table and the only way to move forward is in good faith toward a bipartisan agreement.

"While there are areas of disagreement, the Speaker and I, and his lead negotiators Chairman McHenry and Congressman Graves, and our staffs will continue to discuss the path forward."

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On his party, McCarthy told reporters late Monday night that "President Biden and I just had a productive meeting in our negotiation to responsibly raise the debt limit".

"It should have happened months ago, but there is a path for him to avoid defaulting on the debt," the California Republican added.

The debt ceiling is a spending limit set by Congress which determines how much money the government can borrow, the BBC reported.

Failure to raise it beyond the current cap of roughly $31.4 trillion by June could result in the US defaulting on its debt.

That would mean the government could not borrow any more money or pay all of its bills.

It would also threaten to wreak havoc on the global economy, affecting prices and mortgage rates in other countries, BBC reported.

The President ended his trip to Japan for the G7 summit early and returned to the US on Sunday to address the deadlock over US debt.

The latest development comes after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had reiterated that the US will likely default on its debt as early as June 1.

--IANS

ksk-san/
Pakistan's Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday granted interim bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in eight cases registered against him until June 8 related to violence that erupted at the Judicial Complex here in March, ARY News reported.

Multiple cases were registered against Imran Khan after clashes erupted between police and his supporters before he appeared at the judicial complex on March 18.

Security was beefed up at the judicial complex and the NAB office ahead of the PTI chief's arrival and a heavy contingent of police were deployed there to deal with any untoward incident, reported ARY News.

Today, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Khan reached the Islamabad judicial complex, ahead of his appearance before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) at its Rawalpindi office in the Pound 190 million settlement case.

The accused has to join the investigation after security interim bail but Imran Khan is saying his leg is injured and he cannot join the probe.

To this, Salman Safdar, the former prime minister's counsel in his arguments before the court said his client booked in over 160 cases and added they are ready to join the investigation.

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The court after hearing arguments from both sides extended interim bail of Imran Khan in eight cases until June 8. The judge also directed the JIT to inform the court how they want Imran Khan to join the investigation, according to ARY News.

Meanwhile, Khan, in his statement before the anti-terrorism court, said he is ready to join the investigation but wants a JIT in line with the LHC verdict.

"I put my life at risk every time I leave the house," the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman said and said Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also confirmed a life threat to him.

Khan was arrested on May 9 in the Al-Qadir Trust case. After Khan's arrest, the PTI workers held protests in cities across the country, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, and Mardan.

Earlier, Khan's wife Bushra Bibi was also granted interim bail in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case until May 31, reported ARY News.

The accountability court approved the pre-arrest bail plea to Imran Khan's wife and directed her to submit a surety bond of Rs 500,000.

It is pertinent to mention here that Lahore High Court (LHC) has granted security bail to Bushra Bibi till May 23 in the Al-Qadir Trust case and directed Bushra Bibi to approach the relevant court by the due date.

The National Accountability Bureau is conducting investigations into the former prime minister, his wife Bushra Bibi, and other PTI officials for their roles in a deal the PTI government made with a property tycoon that reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.

The authorities have accused Khan and the other defendants of using Rs50 billion, which the Pakistani government received as part of an agreement with the property tycoon by Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA).

Furthermore, authorities have charged them with receiving undue benefits in the form of more than 458 kanals of land in Mouza Bakrala, Sohawa, for the construction of Al Qadir University.

During the PTI government, the NCA seized assets worth 190 million pounds from a property tycoon in Britain.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met business leaders of top Australian companies here and called for enhancing cooperation with the Indian industry in areas such as technology, skilling, and clean energy.

Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday for the third and final leg of his three-nation tour during which he will hold talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and attend a community event to celebrate the country's dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora.

He is visiting Australia as a guest of the Australian Government.

Modi held bilateral meetings with Hancock Prospecting Executive Chairman Gina Rinehart, Fortescue Future Industry Executive Chairman Andrew Forrest, and AustraliaSuper CEO Paul Schroder.

During his meeting with Rinehart, the prime minister highlighted the reforms and initiatives being undertaken in India and invited her to partner in technology, investment and skilling in the mining and minerals sector, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said.

In a meeting with Schroder, he said that India is one of the most preferred major economies for foreign investments in the world and invited AustralianSuper to partner with India, it said.

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AustralianSuper is an Australian superannuation fund headquartered in Melbourne.

Similarly, during his meeting with Forrest, he welcomed the Group's plans to work with Indian companies in the field of Green Hydrogen.

Emphasising India's ambitious renewable energy plans, the Prime Minister highlighted the transformative reforms and initiatives being taken by India, such as the Green Hydrogen Mission, it added.

Forrest briefed the Prime Minister on Fortescue Future Industries' plans and projects in India.

After the meeting, Schroder said that Australian super does invest in India and in particular in the National Indian Infrastructure Fund.

We have had a very good experience in investing in India, he said.

Forrest said that he and the prime minister acknowledged that the fossil fuel sector has only limited time to run and it must be replaced with a fuel which causes no harm but can do everything which oil and gas can do.

Rinehart said that there are huge business opportunities between India and Australia.

The Indian economy is growing at a healthy pace and reached about USD 3.5 trillion and there are plans to take it to USD 32 trillion in the next 25 years.

Growth in the future is going to be hugeAustralia really needs to work harder to develop its relations with India, she said, adding India has taken several steps to attract foreign investments by cutting approvals and regulations.

During April 2000 and December 2022, India received USD 1.07 billion in investments from Australia, according to government data.

Both countries have already implemented an interim free trade agreement on December 29 last year. The two nations are now engaged in widening the scope of that agreement into a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

Australia is the 13th largest trading partner of India in 2022-23. While exports stood at USD 6.95 billion, imports from that country in the last fiscal aggregated at USD 19 billion.

India is Australia's largest export market for gold and chickpeas, the second-largest market for coal and copper ores and the third-largest market for lead and wool.

Key products of imports from Australia include coal, copper ores and concentrates and petroleum.
Social media company TikTok Inc filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to overturn Montana's first-in-the-nation ban on the video sharing app, arguing the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights and is based on unfounded speculation that the Chinese government could access users' data.

The lawsuit by TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, follows one filed last week by five content creators. They made similar arguments including that the state of Montana has no authority to take action on matters of national security. Both lawsuits were filed in federal court in Missoula.

Republican Gov Greg Gianforte signed the bill Wednesday and the content creators' lawsuit was filed hours later. The law is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, but cybersecurity experts say it could be difficult to enforce.

TikTok says it has not shared and would not share US user data with the Chinese government and has taken measures to protect the privacy and security of its users, including storing all US user data in the United States, according to the lawsuit.

Some lawmakers, the FBI and officials at other agencies are concerned that the video-sharing app could be used to allow the Chinese government to access information on US citizens or push pro-Beijing misinformation that could influence the public.

Chinese law compels Chinese companies to share data with the government for whatever purposes it deems to involve national security. TikTok says this has never happened.

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The Chinese Communist Party is using TikTok as a tool to spy on Americans by collecting personal information, keystrokes, and even the locations of its users and by extension, people without TikTok who affiliate with users may have information about themselves shared without even knowing it," Emily Flower, a spokesperson for the Montana Department of Justice, said in a statement.

"We expected legal challenges and are fully prepared to defend the law that helps protect Montanans' privacy and security, she wrote



The federal government and about half the U.S. states, including Montana, have banned TikTok from government-owned devices.

Montana's new law prohibits downloads of TikTok in the state. It would fine any entity an app store or TikTok USD 10,000 per day for each time someone is offered the ability to access the social media platform or download the app. The penalties would not apply to users.

Chatter about a TikTok ban has been around since 2020, when then-President Donald Trump attempted to bar the company from operating in the US through an executive order that was halted in federal courts. Congress has also considered banning the app over security concerns.
The Air Force said Monday it is looking at ways to better control access to classified information, in the wake of revelations that superiors of the Massachusetts Air National Guard member charged with leaking highly classified documents had raised concerns internally about his handling of sensitive data.

Secretary Frank Kendall told reporters that the Air Force needs to better enforce the rules that govern access to classified information based on whether someone with the correct security clearance also has a need to know the information.

It's a long standing tenet that you don't get to look at something classified unless there's a legitimate reason for you to look at it, Kendall said.

Just because you happen to have a certain level of clearance doesn't mean you get access to all the material at that level. So we're taking a hard look at some practices around that.

He said he doesn't think the service enforced that rule strongly enough.

Justice Department lawyers last week said superiors voiced concerns on multiple occasions about Air Guard member Jack Teixeira's handling of highly classified information.

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They laid out the issue in court papers urging a magistrate judge to keep Teixeira behind bars while he awaits trial in the case stemming from the most consequential intelligence leak in years.

Teixeira is accused of sharing highly classified documents about top national security issues in a chatroom on Discord, a social media platform that started as a hangout for gamers.

He has not yet entered a plea.

As a result of the case, Kendall gave Air Force leaders 30 days to take a close look at their practices and determine if the department is prioritising the need to get information about operations to those who need it and being careful enough about spreading intelligence too broadly.

The inspector general is also investigating the matter.

He said there are ways to tweak digital systems so when classified information is put online not everyone with proper clearance on that system automatically gets access to it.

Prosecutors told the judge in their filing that Teixeira continued leaking documents even after he was admonished by superiors on two separate occasions last year over concerning actions he took related to classified information.

A September memo from the Air National Guard 102nd Intelligence Wing that prosecutors filed in court says Teixeira had been observed taking notes on classified intelligence information and putting the notes in his pocket.

Teixeira was instructed at the time to no longer take notes in any form on classified intelligence information, the memo says.

Another memo from late October says a superior had been made aware that Teixeira was potentially ignoring the cease-and-desist order on deep diving into intelligence information given to him the month before.

The memo says Teixeira attended a meeting and proceeded to ask very specific questions.

He was told again to focus on his job, not any deep dives into classified intelligence information.

The revelations have raised questions about why military officials did not take further action and why Teixeira continued to have access to classified information after his superiors raised concerns.
India and the United States have launched a working group on education and skill development which is expected to give a big boost to people-to-people relationship.

Held in a hybrid format, the first meeting of the US-India Education and Skills Development Working Group was hosted by the State Department's Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, here along with the Ministry of Education's Joint Secretary of International Cooperation, Neeta Prasad in New Delhi.

The working group exchanged perspectives on skill development and vocational education, certification and recognition, partnerships between US and Indian higher educational institutions, and engaging with the private sector.

Participants also discussed ways to further expand the educational linkages and collaborate on the promotion of the workforce development, an official US release said.

Noting that student and faculty exchanges are at the heart of knowledge partnership between both the countries, the Indian side highlighted the need for expeditious visa issuance and reaffirmed their ongoing efforts on this issue.

During the meeting, Lu stressed the importance of these educational connections to our shared economic prosperity and said the US and India enjoy strong people-to-people ties in large part due to the numerous Indian students and faculty in the United States, and the growing network of educational exchanges.

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The establishment of the India-US Working Group on Education and Skill Development was announced by the two countries on the sidelines of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held in Washington DC last year.

The launch focused on skilling and vocational education, certification and recognition, matchmaking between the US and Indian higher educational institutions, and engaging with the private sector to strengthen the organic synergies that exist mutually.

During the meeting, the two delegations emphasised the significance of certification and recognition mechanisms in ensuring quality and portability of skills across borders. The Indian side explained the importance of mutual recognition of academic qualifications and skill certifications which is essential for smooth mobility of students and professionals between the two countries.

Recognising the potential for collaboration in the field of higher education, the delegations discussed the importance of matchmaking between higher educational institutions of India and the US, a media release said.

Officials also acknowledged the benefits of promoting student and faculty exchanges, joint research programs, and collaborative projects between universities and colleges of both countries. They agreed to encourage and facilitate such partnerships to foster academic and cultural exchange, enhance educational quality, and promote innovation and knowledge-sharing.

Both the sides agreed to encourage greater inter-linkages amongst the educational institutions. The Indian side proposed that developing joint/dual and twinning courses in areas of mutual interest could be explored, the Indian release added.
The Government Senior Secondary School in Kaloh, Una district, hosted India's inaugural Education Web 3 Metaverse event. With the participation of students from 15 nearby schools, the event provided a hands-on experience with cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) technology.Organised under the auspices of the district administration and the technical agency, Crewsphere: ICP India Hub , the event aimed to introduce students to the Metaverse, a revolutionary concept in the computer industry. The Metaverse represents the next evolution of the Internet, offering a unified, shared, immersive experience within a 3D virtual space.According to the organisers, the Metaverse technology will enable billions of people to live, work, shop, learn, and interact with one another from the comfort of their homes. It is predicted to revolutionise sectors such as gaming, entertainment, education, and marketing.During the event, Deepak Goyal , co-founder of Crewsphere, highlighted the technology's potential by explaining the hardware required for its utilisation. This includes computers, the Internet, virtual reality (VR) headsets, gloves, and wristbands.Deputy Commissioner Raghav Sharma acknowledged the significance of advancements in information technology, emphasizing the ease and accessibility they bring to our lives. He also acknowledged how technology provides a wealth of information at our fingertips.The Education Web 3 Metaverse event in Kaloh served as a significant milestone in introducing young students to the future of virtual reality technology. By providing them with hands-on experience and exposure to the Metaverse, the event aimed to inspire and empower the next generation of innovators and creators.This event aligns with the government's vision of embracing technology-driven education and preparing students for the challenges and opportunities of the digital era. It marks a crucial step in bridging the gap between traditional education and the immersive, interactive experiences offered by emerging technologies.With the successful completion of India's first Education Web3 Metaverse event, the organizers are optimistic about the positive impact it will have on the participating students. This event is expected to fuel curiosity, creativity, and innovation, paving the way for a technologically proficient and forward-thinking generation. Bandhul Bansal , the co-founder of Crewsphere, revealed the organisation's future roadmap for advancing the adoption of the ICP blockchain throughout India. In line with this vision, Crewsphere is preparing to launch a series of innovative programs, including free blockchain courses , grants, research fellowships, and more, aimed at empowering students across the country.
Officials at Tokyo Electric Power, the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, speak to journalists at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, Feb. 6. Yonhap



A team of Korean experts is set to begin a two-day inspection of the planned release of radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant Tuesday, amid lingering concerns about the safety of the water.



The 21-member team, headed by Nuclear Safety and Security Commission Chairperson Yoo Guk-hee, will visit the plant from early Tuesday to examine the plant's custom purification system, known as ALPS, and assess whether the treated water is safe enough to be released into the sea.



The team will also focus on inspecting facilities related to the K4 tanks, which are designed to store and conduct measurements of radioactive substance.



Tokyo will seek to deepen understanding among Koreans about the safety of the water release through this week's inspection, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press briefing.



On Monday, the experts held a four-hour meeting with Japanese officials from the Tokyo Electric Power, the operator of the wrecked power plant, as well as the industry ministry and the Nuclear Regulation Authority, the country's top nuclear regulator.



The delegation is scheduled to have "in-depth technical discussions" based on their findings Thursday before returning home the following day.



The inspection  the first independent one by Korean experts  is a follow-up to the summit between Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul earlier this month amid a thaw in the two countries' relations badly frayed over historical disputes.



In March 2011, a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami damaged the Fukushima plant's cooling systems, resulting in the release of a large amount of radiation.



The plant currently stores over 1.3 million tons of water treated by ALPS. The water release is set to begin this summer and will take decades to complete, in what Japanese officials view as an unavoidable step in the decommissioning process.



Japanese officials have claimed the "treated" and further diluted water will be gradually released into the sea, and cause virtually no harm to human health and the environment. Seoul has continued to express concerns over its safety and said it will not consider lifting its ban on seafood imports from eight Japanese prefectures near Fukushima in place since 2013. (Yonhap)


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The WhatsApp Messaging App WhatsApp

Feature only usable for 15 minutes after sending a message  unlike Twitter, which allows Blue subscribers 1/2 hour to edit tweets

ISTANBUL (AA) - For smartphone users with fumble fingers, or anyone who sent an embarrassing misspelling or autocorrect, help is finally at hand.

WhatsApp, one of the worlds most popular messaging apps, has introduced a long-desired feature: the ability to edit messages after sending them.

For the moments when you make a mistake or simply change your mind, you can now edit your sent messages on WhatsApp, the app said in a Monday blog post.

Like Twitter did with its Blue subscription-only function, the edited texts will have a notification saying that the message was edited. Unlike Twitter, though, there will be no way to see the previous versions of an edited message.

The feature will only be valid for 15 minutes after sending a message  unlike Twitter, which allows its Blue subscribers a half-hour to edit tweets. After that, there will be no way to edit the message, but it can still be deleted, with a This message has been deleted notification in its place.

This feature has started rolling out to users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks, added the blog post.

Emre Basaran/AA
Time to think about balanced, practical approaches



Yoon Suk Yeol deserves to be called a "diplomatic president."



President Yoon held three summits with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in less than two months.



Yoon met with U.S. President Joe Biden three times, including at two trilateral summits with Kishida, over the past half year. That is if their "two-minute" talks in Hiroshima on Sunday could be called a meeting.



On the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan during the "super week," the Korean president held summits with 11 foreign counterparts, including the EU's leadership. Yoon's approval rating has rebounded to nearly 40 percent. Diplomacy is the principal reason for liking and disliking him.



Numbers don't tell the whole story, of course. At the summit of Western leaders aimed at keeping China and Russia in check, Yoon was one of eight guests and was among the most active. He opposed China's attempts to change the status quo by force, criticized Russia's infringement on Ukraine's freedom and prosperity and rebuked North Korea's human rights abuses.



Yoon elevated the Republic of Korea to a global pillar for freedom and democracy if The Chosun Ilbo is to be believed. His "value-based" diplomacy gets a warm welcome from Washington and Tokyo. Yoon speaks on behalf of the U.S. on the global stage and buries the unhappy past with Japan for future cooperation. He caught the eyes of global leaders in Hiroshima, where Biden rushed past all of them to greet the Korean president.



From the start, the conservative leader made it clear that he would drop his liberal predecessors' strategic ambiguity stance between the U.S. and China. Yoon chose America and its key partner in Asia, Japan. The direction itself could be right, for now. Unlike other middle powers, the geopolitics facing the Korean Peninsula may not leave many other alternatives for Seoul. Taking the role of a regional "balancer," as former President Roh Moo-hyun once dreamed of, may just be an idealism.



Nevertheless, at least two problems remain.



First, controlling the damage to ties with China will be far more complex than Yoon expects. On Monday, his diplomatic aide said that Seoul would hold a strategic dialogue with Beijing, trying to calm critics against lopsided and imbalanced diplomacy. Europe and most others can say that they are "de-risking" instead of "de-coupling" when dealing with China. Yet, the New Cold War, where one severs the economy from politics, will be more of a crisis than an opportunity for Seoul.



Second, one can seldom know from where Yoon's diplomatic ideas originate.



Yoon said that he likes former President Roh and also hadn't spoken ill of his predecessor Moon Jae-in, until that is, he jumped into politics two years ago. Why the sudden about-face?



Kim Tae-hyo, like Antony Blinken for Biden, may be behind Yoon. Kim worked under another conservative president, Lee Myung-bak. He caused widespread outrage, advising Lee to implement an excessively pro-American policy. Kim later advised Lee to visit Dokdo, claimed by both Seoul and Tokyo, freezing the bilateral relationship for over a decade.



Then, and now, the U.S.-educated Japanophile presented no sincere policies concerning North Korea. Yoon's Audacious Initiative is a rehashing of Lee's promise of "$3,000 per capita income if North Korea denuclearizes and opens itself," both of which appear to be Kim's handiwork. All this shows why Yoon must find one more aide with different ideas.



Diplomacy is a game where countries secure short-term practical gains while playing the long game. All the nice words are nothing but decorations. Like a person, a country's diplomacy cannot change but develops based on accumulations. U.S. presidents, liberal or conservative, put national interests at the top of their agendas. The Chinese and Japanese leaderships have not changed, at least since WWII, and continue to seek their long-term goals.



What is Seoul's eventual aim? South Korean presidents with five-year tenures must take up where their predecessors left off. It is the only way South Korea can transform from a shrimp into a dolphin and reunify.



This is why Yoon must focus on regarding his deep diplomatic thinking instead of just learning pop song lyrics by heart.




The Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE) is going to release the SSLC and HSSLC Arts results for the year 2023. Students who have eagerly been waiting for their results can check and download them from the official website of MBOSE once they are made available.

The direct result link will be active on the official websites, namely mbose.in and megresults.nic.in. It is important to note that the MBOSE results for Commerce and Science streams have already been released on the official website.

To check the MBOSE SSLC and HSSLC Arts results, students are required to follow these steps:
Subaru and Mazda have topped the list when it comes to recommended carsnew or usedfor teen drivers. This is according to the U.S.-based In...
Estimated annual new HIV infections were 12% lower in 2021 compared to 2017dropping from about 36,500 infections to about 32,100according to new CDC data published today. The decline was driven by a 34% decrease in new infections among 13- to 24-year-olds, mostly among gay and bisexual males. HIV prevention efforts must go further and progress must be faster, however, for gains to reach populations equitably and for national goals to end the HIV epidemic to be reached.

According to CDCs latest estimates, annual HIV infections dropped from 9,300 in 2017 to 6,100 in 2021 among 13- to 24-year-olds. Declines among young gay and bisexual males (who account for roughly 80% of new infections in this age group) drove the trend, falling from an estimated 7,400 infections to about 4,900 during the timeframe.

Our nations HIV prevention efforts continue to move in the right direction, said CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H. Longstanding factors, such as systemic inequities, social and economic marginalization and residential segregation, however, stand between highly effective HIV treatment and prevention and people who could benefit from them. Efforts must be accelerated and strengthened for progress to reach all groups faster and equitably.

Data suggest that improved reach of HIV testing, treatment, and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has contributed to progress in HIV prevention among young gay and bisexual males.


By Donald Kirk



The gaunt ruin of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial formed a stark backdrop to the G7 summit as leaders of the seven major industrial democracies and observers from other nations met to fend off wars that could trigger the next nuclear conflagration.



Their host, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is from Hiroshima, began the talkfest by escorting his fellow potentates to the Genbaku Dome, the ghostly ruin of the first nuclear bomb dropped in warfare on Aug. 6, 1945.



President Joe Biden was not there to apologize for the bomb that killed at least 70,000 people. But his visit to the Peace Memorial was a powerful reminder of the urgent need to look for peace in a world beset by the dangers of wars that could engulf much of humanity. Right now, the hottest war is being fought in Ukraine, where the G-7 leaders agreed totally on the need to stanch the bleeding of the Russian invasion that's cost, by some estimates, 50,000 lives.



Just to get the G7 leaders to match their bold words with promises of much more military aid, including F-16 fighter planes, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met them in Hiroshima after visiting Saudi Arabia, where he had appealed for aid from a much different forum, the Arab League. For Zelenskyy, the symbolism of Hiroshima could hardly have been more appropriate considering the danger of Russian nukes poised near Ukraine's borders.



On the opposite side of the Eurasian landmass, China, looking very much like Russia's best friend and ally, poses a threat that may be of still bigger proportions. With every passing day, fears mount of a Chinese attack on the independent Chinese island province of Taiwan.



But Taiwan is not the only Asian flashpoint that worries the G7. Some analysts believe China is just as likely to open fire on the South China Sea, which China claims as its own territory. American warships periodically steam within eyesight of an airstrip the Chinese have built on Mischief Reef, in the Spratly Islands, while American warplanes defy Chinese warnings to fly away.



A much bigger nuclear threat, at least judging from the rhetoric, emanates from North Korea, where leader Kim Jong-un has ordered missile tests this year, including that of an intercontinental model powered by solid fuel, used to quickly and definitively launch missiles before spy satellites notice. Kim has not ordered a nuclear test since September 2017, but his short and intermediate-range missiles, bearing nuclear warheads, theoretically could hit targets in South Korea and Japan.



With images of the death and destruction inflicted by the atom-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan remains dead set against producing its own nuclear warheads to match those of North Korea, which may have more than 100 by now, or China, estimated to have several hundred. South Korean conservatives often call for the South to begin developing nukes while the U.S. assures both Korea and Japan of the security of its "nuclear umbrella" with warheads on American ships and planes and also on bases in Guam and Hawaii.



The impression, fortified by the meeting of the G7 in Japan, is that Washington is forming a defensive line extending from Japan and South Korea, through Taiwan and the Philippines, and on down to Australia.



Biden sought to brace up confidence in this defensive network even though he had to cancel plans to go to Australia after the summit for a meeting of the Quad Four, including both Japan and India as well as the U.S. and Australia, and then on to Papua New Guinea (PNG) for a session of the Pacific Islands Forum of 18 South Pacific nations.



There was no doubt the cancellation of visits to Sydney and then the PNG capital, Port Moresby, was a severe disappointment considering China's aggressive pursuit of influence and trade throughout the South Pacific. But Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi were both in Hiroshima as observers. Together they staged a Quad Four meeting on the sidelines of the G-7.



Chinese commentators persisted in saying that the cancellation of the second half of Biden's Pacific journey was evidence of "declining U.S. power" and a betrayal of its "commitments." That was the same word, of course, that Biden often uses to assure the leaders of Japan, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines that he will always stand by them against China.





Donald Kirk, www.donaldkirk.com, writes from Seoul and Washington.


Cement export revenue totals US$150m in 10MFY22-23

23 May 2023

The cement industry in Pakistan experienced a mixed trend in export revenue during the first 10 months of the current financial year, which runs from July 2022 to June 2023. While the amount of revenue earned in US dollars decreased, it actually improved in terms of the Pakistani rupee due to the currency's devaluation.

Based on the latest data from the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS), the cement industry's export earnings for the 10MFY22-23 amounted to US$150.487m, with 3.242Mt of cement and clinker exported. This is a decrease from the previous year's earnings of US$203.836m and 5.314Mt exports, indicating a decline of 26.2 per cent in value and 39 per cent in volumes. FBS also noted that in local currency terms, export earnings experienced a growth of 3.7 per cent YoY, amounting to PKR36.55bn (US$129m).

On a mixed trend note, during April 2023 alone, export revenues decreased to US$15.049m on shipments of 332,850t from US$17.748m on 436,070t in March 2023. This translates to a 15.2 per cent MoM contraction in value terms and 23.7 per cent in volume. However, exports rose by 237.1 per cent YoY in value and 285 per cent in quantity compared to export figures of US$4.46m on 86,449t in April 2022.

Published under
China's Wu advances in Geneva Open

Xinhua) 11:12, May 23, 2023

GENEVA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- China's Wu Yibing survived a match point to beat Swiss Marc-Andrea Huesler 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6) in the first round of the Geneva Open on Monday.

After tying 1-1 in the first two sets, Huesler forced a tie-breaker by leveling the score at 6-6 in the decisive third set.

Wu, who secured the first ATP title for China in the Dallas Open in February, led 3-0 in the tie-breaker. However, Huesler scored four straight points to lead 6-5 and held one match point.

Showing resilience, the 23-year-old Chinese fought back with three straight points, sealing the victory and advancing to the second round, where he will confront Italy's Marco Cecchinato.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)


By Daniel Shin



Web 3.0 is a blockchain and cryptocurrency-related concept that came into use from 2013. It really took off during the pandemic when early-stage investors and media outlets started pushing the subject along with the related concept of metaverse. Now, everyone is talking about ChatGPT or Bard, a flagship AI engine that can generate complex answers to multi-faceted queries. But not a lot of people talk about Web 3.0. Is Web 3.0 dead? Blockchain and Web 3.0 are both in steep decline in major search engines recently.



There are many progressive-thinking tech liberals of many different alignments who are trying to unite their technology aspirations into one faith, namely Web 3.0. Decentralization, freedom from censorship and a bottom-up design with widespread participation and experimentation are music to their ears. Social media platforms have enabled people to connect and share online like never before. Web 3.0 is certainly much more than that.



Blockchain has been around for many decades. It is not a new or novel technology, but it has become widely popular since Bitcoin first emerged, a cryptocurrency built upon a blockchain with a public distributed ledger. Cryptocurrency has failed to be widely used yet for payments because of large price fluctuations caused by speculation. Since 2017, blockchain has become the hottest trend in the financial services industry for many forerunners integrating into mainstream services.



"Central banks are rolling up their sleeves and familiarizing themselves with the bits and bytes of digital money" as Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pointed out. If Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) are designed prudently, they can potentially offer more resilience, safety, greater availability and lower costs than private forms of digital money.



The idea for central bank digital currencies is rooted in cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, but CBDCs are not technically cryptocurrencies as many argue. In spirit, cryptocurrencies are almost always decentralized. They can't be regulated by a single authority but CBDCs are the digital form of a country's fiat currency, which is regulated by its central bank. As cryptocurrencies and stablecoins become popular, central banks are providing alternatives like CBDCs.



CBDCs have their own purpose to serve. CBDCs in developing countries have the potential to bank large unbanked populations and boost financial inclusion for the underprivileged, which can increase overall lending and reduce bank disintermediation risks per the IMF's perspectives. Over 100 countries are actively developing CBDCs in some form and eleven countries have already launched them.



CBDCs may have some benefits as the IMF and many policymakers rightly said, but their drawbacks are also considerable. CBDCs can improve payment efficiency and provide central banks with new monetary policy tools. Customers must use unique digital fingerprints to identify themselves to banks in order to use CBDCs.



However, CBDCs could raise severe concerns about financial privacy, surveillance and control, financial stability, cybersecurity and commercial bank disintermediation. These are what draw a clear line between cryptocurrencies and CBDCs. The CBDCs operate on authorized private blockchains, whereas cryptocurrencies operate on permissionless public blockchains.



Cryptocurrencies might be an important pillar for Web 3.0, but Web 3.0 is not only about cryptocurrencies. At its core, Web 3.0 uses blockchain, cryptocurrencies and NFTs to give power back to the users in the form of ownership according to the Ethereum Foundation. In a nutshell, if anyone is hoping to interact on Web 3.0, they need a crypto wallet to do so. Web 3.0 relies on blockchain networks and blockchain relies on cryptocurrency to facilitate operations and make transactions.



Many Web 3.0 use cases have recently emerged. They are differentiated by the use of blockchains and decentralized applications (or dApps), which allow users to interact and transact with one another without the use of middlemen. This notion gives them full influence and control over their online activities.



One of the best Web 3.0 use cases is the creator economy. It gives people the chance to make money for those who used to spend a lot of time online in different digital environments but haven't gained that much from doing so. For example, NFTs and several emerging metaverse services give creators a variety of fresh alternatives for monetization beyond YouTube or Amazon while it gives freedom to bypass traditional gatekeepers. As a consequence, the Web 3.0 use case for the creator economy will provide a beneficial way for creators to market their work directly although there is a lot to develop.



We may not technically classify the creator economy as Web 3.0's sole use case. However, it is one of the key features of the Web 3.0 advancement for sure. Web 3.0 use cases also allow businesses to streamline their operations by cutting out the middleman and directly connecting stakeholders over the network. In philosophy, this facilitates communication and collaboration among employees, partners and customers and eventually makes for a more efficient business.



Web 3.0 is a set of values and technical applications that define a new era of the World Wide Web. With blockchain technology, Web 3.0 will be a more secure and transparent Internet. It would be much harder for the government and large corporations to censor or interfere with Web 3.0 users. That said, users will be able to sell their own data through decentralized data networks and embrace their own creative expression at full height, ensuring that they maintain ownership control over their data and digital assets.



Web 3.0 can lead to greater economic and social empowerment. Web 3.0 vision, which is powered by blockchain and not supposed to be controlled by any single entity, users will be able to control which information they want to share with others such as advertisers and tech firms. This makes a sea change of difference to the effectiveness of the sales and marketing relationship. Web 3.0 is certainly different from the Web 2.0 platform economy, where user-generated data and content are largely controlled by tech giants.





Daniel Shin is a venture capitalist and senior luxury fashion executive, overseeing corporate development at MCM, a German luxury brand. He also teaches at Korea University.




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ASM CEO Benjamin Loh speaks during a press conference at Josun Palace hotel in southern Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of ASM



By Park Jae-hyuk



ASM will hire around 200 additional employees in Korea over the next three to five years, following its plan announced earlier this year to invest $100 million to build a second manufacturing and R&D facility next to an existing one in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, the Dutch semiconductor equipment supplier said Tuesday.



The company, which has around 460 employees in Korea, unveiled the hiring plan at its first press conference here held a day before the groundbreaking ceremony for the new facility.



This also came three months after ASM signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korean government to expand its operation here. According to ASM, the second plant will be built by 2025 and will be 50 percent larger in size than the first one, in order to double the space for R&D and triple the space for manufacturing.



Emphasizing that Korea is one of the three most important markets for the Dutch firm along with the U.S. and Singapore, ASM CEO Benjamin Loh promised to continue the company's expansion in Korea  the only country accommodating the company's plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) manufacturing plant.



"We all know that semiconductor is a big industry here in Korea," he said. "Two of the top 10 global semiconductor companies are based in Korea, and they are our customers."



Loh also noted that ASM has provided Korean engineers with decent jobs, as it has focused on both R&D and manufacturing in Korea, unlike most other semiconductor equipment makers.



The ASM CEO, however, remained cautious about mentioning additional investment plans in Korea, saying that it depends on how much the company's business and activities grow.



In response to a question about Washington's recent restrictions on the exportation of semiconductor equipment to China, he said that his company's latest expansion in Korea is irrelevant to the current situation between the world's two largest economies.



He was also confident that ASM will continue to outperform its Korean competitors for a long time, despite the Korean government's efforts to nurture the nation's materials, components and equipment industries.



"We have a very solid reputation and a market share as far as ALD is concerned," he said. "For the local competitors to catch up, I will not say this in terms of number of years, but it will take very significant effort."


A group of Hanwha Ocean's subcontractors stage a protest at the shipbuilder's headquarters on Geoje Island, South Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday, before the beginning of the general meeting of the company's shareholders. Yonhap



By Park Jae-hyuk



Hanwha Ocean started operating as the shipbuilding subsidiary of Hanwha Group, Tuesday, after its shareholders agreed on proposals to change its name from Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and appoint new management.



By obtaining the builder of warships and submarines, Hanwha also got a step closer to its ambitious goal of becoming the Korean version of Lockheed Martin, capable of supplying defense systems covering land, sea and air. But the nation's seventh-largest business group still faces the tall tasks of handling the shipbuilder's militant labor union and repaying its enormous debts.



Last week, Hanwha Ocean's labor and management reached a tentative agreement on the payment of performance-based salaries equivalent to 300 percent of each employee's monthly wage. This enabled the company to successfully rebrand itself and replace former CEO Park Du-seon with Kwon Hyuk-ung, former Hanwha Corp. vice chairman of the support division, during the general meeting of shareholders.



But Hanwha Ocean's unionized workers are still asking for job security guarantees and for development plans for the company as well as the local community of Geoje Island, where its shipyard is located.



There is also speculation that Hanwha Ocean's union may request higher wages every year, weighing on the group's lack of experience in managing a shipbuilder.



Company management said it will reach a final agreement with the union by the end of this month, emphasizing that both sides have had enough conversations for Hanwha Ocean's future.



The new CEO also asked employees to respect each other, regardless of where they are from.



"Ocean's employees displayed their potential by fostering a world-class company on Okpo Bay, and Hanwha has grown with numerous M&As with competent companies," Kwon wrote in a letter to Hanwha Ocean employees.





A Hanwha Ocean shareholder speaks during the general meeting of the company's shareholders at its headquarters on Geoje Island, South Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. Yonhap
In observance of Memorial Day, CARTAs fixed route, Downtown Shuttle, North Shore Shuttle and St. Elmo/Incline Shuttle bus services will operate on Saturday schedules on Monday. The CARTA Care-a-van will also be operating on a holiday schedule.Additional information on CARTAs routes, schedules and services may be obtained by calling the CARTA Information Line at 423-629-1473 or by visiting the CARTA website at www.gocarta.org.
The Collegedale Police Department is urging drivers to buckle up during the U.S. Department of Transportations National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations national Click It or Ticket high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs from May 22 to June 4.During the Click it or Ticket campaign, our officers will be working with law enforcement agencies across the county to make sure that this message makes it out to everyone on our city roads, said Chief Jack Sapp.Too often we see what happens when people dont wear their seatbelts and its a gruesome loss; and it couldve been prevented had they just worn their seatbelt.According to NHTSA, in 2021 there were 11,813 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in crashes in the United States. In that same year, 57 percent of passenger vehicle occupants killed at night (6 p.m.5:59 a.m.) were not wearing their seat belts. Thats why one focus of the Click It or Ticket campaign is nighttime enforcement. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.In Tennessee the penalty for a seat belt violation is $30 for a first violation, and $55 for a second or subsequent seat belt violation.Fifteen dollars generated from a first offense conviction goes to the State of Tennessees general fund. Ten dollars goes to the state and is used for the rehabilitation of disabled people who have been severely injured in motor vehicle crashes. The remaining five dollars is retained by the court clerks office.Thirty dollars generated from a second or subsequent conviction goes to the State of Tennessees general fund. Twenty dollars goes to the state and is used for the rehabilitation of disabled people who have been severely injured in motor vehicle crashes. The remaining five dollars is retained by the court clerks office.NHTSA data shows that seat belt use is higher among females than males. In fact, nearly twice as many males were killed in crashes as compared to females in 2021. Of the males killed in crashes during that same year, more than half (54 percent) were unrestrained. For females killed in crashes, 42 percent were not buckled up.If you know someone, whether theyre a friend or loved one, who doesnt buckle up when they drive, ask them to change their habit, said Sgt. Josh Booth, traffic crash investigator with the Collegedale Police Department. Help us get this message out before one more person is killed because they didnt buckle up.For more information on the Click It or Ticket mobilization, visit NHTSA.gov/ciot.
Patrick Lamar Tory Jr. Previous Next

Detectives with the Hamilton County Sheriffs Offices Criminal Warrants Unit on Monday went to 7324 Shallowford Road to serve arrest warrants on Patrick Lamar Tory Jr. and found drugs and a weapon.

The Sheriff's Office said, "Tory was located and during his arrest, probable cause was developed that indicated Tory was distributing narcotics.

"The HCSO Narcotics and Special Investigations Unit responded and executed a search warrant at the location. During the subsequent search of the room, detectives located approximately (25) grams of Fentanyl, Drug paraphernalia, a Taurus .357 revolver handgun and approximately $1,490 in cash."

NSI Detectives have multiple cases pending against Tory for narcotics distribution from previous interactions. Tory is also a previously convicted felon, which prohibits him from having a firearm.

Tory was transported to the Hamilton County Jail and booked on the following charges:

Three counts of drugs for resale

Two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia

Domestic Assault

Contraband in a Penal Institution

Driving without a Drivers License

Possession of a Firearm with the Intent to Go Armed

Tory was also booked on the following new charges:

Possession of Fentanyl for Resale

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia

Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony

Unlawful Carry or Possession of a Firearm

Additional charges are pending further investigation.
The Chickamauga Lock replacement project is more than half complete, set to open for operation in the fall of 2026, said District Commander Lt. Col. Joe Sahl.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers commemorated a project milestone at the lock Monday with the removal of the last piece of form work from the first concrete monolith built by contractor Shimmick Construction Company.

We dont sacrifice quality, we dont sacrifice safety, and we dont take shortcuts, Lt. Col. Saul said.

The replacement lock project was begun in 2004 with a groundbreaking in 2005. The project was on hold from 2012 to 2015 when funding dropped from the Inland Waterways Trust Fund. Inland Waterways funds about 35 percent of the replacement lock project and the rest are federal funds.

This is a moment that weve been waiting for for a long time, Lt. Col. Sahl said.

Chick Lock, a pet name of Lt. Col. Sahl, opened in 1940 with sitting President Franklin Delano Roosevelt attending the ribbon cutting. It was almost immediately clear that the concrete was swelling and shifting due to a reaction between the aggregate and alkali.

Engineers have managed to support, contain and stabilize the growing walls over the locks 83 years, but that concrete will have an expiration date.

We get the funding and we do pieces at a time, said Army Corps Resident Engineer Tommy Long.

The new locks miter gates and valves are ready and waiting in Muscle Shoals, Ala., built 10 years ago by Steward Machine Company in Birmingham. The approach wall beams were built at about the same time with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Mr. Long said he can see the beams on Google Earth, waiting up the river at Watts Bar Dam.

The new lock is being built alongside the existing lock. At 600 feet, it will be almost twice as long and accommodate nine barges at a time instead of just one, reducing transit delays by 80 percent.

It now takes a boat, a barge, or even a lone kayak 45 minutes to lock through, Mr. Long said.

Lt. Col. Saul said the regions inland water highways are fast and clean. The Tennessee River has 650 navigable river miles from Knoxville, down through Chattanooga, and back up to Paducah, Ky.

Shimmick was awarded the $245 million lock chamber contract in 2017. Its portion will be complete in late 2025.

C.J. Mahan Construction Company was awarded the $61 million upstream approach wall contract in 2021. This portion west of the dam toward downtown will be complete in fall 2026.

The Corps of Engineers will award the contract for the downstream approach wall, east of the dam toward Lake Chickamauga, in late 2024.

Shimmick President and CEO Steve Richards said the company has employed 450 workers and paid $112 million in payroll to date. Shimmick operates 12 cranes onsite as well as a huge conveyor belt.

Shimmick has placed 170,000 cubic yards of concrete of the total 250,000 cubic yards in the lock chamber.

Were placing concrete day and night, Mr. Long said.

Cleanup and decommissioning of the old lock will stretch into 2028.
Thomas Evan Ricketts, 81, of Soddy Daisy, died on May 21, 2023.

He was born April 17, 1942. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ollie Pollard Ricketts and William Evan Ricketts; brothers, William (Bill) Ricketts and Gregory Ricketts.

From an early age, Tom was fascinated by flight and spent his life on the flight line as a mechanic, first in the United States Air Force, and after retirement, with several different private civilian companies. His stories about ill-timed check-rides and maintenance misadventures were often the subject of wry conversation and revealed the joy he found in a lifetime spent making aircraft safe. He was a proud Vietnam Veteran, keeping his beloved F-4 Phantom in the skies during the conflict. During his career, he served his country stateside, in Europe, and in Southeast Asia. One of his greatest military honors was serving with the USAF fighter ace, Colonel Gabby Gabreski with the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing in Kadena, Okinawa, earning a much-cherished personal letter for his efforts to support the ace pilot. He often noted humorously that this single letter was key to his steady and continuous advancement as a Non-Commissioned Officer throughout his career, contributing to his retirement as a Master Sergeant after 27 years in the Air Force.

Toms passions included traditional bow making and archery which he introduced to each of his children and grandchildren as soon as they were old enough to pull a string and aim down range. He loved the outdoors, trekking to the Smokies and East Tennessee and the mountains of North Carolina to pan for gold and explore the creek beds all in pursuit of his dream to go west and live the life of a frontier prospector. He loved to walk in Soddy Gulf with his brothers and family as he and his friends had done so often when he was young, finding peace in the forests surrounding Soddy Daisy.



He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Linda Varner Ricketts; daughter, Heather (Pete) Wolfe; son, Randall (Daniela) Ricketts: cherished grandchildren Sebastian, Benjamin, and Charlotte Ricketts; many nephews, nieces, extended family and lifelong friends.

Our sincere thanks to Norman Varner for his dedicated assistance during Toms illness.



A date for a memorial service will be announced at a later time.



Toms family requests in his memory and in lieu of flowers, you thank a military veteran for their service.



Condolences and memories may be shared at www.williamsonandsons.com.



Arrangements are by Williamson and Sons Funeral Home, 8852 Dayton Pike, Soddy Daisy, Tn. 37379.
After being selected by the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) to launch a first-of-its-kind law enforcement recruiting program in the state, Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk announced the successful completion of the program with several high school students applying to begin law enforcement careers.

The 80-hour Basic Jail Officer Certification course was offered to students at the county's high schools. Ringgold High School was selected as the host location for the program, with 17 students signed up for the first class in the state of Georgia.

"We launched the program with two goals in mind," said Sheriff Sisk. "We want to provide a career pathway for graduating seniors and provide the Catoosa County Sheriffs Office with a source of qualified candidates to fill positions in the jail."



Sheriff Sisk first presented the program at the POST quarterly meeting in July 2022. It was at that meeting when POST approved the plan and selected Catoosa County to host the first class in the state.



By December 2022, students who had signed up completed their paperwork and had their fingerprints and photos taken for their POST applications. On Jan. 9, Catoosa County Sheriffs Office certified instructors began teaching the 80-hour course in 90-minute blocks, Monday through Friday, during the entire semester.



On May 12 and 15, Georgia Sheriffs Association and POST representatives administered the Jail Officer Certification test to the students, with an 86.6% pass rate resulting in four students already applying for positions at the sheriffs office and others giving law enforcement career serious consideration.



"I really appreciate Sheriff Sisk's innovative jail officer certification program for our high school students," said Catoosa County Public Schools Superintendent Chance Nix. "Catoosa County Public Schools and the Catoosa County Sheriffs Office have maintained a strong partnership for many years and this program is a great example of that partnership. This is an excellent opportunity for our high school graduates to begin a rewarding career in law enforcement as soon as they graduate from high school."


The Chattanooga Police Department and Chief Celeste Murphy awarded the United States Attorneys Office the honor of Federal Partner of the Year. In bestowing this honor on the U.S. Attorneys Office, the Chattanooga Police Department explained:

"For many years, the Chattanooga Police Department has enjoyed an excellent professional relationship with our federal partners who live and work together in the greater Chattanooga area. Over those years, CPD and the U.S Attorneys Office have partnered on numerous individual investigations, programs, and projects to enhance the safety of our community. We believe that this partnership has played an important role in our high quality of life in Chattanooga. This past year, our partnership with the USAO has been crucial in the continued development of our region's violent crime strategy. Through this partnership, we have made significant inroads into our communitys struggle with crimes committed by individuals while using or illegally possessing guns, as well as other violent crimes committed by repeat offenders.

The USAO has also directly supported CPD in the prosecution of drug-related crimes that have resulted in way too many overdose deaths of people in our community. Lastly, the USAO has taken an active role in our region's awarded PSP Grant, leveraging their Department of Justice experience to provide both guidance and strategic leadership.

We at CPD look forward to our continued collaboration with the USAO as we continue to build upon our violent crime strategy.

The United States Attorneys Office is proud of its longstanding partnership with the Chattanooga Police Department, and we are honored to receive this award from Chief Murphy, said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. We look forward to continuing our important work together as we collaborate to reduce violent crime in the Chattanooga community.
Connie Ann Price Robinson, 90, of Acworth, Georgia, formerly of Ooltewah, passed away on Saturday, May 20, 2023.

Born on Feb. 6, 1933, in Washington, DC to the late Esters Henry Price and Bernice Irene Garrison, Connie was a 1952 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School, attended Bob Jones University and graduated from Erskine College in 1955.



While attending Erskine College, she met and married Herbert Julian Robinson on Aug. 2, 1956, and shared an amazing and beautiful love for one another.



Connie was a 2nd grade teacher in Bisbee, Az., while her husband Herb was serving in the U.S. Army.



Connie was in involved in church her entire life and was a member of New Hope Presbyterian Church in Chattanooga, which became her second family. She enjoyed music - from singing, playing the piano, to being a hand bell soloist.



She had a love for all animals; raising horses on their family farm in Ooltewah.

Later in life she was a self-taught watercolor artist, creating hundreds of works of art.



Connie was preceded in death on May 7, 2023, by her husband of 67 years, Dr. Herbert Julian Robinson. They exemplified a remarkable love and devotion for each other. In addition to her parents, Connie was preceded in death by her sister, Esteen Bernice Price.



She will be remembered as a wonderful wife and mom who brought joy to everyone throughout her life.



She is survived by her daughter, Terry (Brad) Matthaidess; son, Gary L. (Claudia) Robinson; grandson, Cole Matthaidess; and several nieces and nephews.



A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, May 26, at 12:45 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with Rev. Art Jones officiating. Burial will be held at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.



You may share condolences with the family and view the service on live stream at www.heritagechattanooga.com



The family will receive friends on Friday, May 26, from noon until 12:45 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 E. Brainerd Road.


Kate Middleton Is a Pro at Making People Feel Welcome, Says First Lady of Iceland

The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, has enough years as a royal family member to have a few tricks up her sleeve. Prince Williams wife may only be a working royal for 12 years. However, she is comfortable enough in her role to be called a pro at making people feel welcome. This claim was made by a guest at King Charles IIIs coronation, who also happens to be the First Lady of Iceland.

Eliza Reid and Kate Middleton in side-by-side photographs | Mat Hayward/Rasid Necati Aslim/Getty Images

Kate Middletons years of working for the crown made her a pro

When Kate Middleton entered the royal family, she had many years of learning the ins and outs of royal life as Prince Williams longtime girlfriend. However, it wasnt until she formally became the Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 that her royal duties ramped up.

Initially, Kate was more reserved during royal walkabouts and charity events. However, as she became more confident in her role, Kate began engaging more with royal fans and the public.

However, as her future role as the United Kingdoms queen becomes more certain, Kate is showing her confidence at a higher level than ever. One King Charles coronation guest said the Princess of Wales was a pro at making people feel welcome.

Coronation guest and First Lady of Iceland Eliza Reid shared her experience with Kate Middleton at an event ahead of Charles coronation with People Magazine.

Reid said, 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, Im so glad youre here. I almost didnt want to talk to her for too long because I know she has to get to everybody, they concluded.

Eliza Reid reveals royal family event secrets

Eliza Reid photographed at The WOW Foundation X Bloomberg dinner to celebrate WOW: Women Of The World Festival at The Magazine, Serpentine North, on March 10, 2022, in London, England | David M. Benett/Getty Images

The First Lady of Iceland shared other details regarding the royal family. She spoke of one little-known secret regarding how dignitaries are seated at significant events connected to the House of Windsor.

Eliza Reid and husband, President of the Nordic Republic Guni Th. Johannesson attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. Reid shared that the clan utilizes a specific way of seating so as not to cause any issues between dignitaries invited to these large-scale events.

They seat the heads of states by doing the Commonwealth first and then alphabetically. We were seated in the same row as Ireland and Israel, she explained.

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 its alphabetical order. I think its a good system, or there would be some bruised egos.

Kate Middleton, Prince William, and their children are the royal familys future

The Cambridge clan, including Kate Middleton, Prince William, and children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, are the royal familys future. William, Kate, and his heirs will eventually take over key roles in the institution.

Therefore, during King Charles coronation, the family took center stage. While Kate, Charlotte, and Louis may not have had roles in the historic ceremony, their regal looks and up-front placement showed their importance to the monarchy.

Prince William and Prince George both had roles in Charles investiture. William pledged to be his fathers, liege man. George was a coronation page and carried Charles robes into Westminister Abbey.

King Charles investiture was the first time three generations of kings participated in a coronation. The royal family commemorated the occasion with an official photo of Charles, William, and George inside Buckingham Palace.
World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretary-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, fourth from left in front row, poses with young IT industry leaders in Korea at the headquarters of Naver in Seongnam, Gyoneggi Province, Tuesday. Yonhap



By Lee Kyung-min



World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretary-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala visited Naver, a local IT giant, to experience its latest high-tech artificial intelligence (AI) services, including robot deliveries and digital twin technologies, the trade ministry said Tuesday.



The intergovernmental trade organization head had a meeting with a group of young industry leaders in Korea and exchanged thoughts on digital trade.



The event was joined by startups, top-tier firms that have won awards at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the most influential tech event, as well as platform operators.



Among the agenda items discussed were using blockchain and cloud technologies in the medical, education, agriculture and cybersecurity industries.



The participants agreed that digital technology will determine the future of trade, and that both challenges and opportunities abound for businesses and governments in the era of digital transformation.



The Korean participants recognized the importance of digital trade, as accelerated by digitization and the data economy, a reason why they said the WTO should play a more active role.



The secretary-general said in response that the intergovernmental organization will help fortify global cooperation to promote digital trade, adding that Korea is at the forefront of the digital transformation, according to the ministry.





World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretary-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala delivers a speech at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap
The company produces traceless materials in the form of a granulate that can be further processed using standard technologies in the plastics and packaging industry. Thus, the material can be used in a wide range of end products - from rigid molded parts and flexible films to paper coatings or adhesives.

The bioeconomy startup traceless has developed a nature-based, sustainable alternative to plastic. The compostable biomaterial traceless is based on plant residues of industrial grain processing. To implement the innovative technology for the first time on an industrial scale, the company is planning to build a demonstration plant in Hamburg. The aim is to substitute several thousand metric tons of conventional plastic each year, thus saving a considerable amount of CO2 emissions, fossil resources, water and agricultural land.

The project is being funded with around 5 million Euros from the Environmental Innovation Program (Umweltinnovationsprogramm) of the German Federal Environment Ministry (BMUV). Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. Bettina Hoffmann handed over the funding check to the two female founders. In her statement, Hoffmann acknowledged the great potential of the project, and the outstanding benefit for the environment and for Germany as an industrial location.

Johanna Baare, Co-Founder & COO: To make a real contribution to solving plastic pollution and the climate crisis, we need to produce our materials on an industrial scale. The planned demonstration production plant is the next step on this path, and the grant is an essential contribution to its funding.

Anne Lamp, Co-Founder & CEO: The experts from the Ministry of the Environment and the Federal Environment Agency have comprehensively examined whether our technology actually contributes to environmental protection. The funding approval is a great confirmation of this.

Plastics are at the center of the ecological challenges of our time. Not only do they leave behind the visible traces of global plastic pollution, their costly production from fossil resources also contributes significantly to the climate crisis. As part of a circular, sustainable economy, the bioeconomy offers a solution: Instead of fossil resources, renewable raw materials are used and processed into biobased products using environmentally friendly processes.

The startup traceless materials GmbH has developed a novel bioeconomy technology: Based on plant leftovers from industrial grain processing, they produce a natural biomaterial as an alternative to plastic. The traceless material is completely bio-based, home-compostable and plastic-free. By using plant leftovers, valuable biomass resources are preserved. The patent-pending technology is based on natural polymers, comes without potentially harmful substances and has a minimal environmental footprint: compared to plastic, 91% of CO2 emissions and 89% of fossil energy demand is saved during production and disposal.

The company produces traceless materials in the form of a granulate that can be further processed using standard technologies in the plastics and packaging industry. Thus, the material can be used in a wide range of end products - from rigid molded parts and flexible films to paper coatings or adhesives.

Founded in 2020, the company has already implemented the technology on a pilot scale. With the aim of replacing plastics in large quantities soon, production capacities will be expanded to industrial scale. The planned plant will demonstrate for the first time that the innovative process can be implemented on an industrial scale. In parallel with the technology scale-up, the team of over 30 team members is developing pilot products made from traceless materials with its customers and partners. Due to its innovative solution, the company is receiving funding from the EU as part of the EIC Accelerator. In addition, it has already received numerous awards, including the German Entrepreneur Award and the German Sustainability Award/Next Economy Award.
To say that reading impacts every area of our lives is a drastic understatement. Each day, we lean on literacy for everything from reading street signs and medication labels to learning how to execute a recipe in a cookbook.

Aside from practicality, reading also offers an escape into the unknown. Parents foster creativity, curiosity, and wonder by encouraging make-believe and helping their kids form an understanding of the world.

Yet, by the time kindergarten rolls around, a striking one in three children in the United States enter unprepared to learn.

This lack of literacy throughout the country is what inspires Christine Ward, the Executive Director of Raising A Reader MA (RAR-MA), to continue bridging the literacy gap in her home state of Massachusetts.

A Parent Paving The Way

Christine has lived in Massachusetts for over 40 years, receiving her Bachelors degree in English from UMass Amherst before plunging into an accomplished career in banking and real estate asset management.

In 1999, she also returned to school to obtain her Masters of Business from Babson College. There, she honed her entrepreneurial spirit before graduating and working for internet startups.

But, after Christine welcomed her own two kids into the world, her focus shifted. Once it was time for her sons to enter kindergarten and preschool, she started to consult and volunteer on the library committee at her youngests preschool.

I love helping people and knew reading to children at an early age was important. I also wanted to do something more meaningful and impactful than an internet startup, Christine recalled.

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Flickr/Gage Skidmore

A Christian advocacy group submitted a letter adressed for the United States Congress asking for them to give a decisive action to help Armenians who are suffering and living in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh which is right now, conflict-torn.

Robert Nicholson, president, and chief executive officer of Philos Project, wrote that since December, Azerbaijan has virtually imprisoned 120,000 Armenian Christians in the area. According to Nicholson, this is a calculated tactic to pressure Armenia into making concessions in the delayed negotiations aimed at normalizing bilateral relations.

Christian Advocacy Group Petitions U.S. Congress Over Armenian Crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh

According to the article that was reported in Fox News, the letter emphasized the urgent position of the people of Artsakh, caught in the crossfire of the geopolitical struggle. It has made a direct appeal to the House of Foreign Affairs Committee, and the official recepients of the letter were the comittee's chairman Mike McCaul, a Texas Republican, and New York Democrat Gregory Meeks.

Nagorno-Karabakh has been the main cause of the conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Even thought the area is within the territory Azerbaijan, there is a large population of Armenians and is located in the Caucasus Mountains, and because of the recent demolition of the only road that has direct access to Nagorno-Karabakh from Armenia, tensions have risen recently.

The Philos Project has already urged President Biden to take action to aid the beleaguered Armenians, along with Armenian-Americans and other advocacy groups. The group contends that given the gravity of the situation, the administration's relatively silent response is improper.

According to the featured article in Yahoo! News, in his letter, Nicholson chastises the administration for handling the issue as "business as usual." He expressed disappointment that the president had ignored the problem as it was developing while also remembering the Armenian Genocide of 1915.

Nicholson highlighted a regrettable development after his prior request to President Biden: the State Department had replaced the top adviser for Caucasus negotiations. He also emphasized Turkey's concerning engagement in the dispute, which is perceived as supporting Azerbaijan's side. The Philos Project asserts that Turkey's action to block access to Armenian aircraft on the eve of talks with Blinken could be interpreted as an attempt to put further pressure on Armenia and increase Azeri leverage.

Also Read:Biden Administration's Dispute with Religious Health Care Groups Highlights Tensions with Faith Communities

Biden Administration's Recent Dispute with Religious Groups

Recent disputes between pro-life advocates, faith-based medical professionals, and the Biden administration have brought to light the friction between religious convictions and medical practices. In the article recently published here in Christianity Daily, according to detractors, it is getting harder for faith-based healthcare organizations to provide services that are consistent with their beliefs. Due to a disagreement about the placement of a sanctuary candle, which represents Jesus Christ's presence in the Eucharist, the Catholic hospital network St. Francis Health System in Oklahoma was in danger of losing federal funding.

After widespread criticism, the Biden administration later backed down from the threat. A 2019 Trump-era regulation restricting religious activities on campuses is also being proposed to be repealed, according to the Department of Education, which argues it infringes on First Amendment rights. However, detractors contend that the repeal could violate students' freedom to practice their religion. Concerns have been raised concerning a need for more dedication to defending religious and conscientious freedom.

Related Article:Biden Administration Accused of Infringing Religious Freedom with Latest Actions
Pixabay/lorilynnoliver

In the most recent 'Binibining Pilipinas' competition, a contestant named Joy Dacoron wore a Sto. Nino attire is in their national costume category. Due to this incident, the Sto. Nino controversy arose, and various people voiced their disagreements about how it was handled in a beauty pageant.

Controversy Over Sto. Nino Costume

On Tuesday, May 16, the official Facebook page for the pageant issued a list of the national costumes that each of this year's contestants would be wearing. Preview.ph reported Joy Dacoron, the delegate for the province of Cebu, was one of these people. She wore a set of crimson and gold vestments resembling the Santo Nino de Cebu picture. Chino Ledesma Christopherson's design for the costume, which was covered in a scarlet cape decorated with gold filigree, took direct influence from the Santo Nino de Cebu, which is the earliest Christian treasure in the Philippines and was given to Rajah Humabon in 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan.

Joy sported a golden crown and held a scepter, just as she did in the first depiction of her, while also carrying an orb. As mentioned, many internet users left remarks on the 'Binibining Pilipinas' Facebook page calling the contestant's costume "blasphemous." As a result, the page administrator decided to remove the particular post in question. Despite this, Joy must still remove her photographs of herself wearing the costume from various social media sites.

Also Read:Rock Star Pastor Faced Controversy for Cheating On His Wife With Family Nanny, Speaks Out on A Documentary

The Stance of Church Leaders

According to a report from the ABS-CBN News, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Cebu Archdiocese, Ruben Labajo, divulged the information that the candidate had requested authorization but merely to film using the church buildings as a background. However, Dacoron reportedly failed to mention that the formal garments would be a source of inspiration for her outfit. "I didn't have any idea that she would promote the vestment of Sto. Nino as national costume and even more, the Augustinian priests do not know about this," the bishop noted.

Additionally, Fe Mantuhac-Barino, chairperson of the Commission on the Laity in the Archdiocese of Cebu, stated that there is a requirement for respect to be shown for culture and religion. He also asserted that to appreciate every aspect of God's creation, and one must combine their creative efforts with the introspection afforded by the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, Rappler reported that based on the spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Cebu, Monsignor Joseph Tan, it was not necessary for the Dacoron team to obtain authorization to utilize the garments of the Santo Nino or the Child Jesus as a costume for the competition. "The Church was not consulted that she would wear that for her national costume but the Binibining Pilipinas does not have to ask for permission, especially regarding how they conduct their affairs ordinarily," Tan asserted.

Furthermore, the Augustinian Friars of the Basilica Minore Del Santo Nino de Cebu urged the general public to consider the "appropriateness" of their activities. Since they are Catholics from Cebu, the Sto Nino is significant in their religious and cultural lives. In order to prevent contention and misunderstanding, they remarked that they should approach and treat the Sto. Nino with reverence and respect. The use of sacred robes as a costume for a beauty competition was reportedly deemed "insensitive" by several Internet users, who believed the decision was solely to generate controversy. Regal Oliva, an advocate for LGBTQ+ individuals and the head of the Cebu Lady Lawyers Association Incorporated wrote in a Facebook post that the outfit was a "cheap rehash" of the picture that millions of Cebuano Catholics revered.

Related Article: Miss USA Scandal: Univision Cancels Airing of Pageant in July, Blames Donald Trump's "Insulting Remarks" for Decision




Ukrainian soldiers prepare to fire an RPG toward Russian positions at the frontline near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, May 22. AP-Yonhap



Despite Russian claims to have captured the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, top military leaders in Ukraine insist the grinding nine-month battle there is not over.



Although Ukraine now controls only a small part of the city, Kyiv says its troops played a key role in the strategy of exhausting Russian forces and will carry on fighting. Tens of thousands of soldiers on both sides have died.



Satellite imagery shows infrastructure, apartment blocks and buildings reduced to rubble from relentless artillery attacks.





The top shows school and apartment buildings in Bakhmut, Ukraine, May 8, 2022, and the bottom shows the same buildings demolished May 15, in these satellite images provided by MaxarTechnologies. AP-Yonhap

A Russian state TV report from the smoldering city showed Russian fighters yelling "Victory!" and placing two flags  the Russian tricolor and the black flag of the private military contractor Wagner  atop a tall, partly destroyed building.



The flags were mounted "so that everyone could see them," the correspondent said, even though the bombed-out, deserted 400-year-old city looks like a ghost of itself after the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.



For Ukraine, the important factors have been inflicting high casualties and sapping their adversary's morale for the small patch of the 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) front line as Kyiv prepares a counteroffensive in the 15-month-old war.



Ukraine's deputy defense minister, Hanna Maliar, said the Russians failed to surround Bakhmut and lost part of the heights around the city.



"The continuing advance of our troops in the suburbs greatly complicates the enemy's presence," Maliar said. "Our troops have taken the city in a semi-encirclement, which gives us the opportunity to destroy the enemy." (AP)




Wikimedia Commons/Long Thien

Recently, Pope Francis has officially declared 21 of the Coptic Christians who were slaughtered by the ISIS movement fighters in Libya last 2015 as saints. In this historical move, the Pope is paving its way towards bridging the centuries-old gap between the Roman Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox.

In a recent meeting in Rome with Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, the Coptic Patriarch, the pontiff made the declaration. The encounter, which The Telegraph claims was crucial in addressing doctrinal differences between the two churches in which it has always been seen one another as essentially heretical, was a turning point in the dispute-resolution process. The event also marked the 50th anniversary of a meeting between Pope Shenouda III of Alexandria and Pope Paul VI, underscoring their shared desire to end theological disagreements that date back to the fifth century.

Pope Francis Makes Historic Gesture, Declares 21 Coptic Christians Martyred by ISIS as Saints

Different interpretations of Christ's character caused the schism in 451 AD, which eventually ended in the division of the Catholic Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church. Pope Francis represents a significant step towards rapprochement and unification by adding the 21 martyrs to the Roman Catholic Church's calendar.

According to the article shared in Christian Today, these martyrs had previously received saintly status from the Coptic Orthodox Church. Twenty Egyptian employees and one Ghanaian, Matthew Ayariga, made up the group; they, unfortunately, perished in an ISIS-organized gory display. They were forced to kneel in the sand while wearing orange jumpsuits during their execution on a Libyan beach. Their beheadings were captured on camera while the water served as the background. Their executioners were dressed in black. Since then, religious icons have been made based on the horrifying images of the martyrs.

Also Read:"Santo Subito!" Says People Who Attended Pope Benedicts Funeral at St. Peter's Square Asking for His Canonization

People of the Cross

The victims were referred to by ISIS as "People of the Cross," and they were charged with idolatry rather than sincere adoration of God. While it is uncertain whose church Matthew Ayariga belonged to, his steadfast devotion is a tribute to his religion. In his final moments, he confidently declared, "I am a Christian. I am like them."

Soon after the heinous killings, Pope Tawadros II wasted no time in declaring the 21 martyrs to be saints. But according to the article in Christian Headlines, however, it wasn't until 2018 that the victims' burial place was found, allowing for the return of the 20 Egyptian victims to their country of origin. In 2020, Matthew Ayariga's bones were sent back to his family in Ghana, concluding the mournful process of establishing a final resting place for these martyrs.

Pope Francis' canonization of the 21 Coptic Christians as saints bridges a gap that has existed for many years, both symbolically and historically. The Pope's embrace of the martyrs honors their sacrifice and promotes harmony and understanding between the Coptic Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. The effects of this unusual action on the ongoing discussions and relationships between the two Christian faiths are still to be seen, but it unquestionably represents a significant step towards greater harmony within the faith.

Related Article:U.S. Bishops to Vote on Possible Beatification, Canonization of 3 American Women
Pixabay/Ichigo121212

There are accusations against a Catholic priest named Fr. Milton Murillo that he engaged in sexual assault with seminary pupils. It was revealed due to a recently discovered diary that belonged to a deceased Spanish Jesuit named Alfonso Pedrajas, who passed away several years ago.

Sexual Misconduct of a Catholic Priest

In the past week, the notorious incident of Fr. Alfonso Pedrajas was brought to public attention, exposing additional cases that had previously been examined by the Bolivian court system for some time, including the sexual misconduct of Fr. Milton Murillo. A report from Rival Times stated that in 2009, Pedrajas passed away due to cancer. Fr. Pedrajas reportedly kept a private diary in which he admitted having sexually molested around 85 children in Bolivia throughout the 1970s and 1980s in Catholic boarding schools in Bolivia.

Based on the information from Sandra Gutierrez Salazar, the regional prosecutor, during a hearing that took place late on Thursday, May 18, Fr. Murillo, a Catholic priest who serves at the Church of San Roque in the southern area of Tarija, was ordered to be held in pre-trial custody for three months in response to the allegation of abusing seminarian students a decade ago. According to a report from ABC News, as part of the ongoing investigation into whether or if there has been any cover-up, the prosecutors have requested testimony from victims of Pedrajas and other priests. Despite previous claims of misconduct by Murillo, recent statements by alleged victims have concluded that he should be detained.

This week, the Bolivian government indicated that it would establish a Truth Commission to look into reports of sexual abuse involving young people. It will also work to pass legislation that eliminates statutes of restrictions for offenses of this nature. Moreover, human rights organizations stated that, up until this point, very few of the charges of pedophiles involving priests in the Andean nation had been thoroughly examined, even though there have been many such accusations.

Also Read:French Bishops Conference to Provide Scannable IDs to Identify Clergy That Has Sexual Abuse Case

Church Leaders' Response to the Issue

On Friday, May 5, a detailed feature article in the journal of Padre Pica, also known as Father Alfonso Pedrajas, was published in the Spanish daily El Pais, Pillar Catholic reported. The priest passed away several years ago and served most of his ministry in Bolivia, where he was responsible for administering a school for boys from disadvantaged rural homes. He was also a sexual predator who kept a journal detailing his sentiments regarding his predatory assaults; his Jesuit buddies and colleagues were reportedly aware of his misdeeds. It has been said that the diary of Padre Pica is a horrifying but probably one-of-a-kind look into the life and psyche of a serial sexual abuser and the clerical culture that enabled him to continue preying on youngsters for decades.

On the other hand, the Bolivian Bishops' Conference issued a statement stating that they were in "solidarity with the victims who have suffered acts of sexual abuse." "We ask for their forgiveness, and we want to tell them that we share their suffering and disappointment for these serious events that have marked their lives and been a cause of deep pain," bishops added. Additionally, the Bolivian province of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) responded to the news, stating that the Jesuits had reported the incident to the authorities to get an investigation into Pedrajas' case started.

Related Article: Around 445 Sexual Abuse Victims of Priests and Church Officials in Spain Break Their Silence
Pixabay/Boris Stromar

Last weekend, a vandalsim was committed against Morristown's Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, in which it is known for their inclusivity for the LGBTQ community.

The vandalized sign, which was next to the path leading to the church's main entrance, served as a warm invitation to all people to attend the services. It was posted in a place where it could be seen by people of different backgrounds, races, political viewpoints, sexual orientations, and gender identities.

Morristown's LGBTQ-Affirming Church Faces Vandalism

The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer's rector, Rev. Cynthia Black, informed Morristown Green, a local news outlet, of the vandalism. She was unable to conclusively say that the rainbow banners caused the act of vandalism. Black lamented the negative effects on their neighborhood and voiced disappointment about the potential for a purposeful act. The community, he underlined, is resilient, and such actions won't stop them from carrying on with their activities. Black emphasized the power of love over hatred as a principle that the Redeemer has always championed.

According to the article shared in Metro Weekly, the church has previously hung banners with Pride-related themes. The rainbow-hued banners are typically erected in June to recognize LGBTQ Pride Month. But earlier this year, the Church of the Redeemer decided to put them on display in honor of a lesbian parishioner who had died from COVID-19. Black remarked that in years past, onlookers had paused to snap pictures of the colorful flags, occasionally even posing in front of them. Whether or not people enter the church, when they see the welcoming sign, they comprehend its meaning.

Last Friday, Black claimed that when she left the church at about 9 p.m., everything seemed normal. On the other hand, a dog walker on Saturday morning came upon the vandalized sign and immediately alerted church authorities. Black thinks that surrounding businesses' cameras may have recorded video of the vandals even though the church doesn't have surveillance equipment.

Black, a gay woman, acknowledged the disturbing and heartbreaking aspect of the damage but claimed that she did not personally find it frightening. There have been a number of incidents of vandalism involving neighborhood churches in recent years, albeit most of these have not included LGBTQ people. Unfortunately, the church will likely incur costs to repair or replace the sign. Black is skeptical that insurance will pay for the costs of repair or replacement, given that the sign's installation in 2015 cost $15,000 in total.

Also Read:Henderson County's Inclusive Church Faces Anti-LGBTQ Protestors' Attack

Other Stories Regarding Attacks on Churches that Promote Inclusivity

In a similar story, A peaceful protest against the First Congregational Church's LGBTQ inclusivity stance in Henderson County turned tense, disrupting services. According to the shared article in Christianity Daily, the situation escalated when a local homeowner confronted an anti-LGBTQ protester.

The incident, filmed by another homeowner, sparked several 911 calls, and the police were summoned. Following this, Reverend Dr. Dwight A. Moody of Providence Baptist Church, which plans an LGBTQ outreach event, warned of similar protests. The confrontation highlights wider societal divisions around LGBTQ acceptance.

Related Article:Persistent Vandalism at United Methodist Church in Chicago Prompts Pastor to Seek Police Intervention
For the first nine years of Nantachai and Ubolwan Mejudhons university ministry in Bangkok in the 70s, the couple approached Thai students and passersby with a yellow booklet, a friendly smile, and the question, Have you heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?

Following Crus evangelism strategy, they walked students through Gods love, their sin, Jesuss death, and their need to receive Jesus. Some students would politely agree to accept Christ to get out of an uncomfortable conversation. Not surprisingly, many of the converts quickly lost faith in God.

The results of Western-style evangelism in Bangkok left the Mejudhons, who found Christ while studying abroad in the West, discouraged and with little fruit to show for their well-intentioned work.

Their challenges are common in the history of missions in Thailand. Even though the Southeast Asian country is a hotspot for missionaries due to its religious liberties, accessibility, and low cost of living, Christianity has been slow to spread in a country where Buddhists make up 93 percent of the population. After nearly 200 years of Protestant missions, only 1 percent of the country is Christian.

In the last installment of Engaging Buddhism, Sage, a Thai-Chinese Australia in Sydney, mentioned that theres something about the soil that has prevented the gospel from taking root in the way it has in other parts of the world. In this installment, we ask: Is there a better way to reach the Thai people?



The Mejudhons have spent the past 50 years seeking to answer that question. From their time working on Bangkok campuses and ministering in a rural town in northern Thailand, the Mejudhons have developed a contextualized form of evangelism that flows from Thai sensibilities: Approaching people with meekness.

After seeing their early attempts at evangelism fail, the Mejudhons began to focus on cultivating genuine friendships, speaking positively about Buddhism-infused Thai culture, and presenting the gospel in a way that shows Thais the benefits of the faith rather than confronting them. This allowed the gospel to permeate through their relationship, rather than trying to convince Thais to believe in Christ through apologetics and theological presentations.

Over time, 10 to 20 times more people ended up with a saving faith in Jesus, they said. For the past 23 years, the Mejudhons have been teaching their form of ministry through meekness to missionaries coming to Thailand. Through intensive seminars at their church, Muang Thai Church in Bangkok, Nantachai and Ubolwan (who are now 79 and 77 respectively) have trained 400 missionaries.

In Nantachais 1997 dissertation, he boiled down their philosophy: A combination of Thai culture and biblical approach is more practical to the Thai than the current combination of Western culture and theological approach.

From Buddhism to Christianity

The Mejudhons came from devout Buddhist backgrounds. Like most young Buddhist men on their path to adulthood, Bangkok-born Nantachai became a Buddhist monk at age 18 for three months. Ubolwan, who is from Chonburi in eastern Thailand, studied and later taught Buddhist philosophy at a university.

In 1970, the Thai government sent the two scholars abroad to study. Nantachai went to California to study engineering. Ubolwan, his fiance at the time, went to New Zealand to study English and became a Christian there. During their long-distance relationship, the couple wrote a total of 700 letters discussing Buddhism and Christian theology as Nantachai tried to persuade her to return to Buddhism. (They later published some of these letters in a book.)

Finally, Nantachai decided he needed to do his own research before declaring there was no God. He walked two and a half miles to buy a Bible at a bookstore, which he read from cover to cover, studying it for 10 hours each day. The more he read, the more he felt the Bible was special. He fell in love with Jesus, started going to church, and committed his life to Christ after reading 1 Corinthians 13.

In 1972, Nantachai and Ubolwan began their ministry to university students in Bangkok. As they watched Western missionaries talk to Thai students about heaven and hell, they realized that the message didnt translate well because Thais tend to value the present over the future. Religion in Thailand is felt, not rationalized, Nantachai said, and what resonated more was conveying how Christ was a man for others in that he can deliver people from their fears.

Nantachai and Ubolwan went abroad again to pursue their doctorates at Asbury Theological Seminary in the 90s, both writing dissertations about the importance of meekness in missions in Thailand. A number of Christian groups in Thailand purchased their theses after it was published, and the positive responses they received led them to host seminars for missionaries in their church.

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Blessed are the meek

One way the Mejudhons seek to respect Thai culture in their evangelism is by engaging whole families rather than individuals. When a Thai becomes a Christian, it creates division in the family as parents view their acceptance of a different faith as a rejection of their Thai identity. This is often a great source of tension and isolation for new believers. So, when the Mejudhons first get to know their students, they begin forming a relationship with the parents as well. This way, the missionaries are not seen as stealing their family members.

The Mejudhons always instruct new Christians to ask their family for permission to accept Christ as their Savior and to be baptized. If the parents said no, they ask students to temporarily postpone their baptisms and obey their parents wishes. The Mejudhons would wait to see how the students demonstration of Christlikeness would influence the family. If the parents still refused to give permission after the waiting period, they would go ahead and baptize the child.

During the baptism, the church honors parents by inviting them to be a part of the ceremony by having them present a Bible to their children. They encourage parents to teach their children to be faithful to what they believe, even if their parents are Buddhists.

Our attitude toward the family of those new converts will determine the response of the Buddhist family, Nantachai said.

In the Western mind, the word meekness connotes weakness or a wavering spirit, but the Mejudhons use it to describe someone who is gentle, humble, considerate, and friendly. Jesus was meek and meekness is a fruit of the Spirit, Nantachai pointed out.

In order to reach Thais in a spirit of meekness, Western missionaries need to shift their mindsets and their methods. Rather than expecting to see large numbers of converts when they arrive in Thailand, Nantachai encourages them to understand missions as a long-term commitment to building genuine relationships with no strings attached. By living in Thai communities and forming friendships, foreign missionaries can slowly build up an understanding of how to present the gospel there.

A number of missionaries have the idea that Christians have to count souls and report numbers of people saved to a church or organization as a way of evaluating their success, Nantachai wrote in his dissertation. Yet, the question how many members do you have in your church? was never asked in the New Testament.

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Buddhist beliefs as a stepping-stone to Christianity

To understand the worldview of the people they are ministering to, missionaries first need to understand Buddhism, say the Mejudhons.

Many missionaries studied the Thai language, but didnt study Buddhism or Thai culture in an immersive manner, and consequently came off as aggressive when they skipped over relationship-building, focused on outcomes, and ignored the Thais value system, Nantachai said.

When sharing their faith, missionaries and Thai Christians should study, respect, and note Buddhisms positive aspects and recognize that God loved Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Buddha, Nantachai added. They should understand that certain aspects of Buddhism that are true are Gods truths, since God is the ultimate truth, and acknowledge that God loves every person because he created them.

With this mindset, missionaries have more capacityto listen to their wrong ideas in their belief systems, to empathize with their stubbornness in their own faith, and to have patience, kindness, and understanding, in searching for more understanding from them, Nantachai argued in his dissertation.

Thais are concerned with religions practical outcomes. If Christianity helps and benefits them, they will be more interested in it, Nantachai said. While Buddhism focuses on human needs and actions, Christianity focuses on Gods purpose and provision. When calamities or crises occur, Buddhists are forced to look for help outside of themselves, sometimes going to the temple or finding other ways to cope.

This is an ideal time for Christians to gently introduce how God is a provider and brings hope, said Nantachai. Christianity offers something that Buddhism cant: A personal relationship with a spiritual power, he noted.

It is when people feel that they [can] no longer cope by themselves and they need help [from] outside that Christianity offers good news, Nantachai wrote. Christianity attracts people in trouble for it tells them that they can turn to God and depend on God's help.

Planting seeds of the gospel in rural Thailand

After completing their dissertations, the Mejudhons moved to a small village in Roi Et province in northeastern Thailand to see how witnessing through meekness worked in a different context. For 14 years, they taught at a local school and invested in the lives of both their students and their families.

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Teachers are highly regarded in Thai society, so their positions granted them access into the villagers lives. They developed friendships with students parents, visited their homes, helped them plant and harvest rice, and listened to their problems.

Because the Mejudhons had a good relationship with the school staff, they were able to share the gospel with the students. One hundred students became Christian during their years in Roi Et. Some of their families chose to follow Christ as well.

Many of them became Christians not because I shared the gospel, but because we loved them, cared for them, and were concerned about their social welfare, Nantachai said. Your duty is not to pull them to become a Christian, but rather to love them in a sincere way. And when the relationship is so strong, then you can share whatever you want to share, and they will listen to you, and they will become Christian.

At the same time, they faced challenges in getting new believers to stay committed to their faith. Its easy for them to leave Christianity if they see Christianity isnt giving them what they want or need, Nantachai said. It seemed that the mindset of easy to believe, easy to throw away was true of both Buddhism and Christianity. To address this, Nantachai found it important for Thais to start hearing the gospel in elementary school age so Gods Word would be grounded in their hearts and minds.

The couple started a church in the town and left it in local hands when they moved in 2014. Today, they are in Ranong, a town in southern Thailand, where they are planting another church and teaching English in their home. Compared to the north, the locals find it more difficult to believe and accept Christ, but once they do, they continue to follow Jesus their entire lives. All six students in their first class in Ranong became Christians and are now studying in university.

One of their former students from Roi Et, Ex Moo Ko, who is ethnically Burmese but born in Thailand, recently became a Christian because of their witness. Currently a senior in high school, Ex Moo Ko has known Nantachai and Ubolwan since the third grade.

The Mejudhons are different from other teachers because they tried to understand her and the other students, Ex Moo Ko said.

They listened well, and they are wonderful counselors, she said. They never criticized or scolded us. They tried to understand and adapted themselves to my friends and me.

The couple never forced their faith on her, and because of their relationship, she wanted to listen to Nantachai preach on Sundays, Ex Moo Ko said.

When he stopped teaching [at the school], we pleaded with him to continue the teaching because we benefit from putting the Word into practice, she said.
Church of Scotland loses over half its membership since 2000; age of average worshiper is 62: report

The Church of Scotland has lost more than half of its members since the year 2000, with the average age of worship attendees being 62, according to a recently released report.

The Assembly Trustees report, created in advance of the Churchs General Assembly, which is scheduled to go from May 20-25 in Edinburgh, analyzed the statistical information about the denomination.

According to the report, the membership of the Church in 2021 was 283,600, which represented a 4.6% decline compared to 2020, and well below the 1.3 million reported in the 1950s.

The report explained that the 2021 membership numbers represented 46.6% of what was reported in 2000, while the number of ministers reported last year was 60% of what it was in 2000.

This is no fault of one group of people or any decision-making body, but a trend that has not been reversed; we have lost members and Ministers of Word and Sacrament but not adjusted the number of charges, stated the report.

One in three charges are in vacancy whilst across Scotland the size of almost every congregation is shrinking. Ministers are retiring and people are not coming forward (as has been the case for years) in the numbers needed to replace them. The good news of Jesus Christ, whilst being shared amongst some is not reaching the majority of the people of Scotland.

The report also found that the vast majority of the Churchs ministers are over the age of 50, speculating that as many as half of them will retire within the next decade.

Church attendance stood at around 60,000 in 2021, which is below the approximately 88,000 reported before the COVID-19 pandemic forced many churches worldwide to suspend in-person worship services. The report noted that around 45,000 people now worship online and 8,275 in other ways.

The average age of those attending church is 62 years old  so the trends of decline are not likely to change without us taking positive action and addressing the demographic profile, the report added.

We have well over 1,000 church buildings to cater for this number of people which is simply untenable and unsustainable.

A supplementary report by the Trustees documented that, as of December 2022, the Church of Scotland had 270,300 members, a 4.7% decline from 2021, and representing an overall decline of 35% since 2012.

The supplementary report did note an increase in both baptisms and professions of faith in 2022. However, it stressed that the level still remained below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.

Additionally, according to the supplementary report, giving has been gradually decreasing since 2019, after years of being largely stable despite the considerable decline in membership: In 2019, congregational income was 87 million ($107 million); for 2022, it is estimated as 73.4 million ($91 million), and by 2024 projected to be 68.7 million ($85 million). The impact of this on the congregations themselves is apparent with only 30% having enough income to cover their basic local costs.

In remarks given to the General Assembly on Monday, the Rev. David Cameron said that the report on membership decline provides a realistic picture of where our Church finds itself.

This is a critical time as we make the essential changes needed to lay a sustainable foundation for the future, he continued. The reforms we embark on together are to reconfigure and reshape the church for mission and service around fewer buildings and fewer charges.

Cameron went on to assert that Church members needed to be enthusiastic about doing things differently and dreaming bold dreams and having the energy and encouragement to experiment and learn in the process.

Imagine being able to move forward in positive ways tackling serious issues of the day, responding to the real need in Scotland, Cameron said. Imagine finding a creative way of getting different people with different views together to create a different future.

Sharing ministry for the pastoral care of the elderly in the aging congregations whilst recognizing the need to be intergenerational, fully integrating our young people, shaping the life of the Church.

The Church of Scotland is theologically Presbyterian and has been the national church of the United Kingdom country since 1690, with its status guaranteed under the 1707 Act of Union of Scotland and England.

Although the denomination is the official national church of Scotland, it is not controlled by the U.K. government nor by the Scottish Parliament.

The King is not the supreme governor of the Church of Scotland, as he is in the Church of England. The sovereign has the right to attend the General Assembly, but not to take part in its deliberations, explained the denomination.

The Church of Scotland (the Kirk) is not State controlled, and neither the Scottish nor the Westminster Parliaments are involved in Kirk appointments.
Franklin Graham warns Christian broadcasters of coming storm

The Rev. Franklin Graham warned members of Christian news media organizations and others about the coming storm headed toward churches and ministries in the United States.

Graham, who serves as president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and head of Samaritans Purse, gave the keynote speech Monday evening at the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Orlando, Florida.

I believe there is a coming storm that we all need to be ready for, Graham said. The world has deteriorated so quickly. We cannot be deceived and we cant be fooled. We need to get ready and be prepared.

Graham said believers in the United States are living in a cancel culture that wants to destroy Christian organizations, adding that we cannot back up, we cant retreat, dont apologize for the Gospel  just declare it, just preach it.

They want us to shut our mouths, they dont want to hear from us. If you're not going to preach the Gospel, you don't have anything to worry about, he said.

If youre not going to talk about sin, youre not going to have anything to worry about; but if youre going to proclaim the Gospel, theyre going to try to shut you up.

NRB describes itself as the worlds largest gathering of Christian communicators and ministry professionals, adding that it is where everyone gets together under one roof to talk about advancing the gospel.

Countless partnerships and important connections have been formed at NRB Conventions over the years, said NRB. As the largest marketplace dedicated to Christian media professionals, the NRB Exposition is filled with resources and connections to help expand and grow your organization or ministry.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a likely Republican presidential primary candidate, was also in attendance and gave remarks before the Christian media and ministries gathering.

Had a great discussion at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention on the importance of supporting families, protecting children and defending religious liberty, DeSantis posted to Facebook later on.

Earlier this month, Graham gave the keynote address at the commencement ceremony for graduates of Liberty University, the prominent Evangelical academic institution based in Lynchburg, Virginia.

In his remarks to graduates, Graham said that he was praying that this class will stand for truth, giving a warning that our world is changing for the worse.

It has changed so much, just in the time since you set foot on this campus a few years ago, said Graham. Think how much it has changed. The increase in violence, the moral decline.

I cant help but think that the heart of God is grieved as He looks at our world today. Our country. Oh, I love our country, but it's in a downward spiral morally, spiritually, economically, politically.
Santa Claus home church in Turkey reopens to the public after restoration by govt

The more than 1,500-year-old St. Nicholas Church in Demre, Turkey, named after the beloved St. Nicholas, who inspired the legend of Santa Claus, is now open to the public again for daily visits after an 18-month restoration project funded by the government.

In a statement at the church's reopening earlier in May, Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said he is looking forward to the church being a place of worship and pilgrimage for Christians for decades to come.

"This church, one of the most outstanding works of Eastern Roman art with its architecture and decorations, has great value for the Christian world. The restoration will enable the Church of St. Nicholas to host many more visitors and worshipers in the decades to come, Ersoy explained at the reopening, according to remarks shared with The Christian Post.

The church, which is located in the city's Demre district, was first built in 520 A.D. at the burial site of St. Nicholas, who was born near a beach in the ancient city of Patara around what is now known as the small town of Gelemis, Antalya, where sheep are known to graze.

According to Turkish officials, restoration work at the church included the installation of protective roofing at the site. Also restored were the churchs extensive wall paintings and floor mosaics, reflecting essential works in Byzantine art and architecture.

Work was also done at the church, which is 3 feet below sea level, to protect it from rain and groundwater and improve its accessibility.

Last December, during a visit to the church with her friend and mother, atheist British expatriate Nikki Bullock, who had lived for more than four years in the country where 99% of the population is Muslim, told CP that it was only in recent years that Christian services were allowed inside St. Nicholas Church, and she wasnt sure if enough Christians were aware that services were being held there.

Its very rare in Turkey that you get somewhere where they allow the Christian faith, she said. They (the general public) dont know about this church.

St. Nicholas Church is now open daily to visitors from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. To learn more, visit https://faith.goturkiye.com/st-nicholass-home.

Turkey, officially known as the Republic of Turkiye, is prominently featured in the Bible, particularly in the book of Acts, where it is called Asia Minor and credited as the place that allowed the flourishing of early Christianity. It is the birthplace of the Apostle Paul, who was born in Tarsus. He is considered by many experts to be the second most important Christian figure after Jesus because about half of the 27 books in the New Testament can be attributed to him.
Tim Keller gives 3 pieces of advice to pastors in message before his death

Pastor and author Tim Keller gave three pieces of advice to pastors in a message recorded weeks before his death and shared online by the church he helped to found.

Redeemer Presbyterian Church of New York City, which Keller founded in 1989, shared a video message from Keller over the weekend that had been recorded several weeks before his death. The video message had originally been directed toward the leadership team at Redeemer.

In the video, Keller offers three pieces of advice that center on passages in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah, which he felt would help to guide leaders at Redeemer, as well as other church leaders.

The first piece of advice Keller gave in the video was live on the razors edge, quoting Jeremiah 29:7, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.

Engage, but at the same time, be different, said Keller. Dont assimilate and just pick up all the views of the culture; but dont stay out, keep your skirts clean, denounce everyone.

The second piece of advice Keller gave was invest, dont just consume, reading from Jeremiah 32, in which Jeremiah bought a field, even though the invasion of the Babylonians and subsequent exile of the Jews was imminent.

Dont just come here to consume, Keller added. Dont just come to New York to say, I want to get this on the resume and have an exciting church experience and, you know, go to all the great restaurants.

Invest here. Jesus Christ said, I will build my church. He doesnt just say I will build my church, except in big cities. I will build my church. So, invest in the church. Invest your time, invest, yes, your money, invest your life.

The final piece of advice that Keller gave was for people to forget about your reputation, quoting Jeremiah 45:5, which reads, seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not.

Dont worry about your reputation, dont worry about your credentials, Keller said. Dont make your ministry success your identity, so if things dont go well you just feel like an utter failure.

Dont make getting a big name in New York City your main thing. Lift up Jesus Name. Halloweth be Thy Name. Forget yourself, forget your reputation. Do what you can to lift up Gods Name.

Keller died on May 19 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer, with the renowned pastor leaving behind his wife, three sons, three daughters-in-law, a sister, and seven grandchildren.

Timothy J. Keller, husband, father, grandfather, mentor, friend, pastor, and scholar died this morning at home, Kellers son, Michael, shared in a public post on Facebook Friday.

Dad waited until he was alone with Mom. She kissed him on the forehead, and he breathed his last breath. We take comfort in some of his last words, There is no downside for me leaving, not in the slightest. See you soon, Dad.

Many church leaders and Christian public figures took to social media or their websites to give their condolences and note how Keller had influenced their walk of faith.

Grammy award-winning artist and contemporary Christian rapper Lecrae was among them, noting that Keller's spiritual guidance has been a light in dark places for me.

Ive never expressed how he brought me [through] the worst seasons of my life, how his refusal to be a part of the Evangelical industrial construct was empowering for my soul, said Lecrae.

When racism and cancel culture detoured me, Tim Keller was a consistent voice and for a season in 2017 he was the only non person of color I could listen to. He welcomed me to so much and brought me through so much.
Sen. Tim Scott: 5 things to know about this SC senator and 2024 presidential candidate

Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., became the latest entry into the Republican presidential primary Monday. With less than 18 months to go until the 2024 presidential election, Scott joins a growing field, including former President Donald Trump, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and radio talk show host Larry Elder.

Scott received a warm welcome into the race from Trump, who's currently the frontrunner in the race for the Republican nomination.

Good luck to Senator Tim Scott in entering the Republican Presidential Primary Race, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social. It is rapidly loading up with lots of people, and Tim is a big step up from Ron DeSanctimonious, who is totally unelectable.

Trumps DeSanctimonious comment is a dig at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is widely expected to declare his candidacy later this week. DeSantis is the only candidate who comes close to matching Trumps showing in the RealClearPolitics average of polls sampling the opinions of Republican primary voters as all other declared and potential candidates, including Scott, remain in the single digits.

DeSantis is viewed among some conservatives as a more electable alternative to Trump in light of his blowout re-election victory in a crucial swing state last year, as Republicans across the country largely underperformed in most other swing states. Still, Trump remains the dominant force in the Republican primary, securing 56.3% support to DeSantis 19.4%.

While Scott currently polls at 1.8% in the RealClearPolitics average he boasts enormous financial resources in the form of $21.7 million in cash on hand leftover from his re-election campaign last year.

Here are five things to know about the latest Republican to announce his intentions to seek the White House in 2024.

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'Bible-believing' school guidance counselors placed on leave over 'misgendering,' 'conversion therapy' allegations LGBT advocates call for action against 'Christian ideology;' teachers' union slams 'Christian paradigm' of US history

Three Christian school guidance counselors in Massachusetts have been placed on leave after a school newspaper used anonymous sources to accuse the counselors of engaging in so-called conversion therapy and not using the chosen pronouns of trans-identified students.

An attorney for Hector Santos, Delinda Dykes and Tania Cabrera says the Amherst Regional Middle School (ARMS) student-run newspaper used anonymous sources  later cited by other news outlets  that potentially put the Christian counselors' safety at risk by granting anonymity to the articles sources.

Among the allegations: that Santos performed conversion therapy before school hours in Amherst schools, Dykes prayed against a so-called LGBT demon and handed out chocolate crucifixes, and that all three failed to refer to students by using their self-declared pronouns, according to attorney Ryan McLane, who is representing the three employees.

So-called conversion therapy, which is often used by churches and ministries to help counsel people with unwanted same-sex attraction and is known as sexual orientation change efforts therapy, was banned in Massachusetts for minors in 2019.

According to a May 9 post from the Graphic, the student newspaper of Amherst Regional High School, the allegations stem directly from the religious beliefs of Santos and Dykes, who, according to an unidentified source, allegedly frequently expressed their religious views at school.

The source, given the name John by the Graphic, claims Dykes and Santos invited him to a private prayer circle before school hours. According to the report, the source became uncomfortable when Dykes prayed, In the name of Jesus, we bind that [LGBT] gay demon that wants to confuse our children.

The report also cited Facebook posts shared by Santos, which referred to Adam and Eve, gay conversion and subsequent freedom in Jesus, and Santos allegedly misgendering a student.

During a public comment period at an April 25 school committee meeting, one member of the community, Gazit Chaya Nkosi, explicitly referenced Christian ideology as a threat to LGBT students.

Nkosi claimed she was asked by another anonymous person to follow up about concerns about staff at the middle school who were talking with queer students about praying to make sure that theyre not queer anymore, using the Bible, using Christian ideology to discourage them from being authentic.

Claire Coco and Ruth Killough-Hill, representatives from Amherst Pelham Education Association (APEA), the local teachers union, also spoke at the meeting, read from an APEA statement urged officials to stop any anti-LGBT comments at the school and to change the districts mission statement to reflect its commitment to multiculturalism.

On its website, the APEA has a stated goal of seeking to move beyond a Christian paradigm of the U.S.s history and present day and has previously stated its opposition to any actions that threaten a safe, supportive and [LGBT]inclusive PreK-12 education and schooling experience.

The union has also called the banning of chemical and surgical castration (puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and body mutilating surgeries) of minors who are confused about their sex and banning of drag performances for underage audiences as extremely harmful and dangerous attacks on public education.

Religion was repeatedly referenced during the meeting, including in the context of the search for a middle school principal, which one committee member, Peter Demling, said was undermined by false rumors about one finalist who was being accused of being anti-LGBT simply because she belongs to a church.

Demling also accused APEA of making false statements in the past and asking whether there was "any evidence" for such rumors.

In response to the complaints, Superintendent Michael Morris asked for firsthand information or evidence about such allegations, and later added that he has not received anything related to the public comments that have come in.

Following the allegations and the ensuing media coverage, Santos and Dykes  who are both eighth grade school counselors at ARMS  are now the subject of a Title IX investigation in Amherst, while Tania Cabrera was placed on leave for safety measures, according to information shared with The Christian Post.

The allegations eventually forced Morris to take a leave of absence as of May 12, citing health concerns.

On May 11, just one day prior to announcing his leave, Morris  who included his pronouns in his school email signature  called the allegations linked to the ongoing Title IX investigation serious and harmful to the LGBT community in particular.

We want to explicitly state to the ARPS community that we are committed to providing a safe, supportive and respectful environment in which every student and faculty member can learn, work and thrive, Morris wrote.

With that email, Morris sent out an email to the entire school staff, taking the side of the anonymous students prior to any investigation being completed," according to information provided to CP.

In response to the allegations, McLane denied Santos, Dykes and Cabrera did anything improper, and described them as "faithful, Bible-believing Christians."

Hector, Delinda and Tania are devastated that they are being kept from their lifes work and from helping the children that they care so much about," he said via email. "None of the accusations are true, besides the fact that they are Christians. It is a testament to their strength to remain silent during an investigation as their good names are being tarnished while they wait for vindication.

They are exemplary employees and care deeply about the children that they serve, and we look forward to their names being cleared once this Title IX investigation is complete.

CP reached out to APEA for comment on this story but did not receive a response as of Monday afternoon.

Since the controversy began, members of the community have sent angry emails to some of the teachers, some of which were shared with CP.

One email sent May 10 from alumni and self-described lesbian Eliza Carson to Santos, Morris and others ended with the following message: TRANS PEOPLE WIN IN THE END. GAY PEOPLE WIN IN THE END. YOU LOSE.

Your hatred and discrimination is outdated, putrid, and puny. I, a lesbian, feel better now. And I hope your day is a little bit worse! This is a protest! Carson added.

The anti-Christian sentiment from the LGBT community members and supporters comes less than two months after a trans-identified shooter killed six people  including three children  at a Christian school in Nashville.

Authorities later identified Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, who attended the Covenant School several years ago, as the shooter. Police said Hale, at some point, became trans-identified. She was killed by police officers during the attack.
A day of sadness: 193 Georgia churches vote to leave United Methodist Church

More than a third of the congregations that once belonged to a Georgia-based regional body of The United Methodist Church have disaffiliated from the denomination over its ongoing debate over homosexuality.

The UMC South Georgia Conference voted Sunday to approve the disaffiliation votes of 193 of its reported 486 member congregations, joining thousands of other congregations in the United States that have left their respective UMC regional bodies.

A spokesperson for the conference directed The Christian Post to a statement by SGA UMC Bishop David Graves, who called the departure of the 193 churches a day of sadness in the life of the South Georgia Annual Conference.

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, stated Graves.

I have great hope for the future of the South Georgia Conference, he added. While we may be smaller, numbers do not tell the full story or define our ability to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ. I believe we will be stronger as we focus on reaching new people with the gospel message.

The Wesleyan Covenant Association, an unofficial conservative advocacy group within the UMC, was involved in helping many churches in the South Georgia Conference discern their future with the denomination.

Scott Tucker, senior pastor of Good Shepherd Savannah and member of the executive committee of the South Georgia chapter of the WCA, told CP that he was thankful that Bishop Graves and SGA Conference leadership preserved a fair and transparent pathway for local churches to discern their future, take congregational votes, and receive Annual Conference approval to exit.

It seems like most churches with [an] interest in disaffiliation have already done so, Tucker speculated. Some churches indicate they will continue to watch what the General Conference decides in 2024, and may open departure discussions later. SGA UMC has promised to keep a path to departure open after the 2024 General Conference.

When asked by CP if such departures of theologically conservative congregations weaken the WCA, Tucker responded that his organization doesnt exist for itself.

There are still traditional-minded laypeople and clergy remaining in the SGA UMC, he said. We will continue to advocate for traditional teaching within the UMC, while we encourage the UMC to continue to have exit pathways for those who wish to depart, especially if the UMC moves toward changing its teachings on marriage.

For his part, Tucker belonged to the UMC until earlier this year, when his congregation, Isle of Hope UMC of Savannah, failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority vote to disaffiliate.

Tucker became part of a group of laity and staff who decided to plant Good Shepherd Savannah, a congregation affiliated with the Global Methodist Church, a recently launched denomination that serves as a theologically conservative alternative to the UMC.

Although the UMC Book of Discipline prohibits the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of people in same-sex romantic relationships, many theological progressives in the denomination have refused to follow or enforce the rules.

This resistance, combined with a sense that the UMC will eventually change its Book of Discipline to officially allow for same-sex marriage and openly gay, lesbian and trans-identified clergy, has led many to decide to leave the denomination.

According to statistics compiled by UM News, more than 3,500 congregations have left the UMC in recent years, with over 1,800 doing so in 2022 alone.
'A Redemption Story': Sen. Tim Scott discusses America's quest for a 'more perfect union'

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scotts memoir, America, a Redemption Story, details stories of failure and rising above challenges from the senators own life to represent Americas constant search for identity and potential for redemption.

The 56-year-old South Carolina native assumed his senate position in 2013 and is on the ballot in the general election in November. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving South Carolinas first Congressional District from 2011 to 2013.

After then-Gov. Nikki Haley appointed the senator to serve the remainder of Sen. Jim DeMints term in 2013, Scott became the first African American senator to represent a southern state since Reconstruction.

Scott was later elected to the Senate in a 2014 special election.

The book takes readers through Scotts childhood in a single-parent household and growing up in poverty to his opening of a small business and eventual political career. Describing his struggles with racism  both from people who look like him and those who dont  the senator insists that America is redeemable, calling for people to overcome political differences and not allow things like race or politics to divide them.

The following is a lightly edited transcript of the senator's interview with The Christian Post:

CP: Now the title of your memoir is America, a Redemption Story. Can you explain how you come up with that title?

Scott: Two reasons for the title; number one is certainly in the story saying, as you can see, I think that faith and the Judeo Christian foundation that is ours as a country is incredibly important to this nation. The story of redemption, in my opinion, is so often the story of second chances. You don't go from being a good person, from a bad person to a good person; you go from being a dead person to alive. And so the story of redemption is a story of second chances. And the one thing I see woven throughout the story of America is this notion of second chances that we wrote a Constitution. We left me as three-fifths of a person, but then we went back and got it right through Civil War and through amending our Constitution.

Our birth certificate, or the Declaration of Independence, said that we were all created equal, basically, and given intrinsic value. That notion was right, even though our Constitution had it wrong. So again, you can see the importance of a second chance as a nation that we went through, whether it's the Jim Crow South or the hard times in the 1960s, that we've always had to overcome obstacles in our lives as a nation, rather, of the Black Monday in 1987 and then the Great Depression of the 1930s, economically speaking.

We had to rise above the occasion. We've gone through a couple of world wars where we, as Americans, gave the world a second chance because of our investment in World War II. So you see again and again that the story of redemption, the story of second chances, is woven into the fabric of who we are as Americans. I certainly have seen it play out in my life, not just my faith perspective but also in politics, where I lost a race but the voters of my state gave me a second chance. And as a freshman in high school, I basically failed four subjects, but people didn't see me as a failure. They gave me a second chance in the business. I felt I just can't fail.

I got a second chance. So I believe that all of us, within a generation or two, are just like each other. That the story of America is a story of pain, then promise, obstacles and opportunities, failures and success. That's who we are as a people. I want to remind us that the goodness of the American soul. I want us to be reminded that we are one American family, and to the extent that we can see ourselves through that prism, I believe we can heal our nation of some of the wounds that today divide us.

CP: One of the things youre very open about is some of the racism youve experienced throughout your life. For example, you talk about being pulled over in the 1980s and how, even today, there have been instances where youve been stopped by Capitol police officers while on your way to cast a vote. But you still argue that America is redeemable. How do we know if and when America can be redeemed?

Scott: I think we're being redeemed every day, so to speak. Let's be honest about the fabric that we're working with. It's called a human fabric. It's not American human fabric; it's just human fabric.

According to Jeremiah 17:9, "The depravity of the heart of the man is unknowable." It's unsearchable. So the truth is that we are the composite drawing of 300 million people who are all flawed. So, of course, we are going to strive toward that more perfect union because we care enough to get it right.

There are a lot of places, a lot of countries on this Earth, where it does not seem like they're striving for a more perfect union. I think we are the only country on Earth that I know of in my lifetime or in our lifetime as a country that fought a civil war to set the captives free, to free the slaves. So that notion of an internal struggle to righting wrong is what makes me say that America is not a racist country, though we still struggle with racial issues. We are working our way toward a more perfect union, and we are doing it imperfectly. That just means that we're even.

CP: Another thing you talk about in the book is how familial relationships and friendships have fallen apart over politics, but there is no reason for such relationships to end over political disagreements. What do you think are some of the key components of getting people to listen to one another and respect each other, even if they disagree?

Scott: One of the things that we have to recognize is that our ideology should not trump our family relations nor our friendships. The truth is that most of my life, I grew up with people who did not agree on politics. One of my mentors I talk about in the book is a guy named Ed Bryan, who is the head of the NAACP. He's a Democrat, but he is a great man with lots of integrity who, if your car is broken, you want Joe coming to fix it because he's going to fix it right, and he's going to charge you the least amount you can.

He is a person who has a philanthropic gene. And so, I have seen throughout my entire life the benefits of people who disagree ideologically but they continue to work hard. And it's one of the reasons why I love the statement that it is hard to hate when you know. Because the more time you spend together, the more likely you are to overcome the ideological differences.

Yes, I worked with James Lankford on something called Solution Sunday. Senator Lankford and I thought it would be helpful to have a meal with someone who doesn't look like you in your home, not in a restaurant. Bringing them into a place of intimacy. And intimacy also means to me, you see. And that was an opportunity for us to talk about what we've experienced together after the devastating and tragic shooting at Mother Emanuel Church.

People that came were James Lankford, who spent the night at my home, and Trey Gowdy, who drove down to Spartanburg, as well as Tulsi Gabbard, who doesn't even believe as I believe, but she was there for me. And so to see is the first group of people celebrating lives well lived and tragically at that is a part of why I'm so confident that we as a nation can get it right.

CP: Why did you feel it was important to get this memoir out there now?

Scott: I feel like, in many ways, we're living in very divided times. The perception of who we are as Americans seems to start with this tribal characteristic. As you watch the news, whether you're watching left news or right news and one thing you're watching is a news driven by division, driven by just polarization.

But when you walk through the neighborhoods, you see kids playing with kids that don't look like you. When you attend many of our schools, you see kids hanging out with kids that don't look like them. When you look at the marriages around the country, you see interracial marriages, and you see even in South Carolina, you see some of the strongest intermarryings between Clemson fans and Carolina fans. So you get a game dog and a tiger to fall in love and get married then all things are possible.

But the truth is, you literally see around the country this patchwork quilt that has been woven together by the thread of love and freedom and this thirst for liberty. The liberty to express yourself as an individual. We protect that. We insulate that. I just think that we have a lot more of that to do, and it's our responsibility to keep it alive for the next generation.

CP: You talk about it in the book, but could you expand on your experiences as a conservative senator who happens to be African-American and what that has been like for you?

Scott: It's one of the things I say is that being a living unicorn is a painful decision on my part. I've experienced the most forms of discrimination from people who look like me than from those who don't.

But the truth is that when I talk about that partisan dividing line as it relates to discrimination, it's really important for us to take note that the racism that we've hated as victims in one generation should be the same hate for discrimination that we are now seeing from a partisan perspective. I believe that while my faith defines me first, I think, at the very least, our collective citizenship as Americans should define us first and that if you want to find that common sense, it requires a common understanding of citizenship where our country is quite diverse, but we are one family. And unfortunately, a lot of those who oppose me politically have been more angry and hostile than those who I experienced in high school from a racial perspective.

CP:Some have speculated you may be considering a 2024 presidential run, while other reports have suggested you will support Donald Trump if he runs in 2024. What are your thoughts on 2024, and do you have any desire to run for the Republican nomination?

Scott: As you know in my story, which is a great book that you can find at timscottbook.com, one of the things you'll find in that book is the story of my love of football. When you have a game coming up on Friday night, you should spend all your time getting ready for the game on Friday night. I have a game in November on Friday night, so to speak, and so all of my attention is invested in winning this game before I start thinking about the next game. And so, there are lots of questions about what's going to happen in 2024, but I need to win the 2022 first.
Fact checks gone wrong: UN-related document on sex with minors

An UN-related entity, the International Committee of Jurists (ICJ), recently released a document that seemingly called for the legalization of sex with minors. To say this caused a panic among conservatives is putting it lightly. At first pass, the document seems to advocate that minors can consent to sex. And conservative readers took that to mean minors can consent to all kinds of sex  which would include sex with adults. Fact-checkers, such as AP News, asserted that the document in question  called the March 8 Principles  were only describing sex between minors.

So, the question is: who is right? According to AP News Fact Check and Erin Murphy (a law professor from New York University), the March 8 Principles not only doesnt call for decriminalizing sex with children but instead calls for the enforcement of child protection laws. Erin Murphy goes on to explain that instead of making a judgment about where the age of consent should be set, the document instead claims that if you set a minimum age of consent, you shouldnt be able to evade it by getting married. She explains that the law is simply [referring] to situations where laws set a minimum age of consent that dont necessarily reflect the actual practice of sexual intimacy among young people.

But theres a real problem with this fact check. And its a common problem with many fact-checks. It has conflated expert opinion with fact.

It is true that the document does not specify that sex between adults and children should be legal. And it is true it only states that minors can consent to sex and has no specifications as to with whom. The March 8 Principles is very careful  as Erin Murphy asserts  not to prescribe age limits on sex one way or another. In fact, the 8 March Principles (while making mention of other forms of abuse) make no mention of child sexual abuse at all. To many, this silence is deafening. It raises the question: if a report devoted to criminal law and sexual conduct is going to address child sexuality, why would it not address criminal sexual abuse? Different readers have arrived at wildly different conclusions to that question, resulting in their inferences coloring the fact-checking.

Erin Murphy and AP News are inferring information from silence. Specifically, they are interpreting silence on child sexual abuse as condemnation of that abuse. Conservatives are also inferring information from silence. They are interpreting silence on child sexual abuse as leaving an open door for that abuse  or at the very least that the authors consider it less worthy of mention than other abuses. Regardless of who you agree with, replacing facts with trusted opinions is a very dangerous game.

Political and social opportunists prey upon peoples inability to distinguish fact from opinion. Conflating the two is becoming a national crisis. In 2021, a Pew Research Center survey asked over 5,000 US adults to identify 10 statements as fact or opinion. Only one-quarter of respondents were able to identify all five factual statements, and only one-third correctly spotted all five opinions. From here, the trend of identifying news I disagree with as fake news and news I like as fact should come as no surprise. The divisiveness and damage caused by Americans living in parallel realities are self-evident for anyone engaging in any kind of political discourse post-2016.

Today, even the most respected news sources often equate expert opinions with facts. So, whats the solution?

To begin with, expert opinions should be clearly labeled as such and promoted as such. It is very hard to overstate the importance of the expert opinions of Erin Murphy and the others quoted in the AP News article. Those opinions do not have to be facts to be valuable. Treating opinions as fact is not only misleading for readers but it fails to acknowledge the value those expert statements have as opinions.

Secondly, fact-checkers often try to address multiple versions of the same story. For example, since publishing their Principles, the ICJ has condemned pedophilia and clarified they do not advocate for abolishing age of consent laws (a point AP News included in their fact check). But condemning pedophilia after the fact does not change whether the March 8 Principles left a loophole for child sexual abuse. The claim ICJ promotes child sexual abuse is significantly easier to disprove than The March 8 Principles allowed for pedophilia. The reason for this is that even if the ICJ didnt intend to allow for that kind of sexual abuse, the actual wording of their principles may still have done so by accident. And that kind of analysis doesnt fit neatly into a fact check.

To deal with this complexity, fact-checkers sometimes generalize allegations, picking the easiest version of an allegation to refute  as was the case with the AP News article. While this simplifies the task of writing an article, the fact check usually becomes a straw man fallacy  meaning it refutes the easiest version of the argument to disprove and not necessarily the argument being discussed.

Rather than running the razors edge between summarizing arguments and strawmanning arguments, fact-checkers would be better served by engaging in what is called steelmanning an argument. Steelmanning is the practice of addressing the strongest version of an argument, even if it is not the version that the person youre arguing with specifically presented. Doing this forces the fact-checker to consider objections to their claims and forces them to consider all facets of an argument. Generally speaking, a rebuttal that works on a steelman will also refute a strawman; whereas a rebuttal of a strawman will usually fail to refute a steelman.

It is only through sticking with the facts (rather than relying on interpretation) and fairly representing counterarguments that people can fully understand complex documents like the March 8 Principles. As long as expert opinions and strawmen fallacies are presented as facts, American people will be forced to piece the puzzle together themselves.
Rainn Wilsons spiritual fiction is stranger than truth

It is often said that truth is stranger than fiction. But after listening to Russell Moores recent interview with Rainn Wilson, it seems that some spiritual fiction is actually stranger than truth.

Wilson played Dwight Schrute in the hugely popular television series, The Office. And he has written a new book titled, Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution. Wilson espouses the Bahai faith and seeks to integrate a wide range of ideas into his all-inclusive approach to spirituality. He dedicates an entire section of his book to a proposal for a new religion. We need to strive to go back to so many indigenous faiths (where) art, nature, and faith were interconnected and not divergent.

On a human level, Wilsons desire to merge various religions is understandable. On a spiritual level, however, it is untenable. You see, the doctrinal positions of his preferred religions actually contradict each other. On an emotional level, Wilsons spirituality makes sense. On a logical level, it falls apart.

Jesus Christ claimed to be the only way to Heaven. I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). So was Christ a liar, a lunatic, or Lord of all? The Messiah did not leave another option available to us, and yet Wilson attempted the impossible by trying to design a fourth option.

In addition, the famous actor said he believes Jesus was the only way to the Father when he was alive (45:50). I 100% believe that. And I also believe that the way to the Father when Muhammad was alive was through the teachings of the holy Koran. And now I believe that Bahau'llah is the newest incarnation of the light. (The founder of the Bahai faith in the 19th century.)

It is understandable why Wilson would affirm Jesus as the way only during Christs life on Earth. It allows him to make room for other ways and other religious figures who have been prominent throughout history. But his spiritual fiction doesnt work in the real world. Such an amalgamation is not possible without redefining the way these various religions delineate their respective doctrinal positions. Changing the meaning of Jesus words into something more palatable to mans tastes leaves you with a fictional version of Christianity.

Just as millions of people enjoy brief respites from their hectic schedule by watching episodes of The Office, Wilson takes a respite from spiritual reality by completely sidestepping Jesus claim that he is the exclusive path to Heaven. And of course, the bodily resurrection of Christ is another inconvenient truth for anyone determined to remake Christianity into a faith similar to Bahai.

Not surprisingly, Wilson creates his own narrative regarding the bodily return of Christ to Earth one day. He refers to the return of the spirit of Jesus Christ that returns in some other way ... than on the clouds with trumpets. The truth is that those who saw Jesus after his resurrection were able to touch his physical body (see John 20:24-29). Any theory that posits Jesus returning spiritually but not physically is an idea that is stranger than the truth of Scripture.

Wilson said, I view myself as a Bahai and a Christian. So, I do love Jesus Christ with all of my heart. I love His example. I love His words. Im already converted. Consider me converted in the sense that I love and adore Jesus Christ (43:59).

His new religion redefines conversion, and also what it means to love Jesus. Throughout history, Gods people have been labeled adulterous whenever they brought other gods into their relationship with the one true God. Christianity involves loving Jesus as the only God, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit. It is not possible to love Jesus with all of your heart if the Holy Trinity is merely one of a number of deities you adore. Claiming to embrace multiple religions is like claiming to be faithful to multiple wives. It is impossible to love any one of them with your whole heart because your heart is thoroughly divided.

Spiritual conversion is not accomplished by viewing Jesus as merely one spiritual guide among various prophets and religious leaders you choose to follow. Conversion changes how you look at your sin and how you view the cross. It also changes the way you look at Jesus vis-a-vis other religions.

While man is, of course, free to choose whichever religion suits him, no one can combine the irreconcilable doctrines of various religions and then claim that such an inclusive approach provides a genuine spiritual revolution, or that it presents the truth about God and eternity. Such a misguided premise is self-contradictory.
Revelation 13: The activities of the beast

Various leaders have discussed the concept of a New World Order throughout history, but it gained particular prominence in the aftermath of the Cold War. President George H.W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev used the term to describe a new global political and economic system based on cooperation and peace.

Since then, various leaders and organizations have called for a New World Order, including the United Nations, the World Economic Forum, and numerous political and business leaders. They argue that increasing globalization and interconnectedness require a new system of governance that can address global challenges like climate change (so-called), economic inequality, and conflict.

While efforts have been made to establish a New World Order, such as creating international institutions like the International Criminal Court and the Paris Climate Agreement, progress has been slow and uneven. Many countries prioritize their own interests (which is how it should be) over global cooperation, and there is an ongoing debate about what a New World Order should look like and how it should be achieved.

Nevertheless, the concept is growing, although quite incrementally. If the globe were suddenly plunged into a general free-fall, no doubt, the idea could rapidly catch on, become pervasive, and transform into a beastly one-world government led by a man indwelt and empowered by the devil, the Antichrist.

I once heard my childhood pastor say something in church one Sunday that has stayed with me into my senior years. He said, One day, the Lord will say to the world, Alright, you have wanted the Devils way; you have preferred him over me, despite my countless warnings. Now Im going to give him to you fully. Then the Lord will also say to the devil, Alright, you have always said you could run the world better than me. So, I will stand back and restrain you no more from having total power. Lets see what you will do with your newfound powers.

We will undoubtedly see chaos and catastrophic results. Humanity will plummet into unprecedented disaster, and the Devils reign will be short-lived and an utter failure.

H. A. Ironside, in Lectures on Revelation, says of this coming spectacle:

It is not hard to imagine something in which the condition of this world will be found after all Christians have been snatched away to be with the Lord, especially when we realize that many in high places  rulers, governors, and other political leaders, are at heart Christian men Their removal would be like the breaking of a dyke, permitting the rushing waters of anarchy  Think of how evil will then be intensified. What frightful lengths unsaved men will go to in their efforts to bring about a millennium without Christ. Whether carnal men realize it or not, true Christians are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Let every Christian suddenly be taken away from this scene, and you will have gross darkness covering the earth.

As a registered lobbyist for the Christian Action League of North Carolina, Ive seen this principle played out repeatedly in the state legislature. I have on many occasions said that if it were not for the many exemplary Christian leaders elected to serve there, the whole place would go to Hell in no time. Their presence is a profound restraining influence.

One day this restraining influence of true Christianity in creed and action will be withdrawn from the entire world, and out of the wicked sea of nations will arise a Beast. John said of this Beast:

It had seven heads and 10 horns, with 10 crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God. This Beast looked like a leopard, but it had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion! And the dragon gave the Beast his own power and throne and great authority (Revelation 13: 1-2).

The astute Bible student will recognize the remarkable similarities between the Beast that John saw in his vision and the four Beasts that the prophet Daniel saw in his own. The Beast in Revelation 13 echoes the fourth Beast in Daniel chapter 7 in several ways:

1. In Daniels vision, the first Beast was like a lion, the second Beast was like a bear, and the third Beast was like a leopard. Daniel said he saw a fourth Beast that was terrifying and dreadful, which devoured and crushed its victims with huge iron teeth and trampled their remains beneath its feet. It was different from any of the other beasts, and it had 10 horns. In Johns vision in Revelation, the Beast has a body of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and the mouth of a lion.

2. The fourth Beast and Johns Beast both have 10 horns.

3. Both Daniels fourth Beast and Johns Beast represent world powers that rise up and dominate the Earth.

4. Both Daniels fourth Beast and Johns Beast have enormous power and authority, ruling over the earth and exerting its will on humankind.

5. Daniels fourth Beast with its little horn and Johns Beast have a blasphemous nature, speaking against God and making extraordinary claims.

Overall, the similarities between the two visions suggest they are referring to the same power or empire that will dominate the world in the last days before the return of Jesus Christ.

Charles Ryrie, in Revelation, further explains:

In total appearance, the Beast was like a leopard, his feet like those of a bear, and his mouth like a lions. In the vision of Daniel 7, the first Beast that the prophet saw was like a lion, the second like a bear, and the third like a leopard. Johns Beast combines these features; whatever the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Grecian armies had of strength, brutality, and swiftness will be present in this final form of Antichrists world rule in the Western confederation of nations [some refer to this as a revived Roman Empire]. Great as this man and empire will be, he is actually an agent or tool of someone else. It is the dragon, Satan, who gives the Beast his power, throne, and authority. He is sold out to Satan, and Satan uses him to the maximum.

In 2001: On the Edge of Eternity, the late evangelist, Jack Van Impe, asked a pointed question:

In mans search for international leadership, there has always been the drive to find the one who is destined to hold it all together. Are people today really ready to accept a devil as the new CEO of world affairs?

The answer is yes, they are and will, given the right circumstances. This happens during the Tribulation Period after the Church has been removed.

Recently, this text made me consider what draws people to accept and submit to a ruthless dictator.

One of the primary reasons is fear. Dictators often use fear to control people, threatening violence and retribution. People are drawn to a charismatic leader with a strong personality. The masses see these traits as necessary to run a successful government, even when the leaders methods are not ethical or legal. Dictators are experts at evoking nationalistic pride  someone who can restore order and unity around a common identity. When times are going well, people support such leaders even when their governing style is undemocratic. Dictators also use propaganda to shape public perception, using techniques to spread misinformation, suppress dissent, and manipulate public opinion. Sadly, if people have experienced some trauma, or sometimes even the threat, they will seek protection and a sense of security, accepting a dictators rule, should it even mean they have to give up their freedoms.

The Bible indicates the Antichrist will employ all of these means to seduce and conquer, except something happens that clinches the worlds affections and adherence. The apostle John continues:

I saw that one of the heads of the Beast seemed wounded beyond recovery  but the fatal wound was healed! The whole world marveled at this miracle and gave allegiance to the Beast. They worshiped the dragon for giving the Beast such power, and they also worshiped the Beast. Who is as great as the beast? they exclaimed. Who is able to fight against him?' (Revelation 13:3-4).

Satan is the master of deceit. So, it shouldnt be surprising that his Superman, the Antichrist is like him. Perhaps the most effective means of the devils ability to defraud is imitation.

The Evil One has always sought to counterfeit the character and works of God. He desires that he be worshipped instead of God. Thus, he tries to mislead by imitating Gods actions but with a different objective. For example, God is a giver, and Satan imitates by offering false promises. God is holy, and Satan presents himself as an angel of light, but in reality, he is full of darkness. Overall, the devils objective is to trick people into believing he and his ways are a legitimate alternative or replacement for the Lord and his ways.

It appears that in Revelation 13, Satan, in the person of the Antichrist, himself a counterfeit of the Son of God, seems mortally wounded and appears to experience the miracle of resurrection. What could be more persuasive to cause the masses to submit to him?

Some Christians do not accept this interpretation.

J. Vernon McGee, in his Thru the Bible commentary on Revelation, says for many Christians, this text describes the Roman Empire and that the imperial form of government, under which Rome fell, will be restored in a startling manner.

Admittedly, this view has some merit, but as McGee adds:

[T]he Beast is a man who will exhibit a counterfeit and imitation resurrection. This will be the great delusion, the big lie of the Great Tribulation Period (see Thessalonians 2:11), and this is part of the big lie. They will not accept the resurrection of Christ, but they sure are going to fake the resurrection of the AntichristThe challenge on that day will be: What has Christ done that Antichrist has not done? Nobody can duplicate the resurrection of Christ; they might imitate it in a way that will fool the world  it is the big lie. Believers say, Christ is risen! The boast of unbelievers on that day will be: So is Antichrist! The Roman Empire will spring back into existence under the cruel hand of a man who faked a resurrection, and a gullible world who rejected Christ will finally be taken in by his forgery.

Next, the Bible says:

Then the Beast was allowed to speak great blasphemies against God. And he was given the authority to do whatever he wanted for forty-two months. And he spoke terrible words of blasphemy against God, slandering his name and his dwelling  that is, those who dwell in heaven (Revelation 13:5-6).

Blasphemy is insulting, speaking irrelevantly, or showing contempt for God and sacred things. It is a terrible sin.

Some real-life modern examples of people who blasphemed are Andres Serrano. In 1987 the American artist created a photograph titled Piss Christ, which depicted a crucifix submerged in his own urine. The late British American author and journalist Christopher Hitchens wrote a book titled God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, which severely mocked and criticized God. In the 1960s and 70s, American activist and founder of American Atheists, Madalyn Murray OHair, was known for her outspoken denigrations of God and the followers of Christ.

In the last days, the Antichrist will be more blasphemous than Serrano, Hitchens, and OHair combined.

Let me encourage you to stop and pause for a moment to consider another quote from H.A. Ironside:

Only those who have exchanged the heavenly hope for an earthly one will be deceived by this great leader. He is the coming man for whom the world is waiting. Mistaken and blinded statesmen will hail him as the head of the nations, the one who will solve the problems  social, political, and economic  that are now disturbing the world. How blessed to be warned by God of all these things beforehand, that we may walk apart from everything that savors of that day of reproach and blasphemy.

Only someone lacking in good judgment  reckless or careless would disregard such a warning  and if they should have doubts, not earnestly investigate.

Youve been warned.
Why we need to improve on our evangelism methods

Many of us who are preaching the Gospel regularly have noticed that most of our evangelism methods have not been giving us the desired results. Carrying megaphones to public places and holding city-wide crusades have sometimes proven useful, but most times they are not as effective as they could be. Oftentimes, people hear the Gospel, and they seem receptive, but their lives show theyve never been born-again  they simply continue in their sinful ways.

I have also realized that most people whom we are engaging with do not pay attention to what we are saying and what we are reading from the Bible because of their physical challenges. A hungry man finds it difficult to focus on anything but on the ways to get food to eat. An empty stomach has no ears is an African phrase that is commonly used to depict the desperation of the hungry in search of food. Preaching the Gospel without attending to the basic needs of the desperate sometimes ends in futility. A little act of kindness can do a lot in helping them listen to us.

The conventional methods of missions have also suffered a lot of setbacks, especially in areas where insurgency and terrorism are prevalent. In Northern Nigeria, most of the mission fields have been abandoned as missionaries and Christians are killed daily. Fear of attacks has not allowed us to venture into many communities, as bandits are threatening to attack even the refugee camps in the neighboring villages where people have run for refuge.



But I have noticed something striking. The unreached are now migrating en masse to the Southern part of the country. We can no longer send missionaries to the unreached, but God is sending the unreached to us.

In response to this mass migration, we must recognize the immense opportunity we have in spreading the Gospel. Christians can now reach the unreached in their neighborhoods without physically risking their lives. We are not replacing the conventional method of doing missions but are merely supplementing it.

We need to know who our target persons are and establish relationships with them with the purpose of introducing Christ to them. We should also be careful to live a lifestyle that will endear them to us. Our behavior can either bring them to Christ or scare them away.

Lets endeavor to pursue one-on-one friendships as part of the way we evangelize the world. A little shift from conventional methods can be of immense help in reaching the unreached. A little bit can go a long way in bringing many to Christ.
Christian teacher banned after refusing to use trans student's preferred pronoun

A Christian maths teacher has been banned from teaching after refusing to use a transgender student's preferred pronoun.

Joshua Sutcliffe, 33, plans to appeal the decision by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA). If upheld, the ban cannot be reviewed for another two years.

He said he was "devastated" by the verdict.

"Based on this ruling, every teacher is at risk if they share their beliefs and views in the classroom. If a teacher had shown or recommended a video from a liberal YouTube platform, would they have been treated as I have?" he said.

"I believe affirming children who is in gender distress in the classroom is psychologically damaging for them. I refuse to go against my conscience and cause a child harm and cannot apologise for that."

He was dismissed as a teacher for gross misconduct in 2017 after allegedly misgendering a biologically female student at his school who identified as a boy.

Mr Sutcliffe then took up a teaching position at another school but resigned in 2019 after a backlash over a video posted to his personal YouTube channel sharing his views on Islam.

Legal issues with both schools were settled but the TRA decided to investigate a number of allegations against Mr Sutcliffe, including his refusal to use preferred pronouns, comments that he did not believe in gay marriage, and apparently failing to provide an alternative viewpoint to students when he allegedly showed them a video on masculinity by US conservative advocacy group, PragerU.

A seven-day professional conduct panel hearing culminated in the decision to bar him indefinitely from teaching after finding him guilty of "unprofessional conduct" and "bringing the profession into disrepute".

"Given the evidence of the pupils that Mr. Sutcliffe had failed to use Pupil A's pronoun on various occasions, and Mr Sutcliffe's own admission that he had failed to use pupil A's pronoun on one occasion, the panel found that it was more probable than not that Mr Sutcliffe had failed to use Pupil A's preferred pronoun in the classroom during teaching on one or more occasions," the panel said.

"The panel therefore concluded on balance that by failing to use pupil A's preferred pronouns, Mr Sutcliffe had failed to uphold Pupil A's dignity and respect and failed to safeguard Pupil A's wellbeing."

The TRA found that he was not guilty of unprofessional conduct in relation to his YouTube video on Islam.

In its judgment, the TRA said that a prohibition was "proportionate and in the public interest" in order to maintain "confidence in the profession". The ban prohibits Mr Sutcliffe from teaching in schools across England.

Commenting on the verdict, Mr Sutcliffe said he had been "mercilessly punished" for refusing to change his stance.

"Indoctrinating children across the country to celebrate and promote Pride, to fly the Pride flag is celebrated, but if Christian beliefs are raised or expressed in the classroom, you face having your career and life torn apart," he said.

"I have been bullied and pursued and have had every part of my life scrutinised for expressing my Christian faith and biological truth."

He added, "Mathematics has always been a great joy of mine; my teaching record is exemplary, and I was always respectful to everyone.

"From the beginning, however, this case has not been about my ability to teach but about me being a Christian and believing in the gospel and the Lordship of Jesus Christ."

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, which has supported Mr Sutcliffe, is calling on the government to act to end discrimination against Christian teachers and others in the profession who express similar views.

"This is a tipping point. The government needs to step in and restore some sanity into the teaching profession. Similar action needs to be taken regarding the Teaching Regulation Agency," she said.

"I am very concerned by the way regulatory bodies are now punishing Christian teachers simply for stating the truth.

"The Christian viewpoint on sexual ethics and morality is no longer being tolerated in the classroom and teachers who openly express it are having their ability to teach removed by the regulatory body. This is serious and sinister.

"Removal from teaching usually involves serious misconduct and the crossing of boundaries such as teachers having sexual affairs with pupils or some serious criminal activity. Nothing could be further from Joshua's situation."

She added, "The TRA has targeted an exceptional teacher because his Christian beliefs do not fall in line with the new LGBTQ moral code which will not tolerate any dissent. This is deeply illiberal."
Intel wins 2023's most faith-friendly company as Fortune 500 warms to religious diversity

On January 3, ESPN host Dan Orlovsky stunned viewers when he broke into prayer for Damar Hamlin, the Buffalo Bills player who went into cardiac arrest the night before, on a live broadcast.

"God, we come to you in these moments that we don't understand, that are hard because we believe that you're God and coming to you and praying to you has impact. We're sad. We're angry. And we want answers, but some things are unanswerable," he said. "We just want to pray, truly come to you and pray for strength for Damar, for healing for Damar, for comfort for Damar."

This prayer is emblematic of the kind of religious freedom promoted by the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation, said President Brian Grim. The organization released its 2023 benchmark assessment of corporate America's religious diversity efforts Monday morning

The annual report, he said, celebrates companies that allow employees to bring their whole selves to work and respond authentically to crisis.

"The basic idea of religious freedom is that you're free to have a faith, change your faith or have no faith at all," said Grim, who added that belief in the workplace should be treated as an asset, not a threat.

This year, Intel was ranked as the most faith-friendly Fortune 500 company, with American Airlines and Equinix trailing close behind, according to the 2023 Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Index. Intel earned a perfect score on the index, which assessed "25 top faith-friendly companies" via an opt-in survey. The survey evaluates companies in 10 categories, including their religious accommodations, spiritual care offerings and belief-based employee resource groups.

For the first time since the REDI Index launched four years ago, companies that didn't take the survey were ranked separately on their religious diversity efforts based on publicly available information. This separate ranking, called the REDI Monitor, found that 219 companies (44%) refer to religion on the diversity page of their website, up from 202 last year, and 43 companies (8.6%) publicly report having faith-based employee resource groups, up from 37 last year.

Among the top 25 companies assessed in the REDI Index, 96% clearly address religion in their diversity training and have clear procedures for reporting religious discrimination. Eighty percent provide chaplains or other forms of spiritual care, and 72% match employee donations to religious charities. This is the first year that three European-based companies opted in to the REDI Index.

According to Grim, one of the attributes that allowed Intel to snag the top spot was its interfaith coalition of employee resource groups, which brings together employees from a range of religious and spiritual perspectives for mutual education. Recently, the head of Intel's Baha'i employee resource group was tapped to head the interfaith coalition. "It was just such a beautiful example of majority faiths and a very small minority faith working together for the greater good of a company. Some of those dynamics are very impressive. What a model for society that even your smallest religious group can do something that makes everyone better," said Grim.

The REDI Index report also highlighted other standout initiatives, including Tyson Food's 100 chaplains, the Equinix Foundation's 24/7 spiritual and emotional support services and Salesforce's "mindfulness zones" for prayer and meditation.

While some companies like Intel have been promoting religious diversity for decades  Intel launched its faith-based employee resources groups in 1996  the topic of religious inclusion has long been off-limits in the corporate world. This reality is highlighted by the REDI Monitor, which lists over 200 companies with no publicly available information about religious diversity efforts. But in the years since the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation has been offering its benchmark assessment, the taboo on religion in the workplace has begun to wane.

"The companies themselves are sort of socializing this idea among their peers," Grim observed. "Four years ago, it was like, 'Whoa, no, we can't talk about that. We do that, but we've never talked about that outside our walls.'"

This week, the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation is hosting its Dare to Overcome Conference on Faith@Work in Washington, D.C. What began as a conference with five participating companies has transformed into a three-day event with leaders from roughly 25 Fortune 500 companies in attendance. Representatives from Uber and Toyota, who have not yet opted in to the REDI Index, will also attend the conference, which will feature plenaries and breakout sessions hosted by leaders from Dell, American Airlines, Coca-Cola, Ford Motor Company, Google and the State Department.

This year, the conference theme is "love heals," a message Grim hopes highlights the connection between spiritual and physical health.

"When people think of faith at work, it's not merely so someone can bring their whole soul to work, and have their identity there, but that it provides additional resources for resiliency and stress," said Grim. "When you open the door to faith, it brings in resources people sorely need."

 Religion News Service
The case for the abolition of abortion

Exactly 236 years ago, on 22 May 1787, a group of 12 men met in a printing shop in central London to strategise the seemingly impossible: the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

It seems so obvious to us looking back that slavery is wrong and should be illegal. However this very thought owes itself to the hard labours of the thousands of abolitionists who made and ultimately won this case two hundred years ago. Their impact is felt not simply in our innate revulsion to slavery but in laws that continue to criminalise its practice today.

Sadly slavery still exists, and is still a huge problem, but at least it doesn't enjoy our moral and legal approval. It is also not the injustice that future generations will judge us for. Abortion on the other hand, is.

Over the last seven years I have had the privilege of working with a remarkable group of people that fear God, love his Son and study his word. Empowered by God's Holy Spirit, we have been labouring night and day on what it would take to abolish this new trade in human flesh.

Such things are easy to write, but harder to implement. However what is striking about our nationwide network of educators is that we believe the abolition of abortion to be biblical, achievable, and underway.

It's Biblical

It is a biblical response because the Bible unequivocally asserts that an unborn baby is a human being fearfully and wonderfully made. The Bible also asserts that it is morally wrong to shed innocent blood, to kill innocent people and wrong to sacrifice children to false God's.

As J John said in his response to Roe Vs Wade "God is pro-life, I am pro-life", the Bible may not use the word abortion, but this doesn't mean it cannot speak definitively about it. Indeed the scriptures are much clearer on abortion than they are on a whole heap of other contemporary issues (like immigration and the climate crisis) that are regularly addressed from pulpits.

Of course there are the gut wrenching, tear jerking, tricky cases like rape, incest, severe disabilities and abuse that call for great compassion and sensitivity from the Church. But these awful occurrences cannot be used to justify the norm: the medical killing and discarding of hundreds of thousands of unborn babies each year- often in homes - because the sex was wanted but not the baby that resulted.

As a church, we are biblically obligated to confront this injustice. As David Brennan, the About Abortion podcast host, states:

"Responding to the genocide of babies within and without the Church is not an optional extra for Christians: it goes right to the heart of what it means to be a disciple, loving God and loving our neighbour as ourselves, and fulfilling all of the Great Commission."

Achievable

Secondly, the abolition of abortion is achievable. When we look back in history we can see that entrenched and lucrative social evils (like the transatlantic slave trade, or segregation, or child labour) have repeatedly been abolished. These changes did not come about by osmosis, but rather through the prayers and faithful exertion of God's saints, often over decades.

As Martin Luther King wrote in his letter from Birmingham jail: "Time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will."

We must not presume a constructive outcome for babies, mothers and society unless we are willing to give our time to enact it.

What's more, these stories always end in new laws. Few Christians would argue that prosecuting slave traders for kidnap, torture and trading human beings was unchristian. Nor that to do so would force their illicit practice underground. Yet, similar arguments are often raised in defence of abortion. If society is persuaded that abortion is an act of lethal cruelty towards a fellow human being then it is only fitting that it should be outlawed and abortionists prosecuted.

Indeed we believe the grassroots exercise of persuasion has already begun.

Underway

Over the summer and autumn of 2022, our educators hit the high streets of England and Wales in order to ask people their views on abortion. Contrary to what other surveys and polls suggest, a majority of respondents, when given the facts, thought our abortion law needed reforming in some way - 58% in fact! The desire for reform was even greater in regard to killing babies simply because they have Down's syndrome (895 such abortions in 2021), or because they are showing signs of cleft lip and cleft palate (40 such abortions in 2021).

While it is true that these survey results are not representative of the nation as a whole, they do give a compelling insight into how differently respondents viewed abortion when it is not presented as an ideological absolute but rather as it really is, an act which intentionally kills an innocent human being. As our The Further Analysis and Commentary document states:

"If the exercise of inviting people to examine abortion facts, figures and images could be replicated on a much larger scale, our results suggest that it would only be a matter of years before many agnostic, unsure and pro-choice people, would reconsider their position and support a much more restrictive abortion law."

The data we have collected suggests that the abolition of abortion, or certainly a severely restricted law, is not something that future generations should expect, but something that could be just around the corner ... if enough of us make a compelling case.

If we combine these results with other independent cultural factors like: growing disillusionment with sexual liberalism, concerns over economic loss due to dwindling population replacement trends, and changing media narratives regarding babies conceived in rape and single mums; then we can also expect many new - formerly inconceivable - arguments to inform and direct the public debate moving forward.

Ultimately, we face a choice. Will we choose life or will we continue to tolerate the abortion industry? Let us "choose life" and as we do, draw inspiration from the audacity and faith of the abolitionists of the 1780s. If they, with the help of God, could do the impossible, so can we!

Christian Hacking is Public Engagement Officer for CBR UK.
Two Christians, 18 and 14, accused of blasphemy in Pakistan

Babar Sandhu Masih was resting after lunch on 18 May when he heard a commotion outside his house in the Qurban Lines neighborhood of Lahore, Pakistan.

Masih went outside to find his neighbour, policeman Zahid Sohail, beating his son and another Christian boy. His son Adil, 18, and 14-year-old Simon Nadeem Masih, who lives nearby, had been engaged in light-hearted banter when Sohail accused them of committing blasphemy, he said.

"Sohail initially alleged that he was walking past the two boys when he overheard them 'disrespecting' prophet Muhammad and then laughing over it," Masih said. "He started beating Simon, and when Adil tried to save him, Sohail attacked him too."

Masih, a Catholic who paints cars at a local auto workshop, said neighbours soon gathered, and Sohail repeated his accusations.

"Both boys flatly denied Sohail's allegation and said they had said nothing that involved a mention of the Muslim prophet," Masih told Morning Star News. "When local elders of the neighbourhood asked Sohail to substantiate his accusation, he failed to satisfy them and left."

The father of four children, Adil being the youngest, said that Race Course police station officers raided his house later that evening and arrested Adil. They also took Simon into custody, saying that Sohail had registered a case against the two under blasphemy statutes.

"We were shocked to learn the contents of the First Information Report [FIR] in which Sohail alleged that Simon had called a puppy 'Muhammad Ali,' and both boys then joked about it," Masih said.

They were charged with blaspheming Muhammad under Section 295-C of Pakistan's blasphemy statutes, which calls for the death penalty. Muhammad Ali is a common name in Pakistan, the first name attributed to Islam's prophet and the last to Hazrat Ali, Muhammad's son-in-law and the fourth caliph.

Masih said the allegation was "completely baseless," as Sohail had made no mention of a puppy when he first raised the issue.

"No one in our street has dogs, and neither was there a puppy in the street when this incident took place," he said. "Sohail cooked up a false accusation against our children after failing to convince the locals about his earlier allegation."

Masih said that his wife was a heart patient and also has suffered two strokes.

"She doesn't know yet that Adil has been arrested on such a serious charge, and I don't know how long I'll be able to withhold this news from her," he said. "She'll be devastated."

Adil left school a few years ago and was training with him to become a car painter, he said.

"I was able to meet Adil briefly on Friday [19 May], when police brought him to the court for obtaining the boys' judicial remand," Masih told Morning Star News. "Both boys were in a state of shock and fear and are still unable to understand why Sohail had gotten them arrested."

At least 500 Christian families live in the Qurban Lines neighbourhood, and there had been no religious tension in the area in years, he said.

"Sohail does not have a good reputation in the locality, which is why many locals did not take his allegation seriously," Masih said. "Our Muslim neighbors have known us for years, and they know we would never indulge in anything that could hurt their religious sentiments."

Police should have investigated the veracity of the allegation before arresting Adil and Simon, he said.

"Now we don't know how long our children will be made to suffer in prison due to this false charge  this is sheer injustice," Masih said.

Napolean Qayyum of the Pakistan Center for Law and Justice said that they were helping the two families in arranging legal support for their children.

"The FIR registered by the complainant reeks of mala fide, yet the police showed traditional haste in arresting the two boys," he said. "We are hoping that the boys will be released on bail soon."

False Accusations

Several people have been lynched over false accusations of blasphemy in Pakistan.

At least 57 cases of alleged blasphemy were reported in Pakistan between 1 January and 10 May, while four blasphemy suspects were lynched or extrajudicially killed during the same period, according to the Lahore-based Center for Social Justice and People's Commission for Minorities Rights (PCMR).

The data shows that eight incidents occurred in January, a significant increase to 17 cases in February, seven cases in March, another surge to 19 cases in April, and six cases in May (up to the 10th), totalling 57 accused individuals.

The highest number of blasphemy cases, 28, were reported in Punjab Province, followed by Sindh Province with 16, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with eight, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir with five.

In response to these alarming figures, retired Justice Nasira Javaid Iqbal, the patron-in-chief of PCMR, urged the government to stop the misuse of the harsh laws.

"The blasphemy laws have been consistently misused to settle personal disputes, persecute minority groups, and incite mob violence and hatred," she said in a press statement. "We demand prompt action and a collective effort by the government to address these human rights violations."

Last week, a court released on bail a Christian woman charged with blasphemy after she and a Muslim co-worker were accused of intentionally burning papers containing Quranic verses.

Mussarat Bibi, 45, and Muhammad Sarmad worked at the Government Girls Higher Secondary School in 66-EB village, Arifwala tehsil of Pakpattan District. On 15 April, both workers were told to clean the school's storeroom that was filled with paper and other scrapped items. The duo reportedly gathered the wasted paper and other scraps in a corner of the school and set them on fire. Some students later noticed that the burnt items also contained holy pages.

They were charged under Section 295-B of the blasphemy statutes and sent to Pakpattan Jail on judicial remand. Section 295-B states, "Whoever willfully defiles, damages or desecrates a copy of the Quran or of an extract therefrom or uses it in any derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose shall be punishable with imprisonment for life."

They were released from prison on bail on 13 May.

Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors' 2023 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, up from eighth the previous year.

 2023 Morning Star News
On 14 May, almost 40 million Thais stepped up to the ballot box. The result: a clear rejection of the ruling royalist-military junta. Unofficial figures from the election commission show the two main opposition parties, Pheu Thai and the Move Forward Party, collectively received 25 million votes. A royalist coalition of Palang Pracharath, Bhumjaithai, and Democrat parties, along with a handful of smaller parties, including the new United Thai Nation Party of incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, were soundly defeated.

While presenting themselves as pro-democracy, Both Pheu Thai and the Move Forward Party are bourgeois in character, openly advocating for free market policies, and would faithfully represent the parasitic capitalist ruling class in power. Moreover, they are already jettisoning their democratic pledges.

Nevertheless, this election has seen the Thai masses use the available means to express their firm rejection of the ruling military clique and royalist establishment, a mood that has boiled over into major protest movements in recent years.

Move Forward and Pheu Thai

Junta PM Prayut Chan-o-cha first came to power in a military coup in 2014, and was then 'elected' in 2019 on the basis of the 2017 constitution, which was written by, and rigged in favour of, the royalist-military junta. The level of opposition to this rotten regime is not a surprise.

Less expected was the success of the recently formed Move Forward party: a new incarnation of the Future Forward party, which was forced to dissolve by the Constitutional Court after their success in the 2019 elections.

Move Forward ran on a programme that emphasised the 3Ds of demilitarisation, demonopolisation, and decentralisation / Image: Sirakorn Lamyai, Wikimedia Commons

Move Forward ran on a programme that emphasised the 3Ds of demilitarisation, demonopolisation, and decentralisation, along with social policies appealing to young, urban-dwelling Thais, including the legalisation of same-sex marriage and scrapping conscription to the military.

They also called for a referendum on rewriting the constitution and reforming the monarchy, amongst economic reforms.

Most anticipated a landslide victory for the Pheu Thai party, which had polled very strongly in the months leading up to the election, at between 40 and 50 percent. But on election day, they received less than 30 percent, losing a lot of support among the youth in Thailand's two largest cities Bangkok and Chiang Mai to the Move Forward party.

Pheu Thai, however, remains popular in the poorer and rural north. Especially in the north-east, where the policies of the party's founder Thaksin Shinawatra during his time as Prime Minister from 2001 to the 2006 military coup are remembered fondly.

This was a period during which incomes in the area increased by 46 percent, and poverty was nearly halved in the country as a whole. Thaksin was able to fund these policies with Keynesian spending, while at the same time lowering government debt, during a period when the Thai economy was recovering from the 1997 crisis, with GDP growth averaging 5 percent per year.

A probable cause for the Pheu Thai's loss of support is their ambivalent position on the despised Section 112 of Thai Criminal Code. This section concerns Thailands strict lese-majeste laws, criminalising defamation, insults or threats towards the Royal Family, with punishment ranging from three to 15 years in prison, and has long been used by the ruling elite against political dissidents.

Recently, it was used to detain and imprison leaders of the 2020-2021 anti-monarchy protest movement. It has also been used as justification for some of the numerous coups that have hit Thailand in the last century, like the one in 2006, which deposed Thaksin. Despite the level of opposition in Thai society, Pheu Thai did not commit to changing the law, with Thaksin saying that the issue is not with the law itself but with how it is enforced!

The Move Forward Party seized all but one constituency in Bangkok, which prior to 2019 had been a Democrat (i.e. royalist) stronghold. Even in the 2019 elections, the city was split between the predecessor of the Move Forward Party, the Pheu Thai and the military junta's Palang Pracharath Party.

This development suggests that the Move Forward Party, with its clear opposition to the lese-majeste laws (at least during the campaign), not only won over a large section of the youth from the Pheu Thai Party, but also managed to win support among the traditionally royalist urban petty-bourgeoisie, which constituted the rank-and-file of the anti-democratic reactionary Yellow Shirt movement. This is a major turn in the situation.

Crumbling support for royalist-military junta

This loss of support for the monarchy and the royalist-military establishment among its typical base is a reflection of growing discontent amidst a worsening economic situation.

Tourism (Thailands main industry) is a long way from recovering to its pre-pandemic level. The country also faces surging energy prices and household debts, at 87.5 percent of GDP, among other issues. All of this is causing profound division in the ranks of royalist-military supporters.

There have also been high-profile defectors, including an MP elected for the Move Forward party in Bangkok, who openly admitted to previously taking part of the Yellow Shirt movement and cheering on the military coup in 2014!

The loss of support for the monarchy and the royalist-military establishment is a reflection of growing discontent / Image: Ronald Dobbins, Wikimedia Commons

Undoubtedly, the Move Forward Party gained much popularity due to their pledge to limit the power of the royalist-military elite by reforming Section 112, ending the mandatory conscription and calling a referendum on amending the pro-junta constitution.

In addition to these democratic demands, many of its proposed economic policies are faintly reminiscent of the Thaksin government of 2001-2006. These include increases to the daily minimum wage, reduced electricity costs, fixed fares for buses and urban trains and debt relief for elderly farmers.

In a 2022 poll by Statista, 65 percent of Thais saw the economic situation as the most important issue in the country. This is clearly reflected in the campaign promises by all the main political parties.

However, the crisis-ridden Thai economy does not allow for the kind of policies that gave the Pheu Thai Party authority in the past. Real GDP growth has been slowing down, while government debt in relation to GDP has more than doubled since 2006.

At the same time, the regular floods and droughts, which greatly affect the agricultural sector employing about a third of the population, are likely to increase in severity due to climate change.

Still, the stronger-than-expected support for Move Forward shows the potential for a political alternative. A genuine workers party, armed with a programme of consistent opposition to the reactionary monarchy-military junta, and of socialist transformation of society, could rapidly win a base of support in these conditions.

Whither Thailand?

Having received the most seats in the election, the Move Forward Party announced on 22 May their party leader Pita Limjaroenrat as candidate for Prime Minister, supported by a coalition of the Move Forward Party, Pheu Thai and six other anti-junta parties.

The coalition agreement, however, makes no mention of reforming Section 112. Even with such a large concession to Move Forwards reactionary coalition partners  a major betrayal of its campaign pledges for democratic reform  Pita becoming Prime Minister is far from certain.

Although the coalition would have a clear majority in the parliament, with 313 out of 500 seats in total, according to the junta's 2017 constitution, the Prime Minister must be elected together with the 250 senators appointed by the royalist-military junta.

In order to bypass the senate, Pita would need the support of 376 members of parliament, which is not possible without including in the coalition the conservative junta-friendly Bhumjaithai party, an alliance that would come with the price of even more concessions.

One thing is for sure: any attempt to limit the influence of the royalist-military establishment, or to reform Article 112, will be met with fierce resistance from the ruling clique, who have always used these powers as a reserve weapon to maintain their privileges and capitalist rule.

The only power in Thai society that can stand up to the ruling elite is the organised resistance of the masses of youth, workers and peasants / Image: Milktea2020

However, they are also frightened of the rage that an outright military coup would provoke from the Thai masses. Therefore, they are more likely to stage a judicial coup through the junta-controlled courts and the election commission.

A possible avenue would be to have Pita disqualified through a complaint to the electoral commission, based on allegations that he owns undeclared shares in a media company. Just like in 2019, the election commission will likely delay releasing official election results for as long as possible in order to buy time.

The bourgeois opportunists are incapable of winning even elementary democratic reforms. The only power in Thai society that can stand up to the ruling elite is the organised resistance of the masses of youth, workers and peasants.

Time and time again, they have shown their bravery and resolve in this struggle. Despite numerous movements, in which the masses have displayed great heroism in facing imprisonment and even death, the royalist-military establishment still clings onto power.

The bourgeoisie and petty-bourgeois leaders have consistently surrendered to the ruling elites, calling for faith in the courts, constitution and parliamentary system, which serve the junta.

No trust can be placed in the billionaire Shinawatra family or businessman Pita Limjaroenrat, who is already rowing back on his promises in regards to Section 112. The masses must rely on their own strength, and importantly must involve the working class as an organised force.

A movement like the one in 2020-2021, combined with a general strike, would put immense pressure on the ruling class and the junta where divisions have appeared at the tops. Armed with a socialist programme to deal with the cost of living, household debts and all the other pressing concerns for Thai workers and youth, such a movement could gain broad support.

Only through a total uprooting of the current system can Thailand finally rid itself forever of the junta and their stooges. The Thai masses must seize the assets of the ruling class, the richest of them all being King Vajiralongkorn himself, and put them to use for the common good!
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With the partys electoral prospects languishing, the Tories are once again tearing themselves to pieces. The headbangers are looking to take back control, just as the establishment is seeking stability. Explosive events are being prepared.

As mad as a Mad Hatters tea party would be a good description of the antics playing out within the Tory Party. Once the envy of Europes ruling classes, the Tories have now become a laughing stock.

Conservative grandees, such as Lord Hesseltine, have warned that the party is tearing itself apart. Other senior figures are alarmed at an impending Tory implosion, or the prospect of a complete meltdown.

The Conservative Party is finished if it succumbs to a Trumpian-style takeover, stated former cabinet member Matt Hancock bluntly.

They thought that Rishi Sunaks premiership might rescue them. But these hopes have quickly turned to dust.

The Tories are still licking their wounds after haemorrhaging support in the recent council elections  a bloody awful result, as one put it. They have been trailing far behind Labour in the polls for months. Defeat at the next general election looks inevitable.

Downing Street officials still believe there is a narrow path to victory. But the party is currently on a course that is more likely to hurtle them off a cliff.

Anarchy

The Tory leader has lost control of his increasingly anarchic party / Image: Socialist Appeal

The coronation provided a welcome distraction, temporarily postponing the Tories local election post-mortem. But this delay has only made the introspection and infighting all the more savage. Panic has gripped sections of the party.

There is a growing hysteria in the ranks, with internal critics blaming multimillionaire Sunak for being too socialist.

The Tory leader has lost control of his increasingly anarchic party. Former ministers openly denounce the direction of policy, whilst dozens of backbench MPs plot a new rebellion over Brexit.

According to Ed Vaizey, the Conservative peer: Whatever the outcome of the election, there will be a battle for the soul of our party in the years ahead.

Headbangers

The rabid grassroots of the Tories are plotting another takeover, in order to restore the party to true blue conservatism.

Mutinous groups  which nobody has ever heard of before  are springing up every two minutes. This includes the misnamed Conservative Democratic Organisation (CDO), which wants to give more power to the unhinged Tory membership, and the National Conservatives.

Many colleagues from all wings of the party are deeply baffled by not just one, but two splinter groups engaging in this act of self-harm, quipped Tory MP Tobias Ellwood.

The recent NatCon conference in London, a three-day affair organised by the American Edmund Burke Foundation, gave a platform to prominent headbangers in the party. Jacob Rees-Mogg, Michael Gove, and Suella Braverman were amongst those present.

The conference was marked by indignation and anger, according to one former Cabinet minister, with many attendees asserting that the party has gone too far to the left and become too soft. Culture war rhetoric was the only dish on the menu.

Reactionaries

For Braveman, the event was an opportunity to launch an early leadership campaign. In her bid for the top spot, she has positioned herself further to the right than Attila the Hun, in the hope of securing the support of Tory members in any future ballot.

In her bid for the top spot, Braverman has positioned herself further to the right than Attila the Hun / Image: Socialist Appeal

This included tub-thumping demands from the Home Secretary to bring net-migration numbers down to zero  just at a point when the bosses are looking to use migrant labour to fill gaps in the UK workforce.

Other Conservative backbenchers, such as evangelical Christian Miriam Cates, issued a call for Britain to boost its birth rate, echoing similar appeals from reactionary leaders such as Hungarys Victor Orban and Italys Giorgia Meloni.

Fellow Tory MP Danny Kruger, meanwhile, lashed out at Marxism, narcissism and paganism  all in the same breath.

Warfare

The audience at the recent CDO symposium in Bournemouth was similarly swollen with fuming Tory Brexiteers and Boris Johnson allies, hell-bent on recapturing the party.

Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns opened the gathering with a rendition of God Save the King, before telling the assembled crowd: I look around [at my Tory] colleagues and think, you belong in the Lib Dems, actually.

Former home secretary Priti Patel also spoke, implying that Sunak and his supporters had done a better job at damaging our party over the past year than Labour. She also attacked those MPs who had helped remove Johnson, our most electorally successful prime minister since Margaret Thatcher.

Brexiteer ultras in the European Reform Group are also up in arms, furious that the government has broken its promise to scrap a swathe of EU laws and regulations that are currently on the statute books.

ERG members are planning to take a stand over this betrayal, creating further mayhem for Number 10.

These Tory MPs represent not the sober-minded wing of the bourgeoisie, who are desperate for stability, but the crazed petty-bourgeoisie, driven to a state of madness by the decline of British capitalism. The stage is set for a rapid slide into internecine warfare.

Polarisation

After the turbulence of the Johnson years and Truss days, the ruling class hoped that, with Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt at the helm, sanity and control over the Tory Party would be restored.

But this strategy seems to have flopped. The patients are about to seize control of the asylum once again.

Disaster at the general election will cause the ranks of the party to shift even further to the right. This deranged Tory rabble will look back nostalgically to when they had an 80-seat majority under Boris, yearning for more red meat policies, in line with their migrant-bashing, hang-em, flog-em mentality.

This could even lead to a split within the Tory Party, with the one-nation Conservatives peeling away, and those remaining moving further rightwards  a reflection of the wider polarisation in British society.

Backlash

Given the mess in the Tory Party, Labour has stepped in to become the party of business / Image: fair use

Big business has now given up on its traditional representatives, the Tories, and is preparing for a Starmer Labour government.

Given the mess in the Tory Party, Labour has stepped in to become the party of business, as well as the party of law and order. Starmer is in the pocket of the establishment, and has promised to do their bidding.

The Labour leader is quite prepared to jump into bed with the Lib Dems, and to draw them into a coalition government that could jointly do the dirty work for the capitalists.

A Starmer government, in short, will be a government of crisis, loyally carrying through the austerity and attacks demanded by the ruling class.

This, in turn, will provoke a massive backlash in the working class  sickened and angered by thirteen years of Toryism, and by Starmers paltry offering of a Tory-lite agenda.

There will be huge resistance from workers and youth. The trade unions will be pushed into outright opposition. Starmer and his ilk will be quickly discredited.

In this turmoil, even greater layers will be drawing radical and revolutionary conclusions. Rather than calls to patch up capitalism, there will be a deafening demand for fundamental change. The entire landscape of British society will be explosive, with combustible material everywhere.

Marxism

Revolutions begin with splits at the top. The developing civil war inside the Tory Party is a reflection of this process.

A stormy period has opened up in Britain. This will intensify in the coming months and years. Consciousness will quickly catch up with the calamitous objective situation.

This is no fairytale, but simply the cold reality that workers face.

It is our responsibility as revolutionaries to prepare for these titanic events. As Marx explained: the philosophers have interpreted the world; the point, however, is to change it.
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Interview: China-Central Asia Summit "important" amid uncertainties in int'l politics, says scholar

Xinhua) 11:19, May 23, 2023

ISTANBUL, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The China-Central Asia Summit in the northwestern Chinese city of Xi'an is very important, particularly amid the uncertainties in international politics, a Turkish expert has said.

Selcuk Colakoglu, director of the Ankara-based Turkish Center for Asia-Pacific Studies, aired the view in a recent interview with Xinhua.

The event is the first in-person gathering among heads of state of China and five Central Asian countries since China established diplomatic ties with them 31 years ago.

During the summit, the six countries unanimously agreed to firmly defend multilateralism and resist unilateralism, hegemonism and power politics, injecting more certainty into a world full of uncertainties. They also signed seven bilateral and multilateral documents as well as over 100 cooperation agreements in various fields.

China and Central Asian countries play a critical role in maintaining regional stability and steady economic growth, the expert said, highlighting the importance of expanding Belt and Road cooperation for political stability and economic progress in the region.

This summit also "underlines the decisiveness of the leaders to keep further cooperation on its track," said Colakoglu.

Ten years into Belt and Road cooperation, China and Central Asian countries have made historic achievements. In 2022, trade volume hit a record high of 70.2 billion U.S. dollars, an over 100-fold increase since diplomatic ties were established about three decades ago. In the first two months of this year, trade between China and the five Central Asian countries surged 22 percent year on year.

The successful high-quality cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries "will boost further regional cooperation," he said.

The outcomes of the summit in Xi'an "are very positive" and will have "further positive impacts on regional security and regional cooperation," said Colakoglu.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP)  American oil giant ExxonMobil said Friday it had appealed a recent Guyanese court ruling requiring it to obtain insurance for unlimited liability in the event of a major oil spill off the coast of Guyana.

The company said in a statement that the court had failed to consider that Exxon and consortium partners Hess Corp. and China National Overseas Offshore Corporation have the undoubted ability to meet their financial obligations in the event of a spill at their operation.

The consortium is operating the prolific Stabroek Block near the southeastern border with Suriname.

In the ruling two weeks ago, Guyanas high court ordered the local environmental agency to obtain independent liability insurance from Exxons subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Limited. It also sought an unlimited guarantee from its parent company in the case of damage caused by operations in the South American country.

The company argues that no insurance company would provide unlimited coverage.

Guyanas government said this week that it supports the appeal, contending the judge erred in the ruling in part because the environmental agency already has agreed with Exxon on the amount of money to set aside for each oil field to cover any damage from a spill.

Rights activists and environmentalists fear that a spill could severely harm the countrys marine resources while devastating the tourism economies of nearby Caribbean nations.

Exxon, the lead operator in the consortium, has argued that a spill is highly unlikely and that the court had failed to recognize the ability of the Stabroek block co-venturers to meet our financial obligations, which are supplemented by the insurance that we already have in place and the agreement we reached with the EPA for financial guarantees that exceed industry benchmarks.

Production began in December 2019, with some 380,000 barrels a day expected to soar to 1.2 million by 2027.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Insurance defense attorneys say a pair of lawsuits filed by a law firm and a claims consulting business against a national personal injury law firm raises questions about the proper relationships between legal counsel and the professionals they hire to assist with the claims process.

ATA Loss Consulting filed a lawsuit on April 7 in Mobile County, Alabama against Shunnarah Hair Trial Attorneys and associated law firms alleging they owe ATA $2.4 million in fees for assisting 700 property owners with their claims.

On the same day, Fortius Law Group also filed a suit in Mobile County Circuit Court alleging that it lost $6,211,214.45 in income because of tortious interference by the same law firms. The suit says Shunnarah and Hair failed to pay promised referral fees equal to 25% of the attorney fees that were collected.

Both lawsuits also name Birmingham, Alabama attorney Alexander Shunnarah and Metarie, Louisiana attorney Galen M. Hair as defendants.

ATA is an Alabama corporation owned by Austin Tanner, who also is a co-owner of the Fortius Law Group in Washington D.C. The District of Columbia is one of only three jurisdictions in the United States that allow non-attorneys to own a law firm. (Utah and Arizona are the others.)

Curiously, the other co-owner of Fortius Law Group is Shane Welch, who is listed as an attorney for InsuranceClaimHQ, which operates a website powered by Hair Shunnarah Trial Attorneys.

In a LinkedIn post, insurance defense attorney Steve Badger, a partner with the Zelle law firm in Dallas, asked how Welch could be listed as an attorney for a website associated with Hair Shunnarah while at the same time earning referral fees through the Fortius Law Group.

Badger also questioned how Tanner could earn fees for his loss consulting services while also earning referral fees through Fortius.

Certainly, Tanner did not have both roles in the same claim, he said. Or did he? Was this disclosed to the insurance companies?

The Fortius lawsuit says it referred nearly 400 client matters to the Shunnarah law firm from March 2021 through December 2022 and the law firm made recoveries in many of those cases. Both Shunnarah and Hair promised to pay 25% of the amount recovered on those claims, the lawsuit says.

The ATA lawsuit says the firm performed consulting services for approximately 700 clients during the same time period. The Shunnarah firm regularly paid invoices up until March 2022, when the firm said it had a cash flow problem and asked to set up a payment plan. The firm stopped making any payments in October 2022, the suit states.

Normally, a law firm cannot pay a non-attorney for referrals, but Fortius is co-owned by Welch, who is a licensed attorney.

Tom Benton, the Mobile, Alabama lawyer who filed both lawsuits, said there was nothing wrong with the arrangement.

Shunnarah decided to get into the storm damage business and this entire setup was approved and or created by him along with his firm in New Orleans,he said in a lawsuit. After I filed the lawsuit, he began threatening his lawyer who also a member of Fortius.

While Alabama law may prohibit attorneys from sharing legal fees with non-attorneys, Benton said Alabama law does not apply. He said the claims that were referred to Shunnarah and Hair came from throughout the Southeast except for some that were related to Superstorm Sandy.

New Orleans insurance defense attorney Matthew Monson posted a notice about the pair of lawsuits on his LinkedIn page last week. Later, he posted a copy of a discovery request filed by Fortius that asks the Shunnarah law firm to disclose any communications it has had with the Alabama Department of Insurance and the Mobile County District Attorneys Office.

Monson said in the post said the discovery request makes him wonder whether Shunnarah and Hair had filed complaints against Fortius.

A HUGE question that should be asked by all is how did Fortius Law Group based out of Washington, D.C. acquire 400 clients to refer to Hair Shunnarah Trial Attorneys and the other named defendants such that Alabama was the preferred venue? he said.

Reached by telephone on Monday, Monson said that the arrangement demonstrates why non-attorneys should not be allowed to have an ownership interest in law firms.

Non-attorney ownership of law firms leads to circumstances where policyholders get hurt and attorneys can be improperly influenced by their non-attorney partner, he said.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)  A new batch of states are looking to legislate the level of informed consent when it comes to medical students performing pelvic exams for educational purposes on unconscious patients.

At least 20 states already have consent laws for this practice. Montanas governor signed a bill in April, Missouri has legislation that needs the governors signature to become law and Ohio lawmakers are also considering it.

Colorado lawmakers want to go a step further, with Democratic Gov. Jared Polis expected to sign a bill that one bioethicist calls the broadest shes seen  and says may go too far  due to a requirement of naming the involved students ahead of time and introducing them to the patients.

Proponents see the Colorado bill as a model we hope other states will pass, said Elizabeth Newman, public policy director at the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, which testified in favor of the legislation.

Its hard to track and quantify how often medical students are asked to do intimate exams  like pelvic, rectal or prostate exams  on patients who are anesthetized. Opponents of the various bills and laws, who are often doctors, argue its government overreach which could compromise the established trust between patient and provider and should instead be left to recommendations from medical associations.

Typically, a patient signs a number of forms giving broad consent for a range of procedures that might be medically necessary while someone is anesthetized. That can also include consent for educational purposes.

Most folks just sign them and assume they are going to get the care that they need, said Colorado Democratic Rep. Jenny Willford, who co-sponsored the bill.

But patients often dont know they were examined while unconscious, and if they do, they may fear coming forward, according to Newman. Plus, she said, medical students who could report it are often afraid to raise concerns with superiors who have power over their careers.

Colorados bill would require an informed consent process, as well as ensure that the pelvic, breast, rectal or prostate exam is within the scope of the treatment. While this would be required even without students, practitioners are excepted from the consent process in emergency situations.

The bill goes beyond others across the U.S. to include whistleblower protections for medical students who want to speak out, as well as liability for doctors and hospitals if they dont follow the consent rules. Its also unique in the requirement that the involved students would be named on the consent form, and be introduced to the patient prior to the procedure.

Kayte Spector-Bagdady, a clinical ethicist, said Colorados proposal is the broadest shes seen and worries that listing the names of involved students could limit learning opportunities. Getting consent is typically done days or weeks ahead of time, but students may be unavailable on the day of the procedure  and Colorados proposed law wouldnt allow others to step in and learn, she said.

We want people to generally know how to take care of women, and (these exams are) a critical component of that, said Spector-Bagdady, who co-authored a 2019 recommendation by the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics for such exams. Its a balance of respecting the autonomy of our patients and ensuring that the next time they go see a doctor, that doctor knows how to care for them properly.

That associations 2019 recommendation, endorsed by major obstetric and gynecological professional associations, says students should only perform pelvic exams that are explicitly consented to and related to the planned procedure.

Newman, however, said the mandates are important not only for patients to give complete informed consent, but for medical students to know that the client has given their consent and to learn the rules governing the consent process.

Alexandra Fountaine, a medical student at Ohio University, was asked to do a pelvic exam on an unconscious female patient by the doctor overseeing Fountaines training on her first day of rotation at an OhioHealth hospital in Columbus.

She said she didnt know whether the woman, who was anesthetized for an abdominal surgery that Fountaine said didnt require a pelvic exam, had given consent for it.

Fountaine also did not ask the physician whether the woman had consented, telling The Associated Press that students are taught to be seen and not heard.  Fountaine said the physician assured her that doing a pelvic exam was fine and for her education.

I initially froze, said Fountaine, who didnt end up doing the exam but told the physician she did when her back was turned. The experience led Fountaine to testify in front of an Ohio House committee; her school says it supports students on their professional journey.

OhioHealth, which has several teaching hospitals, told the AP in a statement that its policies regarding patient consent are consistent with current law and that attending physicians oversee patient exams, which are a component of the medical education process.

There can be an intense disconnect between patient understanding and provider understanding on consent and procedures, said Phoebe Friesen, a bioethicist at McGill University in Montreal whose research helped bring the practice back into focus following the #MeToo movement.

Providers view these unconscious exams as strictly medical or educational; the vagina and other intimate areas are just another body part, so specific informed consent isnt necessary.

But for patients, Friesen believes its absolutely necessary. Such exams can leave a patient feeling robbed of their bodily autonomy, or even retraumatize people who have survived sexual assault.

The solution is so simple, Friesen said. Just ask people whether theyre comfortable with this particular practice.

Jesse Bedayn reported from Denver.

Top photo: Alexandra Fountaine, a medical student at Ohio University, poses for a picture in front of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio, Thursday, May 11, 2023. Fountaine testified before a committee earlier this month advocating for a bill that would ban pelvic exams on unconscious patients without their express consent. (AP Photo/Samantha Hendrickson)

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Just as the plaintiffs law firm of Morgan & Morgan warned, the number of Florida lawsuits filed across the state has shattered previous records, topping 280,122 in April, the Florida Bar reported.

Thats more than double the previous record set in May 2021 and is largely due to anticipation of the Legislatures passage of a far-reaching tort reform bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law March 24, the Bar noted.

As it became clear that House Bill 837 was about to pass in March, limiting one-way attorney fees and multipliers in almost all insurance and injury litigation, and slashing damages if the plaintiff is found to be 50% at fault, Morgan & Morgan and other claimants firms told insurance defense attorneys that they were getting ready to file tens of thousands of lawsuits in the days before the law took effect upon the governors signature.

The firms were not exaggerating. And insurers and county clerks of court are now dealing with the impact.

Our primary concern is having adequate resources to process the high volume of cases and appropriately serve all parties and the judiciary, Martin County Clerk of Courts Carolyn Timman told the Bar.

Sarasota County Clerk Karen Rushing said the flood of new cases began around March 17, Rushing told the Bars news site.

The total number of documents in the case filings was almost 3.6 million in March, a third more than the previous month. About 44% of the new cases were filed in Miami-Dade County and in Hillsborough County, home to Tampa.

Some clerks have said they already are facing budget shortfalls, spiraling costs and understaffed offices  even before the tort wave hit, the Bar noted.

The Florida Department of Financial Services, which must be included on notices of intent to litigate against insurers, also reported a spike in planned litigation. The agency in March recorded 8,637 notices of intent to initiate litigation, up from 7,634 in February. Thats double the number of notices filed in March 2022, the DFS web page shows.

In previous eras, many of the insurance claims behind the lawsuits would have been dropped or settled without litigation, Florida Justice Association Secretary Todd Michaels told the Tallahassee Democrat news site. But with the law taking effect immediately in late March, firms felt compelled to file the suits to avoid the laws fee limitations and protect their clients, Michaels said.

At this moment we are doing what all lawyers should be doing  protecting the interests of our clients, John Morgan, head of the Orlando-based plaintiffs firm, said in a statement in March.

The tort-reform law clamped the attorney fee and other restrictions on suits filed after March 24. It does not apply retroactively in most cases, although some insurer lawyers have indicated they may challenge that in some circumstances.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Brian Zawada has followed the famous 19th century line of encouragement: Go west, young man.

More than 150 years after the famed suggestion was published, Zawada and his fellow lifelong Northeast Ohioan wife, April, have done just that  they have gone west, to Oregon, the heart of Pinot Noir country, to grow grapes and make wine.

Zawadas path to becoming a winery owner is an unlikely one.

He was born in North Ridgeville, moved to Brunswick, attended high school in Strongsville, and moved on to the Air Force Academy in Colorado and subsequent active duty. He had a stint living in New York, but big-city life wasnt for him. He returned to Northeast Ohio in 2000 and started a software-consulting business.

He and his wife enjoyed wine, and his business involved dealing with clients in Portland. He traveled west often and fell in love with the Willamette Valley.

That region in the northwestern part of Oregon is one of the worlds best for Pinot Noir, a delicate grape that, when harvested at the right time with the right touch, yields a delicate red wine that is an amazing stand-alone sipper and food-friendly wine that pairs with many lighter dishes, from tuna and salmon and beyond.

They had been mulling the idea of retiring in Colorado, but Oregon drew them.

When we started coming out here (we thought), Lets not retire quite yet, lets get in the wine business and live in Oregon full time eventually someday. That someday happened in October of 21.

Their search was tough. We were striking out. This area is white hot, he said.

Then they came across an 88-acre property an hour and 15 minutes from Portland.

We tasted wine from there. We thought about it and thought about it and then heard rumors that a California winery was about to purchase it, Zawada said.

They went from enjoying wine to buying land, founding Violet Vines in 2019.

My professional career was in front of a computer, Zawada said. You peck away at that thing, and as a consultant you talk to people all the time. I wanted something that got my hands dirty. I got absolutely fascinated with the effect of farming on great wine.

Dealing with soil, climate and vines became a creative outlet.

It was a giant biological and chemistry experiment that fed into our love of drinking great wine, Zawada said.

They hired a winemaker and vineyard manager and soaked up knowledge.

You can probably imagine its really tough to run a wine business when you live in Ohio and its based in Oregon, he said. We believe very strongly that the best wines you own end to end (involve) planting vines all the way to bottling.

When they took over the property it was on the cusp of harvest. Theyve done nothing but grow since.

They added 12 acres a year later, and this past fall they took over 13 or 14 more, he said. Then they bought property on the Oregon side near Walla Walla, Washington  another fertile grape-growing area  for Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre plantings. Their winemaking operation was off site, and on May 20 they opened a tasting room in Carlton, about an hours drive southwest of Portland.

The adventure has involved way too many cross-country flights, he said. I miss the Cleveland area hugely, but its been a lot of fun.

He added: I got a chance to realize a dream.

Varietals they grow include Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc, Viognier and Chardonnay.

Chardonnay has become incredibly popular, he said. When out-of-town wineries are coming in to gobble up Oregon property, theyre looking for property that already has Chardonnay grapes on it. Its beyond the butter, stereotypical California Chardonnay; theyre light, crisp, lively. Theyre amazing. To be honest, Ive never been a white-wine drinker, and I love Oregon Chardonnay. I said, Im only going to plant what I like. "

While the area has become very diverse for grapes, Pinot and Chardonnay remain king and queen.

A boutique provider, Violet Vines now has 11 labels and a wine club. They can sell direct without a distributor.

And as much as their western adventure has afforded them the opportunity to open the door to a new chapter in their lives, Northeast Ohio remains in their hearts.

I look at the ability to sell wine in Ohio to be a great excuse to visit often, Zawada said.

Wine on film: The 2012 documentary Somm takes viewers through the process of aspiring sommeliers. Its available to rent or buy online.

Like wine? Options vary for buying wine. Online retailers offer chances to choose what you want, curate cases and find discounts. Heres a selection to consider:

brightcellars.com: Monthly club matches you with wines after you take a palate quiz.

cellarswineclub.com: Allows you to choose the number of bottles you want.

exoticwine.club.com: Offers subscription wine boxes from wineries in less accessible markets.

splashwines.com: Choose a curated case or build your own.

winc.com: Four wines tailored to your tastes are shipped monthly. Has review component.

wine.com: Large online seller often offers new-customer discounts.

wineawesomeness.com: Three- and six-bottle curated shipments.

wineenthusiast.com: All-encompassing site for accoutrements - racks, glasses, openers, storage, gifts.

wineonsale.com: Allows you to select by varietal or region.

zachys.com: Includes a variety of ways to search/shop, plus has info on auctions.

I am on cleveland.coms life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, heres a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Twitter: @mbona30.

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Like cool local food + drinks photos and videos? Follow @DineDrinkCLE on Instagram.
HOUGHTON, N.Y. -- Two former dorm directors at a small Christian university in western New York, both of whom have unusual names, say they were fired for refusing to stop using gender pronouns they said were necessary to avoid confusion.

Their firings stirred controversy at Houghton University, an 800-student campus about 60 miles southeast of Buffalo that says it offers a Christ-centered education in the liberal arts and sciences. More than 700 Houghton alumni signed a petition in protest, the Associated Press reported.

Shua Wilmot and Raegan Zelaya, the former dorm directors, attached gender identities to their emails to provide clarity to recipients, they told the AP.

Wilmot uses he/him. Zelaya goes by she/her.

Houghton University told them to drop the identifiers in line with a new policy for email formats implemented in September. When they refused, they were fired.

My name is Shua. Its an unusual name. And it ends with a vowel, a, that is traditionally feminine in many languages, Wilmot said in a video he and Zelaya posted on YouTube after they were fired in April.

If you get an email from me and you dont know who I am, you might not know how to gender me, Wilmot said. I have been mistaken for a woman over email. When someone misgenders me, it sometimes makes them uncomfortable so let me avoid that professionally by putting my pronouns in my signature, so you know that youre writing to a man.

Zelaya noted in an interview with the New York Post that her first name, Raegan, is a dual gender name.

I know many men and women who have the name Raegan.  It is helpful to say what my pronouns are. Its a pretty standard industry practice.

In a statement, a Houghton spokesperson said the university has never terminated an employment relationship based solely on the use of pronouns in staff email signatures, relaying that the school has required employees to remove extraneous information from email signatures  including Scripture quotes, The New York Times reported.

In their video, Wilmot and Zelaya both read portions of their termination letters, each of which listed the use of gender pronoun use in violation of university policy as the first reason for termination.

Ongoing culture wars across the United States over issues of sexuality, gender identity and transgender rights have engulfed politics, school campuses and many other facets of public and private life, the AP said.

In at least 17 Republican-led states, lawmakers have moved to severely restrict gender-affirming care. Discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in classrooms has prompted hot debates in communities.

Public libraries hosting drag story hours have been greeted with pickets.

Controversies have arisen at campuses with religious affiliations.

Sixteen plaintiffs are suing Seattle Pacific University, a Christian liberal arts college, to challenge the schools employment policy barring people in same-sex relationships from full-time jobs.

LGBTQ students in New York City are challenging Yeshiva Universitys decision to bar their student-run club from campus.

A federal judge in Oregon dismissed a lawsuit earlier this year that LGBTQ students had filed against the U.S. Department of Education claiming it did not protect them against discrimination at religiously affiliated universities receiving federal money.

Paul Southwick, director of the Religious Exemption Accountability Project, a 2-year-old advocacy group for LGBTQ students at publicly funded religious colleges and universities, said actions such as these are cause for despair.

Theres a backlash against the rise of LGBTQ rights, he said, and not just with white evangelical Christianity in the South ... but in places like New York and Oregon that we wouldnt think would be experiencing this backlash.
HELENA, Mont.  TikTok Inc. sued the state of Montana on Monday arguing the states first-in-the-nation law banning the video sharing app is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights.

TikTok, owned by the Chinese tech company ByteDance, argues in its suit that the law is based on unfounded speculation that the Chinese government could access users data, the Associated Press reported.

We are challenging Montanas unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana, TikTok said in a statement, according to NPR. We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.

The company says it has 150 million users in the U.S.

The lawsuit follows one filed by five content creators who made similar arguments including that the state of Montana has no authority to take action on matters of national security. Both lawsuits were filed in federal court in Missoula.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, signed the legislation enacting the law on Wednesday.

The new law would allow Montana to impose fines of $10,000 for each violation by TikTok and additional fines of $10,000 per day if it violates the ban, Reuters reported. The law does not impose penalties on individual TikTok users.

It is not clear how Montana would enforce a TikTok ban.

While TikTok can theoretically block IP addresses registered in Montana, app stores will have a more difficult time, Reuters said.

In March, a representative from TechNet, a trade group funded by both Google and Apple, told Montana lawmakers that app stores do not have the ability to geofence on a state-by-state basis.

It would thus be impossible for our members to prevent the app from being downloaded specifically in the state of Montana, the TechNet representative testified.

State and federal lawmakers, the FBI and officials at other agencies have expressed fears that the video-sharing app could be used to allow the Chinese government to access information on U.S. citizens or push pro-Beijing misinformation to influence the public.

In its court filing, TikTok says it has not shared and would not share U.S. user data with the Chinese government and has taken measures to protect the privacy and security of its users, including storing all U.S. user data in the United States.

Yet, the federal government and about half the U.S. states, including Montana, have banned TikTok from government-owned devices.

The Chinese Communist Party is using TikTok as a tool to spy on Americans by collecting personal information, keystrokes, and even the locations of its users  and by extension, people without TikTok who affiliate with users may have information about themselves shared without even knowing it, Emily Flower, a spokesperson for the Montana Department of Justice, said in a statement.

We expected legal challenges and are fully prepared to defend the law that helps protect Montanans privacy and security, she wrote.
WASHINGTON  The youngest child of civil rights legend Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took aim at Sen. Ted Cruz after he ripped a warning from the NAACP that Florida has become hostile to Black Americans.

Bernice A. King  a lawyer, minister and civil rights advocate  reasserted that Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to announce his presidential candidacy this week, and the state of Florida have taken actions that are harmful to people of color.

Cruz, a Republican from Texas, was responding to an advisory the NAACP issued that warned people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals to think twice before traveling to Florida.

Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals, the advisory said. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.

Related story: NAACP issues travel advisory on Florida, warns its openly hostile toward minorities

With the advisory, issued Saturday, the NAACP joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights organization, and Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, in issuing travel advisories for Florida.

On Sunday, Cruz tweeted his two cents:

This is bizarre and utterly dishonest, Cruz said in his tweet.

In the 1950s & 1960s, the NAACP did extraordinary good helping lead the civil rights movement, Cruz said. Today, Dr. King would be ashamed of how profoundly theyve lost their way.

Sunday evening, Bernice King fired back, posting her comment along with a photo of her father.

What my father would be deeply concerned about is the harmful, discriminatory legislation in Florida, she said in her tweet.

The NAACPs decision comes after the DeSantis administration in January rejected the College Boards Advanced Placement African American Studies course. DeSantis and Republican lawmakers also have pushed measures that ban programs on diversity, equity and inclusion at state colleges, as well as critical race theory, and also passed the Stop WOKE Act that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses.

Let me be clear -- failing to teach an accurate representation of the horrors and inequalities that Black Americans have faced and continue to face is a disservice to students and a dereliction of duty to all, NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. Under the leadership of Gov. DeSantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon.

Appearing Monday on CNN, Johnson defended the advisory.

The governor has perfected the art of pulling stunts to gain campaign contributions, Johnson said, referring to DeSantis. Unfortunately, this will impact peoples lives. We should not use race or othering as a tool to weaponize against people and unfortunately for a large percentage of Floridians, thats what he has done. Therefore, we are advising African Americans and others that if you travel to Florida, beware that your life is not valued.

DeSantis, in March, was asked about the possibility of a travel advisory.

He said then it was a joke and a pure stunt during a news conference covered by 10 Tampa Bay.

Its a pure stunt, DeSantis said. And fine, if you want to waste your time on a stunt, thats fine. Look, I  Im not wasting my time on your stunts, OK? Im going to make sure that were getting things done here and were going to continue to make this state a great state.
WASHINGTON, D. C. - Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee led by Ohios Jim Jordan on Tuesday highlighted the case of a Maryland woman whose murder and rape was traced to a 16-year-old member of the MS-13 gang to call for change in the nations border security policies.

The teenager arrested for killing 20-year-old Kayla Hamilton in Aberdeen, Maryland, last year was allowed to enter the United States as an unaccompanied minor, they said at an immigration subcommittee hearing, even though he was arrested in El Salvador for illicit association with the dangerous MS-13 gang years before coming to the United States. While the boy was being investigated for the murder, authorities placed him in a foster home with other children.

Prior to the murder, no one in this administration bothered to check into the (teenagers) criminal history in his home country, said Jordan. Our witnesses today understand the consequences of our borders being unprotected all too well.

The teenager has been arrested and charged, but has not been tried.

Hamiltons mother, Tammy Nobles, told the committee her daughter had autism and was working jobs at a cleaning company and a grocery store because she was determined to live independently. The teenager lived in the same trailer park as Hamilton, whom Nobles said was murdered in her own room and left on the floor like trash. She was strangled with her iPhone charger, after which her killer stole her phone and $6.

She faulted immigration authorities for letting the teenager accused in her daughters killing into the United States without calling authorities in El Salvador.

This could have been anyones daughter, Nobles said, her voice breaking with emotion I dont want any other parent to live the nightmare we are living ... Nothing will change if nobody talks about it.

Democrats at the hearing accused Republicans of blocking President Joe Bidens efforts to fix the immigration system because they can use the issue politically. The subcommittees top Democrat, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, said their false claims that the border is open empowers smugglers and cartels by serving as an ad for illegal immigration.

Jayapal said Biden has introduced policies designed to relieve pressure at the border, such as opening regional processing centers across the western hemisphere for the first time to facilitate access to legal pathways in the United State, so migrants can seek asylum without having to make the dangerous journey to the U.S. border with Mexico.

None of these solutions are perfect, she continued. Addressing the issue of migration is difficult. But Democrats have shown time and time again that we take this complex humanitarian crisis seriously. By creating a more humane immigration system that recognizes the horrific conditions that cause migrants to flee as well as the contributions of immigrants to America. We can decrease unauthorized crossings, strengthen our economy and protect migrants and citizens from harm.

Mark Hetfield, President and CEO of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, told the subcommittee that the border wont be fixed without reforming pathways for legal immigration, noting that long delays to process immigrants leave people in limbo for decades.

Hetfield said most immigrants are coming to the United States for employment and to seek protection from persecution, not to kill people and bring fentanyl into the United States. He said the United States needs a system that can identify people who are coming to the country for legitimate reasons, provide them legal pathways to do that, and to identify bad actors and reject them. He said the immigration system is totally out of control because it hasnt been provided with the resources it needs to do that job.

In the immediate term, the administration and Congress should focus on increasing resources for the fair and efficient adjudication of asylum claims on a last in first out basis, with legal counseling and measures to ensure that (Customers and Border Protection) follows the law and their own procedures to ensure that no one is sent back into harms way, Hetfield said.

Former U.S. Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott said political leaders in the Biden administration ignored career professionals and made decisions that resulted in thousands of immigrants being released into the United States, overwhelming the border patrol and effectively transferring control of the border with Mexico to drug cartels.

He said the Biden administrations team at the Department of Homeland Security was too focused on expediting the processing and flow of migrants into the United States, without regard for common sense border security measures.

He said the sustained record-breaking mass illegal immigration we have been experiencing is a direct result of the catch and release polices implemented through the termination of the Migrant Protection Protocols, broad exemptions to Title 42 expulsions, reduction of detention space and the implementation of an arguably illegal parole program.

Policymakers must understand this is not simply an immigration issue, said Scott. This is a national security threat. Cartels use illegal aliens to overwhelm law enforcement, and create controllable gaps in border security that then they exploit to bring in anything they want.

Jordan said that immigration legislation that the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed earlier this month would let legitimate asylum seekers into the country, but would require them to either wait in Mexico or in detention while their claim is evaluated.

The Democrats say thats radical, Jordan continued. Thats common sense. And if wed kept that policy, maybe Kayla may have been alive today. Because we didnt all kinds of bad things happened ... You cant just let people come into the country. You have to evaluate their claim, and while youre doing it, they have to be detained or they have to remain in some other country before we let them come to the United States. Thats the answer.

Sabrina Eaton writes about the federal government and politics in Washington, D.C., for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.
A MAN, who falsely claimed he was robbed of US$2 500 at gunpoint, has been fined for making a false police report.

Martin Denga (29) told police he was robbed while on his way to Kuwadzana after buying groceries on behalf of a friend.

But, it later emerged that Denga had spent the money.

He appeared in court and pleaded guilty to the obstruction of justice and was ordered to pay a fine of US$100 or three months in jail.

Denga made a report to Constable Nyangani at Milton Park Police Station on the morning of April 29 that he had been robbed at gunpoint.

He said he had gone to N Richards along Bulawayo Road on April 28 to buy groceries on behalf of Solomon Mudoti using the Zimbabwe dollar after being given US dollars.

He told the police that he was offered a lift by three people in a silver Honda Fit at around 6.30pm, and was robbed of his cash and cellphone at gunpoint.

Cst Nyangani referred the case to CID Homicide for further investigations.

CID Homicide interviewed Denga and Mudoti and the latter denied ever giving him any money.

Denga later admitted that he had made a false report after squandering money he had been given by someone else for safekeeping.

He appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo and pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice. H Metro
Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Snap's year-to-date stock performance.

Snap : "They have to monetize their existing user base, but I'll tell you something: every stock that's being shorted is going up right now, so I figure Snap goes up 10% and then you got to sell."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Organon & Co.'s year-to-date stock performance.

Organon & Co : "It's because it has no growth, and if it has no growth then I don't want to be in it, plain and simple."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Daqo New Energy Corp's year-to-date stock performance.

Daqo New Energy Corp : "I'm not recommending any Chinese stock other than Alibaba , and even there Alibaba reported a very weak quarter last week... I'm going to have to say no on that one, I'm sorry.""

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Trimble's year-to-date stock performance.

Trimble : "I'm going to say sell Trimble."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon GoDaddy's year-to-date stock performance.

GoDaddy : "I'm not a fan. It's a very expensive stock that offers very little as proprietary."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Unity Software's year-to-date stock performance.

Unity Software : "I'm going to say buy that one."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Plug Power's year-to-date stock performance.

Plug Power : "I think Plug's a heavily-shorted stock, it's about 18% short therefore it should be able to go up another 20% before you have to get rid of it. But I have to tell you, I've been sorely disappointed with that company. It's no longer just a company in the future, it's a company just doing badly. Bad companies have bad stocks. Period!"

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Parker-Hannifin's year-to-date stock performance.

Parker-Hannifin : "The industrials are going down, but that had the best quarter of any industrial. I would tell you if you own Parker-Hannifin stay on it, if it goes down over the debt ceiling, then I would be pressing the 'buy, buy, buy' button."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon Boston Omaha Corp's year-to-date stock performance.

Boston Omaha : "It's a hodgepodge pastiche of real estate, I got to stay away. There's just not enough there for me to want to pull the trigger."

Stock Chart Icon Stock chart icon FedEx's year-to-date stock performance.

FedEx : "Listen, FedEx, it's time to buy. I think the stock is cheap, it should have a great quarter. I want to own the stock of FedEx!"

watch now
Stifel thinks Nvidia is the premier player that stands to benefit the most from artificial intelligence hype. The firm reiterated a hold rating on Nvidia stock Monday, albeit with a renewed price target of $300 per share, up from $225. Stifel's new price target is 3.7% lower than Nvidia's Monday close of $311.76 per share. Nvidia has been on a tear this year with a 113% gain. Investor excitement over the explosion of AI due to the success of ChatGPT seemingly lifted Nvidia to the forefront. NVDA YTD mountain Nvidia stock. "NVDA remains the best-positioned component/systems company to benefit from the AI investment cycle in the medium term, in our view," Stifel analyst Ruben Roy said. The firm is also raising its forward guidance estimates. Roy posits revenue will grow to $37.8 billion for the full year in 2025 while earnings climb to $6.18 per share. "Our new revenue estimate, which now implies 26% y/y growth, up from 18% previously, is predicated on a higher Data Center segment growth assumption, which is now +41% y/y versus our prior estimate of +25%," Roy said. For the full year in 2026, revenue and earnings will climb to $45.5 billion and $7.65 per share, respectively, Roy said. Nvidia is set to report quarterly results Wednesday. The Stifel call comes a day after KeyBanc reiterated Nvidia as a buy.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
Visier's "New facts about pay" report found that a failure to identify and quickly address potential wage compression effects on the team can lead to "more and faster resignations."

Pay transparency laws  which mandate that employers have to disclose salary ranges  have several benefits, including pay equity and more successful negotiations during the hiring process. But it can lead to more dissatisfaction and resignations, as employees "detect inequities" among themselves, according to people analytics firm Visier. Wage compression can occur when the wages of long-term employees fail to keep pace with the market, it explained  while newer employees are paid at the market rate. Andrea Derler, Visier's principal of research and value, told CNBC Make It that while wage compression is not new, it will become more more widely known as open salary conversations become more commonplace.

"Wage compression was always a reality, but sometimes hidden from the employee because they lacked awareness of their peer's salaries  pay transparency is changing this," she added.

Pay adjustments slow resignations

Visier's "New facts about pay" report found that a failure to identify and quickly address the effects of wage compression on a team can lead to "more and faster resignations." Its findings were drawn from its database of more than 18 million employee records in 75 countries. According to a November 2022 survey from ResumeBuilder.com, around 1 in 20 workers in the U.S. will quit if they find out they're making less than their coworkers. To address that, companies should implement "pay adjustments," which are different from yearly salary changes  and which are usually larger, company-wide efforts, said Derler.

Any form of recognition, or growth opportunity or appreciation may have similar effects, but ... payment adjustment is an effective way to retain existing team members after the event of hiring a higher-paid team member. Andrea Derler Visier

"Percentage increases for employees' salaries are determined by considering a variety of inputs, for example, whether or not the company achieved its annual financial targets but also employees' individual or team performance," said Derler. The pay adjustments, however, are aimed at individuals at the local team level to account for "workers' risk of exit," she added. Visier found that employees whose salaries weren't adjusted to account for the newest highly paid team members within six months resigned 1.8 times sooner than those who received adjustments within the first month.

In addition, employees who hadn't received an adjustment in12 months resigned 2.3 times sooner, said Visier. "[This] suggests that it is important to reassure employees that despite the new entrant, they are still valued at the company," Derler said. "Any form of recognition, or growth opportunity or appreciation may have similar effects, but ... payment adjustment is an effective way to retain existing team members after the event of hiring a higher-paid team member."

Why dissatisfaction occurs

A host of factors may be behind salary differences: skills, education, experience, previous salary and negotiation skills, said Visier. Nevertheless, it's still important for companies to consider an adjustment for employees who have been at the company for a longer time, it added.

[New employees] still lack the internal experience in-role, as well as the overall institutional knowledge the others have. Their entry at a higher level or salary  still brings in a potentially threatening and competitive element. Andrea Derler Visier

"We have all experienced this: when a new team member enters a team, it affects existing team members, simply because work and responsibilities are reshuffled, and training and onboarding is in part supported by those who have been in their role for longer," said Derler. Even if a new entrant is more senior and hence paid more, it can cause current employees to question their own position and pay, she added. "[This] could also have crushed existing hopes for promotions in team members who had been in the role longer  leading to questions such as 'They enter at a more senior level than me, why didn't I get promoted instead?'"

That's why resignation rates are higher among employees whose salaries remained the same for a long time after the new highly paid team members entered the team, Derler said. "[New employees] still lack the internal experience in-role, as well as the overall institutional knowledge the others have. Their entry at a higher level or salary  still brings in a potentially threatening and competitive element."

What you can do

When you discover the difference in salary between you and your peers, you may be "disappointed," which is understandable, said Derler. "But try not to assume malice on the side of your employers. It may be a simple oversight or lack of information your organization has about you and your peers' salary differences." Derler has three tips for those who decide to ask their employers for a salary adjustment: 1. Benchmark your salary externally Inform yourself about how much the work in your role is worth both at your company and at other similar organizations. Gather external market value information about your role and the experience needed through platforms like Glassdoor and LinkedIn. 2. Prove your value to the company Make a list of how your work in the past year added value to the success of your organization, your team and your manager. Instead of listing what you did, show how what you did made a positive difference. 3. Initiate a friendly negotiation with your employer Based on the information you've gathered in the previous steps, come up with a percentage increase range that would feel satisfying to you. State it clearly and firmly  and support it with your list of accomplishments.
Bank of America thinks investing in an insulation distributor and installer can yield investors nearly 22% upside. The bank began research coverage of TopBuild on Tuesday with a buy rating and a $255 price target. Shares of TopBuild closed at $209.72 Monday and are already ahead 32% since the start of 2023. The Daytona Beach, Florida-based company focuses on energy-efficient insulation, but also provides a broader supply of construction and building equipment. The company's home services segment helps builders design more energy-efficient houses. Analyst Rafe Jadrosich says TopBuild shares are poised to benefit from the company's growth in residential construction, a strong valuation and return on invested capital. Jadrosich added TopBuild also stands to gain from homebuilders turning to only the most efficient providers. BLD YTD mountain TopBuild stock. "We expect TopBuild to outpace the residential construction market (40% market share) by leveraging its superior inventory management and ability to recruit/retain installers in a tight labor market," Jadrosich said. Meanwhile, Jadrosich thinks TopBuild's efforts to expand further into the nonresidential market could fuel additional growth in the stock. TopBuild has an 11% market share in commercial insulation and 10% in mechanical insulation, according to the note. "Non-residential installation market is also consolidating and the breadth of BLD's offering should drive share gains from more specialized players," Jadrosich said.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
California officials Monday said communities near Tulare Lake will likely not experience drastic flooding this year as weather conditions improve following a series of powerful atmospheric river storms that refilled the basin.

Several weeks ago, scientists and officials had warned of worsening floods in the Central Valley due to a large amount of snowpack from the Sierra Nevada melting and sending more water into the basin. The forecasting prompted concerns over potential levee breaches and displacement of residents in communities such as Corcoran and Stratford.

However, officials said they no longer expect those communities to flood due in part to state efforts to raise levees and farmers' work to divert more water for irrigation. Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state would spend $17 million to bolster the levees protecting Corcoran from floods.

Brian Ferguson, deputy director of crisis communications for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, said during a news briefing Monday officials are no longer anticipating as serious of damage as they were several weeks ago.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has issued a $9 million fine against one of the largest consumer banks in the country for violating federal consumer financial law and failing to properly process credit card disputes, according to a judgment released Tuesday.

The agency resolved its 2020 lawsuit against Rhode Island-based Citizens Bank for violating the Truth in Lending Act, which protects consumers against unfair credit billing and credit card practices. The CFPB said in its suit that the bank automatically denied fraud claims and billing error notices in certain circumstances.

In addition, Citizens neglected to fully refund charges and fees, and the bank failed to issue mandatory acknowledgement letters and denial notices in response to billing errors, according to the lawsuit.

"Federal law provides important rights to credit cardholders when disputing transactions and resolving billing errors," CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement. "As outstanding credit card debt approaches $1 trillion, the CFPB will be closely watching the conduct of the credit card industry."

Under TILA, credit card issuers are required to investigate all fraud claims and refund the amount in question plus any associated fees if unauthorized use is found. But Citizens automatically denied unauthorized use claims and billing error notices to customers who failed to return the bank's fraud affidavit, according to the judgment.

Automatic denials also were issued when consumers refused or could not comply with a statute requiring notarization for the affidavit or the promise to appear in court, the suit said. In addition, CFPB said Citizens rerouted requests for referrals to credit counseling organizations from its designated toll-free line to general customer service or collections based on account status.

The malpractice began in at least 2010 and persisted into early 2016, according to the suit.

Citizens Bank noted that the issue involved a small subset of its credit card customers.

"While Citizens continues to disagree with the CFPB's stance with respect to these long-resolved issues, which were self-identified and voluntarily addressed years ago, we are pleased to put this matter behind us," said Polly Klane, general counsel of Citizens.

Apart from the $9 million penalty to the CFPB's victims relief fund, Citizens must ensure its credit card practices comply with the law and cease enacting the fraud affidavit, according to the release.

Citizens Bank is among the 15 largest consumer banks in the U.S. with branches and ATMs in 14 states and Washington, D.C. It is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group , which reported $222 billion in assets as of March 31.
Bundlers will gather at the Four Seasons hotel in Miami from Wednesday through Friday. They'll receive briefings from campaign staff and call around to raise money for the campaign, NBC News reported. DeSantis is considered Donald Trump's biggest rival in the GOP primary, although the former president has held a healthy lead in recent polls. The DeSantis campaign's bundler list includes David Horowitz, the chairman of the Horowitz Group, a family office and real estate investment firm based in California. Horowitz did not return a request for comment.

The bundler list, which was first provided to CNBC, includes business leaders from industries ranging from real estate to finance. DeSantis is set to announce his run for president Wednesday evening during a Twitter discussion with the social media platform's owner and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has assembled a team of wealthy business leaders to help raise money for his presidential campaign, according to a partial list of fundraisers provided by a senior political official with the Florida Republican.

Horowitz has previously donated $25,000 to the pro-DeSantis PAC Friends of Ron DeSantis, which was rebranded with new leadership as the Florida governor moved to launch his bid for the White House. During the 2020 election, Horowitz contributed just over $35,000 to the Republican National Committee and at least $2,800 to Trump's failed campaign, according to data from nonpartisan site OpenSecrets.

Hal Lambert, the founder of investment management firm Point Bridge Capital, is also on the list.

Lambert's firm created the MAGA ETF , an exchange traded fund that's advertised as a way for people to invest in companies that align with Republican political beliefs. Lambert served on Trump's Inaugural Committee and was a national finance chair for Trump's successful 2016 campaign for president, according to his website.

"I certainly think north of $500k of hard dollars is very possible for me," Lambert said in an email when asked how much he is aiming to raise for DeSantis. "I want to win in November and I don't think Trump will win. If you look at the map, the states we need, he is losing or has lost previously," he later added.

Records show that Lambert has also donated to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC and Trump's campaign.

Jay Zeidman, a managing partner at health care investment firm Altitude Ventures, is also listed as a DeSantis campaign fundraiser. Zeidman did not return a request for comment.

Zeidman previously donated to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's failed campaign for president, according to OpenSecrets. The New York Times reports that Zeidman is friends with Bush's son, George P. Bush.

Frank Mermoud, the president of Orpheus International, is also a member of the DeSantis bundler team, according to the list provided to CNBC. Records show that he, too, was a supporter of Bush's failed primary run for president in 2016.

Mermoud could not be reached for comment.
A Nazi flag and other objects recovered from a rented box truck are pictured on the ground as the U.S. Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies investigate the truck that crashed into security barriers at Lafayette Park across from the White House in Washington, U.S. May 23, 2023.

The driver of a truck that crashed into security barriers near the White House on Monday night was arrested on multiple charges, including threatening to kill or harm a president, vice president or family member, officials said.

A Nazi flag was seized by authorities at the scene of the incident, which left no one injured.

A law enforcement official told NBC News that the suspect made threatening statements about the White House at the scene but was quickly detained. The truck was found to contain no weapons or explosives, the official said, without providing further details about the incident.

Asked for their reaction, the official said: "I don't think there's any place for a Nazi flag or the statements that he made."

The white U-Haul box truck crashed into the barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square, just a few hundred feet from the White House, just before 10 p.m. ET.
The region's benchmark Stoxx 600 index closed 0.6% lower, with sectors mixed as trading came to a close. Household goods fell 2.5% as industrials dropped 1.3%, while oil and gas stocks gained 0.9%.

The euro zone Composite Purchasing Managers' Index for May showed solid growth that continued to be driven by services, with manufacturing hit by weak demand and a fall in selling prices.

"Eurozone GDP is likely to have grown in the second quarter thanks to the healthy state of the services sector. However, the manufacturing sector is a powerful drag on the momentum of the economy as a whole," said Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank.

"German companies from this sector are particularly hard on the brakes, as new orders here have fallen even more significantly than in France and the production index is also pointing sharply downward."
Philip Ripman manages the $1 billion Storebrand Global Solutions fund, with a focus on sustainability. But some of the stocks in his portfolio might surprise you. As well as green energy stocks, Ripman also invests in chipmakers, cybersecurity stocks, pharmaceuticals and more. The fund's principle is to avoid companies that make over 5% of their revenues from fossil fuels, tobacco, alcohol, war and other vice-related activities, instead investing across the themes of smart cities, circular economy, equal opportunities and renewable energy. The strategy appears to have paid off over the long term: it ranks top for 10-year annualized returns (15%) on Morningstar's list of global mega-cap equity funds. Ripman shared three tips for investing sustainably on CNBC Pro Talks , including how to play the renewables theme. Renewables are 'cheaper' right now Ripman said that renewable energy stocks look relatively cheap and offer "a lot of opportunity" right now. "I think the renewable side, like I mentioned, for once is actually becoming a cheaper prospect," Ripman said last week, adding that it was overvalued in 2020. After some volatility in subsequent years, Ripman said valuations were "now back down to a level that makes them really interesting prospect." "These are areas that are going to see capital inflows, because of the fact that country level, city level, state level, have all committed to make sure that we do have more renewable energy available than previously," he added. "So it's an area that has to grow if we're going to succeed with all the various goals that we've been set at various levels." Look across the supply chain Investors should think more broadly than just pure plays, according to Ripman. "We like to look at it as various parts of the value chain," he said, including different technologies that play into a theme. "We'd look at the entire value chain -- some parts of it might be overvalued, other parts of it might not have as much publicity as others, and also not necessarily be as a known commodity within the sustainable investing sphere, which means it might not come with an ESG premium tag that we do see some companies exhibit within that area," Ripman said. Examples of this from his fund include U.S. firms Solaredge a nd Enphase Energy , which make solar micro-inverters and energy storage, as well as South Korean company Samsung SDI, which manufactures batteries. Consider what's needed in the future The four themes in Ripman's fund  smart cities, circular economy, equal opportunities, and renewable energy  are what he believes will be "essential in years to come." "And I think that's one of the core concepts. When we talk about sustainability as an angle for investing, it's really boiling it down to: what do we need more of in the future," he added. Playing into these themes, the top holdings in his fund comprise include chipmaker Nvidia , cybersecurity firms Palo Alto and Crowdstrike , and consumer goods giant Unilever . Under smart cities, his holdings include Schneider Electric , electric vehicle maker BYD, and water technology firm Xylem . There's also more room for growth in sustainable investments, Ripman said. "We think about climate change as an issue where there's a lot of capital already committed, there's a lot of regulation in place that will support more spending in this issue that I think will be quite sticky. I think these are areas that we need to stay invested in over time," Ripman told CNBC Pro Talks.
Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the Move Forward Party (center), at a rally in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 18 2023. Valeria Mongelli | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Thailand's preliminary election results was a triumph for the progressive Move Forward party but its reforms are set to threaten conservative forces that may move to prevent the pro-democracy party from governing. Move Forward's leader and chosen prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat has announced a six-party coalition that includes Pheu Thai, a populist, pro-democracy party that came second in the election. related investing news Morgan Stanley names 2 chip stocks with 'significant upside' as China bans Micron This gives the coalition 310 seats in parliament's 500-seat lower house. Whoever the coalition appoints as prime minister must win 376 parliamentary votes  a combined number from the 250-seat, military-appointed Senate and the lower house. The vote for PM is expected in August after the Election Commission certifies election results. Analysts say Move Forward faces a daunting task to shore up the remaining 66 votes due to its controversial proposed policies  a new constitution, ending military dominance in politics, abolishing mandatory military conscription, abolishing business monopolies and revising the lese-majeste law that punishes insults to the king with jail time.

Move Forward's agenda is an affront and a frontal challenge to the established centers of power. Thitinan Pongsudhirak professor, Chulalongkorn University

The Move Forward party recently said potential coalition partners don't need to support its stance on lese-majeste as it plans to table it in parliament independently  its refusal to compromise could also isolate prospective allies and most of the junta-led Senate. Ahead of the prime ministerial vote, political watchers anticipate a variety of outcomes, including the possibility of forced intervention by the country's powerful military-monarchy alliance. "Move Forward's agenda is an affront and a frontal challenge to the established centers of power," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor at Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science and a senior fellow at its Institute of Security and International Studies. "It is likely a matter of when and how  not whether  they will strike back."

Establishment-led escalation

Given Move Forward's dogmatic stance, experts expect some kind of power play that would tailor outcomes to establishment preferences. Arch-royalists could go as far as to ban Move Forward, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) warned in a report. It's a plausible scenario since royalist-conservative elites have sway over official bodies like the Constitutional Court, National Anti-Corruption Commission and Electoral Commission. Opposition party Future Forward, for instance, was dissolved by the Constitutional Court in 2020 for violating election laws in the 2019 election  a charge that Human Rights Watch called "politically motivated."

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"The courts could find ways to nullify enough Move Forward and Pheu Thai victories to alter the balance of power," echoed analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in a separate report. There's also a chance Pita himself could be targeted. He was recently charged with a constitutional violation for being a small shareholder of a now-defunct media company while serving as an member of parliament, which he denies. This could be potential grounds for his disqualification and enable the less-radical Pheu Thai to lead the coalition, according to Pongsudhirak. There is a precedent for Pita's case to be cleared, noted Napisa Waitoolkiat, a political scientist at Naresuan University.

Conservative forces have all the necessary tools at their disposal to prevent Move Forward from taking government. Susannah Patton Lowy Institute

In 2001, the Constitutional Court acquitted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra of concealing assets even after he was indicted for corruption charges, she said. "If the elites choose to respect the votes of Thai people, they can certainly do the same this time as they did towards Thaksin in 2001." There are other ways for the Senate to block Move Forward. Senators could abstain from voting and refuse to confirm Pita, leading to a stalemate, according to CSIS. The Senate could also countermand lower house MPs' choice of prime minister, unless the hard-to-reach super majority of 376 votes is secured, Susannah Patton, director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, said in a report. She pointed to statements from senators who hinted they won't automatically endorse the winning party's nominee. "Conservative forces have all the necessary tools at their disposal to prevent Move Forward from taking government," Patton concluded.

A Pheu Thai betrayal

Led by the daughter of ex-prime minister Thaksin, Pheu Thai is an opposition party that is more careful about its messaging on the monarchy. Analysts say there's a chance it could break ranks with Move Forward to work with pro-military parties in order to negotiate strategic gains. "Given Pheu Thai's desire for power, the party leadership may see Move Forward's progressive stances and its threat to the monarchy as a political liability," CFR stated in its report. "If Pheu Thai abandons its pro-democracy peers in pursuit of power, the Bhumjaithai party will likely play a significant role as kingmaker in forming a coalition."

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Bhumjaithai, known for its strong support of marijuana legalization, is considered ideologically flexible as they are pro-establishment but open to working with pro-democracy outfits. There's one key reason Pheu Thai might abandon Move Forward, said Pongsudhirak  and that's to "eke out a coalition deal that would include Thaksin's return to Thailand from exile on softened conditions related to his conviction and jail term." Doing so, however, means long-lasting repercussions for Pheu Thai's image. "Pheu Thai will run the risk of being punished electorally by the pro-democracy voters, who are the key supporters of Pheu Thai in the future," warned Waitoolkiat.

Playing the wait-and-see game

Move Forward's clear lead in preliminary election results gives it a clear mandate to lead in the eyes of the public. Any attempts to thwart that could result in widespread protests, as history shows. When the Future Forward Party was dissolved in 2020, it set off mass youth-led protests. "If a prime minister is selected that is not a representative of a Move Forward-Pheu Thai alliance and instead is from pro-military parties and their allies and senators, expect major street protests," CFR said. In that scenario, there's a chance the military could stage yet another coup, CSIS added. Thailand is no stranger to coups  and has experienced at least 19 coups since 1932, according to the think tank.

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Jefferies thinks the shift toward artificial intelligence will disproportionately aid Microsoft . The firm listed Microsoft as the top pick among 12 companies least at risk from the growing prominence of AI. Jefferies reiterated a buy rating on the tech giant stock Tuesday, with a new $400 per share price target, implying 24.5% upside to Jefferies' price target. "MSFT has taken pole position in what is likely to be a decade-long industry evolution," Jefferies analyst Brent Thill said. "AMZN won round 1 of Cloud wars. MSFT could be the winner of round 2." Microsoft has been planning to shift heavily toward AI for some time, which Jefferies highlighted as underpinning the company's prominence in the space to date. "Our expert noted that Microsoft has been working to position itself as the AI company and AI cloud for some time, starting with GitHub Copilot and continuing with OpenAI investments/recent AI related announcements," Thill said. Microsoft has been a market stalwart this year, surging nearly 34%. MSFT YTD mountain Microsoft stock YTD  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
JPMorgan Chase announced Tuesday that it has agreed to spend more than $200 million on a combination of carbon removal technologies.

The spending will be allocated to long-term agreements to remove and store the equivalent of 800,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, JPMorgan said in a written statement.

The first $75 million commitment of the $200 million was announced in April when JPMorgan said it was joining Frontier, the benefits company owned by payment processor Stripe that makes commitments for its member companies, including Alphabet, McKinsey, Meta and Shopify.

The investment in carbon removal and long-term contracts with carbon removal companies is both a move to support the still nascent carbon removal industry and will enable the bank to remove the equivalent of the carbon emissions that are otherwise hard to abate from its direct operations by 2030, JPMorgan said.

"Financing promising technologies needed to help accelerate the low-carbon transition requires capital and expertise. We're working to drive scalable development of carbon removal and storage as commercial solutions and aim to send a strong market signal," Daniel Pinto, president and chief operating officer of JPMorgan Chase, said in a written statement.

While the market for carbon removal is still small right now, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has projected that by 2050, the world will have to remove the equivalent of 10 gigatons of carbon dioxide per year.

JPMorgan has signed a $20 million, nine-year agreement with the Swiss company Climeworks to deliver the equivalent of 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Climeworks is one of the market leaders in direct air capture, a process akin to vacuuming carbon dioxide out of the air.

"The finance industry has no doubt become a trailblazer in supporting the scale up of high-quality carbon removal solutions," Christoph Gebald, co-founder and co-CEO of Climeworks, said in a statement about the deal. "[T]oday marks a new milestone in this field."

JPMorgan also signed a deal with Charm Industrial, a carbon storage company that converts excess organic material such as corn stover  the stalks, leaves and cobs that remain in fields after the corn harvest, and which would otherwise decay and release carbon dioxide into the air  into a bio-oil and then put that oil into the ground in abandoned oil wells. The deal with Charm aims to remove and store the equivalent of approximately 28,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide over five years.

The carbon removal and storage deliveries from Charm for JPMorgan have already started, the bank said.
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Climate activists protest outside the Shell annual general meeting at the ExCel center in London, U.K., on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. The protests come as Shell faces a shareholder vote on a measure to increase its climate ambitions following a year of record profits at the company. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

LONDON  Shell Chief Executive Wael Sawan and the firm's board of directors on Tuesday were shielded by security staff as climate protesters unsuccessfully tried to storm the stage at the British oil giant's annual shareholders meeting. The acrimonious meeting, which was held at the ExCeL London exhibition center, was repeatedly disrupted by protesters before they were removed by security staff. Proceedings were scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m. London time (5 a.m. ET) but waves of disruption delayed the meeting for well over an hour. Protesters could be heard singing to the tune of "Hit the Road Jack," "Go to hell, Shell, and don't you come back no more" as Sawan, Chairman Andrew Mackenzie and other directors looked on. It comes as climate-focused investors seek to ramp up pressure on the energy major after an extraordinary run of record profits. Follow This, a small Dutch activist investor and campaign group with stakes in several Big Oil companies, tabled a resolution at Shell's shareholders meeting.

Climate activists protest outside the Shell Plc annual general meeting (AGM) at the ExCel center in London, UK, on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. Hollie Adams | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Climate Resolution 26 calls on Shell to align its climate targets with the landmark Paris Agreement and commit to absolute carbon emissions cuts by 2030. These cuts, Follow This says, should include emissions generated by customers' use of their oil and gas, known as Scope 3 emissions. It echoes a 2021 ruling by a Dutch court that Shell should reduce its global carbon emissions by 45% by the end of the decade, which the company has appealed. For the first time, Dutch pension managers MN and PGGM  both Shell shareholders  have endorsed the resolution. The institutional investors lead engagement with Shell on behalf of the world's largest climate-focused investor group Climate Action 100+, which represents $68 trillion in assets. It comes as investors increasingly see a warming planet as a growing risk to their portfolios. The burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, gas and coal, is the chief driver of the climate crisis. Meanwhile, the Church of England Pensions Board, Britain's Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, the U.K.'s National Employment Savings Trust, and shareholder advisor PIRC have said they will either vote against or recommend a vote against the reappointment of Shell's Mackenzie. Adam Matthews, chief responsible investment officer at the Church of England Pensions Board, reportedly said earlier this month that it had "lost confidence in the direction of the company." Shell, which is aiming to become a net-zero emissions business by 2050, has recommended shareholders vote against the motion tabled by Follow This. The company described Climate Resolution 26 as "unclear, generic and would create confusion as to Board and shareholder accountabilities." "We strongly disagree with the Follow This resolution and with those organisations which have recommended supporting it, or voting against Board members. There must be an emphasis on changing the use of energy as much as its supply, and this is reflected in our approach," a spokesperson for Shell said in a statement. "We will continue to invest in producing the energy the world needs today and for the foreseeable future. All of our investments have to provide a rate of return that our investors demand," they added. Proxy advisors Glass Lewis and Institutional Shareholder Services have both recommended that their clients vote against Resolution 26.

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Follow This said it represents nearly 10,000 Shell shareholders, although the majority hold only a couple of shares. It is unlikely that those planning to vote in favor of the resolution will trigger a broader shareholder revolt or succeed in ousting board members, but Follow This says it hopes investors take the opportunity to compel the company to align their 2030 emissions reduction targets with the Paris accord. At BP's annual general meeting last month, support for a Follow This resolution calling for tougher emission reduction targets by the end of the decade came in at 17%, although this was up from 15% last year.

Bumper profits
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will announce he is running for president during a discussion with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, three sources familiar with the plans told NBC News.

Musk and DeSantis will host an event on Twitter Spaces, the site's platform for audio chats, on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. It will be moderated by David Sacks, a tech entrepreneur who is a Musk confidant and DeSantis supporter.

That same evening, the campaign will release a launch video, and DeSantis will begin visiting several early states after Memorial Day.

The relationship could be a significant boost for DeSantis by giving him an introduction to, and credibility with, Musk's massive following  including his 140 million Twitter followers. But it could prove a burden should DeSantis become distracted by the tycoon's many controversial comments.

The launch will closely tie together the billionaire tech mogul with one of the Republican Party's rising stars. Musk has been an admirer of DeSantis, who also regularly chides corporate media. Last year, Musk said he would support the governor if he were to run for president.

The announcement will coincide with a retreat for high-end fundraisers pledged to support DeSantis in Miami. Bundlers will gather at the Four Seasons hotel from May 24-26, receiving briefings from campaign staff, combined with time to call around to raise money for the campaign.

The DeSantis team has been in talks with Musk for at least the last few weeks, according to a source familiar with the discussions. In those conversations, the source said, Musk has indicated he doesn't think former President Donald Trump can win back the White House.

"He's interested in the future, and he's interested in winning again," the person said.

It's not clear if Musk will formally endorse DeSantis on Wednesday, but another source said that within DeSantis' team, his participation is viewed as a clear sign of support for the governor.

Yet Musk is nothing if not unpredictable, and on Friday, he tweeted praise of an ad by Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., one of DeSantis' rivals for the GOP nomination.

NBC News did not receive a response for comment from Musk, Sacks or the DeSantis campaign for this piece.

Even if Musk stops short of a full endorsement of DeSantis, aligning with his presidential announcement puts him and the company more squarely into a presidential election than any other tech company before it. Twitter, Facebook and others have launched election hubs and voter registration efforts, but have kept candidates at arm's length.

And someone of Musk's stature participating in DeSantis' presidential launch dents the inevitability and power of Trump.

DeSantis' relationship with Musk goes back to early 2021, when the two met at a dinner party in Austin, Texas, with roughly 15 people including tech investors, developers and health care industry officials, according to a GOP fundraiser who was at the meeting.

The two also have a relationship through Sacks, a major Republican donor who has been openly supportive of DeSantis and is considered to be part of Musk's inner circle on decisions about Twitter.

Musk has carved out an intense following after he purchased Twitter with the promise to return "free speech" after years of complaints from the right that the site had tried to censor conservatives. Among his first steps was reinstating the accounts of previous far-right Twitter users who had been suspended for spreading disinformation. Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who remains one of the most popular figures in conservative media even after being fired by Fox News, is launching a new show on Twitter.

That seems to be part of what makes partnering with Musk attractive to DeSantis. One of the sources familiar with the plans told NBC News that DeSantis' aides have been watching Twitter become an increasingly friendly space for conservative firebrands under Musk's leadership, allowing them to speak directly to their conservative audience and bypass traditional media  something that was once Trump's superpower.

Trump was banned from Twitter after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection by his supporters at the Capitol, and he has yet to return to the site even after Musk reinstated him last fall.

"I expect the campaign will be painting a positive vision for the country, and the entire rollout will highlight future vs. past, success vs. failure, winning vs. losing and action vs. talk. That is the frame of the race," a source familiar with the plan said.

The plan is not without its risks. Musk's international star power could serve to outshine DeSantis, who  while a heavyweight in Republican political circles  is not nearly as well known. And DeSantis may not want to have to answer for all of Musk's positions  potentially down to individual tweets  such as his comments about progressive megadonor George Soros that have earned the ire of Jewish leaders.

A source familiar with the plans said the DeSantis team wasn't worried about being upstaged, arguing that the governor is fine not having the spotlight solely on himself.

But an additional risk for DeSantis is that while Musk has tons of muscle available to put behind DeSantis  and has fans in the former president's base  Trump has made a political career out of portraying himself as an underdog fighting powerful forces within his party, on the Democratic side of the aisle, and in government and industry. Musk  and by extension, DeSantis  could be framed as just the latest corporate titan to align against Trump's movement.

In the coming weeks, Musk will be stepping down as Twitter's CEO. He recently announced that he had hired Linda Yaccarino, the former head of ad sales for NBCUniversal, to take over as the next CEO of Twitter. Musk said he would still oversee product design and new technology, while Yaccarino would run the business side.
Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's energy minister, speaks during a panel session at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, Qatar on May 23, 2023.

Saudi Oil Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Tuesday told market speculators to "watch out," reiterating his warning that they could face pain ahead.

"Speculators, like in any market, they are there to stay. I keep advising that they will be ouching. They did ouch in April. I don't have to show my cards, I'm not [a] poker player  but I would just tell them, watch out," he said during an energy-focused panel of the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha.

The Saudi oil minister has previously struck out against price speculators looking to profit off predicting the output decisions of OPEC+, which next meets on June 4.

Most recently, several members of the OPEC+ alliance voluntarily  and independently from the group's broader strategy  announced they would cut their crude oil production by a combined 1.6 million barrels per day. The move briefly boosted prices, which have since surrendered gains. ICE Brent futures with July expiry were up 50 cents per barrel from the May 22 settlement at $76.49 per barrel by 12:05 p.m. London time.

OPEC+, a group of 23 oil-producing nations chaired by Saudi Arabia, in October decided to lower output by 2 million barrels per day in an effort to bolster prices, given concerns over global consumption. The move was met with immediate backlash from the U.S. over the strain on fuel-consuming households.

"We were, as OPEC+, blamed in October, blamed in April. Who has the right numbers? Who gauged the situation in a much more, I would say, responsible way, but attentive way?" Abdulaziz said Tuesday.

"I think over the last six-seven months we have proven to be a responsible regulatory institution," he added, remarking that the market is experiencing ongoing volatility and requires OPEC+ to stay proactive and preemptive.

In the weeks since April's voluntary cuts were announced, crude prices have been depressed on the back of banking turmoil, recessionary signals, and a slower-than-expected Beijing reopening and subsequent uptick in demand from China, the world's largest importer of oil.

Market watchers are now questioning whether OPEC+ will in June move toward another production decline to crutch prices, even as Paris-based watchdog the International Energy Agency now sees a deep supply squeeze on the horizon.

"The current market pessimism ... stands in stark contrast to the tighter market balances we anticipate in the second half of the year, when demand is expected to eclipse supply by almost 2 mb/d," the IEA said in its latest Oil Market Report of May.

The organization's executive director, Fatih Birol, nevertheless on Sunday told CNBC that a potential  if unlikely  U.S. debt default could trigger a drop in oil demand and prices.

In a May 17 note, analysts at Swiss bank UBS trimmed their Brent price forecasts by $10 per barrel to $95 per barrel by year-end, given higher-than-expected crude oil volumes and recession fears. They anticipate the market will be undersupplied by nearly 1.5 million barrels per day in June.

"With several OPEC+ member countries voluntarily removing barrels from the market, and amid rising demand during the Northern Hemisphere's summer, we expect larger inventory draws to materialize and bring investors back to the oil market," they said.

Saudi Arabia's oil minister on Tuesday also emphasized the risks of market uncertainty, along with the progressive depletion of spare capacity in producing countries  an argument he has previously deployed to advocate for higher investment in fossil fuels, in addition to spending on renewable projects.

"Look at where we are now: energy security is being shackled, running out of capacities because countries are not investing both in oil and gas," he said.

"We have a very funny trajectory of where demand will be. So if you are a hedger, as we are, we'll have to take action to preempt any possibility of further volatility  but we are forthrightly accepting the challenge, and we will continue attending to the challenge."
President of the European Council Charles Michel (left) and South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol (right) attend a press briefing after their meeting in Seoul on May 22, 2023. Jung Yeon-je | AFP | Getty Images

South Korea and the European Union agreed on Monday to step up cooperation on security amid tension over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and North Korean nuclear threats. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol held a summit in Seoul with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel, during which the leaders also pledged to work together on climate change, health and supply chains. "South Korea and the EU are important partners that share universal values of freedom, human rights and rule of law," Yoon told a joint press conference. Yoon has been pushing for greater security ties with Europe and other U.S. allies to address global challenges, including the conflict in Ukraine and tension over China's stance towards self-ruled Taiwan. He also wants cooperation to curb North Korea's nuclear ambitions. In June, he attended a NATO summit for the first time as a South Korean leader.

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At Monday's talks, which mark the 60th anniversary of bilateral relations, Yoon and the EU leaders in a joint statement condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a grave violation of international law. They also criticized North Korea's ongoing efforts to develop its nuclear arsenal and Pyongyang's threats of the possible use of nuclear weapons against South Korea. "Russia must stop its aggression and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the entire territory of Ukraine," the statement said. A major producer of artillery shells, Seoul has not provided lethal weapons to Ukraine, citing its ties with Russia, but Yoon signaled a possible shift in his stance against arming Ukraine in an interview with Reuters last month. At the press conference, von der Leyen thanked Yoon for South Korea's financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Yoon and the EU leaders also called for freedom of overflight and navigation in the South China Sea, as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, saying they oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Indo-Pacific.

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Yelp Inc. signage is displayed on a monitor on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading.

Yelp  Shares of the online reviewing company jumped 5.7% after activist investor TCS Capital Management took a stake in the firm, saying in an open letter the company should explore strategic alternatives, including a sale. TCS built up a more than 4% position in Yelp, becoming one of the company's top five shareholders. TCS said Yelp is "shockingly undervalued" and could be sold to a private equity buyer for at least $70 per share, a more than 120% premium.

AutoZone  The auto retailer's shares fell 6% after missing revenue expectations for the fiscal third quarter. AutoZone posted $4.09 billion in revenue, less than the $4.12 billion consensus estimate of analysts polled by Refinitiv. Earnings of $34.12 per share topped analysts' $31.51 forecast. Inventory increased 7.4% year over year.

Lowe's Companies  The home improvement retailer advanced 1.7% on a first-quarter earnings report that beat analyst expectations, but the company cut its full-year outlook.

Chevron  The San Ramon, California-based energy producer added 2.9% in midday trading. HSBC upgraded Chevron to buy from hold earlier Tuesday, citing a potential rebound in oil prices.

Zoom Video Communications  Shares tumbled 8.1% following the video conferencing stock's first-quarter report. While the company beat Wall Street expectations for both earnings per share and revenue, Zoom's expectations for the current quarter were only in line with expectations, according to Refinitiv.

Broadcom  Broadcom shares added 1.2% after Apple announced a multibillion-dollar chip deal with Broadcom. The multiyear plan stems from the iPhone maker's commitment to funnel $430 billion into the U.S. economy.

BJ's Wholesale  Shares dropped 7.3% after the wholesale club's quarterly revenue was modestly worse than estimates from analysts polled by Refinitiv. Comparable club sales excluding gasoline also came in slightly weaker than expected.

Peloton  Shares lost 1.1% after the connected fitness equipment company, largely known for its at-home exercise bike, unveiled a fresh marketing strategy to grab new customers. The brand relaunch, which comes as Peloton tries to turn itself around, includes a new pricing structure for its digital app.

Advanced Micro Devices  The semiconductor company's shares rose 0.1%, hitting a new 52-week high. Bank of America reiterated the chipmaker as a buy in a Tuesday note, saying AMD is on the "verge of another large opportunity" stemming from artificial intelligence demand.

Chimerix  The biotech stock rose 2.1% after Baird began research coverage with an outperform rating. The firm said it's bullish on a "first-in-class agent" treatment for tumors.

Lifecore Biomedical  The stock jumped 50.2% after Lifecore announced $150 million in new financing, the repayment of outstanding term loans and a new supply agreement.

Integra Lifesciences  Shares fell 20.2% after the medical technology company gave weak guidance for its second quarter. The company said earnings per share should reach 55 cents to 59 cents, less than the prior range of 75 cents to 79 cents and the consensus estimate of 77 cents from analysts polled by FactSet. Integra said revenue should total between $372 million and $376 million, lower than prior guidance of $396 million to $400 million and the FactSet consensus of $398.1 million.

Quanterix , Myriad Genetics  The health technology stocks surged 9.2% and 13%, respectively, following upgrades to buy from neutral at Goldman Sachs. The bank said Quanterix has better operating leverage than the market expects, and Myriad has a differentiated financial profile that's currently discounted.

Snowflake  Shares rose 1.9% ahead of the cloud computing stock's quarterly report due Wednesday. Wells Fargo said it was bullish heading into the company's earnings and reiterated an overweight rating.

CCC Intelligent Solutions  Shares of CCC Intelligent Solutions gained 0.8% following an upgrade to outperform from in line at Evercore ISI. The firm said the software services provider for the property and casualty insurance sector "has been on an 'AI journey' long before it became the trend du jour."

Spotify  The music streaming service lost 0.6% despite Guggenheim reiterating the stock as a buy, noting usage trends remain strong and can help Spotify power a healthy growth cycle.

Regional banks  Several regional banks rose Tuesday. Closely followed PacWest jumped 7.9%, while Comerica and Zions added 2% and 4.6%, respectively.

 CNBC's Hakyung Kim, Michelle Fox, Samantha Subin, Brian Evans, Yun Li, Sarah Min and Michael Bloom contributed reporting.
Former president Donald Trump, left on screen, and his attorney, Todd Blanche, right on screen, appear by video, as his other attorney Susan Necheles, right, looks on, before a hearing begins in Manhattan criminal court, in New York, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. Trump made a video appearance Tuesday in his New York criminal case, with the judge tentatively setting a trial date for late March of next year.

Donald Trump will go on trial beginning March 25 for the New York criminal case in which he is accused of falsifying business records related to a hush money payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels, a judge said Tuesday.

That trial is set to begin in the middle of the presidential primary season and less than eight months before the 2024 election for the White House.

Trump, who has pleaded not guilty, is currently seeking the Republican nomination for that race.

He is the first American president, former or otherwise, to face criminal charges.

Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan announced the trial schedule as Trump appeared in court via a video hookup for a hearing in the case Tuesday.

Merchan warned Trump that he could be sanctioned if he violates an order that restricts his ability to make public evidence and other material related to the criminal case.

The judge earlier this month issued that protective order after the Manhattan District Attorney's Office raised what it called substantial concerns that Trump would "inappropriately" use the material or post it on social media.

After the hearing, Trump posted a message on his social media site that criticized the schedule for his trial and Merchan.

"Just had New York County Supreme Court hearing where I believe my First Amendment Rights, 'Freedom of Speech,' have been violated, and they forced upon us a trial date of March 25th, right in the middle of Primary season," Trump wrote.

"Very unfair, but this is exactly what the Radical Left Democrats wanted. It's called ELECTION INTERFERENCE, and nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before!!" he wrote.
Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Piper Sandler reiterates Meta as overweight Piper said it's very bullish on Meta's AI capabilities. "We see a three-pronged approach with META using AI to (1) drive higher user engagement, (2) develop better, more automated advertiser tools, and (3) create an open-source AI ecosystem. Meta's investment may have been overshadowed by the Metaverse, but AI initiatives could soon catalyze revenue share gains in '23 & '24." Jefferies adds Microsoft to the franchise picks list Jefferies added the stock to its franchise picks list and says it's among the names facing the least risk to AI. "We are adding MSFT to our Franchise Picks List and raising our PT to $400 (from $350), representing 32x P/E FY25 cons, which is a 4x turn premium to the 5-year average P/E NTM (next twelve months.)." Read more about this call here . HSBC upgrades Chevron to buy from hold HSBC said the oil and gas giant is attractively valued. "We upgrade Chevron to Buy from Hold due to the shares' underperformance and an attractive distribution yield on a par with EU majors." Read more about this call here. Stifel reiterates Nvidia as buy Stifel raised its price target on the stock to $300 per share from $225 and said it's bullish heading into earnings Wednesday. "We are expecting strong results and outlook as NVDA's data center GPU products continue to garner strong demand from both AI-focused and broader data center demand." Read more about this call here. Bank of America reiterates Advanced Micro Devices as buy Bank of America raised its price target on the stock to $120 per share from $105 and said it's on the "verge of another large opportunity" in AI. "We rate AMD Neutral on a balanced risk-reward in attractive computing/artificial intelligence markets." Read more about this call here. JPMorgan initiates Cleveland-Cliffs and U.S. Steel as neutral JPMorgan initiated Cleveland-Cliffs and U.S. Steel , noting it's concerned about "worsening fundamentals." "While shares are broadly below recent highs, we think investors will begin to discount further worsening fundamentals as we move into the back half of the year." Oppenheimer reiterates Tesla as perform Oppenheimer said the automaker will outperform near-term but it's staying cautious. "We remain cautious on an uncertain macro backdrop and margin expansion timing, but note shares may move higher NT as TSLA outperforms peers in a choppy market." MoffettNathanson upgrades Zoom to market perform from underperform Moffett upgraded Zoom after its earnings report and said the business "appears to be stabilizing." "That business appears to be stabilizing, with the expectation that the next quarter will show the first sequential growth in over seven quarters." Baird initiates Chimerix as outperform Baird said in its initiation of the biotech company that it's bullish on its "first-in-class agent" treatment for tumors. "Initiating coverage of Chimerix with an Outperform rating and $7 price target. Chimerix's lead agent is a potential first-in-class agent for the treatment of H3 K27M-mutant glioma." Goldman Sachs upgrades Quanterix to buy from neutral Goldman upgraded the biomarker analysis company and said it has greater operating leverage. "While the stock is off its most recent lows, we believe there is additional discovery value in QTRX as the market recognizes the extent to which the cost base has improved resulting in potentially greater operating leverage than the market assumes." Goldman Sachs upgrades Myriad Genetics to buy from neutral Goldman said the genomic testing company has a "differentiated financial profile at a discount." "When we initiated on MYGN in 2021 we stated we were waiting on further execution from the company on resetting their organic growth rate, restructuring and improving their commercial efforts and trimming the portfolio all of which they have accomplished over the last 2 years, however we do not believe this is reflected in the share price given the persistent multiple discount vs peers." Wells Fargo reiterates Snowflake as overweight Wells said it's bullish on the stock heading into earnings on Wednesday. "While we see the FQ1 setup as now more balanced, we remain positive on SNOW's positioning and potential for a strong 2H." Evercore ISI upgrades CCC Intelligent Solutions Holdings to outperform from in line Evercore upgraded the digital workflow solutions company and said it has a "wide competitive moat." "We are upgrading CCCS to Outperform and bumping our PT to $13 as we believe the risk/reward skews to the upside for investors looking for a SMID-cap name that plays in a vertical market with a wide competitive moat." Guggenheim reiterates Spotify as buy Guggenheim said in a note Tuesday that Spotify usage trends remain strong. "We see continued strong usage trends as core to a healthy growth cycle that includes pricing power, negotiating leverage, cost control, and potential product expansion." Bank of America reiterates Churchill Downs as buy Bank of America called the horse racing and gaming company "unique." "We believe CHDN is a unique and idiosyncratic growth story in U.S. gaming, as we est. 16% EBITDA growth in 2024 driven by a combination of organic growth, high-return capex, and M & A. Maintain Buy & $162.50 PO." Goldman Sachs reiterates Workday as buy Goldman said it's bullish on the stock heading into earnings later this week. "Heading into the print, we expect Workday to maintain steady growth momentum, with revenue +16%, 24-month subscription backlog +20% and operating margin of 21.7%, largely in-line with management's guidance." Bank of America initiates TopBuild as buy Bank of America said the distributor of insulation is a "high return business." " TopBuild is the leading installer and specialty distributor of insulation in the US. ... Our Buy rating reflects an outlook for: 1) share gains in residential (65% of sales), 2) continued accretive M & A, 3) significant long-term growth in non-residential (35% of sales), and 4) attractive valuation, ROIC and free cash flow generation."
Uber 's ride-hailing and delivery services will soon be offered by Waymo's autonomous vehicles, at least in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area.

On Tuesday, Waymo, a division of Alphabet , announced a multiyear partnership with Uber, offering autonomous ride-hailing service and delivery via Uber Eats that will begin later this year in a 180-square-mile operating territory around Phoenix, which Waymo bills as "the largest fully autonomous service area in the world."

The news comes nearly two months after Waymo announced it would make its Waymo One ride-hailing fleet fully electric, and expanded vehicle testing in Austin, Texas.

"Fully autonomous driving is quickly becoming part of everyday life, and we're excited to bring Waymo's incredible technology to the Uber platform," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement.

"Uber has long been a leader in human-operated ridesharing, and the pairing of our pioneering technology and all-electric fleet with their customer network provides Waymo with an opportunity to reach even more people," Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, said.

A representative for Waymo declined to comment on the terms of the financial partnership.

In the past, the two companies were rivals in the robotaxi space, settling a case over trade secrets in 2018 for $245 million after Waymo accused Uber of poaching one of its leading engineers. Uber also agreed not to use Waymo's proprietary information in its operations. In 2020, Uber sold its autonomous car unit to Aurora for a reported $4 billion, in a bid to prioritize profitability and focus on surer bets amid the Covid-19 pandemic, such as ride-hailing and food delivery.
The governor of Russia's Belgorod border region said Tuesday that a "counter-terrorism operation" was ongoing following an armed attack Monday that Russia blamed on Ukraine, calling it the work of "saboteurs."

Kyiv has denied any involvement in the incident, noting that anti-Putin militias known as the "Freedom of Russia" Legion and the "Russian Volunteer Corps" have claimed responsibility for the raid on the district of Grayvoron that lies on the border with Ukraine.

Several people were injured and several houses and a local administrative building were damaged in what Vyacheslav Gladkov, the region's governor, described on Telegram as shelling and drone attacks. One woman died in the evacuation of the district, he said.

Images were also posted on Russian social media channels purportedly showing a plume of smoke after an alleged strike near an FSB security service building in Belgorod, although CNBC and NBC have not been able to verify the footage.

Gladkov said that a "clean-up" operation was being carried out by the Russian Defense Ministry and law enforcement agencies, telling residents of the area that they could not return to their homes yet.

Also on Tuesday, a Russian court extended Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich's detention by three months, a move the U.S. embassay decried.
Former US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Mark Wilson | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, often a thorn in the side of his country's EU allies, publicly declared he'll be backing Donald Trump to win next year's U.S. election and make a return to the White House. Orban served as Hungary's leader between 1998 and 2002 and returned to the job in 2010. With 17 years under his belt, he is now Europe's longest-serving prime minister and has become widely regarded as the most pro-Kremlin leader of the 27 nations of the European Union.P When asked Tuesday if he would like former President Trump to win the next election, he replied, "I hope so." Speaking at Bloomberg's Qatar Economic Forum, he was also asked about his views on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a likely candidate for the Republican Party presidential nomination in 2024. "He is also a very good leader, but I belong to the club of the veterans and the veterans support each other," Orban said, making it clear his preference for Trump. Orban's admiration for Trump is not new. When joining Twitter in late 2022, Orban's first tweet was, "Where is my good friend, Donald Trump."

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During a meeting in the Oval Office in 2019, when Trump was president, both leaders complimented one another, with the Republican president saying: "You're respected all over Europe. Probably, like me, a little bit controversial. But that's OK." They found common ground over immigration policy, security and what they have described as conservative values. At the same Qatar event on Tuesday, Orban avoided giving criticism of the current U.S. president, Joe Biden. "It is not my job to criticize the head of the United States. It is not a good business idea, anyway," he said. "American Democrats are far more ideologically-led than the Republicans. And the Democrats always like to convince you and sometimes force you how to live  and I don't like it. We have our own culture  don't interfere please," Orban said. Orban's opinions are not shared across the European Union. After joining the EU in 2004, Budapest has frequently been at loggerheads with Brussels. The former communist state has often been criticized for looking to assert its influence over courts, the media and other independent institutions.

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PM Modi reached Australia after wrapping up his Papua New Guinea visit. He will be in the country from May 22 to May 24 as a guest of the Australian government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday for his three-day visit to Australia. PM Modi is set to hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today in the final part of his three-nation visit. This is his second visit to Australia as the Prime Minister. PM Modi is expected to make an address. People can catch all the updates on CNBCTV18s live blog.

PM Modi reached Australia after wrapping up his historic Papua New Guinea visit and he will be in the country from May 22 to May 24 as a guest of the government.

On his arrival, PM Modi was received by Australian counterpart PM Anthony Albanese, the Australian High Commissioner to India, Barry OFarrell and along with other Australian officials.
After five weeks of fierce battles between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the warring factions on Saturday agreed to a seven-day truce, aimed to allow for the delivery of aid.

Artillery fire could be heard in parts of Khartoum and warplanes flew overhead on Tuesday, residents said, though an internationally-monitored ceasefire appeared to have brought some respite from heavy fighting in the Sudanese capital.

Night-time airstrikes were reported in at least one area after the ceasefire started late on Monday, but residents otherwise reported relative calm.

The truce was agreed at talks in Jeddah on Saturday after five weeks of fierce battles between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). It is being tracked by Saudi Arabia and the United States and is meant to allow for the delivery of humanitarian relief.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  More suspects tagged in the murder of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo have taken back their statements, their lawyer confirmed on Tuesday.

Speaking to CNN Philippines The Source, lawyer Danny Villanueva said his clients have recanted their statements.

The counsel said he represents Osmundo Jhudiel Rivero, Dahniel Lora, Romel Pattaguan, and Rogelio Antipolo Jr.

"All these four have executed their respective affidavit of recantation," Villanueva said.

Rivero recanted his statements on Monday.

READ: Suspect in Degamo slay recants statements on killing  lawyer

In his counter-affidavit, Rivero claimed he was kicked and hit while at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Headquarters in Camp Crame. He said he was made to say that Negros Oriental Representative Arnie Teves gave the order to kill Degamo, adding that his family was also threatened.

Villanueva said the recantation documents were not yet considered submitted since only Rivero was scheduled for preliminary investigation on Monday after the Department of Justice granted their camps motion to reopen the preliminary investigation with respect to Rivero.

We were supposed to submit his counter-affidavit, as well as his affidavit of recantation at naka-attach po doon 'yung recantation din ng tatlo pa [the recantation of the other three were also attached there]However, the panel of state prosecutors required us to submit the sworn statements executed by the PNP of Negros Oriental, as well as those allegedly executed by our clients before the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) but as of the moment, we dont have a copy of the sworn statement of Mr. Rivero, he explained.

Villanueva said they questioned the procedure since it is the prosecutors responsibility to provide the documents. The affidavit of recantation will only be accepted by prosecutors once the missing documents are submitted as well, he noted.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has maintained that it will not pay the supposed 15.3 million debt to its contractor for the botched 2022 debates. The poll body said it has denied the demand of Impact Hub Manila, citing the lack of necessary documents.

"Upon evaluation, Impact Hub's demand for payment is not accompanied by the documentary requirements necessary to establish the validity of claim," Comelec said in a letter dated May 19, 2023 and signed by Executive Director Teopisto Elnas Jr.

"In this regard, the Commission is constrained to DENY Impact Hub's claim for 15,300,000.00," Elnas added.

The letter was sent to Impact Hub's legal counsel Ma. Karla Denise Frias.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia earlier told CNN Philippines that the poll body does not have any obligation or pending amount to settle with Impact Hub.

"Pag naniningil ka sa kahit anong status mo, whether publiko o pribado. Naniningil ka, magbigay ka muna ng ebidensya na may pagkakautang sa iyo ang entity o isang tao. Lagyan mo ng dokumento para mapatunayan mo na ikaw talaga ay may karapatang maningil," Garcia told reporters on Tuesday.

"Sa part naman ng sinisingil, kailangan naman namin yun upang malaman na ito ay compliant sa auditing rules, sa accounting rules dahil pondo po ito kasi ng sambayanan," he added.

[Translation: Whether it's private or public, when you are collecting dues, you have to first give proof that an entity or person owes you. You have to provide documentation to prove you have the right to collect. On the part of the person who owes money, we need that to know it's part of being compliant with auditing rules, with accounting rules because these are public funds.]

The debate contractor earlier sent a "final demand" letter to the poll body, seeking P15.3 million as part of its services to mount the botched Pilipinas Debates 2022.

The company also warned of implementing legal remedies if the amount is not settled.

The Comelec's letter cited the rules of the Generic Procurement Manual Volume 2 (Procurement of Goods and Services) which states that requests for payment "shall be made in writing, accompanied by an invoice describing the goods delivered and/or services performed."

Elnas also wrote that the procuring entity must ensure all accounting and auditing requirements are met.

The letter also cited the Commission on Audit's Circular No. 2012-001, which requires "legality of transaction and conformity of laws and regulations" as well as "sufficient relevant documents to establish validity of claim" for any type of disbursement.

Garcia said they are awaiting submission by next week of the investigation report on the matter.

He said five to six individuals, former and current Comelec personnel, and private sector individuals may be involved in the mess. They may face criminal, civil, and administrative liabilities for the issue.

"Yung unang nasubmit (na report) kasi sa atin, nagbanggit ng mga tao, nagbanggit ng liability. Pero sa aming palagay, ano yung specific na provision ng liability? Anong provision ng batas?" Garcia said.

"Kinakailangan specific, i-pinpoint talaga ano ang ginawa, ano ang participation, at ano ang linabag if meron man," he added.

(Translation: The first report submitted to us mentioned people and liability. But we ask what is the specific provision of liability? What provision in the law? It has to be specific, you have to pinpoint what was done, what was the participation, what were the violations, if there were any.]

Reverting debate hosting duties to media entities

Comelec aims to give back hosting duties to media entities in the next elections to avoid a repeat of the 2022 debate mess.

Garcia cited Republic Act 9006 or the "Fair Election Act" wherein the poll body may require national or television and radio networks to sponsor at least three debates.

"Ang media entities ang dapat nagpapahold ng presidential debate. Sabi pa nga doon, kahit na kumita ng kaunti ang mga media entities, ang Comelec ay taga-observe lang," Garcia said.

"Noong magkaroon tayo ng debate noong 2016, wala tayong naging problema, walang naging isyu sapagkat kinarga, binalikat ng mga media entities ang lahat ng gastos at lahat ng patakaran. At pati yung pag-obliga sa mga kandidato na magsi-attend during that presidential debate," he added.

[Translation: Media entities should hold presidential debates. It also says that even if media entities earn a little, Comelec should only observe. When we had the debate in 2016, we had no problems, no issue as media entities took on the costs and rules. As well as obligating candidates to attend the presidential debate.]

Garcia also said among the things they are looking into is the supposed deal with Impact Hub Manila if it was legal and in accordance with the law.

In April, the last two Comelec-sponsored debates were canceled following the failure of Impact Hub Manila to settle its 14 million debt to Sofitel, the venue for the event. The poll body sought the assistance of the Kapisanan ng Brodkaster ng Pilipinas to mount a forum instead of a debate.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it remains confident about securing a conviction over the killing of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo and nine other people, even after more suspects recanted their testimonies.

Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon assured the public on Tuesday that "there is more than enough evidence to pin down the accused."

Lawyer Danny Villanueva said all of his four clients have already signed an affidavit of recantation, but the DOJ downplayed this.

"Sa tingin naman namin walang epekto sa kaso. Kasi naniniwala kami ang ebidensyang hawak ng department ay matibay. Kahit pa may umatras at may magbago ng kanilang salaysay hindi ibig sabihin nito na totally masisira yung kaso," Fadullon said.

[Translation: We feel this will have no effect on the case. We believe the evidence with the department is strong. Even if someone withdraws and their statement changes, this doesn't mean this will negatively impact the case.]

Fadullon pointed out this only puts into question the credibility of the suspects.

"Hindi kasi pwedeng pabago-bago yung sasabihin mo na sabihin mo sa unang kwento mo ganito-ganito nangyari, pagkatapos babawiin mo sa oras na magkaroon ng abogado," he explained.

[Translation: You can't keep on changing your statement  you say one thing then take it back when you get a lawyer.]

Asked how the recantations will affect the murder complaints against Negros Oriental Rep. Arnie Teves, Fadullon said he is leaving it up to the panel of prosecutors to evaluate the suspects' statements.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said a food stamp program, called Walang Gutom 2027, aims to help one million Filipino families belonging to the lowest income bracket.

At a briefing on Tuesday, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said the program is still in the design stage, with the pilot set to be launched within the year.

"It's still in the design stage because what's happening right now is we are working with the World Food Program (WFP) who has vast technical expertise when it comes to running food stamp programs worldwide," Gatchalian said.

He said the design stage would take the rest of May and the whole month of June.

So, the remaining May and June, we will work with designing it. Now, July to December will be the pilot run for those regions that we've identified," he added.

Gatchalian said they have already identified the one million families who would be recipients of the program.

"The 'Walang Gutom 2027' intends to target the bottom one million households from Listahanan 3 who belong to the food poor criteria as defined by the Philippine Statistics Authority," Gatchalian added.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said the country and the Asian Development Bank were working on a food stamp program based on an earlier proposal by the DSWD.

In the briefing, Gatchalian said families who would take part in the program are those who do not make over 8,000 a month, but added that like other food stamp initiatives, it would be conditional.

"We will supplement the family's intake para mawala yung feeling of hunger, thereby makahanap siya ng trabaho, thereby they become part of the workforce of the country," he said.

"Ang kundisyon is when you're signed up, you have to go to your nearest public employment office, get a certification that you are now being counted as part of the workforce, no matter what job it is."

[Translation: We will supplement the family's intake to eliminate the feeling of hunger. This will enable them to find jobs so they can become part of the country's workforce. The condition is when you're signed up, you have to go to your nearest public employment office, get a certification that you are now being counted as part of the workforce, no matter what job it is.]

As for the areas where the pilot program would be launched, Gatchalian said the sites will have different geopolitical characteristics.

"Mayroon tayo [We have this] in the BARMM area, what used to be a former conflict area; two, geographically isolated regions or provinces; three, in urban poor settings; four -- and four will be calamity drive/stricken areas; and the fifth will be rural poor," he said, adding the government would make sure the context of the program would be appropriate for each area.

Three thousand families will take part in the pilot run. The DSWD hopes to raise that to 300,000 the following year.

"We have to do it in a progressive manner, we have to do the pilot at 3,000 families; 300,000 hopefully next year sa first run; another 300,000 right after and then hopefully reach the magic number of one million on the succeeding year," Gatchalian said, adding they would continuously measure how the program affects beneficiaries.

The DSWD's Walang Gutom 2027 program aims to provide electronic benefit transfers that will be loaded with food credits amounting to 3,000 to be used to buy a select list of food commodities from DSWD-accredited retailers.

Gatchalian clarified that it would not be in the form of cash, adding that the government is working with the WFP on a digital platform where those participating in the program will receive cards that will not be loaded with money but food equivalents. The beneficiaries can then choose from different food baskets

"The baskets are always composed of 50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fats -- so mamimili lang [they will choose] within the food groups," he said. These baskets will be available from specially selected stores.

For the pilot run of the program, Gatchalian said the ADB was "kind enough to provide close to $3 million for the six months pilot that will run in the middle part of this year towards the latter part of this year."

Gatchalian estimated that $40 billion would be needed for Walang Gutom 2027's total run, including administrative costs.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Monday issued a cease-and-desist order against an orphanage in Quezon City, citing that the facility puts the children in imminent danger.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian said he personally visited Gentle Hands Inc. (GHI) on Saturday, together with registered social workers, and found out that the facility is overcrowded, dirty, unventilated, and without proper fire exits.

He said the privately-owned orphanage can only accommodate 80 children but they are currently housing 149 children.

Gatchalian added that the fire exits of the facilities were sealed by metal grills.

That by itself is very alarming already," he said. "We are the parents of the nation. The department has the responsibility to safeguard those who are vulnerable."

The secretary also reported that the GHI is congesting over a hundred students to two classrooms that can only accommodate 20 children at most.

Without disclosing other details, the GHI on Monday thanked the DSWD and said they have come to a compromise with the agency  pertaining to an appeal that the DSWD allowed after they refused to accept the cease-and-desist order that was served on Monday.

DSWD Undersecretary Pinky Romualdez said the orphanage agreed to hand the 149 children over to the DSWD by the end of the day if they refuse to accept their appeal.

Rescued children will be transferred to their residential care facilities, Gatchalian said.

GHI is a duly registered and licensed social welfare and development agency of the DSWD with a license valid until August next year.

The secretary said if they comply with the issues raised within 20 days, the DSWD will lift the cease-and-desist order and give them back the children.

Unsupervised

Meanwhile, Gatchalian also pointed out the struggle of social workers to get inside the facility to conduct a spot check.

He said the guard initially barred them from entering because there were no social workers, house parents, or person of authority inside.

But when they got in, Gatchalian said he was alarmed at the sight of a Caucasian man walking around the facility without supervision.

Kami na regulator nila, bawal kami mag spot check pero [We as regulators are barred from conducting a spot check but] an unaccompanied Caucasian male adult just walked out, he said.

That by itself is a violation of our standard operating permits where all visitations  even for prospective adoptive parents  must be supervised, the secretary added.

CNN Philippines has reached out to Gentle Hands Inc. for comment.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 23)  Authorities on Tuesday declared fire out at the Manila Central Post Office more than 30 hours after the blaze broke out late Sunday evening.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the fire was out at 6:33 a.m. It started past 11 p.m. Sunday in the post offices basement.

Speaking to CNN Philippines The Source, Philippine Postal Corporation Postmaster General Luis Carlos said the blaze started at the southside of the building. He added he is still waiting for the BFPs report on what caused the incident.

BFP-National Capital Region Director Chief Superintendent Nahum Tarroza on Monday said the historic building was totally burned as the materials that made up the structure easily caught fire.

The fire also destroyed national IDs.

Authorities said 15 people were hurt, including 11 members of the BFP, one volunteer, and one civilian.

The cost of damage was initially pegged at 300 million.

Carlos said the post office has around 700 employees. Some are currently reporting for work at the Delpan Mail Distribution Center in Manila, and in the Phlpost's central mail exchange center in Pasay.
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Microsoft is all in on artificial intelligence (AI) for a very simple reason: it believes its lead in the technology will make it the tech worlds top dog again. Microsoft is far behind Google in search and browsers, but it believes AI can help it eat into that lead, or even make Microsoft dominant.

The stakes couldnt be higher. Microsoft CFO Amy Hood recently told analysts that a single percentage point of market share in search advertising is worth $2 billion. In the first quarter of 2023, Google had an 85% search market share, compared to 9% for Bing. So, theres a lot of upside for Microsoft to reap billions if it can edge closer to Google. And thats just in search. Microsoft sees more billions in additional AI-driven money in the cloud, productivity tools and more.

Standing in Microsofts way isnt just competitors. Governments around the world, ethicists, and many AI researchers believe the fast-evolving technology, if not handled properly, poses a significant danger to society and democracy and could even imperil the future of humankind.

All those things worry AI pioneering researcher Geoffrey Hinton, the Godfather of AI who recently quit his decade-long job at Google in protest against the unfettered use of the technology. I dont think they should scale this up more until they have understood whether they can control it, he said after leaving Google.

He's not alone. In March, more than 1,000 AI researchers, tech leaders, and others signed an open letter warning that AI creators are locked in an out-of-control race to develop and deploy ever more powerful digital minds that no one  not even their creators  can understand, predict or reliably control. They asked for a pause on development of any AI tool that is more powerful than GPT-4, developed by OpenAI, in which Microsoft has invested $13 billion.

Then, in early April, 19 leaders of the 40-year-old academic society Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence released a letter warning about the dangers AI poses. Among those signing it was Eric Horvitz, chief scientific officer at Microsoft, and a former president of the society.

Microsofts response to all this? Either a big shrug or the middle finger, depending on how you feel about the company.

Grinding up the AI 'sausage'

Its not that Microsoft isnt aware of the dangers. Its concerned enough that it established several internal groups about them, including the Office of Responsible AI. But those groups seem to be little more than window dressing.

The company once had an ethics and society team embedded directly in its AI organization, a team that had real teeth. By 2020, it included 30 engineers, designers and philosophers, and worked with the AI development group to make sure AI was handled ethically.

That team, according to Platformer, translated the Office of Responsible AIs vague-sounding pronouncements and made sure they were put into effect in shipping products.

One member of the group explained: People would look at the principles coming out of the office of responsible AI and say, I dont know how this applies. Our job was to show them and to create rules in areas where there were none.

But as Microsoft accelerated AI development, it slashed the teams staffing. In October 2022, four months before Microsoft released its Bing AI chatbot, Microsoft cut the team to a skeleton crew of seven. The company made no bones about why it acted: it was rushing to launch its AI chatbot, and wanted nothing, including ethical considerations, to stand in its way.

Platformer got its hands on audio from a meeting in which John Montgomery, Microsoft corporate vice president of AI, told the team why it was being cut.

The pressure from [CTO] Kevin [Scott] and [CEO] Satya [Nadella] is very, very high to take these most recent OpenAI models and the ones that come after them and move them into customers hands at a very high speed, hes quoted as saying in the audio. The ethics team, he claimed, stood in the way.

One member of the team responded, While I understand there are business issues at play, what this team has always been deeply concerned about is how we impact society and the negative impacts that we've had. And they are significant.

Montgomery dismissed the complaint: Can I reconsider? I don't think I will. Cause unfortunately the pressures remain the same. You don't have the view that I have, and probably you can be thankful for that. There's a lot of stuff being ground up into the sausage.

Even after the cuts to the team, the AI sausage apparently wasnt being ground up fast enough for Microsoft. On March 6, it eliminated the team entirely.

Thumbing their nose at the feds

At the same time Microsoft targeted people inside the company worried about AI, the rest of the world became increasingly worried, too. In early May, the White House invited AI leaders of Microsoft, Google, Open AI (the maker of ChatbotGPT), and the AI startup Anthropic to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris. President Biden came to the meeting briefly and warned, What youre doing has enormous potential and enormous danger. Harris amped that up, declaring, The private sector has an ethical, moral and legal responsibility to ensure the safety and security of their products.

Microsoft didnt bother to pretend it cares about the presidents and vice presidents concerns. On the same day as the White House meeting, it made the Bing chatbot available to anyone who wanted to use it, eliminated the safety guardrails it had put around it, and opened it up to developers.

The companys message was loud and clear: for Microsoft, its full speed ahead on AI, despite its potentially dangerous effects. After all, theres sausage to be made.
Microsoft 365 suffered another outage on Monday, preventing users from accessing Microsoft 365 apps.

Were investigating an issue affecting access to https://msft.it/6016gbJ06 and Microsoft 365 apps, the company said in a Tweet.

Users reported that they were experiencing issues when accessing their Outlook mailboxes and were unable to connect to the Microsoft 365 servers.

We received reports that this impact manifested for users primarily in the North America, Poland, and United Kingdom regions, though users in other regions also may have been affected, the company said in the alert.

Within an hour the company said the issue was resolved, Weve identified and corrected a problem that impacted content rendering on http://office.com and other sites, the company Tweeted.

Despite the quick response, the company received major backlash on Twitter mainly due to the frequent outages in Microsoft 365 services.

The Microsoft service status page showed that Outlook, Skype, and Teams were facing issues at time of writing. For Outlook and Teams users, contact lists are being unexpectedly duplicated, while on Skype some users may be unable to make Skype outbound phone calls to Chinese numbers.

Were continuing our efforts on a long-term solution to clean up the remaining duplicate contacts which will be available closer to the end of June, the service status page states.

Series of Microsoft outages this year

The latest outage is the sixth service disruption faced by Microsoft this year. Each of the outages so far has involved at least some of the Microsoft 365 services.

On May 9, the company said it was investigating an issue with accessing some Microsoft 365 services and features for users within the UK.

In April, Microsoft said it was investigating an issue where users may be unable to use the search functionality in multiple Microsoft 365 services. Outlook on the Web, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, and Outlook desktop clients were among the affected services.

Earlier in the same month, users were unable to access Microsoft 365 web applications and Teams. Microsoft said it investigated the errors within the caching infrastructure and high CPU utilization on components that process backend navigation feature APIs. The services were subsequently restored.

Microsoft suffered a global outage in February due to which users were unable to access emails on Outlook or use the collaboration suite Teams. Users primarily located in the North American region were unable to access Outlook to send, receive, or search email. Additional functionality such as the calendar consumed by other services such as Microsoft Teams were also affected.

The company had to investigate a global outage affecting products and services including Microsoft Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business along with Teams and Outlook in January as well. Two hours into the outage, Microsoft said it was rolling back a network change that it believed was causing the outage.
Well, that was fast.

Just under two years after splashing into the world with all sorts of provocative promises, a search startup that was set on convincing people to pay for a privacy-centric Google alternative is shutting its doors.

Neeva, founded by a pair of former Google executives and the subject of intense fascination within the tech universe, quietly announced over the weekend that its service will be winding down next week. From the announcement:

Weve discovered that it is one thing to build a search engine and an entirely different thing to convince regular users of the need to switch to a better choice. From the unnecessary friction required to change default search settings, to the challenges in helping people understand the difference between a search engine and a browser, acquiring users has been really hard. Contrary to popular belief, convincing users to pay for a better experience was actually a less difficult problem compared to getting them to try a new search engine in the first place. These headwinds, combined with the different economic environment, have made it clear that there is no longer a path towards creating a sustainable business in consumer search. As a result, over the next few weeks, we will be shutting down neeva.com and our consumer search product and shifting to a new area of focus.

Signs suggest Neeva's new area of focus could involve selling its underlying technology to a database software company called Snowflake. According to the website The Information, that firm has now signed a letter of intent to buy Neeva, with the goal of turning its product into a mere feature that'd give Snowflake clients a more effective way of "search[ing] for information in internal documents and data."

In any field, competition is a good thing for us as end users, and it's always a shame to see a promising new challenger call in quits. In this instance, though, I can't help but wonder if there's a broader message to be considered about Neeva's core purpose and the crux of its pitch to online search consumers.

[Get fresh Googley insight in your inbox every Friday with my Android Intelligence newsletter. Three things to know and try every Friday!]

Neeva and the pure privacy presentation

If you never used Neeva  and statistically speaking, odds are, you probably didn't  the service's primary selling point and raison d'etre was to offer a Google-like search experience that emphasized privacy and didn't include ads. It cost six bucks a month for that privilege.

The model is admirable enough, and it certainly played into the current marketing-driven frenzy around privacy and in particular Google's practices in that area. And that's exactly what makes the service's failure so fascinating.

For context, Neeva's primary pitch revolved around the fact that it provided capital-P Privacy in a way Google did not. And so you, as an enlightened appreciator of optimal technology, should see enough value in that to be willing to shell out six clams a month to have it.

That sounds plenty nice on the surface, right? I mean, really: Who wouldn't want more privacy  or to avoid having their data gobbled up by the Big Tech Monster and shared with the highest bidder?

But that's where the problem with the Neeva model begins. In reality  and in a sharp contrast to the misleading marketing campaigns constructed by companies that stand to profit from that manner of messaging  Google doesn't do anything shady or particularly problematic with data. By and large, the issue is more theoretical than practical.

We've talked about the Google privacy perception vs. reality issue before. Whereas competing companies would like us to believe the search giant is dangling our most sensitive data out to anyone who'll cough up cash for it, in actuality, all that's happening is that Google is using your search and web browsing activity to develop a private profile of your interests. That profile then determines which ads you see around the web  in a completely programmatic and privacy-conscious way.

Critically, Google uses such data only internally and as part of an automated system. That allows it to programmatically pick ads it thinks are likely to be relevant and interesting to you based on the sorts of stuff you've looked at over time. It does that instead of just serving up random ads that have nothing to do with what you care about, as such non-targeted ads would likely be (a) far less interesting and potentially useful for you and (b) far less effective in terms of their performance. And to that second point, yes: The company does that in order to make money and allow Google to function as a business without having to charge you for its various core services.

In my experience, when presented with that more realistic and less sensationalized view of Google's actual business model, most people have the same sort of reaction: "Oh. Okay. I guess that's fine, then."

The story of Neeva feels a bit like a case study in seeing how far the manufactured outrage over targeted advertising can go  because it's one thing to get people riled up over some philosophical injustice. It's another to get them to change their habits and actually start paying as a part of that.

And therein lies the problem.

The problem of privacy as a philosophy

I explored Neeva several times along its journey, starting back when the service was in a pre-release state in late 2020. The idea of a more "premium" search experience always sounded appealing to me, and I'm 100% in favor of paying for worthwhile services  but all philosophical waxing aside, I just never found much meaningful value in what Neeva offered over what I was already getting from Google.

In general, the results I saw from Neeva ranged from similar to slightly worse than what I'd get from Google, in terms of actually finding what I needed. All in all, the service just didn't do anything transformative or meaningfully different. Its primary point really was addressing that intangible concept of "privacy" in search  and it doesn't seem like a stretch to suspect that when push came to shove, most folks concluded that having a search engine show you ads based on your interests really isn't that big of an issue or something that warrants a major change in habit and expense.

After all, if Neeva's results aren't substantially better than what you get from Google, at the end of the day, what are you actually paying for? You're accepting less convenience and connectivity with other services you use  a benefit of Google services that's difficult to match at this point, especially for those of us who live inside that ecosystem  all simply for the benefit of knowing that your searches won't algorithmically cause a handful of ads to be shown to you on subjects you care about?

Now, don't get me wrong: Privacy absolutely does matter when it comes to protecting your personal data from apps and services that sell and share information in disconcerting ways (some of which, by the by, might be baked directly into your phone's software  and not because of Google). But when the alleged "problem" is simply that a company is programmatically using your activity to show you ads more likely to be relevant to your interests in a way that allows the associated services to operate for free, the value being provided by a paid alternative gets a little more murky.

The "privacy" concept in that particular sense is still great for marketing and getting people riled up, but perhaps this is an indication on some small level that the outrage in such a scenario only goes so far  and that if you want people to pay for a product, you've gotta offer something significantly better than the status quo in a truly practical sense, not just on a philosophical, "BUT PRIVACY!" level.

We're seeing that play out right in front of us with ChatGPT and Microsoft's moves to reframe its long-struggling Bing search engine around the notion of smarter search. The actual results may still be questionable, but it's clear the idea of an AI-powered, more conversational search product is at least creating some manner of spiked interest in Bing that simply wasn't there before. Microsoft's offering something new, something different, and something that  for the moment, at least  has an obvious practical impact that Google's search product can't match.

While Neeva did start integrating AI into its offering in recent months, that seemed like more of a predictable reaction than anything involving the service's identity. Neeva's core proposition and purpose still revolved around that privacy angle and its lack of any reliance on advertising.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this. Neeva was just one small service, after all, and any number of factors could explain its failure to catch on. But I can't help but think its arc represents an interesting, if limited, endorsement of the effectiveness of Google's business model. All overblown marketing aside, when people see plain and clear what the actual, practical effect of targeted advertising is and how little meaningful effect its absence has on the experience  and when the alternative is a fee-requiring service with little in the way of consequential differentiation beyond that one variable  the demand suddenly becomes a lot less pressing.

Google isn't invincible. All the uproar around ChatGPT right now is a powerful reminder of that. But on some level, at least, the story of Neeva suggests privacy alone may not be enough to convince people to jump ship. That narrative may help reenforce a broader marketing message, like what we see with Apple and its never-ending campaigning in that area. But when you isolate things down to privacy alone, the limits of that argument and how much it can compel people to act become all too apparent.

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Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong tests positive for COVID-19

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday he has tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time after returning home from work trips in Africa and Asia.

Due to his age, the 71-year-old said he was prescribed the Paxlovid antiviral medication.I tested positive for COVID-19 for the first time this morning, Lee said on Facebook, where he posted a photo of a positive antigen rapid test. I am generally feeling ok, but my doctors have advised me to self-isolate until I am asymptomatic.

Wishing my friend @leehsienloong good health and a quick recovery. https://t.co/wEOrnzr7oR  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 22, 2023

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished Lee a speedy recovery.

Lee was on an official visit to South Africa from May 14 to 16, and Kenya from May 17 to 19. He also attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Indonesia from May 10 to 11. Lee said his last COVID-19 vaccine booster was in November. He urged Singaporeans to keep their vaccinations up to date to reduce the risk of severe illness.

Singapore Health Minister Ong Ye Kung was reported by local media as saying recently in Parliament that fewer seniors were keeping up with their COVID-19 shots. He warned this could weaken the populations resistance against COVID over time and make the nation vulnerable to the virus again.
The protests in India were held outside the collector's office in Bodhgaya which has one of the largest Japanese tourist footfalls, led by the Indian Social Action Forum and All India Hawker Federation; Japanese Consulate Kolkata led by National Hawker Federation and Prasada village in Chhatisgarh led Nadi Ghati Morcha. These rallies called out the government of Japan for being among the worlds leading fossil fuel investors and their lacklustre stance towards phasing-out fossil fuels; promotion of fossil gas and false solutions like hydrogen and ammonia technology.Japan is the largest public fossil fuel financier, with an annual average of USD 10.6 billion towards fossil fuel projects from 2019 to 2021 according to a report . At the same time there are tensions between Japan and other G7 members over their differences on carbon emissions and phase out of fossil fuel technologies.In the recent communique from the G7 from the energy and climate ministers meeting last April affirmed their commitment to aligning with the Paris Agreement set in 2015. The ministers agreed to drastically increase solar capacity and offshore wind. However, they did not set a timeline for a gas phase-out and welcomed investments in gas subject to conditions. Technologies such as hydrogen and ammonia were also accepted as technologies that can help with the decarbonization process.

Renewables-based electricity is now the cheapest power option in most regions. According to research , renewables are already the default option for capacity additions in the power sector in almost all countries and dominate current investments. Renewables are also the most readily-available and cost-effective way to provide 90 per cent of all decarbonisation by 2050 -- that is, if currently installed renewable power capacity will be tripled by 2030.Japan and the rest of the G7 display a blatant disregard for the pressing needs of both people and the planet, instead of meetingaa their climate finance obligations and fulfilling their commitment to end by 2022 their public financing of fossil fuels, said Lidy Nacpil, coordinator of Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) and Convenor of the Asian Energy Network (AEN).Saktiman Ghosh, General Secretary of the National Hawker Federation felt, As the host for this years G20 Summit, India has a deep responsibility of steering this powerful body of countries towards a cleaner future. Japan should not be allowed to interfere and use the G7 to derail the world by promoting false solutions! We also reject the notion that the new Indo-Pacific strategy will be used to export fossil gas, non-renewable hydrogen and ammonia in the region. This new kind of energy colonialism does not have a place in the equitable future for Asia.No to LNG and strongly rejecting any Finance in Fossil fuel project in Asia. We demand a Climate safe future in the Globe. Let us join to create a better EARTH, said Gautam Bandyopadhyay of Nadi-Ghati Morcha.Vidya Dinker, President of Indian Social Action Forum said, "The leadership of the G7 and the G20 have the mandate and more importantly, the responsibility to urgently take action to arrest temperature rise and the impacts of the climate crisis. The hope and aspirations of millions in the global south are now anchored with them. We are holding this mobilisation in Bodhgaya an important spiritual node for many Japanese, so they can carry this clarion call to their government and the other G7 leaders that all excuses have run out, fossil fuel investments need to stop now."---
Interview: Wealth gap in U.S. continues to widen due to insufficient action on economic inequality, says analyst

Xinhua) 11:19, May 23, 2023

ISTANBUL, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The United States has not effectively tackled economic inequality at home, leading to a widening gap between the rich and poor in all aspects of life, according to a foreign policy analyst.

"Economic equality, whether measured through the gaps in income or wealth between richer and poorer households, continues to, unfortunately, widen," Gulru Gezer, a foreign policy analyst and former Turkish diplomat, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "And we also see that the middle class has been shrinking continuously over the past decades in the U.S."

Gezer said income and wealth inequality are higher in the United States than in most developed countries. Citing a recent statistic published by Economic Policy Institute, she noted a CEO in 2018 was paid 278 times what an average worker made. She also added that nearly 38 million people in the country live in poverty, according to the 2021 figures.

Education and the tax system in the country are also other realms of inequality, said the analyst. "If you want your child to receive proper education and have a university degree, you have to start saving actually before the child is born. And those who receive university degrees in the U.S. are less than 30 percent" of the population.

Several factors explain glaring U.S. inequality: the 2008 global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and tax reform, said Gezer. "All these problems, coupled with insufficient policies to address these challenges, have actually caused inequality in the U.S.," she added.

Gezer also said that Democrats and Republicans hold divergent perspectives on addressing inequality, leading to challenges in developing effective policies.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The brothers Crane, Frasier and Niles, are two of Seattles finest therapists. Well. At the very least, they are indisputably two of Seattles therapists. If you could only select one to help you deal with lifes most perplexing problems, which would you choose? The good Redditors of r/frasier recently asked themselves the same question and, insurance verification pending, here are their conclusions (user spelling and grammar kept intact).

Click right here to get the best of Cracked sent to your inbox.

Team Frasier Frasiers titular character got surprisingly little love as Reddits therapist of choice. But Kelsey Grammars neurotic psychotherapist does have a few fervent fans. If it's relationship advice I'm going to Frasier, wrote u/Jonesy1138. Then again, everything else, probably Niles. U/Shogun_Empyrean weighed in with a similar split decision, choosing Niles as a therapist but Frasier as that mate that I vent to who also gives good advice." Others agreed -- Frasier seems like a good dude to share a beer with at a Boston bar. Frasier seems more intuitive emotionally, says u/notmynameyours. Niles is dying to diagnose, whereas Frasier wants to really connect with his patients.

Team Lilith Play Even though Frasiers ex wasnt part of the original question, she got a surprising amount of support. Lilith for the win, says u/crmrdtr. She is a SOLID write-in candidate, agrees u/steakhousefunyun.
Infrastructure access management company Teleport has announced the release of Teleport 13, the latest version of its Teleport Access Platform. Teleport 13 features scanning and automatic patching of Teleport vulnerabilities to enhance security and reduce operational overhead for DevOps teams responsible for securing cloud infrastructure, the firm said.

The solution aims to address the targeting of user credentials and other forms of secrets by attackers and is ideal for users that adopt the Teleport Open Source edition but do not want to host it themselves, according to Teleport.

Other features include Transport Layer Security (TLS) routing via a single TLS port and the ability to import applications/groups from Okta to application access and AWS OpenSearch support for secure database access. Users can also view and share Windows desktop session recordings with security teams and external auditors.

Maintenance window option eliminates manual patching

Teleport 13 offers regular vulnerability testing and self-updating and patching across the entire infrastructure, Teleport said in a press release. This feature eliminates the need for security teams to seek vulnerabilities and manually patch them, while automatic updates also allow developers to configure a maintenance window to control when agents are updated, the firm added.

The patching and upgrading process automatically upgrades agents upon the release of new security updates, compatible with system-based Linux distributions using either apt or yum package managers, and Kubernetes clusters, Ev Kontsevoy, CEO and co-founder of Teleport, tells CSO. Automatic updates have an optional system service thatll update the service for the user. This service can be used to perform dry-runs and manage update state. On-prem hosts their own version server and declare the cluster maintenance configuration manually  his determines when they want the agent updated.

Setting up automatic updates is a two-step process, Kontsevoy says. First is creating release channel files. A release channel contains two pieces of information: the targeted version and if the update is critical. Updaters subscribe to a release channel and will update to the provided version during a maintenance window if possible. Second is configuring the maintenance schedule. Agents can retrieve the maintenance schedule from the Teleport cluster and pass it to the updater. In this step users configure the maintenance schedule for the whole cluster. Teleport can then be leveraged by teams to patch services for them if requested, as Teleport provides unified access to that infrastructure, Kontsevoy ads.

Patch management a significant challenge for organizations

Patch management is a vital yet often challenging security component for a lot of organizations, exacerbated by an ever-expanding attack surface generated by increasing applications, endpoints, and networks. The time and resources required to identify and patch vulnerabilities can be significant, with ineffective patching processes potentially exposing organizations to serious vulnerabilities for substantial periods of time. In Q1 2023, threat actors exploited almost 7,000 new CVEs in addition to older vulnerabilities in unpatched systems, according to the Reliaquest Quarterly Cyber-Threat Report. Privilege escalation was the most exploited vulnerability type, surpassing memory corruption (the leader in Q4 2022).

TLS routing, Okta/AWS integrations, offline Windows desktop session recordings

Teleport 13 also introduces support for server and Kubernetes access through application load balancers in TLS routing mode, in which the Teleport proxy multiplexes all client connections on a single TLS port. This simplifies network configurations while support for application load balancers allows customers to leverage load balancing at scale in AWS, automatically distributing incoming traffic across multiple targets, according to Teleport.

As for new integrations, Teleport 13 adds the ability to import applications and groups from Okta to application access and AWS OpenSearch support for database access. The former makes it easier to manage access to Okta web apps without manual configuration and setup, while the latter makes searching and analyzing large databases more secure, Teleport said.

Furthermore, Teleport 13 users can export Windows desktop session recordings to video format for offline playback, allowing them to view and share sessions with security teams and external auditors.
USD/CAD ANLAYSIS & TALKING POINTS

Crude oil markets resisting dollar upside.

US debt ceiling debate continues.

Key are of confluence in question.

Recommended by Warren Venketas Get Your Free USD Forecast Get My Guide

CANADIAN DOLLAR FUNDAMENTAL BACKDROP

The Canadian dollar is trading in line with the markets response to US debt ceiling negotiations which has seen an uptick in USD support. Crude oil has also rallied and somewhat capped upside for USD/CAD bulls ahead of the US trading session. Following an announcement from OPEC+ addressing short sellers ahead of the June 4th meeting, has driven prices higher. Iraqs oil minister stated that they are committed to OPEC+ cuts giving more sustenance to the crude oil move.

Upcoming US PMI data may provide some short-term volatility for the pair but if estimates are anything to go by, CAD my regain some ground on the greenback.

Recommended by Warren Venketas Get Your Free Oil Forecast Get My Guide

USD/CAD ECONOMIC CALENDAR

Source: DailyFX Economic Calendar

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

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USD/CAD DAILY CHART

Chart prepared by Warren Venketas, IG

Daily USD/CAD price action is now testing the upside of the medium-term symmetrical triangle (black) coinciding with the 50-day MA (yellow). The recent break above the 1.3500 psychological handle has not managed to spur bullish optimism towards triangle resistance just yet. The current daily candle is forming a long upper wick and if we see a daily close in this fashion, we may see some downside to come from a technical point of view.

Key resistance levels:

1.3600

Triangle resistance

50-day MA (yellow)

Key support levels:

1.3500

200-day MA (blue)

IG CLIENT SENTIMENT DATA: BULLISH

IGCS shows retail traders are currently SHORT on USD/CAD , with 52% of traders currently holding short positions (as of this writing). At DailyFX we typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment resulting in a short-term downside bias.

Contact and followWarrenon Twitter:@WVenketas
When I was born in 1948, this country was mainly Christian. Today, Britain has a dangerous new religion  the cult of the National Health Service.

Any criticism of our sacred NHS is sacrilege, and anyone who dares propose reforms risks being denounced as a heretic. In the eyes of true believers, the only failing of the health service is that theres never enough money to pay for it.

The solution: fling more billions in the collection plate.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer knows his followers will never allow him to make the structural changes the NHS so desperately needs. He darent even name them.

Thats why his pledges yesterday to tackle what he called the three biggest killers  heart disease, cancer and suicide  rang so hollow.

Professor Karol Sikora: 'Any criticism of our sacred NHS is sacrilege, and anyone who dares propose reforms risks being denounced as a heretic'

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer knows his followers will never allow him to make the structural changes the NHS so desperately needs

Labours internal politics mean that Starmer will never cure the most insidious sickness in the NHS: its bloated bureaucracy. All he can do is shovel more funding into the black hole and watch the problems get worse.

The fact is that our centralised, Soviet-style, state-run health service cannot deteriorate much further before it breaks down completely. It is already failing millions, leaving them to suffer and die.

That is what makes the Governments quietly radical new reforms so significant. These, it emerged yesterday, begin with the introduction of a new feature in the NHS app that will enable patients to opt for medical treatment at private hospitals, with the costs borne by the health service.

This represents a practical solution, and probably our best hope in the short-term of cutting waiting lists for procedures such as hip replacements, cataract surgery and even some heart work. But to Labours NHS fundamentalists and fanatics, the mere suggestion is blasphemy.

Dishonestly, they insist that any departure from state funding will create a two-tier health service, where only the wealthy will be able to access life-saving surgery.

This is pure dogma. In most European countries, healthcare is also available free at the point of delivery. But the private sector works alongside public services. In France, for instance, you can go to a state-run hospital and have cancer treatment with a private provider  funded by the taxpayers. This is not only more efficient than the British system, its cheaper, too.

This option is currently impossible in the UK, because anyone who proposes it is accused of wanting to sell off our beloved NHS. Yet Frances healthcare outcomes speak for themselves.

When I suggested on BBCs Newsnight in 2017 that private healthcare companies could be the systems saviour, not its destruction, I described the NHS as the last bastion of Communism in Europe. That brought an avalanche of criticism down upon me.

The fact is that our centralised, Soviet-style, state-run health service cannot deteriorate much further before it breaks down completely [File image]

But since then it has become even more monolithic, inefficient and unmanageable. Those of us who work in it Ive been a doctor for 51 years  know what a joyless environment it has become.

When I was young, doctors and nurses loved working in the NHS. Every day brought the opportunity to save some lives and change others. Now, every day seems to bring another bout of diversity training or fresh edict on whatever woke language is now deemed acceptable.

The more politically correct the phraseology, the more dehumanised the NHS becomes. Worst of all is the current trend to label patients as service users. That treats human beings as if they were cans of peas, rattling along a conveyor belt.

As long as the bureaucrats care more about words than people, real change cannot happen. Instead, well have vacuous promises and verbiage of the sort served up by Starmer at an ambulance station in Essex yesterday.

The Labour leader pledged to reduce deaths from heart disease and strokes by a quarter over ten years. Its a laudable aim, and one that might be possible if radical changes to healthcare were actually implemented  such as introducing regular lipid checks to monitor cholesterol levels in those more at risk.

But how can people get preventative cholesterol check-ups three or four times a year, if they cant even see a GP? Many patients who have cardiac procedures to insert stents into constricted arteries report that follow-up care is negligible  with no one checking that their symptoms have eased or even asking whether theyve managed to give up smoking.

In fact, its common for people suffering chest pains to wait more than an hour for an ambulance. Earlier this year, emergency services revealed the response time for heart attacks and strokes is an abysmal one hour 33 minutes, more than 50 per cent longer than the previous nadir.

Starmers promise to drastically reduce fatalities is just hot air. So is his guarantee to prioritise mental healthcare and cut suicides. And as for his pledge on cancer, my own speciality  well, I despair.

When new patients are referred to cancer consultants, the target is for them to be seen within two weeks. Across the country, only 70 per cent are seen within that time  and in the worst regions it is just 60 per cent.

Keir Starmers empty promises will do nothing to change that. Healthcare is just too important to be a political game [File image]

Then there is a 62-day target for starting treatment. When I tell my European colleagues about this figure, their reaction is disbelief. Survival chances typically drop by ten per cent for each month that cancer treatment is delayed. Tackling these delays must be the very minimum required to save more lives. Starmers vague, uncosted proposals do nothing to address the problem. He knows Labours membership would never allow him to introduce the policies that would make change possible  changes that the Tories are already trying to address.

We know it can be done, because private enterprise has already achieved it in other sectors, such as travel. Most older people will remember when international flights were prohibitively expensive, a service aimed at the luxury market  until the budget airlines came along.

Or consider the unprivatised British Telecom in the 1960s and 1970s, when people could wait weeks or months for a new phone line. The market created efficiencies.

Similarly, we have to break the monopoly of healthcare. The Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and social care in England, is an ineffective, time-wasting inspectorate whose senior posts are filled by failed middle managers, talking an obscure jargon of their own. They have lost sight of what patients need.

One quick and easy tweak would be to introduce a voucher system, allowing patients to choose where they go for treatment.

If you think thats unworkable, consider this: opticians, once part of the NHS, have long since gone private, though children and other groups are still eligible for free eye tests and NHS vouchers towards the cost of glasses.

When you need an eye test, you can usually book one within a day or two. Unlike GPs and consultants, opticians do not expect people to wait for months  because theyd soon go out of business if they did.

It isnt hard to understand. But in a country that treats its health service as a sacred cow, its very hard to fix.

And Keir Starmers empty promises will do nothing to change that. Healthcare is just too important to be a political game.
Are they following Kate's inspiration in their fashion choices?

From forest green to cobalt blue, the Middleton women are happy to look alike

We are all familiar with the 'Kate Middleton' effect when it comes to fashion sales, but could the same apply to her own family?

Perhaps it makes sense that Kate's mother and sister, Carole, 68, and Pippa, 39, are stylish in their own right.

But what is more surprising is the number of times the Middleton women stepping out in similar outfits.

Have they been inspired by the elder sister who became a princess?

Pretty in pink: Both Kate and Carole have worn ME+EM's 450 pink silk shirt dress

Bright and cheerful: Pippa Middleton was a vision in Mischevani Alais while Kate looked radiant in an Emilia Wickstead

While the sisters were not pregnant at the same time, they shared a love for the maternity look of a green long-sleeved dress

Totally turquoise: The Middleton sisters know just how to stun in this shade of blue

Only a year apart in age, Kate and Pippa could almost pass for twins at times, so similar is their fashion sense.

Pippa arrived at the Abbey in a Claire Mischevani Alais serene lemon yellow coat dress, which was reminiscent of Kate's custom Emilia Wickstead yellow dress worn at the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral last year.

For a visit to the Nobel Museum during day one of her Royal visit to Stockholm, Sweden, in 2018, the Princess of Wales wore in a forest green Catherine Walker outfit. Kate had been pregnant with Prince Louis at the time.

Nine months later, Pippa, who was also pregnant, wore a forest green Emilia Wickstead dress and coordinating hat as she arrived at Windsor Castle for Princess Eugenie's wedding to Jack Brooksbank.

Even when they were not pregnant, it seemed the sisters liked something of a long-sleeved maternity look.

In 2014 when Kate visited New Zealand, she wore a beautiful turquoise dress from local designer Emilia Wickstead.

She paired a coat with a hat by Jane Taylor, a favourite milliner, and the Queen's diamond fern brooch (which had been a gift from the women of Auckland in 1954) for the second time on the trip.

And just a year prior, Pippa wore a similar Tabitha Webb dress to the wedding of James Meade to Lady Laura Marsham in Gayton, Norfolk. While lace is a chic choice for a wedding, Pippa was sure not to upstage the bride by wearing a pretty teal-blue hue.

She finished her outfit with a complementing hat, which was adorned with a peacock feather.

The sisters were seen twinning again on separate occasions thanks to their love of fur hats

For the Christmas Carol service in December last year, Pippa arrived in a burgundy coat almost identical to the one her sibling was wearing

The sisters were seen twinning yet again thanks to their love of giant fur hats. During a visit to Oslo in Norway in February 2018, Kate teamed her vibrant blue Catherine Walker coat with a 225 chocolate brown luxury alpaca fur hat from Lacorine.

Kate's winter accessory was almost identical to the one Pippa wore in March 2013 to the Cheltenham Festival in London. Pippa styled the outfit with a 815 mustard yellow Katherine Hooker Tori coat.

For the Princess of Wales's Christmas Carol service in December last year, Pippa made a public show of support for her older sister when she arrived at the historic London landmark in a burgundy coat - almost identical to the one her sibling was wearing.

The mother-of-two was the image of Kate - who was dressed in a sleek burgundy coat dress for the occasion - in her 409 double-breasted woollen piece from Karen Millen.

Even Pippa Middleton isn't immune to the Kate effect with the new mother spotted wearing the same dress that her older sister had worn just a week earlier in 2018

Wonderful in white: Pippa Middleton wore a cream Emilia Wickstead dress, which matched her sister Kates white Alexander McQueen frock - the two also wore similar nude heels

There is nothing like sharing clothes with your sister, and the Middletons know how to do it well.

Pippa Middleton, who became a mum to baby Arthur Matthews in 2018, stepped out in a 159 Whistles dress that her older sister was spotted wearing just a week earlier.

The then Duchess of Cambridge debuted the burgundy button-down dress when she and Prince William hosted a reception for Radio 1's Teen Heroes of 2018 at Kensington Palace.

We can see why both Kate and Pippa fell for its charms. We love the autumnal burgundy hue and, of course, you can never go wrong with polka dots.

The tie belt waist then offers up a flattering feature and the midi length is super chic.

For Charlottes christening in July 2015, the sisters wore almost identical outfits, both sporting similar white dresses and nude pumps.

The then Duchess Of Cambridge wore a streamlined dress with a sharp shift-style silhouette, dramatic inverted neckline and exaggerated lapels by British designer Alexander McQueen for her daughter's christening.

Whilst Pippa also looked the epitome of chic in an elegant cream number, she opted to wear a creation by rising star designer Emilia Wickstead instead, teamed with Charlotte Olympia heels.

A love of cobalt blue seems to run in the family as both Kate and Carole have been seen wearing it

For the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in 2020, Kate looked regal in a bespoke Catherine Walker cobalt blue coat dress, matching Lock & Co hat and blue Rupert Sanderson shoes.

To top it off, the mother-of-three completed the monochrome look with a sapphire jewellery set that once belonged to Princess Diana.

Kate's not the only one in the family who likes cobalt blue. For the Coronation of King Charles at Westminster Abbey, Carole Middleton looked elegant in a Catherine Walker cobalt coat dress with a matching headband.

In 2016, Kate chose a 4,000 red and white Alexander McQueen high-neck frock for her first full day of public engagements during a royal tour of Canada.

Carole took a leaf out of her daughter's style book as she stepped out on day nine of Wimbledon in a dress that looked remarkably similar to Kate's Canadian outfit.

Her dress was a delightful blue 259 number by Rumour London, which also featured a pleated, tiered skirt, an elaborate design and buttons down the front.

Carole took a leaf out of her daughter's style book as she stepped out on day nine of Wimbledon in a dress that looked remarkably similar to Kate's Canadian outfit

Back in 2018, Carole and Kate were style twins again as they both opted for stunning soft blue numbers just two months apart

Beautiful blue: The Princess of Wales and her mother stunned two years apart in the same electric blue Reiss dress

Back in 2018, Carole and Kate were style twins again as Kate donned a delightful light blue coat dress by Alexander McQueen to mark the RAF centenary in London.

The collarless style and statement fold-back lapels looked very elegant when styled with swept-up hair, plus the cut of the coat dress is both classic and flattering for Kate.

Following a similar style, Carole arrived at Meghan and Harry's wedding day wearing Catherine Walker, the same label she wore at Kate's wedding to William in 2011.

The soft blue coat dress was almost identical to Kate's with their similar lapels and sleeve detailing, along with the matching floral embellished fascinator.

For an outing to the Royal Ascot in 2010, Carole wore a stunning blue button-up dress and accessorised with a chic black clutch and topped off her look with an elaborate fascinator worn to one side.

Two years later during a visit to the EACH Treehouse hospice in Ipswich, Kate wore an electric blue dress with a black cinching belt from Reiss which looked identical to her mother's.

Not only do the Middleton mother and daughter seem to inspire each other's fashion choices, they also share their clothes.

For the opening day of the Royal Ascot in 2022, Carole looked elegant in ME+EM's silk shirt dress which features a dipped midi hemline and pleated detailing, the same dress worn by Kate to a royal engagement in May 2021.

Carole teamed the frock with a black openwork hat with feathered adornments.

Kate, on the other hand, chose simpler accessories and a face mask when she wore the dress to meet with a five-year-old cancer patient who was featured in her Hold Still photography project.

Kate welcomed Mila Sneddon, of Falkirk, for tea at Holyroodhouse after she had previously spoken on the phone to the youngster, who underwent intensive chemotherapy for leukaemia.

The mother-of-three had promised the youngster that she would wear something pink for when they met and stayed true to her word.
Elegant and stylish as Royal wardrobes might be, 'modesty' is normally a watchword.

But there is one adventurous style that does make an appearance or two at public events - the glamorous thigh-high split.

Carefully calibrated, of course.

A flash of the leg was an integral part of the 3,000 green Suzannah tea dress worn by Kate during a visit to the Anna Freud Centre last week, for example.

Kate Middleton wowed in a 3,000 green Suzannah tea dress during a visit to the Anna Freud Centre

The Princess of Wales looked elegant in a split polka dot dress at Bletchley Park in 2019

Kate wore a long white split evening dress by the Self Portrait for the premiere of A Street Cat Named Bob in 2016

There was a more daring look in 2019 for a visit to the D-Day exhibition at Bletchley Park. Kate looked ready for spring in her flattering 1,750 split mid-length dress by A-list favourite Alessandra Rich.

The vintage-inspired contrast collar and cuffs on this dress give it real elegance when mixed with the bolder split down the leg.

In 2016, Kate looked glamorous in a long white split evening dress by the label 'Self Portrait'.

Not that she's the only royal looking good in a split dress: Queen Letitia of Spain, who known for her faultless style, looked typically sleek at a military parade in July 2020.

Letizia wore a figure-skimming, floor-length number with a V-neck and a daring split that showed off her toned legs.

Princess Charlene of Monaco also knows how to rock a split dress, and the beautiful white Louis Vuitton embroidered dress she wore to the closing ceremony of the 59th Monte Carlo TV Festival in June 2019 was to die for.

Queen Letizia of Spain cuts a dramatic figure in a floor-length number with a V-neck as she appeared at the traditional celebration of the Pascua Militar in Madrid in 2020

Princess Charlene of Monaco made the most of her figure as she attended the closing ceremony of the 59th Monte Carlo TV Festival in June 2019

Beatrice looked chic in a tuxedo-style long black gown with a thigh-high split as she posed at the opening of the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition in London in 2015

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden took a bolder approach on her way to a private dinner before the wedding of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill in 2013

The Duchess of Sussex teamed her elegant split evening dress with a simple black clutch and nude slingback court shoes back in 2018

Meghan does maternity wear: The pregnant Duchess of Sussex Meghan, 37, wore a Reformation 'Pineapple' dress as she and Harry explored Fraser Island in October 2018

All eyes were on Princess Beatrice as she showed her royal flair for fashion for the 2015 Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition in a black tuxedo gown.

The dress featured a thigh-high split, as well as a lapel collar tuxedo design front that gives an androgynous yet classy spin to the look.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden looked absolutely radiant in a long evening gown while attending a private dinner before the wedding of Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill back in 2013.

The knee-high split skirt gave the dress the perfect edge whilst staying true to the formality of the event.

If anyone knows how to look amazing in a split-style dress, it is the Duchess of Sussex.

Meghan Markle was the picture of elegance as she and Prince Harry made their way into the Auckland War Memorial Museum in 2018, as she donned a navy asymmetric Antonio Berardi dress, which retails at some 2,683.

Showing that split dresses can look just as good when dressed down, Meghan also looked amazing while in Australia during the 2018 Royal Tour.

Stepping out in one of her most daring ensembles yet after sporting a thigh-flashing dress, Meghan, 37, wore the Reformation 'Pineapple' number which featured a tie waist and cami strap style.

Princess Lilly zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg also stunned in a bright and colourful summer split dress for the Bulgari Barocco event in Rome, Italy, back in 2020.

Princess Lilly zu Sayn Wittgenstein Berleburg looked radiant in a colourful split dress for the Bulgari Barocco event in September 2020, in Rome, Italy

Princess Eugenie wore a daring thigh-flashing 350 Clarine floral wrap dress from Alice + Olivia for the annual Duke of Edinburgh gold awards ceremony in 2018

Lady in red: Queen Maxima stunned in a deep red outfit as she learned more about loneliness in the Netherlands in March earlier this year

For the annual Duke of Edinburgh gold awards ceremony in 2018, Princess Eugenie donned a daring thigh-flashing 350 Clarine floral wrap dress from Alice + Olivia.

Costing 450, the 'Clarine' dress features an all-over watercolour floral print with a wrap-style fastening and a midi length.

Queen Maxima opted for more bright colours as she stunned in a dark red dress when visiting various social institutions as part of the Oranje Fonds Entrepreneurship Programme against Loneliness in Vlaardingen in March.

The Monarch looked splendid in red leather boots and a long red dress with a deep split up the thigh.
READ MORE: Emma Weymouth stuns in sequined gown as she attends the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Club Zero

The Marchioness of Bath, 37, opted for a show-stopping Chopard gown

Emma Weymouth dazzled on the cream carpet in Cannes in a scarlet Chopard gown encrusted with gems as she attended an exclusive event.

The Marchioness of Bath, 37, stole the show in the embellished, floor-length gown which she wore with a chiffon train ahead of the Vogue party last night.

She accessorised with a lavish diamond necklace and diamond hoop earrings, and wore her hair in a low bun.

The mother-of-two opted for smokey eyes with thick liner and a touch of blush on her cheeks, paired with highlighter to accentuate her stunning features.

She posed for snaps on the balcony ahead of the event, hosted by Vogue and Chopard, at the Hotel Martinez during the Cannes Film Festival.

Emma Weymouth, Marchioness of Bath, dazzled in a bright red sequinned gown with a chiffon train in Cannes

While at the party, she brushed shoulders with the likes of British Vogue editor Edward Enninful, Maya Jama and Irina Shayk.

Her show-stopping look comes hours after the Marchioness donned another sequin gown to attend a different event in Cannes.

Emma looked effortlessly glamorous on the Club Xero red carpet at Cannes' Palais des Festivals.

She struck the perfect chord between glitzy and sophisticated in the silver and black dress, which featured a long flowing skirt.

The mother-of-two, 37, posed for photos against the sunset in her dazzling floor-length gown from Chopard

Lady in red! The Marchioness of Bath was a flash of colour against the background of white peonies

Pictured L-R: Laura Ingham, Michiel Steur and Emma Weymouth, Marchioness of Bath at the Vogue/Chopard party

She accentuated her enviably toned arms in the sleeveless, V-neck ensemble which is perfect for the early summer weather in France.

Emma Weymouth is married to Ceawlin Thynn, Viscount Weymouth.

Following King Charles's Coronation earlier this month, the couple were pictured having a night out at exclusive club LouLou's in London.

The former Strictly Come Dancing star covered the top of her stunning ensemble with a pretty white flower, holding Viscount Weymouth's hand as they stepped out together.

Emma has been married to Ceawlin since June 2013, with the couple sharing sons John, six, and Henry, four.

The boys' official titles are The Honourable John Alexander Ladi Thynn and The Honourable Henry Richard Isaac Thynn.

On her wedding day, Emma became the first black marchioness in British history.
A fish and chip shop worker has gone above and beyond to ensure that customers in the seaside town of Whitby can enjoy their fare undisturbed.

So invested in customer service is Corey Grieveson, 18, that he has taken to dressing up as an eagle to stop seagulls from interrupting the meals of locals and holidaymakers alike.

Seagulls are notorious for swooping down and stealing food on the Whitby seafront.

Corey, who has lived in Whitby his whole life, told the BBC that people are 'spending 30 on a meal for their family and it's all gone' thanks to the fast-acting birds.

He added that he loves eagles and considers scaring away the gulls as 'the perfect job'.

Corey Grieveson, 18, dons an eagle costume to deter seagulls from stealing food from locals and holidaymakers on Whitby seafront

Corey can often be seen flapping his wings and chasing after the seagulls in Whitby where he has become something of a local celebrity.

'This works, they're not around now,' he said.

Not only does he receive regular praise from passersby for his efforts, but he also gets asked to pose for pictures in his eagle costume.

Visitors can support Corey's work by refraining from deliberately feeding the gulls.

However, customers in Whitby are by no means having the worst time of it after a study found that gulls in the south of Britain, especially in the West Country, are bolder than those up north.

He has become something of a local celebrity and is frequently stopped by visitors asking him to pose for pictures

The greater presence of holidaymakers, with their ice creams and fish and chips, may have made the birds less timid, because the chances of being able to snatch some food are higher.

Researchers at the universities of Plymouth and Glasgow are carrying out a project using an app called Gulls Eye, which asks people to record their interactions with seagulls.

Early results show seagulls are less nervous in the south, where they are willing to get closer to people.

In Brixham, the popular Devon fishing town on the so-called English riviera, seagulls get within 11.8 metres - less than 40 feet - of people.

In Plymouth, where the city offers even more fast food options, the gulls approach at an average distance of 11.7 metres.

But further north, in Glasgow, they stay twice as far away, on average, at more than 80 feet, or 25 metres, from people.

In Shetland, this increases to almost 74 metres - more than 240 feet.

Dr Ruedi Nager, a seabird researcher from the University of Glasgow, who provided the snapshot results from across the UK, said: There is a geographical difference in how bold seagulls are, it appears.

They are more willing to approach people in the south and more reluctant in the north.

In the south there may be more pasties and fish and chips being eaten, so there are more gains for seagulls.

But also there has been a decline in fishing on the south coast, so seagulls cant get as much food from fishing discards as they used to.
A fitness influencer mother has been shot dead in front of her family in an alleged robbery attempt.

Luanne Murta Jardim dos Santos Martins was with her husband and their two-year-old son, Miguelzinho, when the suspects approached their family car and opened fire.

The 30-year-old who had over 350,000 Instagram followers, was struck in the shoulder and the bullet passed into her heart.

Luanne, who has documented her weight loss on social media was fatally shot in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the evening of 21 May.

The victim was rushed to the Salgado Filho Municipal Hospital in Meier, but succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival.

Brazilian influencer Luanne Murta Jardim dos Santos Martins, 30, was killed during an alleged robbery attempt when the suspects approached their family car and opened fire earlier this week

Luanne with her family in a picture shared by husband following her death earlier this week. The couple had a daughter aged 10 and a son aged two

The police have been investigating the shooting as an attempted robbery.

The victim's father Atanael Jardim dos Santos believes his daughter was targeted.

He said his daughter was followed by the suspects before they opened fire, adding: 'This was not just a theft, a robbery. It was homicide.

'No one shoots at another car with the windows closed.'

According to reports, the suspects first shot at the rear of the vehicle before drawing alongside the car and firing again.

Luanne's husband Joao Pedro Farche said their son was in the car at the time, but they were both unharmed in the shooting.

He wrote for Luanne's followers: 'I'm not very good with this. I want to thank everyone who is sending many, many messages.

'I'm fine, Miguelzinho (their son) is also fine.

The 30-year-old who had over 350,000 Instagram followers, was struck in the shoulder and the bullet passed into her heart

Luanna pictured with her Joao Pedro Farche, who shared her sudden death with her Instagram followers

Luanne rose to fame by sharing her weight loss transformation online ,pictured left and right, and dispenses fitness advice

The investigation into her death remains open, but her father claimed his daughter was targeted

'Miguelzinho hurt his face. Some pieces of shrapnel went in his face, but he's okay.

'I was in the back seat. But that's it. As soon as I have more information, I'll write it here.'

On her Instagram page, Luanne shared fitness and weight loss tips after she shed over 42 kilograms (6.6 stone).

She leaves behind two children aged 10 and two years. The investigation into her death is ongoing.
Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan is engaged to Saudi-born Rajwa Al-Saif, both 28

Queen Rania of Jordan paid an emotional tribute to her son Crown Prince Hussein in a speech at the first celebration ahead of his wedding to Rajwa Al-Saif next week.

It was announced in September that Sandhurst graduate Hussein, 28, is set to wed Saudi Arabian-born architect Rajwa, also 28, after an engagement ceremony at the bride-to-be's family home in Riyadh.

Hussein and Rajwa are set to marry in Jordan on 1 June at Zahran Palace in Amman, and the celebrations kicked off last night.

Queen Rania shared a number of photographs on Instagram showing her celebrating with bride-to-be Rajwa at her traditional pre-wedding henna party.

She wrote: 'No celebration would be complete without our Jordanian family. Celebrating our beautiful Rajwa!'

Queen Rania of Jordan paid an emotional tribute to her son Crown Hussein in a touching speech in the first celebration ahead of his wedding to Rajwa Al-Saif next week

Queen Rania's touching speech appeared to leave the bride-to-be in tears, and she dabbed her eyes throughout

The guest included Rania's daughters Princess Iman bint Abdullah II and Princess Salma bint Abdullah II, as well as members of the Alseif family and women from across the kingdom.

The party featured performances of traditional Jordanian and Saudi songs by local artists Nedaa Shrara, Diana Karazon, and Zain Awad, as well as performances by Haleem Musical Group, Al Salt Girls Band, and Misk Dance Company.

It also included a Zaffeh for the bride-to-be and Henna drawing for guests.

Welcoming her guests, Queen Rania said, 'I'm so happy that you could all be here to celebrate with us.

'Today is a special day for us, and to our entire Jordanian family: Our joy is one and the same near or far, you are all in our hearts today.'

She explained that like any mother, she has always dreamed of Crown Prince Al Hussein's wedding.

'Al Hussein is your son as much as he is mine  you are his family and this is your celebration,' she added.

Queen Rania shared a number of photographs on Instagram showing her celebrating with bride-to-be Rajwa at her traditional pre-wedding henna party

The Queen also noted that a daughter is usually a reflection of her mother, referring to the Crown Prince's future mother-in-law by her first name, Azza, whom she described as a 'gem'

Sharing a few words about her future daughter-in-law, the Queen described Miss Rajwa as 'the sweetest and most beautiful bride-to-be', adding that she is as precious to her as her daughters Princesses Iman and Salma.

'I'll never forget how happy His Majesty and I were when Al Hussein told us he wanted to marry Rajwa. She is the perfect answer to all my prayers for him,' The Queen reflected, before wishing the couple a blessed and happy future.

'May you always be each other's source of happiness and support,' she said.

The Queen also noted that a daughter is usually a reflection of her mother, referring to the Crown Prince's future mother-in-law by her first name, Azza, whom she described as a 'gem.'

Addressing Mrs. Azza Al Sudairi, Rania explained that two months ago, right before Princess Iman's wedding, she was in her position and knows how she must be feeling.

Bride-to-be Rajwa, the youngest daughter of Saudi businessman Khaled Al Saif, walked into the dinner party held by Queen Rania of Jordan

The guest included Rania's daughters Princess Iman bint Abdullah II and Princess Salma bint Abdullah II, as well as members of the Alseif family and women from across the kingdom

The party featured performances of traditional Jordanian and Saudi songs by local artists Nedaa Shrara, Diana Karazon, and Zain Awad, as well as performances by Haleem Musical Group, Al Salt Girls Band, and Misk Dance Company

Sharing a few words about her future daughter-in-law, the Queen described Miss Rajwa as 'the sweetest and most beautiful bride-to-be', adding that she is as precious to her as her daughters Princesses Iman and Salma

The bride-to-be was beaming with joy as she attended the event, which was hosted by her future mother-in-law

Meanwhile Queen Rania was joined at the event by her daughter Princess Iman at the event (pictured)

Guests were beaming with joy as they joined the Jordanian royal family for the event, which comes ahead of the wedding next week

But she reassured her that 'we and Al Hussein will take the very best care of Rajwa. This is her country, and she is among her family and her people.'

The Queen went on to say 'as mothers, the one thing we truly want is to make sure that our children are happy.

'We often ask ourselves whether we did the best we can to raise our children. During His Majesty the late King Hussein's final days and before his passing, I made him a promise to raise Al Hussein the way he wanted him to be raised.'

Describing Al Hussein as a brave, confident, and strong soldier, she likened the Crown Prince to his father, King Abdullah, admiring how he treats his bride, and his desire to see Jordanians not only coming together to join their wedding celebrations, but also be involved in its preparations.

'That's when I realized that he is a true, self-aware Hashemite, who is both a part of you, and here to serve you,' she said.

Referring once again to the anecdote she shared about the late King Hussein, the Queen said 'I can now tell His Majesty the late King Hussein that I was true to my word.'

Her Majesty concluded by thanking and welcoming her guests. 'Congratulations to us all, this is your celebration, just as it is ours,' she said.

Sandhurst graduate Hussein, 28, is set to wed Saudi Arabian-born Rajwa, also 28, pictured together, next week

Rajwa received a degree from Syracuse University, New York, and studied at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles after completing her secondary education in Saudi Arabia.

She has worked at an architecture firm in Los Angeles and currently works at Designlab Experience design studio in Riyadh.

She is the youngest daughter of Khaled M. Al Saif and his wife, Azza bint Naif Al-Sudairi.

Mr Al Saif is CEO of the Al Saif Group, a privately-owned company with a diverse portfolio of businesses across healthcare, construction and security services, and is a board member of the Saudi-British Joint Business Council, which promotes trade between the two countries.

Crown Prince Hussein, the eldest of King Abdullah and Queen Rania's four children, is a graduate of the prestigious Georgetown University, Washington D.C., and serviced in the Army after graduating from Sandhurst in 2017.

In 2015 he made history as the youngest person to chair a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

He made headlines last year when he hosted Prince William on a visit to the Middle East.

Proud mother Rania shared her joy on Instagram after the announcement of their engagement in September.

She posted a slideshow of images, writing: 'I didn't think it was possible to hold so much joy in my heart! Congratulations to my eldest Prince Hussein and his beautiful bride-to-be, Rajwa.

In Arabic, Rania continued: 'I prayed to Allah - like me, like every mother - to grant you good and to find the one you love, Rajwa came.

'Congratulations to my son, Prince Al-Hussein, and our precious and sweet bride Rajwa - May Allah bless you and make you happy and complete well.'

The couple took part in their first official engagement as husband-and-wife-to-be in October, as they visited the Royal Covenant.

And in a subtle nod to their relationship, Rajwa opted to wear a necklace featuring the initials 'R' and 'H.'

Rajwa donned a smart white shirt for the occasion, which she paired with a lengthy black skirt.

Meanwhile she kept her accessories to a minimum, simply carrying a miniature white handbag.

The couple appeared in high spirits during the outing with one another, and were beaming as they visited the Royal Covenant.
Prince William was snapped in east London earlier today as he visited an Earthshot Prize winning company in the capital - and made staff laugh as he cracked jokes.

The Prince of Wales, 40, set up the Earthshot Prize in 2020 in a bid to find 'extraordinary solutions to the worlds greatest environmental challenges'.

Among the winners was Notpla in Hackney Wick, which he visited to see how scooping 1 million in prize money has helped the company, which is now working with several huge brands across the UK, including home delivery service Just Eat.

The London-based start-up, which creates plastic-free consumer packaging products from seaweed and plants, took top honours in the 'Build a Waste-Free World' category in November.

Its innovations include replacing plastic-lined takeaway boxes - two billion of which are used every year in Europe - and other throw-away plastic like cutlery.

Prince William, pictured during a visit to Earthshot Prize winner and sustainable packaging start-up, Notpla in east London today

For his appearance, the royal donned a trademark look, wearing a two-piece navy suit with an open-necked pale blue shirt.

During his visit, Prince William undertook a tour of the headquarters with Notpla co-founders Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez and Pierre Paslier.

As well as seeing the company's portfolio of products, the royal was shown how the brand is working towards minimising the use of single-use plastics.

He even got stuck into the action, visiting the company's in-house laboratory, where he tried his hand at creating the company's flagship Notpla Rigid material, which is made from what is left over from the seaweed production, enabling a new circular way of using the entire raw product.

Notpla Rigid will be used in many products, from luxury packaging boxes to disposable cutlery, and will go onto production next month.

At one point during the engagement, he told research engineer Callum Wardle: 'It is brilliant to see the advances youre making already. Thats really exciting.'

The Prince then posed for photographs with staff at the company, making them laugh as he cracked a joke.

When the photographer told everyone to 'look happier', William joked: 'You're away from your desks!'

While posing for photos, the staff were told to look happier by the photographer, to which Will joked, 'you're away from your desks!'

The eco-conscious royal appeared to be enjoying himself as he learnt about the company's innovations (pictured L-R: Prince William and Notpla co-founder Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez)

GETTING STUCK IN: William dons a lab coat as he takes to Notpla's laboratory during today's appearance at the company's headquarters

Since winning the Earthshot Prize, Notpla has increased its team by 10 people, and invested in new machinery for research and development.

Prince William's appearance today followed last week's release of a video that left some royal watchers swooning.

The six-minute clip - which was uploaded on the Prince and Princess of Wales' YouTube account - showed William rowing with the Navy.

It opens with the royal arriving at Dorney Lake in Windsor to meet members of the HMS Oardacious.

During his appointment, the royal (pictured, right) did a tour of the company with co-founders Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez (pictured, left), and Pierre Paslier (centre)

The royal learnt about how the company is working to replace single-use plastics with its innovative new packaging (pictured L-R: co-founders Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez and Pierre Paslier, and Prince William)

Notpla's innovations include replacing plastic-lined takeaway boxes and plastic cutlery (pictured L-R: Notpla co-founder Pierre Paslier and Prince William)

The prince (pictured, centre) spoke with staff at Notpla during his visit today, which followed the company's Earthshot victory last November

The father-of-three met with Lieutenant Commander Hugo Mitchell-Heggs and his team who are crossing the Atlantic in their new eco-friendly boat this December.

After being introduced to the group, Prince William happily got stuck into some rowing - but joked he may accidentally 'slap oars' with one of the professionals.

His appearance is part of an ongoing campaign, founded in 2019, to provide mental health support to those working in submarines.

For the engagement, William dressed in a blue Royal Navy hoodie, black shorts and donned a pair of sunglasses.

Once they'd completed a few laps of the lake, the group then returned to Eton College's Rowing Club where they discussed their coping methods at work.

Since winning 1 million in prize money last year, Notpla has been able to scale up its operations (pictured: Prince William (centre) speaks with Notpla co-founders Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez (left) and Pierre Paslier (right) as he tours the company's premises)

Prince William (pictured in east London today) set up the Earthshot Prize in 2020 in a bid to find 'extraordinary solutions to the worlds greatest environmental challenges'

Although the crew's mental health was the topic of conversation, the Prince and Princess of Wales' Instagram followers were distracted by William's good looks.

The clip of William rowing amassed a number of gushing comments from fans on Instagram. One wrote: 'Prince William's title should be Prince of Hotness.'

Another added: 'Couldn't help but think, "hello daddy long legs!"'

'Ah yes His Royal Hotness does it again,' a third gushed.

'Prince William is so handsome,' a fourth replied.
Prince Ludwig of Bavaria's wedding to Sophie Evelink last week may have looked like something straight out of a fairytale.

But it appears that not everything about the lavish ceremony at St Kajetan Church in Munich went off without a hitch.

Following the couple's wedding, German newspaper Bild reported that the bride, 32, fainted while saying her vows to Ludwig, 40 - who is the eldest son of Prince Luitpold.

One guest told the publication: 'The bride fell backwards, the groom caught her.

'The groomsmen rushed over. We are glad that she felt well again straight away!'

Prince Ludwig of Bayern kisses his bride Sophie-Alexandra Evekink outside St Kajetan Church in Munich following their wedding ceremony. A spokesperson confirmed Sophie had fainted during the service

As a result, a spokesperson for the royal confirmed that Sophie had passed out for a moment during the ceremony and that Ludwig had swooped in to catch her.

They added: 'The maid of honours rushed over, paramedics brought her water.

'She felt well again straight away. Prince Leopold of Bavaria gave her a piece of glucose.'

According to guests, the incident happened while Sophie was saying her vows to her now husband.

However, the bride appears to have made a swift recovery and happily waved to crowds of wellwishers who had gathered outside the church following the service.

The criminology PHD student opted for a timeless ballgown with floral appliques on the sheer sleeves.

She completed her elegant bridal ensemble with a long veil, which was also decorated with a scattering of lace delicate flowers - matching her gown.

Sophie-Alexandra wore her hair half up, with the rest in ringlet curls around her shoulders, and had a beautiful diamond, botanical head piece in her flowing locks.

Sophie and Ludwig pictured leaving the church following the ceremony in Munich earlier this month

The couple, who confirmed their engagement last August, married at St Kajetan in Munich last week, where hundreds of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the bride

Criminology PHD student Sophie-Alexandra, 32, looked beautiful in a classic white dress, with floral detailing on the princess-cut skirt and sheer long sleeves

Sophie-Alexandra wore her hair half up, with the rest in ringlet curls around her shoulders, and had a beautiful diamond, botanical head piece in her flowing locks

The newlywed opted for a radiant, natural make-up look and chose a pretty pink lipstick.

Meanwhile, Ludwig looked dapper in grey pinstripe trousers and a black suit jacket for his nuptials.

He completed his outfit with a light grey waistcoat and a blue paisley tie.

Rumours started mounting that the pair were set to marry after she was spotted wearing a large emerald ring on her engagement finger at a wedding the couple attended in August 2022.

Speaking to Germany's Bild newspaper, Prince Luitpold said he hoped the couple would 'start a family soon', adding: 'Ludwig made a good choice. My future daughter-in-law is a very intelligent and educated woman.'

News of their engagement was shared by Office of the Bavarian Royal House a week later, alongside pictures of the couple in which they can be seen posing in traditional outfits.

The newly wed kept her make-up natural and radiant for the occasion and opted for a pretty pink lip

Her delicate jewellery matched her overall ensemble - small, glittering crosses

Ludwig, 40, is the eldest son of Prince Luitpold and the great-great grandson of Bavaria's last King Ludwig III, while Sophie was born in Singapore to a Dutch-Canadian family

Prince Ludwig, whose parents are Prince Luitpold and Princess Beatrix, is the eldest of five siblings.

He spent much of his childhood at Schloss Kaltenberg, and attended the Rhabanus-Maurus-Gymnasium St. Ottilien in Eresing.

As an 18-year-old, he founded his own IT company before he went on to study law in Gottingen, where he focused on human rights.

Since 2011, he has also shown a great interest in East Africa and specifically Kenya.

While in the country, the royal is also already very involved in his family and regularly accompanies his father to public events.

It is not known how or when Prince Ludwig met his future wife Sophie, who also has a high powered career of her own.

She is the daughter of Dorus Evekink, who works as a lecturer at Maastricht School of Business.

The couple pictured leaving the church with their wedding party following their religious ceremony

Sophie-Alexandra Evekink pictured leaving the ceremony. The royal was handed a piece of glucose by her father-in-law, according to a spokesperson

The happy couple wave to well-wishers following their ceremony before departing for their private reception

News of their engagement was shared by Office of the Bavarian Royal House last August, alongside pictures of the couple in which they can be seen posing in traditional outfits

She is currently working towards a PhD at University of Oxford which focuses on justice for victims of conflict-related sexual violence

The student, who has dual Dutch/Canadian citizen, has a Bachelors degree in Politics and East European Studies from University College London (UCL) and a Masters in Science from the University of Oxford.

She is currently working towards a PhD at University of Oxford which focuses on justice for victims of conflict-related sexual violence.

She previously worked for seven years in New York at the United Nations in various roles.

According to an online biography of the future royal, Sophie 'has a keen interest in violence prevention and womens human rights, themes on which she has conducted research in the Middle East and Caucasus, as well as a passion for efforts which help build global consensus and bridge voices of the Global North and South.

'She has previously also written on terrorism and radicalisation, and human trafficking in Central and Eastern Europe.'
She's landed a coveted role in season six of Netflix's Selling Sunset - but Marie-Lou Nurk is more likely to be found walking the runways in Paris than selling real estate in the Hollywood Hills.

For the model, 25, who is German and South African, is not another agent who has joined the Oppenheim Group - and has instead joined the cast as Jason Oppenheim's girlfriend.

Marie-Lou, who at 5' 9" towers over her much smaller boyfriend, met the entrepreneur while holidaying in Mykonos last year.

After hitting it off, the pair have been inseparable ever since - with Marie-Lou even making a number of appearances on the new Netflix series, which was released in the UK on Friday.

And while the cast may be known for their luxurious lifestyle and glamorous outfits, Marie-Lou won't have any problem keeping up - as she often shares snaps with her 66k Instagram followers.

She's landed a coveted role in season six of Netflix 's Selling Sunset - but Marie-Lou Nurk is more likely to be found walking the runways in Paris than selling real estate in the Hollywood Hills

The model, 25, who is German and South African, is not another agent who has joined the Oppenheim Group - and has instead joined the cast as Jason Oppenheim's girlfriend

In a TikTok video, she revealed her grandfather moved from Germany to South Africa when he was 19, where he met Marie-Lous grandmother.

As Apartheid wouldnt allow them to be together, the pair fled to Swaziland.

They eventually returned to South Africa, where her mother grew up there with the model claiming she even kept a crocodile and monkey as pets.

However she spent much of her childhood travelling the world - estimating she has moved around 20 times in her short 25 years of life.

After she studied economics at university in Paris, she began working as a model and moved to London.

She then lived in Portugal, Berlin and Frankfurt.

The model used to work as a brand strategist for a German company, the Strichpunkt Design agency.

The couple met last July while they were each vacationing in Mykonos, Greece.

It was a period when Jason was recovering from the heartbreak of his breakup with the show's star Chrishell.

Appearing on the Netflix show, Marie-Lou said she met Jason at a beach club after noticing him looking at her, and thinking he looked 'cute.'

According to RadioTimes, Jason said: 'I liked that she hadn't seen the show, so she didn't really know who I was or about my relationship with Chrishell.'

The model used to work as a brand strategist for a German company, the Strichpunkt Design agency

The couple met last July while they were each vacationing in Mykonos, Greece - and have been together ever since

She said the pair hit it off quickly, and even posted about Jason on her Instagram story by the end of the trip.

Speaking to People shortly after the vacation ended, Jason said: 'I mean, we're talking. I like her and maybe I'll see her soon.'

Soon after, they confirmed their relationship by walking the red carpet together at the premiere of Netflix's Day Shift in August.

Since then, they've travelled across the world together, visiting Australia, Paris and back to the Greek Island where they first met.

Speaking to US Weekly, Jason revealed: 'She's met mom and dad and that went really well. Met my dad a couple months ago.

'Met my mom on Thanksgiving. I've just met her mom over FaceTime, but you know, many times. And her grandpa.

'So I kind of feel like I know her family at this point.'

Appearing on the Netflix show, Marie-Lou said she met Jason at a beach club after noticing him looking at her, and thinking he looked 'cute'

The couple now live together part-time, with Marie-Lou splitting her time between the US and Europe.

She previously opened up about the challenges of the long distance relationship online, writing: 'While it's not always easy, we both believe that our love is worth the effort.

'I'm grateful to have such a supportive partner who understands my goals and passions.

'At the end of the day, it's important to follow your heart and pursue your dreams, even if it means taking risks and facing challenges.'

As their one-year anniversary approaches, Jason told Today that he and Nurk are 'very much in love', saying: 'We're trying to figure out how to see each other in a couple of weeks, because it's already been a couple of weeks.

'We talk every day and things are still going great, but obviously, it's hard being apart.'

Meanwhile Marie-Lou often shares snaps of her skimpy outfits on her Instagram with her 66k followers

As their one-year anniversary approaches, Jason told Today that he and Nurk are 'very much in love'

He continued: 'Neither of us put any pressure on the relationship. Right we're just trying to feel our way through the long-distance aspect.

'We're very much in love. I think we're just trying to be more relaxed about it.'

Sparks have been flying in the new season of Selling Sunset, as the cast have been served two new helpings of sizzling drama.

Bre Tiesi, one of the growing list of women who have had children with Nick Cannon, entered the cast this season and scandalized Chelsea Lakzani with her lifestyle.

Meanwhile Nicole Young, a years-long veteran of the Oppenheim Group, has now joined the show and instantly found herself locked in a feud with Chrishell Stause.

Nick has 12 children with six different women, with five of them arriving in 2022 alone amid his open relationship with Bre.

'Who I have children with is my business,' Bre said in the new season. 'I don't need a judge and a jury.'

At one point Bre said of one of her co-stars, who remained unnamed in the trailer: 'She just can't take accountability for what comes out of her mouth.'
A samoyed who was rescued from certain death in the Chinese dog meat trade has been snapped at the Cannes Film Festival.

London-based charity No To Dog Meat was founded in 2009, when founder Julia de Cadenet saw for herself the horrors of the trade.

The charity says it was the first to bring the annual June Yulin Dog Meat Festival to the world's attention, and now holds United Nations Special Consultative status.

Among the many animals the organisation has saved is samoyed Felicity, who was rescued after being strung up by her tail by Chinese butchers. Felicity has now been brought to the UK by the organisation, where she lives with Julia.

And Felicity brought attention to the charity's mission to end the dog meat trade this week by taking to the red carpet at the French festival, during a special screening of the film Project Silence.

RESCUE: Felicity (pictured) was saved by the charity No To Dog Meat, which is working to end the dog meat trade

RED CARPET: Now the animal is living in London, and helping promote the charity's mission. Here she is pictured stepping out on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival with Julia de Cadenet

The Cannes Film Festival, which is a long-time supporter of the cause, invited Felicity to event, where the dog donned a special gown created by No To Dog Meat senior volunteer Michelle Parker.

Michelle, from Rawdon, West Yorkshire, deconstructed a second hand prom gown, thinning out the metres of tulle and satin before adding hundreds of hand stitched tiny sequins to create the dress.

She then created intricate satin roses to decorate the frock.

Michelle said: 'I loved making the dress and Felicity looked so fabulous in it.

'She is a very outgoing dog and loves to pose, but the most important thing is that she is comfortable so I spent a lot of time making the dress as light as possible, so that she can wear it happily.

'The hardest part of making the dress was taking out the boning and repurposing the cups on the front to make the bodice, plus sewing on all the bling which was well worth it.'

When Felicity, who lives in London, arrived at the festival she received her own pass, which gives her access to a range of exclusive parties, screenings and events.

Together with her human companion Julia de Cadenet, who was on the rescue that saved the lucky pup, Felicity received star treatment.

Julia, founder of No To Dog Meat, hopes that by spreading Felicity's story, they can raise awareness of the trade - and help bring it to an end

Julia hopes that telling her story will help to educate and inspire people to act in the fight against the dog meat trade.

She said: 'When we found Felicity she was in a terrible state, but over time and with a lot of love and care her outgoing personality has blossomed.

'She really is a miracle and loves to show off and meet people, so this really is a perfect moment for her.

'She deserves it so much and we hope that by telling Felicity's story, and when people meet her, they will be inspired to join our movement.

'The dress itself is like a work of art, and a huge thank you to Michelle who has worked so hard to create the gown for this special occasion. No To Dog Meat really is a family, so everyone chips in to help with their specialist skills.'

The festival provided Felicity with her own pass for the event, giving her access to a range of exclusive parties, screenings and events.

No To Dog Meat operates projects in China, Cambodia and the Philippines, where it works with local people who want to make a difference.

It currently cares for more than 750 dogs at its shelters in China.

Michelle said: 'Anyone who loves dogs is rightly appalled by the cruelty of the dog meat trade, and ever since I found out about it I have been determined to try and help.

'Of course it is not all about dogs wearing gowns on the Cannes red carpet, but at the charity we always say no action too small.

'I hope that Felicity's red carpet moment raises awareness and funds for the charity.'
The Duchess of Edinburgh has made a surprise visit to Iraq as part of her work championing the survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

Sophie has spent two days in the capital Baghdad, where she heard about the challenges facing Iraqi women and girls, and the ongoing work to protect and promote their rights, Buckingham Palace announced.

The previously unannounced trip, which was kept secret for security reasons, was made at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, in support of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda (WPS), the Palace said.

The Foreign Office advises against all travel to the majority of provinces in Iraq, amid the threat of violent protests in and around the International Zone in Baghdad.

Prince Edward's wife attended several engagements during her stay, and delivered a message of greeting from the King to the Iraqi president, Abdul Latif Rashid, and the First Lady after meeting them in Baghdad.

The Duchess of Edinburgh, 58, made a surprise two-day visit to Iraq as part of her work championing the survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. Pictured with pupils from a girls' school in Baghdad

Sophie visited a high school for girls, and spoke to students and teachers about education for young women in the country, and their hopes for the future.

For the occasion, she donned an elegant blue dress, and kept the look simple, wearing her blonde locks in a neat blow-dry.

She was photographed with four women in uniform during the visit.

As part of her surprise visit, she also toured a family planning centre, where she heard about the work being carried out to support the reproductive health and wellbeing of Iraqi women.

She also met female business leaders to discuss the importance of womens economic empowerment.

Dressed in a casual white linen shirt paired with a statement belt and a snake skin clutch bag, the mother-of-two was seen in deep conversation with some of the women at the centre.

For this part of the whirlwind tour she kept her hair in a ponytail.

During her time in Bagdad, Duchess Sophie also delivered a message of greeting from the King to the Iraqi president, Abdul Latif Rashid, and the First Lady during a special audience.

The mother-of-two also visited a family planning centre in Baghdad, where she learned more about their effort to support the reproductive health and wellbeing of Iraqi women

Prince Edward's wife also delivered a message of greeting from the King to the Iraqi president, Abdul Latif Rashid, and the First Lady after meeting them in Baghdad

For engagement at the school, Sophie wore her blonde locks down into a neat blow-dry, with a simple day make up

For this illustrious occasion, she donned an elegant floor-length yellow dress with frilly cuffs, and wore her hair down.

She wore a glamourous day makeup for the official engagement, where she was seen enjoying a sit down conversation with Abdul Latif Rashid.

The exact dates of the visit have not been revealed for security reason.

Sophie was busy with engagements last week, visiting businesses and charitable initiatives in Cornwall on Wednesday before touring the Berkshire College of Agriculture near Maidenhead on Thursday, where she learned more about the course of studies.

She got a front row seat as the students demonstrated their gardening skills, before completing a shearing demonstration with a flock of sheep.

Charles, as the Prince of Wales, travelled to country in 2004 when he visited military personnel in Basra during the Iraq War.

In 2006, Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, made a surprise trip to see British troops in Basra when he was 85.
BBC Formula One presenter Jennie Gow broke down on The One Show on Monday as her husband described the moment he discovered her collapsed on the bathroom floor of their home having had 'a serious stroke'.

Gow, 46, who had previously travelled the world for her broadcasting job in motorsport, revealed in January that she'd been left unable to speak or write following the devastating brain bleed - caused by coughing when she developed a viral infection.

In her first interview, the reporter broke down as she listened to husband Jamie tell her how finding her after the stroke was 'the worst moment' of his life.

In the film, Jamie tells her: 'I was trying to call your name and get you to speak to me and I was just getting nothing back from you.'

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Speaking on BBC One's The One Show this week, Jennie Gow, 46, discussed with her husband Jamie the moment she suffered a stroke and collapsed on the bathroom floor at their London home

She asks him: 'Were you feeling scared?' to which he replied: 'It was the worst moment of my life' before detailing how the couple's six-year-old daughter Isobel helped him get Gow comfortable and passed her father his phone to call an ambulance.

The broadcaster, who also regularly appeared on the Netflix series Drive to Survive, was treated swiftly at Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey and St Geroge's Hospital in West London.

Jennie's husband described finding her on the bathroom floor of their home as 'the worst moment of my life'

In the video, Gow also meets Dr Thomas Pain, a consultant specialising in strokes at Frimley Park Hospital, who explained that a tear in a blood vessel in her neck - caused by vigorous coughing - had resulted in a clot travelling up to her brain, causing a bleed on the left side of it.

The right side of her body was impacted by the stroke and she was transferred to a specialist unit at St George's Hospital in Tooting, South London, to have the blood clot removed.

In the moving footage, Jamie reveals he told her to 'fight' to recover for him and for Isobel.

Jamie told her that their daughter Isobel, six, had been a superstar, helping him call an ambulance

Jennie has been a permanent fixture in Formula One coverage since 2012

Pictured before her stroke with husband Jamie; the pair opened up about how Jennie's illness affected them both in The One Show film

Revealing how her speech finally began to return, she said a nurse had made her angry, encouraging her to keep trying to find her voice again - saying she could only make 'scratchy, horrible' sounds at first.

Months of recovery have followed, with Gow saying she's lost her sense of taste and still feels numb down one side of her body.

She told the programme that she wanted to speak out to try and help other stroke survivors.

Until the stroke hit, Gow had been a permanent fixture in Formula One coverage since 2012, covering the sport of BBC Radio 5 Live.

Before that, she covered the BBC's MotoGP coverage, having joined the broadcasting company in 1999. Gow is also a commentator on racing series Extreme E.
It comes after the couple tied the knot in January

Controversial YouTube star Shane Dawson and his husband Ryland Addams have announced they are expecting two boys via a surrogate.

After announcing they were going to use surrogacy to have two children in 2022, the couple - who moved from Los Angeles to Colorado in 2021 - has now revealed they will be having two boys in a new video.

Shane, 34 - who was 'canceled' last summer after old videos of him making pedophilia jokes and dressed in blackface resurfaced - and Ryland, 32, shared the news in a YouTube clip yesterday.

In the viral video, which has already amassed over 493,000 views, the lovebirds - who tied the knot in January - showed off the new Burberry baby clothes they purchased and shared the baby names they had decided on.

YouTuber Shane Dawson and his husband Ryland Addams have announced they are expecting two boys via a surrogate

After announcing they were going to use surrogacy to have two children in 2022, the couple has now revealed they will be having two boys in a new video

In the viral video, the lovebirds - who tied the knot in January - showed off the new Burberry baby clothes they purchased and shared the baby names they had decided on

The clip began with the two explaining that although they had initially hoped to have one boy and one girl, based on the advice of their doctor, they had decided to have two twin boys instead.

When babies are born through IVF, which is the process their surrogate is using, fertility doctors are able to identify XX or XY chromosomes in the embryo, making the gender selection nearly 100 per cent accurate, so parents can chose the gender of their child, according to the Pacific Fertility Center of Los Angeles.

Ryland said: 'We went into this thinking we were going to do a girl of mine and a boy of Shane's, and when [the doctor] was going through, he was like "Well the most optimal for pregnancy on both of your ends are boys."'

After confirming with their surrogate, whom they didn't reveal the name of, that she was okay with carrying twins, the couple gave the go-ahead to their doctor.

Later in the clip, Shane and Ryland showcased the many baby clothes and accessories they had splurged on.

The items purchased included a Ralph Lauren Onesie ($75), Burberry Shoes ($190), a Burberry Bib ($80), Golden Goose Sneakers ($300), multiple custom-made blankets, and another Ralph Lauren Baby Onesie ($20).

The couple took viewers to their beauty room to reveal that they would be transforming it into a nursery.

'So we decided that this beauty room would be transformed into the nursery to start because it's just like centrally located, it can be really dark with that black-out blind, but it's also bright if we want to have people over to visit the babies,' Ryland explained.

The items purchased included a Ralph Lauren Onesie ($75), Burberry Shoes ($190), a Burberry Bib ($80), and multiple custom-made blankets

They also purchased Golden Goose Sneakers ($300) for the baby, bringing their total to $665

The couple took viewers to their beauty room to reveal that they would be transforming it into a nursery

They added that when the boys got older they wanted them to share a room so they could create a closer bond.

Later in the clip, the couple revealed they would be naming their boys Jet - short for Jetson - and Max.

After meeting a barista named Max, Ryland said: 'I think we should name our son Max.'

And while the couple was hopeful they would have two boys, they noted that they understood there was a chance of not both of the embryos taking.

According to Yale Medicine, a surrogate mother is someone who carries and delivers a baby for a couple or individual.

Surrogate mothers are impregnated through the use of IVF. Doctors create an embryo by fertilizing an egg or eggs from the mother with sperm from the intended father.

Shane and Ryland's surrogate was impregnated with one egg that had Shane's sperm and one that had Ryland's sperm.

If we only get one baby [while] implanting two, that's what was to meant to be,' Ryland said.

The couple has already begun decorating the nursery with many baby items including custom blankets

And while the couple was hopeful they would have two boys, they noted that they understood there was a chance of not both of the embryos taking

Shane saw the implantation take place through Facetime, and he branded it the 'best moment of my life' as he held back tears

Towards the end of the clip, the couple shared footage of their embryo transfer day, which also marked the very first time they met their surrogate.

'It is a huge day for us because today is actually our embryo transfer day. Our surrogate is in town, we are going to get her, go to breakfast, and then go to the clinic with her,' Ryland said before Shane added he was so 'excited.'

Although they didn't show their surrogate on camera, they did show footage of their two embryos while at the fertility clinic.

Because they only allowed two people in the room, including the surrogate, Ryland entered the room while Shane stayed behind.

Shane saw the implantation take place through Facetime, and he branded it the 'best moment of my life' as he held back tears.

The couple also said they had a 'perfect' connection to their surrogate.

The couple also revealed they would be naming their two boys Jet and Max

Shane Dawson was once a beloved face of the video-sharing platform, but in June 2020, the internet turned against him when clips of him dressing in blackface resurfaced

Following the circulation of the clips, Shane shared an apology video on YouTube and disappeared from the web until the following year

'We both immediately felt connected and were like, "Oh this was the perfect fit for us,"' Ryland said.

Shane added: 'She reminds me so much of someone I would be friends with in high school, we just instantly clicked, the same sense of humor, so soft-spoken, and sweet, and funny. She has a 10-year-old herself so she was giving us all these tips and advice, so it was just the perfect, best-case scenario.'

Shane Dawson was once a beloved face of the video-sharing platform, but in June 2020, the internet turned against him when clips of him dressing in blackface, and making inappropriate jokes resurfaced.

Following the circulation of the clips, Shane shared an apology video on YouTube and disappeared from the web until the following year.

And while many social media users still have mixed feelings about his return to YouTube, many of them have congratulated him and Ryland on their baby news.

Many of them noted they were so happy to see him have 'grown' and that they were 'excited' for the couple.
A man who bought a $250 bottle of wine in the 1970s before leaving it in his basement for more than two decades has now sold it at auction for more than $100,000.

Mark Paulson, a retired commercial painter and Vietnam War veteran from San Francisco, purchased a jeroboam of Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache in 1971 shortly after its release.

The self-described punk rocker, now 72, said it was expensive at the time - the equivalent of around $2,000 in today's money - but he had been tipped off by the liquor store owner that it was a top tipple and so he bought it as an investment.

Mark had considered saving the three-liter bottle for his daughter's wedding but when she tied the knot last year, the family believed selling it would be a better move - and they were right.

Mark Paulson, from San Francisco, purchased a jeroboam of Domaine de la Romanee Conti La Tache 1971 shortly after its release for $250

The self-described punk rocker, now 72, said it was expensive at the time - the equivalent of around $2,000 in today's money - but he had been tipped off by the liquor store owner that it was a top tipple and he bought it as an investment

The Paulsons contacted specialist wine auction house Bonhams Skinner after rediscovering the bottle in the basement.

Experts estimated it would sell for between $50,000 and $80,000 with Mark initially left 'floored' by the valuation.

Touching on their surprise at the time, Mark told The Washington Post: 'We were just, you know, flabbergasted, couldn't say anything. We just kind of hugged each other and smiled a lot.'

But following the sale, which ran from April 16 to 26, it far surpassed expectations after achieving a whopping $106,250.

Louis Krieger, the deputy director of fine wines at Bonhams Skinner, previously told DailyMail.com that there are various reasons as to why Mark's bottle is so special.

He explained: 'There was considerable hail during the 1971 harvest but, because of when and how the vineyards were picked, this La Tache doesnt show the ill effects.

'Another thing which pushes the price up is that the production of La Tache that year was staggeringly small with roughly 1,300 cases produced.

'The vast majority of cases were also filled with 750ml bottles and very few three-liter bottles were made.'

The Paulsons contacted specialist wine auction house Bonhams Skinner - and the bottle has since sold for a whopping $106,250

In addition to the La Tache, he is auctioning off five vintage Madeiras, with the dates ranging from 1795 to 1870

And, in a bid to give his wine cellar a spring clean, Mark had also put forward five other bottles for the April sale.

In addition to the La Tache, he auctioned off five vintage Madeiras, with dates ranging from 1795 to 1870, all of which fetched more than twice their estimated value at auction.

Mark, who was born and raised in Panama, said he got into collecting wine by mistake, and he would generally stock up on bottles before getting together with his rock 'n' roll friends.

He told CBC that some of their wine-fueled night would get 'pretty crazy.'

'There was usually about six of us. We'd probably have six bottles of old rare wines,' he recalled. 'San Francisco was a whole new world after growing up in the jungle.'

Luckily Mark's bottle of La Tache went untouched and it remained in his basement for decades.

Asked if he was worried about the bottle smashing, the grandfather said that he was, especially when the 1989 earthquake hit.

He explained: 'My house sustained some pretty good damage.

'One of the beams down in the cellar actually snapped but in the area where the wines are... it was all good.'

Mark, who admits he's more of a beer drinker these days, says he plans to mark the sale of his pricey plonk by uncorking another vintage from his collection - a 1959 Chateau Latour.
READ MORE: Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden cuts classy figure in floral gown

Victoria of Sweden attended the Polar Music Prize with several family members

Princess Victoria of Sweden made sure all eyes were on her as she stepped out in a bright yellow dress for a music awards show in Stockholm.

The heir to the Swedish throne, 45, was a vision in the neon, tiered, floor-length gown as she joined her parents King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia, as well as her brother Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia at the Polar Music Prize.

Dressed to impress, Princess Sofia, 38, looked radiant as she dazzled in a white gown with a pink and blue floral pattern.

Meanwhile, Queen Silvia donned a sparkling navy blue and gold gown, which she teamed with gold pointed shoes and a matching clutch bag.

The Polar Music Prize is Sweden's biggest music award and is typically shared by a pop artist and a classical musician. It was founded in 1989 by the late Stig Anderson, manager of Swedish pop group ABBA.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, 45, dazzled in an asymmetric neon yellow number. She stepped out for the 2023 Polar Music Prize ceremony at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm

Victoria's asymmetric number was paired perfectly with a pair of black patent pointed heels and a mini black handbag.

She accessorised the look with a dazzling pair of sunflower drop earrings, a multi-coloured bracelet and what appeared to be two silver charm bracelets.

For her make-up, she donned a neutral base with a minimal smokey eye, and a pink lip, while her hair was sharply pinned back in a bun.

The princess was also pictured holding a bright bouquet filled with fuchsia and yellow petals.

Prince Carl Philip, 44, the younger brother of Crown Princess Victoria, also attended the ceremony alongside his wife Princess Sofia of Sweden.

The mother-of-three teamed her stunning dress with an off-white clutch bag and a bright bouquet, while she sported a curly hair do.

Prince Carl accentuated his wife's glamour by sporting a dapper black suit which he matched with a black bow tie.

Last but not least, glamorous monarchs King Carl XVI Gustaf, 77, and wife, Queen Silvia, 79, were also spotted on the red carpet. The Swedish monarchs impressed in a tailored black suit and a floor-length sequin number.

Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia looked magnificent as they attended this evening's event

King Carl XVI Gustaf and wife Queen Silvia wowed the crown in a tailored black suit and a sparkly sequinned dress, respectively

The King thrilled in a black bowtie and black patent tie-up shoes, and posed for cameras alongside his wife, who was also carrying a bouquet.

The Polar Music Prize is one of the most prestigious and unique music prizes in the world, and is awarded to individuals, groups and institutions in recognition of exceptional achievements.

The prize was founded by late Abba manager Stig Anderson in 1989, with its name stemming from Andersons legendary record label, Polar Music.

Last year's edition was also graced by the royals.

For her make-up, the Swedish royal donned a neutral base with a minimal smokey eye, and a pink lip

She teamed a pair of sunflower earrings with a multi coloured bracelet and what appeared to be two silver charm bracelets

The King thrilled in a black bowtie and black patent tie-up shoes, and posed for cameras alongside his wife, who was also carrying a bouquet

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia both attended the international award with Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel, as well as Prince Carl Philip.

Victoria, looked chic in a black bardot off the shoulder jumpsuit for the occasion. She kept her hair sharply pinned back and opted for neutral make-up with dark eyeliner.

She wore a single gold bangle on her wrist and a pair of gold earrings. The princess was also pictured holding a bouquet of bright orange marigolds.
TikTok star Alix Earle has revealed she and her friends were left stranded in Italy after falling prey to scammers by booking a villa that does not exist.

The 22-year-old, who embarked on the trip alongside 10 others, has been documenting the saga on the video sharing platform.

She revealed that there were a whole host of mishaps before the group then discovered that the 'scenic villa' they had booked in Positano was fake.

The trip is a continuation of Alix's festivities to celebrate graduating from the University of Miami earlier this month.

TikTok star Alix Earle has revealed she and her friends were left stranded in Italy after falling prey to scammers by booking a villa that does not exist

She revealed that there were a whole host of mishaps before the group discovered that the 'scenic villa' they had booked in Positano was a scam

In her initial clip, which has been viewed more than 4.7 million times, Alix candidly revealed the predicament the group were in as they wheeled their suitcases out of the airport.

She revealed: 'We're stranded in Italy. The house we were supposed to stay at doesn't exist. Our car service canceled. It's midnight.

'We literally don't know where to go. 11 girls stranded in Positano. The girls' trip took a turn.'

The social media star, who has more than 5.3 million followers on TikTok, has since elaborated further on the situation.

She said: 'Here's how we got stranded in Italy on our girls' trip.

'We were leaving our AirBnB in Ibiza. We had to chuck our suitcases down the stairs - they were so heavy.

'We got our hot, sexy drivers. We had time to kill before the airport so we went to go get lunch...

'So now we head to the airport to go to our villa in Positano. It was like 800 degrees. We were on the last row of the flight.'

Alix, who did not specify how much the group had paid for the villa, has yet to reveal how the issue got resolved but has still found time to share a slew of snaps from the sun-soaked destination

The trip is a continuation of Alix's celebrations after graduating from the University of Miami earlier this month

Alix continued: 'We landed in Naples and realized that our house was a scam.

'It literally didn't exist and our car service canceled on us. The our dumb a**es walked out of the airport without our luggage.

'Security was like "you can literally not come back in." We somehow got our bags, we got in a random taxi, we booked a random hotel room for the night.

'The view was pretty though. At two in the morning we have nowhere to stay for the rest of the trip so we were a little stressed out.'

Alix, who did not specify how much the group had paid for the villa, has yet to reveal how the issue got resolved but has still found time to share a slew of snaps from the sun-soaked destination.

The star has risen through the ranks in recent months to become the latest 'It Girl.'

The social media star has risen through the ranks in recent months to become the internet's latest 'It Girl'

She rakes in serious cash from her content, making more than $70,000 per post, and her own hashtags, 'Alix Earle Effect' and 'Alix Earle,' have a combined total of nearly two billion views

She rakes in serious cash from her content, making more than $70,000 per post, and her own hashtags, 'Alix Earle Effect' and 'Alix Earle,' have a combined total of nearly two billion views.

But despite being the next big thing - Alix does not shy away from sharing candid insights into both the good and the bad.

The beauty, who is also a construction company heiress, has been transparent about her struggles with acne, friendship, relationships, depression, anxiety and many other everyday realities that come with being a young social media icon.

She has also previously shared videos detailing her experience undergoing a breast augmentation as she shares that she does not want to set an unrealistic standard to those who look up to her.
For many brides, their wedding dress is an object to preserve and treasure for the rest of their lives.

But the designer of a new nature-friendly gown instead wants its wearers to toss it onto a compost heap after their big day.

The 4,000 frock, which was displayed by creator Zena Holloway at the Chelsea Flower Show yesterday, is woven from grass roots rather than the plastics more commonly used in clothing.

Ms Holloway, 49, said she developed the idea after being horrified by the effects plastic is having on the natural world.

Fabrics such as nylon and polyester release microfibres into the water when they are washed.

The 4,000 frock, which was displayed by creator Zena Holloway at the Chelsea Flower Show yesterday, is woven from grass roots rather than the plastics more commonly used in clothing

Ms Holloway (pictured), 49, said she developed the idea after being horrified by the effects plastic is having on the natural world

The designer, from south-west London, hit on the idea of making dresses from roots after she saw the roots of a willow tree immersed in water while she was involved in a river clean-up on the Thames.

She said: 'We've got this fantastic material called plastic, it passes through our hands in seconds and never rots goes away. For an intelligent species, it's a ridiculous idea.'

She began to experiment with growing plants to make fabrics, and hit on the idea of using grass roots.

Ms Holloway's company Root Full grows wheatgrass shoots in beeswax moulds, which produce an intricately woven root structure.

After about two weeks the shoots are trimmed off, leaving the mat of white roots below, which are then dried and pressed into a fabric.

Different designs are possible, with some featuring the swirling patterns of brain coral.

She began to experiment with growing plants to make fabrics, and hit on the idea of using grass roots

Ms Holloway's company Root Full grows wheatgrass shoots in beeswax moulds, which produce an intricately woven root structure

The process, from growing the dress, to making the material and fitting it ready for a bride, takes around two months.

Ms Holloway said: 'It's quite amazing how much fabric you can make from a small piece of turf. It's quite hard wearing as long as you keep away from the elements.'

Ms Holloway has made three wedding dresses so far, and has had to turn down offers from brides to wear them at their weddings so they could be exhibited at Chelsea, but hopes they will soon be used as intended.
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If you've got a wedding to go to in the next few months, Rixo is a one-stop shop. Whether you're a guest, a bridesmaid, or even the bride!

Established in 2015, Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskeys distinctive prints have been worn by Margot Robbie, Hailey Bieber, Millie Mackintosh, the Princess of Wales and Madonna.

Established in 2015, Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskeys distinctive prints have been worn by Margot Robbie, Hailey Bieber, Millie Mackintosh, the Princess of Wales and Madonna

The Prime Minister's wife Akshata Murty recently turned to Rixo when welcoming FLOTUS Jill Biden to the UK ahead of the Coronation too. Isnt it about time you joined the club?

The British brand's new flagship store on King's Road is well worth a visit. There's a bridal suite, a vintage section, rental options, a seamstress on hand to alter items, and even a bar or coffee kiosk to keep you going while you shop. What more could you ask for?

Rixo is really changing the landscape when it comes to the way we shop. A dress might set you back a little more than youre used to paying on the high street, but trust us when we say you're going to wear it constantly for years to come.

Check out our favourite pieces in stock now.
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Almost a year on, and this is still one of our favourite ever outfits on the Princess of Wales.

Kate enjoyed a spot of baking with her three children last June, and didn't she look adorable in her pink gingham blouse?

Brora Cotton Gingham Chelsea Collar Blouse The V-neckline makes this a great way to try the collar trend if up to the neck Peter Pan styles arent for you. Shop Brora Cotton Gingham Chelsea Collar Dress If you, too, are a big fan of Kate's look, there's even a tiered midi dress version that's available in the same colourway as the sell-out blouse, or you can opt for trendy lime green. Shop

The royal Cambridge children have joined their mother, Kate Middleton, in baking cakes for a Cardiff street party, which is taking pace today to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

It's by Brora, and we love the striking print and cutesy frill collar. Add in blue & Other Stories jeans, plus birthstone jewellery by Auree, and it's the perfect off-duty day look.

Of course, it sold out at the time, but Brora has answered all our prayers and brought it back!

Its available in other colours, and theres even a tiered midi dress version now as well if youre really going gaga for gingham.

Kates sister Pippa Middleton, Lady Amelia Windsor and Jenna Coleman are all fans of the Scottish brand, too, so youll certainly be in good company. Brora celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2023, but if its passed you by all these years, nows the time to get involved.

More gingham print dresses for spring
Foodies are rushing to the supermarket to get their hands on a new instant coffee flavoured by a beloved Australian snack.

Nescafe have released TimTam instant coffee sachets in original chocolate, dark chocolate and caramel chocolate mocha.

Coffee lovers are saying the delicious drink is a perfect winter warmer while others are making decadent milkshakes out of the sachets.

Shoppers are finding boxes of eight sachets on supermarket shelves for $7.60 as the product slowly launches across stores this month.

A Melbourne food blogger known as Nectorious Papi said he 'can't wait to a TimTam slam with' the new coffee flavour after he found a box of the Original chocolate sachets at the supermarket.

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Nescafe have released TimTam instant coffee sachets in original chocolate, dark chocolate and caramel chocolate mocha sending foodies into a spin

A Melbourne food blogger known as Nectorious Papi said he 'can't wait to a TimTam slam with' the instant coffee flavour and made a 'delicious' iced frappe with a sachet

He even made an 'easy and obviously delicious' TimTam Mocha Frappe with the tasty new coffee flavour by blending together one sachet, ice, milk and a TimTam then topping with cream.

'This is a hard yes from me,' one follower replied and another said: 'OMGGGG I NEED THISSSSSSSSSS'.

Foodie Mumma Ren alerted her followers the coffee was 'starting to arrive' at Woolworths exciting hundreds.

'Need this at work for an afternoon pick me up,' one user replied.

'Just in time for winter, yum,' another said.

'Omg, on my way to Woolies,' a third wrote.

Each packet has Nescafe choc mocha coffee powder with heavy notes of beloved Aussie biscuit.

Many complained they were struggling to find the Nescafe TimTam flavours at their local supermarket but both bloggers assured followers they would be available nationwide soon.
Plastic straws are still used at US fast food chains but banned Down Under

Thousands of Australians were shocked by a once-familiar product included in a traveller's American McDonald's order but now disappearing Down Under.

Ali Smith, from Brisbane, and her boyfriend visited the fast food chain overseas for the first time and were intrigued by how the offerings differ.

But many viewing their postings were astonished that Americans still use plastic straws, sparking a heated debate as the single-use item is banned in most states and territories Down Under on environmental grounds.

In a TikTok video, Ali seemed more surprised at the size of the large drinks and countless options available, while others in the comments quickly pointed out the plastic.

'What! They have plastic straws? So lucky,' one wrote, another said: 'I'd be taking so many plastic straws [to bring] back home to Australia.'

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Ali Smith, from Brisbane, and her boyfriend visited McDonald's while travelling in America

After sharing a TikTok video, many Aussies were shocked plastic straws are still used

One large and one medium size meal was ordered, with Ali and her boyfriend tasting each other's meals to compare the two.

In the video she said: 'I cannot believe the amount of options for everything and how they call the burgers 'sandwiches' ... Look at these fries! They're as big as my head.'

The burger filled with bacon and ranch sauce was also 'so big the box squashed it'.

She added how the medium size drink in the US is the equivalent to a large back home.

Many also were amazed by how Powerade was an available to customers and wished it was an option in Australia.

One person who's tried the overseas food added: 'The only good thing about American McDonald's is the plastic straws.'

But one Aussie hit back about the decision to ban plastic straws and wrote: 'Australian shocked by find in American McDonalds

In recent years states and territories across Australis have gradually banned single-use plastics - including straws, plates, cutlery, drink stirrers and plastic bags.

The decision was made in attempt to reduce the amount of plastic entering landfill and oceans.

According to Marine Conservation, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory have all banned plastic straws.

Tasmania has not yet made this decision and in the Northern Territory a ban is expected to come into play from 2025.
A British expat has revealed she was shocked by the 'cold weather' in Australia.

Tembie, who recently moved from the UK to Albury/Wodonga on the NSW/Victoria border, revealed 'the biggest shock' was how cold Australian winters are.

The nurse said she was taught to believe Australia was all 'heatwaves and bushfires' and that she had to go out and buy a coat after landing Down Under.

'Why is Australia so flipping cold? No one told me this, this has been a huge culture shock,' she said in a video.

'I've been here for a month now, I didn't really research where I was going I was just told by my agency 'this is a job, this is how much they're paying you',' she added.

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Tembie, who recently moved from the UK to Albury/Wodonga on the NSW/Victoria border, revealed 'the biggest shock' after moving to Australia was how cold Australian winters are

The agency nurse, who has also lived in New Zealand, said that she saw 'dollar signs' and 'ran' to the job.

'I didn't do much research about the town I was going to be in or anything like that.

'When I landed I was like 'why is it cold?''

'I know you guys have winter, but I just assume that it wouldn't be cold.

'I know that's dumb but when you hear about Australia, you hear about bush fires, snakes, the extreme heat, the droughts.

'No one ever tells you that it's cold,' she added in the TikTok video.

Tembie also explained she had to 'go out and buy a coat' because she was 'so cold' in 9C weather.

Many comments told her Australia was 'huge' with different parts having different climates.

British expat: These are the ten realities of moving to Australia You have to set up a bank account and get a tax code which can take a while before you can get a job For most jobs you need to pay to do a course eg RSA, white card etc Everything is so expensive and it's hard to balance working with exploring as you don't want to spend too much money Renting can be quite difficult as sometimes you'll need renter's history or huge deposits Australia is so far away from family with big time differences Australia is huge and it's hard to get to see everything The housing crisis has been the ultimate pain! There's no where to live! Finding places is so difficult and there are so many scammers Greyhound buses get booked up so quickly so you need to plan trips in advance Jobs are so over-saturated and hard to find! Even if you have good experience you might still struggle It's quite hard to make friends if you aren't partying and staying in hostels Advertisement

While others warned that it was still autumn and set to get much colder.

'We're not yet in winter, so buckle up,' wrote one.

'Make the most of it because you will be singing a different song in six months time,' said another.

'It may not snow in the suburbs, cities but the wind comes from Antarctica so it's freezing,' commented a third.

'Honestly, even coming from New Zealand I was still shocked by how cold it gets here in Australia,' added another.

'There is more snow in the Australian Alps then the Swedish Alps,' informed another.

'I live in Albury and it's going to get colder, we're only one hour from snow!'

Tembie's comments come after a British expat shared the things that surprised her when she moved to Australia, including Australian supermarkets not selling sandwiches and frequent police checks when driving.

Charlee, who moved from London to the Northern Territory in November, revealed the things that might be 'useful to know' for British people thinking about moving Down Under.

Firstly, she explained her shock that Australian supermarkets don't have ready made sandwiches, which is common in the UK.

Another British expat revealed she was given a rude awakening while trying to order a cheeseburger from an Australian McDonald's restaurant.

Jenny Herriot was 'starving' after a long day and decided to satisfy her cravings at a Macca's drive-thru.

She ordered a McChicken meal, and added on a cheeseburger as an extra snack.

Originally only expecting to fork out an extra 99p ($1.85 AUD), Jenny was shell-shocked when the cheeseburger added $4.70 to her total.

'It's not all sunshine and rainbows here in Australia,' she realised after the surprising encounter. 'This one cut deep.'

Another British has shared the struggles she's faced since moving to Australia from trying to find a house to rent to making new friends.

Catherine Owen, who's been living in Australia for four months, revealed the 'realities' of moving Down Under from the UK on a holiday visa and many Aussies agreed with her.

The 26-year-old said she has found it hard to land a job after weeks of setting up a bank account and tax file number.

She said, while she 'loves' Australia, finding a house amid the country's rental crisis has been 'the ultimate pain' and she struggled to find a job.

Catherine was also shocked by how expensive things are in Australia and how big the country is which makes it hard to 'see everything'.
A shopper was left shocked by the exorbitant shipping cost she was quoted for IKEA to deliver an $80 desk to her house.

The woman was hit with an 'insane' $1,099 delivery fee when she wanted to buy a desk from the Swedish retailer online.

She wanted to item sent to her home in Armidale in northern New South Wales, however her nearest IKEA store is in Logan on Brisbane's outskirts more than 450km away.

The customer said her regional location has attracted high delivery fees in the past but none that were more than 13 times the price of what she was trying to buy.

She explained that driving to her closest IKEA to collect the table would cost just as much as the delivery fee so has resorted to finding an 'uglier' desk for a reasonable price at her local op shop.

An online shopper was left stunned by the $1,099 shipping fee she was going to be charged for IKEA to deliver a desk to Armidale, NSW, from the nearest store in Logan 450km away

The woman shared her frustrations at the hefty charge in a Reddit post leaving dozens reeling.

'Seriously though that's insane, it'd be cheaper to book a mini-holiday to go pick it up than get it delivered,' one user responded.

'Cheaper to fly to Sydney or something and buy it. Maybe it's time for an IKEA holiday?' a second agreed.

'Pretty standard for IKEA. They honestly don't want you buying online, they want you in their stores because they want you to buy more than just the items you're getting online,' a third speculated.

The customer said her regional location has attracted high delivery fees in the past but none that were more than 13 times the price of the $80 IKEA desk she was trying to buy

But not everyone had sympathy for the online shopper.

'You live in the middle of nowhere, this can't be the first time you've experienced higher shipping costs,' one person pointed out.

'It's the first time I've experienced shipping costs this high. Last time I looked at something on IKEA shipping was $500 for a full size set of drawers,' the Armidale woman replied.

Poll Do you think IKEA's $1,099 shipping charge is too much to deliver to regional towns? Yes No Do you think IKEA's $1,099 shipping charge is too much to deliver to regional towns? Yes 133 votes

No 29 votes Now share your opinion





She added rather than paying the $1000 fee, she would search her nearest 'dump shop' to find an 'ugly but usable' desk instead.

IKEA's truck delivery services is advertised as 'starting from $49' and will increase based on the customer's order size and address.

The website says the service is only offered in selected metro areas.

This isn't the first time a shopper has been hit with a heft delivery charge.

Previously, a mum was left in disbelief after she was quoted a $91 shipping fee on a popular $139 Kmart toy.

The woman wanted to buy the soft play tunnel set which is only available on the Kmart website but was shocked when she saw the huge delivery fee.

Items over $65 are usually delivered for free, adding to her frustration.

'Has anyone successfully bought the Soft Play Tunnel Set from Kmart? When I try it says it costs $91.38 shipping!' the mum wrote in a post to the Markdown Addicts Australia Facebook page.

Shoppers were outraged by the hefty delivery charge and said they had been given even higher shipping fees.

A mum wanted to buy an online-exclusive play set from Kmart which was only available online but was taken aback by the hefty $91.38 delivery charge

'Delivery for this to me is $138, a $1 less the the actual product, so frustrating,' one woman said.

'We tried to get a bike delivered and it wanted $100,' another added.

'At that price you may as well buy a better set from Catch of the Day. Slightly pricier but free delivery and more for the money,' suggested a third.

'$52.70 to Port Melbourne, maybe it's based on how far I am from their warehouse,' a fourth guessed.

Some pointed out bulky items can cost more to deliver and one said to try the Click and Collect if it's available.

The woman wanted to buy a $139 soft play tunnel set (pictured) which is only available to buy on the Kmart website and is exempt from free delivery usually given to orders over $65

'I had the same thing when purchasing their soft play mat, had to pay shipping despite it being part of a large order. To save money, try Click and Collect if there is a store close to you,' she said.

'I believe you can potentially also get it delivered for Click and Collect to a Target if there's one close.'

One group member said she had only incurred a $10 delivery fee for the grey version of the tunnel set while another said she had found the individual pieces stocked at her nearest Kmart.

'I wanted this set too but $52 delivery so I went to the store and got individual pieces but there weren't any tunnel pieces,' she explained.

Poll Do you think the delivery fee is unreasonable? Yes Depend where the customer lives No Do you think the delivery fee is unreasonable? Yes 79 votes

Depend where the customer lives 42 votes

No 15 votes Now share your opinion





'Our local Kmart did have some stackable/squishy cushion type things that are for similar play/making cubbies etc. But I doubt it'd have a slide attached,' another woman added.

'They were sold in individual pieces and not bright colours. Might save the postage if you have a store nearby.'

The mum pointed out the individual pieces available in store are 10cm shorter than the ones in the set she wanted to ordered.

'Stairs and triangle available in store are smaller at 21cm high, verse the set at 32cm high,' she said.

The Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kmart for comment.

The Kmart website states large orders are subject to additional fees and bulky items are ineligible for free shipping as they cost carriers more to deliver.

'A large order is approximately the size of a bookshelf or storage unit. If your order is over this size, we add a cost per volumetric kilogram to our standard delivery fee,' the site reads.

'This cost is based on your location and varies from state to state, in line with our carrier fees. Large items, like outdoor play equipment, furniture, prams and bikes will likely incur additional fees.'
A traveller has sparked a debate after she complained about a fellow passenger's 'entitled and selfish' act on a flight.

The woman snapped an image of a fellow passenger sitting in front of her painting her nails, causing the strong smell of the polish to fill the cabin.

While a small minority saw no issue with the woman using the three hour flight to paint and dry her nails, most were outraged by the 'rude' and 'inconsiderate' behaviour.

The flyer vented her frustrations online saying she was asked by other passengers to put the nail varnish away but she refused.

'The flight attendant asked her after four of us asked her to stop and she didn't, because by the time the flight attendant got involved, she was doing the top coat,' she said in a Reddit post.

An image of a woman painting her nails on a three-hour flight has caused a heated debate with many slamming the 'selfish' and 'inconsiderate' behaviour

She admitted she did not ask the woman to stop doing her nails joking: 'I did the British thing and glared at the back of her head and tutted loudly until she finally put it away.'

Hundreds were shocked by the woman's 'audacity' to give herself a manicure without thinking about the smell it would cause.

'People like this make me realise how overly considerate I am. My brain can't comprehend this level of entitlement and selfishness,' one user wrote.

'R.I.P everybody's nose,' laughed another and a third said: 'This is psychopath behaviour'.

Poll Is it ok for passengers to paint their nails on a plane? Yes No Is it ok for passengers to paint their nails on a plane? Yes 5948 votes

No 19510 votes Now share your opinion





'I would have literally snatched that and tossed it in the toilet. I can't stand the smell of that in a well ventilated house,' replied a fourth.

Others wondered how she got the substances past security.

'How is nail polish and nail polish remover allowed on a carry on bag??? Both are highly flammable and both give off ridiculous amounts of fumes,' one person asked.

In Australia, Virgin flights allow passengers to pack nail polish and nail polish remover in the carry on but use on board the aircraft is strictly prohibited.

Most airlines don't have an official policy on the use of nail polish.

Not everyone was convinced the woman was in the wrong and some didn't even realise nail varnish had a noxious smell.

'Wait, why is this bad? I must be missing something. I can't figure out what this would do to bother people,' someone queried.

'I didn't see the issue at first either, I think nail varnish smells lovely, I'm just now learning that most people do not share my opinion,' a second replied.

'I still don't personally see the big deal, but I'm not particularly sensitive to chemicals scents. Even ammonia isn't that bad until it becomes mustard gas by way of mixtures. Ma says I'm just 'nose blind',' a third added.

Previously, frequent flyers shared the most annoying habits and behaviours they've seen other passengers do from seats being reclined to kids playing video games with the volume up and from passengers at the back trying to get off first to reading over someone's shoulder.

One passenger revealed that people who steal the armrests annoy them the most. He said: 'Had a guy that kept falling asleep and would lean on my armrest which would change my channels non-stop'

The discussion started on Reddit when a user posed the question: 'What is something people do on aeroplane flights that annoys the hell out of you?'

And the lack of space in an aircraft cabin was a common gripe in the thread, with 'spookyfey' saying having someone steal your armrest is particularly irksome.

They explained: 'Some people put their elbows on my armrest that has my television controls.

'Had a guy that kept falling asleep and would lean on my armrest which would change my channels non-stop.

'Kept pointing it out to him, he kept apologising and doing the same thing over and over.'

Meanwhile tall passengers like 'Indomitable _Dan' say they have trouble when it comes to the small seats.

He wrote: 'I might be the a****** in this situation, but people who recline their seats... f*** you!

'I'm tall, and to sleep I usually have to lean forward and sleep holding my pillow at my knees.

'If you recline I can't really change my position in my chair from anything other than straight up.'

'Hopebirmingham' agreed: 'They know damn well that they're taking up someone's twelve inches of space.'

Noise is another complaint.

Reddit user 'Goddamnstupid' wrote: 'People who let their kids play video games with the volume up.

'We're all trapped in here, no one wants to listen to a repetitive little tune for hours on end. Headphones on or volume off!'

While big groups of passengers travelling together is something that annoys 'sp00ked_yuh'.

They wrote: 'Groups of people who are rowdy because their group is with them.

'Like yes it's fun and exciting and all that, but settle the f*** down after a bit... we don't need it at 100 the whole flight.'

One passenger revealed that people who don't understand the touch screen TVs are the most annoying - especially when they press them too hard

The seat-back TVs prove an annoyance for 'turkeypants', who revealed their most annoying flight was with a lady who 'didn't understand how touch screens work'.

They explained: 'She pressed the screen on the back of my seat with the finger of vigor over and over to explore the thing's menu. Boomp... boomp... boomp... Hey you know I'm on the other side of this thing, right lady?'

And 'RegularArms' added: 'Also the f****** guy behind you pulling himself up with your seat every 20 f****** minutes.'

For 'CHLDM' the most annoying thing comes at the end of flight - people trying to be the first one out despite being nowhere near the exit.

One former flight attendant explained how the most annoying thing for her was seeing parents change nappies on tray tables

They added: 'They just end up pushing past everyone and end up getting out at most three minutes earlier than they normally would. Be a decent person and wait your turn like everybody else.'

The gripes continued apace.

'Lotusliving1' wrote: 'On a prior flight, the man next to me started reading my magazine along with me and commenting on everything.

'I just wanted to read in peace, but I got my own personal narrator.'

While 'empyreanhaze' added: 'Those who operate a laptop or iPad at 100 per cent brightness in a dark airplane. It hurts my eyes from three rows away, how can they do it??'

And 'offbrandsoap' said: 'People that cough/sneeze and don't cover themselves. F****** monsters.'

Unusual smells are another annoyance.

'Drmti' said: 'Taking off their shoes and showing off their smelly feet.'

While 'Slagathor' added: 'Ex-flight attendant here: passengers who use tray tables as change mats and change their kids dirty nappies mid flight. (And yes, all the toilets were free at this point of the flight, they just couldn't be bothered to get up).'

The simple act of clapping when the plane lands is what annoys 'VincentStonecliff' the most.

While for 'Phaedrug' the one thing that people do on airplane flights that annoys the hell out of him is 'exist'.
The planet should be ready for a disease even deadlier than Covid, the head of the World Health Organisation warned yesterday.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the World Health Assembly forum that the threat of another public health crisis could not be kicked 'down the road'.

He also claimed that, despite the darkest days of the pandemic being consigned to history, a doomsday Covid variant with the power to send the world back to square one could still spawn.

In Geneva, Switzerland, Dr Tedros said : 'The threat of another variant emerging that causes new surges of disease and death remains. And the threat of another pathogen emerging with even deadlier potential remains.'

Despite Covid no longer being a global health emergency, the health threat is not over, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (pictured) told the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday

In 2018, the WHO identified nine priority diseases (listed) that pose the biggest risk to public health. They were deemed to be most risky due to a lack of treatments or their ability to cause a pandemic

He was speaking as the WHO unveiled a new global scheme to spot and track the most dangerous pathogens at an annual meeting of its 194 member states.

No specific diseases were named. But 'Disease X'  a place-holder given to a devastating pathogen not yet discovered  is on the UN agency's list of pressing threats.

Dr Tedros' comments come after the WHO earlier this month declared that Covid was no longer a public health emergency of international concern.

Instead, the virus is now considered an 'established and ongoing health issue'.

It marked a major step and came three years after a cluster of Chinese residents in the city of Wuhan came down with a mysterious illness in December 2019.

At the WHA's 76th meeting, the WHO launched the International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN). It will give all nations access to genomic sequencing to identify and respond to emerging disease threats using genomics.

Genomics  the study of the genetic material found in a virus  helps scientists spot mutations that can make a pathogen more infectious or deadly.

Scientists can then develop treatments and vaccines that work against them, while nations can mount a timely response.

READ MORE: Countries with the fattest under-5s revealed: New WHO league table sees Britain ranked 22nd... and the US isn't even in the top 50! Neither Britain or the US feature in the top 20 of a new league table based on data published by the World Health Organization (WHO)  but Australia comes in at second Advertisement

The IPSN will see researchers, governments, charitable foundations and the private sector work together to monitor bugs.

Dr Tedros said: 'We cannot kick this can down the road.

'When the next pandemic comes knocking  and it will  we must be ready to answer decisively, collectively and equitably.'

The WHO has identified nine priority diseases that pose the biggest risk to public health. They were deemed to be most risky due to a lack of treatments or their ability to cause a pandemic.

Covid is on the list, along with Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, a disease transmitted by ticks which kills 30 per cent of those it hospitalises.

Ebola, which kills around half of those it infects, is another. It causes vomiting, diarrhoea, a rash, yellowing of the skin and eyes and bleeding from multiple orifices, including the eyes, ears and mouth.

Marburg, one of the deadliest pathogens ever discovered, with a case-fatality ratio of 88 per cent, is also a threat. It causes similar symptoms to Ebola.

Lassa fever, which is mild or causes no symptoms in 80 per cent of cases, kills around 1 to 3 per cent of those it infects. It is endemic in parts of West Africa but just 11 cases and one death have been recorded in the UK.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are also on the WHO's pandemic watch-list.

This graphic, from March 2020, showed the Covid pandemic in a visual timeline comparing it to history's most deadly pandemics. It shows the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, was the most lethal of all diseases, killing roughly 200million people in the 14th century. However, Covid is shown as killing 6,400 people at this point. The WHO estimates it has now killed 20million

MERS causes a fever and cough which can develop into pneumonia and breathing difficulties. It was first spotted in the Middle East in 2012 and kills around 35 per cent of those it infects.

SARS, first identified in China in 2003, was the first severe and infectious new disease this century, has a case fatality ratio of three per cent.

Nipah virus, first spotted in humans in 1998, causes a flu-like illness which can develop into breathing difficulties. It kills around three-quarters of those with confirmed infections.

The WHO is also concerned about Rift Valley fever, spread by infected animals and usually spotted in sub-Saharan Africa. It kills around one per cent of those infected.

Zika virus, another pathogen of concern, is mainly spread by mosquitos and is usually mild. Severe cases are rare, but it can cause complications for pregnant woman and babies.

The UN health agency has also warned about 'Disease X', reflecting the fact that the next pandemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease.

WHO officials are currently working on an updated list.
Toxic metals are lurking in cheap vapes puffed by schoolkids, a shock investigation revealed today.

Tests on e-cigarettes confiscated from youngsters found they contained dangerous levels of lead, nickel and chromium.

Some were almost 10 times above safe limits.

Exposure to lead can impair brain development, while the other two metals can trigger blood clotting.

One expert claimed the results of the probe, carried out on e-cigs collected from students at a college in Worcestershire, were the 'worst I've ever seen'.

Brightly-coloured 'highlighter vapes', sold in child-friendly flavours like bubble gum and strawberry, contained 12 micrograms of lead per gram. This is 2.4-times the stipulated safe exposure level. The gadgets, which can cost as little as 5 and are sold in shops across the country, were also over 9.6 times the safe level of nickel and 6.6 times the safe level of chromium

Shock data last week revealed a record 11.6 per cent of 11-17 year olds in Britain have now tried vaping. This is up on 7.7 per cent last year and twice as high as rates seen a decade ago  before the UK's kid vaping epidemic blew up

Tests on e-cigarettes confiscated from youngsters found they contained dangerous levels of lead, nickel and chromium. Some were almost 10 times above safe limits. Exposure to lead can impair brain development, while the other two metals can trigger blood clotting

It comes amid spiralling vaping rates in teens, in a trend that has prompted warnings that Britain is 'sleepwalking into an existential crisis for children'.

Although widely accepted as safer than smoking, the long-term effects remain a mystery and doctors fear there could be a wave of lung disease, dental issues and even cancer in the coming decades in people who took up the habit at a young age.

David Lawson, co-founder of Inter Scientific  the lab that analysed 18 different e-cigs  said: 'In 15 years of testing, I have never seen lead in a device.

'None of these should be on the market  they break all the rules on permitted levels of metal. They are the worst set of results I've ever seen.'

He was speaking to BBC News, which was given the full results of the investigation at Baxter College in Kidderminster.

Most of the e-cigarettes were illegal and hadn't been tested before being sold in the UK.

Brightly-coloured 'highlighter vapes', sold in child-friendly flavours like bubble gum and strawberry, contained 12 micrograms of lead per gram.

This is 2.4-times the stipulated safe exposure level.

The gadgets, which can cost as little as 5 and are sold in shops across the country, were also over 9.6 times the safe level of nickel and 6.6 times the safe level of chromium.

The metals were thought to come from the heating element inside vapes, but the tests showed they were actually in the e-liquid inhaled directly into the lungs.

Scientists also found compounds called carbonyls at 10 times the level in legal vapes.

These break down into chemicals like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde  which studies have found can increase the risk of certain types of cancer  when the e-liquid warms.

Dr Salim Khan, head of department for public health at Birmingham City University, told MailOnline: 'We know there are a lot of people manufacturing vapes and vaping liquids who aren't regulated.

'Now we are seeing the impact. If there is no regulation, there is the potential for a lot of harmful toxins to end up in vapes and these can cause a lot more harm than good.

'Sadly, the providers who sell these illegal vapes and liquids are most likely oblivious to the harm they cause as [they] may assume [the devices] are manufactured according to quality control standards.'

He added: 'Australia has brought in tough regulation to ban vaping products, unless given on prescription.

'This move will be viewed with interest by other governments, particularly if it results in a reduction in vaping.

'However, it may also have an adverse effect, pushing people back towards tobacco products.'

The 15 recommendations put forward by Dr Javed Khan OBE, to help England be smoke-free by 2030. They were published in the Khan review, released in July last year

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which polices the safety of medical products used in the UK, has a notification scheme for vapes so that any harm caused by the devices can be logged. The watchdog's head of e-cigarettes, Craig Copland, said the results of the BBC investigation would be reviewed to assess whether the vapes posed a health risk

It comes as shock data last week revealed a record 11.6 per cent of 11-17 year olds in Britain have now tried vaping.

This is up on 7.7 per cent last year and twice as high as rates seen a decade ago  before the UK's kid vaping epidemic blew up.

A damning MailOnline expose last month laid bare the true scale of the problem and the predatory marketing tactics of vape retailers.

E-cigs are already illegal for under-18s to buy, yet shops have been caught flouting the rules.

Puff bars, as they are known, are popular among teens. Brands include Elf Bars, Geek and Crystal.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which polices the safety of medical products used in the UK, has a notification scheme for vapes so that any harm caused by the devices can be logged.

The watchdog's head of e-cigarettes, Craig Copland, said the results of the BBC investigation would be reviewed to assess whether the vapes posed a health risk.

In efforts to curb the UK's teen vaping crisis, some secondary schools  including Baxter College  have already taken to installing devices to detect whether children are vaping.

Its headteacher, Matthew Carpenter, told BBC News: 'It's been part of youth culture for a long time and we are a long way behind the curve in influencing children's behaviour around this, which is why we need such a strong message.'

Data released in March revealed some sensors are being set off up to 22 times a day.

Last month health minister Neil O'Brien, confirmed the Governments ambition to crackdown on the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s and colourful packaging and candy flavours they use to lure kids in.

He announced that policymakers would listen to experts from all corners on how best to tackle the crisis. At the same time, he also revealed a 3million taskforce would be established to enforce the current rules of selling of vapes.

Almost every high street in the country now has a designated shop where e-cigs are paraded.

However, despite the warnings surrounding vaping, health chiefs insist it is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes.

Around 6million people smoke in the UK and it is estimated to cause 64,000 deaths every year.

It also costs the NHS 2.4billion every year to treat smoking-related conditions.

Rates have plunged over the past decade, but experts say it is still not close enough to reach the smoke-free goal.

Vaping rates have exploded over the same time, however.
Some 12,400 new cases are diagnosed in the UK annually and 66,000 in the US

It's a deadly type of cancer that's on the rise.

Around 12,400 new cases of head and neck cancers are diagnosed in the UK each year, with roughly 66,000 in the US.

But symptoms can be hard to spot, according to the NHS.

Earlier today MailOnline revealed the convicted paedophile TV host and musician Rolf Harris had died aged 93, with a private funeral already having taken place.

The disgraced TV star had been very sick with neck cancer that left him 'gurgling' when talking, since leaving prison six years ago, close sources claimed.

Around 12,400 new cases of the cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year, with roughly 66,000 in the US. But symptoms of the cancer can be hard to spot, according to the NHS. These include a sore throat, earache, difficulty swallowing and unexplained weight loss. Changes to your voice or experiencing a lump in the neck are other key signs

Earlier today MailOnline revealed the convicted paedophile TV host and musician Rolf Harris (pictured five years ago) had died recently aged 93 , with a private funeral already having taken place

In the UK, cancer of the head or neck is the eighth most common, accounting for some three per cent of all new cases.

There are more than 30 areas within the head and neck where tumours can develop.

Nine in 10 head and neck cancers start in squamous cells, Macmillan Cancer Support notes.

Squamous cells are flat, skin like cells that cover the lining of the mouth, nose, larynx, thyroid and throat.

Symptoms of head and neck cancer vary depending on the area affected.

Here, MailOnline reveals the six key warning signs of neck cancer to look out for.

A lump in the neck

Often, the first noticeable sign of cancer is a swollen - or enlarged - lymph node in the neck.

However, in most cases, swollen lymph nodes 'are more likely to be caused by an infection than cancer', Macmillan Cancer Support advises.

But if the lump does not disappear within two or three weeks, your GP should refer you to a specialist doctor, it adds.

You could also be referred to a one-stop clinic if that is the only symptom you are experiencing.

There, tests may include an ultrasound of the neck, a biopsy, which involves removing a sample of tissue from the lump, or a nasendoscopy, which looks at the back of the mouth, nose and throat.

Persistent sore throat

The symptoms of some neck cancers, including throat cancer, are often similar to symptoms of other much less serious conditions, Cancer Research UK notes.

Symptoms including a sore throat can mimic common illnesses such as colds or sinus infections.

But key signs of cancer in the oropharynx or hypopharynx  two parts of the throat  include a persistent sore throat, according to the NHS.

If you are experiencing throat pain or persistent hoarseness, your dentist or GP should refer you to see a specialist within two weeks, under an urgent referral.

Difficulty swallowing

Some neck cancers can cause pain or a burning sensation when chewing and swallowing food.

Difficulty swallowing, known medically as dysphagia, can be a change that may 'be tough to come to terms with', Cancer Research UK says.

It may feel like food is stuck in the throat or that food or liquid is entering the airway  windpipe.

You could also experience difficulty chewing or moving the jaw or tongue.

This is because chewing and swallowing involves your lips, teeth, tongue and the muscles in your mouth, jaw and throat working together.

The tumour itself could be causing the trouble swallowing, by blocking or narrowing the food passage.

Unexplained weight loss

Weight loss is a common symptom of many different types of cancer.

There are several causes of weight loss and while losing weight is often associated with a loss of appetite, it is not the only cause.

Difficulty swallowing and experiencing pain in the neck can put people off eating and lead to weight loss.

Studies have also shown pre-treatment unexplained weight loss is a 'major' indicator of those with neck cancers.

'If you are losing weight for no obvious reason, speak to your doctor,' Macmillan Cancer Support says.

The disgraced TV star had been very sick with neck cancer which left him 'gurgling' when talking, since leaving prison six years ago, close sources told MailOnline. Pictured, Rolf Harris performing in the early 1970s

Changes to voice

Neck cancer can affect your voice and you may experience changes in your speech.

This could include sounding quieter or husky.

Sometimes speech can also become slurred if you have trouble pronouncing certain sounds.

'It can be very distressing and frustrating to lose your ability to talk or to talk less fluently,' Cancer Research UK notes.

'Adjusting to changes in speech can take some time. It is important to allow time to take it all in and find new ways of speaking and communicating.'

People who have voice changes  like hoarseness  that do not improve within three weeks should see your GP as soon as possible, the NHS advises.

Ear pain

While it could be a sign of an ear infection, symptoms including earache or ear pain should not be dismissed.

Hearing loss or having trouble hearing is common sign of some neck cancers, including throat cancers, according to the NHS.

You may also experience ringing in the ears or persistent earache.

Due to the location of neck cancers, as they progress they can also cause issues with ear pain.
America has detected its seventh-ever case of mad cow disease at a slaughterhouse in South Carolina, health officials say.

The five-year-old cow was diagnosed with the disease at the plant after it was deemed 'unsuitable' for slaughter.

The US Department of Agriculture said the animal did not enter the country's beef supply and officials are not concerned about onward transmission.

The disease, technically termed bovine spongiform encephalopathy, triggers lesions on animal brains giving them a sponge-like appearance and sparking aggression and movement problems. It is always fatal.

Humans who eat meat from contaminated cattle can also catch the disease, which triggers seizures and is fatal in seven to ten patients. Four people in the US have developed the disease to date, all of whom died.

The cow was diagnosed with the disease at a slaughterhouse in South Carolina. Officials say no meat from the animal entered the human supply chain (Pictured: A stock image of a cow with mad cow disease

The case is the seventh ever in the US (US cases in orange) and the first since 2018

Health officials are on high alert for mad cow disease because it nearly always proves fatal to humans.

Millions of cattle had to be put down in the UK during the 1980s and 1990s when they developed the disease after eating feed that contained the crushed meat and bones of cattle that had the illness.

The disease was also detected in France, Germany, Italy and a swathe of other European countries but was not picked up in the United States until 2003, when it was detected in a cow imported from Canada.

Mad cow disease is called by a misfolded protein in the brain  called a prion  that disrupts communication between cells and leads to the symptoms.

Animals can either pick up this protein by eating the meat of others that have the disease, the classic form of the disease, or it can occur spontaneously when a mutation causes the protein to misfold inside them, the atypical form.

It can take years for animals with the atypical form to start to show symptoms.

The cow in South Carolina was diagnosed with the atypical form of the disease.

It was tested after officials deemed the animal 'unsuitable' for slaughter, likely because it was displaying warning signs of the disease.

The animal was also wearing a radio frequency tag that linked it back to a herd in Tennessee.

The US Department of Agriculture, which revealed the case, said: 'This animal never entered slaughter channels and at no time presented a risk to the food supply or to human health in the United States.'

They did not reveal when the case was detected or whether other animals were now also being tested.

They also did not reveal the fate of the cow, although it is likely that the animal has now been euthanized and the body safely disposed of.

The case marks the seventh ever detected in the United States and the first to be revealed since 2018.

It is also the sixth case of the atypical form of the disease in the US, with only one case of the classical form detected dated back to 2003.

Experts said it was unlikely that the US would face any restrictions to selling cattle in the country or abroad as a result of the diagnosis.

Simon Quilty, an analyst at Global AgriTrends in Colorado, told ABC News that the last time a case was detected in 2018 this led to no trade implications.

'So you can only assume the same will happen this time around,' he said.

The biggest countries for beef exports from the US are Japan, South Korea, China and Mexico.

Asked whether China might consider restricting beef trade given the current trade war between the nations, Mr Quilty said this was unlikely.

'Under the trade agreement between the US and China, they said no ban could be put in place on any atypical BSE case should it occur,' he added.
America's top doctor has said social media presents a 'profound risk of harm' for children and has called for 'immediate action to protect kids now'.

US surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy said in an urgent health advisory published Tuesday that the country is experiencing 'a national youth mental health crisis' and pointed towards social media as one of the main culprits.

Evidence has been mounting for years that social media is detrimental to youths, due to highly sophisticated algorithms which can promote self-harm and other dangerous content to young users.

Montana became the first state to ban TikTok, due to take effect from January 1, 2024, and lawmakers are pushing for a nationwide ban.

Meanwhile, Facebook owner Meta has hit out at a 'flawed and unjustified' fine after it was ordered to pay a record $1.3billion and stop transferring European data to America.

US surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy said in an urgent health advisory published Tuesday that the country is experiencing 'a national youth mental health crisis' as a result of social media

One study of 6,595 children aged 12-15 found that adolescents who spent more than three hours a day on social media had double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety

Studies have found links between social media use and depression and anxiety, plus poor sleep, online harassment and low self-esteem, especially for girls

Up to 95 percent of teens aged 13-17 reported using a social media platform and more than a third said they use it 'almost constantly', found a study from the Pew Research Center.

And while 13 is the minimum age for many social media platforms in America, many younger than that are finding their way onto the apps, with close to 40 percent of children aged 8-12 using social media.

Dr Murthy previously said 13 was far too young for children to be on sites such as TikTok and Instagram.

The advisory said: 'We must acknowledge the growing body of research about potential harms, increase our collective understanding of the risks associated with social media use, and urgently take action to create safe and healthy digital environments.'

It is a well-known fact that the overconsumption of social media is unhealthy, particularly for developing brains.

The advisory lists potential risks of social media over five pages, while taking just half a page to describe the possible benefits.

Studies have found links between social media use and depression and anxiety, plus poor sleep, online harassment and low self-esteem, especially for girls.

One study of 6,595 children aged 12-15 found that adolescents who spent more than three hours a day on social media had double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety.

There are also risks from the type of content that is being viewed online.

A review of more than two dozen studies found that some social media platforms 'show live depictions of self-harm acts like partial asphyxiation, leading to seizures, and cutting, leading to significant bleeding'.

This can 'normalize such behaviors', the advisory warned.

Social media can also create extreme negativity around body image. Some 20 studies found that comparison online was a significant factor in eating disorders.

Overuse of social media can get in the way of key healthy activities, such as sleep, the advisory added.

Apps are designed to keep users hooked through features such as autoplay, infinite scroll and push notifications, plus algorithms tailored specifically to each user.

Some experts believe the stimulation gained from social media can 'trigger pathways comparable to addiction'.

It suggested that possible pros of social media are the sense of community and connection it offers, especially for LGBTQ youths.

Dr Murthy is optimistic the report will result in more funding and research into the effect of social media, plus policy changes and more transparency from tech companies.

Meanwhile, the number of teenage girls saying they are feeling sad or hopeless persistently has rocketed from 36 to 57 percent within a decade from 2011 to 2021.

The proportion saying they were seriously considering attempting suicide has also risen to 30 percent compared to 19 percent a decade beforehand.

Experts have suggested social media could be a major cause because it encourages people to compare themselves to others, addiction and 'FOMO' or fear of missing out.

Meanwhile, TikTok sued Montana on Monday for its state-wide ban of the app, claiming it violates its First Amendment rights.

The lawsuit, filed in Montana federal court, came less than a week after the state become the first in the US to ban the app completely. President Joe Biden last year banned its use on federal government devices.

In the suit, the ByteDance-owned company that has taken the US by storm in recent years, argues the ban violates not only the First Amendment rights of the company, but its users as well.

Governor Greg Gianforte's ban is due to go into effect on January 1.

TikTok said the ban comes in direct violation of the US Constitution - specifically a clause that limits the authority of states to enact legislation that negatively affects interstate and foreign commerce.

The app claimed it contravenes federal law as it intrudes on matters over which the government holds power.
Many believe that restricting how much they eat or obsessive exercise can extend their lifespan.

But scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital have now suggested a third way; take in less oxygen.

In a study on mice, they found that rodents kept at 11 percent oxygen  equivalent to the base camp of Mount Everest  lived 50 percent longer than those kept at ambient levels.

They said breathing in less oxygen could reduce damage to cells and prompt them to clear out and recycle damaged parts, slowing the aging process.

It was not clear whether the study results could be replicated in humans, but previous papers have suggested that humans who live at higher altitudes live longer than their peers. But they are also at higher risk for low birthweights and stunted growth, which scientists say may be driven by the lack of oxygen.

The study used mice that either lived in ambient oxygen levels or were placed in a chamber and exposed to 11 percent levels, equivalent to oxygen levels at base camp on mount Everest

In the study, the first to examine oxygen restriction in mice, the researchers used rodents that had been bred to age rapidly.

They were split into two groups at four weeks of age, with half staying at ambient oxygen levels (21 percent) while the rest were placed in a chamber that drove the levels down to 11 percent.

Each was offered adequate food and water and scientists then monitored the mice until their deaths.

Results showed that mice living at ambient oxygen levels lived for a total of 15.7 weeks on average.

But those who were exposed to restricted oxygen levels lived for nearly eight weeks longer  with a lifespan of 23.6 weeks.

Mice in both groups ate about the same amount of food.

The results back up previous research, which has also found that oxygen restriction extends the lifespan of yeast, worms and fruit flies.

The researchers now hope to test oxygen restriction and longevity further to back up their findings, possibly in other animals.

It was not clear how humans might be exposed to lower oxygen levels continuously to help extend their lifespan.

But as well as spending several hours a day in a low oxygen chamber, the paper also pointed to how people who live at higher altitudes live longer.

Other papers have warned, however, that people born at these higher levels may have lower birthweights and stunted growth due to the lack of oxygen.

Dr Roger Roberts, a pulmonologist who led the study, told DailyMail.com: 'It is premature to speculate on the implication of these finding for human aging.

'But there are several interesting clues from epidemiological research that living at high altitude where there is a lower oxygen concentration might increase median lifespan and reduce the burden of age-related diseases.'

The researchers suggested that oxygen restriction may slow aging because it triggers a pathway in cells that causes them to clear out and recycle damaged parts more frequently.

They also suggested that cells were facing less damage from oxidative stress, or the molecules released when oxygen is used as energy that can damage DNA.

They also suggested there was a reduction in neurodegeneration and inflammation levels in the body.

The above graph shows the average lifespan of mice in the two groups

Limitations of the study include that it was carried out in mice rather than humans and that low oxygen exposure may be needed from a young age to trigger the effects.

Dr Roberts and others said in the paper: 'Epidemiological evidence suggests that lifelong oxygen restriction might slow the aging process in humans.

'Though there are many potential confounders to this finding, recent cross-sectional studies in Bolivia have demonstrated significant enrichment for nonagenarians and centenarians at very high altitudes.

'There is also data that suggests there are potential benefits of moving to altitude in adulthood.'

Previous research has suggested that people who live at high altitudes live longer than their sea-level-dwelling peers.

One paper found that out of the top 20 counties with the highest life expectancy in the US, 11 for men and five for women were at about 5,900 feet above sea level.

Researchers have previously suggested that a chronic lack of oxygen triggers pathways in cells that cause them to repair damage, reducing age-related decline.

Other methods to reduce the pace of aging that have been suggested include consuming less food.

Research in primates on this method has been inconclusive, but some studies in humans suggest that it may be able to boost life expectancy.

Another method highlighted is getting adequate exercise, with physical activity associated with a wide range of health benefits including better blood sugar control and a lower risk of many chronic diseases.

But studies have also warned that obsessively exercising  getting more than five hours a week of vigorous cardiovascular exercise and not getting at least one rest day per week  can actually have the reverse effect and shorten lifespan.

They say this is because it raises the risk of joint and heart problems that could lead to an earlier death.

The latest paper on chronic oxygen restriction in mice was published in the journal PLOS Biology.
GPs want officials to think twice about alerting the public to health threats in the future  so they aren't swamped by panicked Brits.

Under pressure family doctors have complained about the messaging pushed out during last winter's Strep A crisis.

Dozens more kids than expected died from the bug, which typically causes scarlet fever or other mild illnesses.

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) chiefs were spooked by the trend and pushed out a wider awareness campaign for parents to keep their eye out for tell-tale signs of the bacterial infection.

Senior GPs claim, however, that these efforts caused 'widespread panic' and 'huge demand' on an already struggling service.

Under pressure family doctors have complained about the messaging pushed out during last winter's Strep A crisis. They called for both the Government and health chiefs 'to take into consideration the wider system effects' when sending out alerts around 'single diseases'. They have also asked for a 'comprehensive' internal analysis of knock-on effects of the Strep A campaign, which ran from December until February

At the height of the chaos, desperate parents needing antibiotics for their children were turned away due to a lack of supplies.

It also saw parents pull kids out of school as the illness swept through classrooms.

Family doctors have now called for both the Government and health chiefs 'to take into consideration the wider system effects' when sending out alerts around 'single diseases'.

They have also asked for a 'comprehensive' internal analysis of the knock-on effects of the Strep A campaign, which kicked off in December.

The issue was raised last week during the annual conference of UK Local Medical Committees (LMCs), attended by dozens of GPs.

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This statutory body represents individual GPs and practices as a whole, and its opinion helps shape the doctors' union, the British Medical Association, policies and informs negotiations with NHS England regarding GP contracts.

The motion was proposed by Dr Selvaseelan Selvarajah, from Tower Hamlets Local Medical Committee, GP magazine Pulse reported. It was passed in full.

Dr Clare Bannon, deputy chair of the BMA's GP Committee in England, cautioned that the move could be seen as controversial at the time.

She said: 'The potential controversy is this motion could be read as general practice has no responsibility to put mitigations in place for the spread of disease which it does.'

But speaking today, Dr Bannon, who led the GPCs response to Strep A, added: 'This policy highlights concerns the BMA raised during the recent outbreak.

'Government campaigns and media interest resulted in a significant increase in GP demand during the already pressured winter period.

'Patients, who were understandably worried, were requesting urgent GP appointments and often these patients simply wanted advice or reassurance - something which NHS 111 may have been able to provide.'

She added: 'It is irresponsible of governments to push public health messaging around single diseases without ensuring that mechanisms are in place to meet the inevitable demands that follow.

'To simply expect GPs to take on more is unreasonable and undoable. It takes GPs away from delivering care to those patients who need them most.

'During the outbreak, general practice became overwhelmed, and we would therefore expect governments to now carry out analysis of national public health comms campaigns to ensure that lessons are learnt.

'BMA call on governments to be transparent with these findings so that any further single disease outbreaks can be better managed and allow GPs to continue caring for communities.'

It comes after it was last week revealed that family doctors are demanding the right to charge their NHS patients for private appointments.

It would allow wealthier patients to pay their GP  who earn around 110,000-a-year, on average  to effectively jump the queue and potentially avoid the 8am scramble to be seen.

But critics warned the 'two-tier system' could lead to medics shunning those who cannot afford to pay, leaving them without access to care.

Elected GP representatives passed the motion calling for the introduction of private charges at the same LMC conference.
The chemical does not meet standards in federal law, the FDA said

Pharmacies are offering unauthorized Ozempic alternatives amid shortages of the weight loss drug.

Pharmacies, beauty clinics and rogue telehealth sites are mixing a cocktail of chemicals to try and mimic the fat-loss injection, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Ozempic and Wegovy, which have exploded in popularity in recent years, use the active ingredient semaglutide, a substance created by Novo Nordisk.

Because no generic form of the drug exists, some pharmacies are attempting to make their own version using salts, which the FDA has said is unsafe.

A handful of pharmacies are dispensing a different active ingredient, called semaglutide sodium, the salt form of semaglutide

Novo Nordisk, Ozempic's maker, does not sell semaglutide for compounding  when drugs are altered to meet patients' specific needs, such as an allergy to an ingredient.

And an FDA-approved generic form of the drug does not exist.

Ozempic is currently listed on the FDA's drug shortage website, meaning compounding pharmacies are able to get semaglutide from pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers and mix it into an injectable drug they can give out themselves.

It is frequently mixed with B vitamins or metabolic compound called L-carnitine, which small amounts of evidence have suggested could help with weight loss.

And a handful of pharmacies are dispensing a different active ingredient, called semaglutide sodium, the salt form of semaglutide.

Regulators in states such as North Carolina and Mississippi have warned against using semaglutide sodium, which may be sold as a research chemical.

The ingredient is not in any FDA-approved medication and does not seem to meet standards for compounding in federal law.

The FDA does not evaluate semaglutide drugs which compounding pharmacies hand out.

An FDA official told The New York Times that patients are more at risk if they take compounded semaglutide.

Betty Jones, compliance senior manager of accreditation and inspection programs at the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, told The New York Times: 'There are a lot of great compounding pharmacies out there that take great patient care every single day.

'But there are some of those bad actors.'

Dr Shauna Levy, an assistant professor of bariatric surgery at Tulane University in New Orleans, who sits on the American Board of Obesity Medicine, previously told DailyMail.com: 'I know patients are desperate to take Wegovy to help with weight loss but this is not a good or safe way to access the medication.

'There is no generic version of Wegovy, and there will not be for a while.'

The FDA sent a letter to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy at the end of April stating that the agency was aware compounders were using salt forms of semaglutide.

It said: 'We are not aware of any basis for compounding a drug using these semaglutide salts that would meet federal law requirements.'

There is no data showing if semaglutide sodium is safe or effective for patients, Mary-Haston Vest, system director of pharmacy with UNC Health, told The New York Times.

The North Carolina Board of Pharmacy banned pharmacies from using salt forms of semaglutide in April, while the West Virginia and Mississippi Boards of Pharmacy put out warnings.

Carrie Davis, 55, gained 50 pounds during menopause and developed an underactive thyroid, known as hypothyroidism.

Her health insurance would not cover Ozempic, so she looked for an alternative route to getting the drug off-label.

She came across someone who claimed to be a doctor on TikTok who was offering to get patients a generic form of the medication.

A couple of days later, after a quick video consultation with someone who claimed to be a nurse practitioner, Ms Davis had a prescription in her hands.

The medication was shipped from a compounding pharmacy in Kentucky and came in vials of purple liquid which the doctor said was semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic.

She did not suffer a negative reaction from the drug, but she went to a different provider for compounded semaglutide.

Her new clinic asks for blood work, in-person appointments and stricter oversight than the TikTok doctor, which made her feel safer. Both medications seemed to work, Ms Davis said.
Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris has died aged 93, less than a decade after he was found guilty by a jury of abusing four girls and young women.

Harris, known as 'The Boy from Bassendean' after the Perth suburb where he was born, was once a lauded as a great Australian export after finding fame abroad, most notably in the UK where he lived most of his life.

But his conviction in 2014 for 12 counts of indecent assault against his victims, aged from just seven to 19 and including the childhood friend of his daughter Bindi, sealed his dramatic fall from grace.

There was no public statements of grief when his death was announced on Tuesday night Australian time, no florid memorials from fellow show business identities or public figures.

The man who had once rubbed shoulders with royalty, painting the Queen's portrait less than a decade before his conviction, ended his days as a recluse.

The fact the announcement of his death came two weeks after the event - on May 10 - without the news leaking in the meantime indicated how far he had slipped from the public's view, and affections.

Immediately after the verdict at Southwark Crown Court in the UK, Australian honours began to be revoked. He was later sentenced to five years and nine months in prison.

'Following his conviction in UK courts, the ARIA Board has made the decision to withdraw the ARIA Hall of Fame award bestowed upon Rolf Harris,' the Australian Recording Industry Association said in a statement the day after his conviction.

Rolf Harris arrives with his wife Alwen Hughes (second right) and daughter Bindi (L) at Southwark Crown Court in central London on June 30, 2014

Australian broadcaster and artist Rolf Harris poses with the Officer of the Order of Australia, presented by the High Commissioner John Dauth, beside his wife Alwen at Australia House on November 7, 2012 in London

Then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he was 'dismayed' Harris, once an Australian icon, had been unmasked as a sexual predator.

Meanwhile the National Museum of Australia removed a leather jacket and two wobble boards, a musical instrument he arrogantly claimed to have invented, from a display that had been donated by the performer.

In his hometown of Perth, the city council voted to remove artworks which had been done by him from the chambers and, also, to revoke his prestigious status as an Honorary Freeman of the City.

A plaque outside his childhood home was reportedly removed by locals before it could be officially taken down.

'We simply cannot tolerate the horrendous crimes for which he's been convicted,' Bassendean Mayor John Gangell told ABC radio.

The following year, in February 2015, the federal government stripped Harris of his national honours - an Officer of the Order of Australia and a Member of the Order of Australia.

Similar honours in the UK, his hat-trick of an MBE, an OBE, and a CBE, were also promptly rescinded.

In Melbourne, a public mural which featured his likeness titled 'Entertainers of the Century' was painted over, while paintings he did for his former primary school were also removed.

Harris was released from prison in 2017 and later diagnosed with neck cancer.

A day after his conviction his ARIA award inducting him into the Hall of Fame was revoked (pictured accepting the award in Australia in 2008 with his trademark wobble board)

Shortly before his death, Harris was set to be sued by an alleged victim who claims the disgraced paedophile sexually assaulted her at an Australian adventure camp when she was ten years old.

She claims she was sexually assaulted by Harris when she visited Camp Manyung in Mount Eliza, south of Melbourne with her school, in 1982 where the disgraced children's entertainer is said to have been performing.

The alleged victim claimed that after one of Harris's performances, she and other children were introduced to him. The claimant says she gave Harris a card and he sat next to her.

The woman said she had spilt wax on her dress and was trying to pick it off when Harris offered to help.

'That's when he said he could help me get the wax off,' the woman said in her claim. 'It started off helpful.'

But the exchange quickly became sinister, the woman claims.

She alleges Harris dragged her onto his lap and moved his hands up her leg and under her skirt before he sexually assaulted her.

'I remember feeling petrified, terrified and panicked,' she said.

A woman who claims Harris assaulted her on a school camp will not get justice after the disgraced performer and television host died

The alleged victim claimed she tried to call and scream before she ran away from Harris.

The woman claims she told a staff member about the abuse but Harris called her a 'lying brat'. Harris then allegedly left the holiday camp.

The woman's principle lawyer, John Rule of legal firm Maurice Blackburn, said his client is claiming damages for battery against Harris, adding that the alleged assault caused her permanent psychiatric harm.

'Her allegations have always been entirely consistent since I first spoke to her two years ago and through our investigations we've been able to corroborate Harris was in Australia at the same time and in Victoria... he performed at the VFL grand final,' Rule told The Age.

'He has been convicted in the UK of abusing other young girls and in quite similar circumstances [to my client],' Rule said.

A trial date was expected to be set for early 2024 but the woman's claims will now go unanswered.
The new Playboy channel is similar to OnlyFans except it does not allow pornography, encouraging 'artistic nudity' from its 'bunnies' instead

Kellyanne Conway's teenage daughter Claudia has launched a new career  as a Playboy Bunny creating racy content for the defunct magazine's website, DailyMail.com can reveal.

The pretty blonde has been operating a subscription page on Playboy.com since the end of April  six months after she turned 18  and has so far uploaded 11 posts, most of which show her in a revealing selection of bikinis.

For those who want to splash out, raunchier pictures  such as cleavage close-ups - are available from as little as $5 while the most expensive photo on offer costs $99.

Claudia Conway, 18, launched her subscription-only page on Playboy.com in late April offering racy content and images, with some footage starting at $5, DailyMail.com can reveal

Users can subscribe to Claudia's page for free, but can have access to more exclusive content for a price. Footage starts as little as $5 while the most expensive photo on offer costs $99

Kellyanne and Claudia Conway: The pair have had a publicly documented rocky relationship for years, but Claudia has so far been supportive of her mother in the wake of her divorce announcement

Some of the milder photos also appear on Claudia's Instagram page  albeit from different angles  including one that shows her posing braless in a tight gray slip dress.

Playboy launched the channel in March as part of its pivot to digital content, following the closure of its loss-making print magazine in 2020.

Unlike competitor Only Fans, the site does not allow pornography or X-rated posts but does allow what it describes as 'artistic nudity'.

As a result, most bunny pages show the women in swimwear, among them Claudia who appears in three different swimsuits  one green, one lilac and one a blue floral print.

Like other subscription sites, Playboy does allow users to message bunnies using the site and also allows them to send 'tips' if they see a photo they like.

A source told DailyMail.com: 'Claudia always seemed to be the smartest Conway and now seeing these pics, it's clear she's also the hottest.'

Conway did not respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com

Claudia is the eldest daughter of Trump administration official Kellyanne Conway, 56, who famously coined the phrase 'alternative facts' during a Meet the Press interview in January 2017.

Unlike competitor Only Fans, the site does not allow pornography or X-rated posts but does allow what it describes as 'artistic nudity'

On Instagram, Claudia is known to share racy but milder pics, in revealing dresses and swimsuits

Kellyanne and George Conway at former President Donald Trump's 2017 inauguration. Their marriage would publicly disintegrate in the years following, leading up to their impending divorce announced earlier this year

Now a Fox News contributor, she remains the only woman to have masterminded a successful US presidential election campaign  steering former President Trump to victory in the 2016 contest.

But her tenure as senior counselor to President Trump came at a brutal personal cost  not least the implosion of her 22-year marriage, after her lawyer husband George, 59, emerged as one of Trump's biggest critics and co-founded The Lincoln Project in 2019.

He also repeatedly criticized Trump on social media, with the former President responding in a March 2019 tweet that called him a 'stone cold LOSER & husband from hell'.

It also led to a brief public estrangement from Claudia who stunned commentators in July 2020 when she announced to the world that her parents' marriage had 'failed'.

A month later, the then 15-year-old said she was 'pushing for emancipation' from her parents  adding in a Twitter post: 'Buckle up because this is probably going to be public one way or another, unfortunately. Welcome to my life.'

The Twitter outburst also included a broadside at her mother, with Claudia calling Conway 'selfish' for pursuing her political career and begging ultra-liberal congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to adopt her.

She wrote: 'My mother's job ruined my life to begin with. Heartbreaking that she continues to go down that path after years of watching her children suffer.

'Selfish. It's all about money and fame, ladies and gentlemen.'

Claudia has previously claimed that her mom working for Trump has ruined her life

The 18-year-old is seen as a young girl at the White House during her mother's first year in office in 2017

Showing her liberal credentials, Claudia carried a 'F*** SCOTUS' placard during a march to protest the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v Wade last year

Claudia has clashed with Kellyanne, after she became a TikTok star by sharing insights into their family on the app

Shortly afterwards, on August 23, 2020, Conway announced she was resigning from her White House role 'to spend more time with my family' while George said he too was stepping back from The Lincoln Project and planned to stay off social media.

Despite Conway giving up her career, Claudia unleashed another social media barrage in January 2021 when she posted a TikTok video of her mom yelling at her and claimed she had been 'mentally, physically and emotionally abused'.

The nadir came at the end of January 2021 when Conway's Twitter account posted a cache of photos that included one of a topless Claudia. Her account was later found to have been hacked.

By July 2021, the mother-daughter duo's relationship was on the mend, with Claudia posting a heartfelt string of messages to Twitter declaring a rapprochement with her family  among them a post that read: 'I can finally and fortunately tell you, with all the elation in my heart, that I am happy and safe. forgiveness has taught me a lot.

'I love my mother and she will always inspire me, despite our public conflicts. i am proud that we are living proof of breaking the cycle.'

The same year, Claudia briefly appeared on American Idol where she was grilled by judge Katy Perry about her parents  an experience she later described in an interview with Bustle as 'really, really uncomfortable'.

In the same interview, which was published at the end of 2022, she told how she came out as gay to her family in 2020 and now defines herself as both gay and pansexual.

Claudia's clashes with her parents have made headlines over the years after she has ranted about them in several Twitter outbursts. In 2020 she included a broadside at her mother, calling her 'selfish' for pursuing her political career and begging ultra-liberal congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to adopt her

In 2021 Claudia briefly appeared on American Idol where she was grilled by judge Katy Perry about her parents

She now uses her online presence to champion a range of issues ranging from gun control to abortion rights and LGBTQ issues.

In one pithy response to Texas governor Greg Abbott criticizing the 'woke agenda' allegedly being forced on school children in November last year, she wrote: 'Yes because educating our children on girls liking girls is worse than protecting them from gun violence.'

Claudia has also used her social media to try to protect her parents from trolls, including a recent tweet that read: 'I love both of my parents equally fyi and think that their business should be handled offline and in the privacy of their own homes; there is no need for people to spin stories and twist words for exploitation and attention. that's all peace and love always !! sending everyone healing energy today.'

In another post on March 17 that referenced her combative online persona, she added: 'U have to cut my parents some slack guys.

'Imagine being so excited to have a baby and then it growing up to be a lesbian liberal who subtweets ted cruz for fun.'
Police say the investigation is ongoing but that it is unlikely any charges will be brought

The father-of-two's 'final act of kindness' was witnessed by his children

A California father who was killed by a teenage driver while helping a family of ducks across a road has been named as dad-of-two Casey Rivara.

The 'kind' and 'compassionate' 41 year-old parked his car by the side of the road and ushered the mother and her family of ducklings across the intersection of Park Drive and Stanford Ranch Boulevard in Rocklin, California on Friday evening.

Tragically Rivara was hit by a 17-year-old female driver and killed as his helpless children, eleven and six, watched on from the family car.

A Placer County Sheriff's Office spokesperson told NBC News the unnamed driver was cooperating, and that it was unlikely she'd be charged over the death.

In the aftermath of the incident Rivara's heartbroken aunt Tracey Rivara created a GoFundMe page to raise money for Casey's widow, Angel.

Writing on the site, which has already raised more than $40,000, Ms Rivara wrote in tribute to her nephew: 'Casey was the kindest, most amazing husband and father. Even his last act in this world was a sign of his compassion.

Happy family: Casey, with 'love of his life' wife Angel, and his two children James, 6, and Sophia, 11

The father's heroic act was caught on camera by 12-year-old William Wimsatt

'The family is trying to figure out how to recover and keep going after this immense loss' she added.

Ms Rivara described how family-man Casey had met the love of his life, Angel, in high school when they were just 17, 'they quickly fell madly in love and remained inseparable partners for the past 23 years' she wrote.

The couple shared two children, Sophia and James, now eleven and six, who attended Maria Montessori Charter Academy.

'His family was Caseys world, and to remain even closer to them he had recently started working at their children's school' his aunt wrote.

'He loved working at the school as he was able to positively impact other children.'

Maria Montessori Charter Academy confirmed Rivera was an employee but did not want to comment further.

Rivara's final act of kindness was captured by 12-year-old William Wimsatt, the child of another driver.

Speaking to 3KCRA William said: 'He got out of the car, he was shooing the ducks everyone was clapping because he was being really nice.'

'He helped them get up on the curb because the baby duckies were having trouble.'

The Wimsatt family thanked Rivara for his good deed, but moments later a car travelling eastbound on Stanford Ranch Boulevard struck and killed the good Samaritan.

'All I remember is the sound and then him flying across the intersection,' he added, 'his shoes and one of his socks were right in front of our car.'

'He was the only person to get out of the car and try and help them and probably the nicest person in the entire area. Its not fair,' William said.

After the incident William's mother got out of her car and comforted the man's children who were sitting in the man's parked car, and unfortunately witnessed the collision.

The Wimsatt family have since contributed $1000 to the family's GoFundMe page.

Parents and relatives of children at Maria Montessori Charter Academy worked for have shared their children's sense of loss.

Samuel Brewer wrote in the community group: 'My granddaughter went to the school where he volunteers and said she lost her friend from the lunch room that was nice.'

Another Breanna Rybinski commented: 'My son came home from school devastated over the news that his friends dad and someone who frequently helped out at the school was hit by a car last night.

'This man from what I was told was loved by all. RIP.'

In the photographs Rivara, wearing a burgundy t-shirt, black shorts and trainers can be seen tenderly moving the ducks to safety.

Another woman, Summer Peterson, said her children also saw the scene unfold.

'They were saying, 'Oh, it's so cute. It's so nice of him.' And then all of a sudden he was hit by a car,' she told CBS 13.

Peterson has created a temporary memorial at the site of the crash, with locals leaving flowers, and her son brought rubber ducks in tribute to the man's last act of kindness.

Casey Rivara is remembered as a loving husband and father by his heartbroken family

The collision took place at the intersection of Park Drive and Stanford Ranch Boulevard in Rocklin, California

Rocklin Police said the 17-year-old was travelling east down Stanford Ranch Boulevard

Summer Peterson's son brought flowers and rubber duckies to honor the man killed

Police are still investigating the incident and no arrests have yet been made

'My son wanted to bring rubber duckies and flowers to this gentlemen who lost his life, he was a father.'

Amie Grout, who arrived at the scene moments after the collision wrote on a neighborhood Facebook post about the incident: 'It was a scene I wont ever unsee. To all the amazing Rocklin residents flying out of their cars to help, men with shirts off ready to make tourniquets for the victim, to the men and women in their cars praying for this man, my hearts are with all of you.'

Another, Dustin Goodshall, said that CPR had to be administered.

Rocklin Police said the 17-year-old female driver remained at the scene after the accident and is cooperating fully with the investigation.

In a statement the police department said: 'The driver remained at the scene of the collision.

'Emergency first responders arrived to assist, however the man died at the scene. The Major Accident Investigation Team was activated and responded to the area.

'No arrest was made, and the incident is still under investigation' they added.

'We would like to extend our condolences to all involved in this tragic event.'

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact the Rocklin Police Department.
Former Navy SEAL commander Rep. Ryan Zinke is leading a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House and the Senate to push forward a new bill that would address the mental health crisis among U.S. veterans by 'streamlining' access to care.

The 'Protecting Veteran Community Care Act' led by Zinke, R-Mont., and Air Force veteran Donald Davis, D-N.C., is designed to address continuing pitfalls of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) - including extremely long wait times and rescheduled appointments.

Including Zinke, the legislation has the backing of all five former Navy SEAL lawmakers in Congress including Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, Eli Crane, R-Ariz., and Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis.

Zinke, a former Navy SEAL commander who served in the military for 23 years, told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview that the bill is an opportunity for his fellow SEALs in Congress to 'give back to the community we love.'

'We want to provide our expertise to make sure that the mental health issues facing veterans are addressed. There should not be victims,' said Zinke.

Rep. Zinke, a former Navy SEAL who served in the military for 23 years, is leading the bill

'I think we probably trained harder than the SEALs today,' Zinke said, in part due to the rise of technology on the battlefield. The congressman spent most of his time learning how to integrate thermal optics and technology drones on the battlefield, and then 'occasionally' went to war, he says.

Zinke added that his experiences throughout his 23 years in the military also comes in contrast with the work of those who served in the Vietnam War and World War II - and is different from the experiences of newer veterans.

Due to the changing nature of combat, younger veterans are having more difficulty 'integrating back into society' after completing multiple tours abroad.

'They get out of service and then go right back in because they're addicted to it, and they feel like it's their safe place, which is ironic,' said Zinke, who was an Iraq mission leader.

New veterans are also not participating in veterans' clubs, or the American Legion and as a result they feel 'separated,' because they are not connected, Zinke told DailyMail.com. 'We have to do better.'

'I can't tell you how many friends I have lost - those that have suffered from [traumatic brain injuries] TBI, anxiety or suicide,' Zinke continued.

'We want veterans to be productive members of society, be confident, be pillars in the community, and it's hard to attain that goal if you're struggling with issues that can't be addressed.'

He called the current politicization of veterans' issues 'distasteful,' as Democrats have accused Republicans of trying to cut funding in the recently-passed debt ceiling bill - which House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has adamantly denied.

Zinke who is a self-proclaimed 'advocate of appropriations,' added that Congress was given power by the founding fathers in Article I of the Constitution to put money behind important priorities - in this case access to mental health care that will help alleviate homelessness, suicide and a plethora of other issues.

The congressman - who also was the former secretary of the interior under President Trump from 2017 to 2019 - called the policies in the bill 'non-partisan' and told DailyMail.com that funding will be utilized from already-allocated resources that are currently untouched.

Under the proposed legislation, veterans who meet criteria for priority admission - within 72 hours - would not have to wait longer for a VA option for mental health care when community care is available sooner.

In addition, it creates guardrails to restrict the VA from 'subverting' community care access standards and also requires the agency to provide to Congress a yearly update on how many community care eligibility decisions have been made.

Finally, any modifications to community care access standards would have to be signed off by Congress first before they are enacted.

The legislation specifically amends the 2018 VA 'MISSION' Act to include access to mental health.

'As a disabled combat veteran and a Representative for a large veteran community, I understand the challenges our military members face when they return from service  it's not always physical or visible,' former Navy SEAL Rep. Luttrell said in a statement to DailyMail.com.

'When I speak with veterans in my district, they always express concerns for broader access and diverse forms of treatments for mental healthcare. I'm proud to cosponsor this legislation that will provide much deserved swifter and higher quality care for veterans.'

Fellow former Navy SEAL Rep. Dan Crenshaw added: 'After returning home, many veterans still carry the weight of their service with them in their day-to-day lives, and face long wait times to utilize VA resources.'

Air Force veteran Rep. Donald Davis, D-N.C., Brad Finstad, R-Minn., Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., Michelle Steel, R-Calif., Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., Daniel Webster, R-Fla., Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Kevin Hern, R-Okla., also joined Zinke and the former SEALs as original co-sponsors of the bill.

'With many of our veterans living in rural areas, expanding access to favorable healthcare choices often means the difference between life and death,' Luttrell, also a former SEAL, told DailyMail.com.

William Bee, a former Marine who deployed to Afghanistan four times, said he experienced frustrations with the VA since his initial enrollment after leaving the military in April 2013.

'I explained the different issues I was having with PTSD and was told [by the VA] that they would set me an appointment 'in a few months,'' he told DailyMail.com.

He said his mind 'wasn't in a good place' after returning to the U.S. from Afghanistan for the fourth time, since he had just experienced his third TBI and blew out both of his eardrums. Bee sought treatment with the Department of the Navy, but when he transitioned to the VA, none of his treatments carried over, he said.

'Congress did a hell of a job with the CHOICE Act, but veterans are unable to use it until they've done an initial appointment with a VA doctor, which may take months,' Bee continued, saying 'bureaucracy is to blame.'

'Situations like this are the first impression a veteran has when they finally break down and ask for help, resulting in a negative impression of VA health care from the beginning,' the former Marine warned.

The answer is providing more doctors and nurses, Bee told DailyMail.com since the main barrier to care are the long wait times.

Former SEAL Rep. Van Orden added that he has seen 'many friends to the unseen wounds of war,' and urged support for the legislation that will hold the VA to account.

In the Senate, an identical version of the bill was introduced by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., last week.

'The VA's mission is to 'care for those who have served in our nation's military,' that means ensuring our brave Montana veterans have access to the highest quality of care no matter where they live,' Daines said in a statement.

Former SEAL Rep. Zinke is leading the bill in the House, while an identical version of the bill was introduced by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., last week

The bill has the backing of all Navy SEAL lawmakers in Congress on both sides of the aisle

The bill also has the backing of major veterans groups including the American Legion, Concerned Veterans for America and the Independence Fund

'I will always work to protect Montana veterans' access to health care in communities across Montana.'

An aide told DailyMail.com that the bill also has the backing of major veterans groups including the American Legion, Concerned Veterans for America and the Independence Fund.

May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, and the White House last week announced a series of actions to help 'reduce stigma' for service members and veterans seeking mental health care.

The Pentagon issued a new policy last month that would make it easier for troops to initiate a self referral for a mental health evaluation.

'This policy, based on the Brandon Act, allows Service members to seek confidential help, reducing stigma associated with mental health issues,' the White House said in a statement.

In addition, the VA started a pilot program to expand mental health services to caregivers, which includes couples and family therapy.
ING bank has often been recommended by the Barefoot Investor

Barefoot Investor Scott Pape has issued a rare dig at ING, a bank he has frequently sung the praises of and recommended to followers over his career.

Responding to a question from a reader of his column named Angela, Mr Pape said the bank, which reinvigorated Australian consumer finance when it launched in 1999, had become stale.

'Let me count the ways that ING sucks,' Angela wrote.

'Their customer service absolutely sucks. Their security sucks; a four-digit passcode, really?' she said.

'And now they are dropping their international ATM rebate, which totally sucks because I'm heading overseas soon.'

'Are you still in the 'orange army' or, like me, do you think it sucks too much?'

Barefoot Investor Scott Pape recommended having 'a couple' of ING accounts in his bestselling book and is a customer himself but says the bank's offering has grown stale

Mr Pape recommended in one of his bestselling books to setup 'a couple' of ING accounts because they had 'zero account fees, zero ATM fees, and they pay a relatively high rate of interest'.

In one of his most popular recent columns he also revealed that he still uses an ING Orange Everyday account and clarified that he is not paid to promote them.

'Rest assured, I'm no ING cheerleader - I'm simply a fellow customer,' he said.

But it seems his fondness for the bright orange lion - an Australian operation which is a wholly owned arm of the Dutch ING Group - has waned recently.

'I had my own sucky experience with ING a while back,' he wrote in response to Angela's question.

'They called my wife about suspicious transactions on our account. It turned out they were actually payments we received. Odd, right?'

He explained the representative from ING pushed his wife to answer what the payments were connected to, which she 'honestly had no idea' about.

'I remembered I'd sold some sheep troughs on eBay, and that was the transaction in question. It was all very  sheepy,' he said.

He then went on to explain that he now thinks there are better accounts on offer than ING and compared them to a popular Irish rock band.

'ING is a lot like U2. The Joshua Tree was an awesome album, edgy and original  but now they're just a little bit same, same, lame.

ING Australia has 1.7million customers and routinely scores highly in customer satisfaction surveys

ING from August this year will no longer offer free international ATM withdrawals, a feature Mr Pape has previously written positively about.

'We only rebate eligible domestic ATM operator fees,' ING's recently updated Orange Everyday benefits schedule reads.

'Some ATM operators will charge fees in relation to transactions and enquiries carried out at their ATMs,' the schedule read.

'These fees apply to your account in addition to the ING International ATM withdrawal fee, even if ING does not charge a fee for that transaction or enquiry.'

Once an ING Orange Everyday customer has claimed five eligible ATM withdrawal fees, any withdrawals made internationally will incur a $5 fee with the addition of international operator fees.

An ING spokesperson said the bank was sticking to its formula because it works well.

'We're proud to be Australia's most recommended bank and, for three years in a row, Canstar's Bank of the Year,' the spokesperson said.

'We are committed to providing simple, effective banking products to help our customers to get on with the things that matter to them.

'We provide a wide range of award winning products including our Savings Maximiser account that offers one of the best ongoing savings rates at 5.25 per cent, for eligible customers.

'In addition ING is the only bank in Australia to offer a cash back of 1 per cent on eligible water, gas and electricity bills. There are also no international transaction fees for eligible Orange Everyday customers.

'We continually listen to feedback from our customers and use this to help further improve our products.'
Detectives decided to charge Bruce Lehrmann with raping Brittany Higgins within an hour of her boyfriend calling a top cop and threatening to go to the media condemning the delay, a police chief has claimed.

Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said he thought there was insufficient evidence to charge Mr Lehrmann, but admitted 'significant' pressure led to some processes being skipped.

He made the admission under cross examination at an ACT Board of Inquiry on Monday into the investigation and prosecution of the rape allegations against Mr Lerhmann which collapsed last year.

Supt Moller was involved in investigating Ms Higgins' allegation that Mr Lehrmann, a former colleague, raped her after a night out in 2019 inside the Parliament House office of then-coalition minister Linda Reynolds.

Mr Lerhmann has always denied the allegation.

Detectives decided to charge Bruce Lehrmann with raping Brittany Higgins within an hour of her boyfriend David Sharaz (pictured above with Ms Higgins) calling a top cop and threatening a media blitz condemning the delay, a police chief has claimed

Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Scott Moller (pictured) revealed the 'exceptional' pressure police had been placed under to bring charges against Bruce Lehrmann

Supt Moller, the first officer to give evidence to the inquiry, said it was difficult to articulate the collective pressure coming from the public, media and within his own organisation for Mr Lehrmann to be served with a court summons.

This pressure culminated in a direct phone call from Ms Higgins' partner David Sharaz to the senior detective on July 30, threatening to publicly condemn the time taken to bring charges.

Within an hour of Detective Inspector Marcus Boorman receiving the phone call from Mr Sharaz, Supt Moller was given instructions to serve a summons on Mr Lehrmann for one count of sexual intercourse without consent, the inquiry heard.

Supt Moller's diary records from that day noted he had a briefing with Inspector Boorman about the case, which included a 'discussion re Higgins contemplating media release'.

Supt Moller agreed that at the time the decision was made by his boss, Commander Michael Chew, investigators were faced with 'the potential threat of Ms Higgins going public about the delay'.

During the hearing, Supt Moller said officers were under a 'significant amount of pressure' over the politically-charged case. 'There was a real desire to expedite this process and get Mr Lehrmann before the court.'

Supt Moller later reiterated the 'exceptional amount of pressure on us to get this done'.

Bruce Lehrmann (left) is pictured with his defence lawyer Steven Whybrow (right) outside court in October

Brittany Higgins' (pictured) alleged that Mr Lehrmann, a former colleague, raped her after a night out in 2019 inside the Parliament House office of then coalition minister Linda Reynolds. Mr Lerhmann has always denied the allegation

This pressure led to police skipping usual processes, even though Supt Moller said he did not think there was enough evidence to charge Mr Lehrmann.

'I swore the summons because I did not want to put any of my staff in the position where they had to do something they didn't want to do, didn't believe in, so I did it,' he said.

'I didn't think there was enough evidence and then I received the director's advice and certainly from his advice, I decided to go ahead.'

Supt Moller said the stress of the investigation impacted many police officers, some of whom had to take leave from work.

Supt Moller said police were wrong to provide Ms Higgins' sensitive counselling notes to prosecutors and defence lawyers.

'That's the bottom line, we shouldn't have handed them over and it's a mistake that we made,' he told the inquiry on Monday.

After Ms Higgins' counselling notes were mistakenly provided to the prosecution and defence teams, Supt Moller said he was concerned ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold was trying to 'collect evidence' to criticise police.

'It caused me quite a lot of concern for myself and my investigation team, so much so that we continually second-guessed ourselves about what we were doing and how we were doing it,' he said.

'I wanted to absolutely make certain that we were doing everything perfectly, I didn't want to miss anything because I was continually concerned about (Drumgold) and what I thought was collecting information about us not doing the right thing.'

Mr Lehrmann (pictured) ditched his trademark dark suits and glasses for jeans and a white dress shirt as he stepped out with a mate in Bondi on Thursday in exclusive pictures published by Daily Mail Australia

Mr Drumgold believed police had a 'passion' for the prosecution to fail and criticised their decision to conduct a second interview with Ms Higgins, something which is unusual in sexual assault cases.

But Supt Moller stood by this part of the investigation and said police had an obligation to look at inconsistencies in a complainant's account.

He said officers were concerned by some of the evidence given to them by Ms Higgins and wanted to clarify this through a second interview.

Supt Moller also revealed Ms Higgins was allowed to watch CCTV footage of herself and Mr Lehrmann at Parliament House because she was 'so keen to see it'.

This was despite concerns it may have corrupted her evidence, as police felt obliged under their 'victim-centric' approach to show it to her.

Supt Moller said Ms Higgins 'continually asked' to see the footage, which showed the pair exiting and entering Parliament House on the night Ms Higgins claims Mr Lehrmann raped her on a sofa in senator Linda Reynolds's office.

'In a normal investigation, we would never show somebody evidence like that because it might influence their evidence later in court,' he said.

Mr Lehrmann faced a trial in the ACT Supreme Court in October 2022 but juror misconduct meant a verdict was not reached.

The charge was later dropped due to concerns about the impact a second trial would have on the mental health of Ms Higgins.
The prospect of jury-less trials in rape cases has been floated by the Government's official advisers for the first time.

A report by the Law Commission, published today, opens a debate on whether juries should be discarded in sex offence trials, with rulings instead made by a judge or a judicial panel.

The ground-breaking consultation paper set out the suggestion as part of a series of 'radical proposals' to improve the rape conviction rate.

In a further move, the paper asks whether defence barristers should be barred from cross-examining alleged rape victims in court. Instead, the alleged victim could be asked questions by an independent lawyer or an 'expert in communication', the commission suggested.

The report sets out a number of moves to combat so-called 'rape myths' which may be influencing juries to acquit defendants.

A report by the Law Commission, published today, opens a debate on whether juries should be discarded in sex offence trials [Stock photo]

The prospect of jury-less trials in rape cases has been floated by the Government's official advisers for the first time [Stock photo]

The 'myths' include that all rape victims resist their attacker, when in fact 'many freeze through fear or shock', or that victims suffer physical injuries or will be visibly distressed when describing the attack. Other misconceptions include that most rapes are committed by strangers and that all victims immediately go to the police, it added.

In a traditional trial, lawyers 'might be encouraged to play to the jury or support stereotypes', the report said. 'To deal with this, juries could be removed for sexual offences cases.

'Instead, a judge, a panel of judges, or a judge with some lay assessors (non-judges) could hear cases,' it said.

However, the study also set out reasons for retaining juries. 'Removing juries might have an impact on public confidence in the justice system,' it warned.

The move could 'send a signal that juries can't be trusted in other cases', and abandoning jury trials could 'affect openness'.

Today's study suggested that barring defence barristers from questioning victims could help prevent victims being 'retraumatised' in court. 'They could be asked questions by an expert in communication, or by a different, independent lawyer. However this might be too much interference with the defendant's ability to ask the complainant questions about their case.'

Other firm proposals in the report include introducing an 'enhanced threshold' for introducing evidence about an alleged victim's previous sexual behaviour. They should also have an 'automatic' right to give evidence behind closed doors, it added.

Professor Penney Lewis, the criminal law commissioner, said: 'The way that the criminal justice system handles rape and serious sexual offences still leaves prosecutions at risk from the impact of pervasive rape myths, and can often cause distress and trauma.'

The Law Commission consultation runs until September 29.
There were 108,900 gadget thefts, including 89,633 phones in London last year

The number of thieves using e-scooters and electric bikes to make speedy getaways has almost trebled in the past year, figures reveal.

Shocking statistics also show a 41 per cent rise in gadgets stolen, with almost 300 snatched in London alone every day in 2022.

In total, there were 108,900 gadget thefts, including 89,633 mobile phones, in the capital last year.

And thieves are increasingly using electric means of transport, which can be hired in cities around the country, to escape after stealing from members of the public.

Criminals used electric bikes in 1,397 gadget thefts last year and e-scooters in 424, an increase of 185 per cent, it was revealed in Freedom of Information requests to Scotland Yard and City of London Police.

(File Photo) Shocking statistics show a 41 per cent rise in gadgets stolen, with almost 300 snatched in London alone every day in 2022

(File Photo) Thieves are increasingly using electric means of transport, which can be hired in cities around the country

Disturbingly, the use of knives and other weapons also rose by 6 per cent. There were 2,341 thefts of gadgets such as phones, tablets and laptops using weapons in 2021 but last year this increased to 2,480.

The thieves wielding these weapons were responsible for 180 injuries, 35 per cent up on the previous year.

In May 2022, Ciucur Munteanu, 19, attacked a university student with a machete during a terrifying daytime robbery in Longsight, Manchester, leaving his victim with damaged tendons.

Munteanu was jailed for six years last September. Dan Simson, from Direct Line, which commissioned the research, said: 'Not all thefts will be reported, so in reality, this number is likely to be much higher.

'Criminals are also becoming increasingly brazen, using e-bikes and e-scooters to make a quick getaway.

'It's important to ensure your personal gadgets are covered by your home insurance when out and about as well as at home.

'It's worth checking if they are covered by your existing policy and if not, you may want to consider additional personal possessions cover.'

The charity Crimestoppers advises the public that they should keep expensive gadgets out from view and avoid storing them in one place.

The law states that e-scooters can be used on public roads only if rented as part of a Government-backed trial scheme. They must be taxed and insured. Privately owned scooters can be used only on private land.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has doubled down on why she refuses to personally watch the cop bodycam vision of a beloved granny being tasered, sparking a fiery clash with Sunrise host on live television.

Clare Nowland, 95 , has been surrounded by family as she receives end-of-life care in Cooma Hospital, six days after being tasered by police at Yallambee Lodge nursing home in southern NSW.

The dementia sufferer was in a walking frame and carrying a knife when Senior Constable Kristian White blasted her with a Taser about 4am last Wednesday.

Commissioner Karen Webb has repeatedly said she refuses to watch the bodycam footage of the incident, sparking widespread backlash.

She faced tough questions from Sunrise hosts Barr and David Koch on Tuesday, prompting a fiery encounter.

'One of the things that gripped everybody was your comment that you won't watch the body-cam footage. Was that a mistake?' Barr asked.

A defiant Commissioner Webb said she was surprised about the furore over her decision, which she stands by.

'I'm actually not the investigator and the important thing here is that the detectives do their job and allow them to do their job without me interfering,' she said.

David Koch and Nat Barr (right) confronted police commissioner Karen Webb live on Sunrise

Her response exasperated Barr.

'So you have never seen anything like this? It has shocked the whole country. It has made news overseas,' Barr argued.

'What people don't understand is why you are not interested in watching that?'

'You don't have to comment on it. You can still let the investigation run its course, but why you didn't feel the need or the want to look at that footage is astounding people.'

Commissioner Webb doubled down, saying: 'Whether I watch the video or not is not going to make this investigation go any quicker.

'That is the point I am trying to make, I need to let these detectives, the investigation team do their job without worrying about who has seen it and who hasn't.'

Koch said it was astounding to many that a 95-year-old could be tasered in the first place.

'What sort of threat could she have been on a walker?' he asked.

Commissioner Webb explained that it was important detectives work through to try and understand why.

'There is no point in me speculating either. I don't know,' Webb stated.

She also hit back at Koch's suggestion by Koch that she hadn't taken an interest in the incident.

'I get briefed on it every day, and certainly I have been interested in this,' the commissioner said.

'It is shocking, and I have never seen anything like it. Of course, I am interested, but I need to let the detectives and all of the specialists do their job.'

Clare Nowland is now receiving end of life care in Cooma District Hospital, in southern NSW , after she was critically injured last Wednesday morning

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb doubled down on her decision to not watch the police bodycam at this stage, despite public backlash

Webb admitted she still hasn't spoken to Senior Constable Kristian White, the officer who tasered the great-grandmother.

'No, he is currently not in the workplace. I will probably speak to him at some point. My concern at the moment is with the Nowland family.

'This is a terrible time for them. They are going there a lot. They have got my thoughts and prayers with them.'

Commissioner Webb was then confronted about the amount of training police officers get in cases where there are mental health or dementia issues.

'We always are reviewing it. Of course, if there needs to be a change to that training, then we will update it,' she explained.

Commissioner Webb said the role of a police officer continues to have a much wider scope.

'We are expected to know everything about everything, and we are not experts on everything.

'We prepare our officers to deal with all sorts of situations, but I do worry that we have been sent to a situation that wasn't resolved by staff, wasn't resolved by others, and we get called as a last resort.'

Clare Nowland (pictured skydiving) is peaceful and comfortable as she receives end of life care in hospital surrounded by her family

Earlier on Tuesday, Commissioner Webb faced similar tough questions from Karl Stefanovic on the Today show.

'I think everyone knows that you're a can do commissioner,' he said.

'But people can't reconcile the fact that you haven't looked at this video. They just can't fathom why you wouldn't have.'

The commissioner acknowledged the public wanted to see the bodycam video but said 'it's a bit voyeuristic', adding Ms Nowland's family 'don't want it in the public domain'.

She said the family, whom she met last week 'don't want (the video) to be the lasting memory of their mother.

Commissioner Webb agreed that the footage 'may not be good at all' for the senior constable who fired the Taser at Ms Nowland but could not speculate on what the police investigation into the assault might find.

She was also grilled about a previous incident in 2020 involving Senior Constable White, where he and a colleague unlawfully detained a motorcyclist in the ACT outside their jurisdiction.

'Part of this investigation around the Mrs Nowland matter will take into account the officer's history,' Commissioner Webb said.

'As I said, it will be a very complete full investigation. An urgent review into that officer's history and his current work status.'

Asked how long it would take to conclude the investigation, she replied 'how long is a piece of string?'

She also admitted she may watch the video 'when all the evidence comes before me'.

Karl Stefanovic

Meanwhile Ms Nowland's family have issued a statement to the Monaro Post requesting privacy while thanking everyone for the outpouring of support across Australia and the world.

'The Nowland family wishes to express our profound love and affection for our Mum, Nana and Great Grandmother Clare,' the statement begins.

Well respected, much loved and a giving member of her local community, Clare is the loving and gentle natured matriarch of the Nowland family.

This is a most worrying and distressing time for our family and we are united in our support for Clare and for each other. We stand together. We thank everyone here in Cooma, the wider region and, in fact, the whole country and around the world for the outpouring of support for her and her ongoing battle with dementia- it touches so many.

While we fully understand the interest of the media we kindly ask all media representatives to respect the family's - and Clare's - privacy at this very difficult time. Thank you to everyone.'

Mrs Nowland's family is now demanding answers as to what happened at Yallambee Lodge nursing home (pictured) last Wednesday
An ABC News Breakfast host has urged the public broadcaster to be swifter and more effective at calling out racism following Stan Grant's departure from Q+A.

Michael Rowland made the comments on Tuesday following Mr Grant's powerful exit speech during his last appearance as host of the popular current affairs talk show on Monday night.

Mr Grant said he was taking break from the media following racist abuse hurled at him online that intensified after he appeared on coverage of the King's coronation and a perceived lack of support from ABC management.

'It hasn't just been weeks and months, it's been years that Stan's been copping this. Racism is a scourge,' Mr Rowland said.

'We all need to do better and that includes the ABC in calling it out and calling it out more quickly than we have in this country,' he said.

News Breakfast's Michael Rowland (left) urged the ABC to be better at calling out racism

Stan Grant on his last Q+A 'for a while' said he felt as though he was part of the problem and wanted to take break to consider how to do better

Mr Rowland's comments followed an appearance on the program by Ian Hamm, chair of the First Nations Foundation.

'Stan does his job very well. I think he has taken on the role of poking the bear of Australia where it's uncomfortable from time to time,' Mr Hamm said.

'There is risk with that. The pushback of those who don't like it and who perhaps want Aboriginal people to be more compliant and pleasant.'

'That has taken its toll on him.'

'Stan's not walking away. He's just taking a break as anybody should in this circumstance.'

Mr Hamm said this year in particular, with Australians voting on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in November, would bring up lingering tensions.

'Australia does have race relations problems and all it takes is scratching the surface and some very unpleasant sores can be exposed.'

'I have great hope for my nation, but I'm also realistic enough to know that this is not an easy journey.

'He's not alone and the rest of us are behind him and like him, we're not walking away. And we intend to pursue the right place for our people in this country.'

First Nation's Foundation chair Ian Hamm (pictured) said Mr Grant had 'poked the bear' when discussing discussing the hardships of Indigenous Australians during coronation coverage

In his final episode of Q+A 'for a while' host Stan Grant gave viewers an insight into Yindyamarra, a Wiradjuri ethic encompassing respect.

'I've had to learn that endurance is not always strength, sometimes it's knowing when to stop.'

Grant thanked those who had sent messages of support.

And he had a message for those who had abused him and members of his family.

'If your aim was to hurt, well you've succeeded - and I'm sorry,' he said.

'Yindyamarra means I'm not just responsible for what I do, but for what you do.

'It is what it means to be Wiradjuri. It is the core of my being. It is respect ... that comes from the earth we are born into from God, Biame.'

In a column for the ABC on Friday, Grant criticised the broadcaster for failing to publicly support him throughout his ordeal.

ABC staff rallied outside offices in Sydney and Melbourne on Monday after the renowned broadcaster said the abuse had accelerated following his critical remarks about the monarchy's role in colonialism and he had had enough.

'It's really hard to see him struggling and that he's had to cop the racism and the disgusting filth that has been put online,' daughter Lowanna Grant told the Sydney rally.

'I'm so grateful for everyone here today supporting him ... and all other First Nations journalists.'

ABC employees protesting this week calling on the national broadcaster to tackle racism toward its public facing staff more effectively

ABC news director Justin Stevens said he was 'incredibly sorry that he felt let down by our organisation (and) that we could have done better by him in defending him.

'We will do whatever we can to make up for it.'

The ABC promised to review its response to racism affecting staff, in line with a recommendation from its internal Indigenous advisory committee.

ABC managing director David Anderson on Sunday apologised for failing to publicly support Grant.

'The ABC endeavours to support its staff in the unfortunate moments when there is external abuse directed at them,' he said.

In an email to staff, Mr Anderson said anti-ABC reporting from some commercial media outlets had been 'sustained and vitriolic'.

'This has real-world consequences for ABC presenters and journalists who are personally attacked and vilified,' he wrote.
An Australian man whose vape exploded in his pocket, leaving him with third-degree burns, has described the ordeal as a 'horrific and terrifying experience'.

The 40-year-old man, who was carrying the vape in his right pocket when it ignited, was rushed to hospital in Perth.

The force of the explosion caused severe burns from the top of his thigh to below his knee, seven per cent of his body.

'Although the burns team were fantastic, [suffering] burns is a horrific and terrifying experience,' he told the Australian Medical Association.

A 40-year-old man, who was carrying his vape in his right pocket when it ignited, was rushed to hospital in Perth where he underwent skin grafts

The horrific incident has been highlighted by Dr Mark Duncan-Smith, a Perth burns surgeon who treated the man, amid calls to end recreational vaping

He required several operations, including skin grafts, during his two-week admission.

It is also expected he will need ongoing treatment for years and regretted ever starting to vape.

'100 per cent don't start vaping in the first place. It was the worst thing I ever did,' he said.

'To all the kids out there, look at what happened to me; respect yourself, respect your life.'

The horrific incident has been highlighted by Dr Mark Duncan-Smith, a Perth burns surgeon who treated the man.

'It is absolutely necessary that we protect our children from nicotine addiction and the health dangers of vaping,' Dr Duncan-Smith said.

Dr Duncan-Smith, the president of the Australian Medical Association's Western Australian branch, supports the federal government's proposed legislation to end recreational vaping.

The legislation includes banning flavours, introducing plain packaging similar to cigarettes, and tighter restrictions on imports to tackle vapes illegally smuggled into Australia.

It will mean it is illegal for any Australian retail store to sell vapes; the only way to get a vape will be from chemists with a prescription.

'Non-smokers who vape are three times more likely to take up cigarettes,' Dr Duncan-Smith said.

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, said the new laws are needed to try and reverse nicotine addiction in young people.

'We've seen a new generation of nicotine addicts created by this device that was supposed to help people, instead it's addicting young kids to nicotine, and they're much more likely to take up cigarettes,' he told 2GB radio.

The man will need years of treatment to repair the damage to his right leg

Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, said the new laws are needed to try and reverse nicotine addiction in young people

'So far from being a pathway out of smokes, which is what we were told these things would be, they are a pathway into smokes for a new generation who we'd hoped would never have to deal with the health consequences of smoking.'

The federal budget included a $737 million fund to crack down on smoking and vaping.

The proposed laws will need to pass the federal parliament before becoming law.

The sale of nicotine vapes and e-cigarettes without a prescription has been banned for several years in WA, but no fines apply.
The father of two young girls in hospital with life-changing injuries after a horror bus crash in Victoria says they can't stop crying.

Students at Exford Primary School suffered severe injuries when a truck collided with their school bus in Eynesbury, near Melton, west of Melbourne, last Tuesday.

Gurinderdeep Singh's daughters, Gurseerat, five, and Gurnaaz, 10, were once full of life and always laughing but are now both unable to get out of their hospital beds.

'Both girls just keep crying saying that they want to go home. It's been very traumatic for them and devastating for our family,' Mr Singh told the Herald Sun.

Sisters Gurseerat, five, and Gurnaaz, ten are pictured. Their father Gurinderdeep Singh said the two little girls are in hospital and can't stop crying

Pupils at Exford Primary School suffered horrific injuries when a truck collided with their school bus in Eynesbury, near Melton, west of Melbourne, last Tuesday afternoon

The children are in separate rooms at the Royal Children's Hospital.

Mr Singh said his youngest daughter will suffer lifelong injuries to one of her arms because she was sitting on the window seat when the bus rolled onto its side.

'The impact was so bad, Gurseerat's arm was stuck and she couldn't move, it was terrible for them to go through this,' he said.

Gurseet will need a skin graft and Gurnaaz has a cast around one of her arms.

The girls' grandfather, Shaminder, who was visiting from India, had been waiting at the bus stop to pick up the girls.

When the bus failed to arrive and a string of ambulances flew by, Shaminder knew something was wrong.

Mr Singh said Shaminder followed emergency services in another parent's car and 'froze' when he saw the bus on its side.

The heartbroken father said it may take years for Gurseet's arm to fully recover.

'Gurnaaz has a plaster on her arm. She has been deeply affected by the incident, she cries when she sees her little sister,' he said.

Mr Singh and his wife are both on student visas and are unable to work.

Last Tuesday's collision in Eynesbury, Melbourne (pictured) between the school bus and truck left 10 children from Exford Primary School  aged from five to 11  with a range of injuries

A GoFundMe has been launched to help support the family as the girls recover.

The bus crash has rocked the community, with the students' injuries including crushed limbs, severe lacerations from glass shards, and spinal injuries.

Three children underwent surgery to amputate injured hands and limbs, with one student losing both of their arms.

On Wednesday, truck driver Jamie Gleeson was charged with four counts of dangerous driving causing serious injury over the crash.

The 49-year-old father-of-two from Balliang, near Geelong, sustained minor injuries when his truck collided with the bus.

Melbourne Magistrates Court heard that he told police he saw a 'sudden flicker of light or sun' before colliding with the school bus.

Gleeson returned negative blood tests for both drugs and alcohol and was granted bail. He will return to court on October 18.
Electric scooter riders in Queensland could soon be forced to get a licence as city leaders crack down on riders who modify their scooters to defy speed limits.

Speeding electric scooters are seen as a hazard to pedestrians on Gold Coast's Oceanway pathway and the Esplanade at Surfers Paradise, with councillors fearing the scooters could cause fatalities.

Mayor Tom Tate on Tuesday penned a letter to Transport Minister Mark Bailey pleading for state intervention.

Mr Tate claimed police were powerless to stop the two-wheeled hoons and called for the state to introduce licences and registration for e-scooter riders.

'Queensland Police face challenges in enforcing the new regulations due to limited resources,' Mr Tate wrote.

Electric scooter riders in Queensland could soon be forced to get a licence and registration as city leaders crackdown riders flouting e-scooter laws and speed limits

Mayor Tom Tate (pictured) penned a letter to Transport Minister Mark Bailey pleading for a state intervention

'We urge the State to actively explore options to support the Queensland Police Service in their enforcement efforts and ensure the e-scooter safety measures are effectively implemented.'

'While licences can be a part of the solution, we recognise young people are not required to hold them or carry identification for e-scooter use.'

New speed limits for e-scooter riders were introduced in November last year, with riders permitted to go as fast as 12km/h on oceanways and paths and travel up to 25km/h on roads.

Most e-scooters have a speed limit of 20km/h but with firmware updates and modifications riders are able to adjust their scooters to go much faster.

Gold Coast local and Hot Tomato Radio Drive host Moyra Major told Sunrise on Tuesday e-scooters can be 'quite frightening' when they zoom past on the esplanade.

'I think there does need to be some regulations on it,' Ms Major said.

'Registration of course, it's just like a bike or a car, it can be quite frightening when they're zooming past you.

'So, I think it would be good to get some registrations going on.'

Most e-scooters have a speed limit of 20km/h but with firmware updates and modifications riders are able to adjust their scooters to go as fast as 40km/h

Gold Coast local and Hot Tomato Radio Drive host Moyra Major (pictured) backed the mayor's call for registration claiming e-scooters can be 'quite frightening' when they zoom past

Melbourne broadcaster Justin Smith chimed in on the discussion and agreed that e-scooters need to be registered.

'I think we have to start registering them and if we don't start now it's just going to get out of hand,' Mr Smith said.

'Just half an hour ago in Docklands on Dudley Street an e-scooter went straight through a red light and there is nothing we can do about it.

'If somebody sees them they can't report them and if they knock somebody over, god forbid, which has happened and they take off, nobody can do anything about it.'

It comes after a 38-year-old man in Canberra was sentenced to a four-month jail term after police caught him going 100km/h on an e-scooter.

James Cole, 38, was spotted by police going at high speed along Majura Parkway in Canberra's east on December 23 last year.

When two officers on motorbikes try to pull him over, bodycam footage shows Cole refusing to stop and hitting the throttle in an attempt to evade them.

The clip, played to the ACT Magistrates Court shows Cole turning off the road and onto a bike path where cyclists dismount to avoid a collision as they hear the engines approaching.

When the officers do manage to apprehend Cole after he tumbles off the e-scooter following a nearly five-minute-long chase.

His defence lawyer said he was on the e-scooter because he had lost his licence for drug driving and he fled police because he didn't want to be late to his job as a mechanic.

Special Magistrate Sean Richter said Cole was 'way beyond the age' he expected to see people appearing in court 'driving scooters and doing stupid things'.

Police caught Canberra man James Cole, 38, going 100km/h on an e-scooter (pictured)

Cole was given a four-month jail term, with one month to be served behind bars and the remaining three on release under a good behaviour order.

Across Australia, there have been seven deaths linked to e-scooters including the recent death of a 15-year-old boy in Queensland.

The teenage boy died in hospital after crashing his electric scooter on a suburban footpath in Logan, south of Brisbane, in July last year.

The 15-year-old was hit his head after coming off the e-scooter and was rushed to Queensland Children's Hospital with critical injuries but died five days later.
A professor at a New York City art college has drawn the ire of social media after a video showed her hurling obscenities at pro life students over a display at their school that she eventually destroyed.

Shellyne Rodriguez, 46, is an adjunct professor at the School of Visual Arts and Hunter College in the Big Apple.

She's also an artist and activist who claims her work 'utilizes text, drawing, painting, collage and sculpture to depict spaces and subjects engaged in strategies of survival against erasure and subjugation,' according to her bio.

A video posted by a pro-life group from early in May shows her stopping at what claimed to be an educational pro life display at Hunter College in the City University of New York, which is taxpayer funded. A spokesperson for the school has said an investigation is underway.

'You're not educating s***,' Rodriguez said to one of the students. 'This is f***ing propaganda. What are you going to do, like, anti-trans next? This is bulls***. This is violent. You're triggering my students.'

A professor at a New York City art college has drawn the ire of social media after a video showed her hurling obscenities at pro life students over a display at their school that she eventually destroyed

Shellyne Rodriguez, 46, is an adjunct professor at the School of Visual Arts and Hunter College in the Big Apple

Professor Shellyne Rodriguez of the @SVA_News accuses students at a pro-life table of "violence" and then proceeds to attack them. Any comment from Pres David Rhodes or VP @anthonyprhodes?pic.twitter.com/VdyKmYHq6U  @amuse (@amuse) May 22, 2023

A campus pro-abortion group called on students to defend Rodriguez's attack on pro-life students

One of the male students attempts to speak with Rodriguez before she interrupts him, saying: 'You can't even have a f***ing baby.'

Rodriguez then starts to shove their pamphlets off the display table and demanding they 'get this s*** the f*** out of here.'

She offers one more 'f*** this s***' before walking away, as the two students attempt to put their pamphlets back in place.

While conservatives and pro-lifers have been enraged, a group called CUNY for Abortion Rights is defending Rodriguez.

Despite her angry and foul-mouthed abuse, the group insists Rodriguez 'constructively critiqued' the anti-abortion display.

Its members, who haven't been identified, added: 'Her actions to shut down the tabling were fully justified.

They added: 'We stand with Shellyne Rodriguez and stand against the right wing anti abortion backlash she is experiencing!'

In several panels, they detailed what was happening in the wake of Rodriguez's tirade.

'On May 12, Shellyne was summoned to the Hunter Provost's office, where she was questioned by the provost and the dean, diversity and campus relations.'

While conservatives and pro-lifers have been enraged, a group called CUNY for Abortion Rights is defending Rodriguez

It is unclear what happened in the wake of that meeting or if Rodriguez - an adjunct at both schools - still works there.

The school's pro-abortion group categorized the student display table as an 'anti-choice disinformation table.'

The Instagram post ends with a clenched fist and the slogan 'Stand with Shellyne Rodriguez.'

Rodriguez is an unabashed progressive, citing works by Mike Davis, W.E.B. Du Bois, Angela Davis, and Karl Marx in one of her works, according to an interview with ARTNews

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Hunter College assistant VP of communications Vince DiMiceli said the school is looking into it.

'The college is taking this matter very seriously. The provost has opened an investigation into the professor's actions.'

DailyMail.com has also reached out School for Visual Arts and Rodriguez for comment.
Woolworths are facing a customer backlash over the paper shopping bags that have replaced plastic ones across Australia.

Furious shoppers have vented on social media about how flimsy the new paper bags are with many complaining they break easily, even while still in supermarket trolleys or straight after being packed.

'Miss the bags already, paper bag broke on way to car. Thank you,' a person posted on the Woolworths' Facebook page.

Another posted a picture of a bag split open and spilling out its contents.

'Hi Woolworths, just letting you know one of your paper bags is not happy with its current situation and is trying to escape...' the shopper wrote.

Furious Woolworths customers have taken to social media to complain that the paper shopping bags, which replaced plastic ones, break easily

A number of those commenting complained that the paper bags cost 25c each, while the plastic ones they replaced were only 15c.

The paper bags went up in cost from 20c to 25c in February, which Woolworths said reflected the cost of the materials.

'The Woolworths paper bags are such a piece of crap,' a Twitter user posted with a photo of a bag with a broken handle.

'And they have the chutzpah to charge 25c for it. They'll make millions and claim they're saving the planet.'

'What do you think of The 'FABULOUS' Brown Paper CHECKOUT Bags for which they have the Audacity to Charge TWENTY FIVE CENTS EACH!!!,' asked a post on the Woolworths Facebook page.

'If you make it back to your car without Tearing The Bloody Things, you are doing well !!! As for RE- USE?? Don't Waste your time !! DO I HAVE SOME SUPPORT??'

One customer was so furious about the price hike he posted a lengthy spray directed at the supermarket and accused cashiers of only packing them half full.

'This great paper bag not only holds less products but you can charge 25 cents for it. So the staff fill up only half way and then give you more useless paper bags,' the post said.

Woolworths customers say that although the paper bags cost more than the old plastic ones did, they are less sturdy and durable

'Have you done the maths?

'I mean I know you have done the maths for profitability (a company making over $900million dollars profit in 6 months must have done the maths) but I mean to the environment?

'The cost to recycle, to ship these paper bags all the way from Vietnam must be very profitable for you but it must cost the environment...

'Of course you did your market research and came to the conclusion this is what people want... if that is the case... put the 15 cent plastic bag side by side with the 25 cent paper bag and let us be the judge!!!'

The supermarket giant has previously confirmed the paper bags come from suppliers in China and Vietnam because there was no manufacturer in Australia able to meet the required scale of production except in South Australia.

'We've been exploring options to source paper bags in Australia and continue to work with local manufacturers to find a solution,' a spokesperson said.

One person who was using Woolworths home delivery claimed he was being charged $2 for paper bags

A person using Woolworths home delivery said that they were being charged $2 for paper bags.

The supermarket responded that they would look into this but in general home deliveries are charged a flat fee for whatever amount of paper bags used.

Another person pointed out that while the old plastic bags were said to be made from 80 per cent recycled material, the paper replacements state they are only 70 per cent composed of recycled material, which calls into question the environmental reasons for the swap.

Woolworths said they had thoroughly tested the sturdiness of their paper bags, which have been in use since 2020.

They said one of the conducted tests 'is equivalent to walking 2km with 6ltrs of cold milk'.

'Our paper bags have been around for a while now and are available for those who forget to bring their own,' a Woolworths spokesperson said.

'They've been tested to carry up to 6kg, but we take on feedback from our customers as we continue to adjust our testing processes.

'What's more, they are easily recycled at home in kerbside recycling bins, unlike plastic bags.'

The chain said its ultimate aim was to sell less bags.

'We know that eight in 10 customers already bring their own reusable bags when they shop, and we encourage them to keep up the great work,' the spokesperson said.
He killed his father and first-grader Jacob Hall during a 2016 shooting at home and an elementary school in Townville, South Carolina

Osborne's attorneys are now asking a judge to reconsider the shooter's lifetime sentence as he begs for mercy

A school shooter who was 14 years old when he killed his father and a six-year-old boy apologized for the first time as he begged a judge to lessen his life sentence.

Jesse Osborne, now 21, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his father, Jeff Osborne, at their home in 2016. He then kissed his rabbit and drove a truck to an elementary school in Townville, South Carolina, where he killed first-grader Jacob Hall.

A judge handed Osborne an additional 30 years in prison for the attempted murder of three other victims who were injured in the school attack.

Osborne appeared in court on Monday and expressed remorse for the shooting, apologizing to teachers, students, and his family.

'I would just like to say, sorry to my own family for everything Ive done. Sorry to the Hall family for everything. Sorry to every kid that was at that playground that day, to every kid who was at that school that day, to every teacher who was at the school that day,' he said.

Jesse Osborne, who was arrested when he was 14 and sentenced at 15, apologized in court on Monday to the victims of the shooting he carried out seven years ago

Osborne's attorney asked Judge Lawton McIntosh to reconsider the sentence so that his client may have some hope of freedom in his 50s or 60s.

'Give Jesse some hope to live with,' said Frank Eppes, Osborne's lawyer. He added that the judge hadn't fully considered a psychologist's report that Osborne lashed out because of abuse and can be rehabilitated.

However, a number of individuals impacted by the shooter's actions advocated against Osborne ever being released from prison.

A teacher whose class was in the middle of recess, the parent of a wounded child, the school superintendent who saw a bloodstained class rug, and the elementary school's principal all spoke against the possibility of eventual parole for the killer.

'I do wish Jesse a life where he can wake up, breathe, eat, work, be productive  but not outside the walls of a prison,' said Principal Denise Fredericks, who recognized Osborne from his seven years at the school.

'In my opinion, his current sentence is still so, so much more merciful than the sentence he gave to Jacob and our school family.'

Hall's family chose not to speak in court, but prosecutors said they are in favor of Osborne never being released from prison.

In 2016, hours after his deadly rampage, Osborne attempted to explain his actions.

'Last night, my dad was fussing to me and my mom about not getting paid enough for his chicken houses,' he began.

'And he was getting up in my face and stuff. And whenever he's drunk, he always, like, says he wants to fight me... and then my mom will have to step in and get fussed at, too.

'Last night he was just worse than he has ever been. He was just drinking,' he said.

Jacob Hall was six-years-old when he died of a gunshot wound that Osborne fired in the school shooting

Osborne's attorneys are fighting for the possibility of parole for their client so that he may be free in his 50s or 60s after he was initially sentenced to life behind bars

After the 14-year-old Osborne fatally shot his abusive father, he kissed his pets goodbye and drove off the the elementary school where he would continue the shooting, killing one and injuring three others

The next morning, Jesse, who was homeschooled and accessed lessons online, was trying to work when Jeffrey became angry again.

'He got the paycheck and then, he just went off. I hadn't finished my math homework and he also got mad about that.

'So that's the point where I went into his drawer and loaded his gun,' he said.

Jeffrey then left the house to go to the tax office, the teenager said. When his father returned, he opened fire.

The teenager told police he was comfortable with the weapon because his parents had allowed him to use it before.

'I have shot every gun in the house, with my parents,' he said.

After loading the .40 semi-automatic with the wrong, 'cheap' ammo, Jesse said he went to find Jeffrey to kill him.

The man had his paycheck in his hands at the time.

'He was reading his bill in his chair. I went in there and shot him three times,' Osborne said.

The teen then 'immediately ran downstairs' to say goodbye to his pets.

'I gave my rabbit a kiss, went back up, gave all the dogs kisses, and then went in his truck and drove to the school,' he said. He said his rabbit was his 'best friend' and that he loved animals 'because they can't emotionally hurt you.'

Despite opening fire on teachers and staff, Jesse said he did not mean to kill six-year-old Hall and was unaware that anyone was seriously hurt when he gave his interview to police.

'Once I got to the school. I shot one round at a teacher. And then it jammed. and then I shot again. And it jammed again every time. And I thank God for that. Please say no one died. Did anyone die?' he asked after the episode.
Militant animal rights activists plotting to sabotage the Epsom Derby could be jailed for contempt of court after the Jockey Club announced it is applying for a High Court injunction.

The owner of the world-famous racecourse is taking legal action after Animal Rising - who disrupted the Grand National last month - warned they would disrupt the Surrey meeting on June 3.

The application in London on Friday will seek to prohibit individuals from blocking the racetrack, entering the parade ring or any other acts that could disrupt proceedings.

Animal Rising has boasted Epsom is 'almost unpoliceable' because sections of the course are open and accessible to the public.

Members are planning to use glue and lock-on devices to secure themselves at different locations.

The owner of the world-famous racecourse is taking legal action after Animal Rising - who disrupted the Grand National last month (pictured here) - warned they would disrupt the Surrey meeting on June 3

Animal Rising has boasted Epsom is 'almost unpoliceable' because sections of the course are open and accessible to the public (pictured: Animal Rising activists attempting to invade the race course ahead of the Randox Grand National Handicap Chase)

Members are planning to use glue and lock-on devices to secure themselves at different locations (pictured: Animal rights protesters are apprehended by police officers ahead of the Grand National Handicap Steeple Chase)

Jockey Club chief executive Nevin Truesdale said: 'We respect everyone's right to peaceful and lawful protest and, with that in mind, have offered Animal Rising a space for this purpose directly outside the racecourse during the Derby Festival.

'However, Animal Rising have made it explicitly clear that they intend to breach security and access the track itself in an attempt to stop racing taking place and it is our duty and obligation to do everything we can to protect everyone's safety and prevent a repeat of the illegal and reckless protests we saw at Aintree in April.'

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, from The Countryside Alliance, added Animal Rising - an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion - 'routinely cross the line between what any rational person would consider to be legitimate protest and dangerous stunts'.

He said: 'When the lives of horses, riders and spectators are even remotely put at risk by their selfish behaviour, it is no longer a protest, but an act of disorder.'

The fall and death of Hill Sixteen at the Grand National was blamed on the 14-minute delay caused by the animal rights zealots. Horses were left agitated in the sun by the hold-up.

A total of 118 people were arrested at Aintree after the Mail on Sunday exposed the plot to wreck the race.

Up to 1,000 protesters from the extremist vegan group are feared to be massing to ruin the Derby to publicise their cause, despite the risk of up to two years in jail and heavy fines if the injunction is granted.

Animal Rising spokesman Nathan McGovern warned it would not provide a deterrent as the 'issues that we are facing are too big to be ignored'.

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, from The Countryside Alliance, added Animal Rising - an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion - 'routinely cross the line between what any rational person would consider to be legitimate protest and dangerous stunts' (pictured: activists at the Grand National)
A professor for Cornell University has filed a complain regarding the program and tried to get it change

The program aims to 'prepare students of color' for graduate school

The taxpayer-funded University of Minnesota has been slammed over a paid summer internship program that would have excluded white students.

On Monday, school reps confirmed they were re-evaluating the graduate studies program after a Cornell University law professor William Jacobson filed a complaint with the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights.

The internship previously set out to 'prepare students of color and Native Americans for graduate school' and includes a $6,000 stipend for participants, according to a description on the school's website.

Professor Jacobson, 64, along with his conservative nonprofit group, The Equal Protection Project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation, filed the complaint last week with federal officials.

'There is an increasing trend where people think it's OK to discriminate on the basis of race as long as the discrimination is against whites or Asians or others, and we don't accept that,' Jacobson said in a recent interview.

The University of Minnesota has come under fire for a program that appears to eliminate white students from consideration and only offered an internship to Native Americans or students of color. Dean Robert McMaster in seen a photo from the school's website

The taxpayer funded University of Minnesota has been slammed and a professor from Cornell University has filed a complaint

In their complaint, the Equal Protection Project asked the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to strike down the 'discriminatory' program at the University of Minnesota immediately

According to a previous listing on the University of Minnesota's website, the Multicultural Summer Research Opportunities Program is 'an intensive 10-week summer program in which undergraduate students of color work full-time with a faculty mentor on a research project.'

The application for the program requires students to fill out demographic information.

After attention was drawn to the program, it appears the university has removed the eligibility requirement that a candidate must be Native American or a person of color. Now, the requirements only say participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

While speaking with the New York Post, Jacobson said he believes the University of Minnesota has no legal right to discriminate against students based on their race.

He called the policy 'regressive' and said school officials are 'undoing civil-rights progress' and taking the US 'back to the 1940s and 1950s.'

In a statement sent out to The Post, a university rep said the program was under re-evaluation.

The school 'regularly revisits the selection criteria across thousands of different grants, scholarships and other financial awards provided to our students each year.'

The representative added administrators would be 'evaluating the criteria for this student support program as part of this routine process and make any appropriate updates.'

The Cornell law professor added that he believes there are other ways to entice students of color into other community programs.

'What you can't do is set up categorical racial barriers to participation, which is what they've done,' he said.

'There is an increasing trend where people think it's OK to discriminate on the basis of race as long as the discrimination is against whites or Asians or others, and we don't accept that,' Cornell Professor William Jacobson said in a recent interview

The internship previously set out to 'prepare students of color and Native Americans for graduate school' and includes a $6,000 stipend for participants, according to a description on the school's website

The program's language appears to be updated to remove the 'students of color' eligibility requirement

In their complaint, the Equal Protection Project asked the federal Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights to strike down the 'discriminatory' program immediately.

'We urge the U.S. Department of Education to fully investigate how pervasive segregationist practices are at U. Minnesota. Federal funding should not be used to promote educational opportunities restricted by skin color,' Jacobson told Fox News Digital.

'Federal funding for U. Minnesota needs to be reevaluated,' he continued.

The Cornell professor also claimed the University of Minnesota was playing 'word games' after they initially claimed the summer research program was not paid.

Jacobson responded to that claim by stating that a $6,000 stipend is payment.

He said he would also like to see university officials understand the discriminatory ways of the internship.

'If this was a program that restricted participation to whites, there would be an absolute uproar, and we would be part of that uproar,' Jacobson said.

DailyMail.com reached out to the University of Minnesota for comment on the complaint, but officials did not respond in time for this report.
Thousands of pregnant British women are unwittingly handing over their DNA to a controversial Chinese firm with close links to the Communist regime's military forces.

MPs and peers have called for an 'urgent' investigation into Beijing-backed BGI Group over its 350 pre-natal blood screening tests sold across the UK.

They have become increasing concerned over the firm's access to the genetic data after it was blacklisted by the US and branded a 'danger' by a science minister in Parliament.

Former health minister Lord Bethell said the information being collected by the 'NIFTY' tests (a type of non-invasive pre-natal screening) was 'incredibly powerful' and could pose a 'huge danger'.

He warned it could potentially be used to influence populations, carry out mass surveillance, and even develop bioweapons.

MPs and peers have called for an 'urgent' investigation into Beijing-backed BGI Group over its 350 pre-natal blood screening tests sold across the UK. They have become increasing concerned over the firm's access to the genetic data after it was blacklisted by the US and branded a 'danger' by a science minister in Parliament (file image)

Former health minister Lord Bethell (pictured) said the information being collected by the 'NIFTY' tests (a type of non-invasive pre-natal screening) was 'incredibly powerful' and could pose a 'huge danger'

An investigation has previously claimed BGI used a Chinese military supercomputer to analyse NIFTY data from Chinese women and map the prevalence of viruses among them.

This included looking for indicators of mental illness and singling out persecuted Tibetan and Uyghur minorities.

BGI dismissed the findings at the time and accused the MPs of continuing to circulate 'misinformation'. It said it did not engage in unethical practices or condone human rights abuses.

In a letter to Information Commissioner John Edwards, the group of MPs said: 'It is vital consumers have full transparency in order to carefully assess the risks associated with sharing such data with state-linked Chinese companies.'

The letter was signed by Lord Bethell and five MPs including Henry Smith, Siobhain McDonagh, Taiwo Owatemi, and Charlotte Nichols, who serve on the foreign affairs, Treasury, health, and business and trade select committees respectively.

Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael, a co-signatory of the letter, likened the firm's sphere of influence to that of Chinese-owned telecommunications firm Huawei and security camera firm Hikvision, which have been accused by MPs of helping the Communist regime spy on Britain.

BGI Group has also formed a deep network within the UK having won a multimillion-pound Covid contract and established partnerships with UK universities, including Oxford and Cambridge.

Mr Carmichael said: 'This is a national security failing of the highest order.

This is a national security failing

'For years we have lagged behind our 'Five Eyes' security allies [the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand] who have blacklisted several BGI subsidiaries.'

Science minister George Freeman told MPs two months ago that the firm was a 'danger', and had taken an 'aggressive' approach to the UK's world-leading genetics research.

The US has added two BGI subsidiaries to a trade blacklist over its data use.

Yet the firm's NIFTY tests, which have been approved by the medicine watchdog, continue to be bought by women in the UK. They are not available on the NHS but are widely available privately.

BGI Group insisted it followed the same security regulations as other brands, with blood samples processed in its lab in London and all the data taken remaining on its servers in the UK and the EU.
An ethics teacher was sacked after having a sleepover at a sixth former's home just weeks after she had left school.

An employment tribunal heard Eddie Adams visited the 18-year-old's house ten times as he helped her with university applications.

It came just months after he was warned for spending 'all lunchtime' with her and putting clips in her hair. The 'seriously misguided' teacher thought he was doing a 'commendable' thing by using his spare time to help his former pupil.

When the college received an anonymous tip-off about his visits to a house, an investigation was launched and Adams was sacked for gross misconduct.

He took his employers to court claiming unfair dismissal  but a judge has dismissed his claims.

An employment tribunal heard Eddie Adams (pictured) visited the 18-year-olds house ten times as he helped her with university applications

The tribunal heard Adams, who is in his thirties, started working as a teacher at Bilborough Sixth Form College in Nottingham in 2014. In 2018, the geography teacher became the course leader for ethics and philosophy.

But in March 2020, a female colleague raised concerns that Adams was 'crossing professional boundaries' in relation to a female pupil, referred to only as person B.

Adams denied these concerns but 'recognised' he needed to alter his behaviour to ensure he 'was not perceived to be socialising with students'.

He reminded himself of the safeguarding guidelines and no disciplinary action was taken then.

In the summer of 2020, person B left the college and asked Adams 'for some guidance' in helping her get into university.

Adams did not tell the college about this, despite it being 'well known amongst teachers that visits should not normally be made to pupils' homes'.

Between August and October 2020, Adams visited the house on ten occasions, and he once 'inadvertently' fell asleep by himself on the sofa.

The panel ruled that while it was 'clear' that Adams and person B had a close relationship, there was 'no evidence it was inappropriate'.

The tribunal heard Adams, who is in his thirties, started working as a teacher at Bilborough Sixth Form College (pictured) in Nottingham in 2014

After being interviewed in May last year, Adams wrote to the investigating college: 'With the benefit of hindsight, I exercised my judgment in a way that has subsequently been deemed to be out of line with college expectations.

'I apologise unreservedly for this and I am keen to avoid future issues from arising.'

At an appeal hearing, where Adams said he had not told anyone at the college about his 'inadvertent sleepover', the original decision was upheld.

Employment judge Kirsty Ayre did conclude, however, that Adams should not have been dismissed 'without notice' and should have been paid in this period.
An Egyptian-born billionaire has given the Tory party its biggest donation in more than 20 years.

Mohamed Mansour has handed 5million to the Conservatives  equal to the amount given by Sir Paul Getty in 2001  to boost its election war chest.

The global business chairman was once transport minister in the Egyptian government but has since moved to the UK.

He was appointed senior treasurer by the Conservatives in December, having previously given 600,000 to the party through one of his companies.

Mr Mansour, who is worth an estimated 2.9billion, said Rishi Sunak is 'very capable' and 'understands how growth is generated in the modern economy', adding: 'He gets the importance of technology and innovation. He can make the modern economy work for all UK citizens.'

Mohamed Mansour (pictured) has handed 5million to the Conservatives  equal to the amount given by Sir Paul Getty in 2001  to boost its election war chest

The 75-year-old told The Daily Telegraph: 'I want to give him the best chance of having a full five-year term and so have donated 5 million to the party's election fighting fund.

'I look at what he has achieved in his first months in office and think what he could do in five years.'

It is a welcome boost to the Tories, as wealthy backers have withdrawn support lately  in some cases defecting to Labour, who received 5million in donations last year, slightly more than the 4.75million given to the Conservatives.

Electoral Commission figures show that the Conservatives received 4.75 million from donors in 2022, slightly less than Labour's 5 million.

Mr Mansour's donation is the biggest one-off amount given to a political party since the 8 million handed to the Liberal Democrats by Lord Sainsbury of Turveille ahead of the 2019 election.
Police are not treating the death as suspicious

A four-year-old girl has died in her sleep with her devastated father sharing a heartbreaking tribute.

Havannah Maree Alannah Walker was found unresponsive by her distraught parents around 2.30am on last Thursday at their home in Albany, Western Australia.

Her father Danny Walker said his daughter passed away suddenly in her sleep.

Havannah Maree Alannah Walker (pictured) was found unresponsive by her distraught parents around 2.30am on last Thursday at their home in Albany, Western Australia

Police are not treating the death as suspicious.

'RIP my beautiful girl, we miss you so much,' Mr Walker wrote on Facebook.

'Why did this have to happen again, we love you so much.'

The devastated father said his daughter always had a smile on her face and said he was lost for words to describe the impact of her loss.

The family have raised almost $4,000 for funeral costs through a GoFundMe page.

Havannah's (pictured) father Danny Walker said his daughter always had a smile on her face and said he was lost for words to describe the impact of her loss

A spokesperson for Western Australia police said officers were called to a home in Little Grove, Albany, around 2.30am on Thursday.

'A four-year-old female child was located unresponsive and was unable to be revived,' the said.

'The death is not being as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.'
The UK is 'losing its appeal' as a shopping destination for tourists due to the absence of a VAT-free shopping incentive, the boss of department store Harvey Nichols has said.

Manju Malhotra, chief executive of the 192-year-old company, is among around 200 business leaders to back The Mail's Scrap the Tourist Tax campaign.

Harvey Nichols - which has stores in Knightsbridge in London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh - has heaped pressure on the Chancellor to reverse the change from 2021.

Malhotra signed an open letter to the Chancellor that calls the policy 'puzzling', alongside household names like Harrods, Burberry and Marks & Spencer.

Overseas visitors are cutting down the time they spend in London and choosing to splash their cash on expensive handbags and clothes in Paris and Milan instead, Malhotra said.

Manju Malhotra (pictured), chief executive of Harvey Nichols, is among around 200 business leaders to back The Mail's Scrap the Tourist Tax campaign

Malhotra (pictured with Gary Barlow at Knightsbridge store in December) signed an open letter to the Chancellor that calls the policy 'puzzling'

Malhotra told The Daily Mail last night: 'Following the removal of tax-free shopping in the UK, we have seen that international travellers have diverted to other European cities like Paris and Milan for spending and more worryingly, we are seeing that the UK is losing its appeal as an international tourist destination.'

Many tourists plan trips to Europe with a mind on what products they can pick up for a cheaper price tag, meaning price comparisons between the UK and rival cities are 'a significant consideration' for potential holidaymakers.

Her words echo similar comments from the bosses of department stores Harrods and Selfridges, who have warned the UK faces an uphill battle to woo Chinese tourists back after lockdown.

Fresh warnings from businesses come as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces mounting pressure to scrap the tax.

Backers of The Mail's campaign include dozens of cross-party MPs and peers, as well as former PM Liz Truss and Labour London mayor Sadiq Khan.

It was not just fashion designers on Bond St impacted by the levy, Malhotra said, arguing tourist spending is 'the fuel we need to support hospitality, hotels, culture and retail', which all sustain the wider economy.

She said: 'This is not an issue confined only to the population of luxury retailers, or wealthy visitors from overseas, but this impacts spending at all levels by visitors to the UK and will compound the current weakness in the UK economy.'

'Tourists and visitors are fundamental to the UK economy. Their spending is the fuel we need to support hospitality, hotels, culture and retail, which in turn means a stronger economy and increased employment.'

Harvey Nichols - which has stores in Knightsbridge (pictured) in London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh - has heaped pressure on the Chancellor to reverse the change from 2021

Backers of The Mail's campaign include dozens of cross-party MPs and peers, as well as former PM Liz Truss (left) and Labour London mayor Sadiq Khan (right)

Last week government minister Paul Scully (pictured) broke cover and admitted 'hundreds of millions of pounds' is lost in revenue because shoppers are choosing to go to European cities rather than London

Harvey Nichols (Birmingham store) had also started to see 'a change in behaviour' from UK residents taking advantage of the VAT incentive and buying 'big ticket items' in mainland Europe

The retailer had also started to see 'a change in behaviour' from UK residents taking advantage of the VAT incentive and buying 'big ticket items' in mainland Europe.

Reinstating the scheme could be 'one clear solution to the UK economic challenges', as hotels and restaurants are still recovering from the pandemic, Malhotra added.

'As the important summer season approaches, we need to see genuine engagement as soon as possible from the top of Government with business leaders.'

Last week government minister Paul Scully broke cover and admitted 'hundreds of millions of pounds' is lost in revenue because shoppers are choosing to go to European cities rather than London.

He said while some people view it as 'big shops getting a tax rebate', he believes it will bring in 'hundreds of millions pounds of lost revenue to this country'.

But Rishi Sunak reportedly told MPs that his parents-in-law 'don't come here to shop', when responding to those calling for a U-turn.
Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin is reportedly giving second thoughts to making a run for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, only three weeks after he claimed to have shelved those plans.

The GOP lawman, 56, is seen as a rising star in the Republican party following his surprising gubernatorial win in the formerly blue state in 2021.

However, following Donald Trump's surge in the polls following his bombshell indictment in New York, and an expected 2024 announcement from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the coming days, Youngkin decided against throwing his hat in the ring.

At the start of this month, Youngkin claimed he withdrew from the race due to polls indicating former President Trump's growing popularity, but recent developments have prompted him to reassess his position.

According to Axios, key among them is DeSantis' campaign. Once considered the favorite for the GOP's 2024 nomination, the Florida governor's White House run already appears to be running out of steam.

DeSantis has been condemned as unnatural on the campaign trail, and has also irritated many centrist conservatives by introducing a new six week abortion ban in the Sunshine State.

Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, 56, is believed to be reconsidering his decision to not pursue the 2024 GOP presidential nomination

Youngkin has previously said he was fully focused on Virginia's upcoming legislative elections instead of a presidential run - but has he had a change of heart?

His polling has trailed both Trump and DeSantis, but it hasn't stopped Youngkin from considering a run.

Although he aligns with Christian and conservative values, Youngkin does not embrace the same Trump-style approach as many current GOP leaders.

He is seen as a more centrist alternative to both Trump and DeSantis.

In April, he told advisors and fundraisers that he was tapping the breaks on a run for the White House, and instead focusing on flipping Virginia's legislature red in the upcoming state elections in the fall.

'Listen, I didn't write a book, and I'm not in Iowa or New Hampshire or South Carolina,' he said. 'I am wholly focused on the Commonwealth of Virginia.'

But he now believes the situation to have changed with recent challenges faced by DeSantis, who is expected to announce his own presidential candidacy later this week.

It's widely believed that the Republican nomination will come down to Trump and DeSantis, but recent polling has seen DeSantis fading, while Trump picks up support.

Sources indicated that influential GOP donors, who are hesitant to support Trump but also have concerns about DeSantis, are urging Youngkin to enter the 2024 race.

A source close to Youngkin has confirmed he is reconsidering and would occupy a distinct position in the field, being neither an ardent Trump supporter nor a Trump critic.

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll gives Trump a commanding lead over DeSantis among Republican voters, 49 percent to 21 percent

Discussions about Youngkin's potential entry into the presidential race are reportedly taking place among Virginia GOP strategists, reported Axios.

'He's reconsidering. He'd be in his own lane: He's not never-Trump, and he's not Trump-light,' one source said.

Last week Youngkin's team released a video that hinted at a bigger announcement to come.

'It's time to usher in a new era of American values. It's our turn to choose life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'

It's possible that Youngkin's entry into the race might come late on due to the high stakes of the state's legislative races in November, where all 140 seats in the legislature are up for grabs.

Youngkin said that taking control of Virginia's state congress 'is what this year is all about'.

Fully controlling the legislature - which is under Democrat leadership in the Senate while the Republicans have a small four seat majority in the House - would provide Youngkin more opportunity to push through conservative policies and build a national profile as DeSantis has done in Florida.

It might mean that Youngkin's official announcement doesn't come until after the conclusion of the state races.

'If the guy flips any seats at all, it's proof that his political machine is ready to go,' a source said.

As a governor of Virginia, only one single four-year term is allowed with consecutive terms forbidden.

It would mean Youngkin would spend the final year of his term campaigning in primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is widely expected to announce his own 2024 presidential run later this week

Former President Donald Trump has already announced he is running and has a commanding lead for support among Republican voters

The hedge fund manager turned Virginia governor stormed to a surprise victory over McAuliffe two years ago off the back of a fierce campaign focusing on many of the 'culture war' issues that are expected to dominate the upcoming presidential race.

But his championing of parents' rights and education have since been co-opted by DeSantis, who boasts a more impressive legislative record in Florida than Youngkin has in Virginia.

Early on in his gubernatorial race, Youngkin embraced Trump's false election fraud claims.

He was endorsed by Trump after winning the gubernatorial nomination at the party convention and praised the ex-president. Youngkin mostly avoided references to the former president after that.

Since then, Trump has sporadically targeted Youngkin as he fends off a handful of 2024 challengers.

In November, Trump spelled the governor's name 'Young Kin' and added, 'Sounds Chinese, doesn't it?'

Trump insisted Youngkin only won his gubernatorial race thanks to his endorsement.

In 2021, Youngkin earned the endorsement of former President Donald Trump but they've become more critical of each other as of late

'I Endorsed him, did a very big Trump Rally for him telephonically, got MAGA to Vote for him - or he couldn't have come close to winning,' the former president said. 'But he knows that, and admits it.'

'Besides, having a hard time with the Dems in Virginia - But he'll get it done!' Trump also said, seemingly still supporting Youngkin simply because he's a Republican.

Some Republican strategists have suggested the 2028 race may be a better opportunity strategically for Youngkin to get involved.

In a heated race where DeSantis is anticipated to take center stage in a political slugfest with Trump, it appears others might sit out of the would-be Trump and DeSantis battle.

Last month, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced he would not enter the race.

Following Trump's recent indictment on charges related to a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, he has seen a tangible surge in support for his comeback White House bid.

According to Politico, Trump's campaign and fundraising committees have raked in over $15 million in the wake of the indictment.
The administrator for NSW's cemeteries says she didn't find out she had been sacked until she was approached to appear on radio on Tuesday morning.

OneCrown administrator Lee Shearer, who oversaw more than 404 hectares of crown land, will be replaced by Property Council of Australia boss Ken Morrison.

Announced at about 6am on Tuesday by NSW Land and Property Minister Steve Kamper, Mr Morrison will inherit the new role of Metropolitan Cemeteries and Crematoria (MCC) administrator.

OneCrown administrator Lee Shearer, who oversaw more than 404 hectares of crown land, will be replaced by Property Council of Australia boss Ken Morrison

The managerial reshuffle comes after an audit of OneCrown's five Sydney cemeteries found that multiple religious groups in Sydney would run out of burial space in less than three years.

Ms Shearer said she was unaware her position had been replaced prior to being asked to appear on 2GB by Ben Fordham's team.

Fordham also said he didn't know Ms Shearer had not been told prior to contacting her for the segment.

'I've found out this morning,' she said.

'To just be told via you that I finish on Friday, I've had no time to speak to my staff, who I've led for the last two years as the administrator.'

She said the decision was 'pretty undignified'.

'I really don't know that it bodes well for a government with integrity and connection to people,' she said.

'I had no idea someone else had been appointed I found out this morning, I've had no phone calls, from anyone not even the recruitment agency, nobody,' Ms Shearer said.

'What I'm disappointed about is people have often described me as the glue that has kept these places together for two years.'

Ms Shearer described the shock news as 'pretty challenging'.

'I've have had incredible outcomes and holding this sector together of previous Government in decision making to just be told via you (Ben Fordham) that I'm replaced,' she said.

It's understood Ms Shearer's term was always slated to end this Friday and Mr Kamper called her on Tuesday morning and thanked her for her work as OneCrown administrator.

Ms Shearer said she was unaware her position had been replaced prior to being asked to appear on 2GB by Ben Fordham's team

'She has had led OneCrown through tough times of indecision and has been a fierce advocate for action and a champion for OneCrown's frontline staff who do an incredible job,' he said in a statement.

'We said we would undertake a transparent process to appoint an administrator once the current term finished. Today we have delivered.

'We have committed to the model. We have committed to our team. We now look forward to getting on with the job and working collaboratively to fix the mess that the former government left behind.'

Mr Kamper appeared on 2GB on Tuesday to apologise for the blunder.

'I've apologised absolutely, I was planning on calling her today but the press release went out early,' he said.

'The release was meant to go out after I spoke to Lee, and it was just unfortunate its happened this way.

Led by Mr Morrison, the MCC has been tasked with addressing the land shortfalls and ensuring burial and cremation service remain accessible and affordable to NSW residents.

The government's audit found the most impacted religions included people of Muslim and Armenian, Eastern and Antiochian Orthodox faiths, where internment is considered the only accepted practice.
Father who hosted event said he 'doesn't give a s***'

It was branded 'Fynn Fest' - a wild 18th birthday party that left residents furious but the teen's father says he 'doesn't give a s***' about the hate of neighbours.

On Saturday night Gold Coast teenager Fynn Andrews threw a wild house party which resulted in multiple phone calls to police for noise complaints.

The following morning the Anzac Parade residence in Burleigh Heads was also littered with food wrappers, empty cans, eskies and tarpaulin.

An angry local resident shared the images of the party on Facebook calling it a 'wild street festival'.

She warned everyone to 'watch their step' as cement blocks obstructed the footpath along with food and booze strewn across the street.

On Saturday night Gold Coast teenager Fynn Andrews (left) threw a wild house party which resulted in multiple phone calls to police for noise complaints

The following morning the Anzac Parade residence in Burleigh Heads was also littered with food wrappers, empty cans, eskies and tarpaulin

An angry local resident shared the images of the party on Facebook calling it a 'wild street festival'

The Gold Coast teen shared some of the antics on his Instagram from the night he dubbed 'Fynn Fest'.

His dad told the Gold Coast Bulletin that neighbours were informed about the party and said he even hired two security guards to make sure it didn't get overly rowdy.

The father - who asked not to be named - denied the party was ever out of control and said the music was lowered at midnight out of respect for locals.

'I know people were upset there was a (tarp and fencing) put up - it was pulled apart in the morning,' he said.

'It was actually to protect the street so everyone wasn't p***ing and s****ing in their yard.

'I don't give a s***. I don't care what they say in the papers.

'Because I know one of the people who complained, we have lived here a lot longer and put up with a lot more than her.

'So she can go stick it where she wants to.'

Queensland Police say they received multiple calls about noise from the street on Saturday night but did not attend the premises due to 'other operational priority jobs'.

The father of Fynn dismissed angry locals' complaints about his son's wild 18th house party that was dubbed Fynn Fest 2023 in a Gold Coast suburb on Saturday night

'Fynn Fest 2023' was shared on the 18-year-old's social media which consisted of party pics in front of a homemade Fynn Fest banner and multiple snaps of him living it up with friends.

The party appeared to have a professional DJ set-up, a dancefloor and festival lights.

There was also a stubby shared to social media which had 'Fynn Fest 2023' printed on it.

On the teen's social media, partygoers described the night as 'iconic', 'bonkers' and 'fynntastic'.

Others, less impressed, labelled it 'buffoonery' and 'out of control'.
Hong Kong: Tang Ping-keung to visit bay area

Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung will lead a delegation to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area tomorrow for a two-day visit.

The delegation will visit Guangzhou, Dongguan and Huizhou to call on the Guangdong Department of Emergency Management as well as the three cities public security bureaus and emergency management bureaus.

They will also tour local innovation and technology enterprises.

The delegation comprises Permanent Secretary for Security Patrick Li, and Police and Fire Services Department representatives.

Mr Tang will return to Hong Kong on May 25. During his absence, Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk will be Acting Secretary.

This story has been published on: 2023-05-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
G7 teetering on the brink by pointing fingers over Taiwan issue

People's Daily Online) 13:24, May 23, 2023

Cartoon by Tan Xiguang

The U.S.-led Group of Seven (G7) held a summit in Hiroshima, Japan between May 19 and 21, issuing documents, including a joint communique, that hyped up issues related to China and contained comments on the situation in the Taiwan Strait.

This is not the first time that the G7 has used issues concerning China to smear and attack the country.

Recently, the G7 has repeatedly mentioned China and the so-called "cross-Strait issue," disregarding Chinas national sovereignty and interests, pointing fingers on the Taiwan question and interfering in China's domestic affairs.

The one-China principle is what underpins peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The U.S., Japan and other G7 members must stop making provocations on the Taiwan question and creating tensions in the Taiwan Strait, adhere to the political documents on their bilateral relations with China, follow the one-China principle, stop conniving with and supporting "Taiwan independence" forces and stop playing with fire on the Taiwan question.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Du Mingming)
A Christian teacher has been banned from the profession after calling a transgender pupil a girl.

In what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK, Joshua Sutcliffe, 33, was ruled to have failed to treat the pupil with 'dignity and respect' by 'misgendering' them.

The former maths teacher at The Cherwell School, a state secondary in Oxford, admitted failing to use their preferred pronouns during a lesson, the Telegraph reports.

In 2017, Mr Sutcliffe was suspended and subsequently left the school after he praised a group of pupils by saying 'well done girls'  claiming later this was not deliberate and that he apologised straight away. He later took legal action against the school for constructive dismissal and discrimination.

The Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) concluded it was 'more probable than not' that he addressed the transgender pupil with female pronouns in other instances during his time at the school between 2015 and 2018  which he denies.

Mr Sutcliffe said he is 'devastated' by the ruling and plans to appeal.

Joshua Sutcliffe, 33, who was suspended from a school after calling a transgender pupil a girl has been banned from teaching

The former maths teacher at The Cherwell School (pictured), a state secondary in Oxford, admitted to failing to use the pupil's preferred pronouns when praising a group of students during a maths lesson

As well as being struck off for misgendering, it was also proved that he expressed views against gay marriage when quizzed by a pupil.

Mr Sutcliffe was also found to have failed to 'consider the potential impact' on his pupils, particularly those who are LGBT, of a statement that being gay was wrong.

From September 2018, he went to work at boy's school St Aloysius' College in Islington, north London. A complaint against the teacher for showing pupils a video that contained 'inappropriate comments' was upheld.

Complaints over comments he made about masculinity, including that there is a 'growing problem in today's society that men are not masculine enough', were also upheld.

Mr Sutcliffe, who was initially suspended after appearing on ITV's This Morning to talk about the issue in 2017, told the Telegraph he is 'devastated' with his ban and will appeal the decision with support from the Christian Legal Centre.

He said: 'I believe affirming children in gender confusion in the classroom is psychologically damaging for them. I refuse to go against my conscience and cause a child harm and refuse to apologise for that.'

The TRA ruling stated: 'The panel was satisfied that the conduct of Mr Sutcliffe fell significantly short of the standard of behaviour expected of a teacher.'

Mr Sutcliffe, who was initially suspended after appearing on ITV's This Morning (pictured on show in 2017) to talk about the issue, is said to be 'devastated' with his ban

After being found guilty of unacceptable processional conduct, a decision to ban him from teaching was made on behalf of Education Secretary Gillian Keegan by the TRA's decision-maker Alan Meyrick.

'In my view, it is necessary to impose a prohibition order in order to maintain public confidence in the profession,' Mr Meyrick said.

The landmark ruling comes amid schools waiting for the first detailed Government guidance on how to respond to transgender pupils. It is expected to say that teachers can refuse to use alternative pronouns demanded by students.

Mr Sutcliffe came under fire for his appearance on TV as it was ruled that he did not safeguard the pupil's wellbeing when he used a female pronoun to describe them on the show.

Although he did show remorse over the pupil's fear of being identified, as well as their suicidal thoughts, the TRA found it 'fell significantly short of the level expected by the panel'.

Mr Meyrick added: 'A published decision, in light of the circumstances in this case, that is not backed up by full remorse or insight, does not in my view satisfy the public interest requirement concerning public confidence in the profession.'

Mr Sutcliffe has been banned from teaching indefinitely. He can apply to have the ban removed in 2025

Mr Sutcliffe has been banned from teaching indefinitely, preventing him from getting a job in the profession at any school, sixth form college or children's home in England. He can apply to have the ban revoked from 2025.

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: 'We do not comment on specific cases or individuals.

'More broadly, the Education Secretary is working closely with the minister for women and equalities to support schools in relation to children who are questioning their gender, following calls from schools, teachers, and parents.

'This guidance will clarify schools' legal position and the importance of involving parents when making any decisions relating to their child.'
The man wrongfully convicted of raping best-selling author Alice Sebold over 40 years ago has expressed dismay at her failure to contact him, despite his conviction being vacated back in November 2021.

Anthony Broadwater spent 16 years in prison for attacking the author in Syracuse, New York, in May 1981. She picked him out in a lineup, but told the jury: 'I am not absolutely sure'. He was convicted on the strength of her recognizing him, and forensic evidence which is now considered unreliable, and no longer used.

Sebold wrote a memoir, Lucky, about the attack. But when it was being turned into a film, multiple people working on the project began to question Broadwater's conviction. A private investigator was hired, whose evidence swiftly convinced the district attorney that the case needed a fresh look.

Broadwater had been released from prison at the end of his sentence in 1998, aged 38.

In October 2021, his conviction was vacated.

Sebold issued a statement, but has not been directly in touch with Broadwater.

Author Alice Sebold wrote a memoir, Lucky, about her May 1981 rape in Syracuse, New York

Anthony Broadwater spent 16 years in prison for raping Alice Sebold in May 1981. He was released in 1998, aged 38. In October 2021, his conviction was vacated

This is a photo of a lineup out of which Alice Sebold mistakenly picked the wrong man in November 1981, nearly six months after her rape

The New Yorker magazine spoke to both, for an article published on Monday.

Broadwater said he was disappointed she had not been in contact.

Sebold said she was readying herself mentally to write a letter, as a first step.

'I guess starting out with a letter would be pretty nice,' said Broadwater.

Sebold, shortly after the conviction was vacated, wrote a one-page letter to Broadwater's lawyers and published it on Medium.

'I am sorry most of all for the fact that the life you could have led was unjustly robbed from you, and I know that no apology can change what happened to you and never will,' she wrote.

'My goal in 1982 was justice. Certainly not to forever, and irreparably, alter a young man's life by the very crime that had altered mine.'

Sebold told The New Yorker that she was still wrestling with how to deal with the implications of Broadwater's conviction being overturned.

'I still don't know where to go with this but to grief and to silence and to shame,' she said.

'It's the finding out of the details. I can't dive into it without losing a sense of who I even am. My perceptions of other people, my trust in myself. That I can f*** up so badly and not even know it.'

Sebold's book was based on her own experiences and was being made into a film. Producers then noticed that the conviction was on shaky ground

Sebold wrote in Lucky how she was attacked from behind when she was a college student in 1981. She describes over several pages in graphic detail how he raped her then let her go, telling her she was a 'good girl' and apologizing for what he'd done. The book sold over 1 million copies and propelled her career

The author, whose 2002 novel The Lovely Bones sold 10 million copies, remaining on the New York Times hardback bestseller list for over a year and becoming a 2009 film with Saoirse Ronan and Stanley Tucci, said she struggled being 'strapped on the new reality'.

Sebold, who lives alone in San Francisco with her dog, told The New Yorker that 'there was no ground when I thought there was ground.'

She said she no longer writes.

She added: 'There's that sense of standing up and immediately needing to sit down because you're going to fall over.

'It's not just that the past collapses.

'The present collapses, and any sense of good I ever did collapses. It feels like it's a whole spinning universe that has its own velocity and, if I just stick my finger in it, it will take meand I don't know where I'll end up.'

Sebold acknowledged the devastating impact of the May 1981 night on them both.

'The rapist came out of nowhere and shaped my entire life,' she said. 'My rape came out of nowhere and shaped his entire life.'

Broadwater described how he and his wife - who, while dating, shocked him by believing his innocence - decided not to have children because he would not want them to have the stigma of a registered sex offender and convicted rapist father.

Broadwater is pictured outside the courthouse in Syracuse in November 2021, after his conviction was vacated

Broadwater, 61, shook with emotion, sobbing as his head fell into his hands, as the judge in Syracuse vacated his conviction at the request of prosecutors

Broadwater, seen in court, said he was still crying tears of joy and relief over his exoneration the next day

He said that he took jobs where he knew he could clock in and clock out, and be watched all the time, because he lived in terror of being wrongfully accused once more.

'We both went through the fire,' he said. 'You see movies about rape and the young lady is scrubbing herself in the shower, over and over.

'And I'm saying to myself, 'Damn, I feel the same way.'

'Will it ever be gone from my memory, my mind, my thoughts? No. And it's not going to be gone for her, either.'

Broadwater turned down multiple parole board chances because he refused to say he was guilty, and apologize.

He said he had made peace with Sebold herself.

'I thank the good Lord I made it to a point where I'm strong enough mentally to say, 'Hey, it was the court. It was the system. It's not the victim's fault.'

Broadwater said he hoped to 'compare notes' with Sebold, so that he could understand how the district attorney's office 'duped her and kept her blind.'

She was not told that he repeatedly refused to confess, even though it would have seen him freed. She was also not in court to hear him discuss his distinguishing facial features such as scars she did not mention.

Sebold said that, when she thought of the meeting, she suspected words would not be enough.

'We might do nothing but stare at the floor or weep,' she said.
South Australian residential construction company Felmeri Homes has entered into voluntary administration, leaving customers with incomplete builds in the lurch.

The home builder, which has been in the industry for 30 years, was placed under external administration on Friday owing creditors about $2m.

The collapse comes after the family-owned business was subject to several 'serious' complaints from clients regarding delayed and allegedly defective builds.

The South Australian builder has entered voluntary administration. Picture: Facebook

Consumer and Business Services SA said it was investigating the builder.

Devastated customers have taken to social media to share their experiences and images of their incomplete homes as they question what their options are.

One such client, Jessica Lee Harrison, posted photos of the unfinished development at O'Halloran Hill Estate taken by homeowners.

'Three years on and this is what we have now,' she said.

SA Consumer and Business Services Commissioner Dini Soulio said his organisation was working with the builder's administrator to ascertain whether the company would continue to trade and 'what that means for customers'.

While it is not known how many customers have incomplete homes with Felmeri, CBS has taken steps to ensure the company can't sign any new customers.

Copper Coast Mayor Roslyn Talbot, within whose local government area the abandoned Wallaroo Shores Resort is situated, said the 100 units were due to be completed in September 2023.

The $42m project, the company's largest, was originally scheduled to finish in 2022 but construction ran into 'significant obstacles'.

'I have confidence the developers will find a solution to complete this project,' she said.

The South Australian builder has entered voluntary administration. Picture: Facebook

Administrator Leigh Prior from Agile Business Advisory confirmed close to 150 unsecured creditors were owed about $2m.

Related companies also have claims in for more than $2m, while secured creditor ANZ is owed around $500,000.

Felmeri had begun construction on 43 homes and had recently signed contracts for at least another 20 homes on which construction had not yet started.

NCA NewsWire has contacted Felmeri Homes for comment.
Public sector workers in NSW are set to receive a generous pay boost while the controversial wage cap is expected to be scrapped by the end of this year.

NSW Premier Chris Minns made the changes to public sector wages a key election promise during his campaign.

State treasurer Daniel Mookhey says the date for the changes to wages was still being worked out as negotiations with trade unions continued.

'The cap is going, we're replacing it with a system that delivers better outcomes for essential workers and better outcomes for people of NSW who rely on us to provide essential services,' he told Sky News on Tuesday.

NSW public sectors workers will receive a generous pay rise this year as the state government works on scrapping the wage cap (stock image)

The treasurer described conversations with trade union leaders as 'constructive' and thanked them for 'coming to the table in such good faith'.

'We are working through the issues in terms of the wage position that will be reached by the 30th June,' he said.

It's understood that a one-year four per cent pay increase has been offered during negotiations with union officials, Sydney Morning Herald reported.

A 0.5 per cent superannuation boost is also understood to be on the table.

The NSW government is under increasing pressure to deliver on its promises as it faces industrial action across the public sector.

The public sector has taken particular issue with the wage cap, which currently sits at three per cent.

Mr Minns had promised during the election campaign in March to scrap the cap on public sector wages.

Mr Mookhey has placed blame on the former Coalition government for the problems in the sector.

'We are having to modernise an industrial relations system that have been neglected by the Coalition in NSW for the last 12 years,' the treasurer said.

State paramedics and patient transfer workers launched a 24-hour strike last Thursday, where they refused to transport patients home or to aged care facilities.

NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey (pictured) says the date for changes to wages was still being worked out as negotiations with trade union officials are ongoing

Paramedics launched industrial action last Thursday as NSW Health Services Union secretary, Gerard Hayes (right), called for the public sector wage cap to be removed by July 1

NSW Health Services Union secretary, Gerard Hayes, claimed the Minns government was too slow in abolishing the wage cap and negotiating a wage increase for workers.

'We don't enjoy doing this, we don't want to be doing this,' he said last week.

'But we are not chumps and we are not going to sit back and let the government promise to deliver outcomes to working people and then prioritise issues that aren't real.'

Mr Hayes has called for the wage cap to be removed by July 1.

It comes weeks after the Health Services Union started industrial action, with workers walking off the job at hospitals.

Healthcare workers are demanding a one-year 6.5 per cent pay rise.
Labour will ban junk food and vaping adverts from airing before 9pm, despite warnings the move will be 'bad for business'.

Sir Keir Starmer ruled out a further 'sugar tax' on unhealthy foods but said limiting firms' ability to market such products to children was an effective way to take preventative action.

He said a sugar tax during the current cost-of-living squeeze would only 'add to the burden' for struggling families at the current moment but action on advertising could be done 'very simply and very easily'.

A ban on advertising had originally been proposed under Boris Johnson's government as part of his crackdown on obesity.

But some Tory MPs blasted the 'nanny state' plan to block online junk food adverts as they argued 'people should assume responsibility for their own health'.

Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, gives a speech announcing the Labour Party's plans for reforming the NHS

As a result, plans to limit when foods high in fat, salt and sugar could be advertised on TV and online had been pushed back to October 2025 by ministers.

He said: 'We will take on the social media companies who push dangerous misogyny on our kids. I am saying very clearly to those who profit from harming our children  no, not in Britain.

'Today we go further on that. We will change advertising rules and we will make sure that products which are harmful to our children's health  vaping, junk food, sugary snacks  cannot be advertised to our children. No  not in Britain.

'The focus that we put forward today is based purely on advertising.'

But Chris Snowdon of the Institute of Economic Affairs said: 'This policy is already on the statute books but has been delayed due to the state of the economy. There will never be a good time to introduce it.

'It's bad for business, bad for consumers and bad for broadcasters. There has never been a satisfactory definition of "junk food". A ban would prevent a vast range of perfectly normal foods being advertised before 9pm on television and at any time online.'

Over the weekend the Labour leader's frontbench team said public policy would be used to prevent ill health under a Labour government.

The party's health spokesman Wes Streeting told The Times that Labour prepared to use 'the heavy hand of state regulation' to force food and drink firms into action.

He said the soft drink industry levy was 'without doubt one of the most effective public policy interventions on public health under the Conservatives  about one of the only ones'.

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting greets Starmer before giving his speech at the Labour Party conference on reforming the NHS

The levy, also called a sugar tax, adds 18p per litre to the price of soft drinks with between 5g and 8g of sugar per 100ml, and 24p per litre to soft drinks with even higher sugar levels.

Shadow minister Liz Kendall said: 'We will be looking at shifting events towards prevention.'

New research yesterday for the Obesity Health Alliance found eight out of 10 adults support a ban on advertising unhealthy food to children on TV and online.

The new YouGov survey of more than 2,000 people for the Obesity Health Alliance found 79 per cent support a TV ban of unhealthy food to children while 81 per cent said the same about online.

The poll also found 68 per cent would support food firms being taxed for unhealthy foods if the money was spent on children's health programmes.

Similarly, 79 per cent think the Government should be doing more to make sure healthy food is affordable during the cost-of-living crisis, while 77 per cent think the cash raised by the current sugar tax on soft drinks should be used directly to fund programmes aimed at improving children's health.

Professor Phil Banfield of the British Medical Association said: 'Labour needs to go further in at least three key areas if they are to have a lasting impact on the nation's health: Tightening regulations of the smoking, alcohol and gambling industries, alongside junk food, restoring funding for public health services and establishing a cross-departmental goal to improve health and tackling health inequalities.'
Two Aussie teens have paid the price for their cunning attempt to dodge overweight baggage fees while flying home after a girls' weekend away.

University student Adriana Ocampo and her friend Emily Altamura, both 19, were flying with Jetstar from Melbourne to Adelaide when they realised their carry-on luggage weighed almost twice the airline's 7kg per bag limit.

Footage of the hilarious ordeal shows the women opening their suitcases in the airport terminal and putting on as many layers of clothing as possible to avoid the $65 fee.

'Little did we know what was coming for us,' the video is captioned.

The two women were in hysterics as they filmed their extreme measures to get their suitcases under the weight limit.

Ms Ocampo piled on an impressive 15 garments - most of her suitcase contents.

It included an iPad stuffed in her pant pockets, leaving the pair in stitches while attracting strange looks from other travellers.

Adelaide teens Emily Altamura (left) and Adriana Ocampo (right) were heading home after a girls' weekend away in Melbourne

But their efforts were to no avail as the pair conceded defeat.

Ms Ocampo's suitcase was still over the limit after putting on 5.5kg of layers.

The video ends with Ms Ocampo sweating on the plane during the 80-minute flight home while appearing to look like Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

'We ended up paying the the fine,' the final caption read.

The women also revealed their flight had earlier been cancelled, adding to the nightmare travel ordeal.

Ms Ocampo admitted she knew her bag was over the weight limit prior to arriving at the airport.

'We thought the only way we can take the weight off our bags is if we put it on ourselves so we started putting on our jackets and coats but we were still over the limit,' she told UK media.

'I looked like a bear. I'm small and petite and I looked the complete opposite. It reminded me of the boy from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.'

'I only had a couple of things left in my luggage like two pairs of shoes, a bag, a pair of jeans and a a couple of socks. We went over again and were the only people at the gate.'

University student Adriana Ocampo went to extreme lengths but felt like Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The pair saw the funny side of the ordeal, despite being each out of pocket.

'Everyone in line was staring at us and laughing at us, it was kind of embarrassing. People were annoyed that we were holding the plane up,' Ms Ocampo recalled.

The airline also saw the funny side of the incident while stressing an emphasis on safety requirements.

'While we certainly see the funny side, we have limits to carry-on to make it fair for everyone,' an airline spokeswoman said.

'Keeping track of how much baggage passengers bring onboard means everyone has room for their belongings and we're meeting our safety requirements.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jetstar for further comment.

Friend Emily (pictured) also failed in her efforts to avoid paying the $65 excess baggage fee

The video has divided the internet since going viral.

'Makes no sense since all that weight is still being carried on the plane,' one viewer commented.

Others shared their own sneaky tactics to dodge the fee.

'I fly Jetstar a lot and I never not stress over this. I always hide my 2kg laptop under a jacket on the floor when they come around to weigh,' one woman commented.

Another viewer added: 'Trick is to go over one by one, take a heap of stuff out of the bag, leave it with yr friend, go get weighed & get the tag, then just put it all back in!'
A Deloitte employee was forced to issue a grovelling apology after listing the 'charismatic qualities' about Nazi leader Adolf Hitler in a bizarre LinkedIn post.

The individual, who describes himself as an associate director in 'risk advisory' at the accountancy firm, outlined the leader of the Third Reich's 'charismatic qualities' in a 'Friday inspiration' post last week.

'There are several charismatic qualities he had and we should all learn from him,' the Deloitte staff member wrote.

The individual, who describes himself as an associate director in 'risk advisory' at Deloitte, posted a bizarre ode to Adolf Hitler's 'charismatic qualities' on LinkedIn (pictured)

He then listed Hitler's supposed qualities, a man responsible for murdering millions in the Holocaust.

Some six million Jews were killed while another five million prisoners of war perished during World War II between 1939 and 1945.

'Charismatic Visionary, Magnetic Speaker, Extremely Confident, Very Intellectual, Massive Action Taker,' the list read.

'People used to enjoy his energetic and patriotic speeches and his pure intention for Germany.'.

The Deloitte employee, who Daily Mail Australia is choosing not to name, said the 'morale' of the story was that 'everyone on this planet earth has some good and some not so good qualities' and it was on us to learn from them.

He then finished his post with the Nazi salute 'Heil Hitler!' and some hashtags, including '#inspiration' and '#adolfhitler', before asking his followers if they had anything to add on the subject.

The post was met with howls of derision and offence as it was shared on Twitter and Reddit.

Aussies joined in on the outrage slamming the post on LinkedIn prompting the Deloitte worker to remove it.

The Deloitte employee was forced to issue a hurried apology (pictured) following his ill-advised post. His whole LinkedIn account has since been deleted

Instagram page 'The Aussie Corporate' also shared it with many followers left stunned the post was real.

The Deloitte employee, who is believed to be based in India, then hurriedly posted an apology letter.

He claimed he had 'no intention of hurting anyone's feelings'.

'I would also like to clarify that this was my personal opinion and has nothing to do with my race religion, country or organisations I am associated with at the moment or in the past.'

His entire LinkedIn account has now been deleted.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Deloitte for comment.
Anthony Albanese's office has come under fire for publishing a transcript of a press conference which omits part of a difficult question about Covid.

Mr Albanese was asked about his commitment to holding an inquiry or Royal Commission into Australia's handling of the Covid pandemic during a press conference in Adelaide on May 15.

The official transcript distributed by the Prime Minister's Office omitted the words 'Royal Commission'.

'You have committed to some kind of enquiry into Australia's handling of COVID, but there was nothing on this budget. When you plan on doing that?'

Daily Mail Australia has been told the Prime Minister's Office's official recording of the conference may have been disrupted, affecting the transcript.

The question is still clearly audible in online clips of the conference.

A Liberal source said it appeared the transcript was 'doctored... to hide from scrutiny on his election commitment for a Royal Commission into the pandemic'.

'The fact the entire question is clearly audible means it was a deliberate act; It is unacceptable and needs to be called out.'

Mr Albanese told the journalist during the conference that it was still too early to consider examining the nation's handling of the pandemic.

'Covid is still amongst us. What I've said is that when we are confident that we're through those issues, then we'll examine it,' he said.

There have been multiple calls for a Royal Commission into Australia's response to the pandemic, including by Finance Minister Katy Gallagher when she was in Opposition.

A damning independent review by former secretary to the prime minister Peter Shergold found much of the government's response was politically driven and failed to adequately protect the nation's most vulnerable.

'Rules were too often formulated and enforced in ways that lacked fairness and compassion. Such overreach undermined public trust and confidence in the institutions that are vital to effective crisis response,' the report found.

The review concluded various lockdowns and shutting of borders should have been used as a 'last resort'.

Mr Albanese was asked about his commitment to an inquiry or royal commission into Australia's handling of the Covid pandemic during a press conference in Adelaide on May 15

At the National Press Club in January 2022 - before he was elected - Mr Albanese said it was 'beyond doubt' that an assessment was needed into the pandemic

'Too many of Australia's lockdowns and border closures were the result of policy failures in quarantine, contact tracing, testing, disease surveillance and communicating effectively the need for preventive measures like mask wearing and social distancing,' the review found.

'Lockdowns, especially when targeted at a particular location, brought a deep sense of inequity among those who were most restricted. Lockdowns, overall, created a universal feeling that the pandemic was being policed rather than managed.'

However, that report was not conducted with the backing of official channels.

At the National Press Club in January 2022 - before he was elected - Mr Albanese said it was 'beyond doubt' that an assessment was needed into the pandemic.

Daily Mail Australia has been told the Prime Minister's Office's official recording of the conference may have been disrupted, affecting the transcript

He said he had 'considered' a royal commission, stating: 'Whilst we're in the heat of the pandemic, our priority at the moment is seeing us through the pandemic.

'When you get through or when you get towards the end, then you'd give consideration to that... Whether that [would] be a royal commission or some form of inquiry, that will need to happen.'

A senior Opposition source described the alteration of the question in the official transcript as 'very sneaky stuff'.

They questioned if anybody 'would be held responsible for this tricky transcript work'.
A new IRS whistleblower working on the criminal tax probe involving Hunter Biden says the DOJ passed him over for a promotion and removed him from the investigation for flagging alleged favorable treatment given to the president's son.

The case agent, who has not been identified, says he was fired last week without any explanation after working on the Hunter Biden investigation since 2018, according to documents sent to congressional leaders obtained by DailyMail.com Monday.

This is the second whistleblower to come forward in recent days on the matter. According to documents, he informed Congress last week about backlash he suffered for acting as a whistleblower and alleged unfair retaliatory treatment.

He sent an email last Thursday to senior IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel and several other officials alleging that he was ousted for raising concerns that the Department of Justice was 'acting inappropriately' in its handling of the investigation into the president's son.

His complaint comes days after the Department of Justice removed the entire team probing Hunter Biden's tax returns, according to attorneys representing an initial supervisory whistleblower.

An IRS agent working on criminal tax probe involving Hunter Biden says the DOJ passed him over for a promotion and removed him from the investigation for flagging alleged favorable treatment given to the president's son

That removal allegedly came 'in retaliation against a whistleblower who alleged his colleagues were covering-up the president's son's financial crimes.'

In a letter to heads of several House and Senate committee chairs Monday, the still-anonymous agent's lawyers Mark Lytle and Tristan Leavitt claim that Washington has not done anything 'to help protect our client and other IRS employees' from facing further reprisal.

'Furthermore, our client has become aware that the case agent on the case, which our client supervises, also sent a protected disclosure directly to IRS Commissioner Werfel this week,' the attorneys state in their Monday letter to members of Congress.

'The IRS responded by raising the baseless and absurd prospect that his email to the Commissioner may have violated Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 6(e) restrictions on disclosing grand jury proceedings. It did not. The email simply raised reasonable, good faith concerns to his chain of command, including Commissioner Werfel, about the removal of an entire investigative team from the casewhich some of them have worked diligently for almost five yearsbefore it has been resolved,' the letter to congressional leaders states.

The lawyers said they have formally filed a 'prohibited personnel practice complaint' with the Office of Special Counsel.

DOJ declined to comment on the whistleblower accusations Tuesday.

The initial supervisory agent made his complaint after IRS commissioner Daniel Werfel told Congress in late April that his agency would not retaliate against whistleblowers.

Lytle and Leavitt also wrote a pointed letter to Werfel over the weekend demanding an explanation for the unjustified firings.

They wrote Werfel that after informing Congress, 'The IRS has inexplicably decided to initiate additional reprisals against these special agents, apparently for a protected disclosure directly to you. This is unacceptable and contrary to the law, which clearly prohibits it.'

'It was our understanding that although the IRS executed the reprisal, it did so on behalf of DOJ officials who had the motive to retaliate because it was the propriety of their own actions that had been called into question by the protected disclosures,' they added.

Lytle and Leavitt claim that Werfel's office responded 'with accusations of criminal conduct and warnings to other agents in an apparent attempt to intimidate into silence anyone who might raise similar concerns.'

The attorneys demanded the agency stop 'intimidating' whistleblowers.

The anonymous agent's attorneys, Mark Lytle and Tristan Leavitt, wrote a pointed to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel (pictured) on Saturday demanding an explanation for the moves

Hunter's business dealings have been under the microscope since a series of leaked emails sparked suspicions that he was using his political connections to land lucrative consulting contracts.

'Today the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Supervisory Special Agent we represent was informed that he and his entire investigative team are being removed from the ongoing and sensitive investigation of the high-profile, controversial subject about which our client sought to make whistleblower disclosures to Congress.

'He was informed the change was at the request of the Department of Justice,' Lytle and Leavitt wrote.

That whistleblower did not publicly identify Hunter as the subject of his coverup claims, but Congressional sources did.

'On April 27, 2023, IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel appeared before the House Committee on Ways and Means.

'He testified: 'I can say without any hesitation there will be no retaliation for anyone making an allegation or a call to a whistleblower hotline.'

'However, this move is clearly retaliatory and may also constitute obstruction of a congressional inquiry,' the lawyers said.

'Our client has a right to make disclosures to Congress  He is protected by 5 U.S.C.  2302 from retaliatory personnel actions - including receiving a 'significant change in duties, responsibilities, or working conditions' (which this clearly is) because of his disclosures to Congress.

'Any attempt by any government official to prevent a federal employee from furnishing information to Congress is also a direct violation of longstanding appropriations restriction.

'Furthermore, 18 U.S.C.  1505 makes it a crime to obstruct an investigation of Congress,' Lytle and Leavitt wrote.

'We respectfully request that you give this matter your prompt attention. Removing the experienced investigators who have worked this case for years and are now the subject-matter experts is exactly the sort of issue our client intended to blow the whistle on to begin with.'

Hunter Biden still waits to find out if he will be charged with tax fraud as corruption claims pile up against his family.

His legal team met with Department of Justice officials on April 26 in a sign that a decision is forthcoming on whether he will face criminal charges.

The 53-year-old denies exploiting his family connections in order to win contracts abroad

Leaked files from Hunter Biden's laptop contained a series of lewd phots as well as emails about his business deals

The probe will look at whether the consultant dodged taxes, laundered money and lied about past drug use to buy a gun.

There is understood to be 'growing frustration' within the FBI over the fact that Delaware US Attorney David Weiss, who is supervising the case, had not yet brought charges after the bureau concluded most of its work last year.

The White House has repeatedly denied interfering in the case.

Republican lawmakers are currently probing how ten family members of Joe Biden raked in over $10 million from foreign nationals around the time he was Obama's deputy.

Those who benefitted included Hallie Biden, Beau Biden's widow and Hunter Biden's one-time girlfriend, Hunter Biden's ex-wife Kathleen Buhle.

Hunter Biden's current wife Melissa Cohen Biden, Biden's brother James and his wife Sarah, and the grandchildren and nieces and nephews of Joe Biden also alleged to have received payments.

Joe Biden met with relatives' business associates on many occasions  including those from China, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Russia and Ukraine  and House Republicans allege that Biden family members offered no legitimate business services and were merely selling access to the upper reaches of US government.

After his father took office as president and promised no further family conflicts of interest abroad, Hunter launched an art career seeking as much as $500,000 for his novice works.

Hunter's membership on the board of a Ukrainian energy company also raised suspicions of influence-peddling.

He and the president's sister Valerie Biden Owens traveled on Air Force One on the commander-in-chief's recent visit to Ireland.

Hunter Biden pictured arriving at a Batesville, Arkansas courthouse earlier this month

Photo of laptop computer reportedly owned by Hunter Biden

Biden recently appeared before a judge in Arkansas in a paternity case filed by a former fling, Lunden Roberts.

Hunter will also have to submit to a deposition in June in which Roberts' lawyers will likely grill him about his various businesses and shady overseas ventures.

Hunter Biden's laptop also included a series of lewd photos and a webcam video of the 53-year-old that portrayed his struggles with flatulence

They'll also want to know Hunter's finances have cratered while he's selling paintings for up to $500,000 apiece under his new guise as an abstract artist.

Roberts, a former stripper, won a reported $2.5 million settlement from Hunter after taking him to court in 2019.

She also forced the ex-Navy reservist, booted out of the military in 2014 for testing positive for cocaine, to take a DNA test to prove he fathered their daughter, Navy Joan, during their 2017 fling.

Roberts's lawyers say Hunter Biden has not provided 'a single item or word of discovery' in their ongoing child support lawsuit.
The cat culprit, Odie, has limited vision and often uses his paws and mouth to feel the world around him

Talk about a cat burglar!

A cat owner was shocked when she caught on video the moment her one-year-old kitty stole her fake eyelashes directly from her eye and ran off.

Veronica Scheier, an influencer with more than 860,000 TikTok followers, told Newsweek she had to 'chase after him to get my eyelashes,' adding that she 'could tell he wasn't happy that I cut his playtime short.'

While Scheier was lying down sporting her falsies, her cat Odie popped into the frame to snatch her eyelash right off of her face and scamper away.

The 21-year-old said that Odie is a 'playful, energetic cat.'

The kitty was caught on camera stealing his owner's falsies right off her face

He scampered off before his influencer owner could stop him. Her reaction video has garnered more than 1.7million views

While Scheier was lying down sporting her falsies, her cat Odie popped into frame to snatch her eyelash right off of her face and scamper away.

'He's very fond of playing with things like toes, my long hair, and - of course - my eyelashes. He has never ripped them off and ran with them like he did in this video, though,' she noted.

Odie's owner said the kitty lost an eye as a kitten and has partial blindness in his remaining eye, so he often uses his paws and mouth to feel the world around him.

Scheier's video has been viewed more than 1.7million times on TikTok and has amassed more than 1,200 comments.

The influencer captioned the seven-second clip: 'I literally cannot believe I got him doing this on video.'

She further joked: 'The way he scurried away like the little thieving rat he is???'

One commenter wrote: 'He legit said, 'Nah you look better natural.''

While another asked, 'How does he know they're not your real lashes?'
Qantas expects there to be no let-up in travel demand as the company reports record profits on the back of high fares and a booming domestic market.

The Australian flag-carrier said on Tuesday that yields would remain materially above pre-COVID levels through 2023/24, particularly for international flights, but fares were gradually dropping as the industry added capacity.

Bookings indicate strong travel demand continuing, with revenue currently at 118 per cent of Qantas's pre-pandemic levels for domestic flights and 123 per cent for international journeys.

Qantas said by the end of the year it would be operating slightly more domestic flights than it did before the pandemic, led by a significant increase in its key routes between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says the aviation supply chain is returning to normal

The airline's international capacity is at 84 per cent of pre-COVID levels and will reach 100 per cent by March.

Qantas said it expects to make a 2022/23 underlying profit before tax of between $2.425 billion and $2.475 billion, significantly outstripping previous records but broadly in line with guidance and consensus expectations.

An A380 Qantas mothballed at Victorville Airport in California's Mojave desert will return to service by year-end after maintenance and cabin modifications, while two Airbus A330s will be leased from Finnair.

Finland's flag carrier will operate the routes on Qantas' behalf from October until late 2025 between Sydney and Singapore and, from late March, from Sydney and Bangkok.

'More parts of the aviation supply chain are returning to normal, which means we're able to put some of the spare aircraft and crew we kept in reserve back in the schedule,' chief executive Alan Joyce said in a statement.

'That's combining with lower fuel prices to help put downward pressure on fares, which is good news for customers.'

Qantas said its $500m share buy-back announced in February was three-quarters complete and it would spend another $100m on the program.

Including that additional buyback, Qantas expects to end the financial year on June 30 with a net debt of between $2.7b and $2.9b, down from a peak of $6.4b at the height of the pandemic.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Owen Birrell noted that the $100m 'token lift' in the share buyback program paled in comparison with the $1.4b gap between Qantas's expected year-end net debt and its target range of $3.7b to $4.6b.

He said it raised the question of whether there would be a major step-up in Qantas's investment in its fleet.
A Texas-based model who made history as the first plus-sized person to work with Victoria's Secret has shared with fans her grandmother's decision to end her life.

Ali Tate Cutler has documented the journey of her grandmother - who she calls Bubbie - as she seeks euthanasia for her terminal cancer diagnosis.

The model visited Bubbie in Canada, which since 2016 has controversially legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide for people over 18, provided they meet certain conditions.

It is not clear when Bubbie intends to end her life, nor how long she would have lived naturally, but on Friday Tate Cutler posted a TikTok of her crying, saying she was dreading saying goodbye on Saturday at the airport.

'My grandmother has chosen euthanasia for her terminal diagnosis, so this is the last time I can take her out for dinner,' said Tate Cutler.

The story comes against the backdrop of rising rates of euthanasia in Canada as experts warn permissive rules have led to a spike in medically assisted suicides - and people ending their lives early when they do not receive adequate state support.

Ali Tate Cutler shared a series of social media videos detailing her grandmother's terminal cancer, and her decision to end her own life

Tate Cutler asked her 'Bubbie' questions about her decision and her memories

Tate Cutler's grandmother said she was calm, at peace and seeing her death as 'light at the end of the tunnel'

In a video, Tate Cutler posted a long discussion with her grandmother in which they discussed the euthanasia.

'What are your thoughts as you like move closer to the date?' she asked.

READ MORE: Disabled Canadian Army veteran Paralympian blasts government for offering to EUTHANIZE her when she complained about how long it was taking to install stairlift at her home Advertisement

Her grandmother replied: 'It's like the light at the end of the tunnel.'

Tate Cutler asked her what sort of questions they ask before allowing a person to sign up for the procedure.

'Your diagnosis is if it's fatal, how many more months you have; they give you time to consider,' she explained.

'They keep stressing the fact that you can always change your mind.'

The grandmother described the injections she would receive, and said she was pleased her death would be in a hospital rather than at home.

'I came in quietly; I'd like to go out quietly,' she said.

The law introduced in 2016 provides medically assisted suicide and euthanasia options for people over the age of 18 so long as they meet certain conditions.

Originally, they had to have a serious condition, disease or disability in an advanced, irreversible state of decline, and enduring 'unbearable physical or mental suffering that cannot be relieved under conditions that patients consider acceptable'.

Their death also had to be 'reasonably foreseeable' - and two physicians had to approve it.

But the law has since been amended to allow people who are not terminally ill to choose to end their lives.

Critics of the law warn that this caveat has removed a key safeguard in place to protect people with potentially years of life left.

Human rights advocates warn of instances in which people have sought to end their lives because they were not getting the right support from the state to live or seek treatment.

Increasingly, in recent years, the number of people choosing to die in Canada has risen, climbing from around 1,000 in 2014 - before the law came into effect - up to more than 10,000 in 2021.

Today, any adult with a serious illness, disease or disability can seek help in dying.

Use of medically assisted suicide in Canada has surged in recent years. More than 10,000 people used in in 2021, an increase of 31 per cent

The law on euthanasia in Canada has steadily become more lax since it was introduced in 2016

Experts have warned the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program could unintentionally result in the early deaths of people for manageable conditions.

Theresia Degener, professor of law and disability studies at the Protestant University for Applied Sciences in northwest Germany, said: 'The implication of [Canada's] law is that a life with a disability is automatically less worth living and that in some cases, death is preferable.'

In December, a disabled Army veteran who's also a former Paralympian told of how she was offered euthanasia as an alternative to a stairlift at her home.

Christine Gaulthier - who says she is perfectly content with her life - was outraged by the bizarre suggested alternative when she complained the mobility gadget was taking too long to install.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Gaulthier's ordeal 'completely unacceptable.'

And in December, Amir Farsoud, 54, said he'd consider euthanasia after being told he faced being evicted from his home. He said suicide was a more appealing option than living on the streets.

Farsoud reconsidered after a fundraiser helped set him up with somewhere new to live.

Tim Stainton, director of the Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship at the University of British Columbia, has described Canada's law as 'probably the biggest existential threat to disabled people since the Nazis' program in Germany in the 1930s.'

But Canadian health minister Jean-Yves Duclos has assured that safeguards remain in place to stop unnecessary deaths.

Government figures from last year show more than 65% of people are being euthanized due to cancer.

Speaking to her grandmother in the video, Tate Cutler asked if she was nervous or excited about the decision to seek euthanasia for her illness.

Her grandmother said she was 'looking forward to just putting it in, to being dependent, no control.'

Bubbie did not specify when it was going to take place.

[The law is] probably the biggest existential threat to disabled people since the Nazis' program in Germany in the 1930s

'Just it's going to happen when it happens,' she said.

'When I'll be ready I'll know. I've always made my own decisions for myself.

'In living I trust; I will in death.'

For the first time, Bubbie's eyes welled up as she said: 'I do believe my husband is there saying: it's about time.

'And I'll say, 'Hi, Arn. I'm here.' That's it.'

Tate Cutler in 2019 became the first plus-sized model to work with Victoria's Secret

The Austin, Texas-based model has cultivated a following of 253,000 people on Instagram

Army Veteran Christine Gauthier, a former Paralympian, testified in Canadian Parliament that a Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) caseworker offered her euthanasia after she expressed frustration about delays in installing a wheelchair lift at her home

Use of medically assisted suicide in Canada has surged in recent years. More than 10,000 people used in in 2021, an increase of 31 per cent

Advocates say the law is a vital means of giving those with terminal illnesses the ability to end their lives with dignity, and without having to suffer undue pain.

But critics fear the system is too permissive, and worry many of those who choose to end their lives could go on to be happy and fulfilled if offered access to adequate care.

In the United States, it is legal in 10 states or districts: Oregon, Washington D.C., Hawaii, Washington, Maine, Colorado, New Jersey, California, and Vermont.

In Europe, euthanasia is legal in five countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany and Spain.

France and Portugal are currently debating the issue.

Assisted suicide, in which somebody is given the means to end their own life, has been legal in Switzerland since 1942 but active euthanasia is not allowed.
The top detective investigating Brittany Higgins' rape claims has admitted he tried to go behind the back of the Director of Public Prosecutions to get a second opinion on charging Bruce Lehrmann.

Detective Superintendent Scott Moller believed there was insufficient evidence to take Mr Lehrmann to court and that the DPP, Shane Drumgold, had 'lost objectivity.'

He thought Mr Drumgold was determined to prosecute 'no matter what', he told the ACT Board of Inquiry into the investigation and prosecution of the rape allegations against Mr Lehrmann which collapsed last year.

'I thought Mr Drumgold had lost objectivity in this matter,' he told the inquiry on Tuesday. 'I thought it was best practice to get supplementary advice.

'My view is independent legal advice is a good process and it's something that the AFP undertakes with very high profile matters.

'It's a good and thorough process to get the best information we can.'

Detective Superintendent Scott Moller (pictured) believed there was insufficient evidence to take Bruce Lehrmann to court and that DPP Shane Drumgold had 'lost objectivity.'

Brittany Higgins (pictured) alleged Bruce Lehrmann, a former colleague, raped her after a night out in 2019 inside the Parliament House office of then-coalition minister Linda Reynolds

He admitted he asked his bosses at Australian Federal Police for permission to get the external legal opinion on the case but permission was denied.

Det Supt Moller revealed the relationship between police and the DPP had become 'fractured' and 'strained' over Mr Drumgold's determination to prosecute Mr Lehrmann.

Ms Higgins alleged Mr Lehrmann, a former colleague, raped her after a night out in 2019 inside the Parliament House office of then-coalition minister Linda Reynolds.

Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegation and Det Supt Moller admitted he thought there was insufficient evidence to take the case to court.

'I was concerned that the investigation wasn't significant enough to move forward with the prosecution,' Supt Moller told the inquiry.

'I was worried that Mr. Lehmann could potentially be placed before the court when we didn't believe there was enough evidence. That's what I was concerned about.

'I was trying to convey that, like the other investigators did to Mr Drumgold, who continually, over many months, dismissed our opposition about this matter.'

He added: 'The investigators' view was that it shouldn't go ahead.

'They were concerned for the presumption of innocence.'

He said he became concerned when Mr Drumgold told him the prosecution would be going ahead before he had even seen the evidence.

He said the DPP was 'dismissive of the investigation team'.

'His view was this matter was going to trial and could we send the brief as soon as possible,' said Supt Moller.

Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold (pictured) was determined to prosecute 'no matter what', Supt Moller told the ACT Board of Inquiry

'I didn't agree that Mr Drumgold should be making an assessment of this matter prior to actually reading the brief [of evidence].

But he insisted that after Mr Drumgold had read the evidence and still insisted the case would be going ahead, 'we were absolutely committed to this prosecution'.

He added: 'Like we were absolutely committed to the investigation and trying to find the truth of matter.'

He refuted claims that an executive briefing about the police investigation was one-sided and solely focused on the weaknesses of the case.

Supt Moller's report to his bosses described Ms Higgins as 'evasive, uncooperative and manipulative,' and said there was 'limited' evidence to corroborate her rape allegations.

'These were the pertinent things at the time that I thought my commander needed to be aware of,' Supt Moller told the inquiry.

He was challenged by Mark Tedeschi, representing Mr Drumgold, over the omissions from the report.

Mr Tedeschi said the report did not include any analysis on Ms Higgins' capacity to consent because of alcohol or corroboration of consent or of Mr Lehrmann's knowledge of her lack of consent.

He also said Supt Moller had ignored any analysis of the four different reasons Mr Lehrmann had given to different people about why he went to Parliament House.

'I hadn't mentioned that, no,' Supt Moller admitted.

In an earlier meeting with Mr Drumgold, he said he raised concerns with the evidence, the credibility of Ms Higgins and her mental health, but denied he was trying to convince DPP not to charge Mr Lehrmann.

The inquiry heard claims detectives tried to isolate Brittany Higgins by interviewing support person Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates (pictured left with Ms Higgins, centre)

Walter Sofronoff (pictured) is chairing the ACT Board of Inquiry into the investigation and prosecution of the rape allegations against Mr Lehrmann which collapsed last year

Earlier the inquiry heard claims that detectives had tried to isolate Ms Higgins by calling her support person, Victims of Crime Commissioner Heidi Yates, as a witness.

Police said she had information about a picture of a cocktail on Ms Higgins' phone from the night of the alleged rape and was part of the evidence chain.

The move could have meant Ms Yates would no longer be able to attend court with Ms Higgins.

Supt Moller admitted Ms Yates had made the investigating team feel 'nervous and uncomfortable' during interviews and feared she was speaking for Ms Higgins.

He added: 'I've never had the Victims of Crime Commissioner so personally involved in a matter before.'

But he denied trying to call her as a witness to remove her from the process.

Supt Moller told the inquiry police found it difficult having Ms Yates act as an intermediary for Ms Higgins in the investigation as they couldn't communicate freely.

'The investigators appeared to be nervous when they were interacting with Ms Yates, they weren't comfortable,' he said on Tuesday.

'They felt often that Ms Yates was speaking for Ms Higgins and not allowing Ms Higgins to speak.'

Mr Tedeschi suggested the prosecutor's office was not told Ms Yates would be interviewed because police knew they may object.

Supt Moller said he did not consider that if Ms Yates was interviewed it could have resulted in her being a witness in the case and she would therefore no longer be able to provide support to Ms Higgins in court.

He admitted police had come under intense pressure from the media and the office of the DPP, but insisted there had been no political pressure on him or his team.

However he admitted his boss Deputy Chief Police Office Michael Chew had told him the decision to prosecute had been prompted at least in part by politics.

'If it was my choice, I would not proceed but it is not my choice,' DCPO Chew told him, he said.

'There is too much political interference.'

Supt Moller told the inquiry he replied: 'That's disappointing given I think there is insufficient evidence.'

Mr Lehrmann's trial was abandoned over juror misconduct last October and all charges were dropped in December over concerns for Ms Higgins' mental health.

The inquiry continues.
He tells him to 'grow the f*** up' and to get back in his car

Man smashes in window of car containing two women

A quick-thinking motorist has stopped a violent road rage incident by telling the angry road user to 'grow the f*** up' and get back in his car.

The terrifying footage filmed on the Mitchell Freeway in Perth's north shows a man allegedly punch a hole through a woman's car window while she was stopped at a set of traffic lights.

Ryan Papuga and his wife said they saw the man in a white Toyota Camry tailgate a silver hatchback.

The two females were then approached by the man at a freeway off-ramp to Shenton Avenue, Joondalup and that's when Mr Papuga stepped in.

Vision of a road rage incident in Perth's north shows a hero motorist step in to save two women from a man who allegedly smashed in their window at a set of traffic lights

'The guy tried to ram them off the road so she's tried to get away, and as she got away he just followed,' Mr Papuga told 7News.

'The second she stopped at the lights, that's it, he was straight out of the car.

'I thought he had a set of keys in his hand because he smashed the window straight away. When you zoom in on the footage it actually looks like a knuckleduster.'

Mr Papuga is seen in the vision coming to the aid of the women, screaming at the man: 'Oi, get back in your car!'

'What the f*** are you doing you stupid c***,' he is heard asking the man.

He then tells the rage-filled man that he needs to 'grow the f*** up' and ' get the f*** out of here'.

The man chased away the angry road user telling him to get back in his car and to 'grow the f*** up'

The man is then seen getting back into his car and driving off at speed.

The passenger of the brave motorist is also heard yelling to the women in the car that she has captured the incident on film.

West Australian police told Daily Mail Australia they had received no report of the incident to date.
At least one staff member at the nursing home where a 95-year-old great grandmother was Tasered has received a death threat, Parliament has been told.

Clare Nowland is receiving end-of-life care after being Tasered by NSW Police Senior Constable Kristian White at the Yallambie Lodge aged care home in southern NSW, early last Wednesday morning.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage and Constable White has been suspended with pay.

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said during Question Time on Tuesday at least one worker at Yallambee Lodge had been threatened in the wake of the incident.

'There is a worker who has received at least one death threat already,' she said.

Clare Nowland is now receiving end of life care in Cooma District Hospital, in southern NSW, after she was critically injured last Wednesday morning

NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley said during Question Time on Tuesday at least one worker at Yallambie Lodge had been threatened in the wake of the incident

Ms Catley also refused to answer whether she had seen the police bodycam footage of the incident.

'There is an inquiry underway and it is appropriate for those people who are investigating that to look at all the evidence including the footage,' she said.

'It's important that the inquiry run its course properly without any prejudice or interference.'

Mrs Nowland has been surrounded by family and friends while she receives care at Cooma Hospital.

Monaro police area commander Superintendent John Klepczarek and another senior cop were spotted arriving at the hospital on Tuesday.

A former Rural Fire Service responder and police officer with 12 years experience, Senior Constable White had been working in the Monaro command for at least three years conducting domestic violence investigations and other crime cases.

NSW Police Senior Constable Kristian White has been suspended with pay

Mr White is reportedly 188cm tall and weighs about 140kg, more than three times the size of Mrs Nowland who weighs 43kg and is 157cm tall (five foot two inches).

She was approaching Mr White slowly on a walking frame and holding a steak knife in a treatment room around 4am last Wednesday when he Tasered the dementia sufferer.

The blast caused Mrs Nowland to fall and hit her head, leaving her with a bleeding on the brain.

Relatives Andrew Nowland, Bede Nowland were among more than 20 family and friends, some carrying flowers, who visited the 95-year-old on Tuesday.

Monaro police area commander Superintendent John Klepczarek (pictured) and another senior cop entered the Cooma Hospital on Tuesday

A young woman believed to be one of Mrs Nowland's young relatives left the hospital in tears afterwards.

The great grandmother is said to be in and out of consciousness.

It comes as the family issued a statement describing Mrs Nowland as the 'loving and gentle natured matriarch'.

'The Nowland family wishes to express our profound love and affection for our Mum, Nana and Great Grandmother Clare,' the statement begins.

'Well respected, much loved and a giving member of her local community, Clare is the loving and gentle natured matriarch of the Nowland family.

'This is a most worrying and distressing time for our family and we are united in our support for Clare and for each other.

'We stand together. We thank everyone here in Cooma, the wider region and, in fact, the whole country and around the world for the outpouring of support for her and her ongoing battle with dementia- it touches so many.

'While we fully understand the interest of the media we kindly ask all media representatives to respect the family's - and Clare's - privacy at this very difficult time. Thank you to everyone.'
Law enforcement officials in Chicago are having their duties impacted by the dozens of illegal migrants camped out in a police station

New footage shows a Chicago police station filled with mattresses and dozens of illegal migrants, as the city struggles to house the hundreds of border crossers arriving there each day.

Officials in Chicago have said they cannot afford to rent hotel rooms for the more than 8,000 migrants who have arrived in their city and have pushed for more federal funds to cover costs.

Due to the lack of available shelters, some migrants have turned to police stations for a safe place to sleep.

Videos and photos showed hallways at a Chicago precinct littered with mattresses and personal belongings with migrants camped out on them, while cops and visitors go about their daily business.

Chicago is one of several Democratic-run cities where southern states have bused migrants as the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border grows.

Dozens and dozens of illegal migrants are sleeping on the floor of a Chicago police station as the city struggles to house the hordes of border crossers arriving daily

The migrant-housing crisis in Chicago follows last week's end to the Trump-era COVID-19 border restriction known as Title 42, which allowed U.S. authorities to send migrants back to Mexico without giving them a chance to seek asylum.

Tens of thousands of people hurried to cross the border illegally into the U.S. before President Joe Biden implemented a strict new asylum policy to replace Title 42.

In the shocking footage posted by photojournalist Rebecca Brannon, dozens of migrants are seen sitting on and around mattresses in a Chicago police station.

Brannon reported that many of the migrants have slept and eaten on the floors, which has placed a strain on the law enforcement officers whose day-to-day jobs have been made more difficult by their presence.

Small children were seen running around and an alley sits full of trash produced by the migrants.

Chicago already has a serious violent crime problem, with its new influx of migrants likely to further strain budgets desperately needed to try and make the city safer.

More than 8,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since August, which is when southern states started to bus asylum seekers north. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent migrants to the Democrat-led cities to help ease the burden on border towns.

'To provide much-needed relief to our overrun border communities, Texas began busing migrants to sanctuary cities such as your "Welcoming City," along with Washington, DC, New York City, and Philadelphia, with more to come.

'Until Biden secures the border to stop the inflow of mass migration, Texas will continue this necessary program,' Abbott noted in a letter earlier this month.

Migrants been sent to cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia and New York. Migrants have also arrived in Washington, DC, with buses stopping outside the home of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Migrants are seen sitting on and around fully made up mattresses in a Chicago police station

Children are seen running around and playing in the station as the migrants await instructions about where they will be sent next

Despite the city's obvious overcrowding issue, new Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive Democrat who assumed office Monday, said in his inauguration speech that in Chicago, 'there's enough room for everyone'

Earlier in May, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, of the GOP, restarted his campaign to bus migrants arriving at the Texas border to major cities run by Democrats

Migrants have been arriving in Chicago and other Democratic cities such as New York and Philadelphia

Despite the Chicago's obvious overcrowding issue, new Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive Democrat who assumed office Monday, said in his inauguration speech that in Chicago, 'there's enough room for everyone.'

Johnson's affirmed commitment to welcoming migrants to Chicago follows his predecessor - Lori Lightfoot's decision to declare a state of emergency earlier this month, calling migrant arrivals a 'humanitarian crisis' and pushing for increased federal aid.

Chicago officials have said they expect a $53 million shortfall without additional aid because of the cost from housing migrants.

'We're in May, and we haven't received any funding from FEMA,' Chicago budget director Susie Park recently told the City Council, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. 'The need is great. A lot of requests are coming in. New York is probably asking for $1 billion. There is a lot of need.'

Brianyerlis Carreno 10, from Venezuela, holds her 8-month old brother Mateo Vargas outside the Chicago Police 12th District station, where video showed migrants living in the hallway

Chicago officials project a $53million budget shortfall because of the cost of housing migrants

More than 8,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since bus programs began in August

Like Chicago, New York City has seen thousands of migrants arrive daily. The city has opened more than 100 centers to house migrants, including schools and closed hotels.

This week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, also a Democrat, proposed sending migrants to more cities to help ease the burden major metropolitan areas face.

'We have 108,000 cities, villages, towns,' he said. 'If everyone takes a small portion of that, and if it's coordinated at the border to ensure that those who are coming here to this country in a lawful manner is actually moved throughout the entire country, it is not a burden on one city.'

Adams has called on the Biden administration to provide additional funding to cities absorbing tens of thousands of illegal migrants.
A scorned wife ploughed her BMW SUV into her husband and his mistress - before waiting beside him until emergency services arrived and berating him.

Christine Lee Kennedy, 38, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court last month to dangerous driving after she mowed down her husband and his lover in her car.

Shocking footage has since emerged showing the aftermath of the revenge smash.

Christie Lee Kennedy (centre) avoided serving any jail time after pleaded guilty to hitting her then-husband and his lover with her car

Kennedy (pictured, circled in red) stood over her stricken husband hurling more abuse before she waited with him until the police and ambulance arrived

Kennedy found her husband David Larkin kissing another woman, Zowie Noring, in the Brisbane suburb of Wavell Heights in March, 2021 when she drove her car into the pair, sending them sprawling into the road.

A neighbour, who is called 'Scummy', said he could hear the thud of impact from inside his home, even with the volume on the TV cranked up.

'I've been run over before so I know what it's like  it doesn't feel nice,' the neighbour told Nine News.

Kennedy punched Ms Noring in the face, calling her a 'fat moll' and a 'sl*t' before returning to her vehicle and driving off.

The mistress can be seen in the footage hobbling to her car and driving off, leaving Mr Larkin lying on the ground in agony.

A short while later the scorned wife returns and marches back to her husband, where she stands over him and yells.

She is seen waiting beside him until paramedics and police arrived.

Kennedy, a mother-of-two, narrowly avoided serving jail time for the revenge attack.

A jury last year found Kennedy not guilty on two counts of malicious act with intent to disable.

The same jury was unable to reach unanimous or majority verdicts on the offences of assault causing bodily harm in September.

The Crown withdrew the two assault occasioning bodily harm charges against her last month.

Kennedy had previously pleaded guilty to common assault at the start of her trial last year after she punched Ms Noring in the face.

The court was told Kennedy had followed her husband to the street after she tracked him using the Find My Phone app installed on his phone after he'd told her he'd gone to pick up their children from daycare.

Kennedy saw the pair 'kissing and cuddling' and accelerated towards them before applying her brakes, the court was told.

'Scummy' (pictured), a neighbour, told 9News he could hear the thud of impact from inside his home, even with the TV cranked up

Happier times: The divorced pair are pictured on the wedding day

Kennedy (right) was disqualified from driving for nine months and was ordered to pay $5,000 each in compensation to her ex-husband and Ms Noring

'Her vehicle struck both of them with the front side of the car,' the Crown prosecutor said.

'Mr Larkin was thrown into the air and onto the road.

'Ms Noring was also thrown onto the road. After hitting Ms Noring, (Kennedy) immediately attacked her which shows a lack of remorse for her actions at the time by punching a person who was laying on the ground after being hit.'

Judge Paul Smith sentenced Kennedy to nine months in jail for the two offences, which will be served wholly suspended for two years.

'I think it would be fair to conclude that you would be quite shocked about what you saw there despite what suspicions you had prior,' Judge Smith said.

'You're obviously an excellent employee and a very good mother and it's a real shame you committed this offence but I do form a firm view that this offending is out of character and it's unlikely you'll reoffend with anything like this.'

Kennedy was ordered to pay $5,000 each in compensation to her ex-husband and Ms Noring.

The court heard the pair had been physically and emotionally damaged by the event.

Kennedy was disqualified from driving for nine months.

The mistress told 9News she was constantly in pain from the injuries and suffers from PTSD following the incident.

Despite their ordeal, the once-cheating couple are still together.
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez were seen for the first time in public since word of their engagement broke

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have appeared in public Monday night for the first time since their engagement was made official.

The couple appeared at the Cannes Film Festival and were spotted arriving at the Cap du Cap-Eden-Roc hotel.

Sanchez, 53, could be seen wearing a sparkly white dress together with her weighty new diamond engagement ring - believed to be around 20 carats.

Bezos also looked trim in a light blue linen shirt and cream slacks as the pair walked dockside back to their yacht.

Launching their lives together, the happy couple shared news of their engagement to those attending the Vanity Fair party revealing how Bezos, 59, popped the question while sailing on board his new $500million superyacht, the Koru, sources told DailyMail.com.

Those at the event say the couple looked to be affectionate and full of love for one another.

Later the couple had dinner earlier at La Petite Maison restaurant in Cannes and could be seen heading back to Bezos' yacht together with his sister, Christine, and her husband, Steve Poore.

The pair will soon be planning their nuptials which will likely be an extravagant affair with a star-studded guest list.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez appeared in public for the first time since their engagement was made official on Monday night.

The couple could be seen heading back to the billionaire's yacht having partied at the Cannes Film Festival

Sanchez is seen taking a seat on the tender with her new engagement ring - said to be 20 carats - on display

Bezos and Sanchez were accompanied by his sister, Christine, and her husband, Steve Poore. The group had dinner earlier at La Petite Maison in Cannes

The pair looked to be relaxed as they strolled towards their waiting ride to take them back to the yacht

The couple made themselves comfortable with Bezos taking special care of his new fiance as they returned to their $500million yacht

Bezos and Sanchez couple were seen kissing and canoodling on board 'Koru' over the weekend while Sanchez, 53, struggled to conceal the rock the size of a Balearic Island that glinted on her ring finger - sparkling proof that she said yes

During Monday night's party, the pair looked to be very much in love.

'They were all over each other. I mean, theyre always affectionate, but they could not keep their hands off each other,' one onlooker told the New York Post.

'They were telling everyone they were engaged, they were so excited, they are completely in love,' said another.

The couple were seen kissing and canoodling on board the yacht throughout the weekend while Sanchez, 53, struggled to conceal the rock the size of a Balearic Island that glinted on her ring finger.

The newly minted fiancees were pictured off the coast of Cannes, where they are enjoying a Mediterranean odyssey and the maiden voyage of Bezos's half-a-billion-dollar vessel.

At 417-feet long and 230-feet tall, 'Koru' is one of the world's largest sailing yachts, complete with a 250-foot support vessel that boasts its own helipad.

The pair flew into Europe by private jet and were first seen on the deck of the superyacht last weekend.

Never knowingly understated, the man who built his own space rocket, gave a less than subtle clue that this voyage would be all about Sanchez, as Bezos commissioned a curvaceous figurehead for the boat's prow.

The pair looked elated and relaxed together as the Emmy-award-winning journalist snaps a few quick pictures on her phone

The newly minted fiancees were pictured off the coast of Cannes, where they are enjoying a Mediterranean odyssey and the inaugural voyage of Bezos's half a billion-dollar superyacht

It is unclear when the gold-burnished, polished wood sculpture became part of the vessel's design, but the yacht was commissioned in 2018, a year before Bezos and Sanchez's affair was exposed in a flurry of scandal that ended both of their marriages.

The day news broke of their affair, Bezos and his then-wife, Mackenzie Tuttle, 53, published an announcement on Twitter that they were separating and that the split after 25 years of marriage was 'amicable.'

Around that same time, Sanchez told her then-husband, Patrick Whitesell, 58, the truth of her affair with Bezos.

Bezos was introduced to Sanchez, then a long-time anchor of Fox's 'Good Morning LA,' in 2016 by his friend, her husband, Whitesell, co-CEO of Hollywood talent agency WME.

As couples Bezos and Mackenzie often socialized with Sanchez and Whitesell, with the unwitting spouses each considering the other's a friend.

In the wake of the revelation of the affair Bezos's and Sanchez's marriages imploded

Novelist, Tuttle, walked away with a $35.6billion settlement, the bulk of which she has vowed to give away to charitable causes. She went on to marry Seattle science teacher Dan Jewett, though the marriage ended in September 2022.

While the start of their relationship for Bezos and Sanchez may have been stormy, it looks like it's smooth sailing today.

Sanchez had her new rock twisted around to the inside of her finger when the couple was together in Ibiza

Sanchez chose to leave her new dazzler aboard the Koru when the twosome went to lunch in the South of France on May 20. Bezos playfully he gave her a light pat on the backside as they strolled towards their lunch destination

Photographs taken of Bezos and Sanchez as they enjoyed the sun, surf and luxury of life on the high seas showed them kissing and affectionately touching as they basked on board their personal love boat.

Casually dressed, with Bezos looking buff in swim shorts and Sanchez trim in bikini or casual vest top and pants, the couple appeared intent on keeping their vacation as 'low key' as a multimillion-dollar experience taking in some of the most beautiful coastlines in the world can be considered.

The Koru was handed over to Bezos just last month. It underwent sea trials in February and is the second largest sailing ship in the world  surpassed only by the Philippe Starcke designed Sailing Yacht A, which is owned by Russian fertilizer billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.

Last year, before Koru had even been launched, the vast size of her masts sparked an international controversy when Rotterdam announced that the middle section of the 100-year-old Koningshaven Bridge would be removed so the superyacht could make its way into the North Sea.

According to reports, Bezos had said he would pay to have the bridge dismantled and rebuilt again - but his request was refused.

Furious locals also created a petition to pelt the boat with rotten eggs on its maiden voyage - which garnered thousands of signatures.

The Koru -was unveiled in March after five years of construction. Along with a private submarine, Koru sails with a smaller 250ft support vessel that has been kitted out with a helipad and is stocked with a collection of speedboats and supercars for Bezos and Sanchez to enjoy

In response to the backlash, Rotterdam's mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said no permit had been applied for, and the masts were eventually attached downstream in Rotterdam harbor.

The three-masted schooner yacht was finally delivered at the end of April and was sailed from the Netherlands to Mallorca via Gibraltar.

Along with a private submarine, Koru sails with a smaller 250ft support vessel that has been kitted out with a helipad and is stocked with a collection of speedboats and supercars for Bezos and Sanchez to enjoy.

The main ship, which is painted midnight blue and has gold accents, boasts three decks, a pool and a huge sun terrace  the same one Bezos and Sanchez were seen using earlier this week.

The interior is reportedly inspired by Eos, a 305ft yacht owned by former Fox CEO Barry Diller, and the megaboat costs $25m-a-year to maintain.
Ron DeSantis has teased the prospect of appointing a seventh conservative Supreme Court justice if he wins the presidency - and made a dig at Donald Trump by highlighting how he could spend eight years in the White House.

DeSantis was speaking on Monday at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention, held in Orlando, and said 2024 was an election that could determine the make up of the Supreme Court for the next 25 years.

The 44-year-old Florida governor - expected to announce his candidacy this week - noted indirectly that he intended to serve for two four-year terms.

Trump, having already served one term, can only serve one more.

DeSantis told the crowd that four of the Supreme Court justices may retire in the next eight years: Clarence Thomas, 74; Samuel Alito, 73; Chief Justice John Roberts, 68; and Sonia Sotomayor, 68.

All but Sotomayor are conservative-leaning, although Roberts is regarded as a centrist on some social issues.

Ron DeSantis on Monday addressed the National Religious Broadcasters Convention, held in Orlando, and spoke about making the Supreme Court even more conservative over the next eight years

Ron DeSantis on Monday said four Supreme Court justices may retire in the next eight years: in the front row - Clarence Thomas, 74 (second left); Samuel Alito, 73 (second right); Chief Justice John Roberts, 68 (third left); and Sonia Sotomayor, 68 (left)

DeSantis would intend to replace all with conservatives, further strengthening the court's six-three conservative majority.

'I think if you look over the next two presidential terms there is a good chance that you could be called upon to seek replacements for Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito and the issue with that is, you can't really do better than those two,' said DeSantis.

'If you replace a Clarence Thomas with somebody like a Roberts or somebody like that, then you're gonna actually see the court move to the left, and you can't do that.'

He added: 'So it is possible that in those eight years, we have the opportunity to fortify justices Alito and Thomas as well as actually make improvements with those others, and if you were able to do that, you would have a 7-2 conservative majority on the Supreme Court that would last a quarter century.'

The audience erupted in applause at DeSantis's proclamation.

DeSantis is expected to announce his own presidential candidacy on May 24 at an event in Miami.

Its widely believed that the Republican nomination will come down to Trump and DeSantis, but recent poling has seen DeSantis fading, while Trump picks up support.

DeSantis has come under fire over his perceived stiffness on the campaign trail, with Trump long-known for his charisma and ability to quickly strike up a rapport with ordinary Americans.

Sources indicated that influential GOP donors, who are hesitant to support Trump but also have concerns about DeSantis, are urging Virginia's governor, Glen Youngkin, to enter the 2024 race.

A source close to Youngkin has confirmed he is reconsidering and would occupy a distinct position in the field, being neither an ardent Trump supporter nor a Trump critic.

Donald Trump, pictured on May 1, is currently comfortably ahead of DeSantis in the polls

A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll gives Trump a commanding lead over DeSantis among Republican voters, 49% to 21%

Discussions about Youngkin's potential entry into the presidential race are reportedly taking place among Virginia GOP strategists, reported Axios.

'He's reconsidering. He'd be in his own lane: He's not never-Trump, and he's not Trump-light,' one source said.

Last week Youngkin's team released a video that hinted at a bigger announcement to come.

'It's time to usher in a new era of American values. It's our turn to choose life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'

It's possible that Youngkin's entry into the race might come late on due to the high stakes of the state's legislative races in November, where all 140 seats in the legislature are up for grabs.

Youngkin said that taking control of Virginia's state congress 'is what this year is all about'.
A decision by a full bench of the Federal Court has potentially paved the way for compensation for traditional owners in the Northern Territory.

In 2019, the late Yunupingu, of behalf of the Gumatj clan, made an application for native title for land in the Gove Peninsula, in north-eastern Arnhem Land.

At the same time he lodged a compensation application, for the alleged effects on native title of certain executive and legislative acts from 1911-1978.

Yunupingu died in April and the ceremonies honouring his life are continuing this week, following a public memorial last Thursday.

The Commonwealth argued for a number of reasons that the compensation case was misconceived in law, but the court rejected all of those arguments, meaning the case can proceed.

Gumatj clan leader Djawa Yunupingu said the case centred around the Commonwealth's decision to allow mining on Gumatj country in 1968 without their consent.

'The case signifies the enormous contribution which my brother has made to the development of the law in this country in the service of all First Nations people,' Djawa Yunupingu said.

'It is a continuance of his life's work, which began with the Bark Petition and the Gove Land Rights case to have native title properly recognised as the heart of the identity of all First Nations people.'

Yunupingu launched the case in 2019, claiming compensation under section 51 of the constitution, which empowers the parliament to make laws for the acquisition of property on just terms.

That means the Commonwealth can acquire land, if they pay the landowner, for example, when building highways.

The compensation is being sought regarding the land from which bauxite has been mined since 1968, when the Australian government entered into a lease with Nabalco, on land within the Arnhem Land Reserve.

Djawa Yunupingu (pictured) said his brother would have been pleased with the Federal Court decision

The mining lease is now held by Swiss Aluminium.

Other Yolngu clan groups, including the Rirratjingu people, have also made claims on parts of the land in question, as well the Gumatj.

Native title is yet to be determined.

Djawa Yunupingu said his brother believed that all First Nations people were entitled to receive compensation in accordance with the constitution.

'Like any other Australian when their sacred land is taken away from them without their consent,' he said.

'The ramifications of these findings are significant, potentially impacting all native title in the NT acquired by the Commonwealth between 1911-1978.

'Although my brother did not live to hear today's judgment, he would have been pleased that the Federal Court's decision recognised the fundamental right of First Nations People to be treated equally by Australian law.'
Around three million people have been ordered to evacuate as huge swathes of Mexico were blanketed in dust by the Popocatepetl volcano, which has also delayed flights and caused schools to close.

The country's National Civil Protection Coordination increased its threat level to 'yellow phase 3' which ordered the evacuations and warned people nearby to prepare for the possibility of leaving the area.

The next step, a red alert, triggers mandatory evacuations, and dozens of shelters have already been opened in areas surrounding the crater as a precaution.

Approximately 25 million people live within 60 miles of the Popocatepetl volcano, just 45 miles southeast of Mexico City.

For more than a week, the 17,797-foot mountain - known affectionately as 'El Popo' - has been increasingly explosive, spewing great plumes of gas, ash and incandescent rock into the air.

Around three million people have been ordered to evacuate as huge swathes of Mexico have been blanketed in dust by the Popocatepetl volcano , which has also delayed flights and caused schools to close

The activity led the Mexican government to raise the warning level and close schools in dozens of municipalities across three states.

'You hear it more at night,' said Violeta Fuentes, 39, who lives with her husband and two children, ages 9 and 12, on the outskirts of Santiago Xalitzintla.

That's also when they can see the glow from the crater. 'Last night, several times it would go out one moment and then light up again.'

Fuentes said she was a bit unnerved by it 'because you can see (the volcano) doesn't want to be okay anymore.'

The family worried about the impact the falling ash would have on their crops. Her father-in-law's corn across the street was already coated in it.

The alerts and preparations, however, are old hat for residents in the region.

Job Amalco, a driver, said it was normal. 'It doesn't scare us. We're spectators of what nature gives us,' he said proudly.

But anxiety was beginning to build among others.

The country's National Civil Protection Coordination increased its threat level to 'yellow phase 3' which ordered the evacuations and warned people nearby to prepare for the possibility of getting away

Steam and ashes emerge from the Popocatepetl volcano, after an increase in activity, as seen from the town of Santiago Xalizintla, Mexico

Police patrol the streets as ash from the Popocatepetl volcano blankets the streets in Santiago Xalitzintla, Mexico, Monday

'It's worrisome, above all because of the children, because you don't know if there will be an enormous explosion or a small one,' said Claudia de la Cruz, 27, who has two children, ages 3 and 5.

Her husband hikes up the volcano's flanks each day to collect firewood to make charcoal.

'He says that there it sounds like the peaks are crashing down and it shakes, but hes brave for us,' she said.

De la Cruz remembers as a girl the first time she saw the mountain glow and how back then residents had very little information.

She trusts that now with a cellphone they will know in real time what is happening.

Still, the real warning residents listen for - as it has been her whole life - will be the urgent tolling of the towns church bells. Monday they rang out as part of the drill.

There were no signs of panic Monday, but people worried about the possibility of having to evacuate, leaving homes and animals unattended.

Authorities have warned people to stay out of 7.5-mile radius around the peak.

Approximately 25 million people live within 60 miles of the Popocatepetl volcano, just 45 miles southeast of Mexico City

The activity led the Mexican government to raise the warning level and to close schools in dozens of municipalities across three states

The Popocatepetl Volcano spews ash and smoke as seen from the Santiago Xalitzintla community

Farmers move their mules loaded with coal, covered with ash from the volcano

Florencio de Olarte, 69, and Placida de Aquino, 72, recalled having to evacuate their home in the center of town twice before, years ago.

On those occasions, 'you could see (the volcano) was lit up, throwing out rocks,' Olarte said.

One of their children already wants them to come to Mexico City, but the couple doesn't want to leave before authorities tell them they have to, because of their turkeys, pig and donkey. 'We have animals and couldn't leave them,' Aquino said.

'Right now there's a lot of smoke plume and it oozes and thunders, the curtains shake,' Aquino said. But for the moment nothing more.

The volcano's activity temporary halted flights at the capital's two airports over the weekend.

On Monday, an ash plume extended hundreds of miles (hundreds of kilometers) to the east, stretching out over the Bay of Campeche, according to a U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report.

On Sunday, national Civil Defense Coordinator Laura Velazquez said in a news conference that the stoplight-style warning system for the volcano remained on yellow, but had risen to phase 3.

Still, she said, 'there is no risk to the population at this time.'

A man walks as the Popocatepetl volcano emits a cloud of ash in the state of Puebla

Incandescent materials, ash and smoke are spewed from the Popocatepetl volcano in San Nicolas de los Ranchos

Pedestrians walk through the ash caused by the activity of the Popocatepetl volcano, in the state of Puebla

In this phase, large domes develop and explode in increasing intensity, launching incandescent rock into the air and pyroclastic flows down its flanks.

Velazquez said only three of the volcanos 565 explosions since September had been big, and the current activity was not the greatest of this century. On Monday, she oversaw the drill in Santiago Xalitzintla.

'We don't know what's going to happen,' she said Monday. 'We are prepared for any scenario.'

The Defense Department said it was ready to activate 6,500 troops if necessary. Shelters were being prepared.

Some 25 million people live within a 60-mile radius, most of those in Mexico City's metropolitan area.

Popocatepetl came to life in 1994 after a decades-long dormancy and experienced periods of greater activity from 2000 to 2003 and 2012 to 2016.
A former magistrate has hit out at the NSW Police Commissioner for refusing to release or even watch bodycam video of a 95-year-old great grandmother being Tasered by a policeman.

Despite international outrage over the incident, police chief Karen Webb has refused to view bodycam footage of dementia sufferer Clare Nowland being Tasered at a Cooma aged care home.

Mrs Nowland, who weighs 43kg, refused to drop a steak knife while she 'slowly' approached an officer in her walking frame at the Yallambee Lodge in southern NSW about 4am last Wednesday.

Senior Constable Kristian White, 33, then fired a Taser at Mrs Nowland, prompting her to collapse to the ground, knock her head and suffer a bleed to the brain. She is receiving end of life care in hospital.

Amid growing outrage - a Change.org petition calling for the video to be released amassed more than 15,000 signatures on Tuesday alone - Commissioner Webb declined to release the footage, saying it 'concerns' her that people want to see it.

The police boss argues she may have to review the video 'as a decision-maker in this organisation... (but) I don't see any value in reviewing that footage now when I don't know what else happened pre and post that incident.'

However, David Heilpern, the dean of law at Southern Cross University, argued that police release video of accused criminals being arrested, often even in their underwear, 'every night on the news'.

Mr Heilpern, who was the youngest magistrate in Australia when he was first appointed in 1998 and retired in 2020, said the public had every right to see the video and that he didn't understand Ms Webb's reluctance to view it.

Clare Nowland is now receiving end of life care in Cooma District Hospital, in southern NSW , after she was Tasered by an officer early last Wednesday morning

Mr Heilpern questioned why NSW Police could release footage of alleged criminals dragged from their homes in their undies, but not the Tasering of an elderly grandmother. (Pictured is NSW Police arresting man for alleged domestic violence last month)

'Every night on the news when the police do a raid on an organised criminal, there's a supplied police video broadcast and you can bet your bottom dollar those people depicted in their undies being dragged out of their homes have not given consent for those videos to be shown,' Mr Heilpern told Daily Mail Australia.

The NSW Police Force shares vision with media outlets each day of accused criminals being arrested. Sometimes they are handcuffed still in their underwear, with only their faces blurred out to protect their privacy.

'All of a sudden there's a reason why (police) can't show this video,' Mr Heilpern said.

'I've looked at the law and I really think police need to be asked - what's the difference?

'There seems to be a very different standard applied to this case.'

David Heilpern, the Dean of Law at Southern Cross University, said footage of the Tasering should be released to the public

Mr Heilpern said in the tragic event Mrs Nowland passes away, she would not be able to give her consent and there would be no legal barriers to releasing the footage.

'I think the video should be released. There's no reason that I can see as to a difference between videos being shared of perpetrators and this type of video,' he added.

'It's a public safety issue, people are concerned and they're concerned for their own family members.'

Commissioner Webb has likewise repeatedly been grilled in the media this week after declaring that wouldn't watch the footage.

'I'm actually not the investigator and the important thing here is that the detectives do their job and allow them to do their job without me interfering,' she told Sunrise on Tuesday morning.

'Whether I watch the video or not is not going to make this investigation go any quicker.

'That is the point I am trying to make, I need to let these detectives, the investigation team do their job without worrying about who has seen it and who hasn't.'

However, Mr Heilpern said he didn't understand the difference of Ms Webb being told what occurred in the footage as opposed to actually watching it.

Despite fierce public backlash, police footage from the incident has not been released, or even watched by Police Commissioner Karen Webb (pictured)

Senior constable Kristian White at a police parade

He said while he was impressed with her as a commissioner, if it was one of his staff who'd found themselves in a similar situation, he would want to see footage 'immediately'.

Poll Should the police commissioner watch the footage? Yes, it would help her understand what happened No, she needs to watch it later Should the police commissioner watch the footage? Yes, it would help her understand what happened 1041 votes

No, she needs to watch it later 42 votes Now share your opinion





'I don't understand the reluctance and how there can be any difference to being told what's in it and seeing it herself,' he said.

Senior Constable White has since been suspended with pay, NSW Police confirmed on Tuesday. As the investigation continues, speculation is rife as to whether he may be charged.

No charges have since been laid, however, an internal critical incident investigation is underway.

Mr Heilpern said it would come down to whether the investigation can establish Constable White's actions were what a 'reasonable' officer would have done in that situation.

Comments the policeman made prior to the Taser being fired are understood to be at the centre of the investigation.

Mrs Nowland's family are by her bedside in hospital after she was Tasered nearly a week ago

A Taser is to only be used by officers as the second last resort, Mr Heilpern added, the last resort being a gun.

The legal expert said detectives would need to establish that Senior Constable White could not have used another alternative method to restrain Mrs Nowland.

'They've got batons, capsicum spray, they could have distracted her and grabbed the knife that way,' Mr Heilpern said.

'When you use a Taser, the typical response is a plank-like fall to the ground, your body is frozen and you have no ability to break a fall.

'There are such inherently high risks of doing that, with an elderly, and with anything around that she could hit her head on. That's why the video needs to be released.

'Without having seen it, my assumption is that (using the Taser) was not necessary.'

The former magistrate said while it was too early in the investigation to know, in the event of Mrs Nowland's death, the most severe consequence the officer could face may be being charged with unlawful killing.

'And at the low end, it could be disciplinary action,' Mr Heilpern said.

Mrs Nowland has been surrounded by family and friends while she receives care at Cooma Hospital.

A young woman believed to be one of Mrs Nowland's young relatives left the facility in tears on Tuesday. The great grandmother is said to be in and out of consciousness.

Monaro police area commander Superintendent John Klepczarek and another senior officer were also spotted arriving at the hospital on Tuesday, with Supt Klepczarek understood to be addressing the family's concerned.

Senior Constable White is a former Rural Fire Service responder and police officer with 12 years experience, who has a wife and young baby.

He had been working in the Monaro command for at least three years conducting domestic violence investigations and other crime cases.

NSW Police Senior Constable Kristian White (pictured) has been suspended with pay

Mr White has been a police officer for 12 years

Mr White is reportedly 188cm tall and weighs about 140kg, more than three times the size of Mrs Nowland who weighs 43kg and is 157cm tall (five foot two inches).

She was approaching Mr White slowly on a walking frame and holding a steak knife in a treatment room around 4am last Wednesday when he Tasered the dementia sufferer, according to a police account.

The blast caused Mrs Nowland to fall and hit her head, leaving her with a bleed on the brain.

Her family have since issued a statement as they remain by her bedside.

'The Nowland family wishes to express our profound love and affection for our Mum, Nana and Great Grandmother Clare,' the statement begins.

Senior police officers are seen arriving at the Cooma Hospital on Tuesday

'Well respected, much loved and a giving member of her local community, Clare is the loving and gentle natured matriarch of the Nowland family.

'This is a most worrying and distressing time for our family and we are united in our support for Clare and for each other.

'We stand together. We thank everyone here in Cooma, the wider region and, in fact, the whole country and around the world for the outpouring of support for her and her ongoing battle with dementia - it touches so many.

'While we fully understand the interest of the media we kindly ask all media representatives to respect the family's - and Clare's - privacy at this very difficult time. Thank you to everyone.'
A desperate search has been launched to find a missing boy.

Marcus Kemp, 13, was last seen on Elswick Street at Leichhardt, in Sydney's inner west, at 1pm on Sunday.

His family called police after he failed to return home prompting emergency services to launch a search for him.

A desperate search has been launched to find a missing boy

Loved ones have been unable to contact him while officers hold concerns for his welfare due to his age.

He is between 160-170cm tall, of a thin build and has an olive complexion.

Marcus was last seen wearing a black t-shirt, grey shorts and white shoes.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The moments leading up to the fatal stabbing of a father-of-three in a busy Essex shopping centre have been caught on CCTV.

Michael Ugwa, 29, was killed in a 'brutal' attack in Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock at 4.30pm on April 28 last year.

Muhammad Khan, 23, his associate, Brandon Lutchmunsing, 20, launched their attack after Mr Ugwa complimented Lutchmunsing's girlfriend, Shannon Weston.

The two men cornered the father-of-three and 'trapped' him with a 'pincer movement' as Mr Ugwa used a chair to defend himself.

The 23-year-old killler then stabbed Mr Ugwa in the chest with a 'single and deadly' blow, before leaving him to die of 'catastrophic' blood loss.

Michael Ugwa, 29, (pictured) died of 'catastrophic' blood loss following the attack at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex

Muhammad Khan, 23, stabbed Michael Ugwa, 29, in the chest with a 'single and deadly' blow

The attackers then fled in Lutchmunsing's Audi, driven by Weston, leaving the father-of-three to die, as onlookers feared for their safety.

Karim Khalil KC, prosecuting, said Khan and Lutchmunsing cornered Mr Ugwa before Khan stabbed him in the chest.

Mr Ugwa, from Rainham, east London, died of 'catastrophic' blood loss at the scene as the two men fled.

Khan, of Ilford, east London, and Lutchmunsing, of Dagenham, east London, had denied the charges against them.

Jurors were told an argument broke out after Mr Ugwa made comments towards Lutchmunsing's girlfriend.

Khan is said to have brandished a knife before he and Lutchmunsing stalked Mr Ugwa through the shopping centre food hall.

Mr Khalil described the 'brutal attack of two on one' in which the men trapped Mr Ugwa in a 'pincer movement'.

Footage played at court showed Mr Ugwa holding up a chair in a bid to defend himself before throwing it at Lutchmunsing.

Khan then stabbed Mr Ugwa in a 'single and deadly' blow before fleeing with Lutchmunsing in Weston's red Audi, Mr Khalil said.

Weston was accused of driving Khan and Lutchmunsing away from the shopping centre, and of helping her then-boyfriend to evade police from 28 April and 4 May.

The 21-year-old, of Canewdon, Essex, was found guilty of three counts of assisting an offender, which she had denied, police said.

Muhammad Khan, 23, (pictured), from Ilford, was convicted of murder and affray after stabbing the father-of-three in the Essex shopping centre

The two men cornered Mr Ugwa after the 29-year-old complimented Brandon Lutchmunsing's girlfriend, Shannon Weston

Frightened onlookers feared for their safety as Michael Ugwa was left to die of catastrophic blood loss in the shopping centre's food hall

Opening the case, Mr Khalil had said: 'The killing is particularly shocking because it happened just before 4.30 in the afternoon in the public food court.'

'It happened in front of a number of people going about their normal business. Witnesses were clearly frightened for their safety.

'A mother with two youngsters in a pushchair can be seen dragging them away as fast as she can.

'The three defendants were sitting by a food outlet when Michael Ugwa and his friend walked in.

'There was a short verbal exchange during which Michael passed some admiring comments towards Shannon Weston.

'The two male defendants decided to take it as some form of challenge.

'Muhammad Khan pulled out a knife. Khan did this in a secretive manner but we say from the manner of Lutchmunsing's behaviour that he knew.

'Mr Ugwa ran for his safety. He continued to be chased around the food court. Mr Ugwa went through some tables.

'He grabbed a chair. He threw the chair at Lutchmunsing. He was the subject of a pincer movement as they went around different parts of the food court effectively trapping him between them.

'Eventually Mr Khan cornered him and stabbed out. He aimed the knife at his chest and struck him as he intended to. It was a single and deadly blow.'

Lutchmunsing said he was unaware that his friend had pulled out the knife until he stabbed Mr Ugwa, while Khan had claimed he was acting in self-defence.

Senior investigating officer Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Julie Gowen said: 'Although this incident played out over the course of a few minutes, the fatal assault was over in a matter of seconds.

'This case shows the tragic consequences that carrying a knife can have and how quickly an incident can escalate when weapons are involved.'

The defendants are due to be sentenced at Basildon Crown Court on a date to be fixed.
A man who allegedly stabbed a Centrelink work has 'significant mental health issues', a court has heard.

The alleged attacker, Elijah Chase, 34, appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court by video link on Tuesday night over the 'totally unprovoked attack'.

The 55-year-old woman was attacked at the welfare agency on Louis Street, Airport West in Melbourne's north-west at about 1.30pm on Tuesday.

She was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries - with dramatic photos showing the scene swarming with Victoria Police officers in bulletproof vests.

A 55-year-old woman is in critical condition after she was stabbed at Centrelink in Airport West, Melbourne (pictured, police emerge from the Centrelink)

A 34-year-old man from Essendon was arrested and is assisting police with their investigation into the horrific stabbing on Tuesday

Chase, who was wearing a white jumpsuit at Broadmeadows Police Station, was remanded in custody before being told to appear in person at court on Wednesday, the Herald Sun reported.

He reportedly refused to engage with medical officers after he was arrested.

The Magistrates Court was told of Chase's 'significant mental health issues'.

'A 34-year-old Essendon man has been charged with intentionally cause serious injury, recklessly cause serious injury, reckless conduct endangering life, common law assault and use and possession of controlled weapon,' Victoria Police said.

'This is a very sad day for our agency and our staff who come to work every day to support Australians,' Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said.

'They should be free to do their job without concern for their personal safety.'

It remains unclear why the man attacked the woman, who had previously worked with Medicare.

A witness, Sarah, told Radio 3AW she was almost 'bowled over' by a police car amid the chaos.

'As I was walking out of the shopping centre I overheard some people saying "oh, golly gosh, that's not good",' she said.

Victorian police rushed to Centrelink Airport West after a woman was stabbed inside on Tuesday

'Everyone was looking over to a certain area where the bus stops are.'

A 34-year-old man from Essendon has been arrested and is assisting police with their investigation.

'A crime scene has been set up while police work to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident,' a Victoria Police spokeswoman said.

Mr Jongen said Services Australia, which oversees Centrelink, 'is supporting staff and customers' after the alleged attack.

'Our hearts are with the injured service officer and their loved ones. Thankfully, they are in a stable condition and receiving the best possible care.

'The alleged offender was promptly apprehended by Victorian Police, who we are working closely with,' he said.

The agency has arranged social worker support for staff and customers who witnessed the incident.

'Our immediate priority is to support all our staff who were impacted by today's incident, as well as our broader agency staff who serve Australians in every corner of the country,' Mr Jongen said.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
New details have emerged about multiple women being sent handwritten letters which contained open condoms.

Victoria Police revealed 100 letters were mailed to the same 1999 graduating class Kilbreda College girls' school in the Melbourne suburb of Mentone in the last three months.

Inside each letter were similarly worded messages mailed to the former students who graduated more than two decades ago.

Police say the women were selected from a homemade yearbook that detailed all 160 girls in the 1999 graduating year, featuring their full names, addresses and a photo of them at the time.

Victoria Police have revealed the 65 women who received 100 letters containing sexually explicit content and open condoms were all part of the same 1999 graduating class at Kilbreda College, Mentone (pictured)

Detective Acting Senior Grant Lewis told A Current Affair the contents of each letter are 'sexually explicit, suggestive and repulsive'.

'The messaging (in the letter) is very similar so we know it's the same person, we just don't know who that person is,' he said.

Of the 160 former classmates, 65 have received at least one letter, with some women sent up to four separate letters.

Most of these letters were found by the women's parents who still resided at the family home.

The detective says while all letters contained the same postage stamp, not all contained an opened condom and some were typed out instead of handwritten.

'We're making enquiries with the relevant mail centres to determine whether there's a correlation to one particular mail centre or numerous,' Det Lewis said.

'Staff have been canvassed in relation to collections and also enquiries have been made with the stamp origin to determine where they may have been purchased, in bulk, or singularly, or in a particular outlet.'

Police say the women were selected from a homemade yearbook (pictured) that detailed all 160 girls in the 1999 graduating year, featuring their full names, addresses and a photo of them at the time

Inside the letter was similarly worded messages with an open condom, mailed to the former students who graduated more than two decades ago

The first incident of a letter being opened was reported to police on March 20.

One of the recipients Bree Walker said the act was 'disturbing' and 'creepy'.

'I didn't sleep the night I received the letter, it really creeped me out,' Ms Walker told the Herald Sun.

'I found out that my friend also received a letter. I then messaged everyone from my year level and asked them if they received a letter and I found out that seven of them did.'

Ms Walker said the letters contained very graphic messages and 'gross stuff' - adding the writing was similar in all the letters.

She said she had no idea who was behind the offensive messages.

'We want this person to stop, it's disgusting and it's creepy. We don't know what they're gaining from it. It's causing a lot of women to feel stressed,' she said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
A relaxed-looking Stan Grant began his break from hosting Q+A on Tuesday with a flight home to Sydney from Melbourne and a bit of not-so-light reading.

Having presented Monday night's episode of the ABC panel discussion program a smiling Grant strode through Sydney Airport clutching a copy of The Cross and the Lynching Tree.

James H Core's book about African-American black liberation theology begins with a history of lynching in the United States and draws parallels between those killings and the crucifixion of Jesus.

Grant had told Monday night's audience 'I am down right now... but I will get back up' when describing his decision to at least temporarily quit Q+A, citing repeated racist bullying.

A relaxed-looking Stan Grant began his break from hosting Q+A on Tuesday with a flight home to Sydney from Melbourne. He was clutching a copy of The Cross and the Lynching Tree, a book about African-American black liberation theology

While leaving the airport Grant stopped to chat with retired rugby league champion and fellow Indigenous advocate Greg Inglis, who was subjected to racist slurs from the crowd during his playing career.

Grant shook with emotion and had tears in his eyes on Monday as he said his 'soul hurts' in a powerful goodbye speech after hosting his final episode of Q+A.

The 59-year-old did not address the ABC directly in his closing speech, but earlier appeared to take aim at the public broadcaster for not standing by him, saying: 'I know that media needs to be better.'

After just 10 months in the role, Grant announced last Friday he was taking leave after being subjected to 'relentless racial filth', and accused the ABC of 'institutional failure' because he said no-one offered him support.

While leaving the airport Grant stopped to chat with retired rugby league champion and fellow Indigenous advocate Greg Inglis, who faced bigoted slurs from the crowd during his playing career

Speaking directly into the lens at the end of Monday night's program, he said: 'I've had to learn that endurance is not always strength.

'Sometimes, strength is knowing when to say stop. And to those who have sent messages of support - thank you so much. But I'll be OK.'

He said he was stepping down after racial abuse which had ramped up since he appeared on coverage of King Charles' coronation; coverage that was criticised by some for harping on the negatives of England's colonial past and questioning the role of the monarchy.

'To those who have abused me and my family, I would just say - if your aim was to hurt me, well, you've succeeded,' he said on Monday.

'And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I must have given you so much cause to hate me so much, to target me and my family, to make threats against me.

'I am down right now. I am. But I will get back up. And you can come at me again, and I will meet you with the love of my people.

'My people can teach the world to love. As Martin Luther King Jr said of his struggle, 'We will wear you down with our capacity to love all'.'

However Grant said he was not walking away because of racism or social media hatred, but a broader disenchantment with the media.

'I need a break from the media. I feel like I'm part of the problem. And I need to ask myself how, or if, we can do it better.'

He ended by thanking his family, speaking a few words in his native Wiradjuri language and then said a simple 'Goodnight.'

Grant had told Monday night's Q+A audience 'I am down right now... but I will get back up' when describing his decision to at least temporarily quit Q+A following repeated racist bullying. He is pictured talking to NRL great Greg Inglis

Grant shook with emotion and had tears in his eyes on Monday as he said his 'soul hurts' in a powerful goodbye speech after hosting his final episode of Q+A. He is pictured at Sydney Airport on Tuesday morning

Earlier on Monday, hundreds of ABC staff across the country walked out of offices in solidarity with Grant, with his broadcaster wife Tracey Holmes, ex-wife and SBS journalist Karla Grant and his daughter, NITV journalist Lowanna, front-and-centre at the protests.

Dozens gathered outside the national broadcaster's headquarters in Ultimo, Sydney, as well as Parliament House in Canberra and the broadcaster's Southbank base in Melbourne.

Lowanna Grant became emotional as she told the crowd in Sydney about the toll the abuse had taken on her family.

'It's really hard to see him struggling, and that he's had to cop the racism and disgusting filth that's been online,' she said.

'I'm so grateful to everyone here today who is supporting him, and not just my dad but all other First Nation's journalists.'

Grant's first wife, Karla Grant, told the Sydney crowd that racial abuse was an ongoing issue for Indigenous reporters, and her family.

'It's an accumulation of years of racism our people have had to face,' she said.

'Enough is enough and we have to take a stand.'

Stan Grant's broadcaster wife Tracey Holmes (centre) and his daughter with first wife Karla, NITV journalist Lowanna (next to Holmes), joined hundreds of ABC staff in a protest against racism after he announced he would quit hosting Q+A

The ABC still hope Grant will one day return to the show.

'Q+A is due, I think it has a few more episodes after this week, and then it's got a mid-season break, and then it will return,' ABC News director Justin Stevens told ABC radio.

'We just want to give him space and time to try and have a breather from this.

'Hopefully he'll return after the mid-season break, but we just don't want to put him under any extra pressure at the moment.'

Mr Stevens on Friday issued a statement calling the abuse Grant suffered 'abhorrent and unacceptable'.

'The ABC stands by him and condemns the attacks directed towards him. The ABC has and will continue to refer any threats to police,' he added.

The ABC also plans to review its response to racist trolling.
Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have started to dig at a remote Algarve reservoir as they search for signs of the missing British girl.

The area around the Barragem do Arade reservoir was locked down overnight, and police divers entered the water early on Tuesday at the site found about 30 miles from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine went missing in 2007.

The first major search for Madeleine in nine years comes after German police discovered photos of prime suspect Christian Brueckner at his self-described 'little paradise' in the Portuguese region, it is understood.

Portuguese media outlets reported that excavations at the reservoir have 'already begun', with video appearing to show police officers digging as they search for evidence to link the toddler's disappearance to the German convict.

According to Correio da Manha, excavations started at around 11am local time, and were being carried out at two different spots around the water's edge. A number of bags have since been taken away from the search area.

The newspaper reported that 'about a dozen' police officers were involved in the digging, and that sniffer dogs were also present. It was not known what was in the bags that were seen being taken away.

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (left) locked down a remote Algarve reservoir with a no-fly zone overhead today as they prepared to search for the body of the missing British girl. The first major search for Madeleine in nine years comes after German police discovered photos of prime suspect Christian Brueckner (right) at his self-described 'little paradise' in the Portuguese region

Portuguese authorities from the Judicial Police (PJ) criminal investigation unit work during a new search operation amid the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Maddie) at the Arade dam, in Silves, near Praia da Luz, May 23

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have started to dig at a remote Algarve reservoir as they search for signs of the missing British girl

Portuguese media outlets reported that excavations at the reservoir have 'already begun', with video appearing to show police officers digging at the site

Pictured: A police boat is seen on the still waters of the reservoir on Tuesday morning

Pictured: Police officers and a dog are seen on the peninsula jutting into the reservoir as the conduct today's search for signs of Madeleine McCann

In the afternoon police appeared to be concentrating their efforts on a peninsula of land jutting into the reservoir.

Two sides of the area have gently sloping banks towards the water, while the third is a sheer cliff, where three white tents could be seen set back from the edge today.

The site is popular with campervan users and has BBQ stands and sun loungers scattered around.

Brueckner is known to have driven there frequently in his VW campervan.

Officers using sticks were beating back undergrowth as they inched their way through the woods before fanning down onto the beach to carry on the search.

READ MORE: Who is Christian Brueckner? The German Madeleine Mccann suspect and sex offender Advertisement

Roads leading into the Arade Dam, a 40-minute drive from Praia da Luz where the youngster vanished 16 years ago, were sealed off yesterday as part of a 'preparation' day ahead of the search operation.

And overnight, a no-fly zone covering the whole of the man-made dam was put in place, leaving the airspace above the water and land near the water's edge open to police drones only.

The ring of steel meant journalists and curious onlookers were kept more than a mile back from two white tents put up yesterday by a secluded hilltop area on a peninsula jutting into the reservoir Portuguese police are expected to comb until nightfall.

Senior Policia Judiciaria officer Helena Monteiro led the first Portuguese police to reach the Arade Dam near the town of Silves around 45 minutes before digs began.

A convoy of five vehicles, including two off-road vehicles and a large logistics van, followed close behind.

German police arrived ten minutes later just after 8am local time, in two people carriers and a Ford Ranger. They were spotted getting out of the vehicles with balaclavas covering their faces.

Ground penetrating radar, of the sort often used to detect buried explosive devices, was brought in by the Portuguese GNR police force which is working alongside the Policia Judiciaria.

Although police sources said overnight they did not think sniffer dogs would not be used on day one of the search, a dog was spotted on site early on this morning.

Meanwhile, a boat provided by firefighters in Silves - which local media are saying will be used to search parts of the reservoir with a police-provided sonar equipment, - was filmed by the waters edge and appearing to await instructions before being taken out some 300 metres offshore just after 9.30am local time.

The search started around 8.40am local time, some 20 minutes earlier than scheduled, after three Portuguese police pick-ups went into a clearing behind trees by two white tents which todays search is expected to focus on.

A fourth vehicle belonging to a GNR subsoil unit was also at the scene.

The German police headed directly to a meeting zone after arrival but as the search commenced they were seen grabbing tools including spades and shovels to put in their vans before heading to the dig area.

A group of around 10 police officers were sighted walking close by on the edge of the peninsula jutting out into the dam, looking at hand-held tablets and pointing towards the ground with their fingers as if they were comparing photos on their screen with what they were seeing beneath their feet.

Shortly after 9am the GNR put a single drone up into the air.

Portuguese authorities working with the Judicial Police (PJ) criminal investigation unit push off in a boat during new search operation amid the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Maddie) in the Arade dam area, in Silves, Portugal, on May 23

Portuguese authorities from the Judicial Police (PJ) criminal investigation unit work during new search operation amid the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Maddie) in the Arade dam area, in Silves, Portugal, on May 23

Piictured: A pair of tourists are seen on deck chairs by the reservoir, as officials continue their search at the site in Portugal

Pictured: Police officers are seen on the peninsula jutting into the reservoir as the conduct today's search for signs of Madeleine McCann

Pictured: Rescue vehicles are seen at the reservoir on Tuesday, including a dive team van

Pictured: Police vehicles, understood to be from Portugal and Germany, are seen on May 23 near the reservoir being searched by investigators today

Pictured: Investigators are seen searching the banks of the reservoir today

Pictured: Officers search the banks of the reservoir today

Pictured: Members of the press and the public are seen on a road near the reservoir on Tuesday as officers continue to search the area

Sources close to the investigation said they had evidence the clearing in the trees - where tents have been set up - was the spot Brueckner used to spend time at after parking up his campervan nearby.

A local who asked not to be named, but knows the area well, said: 'It's pretty well-hidden by the trees and you don't realise it's there until you're almost upon it.

'People wild camp there overnight from time to time which is why you'll find the remains of fires inside small walls of stone.

'It's got old sun loungers in it and makeshift benches that visitors use to rest on. It's very out-of-the-way and very peaceful but at the same time it's got a slightly eerie feel about it.'

A well-placed police source said: 'Portuguese police are going to carry out a thorough and very careful search of the area today.

'Policia Judiciaria officers are going to be divided into four teams who will focus on a land search. It will be very meticulous and exhaustive.

'Forget the idea of big trucks and large machinery. A lot of the work that's going to be done here today will be done by hand with backup technology.'

High-tech equipment used to detect human remains buried under the earth, as well as underwater if required, is expected to be used.

No heavy machinery was taken to the area yesterday and council officials were spotted carrying a 'lorryload' of wheelbarrows to the zone by the hidden leisure area clearing, suggesting police will rake and dig it by hand using the likes of pickaxes rather than excavate earth with diggers in an attempt to preserve any evidence.

Local Portuguese reports, partly confirmed by police sources, claimed the searches were requested and authorised after German police obtained videos and photos of Brueckner by the planned dig site.

They are thought to have been found buried in the paedophile's 'secret lair' in a dilapidated factory site in the German village of Neuwegersleben 65 miles south-east of Hanover.

Police raided the site in February 2016 in search of the body of missing five-year-old Inga Gehricke, who vanished while on a family outing in Saxony-Anhalt in May 2015 and has been dubbed the 'German Maddie.'

Reports at the time said German detectives had discovered more than 8,000 images and videos on USB sticks and hard drives filled with child abuse images.

They were said to have been buried under the body of Brueckner's dead dog.

Officials have been tight-lipped about the search.

This morning in a statement, German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said: 'Criminal proceedings are currently taking place in Portugal as part of the investigation into the Madeleine McCann case. Wolters said German officers are investigating in Portugal 'on the basis of certain tips.'

He said he was unable at this stage to give more detail on what prompted the search, and what officials were hoping to find, but said that such details would be released 'if we... think the results are publishable'.

'Yes, the measures in Portugal are connected with the Madeleine McCann proceedings, which means that we are investigating there in Portugal on the basis of certain tips (tip-offs),' Wolters said today.

'There is a major search operation taking place that is being implemented by the Portuguese authorities. But there are also German officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office on site who are supporting the whole thing.'

He added: 'I can't disclose the background at the moment, i.e. why we are searching there and what we hope to find there. That shall remain our secret for the moment.'

'If we find something and we think the results are publishable, then we will certainly inform you about it. But give us a little bit of time. The action itself will also take a bit of time. It will not be completed within two hours or so. And whether we then find something and what we find, of course, we have to see that first.'

The Metropolitan Police has said officers are present in Portugal so they can inform Madeleine's family if there are any developments.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said: 'The Met continues to work with and support colleagues in Portugal and Germany, with their investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

'Met officers will be in Portugal and I am grateful to the Policia Judiciaria and Bundeskriminalamt for allowing us to be present whilst their work is ongoing, so that we can inform Madeleine's family of any developments.'

Pictured: A fire department boat is seen on the edge of the reservoir today where investigators are searching for signs of Madeleine McCann, the British girl who went missing in 2007

Pictured: A fire department official is seen today on the edge of the reservoir where investigators are searching for signs of Madeleine McCann

Pictured: Tents set up near the Algarve reservoir for the search are seen on Tuesday

Pictured: A police tent and vehicles are seen near the Arade dam, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz in Portugal, Tuesday May 23, 2023

Pictured: Police officers wearing balaclavas, believed to be German, are seen at the scene of the search in Portugal today

Pictured: An aerial view of the peninsula jutting into the reservoir Portuguese police are planning to comb in their search for Madeleine McCann today and tomorrow

The search is expected to last for at least two days and beyond that if anything of relevance is found at the reservoir, which lies about 45 minutes from Praia da Luz - where Madeleine vanished without a trace in 2007 aged three

Portuguese officers were pictured surveying the reservoir in Silves yesterday ahead of the start of the official search operation for Madeleine beginning today

Officers of Portugal's investigative Judicial Police were seen at the site of a remote reservoir in Silves on Monday (pictured). They confirmed that they have launched a fresh search alongside German and British authorities. The first major search for Madeleine in nine years comes after German police discovered photos of prime suspect Christian Brueckner at his self-described 'little paradise' in the Portuguese region

A vehicle of Portugal's Emergency Services carries wheelbarrows at the site of the reservoir

Portugal's Policia Judiciaria force, whose officers are doing most of the dig work today, has confirmed the searches were requested by their German counterparts the BKA.

The request was made via an international letter of request sent to Portugal's Attorney General's office and passed on to prosecutors in Portimao.

Portuguese officials have not yet said when it was received but it is believed to have been about two months ago.

Although this week's operation has been initiated by German police, Portuguese detectives are showing with the manpower and logistical support they are providing that they are fully on board.

Carlos Farinha, the PJ's deputy director, travelled from Lisbon yesterday to the reservoir to view the preparation work ahead of the start of the searches and meet German counterparts.

He is believed to have attended a briefing meeting with German police, who arrived at the scene around 6.30pm local time in four vehicles including three VW people carriers and left two hours later.

Today Algarve PJ chief Fernando Jordao who is normally based in Faro and Helena Monteiro, tasked with an ongoing Portuguese police 'cold case' review from the northern city of Porto, are due to spend time at the search area in another show of the importance attached to this week's operation by the Portuguese force's upper hierarchy.

Operational coordination will be in the hands of a chief inspector who has not yet been named.

Respected Portuguese broadcaster SIC has said the searches, due to last for at least two days and longer if anything of relevance is found, will be 80 per cent land-based and 20 per cent water-based.

In a lunchtime broadcast yesterday it said: 'Investigators know suspect Cristian Brueckner used to come to this dam regularly.

'He would call it his little paradise and would often spend the night here. He was seen here often.

'The German authorities considered this reservoir to be an area of interest and ended up sending an International letter of request or letter rogatory.'

Police are aiming to build up a picture of sole suspect Christian Brueckner's life on the Algarve and the places he frequented as they search the Barragem reservoir in Silves, Portugal

Pictured: The Barragem reservoir in Silves, southern Portugal, where police will start to look for Madeleine today

Kate and Gerry McCann pose for the media with a missing poster depicting an age progression computer generated image of their still missing daughter Madeleine during a news conference in London, May 2, 2012

No police divers have yet been spotted and there are conflicting reports about whether underwater searches will take place or if they will occur in shallows near the edge of the reservoir where water levels are currently much lower than normal because of the ongoing drought.

In a statement issued yesterday evening, the first so far by authorities in Portugal, Germany or UK after news of the new operation broke, the PJ said: 'In view of the news made public, the Judiciary Police confirms that, regarding the investigation into the disappearance of an English child, which occurred in the Algarve in 2007, steps are still being taken to fully clarify the situation.

'Within the scope of international cooperation, in the next few days in the Algarve region, new searches will be carried out, coordinated by the Judiciary Police, at the request of the German Authorities (BKA) and with the presence of the British Authorities.

'Information will be provided in due course on the outcome of the proceedings.'

The force made its statement shortly before German police arrived at the reservoir for a briefing meeting.

They were travelling in three Volkswagen vans, two black and one dark-blue, and a Ford Ranger with a Portuguese police escort in front.

The meeting took place in one of two blue tents put up yesterday lunchtime just under a mile from the land set to be examined today, one for the police and one for civil protection workers.

It was the first time all day any German officials had been seen at the reservoir, which was searched by divers hired by a Portuguese lawyer in February and March 2008. Back then, the diving team leader described the 'long process' his team faced navigating the 'black' waters.

Marcos Aragao Correia organised the privately-funded operation after claiming he had been tipped off by underworld contacts that Madeleine had been murdered and her body thrown into the reservoir within 48 hours of her disappearance.

Two bags containing small bones were found during the second search after divers had earlier recovered several lengths of cord, some plastic tape and a single white cotton sock.

Portuguese police were alerted following the discovery but subsequently ruled out the possibility the bones were human because of their size.

Madeleine's parents Gerry and Kate McCann had previously dismissed Mr Correia as a self-publicist and said there was no evidence suggesting any link between their daughter and the reservoir.

The dam, near the town of Silves where a lorry driver says he saw a woman handing a child like Madeleine McCann over to a man two days after she went missing from her Praia da Luz holiday apartment on May 3 2007, is not thought to have been searched since March 2008 as part of the ongoing investigation into her disappearance.

The search is the first major operation of its kind since June 2014 when British police were given permission to do digs in Praia da Luz that involved sniffer dogs trained in detecting bodies and ground-penetrating radar.

The Scotland Yard digs nearly nine years ago in Praia da Luz were linked to the leading UK police theory at the time Madeleine died during a break-in and burglars dumped her body nearby.

The searches failed to find any trace of the missing youngster.

In a smaller operation in July 2020 Portuguese police and firefighters searched three wells for Madeleine's body but failed to find any trace of her.

The abandoned wells are a 15 minute drive from a cottage Brueckner rented on the outskirts of Praia de Luz, on a narrow road leading down to a beach where the paedophile used to park his VW camper van.

German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has consistently said he is convinced Madeleine is dead and caged paedophile Brueckner, 45, has been named as the sole suspect.

The deviant, currently serving time for the September 2005 rape of an American OPA in the resort where Madeleine vanished, has yet to face any formal accusation over the youngster's disappearance.

Last April he was made an official suspect or arguido in Portugal over Madeleine's disappearance, although his defence lawyer Friedrich Fulscher labelled it a 'procedural trick' linked to statute of limitations legislation at the time.

Last autumn Bruecker was charged in Germany with several sex crimes on the Algarve against women and children including the rape of an Irish holiday rep in 2004 and the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl on a beach near Praia da Luz in 2007.

Brueckner's lawyer revealed in April those charges had been dropped against him in a bombshell development after successfully arguing prosecutors had no jurisdiction over him in Braunschweig where the Madeleine case was being brought.

The case could end up with prosecutors in Saxony-Anhalt instead but an appeal lodged by the Braunschweig public prosecutor's office has yet to be decided.

Two officers from Portugal's Judicial Police were pictured walking around the grounds of the reservoir yesterday

Police tents were spotted being erected as cops prepared for a new search operation, 16 years on from the toddler going missing

Portuguese police were seen at the makeshift base camp in the Arade dam area, Faro district, one day before the official start of the new search for Madeleine

Braunschweig prosecutor Mr Wolters has insisted they are still in control of the Madeleine McCann investigation and Brueckner, who denies any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance, remains in custody.

Kate and Gerry are expected to be kept informed of any developments as a result of the new search through Scotland Yard liaison officers.

The Arade Dam, the Barragem do Arade in Portuguese, is fed by the watercourse of the Arade River whose source lies to the southwest of the Serrra do Caldeirao mountain range and runs through the municipalities of Silves, Lagoa and Portimao before reaching the ocean.

Construction was completed in 1955 and it began operating the following year.
The parents of a 22-year-old who was shot five times and killed by sheriff's deputy while suffering a mental health crisis will get a $19million settlement.

Christian Glass, from Colorado, called 911 for help when his SUV broke down in the mountain town of Silver Plume on June 11 last year. As officers approached his car he refused to get out and told them he was 'terrified'.

Initial police statements had suggested Mr Glass was the aggressor but a grand jury last year found he posed no threat and officers had needlessly escalated the situation. Two officers are being prosecuted over his death including one who faces second-degree murder charges.

His death brought attention to how authorities should respond to people suffering from mental health problems.

As part of the settlement his parents Sally and Simon Glass negotiated for changes to police training that they hope will prevent another family from suffering a loss like theirs.

Christian Glass (pictured), from Colorado, was killed after he called 911 for help when his SUV broke down in the mountain town of Silver Plume on June 11 last year

Simon and Sally Glass (pictured in September last year), whose son was killed by officers last year, have received a $19million settlement

Clear Creek County will establish a crisis response team and its sheriffs office will train and certify all deputies in crisis intervention, according to documents released by their attorneys.

The state of Colorado in addition to those from local agencies, will create a virtual reality training scenario for the Colorado State Patrol based on the shooting that will focus on de-escalation in stressful situations involving officers from different agencies.

A video message from Simon and Sally Glass will also be shown to state troopers and Division of Gaming officers at the beginning of their active bystander training.

The program focuses on encouraging officers to intervene if they think a fellow officer is going too far or needs to step away from an incident.

There was no indication from body camera footage that officers from other agencies attempted to stop the breach of the vehicle before Christian Glass was shot.

The Glasses's attorney, Siddhartha H. Rathod, said they hope hearing their story will help officers have the strength to intervene if necessary.

'Any of the seven officers there could have stopped this simply by saying something. They want to empower law enforcement to have this courage,' he said.

The settlement, which the communities of Georgetown and Idaho Springs also joined, is the largest for a police killing in Colorado.

Body camera videos show Glass refusing to get out of his car while telling police he is 'terrified' and making heart shapes with his hands to officers

Glass said he was scared to get out of his car as police surrounded him, with one officer standing on the hood of his car (pictured) as others tried to get him to exit the vehicle

Police then shatter the car window and seize a knife. Glass appears to panic and he grabs a second knife. Police then shot Glass with bean bag rounds and shocked him with a stun gun

It tops the $15 million settlement reached in 2021 for the death of Elijah McClain, and also ranks among the top in the United States, Mr Rathod said.

His law firm, Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, also represented the mother of Mr McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who died in 2019 after police in the Denver suburb of Aurora forcibly restrained him and a paramedic injected him with the powerful sedative ketamine.

Former Clear Creek County sheriff's deputy Andrew Buen, who shot Glass, is charged with secdon-degree murder. His supervisor, former Sargeant Kyle Gould, is charged with negligent homicide.

A grand jury found they needlessly escalated the standoff after he called 911 for help.

Gould was not at the scene but was watching events unfold on body camera footage and authorized officers to remove Glass from his vehicle, according to court documents.

Lawyers for both officers unsuccessfully tried to get the charges against them thrown out.

Buen's lawyer objected to how information was presented to the grand jury and Gould's argued that Glass needed to be evaluated for drugs, alcohol and mental health problems and could not just be allowed to leave.

In response to police killings of people in mental distress, reformers have pushed for crisis intervention and de-escalation training for police and even alternative policing programs where mental health responders are sent to some emergency calls instead of law-enforcement.

Some cities, including Denver, have programs where EMTs and mental health clinicians can be dispatched instead of police. But the area where Glass was killed, about an hours drive away from Denver, did not have that option at the time.

Clear Creek County Sheriff's deputies Andrew Buen (pictured left) and Kyle Gould (pictured right) are both being prosecuted for the 22-year-old's death

Christian Glass ( pictured right) sitting with his father Simon Glass in 2021

Glass, whose car became stuck on a dirt road, initially told the dispatcher that he was being followed and made other statements which the indictment said showed he was paranoid, hallucinating or delusional and experiencing a mental health crisis.

Body camera footage showed Glass refusing to get out of his car, making heart shapes with his hands to officers and praying: 'Dear Lord, please, don't let them break the window.'

After roughly an hour of negotiations, officers decided to breach the car even though there was no indication that Glass posed a danger or was suspected of a crime, according to the grand jury.

Once the window was smashed, body camera footage shows officers peppering Glass with bean bag rounds, then tasering him.

Glass brandished a knife in 'a state of complete panic and self-defense' before twisting in his seat to thrust a knife in an officer's direction, according to the grand jury. Buen then fired his gun five times into Glass.

The grand jury found that at no point was the other officer in 'imminent danger of being stabbed by Mr. Glass'.

'But for the decision by Gould to remove Mr. Glass from the vehicle there is no reason to believe that Mr. Glass would have been a danger to any law enforcement personnel, to himself, or to any member of the public,' the indictment said.

Body camera footage does not show officers from other agencies - including the Colorado State Patrol, gaming division, and police from the nearby towns of Idaho Springs and Georgetown - attempting to stop the breach of the vehicle.

When Glass's parents first publicly called for accountability for their son's death last year, Sally Glass said Christian was 'petrified' the night he was killed and the officers had no empathy for him. She asked for people to pray for their son and for structural change in policing.

'They should be protecting us, not attacking us,' she said.
A tradie who subjected his ex-girlfriend to a 'very serious', 'terrifying' assault after drinking a carton of beer has been jailed for more than four years.

Contractor Mitchell Caspar Marsden, 29, broke into his ex-girlfriend's house in Nollamara, just north of Perth's CBD, before attacking her and her male friend in June 2021.

Marsden was infuriated as he thought his ex was cheating on him - despite being told the relationship was over - and wanted to 'catch her', WA's District Court heard.

He climbed in an open window and went to a bedroom where he ripped the blankets off and attacked his ex's male friend.

After they both left the room, Marsden started filming and berating the other man.

Earth-moving contractor Mitchell Caspar Marsden (pictured) broke into a house in the middle of the night and assaulted his ex-girlfriend and her male friend in June 2021

Footage of the attack played in court showed the man covered in blood and naked except for a dress shirt, while pleading for Marsden to stop.

When he asked if he could get his pants, Marsden said, 'No. Get the f*** out,' the court heard.

Marsden pushed the man out of the house, then walked back into the bedroom where he again ripped the blankets off the bed and roared 'One f****** night. Look at that. Look at the camera,' at his ex as he filmed her.

He then hit, headbutted and spat on his terrified ex, and stopped her from leaving the house.

The court was told that Marsden yelled insults at the victim, saying, 'You're a stupid, ugly slut, a dumb, spastic frog, you're overweight and you'll never be happy.'

What Judge David MacLean said in sentencing Mitchell Caspar Marsden 'There is a significant public interest in a term of imprisonment being imposed in this case. 'And it's this, Mr Marsden: People have got to feel safe in their own home. People have got to feel safe ending unhappy relationships. 'People that choose to ignore those social constraints by offending in a way that you did, must expect to receive a significant immediate term of imprisonment, not only to punish you but to represent the community's abhorrence for this kind of offending and for the courts to do what it can to signal that this is serious offending, it won't be tolerated, and when it takes place a significant term of imprisonment will be imposed.' Advertisement

The tradie also smashed the woman's phone and two televisions and armed himself with a kitchen knife.

Marsden also threatened to send intimate images of the woman to her father and post them on Facebook, the court in Perth heard.

When his ex finally escaped to her car, Marsden chased her and smashed one of the windows.

A neighbour who heard what was happening called the police. When they arrived, Marsden said his ex prevented him from leaving the house and headbutted him.

He tried to convince the woman not to press charges against him, which was an attempt to intimidate her, Judge David MacLean said.

The judge said Marsden's crimes were 'very serious' and told him his ex's text messages made it clear their relationship was over and the woman was entitled to pursue any relationship she wanted.

Marsden's lawyer Paul Holmes said his client went to the house because he thought his ex was cheating and wanted to 'catch her out'.

Judge MacLean said Marsden had belittled and demeaned his ex-partner's friend in a terrifying assault.

'The fact you recorded the exchange is consistent with you doing so to have a further tool and device to intimidate and control your former partner,' he said.

'Your behaviour was frightening. You threatened your former partner, you spat on her and physically assaulted her ...

'Her vulnerability was also increased by reason of the time that you chose to go there.

'The fact that she was in bed asleep and your entry into the home was absolutely unexpected.'

Addressing Marsden, Judge MacLean also referred to 'a number of SMS communications between yourself and the victim in the day leading up to the offending'.

'It is absolutely clear on any reading of those communications that you were not welcome to be there.

'And you were told in no uncertain detail that the relationship was over.'

The judge said Marsden arming himself with a knife was also an aggravating factor in the case.

Marsden was infuriated as he thought his ex was cheating on him - despite being told the relationship was over - and wanted to 'catch her', Perth's District Court (pictured) heard

'People have got to feel safe in their own home. People have got to feel safe ending unhappy relationships,' the judge said.

'People that choose to ignore those social constraints by offending in a way that you did, must expect to receive a significant immediate term of imprisonment.'

In sentencing Marsden to four years and four months in jail, the judge took into account his early guilty plea, that he'd shown some remorse and had a traumatic childhood.

With his sentence backdated to December 2022, Marsden will be eligible for parole in April 2025.
Why did Bowie and Jagger take me under their wing? I was the only woman who could match them! In an extract...
Russian authorities have ordered residents of nine villages in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine to evacuate their homes after anti-Putin rebel groups began capturing territory on Russian soil.

The Kremlin's order comes hours after a pair of explosions rang out in the city of Belgorod overnight amid drone attacks on the FSB security service building and Interior Ministry offices.

Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed the aerial bombing raid had caused fires at government buildings and urged citizens to take shelter amid the rebel attacks.

Ukrainian military intelligence said two armed Russian opposition groups, the Freedom of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, were behind the biggest armed incursion into Russian territory since Putin's February 24, 2022 invasion of his neighbour  recognised as a 'serious cause for concern' by the Kremlin.

The attack was seemingly unexpected, with the rebels able to gain control of several Russian towns in a matter of hours.

An anti-Kremlin volunteer fighter is pictured alongside a captured Russian armoured personnel carrier

Fire engines and emergency services vehicles responded to fires at government buildings in Belgorod following a drone attack (left), while Russian rebels commandeered FSB armoured vehicles (right)

A line of armoured vehicles piloted by Russian rebel forces fighting on behalf of Ukraine

Fire engines, ambulances and police cars are seen outside government offices in Belgorod following a drone attack

The US-based think-tank the Institute for the Study of War, which is tracking the conflict, said: 'A detachment [of Russian rebels] consisting of two tanks, an armoured personnel carrier, and nine other armoured vehicles crossed the international border and captured Kozinka, a settlement in the Graivoron region of Belgorod Oblast.

READ MORE: How Wagner has sacrificed thousands of men to take Bakhmut but are now trapped and unable to press on as Ukraine surrounds the city Advertisement

'Several Russian sources claimed that the grouping then captured the settlements of Glotovo and Gora Podol (3km and 5km from the border, respectively).

'While the majority of [Russian military commentators] responded with relatively varied concern, anxiety, and anger, the information space did not coalesce around one coherent response, which indicates first and foremost that the attack took Russian commentators by surprise.'

The Freedom of Russia Legion is a Ukraine-based Russian militia led by Russian opposition figure Ilya Ponomarev that says it is working inside Russia for Putin's overthrow.

It said on Twitter it had 'completely liberated' the border town of Kozinka and forward units had reached the district centre of Graivoron, further east.

'Moving on. Russia will be free!' it wrote.

Yesterday the group shared a video on social media in which a handful of soldiers vowed to liberate their homeland from Putin's autocratic rule, while other clips showed anti-Putin rebels posing with flags in front of Russian road signs, calling for an end to the 'Kremlin's dictatorship'.

Another video purported to show a 'trophy armoured personnel carrier 82A' from Putin's FSB which had been seized by the insurgents.

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that Kyiv was not involved, but confirmed the government was 'watching the events in the Belgorod region', before adding: 'The Russian liberation movement can become something that will contribute to the correct end of the war in Ukraine.'

Andrii Yusov  a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine  claimed Russian authorities had ordered an immediate evacuation of the Belgorod-22 ammunition storage facility.

He purported the facility was home to tactical nuclear weapons, though this was not verified.

The armed incursion into Belgorod by the anti-Putin Russian volunteer units triggered panic and a mass exodus of residents.

Gladkov late last night told those who had fled not to return to their homes until further notice because of safety fears.

'In the district of Graivoron, the Defence Ministry and security forces continue to clear the area,' he said.

'But I now appeal to the residents of the Graivoron district, who, thank you very much, have temporarily left their homes.

'Do not return for the time being. We will let you know right away [when it is safe].'

Gladkov yesterday said at least eight people had been wounded, and one 82-year-old woman died during evacuations.

He added that he had imposed a 'counter-terrorism regime', granting authorities greater powers to clamp down on people's movement and communications.

This handout photograph taken and released by Ukrainian Presidential press-service on May 23, 2023 shows President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (C) posing for a photograph with two servicemen he decorated during his visit to the forward positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Vugledar-Maryinka defense zone

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) decorating a serviceman during his visit to the forward positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

In a video released online (pictured), fighters from the Russian Volunteer Corps said they were in Russia in the early hours of Monday morning

Pictured: A still image from a video purportedly showing smoke rising over Russia's Belgorod region on Sunday amid reports of an incursion by anti-Kremlin Russian fighters

In a statement on Telegram, Governor Gladkov (pictured) said the Russian army and security forces were taking measures to repel the incursion

Pro-Russian sources made a series of claims in light of the insurgency in Belgorod.

The Rybar Telegram channel, close to the Russian defence ministry, claimed today that the incursion was choreographed by Britain's SAS.

'British specialists are in charge of this,' it wrote.

'We wrote back in May 2022 that sorties and sabotage operations in the border zone with Russia were assigned to the officers of the British Special Air Service (SAS).

'Actually, the ''Russian Volunteer Corps'' and 'Freedom of Russia Legion'' are created by British advisers, which are designed, first of all, to bring division and confusion on the territory of the Russian Federation.'

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev also blamed Ukraine and the West for the attacks.

'Responsibility lies with the Kyiv regime,' he said.

'And eventually its sponsors - Washington, countries of the European Union, and with other countries that joined them like Great Britain.'

He said: 'As for these scum - I can't find another name for them - the question is what to do with them.

'They have to be destroyed like rats, and not even taken captive.'

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group deployed on Ukrainian frontlines, claimed the rebel incursion into Belgorod was another sign of the incompetence of the Russian defence ministry.

Prigozhin has hammered defence minister Sergei Shoigu and army chief Valery Gerasimov in recent weeks, accusing them of starving his mercenaries of ammunition and allowing regular Russian army troops to retreat, leaving his men exposed.

'There is a lack of management... Instead of being engaged in ensuring the security of the state, they are playing the fool. There is no governance, no desire, and no individuals who are ready to defend their country,' he said in a statement.

Russian authorities on Tuesday afternoon said its armed forces had beaten back the insurgency.

'In the course of the counter-terrorist operation, the nationalist formations were blocked and destroyed by air strikes and artillery fire,' the Russian defence ministry said.

'The remaining (fighters) were driven back to the territory of Ukraine, where they continued to be hit by fire until they were completely eliminated,' the ministry said in a statement.

The statement said Russian forces killed more than 70 Ukrainian fighters and destroyed four armoured vehicles, though this is yet to be confirmed.

Elsewhere in Russia, a military plant in the Bryansk region which borders Belarus suffered several explosions in a suspected Ukrainian strike.

Smoke was seen pouring from the facility in Dyatkovo belonging to a company called LLC NPP Alexander - a contractor of Vladimir Putin's defence ministry according to reports.

It is unclear if the facility was hit by a drone attack, a missile or sabotage.
Police lawyer Eduardo Luna said he will demand conviction is declared invalid

Jade has been fined 1,200 for resisting arrest and wounding after row in Ibiza

The Jade Jagger assault case took a twist today as it emerged a lawyer is seeking a retrial and tougher sentence for the jewellery designer.

The 51-year-old mum was fined 1,200 and ordered to pay 700 compensation to a woman police officer she hurt during a scuffle in Ibiza last Wednesday.

A police lawyer told Mail Online last night he will demand the conviction is declared invalid because Friday's fast-track trial should 'never have taken place.'

Eduardo Luna, hired by Spanish police union SUP to fight the case, insisted: 'An annulment would mean the conviction no longer stands and we go back to where we were before the trial and then I intend pushing for a more serious charge against Jade Jagger with a tougher punishment.

'When you're resisting arrest and a police officer is injured, that's an assault. And assaulting a police officer in Spain can be punished with prison.'

Jade Jagger appeared grim faced as she left court with her boyfriend on Wednesday after she was fined over a bust-up in Ibiza

Eduardo Luna (pictured), hired by Spanish police union SUP to fight the case, insisted: 'An annulment would mean the conviction no longer stands and we go back to where we were before the trial and then I intend pushing for a more serious charge against Jade Jagger with a tougher punishment'

He added: 'What's happened here has been very irregular. This should never have gone to a fast-track trial because the police officer's injury was not consolidated which means we don't know how it's going to evolve.'

The Palma-based lawyer, who has represented SUP in criminal law cases for more than three years, explained: 'The judge who sentenced Jade Jagger will have to justify why she allowed a fast-track trial to take place if she refuses my annulment demand and that's going to be difficult in my opinion.

'If that happens I will appeal and ask a higher court to decide.'

Jagger's toyboy boyfriend Anthony Hinkson, 31, was handed a four-month suspended prison sentence at the behind-closed-doors hearing in Ibiza Town after admitting to a crime of assaulting a police officer over the street scuffle last week outside trendy eatery La Oliva.

Musician Sir Mick Jagger's daughter also struck a deal with state prosecutors and put her hands up to crimes of resisting arrest and wounding.

Jagger and her new lover spent two nights in a police cell in Ibiza before appearing in court.

Jade Jagger has been fined 1,200 after being convicted of resisting arrest and wounding over an incident in Ibiza following a plea bargain deal. Her boyfriend Anthony Hinkson (pictured together in London last month) has been handed a four-month suspended prison sentence at the behind-closed-doors hearing in Ibiza Town

Shocking video shows how Jade Jagger's new boyfriend Anthony Hinkson was pinned to the ground by police before officers arrested the couple in Ibiza

Jade Jagger and her boyfriend Anthony Hinkson are seen leaving court after they were convicted over bust-up in Ibiza

Jade Jagger, daughter of Mick Jagger, leaves court after she was fined 1,200 for resisting arrest and wounding a police officer

Jade Jagger and her boyfriend are believed to have arrived at a court in Ibiza in a police van (pictured). A Spanish police Union said they will launch private legal action against the couple

They were arrested on Wednesday night after a manager at trendy Ibiza Town restaurant La Oliva called police and refused to serve Barbadian Hinkson because he was insulting staff and other customers.

He is said to have turned on officers who confronted him after he behaved aggressively towards other people on the street outside the eatery.

Video footage obtained exclusively by Mail Online showed him being pinned to the ground by police who then called for an ambulance.

Witnesses said he had been behaving erratically and had gone into a clothes shop opposite La Oliva where he bought an expensive dress he then gifted to a waitress at the restaurant before the subsequent street altercation.

Jagger, who split from her DJ husband-of-nine-years in 2021, is said to have intervened as her boyfriend was being arrested with witnesses claiming she accused officers of targeting him because he was black.

Well-placed sources said she insulted and pushed police, with the woman she hurt suffering a wrist injury which led to having to take time off work.

Other Spanish reports said she had scratched a police officer.

It did not become clear until after the hastily-organised fast-track trial, thought to have taken place after several hours of negotiations between defence and state prosecution lawyers, that Jagger and her boyfriend had admitted their guilt and been convicted.

MailOnline was told that the bust-up happened after Jade and her boyfriend went to the La Oliva restaurant (pictured) in the heart of the old town area near Ibiza Castle

Jade, the daughter of Rolling Stone star Sir Mick Jagger (pictured together in 2019) and his first wife Bianca, was arrested over the bust-up

At one point Hinkson is said to have gone into an up-market clothes shop (pictured) and bought a designer dress for more than 2,000 euros as an impromptu gift for a waitress in a nearby restaurant

Jade (pictured in December in London) who split two years ago from her ex-husband was ordered to pay 695 (800 euros) to the police officer, who injured her wrist in the incident

La Oliva restaurant in Ibiza town, where Jade Jagger's boyfriend was arrested

Jade Jagger (pictured in Ibiza) was convicted of resisting arrest and a minor offence of wounding a woman police officer following a row at the La Oliva restaurant in Ibiza's Old Town on Wednesday night

An official at the Balearic Islands' High Court, acting as a spokesperson for sentencing judge Maria Luisa Bastillo, confirmed moments after mum-of-three Jade left court and got into a van with blacked-out windows without making any comment: 'Court of Instruction Number One in Ibiza, acting as a duty court, has held a speedy trial following a plea bargain deal against A.W and J.J who were arrested on Wednesday in Ibiza.

'The judge has convicted A.W of a crime of assaulting a police officer and handed him a four-month prison sentence.

'The same judge has fined JJ for a crime of serious resistance and a minor offence of wounding.

'The fine for the first offence is 10 euros (8.68) daily over four months and for the second it is a 20-day fine at 10 euros (8.68) a day.

'JJ must also compensate her victim with 800 euros (695).'

Hinkson's prison sentence is understood to have been suspended as part of the plea bargain deal, with prison terms of two years or less routinely being suspended for first-time offenders in Spain.

A well-placed source said last night: 'This twist in the case opens up all sorts of possibilities.

'One is that Jade and her boyfriend will have their convictions annulled, be summoned back to court, and leave themselves open to international arrest warrants if they have left Spain by the time they get their summons and refuse to play ball.'

SUP, which represents more than 20,000 Spanish National Police officers, had already announced plans to prosecute the pair in a legal action due to run as a parallel but separate case to the state prosecution one.

Lawyer Mr Luna said: 'What should have happened on Friday is that the injured police officer should have been asked in court to confirm what she had written in her report about the incident before being summoned again at a future date.

'The fast-track trial occurred after she left court having left the matter in the hands of her lawyer and told officials to instruct him about any developments.

'The way things occurred has all been very strange. I am confident I can obtain an annulment.'
The marking of SATs papers has descended into 'chaos' after being delayed for a week due to technical glitches.

Markers say the issues began when they were unable to access online training sessions for several hours over the weekend of May 13 and 14.

Some were then left waiting three weeks to receive passwords for the online portal due to bungling by outsourcer Capita.

Marking had been due to start on Monday May 15 and end on Sunday June 4, but the window has now been moved back seven days.

Teachers have complained the delays will force them to mark papers over the half term - despite being paid 'peanuts' for the work.

Marking for SATs had been due to start on Monday May 15 and end on Sunday June 4, but the window has now been moved back a week

One marker wrote on social media: 'They don't seem to know what they're doing  it's ridiculous from the start.'

A second added: 'I will need to do 9 hours marking each day to get the marking done  on top of working. It's not possible.'

READ MORE - Can you answer the SATs test questions that left pupils 'in tears'? Advertisement

It comes a year after Capita was accused of losing and mismarking countless exam papers, leaving children unable to access their results.

The company delivered SATs for the Department for Education for the first time last year after being given a six-year 107million contract in 2018.

Pupils had not sat the exams since 2019 because of Covid.

Tiffnie Harris, from the the Association of School and College Leaders, told Tes she was 'disappointed and concerned' that the SATs marking process had been hit by problems for a second year running.

One marker referred to 'chaos on a mammoth scale reminiscent of last year'.

Capita has insisted the results will be handed to pupils as scheduled on July 11 regardless of the delays to marking.

MailOnline contacted the Department for Education, which referred the enquiry to Capita.

A Capita spokesperson said: 'We quickly identified and resolved a technical issue affecting some papers, which resulted in a delay to the start of marking.

'Markers are paid for each segment of a test they mark and the training they complete. The value of each segment varies between different subjects and papers, but each allocation corresponds to a payment higher than the National Minimum Wage.'

Teachers have complained the delays will force them to mark papers over the half term - despite being paid 'peanuts' for the work. Pictured: School's minister Nick Gibb

Earlier this month the Government vowed to examine a SATs exam after parents complained it was too hard.

Schools minister Nick Gibb has pledged to 'look at' the Year 6 reading paper amid claims it reduced some pupils to tears.

Hundreds of parents and teachers complained that last Wednesday's exam for ten and 11-year-olds was too difficult. Schools said it was so tricky that even staff failed 'to understand the questions'.

And that the English reading test included 'GCSE-level' questions, with even high-ability pupils unable to finish the paper.

Mr Gibb said the tests shouldn't be 'too hard for children' and promised to inspect the paper.
An angry commuter took matters into his own hands by trying to throw Just Stop Oil activists off the road as they slow marched through central London during the morning rush-hour.

Around 45 demonstrators in three groups slow marched across Blackfriars Bridge, London Bridge and Tower Bridge on Tuesday.

One man held up in traffic became so frustrated that he pushed a protester on to the ground and ripped banners out of activists' hands as they walked across Blackfriars Bridge.

In the tense moment caught on camera, a waste management van can be heard continuously beeping its horn as the chaos unfolds.

Two police officers, who are escorting the group, then intervene and grapple with the member of the public, who is handcuffed against the side of the van. During the struggle, the officer says: 'You are f*****g assaulting people'.

An angry commuter attempts to throw a Just Stop Oil activist off the road as they cross Blackfriars Bridge

Just Stop Oil said 'tensions have been high' as one man tried to throw a supporter on to the ground and was later arrested

The van's driver shouts at the officers to 'get off my truck' while a passing taxi driver shouts out of his window that it is 'absolutely disgusting'.

Another person, who cannot be seen on camera, tells the officers to 'give the guy a break, he's just trying to get to work'.

The Metropolitan Police said they had detained a member of the public for common assault after an 'altercation' between himself and two Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge at around 8.25am.

A spokesman said: 'There have been no arrests and police are investigating the matter.

'We completely understand the frustration and anger of London's communities when protesters walk slowly in the roads.

'We urge people not to intervene and to let police deal with the situation who, if not already there, will arrive promptly.'

Police grapple with the commuter who was seen trying to remove Just Stop Oil activists from the road

The protest descended into chaos when an angry commuter took matters into his own hands - and police swooped in and detained him

Just Stop Oil said in a statement: 'Tensions have been high this morning as the marches cause major delays for commuters.

'One man threw a supporter on to the ground and was subsequently arrested on Blackfriars Bridge.

'A motorcyclist attempted to drive through the same procession, before police intervened.

Traffic was at a standstill this morning as Just Stop Oil activists staged a protest on London Bridge

Just Stop Oil activists slow marching in London Bridge on Tuesday morning

'Elsewhere there were a number of altercations as members of the public snatched banners and confronted Just Stop Oil supporters.'

Another video showed protesters slowly walking over London Bridge, prompting an angry cyclist to hurl abuse at them.

The commuter shouted a number of expletives at the climate activists as he cycled past the 'slow march' protest at around 8.30am on Tuesday.

As the group cross the bridge escorted by police, one cyclist who overtakes the slow marchers can be heard shouting: 'F*** you, you c***s' to which a protester responds: 'Nice'.

One motorcyclist attempted to drive into the group of Just Stop OIl protesters on Blackfriars Bridge

Protesters also staged a 'slow march' on Tower Bridge, which sparked angry clashes with motorists

Police officers were forced to intervene at a Just Stop Oil slow march across Blackfriars Bridge this morning

A commuter ripped a banner out of a protester's hands as they slow marched through the capital on Tuesday

Police issued Public Order Act (Section 12) notices on all three teams by 8.55am forcing them off the road.

Three further marches are expected later this morning, the group said.

Yesterday Just Stop Oil commenced their fifth week marching in central London every day, as the group demands an end to all new oil, gas and coal projects in the UK.

Around 46 protesters started marching on three major routes in east and west London on Monday, forcing traffic to a crawl.

During the protest, a taxi passenger could be seen pleading with police to move the activists out of the road.

The man, whose taxi was stuck behind a group of hi-vis wearing protesters, shouted out the window to officers: 'I pay my taxes, I just want to go to work!' as they attempt to calm him down.

Police issued Public Order Act (Section 12) notices on all three groups of marchers, forcing them off the road.

Tuesday's clashes came after footage of another confrontation in the City of London was posted on social media on Friday.

A man approached protesters as they marched slowly in front of traffic on Mansell Street, near the Tower of London, before snatching their banners and pushing a woman to the ground.

He also grabbed a phone from one of the campaigners and threw it away, before trying to push other activists out of the road.

In footage shared online, an elderly gentleman, who said he had worked in the fossil fuel industry, shouts at a protester: 'You're talking c**p... so f*** off!'

Footage filmed from a window above the street showed the moment another enraged onlooker took matters into his own hands and started snatching the protesters' banners.

Another angry onlooker threw a Just Stop Oil protester to the ground as the group was demonstrating in London

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has vowed to stop 'seflish, disruptive protesters' from 'wreaking havoc in people's everyday lives'.

Police have been handed new powers to intervene against 'highly disruptive' slow marching tactics used by groups such as Just Stop Oil.

It means police have the power to force protesters out of the road and on to the pavement.

The legislation supports the controversial Public Order Act, which gives police new powers to break up disruptive protests.

Protesters who 'lock on', or obstruct infrastructure such as airports and railways have been criminalised by the new law, which came into effect just days before the King's Coronation.

The Metropolitan Police have previously urged members of the public not to take matters into their own hands when dealing with protesters.

It comes amid growing frustration and anger at the climate activists' tactics, with slow marches causing gridlock in the capital.

Last year, the force tried to reassure the public it was 'fully prepared' to deal with climate activists.

Met Police commander Karen Findlay said: 'I completely understand the frustration and anger felt by the public, who are seriously disrupted by a relatively small number of protesters and their deliberate tactics.

'Activists are affecting people's businesses, their lives, whether they are on their way to a doctor, a long-awaited hospital appointment, on their way to work, to interviews, or to collect children.

She continued: 'We will arrive quickly, deal with the situation efficiently, remove and arrest activists as appropriate and return things to normal as soon as possible.

'Please do not take matters into your own hands.'

Just Stop Oil has marched every since April 24.

Since the Just Stop Oil campaign launched on February 14 last year, there have been 2,100 arrests and 138 people have spent time in prison, they said.

There are currently two Just Stop Oil supporters serving three year prison sentences for resisting new oil, gas and coal.
The replica can be found at a Buddhist shrine in Nakhon Ratchasima province

A new golden vagina that stands 4ft tall is being worshipped at a temple in Thailand by women praying for luck, fertility and help finding their dream man.

Footage shows the anatomically correct replica of the female genitalia engraved with prayers at a Buddhist shrine in the Nakhon Ratchasima province.

Eight smaller vaginas surround the mammoth vulva, while a stone snake with seven heads has been built under a mango tree to 'guard' the sacred lady parts.

The 'fortune' vagina was reportedly built by devout Buddhist nun Naowaratkotchaporn Simethawong, or Mother Brahmin, to cleanse women of bad luck for committing sinful acts.

The statue has swollen in popularity and followers now regularly visit to pray.

Footage shows the anatomically correct replica of the female genitalia engraved with prayers at a Buddhist shrine in the Nakhon Ratchasima province

Devotees have even built a matching golden penis surrounded by eight smaller ones to complement the selection of vulvas on show.

The genital shrine has become such a hit that local council chief Kanatchon Sijaroen was joined by a team of his staff and several policemen to inspect the items on May 22.

Kanatchon has now cleared the items. He said: 'We want to ensure the shrine complies with the moral standards. We ordered them to remove signs that might be vulgar.

'It was also found to be disrespectful to have a Buddhist shrine so close to genitalia statues, so we have ordered that to be moved to a new position.'

Eight smaller vaginas surround the mammoth vulva, while a stone snake with seven heads has been built under a mango tree to 'guard' the sacred lady parts

Devotees have even built a matching golden penis surrounded by eight smaller penises to complement the selection of vulvas on show

Pictured: The golden penis. It is designed to resemble the other statue after the surge in visitors

Pictured: Another statue at the temple in the Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand

Pictured: A statue at the temple in Thailand. A large Buddhist statue that used to stand between the vagina and the penis was ordered to be relocated to a different area in the shrine to avoid 'being disrespectful' to the religious monument

Pictured: The 4ft golden vagina. Women have been flocking to the statue to pray for luck, fertility and for help finding their dream man

Visiting the vagina statue to pray and take part in the special ceremony costs 500 baht (11.61)

The genital shrine has become such a hit that local council chief Kanatchon Sijaroen was joined by a team of his staff and several policemen to inspect the items on May 22 to ensure that they comply with moral standards

After the inspection, the shrine continued to operate, and the visitors were allowed to pay respect to the vagina statue

Pictured: An inspection of the golden vagina at the temple in the Nakhon Ratchasima province

After the inspection, visitors continued to flood in.

However, a large Buddhist statue that used to stand between the vagina and the penis was ordered to be relocated to a different area in the shrine to avoid 'being disrespectful' to the religious monument.

Visiting the vagina statue to pray and take part in the special ceremony costs 500 baht (11.61).

Mother Brahmin said: 'We do ceremonies here to provide remedies for misfortunes, particularly women who aborted a child.'

She added: 'I believe that we should pay respect to the genitals because they represent the origin of life and abundance in the world. It is not strange or unusual.

'Despite this, I am willing to cooperate with the government to address any concerns.'
Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann locked down a remote Algarve reservoir with a no-fly zone overhead today as they prepared to search for signs of the missing British girl.

Police divers were seen entering the water early on the morning of Tuesday 23 May, and a fire department motor boat has also been sent into the water with two officers on it - marking the start of the two-day search of the area.

But when exactly did Madeleine McCann go missing? What has happened in the time since her disappearance?

Read on below for a full timeline and investigation history on the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

A remote Algarve reservoir has been locked down by detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann

When did Madeleine McCann go missing?

Madeleine McCann went missing from her bed at the age of three on 3 May 2007, whilst on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz, located in the Algarve region of Portugal.

Madeleine was on holiday with her parents Kate and Gerry McCann, her two-year-old twin siblings, and a group of seven family friends - known as the 'Tapas Seven' - and their children.

Staying at the address of 5A Rua Dr Agostinho da Silva, Praia da Luz, the McCann children were put to bed around 19:00

The McCann children had been left asleep at 20:30 in the ground floor apartment where the family was staying while their parents had dinner with friends in a tapas restaurant 55 metres away.

The McCanns and their friends - who had booked a table which overlooked the top of the apartment - left the restaurant roughly every half-hour to check on their children. Gerry checked the children for the first time at around 21:05.

At 21:30, another member of the 'Tapas Seven', Matthew Oldfield, offered to check on Madeleine whilst doing so on his own children in the apartment next door to 5A.

He noticed that the McCanns' children's bedroom door was wide open, but after hearing no noise, he left 5A without looking far enough into the bedroom to see whether Madeleine was there.

Kate McCann then went to check on Madeleine at around 22:00. Upon entering the apartment through the unlocked patio doors at the back, Mrs McCann noticed that the children's bedroom door was wide open.

Madeleine went missing just days before her fourth birthday whilst on a family holiday in Portugal in 2007

When she tried to close the door, it slammed shut, after which she saw that the bedroom window and its shutter were open.

At this point, she saw that the soft toy and blanket Madeleine had been sleeping with were still on the bed, but Madeleine was gone.

After briefly searching the apartment, Kate ran back towards the restaurant, screaming, 'Madeleine's gone! Someone's taken her!'

Madeleine McCann case timeline

2007

May 3: Kate and Gerry McCann, from Rothley, Leicestershire, leave their children asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in southern Portugal while they dine with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant.

Nothing is amiss when Mr McCann checks on the youngsters just after 9pm, but when his wife goes back at about 10pm she finds Madeleine missing. Jane Tanner, one of the friends dining with the McCanns, reports having seen a man carrying a child earlier that night.

Since the search, it has been acknowledged that mistakes were made in the hours following Madeleine's disappearance and subsequent report of her being missing.

Border and marine police forces were not given descriptions of Madeleine for several hours, whilst officers also failed to conduct thorough house-to-house searches in an attempt to locate her.

May 14: Detectives take Anglo-Portuguese property developer Robert Murat in for questioning and make him an 'arguido', or formal suspect. He was later totally cleared of any involvement.

Madeleine's home constabulary force in the UK, Leicestershire Police initially dealt with the British response for her disappearance, despite it remaining an inquiry for the Portuguese authorities.

August 11: Exactly 100 days after Madeleine disappeared, investigating officers publicly acknowledge for the first time that she could be dead. A McCann family friend says it is 'extraordinary' the police had 'not had the decency' to tell the couple they now believed Madeleine could be dead before stating it in an on-the-record interview.

September 7: During questioning of Mr and Mrs McCann, detectives make them both 'arguidos' in their daughter's disappearance.

September 9: The McCanns fly back to England with their two-year-old twins Sean and Amelie.

2008

July 21: The Portuguese authorities shelve their investigation and lift the 'arguido' status of the McCanns and Robert Murat. Subsequently released case files, including a coroners' report, concluded: 'No element of proof whatsoever was found which allows us to form any lucid, sensible, serious and honest conclusion about the circumstances.'

2009

June: Convicted British paedophile Raymond Hewlett, who was in the Algarve when Madeleine disappeared, claims he saw her twice before she vanished and says she was stolen to order by a gypsy gang, but denies he was involved. He died in Germany of throat cancer at 64 in 2010.

2011

May 12: Mrs McCann publishes a book about her daughter's disappearance, on Madeleine's eighth birthday. Scotland Yard launches a review of the case after a request from Home Secretary Theresa May, supported by then-prime minister David Cameron.

They identify almost 200 new lines of inquiry from the Portuguese case files and the inquiries made by private detectives hired by the McCanns. There have been unconfirmed sightings of Madeleine all round the world.

2012

April 25: Scotland Yard detectives say they believe Madeleine could still be alive, release an age-progression picture of how she might look as a nine-year-old, and call on the Portuguese authorities to reopen the case, but Portuguese police say they have found no new material.

This locator map shows where the McCann family went on holiday in 2007, in the Algarve region of Portugal

2013

July 4: Scotland Yard confirms it has launched its own investigation, Operation Grange, into Madeleine's disappearance two years into a review of the case. It has 'genuinely new' lines of inquiry and has identified 38 people of interest, including 12 Britons.

October 24: Portuguese police confirm that a review of their original investigation has uncovered new lines of inquiry, and they are forced to reopen the case as a result.

2014

January 29: British detectives fly to Portugal amid claims they are planning to make arrests.

June 3: Sniffer dogs and specialist teams are used to search an area of scrubland close to where Madeleine went missing. The Scotland Yard digs in Praia da Luz were linked to the leading UK police theory at the time that Madeleine died during a break-in and burglars dumped her body nearby.

December 12: Detectives begin questioning 11 people who it is thought may have information on the case.

2015

September 16: The Government discloses that the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine has cost more than 10 million.

October 28: Scotland Yard cuts the number of officers working on the inquiry from 29 to four.

2016

April 3: Operation Grange is handed an additional 95,000 by Theresa May to keep the investigation alive for another six months.

2017

April 30: The McCanns prepare to mark 10 years since their daughter's disappearance with a BBC interview in which they vow to do 'whatever it takes for as long as it takes' to find her.

2019

April: Controversial new Netflix documentary re-examining Maddie's kidnap is released, triggering a barrage of online abuse against Kate and Gerry by heartless trolls. The pair, who refused to take part in the eight hour programme series, slammed it for 'potentially hindering' the search for their daughter while an active police hunt is ongoing.

May: A convicted German paedophile and serial killer emerges as a key suspect. Martin Ney, 48, serving life in prison for abducting and killing three children, was said to resemble closely a photofit issued in 2013 of a man spotted acting suspiciously in Praia da Luz around the time Madeleine was abducted.

June: The Home Office gives the Metropolitan Police enough funding to investigate for another year.

In April 2019 a controversial new Netflix documentary re-examining Maddie's kidnap was released, triggering a barrage of online abuse against Kate and Gerry by heartless trolls

Detectives say they are 'closer than ever' to solving the disappearance as they look into a new suspect. A joint effort by British and Portuguese police narrowed in on a 'foreign' man who was in the Algarve when she went missing in 2007.

December 7: Paulo Pereira Cristovao, a long-time critic of Maddie's parents who angered them with a controversial book about the mystery disappearance, was convicted of participating in the planning of two violent break-ins at properties in Lisbon and the nearby resort of Cascais. He is jailed for seven and a half years.

December 11: Madeleine's parents revealed a touching list of what they miss most about their daughter as they spent their 13th Christmas without her. They say: We love her, we miss her, we hope as always. The search for Madeleine goes on with unwavering commitment.

2020

June 3: Police reveal that a 43-year-old German prisoner, later named as Christian Brueckner, has been identified as a suspect in Madeleine's disappearance.

June 4: Scotland Yard's Operation Grange, which had received 12.3 million in funding up to April 2020, is still a missing person inquiry as detectives have no 'definitive evidence whether Madeleine is alive or dead'. The searches failed to find any trace of the missing youngster.

2021

May 4: Kate and Gerry McCann post a statement on the official Find Madeleine campaign website saying they still cling to the hope of seeing their daughter again as they prepare to mark her 18th birthday on May 12.

2022

April 21: Christian Brueckner is made an 'arguido', a formal suspect, by Portuguese authorities.

Christian Brueckner, a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, is photograpphed here in Milan in 2018, where he is currently imprisoned for rape

May 3: The McCann family say it is 'essential' they learn the truth of what happened to their daughter on the 15th anniversary of her disappearance.

October 11: Brueckner, now 45, is charged with three counts of rape and two charges of child sex abuse, unrelated to Madeleine's disappearance. Brueckner is currently in prison for the unrelated rape of a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz - the same resort McCann went missing from in 2007.

2023

May 3: Kate and Gerry McCann mark the 16th anniversary of Madeleine's disappearance by saying she is 'still very much missed' and that they 'await a breakthrough' in finding their daughter.

May 22: Portuguese news website SIC reports that an area near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz.

May 23: German police prepare to start searching the area. Ground penetrating radar, of the sort often used to detect buried explosive devices, was brought in by the Portuguese GNR police force which is working alongside the Policia Judiciaria.

Kate and Gerry McCann are expected to be kept informed of any developments as a result of the new search through Scotland Yard liaison officers.
A 23-year-old man lost his arm when he was attacked by a 10ft alligator after tripping into a pond outside a Florida bar.

Jordan Rivera barely remembers the attack when he 'ended up in the water' behind Banditos bar in Port Charlotte in the early hours of Sunday after going outside to relieve himself because the restroom line was too long.

Patrons ran to his rescue after hearing him screaming for help during the attack. They pulled him out of the water and put a makeshift tourniquet on his severed right arm.

From his ICU bed in Fort Myers, Rivera took a remarkably sanguine attitude to the unfortunate incident when he said: 'I didn't lose my life, I lost an arm, it's not the end of the world.'

He said: 'As I was going over there something happened where I either tripped or the ground below me just went down. I ended up in the water. And that's literally the last thing I remember.'

The next time he opened his eyes, he was in the hospital with an amputated arm.

Jordan Rivera (pictured), 23, was attacked by a 10-foot alligator in the early hours of Sunday morning

Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) said a nuisance alligator trapper removed the 10.5-foot gator (pictured here) from the property. It was then euthanized

His mother Teresa Lessa said: 'I call them angels, that were there, that saved his life. The chance of someone being there with a tourniquet, to me, it's a miracle that he's here.'

'The first thing I would do is shake the man's hand,' Rivera told NBC 2.

Witness Manny Hidalgo, who came to the rescue, said: 'He was yelling and swimming toward the shoreline.

'I ran and dragged him up onto the sand. I was scared to get close to the water because it was dark out.

'I don't know if it was a mama gator trying to save her young, or a daddy gator trying to feed his family ... but the guy was very lucky,' he told The Daily Sun.

Rivera, from Englewood, was airlifted to Gulf Coast Hospital in Fort Myers, where his arm could not be saved and was then amputated, said Todd Dunn for Charlotte County Fire and EMS.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) said a nuisance alligator trapper removed the 10.5-foot alligator from the property. It was then euthanized.

Jordan Rivera in seen hopsital after medics operated on him 36 hours after an alligator attacked him and tore his arm off

Mr Rivera said he fell into a pond after using it to go to the bathroom as the queue inside Banditos bar (pictured) was too long

It was reported that doctors are yet to perform another procedure on Mr Rivera to ensure his arm is free of bacteria passed onto him by the beast's teeth.

Last month a 72-year-old man saw his right leg being ripped off below the knee in horrific alligator attack before wildlife officials shot dead two huge predators.

Also in Florida, the unidentified man was working outside his Titusville home one afternoon with his wife and dog when the huge gator emerged from the canal.

Following the attack, one of the beasts had the foot of the injured man still dangling from its mouth.

Jordan Rivera's mother Teresa Lessa sits by his bedside in hospital as he awaits a second procedure on his arm

In February, 85-year-old Gloria Serge tragically died after she was mauled to death by a 10-foot alligator when she tried to rescue her beloved dog, Trooper, from the reptile's mouth.

Ms Serge's dog survived the attacked, but the gator was later captured and euthanized.

She was the third victim to have died by an alligator attack in Florida since July last year.

Serge (pictured) was a grandmother living in the Spanish Lakes Fairways retirement community in Fort Pierce, Florida, when she was killed by an alligator

FWC officials warn of the dangers of these predators as they become more visible and active during spring and summer.

They also warn those who live in Florida to always be mindful FWC when they are near any body of water.

Florida has a population of 1.3 million alligators across its 67 counties, and they can be found in practically all fresh water bodies and occasionally in salt water.

But the number of cases of people being attacked by alligators in the state is small.

From 1948 to 2021, 442 unprovoked bite incidents have occurred in Florida, 26 of which resulted in human fatalities.

Over the past ten years, Florida has averaged eight unprovoked bites per year that are serious enough to require professional medical treatment, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says on its website.

'The likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident in Florida is roughly only one in 3.1million,' it said.
Phillip Schofield may make his last appearance on ITV in ten days time and could be 'eased out' despite promises of a new primetime show - in the same way Jeremy Kyle left the broadcaster, experts claimed today.

The broadcaster, 61, currently with his mother in Cornwall, is presenting The British Soap Awards on June 3.

When he announced his departure from This Morning on Saturday, ITV boss Kevin Lygo revealed Phil would front the live soap awards in Manchester for a 13th successive year plus a 'brand new peaktime series'.

One insider, who works closely with ITV, told The Times: 'I'd be extremely surprised if we see him on the channel after the Soap Awards. They may make a pilot episode to honour their agreement, but the expectation is he'll be eased out.' The same source said claimed similar promises were made to Jeremy Kyle after the suicide of a guest on his talk show - but never materialised.

One talent agent claims that This Morning editor Martin Frizzell, who previously ran Good Morning Britain, will make Holly Willoughby the main star of the show - mirroring Susanna Reid's role on GMB.

Dermot O'Leary, Alison Hammond, Rylan Clark and Josie Gibson are expected to support her. 'It will mirror the Good Morning Britain approach after Piers Morgan. Holly will be the Susanna Reid of the situation, the star the others revolve around,' the agent said.

Moving swiftly on! Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary paid a 30 second tribute to Phillip Schofield on This Morning after he was axed... but some fans questioned the brevity of the announcement

Tension: The TV presenter, 61, bowed out of the show following reports of a feud with his co-host Holly Willoughby. Holly will be the show's main star without him, experts have claimed

Former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield is said to be 'completely broken' by his brutal ITV axing (pictured with his mother, Pat, on Sunday)

Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary have returned to host This Morning as they continue to fill in for TV presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

On Saturday, veteran broadcaster Schofield announced he was stepping down from presenting the ITV talk show with 'immediate effect' after more than 20 years on the programme.

Willoughby, who has hosted alongside Schofield since 2009, will remain on the show but she is taking early half-term holiday leave, with Hammond and O'Leary continuing to fill in on Tuesday.

They opened the broadcast dancing to Wham! classic track Club Tropicana before interviewing Andrew Ridgeley, who was one half of the pop duo with the late George Michael.

Hammond, 48, then admitted she had dropped a homemade birthday cake for O'Leary, who have both been longlisted for a National Television Award in the TV presenter category alongside Schofield and Willoughby.

She said: 'I made a cake for you, and then unfortunately dropped it so you never actually saw the cake. Sorry about that.

'It's Dermot's birthday tomorrow - you know when you drop something and it falls in the box then it didn't look like a cake, it just looked like a mush.'

She later added: 'I was trying to get through the door, no-one was there to help me and I dropped the cake.'

O'Leary, 49, said: 'I walked in and it looked like a big, mushy, tasty thing, I didn't even know you'd made it and then I came to makeup and Alison said 'I've made you a cake'.

'You're so sweet for making me a cake.'

Yesterday ex-This Morning host Eamonn Holmes criticised Phillip Schofield for claiming he left the job on his own accord, declaring: 'He was sacked.'

On the GB News breakfast show, when co-host Isabel Webster said Schofield was 'stepping down', Holmes said: 'Oh, please just stop this. He was sacked. All this nonsense of 'I've decided to step down'. I'm sure you did  here's your P45, now step down.'

Dermot O'Leary and Alison Hammond dancing to Club Tropicana on This Morning today

He went on to mimic presenter Holly Willoughby and said: 'And she says, 'Oh, the couch will not be the same without him being there'. Well, she wanted him not there. So what is she moaning about? They deserve each other, I suppose.'

Holmes, pictured below, added: 'Holly is being as false as he is and nobody is talking about the elephant in the room.

'She says, 'I thank him for all his knowledge, experience and humour'. All the things that she didn't have when she came to the show.

'Well, it's true! I would call that stabbing in the back.'

It came as Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary presented This Morning yesterday, with Ms Willoughby taking an early holiday after Schofield quit the show.

The pair paid tribute to Schofield as they opened the first show since his dramatic departure.

Beginning the broadcast, Ms Hammond said: 'We can't start today's show without paying tribute to the man who spent the last two decades sitting on the This Morning sofa  Phillip Schofield.'

O'Leary added: 'So as a show, everyone on and off screen at ITV and This Morning say a huge thank you to Phil for what he's done to make the show such a success over the last 21 years.'

Schofield, 61, was dealt an ultimatum after Ms Willoughby, 42, told ITV bosses that she no longer wanted to work with him.

He was told on Friday that his contract  which is due to end this summer  will not be renewed.

Schofield fled 300 miles to Cornwall to visit his mother, where he was pictured looked tired during tense phone conversations while sitting in a car for two hours.

He will reportedly receive six months' wages  more than 300,000  to soften the blow of his departure. Ms Willoughby will return on June 5, after the half-term break, and will co-host with members of the This Morning team.

Who could replace Phillip Schofield on This Morning, according to bookmakers

Holly and Phil have enjoyed support from inside and outside ITV in recent weeks

Eamonn Holmes raged at Holly and Phil

ITV has yet to confirm Schofield's permanent replacement. Schofield and Ms Willoughby, who also present Saturday night show Dancing On Ice together, have co-hosted the programme since 2009.

But reports of tension between the two came to a head after he failed to tell her about his brother Timothy's trial for child-sex offences.

'It was basically an ultimatum, and Holly won the war,' a source told the Mail. 'We say what Holly wants, Holly gets and never was a truer word spoken.'

Phillip Schofield, who will present next month's British Soap Awards on ITV, made no mention of his former colleague and friend in a statement made after his departure was announced. He said: 'I understand that ITV has decided the current situation can't go on, and I want to do what I can to protect the show that I love.

'So I have agreed to step down from This Morning with immediate effect, in the hope that the show can move forward to a bright future.

'I'd like to thank everyone who has supported me  especially This Morning's amazing viewers.' Ms Willoughby thanked Schofield for sharing 'all of his knowledge, his experience and his humour' with her.

She reportedly has the full support of This Morning editor Martin Frizell, who is keen to pair her with Ms Hammond.

In a poll of Mail+ readers, when asked who they wanted to see on the This Morning sofa this week, 75 per cent of the 5,569 who took part chose the option: 'None, I'm sick to the back teeth of the lot of them.'
Most foreign students will be barred from bringing family members to Britain with them under new Government plans to cut immigration, it was announced today.

Under the proposals, only a limited number of those who come from abroad to study in the UK will still to be allowed to bring their partners or children to the country from January next year.

The crackdown on foreign students bringing dependants to Britain comes ahead of fresh migration figures being released on Thursday.

Ministers are braced for the official statistics to show a huge surge in net migration - possibly above 700,000 - last year.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman this afternoon unveiled a package of new restrictions on foreign students aimed at helping to reduce net migration to 'sustainable levels'.

Under her plans:

- Foreign students will be banned from bringing dependants to Britain with them unless they are on postgraduate research programmes

- Foreign students will no longer be able to switch out of the student route into work routes for staying in the UK before their studies have been completed

- Efforts will be made to clamp down on 'unscrupulous education agents who may be supporting inappropriate applications to sell immigration not education'.

Internal government modelling is said to have predicted the crackdown on foreign students bringing dependants to Britain will cut immigration by between 120,000 and 150,000, based on 2023 figures.

Yet Mrs Braverman appeared to have lost out in her battle for further restrictions on foreign students by cutting the amount of time they can stay in the UK after graduating.

It had previously been reported the Home Secretary wanted to slash the period that overseas students could remain in Britain after completing their courses from two years to just six months.

A curb on the amount of time overseas university students can stay in Britain was recently backed by Professor Brian Bell, chairman of the independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which advises ministers on migration issues.

But Downing Street today defended keeping the two-year period in place.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is braced for official statistics, due to be released this week, to show a huge surge in net migration

Home Secretary Suella Braverman this afternoon unveiled a package of measures aimed at helping to reduce net migration to 'sustainable levels'

Under the proposals, only a limited number of those who come from abroad to study in the UK will still to be allowed to bring their partners or children to the country

Some forecasts have suggested net migration could top 700,000 in the 12 months to December last year, which would easily exceed the record of 500,000 in the year to June 2022. One analysis suggested the figure could even reach near to one million

Ahead of Thursday's release of official migration figures, some forecasts have suggested net migration could top 700,000 in the 12 months to December last year.

This would easily exceed the record of 500,000 in the year to June 2022, while one analysis suggested the figure could even reach near to one million.

Already published Home Office figures show 485,758 sponsored study visas were granted last year, which was a new high.

There were 135,788 visas granted to dependants - such as partners or children - of foreign students over the 12 months.

This was a more than eight-fold increase from the 16,047 visas granted to dependants in 2019.

Nigeria had the highest number of dependants (60,923) of sponsored study visa holders in 2022, while India had the second highest number of dependants (38,990).

There were almost 120,000 dependant visas granted to the top five nationalities of Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka last year.

The Home Office has suggested the growth in study related visas granted to dependants could be because a greater number of older students are coming to Britain.

In a written ministerial statement - in which she unveiled the new restrictions on foreign students - Mrs Braverman today acknowledged there had been an 'unexpected rise' in the number of dependants coming to the UK alongside international students over recent years.

She added: 'This does not detract from the considerable success that the Government and the higher education sector have had in achieving the goals from our International Education Strategy, meeting our target to host 600,000 international students studying in the UK per year by 2030, for two years running, and earlier than planned  a success story in terms of economic value and exports.

'The International Education Strategy plays an important part in supporting the economy through the economic contribution students can bring to the UK, but this should not be at the expense of our commitment to the public to lower overall migration and ensure that migration to the UK is highly skilled and therefore provides the most benefit.'

'The proposals we are announcing today will ensure that we can continue to meet our International Education Strategy commitments, while making a tangible contribution to reducing net migration to sustainable levels.'

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said Rishi Sunak believed the action on dependants of foreign students would make a 'significant difference' in reducing net migration.

He also defended a decision to keep the rule allowing graduates to work for two years in the UK after completing their postgraduate courses.

'It is right that we recognise that it is of benefit to the UK that our student sector is extremely competitive,' the spokesman said.

'That is a good thing that should be encouraged. So what we are seeking to do is to get the balance right with this package, that addresses some unexpected impacts from some of the policies, redresses the balance but also ensures we retain that competitive advantage.'

He added: 'We think it is right that we have an attractive offer to students who are some of the best students in the world, so they can come to the UK and study and work.'

There were 135,788 visas granted to dependants - such as partners or children - of foreign students last year

Speaking at the G7 summit in Japan over the weekend, the PM had revealed he was 'considering a range of options' to bring down net migration.

'Let me be unequivocal that future numbers of legal migration are too high and I'm committed and the Government is committed to bringing those numbers down,' Mr Sunak said.

But the PM is facing renewed calls to remove foreign students from migration statistics altogether, with some Tory MPs claiming they give an 'artificial' view of the figures.

Former minister Chris Skidmore posted on Twitter: 'The easiest and fastest way to reduce net migration is to remove international students from these artificial statistics.

'They aren't migrants, the vast majority leave after their studies, they subsidise home student fees and research, and spend over 40bn in local economies.'
Three siblings whose late stepmother cut them from her 300,000 will so her biological son could 'care for her parrot' after she died have gone to the High Court to claim a share of the inheritance.

Train driver Ian McLean, 62, his former squaddie brother, Sean, and their sister Lorraine Pomeroy were left with nothing by their late father Reginald's second wife Maureen after she changed her will in 2019.

Reginald and Maureen had previously made wills in 2017 that split their wealth four ways between the trio - who are Reginald's children from his first marriage - and Maureen's son Brett McClean, who goes by the title Lord of Hastings.

But after he died, Maureen changed her will to leave everything to her son, who describes himself online as 'chairman, consultant, patron, trustee and president of national, regional and local business, charitable and voluntary organisations'.

Reginald had 'trusted his wife implicitly' and believed there was 'no way' she would cut out her stepchildren, it is claimed.

Brett McClean, who calls himself Lord of Hastings, is being challenged in court by his three siblings

Ian McLean (left) and Sean McLean have joined their sister Lorraine Pomeroy to fight for a share of the will

Last year, Brett was sued by his stepsiblings in a bid to force him to share the inheritance.

But the 48-year-old claimed his mother left him her house in St Leonards, East Sussex, so that he could 'continue to provide care for her green Amazonian orange winged parrot'.

He won an earlier case at the Central London County Court, with recorder Graeme Robertson ruling that while Maureen 'may have been morally bound' not to cut out her stepchildren after her husband's death, she was not legally required to do so.

But that finding is now being challenged by Ian, Sean and Lorraine with an appeal to the High Court.

During the earlier trial, the county court heard that Reginald split from his first wife in the 1960s before later getting together with Maureen. Their son, Brett, was born around a decade later.

In 2017, the couple drew up wills and sent letters to all three stepsiblings stating that the house and the rest of their joint estate would be shared equally between all four children.

During that process and before Reginald made his will, Maureen had explicitly 'promised' him that, if he died first, she would not change her will to cut his kids out of their inheritance, Judge Robertson said.

Reginald's wealth passed to his wife on his death, but only 11 days before her own death Maureen changed her will and left everything to Brett.

The couple's former home, where Brett was still living, formed the bulk of the wealth she left behind.

Following last year's trial, Judge Robertson found that - despite Maureen's promise - there had not been 'a contractual arrangement, whether express or implied, between Reginald and Maureen to the effect that neither would later change their will without informing the other or following the death of the other.'

On that basis he rejected the siblings' claim to a share of the estate.

However, Michael Horton, KC - for the siblings - has told High Court judge Sir Anthony Mann that the county court judgment was wrong.

Mr Horton argued that the siblings have a legitimate claim to a share of the family fortune via the principle of proprietary estoppel, which governs situations where a promise has been made that falls short of a legally binding contract, and on which someone has relied on to their subsequent financial detriment.

Reginald and Maureen McLean (second and third from left) with Brett (second from right)

He told the judge: 'Maureen said words to the effect that she would not change her will or disinherit her stepchildren and that she trusted her husband implicitly.

'Reginald died on March 16 2019...his estate passed to Maureen.

'On August 16 2019, Maureen executed a new will, by which she gifted her entire estate to Brett absolutely, thereby disinheriting the claimants in exactly the manner she had promised Reginald she would not.

'The judge (found) that no mutual contractual obligation arose between Reginald and Maureen not to revoke their wills, despite finding that Maureen expressly promised that she would not revoke the will and disinherit her stepchildren if Reginald predeceased her.

'The trial judge erred in law in holding that only a contractual agreement is capable of supporting a claim based on mutual wills....the contract requirement is both anomalous and capricious'.

He argued that, despite not having an agreement on paper, the oral promise - after which Reginald made his will - could uphold a proprietary estoppel claim by the stepchildren because Reginald had relied on Maureen's promise to his detriment when writing the will.

Brett claimed his mother left him her house in St Leonards, East Sussex, so that he could 'continue to provide care for her green Amazonian orange winged parrot'

'The whole essence of proprietary estoppel is that promises...which would otherwise be revocable or capable of being broken with impunity because they do not give rise to a contract at law can give rise to legally binding obligations if the other party has relied on the promise to their detriment.

'The trial judge found that the claimants failed to prove that Reginald executed his will in reliance on Maureen's promise.

'He erred in law in placing the burden of proof on the issue of reliance upon the claimants rather than upon the defendant,' he argued.

Brett, representing himself, told the High Court that Judge Robertson made the right decision and asked for the ruling to stand.

In his written submissions at trial, he had argued that his mum had good reason to leave everything to him, saying:

'The defendant's mother left her entire estate to her only biological son - the defendant - so that he can continue to provide care for her green Amazonian orange-winged parrot and yellow and orange jenday (parakeet) and to continue providing housing for her son, as she knew the claimants all owned their own properties and would benefit from their mother's will when the time arrives, and because her son did not have a property or a family because he had devoted his life to caring for his parents as he felt morally duty bound to do so.

'The defendant's mother left her entire estate to her only living dependant so he would have shelter and a place to live whilst remaining a caretaker to her parrot and jenday. She would be able to continue providing for and protecting her son after she was gone.'

Sir Anthony reserved his decision on the case to be given at a later date.
An innocent man has told how he 'lost what little honour and property' he had when he was wrongly accused of the murder of a seven-year-old girl more than 30 years ago.

Today Nikki Allen's real killer, David Boyd, 55, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 29 years for the schoolgirl's murder in October 1992.

Boyd - who was 25 at the time - lured Nikki Allan to an abandoned building in Sunderland's East End to sexually assault her, beating her with a brick and stabbing her 37 times in the chest.

But another neighbour who lived in the same flats as Nikki was initially charged with her murder and acquitted at trial in 1993.

George Heron, who was 23 years old at the time, was subjected to oppressive questioning by police and made a false 'confession' which was ruled inadmissible by a judge.

Seven-year-old Nikki Allan was lured to her death more than 30 years ago. Today her killer David Boyd was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court

George Heron in a photo dated 1992 - police admit his life was 'ruined' by the false accusation of murdering Nikki

David Boyd - who was 25 at the time - lured Nikki Allan to an abandoned building in Sunderland's East End in October 1992, where he beat her with a brick and stabbed her 37 times in the chest

In a statement read outside court, he told how his life was 'destroyed' by the false accusations and demanded answers over why it took so long for justice.

This was echoed by Nikki's mother, Sharon Henderson, who campaigned tirelessly for 30 years to find her daughter's killer and bring them to justice.

Outside court on Wednesday, she said she was disappointed with the 29-year minimum term sentence handed to Boyd.

'This is what happens to families like mine over and over again - injustice,' she said.

But speaking on Ms Henderson's behalf outside court, Harriet Wistrich, director at the Centre for Women's Justice said it was 'not the end of her campaign for justice'.

Ms Wistrich said: 'Now, Sharon demands that Northumbria police are held accountable for their historic failures that allowed a 31-year wait until the right man was convicted of Nikki's murder.

'The full extent of the failures remain unknown and therefore we are demanding a public inquiry to examine the historic investigation which led to the wrong man being prosecuted and the police failing to consider alternative suspects until over 20 years later.

Sharon Henderson and Stacey Allan (Nikki's mother and sister) outside Newcastle Crown Court

Ms Wistrich also confirmed they were 'preparing a complaint to be lodged with the Independent Office of Police Complaints and exploring a civil claim for damages on Sharon's behalf.'

It comes after a catalogue of errors by Northumbria Police meant that Nikki was denied justice and the man wrongly accused of her murder spent his life in hiding.

Police 'built a case around' Mr Heron while the man who shattered the little girl's skull with a brick and stabbed her 37 times, was able to walk free for three decades and abuse other children.

Boyd even gave a statement to police, happy to direct them further in their unshakeable belief that Mr Heron was the killer.

George Heron had been due to make a statement to Newcastle Crown Court to tell of the devastating effect the case had on his life but Mrs Justice Lambert said she was unable to consider his words in passing sentence.

Nikki Allen's sister looked overcome with emotion as she left Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday afternoon following David Boyd's sentencing

Nikki's mother Sharon Henderson seen arriving at Newcastle Crown Court for David Boyd's sentencing

Mrs Justice Lambert delivering sentencing remarks to David Boyd at Newcastle Crown Court

Following Boyd's sentencing, Mr Heron said: 'I lost what little honour and property I had as a result of being falsely accused of Nikki Allan's murder.'

Mr Heron, whose life was marred by the false allegations, said he 'had to read and hear, both online and offline, malicious lies being spread about me and my family - some of whom are now deceased, and whose funerals I didn't get a chance to attend.'

He also said he was forced to move around several times and has struggled to form relationships with people, now finding it difficult to trust.

Mr Heron continued: 'Moving around several times and trying to rebuild what is left of my life hasn't been easy - learning to trust anyone is difficult and I haven't even felt that I could trust in any professional to get help. I have had to learn how to adapt on my own.

'Trusting the police has taken a long time - they still make me nervous to the point of feeling nauseous if I am alone with them.'

Seven-year-old Nikki Allan was lured to her death more than 30 years ago. Today her killer David Boyd was sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court

NIkki's mother Sharon Henderson said she was disappointed with Boyd's sentence outside Newcastle Crown Court

Mr Heron said he turned to drink for years to deal with what happened, adding: 'I survive because I have to - like everyone else, I would like answers as to why it took so long to find out the truth.

'Finding out about the current investigation has been difficult - so many details and negative memories; bringing up mixed emotions about what happened back in 1992 and since I feel sadness, disgust, anger, betrayal by people I expected to tell the truth (especially the original investigating officers).

'It is really difficult to put in words what I have felt since 1992 - going from trying to look out for my family to having my life flipped upside down.'

Recounting how his life has been 'destroyed' by Nikki's murder he said: 'Nikki Allan's murder destroyed so many people's lives - I am just one of those people.

'I could be angry about being unfairly treated from day one, but this isn't about me - it is about getting the real truth out into the open, so her family (and what is left of mine) can have some closure and finally try to move on.'

'My life was flipped upside down': Innocent man describes how his life changed after being falsely accused of killing seven-year-old Nikki Allan George Heron, who was wrongly accused of the murder of Nikki Allan before being acquitted on the orders of a judge in 1993, said: 'I lost what little honour and property I had as a result of being falsely accused of Nikki Allan's murder. 'I have had to read and hear (both online and offline) malicious lies being spread about me and my family - some of whom are now deceased and whose funerals I didn't get a chance to attend (in some cases, I didn't even find out about their deaths until months later). 'When I was arrested and interviewed in October 1992, my DNA was taken and has been held on record since then. The police would have been able to check it against any new developments/advances in science. 'Moving around several times and trying to rebuild what is left of my life hasn't been easy - learning to trust anyone is difficult and I haven't even felt that I could trust in any professional to get help. I have had to learn how to adapt on my own. 'Trusting the police has taken a long time - they still make me nervous to the point of feeling nauseous if I am alone with them.' 'I don't understand why the original officers couldn't have admitted they made a mistake, apologised and looked at the case again - instead of having a blinkered view and not trying to put things right. 'Originally, I was angry and upset at how I was treated - to the point that I had a drink issue for years (which I have dealt with on my own). I survive because I have to - like everyone else, I would like answers as to why it took so long to find out the truth. 'Finding out about the current investigation has been difficult - so many details and negative memories; bringing up mixed emotions about what happened back in 1992 and since. I feel sadness, disgust, anger, betrayal by people I expected to tell the truth (especially the original investigating officers). 'It is really difficult to put in words what I have felt since 1992 - going from trying to look out for my family to having my life flipped upside down. 'Nikki Allan's murder destroyed so many people's lives - I am just one of those people. I could be angry about being unfairly treated from day one, but this isn't about me - it is about getting the real truth out into the open, so her family (and what is left of mine) can have some closure and finally try to move on. 'I hope that people don't blame the present officers for the mistakes that were made in 1992/1993 - it is not their fault. It was probably as difficult for them reopening the case and they should be given credit for the work they have done trying to get it solved.' Advertisement

Nikki had been playing outside the Garth flats where she lived and was seen skipping behind a suspect, now known to be Boyd - who knew her family as he was the boyfriend of their babysitter.

She was murdered in the derelict building then dumped in the basement where her shoes and coat were found outside the next morning.

Meanwhile, Boyd remained free and indecently assaulted a nine-year-old girl in a Teesside park in 1999, later confessing to his probation officer he had previously had sexual fantasises about naked 'young girls'.

Paying tribute to her 'bright and happy child', Ms Henderson told of the toll her daughter's murder and three decade fight for justice has had on her.

Read by Mr Wright, her statement said: 'Nikki was a bright and happy child, always a mammy's girl.

'She had a beautiful smile and was loved. I cannot put into words how I felt on finding out Nikki was missing and ultimately found murdered.

'I had to endure the horror of a trial in 1993 and the acquittal which followed. At that time, because of what I was told, I believed that George Heron, the man I believed was responsible, had got away with Nikki's murder.

'Police had stated they were not looking for anyone else. After the acquittal I was accused of being a bad mother, even though my children were looked after.

'Local people were angry towards me, not towards the person responsible for her murder.

'I was left feeling I had to fight for justice for Nikki. I fought tirelessly and endlessly. It just became part of my life.'

Ms Henderson said her mental and physical health has suffered over the decades and she has even been arrested herself for trying to get to the truth of what happened to her daughter.

She added: 'I have felt so frustrated over the years as I have felt I have not been listened to. I was 25 when Nikki was murdered.

'I speak to her all the time, I tell her I will never give up. I am 57 now, I have spent over 30 years fighting for justice.

'My life and that of my family has never been the same since Nikki was murdered.

'By murdering Nikki, David Boyd destroyed not only Nikki's life, the life of my beautiful daughter, but my life and the lives of my daughters and grandchildren.

'We have not been able to live normal lives since that day.'

Nikki's father David Allan also had his statement read out in court, in which he described how his life had changed 'forever' on the night his daughter went missing.

He said: 'I have feelings of anger and hatred. I know I will never be able to forgive the man responsible for her murder.

'I have used alcohol to help me cope and get to sleep. I lost the stable relationship I was in, undoubtedly due to me being unable to cope of make sense of what happened to Nikki.

'People have no way of knowing or understanding what is going on inside my head.

'I have never been able to walk past the building in which she was found. I live close by and it is on the man through road.

'I see it regularly and it is a constant physical reminder to me.

'I think about Nikki lying on her own in the cold in that building that night, a building I drove past countless times searching for her.'

Mr Allan said since Nikki's death he has been unable to attend funerals, other than those of close family, as they remind him of what happened and seeing his little girl's coffin in the hearse.

Convicted paedophile David Boyd (pictured), 55, was found guilty of Nikki Allan's murder

Sharon Henderson and David Allan at the funeral of their daughter Nikki in October 1992

He added that he has found his situation 'overwhelming' at times and said: 'The man responsible for Nikki's murder has lived his life for 30 years.

'Nikki didn't get to live hers. The conviction and sentence will be a good outcome and means the man responsible can no longer walk the streets but brings little change or comfort to my life, one I have to live without Nikki.'

'David Boyd destroyed the life of my beautiful daughter': Nikki Allan's mother recounts the horror of the last 30 years as she finally gets justice for her daughter Nikki's mother Sharon Henderson, who stayed outside the courtroom, said in her statement, which was read by Mr Wright: 'Nikki was a bright and happy child, always a mammy's girl. 'She had a beautiful smile and was loved. I cannot put into words how I felt on finding out Nikki was missing and ultimately found murdered. 'I had to endure the horror of a trial in 1993 and the acquittal which followed. At that time, because of what I was told, I believed that George Heron, the man I believed was responsible, had got away with Nikki's murder. 'Police had stated they were not looking for anyone else. After the acquittal I was accused of being a bad mother, even though my children were looked after. 'Local people were angry towards me, not towards the person responsible for her murder. 'I was left feeling I had to fight for justice for Nikki. I fought tirelessly and endlessly. It just became part of my life.' Ms Henderson said her mental and physical health has suffered over the decades and she has even been arrested herself for trying to get to the truth of what happened to her daughter. She added: 'I have felt so frustrated over the years as I have felt I have not been listened to. I was 25 when Nikki was murdered. 'I speak to her all the time, I tell her I will never give up. I am 57 now, I have spent over 30 years fighting for justice. 'My life and that of my family has never been the same since Nikki was murdered. 'By murdering Nikki, David Boyd destroyed not only Nikki's life, the life of my beautiful daughter, but my life and the lives of my daughters and grandchildren. 'We have not been able to live normal lives since that day.' Advertisement

Mrs Justice Lambert found that Boyd lured her away to the Old Exchange Building from the relative safety of the Garths flats, where she lived, that October night in 1992 to sexually assault Nikki, or to try to.

She screamed and Boyd hit her on the lip and forced her through in a window, six feet off the ground, into the the building.

The judge said: 'She must have quickly known she was trapped.

'She must have quickly known you were coming after her to hurt her.

'It was cold and dark. It must have been a truly terrifying experience for this seven-year-old girl.'

The fatal attack happened at the furthest point away from the window, indicating Nikki had tried to escape him.

He then dumped her in the cellar, hoping she would not be discovered.

Jason Pitter KC, defending, said Boyd had learning difficulties and has been assessed as having an IQ in the bottom two per cent of the population.

Mr Pitter also said it was not the defendant's fault that Mr Heron was accused of Nikki's murder.

Last week Northumbria Police issued formal apologies to Nikki's family for the length of time it has taken them to bring Boyd to justice, and to Mr Heron, 53, who had to leave Sunderland and start a new life, despite being found not guilty.

Mr Heron was 23 years old at the time and living in the same block of flats in Sunderland as Nikki.

Police became fixated on him and only treated Boyd, another local resident, as a witness despite him having convictions of a sexual nature.

Months after this he indecently exposed himself to a woman out jogging. For whatever reason, convictions six years before the murder didn't register with police either.

So convinced were police that Heron was the killer that alarm bells still didn't ring in 1997 when Boyd admitted exposing himself to thee young girls in a park.

And in 1999 when he indecently assaulted a nine-year-old girl, also in a park, and was jailed for 18 months. The offence put him on the Sex Offenders Register.

While awaiting sentence Boyd told his probation officer that at the age of 22, he began having obscene sexual fantasies about young girls. He said it was a 'phase' he went through.

However, Mr Heron was subjected to oppressive questioning and denied having any involvement in the murder 120 times, during three days of interviews, before he made some kind of confession - which was ruled inadmissible by a judge and kept a secret from jurors.

Boyd remained free and indecently assaulted a nine-year-old girl in a Teesside park in 1999, later confessing to his probation officer he had previously had sexual fantasises about naked 'young girls'.

Nikki (picutred) had been playing outside the Garth flats where she lived and was seen skipping behind a suspect, now known to be Boyd

The crime scene in the Old Exchange Building in Sunderland's East End where Nikki was brutally murdered in 1992

For more than 30 years Sharon Henderson never gave up hope of seeing her daughter's killer brought to justice, keeping pressure on the police at great personal cost to her mental health.

She has made no secret of her alcohol and mental health problems, triggered by the crime and her resulting obsession that the killer must be caught.

In 2014, Northumbria Police arrested 47-year-old serial killer Steven Grieveson, who was already in prison for murdering four teenage boys, on suspicion of Nikki's murder.

He was questioned and bailed but he faced no further action.

Ms Henderson's efforts resulted in a meeting in 2017 with Northumbria Police Chief Constable Steve Ashman and the subsequent decision to fund a proper review of the case using the latest forensic techniques.

Even the police accept David Boyd may not have been caught but for Ms Henderson's perseverance.

'I was so badly let down by the police, they had so many chances to catch Boyd years and years ago,' said Ms Henderson. 'To hear everything they missed or failed to investigate has been devastating.'

New DNA techniques extracted traces on Nikki's clothing and that breakthrough ultimately led police to Boyd, but also involved more than 800 Sunderland men volunteering to give DNA samples so they could be eliminated from the inquiry.

The new police team used a brand new 'Y' DNA technique  which separates the male bloodline - to crack the case.

Boyd was convicted of her murder earlier this month after a trial at Newcastle Crown Court.

Handing down her sentencing today, Mrs Justice Lambert did not impose a full-life tariff, and reduced what she would now have imposed as a 37-year minimum term to one of at least 29 years behind bars, because the sentencing regime in the early 1990s was less harsh.

Outside court, Ms Henderson called for a public inquiry into the police's handling of the original case, adding that she 'would have been satisfied with life [a whole term].'

Following Boyd's sentencing, Northumbria Police detective chief superintendent Lisa Theaker said: 'First and foremost, my thoughts are with Nikki's family.

'I would like to thank them for their patience and strength shown during their relentless pursuit of justice.

'The pain and suffering that David Boyd has caused to so many people is beyond measure.'
A man previously jailed for killing his baby daughter has been identified as the sole person killed in a fiery car crash.

Rick Cataldo, 35, died after crashing a car into an electrical pole at about 10:40pm on May 15 in Thornlands, Brisbane's east.

The crash left about 1,000 nearby homes without power and was described as 'confronting' by locals.

Images of the crash show a car wrapped around the pole, with the wreckage barely resembling a vehicle.

Now, it has emerged that Cataldo was the sole person involved in the crash.

Catildo pled guilty to manslaughter in 2017 for the May 2012 death of his daughter and served 3 years and 9 months in prison. The baby suffered a crushed skull and several other traumatic injuries.

A convicted baby killer has been identified as the only person killed in a 'confronting' car crash (pictured) in Thorlands in Brisbane's east on May 15

Cataldo was released on Parole shortly after being sentenced as he had already served almost four years while awaiting trial.

Prosecutor, Carl Heaton, told the court Catadalo had inflicted the horrifying injuries on his two-month old daughter between seven and ten days before her death.

A post-mortem revealed the baby had multiple skull fractures, a brain injury, rib fractures and a twisted arm.

The girl's mother, Michelle Catherine Leask, had seen Catadalo strike the child numerous times during the incident.

She noted the child had become harder to feed and would cry more in the days leading up to her death.

Leask attempted to call an ambulance but Catadalo urged her not to so cannabis plants in his possession could not be found.

Rick Cataldo, 35, (pictured) plead guilty to manslaughter in 2017 after his two-month-old daughter died from injuries from injuries sustained after Cataldo struck her

Upon finding her daughter pale and unresponsive, Leask took her daughter to Brisbane's Redcliffe Hospital where she died despite desperate attempts to revive her.

While at the hospital, Cataldo lied to police about how his daughter received the injuries he had inflicted upon her.

He told them 'I dropped Lily and she hit her head', and urged Leask to tell hospital staff that their daughter's bruises came from 'you (Leask) getting her tangled up in the seatbelt getting out of the car and you accidentally dropping her'.

Laesk was sentenced to a five year suspended sentence after pleading guilty for manslaughter.

The court found she had not participated in the assault of her daughter but had delayed taking her to a hospital until it was too late.

During a court hearing in April of that year, Leask was described by a judge as 'profoundly remorseful' for her daughter's death.
A drunken nurse dropped her baby on the floor of an airplane after a five-hour vodka binge which saw her and her partner arrested and thrown off the flight.

Beth Jones, 27, and Kieran Cunnah, 30, were so unsteady after drinking duty free spirits at the airport that Jones dropped her baby when Cunnah attempted to pass her on to her lap.

Cunnah later knocked the baby out of her seat a second time when brushing past her, shocking fellow passengers.

A female flight attendant confronted the pair as they took their seats on the TUI flight - but Cunnah threw money at her and said: 'How much do you want from us? We're poor. How much do you want b***h?'

They were eventually escorted off the Crete bound flight as it was due to head out from Manchester Airport with 200 passengers on board.

Beth Jones, 27, from Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, admitted being drunk on an aircraft and child neglect on May 12 last year

Jones' partner Kieran Cunnah, 30, who is currently serving 32 months for unrelated dangerous driving offences, was jailed for an extra three months

It emerged the couple had been drinking heavily in the departures lounge after their flight was delayed. The baby, whose exact age is not known, burst into tears when she was dropped but was not injured.

At Tameside Magistrates' Court, Jones from Mossley, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester and Cunnah, from Mickle Trafford, Chester, admitted being drunk on an aircraft and child neglect.

Jones was ordered to complete a 12-month community order, 20 rehabilitation activity days and a 90-day alcohol abstinence requirement and was further fined 50 with 195 in costs and a victim surcharge.

Cunnah, who is currently serving 32 months for unrelated offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving, was jailed for an extra three months and was also made to pay the court 100 in costs and a 128 statutory surcharge.

Eileen Rodgers, prosecuting, told the court that on Thursday, May 12 last year, the couple had arrived at Manchester Airport at around midday, three hours before their flight to Crete at 3pm.

After passing through the security gate, they entered the Terminal 2 departure lounge where they bought a bottle of Ciroc vodka, as well as a meal and other drinks.

However, when their flight was further delayed to 4.45pm, they went back to the departure lounge and finished off the bottle of Ciroc with mixers they had also bought from the duty free.

Beth Jones, a drunken mother who accidentally dropped her baby on an airplane floor, is pictured outside Tameside Magistrates Court

Ms Rodgers said: 'When the pair later boarded the flight, a member of the cabin crew, noticed they were both very drunk. They were unsteady on their feet and incoherent, so she told the rest of the cabin crew to keep an eye on them whilst she took them to row 28.'

'She approached Cunnah and asked to see his boarding pass to confirm who he was.

'However, he instead pulled out notes from his pocket and started throwing them at her, saying: "How much do you want from us? We're poor, how much do you want b***h?"'

The cabin crew member informed the pilot, who alerted police and delayed takeoff. A dispatcher then arrived to tell the couple they would not be flying due to their drunkenness.

Ms Rodgers added: 'When leaving his middle seat, Cunnah was so intoxicated that he fell into the armrest in front of him. He then attempted to pass the baby to Jones, but she dropped her, causing her to fall off the seat and cry.

'After she was picked up and placed back on the aisle seat but was not placed securely. When leaving the aisle, Cunnah brushed past the baby and she again fell to the floor causing shock to her and those around her.'

The pair continued to argue with cabin crew as they were escorted off the flight. Jones, who was 'incoherent and repeating herself', was eventually persuaded to hand over the baby to an attending police officer. They were then arrested and taken to a police station to sober up.

In a police interview the next day, both admitted they had been drinking. However, they denied any abusive behavior or child neglect. They also said they did not intend to cause any harm or altercations with staff.

In his statement, flight dispatch attendant, Brian Wilson said: 'It was the worst situation I've ever had to deal with, not just because they were drunk on a flight but more because they were so incapable of looking after their own child.

'When I saw the child drop from the aisle seat, I went down to pick her up but then felt Cunnah's hand on my shoulder. They were very unsteady on their feet, Cunnah even grabbed me to steady himself at one point.

In mitigation, Michelle Mann told the court the pair were excited to go on their first holiday after lockdown and had behaved responsibly at first.

'But Mr Cunnah said all his family say "the holiday starts here" whenever they are in the departure lounge,' she added.

Ms Mann said the couple were told the bar of the departure lounge was busy and that a waiter advised them to order two drinks at a time. Mr Cunnah ordered two drinks in a row and Miss Jones ordered one.

They repeated this process, before returning to bar again when their flight was delayed.

Ms Mann added: 'They both realized their behaviour was completely out of order and were upset that their holiday had been ruined. Miss Jones was hysterical upon arrest and had to contact her mother to collect her child.'

'This incident has had a big impact on her life. She has since resigned from her job as a nurse where she worked for 10 years. She knows she can no longer pursue a career in that field. She was valued in her job and held herself in high esteem. This one incident has cost her dearly.'

'They are both ashamed and humiliated about what they did, and both have shown remorse.'

In sentencing, the chairman of the bench told Jones: 'It is a shame that you find yourself in this position when you had a career and a job you were valued and respected in and lost it all because of one stupid event.

'However, the protection of a child is very important, and we have taken this into consideration.'
Rishi Sunak denied 'dithering' tonight as Suella Braverman waits to hear if she faces a sleaze probe on claims she asked civil servants to help her dodge a speeding fine.

The PM has still yet to make a decision on whether his ethics adviser will look into the events, with No10 saying he was 'gathering all the facts before making a decision'.

Ms Braverman allegedly wanted officials to arrange a private speed awareness course so that she would not be seen by other motorists, according to Downing Street.

However, her allies have suggested she only contacted civil servants for advice on how to proceed after being clocked over the limit in a 50mph zone last summer, when she was Attorney General.

Emails seen by The Times suggest they were so concerned by what she requested they contacted the Cabinet Office's propriety and ethics team, which told them to stay out of the matter.

Tories seemed to be closing ranks around Ms Braverman this afternoon, with even her usual internal foes accepting the mood of the party favours her survival.

Backbenchers came to her defence in the Commons after the Opposition tabled an urgent question about the situation.

Both Mr Sunak and Mrs Braverman addressed a Cabinet meeting this morning about a fresh crackdown on immigration - with crucial new figures due to be published on Thursday.

The Home Secretary joined the Prime Minister this morning in Downing Street as he mulls over whether to order an ethics investigation into one of his most senior ministers

The PM is 'availing himself of information' about allegations Mrs Braverman wanted officials to arrange a private speed awareness course so that she would not be seen by other motorists, according to Downing Street

Her allies have suggested she only contacted civil servants for advice on how to proceed after being clocked over the limit in a 50mph zone last summer, when she was Attorney General

Pressure has been mounting on Mr Sunak to launch an investigation into allegations she breached the ministerial code.

A senior official is said to have reported Mrs Braverman's request to Matthew Rycroft, the department's permanent secretary, due to concerns about whether it was appropriate, the Guardian was told by sources.

Labour today forced Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin to answer an urgent question in the House of Commons about the row.

He told MPs: 'Since returning from the G7, the Prime Minister has met both the independent adviser and the Home Secretary and asked for further information.

'It is right that the Prime Minister, as the head of the executive and the arbiter of the Ministerial Code, be allowed time to receive relevant information on this matter.

'Honourable members will be updated on this in due course.'

Several Tory MPs came to the defence of the Home Secretary on Tuesday.

Among those who spoke from the backbenches in support of Ms Braverman was Sir Edward Leigh, who told his fellow MPs: 'All this moral outrage is ludicrous that a minister asked her private office about something and she takes their advice.

'We all know what's this is all about; they're attacking a good Home Secretary who is trying to attack the real scandal of mass immigration to this country.'

Asked why the PM is 'dithering', his official spokesman told journalists: 'I wouldn't characterise it like that.

'I think people would understand that it's right to gather all the facts before making a decision.'

Pressed on why Mr Sunak is carrying out an investigation himself when he has an independent adviser on ministers' interests, the spokesman said: 'That's not how I'd characterise it.

'He's asked for some more information before coming to a decision. I'm sure we will have more to say once that's concluded.'

Labour yesterday used Home Office Questions in the Commons to ask Mrs Braverman repeatedly to clarify what she had asked officials in her department to do.

But she instead repeatedly spoke of her 'regret' at having broken the speed limit, adding: 'At no point did I attempt to evade sanction.'

Speaking in the House of Commons, the shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: 'At the heart of the Home Secretary's responsibility is to ensure that laws are fairly enforced for all. But when she got a speeding penalty, it seems she sought special treatment, a private course and asked civil servants to help.'

The Home Secretary replied: 'As I have said earlier, in the summer of last year, I was speeding. I regret that. I paid the fine and I accepted the points. At no time did I seek to avoid the sanction.'

Mrs Braverman said she is 'getting on with the job of delivering for the British people'.
From a giant H to the curious letters 'ERP', you may have wondered what fading signs spotted on buildings and streets around Britain represent.

Hundreds of the ghostly symbols exist on streets in London, Liverpool, Norwich and other major towns and cities.

Historian Mark Felton has revealed how they date back to the Second World War, when Britain was bombarded night after night by German bombs.

Signs showing the letter H once directed firemen to crucial hydrants that would have provided a water source when they were battling blazes caused by dropped explosives.

And the ERP sign, pictured in Lancashire, represents an 'Emergency Rendezvous Point' - where Britons could go to get help in the aftermath of a bombing raid.

A giant letter H is seen on a building in Wensum Street, Norwich. It dates back to the Second World War, when it pointed firemen to the locations of hydrants used to provide a water supply in the aftermath of a bombing raid

Two other shelter signs, this time in the form of a giant 'S' with an accompanying arrow, are emblazoned on walls just off Deptford High Street in south-east London. Above: One of the signs

During the Blitz, which began in 1940 and lasted until May 1941, more than 20,000 tonnes of explosives were dropped on 16 British cities. Above: A fireman carries a boy out of rubble after a bombing raid in London in 1940

The symbols have survived decades of regeneration and development, even as other tools in the fight against Hitler - such as air raid shelters and sirens - have long since disappeared.

In a recent video on his hugely popular Youtube channel, Dr Felton said: 'The World War Two-era signage does linger on in our towns and cities, usually completely ignored by modern citizens.

'But if you raise your head up from your smartphone and actually look, much does remain to be seen.'

He added: 'The enormity of what all these surviving signs represented to the people of World War Two is very hard for those of us who didn't live through the conflict to understand.

'Put simply, they represented the difference between life and death; between saving your home and letting it burn down; between receiving essentials like water and medical assistance to being abandoned to pain and thirst.

'So the next time you go for an urban walk, keep your eyes peeled, for you might just see a World War Two survivor, quietly fading away on a brick wall, forgotten, misunderstood, but incredibly emotive.'

Other signs highlighted in his video include several in London pointing to air raid shelters.

Two are seen on the same property in a street in Westminster. The first reads: 'Public shelters under pavements in this street.'

A second smaller sign then shows the letter S and bears an arrow pointing to a set of stairs leading to what is now the basement of the home.

This ERP sign, pictured in Bury, Lancashire, represents an 'Emergency Rendezvous Point' - where Britons could go to get help in the aftermath of a bombing raid

Two signs pointing to air raid shelters seen on the same property in Westminster. The first reads: 'Public shelters under pavements in this street.' A second smaller sign then shows the letter S and bears an arrow pointing to a set of stairs leading to what is now the basement of the home

In Liverpool, a sign pointing to the emergency exit for a former air raid shelter points to how the city suffered in the Blitz

Two fire hydrant signs are seen on this building in Upper King Street, Norwich. They would have been crucial when the city was bombarded between April and June in 1942 in what were known as the Baedeker Raids

The shelters would have been especially necessary during the Blitz, which began in 1940 and lasted until May 1941.

In that time, more than 20,000 tonnes of explosives were dropped on 16 British cities.

London was attacked 71 times and bombed by the Luftwaffe for 57 consecutive nights.

The City and the East End bore the brunt of the bombing in the capital with the course of the Thames being used to guide German bombers.

Londoners came to expect heavy raids during full-moon periods and these became known as 'bombers' moons'.

More than one million London houses were destroyed or damaged and of those who were killed in the bombing campaign, more than half of them were from London.

Another sign, in Burnley, bearing the letters EWS, once pointed Britons to an 'emergency water supply', where they could get fresh water in the aftermath of a raid

Elsewhere in the capital, a faded sign to a gas decontamination centre exists in south-east London

Overall, more than 40,000 civilians lost their lives.

Two other shelter signs, this time in the form of a giant 'S' with an accompanying arrow, are emblazoned on walls just off Deptford High Street in south-east London.

Elsewhere in the capital, a faded sign to a gas decontamination centre exists in south-east London.

Britons would have gone there to get treatment in the event of a gas attack. Fortunately, no such raid ever took place.

Another sign, in Burnley, Lancashire, bearing the letters EWS, once pointed Britons to an 'emergency water supply', where they could get fresh water in the aftermath of a raid.

In Liverpool, a sign pointing to the emergency exit for a former air raid shelter points to how the city suffered in the Blitz.

The Baedeker Blitz destroyed many historic buildings and houses in Norwich, often causing blazes which were tackled by 15,000 fire guards

Liverpool was the most heavily bombed part of the country outside London, due to the existence of its port, which was crucial to the British war effort. Above: Part of Liverpool is seen in 1940 after a demolition squad had torn down buildings irreparably damaged by bombs

Liverpool was the most heavily bombed part of the country outside London, due to the existence of its port, which was crucial to the British war effort.

Between 1940 and 1942, more than 4,000 Liverpudlians lost their lives and tens of thousands of homes and businesses were destroyed.

The hydrant signs in Norwich would have been crucial when the city was bombarded between April and June in 1942 in what were known as the Baedeker Raids.

Ordered by Adolf Hitler himself, they targeted historic buildings in Norwich, Exeter, Bath, York and Canterbury in retaliation for an RAF attack on the medieval German city of Lubeck.

They got their name from a popular German guide book for Britain of the same name.

The Baedeker Blitz destroyed many historic buildings and houses in the city centre, often causing blazes which were tackled by 15,000 fire guards.

More than 200 Norwich residents were killed in the 1942 raids alone, which also destroyed around 2,000 homes.
He is now charged with threatening to kidnap or kill the president

The Missouri teenager who crashed a U-Haul truck into the White House's security barriers last night has been charged with trying to kill, kidnap or harm the president, vice president or a family member.

Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, from Chesterfield, Missouri, was arrested at the scene after plowing the vehicle into security barriers at around 10pm. After crashing the vehicle, he jumped out of the van and started waving a Nazi flag.

Once in custody, Kandula told the FBI he wanted to overthrow the government, kill President Biden and take over himself.

Kandula has been charged with 18 U.S. Code  879 - threats against former Presidents and certain other persons protected by the Secret Service. It is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, from Chesterfield, Missouri, was arrested at the scene after plowing the vehicle into security barriers at around 10pm. After crashing the vehicle, he jumped out of the van and started waving a Nazi flag

Authorities apparently found a Nazi flag complete with a large swastika in the truck

A driver was detained after crashing into barricades near the White House on Monday night

Law enforcement sources told ABC he flew from St Louis, Missouri, to Dulles, then rented his U-Haul truck.

Once in custody, Kandula told the FBI he wanted to overthrow the government, kill President Biden and take over himself

President Biden was inside the White House at the time of the incident. It's unclear if he is aware of it now.

No one was harmed, and Kandula was taken immediately into custody.

Some roads and walkways around Lafayette Square were temporarily closed as the scene was inspected, and The Hay Adams Hotel was evacuated.

In a statement this morning, US Park Police told DailyMail.com: 'On May 22 at approximately 9:40 p.m.

'United States Park Police and United States Secret Service Uniform Division officers responded to the 1600 block of H Street NW for a truck that the preliminary investigation indicates intentionally crashed into the bollards on the outside of Lafayette Park.

'The driver of the vehicle was identified as Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, of Chesterfield, Missouri. Kandula was arrested and charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, threatening to kill / kidnap / inflict harm on a president, vice president, or family member, destruction of federal property, and trespassing.

'No further information is available at this time. '

The driver apparently slammed into barriers near the White House twice on Monday night

Some roads and walkways near Lafayette Park were temporarily closed off as police investigated. The name of the driver has not been released
The 34-year-old consumed the spirits during a livestream last Tuesday

A Chinese livestreamer who gained fame for his drinking challenges has been found dead shortly after he was seen consuming excessive amounts of alcohol on Douyin, China's version of TikTok.

Brother Three Thousand, 34, knocked back at least seven bottles of baijiu spirits during a livestream last Tuesday.

He was found dead 12 hours after the broadcast, Chinese media reported.

Baijiu contains up to 60 per cent alcohol. The livestreamer, whose last name was revealed as Wang by local media, had been known for imbibing the Chinese liquor during his broadcasts.

A video on social media, which has gone viral, shows him drinking several bottles of baijiu spirits and pouring some out to set fire to it on the table.

Brother Three Thousand (pictured), 34, consumed at least seven bottles of baijiu spirits during a livestream last Tuesday

His death was widely discussed online in China and has prompted calls for stronger regulations of the nation's thriving livestreaming industry.

On May 16, Wang had taken part in four one-on-one battles with influencers with the aim of earning the most amount of gifts from fans within a short space of time.

He lost three of the rounds and then consumed baijiu as a punishment, totalling at least seven bottles that night, according to viewers.

Wang finished his livestreaming after midnight. His friend told a Chinese news outlet that he was discovered dead the following afternoon.

'When his family found him, he was already gone. He didn't even get a chance for emergency treatment,' a man named Mr Zhao told Shangyou News.

His funeral took place on Saturday.

Drinking during livestreams is banned by Douyin. Penalties include warnings, users being restricted from livestream competitions and users being shown on the app.

On May 16, Wang had taken part in four one-on-one battles with influencers with the aim of earning the most amount of gifts from fans within a short space of time

Pictured: The livestreamer, whose last name was revealed as Wang by local media, during a broadcast which saw him down spirits and set fire to some of the liquid on the table

Wang had previously been banned from the app for drinking but he bypassed this by opening new accounts, Chinese media reported

Wang had previously been banned from the app for drinking but he bypassed this by opening new accounts, Chinese media reported.

His most recent account had amassed more than 44,000 followers.

A report by authorities last year found more than one billion internet users were active on short video platforms such as Douyin and the industry is worth around 199 billion yuan (22 billion).

Wang's death has led to a further push for the safety and regulations of such apps.

The opinion section of the People's Daily newspaper posted a message on Weibo condemning 'livestream behaviours that go off the tracks'.

There are a number of Chinese livestreamers whose deaths have been linked to their online work.

In 2021, Yu Hailong, who became popular for eating massive quantities of food on Douyin, died after 'long hours of high-intensity work', his agent said.

In 2018, livestreamer Dafei, who was known for drinking alcohol and cooking oil in front of an audience, also died shortly after an online broadcast.
A Chinese salvage ship has been caught looting the war graves of hundreds of British sailors for scrap metal off the coast of Malaysia in what Britain's former naval chief described as 'an absolute disgrace' and a 'loathsome' act.

The battleship HMS Prince of Wales, one of the Royal Navy's most capable vessels of the Second World War, was sunk by Japanese bombers in 1941 in the South China Sea.

An older battlecruiser, the HMS Repulse, was also sunk just a few miles away.

The destruction of the vessels  just days after the Japanese attack on the US base at Pearl Harbor  came as a major blow to the British in the Far East and claimed the lives of 840 sailors.

The shipwrecks, located in Malaysian waters, are now officially designated as war graves.

But a Chinese vessel - the Chuan 68 - has since been spotted lurking illegally over the site trying to dredge up the high-quality steel used in the manufacture of the warship's hulls.

British Royal Navy Battleship HMS Prince of Wales was sunk in 1941 by Japanese torpedoes

1939: HMS Repulse, a 26,500-ton British Renown class battlecruiser at Portsmouth

News of the vessel's plundering has outraged Admiral Lord Alan West, the former head of the Royal Navy  who lost 22 men when his frigate HMS Ardent was sunk during the Falklands War in 1982.

Blasting the scrap metal 'grave robbers', the former military chief told MailOnline: 'This is an absolute disgrace.

'These are burial sites with all the bodies still there. These Chinese wreckers or scrap metal men don't give a damn about this.

'It's a loathsome thing to do. It's very distressing for the families and next of kin of those sailors killed on HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales.

'When I think of my ship sunk in the Falklands, I wouldn't want people diving on that and taking things away from it. This is a disgusting thing to happen.'

And another former First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, told MailOnline: 'These people are scavengers of the worst order.'

The crew of the Chuan 68 are well known as illegal scavengers.

They were temporarily detained in 2017 amid allegations they had scavenged parts from three Japanese World War II shipwrecks near Usukan, Malaysia, before the Indonesian navy intercepted the ship while it was attempting to raise parts of a shipwreck near the Anambas Islands - forcing the Chuan 68 to flee to international waters.

The vessel is also notorious for illegally salvaging World War 2 shipwrecks in Singaporean, Cambodian and Vietnamese waters.

Chaun 68 remains wanted by Indonesian authorities for plundering the remains of sunken Dutch warships HNLMS De Ruyter, HNLMS Java and HNLMS Kortenaer in the Java Sea.

A source told the New Straits Times the Chinese vessel is well known among the shipping community for its looting activities, which have been ongoing for around 10 years.

The crew scramble over the side of HMS Prince of Wales before sinking. Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse were sunk by land-based bombers and torpedo bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy on 10 December 1941

British Royal Navy Battleship HMS Prince of Wales, H 12911, anchoring in an undisclosed naval port ca. 1941

'Ten years ago, it resembled a dilapidated barge. But it is now fitted with high-technology equipment,' the source said.

'They operate mechanically and entirely from the surface of the barge, which is equipped with cranes sporting huge metal claws.

'The claws can plunge more than 200m deep. It chops up the ship and pulls up hundred tonnes of metal in one go.'

The source said the vessel would evade detection by turning off its Global Positioning System (GPS), and WiFi devices onboard before going into hiding.

The coastline off Indonesia and Malaysia is littered with WWII-era shipwrecks, and Chinese-owned barges fitted with cranes have been carrying out illegal operations at the war burial sites of ships belonging to several countries, including Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, India and Australia.

The scavengers are attracted by highly valuable non-irradiated steel  also known as low-background steel  from the wrecks.

Steel produced prior to the detonation of the first atomic bombs in the 1940s - particularly the high-grade steel used in the manufacture of warship hulls - is not contaminated by radiation.

It retains its quality long after being submerged underwater and is much sought after by manufacturers of surgical implements and scientific equipment.

China's scavengers can smelt down the steel they manage to recover and sell it off for huge profits.

HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse are seen in the background sinking

A total of 10 British vessels were sunk by Japanese torpedoes and planes in 1941 and 1942 off the coast of Malaysia and Indonesia, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,000 sailors.

The battleship HMS Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse, accompanied by four UK destroyers, were on a mission to intercept Japanese invasion convoys in the South China Sea in December 1941.

But the vessels put to sea without air cover and the fleet was attacked by waves of Japanese aircraft, with eight torpedoes striking their targets.

Both ships turned over as they sank - the remains of the Repulse sit at a depth of 183ft, with the Prince of Wales even deeper at 223ft.

The shipwrecks are designated as official war graves under the Protection of Wrecks Act of 1973 and the Protection of Maritime Relations Act of 1986, and must not be disturbed.

In 2018, Britain's former Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson ordered Royal Navy survey vessels to examine the wrecks of British warships previously plundered by pirates.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it was liaising with local authorities following the latest looting of the wrecks.

An MoD spokesman added: 'We strongly condemn any desecration of any maritime military grave. Where we have evidence of desecration of the wrecks of Royal Navy vessels, we will take appropriate action, including working with regional Governments and partners to prevent inappropriate activity at such sites.'
Rolf Harris has died aged 93, MailOnline can reveal today, and the Australian sex offender has already been 'laid to rest' following a secret funeral.

The disgraced TV star had been very sick with neck cancer since leaving prison six years ago, living as a near-recluse with his wife in their 5million riverside mansion in Bray.

A private ambulance was photographed outside his riverside home on May 11. Two sources close to the family told MailOnline that he died up to a fortnight ago but his death was only registered with Windsor and Maidenhead Council today.

This afternoon, in a statement released by his solicitor, his family said: 'Rolf Harris recently died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest. They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made'.

The cause of death is not yet known but paedophile Harris had been struggling to talk after cancerous tumours grew in his neck after he was freed from jail in 2017 for a string of sex offences including children as young as eight. He was fed through a tube before his death.

He is survived by his grandson Marlon, 25, daughter Bindi, 59, and wife Alwen, 91, a jeweller and sculptor. She is in a wheelchair because of Alzheimers disease but the couple, who married in 1958, lived together with the help of around the clock care.

Private investigator, author and former police officer William Merritt, author of the book Rolf Harris: The Truth behind the Trials, told MailOnline that he last met with 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'.

The Australian-born TV presenter was a family favourite for decades before being convicted of a string of indecent assaults in June 2014. These included 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 over 16 years. He was jailed for five years and nine months after being convicted of 12 assaults which took place between 1968 and 1986.

Disgraced paedophile Rolf Harris has died at the age of 93, MailOnline can reveal. He was last pictured in April 2022 (right)

A private ambulance with its rear doors open at the home of Rolf Harris and his wife Alwen around ten days ago

The vehicle, used by undertakers, left at around 6pm. The Harris family declined to comment

Rolf Harris (second left) and his wife Alwen Hughes (second right) were recluses and rarely left their home in Bray, Berkshire

In light of his conviction, Harris had his 2012 Bafta fellowship removed and was stripped of his CBE. He also had Australian honours taken away

A private ambulance was parked outside the property on Thursday May 11, leaving at around 6pm.

Mr Merritt said Rolf has had neck cancer and there have been serious concerns about his health, although he was 'getting on with things'.

He told MailOnline: I heard the news over the weekend and it's all very sad. Rolf was convicted of sexual offences, that much people obviously know, but he still had millions of fans all around the world.

'He doesn't have a large family, but I know that his immediate relatives will be extremely upset and will want to grieve in private.'

Due to the cancer, Rolf is said to have gurgled when talking. His wife Alwen has also been seriously ill with Alzheimer's disease. 'She's very frail', he said.

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.

After getting neck cancer, Rolf Harris (pictured during the pandemic) could no longer talk or eat and requires around the clock care

A new ITVX documentary recently unearthed disturbing footage of Rolf Harris joking with Jimmy Savile about leaving a little girl 'safely in his arms'

Years before his conviction in 2014, Harris was given the honour of painting a portrait of the late Queen to mark her 80th birthday

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, lived 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 hadn'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) was battling neck cancer and was 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.'
A longstanding parish councillor appeared in court today charged with strangling his wife of 50 years to death.

Christine Sargent, 73, was rushed to hospital after being found unconscious at the couple's home in a quiet Buckinghamshire village on Saturday morning but doctors were unable to save her life.

Andy Sargent, 77, was charged with murder on Monday night after being arrested at the couples detached bungalow.

Thames Valley Police said initial results of a post-mortem examination showed that Mrs Sargent had died as a result of neck compression.

Neighbours in the village of Loughton, near Milton Keynes, spoke of their shock last night and said they had only known the pair as a friendly, happy couple.

Police descended on the bungalow at 8am on Saturday morning following reports that a woman had been attacked inside a property and found Mrs Sargent unconscious in the bedroom.

Pictured: Longstanding parish councillor Andy Sargent, 77, has been charged with murder

A cordon and a team of officers remained outside on Monday.

Sargent appeared at Milton Keynes Magistrates Court today where he was remanded in custody. He is due to appear at Luton Crown Court for a bail hearing.

Neighbour Shveta Bhasin said it had been a huge shock to the tight-knit community as residents had always seen them as a happy couple.

She said they had seen less of Mrs Sargent since lockdown and a period of ill health, adding: She was hospitalised in December during Christmas and she came back after four months and was immobile, she was bedridden. Nurses were coming to the house every day.

The last time we spoke to Andy was a couple of months back because he was quite busy going to the hospital. Since shes been back home nobody has seen them much.

Sargent has been on Loughton and Great Holm Parish Council since 2011, serving as chair of the planning committee. He took up the role after retiring from his managerial job at the nearby Volkswagen UK headquarters where he had worked for almost 25 years.

A police cordon was erected outside the couple's property in Loughton after the incident

The pensioner was also involved in other aspects of community life including as a volunteer ranger for Milton Keynes parks trust, a member of the local neighbourhood watch, and had also been on the graveyard committee at nearby All Saints Church.

Another neighbour, Jean, said the women who lived in the road would host coffee mornings in each others homes and Mrs Sargent, who she described as very neighbourly, would often attend.

Weve had a shock, she said. Chris was friendly, and so was Andy. He used to put on good displays when we have the scarecrow festival every two years. He was quite active on the parish council.

The couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the end of last year and had a holiday apartment in the Canary Islands which they would visit twice a year, neighbours said.

A spokeswoman for Loughton and Great Holm Parish Council said they were unable to comment at this time.

Detective chief inspector Dejan Avramovic of Thames Valley Polices major crime unit said: Christines family are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers and our thoughts are with them.

On their behalf, we would ask that their privacy is respected at this extremely distressing time for them.
Outgoing Tesco chairman John Allan is stepping down from his role chairing housebuilder Barratt Developments amid allegations of misconduct towards women he worked with at the supermarket chain.

Barratt has requested that Mr Allan leaves his post as chairman on June 30, bringing forward the end of his nine-year tenure that was due to finish in September.

It comes after Tesco announced on Friday that he would be standing down from the helm of their board next month as it said the allegations of misconduct by the businessman 'risk becoming a distraction'.

Mr Allan - who was also previously president of the CBI - blamed 'anonymous and unsubstantiated allegations' of misconduct against him for the decision by the Barratt board to end his tenure early.

John Allan (pictured) blamed 'anonymous and unsubstantiated allegations' of misconduct against him for the decision by the Barratt board to end his tenure early

The construction firm stressed that it has not received any complaints about Mr Allan during his time at the company.

But it said it was 'in the best interests of Barratt to accelerate the planned transition to the new chairman of the board to prevent the ongoing impact of the allegations against John from becoming disruptive to the company'.

It comes after Mr Allan faced four allegations in the media in relation to his personal conduct, three of which he 'vehemently' denies, and one over which he 'unreservedly apologised' for inappropriate comments made to a female member of staff.

In a separate statement, Mr Allan said: 'It is with regret that at the request of the board I am stepping down as chairman of Barratt Developments Plc as of June 30 2023, ahead of finishing my tenure in early September as planned.

Barratt has stressed that no claims were made against the businessman during his time at the company

'My early departure from Barratt is a result of the anonymous and unsubstantiated allegations made against me, as reported in The Guardian which I vehemently deny.'

Barratt said Mr Allan would be replaced by non-executive director and chairwoman-designate Caroline Silver.

Jock Lennox, senior independent director at Barratt, said: 'The board is grateful to John for his nine years of service to Barratt.

'He leaves the company in a strong financial and operational position.'
The police watchdog has called on forces to be made aware of when criminal allegations are made against serving officers after a series of failures surrounding Wayne Couzens.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) says a national system should be introduced after reviews into the Met's handling of two allegations of indecent exposure by Couzens in 2021 and Kent Police's handling of a similar allegation in 2015.

Couzens would go on to kidnap, rape and murder Sarah Everard three days after the Met was informed he had allegedly indecently exposed himself in a McDonald's in Swanley in February 2021.

Today a police disciplinary panel found for PC Samantha Lee was guilty of gross misconduct over her failures in the initial investigation into the allegations involving Couzens.

It brought the total number of officers to face misconduct proceedings in relation to Couzens up to 11 - two of whom received prison sentences and seven of whom were sacked or would have been sacked if they were still serving.

Wayne Couzens, pictured, was alleged to have indecently exposed himself three days before kidnapping, raping and murdering Sarah Everard

Former Met police constable Samantha Lee, pictured, was found to have committed gross misconduct in her initial investigation into Couzens' indecent exposure

The watchdog said this evening it wants a national system brought into place that would make sure police forces are informed when serving officers have criminal allegations made against them.

It said it had already told the Met to consider doing this, as well as improve its initial investigation of sexual offences, but will also bring the suggestion before the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).

IOPC Director of Operations Amanda Rowe said: 'Wayne Couzens' horrific crimes appalled the nation, sent shockwaves through the policing world and deeply impacted on trust and confidence in the police service, particularly from women.

'Our investigations into the Met and Kent Police's handling of the indecent exposure allegations highlighted there is no system in place to alert forces when a police officer becomes a crime suspect.

'We believe this needs to change. It may not have prevented Couzens from committing his crimes, but if it is combined with the change in culture that policing recognises is necessary, it could help prevent it from happening again in the future. That's why we'll be exploring this possibility of this with the NPCC later this week.

'We have also been working closely with the Angiolini Inquiry, sharing evidence to inform its work looking at cultural issues within policing and addressing the broader concerns around women's safety in public highlighted by Sarah Everard's death.

'Our sympathies remain with Sarah's family for the heartbreak and anguish they have endured. We have discussed our reports and findings with them.'

Ex-PC Samantha Lee, pictured here outside her disciplinary hearing in Southwark on May 15, told a misconduct panel she was not aware she was the lead officer in the investigation into Couzens' alleged indecent exposure at a McDonald's restaurant

Couzens was a serving Met officer when he kidnapped and murdered Sarah Everard

In March of this year, Couzens was sentenced to 19 months in prison after admitting three counts of indecent exposure.

He was already serving life behind bars for kidnapping Ms Everard as she walked home through Clapham, south London, on March 3, 2021 and then murdering her.

The third indecent exposure incident relates to when Couzens exposed himself to a female cyclist on a Kent country lane in November 2020.

A misconduct hearing into the actions of PC Lee found she failed to make 'the correct investigative inquiries' over two incidents when Couzens exposed himself to female members of staff at a McDonald's restaurant in Swanley, Kent, on February 14 and 27, 2021.

Lee attended the restaurant on March 3 and interviewed manager Sam Taylor, hours before Sarah Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered by the serving Metropolitan Police firearms officer.

Lee was also found to have been dishonest about her actions when later questioned about the interview, claiming that she believed that CCTV at the restaurant was deleted automatically so there would be no footage of Couzens or the offence.

A simple computer check of the CCTV would have revealed Couzens was the registered owner of the black SEAT Exeo and given his home address.

Lee had told the misconduct hearing that she did not know she was in charge of the case and went on leave after the visit, assuming someone else would check it out further 'in a few days'.

She told the hearing that she had been 'shocked' after Ms Everard's murder to learn she had responsibility for investigating Couzens' earlier offences.

And she denied being lazy after being accused of carrying out 'a lamentably poor and rushed investigation', failing to acquire CCTV and spending just 15 minutes at the restaurant.

But panel chairman Darren Snow found that her dishonesty amounted to gross misconduct, and that had Lee still been a serving officer, she would have been dismissed from the force.

Couzens was sentenced to 19 months in prison in March this year after admitting three counts of indecent exposure. He was already serving a whole life tariff for murder

Couzens is currently serving a whole life term for the abduction, rape and murder of Ms Everard, 33, in March 2021

Court artist sketch of Couzens appearing at the Old Bailey in March via video link from HMP Frankland

In a separate investigation, completed in May 2022, the IOPC found a case to answer for misconduct against a Kent Police sergeant for failing to follow all reasonable lines of enquiry after it was reported that a motorist had indecently exposed himself to a pedestrian in 2015.

The watchdog said it gathered evidence that showed that while the man who reported the incident did not want to support the investigation, the officer did not carry out CCTV enquiries or seek to identify further witnesses; and did not contact Couzens to establish if he was still the registered keeper of the car allegedly involved, and where he was at the time.

In April this year Kent Police held a misconduct meeting for the sergeant who was found to have breached police standard for duties and responsibilities but that it did not amount to misconduct.

It was decided that he would undergo reflective practice, including training on sexual offences and input on investigative processes.

Ms Rowe added: 'PC Lee has now been held accountable for her actions and as a result of all of our investigations linked to Wayne Couzens, a total of 11 officers from four different forces have faced disciplinary proceedings.

'Two of those received custodial sentences for sending grossly offensive messages via WhatsApp, seven were dismissed or would have been dismissed if still serving, two received final written warnings and two received reflective practice.'
A British pensioner accused of murdering his terminally ill wife in Cyprus always did everything he could to help her, a court heard on Tuesday.

David Hunter, 75, last week told the Paphos criminal trial how he took the heartbreaking decision to end the suffering of his 74-year-old wife Janice.

He told how his teenage sweetheart was reduced to wearing nappies, was covered in skin lesions and could no longer stand from her devastating blood cancer.

Now, the final two witnesses in the trial have taken the stand, telling the court how Janice's condition deteriorated in the last years of her life and how she became increasingly depressed.

Through it all, they said, Mr Hunter remained a loving husband.

David Hunter (left) smothered his wife, Janice, in 2021 at their retirement home in Cyprus. Last week, he told the Paphos criminal trial how he took the heart-breaking decision to end her suffering from devastating blood cancer

The final two witnesses in the trial took the stand today, telling the court how Janice's condition deteriorated in the last years of her life, how she became increasingly depressed, and that Mr Hunter was a loving husband. Pictured: David and Janice Hunter seen on their wedding day

'Janice often told us that her great wish was not to be taken to the hospital. And I think David made this possible,' Helmut Kesting, a neighbour of the British couple, told the court today.

According to the Cyprus Mail, Kesting has lived with his wife in the island country since 2020. He described Mr Hunter as a 'quiet, reliable and reasonable man.'

'He and Janice always were very helpful and friendly to us,' he said.

Kesting described to the court how David and Janice were very loving with one-another, saying they were very proud of the relationship they shared.

'They invited us to their home and showed us a lot of pictures, photo albums of their past trips. I never heard shouting or fights. I believe they were in full harmony together,' Kesting told the court, the publication reported.

However, he said it was noticeable by 2021 - in the midst of the global Covid-19 pandemic - that Janice had become 'more and more depressed' having been 'optimistic' about her condition a year earlier.

He said that he and his wife had no contact with Janice in her final three or four months, as she did not wish to speak with anyone.

The Cyprus Mail reported that Kesting reacted negatively when he was asked whether Mr Hunter had ever complained of taking care of Janice.

Janice's hairdresser Anna Isaia also took the stand.

The news outlet said Isaia struggled to maintain her composure as she spoke of seeing Janice for the last time 'on the Wednesday before it happened'.

She told the court how Janice would often speak of how she was in severe pain, particularly in her final three months. During this time, Isaia said Janice had told her she couldn't sleep at night from the pain.

'I think she realised she didn't have long left. Last time I saw her she was really sad and cried,' she told the court, the Cyprus Mail reported.

'She lost a lot of weight. She was getting worse, struggling to move and walk.'

The hairdresser said Janice would visit the salon where she worked every two weeks, and that David would always accompany her.

She said David was 'very polite, he loved Janice a lot. It showed, he was very caring and loving. When we heard about what happened we didn't believe it. We never thought such a thing could happen.'

The final arguments will be heard by the court on June 22.

Mr Hunter (pictured in March, 2023) made his first statement in court last week and was visibly shaking as he gave evidence. He described how he took the devastating decision to end the suffering of his wife at their home in Cyprus

Janice died at the home she shared with David in December 2021. Mr Hunter has admitted to suffocating her to death, saying he did so after she 'begged' him to do so in order to end her on-going suffering. Mr Hunter went on to attempt suicide, taking drugs and alcohol with the aim of overdosing.

But medics managed to revive him before he was arrested on suspicion of pre-meditated murder  and he has since languished in a high-security jail in Nicosia.

Appearing in court last week, Mr Hunter - a retired miner - said he was forced to treat his wife himself at home due to Covid restrictions as her health deteriorated.

He told the court his wife was left crying out in agony 24 hours a day.

He broke down in tears as he told the court how he killed his wife after she 'begged' him for six weeks.

He said: 'I don't remember a lot of the last day. I went to make a cup of coffee and she started crying.'

He described how he went to the kettle and gripped the bench for support as his wife sat sobbing next door.

'The next thing I knew I put my hands on her,' he said, wiping tears from his eyes. 'When it was finished, she was a grey colour. She didn't look like my wife, and it was the first time I cried in many years.'

He described how he stood by her side and put his left hand on her nose and right hand over her mouth to smother her.

When prosecutor Andreas Hadjikyrou suggested that Mrs Hunter struggled and scratched him as he smothered her, Mr Hunter told him: 'She never struggled, she never moved. You are talking nonsense.'

Mr Hadjikyrou then suggested Mr Hunter had planned to kill his wife and did not tell her, to which he replied: 'I would never in a million years take my wife's life if she had not asked me.

'She wasn't just my wife, she was my best friend.' He added: 'She wasn't crazy, you haven't seen the strain of the last six years, what she's gone through.

'The situation, the pressure. I wouldn't like anyone to go through the last six months we both went through.'

The prosecutor responded: 'Mr Hunter, there are people that go through much worse pain.'

Mr Hunter said he didn't tell the doctors of his wife's suicidal wishes because she asked him not to, fearing they would take her into hospital. He didn't tell their daughter because he didn't want to 'worry' her.

After the cross examination finished, Mr Hunter asked to address the judge. He told him: 'My wife was suffering and she actually said, "I don't want to live anymore", and I still said no.

'Then she started to become hysterical. I was hoping she would change her mind. I loved her so much. I did not plan it, I swear to God.'

Giving evidence for the first time after over 20 appearances in 18 months, he said: 'For six weeks she asked if I could help her. For six weeks I refused.'

David Hunter with his wife Janice and daughter Leslie (left)

Describing her agony, he told Paphos District Court: 'She was lying down, she was in pain, suffering. I would do anything to help her. The last thing on my mind was to take her life. The last thing.'

Asked how the last few days were, Mr Hunter said: 'She was crying, crying, crying, begging, begging, begging.

'She wasn't taking any care of herself. The last two or three weeks she could not move her arms and had trouble with her legs, she couldn't balance.

'She was only eating soup, she couldn't hold anything down. She lost a lot of weight. She lost so much weight that there was no flesh to put her injections in.'

He said in those final days he was 'thinking about what to do 24/7' before finally taking the decision to go through with it when she once more started crying out in pain.

Mr Hunter said: 'I remember that I had my hand on her mouth and nose. I don't even know how I thought about it. I don't know how long I kept my hands there for.

'She did not attempt to stop me I don't even think she opened her eyes.'

After she died, he kissed her forehead and told her he loved her, before confessing to his brother who alerted the police. He said he cannot remember being arrested or giving interviews to police.

In cross examination, the prosecutor said: 'I put it to you that you had decided to kill her and there was no common consent, and that you just had to decide what day to kill her on.'

Mr Hunter replied: 'No, I never intended to kill her. I had hoped for eight or nine days that she would get better, that she would change her mind.'

He added: 'The last thing on my mind was to take her life - the last thing', before pointing to the prosecutor and saying: 'That's his idea, that's not my idea.'

Earlier he told how he met his wife when she asked him for a dance at a miners' hall party in Northumberland.

'She came up to me and said, "You're sitting in my seat." I hadn't ever seen such a beautiful woman,' he said.

From there, they were always together, he said, and they married in St John's Church in Ashington in 1969.

Asked how their marriage was, he said: 'Perfect.' He told how he worked seven days a week in the mine to pay for their only child, Leslie, to become the first member of the family to go to university.

Police custody vans arrive at Paphos District Court where David Hunter is on trial (May 15)

He and his wife would visit Cyprus on holidays and bought a property there in 1999 before moving across two years later to retire there.

Mr Hunter said: 'The first 16 years before she got sick, apart from a few operations, it was absolutely fantastic.'

But Mr Hunter suffered a stroke in 2015 and it was on regular trips to the hospital for his treatment that a doctor noticed his wife was looking very pale.

She was diagnosed with blood cancer and had to go to the capital Nicosia every week for procedures and injections.

As her condition deteriorated she asked to go to Paphos General Hospital because she couldn't face the journeys, but when Covid hit it was closed and so they kept her injections in their fridge and self-medicated.

Mr Hunter told how he called the hospital five times a day but there was no answer, and he was forced to travel to centres further away for help and supplies.

She had two 125 euro injections per week but started suffering side effects including diarrhoea, headaches, dizziness and nose bleeds.

Mrs Hunter's haemoglobin levels were such that she was unable to take painkillers and was left in agony at home, unable to move.

In her last months she underwent a series of operations for skin lesions on her face and hands, as well as a knee operation and another for her collarbone.

Speaking after his hearing, Mr Hunter told the press he was happy to finally give his account after waiting for 18 months.

'I got my say, this is what I wanted,' he said. 'To tell them things that they never even thought about.

'For six weeks when she was asking me, it was 24 hours. She was my wife, my best friend.

'The last six months, I wouldn't like anyone to go through that. Prison is nothing compared to what we went though.'
A pizza restaurant worker high on drink and drugs killed a woman and her three golden retrievers after smashing into them in his Audi TT as they walked in Chelsea, a court heard.

Laszlo Dancs, 28, today pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving of 41-year-old Olivia Riley, the stepdaughter of famed author Lucinda Riley who wrote the Seven Sisters series.

Ms Riley died along with her two golden Labradors, one of them called Lily, and golden retriever Darcy, on May 14 last year when intoxicated Dancs drove his Audi TT into her.

He allegedly drove at speeds of more than three times the 20mph limit before losing control of the car.

Officers and paramedics were called to Cheyne Walk in west London at 6.21am but Ms Riley, from Suffolk, was found dead at the scene.

Olivia Riley (pictured with dogs) died at the scene on May 14 after being struck by an Audi TT

Laszlo Dancs has pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at the Old Bailey (pictured the scene of the crash)

Dancs, a team leader at a well-known north London pizza restaurant, further pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated with a controlled prescription drug over the prescribed limit, and driving while over the alcohol limit.

He entered a not guilty plea for refusing a breathalyser test at the Old Bailey.

Dancs, who suffered minor injuries, had 128mg of benzoylecgonine in his system and 137 milligrams of alcohol in a sample of blood, above the legal limit of 80 milligrams.

After her death Ms Riley's uncle Mark Riley paid tribute to a 'beautiful, fun-loving' woman who 'just lit up the room for everybody'.

He said she had been working as a literary assistant for her stepmother until she died last year from cancer.

Ms Riley (pictured) worked for many years with her stepmother, who started out as an actress in the 1980s and appeared in the comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet

Ms Riley was the stepdaughter of best-selling author Lucinda Riley (pictured), who died from cancer at the age of 56 in June 2021

Mr Riley said: 'Olivia was one in a million and nobody can come to terms with this tragedy, this loss. She saw the best in everyone.'

Judge Philip Katz KC bailed Dancs, from Acton, west London, ahead of sentence on July 28.

He said: 'You should expect a custodial sentence. I do not want you going home today thinking that just because I granted you bail you won't.'

He ordered a pre-sentence report and banned Dancs from driving with immediate effect.

Defending Dancs, Jeremy Dein KC said Dancs has given up his flat as he awaits to hear the result of the prosecution, and is currently living with a friend at an unnamed address.

Cheyne Walk is a mansion-lined road that stretches along the Thames embankment at Chelsea and has long drawn famous residents such as rock star Sir Mick Jagger.
Two Michigan State University students have launched a lawsuit against a former professor after she made them pay $99 to join her radical left-wing group, court documents say.

The students allege that former politics professor Amy Wisner solicited funds from around 600 students and donated money to Planned Parenthood - while also using some to purchase an RV for a trip around the US.

The suit was filed by the conservative non-profit Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of students, Nolan Radomski and Nathan Barbieri. The pair are quoted in the suit as believing abortion is the 'homicide of innocent children.'

One section of the suit claims the students enjoy learning about contrasting opinions in their schoolwork but believe being asked to fund organizations that are antithetical to their beliefs crosses the line.

In a now-deleted Facebook post, Wisner referred to her organization, The Rebel Community, as a 'safe place to co-ordinate our efforts to burn everything to the f***ing ground.' Her official syllabus called the group 'a global social learning community,' reports Michigan Live.

Former Michigan State University professor Amy Wisner is accused of forcing her students join her radical left-wing organization to the tune of $99 each

MSU students Nathan Barbieri, left, and Nolan Radomski, right, say in the suit that The Rebel Community's beliefs are antithetical to their own

The Rebel Community's logo. Wisner described the group as a 'safe place to co-ordinate our efforts to burn everything to the f***ing ground'

The lawsuit accuses Wisner of telling her students she would not benefit personally from their donations, around $60,000 in total.

It later emerged she had used some of the money to buy an RV to fund a 'road trip around the United States to co-create communities of rebels.'

A GoFundMe page set up to raise money for Wisner's grassroots trip has earned just $2,250 at the time of writing. The goal of the page is $100,000.

'My goal is to sit around kitchen tables and campfires facilitating conversations about important social issues and igniting action at the local level,' Wisner wrote of the trip.

Wisner's name does not appear on the school's directory. A school spokesperson told Michigan Live that Wisner is no longer employed at the school.

On April 7, Wisner wrote on her Facebook page that she was fired because MSU 'did not want [her] and my guest lecturers to teach diversity, equity, and inclusion to students in the core business communication class.'

'The battle over this issue started in October 2022 and ended about a month ago when they fired me for insubordination,' she added.

The former professor then used her platform to further promote The Rebel Community saying that the group was fighting the 'state of our education system, daily threat of gun violence, overt racism, sexism, antisemitism, xenophobia, ableism, ageism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of bullying.'

The students leading the lawsuit believe the group 'when directed against the idea of absolute truth or universal moral norms, is wrong.' The pair also 'reject all branches of "critical theory."'

'They do not wish to financially support the speech of others that contradicts their views, and they do not wish to become members of groups organized for the purpose of promoting messages that contradict their views,' another section of the suit reads.

Wisner said she was fired because the school 'did not want [her] and my guest lecturers to teach diversity, equity, and inclusion to students in the core business communication class'

The documents says that Wisner's actions were unconstitutional as they forced the plaintiffs to endorse ideas that they find objectionable

The documents says Wisner's actions were unconstitutional as they forced the plaintiffs to endorse ideas they find objectionable. In this case, the endorsement came in the form 'forced financial contributions,' the suit says.

Wisner spoke about her teaching in a 2022 interview, telling Greater Lansing Moms that her '600 students went on this personal growth journey and the outcomes were remarkable,' during the previous semester.

'In 14 years teaching at the college level I have never in all of that time gotten so much feedback from students about the transformation they have experienced during a single semester,' she also said.

In an online bio, Wisner describes herself as 'audacious and unapologetic.' The former professor says that she was once a 'rule-following good girl' therefore 'she can deeply empathize with anyone who struggles to break the rules.'

The activist also says that she stopped coloring her hair at the age of 40 and shortly afterwards became a single mom to two children via IVF.

'Becoming a single mom by choice is  undoubtedly  the most incredible decision Ive ever made in my life. It is VERY hard to be the sole provider... But, its also incredibly rewarding!,' Wisner said in her Greater Lansing Moms interview.

When asked in the same interview about how she managed to work at MSU, run The Rebel Community and be a mom, Wisner replied: 'I have no idea! Sheer desire, passion, and a bit of insanity? LOL.'

According to her LinkedIn page, Wisner is a graduate of MSU, studying marketing at the school between 1992 and 1996. In 2018, Wisner attained a PhD in communications at MSU.

Prior to going into teaching, Wisner worked for pharmaceutical giants Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline in sales.

Wisner moved into education in 2010, first teaching at Lansing Community College before moving on to the University of Michigan before landing at MSU.

'University professors cant force students to finance and support political advocacy groups that express messages they disagree with. Nathan and Nolan simply want to get a business degree without being compelled to pay membership fees that will be donated to Planned Parenthood or support speech that directly contradicts their religious beliefs,' ADF's Logan Spena said in a press release following the filing of the suit.

'Michigan State officials have violated the First Amendment and federal civil rights laws by authorizing professors to force students to support speech antithetical to their deepest values and faith,' Spena continued.

MSU's interim provost Thomas Jeitschko is also named in the suit. Earlier this year, the school took the decision to reimburse the students had contributed to Wisner's cause.
A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and charged over alleged threats to kill his classmates in an Adelaide Hills high school.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged after police searched his home and allegedly found a gun and a 'hit list' of targets.

He was reported to police last Wednesday and faced the Adelaide Youth Court on Thursday, 7News reported.

He was charged with making threats to kill or endanger life.

A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and charged over alleged threats to kill his classmates in an Adelaide Hills high school.

A South Australia Police spokeswoman told The Advertiser that detectives from Hills Fleurieu arrested the boy after an investigation.

The boy was reportedly released on bail with strict conditions, including not contacting a number of fellow students.

He is due back in court in June.
Despised paedophile Rolf Harris spent his final days battling neck cancer and being fed through a tube before succumbing to his illness aged 93.

The former children's entertainer, who died a fortnight ago, struggled to talk or eat as he spent a lonely existence at his 5million Berkshire home.

Harris had lived as a near-recluse since being freed from jail in 2017, accompanied only by his wife Alwen and their carers.

The 91-year-old, who had always stood by Harris and refused to believe he was evil, was also ill with Alzheimer's disease and used a wheelchair.

The couple's daughter Bindi had no comment when asked about her father's illness. A family friend said that she has had 'nothing to say about him for years'.

Paedophile artist Rolf Harris had been married to his wife Alwen Hughes for 65 years

Harris being wheeled by his carer while wearing a facemask

Harris has already been cremated after a 'secret' funeral, MailOnline understands.

A statement from his family, released through his solicitor, said: 'This is to confirm that Rolf Harris recently died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest.

READ MORE Disgraced TV host and musician who was once one of Britain's biggest stars Advertisement

'They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made.'

Private investigator, author and former police officer William Merritt, author of the book Rolf Harris: The Truth behind the Trials, told MailOnline that he last 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 have 'gurgled' when talking.

His wife Alwen, who he had been married to for 65 years, has also been seriously ill with Alzheimer's. 'She's very frail', he said.

It understood Harris' health took a turn for the worse after the sudden death of his poodle earlier in 2022.

Harris has already been laid to rest in a 'secret' funeral, MailOnline understands. He's seen with his wife and their daughter, Bindi, in a family photo in 1967

Harris married his sculptor wife in March 1958 after meeting at art school. Bindi is their only child.

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 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.

The 5million Berkshire home where Harris spent his final days as a virtual recluse

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 lived a reclusive life in the 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'.

'(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.
A scientist has sued the University of California at Santa Cruz after he was required to submit a 'diversity, equity and inclusion' statement with his job application.

Former University of Toronto professor J.D. Haltigan claims his First Amendment rights were violated by the requirement, in the lawsuit filed last week.

The DEI prompt requires applicants 'give examples of a candidate's past contributions to diversity, demonstrate an understanding of the particular diversity and equity related issues and needs in a candidate's field, or in higher education more generally, and/or discuss the candidate's vision for how they might make contributions to diversity in the future,' according to UCSC's website.

The statements are then scored by school officials who use a rubric to grade them from 1 to 5 based on the applicant's knowledge of DEI, experience with it and plans to 'advance it.'

The school has asked job applicants to include DEI statements since 2005.

Former University of Toronto professor J.D. Haltigan says his First Amendment rights were violated by the University of California at Santa Cruz' 'diversity, equity and inclusion' statement requirement

The statements are then scored by school officials who use a rubric to grade them from 1 to 5 based on the applicant's knowledge of DEI. University president Michael Drake (pictured) is named in the lawsuit

Haltigan, a developmental psychologist, says he was asked to provide a DEI statement after finding a job opening at UCSC that he felt he was qualified for.

'Many public intellectuals, academics, legislators, and investigative journalists have raised alarms about the use of the DEI rubric on several grounds including civil rights, discrimination, and more generally the degradation of academic research and teaching in the university setting,' said Haltigan on a blog post last February.

'I share these views and believe the DEI rubric in the Academy has also contributed to creating a corrosive and hostile environment that is intolerant of viewpoint diversity and is anathema to high-quality research and teaching.'

Following the blog post, Haltigan was contacted by attorneys with the Pacific Legal Foundation, which has been involved in the 'issue of DEI statements for a couple of years,' according to Haltigan's lead attorney Wilson Freeman.

'Were committed to cases like this because we strongly believe in the principle of freedom of thought,' he told DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

'Under the First Amendment, the government cant use eligibility for a government benefit, such as a position on the faculty of the University, to leverage people into expressing agreement with a specific political ideology. That is as true today for DEI as it was for anti-communism in the 1950s. People seeking a government job should be judged on merit, not an ideological litmus test.'

'We think it's an important issue propagating, what we see as, a sort of orthodoxy throughout the academy,' Haltigan's lawyer added.

'We think it's a threat to the First Amendment and academic freedom. We think it's especially bad at the University of California.'

Haltigan's lawsuit names University of California President Michael Drake, UCSC Chancellor Cynthia Larive, UCSC Psychology Department Chair Benjamin Storm and UCSC Social Sciences Dean Katharyne Mitchell.

It calls the requirement an 'unconstitutional form of compelled speech' and accuses the university of demanding a 'modern-day loyalty oath for professors who seek to join the faculty,' comparing the requirement to anti-communist pledges during the McCarthy era in the Cold War.

The lawsuit also claims Haltigan would have to 'express ideas with which he disagrees' to qualify for the job, arguing this violates his Free Speech rights.

Moreover, it states the DEI requirement 'penalizes certain viewpoints and drives those viewpoints from the marketplace of academic hiring.'

Haltigan, who currently works as an independent scientist in Pennsylvania, never applied for the job and wants to do so without the DEI statement requirement, according to his lawyer.

He wants the University of California to axe all DEOI statement requirements and acknowledge they violate the First Amendment.

The lawsuit, which names USC president Michael Drake and Psychology Department Chair Benjamin Storm, calls the DEI requirement an 'unconstitutional form of compelled speech'

Haltigan wants the University of California to axe all DEOI statement requirements Pictured are UCSC Chancellor Cynthia Larive and UCSC Social Sciences Dean Katharyne Mitchell

DailyMail.com has reached out to Haltigan for comment on this story.

'UC Santa Cruz DEI statement requirement is nothing more than a rebranding of the unconstitutional loyalty oaths that proliferated during the Cold War,' Freeman said.

'Universities are not permitted to discriminate against applicants because of their political views. UCs DEI statement screening is a thinly veiled attempt to do exactly that.'

UCSC told DailyMail.com they have not yet been served by the lawsuit and will have no comment on it until they have a chance to review it.

The scientist's lawsuit is one among many efforts targeting DEI policies in schools across the nation.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning diversity, equity and inclusion programs at state colleges.

DeSantis, among other leading Republicans, has taken an aggressive stance against so-called 'woke-ism' in American colleges and universities, including programs that push DEI and the much maligned Critical Race Theory.

Meanwhile, the University of North Carolina voted to ban students and staff from being forced to make DEI statements in February.

It decision was made just days after another North Carolina school - N.C. State University - reversed a requirement asking applicants to answer an essay question affirming the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda.

The school started including the question in 2021 on applications saying the university is 'committed to building a just and inclusive community' and rejects 'unjust or inhumane treatment' and will denounce it 'clearly and loudly.'

The applicant is then asked to write a 250-word essay describing 'what those words mean to you and how you will contribute to a more diverse and inclusive environment.'

Now, with the board's decision, the university 'shall neither solicit nor require an employee or applicant for academic admission or employment to affirmatively ascribe to or opine about beliefs, affiliations, ideals, or principles regarding matters of contemporary political debate or social action as a condition to admission, employment, or professional advancement.'
Citing surveillance footage that shows Paul purchasing several cases of beer at Green's Kitchen before the crash, Judge Daniel Hall ruled to let the suit move on

Arrived at Friday, the ruling comes more than four years after a 19-year-old Paul Murdaugh illegally purchased the booze before a night of boating with friends

The convenience store accused of selling Alex Murdaugh's youngest son beer the night of a fatal boat crash will now be subject to a wrongful death lawsuit, a judge has ruled.

Arrived at Friday in South Carolina, the ruling comes more than four years after a 19-year-old Paul Murdaugh illegally purchased the booze - with his brother's ID - before a night of boating with several friends, including the late Mallory Beach.

The crash ensued after an inebriated Paul plowed the boat belonging to his parents into a bridge at speed, killing Beach and injuring the others on board.

Beach was 19 at the time time, and the February crash eventually became a central event in Paul's father's high-profile trial, with prosecutors arguing the crash may have fueled his decision to kill his wife and second-born son a few years later.

Apart from the case - which saw the blue-blooded legal scion sentenced to life in prison in March - the crash also resulted in a wrongful death suit against Paul's older brother Buster, as well as the chain that sold the teen the alcohol, Parker's Kitchens.

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On Friday, citing surveillance footage that shows Paul purchasing several cases of beer from Parker's Kitchen employee Tajeeha Cohen, Hall ruled to let a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the Georgia and South Carolina chain to move on

Arrived at Friday in South Carolina, the ruling comes more than four years after a 19-year-old Paul Murdaugh (flanked by his parents) illegally purchased the booze with his brother Buster's ID before a night of boating with several friends

Passengers included the late Mallory Beach, who died after an allegedly inebriated Paul piloted the boat into a bridge. The wrongful death filed by her family naming the store as a defendant is now set to move on

Filed by Beach's family, both suits have since moved through the Palmetto State legal system slowly - with Murdaugh now serving a life sentence that started in March, and Beach's parents only reaching a settlement with Buster this past January.

The sum of that settlement was unspecified, but according to sources who spoke to ABC News 4, it was a 'significant' amount.

Killed in 2021, Paul never went to trial, but after the ruling from Sixteenth Judicial Judge Daniel D. Hall, that won't be the case for brass behind Parker's Kitchen, who run 58 stores throughout coastal Georgia and South Carolina.

Earlier this month, the privately-owned company sought to dismiss the Beach family's suit, filing a motion that the 18-21-year-old boaters assumed the risks of traveling with a drunken pilot on the night in question.

On Friday, citing surveillance footage that shows Paul purchasing several cases of beer from store employee Tajeeha Cohen, Hall ruled to let the lawsuit move on.

The decision was first reported by Columbia daily newspaper The State, which learned of the development from insiders familiar with the matter.

Hall reportedly aired the decision to the principles in the ongoing legal battle, attorneys employed by Renee Searson Beach and Phillip Harley Beach and the Southern chain that for the past nine years has made the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America.

Copies of the order outlining the rationale for the court's ruling have yet to be uploaded to the South Carolina's online public court records system as of Tuesday - four days after the suit was filed.

Attorneys retained by Parker, however, have already issued a scathing response to the jurist's decision, in which lawyers slammed state officials for not throwing out the lawsuit immediately.

Paul, 19, used his brother's ID in order for him to buy the alcohol before the crash - something the cashier failed to notice when ringing up the second-born son of disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh on February 13, 2019

Surveillance footage now being used against the private owned chain - which operates 58 stores in South Carolina and Georgia - shows Paul walking off the alcoholic beverage towards a car toting the family boat, which he would then crash into a bridge while allegedly intoxicated

The potentially damning footage shows the teen, who was killed along with mother Margaret in June 2021, physically putting the beverages in the boat. It is believed he was drunk at the time of the accident, which left Beach dead and others on board injured

The speed boat, seen here, was badly damaged during the 2019 crash that killed Beach, which came while Paul was piloting it

Coolers full of beers were seen on the boat. The teens spent the evening at an oyster roast before Paul, 'already substantially intoxicated and over the protests of several passengers,' per the suit, 'steered the boat to a restaurant in Beaufort, where he consumed additional alcohol using his brother's driving license and the family credit card to make the purchase'

Blood is seen splattered on Murdaugh's boat after the incident, which became a central event in Paul's father's high-profile murder trial after prosecutors agued it motivated him to commit the killings to cover up his financial crimes

'While we believe summary judgment should have been granted, we remain confident a jury will use their common sense and find that Tajeeha Cohen and Parker's are not responsible for the death of Mallory Beach,' Parker's Kitchen attorney PK Shere wrote in an emailed statement.

Beach's family, meanwhile, responded to the ruling more favorably, issuing their own statement through their counsel that criticized the store's motion seeking to toss the lawsuit as being borderline slanderous.

'Parker's motion bordered on being frivolous and seems to have been intended to spread a false narrative, so we fully expected the judge to deny it,' Beach attorney Mark Tinsley said in a statement to Charleston-based ABC affiliate WCIV Friday.

'We look forward to concluding this matter in August and beginning to give the Beach family some semblance of closure', the attorneys added of the now inevitable hearing, slated for this summer.

A motion filed by the fast-growing chain - which was in the midst of a $50million expansion when the transaction occurred - sought to shoot down the suit as unfounded, claiming proprietors cannot be strictly liable for selling alcohol to a minor, citing one specific state law.

The law applies in cases where perpetrators produce fake IDs - something Paul was did not do when he used his older brother's actual state identification to illegally obtain the booze.

In their motion, lawyers retained by the convenience store company cited this fact, arguing the employee who facilitated the sale did not break any state laws by not noticing the ID was not actually Paul's.

The fateful transaction took place at this Parker's Kitchens location in Ridgeland. When the crash occurred, the chain was in the midst of a $50 million expansion into nearby Charleston

A motion filed by the fast-growing chain sought to shoot down the suit that slams them as responsible for the 19-year-old girl's death by arguing that under state law, proprietors cannot be strictly liable for selling alcohol to a minor - an argument that only applies to fake IDs

'When discussing a commercial vendor's duty based on alcohol regulatory statutes, the Supreme Court has spoken of these statutes together, clearly establishing that liability may not be considered without [the law's] knowledge requirement,' the motion read.

'[Renee] Beach offers no evidence showing that Parker's knowingly sold alcohol to an underage Paul Murdaugh.

'In fact, all of the evidence contradicts any such finding, entitling Parker's to summary judgment.'

A footnote in the six-page filing laid out the stores' other central argument - that all of those on board, while not of age to drink alcohol, were all adults and knew what they were getting into when they got into the speedboat with a drunken Paul on February 13, 2019.

'Notably, the risks assumed here did not "concern the ingestion of alcoholic beverages" by Mallory Beach herself,' the motion said of what led to the fatal crash, after which those on board said Paul was so inebriated that he was 'blackout'.

'The risk at issue was that of riding in a vehicle at night with a plainly drunk pilot.

'That risk is (1) appreciable by any adult, whether or not they are of legal age to purchase alcohol themselves; and (2) not the kind of risk that an 18-to-20-year-old might fail to appreciate under the policy recognized in [another case].'

That argument, though, failed to sway Judge Hall, who declared that on August 14, brass for Parker's Kitchen are required to refute the allegations in court if still insisting on their innocence.

Pictured: Paul (right) walking with the group of friends to the yacht on the night of the crash

Prior to Paul's death, one of the six teens on board the boat testified that they were scared to speak about the Murdagh family because they knew how to 'cover things up' - and painted a picture of an inebriated Paul who failed to heed his friends' warning before recklessly piloting the vessel into a bridge

Witnesses said there was a prevalent culture of drinking alcohol at the Murdaugh estate - where Paul eventually ended up murdered

Both Maggie and Paul were found gunned down at the South Carolina estate in June 2021

Prior to Paul's death, one of the six teens on board the boat testified that they were scared to speak about the Murdagh family because they knew how to 'cover things up' - and painted a picture of an inebriated Paul who failed to heed his friends' warnning before recklessly piloting the vessel into a bridge.

All of the survivors told the authorities that Murdaugh was drunk - and that there had been heated arguments before the fatal accident over his determination to drive his boat.

On of those was Beach's boyfriend, Anthony Cook, who testified in the incident's immediate aftermath he actually offered to get them all an Uber home - but Murdaugh was insistent they would travel by boat despite the fog and a lack of light.

Cook further told attorneys that Murdaugh had a 'crazy' alter-ego called 'Timmy' - who only came out when he was drunk.

The whole way everybody was fighting and arguing. We drifted around in circles numerous times,' Cook told officers on the night in question.

'We idled along.Miley was steady hollering that she had to work the next morning. She was ready to go.

'All Paul was doing was making a fool of himselfthen for some reason Paul acted like he was on drugs or something.

'He started taking off his clothes during one of the arguments and it is 40 degrees outside.'

According to Cook, Murdaugh stripped 'all the way down to his boxers' before crash - all while belligerently refusing to let anyone else drive.

Both Cook and Altman told how Murdaugh, 'slapped, pushed and spat' on his girlfriend Doughty as the bitter arguing continued.

Asked if Murdaugh had ever spat on her when he was sober, Doughty replied, 'No.' She admitted to having witnessed him smoking weed and taking cocaine on other occasions.

Describing the terrifying scenes as the youngsters begged Murdaugh to let someone else drive, or just take them home, Altman recalled, 'I yelled at him once and he just told me..he was like..shut the eff up and sit the eff down. Nobody else is driving my boat.'

Doughty told how she and Beach cowered in the boat with their arms 'intertwined,' as Murdaugh continued the journey that was doomed to end in such tragedy.

Ultimately, Cook remembered, the boat suddenly took off. In a chilling recollection he said: 'We went from a two-mile-per-hour idle to the bow of the boat sticking up in the air and I went to the back.'

Family patriarch Murdaugh was sentenced to life in prison for wife and son's deaths in March

Cook pulled Beach down next to him and held on to her but the next thing he knew, he testified, he was 'waking up' in the water, grabbing at piles of weed and debris and fighting against the swift current and frigid temperatures.

The survivors then quickly established that nobody could locate Beach. Her body was found a week later.

In January 2023, after months of negotiations, hearings and a failed mediation, 'several defendants' including Buster settled with the Beach family and three of the other surviving passengers in the fatal crash.

Three months later, Murdaugh was found guilty of murdering Paul and wife Margaret, marking the close to a sensational case that further dragged the family's name through the mud.

He is serving two consecutive life sentences.
The man suspected of viciously slaying four University of Idaho students chose to 'stand silent' during his arraignment in a move that experts have speculated could be to 'avoid criticism' and keep negotiations open for a plea deal.

Bryan Kohberger, 28, sat silently as a judge read aloud the murder and burglary charges set against him during the Monday hearing before asking him to enter his plea.

His lawyer Anne Taylor proceeded to tell the judge he would be choosing the unconventional legal strategy - also known as 'standing mute'. This relies on a criminal rule that requires the judge to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf.

It allows Kohberger to avoid verbally committing to being guilty or not guilty in connection with the November 2022 slayings of Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Madison Mogen.

Bryan Kohberger, 28, sat silently as a judge read aloud the murder and burglary charges set against him during the Monday hearing before asking him to enter his plea

His lawyer Anne Taylor proceeded to tell the judge he'd be choosing the unconventional legal strategy - also known as 'standing mute' - which requires the judge to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf

'It doesn't matter what he says or doesn't say,' Seattle attorney Anne Bremner told CNN. 'Either way, he's on the record with a not guilty plea.'

After a more than six-week investigation into the stabbings, police arrested the 28-year-old Ph.D student at nearby Washington State University in connection with the murders.

Kohberger was detained on December 30 in Pennsylvania after driving cross-country to spend the holidays with his family in Albrightsville.

On Wednesday, a multi-court indictment was filed against the 28-year-old, including four counts of first-degree murder.

Family members sobbed as the judge read the names of each of the victims, according to reporters present in court.

If convicted, Kohberger could face the death penalty, or life in prison without the possibility of parole, and fines.

He told the judge he understood the felony charges against him.

Maddie Mogen (top) Kaylee Goncalves (left) Xana Kernodle (right) and Ethan Chapin (center) - all students at the University of Idaho - were knifed to death on November 13 in the quiet college town of Moscow

University of Idaho law professor Samuel Newton has suggested that the unusual strategy is often used when a defendant wants to avoid criticism and may spark outrage if seen not taking responsibility for their alleged actions.

Newtown also suggested that Kohberger's attorney could be considering a not guilty plea by reason of insanity because there is no insanity plea in Idaho.

The suggestion that Kohberger could also be 'difficult' and 'not wanting to cooperate' was also floated as a possibility by the professor.

Criminal defense attorney Richard Blok told NewsNation's Ashleigh Banfield on Monday that it 'seems really strange' if Kohberger is trying to 'work up an incompetency defense' to do it in this manner.

'This is not a good way to do it,' Blok said.

He suggested Taylor could struggle to get Kohberger to do what needs to be done to present a good defense in the case.

'I think more than likely, Anne Taylor has got a really difficult client who's going to be a problem,' Blok said.

The Moscow, Idaho, home where the murders took place is now boarded up

Ethan and Xana were found on the floor below, with Xana discovered slumped over on the floor of her bedroom in the off-campus home

Best friends Kaylee and Madison were discovered dead in bed next to each other

'And she's gonna have a lot of trouble controlling him and getting him to do the things he needs to do to present a good defense.'

Another criminal defense attorney, Jessica Bublitz, told NewsNation that many attorneys in Idaho believe standing silent in response to a grand jury indictment gives an advantage when it comes to challenging that indictment.

'I don't personally think that it would make a difference, but my impression is that this is likely just Anne Taylor's method, par for the course for her, when she has a client in the situation where they're going to be potentially challenging a grand jury indictment,' Bublitz said.

Speculation that Kohberger was using the move to avoid the death penalty has also been suggested.

Criminal defense attorney Sara Azari said the strategy is 'smart' when attempting to appease families of the victims.

Kohberger was indicted by an Idaho Grand Jury who heard the evidence in secret and decided to send the case to a full trial. He is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary

'We say silence is golden ... [It's about] leaving the door open so that if this is a really bad case in terms of irrefutable evidence and he does in fact, ultimately, plead guilty in exchange for the death penalty to come off or what not, that he's not now p****d off four hurting, reeling families,' she said.

Prosecutors now have 60 days to inform the court whether they will seek the death penalty in the case. A tentative trial date was scheduled for October.

Two hearings are also scheduled for June 9 to address motions, filed by an attorney representing the family of Goncalves and a media coalition, regarding concerns over the wide-ranging gag order in the case.

The restriction currently prohibits prosecutors, defense lawyers, attorneys for victims' families and witnesses from publicly discussing details of the case that are not already public record.
A 20-year-old man from Illinois drowned after he became stuck in waste-high silt while walking on mud flats in Alaska and rising tides submerged him in water.

Zachary Porter had been walking with friends along the flats when he became caught in the mud on Sunday evening.

After unsuccessful attempts by friends to free him from the silt, authorities were called but rescue teams were also unable to release him in time.

He died around an hour later but his body was not recovered until the next morning, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Zachary Porter, 20, drowned after he became stuck in waste-high silt while walking on mud flats in Alaska and became submerged in water. Pictured is a view across the Turnagain Arm in Alaska

On May 21, Porter and his friends were walking along the Turnagain Arm mud flats near Hope, a small community of about 80 people. Pictured is a view of the small town

On May 21, Porter and his friends were walking along the Turnagain Arm mud flats near Hope, a small community of about 80 people, an hour-and-a-half drive from Anchorage.

The group were between 50 and 100 feet from shore when Porter became stuck in the softening silt, Girdwood Fire Chief Michelle Weston told Anchorage Daily News.

State Troopers said one of his friends called 911 immediately after he became stuck, at around 5.45pm. When the first rescue teams arrived soon after 6pm Porter was waist-deep in mud.

Girdwood fire crews and two air ambulances were called to assist local responders at 6.13 pm, said Weston, but when Girdwood crews made it to the scene at around 7pm Porter was already underwater.

One man who tried to save Porter was flown to Anchorage with hypothermia, troopers said.

The fire department is around 47 miles from where Porter became stuck and Weston said it can take up to an hour to drive there.

Weston told Alaska Public Media that mud rescues can take 10 to 30 minutes so getting help quickly is crucial.

'There needs to be a threshold of time between when someone's stuck to when the crew gets there and arrives and then for the crew to actually work to get the person unstuck,' she said. 'And it's a race, usually, against what the tide is doing.'

The Turnagain Arm is a 48-mile-long estuary carved out by glaciers that travel southeast from the Anchorage area and which parallels a major highway that often takes tourists south from Anchorage.

At low tide, the estuary is known for its dangerous mud flats of silt created by glacier-pulverized rocks.

A 20-year-old man from Illinois drowned after he became stuck in waste-high silt while walking on mud flats in Alaska and rising tides submerged him in water

Accidents on the flats are common. Earlier this month, a man was rescued from the mud flats after one leg became stuck and he sank to his waist while fishing near the mouth of Twentymile River.

It has been around ten years since someone last died on the flats.

In 2013, Army Captain Joseph Eros died while trying to cross from Fire Island back to Anchorage.

In 1988, newlyweds Adeana and Jay Dickison were gold dredging on the eastern end of the arm when her ATV got stuck in the mud, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

She became stuck when trying to push it out and drowned in the incoming tide.

In 1978, an unnamed Air Force sergeant attempting to cross Turnagain Arm was swept away with the leading edge of the tide. His body was never found, the Anchorage newspaper reported.

'It's big, it's amazing, it's beautiful, and it's overwhelming,' Kristy Peterson, the administrator and lead EMT for the Hope-Sunrise Volunteer Fire Department, said of Alaska.

'But you have to remember that it's Mother Nature, and she has no mercy for humanity,' she added.

Peterson, who responded to the call, spoke with others in Porter's party but didn't talk to him during the rescue attempt.

'When we respond, we respond with the utmost of good intentions and as mothers and fathers and uncles and brothers,' she said. 'We respond with as much passion and vigor as we can.'

'I have been in contact with all my members, and they're all heartbroken,' Peterson said. 'This is a hard situation.'

At low tide, Turnagain Arm is known for its mud flats that 'can suck you down,' Peterson said. 'It looks like it's solid, but it's not.'

When the tide comes back in, the silt gets wet from the bottom, loosens up and can create a vacuum if a person walks on it. Signs are posted warning people of hazardous waters and mud flats.

'I've really got to warn people against playing the mud,' she said. 'It's dangerous.'

Peterson said they got the rescue call after Porter was in serious trouble, and it takes time to mobilize. Another department - about an hour's drive away - also responded.

Peterson urged people to call 911 as soon as possible.

'If you think that there's an issue, if you think that there even might be an issue, call,' she said. 'Because we can get resources moving, and we would rather turn around and go home than it be a disaster.'
The book, written by Anthony Swofford, recounts his service in the Marine Corps during the war and his physical, mental and emotional struggle

A Michigan school district has voted to ban a U.S. Marines memoirs from their libraries after parents raised concerns that it showed the military in a bad light over its use of sex and violence.

The Hudsonville Public Schools (HPS) board narrowly decided to remove 'Jarhead' from its libraries last Monday after a vote of 4-3.

'Jarhead' by Anthony Swofford, recounts his experience of fighting for the Marines in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War.

The decision to remove the veteran's book came after a heated two hour debate and discussion on the matter.

The book is not required reading in the school district and is not an option at a book club and since 2010 has been checked out only 21 times.

Jarhead recounts Swofford's enlistment and service in the Marines, and was published in 2003

Pictured: Author and ex-Marine Anthony Swofford during the premiere of 'Jarhead' in New York City

The book was first brought to the board's attention due to complaints from parents who said it disrespected the military and portrayed graphic scenes of violence and sex.

One community member told the meeting: 'We're here to fight against darkness.

'Jarhead has an extremely violent, vulgar, pornographic diatribe, and tonight, we will learn if HPS has any intention of taking any measures to protect our students from any flagrantly obscene content.'

In opposition of the ban, another said: 'We are allowing recruiters into schools where kids can sign on the dotted line, but they can't read about actual service members' and soldiers' experiences.'

Excerpts taken from the book include passages including: 'As a young man raised on the films of the Vietnam War, I want ammunition and alcohol and dope, I want to screw some w***** and kill some Iraqi m************. '

Another reads: 'I dont care about human rights violations in Kuwait City. Amnesty International, my ass.

'Rape them all, kill them all, sell their oil, pillage their gold, sell their children into prostitution. I dont care about the Flag and God and Country and Corps.'

On social media the banning of the book was also debated, with split opinions on the matter

One woman urged other concerned citizens to appear at the meeting in the name of common decency

Others declared the decision to ban the book as 'absurd' and that the memoir would let children see the reality of war

Pictured: Hudsonville High School where the meeting took place last week

One woman urged others to attend the meeting last week and support the motion to ban the memoir.

Their post shared the time and place of the meeting, saying: 'This is not a battle against people.

'It's a battle against DARKNESS! RISE UP ON MONDAY. WE NEED HUNDRED'S TO ATTEND!!'

Meanwhile another person said: 'This is absurd! War by definition is too violent. so, your children joined the military will be under an illusion that it will be a piece of cake. Let them see reality.

'Talk about people being snowflakes. Keep protecting them from reality and you and they will have a problem.'

Board members Nick Bolhuis, Greg Chanski, Mark Davis and Barb Hooper voted to remove the book; Andrew DeWitt, Ken Hall and Dawn Sneden voted to let it be.

In 2005, the memoir was made into a film and starred Jake Gyllenhaal alongside Jamie Foxx, with Sam Mendes directing.

Pictured: Gyllenhaal in character as Swofford in the 2005 adaptation of the memoir

For his role, Gyllenhaal was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actor

Pictured: Gyllenhaal (left) and his co-star Peter Sarsgaard as Corporal Alan Troy (right)

For his role as Swofford, Gyllenhaal was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Actor and William Broyles Jr. was also nominated for Best Screenplay.

In a 2005 New York Times article, it was noted that war veteran and writer Joel Turnipseed felt his work in his 2002 book Baghdad Express was plagiarized.

Broyles Jr. responded saying that similarities arise from the retelling of common wartime experiences.

The film spawned three direct-to-video sequels which are all works of fiction and have no connection to the original.
A man has been charged with attempted murder after a woman was shoved into a moving subway car leaving her with a broken neck and spine.

Kamal Samrade, 39, of Queens has been charged with attempted murder and assault in connection to the attack on 35-year-old Emine Ozsoy, who was hurled into the train pulling out of Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street station early on Sunday.

Ozsoy is in critical condition after the horrific attack while she was on her way to work after her spine was broken and face slashed to the bone. There is a possibility she might not walk again.

Suspect Samrade was caught smiling as he was led out of the NYPD Transit Bureau in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon wearing a gray t-shirt and blue Nike shorts.

Nancy Marrero, 45, of Long Island City, witnessed the attack and said the victim was walking down the subway platform, fixing her hair before she saw a man suddenly grab her head and push it into the side of the departing train.

'She didnt even see it coming. With open palms he just mushed her head  not her body  into the train. She just tumbled, just kept spinning because the train kept hitting her,' Marrero told the New York Post.

Kamal Samrade, 39, of Queens has been charged with attempted murder and assault

Emine Ozsoy was shoved into a NYC subway car which left her in critical condition with a broken spine

Marrero added: 'She just kept asking me, "Am I going to die?"'

Today NYC Transit President Richard Davey said: 'The NYPD acted quickly, using pictures from MTA cameras, to arrest a suspect and start delivering justice to the victim, who is in our thoughts at this terrible time. It's now up to prosecutors to pursue maximum consequences available under the law.

'It's now up to prosecutors to pursue maximum consequences available under the law.'

Marrero told The Post that Ozsoy immediately said she didnt know her attacker  or what had just transpired following the attack.

'I was like, "Do you know him?"' Marrero said.

'She was like, "I dont even know what happened." I said, "A gentleman just shoved your head into the train."'

'She was like, "Oh my God, I dont  I dont even I cant even remember what happened.

Ozsoy was on her way to work at the time of the attack.

'You could see the white inside, thats how bad it was,' the postal worker said of the resulting gash that laced its way down the womans bloody face.

'She said, "I dont feel my arms. I feel like theyre broken."'

Marrero said the suspect did not appear to be homeless or dirty looking. She says the attack left her traumatized.

'When I got home that evening, I was in tears because I just kept seeing her face, seeing how he just mushed her into that train,' Marrero said.

'I am so frightened, and my son is frightened for me for when I have to leave in the morning to go to work,' Marrero said.

'Now I keep my back against anything I can. Im traumatized.'

Cops lead Kamal Samrade out of NYPD Transit Bureau District 1, Manhattan, New York on May 23 2023 after he was charged with attempted murder

Kamal Samrade bows his head as he's led by cops at the NYPD Transit Bureau District 1, Manhattan, New York on May 23 2023

Kamal Samrade is led out of NYPD Transit Bureau District 1, Manhattan, New York on May 23 2023

Kamal Samrade has been charged with attempted murder after Emine Ozsoy was shoved into a moving E train on Sunday morning

Samrade appears to turn his head away from waiting photographers after he's led out of the NYPD Transit Bureau District 1, Manhattan, New York on May 23 2023

Kamal Samrade, 39, is seen with his hands cuffed behind his back at the NYPD Transit Bureau District 1, Manhattan, New York on May 23 2023

A GoFundme page for the Turkish immigrant who lives in Jackson Heights described her as a 'beautiful soul', and said doctors had initially informed her friends she had a slim chance of recovering movement below the neck.

Shiv Patel, a friend and coworker who had set up the fundraiser for Ozsoy, wrote that she had gone against all odds to start moving her arms in hospital one day after the attack.

Patel's page - which refers to the victim as Emine Yilmaz - said her medical expenses had already reached a six figure sum.

'This fund is on behalf of Emine Yilmaz, a kind, beautiful soul who was tragically attacked on the New York City subway on her way to work,' Patel wrote.

'Emine is a source of joy as a friend, colleague, and human being. She's artistic, lighthearted, witty, and, above all, someone we consider family.

'Doctors initially informed us she had a slim chance of recovering movement below the neck. In just one day, she challenged that prognosis by moving her arms. It is a huge step, but her road to recovery will be long and challenging. She's a fighter and is already fighting to recover. She will get there, but she needs everyone's help.

'Her medical expenses have already reached six digits, and any donation will be gratefully accepted with an open heart.'

Patel continues: 'If you are unable to make a donation, please consider sharing this link to get the word out, or even keeping Emine in your thoughts.'

The fundraiser has already raised $6,330 raised of $200,000 goal.

'No one should have to face such a horrifying tragedy, especially when simply trying to provide for themselves. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all truly for taking the time to read this,' the post concluded.

Ozsoy fell backward onto the platform after her head was slammed into the train, leaving her with severe spinal injuries and lacerations to her head, authorities said.

The attacker fled the scene on foot, heading toward the Second Avenue exit after the attack.

The surveillance photos, released by police Sunday night, show the alleged attacker wearing a black shirt with a white rim, blue jeans and white sneakers. The man appears to be holding a cup of coffee while standing on the platform.

Kamal Samrade, 39, flanked by cops at the NYPD Transit Bureau District 1, Manhattan, New York on May 23 2023

Samrade hangs his head as he's walked out of the NYPD Transit Bureau District 1, Manhattan, New York on May 23 2023

The NYPD arrested the suspect, Kamal Samrade, 39, on Tuesday

Kamal Samrade, 39, of Queens has been charged with attempted murder and assault

Police released two images of the suspect in the attack on Sunday after Emine Ozsoy was pushed into the moving train, leaving her in a critical condition

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

The NYPD claimed on Tuesday that there has been an 8.1 percent reduction in subway crime in 2023 thus far, including a 12.8 percent decrease in felony assaults.

'With the exception of 2021, in the heart of the pandemic, this marks the third lowest year to the start of the year when it comes to subway crimes in recorded history,' NYPD Deputy Chief Norman Grandstaff told the MTA board on Monday.

In 2023 so far, there have been three subway push to tracks, according to NYPD statistics. Overall, subway crime is actually down 8 percent this year.

Earlier this month, a homeless man was killed by a former marine at a Broadway-Lafayette station when a passenger, 30, threateningly entered the subway car.

The former marine, 24, then put him in a headlock until he was unconscious and died.

Last summer, a 26-year-old pregnant woman was struck multiple times by man wielding a wrench in Manhattan, leaving victim badly-injured.

27 people have been violently killed on the subway since March 2020, compared with an average of two a year in the five years before the pandemic began.

The NYPD revealed twenty-five people were shoved onto the subway tracks in New York City in 2022, killing at least two while others narrowly avoided death.

Lamale McRae, 41, randomly charged across the platform and knocked 32-year-old David Martin down into the tracks

One such attack was that of David Martin, 32, who was walking down the Wyckoff and Myrtle Avenue subway station in Brooklyn when Lamale McRae, 41, randomly charged across the platform and knocked him down into the tracks.

The attack was caught in a terrifying video which showed McRae - a career criminal who had served 20 years in jail for attempted murder - calmly placing his bag down on the subway before launching himself after Martin and then fleeing.

Figures from the New York City Police Department obtained by DailyMail.com revealed that 2022 has had more subway pushings than there were in all of 2021.

Manhattan saw at least six shovings - including both fatalities. The Bronx and Brooklyn saw at least three pushings each, and Queens saw one.

New York Citys subway crime rose by 30 percent in 2022. Multiple anti-crime initiatives were spurred by the rise in violence on a vital transit network.

Mayor Eric Adams has increased transit police presence, spending $20 million more per month on overtime costs since January, according to Bloomberg.
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday once again denied ever knowing or abusing E. Jean Carroll  after his accuser amended a defamation suit against him on a day he faced a zoom appearance in yet another New York courtroom.

His attacks came as his legal saga with Carroll stood to be extended once again. It has already resulted in a New York jury awarding her $5 million after finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation.

Trump's blasts came hours after Carroll amended an ongoing defamation case to reflect Trump's appearance at a CNN town hall, where he called his accuser a 'whack job' and called her claims fake hours after the jury reached its verdict earlier this month.

And in another indication of the legal thicket Trump finds himself in, his slams came on a day he is to appear in a Manhattan criminal court via zoom in the Stormy Daniels hush money case, where Judge Juan Merchan is set to explain a protective order placing limits on what he can post on social media relating to that upcoming trial.

'I dont know E. Jean Carroll, I never met her or touched her (except on a celebrity line with her African American husband who she disgustingly called the Ape,), I wouldnt want to know or touch her, I never abused her or raped her or took her to a dressing room 25 years ago in a crowded department store where the doors are LOCKED, she has no idea when, or did anything else to her, except deny her Fake, Made Up Story, that she wrote in a book,' Trump posted on his Truth Social website.

'IT NEVER HAPPENED, IS A TOTAL SCAM, UNFAIR TRIAL!'

Donald Trump said he 'never' abused E. Jean Carroll after a Manhattan jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded her $5 million. Trump immediately filed a notice of appeal after the verdict in the federal trial. On Tuesday he attacked the judge who oversaw the case after Carroll amended a second defamation filing

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

His lengthy post came after his lawyer Joseph Tacopina declined to respond to a request for comment.

The judge overseeing the trial that resulted in the $5 million awards, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, had last month warned Trump about his social media postings while the case was proceeding. He warned Tacopina it was 'a new source of potential liability,' and Tacopina said he would address it.

Trump issued a second posting Tuesday where he connected the case, filed by a magazine writer who says Trump assaulted her inside a department store decades ago, to probes he faced in 2016 and as president.

'Page 2: The Carroll case is part of the Democrats playbook to tarnish my name and person, much like the now fully debunked Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, the 51 Intelligence Agents, FBI/Twitter Files, and so much more. It is being funded and tried by Democrat operatives, although this was denied by them, and when they got caught in the lie, the Clinton appointed judge would not let us use it in trial. Time will prove him to be highly partisan & very unfair,' Trump wrote.

'Wheres the dress she said she had?' he concluded.

Lawyers in 2020 had black wool dress Carroll said she wore during the encounter tested for genetic material.

E. Jean Carroll is seeking an additional $10 million damages from former President Donald Trump over comments he made about her in his town hall with CNN.

Trump denied knowing Carroll. His videotaped deposition featured Trump mistaking him for his former wife, Marla Maples

The writer's legal team filed new legal papers in a Manhattan federal court on Monday just two weeks after winning $5million when a jury found Trump, 76, liable of sexual abuse and defamation.

Her lawyers amended a separate defamation lawsuit to include the remarks he made to Kaitlan Collins on May 10 and a Truth Social post calling the New York verdict on May 9 a 'disgrace'.

'Trump's defamatory statements post-verdict show the depth of his malice toward Carroll since it is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill will or spite,' her lawyers wrote. 'This conduct supports a very substantial punitive damages award.

Carroll claims Trump raped her in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman in the 1990s. He has consistently denied the allegations and called them a 'complete con job'.

Carroll told the New York Times earlier this month that she was considering filing another defamation suit after Trump told CNN's Kaitlan Collins her 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'.

'It's just stupid, it's 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 then filed an appeal on the same day Carroll hinted she would sue again.

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 the televised town hall, 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

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.
CNN's ratings continue to plunge following the network's controversial town hall interview with Donald Trump.

Last week, the first full week since the May 10 town hall, CNN suffered its lowest-rated week since June 2015, averaging just 429,000 total daily viewers from Monday-Friday, according to ratings data cited by the Daily Beast.

MSNBC had more than double the daily viewers, with 976,000, while Fox News drew a daily audience of 1.4 million, despite a plunge in viewership following the firing of host Tucker Carlson earlier this month.

The May 10 Trump town hall attracted 3.3 million viewers, making CNN the most-watched cable news network that evening, according to Nielsen data -- but the network has been mired in controversy over the event and seen a drop-off in ratings in the aftermath.

During the live event, Trump repeated falsehoods about the last election in front of a cheering audience, angering critics, but CNN Chairman Chris Licht has defended the town hall as newsworthy and important.

Last week, the first full week since the May 10 town hall, CNN suffered its lowest-rated week since June 2015, averaging just 429,000 total daily viewers from Monday-Friday

The May 10 Trump town hall attracted 3.3 million viewers, but the network has been mired in controversy over the event and seen a drop-off in ratings in the aftermath

A CNN spokeswoman declined to comment, but pointed to ratings data showing that for the month through May 20, CNN reached the most unique viewers age two and older (39.173 million) and in the key 25-54 demographic (10.529 million), outpacing Fox News (35.422 million P2+ and 7.950 million P25-54).

Fox News has suffered its own ratings slump in the weeks following Carlson's departure, and last week the network was down 41 percent from a year ago in the key age demo, and down 24 percent in total viewers.

The last three weeks have been Fox News' lowest three weeks in total day ratings in the key demo since prior to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Many Fox News viewers seem to have fled for the smaller right-wing channel Newsmax, which has seen a ratings bump in three weeks since Carlson's firing, with viewership in the demo up 120 percent compared to the prior four weeks.

For both CNN and Fox, the damage seems to be heaviest in the primetime, and CNN has seen several of its primetime hours fall behind Newsmax since the town hall.

At CNN, the internal controversy over the Trump town hall has spilled over into public, with some of the network's top personalities loudly criticizing the decision to interview Trump in front of an audience of his cheering fans.

Last week, veteran correspondent Christiane Amanpour became the most prominent CNN journalist to publicly criticize her network over the town hall.

On May 12, two days after the town hall CNN averaged 325,000 prime time viewers, while Newsmax netted an average of 357,000

Chris Licht, CNN's new boss following the merger that created parent company Warner Bros Discovery, has defended the town hall

CNN's ratings continue to plunge following the network's controversial town hall interview with Donald Trump

Amanpour told a group of graduating students at Columbia University's graduate school of journalism on Wednesday that she would have 'dropped the mic' at 'nasty person,' a reference to when Trump lobbed that insult at moderator Kaitlan Collins.

She criticized CNN for hosting Trump at the live event in New Hampshire, where the 2024 presidential candidate repeated lies about the last election before a mostly adoring audience.

'I still respectfully disagree with allowing Donald Trump to appear in that particular format,' Amanpour said of the event.

Suggesting that live TV may not always be the right format for such events, Amanpour said: 'Some of the very best and even most fiery, compelling interviews are, in fact, taped and they are edited, not to change the context or the content or the truth or the intent, but to edit for filibuster and a stream of disinformation.'

Citing the precedents of past candidate debates or forums, CNN should have insisted 'that our invited guests behave themselves - no hooting, no hollering, no jeering, no cheering.'

Licht, CNN's new boss following the merger that created parent company Warner Bros Discovery, has defended the town hall.

In an internal call with CNN staff members last week, Licht noted that people in the town hall audience represented a large swath of America, according to the Associated Press.

'The mistake the media made in the past is ignoring that those people exist,' he said. 'Just like you cannot ignore that President Trump exists.'

Trump repeated a slur he used often on the 2016 campaign trail when he referred to interviewer Kaitlan Collins, the new anchor of the network's 9pm slot, as 'nasty'

Last week, veteran correspondent Christiane Amanpour became the most prominent CNN journalist to publicly criticize her network over the town hall

Last week, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav said CNN plans on getting more Republicans on the air as it seeks political diversity.

Zaslav said he and CNN chief Chris Licht have told Republicans 'they're not going to get one more vote on Fox News.'

'Our view is there's advocacy networks on either side,' Zaslav said at the SVB MoffettNathanson Technology, Media and Telecom Conference. 'We have the best journalists in the world. We need to show both sides of every issue.'

Advertisers 'don't want to be part of an advocacy network' but they do want to be part of a news network, Zaslav said.
An eco-zealot has bragged about how smearing paint on a Degas masterpiece woke 'people up with a shock' to climate change, even though the stunt damaged the priceless statue and cost taxpayers a fortune in repairs.

Activists identified as Tim Martin and Joanna Smith were arrested after daubing red and black paint on the case protecting Edgar Degas' Little Dancer Aged Fourteen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, last month.

The exploit  ostensibly aimed at spotlighting climate change  further damaged the already-cracked statue and kept dozens of staff busy on costly repairs that took until May 8 to set right.

This week, Martin, 54, an architect from Raleigh, North Carolina, shamelessly released a video via the activist group Declare Emergency defending his actions in one of America's best-loved art venues.

'The idea is that we wake people up with a shock, and we do it in a way that that engages and invites their emotional centers,' said the softly-spoken dad-of-two.

Tim Martin, 54, said he smeared paint on the statue's case, which damaged the artwork, to send a message about planet-heating gases

'We want to activate people's emotions so that they can stop ignoring and turning and looking the other way, because we cannot afford to look the other way anymore.'

The activist group Declare Emergency recruits volunteers who say they're willing to get arrested, and stages regular protests to pressure the Biden Administration to radically restrict fossil fuel use.

Poll Is highlighting climate change a valid reason to damage artworks? Yes No Not sure Is highlighting climate change a valid reason to damage artworks? Yes 2 votes

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UN experts say planet-heating gases are making Earth dangerously hot, but the US, China, and other world governments have set ambitious targets to reduce the risk by switching to clean energy sources over the coming years.

The gallery said the stunt was simply vandalism.

A spokeswoman told DailyMail.com of the harm to an 'inherently fragile figure' made of wood, clay, rope, paintbrushes, padding, lead, and wire, which is coated in a thin skin of beeswax.

'Damage is exacerbated by any movement, whether by vibration created when the plexiglass cover is hit or when the sculpture is physically moved to another location,' said the spokeswoman.

'The attack on April 27 brought about both conditions.'

Dozens of staff, including, carpenters, registrars, art handlers, conservators, scientists, and imaging specialists, were involved in repairs and clearing up  at considerable cost to the taxpayer-funded gallery.

Gallery 3 was closed for the rest of the day as police assessed the scene, and the statue was not back on public view until May 8. Its climate-controlled protective case needed extensive repairs.

'Even when cracks do not appear changed to the naked eye, microscopic and cumulative damage is always a concern,' said the spokeswoman.

The climate protesters were arrested after smearing paint on the case that houses Edgar Degas's Little Dancer Aged Fourteen at the National Gallery of Art in Washington

Gallery 3 in the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC was closed after the protest, and Little Dancer was not back on display until May 8

'Going forward, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen will require regular, extensive monitoring to observe any change in the cracks or other elements of her composition.'

Declare Emergency released a video of the two demonstrators smearing the paint, named them and said in a statement they had been arrested.

The US attorney's office for DC did not immediately detail whether any charges were brought against them.

Climate activists have increasingly turned to vandalizing artworks to draw attention to emissions of planet-heating gases  but most of these antics have targeted European galleries.

Campaigners last year splashed soup onto a Vincent van Gogh painting in Rome and another in London's National Gallery.

In Australia, activists graffitied and glued themselves to Andy Warhol art, while in The Hague, others glued themselves to Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring painting.
The families of two victims of a grisly quadruple murder in Moscow, Idaho have reserved their right to sue the city, court documents revealed.

Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, were among four University of Idaho students brutally stabbed to death in their off-campus home on November 13, 2022. Xana Kernodle and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, both 20, were also killed.

The families of Goncalves and Mogen have now filed legal documents that suggest they could sue the city of Moscow for damages, according to the notices filed to the city dated May 3 and 11.

Shanon Gray, an attorney representing the two families, told ABC News that while no lawsuit had yet been filed, the claims would allow them to sue within two years.

It comes just one day after accused killer Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old Ph.D student at nearby Washington State University, 'stood silent' while a judge entered a not guilty plea on his behalf over the murders of four University of Idaho students.

The families of Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, both 21, may sue Moscow, Idaho after the pair were murdered in a vicious quadruple stabbing in their off-campus home in November 2022

The notices obtained by the outlet do not specify what type of claim the families could make and the potential sum of money they could ask for remains 'undetermined at this time.'

'Filing a tort claims notice is really just a safeguard,' Gray said.

'It's a safeguard to protect the interests of the families, the victims and really the whole community around, because if something goes wrong, or was done improperly, then someone is held accountable for that.'

The Idaho Tort Claims Act is a law that creates liability for tort claims against government entities in Idaho.

It allows victims to bring claims against units of government. The Act creates rules and requirements for these types of claims.

Gray said he had also filed tort claims notices with Washington State as well as Idaho State.

'Those aren't meant to do anything other than protect the interests of the families and the victims moving forward,' Gray said.

Mayor Art Bettge told DailyMail.com: 'I cannot comment on this topic on advice of city attorney as it is a matter currently in litigation. My apologies for being unable to speak to the issues.'

Goncalves family were seen leaving Latah County Court earlier this year with their lawyer Shanon Gray (left). Earlier in the investigation Gray slammed investigators ability to solve a quadruple murder

Goncalves and Mogen were among four University of Idaho students brutally slain in their off-campus home in Moscow on November 13, 2022. Xana Kernodle, 20, and her boyfriend Ethan Chapin, 20 were also killed

After a more than six-week investigation into the stabbings police arrested Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old Ph.D student at nearby Washington State University, in connection with the murders.

Kohberger was detained on December 30 in Pennsylvania after driving cross-country to spend the holidays with his family in Albrightsville.

On Wednesday, a multi-court indictment was filed against the 28-year-old, including four counts of first-degree murder.

In his Monday arraignment, Kohberger chose to 'stand silent' meaning he did not enter a guilty or not guilty plea when asked in court.

In such cases, the judge records a not guilty plea on the defendant's behalf.

Family members sobbed as the judge read the names of each of the victims, according to reporters present in court.

If convicted, Kohberger could face the death penalty, or life in prison without the possibility of parole, and fines.

He told the judge that he understood the felony charges against him.

Prosecutors now have 60 days to inform the court whether they will seek the death penalty in the case. A tentative trial date was scheduled for October.

After a more than six-week investigation into the stabbings police arrested Bryan Kohberger, a 28-year-old Ph.D student at nearby Washington State University, in connection with the murders

In his Monday arraignment, Kohberger chose to 'stand silent' meaning he did not enter a guilty or not guilty plea when asked in court

Early in the investigation into the vicious slayings, Gray and the Goncalves family expressed frustration with the pace and lack of transparency by investigators.

Speaking with the Today Show in December, Gray openly slammed investigators ability to 'handle' a quadruple murder.

'We want to let them know that we were holding them accountable for their decisions,' Gray said.

'And if they are in over their heads, then acknowledge that and turn the investigation over to someone who is more versed in handling these types of matters.'

'I'm not sure they're capable of handling a quadruple murder,' he added.
A soldier, 42, who fought for Putin in Ukraine raped two schoolgirls the day after he returned home from his military service, say police.

The suspected paedophile threatened girls aged ten and 12 that he would blow them up with a grenade unless they submitted to him.

Wearing the uniform of 'convicts' army Wagner, he approached them near their school in Novosibirsk and forced them behind garages where he sexually attacked them.

The girls told their parents about the alleged rapes and said the man was wearing military fatigues and an insignia that matches Wagner private military company - showing a skull.

The alleged rapist - named only Sergei - was seen on a video as he was brought handcuffed to his interrogation.

The alleged rapist - named only Sergei - was seen on a video as he was brought handcuffed to his interrogation

He confessed and told police where he had taken the girls, say law enforcement.

Many Wagner recruits were convicts freed from jails across Russia to fight in Ukraine.

After six months at the front, Vladimir Putin promised them a pardon and liberty.

The suspect now faces between 15 and 20 years in prison if convicted.

He was remanded in custody for two months pending further investigations.

Critics of Putin for emptying the jails to send manpower to the war front have forecast a crime explosion when large numbers of convicts are pardoned.

Those sent to fight include murderers and rapists.

'Their minds will be warped even more by this appalling violence and killing at the frontline,' said one critic.
Rolf Harris has died aged 93 of neck cancer and old age, MailOnline can reveal today, and the Australian sex offender has already been 'laid to rest' following a secret cremation.

The disgraced TV star had been 'very sick' since leaving prison six years ago, living as a near-recluse with his wife in their 5million riverside mansion in Bray, Berkshire.

An undertaker's private ambulance was photographed outside his riverside home on May 11. Harris died there on May 10 - 13 days ago - but his death was only registered with Windsor and Maidenhead Council today. The document also revealed he has been cremated.

This afternoon, in a statement released by his solicitor, his family said: 'Rolf Harris recently died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest. They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made'.

The cause of death has been revealed as 'metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of neck' - the medical term for neck cancer - and 'frailty of old age'.

Paedophile Harris had been struggling to talk after cancerous tumours grew in his neck after he was freed from jail in 2017 for a string of sex offences including children as young as eight. He was fed through a tube before his death and was seen in a wheelchair when out of the house.

Rolf Harris' death certificate revealed his cause of death. He died at home on May 10 - 13 days ago

Disgraced paedophile Rolf Harris has died at the age of 93, MailOnline can reveal. He was last pictured in April 2022 (right)

Harris died at this riverside mansion (pictured)

A private ambulance with its rear doors open at the home of Rolf Harris and his wife Alwen around ten days ago

Rolf Harris (second left) and his wife Alwen Hughes (second right) were recluses and rarely left their home in Bray, Berkshire

In light of his conviction, Harris had his 2012 Bafta fellowship removed and was stripped of his CBE. He also had Australian honours taken away

He is survived by his grandson Marlon, 25, daughter Bindi, 59, and wife Alwen, 91, a jeweller and sculptor. She is in a wheelchair because of Alzheimer's disease but the couple, who married in 1958, lived together with the help of around the clock care.

Private investigator, author and former police officer William Merritt, author of the book Rolf Harris: The Truth behind the Trials, told MailOnline that he last met with 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'.

The Australian-born TV presenter was a family favourite for decades before being convicted of a string of indecent assaults in June 2014. These included 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 over 16 years. He was jailed for five years and nine months after being convicted of 12 assaults which took place between 1968 and 1986.

A private ambulance was parked outside the property on Thursday May 11, leaving at around 6pm. It has now emerged that he died the day before.

Mr Merritt said Rolf has had neck cancer and there have been serious concerns about his health, although he was 'getting on with things'.

He told MailOnline: 'I heard the news over the weekend and it's all very sad. Rolf was convicted of sexual offences, that much people obviously know, but he still had millions of fans all around the world.

'He doesn't have a large family, but I know that his immediate relatives will be extremely upset and will want to grieve in private.'

Due to the cancer, Rolf is said to have 'gurgled' when talking. His wife Alwen has also been seriously ill with Alzheimer's disease. 'She's very frail', he said.

Harris's 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'.

After getting neck cancer, Rolf Harris (pictured during the pandemic) could no longer talk or eat and requires around the clock care

A new ITVX documentary recently unearthed disturbing footage of Rolf Harris joking with Jimmy Savile about leaving a little girl 'safely in his arms'

Years before his conviction in 2014, Harris was given the honour of painting a portrait of the late Queen to mark her 80th birthday

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.

Mr Merritt said last year that Rolf prefered 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 Alzheimer's disease but the couple, who married in 1958 and have one child, lived 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 previously.

'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 hadn'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 Savile and Glitter,' Harris said.

Rolf Harris' is pictured with a dog at the RSPCA Animal Hospital in Putney, UK

'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.'
The country's top spy has confirmed neo-Nazis are growing in Australia - but warned the biggest threat to national security remains espionage.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) head Mike Burgess said neo-Nazis were staging public displays more often but monitoring these groups still didn't form the bulk of his organisation's caseload.

Appearing before a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, Mr Burgess said he had briefed Anthony Albanese after he claimed last week that right-wing extremism had 'for some time' posed a growing threat to Australia's security.

The Prime Minister made the comments after members of a neo-Nazi group performed the Sieg Heil salute during an anti-immigration rally in Melbourne on May 13 following similar public gatherings earlier this year.

Mr Burgess said these types of demonstrations were gaining prominence but that they were mainly aimed at recruiting new members and did not necessarily indicate the terror threat of neo-Nazi groups was growing.

Australia's top spy has confirmed neo-Nazis (pictured on May 13 in Melbourne) are becoming more emboldened

Neo-Nazis salute as they are ordered to leave the area during a heated political rally against racism on May 13, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia

'It's a sign that those groups are more emboldened and able to come out publicly in their recruitment to push their what they believe in and recruit to their cause,' he said.

'Does that mean there's been an increase in the numbers of them? I don't necessarily see that correlation.'

However, Mr Burgess said ASIO had witnessed a rise in the number of people who were drawn to neo-Nazi ideology for reasons the organisation didn't 'fully understand'.

He revealed ASIO's counter-terrorism investigation caseload dedicated to ideologically-motivated extremism, including the neo-Nazi movement, had grown over the past seven years from five per cent to about 30 per cent.

ASIO head Mike Burgess (pictured) said neo-Nazis were staging public displays more often

A group of men were photographed performing the Hitler salute as they celebrated the Nazi dictator's birthday at a restaurant in Melbourne

But the principal threat remained religiously-motivated extremism, taking up 70 per cent of the organisation's workload, Mr Burgess said.

He also revealed ASIO was monitoring for possible security threats and foreign interference as the 'Yes' and 'No' campaigns for the Indigenous Voice to parliament get under way.

'We are not seeing indications of people planning a terrorist attack as part of that, but that's something that we constantly look at, noting the terrorism threat level is still probable,' he said.

Mr Burgess said ASIO hadn't received any intelligence suggesting a foreign actor was planning to interfere in the referendum  to be held sometime between October and December.

But he said ASIO was keeping an 'open mind' to the possibility and remained on the lookout.

He said the debate in the lead-up to the referendum had the potential to result in spontaneous violence, but this would be a matter for police rather than ASIO.

Neo-Nazis are pictured doing a Hitler salute at a protest in Melbourne on May 13, 2023

Thomas Sewell (pictured left) visited Nine Network's building in Melbourne on March 1, 2021, with a cameraman and demanded to speak to someone from A Current Affair

'Unfortunately we do expect people, as they express their views and exchange their views online, that might inflame some people,' he said.

'We continue to watch if there's anyone doing planned violence, to promote politically motivated violence, promotion of communal violence, or someone is trying to interfere from a foreign interference perspective.'

In March, a group of men were photographed performing the Hitler salute as they celebrated the Nazi dictator's birthday at a family restaurant.

Thomas Sewell, the leader of the National Socialist Network, was one of those at the event held at the Bavarian  a German-themed outlet - in Knox City Shopping Centre in the Melbourne suburb Wantirna.

Photos shared in encrypted messaging services showed the men raising their hands in a Nazi salute as one held a picture of Hitler and another held two balloons shaped in the letter H, meaning Heil Hitler.

Dr Dvir Abramovich, the Chair of the Anti-Defamation Commission, described it as a 'sad and dark day for our democracy'.

'Something is very wrong in Victoria, and we should be all alarmed by this brazen and stomach-churning outrage that will forever be a stain on our state,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

Outside court, Sewell (pictured) was defiant, again giving a Nazi salute as he emerged

Dr Dvir Abramovich (pictured) said 'we should be all alarmed by this brazen and stomach-churning outrage'

Dr Abramovich, who is Australia's leading anti-hate advocate, said the actions of Sewell and his cohort amounted to a 'singular evil'.

'This beyond despicable display of Hitler worshipping and depravity belongs in Nazi Germany of the 1930s, not in a local restaurant where parents and children gather.'

Sewell, who was found guilty last year of assaulting a Channel 9 security guard, reportedly described the night as 'great and eventful' in an encrypted Telegram message.

'They persecute us because they know we are rising and the world will learn the truth about Hitler and look to us for leadership,' Sewell wrote.
Officers slammed the situation and claimed the city was 'not prepared'

City officials are begging for federal assistance as shelters are at capacity

Chicago cops say they are overwhelmed by the migrant influx sweeping the nation, with dozens of asylum seekers now camping inside police precincts and making it 'impossible' for officers to do their jobs.

City officials have struggled to cope with the huge numbers of migrants flooding into the country, and police precincts are now being used as emergency housing as shelters are at capacity.

'When you have 30 people in the station and parents asking questions and kids screaming and crying, there are only so many hours you can dedicate to doing your job,' an officer told Block Club Chicago.

More than 8,000 migrants have arrived in the Windy City since last summer, and several officials noted in recent months the city has spent upwards of $20 million on the migrants, according to Fox32.

Brianyerlis Carreno 10, from Venezuela, holds her 8-month old brother Mateo Vargas outside the Chicago Police 12th District station, where video showed migrants living in the hallway

Stunning footage revealed the extent of the recent migrant influx into Chicago precincts, where hallways remain littered with mattresses and personal belongings.

Dozens of migrants have flooded the stations, with many forced to sleep and eat on the floors while trash has reportedly began piling up outside the precincts.

The crisis has led officers to slam the handling of the issue, as it has left them often unable to carry out their duties.

John Catanzara, the president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, told the Sun Times that bed bugs have become a 'consistent issue' in the precincts, arguing that it is 'improper' for them to be used as emergency shelters.

He added that cases of chicken pox are also becoming an issue in the city's Shakespeare District, while the Near West region has become inundated with lice.

The health issues have reportedly led many stations to rush migrants to hospitals due to complications including fevers, stomach pains and rashes. It is unclear how many migrants have been hospitalized.

Nick Sposato, an alderman with the city's 38th ward, condemned the move to house the migrants in the station as it was preventing officers from doing their jobs.

'Some are helping and bending over backwards for others, it's impossible to do their jobs,' he said.

Migrants are seen sitting on and around fully made up mattresses in a Chicago police station

Migrants have been arriving in Chicago and other Democratic cities such as New York and Philadelphia

Another officer in the South Side neighborhood, who chose to remain anonymous, claimed city officials have left it to officers to deal with the issue, aside from instructing them not to hand the migrants over-the-counter medicine to avoid liability.

'There needs to be a point person for every area [and] watch because there are tons of questions,' the officer said.

'There needs to be a better supply of food without relying on districts to figure it out. We are flying by the seat of our pants and its been months and months now. I dont think our city was prepared at all.'

The cop said officers are now shelling out to help pay for meals and donations for the families, revealing she has spent 'well over $300' amid the crisis.

'When someone has a need in front of us, you cant turn a blind eye. Look whats here, its children,' she added.

Police have said the city was 'not prepared at all' for the migrant influx as their precincts are now overwhelmed as emergency shelters

Dozens of illegal migrants are being housed in Chicago police stations as the city struggles to house the hordes of border crossers arriving daily

Despite the Chicago's obvious overcrowding issue, new Mayor Brandon Johnson, a progressive Democrat who assumed office Monday, said in his inauguration speech that in Chicago, 'there's enough room for everyone.'

Johnson's affirmed commitment to welcoming migrants to Chicago follows his predecessor - Lori Lightfoot's decision to declare a state of emergency earlier this month, calling migrant arrivals a 'humanitarian crisis' and pushing for increased federal aid.

Chicago officials have said they expect a $53 million shortfall without additional aid because of the cost from housing migrants.

Struggles to house the migrants also sparked a legal battle in the city, with furious residents launching a lawsuit against the city's plans to house illegal immigrants in an abandoned school.

Around 500 migrants were set to be set up in the school, with locals slamming a lack of consolation over the influx amid safety fears.

Chicago is one of several Democratic-run cities where southern states have bused migrants as the crisis at the US-Mexico border grows.

Last week, New York City Mayor Eric Adams revealed that nearly 50 percent of the city's contracted hotel rooms are being occupied by migrants.

Adams has attempted to alleviate pressure on the city's resources by busing asylum seekers to upstate hotels, after already opening over 100 new shelters including schools and abandoned structures.

This week, the Democrat proposed sending migrants to more cities across America to help the crisis, saying: 'We have 108,000 cities, villages, towns.

'If everyone takes a small portion of that, and if it's coordinated at the border to ensure that those who are coming here to this country in a lawful manner is actually moved throughout the entire country, it is not a burden on one city.'

Adams also called on the Biden administration to provide additional funding to cities as they grapple with housing tens of thousands of illegal immigrants.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams proposed sending migrants to cities across America to alleviate pressure on the Big Apple

More than 8,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since bus programs began in August

More than 8,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since August, which is when southern states started to bus asylum seekers north.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent migrants to the Democrat-led cities to help ease the burden on border towns, which he said in a statement earlier this month was to provide 'much needed relief' to communities.

'Until Biden secures the border to stop the inflow of mass migration, Texas will continue this necessary program,' he said.
One of Putin's top allies has warned 'nuclear apocalypse' will become more likely if the West continues to supply Ukraine with increasingly powerful weapons.

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev made the chilling remark after US President Joe Biden said he would back a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets.

Russia, which has more nuclear weapons than any other state, has repeatedly said the West is engaged in a proxy war with Russia over Ukraine that could escalate into a much bigger conflict.

The United States has committed $37 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February last year.

'The more weapons are supplied, the more dangerous the world will be,' said Medvedev in his latest anti-West rant.

Medvedev (left) sits with Li Hui, China's special representative for Eurasian affairs, during a conference in Moscow to mark the start of the construction of Chinese section of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline, on June 29 2015

A missile launch overnight on 11-12 April 2023. The new ICBM launch came only weeks after Russia suspended its participation in its last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the US

'And the more destructive these weapons are, the more likely the scenario becomes of what is commonly called a nuclear apocalypse,' Medvedev was quoted as saying.

The West says it wants to help Ukraine defeat Russia but has repeatedly insisted it does not want to trigger a direct confrontation between the U.S.-backed NATO military alliance and Russia.

But Medvedev said NATO did not appear to be taking the possibility of nuclear conflict seriously.

'They are wrong. And at some point, events can move in a completely unpredictable scenario. And the responsibility will lie entirely with the North Atlantic Alliance,' RIA quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, Medvedev was also asked about the Russian fighters who have joined partisan groups, this week staging incursions into the border Belgorod region of Russia.

Medvedev - now deputy chair of Russia's Security Council - said Ukraine's denial of involvement was 'lies'.

He said: 'Responsibility for [the attacks] is with Kyiv... and eventually its sponsors - Washington, countries of the European Union, and with other countries that joined them like Great Britain.'

He added: 'As for these scum - I can't find another name for them - the question is what to do with them. They have to be destroyed like rats, and not even taken captive.'

READ MORE: Chilling warning Putin will be forced to turn to nukes after Ukraine downed 'unstoppable' Kinzhals Advertisement

Medvedev appeared to be referring to the fighters in Belgorod with his last comments.

Russia has stepped up its displays of force in recent months as funding and munitions have been funneled through to Ukraine from the west.

In April, video caught the moment a 'new intercontinental ballistic missile' was tested at the Kapustin Yar test site in Astrakhan region.

Full details of the mysterious 'advanced' rocket were not initially released but experts believed it to be a powerful Topol-ME system.

The launch came only weeks after Russia suspended its participation in its last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the US, dubbed New START.

The treaty had seen the US and Russia agree to limit its nuclear stockpiles and had been extended to run through February 4 2026.

But in February, Putin decided to end the formal arms control treaty, drawing condemnation from NATO and raising fears that when the treaty expires it could lead to a nuclear arms race.

U.S. Air Force F16s on joint air force exercises at Clark Air Base on May 9, 2023 in the Philippines. Biden recently promised to help train Ukrainian forces in the use of the jets

Vladimir Putin with Deputy Chairman of Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, April 2008

Medvedev pinned the responsibility for anti-Kremlin Russian volunteers attacking Belgorod

He blamed Washington, the EU and 'other countries' like Britain for the attacks into Russia

Medvedev urged for harsh retaliation against those who had made an incursion into Belgorod

Separately, fears of catastrophe were raised Monday when Ukraine's occupied nuclear power station in Zaporizhzhia was knocked offline for a seventh time.

Ukraine's largest power station has been caught in intense clashes since its occupation at the start of the war, provoking fears of a Chernobyl-type disaster.

While a power plant uses nuclear fission to generate electricity, it cannot explode like an atom bomb.

But the station was forced to rely on diesel generators, which have enough fuel reserves to last ten days and are needed to cool reactor fuel and prevent nuclear meltdown.

Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in April the situation around the plant is 'becoming increasingly unpredictable and potentially dangerous', warning of the possibility of a 'severe nuclear accident'.
The explosion took place in the

A Dutchman critically injured after a steel petanque ball that had been left near a fire pit exploded during a bachelor party died five days after the incident.

The explosion reportedly burned his entire face and embedded metal shards in his skull.

A neighbour said that he 'thought that a gas bottle had exploded' in the incident that left the 37-year-old unnamed tourist from Eindhoven seriously injured at around 9.30pm on May 13.

It has now been revealed that the man died on May 18 as a result of the explosion in the Belgian town of Stavelot, in Wallonia.

It was alleged that the tourists, all aged in their mid-30s, placed petanque balls either in or under the fire pit, with one of them becoming so hot that it exploded.

A neighbour said that he 'thought that a gas bottle had exploded' in the incident that left the 37-year-old unnamed tourist from Eindhoven seriously injured at around 9.30pm on May 13 (Stock image)

Pictured: The holiday house in Stavelot, in Wallonia where the incident took place

Petanque is a popular French game that involves throwing metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden or plastic ball called a cochonnet.

The man's family told local media: 'We are shocked by the sudden death, he will be greatly missed.'

They asked for their privacy to be respected so they can grieve in peace.

Discussing the aftermath of the explosion, the neighbour told local media: 'Fifteen minutes later we saw an ambulance arriving. Then we heard a medical helicopter circling above. Then I knew it was for the holiday home.'

He added: 'We heard the paramedics talking among themselves. So someone was seriously injured - his whole face was burned.'

The victim was transferred by helicopter to the University Hospital in Liege, where he was placed in a medically induced coma.

The Stavelot-Malmedy Police told local media: 'It had the same effect as a grenade.

'When the ball exploded, pieces flew into the back of someone's skull.'

Pictured: Neighbour Javier Parmenier. After the incident, the victim was transferred by helicopter to the University Hospital in Liege, where he was placed in a medically induced coma

Pictured: The playground for the petanque balls of the holiday house in Stavelot, Belgium

Pictured: The playground for the petanque balls. The man's family told local media: 'We are shocked by the sudden death, he will be greatly missed'

A second Dutchman also reportedly suffered light injuries from the explosion.

The police are investigating the incident.

The tragic accident is not the first time someone has been either seriously injured or killed in such circumstances.

In 2018, a Frenchman was killed when a petanque ball exploded and sent shrapnel into his skull.

The ball was left near a barbecue. At the time, it was reported that paramedics rushed to the scene but were unable to save the 31-year-old.

In 2009, a new unsold set of leisure boules sitting on a shelf in a shop's storeroom in Switzerland spontaneously exploded.

An investigation was launched into the blast, with the Swiss department store chain Co-op - which sold the sets - issuing an urgent recall.

The incident prompted the German government to issue a statement warning people of the danger of cheaply made boules reaching high temperatures.
Target is facing a consumer boycott over its Pride Month collection which features transgender swimsuits for children, books called 'bye bye binary' and a handful of items made by a British designer whose slogans include 'Satan respects pronouns.'

Target unveiled its Pride Month collection at the start of May, fresh on the heels of the Bud Light Dylan Mulvaney controversy.

While there were some initial grumbles about the 'tuck-friendly' swimsuits in the women's section, much of the expansive collection of clothes, books and home decor has gone unnoticed.

But attention - and outrage - has now turned to one of the designers whose works are showcased, and his apparent penchant for the satanic.

Erik Carnell is the British designer behind Abprallen, an LGBTQ brand that sells t-shirts, sweaters, bags and badges.

Erik Carnell is the British designer behind Abprallen, an LGBTQ brand that sells t-shirts, sweaters, bags and badges

Target is selling two of the brand's items - a $25 slogan sweater with the words 'cure transphobia not trans people' wrapped around a sword

An $18 'too queer for here' tote bag is also for sale via Target's website and in stores

Target is selling two of the brand's items - a $25 slogan sweater with the words 'cure transphobia not trans people' wrapped around a sword, an $18 'too queer for here' tote bag, and a 'we belong everywhere' fanny pack that now appears to be sold out.

Erik - a transgender man - proudly shared photos of the collaboration on Instagram.

'These have already got the transphobes infuriated with me and I feel like quite the celebrity to think that they believe this is all some big conspiracy and I have any power to brainwash anyone when Im just some guy drawing pictures!' he said.

A closer look at his other work reveals some more sinister material.

Badges with slogans like 'Satan Respects Pronouns', 'Young, Queer and Willing' and a lighter pin with the words 'burn down the cis-tem' are among other products.

Badges for sale on Abprallen's site include one with the slogan 'young, bisexual and willing'

Other items that are for sale on the Abpralle Etsy store are more sinister. Stickers and badges which denigrate 'cis feelings' - the feelings of non transgender people - and Fox News are among them

A guillotine pin with the words 'homophobe headrest' and pair of axes calling for the 'fight for trans rights' are also for sale online

A description on Abprallen's Etsy store details the designer's interpretation of Satan

He also models the 'Satan respects pronouns' t-shirt on an Instagram page while wearing BDSM-style horns and no pants.

In a bio on the brand's website, he says he has always been fascinated with the 'frightening and mystical'.

'I juxtapose it with imagery of skulls and spooky things  an interest of mine since I was a child. Theres something magical about the unknown, the frightening, and the mystical which is why I so frequently feature these themes in my art,' he says.

In a description on his Etsy store, he goes on: 'Satan loves you and respects who you are. Youre important and valuable in this world and you deserve to treat yourself with love and respect.

The brand has now caught the attention of Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton. 'Even by the standards of woke corporations, Target's partnership with a Satanist to push the trans agenda on children is remarkable. 'The next time Target comes begging for help, Republicans should respond, "best of luck,"' he tweeted

'Ive been thinking a lot lately about The Satanic Temple, and to a lesser extent, The Church of Satan, how theyre so frequently misunderstood and demonised (pun not intended) and how LGBT+ people are so often referred to as being a product of Satan or going against Gods will.

'Satanists dont actually believe in Satan, he is merely used as a symbol of passion, pride, and liberty. He means to you what you need him to mean.

'So for me, Satan is hope, compassion, equality, and love.'

The brand has now caught the attention of Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton.

'Even by the standards of woke corporations, Target's partnership with a Satanist to push the trans agenda on children is remarkable.

'The next time Target comes begging for help, Republicans should respond, "best of luck,"' he tweeted.

Carnell is yet to respond to the criticism. Inquiries went unanswered on Tuesday morning.

On TikTok, furious mothers have taken to filming themselves in the store's aisle, shocked and disgusted by the Pride displays.

Target released a statement today to insist that the 'tuck-friendly' swim bottoms that enraged so many were not available in children's sizes

There are other kids' swim skirts and suits still being sold online with 'all gender expressions' considered

Pride onesies with slogans like 'I am proud always' and 'It Takes All Kinds' are also for sale

Books like 'Bye, Bye, Binary - nobody puts baby in a pink or blue corner!' are also being sold

Target's CEO has so far played down the controversy.

Last week, he defended the decision to put such a strong emphasis on the collection, telling Fortune's Leadership Next podcast: 'When we think about purpose at Target, its really about helping all the families, and that all word is really important.

'Most of America shops at Target, so we want to do the right thing to support families across the country.'

Today, the company released a statement saying the 'tuck-friendly' swim bottoms that enraged so many people were not available in children's sizes.

There are other kids' swim skirts and suits still being sold online with 'all gender expressions' considered.

Many are now calling for Target to be given the 'Bud Light treatment' - a reference to the harsh and swift boycott the beer brand faced after an ill-fated social media partnership with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney.

'If that doesn't give you a reason to boycott Target then I don't know what does,' said Kaylee Campbell Layton, a Marine's wife in California who shared a video of some of the Pride kids clothes online.

Fox News cites insiders who say many southern stores moved the Pride merchandise to the back of their premises to avoid further fury.

'We were given 36 hours, told to take all of our Pride stuff, the entire section, and move it into a section thats a third the size. From the front of the store to the back of the store, you cant have anything on mannequins and no large signage.

'We call our customers guests, there is outrage on their part. This year it is just exponentially more than any other year.

'I think given the current situation with Bud Light, the company is terrified of a Bud Light situation.'
Horrifying video footage captured the moments after a man had his right-arm bitten off by an alligator when he went outside to relieve himself because the line for the restroom in a Florida bar was too long.

The new clip shows Jordan Rivera, 23, writhing in pain on the muddy banks of a pond outside Banditos in Port Charlotte, just north of Fort Myers, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The video begins with a group coming upon Rivera who is splashing in the shallows of the water. 'Get the f*** out the water,' a voice says. The person recording then says that Rivera was bitten by an alligator. 'His whole arm came off,' the narrator says.

Another man begins pulling Rivera by his left arm through the mud as the earlier voice can be heard repeating: 'Get him the f*** out of the water.' The group then begins to put a tourniquet on the wound using a belt.

At the point, Rivera begins yelling. One of the group attempts to reassure him by saying: 'I know it's going to hurt but I gotta stop the bleeding.'

A fast thinking bar patron attended to Jordan Rivera as he applied a tourniquet while smoking a cigarette

The cigarette smoking life saver quickly applied a tourniquet to Rivera's wounds

Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) said a nuisance alligator trapper removed the 10.5-foot gator (pictured here) from the property. It was then euthanized

The man tells Rivera that his brachial artery, a major blood vessel supplying blood to numerous parts of the body, has been injured.

Rivera continues to wail in pain, a woman tells him to 'stay calm' as another voice says: 'You're good brother, you're good brother.'

Another person off-camera who is dealing with a 911 operator says that a tourniquet has been applied to the wound. The life-saver says: 'I've got a tourniquet on. They need to f***ing get here... they need to get here.'

Others tell Rivera to stay awake while one man calls the victim a 'soldier.' The clip ends with Rivera being stretchered away into a waiting ambulance.

On Monday, from his ICU bed, Rivera told NBC2 that he barely remembers the incident.

'I didn't lose my life, I lost an arm, it's not the end of the world. As I was going over there something happened where I either tripped or the ground below me just went down. I ended up in the water. And that's literally the last thing I remember,' he said.

His mother Teresa Lessa said: 'I call them angels, that were there, that saved his life. The chance of someone being there with a tourniquet, to me, it's a miracle that he's here.'

'The first thing I would do is shake the man's hand,' Rivera told NBC 2.

Jordan Rivera (pictured), 23, was attacked by a 10-foot alligator in the early hours of Sunday morning

Jordan Rivera's mother Teresa Lessa sits by his bedside in hospital as he awaits a second procedure on his arm

Rivera said he fell into a pond after using it to go to the bathroom as the queue inside Banditos bar (pictured) was too long

Witness Manny Hidalgo, who came to the rescue, said: 'He was yelling and swimming toward the shoreline.

'I ran and dragged him up onto the sand. I was scared to get close to the water because it was dark out.

'I don't know if it was a mama gator trying to save her young, or a daddy gator trying to feed his family ... but the guy was very lucky,' he told The Daily Sun.

Rivera, from Englewood, was airlifted to Gulf Coast Hospital in Fort Myers, but his arm could not be saved, said Todd Dunn for Charlotte County Fire and EMS.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) said a nuisance alligator trapper removed the 10.5-foot beast from the property. It was then euthanized.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Rivera's family pay for his medical bills. At the time of writing, the page has raised nearly $50,000.

It was reported that doctors are yet to perform another procedure on Mr Rivera to ensure his arm is free of bacteria passed onto him by the alligator's teeth.

Last month a 72-year-old man saw his right leg being ripped off below the knee in horrific alligator attack before wildlife officials shot dead two huge predators.

Also in Florida, the unidentified man was working outside his Titusville home one afternoon with his wife and dog when the huge gator emerged from the canal.

Following the attack, one of the beasts had the foot of the injured man still dangling from its mouth.

In February, 85-year-old Gloria Serge tragically died after she was mauled to death by a 10-foot alligator when she tried to rescue her beloved dog, Trooper.

Ms Serge's dog survived the attacked, but the gator was later captured and euthanized.

She was the third victim to have died by an alligator attack in Florida since July last year.

FWC officials warn of the dangers of these predators as they become more active during spring and summer.

Serge (pictured) was a grandmother living in the Spanish Lakes Fairways retirement community in Fort Pierce, Florida, when she was killed by an alligator

They also warn those who live in Florida to always be mindful when they are near any body of water.

Florida has a population of 1.3 million alligators across its 67 counties, and they can be found in most fresh water bodies and occasionally in salt water.

But the number of cases of people being attacked by alligators in the state is small.

From 1948 to 2021, 442 unprovoked bite incidents have occurred in Florida, 26 of which resulted in human fatalities.

Over the past ten years, Florida has averaged eight unprovoked bites per year that are serious enough to require professional medical treatment, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says on its website.

'The likelihood of a Florida resident being seriously injured during an unprovoked alligator incident in Florida is roughly only one in 3.1million,' it said.
Christopher Neely, 44, was arrested late Monday night after running away from a police pickpocket team that confronted him at the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan, police sources said

Jordan Neely's uncle fled police and then was arrested Monday after being caught with several allegedly stolen credit cards, a day after he urged no plea deal for the ex-Marine accused of placing his nephew in a fatal chokehold, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.

Christopher Neely was arrested late Monday night after running away from a police pickpocket team that confronted him at the Port Authority bus terminal in Manhattan, police sources said.

He was wanted for a string of larcenies in Manhattan when he was approached. After police caught up with him, Neely was found with several credit and debit cards baring other people's names, including at least one that was reportedly stolen during a prior pickpocket. He was also carrying a gravity knife, sources said.

After being arrested, he acknowledged to officers that he was the uncle of Jordan Neely, the homeless street performer who died May 1 after a deadly encounter on a subway train in Lower Manhattan.

Police charged Neely with criminal possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, bail jumping and unlawful possession of a weapon. He was initially taken to the 14th police precinct.

Christopher Neely, 44, has an extensive criminal record with over 70 prior arrests, and had two active warrants for his arrest at the time of his apprehension Monday.

Daniel Penny, 24, faces a manslaughter charge in connection to Neely's death. He was charged after protests called for him to be arrested.

On Sunday, Christopher Neely stated that Penny should not get a plea deal, or 'he will do it again.'

Police charged Neely - the uncle of Jordan Neely, with criminal possession of stolen property, resisting arrest, bail jumping and unlawful possession of a weapon

Daniel Penny, 24, is facing 15 years in prison for putting Jordan Neely, 30, in a fatal chokehold. This came a day after Christopher spoke out to say if Daniel Penny gets a plea deal, he may kill another young man on the subway

Neely also called for the two men seen helping Daniel Penny hold Neely down during the deadly May 1 encounter on the F train to face criminal charges.

'He needs to be prosecuted or he will do it again,' Christopher told The New York Post.

'It's a smack in the face for Jordan's family and the people of New York,' he said.

Penny broke his silence on Saturday to say that Neely's death had nothing to do with race, claiming he did what he believed was right and would behave the same way if he were put in the same situation again.

Neely's uncle said Penny shouldn't be offered a plea deal by the Manhattan DA's Office, which charged him with second-degree manslaughter for the caught-on-camera incident

'I want this to go to trial,' Christopher said. 'He has too much confidence in himself and has to be taught what he did was wrong.'

Penny had said: 'I judge a person based on their character. I'm not a white supremacist.'

On May 1, Penny put Neely in a fatal chokehold on a NYC subway. Neely had been threatening passengers

Penny, 24, turned himself after the District Attorney's office announced he would be charged with second degree manslaughter. He recently said that 'it's tragic what happened to [Neely]' but would act the same in a similar situation

The now-infamous video showed Penny restraining Neely with the help of two other passengers after the homeless Michael Jackson impersonator reportedly screamed threats and intimidated people on the train.

The other riders who helped restrain Neely on the train have not been publicly identified, and police are seeking them for questioning.

Neely's funeral was held on Friday in Harlem, where Rev. Al Sharpton delivered a fiery eulogy to a crowd of hundreds, saying 'when they choked Jordan, they put their arms around all of us.'

But Penny, who is currently free on $100,000 bail, rejected the suggestion that his fatal confrontation with Neely was an act of hatred or discrimination, saying, 'this had nothing to do with race.'

'I mean, it's, it's a little bit comical. Everybody who's ever met me can tell you, I love all people, I love all cultures,' Penny told the Post.

'You can tell by my past and all my travels and adventures around the world. I was actually planning a road trip through Africa before this happened.

'I'm a normal guy,' added Penny, insisting that he is not a vigilante.

Pallbearers carry the casket of Jordan Neely days before his uncle said Penny should not get a plea deal in the case

Penny, who is from Long Island, faces 15 years in prison in a case that has been highly polarizing, with conservative politicians jumping to defend him, and prominent liberals calling for him to be convicted of murder and jailed.

A fund to pay for his legal defense had reached $2.76million by Tuesday morning.

Penny said he does not watch the news and that while he was aware of negative opinions about him, he tried not to let them affect him.

'If you're faced with all these challenges, you have to remain calm,' he said.

'What's the point of worrying about something, worrying is not going to make your problems disappear.

'I attribute this to my father and grandfather. They are very very stoic.'

Penny also said he had quit social media years ago.

'I don't follow anyone, and I don't have social media because I really don't like the attention and I just think there are better ways to spend your time. I don't like the limelight,' he said.
Once, it was the picturesque jewel in the crown of Britain's remaining overseas territories.

Until the 1990s, the Caribbean island of Montserrat, in the West Indies, was home to around 12,500 people and a rich diversity of wildlife.

But everything changed in 1995 when the island's Soufriere Hills volcano, which had been dormant for 400 years, suddenly became active again.

Within two years, most of the locals had fled as huge sheets of molten ash and rock covered the southern half of the island, including Plymouth, its capital city.

The volcano has continued to erupt on and off ever since, meaning an exclusion zone covering more than half the island, now known as the 'Pompeii of the Caribbean', remains in place.

Speaking in a new documentary which airs tonight, the only person still living in the worst-affected part of the exclusion zone tells presenter Ben Fogle how the first major eruption in 1997 was 'like an ambush'.

The Soufriere Hills volcano on the island of Montserrat is seen erupting in 1997. The resulting tonnes of ash covered more than half the island

Speaking in a new documentary which airs tonight, the only person still living in the worst-affected part of the exclusion zone tells presenter Ben Fogle how the initial eruption was 'like an ambush'. The man, known as Jumblack, grew up in a village on Montserrat that had to be permanently abandoned due to volcanic activity

The man, known as Jumblack, grew up in a village on Montserrat that had to be permanently abandoned due to volcanic activity.

He initially evacuated to Antigua but did not feel comfortable living on state handouts and so returned.

He is the only person living in the exclusion area's zone V, which is nearest to the volcano.

He lives surrounded by abandoned homes in what was once the village of Molyneaux.

The Montserratian has no electricity and has to collect his water from a nearby spring.

Speaking in Channel 5 documentary Ben Fogle and the Buried City, he says: '[It was] like an ambush.

'They didn't tell us in school that there was a volcano there in the bushes, hiding. "Be prepared, it might come alive one of these days."

'So people were wondering, "what the hell is going on up there?".

He told how he and his fellow islanders fled into 'tents, into schools, into churches' after the eruption, adding: 'It was like hell. Real confusion.'

After the volcano became active again, the first major eruption occurred in 1997, killing 19 people.

Much of the island's population initially fled to Britain, although many have since returned.

Tourism, which had been the economic lifeblood the island, was hammered, forcing Montserrat's government to rely on British and EU aid.

Last year, work began on a new town and port on the north-west coast of the island, which is self-governing, thanks to 28million of funding provided by the UK and the Caribbean Development Bank.

The island has been an English colony since 1632 and was named after a Spanish abbey by explorer Christopher Columbus in 1493.

It is one of 14 British Overseas Territories (BOT).

Ben Fogle is seen talking with guide James Daley as they stand on hardened ash that spewed from the volcano

Ben Fogle stands amidst the ruins of a building in Montserrat's abandoned capital, Plymouth

The Soufriere Hills volcano throws tonnes of ash and larger debris into the air as it erupts in 1997

Destroyed homes are seen covered with ash on Montserrat after the volcanic eruption in 1997

Houses and and a wrecked car are seen on the ash-covered streets of Plymouth, the capital of Montserrat

Dozens of homes on the mountain side were abandoned after being burnt out by the surges

Fogle is seen in the documentary, which airs tonight on Channel 5, walking with local guide James Daley across streaks of hardened ash and lava  known as pyroclastic flows  that spewed from the mountain when it first erupted.

The guide tells him: 'We are walking on pyroclastic flows. All of this came down from the mountain, from the dome, and wiped out capital Plymouth.

'I also want you to know that capital Plymouth is still in its position, nothing has moved. It's just that this is a city that is totally buried.

Dozens of homes on the mountain side were abandoned after being burnt out by the surges, the guide added.

Speaking of the population that remains on the island, he said: 'They are very nice people and very religious people. We are almost like a crime-free island.

'We still leave our car keys in our cars, and we leave our homes open.

'The population here is just under 5,000 and we once had a population of 12,500 people, pre volcanic eruptions.

'But during the eruptions, life has changed and most people had to evacuate.'

In the 1997 eruption, the Daily Mail told at the time how scores of pets had to be abandoned by frantic islanders as they fled.

A rescue team was sent from a London-based charity to help the dogs and cats, which were flown to Florida.

A massive column of smoke billows over the Soufriere Hills volcano as it erupts in 1997

Gutted, ash-covered buildings are seen in Plymouth, Montserrat's abandoned capital, in 1997

Speaking to promote the show, Mr Fogle said: 'I remember the eruption happening and have always wanted to visit the island which remains an overseas territory of the UK.

'I had read about the abandoned capital of Plymouth and had assumed that the whole island had been evacuated to I was surprised to learn that a third of the island is still inhabited.'

He added: 'I hope that in time the exclusion zone will be resettled.

'I think it's wrong of the British government to preclude people from returning to the zone, to reclaim their homes and land.'

Ben Fogle and the Buried City airs tonight on Channel 5 at 9pm.
Trial in the case stemming from FTX collapse is set to begin in October

Diary of top lieutenant Caroline Ellison is reportedly among the evidence

Federal prosecutors pursuing the criminal case against disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried have assembled one of the largest troves of evidence ever seen in a white-collar fraud case, according to a new report.

The evidence includes more than six million pages of emails, Slack messages and other digital records, as well as the handwritten diary of Bankman-Fried's lieutenant and sometimes-girlfriend, Caroline Ellison, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.

Ellison also recorded observations about Bankman-Fried in electronic records that have circulated among lawyers in the case, and at times expressed personal and professional resentment toward the FTX founder, people familiar with the matter told the Times.

The sheer volume of the government's evidence, which is not part of the public court record but would have to be shared with the defense team before trial, underlines the complexity of the case against Bankman-Fried.

Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to 13 criminal counts stemming from allegations that he misappropriated billions in FTX client funds prior to the crypto exchange's collapse in November.

Federal prosecutors pursuing the criminal case against disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried have assembled one of the largest troves of evidence ever seen in a white-collar case

The evidence includes more than six million pages of digital records, as well as the handwritten diary of Bankman-Fried's lieutenant and sometimes-girlfriend, Caroline Ellison

Mark S. Cohen, the attorney leading Bankman-Fried's defense team, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com on Friday morning.

Other evidence gathered in the case is said to include 2.5 million pages from Bankman-Fried's Google accounts, along with devices such as phones and laptops.

One prosecutor on the case, Nicholas Roos, said at a hearing in March that the state had obtained one laptop crammed with so much material that FBI analysts were struggling to sift through it all.

Roos also said the government had given the defense team copies of nearly one million documents obtained from witnesses and other third parties in the case.

However, Bankman-Frieds lawyers have argued that prosecutors are dragging their feet in handing over evidence, after using the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell to gather most of the corporate records in the case.

Sullivan & Cromwell, which took control of FTX after it entered bankruptcy, has control of most of the company's corporate records, including emails, Slack messages and transaction logs.

Trial in the case is set to begin in October, and Ellison, who lived with Bankman-Fried in his Bahamas penthouse, is expected to be a key witness for the prosecution.

The detailed contents of her diary, described as a small black notebook, and what role it might play in the case remain unclear.

Former FTX technology chief Gary Wang (left), and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh (right) have also pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors

Former FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried, who faces fraud charges over the collapse of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, is seen in a February court sketch

The diary could be damaging to Bankman-Fried if it contains evidence bearing on the charges, but it might also help the defense team in cross-examining Ellison, if it reveals grudges of a personal or romantic nature.

Ellison, who ran Bankman-Fried's hedge fund Alameda Research, pleaded guilty to fraud charges in December and agreed to help prosecutors.

Former FTX technology chief Gary Wang, and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh have also pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Prosecutors began collecting evidence in the case almost immediately after FTX imploded last November, sending shockwaves through the broader cryptocurrency markets.

FTX filed for bankruptcy on November 11, and Bankman-Fried is charged with siphoning billions in client funds to prop up his hedge fund Alameda Research, buy lavish property in the Bahamas, and splash out huge political donations.

Bankman-Fried has acknowledged that FTX had inadequate risk management but denies stealing funds, and has sought to distance himself from FTX's day-to-day operations.

On May 8, Bankman-Fried asked US District Judge Lewis Kaplan to dismiss most of the charges against him, arguing that some were based on a theory of fraud that centers around depriving a victim of economically-valuable information rather than tangible property.

Days later, the US Supreme Court invalidated that theory, known as 'right to control', when it overturned the conviction of a Buffalo construction executive accused of bid-rigging.

The Court said the theory is 'inconsistent with the structure and history of the federal fraud statutes.'

Lawyers for Bankman-Fried said in a May 12 letter to Judge Kaplan that the Supreme Court's decision had a 'direct bearing' on his case.

Still, the bid to get the charges tossed appears to be a long shot, and legal experts said that in Bankman-Fried's case, prosecutors can in fact point to tangible property that victims lost.

'If the customers turned over their money to FTX based on allegedly fraudulent statements that Bankman-Fried made, the government would argue that is a deprivation of property,' Mark Kasten, counsel at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney in Philadelphia, told Reuters.

Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have until May 29 to respond to Bankman-Fried's motion to dismiss.

Bankman-Fried has largely been confined to his parents' home since his December arrest in the Bahamas, where he had lived and where FTX was based.

He was extradited to the United States just over a week after his arrest to face federal charges.

His parents, who live in Palo Alto, California, are Stanford University law professors and co-signed his $250 million bond.
A Brazilian influencer has been shot dead in her car in front of her boyfriend and their two-year-old son in a botched robbery following a high-speed chase in Rio.

Luanne Jardim was sitting in the passenger seat while her boyfriend, Joao Farche, was attempting to flee from the suspects Sunday night.

The 30-year-old was struck on the shoulder as the couple's son, Miguelzinho Farche, looked on. She was rushed to Salgado Filho Municipal Hospital, where she died.

The Rio de Janeiro Military Police said it is investigating the incident as an attempted robbery, but Jardim's father believes she was executed.

Luanne Jardim (front center) was shot dead Sunday during a car chase in Rio de Janeiro as her boyfriend, Joao Farche (rear center), and their two-year-old son looked on

Authorities in Rio de Janeiro have yet to make any arrests related to the murder of fitness influence Luanne Jardim, who was shot dead in her car on Sunday night

Luanne Jardim switched from a Porsche that had bullet proof windows to another vehicle that didn't have such features about 15 days ago

'Certainly this was not a mere theft, robbery' Atanael Jardim said, as quoted by Brazilian news outlet G1.

'This was a homicide because no one inside a car is going to steal the other and shoot from inside the car with the window closed.'

A police report revealed that the suspects shot at the rear of the vehicle and then approached it from the side and shot at Jardim again.

Her death comes about 15 days after she had swapped her Porsche, which had bullet proof windows, for another vehicle that didn't feature armored protection.

It comes after Brazilian TV actor Antonio Bernades, known as Mussunzinho, was carjacked Friday by two men on a motorcycle almost two miles from where Jardim was killed.

No arrests had been reported in either cases as of Tuesday afternoon.

Jardim, who also leaves behind a 10-year-old daughter, found social media stardom after overcoming a relationship filled with domestic violence in 2019 followed by her battles with obesity and depression.

She weighed 264 pounds in August 2020 and managed to lose nearly 92 pounds in a span of four months, sharing the journey with her followers on Instagram.

Luanne weighed as much as 264 pounds in August 2020 when she started fasting and excersing, eventually losing 92 pounds over a span of four months

Luanne Jardim shared her weight loss journey on her social media platforms and the success of it led to her opening her own store in the Rio de Janeiro area where she sold products that helped customers lose weight

Luanne Jardim reached social media fame as she shared her battles with depression following a relationship marred by domestic violence incidents and weight loss

'I was not obese, but during my first pregnancy I gained a lot of weight,' she said in a social media post.

'After the pregnancy I had a very big depression and I reached 264 pounds.'

Jardim initially considered undergoing a tummy tuck surgery, but passed up on it in favor of consuming herbal products.

Coupled with exercising and fasting, she experienced a major weight loss and later had five surgeries to remove the excess skin that remained.

She eventually opened her own store in Baixada Fluminense region, where she sold weight loss products.
The probe into Donald Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House is nearing its end, with the ex-president set to be indicted.

Special counsel Jack Smith has finished collecting evidence into how confidential presidential files ended up at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

The newspaper, citing people familiar with the matter, said that allies of the real estate mogul expect an indictment to be served.

But they argue that the latest legal case will only boost Trump's popularity with the GOP base and could even help their campaign fundraising efforts.

Smith has undertaken interviews with every single worker at Trump's luxury home, dubbed the 'winter White House' during his term in office.

Trump's allies told the WSJ that they expect the former president to be indicted

The Justice Department special counsel leading the investigation, Jack Smith, has cast a broad net in interviews and has sought the testimony of a long list of former Trump aides

Boxes of classified documents were found at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida residence, in August 2022

His work examines whether anyone tried to scupper the criminal inquiry, or whether Trump illegally held on to documents that he should have turned over to authorities.

But it is unclear whether the top attorney has gathered enough proof for Attorney General Merrick Garland to charge the ex-commander-in-chief with a crime in this case.

Smith is also investigating the bid by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election result.

DailyMail.com has approached the Trump 2024 campaign for comment.

The FBI seized 11,000 documents from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in a court-approved August 8 search, including about 100 marked as classified.

Some were designated top secret, the highest level of classified information.

The department began its investigation after the National Archives, the U.S. agency responsible for preserving government records, tried to get Trump to return missing government property and received 15 boxes with classified documents mixed in.

The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into Trump for retaining government records, including some marked as classified, after leaving office in January 2021

Donald Trump was hit with a fresh defamation lawsuit on Monday after he made a series of disparaging remarks about a woman who alleged he raped her in the 1990s

Trump accused writer E. Jean Carroll of 'hanky panky' in her lawsuit against him

Trump has accused the Justice Department of engaging in a partisan witch hunt and claims the documents he took were part of his personal records and were declassified when he left office.

The 76-year-old's legal woes mounted further on Monday when E. Jean Carroll, a journalist who claimed to have been raped by Trump, launched a further defamation suit over his remarks during a CNN Town Hall event earlier this month.

Trump 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'.

He repeated the allegation about Carroll making a racial slur about her Black husband again on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday.

Trump denied knowing Carroll. His videotaped deposition featured Trump mistaking her for his former wife, Marla Maples

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

'I dont know E. Jean Carroll, I never met her or touched her (except on a celebrity line with her African American husband who she disgustingly called the Ape,), I wouldnt want to know or touch her, I never abused her or raped her or took her to a dressing room 25 years ago in a crowded department store where the doors are LOCKED, she has no idea when, or did anything else to her, except deny her Fake, Made Up Story, that she wrote in a book,' Trump wrote.

'IT NEVER HAPPENED, IS A TOTAL SCAM, UNFAIR TRIAL!'

The writer's legal team have filed new legal papers in a Manhattan federal court just two weeks after winning $5million when a jury found Trump liable of sexual abuse and defamation.

'Trump's defamatory statements post-verdict show the depth of his malice toward Carroll since it is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill will or spite,' her lawyers wrote. 'This conduct supports a very substantial punitive damages award.

Trump has consistently denied the allegations and called them a 'complete con job' and 'a hoax.'
A 16-year-old girl has been arrested after two newborn babies were found dead in a garbage can outside a Cleveland home on Saturday.

The unidentified girl was due to appear in court for arraignment at 10.30am on Tuesday and is facing nine charges, including murder, child endangerment, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse.

The arrest was made after the girl's mother called the Cleveland Division of Police to notify them her daughter had recently given birth and 'threw the babies in the garbage'.

According to police incident report reviewed by WKYC, the caller claimed she did not even know her daughter was pregnant and that she found the babies in the garbage.

Neighbors told the outlet they could hear crying but thought the sound was coming from inside the house.

A unidentified 16-year-old girl has been arrested after two newborn babies were found dead in a garbage can outside a Cleveland home on Saturday

The incident happened on Ludlow Road in east Cleveland last Thursday. The teen was arrested on Saturday

A neighbor, Nicole Shefton (pictured), said she could hear crying on the evening of May 18 but assumed the sound was coming from inside the house

The teen was then discovered in hospital receiving treatment and later arrested by the Cleveland Division of Police.

Residents on Ludlow Road in east Cleveland told the station they could hear babies crying on the evening of May 18, the day on which the twins were allegedly born.

Nicole Shefton lives next door to the teen and said that at around 5.30pm she heard babies crying but thought the sound was coming from inside the house.

'It was muffled but it didn't dawn on us, we thought they were in the house,' she said.

'I wish she would have just set them on my porch, but we don't know her story. We don't know if she panicked, we don't know anything. We cant just assume she dumped them because she didn't want them,' Shefton added.

When Bedford Police Department eventually located the teen she was receiving treatment at University Hospitals Ahuja Medical Center. She was later transferred to its main campus and was monitored by Cleveland officers.

According to a police incident report the teenager's mother called the police to notify them the newborns had been 'thrown in the garbage'

Mike Norman of Cleveland Fire Department wanted to alert Cleveland residents that under state law they have legal ways to deal with newborns if they feel they cannot raise them.

He told WKYC: 'We are here for people on the worst day of their lives. That order explains how to receive the baby, how to arrange for the transport to a medical facility care for the mother.'

Under Ohio law, if parents feel they can't take care of a newborn they can drop an them off at a local 'safe haven' without penalty so long as it's done within 30 days of the child's birth.

The cause and manner of the deaths has not been released but autopsies were carried out. Police have not named the mother.
Joshua Findley, who lived across the hall, is accused of firing the bullets

Doctors later discovered stage 4 liver cancer which could not be treated

Larisa Pereshivaylova was shot twice while inside her Hollywood apartment

An LA-area nurse died after she was struck by two bullets that entered her apartment from a neighboring apartment which led doctors to discover stage 4 liver cancer that could not be treated due to her gunshot injuries.

Larisa Pereshivaylova, 57, was standing in her West Hollywood kitchen on April 7 at The Dylan Apartments when her neighbor, Joshua Findley, opened fire in his unit.

The bullets entered Pereshivaylova's apartment through her wall and struck her in the abdomen and neck just after 8am, her son said.

'She was shot through her liver, through her right kidney and the bullet got lodged in her spine,' Max Buydakov, 21, said.

Miraculously, the woman was able to call 911 who transported her to the hospital where stage 4 liver cancer was discovered. Due to her condition, however, doctors could not administer life-saving treatment.

Findley, 31, who had two outstanding warrants, was arrested weeks later. It's unclear why opened fire inside the building.

Larisa Pereshivaylova, 57, was standing in her West Hollywood kitchen on April 7 at The Dylan Apartments when her neighbor, Joshua Findley, opened fire in his unit

Joshua Findley, 31, who had two outstanding warrants, was arrested weeks later. It's unclear why opened fire inside the building

'She was making breakfast at 8 a.m. and she was shot through the wall,' Buydakov told KTLA in an interview following his mother's death.

When Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to the apartment in the 7100 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, they found the woman.

A SWAT helicopter circled the upscale building in West Hollywood for hours as first responders rushed the Russian immigrant to a nearby hospital.

Her son said one bullet caused severe damage to her liver, kidney, and spine, while another bullet landed in her neck.

Pereshivaylova recovered from her shooting injuries and was ultimately released but was later readmitted.

Doctors then made a startling discovery: liver cancer.

'She was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer while she was hospitalized for the shooting,' Buydakov said.

Due to her worsening condition from her gunshot injuries, her son said she was unable to receive chemotherapy for her cancer.

'We couldn't even start any treatment because her condition was not stable from the shooting,' her son explained.

'She was shot through her liver, through her right kidney and the bullet got lodged in her spine,' Max Buydakov, 21, said

When Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies responded to the apartment in the 7100 block of Santa Monica Boulevard, they found the woman

This is a unit inside the upscale Dylan Apartment Complex in West Hollywood

'We couldn't even start any treatment because her condition was not stable from the shooting,' her son explained

On Sunday evening, the mother and nurse died. It's currently unclear if her cancer, the gunshot injuries, or a combination of the two was her cause of death.

Buydakov said he is choosing to remember his mother as someone who was loving and compassionate and full of live, even as he grieves.

'I don't think there's any sort of prep course or anything like that could have prepared me for what I have dealt with,' he told KTLA.

According to her son, Pereshivaylova, was hoping to be remembered for her kindness and her service toward her community as a dedicated nurse.

Her family has since started a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and medical bills left over following her death.

As of Tuesday, May 23, the fundraiser has brought in just over $10,000.

'Max and his mom are good hard working people. She was his support system, its tragic she is now gone before her time,' one donor wrote in a comment.

Her family has since started a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses and medical bills left over following her death

Findley initially managed to escape from the apartment complex where the shooting took place and went on the run for several weeks

Findley initially managed to escape from the apartment complex where the shooting took place and went on the run for several weeks.

On May 9, the suspected shooter was taken into custody by deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Findley is currently being held for two unrelated outstanding warrants including a parole violation and illegal possession of a firearm, LASD said.
The heartbroken mom of a woman allegedly killed by a suspected MS-13 gang member who illegally entered the US claims her daughter would still be alive if Joe Biden had done more to keep the border secure.

Kayla Hamilton, was allegedly strangled to death by a 17-year-old El Salvador native who entered the U.S illegally. The unnamed boy was charged with first-degree murder, as well as rape and robbery.

Her heartbroken mother, Tammy Nobles, shared a fiery message criticizing Biden on border security and illegal immigration during 'Fox & Friends First,' on Tuesday.

She called for an investigation into the Biden administration's handling of the influx of migrants at the southern border and is expected to testify at the House Judiciary Committee's Biden Border Crisis hearing.

The hearing, titled The Biden Border Crisis: Part III, will be chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and will highlight illegal border crossings and the case of Kayla Hamilton.

Kayla Hamilton, 20, of Aberdeen, Maryland, was allegedly raped and killed by a suspected MS-13 gang member, who was previously arrested at the border as an unaccompanied minor

Heartbroken mom of 20-year-old who was allegedly killed by MS-13 gang member sends fiery message to Biden on 'Fox & Friends First'

Tammy Nobles speaks to 'Fox & Friends First' as illegal immigrant faces rape-murder charges in daughter's death

'If there was a more secured border and individuals coming here was properly vetted, my daughter would still be alive today,' she said.

Nobles said immigrants must be properly vetted before they are allowed into the country. She slammed the Biden Administration's response over the murder of her daughter and said the only politician to show support was Jordan.

'If there was a more secured border and individuals coming here was properly vetted, my daughter would still be alive today,' Nobles said on Fox.

'They let her down,' she said. 'I want them to be properly vetted. They need to be able to check their background, not for crimes in this country, but also crimes in their country and where they came from.'

When asked if she could ever believe something like this happening in her family, Nobles said: 'Not in a million years. I never thought I would lose my daughter at 20 years old.'

Hamilton was raped and strangled to death on July 27, 2022.

Officers had been called to a mobile home at the Rancho Estates for a suspected cardiac arrest victim, but instead found Hamilton's body.

Police arrested the suspect on January 15, 2023 after comparing his DNA to evidence from the crime scene. The 17-year-old El Salvador native, was charged with first-degree murder, as well as rape and robbery.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed the suspect was listed as a member of Mara Salvatrucha, known as MS-13.

Nobles told police her daughter (right), who is autistic, wanted to live independently and had recently moved in with her boyfriend (left) and celebrated her 20th birthday before her death

Hamilton's mom said she never thought she would lose her daughter at 20 years old

The Aberdeen Police Department said Hamilton had just moved into the city to live with her 22-year-old boyfriend before her gruesome murder, which also came just three days after her birthday.

House Judiciary Committee Republicans launched a probe into her rape and murder, criticizing the Biden administrations' 'open border policies.'

U.S Reps. Jim Jordan and Tom McClintok demanded the Health and Human Services Department answer for the death of Hamilton.

After the attack, Jordan slammed Biden directly in a tweet criticizing his alleged inaction amid reports of the border crisis' impacts.

Summing up the news, Jordan wrote: 'Unaccompanied alien minors working brutal jobs across the country. MS 13 gang member kills Maryland woman. Fentanyl being smuggled across the border.

'But for some reason, Joe Biden continues to ignore the border crisis.'

The GOP's outrage in the case comes as the number of migrants caught illegally crossing the southern border has reportedly record numbers.

In March 2023 alone, there have been 43,958 repeat encounters and 123,898 new encounters, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

There has been a 28 percent increase in the number of unique individuals encountered om March since the prior month.

This month, the Biden administration claimed there has been a nearly 70 percent drop in migrant encounters upon the ending of Title 42. But despite the supposed decline, cities nationwide are still combatting the stream of sometimes thousands of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border each day.

Big cities across the United States have been dealing with a massive influx of migrants crowding the streets.

Shocking footage from this week shows Chicago police station lobby filled with mattresses and migrants as the city struggles to house around 200 new border crossers arriving each day.

Members of MS-13 and other gangs have been crossing the southern border illegally, along with the thousands of Mexican and Central American migrants who continue to surge into the U.S.

In April, a Florida man with ties to MS-13 is charged with murder in the slaying and dismemberment of an Uber Eats driver who had brought food to the assailant's house on what was to be his final delivery of the night.
Report comes after two knife incidents in schools, which both had Evolv scanners, left two victims with stab wounds

A security firm that sells AI weapons scanners costing $3.7 million to U.S schools is facing questions after its technology failed to detect a large number of knives, including two used in recent stabbings by students in Ohio and New York.

Evolv Technology was found to have failed to detect 42 percent of large knives in 24 walk-throughs, according to the BBC.

The systems, which have been bought by hundreds of schools across the country, use low-frequency waves to induce magnetization in metal objects passing through.

In October of last year, the system failed to detect a hunting knife that was smuggled into a school in Utica, New York, and was used in a stabbing of Ehni Ler Htoo.

Earlier this month, another school student in Columbus, Ohio, was left with multiple wounds after being attacked in a school with a knife.

The student is seen continuing to brandish the object in his hand in a stabbing motion as he grapples with the victim

The vicious attack took place at Proctor High School and was filmed by onlookers before being posted to social media showing the two in a heated brawl

Pictured: Proctor High School in Utica, New York, the scene of the brutal incident

A violent brawl erupted between two teenagers at Proctor High School and was filmed by onlookers.

Footage shows the student running toward his classmate, now identified as Ehni Ler Htoo, in the hallway of their school before he is seen lunging at him.

The attacker appears to be carrying something in his hand while Htoo is heard repeatedly yelling that his attacker has a knife.

A crowd can then be seen starting to form around the pair who continue to tussle.

Members of the crowd can be heard pleading with the young attacker to 'drop the knife'.

The 17-year-old student is seen continuing to brandish the object, later confirmed to be a knife, in a stabbing motion.

A male staff member can be seen approaching the pair before retrieving the knife from the attacker, saying: 'Are you out of your mind?'

'He just stabbed the sh*t out of my hands,' Htoo can be heard telling the male staffer.

Htoo suffered multiple stab wounds to his back and hands was given aid by school nursing staff before being taken to hospital.

Pictured: The knife used on Htoo during the attack last October inside Proctor High School

The school board had purchased Evolv scanners, pictured here, but the knife still managed to make it onto school property

Utica Schools Board had bought Evolv's weapons scanning systems for 13 of its schools and had them installed over the last summer, including Proctor.

Brian Nolan, Superintendent of Utica Schools, said: 'When we viewed the horrific video, we all asked the same question. How did the student get the knife into the school?'

He continued: 'Through investigation it was determined the Evolv Weapon Detection System was not designed to detect knives.

After removing the scanners from Proctor High, school authorities replaced them with ten metal detectors, but they are still in operation in the district's remaining 12 schools.

According to Nolan, three other knives have been found on students in other schools in the districts where Evolv is still in place - oof which was seven inches long. Another was a curved blade with finger holes, all of which had made it past the scanners.

In a similar incident earlier this month, a video emerged of a student stabbing a classmate as he was passing by.

The assailant, who has not been named, could be seen pulling out a knife when his classmate approaches

Shocking video showed the moment a student in a black hoodie stabbed one of his classmates at a high school in Columbus, Ohio

The incident happened in Mifflin High School in Columbus, Ohio, and footage captured shows a teen in a black hoodie pulling a knife from his waist and stabbing another student.

The Columbus City School District had already invested more than $3million to roll out 20 Evolv Express advanced weapons detection systems at its 17 high schools.

Following the incident, the district said it would begin conducting additional screenings of students' bags and layer that with the use of hand-held metal detectors and the Evolv machines.

Officials said in a statement earlier this month: 'The district remains committed to providing all buildings with a safe and secure learning environment.

'We will continue to explore all available measures to ensure the highest level of safety.'

Conor Healy of IPVM, a firm that analyses security equipment, says Evolv has exaggerated how effective their system actually is.

He told the BBC: 'There's an epidemic of schools buying new technology based on audacious marketing claims, then finding out it has hidden flaws, often millions of dollars later.

'Evolv is one of the worst offenders. School officials are not technical experts on weapons detection, and companies like Evolv profit from their ignorance.'

Pictured: Evolv Technology CEO Peter George who has defended the lack of detail in how much the firm has said about their tech

The Evolv detection system combines sensor technology with artificial intelligence

Instead of simply detecting metal, Evolv says its scanner 'combines powerful sensor technology with proven artificial intelligence' to detect weapons.

When the system detects a concealed weapon, like knives or guns, it triggers an alert.

The company has publicly stated their system is highly accurate, and previously boasted its scanners can help to create 'weapons-free zones'.

In a blog post by Evolv CEO Peter George, he defends the lack of detail in how much the firm has said about how the technology works.

He said: 'Marketing weapons detection security requires a delicate balance between educating stakeholders on new technology and not providing bad actors with the information they could use to do harm.

'So, while public-facing marketing materials are intentionally not specific, we communicate all aspects of the Evolv Express system - including limitations and capabilities - with the trusted security professionals at our customers, partners, and prospects.'

In a statement, Evolv said: 'We sincerely regret the incident that took place on October 31st in Utica.

'More than anything, we want students across the country to be and feel safe.

'Our team of dedicated and highly experienced security professionals and notable security advisors strives to do that to the best of our ability each and every day.

'At Evolv, we strive to be transparent with our customers and security professionals about what the technology can and cannot do.

'We encourage reporters who have questions about AI weapons detection screening systems to speak with true security experts securing stadiums, presidents, and airport travelers and who have held the profound responsibility of securing venues and people in the real world, not self-proclaimed experts, such as IPVM, who we believe lack real world security screening expertise.'
A woman has been found guilty of duping another female into having sex during a 'two-year relationship' - by pretending to be a man.

Blade Silvano, 40, is facing a 'substantial' jail term after being convicted of two counts of sexual assault by penetration against an unnamed female victim.

The court heard Silvano tricked her into having sexual intercourse on at least two occasions by using an 'unknown object' that the victim thought was 'her penis'.

The defendant hid her true gender by always wearing a t-shirt and boxers, turning the light off and never allowing the victim to see or touch 'her genitalia,' the trial was told.

The couple also messaged and 'sexted' every day for nearly two years, and had even started planning a wedding.

Blade Silvano (pictured) from Lydham in Shropshire, was found guilty of two counts of assault by penetration after tricked a woman and used an unknown object to have sex with her

Blade Silvano, pictured in a Market Times article from 2016, was found guilty of two counts of assault by penetration

But the jury heard they only met physically on a few occasions as Silvano had 'lied' about having cancer and being in the British Army.

A jury today on Tuesday unanimously found her guilty of two charges of sexual assault by penetration after a trial at Cambridge Crown Court.

She was remanded in custody ahead of her sentencing after an application for bail from her defence was rejected by the judge and told her to expect a 'substantial' custodial sentence.

His Honour Judge Philip Grey said he could not grant her bail after he said she gave 'some of the most dishonest evidence I've ever heard on my time on the bench.'

He added: 'Now, you've been convicted, it is inevitable you are facing a lengthy custodial sentence.'

He told her she had been convicted of two 'extremely serious offences' and described the evidence as 'utterly, utterly overwhelming.'

Her sentence date will be fixed at the next hearing on 6 June when pre-sentence reports will be ordered.

Silvano (pictured outside Cambridge Crown Court) denied the accusations but was found guilty at a trial

During the trial, prosecutors said the pair met online in late 2016 when Silvano had posted her status on Plenty of Fish as a 'man looking for a woman' so matched with the victim who was searching the opposite.

They first met in person in December that year and 'kissed' before going on to have 'intercourse'.

Giving evidence, the victim, who referred to Silvano as a 'he' throughout her evidence, said she thought she was having sex with a man called Blade Mendez - and had never consented to doing it with a female.

She added: 'When we had sex, Blade would usually blindfold me and I was never allowed to look at the penetration occurring.

'He would never allow me to go near his genital region and I never saw his penis.'

She said she was 'able to move my hands freely down the side and his back but added: 'I was never able to put my hands underneath his clothes or down his boxers.'

She added: 'He would rebuff me every time I tried to make an advance; he would nudge me away.

'He was using sex toys on me; it was not allowed the other way round. He told me he was a man and it was on that basis I agreed to have sex with him.'

She added: 'He didn't tell me he was female but he penetrated me with something - and I haven't consented to it.'

Silvano, of Bishop's Castle, Shropshire, had denied ever meeting the victim and said they had an 'online relationship' only that was all about 'roleplay' and 'fantasy.'

But a former work colleague, who always understood she was a man, said: 'Everyone always called him he.

''He' was regarded as a bit of a storyteller - it was rubbish but in a harmless way. Now, from what we have learned, you question everything 'he' said.

'What emerged from court was disgusting. His poor victim must have felt so violated. It's sick.'

Silvano (pictured), of Bishop's Castle, Shropshire, had denied ever meeting the victim and said they had an 'online relationship' only that was all about 'roleplay' and 'fantasy.'

She said the thousands of messages between them was all part of the fantasy, as was the planned wedding, which had seen a registrar booked and the defendant going wedding dress shopping with her sister.

Giving evidence, Silvano claimed she was 'open' about her gender from the beginning and, although medically a 'woman' on her birth certificate, didn't define herself this way.

She told the jury she was 'pansexual' would often use the title 'Doctor' which she claimed she was entitled to do after completing an online PHD in ancient Greek history.

But her claim to have done a 200 word dissertation on the subject was ridiculed in court.

Giving her evidence, she accepted they had strong feelings for each other but added: 'She knew I was female, again it was the roleplay. We were both having problems at home and it was like our escapism.'

But the tall tales had begun years earlier, when she was running a cafe in a former Victorian town hall in Welshpool, Powys, where fellow traders knew her as a man.

An article in the Market Times, which also used male pronouns, described how 'he' claimed to have been an orthopaedic surgeon for the RAF, 'a career curtailed by the combination of a road accident in which he lost a foot after a joy rider collided with his motorbike, and a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis'.

A fellow trader, who didn't want to be named, said Silvano had also claimed to be an orthopaedic surgeon with the US Air Force.

'He has betrayed our trust and friendship,' they said yesterday, still using the male pronoun they had known her by. The lies are hurtful and distressing because we treated him as a friend.'

Silvano also said she had achieved a national diploma in applied science and a BTEC in animal behaviour at Liverpool University. Neither institution has a record of a student by any of the names she went by.

The Royal Military Police also looked into her for the prosecution and told the trial she had not served in the forces.

The trial also heard details of thousands of messages sent between the couple, including ones referring to her as a 'big strong handsome guy.'

She told cops: 'This was our roleplay - she wanted that. It doesn't mean it actually happened. She can tell I'm not male. Her referring to me as a man is roleplay. She knew from the start.'

Silvano acknowledged they had spoken about a wedding but tried to claim it was 'not in the real world.'

She also said she had a number of ongoing health issues but although she had been tested for cancer accepted she had never been diagnosed with it.

She claimed the breakdown in contact came when the victim discovered she was already in another serious relationship through Facebook in 2018 and wanted to report her to the police as an act of 'revenge.'

Quizzing, the defendant, prosecution barrister Michael Hillman told her: 'It was roleplay only for you, as she believed every word you said.

'She was head over heels in love with you and you exploited that with your constant lies, stringing her along.

'And you did that because you got a kick out of it, stringing this woman along - holding you out to be someone you are not.'

Silvano will next appear in court on 6 June when her sentencing date will be fixed.
Paedophile Rolf Harris is seen smiling from ear-to-ear and playing a digeridoo in his last ever set of photographs - taken just months before his death at the age of 93.

The images show the disgraced former TV host and his wife Alwen pose up for the professional-style photos, taken at a neighbour's house in January.

Harris had lived as a near-recluse since being freed from jail in 2017, accompanied only by his spouse - and carers - at their 5million home in Berkshire.

Alwen, 91, who has always stood by Harris and refused to believe he was evil is also ill, with Alzheimer's disease, and uses a wheelchair.

She can been seen beaming in one of the recent photos as Harris - who a judge said showed 'no remorse' for his sickening crimes - puts his arm around her while holding the paw of their family dog.

Harris is propped up on a chair as he rubs his beard while cracking a wide smile in one of the last ever photographs taken of the paedophile

Alwen can been seen beaming in one of the recent photos as Harris puts his arm around her while holding the paw of their family dog

Harris is seen posing with his digeridoo on a grand set of stairs, before blowing into the instrument while looking into the lens

READ MORE Disgraced TV host and musician who was once one of Britain's biggest stars Advertisement

In another shot they appear to share a laugh as they take in the lakeside view of their friend's sprawling property.

Elsewhere, Harris is propped up on a chair as he rubs his beard while cracking a wide smile.

He is also seen posing with his digeridoo on a grand set of stairs, before blowing into the instrument while looking into the lens.

It was reported in 2018 how the then-88-year-old invited 70 guests over to his house to celebrate his first birthday following his release from prison.

The Sun reported that during the party he performed Two Little Boys with the help of a backing band, with a source telling the paper: 'It was a very jovial night with lots of singing, dancing and joking.

'Rolf seemed in his element performing his old hits with the help of a band and with his trusty didgeridoo.'

The convicted sex offender was also reported to have made at least two makeshift didgeridoos out of toilet rolls when in prison, both of which were confiscated.

Harris was convicted in June 2014 of a string of indecent assaults, including 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 over 16 years, starting when she was just 13.

At sentencing, Judge Mr Justice Sweeney told the veteran entertainer: 'You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all.'

Harris and his wife share a laugh during a photoshoot at their neighbour's home in January

The 5million Berkshire home where Harris spent his final days as a virtual recluse

Harris poses with his didgeridoo in one of the last ever photos taken of the disgraced former TV host

He added: 'Your reputation lies in ruins. You have been stripped of your honours. But you have nobody to blame but yourself.'

Harris has already been cremated after dying on May 10 following a months-long battle with neck cancer, it emerged today. His family are believed to have held a 'secret' funeral.

Harris had been struggling to talk after cancerous tumours grew in his neck after he was freed from jail in 2017 for a string of sex offences including against children as young as eight.

He was fed through a tube before his death and was seen in a wheelchair when out of the house.

A statement from his family, released through his solicitor, said: 'This is to confirm that Rolf Harris recently died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest.

'They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made.'

Private investigator, author and former police officer William Merritt, author of the book Rolf Harris: The Truth behind the Trials, told MailOnline that he last 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 have 'gurgled' when talking.

His wife Alwen, who he had been married to for 65 years, has also been seriously ill with Alzheimer's. 'She's very frail', he said.

It understood Harris' health took a turn for the worse after the sudden death of his poodle earlier in 2022.

Harris poses with a didgeridoo at the home of a neighbour in January, months before his death on May 10

Harris is pictured laughing while sitting on a chair in one of the last ever photos taken of him back in January

Harris plays his didgeridoo on the stairs just months before his death from neck cancer

Harris married his sculptor wife in March 1958 after meeting at art school. Bindi is their only child.

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 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.
A former deputy head of Prince George and Princess Charlottes 20,000-a-year first school appeared in court today charged with a slew of child sex offences.

Matthew Smith, 34, was appointed as deputy head of pastoral care at Thomass prep school in Battersea in September last year, after a five-year stint teaching in Nepal.

Smith was arrested by NCA officers at his home in East Dulwich, southeast London, last November.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court charged with 17 counts of child sex abuse, including encouraging the rape of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and arranging the sexual abuse of a child.

The charges relate to the suspected sexual abuse of children in India via the internet between 2017 and 2022 and do not relate to children at the prestigious school, which costs upwards of 20,000 per year.

Matthew Smith, 34, who was a former deputy head of Prince George and Princess Charlottes 20,000-a-year first school in Battersea appeared in court today charged with 17 counts of child sexual abuse

Thomass Battersea prestigious prep school which costs upwards of 20,000 per year

Smith also faces six counts of making and distributing over 120,000 indecent images of children in categories A-C.

He was remanded in custody ahead of a a plea and trial preparation hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 20 June.

Prior to his role at Thomass Battersea, Smith was assistant head teacher at the British School in Kathmandu, Nepal, for five years.

He also taught at St Pauls School, and has degrees from both Oxford and Cambridge.

Prince George and Princess Charlotte both attended Thomass Battersea up until early last year, when they moved to Lambrook School, near Ascot.

They had left by the time Smith took up his job there.

The school was informed Smith was being investigated by the National Crime Agency on November 7.
A Grenfell fire investigator who died after overdosing as he struggled with his divorce did not intend to take his own life, an inquest has ruled today.

James Breach, 53, had been conducting the Hackitt Review into Building Regulations and Fire Safety following the London blaze which killed 72 people and led to a sweeping reform of regulations in tower blocks.

On February 13, 2022, the former Porton Down chemical warfare expert had taken a 'large' dose of his anxiety medication propranolol in a 'cry for help' which tragically had fatal consequences.

Mr Breach, who still worked as a civil servant at the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities, called 999 to tell them what he had taken, but when emergency services arrived nearly 90 minutes later, he was found unresponsive, the hearing was told.

At Salisbury Coroner's Court, Wiltshire, senior coroner David Ridley today concluded a verdict of accidental death.

An inquest ruled today that James Breach, who investigated the Grenfell Fire tragedy, did not intend to take his own life. Pictured: Porton Down near Salisbury where Mr Breach also worked

At Salisbury Coroner's Court (pictured), Wiltshire, senior coroner David Ridley today concluded a verdict of accidental death

The inquest heard Mr Breach, of Winterslow, near Salisbury, had been married to wife Samantha Breach, a clinical lead nurse, for 26 years before their relationship started to 'break down'.

In 2021 he met with his GP to discuss these 'concerns' alongside worries he was on the autistic spectrum.

In a statement read to the court, Mrs Breach said there had 'sadly' been issues in their marriage and the couple were in the process of divorce at the time of his tragic death.

She said that after unsuccessfully seeing a marriage counsellor, they decided to separate - with Mr Breach 'initiating proceedings'.

However, Mr Breach's sister Rebecca Guernero told the hearing: 'He told me he did not want a divorce but Samantha did.'

She said that while he 'remained positive about the future' and was looking to move to a property in the Yorkshire Dales, he was becoming 'stressed' about having to move out of the marital home.

Mr Ridley told the hearing: 'Mr Breach was married but at the time of his death was going through a divorce.

'At 1.15pm on February 13 last year the ambulance service received a call from Mr Breach where he indicated he had taken an overdose.

'He was found unresponsive on the sofa at his address.'

Due to 'resourcing issues', emergency services only arrived at 2.49pm and declared Mr Breach dead just five minutes later, it was heard.

James Breach had been conducting the Hackitt Review into Building Regulations and Fire Safety following the London blaze (the fire in 2017, pictured) which killed 72 people and led to a sweeping reform of regulations in tower blocks

The coroner ruled there was 'no evidence' to suggest an earlier ambulance attendance would have 'made a difference'.

The inquest heard the cause of death was 'propranolol toxicity' - a drug which Mr Breach took to manage his anxiety - and was over 13 times the therapeutic level.

The Head of Clinical Operations and Safety at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Richard Garment, told the hearing it treated propranolol overdoses as an emergency needing 'immediate response to a life threatening condition'.

Other areas treat it as less urgent, the inquest heard, and this classification has been under review.

The hearing was told Mr Breach had taken the overdose 20 minutes before dialling 999 and Mr Ridley said: 'Mr Breach was unaware of the importance of phoning through and sadly the outcome was as it was.

'It is now being looked at at the highest level it can be.

'I think myself and other coroners have aired these concerns that propranolol does have a time critical factor to treatment.

'Without which, you may as well not bother sending an ambulance, and send a private one to collect people.'

Speaking about the new categorisation of propranolol overdose, he added: 'There are no guarantees it's going to be something that works, but at least A and E is the best place possible if they do have a cardiac arrest.'

Delivering a verdict, he continued: 'I don't think it was a suicide, I think it was an impulsive act, a cry for help.

'He didn't want to die but set that wheel in motion that caused his death after the very large overdose.'

Mr Ridley offered his condolences to Mr Breach's family after his 'untimely loss'.
Business owners in a wealthy Atlanta neighborhood are paying out of their own pockets for extra police protection after a local group raised $500,000 to help combat soaring crime rates.

The group will pay off-duty Atlanta police officers to carry out patrols in commercial areas, particularly shopping centers. To help with their efforts, the Atlanta Police Foundation has also contributed three police cruisers.

In 2020, Buckhead was one of the hardest hit areas in Atlanta in the wake of the rioting and looting that occurred following the death of George Floyd.

The off-duty cops will have the full power to arrest suspects, according to Atlanta Police Department Chief Darin Schierbaum. It comes just months after Buckhead failed to secede from Atlanta.

The scheme is being run by the Buckhead Safety Alliance. The group's coordinator Debra Wathen said at a press conference Monday that the $500,000 will cover security costs for 12 months - and they will continue to fundraise.

Members of the Buckhead Safety Alliance announcing the launch of their new police force

Members of the alliance raised around $500,000 to pay off-duty Atlanta cops to patrol the Buckhead section

In 2020, Buckhead was one of the hardest hit areas in Atlanta in the wake of the rioting and looting that occurred following the death of George Floyd

The new officers will be concentrating on vehicle and retail thieves, who activists say have been targeting the area. Each Buckhead police car will have a dedicated cell number that will be given to local business owners. Those in need of assistance are asked to call 911 first and then a local police cruiser.

Atlanta City Councilwoman Mary Norwood said at Monday's press event that private security protection in more residential sections of Buckhead have proved successful in reducing crime in recent years.

'The neighborhoods in Buckhead for the past two decades have had security patrols in their neighborhoods and that has been an effective deterrent to crime,' Norwood said.

'These security patrols will make us safer in Buckhead, for our residents and our visitors,' she added, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Another activist, Jim Durrett, told Axios that one of the most common crimes being seen in the area is criminals breaking into cars in search of guns.

'I think it will be a success,' one resident, Mimi Maslia, told Fox Atlanta.

At the same press conference, Chief Schierbaum said the city's homicide level is nearing the low level it was at prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, down 40 percent so far this year.

In 2022, the department opened a new police precinct in the area. This year, Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns put funds in the state budget to allow for the Georgia State Patrol to open an office in Buckhead.

Crime in Atlanta has been ticking up for several years - commensurate with many major metropolitan areas - and control has not yet been effectively seized by law enforcement

Protesters in the Buckhead section of Atlanta following the death of George Floyd

The chief said the Buckhead force would be able to respond faster to locals' 911 calls. Local police commander, Maj. Allen Mitchell, told the media there has been successive reductions in crime in the area over the last two years.

Buckhead is following the blueprint laid by neighborhoods in St. Louis which initiated a private police force in 2022, according to ProPublica.

A similar move occurred in Chicago's Lincoln Park section in 2022, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The apparent need for private security forces has accelerated in recent years.

'Weve seen private security on a fast growth pace for 30 or more years in the United States, said Darrel Stephens, the co-director at Florida State Universitys Policing, Security Technology, and Private Security Research & Policy Institute, told NewsNation in 2022.

Earlier this year, Georgia senators torpedoed the effort by the Buckhead City Committee to sever Atlanta and Buckhead into two separate municipalities, with the measure failing by a 33-23 vote. Ten Republicans in the state Senate joined all of the chamber's Democrats to reject the proposal.

Had the bill succeeded, it would have set up a referendum on creating a new city that could have cast a harsh spotlight on efforts by a richer, majority-white neighborhood to divorce itself from the poorer, blacker city at the heart of the Deep South's largest urban area.

BUCKHEAD, GEORGIA: ONE OF THE NATION'S WEALTHIEST ZIP CODES Buckhead is known as Atlanta's commercial and residential district, famed for its high-rise buildings and shopping centers, hotels and mansions. The neighborhood is a historically wealthy district and was once ranked the ninth richest zip code in the country with a median price of homes of $1,460,595, according to Forbes. American suburban luxury home in Buckhead, Atlanta Bloomberg named Buckhead the 20th richest zip code in the nation in 2011, when the average household net worth there was $1,353,189. The average household income was $280,631. Because of this, Buckhead is often called the 'Beverly Hills of the Southeast,' in reference to the upscale city in California. Buckhead is also known to have a few notable residents, including Georgia Republican Kelly Loeffler. Loeffler was among the wealthiest members of Congress until she lost her seat in January of 2021. In 2009, she and her husband spent more than $10million on a European-style mansion named Descante in the Buckhead neighborhood. Source: Bloomberg Advertisement

The vote came after Republican Governor Brian Kemp's Executive Counsel David Dove issued a memo that raised around a dozen concerns about the constitutionalist of de-annexing parts of an established city.

Several days after the motion was defeated, Bill White, who has been spearheading the effort for three years, sent an email to followers of the effort bidding adieu 'for now.'

'Unfortunately, now that Governor Kemp has displayed that he does not support our right to vote, there is no path forward for a cityhood referendum while he remains Governor until the end of his term in 2026,' he wrote.

White now says 'there's no point in being here,' in Buckhead, and will soon pack up the home he shared with his husband and move to their recently renovated house on Lake Burton in North Georgia.

He told the Atlanta Journal Constitution, the pair plan to settle in a place like Florida - where there is no income tax.

'We have to leave for our own well being and fiscal sanity,' he said.

On April 4, White posted an Instagram of the now shuttered Buckhead City Committee offices and wrote 'Good luck Buckead....HQ is now officially shut down.'

The Buckhead City Committee had raised $2.5million from 4,000 donors under White's direction in the last several years. That money is now gone and the $15,000 per month office space that the organization had rented is packed up and empty.

The movement, at its peak, attracted the support of former President Donald Trump and attention of former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, to whom White spoke on air about the effort.

Now, others will have to carry the banner forward. However, some in the group are looking as 'potentially suing him (Governor Brian Kemp) to establish the basis that Buckhead City of course is constitutional and to disprove the information in that memo,' said White.

'It doesn't change that vote, but there is an avenue to take that up in a proper proceeding.'

The homicide rate in Atlanta climbed last year to 161 - the highest number since 1996. That figure was up from 157 in 2020 and 99 in 2019.

Burglaries, shoplifting and car jackings also rose significantly.

The secession proposal would have, like all divorces, taken assets into consideration.

Under the failed legislation, Buckhead City would have be allowed to acquire Atlanta park land within its boundaries for a mere $100,000 per acre, despite an acre in the neighborhood commanding 10 times that amount

Atlanta would also have been required to either split all assets outside its city limits with the proposed Buckhead City borders or sell them and split the proceeds.

Georgia's legislature has historically allowed unincorporated areas around Atlanta to vote for their own cities for about 20 years.

However, in that time, it has allowed just one vote to leave - the wealthy, small city of Stockbridge, where subdivision residents rejected secession in 2018.

In 2021, the last time the proposal to leave the city was sent to the state legislature, an estimated 80 percent of the community had planned to vote in favor of the separation.

Buckhead's population is 73.5 percent white and 23.9 percent black. This compares to the wider Atlanta population, which is 50.7 percent black and 38 percent white, according to census data.
Police and MI5 should be questioned over possible 'state responsibility' for the death of Britain's youngest female terror suspect, her family argue.

A pre-inquest hearing was held today into the death of Rhianan Rudd, who later died in a children's home where she is believed to have taken her own life.

The youngster had become fixated with the far right after being groomed and sexually abused online by two American white supremacists  one of whom had a relationship with her mother.

Police arrested her in 2020, when she was just 14, after she downloaded a bomb-making manual and was believed to have been planning a terror attack.

She was under suspicion for more than a year  during which she was charged and faced a trial - despite officers and spies knowing she was in fact a victim of grooming.

Rhianan Rudd, pictured, died in a children's home where she is believed to have taken her own life

The youngster, pictured here with her mother, had become fixated with the far right after being groomed and sexually abused online by two American white supremacists

Barrister Jesse Nicholls, representing Rhianan's mother Emily Carter, told a pre-inquest hearing 'the behaviour of the state may have been a contributory factor before she took her own life at a children's home in May last year.

He called for the inquest to consider 'possible state responsibility' in relation to the 'impact on Rhianan's state of mind'.

Chesterfield Coroner's Court heard police and MI5 knew Rhianan may have been a victim of child sexual exploitation for at least a year  before she was even arrested.

But they continued to proceed with prosecution for alleged offences. Rhianan was charged with terror offences in April 2021 and was set to face a trial last year. Charges were not withdrawn until December 2021.

Mr Nicholls said: 'The issue is (whether) in continuing to prosecute and not withdraw prosecution the state contributed to Rhianan's death.

'It's not fine, it should not have been happening in the way it was; there were consequences for Rhianan (and) that matter requires attention.

'If Rhianan had been identified as a victim earlier and signposted for support, her death could have been avoided.

'The fact referral (for assessment about whether she was a CSE victim) was not made is relevant to the issue of whether to prosecute a 14-year-old child for months and months and months.

'The family feel the inquest should examine the decision to prosecute and the significant delay to referral.'

He added: 'We say that the inquest should investigate how it came to be that Rhianan was subjected to the criminal justice system for alleged terror offences and whether as part of that adequate or appropriate steps were taken to recognise her for what she was  a victim of child sexual exploitation  which resulted in the discontinuance of the prosecution.'

Mr Nicholls said Derbyshire Police knew Rhianan was a victim of child sexual exploitation (CSE) in September 2020, the month before her arrest and referral to the Prevent counter extremism programme - and MI5 may have been aware even earlier.

Rhianan was charged with terror offences in April 2021 but no consideration was made for a referral for support as a potential CSE victim in the meantime, the family's barrister said.

Charges against Rhianan were dropped after evidence emerged she had been groomed by US neo-Nazi Christopher Cook, pictured, and Ms Carter's one-time partner Dax Mallaburn, a fellow American white supremacist

Mallaburn, pictured, met Rhianan's mother via a pen pal system for prisoners

Referral was only made later that month 'not by police or MI5 but by social services'.

She was finally recognised as a potential victim of child sex grooming in August 2021 but the prosecution was not discontinued for a further four-and-a-half months, Mr Nicholls said.

'That picture means that for well over a year, possibly longer depending on the date of MI5's knowledge of Rhianan's status as a victim of child sexual exploitation that the state was investigating and prosecuting a child which could have resulted in her imprisonment (despite knowing she was a victim)', Mr Nicholls added.

Mr Nicholls also called for 'full disclosure' of what MI5 knew about Rhianan and from when.

Derbyshire Police argued Rhianan was a 'vulnerable, complex person who they had to take seriously', and that the deterioration of her mental health was not until 2022.

When officers last spoke to her in April 2022, a month before her death, she was concerned about being trolled online and about a historical Telegram account which had resurfaced but police told her they wouldn't take further action about that, said Claire Palmer, representing Derbyshire Police.

She told the court that police began investigating Rhianan in September 2020 after her mother referred her to the anti-radicalisation scheme Prevent.

READ MORE HERE: British teenager, 16, killed herself after being charged with terrorism after being influenced by American white supremacist whom her mother met through US prison pen pal scheme Advertisement

Ms Palmer said that when she was arrested in October 2020, Rhianan was 'at some degree, in crisis', and was interviewed about possible sexual exploitation, but did not believe she was a victim.

She said: 'What the police found was a vulnerable, complex young lady where there were very serious issues.'

Coroner Peter Nieto, area coroner for Derby and Derbyshire, told the hearing in Chesterfield that there 'may be multiple events or issues that contributed to Rhianan's state of mind'.

Charges against Rhianan were dropped after evidence emerged she had been groomed by US neo-Nazi Christopher Cook and Ms Carter's one-time partner Dax Mallaburn, a fellow American white supremacist.

Mallaburn met Rhianan's mother via a pen pal system for prisoners.

Rhianan, who moved to Derbyshire with her family from Essex in 2012, continued to work with Prevent and was studying for her GSCEs at the time of her death at a residential home in Nottinghamshire.

Speaking to Mail Online in January, Rhianan's mother Emily Carter said of the police and MI5: 'They should have seen her as a victim rather than a terrorist.'

Ms Carter said: 'She became very withdrawn, very secretive. You'd say 'what you been doing upstairs' and she would say 'nothing' where before she would say she was 'searching, doing this, doing that.'

'She wasn't racist at all and then, all of a sudden, she didn't like blacks, didn't like Jews, didn't like anybody who wasn't white.

'If you didn't have blonde hair and blue eyes and were Aryan, as they say, she didn't want to know you, you were an inferior race, you shouldn't have been alive.'

Ms Carter told how her daughter became obsessed with neo-Nazism and was soaking up views 'like a sponge.'

The pre-inquest review was adjourned for a further hearing in September and a full inquest in February.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details
Republicans are threatening to subpoena teacher's union boss Randi Weingarten if she doesn't hand over information they say is evidence that she worked with the Biden administration to slow-roll school re-openings after the COVID pandemic.

The head of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Weingarten is accused of pressuring the Biden administration during the pandemic to keep schools closed and let teachers work remotely.

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic led by Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, sent a letter Tuesday to AFT's counsel giving Weingarten exactly one week - until May 30 - to comply with their demands or face legal action.

The Republicans are specifically investigating whether 'non-governmental groups exercised undue influence' over the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and have accused AFT of conspiring with the Biden administration to keep school shuttered, to the benefit of teachers and detriment of children.

Weingarten was with then-candidate Joe Biden at a town hall in Houston as part of his presidential election campaign

Weingarten confirmed on April 26 during a congressional hearing that the CDC 'consulted' AFT leadership on the agency's 2021 school re-opening guidance.

In addition, Weingarten revealed at the hearing that she had been communicating with Biden's presidential transition team on school closures and 'had a direct line' to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, say the Republicans.

Walensky recently announced that she will be stepping down from running the CDC in June.

'Despite our continued and repeated reasonable accommodations, AFT continues to frustrate the Select Subcommittee's investigation,' the lawmakers write, referring to their initial March 28 letter asking for more information on the teachers' union connections to the Biden administration.

'Unless an agreement can be reached soon, we will be forced to consider the use of compulsory process.'

The Republicans outlined a series of correspondence they have had with AFT since the hearing - including a May 5 letter and phone call on May 10 - but they say the union has continued to stonewall on every request for information.

The select committee is specifically seeking transcribed interviews from four other AFT employees and all documents and communications between Weingarten and the Biden transition team.

Additionally, Republicans demand phone records, text messages and calls between CDC's Walensky and Weingarten regarding COVID school closures.

AFT spokesperson Michael Bromwich said in a statement: 'We are gratified to see that the Select Subcommittee has belatedly recognized that its previous requests were both burdensome and legally indefensible. The Subcommittee has narrowed the requests sufficiently so that we can continue working voluntarily to provide information that falls within its mandate.'

A recent study revealed that math scores for American children across the nation saw their biggest decreases ever, and reading scores fell to levels not seen since the early 1990s during the COVID pandemic.

Weingarten consistently finds herself in the middle of political outrage and has tried to avoid blame for the large decline in test scores - despite backing policies to keep schools closed.

Weingarten confirmed on April 26 during a congressional hearing that the CDC 'consulted' AFT leadership on the agency's 2021 school re-opening guidance

'During the pandemic, we understood that small businesses were hurting, and we helped them, and it didn't go to the Supreme Court to challenge it. Big businesses were hurting, and we helped them, and it didn't go to the Supreme Court to challenge it. All of a sudden, when it's about our students, they challenge it'

One particular tweet by Weingarten sparked massive outrage after she shifted blame off herself saying, 'The bottom line is everyone suffered in the pandemic ... because of the pandemic.

'The disruption was everywhere, and it was bad regardless of whether schools were remote or in person,' she wrote. 'We are focused now on the urgent need to help kids recover and thrive.'

Florida State Board of Education member Ryan Petty accused her of gaslighting, while John Cardillo, a former radio host called Weingarten a 'backpedaling hack.'

Weingarten also fought against former Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' vow to reopen schools, and said in July 2020: 'There's no way that you're going to have full-time schools for all the kids and all the teachers the way we used to have it.'
A 72-year-old experienced hillwalker has been rescued by a lifeboat crew after he became stranded on a remote cliff ledge for more than 24 hours.

The coastguard received a call from the pensioner saying he was trapped in the Kinloch Hourn area of the western Highlands, which is widely regarded as one of the most inaccessible wilderness in the UK, since noon on Sunday.

There is hardly any mobile reception where the experienced hillwalker got stuck, so he was only able to call for help yesterday.

The Kyle of Lochalsh-based RNLI team alongside the Glenelg Mountain Rescue Team set sail at around 1.20pm on Monday after the man's call for assistance.

The boat dropped off the mountain rescue team at 4pm at the head of Loch Hourn to begin their inland search and headed back out on to the water to re-establish contact with the coastguard.

The coastguard received a call from the pensioner (pictured in blue) saying he was trapped in the Kinloch Hourn area of the western Highlands, which is widely regarded as one of the most inaccessible wilderness in the UK, since noon on Sunday

The Kyle of Lochalsh-based RNLI team alongside the Glenelg Mountain Rescue Team (pictured) set sail at around 1.20pm on Monday after the man's call for assistance. The boat dropped off the mountain rescue team at 4pm at the head of Loch Hourn to begin their inland search and headed back out on to the water to re-establish contact with the coastguard

Rescuers began a systematic search of the area and located the hillwalker trapped on a small ledge just above the waterline at 7pm

The crew was sent new information on the walker's location and picked the rescue team up.

They then received a further update from the coastguard saying the man had contacted them saying he could see the lifeboat but could not signal to it as it was too far away.

Rescuers began a systematic search of the area and located the hillwalker trapped on a small ledge just above the waterline at 7pm, where he had been stuck for more than 24 hours since Sunday lunchtime.

They eventually managed to reach the pensioner and get him on board, then made their way back to Kyle where he was reunited with his very relieved family at around 7.30pm.

The rescue operation lasted more than six hours due to the difficult location of the stuck pensioner.

Kinloch Hourn is a small community in Knoydart, an area which is considered by many as the 'last great wilderness'

The man had been stuck on that ledge for more than 24 hours since Sunday lunchtime. A day later, on Monday, he was able to alert rescue teams and ask for assistance

They eventually managed to reach the pensioner and get him on board, then made their way back to Kyle where he was reunited with his very relieved family at around 7.30pm. The rescue operation lasted more than six hours due to the difficult location of the stuck pensioner

A Kyle RNLI spokesman said: 'This gentleman is an experienced walker who had unfortunately become trapped in an impossible situation, unable to go forward or back.

'Due to the location, he had no mobile signal from the time he had become trapped until Monday lunchtime, when he noticed he had a very weak one.

'He was then able to get in touch with the emergency services who launched a search and rescue operation.

'We regularly train with other rescue agencies, and by working well with everyone involved we were able to return him back to his family safely.'

Kinloch Hourn is a small community in Knoydart, an area which is considered by many as the 'last great wilderness'.
One of Rolf Harris's victims broke her silence after the paedophile's death was announced today at the age of 93.

Karen Gardner, a BBC Radio host, accused him of assaulting her three times in the space of 35 minutes when she was his 16-year-old bag carrier for the show Star Games in 1977.

She tweeted: 'Very few of us escape the impact of evil people. What we have to do is expose them, share and stand together to dilute the pain.

'For me it was Rolf Harris but he inflicted much worse on other girls.'

Ms Gardner relived her experiences for the ITV documentary Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight.

She revealed her torment in the show, which aired last week, after bravely waiving her right to anonymity.

Karen Gardner (pictured as a teenager) accused Harris of assaulting her three times in the space of 35 minutes when she was his 16-year-old bag carrier for the show Star Games in 1977

Ms Gardner broke her silence after the the paedophile's death was announced today at the age of 93

Ms Gardner (pictured during filming for documentary) relived her experiences for the ITV documentary Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight

She told the programme: 'In the space of I guess about 35 minutes, he assaulted me three times in plain sight. And it was horrible because you're surrounded by people, and he had a method of operating.

'I won't talk about the actual details, but he was paying me attention, he was saying how great I had been, and he, he hugged me, and that that's when, when it happened. And it was humiliating and degrading and awful and your, your blood turns to concrete.'

She continued: 'You can't believe this is happening. And I have no doubt what was happening. My period was due, and my breasts were very tender, and I had no doubt what he'd done was deliberate. And he did it, he did that twice in the space of, I don't know, 20 odd, 25 minutes.

'And then it was mid-afternoon and they had organised a couple of taxis and one of the cars came to get him. And I had to get in the back seat of the car.'

Ms Gardner said Rolf got beside her and assaulted her again, adding: 'Maybe because there wasn't anyone there, I did tell him to f**k off. And he said something, which makes, still makes me feel sick now. He said to me, 'You're irresistible.' I was 16. He was 48. He was 10 years older than my dad.'

Harris was acquitted of assaulting Ms Gardner after the jury could not reach a verdict at two trials.

Ms Gardner broke her silence just hours after MailOnline had revealed that the Australian sex offender had died of neck cancer and old age.

She was joined by TV personality Vanessa Feltz in promptly speaking out about Harris following his death.

Speaking on her TalkTV show, she recalled Harris, despite being metres away from his wife, making advances on her on live TV while they were filming an interview on The Big Breakfast bed in 1996.

Feltz revealed: 'I was told that morning my guest was Rolf Harris. "Hooray" - that was my thought, great brilliant, how marvellous to have him on the bed, fabulous.

'So we crowd into the little tiny bedroom where The Big Breakfast bed was... so there's the bed, there's me on it and Rolf Harris next to me and the camera man and the director and Rolf Harris's wife literally standing a foot away to the side of the bed.

'We go live and I'm like: "Hello! Guess who's on the bed with me today, it's the wonderful Rolf Harris." And I can hear this noise.

'The noise was my dress being crunched between Rolf's fingers as he started at my ankles and began to bring the dress further and further and further up my legs.

'You can actually see in one of the pictures me taking a blue cushion and putting it between us to try and make some space between me and him and he completely ignored it.'

TV personality Vanessa Feltz has also come forward as a victim of Rolf Harris. Here, she is pictured interviewing the disgraced paedophile in 1996

Feltz said that she was forced to put a blue pillow between them during the interview as he attempted to pull her dress up

Harris (pictured in 2017) died two weeks ago at his home and has already been 'laid to rest' following a secret cremation, it emerged today

She went on to describe how her abuser continued to touch her but she felt like she was silenced because she had a microphone on live TV.

She added: 'Then it got to the edge of my pants, my knickers, or whatever. My lingerie, and I knew, that if I didn't do something immediately, it was going to be a proper full-on assault.

'So I did what you're never allowed to do as a presenter, which I wouldn't be allowed to do on this show, which is throw to a break when I want to, rather than waiting for the director to tell me a break's coming up.'

It emerged later today that Harris actually died two weeks ago at his home and has already been 'laid to rest' following a secret cremation.

The disgraced TV star had been 'very sick' since leaving prison six years ago, living as a near-recluse with his wife in their 5million riverside mansion in Bray, Berkshire.

An undertaker's private ambulance was photographed outside his riverside home on May 11. Harris died there on May 10 - 13 days ago - but his death was only registered with Windsor and Maidenhead Council today. The document also revealed he has been cremated.

This afternoon, in a statement released by his solicitor, his family said: 'Rolf Harris recently died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest. They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made'.

The cause of death has been revealed as 'metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of neck' - the medical term for neck cancer - and 'frailty of old age'.

Paedophile Harris had been struggling to talk after cancerous tumours grew in his neck after he was freed from jail in 2017 for a string of sex offences including children as young as eight. He was fed through a tube before his death and was seen in a wheelchair when out of the house.

He is survived by his grandson Marlon, 25, daughter Bindi, 59, and wife Alwen, 91, a jeweller and sculptor. She is in a wheelchair because of Alzheimer's disease but the couple, who married in 1958, lived together with the help of around the clock care.

The Australian-born TV presenter was a family favourite for decades before being convicted of a string of indecent assaults in June 2014.

Disgraced paedophile Rolf Harris has died at the age of 93, MailOnline can reveal. He was last pictured in April 2022 (right)

Rolf Harris' death certificate revealed his cause of death. He died at home on May 10 - 13 days ago

The disgraced TV star had been 'very sick' since leaving prison six years ago, living as a near-recluse with his wife in their 5million riverside mansion (pictured) in Bray, Berkshire

A private ambulance with its rear doors open at the home of Rolf Harris and his wife Alwen around ten days ago

These included 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 over 16 years.

He was jailed for five years and nine months after being convicted of 12 assaults which took place between 1968 and 1986.

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. They 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.
A squatter with a lengthy-criminal history has been evicted from a $500,000 Atlanta-area home after he moved in while the home's owner, an Army officer, was away on active duty in Chicago.

Vincent Simon has been kicked out of Lt. Colonel Dahlia Daure's home in Dekalb County, Georgia and has since been arrested following his unwelcome stay.

Simon claimed to have a 19-month lease and police initially told Daure that it was a 'civil matter' and she would need to go through the courts to evict him.

Police discovered the number on the lease did not lead to a real person or listing agent and Simon was served with an intruder affidavit. He was arrested after cops discovered he had suspected ecstasy and a gun, which he is not allowed as a convicted felon.

'Just as I finished renovating, you leisurely moved in, like it's yours,' Daure told WSB-TV. 'No, I was not going to let this go,' she said.

Vincent Simon has been kicked out of Lt. Colonel Dahlia Daure's home in Dekalb County, Georgia and has since been arrested following his unwelcome stay

Daure, who was present as Simon removed his belongings, thanked WSB-TV investigators for helping to get the squatter out of her home.

Simon claimed to have a 19-month lease and police initially told Daure that it was a 'civil matter' and she would need to go through the courts to evict him

Daure claims she was only made aware of the situation after her real estate agent was making final preparations for the sale of her plush Holly Hill Parkway home.

The massive 4,300 square-foot estate has five beds and five baths, Zillow states, and is valued around $495,000.

Before listing the home, Daure had been renting it out and had even put in an estimated $35,000 in renovations.

Dekalb Sheriff's deputies and Dekalb Marshalls carried out the eviction late last week at the woman's Ellenwood home - and Daure herself served Simon with the eviction papers.

Photos and videos from the man's eviction show his personal items, including couches, lamps, and other furniture, littered up and down the home's driveway.

Daure, who was present as Simon removed his belongings, thanked WSB-TV investigators for helping to get the squatter out of her home.

'If it wasn't for Channel 2, Justin Gray, I wouldn't be here today, and I'm truly grateful,' Daure told the outlet as they watched the man's things be carried out.

According to police, the man had been living there for just a few weeks.

In that time, however, he had moved a hefty amount of his personal items in, including a gun safe, two dogs, dressers and coffee tables, and more.

'They had stuff in every single room, they had some huge TVs, 85, 90 inch TVs in boxes,' Daure told Atlanta News First.

It's unclear how the man obtained keys or entry into the home in the first place.

It's a happy and expedited ending for Daure who was initially told by police that she would need to go through a judicial eviction process, which can take months.

'I came here with a mission in mind to get him out of my house and put him in jail where he belongs,' Daure said.

A squatter with a lengthy-criminal history has been evicted from a $500,000 Atlanta-area home after he moved in while the home's owner, an Army officer, was away on active duty

Photos and videos from the man's eviction show his personal items, including couches, lamps, and other furniture, littered up and down the home's driveway

Dekalb Sheriff's deputies and Dekalb Marshalls carried out the eviction late last week at the woman's Ellenwood home

'I came here with a mission in mind to get him out of my house and put him in jail where he belongs,' Daure said

'Just as I finished renovating, you leisurely moved in, like it's yours,' Lt. Colonel Dahlia Daure told WSB-TV. 'No, I was not going to let this go'

'I felt violated. Had I not been serving my country, I would have been in my home,' Daure said

The massive 4,300 square foot estate where Simon is holed-up has five beds and five baths, Zillow states, and is valued around $495,000

After WSB-TV's report, Dekalb County Sheriff's deputies reached out to Daure and helped her to circumvent the normal pathway to eviction with the intruder affidavit.

'It feels good when you can return the home back to the homeowner,' said Major Manuel Sanchez from the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office.

Simon had initially presented police with a lease that he said showed him having paid $19,000 to stay in the property for six months.

In that time, the convicted criminal installed cameras and put up 'Beware of Dog' signs in addition to covering the windows with cardboard.

Daure urged the police to investigate and they discovered the lease was fake.

'I was beside myself and I felt violated. Had I not been serving my country, I would have been in my home,' Daure said at the time.

Simon - who has been convicted on guns, drugs, and theft charges in the past -remains in police custody.
At 10am today, just as a disciplinary hearing was preparing to deliver its ruling on her actions as a serving Metropolitan Police officer, Samantha Lee shared a new post on OnlyFans, the website widely used to sell sexual images to subscribers.

The content of that post is unpalatable for a number of reasons, not least its timing, coming on the day on which the police officer formerly known as PC Lee - now going under 'Officer Naughty' - was found guilty of gross misconduct for dishonesty in a shambolic investigation into fellow Met officer Wayne Couzens, who is currently serving a life sentence for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard.

'I was gonna wait till June!' chirrups 29-year-old Lee, introducing the post. 'But as you've all been so patient this week! Here is one of my very first G/G [girl on girl] videos!! The other G/G video will be being release in June as originally planned but is still available for early purchase, let's just say June is gonna be a hell of a spicy month!!'

She closes this missive to followers  who are invited to fork out a 100 a year to access salacious online content  with a final word of exhortation: 'Enjoy.'

The precise detail of the video, shot in a monochrome bedroom, is too explicit to describe here, save to say it features Lee wearing a sexual pastiche of police uniform  police badge, handcuffs, a PVC bodysuit and thigh-high plastic boots - along with another blonde woman.

Ex-Met cop Samantha Lee, pictured, shared a new post on her OnlyFans page the morning she was found to have committed gross misconduct by the force

The 29-year-old - now going under 'Officer Naughty' - was found guilty of gross misconduct for dishonesty

Her tenure as a police officer in London may have ended in disgrace, but Lee is certainly making capital out of her time in the ranks. Quite apart from an eyebrow raising catalogue of videos and photographs  many of which feature police paraphernalia - Lee makes no secret of the fact that policing was her actual career.

In fact, as we shall see, she started her OnlyFans account when she was still employed by the Met.

Remarkably this fact  which precipitated Lee's departure from the police in November last year  was not a feature of the disciplinary hearing into which a more soberly attired Lee walked this morning.

Lee had faced allegations that she 'did not bother' to seek evidence and carried out 'a lamentably poor and rushed investigation' into fellow Met officer Couzens, whose name had been flagged on police systems three days before the murder of Miss Everard, when he was reported for flashing two women at a McDonald's in Swanley, Kent.

There has been no shortage of criticism of the Met in relation to scrutiny of its own staff and the handling of the Sarah Everard case.

But the spotlight has come to rest on Lee because she had the distinction of being tasked with following up that three-day-old report.

In the end, it was not her investigative blunders that led to her being found guilty of gross misconduct, but rather her dishonesty in a case that heaps yet more scrutiny on the Met and its procedures, not least in how it selects and monitors employees.

Take, for instance, pole-dancing Lee, who sat in today's hearing looking at news coverage of her case on a laptop.

She was found to have been dishonest about her actions in an investigation into an allegation of indecent exposure by Met cop Wayne Couzens

Couzens is currently serving a whole-life order for the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard

She grew up in the Bromley area of Kent and was home-educated after attending primary school and obtained no GCSEs.

Initially she joined the police as a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) for three weeks in 2012, before leaving to work as a groom, in various stables and in a mental and physical health respite centre, helping the parents and loved ones of young people with disabilities.

She re-joined the Met as a Police Constable in April 2016, but with no qualifications had to undertake a 'Certificate in Knowledge of Policing' - an online policing course to prove she had basic literacy and maths skills.

Successful, she started her career working in Croydon, before moving to Bromley to join what is known as the Inquisitive Crime team. In 2017 she received a commendation for her work.

But she first drew the ire of police colleagues in 2020, when videos of her flashing a tongue stud while wearing police uniform were posted to TikTok, despite the fact officers are not allowed to wear them while on duty,

There were others of her wearing uniform, lip-synching to the lyrics of an American rap song 'Sound of da Police'.

It all seems remarkably tame by contrast with what Lee has uploaded to social media since, but the video raised alarm bells. 'Inappropriate' and 'unprofessional' were just some of the scathing remarks of colleagues.

The short-lived furore prompted a Met Police spokesman to reveal: 'We are aware of a TikTok video that seems to show an MPS officer in uniform. The officer has been spoken to and reminded of their responsibility to act professionally on social media.

'The officer has also been given advice regarding her online safety and security. The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards have been made aware.'

Clearly it was, however, just the tip of an iceberg.

The Mail has combed back through Lee's many social media pages and discovered she was posting scantily clad images on Instagram as long ago as October 2020. Her account is littered with the pouting selfies ubiquitous of the social media users of a certain age.

At what point this gym-loving, horse-loving young woman decided to monetise her social media career is unclear, yet it appears the events of late February and early March 2021, when Sarah Everard was murdered and Wayne Couzens arrested, played a part. On her personal website - an introduction to her more colourful line of business - Lee tells visitors: 'I served in the Metropolitan Police Service for nearly seven years! I made plenty of memories, some good, some bad and some really sad.'

Days before he attacked Sarah, Couzens had been reported to the Met twice for exposing himself to female staff at a McDonald's in Swanley, Kent, on February 14 and 27, 2021. At this point a crime report automatically identified Couzens' name and address based on his car registration plate. The system failed to flag that he was serving in the Met's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command, but correct inquiries 'may well have established that he was a police officer', the misconduct panel was told.

But there was a three-day delay in assigning an officer (Lee) to investigate because of the force's incident process.

The tribunal was told Lee visited the restaurant at noon on March 3, where she was handed handwritten accounts from victims, along with till receipts revealing Couzens' bank card details. But she stuffed them in her pocket and did not record it as evidence, because she was 'more intent on getting away quickly than in performing her duties properly,' the tribunal was told.

The Mail has combed back through Lee's many social media pages and discovered she was posting scantily clad images on Instagram as long ago as October 2020

When she was finally suspended, in November last year, it was not because of the Couzens flashing investigation, but after her superior officers discovered her OnlyFans account

Branch manager Sam Taylor said that he showed Lee CCTV of Couzens' car in the drive-through and told her that the footage could be transferred on to a USB. Lee, however, disputed this when giving evidence, insisting she would have asked Mr Taylor to download the CCTV 'there and then' if she knew that it existed.

Lee told the police watchdog that she did not know Couzens and it was not routine to check if criminal suspects worked in the police.

She completed a crime report that stated he was 'suspect No 1' and said that he 'will need to be arrested for indecent exposure', but agreed during the hearing that could not happen until witness statements had been taken.

They weren't taken. Lee worked two night shifts followed by a series of rest days and it wasn't until days later that colleagues joined the dots, by which time it was all too little, far too late. Sarah Everard was abducted, and murdered, by Couzens on March 3.

It was another eight months before Lee was interviewed by the IOPC, (Independent Office for Police Conduct). When she was finally suspended, in November last year, it was not because of the Couzens flashing investigation, but after her superior officers discovered her OnlyFans account. Styling herself as Good Girl Gone Bad, she'd been uploading salacious content to the site since October 5.

In addition, days before her suspension, she posted a snap on Instagram of herself in a navy blue corset with a police badge and 'Officer Naughty' name tag.

Once confronted by her bosses, it is thought she almost immediately resigned, at which point her the raunchiness of content moved up a grade.

READ MORE HERE: IOPC calls for national system to flag when an officer is under criminal investigation in the wake of damning Wayne Couzens 'failures' after 11 officers from four different forces faced disciplinary proceedings Advertisement

The OnlyFans content includes video and images made with her boyfriend, who goes by the online name Billza. The pair have a 'couples' page on OnlyFans, Instagram and Twitter ('a naughty inked couple who create content, we love what we do,') as well as individual channels.

Lee has chalked up 418 posts on her 'Officer Naughty' fan page, on which she includes an old photo of when she was still a serving police officer, as well as a shot of her apparently naked, bar police hat, holding aloft police tape declaring 'Police line do not cross'.

'Real Ex-British Met Police Officer,' she says. 'Become one of my 'probationers' as I show you all the naughty things this officer gets up to.'

On December 31, 2022, she told her followers: 'Officially my last day ... and in exactly 12 hours when the clock strikes midnight I become an ex-police officer - but forever now will be officer naughty'.

She celebrated the New Year by sharing a video of herself stripping off her full police uniform and having sex with her boyfriend as a 'reminder that 'the job' is f***ed.'

The job, as she calls it, has certainly fuelled her new career. Her OnlyFans profile, which promises 'multiple daily uploads' has received over 14,000 'likes'.

She registered her 'officernaughty' domain name in December 2022, creating a tamer, introductory, web portal for visitors, who are then invited to click on a link directing traffic back to OnyFans.

Of the police she declares: 'I made a choice to leave and start my own business as an adult content creator for many reasons which some may or may not have heard about. It's been the best decision I've made for my mental health and my happiness. Life's too short and we all deserve to know happiness!'

She has, so far, remained guarded about the misconduct hearing, telling her Twitter followers last week: 'I will not be commenting anything in regards to the case, until next week after the case is concluded.'

Her parents, meanwhile, are supporting her. Last week, we spoke to her father Stephen, who said of the Couzens case. 'It was the worst murder in British history. For me, lumping my daughter with that scumbag is an insult.

'Both me and my wife feel very strongly against the Met. She [Samantha] was a plod. That's it. They [police constables] can't say 'I think I'll do this today'. They are told what to do and that's it.

Fiercely defensive of his daughter, he said: 'My daughter has left the police. She does not have to be in this trial [disciplinary hearing]. She could have walked away and said 'I do not want to be here'.'

She was attending, he insisted, because she did not want to be bullied.

'They are trying to put the blame for Sarah Everard on her. It's nothing to do with her. This is about the evidence she took when she went to McDonald's.

'The whole reason she's in the court is to prove she's innocent of the Sarah Everard thing. She never wants to work for the Met again, that's no secret. She's got nothing to gain from this except to prove her innocence. Even if she's proved guilty, there's no punishment. It's the stigma of being put in for something she didn't do.'

His daughter, meanwhile, like any content creator, is all too aware of the importance of the right image.

Her white long-sleeved top in court today featured a sketch of a woman holding a camera, and the words 'C'est la vie', a reference perhaps to an incident at the start of the tribunal last week.

After her photograph appeared in news coverage, Lee took to social media accounts to bemoan that an unflattering photograph of her had been used.

'Because I do not look like the doctored picture that was released, here's a live video with no filter and no make up...I won't say nothing else on this now till next week but I wasn't having that.'

Every picture, as the saying goes, tells a story.
A four-year-old migrant boy was dropped from a border wall in San Diego before U.S. Border Patrol agents and paramedics were shot at from Mexico while tending to the abandoned child.

Surveillance camera footage released by Border Patrol chief Raul Ortiz shows an alleged smuggler clinging to the top of the barrier from the American side of the United States-Mexico border on May 15.

A child can be seen sliding down the person's leg and then falling to the ground and landing on their feet before they are instructed to wait on the side.

Moments later, the individual receives the four-year-old from another person behind the wall and seems to lose their grip on the child, who crashes to the ground as the other child comes rushing to their side.

An adult migrant drops a four-year-old boy while clinging to the top of the United States-Mexico border wall in San Diego on May 15. U.S. Border Patrol said the child was abandoned and tended to by agents and paramedics who encountered shots fired from Mexico

The person then climbs back over the wall and another adult is spotted climbing over the wall and scaling down to pick up the boy and carry him away.

The security video shows a second person climbing over the fence and walking the child down the dirt path.

The child who was dropped to the ground was abandoned and later rescued by border officers, who were shot at. The agents and the paramedics were unharmed.

'Agents reported hearing both the impact and ricochet of gunshots off of the secondary border barrier just north of their location,' CBP said in a press release.

'With emergency medical services, the San Diego Fire Department, and the child still on scene, agents directed everyone in the area to cover.'

Ortiz said the migrant child was provided medical aid and didn't suffer any injuries.

'Remarkably, the child is ok! Do not trust smugglers!' Ortiz said.

The incident is reminiscent of the March 2021 border episode that showed a smuggler dumping two Ecuadorian migrant siblings over a steel barrier in New Mexico.

An agent manning a surveillance camera alerted agents from the Santa Teresa Border Patrol Station.

A unit was dispatched to a remote area west of Mt. Cristo Rear near El Paso, Texas, and found the girls walking near the 14-foot-high wall.

The girls walked away without suffering any injuries and were later reunited with their parents in the New York City area.

A four-year-old migrant boy (circled) crashed to the ground during a smuggling attempt in San Diego. U.S. Border Patrol agents were able to rescued the boy, who did not suffer any injuries following the frightening fall

An adult migrant (bottom left) carries a four-year-old boy after he fell from a border wall in San Diego before another adult climbed down the ball and escorted a second child away

The release of the San Diego black-and-white footage comes as President Joe Biden continues to seek support from global partners in the Western hemisphere to find solutions to the southern border crisis.

The Border Patrol had 28,717 migrants in custody on May 10, one day before the pandemic-era Title 42 came to an end. As of Sunday, it had decreased by 23 percent to 22,529.

The removal of the policy could certainly worsen the situation as smuggling networks keep providing their services to individuals and families that are led from South American into Central America through the perilous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama before they continue their journey through Mexico.

Biden has been to the United States-Mexico border region only once - in January - and had dealt with the crisis by dispatching high-ranking members of his administration to tackle the issue on his behalf across the region.

El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez provides snacks to the two girls from Ecuador who were abandoned by human smugglers and dropped over a 14-foot high border wall in New Mexico last Tuesday. An official with the Consulate of Ecuador in Houston told DailyMail.com on Wednesday that the children will be reunited with their parents, who reside in New York

'No other president who has sat in the Oval Office has the mileage, the understanding, the engagement that Joe Biden has had in the region. It's just a fact,' said Arturo Sarukhan, the Mexican ambassador to the U.S. from 2007 to 2013. 'That is an important add that Biden brings to the table.'

Sarukhan said Biden's approach has focused on engagement and negotiation, by sending top leaders to the region for discussions, and through invitations to Washington. 'Biden hasn't put the gun to anyone's forehead,' he said.

But immigrant advocates worry theres a cost to the new approach that will likely be paid by migrants who are fleeing persecution and poverty in their homelands.

'I do think they are trying to manage migration, rather than end migration,' said Yael Schacher, director for the Americas and Europe at Refugees International. 'But managing migration can also have human rights, terrible human rights, consequences. Theres a moral distancing -- the possibility for wiping your hands of a problem if it isnt at your door anymore.'
Detectives hunting for Madeleine McCann are scouring a lake in Portugal for the pink pyjamas the British girl was wearing when she vanished in 2007, sources close to the investigation revealed last night.

Reports said officers, who are acting on 'credible information', are seeking any fragments of clothing and old rags that could be related to her disappearance.

Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann are being kept informed of any developments, their spokesman said.

Detectives searching the area on Tuesday took 'a number of bags' away from the remote Algarve reservoir on the first day of the search. The operation - involving German and Portuguese officials - is set to continue on Wednesday.

The first major search for Madeleine in nine years comes after German police discovered photos of prime suspect Christian Brueckner at his self-described 'little paradise' in the Portuguese region, it is understood.

The area around the Arade reservoir was locked down, and police divers entered the water early on Tuesday at the site found about 30 miles from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine went missing in 2007.

The first major search for Madeleine McCann (left) in nine years comes after German police discovered photos of prime suspect Christian Brueckner (right) at his self-described 'little paradise' in the Portuguese region, it is understood

Police officers have been spotted taking 'a number of bags' away from the site, but it was not clear what was inside them. Reports suggest officers are searching for the pink pyjamas the British girl was wearing when she vanished in 2007

Pictured: Kate (right) and Gerry McCann, parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann, hold pyjamas similar to those of their daughter during a press conference 2007 in Berlin

Portuguese authorities from the Judicial Police (PJ) criminal investigation unit work during a new search operation amid the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Maddie) at the Arade dam, in Silves, near Praia da Luz, May 23

Detectives investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have started to dig at a remote Algarve reservoir as they search for signs of the missing British girl

Portuguese media outlets reported that excavations at the reservoir have 'already begun', with video appearing to show police officers digging at the site

About 20 officers with rakes and hoe-like tools spread out in a line and began poking and raking the soil close to the Arade dam on Tuesday.

Police also used a drone to scan the area from above and searched with sniffer dogs on both sides of the water, as they searched for evidence to link the toddler's disappearance to the German convict.

Brueckner, a convicted child abuser and drug dealer, is behind bars in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in the same area of the Algarve region from where McCann went missing.

German police said in June 2020 that the child was assumed dead and that Brueckner was likely to be responsible. Brueckner has denied any involvement and has not been charged with any crime related to it.

Footage from the site showed officers taking bags away from the reservoir during yesterday afternoon but it was not clear what was inside them. One video showed an officer picking up a bag from a colleague as they drove by in a black Ford SUV.

Last night a Portuguese source close to the investigation told The Sun: 'The search is being taken very seriously and is being controlled totally by the Germans.

'They asked Portuguese officers assisting them to look for any evidence - but especially rags.'

The Times reported that Madeleine's pyjamas, which were pink and decorated with images of Eeyore from Winnie The Pooh, were a focus of the hunt.

Last night the McCann's former spokesman Clarence Mitchell told the Mirror the couple were being kept updated.

'Until a body is found and proved to be Madeleine's, Kate and Gerry are not giving up hope. They will be kept informed every step of the way of any development. It leaves Kate and Gerry on tenterhooks. It is another incredibly difficult time for them.'

According to Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha, excavations were being carried out at two different spots around the water's edge on Tuesday.

Pictured: A police boat is seen on the still waters of the reservoir on Tuesday morning

Pictured: Police officers and a dog are seen on the peninsula jutting into the reservoir as the conduct today's search for signs of Madeleine McCann

In the afternoon police appeared to be concentrating their efforts on a peninsula of land jutting into the reservoir.

Two sides of the area have gently sloping banks towards the water, while the third is a sheer cliff, where three white tents could be seen set back from the edge.

The site is popular with campervan users and has BBQ stands and sun loungers scattered around.

Brueckner is known to have driven there frequently in his VW campervan.

Officers using sticks were beating back undergrowth as they inched their way through the woods before fanning down onto the beach to carry on the search.

READ MORE: Who is Christian Brueckner? The German Madeleine Mccann suspect and sex offender Advertisement

Roads leading into the Arade Dam, a 40-minute drive from Praia da Luz where the youngster vanished 16 years ago, were sealed off on Monday as part of a 'preparation' day ahead of the search operation.

And a no-fly zone covering the whole of the man-made dam was put in place, leaving the airspace above the water and land near the water's edge open to police drones only.

The ring of steel meant journalists and curious onlookers were kept more than a mile back from two white tents put up yesterday by a secluded hilltop area on a peninsula jutting into the reservoir Portuguese police are expected to comb until nightfall.

Senior Policia Judiciaria officer Helena Monteiro led the first Portuguese police to reach the Arade Dam near the town of Silves around 45 minutes before digs began.

A convoy of five vehicles, including two off-road vehicles and a large logistics van, followed close behind.

German police arrived ten minutes later just after 8am local time, in two people carriers and a Ford Ranger. They were spotted getting out of the vehicles with balaclavas covering their faces.

Ground penetrating radar was brought in by the Portuguese GNR police force which is working alongside the Policia Judiciaria.

Although police sources said overnight they did not think sniffer dogs would not be used on day one of the search, they were spotted on site.

Meanwhile, a boat provided by firefighters in Silves - which local media are saying will be used to search parts of the reservoir with a police-provided sonar equipment, - was filmed by the waters edge and appearing to await instructions before being taken out some 300 metres offshore just after 9.30am local time.

The search started around 8.40am local time, some 20 minutes earlier than scheduled, after three Portuguese police pick-ups went into a clearing behind trees by two white tents which Tuesday's search partly focused on.

A fourth vehicle belonging to a GNR subsoil unit was also at the scene.

The German police headed directly to a meeting zone after arrival but as the search commenced they were seen grabbing tools including spades and shovels to put in their vans before heading to the dig area.

A group of around 10 police officers were sighted walking close by on the edge of the peninsula jutting out into the dam, looking at hand-held tablets and pointing towards the ground with their fingers as if they were comparing photos on their screen with what they were seeing beneath their feet.

Shortly after 9am the GNR put a single drone up into the air.

Portuguese authorities working with the Judicial Police (PJ) criminal investigation unit push off in a boat during new search operation amid the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann (Maddie) in the Arade dam area, in Silves, Portugal, on May 23

Police are focusing on four areas of interest at the reservoir, it has been reported this afternoon

Piictured: A pair of tourists are seen on deck chairs by the reservoir, as officials continue their search at the site in Portugal

Pictured: Police officers are seen on the peninsula jutting into the reservoir as they conduct Tuesday's search for signs of Madeleine McCann

Pictured: Rescue vehicles are seen at the reservoir on Tuesday, including a dive team van

Pictured: Police vehicles, understood to be from Portugal and Germany, are seen on May 23 near the reservoir being searched by investigators today

Pictured: Investigators are seen searching the banks of the reservoir on Tuesday

Pictured: Officers search the banks of the reservoir on Tuesday

Pictured: Members of the press and the public are seen on a road near the reservoir on Tuesday as officers continue to search the area

Sources close to the investigation have said they had evidence the clearing in the trees - where tents have been set up - was the spot Brueckner used to spend time at after parking up his campervan nearby.

A local who asked not to be named, but knows the area well, said: 'It's pretty well-hidden by the trees and you don't realise it's there until you're almost upon it.

'People wild camp there overnight from time to time which is why you'll find the remains of fires inside small walls of stone.

'It's got old sun loungers in it and makeshift benches that visitors use to rest on. It's very out-of-the-way and very peaceful but at the same time it's got a slightly eerie feel about it.'

A well-placed police source said on Tuesday: 'Portuguese police are going to carry out a thorough and very careful search of the area today.

'Policia Judiciaria officers are going to be divided into four teams who will focus on a land search. It will be very meticulous and exhaustive.

'Forget the idea of big trucks and large machinery. A lot of the work that's going to be done here today will be done by hand with backup technology.'

High-tech equipment used to detect human remains buried under the earth, as well as underwater if required, is expected to be used.

No heavy machinery was taken to the area yesterday and council officials were spotted carrying a 'lorryload' of wheelbarrows to the zone by the hidden leisure area clearing, suggesting police will rake and dig it by hand using the likes of pickaxes rather than excavate earth with diggers in an attempt to preserve any evidence.

Local Portuguese reports, partly confirmed by police sources, claimed the searches were requested and authorised after German police obtained videos and photos of Brueckner by the planned dig site.

They are thought to have been found buried in the paedophile's 'secret lair' in a dilapidated factory site in the German village of Neuwegersleben 65 miles south-east of Hanover.

Police raided the site in February 2016 in search of the body of missing five-year-old Inga Gehricke, who vanished while on a family outing in Saxony-Anhalt in May 2015 and has been dubbed the 'German Maddie.'

Reports at the time said German detectives had discovered more than 8,000 images and videos on USB sticks and hard drives filled with child abuse images.

They were said to have been buried under the body of Brueckner's dead dog.

Pictured: A fire department boat is seen on the edge of the reservoir where investigators are searching for signs of Madeleine McCann, the British girl who went missing in 2007

Pictured: A fire department official is seen on Tuesday on the edge of the reservoir where investigators are searching for signs of Madeleine McCann

Pictured: Tents set up near the Algarve reservoir for the search are seen on Tuesday

Pictured: A police tent and vehicles are seen near the Arade dam, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz in Portugal, Tuesday May 23, 2023

Pictured: Police officers wearing balaclavas, believed to be German, are seen at the scene of the search in Portugal today

Pictured: An aerial view of the peninsula jutting into the reservoir Portuguese police combed in part of their search for Madeleine McCann

Officials have been tight-lipped about the search.

This morning in a statement, German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said: 'Criminal proceedings are currently taking place in Portugal as part of the investigation into the Madeleine McCann case. Wolters said German officers are investigating in Portugal 'on the basis of certain tips.'

He said he was unable at this stage to give more detail on what prompted the search, and what officials were hoping to find, but said that such details would be released 'if we... think the results are publishable'.

'Yes, the measures in Portugal are connected with the Madeleine McCann proceedings, which means that we are investigating there in Portugal on the basis of certain tips (tip-offs),' Wolters said on Tuesday.

'There is a major search operation taking place that is being implemented by the Portuguese authorities. But there are also German officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office on site who are supporting the whole thing.'

He added: 'I can't disclose the background at the moment, i.e. why we are searching there and what we hope to find there. That shall remain our secret for the moment.'

'If we find something and we think the results are publishable, then we will certainly inform you about it. But give us a little bit of time. The action itself will also take a bit of time. It will not be completed within two hours or so. And whether we then find something and what we find, of course, we have to see that first.'

The Metropolitan Police has said officers are present in Portugal so they can inform Madeleine's family if there are any developments.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said: 'The Met continues to work with and support colleagues in Portugal and Germany, with their investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

'Met officers will be in Portugal and I am grateful to the Policia Judiciaria and Bundeskriminalamt for allowing us to be present whilst their work is ongoing, so that we can inform Madeleine's family of any developments.'

The search is expected to last for at least two days and beyond that if anything of relevance is found at the reservoir, which lies about 45 minutes from Praia da Luz - where Madeleine vanished without a trace in 2007 aged three

Portuguese officers were pictured surveying the reservoir in Silves yesterday ahead of the start of the official search operation for Madeleine

Officers of Portugal's investigative Judicial Police were seen at the site of a remote reservoir in Silves on Monday (pictured). They confirmed that they have launched a fresh search alongside German and British authorities. The first major search for Madeleine in nine years comes after German police discovered photos of prime suspect Christian Brueckner at his self-described 'little paradise' in the Portuguese region

A vehicle of Portugal's Emergency Services carries wheelbarrows at the site of the reservoir

Pictured: The Barragem reservoir in Silves, southern Portugal, in the area where police are look for Madeleine

Kate and Gerry McCann pose for the media with a missing poster depicting an age progression computer generated image of their still missing daughter Madeleine during a news conference in London, May 2, 2012

Police are aiming to build up a picture of sole suspect Christian Brueckner's life on the Algarve and the places he frequented as they search the Barragem reservoir in Silves, Portugal

Portugal's Policia Judiciaria force, whose officers did most of the digging on Tuesday, confirmed the searches were requested by their German counterparts the BKA.

The request was made via an international letter of request sent to Portugal's Attorney General's office and passed on to prosecutors in Portimao.

Portuguese officials have not yet said when it was received but it is believed to have been about two months ago.

Although this week's operation has been initiated by German police, Portuguese detectives are showing with the manpower and logistical support they are providing that they are fully on board.

The reservoir was searched by divers hired by a Portuguese lawyer in February and March 2008. Back then, the diving team leader described the 'long process' his team faced navigating the 'black' waters.

Marcos Aragao Correia organised the privately-funded operation after claiming he had been tipped off by underworld contacts that Madeleine had been murdered and her body thrown into the reservoir within 48 hours of her disappearance.

Two bags containing small bones were found during the second search after divers had earlier recovered several lengths of cord, some plastic tape and a single white cotton sock.

Portuguese police were alerted following the discovery but subsequently ruled out the possibility the bones were human because of their size.

Madeleine's parents Gerry and Kate McCann had previously dismissed Mr Correia as a self-publicist and said there was no evidence suggesting any link between their daughter and the reservoir.

The dam, near the town of Silves where a lorry driver says he saw a woman handing a child like Madeleine over to a man two days after she went missing from her Praia da Luz holiday apartment on May 3 2007, is not thought to have been searched since March 2008 as part of the ongoing investigation into her disappearance.

The search is the first major operation of its kind since June 2014 when British police were given permission to do digs in Praia da Luz that involved sniffer dogs trained in detecting bodies and ground-penetrating radar.

The Scotland Yard digs nearly nine years ago in Praia da Luz were linked to the leading UK police theory at the time Madeleine died during a break-in and burglars dumped her body nearby.

The searches failed to find any trace of the missing youngster.

In a smaller operation in July 2020 Portuguese police and firefighters searched three wells for Madeleine's body but failed to find any trace of her.

The abandoned wells are a 15 minute drive from a cottage Brueckner rented on the outskirts of Praia de Luz, on a narrow road leading down to a beach where the paedophile used to park his VW camper van.

German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has consistently said he is convinced Madeleine is dead and caged paedophile Brueckner, 45, has been named as the sole suspect.

The deviant, currently serving time for the September 2005 rape of an American OPA in the resort where Madeleine vanished, has yet to face any formal accusation over the youngster's disappearance.

Last April he was made an official suspect or arguido in Portugal over Madeleine's disappearance, although his defence lawyer Friedrich Fulscher labelled it a 'procedural trick' linked to statute of limitations legislation at the time.

Last autumn Bruecker was charged in Germany with several sex crimes on the Algarve against women and children including the rape of an Irish holiday rep in 2004 and the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl on a beach near Praia da Luz in 2007.

Brueckner's lawyer revealed in April those charges had been dropped against him in a bombshell development after successfully arguing prosecutors had no jurisdiction over him in Braunschweig where the Madeleine case was being brought.

The case could end up with prosecutors in Saxony-Anhalt instead but an appeal lodged by the Braunschweig public prosecutor's office has yet to be decided.

Two officers from Portugal's Judicial Police were pictured walking around the grounds of the reservoir yesterday

Police tents were spotted being erected as cops prepared for a new search operation, 16 years on from the toddler going missing

Portuguese police were seen at the makeshift base camp in the Arade dam area, Faro district, one day before the official start of the new search for Madeleine

Braunschweig prosecutor Mr Wolters has insisted they are still in control of the Madeleine McCann investigation and Brueckner, who denies any involvement in Madeleine's disappearance, remains in custody.

The Arade Dam, the Barragem do Arade in Portuguese, is fed by the watercourse of the Arade River whose source lies to the southwest of the Serrra do Caldeirao mountain range and runs through the municipalities of Silves, Lagoa and Portimao before reaching the ocean.

Construction was completed in 1955 and it began operating the following year.
READ MORE: Ron DeSantis will announce his run for President TOMORROW

If re-elected, Biden will be 86 at the end of the second term

More than half of voters are worried about Joe Biden's age and his fitness to serve in the White House, a new poll has revealed.

A survey for PBS Newshour and NPR found that 62 percent of Americans believe the question of Biden's mental fitness is a real concern.

The 80-year-old commander-in-chief, who will be 86 at the end of his presidency if he wins a second term, recently stumbled at a photo op at the G7 summit in Japan.

He has also been prone to giving rambling speeches, and rarely takes unscripted questions from the media.

Biden stumbled once more as he took part in a G7 photo op in Japan.

Even Hillary Clinton, who served as Secretary of State under Barack Obama, warned at the weekend that the former Delaware senator's advancing years 'is an issue' in the next presidential election.

The poll shows that concerns about Biden's mental fitness are 11 points higher than for the leading Republican candidate, Donald Trump.

Just 51 percent of voters worry about whether the 76-year-old has sufficient mental acuity to be the commander-in-chief once more.

Biden's health and stamina will increasingly come under the microscope as the 2024 campaign heats up early next year.

In the 2020 election, with much of the country shut down by the Covid pandemic, Biden was able to rely on digital campaigning to fundraise and rally his base.

A potential 2024 rematch between Biden, 80, and Trump, 76, would pit the two oldest presidents ever elected to first terms against each other again.

A similar poll earlier this month found 63 percent of Americans believe Biden lacks the mental sharpness to serve as president  nearly identical to the latest number.

But this poll found more concern for Trumps mental fitness than the 43 percent in the earlier poll.

According to the latest voter survey, 36 percent of Americans dismiss questions about Bidens mental sharpness.

They argue that concerns are merely a campaign strategy used by his opponents, with forty-three percent say the same of Trump.

Opinions polls suggest that the two men are heading for another presidential rematch in next year's election

But Biden's overall approval rating rose slightly from last month to 45 percent, while 49 percent of Americans disapprove, including 59 percent of independents.

The gaffe-prone president, the country's oldest ever at 80 years of age, recently slammed Britain at an event for mega rich donors in New York on May 10.

Biden said that he had only travelled to Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, to make sure 'the Brits didn't screw around' with the Good Friday agreement.

Biden has made numerous gaffes since entering the White House in January 2021

Photographers picked up the memo, prepared by aides, that carried instructions on how to answer questions that reporters had provided in advance

But last month he appeared confused at a joint press conference with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol as he took vetted questions from two hand-picked journalists.

Biden had to rely on cheat sheets to answer them, with scripted replies written out by aides.

Hs has made similar mistakes in the past, leaving supposedly confidential notes in the full glare of the media.

Photographers caught him revealing a cheat sheet at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, last November that instructed him when to sit and take photos.

A close up snap of the President sitting down showed him with a list of instructions that said 'YOU will sit at the center' and 'YOU will deliver opening remarks.'

He attended the two-day summit in Bali, Indonesia along with other world leaders.

Biden was also caught with a similar note at a June 2022 meeting with wind-industry executives.

Biden was also instructed to speak to specific attendees, ask them questions and thank them before leaving the room at the June 2022 meeting.

President Biden was prompted to wipe a yellow mark from his face during a Zoom meeting with state governors on Friday after a staffer handed him a note saying: 'Sir, there is something on your chin'

The former vice-president was also instructed to speak to specific attendees, ask them questions and thank them before leaving the room at the June 2022 meeting.

Then earlier that year, Biden was mocked for using a printed 'cheat sheet' of answers to expected questions when he faced the media to discuss the Ukraine war.

The notes read: 'If you weren't advocating for regime change, what did you mean? Can you clarify?' Another read: 'Is this now threatening to splinter unity with your NATO allies?'

Biden already had an answer prepared on the printed card: 'No. NATO has never been more united.'

And in one excruciating exchange, an aide asked him to wipe a stain from his face during a Zoom call with state governors in July 2021.

He regularly uses cue cards, and they were a permanent fixture of the campaign trail in 2020.

But the repeated exposure of his descriptive notes have sparked concerns for his well-being and health.

Republican lawmakers have suggested that Biden's apparent decline makes him unfit to serve a second four-year term.
Nearly 2,000 minors were sexually abused by Catholic priests in Illinois over 69 years, a shocking investigation by the state's Attorney General has found.

As many as 451 of the church's clergy members and lay religious brothers in six dioceses abused 1,997 children between 1950 and 2019, Attorney General Kwame Raoul said on Tuesday as he unveiled the report.

The 696-page document accuses Illinois church leaders of being severely slow to acknowledge the extent of the abuse, and of frequently dragging their feet to confront accused clergy.

The report claims the church failed to warn parishioners about possible abusers in their midst, sometimes taking even decades to respond after allegations had emerged about a clergy member.

However, as Raoul noted, the statute of limitations has expired in many cases and those abusers 'will never see justice in a legal sense.'

As many as 451 Catholic church clergy abused 1,997 children in Illinois between 1950 and 2019, per an investigation by Attorney General Kwame Raoul revealed on Tuesday

Priest Thomas Francis Kelly assaulted more than 15 boys aged 11 to 17 in various parishes in the state during the 1960s and 1970s

A group of survivors came together in 2019 to demand the church make public the names of nearly 500 priests or clergy members accused of sexual abuse

'These perpetrators may never be held accountable in a court of law, but by naming them here, the intention is to provide a public accountability and a measure of healing to survivors who have long suffered in silence,' Raoul said.

For years, the state has been coming to terms with its dark history of child abuse in the Catholic church, with many survivors coming forward recently.

One of them was Vicki Schmidt who says she grew up being abused by Rev. Peter Mascari at St. John Vianney Parish in Sherman as a child.

The probe was initiated in 2018 by the state's previous attorney general, Lisa Madigan, who claimed the Church had not been transparent about the number of accused clergy members it had sheltered.

Weeks after the probe was opened, a group of survivors came together to demand the Church make public all the names of priests or clergy members accused of sexual abuse.

The Church had previously identified 103 individuals accused of abuse. Raoul's final report uncovered 149 additional names, which were provided by victims who came forward with their accounts.

The newly identified abusers are all religious brothers, and are accountable to independent religious orders and not to the local diocese or bishop.

The report cites accusers who contemplated suicide after being abused, and who turned to drugs or alcohol in a bid to cope with 'anxiety and feelings of unworthiness.'

One survivor, referred to only as 'David' in the report, said a priest's sexual abuse of him as a child directly affected his career, financial wellbeing and ability to hold jobs. He told investigators he has 'left, quit, or was fired from every job he's ever had.'

Another described being singled out by priest Thomas Francis Kelly, who assaulted more than 15 boys aged 11 to 17 in various parishes during the 1960s and 1970s.

The survivor said he was an 11-year-old altar boy when Kelly invited him to drive-in movies and a sleepover at the rectory. After being offered beer by Kelly, the boy woke up to find the priest performing oral sex on him, according to the report.

Despite his abuse being well known in the community, Kelly was never prosecuted. Instead, he was moved from parish to parish and died in 1990.

Survivors also reported suffering from 'insomnia, anxiety, trust issues, nightmares, suicidal ideation, guilt, addiction, alcoholism, depression, post traumatic stress disorder, issues creating and maintaining relationships, and sexual side effects.'

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) called the report 'stunning' in a statement released Tuesday that emphasized that the numbers of victims and abusers cited by state investigators are likely undercounted.

Vicki Schmidt says she grew up being abused by Rev. Peter Mascari at St. John Vianney Parish in Sherman as a child

For years, the state has been coming to terms with its history of child abuse in the Catholic church, with many survivors coming forward in recently. Rev. Peter Mascari pictured above

'Until 2018 when the investigation began, hierarchs in every Illinois diocese kept known abusers under wraps, declined to include them on their accused lists, and refused to acknowledge the truth that survivors of abuse who came forward to make a report shared with them,' the group said.

'It is to us, in a word, disgusting that these supposed shepherds would lie so blatantly.'

SNAP also called on other attorneys general and prosecutors to initiate similar investigations of Catholic dioceses under their authority.

In a joint statement issued Friday ahead of Raouls announcement, the states Catholic dioceses provided summaries of their current process following an accusation of abuse and said the attorney generals investigation prompted a review of their policies and unspecified changes.

Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, on Monday called abuse 'repugnant' but said the church in 1992 began overhauling its policies and programs and cooperated fully with the states review.

'My hope is that the release of this report will be an occasion for the attorney general to issue a rallying cry to all adults to join in the work of safeguarding children, lest this moment be a lost opportunity,' Cupich said. 'I stand ready to continue to do my part.'

The Catholic Conference of Illinois says 3.5 million Catholics make up approximately 27% of Illinois total population, and that the Church maintains 949 parishes and has 2,215 priests, 1,372 deacons, and 260 religious brothers.

Similar government-led investigations detailing reports of clergy sexual abuse and church leaders failure to hold perpetrators accountable have rocked archdioceses in other states, including Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Maryland's Attorney General's Office released a report detailing accusations of sexual abuse against 160 Catholic priests involving more than 600 victims across 80 years.

Meanwhile Pennsylvania's supreme court issued a report in 2018 stating that over 300 'predator priests' in six dioceses abused at least 1,000 children over 70 years.
Li Qiaoxin: To present the real mainland to more young people in Taiwan

(People's Daily App) 14:56, May 23, 2023

Li Qiaoxin from Yilan county, Taiwan, is a short video blogger who came to the Chinese mainland in 2020. She presented her experiences and feelings in the mainland to the audience via short videos.

"I never regret being Chinese." The words she said in a short video posted in 2021 soon brought her lots of attention. However, it also drew attacks and threats from some Taiwanese media, who are accustomed to defaming the mainland and intentionally distorted what she meant.

With support from her family, friends and friendly comments on the Internet, Li came out of the gloom and decided to insist on delivering the real mainland to more young people from Taiwan.

(Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun)
The Metropolitan Police has insisted that officers who handcuffed a furious motorist who pushed two Just Stop Oil eco-zealots to the ground during a protest in London today acted 'proportionately'.

The angry worker took matters into his own hands during rush hour after around 45 protesters walked slowly along Blackfriars Bridge, blocking traffic in the process, with simultaneous demonstrations taking place at London Bridge and Tower Bridge.

The man was caught on camera ripping banners from the activists' hands and pushing them to the ground, causing officers from the Met to intervene and put him in handcuffs.

The man's actions drew support from people stuck behind the demonstrators, some of whom told police to 'give the guy a break' as he wrestled with two officers.

But the Met itself has defended the actions of the cops involved saying that the man - who was not arrested - was handcuffed to 'prevent further Breach of the Peace'.

One irate motorist was seen ripping banners from the hands of Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge on Tuesday morning

The man was then handcuffed by police with the Met saying this was done to stop 'further Breach of the Peace'

It comes days after a motorist was seen pushing a Just Stop Oil protester to the ground as a similar demonstration in the capital.

Video captured the moment on Tuesday morning when a man got out of a waste management van to confront the protesters as they continued their daily demonstrations in London.

The vans horn could be heard beeping in the background while the man tore banners away from the eco-zealots, before he pushed two of them to the ground.

At this point two police officers, who are escorting the group, then intervene and grapple with the member of the public, who is handcuffed against the side of the van. During the struggle, the officer says: 'You are f*****g assaulting people'.

The van's driver shouts at the officers to 'get off my truck' while a passing taxi driver shouts out of his window that it is 'absolutely disgusting'.

Another person, who cannot be seen on camera, tells the officers to 'give the guy a break, he's just trying to get to work'.

In a statement released this afternoon, a senior officer from the Met defended the actions of the cops involved.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said: 'I completely understand the frustration and anger of London's communities when protesters walk slowly in the roads and must wonder why we do not just arrest them.

'Police have legal obligations connected with our response to protest and we must police peaceful protest in a proportionate manner. Any interventions must be necessary and in discharge of a policing power and balance the rights of the protesters against the rights of the wider public.

'We have the power to impose conditions to prevent serious disruption to the public, which we have done on several occasions. Where conditions are not complied with we will move to arrest within a legal framework. In most cases the conditions have been complied with but where they haven't we have made over 30 arrests.

'Therefore, I urge people not to intervene and to let police deal with the situation.

'This morning's incident on Blackfriars Bridge, in which a member of the public assaulted two protesters, was unacceptable and we will deal with anyone who behaves in this way.

'Officers on scene responded proportionately. They detained the man in handcuffs to prevent further Breach of the Peace. They took his details, will review evidence and interview the male - who was not arrested - with a view to further police action as necessary.'

An angry commuter attempts to throw a Just Stop Oil activist off the road as they cross Blackfriars Bridge

Just Stop Oil said 'tensions have been high' as one man tried to throw a supporter on to the ground and was later handcuffed

Police grapple with the commuter who was seen trying to remove Just Stop Oil activists from the road

The protest descended into chaos when an angry commuter took matters into his own hands - and police swooped in and detained him

Traffic was at a standstill this morning as Just Stop Oil activists staged a protest on London Bridge

Just Stop Oil activists slow marching in London Bridge on Tuesday morning

Earlier in the day the force said they had detained a member of the public for common assault after an 'altercation' between himself and two Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge at around 8.25am.

A spokesman said: 'There have been no arrests and police are investigating the matter.

'We completely understand the frustration and anger of London's communities when protesters walk slowly in the roads.

'We urge people not to intervene and to let police deal with the situation who, if not already there, will arrive promptly.'

Just Stop Oil said in a statement: 'Tensions have been high this morning as the marches cause major delays for commuters.

'One man threw a supporter on to the ground and was subsequently arrested on Blackfriars Bridge.

'A motorcyclist attempted to drive through the same procession, before police intervened.

'Elsewhere there were a number of altercations as members of the public snatched banners and confronted Just Stop Oil supporters.'

Another video showed protesters slowly walking over London Bridge, prompting an angry cyclist to hurl abuse at them.

The commuter shouted a number of expletives at the climate activists as he cycled past the 'slow march' protest at around 8.30am on Tuesday.

As the group cross the bridge escorted by police, one cyclist who overtakes the slow marchers can be heard shouting: 'F*** you, you c***s' to which a protester responds: 'Nice'.

One motorcyclist attempted to drive into the group of Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge

Protesters also staged a 'slow march' on Tower Bridge, which sparked angry clashes with motorists

Police officers were forced to intervene at a Just Stop Oil slow march across Blackfriars Bridge this morning

A commuter ripped a banner out of a protester's hands as they slow marched through the capital on Tuesday

Police issued Public Order Act (Section 12) notices on all three teams by 8.55am forcing them off the road.

On Monday Just Stop Oil commenced their fifth week marching in central London every day, as the group demands an end to all new oil, gas and coal projects in the UK.

Around 46 protesters started marching on three major routes in east and west London on Monday, forcing traffic to a crawl.

During the protest, a taxi passenger could be seen pleading with police to move the activists out of the road.

The man, whose taxi was stuck behind a group of hi-vis wearing protesters, shouted out the window to officers: 'I pay my taxes, I just want to go to work!' as they attempt to calm him down.

Police issued Public Order Act (Section 12) notices on all three groups of marchers, forcing them off the road.

Tuesday's clashes came after footage of another confrontation in the City of London was posted on social media on Friday.

A man approached protesters as they marched slowly in front of traffic on Mansell Street, near the Tower of London, before snatching their banners and pushing a woman to the ground.

He also grabbed a phone from one of the campaigners and threw it away, before trying to push other activists out of the road.

In footage shared online, an elderly gentleman, who said he had worked in the fossil fuel industry, shouts at a protester: 'You're talking c**p... so f*** off!'

Footage filmed from a window above the street showed the moment another enraged onlooker took matters into his own hands and started snatching the protesters' banners.

Another angry onlooker threw a Just Stop Oil protester to the ground as the group was demonstrating in London

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has vowed to stop 'selfish, disruptive protesters' from 'wreaking havoc in people's everyday lives'.

Police have been handed new powers to intervene against 'highly disruptive' slow marching tactics used by groups such as Just Stop Oil.

It means police have the power to force protesters out of the road and on to the pavement.

The legislation supports the controversial Public Order Act, which gives police new powers to break up disruptive protests.

Protesters who 'lock on', or obstruct infrastructure such as airports and railways have been criminalised by the new law, which came into effect just days before the King's Coronation.

The Metropolitan Police have previously urged members of the public not to take matters into their own hands when dealing with protesters.

It comes amid growing frustration and anger at the climate activists' tactics, with slow marches causing gridlock in the capital.

Last year, the force tried to reassure the public it was 'fully prepared' to deal with climate activists.

Met Police commander Karen Findlay said: 'I completely understand the frustration and anger felt by the public, who are seriously disrupted by a relatively small number of protesters and their deliberate tactics.

'Activists are affecting people's businesses, their lives, whether they are on their way to a doctor, a long-awaited hospital appointment, on their way to work, to interviews, or to collect children.

She continued: 'We will arrive quickly, deal with the situation efficiently, remove and arrest activists as appropriate and return things to normal as soon as possible.

'Please do not take matters into your own hands.'

Just Stop Oil has marched every since April 24.

Since the Just Stop Oil campaign launched on February 14 last year, there have been 2,100 arrests and 138 people have spent time in prison, they said.

There are currently two Just Stop Oil supporters serving three year prison sentences for resisting new oil, gas and coal.
READ MORE: Ron DeSantis will announce his run for President TOMORROW on Twitter with Elon Musk

His new venture Bluesky uses a 'decentralized' structure for better moderation

Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey was seen in New York City on Monday on a rare outing for the tech mogul, who spends most of his time in San Francisco.

Dorsey donned a pair of casual Birkenstock sandals as he stepped out with members of his entourage clutching a large bottle of water.

The sighting comes as he is in the midst of launching a new social media platform to rival Twitter, of which he was the CEO of until November 2021 - before the Musk acquisition.

Despite originally encouraging Musk to buy Twitter, Dorsey recently pitted himself against the world's second richest man, saying last month 'it all went south' and that Musk 'should have walked away' from the deal.

Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey was seen in New York City on Monday

Dorsey was pictured with members of his entourage as they crossed a New York crosswalk

Dorsey donning a casual outfit and Birkenstock shoes swaggered across an NYC crosswalk with members of his entourage

Despite initially being encouraging of Musk's acquisition of Twitter, Dorsey recently said 'it all went south' and that he 'should have walked away'. Musk is pictured on May 15

Dorsey's new service has attracted some high profile personalities including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Chrissy Teigen.

Bluesky, which bears many similarities to Twitter, is the latest in a long list of apps - including Mastodon - that are looking to steal its thunder after Musk's takeover last year.

Dorsey's project is unique, however, in that it began as a Twitter side project back in 2019 and has been heralded as a novel approach to social media, especially with regards to content moderation.

In 2022 it was taken independent and established as a standalone platform.

Unlike Twitter, which is structured like a traditional company with centralized management and decision makers, Bluesky is ostensibly a 'decentralized' social media network run collectively by its users.

The result, according to Dorsey and other Bluesky founders, is that decisions as to who is banned or moderated are made collectively as opposed to by individuals, as is the case with Elon Musk's Twitter.

Dorsey alluded to the importance of such apps in messages to Musk before Twitter even changed hands last year.

In texts, Dorsey told Musk that a 'new platform is needed. It can't be a company. This is why I left [Twitter].'

Dorsey's appearance in New York is a rarity given his preference for California

The Twitter CEO had the company of friends as he stepped out into New York City on Monday

Bluesky was released as a beta in February and prospective users need to join a waiting list to create an account ahead of its full launch

In December he elaborated on his opinions on the state of Twitter in a blog post.

'Of course governments want to shape and control the public conversation, and will use every method at their disposal to do so, including the media,' he wrote.

'And the power a corporation wields to do the same is only growing. It's critical that the people have tools to resist this, and that those tools are ultimately owned by the people.

'Allowing a government or a few corporations to own the public conversation is a path towards centralized control,' he added.

'I don't believe a centralized system can do content moderation globally. It can only be done through ranking and relevance algorithms, the more localized the better.'

Dorsey recently confirmed a Bluesky user's speculation that the name relates to Twitter's bird mascot, the idea being that a blue sky can liberate the bird.

Bluesky is currently in its infancy - users can post short messages of up to 300 characters, and pictures, but there is currently no support for videos or direct messages

Bluesky launched in beta in February, but before the full launch prospective users will have to sign up for a waiting list if they want to join.

The platform is also currently in its infancy - users can post short messages of up to 300 characters, and pictures, but there is currently no support for videos or direct messages.

Dorsey, Jeremie Miller, the inventor of communication protocol Jabber/XMPP, and Jay Graber, CEO of Bluesky, are its board members.

The launch of Bluesky will roughly coincide with that of another text-based social media platform by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, which is expected at some point this summer.

The new Meta platform will allow users to port their Instagram profiles into an equivalent text-focused platform.

Dorsey's appearance in New York is a rarity given his preference for California, where he owns a $22 million mansion.

According to a Forbes ranking, he is worth more than $4.2 billion.
Acclaimed author James Patterson will pen a true crime book about the grisly murders of four students in Idaho - and will gather material at the upcoming trial of suspect Brian Kohberger.

Patterson has teamed up with journalist Vicky Ward for the non-fiction work, which will 'draw from dozens of exclusive interviews, extensive on-the-ground reporting, and copious court transcripts'.

Publisher Little, Brown and Company announced the project and Skydance Television, the production company, also plans to option the rights for a docuseries.

Patterson said: 'The last time a true crime story haunted me this deeply was when I covered Jeffrey Epstein in Filthy Rich. The Idaho murders have captured imaginations all around the world and I'm as caught up in it as anyone else. Because all of this happened in such a small town, there are definitely echoes of In Cold Blood. It's a compelling challenge, and Vicky and I are both eager to investigate further.'

Kohberger allegedly brutally stabbed to death best friends Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, and young couple Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, both 20, in the early morning of November 13 in their university home in Moscow, Idaho.

James Patterson, one of America's most prolific authors, will write a non-fiction book about the grisly murders of four University of Idaho students. The book could also become a docuseries

Maddie Mogen (top) Kaylee Goncalves (left) Xana Kernodle (right) and Ethan Chapin (center) - all students at the University of Idaho - were knifed to death on November 13 in the quiet college town of Moscow

In Cold Blood is Truman Capote's non-fiction novel about the Clutter family murders in Holcomb, Kansas, in 1959. Four members of the family were killed at home by two ex-convicts.

Ward said the intrigue around the 'chilling' murders is deepened by the profile of 'sphinx-like' suspect Brian Kohberger, who appeared in court on Monday and refused to enter a plea on four counts of murder.

Journalist Vicky Ward will co-author the book

Criminology student Kohberger, 28, had been expected to plead not guilty but instead, chose to use Idaho's 'standing silent' plea which means he has not pleaded either way but can still be tried.

The trial date has been set for October 2. Ward and Patterson will include the trial in their book.

Ward added: 'The story of the Idaho murders is as fascinating as it is chilling. You have a small town unused to locking its doors.

'You have a tight-knit group of popular, seemingly happy-go-lucky, good-looking college kids. And you have an alleged murderer, who is sphinx-like and a student of crime.

'He knows something we don't. What is it? While taking care not to glorify the alleged killer, how could any investigative reporter not want to unspool this deeply unsettling, horrific mystery.

'I am privileged to be going on this journey with James Patterson, America's greatest storyteller. Follow us as we dive-in.'

The book will also detail Kohberger's upcoming trial, which is set for October 2. He appeared in court on Monday (pictured) but refused to enter a plea

Police apprehended Kohberger during a raid on his parents' Poconos Mountains, Pennsylvania home on December 30 and he was flown back to Idaho in a small Pilatus PC-12 turboprop plane on January 4.

Since being returned to the Gem State, the alleged killer has been locked up at the Latah County Jail, with prison sources telling DailyMail.com he spends his time obsessing over TV coverage of the case and has turned to God  meeting with a local pastor every Sunday.

Monday's appearance, which saw Kohberger arrive in court wearing an orange prison jumpsuit and looking pale, is his first since being formally charged with the killings in early January.

Kohberger sat silently as Judge John Judge read his rights and reiterated that he faces the death penalty if found guilty of any of the murder charges before responding 'yes' when asked if he understood repeatedly.

The Moscow, Idaho, home where the murders took place is now boarded up

Best friends Kaylee and Madison were discovered dead in bed next to each other

Ethan and Xana were found on the floor below, with Xana discovered slumped over on the floor of her bedroom in the off-campus home

Then, as the four murder charges and one of burglary were read out by Judge Judge, he sat flicking through his indictment papers and shifting in his seat before his lawyer Anne Taylor told the judge her client would be 'standing silent' when asked to respond.

The non-plea now means the case will proceed to trial, with Taylor asking the judge to schedule a six week trial that is now set to commence on October 2.

A title and release date have not yet been announced for Patterson's book about the case.

The author, whose books have sold more than 425 million copies, has only written two other true crime works previously.

His book Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich was released in 2016 and told the story of the pedophile financier's yearslong campaign of abuse against young women.

Patterson also co-authored All-American Murder: The Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez, the Superstar Whose Life Ended on Murderers' Row - about the downfall of the former New England Patriots tight end.
Kent Police failed to arrest Couzens when he was reported for 'flashing' in 2015

Wayne Couzens could have been arrested for indecent exposure years before he killed Sarah Everard but a sergeant who knew his brother said it was not a crime.

Today, it emerged that Kent Police failed to arrest the Scotland Yard officer when he was reported for flashing a pedestrian back in 2015 after the investigating officer accessed a file revealing that Couzens was a former special constable in the force.

In a extraordinary scandal, Couzens' name was broadcast as a suspected sex offender on a radio channel to all Kent Police officers, but no further action was taken.

Now it can be revealed that the sergeant who dismissed the case was stationed in Ashford when Couzens worked there as a special constable and he also knew Couzens' brother David, a serving Kent Police officer.

The blundering officer, who has been given anonymity, twice accessed a file which detailed Couzens' work for Kent Police between 2006 and 2009 before logging that 'no crime' had been committed.

Wayne Couzens (pictured) could have been arrested for indecent exposure years before he killed Sarah Everard but a sergeant who knew his brother said it was not a crime

Couzens abducted, raped and murdered 33-year-old marketing executive Sarah Everard (pictured) on March 3, 2021

The extraordinary blunder only came to light when an investigation was launched by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after Couzens abducted, raped and murdered the 33-year-old marketing executive on March 3, 2021.

Today, it emerged that the sergeant was merely told to 'undergo reflective practice, including training on sexual offences' after he was found to have breached police standards for duties and responsibilities, but a panel found his failure did not 'amount to misconduct'.

A disciplinary hearing was held in private under police disciplinary rules as he was not accused of the more serious charge of gross misconduct, which means that the sergeant has never been named.

An IOPC report on the matter published today revealed that the 50-year-old sexual predator first came to the attention of police on June 9, 2015 when a member of the public dialled 999 to report that a man had exposed himself as he drove past him on a main road in Dover without his trousers.

The pedestrian provided Couzens' vehicle registration which was passed to a sergeant to investigate but he 'did not consider whether it would be appropriate to interview Wayne Couzens in relation to the offence or take other action to establish whether he was a suspect or not.'

Instead the pedestrian's account and 'mental state' was questioned after the sergeant discovered he had previously received warnings about drugs and was living in a shelter for the homeless where staff said he was not 'compus mentus' and not 'wholly reliable'.

The IOPC found 'there was no evidence to suggest the sergeant made any efforts to confirm the reliability of the informant' or to 'identify the informant's partner as a witness to the indecent exposure and make contact with her'.

In a extraordinary scandal, Couzens' name was broadcast as a suspected sex offender on a radio channel to all Kent Police officers, but no further action was taken. (file image)

The sergeant twice accessed Couzens' 'nominal file' containing his personal details and number of investigations Couzens was assigned to when he was a special constable for Kent Police, but the IOPC said they could not establish whether he read those details.

The sergeant later denied knowing Couzens, although they worked in the same station before Couzens left to join the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and later the Metropolitan Police.

He admitted knowing Couzens' brother, David, a serving Kent officer with whom he worked in the firearms unit between 2007 and 2012.

But said he was just 'a casual professional acquaintance'.

When Couzens' name, address and car registration was broadcast to the force, his brother was not on duty.

Days later the sergeant decided that 'the named suspect had not been identified', there were discrepancies in the pedestrian's account and he stated the crime was 'not detectable'.

In a police log, he recorded there had been 'no crime'.

In May 2022, the IOPC found a case to answer for misconduct against the sergeant for failing to follow all reasonable lines of enquiry.

Evidence we gathered showed that while the pedestrian did not support the investigation, the officer did not carry out CCTV enquiries or seek to identify witnesses, nor did he contact Couzens.

An IOPC report on the matter published today revealed that the 50-year-old sexual predator first came to the attention of police on June 9, 2015

The IOPC report went on say that Couzens was not listed on police records as a suspect, so it did not affect his vetting when he applied to join the Metropolitan Police in 2018.

In April this year Kent Police held a misconduct meeting which decided the sergeant should 'undergo reflective practice, including training on sexual offences and input on investigative processes.'

Now the IOPC has called for the National Police Chiefs Council to consider developing a system which automatically flags when an officer is under criminal investigation.

IOPC Director of Operations Amanda Rowe said: 'Wayne Couzens' horrific crimes appalled the nation, sent shockwaves through the policing world and deeply impacted on trust and confidence in the police service, particularly from women.

'Our investigations into the Met and Kent Police's handling of the indecent exposure allegations highlighted there is no system in place to alert forces when a police officer becomes a crime suspect.

'We believe this needs to change. It may not have prevented Couzens from committing his crimes, but if it is combined with the change in culture that policing recognises is necessary, it could help prevent it from happening again in the future.'
A growing number of San Francisco tech executives are abandoning the city to move to London, fueling an American-led boom in foreign home sales in the UK capital city.

'Tech workers have grown disenchanted with San Francisco,' Annie Ingram, a private banker at Coutts, told The Telegraph this week, citing concerns about rising crime, homelessness and open-air drug use in the Golden Gate City.

Last year, Americans became the largest group of overseas buyers in prime central London, replacing Chinese buyers in the top spot the prior year, and the French in 2020, according to data from real estate agency Knight Frank cited in the report.

The trend has been helped by favorable exchange rates, which gave dollar buyers an effective 30 percent discount on purchasing property in London during parts of last year, according to a January study from Beauchamp Estates.

Last year, Instagram head Adam Mosseri made a high-profile move from the Bay Area to London's posh Kensington neighborhood, although he has been recalled by bosses at parent company Meta and will return to the US later this year.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri made a high-profile move from the Bay Area to London's posh Kensington neighborhood, although he has been recalled to the US by bosses at Meta

People openly abuse drugs on the sidewalk of the Tenderloin area of San Francisco, where overdose deaths have rocketed upwards in recent months

Meta's chief marketing officer, Alex Schultz, has also relocated to the UK, and lives in London's West End.

Last year, former British MP turned senior Meta executive Sir Nick Clegg also returned to London after three years living in California, saying he wanted to be closer to his parents, now both in their 80s.

It's unclear whether Meta's recent reorganization and cost-cutting moves will prompt Schultz or Clegg to return to California. A Meta spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday afternoon.

In London's real estate market, the American influence has been felt most strongly among super-top-end property transactions.

Beauchamp Estates estimated that last year, 50 percent of the deals in Prime Central London for homes valued over 15 million ($18.6 million) had been to American buyers, who bought around 620 million ($769 million) worth of luxury property.

The study found that after Americans, Swiss, French, Indian and Middle East buyers were the other key foreign acquirers of luxury homes in London 2022.

It's unclear what share of the American buyers originate from Northern California, but real estate agents say they have noticed a growing influx from the Bay Area.

'America's West Coast is definitely a factor in the London prime property market in a way it wasn't five years ago. And once you get a cohort of owners in London, their friends come,' Rupert des Forges, Knight Frank's head of prime central London developments, told the Telegraph.

'A lot of it is actually tiers below chief executive too. Top-performing developers can make fortunes at very young ages on shares. While it's tax-efficient to take debt against the property, all of these buyers can do these transactions in cash,' he added.

Last year, former British MP turned Facebook executive Sir Nick Clegg also returned to London again after three years living in California

In San Francisco, this seven-bedroom, 9,190 sq-ft home in Pacific Heights is currently listed for $14,950,000

In London, 12,250,000 ($15.2 million USD) will score this five-bedroom home in Chelsea

Des Forges said 1 Grosvenor Square in Mayfair was one popular location among US tech buyers, with other sought-after neighborhoods including St Johns Wood, Regents Park, Kensington and Belgravia.

Although San Francisco's population shrank by more than 65,000 since the start of the pandemic, to 808,437, international migration has not been the primary driver of the trend.

From 2020 to June 2022, the city gained 7,679 residents through net international migration, but lost 70,929 people to net migration within the US, according to Census data.

For discouraged San Franciscans, the city's high cost of living combined with a declining quality of life, particularly for families, is driving many residents to consider a move.

A recent study found that San Francisco is the most expensive US city in which to raise a child, costing more than $35,000 per year.

At the same time, residents say San Francisco feels increasingly like a ghost town, with scores of retailers pulling out of the city due to crime and low foot traffic.

Twitter CEO Elon Musk, who spends much of his time at the company's downtown San Francisco headquarters, summed up the mood in a tweet earlier this month.

'So many stores shuttered in downtown SF. Feels post-apocalyptic,' he tweeted.

A disturbing recent report showed 95 retailers in downtown San Francisco have closed since the start of the COVID pandemic, a decline of more than 50 percent.

Out of 203 retailers open in 2019 in the city's Union Square area, just 107 are still operating, a drop of 47 percent in just a few pandemic-ravaged years.

Sleeping people, discarded clothes and used needles are seen in San Francisco in a file photo

Homeless encampments are shown along a street in San Francisco in a file photo

Major stores continue to back out of crime-ridden San Francisco, with a disturbing report showing 95 retailers downtown - more than half - have closed since the start of the COVID pandemic. This map shows a small selection of the big-name departures

Out of 203 retailers open in 2019 in the city's Union Square area, just 107 are still operating, a drop of 47 percent in just a few pandemic-ravaged years

Among the heavy hitters, Brooks Brothers, Ray Ban, Christian Louboutin, Lululemon and Marmot have all packed it in. At least one more is set to close, with Williams-Sonoma announcing they'll shut down in 2024.

Whole Foods' flagship San Francisco store also shut its doors just one year after opening because of rampant drug use in restrooms, violence towards staff - and theft of all 250 shopping baskets

While many of the issues facing San Francisco are tied to property crimes and quality of life issues, last month the brutal stabbing death of CashApp founder Bob Lee in the city shocked the nation.

The man charged with the murder, 38-year-old Nima Momeni, appears to have had a personal dispute with Lee, who was reportedly dating his sister, and police say the murder was not a random attack.

Still, footage showing Lee staggering down a San Francisco sidewalk as he bled out only served to underline concerns about the city's safety.

Recent crime data shows a mixed bag in San Francisco, with murder up 25 percent and robbery up 15 percent from last year, while rape is down 22 percent and larceny theft, by far the most common major crime, is down 11 percent.

Overall, San Francisco's crime rate is down 7.5 percent in 2023 from last year, and the city's per capita murder rate is well below that of many other cities of a similar size, including Indianapolis; Columbus, Ohio; and Jacksonville, Florida.

San Francisco saw a staggering 41 percent surge in the number of drug-related deaths in the first quarter of 2023

However, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins acknowledged last month that crime stats don't tell the entire story about public safety.

'I think San Franciscans are still very much concerned about public safety, and we still have a long way to go to make San Francisco as safe as it needs to be,' she told KTVU . 'And so, this isn't always necessarily about data. It's about the way that our residents and business owners and even visitors feel.'

Scenes of rampant open-air drug use and squalid homeless encampments also remain tragically common in the Golden Gate City.

Recent data from the city's medical examiner revealed a 41 percent surge in the number of drug-related deaths in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same time last year, as fentanyl ravaged the city's homeless population.

San Francisco saw 200 people die due to overdoses between January and March, compared to 142 deaths in 2022.

That amounts to one overdose death every 10 hours, and the victims were disproportionately black and Latino men, and frequently based in the Tenderloin area, a gritty downtown neighborhood where a drug treatment center was shuttered in December.
Victims of Rolf Harris have spoken out about the abuse they endured at the hands of the Australian sex offender after his death at the age of 93.

The disgraced TV star died of neck cancer and old age earlier this month after spending the last six years following his release from prison living as a near-recluse with his wife in their 5million riverside mansion in Bray, Berkshire.

News of the abuser's death on May 10 and his subsequent secret cremation was revealed on Tuesday after it was registered with Windsor and Maidenhead Council, bringing closure to some of his victims.

Dr Lin Berwick, who accused him of assaulting her when she was 27, screamed 'Yippee, thank God'. BBC radio host Karen Gardner, who claims she was assaulted by him when she was 16, pointed to a statement where she described him as 'evil'.

Broadcaster Vanessa Feltz recalled how she was assaulted by Harris live on national television and metres from his wife when he appeared on The Big Breakfast with her.

Victims of Rolf Harris have spoken out after the entertainer, who was exposed as a sex offender in later life, died at the age of 93

TV personality Vanessa Feltz said Harris reached up to try and touch her knickers live on television

In June 2014 Harris was convicted of 12 indecent assaults, after a trial exposed an avalanche of evidence showing his disturbing behaviour towards women and girls.

The entertainer was convicted of abusing a close friend of his daughter, Bindi Nicholls, over the course of 16 years as well as an eight-year-old girl seeking an autograph and two girls in their early teens.

Harris had strongly denied the charges against him, which took place between 1968 and 1986 but was convicted and sentenced to five years and nine months in prison.

Upon his release in 2017 he lived as a near-recluse, with reports he was suffering from neck cancer and this had left him unable to speak, and was seen in a wheelchair when out of the house. An undertaker's private ambulance was photographed outside his riverside home on May 11.

In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon by his solicitor, his family said: 'Rolf Harris recently died peacefully surrounded by family and friends and has now been laid to rest. They ask that you respect their privacy. No further comment will be made.'

The cause of death was revealed as 'metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of neck' - the medical term for neck cancer - and 'frailty of old age'.

The news was welcomed by some of his victims who still to this day have to cope with the abuse he inflicted on them.

Dr Berwick, who is blind and disabled, claimed Harris assaulted her when she was 27 - and despite the sex offender being acquitted of that offence, she remains convinced he was the perpetrator.

She told The Sun: 'When I found out the news he was dead, I screamed "Yippee, thank God".

'No one has ever invaded my body the way Rolf Harris has. What he did to me as a blind person was vile.'

BBC radio host Karen Gardner, pictured, claims Harris assaulted her three times in the space of 35 minutes when she was 16

Ms Gardner, pictured here when she was younger, says the assaults took place while she worked as his bag carrier for the show Star Games in 1977

Dr Lin Berwick, pictured, claims she was assaulted by the painter when she was 27 years old

Vanessa Feltz says Rolf Harris put his hand up her dress while she was hosting The Big Breakfast (pictured)

Karen Gardner, a BBC radio host who accused him of assaulting her three times in the space of 35 minutes when she was his 16-year-old bag carrier for the show Star Games in 1977 was more

When asked by the Mirror if she had any comment, she pointed to a statement made after she appeared in the ITV documentary Rolf Harris: Hiding in Plain Sight, about his crimes earlier this month.

In it she tweeted: 'Very few of us escape the impact of evil people. What we have to do is expose them, share and stand together to dilute the pain.

'For me it was Rolf Harris but he inflicted much worse on other girls.'

In the programme, which aired last week, Ms Gardner bravely waved her anonymity as she relived the traumatic experience.

She told the programme: 'In the space of I guess about 35 minutes, he assaulted me three times in plain sight. And it was horrible because you're surrounded by people, and he had a method of operating.

'I won't talk about the actual details but he was paying me attention, he was saying how great I had been, and he, he hugged me, and that that's when it happened. And it was humiliating and degrading and awful and your blood turns to concrete.'

She continued: 'You can't believe this is happening. And I have no doubt what was happening. My period was due, and my breasts were very tender, and I had no doubt what he'd done was deliberate. And he did it, he did that twice in the space of, I don't know, 20 odd, 25 minutes.

'And then it was mid-afternoon and they had organised a couple of taxis and one of the cars came to get him. And I had to get in the back seat of the car.'

Ms Gardner said Rolf got beside her and assaulted her again, adding: 'Maybe because there wasn't anyone there, I did tell him to f**k off. And he said something, which makes, still makes me feel sick now. He said to me, "You're irresistible". I was 16. He was 48. He was ten years older than my dad.'

Harris was acquitted of assaulting Ms Gardner after the jury could not reach a verdict at two trials.

Speaking on TalkTV Drivetime on Tuesday, Vanessa Feltz described the stomach-churning moment Harris pulled up her dress and tried to touch her knickers just metres away from his wife while Ms Feltz was presenting the The Big Breakfast.

Speaking about the incident she claims to have suffered at his hands, Ms Feltz revealed she had originally been excited to learn he was appearing on the show where she hosted the 'On The Bed' segment.

She said: 'So we crowded into the little tiny bedroom where The Big Breakfast bed was because it was situated in a real lock keeper's cottage.

'So a tiny little bedroom, there's the bed, there's me on it and Rolf Harris next to me and the cameraman, director, and Rolf Harris' wife standing literally a foot away to the side of the bed.

'We go live, and I'm like, "Hello, guess who's on the bed with me today? It's the wonderful Rolf Harris". and I can hear this noise.'

She revealed that Harris was 'crunching' her dress and pulling it 'further and further and further up my legs'.

'And you can actually see in one of the pictures me, taking a blue cushion and putting it between us to try to make some space between me and him. And he completely ignored it,' she added.

After getting neck cancer, Rolf Harris (pictured during the pandemic) could no longer talk or eat and required around the clock care

In light of his conviction, Harris had his 2012 Bafta fellowship removed and was stripped of his CBE. He also had Australian honours taken away

The broadcaster said she could feel his hand going 'past my knees up to my thighs' while Harris's wife was stood in the same room as them.

She said: 'I didn't know what to do because I knew that I couldn't say, "Get your hand off my leg" or "What the hell do you think you're doing?" or "Get off me" and I also couldn't jump off the bed because I was all mic-ed up and it's a live programme. I didn't know what to do at all.

'I tried, as you can see, to put the cushion between, that was no good. I couldn't move any further away because you can see I would've fallen off the edge of the bed his hand meanwhile was getting closer and closer and closer and closer and closer.

'And then it got to the edge of my pants, my knickers, or whatever. My lingerie, and I knew, that if I didn't do something immediately, it was going to be a proper full-on assault.'

The 61-year-old, who says she reviewed the incident when she was interviewed by police while officers were investigating Harris, said she was so concerned about what was happening that she told the crew to cut to a commercial break early.

'I just went [gasps] like that because the hand was coming right up and I went like this, "Um, right. Okay. Well, we'll throw to a break now. We'll go straight to a break. That's what we're going to do. we'll, we'll go to a break! We'll go to the break right now!" and then I jumped off the bed and then it was the adverts.

'I didn't say a single word, he didn't say a single word, his wife didn't say a single word and then when we came back after I just got back on the bed and we carried on again.'

Rolf Harris' death certificate revealed his cause of death. He died at home on May 10

Disgraced paedophile Rolf Harris has died at the age of 93, MailOnline can reveal. He was last pictured in April 2022 (right)

Harris died at this riverside mansion (pictured)

A private ambulance with its rear doors open at the home of Rolf Harris and his wife Alwen around ten days ago

Rolf Harris (second left) and his wife Alwen Hughes (second right) were recluses and rarely left their home in Bray, Berkshire

Harris is survived by his grandson Marlon, 25, daughter Bindi, 59, and wife Alwen, 91, a jeweller and sculptor. She is in a wheelchair because of Alzheimer's disease but the couple, who married in 1958, lived together with the help of around the clock care.

Private investigator, author and former police officer William Merritt, author of the book Rolf Harris: The Truth behind the Trials, told MailOnline that he last met with 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'.

A private ambulance was parked outside the property on Thursday May 11, leaving at around 6pm. It has now emerged that he died the day before.

Mr Merritt said Harris had neck cancer and there were serious concerns about his health, although he was 'getting on with things'.

He told MailOnline: 'I heard the news over the weekend and it's all very sad. Rolf was convicted of sexual offences, that much people obviously know, but he still had millions of fans all around the world.

'He doesn't have a large family, but I know that his immediate relatives will be extremely upset and will want to grieve in private.'

Due to the cancer, Rolf is said to have 'gurgled' when talking. His wife has also been seriously ill with Alzheimer's disease. 'She's very frail', he said.

Harris's 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'.

A new ITVX documentary recently unearthed disturbing footage of Rolf Harris joking with Jimmy Savile about leaving a little girl 'safely in his arms'

Years before his conviction in 2014, Harris was given the honour of painting a portrait of the late Queen to mark her 80th birthday

It understood Rolf Harris' health took a turn for the worse after the sudden death of his poodle earlier in 2022.

Harris married Alwen in March 1958 after meeting at art school.

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 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.

Mr Merritt said last year that Harris preferred 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 Alzheimer's disease but the couple, who married in 1958 and have one child, lived 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 previously.

'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 hadn'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 Savile and Glitter,' Harris said.

Rolf Harris' is pictured with a dog at the RSPCA Animal Hospital in Putney, south-west London

'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.'
A large scale brawl was caught on camera at the baggage carousel at Chicago O'Hare on Monday evening

Shocking video captures the moment a mass brawl broke at O'Hare International Airport's baggage carousel which ended with a man and woman being charged.

The footage, which has gone viral on social media, shows the moment the huge fistfight broke out late Monday night in the baggage hall of the Chicago airport's Terminal 3.

Chaotic scenes show a group of around a dozen people grappling, including two pairs of women who can be seen rolling on the floor violently yanking at each others' hair and throwing punches.

Two men can be seen coming to blows before ending up on the carousel itself as others join the melee. One of them can be seen being punched on the luggage belt, causing his hat to fly off, before he appears to be kicked in the face.

Police confirmed that following the brawl, a 18-year-old man and a 20-year-old had been charged with battery.

Police said the incident broke out after an argument on board the plane spilled into the terminal

A large group of men and women can be seen trading blows with each other in the shocking video

A woman can be seen being held on the floor by her hair engaged in a fight with two other women - one of whom is barefoot - as travel pillows and other belongings lay scattered on the floor.

Onlookers can be frequently heard shouting for security and for the others to stop fighting, as others can be seen with crossed arms watching the chaos unfold.

Another woman can be seen attempting to hit another person with what appears to be a shoe before a man starts punching her in the face, sending her to the ground.

One of the woman who was engaged in the fight on the floor manages to get to her feet and braids of her bright red hair can be seen laying on the terminal floor.

After the video ended, Chicago Police confirmed in a statement that two people had been arrested and charged in connection with the brawl.

Christopher Hampton, 18, from Maywood, Illinois, and Tembra Hicks, 20, from Carol Stream, Illinois, have both been charged with battery over the incident.

It is unclear exactly what triggered the violence. O'Hare International have not confirmed which flight the group had been traveling on before the fight.

Two people, a man and a woman, had to be arrested and charged following the brawl

A woman can be seen here grappling with the hair of another as onlookers shouted for security

One person who just exited another flight caught a different angle of the fight

In a statement, Chicago Police said: 'A verbal dispute while deplaning escalated in the lower level of terminal 3 when a 24-year-old female victim was punched by two offenders.

'The offenders were placed into custody and charged accordingly.'

A statement from O'Hare International Airport said: 'Safety and security are always the top priorities of the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA).

'We work closely with all of our federal partners present at O'Hare and Midway International Airports and the Chicago Police Department to ensure that everyone is safe when they are in our facilities.

'The CDA also ensures that its airline partners have clear lines of communication to public safety resources for occurrences within their leased areas.'

It comes after workers at Spirit Airlines traded blows with unruly passengers as they were boarding a flight in a video.

The brawl erupted at Philadelphia International Airport in February and showed a mom and daughter being hit with extra fees due to heavy carry on luggage

The shocking footage shows the two travelers grabbing and clawing at gate agents at the entrance to the jetway.
Members of a 'racist' police squad pinned up a poster of skinheads displaying Swastikas and giving the Nazi salute on the wall of their police station, a police misconduct hearing was told today.

One of the five officers was also heard to call a black motorist a 'c**n' in a fit of road rage while on duty on another occasion, it is alleged.

The 'toxic and offensive' incidents were described at a police disciplinary hearing where a police inspector and four constables face allegations of gross misconduct.

The officers are alleged to have nurtured a culture of 'racist, misogynistic and homophobic' behaviour while serving for Dorset Police's Force Support Group based in Bournemouth.

A lot of the inappropriate conduct was played out on a Whatsapp group called 'The Real FSG' where offensive messages and images were shared amongst the male officers, it was said.

Dorset Police Headquarters HQ Winfrith Building

The hearing heard evidence from another officer who was shocked to walk into the office one day to find someone had put the Nazi-themed poster on the wall.

The officer, known only as Witness A, said: 'I came in and I remember someone saying you won't believe this.

'There was wall art. One was an A4 piece of paper with half a dozen men bare chested with shaven heads.

'It looked like they were in a prison and they had Swastikas and they were doing the Nazi salute.

'It was taken down after one or two days. I was incredibly shocked when I saw that picture. I don't know who put it up. There were so many different wall arts.'

The officer told how he was in a patrol van with one of the accused, PC Mark Jordan-Gill, when he heard him shout out racist abuse at a motorist.

He added: 'We were driving in a van towards Tuckton. We were slowing down to let someone out in front of us and PC Jordan-Gill shouted out 'just hurry up you c**n'.'

In response, the witness said another officer, PC Matthew Young, said 'Woah, it's like being back in the Met'.

The hearing was told that language and behaviour would have 'shocked any member of the public'.

Of the five accused officers, PC Paul Perdrisat was described as the 'alpha male' of the unit and was behind most of the offensive comments and bullying, it is alleged.

The officers - Inspector Nicholas Mantle, PC Michael Lowther, PC Jordan-Gill, PC Young were also guilty of gross misconduct as they failed to report the behaviour, it was said.

The hearing hears how PC Perdrisat, who has since left the force, is accused of bullying Witness A.

The complainant said that PC Perdrisat admitted to him that he 'picked on the weakest link to get rid of them'.

The officers are accused of breaching professional standards and face a week-long tribunal hearing at Dorset Police HQ at Winfrith, near Dorchester.

They deny the allegations.

Mark Ley-Morgan, representing Dorset Police, said the incidents happened between 2018 to 2021.

The Force Response Group is a fast-response unit that deals with sudden outbreaks of public disorder in Bournemouth town centre.

Mr Ley-Morgan said: 'The background of this case is that it concerns alleged misconduct. It concerns behaviour of officers between 2018-2021. They were all members of the Force Support Group in Bournemouth.

'It concerns discriminatory comments primarily by one officer, the one who is not here. To a lesser extent a couple of the allegations apply to other officers.

'We have the WhatsApp messages from June 14 to October 22, 2020.

'Some are sexual messages, others are homophobic. They are bullying, offensive and inappropriate.

'The officers in the group should have stopped it immediately. It should have been reported.'

Witness A told the hearing of how the bullying behaviour led to him to contemplate suicide.

He said: 'It was a toxic atmosphere and PC Perdrisat was the alpha male.

'I was told by PC Perdrisat "I pick on the weakest link to get rid of them".

'I just didn't want to come to work. Everything you did was just not good enough.

'I didn't want to get up in the morning. I thought about taking my own life.'

The four officers who are attending the hearing deny the allegations of gross misconduct.

Guy Ladenburg, representing PC Jordan-Gill, said: 'There is humour in a team. A lot of witnesses describe that this humour is a necessary mechanism to keep up morale in the force when doing difficult work.

'You accept that some people's tolerance for some jokes might be higher than others. They (the other officers) might not realise if someone is upset about it unless you told them.'

The hearing continues.
An ex-con who raped and murdered a 10-year-old Queens girl is back in prison after he sexually assaulted multiple elderly women while out on parole.

Charles Rowe, 56, was able to take advantage of Kathy Hochul's 'Less is More' act, which makes it easier to stay out of prison, even after he was hit with a felony for an auto theft in December, according to the New York Post.

The repeat offender was allowed to remain on the streets is now being charged with another rape and sexual assault.

Rowe was originally released on lifetime parole from Sullivan County Correctional Facility on Jan. 19, 2022, after spending nearly 35 years locked up.

Despite being under close state parole supervision, Rowe was arrested on felony grand larceny charges for allegedly stealing a van from a U-Haul storage facility in Jamaica on Dec. 9, less than a year later.

Rowe was originally released on lifetime parole from Sullivan County Correctional Facility on Jan. 19, 2022, after spending nearly 35 years locked up

The convicted murderer remained free despite missing not one but two court appearances  during which time he allegedly went on a violent crime spree in Queens, assaulting one woman and raping another, before he was finally locked up earlier this month, according to the Post.

In both cases, he allegedly threatened to kill his victims, according to the court records.

Rowe allegedly raped the 69-year-old victim on March 13, outside the same U-Haul storage facility he was accused of stealing a van from in December 2022.

'If you don't do what I want I am going to kill you,' Rowe allegedly told the woman, before raping her and fleeing the scene.

About a month later on April 25, Rowe returned to the facility and allegedly assaulted a 61-year-old woman after she caught him going through her belongings.

'Let's not turn this into a murder,' he told her, before slashing her in the neck and chest and punching her in the face.

Rowe was ultimately arrested on May 13 and hit with multiple charges, including first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse, predatory sexual assault, first and second-degree robbery, weapons possession, burglary, and petty larceny.

He is expected to appear in court on June 28, and is being held at Riker's Island on $250,000 cash bail or a $750,000 bond, the DA's office said Monday, according to the New York Post.

Rowe's lawyer denied the accusation that Rowe was involved in auto theft, but that he was simply hanging out with a girl in the stolen U-Haul van, trying to get cozy.

His lawyer claimed that the suspect had kept up with the requirements of his parole and asked Queens Criminal Court Judge Stephanie Zaro to release him without bail, insisting his client shouldn't be punished for having a 'past.'

'Judge, I believe that it would be a total miscarriage of justice to place my client in jail where he can't post any bail on a D non-violent [felony] offense where my client is alleged to be in a van,' Legal Aid attorney Paul Montgomery told Zaro, according to the transcript.

The judge made references to Rowe's criminal record and the fact that he has repeatedly been referred for psychiatric help while in prison but agreed to free him on supervision.

'If the charges were more violent in any way, obviously I wouldn't be doing this. But I will do supervised release at [parole's] discretion,' Zaro said, according to the Post.

The judge freed Rowe without bail, pending a preliminary hearing in his parole revocation case. Rowe failed to show up to a hearing on January 12, and January 31, a DOCCS spokesperson told the New York Post. The hearing was rescheduled once more for March 17.

While authorities were given numerous chances to put the criminal behind bars, they repeatedly let him free.

Rowe is the 'poster child for parole violation,' one law enforcement source told The Post.

'He did time for one of the most heinous crimes I have seen in 40 years, and he robs a car less than a year after he's released,' the source said.

Rowe was originally sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for brutally raping and killing a 10-year-old girl inside her bedroom in 1987.

Rowe was a guest staying in her family's home when he was left alone with the young girl, and then raped and stabbed her to death.

The young girl was left naked and dead on her blood-soaked bedroom floor. She was found by her family Christmas morning, according to a New York Times article at the time.

The 'Less is More' act was signed into law by Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2021. It makes it more difficult to send criminals back to jail for violating their parole.

'Thanks to the governor's 'Less is More' it is almost impossible to violate someone,' a law enforcement source told the Post.

'Lowering the standards is responsible for one woman fighting off this monster and another woman being raped in two horrific crimes where both women were threatened to be killed.

Rowe remains behind bars on Rikers Island pending a return court appearance on June 28.

On September 17, 2021, Governor Hochul signed into law The Community Supervision Revocation Reform Act (the Less is More Act)

'Prior to less is more he would have been held in jail where he wouldn't be able to victimize innocent people,' the law enforcement source said.

Before 'Less is More,' a parolee rearrested on a criminal charge could have been held for up to 90 days between their preliminary and final revocation hearings, or as long as probable cause or a violation occurred was found.
Donald Trump threw his hands in the air in fury during a virtual appearance in a Manhattan court on Tuesday as a judge scheduled the Stormy Daniels 'hush money' criminal trial for March 25, 2024.

It means the former president will be in a Manhattan courtroom for weeks in the middle of the Republican primaries and just months before the presidential election.

The court day lies just weeks after the 'Super Tuesday' primaries set for March 5, and days after Florida's March 19 contest that will pit Trump against Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Trump, 76, scowled into the camera during a Zoom appearance as Judge Juan Merchan told him to cancel all commitments during the trial and put a protective order in place banning him from sharing evidence in public.

He made the appearance as it was revealed his main rival in the GOP race, DeSantis, would formally announce he is running for President in a Twitter Spaces on Wednesday night.

A visibly-irritated Trump, wearing a blue suit against a backdrop of American flags at his Mar-a-Lago estate, turned to his lawyer during the appearance

'President Trump is running for President of the United States and is the leading contender,' his attorney Todd Blanche told the judge. 'He is very much concerned that his 1st Amendment rights are being violated.'

The charges are related to a $30,000 payoff to a doorman trying to sell information about a child that Trump allegedly fathered out of wedlock; $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, and a $130,000 payment to Daniels.

Trump had pleaded not guilty last month to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records at his family company, the Trump Organization.

Donald Trump threw up his hands in frustration Tuesday as a judge scheduled his criminal trial for March 25, putting the former president and current candidate in a Manhattan courtroom in the heat of next year's presidential primary season

Trump glared into the camera during a Zoom appearance in the Stormy Daniels 'hush money case' as the judge told him to cancel all commitments during the trial

Trump called it 'election interference'  a term that burst to the forefront during his 2016 presidential campaign amid Russian hacking efforts, and said his own rights were being violated. It was weeks before Election Day in 2016 that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen arranged the Stormy Daniels 'hush' payments.

'Just had New York County Supreme Court hearing where I believe my First Amendment Rights,Freedom of Speech, have been violated, and they forced upon us a trial date of March 25th, right in the middle of Primary season,' Trump posted on his Truth Social site.

'Very unfair, but this is exactly what the Radical Left Democrats wanted. Its called ELECTION INTERFERENCE, and nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before!!!'

The protective order specifically mentions Truth Social  but pertains to posts about discovery materials related to the case.

Trump has complained in the past that Merchan, a former prosecutor, 'HATES ME.'

Trump denies having had extramarital flings and says the prosecution is politically motivated.

Trump has made the New York case and the long list of other investigations he faces central to his campaign to get back in the White House.

He claims it is all part of a wide-ranging 'witch-hunt' from political opponents to stop him from reclaiming the Oval Office.

Trump often discusses the cases at his rallies and in other speeches, and has repeatedly attacked prosecutors and judges by name.

At Tuesday's hearing, Merchan reviewed an order barring Trump from publicly disseminating certain evidence turned over by prosecutors.

Merchan insisted that it was not a 'gag order'.

'It's certainly not a gag order and it's not my intention to impede Mr. Trump to campaign for president,' Merchan said. 'He is free to campaign. He's free to do just about anything that does not violate the terms of this protective order.'

The order stops Trump from publicly sharing evidence his defense team receives during the proceedings.

Trump called the scheduling 'very unfair' and said his own constitutional rights had been violated by the March 25 trial date, which comes in the midst of the presidential primary process

Trump, wearing a blue suit against a backdrop of American flags at his Florida estate, then turned to a lawyer by his side - their brief discussion inaudible on the video feed - before sitting with his arms folded for the remainder of the hearing

Trump sits alongside his lawyers as the first former President to appear in court. He was arraigned on April 4, 2023

Trump has denied having an affair with pronstar Stormy Daniels. He is charged with facilitating $130,000 in hush money payments to keep her quiet about their alleged relationship

Trump allegedly paid $150,000 to former Playboy model Karen McDougal to keep quiet about an affair - which he denies.

Trump is allowed to speak publicly about the criminal case, according to Merchans order, but he risks being held in contempt if he uses evidence turned over by prosecutors in the pretrial discovery process to target witnesses or others involved in the case.

Trump was spared a personal appearance at the courthouse, avoiding the mammoth security and logistical challenges that accompanied his arraignment last month. Instead, the Republican was connected by video conference, with his face beamed onto courtroom TV monitors.

Merchans 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 Trumps lawyers, not Trump himself.

Prosecutors sought the order soon after Trumps arrest, citing what they say is his history of making 'harassing, embarrassing, and threatening statements' about people hes tangled with in legal disputes.

Merchan, noting Trumps 'special' status as a former president and current candidate, has made clear that the protective order shouldnt be construed as a gag order and that Trump has a right to publicly defend himself.

Trumps lawyers are seeking to have his criminal case moved to federal court. It will continue in state court while that plays out.

Although Trump inveighed against the order, his lawyer indicated he would live with it.

'He understands that he has to comply with the order, and if he doesnt do so, hes violating your order,' Blanche said during the zoom appearance.

The order from the court comes as Trump continued to post Tuesday about an unrelated case  E. Jean Carroll's defamation case against him. A Manhattan jury has already found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation in one case where the jury awarded her $5 million.

Trump has appealed. But he called Carroll a 'whack job' during an appearance at a CNN town hall, and attacked her again on his Truth Social site.

'I dont know E. Jean Carroll, I never met her or touched her (except on a celebrity line with her African American husband who she disgustingly called the Ape,), I wouldnt want to know or touch her, I never abused her or raped her or took her to a dressing room 25 years ago in a crowded department store where the doors are LOCKED, she has no idea when, or did anything else to her, except deny her Fake, Made Up Story, that she wrote in a book,' Trump posted.

'IT NEVER HAPPENED, IS A TOTAL SCAM, UNFAIR TRIAL!'

Trump also faced a warning from the court in that case. The judge urged his lawyer to 'inform your clients and witnesses to please refrain from making any statements that are likely to incite violence or civil unrest.'

The Stormy Daniels case will now grind forward while Trump faces legal exposure in multiple other venues.

His lawyers face an August 29 deadline for motions  just as Republican presidential debates that Trump may or may not take part in will be underway. Prosecutors get to respond by October 10, which will be in the thick of candidate competition.

A January 4, 2024 hearing date would be days before the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary are set to be held.

There are other moving parts on the calendar. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is expected to announce this August whether to bring charges over alleged election interference in Georgia.

Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is probing Jan. 6th and the removal of White House documents to Mar-a-Lago, has finished collecting evidence, and could result in another indictment.

Amid all the accumulating court dates, one key event on the calendar is fixed: Election Day is Nov. 5, 2024.
Officers with the SFPD responded at about 10 am to the carjacking. This is a developing story

A suspect was reportedly detained at the scene after a 'physical struggle' and taken to hospital

One person is dead, and four others have been injured after a carjacked vehicle being chased by police crashed into a bus stop and one other vehicle

One person is dead and four others are injured after a carjacked vehicle crashed into a bus stop and one other vehicle during a police chase in San Francisco.

Emergency crews responded to the scene according to the San Francisco Department of Emergency Services, with officials saying among those injured were bystanders and others involved in the pursuit.

Footage from the scene showed the mangled remains of two vehicles that had apparently hit a bus stop - debris could also be seen scattered across the busy intersection at 16th Street and Potrero Avenue.

One person is dead, and four others have been injured after a carjacked vehicle being chased by police crashed into a bus stop and one other vehicle

Several people could be seen being taken away on stretchers and loaded into ambulances while a nearby Boston Market restaurant was also destroyed in the collision

Several people were taken away on stretchers and loaded into ambulances, while a nearby Boston Market restaurant was also destroyed in the collision.

San Francisco Fire Department Jonathon Baxter told Kron 4 that a 'total of five victims ranging from critical to serious condition' have been reported.

The owner of Your New Barber, Hector Martinez, saw the aftermath of the crash and told missionlocal.com that first responders tried to resuscitate the person who died for 10 minutes, but were unsuccessful.

'It sounded like an explosion almost,' he said. 'I ran outside and I saw chaos.'

Martinez added that, as soon as he went outside, the suspect was sitting near the destroyed bus stop in handcuffs.

He was detained at the scene after a 'physical struggle' and was taken to hospital, according to the outlet.

Officers with the San Francisco Police Department responded at about 10 am to the area of Folsom and Mabini streets on a report of a carjacking, SFPD said.

A person was seen lying down a stretcher and were among those who were taken to hospital

After leading officers on a pursuit through city streets, the vehicle crashed. People have been advised to avoid the area and to expect traffic delays

Footage from the scene showed the mangled remains of two vehicles that had apparently hit a bus stop - debris could also be seen scattered across the busy intersection at 16th Street and Potrero Avenue

A vehicle matching the description was located near Kansas and 25th streets and led police on a pursuit.

After leading officers on a pursuit through city streets, the vehicle crashed. People have been advised to avoid the area and to expect traffic delays.

The incident is currently under investigation by SFPD, Baxter told the outlet.

This is a developing story.
Three Christian school counselors who 'misgendered' transgender students at a Massachusetts middle school have been put on leave over claims they engaged in 'conversion therapy'.

Delinda Dykes, Hector Santos and Tania Cabrera were accused of not using students self-declared pronouns and calling them by their birth names used before transition at Amherst Regional Middle School (ARMS).

The trio are also said to have failed to provide support for those facing gender-based bullying and have been placed on administrative leave while an investigation takes place.

Santos is accused of performing 'conversion therapy' and Dykes is alleged to have prayed against an LGBT 'demon 'that wants to confuse our children' and 'handed out chocolate crucifixes'.

The allegations were made in a student-run newspaper using anonymous sources.

Hector Santos (pictured) is accused of performing 'conversion therapy' and posting religiously worded anti-LGBTQ material on his public Facebook page

A member of the community referenced 'Christian ideology' being a threat to LGBT students during a school committee meeting on April 25

All three counselors are accused of misgendering students and referring to them by their birth name instead of the name they now use after their transition.

Student newspaper Graphic said the allegations stem from the 'religious beliefs' of Santos and Dykes who according to an anonymous source 'frequently expressed their religious views' at work.

A secretary, who spoke under the pseudonym of John, claimed Dykes and Santos invited him to a 'private prayer circle' before school.

And he became uncomfortable when Dykes, who is said to have been named interim principal in November, allegedly began the prayer with: 'In the name of Jesus, we bind that [LGBT] gay demon that wants to confuse our children.'

John felt an immediate 'tightness in my chest' and looked to the door 'wanting to run.'

The post from May 9 added that Santos allegedly posted religiously worded anti-LGBTQ material on his public Facebook page.

He is said to have referred to Adam and Eve, 'gay conversion' and 'freedom in Jesus' in the posts.

A member of the community referenced 'Christian ideology' being a threat to LGBT students during a school committee meeting on April 25.

Gazit Chaya Nkosi claimed she was asked by another anonymous person to follow up concerns 'about staff at the middle school who were talking with queer students about praying to make sure that they're not queer anymore, using the Bible, using Christian ideology to discourage them from being authentic.'

Representatives from Amherst Pelham Education Association (APEA), the local teachers union, read from a statement urging officials to 'stop' any anti-LGBT comments made at school.

Claire Coco and Ruth Killough-Hill called for the district to change its mission statement to reflect its 'commitment to multiculturalism'.

The union has labelled the banning of chemical and surgical castrations of minors who suffer gender dysmorphia as 'extremely harmful'.

And it hit out at the banning of drag performances for young audiences as 'dangerous attacks on public education'.

A statement from the APEA want to move schools in the district beyond a Christian paradigm of the U.S.'s history and present day'.

Superintendent Michael Morris asked for evidence following the allegations and later said he had not 'received anything related to the public comments that have come in.'

The allegations were made in a student-run newspaper at Amherst Regional Middle School using anonymous sources

A statement from the Amherst Pelham Education Association want to move schools in the district beyond a Christian paradigm of the U.S.'s history and present day'

But Santos and Dykes - both middle school counselors at ARMS - are now being investigated while Cabrera was placed on leave 'for safety measures', according to the Christian Post.

Superintendent Morris was then forced to take a leave of absence on May 12 and cited health concerns.

A day before he left, he said the allegations were 'serious' and 'harmful' to the LGBT community.

'We want to explicitly state to the ARPS community that we are committed to providing a safe, supportive and respectful environment in which every student and faculty member can learn, work and thrive,' he wrote.

Santos and Dykes denied the allegations and said they will be cleared by any investigation.

Dykes said she has 'enthusiastically served in the public education system for 20 years' and over a year in Amherst.

'Most of all, I cherish my relationships with students and staff and so it saddens me that false allegations have been made against me,' she added.

'However, I will continue to serve this school community to the best of my ability. I am confident that proper procedures will be followed with regard to these complaints and that I will be vindicated.'

Santos denied the claims made against him and said: 'I strive to treat every student with dignity and respect, and I believe that I have been successful in doing so for over 20 years.

'I cherish my relationships with students and staff, and so it saddens me that false allegations have been made against me.

'However, I will continue to serve this school community to the best of my ability. I am confident that proper procedures will be followed with regard to these complaints and that I will be vindicated.'

But Cabrera didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dailymail.com has contacted ARMS for comment.

Attorney Ryan McLane, who is representing Santos, Dykes and Cabrera, said the trio didn't do anything wrong and described them as 'faithful, Bible-believing Christians'.

'Hector, Delinda and Tania are devastated that they are being kept from their life's work and from helping the children that they care so much about,' he said.

'None of the accusations are true, besides the fact that they are Christians. It is a testament to their strength to remain silent during an investigation as their good names are being tarnished while they wait for vindication.

'They are exemplary employees and care deeply about the children that they serve, and we look forward to their names being cleared once this Title IX investigation is complete.'
NSW's new police minister has spoken out after being accused of being 'missing in action' after a cop tasered a 95-year-old great grandmother.

Yasmin Catley has spoken publicly for the first time since Clare Nowland was Tasered at a Cooma old age home just after 4am last Wednesday.

The dementia sufferer, who weighs just 43kg, had been holding a steak knife when she 'slowly' approached a police officer at the Yallambee Lodge in southern NSW.

Senior Constable Kristian White, 33, then blasted a Taser on Mrs Nowland, prompting her to collapse to the ground, knock her head and suffer a bleed to the brain. She is receiving end of life care in hospital.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb has declined to release or even watch bodycam footage of the incident, saying she is 'concerned' the public wants to see it.

Ms Catley refused to answer whether she would watch the video, saying the police investigation into the 'shocking' incident should be allowed to 'run its proper course without any prejudice or interference'.

Clare Nowland is now receiving end of life care in Cooma District Hospital, in southern NSW , after she was Tasered by an officer early last Wednesday morning

NSW police minister Yasmin Catley refused to answer whether she would watch bodycam footage of the incident, saying the police investigation into the 'shocking' incident should be allowed to 'run its proper course without any prejudice or interference'

'I particularly send my condolences and my deepest sympathies of course, to the Nowland family,' she told the Daily Telegraph.

The police minister accused opposition MPs of 'politicising' the incident as she revealed one worker at the old age home 'had received at least one death threat'.

'That there is a very serious investigation underway, which we know is being run by the homicide squad,' she told parliament on Tuesday.

Poll Should the police commissioner watch the footage? Yes, it would help her understand what happened No, she needs to watch it later Should the police commissioner watch the footage? Yes, it would help her understand what happened 1041 votes

No, she needs to watch it later 42 votes Now share your opinion





'I support the work that they do.'

NSW Police are investigating a 'verbal threat of harm' received by an employee at the Yallambee Lodge old age home, which is run by the Cooma Council.

In response to her comments, Liberal leader Mark Speakman accused Ms Catley of being 'missing in action' and called for the police investigation to be made public once it has been completed.

It comes as a former magistrate lashes the police commissioner for refusing to watch or release the bodycam footage, despite international outrage.

David Heilpern, the dean of law at Southern Cross University, argued that police release video of accused criminals being arrested, often even in their underwear, 'every night on the news'.

Mr Heilpern, who was the youngest magistrate in Australia when he was first appointed in 1998 and retired in 2020, said the public had every right to see the video and that he didn't understand Ms Webb's reluctance to view it.

Despite fierce public backlash, police footage from the incident has not been released, or even watched by Police Commissioner Karen Webb (pictured)

Mrs Nowland's family are by her bedside in hospital after she was Tasered nearly a week ago

'Every night on the news when the police do a raid on an organised criminal, there's a supplied police video broadcast and you can bet your bottom dollar those people depicted in their undies being dragged out of their homes have not given consent for those videos to be shown,' Mr Heilpern told Daily Mail Australia.

The NSW Police Force shares vision with media outlets each day of accused criminals being arrested. Sometimes they are handcuffed still in their underwear, with only their faces blurred out to protect their privacy.

'All of a sudden there's a reason why (police) can't show this video,' Mr Heilpern said.

David Heilpern, the Dean of Law at Southern Cross University, said footage of the Tasering should be released to the public

'I've looked at the law and I really think police need to be asked - what's the difference? There seems to be a very different standard applied to this case.'

Mr Heilpern said in the tragic event Mrs Nowland passes away, she would not be able to give her consent and there would be no legal barriers to releasing the footage.

'I think the video should be released,' he said.

'There's no reason that I can see as to a difference between videos being shared of perpetrators and this type of video.

'It's a public safety issue, people are concerned and they're concerned for their own family members.

Police Commissioner Karen Webb has declined to release or even watch bodycam footage of the incident, saying she is 'concerned' the public wants to see it.

'I'm actually not the investigator and the important thing here is that the detectives do their job and allow them to do their job without me interfering,' she told Sunrise on Tuesday morning.

'Whether I watch the video or not is not going to make this investigation go any quicker.

That is the point I am trying to make, I need to let these detectives, the investigation team do their job without worrying about who has seen it and who hasn't.'

Senior Constable White has since been suspended with pay, NSW Police confirmed on Tuesday. As the investigation continues, speculation is rife as to whether he may be charged.

Senior constable Kristian White is pictured at a police parade

NSW Police Senior Constable Kristian White (pictured) has been suspended with pay

No charges have since been laid, however, an internal critical incident investigation is underway.

Mr Heilpern said it would come down to whether the investigation can establish Constable White's actions were what a 'reasonable' officer would have done in that situation.

Comments the policeman made prior to the Taser being fired are understood to be at the centre of the investigation.

Senior Constable White is a former Rural Fire Service responder and police officer with 12 years experience, who has a wife and young baby.

He had been working in the Monaro command for at least three years conducting domestic violence investigations and other crime cases.

Mr White is reportedly 188cm tall and weighs about 140kg, more than three times the size of Mrs Nowland who weighs 43kg and is 157cm tall (five foot two inches).

Her family have since issued a statement as they remain by her bedside.

Senior police officers are seen arriving at the Cooma Hospital on Tuesday

'The Nowland family wishes to express our profound love and affection for our Mum, Nana and Great Grandmother Clare,' the statement begins.

'Well respected, much loved and a giving member of her local community, Clare is the loving and gentle natured matriarch of the Nowland family.

'This is a most worrying and distressing time for our family and we are united in our support for Clare and for each other.

'We stand together. We thank everyone here in Cooma, the wider region and, in fact, the whole country and around the world for the outpouring of support for her and her ongoing battle with dementia - it touches so many.

'While we fully understand the interest of the media we kindly ask all media representatives to respect the family's - and Clare's - privacy at this very difficult time. Thank you to everyone.'
Rishi Sunak yesterday heralded a student visa crackdown as the 'biggest single tightening' of migration ever seen in Britain.

The Prime Minister's spokesman vowed that spiraling net migration would be slashed to pre-pandemic levels in the next few years.

Ministers yesterday announced singeing cuts to student visas in a bid to head off criticism surrounding record migration levels. Most students will be barred from bringing their families to Britain and will no longer be able to switch to work visas unless they have completed their courses.

Data to be published by the Office for National Statistics tomorrow is expected to show a surge in net migration  the difference between immigrants arriving and those emigrating  to between 700,000 and one million last year.

Net migration in the year to March 2020  the beginning of the Covid emergency  was 313,000.

Rishi Sunak yesterday heralded a student visa crackdown as the 'biggest single tightening' of migration ever seen in Britain

Ministers yesterday announced singeing cuts to student visas in a bid to head off criticism surrounding record migration levels

It means the number may have to plummet by between 400,000 and 700,000 a year if ministers are to meet the pre-pandemic levels indicated by Downing Street.

But the PM's spokesman told reporters it was 'the biggest single tightening a Government has ever done'.

'Taken together with the easing of temporary factors (such as large numbers arriving from Ukraine and Hong Kong) we would expect net migration to fall to pre-pandemic levels in the medium term. As well as the package, there are one-off impacts such as help for people from Ukraine and British nationals in Hong Kong.'

The Home Secretary is believed to have pushed for the visa restrictions, which were resisted by Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

Last year saw foreign students bring 136,000 dependants to Britain, up from just 16,000 in 2019.

Mr Sunak told the Cabinet yesterday that he was persuaded to act after the Home Office highlighted the 750 per cent increase.

Restrictions to come into force in January mean only students who enter the UK under 'postgraduate research routes'  such as PhDs and some Master's degrees  will be allowed to bring their dependants.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: 'It is time for us to tighten up this route to ensure we can cut migration numbers and meet the Government's pledge to the British people to cut net migration.

'This is the fair thing to do to allow us to better protect our public services, while supporting the economy by allowing the students who contribute the most to keep coming here.' The Home Office said the moves would prevent the use of student visas as a 'backdoor route to work in the UK'. It will also review the amount of money students must demonstrate they have to fund their stays in the UK, and 'clamp down on unscrupulous international student agents who may be supporting inappropriate applications'.

The package stops short of curbing the right of postgraduate students to work for two years in the UK after finishing their courses.

The PM's spokesman said Mr Sunak believed that 'it is of benefit to the UK that our student sector is extremely competitive.'

But yesterday's changes are unlikely to lead to a large enough fall in net migration to meet the Government's aims. In the year to December, the Home Office issued 486,000 student visas to main applicants, up from 269,000 in 2019.

Meanwhile it was last night announced that ministers have signed a deal to return 200 Albanian criminals to their home country.

The agreement will see offenders serving four years or more removed. In exchange, the British taxpayer will contribute money towards modernising the east European country's jails.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said: 'The public expects that foreign criminals should serve their sentences overseas  not in our prisons at the expense of the taxpayer.'
A Kentucky man shot his roommate in the buttocks after he ate the last Hot Pocket in the freezer.

Clifton Williams, 64, was charged with second-degree assault after the shooting in Louisville on Saturday, according to police.

Williams and the male victim got into an argument in their Louisville home after he discovered his final hot pocket had been eaten.

'Victim states his roommate Mr. Williams got mad he ate the last Hot Pocket,' an officer wrote in notes obtained by WLKY.

As the row escalated Williams 'began throwing tiles at him' and the victim told police he tried to "beat his ass" in retaliation, only making matters worse.

Clifton Williams, 64, shot his roommate in the buttocks after he ate the last Hot Pocket in the freezer

The conflict arose when Williams discovered the final hot pocket in their joint home had been eaten. Pictured is a photo of a box of Hot Pockets

Williams then went inside and got a pistol, which he used to shoot the roommate in the buttocks as he was trying to leave, according to police.

The man told police he yelled, "Don't shoot," but Williams 'shot him in the ass while he was trying to leave'.

The roommate said he fled a few blocks from the home to get help, after which he was taken to the University of Louisville Hospital for treatment.

Williams was arrested by the Louisville Metro Police Department four hours after the shooting and charged with felony assault.

He was prohibited from making any contact with the victim or possessing any guns and his bond was set at $7,500 and he entered a plea of not guilty.
Megyn Kelly slammed Comrie's treatment after she provided receipts showing she had rented the bike

Megyn Kelly slammed a New York City hospital for placing a pregnant physician's assistant on leave after she was falsely accused of stealing a black man's Citibike.

'My God, the s*** poured down on this pregnant woman just for trying to actually claim the bike she paid for is out of hand,' Kelly exclaimed on her Tuesday broadcast.

The TV host showed the footage of last week's viral incident before criticizing activists and social media users for smearing the white woman as 'CitiBike Karen' and for comparing her to Emmett Till's accuser.

Sarah Comrie, a 36-year-old physician's assistant at Bellevue hospital, has gone into hiding after she reportedly received 'death threats' following footage of her tussling with a man over a Citibike outside of Bellevue Hospital at the end of a shift last week.

The hospital has since released a statement revealing that Comrie has been placed on leave and will remain on leave pending further review. It's unclear the status of that review.

Megyn Kelly slammed a New York City hospital for placing a pregnant physician's assistant on leave after she was falsely accused of stealing a black man's Citibike

Sarah Comrie, 36, is in hiding after she reportedly received 'death threats' following viral footage of her tussling with a man over a Citibike outside of Bellevue Hospital last week

Kelly criticized activists and social media users for smearing the white woman as 'CitiBike Karen' and for comparing her to Emmett Till's accuser

A roughly 90-second video of the incident was posted on TikTok and Twitter, and showed Comrie arguing with the man outside of Bellevue over the weekend.

'We are aware of the video involving a health care provider off duty and away from the hospital campus. The incident in the video is disturbing,' a spokesperson for NYC Health + Hospitals, the hospital system where Comrie works, told CBS News in the aftermath.

'The provider is currently out on leave and will remain on leave pending a review. As a health system we are committed to providing an environment for our patients and staff that is free from discrimination of any kind.'

On her show Tuesday, Kelly scoffed at the statement.

'What discrimination?' Kelly asked. 'They are accusing their own staffer of being racist in that encounter.'

She pointed out that the incident even prompted civil rights attorney Ben Crump to delete a tweet about the ordeal after her lawyer threatened defamation lawsuits.

Crump has not apologized for his tweet that read: 'This is unacceptable!'

'A white woman was caught on camera attempting to STEAL a Citi Bike from a young Black man in NYC. She grossly tried to weaponize her tears to paint this man as a threat. This is EXACTLY the type of behavior that has endangered so many Black men in the past!'

Sarah Comrie, 36, has reportedly received 'death threats' after footage showing her tussling with a man outside of Bellevue Hospital after finishing her shift

DailyMail.com revealed the nurse's Citibike receipts - which her lawyer claims proves the number on the handlebars of bike she was clutching in the footage matches her document

The documents show that the ride was ultimately canceled, and she wasn't charged, before booking another bike minutes after the incident

Comrie, who had on blue scrubs emblazoned with 'NYC Health + Hospitals, could be seen in the video shouting 'help' and tearing up as a crowd gathered around them.

In the clip a friend of the man can be heard defending him, saying the woman - branded a 'Karen' after the video - was in fact trying to steal from him.

Kelly later in the segment admitted that Comrie's behavior in the video was 'a little odd,' like in the way she calmly cries 'help' during the struggle.

'But it's not racist,' she added. 'This woman's life has been ruined, she's not back at her job, she's expecting a baby, I'm sure she's feeling emotional to begin with. We all know you get a little spicy when you have a baby growing inside you.'

Kelly also slammed the online warriors for their comparison of Comrie to Emmett Till's accuser.

'Instead of calling these women 'Karens' when they do this, we should call them 'Carolyn' or 'Carolyns' since the behavior they are emulating is that of Carolyn Bryant, the woman who got Emmett Till lynched,' one tweet read.

Justin Marino, who is representing Comrie, says she was fearful she would lose her job over the incident  with the hospital putting her on administrative leave pending a review.

Marino said he is 'preparing lawsuits', adding there is 'no question' that outlets and individuals defamed the pregnant nurse.

Speaking to Fox News he said: 'She's received death threats. She's in hiding.

'What's at play is what social media did to this woman who's literally a hero, and has done nothing but help people and within one minute effectively tries to ruin her life.'

'She's been called a racist, she's been called a thief We plan to purse that.'

Justin Marino, who is representing Comrie, says she was fearful that she would lose her job over the incident  with the hospital putting her on administrative leave pending a review

His comments come after DailyMail.com obtained Comrie's Citibike Receipt  which Marino claims proves the bike she was clutching in the footage was booked by her.

Marino said the documents show she booked the Citibike outside of Bellevue Hospital after finishing her 12-hour shift  because the number on the handlebars matched the receipt.

The first receipt shows the bike seen in the video was paid for and taken out before it was re-locked one minute later  identified by the number on the handle.

A second receipt he says is proof of a second bike being taken from the same docking station, which Comrie used to ride home.

Marino said his client was forced to get a second Citi Bike after being 'heckled and pressured' to do so  after initially taking the bike when 'no individuals were on our touching' it.

In a statement he said: 'One or more individuals in that group physically pushed her bike (with her on it) back into the docking station, causing it to re-lock.

'In blocking the QR code, this individual's arm was touching my client's pregnant stomach, a condition of which she had made them aware.

'Throughout this time and for the remainder of the video, roughly five individuals were telling her to get off the bike and heckling her.

'The fact anyone would treat another person like this is tragic, especially a visibly pregnant woman.'

Comrie could even be seen crying in the video as she hopped onto the disputed bike

A roughly 90 second video of the incident was posted on TikTok and Twitter shows Comrie arguing with a man outside of New York City's Bellevue Hospital (pictured)

Speaking to DailyMail.com last week about the incident, Marino said: 'The receipts show unequivocally that she got the bike first.

'But there is no animosity towards the men in the video. We frankly wish them the best in the future.

'The focus is clearing her name and going after the publications and high-profile names that defamed her.'

He added their complaints are against anyone who suggested she was a racist, after she was branded a 'Karen'.

A GoFundMe set up by her uncle has raised $117,765 of their goal, and will go towards paying her legal bills.

It read: 'She became embroiled in a much-publicized incident with a Citibike that unfairly painted her as a racist 'Karen.'

'The facts have since proven this is a lie, but the damage has been done. In fact, Sarah is a dedicated healthcare worker who is six months pregnant.

'She holds racial justice and equity dear, and has dedicated her life to serving NYC's most challenged individuals.'
Firefighters were unable to find the pair because of the limited visibility caused by the amount of smoke emanating from the fire

Harrowing footage from a Facebook livestream at the scene of a devastating North Carolina fire showed two men trapped in the inferno and begging for help before they died.

Demonte Tyree Sherrill, 30, was one of two people who died on Thursday in the massive blaze in Charlotte.

The footage showed Sherrill making a desperate plea for help before being overtaken by the flames.

'Yo. I'm in South Park right now at work. The building's on fire and I can't get out. It's getting harder and harder for them to see us,' Sherrill stated calmly on camera.

'The building is on fire and I'm trapped inside. Me and my man,' he said, as he showed himself and his colleague.

Crews were able to rescue 15 workers from the massive blaze that erupted at an under-construction apartment complex. One of those rescued was trapped by smoke in a high-rise crane.

Demonte Tyree Sherrill, 30, who died in a fire in Charlotte, North Carolina, made a desperate plea for help on Facebook Live before being overcome by smoke

'Yo. I'm in South Park right now at work. The building's on fire and I can't get out. It's getting harder and harder for them to see us,' Sherrill states calmly on camera

Charlotte Fire Department shared images of the inferno to their social media last week after the blaze started at the construction site

Sherrill appeared to remain incredibly calm in the footage until he called out for assistance.

'HELP! HELP! HELP!' he yelled out desperately.

'Yo! This building's on fire. I'm at work. We're at South Park,' he repeated once more before the video suddenly cuts out.

Sherrill could be heard crying out for help with his own family members witnessing his distressing final moments on the Facebook Live stream as the entire floor of the building filled with smoke.

'I was hoping but just from the (Facebook Live), and the way the room filled up with smoke, I didn't see it being any hope at that time,' his mother, Onita, told WSOC.

She said she felt numb and in shock following the horrific ordeal.

Sherrill and another person died in the fire while crews rescued 15 from the blaze

Firefighters were hampered by visibility due to the amount of smoke caused by the massive fire

At one point, a trapped crane operator attempted to rescue the two men before he was rescued from the high-rise structure

Flames could be seen coming out from the building from all sides as fire took hold

Fire investigators confirmed the blaze started accidently when a trailer was spraying insulation material

Sherrill was only on his third day of work at the site as he fitted windows at the newly constructed apartment block.

'He was a good man. A loving father. A caring person and he just wanted to be with his children, his family,' she added.

Sherrill's father also saw his son's hopeless plight.

'I went to the scene and all the smoke  I mean, I couldn't watch,' Terry Campbell told Channel 9.

'Then I got in contact with his bossman and that's when his boss let me know it was him,' Campbell said.

'We need time to grieve...We need some time to take this all in,' Chrystina Stovall, Sherrill's fiancee told the Charlotte Observer. 'I was on the phone with him when he was in that building, and it was burning down and he was screaming for help.'

Firefighters tried to reach the two men and heard their pleas, but had to abandoned their own rescue attempt.

'They were searching in an area obviously with limited visibility,' Charlotte Fire Department Chief Reginald Johnson said, according to WCNC.

The incident happened at a multistory building that was under construction after a spray insulation foam trailer on the ground floor suddenly ignited according to Charlotte Fire's subsequent investigation.

Sherrill was only on his third day of work at the site as he fitted windows at the newly constructed apartment block.

One worker told local news that they had been told the fire was started due to a generator

The collapse of the building was captured on video and shared onto social media

Flames from the building could be seen from some distance away and even appeared on weather radar

More than 100 other workers escaped the flames as the building came crumbling down.

Reuben Holmes of Alabama was the other worker to die in the blaze which broke out on the fourth floor of the building, which was still under construction.

The flames spread rapidly because of the amount of exposed wood at the site.

At one point, a crane operator who was trapped in his cab spotted the two workers trapped on a balcony and tried to save them by swinging a basket over to them, but the blaze was too intense and he was unable to reach the pair.

'We got the crane over there on the basket and tried to get them into the basket so we could get them down but that is when the smoke started to get blacked out and we had no view of them,' Alexa Escobar told WSOC.

The crane operator was later saved after spending nearly an hour above the flames. By then, the two other men were dead.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise funds for the father of four which has so far raised $10,000

Johnson explained during a press conference that firefighters at the scene were hampered due to limited visibility as they attempted to find the workers.

'The men and women of the Charlotte Fire Department send our deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Mr. Sherill and Mr. Holmes,' Charlotte Fire said in a statement Tuesday.

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles expressed his condolences to Sherrill's family, describing him as a dedicated worker, loving father, and family-oriented man. Sherrill's children are aged 13, 12, 10 and 5.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise funds for the father of fourm which has raised $10,000.
Allies of Suella Braverman last night warned of a 'witch-hunt' as Labour stepped up calls for an inquiry into her handling of a speeding ticket.

Tory MPs rallied round the Home Secretary over revelations that she asked officials for help in trying to arrange a private speed awareness course.

Rishi Sunak will decide this morning whether to ask his ethics chief Sir Laurie Magnus to investigate claims she broke the ministerial code by asking civil servants to help with a personal matter. The PM has held talks with Mrs Braverman about the issue.

MPs were told the Home Secretary had been asked to provide 'further information' about the incident. Some Downing Street figures are said to be frustrated by the Home Office's failure to quickly produce a comprehensive version of events.

The Mail on Sunday revealed at the weekend that Mrs Braverman was caught speeding last summer when she was attorney general. She was given the option of taking three penalty points or doing a speed awareness course.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman attends the weekly government cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street

Labour has called for Sir Laurie to investigate, with deputy leader Angela Rayner yesterday accusing the PM of 'dither and delay'

After becoming Home Secretary she allegedly asked officials whether they could arrange a one-to-one course to avoid publicity. Officials refused, warning it would breach the civil service code.

Mrs Braverman admitted speeding, paying a fine and taking penalty points on her driving licence, but insists she has done 'nothing untoward'.

Labour has called for Sir Laurie to investigate, with deputy leader Angela Rayner yesterday accusing the PM of 'dither and delay'.

Rishi's praise for Raab Rishi Sunak yesterday thanked Dominic Raab for being 'dedicated and loyal' after the former deputy prime minister revealed he would stand down at the next general election. After 13 years in Parliament, father-of-two Mr Raab said he would not seek re-election because he had become 'increasingly concerned... about the pressure the job has placed on my young family'. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that Mr Sunak 'thanks him for being a dedicated and loyal public servant, for his services to this government and to his constituents'. Advertisement

But Tory MPs lined up in the Commons yesterday to defend the Home Secretary  and even some Labour figures acknowledged the row was a storm in a teacup.

Tory grandee Sir Edward Leigh said: 'What is wrong with this country? We used to have proper scandals about sex or money, or about prime ministers invading Iraq on dodgy evidence where hundreds of thousands of people died.

'All this moral outrage about a minister who asked her private office about something and took their advice is ludicrous.

'We all know what this is all about: the opposition are attacking a good Home Secretary, who is trying to attack the real scandal of mass immigration to this country.'

Jacob Rees-Mogg described the row as a 'non-story'. The former business secretary added: 'It would be extremely unfortunate for the Prime Minister to do anything other than to move on.'

Former Tory leader Lord Hague suggested she should be given a 'rap over the knuckles', but should not lose her job, while former minister Jonathan Gullis said the Home Secretary faced a 'witch-hunt from the Labour Party'.

Meanwhile, former Labour minister Chris Mullin said: 'I am, to put it mildly, no fan of Suella Braverman, but for the life of me I cannot get excited about this latest piece of nonsense. It is certainly not a resigning matter.'

Whitehall sources suggested Mrs Braverman was unlikely to be forced to resign even if she is found to have committed a minor breach of the ministerial code.

Tory MPs lined up in the Commons yesterday to defend the Home Secretary  and even some Labour figures acknowledged the row was a storm in a teacup
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tore into Gov. Ron DeSantis' 'Florida plan' Tuesday when asked about an NAACP 'travel advisory' for the state that calls the state 'openly hostile' to African Americans.

Jean-Pierre avoided comment on the ban specifically when asked about it at her daily press briefing. But that didn't stop her from ripping state 'lawmakers'  in a series of digs that didn't mention the Florida governor, who plans to announce his presidential campaign tomorrow, by name.

'So I'm not going to to comment on the travel advisory specifically, but I'll say this broadly and where we have been as administration as the White House, we've been outspoken about the impact of misguided policies' in the state, she said.

'Lawmakers in Florida have attacked diversity and inclusion efforts and limited the teaching of black history, and they have launched attacks on LGBT, immigrants, educators, and women's reproductive freedom. That's what you have seen from lawmakers in Florida,' she said.

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre went after 'Florida lawmakers' during her Tuesday press briefing when asked about the NAACP's 'travel advisory' for the state

'So I will let NAACP, I'll let LULAC speak to their specific specifics of their travel advisories. But she said the administration was going to 'speak out against discriminatory policies pushed by state state leaders across the country ... by Republicans, extreme Republicans putting forward these policies, that hurt Americans, that take[s] away their freedom,' she said.

The League of United Latin American Citizens has issued a similar advisory.

Her comments came days after the group on Saturday issued an advisory stating that 'Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.'

'Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color,' it adds.

DeSantis, who is set to have an online conversation with Twitter head Elon Musk Wednesday before a planned event in Miami Thursday, called the idea a 'joke.'

Her blasts at the state come hours before DeSantis is set to announce his presidential campaign

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson speaks onstage during the 51st NAACP Image Awards, Presented by BET, at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 22, 2020 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET)

DeSantis is vowing to run on his record in the state, bringing his battles against 'woke' policies to the national stage.

On Monday he signed a bill prohibiting state colleges and universities from spending funds on diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

The Republican governor also backed a measure to block the Advanced Placement African American studies course in public schools, saying the course 'lacks educational value.'

Fedrick Ingram, the head of the Florida Education Association, the teacher's union, said he was 'appalled' and 'saddened' by the move.

He has also earned nationwide headlines for his battles with Disney over its own diversity statements  although last week the company announced it was pulling the plug on a planned $1 billion campus in Orlando.

'Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon,' said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson in a statement when the organization announced the ban.
Ron DeSantis's wife has kicked off his 2024 campaign with a stirring video showing the Florida governor preparing to take the stage, accompanied by a voiceover proclaiming that America is worth fighting for.

Casey DeSantis tweeted: 'America is worth the fight... Every. Single. Time.'

She shared a 30-second video, showing her husband backstage, preparing to address an audience at a huge hanger draped with a Stars and Stripes.

The voiceover appears to start with a British accent before moving to American.

'They call it faith because in the face of darkness you can see that brighter future,' a man's voice says, narrating the scene.

'A faith that our best days lay ahead of us.

'But is it worth the fight? Do I have the courage? Is it worth the sacrifice?

'America has been worth it every single time.' DeSantis does not speak during the announcement, which will likely rile his arch-rival Donald Trump.

Ron DeSantis is seen with his wife Casey in November, when he won resounding re-election as governor of Florida

The text written for the voiceover artist to say appears to have been commissioned just for the advert.

Many have called it a 'tease' for the presidential campaign, with DeSantis set to formally declare his ambitions during a chat with Elon Musk on Wednesday.

But Casey appears to have gone all-out and launched her husband's 2024 bid early. The ad ends with the message 'TEXT LAUNCH TO 512345', leaving no ambiguity about its message.

At the age of 44 he is one of the younger candidates to launch a bid for the Oval Office and is more than three decades younger than his main rivals President Joe, 80, Biden and former President Donald Trump, 76.

DeSantis himself is expected to officially declare his intentions in a live-streamed event, held on Twitter on Wednesday.

The long-anticipated start of his White House campaign will be moderated by David Sacks, a tech entrepreneur who is close to Musk.

Musk confirmed on Tuesday that he will be interviewing DeSantis in the live audio-only event, adding that the governor has 'quite an announcement to make'.

Musk added that, at this time, he himself is not planning to endorse a particular candidate.

'But I am interested in X/Twitter being a public town square where more and more organizations host content and make announcements on Twitter,' Musk said.

Father-of-three DeSantis' campaign will then release another campaign video, and he is then expected to start touring states early in the primary process after Memorial Day.

In the 30-second video, DeSantis is seen readying to go on stage, before an American flag

The blockbuster announcement also coincides with DeSantis meeting with donors in Miami. NBC first reported the news of the governor's anticipated announcement.

Former President Donald Trump, who announced his reelection bid last November, has already come out swinging against DeSantis.

Trump posted on Truth Social following reports that the governor is poised to officially enter the race, promoting stories including a piece by American conservative TV host Wayne Root titled 'Ron DeSantis, Please STAND DOWN for the good of the GOP and America.'

The former president also shared a YouTube poll that showed Trump ahead of DeSantis by 53 points.

Trump previously urged DeSantis not to run against him in 2024 because he's not doing well in the polls, will divide the Republican party and 'lose the cherished and massive' MAGA vote.

And according to recent polls, DeSantis is still firmly in second place, just ahead of other announced GOP primary candidates Ambassador Nikki Haley, Senator Tim Scott and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

Donald Trump is pictured with his wife Melania on November 15 at Mar-a-Lago

DeSantis was seen as a GOP golden boy until relatively recently, but has struggled on the campaign trail, where critics have accused him of being stiff and unnatural around voters.

In some states, Trump has a double-digit lead over DeSantis, who dismissed talk of a White House run as long as the Florida legislature was in session.

The ex-president also has called DeSantis 'young' and suggested that he might have a more bright political future if he remains governor of Florida to the end of his second term in 2026.

It was widely expected that DeSantis would officially enter the 2024 race once his state's legislative session ended at the start of May.

During the session, he has signed a six-week abortion ban, expanded a bill outlawing teaching gender identity and sexual orientation in public school and cracked down on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investments.

Tougher immigration laws and carrying concealed weapons without a permit have also been approved into law under the governor's leadership.

Away from his work in Florida, he has been traveling the country promoting his book 'The Courage to Be Free' and visited early states in the primary including Iowa and New Hampshire.

On Monday night he showed off his potential White House credentials by teasing he would pick a seventh conservative Supreme Court justice.

He also hinted he would be in office for eight years - an apparent jibe at Trump. As the former president has already served one term in office, he could only serve a maximum of four more years if he does win the 2024 race.
Women's rights groups have demanded an end to the 'witch hunt' against the head of Britain's equality watchdog by trans activists.

Campaigners said Kishwer Falkner was being persecuted by staff within the Equality and Human Rights Commission for backing reforms that would safeguard female-only spaces such as toilets and hospital wards.

They spoke out after the Mail revealed that employees have compiled a dossier of more than 40 complaints against her.

The allegations of bullying, harassment and transphobia are being investigated by a barrister  but insiders say they are petty and ideologically motivated.

Maya Forstater, whose landmark tribunal case guaranteed the right to express 'gender critical' views, led the groundswell of support, saying: 'Solidarity with Kishwer Falkner who, like many, is facing a witch-hunt for trying to do her job.'

Last month Baroness Falkner told the Government it should consider amending the Equality Act on the basis of biological sex rather than gender

Kathleen Stock, the feminist academic whose planned appearance at the Oxford Union has sparked a free speech row, said: 'It's no surprise to me that Baroness Falkner is being persecuted by enemies from within the EHRC.

'Trans activists within organisations have been vexatiously using the complaints system for years against dissenting women.'

Transgender Trend, which helped expose the scandal of the treatment of children at the Tavistock gender clinic, said: 'Another witch-hunt instigated by the trans lobby. The EHRC exists to protect everyone's rights, not just one group at the expense of another.

'The EHRC head is facing unprecedented abuse for saying that trans rights don't override women's rights. We support her call for clarity that sex in the Equality Act means biological sex. Baroness Falkner shouldn't be vilified for saying this.'

Last month Baroness Falkner told the Government it should consider amending the Equality Act on the basis of biological sex rather than gender, which would protect women's rights while barring transgender women from accessing female-only spaces.

Conservative MP Caroline Nokes, who chairs the women and equalities committee has raised questions about Baroness Falkner's leadership.

She told Talk TV: 'I have certainly seen correspondence questioning what biological definition the EHRC is using, there's some serious questions about what on earth they were trying to define there and how they went about it.'

Tory MP Mark Jenkinson, who also sits on the women and equalities Committee, said: 'We're truly through the looking glass on this gender nonsense.

Kathleen Stock (pictured) said: 'It's no surprise to me that Baroness Falkner is being persecuted by enemies from within the EHRC'

'Baroness Falkner is right to stand up for proper equality and the hard-won rights of women.' EHRC chief executive Marcial Boo said last night: 'We have a duty to deal with complaints in confidence. We are also required to protect the integrity of internal investigations. We urge all media to avoid prejudicing the outcome.

'Our role is to make judgments on very difficult and contentious areas of the law after considering all advice.

'We operate an open-door policy and listen to and engage with people, both inside and outside our organisation, whose views reflect the whole spectrum of opinions.'

Last night Channel 4 News broadcast what it said was evidence of a 'toxic culture' at the EHRC and the 'consternation' at Baroness Falkner's leadership, claiming that one in four staff left the watchdog last year, including two in five LGBT employees.

It quoted a number of current and former staff members anonymously, with one describing the situation as 'heart-breaking' and another saying 'staff were crying' on calls. The programme quoted from a document that alleged 'there is a lack of psychological safety ie the fear of who will be attacked next', and 'unacceptable behaviour' by Baroness Falkner was 'becoming normalised' while 'staff are not treated with courtesy and respect / bullying'.

Baroness Falkner broke her silence last night, telling Channel 4 in a statement: 'I have worked my whole life to promote the principles of equality and human rights, which are close to my heart as a British Pakistani woman in public life.

'It was considered appropriate to investigate the allegations through an independent investigator. While that process continues, all I can do is explain that allegations were received in February in my capacity as chair of the commission. They relate to both me and to the whole board. 'I of course take these allegations very seriously and with humility. I will be cooperating fully with the investigation and have every confidence in being exonerated.

'I'm always prepared to take criticism to reflect on my decisions, and to hear from those I may have inadvertently upset by my actions, or those of the board.'

Tory MP Ms Nokes told the programme the allegations were 'appalling', saying: 'I think the EHRC needs to act on whatever this independent inquiry finds and makes sure that it gets its house in order.'

But she added there was no reason why women's and trans people's rights should be a 'zero-sum game'.

'I will be very disappointed if it is found that there has been groupthink on any issue from any perspective, which has adversely impacted a single group,' she said.
Alastair Campbell yesterday told a court that 'two-faced' Piers Morgan had hacked into his bank account.

He accused the former Daily Mirror editor of snooping on his private finances while pretending to be a friend and supporter.

Tony Blair's ex-spin doctor was giving evidence in support of Prince Harry's hacking case against the Mirror group.

He told the High Court he had been shown invoices suggesting that in 1999 Mr Morgan's newspaper paid a private investigator to 'fish into my bank account and mortgage affairs'. He said the same individual was used to expose the Peter Mandelson home loan scandal in 1998.

Mr Campbell claimed the Mirror had hoped to find 'something newsworthy' in his own bank accounts too. The 65-year-old was a Mirror journalist in the 1980s and 1990s, but said he did not witness any phone hacking.

Alastair Campbell leaves the High Court with his partner Fiona Millar yesterday

He became No 10 press chief when Sir Tony won power in 1997, and yesterday he told the High Court that the Mandelson scandal had damaged the Labour government.

He claimed: 'Mr Morgan's two-faced conduct, in purporting to be a real ally of the prime minister and the Labour government, while all the time, he and his senior team were using illegal means to find stories designed to destabilise that government, compounds the anger I feel about this.'

The Mirror denies all the allegations Prince Harry and three other claimants are bringing as part of a seven-week trial. Mr Morgan has strenuously denied hacking. Mr Campbell's evidence in court was confined to the alleged bank hacking incident. He was not asked anything about the Duke of Sussex, who is bringing the case.

Mr Campbell was a defining figure in Sir Tony's decade in power and present at several of the Labour leader's meetings with Harry's mother, Princess Diana.

He has said how Diana once directly challenged him on his time as a Mirror journalist and asked 'why I had written harsh things about her when I was a newspaper columnist'.

He admitted 'there were some people whose fame becomes so large that we in the media cease to see them as human beings'.
A series of fatal errors guaranteed a woman dubbed the 'Cookie Monster' killer would end up convicted of murder.

Rebecca Payne, 43, faces life in prison after being found guilty of the sadistic murder of Noel Payne, 68.

She faced the Supreme Court of Victoria on Monday where her barrister Richard Edney urged Justice Rita Incerti to have mercy on his client due to allegations of gross domestic violence at the hands of her victim.

Rebecca Payne told a litany of lies after drugging, bagging and stuffing her husband into a hot chest freezer

Noel Payne was painted as brazen thug who controlled, tormented and sexually abused Payne and his other 'wife'

Daily Mail Australia can now reveal the compelling reasons why a Supreme Court of Victoria jury had no doubt of her guilt.

Payne had told the jury she did not mean to kill her husband in September 2020 when she drugged him with drug-laced cookies and sealed him, likely while still alive, in a chest freezer.

But her plea to manslaughter meant she could not claim self-defence in her murder trial.

Payne described her husband as an oafish brute, who had degraded and sexually assaulted her for years on end.

While many victims of domestic violence have successfully run self defence trials, Payne's allegations of abuse did nothing more than add some weight to her claims that she simply drugged her husband for a 'a night off' from his wicked ways.

'I just wanted  I wanted some peace. I just wanted him to sleep,' Payne told the jury.

Like many of Payne's decisions, her final one to enter the witness box would come back to haunt her.

Accused killers are rarely enter the witness box where they can be cross examined by prosecutors.

Crown prosecutor David Glynn ate and spat out Payne's story, highlighting during his closing address each and every lie she had told the jury.

'Her evidence to you was plainly not true and you can see that both from the internal problems and inconsistencies and just implausibilities of her account and also all the other evidence ... which goes to show that the death of Noel Payne was her aim, and she achieved her aim,' he said.

Mr Glynn insisted Payne's allegations of domestic violence did nothing to help her case.

'What is the relevance? Well, I guess it helps to explain why Rebecca Payne wanted a night off ... So on that answer, domestic violence is worth nothing at all, like literally nothing. The broader relevance of it, not much.'

Noel Payne and Rebecca Payne. Her barrister described photos of her as looking gaunt and devoid of any signs of happiness

Noel Payne was accused of pretending to be an ordinary family man, but in reality was a wife beating control freak, the court heard

The jury heard Payne had managed to extract herself from the relationship back in 2012, leaving her two young sons in her husband's custody.

Her departure saw Mr Payne take on a new lover, who cannot be named for legal reasons, quickly establishing her in the family household as a new mother figure.

When Payne reconciled with her husband later that year, he refused to let go of his lover - 35 years his junior - who remained living with the couple all the way up until the night of the murder.

Fed up with her lot in life, the court heard Payne hatched a plan to kill her husband, stocking up on sleeping pills in the weeks before she struck.

On August 30, 2020, five days before Mr Payne would die, Payne cooked-up two batches of cookies - lemon and chocolate flake, and Milo.

In the witness box, Payne claimed she couldn't recall how many pills she crushed-up and poured into the icing she smeared over those cookies.

Forensic experts later found 69 milligrams of temazepam - about seven pills - in Mr Payne's stomach and more in his bloodstream.

After duct taping Mr Payne in a blanket and strapping him into the freezer, Payne returned to the family home where she saw her husband's other wife in the hallway.

The woman told the jury Payne gave her a 'thumbs up' gesture.

The kitchen Rebecca Payne cooked-up deadly batches of cookies she fed to her husband

PAYNE'S CLAIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Rebecca Payne's barrister Richard Edney described Noel Payne as a 'domestic terrorist'. The court heard Payne had been branded with 18 tattoos bearing her husband's name. His other wife was made to ink it five times. 'It's almost cult like, what he's creating here,' he told the jury. Mr Edney condemned the prosecution's submissions dismissing Payne's alleged abuse. 'The prosecutor will have you wipe that history,' he said. 'And just so it's well clear, domestic violence, family violence does not have a shut-off time. That's why it's so awful and it's why it's so awful with someone like Rebecca Payne who can't readily leave where she is. 'But according to the prosecutor, not relevant ... He says put it to one side. Use it for motive but don't use it for understanding and that's what is critical in this case, understanding Rebecca Payne's journey and that's why you've seen all this evidence because you've had to unfortunately but all of us in this courtroom have a snapshot, only a tiny snapshot of what she endured.' Advertisement

The following day Payne cooked-up a story that her husband - a car enthusiast whose yard was littered with working vehicles - had left on foot with $10,000 in cash, a laptop and a bag of clothes.

Armed with his credit cards, she then embarked on a shopping spree, spending $5,097 on mobile phones, a modem and pets for her kids.

When she got home, a neighbour noted Payne appeared happier than she'd ever seen her before, noting she'd been both drinking and smoking.

The jury heard Mr Payne had indulged in neither and forbid his partners from doing so.

'Since when do you drink or smoke?' the neighbour asked.

'Since I got my life back,' came Payne's answer.

Over the following days Payne attempted to convince town folk her husband had simply done a runner with yet another woman.

She sent text messages from Mr Payne's phone, which she used as 'proof' to back her claims.

'Look after the boys, have a happy life. I have meet someone else, it's over,' the text stated.

But Payne's tale was quickly unraveled by her own hands.

With her husband's body decomposing in the switched-off freezer by the shed, Payne asked a friend to help change the locks on her house out of fears 'Noel would come back'.

Her worried friend called the police, who visited her home the next day for a welfare check.

Payne told the officer the same things that she had told everyone else, but went a step further declaring she wanted to make a domestic violence report about her dead husband.

Noel Payne was known to own a fleet of cars, which he stored at home. Rebecca Payne claimed he had left on foot when he decided to take-off with another woman

The officer said he'd return the next day to take the report.

Petrified the officer would find her husband's body, Payne called-up a neighbour and asked if she could dump the freezer at her house.

She told the neighbour the freezer was loaded with rotting meat that she didn't want her dogs getting at.

Her plan was foiled when the neighbour's son opened it and promptly called police.

With police closing in, Payne confided in a friend what the jury accepted was the truth.

'I murdered him, I murdered him, I'm going to lose my boys, I put him in the freezer out the back,' she told the friend.

Upon her arrest, Payne initially claimed her husband had suicided and she panicked and hid his body.

It was a story she would hang onto until her eventual plea to manslaughter.

'Rebecca Payne's gone through a series of stories,' Mr Glynn told the jury.

'Every time a story runs into a problem, she tweaks it or improves it or comes up with a new one that hopefully will get her out of responsibility for what she's done.'

In his closing address, Payne's barrister attempted to convince the jury his client's pathetic attempts to cover-up her crime ought give them comfort she was telling the truth.

'Rebecca Payne, I want to suggest, knew she wasn't going to get away with this. She was going to be held responsible for the death of Noel Payne,' Mr Edney said.

Justice Incerti will decide Payne's fate in a date to be fixed.
The mansion was abandoned in 2017 when the owner is rumoured to have fled

A mansion of a mystery Greek millionaire, who fled in the middle of the night six years ago, has been left ruined by trespassers.

Images from an urban explorer show the home covered in spray paint graffiti with items strewn across every room, while clothes can be seen still hanging up.

The mansion was owned by a Greek real-estate tycoon Athanasios Tachmintzis, 73, known locally by his nickname 'Thanos', he lived there with his wife and their children for many years.

Father-of-five Mr Tachmintzis, who has owned the property since 1999, lived there for almost two decades with his two daughters and at least one of his three sons, but it is unclear who was at the house when it was abandoned and left frozen in time.

But, one night in 2017 unexpectedly Mr Tachmintzis fled his mansion leaving behind all of his belongings.

A mystery Greek millionaire is said to have inexplicably fled his lavish Hertfordshire home in 2017 and has never returned

Images of the lavish home show it covered in spray painted graffiti with items strewn across every room

The mansion was owned by a Greek real-estate tycoon Athanasios Tachmintzis, 73, known locally by his nickname 'Thanos'

Since the house was abandoned, it has been ruined by trespassers who have rummaged through all the left behind items

Mass looting and vandalism has occurred over the last few years at the property

The house has a jacuzzi which is full of an assortment of belongings and rubbish

Despite rumours one of the sons had remained in the mansion, it has been left in a bad state.

It has been uninhabited for six years and the damage is beginning to show.

On the front drive, a number of rusting cars can be seen on the driveway including a Bentley.

These images were captured by urban explorer Daniel Sims, 34, known online as Bearded Reality.

Daniel photographed the mansion in Hertfordshire on his Samsung Galaxy s21 Ultra.

'The abandoned mansion was owned by a Greek property tycoon. It was said the owner led such a mysterious life that no one was sure what he did for work - despite seeing wads of cash at his lavish home,' said Daniel.

'Thanos reportedly enjoyed a millionaire's lifestyle from his 'property' investments which meant they never saw him going out to work, his family claimed.

'He was married for 32 years before his wife sadly died of cancer in 2004. The couple shared five children.

'Thanos was reportedly so concerned about security at the expensive home that he once had guards on the gate and kept Dobermans for protection.

'But when he left the house, he doesn't appear to have made any preparations to protect his belongings.

Villagers told how father-of-five Athanasios Tachmintzis, 70, lived for around 18 years in the imposing house near King's Langley, Hertfordshire, before he disappeared suddenly more than three-years-ago. Pictured: An old Bentley by the house

The mansion (pictured) was left abandoned with plates still in the dishwasher and a Bentley on the driveway and was home to the Greek property millionaire

A living area is covered in debris and obscure graffiti is seen on a number of walls

A hallway shows a lack of floorboards in the mansion and highlight the property's derelict state

Tea pots and mugs have surprisingly not been smashed but covered in blue spray paint

A messy bedroom shows some clothes have still been left on hangers

The mansion has been abandoned roughly since 2017 when the owner and his daughters 'fled in the middle of the night'

A chair is seen covered in a thick layer of dust after sitting there for several years

Wallpaper can be seen peeling off the walls, while dirt and dust covers the stairs

A number of designer clothes were left in the mansion when it was abandoned

'Rumours that a son of the millionaire returned to protect the mansion and do work on it were circulated, however it seems that this was not true, maybe to stop people going to the mansion.

'We went through the back of the woods which leads straight to the mansion and found that the side doors were wide open leading to full access to the mansion.

'It was quite a chilled time at the mansion and was super shocking to see the state of the place. The damage was shocking.

'The outside of the mansion is stunning sitting on some beautiful grounds, however once you get inside the mansion and you see the damage to what was a grand home it is crazy to see.

'Quite a lot of valuable items and designer clothes still remain left there but you can see mass looting and vandalism has occurred over the last few years.

'The mansion has been abandoned roughly since 2017 when the owner and his daughters fled in the middle of the night, no one seems to know why.

'It was amazing to see the size of the place and all the rooms left behind with expensive items and clothes even found a dildo in the main master bedroom which gave us a chuckle.

'The bathroom in the master is amazing and you could tell that a lot of money went into the place.'
UFO sightings have long been associated with conspiracy theorists, sci-fi fans and people with vivid imaginations.

But scholars see unidentified flying objects too, according to a detailed new study.

The survey reveals that roughly one fifth of academics say that they or someone they know has seen something mysterious in the sky that cannot be explained.

Some of these professors, scholars and scientists offered up personal testimonies of unusual UFO encounters that surprised even the researchers in their candor.

'When I was in graduate school,' one media and communications scholar reported to the survey, 'I saw a large, round UAP with rectangular lit windows on the bottom hovering above the ground in the [mountain range redacted] east of [city redacted to protect privacy].'

'I made my husband pull the car over so I could get out and take a closer look.'

The researchers compiled a table of anonymous testimonies (above) submitted by tenured and tenure-track academics about their personal UFO experiences. The academics had responded to the simple prompt 'Please write anything else you would like to say about this topic'

The majority of academics surveyed said they were completely baffled by what the UFO phenomena could be. The second most likely answer after 'I don't know' was 'natural events'

Dr. Marissa Yingling, an assistant professor of social work at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, said that she and her co-authors had intentionally avoided asking explicitly for the academics to supply their personal UFO stories.

Participants were asked about their knowledge and opinions of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP): the term Congress and the Pentagon have adopted to reframe UFOs to better include the full range of possible explanations for these mysterious cases.

'We decided that we should not include a question that asked for details about UAP observations,' Yingling told the Dailymail.com, citing the social stigma that often falls upon those who publicly claim to have witnessed something odd in the sky.

'We certainly did not expect faculty to voluntarily share details about observations,' Yingling said.

In fact, she added that her team did not want to ask any questions that might have discouraged academics from participating in their survey.

Yingling and her coauthors from the University of Louisville in Kentucky and the University of Virginia recruited nearly 1,500 professors, associate professors and assistant professors from 144 US universities.

While many just filled out the questionnaire, a few took the prompt 'Please write anything else you would like to say about this topic' to unburden themselves of their eerie personal recollections.

One scientist confessed, 'I personally know three physicists who independently report seeing UFOs. They have no explanation for the phenomenon they observed, other than they observed it.'

One social scientist reported that their father was a US Air Force veteran who 'talked about seeing unexplained phenomena', while other academics reported unusual sightings dating back from childhood to as recently as just several years ago.

In one case, an academic in the media and communications field reported that their whole family witnessed a UFO in 1976 that shook their house.

'Two of my siblings saw it while the rest of us in the house felt it shake and heard a loud noise,' they told the researchers. 'We were eating dinner and the shaking was so intense that we all ran outside.'

In total, 19 percent said that they or someone they knew had witnessed UAP, while 39 percent said they did not know what the most likely explanation for the mysterious objects were.

A third of all participants also said they had some degree of interest in conducting research in this area, while a similar amount ranked the importance of further research into the phenomena as 'very important' or 'absolutely essential.'

Yingling and her co-authors also quizzed the scholars about their awareness of the renewed public-facing and classified interest in UAP by officials in Washington D.C.

While a significant majority of these academics were aware of the trailblazing December 2017 reporting in the New York Times, which revealed the Pentagon's once-secret UFO investigation program, few were aware of its recent revival.

To judge from the 1,460 participants, about 74 percent were unaware that Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had spearheaded an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 creating a new Pentagon office to handle UFO cases.

'Honestly, we had no idea what to expect as results from any of these questions,' Yingling said. She added that she hoped their survey would serve as a starting point 'given the absence of data on this topic.'

About 74 percent of scholars were unaware that Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had spearheaded an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022 creating a new Pentagon office to handle UFO cases. In April, Gillibrand also led open hearings on the UAP issue (above)

The head of the Pentagon's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), Dr. Sean Kirkpatrick (above), testified to US Senate's Armed Services Committee on the progress of the office created by Senator Gillibrand's amendment last month, on April 19, 2023

Kirkpatrick showed video of an 'unresolved' case in the Middle East, where a drone picked up a 'metallic orb' coasting in the air. Kirkpatrick said there are roughly 650 similar UAP cases his office is currently working with intelligence agencies and academic institutions to resolve

Academics, divided by their disciplines, by and large were aware of the December 2017 New York Times reports on the Pentagon's secret UFO investigation program

But these academics, across disciplines, were much less aware of Senator Gillibrand's creation of a new UFO research office as part of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022

Although the study surveyed a much wider and diverse group of academics than past attempts, it was not the first survey by university researchers to explore their peers' opinions on the UFO mystery.

In 1994, Stanford astrophysicist Peter Sturrock published his own results from shipping out 2,611 questionnaires about UFOs to his fellow members of the American Astronomical Society.

From the 1,356 responses that Sturrock got back, 62 astronomers said they had witnessed or 'obtained an instrumental record of an event which they could not identify and which they thought might be related to the UFO phenomenon.'

That roughly 4.6 percent of respondents, as SUNY Albany physicist Kevin Knuth pointed out in an essay for The Conversation, roughly matches to the often lingering 5 percent of UFO cases that government agencies label as never explained.

As with the new study by Yingling and her team, more than half of the astronomers in Sturrock's survey felt that the UFO topic deserved serious study.

Among the kinds of academics surveyed, physicists were the most likely to answer positively to the question 'How interested are you in conducting or continuing to conduct academic UAP- related research?' Economists and religious studies scholars were noticeably less interested

In an exclusive interview last March, Harvard physicist Avi Loeb told the Dailymail.com that his team is currently using a large campus telescope to scan the skies for UFOs and alien probes

Physicists were the most likely to answer positively to the question 'How interested are you in conducting or continuing to conduct academic UAP-related research? Across all the different types of academic experts surveyed, economists, religious studies scholars and nursing professors were noticeably less interested.

While Yingling and her co-authors did not want to read too much into their data, they did agree on one 'possible explanation' for this: physicists were perhaps more likely to see the chance of a breakthrough discovery in their field from the skilled and disciplined examination of UFOs.

'This is a question that readers or future researchers can ponder for themselves,' Yingling told the Dailymail.com.

The academics in their survey also took time to criticize the government for the 'somewhat vague' terminology used to described unexplained or anomalous phenomena in the skies.

Yingling says that she hopes professional academics might be able to bring a 'richer, clearer vocabulary' to the study of these baffling aerial mysteries.

The findings were published in the journal Humanities and Social Science Communications.
Astronomers have witnessed the cataclysmic explosion of a star that happened 21 million years ago.

The supernova in the Pinwheel Galaxy appeared like a flickering light in observations taken at the National Astronomical Observatory in Gozo.

The cosmic wonder, labeled SN 2023ixf, is the closest explosion seen by human eyes in five years - even though it is 21 million light-years away.

SN 2023ixf was detected just four minutes after midnight on Friday, allowing researchers to determine it was a Type II supernova signaling it was a star at least eight times the size of our sun.

And while it appears deep in space, astrophotographers have also captured stunning images of the event.

The supernova in the Pinwheel Galaxy appeared like a flickering light in observations taken at the National Astronomical Observatory in Gozo

A type II supernova explosion happens when a very large star can no longer fuse atoms within its core, causing it to explode, shedding off its outer layers.

Light from an exploding star can be visible for months or even years after the event.

Supernovae are one of the reasons astronomers say we are all made of stardust because they leave the space around them full of heavy elements.

These elements form into a young star, which may later lead to generations of new stars and planets.

'SN 2023ixf occurred in the photogenic Pinwheel Galaxy M101, which, being only about 21 million light-years away, makes it the closest supernova seen in the past five years, the second closest in the past 10 years, and the second supernova found in M101 in the past 15 years,' NASA shared in a statement.

The Pinwheel Galaxy, or m101, is a giant spiral disk of stars, dust and gas that is 170,000 light-years across - nearly twice the diameter of our galaxy, the Milky Way.

M101 is estimated to contain at least one trillion stars.

Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy, who captures amazing shots of space and shares them on his Twitter account, was one of the first civilians to capture the epic event

READ MORE: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope spots a huge star on the brink of going supernova The Wolf-Rayet phase  which lasts a few million years at most  is a key stage in the evolution of massive stellar giants. Advertisement

The galaxys spiral arms are sprinkled with large regions of star-forming nebulas.

These nebulas are areas of intense star formation within giant molecular hydrogen clouds. Brilliant, young clusters of hot, blue, newborn stars trace out the spiral arms.

Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy, who captures amazing shots of space and shares them on his Twitter account, was one of the first civilians to capture the epic event.

He put together an animation with several images snapped of the Pinwheel Galaxy, showing a light blinking in the corner that was the star exploding.

'I used the color data I already had on this galaxy and stacked about 10 minutes worth of exposures to create this animation,' McCarthy tweeted.

'You can see how close the supernova is to some nebulae in the arm imagine the view from there!'

McCarthy told DailyMail.com that he had been shooting the Pinwheel Galaxy for months, and the star exploded as luck had it.

NASA said SN 2023ixf will likely brighten and remain visible to telescopes for months.

Andy Howell, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Barbara, explained on Twitter: ' You should be able to see it with backyard telescopes, for a few months, though it will just be a point of light.'
OnlyFans star, Amouranth, is hiring out a virtual AI clone to fans so they can live out their 'wildest fantasies' with her.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used to make a copy of 29-year-old Amouranth, whose real name is Kaitlyn Siragusa, as a way of getting closer to her 6.4million followers.

The chatbot girlfriend offers to take you on a 'thrilling journey of connection and intimacy' - for a hefty price of $1 (80p) per minute.

But if users want to take it further and receive eerily lifelike voice messages from 'Amouranth', there is another charge of $36 per hour (29).

'I thrive on taking risks and pushing boundaries. Above all, I prioritize being there for my incredible audience,' the influencer said in a press release shared by Dexerto.

Kaitlyn Siragusa (pictured), 29, is hiring out an AI clone to live out users' 'wildest fantasies'

READ MORE: How much would YOU pay for a virtual girlfriend? The new CarynAI bot can touch on 'erotic discourse' and discuss sexual scenarios Advertisement

'AI Amouranth is designed to satisfy the needs of every fan, ensuring an unforgettable and all-encompassing experience.'

The chatbot's release comes shortly after Snapchat influencer Caryn Marjorie launched a virtual clone of herself for the same price.

Both bots were developed by ForeverCompanion AI, which claims to be a global leader in 'turning influencers into AIs using realistic 2-way audio'.

In an interview, CEO John Meyer said these chabot visions actually started as a desire to reconnect with his father who passed away.

They use a personality engine and separate voice engine to create an 'immersive experience' that 'feels as though you're speaking directly' with each influencer.

'We've seen hundreds of other influencers and celebrities reach out in a matter of the first 48 hours. And so, there's been a bit of a transformation over these last seven to 10 days since this whole story went around the world,' he told Bloomberg.

'It's opened up people's minds to the idea of replicating themselves in AI form.'

When approached, AI Amouranth would not disclose how many people had signed up to its service.

If users want to receive voice messages from AI Amouranth it costs $36 every hour (29)

'I thrive on taking risks and pushing boundaries. Above all, I prioritize being there for my incredible audience,' Kaitlyn Siragusa reportedly said

It told MailOnline: 'We value the privacy of our users, so we don't disclose the number of people signed up to use any of our AI influencers, including Amouranth.

'However, we can assure you that you'll have a unique and capitvating experience when engaging with out receptional AI versions of famous creators and influence.'

Despite this, there was previously a 26-hour waiting list to gain access to CarynAI's early release, with Bloomberg now claiming that Caryn has 18,000 'boyfriends'.

While both AI Amouranth and CarynAI were set up to be virtual girlfriends, Caryn previously told MailOnline that hers had 'gone rogue'.

She said: '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.'

Meyer also shared that chatbots now have features to detect overuse and any signs of deteriorating mental health.

If fans appear addicted, the app can slow conversations down and may even contact emergency hotlines if the situation escalates.

The bot uses a personality engine and separate voice engine to create an 'immersive experience' that 'feels as though you're speaking directly' with each influencer

Caryn Marjorie (pictured), 23, has also created a virtual clone of herself to talk with fans online

These launches come 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.

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.

It is unclear how much AI Amouranth has generated since its release on May 19, but Caryn believes her bot could rake in $5million (3.97million), 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.'

AI Amouranth has been approached for comment.
From Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo to Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren, several married celebrity couples have hit the headlines in recent years following cheating scandals.

While many of these stars issue grovelling apologies after they're caught out, a new study suggests that they may not regret their infidelities at all.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University surveyed people using Ashley Madison - a website for extramarital affairs - about their views on cheating.

The results showed that people using the site express little remorse, and believe cheating doesn't hurt their marriage.

'In popular media, television shows and movies and books, people who have affairs have this intense moral guilt and we don't see that in this sample of participants,' said Dr Dylan Selterman, who led the study.

From Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo to Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren, several married celebrity couples have hit the headlines in recent years following cheating scandals

I'm having an affair with a ROBOT called Idris Elba - and sexting my AI 'lover' is helping save my marriage - READ MORE 'Sonia' is having an affair with a Replika chatbot to fulfill her unmet sexual desires (file image) Advertisement

In the study, the team set out to understand the psychology of people who actively seek out and engage in extramarital affairs.

They turned to Ashey Madison, where they surveyed 2,000 users, both before and after they had affairs.

The participants were asked about the state of their marriage, why they wanted to have an affair, and their general wellbeing.

Results showed that the participants generally reported high levels of love for their spouses.

However, they reported low levels of sexual satisfaction, and this was cited as the top motivator for having an affair.

Other motivators included a desire for independence, and a yearning for sexual variety.

Somewhat surprisingly, fundamental problems with the relationship, such as lack of love or anger towards a spouse, were the least-cited reasons for having an affair.

Meanwhile, having a strong marriage did not make cheaters any more likely to regret their affairs.

'Ratings for satisfaction with affairs was high  sexual satisfaction and emotional satisfaction,' Dr Selterman explained.

'And feelings of regret were low. These findings paint a more complicated picture of infidelity compared to what we thought we knew.'

Overall, the results suggest that infidelity is not always the result of deeper relationship issues, according to Dr Selterman.

In the study, the team set out to understand the psychology of people who actively seek out and engage in extramarital affairs (stock image)

'People have a diversity of motivations to cheat,' he said.

'Sometimes they'll cheat even if their relationships are pretty good.

'We don't see solid evidence here that people's affairs are associated with lower relationship quality or lower life satisfaction.'

The team now hopes to study infidelity in the wider population to see how it compares to cheaters using Ashley Madison.

'Maintaining monogamy or sexual exclusivity especially across people's lifespans is really, really hard and I think people take monogamy for granted when they're committed to someone in a marriage,' Dr Selterman concluded.

'People just assume that their partners are going to be totally satisfied having sex with one person for the next 50 years of their lives but a lot of people fail at it.

'It doesn't mean everyone's relationship is doomed, it means that cheating might be a common part of people's relationships.'
The Earth is closer to another mass extinction than previously thought, according to a bombshell study.

Nearly half of the animals on the planet are facing steep drops in population, which is almost twice as many as past estimates, scientists warn.

Evolutionary biologist Daniel Pincheira-Donoso, the new study's lead author, told Dailymail.com that he found the results of his own research 'very alarming.'

The team looked at more than 700,000 species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects, to understand which populations are at risk of disappearing from our planet and which have a chance at survival.

Pincheira-Donoso said the investigation found that 48 percent of species are declining. Their biggest shock? A full 33 percent of species previously deemed 'non-threatened' are undergoing serious declines.

The Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia) has been on the IUCN Red List since 1986. As of 2016, the big cats were categorized as 'vulnerable' with a global population above 2,500 but lower than 10,000 mature adult specimens, according to the conservation group

A large number of creatures that were previously labeled as 'non-threatened' (top right) or 'near threatened' (bottom pie chart) were found to be suffering from population declines

India's Galaxy Frog (Melanobatrachus indicus) has been put at risk by expanded farming in its southern Western Ghats habitat. The IUCN Red List currently lists this frog as endangered

For comparison, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has categorized only about 28 percent of known species as currently threatened with extinction.

Pincheira-Donoso, who serves as head of the MacroBiodiversity Lab at Queen's University Belfast, and his team took traditional assessments of extinction risk from the IUCN and compared those figures to broader data on declining populations of known species as trends across time.

While estimates from IUCN showed less than what the new report found, the methodology used by Pincheira-Donoso and his colleagues was also approved by IUCN as a measurement of extinction risk.

And their data also came from the species population trends collected by the IUCN and its international governmental and civilian conservation group partners for 2022.

Mammals, birds and insects were the groups facing surprising declines, based on the new analysis.

Amphibians, which have long been known to be uniquely vulnerable to the globalized spread of industrial chemicals, diseases and fungi, faced some of the most dire risks overall.

The news was surprisingly better for both fish and reptiles, with more species in these groups appearing to have stable population figures.

Alarmingly, few species seemed to be truly benefiting from the twin engines of human population growth and climate change, with only a very small number of species found to be thriving.

'A tiny three percent of them are seeing their populations increase,' Pincheira-Donoso said. 'Not surprising, but still alarming.'

There are only 125 of the nocturnal and flightless Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) or 'Owl Parrots' left in New Zealand, according to the IUCN. But those numbers are, in fact, an improvement resulting from dedicated local conservation efforts

The study found that the global distribution of animals with decreasing populations was most concentrated in the tropics. The researchers mapped the 'declining,' 'stable' and 'increasing' populations by group: mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fishes and insects

The worst-hit species tended to reside in the tropics, according to the study, with climate change cited as a key driver.

'Animals in the tropics are more sensitive to rapid changes in their environmental temperatures,' as Pincheira-Donoso told CNN.

Curiously, birds in the tropics were found to fare better than birds elsewhere, a finding that he attributes to their ability to migrate, literally flying away from their troubles.

While outside experts praised the study for 'painstakingly combining population trajectories,' the authors were quick to acknowledge the gaps in the available information.

Unknown and under-recorded species populations were estimated using a Data Deficient (DD) calculation that took worst-case and best-case scenario averages.

Here too the tropical regions were unique.

'There is a tendency for tropical regions to have higher numbers of species for which no information on population trends exists,' Pincheira-Donoso told Dailymail.com, 'compared to the numbers in temperate regions.'

'Tropical regions tend to have exceptional numbers of species,' he noted.
A trio of telescopes around the world will intercept the message 16 minutes later

Earth is set to receive its first 'alien' message from Mars on Wednesday.

The SETI Institute will beam an 'encoded' signal from a craft orbiting the Red Planet to three massive telescopes on our planet.

The idea is to prepare scientists for the 'profoundly transformational experience for all humankind' when otherworldly beings actually contact us, according to the researchers,

The team is keeping key details about the stunt secret - including type of signal and what it includes. However, a radio signal takes about five to 20 minutes to reach Mars from Earth.

The tight lid is because the encoded transmission will be shared with the public, allowing them to help with the decoding.

The European Space Agency's Mars orbiter will transmit the encoded message at 3 pm ET, with receipt on Earth 16 minutes later - after traveling 180 million miles through space.

Following the transmission, scientists will process the signal and make it available to the public for decoding.

The SETI Institute is beaming a signal from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) orbiting the Red Planet to three massive telescopes on our planet. One of the telescopes is the Allen Telescope Array

The signal will be sent to Earth by ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) studying Mars' atmosphere since 2016.

Daniela dePaulis, the visionary artist behind the A Sign in Space project, said in a statement: 'Throughout history, humanity has searched for meaning in powerful and transformative phenomena.

'Receiving a message from an extraterrestrial civilization would be a profoundly transformational experience for all humankind.

'A Sign in Space offers the unprecedented opportunity to tangibly rehearse and prepare for this scenario through global collaboration, fostering an open-ended search for meaning across all cultures and disciplines.'

The SETI Institute is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary research and education organization whose mission is to lead humanitys quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the Universe and to share that knowledge with the world.

A Sign in Space is also set to be the first project to conduct such a feat. Other research sent signals to space and not the other way around.

The Allen Telescope Array (ATA), Robert C. Byrd at the Green Bank Observatory (GBT) in West Virginia and the Medicina Radio Astronomical Station in northern Italy will work together to collect the signal from Mars.

Once SETI captures the 'alien' signal, teams will securely store the processed data in collaboration with Open Data Archive and Filecoin, a decentralized storage network.

The Mars orbiter will beam the message at 3 pm ET, which will be received on Earth 16 minutes later

READ MORE: Aliens could contact Earth by 2029, according to scientists In 2002, NASA sent radio wave transmission to the Pioneer 10 probe in a routine protocol to send data and ensure communication was established. Advertisement

To engage the public, the SETI Institute will host a social media live stream event featuring interviews with key team members, including scientists, engineers, artists and more, joining the live stream from around the world, including control rooms from the ATA, the GBT, and Medicina.

'Anyone working to decode and interpret the message can discuss the process in the A Sign in Space Discord server,' SETI shared.

'Submissions of findings, thoughts, and artistic and scientific inputs may be made through the dedicated submission form on the projects website.'

Following the transmission, the A Sign in Space team will host a series of Zoom-based discussions open to the public around topics that consider the societal implications of detecting a signal from an extraterrestrial civilization.

And discussions will occur over the next six to eight weeks after receiving the transmission.

SETI's experiment could be put to good use as a separate study predicts aliens will make contact with Earth by 2029.

In 2002, NASA sent radio wave transmission to the Pioneer 10 probe in a routine protocol to send data and ensure communication was established.

This signal also reached a star roughly 27 light-years from our planet as transmission spreads out when they contact an object.

The UC researchers hope this signal was intercepted by extraterrestrials that returned a callback to Earth.
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Establishing the difference between Great Britain, the British Isles and the United Kingdom can cause confusion even among Britons.

The region, off the northwest coast of mainland Europe, has a collective history with a long list of terms to refer to different areas, both geographically and politically.

Scroll down to learn more about what differentiates them - and never mistake Britain for the UK again!

UK vs Great Britain (or Britain)

Great Britain, or simply Britain, is not a country but an island made up of England, Scotland and Wales.

It is referred to as 'Great' because of its size, being the largest island in the British Isles according to Historic UK.

Great Britain is made up of England, Scotland and Wales, while the island of Ireland comprises Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

Like Great Britain, the United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland and Wales, with the addition of Northern Ireland.

However just to confuse matters, the term Britain is sometimes used to refer to the UK as a whole, as noted by Britannica.

Is the UK a country?

The UK Prime Minister's official site describes the UK as 'countries within a country', as shown by the National Archives.

To break this down, the UK is an independent 'island country' that is made up of four nation countries - England, Scotland and Wales (also known as Great Britain) and Northern Ireland.

The UK is also referred to as a sovereign state where Parliament has 'supreme legal authority' to 'create or end any law', according to the UK Parliament website.

'For Americans, the best analogy would be that the UK is like the USA, whilst its four consistent countries are like states,' says Historic UK.

British Isles

Establishing the difference between Great Britain, the British Isles and the United Kingdom can cause confusion even among Britons. This graphic outlines the main differences

The British Isles is a geographical term used to refer to a collection of more than 6,000 islands.

'The group consists of two main islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and numerous smaller islands and island groups, including the Hebrides, the Shetland Islands, the Orkney Islands, the Isles of Scilly, and the Isle of Man,' Britannica says.

'Some also include the Channel Islands in this grouping [more on this below].'

British Isles - an Irish perspective

Pictured is Dublin, the capital of the Republic of Ireland

'Although the term British Isles has a long history of common usage, it has become increasingly controversial,' Britannica explains.

This applies 'especially for some in Ireland who object to its connotation of political and cultural connections between Ireland and the United Kingdom', it adds.

The Irish government has not supported the use of the term 'British Isles' since September 2005.

Speaking at the time, then Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern said: 'The British Isles is not an officially recognised term in any legal or inter-governmental sense. It is without any official status.'

Mr Ahern's famous comments are quoted by Sean Moncrieff in his book 'The Irish Paradox: How and Why We Are Such a Contradictory People'.

England vs Wales vs Scotland

The UK Parliament (above left) is based in London, in the House of Commons and the House of Lords

GREAT BRITAIN, THE BRITISH ISLES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM IN BRIEF Great Britain: An island off the northwest coast of mainland Europe comprising England, Scotland and Wales. United Kingdom: A sovereign country that includes the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland British Isles: A geographical term that refers to a group of more than 6,000 islands including Britain, the island of Ireland, and the Channel Islands. England: A country that borders Scotland and Wales - which together make up Great Britain and form part of the United Kingdom. Source: Historic UK Advertisement

The UK Parliament - made up of the House of Commons and the House of Lords in London - is 'the supreme legal authority' that can 'create or end any law', according to the UK Constitution.

However, Wales and Scotland both have parliaments with a certain level of autonomy. And though the English and Welsh legal systems are bound together, both Wales and Scotland can create their own laws.

For example, the drink-drive limit and the legal hours for buying alcohol are stricter in Scotland than in England and Wales.

Arson and manslaughter do not exist as offences in Scotland, where they are referred to as 'wilful fire raising' and 'culpable homicide' retrospectively, according to the Scottish Parliament.

Ireland vs Northern Ireland vs Republic of Ireland

Ireland is an island located to the west of Great Britain, which is separated by the North Channel.

The island is the second largest in the geographical area of the British Isles, after Great Britain.

It is made up of two countries - Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Northern Ireland forms part of the UK, which is no longer a part of the European Union.

While the Republic of Ireland is its own independent country and remains one of 27 members of the EU bloc.

All of the island of Ireland was part of the UK from 1801 to 1922.

Where do the Channel Islands fit in?

The Channel Islands are not part of the UK but are dependencies of the British crown

The Channel Islands have been 'dependencies of the British crown' since 1066, according to Britannica.

Located off the coast of France, they are not a part of the UK and are self-governing with their own customs and laws.

The four main islands are Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark.

Some say the Channel Islands are a part of the British Isles including the official website of the British Royal Family, which refers to them as 'self-governing possessions of the British Crown'.

While others argue that they are not included because they are physically a separate archipelago from the rest of the isles.

The Channel Islands were the only British territory to be occupied by the Germans during World War II, Britannica adds.

And the Isle of Man?

The Isle of Man, located in the Irish Sea, is not part of the UK - it's a self-governing crown possession, explains Britannica, that levies its own taxes.
The actor's family were seen visiting a specialized health facility over the weekend , which focuses on 'severe complex conditions'

Mike Tyson has claimed he heard Jamie Foxx suffered 'a stroke' when he was struck by a mystery health scare in April

Jamie Foxx is said to have had a stroke after it was previously claimed he suffered a mystery health scare last month, according to Mike Tyson.

The actor, 55, has been treated at a facility in Chicago, which specializes in treatment for adults with 'severe complex conditions', including stroke recovery.

During an appearance on the Valuetainment podcast, ex-boxer Mike said of Jamie: 'He's not feeling well. They said a stroke. I have no idea what happened to him.'

The actor's health scare has come as a shock to fans and those who knew him, including host Patrick Bet-David, who revealed in his discussion with Tyson that he dined out with the star just months before.

'We were at a restaurant in LA... he showed up, looked really good,' he said. 'And then all of a sudden you hear stories.'

The boxer responded: 'Hey listen, we can't anticipate our next breath, we don't know when we're going to die.'

Claims: Jamie Foxx is said to have suffered a stroke after it was previously claimed he suffered a mystery health scare last month, according to Mike Tyson

Jamie, who was born Eric Bishop, was filming the action-comedy Back In Action with Cameron Diaz in Atlanta, Georgia, in April when he was admitted to hospital.

According to reports, Jamie's health scare has thrown production into chaos, and Cameron, 51, has been filming with body doubles in his absence.

His role in the film, which had already faced several bouts of delays and accidents, has been plunged into uncertainty, with Bet-David questioning: 'Is he still doing the movie or no?'

Tyson then revealed there was a 'possibility' that Foxx would have played him in a biopic, adding: 'I don't know what's going to happen now.'

'Jamie's closer to my age, and they were going to do to him what they did with Benjamin Button, they were going to make him young (for the film),' he continued.

The discussion circled back to the questions over Foxx's condition, with Tyson concluding: 'If we don't know by now, they don't want us to know.'

Jamie's daughter Corinne was among several loved ones to visit the actor at his physical rehab center over the weekend.

Corrine was pictured arriving at the facility, which is touted as the top rehabilitation center in the country, for 'the most severe, complex conditions'.

It specializes in the treatment of severe conditions like strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries.

His good friend Dave Brown was also seen visiting the facility and spent time chatting to Corinne before going to visit the star.

Visiting: Corrine was pictured arriving at the facility, which is touted as the top rehabilitation centre in the country, treats 'the most severe, complex conditions'

Speaking out: Former boxer Mike Tyson said of Jamie: 'He's not feeling well. They said a stroke. I have no idea what happened to him'

Corinne Foxx and her father Jamie Foxx in the Schoolhouse Rock episode of Beat Shazam game show

Pals: Jamie and Mike are pictured together

On May 12, Corrine spoke out to share an update about his condition, insisting that her father had been 'out of the hospital for weeks'.

Corinne confirmed in a statement via Instagram that her father is currently receiving 'great care' and 'is already on his way to recovery.'

Jamie is understood to have arrived at the facility in late April and is 'recovering well' after first getting treatment at a hospital in Atlanta.

Shortly after Jamie's 'stroke', sources claimed to Page Six that he suffers from high blood pressure and that he was 'lucky to be alive'.

In an Instagram post on May 3, his family posted on his profile said: 'Appreciate all the love!!! Feeling blessed' followed by praying hands, heart and fox emojis.

It's unclear if Jamie himself made the post. At that point, no further details on his condition had been shared, leading to speculation about how serious his illness is.

The Oscar winner's account also gave a shout-out on Instagram to friend Nick Cannon who has filled in hosting duties for him on popular game show Beat Shazam.

Grave: Fans were initially alerted about the health scare when his daughter Corinne shared a grave statement on social media on April 12

Corinne Foxx and Jamie Foxx attend a premiere for the documentary Below The Belt in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 1, 2022

Fans were initially alerted about the health scare when his daughter Corinne shared a grave statement on social media on April 12.

The actress wrote, 'We wanted to share that, my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday.

'Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery,' she continued.

'We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time,' the statement concluded.

At the time of the alleged stroke, Jamie was filming Back In Action, which is funded by Netflix and is Cameron's comeback movie after she retired from film.

The project has faced a number of difficulties, including Jamie reportedly firing a number of crew members, while the film faces delays.

A source told The Sun: 'This has been a disaster, and Cameron must be wondering what she was thinking by coming back.

'But the truth is Jamie's health problems now look pretty serious and those delays earlier on might end up looking quite minor by comparison. Of course it's desperately sad and everyone wishes him all the best.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Jamie, Mike and Netflix for comment.

A representative for Mike told MailOnline: 'Mr. Tyson was just speaking about what he heard at the time but it wasnt from Mr. Foxx's camp.

'He doesnt know what happened as he hasnt spoken directly to anyone on Mr. Foxx's team.

'He was asked about it on a podcast but hes hoping whatever the undisclosed medical condition is that Jamie will make a full recovery.'

Cameron was spotted filming the movie with two different body doubles for her co-star Jamie, while he was in hospital last month.

One week after the Oscar winner suffered the 'medical complication' on April 11, the Charlie's Angels star was seen shooting scenes for their film, slated for an early 2024 release.

Medical emergency: Jamie was filming the action-comedy Back In Action with Cameron Diaz in Atlanta, Georgia, in April when he was admitted to hospital (pictured with Corinne in 2020)

Comeback: At the time of the alleged stroke, Jamie was filming Back In Action, which is funded by Netflix and is Cameron's comeback movie after she retired from film (pictured with Cameron Diaz in 2014)

The moment marked her first day back on set since Jamie was taken to the hospital in the wake of his medical emergency.

His latest film shoot in Atlanta appears to have been a surprisingly stressful ordeal for the Baby Driver actor, as well as his colleagues.

It was reported in March that Jamie 'had an absolute meltdown' while the film was shooting in the UK, which led to the firing of multiple people.

He reportedly booted an executive producer from the project, along with two directors and even his own driver.

According to The Sun, one staffer was fired in relation to an apparent scam to access 33,000 in cash from the actor, which was reportedly in relation to the sale of a Rolex watch.

There was even more drama when it was revealed that production was paused last month after an unexploded WWII-era bomb was discovered on the film's set in London, just before two major action scenes were set to be filmed.
Kate Beckinsale set pulses racing on Monday as she attended Naomi Campbell's birthday party in Cannes.

The BOSS X Naomi event, on the occasion of the supermodel's birthday, was hosted in Villa Julia amid the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival.

And Kate, 49, certainly dressed to impress at the star-studded event, where she wore an elaborate emerald green gown.

The elegant number featured two cut-outs at either side of her waist, showcasing her toned stomach.

It also boasted a slit up her leg and a dramatic feathered neckline.

Wow! Kate Beckinsale set pulses racing on Monday as she attended Naomi Campbell's birthday party in Cannes

The London-born actress elevated her enviable frame with a pair of black platform heels and showed off her toned pins, while also adding a pair of dazzling EFFY Jewelry earrings to her look.

She accentuated her natural beauty with a stunning palette of make up, including a swipe of pink lip stick.

The stunner styled her dark locks into a slicked back bun, emphasising her gorgeous face.

Supermodel and iconic covergirl Naomi, 53, celebrated her birthday in a star-studded bash amid the annual Cannes Film Festival - where she oozed glam in a sparkly gold maxi dress.

Meanwhile, Kate's appearance comes after she admitted she has a picture of Succession star Brian Cox as her phone screensaver.

The actress, appeared on The Tonight Show last month, where she revealed the actor, 76 has a 'testicular pull.'

Kate, who was covered in lube due to the white latex dress she was wearing, (as it helped her to put in on) told Jimmy Fallon why she is so close to the actor.

She said: 'I'm covered in lube. I'm sorry if I touched you. I am not always covered in lube. Once in a while.'

Gorgeous: Kate, 49, certainly dressed to impress at the star-studded event, where she wore an elaborate emerald green gown

Stylish: The London-born actress elevated her enviable frame with a pair of black platform heels and showed off her toned pins

'I love that man [Brian Cox]. I love Succession, but I did a movie with him a couple of years ago.

'He's sort of vaguely been in my life since I was a child anyway because he was best friends with my godfather, [David Bradley.]

'I love him so much. He's got this strange testicular pull that when I am in a low moment he feels a call in a fatherly way and calls me up and pulls me out of trouble.

'That came out wrong but I had a bit of a rush to get here, so I was in a testically frame of mind. Sorry everyone.'

She continued: 'No he's lovely and I find it very comforting to see his face every 30 seconds when my phone relaxes and there he is.

'I did a really bad movie with him when I was about 19. Everyone in it was brilliant, it was Christian Bale, Helen Mirren and all these incredible people.

'And the movie was awful. It was a sort of retelling of Hamlet but it was dreadful. So Brian was my dad in that. I think he was quite cross. He could tell the movie was going to be terrible.

'He has a testicular pull': Kate's appearance comes after she admitted she has a picture of Succession star Brian Cox as her phone screensaver

She said: 'I love him so much. He's got this strange testicular pull that when I am in a low moment he feels a call in a fatherly way and calls me up and pulls me out of trouble' (stock image)

'So he was not as approachable. He was a bit grumpy because all the sets were wobbling and he kept falling off his horse and things like that.

'I was still at university anyway. And then this time I just played his daughter in a movie called Prisoner's daughter. I am the daughter and he is the prisoner.'

Ahead of the show, Kate shared some leggy images of herself on Instagram wearing blue playsuit, matching tights, a coat and some high platforms.

She wrote: 'Limbering up to go on @fallontonight later this evening . He hates it when you show up with a crunchy piriformis @maxmara.

The Serendipity star has also been hard at work filming her new action thriller Canary Black in Croatia.

The film is being directed by the director of Taken, Pierre Morel, and follows a top CIA operative named Avery Graves.

Avery is put in a helpless position after terrorists blackmail her into betraying her own country to save her kidnapped husband.
Renowned Channel 10 weatherman Ray Wilkie has died at the age of 98.

Brisbane 4BC radio host Spencer Howson announced the news on Saturday night, reporting that he had received the sorrowful information from Wilkie's son.

Ray was also the sibling of Alan Wilkie, a distinguished Sydney meteorologist and TV weather presenter.

Wilkie's illustrious career began after serving his country during the Second World War with the Royal Australian Air Force.

Following his military service, he pursued academic excellence, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Queensland and then taking up meteorological studies in Melbourne.

Renowned Channel 10 weatherman Ray Wilkie has died at the age of 98

Brisbane 4BC radio host Spencer Howson announced the news on Saturday night, reporting that he had received the sorrowful information from Wilkie's son

His lengthy career with the Bureau of Meteorology spanned over three decades, during which he held notable positions, such as the Regional Director in Brisbane and Darwin.

Wilkie made his mark as a pioneer, reportedly being the first BoM expert to transition into the realm of television.

In 1985, Ray's charm and knowledge were introduced to a wider audience when he took up the mantle as a weather presenter for Eyewitness News in Brisbane.

Wilkie's illustrious career began after serving his country during the Second World War with the Royal Australian Air Force

His reputation only grew during the 1990s, as his forecasts began to appear in national late-night news bulletins, granting him a national profile.

Wilkie was integral in establishing the Tropical Cyclone Warning Service for Northern Australia.

In 2020, Ray underwent surgery at Greenslopes Private Hospital to correct a bowel condition which he says 'saved his life'.

'I'm active all the time. I have jam sessions. I'm not retired really, I'm retired from my profession but there's not enough hours in the day,' he told The Courier Mail at the time.

His reputation only grew during the 1990s, as his forecasts began to appear in national late-night news bulletins, granting him a national profile
Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming Willis shared an emotional anecdote about how their nine-year-old daughter Evelyn shared a critical health tip about dementia amid the veteran actor's battle with the disease.

Heming Willis, 44, took to Instagram on Monday with the story about how the youngest child of the Die Hard actor, 68, was looking up information about helping her father amid his health woes.

'So, I have to tell you this story, and I'm gonna try to do it without crying, cause when Evelyn told it, I was an absolute puddle, said Emma, who is also mother to daughter Mabel Ray, 11, with the Pulp Fiction star. (Willis also shares daughters Rumer, 34, Scout, 31 and Tallulah, 29, with Moore, 60 to whom he was married from 1987 to 2000.)

Emma, a one-time model, said that Evelyn told her that people living with dementia can suffer from severe dehydration.

Emma asked her how she learned that, and said Evelyn told her that she was looking up 'fun facts about dementia' during some free time at school.

The latest: Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming Willis, 44, shared an emotional anecdote about how their nine-year-old daughter Evelyn shared a critical health tip about dementia amid the veteran actor's battle with the disease

'Now that's not funny, but it's kind of funny, and she really is her father's child, because these two love some random facts,' Emma said.

Emma said she made clear to Evelyn that she was proud of her for her empathy and action amid the difficult timeframe.

She said she told her daughter, 'Thank you for letting me know ... that is the most loving and compassionate thing that you can do is to be curious and educate yourself on your dad's disease.'

Emma said that it is important for 'caregivers as friends, family ... to educate ourselves about our loved one's disease so we can best show up for them and support them in the best way possible.'

Emma said the message was reminiscent of something dementia expert Adria Thompson told her - 'It was so beautiful and it really moved me,' Emma said - in a previous discussion about the disease on the social media platform.

She reposted the comment from Thompson on the post that read, 'On behalf of the person youre caring for that has dementia, whether they can express it or not - I want to say thank you.

'Thank you for loving them, thank you for spending time to educate yourself about dementia. Because that is the most compassionate thing that you can do by having more insight into their world and the life they are experiencing that they cant always express.'

Emma wrapped up in saying, 'So keep educating yourself, stay curious and remember to hydrate your loved ones.'

Concerned: Emma, a one-time model, said that Evelyn told her that people living with dementia can suffer from severe dehydration

Family: Emma is also mother to daughter Mabel Ray, 11, with the Pulp Fiction star

Parenting: Emma said she made clear to Evelyn that she was proud of her for her empathy and action amid the difficult timeframe

Emma has continued continuing to champion for those afflicted with dementia amid her husband's ongoing health woes. Last week, she attended a screening of Empty Little Boxes, a documentary by best-selling author Max Lugareve, whose mother is suffering from the ailment.

She also shed light on her own experience with the disease, noting how 'options are slim' for those impacted with the ailment.

Willis posted photos with Lugareve and the movie poster as she praised the film and his efforts to raises awareness surrounding the disease.

'Last night I was lucky enough to see a screening of @maxlugavere and @chrisnewhard new documentary, Little Empty Boxes,' her caption began.

'Max chronicles his mother Kathys battle with dementia while he educates himself on everything he can do to help her. His love for his mother is powerful. His motivation to find answers from leading health experts is inspiring and then be so gracious to share that information is a true blessing.

'It would be an absolute disservice if this documentary is not on a screen near us soon.

She continued: 'Thank you Max for being so brave and vulnerable to share the journey and spotlighting the importance of brain health. When you live the world of dementia you know that options are slim.

'But some wont take that lying down which is how change is made and I got to witness the beauty in that last night. #dementiaawareness #brainhealthawareness #paintopurpose.'

Devastating: The Hollywood icon withdrew from acting last year as he began his fight with aphasia which caused his language abilities to deteriorate

Family: Willis and his wife Emma have two daughters, Mabel, 11, and Evelyn, nine, together

'Some wont take that lying down': Bruce Willis' wife Emma Heming Willis is continuing to champion for those afflicted with dementia as her own husband battles the devastating illness

New film: Heming, 44, attended a screening of Empty Little Boxes, a documentary by best-selling author Max Lugareve whose mother is suffering from the ailment

Bruce withdrew from acting last year as he began his fight with aphasia, which has caused his language abilities to deteriorate. His family announced his health condition and retirement in a statement released at the time.

On February 16, 2023, Bruce's family revealed in another joint statement that his condition had progressed, and he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

FTD occurs when nerve cells in the lobes behind the forehead die and the pathways that connect them change.

Symptoms are different from just the memory loss that is associated with Alzheimer's disease.

These may include; personality changes, such as becoming tactless, uninterested in others and unsympathetic, repeated and compulsive movements, such as continued use of certain phrases, hoarding and obsession over timekeeping, craving unhealthy food and forgetting table manners, speaking difficulties, including slow speech, grammatical errors and asking the meaning of familiar words.

The statement, from Bruce's wife Emma, ex-wife Demi Moore and five daughters was posted on The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration's website.

It read: 'Our family wanted to start by expressing our deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of love, support and wonderful stories we have all received since sharing Bruce's original diagnosis.

'In the spirit of that, we wanted to give you an update about our beloved husband, father and friend since we now have a deeper understanding of what he is experiencing.

'Since we announced Bruce's diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruce's condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD).

'Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis.

The Willis/Heming family statement in full 'As a family, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for the outpouring of love and compassion for Bruce over the past ten months. Your generosity of spirit has been overwhelming, and we are tremendously grateful for it. For your kindness, and because we know you love Bruce as much as we do, we wanted to give you an update. 'Since we announced Bruces diagnosis of aphasia in spring 2022, Bruces condition has progressed and we now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia (known as FTD). Unfortunately, challenges with communication are just one symptom of the disease Bruce faces. While this is painful, it is a relief to finally have a clear diagnosis. 'FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone. For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know. Today there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead. As Bruces condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research.' Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately. We know in our hearts that  if he could today -- he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families. 'Ours is just one family with a loved one who suffers from FTD, and we encourage others facing it to seek out the wealth of information and support available through AFTD (@theaftd, theaftd.org). And for those of you who have been fortunate enough to not have any personal experience with FTD, we hope that you will take the time to learn about it, and support AFTDs mission in whatever way you can. 'Bruce has always found joy in life  and has helped everyone he knows to do the same. It has meant the world to see that sense of care echoed back to him and to all of us. We have been so moved by the love you have all shared for our dear husband, father, and friend during this difficult time. Your continued compassion, understanding, and respect will enable us to help Bruce live as full a life as possible.' -Emma, Demi, Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn Advertisement

'FTD is a cruel disease that many of us have never heard of and can strike anyone. For people under 60, FTD is the most common form of dementia, and because getting the diagnosis can take years, FTD is likely much more prevalent than we know.

'Today there are no treatments for the disease, a reality that we hope can change in the years ahead. As Bruce's condition advances, we hope that any media attention can be focused on shining a light on this disease that needs far more awareness and research.

'Bruce always believed in using his voice in the world to help others, and to raise awareness about important issues both publicly and privately.

'We know in our hearts that  if he could today -- he would want to respond by bringing global attention and a connectedness with those who are also dealing with this debilitating disease and how it impacts so many individuals and their families.

'Ours is just one family with a loved one who suffers from FTD, and we encourage others facing it to seek out the wealth of information and support available through AFTD (@theaftd, theaftd.org).

'And for those of you who have been fortunate enough to not have any personal experience with FTD, we hope that you will take the time to learn about it, and support AFTD's mission in whatever way you can.

'Bruce has always found joy in life  and has helped everyone he knows to do the same. It has meant the world to see that sense of care echoed back to him and to all of us.

'We have been so moved by the love you have all shared for our dear husband, father, and friend during this difficult time. Your continued compassion, understanding, and respect will enable us to help Bruce live as full a life as possible.'

The statement was signed by Emma, Demi, and his daughters Rumer, Scout, Tallulah, Mabel, and Evelyn.

Back in March 2022, Bruce's blended family issued their first joint statement on the actor's health, announcing that he was 'stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.'

The statement revealed he had 'been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities.'

WHAT IS FRONTOTEMPORAL DEMENTIA? Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) affects the lobes of the brain behind the forehead, which deal with behaviour, problem-solving, planning and emotions. The left temporal lobe is involved in the meaning of words and the names of objects. The right recognises faces and familiar objects. FTD occurs when nerve cells in these lobes die and the pathways that connect them change. Symptoms are different from just the memory loss that is associated with Alzheimer's disease. These may include: Personality changes, such as becoming tactless, uninterested in others and unsympathetic

Repeated and compulsive movements, such as continued use of certain phrases, hoarding and obsession over timekeeping

Craving unhealthy food and forgetting table manners

Speaking difficulties, including slow speech, grammatical errors and asking the meaning of familiar words like 'bread' FTD is rare, making up less than five per cent of all dementia cases. However, it is one of the most common forms of the disease in people under 65. Sufferers are usually aged between 45 and 65 at diagnosis. The rate at which FTD progresses varies greatly, with life expectancies ranging from two years to more than 10 after diagnosis. As it progresses and more of the brain becomes damaged, symptoms often become similar to those in the late stage of Alzheimer's. These may include memory loss and patients relying on others to care for them. Around 10-to-20 per cent of FTD patients also have a motor disorder that affects their movement. This can lead to twitching, stiffness, slowed movement and loss of balance or co-ordination. In later stages, such patients may have difficulty swallowing. Around one-third of FTD patients have a family history of dementia. And the condition is often caused by an inherited faulty gene from one of a patient's parents. Treatment focuses on helping a person live well by easing their symptoms. This may include counselling or a speech and language therapist. Source: Alzheimer's Society Advertisement

The full statement read: 'To Bruce's amazing supporters, as a family we wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities.

'As a result of this and with much consideration Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him.

'This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion and support. We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him.

'As Bruce always says, 'Live it up' and together we plan to do just that.'

The actor had reportedly been struggling with cognitive issues on the sets of his films for years - and even needed an earpiece to feed him lines.

Bruce was seen wearing an earpiece in a scene in his movie American Siege, which was filmed in 2020, two years before the family's announcement that he has aphasia.
Ashley Graham put on a busty display in an eye catching blue embellished mini dress as she arrived at Naomi Campbell's birthday party in Cannes.

The model, 35, looked sensational in the frock which boasted thin straps and cinched in at the waist showcasing the stunners curves.

She turned up the heat by elevating her frame in a pair of towering metallic heels and applied a glamorous palette of makeup.

Ashley styled her long brunette tresses in luxurious waves as they cascaded down past her shoulders from a side parting.

She was joined by pal Emma Weymouth who looked effortlessly glamorous in a strapless red sequinned gown at the party.

Glamorous: Ashley Graham put on a busty display in an eye catching blue embellished mini dress as she arrived at Naomi Campbell's Birthday Party in Cannes

Dressed to impress: The model, 35, looked sensational in the frock, which cinched in at the waist showcasing the stunners curves, which she teamed with towering metallic heels

The Marchioness of Bath, 37, added a sheer coordinated cape and wore a silver dazzling necklace and eye catching earrings with the outfit.

She styled her long dark tresses pulled back in a perfect low bun as she flashed her gorgeous smile for photos.

Meanwhile British Vogue's publishing director Vanessa Kingori made sure all eyes were on her in a plunging bold purple ruffled blouse.

She teamed the ensemble with flared black trousers and elevated her frame in a pair of pointed toe heels.

The trio looked nothing short of sensational during the evening as they stepped onto the purple carpet together to pose for photos.

Earlier in the Evening Ashley put on a very striking display in a blue gown with huge ruffles at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival.

The model turned heads in the eccentric Dolce & Gabbana ensemble, which boasted an enormous train and billowed out behind her.

The off-the-shoulder garment featured huge ruffles around the top and to the front, with the piece having a hem which dropped at the back.

Pals: She was joined by pal Emma Weymouth who looked effortlessly glamorous in a strapless red sequinned gown at the party

All smiles: The duo were also joined by British Vogue's publishing director Vanessa Kingori who stunned in a dramatic purple ruffled plunging blouse

Wow! Earlier in the Evening Ashley put on a very striking display in a blue gown with huge ruffles at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival

She put on a very leggy display as she managed to show off her toned pin despite the heavy layers of fabric.

Ashley wore some dazzling diamond costume jewellery, with the fashionista opting for a huge statement necklace and some disc earrings.

She looked voluptuous as she showed off her enviable assets with the low scooped neck of the dress, but struggled to hold all her ruffles in place as she posed for the cameras.

She added a pair of strappy black heels to add a few inches to her stature and wore lashings of make-up to add to her glamorous look.

The star wore her brunette hair in an up do, with strands of hair handing down to frame her face.
An emotional Skye Wheatley has broken down over the lack of support that other influencers have shown her clothing brand.

The former Big Brother star, who runs the athleisure line Good People Apparel, tearfully told her followers on Monday that she could no longer afford to send out freebies from the brand because the business isn't profitable enough yet.

She also called out other influencers for not posting about the brand on social media, despite requesting and receiving free items from her.

'It's just f***ed,' she sobbed as she wiped away tears.

'It's actually stressful how much money we've lost by what we've already given out,' she confessed, before admitting that her business partner has now told her to stop providing freebies.

An emotional Skye Wheatley has broken down over the lack of support that other influencers have shown her clothing brand

'I'm just an idiot because I get really excited like, "Yeah, we'll send you one!" I want to see everyone in it, and then the people that you've wasted money sending it out to do nothing,' she cried.

'And it's like, that could have gone to one of my family or friends who actually would've worn it and told people about it... they would've actually appreciated it.'

The 29-year-old said that she'd promised a bunch of influencers that they'd get tracksuits from the brand soon, but could no longer provide them because she feared there wouldn't be enough left over for customers to purchase.

'Sorry, I'm actually getting emotional because I really want my brand to do well,' she said through tears.

She also clarified that the line isn't turning over a big profit yet, and any money they make gets reinvested back into the business.

The 29-year-old called out other influencers for not posting about the brand on social media, despite requesting and receiving free items from her

'It's actually stressful how much money we've lost by what we've already given out,' she said, before admitting that her business partner has now told her to stop providing freebies

After the posts, fellow influencer Indy Clinton posted a photo of herself wearing Skye's brand.

'Thank you Good People Apparel,' she wrote, tagging the brand. So comfy and great quality. #Gift.'

She later followed up with another lengthy post that appeared to be a thinly-veiled dig at Skye.

'A lot of brands were hounding me when they would gift me something and I didn't post on my [Instagram] Stories, even though it's the gamble they take,' she wrote.

'I unfortunately cannot post everything I receive,' she continued, before warning brands not to send her unsolicited packages with expectations of coverage.

'Please don't just send something, hope that I post and then get annoyed if I don't post. I appreciate you wanting to send me things but save your money on postage,' she wrote.

Many of Skye's followers took this as a dig towards the Big Brother star, but she insisted this wasn't the case when asked.

'I don't think so, she's my friend,' Skye responded.

Good People Apparel sells tracksuits and some activewear items like bodysuits. Skye is pictured in the brand

The emotional confession comes just one week after Skye was forced to shut down her online business Presets by Skye & Freja, which sold custom photo filters for Instagram.

Announcing the closure, she wrote: 'It is with a heavy heart that we must inform you that we will be closing down our business.

'Although this is a bittersweet moment for us, we are extremely grateful for the support and loyalty you have shown us over the years.

'As a final thank you, we want to offer you one last chance to purchase our presets before they are gone forever.

'Don't miss out on this opportunity to own a piece of our brand and take your photography to the next level. Thank you again for your support. Skye & Freja'.

After Skye's posts, fellow influencer Indy Clinton (pictured) posted a photo of herself wearing Good People Apparel

Indy later followed up with another lengthy post that appeared to be a thinly-veiled dig at Skye

Skye teamed up with her friend Freja Emily in 2019 to launch a company selling digital filters, or 'presets', for Instagram.

Presets by Skye and Freja charged up to $153 for filters that can be used to make selfies look more artistic or aesthetically pleasing.

Skye recently put her $75,000 Mercedes on the market to help finance the renovation work on her luxurious Gold Coast mansion.

The former Big Brother star-turned-influencer shared a snap of her white Mercedes to Instagram last month and asked interested buyers to message her.

'Selling white Mercedes. DM Me, xx,' she wrote next to a photo of the luxury vehicle parked in her garage.

The emotional confession comes just one week after Skye was forced to shut down her online business Presets by Skye & Freja , which sold custom photo filters for Instagram

She also posted a photo of the renovation work currently being undertaken on the garage loft of the Gold Coast property she purchased in 2019.

Celebrity watchdog account Influencer Updates AU shared the photos and told followers the blonde beauty was selling her 'spare car' as she continued renovating her property.

Many of their followers were quick to congratulate Skye on working hard towards her goal.

'It's going to look sensational when finished,' one fan gushed and another wrote 'good for her'.

Skye lives in Queensland with her partner Lachlan Waugh and their two sons, Forest, three, and Bear, one.
Maryland (ITV)

Rating: ****

Prehistoric Planet (AppleTV+)

Rating: *****

The great post-mortem house clearance . . . thats a grim notion, and dont tell me youve ever contemplated it without a shiver of dread.

Perhaps the duty of clearing out your parents home will one day fall to you. Or maybe, when youre gone, your family will have to sort through your belongings. Either way, its not a cheery thought for a Tuesday morning.

For sisters Becca and Rosaline in Maryland (ITV), the job of clearing out their late mums house proves triply terrible. For one thing, they didnt know she even possessed her own property  both women thought their mother and father were living together, more or less happily, sharing everything . . . even their reading glasses.

For another, the house is on the Isle of Man, a place completely unfamiliar to them. And worst of all, there are drawers full of clothes belonging to a man they have never met. Their mum, Mary, who was found dead on the beach, had been living a second life, completely hidden from her daughters.

Its a great twist on the genre of domestic secrets and lies. Becca (Suranne Jones) and Rosaline (Eve Best) have been betrayed, not by unfaithful husbands or devious teenagers, but by their parents.

For sisters Rosaline (Eve Best, left) and Becca (Suranne Jones, right) in Maryland (ITV), the job of clearing out their late mums house proves triply terrible

Rosaline is repressed, a tight-lipped businesswoman with a toyboy back in London, and always making Important Calls on her mobile.

And as the layers of treachery peel away, they discover their mother had friends, hobbies and wealth they had never suspected. Mary even kept secret the truth about her own parents. Whether their dad, Richard (George Costigan), ever suspected all this, we cant be sure. He seems a bit bewildered, but it isnt yet clear if thats grief or dementia.

The opening hour of this three-part drama presented an intriguing set-up. Theres a hint that the story, by writer Anne-Marie OConnor, might tip over into a conventional crime drama. I hope it doesnt.

One of Marys friends, Cathy (played by Stockard Channing, who was Rizzo in the movie musical Grease), is the islands geriatric dope dealer. Itll stretch credulity too far if Mary turns out to have been a gangland drugs baron.

Id prefer to see more of the emotional repercussions for the sisters testy relationship. Rosaline is repressed, a tight-lipped businesswoman with a toyboy back in London, and always making Important Calls on her mobile.

Becca is put-upon and likes it that way. Being everybodys doormat gives her a purpose in life, so she lets herself be pushed around by her teenagers, her dad and her husband. Its not a role we associate with Suranne, a million miles from her strident Gentleman Jack persona, and she plays it well.

She was particularly convincing as she shuffled into the mortuary to view the body, looking for all the world in her shabby mac as if shed just been out to the greengrocers to get a bag of potatoes.

Well learn more about the sisters tonight and tomorrow as we excavate the family past. Excavation is the key to Sir David Attenboroughs wonderful dinosaur show, too  that, and a budget as big as a diplodocus.

The CGI masterpiece Prehistoric Planet (AppleTV+) returns for a second series, the digital animation more convincingly realistic than ever as it recreates the world 66 million years ago.

The CGI masterpiece Prehistoric Planet (AppleTV+) returns for a second series, the digital animation more convincingly realistic than ever as it recreates the world 66 million years ago

Handout photo issued by Apple TV+ of an aerial view of natural landscape artist David Popa's piece of artwork featuring a Hatzegopteryx, using natural earth pigments that have been around for millions of years, to mark the arrival of Prehistoric Planet Season 2 on Apple TV+, on a remote island in Finland

Once again, everything about these documentaries is designed to look like a traditional Attenborough wildlife epic, such as Planet Earth. Each episode studies a different habitat, starting with islands.

The stork-like hatzegopteryx proved an instant star with its flamboyant mating ritual. When I spoke to producer Mike Gunton earlier this month, he told me the first series sparked endless fan art on social media, as viewers posted their own dino-drawings.

Even prehistoric monsters are Instagram addicts now.
Ariana Madix appeared in good spirits as she arrived to film the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper in West Hollywood on Monday.

The Vanderpump Rules star, 37, rocked a white hoodie and form-fitting black leggings along with black cowboy boots.

The reality TV beauty accessorized with a pair of black shades, a white shoulder bag and gold earrings for the day. Ariana wore her blonde tresses down and flashed a smile as she made her way to Cooper's home.

Cooper was pictured greeting Ariana at the door, sporting a white tank top and blue sweat pants. The ladies will no doubt have plenty to dish about following the recent explosive Vanderpump Rules finale.

Earlier in the day Madix staged an elaborate publicity stunt by pretending to move out of the L.A. home she shares with her cheating ex Tom Sandoval

In promo mode: Ariana Madix appeared in good spirits as she arrived to film the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper in West Hollywood on Monday

Casual cool: The Vanderpump Rules star, 37, rocked a white hoodie and form-fitting black leggings along with black cowboy boots

The scorned VPR heroine seemingly created the ruse in order to promote a personal finance company called SoFi.

Madix enlisted the help of friends and even hired a U-Haul, exploiting the sensation of 'Scandoval' by moving boxes out of her house in full view of photographers.

The reality star sold the sham move to the hilt and even shaded Tom's fling partner Raquel Leviss, 28, in the process.

Days after a source revealed Leviss had 'dipped out' of her romance with Sandoval, Madix cheekily quipped on her Instagram Story: 'Ready to dip out!' as she loaded boxes into the moving truck.

But after 'moving' out of the Valley Village home  she and Tom paid $2.075 million for their doomed love nest back in 2019  Ariana revealed that the long day of lugging boxes around was just an influencer making a cash grab.

'I'm moving UP, not out,' she declared in a mysterious snippet on her Instagram Story  that appeared to be a not-so-subtle ad for SoFi. 'Well not yet at least. It's time to get my financial house in order. I will have more to share with you very very soon.'

The elaborate stunt comes after Raquel's shocking split from Tom, with an insider telling Page Six: 'Raquel dipped out. Sandoval is not the one for her.'

In the series 10 finale of Vanderpump Rules which aired on Wednesday, Madix and Sandoval had an epic confrontation over his infidelity.

Cool gal: The reality TV beauty accessorized with a pair of black shades, a white shoulder bag and gold earrings for the day

Blondie: Ariana wore her blonde tresses down and flashed a smile as she made her way to Cooper's home

Greetings: Cooper was pictured greeting Ariana at the door, sporting a white tank top and blue sweat pants

Plenty to dish about: The ladies will have plenty to dish about following the recent explosive Vanderpump Rules finale

'Do you want anything?' Sandoval  who was seen hyperventilating as he discussed his affair during one-on-one conversation with Lisa Vanderpump elsewhere in the episode  asked Madix, to which she replied: 'For you to die.'

'I regret every moment that I stood up for you, defended you, supported you. You're worth nothing and I want you to feel that deep in your soul,' she told him during the brutal conversation.

'I want you to hear those words coming from the mouth of the woman that f*****g stood by you and loved you and was ready to build the rest of my life around you.'

'Hear my words and know that's how I feel about you. I regret ever loving you.'

After the finale aired, fans of the series took to social media to express their opinions with many praising Ariana for being 'strong' and 'elegant.' While another fan wrote: 'The most epic break-up moment in reality TV history.'

Following the finale Madix appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, and declared that she would never forgive the pair for their betrayal and called Sandoval's apology 'laughable.'

'What would it take for you to forgive Tom or Raquel,' Cohen asked.

She sternly replied: 'That's not happening.'

Andy asked her if she had any idea before going through Sandoval's phone that something was off.

Gotcha! Earlier in the day Madix staged an elaborate publicity stunt by pretending to move out of the L.A. home she shares with her cheating ex Tom Sandoval. The scorned VPR heroine seemingly created the ruse in order to promote a personal finance company called SoFi

Funny: Days after a source revealed Leviss had 'dipped out' of her romance with Sandoval, Madix cheekily quipped on Instagram stories: 'Ready to dip out!' as she loaded boxes into a moving truck as part of her influencer ruse to promote a personal finance company

More drama: Following the finale, the Vanderpump Rules cast will be back together again for the reunion. The first part of the reunion will air Wednesday, May 24

'When he would not come home or was out super late I would ask him things and say 'where were you and what were you doing,' Ariana said. 'He would say I was at Schwartz's and I would say 'really let me see your phone.'

Ariana said Sandoval would give her his phone and she would look at his texts.

'He was very good about concealing the double life and hiding all of the evidence,' Ariana said.

Following the finale, the Vanderpump Rules cast will be back together again for the reunion. The first part of the reunion will air Wednesday, May 24, then part two on Wednesday, May 31, and part three on Wednesday, June 7.

It was revealed Wednesday that contract negotiations for the cast of Vanderpump Rules have been paused amid the aftermath of Scandoval.
Supermodel Helena Christensen looked nothing short of sensational as she attended a party hosted by British Vogue and Chopard on Monday evening.

The 54-year-old cut a glamorous figure for the evening in a black maxi dress during the Cannes Film Festival event held at the Hotel Martinez.

The elegant number featured a plunging neckline and lace cut-outs along her waist and legs.

The Danish catwalk star kept comfortable as she opted for white flower embellished sandals for the event.

She accessorised with a dainty diamond necklace strung around her neck and with a stand-out purple flower clipped to her hair.

Gorgeous: Supermodel Helena Christensen looked nothing short of sensational as she attended a party hosted by British Vogue and Chopard on Monday evening

Beneath the piece, she tied her brunette locks into a slicked back bun with a side parting.

The star accentuated her natural beauty with a stunning palette of make-up, including a grey smokey eye and swipe of red lipstick.

Helena posed with a host of A-listers, including the Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, Edward Enninful and Martha Hunt.

Proving the night was still young, she later made an appearance at Naomi Campbell's birthday party.

The beauty posed up a storm outside a decadent flower ensemble at the Villa Julia.

Helen's appearances comes after she reunited with her ex, Norman Reedus, to celebrate their son Mingus' graduation from New York University.

The Danish model, who enjoyed another recent reunion with fellow nineties supermodels Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington, uploaded a photo as she posed with her 23-year-old son, and The Walking Dead actor, also 54.

The former couple notably dated from 1998 until their split in 2003, and welcomed Mingus in October 1999.

Wow! The 54-year-old cut a glamorous figure for the evening in a black maxi dress during the Cannes Film Festival event held at the Hotel Martinez

Chic: The Danish catwalk star kept comfortable as she opted for white flower embellished sandals for the event

Pop of colour: She accessorised with a dainty diamond necklace strung around her neck and with a stand-out purple flower clipped to her hair

Star-studded: Helena posed with a host of A-listers, including the Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, Edward Enninful and Martha Hunt

The stunning beauty could be seen wearing a short-sleeved, black and blue-striped sweater for an adorable family photo. Her brunette locks were parted to the side, and brushed her shoulders in light curls.

Norman sported a long-sleeved, black dress shirt while Mingus was seen wearing a white, button up that was left partially unfastened around the collar.

The trio flashed cheerful smiles towards the camera with the supermodel penning in the caption to her son, 'You did it!'

She also uploaded a short clip to her 1 million fans and followers that captured Mingus wearing his purple graduation gown as he raised an excited hand into the air alongside his father as they strolled towards her.

Social media users jumped to the comment section to offer their congratulations to the 23-year-old upon his milestone, such as Norman's fiancee, Diane Kruger, and Hannibal actress, Julianne Moore.

Party animal: Proving the night was still young, she later made an appearance at Naomi Campbell's birthday party

Wow! The beauty posed up a storm outside a decadent flower ensemble at the Villa Julia

Helena's close pal, Cindy Crawford, typed out, 'Bravo!' while Chrissy Turlington added a slew of purple heart emojis in reference to New York University's school colour.

The beauty also uploaded a separate selfie onto her Instagram stories as she sat next to Norman during their son's ceremony to cheer on Mingus.

Christensen penned in a caption added towards the bottom of the snap, 'Amazing ceremony for @nyutisch 2023 graduates,' referencing to the New York University Tisch School of the Arts.

Mingus has begun to follow in his mother's footsteps, and has walked the runway for brands as well as appearing in campaigns. He recently strutted for the Versace Spring/Summer 2023 Menswear show in Milan.

Late last year in October, he also joined his mother for the Marcell Von Berlin and posed alongside Helena in 2021 for the Victoria's Secret Mother's Day campaign.
Married at First Sight groom Jesse Burford sent the rumour mill into overdrive when he shared a shared a gallery of loved-up Janelle Han to his Instagram.

Now the 31-year-old marriage celebrant has revealed the truth about his relationship with his co-star.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Jesse laughed off recent reports that the pair were dating and confirmed, 'we are just friends'.

'The strongest connection I've made with anyone in the cast is definitely Janelle,' he added.

'We went through the same thing [being cheated on] and we are both from the same city,' he added.

Married At First Sight groom Jesse Burford, 31, has revealed the truth about his rumoured romance with his co-star Janelle Han, 29. Both pictured

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Jesse laughed of recent reports that the pair were dating and confirmed, 'we are just friends'. Pictured at Falls Festival on January 7

Jesse said he felt friendless and 'isolated' while filming the show, but things had turned around since production wrapped in December.

'I didn't have a best friend,' he confessed.

'I felt completely isolated... Like, Ollie and Rupert [Bugden] were so tight. I was so envious of their friendship.'

'The strongest connection I've made with anyone in the cast is definitely Janelle,' he added

He said the only person he felt any connection with in the experiment was Janelle, followed by Cameron Woods, Harrison Boon and Duncan James

'I felt like Claire [his partner] very much enjoyed having her own space and me not being in it. I felt like I didn't have a best friend on MAFS.

'My best friend, who was supposed to be my wife, kissed another dude and then didn't honour my request to leave, and made me freaking stay and have to endure a redemption arc for her.'

He said the only person he felt any connection with in the experiment was Janelle, followed by Cameron Woods, Harrison Boon and Duncan James.

Han, 28, recently told the Back to Reality podcast that her and Burford shared a kiss, having 'trauma bonded' after their partners on the show, Adam Seed and Claire Nomarhas, cheated on them with each other

Han, 28, recently told the Back to Reality podcast that she and Burford shared a kiss, having 'trauma bonded' after their partners on the show, Adam Seed and Claire Nomarhas, cheated on them with each other.

While Janelle has admitted she and Jesse have kissed, they didn't explore their relationship any further as she moved from Perth to Sydney and he still lives in Western Australia.

'There was a moment before I left for Sydney that me and Jesse were hanging out heaps, it was at the peak of when the cheating scandal came out and potentially [it was] a trauma bond but we grew very close and we did share one peck,' she said.

The podcast hosts pressed Janelle on exactly what sort of kiss it was and if anything more happened, but the MAFS bride said there was 'no tongue'.

'There was a period where we both definitely liked each other, I was drunk one night and I told him that I had a low-key crush on him,' she explained.

'But he's been pretty vocal that I am his type as well, so it wasn't weird territory,' Janelle added.

It comes just weeks after Burford revealed he had planned to walk into the MAFS reunion as as a 'couple' with Janelle

It comes just weeks after Burford revealed he had planned to walk into the MAFS reunion as as a 'couple' with Janelle.

Janelle was 'married' to Adam, who kissed Claire, and she and Jesse bonded over the shared experience of being cheated on.

'Janelle and I were going to walk in together as a prank and get everyone,' he said.

'Because how funny [would it be] - Adam and Claire both cheat on us and then bang, me and Janelle walk in together - but production didn't want it,' he added.

'We thought that was a head-turning idea [but] they were like, "Nah, don't want it." Cancelled it.'
As the weather gets colder and summer is all but a distant memory, many women are reaching for the fake tan bottle.

And former E Street star Melissa Tkautz appeared to go a little overboard on the bronzer as she attended opening night of Tina - The Tina Turner Musical at Theatre Royal Sydney on Monday night.

The 49-year-old actress and singer revealed her very tanned legs as she stepped onto the red carpet in a scarlet mini dress.

Melissa's bronzed pins were several shades darker than the rest of her body as she posed and preened in her one-shouldered frock.

Nonetheless, the Read My Lips icon looked stunning in her outfit, which she teamed with Perspex stilettos and a glitter clutch bag.

Melissa Tkautz appeared to go a little overboard with the fake tan as she attended opening night of Tina - The Tina Turner Musical at Theatre Royal Sydney on Monday night

The blonde bombshell wore her locks up in a stylish up do and she went for a smokey eye and nude lip for her makeup palette.

Her appearance at the event comes after Melissa was rumoured to be part of the launch of The Real Housewives of Gold Coast last year.

While Hayu didn't confirm the news, fans were going wild over the idea of a new Housewives spin-off.

Oh, I am so here for this!' gushed former Married At First Sight star Clare Verrall, while Abbie Chatfield wrote: 'OMFG yes!'

The 49-year-old former E Street star revealed her very tanned legs as she stepped onto the red carpet in a mini dress

Nonetheless the actress looked stunning in her red satin frock teamed with Perspex stilettos and a glitter clutch bag

Gold Coast influencer Kurt Coleman, DJ Brooke Evers, and Bachelor in Paradise star Alisha Aitken-Radburn all commented on the post too.

The Real Housewives of Melbourne wrapped up its fifth season in December, after more than three years off the air.

The last new entry into the Australian franchise was The Real Housewives of Sydney, which premiered in 2017.

Unfortunately, the controversial series was axed after just one season.

Many viewers branded it the 'nastiest' Housewives series in the history of the global franchise.

Foxtel's executive director of television Brian Walsh agreed, saying in 2019 the show had gone 'too far'.

'A lot of the women in this show were nasty for nasty's sake and have no redeeming features,' he told The Daily Telegraph.

American network Bravo, which has aired several seasons of the Real Housewives of Melbourne, also reportedly refused to pick up the Sydney version because of its 'extreme' nature.
Farmer Wants a Wife star Claire Saunders has given fans an update on her health after being airlifted to hospital following a terrifying horse riding accident.

Claire, 37, shared photos of the moment she was taken in a rescue helicopter and said her injured leg is now '100 per cent better'.

Claire had appeared on the FWAW reunion on Monday with partner Andrew Coleman, 41, and hobbled onto the set on crutches and had a bandage on her leg.

'Thank you for all the messages. My leg is almost 100 per cent better now, here's some pics my bestie took of me being high on the green whistle,' she wrote, alongside photos of paramedics taking her to the chopper in a rescue stretcher.

'Straight out of Bellingham Beach,' she added, revealing the incident took place in Western Australia.

Farmer Wants a Wife star Claire Saunders has given fans an update on her health after being airlifted to hospital following a terrifying horse riding accident

Farmer Andrew spoke about the incident during the reunion episode on Monday and said Claire was doing well.

'She was out horse riding with some friends and it resulted in her being airlifted to hospital,' he said.

'She's okay, she's recovering,' he added, before she joined him on screen.

Claire, 37, shared photos of the moment she was taken in a rescue helicopter and said her injured leg is now '100 per cent better'

'Straight out of Bellingham Beach,' she added, revealing the incident took place in Western Australia

Farmer Andrew spoke about the incident during the reunion episode on Monday and said Claire was doing well

'Sometimes it might take that sort of thing to happen to make you realise, I am in love with Claire,' he added.

The pair fell in love on the show and agreed to leave together ahead of the finale.

Earlier this month, they spoke to Woman's Day about their exciting plans for the future, saying they've already discussed starting a family.

Claire had appeared on the FWAW reunion on Monday with partner Andrew Coleman, 41, and hobbled onto the set on crutches and had a bandage on her leg

'We're approaching it with the mindset of, "Let's enjoy one another first for a period of time and make memories of our own and if things keep evolving in a positive manner, then that'll come,"' he said.

Claire added: 'It would be nice to have twins first up, and then see what would happen after that.'

She also said the two 'have a positive thing going on' and they are relieved to be able to 'finally show the world our happiness'.
Alec Baldwin took to social media on Monday to mark the end of production on his film Rust, the film he was making in October of 2021 when a gun he was holding fired, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.

The Oscar-nominated actor, 65, who wrapped up his work on the movie earlier this month, shared an image of costars Frances Fisher, 71, and Patrick Scott McDermott, 14, in costume on the set of the Western as filming wrapped up in Montana.

'Last day of filming RUST in Montana,' Baldwin - who made headlines Monday for his actions at a recent gala - captioned the shot. 'Sorry that I did not get to work with this living legend, the great @francesfisher. Patrick, I envy you.'

Baldwin said 'its been a long and difficult road' making the motion picture, about a year-and-a-half after the fatal shooting, 'but we reach the end of the trail today.'

Baldwin congratulated the film's director Joel Souza, who was also shot in the incident; as well as Bianca Cline, who replaced Hutchins at cinematographer when production picked back up, as well as 'the entire cast and crew.'

Conclusion: Alec Baldwin, 65, took to social media on Monday to mark the end of production on his film Rust, the film he was shooting in October of 2021 when a gun he was holding fired, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins

Kind words: Baldwin shared an image of costars Frances Fisher, 71, and Patrick Scott McDermott, 14, in costume on the set of the Western as filming wrapped up in Montana

Baldwin said it was 'nothing less than a miracle' that filming on the movie concluded, more than a year-and-a-half following the shooting of Hutchins, followed by a number of legal issues, and considerable skepticism the project would move forward.

The filming of the movie began in New Mexico on October 6, 2021, but was put on indefinite hold two weeks later after a prop gun held by Baldwin discharged, wounding Souza and killing Hutchins.

Baldwin would eventually be charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, in New Mexico, but the criminal charges against Baldwin were dropped last month, and he returned to the set to finish filming his scenes in Montana the very next day.

Baldwin and other Rust producers settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Hutchins' widower Matthew Hutchins in October 2022.

The team also agreed to complete the movie with Matthew Hutchins as an executive producer, along with Cline completing his late wife's work as cinematographer.

On Monday, May 15, the Oscar-nominated actor announced he was wrapping up Rust in an Instagram post in which he was pictured next to McDermott.

'Last day on the set of RUST with this guy. A very talented actor and lovely young man with a bright future ahead. My love to you, @patrickscottmcdermott,' he wrote.

Later that day, Baldwin showed off a freshly shaven face, writing in the caption, 'God, it felt good to shave off that beard'

That's a wrap: On May 15, the Oscar-nominated actor announced he was wrapping up Rust in an Instagram post in which he was pictured next to McDermott

Relief: After finishing the movie, Baldwin shared how it 'felt good to shave off that beard' he grew out for the film

Tragedy on set: Baldwin had been facing two criminal charges in connection to the accidental shooting of a prop gun on the set of Rust in October 2021 that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Those charges were eventually dropped in April 2023

Giving thanks: Baldwin has been sharing photos from the set of Rust, one which he thanked his young co-star Easton Malcolm, whom he previously called 'the next Brad Pitt'

The fatal incident involving Hutchins, 42, occurred October 21, 2021 during rehearsal on the set of Rust in New Mexico. She was seen at a 2018 event in Utah

During the last rounds of filming, the New York native shared photos taken on the set, including a couple with his young co-star Easton Malcolm, whom he called 'the next Brad Pitt' in a post on April 30.

'Saying goodbye to my co-star EASTON MALCOLM wasn't easy,' Baldwin shared the next day. 'Thanks, Brett, for sharing him with us. We love you, Easton.'

In the Western, Baldwin plays an infamous outlaw Harland Rust, who comes out of hiding to stop his 13-year-old grandson from being hanged for murder.

The actor has his next job lined up, as he will star in Kent State, a film about the tragic shootings on the campus of Kent State University back in May 1970 that left four unarmed students dead and nine others injured.

Baldwin will play the role of then-president of the university Robert White, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Dermot Mulroney, Clancy Brown, Aksel Hennie, Christopher Backus, Christopher Ammanuel, Andrew Ortenberg and Jacqueline Emerson have also been cast in the film.
Nathan Buckley is proving that he certainly has a type when it comes to dating.

The divorced footy legend, 50, has gravitated towards glamorous brunettes since splitting with his blonde ex-wife of 18-years, Tania Minnici.

Buckley's latest squeeze is 34-year-old business manager Brodie Ryan, and she bears a striking resemblance to his last girlfriend, cosmetic nurse Alex Pike.

The pair both share wavy brunette locks, beaming bright white smiles and a similar sense of style.

Brodie and Alex both love sharing photos of themselves strutting around Melbourne in activewear or attending red carpet events around town.

Seeing double! Nathan Buckley's new girlfriend Brodie Ryan (left) looks a lot like his ex-flame Alex Pike (right)

In fact, the two stunners have narrowly avoided some awkward run-ins with each other.

They both attended Glamour on the Grid in March, and last year Alex was seated near both Brodie and Buckley at the Justin Cassin X Redken show at Melbourne Fashion Week.

Buckley started dating the business manager last year, and he hasn't been shy about expressing his affection on social media.

Smitten Buckley (right) moved on with Brodie (left) shortly after his split from Alex last year

It's unclear what caused Pike's (left) split with Buckley (right), but the former couple appeared to be hot and heavy until he moved on with business manager Brodie

The smitten footy star is a frequent commenter on her Instagram page, often offering up words of praise or flame and heart emojis.

On one post, he gushed: 'Brodes, you have nothing to prove to anyone.'

He continued: 'You don't need validation or approval. Because the people who matter, don't care for that.

'Keep living your life as you see fit; as the kind, intelligent, empathic woman you are.'

Brodie (left) recently stepped out in a glamorous black dress that looked similar to the style that Alex (right) usually wears

In another post, Buckley suggested that Brodie wear an aqua coloured dress instead of the lilac number she had on in the photo.

The private couple also appeared to take a swipe at social media influencers in a post from January, in which Brodie gushed about spending time in celeb hotspot Bondi.

'Do any fluencing (sic) up there at all?' Buckley snarkily commented.

'Hehehe you know Im not cut out for fluencing' she responded.

Brodie (left) and Alex (right) both love sharing photos of themselves strutting around Melbourne in activewear

Buckley's ex-girlfriend, cosmetic nurse Alex Pike, is a budding influencer with over 37,000 followers and a podcast focused on the plastic and cosmetic surgery industry.

She's also become a favourite at red carpet events in the past two years, attending fashion shows and F1's Glamour on the Grid.

Not to be outdone, Brodie has also started to make herself known on the Melbourne social scene.

The business manager attended Glamour on the Grid in March and was at the opening of swanky South Yarra restaurant The Beverly last month.

Business manager Brodie seems to have a similar sense of style to Alex as she dons a flirty floral print dress and poses with a designer handbag

While the couple are more than happy to flaunt their romance on social media, mum-of-three Pike has been making moves to grow her beauty brand.

The brunette has been studying to get accredited as a registered nurse in America so that she can expand her cosmetic clinic, Face by Alex Pike, and is launching a podcast about plastic surgery.

She also has her own eight-week beauty bootcamp program called Inside Out to help people change their lives and get in shape.

The glamorous brunettes both donned ball gowns at Glamour on the Grid in March

While it's unclear what caused Pike's split with Buckley, the former couple appear to have gone their separate ways some time last year.

'I'm definitely not seeing anyone, I'm keeping to myself,' Alex told the Herald Sun in December.

'I have been studying for my exams to be a registered nurse in the states so it's just when I visit,' she continued.

'I've travelled a lot and it's been really wonderful. I'm really lucky I've got a great network in America.'

Brodie rocked a stylish brown ensemble at an event in April, exactly one year after Alex wore something similar

Buckley quickly moved on with Brodie after splitting with Alex.

'We have such a normal relationship and we intend to keep it that way,' Brodie gushed to the Herald Sun last October.

'If he wasn't who he was we'd still love our time together in a chilled environment and are in our element making dinner at home.'

Nathan split from ex-wife Tania in December 2020 after 18 years of marriage, and they share two teenage sons, Jett, 15, and Ayce, 13.
Cleo Smith's mother Ellie is enjoying a budding new career as a beautician following her daughter's harrowing kidnapping ordeal.

During a sit-down interview with 60 Minutes earlier this month, viewers were taken aback by the mother-of-two's transformation.

She looked strikingly different, debuting a slimmer physique and a head of bleach-blonde hair extensions.

Last month, Ms Smith opened the doors of her new business Purely Tan Beauty Salon in Lakelands, Western Australia, after years of operating an online candle-making business.

Posts shared to social media show Ms Smith encouraging her followers to mark their calendars and purchase gift cards at her salon ahead of Mother's Day.

Cleo Smith's mother Ellie has revealed her unexpected career move following her glamorous transformation. She is pictured on 60 Minutes in February 2022, left, and May 2023, right

Ellie's daughter Cleo's abduction case made international headlines when the four-year-old was kidnapped from a tent while sleeping with her family at a campsite near Carnarvon, roughly 960km north of Perth, on October 16, 202

She also promoted a deal for a discount on spray tanning.

Ms Smith now has a large social media following, amounting to over 92,000 followers on Instagram and Facebook.

Her daughter Cleo's abduction case made international headlines when the four-year-old was kidnapped from a tent while sleeping with her family at a campsite near Carnarvon, roughly 960km north of Perth, on October 16, 2021.

Terence Darrell Kelly, 37, held her captive in his home for 18 days before Western Australia Police staged a late-night rescue operation.

Last month, Ellie opened the doors of her new business Purely Tan Beauty Salon in Lakelands, Western Australia, after years of operating an online candle-making business

Posts shared to social media show Ellie encouraging her followers to mark their calendars and purchase gift cards at her salon ahead of Mother's Day

In the wake of Cleo's kidnap ordeal, Ms Smith, along with her daughters, Cleo and Isla, and partner Jake Gliddon, relocated from their Carnarvon home in WA.

They are believed to have settled in a serene suburb near north Mandurah.

Viewers could barely recognise Ms Smith as she resurfaced on Channel Nine's 60 Minutes with fiance Jake Gliddon for an exclusive interview on May 14.

The former brunette looked decidedly different earlier this month on 60 Minutes, right, to the last time she appeared on 60 Minutes in February 2022, left

With her thick, blonde locks tumbling down her shoulders, contoured makeup and bronze spray tan, the former brunette looked decidedly different to the last time she appeared on 60 Minutes in February 2022.

The exorbitant cost of the sit-down, which was filmed over video chat due to Covid lockdowns, sparked criticism from industry insiders.

'This kind of money could employ not only dozens of journalists but is also enough to run multiple programs,' one senior television executive told The Australian at the time.

Cleo was held captive by Terence Darrell Kelly, 37, and locked alone in a bedroom at his home for 18 days before Western Australia Police rescued her in a late night raid. Pictured is Ms Smith and Cleo after her rescue on 9 November 2011

At the time, Pearman Media director of strategy and research Steve Allen told News Corp he was shocked at the interview's steep price.

'For the family at the reported amount, even under the distressing circumstances, they are now rich beyond their wildest dreams,' he said.

'There must have been more than one media outlet chasing this exclusive to go that high. [It] must have been fierce competition.'

Ms Smith and her partner Mr Gliddon returned to 60 Minutes on Sunday for a follow-up interview, one month after Kelly was jailed for 13 and a half years after pleading guilty to the abduction.

During the latest 60 Minutes interview, Ms Smith's panicked call to triple-0 and police bodycam of the distressed mum in tears after officers arrived at the remote campsite was aired for the first time.

Ms Smith (left) and stepdad Jake Gliddon (right) were at District Court of WA in Perth on April 5 2023 for the sentencing for the man who abducted their little girl

On April 5, Kelly was jailed for more than 10 years after pleading guilty to the abduction.

Ms Smith and Mr Gliddon made a surprise appearance at Kelly's sentencing in the District Court of WA.

Sentencing judge Julie Wager described the fear, distress and trauma caused to Cleo and her parents as 'immeasurable'.

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.

Kelly's legal team have since 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.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) meanwhile confirmed that it would not be appealing the sentence seeking an increase saying it was not 'inadequate'.

The dramatic rescue of Cleo was captured by an officer's body-worn camera and was beamed around the world.

Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the strength of the evidence against Kelly had likely influenced his early guilty plea.

'For me as commissioner, this is No.1 - this is the greatest story in Western Australian policing history,' he told reporters.

'The police investigation was meticulous ... the information that we had and the evidence we put together was exceptional.'

Terence Darrell Kelly (pictured during his arrest) was last month jailed for more than 10 years but his lawyers are appealing the sentence length

Police launched a major investigation after Cleo's mother awoke to find the girl missing from the family's tent at the Blowholes campsite, north of Carnarvon.

More than 100 officers were assigned to the task force with investigators processing thousands of calls to Crime Stoppers.

Surveillance footage was sought from motels and children's clothing stores within a 1000km radius of the campsite and forensic officers sifted through more than 50 cubic metres of rubbish from roadside bins.

The state government meanwhile offered a $1 million reward for information leading to Cleo's whereabouts.
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Renowned pet fashion couturier Anthony Rubio proved anything is paw-sible, including transforming a dozen rescue animals into dead ringers for some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Rihanna and Salma Hayek.

On Monday, the fashion designer, who is known for creating one-a-kind creations for pets, hosted the first annual Pet Gala, attended by 11 rescue pooches and one cat, who replicated some of the standouts on this year's red carpet.

Just like those that attended the 2023 Met Gala earlier this month, the furry attendees adhered to the exhibition theme, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, while gathering at the Penthouse on West 46th Street.

For the special occasion, Livie, a Morkie, replicated Hayek's fiery red Gucci ball gown, which featured a glossy bustier and sheer lace underlay, with off-the-shoulder pearl straps.

The adorable pup, who has 156,000 followers, also sported a coordinating bow, reminiscent of the 56-year-old House of Gucci actress' sleek ponytail with three large red rosettes.

Meanwhile, Miley-Jo, a Chorkie with 90,700 Instagram followers, stole the show dressed as nine-time Grammy winner Rihanna, in a white ballgown, with huge flowers all over it and a hood.

To ensure the small-but-mighty canine looked just like the Fenty Beauty founder, 35, Rubio even designed a pair of sunglasses adorned with false eyelashes on them for the pet influencer to wear.

Canine couture: Renowned pet fashion couturier Anthony Rubio proved anything is paw-sible, including transforming a dozen rescue animals into dead ringers for some of Hollywood's biggest stars, including Rihanna and Salma Hayek

Too cute: The adorable pup, who has 156,000 followers, also sported a coordinating bow, reminiscent of the 56-year-old House of Gucci actress' sleek ponytail with three large red rosettes

Darla, an eight-year-old Pomeranian, was styled as the one and only Cardi B.

And, the precious hound clearly embraced life as the Bodak Yellow hitmaker while rocking a custom-made, tuxedo gown, covered with massive black roses.

Other notable dog models included Darla's sister, Lala, dressed as Dua Lipa, who served as a co-host at the 2023 Met Gala.

Bling, a Pomeranian, wore a Pedro Pascal-inspired look, consisting of a floor-length red coat.

Bagel the Sunglasses Cat made quite the statement dressed as Doja Cat while Bogie, a Chihuahua, was gussied up like rapper Bad Bunny.

According to Rubio, the most challenging garment to recreate was Jared Leto's full-body cat.

'This took two weeks,' he told the New York Post of the design, worn by Kimba.

The publication also revealed the designer is already planning 'next year's Pet Gala, which he hopes will include a sit-down dinner at the actual museum, with sponsors and tickets that will raise money for animal shelters and charities.'

Adorable: Meanwhile, Miley-Jo, a Chorkie, stole the show dressed as nine-time Grammy winner Rihanna, in a white dress, with huge flowers all over it and a hood

Dog influencer: Miley-Jo has more than 90,700 Instagram followers

Custom-made: The gown was designed by Anthony Rubio

Okurrr! Darla, an eight-year-old Pomeranian, was styled as the one and only Cardi B

'Everything I do, I do for my love of animals,' he said.

Rubio recently appeared on Access Hollywood to show off the designs ahead of the invite-only event, attended by pets around the United States.

The acclaimed Pet Couturier regularly features his work on his social media pages, including his Instagram, which has more than 15,100 followers.

Breaking the internet: Bling, a Pomeranian, wore a Pedro Pascal-inspired look, consisting of a floor-length red coat

The Cat's Meow! Bagel The SunglassCat (L) was dressed as Doja Cat (R)

Perfect: Gizmo, a Shih Tzu, recreated P. Diddy's Met Gala look

According to Rubio, the most challenging garment to recreate was Jared Leto's full-body cat

Inspiring: Bogie, a Chihuahua, was gussied up like rapper Bad Bunny

Chic: Other notable dog models included Darla's sister, Lala, dressed as Dua Lipa, who served as a co-host at the 2023 Met Gala

More to come: The designer is already planning 'next year's Pet Gala, which he hopes will include a sit-down dinner at the actual museum, with sponsors and tickets that will raise money for animal shelters and charities'

The New York native has been designing clothing for animals since rescuing a Chihuahua back in 2005.

In 2012, he became the first canine designer to exhibit his work at the New York Fashion Week.

That same year, he launched a 'Adopt Me Maybe' campaign, inspired by Carly Rae Jepsen's hit Call Me Maybe, which went viral.

According to his website, he has been featured on 'Good Morning America, New York Times, The Today Show, TIME magazine, Vogue Italia, Harpers Bazaar, USA Today, People Magazine, US Weekly, and Glamour Magazine.'

His book, Canine Couture, featuring photography by Tammy Swarek, Robin Hagy, David Ayllon, Simply Robb, Mouhsine Idrissi Janati and Yoni Levy, is avilable for pre-order for $40.
She is one of Australia's most in-demand bikini models.

And on Tuesday, Natalie Roser made jaws drop as she took part in a steamy photo shoot on Bronte Beach.

The blonde bombshell, 33, made the beach her runway in the barely-there nude swimsuit which showcased her sensational figure.

Natalie, who is marred to former Home and Away star Harley Bonner, flaunted her six-pack abs and toned legs in the swimwear.

She did a number of twists and turns as she stood on top of the stairs at Bronte Beach.

Nat Roser, 33, flaunted her sensational figure as she slipped into a racy nude-hued bikini for a photoshoot at Bronte Beach on Tuesday

The blonde bombshell, 33, made the beach her runway in the barely-there nude swimsuit which showcased her sensational figure

The statuesque beauty had her blonde locks coiffed in a messy bed hair style, out and cascading around her shoulders.

It comes after Natalie posed on the cover of Maxim New Zealand for the March edition of the racy magazine.

A natural in front of a camera, she posed in a triangle mesh black bra and a matching thong.

Natalie, who is marred to former Neighbours star Harley Bonner, flaunted her six-pack abs and toned legs in the swimwear

The statuesque beauty had her blonde locks coiffed in a messy bed hair style, out and cascading past her shoulders

The star lightly tugged at her bikini bottoms at one point during the shoot

The model posted the magazine cover to Instagram with the caption: 'Coming back online after a few days disconnecting to my new @maxim_newzealand cover.'

She also shared two other photos from the shoot where she is seen posing proactively on a cream couch in the same black lingerie set.

Natalie recently spoke out about her 'unconventional first year of marriage' with her former Home and Away actor husband Harley.

The bikini featured a G-string bottoms

Nat held onto the railing at the top of the stairs as she posed dramatically for the camera

Last September, she confirmed that they were no longer living together in their Newcastle home.

She told the Daily Telegraph that Harley, 31, had moved to Thailand shortly after their wedding in February last year to study energy healing and meditation.

While Natalie admitted that she 'doesn't understand' that world, she still supports Harley as he 'fulfills his dreams'.

'He is so happy. It is definitely an unconventional first year of marriage,' she said.

It comes after Natalie posed on the cover of Maxim New Zealand for the March edition of the racy magazine

The bikini model recently spoke out about her 'unconventional first year of marriage' with her former Home and Away actor husband Harley Bonner

She told the Daily Telegraph that Harley, 31, had moved to Thailand shortly after their wedding in February last year to study energy healing and meditation

'He is fulfilling his dreams and who would I be to stand in his way of doing something that he has wanted to do for so long?'

Natalie said letting Harley travel solo in their first year of marriage was preferable to him doing it later down the track when they have children.

On Valentine's Day, the model posted a carousel of photos of her and Harley to celebrate their love.

One photo shows them on faceTime as he fulfils his dream abroad.
The Idol has received a slew of underwhelming reviews after its premiere of its first two episodes at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday.

The HBO series, created by The Weeknd, Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim, has been panned by critics and slammed for its 'graphic' sex scenes and gratuitous nudity.

The show, which stars Lily-Rose Depp and The Weeknd, was a rare TV project to screen at the annual cinematic event in France, at the Grand Theatre Lumiere.

It follows the story of 'rising pop idol' Jocelyn (Lily) as she starts a 'complicated relationship' with Tedros (The Weeknd), 'a leader of a modern-day cult' and nightclub manager, according to a synopsis from producers.

But The Idol, which is set to air on June 5, has already been subject to controversy after Rolling Stone dubbed it 'torture porn' and detailed a series of troubles amid production, citing multiple insiders.

After its Cannes premiere on Monday, which was reportedly met with a five-minute standing ovation, The Idol has been hit by a host of underwhelming reviews as critics slammed its 'graphic' sex scenes, but some did praise Lily's performance.

A review penned by The Hollywood Reporter's Lovia Gyarkye dubbed the forthcoming drama 'more regressive than transgressive' in a disappointing verdict.

Disappointing: The Idol, starring Lily-Rose Depp, has received a slew of underwhelming reviews after its premiere of its first two episodes at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday

The review told how HBO sought to amplify the sex-fuelled debauchery in marketing the series, advertising it from the 'sick and twisted minds' of Euphoria creator Sam and rapper The Weeknd, whose full name is Abel Tesfaye.

The publication also described the show 'an older, even more stylized version' of Euphoria's second season, which stars the likes of Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney.

The critic also referenced a scene where a music executive argued with a director to 'stop c***blocking America,' saying it 'puts a metaphorical hand up at incoming haters', adding 'sex sells, and The Idol revels in that'.

'Some of them have momentum, others are contradictory and most of them are confusing,' it continued. 'It makes you wonder if in trying so hard to be transgressive, the show ultimately becomes regressive.'

It also criticised the 'gratuitous' displays of nudity for Lily's character Jocelyn, adding: 'Rarely does a scene go by without the camera showing flashes of her breasts or a**.

'You start to wonder if this is building to anything, and by episode two it seems likely that it's probably not.'

In one scene, Jocelyn tells an associate she likes Tedros' 'rapey' vibes, according to the report, adding: 'There's a strenuousness to the sex scenes between Depp and Tesfaye that kills any sense of eroticism.'

Underwhelming: The HBO series, created by The Weeknd (pictured), Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim, has been panned by critics and slammed for its 'graphic' sex scenes

Plot: It follows the story of 'rising pop idol' Jocelyn (Lily) as she starts a relationship with Tedros (The Weeknd), 'a leader of a modern-day cult', according to a synopsis from producers

Negative: After its Cannes premiere, which was reportedly met with a five-minute standing ovation, The Idol has been hit by a host of underwhelming reviews

In one positive line, the critic noted how the series 'shows glimmers of potential when it stops trying so hard to be shocking'.

Meanwhile, Variety spoke about some of the 'controversial' sexual portrayals on the show as it claimed that The Idol had 'scandalised' Cannes at its premiere.

Critics Matt Donnelly and Zack Sharf wrote: 'Revenge porn photos of bodily fluids on Depp's face, masturbation with ice cubes, nightclub-owning scam artists and vile Hollywood sycophants populated the first two episodes of the already-controversial series.'

Deadline also referenced the previous controversies surrounding the series and slammed Cannes for being 'attention-grabbing' by premiering a HBO show at the prestigious Film Festival.

Referencing the controversies, Damon Wise said: 'In a case of life imitating art, the crazy scenes surrounding the premiere would not have been out of place on the screen in a story that, at least as far as anyone could tell, is a satire on the sensation-saturated world of contemporary pop culture, where good is bad and bad is the bare minimum.'

He went on to describe the series as 'one part giallo, one part erotic thriller and thus two parts Brian De Palma,' also drawing a comparison to Charles Manson.

'Could there be a clue in Nikki's assertion that Jocelyn's look is 'a little Sharon Tate' and the fact that Tedros has assembled a loose family of misfits as he tries to break into the music industry?' he asked.

Elsewhere, The Los Angeles Times review noted that the series has 'a similar penchant for graphic sex, cute clothes and self-destruction' to Euphoria.

Critic Mary McNamara described it as 'a naked attempt to bring the TikTok generation back to cinemas with a tantalizing nepo-baby vibe, along with hints of scandal'.

The review also noted disturbing sequences that might justify the 'torture porn' label, including discussion of a mental breakdown, an intimacy coordinator being dismissed and a graphic revenge porn sequence.

It notes that Jocelyn's 'naked, and near-naked, breasts are on constant display' and while there are 'several sex scenes that are graphic (especially aurally) even by HBO standards, the term 'porn' is not inaccurate.

They added: 'It's tough to imagine anyone would consider any of the action erotic when it is so ham-fisted.'

Despite the disappointing reviews, some critics did praise Lily's performance on the show, with The Hollywood reporter calling it 'persuasive'.

Wise described it as a 'highly sexualized performance' 'grounded and often vulnerable, discomfortingly addressing the fine lines between porn and art' and 'power and exploitation that have faced young women in the music industry for years'.

Production on the project kicked off in November 2021 and continued into the following year, with shooting taking place during The Weeknd's show at the SoFi Stadium last September.

However, the series attracted much attention after several sources reported that a creative overhaul had taken place in April last year.

Review: The show was described by the LA Times as 'a, well, naked attempt to bring the TikTok generation back to cinemas with a tantalizing nepo-baby vibe, along with hints of scandal'

Shock: One review said the series 'shows glimmers of potential when it stops trying so hard to be shocking'

Several cast members were removed from the project and Euphoria's Sam ultimately took over former director Amy Seimetz's role.

The Weeknd recently sat down with Interview Magazine and commented on the rumors regarding the show's rocky production.

He stated: 'As an artist, you have to know that you can't please everybody, and you have to accept that it comes with the job...with time people will learn to understand.'

The cast of the series is rounded out by Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Jennie Kim, Eli Roth, and Hank Azaria.
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Arnold Schwarzenegger was inundated with support from his family at the Los Angeles premiere of his upcoming series, Fubar, which hits Netflix this Wednesday.

As he prepared to enjoy a special screening of his action-comedy television series, created by Nick Santora, the 75-year-old action star and former Governor beamed with pride as he posed for pictures with both his daughters Katherine, 33, and Christina, 31, as well as son-in-law Chris Pratt.

His fifth and youngest child, Joseph Baena, who was Arnold's once-secret 'love child' with his former housekeeper, Mildred Baena, opted to walk the red carpet solo on Monday night.

While it is unclear exactly why he was not join any group shots, alongside his older sisters, it is widely believed that they do not have relationship with him, unlike their brothers, Christopher and Patrick, who workout at the same gym as him and their dad.

None of Arnold's eldest four children follow their half-brother on Instagram, and he was not invited to Katherine's wedding to Pratt, 43, in 2019.

Sweet: Arnold Schwarzenegger was inundated with support from his family at the Los Angeles premiere of his upcoming series, Fubar, which hits Netflix this Wednesday

Missing from the group shot: His fifth and youngest child, Joseph Baena, who was Arnold's once-secret 'love child' with his former housekeeper, Mildred Baena, opted to walk the red carpet solo on Monday night

All together: As he prepared to enjoy a special screening of his action-comedy television series, created by Nick Santora, the 75-year-old action star and former Governor beamed with pride as he posed for pictures with both his daughters Katherine, 33, and Christina, 31, as well as son-in-law Chris Pratt

He previously followed Katherine and Patrick on the app, but has since unfollowed them. An insider previously told Page Six that Katherine resented Joseph for being 'the product of an affair that Arnold kept hidden for years.'

The insider also claimed that even if he had been invited to her big day, Baena 'wouldnt have wanted to go to the wedding as he would be a distraction' as his presence would have 'been the only story of the day.'

Despite any friction between the Pepperdine University graduate and older siblings, he has maintained a very close relationship with Arnold, who he gushed last year is someone he can 'joke around with' and 'talk about anything' during an appearance on Sophia and Sistine Stallone sisters' podcast, Unwaxed.

And, he appeared proud to attend the premiere for his father's television debut, in which he portrays a father that keeps his life as a CIA agent a secret from his daughter (Monica Barbaro), who is also an operative.

For the occasion, Baena wore a black jacket over a white dress shirt, dark trousers and loafers.

Meanwhile, Arnold cut a dapper figure in a black suit, white button-down and red tie.

Katherine sported a black turtleneck, matching pants and a pair of leather booties. Her husband, best known for starring as Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, wore a bomber jacket over a navy and beige flannel.

Christina stunned in a mustard-colored pantsuit and had her shoulder-length brunette tresses curled for her night out in Hollywood.

Separated: While it is unclear exactly why he was not join any group shots, alongside his older sisters, it is widely believed that they do not have relationship with him, unlike their brothers, Christopher and Patrick, who workout at the same gym as him and their dad

Odd: None of Arnold's eldest four children follow their half-brother on Instagram, and he was not invited to Katherine's wedding to Pratt, 43, in 2019

Navigating family drama: He previously followed Katherine and Patrick on the app, but has since unfollowed them. An insider previously told Page Six that Katherine resented Joseph for being 'the product of an affair that Arnold kept hidden for years'

Close to dad: Despite any friction between the Pepperdine University graduate and older siblings, he has maintained a very close relationship with Arnold, who he gushed last year is someone he can 'joke around with' and 'talk about anything' during an appearance on Sophia and Sistine Stallone sisters' podcast, Unwaxed

TV debut: In his latest project, Arnold portrays a father that keeps his life as a CIA agent a secret from his daughter (Monica Barbaro), who is also an operative

Handsome: Arnold cut a dapper figure in a black suit, white button-down and red tie

Arnold's costar, Monica Barbaro, who plays his daughter, showcased her incredible figure in a light pink feathered minidress and matching open-toed high heels.

Apart from a pair of stud earrings, the 32-year-old Top Gun: Maverick star wore no other jewelry.

Her dark brown lockers cascaded just above her shoulders as she strutted down the red carpet.

Actress Aparna Brielle, who is also in the Fubar cast, wore a silver figure-hugging dress with a racy thigh-high slit, accessorizing the look with a bangle and rings from Effy Jewelry.

The rest of the cast, including Jay Baruchel, Gabriel Luna, Fortune Feimster, Travis Van Winkle, Milan Carter, Fabiana Udenio, were also in attendance.

Glamorous: Arnold's costar, Monica Barbaro, who plays his daughter, showcased her incredible figure in a light pink feathered minidress and matching open-toed high heels

Keeping it simple: Apart from a pair of stud earrings, the 32-year-old Top Gun: Maverick star wore no other jewelry

Pretty in pink: Her dark brown lockers cascaded just above her shoulders as she strutted down the red carpet

Turning heads: Barbaro rocked a light pink feathered minidress and matching open-toed high heels

All together! Barbaro and Schwarzenegger posed with cast members Jay Baruchel. Gabriel Luna, Fortune Feimster, Travis Van Winkle, Milan Carter, Fabiana Udenio and Aparna Brielle

Funny: Schwarzenegger posed with a 'World's Best Dad' mug in his right hand

His leading lady: Schwarzenegger posed with his on-screen daughter

Beaming: The stars smiled as photographers snapped their picture together

Sweet: Schwarzenegger and Barbaro exchanged a laugh on the red carpet

In 2021, Arnold first announced the news that he would be starring in this series with Barbaro.

'Fans from all over the world have been asking me for a wild ride like this for years, and now they're finally going to get it because of our great partners at Skydance and Netflix,' Schwarzenegger said, at the time.

He continued: 'I am beyond pumped to start work on the show with Nick and Monica and the whole team.'

Dazzling: Actress Aparna Brielle, who is also in the Fubar cast, wore a silver figure-hugging dress with a racy thigh-high slit

Chic: Brielle and Barbaro showed off their stylish looks on the red carpet

Shining bright: Brielle paired her look with a pair of open-toed heels and a glamorous makeup look, consisting of blush and a winged black eyeliner

Sparkly: The actress, 29, is best known for starring on A.P. Bio as Sarika Sarkar

Daring: Udenio wore a racy black minidress, which was partially sheer

Flower power: Feimster wore a patterned jacket over a black button-down and matching pants

Happy couple: Feimster attended with her wife Jacquelyn Smith

Date night: Ron Perlman and wife Allison Dunbar were also in attendance

Dapper: Travis Van Winkle looked handsome in a grey suit with black buttons

Star-studded evening: Milan Carter and Gabriel Luna were both in attendance

Standing out from the crowd: News anchor Stephanie Sy wore a fuchsia pink minidress with a tulle train

Fabulous: Barbara Eve Harris radiated beauty in her charcoal grey midi dress

Night out: Tom Arnold wore a bomber jacket, black t-shirt and dark-wash jeans

Inseparable: Actor Jay Baruchel and model Rebecca Jo-Dunham, who met on Raya, arrived together

Schwarzenegger and Barbaro will play a father and daughter, who both work for the CIA unbeknownst to the other, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

'They realize their relationship is built on lies and they dont really know each other at all. Forced to team up, they sort through their family issues against a backdrop of spies, action and humor.'

Arnold has worked with Skydance for years, most recently on the last two Terminator films, Genisys and Dark Fate.

The hourlong drama was created and executive produced by Nick Santora, who also serves as showrunner.

Santoro developed the original idea as part of an overall deal with Skydance Television, which was set up for development at Netflix in November.

David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Bill Bost are also set to executive produce for Skydance, as well as Schwarzenegger.

Barbaro most recently starred in theTop Gun: Maverick sequel with Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer and Miles Teller.
One of the stars of Netflix's Selling Sunset is going viral after sharing a seemingly erotic cooking tutorial on social media.

Chelsea Lazkani shocked her followers and has racked up thousands of views in the process with a sensual video of herself preparing a ribeye melt sandwich.

In the video, the 30-year-old seductively prepares the meal in a busty sheer bodysuit that leaves little to the imagination.

With her ample cleavage on display, Chelsea drizzles oil in a hot pan and cracks pepper with both hands wrapped around the shaker.

The carnal cooking video is scored by Drake and Majid Jordan's sizzling track Summer's Over, which features fuzzy electric guitars and Majid's sultry crooning.

Selling Sunset's Chelsea Lazkani (pictured) is going viral for a sensual cooking video she posted to social media

The video sparked an explosive reaction from her followers, with many delighted by the saucy undertones in the tutorial

'Why is this so sexy?' Fans couldn't believe how hot Chelsea's cooking tutorial was

'Omg this looks amazing!!! Do you ever go on Pinterest to look at recipes?! They have the BEST ideas!' gushed Chelsea's former Selling Sunset co-star Christine Quinn

Captioning it, Chelsea wrote: 'Dinner is Served! RIBEYE MELT. Swiss cheese, grilled onions, mustard bacon sauce, parmesan sourdough.'

The video sparked an explosive reaction from her followers, with many delighted by the saucy undertones in the tutorial.

'Omg this looks amazing!!! Do you ever go on Pinterest to look at recipes?! They have the BEST ideas!' gushed Chelsea's former Selling Sunset co-star Christine Quinn.

'And obviously you are SO hottt doing it!' she added.

'This how you got them babies!!' wrote Nina Parker, while one fan said it was 'the most glam cooking Ive seen'.

In the video, the 30-year-old seductively prepares the meal in a busty sheer bodysuit that leaves little to the imagination

With her ample cleavage on display, Chelsea drizzles oil in a hot pan and cracks pepper with both hands wrapped around the shaker

Selling Sunset recently returned for its sixth season - and first without original staple Christine.

When asked if she will be binging the reality series, which she left last year after quitting The Oppenheim Group, the TV personality, 34, stated that she would not be tuning in.

'I have my girls that I absolutely love, and I'm so supportive of them. But for me, I don't think I'll watch the show just because I want to know them for who they are and not what they're edited to be,' the real estate broker told E! News on Tuesday.

The mother-of-one continued: 'So for me, I probably won't watch it. But I did hear that my name was being dropped in the trailer.'

Selling Sunset recently returned to Netflix for its explosive sixth season

Despite past tensions with many of her former costars, in particular with Chrishell Stause, the Dallas native revealed she is no longer feuding with her former rival.

'I feel like Chrishell and I are actually not on bad terms,' she continued. 'We really aren't.'

Quinn pointed out when she tweeted to Stause about being 'open to reconciliation' that All My Children alum, 41, 'hearted it.'

'There was like a cute little convo. So, who knows what the future holds?' she said.
ABC journalist Grace Tobin has sparked a fashion frenzy after she tied the knot with her boyfriend Tom in Brisbane over the weekend.

The notoriously private star, who is two-time Walkley Award-winning investigative reporter, was supported at the ceremony by a number of media stars, including Channel Nine's Sylvia Jeffreys.

Grace shunned a traditional wedding dress for the nuptials, instead opting for a thigh-high mini-dress that showcased her trim pins.

The beaming bride looked stunning in the unconventional dress, which featured puffy sleeves and a sleek, eye-catching design.

Grace wore her blonde tresses slightly wavy and opted for a glossy makeup style for her big day, while Tom donned a traditional three-piece suit.

ABC star journalist Grace Tobin has wed her boyfriend Tom in a thigh-grazing dress in stunning Brisbane ceremony alongside media celebs at the weekend. Both pictured

The unique dress impressed fans online, with one writing: 'You look absolutely stunning Grace.'

'Gorgeous, congratulations!' gushed another. 'Please let me know where your dress is from!'

'What a beautiful wedding dress,' wrote another excited admirer.

Sylvia took to Instagram to share photos of the pair.

'The beaming bride and groom. Thank you for sharing your magical day with us It was simply the best,' she captioned the photos.

A number of Grace's many friends from the Sydney media scene commented on the stunning photos.

Sylvia Jeffreys and Peter Stefanovic were at the ceremony in Brisbane

'The beaming bride and groom. Thank you for sharing your magical day with us It was simply the best,' Sylvia captioned the photos

In other photos, Grace stood alongside Sylvia, and pals Katie Buxton, Charlotte Dunn, and Jill McCormick. All pictured

'Congratulations Grace and Tom Stunning!' Ex-Today star Tracy Vo wrote.

'Oh how divine! huge congrats you gorgeous bride!!' Alison Ariotti added.

In other photos, Grace stood alongside Sylvia, and pals Katie Buxton, Charlotte Dunn, and Jill McCormick.

Grace is originally from Brisbane but has moved on to Sydney following a stint as a court reporter in regional Queensland. She now works on Four Corners.
Jade Jagger has broken her social media silence after she was fined 1,250 by Spanish police for resisting arrest and wounding during a night out in Ibiza.

The daughter of Rolling Stones rocker Sir Mick Jagger, 51, was convicted of resisting arrest and a minor offence of wounding a woman police officer following a row at the La Oliva restaurant last week with her boyfriend Anthony Hinkson, 31.

However, Jade appeared to be putting it all behind her on Monday evening, as she shared a series of holiday photos with her daughter and grandchildren to Instagram.

The new images come as it emerged a leading lawyer is seeking a retrial and tougher sentence for the jewellery designer following her fast-track court hearing.

A police lawyer told Mail Online on Monday he will demand the conviction is declared invalid because Friday's trial should 'never have taken place.'

'Only joy and love!' Jade Jagger has broken her social media silence after she was fined 1,250 by Spanish police for resisting arrest and wounding during a night out in Ibiza

Posting a picture of her son Ray and her daughter Assisi's children Erza and Romy, Jade poignantly wrote: 'Only joy and love and family time!'

It came as Jade posted a picture of her son Ray and her daughter Assisi's children Erza and Romy, Jade poignantly wrote: 'Only joy and love and family time!'

Jade joined her daughter and the kids for a lunch at Boscastle Harbour seafood restaurant The Rocket Store, before heading down to the water to play.

Jade posted a series of smiley selfies with Assisi at the restaurant and snaps of the children playing on the beach.

It was in stark contrast to last week, where Jade appeared grim faced as she left court with her boyfriend after she was fined 1,215 over the bust up and ordered to pay 700 in compensation to a police officer.

Unhappy with the result, Eduardo Luna, hired by Spanish police union SUP to fight the case, has since insisted: 'An annulment would mean the conviction no longer stands and we go back to where we were before the trial and then I intend pushing for a more serious charge against Jade Jagger with a tougher punishment.

'When you're resisting arrest and a police officer is injured, that's an assault. And assaulting a police officer in Spain can be punished with prison.'

He added: 'What's happened here has been very irregular. This should never have gone to a fast-track trial because the police officer's injury was not consolidated which means we don't know how it's going to evolve.'

The Palma-based lawyer, who has represented SUP in criminal law cases for more than three years, explained: 'The judge who sentenced Jade Jagger will have to justify why she allowed a fast-track trial to take place if she refuses my annulment demand and that's going to be difficult in my opinion.

'If that happens I will appeal and ask a higher court to decide.'

Family time: Jade joined her daughter and the kids for a lunch at Boscastle Harbour seafood restaurant The Rocket Store, before heading down to the water to play

Chill time: However, Jade appeared to be putting it all behind her on Monday evening, as she shared a series of holiday photos with her daughter and grandchildren to Instagram

Jade's toyboy boyfriend Anthony was handed a four-month suspended prison sentence at the behind-closed-doors hearing after admitting to a crime of assaulting a police officer over the street scuffle last week outside trendy eatery La Oliva.

She also struck a deal with state prosecutors and put her hands up to crimes of resisting arrest and wounding.

Jade and her new lover spent two nights in a police cell in Ibiza before appearing in court.

They were arrested on Wednesday night after a manager at the trendy restaurant called police and refused to serve Anthony because he was insulting staff and other customers.

Fined: It was in stark contrast to last week, where Jade appeared grim faced as she left court with her boyfriend this afternoon after she was fined 1,215 over a bust-up in Ibiza (pictured leaving court)

MailOnline was told that the bust-up happened after Jade and her boyfriend went to the La Oliva restaurant (pictured) in the heart of the old town area near Ibiza Castle

He is said to have turned on officers who confronted him after he behaved aggressively towards other people on the street outside the eatery.

Video footage obtained exclusively by Mail Online showed him being pinned to the ground by police who then called for an ambulance.

Witnesses said he had been behaving erratically and had gone into a clothes shop opposite La Oliva where he bought an expensive dress he then gifted to a waitress at the restaurant before the subsequent street altercation.

Jade, who split from her DJ husband-of-nine-years in 2021, is said to have intervened as her boyfriend was being arrested with witnesses claiming she accused officers of targeting him because he was black.

Well-placed sources said she insulted and pushed police, with the woman she hurt suffering a wrist injury which led to having to take time off work.

Other Spanish reports said she had scratched a police officer.

It did not become clear until after the hastily-organised fast-track trial, thought to have taken place after several hours of negotiations between defence and state prosecution lawyers, that Jade and her boyfriend had admitted their guilt and been convicted.

Pictured: Jade, the daughter of Rolling Stone star Sir Mick Jagger (pictured together in 2019) and his first wife Bianca, was arrested over the bust-up

An official at the Balearic Islands' High Court, acting as a spokesperson for sentencing judge Maria Luisa Bastillo, confirmed moments after mum-of-three Jade left court and got into a van with blacked-out windows without making any comment: 'Court of Instruction Number One in Ibiza, acting as a duty court, has held a speedy trial following a plea bargain deal against A.W and J.J who were arrested on Wednesday in Ibiza.

'The judge has convicted A.W of a crime of assaulting a police officer and handed him a four-month prison sentence.

'The same judge has fined JJ for a crime of serious resistance and a minor offence of wounding.

Bizarre: At one point Anthony is said to have gone into an up-market clothes shop (pictured) and bought a designer dress for more than 2,000 euros as an impromptu gift for a waitress in a nearby restaurant

'The fine for the first offence is 10 euros (8.68) daily over four months and for the second it is a 20-day fine at 10 euros (8.68) a day.

'JJ must also compensate her victim with 800 euros (695).'

Hinkson's prison sentence is understood to have been suspended as part of the plea bargain deal, with prison terms of two years or less routinely being suspended for first-time offenders in Spain.

A well-placed source said last night: 'This twist in the case opens up all sorts of possibilities.

'One is that Jade and her boyfriend will have their convictions annulled, be summoned back to court, and leave themselves open to international arrest warrants if they have left Spain by the time they get their summons and refuse to play ball.'

SUP, which represents more than 20,000 Spanish National Police officers, had already announced plans to prosecute the pair in a legal action due to run as a parallel but separate case to the state prosecution one.

Lawyer Mr Luna said: 'What should have happened on Friday is that the injured police officer should have been asked in court to confirm what she had written in her report about the incident before being summoned again at a future date.

'The fast-track trial occurred after she left court having left the matter in the hands of her lawyer and told officials to instruct him about any developments.

'The way things occurred has all been very strange. I am confident I can obtain an annulment.'
Ashley Graham commanded attention as she worked the social scene during Cannes Film Festival.

The model, 35, showcased her incredible figure in a structured blue minidress as she hit two parties on Monday night.

Ashley attended the British Vogue and Chopard bash at the Hotel Martinez before mingling with the stars at Naomi Campbell's 53rd birthday party at Villa Julia.

The fashionista put on a leggy display in the mini dress which was adorned with swirly blue ribbon.

Ashley amped up the drama with a luxurious feather boa which she draped over her arms.

Ashley Graham commanded attention as she worked the social scene during Cannes Film Festival

Gorgeous: The model, 35, showcased her incredible figure in a structured blue minidress as she hit two parties on Monday night

She added a boost to her height with silver heels.

Ashley appeared in a playful mood as she posed up a storm and winked for the cameras.

The television personality looked noticeably toned since showing off her postpartum body after welcoming a set of twins  named Malachi and Roman, 17 months  in January 2021 with her husband, Justin Ervin. The couple also share a son Isaac, three.The model revealed earlier this year that she and her husband are done having children.

She made the revelation on the podcast Milk Drunk as she discussed raising three children under the age of four.

'I don't have to be on a pill, thank God,' she raved, before noting that her husband Justin had undergone a vasectomy.

In collaboration with BOSS, Naomi hosted a variety of star-studded guests.

Naomi looked sensational for the big night, where she wore a gold sequinned maxi dress, complete with a feather detailing at the bottom.

The gorgeous number featured an asymmetrical neckline, with cut-outs along her chest.

Busy lady: Ashley attended the British Vogue and Chopard bash at the Hotel Martinez before mingling with the stars at Naomi Campbell's 53rd birthday party at Villa Julia.

Walk this way: The fashionista put on a leggy display in the mini dress which was adorned with swirly blue ribbon

Dazzling: Ashley Graham wowed in a busty blue embellished mini dress which she teamed with a dramatic blue feathered bower

Bringing the glamour: Ashley amped up the drama with a luxurious feather boa which she draped over her arms

Working it: Ashley appeared in a playful mood as she posed up a storm and winked for the cameras

She showcased her incredible body in the figure-hugging number and flashed a hint of cleavage.

The stars have been gathering in Cannes for the Film Festival, which kicked off last week.

The festival previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around the world.

Founded in 1946, the invitation-only festival is held annually (usually in May) at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres.
She rose to fame with a short-lived role as Olivia Radfield on the soap.

And Coronation Street star Arianna Ajtar was worlds away from her on-screen character, as she sent her Instagram followers wild with a sexy bikini-clad snap.

The actress, 27, flaunted her peachy bottom in a skimpy orange thong bikini in a gallery of snaps from her recent sun-soaked getaway to Ibiza.

Arianna posed in the doorway of a picturesque Spanish villa in her revealing tangering two-piece.

Her post also gave her followers a glimpse of the villa where she had been staying, as well as some of the delicious food she'd been enjoying.

Sizzling! Coronation Street star Arianna Ajtar was worlds away from her on-screen character, as she sent her Instagram followers wild with a sexy bikini-clad snap

Screen star! Arianna originally starred on Corrie as model Olivia Radfield from 2018 to 2019, and since then has been living a jet-setting lifestyle

Saucy! The actress flaunted her peachy bottom in a skimpy orange thong bikini in a gallery of snaps from her recent sun-soaked getaway to Ibiza

She captioned her post: 'besos x.'

Arianna originally starred on Corrie as model Olivia from 2018 to 2019, and since then has been living a jet-setting lifestyle.

Among some of the hotspots she's visited in the past year are Cannes, Dubai, Crete and Paris, after setting up her own clothing brand Mars The Label.

During her Corrie stint, unknowing Olivia became a drugs mule after arriving on the cobbles to pose for an Underworld fashion shoot.

Taken under the wing of Rosie Webster, she realised Olivia was being used to move drugs into Weatherfield by Antoine, with her unaware of the contents of the suitcase she'd been given.

The pair then foiled Antoine's dodgy scheme by replacing the drugs with icing sugar.

Later, fans learned more of Olivia's past, when it was revealed her mother May had faked her death so she could claim the life insurance payment.

Her father Duncan went onto steal charity money framed Sally Webster for the crime, and May's 'death'.

Revealing! Arianna posed in the doorway of a picturesque Spanish villa in her revealing tangering two-piece

Living it up! Her post also gave her followers a glimpse of the villa where she had been staying, as well as some of the delicious food she'd been enjoying

Showing it off! Arianna's revealing bikini perfectly showcased her peachy posterior

Sally's husband Tim, and her daughter Rosie, vowed to prove Sally's innocence, and under the ruse of booking a gig for Olivia, gleamed information from her about May's whereabouts.

Duncan's plot soon fell apart and he went onto confess his crimes to the police.

Olivia made her last appearance on Corrie in January 2019, when Duncan was involved in a shocking accident, but hasn't appeared on the soap since.

Coronation Street remains Arianna's only acting credit.
A Good Morning Britain regular was rushed to hospital after a nasty accident on the London Underground last week.

Iain Dale was taken by an ambulance to St Thomas's after the scary incident at Charing Cross station.

The LBC presenter, 60, revealed he had suffered a badly broken hip and would need an operation - as he thanked the doctors and nurses who helped him.

He wrote on Twitter: 'Some news. This afternoon I tripped at the top of an escalator at Charing X Tube.

'I was taken by ambulance to St Thomas's. I have a badly broken hip. Replacement op scheduled for Monday. Superb care from all here.

Pain: Good Morning Britain regular Iain Dale was rushed to hospital after a nasty accident on the London Underground last week

Ouch: Iain Dale was taken by an ambulance to St Thomas's after the scary incident at Charing Cross station

'Big shout out to the all female ambulance crew led by Nicole and Poppy who tended to me and got me out of the station.

'And to Reda, Maverick and the lovely London Underground staff at Charing Cross. So impressive and caring.'

Updating followers after his operation on Monday, Iain added: 'Had hip replacement & all is well!

'Went in at 8.45am & woke up at 12. Pain has disappeared. So happy & relieved! What a top hospital this is.

'So many nice messages from friends & complete strangers, it's all a bit overwhelming! PS 5 hours after the op they've got me on my feet!'

He was visited by his on-screen partner Jacqui Smith in hospital after the operation who took a snap with him in his bed.

Former Labour Home Secretary Jacqui said: 'He's alive, he's cheerful, he's been standing up on his new hip. He's v impressed by

'@GSTTnhs (but not the food). We talked about a few intimate details but no bed bath was administered!

Recovery: The LBC presenter, 60, revealed he had suffered a badly broken hip and would need an operation - as he thanked the doctors and nurses who helped him

Support: He was visited by his on-screen partner Jacqui Smith in hospital after the operation who took a snap with him in his bed

Kind: His kind fans were quick to send him well wishes as one wrote: 'Get well soon and don't do it again!'

Popular: Another wrote: 'Get well soon dear Iain, you have the best nurse in the business looking after you I see, so a speedy recovery is guaranteed!' (pictured on LBC)

'Please keep emailing/messaging as he'll be unbearable if he gets bored. Love you Iain Dale.'

His kind fans were quick to send him well wishes as one wrote: 'Get well soon and don't do it again!'

Another said: 'Great to read that Iain is on the mend. Looking forward to hearing the two of you on a future show!'

Another wrote: 'Get well soon dear Iain, you have the best nurse in the business looking after you I see, so a speedy recovery is guaranteed!'

A fourth said: 'Looking forward to seeing you back on your feet and up in the saddle @IainDale get well soon!'

Someone else penned: 'Fab news. Thanks for the update. Great photo too. Get well soon Iain!'
Married At First Sight bride Melinda Willis revealed this week she was deeply upset after seeing her 'villain edit' on the series.

The beauty entrepreneur, 33, hosted a Q&A with her Instagram fans and gave a firm 'no' when asked if she felt the show accurately portrayed her.

'I was like, "Holy s**t, I'm the villain. How am I the villain?" I was freaking out and I was starting to prepare myself,' she told her fans.

'On Twitter there were thousands of hate comments. You guys wanted me off this earth, it was not pleasant. Because I am such a nice, genuine person, it rocked my heart and soul.'

The blonde beauty received backlash over some remarks she made about her TV husband Layton Mills, who she said was 'punching above his weight' by dating her, and she also said she would 'swipe left' to him on a dating app.

Married At First Sight bride Melinda Willis (pictured) revealed this week she was deeply upset after seeing her 'villain edit' on the show

Melinda then told her fans she was so hurt by her portrayal she had to take a day off work so she could stay home and mentally recuperate.

'It was hard to pull it together because secretly I was rocked. That is how intense comments can really affect a person.

The Brisbane native added she has particularly bad memories of her onscreen wedding to Layton, 36, and refuses to ever watch it again.

The beauty entrepreneur, 33, hosted a Q&A with her Instagram fans and gave a firm 'no' when asked if she felt the show accurately portrayed her

'I was really looking forward to that really special video. But it wasn't special and I never want to watch it again.

'That's what rocked me the most. I was pretty hysterical and I cannot watch this again. This makes me sick to my gut and I felt s**t watching it.'

Although Melinda and Layton's relationship had its share of challenges they managed to work through them and are still together today.

The blonde beauty received backlash over some of her remarks about her TV husband Layton Mills, who she said was 'punching above his weight' by dating her. Pictured: Melinda and Layton on their wedding day

Earlier this month, she told her fans that maintaining a long-distance relationship with Sydney-based Layton has been somewhat difficult.

'It can be tough at times, particularly when we argue and can't be physically there to comfort each other,' she explained.

To keep their relationship flourishing, the pair have been planning 'special trips' to see each other over the last few months.

Despite these hurdles, Melinda remains confident about her future with Layton and they have hinted that one of them will permanently relocate so they can live together.
Stella Maxwell wowed the crowds at the Cannes Film Festival yesterday when she stepped out in a sensational dress held together by just a few safety pins.

The stunning former Victoria's Secret model, 33, looked confident in the number as she attended the afterparty for controversial new HBO series The Idol.

The event was held at the swish Hotel Martinez on the sunny French Riviera and was hosted by Vogue and the high-end jewellery brand Chopard.

The model, who was previously in a relationship with actress Kristen Stewart, modelled the dress which had a dramatic slash revealing her perfect pins.

She followed in the footsteps of starlets like Elizabeth Hurley, whose own safety pin dress by Versace caused a huge stir at a 1994 film premiere.

Magic metallics: Stella Maxwell went underwear-free in a daring metallic black safety pin dress at The Idol afterparty held at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes on Monday night

Racy: She posed with her hands on her hips as she flashed her leg in the thigh-split number

Wild: Elizabeth Hurley famously wore a similar style of safety pin dress in 1994 when she attended the Four Weddings And A Funeral premiere

However, Stella's outfit, which featured cross-over straps at the front, proved to be considerably more revealing.

The metallic dress featured a dramatic feathered train that cascaded behind her as she posed for pictures at the event.

Meanwhile, she swept her long blonde tresses back from her face to reveal a sparkling pair of silver diamond earrings.

She also accessorised with a pair of black patent peep-toe heels, while adding lashings of smoky eyeliner to the corners of her eyes.

The Belgian model attended the event alongside a host of famous names from the notoriously outrageous Julia Fox to Kylie Jenner's ex Travis Scott.

However, her outfit wasn't the only aspect of the event that attracted attention.

The star-studded guestlist of celebs were gathered together to celebrate controversial new drama The Idol, which has been described by critics as 'torture porn'.

The claims were made in an article for Rolling Stone magazine by 'insiders' who complained of graphic sex scenes, although The Weeknd was nonplussed, hitting back on social media: "@RollingStone did we upset you?"

Flawless: The Max Factor ambassador's makeup shone in her close-up shots

Working it: The model, who had previously walked for Alexander McQueen and Karl Lagerfeld, looked sensational from all angles

Royal wave: Stella stunned onlookers with the cut-out details on her show-stopping red carpet dress

Hot property: The ex-Victoria's Secret starlet, who describes herself as 'sexually fluid', previously dated Kristen Stewart and Miley Cyrus

Star of the show: Lily-Rose Depp put on a very leggy display as she stepped out at the same party

Directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson and starring Johnny Depp's daughter Lily-Rose, it's currently one of the mostly hotly tipped HBO dramas around.

In a clip posted by The Wkend, Lily-Rose dismissed Rolling Stone's comments, describing the magazine as 'maybe past its prime'.

She stars as a rising pop performer, Jocelyn, who enters into a complex relationship with co-star Tedros, played by The Weeknd.

Mirror, mirror: Stella Maxwell's striking good looks have previously seen her compared to Kate Moss

Walking tall: The 33-year-old's feathered outfit parted at the thigh to reveal her perfectly toned pins
Simon Cowell has reportedly splashed out 60,000 to make his 100,000 customised Mini eco-friendly.

The music mogul, 63, is said to have revamped his flash car with the help of his climate-conscious son Eric, nine, who he shares with his fiancee Lauren Silverman.

He reportedly replaced the high-powered A-Series 1330cc petrol engine with an eco-friendly electric motor, which gives the car around 120 miles on one charge.

Simon, known for his gas-guzzling Rolls-Royce Phantoms, previously told how he bought an electric Tesla after Eric taught him about climate change.

Now, in another climate-conscious move for his luxury car collection, he is said to have revamped his one-off Mini Remastered to make it completely eco-friendly.

Climate conscious: Simon Cowell has reportedly splashed out 60,000 to make his 100,000 customised Mini Remastered (pictured) eco-friendly

Family project: The music mogul, 63, is said to have revamped his flash car with the help of his son Eric, nine, who he shares with his fiancee Lauren Silverman (all pictured in 2022)

A source told The Mirror: 'Doing the car up with Eric has been a labour of love. They have really bonded over implementing these changes, and seeing the car develop.

'Making it totally green was a number one priority.'

MailOnline has contacted Simon's representatives for comment.

Simon's classic-style Mini was built to replicate the Lotus Esprit Turbo driven by Sir Roger Moore in the 1981 007 film, For Your Eyes Only.

Created by British firm David Brown Automotive three years ago, its remastered range of the iconic British car cost in the region of 100,000 a piece.

It is a one-off built to the specification requested by the TV personality and features a six-speaker sound system and a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

To replicate the look of the Bond Lotus, the Mini was painted in the same 'copper flow' and 'sahara gold' scheme, complete with 'turbo' emblems from the Esprit.

While it doesn't have the ski rack the film car is famed for, the bespoke 13-inch spoked alloys were made to replicate the BBS wheels fitted to the Lotus.

Simon's jaw-dropping car collection is also thought to consist of a Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, a Jaguar Eagle Speedster and a Bugatti Veyron.

Similarities: Simon's classic-style Mini was built to replicate the Lotus Esprit Turbo (pictured) driven by Sir Roger Moore in the 1981 007 film, For Your Eyes Only

Electric car: Simon, who was known for his gas-guzzling Rolls-Royce Phantoms, previously told how he bought an electric Tesla (stock image) after Eric taught him about climate change

Simon is often spotted in both London and LA in the back of Rolls Royce Phantoms, which cost around 363,000.

Last year, he told how he bought an electric car from luxury manufacturer Tesla after his son Eric informed him about global warming.

According to The Mirror, he said at last year's Britain's Got Talent auditions: 'My son is obsessed with climate change, he's taught me a lot recently.

'He goes down on the beaches and cleans them up. I think it's something we should all take seriously now. I've just bought a Tesla.'
Irina Shayk is leading the stars in making this year's Cannes Film Festival the raciest to date.

The model, 37, has put on a fashion parade of daring styles since the 76th festival kicked off last week.

After hitting the red carpet in an array of sexy looks, Irina went one step further on Monday as she wore next to nothing to head to the Hotel Martinez for the British Vogue and Chopard party.

Irina flaunted her toned physique in semi-sheer lingerie and a gem adorned harness while strolling through the Hotel Martinez.

The catwalk queen ensured all eyes were on her in the wireless triangle-style Gucci bra and matching thong, while a sheer layer of black tulle was draped over the top.

Daring: Irina Shayk is leading the stars in making this year's Cannes Film Festival the raciest to date

Turning heads: The model, 37, has put on a fashion parade of daring styles since the 76th festival kicked off last week

Irina also made sure all eyes were on her as she slipped into a racy leather co-ord for the premiere of Firebrand (Le Jeu De La Reine) on Sunday.

The supermodel showcased her very toned washboard abs as she donned a revealing leather bandage strapped top.

She completed the look with a matched sweeping, low-rise midi skirt with a mermaid shape that perfectly hugged her figure - flaunting her impressively sculpted physique.

The black leather co-ord featured red stains on the fabric's steams - stunning as the edgy sensation of the event.

The runaway veteran let her look speak for itself - as she appeared to play it safe with a very subtle make up and no jewellery, but made a statement with a bold necklace choice.

The Russian bombshell oozed confidence while posing up a storm on the red carpet.

On Saturday, Irina went braless in a plunging navy semi-sheer haute couture Giorgio Armani Prive gown with full skirt in crinoline, mesh and dotted tulle embroidered with crystals, and jewellery by Messika.

She was accompanied by her close friend Riccardo Tisci, who wore a black wool tuxedo, dress shirt, and dress shoes all by Giorgio Armani.

On Saturday, Irina went braless in a plunging navy semi-sheer haute couture Giorgio Armani Prive gown

Strike a pose: The Russian bombshell oozed confidence while posing up a storm on the red carpet

Wow! Irina, 37, wore next to nothing as she stepped out during the 76th Cannes Film Festival

Style statement: Irina ensured all eyes were on her in the wireless triangle-style Gucci bra and matching thong, while a sheer layer of black tulle was draped over the top

Stealing the spotlight: Irina made sure all eyes were on her as she slipped into a racy leather co-ord for the premiere of Firebrand (Le Jeu De La Reine) at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday

Jaw-dropping: The supermodel showcased her very toned washboard abs as she donned a revealing leather bandage strapped top

Figure-hugging: She completed the look with a matched sweeping, low-rise midi skirt

Figure: The skirt featured a mermaid shape that perfectly hugged her figure - flaunting her impressively sculpted physique

Turning heads: Irina displayed her toned figure in a glamorous ensemble while attending the Magnum Beach Cannes Party on Monday

Stylish: The model put on a very leggy display in a Versace pink leather co-ord featuring a tailleur jacket and a matching mini-skirt

Turning heads: Irina is not the only one switching up the dress code for Cannes. Julia Fox bared her breasts in a sexy clear top at the Art of Elysium 25th Anniversary on Sunday

Busty: In another racy look, Sydney Sweeney was spotted flaunting her assets as she left her hotel in Cannes with her fiance, Jonathan Davino, on Sunday evening

Her gorgeous Armani Prive FW22 Couture ensemble boasted a voluptuous neckline that displayed her toned midriff and barely covered her cleavage with its net detail.

Meanwhile, her navy ruffled skirt gave a spell-binding appearance as she opted for chic hair and make-up, slicking back her raven tresses into a bun.

The model also put on a very leggy display in a Versace pink leather co-ord featuring a tailleur jacket and a matching mini-skirt at the Magnum Pleasure Is Always On VIP party,

She wore the jacket open with a busty black crop top - flaunting her sculpted midriff.

Irina toted her stunning look she added stiletto pink stiletto heels and carried a matching quilted purse.

Irina is not the only one switching up the dress code for Cannes. While in previous years stars have worn sophisticated and elegant ballgown dresses on the red carpet, the likes of Julia Fox and Sydney Sweeney have joined Irina by wearing a series of racy looks.

The festival previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around the world.

Founded in 1946, the invitation-only festival is held annually (usually in May) at the Palais des Festivals et des Congres.
Succession fans have descended into a frenzy after learning that Sunday's blockbuster funeral episode featured a surprise cameo.

The penultimate episode of the HBO series saw Logan Roy's family come together to attend his funeral following his death six episodes earlier.

Among those in attendance were many of Logan's former mistresses, also sat in a row ready to pay their respects.

Fans were quick to notice that one of the mistresses was being played by star Brian Cox's real wife Nicole Ansari-Cox.

In the episode, Nicole took on the role of Sally-Ann, who was introduced by Lady Caroline (Harriet Walter).

Look who it is! Succession fans have descended into a frenzy after learning that Sunday's episode featured a surprise cameo from Brian Cox's real wife as one of Logan Roy's mistresses

Did you spot it? The actor has been married to his wife Nicole Ansari-Cox since 2002

The apt cameo of Brian's real-life spouse as one of his many exes sent fans into a renzy, with many flooding social media with their reactions.

One tweeted: 'OMG so Sally-Anne *is* Brian Cox's real wife!' while another added: 'The fact they snuck Brian Cox' real life wife into #Succession as one of his side pieces is brilliant.'

One added: 'I am actually obsessed that they got Nicole Ansari (Brian Cox's wife) to play Sally-Anne.'

'Brian Cox's real life wife playing Sally-Anne had me screaming,' one fan added.

In the penultimate episode of Succession, Season Four Episode Nine saw the stars of the show convene for Logan's funeral.

Sunday's much-anticipated series finale will finally bring an answer to the burning question: Who will land Logan's vast fortune?

Earlier this year, Brian revealed he and wife Nicole renewed their wedding vows in a surprise Vegas ceremony.

Speaking on Live With Kelly and Ryan, the actor revealed: 'We'd actually been apart for a while  she'd been traveling  and then we sat down and we said, 'Where do we go from here? Do we finish or do we go on? And we thought, ''Well let's go on and get married''.'

Across social media, users lauded James Cromwell's magnificent performance as Ewan, and the cold, hard truths he laid out in his eulogy to Logan.

'That speech Ewan gave at Logan's funeral,' one user said. 'Chills. James Cromwell is a master at his craft. The fact that he did that performance while going through long-COVID is extraordinary. Wonderfully written by Jesse Armstrong.'

Another used said, 'The Roy sibs aside, let no one neglect the magnificent one-speech performance of James Cromwell as Logans brother killing him a second time in his funeral speech,' adding that 'the writing also was mind-wrecking.'

One user said that Ewan's speech was 'one of the BEST scenes in all of Succession,' while another said that Cromwell 'DOMINATED that scene, and it was clear that everyone (especially the kids) got to know more about Logan in death than they ever did in life.'

Said one user: 'Logan's brother, Ewan (played by James Cromwell) humanized Logan, telling of the abuse he suffered as a child. But he did not excuse his behavior as an adult. He gave the full measure of the man.'

Succession's final episode will air on HBO on Sunday. It will air on Sky Atlantic in the UK on Monday.
They tied the knot during an incredible ceremony in Spain over the weekend.

However it wasn't all plain sailing in the lead up to the big day, as Sophie Habboo admitted during a row that Jamie Laing revealed his plans to divorce her.

Speaking on the new episode of their Nearlyweds podcast, Sophie revealed details a of a row where Jamie said: 'Urgh, I've got to stay married to you for at least a year.'

Jamie, 34, explained that they would have to remain married for at least 12 months, otherwise people would comment that it was a short marriage.

On the Instagram page for the podcast, the couple shared a teaser from the episode, which was released after their second wedding ceremony in Sotogrande.

Shocking! Sophie Habboo admitted that during a row that Jamie Laing revealed his plans to divorce her

Just married! Jamie, 34, explained that they would have to remain married for at least 12 months, otherwise people would comment that it was a short marriage

The video was captioned: 'Jamie's plan to divorce Sophie after a year?! 1 day until THE WEDDING & we're just so excited so here's a little sneak peak at what's to come in next week's BIG WED POD.'

At the start of the clip, Jamie told Sophie: 'It's so funny how our minds work because you're now so content that you're married to me.'

Sophie, 29, then replied: 'And you're a little nervous Nancy.'

Admitting she was right, Jamie said: 'Now I'm the stressed one.

Joking that it was due to their recent legal marriage ceremony, which was held at Chelsea Registry Office, Sophie said: 'Because you're so upset you've married me. You're like f**k I'm locked in.'

She revealed that Jamie previously revealed his plans to stay married to her for at least a year if things between them go south, saying: 'Once he said during an argument, "urgh I've got to stay married to you for at least a year. I was like, f**k you!'

Clarifying his viewpoint, Jamie admitted: 'Yeah that's true. If it was before a year, everyone would be like well that was short. But a year, then you're like that's alright.'

Joking that it was due to their recent legal marriage ceremony, which was held at Chelsea Registry Office, Sophie said: 'Because you're so upset you've married me. You're like f**k I'm locked in'

She revealed that Jamie previously revealed his plans to stay married to her for at least a year if things between them go south, saying: 'Once he said during an argument, "urgh I've got to stay married to you for at least a year. I was like, f**k you!'

Sophie then quipped: 'I'm going to slowly put Candy Kittens in my name, so you're locked in forever baby! Joking, everyone's going to think I'm a gold digger.'

The couple tied the knot in their second wedding ceremony in Spain on Saturday.

The former Made In Chelsea stars, who got married in front of their loved ones in south west London last month, said 'I do' in a grand ceremony after their legal ceremony weeks earlier.

The loved-up newlyweds have now shared their professional wedding video to Instagram, which includes all of the MIC original cast.

Sophie looked elegant as she donned an embroidered white wedding dress with a huge lace veil.

Jamie could be seen beaming as he wore a black suit with a matching bow tie and a white shirt, as he walked arm-in-arm with Sophie's friend Georgie Le Roux on arrival.

Loved-up: The couple tied the knot in their second wedding ceremony in Spain on Saturday

Romantic: They shared a passionate kiss in front of the sunset after saying I do, as well as at the end of the aisle in front of their friends and family

Sophie and Jamie gave a glimpse of the lavish venue Sotogrande, the largest privately owned residential development in Andalusia.

The couple shared a passionate kiss in front of the sunset after saying I do, as well as at the end of the aisle in front of their friends and family.

The pair were joined by a number of their famous friends, including fellow former Made In Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh who looked resplendent in lemon yellow, while Love Island's Zara McDermott wore a floor-length blue dress with a thigh-high split and ruffled detail.

They were joined by Spencer Matthews, who was reunited with Jamie in Spain this week after Jamie failed to invite him to his UK wedding to Sophie in London last month.

His fellow Made In Chelsea star Ollie Locke, 36, went shirtless as he wore a black dinner jacket and matching trousers for the evening.

Ollie was seen arriving with his series co-star Olivia Bentley who looked glamorous in an off-the-shoulder red dress with keyhole detail at the front.

Alongside the sweet clip, Jamie wrote: 'It happened.. To find true Love you must first find a true Friend'

'What an amazing night. I want to say thank you to all of our family and friends who came and have had to put up with all of our content over the past year

Smitten: The former Made In Chelsea stars, who got married in front of their loved ones in London last month, said 'I do' in a grand ceremony after their legal ceremony weeks earlier

Incredible: Sophie, 29, looked elegant as she donned an embroidered white wedding dress with a huge lace veil

Dapper: Jamie posed alongside his wedding party, who were all matching in black tuxedos, before the ceremony
She put on a jaw-dropping display as she stepped out with her fiance Jonathan Davino during Cannes Film Festival on Monday evening.

And Sydney Sweeney looked sensational once again as she was pictured hopping onto a boat with her beau, 37, the following morning.

The Euphoria star's boyfriend was every inch the gentleman as he held out his hand as he helped her onto the vessel.

The actress, 25, boosted her petite frame with a pair of strappy silver heels and carried her essentials in white woven Miu Miu handbag.

Sydney's stylish updo and blue eye make-up offered a retro finish to the look, as she finished the ensemble with a slick of pink lipstick and pearl earrings.

Hello! Sydney Sweeney looked sensational once again as she was pictured hopping onto a boat with her beau, 37, the following morning

Easy does it: The Euphoria star's boyfriend was every inch the gentleman as he held out his hand as he helped her onto the vessel

Glam: The actress, 25, boosted her petite frame with a pair of strappy silver heels and carried her essentials in white woven Miu Miu handbag

Sydney was once again sporting her dazzling diamond engagement ring after wearing it on Monday for the first time publicly in months.

Jonathan matched her look in a smart baby blue striped polo shirt with a pair of white trousers and Prada loafers.

The White Lotus actress was spotted rocking her engagement ring as she emerged from the Hotel Martinez on the arm of her fiance Jonathan.

Sydney is rarely seen wearing her engagement ring. The latest sighting appears to be the first time in seven months Sydney has been photographed wearing it.

Sydney's relationship with Jonathan has come under scrutiny amid raised eyebrows about her chemistry with co-star Glen Powell on the set of their film Anyone but You.

But Sydney and her fiance looked stronger than ever as they departed the hotel, located in Cannes, France.

Sydney looked stunning in a low-cut white dress that was offset by a light blue bra.

The performer also wore a pair of bright white high-heeled shoes and accessorized with a sparkling pair of earrings.

Her blonde locks cascaded onto her back as she left her temporary residence.

Dainty: Sydney was assisted by Jonathan and another man on the pier

So good! Sydney's stylish updo and blue eye make-up offered a retro finish to the look, as she finished the ensemble with a slick of pink lipstick and pearl earrings

Glowing: Sydney looked radiant as she made her way down to the dock

Meanwhile, her beau Jonathan opted for a beige crewneck sweater that was contrasted with jet-black pants.

The couple initially sparked dating rumors in 2018, when they began attending public events with one another.

The pair remained together for four more years before the restauranteur popped the big question in March of last year.

However, the status of her love life was thrown into question when rumours began to swirl about a possible romance with Glen Powell this past March.

The performers are currently set to co-star in the upcoming romantic comedy feature Anyone But You.

Hello! Sydney waved to cameras and fans during the outing

Bling! Sydney was once again sporting her dazzling diamond engagement ring after wearing it on Monday for the first time publicly in months

Bling bling! The White Lotus actress was spotted rocking her engagement ring as she emerged from the Hotel Martinez on the arm of her fiance Jonathan, 37

All dressed up: Sydney is rarely seen wearing her engagement ring. The latest sighting appears to be the first time in seven months Sydney has been photographed wearing it

The pair became caught up in romance rumours due to their chemistry on set and appearing on each other's Instagram posts.

At the time, the 34-year-old actor was in a long-term relationship with Gigi Paris, who showed her support for the performers after they were cast in the feature.

However, she subsequently unfollowed Sweeney on Instagram and split up from the Top Gun: Maverick cast member.

According to Page Six, Gigi and Glen split up weeks before the Sydney rumours began swirling.

Sources also told TMZ the duo are not dating and that Sydney is still engaged to Jonathan.
It's set to be an emotional week for the residents of Albert Square as they are forced to say their final goodbyes to dying Lola Pearce-Brown.

The character, played by Danielle Harold, has a terminal brain tumour and was recently given only weeks to live, with her final scenes expected to air next week.

As she nears the end of her life, Jay brought Lola back home for her final days as he carried her in from the ambulance.

The couple were seen cuddling on the sofa spending quality time together in heartbreaking scenes as Lola becomes more and more ill.

It's then decided that Lexi, Will and Janet shouldn't be in the house, to protect them from what's happening.

Heartbreaking: It's set to be an emotional week for the residents of Albert Square as they are forced to say their final goodbyes to dying Lola Pearce-Brown

Devastated: Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) is overcome with emotion and spends a lot of time drinking in the Queen Vic

Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) is overcome with emotion and spends a lot of time drinking in the Queen vic before having a run-in with Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry), which leads to him getting arrested.

Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) suffers another panic attack, with nurse Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) rushing to her aid and suggests to go to A&E.

Ben Mitchell (Max Bowen) has done a flit to the US, believing that he can arrange some last-minute treatment for Lola.

With loved ones gathering to say their final goodbyes to Lola, will Ben make it back on time?

EastEnders fans have already been worried for Ben as they believe he could be the centre of an eating disorder storyline after his worrying behaviour.

Lola's daughter Lexi, who she shares with Ben, was previously seen getting upset while her dad told her that Lola doesn't have long left going against her wishes.

Lexi couldn't hold back her anger and devastation as her mum had 'promised to be there for her first day of school and she lied'.

Lola previously asked Billy to help her die on her own terms - which is illegal in the UK - to protect Lexi from seeing her mum's decline.

Jay was initially furious by Lola's plans, but did eventually start to see it from her point of view.

Jay promised his wife he'd support her however she wanted to pass away, but vowed to be the one involved and not Billy.

However, once the pair returned to hospital, Lola realised she couldn't risk Jay going to prison for helping her die.

Instead, Lola told Jay she felt brave enough to let herself naturally pass away with her loved ones around her.

Jay was initially furious by Lola's plans, but did eventually start to see it from her point of view.

Jay promised his wife he'd support her however she wanted to pass away, but vowed to be the one involved and not Billy.

However, once the pair returned to hospital, Lola realised she couldn't risk Jay going to prison for helping her die.

Instead, Lola told Jay she felt brave enough to let herself naturally pass away with her loved ones around her.

Heated: Billy has a run-in with Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry), which leads to him getting arrested

Trying to help: Ben Mitchell (Max Bowen) has done a flit to the US, believing that he can arrange some last-minute treatment for Lola

Final goodbye: With loved ones gathering to say their final goodbyes to Lola, will Ben make it back on time?

Mental health struggles: Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) suffers another panic attack, with nurse Sonia (Natalie Cassidy) rushing to her aid and suggests to go to A&E

Elsewhere in Albert Square, three new arrivals descend on the Queen Vic after Linda Carter's mother Elaine Peacock returned.

Soap bosses previously confirmed that Elaine (Harriet Thorpe) will be moving her extended family - boyfriend George Knight (Colin Salmon) and his daughters - into the pub once she completely takes over.

Colin is set to join the EastEnders cast as Elaine's hunky new beau George.

Since leaving Walford in 2021, Elaine appears to have found love with her new man, who is descirbed as 'a charming rogue and an old-school gent who dotes on his two daughters.'

Colin is a big-screen fixture, having starred in three James Bond films and the Resident Evil series, as well as General Zod in the Syfy series Krypton.

And when George arrives in Walford to join Elaine, he will be moving into the Square with his two daughters in two...

Gina is George's eldest daughter, and will be moving into the Queen Vic alongside her father, sister, and Elaine.

The beauty will no doubt ruffle feathers when she arrives in Walford, described as 'feisty, determined and demanding.'

2.0 Lucy actress Francesca Henry has taken on the role of Gina in the soap, and speaking about her casting she said: ''I wish I could tell younger me that one day I would be joining the show that I watched religiously every night with my Grandma.'

'It's very surreal and a true privilege to be trusted to bring Gina to the Square, and to be a part of such an exciting, tight-knit new family.'

Cheers: Elsewhere in Albert Square, three new arrivals descend on the Queen Vic after Linda Carter's mother Elaine Peacock returned

Meet the Knights! Soap bosses previously confirmed that Elaine (Harriet Thorpe) will be moving her extended family - boyfriend George and his daughters - into the pub once she completely takes over

Following her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2022, CBBC star Molly Rainford is also joining the EastEnders cast.

Viewers have been told that like her sister, she shouldn't be underestimated, with Molly adding: 'I'm SUPER excited to be joining the cast of EastEnders.'

'It's such an iconic show which myself and my family love, so it's an honour to bring the character Anna Knight to life who is set to stir up drama upon her arrival.'

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

For information, help and support on matters associated with Lola's storyline, head to Macmillan Cancer Support or Brain Tumour Research.
Helena Christensen gave an insight into her jam-packed trip to Cannes for its 76th annual Film Festival on Monday.

The Danish supermodel, 54, took to her Instagram Stories to share an array of glamorous pictures as she showed off her stunning outfits.

She posted a whole host of snaps documenting her elegant dress fittings and also shared snaps from her night at the star-studded British Vogue and Chopard party.

In one shot, Helena looked dazzling in an eye-catching silver mirrored disc maxi dress with a daring split up the back to show off her toned pins.

She added some extra inches to her look with a pair of heels and added a splash of colour with a small pink handbag.

Fun times: Helena Christensen gave an insight into her jam-packed trip to Cannes for its 76th annual Film Festival on Monday

Wow! The Danish supermodel, 54, took to her Instagram Stories to share an array of glamorous pictures as she showed off her stunning outfits

Helena swept her brunette tresses into a messy high-bun as she strutted her stuff in the ensemble during a dress fitting in her lavish hotel room.

She also slipped into a stunning blush pink dress with a bow bodice and keyhole cutouts, which she styled with a matching cape.

The bombshell showed off the stunning seaside views from her luxury hotel room and shared she was trying on her Cannes gowns in a caption, writing: 'Fittings.'

Helena went on to show off her outfit for Monday's British Vogue and Chopard party as she snapped a gorgeous mirror selfie at the event.

She looked incredible in a black strapped gown with lace detailing across the bodice and skirt, which she styled with a pair of sandals.

She added a pop of colour with a purple flower fastened in her hair, which was slicked back into a tight up-do.

Helena showed off her youthful looks with a smokey-eye make-up palette and a vibrant slick of pink lipstick.

She socialised with Poppy Delevingne at the event and shared a snap of her model friend looking as glamorous as ever.

Sparkling: In one shot, Helena looked dazzling in an eye-catching silver mirrored disc maxi dress with a daring split up the back to show off her toned pins

Glam: She also slipped into a stunning blush pink dress with a bow bodice and keyhole cutouts, which she styled with a matching cape

Pals: Helena also gave an insight nito Monday's British Vogue and Chopard party at Cannes as she shared a glamorous snap of Poppy Delevingne at the event

Lavish: Taking to her Stories, Helena also gave a glimpse at the very impressive dinner table at the party, complete with gorgeous white flowers and settings for each guest

Poppy, 37, cut an elegant figure in a black gown with a split all the way up the side, fastened together with an array of white bows.

She flashed a smile as she posed in front of the picturesque resort town at the star-studded party, which was also attended by Ashley Graham and Emma Weymouth.

Taking to her Stories, Helena also gave a glimpse at the very impressive dinner table at the party, complete with gorgeous white flowers and settings for each guest.

In a final shot, Helena also shared a black-and-white snap of herself gazing out of her hotel room balcony as she enjoyed the Film Festival.

Her visit to Cannes comes after she reunited with her ex Norman Reedus to celebrate their son Mingus' graduation from New York University.

Helena shared an insight into the moment as she took to Instagram to share a picture with her son, 23, and The Walking Dead actor, 54.

The former couple notably dated from 1998 until their split in 2003, and welcomed Mingus in October 1999.

She could be seen wearing a short-sleeved, black and blue-striped sweater for the sweet family photo.

Stunning: In a final shot, Helena also shared a black-and-white snap of herself gazing out of her hotel room balcony as she enjoyed the Film Festival

Sophisticated: For the British Vogue and Chopard party, Helena looked incredible in a black strapped gown with lace detailing across the bodice and skirt

Reunited: Her visit to Cannes comes after she reunited with her ex Norman Reedus to celebrate their son Mingus' graduation from New York University

Norman sported a long-sleeved, black dress shirt while Mingus was seen wearing a white, button up shirt for the occasion.

The trio flashed cheerful smiles towards the camera with the supermodel penning in the caption to her son: 'You did it!'

Mingus is following in his mother's footsteps, and has walked the runway for brands as well as appearing in campaigns. He recently appeared at the Versace Spring/Summer 2023 Menswear show in Milan.

Late last year in October, he also joined his mother for the Marcell Von Berlin and posed alongside Helena in 2021 for the Victoria's Secret Mother's Day campaign.
Katie Price risked another fine on Tuesday as she appeared to travel with four children in the back of a five-seater car.

The former glamour model was in Brighton with her fiance Carl Woods to celebrate her 45th birthday.

After a meal at Donatellos she headed back to her car with her daughter Princess, 15, who was joined by a male companion, her son Jett, 9, and younger daughter Bunny, 8.

The four of them then got into the back of the car while Carl and Katie sat in the front seats.

The government website states: 'You're only allowed 1 person in each seat fitted with a seat belt.

Oh no: Katie Price risked another fine on Tuesday as she appeared to travel with four children in the back of a five-seater car

Family: The former glamour model was in Brighton with her fiance Carl Woods to celebrate her 45th birthday

Travel: After a meal at Donatellos she headed back to her car with her daughter Princess, 15, who was joined by a male companion, her son Jett, 9, and younger daughter Bunny, 8

'You can be fined up to 500 if you don't wear a seat belt when you're supposed to.'

A representative for Katie has been contacted by MailOnline for further comment.

During the outing Katie looked casual in cream tracksuit and chunky boots, while Carl wore tight jeans and a blue hoodie.

It comes just a few months after Katie was slammed by campaigners for driving her 60,000 Hummer in flimsy sliders.

She was pictured by The Sun in April in the footwear as she returned to driving after a two year ban.

In 2021 she received a 16-week suspended jail sentence and the ban after she admitted drink-driving while disqualified and without insurance after a crash near her home in Sussex.

She flipped her car on the B2135 near Partridge Green, near Horsham, at about 6.20am on 28 September while driving to see a friend.

She completed her court assigned rehab order following the car accident on after which she tested positive for alcohol and Class A drug cocaine.

Full: The four of them then got into the back of the car while Carl and Katie sat in the front seats

Rules: The government website states: 'You're only allowed 1 person in each seat fitted with a seat belt'

Money: It adds: 'You can be fined up to 500 if you don't wear a seat belt when you're supposed to'

Clarification: A representative for Katie has been contacted by MailOnline for further comment

Chilled: During the outing Katie looked casual in cream tracksuit and chunky boots, while Carl wore tight jeans and a blue hoodie

Oh dear: It comes just a few months after Katie was slammed by campaigners for driving her 60,000 Hummer in flimsy sliders

Not good: She was pictured by The Sun in April in the footwear as she returned to driving after a two year ban

After the images emerged of her driving the car in sliders one anti-drink driving campaigner told The Sun: 'Those are the sort of shoes you'd expect somewhere to wear at a swimming pool - not driving a huge car like that with her driving record.

'It's an absolute disgrace and is very dangerous. She's putting herself and other road users at risk.

'I don't see how you'd safely be able to control such a car while wearing those shoes.'

Former Met cop Peter Bleksley added to the publication: 'This is shocking. It sets a terrible example.'

Katie's reps were contacted by MailOnline for comment at the time.

The Highway Code does not say anything specific about driving without shoes but Rule 97 says: 'You should ensure that clothing and footwear do not prevent you using the controls in the correct manner.'

In December 2021 Katie issued a grovelling apology after avoiding jail for her drug and booze-fuelled car crash.

She said she was 'incredibly sorry' and was working hard to address her mental health issues.

She said: 'It's been a really difficult time and I'm incredibly sorry for my actions - I'm sincerely grateful nobody was hurt.'

The mum-of-five added: 'I'm spending time getting better - mental health is a hidden illness and can strike at any time.'

Campaigners were furious after the mum of-five walked free from court at the time despite crashing her Range Rover near her Sussex home that September during her fifth driving ban.

She told police at the scene: 'I took drugs. I should not be driving. I admit it all'.

But Katie escaped with a 16-week suspended sentence for drink-driving after going into rehab.

Pals: Princess was joined by a male companion who enjoyed the dinner with them

Relaxed: She cut a casual figure in a black tracksuit and comfortable white trainers

Happy: They were all smiles as they walked down the street

Difficult: In 2021 she received a 16-week suspended jail sentence and the ban after she admitted drink-driving while disqualified and without insurance after a crash near her home in Sussex

Happy: They all looked like they were enjoying the family outing

Evening out: They headed to the iconic Italian eatery in Brighton to celebrate her birthday

Kids: Katie was joined by her nearest and dearest for the family outing

Parent: The star is mum to Junior, 17, and Princess, 15, who she shares with Peter Andre, as well as Jett, nine, and Bunny, eight, with ex-husband Kieran Hayler and Harvey, 19, with Dwight Yorke

Katie crashed her BMW while double the drink-drive limit after leaving her home to allegedly hunt for drugs during an all-night alcohol and cocaine bender and was subsequently arrested before pleading guilty in court.

The model had no driving licence at the time after being disqualified for two years in October 2019 - and has been banned from the roads six times in total.

The three charges were using a motor vehicle on a public place without third party insurance; driving while unfit to drive through drink; and driving while disqualified. Katie had been taken to hospital but is not thought to have been badly injured.

The star is mum to Junior, 17, and Princess, 15, who she shares with Peter Andre, as well as Jett, nine, and Bunny, eight, with ex-husband Kieran Hayler and Harvey, 19, with Dwight Yorke.
Married at First Sight star Domenica Calarco accidentally committed a serious faux pas on Tuesday when she rocked up to her spray tan appointment in a grey tracksuit.

The reality star, 30, posted a video to Instagram showing her trying to walk back to her car without bending her knees and with her grey top wrapped around her neck.

Domenica was also wearing matching pants and looked pained as she hobbled back in her light coloured clothing, which is not ideal to wear to the procedure.

'This is the reality of getting a spray tan and this is how you walk back to your car,' she began.

'I can't even put my jumper on because what d**khead goes to get a spray tan in a grey tracksuit?'

Married At First Sight star Domenica Calarco (pictured) accidentally committed a serious faux pas on Tuesday when she rocked up to her spray tan appointment in a grey tracksuit

She was accompanied by fellow MAFS bride Ella Ding, 29, who looked on with concern as Domenica owned up to her shocking fashion mistake.

Domenica is working hard to get back to her beautiful self after roughing it in a South African jungle earlier this year on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!

Earlier this month, she got a glamorous hair makeover to fix her 'jungle mane' after exiting the jungle.

The reality star, 30, posted a video to Instagram showing her trying to walk back to her car without bending her knees and with the grey top wrapped around her neck

Many saw the Married At First Sight star as a frontrunner for the win, but she was booted out of the South African jungle almost a week before the final.

When she landed back in Australia, the 30-year-old didn't waste any time in getting back her glamorous appearance after spending three weeks in the jungle without any of her beauty items.

She recently posted several stories on Instagram showing off her new hairdo with her over 500k followers.

Domenica was also wearing matching pants and looked pained as she hobbled back in her light coloured clothing, which is not ideal to wear to the cosmetic procedure

The reality star opted for a long bob with some soft blonde highlights and a swoopy side fringe.

Posing outside with her new hair, Dom captioned the snap: 'Fixed my jungle mane'.

'A week back in the real world post jungle life called for a glow up,' she added.
Halle Bailey has revealed how she broke down watching videos of children gleefully reacting to her playing Ariel in The Little Mermaid live action film.

The actress, 23, who is the cover girl across four Glamour publications this month, discussed the black representation in the film during an interview with the magazine.

During the chat, Halle touched on the emotional videos of young girls seeing a black woman as a Disney princess and how she managed to keep her own identity during filming for the remake.

When asked about the videos, Halle said: 'When I saw those for the first time, I just cried. I was sobbing uncontrollably. The fact that these babies are looking at me and feeling the emotions that they're feeling is a really humbling, beautiful thing.'

She compared the feeling when Anika Noni Rose played Tiana in the Princess and the Frog in 2009, saying: 'I know how much of that movie changed my whole perspective on life. Wow, this is possible. Black princesses are possible.

Interview: Halle Bailey has revealed how she broke down watching videos of children gleefully reacting to her playing Ariel in The Little Mermaid live action film

Cover girl! The actress, 23, who is the cover girl across four Glamour publications this month, discussed the black representation in the film during an interview with the magazine

Iconic: Her hair stylist Camille Friend dyed Halle's roots red and wrapped her locs with hair the same shade in order to give her Ariel's iconic look

She added: 'We deserve to take up these spaces too.'

Halle discussed how the glam team endeavoured to let her keep her own identity while playing the character, who has previously been portrayed as white.

Her hair stylist Camille Friend dyed Halle's roots red and wrapped her locs with hair the same shade in order to give her Ariel's iconic look.

She said: '[Ariel still] has red hair, because that's a very iconic part of her, but I really did admire the fact that because I'm a Black woman and I have locs, [the producers] wanted to incorporate that into Ariel's look.

'They're both women of color, so I felt very comfortable. They know how to take care of me and my hair and makeup. I've been on sets before where that's not the case.'

Halle said: 'I really hope that I put my own stamp on her character by showing more of her vulnerability.

'I felt like I could relate to her growing up in a big family and having older sisters to guide you, and having a father that's very protective and overbearing at times but loves so hard.'

Alongside the interview, Halle posed for an incredible shoot, featured in and on the cover of Glamour U.S., Mexico, Germany and Spain.

Radiant: During the chat, Halle touched on the emotional videos of young girls seeing a black woman as a Disney princess and how she managed to keep her own identity during filming for the remake

When asked about the videos, Halle said: 'When I saw those for the first time, I just cried. I was sobbing uncontrollably. The fact that these babies are looking at me and feeling the emotions that they're feeling is a really humbling, beautiful thing'

Relatable: She compared the feeling when Anika Noni Rose played Tiana in the Princess and the Frog in 2009

Halle's profile has blown up since she was announced as the live action Ariel, while she is also starring in the remake of classic, The Colour Purple.

Discussing how she manages to keep her head above water, she said: 'Mentally, sometimes it's really difficult being in this industry knowing that there are so many opinions [about] you and what you're doing, or what you should be or what you could be doing better.

'People sometimes put you on this pedestal. They forget that you're a real human being. They forget that you have feelings, that you cry.'

Stunning: Alongside the interview, Halle posed for an incredible shoot, featured in and on the cover of Glamour U.S., Mexico, Germany and Spain

Sexy: Halle looked incredible in a sleek black dress and a racy co-ord

Incredible: Halle donned a grey jacket dress and towering platforms

The highly-anticipated, live-action remake of The Little Mermaid has scored mixed reviews ahead of its release, with critics both slamming the 'unfortunate' remake and 'realistic' portrayal of animals while praising Halle's Ariel.

One rough review by Bloomberg branded the film 'waterlogged conundrum' and described the new rap song The Scuttlebutt, a track sang by Awkwafina's Scuttle and Daveed Diggs' Sebastian, as particularly cringe-worthy.

'Scuttle is voiced by Awkwafina, who's never not funnyexcept here. In the screening I attended, many grown adults covered their faces to avoid looking at the screen. Both songs feel like first drafts,' Bloomberg noted.

One of the most iconic scenes from the original film, Under The Sea, also perplexed the critic.

'The original is adorable and joyous, and features sea creatures with cherubic, smiling faces. But in the 2023 version, they are faceless, and thus (sorry, fish) theyre simply not as fun to watch,' Bloomberg wrote.

'Both the old and new numbers end with the camera rapidly cutting between all the sea creatures that are "dancing."

In the animated version, this moment is a triumph. In the modern iterationas the camera jumps between a manta rays belly and a snails arm and a starfishs  hole, I guessyou just wonder What the hell am I looking at?'

NPR, meanwhile, headlined their review, 'The Little Mermaid is the latest of Disney's poor unfortunate remakes', in a reference to Ursula's song Poor Unfortunate Souls.

They also described Under The Sea as 'dead in the water' and branded the Scuttlebutt rap 'ridiculous.' Like Bloomberg, there was also criticism of how underwater life was portrayed: 'The underwater scenes have a flattened sheen reminiscent of video games circa the early 2000s.'

Pose! Halle adorned her wrists with statement bangles and added other silver and gold jewels
She's never been shy of wowing with her revealing looks.

And Poppy Delevingne gave fans a look at her incredible figure as she posed for a racy Instagram snap while attending the British Vogue and Chopard Party in Cannes in Monday.

The model, 37, stunned in the sexy black minidress with a full side-split adorned with white bows in a snap from the party which Helen Christensen posted on Instagram.

Poppy highlighted her model physique in the revealing black dress, which boasted a strapless front and a split entirely down the side.

Her dress was adorned with cute white bows that decorated the sexy split, and she completed the look with thin-strapped heels.

Stunning! Poppy Delevingne gave fans a look at her incredible figure as she posed for a racy Instagram snap while attending the British Vogue and Chopard Party in Cannes in Monday

Fellow fashion favourite Helena shared a snap of Poppy's sexy dress on Instagram Stories, alongside a slew of snaps from the British Vogue bash.

Following her reported split from husband James Cook, Poppy seemed keen to show her ex what he was missing.

He and Poppy are yet to address their split publicly but are said to have called time on their union at the beginning of last year.

Poppy and James, who works for his family's aerospace company, tied the knot in 2014 at a Knightsbridge church ceremony, with sisters Cara, 30, and Chloe, 37, among her many bridesmaids.

Rumours started to circulate about their marriage when James resigned as a director of her company Poppy Delevingne Limited, the firm which files the accounts for her 'photographic activities'.

Celebrity dating app Raya had a new account added in November featuring pictures appearing to be of James, but he never confirmed whether it was his account or if somebody had opened a parody account.

Alongside a series of brooding snaps, James describes himself as a CEO in the business and entrepreneur industry.

Sizzling! The model stunned in the sexy black minidress with a full side-split adorned with white bows for the party in Cannes

Sex bomb! Her dress was adorned with cute white bows that decorated the sexy split, and she completed the look with thin-strapped heels

He had originally shared the picture on his social media in May last year alongside a birthday tribute to his wife.

The image - which is the last photograph of Poppy on his Instagram feed - was captioned: 'Happy happy birthday my love cant wait to celebrate with you when you get home. @poppydelevingne.'

And Poppy - who is still married to her husband of eight years - was recently spotted holding hands with Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark during a stroll in West London near where she lives.

One eyewitness told the Daily Mail: 'They were standing kissing and embracing each other in the middle of a bookshop  they certainly weren't worried about being seen together.'

Despite the 12-year age gap between Poppy, 36, and Prince William's godson, 24, they are believed to have been enjoying each other's company for a while now.
AJ Pritchard has shared scantily clad snaps of himself and girlfriend Zara Zoffany after heading on a romantic break with her in the island paradise of Bali.

The 28-year-old could be seen feeding elephants and monkeys on the Indonesian island, as well as larking about in a fast flowing waterfall with his model lover.

The Strictly Come Dancing star also showed off his flexibility by indulging in a spot of Acroyoga with Zara on the beach, during which he held her high above his head.

In another video, his girlfriend looked slightly stunned as a monkey suddenly and aggressively headed towards them, shrinking back in shock.

AJ was shirtless in one of his shots, boasting an impressively muscular physique, while Zara opted for skimpy bralettes that emphasised her toned and tanned waist.

Living it up! AJ Pritchard has shared scantily clad snaps of himself and girlfriend Zara Zoffany after heading on a romantic break with her in the island paradise of Bali

Indonesian Idyll: AJ and Zara started dating last year, and are on their first exotic holiday together in Bali

Flashing the flesh: AJ also shared a solo snap of himself topless, surrounded by a stunning jungle backdrop

Arduous hike: AJ and Zara's activities included a volcano hike together, which they began at 2am, according to his Instagram account

He shared the couple's antics, boasting that they'd enjoyed quad-biking sessions and a 2am volcano hike.

'Forever making memories,' he assured his 616,000 followers, also detailing rafting sessions, while Zara gushed in reply: 'Happiest doing life with you.'

His new relationship comes after he moved on from his ex Abbie Quinnen who he dated since meeting on his Get On the Floor tour.

He'd also devotedly stayed by her side when a tragic accident in 2021 had engulfed her in flames and left her with terrifying third degree burns.

The pair had been trying out a viral Tiktok craze for turning a wine bottle into a vase, but it went horribly wrong, and the glass exploded in a distraught Abbie's face.

He stood by her as she recovered following weeks of hospital treatment, and it had seemed as though the pair were meant to be, but they then parted ways last autumn.

Abbie had told the world that the shock split had knocked her confidence, revealing to The Sun that she needed to 'rebuild' her life.

Lovely in lace: Some fans questioned AJ on Instagram about why he'd left his ex-girlfriend, fellow dancer Abbie Quinnen

Ex-files: His new relationship comes after he moved on from his ex Abbie Quinnen who he dated since meeting on his Get On the Floor tour

'Im completely devastated and my world has fallen apart,' the blonde beauty admitted, adding: 'AJ was my world and I didnt recognise the guy who was breaking up with me.'

One Instagrammer lamented on Monday: "Sad you and Abby didnt work out, were such a lovely couple."

However, AJ - who had a brief acting stint in Hollyoaks as Marco - seems to have fully moved on after going public with Zara and admitting he is besotted with her.

He met the reality star of MTV's The Royal World after they both appeared on The Challenge together in September 2022 - and the pair haven't looked back.

Moving on: AJ opted to start a romance with reality TV star Zara soon after his split from Abbie

Sun soaked: Zara is well known for her sexy snaps, including this one of her posing alongside a luxury yacht
Carolina Santos is spending the night in hospital.

The Married At First Sight bride posted to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday night to share a confronting video from her hospital bed.

The 34-year-old had several monitors attached to her stomach, and was surrounded by beeping machines reading her vital signs.

As she panned the camera to her face, the reality star looked pale and tired during her ordeal.

While she did not disclose why she was in hospital, Carolina implied it was an ongoing issue.

Carolina Santos (pictured) is spending the night in hospital. The Married At First Sight bride posted to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday night to share a confronting video from her hospital bed

She tellingly wrote in her caption: 'And I'm back here again'.

It comes after Carolina revealed last month that she would like another stint on the dating show next year so she can try out a new strategy.

She initially shocked viewers last year when she cheated on her husband Dion Giannarelli with fellow groom Daniel Holmes.

'I would go back tomorrow if they wanted me. Knowing what I know now, I would pretend I'm head over heels for my match, no matter who they gave me,' she told Yahoo Lifestyle.

Carolina then revealed she signed up for the 2022 season of MAFS for 'exposure' and believes other participants have similar motivations.

The 34-year-old had several monitors attached to her stomach, and was surrounded by beeping machines reading her vital signs

While she did not disclose why she was in hospital, Carolina implied it was an ongoing issue

'They either want to be influencers or they have some sort of business they can leverage from it,' she said.

She said the show's poor success rate means no reasonable person should sign up for MAFS expecting to find a life partner.

'The success rate is lower than going to a bar and meeting someone. Why would you go there for love? That's not the main reason people go on MAFS, no matter what they say,' she said.

Carolina and Daniel, 30, were involved in one of MAFS' biggest scandals last year.

They began hooking up while the glamorous Brazilian was still technically 'married' to her on-screen husband Dion.

However, the couple called time on their relationship in August, and earlier this year Carolina was spotted getting cosy with 2023 MAFS groom Duncan James in Sydney.
Netflix fans have taken to Twitter to laud the terrifying thriller Missing, admitting 'they nearly vomited' while watching the film.

The groundbreaking film's plot plays out entirely through digital screens such as CCTV, smartphones, cameras and computers.

The film focuses on young June Allen, who is determined to find her missing mother Grace after she disappears in Colombia.

Thanks to her online investigation skills, June discovers that her mother was kidnapped from the streets and bundled into a white pick-up truck.

On her quest to find Grace, June makes some shocking discoveries about her mother's past, including links to a well-known criminal.

Scared! Netflix fans have taken to Twitter to laud the terrifying thriller Missing, admitting 'they nearly vomited' while watching the film

Enlisting the help of a private detective, June follows his search in Colombia on Facetime.

The new concept with a huge hit with fans who tuned into the thriller after it hit Netflix, following a theatrical release in January.

Many admitted they were on the edge of their seat watching the tense story unfold.

One tweeted: 'This movie as insane and so so so well made. Not only did it have me in the edge of my seat the entire time, but it had me so stressed out to the point of almost vomiting. Terrifying, but so well made.'

Another added: 'Missing on Netflix is SO GOOD!! Was legit on the edge of my seat the whole time."

One fan also lauded: 'It's been a long time since a movie has had me LITERALLY on the edge of my seat #missingmovie on #netflix is soooo f****ng good.'

It comes after Netflix viewers admitted they were 'unable to sleep' after watching the 'grotesque' horror Viking Wolf.

Viking Wolf is a fairly low-budget Norwegian horror film that was released on Netflix in February. It didn't get rave reviews and scores 50 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and 5.2/10 on IMDb.

'Edge of my seat!' The new concept with a huge hit with fans who tuned into the thriller after it hit Netflix, following a theatrical release in January

It is set in a rural Swedish town suddenly plagued by what seems to be a werewolf soon after Thale, 17, moves there from Oslo with her mother.

The film has a number of disturbing scenes. At one point Thale devours her friend after transforming into a werewolf during a full moon.

Fans have taken to Twitter to comment on the film.

'My 8 yr old sister thought she was smart and snuck watched the Viking Wolf on Netflix. She has been slinking into my room round midnight as the nightmares are nightmaring.'
Ariana Madix is smiling again following the implosion of her nine-year long relationship with Tom Sandoval.

In an interview with People, the reality star gushed about the new man she has started seeing, Daniel Wai, a fitness trainer she met at a friend's wedding in Mexico shortly after Tom's affair with Vanderpump Rules castmate Raquel Leviss came to light.

She raved of her new love interest: 'He is very cute, and just the kindest person.'

'I think that in so many ways, not just romantically, but professionally and on so many levels, it does feel like just a completely new and amazing energy right now.'

Ariana, 37, also shed light on how she is currently feeling as she recovers from the heartbreak of the 'Scandoval' betrayal.

'He is very cute': Ariana Madix gushed about her new beau Daniel Wai in an interview with People; pictured last month in New York

After nearly a decade together, Ariana split from Tom in March after learning he had been engaging in a months-long affair with her friend and fellow castmate Raquel.

Initially, Ariana thought she would never be able to trust again until she was urged by a friend to still have faith in others.

'Her saying that, and hearing that from others too, has really helped me move forward,' she explained. 'I'm getting there, at my own pace.'

Though she is still healing, Ariana said she is now 'feeling relief'.

'It's been a process to get there, and I know it's not been very long, but it certainly feel like I'm coming out the other side and the trajectory is up,' she told People.

'Where I'm at right now, honestly  I'm at a point now where I just feel like I'm amazing. And I don't think I ever thought that was possible.'

Fans have been gripped by the infidelity, dubbed 'Scandoval', ever since it broke back in March.

Last week's raw season finale of Vanderpump Rules captured the immediate fallout of the betrayal.

Betrayal: Madix's nearly decade-long relationship with Tom Sandoval fell apart after he cheated on her with castmate Raquel Leviss

XOXO! The couple were pictured passionately kissing at LAX in April

Fans won't have to wait much longer to watch the cast confront Raquel and Tom over their scandalous affair.

Part one of the three-part reunion will premiere this week on Bravo, and a trailer teased all the drama in store for fans when it officially drops May 24.

The sneak peak saw Ariana eviscerating Raquel over her affair with then-boyfriend Tom.

After the former pageant queen admitted to being 'super selfish' for sleeping with her former pal's partner of nine years, Madix fired back that 'selfish does not cover it.'

The TV personality, who wore a racy red gown with daring cutouts below her breasts and across her stomach, went on to list adjectives that she felt more appropriately described Leviss, such as 'diabolical, demented and subhuman.'

There was no shortage of name-calling from Madix and the rest of the cast, who flung numerous insults at Sandoval and his mistress during the episode.
Amanda Bynes has been feeling 'sad and isolated' after going back to living on her own in the wake of a recent mental health hold.

The 37-year-old All That actress has few friends keeping her spirits up, sources close to her told TMZ on Tuesday.

She has been spending plenty of time alone after since being released from a mental health facility in April and splitting from her former fiance Paul Michael, who claimed they had broken up just days before her mental breakdown.

The mental health crisis led to her wander the streets of Los Angeles while apparently in a manic state and occasionally nude.

According to the sources, Amanda is back living in her own place as she continues to recover.

Going it alone: Amanda Bynes, 37, has been 'sad and isolated' since checking out of a mental health facility last month, TMZ reported on Tuesday; seen Monday in West Hollywood

Keeping to herself: The former Nickelodeon star hasn't been seeing friends since going back to live alone, sources close to her claimed

Prior to her hospitalization, Amanda had seemed excited about fashion design, after graduating from Californias Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in 2019.

She had also been attending a cosmetology college last year to train to be a nail technician.

However, her interest in both career paths seems to have waned since being released from the hospital.

However, the sources close to her added that she might regain her passions in the future.

One spot of good news is that the former actress has been staying engaged with her treatments and has been regularly attending her outpatient treatments.

She has been seeing a therapist since her release, and she has reportedly been keeping up with her mental health medications.

Hopefully Amanda will get back to having social connections with friends and family, but those close to her were at least optimistic that her ex Paul wouldn't reenter her life.

They claimed that he was of no support to her during her recent mental health crisis and hospitalization, and they feared he could have a toxic influence on her recovery if he is let back into her inner circle.

No motivation: Bynes has reportedly lost interest in fashion design and her training as a nail tech, though the sources hoped she might regain interest

Chaotic split: However, the sources were optimistic that her former fiance Paul Michael would not reenter his life, as they indicated that he was a malign influence on her

Sources previously told DailyMail.com that 'she has been advised to continue to distance herself from her' former fiance.

The source added last month that 'her family and friends believe that her split was a catalyst in her breakdown and that he is not a healthy and safe person for her to be around.'

The source went on to say that the former pair 'were codependent on each other, and the latter part of their relationship was toxic due, in part, to the fact that they met in rehab.

'They substituted their addiction to substances for an addiction for each other,' they added.

But as for now, Amanda is allegedly just staying in touch with family.

She has been keeping the communication channels open with her siblings, and she has been reportedly seeing her parents periodically since her release.

Bynes' initial stay in the mental health facility lasted three months, and she left of her own volition in April.

She had reportedly worked with the facility's staff to determine that she was ready to get back to her regular routines.

Back on the outside: Bynes' initial stay in the mental health facility lasted three months, and she left of her own volition in April

Bynes had been under a conservatorship since 2013, but it was ended last year, so she will go back to having more freedom to make her own decisions.

TMZ previously reported that Bynes' parents were not considering trying to set up another conservatorship, as she had been doing relatively well prior to her recent mental health crisis.

The original arrangement began in 2013, after she was involuntarily committed after multiple run-ins with the law starting a year earlier.

She had two hit-and-runs, as well as a DUI, in 2012, and she was later arrested in 2013 for allegedly throwing a bong out of the window of her 36th-floor apartment in Manhattan.

Bynes was most recently hospitalized after reportedly wandering the streets of the Greater Los Angeles area for four days straight after her car was towed in Long Beach on March 15.

During that period, she was apparently in a manic state, and spent some time walking around naked.

Amanda had been reported to have been spotted walking in the nude on the day that she entered the treatment facility, but a witness told TMZ that the She's The Man star had flagged down a car to get help.

She was apparently cognizant of her mental state, and she called 911 to report that she was coming out of a psychotic state and needed assistance.

Bad days: The actress reportedly wandered the streets of LA for days after her car was towed in Long Beach, and she was even seen walking around naked

After she was picked up, Bynes was initially put under a 72-hour psychiatric hold, which was initially extended while her team at the mental health facility devised a treatment plan for her.

Amid her mental health struggles, Bynes' parents banned her ex-fiance Paul Michael from having any contact with her after their four-year relationship came to an end in January of this year.

'They do not want her ex-fiance around her, and he has been instructed to have no contact with her,' an insider told DailyMail.com on March 28.

'He does not seem to have her best interests in mind and her family has nothing good to say about him.'

While speaking to the New York Post, he said: 'She got off her meds, and she's still off her meds... She's wild.'

Michael previously claimed the two were now 'friends.'

Bynes latest crisis appears to be the reason she pulled out of a reunion with her All That cast at '90s Con in March, which was originally attributed to an 'unknown illness.'

She had previously expressed excitement about reconnecting with her castmates ahead of the convention.

Dropped out: Amanda's latest crisis appear to be the reason she had to pull out of a '90s Con appearance last month with her All That costars at the last minute

On her own again: Bynes was put under a conservatorship in 2013 after sufferingly multiple mental health struggles and having repeat run-ins with the law, but it was ended in March 2022; seen with parents Rick and Lynn Bynes

She was set to be joined by SNL star Kenan Thompson, his Good Burger costar Kel Mitchell, Danny Tamberelli and Lori Beth Denberg, all of whom were fixtures of the popular Nickelodeon sketch comedy series.

The event would also have marked her first public appearance since her conservatorship was ended one year earlier.

The series ran from 1994 to 2005 over 10 seasons, Bynes appeared on All That from 1996 to 2000.

It was later revived in 2019.
Poppy Delevingne has shown the world that she's equally stunning whether dressed up for high voltage sex appeal or keeping it casual in a crop top and trousers.

The 37-year-old was spotted partying at a British Vogue bash in Cannes on Monday night in a flesh-flashing dress held together at the side by bows.

Yet the blonde beauty returned with another sensational outfit the following day, pairing cream-coloured high waisted trousers with a matching bralet.

She had been enjoying a lunch hosted by high fashion brand Miu Miu in honour of the Cannes Film Festival.

Poppy then headed back to the Hotel Martinez - the luxurious five-star abode where most of the stars are staying during festival season - and posed beside a supercar.

Svelte Style: Poppy Delevingne steps out in Cannes after enjoying lunch courtesy of Miu Miu

Strike A Pose: Poppy showed off her classic model looks in a leggy snap on a Cannes street

Chic: Poppy returned to Hotel Martinez after the Miu Miu lunch, where she looked effortlessly stylish

The model and actress - big sister to fellow catwalk star Cara Delevingne - has also been making headlines recently for her outings with Prince Constantine Alexios.

A member of the Greek royal family, he has been romantically linked to Poppy following her reported split from husband James Cook.

Meanwhile, the star wasn't shy about showcasing her incredible figure on Monday at the British Vogue and Chopard Party in Cannes either.

She stunned in the sexy black minidress, which featured a full side-split adorned with white bows, in a snap that Helen Christensen posted on Instagram.

Poppy highlighted her model physique in the revealing black dress, which boasted a strapless front and a split entirely down the side.

Her dress was adorned with cute white bows that decorated the sexy split, and she completed the look with thin-strapped heels.

Fellow fashion favourite Helena shared a snap of Poppy's sexy dress on Instagram Stories, alongside a slew of snaps from the British Vogue bash.

Following the reported split from James, Poppy made it clear to her ex what he was missing.

Impeccable Outfit: Poppy was dressed from top to toe in Miu Miu for the occasion, including her stylish sunglasses

Intercity: The model, who also attended a Miu Miu show in Paris earlier in the month, wowed the crowds in Cannes

Stunning! Poppy gave fans a look at her incredible figure as she posed for a racy Instagram snap while attending the British Vogue and Chopard Party in Cannes in Monday

He and Poppy are yet to address their split publicly but are said to have called time on their union at the beginning of last year.

Poppy and James, who works for his family's aerospace company, tied the knot in 2014 at a Knightsbridge church ceremony, with sisters Cara, 30, and Chloe, 37, among her many bridesmaids.

Rumours started to circulate about their marriage when James resigned as a director of her company Poppy Delevingne Limited, the firm which files the accounts for her 'photographic activities'.

Celebrity dating app Raya had a new account added in November featuring pictures appearing to be of James, but he never confirmed whether it was his account or if somebody had opened a parody account.

Alongside a series of brooding snaps, James describes himself as a CEO in the business and entrepreneur industry.

Sizzling! The model stunned in the sexy black minidress with a full side-split adorned with white bows for the party in Cannes

Sex bomb! Her dress was adorned with cute white bows that decorated the sexy split, and she completed the look with thin-strapped heels

He had originally shared the picture on his social media in May last year alongside a birthday tribute to his wife.

The image - which is the last photograph of Poppy on his Instagram feed - was captioned: 'Happy happy birthday my love cant wait to celebrate with you when you get home. @poppydelevingne.'

And Poppy - who is still married to her husband of eight years - was recently spotted holding hands with Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece and Denmark during a stroll in West London near where she lives.

One eyewitness told the Daily Mail: 'They were standing kissing and embracing each other in the middle of a bookshop  they certainly weren't worried about being seen together.'

Despite the 12-year age gap between Poppy, 36, and Prince William's godson, 24, they are believed to have been enjoying each other's company for a while now.
Jimmy Buffett is returning home following a brief hospitalization for 'issues that needed immediate attention.'

The Margaritaville founder, 76, was forced to cancel his Second Wind Tour stop in Charleston, South Carolina on Saturday following a health scare that landed him in the hospital.

But on Saturday, Buffett reported he would be returning home the following day and recuperating with friends before scheduling more shows.

'Thank you for the outpouring of support and well wishes. I head home tomorrow for a while, and then will go for a fishing trip with old friends, along with paddling and sailing and get myself back in good shape,' he said in a statement posted to his Facebook page.

'Once I am in shape, we will look at the when's and where's of shows. I think playing is as therapeutic for me as it is for fans to listen and sing along.

'I head home tomorrow': Jimmy Buffett is returning home following a brief hospitalization for 'issues that needed immediate attention'; pictured 2019

Good news! On Saturday, Buffett reported he would be returning home the following day and recuperating with friends before scheduling more shows

'Looking forward to announcing a new date for Charleston as well as some new shows! Fins up!'

Buffett revealed on Friday he had to be hospitalized following a routine check-up in Boston, prompting the cancellation of his band's stop in Charleston, South Carolina.

'I had a sudden change of plans this week that affected us all. Two days ago, I was just back from a trip to the Bahamas, thawing out from the California "winter tour", and chomping at the bit to get to Charleston. I had to stop in Boston for a check-up but wound up back in the hospital to address some issues that needed immediate attention,' he said in a statement.

'Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you. I also will promise you, that when I am well enough to perform, that is what I'll be doing in the land of She-Crab soup.

'You all make my life more meaningful and fulfilled than I would have ever imagined as a toe headed little boy sitting on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts, your amazing years of loyalty, and just remember, "NOT YET!" Love to all!'

The Margaritaville hitmaker - last pictured on April 18 - was also briefly hospitalized in September, when he was forced to cancel his five remaining concerts of 2022: 'On doctor's orders, he must take this time to recuperate and heal.'

Buffett - whose parents died in their 80s - has reportedly been hard at work recording his 30th studio album titled Equal Strain on All Parts.

He has three children - daughter Savannah, nearly 44; daughter Delaney, 31; and adopted son Cameron - from his 45-year marriage to second wife Jane Slagsvol.

'Growing old is not for sissies, I promise you': On Thursday, two-time Grammy nominee Jimmy Buffett revealed he was hospitalized 'to address some issues that needed immediate attention' after undergoing a routine check-up in Boston on Tuesday (pictured March 7)

The 76-year-old billionaire tweeted: 'These few words from Mark Twain about life changes seemed perfect to pass on at this time. "Challenges," he said. "Make life interesting, however overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." I had a sudden change of plans this week that affected us all'

Sorry parrotheads! The Jimmy Buffett & the Coral Reefer Band were forced to cancel their Second Wind Tour stop scheduled at the Credit One Stadium in Charleston, SC

Buffett (R, pictured in 2022) wrote in the statement on his website: 'When I am well enough to perform, that is what I'll be doing in the land of She-Crab soup...and just remember, "NOT YET!" Love to all!'

The Mississippi-born musician is also famed for being an avid pilot, a prolific restaurateur, and a generous Democratic donor.

He turned his classic 1977 song 'Margaritaville' into the Margaritaville Holdings empire, which he holds a 28 percent stake in - worth an estimated $180 million.

Founded by Buffett in 1985, Margaritaville grew from selling trinkets and t-shirts to offering resorts, restaurants, housing and more.

He opened a Margaritaville Store in Key West after licensing the Margaritaville name, which proved popular with his followers, known as Parrot Heads, and their children.

The Margaritaville theme restaurant and bar expanded to a location in New Orleans' French quarter. A Margaritaville Cafe at Universal CityWalk opened in Orlando in 1999.

In 1998, Buffett launched Radio Margaritaville online and it was added to Sirius's satellite.

Margaritaville had become an industrial complex, a vast network of merchandise, chain restaurants, resorts, lifestyle products.

'Thank you for your prayers and thoughts!' The Margaritaville hitmaker - last pictured on April 18 - was also briefly hospitalized in September, when he was forced to cancel his five remaining concerts of 2022: 'On doctor's orders, he must take this time to recuperate and heal'

More music to come! Jimmy - whose parents died in their 80s - has reportedly been hard at work recording his 30th studio album titled Equal Strain on All Parts (pictured in 2022)

Alongside this, Buffett's assets include an estimated $570 million from touring and recording, a music catalog worth $50 million and $140 million tied up in planes, homes and shared in Berkshire Hathaway, according to Forbes.

In 2004, Buffett became a country music sensation after partnering with Alan Jackson for the song 'It's Five O'Clock Somewhere' and was awarded a Country Music Association Award.

The song was a number-one hit in the country charts and it was Buffett's first award in his thirty years of recording music.

With over 30 albums in his discography, eight of them are gold albums and a further nine are either platinum or multiplatinum selling records.
Love Island's Laura Anderson returned from a trip abroad on Tuesday, only to find her car had been stolen.

The reality star, 34, is pregnant with her first child with ex-boyfriend Gary Lucy, 41, after the pair met on Celebs Go Dating last year.

Laura announced her pregnancy earlier this year in a sweet Instagram post for her 1.5 million followers before shortly confirming her split from Gary.

She has spent the last seven days in the States on a road trip around Texas and Fortworth.

Laura had told her followers online she was heading back to her home in Scotland in a post where she also admitted she was jetlagged, was suffering nausea and had no sleep.

Frustrating: Love Island star Laura Anderson, 34, was left devastated on Tuesday when she returned from a trip abroad to find that her car had been stolen

Pregnancy: The reality star, 34, is pregnant with her first child with ex-boyfriend Gary Lucy after the pair met on Celebs Go Dating last year

However just around 3.30pm she posted a story on her Instagram saying she was the victim of a theft.

Laura looked very frustrated as she wrote: 'Someone just stole my car. Nice,' alongside a thumbs-up emoji.

It's not the first time she's been targeted by thieves.

The star revealed her former Glasgow flat has been targeted by thieves who have stolen packages left on her doorstep.

Laura who used to live in Dubai, took to social media as she made a plea for people to stop sending freebies to her old address after parcels were stolen.

It comes after Laura broke her silence on her split from ex-boyfriend and baby daddy Gary Lucy.

In a new interview with OK!, the star, who shot to fame on Love Island in 2018, detailed how she is planning life to a single mum to her baby girl, arriving in August.

Laura and the Hollyoaks actor announced they were expecting in February and split shortly afterwards - after which she remained tight-lipped.

Time away: She has spent the last seven days in the States on a road trip around Texas and Fortworth

Hitting out: Pregnant Laura Anderson has broken her silence on her split from ex-boyfriend and baby daddy Gary Lucy

Now however, the blonde beauty has revealed there are many reasons behind the split, many of which she branded 'upsetting', yet admitted she is now determined to find a way to be civil with Gary for the sake of their little girl.

She said: 'We have had times of it being civil and then it's not There are a lot of emotions going around for everyone, so it's difficult. Being able to be civil from now until the birth and then after is my goal.'

On what has been revealed since the split, she said: 'For me, a lot has come to light since we parted ways, which has been quite upsetting.'

Following their break-up Gary alleged that the reason the couple had gone their separate ways was due to the fact he wouldn't move to her native Scotland as he has four kids with his ex-wife Natasha Gray.

She hit back: 'That's not true. I was always moving to Essex.'

When asked why their relationship ended, she quipped: 'How long have you got? It's really hard to explain. I wanted us to reconcile and I wanted things to work out...

'But because of things I found out since then, and the fact nothing has been discussed or resolved, I think for now I'm trying to just be positive and think about the baby and be strong, because everything became too chaotic.'

Pained: On what has been revealed since the split, she said: 'For me, a lot has come to light since we parted ways, which has been quite upsetting'
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Emily Ratajkowski has released a new collection from her swimwear line Inamorata just in time for summer.

The 31-year-old brunette pinup - who was seen with her dog Colombo on Monday - was seen in several new images shared to Instagram on Tuesday morning as she hawked the new one piece white crochet swimsuit that didn't seem to cover her sides.

The back showed off plenty of flesh as it had a thong design.

The single star - who was last linked to Harry Styles after she divorced husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in 2022 - wore her dark hair down over her bare shoulders as she oozed sensuality.

The New York resident was posing on a white sand beach at sunset.

Cute suit on the shore: Emily Ratajkowski has released a new collection from her swimwear line Inamorata just in time for summer 2023

A shore thing: The 31-year-old brunette pinup was seen in several new images shares to Instagram on Tuesday morning as she hawked the new one piece white crochet swimsuit that didn't seem to cover her sides. The back showed off plenty of flesh as it had a thong design

The My Body author seemed confident in the images as the suit hugged her very tiny waistline and hips.

The catwalk princess, who calls Kendall Jenner and Irina Shayk good friends, wore her hair down as the locks blew in the coastal wind.

Her makeup was heavy and dewy with a glossy lipstick.

It September Emily had officially filed for divorce from her ex-husband Sebastian amid allegations he cheated on her.

She lodged a filing to end their four-year marriage at Manhattan's Supreme Court, after the couple first split in July amidst reports film producer Sebastian, with whom Emily shares son Sylvester Apollo Bear, was a 'serial' cheat.

A source close to the model confirmed the split to People in July and said Emily was focused on parenting.

The insider was quoted saying: 'They split recently. It was Em's decision. She is doing OK. She is strong and focused on her son. She loves being a mum.'

Posed just right: The single star - who was last linked to Harry Styles after she divorced husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in 2022 - wore her dark hair down over her bare shoulders as she oozed sensuality

She will never go out of style: Emily - who has a timeless beauty in line with Audrey Hepburn and Ali MacGraw - was posing on a white sand beach at sunset

They married at a New York court on February 23, 2018, with Emily confirming the news with the Instagram post: 'Sooo, I have a surprise, I got married today.'

She later said she only took '30 seconds' to decide she wanted to marry the Uncut Gems producer.

In October 2020, the pair announced they were expecting their first child together, but Emily declared it was 'something a woman does by herself, inside her body, no matter what her circumstances may be'.

She added: 'Despite having a loving partner and many female friends ready to share the gritty details of their pregnancies, I am ultimately alone with my body in this experience.

'There is no one to feel it with me  the sharp muscular aches in my lower abdomen that come out of nowhere while I'm watching a movie or the painful heaviness of my breasts that now greets me first thing every morning.

'My husband has no physical symptoms in 'our' pregnancy  another reminder of how different a woman and man's experience of life can be.'

Meanwhile, Eric Andre has remained tight-lipped over his romance with Ratajkowski.

The 40-year-old comedian dated Gone Girl actress Emily for a short period of time earlier this year and when pressed for details on the dalliance, quipped that 'a gentleman never tells' but did joke that he would like to date former First Lady Michelle Obama and split her up from the former President.

Another look: The My Body author seemed confident in the images as the suit hugged her very tiny waistline and hips. The catwalk princess, who calls Kendall Jenner and Irina Shayk good friends, wore her hair down as the locks blew in the coastal wind

Ex talk: Meanwhile, Eric Andre has remained tight-lipped over his romance with Ratajkowski. The 40-year-old comedian dated Gone Girl actress Emily for a short period of time earlier this year and when pressed for details on the dalliance, quipped that 'a gentleman never tells'

Speaking on SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show, he said, 'A gentleman never tells! I need to respect her privacy and boundaries. Michelle Obama is the one. I think if I can date Michelle and get her to break up with Barack!'

The comedy show host went on to add that he thinks it is 'time' to settle down and potentially have children, as he noted that his life is 'out of balance' without a woman in it and teased that he is currently 'hanging out' with a certain someone.

He added: 'I think it's time. I'm getting the itch [to settle down], maybe have kids. Kids are a big responsibility. A woman in your life brings you balance though, your life is out of balance without that in your life. I'm hanging out with somebody.'

On Valentine's Day, a revealing photo of Andre that appeared to have been taken by Emily surfaced online but a source later claimed to E! News that the photo had been taken in the days before the annual romantic holiday and that she had in fact 'broke up with Eric days before he posted that photo.'

Just weeks later, Eric explained to Rolling Stone: 'I was drinking wine, she started dying laughing, and she was like, 'I have to take a picture of this. She took the picture, we both started cracking up, and she was like, 'This is iconic'she kept saying 'iconic.' We both agreed this was a beautiful image that we had to share with the world.'

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Lady Victoria Hervey showcased her sensational figure in a sheer pink gown as she posed at the Asteroid City premiere during Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.

The socialite, 46, dressed to impress in the strapless number as she beamed for photos on the star studded red carpet.

Her garment boasted a corset top before cascading down into a sheer skirt and train with dazzling embellished detailing scattered across it.

The beauty displayed her toned pins through an eye catching thigh high split and added inches to her frame in glittering gold heels.

She turned up the heat wearing a pair of coordinated sheer ruched fingerless gloves and toted her belongings around in a white clutch.

Incredible: Lady Victoria Hervey showcased her sensational figure in a sheer pink gown as she posed at the Asteroid City premiere during Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday

Gorgeous: The socialite, 46, dressed to impress in the strapless number which boasted a sheer skirt with dazzling detail as she beamed for photos on the star studded red carpet

Victoria styled her long blonde locks in loose waves and applied a flawless palette of makeup for the glamorous evening in France.

The movie which is directed by Wes Anderson follows the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer convention which is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

Asteroid City stars the likes of Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks.

Lady Victoria's outing comes after she attended the premiere of Killers Of The Flower Moon on Saturday night, which received a nine minute standing ovation.

The film is an American epic Western crime drama film directed by Scorsese, with Leonardo Di Caprio serving as an executive producer.

The upcoming movie, which is based on the best-selling 2017 non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann, revolves around a series of Oklahoma murders in the 1920s, committed after oil was discovered on tribal land.

The official synopsis reads: 'At the turn of the 20th century, oil brought a fortune to the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight.

'The wealth of these Native Americans immediately attracted white interlopers, who manipulated, extorted, and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder.

'Based on a true story and told through the improbable romance of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone) Killers of the Flower Moon is an epic western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal.'

Leonardo is joined by an all-star cast, which includes Oscar winner Brendan Fraser, 54, John Lithgow, 77, and Jesse Plemons, 35. Actress Lily Gladstone, 36, plays his on-screen love interest Mollie Kyle.

Sensational: The beauty displayed her toned pins through an eye catching thigh high split and added inches to her frame in glittering gold heels

All smiles: She turned up the heat wearing a pair of coordinated sheer ruched fingerless gloves and toted her belongings around in a white clutch
She showcased some of the most glamorous looks of the 76th Cannes Film Festival so far last week.

And Rosie Huntington-Whiteley showcased her impeccable sense of style once again as she attended the Asteroid City premiere on Tuesday evening.

The Victoria's Secret veteran, 36, led the glamour as she stunned in a sweeping white evening gown that enhanced her slender physique.

The supermodel turned heads on the red carpet as she showcased her very toned pins as she waved and greeted onlookers at the annual ceremony.

The figure-hugging dress featured a very racy thigh-high split as well as a dramatic sparkly carabiner clip clinching material together at the waist.

Incredible: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley showcased her impeccable sense of style once again as she attended the Asteroid City premiere on Tuesday evening

Wow! The Victoria's Secret veteran, 36, led the glamour as she stunned in a sweeping white evening gown that enhanced her slender physique

The garment also displayed a sheer sparkly hem line along her chest and co-ordinating straps, adding to the dazzling quality of her look.

The Plymouth born model teamed the classy ensemble with strappy silver heels, adding inches to her enviable figure.

Rosie dazzled with quirky hoop diamond earrings which clung to the cartiliage of her ear, along with a matching ring.

Her blonde locks were immaculately pulled to the side, with the tresses falling down over one shoulder, revealing a face accentuated by deft touches of make-up.

The runaway queen opted for light bronze tones for her make up, with a nude ombre eyeshadow, bronze blush and a dramatic swipe of red lipstick.

Palais des Festivals provided the glamorous backdrop for the premiere, as stars from around the world converged.

While she had good company in the form of actresses Brie Larson and Julia Garner, it was Rosie who claimed the lion's share of the spotlight on another busy night across the Cannes Croisette.

The movie which is directed by Wes Anderson follows the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer convention which is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

She's the moment: The supermodel turned heads on the red carpet as she showcased her very toned pins as she waved and greeted onlookers at the annual ceremony

Racy: The figure-hugging dress featured a very racy thigh-high split as well as a dramatic sparkly carabiner clip clinching material together at the waist

Sensational: The Plymouth born model teamed the classy ensemble with strappy silver heels, adding inches to her enviable figure

Beauty: Rosie dazzled with quirky hoop diamond earrings which clung to the cartiliage of her ear, along with a matching ring

All smiles: Her blonde locks were immaculately pulled to the side, with the tresses falling down over one shoulder, revealing a face accentuated by deft touches of make-up

Bold: The runaway queen opted for light bronze tones for her make up, with a nude ombre eyeshadow, bronze blush and a dramatic swipe of red lipstick

Star-studded: Palais des Festivals provided the glamorous backdrop for the premiere, as stars from around the world converged

Incredible: While she had good company in the form of actresses Brie Larson and Julia Garner , it was Rosie who claimed the lion's share of the spotlight on another busy night across the Cannes Croisette

She's a pro: The supermodel offered a variety of sultry stares as she made her way up into the special screening

Love is in the air: Rosie could be seen waving and blowing kisses to on-lookers as she graced the red carpet

The futuristic caper is playing in competition for the coveted Palm d'Or at this year's ceremony, and once again an array of A-list talent was on had to ensure it was given a grand reception on the resort town's iconic Croisette.

Asteroid City stars the likes of Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks.

Anderson is a regular in Cannes and appeared two years ago with The French Dispatch and in 2012 with Moonrise Kingdom.

The plot is set in 1955 and focuses on a group of students and parents from across the country who gather in a tiny (fictitious) desert town in the American Southwest.

They arrive for the annual Junior Stargazers convention held in the basin of a huge meteorite crater, but little do they know, they are about to witness a world-changing event.

The official Cannes synopsis reads: 'The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organised to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition) is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.'
Scarlett Johansson made an extremely rare red carpet appearance with husband Colin Jost at the Asteroid City premiere during Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.

The American actress, 38, looked smitten as she cosied up to her partner Colin, 40, while posing for photos on the star studded red carpet.

Scarlett looked simply stunning for her latest film premiere in a gorgeous pink silk figure hugging gown which boasted white glittering straps.

She showcased her incredible figure in the dress and turned up the heat by accessorising with a dazzling pair of earrings.

The Black Widow star applied a flawless palette of makeup for the evening including a bold swipe of red lipstick as she held hands with her SNL beau.

Glamorous: Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost were inseparable as they attended the 76th Cannes Film Festival premiere of Asteroid City on Tuesday evening

Loved-up: The actress made an extremely rare red carpet appearance with husband Colin at the red carpet event

Date night! The American actress, 38, looked glamorous as she cosied up to her partner Colin, 40, while posing for photos on the star studded red carpet

Scarlett, who portrays character Midge Campbell in the film, styled her long blonde tresses in luxurious waves as they cascaded down her back from a centre parting.

She couldn't contain her smile as she cosied up to her Saturday Night Live star beau Colin who looked very dashing in a black tuxedo.

The movie which is directed by Wes Anderson follows the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer convention which is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

Joining Scarlett in Asteroid City is co-stars Jason Schwartzman, Margot Robbie and Tom Hanks.

Scarlett and her husband Colin have been married for three years and share son Cosmo Jost together.

Scarlett also shares eight-year-old daughter Rose Dorothy with French journalist ex-husband Romain Dauriac.

It comes after the actress admitted earlier this year that she almost gave up acting after losing out on a dream role that went to Sandra Bullock.

In a candid new interview, Scarelett opened up on battling feelings of inadequacy after being rejected for major roles she'd auditioned for.

Romantic: The couple looked more loved up than ever as they stared into one another's eyes while posing on the red carpet

Jaw dropping: Scarlett looked simply stunning for her latest film premiere in a gorgeous pink silk figure hugging gown which boasted white glittering straps

Elegant: She showcased her incredible figure in the dress and turned up the heat by accessorising with a dazzling pair of earrings

All smiles: The actress added inches to her frame in a pair of towering silver heels as she held onto Colin's arm while making their way up the star studded red carpet

And after initially losing out on the part of Black Widow, which was originally offered to Emily Blunt, Scarlett told how she went on to feel 'hopeless' after then being overlooked for a role in Gravity.

That part went to Sandra Bullock, 58, who starred in the 2013 sci-fi film alongside George Clooney, 62, and saw her go on to be nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTAs.

Scarlett said that particular rejection 'was sort of the straw that broke the camels back' as it made her reconsider her future in the film industry.

She told Variety: 'I got turned down for two roles - the first was Iron Man 2 and then the other one was Alfonso Cuarons Gravity, I had wanted that role so much. It was sort of the straw that broke the camels back. I felt really frustrated and hopeless. Like, "Am I doing the right job?"'

Meanwhile, the actress went on to question whether roles that she was actually offered were 'fulfilling' after her success in breakout film Lost In Translation groomed her to be a bombshell, with Scarlett stating it was 'hard' to break out of that 'pigeonhole' and change the narrative.

Questioning whether she'd make any headway with her career, she added: 'The work I was being offered felt deeply unfulfilling. I think I was offered every Marilyn Monroe script ever. I was like, "Is this the end of the road creatively?"'

Incredible: Scarlett, who portrays character Midge Campbell in the film, styled her long blonde tresses in luxurious waves as they cascaded down her back from a centre parting

Rare red carpet appearance: The blonde beauty flashed her incredible smile while placing a caring hand on her husbands chest

The cast: The movie which is directed by Wes Anderson follows the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer convention which is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events (pictured L-R Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Wes Anderson and Jason Schwartzman)

Co-stars: Joining Scarlett in Asteroid City is co-stars Jason Schwartzman, Margot Robbie and Tom Hanks (pictured)

Scarlett's fortunes soon turned however when Emily Blunt was forced to pull out of Iron Man 2 due to contractual obligations with Fox and she was re-offered the role in the Marvel movie.

Though her role in the film wasn't huge, it did go on to pave the way for other opportunities for the star.

She said: 'That movie wasnt going to move the needle forward in terms of how my character was written, but there was potential for what it could be  a potential for growth in subsequent films'.
Adrien Brody and Georgina Chapman attended the Asteroid City premiere during the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival in France, on Tuesday.

The actor looked dapper in a classic tux alongside his glamorous girlfriend, who was previously married to disgraced film producer and convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein.

Adrien, 50, added an unexpected twist to his ensemble with a fancy metallic silver brooch attached to one of his lapels.

Georgina, 47, was simply breathtaking in a sensational black gown, which boasted dazzling metallic flecks throughout.

The loved-up pair appeared to be happier than ever as they put on a cosy display on the red carpet, laughing and joking together while being photographed.

Hot couple: Adrien Brody, 50, and Georgina Chapman, 47, attended the Asteroid City premiere during the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival in France, on Tuesday

Love: The actor looked dapper in a classic tux alongside his glamorous girlfriend, who was previously married to disgraced film producer and convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein

Happy: The loved-up pair appeared to be happier than ever as they put on a cosy display on the red carpet, laughing and joking as they were photographed for the world's media

Adrien and Georgina have been publicly dating since March 2020 although rumours of their romance began in September 2019.

The Oscar-winning actor and the British fashion designer were set up by Danish model Helena Christensen in April 2019, the Sun reported.

The pair, who had initially met through Weinstein, were introduced 'properly' at a swimwear launch in Puerto Rico where they 'bonded over cocktails' according to an insider.

The source said: 'Georgina and Adrien obviously initially met through Harvey, but met again properly in April.

'Helena had invited them both to her swimwear launch in Puerto Rico, and they bonded over cocktails against a backdrop of various beautiful beaches.

'Obviously it's still quite a new thing, but Adrien is smitten and Georgina is the happiest she's been in ages.

'She has had a torrid past couple of years, and finally feels ready to move on with her life. Her kids and family are all aware, and everyone whole-heartedly approves'.

Sensational: Georgina, 47, was simply breathtaking in a sensational black gown, which boasted dazzling metallic flecks throughout

Suited and booted: Adrien added an unexpected twist to his ensemble with a fancy metallic silver brooch attached to one of his lapels

Divine: The duo were preened to perfection for their red carpet moment

Fabulous: Georgina's floor-length dress featured a glamorous side split

The designer divorced Weinstein after ten years of marriage in 2017, when more than 90 women made accusations of sexual assault against the Hollywood mogul.

It was believed their divorce settlement was worth between 11.1 million ($15 million) and 14.8 million ($20million).

Georgina, who shares daughter India and son Dashiell with Weinstein, previously told Vogue that she has 'moments of rage' about her estranged husband's behaviour.
Tina Kunakey dazzled in a silver figure-hugging dress at the premiere of Asteroid City at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday evening.

The French model, 26, is thought to have recently split from her husband, director and actor Vincent Cassel, 56.

Tina looked incredible in the Alaia FW23 RTW dress, which boasted a multi-coloured bejewelled embellishment.

The stunning gown had a high neck and sleeves for a modest but show-stopping look, as well as a small train that elegantly pooled behind her.

She wore her raven locks in a slicked-back ponytail with not a hair out of place and added further glamour to her look with a striking red lip.

Model: Tina Kunakey, 26, dazzled in a silver figure-hugging dress at the premiere of Asteroid City at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday evening

Stunning: The appearance comes amid rumours that she has split from her husband Vincent Cassel, 56

Tina and Vincent are rumoured to have separated after he deleted all traces of his model wife of five years from Instagram a few weeks ago.

A source has also now told DailyMail.com exclusively that the couple is headed for divorce, saying: 'They separated weeks ago. Tina is heartbroken.'

In April French actor Vincent abruptly deleted all images of Tina amid furious speculation that the pair had split after five years of marriage.

Vincent - who is best known for his roles in Ocean's Twelve and Black Swan - tied the knot with Tina in 2018, two years after they were first linked, and they welcomed a daughter, Amazonie, in April 2019.

However, a source has now told DailyMail.com exclusively that the couple is headed for divorce, saying: 'They separated weeks ago. Tina is heartbroken.'

While representatives for Vincent and Tina did not respond to requests for comment, the actor's social media accounts speak volumes about the pair's relationship - with the on-screen star removing all traces of his wife from his Instagram account in recent days.

Loved up pictures of the duo, which previously littered Vincent's account, have all vanished without a trace.

What's more, Vincent failed to post anything marking Tina's birthday - despite the model re-posting multiple well wishes from her friends on her own account.

Big night out: Tina was spotted leaving Le Majestic Hotel before her glamorous evening on the red carpet

Chic: She wore her raven locks in a slicked-back ponytail with not a hair out of place

Dazzling: Tina looked incredible in the Alaia FW23 RTW dress, which boasted a multi-coloured bejewelled embellishment

Stunning in silver: The gown had a high neck and sleeves for a modest but show-stopping look

Glam: The dress was completed by a small train that elegantly pooled behind her

Statement look: She contrasted the silvery tones of the ensemble with a striking red lip

The last time the actor liked one of his wife's stunning Instagram images was on February 17 - while Tina has failed to share any photos of herself with Vincent in weeks, prompting several of her followers to question: 'Where is your husband?'

Neither Tina or Vincent have publicly addressed the mounting speculation among their followers about the status of their marriage - however both have continued sharing regular work updates to their accounts in the past few weeks.

While Tina has shared several images from photoshoots, Vincent has been touting two new movies, The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan, and Liaison, an Apple TV+ film he features in alongside fellow French superstar Eva Green.

Vincent has shared several images of himself with Eva, 42, whom he praised as a 'wonderful co-star'.

And while he failed to post anything about Tina's birthday, the actor did share a tribute to his 18-year-old daughter Deva, whom he shares with his first wife, Monica Bellucci.

Vincent and Monica, 53, wed in 1999 after meeting on the set of their 1996 movie, The Apartment.

The couple welcomed two daughters - Deva and Leonie, 12 - before divorcing in 2013 after 14 years of marriage.

In 2016, Vincent then went 'Instagram Official,' with Tina, who was just 19 at the time, and their relationship sparked headlines the world over as a result of their 30-year age gap.

Love: Vincent - who is best known for his roles in Ocean's Twelve and Black Swan - tied the knot with Tina in 2018, two years after they were first linked, and they welcomed a daughter, Amazonie, in April 2019

What's going on? While representatives for Vincent and Tina did not respond to requests for comment, the actor's social media accounts speak volumes about the pair's relationship

Indeed, Tina is closer in age to Vincent's daughter, Deva, however the couple didn't seem to let the age gap affect their union which, until recently, appeared rock solid.

Vincent addressed the 30-year age gap in an interview with the New York Times shortly before their wedding, saying: 'Its not always fair. Im 52 and Im getting married with a 21-year-old girl.

'Im very much in love and sure we are going to make babies.'

The couple tied the knot two years after their relationship was made public, marrying in a low-key ceremony at Bidart City Hall in the South of France, near Tina's hometown of Biarritz.

The bride wore a show-stopping custom Vera Wang dress which featured an elegant French tulle bodice and flowing skirt.

Famous guests included Blue is the Warmest Color actress Adele Exarchopoulos and French street artist JR.

Just months after the wedding they announced they were expecting their first child together, sharing a sweet video of themselves on a beach, with Vincent holding his hand over his wife's stomach and showering her with kisses.

At the end of April 2019, Vincent and Tina welcomed baby daughter Amazonie.
Pamela Anderson was dressed casually as she walked in Central Park during her trip to New York City on Tuesday.

The former Baywatch babe looked comfortable and relaxed in a white sweater and jeans - both from La Ligne - which she paired with laceless, slip-on sneakers.

The 55-year-old actress donned dark sunglasses on her makeup-free face and styled her long blonde tresses - which she dyes herself - up in a loose, messy bun as she grabbed a coffee to go.

A younger gentleman, believed to be her assistant, accompanied Anderson as she sipped her drink while taking a lap around the landmark green space. The beauty was seen with the same man at the Malibu Country Mart earlier in the week.

This comes after she looked all glammed up to hawk her collaboration with Frankies Bikinis.

Bombshell: Pamela Anderson looked comfortable and relaxed wearing an all-white outfit from La Ligne while enjoying a walk in NYC on Tuesday

Casual: The 55-year-old actress donned dark sunglasses on her makeup-free face and styled her long blonde tresses up in a loose, messy bun as she grabbed a coffee to go

The actress, known traditionally for her provocative attire, was later seen with her sweater off in a white t-shirt and white glasses that matched her long white nails.

The mother-of-two has worn various all-white looks over the past year, elevating her fashion footprint.

Pam was seen with her youngest son Dylan shopping on Madison Avenue earlier in the day.

Last month she was seen in sexy images from her Frankies collaboration.

She modeled a one piece fire engine red swimsuit that looked like the one she wore on Baywatch.

And there were several bikinis in the line, both in red and white, and a floral print.

In January, the blonde beauty released her memoir Love, Pamela, which she said was written without the help of a ghostwriter.

She also released her tell-all Netflix documentary Pamela: A Love Story in the same month.

Same mystery man: A younger gentleman, believed to be her assistant, accompanied Anderson as she walked around the landmark green space

'It's just one girl's story of how I made it through; a small-town girl going to Los Angeles and just going through all the wild and crazy adventures I did and then circling back and going home,' she told People of the project.

Earlier this year, she equated the process of compiling the book to 'therapy, going through my life from my first memory to my last memory.'

'I had no idea how much anger I had inside or how therapeutic it was going to be for not just me, but for people around me, like my mother,' she revealed.

'It's been a healing process. I'm so happy to share it, and hopefully, people will be inspired.'

Bikini babe: Last month she was seen in sexy images from her Frankies collaboration. She modeled a one piece fire engine red swimsuit that looked like the one she wore on Baywatch. And there were several bikinis in the line, both in red and white, and a floral print

Still got it: Her tell-all documentary Pamela: A Love Story was released on Netflix in January

In a trailer for her documentary, Pamela, A Love Story, the Canadian beauty declared, 'I want to take control of the narrative for the first time.'

The former Playboy model is more well-known for her curvaceous figure than her talent, and while she used those assets to her advantage, she was often the butt of jokes in the media.

Anderson, who shares sons Brandon, 26, and Dylan, 25, with her ex-husband Tommy Lee, landed her 'dream role' this year when she was cast to play the role of Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on Broadway.

Despite her current single status, the author said she is having the 'happiest year of [her] life.'
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Kate Beckinsale, Naomi Campbell, Poppy Delevingne and Ashley Graham all looked incredible as they led the stars attending the Chopard event during the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.

Actress Kate, 49, effortlessly turned heads as she arrived to the bash in a black strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline.

The garment featured an attached flowing train with a floral detail while she also sported a matching ribbon in her hair.

Styling her brunette locks into an updo, the Underworld actress added to her look with a pair of eye-catching diamond earrings.

Supermodel Naomi, 53, went braless at the event and wore a sleek black blazer which she paired with matching trousers.

Stars: (L-R) Kate Beckinsale, Naomi Campbell, Poppy Delevingne and Ashley Graham all looked incredible as they led the stars attending the Chopard event during the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday

Glamour: Actress Kate, 49, effortlessly turned heads as she arrived to the bash in a black strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline

Sensational: Supermodel Naomi, 53, went braless at the event and wore a sleek black blazer which she paired with matching trousers

The star added height to her frame with a pair of white open-toed heels and commanded attention with a diamond necklace with a dark pendant.

Poppy, 37, opted for a silver sleeveless gown with a sequinned embellishment that highlighted her jaw-dropping figure.

The model added height to her frame with a pair of heels and drew further attention to her ensemble with a diamond necklace.

Wearing her tresses loose down her shoulders, Poppy completed her look for the evening with a pair of silver earrings.

Fellow model Ashley, 35, also opted for a silver dress which featured a matching strap with a rose embellishment.

The former America's Next Top Model judge styled her locks into loose waves and accentuated her natural beauty with a light palette of makeup.

Also in attendance at the event were Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field who caught the eye in a sheer pale blue dress.

The garment featured a blue floral detail while Ayda boosted her frame with a pair of blue stilettos.

Looking good: The former America's Next Top Model judge styled her locks into loose waves

Flawless: Kate's garment featured an attached flowing train with a floral detail while she also sported a matching ribbon in her hair

Beauty: Poppy added height to her frame with a pair of heels and drew further attention to her ensemble with a diamond necklace

Couple: Also in attendance at the event were Robbie Williams and his wife Ayda Field who caught the eye in a sheer pale blue dress

Radiant: Petra Nemcova turned heads in a white dress with a daring leg split and plunging neckline

Robbie cut a dapper figure for the event, wearing a black velvet blazer along with a matching pair of trousers.

Kimberley Garner looked sensational in a bright yellow crop top with a layered floral detail that highlighted her toned midriff.

The former Made In Chelsea star paired it with a matching skirt while she wore her blonde locks in an updo.

Model Jordan Barrett also attended the bash and opted for an all black look in a matching blazer, shirt and trousers.

British Vogue's editor-in-chief Edward Enninful looked smart in a navy blazer and matching trousers which he paired with a black top.

Kate's appearance comes after she admitted she has a picture of Succession star Brian Cox as her phone screensaver.

The actress, appeared on The Tonight Show where she revealed the actor, 76 has a 'testicular pull.'

Lady in red: Emma Weymouth donned a red and pink strapless gown with a thigh-high leg spit

Fashion: Kimberley Garner looked sensational in a bright yellow crop top with a layered floral detail that highlighted her toned midriff

Model: Jordan Barrett also attended the bash and opted for an all black look in a matching blazer, shirt and trousers

Outfit: Ayda's garment featured a blue floral detail

Suave: Robbie cut a dapper figure for the event, wearing a black velvet blazer along with a matching pair of trousers

Dapper: British Vogue's editor-in-chief Edward Enninful looked smart in a navy blazer and matching trousers which he paired with a black top

Kate, who was covered in lube due to the white latex dress she was wearing, (as it helped her to put in on) told Jimmy Fallon why she is so close to the actor.

She said: 'I'm covered in lube. I'm sorry if I touched you. I am not always covered in lube. Once in a while.'

'I love that man [Brian Cox]. I love Succession, but I did a movie with him a couple of years ago.

'He's sort of vaguely been in my life since I was a child anyway because he was best friends with my godfather, [David Bradley.]

'I love him so much. He's got this strange testicular pull that when I am in a low moment he feels a call in a fatherly way and calls me up and pulls me out of trouble.

'That came out wrong but I had a bit of a rush to get here, so I was in a testically frame of mind. Sorry everyone.'

Fan: Kate's appearance comes after she admitted she has a picture of Succession star Brian Cox as her phone screensaver

She said: 'I love him so much. He's got this strange testicular pull that when I am in a low moment he feels a call in a fatherly way and calls me up and pulls me out of trouble' (stock image)

She continued: 'No he's lovely and I find it very comforting to see his face every 30 seconds when my phone relaxes and there he is.

'I did a really bad movie with him when I was about 19. Everyone in it was brilliant, it was Christian Bale, Helen Mirren and all these incredible people.

'And the movie was awful. It was a sort of retelling of Hamlet but it was dreadful. So Brian was my dad in that. I think he was quite cross. He could tell the movie was going to be terrible.

'So he was not as approachable. He was a bit grumpy because all the sets were wobbling and he kept falling off his horse and things like that.

'I was still at university anyway. And then this time I just played his daughter in a movie called Prisoner's daughter. I am the daughter and he is the prisoner.'
Emmerdale viewers were stunned during Tuesday's episode after spotting Dr Liam Cavanagh had a love bite after a night of passion with nurse Wendy Posner.

On Monday, the heat was turned up in the Dales as Dr Liam (Jonny McPherson) and Wendy (Susan Cookson) shared a passionate kiss at the surgery, while across the village Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) attempted to lock lips with Wendy's long-term partner Bob Hope (Tony Audenshaw) over a bottle of wine.

Returning to work at the surgery after their rendezvous, Wendy panicked as she realised news of her dalliance could get out amongst her neighbours, and back to Bob.

During a fraught discussion with Dr Liam outside the surgery, his love bite was clearly visible on his neck, prompting viewers to take to Twitter to express their shock.

One person wrote: 'Hahahahaha ...A love bite! Is that still a thing?....or is it just me.'

Romance: Emmerdale viewers were stunned during Tuesday's episode after spotting Dr Liam Cavanagh had a love bite after a night of passion with nurse Wendy Posner

Excuses: Despite the mark being very visible on Liam's neck, he tried to pass off the love bite as being caused by his razor

On Liam's attempt to cover his tracks, another person posted: 'Well that is some excuse - "Liam you've got a love bite on yer neck" "Nah it's me new razor - it's a killer."'

'Oooh Liam's got a love bite what a pair of mucky b*****ds,' remarked another soap fan.

'Omg Liam has a love bite,' exclaimed another viewers, while someone else laughed: 'Liam love bite on his neck.'

Someone else posted: 'Never too old for a love bite.'

it comes after Emmerdale fans were left shocked during Monday night's episode as two couples enjoyed steamy rendezvous.

One half of the double dose of passion came about after Dr Liam was nominated for an award for his work of fiction in the magazine Murder Most Murky.

When Wendy, who has kindly tweaked his masterpieces, prepares a Champagne celebration at the surgery, they're caught up in the moment when Anna Le Monde, Liam's pseudonym, wins Murder Most Murky New Crime Writer Of The Year.

Unable to contain their excitement, the costumed pair turn to each other with Liam embracing Wendy, as the medic launches his lips, and fake moustache, at her as they kiss, with Wendy welcoming the romantic gesture.

Affair: The heat was turned up in the Dales as Dr Liam (Jonny McPherson) and Wendy (Susan Cookson) shared a passionate kiss at the surgery

Astounded: Viewers took to Twitter to express their shock at seeing Dr Liam with the love bite on his neck

Elsewhere, Bob opened up to Bernice about his stresses at work, with the conversation soon turning to how they feel about one another as the wine flows.

With Bob telling Bernice he thought she was beautiful, Bernice moved in to kiss him.

However, Bob jumped back, seemingly scared to kiss his friend.

Taking to Twitter, one viewer compared it to a famous ITV2 dating show, writing: 'Tonights @emmerdale has turned into an episode of love island #Emmerdale.'

While someone else posted: 'I'm surprised that Wendy didn't start laughing, Liam tickling her with that fake moustache.'

'It's the fake tash that did it, Liam old boy. Full-on Monday night randy episode,' posted another viewer.

And someone else shared: 'I'm rooting for Liam and Wendy they have better chemistry.

One other person wrote: '#emmerdale as turned into the over 50s swingers club.'

However, an unimpressed viewer remarked: 'Oh here we go again....another flamin affair....give them a rest already.'

Passion: Emmerdale fans were shocked on Monday as two couples enjoyed steamy rendezvous, with Dr Liam Cavanagh, and nurse Wendy Posner kissing

Flirtatious: Meanwhile, on the other side of the village, Bernice Blackstock (Samantha Giles) attempted to lock lips with Bob Hope (Tony Audenshaw) as the pair shared a bottle of wine

Stunned: Taking to Twitter, viewers reacted to the scenes as they unfolded on television on Monday

'Off to wash my eyes out,' declared someone else. While one other person posted: 'I wish I could unsee all of that.'

'Please excuse me whilst I puke up my dinner,' exclaimed another audience member.

Someone else joked: 'This time next week Bob and Liam will have swapped partners.'

Emmerdale airs weekdays at 7:30pm on ITV.
Lady Gaga's makeup line is officially heading to Sephora UK.

The pop star, 37, has announced her line, Haus Labs, will be launching exclusively at the beauty store in the UK next month. The products will be available on Sephora UK's website and physical stores.

She shared the big news with video of her posing with her products as she displayed her abs in a black crop top.

The upbeat video showed Gaga, 37, dancing alongside various models as they all posed with bottles of her foundation.

Sephora became Haus Lab's exclusive retail partner last year. It is currently available in stores in the U.S. and Canada.

Heading across the pond! Lady Gaga's makeup line is officially heading to Sephora UK

'UK, are you ready for our supercharged artistry makeup? @hauslabs is launching exclusively at Sephora UK in-store and online on June 6, and we cant wait for you to join us! Sign up for the waitlist on sephora.co.uk to shop the moment we drop! xx, LG #HausLabsxSephoraUK,' she captioned the video.

This appears to be the 'exciting' announcement Gaga teased the day prior.

In the video, she clinked a tea cup with a spoon before moving it to her mouth, shrugging, and putting her fingers to her lips in a shushing motion.

'Having a cuppa in celebration of something exciting coming tomorrow,' she captioned the video.

Gaga wore a black blazer, white T-shirt, and slicked back blonde hair that tumbled down in glossy waves.

Many fans speculated Gaga was teasing an announcement for her makeup collection Haus Labs, given she was rocking bold red lipstick that did not smudge onto the teacup.

'The lipstick didn't transfer to the teacup so prolly something related to that,' one observant Instagram user commented.

'Everyone and their mothers know it's hauslabs but I'll stay hopeful we'll get some ARTPOP ACT II news soon as well,' another posted.

Makeup magic! Fans can now get Haus Labs in person at Sephora UK

Moving it! The upbeat video showed Gaga, 37, dancing alongside various models as they all clutched bottles of the foundation

Big news: This appears to be the 'exciting' announcement Gaga teased the day prior

Coming soon: In Monday's video, she clinked a tea cup with a spoon before moving it to her mouth, shrugging, and putting her fingers to her lips in a shushing motion

'Guys its a new shade of lipstick calm down,' one fan weighed in.

'PLEASE GOD ENOUGH WITH MAKEUP,' one Instagram user commented.

'I swear if it's a haus labs announcement mother I'm gonna be mad,' another wrote.

Last year, when her products were first made available at Sephora, the talented star was beyond thrilled to partner with the retailer.

'I always wanted to partner with Sephora,' Gaga stated in an interview with Harper's Bazaar. 'I used to go to Sephora all the time as a young girl around 13 or 14 years old, I would go in and explore.'

The Academy Award winner also said that she, 'always wanted to create a brand that was about empowering people to their makeup and helping people feel uplifted by makeup...'
Two-time Emmy winner Jay Leno is doing so well four months after breaking bones in a motorcycle crash and six months after suffering third-degree burns in a car fire, that he's no longer in physical therapy.

'I'm doing good! I'm doing good,' the New York-born 73-year-old told Page Six last Saturday.

'It's fine! I'm fine. Look, when you're in my position, when you're any kind of celebrity, you're luckier than most people. So when something bad happens to you, you can't whine and complain about it because bad things happen to people every day - either they get burned or they get cut - and they don't have the financial wherewithal I did.'

Jay - who boasts a reported $450M fortune - joked that 'people love to see rich people catch on fire' because in Hollywood 'as long as you look okay, you're okay. Nobody really cares how you feel.'

'Show business is fleeting,' Leno admitted.

'I'm doing good!' Two-time Emmy winner Jay Leno is doing so well four months after breaking bones in a motorcycle crash and six months after suffering third-degree burns in a car fire, that he's no longer in physical therapy (pictured Saturday)

'You enjoy it while you can, and it's fun. Some days you're popular. Some days you're not.'

The Bug Therapy actor suffered a broken collarbone, two fractured ribs, and two cracked kneecaps after crashing his vintage motorbike in Las Vegas on January 17.

This, after Jay suffered second- and third-degree burns 'from a gasoline fire' while working on a 1907 White Steam Car at his Big Dog Garage in Burbank on November 11.

Leno received skin grafts 'from a cadaver and from pig intestines' to recreate his left ear and left side of his face at Grossman Burn Center in Burbank, according to People.

The Mark Twain Prize winner - who never had children - refuses to stop riding motorcycles and he has the blessing from his wife of 42 years, Mavis Nicholson.

'As long as it's not cocaine and girlfriends, she's fine - believe me,' Jay wisecracked.

Leno - whose CNBC series Jay Leno's Garage was canceled in January - will serve guest judging duties on an upcoming episode of Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge, which premieres May 30 on NBC.

The former Tonight Show host is next scheduled to perform stand-up comedy on June 17 at Edgewater E. Center in Laughlin, NV.

The New York-born 73-year-old told Page Six last Saturday: 'It's fine! I'm fine. Look, when you're in my position, when you're any kind of celebrity, you're luckier than most people. So when something bad happens to you, you can't whine and complain about it'

Jay - who boasts a reported $450M fortune - added: 'Bad things happen to people every day - either they get burned or they get cut - and they don't have the financial wherewithal I did'

Not again! Leno suffered a broken collarbone, two fractured ribs, and two cracked kneecaps after crashing his vintage motorbike in Las Vegas on January 17

Horrifying: This, after the Bug Therapy actor suffered second- and third-degree burns 'from a gasoline fire' while working on a 1907 White Steam Car at his Big Dog Garage in Burbank on November 11

BTS: Jay received skin grafts 'from a cadaver and from pig intestines' to recreate his left ear and left side of his face at Grossman Burn Center in Burbank

'As long as it's not cocaine and girlfriends!' Leno - who never had children - refuses to stop riding motorcycles and he has the blessing from his wife of 42 years, Mavis Nicholson (R, pictured in 2015)

Back to the Peacock! The Mark Twain Prize winner - whose CNBC series Jay Leno's Garage was canceled in January - will serve guest judging duties on an upcoming episode of Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge, which premieres May 30 on NBC

Still at it! Jay is next scheduled to perform stand-up comedy on June 17 at Edgewater E. Center in Laughlin, NV (pictured May 4)

Still hosting! Leno hosts a syndicated reboot of Groucho Marx's comedy quiz series You Bet Your Life with Jay Leno, and they're currently casting contestants for season three

Jay hosts a syndicated reboot of Groucho Marx's comedy quiz series You Bet Your Life with Jay Leno, and they're currently casting contestants for season three.

And last year, Leno shot his role as legendary talk show host Ed Sullivan in Midas Man, a biopic on Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, which is still in production nearly two years after cameras first rolled.

'I have no doubt that Jay Leno will capture the essence of Ed Sullivan perfectly,' Sara Sugarman - who replaced director Jonas Akerlund - told Deadline back in 2021.

'His own experience as an American television host will bring forward a natural, and accurate portrayal and add an incredible element of modern showbiz to the story.'

Midas Man will also features Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Emily Watson, Eddie Marsan, Omari Douglas, Rosie Day, and Lukas Gage.
Lily-Rose Depp and Eva Longoria led the stars attending the Cannes Film Festival Air Mail Party at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France on Tuesday.

Actress Lily-Rose, 23, showcased her sense of style in a black long-sleeved midi dress with a gold patterned design.

The garment featured a high collar and sheer detail while Lily-Rose aded height to her frame with a pair of black heels.

Styling her blonde locks into loose curls, the actress, who is the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, completed her look with a light palette of makeup.

Desperate Housewives star Eva, 48, cut an elegant figure in a black long-sleeved dress with a high collar and flowing train.

Event: Lily-Rose Depp and Eva Longoria led the stars attending the Cannes Film Festival Air Mail Party at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France on Tuesday

Looking good: Actress Lily-Rose, 23, showcased her sense of style in a black long-sleeved midi dress with a gold patterned design

The dress also featured a zig zag pattern while the actress also wore a pair of black heels.

Letting her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders, Eva completed her look for the event with a pair of silver earrings.

Also in attendance at the event was Robert De Niro, who has been enjoying the Cannes Film Festival with his girlfriend Tiffany Chen.

The actor, 79, who welcomed his seventh child last month, wore a black blazer with matching trousers and a grey shirt.

Director Martin Scorsese looked sharp in a navy three-piece suit as he posed for a snap alongside David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Elsewhere, Boy George sported a black blazer and matching trousers along with a navy printed shirt and a blue hat.

Also in attendance at the event was Sam Levinson, the director of Lily-Rose's new show The Idol.

Meanwhile, Rebel Wilson was all smiles as she partied at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in a silver shimmering dress.

Fashion: The garment featured a high collar and sheer detail while Lily-Rose aded height to her frame with a pair of black heels

Outfit: Eva's dress also featured a zig zag pattern while the actress also wore a pair of black heels

Party: Also in attendance at the event was Robert De Niro, who welcomed his seventh child lst month (pictured with Graydon Carter)

Smart: Director Martin Scorsese looked sharp in a navy three-piece suit as he posed for a snap alongside David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery

Dapper: Also in attendance at the event was Sam Levinson, the director of Lily-Rose's new show The Idol (pictured with his wife Ashley)

Loved-up: Scarlett Johansson looked incredible in a lime green mini dress as she attended the bash alongside her husband Colin Jost

Party: Rebel Wilson was all smiles as she partied at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in a silver shimmering dress

Couple: Sting attended the event alongside his wife Trudie Styler, with the musician looking dapper in a burgundy striped blazer

Scarlett Johansson looked incredible in a lime green mini dress as she attended the bash alongside her husband Colin Jost.

The actress wore her locks in loose curls and added to her outfit with a pair of silver earrings and a dark clutch bag.

Adriana Lima effortlessly commanded attention in a bright orange dress with a thigh-high leg split.

The garment also featured a plunging neckline while the model added to the look wiith matching heels.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley cut a glamorous figure in a black figure-hugging dress she wore with a matching blazer while cosying up to her husband Jason Statham.

Sting attended the event alongside his wife Trudie Styler, with the musician looking dapper in a burgundy striped blazer.

Lily-Rose's The Icon co-star Troye Sivan joined her at the bash where he cut a casual figure in a white shirt andmatching trousers.

Radiant: Scarlett wore her locks in loose curls and added to her outfit with a pair of silver earrings and a dark clutch bag

Suave: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley cut a glamorous figure in a black figure-hugging dress she wore with a matching blazer while cosying up to her husband Jason Statham

Pals: Lily-Rose's The Icon co-star Troye Sivan joined her at the bash where he cut a casual figure in a white shirt andmatching trousers

Leggy: Adriana Lima effortlessly commanded attention in a bright orange dress with a thigh-high leg split

Lady in red: Sara Sampaio slipped into a red sleeveless midi dress

New parents: Robert De Niro was joined by his girlfriend Tiffany Chen weeks after she gave birth to their child

Event: Alessandra was all smiles as she posed for a snap with (L-R) Matheus Mazzafera, Jasmine Tookes, Lais Ribeiro and Sara

The event comes after The Idol The Idol received a red carpet reception worthy of any Hollywood blockbuster at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on Monday.

The show, which is set to begin airing June 4 on HBO, was a rare TV project to screen at the annual cinematic event in France, at the Grand Theatre Lumiere.

It is the story of 'a rising pop idol' named Jocelyn (Lily) as she enters into a 'complicated relationship' with 'a self-help guru and leader of a modern-day cult' and nightclub manager named Tedros (The Weeknd), according to a synopsis.

The Idol had already garnered controversy on the heels of a March report in Rolling Stone that dubbed it 'torture porn' and detailed a series of troubles amid production, citing multiple insiders.

And now, it has received a slew of mixed reviews The Hollywood Reporter's Lovia Gyarkye dubbed the forthcoming drama 'more regressive than transgressive'.

The report noted how the network has sought to amplify the sex-fuelled debauchery in marketing the series, advertising it from 'the gutters of Hollywood' and the 'sick & twisted minds' of Levinson and the rapper.

Quirky: Boy George sported a black blazer and matching trousers along with a navy printed shirt and a blue hat

Screening: The event comes after The Idol The Idol received a red carpet reception worthy of any Hollywood blockbuster at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on Monday

Stunning: Letting her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders, Eva completed her look for the event with a pair of silver earrings

Dapper: John C. Reilly opted for a beige three-piece suit for the event (pictured with photographer Brigitte Lacombe)

The show was described the show as 'an older, even more stylized version of Euphorias second season,' referencing another HBO series from Levinson.

A scene in which a music exec argued with a director to 'stop c***blocking America,' Gyarkye said, was indicative of 'the shows intention and puts a metaphorical hand up at incoming haters: Sex sells, and The Idol revels in that'.

The report noted that the scenes in the show are marked by Levinson's 'efficient and stylish direction' and a variety of vibes.

'Some of them have momentum, others are contradictory and most of them are confusing,' Gyarkye said. 'It makes you wonder if in trying so hard to be transgressive, the show ultimately becomes regressive.'

It referenced the gratuitous displays of nudity for Lily's character Jocelyn, noting: 'Rarely does a scene go by without the camera showing flashes of her breasts or a**.

Stylish: The Icon star Da'Vine Joy Randolph donned a black off the shoulder dress with matching boots

Role: Lily-Rose plays a pop star in her new show The Icon, while Troye plays her creative director

Couple: Eva attended the event with her husband Jose Baston (centre background)

'You start to wonder if this is building to anything, and by episode two it seems likely that its probably not.'

A Variety report penned by Matt Donnelly and Zack Sharf noted that the show's initial pair of episodes touch on seedy topics such as 'revenge porn photos of bodily fluids on Depp's face, masturbation with ice cubes, nightclub-owning scam artists and vile Hollywood sycophants'.

The screenings were met with a 'five-minute standing ovation,' according to the publication.
Gloria Hunniford's husband Stephen Wray has been left partially blind after suffering a second stroke.

Stephen, 78, lost the sight in his right eye and he has said it is not expected to return.

He told the Mirror: 'I woke up in the morning and there was blood in the eye and that was it. I can see a little but not that good.'

Speaking of the blood vessel damage that is causing the sight loss, he added: 'It is from the heart to the eye, and then from the eye to the brain, so it is damaged. It is the first time I have had something like this with the eye.

'I had to go to hospital  then Northfield [Hospital, West London] and then neurology but thankfully it was not a long wait at A&E. I just went straight through. I am coping OK with it all. Its fine but just disorientating.'

Ill health: Gloria Hunniford's husband Stephen Wray, 78, has been left partially blind after suffering a second stroke (pictured on Monday)

Relationship: Gloria has been married to businessman Stephen since 1998, with her first husband being the late Don Keating

Stephen was pictured out with his television and radio presenter wife Gloria, 83, at the Chelsea Flower Show in London on Monday.

The pair appeared in good spirits, with Stephen embracing his wife in his arms as they posed for pictures.

It comes after Gloria revealed how she was rushed to A&E by ambulance before being diagnosed with sepsis of the kidney in March.

The star said she was left 'flattened' and 'drained of all energy' following the ordeal earlier this year.

Gloria first underwent surgery for kidney stones, where doctors put in a stent, however after the operation she began to feel unwell.

She was then went under the knife for a second time, telling the Mirror: 'The last thing [Doctors] said before I went to theatre was: "When I take this stent out you are going to feel so much better.

'But the next thing I knew coming out of the anesthetic, was a nurse saying to me, "Don't worry, don't panic but we are having to transfer you by ambulance to a different hospital because we can't get your blood pressure up".'

Gloria was then sent to a nearby A&E in Maidstone, Kent where doctors informed her she had sepsis of the kidney.

Out and about: Stephen was pictured out with his television and radio presenter wife Gloria, 83, at the Chelsea Flower Show in London on Monday as he gets used to his changed sight

Sepsis occurs when the body reacts to an infection by attacking its own organs and tissues. Around 44,000 people die from sepsis every year in the UK. Worldwide, someone dies from the condition every 3.5 seconds.

She revealed her relief that the disease had not spread beyond the kidney, saying: 'I guess that's why I felt so awful and it did flatten me for a while.'

Despite doctors saying it could take six months to return to normality, Gloria was back at work within weeks.

The host, who fronts Loose Women and BBC's Rip Of Britain went on to tell the publication she is now back to '98%' health.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Ariana Madix stepped out smiling at the beauty salon in LA on Tuesday - mere hours after faking a move out of the home she shares with cheating ex Tom Sandoval.

The Vanderpump Rules star, 37, who was seen lugging boxes out of the home before revealing it was in fact a staged shoot for sponsored content, looked pretty giddy as she left a salon with a drink in hand.

The star looked chic in a white dress teamed with black leather boots and a matching jacket.

Her tresses were styled in soft waves and she sported a rich palette of make-up.

The outing comes as Ariana was slammed by fans after revealing her 'moving out' was nothing more than a marketing ploy as she partnered with a finance company.

Oh dear: Ariana Madix stepped out smiling at the beauty salon in LA on Tuesday - mere hours after faking a move out of the home she shares with cheating ex Tom Sandoval

Cash grab: 'I'm moving UP, not out,' she declared in a mysterious snippet on her Instagram Story  that appeared to be a not-so-subtle ad for SoFi. 'Well not yet at least. It's time to get my financial house in order. I will have more to share with you very very soon'

The scorned VPR heroine  who has already moved on with a hunky new boyfriend named Daniel Wai created the ruse in order to promote a personal finance company called SoFi.

It may not have been April Fools Day but a scheming Madix enlisted the help of friends and even hired a U-Haul for her prank, exploiting the sensation of 'Scandoval' by moving boxes out of her house in full view of photographers.

The reality star sold the sham move to the hilt and even shaded Tom's fling partner Raquel Leviss, 28, in the process.

Days after a source revealed Leviss had 'dipped out' of her romance with Sandoval, Madix cheekily quipped on her Instagram Story: 'Ready to dip out!' as she loaded boxes into the moving truck.

The Bravolebrity wore a blue 'SoFi' sweater, black leather leggings and bright white sneakers as she loaded boxes labelled 'finances' into her truck.

But after 'moving' out of the Valley Village home  she and Tom paid $2.075 million for their doomed love nest back in 2019  Ariana revealed that the long day of lugging boxes around was just an influencer making a cash grab.

'I'm moving UP, not out,' she declared in a mysterious snippet on her Instagram Story  that appeared to be a not-so-subtle ad for SoFi. 'Well not yet at least. It's time to get my financial house in order. I will have more to share with you very very soon.'

'Soon' turned out to be later that day when Ariana posted a full-blown ad for SoFi on Instagram that showed her palling around with 'Dr. Money' and endorsing 'the bank that's got my back.'

Having fun? The Vanderpump Rules star, 37, who was seen lugging boxes out of the home before revealing it was in fact a staged shoot for sponsored content, looked pretty giddy as she left a salon with a drink in hand

Pose: The star looked chic in a white dress teamed with black leather boots and a matching jacket

Stroll: Her tresses were styled in soft waves and she sported a rich palette of make-up

Off she goes home: The star left the salon - presumably to return to her home with Sandoval

Many took to social media to react to the stunt with one even asking 'Did we just get DUPED by Ariana?!'

The elaborate stunt comes after Raquel's shocking split from Tom, with an insider telling Page Six: 'Raquel dipped out. Sandoval is not the one for her.'

Although the affair was only unveiled in March, both Sandoval and Leviss have revealed their romance actually started last summer.

In the series 10 finale of Vanderpump Rules which aired on Wednesday, Madix and Sandoval had an epic confrontation over his infidelity.

'Do you want anything?' Sandoval  who was seen hyperventilating as he discussed his affair during one-on-one conversation with Lisa Vanderpump elsewhere in the episode  asked Madix, to which she replied: 'For you to die.'

Love triangle: Leviss, 28, and Sandoval, 39, exploded the reality show cast when their infidelity was exposed, breaking the heart of the hunk's girlfriend of nine years, Ariana (pictured together in November 2022 during their affair)

'I regret every moment that I stood up for you, defended you, supported you. You're worth nothing and I want you to feel that deep in your soul,' Ariana told Tom during their brutal conversation.

After the finale aired, fans of the series took to social media to express their opinions with many praising Ariana for being 'strong' and 'elegant.' While another fan wrote: 'The most epic break-up moment in reality TV history.'

Someone else chimed in writing: 'Scandovaling is the new word for 'I'm a victim, it's not my fault.'

One meme saw Sandoval complaining about the couple's lack of a sex life and his lost 'mojo' to which Ariana replied: 'So f*** my friend then!'

The fan reactions continued with another meme showing Sandoval hugging his friend Tom Schwartz.

'They are some of the most clueless fools on reality television,' the Twitter user captioned the photo.

Another meme featured a scene from Gone With The Wind with Scarlett O'Hara weeping. 'Sandoval crying like...' the caption read.

'Wow. He never took any responsibility. And it's too late to reference your really good times together. 'F-offf sociopath,' someone else wrote.

Over and out: Ariana's stunt comes hours after the shock split news with an insider telling Page Six: 'Raquel dipped out. Sandoval is not the one for her'

There were also accusations of Sandoval of being performative, with one Twitter user writing: 'What is this performance of crying on Schwartz's shoulder?'

'Sandoval is giving beginners acting class,' another added.

Following the finale, the Vanderpump Rules cast will be back together again for the reunion. The first part of the reunion will air Wednesday, May 24, then part two on Wednesday, May 31, and part three on Wednesday, June 7.

It was revealed Wednesday that contract negotiations for the cast of Vanderpump Rules have been paused amid the aftermath of Scandoval.
Irina Shayk displayed her toned figure in a glamorous ensemble while attending the Magnum Beach Cannes Party on Monday.

The model, 37, put on a very leggy display in a Versace pink leather co-ord featuring a tailleur jacket and a matching mini-skirt.

She wore the jacket open with a busty black crop top - flaunting her sculpted midriff.

The bombshell stole the spotlight while attending the Magnum Pleasure Is Always On VIP party at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival.

Irina toted her stunning look she added stiletto pink stiletto heels and carried a matching quilted purse.

Turning heads: Irina Shayk displayed her toned figure in a glamorous ensemble while attending the Magnum Beach Cannes Party on Monday

Stylish: The model, 37, put on a very leggy display in a Versace pink leather co-ord featuring a tailleur jacket and a matching mini-skirt

The runaway veteran perfectly matched the make up to her ensemble and pouted her lips with a stunning pink lipstick.

Irina donned a flawless make up palette and kept her brown tresses loose behind her back with a side parting.

The Russian beauty was captured posing up and smiling while holding a magnum ice cream - as she ditched her pink jacket.

Also Stella Maxwell was in attendance of the event.

The supermodel, 33, added to the glam of the evening in a lacy black and white dress with tiny straps, while her blonde locks were swooshed back for a sultry appearance.

Elsewhere, Eva Longoria showed off her ample assets in a plunging dress.

The youthful beauty, 48, was attending the Magnum Pleasure Is Always On VIP party at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival.

Toned: She wore the jacket open with a busty black bralette - flaunting her sculpted midriff

There she is! The bombshell stole the spotlight while attending the Magnum Pleasure Is Always On VIP party at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival

Glamorous: Irina toted her stunning look she added stiletto pink stiletto heels and carried a matching quilted purse

Stunning: The runaway veteran perfectly matched the make up to her ensemble and pouted her lips with a stunning pink lipstick

Gorgeous: Irina donned a flawless make up palette and kept her brown tresses loose behind her back with a side parting

Repping: The Russian beauty was captured posing up and smiling while holding a magnum ice cream - as she ditched her pink jacket

Eva looked sensational in the glittery number as she pulled her brunette tresses back into a high ponytail to further draw attention to the stunning dress.

Other gorgeous stars included Lady Victoria Hervey in a glittering midi-dress, as well as Josephine Skriver in a slim-cut white dress with ruffles running down her body.

Irina has spoken in the past about her body image and revealed that when she hits the road, she brings exercise equipment - but seldom uses the kit.

On feeling body positive, she previously said: ''Even if you have some extra kilos, you don't need to kill yourself for that, you just have to look at yourself as a positive.

'Yeah extra kilos but guess what? Men love it, you know.'

She has also reflected in the past about her lack of popularity as a teen, telling Vogue: 'No [I wasn't popular at school]. No! I had my first boyfriend at 18. Boys didnt like me.

'I was really skinny and have darker skin, so boys and girls made fun of me. I never knew that I would be a model... I had bigger lips, so they called me Chunga-Changa, after this Russian cartoon about Black kids

' I always thought, I want to be like everyone else, so nobody would pick on me. I was really shy as a child... And I kind of hated being in pictures [laughs]. Look at me now!'

Irina shares her daughter Lea, six, with 48-year-old actor Bradley Cooper of The Hangover fame.

The former power couple started dating in April 2015 when they attended the White House Correspondents Dinner, went official in March 2016 during a Paris Fashion Week party, welcomed Lea in March 2017 and split in June 2019.
Jasmine Tookes commanded attention as she slipped into an incredibly glamorous ensemble while attending the Asteroid City premiere for the 76th Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday.

The former Victoria's Secret angel, 32, showcased her impeccable sense of style as she wore a red one-shoulder gown with a long cape.

The sensational garment featured a very eye-catching red roses embellishment all over her shoulder and cleavage - drawing attention to her slender neck.

Jasmine looked like a real life princess as she posed up a storm - moving the stunning cape as it flowed behind her on the red carpet.

The model opted for a perfectly matched look as she played with shade of red tones for her accessories and make up.

Turning heads: Jasmine Tookes commanded attention as she slipped into an incredibly glamorous ensemble while attending the Asteroid City premiere for the 76th Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday

Oozing glam: The former Victoria's Secret angel, 32, showcased her impeccable sense of style as she wore a red one-shoulder gown with a long cape

She wore drop diamond earrings featuring gleaming rubies as she dazzled under the spotlight.

Jasmine added three diamond rings to her glamorous look - and one with a shining ruby stone.

The runaway veteran donned a flawless red smokey-eyes and pink blush on her sculpted cheeks.

She finished off with a cherry lipstick flaunting her beautiful lips.

Jasmine kept her raven wavy tresses in an up-do bun, with a few locks down.

Palais des Festivals provided the glamorous backdrop for the premiere, as stars from around the world converged.

The movie which is directed by Wes Anderson follows the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer convention which is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

The futuristic caper is playing in competition for the coveted Palm d'Or at this year's ceremony, and once again an array of A-list talent was on had to ensure it was given a grand reception on the resort town's iconic Croisette.

Jaw-dropping: The sensational garment featured a very eye-catching red roses embellishment all over her shoulder and cleavage - drawing attention to her slender neck

Stunner: Jasmine looked like a real life princess as she posed up a storm

Stylish: Jasmine looked incredible moving the stunning cape as it flowed behind her on the red carpet

Matching: The model opted for a perfectly matched look as she played with shade of red tones for her accessories and make up

Star: She wore drop diamond earrings featuring gleaming rubies as she dazzled under the spotlight

Dazzling: Jasmine added three diamond rings to her glamorous look - and one with a shining ruby stone

Look: The runaway veteran donned a flawless red smokey-eyes

Beauty: She donned pink blush on her sculpted cheeks

Incredible: She finished off with a cherry lipstick flaunting her beautiful lips

Asteroid City stars the likes of Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson and Tom Hanks.

Anderson is a regular in Cannes and appeared two years ago with The French Dispatch and in 2012 with Moonrise Kingdom.

The plot is set in 1955 and focuses on a group of students and parents from across the country who gather in a tiny (fictitious) desert town in the American Southwest.

They arrive for the annual Junior Stargazers convention held in the basin of a huge meteorite crater, but little do they know, they are about to witness a world-changing event.

The official Cannes synopsis reads: 'The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention (organised to bring together students and parents from across the country for fellowship and scholarly competition) is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.'

Victoria's Secret favourite Rosie Huntington-Whiteley led the glamour at the Asteroid City premiere - as she stunned in a sweeping white evening gown that enhanced.

Also in attendance were Ozark star Julia Garner, Scarlett Johansson, Adrien Brody, Brie Larson, Lady Victoria Hervey and Kimberley Garner.
Julia Fox showed off her quirky style in another explicit see-through PVC outfit as she attended The Idol Premiere afterparty at Palm Beach during the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival on Monday.

The Italian-American actress, 33, who dated Kanye West, went braless in a sheer white top with oversized sleeves and pompom details.

She donned a pair of matching see-through trousers and heels, while accessorising with a unique mohawk hat.

To contrast her luminous ensemble, Julia opted for a striking black lipstick, while also adding dramatic winged eyeliner.

Her face make-up was also blinding, opting for almost-white foundation to match her outfit.

Bold: Julia Fox showed off her quirky style in ANOTHER explicit see-through PVC outfit as she attended The Idol Premiere afterparty at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palm Beach on Monday

Racy: The Italian-American actress, 33, who dated Kanye West, went braless in a sheer white top with oversized sleeves and pompom details

Earlier in the evening, Julia donned a very intricate white gown for The Idol launch at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival.

The actress made sure all eyes were on her as she flaunted the unique ensemble.

Julia flaunted her assets as the top of the dress hugged her figure in a corset-style, while it was held up by one tiny strap on her right shoulder.

The Uncut Gems star's look was completed by multiple layers of fabric that fell elegantly to her feet, as well as forming a giant fan shape behind her head.

She held up the huge skirt with elegant white gloves which added to the out-of-this-world feel of the look.

Drama series The Idol is due to be released on June 4 on HBO and is created by The Weeknd, Reza Fahim, and Sam Levinson.

It stars Lily-Rose Depp as an aspiring pop idol, who is forced to cancel a tour after suffering a nervous breakdown.

Quirky: She donned a pair of matching see-through trousers and heels, while accessorising with a unique mohawk hat

Dramatic: To contrast her luminous ensemble, Julia opted for a striking black lipstick, while also adding dramatic winged eyeliner

New: Drama series The Idol is due to be released on June 4 on HBO and is created by The Weeknd, Reza Fahim, and Sam Levinson

She begins a complicated relationship with a self-help guru and cult leader (played by The Weeknd), while Troye Sivan takes on a supporting role.

Monday's outfit was another transparent look for Julia after she donned a see-through top on Sunday .

She dropped jaws when she bared her breasts in a sexy clear top at the Art of Elysium 25th Anniversary.

The provocative bombshell  who recently branded herself 'high class white trash'  turned up the heat in Cannes, France by leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination.

Julia's top was a see-through creation that encapsulated her cleavage and flowed over her midsection.

The star covered up her lower half in a two-tiered voluminous white skirt that ballooned into a pool of fabric.

She accessorised her look with dazzling jewellery, upswept hair, and a glossed lip of dark colour.

Daring: Julia flaunted her assets as the top of the dress hugged her figure in a corset-style, while it was held up by one tiny strap on her right shoulder

Complex: The Uncut Gems star's look was completed by multiple layers of fabric that fell elegantly to her feet, as well as forming a giant fan shape behind her head

Known for her eye-popping fashion and risque aesthetic, Fox recently admitted to having liposuction and Botox in the past.

The former dominatrix told Elle she was 'saggy' and her body had changed, but that she was not going to do a 'damn thing about it.'

Revealing she would consider the cosmetic procedures again, Julia said: 'Im, like, saggy, like, things are not sitting the way they used to. But its like, I am not gonna do a damn thing about it.'

The performer has become famous for taking major risks when it comes to her personal aesthetic, which have propelled her onto the global fashion scene.
Lisa Snowdon bravely discussed her 'many fertility struggles' during an appearance on Lorraine on Tuesday.

The TV and radio presenter, 51, revealed she suffered a devastating miscarriage live on air after a violent attack from an abusive ex boyfriend.

Speaking on the incident, Lisa told ITV host Lorraine: 'I went to the bathroom and I was bleeding but I had to keep going. I'd never spoken about that, my many struggles with fertility. But you have to be positive.'

Lisa opens up about her past in her new book, Just Getting Started, revealing that one ex left her with life-long injuries and scoliosis.

In quotes obtained by The Sun, she recalled being left with a black eye, broken arm and bruises from her attacker when she was just 19-years-old.

Opening up: Lisa Snowdon bravely discussed her 'many fertility struggles' during an appearance on Lorraine on Tuesday

She wrote: 'He would hold me up against a wall, both of his hands around my throat, my feet dangling off the ground and squeeze my neck and strangle me until I thought I would die.'

After falling pregnant, Lisa explained she made the difficult decision to terminate the pregnancy, not wishing to bring a child into the world 'with a father like that.'

She told Lorraine: 'It didn't feel right. It was the wrong relationship, sometimes I look back and think what if. But I didn't want to be attached to that person.'

Lisa detailed how she later suffered at the hands of another boyfriend after managing to escape her previous relationship.

Aged 41, the TV personality found out she was expecting again, however was stuck in a cycle of dating 'inappropriate men.'

Lisa said how early scans had revealed the baby's heartbeat was faint and it wasn't growing as it should.

Devastatingly she recalled being 'violently attacked' by her partner and as she headed into work suffered a miscarriage on air.

'I am convinced the reason for my miscarriage was yes, partly due to the egg quality, but also because my partner had attacked me in the street the night before, shaking me violently and throwing me up against some metal shop-front shutters,' she said.

Lisa's new book aims to help other women, especially those who are going through menopause, she spoke out on the stigma of talking about the menopause and taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as treatment recently.

She explained: 'I want women to realise we can own our lives. Menopause can be a blip and then we can move on.

'I didn't expect the book to be so personal but it just flowed out of me. I needed to process things. My darkest point I was so low and now I know that was my hormones but it was also stuff from the past I needed to process.'

Awful: The TV and radio presenter, 51, revealed she suffered a devastating miscarriage live on air after a violent attack from an abusive ex boyfriend

Speaking on the incident, Lisa told ITV host Lorraine: 'I went to the bathroom and I was bleeding but I had to keep going. I'd never spoken about that, my many struggles with fertility. But you have to be positive.'

Brave: Lisa opens up about her past in her new book, Just Getting Started, revealing that one ex left her with life-long injuries and scoliosis

In an interview with Women's Health UK , the TV and radio presenter reflected on how she managed her symptoms after she went into perimenopause aged 44.

She told how HRT 'really helped' her and why she is supporting a campaign to make it more accessible.

Lisa told the magazine: 'I'm part of the Menopause Mandate campaign calling for HRT to be free on the NHS in England, like it is in Scotland and Wales.

'Since I went into perimenopause at 44, HRT has really helped me, but there's still some stigma around taking it - much like talking about the menopause in general.'

For support contact Tommy's on 020 7398 3460 or mailbox@tommys.org

If you have been affected by this story Victim Support helps survivors of any abuse or crime via their confidential 24/7 Supportline 08 08 16 89 111
Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Monday met the board of directors of all public sector banks to discuss issues related to governance and ethics. The one-day interactive meeting was organised by the Department of Supervision of the Reserve Bank of India.

Das addressed the directors  both whole time and independent  on issues related to governance, ethics and the role of the boards in assurance functionalities of the banks, besides highlighting the supervisory expectations, sources said. Besides the governor, deputy governors, and executive directors from the Department of Regulation as well as Supervision also spoke in the meeting.

During the event, directors, including the bank chairman, and nominee directors both from the central bank and the government were invited to interact with the entire RBI top brass.

The government on the recommendation of the Reserve Bank introduced many reforms in governance and provided more autonomy to the board of public sector banks in recent times.

The reforms also include an independent professional body for selection, objective and transparent selection and allotment on the basis of merit-cum-performance.

For the appointment of whole-time directors in public sector banks and financial institutions, the government in 2016 set up Banks Board Bureau (BBB), which was transformed into Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) last year.

Besides, the government approved the proposal to separate the posts of Chairman and Managing Directors in Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in 2015. While the Chairman is non-executive, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) is the executive head.

The splitting of the posts of Chairman and Managing Director is in accordance with international best practices.

While the Chairman gives overall policy directions, MD and CEO are responsible for the day-to-day management of the bank.
It is a misconception that non-violence is synonymous with weakness. It is a bold and effective measure against misguided forces

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima, Japan on May 20, 2023, as a symbol of friendship and goodwill between the two countries. The 42 inches tall bronze bust has been placed adjacent to the Motoyasu River, close to the iconic A-Bomb Dome that is visited by thousands of people  locals and tourists alike  every day, a location chosen as a mark of solidarity for peace and non-violence. The location truly resonates with the principles and life of Mahatma Gandhiji, which continue to inspire the world and its leaders' ', a statement from the PMO said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address also said that The bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima will take forward the idea of non-violence.

In times of strife and conflict, the principles of peace, nonviolence, wellness, and mindfulness serve as guiding lights, illuminating a path towards harmony and understanding. The profound philosophies of the 6th-century saint Mahatma Buddha and 19th-century mass leader Mahatma Gandhi have had an indelible impact on humanity, transcending time and place. Their teachings have inspired countless individuals to strive for peace and embrace nonviolent means of conflict resolution.

Mahatma Buddha emphasized the importance of inner transformation as the key to achieving lasting peace in the world. Buddha's teachings revolved around the Four Noble Truths, which acknowledge the existence of suffering and the path to liberation from it through the Eightfold Path, such as right understanding, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. The Buddha recognized that violence only perpetuates suffering and advocated for compassionate action as a means of resolving conflicts. Buddha's teachings encouraged individuals to cultivate empathy, understanding, and forgiveness, fostering harmony both within themselves and with others.

Mahatma Gandhi also drew inspiration from Buddha's teachings and adapted them to suit the context of his time. He combined the ideas of peace, nonviolence, wellness, and mindfulness by giving it the term Satyagraha, which was rooted in the principles of truth and nonviolent resistance. Gandhi's approach emphasized the need to address conflict through peaceful means, employing methods such as civil disobedience, boycotts, strikes, and fasts. He advocated for self-discipline, self-purification, and inner reflection as essential elements of nonviolent resistance. In their spiritual quest, both Mahatma Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi recognized the intrinsic worth and dignity of every human being and sought to promote universal peace and well-being. Their teachings emphasize the power of compassion, empathy, and nonviolence as transformative forces. They believed in the power of inner transformation as the foundation for external change and stressed the importance of self-reflection, self-discipline, and self-purification as prerequisites for cultivating peace and nonviolence. Buddha recognized that violence only perpetuates suffering, and Gandhi adapted this concept to advocate for nonviolent resistance as a powerful tool for social and political change.

Renowned Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh expresses the connection between Buddha's teachings and Gandhi's philosophy and says that "Mahatma Gandhi applied the principles of nonviolence and compassion to the social, economic, and political issues of his time, just as the Buddha taught his disciples to apply mindfulness and compassion to their daily lives. Both sought to alleviate suffering and promote harmony through peaceful means."

The Dalai Lama, while emphasizing inner transformation said that "Gandhi and Buddha were united in their belief that peace in the world begins with inner peace. By cultivating love, compassion, and wisdom within ourselves, we become agents of positive change in society."

Advocates of nonviolent resistance like Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela have been inspired by the Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi. King Jr. says: "Like Buddha and Gandhi, I believe that nonviolence is not passive resignation, but a powerful force for justice and freedom. Nonviolence is the embodiment of love in action and has the capacity to transform individuals, communities, and nations."

Similarly, Nelson Mandela, the iconic anti-apartheid leader and former President of South Africa, acknowledges the profound influence of Gandhi's philosophy on his own struggle. He says, "Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence inspired me to pursue freedom and equality for all. His teachings showed us that nonviolence is not a sign of weakness but a courageous choice to seek justice without resorting to violence."

In a world plagued by violence and conflict, the teachings of Buddha and Gandhi remind us of the power of nonviolent means for resolving conflicts. By promoting dialogue, understanding, and empathy, individuals can work towards peaceful resolutions, fostering harmony in diverse societies.

Also, the emphasis on mindfulness and self-care in Mahatma Buddha's teachings and social justice and equality, championed by Mahatma Gandhi remain relevant today as they encourage individuals to cultivate inner peace, well-being, and resilience, enabling them to navigate challenging circumstances with clarity and compassion. The question is, When do we walk the path?

(The writer is Programme Executive, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti)
Every party has a particular moment that helps gain political support. The 137-year-old Congress, which has seen many ups and downs, is no exception

Last week, its landslide victory in Karnataka significantly boosted its workers and leaders. Will the Congress leaders build on the Karnataka victory, just as Late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi used her Chikmagalur moment?

Gandhi, who lost elections in 1977, won the Chikmagalur Constituency in a bye-election and returned to Parliament in 1978. Within two years, she also recaptured power. Incidentally, she used her Belchi moment to her advantage. In July 1977,

11 persons, including eight Dalits, were ruthlessly murdered by a gang in Bihar. She visited the victims in Belchi. She rode on an elephant and a tractor to reach them as the roads were cut off.

Karnataka was lucky for Indira's daughter-in-law, Sonia Gandhi too. She won her first elections in 1999 from the Bellary constituency, a congress citadel. She became the Leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party in 2004 but declined to be the Prime Minister.

Winning such a prosperous and significant Karnataka is a big fillip to the demoralised Congress. But, it cannot afford to sit on the laurels of recent victory if the Party wants to revive itself. There are many challenges before the upcoming elections to Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Telangana and Mizorum later this year, and the Grand finale is in 2024.

The BJP's high-voltage campaign in Karnataka, with Prime Minister Modi as its mascot, did not click. The hardline Hindutva politics worked only within the coastal districts. There was a strong perception of corruption and a weak chief minister. There were only a few local issues the BJP could raise.

The Saffron Party must build solid second-rung

leaders. Though the loss was a big jolt, the Party has already started working with double vigour. It may only experiment to split Congress MLAs with 'Operation Kamala' after a while. But Congress must keep its flock. The Congress played its card well by raising the bread and butter and local issues. It paid dividends. It also gave the local leaders a free hand. The High command only assisted in the campaign.

But then came the choice of the chief minister. Two solid aspirants were fighting for the throne. Had the Party's top brass left the newly elected legislators to choose their chief minister, it would have been more democratic and clarified that the chief minister was not imposed from above. Instead, the legislature Party passed the usual one-line resolution leaving the choice to High Command, indicating that the Party has yet to learn any lesson.

The two aspirants, = former chief minister Siddharamaih and PCC chief D.K. Shiv Kumar = were cooling their heels in Delhi for four days. Ultimately a power-sharing formula was found with Siddharamaiah as chief minister and Shiv Kumar as his deputy. It was Sonia Gandhi who finally resolved the issue by mollifying Shiv Kumar.

Secondly, the real test will be how Congress handles its newly acquired clout, particularly when forming an Opposition coalition for the 2024 Election. The Party should refrain from showing its big brother attitude. Some 209 Lok Sabha seats are spread across 19 states, where the Congress and the BJP are in direct contact. Even a united non-BJP coalition can bring BJP down to 210 in a best-case scenario. So mere arithmetic alone will not work. Thirdly, Congress regained its lost vote bank of Muslims, Dalits and Backward classes in Karnataka. It should not only be preserved but also replicated in the upcoming elections.

Fourthly, Congress must implement its poll promises before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls so the people would trust the Party. The Party has promised to supply 200 units of free power to all households,

Rs 2000 per month to the head of the family, and 10 kgs of free rice to every member of a BPL household. Congress has other headaches and must resolve the Rajasthan and Chattisgarh Power struggles before the upcoming polls. The former Deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot wants to replace Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, but Ghelot is unwilling to go. There was a temporary truce, but the issue must be resolved.

A similar situation prevails in Chhattisgarh; there has been a power struggle between chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and cabinet minister TS Singh Deo. Rahul Gandhi promised a rotational chief minister after two and a half years in 2018. Deo has been demanding the change. Finally, the

loss of Karnataka means the BJP has no presence in the South.

The South has 129 seats, of which the BJP won only 29 in 2019. The Party needs to change its poll narrative to succeed in the South, as the Hindutva or Ram Mandir has no takers. The recent win in Himachal Pradesh and now Karnataka have shown Congress that unity in the Party and the Opposition, a robust organisation and a compelling narrative should be the new mantra.

(The author is a senior journalist)
It has indeed been a remarkable journey under the leadership of PM Modi. His ideas that were put into action in Gujarat have been scaled up at the national level

Politicians mostly are known to work on their vote banks. Politics for them is the rope to climb to grab the fruit of power. Vote banks sustain power, and the vicious circle of status quo in polity and governance continue. For India to claim its rightful position on the high table in the global order, the status quo had to be broken and a new benchmark of governance for the overall wellbeing of the people had to be set.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been able to raise the bar of pro-people governance, as well as scaling up the capacity of India, to take that rightful position at the high table in the global order. His redefining Indian politics as a means of service to the people and nurse the national interests are now paying well-deserved dividends.

In some quarters, the debate is building up to measure the Indian gross domestic product in the ancient age when India traded with Rome, and the enterprising traders of southern parts of the country went on high waters of the Indian Ocean and even the Pacific Ocean, to touch bases in South-east Asia, east Asia and even North Asia. Some even claim that India accounted for 50 per cent of the global GDP before the Muslim invaders set their sights on the country.

Indias past was full of glory, and traditions commanded respect from all quarters. The people yearned for the best in life. Society chased excellence. India as a nation marched far ahead of others.

But somehow the colonial mindsets dominated the Indian psyche. The people were made to believe that they had rightly been subjugated by the foreign rulers. This surrender of Indian excellence to the foreign-bred world outlook arrested Indian growth in all walks of life. The economy was ruined. Innovation became rare. The people became dreaming of clerical jobs. The historians built on the servile mindsets of the people.

This was benefiting a particular class. One section of the political class sought to slip into the monarchical subjugation of the people by usurping democracy. Post-Independence, they brought family-oriented politics to establish dynasties at the forefront. The head of the dynasty replaced the yesteryear monarchs and sought to rule the country with a divide-and-rule policy, which was used by the British with lethal perfection.

This kingship in politics in the garb of glorification of a few individuals got India into the status quo bind. The poor will remain poor. The middle class will remain middle class. The necessities will be scarce. The people by and large will always worry about the future. The risk-taking, which is inherently part of the Indian DNA, was coerced into perennial worry for the future.

India, thus, needs a psychological breakout from the binds of the past. The status quo had to be trashed. Social collectivism was required to be revived. The path to prosperity was to be laid for the people to climb the social and economic ladders. Politics was to be freed from dynasties. Democracy was to be handed over truly in the hands of the people who believed that politics was a means of service to the people.

PM Modi has been able to achieve most of the aforementioned challenges. In doing so, he has celebrated traditions and nudged the people to rediscover their roots. Now, sporting a tika on the forehead is normal. Construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, completion of the works of the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, Ujjain Mahakal Temples redevelopment along with further expansion of the facilities at the Somnath Temple have helped in the revival of the Indian cultural wealth and traditions. This is to the credit of PM Modi that all grand works of the redevelopment of some of the temples, which are integral to the Indian culture and traditions, have taken place under his watch and scrutiny.

PM Modi had put his forehead on the steps of Parliament after he was first elected as a Lok Sabha MP. For Him, parliament is also a temple. This is indeed the temple of democracy. The members must sit in this temple with utmost veneration because they channel the aspirations of millions of people. PM Modi demonstrated that the parliament as the temple of democracy must be a place only for genuine worshippers of democracy, as he built a popular narrative against dynasts.

Now, PM Modi will be inaugurating the new parliament, commissioned for construction by his government, in a fitting tribute to the reconstruction and building of a new India, which is not status quo, but takes steps to command a place on the high table in the global order.

The politics of poverty has been given a body blow by PM Modi. Under the watch of PM Modi, a record number of people were brought out of poverty, which has been endorsed by the multidimensional poverty index survey by Oxford University in collaboration with UNDP. Now, the poor of the country is covered under pension and insurance scheme under programmes such as Atal Pension Yojna, Jeevan Jyoti Yojna, etc., and the JAM trinity, with the underlying Aadhar architecture, has heralded unprecedented financial inclusion of more than one-third of the Indian population.

Financial empowerment has unleashed a digital revolution as a UPI-based payment system is a new normal for hawkers sitting on pavements even in small mofussil towns. This digital inclusion of the people, which has been at the heart of PM Modi, has rightly been hailed by the global media and multilateral agencies as unprecedented, which has opened the potential of the most enterprising sections of society to partake in the Indian economy.

The banking system since the unveiling of the full might of the JAM trinity is reporting record profits and days of bad loans reported by them have been relegated to the pages of history. The faith of the Modi government in the sections of the population, which was condemned to the state of poverty perennially by the political dynasts, is paying rich dividends. The economy remains resilient. The United Nations has just stated that India will achieve a 6.7 per cent GDP growth in the current fiscal, which will be the highest in the world. It must be noted that China despite being a totalitarian state is struggling to meet even the five per cent GDP growth target.

It has indeed been a remarkable journey for India under the leadership of PM Modi, and ideas that were put into action in Gujarat when he was the chief minister of the state have been scaled up at the national level, which includes steps such as giving due recognition to the Anganwadi workers, who were awarded Yashoda Samman in Gujarat. The Anganwadi workers have proven to be the flag bearers of Indias strive to make healthcare universal by ensuring the speed of delivery of healthcare interventions, including vaccination during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thrust to revive the Indian toy and textile industries, with PM Modi enlisting the support of the people regularly, is now showing results, and they stand out as examples of Indias hunger to reclaim the position of glory as seen in ancient history.

(Author is a political analyst)
After over two decades of being "stereotyped as a TV actor", Karishma Tanna says there is a sense of pride in playing the lead role in "Scoop", the Hansal Mehta-directed series which will see her transform into a layered character of a journalist.

Tanna said the moment she found out that she had bagged the role of Jagruti Pathak, a star crime reporter at a Mumbai newspaper who makes headlines after she is accused of her rival's murder in the upcoming series, she was overcome with emotion.

"I couldn't believe I bagged this because coming from TV background there have been struggles in my life to break through. Clearly, Hansal sir must have loved my audition for me to get this role. There was a sense of pride, that I was carrying this entire show on my shoulders. There was a sense of responsibility," Tanna, 39, told PTI in an interview here.

Netflix India's "Scoop" marks Tanna's first project as a protagonist. She made her acting debut with the popular soap opera "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" in which she played the effervescent Indu, one of the second generation members of the Virani family. "Naagin 3", Rajkumari Hirani's film "Sanju", and "Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 10" on which she emerged winner include her other credits.

"In so many years of my career, I've never done such a meaty role. I don't know much about journalism, so it was a very challenging role for me. In the entire process, I thought I would learn a lot. When I bagged this role, I was overwhelmed," she said.

An actor is an actor, she said, underlining the bias against people who come from television.

"The struggle for TV actors to get into OTT or films is a big thing, but why?" she asked.

"It is unfortunate when a TV actor is stereotyped... An actor can mould (themselves) in any character you give them. Film actors also work on their characters. I often hear, 'This actor is working so hard.'

"I feel you give the same role to a TV actor they will do the same hard work because they're getting the same kind of platform. So, every actor is a hardworking actor. It's just about the chances we get which is kind of low," the Mumbai-born actor added.

"Scoop", set to premiere on Netflix on June 2, is inspired by former journalist Jigna Vora's biographical book "Behind the Bars In Byculla: My Days in Prison". The series is co-created by Mehta and Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul, the scriptwriter of "Thappad".

Working on the show was a learning experience for Tanna, who further researched to prepare for the role after receiving the script from Mehta, known for "Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story" and films such as "Shahid" and "Aligarh".

"Everything was clear about the character the moment I read the script. When she is a journalist, she has her aspirations and she has that hunger to get the front page. When she is a mother, she is struggling between her profession and personal life.

"This show also teaches you a lesson that there are ups and downs in life. In the entire process, you can have aspirations, be a single mother and do your best job. But at the same time, life is full of roller coasters, anything can happen anytime," she added.

In the series, Tanna gets to embody an etched-out part who is the antithesis of the traditional Indian woman in a male-dominated society: her Jagruti Pathak is a go-getter crime beat reporter, a single parent, a divorcee, and someone who smokes and enjoys a drink at a party.

Talking about her character, the actor said: "I felt that the character is very strong. Even when I am not there in the scene, the conversation revolves around Jagruti Pathak. There were so many layers to this character, and I got to play it. It's difficult but I'm glad and proud that I could showcase that kind of acting," she said.

Tanna said she still finds it difficult to define what it means to be "a strong woman".

"I've faced this for a very long time. I have a strong personality. I have noticed that people get uncomfortable talking to me. I am still figuring out what this threat is when one is called a strong woman. Like she's talented, she has her opinions. I don't know why people feel threatened," she observed.

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, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and Tannishtha Chatterjee. It is produced by Matchbox Shots, Sarita Patil and Dikssha Jyote Routray.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese will on Tuesday attend a special community event here to celebrate the country's dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora.

Modi is visiting Australia as a guest of the Australian Government.

He will address the community members at the event at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena.

The event's organisers, the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation (IADF), are expecting a large turnout.

The Indian Australian community is excited to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi after nine years. He visited Australia in 2014 and was greeted by a large crowd at Sydney's community reception," Jay Shah, one of IADF's directors, told the Special Broadcasting Service, an Australian hybrid-funded public service broadcaster.

Supporters of Modi have organised special buses from Brisbane and Canberra. Before leaving for Japan to attend the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Modi said that he will meet the Indian community in Sydney at a special event.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 census, 619,164 people in Australia declared that they were of ethnic Indian ancestry. This comprises 2.8 per cent of the Australian population. Among those, 592,000 were born in India. Prime Minister Modi last visited Australia in 2014.

Modi and Albanese will have a bilateral meeting on Wednesday.

In an interview with "The Australian" newspaper, Modi said he wants to take the relationship with Australia to the "next level", including closer defence and security ties to help ensure an "open and free" Indo-Pacific.

He also said the Indo-Pacific region faces a number of challenges such as climate change, terrorism, security of sea lanes of communication and piracy, and asserted that India believes they can be addressed only through shared efforts.

"I am not a person who gets satisfied easily," he was quoted by the newspaper as saying.

"I have seen that Prime Minister Albanese is the same. I am confident that when we are together again in Sydney, we will get the opportunity to explore how we can take our relations to the next level, identify new areas of complementariness and can expand our cooperation," he added.

He said he wants the two countries to push to realise the true potential of closer defence and security ties amid increasing defence links between the two countries recently.

"As two democracies, India and Australia have shared interests in a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. There is alignment of our strategic viewpoints," he said.

"The high degree of mutual trust between us has naturally translated into greater cooperation on defence and security matters. Our navies are participating in joint naval exercises," he said.
The Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) has busted an Al-Qaeda module and arrested four members who hail from Bangladesh but have been living illegally in Ahmedabad, an official said on Monday.

The preliminary investigation has revealed that the four members of the proscribed terror outfit were trained by their handlers based in Bangladesh before the quartet was sent to India.

They were tasked with raising funds for Al-Qaedas illegal activities, radicalising local youths and persuading them to join the terror outfit, said Deputy Inspector General, Gujarat ATS, Deepan Bhadran.

They were arrested from different parts of Ahmedabad under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and sections 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Bhadran told reporters at the ATS headquarters. The four alleged members of Al-Qaeda are identified as - Mohammad Sojib, Munna Khalid Ansari, Azharul Islam Ansari and Mominul Ansari.

Based on a specific tip-off, we first picked up Sojib, who used to live in the Rakhial area of Ahmedabad, for questioning. Sojib told us that he and three others are part of Al-Qaedas network and were taking instructions from their Bangladesh-based handler Shariful Islam.

Through Islam, these youths met one Shayba, head of Al-Qaedas operations in Bangladeshs Mymensingh district,said Bhadran.

The ATS subsequently nabbed Munna, Azharul, and Mominul from the Narol area of the city, where they were working in factories by posing as Indian citizens.
Continuing with his efforts to bridge the gap between the like-minded political parties, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar on Monday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi after which the leaders announced that a vast majority of non-BJP parties will meet to give a concrete shape to Opposition unity to take on the BJP in the 2024 general elections.

The Opposition has plans to put forward one common candidate to defeat the BJP to upstage it from power at the Centre, but some have expressed reservations over such a proposal as some parties have aspirations to contest the maximum number of seats.

The Congress also is not inclined to restrict itself to around 200 seats and wants to contest more seats, claiming that it is a national player unlike many regional outfits and has a presence across the country. It has also contended that it is the only party that can directly take on the BJP due to its national footprint. The Congress contention has got a boost after the Karnataka win where it emphatically beat BJP in a direct contest.

The JD(U), RJD and the Congress are in a coalition Government in Bihar and the three parties have been in talks to bring other Opposition parties together on a common platform in their fight against the BJP. After Nitish-Kharge-Rahul meeting, the Congress asserted that a vast majority of non-BJP parties will meet soon. Briefing about the Kharge-Nitish meeting, Congress general secretary (organisation) KC venugopal informed the media that the venue and date of the expected meeting will be announced in a day or two.

The JD(U) has been keen on holding the meeting in Patna while sources in the Congress had earlier indicated that Kharge would be taking the lead and meeting top leaders of various Opposition parties.

The country will be united now. The strength of democracy is our message. Rahul and myself discussed the current political situation with Nitish today and took forward the process of giving a new direction to the country, Kharge said in a tweet message.

Nitish was accompanied by his JD(U) president Lalan Singh.

After holding meeting with Kharge last month, Nitish has met leaders of a host of regional parties in his bid to bring them together on one platform with the Congress to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

A day earlier Nitish met AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday at his residence and extended complete support to him in the ongoing face-off with the Centre over the control of administrative services. AAP had said this is a time for agni pariksha for Opposition parties, and they should come together if they want to save the countrys democracy and Constitution.

Significantly, Nitish, Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah attended the swearing-in ceremony of Siddaramaiah as the Karnataka Chief Minister on Saturday, in a show of Opposition unity.

Some regional leaders, including Kejriwal and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, were not invited to the ceremony. Nitish, however, has been trying to bring them on board as well.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel hailed his Bihar counterpart and exuded confidence that the latter will succeed in uniting Opposition parties.He (Nitish) had met Kharge (Congress president) in Bengaluru with other national leaders. Luckily I was seated beside Nitish. We had a lengthy discussion about his efforts (to unite the opposition). I believe he will succeed in his endeavour, the Chhattisgarh CM said. The AAPs appeal to the Opposition parties comes ahead of Kejriwals plan to reach out to each of them to seek their support, starting with his West Bengal counterpart and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday.

All Opposition parties should come together against the Ordinance. This is time for agni pariksha (trial by fire). There is Emergency in the country. There is no democracy left in the country, AAP Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sanjay Singh said.

The Congress will also have to decide if it stands in favour of Indias democracy and federal structure or against them, Singh said, when asked if Kejriwal will reach out to the grand old party.

The AAP is locked in bitter tussle with the BJP-led Centre since the Union Government promulgated an Ordinance on Friday to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority which will handle the transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and also matters of disciplinary proceedings against them.
On the final leg of his three-nation tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday evening. He is scheduled to hold bilateral ties with his counterpart Anthony Albanese besides meeting CEOs of various companies and attend a reception by the Indian diaspora.

Incidentally, Albanese and Modi met in Hiroshima over the weekend and participated in the Quad summit there. US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida were the other two heads of State who participated in the summit. All these leaders also attended the G-7 hosted by Japan. Modi is visiting Australia from May 22-24 as a guest of the Australian Government. Ahead of Modis arrival, Prime Minister Albanese said in a statement, I am honoured to host Prime Minister Modi for an official visit to Australia, after receiving an extremely warm welcome in India earlier this year.

Australia and India share a commitment to a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Together we have an important role to play in supporting this vision, he said, amidst Chinas aggressive behaviour in the region as well as its efforts to expand its influence.Prime Minister Modi has also said that he was looking forward to his meeting with Albanese on May 24.

During the visit, the Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australias dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community, the Australian government said in a statement.

Modi arrived in Sydney from Papua New Guinea, where he held talks with his counterpart James Marape and took stock of their bilateral relations. He also discussed ways to further augment cooperation in areas like commerce, technology, healthcare and climate change.The two leaders co-hosted the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) summit on Monday, fostering regional cooperation.

My Papua New Guinea visit has been a historic one. I will greatly cherish the affection received among the people of this wonderful nation. I also had the opportunity to interact with respected FIPIC leaders and discuss ways to deepen ties with their respective nations, Modi tweeted.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 census, 619,164 people in Australia declared that they were of ethnic Indian ancestry. This comprises 2.8 per cent of the Australian population. Among those, 592,000 were born in India. Prime Minister Modi last visited Australia in 2014.
In a rare recognition for a non-resident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday was conferred with the highest honours of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Fiji. In a special ceremony at the Government House, Sir Bob Dadae, Governor-General of PNG, conferred Modi with the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL). The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement, This is highest civilian award in country and recipients of award are titled Chief. Unprecedented honour for India as Papua New Guinea confers their highest award to PM Modi, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said.

The GCL was conferred on Modi for championing the cause of unity of Pacific Island countries and spearheading the cause of Global South. Very few non-residents of PNG have received this award, including former US President Bill Clinton.

This comes immediately after Fijis Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka conferred the countrys highest award to Modi. Big Honour for India.

Prime Minister Modi has been conferred the highest honour of Fiji by the PM of Fiji: Companion of the Order of Fiji in recognition of his global leadership. Only a handful of Non-Fijians have received this honour to date, the PMO said. Prime Minister Modi dedicated the honour to the people of India and to the generations of the Fiji-Indian community, who have played a key role in the special and enduring bond between the two countries, the MEA said on Twitter.

Humbled by the gesture of Papua New Guinea of conferring me with the Companion of the Order of Logohu. Gratitude to Governor General Sir Bob Dadae for presenting the award. This is a great recognition of India and the accomplishments of our people, the Prime Minister tweeted. An honour emblematic of the depth of India-Papua New Guinea relationship, the MEA tweeted.

Grateful to the people and Government of Fiji for conferring the Companion of the Order of Fiji on me. I thank PM @slrabuka for presenting the award. It is an honour for the people of India and a recognition of the strong ties between India and Fiji, the Prime Minister tweeted. Modi also held a wonderful meeting with President Surangel S Whipps, Jr of the Republic of Palau on the sidelines of FIPIC Summit. Whipps presented Modi with an Ebakl, one of most important tools for people of Palau. Ebaki has a strong link with local culture. It also symbolises leadership and wisdom, the MEA said on Twitter.
'Sian Jatan Clinic', which operates in Ayush institutions across Chhattisgarh every Thursday, has received national recognition.

Medical Education Secretary P. Dayanand presented the initiative at the National Ayush Mission Conclave held recently at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, organized by the Union Ministry of Ayush.

The conclave showcased excellent and innovative activities being conducted nationwide under the National Ayush Mission.

The Centre included the Sian Jatan Clinic as a special activity in this conclave.

During the National Ayush Mission Conclave, Dayanand provided information about the objectives, functioning and beneficiaries of the Sian Jatan Clinic.

He highlighted that special outpatient and Panchakarma services for the elderly are conducted every Thursday in all 1,174 government Ayush institutions in the state.

Since its inception in May last year, these clinics have offered healthcare facilities to over four lakh senior citizens.

The Sian Jatan Clinic received praise as an exemplary initiative from senior officials of the Union government and officials from other states at the conclave.

They urged Chhattisgarh to provide guidance and technical support to establish similar clinics in their respective states.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will undertake a door-to-door campaign before holding a rally at Delhis Ramlila Maidan on June 11 to mobilise public opinion against the ordinance issued last week to restore to the Union Government the power over services in the national Capital.

AAPs Delhi convener, Gopal Rai, said the door to door campaign will run parallel to the partys efforts to defeat the ordinance when it is presented for approval in Rajya Sabha. On June 11, the people of Delhi will gather for a maha rally at Ramlila Maidan against this ordinance, he said. He also appealed to people to join the rally at Ramlila Maidan.

The BJP has a majority in Lok Sabha. The chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that we will contact all opposition parties to defeat the bill in Rajya Sabha. This ordinance shows that the Centre will impose dictatorial decisions like this on the country, Rai said at a press conference.

This black ordinance has made it clear that the BJP-led Centre will impose dictatorial decisions like this on the country. Therefore, the AAP has decided to launch a campaign against it along with the people of Delhi.

The AAP firmly believes that such measures undermine the principles of democracy and infringe upon the rights and powers of the people. He also raised concerns over the current support extended by the Congress Party to an encroachment upon the powers vested in the people, Rai said.

Rai expressing his anger said, The people of Delhi have been fighting since Madanlal Khuranas time to make Delhi a full-fledged state. Now the BJP says that they will not let Delhi remain half or even a quarter of the state it is supposed to be. Now all the decisions of Delhi will be taken by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. The black Ordinance brought by the BJP proves that Prime Minister Modi is bent on dictatorship.
Punjab Governor, Speaker call upon people to follow Guru Arjun Devs teachings

Chandigarh: Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Banwari Lal Purohit, and Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, in separate messages on the eve of martyrdom day of Sikhs fifth master Guru Arjun Dev on Monday, called upon the people to follow the teachings and path shown by the great Guru. Let us pledge to carry forward his legacy, to be voices of compassion, and to stand up against injustice, said the Governor. Sandhwan said that the real homage to the great Guru would be, to follow his high ideals in the right earnest and strive hard to safeguard the interests of oppressed and disadvantaged sections of the society.



Punjab attracted 300-plus industrial projects in manufacturing sector

Chandigarh: Punjab Governments newly-introduced industrial policy and other ease of-doing-business initiatives have given a boost to the investments in industrial ecosystem, with the state bagging 507 industrial projects from January 2023 to March 2023, of which 318 are related to the manufacturing sector, 139 to the services sector, and 50 are connected with the real estate sector, a spokesperson said on Monday.

Sultanpur Lodhi to Nakodar via Lohian govt bus service started

Sultanpur Lodhi: Padma awardee environmentalist and Rajya Sabha MP Balbir Singh Seechewal on Monday flagged off the Punjab Roadways bus starting the government bus service from the local bus stand to Nakodar. The people of the area had been demanding to start bus service on this route for the last 15 years, said Seechewal.

Punjab VB arrests Daroga, BFO for accepting Rs 70k bribe

Chandigarh: Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Monday arrested Block Forest Officer Ramandeep Singh, and Daroga Munish Kumar, posted in Malerkotla forest range, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 70,000. A spokesperson said that the case has been registered against the two employees on an online complaint lodged by Gurjeet Singh of Katron village in Sangrur district on the CM Anti-Corruption Action Line.

Building for Social Justice Department-cum-Convention Center to be constructed in Mohali

Chandigarh: The new building of Department of Social Justice-cum-Convention Center is being constructed in Mohali, Punjab Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities Minister Dr Baljit Kaur said on Monday. She said the building will serve as a focal point for administrative activities and convention functions, contributing to the states overall development and progress.

Punjab Power Engineers Demand PSPCL-PSTCL Merger

Chandigarh: Seeking more efficiency and coordination, the Punjab Power engineers have demanded to merge the states two power utilities  Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and the Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL). There is an urgent need for the merger of the PSPCL and the PSTCL. The lack of coordination is not only causing issues between the two corporations but also delaying industrial connections, said Punjab State Electricity Board Engineers Association general secretary Ajay Pal Singh Atwal. Atwal said that because of non-timely planning and upgradation of 220KV and 66KV transmission systems, many industrial connections remain pending in the states industrial hubs. Besides causing a loss of revenue to the corporations, this also undermines the states efforts to improve its ease of doing business rankings, he said.
Former state spokesperson of BJP and former vice-chairman of Prime Minister's 15-point programme implementation committee, Amarpreet Singh Kale today sent a Tweet to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to start direct air service from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand to Sri Amritsar Sahib (Golden Temple), the highest religious place of Sikhs. Without this facility, Sikh and other pilgrims face a lot of inconvenience and it takes a lot of time to reach there. This facility will benefit hundreds of devotees going to Amritsar Sahib every day.

He said that for this devotees of the entire state will be grateful to you.

He expressed the hope that we have full faith that soon a decision will be taken by the Prime Minister.

Through his Twitter, he has congratulated the Chief Minister of the state Hemant Soren, Union Minister Arjun Munda, MLA Saryu Roy Air Asia, Tata Group, Air India, Ratan Tata, BJP State President Deepak Prakash, Indigo, MP Bidyut Mahto etc.


In a significant move to combat the rampant illegal sand trade, the local administration has initiated a rigorous crackdown, resulting in the seizure of 35 vehicles transporting sand without proper authorization. This proactive step by the authorities aims to curb the environmental degradation caused by unregulated sand mining and protect the region's natural resources.

Prompted by numerous complaints from environmental activists and concerned citizens, the administration launched the drive last night.

The intensive investigation campaign being carried out against illegal mineral traders in East Singhbhum district has created a stir among the mining mafia. In a surprise action taken on the basis of secret information late last night in the forest block of Ghurabandha, around 35 hyvas with illegal sand storage were seized.

The raiding team comprised BDO Ghurabandha Smita Nagesia, Executive Magistrate Keshav Kumar and the police of the local police station. DC Vijaya Jadhav had ordered back-breaking action against illegal mineral businessmen in the review meeting of Mining Task Force and district level law and order, after which the mining task force's swift action is going on.

During the operation, teams from the task force conducted surprise inspections at various checkpoints and key transport routes. The focus was primarily on identifying vehicles involved in the illegal transportation of sand, which is a valuable natural resource commonly used in construction activities.

The joint efforts of the task force yielded fruitful results, with 35 vehicles being seized during the operation. These vehicles were found to be carrying sand without the necessary permits and documentation. The seized sand and vehicles were subsequently impounded, and legal proceedings have been initiated against the offenders.

Speaking on the matter, an official stated, "This drive against the illegal sand trade is part of our commitment to protect our environment and natural resources. Unregulated sand mining poses a significant threat to our ecosystem, leading to erosion, ecological imbalances, and even loss of livelihoods. We will not tolerate such activities, and strict action will be taken against those involved."

The seized sand and vehicles will undergo thorough investigations to gather evidence against the culprits. This crackdown is expected to act as a deterrent and send a strong message to those engaged in illegal sand mining and transportation.

The administration has also urged the public to come forward and report any instances of illegal sand mining or transportation. Whistleblower helplines and dedicated email addresses have been established to encourage citizens to play an active role in preserving the environment.

In the coming days, the administration plans to intensify its efforts against the illegal sand trade, with increased surveillance, stricter penalties, and better coordination among various departments involved. Additionally, initiatives for sustainable and regulated sand mining practices will be explored to ensure the availability of this crucial resource while preserving the ecological balance.


In the wake of incidents compromising the safety of students in all-women colleges, the Delhi University has reconstituted a committee to strengthen the safety and security of female students and employees on the campus.

The six-member committee will be headed by university proctor Rajni Abbi. Besides Abbi, the other members of the committee are Law Centre IIs Vageshwari Deswal (member secretary) and Geeta Sahare (joint proctor), SRCCs Malika Kumar, assistant registrar Girish Kumar and advocate Niyati Sharma.

Abbi said the committee has been reconstituted after harassment incidents were reported during cultural festivals at colleges. The university felt the need to have a specific committee to look into the issues of female safety. The committee that was formed after these incidents created generalised guidelines. But it was not specific to the safety of girl students, she said.

As per a notification issued on May 8, the university said, The competent authority of the university has re-constituted a committee on women safety and security to strengthen the safety and security of female students and employees of the university. Last month, the varsity issued a 17-point advisory to colleges and departments for holding programmes, events and fests in which it was enunciated that the responsibility for events will lie with colleges, and department authorities and the college concerned will be solely responsible for any untoward incident.

The guidelines were prepared in the wake of several all-women colleges witnessing harassment incidents during cultural festivals. Students of the varsitys Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW) alleged that they were harassed by unknown men during a fest on March 28. The incident led to widespread protests by students who demanded the resignation of the college principal.

A similar incident in Miranda House was reported in October 2022 where several men allegedly climbed the college walls and gates to witness an open Diwali fest on the campus, and indulged in cat-calling and sexist sloganeering.
The hearing of criminal appeal pending against the Indian officials and Union Carbide India Limited in the matter pertaining to Dec 84' Union Carbide disaster pending was listed for hearing in the Sessions Court from May 22 to 24, 2023.

The hearing will now take place on May 24 before the Bhopal, Principal District and Sessions Judge CBI Vs Warren Anderson in a significant seventh show cause notice has been issued for authorised representative of Dow Chemical's (Amy Wilson) attendance for October 3, 2023, following issuance of a show cause notice in March by the First Class Magistrate Judge, Vidhan Maheshwari of Bhopal District Court.As a direct result of Union Carbides 31 year refusal to face charges of culpable homicide and other serious offences, Dow has now been issued seven notices to appear in the Bhopal magistrates.

The US and India signed a 2001 Treaty to help each other pursue criminal cases. Under this treaty (MLAT) the US is meant to serve legal papers when India asks it to. But in the last six summons US Dept of Justice has put Dows interests ahead of its Treaty partner India.

Bhopal gas victims organisations are hopeful that US Dept of Justice will abide by the mutual treaty and will not protect the interests of Dow Chemical.
Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu will be on his Kangra tour from May 23 to 31, a spokesperson of the State Government said on Monday.

During this visit, the Chief Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various developmental projects besides reviewing the ongoing works of various schemes. He will also redress the issues and demands of the people of the area.

Sukhu will arrive at Gaggal airport on May 23 and will preside over the review meeting pertaining to the tourism development at Dharamshala. He will preside over the meetings of various departments on 24th May.

During the visit, he will flag off electric buses for public transport in Dharamshala on 25th May besides laying Bhoomi Pujan of McLeodganj Bus Stand. He will also visit Dhagwar Milk Plant and Dhauladhar Biodiversity Park. Sukhu will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various developmental projects and will also attend 8th meeting of NITI Aayog on May 27 in New Delhi.

He will participate in Aabhar Rally organised by NPS Association at Dharamshala on March 28 and will attend various meetings in Delhi on May 29. He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various developmental projects in Fatehpur.
Hours after jailed ex-Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain complained about a spine problem and was taken to Safdarjung Hospital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted to offer prayers for his Aam Aadmi Party colleague and hit out at the oppression of the BJP.

Jain visited the neurosurgery OPD in the morning and after being examined by the doctors there, he left. He was accompanied by police, said a spokesperson of the Safdarjung Hospital.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal wished his former cabinet colleague a speedy recovery. I pray to god for his better health. The people of Delhi are watching the arrogance and atrocities of the BJP. Even god will not forgive these oppressors. In this struggle, the people are with us and god is by our side. We are followers of Bhagat Singh and our fight against oppression, injustice and dictatorship will continue, he tweeted in Hindi.

Giving updates on his health, the AAP in a statement said, Former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain rushed to Safdarjung Hospital after his health deteriorates severely in Jail. Jain was taken to Safdarjung Hospital due to a rapidly deteriorating spinal condition, resulting from a fall in Jail, requiring immediately spinal surgery.

Jain has become extremely frail and weak and finds it difficult to even walk. He looks like a living skeleton in pictures taken in hospital, the AAP said.

Due to his religious beliefs, Satyendar Jain has not consumed a single grain since the last one year, he is living only on fruits and raw vegetables in jail Suffering from severe muscular loss, Satyendar Jain has also lost 35 kg while in prison due to muscular atrophy, it said.

Suffering from sleep apnea, he sleeps at night with the assistance of a BiPAP machine which continuously pushes air into his lungs, it further claimed.

In a related development, the Supreme Court Monday said it will hear on May 26 the petition of ain seeking bail in a money laundering case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate. A bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Sanjay Karol agreed to list the matter for hearing on May 26, after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Jain, sought urgent listing of the plea on health grounds.

Lodged at Delhis Tihar Jail since his arrest in connection with a money laundering case last year, Jain was taken to the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital on Saturday.
In a significant development in the ongoing riot case, the district court has denied bail to a prominent BJP leader Abhay Singh, who stands accused of involvement in the violent unrest that erupted in Kadma.

The court of ADJ 2 Abhas Verma of Jamshedpur Court rejected the bail application of several others accused. Apart from Abhay Singh, the court rejected the bail pleas of others including Sudhanshu Ojha, Ranjit Pandit and Janardan Pandey. Earlier, on May 17, the court had reserved the decision while hearing the bail plea.

Abhay Singh had filed a bail application citing various grounds for release. However, after careful examination of the evidence and taking into account the seriousness of the charges against the accused, the district court ruled against granting bail.

During the court proceedings, the prosecution presented strong evidence against the accused, including video footage, eyewitness testimonies, and forensic reports. The prosecution argued that granting bail to such a high-profile individual could potentially obstruct the investigation, tamper with witnesses, and pose a threat to public safety.

In response, the defense counsel representing the BJP leader presented a counter-argument, highlighting his client's clean record and community involvement. The defense claimed that the accused was being falsely implicated due to political motives and maintained that he posed no flight risk.

After carefully considering the arguments from both sides, the court concluded that the gravity of the charges, coupled with the potential risk to public order and witness tampering, outweighed the individual's personal circumstances. The court's decision to deny bail emphasizes the need to maintain law and order and demonstrates the court's commitment to a fair and unbiased trial process.

A leader from the opposition party criticized the accused BJP leader and urged the party to take appropriate action against him.

In April, a situation of communal tension had arisen in Shastrinagar of Kadma police station area and many policemen including SSP Prabhat Kumar were injured in controlling the stone pelting between the two sides. At the same time, an FIR was registered against hundreds of people in this case, in which many BJP leaders including Abhay Singh were involved. The arrest of Abhay Singh regarding this incident is being strongly opposed by the BJP.
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Monday took a jibe at former Chief Minister and State Congress president Kamal Nath for allegedly calling the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as his birth anniversary and said that age factor had taken a toll on him (Kamal Nath).

While talking to media persons here on Monday, Mishra said, Clearly, age factor has taken a toll on Kamal Nath as he is calling the death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi ji as birth anniversary.

Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath made the faux pas while addressing a program organised at the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) office in the state capital on the death anniversary of former PM Rajiv Gandhi on Sunday (May 21).

Mishra further slammed Kamal Nath for the announcements of the Congress party ahead of the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh scheduled later this year.

The announcements which Nath is making will be forgotten by the time the elections come, the home minister said, adding that sometimes Nath called the proceedings of the state assembly nonsense and the female leader an item.

Notably, the Congress leader made an item remark at an election rally made against BJP leader Imarti Devi in Dabra during the 2020 by-polls. He was campaigning for Congress candidate Suresh Raje. Imarti Devi is also contesting on the BJP ticket from Dabra.

Our candidate is not like her whats her name? You know her better and should have warned me earlier What an item! Kamal Nath had said in Hindi while the crowd called out Imarti Devis name.

Mishra further attacked Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani and called him an advisor of Congress.

Madani on Sunday said that if the Congress had banned the right-wing organisation 70 years ago, the country would not have been ruined. All such Maulanas are the advisors of the Congress. It has become evident whose advice Congress is following, Mishra said.

Meanwhile, Narottam Mishra also reacted over the Congress criticising the act of Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape of touching Prime Minister Narendra Modis feet.

I want to ask Congress leaders and Kamal Nath too, as when will you (Congressmen) understand that there is a difference between the country and the party? Today the whole country felt proud when the President of America asked for an autograph from our Prime Minister. When the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea bowed down and touched PM Modis feet. The prime minister does not belong to any party, it belongs to the country, Mishra added.

But not a single Congressman has given a good response on it. Criticism is good on the basis of merits and demerits but the Congress party criticises only by thinking politically. The mentality of the Congress has been reduced to party politics only, he added.

PM Modi arrived in PNG on Sunday and a rare moment was seen at the Port Moresby airport where PNG PM James Marape touched his feet and sought his blessings.
Punjab Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO on Monday conducted a surprise inspection in the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) office to check the attendance of employees. Many who turned up late received a stern warning from the Minister.



Accompanied by MLA Madan Lal Bagga, the Minister reached the office on the Ferozepur road at 7.50 am, checked the attendance registers and called all employees one by one to check their physical presence. After this, he also asked the employees to wear their identity cards while at work.



The Minister urged the employees to ensure that there should not be any kind of mismanagement in the functioning and the people get their day-to-day work done easily without any inconvenience. He asked them to achieve zero pendency in work as it would instill trust in the government, and its functioning among the public.



The government would ensure eight hours of power for farmers in the upcoming paddy sowing season and that there would be no power shortage as the PSPCL has made adequate arrangements. Ludhiana, being an industrial hub of the country, the PSPCL was determined to ensure uninterrupted power supply for the industries, he said.


Lashing out at the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday lamented that instead of allowing all channels to telecast gurbani, the latter was toeing the line set by his masters to give the rights only to one channel.



Notably, Mann, a day before, had questioned the rationale behind extending gurbani telecast rights from the Golden Temple, Amritsar, to only one channel, while proposing that the State Government would bear all expenditure to install hi-end techniques to telecast gurbani on all the channels free of cost.



Responding to the proposal, SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami had asked the Chief Minister not to create an unnecessary controversy over the issue.



Mann, addressing the gathering after laying foundation stones for tehsil complexes at Dirba and Cheema in Sangrur district, asked the SGPC president Dhami whether spreading the message of gurbani or extending largesse to his favourite channel was more important. What objections SGPC president has if the universal message of Sarbat da Bhala (welfare of all) is disseminated through the Sarb Sanji Gurbani across the globe, he asked.



He also said that the SGPC president, who seeks votes for the SAD in the Lok Sabha polls, had no moral right to give sermons to him. It is unfortunate that the SGPC is acting like a puppet in the hands of the Badal family and is being used by them for fulfilling their nefarious political designs, the Chief Minister said. The Badals have misused the SGPC to stall the ambitious medical college project at Mastuana Sahib, which could have transformed the fortunes of the people of the region, he said.



Taking on the previous governments in Punjab, Mann said that they had sold government jobs, whereas the AAP Government had provided 29,000 jobs to the states youth in a transparent manner.



Mann also criticized the BJP-led Central Government for imposing a value cut on wheat. Every single penny cut would be extracted from the Centre with interest, he said, adding that filling the national food pool would not be possible without the states hard-working and resilient farmers.



The Chief Minister further said that the Centre was unnecessarily harassing the State by depriving it of legitimate funds. Funds worth Rs 3,000 crore, under the Rural Development Fee (RDF), are still pending with the Centre. Also stalled was the states share of GST, he said, adding that such poor decisions were souring the Centre-state relations.



Mann also announced that the State Government will soon launch a bus service for the girl students studying in the government schools. The aim of this scheme is to facilitate the girl students for completing their studies in the government schools. This is a step forward towards ensuring best public transport for the girls across the State, he added.



He added that the state government will soon start bus service to connect the villages in the state. Besides facilitating the people from the villages to travel in the state, it will also help in providing employment opportunities to the youth. This will be another path breaking initiative of the state government towards the well-being of the general public, he added.


The Samajwadi Partys alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal forged ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections is all set to fall apart.

The cracks between the two parties had appeared soon after the 2022 UP assembly elections and the landslide victory of the Congress in Karnataka assembly polls has brought the alliance to the tipping point.

Officially, the Jat community-dominated RLD is said to be unhappy with the SP over the refusal of the dominant partner to contest the urban local bodies elections in alliance and extend support to the RLD candidates. Both parties, however, officially maintained that there is no rift between them.

SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary, when asked if there were any differences between the allies, said, There is no issue, the alliance is solid. We are happy that Jayant Chaudhary went to Karnataka. It was a good move. Akhilesh Yadav would have also gone, but couldnt because of prior commitments.

RLD spokesman Anil Dubey also denied any trouble in the alliance saying, All is well, adding that he had no information about any problem in the alliance.

Sources in the RLD, however, confirm that the party is exploring options for allies for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, accusing SP president Akhilesh Yadav of bullying them.

The RLD first explored the option of tie-up with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP is reluctant for alliance and wants merger of the RLD with itself. The RLD has rejected this condition outright.

The BJP, sources said, does not want a mediator to build ties with the Jat community as it has a long list of leaders from Jat community in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.

The victory of the Congress in Karnataka assembly elections and the overwhelming support of the Muslims to it has changed equations. As per RLD estimates, Muslims in western UP will shift towards the C congress in 2024 Lok Sabha polls and it will be beneficial for it to join hands with the grand old party.

The RLD claims it commands support of over 50 per cent of the Jat community and a few other small social groups.

A RLD leader said, Jayant Chaudhary has had parleys with the Congress leadership. We are exploring our options and if things go well, you might see the Azad Samaj Party, the Congress and the RLD contest the 2024 elections together.

The RLD and the Congress already have a seat-sharing arrangement in Rajasthan, where the party has one MLA Subhash Garg from Bharatpur.

Jayant Chaudhary on Saturday attended the swearing-in ceremony of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah while SP president Akhilesh Yadav stayed away from the event citing prior commitments.

The sources in RLD, however, said not too much should be read into Chaudharys decision to attend the ceremony.

The RLD and the SP, during the days of Ajit Singh and Mulayam Singh Yadav, had a love-hate relationship. The situation changed after Jayant Chaudhary started playing a dominant role in the affairs of his party. His father Ajit Singh died due to COVID-19 in 2020. During the 2019 Lok Sabha election, SP, RLD and Bahujan Samaj Party had forged a Mahagathbandhan. The RLD drew blank, SP won five seats while BSP got the lion share of 10 Lok Sabha seats from Uttar Pradesh. Soon after the Lok Sabha elections, the BSP broke away from the alliance

The SP and RLD contested the 2022 UP assembly elections also as allies, with Akhilesh forming an umbrella alliance with smaller parties in the state such as Om Prakash Rajbhars Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and Mahan Dal. Soon after the assembly elections, the SBSP and Mahan Dal broke away from the alliance but RLD maintained the tie-up with the SP.
A 60-year-old woman and her son died while her grandson was injured after their motorcycle was allegedly hit by a speeding car in north Delhi's Burari area, police said on Monday.

The deceased have been identified as Shashi and her son Manoj (24), residents of Ghaziabad, they said.

According to police, at around 11:30 pm on Sunday, Manoj was riding his motorcycle with his mother as a pillion rider and she was holding her eight-year-old grandson in her lap. The trio were on their way to Palam to visit relatives when their bike was hit by a speeding car when they were descending from Burari roundabout flyover towards Mukundpur, they said.
Atalaya Mining Plc (TSE:AYM  Get Rating) shot up 8.9% during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as C$5.78 and last traded at C$5.78. 100 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 97% from the average session volume of 3,115 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$5.31.

Atalaya Mining Stock Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average price of C$5.80 and a 200-day moving average price of C$4.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.48. The firm has a market capitalization of C$808.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.70 and a beta of 1.73.

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Atalaya Mining (TSE:AYM  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, March 22nd. The company reported C$0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Atalaya Mining had a return on equity of 11.16% and a net margin of 14.60%. The company had revenue of C$138.38 million for the quarter. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Atalaya Mining Plc will post 0.5325978 earnings per share for the current year.

Atalaya Mining Company Profile

Atalaya Mining Plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mineral exploration and development in Spain. The company's flagship property is its 100% owned Proyecto Riotinto mine, an open-pit copper mine located in the Andalusia region of Spain. It produces copper concentrates, including silver by-products.

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Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST  Get Rating) major shareholder Bessemer Venture Partners Ix L sold 500,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $20.93, for a total value of $10,465,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Major shareholders that own more than 10% of a companys stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Toast Trading Up 2.4 %

TOST traded up $0.49 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $21.30. 4,625,322 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,347,985. The firms fifty day moving average is $17.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $19.00. Toast, Inc. has a 1-year low of $12.15 and a 1-year high of $26.03. The company has a market cap of $11.30 billion, a PE ratio of -32.77 and a beta of 1.75.

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Toast (NYSE:TOST  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported ($0.16) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.18) by $0.02. Toast had a negative return on equity of 29.74% and a negative net margin of 11.01%. The company had revenue of $819.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $763.11 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned ($0.20) EPS. Toasts revenue for the quarter was up 53.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Toast, Inc. will post -0.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on TOST shares. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group downgraded Toast from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $26.00 to $23.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on Toast from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. BNP Paribas assumed coverage on Toast in a research note on Thursday, March 23rd. They issued a neutral rating and a $16.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Toast from $24.00 to $21.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, KeyCorp decreased their price target on Toast from $26.00 to $24.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight 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 $22.75.

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in TOST. Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in Toast by 115.4% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 24,946 shares of the companys stock worth $542,000 after buying an additional 13,364 shares during the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Toast by 78.2% in the 1st quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 28,356 shares of the companys stock valued at $616,000 after buying an additional 12,446 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Toast in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $438,000. Ergoteles LLC acquired a new position in Toast during the first quarter worth $2,427,000. Finally, First Trust Advisors LP acquired a new position in Toast during the first quarter worth $33,356,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the companys stock.

About Toast

(Get Rating)

Toast, Inc operates a cloud-based and digital technology platform for the restaurant industry in the United States and Ireland. The company offers Toast Point of Sale (POS), a hardware product; Toast Order & Pay, which allows guests to order and pay from their mobile devices; Toast Flex that is used for on-counter order and pay, as well as used as a server station, guest kiosk, kitchen display system, or order fulfillment station; Toast Go, a handheld POS device that enhances the table turn times through tableside ordering and payment acceptance; and Toast Tap, a card reader.

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CL King assumed coverage on shares of Toro (NYSE:TTC  Get Rating) in a report issued on Friday, The Fly reports. The firm issued a buy rating and a $133.00 price target on the stock.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the company. StockNews.com upgraded Toro from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, May 11th. Northland Securities started coverage on Toro in a research report on Monday, April 17th. They set a market perform rating and a $110.00 target price on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $122.25.

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Toro Stock Up 0.2 %

Toro stock opened at $105.42 on Friday. Toro has a 1-year low of $71.86 and a 1-year high of $117.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 0.63. The stock has a market cap of $10.99 billion, a PE ratio of 23.12 and a beta of 0.72. The stocks fifty day moving average is $105.72 and its two-hundred day moving average is $109.65.

Toro Announces Dividend

Toro ( NYSE:TTC Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 9th. The company reported $0.98 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.07. Toro had a return on equity of 36.04% and a net margin of 10.16%. The company had revenue of $1.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.16 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.66 earnings per share. Toros quarterly revenue was up 23.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Toro will post 4.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 6th were given a $0.34 dividend. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 5th. Toros dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.82%.

Insider Activity at Toro

In related news, CEO Richard M. Olson sold 12,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.40, for a total value of $1,312,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 17,913 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,959,682.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Toro news, CEO Richard M. Olson sold 12,000 shares of Toro stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.40, for a total value of $1,312,800.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 17,913 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,959,682.20. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, VP Blake M. Grams sold 11,400 shares of Toro stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.05, for a total value of $1,220,370.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 37,106 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,972,197.30. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 59,634 shares of company stock worth $6,516,758 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 2.22% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Toro

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Swiss National Bank boosted its stake in shares of Toro by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 252,500 shares of the companys stock worth $28,583,000 after acquiring an additional 4,600 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Toro by 7.9% during the 4th quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 16,631 shares of the companys stock worth $1,882,000 after acquiring an additional 1,217 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Toro by 1,410.8% during the 4th quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 55,597 shares of the companys stock worth $6,295,000 after acquiring an additional 51,917 shares in the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Toro by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 52,214 shares of the companys stock worth $4,529,000 after acquiring an additional 1,079 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its stake in shares of Toro by 990.5% during the 3rd quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 22,900 shares of the companys stock worth $1,980,000 after acquiring an additional 20,800 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.14% of the companys stock.

About Toro

(Get Rating)

The Toro Co is in the business of designing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling professional turf maintenance equipment and services. It operates through the following segments: Professional and Residential. The Professional segment consists of turf and landscape equipment, rental, specialty, and underground construction equipment, snow & ice management equipment, and irrigation and lighting products.

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Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE  Get Rating) had its target price lowered by Mizuho from $53.00 to $49.00 in a research note published on Friday morning, The Fly reports.

Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Raymond James raised their target price on shares of Vital Energy from $59.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Vital Energy from $57.00 to $50.00 in a report on Thursday, May 18th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Vital Energy from $108.00 to $110.00 in a report on Thursday, April 27th.

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Vital Energy Stock Up 6.0 %

VTLE stock opened at $46.11 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.59, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. Vital Energy has a 12 month low of $39.74 and a 12 month high of $120.86. The company has a market cap of $857.51 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 3.35. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $45.70.

Insider Buying and Selling

Vital Energy ( NYSE:VTLE Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported $4.50 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.69 by ($0.19). Vital Energy had a net margin of 48.36% and a return on equity of 34.78%. The firm had revenue of $332.51 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $328.67 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $5.17 earnings per share. Vital Energys quarterly revenue was down 37.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Vital Energy will post 21.86 EPS for the current year.

In other news, Director Edmund P. Segner III sold 1,155 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.00, for a total value of $50,820.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 14,328 shares in the company, valued at approximately $630,432. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Vital Energy Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Vital Energy, Inc engages in the exploration, development and acquisition of oil and natural gas properties. It operates in the Permian Basin in West Texas. The company was founded by Randy A. Foutch in October 2006 and is headquartered in Tulsa, OK.

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Shares of Fresnillo plc (LON:FRES  Get Rating) have been assigned an average recommendation of Hold from the seven ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is GBX 751.43 ($9.35).

A number of research firms have recently commented on FRES. Barclays dropped their target price on Fresnillo from GBX 950 ($11.82) to GBX 800 ($9.95) and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Fresnillo from GBX 700 ($8.71) to GBX 650 ($8.08) and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Fresnillo from GBX 920 ($11.44) to GBX 800 ($9.95) and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Peel Hunt restated a hold rating and set a GBX 800 ($9.95) price objective on shares of Fresnillo in a research report on Tuesday, March 7th.

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Fresnillo Trading Down 0.5 %

Fresnillo stock opened at GBX 656 ($8.16) on Tuesday. Fresnillo has a 52 week low of GBX 637.20 ($7.93) and a 52 week high of GBX 996.80 ($12.40). The company has a quick ratio of 3.28, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 32.64. The company has a market capitalization of 4.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,273.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -1.58 and a beta of 0.17. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 734 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 809.28.

Fresnillo Increases Dividend

About Fresnillo

The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a yield of 1.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. This is a boost from Fresnillos previous dividend of $0.03. Fresnillos payout ratio is 4,482.76%.

(Get Rating)

Fresnillo plc mines, develops, and produces non-ferrous minerals in Mexico. It operates through seven segments: Fresnillo, Saucito, Cienega, Herradura, Noche Buena, San Julian, and Other. The company primarily explores for silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates. Its projects include Fresnillo silver mine located in the state of Zacatecas; Saucito silver mine situated in the state of Zacatecas; Cienega gold mine located in the state of Durango; Herradura gold mine situated in the state of Sonora; Noche Buena gold mine located in the state of Sonora; and San Julian silver-gold mine situated on the border of Chihuahua/Durango states.

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John Bean Technologies Co. (NYSE:JBT  Get Rating) announced a quarterly dividend on Friday, May 12th, Zacks reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 25th will be given a dividend of 0.10 per share by the industrial products company on Thursday, June 8th. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.38%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 24th.

John Bean Technologies has a payout ratio of 6.5% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect John Bean Technologies to earn $6.05 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.40 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 6.6%.

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John Bean Technologies Stock Performance

NYSE JBT opened at $104.76 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.83, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07. The company has a market capitalization of $3.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.68, a P/E/G ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 1.40. John Bean Technologies has a 12-month low of $81.59 and a 12-month high of $126.26. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $105.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $101.23.

Insider Transactions at John Bean Technologies

John Bean Technologies ( NYSE:JBT Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The industrial products company reported $0.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.72 by $0.22. The firm had revenue of $529.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $513.54 million. John Bean Technologies had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 18.50%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 12.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.87 EPS. Analysts anticipate that John Bean Technologies will post 5.31 earnings per share for the current year.

In other news, Director Caroline Maury Devine sold 300 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.47, for a total transaction of $32,241.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 44,949 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,830,669.03. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.96% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On John Bean Technologies

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Money Concepts Capital Corp acquired a new position in John Bean Technologies during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Belpointe Asset Management LLC increased its position in John Bean Technologies by 124.0% during the 1st quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 392 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in John Bean Technologies in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its position in John Bean Technologies by 201.2% in the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 1,208 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $143,000 after acquiring an additional 807 shares during the period. Finally, Macquarie Group Ltd. increased its position in John Bean Technologies by 14.8% in the 1st quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. now owns 1,495 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $163,000 after acquiring an additional 193 shares during the period. 98.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on JBT. TheStreet downgraded shares of John Bean Technologies from a b rating to a c+ rating in a report on Tuesday, April 25th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of John Bean Technologies in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company.

John Bean Technologies Company Profile

(Get Rating)

John Bean Technologies Corp. is a technology solutions provider, which engages in the food, beverage, and air transportation industries. It operates through the JBT FoodTech and JBT AeroTech business segments. The JBT FoodTech segment designs, manufactures, and services technologically food processing systems for the preparation of meat, seafood and poultry products, ready-to-eat meals, shelf stable packaged foods, bakery products, juice and dairy products, and fruit and vegetable products.

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Northrop Grumman Co. (NYSE:NOC  Get Rating) has been given an average recommendation of Hold by the eighteen ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $505.00.

Several analysts have recently issued reports on NOC shares. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $550.00 to $520.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $544.00 to $488.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Credit Suisse Group reduced their price objective on Northrop Grumman from $500.00 to $490.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Northrop Grumman from $465.00 to $400.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Finally, 22nd Century Group restated a maintains rating on shares of Northrop Grumman in a research note on Friday, April 28th.

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Insider Activity at Northrop Grumman

In related news, VP Mark A. Caylor sold 2,810 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $467.58, for a total value of $1,313,899.80. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 16,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,593,499.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, VP David T. Perry sold 3,999 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $469.65, for a total value of $1,878,130.35. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 8,717 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,093,939.05. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Mark A. Caylor sold 2,810 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $467.58, for a total value of $1,313,899.80. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 16,240 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,593,499.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Stock Down 0.1 %

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. King Luther Capital Management Corp increased its position in Northrop Grumman by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 1,428 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $672,000 after purchasing an additional 19 shares during the period. Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in Northrop Grumman by 2.7% during the 3rd quarter. Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors LLC now owns 768 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $361,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its position in Northrop Grumman by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,911 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $899,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares during the period. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. increased its position in Northrop Grumman by 5.1% during the 3rd quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 435 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $205,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC increased its position in Northrop Grumman by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Capital Advisors Ltd. LLC now owns 3,948 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,857,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.32% of the companys stock.

NYSE:NOC opened at $443.07 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.12, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.91. The stocks fifty day moving average is $456.69 and its two-hundred day moving average is $481.82. Northrop Grumman has a 52 week low of $430.93 and a 52 week high of $556.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $67.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.18 and a beta of 0.50.

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The aerospace company reported $5.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.16 by $0.34. Northrop Grumman had a return on equity of 26.61% and a net margin of 12.89%. The company had revenue of $9.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.19 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $6.10 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 5.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Northrop Grumman will post 22.54 EPS for the current year.

Northrop Grumman Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 14th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.87 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 26th. This represents a $7.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.69%. This is a positive change from Northrop Grummans previous quarterly dividend of $1.73. Northrop Grummans dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.39%.

About Northrop Grumman

(Get Rating)

Northrop Grumman Corp. engages in the provision of advanced aircraft systems. It operates through the following segments: Aeronautics Systems, Defense Systems, Mission Systems, and Space Systems. The Aeronautics Systems segment is involved in the design, development, production, integration, sustainment, and modernization of advanced aircraft systems for the U.S.

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Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Hyatt Hotels Co. (NYSE:H  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 2,934 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $265,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in H. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in Hyatt Hotels by 136.4% during the 1st quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 487 shares of the companys stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares in the last quarter. Castleview Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Hyatt Hotels during the 4th quarter worth about $60,000. Signaturefd LLC lifted its holdings in Hyatt Hotels by 121.1% during the 4th quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 858 shares of the companys stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 470 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Hyatt Hotels during the 1st quarter worth about $94,000. Finally, Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its holdings in Hyatt Hotels by 389.7% during the 3rd quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,239 shares of the companys stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 986 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 46.89% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on H. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price objective on Hyatt Hotels from $113.00 to $121.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. TheStreet raised Hyatt Hotels from a c rating to a b rating in a report on Monday, March 20th. Barclays cut Hyatt Hotels from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and lowered their price target for the company from $130.00 to $125.00 in a report on Thursday, March 9th. Wells Fargo & Company cut Hyatt Hotels from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and raised their price target for the company from $111.00 to $113.00 in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Hyatt Hotels in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $121.88.

Hyatt Hotels Price Performance

Shares of NYSE H traded down $1.91 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $109.25. 129,022 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 873,179. The company has a market capitalization of $11.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.89, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 14.69 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66. Hyatt Hotels Co. has a 52-week low of $70.12 and a 52-week high of $125.07. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $111.98 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $106.15.

Hyatt Hotels (NYSE:H  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.06). Hyatt Hotels had a return on equity of 12.34% and a net margin of 9.31%. The company had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned ($0.33) earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Hyatt Hotels Co. will post 2.56 EPS for the current year.

Hyatt Hotels Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a  dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 30th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 26th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider H. Charles Floyd sold 6,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.00, for a total transaction of $684,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 32,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,753,678. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, insider H. Charles Floyd sold 6,000 shares of Hyatt Hotels stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $114.00, for a total value of $684,000.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 32,927 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,753,678. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Peter Sears sold 10,698 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.03, for a total transaction of $1,230,590.94. Following the sale, the insider now owns 5,315 shares in the company, valued at approximately $611,384.45. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 81,567 shares of company stock worth $9,207,060 in the last ninety days. 22.15% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hyatt Hotels Company Profile

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Hyatt Hotels Corp. engages in the development and management of resort and hotel chains. It operates through the following segments: Owned and Leased Hotels, Americas Management and Franchising, ASPAC Management and Franchising, EAME/SW Asia Management and Franchising, and Apple Leisure Group. The Owned and Leased Hotels segment offers hospitality services and hotels.

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Yelp Inc. (NYSE:YELP  Get Rating)s share price gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $32.52, but opened at $35.88. Yelp shares last traded at $35.61, with a volume of 824,756 shares changing hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on YELP shares. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Yelp from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Yelp from $26.00 to $28.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Yelp from $31.00 to $39.00 in a report on Monday, February 13th. Barclays lowered their target price on Yelp from $30.00 to $26.00 in a report on Friday, May 5th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group increased their target price on Yelp from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 10th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $34.63.

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Yelp Stock Up 9.4 %

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $29.95 and a 200 day moving average price of $29.62. The stock has a market cap of $2.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 71.36 and a beta of 1.45.

Insider Activity at Yelp

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Yelp

In related news, CTO Sam Eaton sold 7,121 shares of Yelp stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.00, for a total transaction of $213,630.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer now owns 237,190 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,115,700. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website . In other Yelp news, COO Joseph R. Nachman sold 6,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $30.77, for a total transaction of $184,620.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 339,743 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,453,892.11. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, CTO Sam Eaton sold 7,121 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.00, for a total value of $213,630.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now owns 237,190 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,115,700. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 31,302 shares of company stock valued at $985,678. 7.70% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new position in shares of Yelp in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Yelp during the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new position in Yelp during the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Dark Forest Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in Yelp by 83.6% during the 1st quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP now owns 1,166 shares of the local business review companys stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 531 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in Yelp by 127.6% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 867 shares of the local business review companys stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 486 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.01% of the companys stock.

About Yelp

(Get Rating)

Yelp, Inc engages in the business of operating a community-driven platform that connects people with great local businesses. The company was founded by Jeremy Stoppelman and Russell Simmons in July 2004 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

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Who would have thunk it, huh? Just a half century ago, before Obama was even gracing the gay bath houses of Frisco, things were not so delineated. Sure there were gays and transexuals around, but they did their stuff in the privacy of their own homes, and people left them alone, pretty much.

Black people were generally celebrated with their music and sports, and to some extent they were left alone to do their thing. There was no predominant push to exclude or denigrate white people or any other people, let us say it was a gentle sort of inclusivity, a quiet one where people knew and tolerated other races and sexualities without the derision and hatred we see today.

It was only the Obama administration who started to skew things around for America, he effectively brought forward a programme of emasculation of men, and engineered race riots that he publicly delighted in. The American patriot was slammed, the military eviscerated of real men, and the core of true American values turned literally on its head.

Remember, this affects the entire globe as well, because even though many nations hate to admit it, they look up to America to lead the trends globally. By going queer, America alienated many of their previous allies not only in the developed Western world but in the developing nations.

The real core of America, those with patriotic, Christian values were left behind, that is until someone saw the gap in the market  Donald Trump. He very astutely took the position of Uncle Sam and tried to steer America back from a wrong turn in the road. Sure, it worked for a while, but it seemed he was now fighting some very evil and powerful forces who wanted him gone. The so-called liberals were now illiberal and no longer inclusive to patriot Americans or conservatives. Liberals were now practically communistic in their fervour to divide America with their inclusive nature by making anything that was not queer, transgender, or black the enemy.

So, why is this all happening?

It is very clear that powers above governments are causing a change in all parts of American and Western civilisation for numerous reasons. Without delving into the realms of conspiracy theories, we must analyse the multiple variables of change and what their consequences are. Who is doing all of this? Who has the power to make ad agencies, conglomerates, industry and government suddenly change almost a 180-degree turn? Well, the ones who dwell above government and visible business, are the ones who ultimately have the power to do such things. Anyone who is visible is a mere intermediator, and this includes presidents.

The last question is why? Certainly, this is the ultimate question, and there are many theories as to why such a drastic change in everything is being literally pushed down peoples throats. Could be a drive for depopulation, destabilisationanything.

Why destabilise your own capitalist, democratic heterogenous, relatively stable country? Because the ones above are looking for a totalitarian global scenario as the precursor for a world order. We already know China is idolised as the perfect model of governance for the entire globe by the UN, EU and WEF. Chinas brutal, totalitarian communist regime is seen as the successor to Western democracy, and the Obama/Biden administration made this very clear. The other element we must consider is climate change and the push for Net Zero which is ultimately a code name for depopulation. Humans are terrible producers of waste and are carbon lifeforms. By pushing this agenda, many humans who think they are responsible human beings and care about the earth will happily be reduced to poverty, their assets confiscated and eventually die from sickness. That will be called The Great Reset and will involve all material wealth and assets like property being stripped from all citizens. They say you will be happy about it too, as you are entertained by AI or VR or whatever comes along to alleviate your terminal human misery of collectivist communist poverty and existence.

America cannot be saved by elections alone

Can one man like Trump turn all this shit around? One doubts that very much, unless there is an all out civil war in America and Trumps side wins, then nothing will be done and America as we knew it will be lost forever. The 2020 US election was a blatant scam, and everyone knows it. The Democrats have found ways of skewing the US electoral system for their benefit, and this means any successive election held in America is probably skewed, as the Democrats have corrupted the very ideal of democracy to suit themselves. Once America is lost, god knows what happens to the rest of the globe? Ultimately, it is up to true American patriots, those who can trace their ancestry back to the Mayflower, and the Pilgrims and those who relate to true American patriotism to change the destiny of their country. Whether this involves the blood of patriots being spilled against those of tyranny is a matter they can only make. The consequences for them not acting to save their beloved country is one where one can imagine a world where Chinese bulldozers will work day and night to push human corpses into mass graves or burning pyres. The second holocaust will not be remembered.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, Minister of State for Defence & Tourism Ajay Bhatt, MoS Jitendra Singh, officials and delegates at the 3rd G20 Tourism Working Group meeting, in Srinagar, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. are also seen. (PTI Photo)

Srinagar: Union minister for tourism and culture Gangapuram Kishan Reddy said on Tuesday that Pakistan has no right to object to Indias holding the third G20 Working Group on Tourism meeting in Srinagar as Jammu and Kashmir is an inseparable part of the country and will remain as such till eternity.

Mr. Reddy who is camping in Srinagar in connection with the 3-day meet that has caught the attention of international media was responding to a query on Islamabads assertion that J&K is a disputed territory and India by holding the G20 meet in is capital city is not only misusing its Presidency of the group but has also violated the UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir, the International law and the UN Charter.

The Union Minister said, "J&K has been a part of India since Independence. Whatever we have been doing here is for the benefit of its people. This is our land, these are our people, and thousands of people have sacrificed their lives for it". He added, "Pakistan has no right to talk about J&K. It should rather pay attention towards its own peopleprovide them food and employment. Pakistan is battling a crisis, people are dying of hunger, they do not get rice or gas, so it should focus there."

He further said that there was no need to give any importance to Pakistan or what it says for it is "finished" and, therefore, Indians should think of their own people in J&K.

Asked to respond to former chief minister Mehbooba Muftis charge that the BJP has hijacked the G20 meeting, Mr. Reddy said some opposition parties do not want peace in J&K. He said, "Development works are taking place in J&K at a faster pace for the first time since Independence. I, therefore, appeal to opposition parties to support our efforts and, if they cannot do it, they should sit silently at home and not become a hurdle."

J&Ks Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, while speaking to a select group of media persons over High tea at Raj Bhawan here said Pakistan has no locus-standi to question or talk about G20 meet underway in Srinagar. "Pakistan should first address the issues of food and edibles back home," he said.

Asked about Pakistan's charge that India is "abusing" the G20 presidency and the presence of the UN military observers in J&K, Mr. Sinha said, "G20 presidency is a matter of pride for us. The presence of UN representatives here indicates that the world wants India to host such an event."

He thanked Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, for providing J&K the "historic opportunity" to host the meeting of the G20 Working Group on Tourism and asserted that the decision emphasizes the love he has and the significance he holds for J&K.

Replying to a question on the freedom of press in J&K, he said that over 400 newspapers are being published in the Union Territory. "There is absolute press freedom in J&K. Only three journalists are serving detention and anti-terror agencies are probing their case. Freedom of speech is guaranteed in the Indian constitution," he said.

He said the Kashmir Valley is no more the land of hartals, school closures and separatist activities and that the security agencies have succeeded to a great extent to destroy the "terror ecosystem." He asserted the primary focus of the J&K administration since the past three years has been on four PsPeace, Progress, Prosperity and the People first.
Published on: May 23, 2023 | Updated on: May 23, 2023

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao directed officials to distribute podu land pattas to tribals from June 24 to 30. (File image: Twitter)

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Tuesday set out the schedule for the implementation of politically crucial schemes that the state Cabinet had approved on March 9 but which had seen no movement since then.

The decisions were taken ahead of the government's 21-day calendar to celebrate a decade of Telangana statehood from June 2.

At a review meeting at the Secretariat, the CM directed officials to distribute podu land pattas to tribals from June 24 to 30. The CM stated that he would personally take part in podu land patta distribution programmes.

July would see Gruha Laxmi scheme, to extend 3 lakh financial assistance to the poor to build houses on their own plots, being implemented as also the second phase of Dalit Bandhu of 10 lakh per family and distribution of house sites to the poor in villages.

The CM instructed officials to extend Rythu Bandhu to tribals who receive podu pattas. He asked officials to open bank accounts for them and credit the Rythu Bandhu amount in their accounts from the upcoming kharif season.

The CM said he would hold the district collectors conference on Thursday to finalise the arrangements for the 10th State Formation Day. Ministers and SPs have been invited to the meeting.

The CM directed officials to identify vacant lands in villages for distribution of house sites to poor on the occasion of decennial celebrations.

Rao directed officials to speed up framing of guidelines for implementation of Gruha Laxmi scheme.

The CM decided to lay the foundation for construction of a 2,000-bed Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (Nims) Hospital besides expansion works of existing NIMS hospital building on June 14.
Y.S. Avinash Reddy. (Photo: Twitter)

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the anticipatory bail plea of YSR Congress Party Lok Sabha member Y S Avinash Reddy, who is under the CBI scanner in the murder of former Andhra Pradesh Minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy, to be placed before a vacation bench of the Telangana High Court on May 25.

The apex court observed it was "not happy" about no orders being passed on the anticipatory bail application, which was taken up for hearing after the top court on April 24 set aside the high court order asking the CBI to provide a written questionnaire to Y S Avinash Reddy.

On April 28, the high court had posted the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of Y S Avinash Reddy for June 5.

"We are inclined to accept the prayer as the anticipatory bail application which was taken up pursuant to the order passed by this court on April 24, 2023 was heard on April 27.and no orders were passed. We direct that the will be placed before the next vacation bench on May 25 and necessary orders be passed after hearing all the parties," a vacation bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and P S Narasimha said.

The apex court had on April 24 termed the Telangana High Court's directions as "atrocious and unacceptable" and had set aside its order asking the CBI, probing the murder case, to provide a written questionnaire to Y S Avinash Reddy which he could answer.

The top court had, however, said the high court can proceed with the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of the lawmaker without being influenced by its observations.

In its order passed on Tuesday, the apex court clarified that the hearing on the anticipatory bail plea by the earlier bench will not come in the way of the vacation bench hearing it.

During the hearing, the bench asked whether the anticipatory bail petition was heard by the high court after the apex court's April 24 order.

One of the advocates appearing in the matter said the plea was heard by the high court on two days but no orders have been passed.

Avinash Reddy is a nephew of Y S Vivekananda Reddy and Andhra Pradesh Chief minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's cousin.

On April 21, the top court had stayed the protection from arrest granted to Avinash Reddy till April 25.

The apex court was then hearing a plea filed by Suneetha Narreddy, daughter of Y S Vivekananda Reddy, challenging the high court order.

Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of the late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district on the night of March 15, 2019, weeks before the Assembly elections in the state.

The Telangana High Court had on April 18 directed the YSRCP MP to appear for examination before the CBI every day.

Avinash Reddy had filed the anticipatory bail petition in the high court ahead of appearing before the CBI.

His father Y S Bhaskar Reddy, uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, was arrested by the CBI on April 16 in connection with the murder of Vivekananda Reddy.

The murder case was initially probed by a special investigation team (SIT) of the state CID but was handed over to the CBI in July 2020.

The CBI filed a charge sheet on October 26, 2021 and followed it up with a supplementary charge sheet on January 31, 2022.
The leaders of the most powerful capitalist empires gathered in Japan over the weekend to hold a summit of the G7 powers  the United States, UK, France, Canada, Italy, Japan, and Germany. While their deliberations, held in Hiroshima, touched on a wide range of issues, there was one common goal present throughout the meeting  intensify the new Cold War atmosphere in world politics by recklessly deepening key conflicts.





Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was the de facto guest of honor at the summit. Arriving on Saturday, Zelenskyy held a flurry of meetings and events to solidify his standing among the main sponsors of the proxy war that pits his country against Russia. In his main speech, Zelenskyy reminded his patrons how they are all effectively co-combatants in the war, For almost 15 months of full-scale war, weve made hundreds of security decisions together. These include the formation of coalitions of defense support, sanctions against the aggressor, protection of markets, including the energy and food markets, and protection of Ukraines financial stability.





Leaders of the G7 nations plus the European Union in Hiroshima [Photo Credit: G7]





The day before Zelenskyy landed in Hiroshima, the Biden administration unveiled a massive escalation of the war. The Pentagon will now seek to facilitate the transfer of highly sought-after F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, and the training of Ukrainian pilots to fly them. For months, even the U.S. government resisted aggressive lobbying by Ukraine to secure these jets. But as the eve of the G7 summit opened, this was reversed in a move that takes the world even further down the path towards catastrophe.





Biden met with Zelenskyy and pledged, Together with the entire G7, we have Ukraines back and I promise were not going anywhere. An official statement from the summit promised that Our support for Ukraine will not waver. Host of the summit, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, assured that the G7 will provide strong backing for Ukraine from every possible dimension.





While imperialist diplomacy played out in the comfort of the summit, dramatic events were unfolding on the battlefield in Ukraine. The town of Bakhmut was captured by the Russian military after months of intense fighting that became the focal point of the war. But at the same time, the Ukrainian armed forces were conducting final preparations for a highly-anticipated counter-offensive that could see the greatest risk yet of the war escalating into a direct clash between NATO and Russia.





Hostility to China a central theme





China, which along with Russia is the principal adversary in the U.S. governments new Cold War, was also a top target at the summit. The official declaration pledged that the G7 would, address the challenges posed by Chinas non-market policies and practices, which distort the global economy and counter malign practices. It also expressed that the leaders were, seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas and echoed separatist talking points on Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang. These issues are related to the territorial integrity of China, something that is of the utmost importance to the countrys government and could be the basis for a direct military clash.





A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry responded to this hostility by noting, the G7 used issues concerning China to smear and attack China and brazenly interfere in Chinas internal affairs  gone are the days when a handful of Western countries can just willfully meddle in other countries internal affairs and manipulate global affairs. We urge G7 members to catch up with the trend of the times.





Along the sidelines of the G7 meeting, leaders of the Indo-Pacific Quad countries also held a meeting. The Quad was established in 2017 as part of the U.S. strategy to encircle and contain China, and is made up of the United States, Japan, India and Australia. While it stopped short of naming China, the joint statement issued by the Quad countries all but accused the country of destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. Of course, it is actually the U.S. government that for generations has based its entire foreign policy on unilateral action employing force or coercion.





China was especially alarmed at the rhetoric coming out of the G7 summit because of several recent geopolitical developments. Last month, the right wing president of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol traveled to the White House to meet with Joe Biden and issue the Washington Declaration. This aimed to solidify South Koreas subordinate role to the U.S. war machine by deepening military coordination, including the regular deployment of U.S. submarine-based nuclear weapons to the Korean peninsula. Then, less than two weeks later, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida went to South Korea for talks aimed at bringing the two countries closer together for the sake of mutual confrontation with China and North Korea. Last December, Kishidas government announced the country would embark on its largest military build-up since World War Two.





It is a true irony that this gathering took place in Hiroshima  the place where the U.S. military criminally carried out the first attack in history using nuclear arms. While the leaders visited the citys Peace Park dedicated to the bombs victims and spouted hollow rhetoric about disarmament, their actions at the summit brought the world closer to the brink of a catastrophic global confrontation where this type of weapon could bring about the end of life on Earth as we know it.





Source: The Liberation
Four days after announcement of withdrawal of Rs 2,000 banknotes from circulation, exchange of Indias highest denomination currency started at bank branches and regional offices of the RBI on Tuesday amid chaos and confusion over requirement of officially valid identity proof like PAN and Aadhaar.

Long queues were witnessed at several bank branches in the national capital as also in other parts of the country. The biggest confusion for customers remained the requirements for valid ID proof.

Some banks, especially private sector lenders like Kotak Mahindra Bank, ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank insisted for ID proof for the exchange of currency.

Also Read: From mangoes to luxury watches, people look to offload Rs 2,000 notes

Confusions also prevailed over the requirements for filling forms for deposits and exchange of the currency. Leading private sector lenders HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank required all customers to fill forms. Public sector banks like Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, and UCO Bank asked non-bank customers to fill in requisition forms.

The countrys largest lender State Bank of India (SBI), however, allowed deposit and exchange of the currency without the need for filling in forms or providing ID proof.

Last week, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the withdrawal of Rs 2,000 banknotes from circulation. The central bank has set a September 30 deadline for deposit or exchange of the currency.

Meanwhile, people also rushed to petrol pumps, wholesale markets, restaurants and liquor shops to pay their bills using the high value notes. A large number of customers reported difficulties in using Rs 2,000 notes for payments. Most businesses have started avoiding the acceptance of Rs 2,000 notes. Some, especially jewellers, have jacked up prices to benefit from the peoples panic over the future of the Rs 2,000 notes.

Kerala State Beverages Corporation, which runs liquor retail outlets across Kerala, decided not to accept Rs 2,000 notes. A senior official of the corporation told DH that there was considerable increase in Rs 2,000 notes being brought by customers after the RBIs announcement of withdrawal of the currency from circulation.

Chaos was witnessed at petrol pumps in several parts of the country.

Federation of Gujarat Petroleum Dealers' Association issued a statement advising petrol pumps to accept Rs 2,000 notes from customers. The association has, however, suggested that petrol pump owners should seek identity proof as a precautionary measure.

A jeweller in Srinagars Hari Singh High Street Market, said some people came to buy gold coins using Rs 2,000 notes.

There is a lot of surveillance going on in Kashmir. We dont want to get involved in hassles. So we politely decline any customer who approaches us with more than Rs 50000 cash, the jeweller, requesting not to be named.

(With input from Zulfikar Majid, Udbhavi Balakrishna, Satish Binod Jha, Arjun Raghunath, Mrityunjay Bose and Mohammed Safi Shamsi)
The West Bengal cabinet has decided to give land to the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) for the construction of new pits and expansion of non-operational coal mines, a senior official said.

The cabinet of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday decided to allot around 30 acres of land in the Asansol industrial area in Paschim Bardhaman district to ECL, he said.

Also Read | West Bengal govt forms panel to curb illegal firecracker units

ECL, a subsidiary of Coal India, had sought the land from the state government, he added.

Law Minister Moloy Ghatak said the land will be given to ECL to reopen six abandoned mines in Dalurbadh in Pandabeswar, Kenda in Jamuria, Raniganj, Damolia and Dalora.

"Around 1.30 lakh people were working in the coal mines of ECL. Due to the closure of the mines, many lost their jobs. This decision of the state government will provide employment to many locals," Ghatak said.

Besides, the cabinet also decided to give around 4 acres of land to Eastern Railway for the freight corridor project.

The cabinet also granted promotions to officers of the Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police.
Manipur remained tense but calm on Tuesday after incidents of violence were reported a day before in the northeastern state where at least 70 people were killed in ethnic violence since May 3.

Business establishments remained closed on Tuesday morning and people were asked by security personnel to remain indoors through the public address system in New Chekon area of Imphal East district, where a mob torched two houses after four armed people, including a former MLA, forced people to shut their shops on Monday.

Locals, armed with licensed guns, were found guarding their localities against possible attacks by constructing makeshift "bunkers" in a few places including Pukhao and Leitanpokpi in Imphal East district and five such "bunkers" were destroyed by security forces in Sinam Khaithong village in Imphal West on Monday, police said.

Also Read: Cannot reveal stance on Meiteis for 'security reasons', says office of Registrar-General of India

Sit-in demonstrations, mostly by the womenfolk, were reported in the valley districts, with the agitators demanding that the Suspension of Operation (SoO) with Kuki militants be abrogated and action be taken against them. They also demanded that "illegal Myanmarese immigrants" be deported, poppy cultivation be stopped in the hill areas and also protested the hill MLAs' demand for bifurcation of the state.

People living in areas adjoining the hills have complained of Kuki militants coming down to the valley and opening fire on civilians before fleeing, with at least three people injured in one such recent incident in Moidangpok village in Imphal West district.

Curfew relaxation period has been cut by two hours and the restriction is now from 5 am to 2 pm.

Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Monday evening appealed to the people to stop torching houses of innocent people.

He said three people, including an ex-MLA, were arrested in the New Chekon incident. The mob had beaten up one of the armed men, while the other three had managed to flee from the spot.

No casualty was reported in the torching incident as the empty houses were used for providing rented accommodation to people.

"We will initiate legal action against those involved in illegal activities... We have also decided to acquire 20 more companies of security personnel from the central forces," the CM said.

Around 10,000 Army and Assam Rifles jawans are currently deployed in the state. Security forces are conducting aerial surveillance by unmanned aerial vehicles and Cheetah helicopters.

The CM said action will also be taken against those involved in inciting hate and enmity on social media inside and outside the state.

Internet services remain suspended since violence started in order to stop rumours and hate messages from being spread. However, it is alleged that the warring Meitei and Kuki community people living outside the state are spreading hatred in their social media posts.

Also Read: Government actions responsible for violence: Manipur CM N Biren Singh

"We need to engage in talks by sitting together to bring in normalcy and restore peace," the chief minister said.

Clashes broke out in Manipur 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.

The violence in Manipur was 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.

The ethnic clashes claimed over 70 lives and some 10,000 army and para-military personnel had to be deployed to restore normalcy in the northeastern state.
Fulfilling a commitment made to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her visit here in October 2019, India on Tuesday handed over 20 broad gauge (BG) locomotives to Bangladesh.

The handing over ceremony was attended by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and his Bangladeshi counterpart Md Nurul Islam Sujan virtually.

"Indian Railways are also playing a vital role in improving and strengthening rail connectivity across the border and improving trade between the two countries," Vaishnaw said while addressing the event.

"As of now, five BG connectivities are operational, namely Geda-Darsana, Benapol-Petrapol, Singhabad-Rohanpur, Radhikapur-Birol and Haldibari-Chilahati. Work on two more cross-border rail connectivities, Akhaura-Agartala and Mahishasan-Shahbazpur, are progressing well and are likely to be completed and commissioned shortly," he said.

"Previously, in June 2020, the Indian government provided 10 locomotives to Bangladesh as grant. We express our heartfelt gratitude to India for providing broad gauge locomotives," Sujan said.

In keeping with the requirements of Bangladesh Railway, the locomotives have been suitably modified. These locomotives will help to handle the increasing volume of passenger and freight train operations in the country.

To enhance people-to-people contact, there are three pairs of passenger trains running between India and Bangladesh at present  the Kolkata-Dhaka Maitree Express, Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan Express and the New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka Mitali Express.

Trade between the two countries via rail has seen consistent growth with the interchange of close to 100 cargo trains per month. Approximately 2.66 MT of cargo was sent to Bangladesh in the last financial year, the ministry said.
The Congress and the BJP on Tuesday entered into a war of words over the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri claiming that the Opposition party was "generously misquoting" the Constitution.

Puri's comments came after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leaders like Manish Tiwari and Shashi Tharoor, among others, quoted the Constitution and said the Parliament comprises the President too and she should inaugurate the new building.

In a series of tweets, Puri said, "From criticising the New Parliament Building & questioning its very necessity despite many of them advocating for it before but not executing it, Congress President and other worthies are now shifting the goalpost by generously misquoting an article a day from the Constitution!"

From criticising the New Parliament Building & questioning its very necessity despite many of them advocating for it before but not executing it, Congress President & other worthies are now shifting the goalpost by generously misquoting an article a day from the Constitution! pic.twitter.com/GUwexamcZy  Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) May 23, 2023

Responding to Puri, Tiwari tweeted, "Article 79 -- Constitution of Parliament -- There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the council of States and the House of the People. If I am misquoting, then Hardeep Puri is reading a different Constitution." He also said Ministers of the Union must read the Constitution of India very carefully.

Article 79 Constitution of Parliament There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the council of States and the House of the PeopleIf I am misquoting then @HardeepSPuri

is reading A different Const. https://t.co/71PxwNPHns  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) May 23, 2023

Criticising Kharge's comments that the ruling BJP elects tribals and Dalits only for electoral reasons, Puri said, "after uncharitable comments about the President in the past by its leaders, Congress president now makes uncalled for and gratuitous comments on her election! Tragic that Congress claiming to be a national party lacks any national spirit and sense of pride in Indias progress."

He asked why cannot the Congress join the nation in celebrating "this creation of a valuable asset for posterity, as the New Indias temple of the mother of all democracies and jettison the prolonged sulk & indulgence in partisan polemics based on falsehoods".

Why cant they just join the nation in celebrating this creation of a valuable asset for posterity, as the New Indias temple of the mother of all democracies & jettison the prolonged sulk & indulgence in partisan polemics based on falsehoods.  Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) May 23, 2023

He also recalled that Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe on October 24, 1975 and Rajiv Gandhi laid the foundation stone for Parliament Library 15 August, 1987. "So, instead of now finding articles to justify their hypocrisy why cant they just smile and join India on this momentous achievement and her march to greatness!"

On Monday night, he tweeted, "Congress has a habit of raking controversies where none exist. While the President is the Head of State, PM is the Head of Govt and leads the Parliament on behalf of the Govt, whose Policies are affected in form of Laws. The President is not a Member of either House, whereas the PM is."

Congress has a habit of raking controversies where none exist. While President is the Head of State, PM is the Head of Govt & leads the Parliament on behalf of the Govt, whose Policies are effected in form of Laws. The President is not a Member of either House, whereas PM is. pic.twitter.com/73Ns7NP8EK  Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) May 22, 2023

Tharoor had tweeted that Kharge was right and Article 60 and 111 of the Constitution of India make it clear that the President is the head of Parliament. It was bizarre enough that the PM performed the ground-breaking ceremony & puja when construction began, but totally incomprehensible (& arguably unconstitutional) for him and not the President to inaugurate the building.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed its displeasure with the Telangana High Court over delay in deciding anticipatory bail of Lok Sabha M P Y S Avinash Reddy, an accused in the murder case of former Andhra Pradesh minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy.

A vacation bench of Justices J K Maheshwari and P S Narasimha declined to grant any protection to Avinash, YSRCP leader, with regards to the summons issued by the CBI in the case.

The top court also directed for placing the matter before the high court on May 25.

As the court was apprised that the matter has yet not been decided by the high court despite hearing it twice, the bench said, "We are not happy with it that the high court is not passing an order after our order. How much time does it require to pass an order in an anticipatory bail?" the bench asked.

The court was hearing an application filed by N Suneetha Reddy, daughter of the slain former minister, challenging the decision of the Telangana High Court to grant Lok Sabha MP, Avinash Reddy, interim protection from arrest.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra appeared for Suneetha and senior advocate V Giri for Avinash.

Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district, on the night of March 15, 2019, weeks before the Assembly elections in the state.

The petitioner claimed the investigation has revealed that the scene of offence was cleaned and the wounds on the body were wrapped up with bandages to give credence to the story of death due to a heart attack allegedly in the presence and at the behest of Y S Avinash Reddy, Y S Bhaskar Reddy and D Shiva Shankar Reddy, among others.

On April 24, the top court had taken an exception to the high court's direction to the CBI to quiz Kadapa MP in Q and A form in the case, as it said, "We were really perturbed by the order since such orders prejudice the investigation, especially when CBI is ascertaining the role of several accused".
Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lessened its holdings in Toast, Inc. (NYSE:TOST  Get Rating) by 13.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 377,724 shares of the companys stock after selling 60,308 shares during the period. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. owned about 0.07% of Toast worth $6,810,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its stake in shares of Toast by 214.5% in the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 28,674 shares of the companys stock valued at $479,000 after purchasing an additional 19,557 shares in the last quarter. Lord Abbett & CO. LLC acquired a new stake in Toast in the 3rd quarter worth about $3,453,000. Amalgamated Bank boosted its holdings in Toast by 10.6% in the 3rd quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 55,758 shares of the companys stock worth $932,000 after buying an additional 5,326 shares during the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. boosted its holdings in Toast by 38.5% in the 3rd quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 7,754 shares of the companys stock worth $129,000 after buying an additional 2,157 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale acquired a new stake in Toast in the 4th quarter worth about $191,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 50.82% of the companys stock.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Toast

In other Toast news, CEO Christopher P. Comparato sold 33,333 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.70, for a total value of $556,661.10. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 109,895 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,835,246.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, major shareholder Bessemer Venture Partners Ix L sold 500,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $20.93, for a total transaction of $10,465,000.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Christopher P. Comparato sold 33,333 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.70, for a total value of $556,661.10. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 109,895 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,835,246.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 891,727 shares of company stock valued at $18,027,345 over the last quarter. 20.16% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Toast Stock Up 2.4 %

TOST stock opened at $21.30 on Tuesday. The firms 50 day moving average price is $17.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $19.00. Toast, Inc. has a one year low of $12.15 and a one year high of $26.03.

Toast (NYSE:TOST  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported ($0.16) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.18) by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $819.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $763.11 million. Toast had a negative net margin of 11.01% and a negative return on equity of 29.74%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 53.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.20) EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Toast, Inc. will post -0.57 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on TOST shares. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on Toast from $24.00 to $21.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their price objective on Toast from $21.50 to $23.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, February 17th. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on Toast from $32.00 to $30.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 17th. DA Davidson restated a buy rating on shares of Toast in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Toast in a report on Thursday, April 6th. They set a hold rating and a $20.00 target price on the stock. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $22.75.

Toast Profile

(Get Rating)

Toast, Inc operates a cloud-based and digital technology platform for the restaurant industry in the United States and Ireland. The company offers Toast Point of Sale (POS), a hardware product; Toast Order & Pay, which allows guests to order and pay from their mobile devices; Toast Flex that is used for on-counter order and pay, as well as used as a server station, guest kiosk, kitchen display system, or order fulfillment station; Toast Go, a handheld POS device that enhances the table turn times through tableside ordering and payment acceptance; and Toast Tap, a card reader.

Further Reading

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A new economic report suggests reform of the public sector in Northern Ireland and enhanced ground and air connectivity as a blueprint for prosperity in the region.

Trade NI, an alliance of three trade bodies  Hospitality Ulster, Manufacturing Northern Ireland, and Retail Northern Ireland  will launch the paper to a reception of more than 200 business leaders, senior Cabinet ministers, 80 MPs, and policymakers at an event at Westminster on Tuesday.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris and shadow secretary of state Peter Kyle will be among those delivering speeches at the event on the House of Commons Terrace.

There will also be a reception at the Irish embassy in London hosted by Irish ambassador to the UK Martin Fraser.

The report, A Region Transformed and Creating Prosperity For All: The Prosperity Dividend, has been produced by accountancy and business advisory consultancy BDO NI and focuses on the economic transformation of Northern Ireland since 1998.

It examines how local industries, businesses and high streets have been boosted by peace, prosperity and greater stability.

The report identifies key strengths of the Northern Irish economy and how these can be leveraged to deliver greater economic growth and prosperity in future decades for local communities and businesses.

The Westminster reception will be hosted by Alliance Party deputy leader Stephen Farry.

Recommendations in the paper include:

 Creation of pathways to ensure businesses have the people they need to deliver for customers.

 More investment in universities and further education colleges to increase the number of places.

 Establishing Northern Ireland as a pilot area for a skills tax credit scheme to rapidly skill up industries and establish a new funding stream for public and private sector training.

 Public sector reform to reverse the regions historic dependency.

 A commitment that UK support for decarbonisation, childcare and economic zones reaches Northern Ireland.

 Enhanced ground and air connectivity, abolishment of air passenger duty and reduce hospitality and tourism VAT.

 Capitalising on Northern Irelands dual market access trading position.

In a joint statement, the representatives of Trade NI, Glyn Roberts (Retail NI), Colin Neill (Hospitality Ulster) and Stephen Kelly (Manufacturing NI) said: Northern Ireland has vast untapped potential.

We have a skilled workforce, a steady pipeline of talent from our higher and further education institutions, dual market access, and emerging clusters in new industries like tech, cyber security, and health and life sciences.

But there is so much more we can achieve if we get the fundamental building blocks in place.

Things like ensuring political stability at Stormont, fixing our planning system to facilitate speedier construction of major capital infrastructure projects, investing in our educational institutions to ensure our workforce of the future has the right skills and competencies, capitalising on our dual market access, and reforming our public sector to remove our dependence on it.

Mr Heaton-Harris said: With Northern Irelands strengths in key growth sectors, workforce expertise, the drive and creativity of its business community, and the benefits of the Windsor Framework providing a stable framework for the future, Im confident it can continue to grow and thrive.

I welcome the contribution that Trade NI have made to the debate on how to secure prosperity in Northern Ireland and I look forward to the continued opportunity to engage with their members on how the UK Government can help deliver the continued prosperity that Northern Ireland deserves.
The successful implementation of a 10-year mental health strategy for Northern Ireland is at risk without sustained investment, an Audit Office report has said.

Comptroller and Auditor General Dorinnia Carvilles report said mental health problems in the region are approximately 25% higher than in England.

She also said one in five adults in Northern Ireland show signs of mental health problems, with an estimated one in eight young people experiencing anxiety and depression.

Ms Carville said the financial impact to Northern Ireland of mental health treatment and lost productivity is conservatively estimated at 3.4 billion annually.

The report provides an overview, considering issues around mental health strategy, funding, activity and data.

It said the higher prevalence of mental health problems in Northern Ireland has been linked with both greater levels of deprivation and with the impact of the Troubles.

The report said that in 2022-23, a total of 345 million has been allocated for mental health services, representing 5.7% of the overall health and social care budget.

But it added that despite higher prevalence levels, funding for mental health in Northern Ireland is lower than elsewhere in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The report estimated that bringing funding levels into line with elsewhere in the United Kingdom would require additional funding, which could be as much as 190 million annually.

The report welcomed the publication of the overarching Mental Health Strategy 2021-31, launched by the Department of Health in June 2021.

The total cost of the strategys reforms of mental health services are estimated at 1.2 billion over the 10 years to 2031.

However, the report noted that funding for these reforms is not available from within existing departmental resources and will require additional funds to be secured through an Executive.

Northern Ireland is currently without a functioning Assembly and Executive.

The report said the absence of additional, secured funding has meant that progress on delivering the 10-year strategy has been limited.

Ms Carville stated: The costs of mental ill-health are significant in Northern Ireland.

As well as the human cost, the financial impact to society as a result of care, treatment and lost productivity is conservatively estimated at 3.4 billion annually in Northern Ireland.

There are, therefore, significant benefits to be derived from improving mental health here.

The Strategy for Mental Health 2021-31 provides a direction of travel for achieving the reform and improvement of services that is needed.

However, adequate and sustained funding will be necessary to realise the strategys vision.

The report also considered the impact of Covid-19 on services.

It said while services were maintained throughout the pandemic, a combination of changes in peoples health-seeking behaviour, and reductions in the availability of some services, saw the number of referrals reduce.

In 2021-22, referrals were approximately one fifth below pre-pandemic levels.

Despite reduced levels of referrals, mental health waiting lists have continued to grow.

The report said that in March 2022 around 16,000 patients were on a waiting list for mental health services, almost 20% higher than pre-pandemic.

It also said that performance against waiting list targets has deteriorated.

Around half of those on mental health waiting lists wait longer than the nine and 13-week target standards, with particular issues identified in relation to psychological therapies.

Workforce issues are identified in the audit report as a key barrier to access and performance against waiting time standards.

It also drew attention to data limitations in mental health in Northern Ireland.

The report recommended improvements to how outcomes are measured, in order to better evaluate the effectiveness of services in improving peoples mental health, and to determine whether services represent value for money.
AEVIS VICTORIA SA / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

AEVIS VICTORIA SA  Increased revenues for the operational divisions, positive outlook for the current fiscal year. Organic growth of 9.2% in the first quarter 2023.



23-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

Fribourg, 23 May 2023

AEVIS VICTORIA SA (AEVS:SW)  Increased revenues for the operational divisions, positive outlook for the current fiscal year. Organic growth of 9.2% in the first quarter 2023.

AEVIS VICTORIA SAs (AEVIS) consolidated revenues for the first quarter of 2023 amounted to CHF 263.0 million (Q1 2022: CHF 316.3m), down mainly due to the deconsolidation of Reseau de lArc as of 31.12.2022 and the absence of M&A transactions. With a 9.2% organic revenue growth, Swiss Medical Network and Victoria-Jungfrau, the opeRating divisions of AEVIS, performed strongly during the first quarter of 2023. Growth continues during the second quarter and the group expects an overall good year 2023.

Swiss Medical Network SA achieved revenues of CHF 203.6 million (Q1 2022: CHF 193.6m on a like-for-like basis), with a 5% organic growth. Reseau de lArc SA, a now 35.1% participation of Swiss Medical Network, was deconsolidated as of 31.12.2022 following the entry in the share capital of Visana Beteiligungen AG.

Victoria-Jungfrau AG pursued its growth with consolidated revenues up by 36.4% to CHF 56.3 million (Q1 2022: CHF 41.3m), driven by a 30% organic growth. The 2022 acquisitions of Hotel Adula in Flims and LOscar in London contributed CHF 2.7 million to the increase.

For further information:

AEVIS VICTORIA SA Media and Investor Relations: c/o Dynamics Group, Zurich

Philippe R. Blangey, prb@dynamicsgroup.ch, +41 (0) 43 268 32 35 or +41 (0) 79 785 46 32

Severine Van der Schueren, svanderschueren@aevis.com, +41 (0) 79 635 04 10

AEVIS VICTORIA SA - Investing for a better life

AEVIS VICTORIA SA invests in healthcare, hospitality & lifestyle and infrastructure. AEVISs main shareholdings are Swiss Medical Network SA (90%, directly and indirectly), the only Swiss private network of hospitals present in the country's three main language regions, Victoria-Jungfrau AG, a luxury hotel group managing eleven luxury hotels in Switzerland and abroad, Infracore SA (30%, directly and indirectly), a real estate company dedicated to healthcare-related infrastructure, Swiss Hotel Properties SA, a hospitality real estate division, and NESCENS SA, a brand dedicated to better aging. AEVIS is listed on the Swiss Reporting Standard of the SIX Swiss Exchange (AEVS.SW). www.aevis.com.
Dracula Untold star Luke Evans has led tributes to the kind, loving and full of life actor Ray Stevenson.

Northern Irish thespian Stevenson  known for films including Thor and Punisher  died on Sunday aged 58, though no further details were immediately made available.

He starred as Porthos in the 2011 film The Three Musketeers  alongside Evans, Matthew Macfadyen and Milla Jovovich  and appeared in Divergent with Kate Winslet and Zoe Kravitz in 2014.

Evans shared a photograph of himself with Stevenson on the set of The Three Musketeers to Instagram, with the caption: Goodbye my friend.

He added: You were a kind and loving human, full of life and energy, you were the giant who I stood by and admired.

I will miss your bear hugs and your contagious laughter.

My love Im sending to you Betta and your wonderful family. Rest in power Big bro x #raystevenson.

Stevenson starred in many television shows, including as soldier Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO series Rome from 2005-2007, as well as a spin-off series for the Star Wars franchise.

He appeared more recently as the villainous Governor Scott Buxton in the 2022 Oscar-winning Bollywood film RRR.

So sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away. A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim. My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss.  James Purefoy  (@JamesPurefoy) May 22, 2023

Actor James Purefoy, who portrayed Mark Antony in Rome, tweeted: So sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away.

A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim. My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss.

Replying to Purefoys tweet, Star Wars actor Mark Hamill shared a broken hearted emoji, while TV presenter Lorraine Kelly said: Oh James. Im so very sorry to hear this.

I loved Ray as Pullo  he was a brilliant actor and a lovely man. So incredibly sad.

Damn. So sorry to hear about the passing, far too young, of Ray Stevenson. I only knew him a little from shooting post-credits of Thor 2 & a couple interactions at events, but we had some good laughs & he was a joy to work with. His friends & family are in my heart today.   James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 22, 2023

Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn tweeted: Damn. So sorry to hear about the passing, far too young, of Ray Stevenson.

I only knew him a little from shooting post-credits of Thor 2 & a couple interactions at events, but we had some good laughs & he was a joy to work with.

Stevenson began his career on TV in the 1990s before landing action roles in Hollywood films starting in the 2000s.

His first major role came in Antoine Fuquas 2004s movie King Arthur, alongside Clive Owen, Ray Winstone and Keira Knightley.

The actor played Dagonet, one of the knights of the Round Table.

We are sad to hear of the passing of Ray Stevenson. You may recognize Ray as Baylon Skoll from the upcoming Ahsoka show on Disney+. You may also remember his work as the voice of mandalorian super commando Gar Saxon in The Clone Wars. Our sincerest condolences to his family. pic.twitter.com/lFiZziuZbj  Peter Mayhew Foundation (@TheWookieeRoars) May 22, 2023

In 2008, he landed the lead role in Marvels Punisher: War Zone, playing the titular character and his alias Frank Castle  becoming the third actor to do so onscreen.

He later appeared in other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Asgardian warrior Volstagg in Thor, Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok.

Stevenson also held various roles in the Star Wars universe, lending his voice to Disneys popular Mandalorian series.

At the 2023 Star Wars celebration in London, it was announced he would appear in the upcoming Ahsoka series.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ray Stevenson, who brought humor and wit to the character of Volstagg. He was a wonderful actor who will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. https://t.co/8t0w99Am1f pic.twitter.com/aQDwntDnv4  Thor (@thorofficial) May 23, 2023

Marvel said: The incredibly talented actor, and long-time Marvel friend, Ray Stevenson has sadly passed away at the age of 58.

It said his Volstagg brought both humour and action to the Thor films and added: Marvel extends our condolences to Stevensons family, friends, and fans all over the world.

The Peter Mayhew Foundation, set up by the late actor who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, tweeted: We are sad to hear of the passing of Ray Stevenson.

You may recognise Ray as Baylon Skoll from the upcoming Ahsoka show on Disney+.

You may also remember his work as the voice of Mandalorian super commando Gar Saxon in The Clone Wars.

Our sincerest condolences to his family.
Finally, Google Pay users can now use their credit cards to make payments making Google the third brand to be integrated with the feature along with PhonePe and Paytm.

UPI has become a part and parcel element of every customer making payments online or in retail stores. As of March 2023, Google Pay has 67 million active users in India.

Also read: Google search engine is unbeatable: We learn that in 2 ways this week

While the RBI permitted credit card payments via UPI last year, their use was sparse. In addition to Paytm and PhonePe, Google has now formally begun supporting RuPay credit cards in India.

This will assist Google in meeting the increasing demand for Google Pay, which stands as the second highest used UPI platform next to PhonePe. Lets understand what the platform has to offer and how one can operate the integration.

Google Pay and the NPCI have announced that owners of RuPay credit cards will be able to use the platform to conduct UPI payments. To make payments online and offline, users will only need to link their RuPay credit card to Google Pay.

Banks affiliated to RuPay and UPI linkage

RuPay card holders who can connect the credit card to their UPI account include the following;

HDFC Bank

Axis Bank

Punjab National Bank

Bank of Baroda

Canara Bank

Indian Bank

Kotak Mahindra Bank,

Union Bank of India

These banks can currently use this service. Soon, additional institutions are anticipated to follow suit.

Also read: Shocking! Over half of all Indian travellers are victims of online scams, says McAfee

How to add your credit card to Google Pay

Simply add the compatible RuPay credit card as a payment option to use it for GPay UPI transactions.

To do this, pick the "RuPay credit card on UPI" option under your profile.

Choose the banking partner, and then enter the necessary information (such as the card's last six numbers, its validity, etc.) to finish the transaction.

Once completed, you will be able to use your RuPay credit card to make purchases through Google Pay UPI.

The Google Pay services here on are expected to extend their platform for a larger audience as they have opened a new avenue for the Indian users. Do you think this feature will benefit the users in India? Let us know at editor@digit.in
The internet has been flooded with rumours about the latest and greatest processor from Snapdragon, set to hit us with another wave of ground-breaking technology. The latest findings about an upcoming iteration of a Snapdragon SoC has caught everyones imagination recently  the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.

In a way it seems remarkable that were already speculating about the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip before Qualcomm has even released Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the most likely successor to current flagship level Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. But thats the kind of world were living in at the moment.

The rumoured Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 SoC is expected to introduce a new and exciting set of technological innovations that are slated to lay the grounds for more efficient and powerful Android and Windows devices, something along the lines of Apples M-series of processors.

Also read: Qualcomm and MediaTek under threat by this change in ARM licensing policy

Lets take a look at what the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 can do, while we are still waiting for Gen 3 to hit the market. Thats right, Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 already!

Whats expected of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip?

Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 with SM87505 model number is expected to use Nuvia CPU technology, said the tipster Digital Chat Station. In addition the Snapdragon smartphone processors are to run on a Nuvia CPU.

Nuvia was acquired by Qualcomm in January 2021. Former Apple engineers who intended to apply their skills to Arm-based system-on-chips (SoCs) for servers created the processing firm. A few months later, Qualcomm released a thorough update on its plans for SoCs based on the Nuvia technology, and it openly stated that it hoped to compete with the Apple M1 in the market for always-connected PCs (ACPCs) with a processor.

The addition of NUVIA CPUs to Qualcomm Technologies already leading mobile graphics processing unit (GPU), AI engine, DSP and dedicated multimedia accelerators will further extend the leadership of Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms, and positions Snapdragon as the preferred platform for the future of connected computing, suggested the released report.

Also read: Motorola Edge 40 vs OnePlus 11R vs Pixel 7a: Which phone is best?

The tipster has also suggested that we can anticipate a release for the processors in late 2024 for 2025s phones wherein the phone processors will have a 2+6 CPU core layout. So we can anticipate that Qualcomm has brought back Snapdragon 845s two-tier architecture after a line-up of three-tier architecture from Snapdragon 855 to the current Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and prolly SD 8 Gen 3 which held big core + medium core (s) + small core (s) design.

Now some findings and reports about the upcoming iteration of Snapdragon SoCs, is said to be powerful enough that it can potentially outperform Apples latest M2 processors. If the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 is anywhere close to what it is being touted to be, it will make for a really interesting introduction in the Android and PC market, bringing along devices that are more powerful and efficient than ever!
Samsung has been on a roll recently, leaving no stone unturned to launch its different ranges of smartphones. Its back with a new mid-range smartphone: Samsung Galaxy F54.

Also read: Samsung Galaxy A54 5G launch date officially revealed

It is rumoured that Samsung might drop this new phone by the end of this week or anytime soon, and it will be the most high-end offering in Samsungs Galaxy F series range. Lets have a look at how high is the Galaxy F series phone priced at and whether it justifies the price with its features.

Expected price of Samsung Galaxy F54

Tipster Mukul Sharma has given an estimate of the Samsung Galaxy F54 to be around 33,000. If you compare this likely price with other phones of the F series, then this definitely is a little pricey than the others.

Do the features justify the likely price of Samsung Galaxy F54?

The Samsung Galaxy F54 is expected to come with a 108MP primary lens camera. The marquee features included in this phone's camera are nightography and super steady OIS. These features should help the smartphone's camera reach new heights. Along with the primary lens, the phone also has an 8MP ultrawide camera, 2MP macro sensor and a 32MP front camera.

The camera definitely stands out as one of the most prominent features for the price being a little on the higher side. Besides that, let's look into some other important features of the phone.

Also read: Samsung F54 prices leaked, might be most expensive Galaxy F series phone

The Galaxy F54 phone will be coming with a 6.7-inch 120Hz Full HD+ Super AMOLED display. The phone is rumoured to be powered by Exynos 1380 processor and will be packed with 6,000 mAh battery along with 25W fast charging. It will be Android 13 with One UI 5.1 out of the box.

These features and especially the amazing camera can still do some justice to the phones price. But, none of the features or the price has been confirmed yet. So, until and unless Samsung makes a formal announcement, well just have to wait and watch.
Wistron exits iPhone business in India reportedly due to low profit and work culture

Wistron is looking to sell its iPhone manufacturing business in India to Tata. People familiar with the matter said that the profit generated from iPhone assembling has been too low, and Wistron's management practices differ from India's local cultural and social norms.

According to The Economic Times, although Wistron, one of the Taiwan-based iPhone assemblers, is still talking with Tata for its iPhone manufacturing business in India, some senior management members have left Wistron, with some Tata executives taking up key positions at Wistron's facility.

According to the report, being a smaller iPhone manufacturer than Foxconn and Pegatron, Wistron cannot get into the more lucrative layers in the Apple supply chain, such as inventory management, leaving Wistron with a low margin in the iPhone manufacturing business.

Additionally, according to the report, local workers complained about Wistron's lack of awareness of local work culture, in which Indian laborers prefer a more balanced life instead of working around the clock like many Chinese and Taiwanese employees in India.

Wistron sold its Kunshun facility to Luxshare in 2020, and it is not bad for Wistron to re-focus and re-adjust its business across its group. DIGITIMES reported that the smartphone demand is plateauing, with Samsung Electronics preferring South Korean-based suppliers and China-based brands favoring Chinese suppliers. Although Apple provides stable orders for Taiwan-based suppliers, rising geopolitical tensions, de-risking of the Chinese and American supply chains, as well as diversified production, bring about uncertainties.

According to the Bureau of Indian Standards, Wistron's Kolar facility makes iPhone SE, iPhone 12, and iPhone 14. Tata, which is talking with Wistron about taking over the plant, is reportedly receiving 5% of orders of iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, according to Trendforce.

Still, an earlier The Economic Times reported that due to the lack of a developed iPhone manufacturing ecosystem, iPhone and iPhone parts have to be shipped across the Indian borders several times for Tata to assemble before sending back to China for final assembly. Piyush Goyal, India's trade and industry minister, said earlier in the year that Apple is looking to make 25% of iPhones in India.
Ford secures multiple lithium deals to make 2 million EVs by 2026

Ford Motors announced several agreements with lithium companies on May 22, a step forward to support its EV ambitions. The carmaker also aims to achieve a margin of 8% of earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) for its EV business segment by late 2026.

Ford held a capital markets event on Monday. The company said its EV sales grew by 41% to 10,866 units in the first quarter of this year. It plans to produce 2 million EVs by the end of 2026, a 16-time increase from 2022.

Ford revealed multiple lithium supply deals that will facilitate its battery supply. For example, US-based Albemarle Corp will offer Ford over 100,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide, enough to make 3 million EV batteries, over a five-year course starting in 2026.

The automaker also secured a lithium hydroxide deal with Nemaska Lithium. According to Reuters, Nemaska Lithium is equally owned by the Quebec government in Canada and the US-based company Livent.

Moreover, EnergySource Minerals will supply Ford with lithium hydroxide from a site in California, expected to be commissioned in 2025.

Ford said it signed a five-year agreement with Compass Minerals to receive lithium carbonate from the latter's project in Utah. The carmaker also secured a long-term contract with Chile-based SQM, the world's second-largest lithium producer.

While some competitors seek larger batteries to provide a longer driving range, Ford cares more about the battery's efficiency. Electek reported that the company focuses on smaller batteries using fewer resources but performing better. It said it has accumulated 240 GWh of battery cell capacity globally for the EV boost.

Ford has divided its business into three segments. On May 22, the company said it aims to reach a total adjusted EBIT margin of 10% in 2026. Ford Blue, which focuses on gas-powered and hybrid vehicles, will target a low double-digits EBIT margin, while Ford Pro, responsible for commercial vehicles, is aiming for a mid-teens margin.

Ford added that the EV segment, Ford Model e, will likely reach an EBIT margin of 8% by late 2026. It said the segment is expected to lose US$3 billion in 2023, as previously announced.

According to Reuters, one of the challenges that Ford must overcome in order to achieve better profitability is shrinking its costs. The company estimated its total costs are US$7 billion higher than competitors. Ford CEO Jim Farley also said it is "so far behind" on waste and cost.
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North Korea is having increasingly visible problems with rape among conscripted soldiers. Nearly all North Korean men are conscripted for ten years while most women serve three years. Many of the young male conscripts would like some sex, the female conscripts just want to complete their three years and get on with their lives, including finding a husband. Life in the military for women is difficult. Food, health care and things like tampons are in short supply. Women serve in separate units, usually at headquarters or base areas. Since women serve for shorter periods and have access to more deferments, they account for about a fifth of military personnel.

Military commanders dont pay much attention to sexual harassment or rape of female soldiers. That is changing after a series of gang-rapes occurred and were reported to the high command, where attention had to be paid because some of the victims were higher caste women whose parents had political influence and used it. It turned out that nearly a third of female conscripts had been raped while in the service and over 90 percent had suffered sexual harassment. As long as the victims were lower caste women, the military didnt care but the higher-caste victims were another matter.

Social caste used to be important in North Korea. When the country was founded in the late 1940s, there were problems determining who was loyal to the new government and who was not or might not be. This led, in 1957, to the creation of a caste system called Songbun. This was an official list of 51 social classes in North Korea. Most (29) of these classes were composed of people considered either hostile to the government or leaning that way. These new lower classes included business people, the most successful farmers, professionals and, well, you get the picture. Most of the population falls into these 29 social classes, and they are getting increasingly hostile to a government that seems to do nothing but create one disaster after another and ignores things like their conscripted daughters being raped while in the military. This means a lot of lower caste people are hungry, the lower caste soldiers are hungry and the higher-caste secret police are stealing whatever they can get their hands on and the senior officials are planning their escape routes from the deteriorating economic mess. Since the 1990s caste, or the term Songbun, has faded from use. People either have power or they dont. The donju are the best example of this and current leader Kim Jong Un came to power while in his 30s and eliminated a lot of the military and political leaders who came from the Songbun era. Social standing and the associated power still exist, just without the 1950s nomenclature and orthodoxy

The highest caste people, who have long come to regard themselves, optimistically, as a hereditary aristocracy, are growing more corrupt and fearful. Many of these high caste families do have talented people, but a lot of those selected for the top castes were chosen because they were loyal communists and willing to be brutal and do whatever they were told. Not the entrepreneurial type at all, which is why they are so wary of all these newly rich lower caste business people. Especially those with conscripted daughters who were raped and have parents using to their economic resources to get justice for their disgraced daughters.

Caste and sex have long been a factor in North Korea, where marriages are arranged and its usually between two people of the same, or similar, castes. Daughters, and many sons of the highest caste families are not conscripted at all. North Korean leader Kim Jon Un, for example, never served in the military and didnt have to because he belonged to the highest caste of all.

In the last decade lower caste self-made men have changed things because desperate economic conditions led to the rise of successful, and often wealthy entrepreneurs. These newly rich lower caste business people (the donju) are increasingly throwing their economic weight around. There are rumors that many donju families will be offered a big boost in caste status if they can prove their loyalty by helping the state, or simply providing a large enough bribe or favor. Meanwhile higher caste families fear a major downgrade if any of their kin run afoul of the police or, worst of all, flee the country. There have been changes in family caste status before, but never on such a large scale as has occurred in the last few years and many suspect the aftereffects of the covid19 virus will feature even more culls in the ruling class as well as embarrassing revelations about the extent to which higher caste North Koreans misbehave.
A bird of prey which became extinct in Ireland 150 years ago is to be reintroduced to the country this summer, it has been confirmed.

Minister of State Malcolm Noonan TD today announced that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is ready to move forward with the reintroduction of the Osprey to Ireland in summer 2023.

Osprey are described as a magnificent fish-eating bird of prey that became extinct in Ireland many years ago. The NPWS has been researching and preparing for the potential reintroduction of these birds for a number of years and now expects to reach a significant milestone with the arrival of the first 12 Osprey chicks in July. The reintroduction programme aims to establish a viable, free-ranging Osprey population that eventually breeds in Ireland.

The project has been led by a highly experienced NPWS team, headed up by Divisional Managers Dr Phillip Buckley and Eamonn Meskell, who also led and delivered the ongoing and highly successful White-tailed Eagle Reintroduction Programme in Ireland. The experience gained and knowledge acquired during the Eagle programme will be of great benefit to the Osprey Reintroduction Programme.

Commenting on the preparations for the chicks arrival, Minister Noonan said: The NPWS plans to bring 50-70 Osprey chicks to Ireland from Norway over a five-year period. NPWS has drawn on international expertise and learning from around Europe and North America in the development of this programme. In particular, the project has the direct involvement of colleagues from Norway and UK, who are not only top Osprey experts, but who have led and supported other key species-reintroduction programmes in Europe. The NPWS has great expertise from its introduction of the white-tailed eagle and the same, highly experienced team will now put their knowledge to good use as we embark on the reintroduction of the Osprey.

As part of a programme of events celebrating National Biodiversity Week, Minister Noonan visited some of the nesting platforms currently in place for migratory Osprey who sometimes visit Ireland. New nesting platforms are being erected in Irelands Southeast, on a key migratory route for Osprey between Northern Europe and Africa. They will be in place and ready for the arrival of the chicks this summer.

NPWS Divisional Manager Eamonn Meskell continued: In addition to the holding pens at the release sites, artificial eyries will also be constructed in the release area. The details of construction of holding pens and artificial next sites, feeding and care of birds, their transport and release are based on extensive experience with other Osprey reintroduction programmes, and with the White Tailed Eagle reintroduction programmes in Ireland over nine years. Once the chicks arrive in Ireland well be monitoring their progress and adapting their feeding regime to build towards their eventual release over the summer.

Dr Philip Buckley, NPWS Divisional Manager for the South West Division said: We are extremely grateful to the authorities and colleagues in Norway for supplying the young Ospreys, and for their expertise which is enabling this landmark conservation programme to happen. Likewise to the farmers and landowners involved and also to many others from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Britain, elsewhere in Europe and indeed internationally who are providing expertise or helping with this work; their help is critical and much appreciated.

Ospreys became extinct in Ireland 150 years ago. They have a long heritage in Ireland, with several place names around Ireland, particularly in Munster, referencing the bird. For example, Killarney National Park is home to a site known as Osprey Rock at Loch Leinn pointing to the birds history in Ireland, particularly close to rivers and lakes as it hunts for fish. While the programme may take some time for the species to begin breeding again, the NPWS says the reintroduction of this fish-eating apex predator will provide significant insights into the health of the Irish ecosystem, and its waters over time.
Composers, musicians and contemporary music fans from around the globe will converge in Dundalk this June 1617 for the Louth Contemporary Music Societys midsummer festival.

This years event is entitled Folks Music and will showcase an array of talented performers, including international stars and renowned local artists hailing from Italy, Canada, the United States and England as well as Ireland.

This year marks 17 years since Louth Contemporary Music Society's inception to promote contemporary music in Ireland - a feat that has transformed Dundalk into one of Europe's premier destinations for contemporary music performance.

Amongst this years festival lineup acclaimed US composer and performer Caroline Shaw will be making her first ever Irish visit. Shaw, who has previously received the Pulitzer prize, picked up a Grammy-award this year for Best Contemporary Classical Composition.

In 2015, Shaw had a chance encounter with rapper Kanye West backstage after her performance in Los Angeles. This meeting sparked an incredible collaboration between Shaw and West which culminated in their work together on Wests The Life of Pablo album and a tour of the US in 2016.

Known for creating symphonies, theatre pieces and works for ballet all around the world, the multi-talented composer, violinist and vocalist will make her much anticipated Irish debut performing alongside the Esposito Quartet at Dundalks music bar, The Spirit Store, on Saturday 17 June.

Described as the UKs top New Music band, Explore Ensemble will also be making their first trip to Ireland. Theyll be performing pieces by Clara Iannotta, one of Europes most sought after composers, at Dundalk Gaol.

New works by Linda Catlin Smith and Cassandra Miller will also be performed by the Chamber Choir Ireland at St Nicholas Church of Ireland. Meanwhile, the acclaimed Spanish saxophone quartet, The Sigma Project, will be bringing their lively and somewhat theatrical performance to St. Vincents Chapel.

A highlight of the festival promises to be an innovative adaptation of legendary composer Terry Rileys iconic In C. For the first time the piece will be performed, by a collection of Irelands leading traditional musicians including Zoe Conway, Donal Lunny, Paddy Glackin, Mairtin OConnor, Mick OBrien, Louise and Michelle Mulcahy at St Nicholas Church of Ireland.

Speaking ahead of this years festival programme, Louth Contemporary Music Societys director Eamonn Quinn invited audiences to come and be inspired:

Our annual concert promises to be an unforgettable musical experience for all! This year, attendees will embark on a global journey across various obscure and diverse styles of contemporary music.

"From Spanish Sax Players to Caroline Shaw to Traditional Irish Musicians - everyone is sure to find something that speaks volumes with them. Were especially thrilled as this festival also includes 4 world premieres of new commissions  come prepared and get ready to expand your horizons!.

Founded in 2006, Louth Contemporary Music Society is a non for profit organisation aiming to bring world renowned contemporary musicians, performers and composers to play and educate in Co Louth.

Folks Music the festival, will take place at various venues around Dundalk from June 16-17. Tickets to the individual concerts start at 5 with a ticket to attend all of the concerts priced at 30. Tickets available from www.louthcms.org

Funded by the Arts Council and Create Louth. Supported by RTE Supporting the Arts and with the friendly support of Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation.
Over a hundred Israeli designed and manufactured Shaldag (Kingfisher) patrol boats have been produced or are on order since they first appeared in the 1990s. The original Mk 1 model has been followed by Mk 2, 3, 4 and 5. The basic design of the 72-t0n fast (93 kilometers an hour) patrol boat has remained the same. What has changed is the equipment and weapons carried. The search and navigation radars as well as the fire control systems have evolved. So has the growing array of weapons available. The latest weapon is the 32 kg (71 pound) Spike ER fire-and-forget guided missile. With a max range of 16 kilometers, Spike ER can handle threats before they get close enough to do Shaldag any damage.

The latest and largest version is Shaldag Mk 5. This is a 95-ton 33 meter (104 foot) long boat with a top speed of over 75 kilometers an hour and max endurance of three days, or 1,600 kilometers at 22 kilometers an hour. There are crew quarters and a water desalination system so the crew of fifteen can remain alert over long patrols. Weapons include, in addition to the several Spike ER missiles, a 25mm autocannon RWS (remote weapons station), a 20mm cannon and two 12.7mm machine-guns which can be used in manual or RWS mode. There are two RIBS (rigid inflatable boats) and a crane to put them in the water for boarding parties or rescue missions. Depth charges can also be carried because there is a sonar for monitoring the sea bottom or detecting submarines. Shaldag often operates in shallow coastal waters.

The latest version is the 35-ton Mini-Shaldag. This version only needs a crew of five but is fast (100 kilometers an hour) and can carry up to eight passengers (military or civilian). This version is a fast-response vessel for port security of important stretches of coastline.

While Israel has been the largest user of Shaldag, the ships have been exported to ten foreign navies and coast guards. Israel uses Shaldag to patrol its long coastline for smugglers or terrorist attacks as well as guarding ports and the new offshore natural gas fields. Near the Lebanon border and in the south near Gaza. Israel also uses some larger offshore patrol vessels and navy Saar corvettes for natural gas field protection while the most numerous patrol vessels are the Shaldags.
Councillors at the Louth County Council May meeting, marked the final county meeting of Directors of Services Paddy Donnelly and Catherine Duff, who are set to retire from Louth County Council.

Leas Cathaoirleach Andrea McKevitt, who was chairing the May meeting in the absence of Cathaoirleach Conor Keelan, thanked both for their service to Louth County Council and wished them both well in their retirement.

Cllrs from across the chamber congratulated Mr Donnelly and Ms Duff on their retirement and thanked them for their work.

Among the cllrs who spoke on the matter, Cllr Kevin Meenan said he always found them very honest and easy to deal with and that they would be a massive loss to the county.

Cllr Maeve Yore thanked both, saying Ms Duff was always approachable and backed her on issues, and that Mr Donnelly has always been civil and kind, and helped in anyway he could.

Cllr Marianne Butler commented that Ms Duff was ahead of her time when Cllr Butler was on the town council.

Cllr John Reilly wished both a long and useful retirement, mentioning that he and Mr Donnelly go back quite a long time, learning their trade dealing with the public in their time as yellow pack boys in Quinnsworth.

Chief Executive Joan Martin said that it was a sad occasion and thanked both for their long years of public service. Ms Martin said it was a huge blow to her personally and to the management team to be losing two such able members with their experience at the one time.

She added that they were two very committed people and thanked them and congratulated on their outstanding service over many decades.

Catherine Duff told the members that she really enjoyed her 27 years in local government and that Louth has been a great county for her personally, coming from Dublin but having lived here for over 22 years, regarded Louth as her home.

Paddy Donnelly thanked the meeting for the comments, saying it was his pleasure to have had the honour to have served over the past number of decades. He added that it was a pleasure to have worked with such engaged and diligent staff and management team.

Mr Donnelly said that there was always an engaging atmosphere with the elected members and it was always a professional relationship with them.

He further added that he was a true Louth man, who had the pleasure and the privilege to work all of his career with Dundalk Town Council and with Louth County Council.
Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) says it was delighted to recently host a high energy event for almost 100 young female Transitional Year (TY) students in conjunction with I WISH.

The Institute says it was delighted to announce its newly formed partnership with I WISH at this event and was "thrilled" when Sharon Lombard, Director of I WISH, took to the stage to introduce all things Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) to the attending TY students.

I WISH is an initiative to inspire, encourage and motivate young female students to pursue careers in STEM. This organisation originated in 2015, with 1,000 female TY students attending the Cork City Hall.

Now I WISH has grown nationally, bringing the showcase to the RDS in Dublin. To date I WISH has reached out to over 50,000 students and have further ambitious goals to continue to increase their student reach through their annual showcase events and their campus programmes with other higher education institutes such as Trinity, UCD, UL, UCC, MTU to name but a few.

STEM is the fastest growing and most in demand sector in Ireland, but recent research undertaken by I WISH reported that 57% of girls lack confidence in their ability to pursue a STEM career, 66% of girls see lack of information about STEM careers as a barrier to pursuing a career in STEM, with 84% of girls wanting to know more about STEM.

But on a positive note, 93% reject the stereotype that STEM careers are more suited to boys than girls. This new collaboration between the DkIT Loves STEM team with I WISH is the perfect partnership for the Institute to continue to address this.

This year the DkIT STEM team visited schools in the region including Sacred Heart Drogheda, St Vincents Dundalk, St Louis Dundalk and Greenhills Drogheda.

The aim of this roadshow was to address the current barriers to STEM for females by hosting talks which shared expert females experience of STEM industries. The schools were then invited to send TY students interested in learning more to DkIT/I WISH campus day for a taster of all things STEM.

DkIT says it was "absolutely delighted" to hold this recent event with I WISH which facilitated almost 100 students. On the day students got to experience interactive sessions with academics and DkIT students, completing Microbiology Labs, Virtual Labs, Programming and Coding, Engineering activities, a tour of DkITs Film Studios all whilst getting a feel of what student life in DkIT could look like for them.

Next year students from the region will also attend the I WISH Showcase event in the RDS, hearing from some of Irelands most incredible and inspiring STEM Role models and interacting with STEM industry.

The Institute says it is particularly excited with all things STEM, as this year it is on track to open its new state of the art 1,300 sqm Science extension. This extension is part of an important capital investment in DkIT which will allow the Institute to transform its existing facilities into a STEM centre of excellence within the northeast.

The DkIT Loves STEM team says it would also like to thank Lavina McGahon from THRIVE at DkIT who supported the spot prizes on the day which included a pair of Apple Airpods, five Mojo & Co Planner Journals and four Soilse Candles from local businesses.
Louth and Meath Education and Training Board LMETB together with Oiliuna Limited and the Regional Skills and Training Centre in Dundalk are on the lookout for the hairdressers of the future.

They are delighted to open their state-of-the-art Hairdressing Training Salon to prospective salons interested in this new exciting apprenticeship. There will be three open mornings from 10 until 1 on Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th May and Tuesday the 6th June

Interested salons can come and find out more about the SOLAS apprenticeship and subject matter experts will be available on the day to give people the most up to date information about course curricula, apprenticeship structure.

Following on from a successful intake in September 2021 and 2022, enrollments for the new hairdressing apprenticeship will commence in in the next four weeks and will be strictly limited to 14 places.

Off the job training takes place in the academy on a one day a week basis. There will also be 10 places available in LMETBs Dunboyne College of Further Education and information on that apprenticeship can be obtained also from apprenticeship@lmetb.ie

This is an exciting new three-year programme which gives the apprentices the opportunity to earn while both on and off the job.

This apprenticeship is supported by a wide range of partners including the Hairdressing Federation of Ireland, HABIAC, the National Hairdressing Apprenticeship, local employers and SOLAS.

These partners are committed to providing high level current hairdressing training to interested parties.

Apprentices are mentored throughout the three-year programme by their employers.

Rosie Mc Guigan will be there to welcome all new apprentice employers. She said: I am looking forward to welcoming all salons interested in participating on the new apprentices intake for 2023.

This is an exciting opportunity for salons and apprentices alike.

This event is open to all salons from the Northeast who are interested in employing an apprentice for the 2023 class.

The apprentice may be a new or existing employee.

For more details on the open day or to book a place, please contact the Regional Skills and Training Centre on 0429355700 or apprenticeship@lmetb.ie
A retired An Post worker whose life spiralled after the death of terminally ill partner, began verbally abusing members of An Garda Siochana and members of the public, including school children who were waiting for their bus, Dundalk District Court heard last week.

Judge John Brennan was told that gardai who'd received a report of a man causing a disturbance at McDonald's Drive-thru restaurant, were directed to the nearby bus stop where a man wearing a pink cap was identified as the person involved.

The investigating Garda gave evidence that Brian Fitzpatrick (60) of no fixed abode said "F*** off home you black b******" to a manager of the fast food outlet.

The court heard the defendant had 47 previous convictions and two from Laganside Magistrates Court in February for common assault and disorderly behaviour .

The Defence solicitor explained that his client is originally from Dublin and had worked for An Post for 30 years, but has been based in the Athlone area.

He explained he had been in hospital and was discharged two days previously and was on his way to Belfast when there was unfortunately antisocial behaviour on the train, which he got off in Dundalk to avoid.

The solicitor added that his client had been sober for three years but had resumed drinking a number of months ago.

He outlined how Mr. Fitzpatrick, who he described as quite a tragic individual, had a bad reaction after mixing alcohol with the medication he is taking.

The court heard he had recently been evicted from his accommodation in Athlone and is estranged from his adult son.

When Judge Brennan asked when Mr. Fitzpatrick's partner had died, he replied "In 2010. It's about the time I took early retirement".

The judge said it was a nasty enough incident but he was satisfied a suspended sentence is appropriate.

He imposed a three month sentence for using threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour, which he suspended on him entering a 400 bond to be of good behaviour for 12 months and on condition that he attends the Probation Service where he gets accommodation, within seven days, and complies with all of their directions.

A charge of being intoxicated in a public place was taken into consideration.
Sonya Carolan, Deli Manager of MACE Blackbull, Co Louth was named Deli Food-to-Go Manager of the Year at the annual ShelfLife Grocery Management Awards.

To win a Shelflife retail management award is a high point in the career of many of Irelands best performing managers from across a variety of categories and at various levels of career progression and the event is also the principal networking event for managers from across all retl brands to gather with colleagues, business partners, suppliers and friends.

The theme of this years ceremony was Helping Hands, Build Great Stores, chosen to reflect the importance of superb teamwork, inspired by an encouraging and motivational manager, in driving excellent in-store results.

Keith Crawford, MACE Sales Director, paid tribute to Sonya on her award: To win a ShelfLife National Grocery Management Award is a great honour and one Sonya thoroughly deserves.

"I want to congratulate Sonya, Jewel Akber and all the team. This is a wonderful example of the outstanding excellence across the MACE estate.

The ShelfLife National Grocery Management Awards are now in their 18th year and are the long-standing benchmark for those in management in the retail industry.
Attempts will begin this summer to reintroduce ospreys to Ireland as part of a five-year plan with Norway.

The fish-eating bird of prey became extinct in Ireland more than 150 years ago, and work has been done in recent years to research how to reintroduce the bird until there is a viable breeding population in place.

In July, 12 chicks will be introduced by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), with 50-70 being brought to Ireland from Norway over a five-year period.

New nesting platforms are being built in the south-east of the country along a key migratory route for ospreys between northern Europe and Africa.

They should be in place for the first chicks arrival.

Minister of State Malcolm Noonan, who visited some of the nesting platforms, welcomed the development.

NPWS has drawn on international expertise and learning from around Europe and North America in the development of this programme, the Green Party TD said.

In particular, the project has the direct involvement of colleagues from Norway and UK, who are not only top osprey experts but who have led and supported other key species-reintroduction programmes in Europe.

The NPWS has great expertise from its introduction of the white-tailed eagle and the same, highly experienced team will now put their knowledge to good use as we embark on the reintroduction of the osprey.

The project is led by Dr Phillip Buckley and Eamonn Meskell, who also led the ongoing white-tailed eagle reintroduction programme.

Mr Meskell said: In addition to the holding pens at the release sites, artificial eyries will also be constructed in the release area.

The details of construction of holding pens and artificial nest sites, feeding and care of birds, their transport and release are based on extensive experience with other osprey reintroduction programmes and with the white-tailed eagle reintroduction programmes in Ireland over nine years.

Once the chicks arrive in Ireland well be monitoring their progress and adapting their feeding regime to build towards their eventual release over the summer.

Dr Philip Buckley said: We are extremely grateful to the authorities and colleagues in Norway for supplying the young ospreys and for their expertise which is enabling this landmark conservation programme to happen.

Likewise to the farmers and landowners involved and also to many others from Ireland, Northern Ireland, Britain, elsewhere in Europe and indeed internationally who are providing expertise or helping with this work; their help is critical and much appreciated.

Ospreys tend to live near large watercourses such as rivers, lakes or coastal areas and hunt marine and freshwater medium-sized fish.

The bird will fly above the waters surface, soaring up to 70 metres high, to find fish.

It is expected that the reintroduction of the apex predator will, over time, provide significant insights into the health of the Irish ecosystem and its waters.
The people of Northern Ireland have sent a clear message that they want powersharing back up and running, the Taoiseach has said.

Commenting after last weeks local elections in the region, Leo Varadkar told the Dail that he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would do all they could to help restore the devolved institutions in Belfast.

But the Irish premier cautioned that the power to resurrect the Stormont Assembly and Executive currently lay with the DUP.

Mr Varadkar was responding to a question from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald who had urged the Taoiseach and Mr Sunak to convene a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIC) in the wake of the council elections.

The message is clear from the people of Northern Ireland, that they want the Executive up and running, and they want the enormous problems that they face on a day to day basis dealt with by their politicians, the Taoiseach said.

The elections saw Sinn Fein emerge as the largest party in local government for the first time in Northern Ireland, replicating its result in the Assembly election last year when it became the biggest party at Stormont.

While the DUP lost its position as the largest party at council level, it consolidated its position as the main unionist party by winning the same number of seats as it secured in the last local government election in 2019.

The DUP is currently exercising a veto to block powersharing in Northern Ireland in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The party has insisted the election result has reinforced its mandate to seek further concessions from the UK government on the vexed trading dispute.

But Sinn Fein has insisted the electorate has made clear it wants a return to devolution without any further delay.

The republican party has called for Mr Sunak and Mr Varadkar to convene a meeting of the BIIC to chart a path back to powersharing.

Raising the issue in the Dail on Tuesday, Ms McDonald said: A few days ago, the north went to the polls again and delivered a seismic change in local government elections.

And the clear message is that Ireland has changed and is changing. The clearer message is that people want to see the Executive back up and running to deal with the issues that matter in health and housing, in delivering good jobs and to make politics work for everyone.

So its now critical that the British and Irish governments come together and focus the effort on the immediate restoration of the Executive and Assembly and I believe this must happen at Taoiseach and Prime Minister level.

We need to see an early meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference at this level.

Taoiseach, can I ask will you work to ensure that this happens?

Mr Varadkar said he had discussed the issue with Mr Sunak in Iceland last week and would be meeting him again at the European Political Community summit in Moldova next week.

We will be working together to do all that we can to ensure that the Assembly, the Executive, the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are back up and running again, he said.

But as you know as well as I do, the rules allow the two major parties  Sinn Fein and the DUP  to block that from happening, the DUP are currently the ones who are blocking it.

But were going to work together with the UK Government to do all that we can to have it up and running as soon as possible.
The Niger River Delta is where most of the Nigerian oil is found and extracted. Most of the rest comes from a growing number of off-shore wells. For over half a century all that oil has brought a lot of economic activity to the Delta and that was followed by lots of criminal activity, largely by locals. Dealing with crime in the Delta was a major problem and beyond what the state government could handle. The federal government sent in the armed forces and now the army and navy have substantial forces based in the Delta where they often coordinate campaigns against criminal activity. The criminal activity usually involves stolen oil, either from taps in pipelines or bulk thefts from trucks or barges transporting oil. The stolen oil is then either moved to a neighboring country for re-sale or turned into commercial fuels (usually kerosene) via crude rural refineries that produce cut-rate fuels for rural customers. These illegal refineries are easy to spot from the air and when they are located the army moved in via road or the navy via boat to shut down the refinery, The illegal refining business is so lucrative that losing several refineries every month or so is an affordable cost for a full time refining operation. The refinery personnel usually escape when the army gets the refinery equipment and builds another refinery. The outlaws are armed, although they rarely fight back against the military raids. Rival gangsters or troublesome civilians are another matter. The military raids in the Delta collect lots of stolen weapons and munitions. A lot of this weaponry originally belonged to the military but was either captured during fighting or sold by military personnel. Occasionally the serial numbers of recovered weapons are traceable to police or military units that reported them lost or stolen. Other weapons and explosives are obviously of foreign origin and imported by arms smugglers and traders who see Nigeria as an active and lucrative market. Gangsters, tribal militias and Islamic terrorist groups from the north or central Nigeria often go to the Delta to buy weapons. When the army captures Boko Haram or ISWAP Islamic terrorists in the north they are often armed with weapons from the Delta dealers.

Neighboring countries, especially nearby Cameroon, complain of fighting local rebels and separatists armed with weapons from the infamous Delta arms dealers. In remote areas of northern Cameroon, where Boko Haram groups cross the border to raid in Cameroon or establish camps safe from the Nigerian military, the Nigerian outlaws are often using weapons obtained from the Delta dealers. Cameroon soldiers and police often find themselves facing superior firepower used by the Nigerian outlaws.

May 22, 2023: In the separatist southeast, some locals are celebrating Biafra Day which does not celebrate the failed Biafran civil war in the 1960s but rather the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of a new Biafra independence movement. The major pro-Biafra organization IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra) was responsible for local efforts to prevent people from voting in the 2023 national elections. The army and the federal government sought to block these IPOB efforts. In Imo and surrounding states there is an increased army presence because of renewed demands for an independent state of Biafra, dominated by Igbos and consisting of the southeastern states of Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Imo and Abia. Local politicians advised the federal government to keep the army out of this and that the best, and most possible, solution to the Biafra/Igbo separatist movement threat was to offer some autonomy instead. The Biafra (separatist) movement was revived in 2015 and at first the government ordered police to crack down. By 2016 nearly 200 Igbo had been killed by police attacks on demonstrators and anyone suspected of separatist activity. The violent response was obviously making it worse and after 2018 a gentler approach was tried.

The pro-Biafran separatists have been around and increasingly active since the 1990s. Back in the 1960s the Igbo (or Ibo) people of southeastern Nigeria attempted to establish a separate Igbo state called Biafra. A brutal civil war followed before that rebellion was crushed. Separatist attitudes were silenced but not extinguished. Pro-Biafra groups began to appear again in the late 1990s, trying to revive the separatist movement. Since then, over a thousand separatists have been killed, and many more imprisoned, while the government continues to insist that Biafra is gone forever. But as details of the extent of government corruption during the last few decades came out, Biafra again seemed like something worth fighting for. Senior government officials, including outgoing president Buhari, paid attention, and sought to work out a compromise with the Igbos. The Fulani living in the southeast are less amenable to any compromise, especially since the Fulani are Moslem and consider themselves defenders of Islam against non-believers like the Christian Igbo.

In response to the threats of violence, IPOB took the lead in protecting Igbo from anti-Biafra violence. In areas where peaceful defense measures did not work, IPOB formed an armed security component, the ESN (Eastern Security Network), to defend Igbos in Imo State from Fulani and government violence. The government has responded by sending a battalion of infantry to an area thought to be a base for ESN members. This was unpopular with the locals as Nigerian soldiers are notorious for their violent behavior. These troops had been ordered to behave but that proved difficult for them to do so in the face of Igbo contempt and hostility.

Many Igbo politicians urge IPOB to become more political than militant to achieve their goals. The Igbo, because of their higher education levels and entrepreneurial skills are a growing presence in the national economy and senior civil service. Many prominent Igbo saw the possibility of an Igbo president of Nigeria because there was an Igbo politician running in the next presidential election in February 2023. That did not happen even though many Igbo backed this because they believed it would do more for the Igbo than another war for an independent Biafra. Not all Biafrans agree with that assessment, but most see a Biafran president of Nigeria as a good thing. The 2023 election has a religious aspect to it because one of the leading candidates is Moslem and selected another Moslem to run for vice-president. For decades the Nigerians custom was to always have a Moslem president elected with a Christian vice president and vice versa.

May 21, 2023: In central Nigeria (Benue State) about fifty Fulani tribesmen raided a rural village, killed over 40 villagers, looted the place and set fire to most of the buildings. Four soldiers responded to a call from a villager for help. The soldiers didnt know how many Fulani were involved. The soldiers were killed soon after they arrived. The Benue State Emergency Management Agency reported that over 5,200 Benue residents have been killed by armed Fulani men from nomadic herding tribes since 2015. This violence also created over two million internal refugees. The Federal government was accused of ignoring the situation and not taking action after repeated requests.

May 19, 2023: The two American Consulate officials kidnapped in the southeast (Anambra state) on the 16th were located and rescued by police less than three days later. Thousands of Nigerians are kidnapped each year, most for ransom while some are taken to be exchanged for something other than cash. Nearly a hundred Nigerians a week are taken by criminal gangs, terrorists or personal enemies. The police are not called in unless the victim gets a lot of media attention.

May 17, 2023: In central Nigeria (Plateau state) during the last two days, over a hundred people, most of them women and children, have been killed by raiders attacking rural towns and villages seeking loot. Such violence has been going on for over a decade. In the beginning the attacks were carried out by tribal militias (Moslem Fulani herders and local non-Fulani Moslem and Christian farmers) because of disputes over land use (access to water and grazing territory). This eventually evolved into raiding by criminal gangs. Similar raids in the last few months have left over 200 dead. Local and federal security forces have been unable to track down and identify the attackers. Similar attacks have taken place in nearby Nasarawa State, where the attackers were identified as armed (with rifles) Fulani tribesmen who regularly attacked Moslem Hausa or Christian villages.

May 16, 2023: In the southeast (Anambra state) members of ESN, an Igbo (Biafra) separatist militia, ambushed a convoy carrying members of the American Lagos consulate who were evaluating recent erosion damage to local communities. They were traveling vehicles marked as belonging to the United Nations (UNICEF), which has been active in providing help to victims of local violence or natural disasters. Three of the consulate officials were killed along with four members of their police escort. Two of the consulate officials were missing and presumed kidnapped. Nigerian police, soldiers and naval personnel began checking known or suspected locations of ESN camps seeking the kidnapped men or information on who carried out the attack and where the missing officials were.

May 14, 2023: In the northeast (Borno State) soldiers found a hidden arms cache belonging to ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) Islamic terrorists. The cache contained several rifles, RPG launchers, ammunition and various explosive devices used to make roadside bombs. One Islamic terrorist was spotted and killed as the troops were removing the weapons and explosives.

May 8, 2023: Six merchant sailors kidnapped from a tanker in March were found and rescued by Nigerian security forces today from a kidnapper hideout somewhere in the Niger River Delta. This is a popular place for pirates to hold crew members that have been kidnapped from tankers and freighters anchored offshore in the Gulf of Guinea wanting for a berth to open in a nearby port. Sometimes a ship is taken to another location to be looted, but most of the time the pirates just kidnap members of the crew and hold them for ransom. There is now an international coalition providing safe passage routes and safe anchorage zones for ships to use. This is often inconvenient for some ships so there is always fresh prey for pirates.

April 24, 2023: In the northeast (Borno State) soldiers, assisted by local CJTF (Civilian JTF, or Joint Task Force, after the military organization of the same name) as guides located and raided a dozen Boko Haram camps in the Sambisa Forest over the last few days. The troops killed or captured at least 35 Boko Haram members, including a commander. The Sambisa Forest is a large (60,000 square kilometers), hilly, sparsely populated area where the borders of Borno, Yobe and Adamwa states meet. It has long been a hideout for Boko Haram and outlaws of all sorts. There is no cell phone service in most of the forest and only in a few villages on the edges of the Sambisa. Some Boko Haram bases in the forest have one or two satellite phones of captured army radios, which can at least provide some warning of an army attack if the troops are sloppy about how they use their radios.
EVEN though Ballycotton Island is a near neighbour from where I live in Garryvoe, Id never set foot on it.

Thats until Ballycotton Sea Adventures launched its 2023 summer season with a tour, including a climb to the very top of the historical lighthouse itself, which has been operating since 1851. The last lighthouse keeper left the island in the early 1990s.

Setting off on a fine afternoon with an enthusiastic crew on board, the 15 minute boat journey from the pier in Ballycotton was delightful - the deep blue sea was calm, only swelling in a see-saw motion halfway out.

As the island loomed closer, we saw Garryvoe Hotel getting smaller in the distance and the island itself getting larger.

Eddie Fitzgerald, tour guide & former lighthouse keeper, Ballycotton Sea Adventures. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM PHOTO

Eddie Fitzgerald, who used to call the lighthouse home when he was a lighthouse keeper, may be 79 now, but he is as sprightly as ever as he alights from the boat and leads his crew on their merry way from the landing spot to the lighthouse.

Eddie, ever knowledgeable, stops at various vantage points along the green mossy way to tell us about the history of the iconic lighthouse. The resident goats and noisy seagulls are unperturbed about their territory being invaded.

Ballycotton island has two landings, known as the East and West landings. The East one is the most used but in the event of severe easterly winds, the keepers could be brought on and off at the west landing.

Eddie is accompanied by numerous other guides, who all love their work. Polish native, Iwona Zulawinskas boat was floated when she landed in Ballycotton from Krakow.

I found my joy in Ballycotton, says Iwona, who conducts Ballycotton Island tours in Polish and in English.

Two years ago, I decided to change my life. I thought about moving to the UK, but my brother and sister are here, so Cork was to be my destination.

How did Iwona land her dream job?

I came to Ballycotton visiting a friend and we did the cliff walk, says Iwona.

On the walk I saw Sea Church and told them I had just arrived, and I asked were there any jobs going at the restaurant and concert venue? I left my CV at Sea Church.

I got a reply back two days later to say there were no jobs available, but that Ballycotton Sea Adventures were looking for someone to organise tours. I thought; Oh My God, that is something Id like to do.

Tour Guides and Visitors pictured on a tour of Ballycotton Lighthouse with Ballycotton Sea Adventures. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM PHOTO

Iwona had already found her sea-legs.

When I was younger, I was in a sailing club from the age of 13 to 18, and I took part in competitions. I love the ocean. The first year here, I was organising schedules and selling tickets. Then I learned the history of the island and I became a tour guide.

It was the best decision ever!

I love the island, the lighthouse and the people. I am totally fascinated by everything! I promote Polish tours as there are a lot of Polish people in the area. For instance, a family has booked a whole boat next weekend for a communion.

Iwona is a sea-faring woman.

I wake up in the morning and I think, how many tours today? I could keep going for 24 hours! I am so happy to have found this job.

Eddie is happy to continue the tour, stopping to show us a well weathered map, speckled with red dots that show markings where a vessel was wrecked over the years, documenting the importance of the lighthouses role, and whilst we take in the massive views from all angles; he relates that for almost 50 years, the lightkeepers and their families lived permanently on the island. During that time the children would be rowed across to Ballycotton village to go to school. A keeper would be posted to Ballycotton for three to four years on average before being moved on. In 1899, the families were moved off the island to houses in the centre of Ballycotton village that the lighthouse authorities rented for them. From then on until the 1970s the keepers and their families became an integral part of village life. The last lightkeepers left the island in 1992 and since then the light has been monitored remotely from Irish Lights HQ in Dun Laoghaire.

Ballycotton Sea Adventures Tour Guides: Claire Whelan, John Archer, and Eddie Fitzgerald (also a former Lighthouse Keeper). Picture: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM PHOTO

During our tour, we explore the two keepers cottages and extensive boundary walls - and marvel about the structure before we climb the spiral staircase to the top of Ballycotton Lighhouse, designed by prominent engineer and lighthouse builder, George Halpin. Atop the lighthouse is akin to being on top of the world with the ocean swirling below.

The lighthouse was built following decades of campaigning from the mid-1820s to construct a lighthouse that would help keep ships safe as they travelled between Cork and Youghal. In the distance, we can see stunning wildlife with a variety of plants, birds and rocks - the large number of goats basked in the carpet-soft hillocks happy as the day was long.

Stefan and Kerstin Schaefer, originally from Germany and who lived in New Jersey for 23 years, thoroughly enjoyed the tour.

We saw pictures of Ballycotton Island when we were looking for accommodation here; the island and surrounds are so beautiful; we decided to set up home here in east Cork. The island intrigued us from the first moment, says Stefan.

Amazing views can be enjoyed from the top of the lighthouse tower, pictured on a tour of Ballycotton Lighthouse with Ballycotton Sea Adventures.

The Ballycotton Sea Adventure tour is a great day out. I love the guides who were so interesting history-wise. The guides are the soul of the operation. The lighthouse was great and the guides really bring it back to life. The entire group of people were so much fun.

The exertion was fun too.

The walkway is 260 metres, says Stefan. The elevation is 50-60 metres, which is 23% of an incline. It is very steep.

Kerstin was fascinated by the goats, the sea-gulls, and the lush vegetation on the island.

The soft pillow of grass was surprising, says Kerstin.

Eddie Fitzgerald with a group of visitors on a tour of Ballycotton Lighthouse with Ballycotton Sea Adventures. Picture: Michael O'Sullivan /OSM PHOTO

I love boats, I grew up on the Northern sea- board. The views from the island are amazing - we were so lucky with the weather. The fog descended later on.

Descending from the boat back at the pier, we were given picnic bags courtesy of Sea Church - we retired to the hostelry for tea and coffee and a chat about the wonderful afternoon provided by the Ballycotton Sea Adventure tour guides.

We all decided we must look further into the maritime treasures of Ballycotton!

Ballycotton Sea Adventures also provide other coastal experiences such as fishing trips off the bay and private charters off the coast of East Cork that includes whale and dolphin watching.

Its one of many tourist attractions in the picturesque village of Ballycotton, which is also home to the Michelin Guide listed restaurant and guesthouse, Cush, and the stunning Sea Church, a restored church which provides casual dining and an event space all year round, and is home to the Ballycotton Sessions which has aired for two seasons on RTE.

A Tour Group pictured returning to the mainland after a tour of Ballycotton Lighthouse with Ballycotton Sea Adventures.

The Ballycotton Lighthouse Tour is suitable for those age three and over. The whole trip takes about 90 minutes and costs 27 per person, (16 age three to 11 years), with family tickets for 80. Children must be accompanied by an adult and bookings can be made on https://ballycottonseaadventures.com/
AN exhibition of fashion- inspired bespoke pieces that reflect street style, clothing and urban life is on display in the city centre this month.

Lookbook opened in Greenwich Cafe in Caroline Street, is by artist Jenny Monks, a design teacher working for the CETB, at Tramore Road Campus, Cork College of Further Education, for over 20 years.

Jenny, who lives in Rochestown, has held numerous exhibitions in gallery settings and art venues over the years, but wanted to reach a wider audience by designing work for public spaces.

I had this desire to celebrate city life by making my work more accessible, said the NCAD graduate.

A turning point came after finishing a commission for a city fashion boutique, Paperdolls, in 2017, when she launched Jenny Monks Design in 2018 with a website, branding, social media and a new direction.

That saw her get a site-specific commission for a new hair salon, Shed on French Church Street.

From this point on I blazed a trail through Cork city cafes. Exhibitions included Pocket Dreams and Runway for Pink Moon on Washington Street and Flare for Alchemy on Barrack Street last December.

Artist Jenny Monks.

Jennys inspiration comes from travel, street style, photography and fashion.

I create fabric pieces with a graphic style and pop art references. Everything that I use has been lived or experienced and has been part of everyday life  reclaimed elements from clothes, photographs and visual references from magazines, she explained.

Sourcing and collecting materials are an important part of my process. Reimagining the use of materials from small ribbons, tags and labels that I salvage from clothes and combining these with photos from places I have visited or people that I have observed.

Collaged images are constructed then by layering fabric and paper using hand or machine stitch. The tactile nature of the work is important, and the artwork is designed to draw the viewer into intricate details close-up.

As well as creating material for exhibitions, Jenny builds social media campaigns to support them.

That demands a huge amount of creative thinking and becomes part of the story for each collection. An artist must have a strong online identity to help to share their story and to promote their work.

For Lookbook, Jenny has used check, gingham, tartan, lace and vintage fabrics to celebrate designers/ icons such as the late Vivienne Westwood, ska music, punk, skateboarding and Paris.

Its is a fashion story that mixes Cali sunshine with Corks lust for life! she said.

One of Jenny's collages.

Through her work as a teacher, shes driven to promote the benefits of art for mental health, and she used art to create a safe social space for Ukrainian students at Tramore Road Campus when they arrived last September.

Initially, English language classes were offered to the group, but what began as a twice weekly English language lesson for the group, quickly evolved into an inclusive, immersive creative exchange space for all students.

Jenny and florist Michelle OKeeffe drew on their own creative practice to engage the learners and a creative exchange space developed.

The benefits of the creative workshops are plentiful, from improving speaking/ understanding English, to making new friends, honing skills and developing the confidence to express emotions, she said.

One of Jenny's collages.

For now, shes looking forward to seeing people enjoy Lookbook.

Corks cafe culture is vibrant and being part of the fabric of the city is impactful when business owners like Dermot OSullivan of Greenwich Cafe encourage art on the walls, said Jenny.

Exhibitions like this are special opportunities to share my love of textiles and stitch in the city, but more importantly they are chances to network with business owners, connect with other artists and build communities. I love to use art to bring groups together, said Jenny.

Lookbook runs for the month of May, Greenwich Cafe, 19 Caroline St (behind Brown Thomas).
A NATIVE American hailing from a reservation in Oklahoma is reaping the rewards of her generous ancestors following a donation to the people of Ireland dating all the way back to 1847.

Claire Green Young recently graduated from University College Cork (UCC) with a Masters degree in Museum Studies, thanks to the Choctaw-Ireland Scholarship.

The initiative was introduced to acknowledge the generosity and humanitarianism displayed by the Choctaw nation of Oklahoma who gifted funds to the Irish during famine times. A monument in Bailick Park, Midleton, known as the Kindred Spirits sculpture, serves as a reminder to this day of that unforgettable gesture.

The masterpiece comprises stainless steel eagle feathers arranged in a circle to resemble a bowl of food. It was created by Alex Pentek from the Sculpture Factory in Cork City.

Claire, from Wright City, Oklahoma, home of District 7 of the Choctaw nation, has now secured the prestigious role of curator at a local Choctaw Cultural Centre, thanks to her determination and UCC qualification.

My dream has been realised now which is kind of incredible, she told The Echo. I thought this was a position that I would retire into. Being as young as I am, I am lucky that the tribe and community here believes in me and the work I do enough to offer me this opportunity.

It was always my intention to come home. I was very lucky to be raised in the heart of the Choctaw nation in Oklahoma in an area where our culture is very much available and prevalent for the youth to learn and hold on to.

"There are a lot of incredible community members who really pushed me towards this trajectory that Ive found myself on. Its a really tight-knit community within the bounds of the reservation and a very special area.

She spoke about how links between the Cork and Choctaw community have only strengthened over time. The connection between Ireland and the Choctaw nation goes back to 1847 when that link was formed through the famine. Our ancestors were a little over 14 years post-removal in the 1830s when we were taken away from our homelands in Mississippi to Indian territory now known as Oklahoma.

Not so long after, our ancestors managed to get funds to send over for the Irish people. Just hearing about the famine, I think they felt a certain kind of kinship with the situation that was occurring under these dire circumstances. Thats something really special to me.

Claire highlighted the similarities between Cork and her home town.

Even through the lasting effects of colonialism, we have managed to preserve our language and pass down our cultures and our stories for future generations.

The 24-year-old graduated from UCC in a traditional Choctaw dress handmade by an elder in the community. She was so elated that I took one of her dresses to Cork, Claire beamed. The diamond pattern is very visible and represents the diamond battle snake - an animal that Choctaw people have held in close kinship for a long time and have a deep respect for. They protected our crops, which formed a big part of that connection. I was able to bring her back a UCC t-shirt in return which she was really happy with.

Claire revealed she was privileged to have had the chance to visit the Kindred Spirits sculpture.

I dont think Ive ever seen anything as beautiful as the sun hitting those feathers, she said. The artist did such a great job capturing the uniqueness of each one and the beautiful symbolism. I work with a lot of people who had the opportunity to go to Ireland and be there for the unveiling. Its something really special not a lot of people have had the chance to see and to us it was monumental."

The UCC graduate had previously studied in other parts of the US before moving to Cork. After coming from Oklahoma to New

England, I realised there were people out in the world that had never met a native American person. I didnt realise this was a novelty for some people but became well equipped to navigate the stereotypes. There are sometimes the well-intentioned people saying the wrong things or even the not so well intentioned people saying the wrong things.

However, I had a wonderful experience in Cork in terms of people being willing to listen and grow in their understanding of what it means to be a native person in the 21st century. Because of the size of Cork, I had expected people to be stand-offish. Nonetheless, everyone was so kind and friendly. It was the same kind of hospitality that I experienced in my own community.

Claire extended her gratitude to UCC for allowing her avail of the unique scholarship. McCurtain County is one of the poorest counties in Oklahoma, she explained. Its a place that not many people leave. At a younger age, I took that for granted and really wanted out. Im grateful that through leaving I saw how special what I had at home was.

Im happy to have that perspective and Its one of the greatest privileges in the world to be viewed as a role model by Choctaw people. I realise how lucky I am to have a whole tribe behind me who put me on this trajectory.
A 60-YEAR-OLD man appeared before Cork District Court yesterday charged with the distribution of child pornography.

David Boettcher, of Lower Glanmire Rd, Cork, faced two counts of distribution. Those charges relate to his home address on May 14, 2018, and June 4, 2018. Each charge refers to the allegation that he did knowingly distribute any child pornography or knowingly show it or facilitate its distribution.

Detective Garda Craig Peterson also charged Mr Boettcher with possession of child pornography. This refers to September 29, 2018, at his home when he allegedly had possession of 212 child abuse images.

Sergeant John Kelleher said the DPP had directed that the case proceed by indictment in a trial by judge and jury unless there is a plea of guilty to the charges  in which case it could be sentenced at district court level.

Judge John King directed that a copy of the prosecution evidence would be given to defence solicitor Shane Collins-Daly by June 26.

Bail conditions require the accused to sign on three times a week at Mayfield Garda Station, reside at his home and notify gardai of any change of address, provide a phone number to gardai and be contactable at all times, and surrender all travel documents and undertake not to apply for replacements.

The accused will have an opportunity next month to indicate if he wishes to plead guilty or not guilty to the charges.
CORK City Council is seeking funding from the Department of Transport for the delivery of two pedestrian crossings near primary schools in Churchfield and Grange.

The proposed crossings, one at the junction of St Colmcilles Road and Churchfield Way Lower near Scoil Padre Pio and the other near Scoil Nioclais in Grange, were two projects unsuccessful in securing funding from the Department of Transports low cost safety improvement scheme.

Six other projects the council applied for finance to carry out were successful in securing funding.

However, following a motion tabled by Sinn Fein councillors at the last full council meeting, Cork City Council is to write to the department to renew its appeal for funding and to request a timeline for progressing each of the schemes.

The need for a pedestrian crossing near Scoil Padre Pio had been highlighted by local councillors and by parents of pupils in the school, who in 2021 petitioned for the crossing to be developed.

Speaking to The Echo earlier this month, Sinn Fein council Mick Nugent said he was surprised and disappointed to learn that the crossing had not secured funding.

It went out for Section 38 planning process, which is a public consultation process.

My understanding was that it wouldnt have went out for Section 38 unless it was going to be funded.

Meanwhile his party colleague, Cork South-Central TD Donnchadh O Laoghaire expressed disappointment over the lack of funding for the crossing in Grange.

Its baffling and extremely concerning that a decision to install a pedestrian crossing on Bellevue Road, which is an extremely busy road and which school-going children and their parents must use to get to Scoil Nioclais, has been unsuccessful in securing funding from the Department of Transport, he said.

Mr O Laoghaire said that the pedestrian crossing was badly needed and called on the Department of Transport to reverse its decision.

Speaking at the council meeting earlier this month, Mr Nugent said he believed the case has been made for the need for these two pedestrian crossings and said he was seeking a swift response from the Department on the matter.
A GROUP campaigning for the reopening of Ballincollig Fire Station is planning further public demonstrations in the weeks ahead, a spokesperson has said.

A demonstration by the Ballincollig Fire Station Campaign Group saw more than 100 people gather at Ballincolligs Castlewest Plaza last Saturday afternoon, the second such recent protest to support striking Cork city firefighters.

The demonstrations were organised to highlight that Ballincollig Fire Station has been closed since November, 2021, while efforts by Cork City Council to recruit retained firefighters have proven unsuccessful.

The gatherings have demanded the immediate reinstatement of a full-time fire service for Ballincollig, and representatives from across the political spectrum have attended.

Last month, Siptu members employed as firefighters in Cork city began 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.

At the last meeting of Cork City Council, a Sinn Fein motion calling for the immediate reopening of Ballincollig Fire Station was passed unanimously.

Ballincollig residents Sinead Drew and children Cullen and Roisin with dog Storm attending the rally in support of reopening Ballincollig Fire Station, organised by Ballincollig Fire Station Campaign Group, on Saturday 2oth May 2023. Pic: Larry Cummins

The council has requested that the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) become involved, but a spokesperson for SIPTU told The Echo that the union would require sight of the proposal ... before we engage with the WRC.

Ciaran McCarthy, a spokesperson for the Ballincollig Fire Station Campaign Group, said further demonstrations would follow.

We will keep supporting our fire service, and we will keep demonstrating until such time as their reasonable concerns and needs are listened to by the executive of Cork City Council, Mr McCarthy said.

Mags McKenna, who runs the popular Ballincollig Community Hub, said the people of Ballincollig would continue to campaign for a full-time fire station and crew, and, as she put it, to support a very stretched Cork City Fire Brigade.

Caoimhe and Ciaran McCarthy with Shane O'Meara and Laura Harmon attending the rally in support of reopening Ballincollig Fire Station, organised by Ballincollig Fire Station Campaign Group, on Saturday 2oth May 2023. Pic: Larry Cummins

We feel like weve lost our identity in Ballincollig, she said. We are here to let city council know we have a voice. We need, and they need, our station open before something bad happens. We need Cork City Council to listen.
A man charged with causing criminal damage to The Shakey Bridge at the Mardyke in Cork by spray-painting it appeared before Cork District Court.

28-year-old Barry OBrien of 7 Innishannon Road, Fairhill, Cork, appeared before Judge John King.

The charges against him related to March 6, 2022 at Dalys Bridge, popularly known as The Shakey Bridge.

Sergeant John Kelleher said that at 2pm on Sunday March 6, 2022, Gard Jonathan Corcoran received a report from the area.

It was alleged that Barry OBrien was found in possession of 20 cans of spray paint and that there was a strong smell of cannabis from him at the time.

He was charged with causing criminal damage to the amount of 1,000 and possession of 240 worth of cannabis for his own use.

A copy of the prosecution evidence in the case is to be sent to defence solicitor Frank Buttimer by the next court date, July 3.

On that date it will be a matter for the defence to decide if he is pleading guilty or not guilty. If the case is to be contested it will be sent forward for trial at Cork District Court. Otherwise, penalty may be imposed on the next occasion.
Cork County Council is to write to the Housing Minister calling for the start date for the scrapping of the development levies to be backdated to the start of the calendar year.

The government announced last month a series of new measures to encourage the supply of homes, including plans to scrap development levies for 12 months to encourage building by saving an average of 12,650 per home.

The measure took effect on April 25 and the government will reimburse local authorities so that they can continue to fund public infrastructure and services that would have been carried out through the levy.

Cllr John Paul OShea, who brought forward the motion, said he has been contacted by several people who feel aggrieved that they fall outside the commencement date.

The government announced the scrapping of the charges would apply from April 25 this year to April 24, 2024, so anyone who submits a commencement notice during that time will not be liable for the development charges," he explained.

"The house must be completed by December 31, 2025. While the announcement is very welcome, I have been contacted by several people who are producing a number of homes in our constituencies, but feel aggrieved that this date has been announced.

People who started their houses in early 2023 are affected by the fact they must pay the development contribution whereas the people starting post April 25 dont have to.

"I was contacted by one individual who is building a one-off house. He paid 6,200 in development charges to the council on April 13. He also paid 2,500 to connect to water. If people thought this was coming, they wouldnt have started their houses.

I would suggest that we write to the government and ask them to reconsider that any development charges paid from January 1 this year would be reimbursed to the applicants. A lot of the people that have commenced building houses since January 1 are doing their bit to alleviate the housing crisis and make themselves a family home. Any bit of support we can give them would be very important, he added.

Fianna Fail councillor Seamus McGrath echoed the sentiments of Cllr OShea. I welcome this measure by the government," he said.

"It is clearly a stimulus measures to try and encourage building where there are valid planning permissions in place. It is an affordability and viability measure to try and bridge the gap for developments to take place. Going back to the start of the calendar year makes sense.
SHOULD a 10-year-old be allowed to drink zero alcohol beer?

A friend of mine had to have a long and tedious disagreement with her son recently about why he couldnt have a zero alcohol beer. She ended up saying Because I said so, which is never a convincing winning argument, but shes a GP, it was the end of a long day, and she couldnt get into the multitude of factors of why her child shouldnt drink zero alcohol beer.

She wasnt annoyed with her son for the pointless discussion, she was most annoyed with the big alcohol brands that are relentlessly promoting their zero alcohol versions in all the places where full fat alcohol advertising has been restricted.

The reason her son wanted to try this beer is because he has been subjected to lots of unwanted advertising for zero alcohol beer - on the telly during sports matches, displayed at entryways of shops and on the side of buses.

She believes if there wasnt superfluous advertising of the zero alcohol version, the topic wouldnt have even come up for discussion.

The invention of palatable zero alcohol drinks is most welcome. I am a fan myself. If I fancy a cool beer on a hot day without any of the fuzzy headed after effects, I know exactly where to go to buy one.

Considering zero alcohol beers represent just 1.5% of the drinks market, manufacturers are certainly spending a lot of money marketing that tiny part of their business.

Or, excuse my cynicism, is the blanket promotion of zero alcohol beer a handy way to work around the restrictions of alcohol advertising and still get brand awareness into the consciousness of consumers?

Ireland has been making concerted efforts to reduce alcohol consumption. Back in 2018, the government passed the Public Health (Alcohol) Act with the aim to reduce alcohol consumption to 9.1 litres of pure alcohol per person per annum by 2020, delay the initiation of alcohol consumption by children and young people, and reduce the harms caused by the misuse of alcohol.

Reducing harm from alcohol is necessary because 2,700 deaths in Ireland are directly attributable to alcohol each year - equivalent of seven deaths per day; alcohol is a contributory factor in half of all suicides and in deliberate self-harm.

Everyone knows the cost of alcohol to our already overstretched health system, alcohol-related discharges from hospitals cost 1.5 billion in 2012, alcohol is a contributing factor to 200 diseases, one in eight breast cancers are attributable to alcohol; and young adult men are presenting with cirrhosis in their twenties.

So, how much do you drink? Are you a glass of wine with dinner , a beer or two after work on Friday night , or a I lost count after I finished the first slab type of drinker?

Personally, nowadays Im a cant have more than two glasses of wine or else I lose sensation in my teeth type of drinker.

In 2019, the Health Research Board found on average every person in Ireland aged 15 and over drank 10.8 litres of pure alcohol a year - the equivalent of either 40 bottles of vodka, 113 bottles of wine or 436 pints of beer. Given 25% of people in Ireland dont drink at all, actual consumption rates among those who do drink would be much higher than this.

According to the latest Healthy Ireland survey, 22% of the population (aged 15+) are categorised as binge drinkers. A small amount of the population are doing most of the drinking and exposing themselves, and others, to all the harms that excessive drinking brings.

All these facts underline why less alcohol advertising is necessary and why more zero alcohol advertising, which uses the same logo and branding as the parent alcohol product, makes a mockery of legislative efforts to protect public health.

Big alcohol brands are complying with the new laws and still managing to get their brands everywhere. They are following the letter of the law but, pardon the pun, not the spirit of the laws.

The charity, Alcohol Action Ireland, has been challenging these marketing trends, saying these zero alcohol ads are everywhere that regular alcohol ads cant be - on billboards, on public transport and on TV, especially during sporting events.

At the moment, there is a kerfuffle about health warnings on alcoholic beverages playing out between the government and the drinks industry, with big alcohol brands resisting measures that might lead to barriers to trade and reduce profits.

Sounds like the classic tactics, delay, dilute, derail, by the tobacco industry to resist health warnings on cigarette boxes and the smoking ban back in 2004.

Some 18% of the population still smoke, but imagine how weird it would be to see tobacco advertising now. A world without alcohol advertising will be just fine.

The drinks industry argues that it is offering the consumer choice, says Drink Responsibly, warns against the nanny state (as if being protected by a maternal caregiver is a bad thing!), proffers the overused term personal responsibility, and maybe even suggests parents need to educate their children on the differences between 0% and 5% beer. Parents have enough to do!

Heres an idea - turn off the tap of marketing that floods societies with messages to consume a product that causes three million deaths every year worldwide. And save us from draining conversations with children about why they cant drink zero alcohol beer.
David Young, PA

The people of Northern Ireland have sent a clear message that they want power-sharing back up and running, the Taoiseach has said.

Commenting after last weeks local elections in the region, Leo Varadkar told the Dail that he and British prime minister Rishi Sunak would do all they could to help restore the devolved institutions in Belfast.

But he cautioned that the power to resurrect the Stormont Assembly and Executive currently lay with the DUP.

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald urged the Taoiseach to call a summit meeting to discuss the powersharing impasse (Mark Marlow/PA)

Mr Varadkar was responding to a question from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald who had urged the Taoiseach and Mr Sunak to convene a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIC) in the wake of the council elections.

The message is clear from the people of Northern Ireland, that they want the Executive up and running, and they want the enormous problems that they face on a day-to-day basis dealt with by their politicians, Mr Varadkar said.

The elections saw Sinn Fein emerge as the largest party in local government for the first time in Northern Ireland, replicating its result in the Assembly election last year when it became the biggest party at Stormont.

While the DUP lost its position as the largest party at council level, it consolidated its position as the main unionist party by winning the same number of seats as it secured in the last local government election in 2019.

Sinn Fein called on British prime minister Rishi Sunak, pictured, and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to convene a meeting of the BIIC to chart a path back to powersharing (Ben Stansall/PA)

The DUP is currently exercising a veto to block powersharing in Northern Ireland in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The party has insisted the election result has reinforced its mandate to seek further concessions from the UK government on the vexed trading dispute.

But Sinn Fein has insisted the electorate has made clear it wants a return to devolution without any further delay.

The party has called for Mr Sunak and Mr Varadkar to convene a meeting of the BIIC to chart a path back to powersharing.

Raising the issue in the Dail on Tuesday, Ms McDonald said: A few days ago, the north went to the polls again and delivered a seismic change in local government elections.

And the clear message is that Ireland has changed and is changing. The clearer message is that people want to see the Executive back up and running to deal with the issues that matter in health and housing, in delivering good jobs and to make politics work for everyone.

So its now critical that the British and Irish governments come together and focus the effort on the immediate restoration of the Executive and Assembly and I believe this must happen at Taoiseach and prime minister level.

We need to see an early meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference at this level.

Taoiseach, can I ask will you work to ensure that this happens?

Mr Varadkar said he had discussed the issue with Mr Sunak in Iceland last week and would be meeting him again at the European Political Community summit in Moldova next week.

We will be working together to do all that we can to ensure that the Assembly, the Executive, the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are back up and running again, he said.

But as you know as well as I do, the rules allow the two major parties  Sinn Fein and the DUP  to block that from happening, the DUP are currently the ones who are blocking it.

But were going to work together with the UK government to do all that we can to have it up and running as soon as possible.




Brazil overtakes US as China's largest soybean supplier in April

China's imports of soybeans from Brazil exceeded shipments from the US last month due to seasonal factors, YiCai Global reported.

According to data from China's General Administration of Customs, China imported US$3.4 billion worth of soybeans from Brazil in April, compared to US$1.2 billion from the US. In the first three months of the year, the US was China's primary source of soybeans.

As the world's largest soybean importer, China consumed 107.2 million tonnes of soybeans between October 2021 and September 2022, with imports surpassing 90.2 million tonnes. This figure is expected to increase to 116.6 million tonnes between October 2022 and September 2023, with imports projected to reach 98 million tonnes.

The fluctuation in American and Brazilian soybean exports to China is heavily influenced by seasonal patterns. Chen Qiang, an agricultural analyst at Mailyard Futures, explained that the US, located in the northern hemisphere, typically plants soybeans from April to June and harvests them from September to November. Consequently, exports are concentrated between September and December.

Brazil, situated in the southern hemisphere, plants soybeans from October to December and harvests from March to May, with the majority of exports occurring between March and June.

Due to a record-breaking harvest in Brazil this year, the country is likely to remain China's primary source in July and August as well, Chen said.

Brazil surpassed the US as China's top source of imported soybeans in 2013 and has held this position ever since. Data from the General Administration of Customs showed that China imported over US$19.1 billion worth of soybeans from the US and US$37.3 billion from Brazil last year.

- YiCiai Global




Australia sees 20% drop in cattle prices

Australia's cattle prices have dropped 20% this year from herd restocking, but analysts are still bullish on the outlook and predict a return of more stable market conditions that will benefit exports.

The industry benchmark, the eastern young cattle indicator (EYCI), has skidded to $6.1 per kilogramme. That has almost halved from the peak in 2022 when supply could not keep up with global demand and made Australia's cattle prices among the world's most expensive.

Since then, Australia has rebuilt its cattle herd thanks to heavy rainfalls from weather phenomenon La Nina which helped replenish grass and grain.

Australia's national cattle is expected to reach 29 million, the largest herd since the late 1970s.

Industry trade body Meat & Livestock Australia estimated the national cattle to expand to around 29 million this year, the largest herd since the late 1970s, reflecting the most intense rebuilding period in nearly 50 years.

Rabobank senior animal protein analyst Angus Gidley-Baird projected prices to be more normal in 2023 after dramatic fluctuations over the past three years as Australia recovered from one of the worst draughts in its history.

"Cattle prices have returned to more average levels, making Australian beef competitive again and creating a more sustainable market for everyone in the supply chain," Gidley-Baird said.

Earlier this month, high prices for Australian cattle prompted major trading partner Indonesia to look for alternative supplies and Brazil, the largest exporter of beef worldwide, promised to supply cattle for less.

Rabobank predicted the EYCI to stabilise between $7 and $8 per kilogramme in 2023.

"If this range is maintained, the average EYCI for 2023 will be 30% below the 2022 average," Gidley-Baird added, noting that prices would still be historically elevated.

Rabobank is bullish on the outlook, predicting beef producer margins to stay strong in 2023 and 2024. It also expects to see a 10% rise in Australian beef exports.

- Financial Review
MBABANE - Get a sneak peek reviews of limited edition of this yearsMTN Bushfire merchandise.

Eswatinis fashion industry is ready to not just dip its toes but fully plunge into the worlds fashion scene. The fashion scene has evolved significantly over the last years and seen many of Eswatinis fashion design talent already participating on the international stage showcasing their creativity and designs and being applauded by fashion lovers worldwide, the fashion industry is ripe to reach its full potential. However, a lack of internal patronage stands in the way. A partnership between Dala Spaces and MTN Bushfire seeks to turn the tide and catapult local fashion further into the international stage. Through the Wildfire Fashion Show held at Malandelas last week Friday, locals were inspired to invest in local fashion by shopping authentic Swati designs for their MTN Bushfire Festival wardrobe as well as ensure that local designers build their brands for international success in order to raise investor capital.

Collections

Featuring brand new fashion collections from six top local fashion houses namely; Maverikz, House of Diva, Sgonian Rebublik, Nomi Studios, Monte Couture and Ntrentre Couture, the event was a resounding success as the audience appreciated every piece showcased on the ramp. Dala Spaces Philippa Thorne explained that the long-term vision is to garner support for designers and funding in order to have more capital to produce collections as well as create opportunities for them to showcase at more festivals and events this year and potentially in other international spaces. Unafraid to experiment with patterns and colours, the local designers made bold fashion statements in the latest collections. Monte Couture by designer Mbali Shongwe showcased exquisite pieces inspired by deep Swati roots through the use of texture, colour and unique details to create new, high end, fashionable couture. House of Diva, on the other hand, by Phiwase Nxumalo - a veteran in African print couture needs no introduction consisting of timeless, elegant, ready to wear pieces designed for the curves and edges of the African woman and her love for style and grace.

Impact

For the love of sustainable fashion for those passionate about reducing your environmental impact, but still want to look fabulous, Maverikz curated 70s Studio 54 inspired limited edition collection of second hand clothing readily available to order in store at Dala Spaces is the brand for you.Thorne also pointed out that the support of local fashion brands such as Maverikz is a positive action towards sustainability and equality. The audience was also given a sneak peek at some of the 2023 limited edition MTN Bushfire Merchandise as well as menswear by local brand Sgonian Republik. Thereafter, a sultry collection from Nomi Studios synonymous for her lounge wear which is all about flowing silhouettes, comfort and style was showcased. Wrapping up an exciting display of authentic Swazi designs was Ntrentre Couture by Nobesuthu Nkambule presenting the Powder Puff Autumn/ Winter 23 ready to wear fashion forward and innovative local brand that effortlessly brings the international fashion scene home to eSwatini whilst keeping fashion fun, exciting and sizzling hot.




Malaysia reportedly planning to get Russian grain

Malaysia plans to buy Russian grain for producing animal feed, Sputnik reported.

The news agency claimed Malaysian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu as commending Russian grain as "among the best quality."

"Therefore, Malaysia is considering Russian grain as one of its potential resources for animal feed that help to stabilise the affordability of the poultry supply in the country," Sabu told Sputnik. "Malaysia is searching for higher quality animal feed with better prices. This understanding could benefit both countries."

Sabu added that the Malaysia may also supply Russia with aquaculture products. He also invited Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev to the country to sign a memorandum of understanding, which "might lead to a plausible FTA (free trade agreement) in the future."

Patrushev said Russia is eager to increase food supplies to Malaysia. He specified that there is a great potential in exports of sunflower and soybean oils, wheat, peas, poultry, beef, dairy products and fish.

Russia-Malaysia trade in agricultural goods grew by 18 in 2022, the Russian Agriculture Ministry said, adding that the positive growth is also evident this year.

- Malay Mail




Colombia granted approval to export beef, pork by-products to Brazil

Colombia has been granted approval to export bovine, caprine, sheep, and pork by-products to Brazil, The Pig Site reported.

This development comes as a result of collaborative efforts between the Colombia's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA), the National Institute of Drug and Food Surveillance (INVIMA), and the livestock industry.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of Brazil (MAPA) has confirmed the approval after reviewing the proposal of the health certificate submitted by Colombia. Brazilian regulations require that shipments of animal products must be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the health authorities of the exporting country. The animal products must originate from animals that were born and raised in a country free from rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease.

Juan Fernando Roa, the general manager of ICA, said the opening of the Brazilian market for the export of bovine, goat, sheep, and pig by-products marks the tenth accomplishment this year, adding that they will continue their efforts to ensure that more countries can enjoy products with excellent sanitary and phytosanitary conditions.

The Ministry of Commerce of Colombia reports that the export of agricultural products to Brazil exceeded US$1 million in 2022. This latest development in the export sector further strengthens the trade relationship between Colombia and Brazil, opening up new opportunities for the Colombian agricultural industry and boosting economic growth in the country.

- The Pig Site
Binance reportedly mixed customer funds with company revenue at a US bank The cryptocurrency exchange has denied commingling funds, which would violate US financial rules.

Cryptocurrency exchange Binance reportedly mixed its revenue with customer funds at a US bank in 2020 and 2021. A source said to have direct knowledge of company finances told Reuters that commingling happened almost daily in Binance accounts at Silvergate Bank and concerned sums that ran into the billions.

The news agency said it reviewed records showing that, in February 2021, Binance mixed $20 million from a corporate account with $15 million from one into which customer funds were placed. Reuters noted that it found no evidence of client funds being stolen or lost. Still, under US financial regulations, customer money must be kept separate from business revenue.

Binance has denied commingling customer funds and its revenue. These accounts were not used to accept user deposits; they were used to facilitate user purchases of cryptocurrencies, Binance spokesperson Brad Jaffe told Reuters. There was no commingling at any time because these are 100 percent corporate funds. Jaffe added that users weren't depositing funds when they sent money to the account, but instead were purchasing BUSD, a stablecoin issued by Binance and Paxos that's pegged to the US dollar.

However, in late 2020 and during 2021, Binance's website is said to have stated that customer dollar transfers were "deposits" that were credited to trading accounts in BUSD. The site also reportedly informed users that they'd be able to "withdraw" deposits in USD. Former US regulators suggested to Reuters that the language "created the expectation that clients funds would be safeguarded in the same way as traditional cash deposits."

Binance is already in hot water with US authorities. In March, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission accused the company of operating in the US illegally and said it had broken several financial laws. In its complaint (PDF), the CFTC said Binance had "commingled funds." The agency is seeking permanent trading and registration bans against the defendants, who include Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao. In a blog post, Zhao claimed that Binance blocks US users on several bases, including nationality, IP address (including common VPN access points) and mobile carrier.

Earlier this month, reports suggested the Justice Department was investigating the company over potential violations of sanctions imposed on Russia. Binance also recently said it would exit Canada due to tighter cryptocurrency regulations.

If the prospect of a cryptocurrency exchange mixing customer and company funds sounds familiar, that's because it's one of the many crimes US authorities have accused FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried of. Bankman-Fried has claimed he didn't knowingly commingle funds and has pleaded not guilty to fraud charges. On Tuesday, it emerged that federal prosecutors have accumulated over 6 million pages of evidence (including emails and Slack messages) as part of their criminal case against Bankman-Fried.

FTXs collapse late last year was triggered by a bank run on the company that Binance initiated. Binance planned to snap up FTX but pulled out of the deal after taking a look at the latters books.

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MBABANE  Government has promised to speed up the process of issuing consent letters and other supporting documents for civil servants interested in contesting in the elections.

This was said by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairman Simanga Mamba, after registering for the elections. The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) was registering civil servants at the Ministry of Public Service premises yesterday. Mamba said as the CSC, they were encouraging civil servants to participate in the elections by voting as well as contesting. He said this year they would find ways to quickly process documents for the civil servants who would like to participate in the elections. Mamba then reminded civil servants to remain politically neutral. He said civil servants were reminded that they should provide government services to the public impartially. He said they should also remember that they were serving the government of the day. Efficiency of the government service delivery relies on the civil servants, he said. He said civil servants played a crucial role in the formation and running of government and that was evident by that most politicians were former civil servants.

efficiency

The chairman also lauded the EBC for the seamless registration process and its efficiency. He encouraged the EBC to continue executing the national duty effectively until the end.

When sought for comment, EBC Communications Officers Mbonisi Bhembe said they would appreciate the speed in the issuance of consent letters and other documents for civil servants aspiring to venture into politics. Bhembe said these documents were required from a civil servant to be fully considered as a nominee. Meanwhile, the Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Public Service, Sipho Tsabedze, appreciated EBC for bringing the registration services closer to the civil servants. He encouraged the civil servants to register as it was their right to choose and influence their own government. He urged the civil servants to take advantage of the opportunity given to them by registering early and not waiting until the last minute, to avoid the long queues. He encouraged EBC to avail itself in places where there were many people.

Mamba and Tsabedze were joined by other civil servants, who took the opportunity and registered for the elections at the Ministry of Public Service boardroom. It is also worth noting that last week there was a registration at the Cabinet Offices, rendered by EBC to the cabinet ministers. Ministers who registered on the day included the Minister of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), Princess Sikhanyiso, Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo and the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Prince Simelane. Prince Simelane encouraged emaSwati to be careful not to vote for terrorists that would turn against the government inside the august House.
Dyson says its 360 Vis Nav has 'twice the suction' of any other robot vacuum It has a pop-out arm that gets dirt against walls.

Dyson's first robot vacuum, the 360 Eye, was not a great success in the US as it was quickly pulled from the market shortly after it went on sale. Now, the UK company is trying again with the 360 Vis Nav robovac, which just launched in Australia and is expected to come to the US later this year. While it lacks features like self-emptying, Dyson is promising "twice the suction" of any other robot vacuum, a new vision/navigation system and more.

The motor speed has increased from 78,000 RPM on the last model to 110,000, which supposedly delivers six times the suction of other robot vacuums. It also offers a "triple-action" brush bar that allows for optimal cleaning on different surfaces. Namely, it uses soft nylon for hard floors, anti-static carbon fiber filaments for fine dust, and stiff nylon bristles for carpet.

The 360 Vis Nav has a top-mounted fish-eye lens and looks for recognizable landmarks to navigate its way around using SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) tech. It promises better low-light performance than the last model by using eight LEDs around the lens to better spot landmarks, particularly in dark locations like underneath your couch. It also uses 26 sensors to detect obstacles so it won't get stuck in tight spots like under a chair.

Dyson

Perhaps the niftiest feature is an arm that pops out when the 360 Vis Nav is cleaning against a wall. It gets right to the edge and redirects suction, picking up dirt that eludes most robovacs and ensuring you don't need to finish the job with a hand vacuum.

With all that suction power comes a bit less battery life than other models, however. It can clean for 50 minutes before automatically going back to the dock to charge, but it does pick up right where it left off when charging finishes. You can schedule and monitor cleaning using Dyson's app, and it will clean more efficiently over time as it creates dust maps of your home.

There's no word on pricing or US availability yet, but the 360 Vis Nav just launched in Australia for $AUD 2,399 (about $1,590), considerably more than the 360 Eye was at launch.

Dyson

Along with the 360 Vis Nav, Dyson launched the latest versions of its famous cordless vacuums, the Gen5detect and Gen5outsize. Using the fifth generation of Dyson's Hyperdymium motors, they're "smaller, faster and more powerful" than past models and even capable of "capturing viruses from your home," Dyson promised.

Dyson

Meanwhile, the Dyson Submarine is the company's first ever wet vacuum cleaner. It has a wet roller head that attaches to the new V15s Detect Submarine and V12s Slim submarine vacuums (but not any older models). It can not only remove dust and stains from hard floors, but even handle spills like ketchup. Finally, Dyson has introduced the Big+quiet Formaldehyde, a new air purifier designed for large homes. It can purify air over a 32 foot range, removing pollutants (including formaldehyde, of course), dust and more. Again, there's no word yet on US pricing or availability.

Dyson

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To say that I loved NVIDIA's RTX 3060 Ti is an understatement. It was the ideal balance of price and performance  something that became even more true when GPU prices fell back down to Earth. With NVIDIA's RTX 40-series cards skyrocketing to pricey new heights, I began to worry that the company was drifting away from affordable GPUs. Well, worry not. The $399 RTX 4060 Ti proves that NVIDIA can still deliver plenty of value under $500.

To be clear, it's not the dramatic leap forward that the 3060 Ti was (and if you have one of those cards, just sit tight for now!). But if you're still running an RTX 2060 GPU, or something older, the 4060 will be a worthwhile upgrade. It excels at gaming in 1080p with ray tracing at high framerates, and it can also handle 1,440p decently in less demanding games.

NVIDIA NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti SCORE 84 Engadget 84 Critics - Not yet scored N/A Users - Not yet scored N/A Pros The most affordable 40-series GPU yet

Excellent 1080p performance

Far better ray tracing than the 3060 Ti

DLSS 3 offers a nice fps boost Cons 1440p performance limited with ray tracing

We reviewed the 8GB 4060 Ti, but there's also a model with 16GB of VRAM coming in July for $499. And if you're looking for the cheapest option, there's also a $299 plain 4060 on the horizon too. Judging from the current Steam stats, I'd wager that card will end up being the most popular. But the $399 model may make sense if you want to future-proof a bit, even if you don't plan to move beyond 1080p gaming.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

The Founder's Edition 4060 Ti we're reviewing has the same basic cooling setup as the rest of the 40-series: A premium metal case surrounding a bevy of heatsink fins, along with dual rear fans. The GPU is noticeably lighter than the RTX 4070, and its dual-slot design makes it ideal for small-form factor systems. Under the hood, the 8GB 4060 Ti is powered by 4,352 CUDA cores, and it can reach up to 2,535 MHz boost clock (up from a 2,310 MHz base clock). One major upgrade is its 32MB of L2 cache, a huge step forward from 4MB on the previous two generations of '60 cards.

3DMark TimeSpy Extreme Port Royal (Ray Tracing) Cyberpunk Blender NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti (8GB) 6,599 8,170/37 fps 1080p RT Ultra DLSS: 86.4fps 4,435 NVIDIA RTX 3060 Ti 5,408 6,989/32.36 fps N/A 3,012 NVIDIA RTX 4070 8,610 11,195/52 fps 1080p RT DLSS: 160 fps 6,020 NVIDIA RTX 3070 6,226 8,032/37 fps N/A 3,500

I knew the RTX 4060 Ti was a winner as soon as I started benchmarking Cyberpunk 2077. It averaged 86.4 fps in 1080p with ultra ray tracing settings and DLSS 3 enabled. That's smooth enough to look great on any monitor, especially if it supports NVIDIA's G-SYNC frame synchronization, which would help to reduce screen tearing. Without ray tracing, Cyberpunk hit an impressive 158 fps. (I'd rather take the ray tracing over those extra frames for a single-player game, though.)

In 1,440p, Cyberpunk hit a steady 60fps with ultra ray tracing settings and DLSS 3. That would still look great on most screens if you're not chasing the dream of high frame rates. The 4060 Ti clearly isn't meant to be a 1,440p card with ray tracing, but it's capable in a pinch.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

I saw similar results in Halo Infinite: The 4060 Ti averaged 148 fps in 1080p with maxed out graphics settings, and a serviceable 83 fps in 1,440p. If you think you'll be spending more time in 1,440p, you may want to consider going straight to the $599 RTX 4070. (While the extra RAM on the 16GB 4060 Ti sounds nice, I wouldn't bet on that making a dramatic difference in 1,440p.) Thanks to its excellent cooling setup, the GPU never went beyond 65 Celsius after extensive benchmarking.

In most tests, the 4060 Ti performed slightly better than the two and a half-year old RTX 3070. That card retailed for $499, but its street price was far higher long after its debut. The 4060 Ti makes a more impressive performance leap when compared to the 3060 Ti, but again it's not big enough to demand an immediate upgrade.

Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

For the most part, the RTX 4060 Ti seems like a reward to gamers who stuck with their older GPUs for years. It'll be a welcome introduction to the world of ray tracing for GTX 1060 owners. And for people upgrading from the RTX 2060, the performance leap with DLSS 3 will be dramatic. If you're on the fence, though, it may be worth waiting to see how the rest of AMD's Radeon RX 7000 family looks. Recent rumors point to more of those Radeon cards appearing next month.

While I'm more excited to see what NVIDIA can eke out from its $299 RTX 4060, the 4060 Ti remains a solid ray tracing performer that many gamers can actually afford.
Finally. Starting today, you'll be able to edit WhatsApp messages youve already sent. You'll need to act fairly swiftly as you'll only get a 15-minute window. To do so, you just have to long press on the typo-riddled message and tap Edit. Messages will be labeled as edited if you do so, but no one will see the edit history, or the mistakes you made. The messaging app is catching up with rival messaging services: iOS users have been able to edit their texts sent in iMessage for a while now. Apples messaging service also includes an unsend option.

WhatsApp's update is rolling out to all users now.

 Mat Smith

The Morning After isnt just a newsletter  its also a daily podcast. Get our daily audio briefings, Monday through Friday, by subscribing right here.

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There wasnt a crank on the original.

Lego

Last year, Lego released a set for the Atari 2600 console released in the 1970s, and now it's paying homage to the definitive '80s arcade game. The 2,650-piece Logo Icons Pac-Man set recreates the classic Pac-Man arcade cabinet, complete with a light-up coin-slot, joystick and mechanical crank that moves characters around the maze. A complicated Lego set means a difficult price: It costs $270.

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Not-so-sweet sixteen.

Square Enix

Devoted TMA readers know this editor is a die-hard Final Fantasy gamer who wants a return to the late 90s, early 00s glory days for the long-running RPG series. I got to play a preview of Final Fantasy XVI, a game where the company is pulling influences from the likes of Game of Thrones and God of War to make a more mature tale, with an action-focused battle system and no shortage of intrigue.

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It fills a glaring hole in the company's modern lineup.

Rolands synth lineup doesnt really offer much in the midrange. Its only two pure synthesizers in the $500 to $800 space are the 13-year-old Gaia SH-01 and the eight-year-old (and objectively hideous) JD-Xi. The companys SH-4d doesnt perfectly fill this gap in the lineup, but its a big step in the right direction.

According to Engadgets Terrence OBrien, its a synth-focused desktop groovebox with lots of hands-on controls, a rich sound engine and a more than reasonable price of $650. The SH-4d has plenty of hands-on controls, and it sounds great. Add to that a solid build and the ability to be powered by a handful of AAs and you get Terrences favorite Roland synth in a long time.

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The company says the ban violates the First Amendment.

TikTok filed a lawsuit on Monday in the US District Court of Montana to challenge the states ban of the social platform. TikTok is suing the state directly, stating in the lawsuit that Montanas law violates the First Amendment.

Montana's ban abridges freedom of speech in violation of the First Amendment, violates the US Constitution in multiple other respects and is preempted by federal law, the lawsuit reads. The law prohibits the ByteDance-owned platform from operating in the state, as well as preventing Apples and Googles app stores from listing the TikTok app for download. Although it isn't clear how Montana plans to enforce the ban, it states that violations will tally fines of $10,000 per day. However, individual TikTok users wont be charged.

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Uber will offer Waymo robotaxi rides and deliveries in Phoenix starting later this year A "set number" of vehicles will be visible through the Uber app.

Beginning later this year, Phoenix area residents and visitors will be able to hail Waymo taxis through Uber, thanks to a new multi-year partnership the two companies announced on Tuesday . The pact will see a set number of Waymo vehicles made available to Uber users for rides and deliveries. The announcement comes after Waymo recently doubled its Phoneix service area to 180 square miles . Waymo spokesperson Katherine Barna told The Verge the robotaxis the company is making available to Uber users wouldnt be exclusive to the platform. Phoenix residents can continue to turn to the Waymo One if they want an autonomous ride somewhere.

Were excited to offer another way for people to experience the enjoyable and life-saving benefits of full autonomy, said Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana . Uber has long been a leader in human-operated ridesharing, and the pairing of our pioneering technology and all-electric fleet with their customer network provides Waymo with an opportunity to reach even more people.

Notably, the partnership sees two companies that were once rivals coming closer together. In 2017, Waymo parent company Alphabet sued Uber for stealing trade secrets. At the center of that legal battle was Otto, a self-driving truck startup founded by former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski. In 2018, Uber settled with Alphabet four days after the case went to trial. As for Levandowski, he was later charged and convicted of stealing materials from his previous employer. On the last day of his administration, former President Donald Trump pardoned Levandowski .
Weather Alert

...National Weather Service Cold Water Safety Message... ...Please check with state and local authorities regarding guidelines for allowed activities... * The warm air temperatures this weekend in the upper 70s to mid 80s may cause people to underestimate the dangers of the cold water temperatures which are currently only around 50 across Lake Champlain, and in the regions smaller lakes and rivers. * The cold water temperatures can quickly cause hypothermia to anyone immersed in the water. When the water temperature is below 60 degrees, the average submerged person could loose dexterity within minutes and be unable to accomplish simple tasks. Anyone on small boats, canoes or kayaks should plan accordingly if recreating this weekend and use extreme caution to avoid this threat. Paddle smart from the start and always wear your life jacket!
(Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante)

OSLO, Norway, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

Highlights in the quarter

Continued production ramp up at Indre Hary. Batch 5 stocked in February and all-time high biomass production in March.

Focus on international expansion plans, both in South Korea and North America.

and North America. Indre Hary phase 2 preparations ongoing  clear signs of normalization in the construction market

Signed agreement with DNB and Nordea for a new green debt financing package totaling NOK 1,550 million relating to phase 1 and 2 at Indre Hary.

relating to phase 1 and 2 at Indre Hary. Available liquidity of NOK 454 million per 31 March 2023 including committed undrawn credit facilities.

Subsequent events

Completed takeover of the last two remaining tanks in phase 1 at Indre Hary on the 17 th of April 2023.

of April 2023. Carried out NOK 525 million private placement on 18 th April 2023 as part of the Indre Hary phase 2 financing.

private placement on 18 as part of the Indre Hary phase 2 financing. On 29th April 2023 the Company reported that it was experiencing increased mortality in selected fish groups at Indre Hary. The Company has taken swift and appropriate actions to remedy the situation and the situation is now stabilizing with daily mortality back to normal levels post freshwater treatment.

The increase in biomass production continued in the first quarter with the Group having a net biomass production of around 740 tonnes and all-time high biomass production of around 320 tonnes in March alone. As per 31 March 2023 the Company had a total standing biomass of almost 1,500 tonnes.

Phase 1 of Indre Hary was finalized in April 2023. With all the 12 tanks completed, this will allow for a streamlining of the production process with both production lines fully operational. The preparatory activities for phase 2 continued in the quarter. The Company has made no contractual commitments but is in advanced negotiations with contractors for phase 2 construction. The plan is to commence construction during the second half of 2023.

Work on the international expansion plans in South Korea through K Smart Farming and in North America continued in the quarter. 90 % design review for the smolt site in South Korea was completed as planned and work on the grow-out site has been intensified. In parallel, the permitting processes continued with important clarifications received with regards to key permits. In North America the Company continues to evaluate identified potential production sites as well as maintaining dialogue with various stakeholders, both public and private.

Summary and outlook

Since initiating operations at the Indre Hary facility about 14 months ago, the Company has gradually ramped up production and a total of five batches have been stocked. Two smolt releases are scheduled for the second quarter, and three more are planned in the second half of 2023.

The increased mortality reported ultimo April was triggered by AGD, causing problems with gill health and is an important reminder of the biological aspect of the operation. Salmon farming is a complex operation and unexpected things can and will happen, stressing the importance of having a strong and capable organization. The event demonstrated the value of being located in the heart of the aquaculture cluster with solid access to competent people and suppliers and relevant infrastructure.

The Company has taken swift and appropriate actions to remedy the situation, including reduced temperatures and feeding, increased UV dosage on intake water, fast tracking harvest of batch 2 in a historically strong market and completed freshwater treatment of all remaining fish groups.

The freshwater treatment appears to have had a good effect, and the situation is now stabilizing with daily mortality back to normal levels post freshwater treatment. The Company has also recommenced feeding across the farm and is closely monitoring the situation.

Furthermore, the Company has implemented a number of actions to minimize the risk of such event happening in the future. This includes inter alia on-site freshwater production capabilities to be installed over the next couple of weeks, reducing response time to a minimum going forward and also enabling precautionary freshwater treatments, for example in connection with fish transfers.

-We are pleased to see that the decisive actions taken over the last weeks is now stabilizing the situation and enabling the Company to transition back to production modus, says CEO in Salmon Evolution Trond Hakon Schaug-Pettersen.

-The successfully completed freshwater treatment also gives invaluable operational experience that will enhance our capabilities to tackle challenges going forward, says Schaug-Pettersen.

Salmon Evolution continues to see a significant demand growth potential for salmon and the Company believes that land-based farming will need to play an important role alongside conventional farming for the industry to be able utilize the demand potential. With phase 1 at Indre Hary now completed and having a strong financial platform, Salmon Evolution is in a unique position to continue to lead and shape the development of this industry.

Results presentation

CEO Trond Hakon Schaug-Pettersen and CFO Trond Vadset Veibust will present the results at Hotel Continental in Oslo, Tuesday 23 May at 08:00 a.m. CEST.

Participants may also follow the presentation and submit questions through a live webcast available on www.salmonevolution.no, or with the following link: https://events.webcast.no/viewer-registration/OGhLeEcM/register.

The presentation and subsequent Q&A will be held in English.

For further information, please contact:

Trond Hakon Schaug-Pettersen, CEOthsp@salmone.no+47 91 19 13 27

Trond Vadset Veibust, CFOtvv@salmone.no+47 48 09 05 95

The following files are available for download:

View original content: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/salmon-evolution-asa-results-for-the-first-quarter-2023-301831681.html
MANZINI - Bus fare and prizes galore!

About 300 passengers, who were commuting from the Manzini Bus Rank, went home all smiles after MTN Eswatini spoiled them with bus fare and prizes, including cash, airtime and merchandise. This was during the launch of MTN Eswatini Data Transformation Campaign themed, Sinyus iVolume, with up to 50 per cent bonus data. The activation took place at the Manzini Bus Rank yesterday. A total of three buses, five kombis and a sprinter had passengers fares covered by MTN. These were local and out of town routes, with fares ranging from E10 to as high as E83 per passenger. The routes included Zombodze, Ngcayini, Siteki, Mbekelweni, Matsamo and Mpolonjeni. Sibusisweni and Lobamba were also some of the routes covered.

The bus rank activations started at Nhlangano/Mbabane bus ranks, and proceeded to the Mbabane Bus Rank followed by Piggs Peak last month. The Manzini Bus Rank is the last visit by MTN.

MTN Eswatini Fintech CEO Sam Shongwe said they were excited to launch the prize transformation, and the theme of the campaign essentially meant customers would be able to speak longer and louder - hence the phrase; Sinyus iVolume. Shongwe said they had introduced bonuses of up to 50 per cent, which would enable customers to gain more value as they communicated with their loved ones. Meanwhile, MTN Acting Chief Marketing Officer Mandla Gule said in line with technological advancements, they were constantly exploring and implementing ways to provide digital services to emaSwati at affordable prices. He said every liSwati deserved the right to have access to internet at affordable prices, and the company was ensuring that. Sinyus iVolume allows customers to enjoy bonuses of up to 50 per cent when they buy data via MoMo. Customers can now purchase data bundles for as little as E3.
Reuters | With just 10 days left until a default that could rock the American economy, there is still no deal between debt limit negotiators headed by top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden.
Tuesday, May 23, 2023

In a remarkable display of bravery and quick thinking, seventh-grader Dillon Reeves from Warren, Michigan, became an unexpected hero when he took control of an out-of-control school bus. His heroic actions not only saved the lives of his fellow students but also demonstrated the courage and composure that belied his young age. This extraordinary event has garnered widespread praise and recognition, reminding us all that heroes can emerge from unexpected places.

The incident unfolded on a seemingly ordinary day when a school bus carrying Dillon and several other students suddenly lost control. The bus driver, who later turned out to have suffered a medical emergency, became unconscious, leaving the vehicle careening down the road with no one at the wheel.

Amidst the chaos, Dillon Reeves exhibited remarkable bravery and quick thinking. Recognizing the imminent danger, he sprang into action, understanding that he had to do something to prevent a potential disaster. Dillon took control of the steering wheel, expertly maneuvering the bus away from oncoming traffic and potential hazards. By keeping a level head, he managed to guide the bus safely to a halt, averting a catastrophic collision and ensuring the safety of everyone on board. His selfless actions undoubtedly saved lives that day, and he became an inspiration for students and adults alike.

The community and school authorities quickly acknowledged Dillons bravery and organized a special ceremony to honor him. During the ceremony, Dillon was commended for his courage, receiving numerous awards and accolades from local officials, school administrators, and fellow students. The accolades were well-deserved, as Dillons actions exemplified the qualities of a true hero.

Despite the sudden fame that accompanied his act of heroism, Dillon has remained humble and modest. In interviews, he consistently deflects praise and emphasizes that he was simply doing what he thought was right in the moment. Dillons incredible display of bravery has undoubtedly left a lasting impact on his peers, inspiring them to stand up and act when faced with adversity.

The incident also highlighted the importance of preparedness and emergency response training in schools. In the aftermath, there have been calls for improved safety measures and better protocols to ensure the well-being of students and drivers on school buses. Dillons story serves as a reminder that emergencies can occur at any time, and it is crucial to be equipped with the knowledge and skills to handle such situations effectively.

Dillon hopes to become a first responder when he grows up. As for a final piece of advice, Dillon, who was recently accepted into the Warren Police Departments Junior Detectives program, says to look out for each other.

Photo credit: the Reeves family.
TUESDAY, May 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- HIV infection numbers in the United States are down, public health officials announced Tuesday.

Declines in young people are driving the overall decrease.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributed an overall 12% decline between 2017 and 2021 largely due to a 34% drop in new infections among gay and bisexual males aged 13 to 24.

Our nations HIV prevention efforts continue to move in the right direction, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in an agency news release. Longstanding factors, such as systemic inequities, social and economic marginalization and residential segregation, however, stand between highly effective HIV treatment and prevention and people who could benefit from them. Efforts must be accelerated and strengthened for progress to reach all groups faster and equitably.

Reasons for the decline are improvements in testing, treatment and preventive medication known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). But PrEP is not being distributed equitably, officials said, leading to smaller declines in some groups.

In prevention, patience is not a virtue, said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of CDCs National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. Decreasing HIV incidence among youth, including young gay and bisexual males, shows us what is possible. But ending the HIV epidemic and achieving equity requires we expand this progress to all.

Young Black and Hispanic gay and bisexual males had lower declines in HIV infection than white men, which the CDC said suggests inequities in prevention and treatment.

About 30% of 1.2 million people who could benefit from PrEP were prescribed it in 2021 compared to 13% in 2017. But, the CDC said, few Black and Hispanic people were among those with prescriptions even though most people who could benefit are in those groups.

In all, about 32,100 new infections were reported in 2021, compared to 36,500 in 2017, according to the CDC. Among 13- to 24-year-olds, new infections dropped from 9,300 to 6,100 during that time period. Roughly 80% of new infections in this age group are among gay and bisexual males.

Most new infections in 2021 were among Black and Hispanic gay and bisexual men. About one-fifth of new infections were among women, more than half among Black women, according to the CDC.

At least three people in the U.S. get HIV every hour  at a time when we have more effective prevention and treatment options than ever before," said Dr. Robyn Neblett Fanfair, acting director of CDCs Division of HIV Prevention. These tools must reach deep into communities and be delivered faster to expand progress from some groups to all groups.

To reach national goals, the CDC said there must be greater use of prevention measures, including those that made less progress between 2017 and 2021, such as people being aware of their HIV status.

About 87% of the estimated 1.2 million people in the United States with HIV in 2021 were aware of their status. Still, about 1 in 8 people with HIV dont know it, the CDC noted.

A greater number of people diagnosed with HIV were virally suppressed due to effective treatment, but viral suppression was lower among Black and Hispanic people than white people, the research team reported.

While more than 468,000 Black people and nearly 313,000 Hispanic people could benefit from PrEP, it was prescribed to fewer than one-quarter of them. More than three-quarters of white people who could benefit got a prescription, the researchers said.

The CDC called for increased investments in proven HIV prevention programs, expanding HIV self-testing, increasing the number and type of settings to reach people with HIV services and always considering equity.

More than half of new HIV infections in 2021 were in the South. It was also the only region with a decline in overall estimated new infections in 2021 when compared to 2017.

The United States also saw significant improvement in eliminating transmission of HIV from woman to newborn. In 2021, there were 0.6 cases of perinatal HIV per 100,000 live births, down from 1.9 per 100,000 in 2010.

By 2030, the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative aims to reduce new HIV infections by 90% from 2017 levels.

The pace is slower than needed, partly hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said. President Joe Biden has requested $850 million in funding to support this in his budget proposed for 2024. He proposed $237 million for a national PrEP program.

More information

The U.S. National Library of Medicine has more on HIV.

SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, news release, May 23, 2023
TUESDAY, May 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Social media presents a profound risk to young brains, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warned on Tuesday.

In a report, Murthy warned about the risks of social media use for young people and called on policymakers, tech companies, researchers and parents to urgently take action."

There are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents, Murthy said.

The full effect of social media isnt well understood, he noted.

Adolescents are not just smaller adults, Murthy told The New York Times. Theyre in a different phase of development, and theyre in a critical phase of brain development.

Among the concerns are that if kids are using social media frequently they may actually be altering their developing brains, specifically in the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. These are important for emotional learning, emotional regulation, impulse control and social behavior. This could increase sensitivity to social rewards and punishments, the report stated.

Reaction to the report was enthusiastic.

Todays children and teens do not know a world without digital technology, but the digital world wasnt built with childrens healthy mental development in mind. We need an approach to help children both on and offline that meets each child where they are while also working to make the digital spaces they inhabit safer and healthier. The Surgeon Generals Advisory calls for just that approach, Dr. Sandy Chung, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said in a news release from Murthy.

The report comes at a time when there is an ongoing mental health crisis among U.S. teens. The American Psychological Association has recommended that parents monitor teen social media usage, the Times reported.

Social media can have both positives and negatives for teens, including connection with others on the plus side and extreme, inappropriate and harmful content, including self-harming behavior, as a clear downside.

In early adolescence, when identities and sense of self-worth are forming, brain development is especially susceptible to social pressures, peer opinions and peer comparison, the report stated.

As many as 95% of teens use at least one social media platform, according to the report. More than one-third use it almost constantly, the Times noted.

Most platforms limit usage to age 13 and up, but nearly 40% of kids aged 8 to 12 use social media, according to the report.

Our children have become unknowing participants in a decades-long experiment, Murthy wrote in the report. It is critical that independent researchers and technology companies work together to rapidly advance our understanding of the impact of social media on children and adolescents.

Meanwhile, the burden has fallen largely on kids and parents, Murthy said.

Thats a lot to ask of parents  to take a new technology thats rapidly evolving and that fundamentally changes how kids perceive themselves," and ask parents to manage it, Murthy told the Times. So, weve got to do what we do in other areas where we have product safety issues, which is to set in place safety standards that parents can rely on, that are actually enforced.

More information

The American Psychological Association has more on adolescents and social media.

SOURCES: "Social Media and Youth Mental Health," U.S. Surgeon Generals Advisory, May 23, 2023; The New York Times
The Montana State Capitol on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, a day after the legislature adjourned the 2023 session. (Photo by Blair Miller, Daily Montanan)

Rep. Joe Read described what he thinks will happen next on the Flathead Indian Reservation when it comes to law enforcement.

The governor has walked into a buzzsaw by vetoing this, Read said.

Last week, Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed House Bill 479 which would have provided funding for law enforcement on the the Flathead Reservation and given a coalition of stakeholders from the state, Lake County and Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes a chance to come up with a long-term solution.

Now, with a veto, a pending lawsuit and a notice by Lake County Commissioners that theyre no longer going to be providing law enforcement for state criminal matters, what happens next when it comes to law enforcement isnt clear.

A veto letter by Gov. Greg Gianforte claims its inexplicable why it should be the states responsibility to fund part of local law enforcement on the reservation.

That mystery would be solved, Read said, by taking a glance at Lake Countys budget.

Nearly a quarter of the entire countys budget goes to supporting policing of tribal members, Read said. That doesnt happen in Billings or Great Falls or even Cutbank, which is on the edge of the reservation.

He said increasing costs, federal lands that dont generate local tax revenue and a unique law enforcement arrangement have given Lake County Commissioners enough worry to ask the state to either find funding for law enforcement or take over policing itself.

If our projections continue, Lake County will go bankrupt in 10 to 12 years, Read said. Well, whats the state going to do when we go bankrupt? You know we were made a county, half coming from Flathead County, half coming from Missoula County, and Im sure neither one wants to take us back.

Read said the veto letter is evidence of a lack of understanding that stretches all the way to the governors office about law enforcement on the Flathead Reservation.

The reason this is happening is because there is a misunderstanding of PL-280 and the director of the budget has no relationship with the tribes and how it works, he said.

The Flathead Reservation is home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes.

Seventy years ago, the federal government created Public Law 280 which granted states the option to exercise local law enforcement control on reservation lands. Among all Montanas tribal nations, the Flathead reservation remains unique because the state and tribe agreed that it would provide enforcement in 1965.

The agreement let Lake County authorities handle any felony criminal jurisdiction, but provided no funding.

On other tribal lands in Montana, law enforcement is taken care of by a mix of local police agencies, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

However, PL-280 has been in operation for decades, but Lake County said that increasing costs and responsibilities has meant it can no longer provide law enforcement without help from the state. Read said the additional costs are starving other county programs like services to senior citizens.

In the past few years, Lake County has inexplicably changed course, asserting that the state should be responsible for all costs associated with the implementation of PL-280 while the county retains full control, Gianfortes veto letter said. Lake County wants all the benefits of exercising jurisdiction under PL-280 while shifting all financial responsibility to the state.

In 2021, lawmakers struck a deal that would have provided funding for law enforcement on the reservation, but legislators only appropriated $1 in funding.

I am not a fan of the governor in any way, shape or form, said Read, a Republican from Ronan.

He named several other problems with legislation from 2023 that had bipartisan support only to be killed by the executive, including House Bill 442, which enjoyed widespread support for allocating state revenues from recreational marijuana.

Meanwhile, Lake County Commissioners have given the state the requisite six-month notice that will allow it to stop providing law enforcement services, which leaves the question of felony criminal jurisdiction unresolved.

Lake County has also sued the state, claiming that it has saddled the county with an unfunded mandate, contrary to state law. It also asked a district court judge to reinstate funding its owed.

Last month, District Court Judge Amy Eddy ruled that Lake County was barred by the states statute of limitations for getting more than three years worth of funding, but said a court case against the state could continue.

Commissioners told the Daily Montanan two weeks ago they were undecided about pursuing a court case if House Bill 479 passed. Now, it appears suing the state may be the only way to get any money.

In passing House Bill 479, the Legislature has failed to address the underlying issue of financial responsibility for implementation of PL-280, stating instead empty aspirational hopes without a guarantee of future resolution, Gianforte said. House Bill 479 simple kicks the can down the road, creating a slippery slope at the end of which we can expect another request for funding in 2025 from Lake County  and any other counties experiencing financial pressures in enforcing state criminal jurisdiction within their boundaries.

Now, with the legislation all but dead, the county commission said it will decide how to handle the lawsuit in the next several days.

A spokesperson for the CSKT had no comment when reached Monday.

Even by the states own estimates, it would take as much as $100 million for Montana to create its own police force. Currently, the states Department of Justice oversees the Montana Highway Patrol, but that agency is not primarily responsible for all law enforcement in any particular area. The decision by Lake County could force the state to design a law enforcement agency from the ground up.

If the county has the chutzpah, the state will have to take over this because its their responsibility, Read said.

And he said thats disappointing, not just a lawmaker, but as a resident of the county. He said he lives on a fairly well-traveled road in Ronan. When law enforcement have someone detained, sometimes several agencies will respond to ensure the proper authority handles the case. He said its a model of cooperation among law enforcement that has served the reservation well, and not common on other tribal lands in the state.

Read said while many were upset that the Legislature only gave $1 to law enforcement two years ago, he was delighted. He said that was at least an acknowledgement that the state had responsibility for funding law enforcement through PL-280, even though Read said Lake County is still waiting on the $1 appropriation.

Weve never been paid, he said.

The post Gianforte vetoes bill that would provide funding for law enforcement on Flathead reservation appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Judge Michael Moses of Yellowstone County at a court hearing on July 11, 2022 (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan).

Attorneys for the State of Montana have argued that the state should not be held in contempt next week in Yellowstone County District court because lawyers with the states Attorneys General Office believed a unanimous Supreme Court decision handed them, not the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana, a win.

In a case that stretches back several years, the 2021 Legislature changed state laws regarding how gender on birth certificates could be changed. Instead of a one-page document that allowed residents to change it, the Department of Public Health and Human Services, under newly-elected Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, rewrote the rules to require a more onerous process, which included requirement of surgery and a judges order.

Two plaintiffs, represented in part by the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana, filed suit and Judge Michael G. Moses stopped the law from going into effect and also ruled that the state must reinstate the 2017 practice adopted during Steve Bullock administration. Bullock was a Democrat.

However, the state argued that Moses injunction left Montana without any policy or procedure for changing a birth certificate, so the Department of Public Health and Human Services created a new procedure for changing a birth certificate.

That kicked off another series of court filings in which Moses ordered the department to revert back to the 2017 rule  the last uncontested process before the new law was passed.

Yet attorneys for the state also said that because the 2021 law and the order commanding the department to reinstitute the 2017 procedure were entirely stopped by the court action that it had no other choice but to issue more rules in 2022. Furthermore, state attorneys also argue that Moses order and a subsequent appeal to the Montana Supreme Court didnt address the 2022 rule, and therefore, they were free to adopt a new policy. Attorneys with the state say the department shouldnt be slapped with contempt.

The department believed in good faith that it had the authority under its general rulemaking power to promulgate a new rule to fill the void left by the injunction, said Kathleen Smithgall, Deputy Solicitor General for the State of Montana. The department viewed the order (by the Supreme Court) as a win for the departments rulemaking authority.

Not until plaintiffs counsel reached out, demanding to know why the department was not complying with the 2017 rule did the department become aware that plaintiffs had interpreted the Supreme Courts order differently.

Instead, it says that since the ACLU did not challenge the 2022 rule-making process that the state continues to have an obligation to enforce all of its rules.

In the Montana Supreme Court decision, which was authored by Chief Justice Mike McGrath on behalf of a five-justice panel in January, it said that the original 2017 rule remains in effect for as long as the preliminary injunction remains valid. The preliminary injunction is still in effect.

The district court found that it had no jurisdiction over the 2022 Rule. However, it further concluded that the 2022 Rule was issued in violation of the Preliminary Injunction Order, which required DPHHS to return to the status quo and therefore . . . to the 2017 DPHHS regulations. Nonetheless, the court did not hold DPHHS in contempt, the Supreme Court decision said.

The post We thought we won: State argues it shouldnt be held in contempt for birth certificate rules appeared first on Daily Montanan.
EZULWINI  The Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) says as long as government neglects primary and high schools, quality education will remain a dream in the country.

SNAT Secretary General (SG) Lot Vilakati said this when he was making reference to the mandate of the Eswatini Higher Education Council (ESHEC). Vilakati said there was no way possible that the country would have higher quality education in tertiary institutions while primary and high schools were a mess. I heard you speaking about the quality of education several times. The quality of education wont grow just on air but it starts from the grassroots level, which is primary schools, he said. The SG asked how ESHEC would link the education sector policy together with the higher education sector policy, because he felt there was a link between the two.He noted that the policy also included the Deputy Prime Ministers (DPM) Office in terms of paying orphaned and vulnarable children (OVC) grants on time.

Involves

The policy is good on paper and it even involves the DPMs office. It is unfortunate that the DPMs office is doing nothing to comply with the policy in terms of ensuring that the OVC grants are paid on time to schools. If these grants would be paid on time, schools would be operating smoothly and teaching would not be interrupted as well as the quality of education will be at an all-time high, he said. DPM not paying grants on time and government not supplying books and food on time have all crippled the quality of education. It pains us a lot that after these poor learning conditions, fuelled by government, when the minister issues external results for completing grades, she always says the results were marvellous, knowing very well that there was no learning that took place in schools, he added.

Vilakati added that local institutions of higher learning were producing graduates that were not required by the industry anymore. As a result, most graduates were working as textile workers.He said as a union, they were pleased that the council would conduct an assessment of the courses offered by tertiary institutions that would be relevant to the time. He said looking at the syllabus offered in primary schools currently, the children were learning nothing that would help them in the near future. He said he was convinced that the current syllabus would not even give them access to tertiary institutions. The SG said pupils, mostly those in government primary schools, would be worse-off in terms of skills and proper education.

He urged ESHEC to also meet with the students unions so that they would contribute to the policy, including the Eswatini Schools Committees and Parents Association (ESCAPA) and Swaziland National Union of Students (SNUS).
Over the past decade or so, America has undertaken a radical experiment with criminal justice reform. The consequences have been devastating.

The number of people arrested in America each year has fallen sharply over the past two decades. Public prosecutors now prosecute significantly fewer cases. Those that are convicted can generally expect shorter sentences. The combined effect of all this is that Americas prison population is now 25 percent lower than it was in 2011.

Part of the reason for this policy change has been pressure from the far left. Ever since the death of George Floyd in 2020, left-wing activists have pursued an explicitly anti-police and anti-prison agenda. But even before that, there were plenty of well-meaning conservatives who signed up for criminal justice reform, too. Everyone needs a second chance, right?

Five years ago, it was conservatives in Washington DC that passed the First Step Act, which explicitly sought to reduce the prison population. Here in my own state of Mississippi, those elected as conservatives have for the past decade been formulating policy in the belief that there are better ways of preventing crime than filling up our jails. Our states incarcerated population decreased from over 21,000 in January 2014 to 16,931 by January 2022, a decrease of 19.4 percent.

Reducing the number of people arrested, prosecuted, and jailed might sound like a good thing, but it has helped lead to a sharp spike in crime  including violent crime  in specific parts of the country.

In 2013, the year before Mississippi conservatives decided to go soft on sentencing laws, 28 people were murdered in our state capital, Jackson per 100,000 residents. By 2021, almost four times that number were being murdered, with 101 homicides per 100,000.

Saying you want to give convicted felons a second chance might make believe you are one of the good guys in your low-crime neighborhood. In Jackson, Mississippi, and thousands of similar communities across America, releasing convicted felons means more murder.

Crime, according to Rafael Mangual, a senior fellow of the Manhattan Institute who was in Mississippi last week to talk to policymakers, is highly concentrated geographically. Two percent of counties in America see something like 50 percent of the murders each year. Half the counties in the country wont typically see any murder in certain areas in America.

Manguals brilliant new book on the consequences of naive criminal justice reform, Criminal (In)Justice, spells out some even more uncomfortable facts about crime.

Not only is crime geographically concentrated, it is demographically concentrated, too. The victims of violent crime are disproportionately African American. The increase that there has been in violent crime in America in recent years has disproportionately impacted African Americans, too.

Conversely, Mangual shows, when the police, prosecutors and the courts do decide to get tough on violent offenders, and crime rates fall, the beneficiaries are overwhelmingly African American. In other words, the communities that have borne the cost of this unsuccessful experiment in criminal justice reform have largely been those communities that many reformers claimed to want to help.

In recent years, many on the left have made the claim that Americas police and criminal justice system is systemically racist. This Mangual suggests is dangerous nonsense.

It is nonsense because as the evidence shows, different outcomes in the criminal justice system do not reflect supposed biases of the criminal justice system, but are reflective of offender behavior. It is dangerous because by undermining the moral authority of law enforcement certain communities in America, such as Jackson, Mississippi, are made effectively lawless.

When state officials, as has happened in Mississippi, then try to step in to try to ensure that there is basic law and order in communities devastated by crime, they face the inevitable, and asinine, accusation that they are being racist. The absurdity would be comic if the consequences were not so murderous.

A curious coalition between prison abolitionists on the left and what one might call conservative rehabilitationists on the right has significantly cut the US prison population. Rather than lock people up, so the reformers tell us, shouldnt we rehabilitate them? Would it not be better if former criminals became useful members of society instead?

There is, alas, precious little evidence that releasing felons from prison leads to redemption. The average released state prisoner in the United States has approximately five prior convictions. A second chance? It sounds like five chances.

The narrative of redemption is powerful. But often it turns out to be fiction. Approximately 80 percent of released state prisoners will be rearrested at least once over a 10-year period after their release.

Rehabilitation is a noble goal, but it should never detract from the reality that prisons primarily exist to lock up bad people so that they cannot do bad things to good people.

Manguals book should make uncomfortable reading for those conservatives that have gone along with the criminal justice reform agenda in recent years. There is nothing good or kind  or indeed conservative - about misplaced criminal justice reform.

Douglas Carswell is the President & CEO of the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.
Three poachers who illegally used dogs to hunt wildlife on private farmland have been convicted after getting caught by specialist police camera equipment.

Durham Police videoed the men as the poachers looked through a thermal imaging monocular before releasing their dogs to chase a hare that had broken cover.

Rural officer PCSO Andy Cusick was on patrol around Bishopton Lane, in Sadberge, near Darlington, in October 2022 when he noticed two suspicious vehicles parked on Hillhouse Lane

The officer carried out a search of the nearby area, where he saw Anthony Foster, Edward Foster, and Scott Revell walking several Saluki and Lurcher-type dogs across private farmland.

PCSO Cusick then used specialist police camera equipment to film the three men committing the crime.

Thy were reported for poaching and interviewed by officers, where they initially denied the offence, claiming they were just out for a walk with the dogs.

There were no public footpaths through the fields and the farmer had not given the men permission to be on the land.

A single incident of hare coursing can cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to land and crops, and see farmers violently abused.

The trio eventually pleaded guilty to the charges when they appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court on 16 May 2023.

Anthony Foster, 31, of was ordered to pay a 200 fine; Edward Foster, 30, of was fined 120, and Scott Ian Revell, 35, was fined 150.

All three were also ordered to pay court costs and a victim surcharge.

Sergeant Karl Lowe, from Darlington Neighbourhood Police Team, said this type of offending was cruel to wildlife and also had a profound impact on farmers.

"It causes damage to crops and farmland which can be extremely costly for the farmer or landowner to resolve," he explained.

PCSO Cusicks tenacity and his use of specialist camera equipment to capture the suspects in the act provided irrefutable evidence to secure a conviction at court.

I hope this sends a warning to others who think that illegally poaching wildlife is acceptable, that we will catch you and we will prosecute you.

It comes after two poachers were recently disqualified from keeping dogs for three years in what was believed to be the first use of new powers introduced last year following pressure by rural campaigners.

David Hilden and Tyron Young were issued the orders after admitting charges of daytime trespass in pursuit of game in Saffron Walden, Essex last October.
Welsh handler and trialist Dewi Jenkins was 'top dog' again at Skipton Auction Marts latest sale of working sheepdogs, with a 14,700 sale.

The top handler sold his three-year-old Llwynsarn Non, netting a top call of 14,000gns (14,700), eclipsing the second top price entry by 10,000gns.

Dewi, of Tynygraig, Talybont, near Aberystwyth, has been responsible for multiple top price Skipton dogs at both live and online sales in recent years.

He was again top dog on price in March, with an 18,100 online sale.

Dewi arrived at the latest fixture with another entry by his main stud dog Jock, the reigning ISDS International Supreme Champion, with whom he also represented Wales at last years BBC One Man and His Dog final.

Another daughter of Jock set a then new world record price of 26,000gns for Dewi.

His black and white Non is out of Llwynsarn Eve, bred in North Wales by Hefin Jones, himself a former Welsh National champion.

The bitch was reared until ten-months-old by his girlfriend, Sara Lewis, then trained by Dewi and also used for two lambing seasons on his sister Sara Jenkinsons neighbouring farm.

Both Dewi and his sibling also ran Nan successfully in novice and nursery trials respectively.

Having been mated earlier this month to fellow Welshman Aled Owens Llangwm Bud, the 2022 Reserve Supreme Champion behind Jock, Non now looks set to produce yet more top-class progeny, as well as being primed for Open trials.

She was the subject of avid ringside, phone and online interest, eventually falling to an online bidder from the Welsh borders who requested anonymity.

Skiptons next two working sheep dog sales, the first online only, are scheduled for 13 June with another live field sale on 21 July.
Vladimir Putin's troops in Ukraine are "exhausted" and low on ammunition.

Vladimir Putin's troops are 'exhausted'

Military expert and former Russian army commander Igor Girkin revealed on Telegram that he expects the anticipated Ukrainian counter-attack to succeed due to the toll taken on Putin's military by the conflict.

Girkin wrote: "Why do I think the enemy will attack soon? Precisely because they have the best chance to succeed now. The best strike units of the Russian Armed Forces are exhausted from months of fighting. Stocks of ammunition are minimal."

Russia has repeatedly declared victory in the bloody battle for Bakhmut - which has been denied by Kyiv - but Girkin argued that Moscow has squandered valuable resources in an attempt to capture the city.

He wrote: "Taking into account what I know about losses, wasted resources, lost time, and the initial understanding of the strategic senselessness of this operation.

"Unfortunately, not those who planned and directed these operations from large headquarters, but the blood of front-line soldiers and officers, mobilised and volunteers."

Girkin had been an enthusiastic supporter of Putin's war in Ukraine but recently founded a group called the Club of Angry Patriots which predicts that poor leadership from the Kremlin will cause Russia to lose the conflict.

The group, which also includes prominent Russian political figures such as Pavel Gubarev and Vladimir Kucherenko, argues that defeat in Ukraine could lead to a civil war in Russia and even a coup backed by the West.
Kim Kardashian has insisted you "cannot help people that don't want the help".

Kim Kardashian has reflected on past relationships

The 42-year-old reality star - who has North, 10, Saint, seven, Chicago, five and four-year-old Psalm with ex-husband Kanye West - has reflected on past relationships and how she has dealt with having very differing views to people previously in her life.

Appearing on the 'On Purpose with Jay Shetty' podcast, she said: "Something I learned is that you cannot help people that don't want the help.

"You can't force your beliefs and project that on someone that thinks something totally different...

"It's okay to have those different views. It's why the world goes round.

"But if you don't align in the same values and morals and things at your core, then it's okay to realise that this life is so short, and you should go and find the people that do align with what you really believe in."

Kim did not name Kanye specifically, but she noted the lessons she was passing onto their children when it comes to them growing up and looking for love.

She added: "Those are some of the things that I would teach my kids when they're looking for friends and partners and relationships.

"You can't really force things upon other people. You can't expect them to be where you're at, at your level."

She admitted while sometimes differences in a relationship can "coexist really well", sometimes "it really can't".

Referencing her time with Kanye, Kim - who started dating the rapper in 2012 and married him two years later before filing for divorce in 2021 - shrugged off the idea their time together was a "failure".

She said: "Sometimes I feel like people think that if a relationship doesn't work out that it's a failure, but I don't really look at it like that.

"15 years together, 10 years. That's not a failure. That is so beautiful."
Paedophile entertainer Rolf Harris has died aged 93.

Rolf Harris was a popular figure in TV, music and art before his predatory behaviour was made public

The death of the convicted sex predator was confirmed by the registrar at Maidenhead Town Hall on Tuesday afternoon (23.05.23).

The Australian-born star was said to have been gravely ill with neck cancer and had been living as a virtual recluse at his 5 million home in Berkshire since he was freed from jail in 2017.

He had been fighting to eat and talk, according to an author who claimed to have seen him last year.

Private investigator and writer William Merritt told the Mail Online after an ambulance was seen outside the disgraced TV hosts house: 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.

It's understood Harris health took a turn for the worse after the sudden of his poodle last year.

Mr Merritt added: (Hes) battling a cancer of the neck, and gurgles when he talks. Its difficult to understand him.

As soon as one of two people walk into the room, he turns into a big kid again. Hes an artistic type, and hell try to perform on cue, even when hes unwell.

Harris wife Alwen, 91, is in a wheelchair due to her Alzheimers disease, and the couple, who married in 1958 and have one child  a daughter called Bindi  lived together with the help of 24-hour care.

An investigation into Harris recently revealed four more victims had come forward to discuss their traumatic experiences with the former kids TV favourite.

They claimed in an ITV documentary he humiliated young girls as well as sexually assaulted young women.

In June 2014, Harris was found guilty of 12 counts of indecently assaulting four girls in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

He was released from jail in May 2017 after serving three years of his five years and nine-month sentence, with one of his counts of sexual assault later overturned.

Best known for his TV art shows and hit songs Tie me Kangaroo Down Sport and Jake the Peg, the disgraced TV host also famously painted the 80th birthday portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth.

Harris was known for using unique instruments such as the didgeridoo and stylophone, while he is credited as the inventor of the wobble board.

His TV, music and art career began in the 1950s after moving to the UK aged 22.

After a string of hits, he became known for hosting the shows 'Rolf's Cartoon Club' and 'Animal Hospital'.

Bizarrely, he hosted the education film 'Kids Can Say No!', which taught children aged five to eight how to avoid being sexually abused.

In 1963, he sang a new version of 'Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport' with the Beatles.

As well as being on the TV, Harris appeared seven times at the world-famous Glastonbury festival.

He even played the didgeridoo for former US President George W. Bush.

His sexual abuse of minors became public after comedian Jimmy Savile's infamous sexual abuse scandal in 2012, with Harris arrested during the Operation Yewtree investigation by police.

He denied any wrongdoing and was bailed.

However, he was arrested again in 2013 regarding historical allegations from the 1980s.

The cases involved two girls aged between 14 and 16, and he faced four counts of allegedly producing indecent images of children in 2012.
China will implement the tariff rates it committed to under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement for certain imports from the Philippines on June 2, 2023. This move may increase China's imports of various products from the Philippines, including textile goods. Currently, China dominates as the main trade partner for textile products with the Philippines.

Trade data indicates that China is a net exporter of textile products such as garments, fabrics, yarn, and fibre. In bilateral trade with the Philippines, China exports garments and other textile products in larger quantities and values compared to its imports of these products.

China is set to apply tariff rates agreed under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to certain imports from the Philippines from June 2, 2023, potentially increasing textile imports. Although China is currently a net exporter of textiles to the Philippines, these new preferential duties could boost Filipino textile exports to China.

China exported apparel worth $578.881 million to the Philippines during the first quarter of the current year, compared to $625.933 million in the first quarter of the previous year. The trade was noted at $792.634 million in the last quarter of 2022 and peaked at $797.563 million in the second quarter of the same year, remaining relatively stable in the subsequent quarters. However, there has been a significant decline in trade during the first quarter of the current year. The annual shipment was recorded at $2.981 billion in 2022, $2.767 billion in 2021, $2.814 billion in 2020, $3.019 billion in 2019, and $2.728 billion in 2018, according to Fibre2Fashions market insight tool TexPro.

China is a major supplier of apparel to the Philippines, although it also imports some apparel from the country. Imports from the Philippines amounted to $75.624 million in 2022, $74.833 million in 2021, $49.301 million in 2020, $63.638 million in 2019, and $65.354 million in 2018. Apparel imports from the Philippines were valued at $13.784 million in the first quarter of 2023, as per TexPro.

Similarly, China exports larger quantities of fabric, yarn, and fibre to the Philippines compared to its imports. However, the preferential duty rates agreed upon in the RCEP may benefit the Philippines by boosting its textile exports to China.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
LOBAMBA  Senators have called on Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Pholile Shakantu to look into the issue of foreign mission envelopes during the counting of votes at elections.

The concern was raised by Senator Busi Dlamini, who shared that in her experience in the elections, while witnessing it at her constituency, there was an envelope that carried votes from outside the country. These are people referred to as diaspora, the dispersion or spread of people from their original homeland due to varying reasons, from furthering studies, work and many others. The legislator highlighted that the people entrusted with these envelopes for the purpose of counting the votes and merging them with the others, were not doing so in transparency.

She said the tendency was that they only announced that these were foreign mission votes but no one was actually allowed to witness the counting of such votes, something which she said was opening a door for dishonesty. We want to get clarity from the minister on the issue of the foreign mission envelopes; who monitors them? Who has the responsibility to count the votes in it or it goes straight to EBC without being looked into? she asked. Senator Chief Zabeni Shiba was equally concerned on the matter and supported Dlamini for raising it. This was during the debate on the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which the minister requested that it be referred to the portfolio committee. It is worth mentioning that the Bill was adopted in the House of Assembly, with amendments.

When responding to the concerns, the minister shared that ambassadors of Eswatini in the different countries had been trained on the processes of elections and were currently in the process of registering people, who wished to participate in the elections while outside the country. She said the legislation sought to bring transparency on all the processes under special voting or foreign mission.

Response

However, her response did not hold any water for Senator Busi, who submitted that the minister should not scratch the surface on the matter but be clear on how this would be handled in the current elections, because it had been going on for far too long. I have been in elections for at least six times and I witnessed this thing. The envelope comes with a police officer and a government employee, who is not even part of the officials from the EBC. After witnessing the casting of the votes and waiting for the counting to commence, they would then announce that there is an envelope from the foreign mission, with the help of at least one of the EBC officials. They are the only ones who have power over the envelope, not even the police have authority over it, she submitted.

Dlamini said what boggled the mind was that the envelope sometimes contained a large number of votes from countries where one would not expect emaSwati to be that many and in the countries where there was a high concentration of emaSwati, the number was not so big. She made an example that one would expect the number of emaSwati residing in South Africa (SA) to be big because there were people working in the mines and other industries, while a large number of students furthering their studies in the neighbouring country was also big.

It leaves a lot to be desired when an envelope from SA has less number of votes than an envelope from the United Kingdom, where we do have emaSwati but not as many as they are in the neighbouring country. It may happen that the awareness on the elections is not as sharp as it is in the UK but it becomes suspicious when the envelopes comes. I implore the minister to keep a close eye on this matter, she said.

Minister Shakantu assured the senators that the issue would be looked into to ensure transparency and that the EBC officials should also check the votes against the voters roll to ensure that everybody who voted in the special voting is eligible to vote and there are no issues of foul play. Meanwhile, Senator Vuka Masilela was of the view that the Bill would cause confusion and not place the country in a good position with international observers, given that the election process was already underway with the registration having commenced already.

His contention was that the legislation should have been long amended to be in uniform with the activities of the elections. Deputy Senate President Ndumiso Mdluli held a different view, stating that all the legislations that had come to Parliament were subject to amending in future because they were not always 100 per cent, hence the need to amend to make the operations of that legislation balance.
Vietnam recently said it will continue to work closely with Israel to sign and enforce their bilateral free trade agreement (FTA). The formers minister of industry and trade Nguyen Hong Dien met Israeli ambassador to the country Yaron Mayer in Hanoi.

Dien proposed building mechanisms for information sharing between agencies of both sides on policies, technical standards and regulations applied to a number of import and export commodities to facilitate import and export.

He also called for stronger cooperation in high-tech equipment, biotechnology, agricultural product processing, food and other potential fields in which the two countries are strong, a news agency reported.

Vietnam will work closely with Israel to sign and enforce their bilateral free trade agreement, the former's minister of industry and trade Nguyen Hong Dien told Israeli ambassador to the country Yaron Mayer in Hanoi recently. Dien proposed building mechanisms for information sharing between agencies of both sides on various issues of mutual interest.

Vietnam encourages Israeli businesses to invest more in industrial production, biotechnology, information technology, new material technology, consumer goods and food industries, start-ups, vocational training, technology transfer and development of high technology, he said.

Israel is the third largest export market and the fifth largest trading partner of Vietnam in West Asia.

Vietnams exports to Israel to include garment and textiles.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)




Talking to a reporter, Rajinikanth stated that he knew Sarath Babu before he became an actor and also that they were good friends. He also said that the late actor was a very good human being, a good friend and always had a smile on his face.



Talking to a reporter, Rajinikanth stated that he knew Sarath Babu before he became an actor and also that they were good friends. He also said that the late actor was a very good human being, a good friend and always had a smile on his face.

He said, "I have never seen him getting serious or angry. You all know that all the films I acted with him are very big hits, Mullum Malarum, Muthu, Annamalai and Velaikkaran. He had great love and affection for me...he would always regret about me smoking, will ask me to quit it for a long life. If he would see me smoking, he would snatch the cigarette and put it out. So, I won't smoke before him."



"In Annamalai, there is this important scene of challenging (Rajinikanth taking on Sarath Babu after their friendship turns sour) and took lot of retakes as the emotions did not come out properly. He got me a cigarette and after that I felt relaxed and the take was approved. He always advised me about good health but he is no more now," he added.





Sarath Babu made his acting debut in the 1973 Telugu film Rama Rajyamwas. He was last seen in the Tamil film Vasantha Mullai this year. On Tuesday, the actor will be cremated in Chennai.



See Also: Rajinikanth drops a photo with Kapil Dev from the sets of Laal Salaam Sarath Babu made his acting debut in the 1973 Telugu film Rama Rajyamwas. He was last seen in the Tamil film Vasantha Mullai this year. On Tuesday, the actor will be cremated in Chennai.

In a heartfelt homage to his late actor friend Sarath Babu on Tuesday, Superstar Rajinikanth recalled the latter's exhortation to give up smoking, stating the late veteran would even snatch away the counterfoil and put it out if he caught him doing so. After paying respects to Sarath Babu's mortal remains here, Rajinikanth declared that, in consideration of his friend's opinions, he would refrain from smoking in front of the actor.The 71-year-old Sarath Babu passed away on Monday in a hospital in Hyderabad while receiving care for multiple organ failure.
Gulshan Devaiah Vijay Varma Tamannaah Bhatia Relationship: Actor Vijay Varma and Tamannaah Bhatia are said to be involved in a romantic relationship. The news of them being head over heels for each other spread like wildfire after a kissing video from a New Year's Eve party went viral on the internet.

And now, it looks like the duo's dating rumours aren't settling down soon. Vijay's Dahaad co-star, actor Gulshan Devaiah, teased the actor a few weeks before during the series trailer launch. Videos showed Sonakshi Sinha and Gulshan Devaiah cracking Tamannaah jokes at Vijay, which went viral.

And now, post that Gulshan Devaiah, in a recent interview, opened up about their romance and confessed that he is not aware of the duo's relationship status. He neither denied nor confirmed their rumours; Gulshan said that there is something special between the two.

GULSHAN DEVAIAH ON VIJAY VARMA, TAMANNAAH BHATIA'S RELATIONSHIP RUMOURS

In a chat with Hindustan Times, Gulshan Devaiah addressed the viral moment and said, "Yes, I started the Tammanh joke and it went viral. He took it sportingly. We are friends and we respect each other a lot. I would never want to put him down. I knew I could tease him a little bit. It was well within the boundaries. It's not nearly close to how I would tease him in reality. (laughs)

Further, when asked if there was any truth to the reports of the actor's romance, Gulshan added, "I have no idea. I haven't even met her. I have seen just media reports and pictures of them together and started teasing. But by the looks of his, rather than me confirming, his face says something. Kuch toh hai. Kya hai exactly pata nahi (Something is there but what is it I don't know). They do look like they have very good chemistry. I'm sure that means something."

Lamba Haath Mara..: Netizens Mock Tamannaah Bhatia, Vijay Varma's Jodi As They Get Papped After Dinner Date

TAMANNAAH BHATIA ABOUT HER MARRIAGE SPECULATIONS

After a video of Tamannaah Bhatia and Vijay Varma kissing at a New Year's party in Goa went viral, speculation about the actors dating each other made the rounds on social media. The two were also seen together attending Diljit Dosanjh's concert in Mumbai, and they were also spotted leaving a restaurant a few weeks ago.

Talking about her marriage speculations to Hindustan Times in an interview, the actress stated that, "People are constantly getting me married to all kinds of people- from doctor to businessman! I feel I have already been married too many times, I don't know what will happen when I really get married! Will people be excited anymore? People will think it is another speculation."

We Have Done...: Tamannaah Bhatia FINALLY Reacts To Her Romance Rumours With Vijay Varma. Here's What She Said
Sunny Leone Cannes 2023: Bollywood actress Sunny Leone has reached Cannes for her debut. The stunning diva will soon be walking the red carpet at the prestigious film festival this year, as her movie Kennedy will be screened in the Midnight Screenings Section.

Note, Kennedy is directed by Anuraj Kashyap and also stars Rahul Bhat in the key role. The film will premiere on the French Riviera on May 24. Meanwhile, Sunny Leone made her first public appearance in the French city on Monday night and dropped some stunning photos in green.

SUNNY LEONE STUNS IN A SEXY GREEN HIGH-SLIT GOWN ON THE 1ST DAY OF HER CANNES DEBUT

Sunny shared a string of photographs from her first day at Cannes from press calls. She opted for a cut-out moss green satin maxi dress from the shelves of the clothing brand Maria Kokhia and was styled by Ilya Vanzato.

The outfit featured a one-shoulder design and a decolletage-revealing neckline. It had a billowy full-length sleeve, and the cut-out detailing showed off her toned midriff. The figure-hugging silhouette came with a thigh-high slit on the front and a floor-sweeping hemline.

Sunny Leone Gives Girl-Next-Door Vibes In Chic Style Crop Top & Trousers. See Pics

For accessories, Sunny picked embellished emerald green strappy high heels and ear studs. She chose an open wavy hairstyle with a centre part, subtle smokey eye shadow, kohl eyes, mascara-ladden lashes, glossy coral pink lipstick, feathered brows, and highlighted cheeks.

Sharing the pics, Sunny captioned her topics as: "Amazing first day @festivaldecannes doing interviews for #kennedy." Take a look here!

FANS REACT

Within no time, Sunny Leone's pictures from Cannes went viral, and fans have been praising the star for her look. One fan commented, "Ageing like fine wine," while another user wrote, "looks like baby doll." A third one said, "Simla mirch." Many others called her stunning and dropped fire and heart emojis.

SUNNY LEONE ABOUT WALKING CANNES RED CARPET

Sunny Leone, talking to Film Companion, said, "I have severe anxiety, meaning severe. It's not that I have not been on the red carpet before, I think it's (the pressure) because it is me and something much more. The feeling behind this particular film, the feeling that it's been chosen by such a prestigious group of juries and that it (Kennedy) made it and they appreciated it and said, 'Yes, we want your film to be a part of this festival.' It just means so much more."

Sunny Leone Is A Black Beauty In Shimmery Co-Ord Lehenga Set, Husband Daniel Weber Reacts Like This..
KKK 13: Bollywood sensation Daisy Shah has been setting hearts aflutter with her breathtaking beauty as she treats fans to candid pictures showcasing the mesmerizing landscapes of Cape Town. The talented actress is currently in the South African city shooting for the highly anticipated adventure reality show, Khatron Ke Khiladi 13, and she is undoubtedly emerging as the most stylish contestant on the show.

DAISY SHAH SET TO ROAR IN KHATRON KE KHILADI 13

Daisy's social media feeds have become a treasure trove for her followers, as she effortlessly captures the scenic views of Cape Town in her candid shots. Against the backdrop of awe-inspiring natural beauty, Daisy's radiant presence adds an extra layer of glamour to each frame. From majestic mountains to pristine beaches, she blends effortlessly with the picturesque surroundings, captivating the hearts of her fans.

Known for her impeccable fashion sense, Daisy is consistently raising the style quotient on Khatron ke Khiladi. Whether she's braving daring stunts or attending special events, the actress showcases her sartorial flair with grace and panache. Her wardrobe choices are a perfect amalgamation of comfort, elegance, and trendiness, making her the epitome of style on the show.

Daisy's fashion-forward looks have become the talk of the town, with fans eagerly awaiting her next appearance. No matter what outfit she wears, she effortlessly pulls off every ensemble, leaving everyone in awe of her impeccable style. Daisy has not only become a style icon but has also inspired her followers to experiment with their own fashion choices.

Aside from her stunning appearance, Daisy's fearless attitude and unwavering determination is sure to make her a standout contestant on Khatron ke Khiladi. Whether she'd be facing her deepest fears or pushing her limits in thrilling challenges, she's someone who would do it all with grace and a smile on her face.

As Daisy continues her adventure in Cape Town, she keeps raising the bar higher with her fashion game. Her charismatic presence and impeccable style have made her the most stylish actress on Khatron ke Khiladi. Her journey on the show is an inspiration to all, showcasing that one can be both fashionable and fearless.

With every candid picture Daisy shares, she reaffirms her status as the ultimate style diva of the show. Her elegance, combined with her adventurous spirit, make her an irresistible force. Daisy Shah's presence on Khatron ke Khiladi is a testament to her versatility and ability to captivate audiences with her stunning looks and charismatic personality.

In the world of adrenaline-pumping adventures and high-fashion glam, Daisy Shah reigns supreme, leaving everyone in awe of her stunning beauty and unbeatable style.
Mukesh

Producer/Actor/Singer
Shalu Peyad Opens Up Against Robin Radhakrishnan: The war of words between former friends Shalu and Robin is now common on social media.

A few days ago, when Robin was kicked out of the Bigg Boss house again, Shalu came up with a reaction. Shalu's reaction went viral.

Bigg Boss Malayalam Ex-Contestant Anoop Krishnan's Scathing Criticism: "What A Dirty System This Is"

Now Shalu Peyad is revealing the reason behind sharing the video of him apologising to Robin and his fiancee, Arati Podi. Shalu Peyad opened his mind in an interview given to Movie World Media.

"One morning, Arati Podi called me and said that she was afraid of Robin. She asked me if I could tell her something about him to hate. If a girl talks like this about a man whom she is engaged to, then there is some terrible issue. She understood that he was a fake." Shalu said.

'Robin Is A Psycho'

"This girl was acting in movies. But he asked her not to act in movies. Its screenshot has come out. She said she wanted to go into acting. He did not agree. That's how his inner psycho comes out."

" Robin said to her that if she acts, then he is leaving the place and will sell the flat and go to Thiruvananthapuram. She was heartbroken and came running to me. She arrived here on a flight that day. She told me she wanted to see me. I said okay. We agreed to meet at Kadavanthra at night. I was standing in front of the CCTV camera."

Bigg Boss Malayalam 5: Sruthi Reveals Why She Kissed Hubby Ewin In Public, Says 'It Was A Reply For...'

"We then met. At that time, he called me. I put the speaker on the phone. He told me that she was a fraud. And alleged many things against her. All this was heard by Arati through the speakers. She was crying. After this, they talked to each other."

"Not everyone is good. Every person will have something faulty in their character. I'm not very good either. I have never said I was good. They talked to each other in the morning. They are living together. They reached a mutual understanding. They will be safe if they make me a liar for saying this. And no one will believe what I say. But now everyone understands Robin's real character."

"They played such a drama so that the outside world would not know this story. At that time, I was working on the film Corona Papers. If they file a case against me alleging harassment against women, the police will come, and I will be in trouble. Therefore, there was no other way but to post an apology video. When I apologised, the panic attacks and torture stopped. But I got tired of it. That video was posted out of the situation then," Shalu Peyad said.
Setback For Unni Mukundan In Molestation Case: The Kerala High Court allows the trial in the sexual harassment complaint against actor Unni Mukundan to continue. The High Court rejected the plea filed by the actor seeking to stay the trial in the case.

Earlier, Unni Mukundan's lawyer, Saibi Jose, informed the court that the case had been settled. But the complainant denied this later. In this situation, the single bench stated that the court proceedings could continue.

Bigg Boss Malayalam 5: Jasmine Comes Out In Support Of Sobha: If She Cries, It Is For Sympathy, If She Yells..

The High Court pointed out that there is no need to quash the case, and the complainant has already made it clear that she is not ready to settle. Subsequently, the court directed the trial to continue after lifting the stay of the trial proceedings.

Unni Mukundan Also Filed Complaint Against The Woman:

The complaint of the woman from Kottayam was that he tried to molest her when she came to Unni Mukundan's flat. The incident took place when she reached the flat after being invited to tell the story of the film. The complainant had told the court that the actor was trying to defame and threaten her after the incident. The court then examined the complainant and two witnesses.

Kerala Film Critics Award 2022: Full Winners List: Kunchacko Boban Best Actor, Darshana Rajendran Best Actress

Unnimukundan has also filed a complaint against the woman. Unni Mukundan has alleged that the woman is lying and has threatened him. The actor's complaint is that the woman threatened to pay Rs 25 lakh to avoid getting caught in the case.

Unni Mukundan is currently on bail in the case. The woman complained that the incident took place on August 23, 2017. The woman lodged a complaint on September 15, 2017.
Cooku With Comali Pavithra Lakshmi Gets Emotional: Actress Pavithra Lakshmi, who became popular on the show Cooku with Komali, has released an emotional post about her mother's death.

Pavithra Lakshmi has said fervently that her mother has died due to ill health. In it, she talks about the hardship her mother had faced to raise.

Pavithra Lakshmi's Supermom Died

Actress Pavithra Lakshmi's mom, who raised her as a single mother since Pavithra's childhood, died suddenly seven days ago after suffering from health problems for the past five years.

Regarding this, Pavitra Lakshmi has shared pictures of her mother's hardships. Moreover, Pavithra shared a video of her mother having a tube in her nose when she was in the hospital due to poor health and expressed her sorrows with tears. Not only her fans but also many small screen celebrities are condoling Pavithra.

Pavithra said, "It's been 7 days. I am still trying to wrap my head around this. It's been a week since you left me papa. I still don't understand why you had to leave me so early. All that I can think now to console myself is that all those five years of struggle and pain and agony you faced will no longer be there in the place you are.

You Left Me With No Choice

You ve always been a supermom, super woman actually. To be a single parent wasn't an an easy job but you aced it all ways. I really really wish I can see you once talk to you once eat your food once. But u left me with no choice. All I can ask for now is be by my side always please. A million thanks to everyone who stood by my side as my chosen family during this, If not for you all I don't know what I would have done.

And Adithya you were her most favourite in her last days, she always chose you over me or anyone and Thank you for making her laugh on the days I failed, thanks to you and Vigneshkumar for being the sons she never had. She will forever keep blessing you both abundantly.."

Pugazh Consoles Pavithra

Actor Pugazh says "Pardon me Pavi I could not come to see Amma till the end. Benzy and I will be with you till the end of our life." Similarly, actress Manjima Mohan has expressed her condolences. Cooku with Comali celebrities like Shakti, Shruthika Arjun, Kuroshi and many other celebrities and actors continue to express their condolences. Pavithra Lakshmi is not only an actress but also a dancer, model and fashion designer.
Mysskin Accepts Copying From Other Films? Director Mysskin, who spoke about copying in Tamil film industry said that there are a lot of complaints against him. He also agrees the fact that he is repeating the same stories again and again.

'Aadharam' is an upcoming film produced by Pradeep Kumar and Asha Mydeen and directed by Kavitha, starring newcomers Ajith Vignesh and Pooja Shankar. The trailer release ceremony and press conference of the soon-to-be-released film was held recently in the presence of celebrities and the film crew.

Reason Behind Giving The Hat To Vishal In Thupparivalan

Speaking on the occasion, Director Mysskin said, "A journalist came to me asking some good content. I don't know what kind of content to give him. My sister Kavitha called me and said that if I come and speak in the fuction, it will go viral. Because I use to scold them something while talking at the stage and people can make it viral.

But Kavitha's address brought me here. I am a fan of his father TN Balu's films starting with Shankarlal. It was because of that film that I gave the hat to Vishal in Thupparivalan. Tamil cinema is accused of being a copy cat. There is a lot of accusation against me as well.

Only Six Stories

The whole world only has six stories and it is repeated. We are all repeating the same story over and over again. I see Kavitha as my daughter. She said 'This is my first film and I shot it in a few days'. She said that she is going to make the next film well. She should be commended for speaking the fact.

My first film was a seven-day failure. Then on the eighth day my film started running and became a success. Filmmaking should be learned from failure. I have only done a small character in Leo. I have just finished acting in Sivakarthikeyan film. This update is asked to me everywhere. So I said it myself. Everyone has worked really hard to make this film. I wish the film success."

This speech of director Mysskin is now being shared on social media by his fans.
MBABANE  Standard Bank Eswatini Limited staff is expected back at work today, after both parties agreed on a six per cent salary increment.

This follows that employees of the bank had voted for a strike action, which commenced yesterday. The employees from most of the banks branches picketed outside their workstation demanding a salary increment of 8.5 per cent across the board. It has been gathered that negotiations between the employees, represented by the Swaziland Union of Financial Institutions and Allied Workers (SUFIAW) started three months ago, and they had been at a deadlock since. Yesterday, both parties agreed on the six per cent salary increase.

Rejected

While the employees wanted their salaries increased by 8.5 per cent, the bank had tabled an offer of 5.2 per cent, which they had rejected until yesterday afternoon when they called off the strike to resume work today. SUFIAW Secretary General (SG) Jabu Shiba, in an interview yesterday, said the strike had helped the bank employees to get six per cent from their employer, instead of the 5.2 per cent. Shiba said after the agreement reached by both parties, the union decided to call off the strike. We started our negotiations in February 2023, by engaging the employer in demand of the salary increment, but we were not reaching any agreement. The matter was then referred to the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC), where both parties failed to reach any fruitful agreement, said Shiba. She said due the unresolved dispute at CMAC, the union then opted to sanction a strike, which happened yesterday morning.

According to Shiba, they received a letter on Sunday from the employer, calling them to a meeting, which was scheduled for yesterday morning. The SUFIAW SG said it was in that meeting where they ended up accepting the six per cent instead of the previous 5.2 per cent. Having the strike has helped us because the employer ended up giving us the six per cent, added Shiba. Thereon, she pleaded with all employers to always be sensitive to the issues affecting their staff. According to Shiba, employees never embarked on a strike due to excitement, but as a result of frustration.

Employers must also learn that issues that pertain to salaries, especially, must be dealt with as soon as possible. The reason is that the more you delay, this then leads to employees getting angry and things then reaches boiling point. It then becomes difficult even for the union itself to control its members once they become angry. That is the caution we have for employers, said Shiba. According to the memorandum of agreement between Standard Bank Eswatini Limited and SUFIAW, which was signed by both parties yesterday, it stated that the agreement would cover all employees falling within the bargaining unit of Standard Bank Eswatini Limited and they shall receive the six per cent on the basic salary as agreed upon. The agreement also stated that it shall come into effect from March 1, 2023 and expire on February 28, 2024. The memorandum of agreement states that the bank has offered a discretionary performance merit award as follows;



* Setting the example 1 per cent

* Right on track 0.85 per cent and

* Making progress 0.5 per cent.

The agreements further reads; Furthermore, the agreement constitutes the sole record of the agreement between the parties and no variation, addition or consensual cancellation shall be of any force and effect unless in writing and signed by both parties. Standard Bank Eswatini Head of Brand and Marketing, Sibusile Sigwane, said the bank had offered a competitive percentage increment during the negotiations between management and staff, led by their union SUFIAW. Sigwane said efforts towards a negotiated settlement at this stage were successful. The management of the bank wishes to extend sincere appreciation to all parties involved during the negotiations. We also express sincere apologies to our customers and the public at large for any inconvenience caused, she said. Despite the workers picketing outside their office in Mbabane, services provision was continuing, although it was slow as compared to normal days.
Suhasini's Reason On Kamal Haasan's Absence: Suhasini Maniratnam's explaination on Kamal Haasan's absence at Sarath Babu's funeral create strong debates not only at the film industry but also among netizens.

Actor Sarath Babu, who was undergoing treatment in Hyderabad due to ill health, passed away yesterday. His demise has caused great sadness among his fans. Actor Sarath Babu's last rites will be held in Chennai this afternoon.

Suhasini Paid Tribute To Sarath Babu

Actress Suhasini paid tributes to actor Sarath Babu and later met the media. Speaking then, she said, "He was in the hospital for the last 92 days. He was in Bangalore for the first 2 months. He was admitted to hospital due to fever. Doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with him at first. He was later diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

Later admitted to Hyderabad. He died unexpectedly yesterday. Chiranjeevi and I went there. The doctors said we will save him as much as possible.

Although he was originally from North India, his family settled in Andhra Pradesh. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, we celebrated him as a native of our town. He has acted mostly in Tamil. He is gentleman and always looks handsome. We have never seen an actor who can speak all languages like him. He was friendly with everyone including Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan.

Multiple myeloma is diagnosed at stage 4. He only eats vegetarian food. He exercised well. He got swelling in his leg. He lost weight. Not just actors. Everyone should consult a doctor if they have any of these symptoms.

Netizens React To Kamal Haasan's Absence

Chiranjeevi and Kamal Haasan could not come. Condolences were sent over phone. Kamal Haasan's companions are performing the last rites of Sarath Babu. Kamal Haasan is currently shooting for Indian 2 and he is in that particular make-up. He mentioned that he spoke over the phone as he could not come out with it."

This explanation from Suhasini Maniratnam about Kamal Haasan's absence has created a stir in Kollywood and Tollywood film circles. Netizens also started reacting after hearing such an explanation from Suhasini. Kamal fans comments "Kamal Haasan always give priority to shooting in such difficult situations. He did not attended his mentor K Balachander's funeral too due to the same reason."

On the other hand, a netizen said, "Kamal Haasan may be a legend in acting. But when it comes to paying tribute to fellow actors in film industry on their demise, he should change his policy and try to attend the funerals like Rajinikanth rather than tweeting just a condolence message in a confusing way without even confirming the death news."
Gautam Vig, who was seen in Bigg Boss 16, had quite an eventful journey on the popular reality show. From his rumoured affair with Soundarya Sharma to him forgoing the entire house's ration to get captaincy and more, Gautam did manage to make the headlines every now and then.

Besides his bond with fellow contestants also grabbed the eyeballs. Interestingly, Gauta also stole the limelight off late after there were reports about him dating co-contestant Tina Datta. This happened after he had shared a poster of his song Dooriyan teasing fans regarding the female lead. While reports about Gautam and Tina's hush-hush affair were abuzz, the Pinjara Khubsurti Ka actor stated had dismissed the news.

"Trollers and people are generally very interested in my personal life and who I am dating, and there was trolling happening that I was dating Tina, in some 700-800 comments, there were names of different girls, so this keeps happening," he had told Telly Chakkar.

Interestingly, Gautam and Tina's bond once again came to light after the handsome hunk was quizzed about meeting the Uttaran actress. This happened during an interactive Q&A session on social media wherein a fan asked him about his plans to meet Tina. To this, Gautam came up with a quick response and a condition. He stated, "Depends when we both free".

Talking about the work front, Gautam Vig is currently seen playing the lead role of Jordan in Junooniyatt which also stars Ankit Gupta and Neha Rana in the lead. It happens to be a musical drama and marks Gautam's first collaboration with his Bigg Boss 16 co-contestant Ankit Gupta. Besides, he will also be seen in Jubin Nautiyal's upcoming song Bewafa Se Pyaar Kiya with Riva Kishan. On the other hand, Tina Datta is working on Hum Rahe Na Rahe Hum opposite Jay Bhanushali.
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah Controversy: The popular sitcom, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chasmah has been hitting the headlines for quite some time now. Several actors in the show have opened up against the harassment and disrespectful behavior of the show makers.

Monika Bhadoriya, famous for essaying the role of Bawri in the show recently spoke about how her career was threatened. In the latest interview with News18, she made other shocking allegations about the work culture.

MONIKA BHADORIYA AKA BAWRI'S SHOCKING REVELATIONS ABOUT MUNMUN DUTTA

Monika Bhadoriya during a recent interview with the news portal revealed that Mummun Dutta who essays the role of Babita Ji in the sitcom has walked out of the sets several times after arguments with the makers. "Munmun hasn't left the show but she must be tortured and therefore she must not have come to the sets for a long time," said the actress.

She added, "When they torture a lot, people decide that they cannot return to work but then they call back and try to make things better. A lot of fights have happened with her (Munmun Dutta) too. She has also left the sets several times after arguments. She has not come to sets than for several days," the actress added.

MONIKA ACCUSED TMKOC MAKERS OF PAY DISPARITY

Monika went on to accuse the makers of the show of not treating female actors the same way as male actors, adding that females are not valued enough on the sets.

Monika said, "If a female actor is done with her shoot, they ask them to stay back. They try to finish the male actor's shoot first. Come what may, they do not value females there."

She also revealed that male actors are paid more than female actors even when the screen time for both is the same.

Monika argued that female members are abused on the sets. "I can never tell you what all they say. I can never use such dirty language," she added.

Earlier Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal and Priya Ahuja aka Rita Reporter have spoken out against the Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah makers.

ABOUT TAARAK MEHTA KA OOLTAH CHASHMAH CONTROVERSY

For the uninitiated, Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal, who essayed the famous Mrs. Sodhi on the show made sexual harassment allegations against producer Asit Modi. Her allegations were denied by the makers of the show who stated that they will take legal action against her.
FEELM Shares the Honor With Clients at This Year's Vapouround Awards, Winning Across Four Categories

FEELM, the world's leading closed system solution provider, belonging to SMOORE a global leader in atomisation technology solutions recently shone at the Vapouround 2023 annual awards ceremony in Birmingham last Friday, winning the Outstanding Contribution to the Vape Industry, and Best Manufacturer. Its client KIWI Go and DejaVoo Cyber also share the honor and won the first and second place of the "Best Disposable" categories respectively.

The Vapouround Awards are one of the most prestigious and authoritative annual awards for the global vaping industry. All winning brands are selected by a panel of professional judges and represent the outstanding performance of the past year in various segments of the industry. FEELM is not new to winning in the Vapouround Awards, with the brand having been awarded Industry Leader and Best Innovation in 2020.

FEELM has made notable achievements in the closed pod system category, with around 3.5 billion pods sold to more than 50 countries since 2018. Its disposable ceramic coil technologies have also already been launched in key markets including France, the UK, and Belgium, and will soon be available more widely in more countries.

FEELM has been dedicated to embracing innovations with the aim of taking the industry standard to new heights. While most of the 2ml e-liquid disposable products provide only 600 puffs, FEELM Max solutions can now deliver 800 puffs, all whilst remaining TPD-compliant.

At the Birmingham Vaper Expo, on the Saturday at its launch event, FEELM unveiled its new innovative disposable solution, FEELM Max, with the advanced heating technology of its S1 ceramic coil. FEELM Max offers more puffs, greater taste consistency, and a fully visible mouthpiece to measure e-liquid, making it the best disposable available whilst still ensuring regulatory compliance with the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations (TRPR) in the UK and the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) in the EU.

FEELM Max is now available in markets including the UK, Italy and Germany, and have been well-received by consumers, who have said that it feels silkier and smoother than other products.

We look forward to continuing to bring our FEELM Max technology to more consumers, whilst ensuring that our solutions are always compliant with the regulatory requirements where they are sold.

About FEELM

As a flagship tech brand belonging to SMOORE, FEELM is the world's leading closed vape system solution provider. Based on the world's leading Ceramic Coil Heating Technology, FEELM combines authentic Flavor Reproduction Technology with innovative electronics technology, bringing ultimate sensation and premium vaping experience.

About SMOORE

Founded in 2009, SMOORE is a global leader in atomization technology solutions, covering reduced-risk products, medical, pharmaceutical, and beauty atomization technologies. With inter-disciplinary atomization research and a diverse product portfolio, SMOORE is committed to becoming an advanced platform, aspired to make life better.

With continuous R&D investment and leading manufacturing capacity, SMOORE has 14 technology research centers worldwide and products are available in more than 50 countries and regions. SMOORE announced IPO in Hong Kong on July 10, 2020.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230516006108/en/

Contacts:

Claudia Liu

86 13974468623

mengmeng.liu@smooretech.com
Tap Global Group Plc - Appointment of Chairman and Award of Options

23 May 2023

Tap Global Group Plc

("Tap" or the "Company")

Appointment of Chairman

&

Award of Options

Leading Financial Technology and Payments Executive David Hunter Joins Tap as Chairman

Tap Global Group Plc (AQSE: TAP), the regulated crypto app bridging the gap between traditional finance and blockchain technology, is pleased to announce the appointment of David Hunter as Non-Executive Chairman with effect from 1 June 2023. Current Non-Executive Chairman, John Taylor, will remain on the Company's board as a Non-Executive Director.

David is an experienced executive with a track record of building and leading disruptive financial services businesses into profitability and sustained growth. Becoming Director of BT's ePayments division in 2002, he possesses over 20 years of senior and executive experience in financial services and payments. Throughout his career, David has placed a strong emphasis on innovation, regulatory compliance and commercial growth.

After seven years at BT, latterly as Managing Director of Click and Buy Europe, in 2008 David became CEO of Paysafecard UK. In 2010, he became CEO of e-payments business, Ukash overseeing its pivot to profitability, four consecutive Queen's Enterprise Awards and its eventual sale to international private equity business, CVC Partners. Following the sale, David served as Chairman of several high-growth financial services businesses, including regulatory technology start-up W2 and Banking-as-a-Service platform, Pannovate. David has spent nearly 10 years on the board of The Payments Association, most recently as Chairman.

At Tap, David will work alongside the board and directly with David Carr, Group CEO, Arsen Torosian, Group CSO and Kriya Patel, CEO designate of Tap Global Limited to oversee the business to profitability and sustainable growth, building on the Company's momentum since listing both in terms of user growth and breadth of offering. He will also sit on the Remuneration and Audit Committees.

Further information on David John Hunter (Aged: 57)

Current Directorships Past Directorships (within the last 5 years) IMPACT CATALYST LTD Choice International Limited Helicity Limited Emerging Payments Ventures limited Emerging Payments Limited Parallel Payments UK LTD Pannovate Limited Andromeda Bridge Corporation Limited KWI Group LTD Change Account Limited Mediaform Limited W2 Global Data Solutions LTD Shopalot LTD

There is no further information regarding David John Hunter, that is required to be disclosed pursuant to Rule 4.9 of the AQSE Growth Market Access Rulebook.

David John Hunter currently holds no ordinary shares and no options in Tap.

Grant of Long-Term Incentive Plan Options ("LTIP Options")

Tap has agreed to grant certain LTIP Options to David Hunter following his commencement of employment. He will receive 500,000 LTIP Options which will vest on achievement of the Milestone 1 Revenue targets. Once vested these will be exercisable at a price of 4.5p per option. In addition, he will receive 500,000 Milestone 2 LTIP options which will be exercisable at the nominal share price.

As announced previously (Admission Document 16 December 2022) the Milestone Revenue targets are:

Milestone 1 - 4.2m of revenue at 30 June 2024

Milestone 2 - 8m of revenue at 30 June 2024

David Carr, Chief Executive Officer of Tap, commented:

"David Hunter is a titan of the payments industry whom collectively we have known for many years. I am delighted he has agreed to join Tap as Chairman. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our business and will be a tremendous asset to the team. I am confident that David will help us build on the success Tap has experienced during its early life as a publicly traded company.

Following the appointment of Kriya Patel as CEO of the operating business we believe that Tap now possesses a world-beating team to continue our rapid acceleration and growth in an environment that will be dominated by regulated operators demonstrating keen Corporate Governance and a focus on delivering customers a trusted platform."

David Hunter, Chairman designate of Tap, said:

"I am delighted to be joining Tap at such an exciting time in its growth. The Company has approached and weathered the considerable challenges in the wider crypto and payments environments in exactly the right way and as a result is primed to expand both geographically and commercially. Working alongside Kriya and the board to ensure this growth is executed in the most optimal way will be my strategic priority from day one, and I look forward to getting started in June."

The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement.

Enquiries:

Tap Global Group Plc

David Carr, Chief Executive Officer Via Vigo Consulting

Peterhouse Capital Limited (AQSE Growth Market Corporate Advisor)

Guy Miller/Narisha Ragoonanthun +44 (0)20 220 9795 Vigo Consulting (Investor Relations)

Ben Simons / Charlie Neish +44 (0)20 7390 0230

tapglobal@vigoconsulting.com

About Tap Global

Tap is a fully regulated cryptocurrency app bridging the gap between traditional finance and blockchain technology.

Through a single app, Tap's over 140,000 users can access several major cryptocurrency exchanges and, utilising Tap's proprietary Artificial Intelligence middleware, customers benefit from best-execution and pricing in real time. Through the Tap card, users can also convert their cryptocurrencies to fiat to spend at more than 37 million merchant locations worldwide.

Tap is one of only a handful of unified solutions operators fully regulated to provide distributed ledger technology services and was the first cryptocurrency FinTech company approved by Mastercard in Europe.

Learn more: www.withtap.com
STACK Americas' event nearly doubled in size while STACK EMEA hosted its first summit, empowering women in the data center industry around the globe

DENVER, May 23, 2023("STACK"), the digital infrastructure partner to the world's most innovative companies and a leading global developer and operator of data centers, and IPI Partners, a global investment platform, augmented their annual Women's Leadership Summit, now in its second year. This year, the event expanded globally, with the STACK Americas gathering held in Chicago on May 16-17 and an inaugural STACK EMEA launch held in Milan on May 10. Women from STACK, IPI Partners, and their affiliates across different regions, backgrounds, and roles participated in the summit, which featured sessions on empowerment, professional development, leadership, industry trends, and networking.



"Our vision for the Women's Leadership Summit was to continue to build momentum and expand our reach after last year's success," said Heather Paduck, Chief Financial Officer of STACK Americas. "We are thrilled that the Americas' attendance flourished from 50 women in 2022 to approximately 100 people in 2023 and is a testament to our commitment to grow the women on our teams. It is equally exciting that STACK EMEA has taken on this initiative and held its inaugural launch. We are thrilled to continue to build on this event, which presents a great opportunity for STACK and IPI to further engage with women leaders across our clients and investors."

"Last year's gathering was a great roadmap for this second edition, where we had the opportunity to further refine content and networking objectives appropriate for women of all levels and positions," said Lauren Sullivan, Director at IPI Partners. "We are proud to be growing this initiative and have raised the bar on what we strive to accomplish next year."

In Chicago, the summit began at one of STACK's flagship data centers, followed by panel discussions, interactive team-building exercises, and a keynote speech from research psychologist and award-winning professor Alison Fragale on challenges and strategies for women in negotiation. Milan's event featured keynote speaker Anne Foster, Senior Director and Global Head of ESG at Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, alongside sessions and activities focused on fostering professional development, momentum, and frameworks for work-life balance.

"It was inspiring to witness the excitement of the first Women's Leadership Summit in our region," said John Eland, Chief Executive Officer of STACK EMEA. "Providing the tools and connections that enable personal and professional success are foundational components of our continued commitment to supporting the equity, inclusion, and empowerment of women in their data center careers."

STACK and IPI Partners are committed to ongoing DE&I initiatives that elevate women and diverse perspectives in the industry. Both STACK and IPI have Women in Data Center groups focused on recruiting, developing, and advancing women in their professional careers as well as mentorship programs to support employees from underrepresented groups at all levels of the organizations. Other approaches include an enhanced recruitment referral program for female hires and a year-long, full-time, paid apprenticeship that targets candidates of all backgrounds with little to no data center experience to train as Critical Operations Technicians with the opportunity to be placed in a permanent role upon completion of the apprenticeship. The Women's Leadership Summit is another example of STACK and IPI's commitment to promoting diversity within the data center industry.

ABOUT STACK INFRASTRUCTURE

STACK provides digital infrastructure to scale the world's most innovative companies. With a client-first approach, STACK delivers a comprehensive suite of campus, build-to-suit, colocation, and powered shell solutions in the Americas, EMEA and APAC regions. With robust existing and flexible expansion capacity in the leading availability zones, STACK offers the scale and geographic reach that rapidly growing hyperscale and enterprise companies need. The world runs on data. And data runs on STACK. For more information about STACK, please visit: www.stackinfra.com .

Media Contacts

Sammer Khalaf

press@stackinfra.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/27bec844-ed70-405a-b873-20233d1a37a9.
SANTA CLARA, CA, May 23, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi Vantara, the modern infrastructure, data management and digital solutions subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), today announced that the Arizona Department of Water Resources has selected Hitachi Vantara's Pentaho Data Catalog to centralize, categorize, sort and analyze trusted data across 330,000 distributed water resources in the state. The solution is part of the State of Arizona's efforts to bolster sustainability and resource management and secure the future of water for the Grand Canyon State's 7 million residents amid the broader water supply challenges facing the Southwest.To effectively manage Arizona's water supply, the Department of Water Resources collects, stores and conducts analysis on reported water uses of nearly 6 trillion gallons per year across thousands of wells and surface water sources. By analyzing data against records of geolocation coordinates, depth to water and uses, the agency is better equipped to establish the adjudication of water rights with trusted, accurate data. Without a metadata repository, staff had difficulty finding important data sets, leading the organization to focus on automating data quality to support its staff and resources. Considering the ongoing drought and reduced water supply from the Colorado River, having a data-driven approach to water management is absolutely crucial.Hitachi Vantara's Pentaho Data Catalog provides intelligent data discovery, classification and visualization of relationships, allowing the department to use machine learning and automation to recognize different structured data types, including geospatial data. Hitachi Vantara's technology enabled the Arizona Department of Water Resources to employ machine learning algorithms to sample legacy records at scale, generate accompanying metadata and categorize that data by key relationships. The Hitachi Vantara Pentaho Data Catalog makes all that visible via an easy-to-use, integrated and centralized dashboard. As a result, the department can now understand, integrate and analyze its unique and critical data sets to meet the needs of Arizona's water users, planners and decision makers."We're excited about Hitachi Vantara's Data Catalog. All we need to do is type in 'well,' and this Hitachi Vantara solution delivers an accurate, comprehensive report of hundreds of instances of that data element in our transactional databases, data warehouse and document management system, and spatial data is ready for export. It is saving us so much time," said Lisa Williams, manager, Office of Enterprise Data Management at the State of Arizona's Department of Water Resources. "Having a centralized metadata repository enables our staff and consultants to quickly understand that data, and its complete lineage so we know the provenance of the data. It also frees up time for our people to analyze and manage groundwater conditions.""Helping the planet and improving business operations go hand-in-hand. In both cases, data is the underlying key to success," said Maggie Laird, head of Lumada Software business and corporate sustainability, Hitachi Vantara. "With natural water supplies at their lowest levels in decades, having an accurate view of data helps the State of Arizona better protect, conserve and enhance water supplies in a bold, thoughtful and innovative manner."Hitachi Vantara helps customers achieve sustainability benchmarks by harnessing data for improved insights and more efficient operations, including helping South African Information and Communications Technology company Gijima reduce energy consumption by more than 60%, enabling German manufacturer Blechwarenfabrik Limburg GmbH to save more than half a million euros in energy costs, and empowering Australia's Golden Grove Nursery to improve its irrigation practices by 30%.Additional Resources- Case Study: The State of Arizona Manages Water Resources More Sustainably WithHitachi Vantara's Pentaho Data Catalog (bit.ly/45qgffF)- Webcast: State of Arizona Accelerates Trusted Data Discovery with Lumada Data Catalog (bit.ly/45mFzmT)- Hitachi Vantara Sustainability Solutions (www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/solutions/sustainability.html)- Blog: DataOps and the Sustainable Data Center (www.hitachivantara.com/blog/dataops-sustainable-data-center/)- Pentaho Data Catalog Overview Video (www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/resources.html)- Hitachi Vantara: Corporate Social Responsibility (www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/company/corporate-social-responsibility.html)About Hitachi VantaraHitachi Vantara, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., delivers the intelligent data platforms, infrastructure systems, and digital expertise that supports more than 80% of the Fortune 100. To learn how Hitachi Vantara turns businesses from data-rich to data-driven through agile digital processes, products, and experiences, visit www.hitachivantara.com.About Hitachi, Ltd.Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the business structure of "Digital Systems & Services" - supporting our customers' digital transformation; "Green Energy & Mobility" - contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and "Connective Industries" - connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2022 (ended March 31, 2023) totaled 10,881.1 billion yen, with 696 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at www.hitachi.com.Source: Hitachi, Ltd.Copyright 2023 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
International veterinary medicine group Dechra and ILC Therapeutics to develop ILC's Caniferon product to treat atopic dermatitis in dogs

Atopic dermatitis is the most common form of eczema affecting humans and canines

Scottish biotech ILC Therapeutics has signed a R&D partnership with Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC which will see international veterinary group Dechra and ILC Therapeutics develop ILC's Caniferon product to treat atopic dermatitis in dogs. Atopic dermatitis is the most common form of eczema affecting humans and canines, with the global canine market for atopic dermatitis exceeding $1bn.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005576/en/

Scottish biotech ILC Therapeutics has signed a R&D partnership with Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC (Photo: Business Wire)

Dechra is a global specialist in veterinary pharmaceuticals and related products. The company's expertise is in the development, manufacture, marketing and sales of high quality veterinary endocrinology and topical dermatology products for veterinarians worldwide. The veterinary medicine group that is listed on the London Stock Exchange reported revenue of 681.8 million in its latest financial year, and employs almost two thousand people.

Dr Alan Walker, CEO of ILC Therapeutics, said: "While ILC's main focus to date has been around human health, the partnership with Dechra is a validation of our technology and the potential to develop products in the animal health market. The industry as a whole has experienced a pandemic-driven increase in pet ownership and pet care, and we see considerable growth prospects for the product."

Ian Page, Dechra's Chief Executive Officer commented: "We are pleased to enter into this research agreement in a therapeutic sector of the market which is a key area of focus for Dechra. Although at a relatively early stage of research, we see real possibilities for the technology to lead to a full development programme to add to our exciting pipeline."

About ILC Therapeutics

Alfacyte, ILC Therapeutics's lead hybrid interferon drug, is currently in development as an antiviral medicine for the treatment of upper respiratory tract viral infections including SARS-CoV-2 which causes Covid-19.

About Dechra

Dechra is a global specialist veterinary pharmaceuticals and related products business. The group's expertise is in the development, manufacture, and sales and marketing of high quality products exclusively for veterinarians worldwide. For more information, please visit www.Dechra.com.

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Nick Freer

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ZAGREB, Croatia, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Adria Dental Group, the largest dental group in Central and Southeastern Europe, has finalized investment in dental clinic Dentex from Zadar.





Dentex is the market leader in the area of Zadar and northern Dalmatia, it employs 42 people and has 13 modernly equipped practices with its own dental laboratory.

"We are glad that Adria Dental Group recognized Dentex as a partner that follows the Group's high standards and will further strengthen its position on the market of dental services in Croatia. With more than 20 years of experience in the development of dental medicine, we have positioned our clinic as a leader in the area of northern Dalmatia, and joining Adria Dental Group will enable us to further develop both our business operations and our staff," said Damir Zekic, DMD, PhD, Founder and CEO of Dentex.

Adria Dental Group now has a network of 8 clinics, 6 dental laboratories, more than 90 modernly equipped dental practices with over 500 employees, including over 200 specialists in dental medicine, with annual revenue of above EUR 40 million. The Group has treated more than 300,000 patients.

"We are looking forward to Dentex joining the Group, as it will further strengthen our Group's presence throughout Croatia. Dentex started 20 years ago with only 3 employees and has been growing continuously since then thanks to their insistence on providing the highest quality of service. And the highest quality of service is the foundation of Adria Dental Group because we believe that only satisfied clients guarantee a quality market position and long-term sustainability", said Gordan Muskic, President of the Adria Dental Group Management Board.

"At Adria Dental Group, we use state-of-the-art equipment in all fields of dental care, and we continuously raise the standards on the domestic market. The health of our patients and their satisfaction with their smiles is our main priority, emphasized Andrija Petar Bosnjak, DMD, PhD, Periodontologist, Chief Dental Officer at Adria Dental Group.

Provectus Capital Partners (PCP), an investment company based in Zagreb, has established the largest private equity fund in the Adria region, which is the owner of Adria Dental Group.

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ProNES brings specialized battery test and quality expertise to Averna.

MONTREAL, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Averna, the leading global Test & Quality Solutions provider, announced today they have acquired the German company ProNES Automation GmbH. ProNES has been helping manufacturers efficiently produce better products for over 20 years. In this time, they have developed hundreds of customized automated quality solutions as well as their flexible test platform, batterieinspektor. ProNES' current owner and CEO Jochen Weber will join the leadership team and oversee Averna sales and operations in Germany from the Landau office.

"We are proud to welcome ProNES' customers and employees while providing our customers with additional solutions and a localized presence in Germany." said Francois Rainville, Averna's President and CEO. "Jochen and the entire ProNES team have achieved truly impressive successes in automation and smart manufacturing within the test engineering and battery test markets. We are excited to add their expertise to support the growing number of global battery manufacturers and expand their reach with Averna's capacity."

The global battery manufacturing equipment market is projected to grow to around $31 billion USD by 2030, at an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.63% from this year. The demand for lithium-ion batteries is increasing for several reasons, including the increase of electric vehicles and the growing demand for energy storage.

By adding a new office in Landau, Averna is well positioned to provide their range of innovative automated test, vision inspection and precision assembly solutions to their German clients. With an extensive history of medical device, life science and pharma packaging test and validation, this new location is perfectly situated to serve Germany's notable medical technology community.

According to Jochen Weber, "As the CEO/founder of ProNES, my priority has always been to serve our customers and provide them with the best possible experience. Joining forces with Averna will enable us to better serve our customers worldwide and offer them an even broader range of test solutions. I am also convinced that it will bring our employees more opportunities to learn, grow, and advance their careers. I am excited about the future and the opportunities that this partnership will bring."

Averna's main shareholders Walter Capital Partners, Investissement Quebec and W Investments Group LP, participated in the negotiation of this acquisition. This investment is consistent with their objective to further the international expansion of high-performing Quebec companies.

For more information on Averna, please visit their website.

About Averna

As a global Test & Quality Solution integrator, Averna partners with product designers, developers, and OEMs to help them achieve higher product quality, accelerate time to market and protect their brands. Founded in 1999, Averna offers specialized expertise and innovative test, vision inspection, precision assembly and automated solutions that deliver substantial technical, financial and market benefits for clients in the medical devices & life sciences, consumer products, automotive/transport, industrials, telecom and other industries. Averna has offices around the world, numerous industry certifications such as ISO 9001:2015, ITAR registration, and is partnered with NI, Eclipse Automation, PI, Keysight Technologies and JOT Automation. www.averna.com

 Copyright 2023 Averna. All rights reserved. Information subject to change without notice. Averna is a trademark of Averna Technologies Inc.









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LAVUMISA  There was a mad rush to get to the Nazareth Church leader and receive blessings.

Residents of neighbouring communities around Lavumisa Border Gate, where the church leader came through into the kingdom, did all possible to get his attention, with the hope that he would pray and bless them. The residents, most of whom are members of the same church, which is also known as Shembe, brought their children and informed the church leader, Unyazi Lwezulu, about their sicknesses, immediately after he had crossed the border and he had a moment to greet his congregants. Unyazi Lwezulu arrived around 11am at Lavumisa Border Gate. It is worth noting that the leader was setting foot in Eswatini for the first time since he assumed the leadership position. He will be in the country for the two-week festival, which will be held at Esabelweni at Mahlanya.

Convoy

Upon arrival, the leader had a convoy of over 50 cars, including those of congregants from South Africa (SA) who will be joining the same festival. Some congregants were on board Toyota Quantums and Sprinters. The actual number of the congregants could not be immediately ascertained. There were congregants who came from SA just to accompany their leader until he reached the border gate. At the border, they sang and danced outside, while their leader was busy with immigration officers. Having completed the immigration process, he stepped out to address the congregants, who, when he showed up, went down on their knees and started shouting; Amen, moy oyingcwele. After every sentence the leader would say, the congregants would shout the same phrase of praise towards their leader.

Briefly, the leader told the congregants that he was headed to Eswatini and that they were supposed to have hope. Do not lose hope, stay alert, if God so wishes, we will see each other again, he said. He further wished that God bless them. Upon arrival on the Eswatini side, the Nazareth Church leader lowered the front passenger window and remained in the car as congregants approached on their knees with their sick children. They would first put money in a container before stating their challenges and prayer requests, after which Unyazi Lwezulu would respond to each one of them. One was heard, after putting the money in a crafted wooven dish, that she wished for her child who had difficulties walking to get healed and grow like other children. In response, the leader would tell them their prayers had been heard. Others came to report their own sicknesses, requesting for jobs, their childrens successes and financial breakthroughs. Unyazi Lwezulu would also respond by saying; God bless you to others.

Some of the congregants came with petroleum jelly, which was given to the assistants who would take it into the car and later hand it back. It could not be established what was done to the petroleum jelly but speculation was that the Shembe leader had blessed it. Also, some brought water and they would have it mixed with water that had come with the leader. Unyazi Lwezulu later stepped out of the car for a few minutes on the Eswatini side of the border and told the congregants that God would bless them, after which he went back into his car and left. Even along the way to Big Bend, there were believers who were kneeling by the roadside as the convoy passed through, lifting their hands and shouting; Moy oyingcwele .

The leader was received by Shiselweni Regional Secretary Mzwandile Mthethwa, as well the Lavumisa Town Board mayor and Lavumisa Police Station commander, among others.
HONG KONG, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As a leading insurance company with a full license and an important participant in the national multi-level social security system, China Pacific Insurance Group (CPIC or the Group) formulated a five-year plan for the development of the health industry as early as August 2020, clarifying its development goals.

Over the past three years, CPIC has responded to changes and actively promoted its health industry strategy, achieving significant results in various aspects such as concepts, mechanisms, management, and product services. Based on its existing experience and innovative achievements, on May 20th, the Group held a press conference on the health industry strategic action plan and officially released the "352" health service blueprint to the public for the first time, outlining a bright future for the "Healthy Life, CPIC Action" initiative and taking an important step towards the construction of "Healthy China".

To support the construction of a multi-level healthcare security system and enhance sustainable development resilience

With the aim of serving the people's better lives and enhancing its value creation capability, CPIC adheres to the principle of putting the people first. It fully leverages its core business advantages, strengthens its insurance payment services, nurtures its service capabilities, and invests in the upstream and downstream of the health industry to build a new ecosystem of "insurance + health". Currently, the Group has built a comprehensive health and wellness service system covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and elderly care. This system has the long-term capacity to provide high-quality, integrated services that are continuously optimized.

Starting with strengthening health security, CPIC actively participates in the construction of the social security system and enhances its health product and service supply capabilities. As of the end of 2022, the Group has implemented various medical insurance cooperation projects covering 32 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions, serving more than 160 million insured persons; its "Hui Min Bao" project covers 15 provinces and over 90 cities, serving 53 million insured persons; it has implemented over 60 critical illness insurance projects, covering over 100 million insured persons; its property insurance long-term care insurance service covers 43.5 million insured persons, and its life insurance long-term care insurance service covers 50 million insured persons, with more than 4.2 million claims paid and over 2 billion yuan paid out in claims.

In 2022, CPIC's health insurance premium income reached nearly RMB 77 billion, an increase of nearly 25% compared to the end of 2019. Its growth rate has been higher than the average of its major competitors for three consecutive years. The number of users of its health services increased by 150% compared to the previous year, and its customer experience is leading in the industry. The sustainable development resilience in the health industry continues to show, further consolidating the foundation for future development.

A rich layout in the health service industry and comprehensive services for the construction of "Healthy China"

According to the development direction of its health industry strategy, CPIC has established multiple service brands in the health management field, such as "CPIC Home", "CPIC Blue Passport", "CPIC Family Doctor", and "YUANSHEN Rehabilitation". Through these brands, the Group has initially established service supply capabilities covering the entire customer life cycle and forged industry-leading customer experiences. At the same time, the Group has also expanded its asset-side layout in the health industry chain, further empowering its core business through the investment and construction of health industry funds, and discovering and forging new growth drivers.

Among them, after five years of development, CPIC Home has completed the national framework layout of high-value assets in the east, south, west, north, and central regions. It has landed 13 CPIC Home retirement communities in 11 cities, and is planning to add 2-3 more projects in the coming years. Ultimately, it will form a complete system of retirement products that integrates health care, happiness, and comfort to meet the retirement needs of people of all ages. On the basis of completing the framework layout of high-value asset retirement projects, CPIC Home plans to continue iterating and upgrading to create a "3+2+X" full-scenario retirement experience.

CPIC Family Doctor has built a professional home medical service system, with a service team of nearly a thousand "in-house doctors + external experts". The doctors have an average of 10 years of clinical experience and have provided professional and convenient medical and health services to more than 5 million users. The latest release from CPIC Family Doctor, the digital health file, is a core highlight of its home doctor 2.0 upgrade. It will become a panoramic information view of personal health records, providing decision-making basis for precision medicine and data support for health management.

In addition, CPIC Blue Charity focuses on the elderly and children, and has accumulated experience in caring for cognitive impairment and autism through public welfare practices. It has built two public welfare service systems, "Guarding Memory, Guarding Love" and "Star Anxin Autism Care", and has initially formed innovative projects and characteristic cases that can be replicated and promoted across the country, striving to create a new ecosystem of health charity. The "YUANSHEN Rehabilitation" service brand established in 2022 will start from Shanghai and plan to build a self-owned service network of 10 rehabilitation hospitals, 20 clinics, and over 3,000 beds in core cities within five years through self-construction, mergers and acquisitions, and cooperation, building a service ecosystem of insurance + elderly care + rehabilitation.

The "Big Health" strategy is the top strategy among the three major strategies of "Big Health", "Big Region", and "Big Data. Based on the present, the Group will take serving the country's greater good and serving a better life as its responsibility, adhere to its values, believe in the long-term, and continue to make progress. It will spare no effort in building a new highland for high-quality development towards the future, and opening a new chapter in serving the multi-level social security system and the construction of "Healthy China".

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Money20/20, the world's leading fintech show, regarded as the place where money does business, today announced the finalists for its highly anticipated pitch battle, Europe's Got Access, showcasing the most innovative and eco-conscious climate fintech startups across Europe.

Building on the success of America's Got Access, launched at Money20/20 USA in 2022, Europe's Got Access presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for startups to demonstrate their greenest and most groundbreaking products and services. The finalists will have the chance to compete live on the Encore stage at Money20/20 Europe, taking place at RAI Amsterdam on 6-8 June.

The winner of Europe's Got Access, which will not only earn a prestigious title but also walk away with a game-changing $100,000 USD (uncapped SAFE note) from Commerce Ventures, will be announced on Wednesday, 7 June at 17:00 CET.

Dan Rosen, Founder General Partner at Commerce Ventures: "As a thematic investor in financial services innovations, we're excited to meet some of the brightest entrepreneurs who are building at the intersection of climate and fintech. Our hope is to invest in high-growth companies that also help make the world better; we're excited to meet the finalists at Money 20/20 EGA who are turning this into a reality."

Scarlett Sieber, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer at Money20/20, said: "Europe's Got Access has been designed to give climate champions and fintech innovators a platform to unite and create a greener financial future. This is very much at the core of what Money20/20 stands for, as the place where the industry's boldest and brightest voices delve into the challenges we're facing now and shape together what comes next for the money ecosystem in Europe and beyond."

Katherine Brown, Head of Inclusive Impact Sustainability at Visa Europe, said: "There are many fintechs innovating at speed to support net zero carbon emissions targets, and payments networks have a crucial role to play in facilitating this transition. For this work to be realised at scale, they need a partner that can support them on their environmental journey, and Visa has worked with hundreds of businesses globally of all shapes and sizes who are benefitting through our open network. I was encouraged by the quality on show within the programme, and I congratulate the winners of Money20/20 Europe's Got Access who shone through on this occasion."

Pitching live on stage at Money20/20 Europe will be the following climate champions:

Samantha Duncan, Founder CEO of Net Purpose: "We are the platform for sustainable and impact investors. We provide facts on companies and investment portfolios so investors can effortlessly measure their environmental performance just as they do their investment returns. We can't wait to be at Money20/20 to tell you what we're up to and make this moment matter."

Klas Klaas, Co-founder at Clima Cash: "We have created Clima Cash to unlock the potential of every individual in the fight against climate change. Today people still think that acting green is costly and difficult we want to change that by paying real rewards to anyone reducing their own carbon footprint."

Fredrik Billing, CEO of at Eljun: "We believe everybody would choose fossil-free mobility if it was easy and free. This is why we aim to become a global player to facilitate eMobility payments. With a large network of partners, we can financially incentivise end-customers to travel more sustainably."

Beltran Berrocal, Co-founder CEO of ZeroLabs: "The world, the markets and governments require that the financial industry steps up to become more sustainable and prove it. We provide digital renewable energy as a service making it super simple for anyone, businesses and individuals, anywhere in the world, to buy renewable energy and prove it. We're excited to be part of Europe's Got Access and show how fintechs can easily turn the regulatory headache into a business opportunity."

Gustaf Anselmsson, Co-Founder CEO of Gokind: "We're changing the world of financing by providing actionable sustainability and diversity data to banks, investors, and consumers, empowering informed decision-making and promoting responsible consumption and investment. We would like everyone in the Money20/20 ecosystem to join us in creating a new climate-friendly and diverse financial environment."

The distinguished panel of judges for Europe's Got Access includes:

Scarlett Sieber, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, Money20/20

Dan Rosen, Founding Partner, Commerce Ventures

Katherine Brown, Head of Sustainability, Visa

Liz Rich, Head of Strategy and Corporate Development, Bloomberg News

ENDS

About Money20/20

Founded in 2011, Money20/20 creates destination shows where the most innovative people in payments, fintech and the broader financial services industry connect. Famed for their high-impact networking, the Europe edition, held in Amsterdam (6-8 June 2023) and the USA edition, held in Las Vegas (22-25 October 2023), are regarded as the place where money does business by financial services professionals. Money20/20 today officially launched an Asia edition in Bangkok on 23-25 April 2024. Money20/20 is the space where the industry's smartest visionaries and innovators come together to create the future of money. Visit Money20/20's Asia site here. Money20/20 is an Ascential show. Follow Money20/20 on Twitter and LinkedIn for show developments and updates.

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Tina Loncaric

Global Head of Public Relations

Money20/20

E: tina@money2020.com

M: +1 469 288 5556
NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lifestyle retailer MINISO (NYSE: MNSO; HKEX: 9896) officially opened its new global flagship store at New York's iconic Times Square on Friday, May 19 (EST). Marking a major milestone in the brand's history, the new store brings MINISO's signature joyful attitude and fun, affordable, well-designed products straight to the heart of one of the world's most famous shopping districts.





Located on the first floor of 5 Times Square, the new flagship has a bright and clean look, with the eye being drawn to MINISO's licensed collections with some of the world's best-known intellectual property owners. From Sanrio to We Bare Bears, the licensed collections are just some of the 2,500 products on offer in the new store, laid out across ten dedicated product zones. Besides licensed collections, the zones also include blind box collectibles, toys, plushies, fragrances, accessories, makeup tools, snacks, electronics as well as gifts & stationery.

"We're delighted to be opening our new flagship store here at Times Square," said Jack Ye, Founder and CEO of MINISO, at the grand opening event. "Establishing a presence in one of the world's most recognizable commercial and culture destinations allows us to effectively reach new audiences on a daily basis, introducing our fun, quality products to the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers and tourists who pass through these streets every single day."

On the store's opening day, passersby were drawn in by a party atmosphere and the store's attractive window displays, featuring beloved Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse and Toy Story, alongside other famous licensed characters. Visitors to the store were invited to take part in the celebration, with giveaways and raffle draws giving shoppers the chance to win amazing prizes, including gifts, products from Hello Kitty's parent company Sanrio, and store vouchers. The diverse range of products and MINISO's engaging shopping experience proved a hit, with the store generating nearly $80,000 in sales over the course of the opening day, setting a new single-day sales record among all stores globally.

Tom Harris, President of Times Square Alliance, attended the ceremony. "I would like to congratulate MINISO on opening a flagship at Times Square," he said. "Times Square is known for its vibrant and alive atmosphere. MINISO brings its wide variety of lifestyle products and adds to the dynamic environment here. Its arrival reflects the inclusiveness and diversity of Times Square."

The opening of the new flagship in Times Square in 2023, the brand's 10th anniversary year, comes shortly after the announcement of a new global strategy. The strategy aims to transform MINISO into a lifestyle super brand to bring even more joy to customers across the world. The Times Square new flagship store not only promises to boost this transformation, but also showcases MINISO's strong commitment to establishing a thriving presence in the US market. With over 70 stores and a dedicated team of local staff, the US market has emerged as MINISO's top-performing overseas market for two consecutive quarters.

Looking ahead, MINISO will maintain a steadfast focus on product innovation and store operations, delivering a treasure-hunt shopping experience for customers with an array of captivating licensed collection zones within its stores. The brand has also set ambitious goals to surpass 100 stores in the US by the end of 2023. Since its founding in 2013, MINISO has won fans across 106 markets with more than 5,514 stores to date, attracting over 1 billion customers globally, and the new flagship ensures that the brand will be able to reach even more customers from even more corners of the globe.

About MINISO

MINISO Group is a global lifestyle retailer offering a variety of design-led lifestyle products. The Company serves consumers primarily through its large network of MINISO stores, and promotes a relaxing, treasure-hunting and engaging shopping experience full of delightful surprises that appeals to all demographics. Aesthetically pleasing design, quality and affordability are at the core of every product in MINISO's wide product portfolio, and the Company continually and frequently rolls out products with these qualities. Since the opening of its first store in China in 2013, the Company has built its flagship brand "MINISO" as a globally recognized retail brand and established a massive store network worldwide.

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Caption: The grand opening of MINISO's Times Square flagship store

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Caption: The store was bustling with shoppers on the grand opening day.

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Caption: With its presence at Times Square, the new flagship store introduces MINISO's fun and quality products to New Yorkers and tourists.

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Caption: Long queues of enthusiastic customers waited in front of MINISO's new Times Square flagship store.













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Dior claims 13.8% of total search interest online, followed by Gucci, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes. Armani and Tiffany & Co. decline, Burberry and Saint Laurent rise in 2023.

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Dior is the most popular luxury brand online in 2023, with 13.83% of the total search interest for luxury goods, according to a new study by Luxe Digital.

Luxury brands online popularity ranking 2023

Luxe Digital ranks the top 15 most popular luxury brands online in 2023.

Gucci and Chanel complete the podium, with 13.76% and 11.69% of the online search interest, respectively. Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Rolex maintain their stronghold, while Armani and Tiffany & Co. see their online popularity decline compared to last year.

This is the sixth year in a row that Luxe Digital, a magazine that covers the luxury industry's digital transformation, releases its ranking of the most popular luxury brands online. By analyzing over 3,000 data points from Google, website traffic, and social media reach, Luxe Digital publishes an annual report on the online popularity of the most sought-after luxury brands. This report has proven to be a reliable indicator of future sales.

Of particular interest this year is the strong growth seen for Burberry and Saint Laurent, each gaining six places, while Gucci loses the first spot for the first time since the study began. 27% of the brands on the list are in the hard luxury segment (versus 20% in 2022). Luxury groups LVMH and Kering own 40% of the brands on the list.

While 33% of global luxury sales are set to take place online by 2030, physical retail is not dead-only changing. Brands are redefining the role of traditional boutiques, experimenting with new retail formats, and venturing into new geographies.

In 2023, most luxury brands also continue their journey in the metaverse and Web3. Most luxury brands are indeed experimenting with Web3 and phygital collections-where you can, for example, dress up your avatars in the virtual world and access exclusive drops in the real world.

Another interesting trend for 2023 is the focus on VICs (very important customers). With fears of recession looming, most luxury brands are doubling down on their high-net-worth clients. The top 2% of customers accounted for about 40% of luxury sales in 2022. That number is expected to grow in the coming years. No wonder then that brand elevation is top of mind for many of the luxury leaders exploring growth opportunities. The top brands are launching exclusive propositions to court their VICs: from Chanel's recent VIP-only exhibition in Hong Kong to Gucci's first Salon in Los Angeles.

Read the complete ranking and full report: https://luxe.digital/business/digital-luxury-ranking/most-popular-luxury-brands/

Ranking methodology: Luxe Digital's luxury ranking aims to provide an insightful analysis of the most popular luxury brands online. The ranking starts with over 3,000 data points from Google Trends, SimilarWeb, RivalIQ, Deloitte, and Forbes to measure the search interest and social media reach of the best luxury brands online. Each brand receives a score based on its online popularity and is then ranked.

Contact Information

Florine Eppe Beauloye

Editor in Chief

florine@luxe.digital

SOURCE: Luxe Digital

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756355/New-Study-by-Luxe-Digital-Reveals-Dior-is-1-Most-Popular-Luxury-Brand-Online-in-2023
TOKYO, May 23, 2023 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) today announced that Hitachi will transition its domestic power grids business* to a new structure with Hitachi Energy to provide strong support for the early realization of a carbon-neutral society and the enhancement of resilient electricity network in Japan. Hitachi will make the most of its expertise in the domestic market, as well as leading technologies and solutions based on Hitachi Energy's knowledge and experience in global market, to contribute to Japan's Green Transformation (GX) by providing new values, such as improving the asset life cycle with the maintenance and services of existing electricity network, and supporting flexibility, stability and security of the power grids.*The businesses and solutions covered by this transition are mainly GIS (gas insulated switchgear), transformers and HVDC (High Voltage Direct Current) businesses for utility companies and their maintenance businesses, excluding grid protection and control businesses.Overview1. New values to contribute to the customers and market for early realization of a carbon-neutral societyThrough the integration of the domestic power grids business and Hitachi Energy, Hitachi will provide customer with new values to realize a carbon-neutral society by leveraging Hitachi Energy's world-class technologies with Hitachi's digital technology including Lumada and the extensive experience from our domestic track record.a. World-recognized value in power grids equipment such as high-voltage products including gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) portfolio and transformers, all supporting low environmental impact, optimization of maintenance cycles and digitalization.b. The value that directly contributes to minimizing power supply shortages and accelerating GX through solutions used in global markets, such as high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology and EconiQ (product, service and solution package that helps achieve carbon neutrality).2. Maximize values by co-creating with customersa. Continue to provide high-quality services including front-end engineering, quality control, and maintenance backed by years of experience in Japan together with new digital solutions. Contributing to the enhancement of the value of investment in the power grids in Japan, aiming to maintain and improve services for existing facilities and equipment in the Japanese market along with supporting the realization of customer's technology succession.b. Aiming to realize the globalization of our business platform having aligned with customers in Japan and providing them with the value created in the global market.c. The target periods for transition to a new structure of each business together with Hitachi Energy are as follows: HVDC business, which has world's leading technologies and market shares and a proven track record in Japan since the establishment of a joint venture for Japan's HVDC business in 2015, will be from latter half of Fiscal Year (FY) 2023; the service business, which is another core business, will be from FY2024; and the equipment business including GIS and transformers will be by end of FY2024.d. Products such as GIS and transformers will transition to those produced at Hitachi Energy's manufacturing sites, and the manufacturing base in Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture will become an important base function providing advanced engineering and services from FY2025.e. We will also provide strong support for strengthening the power grids and support collaboration efforts for the development of a nation-wide next-generation electricity network, which is being considered with a perspective on future energy sources and demand as a result of changes in social structures, such as the expansion of non-fossil based generation sources and the progress of electrification, by utilizing Lumada and other digital technologies, as well as experience, know-how, technology and human resources on a global basis.About Hitachi EnergyHitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world's energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 42,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of more than $10 billion USD. www.hitachienergy.comAbout Hitachi, Ltd.Hitachi drives Social Innovation Business, creating a sustainable society through the use of data and technology. We solve customers' and society's challenges with Lumada solutions leveraging IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products. Hitachi operates under the business structure of "Digital Systems & Services" - supporting our customers' digital transformation; "Green Energy & Mobility" - contributing to a decarbonized society through energy and railway systems, and "Connective Industries" - connecting products through digital technology to provide solutions in various industries. Driven by Digital, Green, and Innovation, we aim for growth through co-creation with our customers. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2022 (ended March 31, 2023) totaled 10,881.1 billion yen, with 696 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 320,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at www.hitachi.com.Source: Hitachi, Ltd.Copyright 2023 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
New branding reflects customer-centric approach and showcases pioneering, single cell analysis technology

Rebrand follows a period of significant growth for the Company, including key leadership team appointments, state-of-the-art facility expansion, and new scientific partnerships

Sphere Fluidics, a company developing single cell analysis systems underpinned by its patented picodroplet technology, today announced the introduction of new branding to align with its ambitious global commercial growth strategy. The update has been introduced to better reflect the Company's customer-centric approach and showcase its pioneering single cell discovery and analysis technology, following a period of significant growth and program success.

Sphere Fluidics' range of novel cell encapsulation products for single cell analysis and isolation are aimed at easing customer workflows to accelerate scientific discovery. The Company's proprietary platform, Cyto-Mine, uses its picodroplet microfluidic technology and is capable of screening up to 40 million cells in several hours, while maintaining viability, to greatly increase throughput and support acceleration of biopharmaceutical discovery and development, cell therapy, and synthetic biology workflows. Sphere Fluidics' core focus is on working with scientists to solve throughput challenges.

The Company has seen a period of significant expansion over the last twelve months, including a series of new appointments within the senior leadership team, appointment of a new Chairman to the Board of Directors, expansion to its new facilities at Granta Park, Cambridge, UK, and the recent announcement of its involvement in the EU-funded research program, 3DSecret. 3DSecret is bringing together multidisciplinary experts to develop cutting-edge technologies to investigate the stochastic patterns behind metastasis at the single-cell level, to predict cancer evolution.1

Dr. Frank F Craig, CEO, Sphere Fluidics, commented: "We're focused on transforming single cell screening and isolation, working alongside customers to streamline their workflows. The rebrand signifies our ongoing commitment to growth, the strength of our position in the market as specialists in single cell analysis, and as providers of future-proof technology in this field."

Dr. Claire Cox, Director of Global Marketing, Sphere Fluidics, added: "Our new identity is a natural progression, as we strive to ensure our brand reflects our customer-centric, forward-thinking, innovative ethos. The change in look and tone is part of this evolution, reflecting the enormous growth and positive change Sphere Fluidics has undergone in the last year, in terms of recruitment in exceptional talent and senior leadership."

Press release (24th April, 2023) Sphere Fluidics begins work with partners on 3DSecret program to investigate mechanisms of metastasis in cancer

ENDS

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005605/en/

Contacts:

Zyme Communications

Lily Jeffery

Tel: +44 (0)7891 477 378

Email: lily.jeffery@zymecommunications.com
The collaboration aims to deliver significant carbon reduction by deploying High-Performance Computing and Analytics (HPCA) systems in edge data centres that boast the industry's lowest carbon footprints.

BICESTER, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / The teams at Alces Flight and Deep Green are pleased to announce a commercial partnership that is focused on the use of micro data centres to power HPCA and Edge workloads. Deep Green's "data furnace" technology efficiently transforms the heat from its servers into useful hot water for district heating systems and other industries. Deep Green is collaborating with Alces Flight, the UK's leading provider of managed services for HPCA, in order to offer an end-to-end solution for this market.

Alces Flight Logo

Company Logo for Alces Flight

"The team at Alces Flight is dedicated to leading the sustainable computing movement within HPCA," said Michael Rudgyard, Alces' CEO. "In many respects, the UK has lagged behind other countries when it comes to waste heat re-use in its data centres, and Deep Green's data furnace concept allows us to redress this balance. We are therefore delighted to announce our relationship with Deep Green, and to offer new and existing customers a truly sustainable option for their computing needs."

Deep Green has engineered its data furnaces based on immersive cooling technology, and has partnered with leading IT providers to ensure that it can provide all of the necessary infrastructure for its edge data centres. The company's disruptive commercial strategy is to provide the installation of its units and maintenance costs to hosts for free. In turn, the host site benefits from the heat re-capture and relies less on their existing gas boiler, cutting their energy bill and reducing their carbon footprint. The attractive offer for hosts has meant that currently over 2000 secure sites across the UK are interested. By deploying Alces Flight's Private Research Cloud software in these edge data centres, Deep Green and Alces can together offer their customers a radically different managed service for HPCA that combines highly sustainable computing, minimal or no capital investment, minimal operational costs, and a highly flexible HPCA platform.

"Given the unprecedented growth in high performance, high throughput and data-intensive computing, it is critical that the sector continues to find ways to be energy-efficient and sustainable," said Mark Bjornsgaard, CEO of Deep Green. "Finding a purpose for what would be waste heat is central to this. Our partnership with Alces Flight validates the demand for energy-efficient HPCA that also provides a societal good - supporting local businesses in reducing their reliance on carbon-intensive gas boilers. We are looking forward to engaging with Alces Flights' High-Performance Computing and Analytics customers and pioneer our energy-efficient and sustainable computing technology."

About Alces Flight

Alces Flight provides comprehensive managed services for on-premise, public cloud and cloud-enabled HPCA systems, with a broad customer base across Academia, Government and Industry. The team at Alces Flight have pioneered a revolutionary approach to computing that puts its customers in control of the how, when and where their HPCA services are run.

About Deep Green

Deep Green is a 100% self-funded, British tech startup. It was founded in 2016 by Mark Bjornsgaard, an entrepreneur with an interest in technology and energy. Deep Green uses the latest in 'immersion cooling' technology to extract heat from on-site "edge" data centers to provide free hot water for district heating systems and a range of other industries.

Contact Information

Cristin Merritt

CMO

cristin.merritt@alces-flight.com

01869 249065

SOURCE: Alces Flight Limited

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/755542/Alces-Flight-and-Deep-Green-Announce-a-Strategic-Partnership-That-Will-Drive-the-Adoption-of-Highly-Sustainable-Compute-and-Data-Analytics-Resources-Across-the-UK
smartbax, a biotech company developing next-generation antibiotics against multi-drug resistant bacteria, today announced the close of its seed financing round of 1.2 million from Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF) and High-Tech Grunderfonds (HTGF), bringing smartbax's total capital raised to 1.9 million. The funds will be used to advance smartbax's small molecule antibiotics through preclinical studies, expand the company's scientific team to further develop its innovative research platforms and identify novel solutions against multi-drug resistant pathogens. In contrast to classical anti-bacterial approaches, smartbax's product candidates act via a unique, double-targeted mechanism of action. This not only inhibits essential processes in the energy metabolism of multi-resistant bacteria, but also creates a stimulation of the bacteria's protein secretion, which leads to a self-digest of the cells.

"The growing number of multi-drug resistant infections, which are accountable for 1.3 million annual worldwide deaths, highlights the need for completely new approaches in treating resistant infections. We are convinced that our differentiating approach can overcome the limitations of currently available antibiotics and that we can thus develop effective therapeutics against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria," said Dr. Robert Macsics, CEO and Co-founder of smartbax.

smartbax was founded in 2021 by Dr. Robert Macsics, Marco Janezic, and Prof. Dr. Stephan Sieber and was supported by BIVF with a first pre-seed financing of 700,000. The company's scientific foundation is based on revolutionary research derived by Prof. Dr. Sieber's research group from the Technical University of Munich. The research was awarded the VIP+ validation prize by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as well as the m4 award by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy.

"The novel mechanisms of action being developed by smartbax could open new pathways in the treatment of severe bacterial infections. Moreover, the approach has the promise to overcome existing resistance mechanisms and makes a rapid spread of new resistances unlikely. I am glad that we can support smartbax's scientifically strong team on their journey to address a challenge of utmost societal relevance," said Dr. Angelika Vlachou, partner at HTGF.

"The development of novel antibiotics is an important contribution to fight multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. smartbax's founding team takes a highly innovative approach with the potential for broad applicability in numerous indications. We are delighted to accompany smartbax in their future research activities and to thereby support the development of new and urgently needed therapeutic strategies concerning bacterial infections," added Dr. Sebastian Kreuz, investment manager at BIVF.

About smartbax

smartbax is developing a new generation of antibiotics to address the increasing spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Their team of experts works on innovative solutions focusing on substances that simultaneously address several targets, thus hindering resistance development in bacteria. Moreover, the company specializes in the tailored activation of enzymatic pathways, as this approach is particularly promising in the context of difficult-to-treat biofilms. Knowing that preventing a resistance crisis tomorrow means taking action today, smartbax was founded in 2021 in Munich with the aim of making innovative research applicable in creating novel antibiotics that add true value for patients worldwide.

For more information visit our website: https://www.smartbax.de/

About High-Tech Grunderfonds

The seed investor High-Tech Grunderfonds (HTGF) funds technology start-ups with growth potential and accompanied more than 700 start-ups since 2005. With the start of its fourth fund, HTGF has about EUR 1.4 billion under management. The team consisting of experienced investment managers and start-up experts supports young companies with knowhow, entrepreneurial expertise, and passion. HTGF's focus are high-tech incorporations in the areas digital tech, industrial tech, life sciences, chemistry and related business fields. To date, external investors invested more than EUR 4.5 billion over more than 2,000 follow-up financing rounds into the HTGF portfolio. Moreover, the fund successfully sold its shares on more than 160 companies.

The fund investors of this public-private partnership include the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, KfW Capital, the Fraunhofer Society, as well as more than 40 companies from various fields.

https://www.htgf.de/de/

About Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund

Created in 2010, the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund GmbH (BIVF) invests in groundbreaking therapeutics-focused biotechnology companies to drive innovation in biomedical research. BIVF is searching for significant enhancements in patient care through pioneering science and its clinical translation by building long-term relationships with scientists and entrepreneurs. BIVF's focus is to target unprecedented therapeutic concepts addressing high medical needs in immuno-oncology, regenerative medicine, AMR infections and digital health. These may include novel platform technologies to address so far undruggable targets or new biological entities.

BIVF takes an active role with its portfolio companies delivering significant added value through its own extensive drug discovery, scientific and managerial expertise. BIVF has a volume of EUR 300 million, is represented with offices in Europe (Germany), USA (Boston and San Francisco) and China (Beijing and Hong Kong) and currently supervises a portfolio of 40 companies.

For more information, please visit: www.boehringer-ingelheim-venture.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005112/en/

Contacts:

Contact smartbax

Eric Juskewitz

Senior Scientist

eric.juskewitz@smartbax.de

Media relations for smartbax

Eva Mulder or Veronika Mate

Trophic Communications

+31 652331579 or +49 16090816161

smartbax@trophic.eu
The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) welcomes the news that the European Commission has today closed its preliminary review of AOMedia's royalty-free licensing policy without further action.

AOMedia is a leading developer of open, royalty-free media technologies and develops standards spanning video, audio, still images, and immersive technologies. AOMedia and its members are fully committed to maintaining a thriving, competitive and open internet, which enables innovation and the launch of new products and services and continues to reduce prices for consumers.

Royalty-free licensing forms a foundational element for technological standards and the open internet, fostering innovation, choice and competition in the interests of businesses and consumers in the European Union and worldwide.

This is why AOMedia's members developed and offer the AV1 video standard royalty-free to implementers. AV1 is deployed across a variety of popular platforms and devices. It enables high-quality video while at the same time reducing streaming and storage costs. It competes in a robust market for video codecs, offering consumers choice, and reducing costs and barriers to entry for implementers, including start-ups. This is important as the internet moves increasingly to video rather than text, and as consumers and businesses increasingly look for faster speeds and better definition.

As an emerging global standard for video, AV1 is making video content more accessible and affordable, across all platforms. We look forward to continuing to work with standard-setting bodies and other regulatory stakeholders in Europe, offering additional information to them about the benefits of AOMedia codecs and our approach to licensing.

About the Alliance for Open Media

Launched in 2015, the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) was formed to define and develop technologies to address marketplace demand for open standards for media compression and delivery. Board-level, Founding Members include Amazon, Apple, Cisco, Google, Huawei, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, Mozilla, Netflix, NVIDIA, Samsung Electronics and Tencent. AOMedia's open-source, royalty-free video codec AV1 is a significant milestone in the ability to deliver a next-generation video format that is interoperable, open, optimized for internet delivery and scalable to any modern device at any bandwidth. Visit www.aomedia.org or follow AOMedia on LinkedIn and Twitter at @a4omedia.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005250/en/

Contacts:

Alexa Stewart

AOMedia Public Relations

Tel: +1 781.876.6242

Email: astewart@virtualinc.com
Cyware, the leading provider of Cyber Fusion solutions, today announced the appointment of two industry veterans, Brett Candon as VP Europe, and Dan Bridges as Technical Director Europe, to lead Cyware's launch in the European region. This expansion is driven by the increasing demand as organizations look to upgrade their SOCs to Cyber Fusion Centers with Cyware's modular, award winning, no code/low code offering that includes next-generation SOAR, TIP (Threat Intelligence Platform) and collaboration solutions in one Cyber Fusion platform.

Brett Candon brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having previously held leadership positions at prominent cybersecurity companies such as Mimecast, Exabeam and Imperva. As VP Europe, Candon will be responsible for driving Cyware's growth and expansion across the European market, while further solidifying the company's position as a leading cybersecurity solutions provider.

"I'm thrilled to join the Cyware team at such a pivotal time in the company's growth," said Candon. "The need for organizations to upgrade their SOC to a military-style Cyber Fusion Center, being able to have full threat visibility and seamless collaboration with the board and supply chain has never been greater. Gartner's 2023 SOAR Buying Guide recognizes this need and states that SOAR strategies need to include threat intelligence management and collaboration capabilities in one unified platform for effective defense. Cyware is the pioneer in this space, built by practitioners exactly for this purpose, and currently the only vendor that ticks all the boxes of the Gartner 2023 SOAR buying criteria. I'm looking forward to helping customers go on the Cyber Fusion journey with our channel partners and driving Cyware's continued success in the European market."

Dan Bridges, who has also held significant roles in the cybersecurity industry with companies like Exabeam and HP, will take on the position of Technical Director Europe. Bridges' deep technical expertise will be instrumental in further developing and optimizing Cyware's product offerings for the European market.

"I'm excited to be part of the Cyware team and to help advance the company's mission to transform security operations," said Bridges. "Cyware's Cyber Fusion solutions enable security teams to proactively stop threats by operationalizing actionable threat intelligence and streamlining threat response through automation, making them essential tools for today's enterprises. I'm eager to contribute to the company's growth and help our customers, partners and MSSPs achieve better security outcomes."

Amit Patel, SVP of Global Sales at Cyware, said, "We are delighted to welcome Brett and Dan to our team. Their impressive industry experience and proven track records will be invaluable as we continue to expand our presence in the European region. With their guidance, we look forward to providing even more organizations with our cutting-edge Cyber Fusion solutions that enable security teams to proactively neutralize threats while reducing overall response time."

About Cyware

Cyware's innovative Cyber Fusion solutions enable security teams to proactively stop threats, connect the dots on security incidents, and dramatically reduce response time. By enabling threat intelligence automation and collaboration, combined with any-to-any orchestration and AI-driven case management, Cyware improves security outcomes for enterprises, government agencies, and MSSPs.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005492/en/

Contacts:

Dan Chmielewski

Madison Alexander PR

dchm@madisonalexanderpr.com

949-231-2965
Bahrain-based Al Baraka Islamic Bank has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Sayacorp Aqar, a wholly-owned real estate and property development arm of leading hospitality group Sayacorp.

As per the agreement, Al Baraka will provide financing for the reclamation and infrastructure works for one of Sayacorp Aqars largest projects - Sayaland, which is a residential project in Al Sayah - Busaiteen, thus contributing to the elevation and development of the real estate sector in the kingdom.

Strategically located, Sayaland will come up on a 160,172 sq m area in Al Sayah, opposite Bahrain Bay area and the northern waterfront of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

One of the largest projects of Sayacorp Aqar, it boasts an attractive sea view and includes residential plots ranging in size from 500 to 800 sq m, some of which will be sold and others will be developed at another stage.

In addition, the project is situated along the bridge proposed by the Ministry of Works that will connect Al Sayah with Bahrain Bay, which has been announced to be a distinctive cultural landmark as it will contribute to enhancing the economic and investment movement in the region.

The agreement was signing at Al Baraka Islamic Bank's headquarters in Bahrain Bay in the presence of CEO Hamad A. Al Oqab, Chief Corporate and Institutional Banking Officer Fahad Abdulhameed Albalooshi and Senior Relationship Manager Yesor Arekat as well as Sayacorp Aqar officials CEO Fawaz Al Jowder and Director of Project Development Orabi Mohammed.

On the key partnership, Al Oqab said: "We are delighted to finance the Sayaland project's reclamation and infrastructure works, which will positively impact the real estate sector's development and increase its returns and contributions to the economy and investment in the Kingdom."

Al Jowder said: "We are proud of this significant partnership with Al Baraka Islamic Bank, as it will support the finance of the reclamation and infrastructure work of the Sayaland project, which will undoubtedly seek to consolidate and develop continuously the flow of investment and the economy in the kingdom in the foreseeable in accordance with the vision of the wise leadership to realize the Economic Vision 2030."
SHENZHEN, China, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shenzhen Century Joint Innovation Technology Company Ltd. (INNOCN) has emerged as an unrivaled powerhouse in the highly competitive industry of gaming monitors, revolutionizing the market by delivering unparalleled value and affordability. With its wide range of monitors, INNOCN continues to solidify its position as a leading player in the industry.





INNOCN's impressive lineup includes the 39" Ultra-wide Curved Gaming Monitor 39G1R. This large monitor is appropriate for a variety of occasions, but it has gained notable recognition as the ideal gaming monitor for handheld gaming PCs like the popular Steam Deck. The Steam Deck pairs flawlessly with the 39G1R ultra-wide monitor thanks to its high-performance processor, which is capable of seamlessly handling modern games without any screen glitches or lagging graphics.

The Steam Deck offers multiple connectivity options, including three USB 3.1 inputs, a Gigabit Ethernet input, an HDMI 2.0 input, and a DisplayPort 1.4 input, facilitating seamless connections with gaming accessories. The monitor's outstanding performance is complemented by the Steam Deck's 40Whr battery, which allows gamers to play for up to 8 hours.

What sets the 39G1R apart are its remarkable features, including an R3000 curvature and the ability to tilt, swivel, and adjust its height, allowing users to create their perfect setup. With a QHD 2K resolution of 2560 x 1440p and a refresh rate of up to 165Hz, this monitor ensures crystal-clear visuals. Additionally, the expansive 39-inch size, coupled with outstanding color characteristics such as 99% sRGB, a 3000:1 contrast ratio, and HDR 10 support, makes images appear incredibly lifelike.

Customers in both the United States and the European Union can take advantage of the latest coupons to acquire the highly sought-after 39G1R Gaming Monitor. Amazon US customers can purchase this monitorfor the attractive price of $419.99, while Amazon EU customers can enjoy it for 399, FR, IT, ES). These discounted prices are valid until May 31st, 2023, at 23:45 GMT+2.

Product Links:

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9GVCCLH

DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0BFH7BZ5M

FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0BFH7BZ5M

IT: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0BFH7BZ5M

ES: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0BFH7BZ5M

Media Contact

Manufacturer's Name: Shenzhen Century Joint Innovation Technology Company Limited

Manufacturer's Official Website: https://www.innocn.com/

Manufacturer's Email Address: marketing@innocn.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5e4d117d-9d6f-4464-8541-1ea0c311a8e0
Discover the Best of Wine and Tea Culture This Summer with the Unique Blend of China and Sri Lanka

Beijing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Sponsored by Fenjiu International, Sohu Food Channel's renowned program, Ambassador's Gourmet Parlor has proudly announced that it has recently visited the Sri Lankan Embassy in Beijing. Since its launch in 2022, this show has taken audiences on a journey across embassies of various countries to learn about Chinese liquor culture and try delicious food. In this episode, Sohu Food Channel visited the Sri Lankan Embassy in China, where they discovered the world-famous Ceylon black tea, enjoyed the unique Sri Lankan dance, and mixed a cocktail named "Sino-Lanka Tea Wine" with Fenjiu and black tea, a first-of-its-kind experience.





Qinghua Fenjiu Enters the Embassy of Sri Lanka in China



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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The Sri Lankan Ambassador to China, His Excellency Palitha Kohona, expressed his appreciation for Fenjiu, "Wine is a language without borders," he said. "Fenjiu is a traditional cultural heritage, representing the essence and tradition of China's brewing culture." The ambassador also explained the brewing process of Ceylon black tea and how it's the purest black tea in the world. The combination of the purity of Ceylon black tea and the cleanliness of Fenjiu has created a unique and memorable taste experience.





Qinghua Fenjiu as an Eastern Gift to Sri Lankan Ambassador to China, Palita Kohona



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This year marks the 66th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sri Lanka, and the " Sino-Lanka Tea Wine " is a perfect expression of their friendship. Fenjiu has always been committed to pushing Chinese liquor to the world, adhering to cultural self-confidence and innovation, and constantly looking for a breakthrough in the internationalization of Chinese liquor.





The bartender used Qinghua Fen liquor and Ceylon black tea to make cocktails on-site



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Fen-flavor is the most important dominant element in the popularity of Fenjiu, and the taste is similar to international popular wines such as vodka, making it popular among international friends. The combination of Fenjiu with Sri Lankan black tea and coconut adds an extra level of flavor that is sweet and memorable. The bartender made this unique cocktail on the spot and named it " Sino-Lanka Tea Wine."





The " Sino-Lanka Tea Wine " made in the Ambassador's Gourmet Parlor



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Ambassador's Gourmet Parlor provides an interactive experience of tourism culture, where the audience can learn about different cultures and their food and drinks. Qinghua Fenjiu is proud to have been a part of this episode and looks forward to bringing the world of Chinese liquor to new audiences around the world.





Ambassador's Gourmet Parlor Entering the Sri Lankan Embassy in China



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The fermentation process of Fenjiu still uses cellar fermentation, where a circular ceramic jar with a depth of 1.2 meters and a diameter of 0.8 meters is buried underground to separate "grain" from "soil," effectively isolating harmful bacteria in the soil from the wine base, and truly reflecting the flavor of grain fermentation. Fenjiu is made with high-quality sorghum, barley, peas, and other brewing raw materials from the raw grain base to ensure quality.





Cannot view this video? Visit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVI_V90J408

Contact: Zheng Xingsheng

Tel: +86351 270 9799

Website: https://www.fenjiu.com.cn/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/165711
Lead, South Dakota--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Dakota Gold Corp. (NYSE American: DC) ("Dakota Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an exploration update for its Maitland Gold Project ("Maitland Gold" or "Maitland"). Maitland is contiguous with the +40-million-ounce historic Homestake Mine in the Homestake District of South Dakota and hosts overlapping gold mineralization from older Precambrian and younger Tertiary gold events. The Company initiated drill testing for both types of gold deposits in January 2022 and has completed 78,958 feet of drilling and a total of 19 drill holes to date. Earlier this year the Company announced two separate discoveries, the Unionville Zone in Tertiary mineralization (see February 8, 2023, press release) and the JB Gold Zone in Precambrian-aged gold mineralization (see May 4, 2023, press release). Both gold deposits outlined in the two discoveries remain open to depth and in all directions.

Highlights:

Significant high-grade gold mineralization has been encountered in two discoveries, the Tertiary Unionville Zone, and the Homestake-Style Precambrian JB Gold Zone.

Gold mineralization in both discoveries remain open at depth and in all directions. Similar grade Tertiary gold mineralization occurs in historical drill holes and surface grab samples (best value 9.44 g/t Au) up to 7,300 feet to the north of the Unionville discovery area forming a north-south structural zone of over 10,000 feet long with several parallel structures (i.e., the historical underground Maitland Mine) defining additional untested targets.

Precambrian Homestake-style gold mineralization geometries are just now being defined but appear to be increasing in grade and widths to the north.

Tertiary and Precambrian-aged structures hosting separate gold mineralizing events lie near each other leading to multiple drill targets and efficiencies in testing both systems. Holes drilled to test for Homestake-style mineralization may also opportunistically test for Tertiary mineralization.

The Company currently has 53 drill pads permitted on private land north of the Unionville and JB Gold Zones that will be utilized to test and extend both gold target types.

James M. Berry, Vice President of Exploration for Dakota Gold, said, "Having two large gold systems overlapping in such a small area offers great synergies for exploration, development, and future extraction opportunities. The potential extension of the Tertiary structural system over 7,300 feet to the north from the current discovery area and onto our Blind Gold Project indicates that the current deposit can be significantly expanded. In addition, we believe that the recent discovery of the JB Gold Zone is just the beginning of our goals to identify and define a significant Homestake-style gold ledge in the Maitland area."

Exploration for Precambrian Gold

The Precambrian exploration program at Maitland has been developed with drill holes crosscutting the Homestake stratigraphic sequence within the known structural corridor that extends northward from the Homestake Gold Mine. On May 4, 2023, the Company announced partial results from drill hole MA23C-017 and the significant discovery of the new JB Gold Zone. Drill hole MA23C-017 intersected Precambrian-aged gold mineralization grading 0.204 oz/ton Au over 31.3 feet (7.0 grams/tonne Au over 9.5 meters), including 0.365 oz/ton Au over 15.3 feet (12.51 grams/tonne over 4.7 meters) in the same high-grade quartz-carbonate vein, chlorite-arsenopyrite-pyrrhotite mineralization style as the Homestake Mine.

For Precambrian gold mineralization, Dakota Gold is engaged in the preliminary stages of a systematic approach to exploration for Homestake-style gold deposits, with the current drilling on wide spacing to define the geology, delineate preferential terrains for gold mineralization and to produce discoveries. The next phases of work are geared toward definition of the mineralized zones with drilling on tighter spacing intended to vector exploration toward the centroid of the ledge and the best mineralization. In the near-term, definition drilling will be conducted simultaneously with continued step-out drilling from MA23C-017 northward into ground that is untested by past exploration efforts.

Exploration for Tertiary Gold

Prior to the 1980s, most of the Tertiary-aged gold production from the Homestake District was derived from replacement style mineralization in quartzite and dolomite units of the Deadwood formation that covers the older Precambrian-aged stratigraphy. The Maitland Mine located on the Maitland Gold Project is a past producing mine of the Tertiary replacement type that was shut down due to WWII and never re-opened. The deposit is untested by drilling at the north end and remains open to extension along a north-south trending structure. There is also potential for En echelon replacement mineralization to the west, which is also untested at the northern extents of the mine.

In addition to Tertiary replacement style deposits, Dakota Gold has been exploring for gold mineralization in structurally controlled Tertiary aged breccia zones hosted in the Precambrian stratigraphy. These breccia zones are indicated by mapping, geophysics and shallow historical drilling conducted by Homestake Mining Company, beginning in the 1960s. On February 8, 2023, the Company announced the discovery of the Unionville Zone in drill hole MA22C-009, which intersected 0.104 oz/ton Au over 119.7 feet (3.58 grams/tonne over 36.48 meters) and the April 6, 2023, announcement of drill hole MA22C-007, which intersected 0.210 oz/ton Au over 23 feet (7.19 grams/tonne over 7.0 meters). To date, the Unionville breccia zone has a strike length of approximately 2,700 feet (823 meters) from north to south and is open to extension at both ends and at depth. Complete results from the Company's Tertiary exploration to this date are summarized in Table 1.

Table 1. Maitland Gold Project Tertiary Drill Results to Date (Imperial / Metric Units)

Hole # From To Depth Interval* Gold From To Depth Interval* Gold Mineral

Type ft ft ft ft oz/ton m m m m g/t MA22C-001 2291 2307.4 873.0 16.4 0.195 698.3 703.3 266.1 5.0 6.69 Tert MA22C-002 263.8 272.3 288.2 8.5 0.237 80.4 83.0 87.8 2.6 8.13 Tert

4103 4112.2 2153.5 9.2 0.340 1250.6 1253.4 656.4 2.8 11.66 Tert MA22C-008 45.5 65.0 44.0 19.5 0.036 13.9 19.8 13.4 5.9 1.23 Tert

121.3 148.0 112.0 26.7 0.112 37.0 45.1 34.1 8.1 3.84 Tert MA22C-009 103.8 129.3 95.8 25.5 0.022 31.6 39.4 29.2 7.8 0.75 Tert

136.8 257.1 126.4 120.3 0.104 41.7 78.4 38.5 36.7 3.57 Tert Including 167 201.9 153.8 34.9 0.130 50.9 61.5 46.9 10.6 4.46 Tert

334.1 392.8 286.4 58.7 0.097 101.8 119.7 87.3 17.9 3.33 Tert Including 348.7 365.5 297.2 16.8 0.205 106.3 111.4 90.6 5.1 7.03 Tert

422.9 440.0 358.2 17.1 0.066 128.9 134.1 109.2 5.2 2.26 Tert

461.1 495.1 390.5 34.0 0.023 140.5 150.9 119.0 10.4 0.79 Tert

506.1 515.3 431.1 9.2 0.044 154.3 157.1 131.4 2.8 1.51 Tert

523.4 533.4 446.4 10.0 0.055 159.5 162.6 136.1 3.0 1.89 Tert

575.2 584.2 491.9 9.0 0.042 175.3 178.1 149.9 2.7 1.44 Tert

610.5 720.0 522.5 109.5 0.027 186.1 219.5 159.3 33.4 0.93 Tert

815.1 828.3 706.9 13.2 0.084 248.4 252.5 215.5 4.0 2.88 Tert

972.8 1014.7 839.1 41.9 0.032 296.5 309.3 255.8 12.8 1.10 Tert MA23C-010 267.5 321.6 159.0 54.1 0.070 81.5 98.0 48.5 16.5 2.40 Tert

1000.1 1058.6 630.0 58.5 0.035 304.8 322.7 192.0 17.8 1.20 Tert

1181.6 1223.6 720.0 42.0 0.022 360.2 373.0 219.5 12.8 0.75 Tert

1258.0 1315.7 745.0 57.7 0.024 383.4 401.0 227.1 17.6 0.82 Tert

1396.0 1410.2 821.0 14.2 0.107 425.5 429.8 250.2 4.3 3.67 Tert

*True thickness is unknown.

Dakota Gold is continuing to infill drill along the trend of the Unionville Zone at the west side of the Maitland Mine (see Figure 1 below). The Company will also begin a process of step out drilling along the structure that appears to control the brecciation that is carrying the Unionville gold mineralization. To the north, Homestake Mining Company's historical drill hole MA93-02 encountered on-trend gold mineralization approximately 3,370 feet north of the MA22C-009, the Unionville Discovery drill hole. Further north, and along the same structural trend lies a zone of Tertiary-aged gold mineralization that was identified by Dakota Territory Resource Corp.'s surface sampling program, previously announced on September 24, 2014. Dakota Territory Resource Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dakota Gold Corp. and the surface sampling program was conducted by the same technical personnel that are currently working on the Maitland Gold Project. 14 samples were collected from limestone outcrop and the dumps of historical prospect workings east of Tetro Rock that produced gold values up to 0.275 oz/ton (9.44 grams/tonne). Collectively, the 2014 sampling program defined a zone of mineralization (see Figure 1) covering a north-south strike length of approximately 1,670 feet (509 meters).

Figure 1. Maitland Plan Map Showing Unionville Extension and Other Tertiary Targets

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8218/167012_227f956a44658b99_002full.jpg

The on-trend indication of Tertiary-aged gold mineralization north of the Unionville Zone constitutes an extension of the Unionville target of more than 7,300 feet (2,225 meters). Coupled with Dakota Gold's current drilling at Maitland, the overall length of the zone could potentially extend to 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) and is still open at both ends.

About Dakota Gold Corp.

Dakota Gold (NYSE American: DC) is a South Dakota-based responsible gold exploration and development company with a specific focus on revitalizing the Homestake District in Lead, South Dakota. Dakota Gold has high-caliber gold mineral properties covering over 46 thousand acres surrounding the historic Homestake Mine.

The Dakota Gold team is focused on new gold discoveries and opportunities that build on the legacy of the Homestake District and its 145 years of gold mining history.

Subscribe to Dakota Gold's e-mail list at www.dakotagoldcorp.com to receive the latest news and other Company updates.

Shareholder and Investor Inquiries

For more information, please contact:

Jonathan Awde, President and Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +1 604-761-5251

Email: JAwde@dakotagoldcorp.com

Qualified Person and S-K 1300 Disclosure

James M. Berry, a Registered Member of SME and Vice President of Exploration of Dakota Gold Corp., is the Company's designated qualified person for this news release as defined in Subpart 1300 - Disclosure by Registrants Engaged in Mining Operations of Regulation S-K and has reviewed and approved its scientific and technical content.

The ranges of potential tonnage and grade (or quality) disclosed above in respect of the Maitland Gold Project are conceptual in nature and could change as the proposed exploration activities are completed. There has been insufficient exploration of the Maitland Gold Project to allow for an estimate of a mineral resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a mineral resource. The disclosure above in respect of the Maitland Gold Project therefore does not represent, and should not be construed to be, an estimate of a mineral resource or mineral reserve.

Quality Assurance/Quality Control consists of regular insertion of certified reference materials, duplicate samples, and blanks into the sample stream. Check samples will be submitted to an umpire laboratory as the drill program progresses. Assay results are reviewed, and discrepancies are investigated prior to incorporation into the Company database. Samples are submitted to the ALS Geochemistry sample preparation facility in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Gold and multi-element analyses are performed at the ALS Geochemistry laboratory in Vancouver, British Columbia. ALS Minerals is an ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited lab.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication 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. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and expectations that may not be realized and are inherently subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the execution and timing of our planned exploration activities, our use and evaluation of historical data, our ability to achieve our strategic goals, the state of the economy and financial markets generally and the effect on our industry, and the market for our common stock. The foregoing list is not exhaustive. For additional information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in our forward-looking statements, we refer you to the risk factors included in Item 1A of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-KT for the nine-month transition period ended December 31, 2022, as amended, as updated by annual, quarterly and other reports and documents that we file with the SEC. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this communication. These statements speak only as of the date of this communication, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. We do not give any assurance that we will achieve our expectations.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167012
Photo Research, a Novanta Corporation brand, announces the release of the Photo Research SpectraScan PR-1050 Spectroradiometer. The PR-1050 builds upon the industry-leading PR-7 Series of devices and features the two most critical attributes of any spectral based photometric and colorimetric light measurement instrument-superior sensitivity and speed. And to meet the demands of measuring near-eye displays, the PR-1050 also works with an Augmented Virtual Reality (AR/VR) lens that attaches directly to the device, allowing the user to measure light from AR/VR target areas.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005221/en/

Photo Research SpectraScan PR-1050 Spectroradiometer (Photo: Business Wire)

Designed for applications requiring precise light measurements from a range of light sources, such as display monitors and projectors, reflective surfaces, and industrial applications, the industry-leading 500,000,000:1 dynamic range of the SpectraScan PR-1050 provides the optimal solution for measuring the output of devices, from black to full white, without the need for external attenuation or any changes to the optical geometry. Ideal applications and devices for measurement with the PR-1050 include OLED, LCD, microLED screens, augmented and virtual reality devices, automotive aerospace displays, laser projector calibration and display backlight testing.

"The PR-1050 represents a major step forward in our commitment to innovation and quality," said Antonio Ciccarelli, Sr. Director Product Management, "we designed this product to cater to the diverse needs and applications of our customers, from researchers and scientists to engineers and manufacturers, all requiring accurate and precise spectral data."

Other features of the new Photo Research SpectraScan PR-1050 include:

Augmented (AR) Virtual Reality (VR) testing: Available AR/VR Aperture Diameters: 3mm, 4mm 5mm.

Wide Dynamic Range: Test any display/backlight without adding external filtration or changing apertures.

Variable Spectral Bandwidth: Spectral resolution capability for any display technology from OLED to laser sources

High speed cycle times: Dramatic reduction of total time required to test calibrate display products.

For more product information, visit https://www.jadaktech.com/product/pr-1050-spectroradiometer/.

Or visit booth 832 at Display Week in Los Angeles May 23-25 for a live demo

About Photo Research

Photo Research products have been the gold standard for the cinema business since the early 1940's. Since that time, the products have won numerous Academy Awards and continued to raise the bar in light and color measurement. Today, under JADAK, a Novanta Company, Photo Research offers a wide range of photometers and the Photo Research SpectraScan Spectroradiometer series for spectral based photometric and colorimetric light measurements. The series offers a wide variety of handheld portable models that cover a variety of spectral ranges and resolutions to measure from a range of light sources. For more information, visit www.jadaktech.com.

About Novanta

Novanta is a trusted technology partner to OEMs in the medical and advanced industrial technology markets, with deep proprietary expertise in precision medicine and manufacturing, medical solutions, and robotics and automation technologies. For more information, visit www.novanta.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005221/en/

Contacts:

JADAK, a Novanta Company

Mark Lyon

845-907-2503

mark.lyon@novanta.com
Edinburgh office to boost local scientific innovation and collaboration

VectorBuilder, a global leader in gene delivery technologies, today announced the opening of a new office in Edinburgh. This strategic expansion aims to bolster its presence in the United Kingdom and enhance the organisation's ability to serve a region that represents one of its strongest customer bases.

VectorBuilder offers a full spectrum of gene delivery solutions covering virtually all research and clinical needs from bench to bedside. The company has branches in North America, Europe, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Israel. To date, it has served more than 50,000 customers, which include universities, research institutions, biotech and pharma companies, and governmental agencies.

"When it comes to published scientific research, the UK is ranked third in the world with nearly 200 000 citable publications in 2020. With VectorBuilder's UK team rapidly growing and an organisational commitment to scientific research, it made sense for VectorBuilder to open an office in the country," said Christina McClure, PhD, Associate Sales Director of Europe, UK, and Scandinavia of VectorBuilder.

"When scientists partner with VectorBuilder, they eliminate the pain points in vector cloning and gene delivery. Our research overcomes the bottlenecks in gene delivery so the scientific community can rely on us to benefit their research and drug development. We proudly participated in the first human trial of an innovative gene therapy drug candidate for Menkes disease, a devastating congenital disorder, as well as recently partnered with Stand Up Therapeutics to produce and supply gene therapy products for the treatment of paralysis on a global level," said Kristofer Mussar, COO of VectorBuilder.

Having a presence in the UK will enable VectorBuilder to assist the scientific community in focusing on its core research activities while streamlining operational processes through its innovative gene delivery technologies. Additionally, being part of Edinburgh Technopole, a Pioneer Group in Midlothian Science Zone, further enhances VectorBuilder's commitment to supporting researchers by providing access to a dynamic ecosystem of scientific innovation and collaboration. This strategic move positions VectorBuilder to leverage the state-of-the-art facilities and world-class expertise available within the Technopole, fostering strong partnerships with leading academic institutions and biotech companies in the region.

"As a provider of AAV viral vectors, VectorBuilder has played a crucial role in freeing up our time to focus more on research by providing large quantities of high-quality viral vector for in vivo applications. Having access to VectorBuilder solutions will enable researchers across the UK to spend more time on hypothesis-driven investigations and data analysis, rather than labour-intensive AAV production," said Martin Madill, Senior Scientist at Purespring Therapeutics.

The Edinburgh office will closely collaborate with researchers, offering personalised support and guidance. This hands-on approach will provide the peace of mind that projects are executed accurately and efficiently from the outset, minimising the risk of errors and delays that could impact research progress.

About VectorBuilder Inc.

VectorBuilder is a global leader in gene delivery technologies. As a trusted partner of thousands of labs and biotech/pharma companies around the world, VectorBuilder is the single source provider for the design, development, and optimisation of gene delivery solutions from basic research to clinical applications. Its award-winning Vector Design Studio is a transformative innovation that allows researchers to easily design and order custom vectors online, sparing them the tedious work of cloning and packaging vectors in the lab. This global company features high-throughput vector production capacity, vast vector and component inventories, one-on-one CRO solutions including advanced AAV capsid engineering capabilities, and state-of-the-art GMP facilities. Its CGT products have obtained IND approvals from regulatory authorities including the FDA. With cutting-edge R&D and CDMO manufacturing capacity, the VectorBuilder team is committed to providing the most effective gene delivery tools and solutions for life sciences research and genetic medicine.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005333/en/

Contacts:

Isabella Rodriguez

CG Life

irodriguez@cglife.com

(??708) 833-1572
Re-assaying historic Santa Helena core confirms high-grade Cu-Au-Ag-Zn targets

LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Meridian Mining UK S (TSX:MNO)(OTCQX:MRRDF)(Frankfurt/Tradegate:2MM) ("Meridian" or the "Company") is pleased to announce upcoming drilling programs at Santa Helena and C2A East copper gold targets in the Cabacal VMS belt. Recent re-assays of historic drill core confirm high grade Cu-Au-Ag-Zn results at shallow depths (e.g., 5.6m @ 3.4% Cu, 3.0g/t Au, 82.6g/t Ag, and 7.6% Zn from 38.4m). Additional results are pending. To reach this stage of Santa Helena's development, the Company has made significant progress in field mapping, surface geophysical programs, data confirmation studies[1], and the relogging and resampling of historical core samples. With this upcoming drill campaign, Meridian is among the few companies worldwide advancing a VMS belt with multiple resource development projects and significant exploration potential.

Highlights Reported Today

Meridian launches next resource development and discovery phase at the Cabacal Project;

Additional contractor engaged to launch Santa Helena multi pronged drill program; Vertical drill program to confirm historical assays and VMS host geology; Angled drill program to test high-grade gold over-print; Full assaying of available core and new drilling to test for mineralised extensions; Meridian Santa Helena's near mine upside to be tested;

Meridian receives first assays from Santa Helena re-sampling program; including JUCHD-032 resampled : 5.6m @ 3.4% Cu, 3.0g/t Au, 82.6g/t Ag and 7.6% Zn from 38.4m; Compared to historical result of 5.6m @ 3.4% Cu, 2.8g/t Au, 73.5g/t Ag & 6.0% Zn; JUCHD-033 resampled : 16.8m @ 0.7% Cu, 1.0g/t Au, 37.4g/t Ag & 5.3% Zn from 73.9m; Compared to historical result of 16.8m @ 0.7% Cu, 1.2g/t Au, 39.9g/t Ag, 5.1% Zn;

including Predefined drill targets prepared for twinning historical Santa Helena results [2] ; including JUCHD-031: 27.6m @ 1.5g/t Au, 1.6% Cu, 36.3g/t Ag, 4.4% Zn from 24.9m ; JUCHD-101: 18.9m @ 1.3g/t Au from 6.3m, including 4.5m @ 4.1g/t Au & 49.1g/t Ag from 10.2m; JUCHD-041: 8.0m @ 2.4% Cu, 2.0g/t Au, 62.1g/t Ag & 7.1% Zn from 38.5m;

; including Third rig being mobilized to advance Cabacal resource definition and extension; and

and New drill program to also test C2A East copper-gold target[3].

[1] See Meridian News release of March 29, 2022

[2] Historical results may include areas where mining activity has taken place and voids are present.

[3] See Meridian news release June 28, 2022.

Dr. Adrian McArthur, CEO, comments : "We are pleased to announce the and expansion of the Cabacal program and the engagement of our contractor for our first exploration and resource delineation drill program over the high-grade VMS trend that hosts the historical Cu-Au-Ag-Zn Santa Helena mine. We strongly believe that this deposit has been structurally over-printed by a later-stage gold event, characteristic of the Cabacal belt. The Santa Helena historical resource was only partially mined, and like Cabacal, there is much more upside as an open pit prospect than as a selective underground mine. We have prepared this program using the exact same preparation and methodology used to expand the now advanced-stage Cabacal deposit. With the commencement of the program, Meridian will be advancing resource development studies on a second VMS open pit target at Santa Helena. In addition, we will test the copper-gold potential of C2A East, which is a neighboring extension of the Cabacal deposit."

Santa Helena Resource Delineation

The Santa Helena deposit is located 9km to the southeast of the Cabacal Mine area, within the 11km Mine Corridor trend. The deposit was first discovered by BP Minerals ("BPM") in 1984, and is associated with the same host geology as that of the Cabacal Mine. The former operator at Santa Helena, Prometalica ("PML"), commissioned the underground mine in 2006 with an historical Measured and Indicated resource of 1.12 Mt @ 6.2% Zn, 1.3% Cu, 1.3g/t Au, 41.7 g/t Ag. Production commenced in 2006, but the mine closed well ahead of planning in 2008 with the collapse of the zinc price. Total production amounted to 439,813t @ 6.65% Zn, 1.62% Cu, 1.77g/t Au & 43.02g/t Ag. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources, and the Company is not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource.

Shallow oxide gold mineralization is recognized in an historical trenching area to the east of the resource limit , which was not previously considered in SRK's historical 2007 estimate for the deposit. Along with unmined resources, Meridian sees potential for resource additions here, and in testing for potential extensions to the mineralized envelop in unsampled core intervals. Numerous historical holes have not been sampled to conclusively demonstrate the limit of mineralization (or analysed for the full suite of elements). Of the 39 PML holes, gold assays are not available for 12 of the holes (~31%), and in an additional 9 of the holes, the first recorded sample starts within the mineralized halo (grades of 0.1 - 1.0g/t Au). The sampling approach in the original BPM holes (for which data is available in the JUCHD series) is similar, with an average starting depth of 22.4m. Whilst some angled holes were drilled by BPM, historical drilling was overwhelmingly vertical, and unsuited to testing the late stage overprinting vertical gold structures now recognized in the belt. The Company has reviewed the historical drill database that supports the presence of a gold-overprint. Original Santa Helena drill core photos illustrate similar vein textures to that seen at the Cabacal deposit ("Photo 1").

Photo 1: Example of auriferous quartz vein in JUCHD031 (Sample JUF33596; 6.7 g/t Au, 97.6g/t Ag, 7.6% Cu, 7.0 % ).

The resampling results reported today are part of the Company's QAQC program to verify the historical information with modern laboratory check assays. Results repeat well, within the expected margin of variation for sampling duplicate intervals of core.

Figure 1: Location of Santa Helena within the Cabacal Belt.

Meridian also concluded surface geophysical surveys[4], detecting three shallow dipping EM plates interpreted to be bedrock conductors ("Figure 2"). The EM plates have a typical conductivity thickness for Cu-Zn sulphides of 4 Siemens. The leading edge of the two most eastern plates aligns with the position of the resource envelope and extend outwards a further ~200 - 250m to the north-northwest into sparsely drilled areas. The response from a gradient array IP survey also aligns well with the Cu-Zn-Au-Ag sulphide system, and remains open over extensions to the east. This suggests some sulphides are present in the shallower up-plunge sector of the deposit beyond the historical resource limit. The peak chargeability response follows the strike of the deposit in the eastern sector, reaching ranges of 30 mV/V (millivolts per volt) - characterized as a moderate to strong response for VMS mineralization. Initial scout drilling will be conducted to evaluate IP and EM anomalies for potential repeats or extensions of the Santa Helena mineral system.

Figure 2: View to the west of Santa Helena drilling and the EM plates and IP anomalies. Drill holes are coloured by Cu grade (light grey unsampled). The three Maxwell EM plates dip to the north, with modelled extents of 500 x 300m, 250 x 300m, 350 x 300m. The higher threshold chargeability inversion shells (21-24-27-30mV/V) are shown in the eastern sector of the deposit and remain open.

The Opportunity of Repeating Cabacal's Angled Drilling Success at Santa-Helena

Santa Helena exhibits a significant precious metal geochemical footprint[5] with a gold in soil anomaly extending 350m beyond the limits of its pre-mining resource envelope, which was focussed on the underlying, but shallow, high-grade massive-sulphide mineralization ("Figure 3"). These and other geochemical anomalies are open 100m past the last reported trench results. Additional soil anomalies are present to the west suggesting structural repeats and/or cross-cutting structures breach the surface in multiple places. Past BPM interpretations show a folded geometry to the VMS horizon, with cross-cutting sub-vertical structures in axial positions. The Company's drilling at Cabacal showed that the gold footprint can become detached some distance from the VMS base metal response. The Company will be evaluating where such patterns are replicated more broadly through the Cabacal belt.

[4] See Meridian news release January 24, 2023

[5] See Meridian news release March 29, 2022

Figure 3: Gold in soil response at Santa Helena and example of trenching and historical drilling results showing unexploited near surface mineralization.

Santa Helena and Mine Corridor Drill Plan

The planned drill program will be conducted using a low impact portable rig due to the hilly local terrain of the Santa Helena deposit. The Company has received the required permits to start the program and final drill tenders have been received. First drill core is expected towards the beginning of July and assays in Q3. While the mobile rig is on site, it will also test the 2022 copper discovery C2A East (C2A East is located 3.0km East of the Cabacal deposit ("Figure 4") where local hilly terrain restricts access to the larger diamond rigs. The C2A East prospect has extensive surface copper gossans up to 0.1% Cu and an underlying IP and EM anomaly. The C2A East prospect is associated with a 1200 x 650m alteration halo. The Company sees strong similarities to the Cabacal deposit's VMS and gold-overprint at C2A East. An initial 1,000m program will be undertaken with scope to expand based on results.

Figure 4 C2A East copper-gold target

Cabacal Project Studies

Following the PEA, the Company is now focussed on the next phase of resource development and extension drilling. A third rig is being mobilized back to site to the accelerate next phase of resource development, processing and geotechnical studies. Drilling continues to extend coverage into sparely drilled positions which remained unclassified, or inferred, and to infill areas where modelling may be impacted by the dominance of historical vertical drilling, believed to be under-representing the gold overprint. Discussions are underway with key services providers that will support the expansion of hydrogeological studies, and environmental studies will be supplemented to position the project for potential expansion studies beyond the 2.5Mta base case projected in the PEA.

About Meridian

Meridian Mining UK S is focused on:

The development and exploration of the advanced stage Cabacal VMS gold-copper project;

Regional scale exploration of the Cabacal VMS belt;

Exploration in the Jauru & Araputanga Greenstone belts (the above all located in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil); and

Exploring the Espigao polymetallic project in the State of Rondonia, Brazil.

Cabacal is a gold-copper-silver rich VMS deposit with the potential to be a standalone mine within the 50km VMS belt. Cabacal's base and precious metal-rich mineralization is hosted by volcanogenic type, massive, semi-massive, stringer, and disseminated sulphides within deformed metavolcanic-sedimentary rocks. A later-stage sub-vertical gold overprint event has emplaced high-grade gold mineralization cross-cutting the dipping VMS layers.

The Cabacal Mineral Resource estimate consists of Indicated resources of 52.9 million tonnes at 0.6g/t gold, 0.3% copper and 1.4g/t silver and Inferred resources of 10.3 million tonnes at 0.7g/t gold, 0.2% copper & 1.1g/t silver (at a 0.3 g/t gold equivalent cut-off grade), including a higher-grade near-surface zone supporting a starter pit.

The Preliminary Economic Assessment technical report (the "PEA Technical Report") dated March 30, 2023, entitled: "Cabacal Gold-Copper Project NI 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment, Mato Grosso, Brazil" outlines a base case after-tax NPV5 of USD 573 million and 58.4% IRR from a pre-production capital cost of USD 180 million, leading to capital repayment in 10.6 months (assuming metals price scenario of USD 1,650 per ounces of gold, USD 3.59 per pound of copper, and USD 21.35 per ounce of silver). Cabacal has a low All-in-Sustaining-Cost of USD 671 per ounce gold equivalent for the first five years, driven by high metallurgical recovery, a low life-of-mine strip ratio of 2.1:1, and the low operating cost environment of Brazil (see press release dated March 6, 2023).

Readers are encouraged to read the PEA Technical Report in its entirety. The PEA Technical Report may be found on the Company's website at www.meridianminig.co and under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The qualified persons for the PEA Technical Report are: Robert Raponi (P. Eng), Principal Metallurgist with Ausenco Engineering), Scott Elfen (P. E.), Global Lead Geotechnical and Civil Services with Ausenco Engineering), Simon Tear (PGeo, EurGeol), Principal Geological Consultant of H&SC, Marcelo Batelochi, (MAusIMM, CP Geo), Geological Consultant of MB Geologia Ltda, Joseph Keane (Mineral Processing Engineer; P.E), of SGS, and Guilherme Gomides Ferreira (Mine Engineer MAIG) of GE21 Consultoria Mineral.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Meridian Mining UK S

Dr. Adrian McArthur

CEO and Director

Meridian Mining UK S

Email: info@meridianmining.net.br

Ph: +1 (778) 715-6410 (PST)

Technical Notes

Samples have been analysed at the accredited ALS laboratory in Lima, Peru. Samples are dried, crushed with 70% passing <2mm, split off to give a mass of approximately 250g, and pulverized to >85% passing 200#. Routine gold analyses have been conducted by Au-AA23 (fire assay of a 30g charge with AAS finish). High-grade samples (>10g/t Au) are repeated with a gravimetric finish (Au-GRA21). Samples with visible gold identified during logging are analysed by screen fire assay method Au-SCR21. Samples are held in the Company's secure facilities until dispatched and delivered by staff and commercial couriers to the laboratory. Pulps are retained for umpire testwork, and ultimately returned to the Company for storage. The Company submits a range of quality control samples, including blanks and gold and polymetallic standards supplied by Rocklabs, ITAK and OREAS, supplementing laboratory quality control procedures. In BPM sampling, gold was analysed historically by fire assay and base metals by three acid digest and ICP finish at the Nomos laboratory in Rio de Janeiro. Silver was analysed by aqua regia digest with an atomic absorption finish. True width is considered to be 70-80% of intersection width.

Geophysical and geochemical exploration targets are preliminary in nature and not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit

Qualified Person

Dr. Adrian McArthur, B.Sc. Hons, Ph.D. FAusIMM., CEO and Director of Meridian as well as a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and verified the technical information in this news release.

Stay up to date by subscribing for news alerts here: https://meridianmining.co/contact/

Follow Meridian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeridianMining

Further information can be found at: www.meridianmining.co

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements for the purposes of applicable securities laws. These statements address future events and conditions and so involve inherent risks and uncertainties, as disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in under the heading "Risk Factors" in Meridian's most recent Annual Information Form filed on www.sedar.com. While these factors and assumptions are considered reasonable by Meridian, in light of management's experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, Meridian can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Meridian disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or results or otherwise.

Table 1: Historical Intersections referenced in this release.

SOURCE: Meridian Mining UK S

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756507/Meridian-Expands-Drill-Program-to-Target-New-Prospects-along-the-Cabaal-VMS-Belt
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Blackrock Silver Corp. (TSXV: BRC) (the "Company" or "Blackrock") is pleased to announce that it has received approval from the Nevada Bureau of Land Management and finalized a drill agreement with Tonatec Exploration LLC to commence its Phase-1 drill program at the Company's Silver Cloud property ("Silver Cloud"). Silver Cloud is located along the prolific, high-grade Northern Nevada Rift in north central Nevada adjacent to the Hollister mine and 15 kilometres south of the Midas mine.

In January 2023, the Company confirmed its original bonanza-grade discovery intercept at the Northwest Canyon target with metallic-screen assay which returned 1.52 metres grading 70 g/t gold and 600 g/t silver in core hole SBC22-020 (see news releases dated December 7, 2022, and January 17, 2023). A severe winter in northern Nevada precluded immediate follow up on this bonanza-grade intercept.

With ground conditions improving, access to Silver Cloud has now been restored and equipment can now be mobilized to the property. The Phase-1 drill program at Silver Cloud is anticipated to start in early June 2023.

Andrew Pollard, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company commented: "This bonanza-grade gold and silver discovery at the Northwest Canyon target is a potential game-changer for Blackrock Silver and we've been chomping at the bit to get back up there with the drills ever since. After what was a very severe winter in Nevada, the snow has finally melted and access has been regained allowing us to mobilize our equipment and commence drilling in June, giving Blackrock the opportunity to finally walk this new exciting discovery forward with this fully-funded program."

Pollard continued, "Nestled along the Northern Nevada Rift, in between and on trend of two of Nevada's highest-grade historic gold mines, the Silver Cloud property holds tremendous potential in what may be the missing link of what is one big, high-grade system. In January 2023, we reported the highest-grade intercept we've had as a Company in making this new discovery, intersecting 1.52 meters grading 70 g/t gold and 600 g/t silver in core hole SBC22-020 in Northwest Canyon. Based on the historic drill data which has assays of 5.61 g/t gold over 12.2 meters, the Company believes the vein could extend up to 2 kilometers along a north-northwest orientation. This Phase-1 program will test an initial 500 metres of that strike potential."

The initial Phase-1 program will commence with 2,200 metres of drilling for approximately 500 metres of strike along the Northwest Canyon vein projection. The vein does not outcrop at the surface and is hosted within the porphyritic Silver Cloud Rhyolite volcanic unit. Based on data from previous historic drilling in the target area, including a drill intercept in SCP-15 of 12.2 metres grading 5.61 g/t gold, the Company believes the vein could have as many as 2 kilometres of strike length along a north-northwest orientation.

Figure 1: Northwest Canyon





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Map 1: Northwest Canyon drillhole locator





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Quality Assurance/ Quality Control

All sampling is conducted under the supervision of the Company's project geologists, and a strict chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility is implemented and monitored. The core samples are hauled from the project site to a secure and fenced facility in Battle Mountain, Nevada, where they are loaded on to American Assay Laboratory's (AAL) flat-bed truck and delivered to AAL's facility in Sparks, Nevada. A sample submittal sheet is delivered to AAL personnel who organize and process the sample intervals pursuant to the Company's instructions.

The core and QA/QC samples are crushed and pulverized, then the pulverized material is digested and analyzed for Au using fire assay fusion and an Induced Coupled Plasma (ICP) finish on a 30-gram assay split. Silver is determined using five-acid digestion and ICP analysis. Over limits for gold and silver are determined using a gravimetric finish. Data verification of the assay and analytical results are completed to ensure accurate and verifiable results. Blackrock personnel insert a blind prep blank, lab blank or certified reference material approximately every 15th to 20th sample. In addition, a random selection of pulps are sent to ALS Minerals in Reno, Nevada, for check assays.

Blackrock's exploration activities at Silver Cloud are conducted and supervised by Mr. William Howald, Executive Chairman of Blackrock. Mr. William Howald, AIPG Certified Professional Geologist #11041, is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

Blackrock Silver to Present at Gravitas' 4th Los Angeles Summit

Blackrock Silver is pleased to announce it will be presenting at Gravitas' 4th Los Angeles Summit, which will be taking place at The Beverly Hills Hotel from Sunday, June 4th to Tuesday, June 6th, 2023, in Beverly Hills, California.

Andrew Pollard, President, and Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled to present on Monday, June 5th, 2023, at 11 am PDT, where he will also be fielding investor questions during the in-person summit.

Gravitas' 4th Los Angeles Summit will feature public and private companies across various industries presenting to a highly selective audience of venture capital, family office, and institutional investors attending from Canada, the United States, and abroad. We also welcome any investors from the Southern California area to register to attend.

For registration details, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gravitas-securities-4th-annual-la-summit-tickets-581002142047aff=eemailordconf&utm_campaign=order_confirm&ref=eemailordconf&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_term=viewevent

Summit Details:

Event: Gravitas' 4th Los Angeles Summit

Format: Presentations and Q&A

Presentation Dates: Monday, June 5th and Tuesday, June 6th, 2023

Time: 9:00 AM PDT - 4:00 PM PDT

Venue: In-person at The Beverly Hills Hotel

About Blackrock Silver Corp.

Backed by gold and silver ounces in the ground, Blackrock is a junior precious metal focused exploration company driven to add shareholder value via the drill bit. With 2.97 million tonnes grading 446 g/t silver equivalent[1] at its Tonopah West project, and a new bonanza-grade gold discovery at Silver Cloud, the Company has a proven track record of exploration success. In addition to its gold and silver project portfolio, the Company is credited with a lithium discovery, the Tonopah North project, which is under option to a major lithium exploration group. Anchored by a seasoned Board, the Company is focused on its 100% controlled Nevada portfolio of properties consisting of low-sulphidation, epithermal gold and silver mineralization located along the established Northern Nevada Rift in north-central Nevada and the Walker Lane trend in western Nevada.

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Pollard, President & CEO

Blackrock Silver Corp.

Phone: 604 817-6044

Email: andrew@blackrocksilver.com

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements concern, but are not limited to: the Company's strategic plans; timing and expectations for the Company's exploration and drilling programs, including the Phase-1 drilling program at Silver Cloud; estimates of mineralization from drilling; geological information projected from sampling results; and the potential quantities and grades of the target zones. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; accuracy of assay results; geological interpretations from drilling results, timing and amount of capital expenditures; performance of available laboratory and other related services; future operating costs; and the historical basis for current estimates of potential quantities and grades of target zones. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors, including but not limited to: the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties; the interpretation and uncertainties of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project costs overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; availability of funds; failure to delineate potential quantities and grades of the target zones based on historical data; and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

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.

[1] Technical information relating to the Tonopah West project is based on and derived from the NI 43-101 report prepared for Blackrock entitled "Technical Report and Estimate of Mineral Resources for the Tonopah West Silver-Gold Project, Nye and Esmeralda Counties, Nevada, USA" effective April 28, 2022 authored by Michael S. Lindholm, C.P.G. and Jeffrey Bickel, C.P.G. (the "Technical Report"). The Technical Report outlines 2.97million tonnes at a block diluted grade of 208 grams per tonne (g/t) silver (Ag) and 2.5g/t gold (Au) for a total inferred mineral resource of 19,902,000 ounces Ag and 238,000 ounces Au, or 446 g/t silver equivalent (AgEq) for 42.6million oz AgEq. AgEq equivalent grade is based on silver and gold prices of US$20/ounce and US$1750/ounce, respectively, and recoveries for silver and gold of 87%and 95%

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167083
The information contained in this release was correct as at 30 April 2023. Information on the Company's up to date net asset values can be found on the London Stock Exchange Website at:

https://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-home.html.

BLACKROCK THROGMORTON TRUST PLC (LEI: 5493003B7ETS1JEDPF59)



All information is at 30 April 2023 and unaudited .

Performance at month end is calculated on a cum income basis

One

Month

% Three

months

% One

year

% Three

years

% Five

years

% Net asset value 4.0 -1.9 -8.5 27.6 19.1 Share price 2.1 -5.2 -7.6 18.1 21.7 Benchmark* 2.9 -2.6 -9.4 32.0 4.7

Sources: BlackRock and Datastream

*With effect from 22 March 2018 the Numis Smaller Companies plus AIM (excluding Investment Companies) Index replaced the Numis Smaller Companies excluding AIM (excluding Investment Companies) Index as the Company's benchmark. The performance of the indices have been blended to reflect this.

At month end Net asset value capital only: 624.38p Net asset value incl. income: 630.99p Share price 594.00p Discount to cum income NAV 5.9% Net yield1: 1.9% Total Gross assets2: 635.9m Net market exposure as a % of net asset value3: 106.9% Ordinary shares in issue4: 100,777,948 2022 ongoing charges (excluding performance fees)5,6: 0.54% 2022 ongoing charges ratio (including performance

fees)5,6,7: 0.54%



1. Calculated using the 2022 interim dividend declared on 20 July 2022 and paid on 26 August 2022, together with the 2022 final dividend declared on 10 February 2023 and paid on 31 March 2023.

2. Includes current year revenue and excludes gross exposure through contracts for difference.

3. Long exposure less short exposure as a percentage of net asset value.

4. Excluding 2,431,916 shares held in treasury.

5. The Company's ongoing charges are calculated as a percentage of average daily net assets and using the management fee and all other operating expenses, excluding performance fees, finance costs, direct transaction charges, VAT recovered, taxation and certain other non-recurring items for the year ended 30 November 2022.

6. With effect from 1 August 2017 the base management fee was reduced from 0.70% to 0.35% of gross assets per annum. The Company's ongoing charges are calculated as a percentage of average daily net assets and using the management fee and all other operating expenses, including performance fees, but excluding finance costs, direct transaction charges, VAT recovered, taxation and certain other non-recurring items for the year ended 30 November 2022.

7. Effective 1st December 2017 the annual performance fee is calculated using performance data on an annualised rolling two year basis (previously, one year) and the maximum annual performance fee payable is effectively reduced to 0.90% of two year rolling average month end gross assets (from 1% of average annual gross assets over one year). Additionally, the Company now accrues this fee at a rate of 15% of outperformance (previously 10%). The maximum annual total management fees (comprising the base management fee of 0.35% and a potential performance fee of 0.90%) are therefore 1.25% of average month end gross assets on a two-year rolling basis (from 1.70% of average annual gross assets).

Sector Weightings % of Total Assets Industrials 32.5 Consumer Discretionary 24.0 Financials 16.1 Technology 7.9 Health Care 4.3 Consumer Staples 4.2 Telecommunications 3.1 Energy 1.5 Communication Services 1.5 Basic Materials 1.5 Real Estate 0.4 Net Current Assets 3.0 ----- Total 100.0 ===== Country Weightings % of Total Assets United Kingdom 93.8 United States 3.0 France 1.9 Australia 0.7 Ireland 0.6 ----- Total 100.0 =====

Market Exposure (Quarterly) 31.05.22

% 31.08.22

% 30.11.22

% 28.02.22

% Long 104.8 102.0 105.8 110.3 Short 3.3 4.1 2.5 2.3 Gross exposure 108.1 106.1 108.3 112.6 Net exposure 101.5 97.9 103.3 108.0

Ten Largest Investments Company % of Total Gross Assets Gamma Communications 3.1 Watches of Switzerland 3.0 WH Smith 2.9 CVS Group 2.9 Grafton Group 2.7 Breedon 2.7 4imprint Group 2.7 Ergomed 2.6 Diploma 2.6 Oxford Instruments 2.5

Commenting on the markets, Dan Whitestone, representing the Investment Manager noted:

The Company rose by 4.0% in April, outperforming the benchmark, the Numis Smaller Companies +AIM excluding Investment Companies Index, which returned 2.9%.1

During April, markets recovered some of the losses of March as the impact of US bank failures continued to dominate headlines. First Republic became the latest casualty and was sold to JP Morgan (via FDIC receivership) at the end of the month. We continue to monitor the impact these failures may have on credit tightening and any corresponding impact on the real economy, as we triangulate between third party data in addition to probing companies in our interactions with them. So far, the majority of corporate news-flow in UK small and medium sized companies has been encouraging, where many companies continue to show broad based strength in earnings relative to low expectations. In many ways this is a continuation of the theme of the last nine months, with lots of headline macro concerns offset by broadly positive corporate news flow amongst our investments as demand holds up better than feared and companies continue to win share.

The surge in M&A (mergers & acquisitions) activity in the UK small & mid-cap market was a key driver of performance during April. The biggest contributor to performance was Dechra Pharmaceuticals which announced it had received a possible cash offer from EQT for a c.50% premium to its closing share price, albeit only a modest premium to where they raised money only a few months ago to acquire a pipeline of veterinary drugs which will accelerate growth in FY24 and beyond, which the Board would is prepared to recommend. Due to the sensitivities surrounding this, there is little we can comment publicly on now. Veterinary services company CVS Group was another top contributor during the month, with the shares rising off the back of the Dechra bid. Another holding in the portfolio, Numis Corporation, also received a cash bid during the month, with Deutsche Bank offering a 72% premium.

The biggest detractor during the month was Breedon, which despite delivering a very strong Q1 update in April, fell on the back of a technical situation where IHT (Inheritance Tax) funds needed to sell their shares ahead of Breedon joining the main market on 17th May. Breedon had recently announced they were delisting from AIM and joining the FTSE 250 Index. We have used this weakness to continue to add to our position. Shares in both Diploma and 4imprint both fell despite no negative stock specific newsflow.

Overall, April was another difficult month to navigate but the portfolio has continued to show promise, with generally a strong set of results across the long book, helped by some stock specific wins in the short book. Very few of the detractors are in response to specific negative developments and generally are where the market is concerned over the very short term at the expense of the medium to long term, and this we view as opportunity rather than a threat. Moreover, we have long argued that there remains compelling value in UK mid-caps, and considering recent bids and continued bid speculation, we think Private Equity agree and are armed with significant dry powder to take advantage. A challenge for us will be to ensure we don't let the significant disconnect of valuations from strong fundamentals and runway of cashflow growth enable others to realise the inherent value on offer in our home market, denying us of compelling future returns just for a cash bid today. We have continued to take advantage of the valuations disconnect that we see in UK mid-cap shares, and the Company's net is now around 109%.

1Source: BlackRock as at 30 April 2023

23 May 2023

ENDS

Latest information is available by typing www.blackrock.com/uk/thrg on the internet, "BLRKINDEX" on Reuters, "BLRK" on Bloomberg or "8800" on Topic 3 (ICV terminal). Neither the contents of the Manager's website nor the contents of any website accessible from hyperlinks on the Manager's website (or any other website) is incorporated into, or forms part of, this announcement.
According to Prophecy Market Insights "Quantum Computing Market size accounted for US$ 387.3 billion in 2020 and is estimated to be US$ 4531.04 billion by 2030 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 28.2%

COVINA, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- What is quantum computing, and how is it different from classical computing?





Quantum computing is a type of computing that uses quantum mechanics to process information. Unlike classical computing, which uses bits to represent information as either 0 or 1, quantum computing uses quantum bits or qubits, which can represent both 0 and 1 at the same time, allowing for much faster and more efficient computing.

What are the recent news in the Quantum Computing Market?

In November 2022 , IBM launched new 400 Qubit-Plus quantum processor, "IBM Osprey" and next generation "IBM Quantum System Two". New launched quantum processor addresses error connection and improves quality, scale and speed of quantum system.

, IBM launched new 400 Qubit-Plus quantum processor, "IBM Osprey" and next generation "IBM Quantum System Two". New launched quantum processor addresses error connection and improves quality, scale and speed of quantum system. In March 2023 , Nvidia launched new hardware and software to strengthen its position for quantum computing product in market. "CUDA Quantum" a new launched platform is designed to build quantum algorithm by using python and C++ coding languages.

Download a Sample Copy of Report:

https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-sample/571

What is Prophecy's Analyst View on Quantum Computing Market?

Technological advancement has become a key factor in target market growth. Government spending in quantum computing technology and rising demand for high-performance computing has fueled the demand for market growth. Rapid growth in industrialization such as automobile, chemical, banking and healthcare has become major hub for Quantum Computing market.

Report Scope:

Attribute Details Base year for estimation 2020 Forecast period 2020 - 2030 Accounted in 2020 US$ 387.3 billion Estimated to be in 2030 US$ 4531.04 billion CAGR 28.2 % Market representation Revenue in USD Million & CAGR from 2020 - 2030 Market Segmentation By Component - Hardware, Software, and Services By Application- Simulation, Optimizing, and Sampling By End-User Industry- Defense Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals, Banking & Finance, and Energy & Power 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/571

What are Possibilities for Growth of quantum computing market?

Advancements in quantum hardware will enable new applications and use cases.

Increased investment from governments, venture capitalists, and corporations.

Growing demand for quantum computing applications in areas such as cryptography, drug discovery, finance, and logistics.

Emergence of quantum computing as a service (QCaaS) will drive growth in the market.

Collaboration and partnerships between companies, research institutions, and governments will also drive growth.

What are some of the challenges facing the quantum computing market?

Some of the key challenges facing the quantum computing market include the high cost and complexity of quantum computing hardware, the limited availability of quantum computing talent, and the difficulty of scaling up quantum computing systems to large-scale applications.

Who are some of the key players in the quantum computing market?

Wave Systems Corp

1QB Information Technologies Inc

QC Ware, Corp

Google Inc

QxBranch LLC

Microsoft Corporation

International Business Machines Corporation

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd

ID Quantique SA

Atos SE.

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What are the key trends in Quantum Computing Market?

Growing Investment and Funding: There has been a surge in investment and funding in quantum computing technologies in recent years, with governments, private enterprises, and venture capitalists pouring billions of dollars into the development of this technology.

There has been a surge in investment and funding in quantum computing technologies in recent years, with governments, private enterprises, and venture capitalists pouring billions of dollars into the development of this technology. Advancements in Quantum Computing Hardware: There has been a significant improvement in the design and manufacturing of quantum computing hardware, which has led to the development of faster and more powerful quantum computers.

There has been a significant improvement in the design and manufacturing of quantum computing hardware, which has led to the development of faster and more powerful quantum computers. Increased Collaboration and Partnerships: As quantum computing is a complex and interdisciplinary field, collaboration and partnerships between companies, research institutions, and government agencies have become increasingly important.

As quantum computing is a complex and interdisciplinary field, collaboration and partnerships between companies, research institutions, and government agencies have become increasingly important. Focus on Developing Quantum Algorithms and Applications: With the development of more powerful quantum computers, there has been a renewed focus on developing quantum algorithms and applications that can take advantage of this technology to solve complex problems in various industries.

With the development of more powerful quantum computers, there has been a renewed focus on developing quantum algorithms and applications that can take advantage of this technology to solve complex problems in various industries. Emerging Quantum Cloud Computing: Quantum cloud computing is a new trend in the quantum computing market, where quantum computing resources are delivered through cloud-based platforms, allowing users to access these resources remotely.

Quantum cloud computing is a new trend in the quantum computing market, where quantum computing resources are delivered through cloud-based platforms, allowing users to access these resources remotely. Growing Demand from Industries: Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize various industries, including finance, healthcare, and transportation. As a result, there is a growing demand for quantum computing solutions that can help businesses solve complex problems and gain a competitive advantage.

Quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize various industries, including finance, healthcare, and transportation. As a result, there is a growing demand for quantum computing solutions that can help businesses solve complex problems and gain a competitive advantage. Increasing Importance of Quantum Cybersecurity: As quantum computing can break traditional encryption methods, there is an increasing need for quantum cybersecurity solutions that can protect sensitive data from quantum attacks.

Conclusion:

The Quantum Computing Market is experiencing significant growth and development.

Key drivers of this growth include a surge in investment and funding, advancements in hardware, and increased collaboration and partnerships among industry players.

Emerging trends in quantum algorithms and applications, quantum cloud computing, and growing demand from industries are shaping the market.

Challenges such as hardware limitations, algorithmic complexity, and quantum cybersecurity need to be addressed.

The Quantum Computing Market has enormous potential to revolutionize various industries and its impact on society will depend on how effectively businesses and governments can harness its power while addressing the ethical and societal implications of this technology.

Here are frequently asked question about Quantum Computing Market?

What is quantum computing and how does it differ from classical computing?

What are the major applications of quantum computing?

What is the current size and growth potential of the Quantum Computing Market?

Who are the key players in the Quantum Computing Market and what are their market shares?

What are the major trends and drivers of the Quantum Computing Market?

What are the challenges facing the Quantum Computing Market, such as hardware limitations and algorithmic complexity?

What are the opportunities and potential disruptions that quantum computing can bring to various industries, such as finance, healthcare, and transportation?

Browse More Research Reports:

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Edge Computing Market - accounted for US$ 4.68 billion in 2020 and is estimated to be US$ 108.55 billion by 2030 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 37.3%

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The Partnership combines scientific and strategic expertise with financing origination and execution capabilities to support healthcare companies through each stage of growth and the product lifecycle

DNB Bank ASA ("DNB") and Back Bay Life Science Advisors ("Back Bay") have announced a strategic partnership (the "DNB-Back Bay Partnership" or the "Partnership") to drive global healthcare growth and innovation.

DNB will make a financial investment in Back Bay to formalize the Partnership, which will provide strategic advisory and investment banking capabilities across the spectrum of development and commercialization to global biopharma, medtech, healthtech, diagnostic and healthcare service companies, ranging from pre-clinical startups to global multinationals.

DNB, together with its subsidiaries and affiliated entities, is a global corporate and investment bank headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with $300 billion in combined assets and a well-established reputation for arranging financing for the global healthcare sector. Back Bay Life Science Advisors, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, is a globally recognized healthcare and life science strategic and transaction advisor.

The DNB-Back Bay Partnership joins DNB's global capital markets and investment banking capabilities with Back Bay's international expertise in providing integrated scientific and corporate strategic consulting and execution capabilities in licensing, partnering and M&A.

"DNB's investment in Back Bay is a milestone in our commitment to the healthcare sector. We endeavor to make a positive impact on our communities, specifically in the areas of healthcare and wellness, and to support innovative companies developing new treatments and technologies in human healthcare," said Alexander Opstad, Executive Vice President and Head of DNB Markets, the Capital Markets and Investment Banking arm of DNB Bank ASA. "Our partnership with Back Bay is a formalization of years of collaboration and building trust in each other that gives us confidence that DNB and Back Bay, together, can provide differentiated capabilities and make a positive difference in the growth trajectory of healthcare companies."

For more than 13 years, Back Bay has been a trusted strategic advisor for healthcare companies worldwide, particularly in the U.S., EU and Nordic markets," said Jonathan P. Gertler, CEO of Back Bay Life Science Advisors. "As companies advancing healthcare assets are met with scientific, business and funding challenges, our Partnership's integration of strategy and transaction execution excellence across investment and corporate banking functions becomes critical to furthering improvements in global healthcare. The boards and managements of healthcare companies will now be able to choose one dedicated partner for commercial development and corporate finance guidance and execution."

The Partnership will provide a full range of strategic advisory and financing capabilities along the full continuum of life science and healthcare company development, including:

Strategy - Strategic advice based on nuanced understanding of the clinical and scientific foundations of new therapeutics and medical technologies, expertise in business and financial markets and knowledge of what makes successful R&D, commercialization and transactions. The Partnership provides actionable strategies for product development, commercial success and transactional execution to drive growth and investment returns.

- Strategic advice based on nuanced understanding of the clinical and scientific foundations of new therapeutics and medical technologies, expertise in business and financial markets and knowledge of what makes successful R&D, commercialization and transactions. The Partnership provides actionable strategies for product development, commercial success and transactional execution to drive growth and investment returns. Equity Capital Markets Capital raising in global public and private equity markets, institutional sales and trading and equity research.

Capital raising in global public and private equity markets, institutional sales and trading and equity research. Debt Capital Markets Structuring and marketing debt instruments such as loans, bonds, convertible bonds, direct lending and other private placements, including new issues, refinancings and acquisition financing.

Structuring and marketing debt instruments such as loans, bonds, convertible bonds, direct lending and other private placements, including new issues, refinancings and acquisition financing. Mergers and Acquisitions International transaction execution experience across the full spectrum of buy and sell-side licensing, partnering, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures.

International transaction execution experience across the full spectrum of buy and sell-side licensing, partnering, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. Resources - Access to the resources of recognized leaders in global healthcare corporate development and financing. Team coverage across New York, Boston, Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Toronto, London and Singapore.

DNB will make a strategic minority investment in Back Bay to bolster these Partnership capabilities further and support meaningful growth and development of Back Bay's thought leadership, strategy and transaction execution reach and resources.

The DNB-Back Bay Partnership combines highly complementary product sets and is well suited to meet evolving lifecycle needs with dedicated multidisciplinary teams of life science and healthcare experts and corporate and investment bankers who understand the complete picture of asset and company development. This expertise includes translating complex scientific data into actionable strategies relating to clinical trial readouts, product positioning and commercialization to buy-side and sell-side M&A, licensing, partnering and capital raising.

Learn more and connect with DNB-Back Bay Partnership advisors: https://www.dnb.no/en/business/industry-expertise/healthcare/dnb-back-bay

About DNB

DNB is Norway's largest financial institution and leading corporate and investment bank, with international expertise in corporate banking and public capital markets across selected industry sectors, specializing in arranging financing for healthcare companies globally.

DNB has been established in North America since 1975, with a full-service branch in New York that serves corporate customers in the bank's strategic business areas. A full range of wholesale investment banking services is provided in the U.S. by DNB Markets, Inc., a broker-dealer registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. DNB Markets, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of DNB Bank ASA in New York, established in 2003. Securities products and services are offered in the U.S. through DNB Markets, Inc.

Learn more: https://www.dnb.no/en

About Back Bay Life Science Advisors

Back Bay Life Science Advisors provides life science strategy and investment banking guidance and execution to global life science companies and their investors. Back Bay's integrated strategy and banking teams advise companies on all aspects of life science, healthcare technology and drug development, including planning an initial concept, product commercialization, franchise growth, licensing, partnering, divestiture, M&A and more.

Headquartered in Boston with a strong presence in Europe and the Nordic markets and a global reach, Back Bay has guided hundreds of healthcare companies through the complexities of commercial development and M&A. Every project and transaction is rooted in Back Bay's deep expertise in life science, healthcare industry strategy and investment banking.

Securities products and services are offered in the U.S. through Back Bay Life Science Advisory, LLC, a broker-dealer registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. Back Bay Life Science Advisory, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Back Bay Life Science Advisors, LLC.

View highlights from Back Bay's portfolio of life science transactions and projects and connect with Back Bay at www.bblsa.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005368/en/

Contacts:

U.S. Media Contact: Tara DiMilia, TellMed Strategies, Tara.DiMilia@tmstrat.com, 908.884.7024

EU Media Contact: Lukas Loeb, DNB, lukas.loeb@dnb.no
The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) will develop a new resort within the Journey Through Time (JTT) masterplan, designed in harmony with the natural environment and aligned with the Sustainability Charter for AlUla, Saudi Green Initiative, and Vision 2030.

The Azulik AlUla Resort is a stunning eco-luxury property in the Nabatean Horizon District of the JTT masterplan, tucked into canyons near the AlMutadil Equestrian Village development and Wadi AlFann, an ancient valley that will soon be home to large-scale artworks in the landscape, said RCU in its statement.

Slated to launch in 2027, the resort will feature 76 luxury villas of six different varieties, spa, VIP club, welcome lounges, all-day dining, and a SFER IK museum.

Operated by Mexican luxury brand Azulik and designed by Roth Architecture, the resort will offer elegant accommodations for guests and provide socio-economic benefits for the AlUla community.

Once fully operational, Azulik AlUla Resort will create more than 300 new jobs, said the statement.

Along with local materials and contractors sought for construction, most operational supplies will be sought from AlUla and wider KSA to further boost regional economic growth, it added.

RCU Vice President (Hotels and Resorts) John Northen said: "Azulik AlUla is centered on the concept of sustainability and connection with the natural and human heritage surrounding this magnificent property."

"Along with its proximity to the AlMutadil Equestrian Village and Wadi AlFann, both under development, this resort is one of several assets contributing to AlUlas growth as a leading destination in line with our JTT master plan," stated Northen.

"With flowing designs inspired by the natural ecosystem and surrounding sandstone cliffs, the resorts undulating exteriors will utilise natural materials and fibres woven into several layers," he added.

According to him, Azulik AlUla Resort will promote connection with AlUlas heritage and the areas ecology and biodiversity.

"For example, the development will protect and incorporate nearby ancient rock art inscriptions, and utilise a natural system of existing waterways to feed irrigation and safeguard against floods. No private vehicle traffic will be allowed on-property; instead an all-electric mobility system will be provided, along with horse and camel routes, and hiking trails for guests to enjoy the surroundings," he stated.

Azulik Founder and CEO Roth said: "As a Tribe, we feel honoured to bring Azuliks vision to AlUla. It is with gratitude and profound respect that we embark a journey into AlUlas vibrant heritage and culture."

"Rooted in its unique natural landscape, we begin a project that is both close to our heart and our brand values. These are our first steps together and Im confident we will walk a beautiful and exciting path," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
AI and ML solutions are enhancing Clario's scientists' abilities to deliver a more efficient, accurate and faster analysis of trial participant data collection. These novel tools optimize operations, integrate platforms, strengthen patient privacy and increase data quality while reducing errors.

Clario has implemented over 30 AI solutions with more than half integrated directly into Clario platforms since 2018 through in-house development and AI-driven strategic partnerships.

With the support of AI and ML, Clario scientists are augmenting their abilities to deliver enhanced quality in data collection, reduce the potential for errors and provide faster data analysis without compromising accuracy.

70+ clinical trials are enrolled in various Clario AI models across our platforms.

PHILADELPHIA, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Clario, a healthcare research technology company that delivers leading endpoint technology solutions for clinical trials, today revealed the significant progress it has made in the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) into clinical trial data collection through their own development and strategic partnerships. Over 30 solutions have been applied, with more than half of them already active on various Clario platforms. These integrations have led to a remarkable evolution in the way clinical trial endpoint analyses are conducted at the company. By combining AI tools with deep scientific expertise, Clario is achieving faster and more accurate results than ever before. Furthermore, this integration has enhanced operational efficiencies and patient privacy protection.





"When it comes to AI technology and clinical trials, it's not about one single solution," said Todd Rudo, Chief Medical Officer, Clario. "Clinical trials are complicated and unique to the medicine they are researching, so they require bespoke solutions. This is why Clario is developing AI solutions that tackle specific challenges across Cardiac Safety, eCOA, Imaging, Precision Motion and Respiratory for trial endpoint analysis. We currently have over 70 clinical trials enrolled in our various AI models, and our clients and their patients are already realizing the benefits: enhancements in our ability to collect a wide range of digital data types and subsequently analyze them faster and more accurately."

"AI is transforming clinical trials, but we have to be thoughtful in how we develop it for such a complex area. Clario's innovative approach is to work with our scientific experts to identify meaningful applications of artificial intelligence to improve our performance in data collection and analysis without compromising safety or quality assessments. AI is not a replacement for our scientists but an effective tool to assist them in their routine work. AI in clinical trials is clearly moving out of its infancy, and we are excited to be at the forefront of progress in this ever-evolving landscape," said Achim Schulke, EVP Chief Innovation Officer, Clario.

Since 2018, Clario has applied over 30 AI solutions that enhance scientists' data endpoint analyses by optimizing operations, integrating platforms, strengthening patient privacy and increasing quality and precision while reducing errors. The AI solutions across Clario's technology platform include:

Cardiac Safety: To increase data quality and reduce the risk of missing data, AI-supported quality assessments for continuous 12-lead ECG recordings are under development which permit the rapid identification of poor-quality recordings, enabling the opportunity to rapidly address any issues directly at the site level.

To increase data quality and reduce the risk of missing data, AI-supported quality assessments for continuous 12-lead ECG recordings are under development which permit the rapid identification of poor-quality recordings, enabling the opportunity to rapidly address any issues directly at the site level. eCOA: To improve patient safety and data quality, the eCOA Science risk monitoring analytics solution identifies potential issues early throughout clinical trials to enable corrective action. In addition, consistency checks across multiple eCOA instruments are in place to ensure more robust scientific data and improved investigator oversight and experience.

To improve patient safety and data quality, the eCOA Science risk monitoring analytics solution identifies potential issues early throughout clinical trials to enable corrective action. In addition, consistency checks across multiple eCOA instruments are in place to ensure more robust scientific data and improved investigator oversight and experience. Imaging : Receipt, processing, quality control and analysis are faster than ever with the help of AI tools such as auto-labelling that automatically identifies up to 10,000 images (e.g., MRI, X-ray) a week, facial masking to enhance patient privacy and reduce manual quality control time per video from one hour to one minute, and automated motion detection for image quality metrics. Clario also uses powerful AI frameworks for image classifications, segmentations, landmark detections, and regions of interest.

: Receipt, processing, quality control and analysis are faster than ever with the help of AI tools such as auto-labelling that automatically identifies up to 10,000 images (e.g., MRI, X-ray) a week, facial masking to enhance patient privacy and reduce manual quality control time per video from one hour to one minute, and automated motion detection for image quality metrics. Clario also uses powerful AI frameworks for image classifications, segmentations, landmark detections, and regions of interest. Respiratory: AI algorithms can now automatically analyze spirometry loops to support immediate quality control by detecting technical errors, ensuring consistent and objective data collection across clinical sites and trial environments. Potentially problematic loops can be flagged for further review by a trained specialist and can be used to help further enhance algorithms to support future studies.

Clario's innovation, development and implementation of multiple AI solutions for data endpoint analysis is transforming efficiency, accuracy and speed in clinical trials. For more information about Clario and its artificial intelligence solutions, please go to Clario.com.

About Clario

Clario is a leading healthcare research and technology company that generates the richest clinical evidence in the industry for our pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device partners. Across decentralized, hybrid and site-based trials, our deep scientific expertise, global scale and the broadest endpoint technology platform in the industry allows our partners to transform lives. Clario has the only technology platform that combines eCOA, cardiac safety, medical imaging, precision motion, and respiratory endpoints. Clario's global team of science, technology and operational experts have helped deliver more than 27,000 trials and contributed to over 500 FDA and EMEA new drug approvals involving more than seven million patients in over 100 countries. Our innovation has been transforming clinical trials for 50 years.

For more information, visit Clario.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Clario Media Contact

Duncan Cantor

media@clario.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1677749/Clario_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/transforming-clinical-trial-endpoint-analysis-clario-implements-over-30-ai-solutions-to-deliver-faster-and-accurate-results-301829987.html
SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cepheid, a leading molecular diagnostics company, announced today that Vitor Rocha has officially joined the company in the role of President.





Rocha joins Cepheid after 12 years at Phillips where he served as the Chief Executive Officer, Phillips North America, and CEO of the company's Global Ultrasound Business. Prior to his tenure at Phillips, Rocha worked at GE Healthcare for more than a decade in various leadership roles, including management of sales operations across 32 countries.

"Vitor brings a proven track record of more than 20 years' experience as a global leader in the medical devices industry along with a passion for patient care to his new role at Cepheid" said Joakim Weidemanis, Executive Vice President, Danaher Diagnostics Platform. "This is an exciting time to be involved in the diagnostics industry and we welcome Vitor to Cepheid's executive leadership team."

Rocha was born and raised in Brazil, where he personally experienced the challenges of healthcare access. Those early experiences helped fuel his passion for dedicating his career to making a positive impact in the global healthcare industry.

"I am honored to have the opportunity to lead a team with a legacy of innovating accurate and timely PCR testing to advance global public health," Rocha said. "Cepheid shares my passion for improving the overall experience for healthcare professionals and patients globally."

Rocha earned an MBA in business administration and management at Penn State University and an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering at PUC Minas University in Brazil.

About Cepheid

Cepheid is dedicated to improving healthcare by pioneering molecular diagnostics that combine speed, accuracy, and flexibility. The company's GeneXpert systems and Xpert tests automate highly complex and time-consuming manual procedures, providing A Better Way for institutions of any size to perform world-class PCR testing. Cepheid's broad test portfolio spans respiratory infections, blood virology, women's and sexual health, TB and emerging infectious diseases, healthcare-associated infectious diseases, oncology and human genetics. The company's solutions deliver actionable results where they are needed most - from central laboratories and hospitals to near-patient settings. For more information, visit http://www.cepheid.com.

For Cepheid Media Inquiries:

Darwa Peterson

darwa.peterson@cepheid.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2083120/Vitor_Rocha.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cepheid-announces-vitor-rocha-as-president-301831749.html
Fortis was awarded by Advantage Health Care India - an International Summit, which was organized from 26th - 28thApril 2023

NEW DELHI, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- India's leading hospital chain, Fortis Healthcare has been recognized for its contribution in positioning India as the preferred medical tourism destination by Advantage Health Care India. Fortis bagged awards in 7 out of 12 categories - out of which Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram bagged 4 awards in Bone Marrow Transplant, Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology and Neurosciences; Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Okhla bagged 2 awards in Paediatric Cardiac Sciences (Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery) and Interventional Cardiology and Fortis Hospital, Noida bagged 1 award in liver transplant.





The awards methodology comprised of nominations by healthcare providers as per the eligibility criteria, post which a 3-level screening - filling of applications forms, followed by presentation to the jury by shortlisted applicants for the respective categories. The final round involved facility visit by the audit committee. FICCI along with Ernst & Young managed the award process.

The event saw participation from key representatives and dignitaries from health ministries of 15+ countries. The government of India's vision of 'One Earth, One Health' was the theme for the event, wherein the idea was to present and promote exclusive medical services and expertise of Indian Healthcare providers. Fortis also hosted 100+ delegates at its flagship hospital - Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, and gave them exposure to the hospital infrastructure and technology. This helped the delegates get deeper insights into the international protocols that Fortis follows for patient treatment.

Dr. Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, MD & CEO, Fortis Healthcare said "This is a proud moment for the Fortis group. We have always been at the forefront to provide the best of medical services to foreign patients who avail our medical services. So far, more than 200000 international patients have been treated at our hospitals across 20 specialties. We support our Honorable Prime Minister's vision of Heal in India; wherein standardized packages are being offered to the foreign patients at affordable prices. The cost-effective treatment, highly skilled healthcare professionals, world-class infrastructure, easy travel accessibility along with language proficiency makes Fortis the most preferred destination for medical tourism."

Contact:

Ajey Maharaj

ajey.maharaj@fortishealthcare.com

Rishu Singh

Rishu.singh@fortishealthcare.com

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2082536/Fortis_Healthcare.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2082535/Fortis_Logo.jpg





View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/fortis-healthcare-recognized-for-its-contribution-in-positioning-india-as-the-medical-tourism-hub-conferred-with-7-awards-301832025.html
+39,93% Rendite seit Januar  so lautet die Erfolgsbilanz der Aktie der Woche. Damit wurden sowohl der DAX als auch der S&P 500 deutlich outperformt. Wie das genau funktioniert, erklart Chefradakteur Lars Wiler in seiner Zwischenbilanz.

Murray Income Trust (MUT) marks its 100-year anniversary this year. It invests mainly in UK equities and aims to provide capital growth and a high and growing income. The trust continues to meet these three objectives. Recent absolute and relative performance has improved after a rare bout of underperformance last year, as the merits of MUT's high-quality portfolio holdings reassert themselves. In the six months to end April 2023, the trust returned 15.8% on an NAV basis, versus a market return of 12.8%. The trust is also on track to meet another milestone: 50 successive years of dividend growth. The FY23 dividend is expected to be at least 36.5p, which represents a prospective yield of 4.2%. MUT's manager, Charles Luke, is confident the trust is well-positioned to continue delivering positive returns and growing income over the long term.

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.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - PharmaDrug Inc. (CSE: PHRX) (OTCQB: LMLLF) ("PharmaDrug" or the "Company"), is announcing that it has appointed David Posner to its Advisory Committee and as a consultant with a mandate for strategic initiatives and corporate restructuring.

Daniel Cohen, Chairman and CEO of PharmaDrug commented, "We are extremely excited to bring David Posner on as an advisor. David has a long history of founding companies in the cannabis, psychedelic and fintech sectors such as Red Light Holland and Psyched Wellness. He was also instrumental in successfully vending companies he founded to larger players such as Lineage Growth to Harbourside and Xanthic Biopharma into Green Growth Brands."

The Board of Directors is assessing strategic alternatives to be able to yield maximum shareholder value for its cepharanthine and N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) programs which management believes is being significantly undervalued by the markets at this current time. Possible avenues include potential entries into joint ventures in order to add intellectual bench strength, scientific program synergies and short to mid term financial flexibility. Management has already begun discussions with several companies, although there is no guarantee an agreement will be reached. PharmaDrug's intention is to keep operational control of its cepharanthine and DMT programs.

As part of this initiative, The Company has parted ways with its Chief Science Officer, Paul Van Slyke. In the meantime, PharmaDrug will use third party consultants until it finalises an agreement with a new strategic partner. The Company thanks Paul for all of his contributions to PharmaDrug and notes that he was instrumental in the work to advance the cepharanthine and DMT programs to their current state. Management wishes Paul the best of luck with all his future endeavours.

About PharmaDrug Inc.

PharmaDrug is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the research, development and commercialization of controlled-substances and natural medicines such as psychedelics and previously approved drugs. PharmaDrug owns 100% of Sairiyo Therapeutics ("Sairiyo"), a biotech company that specializes in researching and reformulating established natural medicines with a goal of bringing them through clinical trials and the associated regulatory approval process in the US and Europe. Sairiyo is currently developing its patented reformulation of cepharanthine, a drug that has shown substantial third party validated potential for the treatment of infectious disease (including Covid-19) and rare cancers. Sairiyo is also conducting R&D in the psychedelics space for the treatment of non-neuropsychiatric conditions.

For further information, please contact:

Daniel Cohen, Chairman and CEO

dcohen@pharmadrug.co

(647) 202-1824

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information:

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED NOR DOES IT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "proposed", "is expected", "budgets", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases, or by the use of words or phrases which state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, or might occur or be achieved. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information in relation to: the timing of the filing of the Required Filings and the contemplated business of the Company. 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. These assumptions include, but are not limited to the ability of the Company to execute on its plans for the Company and its affiliated entities; the ability to obtain required regulatory approvals and the Company's continued response and ability to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic being consistent with, or better than, its ability and response to date and the ability of the Company to complete all required audit processes in a timely fashion..

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 prices for securities; the actual results of the Company's future operations; competition; changes in legislation affecting the Company; the ability to obtain and maintain required permits and approvals, the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals; risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in the Company's disclosure documents on the SEDAR website 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 information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated.

The Company's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. Persons," as such term is defined in Regulations under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this press release and, accordingly, are subject to change after such date. However, the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/166821
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Delivra Health Brands Inc. (TSXV: DHB) (OTCQB: DHBUF) ("Delivra Health" or the "Company"), a consumer packaged goods company uniquely positioned in the health and wellness sector, is pleased to announce its financial and operating results for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2023 ("Q3 2023").

Management Commentary

"For the second time this year, the Company is profitable from an adjusted EBITDA ("Adjusted EBITDA")(1) perspective, for the three months ended March 31, 2023, and we are looking to repeat this moving forward by reinvesting in our business in the form of innovation and new distribution channels," said Gord Davey, President and Chief Executive Officer of Delivra Health. "As indicated when the Company reported on its performance for the three and six months ended December 31, 2022, the Company increased its investment in further innovation projects, customer programs and marketing campaigns in Q3 2023, and this is now supporting the Company's brands and its future prospects."

Financial Highlights for Q3 2023

Net revenue: The Company reported total net revenue from continued operations of $2.35 million in Q3 2023 as compared to $2.34 million in same period last year. The Company maintained approximately the same level of net revenue due to higher sales of Dream Water in the US to international distributors.

Gross profit and gross profit margin: The Company reported for Q3 2023 gross profit of $0.96 million and a gross profit margin of 41% compared to $0.91 million and 39% in same period last year. The increase in gross profit and gross profit margin was the result of increased sales volume higher margin sales from the US.

Expenses including SG&A and excluding non-cash items: For Q3 2023, the Company reported expenses of $1.25 million as compared to $1.55 million in the same period last year, representing a 19% reduction. The reduction was mainly driven by the implementation of certain operational improvements and cost reduction measures identified in the Company's strategic review, which was completed on March 29, 2021 (the "Strategic Review"), and which resulted in lower salaries and sales and marketing expenses.

Adjusted EBITDA(1): For Q3 2023, the Company reported Adjusted EBITDA of $0.023 million as compared to $(0.61) million in the same period last year, representing a $0.62 million year over year improvement from continued operations. This increase in Adjusted EBITDA resulted from management's focus on customer mix, gross profit margin improvement and efficient administrative and selling support functions.

Financial Highlights for the Nine Months Ending March 31, 2023

Net revenue: The Company reported total net revenue from continued operations of $6.47 million compared to $6.22 million in same period last year which is approximately a 4% increase. This increase was due to higher sales of Dream Water in the US to international distributors.

Gross profit and gross profit margin: The Company reported year-to-date gross profit of $2.83 million and a gross profit margin of 44% from continued operations as compared to $2.27 million and 36% in same period last year. The increase in gross profit and gross profit margin was the result of increased sales volume and improved customer mix supported by well-controlled operational costs.

Expenses including SG&A and excluding non-cash items: For the nine months ended March 31, 2023, the Company reported expenses of $3.26 million compared to $4.79 million in the same period last year, representing a 32% reduction. As noted previously, the reduction was mainly driven by the implementation of certain measures identified in the Company's strategic review, completed on February 12, 2020, which resulted in lower salaries and sales and marketing expenses to conserve cash.

Adjusted EBITDA(1): For the nine months ended March 31, 2023, the Company reported Adjusted EBITDA of $(0.009) million compared to $(2.34) million in the same period last year, representing a $2.35 million year over year improvement from continued operations. This increase in Adjusted EBITDA was driven by management's efforts in focusing on the right customer mix, margin improvement supported by efficient administrative and selling support functions.

Summary of Key Financial Results

For the three months ended

March 31 For the nine months ended

March 31 ($000's, except share and per share amounts) 2023 2022 2023 2022 Continued operations: $ $ $ $ Net revenue 2,353 2,339 6,474 6,217 Cost of sales 1,083 1,399 3,207 3,761 Inventory write-down 309 26 441 187 Gross profit 961 914 2,826 2,269 Expenses excluding non-cash expenses 1,247 1,547 3,258 4,793 Depreciation and amortization, share based

compensation and Asset Impairment and write-downs 342 982 1,123 2,284 Total Expenses 1,589 2,529 4,381 7,077 Loss from Operations (628) (1,615) (1,555) (4,808) Other (expense) income (57) (62) 1,377 48 Net gain (loss) from continued operations (685) (1,677) (178) (4,760) Net gain (loss) per share - basic and diluted (0.003) (0.01) (0.001) (0.02)

Adjusted EBITDA(1) (non-IFRS measure)

For the three months ended

March 31 For the nine months ended

March 31 ($000's, except share and per share amounts) 2023 2022 2023 2022 Loss from operations (628) (1,615) (1,555) (4,808) Inventory write-down 309 26 441 187 Asset impairment and write-downs 398 398 Depreciation and amortization 332 527 996 1,592 Share-based compensation 10 57 127 294 Adjusted EBITDA(1) 23 (607) 9 (2,337) (1) Defined as loss from operations before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and adjusted for share-based compensation, common shares issued for services, asset impairment and write-downs, discontinued operations and other non-cash items, and is a non-IFRS measure discussed in the "Adjusted EBITDA" section.

Expenses excluding non-cash items

For the three months ended

March 31 For the nine months ended

March 31 ($000's, except share and per share amounts) 2023 2022 2023 2022 General and administration 964 1,240 2,816 3,472 Sales and marketing 283 307 442 1,321 Total 1,247 1,547 3,258 4,793

About Delivra Health Brands Inc.

Helping people take control of their health with alternative wellness solutions is what energizes the Delivra Health team! The Delivra Health portfolio features innovative brands like Dream Water and LivRelief, which deliver relief from common everyday issues like chronic pain, anxiety, and sleeplessness. Delivra Health products have allowed millions of customers to reclaim their mobility, energy, and in turn, quality of life. The websites of the Company's two subsidiaries are Dream Water and LivRelief. For more information, please visit www.delivrahealthbrands.com.

Non-IFRS Measures, Reconciliation and Discussion

This press release contains references to "Adjusted EBITDA" which is a non-IFRS financial measure. Adjusted EBITDA is a measure of the Company's loss from operations before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization and adjusted for share-based compensation, common shares issued for services, fair value effects of accounting for biological assets and inventories, asset impairment and write-downs, and other non-cash items, and is a non-IFRS measure.

This measure can be used to analyze and compare profitability among companies and industries, as it eliminates the effects of financing and capital expenditures. It is often used in valuation ratios and can be compared to enterprise value and revenue. This measure does not have any standardized meaning according to IFRS and, therefore, may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies.

There are no comparable IFRS financial measures presented in Delivra Health's financial statements. Reconciliations of the supplemental non-IFRS measure are presented in the Company's management discussion and analysis for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2023 ("Q3 2023 MD&A"). This non-IFRS financial measure is presented because management has evaluated the financial results both including and excluding the adjusted items and believes that the non-IFRS financial measure presented provides additional perspective and insights when analyzing the core operating performance of the business. The Company believes that the supplemental measure provides information which is useful to shareholders and investors in understanding the Company's performance and may assist in the evaluation of the Company's business relative to that of its peers.

The non-IFRS financial measure should not be considered superior to, as a substitute for, or as an alternative to, and should be considered in conjunction with the IFRS financial measures presented in the Company's financial statements. For more information, please see "Adjusted EBITDA (non-IFRS measure)" and "Non-IFRS Measures" in the Company's Q3 2023 MD&A, which is available under the Company's System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR") profile on www.sedar.com.

Notes:

This is a non-IFRS reporting measure. For a reconciliation of this measure to the nearest IFRS measure, see "Adjusted EBITDA (non-IFRS measure)" and "Non-IFRS Measures" in the Company's Q3 2023 MD&A.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates, and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements with respect to the Company's growth objectives, planned investment activities, management of expenses, increasing revenues and profitability, growth in new markets, new distribution partners, the Company's future prospects and brands.

These forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions and estimates of management of the Company at the time such statements were made. Actual future results may differ materially as 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 materially differ from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors, among other things, include: implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations; fluctuations in general macroeconomic conditions; fluctuations in securities markets; expectations regarding the size of the cannabis markets where the Company operates; changing consumer habits; the ability of the Company to successfully achieve its business objectives; plans for expansion; political and social uncertainties; inability to obtain adequate insurance to cover risks and hazards; employee relations and the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on cultivation, production, distribution, and sale of cannabis and cannabis-related products in the markets where the Company operates. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking statements, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law.

Additional information regarding this and other risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's business are contained under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated March 2, 2021, and under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in the Company's Q3 2023 MD&A, filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSX-V") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Investor Relations:

Jack Tasse

Chief Financial Officer

IR@delivrahealth.com

1-877-915-7934

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/166862
Revenue of $8.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, up 78% as compared to $4.5 million for the same period in 2022

Everyday People shifted its focus in Q1-2023 and is committed to its new strategy and efforts on building and expanding its Revenue Cycle Management business through accretive acquisitions in Canada and beyond

Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Everyday People Financial Corp. (TSXV: EPF) ("Everyday People" or the "Company"), a Canadian-based financial services company, is pleased to announce its consolidated financial and operational results for the three months ended March 31, 2023, which recorded a 78% increase in revenue compared to the same period in 2022, primarily driven by the acquisition of General Credit Services Inc. ("General Credit"). All figures are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.

"We continued to deliver solid results in Q1-2023 and made great progress in integrating General Credit to our operations," said Barret Reykdal, CEO of Everyday People. "We are focused on driving profitability for the organization as a whole and remain ready to capture strategic acquisitions to increase the overall footprint of our Revenue Cycle Management business line, given its strong recurring revenue and high profitability model."

Key Financial Highlights for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023

Revenue of $8.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, up 78% compared to $4.5 million for the same period in 2022, which was primarily driven by a $3.0 million contribution to revenue related to the General Credit acquisition.

Pro-forma revenue of $9.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, assuming Groupe Solution Collect Solu Inc. (" Groupe Solution ") was acquired on January 1, 2023. Refer to the "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" disclosed in the Company's "Management's Discussion and Analysis" report.

") was acquired on January 1, 2023. Refer to the "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" disclosed in the Company's "Management's Discussion and Analysis" report. Loss from operations decreased to $0.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to $1.3 million for the same period in 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA of $0.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to adjusted EBITDA of $0.1 million for the same period in 2022. Refer to "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" disclosed in the Company's "Management's Discussion and Analysis" report.

Net loss before taxes of $1.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, as compared to a net loss before taxes of $1.2 million for the same period in 2022.

Pro-forma net loss before taxes of $1.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. Refer to the "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" disclosed in the Company's "Management's Discussion and Analysis" report.

Business and Operations Highlights

Secured $5.3 million in debt financing from a leading Canadian bank, which was used to purchase 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Groupe Solution and repay General Credit's bank loan. General Credit is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

Entered into contractual agreements with 50 dental clinics across Canada, through the Company's wholly owned subsidiary company EP Care Inc., to offer the EP Care Program.

Acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Groupe Solution, one of Canada's leading providers of revenue cycle management services. This acquisition added enterprise clients, including banks and other financial institutions, telecom and utility companies, property management and construction firms, governments, healthcare providers, transportation, logistics businesses, and more.

As part of the Company's efforts to align its strategic objectives with operations, the CEO, Executive Chairman, certain senior executives, and the Board of Directors have waived all cash compensation effective January 1, 2023, until the Company achieves net profit before taxes, excluding acquisition costs, share-based compensation, depreciation and amortization.

The Company plans to continue to add accretive acquisitions to its Revenue Cycle Management business segment throughout 2023 and 2024, leveraging its experience as disciplined operators to drive profitability.

Financial Statements & Management's Discussion and Analysis

This news release should be read in conjunction with Everyday People's consolidated financial statements and "Management's Discussion and Analysis" report for the three months ended March 31, 2023, which have been posted on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Non-IFRS Financial Measures

This news release makes reference to certain non-IFRS financial measures, including Pro-forma revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, and Pro-forma net income (loss).

"Pro-forma revenue" in respect of a period means revenue for that period plus the Company's estimate of the additional revenue that it would have recorded if it had acquired Groupe on the first day of that period, calculated in accordance with the methodology described in the "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" disclosed in the Company's "Management's Discussion and Analysis" report. Given the Company's acquisition strategy, Pro-forma revenue is more reflective of our expected run-rate. The Company considers Groupe's respective quarter based on pre acquisition quarter end of the acquired company to calculate Pro-forma revenue. The most comparable IFRS measure to Pro-forma revenue is revenue, for which a reconciliation is provided in "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" disclosed in the Company's "Management's Discussion and Analysis" report.

"Adjusted EBITDA" is not a recognized measure under IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and is therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. "EBITDA" means earnings before finance and interest costs, provision for income tax and amortization and depreciation expenses. "Adjusted EBITDA" is calculated as adding back the share-based compensation, depreciation and amortization expenses, impairment loss on goodwill, other expenses (income) and other non-operating expenses (income) management considers not directly related to operational performance of the period presented.

"Pro-forma net income (loss)" in respect of a period means net income (loss) for that period plus the Company's estimate of the additional revenue that it would have recorded if it had acquired each of the business on the first day of that period, calculated in accordance with the methodology described in the "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" disclosed in the Company's "Management's Discussion and Analysis" report. Given the Company's acquisition strategy, Pro-forma net loss (income) is more reflective of the expected run-rate. The Company considers Groupe's respective quarter based on pre acquisition quarter end of the acquired company to calculate Pro-forma net income (loss). The most comparable IFRS measure to Pro-forma net income (loss) is net income (loss), for which a reconciliation is provided in "Reconciliation of Non-IFRS Financial Measures" disclosed in the Company's "Management's Discussion and Analysis" report.

Pro-forma revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, and Pro-forma net income (loss) are used as non-IFRS financial measures to provide investors with a supplemental measure of the Company's operating performance and thus highlight trends in its core business that may not otherwise be apparent when relying solely on IFRS financial measures. The Company believes that securities analysts, investors, and other interested parties frequently use non-IFRS financial measures in the evaluation of issuers. The Company's management also uses non-IFRS financial measures to facilitate operating performance comparisons from period to period, prepare annual operating budgets and assess the Company's ability to meet its capital expenditure and working capital requirements.

Non-IFRS financial measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for an analysis of the Company's results under IFRS. There are a number of limitations related to the use of non-IFRS financial measures versus their nearest IFRS equivalents. Investors are encouraged to review the consolidated financial statements as at and for the three months ended March 31, 2023, and the three months ended March 31, 2022, and disclosures in their entirety and are cautioned not to put undue reliance on any non-IFRS financial measure and view it in conjunction with the most comparable IFRS financial measures. In evaluating these non-IFRS financial measures, please be aware that in the future the Company will continue to have the adjustment similar to those adjusted in the presented period.

About Everyday People Financial Corp.

Everyday People is a financial services company founded on the belief that everyone deserves access to affordable credit and the opportunity for homeownership. Through its technology driven ecosystem and specialty credit solutions, the Company offers credit and prepaid card programs, homeownership facilitation and payment management services. The Company's mission is to help its clients be their best financial selves with credit products and services that help everyday people add value to their everyday lives.

For more information visit: www.everydaypeoplefinancial.com.

Everyday People Financial Corp. Contacts

Barret Reykdal

CEO of Everyday People Financial Corp.

letsconnect@epfinancial.ca

1 888 825 9808

Caroline Sawamoto

Investor Relations

letsconnect@epfinancial.ca

1 888 825 9808

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to financial performance, results of operations, integration of the acquired businesses, and the business, plans, strategy and operations of the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, expectations and assumptions concerning the Company and the acquired businesses as well as other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the documents filed by the Company on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. 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 disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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/166882
Chicago, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - TheCustomBoxes, a leading provider of custom packaging solutions in USA, is proud to announce the launch of its innovative services, opening new avenues for businesses to create personalized packaging. With over ten years of experience in the industry, TheCustomBoxes.com is committed to delivering superb quality packaging that meets the unique requirements of its clients.

In the first week of May 2023, TheCustomBoxes.com unveiled its 4 color digital and offset printing services, offering customers the ability to design and print custom boxes with exceptional precision and quality.

TheCustomBoxes Revolutionizes Custom Packaging with Affordable 4 Color Printing and Sustainable Solutions

TheCustomBoxes is committed to environmentally sustainable packaging practices and is proud to be an ardent supporter of green initiatives. All their boxes are made from 100% recyclable materials, ensuring a greener and more eco-friendly solution for packaging needs.

"Our goal is to assist businesses in providing inspirational custom packaging," said the TheCustomBoxes team. "We understand the importance of standing out in today's competitive market, and that's why we offer an array of add-on and finishing options to make our custom boxes truly worth noticing."

As a one-stop shop for all packaging needs, TheCustomBoxes offers a wide range of options, ensuring customers find the perfect custom boxes for their products. From food packaging to shipping heavier items, the company provides versatile solutions tailored to meet diverse requirements. With an array of shapes, sizes, and finishes available, customers have the freedom to customize their packaging boxes to reflect their brand identity.

"At TheCustomBoxes, we believe that custom box packaging should be tailored to meet the unique needs of each customer," the TheCustomBoxes team stated. "We strive to revolutionize the industry by offering versatile, eco-friendly, and efficient solutions that exceed our customers' expectations."

To ensure a seamless experience, TheCustomBoxes has established a dedicated team of Customer Support Representatives, available round the clock, seven days a week. These knowledgeable representatives possess a deep understanding of the industry and products, providing timely and effective solutions to any queries or concerns that customers may have.

About TheCustomBoxes

TheCustomBoxes is a leading custom packaging solution provider based in the USA. With a commitment to excellence, the company offers a wide range of custom boxes for various industries, providing exceptional quality, eco-friendly options, and efficient services. TheCustomBoxes.com is the preferred packaging partner for leading brands, offering premium wholesale box printing services.

Media Contact

Company Name: The Custom Boxes

Contact Person: Alex Jones

Website: https://www.thecustomboxes.com/

Business Email: support@thecustomboxes.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/166943
With a temperature-controlled heated build chamber and heated build plate, the new Method XL is engineered to print large production parts with manufacturing-grade ABS

BROOKLYN, N.Y. and UTRECHT, Netherlands, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UltiMaker, a global leader in 3D printing, today announces the launch of Method XL, the ultimate 3D printing solution for engineering applications, offering precision printing with industrial-grade materials without compromising on part size. The UltiMaker Method XL 3D printer is designed to deliver the accuracy and performance of industrial production alongside the flexibility and affordability of a desktop 3D printer.





The latest printer release from UltiMaker's professional offering bridges the gap between desktop and industrial 3D printers by delivering a perfect fusion of accessibility and performance. With a spacious 305 mm x 305 mm x 320 mm build volume and a dimensional accuracy of  0.2 mm1, it allows customers to tackle ambitious projects-from functional prototyping to end-use parts.

Method XL is engineered to create large, complex parts that are durable using industrial-grade materials like ABS-R and ABS Carbon Fiber. The heated chamber, which can reach up to 100C, is designed to enable optimal results when printing with ABS, one of the most popular and challenging materials to successfully print on a desktop 3D printer due to its tendency to warp and deform. New to the Method series is Method XL's heated build plate, a bonus for customers who want an extra layer of security to avoid warping and layer adhesion issues. Both the heated build plate and the temperature-controlled heated build chamber combine to create a stable environment for printing accurate and strong parts of any size.

"UltiMaker's mission is to grow the adoption of 3D printing in manufacturing. We saw that there was a lack of production-level industrial capabilities in more accessible and easy-to-use 3D printers," said Nadav Goshen, CEO at UltiMaker. "With Method XL, we believe we are bringing customers the best 3D printing solution in the market for engineering applications. Method XL is the only 3D printer in its price class with a heated chamber and heated build plate to print large and accurate parts with injection molding plastics like ABS. With the ability to print larger parts, customers can achieve greater output and efficiency, making Method XL an excellent choice for those looking to take their 3D printing to the next level."

With its expansive build volume, high dimensional accuracy, heated build chamber and heated build plate, Method XL can print production plastics at a fraction of the cost of industrial machines and with the ease of desktop 3D printers. Combined with RapidRinse, a fast-dissolving water-soluble support material, Method XL makes printing with ABS an even simpler and smoother process. RapidRinse enables one of the fastest support removals for complex FDM parts, resulting in a more refined surface finish. For a seamless CAD file to printed part workflow, Method XL syncs directly with CloudPrint software, allowing customers to easily upload, monitor, and track their print jobs from their web browser.

Method XL expands the arena of possibilities, with compatibility with a wide range of industrial-grade materials through its open materials platform and the LABS Experimental Extruder. Materials currently available through the LABS program include Jabil SEBS, a soft material with flexible, rubber-like properties; Polymaker PolyMax PC, a polycarbonate material that combines strength, toughness, and heat resistance, and LEHVOSS PAHT 9891, a carbon fiber-reinforced nylon able to withstand high temperatures. Method XL also offers an external moisture-controlled material case, ensuring peak performance from professional-grade materials. The printer comes equipped with a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter for safer 3D printing indoors.

For more information, visit ultimaker.com/methodxl.

About UltiMaker

UltiMaker is a global leader in 3D printing, focused on shaping the future of manufacturing and product development. With a wide range of cutting-edge 3D printing solutions, including the popular S and Method series, and an extensive portfolio of 3D printing materials, UltiMaker is paving the way for innovation across industries. As part of its dedication to advancing education, UltiMaker also offers the MakerBot sub-brand and Sketch series, providing one of the most comprehensive 3D printing ecosystems for classroom learning. With a focus on reliability, precision, and innovation, UltiMaker is empowering customers to push the boundaries of what's possible. Learn more at www.ultimaker.com.

Ultimaker is a trademark or registered trademark of UltiMaker Holding B.V. MakerBot, CloudPrint, and RapidRinse are trademarks or registered trademarks of MakerBot Industries, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

1 0.2 mm or  0.002 mm per mm of travel (whichever is greater). Based on internal testing of selected geometries.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2080745/UltiMaker_1.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2067704/UltiMaker_Logo.jpg





View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ultimaker-launches-the-method-xl-3d-printer-to-deliver-unrivaled-accuracy-and-precision-for-engineering-applications-301829023.html
Foxit PDF Editor Suite offers Complete PDF and eSign Solutions.

FREMONT, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Foxit, a leading provider of innovative PDF and eSignature products and services, helping knowledge workers to increase their productivity and do more with documents, today announced PDF Editor Suite V2023, its latest subscription solutions, packed with powerful PDF and eSign capabilities. These innovative solutions run across multiple platforms - desktop, mobile, and compliance-based cloud services.

Intelligent Document Platform

PDF Editor Suite provides everything knowledge workers need in one solution to create, modify, and sign professional looking documents from anywhere. Users can create and modify PDF documents and forms; share and collaborate with others; export content to popular file systems like Microsoft Word; convert scanned hardcopy to digital documents as part of a paperless office; and protect confidential information.

PDF Editor Suite also includes a legally binding eSign service to prepare and gather important signed documents. It provides a complete eSign solution - upload your document, create your template, add recipients, and send. It automates workflows, providing a seamless process to allow the user to send, sign, track, and manage eSignatures.

Designed for Teams, Individuals, and Educational Organizations

With solutions specifically designed for individuals, business teams, and educational organizations, PDF Editor Suite provides a one-stop-shop for all your document needs. The solutions include support for Windows, MacOS, browsers, and mobile devices, making it easy to support all your users regardless of their platform. The business teams solution includes a robust licensing admin console that simplifies the process of managing licenses across the organization. This ensures that all team members have access to the features they need on the platform of their choice, without the hassle of managing individual licenses.

"We are thrilled to offer these comprehensive subscription solutions to our customers," said Phil Lee, Foxit's CCO. "Our aim is to provide an all-in-one solution that meets the needs of modern document workflows, and we believe these solutions do just that."

New capabilities in PDF Editor V2023 include:

Cloud Documents and Storage - PDF Editor Suite allows users to upload their documents to Cloud Documents once, then easily access these cloud-based documents, and securely edit, share, and collaborate from anywhere, on any device, and in any browser. Cloud Documents are stored in Foxit's regional data centers in Virginia, USA ; Montreal, Canada ; and Frankfurt, Germany . In addition, Cloud Documents keeps a record of the files opened by the user, and users can quickly find the documents in the "Recent" files tab. Furthermore, under the "Cloud Documents" section, users can manage previously uploaded documents and create new folders to organize and categorize them. Additionally, when users upload a file to Cloud Documents for editing, any changes made to the document are automatically saved.

PDF Editor Suite allows users to upload their documents to Cloud Documents once, then easily access these cloud-based documents, and securely edit, share, and collaborate from anywhere, on any device, and in any browser. Cloud Documents are stored in Foxit's regional data centers in ; ; and . In addition, Cloud Documents keeps a record of the files opened by the user, and users can quickly find the documents in the "Recent" files tab. Furthermore, under the "Cloud Documents" section, users can manage previously uploaded documents and create new folders to organize and categorize them. Additionally, when users upload a file to Cloud Documents for editing, any changes made to the document are automatically saved. Cloud Collaboration - PDF Editor Suite provides users access to collaboration on documents. Users can simultaneously open the document and see each other's real-time actions. This provides a way for team members to communicate and collaborate with each other in real-time, which can improve communication and productivity.

Foxit is committed to providing secure, innovative, and reliable solutions to its customers. Its new subscription solutions are a testament to this commitment. Foxit looks forward to helping individuals, businesses, and educational institutions streamline their document management processes.

About Foxit

Foxit is a leading provider of innovative PDF and eSignature products and services, helping knowledge workers to increase their productivity and do more with documents. Foxit delivers easy-to-use desktop software, mobile apps, and cloud services that allow users to create, edit, fill, and sign documents through their integrated PDF Editor and eSign offerings. Foxit enables software developers to incorporate innovative PDF technology into their applications via powerful, multi-platform Software Developer Kits (SDK).

Foxit has sold to over 485,000 customers, ranging from SMBs to global enterprises, located in more than 200 countries. The company has offices all over the world, including locations in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Asia. For more information, please visit https://foxit.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/foxit-launches-pdf-editor-suite-v2023-301831620.html
Qatar National Cement Company (QNCC) has signed a deal with global technology company SAP and implementation partner Mannai ICT that will enable it to leverage the benefits of cloud computing, with data securely hosted on Google Cloud.

The implementation will include S/4HANA, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution that enables 360-degree visibility and control over all operations, and SAP Success Factors, which delivers innovative employee-management solutions.

The partnership will see QNCC automate and streamline business processes, while increasing the agility of its operations and enhancing the services it delivers to its customers and employees. The transformation will also optimise QNCCs business value through RISE with SAP on Google Cloud and SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), enabling the organisation to innovate, extend, and customise applications to become an intelligent sustainable enterprise.

Sustainablility strategy

Through hosting its mission critical data on Google Cloud, the cleanest cloud in the industry, QNCC is better positioned to achieve its sustainability strategy.

In undertaking this end-to-end digital transformation, our aim is to modernise and streamline our systems, increase efficiencies, and enhance the services we deliver to our customers and employees, says QNCC Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Essa Mohammed Ali A M Kaldari. After implementation, our operations will be more agile and scalable, enabling us to capitalise on future opportunities in the market and region.

Alaa Jaber, Managing Director for SAP Qatar and Fast Growth Markets, said: Through this digital transformation, QNCC is aligning itself with Qatars 2030 National Vision and supporting its sustainability plans. It is also ensuring its future success by increasing its visibility over all operations, enabling it to react in an agile way to changes in the market and expected rise in demand for its products. Moreover, QNCC will be able to make decisions informed by real-time insights and data analytics.

Greenfield approach

In implementing the SAP solutions, Mannai ICT, a division of Mannai Corporation, will take a greenfield approach to streamline and optimise QNCCs digital landscape. Khalid Al Mannai, CEO of Mannai Corporation, says, Having operated for more than 30 years in Qatar, supporting public institutions and private businesses in finding tailored technology solutions, Mannai Corporation is ideally placed to implement this project. We believe that the customised solution we have created will greatly enhance QNCCs operations and ensure sustainable success.

Ghassan Kosta, Qatar General Manager, Google Cloud, said: The collaboration with Qatars largest cement manufacturer is a demonstration of our commitment to help develop Qatars digital future and drive digital transformation through our expertise. Google Cloud provides innovative tailormade solutions to customers across all sectors that accelerate their digital transformation, while empowering them to become more sustainable.-- TradeArabia News Service
-Appointment expected to aid advancement of Theriva's discovery program and strengthen collaboration with the Institut Catala d'Oncologia (ICO) and the Biomedical Research Institute of Bellvitge (IDIBELL)-



ROCKVILLE, Md., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Theriva Biologics (NYSE American: TOVX), ("Theriva" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage company developing therapeutics designed to treat cancer and related diseases in areas of high unmet need, today announced the appointment of Dr. Ramon Alemany as Senior Vice President of Discovery, effective immediately. Dr. Alemany will oversee Theriva's discovery and development pipeline and will continue to serve as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Alemany is Head of the Immunotherapy and Virotherapy Group at the ProCURE Program of the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) and the Oncobell Program of the Biomedical Research Institute of Bellvitge (IDIBELL). Dr. Alemany's laboratory has developed unique oncolytic adenoviruses that are highly selective for replication in tumor cells, with modifications for tumor-targeting, tumor stroma degradation, evasion of neutralizing antibodies, and promotion of tumor immunogenicity.

"Ramon is an internationally recognized expert in oncolytic adenoviruses and as Co-Founder of VCN Biosciences, is uniquely suited to lead Theriva's discovery program through its next critical phase of development," said Steven A. Shallcross, Chief Executive Officer of Theriva Biologics. "The acquisition of VCN transformed Theriva's pipeline, bringing our lead clinical candidate, VCN-01, a systemically administered oncolytic adenovirus designed to selectively replicate within the tumor, remodel the tumor matrix, and increase tumor immunogenicity. As we continue to build on the growing data that underscores VCN-01's differentiated mechanisms of action, a key priority will be to identify new candidates to leverage the novel Albumin Shield technology and exciting additional technologies from our oncolytic virus (OV) platform. We look forward to Ramon's guidance and strategic leadership in this new role. Additionally, we are grateful for the opportunity to strengthen our relationship with ICO and IDIBELL, the leading research institutions and long-term collaborators where our current OV technologies and products were invented and incubated."

Dr. Alemany commented, "It is a privilege to be given the opportunity to expand Theriva's discovery program and drive forward this new phase of growth. Together with the impressive team at Theriva and ICO/IDIBELL, we will synergistically build upon the foundation of compelling clinical and proof of mechanism data to develop new OVs that may significantly expand the therapeutic indications for our products. Combining novel viral payloads with the proprietary Albumin Shield technology to protect systemically administered oncolytic viruses from the host immune system has tremendous potential for our pipeline."

About Dr. Alemany

Ramon Alemany, Ph.D., is an OV pioneer and an expert in oncolytic adenoviruses. He is Head of the Immunotherapy and Virotherapy Group at the Translational Research Laboratory of the ICO /IDIBELL, is co-founder of VCN Biosciences, a consultant for several virotherapy companies and a former President of the Spanish Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. Following Dr. Alemany's Ph.D., at the University of Barcelona, he focused on the development of adenovirus vectors expressing anti-K-Ras and p53 at the MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX). Dr. Alemany has held leading research positions at the Gene Therapy Unit at Baxter Healthcare (Round Lake, IL) and at the University of Alabama (Birmingham, AL), where he collaborated with a team of top-level virologists. Dr. Alemany is the inventor on 15 oncolytic adenoviruses patents to date and has an outstanding publication record, with more than 160 papers. He also serves as editor in several gene therapy journals.

About ICO and IDIBELL

ICO (Institut Catala d'Oncologia) is a public center of the Government of Catalonia (Spain), devoted to cancer prevention, treatment, and research, with multiple hospitals across Catalonia. ICO is part of the broader IDIBELL (Instituto de Investigacion Biomedica de Bellvitge) research center, which is located at L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, south of Barcelona. IDIBELL research is focused on cancer, neuroscience, translational medicine, and regenerative medicine.

About Theriva Biologics, Inc.

Theriva Biologics.

Forward-Looking Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "may," "should," "potential," "continue," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," and similar expressions, and include statements regarding the anticipated contribution of Dr. Alemany, advancing Theriva's discovery program and strengthening the collaboration with the Institut Catala d'Oncologia (ICO) and the Biomedical Research Institute of Bellvitge (IDIBELL), synergistically building upon the foundation of compelling clinical and proof of mechanism data to develop new OVs that may significantly expand the therapeutic indications for the Company's products and combining novel viral payloads with the proprietary Albumin Shield technology to protect systemically administered oncolytic viruses from the host immune system having tremendous potential for the Company's pipeline . These forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from thos e set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, Dr. Alemany's ability to contribute to the Company's discovery program and strengthen our collaboration with ICO and IDIBELL, the Company's ability to develop new OVs that may significantly expand the therapeutic indications for the Company's products by synergistically building upon the foundation of compelling clinical and proof of mechanism data, the Company's ability to combine novel viral payloads with the proprietary Albumin Shield technology to protect systemically administered oncolytic viruses from the host immune system , the Company's ability to reach clinical milestones when anticipated, the Company's ability to successfully operate the combined US and Spanish business entities , the Company's product candidates demonstrating safety and effectiveness, as well as results that are consistent with prior results; the ability to complete clinical trials on time and achieve the desired results and benefits, continuing clinical trial enrollment as expected; the ability to obtain regulatory approval for commercialization of product candidates or to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements, regulatory limitations relating to the Company's ability to promote or commercialize their product candidates for the specific indications, acceptance of product candidates in the marketplace and the successful development, marketing or sale of the Company's products, developments by competitors that render such products obsolete or non-competitive, the Company's ability to maintain license agreements, the continued maintenance and growth of the Company's patent estate, the ability to continue to remain well financed and other factors described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and its other filings with the SEC, including subsequent periodic reports on Forms 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. The information in this release is provided only as of the date of this release, and Theriva Biologics undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release on account of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

For further information, please contact:

Investor Relations:

Chris Calabrese

LifeSci Advisors, LLC

ccalabrese@lifesciadvisors.com

917-680-5608






Ko Yun Hung, Managing Director of SNS



YB Dato' Seri Dr. Ooi Eng Hock, Chairman of Penang 88 Captains



Yang Amat Berhormat Tuan Chow Kon Yeow, Penang Chief Minister; Irene Cheong Lai Keng,

Branch Manager of SNS; Yang Berhormat Prof. Dr. P.Ramasamy a/l Palanisamy,

Penang Deputy Chief Minister II [L-R]

PENANG, Malaysia, May 23, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - SNS Network (M) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of SNS Network Technology Berhad (Bursa: SNS, 0259), a leading provider of ICT systems and solutions, is pleased to announce a collaboration with Persatuan Kebajikan 88 Kapten Pulau Pinang (88 Captains) under the "5G Digital Library Programme" to equip schools in Penang with wireless 5G broadband connectivity.As part of the collaboration, SNS will sponsor 264 units of JOI Classmate 10 totaling RM342,936 to 88 select schools in Penang as part of a pilot project enabling students to have better access to their school's Digital Library anytime and anywhere through provided high-speed, uninterrupted 5G broadband. Each of these school will receive a Content Access Server that can keep thousands of e-books, a modem with 5G broadband, and three units of laptops.88 Captains is also aiming to expand the programme to all schools in the state and SNS is prepared to fully support its efforts in developing a thriving talent ecosystem in Penang. SNS believes that broadband speed is vital in today's education system while a Digital Library is important as a platform to house all the digital content for students and encourage collaboration among teachers through the Intel-based Content Access Server.Managing Director of SNS, Ko Yun Hung said, "As a technology provider, our JOI(R) devices add value to education across the spectrum that makes the education journey more engaging, dynamic, richer, and fulfilling. We are always committed in driving positive changes in education transformation and we believe this initiative will be an effective educational foundation that will revolutionize the digital learning environment."Chairman of Penang 88 Captains, YB Dato' Seri Dr. Ooi Eng Hock said, "Collaborations like these are the next logical step and comes on the heels of our previous cooperation with local universities to secure funding for deserving students in the state. The current 5G programme is a synthesis of the collective efforts of the respective bodies in bringing education in the state to the forefront of Industry 4.0. We are honoured to coordinate these efforts to fast-track 5G broadband connectivity in Penang's schools, and we appreciate top technology leaders such as Intel and YTL, collaborating with Penang Science Cluster, to create new and improved learning opportunities to accelerate digital transformation in education."For more information on SNS Network and its offerings, please visit: https://www.sns.com.my/SNS Network Technology: 0259 [BURSA: SNS], https://www.sns.com.my/Source: SNS Network Technology BerhadCopyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Strong demand from Car makers

The North American robotics market showed strong growth: Total installations in manufacturing rose by 12% and reached 41,624 units in 2022. Number one adopter is the automotive industry: companies based in the US, Canada and Mexico installed 20,391 industrial robots up 30% compared to 2021. These are preliminary results, presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

"North America represents the second largest operational stock of industrial robots in the world after China," says Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). "The United States, Canada, and Mexico are key markets in the global growth of robotics automation, and the automotive sector is leading the way."

Cyclical demand from automotive

In the United States, demand from car makers and manufacturers of components rose by 48% in 2022. Installations thus display the cyclical demand pattern well-known from this customer segment. After a few years of contraction, down from the peak level of 15,397 units in 2017 to 9,854 units in 2021, installations surged to 14,594 units in 2022.

Installation counts in Canada largely depend on investments of the automotive industry that accounts for 40% of robot installations. Sales to automotive declined by 36% with 1,258 units installed in 2022. This is below the pre-pandemic level of 1,897 units in 2019. The robot installations to manufacture parts and accessories for motor vehicles were significantly down by 45% with 995 units sold. Motor vehicles, engines and bodies on the other hand grew by 99% with 263 units sold.

Robot installations in Mexico are also determined by the automotive industry that accounted for 66% of the robot installations in 2022: Sales grew by 16% and reached 4,222 units in 2022 the second best result since the peak level of 4,805 units in record year 2017.

Non-automotive sectors

Installation counts in other industries exceeding the 4,000-unit mark in North America are: electrical/electronics (+28%), metal and machinery (-9%), and plastic and chemical products (-4%). They each represent a 9% market share of industrial robot installations in 2022.

Downloads

https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/robot-sales-in-north-american-manufacturing-up-12-percent

About IFR

The International Federation of Robotics is the voice of the global robotics industry: www.ifr.org

Follow IFR on LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005577/en/

Contacts:

econNEWSnetwork

Carsten Heer

phone +49 (0) 40 822 44 284

E-Mail: press@ifr.org
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / The bioanalytical CRO companies formerly known as Pyxant Labs Inc. and ImaBiotech Group, which joined forces in 2021, are pleased to announce their new identity as Aliri. The integrated company's goal is to provide pharma and biotech companies a seamless experience across a unique range of decisive and innovative services, including mass spectrometry and imaging techniques for bioanalysis, spatial bioanalysis, and spatial biology. Aliri's team of seasoned scientists, project managers, and technical and regulatory experts remains dedicated to partnering with visionary drug developers and adding value to their workflow.

Aliri Logo

"Aliri is committed to providing a high level of service and attentiveness across a unique combination of bioanalytical and imaging services with the goal to help our customers select the right drug candidates and accelerate their drug discovery and development programs," said Jonathan Stauber, Aliri CEO. "We will continue to invest in our personnel, systems, technology platforms and facilities to meet and exceed the needs of our customers and the demands of the market." Aliri's continued investments are driven by its commitment to help customers advance their drug development programs with speed and agility:

Lille, France: Aliri has increased its total facility footprint by 50% with additional space to support current and future growth to meet the regional demand. The company plans to build out additional laboratory and office space targeted for Q3 2023 completion.

Colorado Springs, Colorado: Aliri has completed the buildout of a new dedicated instrumentation laboratory, which has increased its laboratory footprint by 25%. This expansion provides the necessary space to increase instrument capacity by 50%.

Salt Lake City, Utah: Aliri has acquired additional facility space to increase its laboratory footprint by 25%. The company plans to build a new dedicated instrumentation laboratory to increase its instrument capacity by 30%, with a targeted Q2 2023 completion date.

Aliri builds on 25 years of foundational enterprise experience and successful FDA submissions, carrying on the legacy of Pyxant Labs Inc., ImaBiotech Group, and Tandem Labs. The Aliri team is excited about the opportunity to further meet the growing demands of the industry and continue delivering exceptional results that drive success for its customers. Leading the teams are Jonathan Stauber, CEO; Maurice Gaubatz, Chief Business Officer; Jim Wilfahrt, Chief Operating Officer; Sylvain Chabanier, Chief Financial Officer; and Zach Farley, Director of Human Resources. Aliri is backed by ArchiMed SAS ("Archimed"), a leading private equity fund focused on the healthcare sector.

Contact Information

Jonathan Stauber

CEO

jonathan.stauber@aliribio.com

SOURCE: Aliri

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756618/Former-Pyxant-Labs-and-ImaBiotech-Announce-New-Unified-Brand-as-Aliri
New Focus on Lithium and Tellurium Exploration

Initial Gold Jackpot Drill Targets Identified

NI 43-101 Technical Report on Gold Jackpot Underway

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / CAT Strategic Metals Corporation (CSE:CAT)(OTC PINK:CATTF)(FRA:8CH) ("CAT" or the "Company") announces that it is concentrating financial and human resources on further exploration of the Company's Gold Jackpot Project ("Gold Jackpot") in Elko County, Nevada, throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall in order to better understand how this property might relate to the lithium discovery reported by Surge Battery Metals Inc. ("Surge") on its Nevada North Lithium Project located close by.

CAT & SURGE Properties Mineralization

Gold Jackpot is located less than 1.7 miles from Surge's property, which announced strong lithium results in a series of news releases beginning in December of 2022, and as recently as May 16, 2023. CAT's Gold Jackpot property is comprised of 61 consolidated claims, covers 510 hectares (1,260 acres) and sits on surface of the Idavada Formation tuffs, previously mapped by the USGS. This is the same geological setting in which Surge reported its lithium discovery.

Gold Jackpot has had substantial historical exploration completed from the 1980's to early 2000's, which was predominantly focused on delineating an area of gold-silver-copper mineralization but was never explored for lithium specifically. However, the most recent review by CAT consulting geologist, Rick Redfern, of rock chip sampling contained in the database identified 6 samples with unexpected highly anomalous values of lithium; up to 158.5 ppm. These chip samples - which were collected as part of previous regional gold exploration activities - demonstrate the unexpected strong potential for a lithium discovery for CAT, given what Surge has discovered on its property. Other additional historic assay results returned gold values up to 4.84 g/t, silver values of up to 239 g/t, and tellurium values of up to 339 g/t.

Further scrutiny of the available Gold Jackpot database revealed that from 1988-1990, Tenneco Minerals engaged in various exploration and sampling activities that included a 28-hole reverse circulation drilling program. These holes were mostly very shallow, +/- 100 metres, and were designed to test for open-pitable gold and silver contained in strongly altered Paleozoic host rocks in an area right in the middle of the property. Following this drill program Tenneco abandoned the project and the area is now known as the Stag's Leap Porphyry-Diatreme Target, which was identified as such by Mr. Redfern.

Gold Jackpot Initial Drill Program

Surge's highest grade lithium zone in the formation, reported thus far, has values in excess of 5,000 ppm and recent drilling shows local thicknesses in excess of 100 feet, with the main body showing a North-South trend that is possibly indicative of structural control by N-S feeder faults. Fault lines within this specific lithium type deposit have been considered traps for more concentrated lithium brines. Gold Jackpot shows the same late N-S faulting that could have acted as traps, or feeder faults, for the formation of lithium deposits. Alternatively, these N-S faults could have been hydrothermal vent structures that fed volcanic-related hydrothermal lithium-rich fluids up from depth. What is also interesting is that Surge has reportedly identified only one N-S fault trend on its property, while three of the same N-S trending mineral systems have been identified on Gold Jackpot.

As a result of this new information, the Company will immediately commence the planning of a follow up exploration program that may include drilling to test these exciting and unexpected targets. In fact, CAT already has three initial drill targets on the Stag's Leap system that have been identified as ground zero on which to initiate an exploratory drilling program.

Gold Jackpot NI 43-101

Due to the elevated importance - in light of recent drill results in the area - of continuing exploration on Gold Jackpot, CAT has moved to produce an NI 43-101 Technical Report on the property and has engaged Patrick Laforest to produce the report. Mr. Laforest has worked closely with CAT in the past and was the consulting geologist and Project Manager of the drill program conducted last year on the Company's Burntland Project in Northern New Brunswick. Mr. Laforest is also a Qualified Person as defined by the definition prescribed in NI 43-101.

According to CAT CEO, Robert Rosner, "Our Gold Jackpot property has come into focus as much more of a current priority as a result of the discovery of lithium on the Surge property. Mining exploration in Nevada is much easier, and far more accessible than it is in northern Saskatchewan, where our South Preston Lithium project is located. We are very excited to see what further exploration activities uncover on Gold Jackpot and have begun the planning process to get to work on the ground as quickly as possible."

Mr. Richard R. Redfern, M.S., C.P.G. No. 10717, is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 who has examined the property on the ground, and who reviewed the geological information available from public sources related to the property, and is responsible for approving the technical contents of this press release..

About CAT Strategic Metals Corporation (CAT)

CAT Strategic Metals' corporate strategy, as reflected in its overall Mission Statement, is to source, identify, acquire and advance property interests located in mineral districts proven to have world-class potential, primarily for gold and copper. In addition to the priority South Preston Uranium Project, CAT is focused on advancing the Burntland Project located northeast of St. Quentin in the Restigouche County, New Brunswick, Canada, directed at the exploration and development of several Skarn-hosted copper-silver, gold targets and the Gold Jackpot strategic metals property located NE of Elko, Nevada, in the Pequop gold-copper-lithium trend with multiple targets for gold-silver, copper, tellurium , and potential uranium. CAT's shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the trading symbol "CAT", and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol "8CH".

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Robert Rosner

Chairman, President & CEO

Further information regarding the Company can be found on SEDAR at www.SEDAR.com , by visiting the Company's website www.catstrategic.com or by contacting the Company directly at (604) 674-3145.

Neither Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

We seek safe harbour.

SOURCE: CAT Strategic Metals Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756518/CAT-Provides-Update-on-Its-Gold-Jackpot-Property-in-Nevada-Lithium-and-Tellurium-Add-Significant-Interest-to-Known-Gold-Silver-Copper-Porphyry-System
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Homerun Resources Inc. (TSXV: HMR) ("Homerun" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company executed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on May 22, 2023 to document the general terms of a Material Supply Agreement (the "Material Supply Agreement") between Homerun Resources Inc. ("HMR") and the vendor ("Vendor") concerning the supply of silica sand and is subject to negotiation and execution of the Material Supply Agreement between the parties. The execution of the Material Supply Agreement will be subject to the following conditions:

The purchase price will be US$20.00 per tonne net of recoverable costs and sales taxes and export taxes.

The Parties agree to exercise their best efforts to conclude and execute the final form of the Material Supply Agreement within 30 calendar days of the date of this LOI.

Each Party obtaining all necessary and appropriate governmental, regulatory, contractual, board of director, shareholder, member and other third-party licenses, permits, approvals and/or consents which are required to execute the Material Supply Agreement.

Such other necessary and appropriate conditions as the parties shall mutually agree during their final negotiations of the Material Supply Agreement.

Brian Leeners, Director and CEO stated, "This Supply Agreement is part of the Company's plan to build a globally distributed book of high-purity quartz (HPQ) silica sand supply. By accessing a reliable and abundant source of high purity quartz, we can ensure a stable supply chain and secure a competitive advantage in meeting the increasing global market demands. The Company's plan is to procure HPQ silica through company-owned resources, joint ventures and other collaborations, including open market purchases. The Company is currently in discussions with several additional current and future HPQ silica producers to build regional supply for the Company's global initiatives."

The Vendor has provided extensive third-party testing that verifies and demonstrates that the raw silica sand grade averages +99.8% SiO2 and contains very low levels of impurities. The Company will now initiate testing on the reduction of the remaining impurities by applying advanced chemicals and thermal processing (through a combination of calcination and acid leaching). Also, the applicability of the material for ultra-clear silica glass will be assessed by laboratory melting tests.

High-Purity Quartz (HPQ)

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals and occurs in many different geological settings. However, very few deposits are suitable for HPQ applications. Therefore, HPQ silica sand has become one of today's most sought-after key strategic minerals for applications in high-tech industries, including semiconductors, photovoltaic (PV) cells and solar panels, high temperature lamp tubing, telecommunication & optics, microelectronics, and, energy storage applications. As these industries continue to experience rapid growth and technological advancements, the demand for high-purity quartz is expected to rise significantly.

Beneficiation of raw quartz into refined high purity products involves several steps which need to be adapted to minimize the specific impurities of the individual raw quartz feed in line with the end-use application. As a result, high-purity quartz with impurity levels of less than 20ppm per tonne can be achieved.

The prospects for HPQ are promising. Emerging technologies, such as advanced semiconductors, current and next-generation solar, and high-performance electronics, will increasingly rely on HPQ in their manufacturing processes. Moreover, as environmental concerns drive the shift towards renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies, the demand for HPQ in solar and other clean energy applications is expected to rise. By strategically investing in HPQ supply now, HMR is positioned to capitalize on these future opportunities and maintain a strong market presence in the years to come.

About Homerun Resources

Homerun Resources is focused on the development of its business within the critical elements and energy metals sectors.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

Homerun Resources Inc.

"Brian Leeners"

Brian Leeners, CEO & Director

brianleeners@gmail.com / +1 604-862-4184 (WhatsApp)

The TSX Venture Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved or disapproved the contents of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167097
Avalara, Inc., a leading provider of cloud-based tax compliance automation for businesses of all sizes, today unveiled Avalara E-Invoicing and Live Reporting, a new compliance API designed for multinational businesses to streamline their compliance with e-invoicing mandates around the world.

"While many businesses are investing in e-invoicing, they're finding that the requirements are complex, vary by country, and are resource-intensive," said Jayme Fishman, EVP and GM of Indirect Tax at Avalara. "Avalara has spent the last two decades addressing the complexity around indirect tax compliance for businesses and their trusted partners with our industry-leading compliance platform that makes tax less taxing. Now with Avalara E-Invoicing and Live Reporting, we're extending that simplification to help clients and partners manage the new challenges and additional complexities of rapidly evolving e-invoicing mandates around the globe."

E-invoicing mandates create new complexities for businesses

Today, more than 60 countries worldwide have announced or already have mandates for e-invoicing a number that could more than double by 2030. Additionally, a growing number of countries have introduced other digital reporting requirements, including live reporting of invoice data and e-reporting of international sales and purchases.

While many businesses have implemented e-invoicing as a part of their digital transformation initiatives, the surge in government-driven and country-specific e-invoicing initiatives presents a unique challenge for businesses selling goods and services internationally. Governments view e-invoicing as an effective tool to enforce tax laws by increasing data visibility and further shoring up tax gaps.

As e-invoicing mandates grow in number, complying with them globally becomes more challenging and expensive. Local solutions are no longer sufficient for multinational businesses to meet compliance requirements efficiently. To keep up with the constantly evolving tax compliance environment, businesses must adopt a centralized approach to international compliance.

A single API to simplify and automate global e-invoicing requirements

Avalara E-Invoicing and Live Reporting helps businesses streamline international e-invoicing compliance, optimize payment and cash collection cycles, and save costs and resources. This flexible and scalable e-invoicing solution can be integrated into accounting, ecommerce, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and other invoicing systems via a single API that enables businesses to deploy e-invoicing simultaneously in multiple countries. The API is designed to adhere to evolving legislative requirements, helping businesses stay e-invoicing compliant globally. Avalara E-Invoicing and Live Reporting also allows partners to enhance their platforms by seamlessly addressing global e-invoicing requirements within their customer experience.

Avalara E-Invoicing and Live Reporting lets businesses quickly and securely:

Set up global e-invoicing capabilities in their ERP, ecommerce, or accounting systems. Businesses can purchase Avalara E-Invoicing and Live Reporting from their ERP or accounting app store, set up their credentials, and configure the app based on their reporting needs.

Businesses can purchase Avalara E-Invoicing and Live Reporting from their ERP or accounting app store, set up their credentials, and configure the app based on their reporting needs. Access e-invoice exchange networks and government platforms. Businesses can connect to national (FACeB2B in Spain, for example) and international (e.g., Peppol) networks, as well as government e-invoicing platforms (KSeF in Poland, SDI in Italy, etc.).

Businesses can connect to national (FACeB2B in Spain, for example) and international (e.g., Peppol) networks, as well as government e-invoicing platforms (KSeF in Poland, SDI in Italy, etc.). Support e-invoicing models by country or region. Businesses can connect to Avalara's global API to fulfill e-invoicing mandates, including digital signatures, QR codes, digital archiving, and tax authority clearance and approvals.

Businesses can connect to Avalara's global API to fulfill e-invoicing mandates, including digital signatures, QR codes, digital archiving, and tax authority clearance and approvals. Monitor the status of e-invoices. Businesses can monitor the status of all their e-invoices from a single reporting console, providing real-time visibility on the life cycle of the e-invoice and any messages or errors returned by tax authorities.

Businesses can monitor the status of all their e-invoices from a single reporting console, providing real-time visibility on the life cycle of the e-invoice and any messages or errors returned by tax authorities. Set up archiving. Avalara E-Invoicing and Live Reporting can archive e-invoices to comply with data localization, security, and retention policies.

"The breadth and variation of e-invoicing requirements globally require a single solution that can automate and address e-invoicing in any country regardless of rules or models," said Kevin Permenter, Research Director at IDC. "Businesses stand to streamline their e-invoicing compliance by adopting a cloud-first solution that can easily integrate into the systems powering their invoices. Avalara's e-invoicing API makes it possible for businesses to integrate e-invoicing into their finance functions and address global e-invoicing requirements from a single solution, saving them time, money, and resources."

"E-invoicing is the clear direction of travel for tax authorities globally. The pace and quantum of new mandates is unprecedented and causing a huge headache for multinational businesses," said Alex Baulf, Senior Director of E-Invoicing at Avalara. "Tax and finance functions now need to look at e-invoicing and live reporting of transactional data strategically this is no longer a local compliance issue, it's a critical global business issue. Avalara is offering a single way to help comply with a myriad of complex and changing e-invoicing requirements."

Avalara has an extensive partner ecosystem comprised of more than 1,200 signed partner integrations, as well as a long history of providing tax compliance integrations with technology platforms across accounting, ecommerce, ERP, and more. Avalara will extend this strategy to provide out-of-the-box integrations that will make global adoption of e-invoicing truly a one-click experience for multinational companies. Earlier this year, Avalara announced the company's expanded collection of e-invoicing certifications across Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the European Union, as well as its involvement as a technical committee contributor for the Business Payments Coalition's E-invoice Exchange Market Pilot in the U.S.

For additional information on Avalara E-Invoicing and Live Reporting, please click here and here. Partners interested in learning how they can help solve e-invoicing challenges for their customers, please visit our U.S. or Europe partner webpages.

About Avalara

Avalara helps businesses of all sizes get tax compliance right. In partnership with leading ERP, accounting, ecommerce, and other financial management system providers, Avalara delivers cloud-based compliance solutions for various transaction taxes, including sales and use, VAT, GST, excise, communications, lodging, and other indirect tax types. Headquartered in Seattle, Avalara has offices across the U.S. and around the world in Brazil, Europe, and India. More information at avalara.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005355/en/

Contacts:

Tommy Morgan

media@avalara.com

540-448-7551
Partnership seeks to harness the power of artificial intelligence, the leader in automating underwriting with more accurate and inclusive lending insights, to build an integration into nCino's Consumer Banking Solution. The integration will enable lenders with streamlined access to cutting-edge consumer credit lending insights to help make efficient, accurate decisions about borrower risk.

Quickly evolving economic conditions require lenders to keep pace with new data, regulatory standards of reporting and underwriting workflows. Lenders have, on average, automated over 50 percent of their underwriting process with Zest AI's technology, analyzing hundreds of data points in seconds to better determine lending decision outcomes. Through this partnership, lenders gain the ability to quickly respond to shifts in market conditions. This capability helps upkeep borrower risk accuracy and enables lenders to be agile and responsive during fluctuations in the economic cycle.

"The financial services industry is in a new phase of growth as modern technology becomes more accessible to lenders through partnerships like our own with nCino. The future of lending relies on optimizing how we determine an applicant's credit risk so lenders can give them a faster decision and move them into the next stage of the banking process," said Zest AI's Head of Corporate Development, Jose Valentin.

"Artificial intelligence has the potential to help financial institutions cross the modernization divide by powering more efficient, automated and personalized experiences," said Justin Norwood, Vice President - Data and AI at nCino. "We're excited about this partnership with Zest AI and look forward to bolstering our already best-in-class underwriting technology with intelligence that helps financial institutions utilize data for faster and improved decisions."

This partnership integration spans three consumer portfolios - auto loans, personal loans and credit cards. Zest AI's connectivity within nCino's Consumer Banking Solution allows lenders to choose AI-automated underwriting for their portfolios, enabling efficient lending decisions without needing massive IT modernization projects.



As part of the partnership, nCino previously participated in a funding round supporting Zest AI's ability to expand access to AI-automated credit underwriting for all lenders as more financial institutions look to adopt AI tools to make better credit decisions.

About nCino

nCino.

About Zest AI

Zest AI is a tech company on a mission to make fair and transparent credit accessible for everyone. Since 2009, we've worked with financial institutions to provide AI-driven credit solutions to their borrowers. Today we work with all types of lenders - but especially credit unions - to democratize underwriting automation and equitable credit decisioning. Learn more at zest.aiand connect with us on LinkedIn.
Enhancements to LoopMe's AI technology provide faster DSP curation and dynamic filtering for new personalized traffic shaping capability

LoopMe, a leading technology company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve brand advertising performance, today launched its new Intelligent Marketplace for buyers and sellers, enabling a smarter programmatic ecosystem where supply partners receive high value of their inventory while maintaining high bid matches for demand. Featuring LoopMe's latest AI-powered technology, the new Intelligent Marketplace delivers a 40x increase in DSP buying efficiencies, while new dynamic filtering capabilities suppress 98% of supply that won't receive a bid. This personalized demand-side traffic shaping capability is delivering higher yield for supply partners and a better, more efficient programmatic buying experience, and overall ecosystem.

This, in turn, is also providing a more sustainable marketplace, reducing the amount of impressions being returned, thereby reducing its emissions. With this latest enhancement, LoopMe's Intelligent Marketplace is greener by design, delivering a fully certified, sustainable supply path for its global partners.

LoopMe recently announced its carbon net zero emission achievement as part of the company's ongoing sustainability initiatives. By leveraging its AI technology to filter all ad requests, LoopMe streamlines the process for demand partners and reduces processing by 98%, accelerating its commitment to providing industry-leading sustainable technology.

"Efficiency and sustainability are cornerstones of a responsible digital advertising supply chain. LoopMe's Intelligent Marketplace aligns with our commitment to deliver effective and efficient advertising solutions at scale," said Emma Newman, CRO, EMEA at PubMatic.

LoopMe's Intelligent Marketplace manages more than 300 billion ad requests per day, serving 50,000+ leading apps and sites. With its patent-pending AI technology powering decisioning and curation, the Intelligent Marketplace maximizes efficiency for both supply and demand. The latest generation of its unique personalized traffic shaping capability suppresses 98% of ad requests that would not be the right fit, delivering best-in-class efficiency and sustainability for clients like Magnite, PubMatic, StackAdapt, Xandr and Unity.

"LoopMe is proud to be leading the industry with strong AI-powered technology, and our Intelligent Marketplace provides solutions our customers can't get elsewhere," said Jonnie Byrne, Global GM Marketplace at LoopMe. "As we announced earlier this month, we also are committed to creating a more sustainable digital advertising industry, and this new Intelligent Marketplace will help continue those efforts in delivering a much more efficient programmatic ecosystem."

Intelligent Marketplace also enables access to LoopMe's Marketplace Audiences, delivering proprietary first-party data powered by LoopMe. With over 2 billion monthly active users in its DMP and unique data touchpoints on the users within the Intelligent Marketplace, LoopMe can provide proprietary first-party data to all DSP partners.

The Intelligent Marketplace also comes with unique extensions to oRTB 2.5, offering custom integration services, such as custom bid request connections, custom ID solutions and more. With a hands-on service team of operations, customer success leads, and product and data scientists, LoopMe can drive further efficiencies by investing in integrations with demand partners.

"We love working with the LoopMe Intelligent Marketplace. Their unique AI dynamic filtering and traffic shaping has provided a more effective curation of inventory to meet our clients' needs including very promising results like high viewability and healthy CPMs. We look forward to continuing our partnership," said Michael Lehman, SVP, Global Supply Marketplace Development, TripleLift.

For more information on Intelligent Marketplace, please visit https://loopme.com/marketplace-supply/.

About LoopMe

LoopMe is a technology company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve brand advertising performance and outcomes. LoopMe was the first to apply AI to brand advertising and its Intelligent Marketplace, finding solutions to industry challenges that haven't previously been solved. With consumer insights and AI at its core, LoopMe makes brand advertising better, outperforming industry benchmarks for leading global brands.

Our vision is to change advertising for the better, by building technology that will redefine brand advertising. LoopMe was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in the UK, with global offices across New York, Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Dnipro, Krakow and Hong Kong.

For more information, please visit www.loopme.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005316/en/

Contacts:

Press Contact:

Rachel Conforti

rachelc@loopme.com
American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution Executive Recognized for Contributions to Legal Profession & Furtherance of the Practice of Law Internationally

NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Arbitration Association (AAA), the global leader in arbitration and mediation services, along with its international division - the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), announces that Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary Eric Tuchmann recently received the American Bar Association (ABA) International Law Section's Outstanding International Corporate Counsel Award. Mr. Tuchmann was awarded this prestigious honor at the ABA International Law Section's Annual Conference in New York City on May 3, 2023.





The ABA International Law Section's Outstanding International Corporate Counsel Award is given to a Section member who is a practicing attorney employed by a company or other entity as an in-house counsel for their sustained and outstanding service in the field of international law. Mr. Tuchmann was presented with this award by ABA International Law Section Chair Marcos Rios Larrain, and Past Section Chair and ABA Rule of Law Institute Board of Directors Member Ken Reisenfeld. Mr. Reisenfeld highlighted Eric's contributions to leading global arbitration and mediation initiatives at the AAA-ICDR for more than two decades, and cited his leadership in amicus filings, and legislative and policy initiatives.

"Eric has advanced the effectiveness of cross-border alternative dispute resolution and is a thought leader in the field," said Bridget M. McCormack, President and CEO of the AAA-ICDR. "His deep commitment to promoting fairness and cooperation in resolving international disputes has been a catalyst for many of the AAA-IDCR's innovative programs and services offered throughout the years. We're excited for the continued growth of our international division under Eric's leadership."

"I am deeply honored to receive the ABA International Law Section's Outstanding International Corporate Counsel Award," said Eric P. Tuchmann, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of the AAA-ICDR. "The award is also an important recognition of the contributions the AAA-ICDR has made in the field of international arbitration and mediation, as well as the dedication and hard work of the legal and ICDR teams. It is a testament to our commitment to providing strategic counsel and legal expertise to the AAA-ICDR, and I am proud to be a part of a profession that plays such a critical role in shaping how disputes are resolved domestically and abroad."

About the American Arbitration Association

The not-for-profit American Arbitration Association (AAA) is the leading provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services for parties in commercial disputes, having administered more than seven million ADR cases since its founding in 1926. With 29 offices in the United States, in addition to Singapore, the AAA provides organizations of all sizes in virtually every industry with ADR services and products. For more information, visit www.adr.org.

About the International Centre for Dispute Resolution

The International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) is the international division of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and the largest international provider of dispute resolution services. Established in 1996, the ICDR serves parties from over 100 countries with multilingual staff experienced in international dispute resolution proceedings, and a roster of over 725 arbitrators and mediators. For more information, visit www.icdr.org.

Media Contacts:





Michael C. Clark Laura Simpson American Arbitration Association JConnelly +1.212.716.3978 +1.973.713.8834 marketing@adr.org aaa@jconnelly.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1897742/AAA_ICDR_Web_Color_JPG_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/eric-tuchmann-receives-aba-international-law-sections-outstanding-international-corporate-counsel-award-301831798.html
Sustainability Forum Middle East (SFME) hosted a high-level gathering of senior climate, finance and sustainability leaders in Bahrain to explore the role of Carbon Markets - Accelerating and Funding the Road to Net-Zero.

The event was held under the patronage of Bahrains Supreme Council for Environment (SCE).

The council highlighted the importance of partnerships between the public and private sectors to achieve sustainable development goals and reach net-zero.

The SCE praised the national role of the private sector in Bahrain and its close cooperation with various public and private trade and industry sectors and other fields related to climate change and clean energy transformation.

The SCE also applauded the success achieved by the first session of the roundtable in the Sustainability Forum Middle East, wishing all participants success in achieving the targeted objectives and lauding the speakers efforts to find innovative solutions and ambitious sustainable economic visions that contribute to achieving sustainable development goals and enhancing the national efforts to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.

More than 100 leaders from the public and private sector came together to take an in-depth look at the growth and practical workings of carbon markets globally and in the region and assess the benefits they can provide as another tool and pathway for helping businesses and countries in the MENA region to achieve their net-zero ambitions.

The event was kicked off with remarks from Majed Al Khan, CEO of Infracorp, where the roundtable was held. Infracorp is a leading sustainable infrastructure developer working across global markets. This was followed by an introduction on carbon markets by the events moderator, Jessica Robinson, MENA Sustainable Finance Leader, EY-Parthenon.

Among the events line up of distinguished speakers were officials representing regional governments  Layla Sabeel, Head of Planning, Climate Change & Sustainable Development, Supreme Council for Environment, Bahrain and Okan Ugurlu, Climate Change Expert, Directorate of Climate Change, Department of Carbon Pricing, Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change, Turkiye. They provided views on the approach of their jurisdictions and others to carbon markets.

Reporting on the development of local carbon markets was Riham AlGizy, CEO of Regional Voluntary Carbon Market Company (RVCMC), which recently launched as a joint venture between Saudi Arabias Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Tadawul and which has already held the worlds largest carbon credits auction in October 2022 where more than 1.4 million tons of carbon credits were purchased by leading regional industrial companies and banks.

AlGizy, commenting on the event said, We need to use every tool at our disposal to address the threat posed by climate change to our region, and the world. Voluntary carbon markets complement direct emissions reductions by enabling organisations to compensate for their carbon emissions. At RVCMC we are creating a credible voluntary carbon market at speed and at scale, with integrity at its core. Our focus is on channelling climate finance and improving livelihoods in the Global South. This carbon markets roundtable was a valuable opportunity to meet with peers and partners to discuss how, collectively, we can work together to drive climate action across the region.

Other high level speakers addressed a range of important related issues. This included the role of financial institutions and asset managers in supporting the development of carbon markets, investor interest and appetite from the GCC and beyond and how carbon markets can create new revenue streams and help fund sustainability projects including renewables. Contributing to the discussion were Venetia Bell, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Gulf International Bank, Dr Wael Albeniyan, Director, AcwaPower Portfolio Management, Essam Albakr, CEO of Riyadh-based Ejada Capital, Abdulrahim Ahmed, Senior Representative, Sustainability Committee, National Bank of Bahrain and Abdulaziz Tawfeeqi, Director, Project Development at Infracorp.

Challenges were also addressed including views from some climate advocates asserting carbon markets slow down decarbonisation in real terms, carbon pricing, how to build the right level of transparency and recent issues surrounding verification, all precursors for effectively scaling carbon markets in the region.

Looking at the issues addressed, Venetia Bell, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Gulf International Bank, said, Carbon markets are a valuable tool to support the needed transition to net zero in the Middle East, but to fulfil their potential we need to see an increase in the supply of high-quality carbon credits, improved market infrastructure and supportive policy and regulatory frameworks. Todays roundtable provides a regional multi-stakeholder forum to find ways to overcome these challenges and realise the opportunities, whilst still prioritising the primary goal of emissions reductions.

Speakers further looked at the place of carbon markets on the United Nations Climate Meeting (COP) agendas and what COP28, coming up in November 2023 in the UAE, could mean for carbon markets and their development following some progress already made at COP26 in Glasgow and COP27, which took place last year in Egypt.

Concluding, Laila Danesh, Managing Director of FinMark Communications, the founders and organisers of Sustainability Forum Middle East, said, Were delighted to have gathered such a knowledgeable group of experts to address this exciting topic. As countries and businesses look for solutions to accelerate their net-zero journeys, our aim is raise awareness and help the private sector across MENA better understand the pathways available to them to decarbonise their businesses and help move the regional economies towards a lower carbon model. Were grateful to the Supreme Council for Environment, our speakers and partners for their ongoing support and leadership on climate action.

Sustainability Forum Middle East was launched earlier this year in the Kingdom of Bahrain under the patronage of the Minister of Oil and Environment, Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, Dr Mohamed bin Mubarak bin Daina, attracting participation from more than 400 regional and international decision makers, sustainability and climate experts, finance leaders and dignitaries at its inaugural event in January. The Forums second edition is set to take place on January 9, 2024 in the Kingdom of Bahrain and will focus on Achieving Net Zero  Pathways to Accelerating Implementation. -TradeArabia News Service
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Ximen Mining Corp. (TSX.v:XIM)(FRA:1XMA)(OTCQB:XXMMF) (the "Company" or "Ximen") announces that it has received a water use approval for its Amelia project near Rock Creek in southern B.C.

Image showing Amelia property and main gold-quartz veins.

Ximen assembled a land position covering over 3,446 hectares surrounding and including the historic Amelia gold mine (see figure below). Historic production from the Cariboo-Amelia was 81,602 ounces of gold, 32,439 ounces of silver, 113,302 pounds of lead and 198,140 pounds of zinc. The average recovered gold grade was 24.68 grams per tonne gold (from BC Minfile).

"Ximen Mining has had an excellent start this year, obtaining all the necessary permits for the execution of plans at the Kenville Gold mine. Additionally, progress on the drilling activities at the Amelia site is also going well. It is noteworthy that Kenville was one of the first gold mines to be put into production in southern BC, and Amelia was the first dividend-paying gold mine in the same region. Ximen Mining proudly owns both of these valuable assets in their entirety." - States Anderson, CEO

Historic Data indicates excellent potential in the historic mine, as indicated in the diagram below

Long Section view of the Amelia Gold mine showing historic drifts and shafts

(black) and target area (Green)

Under the Water Sustainability Act, in November of 2021 the Company applied for a short term water use permit to draw from various water sources in the area of its Amelia property for drilling. Local sources of water are fully recorded so additional sources were identified that require long distance pumping or trucking of water to drill sites. The Ministry of Forests granted the permit earlier this year. The permit will allow periodic extraction of water from five points of diversion, subject to conditions.

Photo of swamp at Eureka vein target showing example of local water source.

The Company is pleased to have this permit in place, which will allow it to proceed with plans for drilling at the Amelia property. Drilling is planed for this season.

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,

ir@XimenMiningCorp.com

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.

Ximen Mining Corp

888 Dunsmuir Street - Suite 888, Vancouver, B.C., V6C 3K4 Tel: 604-488-3900

SOURCE: Ximen Mining Corp

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756609/Ximen-Mining-Receives-Water-Use-Permit-and-Advances-Drilling-Plans-for-Amelia-Gold-Mine-Greenwood-BC
EQS Post-admission Duties announcement: Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd. / Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act]

Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd.: Announcement on Implementation Result of the Increase in Shareholding of the Company by Actual Controller's Concerted Actor



23.05.2023 / 15:17 CET/CEST

Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG.

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG

Announcement on Implementation Result of the Increase in Shareholding of the Company by Actual Controller's Concerted Actor

Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt / Hong Kong, 23 May 2023 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the "Company" or "Haier Smart Home", D-share 690D.DE, A-share 600690.SH, H-share 06690.HK) today published an announcement in accordance with applicable trading rules of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and applicable PRC laws in relation to the Implementation Result of the Increase in Shareholding of the Company by Actual Controller's Concerted Actor.

The announcement is fully available at:

https://smart-home.haier.com/en/dggg/P020230523652645397678.pdf?appdesc=Announcement%20on%20Implementation%20Result%20of%20the%20Increase%20in%20Shareholding%20of%20the%20Company%20by%20Actual%20Controller%E2%80%99s%20Concerted%20Actor

IR Contact:

Haier Smart Home Hong Kong

T: +852 2169 0000

Email: ir@haier.hk

Press Contact:

CROSS ALLIANCE communication GmbH

Sara Pinto

Sven Pauly

pi@crossalliance.de

T: +49 (0) 89 1250903 35

About Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.:

Haier is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with a focus on smart home solutions and customized production. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. develops, produces and distributes a wide range of household appliances. These include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances as well as small household appliances and an extensive range of intelligent household appliances. The Company distributes its products through leading household brands such as Haier, Casarte, Leader, Candy, GE Appliances, AQUA and Fisher & Paykel. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. has launched Smart Home Experiential Cloud, which connects homes, users, enterprises and ecosystem partners, and facilitates the integration of Haier's online, offline and micro-store businesses and supports user interaction to further optimize the user experience.

23.05.2023 CET/CEST The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.

Archive at www.eqs-news.com


CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Cboe Global Markets (BATS:CBOE) recently announced its earnings for the first quarter of 2023, showcasing record-breaking results. The company reported a 60% increase in diluted earnings per share (EPS), reaching $1.63, while achieving record adjusted diluted EPS of $1.90, representing a 10% increase. Net revenue also rose to a record high of $471.4 million, marking 13% year-over-year growth.

Brian N. Schell, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer of Cboe Global Markets, expressed his satisfaction with the company's first-quarter performance. He emphasized the significant progress made on key initiatives while successfully meeting financial objectives. The derivatives business played a crucial role in driving Cboe's growth, contributing to a notable 29% increase in net revenue compared to the previous year's first quarter. Data and Access Solutions also demonstrated steady growth, with a 9% year-over-year increase in net revenue.

Despite a 12% decrease in cash and spot markets net revenue due to the exceptional volumes experienced in the first quarter of 2022 compared to 2023, Cboe remains optimistic about the future. The company reaffirmed its organic total net revenue growth target of 7-9% for 2023 and expects the Data and Access Solutions segment's organic net revenue to grow by 7-10%.

Cboe's commitment to long-term revenue and earnings growth is reflected in its guidance for the fiscal year 2023. The company maintained its organic total net revenue growth expectation of 7-9%, surpassing the medium-term guidance range of 5-7%. Additionally, it anticipates a 0.5% contribution to net revenue growth from acquisitions held for less than a year. Cboe remains focused on expanding its Data and Access Solutions segment, projecting organic net revenue growth of 7-10% in line with medium-term guidance expectations.

In terms of expenses, Cboe reaffirmed its adjusted operating expense guidance for 2023 in the range of $769 to $779 million. This projection considers ongoing investments aimed at driving long-term shareholder value. Excluding the expected amortization of acquired intangible assets totaling $112 million, Cboe plans to reflect this exclusion in its non-GAAP reconciliation.

Heading further into 2023, Cboe seems positioned for continued success in the quarters ahead. The company's financial performance, with record net revenue and earnings, demonstrates its ability to navigate market dynamics effectively. As Cboe forges ahead, investors and stakeholders can anticipate further progress in achieving strategic objectives and potentially driving long-term growth.

Click here to read the earnings report.

Contact:

Michele Ormont

mormont@cboe.com

SOURCE: Cboe Global Markets, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756629/Cboe-Reports-Record-Q1-2023-Earnings-With-A-60-Increase-in-Diluted-EPS
Limassol, Cyprus--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Multi-asset broker Exness publishes data for the year ending December 31, 2022.

Exness More than Doubled Its Trading Volume in 2022

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8871/167088_1f65a4946456f846_001full.jpg

The global broker closed the year 2022 with a monthly trading volume of $2.5 trillion in December, an increase of 103.1% from the same period the previous year. Exness maintained a trading volume higher than $2 trillion since March 2022. The milestones continue in 2023 with Exness' monthly trading volume above $2.8 trillion and peaking in March at $3.8 trillion.

According to Exness' financial data, the multi-asset broker also increased the number of active clients by 58%, reaching almost 375,000. It is worth mentioning that Exness also published its data for the first quarter of 2023, reaching almost 450,000 active clients for the first time.

For Q4 2022, the multi-asset broker reported client withdrawals of $1.1 billion, more than double reported in Q4 2021 and the same period reported distributing $99.1 million in partner rewards, a 90.6% increase since Q4 2021. The Q3 2022 had the highest number of partner rewards in 2022 crossing the $100 million mark.

Total Trading Volume 2022: $27.2 trillion

Total Client Withdrawals 2022: $4.1 billion

Total Partner Rewards 2022: $377.5 million

Interested parties can find the Exness Group Financial Performance Indicators Report 2021 here.

As per Deloitte's report issued, as of November 30, 2022:

Funds kept on segregated client account with tier-1 banks are in excess of client funds on the trading

Funds kept on corporate accounts with banking institutions, and with payments solution providers are in excess of the corporate liabilities of the Group by more than 800%.

In conclusion, the trading revenue of Exness in 2022 increased by 67% and its operating income increased by 40% compared to 2021.

Contact:

Nina Ivkova

+35799382489

nina.ivkova@exness.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167088
LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / To help people stay safe this Memorial Day, James Horne Law is happy to announce a Sober Rides Campaign. If individuals decide to celebrate this holiday by drinking, the firm will reimburse them for any ride they take to a safe destination, whether that is a taxi or rideshare service. The goal of this campaign is to help reduce the risk of drunk driving accidents in Lakewood Ranch and the surrounding area.

James Horne Law

Memorial Day Sober Rides Campaign

Florida Drunk Driving Statistics

When it comes to drunk driving, Florida has some troubling statistics. According to data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), there were 5,018 crashes involving alcohol impairment in 2022. While these types of accidents account for only around 1% of all crashes, they cause around 15% of all accident fatalities in the state.

The outlook for Lakewood Ranch and surrounding areas in Sarasota County doesn't look much better. In 2022, the county had 150 alcohol-related crashes, causing two fatalities and 78 injuries. Drunk driving accidents were highest during holidays, such as Memorial Day.

How to Get a Free Ride in Lakewood Ranch

Participating in the Sober Rides Campaign is very simple. If individuals go out over Memorial Day Weekend and drink, they simply take a ride with a taxi or rideshare to a safe destination within or near Lakewood Ranch, FL. Next, they should take a screenshot of their receipt and email it along with their photo ID and mailing address to jhorne@jhornelaw.com.

Eligible rides must be taken between 8 PM on May 26, 2023, and 10 AM on May 29, 2023. Keep in mind that these rules and regulations also apply:

Ride must begin or end in Lakewood Ranch, FL, or a surrounding area;

Maximum reimbursement is $30 including tip;

Participant must be 21 years of age or older;

Reimbursement limited to the first 25 submissions; and

Requests must be submitted within 7 days of the holiday.

If there are any questions about the Memorial Day free ride program, please contact James Horne Law for more information.

About James Horne Law:

James Horne Law is a premier medical malpractice, personal injury, and family law firm in Lakewood Ranch. Founded by Attorney James M. Horne, the firm has helped clients all over Florida fight for the best possible results in their case. With over $12 million recovered and recognition as an AV Preeminent rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell for professional excellence, James Horne knows what is at stake for clients. No case is too complex, and every case deserves the full, undivided attention of an experienced attorney. To schedule a free consultation, call us or visit our website.

Contact Information:

James Horne Law

9040 Town Center Pkwy

Lakewood Ranch, FL 34202

(941) 210-6000

Contact Information

James Horne

Owner

jhorne@jhornelaw.com

(941) 210-6000

SOURCE: James Horne Law PA

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/755652/James-Horne-Law-Campaign-Offering-a-Free-Ride-in-Lakewood-Ranch-for-Those-Who-Plan-to-Drink-This-Holiday
MOORESVILLE, NC / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Cannabis businesses wanting to impress their customers with extra strong and extra delicious gummies can now shop for ZOOTED gummies at The Hemp Doctor Wholesale. As if it wasn't already extensive enough, The Hemp Doctor has added yet another unique and impressive product to their long list of selections.

Zooted gummies - THDwholesale.com

The new ZOOTED gummies are very strong edibles intended for experienced users with high tolerance who want to take their experience up a notch. Each jar of the ZOOTED gummies packs ten gummies, each infused with the blend of Delta 8 THC, Delta 9 THC, and HHC. These gummies also include a concentrate called Live Resin, made from freshly harvested cannabis flowers. It offers a tasty and rich experience that is very unique. Everything one would want to see in the cannabis mix.

Not only is it a dream mix for all experienced users because of its potency, but it's also super delicious, coming in 5 different flavors: cherry lime, strawberry, passion fruit, orange, and grape flavors. Whether they like sour candy or have a sweet tooth and usually like sugary things, customers will find something suitable for their taste. Every gummy is meticulously created to guarantee the ideal balance of flavor and potency for which The Hemp Doctor is renowned.

Each ZOOTED gummy is a 500mg hemp-derived cannabis that might feel like a powerful punch, perfect for high-tolerance users who have difficulty finding something strong enough for them. That's still not the end of the list of benefits ZOOTED gummies have. Besides being super potent and delicious, ZOOTED gummies are an extremely convenient way to consume cannabis. Whether for relaxing after a tiring day or enjoying a chill night with friends, ZOOTED gummies can accompany cannabis consumers anywhere. They are ideal for any event since they are discrete, practical, and simple to eat on the go. Customers will just need to pop one into their mouth and wait for the pleasant experience to start.

ZOOTED gummies are currently being sold on a wholesale website for The Hemp Doctor business customers only to offer them an exclusive experience. Cannabis business owners can now add ZOOTED on their product list to provide their customers with an experience unmatched on the market. ZOOTED gummies are everything customers want - expertly crafted, highly potent, and delicious.

About The Hemp Doctor Wholesale

The Hemp Doctor is renowned in the cannabis world for its high-quality and innovative products. The company's primary goal is to provide its customers with advanced, premium-quality cannabis products. They've been leading the industry for quite some time now.

The hemp strains used for making the products are cultivated on the fertile soil of California, North Carolina, and Oregon, ensuring high quality without added chemicals. Even the process used for extracting the active ingredients from the plant is unique and focused on maximizing the potency of extracted compounds while eliminating any unwanted remnants. That's not where the quality assurance of The Hemp Doctor's products ends. Each product from the extensive list has been through independent third-party lab testing, and these test results are readily available on their official website.

Needless to say, this brand is dedicated to offering the best quality possible to its customers. That's why you never have to worry about quality when shopping with The Hemp Doctor. They even provide wholesaler pricing rewards so you can offer your customers attractive prices.

The Hemp Doctor's constantly changing range of products delivers the finest that the market has to offer, with options that are equally ideal for novice and experienced cannabis users. Their extensive list of products includes Delta 8, Delta 9, HHC, THC-O, CBD, and CBG, but that's not all. They even thought about their customers' furry friends and created products for them so they could also experience the benefits of these compounds.

Contact Information

Robert Shade

Owner at The Hemp Doctor

customerservice@thehempdoctor.com

SOURCE: The Hemp Doctor Wholesale

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756378/The-Hemp-Doctor-Wholesale-Announces-New-Zooted-Gummies
Company developing next generation, disease-modifying, non-opioid analgesic gene therapies for the treatment of chronic pain

DELRAY BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Adolore Biotherapeutics, Inc. ("Adolore" or the "Company") a biotechnology company focused on developing breakthrough opioid-free pain relieving (analgesic) gene therapy treatments for pain, today announced it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with the University of Pittsburgh (or the "University") for its intellectual property portfolio entitled, "Non-Toxic Herpes Simplex Virus Vectors for Efficient Gene Delivery Applications and Complementing Cells for their Production." The University's intellectual property embodies a proprietary production cell line plus disease-free, replication-defective Herpes Simplex Virus vectors ("rdHSV") for the treatment of all types of pain, including nociceptive, inflammatory and neuropathic pain.

The Company is utilizing this licensed technology from the University of Pittsburg to produce and deliver its novel transgene CA8* (*Carbonic Anhydrase-Like Analgesic Peptides, CA8 Variants) for the treatment of chronic pain. Adolore is developing CA8* gene-therapy treatments for erythromelalgia, an Orphan Drug disease, and for knee osteoarthritis under an NIH/NINDS UG3 HEAL grant.

University of Pittsburgh researchers have demonstrated that this innovative rdHSV vector is injected locally and stays local providing many advantages including the following:

Does not migrate after injection thereby avoiding off-target effects;

Does not integrate into the genome and evades immune surveillance thereby enabling redosing;

Provides for injection directly into the joint, which is highly effective due to superior retrograde transport;

Non-toxic and does not reactivate like zoster, due to the replication-defective feature; and

Enables prolonged transgene expression within the targeted neurons and avoids systemic exposure.

Pursuant to the terms of the license agreement, the University of Pittsburgh will receive an upfront payment and certain development, regulatory, and sales milestone payments, as well as royalties on net sales of products covered by the license.

About Carbonic Anhydrase-8 (CA8*) Gene Therapy

CA8* (*Carbonic Anhydrase-Like Analgesic Peptides, CA8 Variants) are a novel class of Kv7 activators that are long-acting and locally administered with proven analgesic efficacy. They provide for versatile dosing regimens and routes of administration, including intra-articular, intra-neuronal (nerve block) and intradermal injection. This non-opioid CA8* mechanism-of-action addresses neuropathic, inflammatory, and nociceptive pain, which apply to a broad range of chronic pain indications, including osteoarthritis pain, diabetic neuropathy, post herpetic neuralgia, lower back pain, and cancer pain, as well as rare pain conditions such as erythromelalgia, an orphan drug disease. Using a replication-defective HSV vector enables disease-free localized delivery to the peripheral somatosensory nervous system with an excellent safety profile. HSV vectors are known for their stability and prolonged gene-expression, providing an excellent basis for long-term treatment.

About Adolore Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Adolore Biotherapeutics, Inc., is a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapies for the treatment of chronic pain and other pain and nervous system conditions or disorders. Our best-in-class lead programs are long-acting locally acting gene-therapies that are opioid-free Disease Modifying Anti-Pain therapies (DMAPs) for the treatment of a variety of chronic pain indications.

The Company's two current CA8* gene therapy programs are in preclinical development for treatment of patients suffering from erythromelalgia, a life-long heritable chronic pain condition representing an orphan drug disease with no approved therapy, and chronic osteoarthritis knee pain, affecting a large number of patients that is often treated with opioids due to the lack of alternatives, thus contributing to the ongoing opioid crisis.

For more information, visit adolore.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

To the extent this announcement contains information and statements that are not historical, they are considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "project," "will," "should," "may," "plan," "intend," "assume" and other expressions which predict or indicate future events and trends and which do not relate to historical matters. You should not rely on forward-looking statements, because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond the control of the Company. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those associated with drug development. These risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from the anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

Investor Relations Contact

JTC Team, LLC

Jenene Thomas

833-475-8247

adolore@jtcir.com

SOURCE: Adolore Biotherapeutics, Inc.

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Updated analysis benchmarks the relative emissions intensity and total reported methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide emissions of more than 300 U.S. oil and gas producers and finds dramatic variations between companies and basins.

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Ceres and Clean Air Task Force, with analysis from ERM, today released the third annual report, Benchmarking Methane and other GHG Emissions of Oil and Natural Gas Production in the United States, which analyzes the production-based emissions of the largest oil and gas producers in the United States and highlights dramatic variation among producers and basins.

The report provides clear, consistent information that investors, operators, natural gas purchasers, policymakers and regulators can use to compare producers' performance in an industry where voluntarily reported emissions metrics have historically been inconsistent and non-comparable.

This year's analysis found that reported methane and greenhouse gas intensity in the oil and gas sector have declined 28% and 30%, respectively, between 2019 and 2021, despite an increase in natural gas and total hydrocarbon production. However, these trends are not consistent across basins or individual companies and can fluctuate year to year.

While overall emissions trended down in this year's report, the gap between leaders and laggards continues to grow. The report found that natural gas producers in the highest quartile of methane emissions intensity have an average emissions intensity that is nearly 26 times higher than natural gas producers in the lowest quartile of methane emissions intensity.

Emissions intensity varies even between similarly sized operators in the same geographic area, according to the data, largely due to different equipment choices and operational practices. For example, pneumatic controllers were the largest source of reported production-segment methane emissions, making up 65% of the total. Fuel combustion equipment, including engines and heaters, was the largest source of total reported production-segment CO2 emissions, responsible for 65% of all reported CO2 emissions.

The findings can help shareholders differentiate between potential investments, and inform regulators, lawmakers and company executives about the main causes of reported methane emissions, as well as which companies are disproportionately responsible for them.

This edition of the analysis includes charts and data that track annual changes in emissions intensity, and the quantity of methane and other greenhouse gases emitted per unit of production, for each producer from 2015 to 2021. The underlying data suggest that these shifts in intensity can be attributed to a combination of factors including changes in operational practices, federal and state regulations, changes in corporate structure, or the sale of aging, high-emitting assets to firms below the reporting threshold.

"Oil and gas producers are not equals when it comes to methane emissions, and this research makes clear that a company's climate impact is a direct result of operational and investment decisions within its control," said Andrew Logan, senior director of oil and gas at Ceres. "While a number of leading companies have brought their methane emissions down since our first report three years ago, the gap between leaders and laggards has actually grown. For the poorest performing operators, high leak rates are a choice. Recent majority votes on methane-related shareholder proposals, including one last month at Coterra, underscore the investor consensus that the companies that will be best prepared for a low-carbon future are the ones taking ambitious steps now to bring emissions down."

Methane is a primary driver of climate change, and it is more than 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over its first 20 years in the atmosphere. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found that methane emissions alone are responsible for about half a degree Celsius of the global warming the planet has experienced to date, and methane levels in the atmosphere continue to rise every year. Due to its relatively short-lived atmospheric impact, reducing methane emissions is the best available tool to slow global warming in the near-term. As the differences in performance in the report released today suggest, there are already solutions readily available that can rapidly reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.

"The findings of this new report demonstrate what is possible when oil and gas producers use well-known, readily available means to reduce their methane and other greenhouse gas emissions," said Lesley Feldman, Research and Analysis Manager at Clean Air Task Force. "More important still, the report highlights what happens when they don't-underscoring the need for strong federal and state regulations that can standardize best practices across the industry."

The report is informed by data submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and does not account for orphan wells or abnormal process conditions (also known as "super-emitters"), which are major contributors to total emissions. Rather, it is designed to provide an analysis of publicly available, equipment-level data that can be applied consistently across companies. Abnormal process conditions comprise a significant quantity of total industry methane emissions, which makes it is important for companies and regulators to aggressively pursue innovation and adoption of technology that will allow their direct measurement and remediation.

The report is a collaborative effort between Ceres and the Clean Air Task Force, with support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. The full interactive datasets are available at https://www.sustainability.com. ERM, which provides strategic consulting services to support the transition to a net-zero emissions economy - performed the analysis using data from EPA's Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.

"With data spanning back to 2015, this updated analysis provides a valuable dataset to analyze oil and gas producer emissions," said Robert LaCount, ERM's Climate Change lead for North America. "With continued focus on GHG emissions, the analysis helps stakeholders and producers benchmark performance and supports decision-making as part of the transition to a decarbonized economy."

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world's greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies, and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.

About Clean Air Task Force

Clean Air Task Force (CATF) is a global nonprofit organization working to safeguard against the worst impacts of climate change by catalyzing the rapid development and deployment of low-carbon energy and other climate-protecting technologies. With 25 years of internationally recognized expertise on climate policy and a fierce commitment to exploring all potential solutions, CATF is a pragmatic, non-ideological advocacy group with the bold ideas needed to address climate change. CATF has offices in Boston, Washington D.C., and Brussels, with staff working virtually around the world. Visit catf.us and follow @cleanaircatf.

About ERM

ERM is the business of sustainability.

As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, ERM partners with the world's leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunities for future generations.

ERM's diverse team of 7,500+ world-class experts in over 170 offices across 39 countries supports clients across the breadth of their organizations to operationalize sustainability. Through ERM's deep technical expertise, clients are well-positioned to address their environmental, health, safety, risk, and social issues. ERM calls this capability its "boots to boardroom" approach - a comprehensive service model that allows ERM to develop strategic and technical solutions that advance objectives on the ground or at the executive level.

Media Contact: Reginald Zimmerman

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Ceres on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Ceres

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/ceres

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: Ceres

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756652/Updated-Analysis-Shows-Dramatic-Variation-of-Methane-Emissions-Among-US-Oil-and-Gas-Producers
Reports Record Q3 Net Sales of $6.9 million

ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Luvu Brands, Inc. (OTCQB:LUVU), a designer, manufacturer and marketer of a portfolio of consumer lifestyle brands, yesterday reported financial results for its fiscal third quarter, which ended March 31, 2023.

Fiscal Third Quarter 2023 Highlights

Three months ended March 31, 2023 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2022

Net sales increased 2.2% to a record $6.9 million.

Total gross profit of $1.8 million, flat to prior year's $1.8 million.

Gross profit as a percentage of net sales of 25.6% compared to 26.6% in the prior year.

Operating expenses were $1.4 million compared to $1.3 million in fiscal 2022.

Net income was $0.3 million, or $0.00 per share, compared to net income of $0.5 million, or $0.00 per share, in fiscal 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA of $484,000 compared to $616,000 in the prior fiscal year third quarter.

First Nine Months of Fiscal 2023 Highlights

Nine months ended March 31, 2023 as compared to the nine months ended March 31, 2022

Net sales increased 15% to a record $23.1 million.

Total gross profit of $6.0 million, an increase from prior year's $4.9 million.

Gross profit as a percentage of net sales of 26.0% compared to 24.2% in the prior year.

Operating expenses were $4.3 million compared to $3.8 million in fiscal 2022.

Net income was $1.5 million, or $0.02 per share, compared to net income of $0.9 million, or $0.01 per share, in fiscal 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA of $2,040,000 compared to $1,348,000 in the prior fiscal year third quarter.

Louis Friedman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Although Luvu Brands is up 15% in revenue for the first nine months with improving gross margins, we are moving forward with conservative growth expectations for the business in the remainder of 2023. We share concerns about potential broader challenges facing the U.S. and world economies. However, we remain optimistic with our capabilities and position in the markets."

Fiscal Third Quarter 2023 Results

Net sales increased 2.2% to $6.9 million, compared to $6.8 million in the same year-ago quarter. Sales of the Company's flagship Liberator brand increased 38% from the prior year to $4.5 million. Jaxx product sales decreased 36% from the prior year to $1.2 million, and Avana sales decreased 12% to $0.6 million. Net sales of products purchased for resale decreased 37% from the prior year to $0.3 million and Other revenue decreased 35% to $0.3 million.

Total gross profit for the third quarter was $1.8 million, flat to the prior-year third quarter. Gross profit as a percentage of net sales decreased to 25.6% from 26.6% in the prior fiscal year.

Operating expenses were approximately 20% of net sales, or approximately $1,386,000, compared to 19% of net sales, or approximately $1,261,000, for the same period in the prior year.

Net income for the quarter was $293,000, or $0.00 per share, compared to net income of $452,000, or $0.00 per share in the prior-year third quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2023, was $484,000, compared to $616,000 in the prior fiscal year.

Cash and cash equivalents on March 31, 2023 totaled $1.4 million compared to $0.9 million at June 30, 2022.

Conference Call

Management will host a conference call at 11:00 a.m. EST (10:00 a.m. CST; 8:00 a.m. PST) on Thursday, May 25, 2023. To listen and participate in the call, please register on this weblink: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2527/48496

A Q&A session will take place after the formal presentation, which shareholders and other interested parties can partake in through the aforementioned weblink or by dialing 888-506-0062 (international: 973-528-0011) using the participant access code 809248.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release may be forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as 'should,' 'may,' 'intends,' 'anticipates,' 'believes,' 'estimates,' 'projects,' 'forecasts,' 'expects,' 'plans,' and 'proposes.' These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements. You are urged to carefully review and consider any cautionary statements and other disclosures in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2022 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on October 12, 2022 and our other filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Luvu Brands, Inc. and are difficult to predict. Luvu Brands, Inc. does not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statements except as may be required by law. The information which appears on our websites and our social media platforms is not part of this press release.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Luvu Brands' management evaluates and makes operating decisions using various financial metrics.In addition to the Company's GAAP results, management also considers the non-GAAP measure of Adjusted EBITDA and Non-GAAP Operating Margin. As used herein, Adjusted EBITDA represents net income before interest income, interest expense, income taxes, depreciation, amortization, and stock-based compensation expense, and Non-GAAP Operating Margin means Adjusted EBITDA divided by net sales. Management believes that these non-GAAP measures provide useful information about the Company's operating results. Neither Adjusted EBITDA nor Non-GAAP Operating Margin have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as alternatives to, or more meaningful than, gross profit and net income as indicators of the Company's operating performance. Further, these non-GAAP financial measures, as presented by the Company, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. The Company has attached to this press release a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

About Luvu Brands

LUVU BRANDS (OCBQB:LUVU) is a manufacturer, designer and curator in the sexual wellness, bedroom comfort and casual furniture space. The Company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia in a 140,000 square foot facility employing over 225 people. Product collections are offered through its wholesale retailers, mass market e-tailers, Amazon, own factory showroom and online at www.liberator.com, www.jaxxbeanbags.com, www.avanacomfort.com. For additional information see www.luvubrands.com.

Company Contact:

Luvu Brands, Inc.

Alexander A. Sannikov

Chief Financial Officer

770-246-6426

IR@LuvuBrands.com



Third Quarter 2023 Results

SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION

RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

SOURCE: Luvu Brands, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756480/Luvu-Brands-Reports-Fiscal-2023-Third-Quarter-and-Nine-Month-Results-and-Announces-Conference-Call
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Edison International

Edison Scholar Janna Lee volunteering as a junior docent for the Los Serenos de Point Vicente Interpretive Center in Rancho Palos Verdes. PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Janna Lee

Energized by Edison

Shulie Tornel ENERGIZED by Edison Writer

From a young age, Janna Lee often visited Morro Bay with her family. She was captivated by the sleepy fishing village's serene waters and spent hours on the shore exploring and picking out her favorite rocks. Family trips to state and national parks planted a seed in Lee that has bloomed into a deep fondness for the environment.

Today, Lee devotes as much time as she can to community outreach and volunteering. She serves as the Aquarium of the Pacific's Teen Science Cafe Leader and is co-president of Palos Verdes High School's Science National Honor Society.

"Instead of just focusing on getting good grades, she got involved with the Point Vicente Interpretive Center as a Junior Docent and the Aquarium of the Pacific. She wanted to broaden her opportunities," said Jennifer Lee, Janna's mother. "It took up every weekend. I would always ask, 'Janna, don't you need downtime to do other things?'"

Her answer would always be the same, "Mom, my downtime is for the Aquarium of the Pacific and volunteering."

Lee plans to attend the University of California, Berkeley this fall. "I hope to study environmental science and policy, how humans interact with nature and how we can protect it," Lee said. "I live by the ocean and I've visited every national park. I want to do something to give back to our planet."

Lee is among 30 high school seniors across Southern California Edison's service area selected as 2023 Edison Scholars. The annual Edison International program recognizes students who are committed to working toward positive change in the world. Each Edison Scholar receives $50,000 to help them pursue a college degree in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM). The program is fully funded by shareholders.

Steven Powell, SCE president and CEO, surprised Lee and her family during a recent lunch period to deliver the good news.

"For Southern California students, this scholarship can help close the gap in their financial ability to pursue the education they need to fulfill their dreams," Powell said. "We are proud to help these students as they make their impact on the world and look forward to them joining us in building a clean energy future."

Scholars who meet the minimum requirements and complete the required screening are also eligible for a paid summer internship with SCE upon completing their first year of college.

When classes at Palos Verdes High School moved to a virtual environment, Julie Maemoto, science teacher and advisor of the Science National Honor Society, fondly recalls meeting Lee in her anatomy and physiology honors class.

"She stood out in a COVID year where students were behind the screen," Maemoto said. "Her engagement in great discussions, in small groups and as a sophomore in a senior class made her a leader for me that year."

Loraine Loh-Norris, a math teacher and Palos Verdes High School engineering department chair, expects Lee to embrace policy and law and find like-minded students in college.

"This scholarship is going to allow her to take advantage of more opportunities in college. Hopefully, she's going to help our world with our current climate and global issues and make a huge impact," Loh-Norris said.

Lee plans to do exactly that in college and beyond. "Plants can't speak for themselves and I hope to advocate for them and the planet. I hope my future education and career will make a difference on our planet."

Learn more about the scholarship program at edison.com/edisonscholars

CONTRIBUTORS

PHOTO CREDIT: ERNESTO SANCHEZ

VIDEO CREDIT: ERNESTO SANCHEZ AND JOSEPH FOULK

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

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Al Dahra Group, an Abu Dhabi-based agribusiness and one of the largest forage providers worldwide, has signed an exclusive supply agreement with Golden Fields, an Estonian agriculture company specializing in the production of premium quality animal feed grown in the Baltic region.

The agreement, provides Al Dahra Group with an exclusive offtake agreement for forage commodities, supplied by Golden Fields through contract farming agreements in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Finland.

Al Dahra Group said it was committed to supporting the construction of forage processing facilities, while also providing technical expertise on sourcing, production and sales.

The agreement will enable the construction of a processing facility for the dry milling of peas and beans which will supply Al Dahra Group with livestock pellets, high protein feed pellets, plant-based protein products and fiber products, it stated.

At an event in Riga attended by government officials, farmers, and businesses from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Al Dahra Group and Golden Fields today announced the details of a long-term strategic partnership and supply agreement, and the opportunities it will provide for farmers in the Baltic region.

The deal allows the company to purchase forage commodities such as corn silage, grasses, alfalfa, perennial grass combinations, and grass silage from farms across the Baltic region, process them locally, and then export them to meet the demand of customers across Northern Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.

"By partnering with Golden Fields, we are turning a promising new page for agriculture in the Baltic region. Golden Fields, through its network of respected farming cooperatives, ensures an undisrupted and long-term supply of forages for our customers around the world. Through these exports, the Baltic region's farmers will have a very broad geographical reach," stated Van den Berg.

Al Dahra Groups partner Golden Fields has previously invested 10 million euros in a roughage facility in Joniskis, Lithuania, and 7 million euros in a comparable plant in Laane County, Estonia.

The business collaborates with the Lithuanian cooperative "Joniskio aruodas" and the Estonian cooperative Kevili. Up to 150,000 metric tons of feed can be produced and processed at these facilities each year for commercial use.

Mahmoud Ahmed, CEO of Golden Fields, said: "We collaborate with experienced farmers to produce high-quality feed from Estonian and Lithuanian fields. We also intend to construct comparable production lines in Finland, Western Estonia and Latvia with an additional capacity of 250,000 metric tons."

The company will be able to speed up the expansion of its operations thanks to its partnership with Al Dahra Group, to achieve a production capacity of more than 400,000 metric tonnes in the next five years, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
The lack of available, accessible, affordable finance is a critical challenge standing in the way of Africa's development and putting the world's climate goals and Africa's sustainable development at risk.

The 54 countries of Africa have done the least to cause climate change, contributing less than 4% of global emissions. Yet they are suffering some of the worst consequences.

When it comes to renewable energy, only two per cent of the three trillion dollars invested worldwide over the last twenty years have made their way to Africa.

There are encouraging signals coming from donor countries on delivering the $100billion pledge in climate finance made over a decade ago, which I hope will soon be followed by concrete action.

Failure to deliver on the $100bn pledge has undermined trust in the multilateral process, which must be restored.

Donor countries also need to double their commitment to adaptation finance by 2025.

COP28 is exploring additional mechanisms to supercharge the flow of private finance to Africa.

By adopting policies and regulations that create a favorable investment climate for the private sector, African governments can build a robust pipeline of sustainable investment.

If we fail to deliver effective climate finance for Africa, many countries will have no choice but to follow a high carbon development pathway. And that is in no one's interest.

Africa can emerge as a hub for renewable energies, and a driver for clean growth for the world, instead of becoming a dumping ground for old technologies

Finance is the key to turn good intentions into real results.

Addressing climate change is more than a set of numbers. It is more than meeting goals. It's about people, who deserve a better future for their families.

SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In an address today to the African Development Bank Annual Meeting, the COP28 President-Designate, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, called for a major boost to public and private finance to allow the African continent to battle climate change.





"Africa has huge potential for low-carbon growth and sustainable development. But one critical challenge stands in its way - and that is the lack of available, accessible, affordable finance. And this lack of finance is putting the world's climate goals and Africa's sustainable development at risk."

Dr. Al Jaber pointed out that "When it comes to renewable energy, only two per cent of the three trillion dollars invested worldwide over the last twenty years have made their way to Africa. If we can shift the balance on climate finance to Africa, I believe this continent can become a defining force in low carbon sustainable growth."

As a first step in closing this finance gap, Dr. Al Jaber called on developed nations to live up to their historic responsibilities and come through with the $100 billion dollars in climate finance they pledged over a decade ago.

"Failure to do so has undermined trust in the multilateral process, which must be restored," Dr. Al Jaber said. "There are encouraging signals coming from donor countries on this front, which I hope will soon be followed by concrete action."

Africa's 54 countries have done the least to cause climate change, Dr. Al Jaber noted, contributing less than four per cent of global emissions. Yet they are suffering some of the worst consequences: Over 700 million hectares of agricultural land across this continent are currently degraded - an area twice the size of India. And Africa is losing four million more every year. At the same time, droughts and famine are impacting lives and livelihoods, forcing migration and undermining the biodiversity that African people depend on for their livelihood. At the same time, over 600 million people lack access to electricity and almost one billion lack access to clean cooking fuel.

But to make the transformational progress that is required, Dr. Al Jaber added that the flow of private capital needs to be mobilized. To accomplish this, fundamental reform of IFIs and MDBs are required to unlock much more concessional finance, lowering risk, and attracting private capital.

"COP28 is exploring additional mechanisms to supercharge the flow of private finance to Africa," he said. "And, by adopting policies and regulations that create a favorable investment climate for the private sector, African governments can build a robust pipeline of sustainable investment.

"If we fail to deliver effective climate finance for Africa," he warned, "many countries will have no choice but to follow a high carbon development pathway. And that is in no one's interest."

While mitigating climate change is important, Dr. Al Jaber noted, the gap in adaptation funding is also large. "Donor countries need to double their commitment to adaptation finance by 2025," he said.

Dr. Al Jaber concluded by saying "There is great potential for Africa to set an example for low-carbon, high-growth sustainable development. Instead of becoming a dumping ground for old technologies, Africa can emerge as a hub for renewable energies, and a driver for clean growth for the world. Finance is the key to turn good intentions into real results.

"We need every country and every stakeholder united in solidarity on this issue, alongside every other pillar of the climate agenda. Addressing climate change is more than a set of numbers. It is more than meeting goals. It's about people, who deserve a better future for their families.

"Delivering effective climate finance to Africa will help Africa to develop. It will help put the world back on track to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. And it will enable an energy transition that leaves no-one behind."

For all media enquiries and requests for interviews, please contact comms@climateenvoy.gov.ae . For up-to-date COP28 news, follow us on Twitter @COP28_UAE

Notes to Editors:

COP28 UAE:

COP28 UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from November 30-December 12, 2023 . The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state,?government officials, international?industry leaders, private sector? ?representatives,?academics, experts,?youth, and non-state actors.?

UAE will take place at Expo City Dubai from . The Conference is expected to convene over 70,000 participants, including heads of state,?government officials, international?industry leaders, private sector? ?representatives,?academics, experts,?youth, and non-state actors.? As mandated by the Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 UAE will deliver the first ever Global?Stocktake?- a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.?

UAE will deliver the first ever Global?Stocktake?- a comprehensive evaluation of progress against climate goals.? The UAE will lead a process for all parties to agree upon a clear roadmap to accelerate progress through a pragmatic global energy transition and a "leave no one behind"?approach to inclusive climate action.?

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Stibo Systems KK (head office: Aarhus, Denmark; Japan office: Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Representative Director: Hiroyuki Kudo; "Stibo Systems") announced today that Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. (head office: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; President and Representative Director: Nobuo Domae; "Ryohin Keikaku") has chosen to implement Stibo Systems Multidomain Master Data Management platform ("Stibo Systems MDM").

Ryohin Keikaku has been a pioneer in ESG-focused business management since the launch of the "MUJI" brand in 1980. Through an integrated, socially and environmentally conscious manufacturing process, it has promoted initiatives aimed at realizing a circular economy. Currently, the company is strengthening its supply chain not only to improve its products and service proposals, but also to enhance its business activities and data on a global scale. Ryohin Keikaku has chosen Stibo Systems MDM to revamp, organize, and streamline its diverse master data systems, centered around product data and expanding into raw materials, suppliers and distribution centers.

Stibo Systems is the leading master data management platform provider in the global market. Ryohin Keikaku has selected Stibo Systems based on its cloud-native SaaS product with unparalleled flexibility and scalability and its extensive expertise, cultivated through the implementation of its products at many manufacturing retailers that handle private brands and other products. Furthermore, Stibo Systems' low-code technologies enable data to be managed easily and, as such, enables Ryohin Keikaku to bring its systems management in house under the leadership of the IT department. This was a key factor in the company's decision-making process as Ryohin Keikaku aims to become a technology company.

About Stibo Systems

Stibo Systems, the master data management company, is the trusted enabler of data transparency. Our solutions are the driving force behind forward-thinking companies around the world that have unlocked the strategic value of their master data. We empower them to improve the customer experience, drive innovation and growth and create an essential foundation for digital transformation. This gives them the transparency they require and desire a single, accurate view of their master data so they can make informed decisions and achieve goals of scale, scope and ambition. Stibo Systems is a privately held subsidiary of Stibo Software Group, which is headquartered in Aarhus, Denmark. The foundational ownership guarantees the long-term perspective of the business. More at https://www.stibosystems.com.

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Contacts:

Stibo Systems KK

Nihonbashi Front Building 1F, 3-6-2 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 103-0027

URL: https://www.stibosystems.com/ja/

Contact: Aya McMillan

TEL: +81(0)3-4588-2776 (switchboard)

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A rise in demand for water chillers from various industry verticals such as food & beverages, petrochemicals, rubber, plastic, medical, and others, fuels the growth of the market.

PORTLAND, Ore., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Water chillers Market by Type (Screw Chiller, Scroll Chiller, Centrifugal Chiller, Absorption Chiller, Reciprocating Chiller, Others), By Capacity (0-100 KW, 101-350 KW, 351-700 KW, >700 KW), By End User Industry (Chemicals And Petrochemicals, Food And Beverage, Plastics And Rubber, Healthcare, Others), By System (Water Accumulation, Continuous Flow ): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032". According to the report, the global water chillers industry generated $6 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach $8.4 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.4% from 2023 to 2032.





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Prime determinants of growth

The rise in demand for the water chillers in medical industry and growth of manufacturing industry along with the increase in consumption of frozen food drives the growth of the market. . However, high initial investments and setup costs along with the rise in demand for VRF systems are restraining the growth of the market. On the contrary, technological advancements are expected to offer lucrative opportunities for the growth of the market.

Report coverage & details:

Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size in 2022 $6 billion Market Size in 2032 $8.4 billion CAGR 3.4 % No. of Pages in Report 243 Segments covered Type, Capacity, End User Industry, System and Region. Drivers Increase in consumption of frozen food Growth of manufacturing industry Increase in demand for water chillers in medical industry Opportunities Technological advancements Restraints Rise in demand for VRF systems High initial investment and setup cost

Covid-19 Scenario

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the global water chillers market, owing to a downfall in the manufacturing activities during the lockdown.

Not only the water chillers market but also the production of chillers and other refrigeration systems hampered due to the closure of manufacturing units across the world, especially in the initial period of the pandemic.

Although the water chillers industry faced losses, recovery of food & beverage, medical, plastic and other industries in different developing regions have aided in its development.

The Screw Chiller segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on type, the screw chiller segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than one-third of the global water chillers market revenue and is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. This is due to the fact that, screw chillers are used for providing cooling solutions for both industrial operations and cooling systems. The screw chillers are lightweight and compact, and they have cooling capacities ranging from 20 tons to 1,000 tons. However, centrifugal chiller segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 4.6% from 2023 to 2032, as centrifugal chillers are available in a wide range of capacities, making them suitable for various applications from small commercial buildings to large industrial facilities.

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The >700 kW segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on capacity, the >700 kW segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global water chillers market and is projected to rule the roost in terms of revenue during the forecast period. This is because, prominent players are developing technologically advanced and low-energy-consuming chillers to boost the development of the industry. However, the 0-100 kW segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 4.7% from 2023 to 2032. This is due to the fact that, smaller chillers, which have a capacity of less than 101 kW, often use less energy than bigger chillers since they are designed to handle smaller cooling loads.

The Chemicals and Petrochemicals segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on end user industry, the chemicals and petrochemicals segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to nearly one-third of the global water chillers market revenue, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Chemical reactions often generate heat that needs to be dissipated to maintain the desired temperature and prevent unwanted side reactions. Water chillers are used to cool the reactor and maintain the desired reaction temperature. However, the healthcare segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 4.9% from 2023 to 2032. Water chillers are in high demand from pharmaceutical industry to cool equipment used in the production of drugs, such as reactors and crystallizers. Cooling helps to control the reaction rates and crystallization process, which is important in the production of high-quality drugs. Furthermore, in medical laboratories, chillers are utilized to cool devices such as spectrophotometers, centrifuges, and microscopes which require precise temperature control to perform accurate measurements and analysis.

The Continuous Flow segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on system, the continuous flow segment accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing to more than three-fifths of the global water chillers market revenue, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period as these systems are easy to install and are highly durable. Different water chiller manufacturing companies are offering continuous flow systems equipped with special circulation systems, which helps in making the water chiller system more efficient. In addition, such systems help in preventing the wastage of water by the use of tanks where water can be stored. However, the water accumulation segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 3.6% from 2023 to 2032 as such systems offer efficiency owing to lower usage and higher production which further helps in saving the cost and electricity.

Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2032

Based on region, Asia-Pacific held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for nearly half of the global water chillers market revenue, and is likely to dominate the market during the forecast period. Strong economic growth, rapid urbanization, and presence of large population base significantly contribute toward the growth of the water chillers market in Asia-Pacific. In addition, increase in remodeling and repairing work in developing countries, such as China, India, Vietnam, and Indonesia fuel the demand for water chillers. The same region is projected to portray fastest CAGR of 3.8% from 2023 to 2032.

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Leading Market Players:

Carrier Global Corporation

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Daikin Industries Ltd.

Dimplex Thermal Solutions

LG Electronics

Johnson Controls International PLC

Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai

Thermax Limited

Midea Group Co., Ltd.

Trane Technologies plc

The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global water chillers market. These players have adopted different strategies to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario.

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / At Lenovo, we are proud to have ambassadors that embody our mission of creating Smarter Technology for All. One such advocate is Kate FitzGerald, ISO Customer Sales Transformation, Global Solution Selling Program Manager at Lenovo, who has been working tirelessly to improve the lives of children with profound multiple learning difficulties.

Kate has been working with The Ridgeway School to refurbish their new sensory room using technology to create a safe, immersive experience for pupils. She first worked with the Surrey-based school-that caters to pupils between the age of 2 and 19 years who have severe and/or profound multiple learning difficulties-in September 2021 as part of our annual Global Month of Service. Leading a team of volunteers, they built a Wild Immersion VR experience and a virtual fish tank on site.

Wild Immersion, which is endorsed by renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, is designed to raise awareness of the natural world through the power of VR. Videos were recorded in wildlife reserves around the globe, using 360-degree cameras to see the animals up close in their own environments.

Wearing a headset, students could fly alongside flamingos, sit in a tree with giant pandas and sloths, wallow in the mud with buffalos, and swim amongst tropical fish.

"Research has suggested that virtual reality-based therapy can greatly improve the lives of neurodivergent children, by bringing science and technology into their world in the capacity they can understand," Kate said.

"I saw first-hand the impact VR can have on children back when I worked with The Ridgeway School in 2021. Children who didn't normally engage, engaged. Non-verbal children made noise, and some even spoke. Children with little eye movement were actively tracking the movement of the animals in the headset where staff had thought they could not see."

Now, supported by the Lenovo Foundation, Kate has been back to The Ridgeway School and worked closely with Deputy Head Teacher, Tom Byrne and Julian Hitchin, on revamping the school's sensory room with the replacement of key pieces of equipment, enhancing its functionality.

Complete with floor-to-wall and kaleidoscope projectors, bubble tubes and multicolour LED lighting, the room will combine a range of stimuli to help students develop and engage their senses.

"I was thrilled when Kate approached me about revamping our sensory room. It's a subject that is close to my heart having written a dissertation on the impact of virtual reality technology on students' engagement within a special educational needs setting as part of my Masters," Tom said.

"We've already seen great results from our use of VR in the classroom. For example, we had one pupil who never waits for anything, however, was prepared to wait for 20 minutes for his turn on the VR. Another child who found it very hard to verbalize and put sentences together in a normal classroom setting was able to communicate clearly what he was watching when using VR as there were no distractions or people that he could see.

"The knock-on effect for children using VR cannot be underestimated in a special learning development setting."

As well as positive results from the students, the sensory room has also been met with encouraging feedback from parents who have commented on the clear impact of VR on their children.

Looking to the future, the school has big ambitions for how it will continue to use technology to support students. This includes creating its own content to help prepare children for school events, such as going to the local church for Harvest Festival, which would make these events even more accessible for pupils.

With over 1.3 million pupils with special educational needs in England alone, sensory rooms are vital for providing a safe and impactful learning environment for those with developmental disorders.

The Ridgeway School and Lenovo are leading the way in using immersive technology to support students with nonverbal, verbal, and social skills.

"We know that technology is central to how we live, work, and play but to see how new Lenovo technology can impact children's development is inspiring. Working with Ridgeway School has shown me the power of AR and VR technology to improve our lives and I look forward to seeing where we can go next," Kate said.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Lenovo on 3blmedia.com.

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Spokesperson: Lenovo

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NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As per Facts and Factors study, the global pharmaceutical market size was worth around USD 1,482.4 million in 2021 and is estimated to grow to about USD 2,067.35 million by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 5.70% over the forecast period.





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Pharmaceutical Market: Overview

The pharmaceuticals market comprises businesses (organizations, sole proprietorships, and partnerships) that develop drugs used to treat illnesses and sell those drugs and associated services. Pharmaceuticals can refer to any medication used to treat diseases or for medical purposes. Businesses that manufacture medicines and biologics are a part of this sector. Pharmaceutical medications and biologics are the two market segments for pharmaceuticals. Drugs are available from pharmaceutical companies for individualized, personalized therapy of many disorders. Precision medicine, another name for customized treatment, strives to deliver medical care by the patient's unique traits and genetic makeup. Precision therapies are used more frequently as businesses abandon the one-size-fits-all approach to treating common medical ailments. Over the projection period, an increase in chronic diseases, including diabetes and cancer, is anticipated to fuel the expansion of the pharmaceutical sector.

Additionally, a rise in older adults susceptible to severe diseases will spur market expansion throughout the projection period. Reduced demand for prescription medicine, Growing competition from generic pharmaceuticals, Pharmaceutical fraud, etc., are some of the restraints in the pharmaceutical sector. Low returns on investment in the pharmaceuticals sector due to price controls, cost-containing programs, and mandated cost savings will further impede corporate growth over the projection period.

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Key Insights:

As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, pharmaceuticals market value to grow at a CAGR of 5.70% over the forecast period.

In terms of revenue, the pharmaceutical market size was valued at around USD 1482.4 million in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 2067.35 million by 2028.

in 2021 and is projected to reach by 2028. The increasing number of older adults, the growing use of personalized medicine, and coupled with rising in chronic disease across the globe are the major factors driving the market's growth.

By Drug Type Analysis, Drugs dominated the market in 2021

By Application analysis, medications for metabolic diseases dominated the sector in 2021

North America dominated the pharmaceutical market in 2021.

Facts and Factors published the latest report titled "Pharmaceutical Market Size, Share, Growth Analysis Report By API Type (Synthetic API, Biotech API, Monoclonal Antibodies, Cytokines, Vaccines, Blood Factors, Hormones & Growth Factors, Fusion Proteins, and Therapeutic Enzymes), By Drug (Prescription Drugs and OTC Drugs), By Customer Base (Generic Drugs and Branded Drugs), Application (Oncology, Ophthalmology, Cardiovascular Disease, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Central Nervous System & Neurological Disorders, Nephrology, and Others), and By Region - Global and Regional Industry Insights, Overview, Comprehensive Analysis, Trends, Statistical Research, Market Intelligence, Historical Data and Forecast 2022 - 2028" into their research database.

Industry Dynamics:

Global Pharmaceutical Market: Growth Drivers

Technological Advances are helping the market grow.

Challenges create opportunities, and this statement is valid for the pharmaceutical sector, which is currently dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic's effects and adapting to new conditions. Teams' efficacy has risen in many businesses due to high-tech implementations and R&D expenditures. With the help of cloud computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and other digital investments, life science organizations worldwide seek to improve the manufacturing cycle. Benefits include finding the best pharmaceuticals for particular ailments, conducting drug design trials on a budget, deciding when to start and stop medical treatments, collecting health data more effectively, and many other advantages.

Global Pharmaceutical Market: Restraints

High manufacturing cost of biologics hamper the market growth.

The settings under which biological therapies are produced and handled significantly impact their sensitivity and dependability. Quality control is crucial in creating these medications because they tend to congregate during the production and purifying. Variations in the final protein can emerge from even little changes in the synthesis process, which could have disastrous consequences. Biologics are made by biopharmaceutical businesses, which must invest additional time and money. Producing biologics involves expensive research and development costs, and the testing and manufacturing procedures are intricate. A novel biologic drug underwent eight stages of development. Only around one in every 5,000 new drugs that go through this expensive process succeed.

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Pharmaceutical Market: Opportunities

Development of personalized medicine to enhance opportunities for the market.

Drugs are available from pharmaceutical companies for individualized, personalized therapy of many disorders. Precision medicine, another name for customized treatment, strives to deliver medical care by the patient's unique traits and genetic makeup. Precision therapies are used more frequently as businesses abandon the one-size-fits-all approach to treating common medical ailments. Major corporations are investing in creating tailored medications, including GSK, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and AstraZeneca.

Pharmaceutical Market: Challenges

Increasing consumer demands and challenges in maintaining brand health hinder the market growth.

Customers are paying close attention to pharmaceutical firms so brand management may be more crucial than usual for the remainder of the year. At the same time, customers have higher expectations for the pharmaceutical sector, and it is more typical for them to thoroughly analyze the financial value of medicine and compare prices before making a purchase. As supply chains continue hampered by COVID-19, pharmaceutical businesses must manage rising customer expectations and be ready to address brand crises all year.

Global Pharmaceutical Market: Segmentation

The pharmaceutical market is segregated based on API type analysis, drug type analysis, customer base type analysis, and application analysis.

The market is divided into prescription and OTC drugs based on drug type analysis. The OTC medicines segment is anticipated to increase at the fastest rate. Compared to prescribed medications, the drugs are offered directly to the customer without needing a prescription from the healthcare professional, which is credited with the segment growth.

Based on application analysis, the market is divided into oncology, ophthalmology, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, endocrinology, central nervous system & neurological disorders, nephrology, and others. The pharmaceutical pharmaceuticals market's largest category was the market for medications for metabolic diseases. The dermatology drugs segment is anticipated to develop fastest in the pharmaceutical drugs market, which is categorized by medication type.

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List of Key Players in Pharmaceutical Market:

AbbVie Inc.

Aurobindo Pharma

Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH

Eli Lilly and Company

Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Abbott Laboratories

Bayer AG

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Albemarle Corporation

GlaxoSmithKline plc

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

Novartis AG

Merck & Co. Inc.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

Pfizer Inc.

Sanofi

AstraZeneca

Baxter

Key questions answered in this report:

What are the growth rate forecast and market size for Pharmaceutical Market?

What are the key driving factors propelling the Pharmaceutical Market forward?

What are the most important companies in the Pharmaceutical Market Industry?

What segments does the Pharmaceutical Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Pharmaceutical Market sample report and company profiles?

Report Scope:

Report Attribute Details Market size value in 2021 USD 1,482.4 Million Revenue forecast in 2028 USD 2,067.36 Million Growth Rate CAGR of almost 5.31 % 2022-2028 Base Year 2022 Historic Years 2016 - 2021 Forecast Years 2022-2028 Segments Covered By API Type, Drug, Customer Base, Application, and Region Forecast Units Value (USD Billion), and Volume (Units) Quantitative Units Revenue in USD million/billion and CAGR from 2023 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 AbbVie Inc., Aurobindo Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Eli Lilly and Company, Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Bayer AG, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Albemarle Corporation, GlaxoSmithKline plc, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Novartis AG, Merck & Co. Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Pfizer Inc., Sanofi, AstraZeneca, Baxter, 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/pharmaceutical-market

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Regional Dominance:

North America to lead with the highest growth.

In 2021, North America led the market. This is due to many strategic pharmaceutical alliances, particularly among the region's well-established and early-stage businesses. Additionally, the United States held the top spot worldwide for expenditure on prescription drugs per person. Additionally, most clinical trials and drug efficacy studies conducted worldwide were in the United States. Demand for blister packaging, including improved barrier protection and lighter weight packaging, has been driven by the increased demand for tamper-evident packaging.

Due to its sizable consumer base, rising healthcare costs, increasing disease incidence, and the existence of supportive regulatory frameworks, Asia Pacific is anticipated to see the highest growth of any regional market throughout the forecast period. Additionally, to provide sustainable patient care, the area has lately adopted new technology and experienced a digital revolution. Several national-level regulations encourage big data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) application in Asian nations. The State Council of China released rules to promote the growth of big data and AI in healthcare, focusing on its use in that sector. In addition, several western businesses are building new facilities in this area since it is more affordable.

Global Pharmaceutical Market is segmented as follows:

Pharmaceutical Market: By API Type Outlook (2022-2028)

Synthetic API

Biotech API

Monoclonal Antibodies

Cytokines

Vaccines

Blood Factors

Hormones & Growth Factors

Fusion Proteins

Therapeutic Enzymes

Pharmaceutical Market: By Drug Type Outlook (2022-2028)

Prescription Drugs

OTC Drugs

Pharmaceutical Market: By Customer Base Type Outlook (2022-2028)

Generic Drugs

Branded Drugs

Pharmaceutical Market: By Application Outlook (2022-2028)

Oncology

Ophthalmology

Cardiovascular Disease

Gastrointestinal Disorders

Diabetes

Endocrinology

Central Nervous System & Neurological Disorders

Nephrology

Others

Pharmaceutical Market: By Region Outlook (2022-2028)

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

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According to the report published by Facts & Factors, the global wound care market size in terms of market volume was valued at in 2022 and is predicted to surpass by the end of 2028. The market is expected to grow by a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period of 2022-2028. Cochlear Implant Market : According to the report published by Facts and Factors, the global cochlear implants market size was worth around USD 1.45 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD 2.6 billion by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 6.8% between 2023 and 2028.

According to the report published by Facts and Factors, the global cochlear implants market size was worth around in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 6.8% between 2023 and 2028. Healthcare Augmented and Virtual Reality Market : According to the report published by Facts and Factors, the global healthcare augmented and virtual reality market size was worth around USD 2.31 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD 19.61 billion by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 26.9% between 2023 and 2028.

According to the report published by Facts and Factors, the global healthcare augmented and virtual reality market size was worth around in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 26.9% between 2023 and 2028. Active Wound Care Market : According to the report published by Facts and Factors, the global active wound care market size was worth around USD 9.35 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD 14.2 billion by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 5.61% between 2023 and 2028.

According to the report published by Facts and Factors, the global active wound care market size was worth around in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around by 2028 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 5.61% between 2023 and 2028. Orthopedic Prosthetic Market: According to the report published by Facts & Factors, the global orthopedic prosthetic market size was worth around USD 2.3 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD 3.4 billion by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 5.31% between 2023 and 2030.

Browse through Facts and Factors's coverage of the Global Healthcare Industry

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President Director of PLN, Darmawan Prasodjo (middle) posed after signing a business agreement

with Chinese Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC) company, China Communications

Construction Co., Ltd (CCCC) for the development of renewable energy (RE) in Indonesia.

BEIJING, May 23, 2023 - (ACN Newswire) - PT PLN (Persero) has signed a business agreement with China Communications Construction Co., Ltd. (CCCC)(HKEX:1800), an Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) company, for the development of renewable energy (RE) in Indonesia. The agreement was signed during PLN President Director Darmawan Prasodjo's business visit to China on May 21st.Darmawan Prasodjo explained that his company is currently developing renewable energy power plants, including hydroelectric power plants, solar power plants, wind turbines and pumped storage power plants, in Indonesia. The agreement is a significant step forward for Indonesia's RE sector, as it will provide access to the latest technologies and expertise from CCCC.As the largest construction company in China, CCCC is expected to accelerate the energy transition process from fossil energy to renewable energy in order to achieve the net zero emission (NZE) target by 2060. "The cooperation that has been built between PLN and CCCC is expected to accelerate the construction of renewable energy power plants. Thus, Indonesia will further accelerate the energy transition process," Darmawan said.In addition to the official cooperation, Darmawan added, with a myriad of experiences owned by CCCC, PLN can absorb knowledge from the company to discuss and collaborate in the development of RE infrastructure, Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and terminals for gasification.CCCC itself is a company that has been involved in many major projects in China and abroad. Some of its biggest projects including the construction of the Hangzhou Bay bridge, the world's largest port located in Shanghai, as well as the construction of the Three Gorges Dam in China."This cooperation agreement can increase investor confidence. through solid cooperation between PLN and CCCC is also expected to strengthen economic relations between China and Indonesia," stated Darmawan.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 PlayStore or AppStore. https://web.pln.co.id/Contact:Gregorius Adi TriantoExecutive Vice President, Corporate Communications & CSR, PLNTel. +62 21 7261122PT. Perusahaan Listrik Negara (Persero) [IDX: PLN]China Communications Construction Co., Ltd. (CCCC) [HKEX:1800]Source: PT PLN (Persero)Copyright 2023 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
Dentists can now attend this comprehensive, nine-module implant education program at Glidewell's state-of-the-art clinical education facility.

NEWPORT BEACH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / The American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) MaxiCourse program - a comprehensive training program in oral implantology hosted throughout the United States and internationally - will now be offered at the Glidewell Clinical Education Center in Southern California. This facility, which is located on the Glidewell campus, is a premier location for hands-on dental training.





Glidewell to Host AAID MaxiCourse Program in Newport Beach, California

Dentists can now attend this comprehensive nine-module, implant education program at Glidewell's state-of-the-art clinical education facility.





Dentists worldwide take the MaxiCourse program to become proficient in all aspects of implant dentistry, including biomedical sciences, diagnostic procedures, surgical and prosthetic protocols, and practice management. "The MaxiCourse is the most sought-after implant training in the world, and now it's here in California," adds Dr. Shankar Iyer, instructor and assistant director for the Newport Beach MaxiCourse. "After teaching this program for over 20 years all over the world, we are now ready to kickstart the program here with a stellar lineup of faculty."

Participants will attend comprehensive lectures from over 15 distinguished speakers in the field of implantology, including Drs. Timothy Kosinski, Paresh Patel, Taylor Manalili, Shankar Iyer and Ali Mostafavi, who also serves as the program's director. These instructors will provide expert guidance in a curriculum that includes topics like atraumatic extraction and bone grafting, digital workflows, immediate loading, and avoiding implant complications. In addition, participants will experience live demonstrations and clinical sessions with step-by-step instruction for skills such as CBCT planning and hands-on placement of implants in cadavers, which they can easily replicate in their practice.

The 2023-24 program will be presented in nine parts from September to May, with classes offered once a month in three-day weekend blocks. This schedule is designed to give dentists the flexibility to attend the live components of the course while still having enough time to study, complete coursework and fulfill their daily job responsibilities.

"Glidewell is proud to be associated with this comprehensive, high-quality implant educational program," says Dr. Neil Park, vice president of clinical affairs at Glidewell. "Not only will this program prepare doctors for clinical success, it also confers eligibility for certification by the American Board of Oral Implantology, which is the most recognized credential in implant dentistry." These courses also provide over 300 hours of continuing education, which are necessary to fulfill the minimum educational requirement for Associate Fellowship in the AAID.

MaxiCourse Newport Beach is open to dentists of all levels, from entry-level practitioners who want to add implant surgery to their practice, to seasoned implant practitioners who can glean valuable new knowledge and get the additional required accredited continuum hours for board certification with the American Bord of Oral Implantology. Tuition will cost $16,000 for dentists and just $12,500 for recent dental school graduates (within two years). To learn more about the AAID MaxiCourse in Newport Beach, dentists can visit the course website at maxicourseca.com. Additionally, dentists can also reach out directly by email at info@maxicourseca.com or by phone at 866-791-9539.

Contact Information

Eldon Thompson

Sr. Director of Marketing

mail@glidewell.com

SOURCE: Glidewell

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756403/Glidewell-to-Host-AAID-MaxiCourse-Program-in-Newport-Beach-California
The deal expands Ark7's fractional real estate offerings and caters to a wider audience of investors seeking financial growth and stability.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Ark7, the SEC-qualified fractional real estate investing platform that enables anyone to invest in rental homes share by share, today announced the acquisition of Robinland, a real estate investing platform that leverages decentralized finance (DeFi) technologies. The deal marks a significant milestone for Ark7 as it continues to disrupt the real estate industry with its secure, diversified, and transparent model that empowers consumers.





Ark7 Real Estate Investment App

The Ark7 Real Estate Investment App is available for iOS and Android devices, providing users a simple and secure way to invest in the fast-growing fractional real estate market.

Ark7 is democratizing real estate investing and making it accessible to everyone. The award-winning Ark7 mobile app allows users to explore curated, income-generating properties in top markets across the U.S., purchase property shares starting from $20 per share, trade on a secondary market, and receive monthly cash distributions. Ark7 handles property acquisition and management so users can enjoy passive income and long-term appreciation hassle-free.

Ark7 has seen explosive growth since its launch in 2020. The company manages over $15 million in property assets and has distributed $1.5 million in dividends. The investor base has grown five-fold since the SEC's announcement of Regulation A qualification in 2022, surpassing 30,000 registered investors. Ark7 currently operates in eight states, including real estate investment opportunities in Texas, California, Seattle, Arizona, and Florida, and is expanding fast.

"We are incredibly proud to announce that Robinland, a DeFi platform backed by industry-leading Venture Capital firms, including Nyca Partners, Eniac Ventures, Agya Ventures, Wilson Hill Ventures, and Gambit Partners, has joined forces with Ark7 to revolutionize the fractional real estate landscape," said Ark7 Co-founder & CEO Andy Zhao. "The real excitement lies in the expansion of Ark7's fractional real estate offerings. This latest step broadens our horizons, allowing us to cater to a wider audience of investors seeking financial growth and stability during challenging economic times."

The Ark7 mobile app is available for iOS and Android devices and offers users a simple and secure way to invest in the fast-growing fractional real estate market. With the Ark7 investor app, users can:

Explore curated, income-generating properties in top markets across the U.S.;

curated, income-generating properties in top markets across the U.S.; Learn about all property details to make an informed investment decision;

about all property details to make an informed investment decision; Purchase property shares;

property shares; Trade on a secondary market; and

on a secondary market; and Manage shares and track distributions.

Download the Ark7 mobile app today from Apple Store or Google Play.

About Ark7:

Ark7 is democratizing real estate investing. The Ark7 mobile app makes real estate investing easy for first-time investors and those seeking to diversify their portfolios. Ark7 provides full transparency and empowers investors to choose properties that fit their budget and personal needs, empowering investment in local markets and fast-growing markets across the U.S. Learn more: https://www.ark7.com.

Contact Information

Rui Wang

VP of Marketing

media@ark7.com

+1 415-275-0701

SOURCE: Ark7 Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756489/Ark7-Completes-Acquisition-of-Robinland
CHICAGO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the United Arab Emirates data center market will grow at a CAGR of 7.34% from 2022-2028.





To Know More, Download the Free Sample Report: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3813

The UAE data center market is one of the prominent locations in the Middle East. The market growth is driven by significant growth in digitalization, growing submarine cable connectivity, adoption of advanced technology, the establishment of free trade zones, government strategies, and other factors. The UAE government has also taken several initiatives to support industrialization in the country. For instance, the Abu Dhabi government has introduced its Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy to provide infrastructure for industrial developments and incentives for investors.

The UAE data center market includes around 12 unique third-party data center service providers operating around 28 facilities. The country is currently witnessing investments in around 26 facilities that expect to be operational.

UAE Data Center Market Report Scope

Report Attributes Details Market Size (Investment) USD 1.91 Billion (2028) Market Size (Area) 757 thousand sq. Feet (2028) Market Size (Power Capacity) 145 MW (2028) CAGR Investment (2022-2028) 7.34 % Colocation Market Size (Revenue) USD 500 Million (2028) Historic Year 2021-2022 Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2028

Looking for More Information? Download the Free Sample Report: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3813

Key Insights

The UAE data center market is one of the major markets in the Middle East . The market has several driving factors, such as significant digitalization growth, strong fiber connectivity, and growing technology adoption.

. The market has several driving factors, such as significant digitalization growth, strong fiber connectivity, and growing technology adoption. The market is witnessing growth in adopting cloud services and the presence of cloud service providers such as Microsoft, Oracle, AWS, and Alibaba Cloud .

. Several telecom operators are deploying 5G services in the country that will drive the future demand for edge data centers. Telecom operators Etisalat (e& etisalat and) and du are the two main operators that have commercially deployed 5G services.

The demand for colocation is expected to grow significantly with the growing migration of businesses from on-premise to colocation infrastructure, along with wholesale colocation expected to grow due to an increase in the presence of cloud service providers that will colocate major spaces in the market.

Why Should You Buy This Research?

Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and UAE colocation market revenue.

An assessment of the data center investment in UAE by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators.

Investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across states in the country.

A detailed study of the existing UAE data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about industry size during the forecast period.

Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in UAE

Facilities Covered (Existing): 28



Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 26



Coverage: 5+ Cities



Existing vs. Upcoming (Area)



Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity)

Data center colocation market in UAE

Market Revenue & Forecast (2022-2028)



Retail and Wholesale Colocation Pricing



Retail vs. Wholesale Colocation Market

The UAE market investments are classified into IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecast.

A comprehensive analysis of the latest trends, growth rate, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry.

Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the industry.

A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspects of the industry.

Buy the Report Now: https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/united-arab-emirates-data-center-market

Post-Purchase Benefit?????

1hr of free analyst discussion

10% of customization

Market Trends & Drivers

The adoption of IoT technology has also been growing in the market in recent years. The revenue from the IoT market in the country is expected to reach over $7 billion by the end of 2023. In contrast, a major contribution is expected from the automotive IoT market, with an expected revenue of over $2 billion. The revenue from the IoT market is expected to reach over $12 billion by the end of 2028. Big data & IoT are among high-computing power technologies and develop massive data traffic. Adopting these technologies will generate the demand for data centers and installing high-computing servers to process high bandwidth data, which will further increase rack power densities. This will increase the demand for converged and hyperconverged infrastructure.

Dubai is an important hub for smart city development in the Middle East, with projects such as The Sustainable City, Dubai South project, Zayed Smart City Project, and Desert Rose City already under construction. The Sustainable City and Desert Rose City have implemented renewable energy in their operations. The Sustainable City runs on solar energy produced by solar panels. Desert Rose City will run on renewable energy that will be produced locally. In addition, Al Ain City Municipality signed an MoU with Saal, an AI company, for research in innovative solutions on AI to support smart city initiatives in the city. Smart Dubai signed an agreement with Huawei Technologies in 2019 under which Huawei Technologies will work toward the development of Dubai municipality's digital capabilities by providing the support required to launch unique smart services and the latest innovative technologies in the field of ICT.

Existing VS. Upcoming Data Centers

Existing Facilities in the Region (Area and Power Capacity)

Dubai



Abu Dhabi



Other Cities

List of Upcoming Facilities in the region (Area and Power Capacity)

The report includes the investment in the following areas:

IT Infrastructure

Servers



Storage Systems



Network Infrastructure

Electrical Infrastructure

UPS Systems



Generators



Switches & Switchgears



PDUs



Other Electrical Infrastructure

Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems



Racks



Other Mechanical Infrastructure

Cooling Systems

CRAC & CRAH Units



Chiller Units



Cooling Towers, Condensers & Dry Coolers



Other Cooling Units

General Construction

Core & Shell Development



Installation & Commissioning Services



Engineering & Building Design



Fire Detection & Suppression Systems



Physical Security



Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM)

Tier Standard

Tier I & Tier II



Tier III



Tier IV

Geography

Dubai



Abu Dhabi



Other Cities

Major Vendors

IT Infrastructure Providers

Arista Networks

Atos

Cisco Systems

Dell Technologies

Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Huawei Technologies

IBM

Lenovo

NetApp

Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors

AESG

Aldar Properties

ALEC Engineering and Contracting

Arcadis

Arup

ASU

BG&E

Black & White

Cadd Emirates

Condor Group

Core Emirates

DC PRO Engineering

Dct-gulf (Data Center Technologies)

Edarat Group

Group AMANA

HHM Building Contracting

James L. Williams (JLW)

(JLW) Laing O'Rourke

Laith Electra Mechanical

Linesight

M+W Group

mCritical Infrastructure (mCIC)

McLaren Construction Group

Meinhardt Group

Middle East Modern Architecture (MEMA)

Raghav Contracting

Red Engineering

Rider Levett Bucknall

RW Armstrong

Site & Power DK

STS Group

Sudlows Consulting

Syska Hennessy Group

Telal Engineering & Contracting

Turner & Townsend

Support Infrastructure Providers

ABB

Airedale

Alfa Laval

Caterpillar

Chatsworth Products

Cummins

Delta Electronics

Eaton

Envicool

Johnson Controls

Legrand

Rittal

Rolls-Royce

Schneider Electric

Siemens

STULZ

Vertiv

Data Center Investors

CtrlS Datacenters

Equinix

Gulf Data Hub

Injazat

Khazna Data Centers

Morohub

Pacific Controls

New Entrants

Quantum Switch Tamasuk

Check Out Some of the Top Selling Research Reports:

Qatar Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2023-2028

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South Africa Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2022-2027

Table of Content

Chapter 1: Existing & Upcoming Third-Party Data Centers in the UAE

Historical Market Scenario

29+ Unique Data Center Properties

Data Center IT Load Capacity

Data Center White Floor Area

Existing Vs Upcoming Data Center Capacity by Cities

Cities Covered

Dubai



Abu Dhabi



Other Cities

List of Upcoming Data Center Facilities

Chapter 2: Investment Opportunities in UAE

Microeconomic and Macroeconomic factors of the UAE Market

Investment Opportunities in the UAE

Investment by Area

Investment by Power Capacity

Chapter 3:Data Center Colocation Market in UAE

Colocation Services Market in the UAE

Retail vs Wholesale Data Center Colocation

Data Center Demand across Industries in the UAE

Colocation Pricing (Quarter Rack, Half Rack, Full Rack) & Add-ons

Chapter 4:Market Dynamics

Market Drivers

Market Trends

Market Restraints

Chapter 5:Market Segmentation

IT Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Electrical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

Mechanical Infrastructure: Market Size & Forecast

General Construction Services: Market Size & Forecast

Chapter 6: Tier Standard Investment

Tier I & II

Tier III

Tier IV

Chapter 7:Geography

Dubai

Abu Dhabi

Other Cities

Chapter 8: Key Market Participants

IT Infrastructure Providers

Construction Contractors

Support Infrastructure Providers

Data Center Investors

Chapter 9:Appendix

Market Derivation

Quantitative Summary

About Us:????????????????????????

Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovative and quality-driven firm that offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients worldwide. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.??????????????????????

We offer comprehensive market research reports on consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, materials, I.T. and media, logistics, and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts.???????????????????????

Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.????????????????????????

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AMSTERDAM, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

NIBC Bank N.V.

Stabilisation Period Announcement



ABN AMRO Bank NV (contact: Dominique Monnink; telephone: +31-6 3115-3592 hereby gives notice, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilisation Manager(s) named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation EU/1052/2016 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU/596/2014).

The securities: Issuer: NIBC Bank N.V. Guarantor (if any): N/A Aggregate nominal amount: EUR 500m Description: Senior Non Preferred Notes due 2025



Offer price: To be confirmed



Stabilisation: Stabilisation Manager(s): ABN AMRO Bank N.V. Stabilisation period expected to start on: May 24th 2023



Stabilisation period expected to end no later than:



June 24th 2023



Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility: The Stabilisation Manager(s) may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law Stabilisation trading venue: To be confirmed

In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time. Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction. This announcement and the offer of the securities to which it relates are only addressed to and directed at persons outside the United Kingdom and persons in the United Kingdom who have professional experience in matters related to investments or who are high net worth persons within Article 12(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in the United Kingdom.

In addition, if and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, any EEA Member State that has implemented Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended (together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State, the "Prospectus Directive") before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in that Member State.

This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States.

This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com (mailto:rns@lseg.com) or visit www.rns.com (http://www.rns.com/).
Jaguar Land Rover Partners with TCS to Launch its Open Innovation Programme in Israel

Kolkata, May 23 (UNI) Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) have announced the launch of the latters Open Innovation programme in Tel Aviv.

The programme will foster disruptive mobility innovation and strengthen relationships between JLR and Israeli start-ups, scale-ups, corporate entities, investors and academia as part of JLRs Reimagine strategy, according to a media statement here on Tuesday.

TCS has been a partner to JLR for more than a decade, contributing to the success of key transformation initiatives across its value chain, including sustainability and digital services. This latest partnership will help expand JLRs Open Innovation programme to Israel and support its Reimagine strategy to accelerate its electric first modern luxury future.
GREENSBORO, NC / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / The COVID-19 pandemic brought a change to the world that challenged progress, but inspired innovation. Confronted with an unprecedented global crisis, the pandemic altered how we work, interact, and learn. Dr. Dellinger, founding member and President of Kepley BioSystems, principle at A.T. Research Partners and Adjunct Professor at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN) was committed to inventing and educating, as evidenced by seven USPTO patent awards since the pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization.

Surgery represents one of human's most complex and ambitious skills, however advancements have lagged other areas of medical innovation. The group's latest invention, Unassisted Robotic Surgery Employing Paramagnetic Halo Metallofullerenes as Minimally Invasive, Precision Scalpels or Micronization Particles through Magnetic Field Manipulation and Targeted Exenteration Patterned by Programmed 3D Imaging Using Needle or Magnetic Energy Access and Microelectronic Semiconducting in Non-stationary Wafer-less Space," combines fullerene nanoparticles with unassisted robotic surgery technology (Patent No. 11,653,984). The innovation uses atomic scale fullerenes engineered to addresses the complexities of biology, which naturally encompasses minuscule glands, intricate anatomic pathways, microscopic neuroanatomy, and nanoscale pathophysiology. This invention can leapfrog existing surgical techniques and limitations, while also minimizing disruption of healthy tissue.

Dellinger noted, "the ability to bring surgery to the atomic scale enables greater accuracy, the use of precision guided nanoparticles represents a less invasive method that would reduce surgical complications and improve outcomes. The invention creates a surgical tool with unparalleled targeting and performance using engineered fullerene particles steered by external magnetic fields and visualized with advanced imaging tools. The inclusion of nanoscale technologies with robotic surgical techniques marks a turning point in medicine, capable of addressing tiny anatomical maladies by replacing human hands and macroscale instruments with directed nanoparticles, advanced imagining systems, and pathway mapping. A programmatic, hands free or unassisted robotic surgery advancement was heretofore unimagined.

This new era of nanoscale robotic surgery epitomizes the essence of STEM education and innovation yield. When teaching, Dr. Dellinger blends his patent grants with empiric biology to yield new scientists that learn both innovation and invention. Contrary to many, less than 13% of United States Patent and Trademark inventions come from PhD level scientist and engineers. JSNN was chartered and funded to improve innovations yield in North Carolina and teaching the art of inventing is a science skill.

###

CONTACT:

Terry Earl Brady

Principle at A.T. Research Partners

Email: tearlbrady@gmail.com

Phone: +1-336-217-5163

Address: PO BOX 1639, The Valley, AI AI-2640, British West Indies

[www.atresearchpartners.com]

Image Caption: Dr. Anthony Dellinger focused his research on the impact of fullerene nanomaterials on biological systems and was awarded a Ph.D. from the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering in 2014.

SOURCE: AT Research Partners

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756765/AT-Research-Partners-Issued-Patent-for-Nanoscale-Robotic-Surgery-Changing-the-Future-of-Surgery
+39,93% Rendite seit Januar  so lautet die Erfolgsbilanz der Aktie der Woche. Damit wurden sowohl der DAX als auch der S&P 500 deutlich outperformt. Wie das genau funktioniert, erklart Chefradakteur Lars Wiler in seiner Zwischenbilanz.

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures settled higher on Tuesday amid some speculation that OPEC and allies might consider another cut in production next month, and on warning from Saudi Arabia's energy minister that oil prices may not continue to decline. Hopes about U.S. lawmakers agreeing on a debt ceiling deal soon, and data showing an unexpected rise in U.S. private sector activity contributed as well to the rise in oil prices. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for July ended higher by $0.86 or about 1.2% at $72.91 a barrel. Brent crude futures were up $0.97 or 1.28% at $76.96 a barrel a little while ago. Saudi oil minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman today warned market speculators to 'watch out,' reiterating his warning that they could face pain ahead. 'Speculators, like in any market, there are there to stay. I keep advising that they will be ouching. They did ouch in April. I don't have to show my cards, I'm not [a] poker player (.) but I would just tell them, watch out,' the minister said at the Qatar Economic Forum. Recently, several members of the OPEC+ announced they would cut their crude oil production by a combined 1.6 million barrels per day. The S&P Global US Composite PMI rose to 54.5 in May 2023, up from 53.4 the month before, a preliminary estimate showed. The latest reading signaled the fastest pace of expansion in the country's private sector since April 2022. The S&P Global Flash US Manufacturing PMI declined to 48.5 in May of 2023 from 50.2 in April, well below forecasts of 50, preliminary estimates showed. The S&P Global US Services PMI increased to 55.1 in May 2023, up from 53.6 the month before and well above market expectations of 52.6, a preliminary estimate showed. 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.


NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - JPMorgan Chase(JPM) on Tuesday announced its commitment to invest over $200 million in a mix of carbon removal technologies.



In a statement, the company announced that the allocated funds will be used for long-term agreements focused on removing and storing approximately 800,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



The company had initially disclosed a commitment of $75 million out of the total $200 million in April. During that announcement, it stated its collaboration with Frontier, a benefits company owned by Stripe, which makes commitments on behalf of its member companies such as Alphabet, McKinsey, Meta, and Shopify.



According to JPMorgan, the investment in carbon removal and the establishment of long-term contracts with carbon removal companies serve two purposes. Firstly, it supports the emerging carbon removal industry, which is still in its early stages. Secondly, it allows the bank to offset the carbon emissions that are otherwise difficult to remove directly from its operations by 2030.



In a written statement, Daniel Pinto, President and Chief Operating Officer of JPM, emphasized the importance of providing capital and expertise to support promising technologies that can accelerate the transition to a low-carbon future. The company is committed to promoting the widespread adoption and advancement of carbon removal and storage technologies, signalling its strong support for these solutions in the market.



Although the carbon removal market is currently limited in size, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has forecasted that by 2050, there will be a need to remove approximately 10 gigatons of carbon dioxide annually to address the global climate challenge.



JPMorgan has entered into a nine-year agreement worth $20 million with Climeworks, a Swiss company specializing in direct air capture technology. As part of the agreement, Climeworks will work to remove the equivalent of 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Direct air capture is a process that involves extracting carbon dioxide directly from the air, and Climeworks is recognized as a leading player in this field.



Christoph Gebald, co-founder and co-CEO of Climeworks, expressed his appreciation for the finance industry's role in driving the expansion of effective carbon removal solutions. He referred to the agreement with JPMorgan as a significant milestone in the field of carbon removal.



In addition, the company entered into a partnership with Charm Industrial, a carbon storage company specializing in converting surplus organic material, such as corn stover, into bio-oil and storing it in disused oil wells. This innovative process prevents the decay of organic material, which would otherwise release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.



The agreement with Charm Industrial aims to remove and store approximately 28,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide over a period of five years. The company confirmed that it has already commenced receiving carbon removal and storage deliveries from Charm Industrial.



Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Report: +40% Gewinn nur mit Aktien! +39,93% Rendite seit Januar  so lautet die Erfolgsbilanz der Aktie der Woche. Damit wurden sowohl der DAX als auch der S&P 500 deutlich outperformt. Wie das genau funktioniert, erklart Chefradakteur Lars Wiler in seiner Zwischenbilanz. Hier klicken
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Couloir Capital is pleased to announce the opening of its Toronto office in First Canadian Place. Couloir Capital is a research-driven investment dealer focused on emerging companies in the natural resources sector.

Peter Schloo, CPA, CA, CFA will head up the Toronto office's capital raising and research expansion efforts as Executive VP, Toronto. Mr. Schloo brings over 10 years of capital markets, operations, and assurance experience at KPMG Canada, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and Sun Life Financial. In more recent years, Mr. Schloo was the interim CFO and VP of Corporate and Business Development at Ion Energy Ltd. (TSXV: ION). Mr. Schloo is currently the President, CEO, and Director of Heritage Mining Ltd. (CSE: HML) (FSE: Y66) and also holds Board positions on multiple private and public companies with a focus on the natural resource sector. Mr. Schloo will maintain his current roles and devote time to contributing value to Couloir Capital and Couloir Securities with $85 million in associated capital-raising opportunities to date. Mr. Schloo holds the Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant, and Chartered Financial Analyst designations. He is a licensed prospector in the province of Ontario and registered as a Dealing Representative (broker) at Couloir Securities. We are very excited to have Mr. Schloo be a part of the Couloir Capital team and Toronto expansion.

In addition, the firm added Ron Wortel, MBA, P.Eng. as a Senior Mining Analyst. Ron will be providing equity research on select issuers as well as providing overall guidance to the research offering. Ron brings over 30 years of engineering and investment industry experience at numerous firms including Dundee Capital, Pathway Asset Management, and Marquest Asset Management. He holds an MBA from Western and a degree in geological engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Our affiliated firm, Couloir Securities, is approved by the Ontario Securities Commission to serve clients as a private placement dealer (Exempt Market Dealer) in the province. Investment opportunities include non-brokered private placements primarily in the resource sector. Tax-advantaged flow-through share offerings are frequently available.

About Couloir Capital Ltd.

Couloir Capital Ltd. is an investment research firm comprised of a team of experienced investment professionals dedicated to providing opportunities in the natural resource exploration and development sectors. Our research reports are disseminated through Bloomberg, FactSet, Capital IQ, Reuters, and many more, as well as through our social media and large email distribution list. To subscribe please visit: https://www.couloircapital.com/research-portal.

Resource companies are invited to contact us to discuss your financing and equity research plans. Investors in the sector can also contact us for current opportunities available through our offerings. We look forward to working with you to advance your company's goals.

Peter Schloo, EVP

(905) 505-0918

peter@couloircapital.com

Ron Wortel, Senior Mining Analyst

(416) 460-2960

ron@couloircapital.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167167
Ermenegildo Zegna N.V. (NYSE: ZGN) ("Zegna") today announced the publication of the convocation notice for its Annual General Meeting ("AGM"), which will be held on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 2 p.m. CEST at the Steigenberger Airport Hotel Amsterdam, Stationsplein ZW 951, 1117 CE Schiphol-Oost, the Netherlands.

The convocation notice, explanatory notes, and other AGM materials, which include Zegna's 2022 statutory audited financial statements, are available under the relevant section of Zegna's corporate website at https://www.zegnagroup.com/en/corporate-governance/general-meetings/. Shareholders may request a physical copy of Zegna's 2022 statutory audited financial statements, free of charge, through the contacts below.

In addition, Zegna's Board of Directors intends to recommend to shareholders a distribution from retained earnings with respect to the financial year 2022 of EUR 0.10 per ordinary share, resulting in a total distribution of approximately EUR 25 million. The distribution will be paid in US dollars based on an exchange rate that will be published on Zegna's website (https://www.zegnagroup.com/en/corporate-governance/general-meetings/) the day following the AGM. The distribution will be subject to approval by shareholders at the AGM to be held on June 27, 2023.

If the shareholders approve the proposed dividend distribution, the ex-date will be July 5, 2023, the record date July 6, 2023 and the payment date July 28, 2023.

Key dividend information and important notice on dividend taxation will be available from the beginning of June under the Stock Info section of Zegna Group's corporate website at https://ir.zegnagroup.com.

ABOUT ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA GROUP

Founded in 1910 in Trivero, Italy, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group (NYSE: ZGN) is a leading global luxury group. The Group is the owner of the world-renowned ZEGNA and Thom Browne brands, and operates TOM FORD FASHION through a long-term license agreement with The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. The Group also manufactures and distributes the highest quality fabrics and textiles through its Luxury Textile Laboratory Platform. At the Group's core is a uniquely vertically integrated supply chain that brings together the best of Italian fine craftsmanship. Responsibility towards people, community and the natural world has been at the heart of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group's belief since its founding by the Zegna family over 100 years ago. Ensuring the highest quality of products without compromising the quality of life for future generations is a commitment carried from the Group's home in Italy to its operations around the world. Today the Group operates in approximately 80 countries around the world through 500 ZEGNA and Thom Browne stores, of which 304 are directly operated by the Group as of March 31, 2023 (242 ZEGNA stores and 62 Thom Browne stores). At the end of 2022, Ermenegildo Zegna Group had more than 6,000 employees and revenues of approximately 1.5 billion.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005908/en/

Contacts:

Investor Relations/Group Communications/Media

Francesca Di Pasquantonio

francesca.dipasquantonio@zegna.com

+39 335 5837669

Clementina Tito

clementina.tito@zegna.com

Media

Brunswick Group

Brendan Riley Daria Danelli Marie Jensen

briley@brunswickgroup.com ddanelli@brunswickgroup.com mjensen@brunswickgroup.com

+1 (917) 755-1454 +39 348 635 1149 +33 (0) 6 49 09 39 54

Community

Marco Rubino

+39 335 6509552
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / South Pole

2,000 electric buses (e-buses) in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area - a move that will help avoid around 500,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2030

The pace and scale of our response to the climate crisis is mission-critical, as underscored by the most recent call to action by leading climate scientists. Climate action can and must become a powerful unifier on the international stage. But this requires governments, businesses and investors to forge new partnerships and agreements collaboratively, invest intentionally in testing innovative approaches in order to drive finance towards activities that deliver the highest level of emission reductions possible.

IETA estimates that carbon markets could halve the costs of countries reaching their emissions reductions targets by 2030. The new carbon market under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement has a central role to play here.

Article 6 is a clause in the Paris Agreement that sets the rules for international cooperation between countries to meet their emission reduction targets. Following the approval of this rulebook at COP26 in Glasgow, the Thai and Swiss governments have come together to authorise the first Article 6 programme in Asia: the Bangkok E-Bus Programme.

This trailblazing programme is one of the first under Article 6 and will introduce around 2,000 electric buses (e-buses) in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area - a move that will help avoid around 500,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2030 and significantly improve air quality in a congested megacity like Bangkok. It provides, in effect, a blueprint for what the effective implementation of Article 6 could look like both for countries and the global climate, and it highlights the benefits of international cooperation between governments and the private sector.

The potential of Article 6

The authorisation of the Bangkok E-Bus Programme is the latest step forward following the signature of the cooperation agreement by the Ministers of Environment of both Thailand and Switzerland in June 2022. It represents the culmination of years of work from both Thai and Swiss governments, KliK Foundation, Energy Absolute, and South Pole - a true example of the transformational capacity of carbon markets to bring together a full ecosystem of partners and reduce carbon emissions cost-effectively.

Central to this agreement are Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes, or ITMOs. ITMOs are the units of trade or international carbon credits under Article 6. Article 6 provides a framework whereby one country (Thailand, in this example) which requires financing for climate solutions is able to credibly and transparently cooperate with another country (here, Switzerland) which is seeking to achieve more cost-effective emission reductions.

Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) facilitate credible and transparent climate cooperation between governments and the private sector.

The transformational potential of this new mechanism is hard to overstate. In some parts of the world, financing emission reductions is more expensive than in others. Under Article 6, countries can enter into an agreement and finance emission reductions in other countries where the same amount of finance is able to achieve greater emission reductions. The bottom line is that, for countries acquiring ITMOs, more carbon emissions are reduced or captured compared to the reductions that would be achieved domestically with the same investment. For countries transferring ITMOs, new low-carbon solutions receive financing they would otherwise not have been able to access. In turn, these financed solutions provide invaluable benefits to the 'host country', well beyond carbon. In Thailand's case, the new low-carbon transport infrastructure and cleaner air will improve quality of life and the quality of public transport for Bangkok residents who experience unhealthy levels of air pollution.

Transforming the Thai e-mobility sector

The Thai-Swiss bilateral agreement shows Article 6 in action. Alongside regulation and investment in domestic emission reductions, Switzerland has signalled its intention to make use of Article 6 more broadly.

On the other side of the world, Thailand is working hard to decarbonise its transport sector by promoting electric vehicles to displace petrol and diesel vehicles. In coming together under Article 6, Thailand and Switzerland are forging partnerships in both countries, among government agencies and in the private sector to unlock the benefits of low-carbon transport in Bangkok.

This creates a carbon emissions trading arrangement whereby KliK Foundation in Switzerland will purchase the carbon reductions generated by Energy Absolute in Thailand from the Bangkok E-Bus Programme. In agreeing to relinquish use of the emission reductions towards its national emission reduction targets (Nationally Determined Contributions, or Thailand's climate commitments to the UN) as per Article 6 rules, the Thai government can unlock significant climate finance in order to replace around 2,000 diesel buses with e-buses, finance a city-wide network of electric charging infrastructure, and encourage passengers to shift their mode of transportation from private vehicles to e-buses. Together, these actions offer important building blocks to realise the vision of a low-carbon city.

It's a win-win. Switzerland is able to finance emissions reductions more cost-effectively than it would be able to domestically. And Thailand is able to attract finance to transform its e-mobility sector - all the while improving its ambient air quality, protecting public health and improving the daily lives of Bangkok residents.

Ensuring environmental integrity

To avoid the risk of double counting, Article 6 established a mechanism known as a "corresponding adjustment". This means, in the Thai-Swiss agreement example, that the ITMOs transferred from Thailand to Switzerland go towards reducing Switzerland's emissions balance and help to meet Switzerland's emission reduction target under the Paris Agreement. Thailand, correspondingly, has to increase its emissions balance by the same quantity, thereby avoiding double counting.

There is a need to ensure additionality, i.e. that the Bangkok E-Bus Programme could not have been implemented without the revenue from ITMOs. The definition of this, plus the definition of the baseline scenario, are a critical premise which needed thorough consideration and robust justification.

Emerging carbon markets

Thailand looks set to benefit from a very active and effective carbon market. South Pole is honoured to have played a part, alongside our partners, in creating the conditions for this trailblazing cooperation and laying the groundwork for significant emission reductions. South Pole's role has been to work hand in glove with all of the partners to drive the shared goal of catalysing cooperation and demonstrating what is possible under Article 6.

From the beginning of this programme, South Pole has worked with the two governments to enhance their readiness to participate in international carbon markets. While doing so, we co-initiated the Bangkok E-Bus Programme, provided technical support for its design while ensuring its alignment with the overarching Thai and Swiss regulatory frameworks. The mitigation outcomes from the Bangkok E-Bus Programme will be measured in accordance with the approved Mitigation Activity Design Document, whose baseline and monitoring methodologies are based on the Thailand Voluntary Emission Reduction Program, and this will then generate the domestic T-VER carbon credits.

Once this alignment was reached, we facilitated the mitigation activity registration and authorisation processes. These include support with the validation process and developing the project documents and other necessary documentation as per Thai and Swiss procedures.

A breakthrough agreement and blueprint for scaling emission reductions

Article 6 looks set to play a crucial role in reducing global emissions: the Bangkok E-Bus Programme demonstrates what is possible. Climate action like this can become a powerful unifier, forging new bilateral agreements between governments and effectively mobilising the private sector to deploy low-carbon technology at the pace and scale required. South Pole is supporting a number of governments and clients who are gearing up for similar Article 6 transactions, notably for an energy efficiency fund to generate ITMOs in Morocco. As the race to net zero picks up pace, we're focused on ensuring the success of this new carbon market and spurring on more agreements, collaboration, and real world impact under Article 6.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from South Pole on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: South Pole

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/south-pole

Email: info@3blmedia.com

SOURCE: South Pole

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756889/Article-6-and-Electric-Buses-in-Thailand-How-Carbon-Markets-Speed-Up-the-Net-Zero-Transition
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Elemental Altus Royalties Corp. (TSXV: ELE) (OTCQX: ELEMF) ("Elemental Altus" or "the Company") announces its operating and financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2023. For complete details please refer to the Financial Statements and associated Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the three months ended March 31, 2023, which can be found on the SEDAR website (http://www.sedar.com) or the Company's website (www.elementalaltus.com).

First Quarter 2023 Financial Highlights:

Record revenue of $2.8 million, up 28% compared to Q1 2022

Record adjusted revenue of $3.8 million, up 74% compared to Q1 2022

Record Gold Equivalent Ounces (" GEOs ") of 2,016 ounces, up 76% compared to Q1 2022

") of 2,016 ounces, up 76% compared to Q1 2022 Record adjusted EBITDA of $2.4 million, up 143% compared to Q1 2022

Highlights and Key Developments:

On February 21, 2023 the Company acquired a portfolio of 19 uncapped royalties from a wholly owned subsidiary of First Mining Gold Corp (TSX: FF) ("First Mining"). The portfolio included a 2.0% Net Smelter Return royalty on the development stage Pickle Crow gold project in Ontario owned by AuTECO Minerals Limited (ASX: AUT) ("AuTECO") On April 20, 2023 the Company acquired an additional 0.25% NSR royalty on Pickle Crow increasing the percentage held to 2.25%

In Q1 the Company entered into a binding agreement to acquire an additional 0.025% effective NSR royalty on the producing Caserones Copper-Molybdenum mine for consideration of $2.0 million in cash The acquisition closed in early May 2023 resulting in Elemental Altus now holding an effective 0.443% NSR royalty on the project Additionally, Lundin Mining (TSX: LUN) ("Lundin") recently announced the proposed acquisition of an initial 51% interest in the Caserones mine



Additional Asset Advances:

At the SKO Mine, Northern Star Resources Limited (ASX: NST) ("Northern Star") announced successful underground exploration drilling extending the Mutooroo ore zone at HBJ by more than 200 metres along strike. In addition, Northern Star announced a new high grade gold discovery displaying mineralised intercepts over a 500 metre strike length, located approximately 20km west of the HBJ deposit and within the Company's royalty area

At the Pickle Crow asset, AuTECO announced a 530,000 ounce (24%) increase to the Mineral Resource bringing the current Inferred Resource to 2.8Moz of gold at 7.2g/t

Frederick Bell, CEO of Elemental Altus, commented:

"We are very pleased with our strong start to the year, having delivered record attributable production and revenue, adding 19 uncapped royalties from First Mining and acquiring an additional NSR royalty at the Caserones copper mine in Chile, as well as on the Pickle Crow gold project in Canada. The Company has remained very busy post-period, having completed more transactions in the first four months of 2023 than in the previous 18 months, setting a very positive trend for the remainder of 2023."

Operating Asset Highlights

The following table summarizes the Company's revenue from royalty and streaming interests during the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022. Adjusted revenue also includes accrued royalty revenue from equity investments for the same periods (see section 12 - Non-IFRS Measures). Royalty revenues are at zero cost and Ming stream revenues are subject to a 20% cost of sales (see section 12 of MD&A - Non-IFRS).







Three months ended

March 31,





2023

$'000



2022

$'000 Revenue from royalties











Amancaya



237



282 Ballarat



35



-

Bonikro



179



-

Karlawinda



1,260



1,145

Kwale



-



113

Mercedes



239



-

Mount Pleasant



103



118

SKO



84



-

Wahgnion



669



537

Revenue from streams









Ming



-



- Total revenue



2,806



2,195 Royalty revenue from equity investments







Caserones1



1,021



- Adjusted revenue



3,827



2,195

(1) The Caserones royalty is held by Sociedad Legal Minera California Una de la Sierra Pena Negra ("SLM California") in which the Company held an effective 21.5% equity interest at March 31, 2023.

The following table summarizes the Company's GEOs from royalty interests during the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022:







Three months ended March 31,







2023

GEOs



2022

GEOs

Amancaya



125



150 Ballarat



19



- Bonikro



94



-

Karlawinda



663



590

Kwale



-



60

Mercedes



126



-

Mount Pleasant



55



62

SKO1



44



-

Wahgnion



352



286

Ming



-



- Caserones1



538



-

Total GEOs 1



2,016



1,148



(1) See section 12 - Non-IFRS Measures.

Karlawinda

In Q1 2023 attributable GEOs were up 25% relative to Q1 2022

On track to achieve gold production guidance of 115,000 - 125,000 ounces for Capricorn's FY 2023.

On January 30, 2023 Capricorn reported further drill results from the Muirfield prospect and the discovery of the Vedas prospect, both situated less than 5km from the Bibra open pit and continuing the trend of outstanding near-mine exploration success.

Caserones

In Q1 2023, the Company accrued adjusted royalty revenue of $1.0 million (before tax) using an average of the past four quarters and recorded a received dividend of $0.7 million relating to Q4 sales.

Caserones production is expected to return to historical levels following significant weather related events in H2 2022, which impacted the concentrate plant and tailings facility capacity, whilst also creating logistical impediments.

On March 27, 2023, Lundin announced it had entered into a binding agreement with JX Nippon to acquire an initial 51% of Caserones for $950 million. Lundin will also have the right to acquire up to an additional 19% interest in Caserones for $350 million over a five-year period commencing on the first anniversary of the date of closing.

Wahgnion

In Q1 2023 attributable GEOs were up 23% relative to Q1 2022 primarily as a result of higher mill throughput.

Production is expected to be weighted towards the second half of the year as greater volumes of high grade ore are expected to be sourced from the Samavogo pits and the introduction of the high grade Stinger satellite pits is targeted for later in the year, while the strip ratio is expected to reduce throughout the year.

An exploration program of $4.0 million is planned for 2023, following a 2022 spend of $9.0 million in 2022 which included 44,149 metres of drilling across 435 drill holes focused on evaluating the Ouahiri South, Bozogo, Samavogo Nord and Kassera targets.

Mercedes

In Q1 2023 attributable GEOs were down from Q4 2022.

Bear Creek Mining reported that despite throughput increasing quarter over quarter, development work progressed slower than anticipated during the March quarter. As such, the expected increase in grade from gaining access to the San Martin and Rey de Oro deposits is likely to occur during the June quarter.

Bear Creek announced 2023 gold production guidance of 65,000 - 75,000 ounces of gold in 2023, representing a 49% increase relative to 2022.

Bonikro

In Q1 2023 attributable GEOs were up 623% from Q4 2022 as Allied Gold ramps up to full production from the royalty area in H2 2023.

Elemental received approximately $179,000 in NSR revenue from the development of Pushback 5 at Allied Gold's open pit Bonikro gold mine in Cote d'Ivoire in Q1 2023, compared to $14,000 in Q4 2022.

At a gold price above US$1,450, the NSR royalty is at an effective rate of 2.25%.

Subsequent to the period end, on April 27, 2023, Allied Gold announced its plans for a going public transaction and expansion of the executive team.

Amancaya

In Q1 2023 attributable GEOs were down 17% relative to Q1 2022.

Austral Gold report that production during the March quarter was 18% higher than their budget for Guanaco/Amancaya, with higher than budgeted mill throughput.

Austral reported that they intend to continue to review exploration opportunities to increase mineral reserves in the Guanaco and Amancaya district.

Ballarat

The Company owns an NSR royalty on the underground Ballarat gold mine in Australia at a rate of 1.25% and also holds ownership of approximately $0.6 million in accrued royalty payments.

While mining continued uninterrupted, the Ballarat mine halted processing of ore from November 30, 2022 to January 11, 2023 due to excess water in the tailings which have now been resolved. Mining continued through the period and high-grade ore that was stockpiled was prioritized for processing.

Frederick Bell

CEO and Director

Corporate & Media Inquiries:

Jacy Zerb, VP Investor Relations

Direct: +1 604-243-6511 ext. 2700

j.zerb@elementalaltus.com

Elemental Altus is a proud member of Discovery Group. For more information please visit: www.discoverygroup.ca or contact 604-653-9464.

TSX.V: ELE | OTCQX: ELEMF | ISIN: CA28619K1093 | CUSIP: 28619K109

About Elemental Altus Royalties Corp.

Elemental Altus is an income generating precious metals royalty company with 10 producing royalties and a diversified portfolio of pre-production and discovery stage assets. The Company is focused on acquiring uncapped royalties and streams over producing, or near-producing, mines operated by established counterparties, as well as generating royalties on new discoveries. The vision of Elemental Altus is to build a global gold royalty company, offering investors superior exposure to gold with reduced risk and a strong growth profile.

Qualified Person

Steven Poulton, Executive Chairman for Elemental Altus, and a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this press release.

Notes

Non-IFRS Measures

The Company has included certain performance measures which are not in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). Non-IFRS measures are 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. These non-IFRS measures do not have any standard meaning under IFRS and other companies may calculate measures differently.

Elemental has included certain performance measures in this press release that do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The Company's royalty revenue is converted to an attributable gold equivalent ounce, or GEO, basis by dividing the royalty revenue received in a period by the average gold price for the same respective period. The presentation of this non-IFRS measure 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 measures differently. The production forecast was derived using information that is available in the public domain as at the date hereof, which included guidance and estimates prepared and issued by management of the operators of the mining operations in which Elemental holds an interest. The production forecast is sensitive to the performance and operating status of the underlying mines. None of the information has been independently verified by Elemental and maybe subject to uncertainty. There can be no assurance that such information is complete or accurate.

Royalty revenue is received at zero cost. Elemental Altus pays 20% per ounce on streaming revenue from the Ming mine.

Adjusted Revenue

Adjusted revenue is a non-IFRS financial measure, which is defined as including gross royalty revenue from associated entities holding royalty interests related to Elemental's effective royalty on the Caserones copper mine. Management uses adjusted revenue to evaluate the underlying operating performance of the Company for the reporting periods presented, to assist with the planning and forecasting of future operating results, and to supplement information in its financial statements. Management believes that in addition to measures prepared in accordance with IFRS such as revenue, investors may use adjusted revenue to evaluate the results of the underlying business, particularly as the adjusted revenue may not typically be included in operating results. Management believes that adjusted revenue is a useful measure of the Company performance because it adjusts for items which management believes reflect the Company's core operating results from period to period. Adjusted revenue is intended to provide additional information to investors and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. It does not have any standardized meaning under IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers.

Gold Equivalent Ounces

Elemental's adjusted royalty, streaming, and other revenue is converted to an attributable gold equivalent ounce, or GEO, basis by dividing the royalty and other revenue from associates in a period by the average gold price for the same respective period, plus the net gold ounces received in the period from streaming investments. The presentation of this non-IFRS measure 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 measures differently. The production forecast was derived using information that is available in the public domain as at the date hereof, which included guidance and estimates prepared and issued by management of the operators of the mining operations in which Elemental holds an interest. The production forecast is sensitive to the performance and operating status of the underlying mines. None of the information has been independently verified by Elemental and may be subject to uncertainty. There can be no assurance that such information is complete or accurate.

On behalf of Elemental Altus Royalties Corp.

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V.) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

This news release contains certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology.

Forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's ability to deliver a materially increased revenue profile, the future growth, development and focus of the Company, and the acquisition of new royalties and streams. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies.

Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Elemental Altus to control or predict, that may cause Elemental Altus' actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out herein, including but not limited to: the impact of general business and economic conditions, the absence of control over the mining operations from which Elemental Altus will receive royalties, risks related to international operations, government relations and environmental regulation, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties; the uncertainties involved in interpreting exploration data; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities; the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with Elemental Altus' expectations; accidents, equipment breakdowns, title matters, labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions in operations; fluctuating metal prices; unanticipated costs and expenses; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, commodity price fluctuations; currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, including environmental regulatory restrictions; liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of important factors which could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements, refer to the annual information form of the Company for the year ended 31 December 2022. Elemental Altus undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements and information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking statements and information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement or information can be guaranteed, and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167135
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Deveron Corp. (TSXV: FARM) ("Deveron" or the "Company"), a leading agriculture services and data company in North America, is pleased to announce that the Company's Q1 2023 financial results will be released after market close on Tuesday, May 30th, 2023. At that time, the financial results and related documents will be posted on SEDAR and Deveron's financials web page at https://deveron.com/financials.

Deveron will hold a live audio webcast at 8:00 AM Eastern Time on Thursday, June 1st, 2023, to discuss the Company's Q1 2023 financial results and highlights. Participants who would like to listen to the live audio webcast can sign on at https://app.webinar.net/Lz0JeXoGbwD or dial in at 1-888-390-0541, confirmation number 091897. Following the event, a transcript and audio replay will be available on Deveron's Investor website at https://deveron.com/investors. Questions will be limited to analysts.

About Deveron: Deveron is an agriculture technology company that uses data and insights to help farmers and large agriculture enterprises increase yields, reduce costs, and improve farm outcomes. The company employs a digital process that leverages data collected on farms across North America to drive unbiased interpretation of production decisions, ultimately recommending how to optimize input use. Our team of agronomists and data scientists build products that recommend ways to manage fertilizer, seed, fungicide and other farm inputs better. Additionally, we have a national network of data technicians that are deployed to collect various types of farm data, from soil to drone, that build a basis of our best-in-class data layers. Our focus is the US and Canada where 1 billion acres are actively farmed annually.

For more information and to join our community, please visit www.deveronuas.com/register or reach us on Twitter @Deveron.

Philip Linton

VP of Corporate Development

plinton@deveron.com

647-622-0076

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.

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of that phrase under Canadian securities laws. Without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various degrees of risk. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current views with respect to possible future events and conditions and, by their nature, are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific to the Company. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: changes in the world-wide price of agricultural commodities, general market conditions, risks inherent in agriculture, the uncertainty of future profitability and the uncertainty of access to additional capital. Additional information regarding the material factors and assumptions that were applied in making these forward-looking statements as well as the various risks and uncertainties we face are described in greater detail in the "Risk Factors" section of our annual and interim Management's Discussion and Analysis of our financial results and other continuous disclosure documents and financial statements we file with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update this forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. The Company relies on litigation protection for forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167172
BandLab, the Singapore-based parent company of flagship social music creation platform BandLab, has announced the addition of USD $25M in a new round of Series B1 financing, at a $425M post-money valuation.

The round was led by existing investor Cercano Management with participation from Prosus Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to further grow its workforce and double down on emerging creator campaigns, and enhance supporting services such as music education platform BandLab for Education and other similar initiatives.

Led by CEO Meng Ru Kuok, BandLab provides a platform that empowers aspiring music creators around the world to create, collaborate, and share their music online with a focus on emerging artist discovery, community, and fandom.

BandLab is the flagship product of BandLab Technologies, which also includes professional-level digital audio workstation, Cakewalk, beat marketplace, Airbit, and artist services platform, ReverbNation.

FinSMEs

23/05/2023
Gan.ai, a Californian provider of a generative AI video platform, raised $5.25M in Seed funding.

The round was led by Surge, Sequoia Capital India and Southeast Asias rapid scale-up program with participation from Emergent Ventures and other angel investors.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach.

Founded in March 2021 by Suvrat Bhooshan, Gan.ai aims to democratize personalized video creation by allowing brands to customize videos for their customers using AI.

With Gan.ais studio-quality video personalization software, brands need to record a video once, add dynamic keywords to a script, and Gan.ai will generate millions of hyper-customized videos in one click. Businesses can also create personalized landing pages with Gan.ai and deliver videos via preferred communications platforms, enabling specific interactions with users and tailored call-to-actions. Its global customer base includes brands such as Samsung, Zomato, vivo and gaming platform Mobile Premier League. In the US, Gan.ai has been used by some of the biggest brands including the largest chain of optometry and ophthalmology clinics, EyeCare Partners.

The platform integrates with Shopify, Calendly, Stripe, Salesforce and Hubspot for businesses to create shopping and payment experiences.

Today, the company has a team of 35 with a leadership team that also includes Anupreet Singh as Chief Revenue Officer and Kushaagra Goyal as Chief Technology Officer.

FinSMEs

23/05/2023
Dhaka, May 23 (UNI) The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) president Md. Jashim Uddin is set to be the new president of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the apex trade body of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

He will serve as the president of SCCI for the period of 2023-2024.

Md. Jashim Uddin will succeed Pakistans Iftikhar Ali Malik, who served as the president from June 2020 to May 2023. Malik will officially hand over the responsibility to Md. Jashim Uddin in Dhaka very soon, said a statement.

Generally, the president is elected from eight SAARC countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka - in every two years. Earlier, two presidents elected from Bangladesh were Salman F. Rahman (1996 to 1997) and Anisul Huq (2010 to 2011).

Md. Jashim Uddin was born to a well-reputed business family on 1 January, 1965, in Sonaimury, Noakhali, Bangladesh. He is the son of the late Al-Hajj Idris Miah and the late Tahera Begum. He completed his graduation with a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Dhaka in 1986.

After his graduation from the university, Jashim Uddin joined the Board of Bengal Group of Industries as a director in 1983. Bengal Group is a diversified conglomerate with interests in a variety of sectors, including plastics, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy.

He is the Chairman of Bengal Commercial Bank Limited & Desh General Insurance Limited. He is also the vice-chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bengal Group of Industries & Bengal Media Corporation (RTV).

Jashim Uddin is a prominent leader in the business community of Bangladesh. He is the incumbent president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI), the apex trade body of Bangladesh.

He is also the president of the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

Jashim Uddin has received numerous awards and recognition for his contributions to the business community and the economy of Bangladesh.

He was awarded the Commercially Important Person (CIP), the Best Enterprise Award, Prime Ministers National Export Trophy-Gold several times due to his contributions to the countrys economy.

Jashim Uddin has also achieved the President Industrial Development Award -2009 & Best Enterprise Award-2007.



UNI MAZ SY
GTCR, a Chicago, IL-based private equity firm, closed GTCR Fund XIV, with aggregate commitments of $11.5 billion.

The fund, which had an initial target of $9.25 billion, included total limited partner commitments of $11.0 billion and a commitment from GTCR of approximately $500m. It received support from limited partners in prior GTCR funds, many of whom have invested with the firm for decades, as well as several new investors. The diverse Fund XIV investor base includes leading global endowments and foundations, public and corporate pension plans, sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions and private wealth. The predecessor fund, GTCR Fund XIII, was raised and initiated in 2020 with aggregate commitments of approximately $7.9 billion.

Founded in 1980, GTCR is a private equity firm that pioneered The Leaders Strategy  finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. GTCR is focused on investing in transformative growth in companies in the Business & Consumer Services, Financial Services & Technology, Healthcare and Technology, Media & Telecommunications sectors. Since its inception, the firm has invested more than $24 billion in over 270 companies, and the firm currently manages more than $35 billion in equity capital.

GTCR is based in Chicago with offices in New York and West Palm Beach.

FinSMEs

23/05/2023
Logick.io, a Chicago, IL-based company consumerizing B2B buying experiences through its guided product discovery, configuration, and recommendation engine, raised $16M in Series A funding.

The round was led by Emergence Capital with participation from ServiceNow Ventures and Salesforce Ventures. Santi Subotovsky, General Partner at Emergence Capital, will join the Logik.io Board of Directors.

The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its development efforts.

Founded by Christopher Shutts (CEO) and Godard Abel (Executive Chairman), Logik.io provides a Commerce Logic Engine that uses intelligent-guided product discovery, configuration, and recommendation capabilities to eliminate high-touch selling processes by connecting customers to perfect-fit products faster. Its mission is to make selling simpler and buying better for business across marketing, selling, commerce, and service channels by filling critical enterprise technology gaps in systems such as CPQ, ERP, and Commerce. For businesses selling manufacturing, software, technology, and services products, the solution helps every business grow smarter by creating revenue-maximizing sales experiences, and minimizing cost of sale.

Brands like Keysight Technologies, CORT, Fike, Club Car, Lamons, and Palo Alto Networks are using Logik.io to power eCommerce or omni-channel product configuration and guided selling.

FinSMEs

23/05/2023
The first day of exchanging or depositing Rs 2,000 notes is off to a bad start with confusion among citizens over the need for officially valid identity cards, like PAN or Aadhaar, and official forms. Complaints have been logged at some places that banks are demanding that customers submit identity cards as proof, suggesting a lack of consistent policy across banks.

At other banks however, customers were not asked for ID proof, while many people in various cities said that they were asked to furnish them. Many banks have reportedly refused to exchange notes altogether, asking people to deposit instead.

The countrys biggest public sector bank, the State Bank of India (SBI), had clarified in an official circular to its branches that no form or slip would be required while exchanging or depositing Rs 2,000 notes.

Kotak Mahindra Bank has said they are asking for form/ID Proof for non-account holders. Axis Bank, Standard Chartered, Yes Bank, and Bank of India said they are not mandating any form or ID proof. HSBC and Federal Bank said ID proof is required for non-account holders, but no form.

On Monday, Bank of Baroda said they do not require any form but need ID proof for non-account holders.

ICICI and HDFC have said they require all customers to fill forms, but ID proof is needed only for non-account holders.

The Punjab National Banks Karol Bagh branch in Delhi has put up a poster at the entrance saying an officially valid document is required to exchange notes as per the banks internal circular, according to a report by NDTV.

Ravi Ranjan, Branch Manager at the Bank of Barodas Worli Branch in Mumbai, said they are asking customers to fill out forms with just basic details so that they have a record of total number of customers and how many notes they exchanged.

For deposits in bank accounts, there is already a set procedure and no new guideline is needed.

Yesterday, the RBI Governor said banks can follow their own rules and theres no procedure dictated by the RBI. Without specifically clarifying if the RBI required banks to ask for documents or requisition slips, he said banks have their own existing rules for currency exchange and deposits.

On how the government would monitor black money if no IDs were required to exchange or return the Rs 2,000 notes, Shaktikanta Das said: We have asked banks to follow their existing procedure. We have not asked them to do anything differently.

The Reserve Bank of India has said if a bank refuses to exchange or accept the deposit of the notes, the customer may first approach the concerned bank. If the bank does not respond within a period of 30 days after lodging of the complaint or if the complainant is not satisfied with the response/resolution given by the bank, the complainant can lodge the complaint under the Reserve Bank  Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2021 at the Complaint Management System portal of RBI (cms.rbi.org.in), the central bank has said.

RBI governor Shaktikanta Das had yesterday said people should not panic and rush to return or exchange their Rs 2,000 currency notes as they have four months to do so. Even after September 30, the notes would continue to be legal, he asserted, assuring people that the central bank will be sensitive to the peoples needs.

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced its intention to remove Rs 2,000 notes from circulation, stating that it is part of their efforts to implement clean note policy. On May 19 2023, the RBI announced the phase-out of the Rs 2,000 note, reminding that it remain legal tender. The RBI has advised depositing or exchanging these notes at bank branches, with specific rules and guidelines in place. When depositing Rs 2,000 denomination notes into your bank account, be mindful of service charges. Exchanging the notes is free, as clarified by the RBI. However, depositing funds into your account follows standard rules and regulations. The option to deposit funds into accounts and exchange Rs 2,000 banknotes will be accessible at all banks until 30 September 2023.

Here are the steps to exchange Rs 2,000 notes in bank:

Step 1: Visit your bank

Individuals can visit the nearest branch of any bank to deposit or exchange their Rs 2,000 notes. If you hold an account with a particular branch or bank, you can expedite the deposition or exchange process by providing your account details.

Step 2: Fill Request Slip for exchange

Once the process is confirmed, the bank will furnish you with a request slip that must be completed accurately to facilitate the exchange of Rs 2,000 notes.

In the request slip, the individual should write their name in capital letters under the Tenderer section. Next, they should provide their Unique Identification Number from the accepted identity proof, which will be verified with the original document during the exchange transaction.

After completing the identification section, the individual should provide information about the Rs 2,000 note(s) they are submitting for exchange. Once the exchange details have been entered, the person should proceed to sign the form. Additionally, the member should mention the place (where the exchange is being requested) and the date (the exact date of the exchange request).

Step 3: Submit the form

After completing the necessary steps, the individual should submit the filled form along with their Rs 2,000 notes at the nearest bank to initiate the process of exchanging them.

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The announcement of the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022 results has been made by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Similar to last year, women have secured the top ranks, with Ishita Kishore bagging All India Rank (AIR) 1. Following her, Garima Lohia, Uma Harathi N, and Smriti Mishra also achieved commendable ranks. Aspirants who participated in the personality test can verify their outcomes on the official website, upsc.gov.in. The preliminary examination of the UPSC CSE took place on 5 June 2022, with the results being announced on 22 June. The main examination occurred between 16 and 25 September, and the results were declared on 6 December. The interview phase concluded on 18 May.

In the current year, following the decision to revert IRTS (Indian Railway Traffic Service) back to Civil Services 2022, the reported number of vacancies has been raised to 1,022. This represents the highest number of vacancies seen in recent years. The reserve list consists of a total of 178 candidates, with 89 candidates belonging to the general category, 28 candidates in the EWS category, 52 candidates in the OBC category, and 5 candidates each in the SC and ST categories.

UPSC Civil Services Exam Result 2022: Steps to download

Heres a step-by-step guide on how to download the UPSC Civil Services Exam Result 2022:

Step 1: Go to the official UPSC website by visiting upsc.gov.in, scroll down on the homepage and locate the section labelled UPSC Civil Services Result 2022.

Step 2: Click on the link provided for the UPSC Civil Services Result 2022, and the result will be displayed on the screen in PDF format, containing a list of candidates roll numbers who have been selected.

Step 3: To find a specific roll number, use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+F and enter the desired roll number. If the candidates roll number appears in the result, it indicates that they have qualified.

Step 4: For future reference, the candidate can print out the UPSC Result 2022.

In the previous years UPSC CSE 2021 examination, Shruti Sharma had secured the first position nationwide. Furthermore, all three top positions were secured by women, with Ankita Agarwal securing AIR 2 and Gamini Singla from Chandigarh achieving rank 3.

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Actor, model, and active casting coordinator Aditya Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai residence on Monday, 22 May 2023. As per reports, he was found in an unresponsive state in the washroom of his house in Mumbais Andheri by one of his friends, who later took him to the hospital. Aditya was declared dead on arrival. The body of the 32-year-old actor has been sent for post-mortem, reports of which are awaited. An investigation is currently underway to ascertain the cause of his death.

Aditya who is quite popular in the industry and has been a part of several big projects in the last few years resided on the 11th floor of a high-rise building in Mumbai. On Monday afternoon, he was found dead by a friend, who along with the building watchman took him to the nearby hospital.

Meanwhile, as soon as the news came out, many from the industry, including filmmaker Onir, Ashoke Pandit, and Splitsvilla fame Varun Sood paid their tributes to the late actor. Meanwhile, designer Rohit Verma, refuted the unconfirmed reports of drug overdose and urged people to wait for postmortem reports and stop jumping to conclusions.

About Aditya Singh Rajput

Originally from Delhi, Aditya Singh Rajput started off as a model, following which he ventured into acting and worked in films like Krantiveer and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. He has also been a part of around 300 advertisements, besides participating in Splitsvilla 9. Besides that, he has been a part of projects like Love, Ashiqui, Code Red, Aawaz Season 9, Bad Boy Season 4, and others.

Following all of these, he also got involved with a production house and took into casting. Quite a popular face in the glamour circuit, Aditya had launched several talents in the industry.

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In a sad piece of news for the Telugu film industry, senior actor Sarath Babu passed away at the age of 71 on Monday, 22 May 2023. The veteran who was battling a prolonged illness breathed his last at AIG Hospitals in Hyderabad, where he was admitted last month and was reportedly undergoing treatment for a long time. As per media reports, he succumbed due to sepsis in his whole body and multiple organ failure. The news was confirmed by his publicist, thus evoking condolences and tributes from across the country. Prominent celebrities from the South and politicians also paid their heartfelt tribute to the veteran actors family.

As soon as the news broke, superstar Kamal Haasan took to Twitter and paid tributes to Sarath Babu. A great actor and a great friend, Sarathbabu has passed away. The days of acting with him are a shadow in my mind. Introduced by my Gurunath in Tamil. He excelled in many timeless roles. Cinema has lost a good actor. My tribute to him, he tweeted in Telugu.

https://twitter.com/ ikamalhaasan/status/ 1660604918124937217

Actor-politician Prakash Raj also took to Twitter and paid tributes with a message that reads, Wonderful to have met this ever smiling soul.. will cherish his warmth and encouragement throughout my career.. thank you dearest #SarathBabu for everything. RIP

https://twitter.com/ prakashraaj/status/ 1660615157033349120

Superstar Rajinikanth also took to Twitter and paid an emotional tribute to his old friend. Today I lost my close friend and wonderful man, Sarath Babu. It is an irreparable loss. May his soul rest in peace, he tweeted in Telugu.

https://twitter.com/ rajinikanth/status/ 1660653129782771713

Among others, prominent celebrities like Jr NTR, Chiranjeevi, Ravi Teja, Nani, Sai Dharam Tej, and Renowned Telugu film producer MS Raju also paid their heartfelt tributes to the late actor.

In the meantime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also took to Twitter and paid his tribute to Sarath Babu. Shri Sarath Babu Ji was versatile and creative. He will be remembered for several popular works in several languages during his long film career. Pained by his passing away. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti, he wrote.

https://twitter.com/ narendramodi/status/ 1660642540939366400

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu also condoled his demise.

As tributes continue to pour in, the late actors mortal remains will be brought to Chennai on Tuesday where he will be cremated by his family.

About Sarath Babu

Known for predominantly working in Tamil and Telugu cinema, Sarath Babu has appeared in over 200 films, including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and a few Malayalam and Hindi films. While he made his debut in films in 1973 with a Telugu film, he later rose to fame with his role in the Tamil film Nizhal Nijamagiradhu (1978).

Having worked in a number of films, Sarath Babu has received eight state Nandi Awards among other honours. He was last seen in Pawan Kalyans Vakeel Saab (2021).

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China was one of the top agendas at the G7 (Group of Seven) summit in Japans Hiroshima. And one of the biggest takeaways from it was de-risking. Leaders of the worlds wealthiest democracies agreed that they need to de-risk and not decouple from China, which dominates global supply chains.

We are not decoupling or turning inwards. At the same time, we recognise that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying, the G7 said in a joint statement released over the weekend as leaders met in Hiroshima.

We will seek to address the challenges posed by Chinas non-market policies and practices, which distort the global economy. We will counter malign practices, such as illegitimate technology transfer or data disclosure, the statement added.

What does de-risking mean?

The US state department describes de-risking as the phenomenon of financial institutions terminating or restricting business relationships with clients or categories of clients to avoid, rather than manage, risk.

When it comes to China, it means reducing dependence on the country for the supply of materials or as a market of finished goods to avoid possible risks of disruption of trade and commerce. De-risking is aimed at reducing Beijings control of the global supply chains but isolating it completely.

Why is there talk of de-risking regarding China?

At a press conference on Sunday, US president Joe Biden said, Were not looking to decouple from China, were looking to de-risk and diversify our relationship with China.

It means taking necessary measures to diversify supply chains so were not dependent on any one country for necessary products. It means resisting economic coercion together and countering harmful practices that hurt our workers. It means protecting a narrow set of advanced technologies critical for our national security, Biden explained.

The growing tension between the United States and China and other geopolitical challenges could impact global supply chains. Hence de-risking reducing the dependence on Beijing to produce goods  is essential.

How is de-risking different from decoupling?

Decoupling refers to the deliberate dismantling  and eventual re-creation elsewhere  of some of the sprawling cross-border supply chains that have defined globalisation, according to Foreign Policy.

Journalist Alex Lo explains the two terms using an analogy from investment in The South China Morning Post. Decoupling means cashing out your whole portfolio; de-risking means selling what you consider the riskiest assets, say, deleveraging on your margins, he wrote.

The term caught on during the tenure of Donald Trump. The biggest threat came when the former US president said in May 2020 in an interview with Fox News amid growing tensions with China, We could cut off the whole relationship. This extreme measure seems practically impossible and decoupling emerged as an alternative to an economic boycott.

De-risking is seen as the more moderate approach to dealing with an aggressive China.

Also read: How iCET offers US and India a perfect platform to decouple China from semiconductor supply chain

Why is there a switch from decoupling to derisking?

The demand for decoupling started during Trumps time as president. However, de-risking ties with China became a more regular part of diplomatic conversations after European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen explained on 30 March her decision to travel to Beijing with French president Emmanuel Macron.

I believe it is neither viable  nor in Europes interest  to decouple from China. Our relations are not black or white  and our response cannot be either. This is why we need to focus on de-risk  not de-couple, she said.

Managing this relationship and having an open and frank exchange with our Chinese counterparts is a key part of what I would call the de-risking through diplomacy of our relations with China, she added.

The United States also emphasised de-risking over decoupling. On 27 April, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said, We are for de-risking, not for decoupling. De-risking fundamentally means having resilient, effective supply chains and ensuring we cannot be subjected to the coercion of any other country.

India too has endorsed de-risking. In this era of volatility and uncertainty, its important to de-risk the global economy and yet to ensure that there is very responsible growth, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on 16 May after the first meeting of the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC).

Now G7 countries are all for de-risking as the G7 communique shows. What Japan intends to do, rather than decoupling from China, is to strategically identify areas where collaboration is possible and areas where risks should be avoided, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japans foreign minister told Financial Times in an interview.

How has China reacted?

China, of course, is angry by the statements made at the G7 summit. Chinas ministry of foreign affairs on Saturday accused the G7 of hindering international peace, undermining regional stability and curbing other countries development:

China vice-foreign minister Sun Weidong summoned the Japanese ambassador to register protests over the hype around China-related issues at the Hiroshima meet. Sun claimed Japan had collaborated with other countries at the summit through activities and joint declarations  to smear and attack China, grossly interfering in Chinas internal affairs.

On Sunday, Chinas cybersecurity regulator banned certain purchases of US memory chip specialist Micron Technologys products, after a national security probe into the $75 billion company launched in March. The timing was not subtle; it came just days after Chief Executive Sanjay Mehrotra unveiled a $3.7 billion investment with the Japanese government, part of the G7s initiatives to strengthen tech supply chains with one another.

While the financial impact looks manageable for Micron, its the first time Beijings powerful cybersecurity watchdog has acted against a foreign company and is unlikely to be the last, reports Reuters.

Is de-risking a safer bet?

De-risk is a reasonable-sounding word, but in plain English, it means forcibly reducing demand for Chinese exports at an economically vulnerable moment. Its a step by the West to curb Chinese president Xi Jinpings ambition without endangering supply chains.

De-risking may feel more diplomatic than decoupling, says a report in The New York Times. Who doesnt like reducing risk? Bates Gill, director of the Asia Societys Center for China Analysis told the publication. Its just rhetorically a much smarter way of thinking about what needs to be done.

The world, including the West, is heavily reliant on China for trade. It remains to be seen if de-risking will just be restricted to diplomatic jargon or can be implemented. The question remains: Is cutting off from China, albeit slowly, without consequences possible?



With inputs from agencies

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Many Indians are experiencing deja vu. The decision by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to withdraw the Rs 2,000 note from circulation on Friday prompted many to rush to petrol pumps and jewellers to exchange their pink notes  similar to what happened in November 2016 when the Narendra Modi-led government demonetised the currency, scrapping the Rs 1,000 note.

On Friday, the RBI announced that it was withdrawing from circulation the Rs 2,000 currency notes introduced seven years ago after demonetisation and asked people to exchange them at banks by 30 September.

The decision sparked panic among the people owing to which RBI Governor Shantikanta Das said on Monday that there was no need to panic or worry. There is no reason to rush to banks now. You have four months, till 30 September, he assured. He also asserted that even after 30 September, the deadline set by the central bank to deposit the notes, they would continue to be legal tender.

As the window to exchange the pink notes begins, we take a look at how this process has spurred sales in gold, silver and even real estate.

Pink wads for gold?

A day after the RBI announced the withdrawal of the Rs 2,000 note from the market, there was a gold rush across India. Hordes of people turned up at jewellery stores acquiring the yellow metal in cash. Some were even willing to pay a premium for the precious metal, in an attempt to get rid of their pink note.

In Noida, a salesman at a jewellery store was quoted as telling Times of India, Subah se yeh pink note ne tehelka macha diya. (This pink note has created havoc since morning). The scene was similar elsewhere in the country too. Footfalls at jewellery stores have increased  in some places, almost doubled.

According to Siddharth Jain of Jambu Jewellers at Chowk Sarrafa in Kanpur, there was a 10 per cent to 20 per cent increase in the sale of jewellery since Saturday and he anticipated the demand to remain high until September  when the deadline for the Rs 2,000 note comes closer.

Vinod Maheshwari, a bullion dealer at Lucknows Chowk Sarrafa market, echoed similar sentiments. Speaking to Hindustan Times, he said, The sale of bullion has shot up after the withdrawal of 2,000 currency notes was announced. He further stated that traders were selling gold and silver at 10 per cent higher rates to those paying with Rs 2,000 notes.

In Kolkata too, there was a rush of people at jewellery stores over the weekend, with people buying jewellery and gold in cash. It was the same in Jaipur too. Kailash Mittal, president of Jaipurs Sarafa Traders Committee was quoted as telling Hindustan Times that the gold jewellery market has picked up and business had risen by 20 per cent.

There have also been reports of jewellers charging a premium on the precious metal for accepting the currency note that will soon go out of circulations. The Economic Times reported that on Saturday, in Mumbais Zaveri Bazaar, gold was being sold for around Rs 67,000 (per 10 grammes) when paid for with Rs 2,000 notes, compared with the official rate of Rs 63,800 (including GST).

A source within the market told The Economic Times that the boost in sales would be temporary. Its a knee-jerk reaction. The premium has gone up since Friday evening when the announcement came, but I think it will come down in the next few days. People would try out other ways. Theres time.

Also read: India scraps the Rs 2000 note: Will this affect the economy?

However, the national secretary at India Bullion and Jewellers Association Ltd Surendra Mehta said there was no yellow gold boom. Theres no huge rush, only a marginal increase in customers. The demand isnt like 2016 because its not a note ban but a slow phase-out of the (Rs 2,000) notes, he told NDTV.

Rise in land deals?

While many sought the gold route to offload their Rs 2000 note, there are some who are looking at land as another option. According to real estate brokers and experts, people may opt to use their Rs 2,000 notes either to purchase land in small towns or buy residential stock from the real estate market.

A real estate expert told Moneycontrol, One may witness a spurt in land deals going forward in upcoming locations and even in ready-to-move-in inventory held by builders. Also, the impact would be more in the secondary market rather than the primary market.

Another real estate broker said that some may even decide to deploy these notes in the purchase of commercial properties in Tier 2 and 3 cities from developers who may charge a premium for absorbing the currency.

However, overall, there wont be much change to the real estate sector. This is because the use of black money or unaccounted cash in land deals has reduced drastically since demonetisation. As Prashant Thakur, senior director and head  Research, ANAROCK Group, told Moneycontrol, This move on the Rs 2,000 note is a clear indicator that the government wants to further tighten the noose on unaccounted money. If anything, it will bring more transparency to the resale market. Neither land nor luxury housing will be impacted in any significant manner.

RBI-FAQ by Roshneesh KManeck on Scribd

How to exchange the notes?

The RBI has asked people not to panic and deposit their Rs 2000 notes at banks until 30 September. The window to deposit the notes begins today and the process is fairly simple.

People can visit any bank and exchange 10 notes of Rs 2000 notes at a time with currency notes of other denominations. One can also exchange the notes at the 19 Regional Offices of the RBI or exchange them through Business Correspondents (BCs), up to a limit of Rs 4000 per day for an account holder.

On Monday, RBI Governor Shantikanta Das also hinted that the central bank would extend the deadline of 30 September if required, but asserted that most of the high-value notes are likely to be back with banks by the deadline. He scotched rumours that the Rs 1000 note would be reintroduced and insisted that this entire activity was part of their clean note policy.

With inputs from agencies

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India bestows significant privileges upon its parliamentarians, enhancing the allure of being a Rajya Sabha member. These privileges range from domestic and international travel expenses to technological assistance. According to an RTI reply, India spent around Rs 200 crore on salaries, allowances and facilities for Rajya Sabha MPs over the last two years with around Rs 63 crore spent on their travel alone.

In 2021-22, in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, the exchequer spent over Rs 97 crore on Rajya Sabha members.

Their salaries cost Rs 57.6 crore in total. Each month, a Rajya Sabha member receives Rs 2.10 lakh, which includes Rs 20,000 for office expenses and Rs 1.90 lakh in salary and allowances under the Salary and Allowances Member of Parliament Act 1954.

Rajya Sabha MPs also enjoy attractive travel allowances, which totalled Rs 28.5 crore for domestic travel and Rs 1.28 crore for international travel. Other expenses include Rs 17 lakh in medical bills and Rs 7.5 crore in office expenses. It also spent Rs 1.2 crore on MPs information technology help.

In the 2021-23, Rs 100 crore was spent in total which included Rs 33 crore in domestic and foreign travel expenses, according to the reply by Rajya Sabha Secretariat to a query filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by Madhya Pradesh-based Chander Shekhar Gaur.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has said that during 2022-23, Rs 58.5 crore was spent on the salaries of members, while Rs 30.9 crore on domestic travel and Rs 2.6 crore on foreign travel.

Other expenses include medical treatment (Rs 65 lakh), Rs 7 crore in office expenses and Rs 1.5 crore on IT services.

The Secretariat said that the expenditure incurred on former MPs of Rajya Sabha under account head Domestic Travel Expenses was Rs 1.7 crore in 2021-22 and Rs 70 lakh for 2022-23.

According to records in 2021, Rajya Sabhas productivity rate was 43 per cent in the Winter Session, 29 per cent in the Monsoon Session and 90 per cent in the Budget session.

The following year, its productivity was 94 per cent during the Winter Session, 42 per cent during the Monsoon Session and 90 per cent during the Budget session.

This year so far, during the Budget session its productivity reached a low of 24 per cent.

With inputs from PTI

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Yerevan, May 23 (UNI) Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that a possible withdrawal from the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is still on Armenia's agenda.

"I don't rule out that Armenia could make a decision on suspending or freezing its membership to the CSTO," if the organization fails to fulfill its treaty obligations, Pashinyan said at a press conference in Yerevan. Voicing his discontent over the CSTO's reluctance of dispatching a monitoring group to the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, he said that the membership of CSTO has blocked Armenia's opportunities to promote military cooperation with other countries, according to the report of local Armenpress.

The prime minister made the remarks days before his arranged talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Moscow after Russia's mediation. Azerbaijan and Armenia had been locked in a decades-long territorial conflict, with major armed clashes breaking out in September 2020 and ending with a Russia-brokered truce in November of the same year. Sporadic conflicts have been erupting between Baku and Yerevan ever since, with international efforts still ongoing to mediate a fundamental truce between the two South Caucasus states.

UNI XC GNK
The much-awaited new Parliament building, a four-storey structure that has 888 seats in the Lok Sabha chamber and 384 seats in the Rajya Sabha chamber, is generating a lot of buzz ahead of its inauguration on 28 May.

The inauguration, which is meant to be a momentous occasion as India bids adieu to another symbol of British colonialism and embraces the idea of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, has been reduced to a political fight between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, which may lead to the latter boycotting the event.

Whats the debate all about? Why is the Congress considering a boycott of the event? We have the answers for you.

Wheres the President?

The row over the new Parliament building is centred around who will be inaugurating it on 28 May.

On 18 May, the Lok Sabha Secretariat had issued a statement that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new building symbolising the spirit of a self-reliant India (Atmanirbhar Bharat) on 28 May.

This has angered the Congress and other opposition parties, which argue that it should be the President Droupadi Murmu and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the building. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has attacked the government for not inviting President Droupadi Murmu, saying that the Office of the President is reduced to tokenism under the BJP-RSS Government.

In a series of tweets on Monday, Kharge pulling no punches said that even at the foundation laying ceremony two years ago, the President  then Ram Nath Kovind  had been sidelined. He further wrote, She alone represents government, opposition, and every citizen alike. She is the First Citizen of India. Inauguration of the new Parliament building by her will symbolise Governments commitment to Democratic values and Constitutional propriety.

It looks like the Modi Govt has ensured election of President of India from the Dalit and the Tribal communities only for electoral reasons. While Former President, Shri Kovind was not invited for the New Parliament foundation laying ceremony 1/4  Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 22, 2023

Kharges attack came a day after former MP and Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter that the president should inaugurate the new Parliament House, not the prime minister.

Several other leaders of the Grand Old Party also voiced their opposition to Modi inaugurating the triangular building on Sunday. Talking to the media on Monday, senior leader Anand Sharma said as the sovereignty of India, which is vested in the people of India, rests in the institution called the Parliament of India it was important that the President inaugurated the new Parliament building.

When asked if the Congress would boycott the event on Sunday, The Congress has expressed its concern as the principal opposition party and we feel strongly that the constitutional propriety should be maintained and the honourable president who is the head of the Parliament should be requested by the government to inaugurate. The honourable prime minister has every right to be there and we are only pointing out what is constitutionally correct.

Other MPs belonging to other opposition parties have also questioned the absence of the President at the event. Trinamool Congresss leader in Rajya Sabha Derek OBrien said: Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules  it is the foundation of Indian democracy. Prime Minister Modi doesnt get that.

Samajwadi Partys Ghanshyam Tiwari said his party was of the view that the new Parliament building belongs to the entire nation and the President as the head of the Parliament should have inaugurated it it would have also set the tone for an India where women have greater say in leadership in politics.

Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) noted that the President is the head of Parliament according to Indias Constitutional scheme. He or she is the one who summons Parliament and addresses the Parliaments first session every year. According to the Constitution, it is the President who is the head. The same thing had happened in 2020 when the foundation stone was laid for the new building. The President was not invited. The prime minister also unveiled the national emblemthis government is virtually converting India into a presidential form, he said.

But who actually heads Parliament?

The Oppositions argument of having the President and not prime minister inaugurate the new seat of Indias power  the Parliament  comes from the Constitution itself. Article 79 of the Constitution defines Parliament as  There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the Council of States and the House of the People.

Also read: 9,500 kg and 6.5 metres high: All you need to know about the national emblem atop new Parliament building

Furthermore, all decisions concerning the summoning of the Parliament is vested in the President under Article 85. Other articles in the Constitution also outline the Presidents power pertaining to Parliament. For instance, Article 86 states that The President may address either House of Parliament or both Houses assembled together, and for that purpose require the attendance of members.

Article 111 of the Constitution also says that no Bill passed by both the Houses of Parliament can become an Act without the assent of the president.

A Savarkar factor?

The Congress has also expressed dismay at the BJPs decision to inaugurate the Parliament on 28 May, the birth anniversary of Hindu Rashtra proponent VD Savarkar.

Amit Malviya, the BJPs IT chief, had tweeted earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on 28th May 2023, which is also the 140th birth anniversary of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, the great son of India.

Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh took to Twitter to express anger, saying: A complete insult to all our Founding Fathers and Mothers. A total rejection of Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Bose, et al. A blatant repudiation of Dr Ambedkar.

Even TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray wrote on Twitter that in the 75th year of Indias independence, it would have been befitting to inaugurate the new Parliament building on 26 November  the day when the Constitution was adopted in 1949. But it shall be done on 28 May, birthday of Savarkar- How much relevant? Ray tweeted.

Also read: Whats in a name? How new Parliament building is at the centre of naming row

What BJP said?

The BJP has hit back at the Opposition, especially the Congress, saying it was in the habit of indulging in cheap politics of running down the countrys achievements.

Sources speaking to news agency PTI said that President Murmu was approached for the event but she wanted the prime minister to do so. Whenever a good thing happens, Congress leaders resort to cheap politics which has become its hallmark under Rahul Gandhi. When the nation is feeling proud on the construction of the new Parliament building, its leaders have again stooped to a new low, BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni said.

The party also said that in 1975 it had been then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and not the President who had inaugurated Parliament House Annexe.

Union minister Hardeep Puri also waded into the row, saying the Congress had a habit of raking controversies where none existed. While President is the head of State, the prime minister is the head of government and leads the Parliament on behalf of the government, whose policies are effected in form laws. The President is not a member of either House, whereas PM is.

With inputs from agencies

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Ireland is all set to mandate health warning labels on alcoholic drinks, a move that has irked some of its trading partners. On Monday (22 May), Irish health minister, Stephen Donnelly, signed the legislation that would require comprehensive health warnings on alcoholic products.

The new rules will come into effect from 22 May 2026 to allow time for businesses to adjust to the new policy.

What will this labelling include and why has the move triggered protests from some quarters? Which other countries have similar health warnings on alcoholic beverages? We explain.

Health warnings on alcohol

These labels will warn the consumers of the risks associated with drinking alcohol, along with providing calorie content and the number of grams of alcohol in the beverage.

Consumers will also be informed about the risk of cancer and liver disease as well as the dangers of drinking while pregnant, reported BBC.

As per NPR, Donnelly said in a statement: This law is designed to give all of us as consumers a better understanding of the alcohol content and health risks associated with consuming alcohol.

With that information, we can make an informed decision about our own alcohol consumption. Packaging of other food and drink products already contains health information and, where appropriate, health warnings. This law is bringing alcohol products into line with that, the statement added.

Under the new rules, it will be a must for alcohol sellers to display the information and warnings on the packaging of the beverages. Labels will also direct consumers to the website of Irelands Health Service Executive for further information, according to The Guardian report.

This information will also be available in pubs and other licensed establishments, the report added.

According to Financial Times (FT), the warnings will only be added on products being sold in Ireland and not on exports of Irish whiskey, Guinness or other alcoholic drinks.

Justifying the step for health warnings, Donnelly told RTE radio that one in 20 deaths in Ireland was associated with alcohol consumption, adding that drinking even low amounts could lead to cancer risks, reported FT.

Ireland is to become the first country in the world to introduce comprehensive health warning labels on alcohol products. Ive signed the regulations so that from May 2026 labels must contain details of calorie content, grams of alcohol and risks of liver disease and cancer. pic.twitter.com/LHBBnaRkyZ  Stephen Donnelly (@DonnellyStephen) May 22, 2023

Move hailed by some

Lauding the step, Dr Sheila Gilheany, the chief executive of Alcohol Action Ireland, said, as per BBC: This measure goes some way to ensuring consumers are informed about some of the risks from alcohol.

Rachel Morrogh, director of advocacy at the Irish Cancer Society, also welcomed the new regulations. Todays announcement shows that once again, Ireland is trailblazing in the area of public health legislation, Morrogh was quoted as saying by NPR. Signing the labelling regulations into law is a clear statement that reducing preventable disease is a priority for Government.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said earlier in January that no amount of alcohol is safe for our health.

Not everyone on board

Italy, which is a key exporter of wine globally, has raised objections to Irelands new policy.

Italys ambassador to Ireland told Irish broadcaster RTE in January this year that the rules were totally disproportionate.

There is nothing wrong with the warnings, the point is the warnings should be proportionate and, in this case, since youre talking about wine, saying that drinking alcohol on a bottle of wine causes liver disease is totally disproportionate, Ruggero Corrias said at the time, as per BBC.

The Irish government had proposed the plans last year which were not opposed by the European Union (EU).

Calling the warnings terrifying, Coldiretti, Italys biggest farmers association, had told The Guardian in January: The green light from the European Union for alarmist wine labels in Ireland represents a dangerous precedent as it risks opening the door to other legislation capable of negatively influencing consumer choices.

As per the FT report, more than 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, Australia, Mexico and Cuba, have already lodged protest at the World Trade Organization (WTO) over Dublins move.

Italy, Spain, France and 10 other EU member states have also flagged their concerns to the European Commission, the report added.

Trade groups linked to alcohol sellers in the EU have also expressed worries that the new rules will make trade tougher within the bloc, reported NPR.

ALSO READ: How genetics, mental health, and even personality decide levels of hangover

How much does Ireland drink?

Alcohol consumption has declined in Ireland after peaking in 2001 when an average person drank 14.3 litres of pure alcohol a year, according to The Guardian. This has plunged to 10.2 litres, as per Health Research Board.

A 2021 survey by the Irish government found that 37 per cent of those above 15 years of age consumed alcoholic drinks at least once a week, a fall from 41 per cent in 2018.

Binge drinking also reduced in 2021  15 per cent  as compared to 2018  28 per cent.

However, French wine and British beer continue to be preferred by Irish consumers, noted FT.

Which other countries have similar labels?

Although many countries have similar health warnings, Ireland says it is the first nation to provide such extensive information on health hazards linked to alcohol consumption.

South Korea requires alcoholic beverages to include labels warning about cancer risks and dangers of drinking during pregnancy, as per The Korea Herald.

From April 2019, all liquor bottles in India have to carry warnings about how alcohol consumption is harmful and not to drink and drive.

According to the 2022 WHO report on health warnings on alcoholic beverages, Australia and New Zealand have made labelling for standard drink and alcohol content compulsory, as well as including the risks of consuming alcohol while pregnant on all products with more than 1.15 per cent alcohol.

In 2017, South Africa introduced legislation that mandated alcohol warning labels, however, it was repealed in 2020 amid domestic and global pressure, reported Indian Express.

As per NPR, in the United States, drinks with over 0.5 per cent alcohol by volume have to include warnings about drinking while pregnant, how it can affect driving ability and may lead to health issues.

With inputs from agencies

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi made headlines again recently for his sartorial choice. During the Group of Seven (G7) summit last weekend in Japans Hiroshima, the Indian leader donned a sleeveless jacket made of recycled materials while visiting the Peace Memorial Museum and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

This is not the first time that Modi has walked the talk of adopting an environment-friendly lifestyle by himself wearing sustainable clothes. Lets take a look at how his ensembles have made a sustainable fashion statement.

But first, what is sustainable fashion?

Sustainable fashion is a term used to define clothes and other fashion accessories that are produced using environmentally friendly methods.

As Immago, a clothing label and packaging solutions company, states: Sustainable fashion is a way in which brands create clothing that not only reduces the impact on the environment but is also mindful of the people who work to produce the garments.

This method becomes more significant as the global fashion industry accounts for 10 per cent of total carbon emissions. As per Indian Express, the emission of greenhouse gases by the fashion industry is expected to increase more than 50 per cent by 2030.

Moreover, as per estimates, the global textile industry is responsible for one-fifth of industrial water pollution.

PM Modis sadri jacket

The Indian premier combined the beige-coloured or chandan-shade sadri jacket with his usual white kurta and pyjama in Japan. The sleeveless attire was presented to him by EcoLine Clothing, the brand label of Tamil Nadu-based Shree Renga Polymers.

The jacket worn by Modi used a soft hand-feel fabric, moisture absorbent anti-static, antimicrobial feature made out of polyester pinstripe fabric, reported The Statesman. It was produced using 25-28 recycled PET bottles.

Went to the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park this morning. pic.twitter.com/H3NlkcFxF0  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 21, 2023

We are immensely thrilled and honoured to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi choose to wear the sadri jacket presented by EcoLine Clothing once again, Senthil Sankar, Managing Partner at EcoLine Clothing, said in a statement later, as per Indian Express.

We are truly amazed and deeply grateful for his continued endorsement. It is a testament to our shared vision of promoting eco-friendly practices and creating a greener future. We remain committed to delivering high-quality, environmentally conscious products, and we are inspired to further innovate and contribute to the cause of sustainability.

Sky-blue jacket in Parliament

The Indian prime minister sported a jacket by EcoLine Clothing earlier in February as well.

He was gifted a sleeveless sky-blue vest by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) during the India Energy Week in Karnatakas Bengaluru on 6 February. Days later, Modi flaunted the sustainable wear during a Rajya Sabha session.

Hon. PM @narendramodi ji today wore a unique blue jacket in Parliament made from recycled plastic bottles which was gifted to him at Bengaluru IOC event Modi ji is leading by example on how one can reuse, reduce & recycle. sustainable living is caring for mother planet pic.twitter.com/jxunbY9cLz  Vijayendra Yeddyurappa (@BYVijayendra) February 8, 2023

The company soon shared on social media, Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, who unveiled our Unbottled Campaign at India Energy Week on Monday, wore the special jacket made from recycled PET bottles at the Parliament today. By wearing this sustainably-made jacket, he strengthened our resolve to power Indias phenomenal green growth saga and this remarkable gesture will provide a great fillip to the circular economy.

According to a Business Line report at the time, the polymer company that makes these jackets from recycled PET bottles has been around for 14 years. It collects used PET bottles, crushes and melts them, then mixes colour and makes fibre, which is turned into yarn to produce garments.

The entire process saves at least 90 per cent water and 50 per cent energy as compared to conventional methods, the report added. As a result of this, the emission is cut drastically in the production process. So the companys sustainable process brings with it a circular model such that there is no damage to the environment, as per Business Line.

ALSO READ: Who should inaugurate new Parliament building? The political slugfest explained

PM Modis love for khadi

Since assuming office in 2014, Modi has made a constant push for khadi, which he has said can advance Indias goal of becoming self-reliant. Not only does he frequently dons khadi outfits, but he has also encouraged Indians to wear the handspun, handwoven fabric.

History has seen that a thread of khadi became a source of inspiration for the freedom struggle and broke the chains of slavery. In the same way, a thread of Khadi can be a source of inspiration to fulfil the pledge of making India a developed nation, to achieve the dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), the Indian prime minister said last August during the Khadi Utsav (Khadi festival) organised on Sabarmati Riverfront in Gujarats Ahmedabad as part of the Union governments Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Kudos to Khadi! PM Modis push for use of Khadi has led to a significant increase in its sales over the years. pic.twitter.com/zepbRTNtTm  BJP (@BJP4India) December 15, 2022

According to Vogue India, khadi is highly sustainable. The humble fabric has a low carbon footprint as spinning requires no machines or energy. While one metre of mill-manufactured fabric consumes 55 litres of water, khadi uses only three litres of the liquid.

The fabric once promoted by Mahatma Gandhi has emerged as an environmentally friendly alternative to mill-produced apparel, noted Nikkei Asia.

During the Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI in March, Khadi India exhibited a showcase reimagining the traditional fabric through a contemporary vision.

The slogan Khadi for Transformation to Khadi for Nation, Khadi for Fashion is another effort by the prime minister to generate interest in the indigenous cloth.

With inputs from agencies

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On Monday, eight people were injured in attacks on Russias Belgorod.

While the governor of the region Vyacheslav Gladkov blamed a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group, Ukraine said it was not involved.

Meanwhile, the Freedom of Russia Legion took responsibility for the attack and claimed it had even liberated a settlement.



But what is the Freedom of Russia legion?

Lets take a closer look:

Origins

The Freedom for Russia Legion is an anti-Putin militia that is based in Ukraine.

Comprising only Russian fighters, its stated aim is to overthrow Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The group was created shortly after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as per RFERL.

Their manifesto states that they are free citizens of Russia who take responsibility for themselves and are beginning to fight for a New Russia.

The Freedom of Russia legion is led by ex-lawmaker Ilya Ponomaryov.

Ponomaryov is currently in Kyiv.

Russian historian and political analyst Dr Sergey Radchenko on Monday said the militia is likely a special project of the Ukrainian military intelligence, as per Inews.

How many are they?

According to CNN, the group is made up of a few hundred battle-hardened volunteers who are part of the Ukrainian armed forces.

One fighter, with the military callsign Caesar, said he is a former teacher and a father.

His wife is currently in Kyiv.

Caesar last year told CNN he was devoting his life to overthrowing Putin and that he wanted to march into the Red Square and the Kremlin itself.

Caesar added that he is a devoted member of the Russian Orthodox Church and that he misses the Tsarist era which predated the Soviet Union.

Caesars unit is equipped with all the latest high-tech toys  modern armoured vehicles, gunsights and the latest automatic weapons, as per CNN.

According to The New York Times, hundreds of these fighters are in an around Bakhmut.

While they are always together, they are commanded by Ukrainian officers.

Why are they fighting?

It isnt just anti-Putin sentiment that spurred them to take up arms against their own.

Members of the legion also cite the actions of their countrymen in Ukraine as a reason for taking up arms.

Tikhy, who was already living and working on a construction site Kyiv, told RFERL he couldnt believe Russia was actually invading Ukraine.

Only after the third rocket flew by did I understand what was happening. I gathered up my family and we hid in the basement, Tikhy, from Tolyatti said.

A real Russian man doesnt engage in such an aggressive war, wont rape children, kill women and elderly people, Caesar, who is from St. Petersburg, told The New York Times.

Thats why I dont have remorse. I do my job and Ive killed a lot of them.

We havent come here to prove anything, said one soldier with the call sign Zaza. Weve come here to help Ukraine achieve the full withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory and the future de-Putinization of Russia.

Im done with Russia. I dont even want to hear about it after what they did in the Kyiv region and elsewhere, Tikhy told RFERL.

Some told the newspaper they were already in Ukraine when the invasion kicked off. Others crossed the border after feeling a sense of injustice.

We havent come here to prove anything, another soldier with the military call sign Zaza told the newspaper. Weve come here to help Ukraine achieve the full withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukrainian territory and the future de-Putinization of Russia.

Zaza told the newspaper he first got into trouble for speaking against the war in his university and then on social media.

But it was only when Russias security service turned up did he know he was in serious trouble.

At such a young age, it is a little early for me to talk about my political opinions and worldview, because these are just forming now, he said. But when your country has been taken over by one bad man, you need to take things into your own hands.

Ukraines authorities have praised the legion.

They are fighting very well its like a separate unit disguised as the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksiy Arestovych, adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, was quoted as saying in May by Inews.

The legions standard is a blue-and-white-striped flag  the so-called free Russia flag popular with Russia anti-Putin Opposition groups.

According to CNN, the group on Monday posted a video on Telegram showing this flag  aided by balloons  flying over Moscow University.

Thanks to those who support and wait for us! said The Freedom of Russia Legions caption on Telegram. L [Legion] For Russia! For freedom!

Meanwhile, Ukraines Center for Strategic Communication tweeted:

The Russian Volunteer Corps and the Legion Freedom of Russia are conducting an operation on the territory of the #Belgorod region. Ukraine welcomes the resolute actions of the opposition against the criminal and aggressive Putin regime.  SPRAVDI  Stratcom Centre (@StratcomCentre) May 22, 2023

Russias Supreme Court on 16 March labelled the legion a terrorist group, as per RFERL.

That, just a month after a request from the Russian prosecutor generals office to do so, according to the New York Times.

The legion responded to the decision on Telegram by saying, Funny. The terrorist country turns the tables and stubbornly fights all expressions of free-thinking.

This means Russian citizens fighting for the legion could face up to two decades in jail, as per Moscow Times.

According to TASS, 20 members of the legion are already under investigation.

In January, a 22-year-old was given five years of hard labour for attempting to join the legion, as per Moscow Times.

Russia will be free

The group on Twitter it had completely liberated the border town of Kozinka and forward units had reached the district centre of Graivoron, further east.

Moving on. Russia will be free! it wrote.

Belgorod regional Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov imposed a counter-terrorism regime allowing authorities greater powers to clamp down on peoples movement and communications.

In a late-night post on Telegram, Gladkov said that in two separate attacks houses and administrative buildings where damaged in two towns in the region, Borisovka and Graivoron.

Telegram channels monitoring Russias military activity, including the blog Rybar, with more than a million subscribers, said buildings housing the Interior Ministry and the FSB security service had come under attack in the regions main town, also known as Belgorod.

Gladkov made no mention of the alleged attack on Belgorod.

The Telegram channel Baza, which has links to Russias security services, had earlier published aerial footage apparently showing a Ukrainian armoured vehicle advancing on the Graivoron border checkpoint.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had been informed, and that work was under way to drive out the saboteurs, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

In Telegram postings earlier in the day, Gladkov said the Russian army, border guards, presidential guard and the FSB were in the operation. He said at least eight people had been wounded and three houses and an administrative building damaged.

In a briefing streamed on social media, he said many residents had left, either in buses or their own vehicles, and that he had imposed a counter-terrorist operation regime.

Under expanded powers, authorities were authorised to limit activities and movement and to suspend or restrict communication services including mobile networks and the internet.

Ukrainian outlet Hromadske quoted Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov as saying the operation would create a security zone to protect Ukrainians from attacks by Russia.

The Kremlin said the incursion aimed to distract attention from the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, which Russian forces claim to have captured in its entirety after more than nine months of attritional fighting.

We understand perfectly well the goal of such a diversion  to divert attention from the Bakhmut direction and minimise the political effect of Bakhmuts loss for the Ukrainian side, Peskov was quoted as saying.

With inputs from agencies

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Popular Malaysian comedian Uncle Roger has been banned from Chinas social media profiles after he poked fun at Xi Jinpings authoritarian government.

The London-based comedian, whose real name is Nigel Ng, said that over the weekend his accounts on Bilibili and Weibo, where he has over 400,000 followers, had been disabled owing to a violation of relevant laws and regulations.

Notably, comedians in China are increasingly scared of the governments increasing intolerance of stand-up comedy, which gained fame during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Lets take a deeper look at the comedian and his famous character.

Also read: No Laughing Matter: Why a comedy firm is paying millions for an army joke in China

Who is Uncle Roger?

Born on 15 March 1991, Nigel Ng Kin-ju, 31 is a Malaysian stand-up comedian and internet celebrity located in London, according to The Sun.

He has become well known for his humorous persona Uncle Roger, which speaks with a heavy Cantonese-like accent and prides himself on several South East Asian stereotypes.

The middle-aged Asian uncle character for a sitcom was brought up by his comedy partner Evelyn Mok with Nigel in mind. Nigel further refined the character on TikTok and Instagram drawings, before taking it to YouTube.

In July 2020, Ng drew attention for his YouTube video critique of Hersha Patels BBC Food film on making egg-fried rice in the Uncle Roger persona. After the video went viral, Ng and Patel appeared on BBC together.

In addition to Uncle Roger, Nigel Ng is also known for his TV debut in 2018 on Comedy Centrals Stand Up Central, hosting the comedic podcast Rice to Meet You with UK-based Swedish comic Evelyn Mok.

In 2021, he even participated in series 19 of BBC Twos Mock the Week.

Also read: How Xi Jinping is challenging G7 dominance with a China-Central Asia summit

The controversy

Ng and his followers both believe that his account was blocked because of a clip he had posted a few days earlier on Western social media.

The video, which served as a teaser for an upcoming episode, was posted to his Twitter account along with the message Uncle Roger about to get cancelled. A few days later, he uploaded a new copy to YouTube.

In the video clip, which was taken from an unidentified stand-up performance, Ng, playing Uncle Roger, asks a spectator where he is from. The man responds, Guangzhou, China, to which Ng frowns and adds, Good nation! Good country! We have to say that now, correct? All the phones listening  this nephew got Huawei phone, they all listening.

Long live President Xi, long live President Xi phew, adds Ng after carefully tapping his phone in his pocket. Then he scans the audience for those from Taiwan. Not a real country. I hope one day you rejoin the motherland, the audience laughs as he continues.

Since Ng isnt in China, he hasnt made any direct remarks on the account suspension. He posted the video to Twitter in the early hours of Monday, writing: For some reason, this clip got a ton of views this past weekend. I wonder why, followed by a link to pre-order his upcoming performance.

Uncle Roger about to get cancelled.  Buy the FULL SHOW now to watch from home: https://t.co/ebzr06mDV9 Dropping June 4 on @momentworld pic.twitter.com/zmYtTp0tBh  Nigel Ng (Uncle Roger) (@MrNigelNg) May 15, 2023

Ngs stand-up show will be released on 4 June, the anniversary of the 1989 slaughter of students and pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square, according to The Independent.

Ng has, however, dealt with Chinas strict media environment before.

He worked with YouTuber Mike Chen, a vocal critic of Beijing on Twitter, to create a video in January 2021 where they critiqued a dumpling dish.

Eventually, the 32-year-old comedian pulled the movie and posted an apology on Weibo. I wasnt aware of his political thoughts and his past incorrect remarks about China, he continued.

Also read: G7 to focus on de-risking from China: What does this mean and how it is different from decoupling?

Chinas growing intolerance of stand-up comedy

The Chinese government appears to have targeted Ng as part of a campaign against comedians. People in the country are subject to harsh punishments, and recent events have given the industry a bad reputation.

Last week, House, a Chinese comedian who made fun of the military, was detained for equating the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) with a pack of dogs pursuing a squirrel.

Li Haoshi made the joke after describing how two stray dogs he had taken in chased after a squirrel, reminding him of the proverb Have a good work style, be able to fight and win battles.

The punchline is a phrase that Chinese president Xi Jinping used to praise the work ethic of the PLA in 2013.

The company that employed him for the Beijing event was penalised 14.7 million yuan (~Rs 17.25 crore).

Stand-up comedy has been the last bastion in which people  can still enjoy entertaining commentary about public life, Beijing-based independent political analyst Wu Qiang told Reuters, adding, After this, the space for stand-up comedy and public expression, in general, will inevitably keep shrinking.

A Beijing-based comedian who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that several gigs had been postponed as a result of the incident.

The director of the US-based China Media Project, David Bandurski, claimed that the Chinese government fed an atmosphere of paranoia and fear over national security risks, defined so expansively that anything can be an attack. A punchline is treated with the same alarm as a real assault on the nation.

With inputs from agencies

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a grand welcome when he landed in Sunday to commence his three-day visit to Australia. Among those who had gathered to greet PM Modi included 91-year-old Dr Navamani Chandra Bose who journeyed from Melbourne to meet the Indian prime minister in Sydney, according to The Australia Today.

She was full of energy and passion and very happy to travel by Modi Airways. Very happy today and its going to be a great event, said the nonagenarian who arrived by the Modi Airways, a specially charted flight that took off from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport.

The plane full of Indians from across Australia arrived this morning for the diaspora event in Sydney.

Visuals from Melbourne Airport tweeted on the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation, which is organising the event in Sydney showed passengers waving the tricolour and dancing.

According to a report in the Australia Today, 177 people had booked to be part of a the special Modi Airways flight from Melbourne to Sydney. Among the passengers on the flight was 91-year-old Navamani Chandra Bose. She was accompanied by her daughter who said that Dr Navamani is the wife of NS Chandra Bose who was the President of the Indian Medical Association from 1991 to 1992 and had served as the President of the Tamil Nadu State Bharatiya Janata Party from 1995 to 1997.

Im the daughter and this is the wife of Dr Chandra Bose who was the state President of Tamil Nadus BJP from 1995-1997, she said.PM Modi is on a three-day visit to Australia, with whom India signed a historic trade deal last year.

Prime Minister Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian community upon landing in Sydney. This is the Indian PMs second visit to the country after 2014.

During his visit PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement.

The Australia visit is on the last and final leg of PM Modis three-nation tour. After meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, PM Modi will attend a community event to celebrate the countrys dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora.

Ahead of Modis arrival, Prime Minister Albanese said in a statement, I am honoured to host Prime Minister Modi for an official visit to Australia, after receiving an extremely warm welcome in India earlier this year.

With inputs from agencies

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The menace of rain and subsequent waterlogging is creating havoc in Karnataka. Moments after a woman techie lost her life after her car got stuck in waterlogged underpass in the states capital, Bengaluru, a 32-year-old man from the city died after drowning in a stormwater drain as he allegedly slipped and fell into it.

According to a report by news agency ANI, the body of the man, identified as Lokesh, was found 5 kilometres away from Kempapura Agrahara.

His body was found in Byatarayanapura located on Mysore Road.

A case of unnatural death has been registered at a police station in Kempapura Agrahara. They suspect that Lokesh tried to gauge the depth of the stormwater drain and accidently slipped into it. However, his relatives denied the claims and alleged that he slipped and fell into the drain, and was subsequently washed away.

#WATCH | Karnataka: A 32-year-old man in Bengaluru, identified as Lokesh, died after drowning in a stormwater drain after allegedly slipping and falling in it. His body was found 5km away from the spot. A case of unnatural death registered at Kempapura Agrahara Police Station. pic.twitter.com/glphoAAU0m  ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

Techie dies in Bengaluru

On Sunday, a 23-year-old woman, employed in Infosys, drowned after the car she was riding in with her family got stranded in water that accumulated at the KR Circle underpass in Bengaluru near the Karnataka Assembly (Vidhana Soudha) following heaving rains.

Police said that Bhanurekha's vehicle got stuck in the water that had accumulated in the underpass. The fire and emergency services personnel successfully rescued five members of the family and the driver.

Bhanurekha was unable to survive. She, along with other family members, were rushed to St Marthas Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead.

A report by Economic Times said that the staff at St Martha's Hospital allegedly did not attend the family members immediately and showed negligence.

When the media reached the hospital and questioned the authorities, the staff shifted Bhanurekha to a ward but there was a delay of 30 minutes. She succumbed as treatment failed later.

An FIR in the case has been registered on the complaint filed by her brother, Sandeep.

After receiving news of the incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah visited the hospital to assess the situation. He also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the bereaved family as well as free medical treatment for those admitted to the hospital.

Bengaluru witnessed heavy rain showers and hailstorms on Sunday.

With inputs from agencies

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Citizens of Koloriang, a hilly town in Arunachal Pradesh, are asserting for its recognition as the wettest place on Earth. Koloriang is a scenic town located in the Kurung Kumey district. It is nestled amidst the Eastern Himalayas, and offers breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks, verdant valleys, and lush forests, making it a paradise for nature lovers and adventure enthusiasts.

Currently, the title for the wettest place on earth is with Mawsynram, which is located in the East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. It receives an average annual rainfall of 11,871 mm. The meaning of Mawsynram translates to abode of clouds.

After Mawsynram, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya was the wettest place on Earth, and it receives around 11,359 mm of rainfall annually.

Koloriang has gained lots of attention as the people of this town have been urging the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) to install rain gauges for accurate measurements. Acquiring the title of the wettest place on Earth will increase tourist footfall, and eventually help in the economic growth of the state.

The town is situated at an elevation of around 1,000 meters above sea level and is blessed with a pleasant climate throughout the year. Koloriang is known for its pristine beauty and untouched landscapes, making it a hidden gem for travelers seeking offbeat destinations.

Koloriang also serves as a gateway to several nearby attractions in Arunachal Pradesh. One such popular destination is the Ziro Valley, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its stunning landscapes, paddy fields, and the famous Ziro Music Festival.

With inputs from agencies

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Chinas Peoples Liberation Army has demanded the creation of a 15-20km buffer zone inside India-claimed lines on the strategic Depsang Plains as a precondition for disengagement, Kolkata-based The Telegraph reported, citing an official from the intelligence wing of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

China has reportedly refused Indias offer of a 3-4km demilitarised strip, sources in the security establishment have told The Telegraph.

The Chinese want a buffer zone with a width of 15-20km inside Indian territory as part of the disengagement process from the Depsang Plains, The Telegraph quoted an official from the intelligence wing of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) as saying.

The Congress on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of failing to restore the status quo in Depsang in eastern Ladakh in the last three years and said it would be unforgivable to allow the situation to worsen.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modis clean chit to China on June 19, 2020 has immeasurably weakened Indias negotiating position and it is paying a heavy price for it.

Expressing concern over the very worrisome situation at the border as highlighted in a news report, he said access to the strategic sector of Depsang has been denied to Indian patrols for more than three years now, with no signs of a return to the status quo.

Now we learn that, far from withdrawing, the Chinese are demanding a buffer zone 15-20 km further inside Indian territory. This after having already intruded 18 km past our rightful border, he said in a statement.

Ramesh alleged that the Modi government has already ceded territory in Galwan, Pangong Tso, Gogra Post and Hot Springs by agreeing to buffer zones inside Indian territory in return for a Chinese withdrawal.

The Modi government must stand firm against China. India cannot lose access to the 1,000 sq. km. Depsang Plains that separate Chinese and Pakistani forces and is crucial to any defence of Ladakh.

PM Modis public clean chit to China on June 19th, 2020, immeasurably weakened Indias negotiating position and the country is paying a heavy price for it. Its bad enough that the Modi government has failed to restore the status quo in the last three years. To allow it to worsen would be unforgivable, Ramesh said in the statement.

He cited media reports which claimed that China has demanded the creation of buffer zone inside India-claimed lines in the Depsang Plains.

The Congress has been demanding status quo ante as on May 2020 at the border in eastern Ladakh. The party has also been alleging that Indian troops have lost control over patrolling points ever since the troops of both the countries clashed at the border in 2020 in which many soldiers lost their lives.

The Depsang Plains along with Pangong Tso are the two major areas of concern in the ongoing standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

With inputs from agencies

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Jammu and Kashmirs Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Tuesday that the Union Territory has suffered state-sponsored terrorism by Pakistan for 30 years but the terror ecosystem has now been isolated.

Sinha said the Union Territory is now witnessing a new era that has opened limitless possibilities for growth and peace.

For almost 30 years, this land of peaceful co-existence of almost all religious sects had to suffer state-sponsored terrorism by our neighbouring country, he said at the inaugural session of the third tourism working group meeting of G20 countries at SKICC.

The terror ecosystem has now been isolated through developmental schemes launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Territorys effective administration, he asserted.

Sinha said Prime Minister Modi has completely eliminated injustice, exploitation and discrimination which several sections of society faced for seven long decades owing to circumstances that evolved mostly because of orchestration from abroad.

J-K stands among the developed regions of India on some measurable milestones, and we are committed to peoples prosperity both economically and socially, he said.

Now even foreign investments are coming into Jammu and Kashmir, the green shoots of better times that people are anxiously looking up to, he added.

Grassroots democracy has been strengthened, new industries are coming up, rapid agricultural growth is making our villages prosperous, infrastructure development is progressing rapidly and our emphasis on technology is transforming J-K into a digital society, he added.

Referring to the boom in tourism, Sinha said last year a record of over 18 million tourists visited the union territory. Tourism contributed more than seven per cent to J-Ks GDP last year, he added.

The LG said more than 300 films were shot in J-K last year and after a long pause of almost four decades, J-K has revived its relationship with Bollywood and launched a film policy in 2021 to attract more investment into film sector and to make Jammu Kashmir most popular film shooting destination.

I am confident that under PMs leadership, J-K will soon find its place in top 50 destinations of the world and will be on the bucket list of travellers across the globe, he said.

He said J-K is developing the countrys largest book village on the banks of Wular Lake, in north Kashmirs Bandipora district, and many hiking trails for tourists who love tranquillity of nature.

Our aim is to make the countryside and popular destinations more sustainable and preserve the beauty of fascinating heritage sites, he said.

He said tourism cannot grow in isolation, but needs good infrastructure, sound policies and effective and responsive administration.

No less fundamental to me is the fact that only peace and happiness of people can bring warmth in the hospitality, we Indians eternally enjoy. I would like to mention here that tourism in Jammu and Kashmir is also a reflection of multi-religious and multi-cultural ethos of India, he said.

Sinha said it is a matter of great pride for 13 million citizens of the Union Territory to host the G20 meeting of tourism working group that is deliberating on global architecture for sustainable tourism.

The world can see that entire society, especially, the young generation is scripting a bright future for themselves and the nation. The speed and scale of rapid development in Jammu Kashmir are awe-inspiring, he added.

With inputs from agencies

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Budapest May 23 (UNI) Hungary has signed an agreement with Qatar on the purchase of natural gas, the countries plan to develop economic cooperation, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said after talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Over the past year, we have learned that Qatar is a country of key importance for Europe. The European economy has made up for a significant part of the missing Russian gas with LNG coming from here... We agreed on energy cooperation, we will also buy gas from here - it is always better to stand on several legs than on one," Orban said in a video message from Doha posted on Facebook (banned in Russia for extremism).

He also said that after talks, the leaders of Hungary and Qatar also agreed to develop infrastructure and air traffic, cooperate in communications and agriculture, thus opening up a good prospect for Qatari-Hungarian economic cooperation.

The Hungarian prime minister also said Qatar, like Hungary, is ready to mediate in a peaceful settlement in Ukraine.

UNI/SPUTNIK GNK
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade has imposed new conditions for cough syrup exporters making it mandatory to undertake testing of their products at specified government labs from June 1 before getting permission for the outbound shipments.

The decision is taken after a number of countries raised allegations against made-in-India cough syrups, a senior official familiar with the matter said.

The export of cough syrup shall be permitted to be exported subject to export samples being tested and production of a certificate of analysis issued by any of the laboratories, with effect from June 1, 2023, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification on Monday.

The specified central government labs include Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, regional drug testing lab (RDTL  Chandigarh), central drugs lab (CDL  Kolkata), central drug testing lab (CDTL  Chennai Hyderabad, Mumbai), RDTL (Guwahati)] and the NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited drug testing labs of state governments.

Concerned over repeated allegations came from the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Gambia, and Uzbekistan, WHO issued alerts against cough syrups made by Indian manufacturers.

Explaining further, an official said to re-emphasise Indias commitment towards assuring the quality of various pharmaceutical products exported from India, the central government has decided to initiate a process of a pre-quality check of the cough syrup formulations being exported.

The finished goods (cough syrup in this case) are to be tested at laboratories before being permitted for export, the official said, adding that necessary steps are being taken to ensure the smooth implementation of this testing requirement, and MoHFW would partner with the state governments and the exporters to ensure smooth implementation of this notification.

In February, the Tamil Nadu-based Global Pharma Healthcare recalled its entire lot of eye drops. Before that, India-made cough syrups were allegedly linked to the deaths of 66 and 18 children in Gambia and Uzbekistan, respectively, last year.

India exported cough syrups worth $17.6 billion in 2022-23 as against $17 billion in 2021-22. The Indian pharmaceutical industry is a prominent manufacturer and exporter of medical products to the entire globe; ranging from highly developed countries to the LMIC (low and middle-income countries)..

India is the largest provider of generic drugs globally, supplying over 50 per cent of global demand for various vaccines, about 40 per cent of generic demand in the US and about 25 per cent of all medicine in the UK.

Globally, India ranks third in terms of pharmaceutical production by volume and 14th by value.

The industry includes a network of 3,000 drug companies and about 10,500 manufacturing units. It facilitates the availability and supply of high-quality, affordable and accessible medicines around the world. India enjoys an important position in the global pharmaceuticals sector.

Presently over 80 per cent of the antiretroviral drugs used globally to combat AIDS are supplied by Indian pharmaceutical firms.

With inputs from agencies

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India with its vast population, thriving digital economy and technology use is poised to leverage the transformative power of 5G, and in the future 6G, to catapult itself to the forefront of digital innovation, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the US-India 5G and next-generation networks workshop, Garcetti said India and the US through their shared values recognise that technology is not only about faster speeds or better connectivity, but also a gateway to progress, and reflection of development.

India, with its vast population, its thriving digital economy, the use of technology that in some ways is leapfrogging other nations around the world, is poised to leverage the transformative power of 5G and 6G to catapult itself to the forefront of the digital revolution, the US Ambassador said at the workshop organised by the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA).

The shared vision of the two nations and their leaders is about a digital economy built around transparency, and accountability to the people, the rule of law and the protection of basic rights.

Those are things that bring us together and are in contrast to others who seek technology for other means. So to build that inclusive and digital future that nourishes these values, we have to take into account security, trust, openness and interoperability from the beginning, he said.

The US is seeking to support India and other nations in promoting the responsible global deployment of 5G and next-generation networks.

Trust is an absolute necessity when it comes to 5G, he asserted.

We know its impossible to eliminate all security risks, but we can minimise the possibility that the architects who build the networks will abuse those networks to undermine their security, confidentiality, integrity, and availability, he said adding that the US and India are committed to collaborating on this mission.

Users too need to trust their networks since their most sensitive and personal information flows through them.

trust cannot exist if theyre compelled by authoritarian governments to disclose data with no realistic legal discourse or disclosure. So there are alternatives that we are working on together that include open and interoperable approaches and architectures, he said.

India with its G20 presidency this year can help drive trusted solutions and architecture to developing nations.

In the developed world, India too can become a vital part of our supply chain to de-risk the world Garcetti said.

The technology used for goodwill drives economic progress, boost health indicators, and strengthen security of the world and nations. The US-India relationship is not transactional but a personal one, with shared values, he added.

Telecom Secretary K Rajaraman said India sees telecom as the biggest tool for economic and social inclusion. So it is very important that the technology is harnessed for the benefit of the excluded, Rajaraman said adding that over the past years, the Indian government has taken a slew of measures to ensure that tech benefit flows to the bottom of the pyramid.

The launch of satellite broadband services will happen sometime next year, he added.

So we already have a constellation of OneWeb and we have given the preliminary licences to them. We also have another licence from Jio platforms. We also have Starlink who is discussing with us. So we hope that next year we will have a fairly good robust network comprising all the three solutions to cater to every region of this country, the telecom secretary said.

Over the next months and years, technology will become affordable and converged for users. So its very essential that as we move up the technology chain that standards are ensuredthis principle of affordability, inclusion, and at the same time move forward in the form of far greater capabilities and features. So we believe that theres a great opportunity for all of us, especially in India and the US to collaborate at international fora, including the ITU where all these standards are discussed, Rajaraman said.

Lack of access to technology and connectivity across the world even today for 2.6 billion people in the digital era, is a global shame.

in this era of 5G and 6G, you cant have this kind of numbers on this planet, and also speaks very badly of how technology is deployed and how tech is purposedand we are very conscious of that, he said.

Pushing a collaborative approach, he said all countries must join hands and participate in developing technology, or technology will never serve the purposes of all the sections of society across the world.

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At least six people were killed and 13 others were injured after a ST (state transport) bus collided with a truck near Sindkhed Raja town of Maharashtras Buldhana district on the Nagpur-Pune highway on Tuesday around 7 am.

The bus, belonging to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), was enroute Mehkar in Buldhana from Pune when it collided with a speeding truck which was coming from the opposite direction.

Among the deceased were four bus passengers and drivers of both the vehicles, news agency PTI quoted an official as saying.

The injured were rushed to Sindkhedaraja Hospital. A report by India Today quoted SP HSP Nagpur saying that four people are in serious condition.

A report by NDTV said that the truck (involved in the accident), appeared to be working with a logistics firm.

The visuals from the accident spot show vehicles heavily damaged, indicating the speed in which both the vehicles were travelling at the time of the collision.

Local residents rushed to the spot to rescue people from the mangled vehicles.

The names of the deceased are yet to be ascertained.

This is a developing story. More updates to be followed.

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Billed the longest sea bridge in the country, the 16.5 km long deck of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Sea Link (MTHL), will be completed by May 26, government officials said on Tuesday. The MTHL will be the first bridge in India to have an Open Road Tolling (ORT) system and is expected to make travel from Sewri in central Mumbai to Chirle in Navi Mumbai smoothly possible in about 15 to 20 minutes, reducing travel time significantly for commuters on this stretch.

Once the entire deck for the sea link is laid, vehicles will be allowed on the bridge, according to a report by Times Now.

The sea bridge will be 22-km-long comprising 5.5 km via ducts on land on both sides while running over the sea. Nearly 70,000 vehicles are likely to travel across it daily in both directions.

With this project, the government aims to alleviate traffic congestion and stimulate economic development in the region.

It is a 6-lane road bridge plus 2 emergency lanes, spanning the harbour between Sewri on the Mumbai side and Chirle in Navi Mumbai on the mainland, and would be the longest sea bridge in India after completion.

Estimated to cost around Rs 18,000 crore, the project is being implemented on a Design-Build basis with a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

After the deck launch, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will shift its focus to other tasks including waterproofing, asphalting, and the construction of crash barriers along the sea link.

The MMRDA will also commence the installation of CCTV cameras, lampposts, and toll infrastructure. With the ORT system, commuters would have a seamless passage through toll booths at speeds of up to 100 km without the need to slow down.

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After Congress held meetings in New Delhi to consult opposition parties on Delhis decision to go against the BJP-ruled Central governments ordinance on the transfer of powers from the Delhi government, senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said that the grand old party should not back Aam Aadmi (AAP) in its fight.

How can they (AAP) make their fight, peoples fight? They say they have done a lot of work in education, health The credit that they take, is also the work of the officers deployed in Delhi, did they bring officers from Andaman & Nicobar Islands? They are scared that they are trapped now. They are dodging peoples attention. They are trapped in liquor scams & other scams, Maken said.

#WATCH | How can they (AAP) make their fight, peoples fight? They say they have done a lot of work in education, health The credit that they take, is also the work of the officers deployed in Delhi, did they bring officers from Andaman & Nicobar Islands? They are scared that pic.twitter.com/SfDp02c1Es  ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

Congress has taken a different route than other opposition parties like Janata Dal (United) and Trinamool Congress, whose leaders met Kejriwal to extend their support to the Delhi government.

Delhi Congress Chief Chaudhary Anil Kumar said, The Kejriwal government has created a chaotic and unsettling situation, and in such an atmosphere, it was difficult for officials to carry out their duty with honesty and sincerity. Presidents rule should be imposed in Delhi after sacking the Kejriwal government so that development and welfare work, which has been held up for the past nine years, can start.

Soon after BJP issued the ordinance on Friday, AAP staged a dharna outside Lieutenant Governor VK Saxenas residence. Congress was quick to term the protest as shocking and illogical.

Maken added, Arvind Kejriwal should first clarify his stand on three issues which also played out in the same Rajya Sabha where he is asking the opposition to rally around him regarding the ordinance.

What about the removal of Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir by the BJP-led Centre, which he supported; not signing the impeachment motion introduced by the Congress against Dipak Misra; and not signing the no-confidence motion against the Deputy Chairperson of the RS following that, the Congress leader added.

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Around 400 coins dating back to the Mughal era were found during the construction work at a temple in Uttar Pradeshs Saharanpur, according to the local authorities.

The Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sagar Jain said a few labourers stumbled upon the coins at night while digging soil for erecting a boundary wall at the Sati Dham temple in Hussainpur village, reported PTI.

After being informed about the discovery, the police reached the spot and took the coins in their custody, he added.

Jain said the coins having inscriptions in Arabic language were used during the Mughal period.

Mr Jain also said that the archaeological department will examine the coins and confirm the metal used in making them.

Most of the coins found are estimated to be around 350 years old and the weight of each coin is more than 11 grams. According to media reports, each coin in the market has a value of around Rs 3,500.

Rajeev Upadhyay, a historian and writer, told Amar Ujala that most of the coins found are from the era of Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. He said that the coins are made of silver, on which Farsi language is written.

Shah Alam II was born in 1728 and died in the year 1806.

With inputs from agencies

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The Indian Navy has successfully carried out engagement of a sea-skimming supersonic target using its latest indigenous guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao.

Indian Navys latest indigenous guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao successfully carried out engagement of sea-skimming supersonic target. This maiden endeavour showcases INs Future Proof Combat Readiness and commitment towards Aatma Nirbhar Bharat, the Indian Navy said in a statement.

Named after the historic port city of Goa on the West coast, Mormugao coincidentally undertook her first sea sortie on December 19, 2021, when Goa celebrated 60 years of liberation from Portuguese rule.

The ship measures 163 m in length, and 17m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes and can rightfully be regarded as one of the most potent warships to have been constructed in India, said Indian Navy.

The ship is propelled by four powerful Gas Turbines, in a Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) configuration, capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots. The ship has enhanced stealth features resulting in a reduced Radar Cross Section (RCS).

Mormugao is packed with sofisticated weapons and sensors such as Surface to Surface Missile and Surface to Air Missiles. The ship is fitted with a modern Surveillance Radar which provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems of the ship.

The indigenously developed Rocket Launchers, Torpedo Launchers and ASW helicopters provide the ships Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities. It is equipped to fight under nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare conditions, said the Ministry of Defence.

(With inputs from ANI)

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When Imran Khan came to power in 2018, it was merely the second time Pakistan witnessed a civilian transfer of power in its history of periodic tumult and consequent military rule. For a country, whose previous such democratic event was when the nation gained independence over seven decades ago, the bloodless transfer of power was at once, an ignominious and a historic occasion.

Another season of soap opera in Pakistan

One wondered then: Was Pakistan finally turning to a democracy or had the army grown less ambitious? Neither was true. Imran was a product of the armys system but had overstepped the line. His ascension and the armys absence proved to be a mere hiatus  an undesignated pitstop  as Pakistans uniformed policymakers burst onto centre stage this year, with the familiarity of a hustling patriarch who hastened to office after having overstayed a holiday. The only difference being that this time the blustery appeal of a loud Punjabi soap opera that usually accompanies power play in Pakistani politics failed to amuse its citizens  it resembled a foggy nation state clutching on to IMF straws in debt winds, and yet found a brazenness to make the proverbial death wish. Dont go gently into that night, said the poet Dylan Thomas  a line Imran has taken to heart, spawning memes about his detention that span from the risible to the bizarre, with the return to democracy well nigh improbable. The army has ruled for so long that they are now ready to divide up the support for Imran, take desperate measures to ensure that politicians dont overstep again.

Why nations fail? The importance of early years

Pakistan is undergoing a political catharsis, which can have a likely outcome of its military becoming more entrenched and warier than ever after a triumphant return, if they were to affect one. Reams are expected to be written in the weeks to come and more drama will likely unfold before the climax. However, going back to the intriguing piece of statistic about Pakistans failed tryst with democracy, it is instructive to note that out of the 66 countries that attained freedom in the period between 1947 and 1950, around half of them failed as democracies or were taken over by martial law, they either turned unstable for prolonged periods or slid into civil war. In this medley of modern states born after the Second World War, India is one of the rare beacons of democracy and stability.

Most nation states that became independent in the previous century, adopted democracy to begin with. However, in most cases, the political system began to develop fissures in the first two decades of their existence. Pakistan, formed by Mohammed Ali Jinnah, as a young democracy needed just 11 years to slide into a military dictatorship. Myanmar was born as a democracy in 1948 but within 14 years, 1962, General Ne Win captured power. Myanmar has been run by military juntas ever since, with civilian governments for very brief periods in between. Sudan, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Maldives, Bangladesh, Fiji, Nepal, and many others have similarly found themselves facing military takeovers or tremendous political instability  with most of them struggling to maintain democracy and stability within the first two decades.

It can be argued that African nations were often victims of Cold War weapons trade and power-broking that pitted leaders opposite each other in internal wars. However, a nation states internal stability has been defined by the consistency of its governance, which in turn is the result of the robustness of institutions established early on in its existence as a modern state. It is the framework of institutions in a democracy that can help avert instability or thwart ambitious dictatorial tendencies.

India: Role of institutions and reforms

The tenets laid down for Indias democracy and its institutions in its first twenty years are a case in point. Like Pakistan, India inherited an experienced bureaucracy and military alongside a political class that had earned its stripes as an effective protesting force but had been untested in national governance. What did the political class in India do? Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru kept civilian control of the military and ensured that a situation around a military coup didnt arise. The subordination of the military to political authority with the ascent of defence minister Krishna Menon had its downsides in national crises such as wars, especially with the defence ministers meddling in areas of military planning. However, at a headline level in terms of establishing democratic stability, fairness and sound governance, India had ensured that its civilian institutions remained above board.

Making a Choice: Civilian Governance or Military Rule?

Manoj Joshi, journalist and strategic commentator, writes that during the first interim government in 1946, Nehru kept the Commander-in-Chief out of the Cabinet and insisted that all communications came through the civilians in the Ministry of Defence (MoD). This was amongst the first reforms that changed the colonial system where the Commander-in-Chief was the Army Chief and the Minister of Defence. Subsequently, the civilian bureaucracys lack of understanding of national security matters didnt go down well with military leaders and brought serious challenges in civil-military relations, especially during wars in this period  the 1962 India-China conflict being a case in point. However, adopting the functional principle of civilian supremacy over the military at the beginning helped build institutional effectiveness in governance.

Author and Singapore-based academic Anit Mukherjee says that within the Indian army too, there was an emphasis to remain apolitical and not interfere in the affairs of the state. Thus, Nehrus early focus on nation building and socio-economic development, through robust institutions of justice and administration, with an emphasis on science and industrialisation gave India a culture of democracy that found a natural arbiter in an unbiased electoral process.

On the other hand, on 8 October 1948, Pakistan prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan, in his broadcast to the nation, said: The defence of the State is our foremost consideration and has dominated all other government activities. We will not grudge any amount on the defence of our country. Veena Kukreja and MP Singh emphasise in their book Pakistan: Democracy, Development and Security Issues about Pakistans prioritisation of security establishments over political institutions and believe that the institutional poverty of Pakistan is the result of the birth, development and demise of a number of political institutions, none of which took root.

Why military is the elite in failed democracies

Like the other failed political systems of the countries mentioned earlier, the political elite benefited from a newly independent country in Pakistan. The fact that it was carved out to create a separate religious identity helped create a narrative that harped on defending against a possible threat from India and about completing the unfinished business of Kashmir. Pakistani scholar Ayesha Jalal believes that scarce resources were diverted to the establishment of a political economy of defence. Besides, unlike India, there were no land reforms in Pakistan after its independence.

As Maya Tudor writes in her book The Promise of Power: The Origins of Democracy in India and Autocracy in Pakistan, A colonially entrenched landed aristocracy formed and dominated the independence movement for Pakistan made it highly unlikely that a country governed by such a movement would become democratic. The military class, thus progressively grew to become the economic, social, and political elite. The middle class, thriving and vocal in India, was virtually rendered non-existent in Pakistan as the gap between the landed and oppressed grew wider in the absence of land reforms. In the absence of equitable economic development, ethnic divides began to show up.

In Myanmar, another country in the region wracked by a continued military dictatorship, the ethnic divides were never addressed in the first two decades of its democracy and the institutions of governance and justice never grew strong. The military junta took over in 1962 and has run the country for most of the decades to follow. In 2015, when Aung San Suu Kyi took over as the civilian de facto leader of the country, it promised to usher in a new era of democracy, given her stature. But the military threw her out in 2021, sensing that a continued democracy will remove their hold on power.

How do dictators deal with stirrings of democracy? Choices for Pakistan

Military dictatorships do not tolerate long periods of democracy and find means of breaking up opposition to their rule. In Myanmar, the military has swept aside all protests by eminent people  who dont count when the country is ruled by an iron hand. The Myanmar experience is instructive in Pakistans case too. The army believes this is their country; politicians only come and go, says Lt General Rakesh Sharma of the Vivekananda International Foundation about the current situation in Pakistan. Pointing to the possible counter strategy the Pakistani army could adopt, Lt Gen Sharma writes that issues that bind the nation, and rejuvenate its nationalism and patriotism are anti-Indianism and the Jammu and Kashmir issue. These could be time-tested and assured routes to resurrection of Pakistan military in the public eye, he feels.

As Pakistan lurches from one crisis to the other to decide who comes out on top, its system will continue to be defined by an inability to separate political governance from military hubris. As Indias experience shows, the foundation of a modern nation is created in its first twenty years of successful nation-building. The history of Pakistans tottering stability as a state was penned when Fatima Jinnah, the nations founders sister, was defeated by the dictator General Ayub Khan in the early years, and the latter remarked that if she was indeed the mother of the nation or madar-e-millat, she should at least behave like one. Which was, stay at home. Nothing much has changed.

Seven decades later, the army has grown much more powerful and is unlikely to let Imran step out of line. Military dictators are terrified of popular civilian leaders and are forever conspiring to make political dissent disappear  and they are likely to succeed using the force at their command, especially in a country such as Pakistan whose people are unfamiliar with freedom and democracy.

The writer is the author of Watershed 1967: Indias Forgotten Victory over China. His fortnightly column for FirstPost  Beyond The Lines  covers military history, strategic issues, international affairs and policy-business challenges. Views expressed are personal. Tweets @iProbal

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As India makes rapid strides towards global eminence as a geostrategic and economic heavyweight, she also comes across an array of security challenges, ranging from hybrid and conventional to information, propaganda and digital threats. Some of them resurface like skeletons from the old cupboards. Khalistan extremism is one such challenge. Though Indias main threat from religious terrorism and extremism with a pan-India spread historically comes from Islamic extremism, Sikh separatism-cum-extremism has also posed a serious challenge to Indias security and territorial integrity, particularly in the 80s and 90s. However, unlike Islamic extremism and terrorism, the Khalistan separatist and extremist movement was purely a Pakistan-sponsored sabotage project and had no grounds in the Sikh religious tenets and scriptures, the movement petered out.

The basic essence of Sikhism and Sanatan being the same, excesses committed against Hindus, violent terrorist attacks, intimidation of those Sikhs who disagreed with Khalistanis and links with ISI exposed Khalistanis as opportunistic vendors of brutality and bloodshed with no regard for Sikh values and teachings. It led to their near-total annihilation from Punjab, ideologically and physically. Nevertheless, they could still carry their extremist agenda and subversive activities in the Western world, portraying themselves as victims of oppression and injustice at the hands of the Indian state and Hindus.

Resurgence of Khalistani activities

In particular, the Khalistan activities have strengthened over the last six to seven years. This has coincided with Indias robust force posture on internal and external security matters manifest in the various measures like a harsh crackdown on Pakistan-backed militancy in Kashmir, terror funding, Uri surgical strikes and Balakot strikes, banning Jamaat-i-Islami, abrogating Article 370, passing CAA/NRC laws, proscribing PFI and tough stance against the Chinese aggression in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. Hence, it is not unreasonable to conclude that once again Indias adversaries have ramped up their efforts to sabotage Indias growth and territorial integrity through Khalistan proxies. However, the discussion on the links of Pakistan and other state actors with Khalistan extremists is not the main focus of this article. In mainland Punjab, they have attempted to revive the terrorist and extremist activities under the leadership of new Bhindrawale-styled poster boys like Amrit Pal Singh.

However, their uncontrolled presence and activities abroad, particularly, in the West have been a major concern for India having a debilitating impact on Delhis diplomatic ties with the West. Following the referendum 2020 by the Sikhs for Justice, Khalistani activists have attacked Hindu temples and religious institutions, Indian consulates and attacked non-Sikh Indians and those Sikhs who disagree with their ideology in the US, Canada, UK, New Zealand and Australia. They have indulged in massive online hate propaganda and information war against India.

India and the West are exploring new terrains of cooperation in security, intelligence, technology and economy, in the backdrop of expansionist China; however, Khalistani activists unrestricted anti-India propaganda and subversive activities in the West generate friction. It has resulted in a large section of Indias strategic establishment questioning the Wests credibility. Senior policymakers are untrustworthy of the West and nurture apprehensions about the involvement or the tacit support of the state and its intelligence agencies to anti-India subversion, particularly Khalistanis. Recent incidents such as the attack on the Indian consulate in Britain have further strengthened such apprehensions.

The question that arises in the power corridors of North Block and South Block and the extended Indian security ecosystem comprising several think tanks and independent analysts and experts is what is the Wests stand on Khalistani extremism and terrorism? They say that if the West is serious against them and appreciates Indian concerns, they can not allow attacks on Indian consulates and temples. Secondly, what is their understanding or perception of Khalistani extremism or separatism?

Bloom review

The answers to these pertinent questions can be gleaned from the scattered and individual statements, declarations and policy pronouncements of the Western states. However, such attempts have failed to produce a consistent and nuanced view of the Western understanding of the Khalistani extremism. In this context, the report commenced by the British government to review how the government engages with faith provides us with a much clearer picture of the British governments understanding of and approach towards Khalistani extremism. The report commenced in 2019 and produced under the authorship and the overall supervision of Colin Bloom, the Independent Faith Engagement Advisor is titled Does Government do God? It has taken three years of rigorous investigation and research to produce and publish this report. This 60,000-page report is based on 21,000 responses collected from one of the largest public calls for evidence from the government. The findings based on one million pieces of data and thousands of other interactions make a comprehensive review of a highly sensitive subject having a major bearing on the national security of the UK and its ties with India.

The gravity of this report can also be gauged from the fact that former prime minister Boris Johnson, commenced it and along with four secretaries of state and the faith minister Stephen Greenhalgh championed it, and enabled it. The report in general is about how government engages with faith, people of faith and places of worship. However, its extant and nuanced discussion on Khalistan extremism in 13 pages shows that this national-level initiative has taken the Khalistan threat very seriously. Notably, in the chapter on faith-based extremism, the discussion on Khalistan extremism is the longest in terms of the pages and word limit as compared to the analysis of Islamic extremism, rising Hindu nationalism and Buddhist extremism.

Sikhs in UK

The report makes very insightful and interesting observations about the rising Sikh extremism and Khalistan activities. Tracing history, it informs that the Sikhs constitute one of the oldest minorities in the UK. However, the first major migration took place in 1950. According to the 2021 census, there are 5,24,000 Sikhs in England and Wales. They have higher employment standards and home ownership as compared to the Christians. There are about 250 gurudwaras in UK, the vast majority of which are governed by independently elected or selected local bodies. Notably, India-based Akal Takth and Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee exercise significant influence over them through their edicts (hukumnama) and advice notes (Sandesh).

Khalistan movement

Bloom Review expresses serious concern over the divisions in the Sikh community caused by an extremist fringe ideology within the pro-Khalistan movement. However, the review opines that the promotion of the Khalistan ideals in itself is not subversive. Further, it says, but the subversive, aggressive and sectarian actions of some pro-Khalistan activists and the subsequent negative effect on wider Sikh communities should not be tolerated. (pg 123)

The Bloom Review categorically states that: Propagating hate and divisions, trying to brainwash youth to cause divisions and hate in India, [is] really sad. [Some Sikh extremist groups] are using places of worship to fund or getting funds under name of faith and spearheading hate, these types of organisations shouldnt be allowed to operate in our great country. (pg 123)

Demolishing the myths of the grand Khalistan narrative with massive support, as it is projected, the review says that only a small minority of Sikhs support and are involved in Khalistan activism. The majority of Sikhs do not subscribe to their views. However, this small minority controls the Gurudwaras and uses them to generate funding and recruit youth for their extremist and divisive agenda and instils them with hatred and violence. While discussing the scarce support base of Khalistanis, the review also highlights that the Khalistani motives have no religious content, they are purely political. Such duplicity and dishonesty become more obvious when they hardly talk about the excesses faced by Sikhs in Pakistani Punjab and refrain from uttering a single word about including Pakistani Punjab in Khalistan i.e. imagined Sikh homeland.

In the review, most of the Sikh respondents, including prominent community and religious leaders, expressed serious concern about the small minority of Khalistan extremists presenting a belligerent picture of Sikh community. As per their testimonies, if the British government fails to distinguish between the subversive Khalistani extremists and the mainstream Sikh community, it would be turning a blind eye to religious extremism.

The reviews evidence-gathering exercise also found several cases of mainstream Sikhs being intimidated and threatened directly or indirectly through family members by the Khalistani activists. Former premier of British Columbia, Ujjwal Dosanj was threatened by the Sikh extremists for speaking against them. Bloom Review states: Because of their fear of retribution, they spoke under the condition of anonymity, but their stories were all very similar. At times they have felt disparaged, victimised, harassed or threatened by aggressive Sikh activists who do not hesitate to abuse or bully anyone who either criticises them or does not follow or support their opinion. Many have been intimidated and called traitors, impure, nastic (infidel) and patits (heretics). Members of different political parties who have served in public office have given examples of how they felt pressured to do what these activists wanted, and how some Sikh activists claim to have power over not only the ballot box, but also the selection processes of different local parliamentary and political bodies. One public servant said they would live in fear of retribution if they were to speak out against the ideological narrative of the activists. (pg 125)

This phenomenon is very similar to the tactics of Jamaat-e-Islami in Kashmir. In J&Ks rural areas, colleges and other social and public spaces Jamaat rank and file maintain a psychological domination through terror and intimidation. Those who do not agree with them and their armed wings like Hizbul such as the famous journalist Shujaat Bukhari and activist Babur Qadri are either killed, boycotted or threatened.

Another Khalistani tactic in common with terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, Lashkar and ISIS is the distortion, misrepresentation and selective use of historical incidents, contexts and tales to legitimise their violent and extremist activity and hatred towards Hindus. Along the lines of Islamic terrorist groups, they are trying hard to use Sikh religious history, teachings and scriptures also. However, it is proving to be extremely challenging as the common philosophical essence, origins and ritualistic and socio-cultural overlapping between Sikhism and Hinduism is so obvious and deep-rooted that it can not be blatantly refuted unless one makes sweeping changes in the text itself.

Dwelling more upon their tactics the review expresses concern over such fringe Khalistani groups getting disproportionate amounts of attention despite their small number. They also amplify their influence by creating aliases, proxies and masquerading as human rights activities. Such tactics are also used to seek legitimacy. Also, Khalistani activists upload videos full of alarmingly dangerous and offensive imagery and language on social media portals such as iTunes, YouTube and Facebook to glorify extremist behaviour and incite violence. Such professionally curated videos depict graphic abduction, murder and torture of Indian leaders and they also glorify dead Khalistani terrorists. Many such YouTube channels have subscribers in thousands.

Such videos are also uploaded by Kashmir-centric terrorist groups such as Peoples Anti-Fascist Front, The Resistance Front, Lashkar and Jaish. These striking similarities confirm ISIs robust role in running the Khalistan movement, in strategic and tactical matters both. Bloom Review recommends that: It is vitally important that the government develops a more comprehensive understanding of the tactics and methods some Sikh activists employ to divert public attention away from their subversive agenda. (pg 127)

Cautioning the British government, the report mentions that the parliamentary authorities should be watchful and not engage with Khalistan activists and leaders involved in subversion, intimidation and threats. The mainstream Sikh leadership should be roped in to represent the community in higher government-level engagement.

Finally, the review makes a powerful recommendation leaving no doubts about its perception of Khalistani extremist groups as similar to other international faith-based terror groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS, and its staunch disapproval of Khalistani activists subversive tactics and agenda:

Government should clearly define and investigate extremist activity and identify where this exists within the Sikh community, taking steps to develop a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of subversive and sectarian Sikh extremist activity. Government should ensure that unacceptable and extremist behaviours are not inadvertently legitimised by government or parliamentary engagement. The reconsideration of previous decisions regarding the activity and legality of certain groups should be included. This will require improving faith literacy across government and the parliamentary estate, particularly on intrafaith issues, so government can be more discerning regarding engagement and representation within British Sikh communities. (pg 123)

Conclusion: Taking the bull by its horns

In one of my previous articles, for TNI, I had argued on similar lines- that Khalistanis do not represent mainstream Sikhs, they have no grounds in Sikh religious philosophy and they are intrinsically opposed to human rights and liberal values just like Islamic extremist and terrorist groups. However, that was a view of an independent analyst for which I received a lot of criticism from various human rights quarters for my analysis. But, finally, coming from independent agencies and official quarters, this report calls a spade a spade.

The Bloom Review merits special attention from Indias Ministry of External Affairs, Sikhs, the larger strategic community, academia and the media because it is the first comprehensive report from the Western world which, in essence, puts the Khalistanis at par with other transnational terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, IS and other Islamic extremist and terrorist groups. Secondly, the review categorically states that Khalistanis can exercise a considerable influence in the political quarters of Britain, Canada and other Western nations, despite their small percentage. They can do it because of their hold over the vote banks, use of aliases, intimidation of mainstream Sikhs and the parliamentarians and policy makers poor faith literacy and inadequate understanding of Khalistani extremism and Sikhism. Thirdly, the report also highlights that Khalistanis can exercise significant influence on the narrative because of their nexus with left-liberal human rights activists. In several instances, Khalistan activists act under the garb of human rights activists. Thirdly, the report comes out as an objective study purely from a faith perspective, devoid of any ulterior political or agenda-building objectives.

The writer is the founder and CEO of Usanas Foundation, a foreign policy and national security thinktank. A Cornell University grad in public affairs, and the author of Radicalisation in India: An Exploration. He is an expert on terrorism, intelligence, and foreign affairs. His book on terror financing will be released soon. He writes for Usanas Foundation, The National Interest (US), and Haaretz (Israel). Views expressed are personal.

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Circa 1992. In February 1992, the then president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin visited India. He went back to Moscow with an extremely attractive deal that definitely benefited Russia, who was then struggling on economic front. India then owed Russia 9.87 billion, which then translated into Rs 31,377 crore. This balance was created due to the rupeerouble swap entered into between India and erstwhile Soviet Union in 1955 and the IndiaSoviet Trade Protocol of 1978.

According to these bilateral pacts, India and the erstwhile Soviet Union traded with each other in rupee and rouble. However, the trade between India and Soviet Union was lopsided in favour or Soviet Union. India imported defence hardware and supplies, machinery, etc. Against that India exported tea, coffee, tobacco, spices, pharmaceuticals, sugar, textiles, etc. It is pertinent to note that the rupeerouble exchange rate was pegged in favor of Soviet Union. In that era, Soviet Union imported many things like tea, textiles, etc which it could re-export to the West and earn US dollars. The favorable exchange rate benefited Soviet Union in this.

The Indian economy was in an abysmal state. Thanks to License Permit Quota (LPQ) Raj the manufacturing sector was extremely uncompetitive in quality and cost terms. There was no way that Indian manufacturing sector could sustain itself in the global market. Indias share in global trade was at rock bottom levels of around 0.53 per cent. Here, it is pertinent to note that Nehruvian economic idea of license, permits, and quota killed Indias competitiveness and Indias share crashed from around 1.78 per cent in 1950 to 0.53 per cent in 1991. It was quite natural that no country was really interested in buying Indian goods and naturally Indian rupees had no demand.

In such a situation, India owed Russia Rouble 9.87 billion or Rs31,377 crore. Russia was in severe need for US dollars. In this scenario, the 1992 Rupee Rouble Agreement offered the elbow room to both India and Russia to settle their accounts. According to the deal, India had to repay Rs 19,643 crore over a period of 12 years in annual installments and balance Rs 11,734 crore in 45 years in interest free annual instalments. Here, Yeltsin also provided a levy to India to export Indian goods to settle the outstanding due. Then, Indias exports to Russia stood at around Rs 2,500 crore and were declining due to host of reasons including economic problems in Russia. Finally, it took more than a decade for India to settle Moscows dues.

Fast forward to 202223. Russia has become the second largest exporter of crude oil to India. RussiaUkraine war and resultant sanctions by the United States of America forced Russia to sell crude oil to India at discounted prices. In FY 202223, Indias crude oil imports from Russia stood at around $31 billion and total imports from Russia is at $46 billion. Total crude oil imports of India stood at $161 billion and Russias share is around 20 per cent. Against that Indias exports to Russia is at a meager $9.9 billion. This translates in a trade deficit of $36 billion.

Add to this Indias imports of defence equipment and military hardware and spares etc., from Russia. India remains the biggest importer of Russian military hardware and defence equipment and in the period from 201722 Indias imports from Russia stood at $13 billion. In 2019, Russia was open to billing in Indian Rupees. However, with widening trade deficit and pile up of Indian rupees, Russia doesnt sound to be as enthusiastic as it was earlier.

The biggest reason for this is the fact that Indian rupee is not a fully convertible and freely tradable currency. India still remains an insignificant player in the global trade. Its share in global exports was less than 2 per cent and less than 3 per cent in global imports. In such a situation, transacting in Indian rupee in international currency markets is challenging. Major concerns of those holding Indian rupees in their forex reserves are twofold:

What to import from India to settle the account and dispose of rupees earned by exporting goods (and in case of Russia  military hardware) to India?

Which countries would be ready to accept payments in Indian Rupees while exporting goods to other countries holding Indian Rupee balances in it forex reserves? This is a challenge because those countries need to have an equivalent trade with India to settle its import bills in Indian Rupees. With a miniscule share in global exports, India is not in a position to make Indian Rupees attractive for other countries.

No doubts that countries like UAE have allowed UPI and transfer of funds from UAE to India in Indian rupees using Indias digital payment infrastructure. This is solely on the back of huge Indian diaspora working in UAE and repatriating rupees back to India. In this case, a significant part of the amount received from India in INR would be used for remitting money back to India. Along with this, UAE also imports many food and other merchandise products from India. Hence, it is relatively easy for UAE to opt for Rupee  Dirham Swap. It is pertinent to note that UAE Central Bank is discussing a $100 billion RupeeDirham Swap deal. However, the deal is still in the pipeline and we have to wait to see it becoming a reality.

It is also important for India to note that despite a having a 14 per cent share in global trade, the EU has not been as successful in replacing the US dollars and making the euro a reserve currency. Even today, the US dollar accounts for around 80 per cent of the global trade and 60 per cent of the total forex reserves.

To conclude, the exuberance of a large section of Indians on internationalisation of Indian rupee and dedollarisation appears to be a distant dream. India shall find the dream achievable only when its share in global trade rises significantly and India becomes competitive in international markets on cost and quality terms to compete with Chinese and Japanese merchandise products. As of now, India needs to focus on increasing its investments in export-oriented units and capturing a significant share in global market. Thereafter India can expect Indian Rupee to become a global reserve currency and global trade being transacted in Indian rupee.

The author is a chartered accountant and tweets from @sumeetnmehta. Views expressed are personal.

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Russia sees western military, biological activity as threat - Foreign Ministry

Moscow, May 23 (UNI) Moscow considers the West's military and biological activity as a threat to Russia's security, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said.

Ryabkov said such uncontrolled activities of the United States and its allies require close attention of the entire world community.

"We consider such activity by Western countries, including in former Soviet republics, as a real threat to the national security of the Russian Federation and other states - primarily those on whose territory it is conducted," he said in a statement on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website.
Following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022 and the subsequent chaos in Eurasian geopolitics (post-Soviet space), an important question that often arises is how Central Asia will define its identity in both global and regional geopolitics. This question is assuming importance in recent years because there will be a new kind of geopolitical chessboard in Eurasia in which Central Asian countries will give greater teething to their respective multi-vectorial foreign policy.

At the same time, though Russia is still the pre-eminent power in Central Asia, its economic weaknesses will allow it to maintain its dominant position for a longer period. However, a question that arises here is whether the United States is taking a lesser interest in Central Asia. This is more so after Washingtons withdrawal from Afghanistan.

On the other hand, European Union is confronting a geopolitical quagmire largely because of the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war and the subsequent energy and economic crisis, thus putting their earlier democratic promotion project in this part of the world on a backfoot. In this context, European countries are looking towards Central Asia as an alternative to Russian energy. Though China is trying to extend its leverage in Central Asia, however, the historical distrust of the Central Asian countries towards China, along with the recent unequal energy bargaining as well as asymmetric trade, is raising doubt about the nature of relations. Similarly, Turkeys neo-Ottoman legacy under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan towards Central Asia generated a sense of apprehension. So also, Iran is emerging as a major geopolitical player in Central Asian geopolitics. This is putting the Central Asian countries in a lurch of searching for a reliable geopolitical actor with whom they can develop a strong partnership. In this context, the Central Asian countries are looking towards India as a primary balancer in Central Asian geopolitics.

Trajectories of Central Asian Geopolitics

Some of the above-mentioned geopolitical trajectories need to be discussed at length to examine the contours of Central Asian geopolitics in the broader context of Eurasian geopolitics. Along with these factors, there is a need to relook at the geopolitical realignment within Central Asia that gives a clearer picture of Central Asian geopolitics. In this regard, one particular factor that needs to be highlighted here is that both countries are mending their fence under the new leadership of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. This can herald a new sort of cooperative geopolitical development in Central Asia and can enhance Central Asias security situation to some extent, as it is a fact that both Astana and Tashkent are competing with each other to expand their sphere of influence in Central Asia. This is in contrast to the growing rift between Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Similarly, there is an ever-increasing intra- Central Asian trade. This can be evident from the fact that the total trade among the Central Asia countries grew from 6.4 per cent in 2014 to 10.06 per cent in 2022, as per two economists Evgeny Vinokurov and Anton Malakhov of the Eurasian Development Bank in their report titled Tackling Central Asias Remaining Development Challenges. This is a positive move as far as stabilising the Central Asian economy is concerned. Similarly, the World Investment Report 2022, published by UNCTAD, highlights that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Flows to Central Asia rose by 12 per cent to $7 billion. Though the report highlights that FDI flows to Kazakhstan fell by 14 per cent to $3.2 billion, with declines in extractive industries and transportation. On the other hand, FDI Flows rose 18 per cent to $2 billion in Uzbekistan and 24 per cent to $1.5 billion in Turkmenistan (p.14). The pattern of FDI in Central Asia is an indicator of the fact that there is an upward tendency in the Central Asian economic structure.

Some of the above strategic elements provide a context to study the geopolitical importance of Central Asia in the tumultuous geopolitics of Eurasia. Three important prisms that define the interaction between Central Asian geopolitics in the framework of broader Eurasian geopolitics are: a) the nature of geopolitical interaction between Russia and Central Asia, especially in the context of the present war between Russia and Ukraine b) the significance of Central Asia in the realms of Eurasian geopolitics c) geo-economic engagement of Central Asia in the context of Eurasian geopolitics. As discussed above, these three prisms will shape Central Asias geopolitical dynamics.

Russia, the traditional player in Central Asian Geopolitics

As discussed above, the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war has forced the Central Asian countries to relook at their relations with Russia. This is a fact, but at the same time, it is also true that over the years, there has been a marked engagement between Russian and Central Asian leadership. This can be evident from the fact that Central Asian countries consistently supported Russia at the United Nations regarding the Russia-Ukraine war. Similarly, Russia renewed its pledge to provide full-scale assistance to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation(CSTO) when Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu visited Tajikistan in December 2022. So also, in the field of energy cooperation, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan are strengthening their gas cooperation, as evidenced by the disclosure made by the Russian Foreign Minister during his visit to Uzbekistan in April 2023.

With Kyrgyzstan, Russia is strategically moving to beef up the Joint Anti-Air Defence System. This can undoubtedly give Russia a tactical edge in air power manoeuvrability in this region. Similarly, with Turkmenistan, Russia remains the major trading partner in terms of energy despite China slowly emerging as a major energy customer of Ashgabat. It is also a fact that all five countries of Central Asia have yet to recognise Russias annexation of the breakaway regions of Ukraine. It is an assertive move on the part of the leadership of Central Asia vis-a-vis Russia. Similarly, in Kazakhstan, though Russia intervened (under the aegis of the Collective Security Treaty Organization(CSTO) to quell the situation in January 2022, as news reports suggest, it obstructed the flow of Kazakh oil through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). Thus, from the above strategic moves of Central Asian countries, one can infer that they are adopting a calculative move to engage with Russia. The relationship between Russia and Central Asia is rooted in historical continuity as well as geopolitical compulsions of both. This is also a fact that Central Asia is emerging as a major supplier of manpower to Russia in its war against Ukraine, as reported.

Thus, the present move on the part of the Russian Administration was more or less similar to the 19th-century strategic development. The occurrence of the Crimean War and the subsequent need for space propelled Russia under Tsar to move towards Turkestan(Central Asia), as Indian Historian Surendra Gopal writes in the article Driving the Wedge: The Russian Occupation of Tashkent 1865 (Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, 1974, Vol. 35, pp. 394-402). Gopal highlights in the same article that The Tsarist control also ensured safe bases for future Russian penetration and eliminated the need for taking measures for securing long and struggling lines of communication in the rear (p. 396). As mentioned above, the Tsarist strategic postulates can be recontextualised in the present context as Russia is strengthening its military bases in Central Asia to ward off the threat from China and minimising United States influence in Central Asia. This is a fact that Russia still sees Central Asia as its strategic backyard as it used to perceive it in the 19th century.

In this regard, it can be underlined that though there is a great deal of engagement between Russia and China, especially to counter the United States in the energy field, both appear to have not seen eye to eye in Central Asia in recent years. The strategic apprehensions between Moscow and Beijing are rooted in history. In this context, though the Eurasian Economic Cooperation Project of Russia is in a lull following the Russia- Ukraine war outbreak, Moscow is keen to expand its geoeconomic sphere of influence in Central Asia.

United States, the distant geopolitical player in Central Asia

Though the United States left Afghanistan, Central Asia as a geopolitical Pivot still holds importance for US foreign policy. The same can be seen in US Secretary of State Antony Blinkens visit to Kazakhstan in March 2023. In Astana, Bilken attended the meeting of C5+1 Foreign Ministers meeting. The visit of Bilken to Central Asia assumes significance when Russia is engaging in war with Ukraine. This may be a well-calculated strategic move on the part of Washington to bring Central Asia into its strategic fold while at the same time isolating Russia from this geopolitical space. The US Administration is quite apprehensive of Russias move into the Pivot of Eurasia, especially after the outbreak of the War between the two Slavic brotherly countries.

In this context, Washington is keen to encircle Russia through Central Asia. In this context, the priority Central Asian country is Kazakhstan, with whom Russia shares a long border. In this background, the US administration is keen to take advantage of the recent fissure in the relationship between the two countries. This makes Kazakhstan an ideal base for the US to encircle Russia. Similarly, the US is also keen to engage with Turkmenistan, which occupies a strategic vantage point bordering Afghanistan, Iran, and the Caspian Sea. The recent meeting between Turkmenistans Foreign Minister Rashid Merdov with US Secretary of State Bilken in April 2023 at Washington in a testimony to this. It is also a fact that the Western World, particularly the European countries, are eying the energy resources of the two Central Asian energy-rich countries, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. This is more so as these European countries face energy shortages due to sanctions on Russia, and Central Asia constitutes an important energy alternative for European countries in terms of accessing energy in this geopolitical space.

Turkey and Iran, the regional geopolitical actors

Some of this strategic development proves that Central Asia still occupies a central place in the geopolitical calculus of post-Soviet Eurasia. Turkey is also interested in navigating the geopolitics of Central Asia using its age-old geo-cultural relations and in the framework of the Turkic world. However, it has not succeeded much except in the rhetorical statements of Turkic World by the Central Asian and Turkic leadership. One major factor which impedes Turkeys influence in Central Asia is its negative image of patronising radicalist and terrorist forces in this geopolitical space under the leadership of Erdogan.

On the other hand, despite past hostility, the Central Asian countries are interested in mending their fences with Iran. Though Iran is under a spell of sanctions imposed by the US, Central Asian countries are eager to engage with Iran to end their geographical isolation regarding accessing the Sea routes. At the same time, Iran is also trying to strengthen relations with the Central Asian countries to counter Turkey and Pakistan, considered the two major arch-rivals of Teheran. The joining of Iran in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a member proves its intention to play an important role in the regional geopolitics of Central Asia and Eurasia in a broader sense.

China, the imperial geopolitical player

It is true that over the years, China has made an inroad into Central Asia and trade turnover with Central Asia stood at $32.1 Billion in 2022, as per the data provided by Serik Zhumangarin, Kazakhstans Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Integration at the China and Central Asian Summit and as reported in Astana Times. However, the trade is primarily asymmetric and dominated by the export of oil and gas from this region to China. This asymmetric trade fosters a Patron-Client relationship between China and Central Asia. In addition, China, through its OBOR Project, is hegemonising the geopolitics of Central Asia. One noteworthy aspect that needs attention is the growing apprehension about Chinas strategic move in Central Asia. It may be recalled here that the mutual suspicion between China and Central Asia is rooted in the annals of history.

Need for reform of SCO

Though the emergence of SCO as a regional bloc is giving a new dimension to the geopolitics of Eurasia, there is a need to reform this regional body to be more effective and relevant. The membership of Pakistan (a patron of international terrorism) in SCO is a major cause of concern. So also, Chinas support to Pakistan raises many questions regarding Beijings true intention to fight against terrorism. Along with these concerns, there is a need to change the name of this organisation from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to Eurasian Cooperation Organisation. This is because this regional organisation is no more confined to addressing the border disputes among China, three Central Asian countries- Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and, Kazakhstan and Russia. Not only the membership of this grouping has broadened in recent years, but SCO as a regional body is delving into new areas of cooperation like food security, climate change, greater economic cooperation etc.

India as a rising power in Central Asia

Being a major global power and a leading voice of the Global South how India looks at the strategic developments of Central Asia. In this context, three major structural factors determine Indias relations with Central Asia. These are: a) age-old historical ties rooted in a common geo-culture space b) present complex geopolitical realities c) the need to strengthen and institutionalise India and Central Asia cooperation. All these elements provide the necessary impetus to strengthen India and Central Asias bilateral relations.

India has been emphasising a stronger geo-cultural relationship with Central Asia. This provides the foundation for building a strong relationship between India and Central Asia. The formation of the India-Central Summit at an institutional level is a major milestone in strengthening India-Central Asia relations. The Central Asian countries are looking towards India to enhance cooperation in the field of trade as well as in the domain of technology, particularly in the field of information technology. Similarly, in the energy sector and the development of hydroelectricity, the Central Asian countries are also seeking Indias assistance. At the same time to end their geopolitical isolation, these countries of Central Asia are keen to join Indias Chabahar Port located in Iran.

It is a well-known fact that Indias initiative to boost connectivity with Central Asia through Chabahar can undoubtedly be considered a game-changing approach. This port provides an opportunity for Central Asian countries to access the Indian Ocean with minimal hindrances. However, the emergence of the Taliban in the power structure of Afghanistan is undoubtedly hindering the Central Asian countries accessibility to the Chahbahar port. But things will be normalised as India started exporting food grains to Afghanistan as per UN mandate using Chabahar Port. So also, the International North-South Transport Corridor promoted by India along with Iran and Russia is providing an opportunity for the Central Asian countries to boost their trade. Similarly, there is a move to link India with Central Asian countries through the Turkmenbashi Port located in Turkmenistan.

Over the years, Indias assistance to the Central Asian countries varies from aid in the health sector, capacity building, harnessing human potential, capacity building projects, etc. As Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in his address at the 3rd India-Central Dialogue in December 2021, stated, Our ties must now focus on 4Cs  Commerce, Capacity enhancement, Connectivity and Connectivity and Contacts. The Delhi Declaration of the 1st India-Central Asia Summit held in January 2022 highlighted the multi-faceted nature of Inda-Central Asia relations. In this context, it can be underlined here that the Summit highlighted the need for cooperation in the field of  medicine, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, education, technology, business process outsourcing (BPO), infrastructure, agriculture and processing of agricultural products, energy, space industry, textiles, leather and footwear industry, gems & jewellery, etc.. One moot question the Delhi Declaration emphasised was cooperation in the Solar Energy and hydrogen field. In this regard, it can be stated that India can provide substantial technical and financial assistance to Central Asian countries in harnessing solar energy and hydrogen. This can undoubtedly help Central Asian countries in ensuring a smooth renewable energy transition.

Emphasising the significance of Central Asia in Indias foreign policy calculous Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, in the above-mentioned India-Central Asia Summit, highlighted three cardinal points, namely: Central Asia is central to Indias vision of an integrated and stable extended neighbourhood. The second objective is to give an effective structure to our cooperation. This will establish a framework of regular interactions at different levels and among various stakeholders. And, the third objective is to create an ambitious roadmap for our cooperation.

The above speech of Prime Minister Modi aptly projects a cooperative geopolitical relationship between India and Central Asia. In this regard, three major geopolitical factors put India as the leading player in the moving geopolitics of Central Asia. These are: a) Central Asia as a coherent  geopolitical Pivot is looking towards India for sustainable cooperation to ensure stable peace in the context of tumultuous geopolitical crisis in the region. 2) Though Russia and China are preponderant external actors in Central Asia at present, the countries of Central Asia look more towards India for cooperation in the field of technology, food and agriculture and sustainable development. C) Kazakhstan, a leading Central Asian power, is, of late, more interested in joining the maritime trade through Indo-Pacific and needs Indias cooperation. In light of strategic developments, India is emerging as a key strategic actor in Central Asia.

Conclusion

Because of its location and as a geopolitical pivot, Central Asia occupies a prominent position in the geopolitics of Eurasia. Because of its location, any geopolitical developments, whether in the form of the Russia-Ukraine War, strategic development in the Indo-Pacific, or any form of strategic manoeuvring in Afghanistan, are bound to impact Central Asia. In this context, the notion of Centrality in the context of the geopolitics of Eurasia, as articulated by Ander Gunder Frank in his seminal article Centrality of Central Asia, remains relevant in the complex Eurasian geopolitics. At the same time, India is emerging as a major geopolitical actor in Central Asian geopolitics.

The author teaches at the School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi. Views expressed are personal.

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Barely days after the Supreme Court ruled that the elected Delhi government should have total control over transfers and appointments of bureaucrats in the capital, the Centre lost no time in bringing in a special law, making the Lt Governor, who is appointed by the Centre incidentally, the final arbiter in the matter. The main opposition Congress is in two minds over extending support to the Aam Aadmi Party on the matter and a final decision is expected on Tuesday.

A meeting of key Congress leaders from Punjab and Delhi is currently underway over the Ordinance on the transfer of bureaucrats in Delhi. Senior Congress leaders Partap Singh Bajwa, Ajay Maken, Sandeep Dikshit and others are believed to be attending the meeting. According to people aware of the developments, the Congress party so far has not been keen on extending support to the AAP government on the issue citing a few crucial factors.

The Congress Party has not taken any decision on the issue of the Ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the Government of NCT of Delhi with respect to appointment of officers. It will consult its state units and other like-minded parties on the same. The Congress believes in the Rule of Law and at the same time does not condone unnecessary confrontation, political witch-hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party, Senior leader KC Venugopal clarified on Monday amid speculation that the Congress was unanimously supporting AAP over stalling the Ordinance.

Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken too has called out Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwals flip-flops as far as the AAPs relationship with the BJP at the Centre goes Kejriwal has sought the support of the Congress, but his past political engagements have often raised questions. His party, along with the BJP, passed a resolution requesting the Centre to withdraw the Bharat Ratna from Rajiv Gandhi. Moreover, he backed the BJP both inside and outside Parliament on the Jammu and Kashmir issue. This support came when J&K was divided and reduced to a union territory, leaving its people disenfranchised for five years, he wrote on Twitter.

Maken also reiterated that Kejriwal was the first to implement the controversial anti-farmer laws. His party also opposed the oppositions candidate for the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson and instead supported the BJP-sponsored candidate. Kejriwals support for the BJP in Gujarat, Goa, Himachal, Assam, Uttarakhand, and in the recent Karnataka elections, have also been brought up by the Congress as they deliberate on whether to support the AAP as it takes on the Centre over the transfer and appointments of bureaucrats.

The Congress has pointed out that by backing Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, the party would be going against the decisions of numerous stalwarts like Baba Sahib Ambedkar, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri and more recently PV Narsimha Rao.

Congress leaders have also said if the ordinance does not go through, Kejriwal would get a unique privilege that had been earlier denied to Delhi Chief Ministers like Sheila Dikshit, Madan Lal Khurana, Sahib Singh Verma, and Sushma Swaraj.

The Centre through an ordinance has created National Capital Civil Services Authority to decide on postings and transfers of civil servants. Its members will include the Delhi Chief Minister, who shall be the Chairperson of the Authority, the Chief Secretary and the Principal Home Secretary. All matters required to be decided by the Authority shall be decided by majority of votes of the members present and voting. In case of a difference of opinion, the decision of the Lt Governor is final.

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While companies like Microsoft and Google have already ventured into the realm of AI chatbots with Bing and Bard, Apple has yet to announce its own generative AI models.

Also read: Apples AI Voice: iPhones, iPads can soon clone your voice in just 15 mins, thanks to iOS 17

Now though, thats about to change in a couple of months. As evident from Apples US careers page, the Cupertino-based tech giant is planning to dive headfirst into generative AI, and has been on a hiring spree for top talent in LLMs and AI engineering.

Apple is hiring top AI talent

Apple is actively recruiting for generative AI roles, as reflected in the 48 search results that appear when searching for the keyword Generative AI on its careers page. Various opportunities are available, such as positions like Multimodal Generative Modeling Research Engineer, Visual Generative Modeling Research Engineer, and Machine Learning Engineer  Generative AI.

These openings signify Apples interest in the field of generative artificial intelligence and the potential it holds. While Apple hasnt officially confirmed the imminent launch of its own generative AI tool, the companys significant recruitment efforts in this area raise speculation about its intention to compete with existing offerings such as OpenAIs ChatGPT, Googles Bard, and Microsofts Bing.

Earlier this year in March, reports surfaced suggesting that Apple was indeed exploring generative AI technology. However, no concrete details have been officially announced by the tech giant thus far.

Also read: After backing ChatGPT initially, Elon Musk now plans on taking it down, starts building a team

Notably, Apple recently prohibited its employees from using ChatGPT due to concerns about potential data leaks.

Apples previous trysts with AI

In 2011, Apple made a significant stride by introducing Siri, a virtual assistant for smartphones, at a time when the concept of such assistants was unfamiliar to most people. Siris debut sparked intrigue and fascination, as it showcased the capabilities of a virtual voice assistant that could perform tasks like playing music, announcing incoming calls, and even telling jokes. Following Apples lead, Amazon introduced its own voice assistant named Alexa in 2014.

Similar to the attention garnered by Siri and Alexa a decade ago, the field of generative artificial intelligence is currently experiencing notable growth and interest. Generative AI, exemplified by innovations like OpenAIs ChatGPT, has captured the imagination of users and is rapidly gaining popularity. As more advancements and applications emerge in the realm of generative AI, the worlds attention is once again focused on the potential and possibilities offered by this technology.

Big Tech bets big on generative AI

The introduction of OpenAIs ChatGPT brought generative AI into the spotlight, captivating users with its human-like conversational abilities. ChatGPT was released to the public in November 2022, gaining immense popularity and eventually leading to the introduction of a premium version of the chatbot.

However, ChatGPT is not the sole AI chatbot making waves currently. Google unveiled its own AI chatbot named Bard during the Google I/O event this year. Although Bard is still in its early stages and may occasionally provide inaccurate responses, Google is actively working on improving its technology.

Also read: Google I/O 2023: From open to all Bard to AI in Gmail, Google has a good plan to win the AI war

Microsoft has also joined the AI chatbot landscape with its AI-powered Bing, which offers various functionalities such as web browsing assistance and image generation, among others. Microsofts Bing leverages AI capabilities to enhance user experiences and provide innovative features.

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Is Russia under attack from its own anti-Putin citizens or is Ukraine playing truant? The Freedom of Russian Legion and Russian Volunteer Corps, have struck deep inside Russian territory, deep behind enemy lines.

The mission of Freedom of Russian Legion, an anti-Kremlin militia group, serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, is to liberate Russia from Putin-ism.

But, they have come to assume a unique position in this Russia-Ukraine war since Ukraine has denied all and any involvement in these attacks inside Russian territorythese fighters are Ukrainian when in Ukraine, but Russian saboteurs when operating inside Russia.

Formed weeks after Russias invasion of Ukraine that began in February last year, these Russian fighters claimed to have seized settlements in the Belgorod region, situated close to the Ukrainian border.

They have claimed to have liberated at least two villages  Kozinka, and Gora-Podol  in the region.

A few hours ahead of shelling on Monday evening, Ukrainian news outlets reported that a message was broadcast on radio station saying that Belgorod will soon become free.

Legion of Free Russia also released a video statement on Monday morning on its Telegram channel, claiming the soldiers storming Belgorod are Russians who want to liberate Russia from Putin.

Stay at home, do not resist, and do not be afraid: We are not your enemies. Unlike Putins zombies, we do not touch civilians and do not use them for our purposes. Freedom is near, the video statement mentioned.

Later on Monday, Legion claimed on its social media that it had, alongside the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), completely liberated the settlement of Kozinka in Russias southwestern region of Belgorod, and that its units had entered Graivoron.

At least eight people were injured in the shelling that damaged an administrative building, several residential apartments, and a kindergarten in the area, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

According to a report by CNN, the situation in Belgorod marks the first time that Ukrainian-aligned forces have launched a cross-border land operation against Russian targets.

The RVC and Legion fighters entered the Belgorod region and carried out an operation to create a security zone to protect civilian Ukrainians, confirmed the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.

The events in the Belgorod region and other border areas are the result of a full-scale invasion and aggressive war of [Russian President Vladimir] Putins Russia against Ukraine. Yes, citizens of the Russian Federation, namely the forces of the [RVC] and the Legion took responsibility for these events, Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraines military intelligence agency GUR, said.

Situation in Belgorod remains tense

Gladkov, in a live-streamed addressed late on Monday said: The situation remains extremely tense. A sabotage and reconnaissance group, the Ministry of Defence and all law enforcement agencies have entered the territory to carry out combat missions to protect our country.

The governor further said that most of the population left the territory with personal transportation. The local government is also providing assistance to those who do not have the opportunity to leave on their own.

What is the Freedom of Russia Legion?

The Freedom of Russia Legion has a few hundred Russian volunteers fighting against their own people as part of the Ukrainian armed forces. They are made up entirely of Russian army defectors, as well as other Russian and Belarusian volunteers.

The group has been there for just over a year but it has already caught Kremlins attention.

In March, the Supreme Court of Russia declared the Legion a terrorist organisation. Despite that, the fighters have been actively involved in Bakhmut, the sight of some of the fiercest battles since the start of the invasion.

A report by CNN quoted a member of the group saying that he had dedicated his life to topple Putin and march into Red Square and the Kremlin itself.

Ceaser is a former teacher, a father and has a wife staying in Kyiv. He is a devoted member of the Orthodox Church and is nostalgic for the Tsarist era that predated the Soviet Union.

He informed that his unit is well-equipped with modern armored vehicles, gunsights and the latest automatic weapons.

The Legionnaires admitted that on several occasions Ukrainian soldiers treated them with suspicion but they hoped to win them over with gallantry on the battlefield.

What Russia is doing against the Legion?

Putin is aware of an attempt by a Ukrainian sabotage group to break through into Belgorod, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said.

Work is underway to squeeze them out of Russian territory and destroy this sabotage group, Peskov added.

The Kremlins spokesperson went on to say that Russian forces have been working to push out the Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group from the territory of the Russian Federation and destroy it.

There are enough forces and means, he said.

With inputs from agencies

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Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, has been hit with a record-breaking 1.2 billion or $1.3 billion fine by the European Union for failing to protect European users personal data from the surveillance activities of American security services.

The Irish Data Protection Commission, in its decision announced on Monday, stated that Metas data transfers to the US did not adequately address the risks to individuals fundamental rights and freedoms.

Meta fined for sending data to US security and intelligence agencies

On Monday, the privacy watchdog declared that Metas utilization of standard contractual clauses (SCCs) as a means to transfer data to the United States failed to adequately address the concerns regarding the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms of Facebook users in Europe. This concern arose from a significant ruling issued by the European Unions highest court.

Also read: Meta employees call out Mark Zuckerberg for paying fat bonuses to execs during mass layoffs

In addition to the hefty fine, surpassing the previous 746 million penalty imposed on Amazon for privacy violations in the EU, Meta has been given a five-month deadline to halt any future transfer of personal data to the US and a six-month deadline to cease the unlawful processing and storage of transferred personal data from the EU in the US.

While the ban on data transfers for Meta was anticipated and had previously prompted the company to threaten withdrawal from the EU, the impact of the decision has been softened by the transition phase provided and the potential establishment of a new EU-US data flows agreement, which could be operational as early as mid-year.

EU and US to share data?

This recent decision is the latest development in a longstanding dispute that ultimately left Facebook and numerous other companies in legal uncertainty. In 2020, the EUs highest court invalidated an EU-US agreement governing transatlantic data transfers due to concerns about the safety of individuals data once it reached US servers.

Also read: Zuckerberg knew Facebook and Instagram were addictive and harmful to children, did nothing

Although the court did not invalidate an alternative mechanism based on contractual clauses, doubts about data protection in the US prompted a preliminary order from the Irish authority, instructing Facebook to cease transferring data to the US using this alternative method as well.

In December, EU regulators proposed a replacement for the defunct Privacy Shield agreement, following extensive negotiations with the US. These efforts resulted in an executive order from President Joe Biden and US assurances of ensuring the safety of EU citizens data during transatlantic transfers.

The fine imposed on Meta coincides with the fifth anniversary of the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is widely regarded as the global standard for privacy protection.

EU is going hard after businesses that violate its privacy and data laws

Meta intends to challenge both the decision and the record-breaking $1.3 billion fine, marking it as the most substantial penalty ever imposed for infringing upon the GDPR privacy law.

Also read: Google loses appeal against record EU antitrust fine, to pay 4.125 billion Euros

We are appealing these decisions and will immediately seek a stay with the courts who can pause the implementation deadlines, given the harm that these orders would cause, including to the millions of people who use Facebook every day, read a joint statement by Nick Clegg, Metas president of global affairs, and Jennifer Newstead, chief legal officer at the company.

The tech giant has cautioned that if it is compelled to cease employing standard contractual clauses (SCCs) without a viable alternative arrangement for data transfer, it may be compelled to shut down prominent services like Facebook and Instagram in Europe.

Since May 2018, EU regulators have had the authority to impose fines of up to 4 per cent of a companys annual revenue for severe violations. Overnight, the Irish watchdog became the leading privacy regulator for major tech companies with an EU presence, including Meta and Apple.

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Former Pakistani prime minister and PTI chief Imran Khan was on Tuesday granted bail by an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad in eight cases pertaining to the violence at the Judicial Complex, while his wife, Bushra Bibi, secured bail in the Al Qadir Trust case.

Imran Khans interim bail was extended till June 8 and Bushra Bibi was given bail till May 31. Earlier in the day, she filed a plea with the court, seeking bail to prevent her arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The PTI chief is also expected to appear before the NAB in Islamabad later in the day in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Imran Khan and his wife first appeared before the accountability court to seek a protective bail for Bushra Bibi, whose bail in the graft case expired on May 23, to avoid her arrest in case.

The court approved her bail till May 31 against surety bonds worth PKR 500,000.

Later on, the two went to an anti-terrorism court (ATC)  housed in the same judicial complex as the accountability court  where the former PMs lawyer filed a plea for his bail, Geo News reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The General Administration of Customs in China disclosed that imports of wigs, fake beards, and eyelashes from North Korea amounted to 121 metric tons, valued at $22.6 million in April. These imports constituted more than 71 per cent of Chinas overall exports from its primary trading partner, reported NK Pro.

According to recently published trade data, North Korea experienced a remarkable surge in wig exports in April, surpassing previous quarterly records within a single month.

Experts have suggested that North Korea has previously utilised prison labor to transform imported human hair into wigs, fake beards, and eyelashes.

Chinese outbound shipments to North Korea surged 69 per cent year-on-year to $166 million in April, according to the data released by Chinas General Administration of Customs.

The top export items in terms of value were processed hair and wool used in wigs, worth about $11.6 million, and diammonium hydrogen phosphate, a widely used fertiliser, worth $8.84 million, reported Reuters.

North Korea has been known for its unique and often controversial economic activities.

Pyongyangs economy heavily relies on exports, primarily of natural resources such as coal, minerals, and textiles.

Historically, their exports have been dominated by industries like mining, manufacturing, and agricultural products. Nevertheless, the accuracy and authenticity of some of North Koreas exported goods have been a subject of scrutiny in the international community.

China is one of North Koreas closest allies and largest trading partners. Their economic ties have encompassed a wide range of sectors, including energy, minerals, and agricultural products.

With inputs from agencies

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A motley group of nearly 170 Indian-origin people hired a chartered flight from Melbourne to Sydney to attend an event of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Qantas flight arrived in Sydney on Tuesday morning.

Members of the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation (IADF), sporting tri-colour-themed turbans and waving national flags, danced their way into the flight aptly christened by the Prime Ministers supporters as Modi Airways.

The event in Sydney is being organised by IADF to celebrate Australias dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community, the Australian government said in a statement.

Co-founder of IADF, Dr Amit Sarwal, said, A lot of people are waiting outside the event venue also, where they will be cheering for PM Modi.

Prime Minister Modi will be meeting his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese in Sydney on Wednesday. He arrived in Sydney from Papua New Guinea, where he held bilateral talks with his counterpart James Marape and took stock of diplomatic ties.

The two leaders co-hosted the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) summit on Monday, fostering regional cooperation.

PM Modi began his three-nation tour on Friday from Japan where he attended three sessions at the G7 summit following an invitation by Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. India is not a member of the influential G7 grouping.

The Prime Minister along with US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese also attended the 3rd in-person Quad Summit held in Hiroshima, on the sidelines of the G7 meet.

The Quad meeting was moved to the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Hiroshima after US President Joe Biden postponed his trip to Australia amid ongoing negotiations over raising the US debt limit.

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According to a recent Wall Street Journal investigation, convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein seemed to threaten Bill Gates and attempted to blackmail the multibillionaire over his affair with a Russian bridge player.

According to sources familiar with the situation, after Epstein discovered Gates affair with Russian bridge player Mila Antonova, he threatened Gates into reimbursing him for tuition costs that Epstein had initially covered for Antonova to attend software coding school.

According to the sources, Epsteins threat to Gates came in the form of an email he wrote in 2017 after failing to persuade Gates to join a multibillion-dollar charity fund he wanted to establish.

Around 2010, when Antonova was still in her 20s, Gates first met her and they later played bridge together. Antonova described a competition she played with Gates in a 2010 YouTube video, adding, I didnt beat him but I tried to kick him with my leg, as stated in the story.

Epsteins generosity

According to records obtained by the Journal, Antonova sought to acquire cash to create an online bridge instructional company. According to the story, Antonova was introduced to Epstein by Boris Nikolic, a close Gates aide, to help gather funding for her programme, which intended to promote bridge by giving quality instruction for both beginners and expert players.

According to the Journal, Antonova presented her fundraising suggestions to Epstein during a meeting in New York City in November 2013 and wanted half a million dollars. According to the story, Epstein ultimately did not invest in the endeavour, according to Antonova.

Nonetheless, Antonova went on to live in a New York flat funded by Epstein a year later. I didnt interact with him or with anyone else while there, she stated, according to the article.

Epstein agreed to pay, and he paid directly to the school, she said. Nothing was exchanged. I dont know why he did that. When I asked, he said something like he was wealthy and wanted to help people when he could.

At the same time as Antonova was launching her project, Epstein was launching his own fund. According to the article, Epstein intended to establish his philanthropic fund with JP Morgan, which would require ultra-wealthy individuals to make a minimum $100 million commitment and pay him millions of dollars in fees.

Epsteins prosecution

According to the Journal, Epstein pled guilty to recruiting a child for prostitution in 2008 and was obliged to register as a sex offender. The money was designed to help Epstein rehabilitate his reputation, and Gates backing was conditional on that.

Despite not involving the Microsoft co-founder, Epstein attempted to represent himself as Gates close advisor in emails addressed to JP Morgan executives.

In essence, this [fund] will allow Bill to have access to higher quality people, investment, allocation, governance without upsetting either his marriage or the sensitvities [sic] of the current foundation employees, Epstein wrote in an email in August 2011.

He followed up the next day, writing: Bill is terribly frustrated. He [would] like to boost some of the things that are working without taking away from thoses [sic] that are not.

Two months later, Epstein sent another email to JP Morgan executives after the company prepared a presentation on the project, writing, The presentation, is not tailored to [Bill]. He is the only person, the only one, that counts.

Speaking to the Journal, a JP Morgan spokesperson said: The firm didnt need him for introductions. Knowing what we know today, we wish we had never done business with him.

Similarly, the Journal reported that a Gates spokesperson has said Epstein never worked for Gates and misrepresented their ties in communications with JP Morgan and others.

According to those acquainted with the situation, Epstein emailed Gates about Antonova in 2017, after Gates extramarital affair ended. Epstein urged Gates to compensate him for Antonovas coding school expenses in the email.

The tone of the message was that Epstein knew about the affair and could expose it, the people said, the Journal reported, adding that a Gates spokesperson said that the Microsoft founder had no financial dealings with Epstein.

Epstein was charged with sex trafficking a juvenile and conspiracy to conduct sex trafficking two years later, in 2019. Epstein disputed the allegations and was denied bail. He died in detention months later in an apparent suicide.

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US President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy could not reach an agreement Monday to avoid a looming U.S. debt default with just 10 days before a possible default.

Addressing the media, House Speaker McCarthy said I believe we can get a deal done. We dont have an agreement yet. But I did feel the discussion was productive in areas that we have differences of opinion.

McCarthy further said Biden and I will talk every day until we get this done, he said. The debt ceiling is a spending limit set by Congress that determines how much money the government can borrow.

Failure to raise it beyond the current cap of roughly USD 31.4 trillion in June could result in the US defaulting on its debt. That would mean the government could not borrow any more money or pay all of its bills. It would also threaten to wreak havoc on the global economy.

I just concluded a productive meeting with Speaker McCarthy about the need to prevent default and avoid a catastrophe for our economy. We reiterated once again that default is off the table and the only way to move forward is in good faith toward a bipartisan agreement, Biden said in a statement.

While there are areas of disagreement, the Speaker and I, and his lead negotiators Chairman McHenry and Congressman Graves, and our staffs will continue to discuss the path forward, he added.

The president cut short his trip to Asia, returning from Japan late Sunday night so he could work toward a deal in the final days before the June 1 deadline. Biden and McCarthy spoke on the phone while the president was aboard Air Force One en route back to Washington, and negotiators designated by the president and speaker have been trying to reach an agreement on a framework.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen issued a warning letter to Congress on Monday maintaining that the US would likely run out of money to pay its bills as early as 1 June without a debt limit increase.

She heightened the urgency and called the possibility of a default in early June highly likely. If Congress fails to increase the debt limit, it would cause severe hardship to American families, her statement read.

Republicans are demanding over USD 4 trillion in budget cuts which would dissolve several of Bidens legislative priorities. Democrats have refused and instead are offering to keep spending flat.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday offered a sobering reminder of how little time is left, saying the earliest estimated default date remains June 1 and that it is highly likely that Treasury will no longer be able to pay all government obligations by early June if the debt ceiling is not raised.

With inputs from agencies

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S Korean experts to begin 2-day inspection at Japan's Fukushima NPP

Seoul, May 23 (UNI) South Korean experts will begin a two-day inspection of the planned radioactive water discharge at Japan's notorious Fukushima nuclear power plant (NPP) on Tuesday, South Korean media reported.

Twenty-one experts from South Korea's Nuclear Safety and Security Commission will arrive at the plant on Tuesday morning and start by inspecting the water purification system to assess whether the water is clear enough to be released into the sea, Yonhap news agency reported. The group will also visit and inspect radioactive tanks.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Tokyo's inspection mission is aimed at addressing South Koreans' concerns about the safety of the released water.
In what could revolutionise rape trials, the UK Law Commission is working out a way to not include rape victims sexual history as evidence in court to avoid prejudice by the jury.

When and if the law comes into effect, judges will be allowed to block defence lawyers from presenting a victims sexual past as evidence to suggest that he or she is not believable. On the other hand, evidence like this has the potential to destroy the case as they may point out that the victim had consensual sex with the alleged attacker.

If the victims sexual history risks perpetuating myths and misconceptions or undermining the dignity of the victims, judges can choose not to review it as evidence.

The UK will base the new laws on Canadas criminal code, known as the rape shield law.

The move comes after UKs Law Commission was asked by the government to look for better ways of using evidence in sexual offence prosecutions, according to The Telegraph.

The UK has been witnessing a 60 per cent dropout rate among rape victims who choose not to go ahead with their trials because of intrusive questioning by the police about a womans sexual past.

It has long been acknowledged that introducing evidence of the complainants sexual behaviour at trial risks both subjecting the complainant to unnecessarily intrusive and humiliating questioning and reliance on myths and misconceptions about their credibility, consent and moral worthiness, the Law Commission said in a statement.

What is Canadas rape shield law?

The rape shield law of Canada was enacted four decades ago.

The sexual history of a rape victim can only be used as evidence with a judges permission following a private hearing, and cannot be used to infer the complainant is less trustworthy or more likely to have consented, according to the Criminal Code.

In 2018, the government expanded the definition of what constitutes evidence adding communications of sexual nature via email, videos and documents about the complainant acquired by the accused.

Canadas criminal code states, A defendant in a sexual assault case cannot introduce evidence of the complainants sexual activity in order to imply that the complainants past sexual history suggests the complainant is not believable or is more likely to have consented to sexual activity with the defendant.

Other provisions to be introduced by UK

While banning the use of sexual past as evidence remains the central focus of the new rules, other provisions include providing victims with measures aimed at rescuing victims from the trauma of public trials.

Apart from this, the government will also set up independent legal advice for and educational tools to reduce the impact of rape myths.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is certainly one of the most visible leaders that India has had in a lifetime according to Nobel laureate Brian Paul Schmidt after a meeting with the Indian leader in the Australian city of Sydney.

PM Modi arrived here on a three-day visit to Australia, a day ago, met with Schmidt the leader and chief executive officer of Australian National University today.

Prime Minister Modi is certainly one of the most visible leaders that India has had in my lifetime, and just talking to him, I can see why. Hes very personable and really takes an interest in people when he talks to them. And I think thats probably true of whoever he talks to, whether its the President of the United States or someone that he meets for the first time from society, Schmidt said.

Schmidt also spoke about Indias work in research and science.It was actually really enjoyable. He (PM Modi) was very well briefed on what were doing here in Australia and how we can work together in research and science. Indias ability to do world-class science has become just an order of magnitude higher because India is investing in its science and scientists to give them equipment and the ability to ask questions on the edge, Schmidt said.

The Nobel laureate chairs key management committees including the University Senior Management Group and the ANU Executive and is also a member of the ANU governing body, the Council.

The Vice-Chancellor is the Universitys primary representative to government and wider society and to national and international organisations. Professor Schmidt was appointed the 12th Vice-Chancellor of ANU in January 2016.

Professor Schmidt is the winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, alongside many other academic awards and distinctions, Professor Schmidt spent most of his academic career as an astrophysicist at the ANU Mount Stromlo Observatory and Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics before becoming Vice-Chancellor.

Furthering India-Australia cultural and people-to-people ties. PM Modi interacted with prominent public figures in Australia, working in diverse fields of science, artificial intelligence, humanities, social work, gastronomy, art and music. Congratulated them on their achievements and encouraged them to contribute to strengthening the India-Australia relationship, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet.

Furthering - cultural & people to people ties. PM @narendramodi interacted with prominent public figures of Australia, working in diverse fields of science, artificial intelligence, humanities, social work, gastronomy, art and music. Congratulated them on their  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 23, 2023

Celebrity chef and restaurateur Sarah Todd after meeting with PM Modi described him as an incredible man and influencer.

I think coming from humble beginnings and standing up as this leader in the country, hes done such incredible work and really taken people on a journey and made people feel heard. And I think sitting with him today and having a conversation made me realize just how personable he is and really engaged, Todd said.

Australian celebrity chef Sarah Todd, who met PM @narendramodi, appreciated his vision for taking India to greater heights. pic.twitter.com/GzYof9uXrZ  PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 23, 2023

Since her debut on MasterChef Australia, Todd has grown to become one the most renowned and exciting names in the Indian food scene, opening her first restaurant Antares Restaurant and Beach Club in 2014, where after she returned to Australian screens for a six-part series called My Restaurant in India, airing in 156 countries worldwide.

In 2020 Todd was invited as an official chef for the Australian Open in the AO Chefs Series, hosting a fine dining restaurant that was featured in a 5-part series called Perfect Serve.

In the series of meetings with influential people in Sydney, PM Modi met Toilet Warrior Mark Bella. After the meeting, Bella said that PM Modi is the number one changemaker in the sanitation space globally. He also stated that the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan program is the biggest sanitation infrastructure program in human history.

Bella accomplished public speaker on humanitarian issues both in Australia and internationally, ready to change the perception of the world we live in. He is the founder of a charity with an international focus on improving life opportunities for girls and women in developing countries.

PM Modis impact socially to create the social will and political will for this issue in India has been enormous. And I think this social impact, its unquestionable. This is one of the most important things that Ive seen happen in India in the 1520 years that Ive been visiting your country, Bella said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met business leaders of top Australian companies and celebrities in Sydney.

During the meeting with business leaders, he called for enhancing cooperation with the Indian industry in areas such as technology, skilling, and clean energy.

Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday for the third and final leg of his three-nation tour during which he will hold talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and attend a community event to celebrate the countrys dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora.

During his meeting with Rinehart, the Prime Minister highlighted the reforms and initiatives being undertaken in India and invited her to partner in technology, investment and skilling in the mining and minerals sector, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said.

In a meeting with Mr. Schroder, he said that India is one of the most preferred major economies for foreign investments in the world and invited Australian Super to partner with India, it said.

Sarah Todd, the celebrity chef, is very passionate about India, which was reflected in her deep knowledge about our cuisine, spices and more. Had an excellent interaction with her in Sydney. https://t.co/0cmQiuKYwV pic.twitter.com/ShStXSXuAW  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2023

Green Hydrogen Mission

Similarly, during his meeting with Mr. Forrest, he welcomed the Groups plans to work with Indian companies in the field of Green Hydrogen.

Emphasising Indias ambitious renewable energy plans, the Prime Minister highlighted the transformative reforms and initiatives being taken by India, such as the Green Hydrogen Mission, it added.

Mr. Forrest briefed the Prime Minister on Fortescue Future Industries plans and projects in India.

After the meeting, Mr. Schroder said that Australian super does invest in India and in particular in the National Indian Infrastructure Fund.

We have had a very good experience in investing in India, he said.

Members of the Indian diaspora greeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Sydney on Monday, May 22, 2023.

Members of the Indian diaspora greeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Sydney on Monday, May 22, 2023. | Photo Credit: ANI

Mr. Forrest said that he and the Prime Minister acknowledged that the fossil fuel sector has only limited time to run and it must be replaced with a fuel which causes no harm but can do everything which oil and gas can do.

Ms. Rinehart said that there are huge business opportunities between India and Australia.

The Indian economy is growing at a healthy pace and reached about USD 3.5 trillion and there are plans to take it to USD 32 trillion in the next 25 years.

Growth in the future is going to be hugeAustralia really needs to work harder to develop its relations with India, she said, adding India has taken several steps to attract foreign investments by cutting approvals and regulations.

During April 2000 and December 2022, India received USD 1.07 billion in investments from Australia, according to government data.

Both countries have already implemented an interim free trade agreement on December 29 last year. The two nations are now engaged in widening the scope of that agreement into a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

Australia is the 13th largest trading partner of India in 2022-23. While exports stood at USD 6.95 billion, imports from that country in the last fiscal aggregated at USD 19 billion.

India is Australias largest export market for gold and chickpeas, the second-largest market for coal and copper ores and the third-largest market for lead and wool. Key products of imports from Australia include coal, copper ores and concentrates and petroleum.

India believes that these challenges can be addressed only through shared efforts, he said, adding that he wanted India and Australia to press forward to realise the true potential of closer defence and security ties.

With inputs from agencies

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a three-day visit to Australia, will unveil Australias first Little India on Tuesday during an event in Sydneys West to celebrate the Indian diaspora in the country.

A plaque formally proclaiming the business district of Harris Park as Australias first Little India will be unveiled by PM Modi, as reported by The Australia Today.

VIDEO | The Australian governments announcement that Harris Park, a Sydney suburb, will now be known as Little India is a reflection of respect for India and its growing status, says BJP leader @SudhanshuTrived on PM Modis ongoing three-nation visit. pic.twitter.com/NdC3yd2pzn  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 22, 2023

Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday for the third and final leg of his three-nation tour during which he will hold talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and attend a community event to celebrate the countrys dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora.

Speaking on the issue, BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said The Australian governments announcement that Harris Park, a Sydney suburb, will now be known as Little India is a reflection of respect for India and its growing status.

The development came after the allocation of $3.5 million last year to formally establish the Little India cultural precinct, honouring an election commitment made by the Federal Member for Parramatta Dr Andrew Charlton MP, The Australia Today reported.

The Little India cultural precinct will help grow the business district of Harris Park, and support its continued development as a premier destination for authentic subcontinent culture in Sydney.

Indian origin Lord Mayor of Parramatta Sameer Pandey said that this was an exciting moment for the Australian-Indian community.

As per the 2021 Census, the number of individuals born in India who currently reside in Australia exceeds 600,000. Approximately 45 per cent of the population, which is around 5,000 residents, inhabit the suburb of Harris Park, SBS News reported.

Meanwhile, PM Modi on Tuesday met business leaders of top Australian companies and celebrities in Sydney.

During the meeting with business leaders, he called for enhancing cooperation with the Indian industry in areas such as technology, skilling, and clean energy.

With inputs from agencies

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A fifth Pakistani drone was intercepted by the Border Security Force (BSF) in four days that intruded into India from along the International Border (IB) in Punjab to drop a drugs consignment, a spokesperson said.

The drone was downed around 9 pm on Monday in the Amritsar sector in Bhaini Rajputana village of Amritsar district.

The BSF recovered the black-coloured drone, a quadcopter of DJ Matrice 300 RTK make, with an attached payload of 2.1 kilogram suspected heroin attached through an iron ring, the spokesperson said.

A small torch in switched-on condition was also found attached to the drone so that drugs smugglers could detect the consignment and pick it up from the field on the Indian side, he said.

This is the fifth reported interception of a rogue unmanned aerial vehicle along the Punjab border since May 19.

A few more instances of troops picking up the buzzing sound of a drone were reported over the last four days but nothing more could be established, officials said.

The BSF troops shot down two drones and intercepted a third along the front on Friday last. A BSF spokesperson had said the third drone fell into Pakistani territory and could not be recovered.

A drone that violated Indian airspace on Saturday night (May 20) was intercepted by firing in the jurisdiction of the Amritsar sector and the force recovered 3.3 kilogram of suspected narcotics that was slung under it.

Punjab shares an over 500-kilometre-long front with Pakistan that is guarded by the BSF, and drones and unmanned aerial vehicles taking flight from the neighbouring country into India with drugs and arms and ammunition payloads have become a matter of concern for security agencies over the last three-four years.

(With inputs from PTI)

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The only black Republican in the US Senate, Tim Scott, launched his 2024 election campaign on Monday.

Scott, 57, delivered a speech in his hometown of North Charleston in South Carolina where he relied heavily on his personal story of growing up as a black to a single mom and how America is still a country of hope and promise.

Scott did not hesitate to call out Trump during his presidential stint for his racially insensitive comments as well as blocked several of his judicial nominees for that reason.

On the other hand, the South Carolina senator has also criticised the Democrats for exploiting racial tensions for partisan gain.

At the same time as he tells the story of him being a victim of racial inequality, Scott has always maintained that America is not a racist country.

He said, Joe Biden and the radical left are attacking every single rung of the ladder that helped me climb. And thats why I am announcing today that I am running for president of the United States of America.

As a Black conservative, Scott is a rarity in a country where politics are sharply divided along racial lines. Some 92 per cent of Black voters backed Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, while 55 per cent of white voters backed Trump.

However, only about 2 per cent of Republicans plan to vote for him in the primary, according to polling averages, and his national name recognition remains low. Over half of Republicans plan to vote for Trump and about a fifth favor DeSantis, who is expected to jump into the race in the coming days.

Nevertheless, Scotts chances might be better than they seem as he is popular among the people of his home state South Carolina, a state that is key in the Republican nominating contest as it is only the third state to cast its ballots.

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Twitter anyway has been a hellhole of misinformation for years. Now, thanks to AI and the fact that practically anyone with $8 to spare can turn into a legitimate, verified troll, is only making the situation more complicated. An AI-generated fake image depicting an explosion at the Pentagon caused a significant stir on Twitter yesterday, leading to a brief dip in the US stock market.

The image was shared by a Twitter account called Bloomberg Feed, which had a verified status. However, it shouldnt come as news that Twitters verification process has lost its credibility, as it is now possible to obtain a checkmark simply by paying for it, without any actual verification. The misleading caption accompanying the picture read, Large Explosion Near the Pentagon Complex in Washington, DC  Initial Report.

Twitters paid verification fails the platform

Of course, Bloomberg did not report the issue of the blast, simply because it did not happen. The account Bloomberg Feed was that of an online troll posing as Bloomberg. People obviously wont pay that much attention to whether a profile is real or not when they are scrolling through their feeds.



As a result, the fake, AI-generated image blew up on Twitter, and gained considerable traction on the platform, resulting in real-world consequences. Just four minutes after it was posted Twitter user DeItaone, who has over 650,000 followers, shared the image, the US stock market saw a 0.26 per cent decline.

Also read: AI-generated pictures of former President Trump getting arrested send Twitter into a frenzy

Although the market recovered quickly, this incident exemplifies the rapid and effective dissemination of AI-generated misinformation through our existing information channels, particularly on a flawed platform like Elon Musks Twitter.

The image itself displays a few distinct characteristics of an AI-generated image. For instance, the fence surrounding the building appears to blend into the sidewalk, and the alignment of the buildings window frames is imperfect.

Influencers have more clout than authentic sources

It is worth noting that even after law enforcement agencies took to Twitter to refute the image, the market reacted negatively.

The Arlington County Fire Department tweeted a response to the circulating social media report about an explosion near the Pentagon more than half an hour before DeItaone retweeted the image, stating, There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public.

@PFPAOfficial and the ACFD are aware of a social media report circulating online about an explosion near the Pentagon. There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public. pic.twitter.com/uznY0s7deL  Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) May 22, 2023



Twitter has since replaced the original post with a disclaimer stating, This tweet is based on an AI-generated hoax. The initial report itself was fraudulent and later deleted.

Also read: Showstopper: Did Pope Francis trade his simple robe for a fashionable puffer coat?

When the troll trolled media outlets

Nevertheless, numerous other accounts, including conspiracy-affiliated ones and the Russian state media account RT, with over three million followers alone, chose to share the post. Once RT realised the image was a fake one, they had to delete the post.

Also read: Fake Disney account gets verified on Twitter, now suspended

However, the damage was already done  several other media outlets and prominent Twitter influencers had already reshared and reposted the image, based on RT and DeItaones tweet.

This incident underscores the significant consequences that can arise from the use of readily available generative AI tools. As we have only begun to explore the full potential of this technology, it is likely that similar cases will emerge in the near future.

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Muslim activists in the UKs Birmingham stormed a screening of Bollywood film The Kerala Story, which depicts how women from Kerala were forced to convert and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS).

According to a report in Daily Mail, a group of protesters led by Shakeel Afsar, a Kashmiri activist, disrupted the screening of the film on Friday at a Cineworld theatre in Birmingham.

In a 10-minute video, Afsar can be seen entering the cinema along with a group of demonstrators and causing the film to be paused.

In the clip, Afsar along with at least two others ask to speak to the cinema manager about the Islamophobic nature of the film, the report said.

Later on, the staff was forced to pause the screening as mayhem broke out, with audience members seen confronting the activists and telling them to leave, Daily Mail reported.

After the activists were taken out of the cinema by the security personnel, a theatre attendant could be heard telling the audience: If you want to watch this film, you should calm down first. I am going to resume this film. Were trying to deal with this in the best way we can. Weve paused the film, weve turned the lights on, weve called the police.

Not to forget, Afsar, an entrepreneur and property developer, last year led a campaign to pull The Lady of Heaven from the cinemas.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney where he will address the Indian diaspora at a community event.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney where he will address the members of the Indian diaspora at a community event shortly. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also with him. pic.twitter.com/m63GCxN6aF  ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

Modi reached Australia on Monday for a three-day visit to strengthen bilateral relations between Sydney and New Delhi. This is the last leg of his three-nation visit. Before this, he went to Japan and Papua New Guinea.

After reaching the venue, Modi received a traditional welcome. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was also with him.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney where he will address the members of the Indian diaspora at a community event shortly. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also with him. pic.twitter.com/m63GCxN6aF  ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

The Indian community living in Sydney eagerly waited for the Indian prime minister at the Qudos Bank Arena as they hailed him as a world leader.

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Google Pay and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) have joined hands to allow users to make UPI payments using RuPay credit cards. This means that users can now connect their RuPay credit cards to Google Pay and use them for online and offline purchases at any merchant that accepts RuPay credit cards.

RuPay Credit Card Compatibility with Google Pay

Users of RuPay credit cards from Axis Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, HDFC Bank, Indian Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Punjab National Bank, and Union Bank of India can now take advantage of a new feature offered by Google Pay. This feature enables them to make Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payments using their RuPay credit cards.

More banks are expected to follow suit in the near future, according to a statement from Google Pay. It is important to note that currently, there is no option to add Visa or Mastercard-issued credit cards to Google Pay or any other UPI payment app in India.

Activation Process

To activate this feature, users simply need to add their RuPay credit card to Google Pay. In their Google Pay profile, they can select the RuPay Credit Card on UPI option and choose the bank that issued their RuPay credit card.

Next, users will be prompted to set a unique UPI PIN by either entering the last six digits of their card number and expiry date or by entering the OTP (One-Time Password) provided by their bank.

Making Payments with RuPay Credit Cards

Once the activation process is complete, users can make payments to merchants using their RuPay credit card through the UPI platform. They will need to enter the UPI PIN they set during activation, just like they would for any other UPI transaction.

Benefits and Impact

In recent years, India has experienced a significant surge in UPI transactions, with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) reporting a record monthly transaction count of 8.7 billion in March 2023.

To further promote the growth of digital payments in India, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allowed the linking of RuPay credit cards to the UPI platform in June 2022. Additionally, last year, Google Pay introduced support for international money transfers from the United States to India and Singapore.

Speaking on the announcement, Googles Director of Product Management, Sharath Bulusu, said:

This new feature will provide Google Pay users with increased flexibility and options for making payments, thereby encouraging the adoption of digital payments across the country.

Commenting on the integration, Nalin Bansal, Chief Relationship Management and Key Initiatives, Corporate Business from NPCI, said:
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FILE - Kate and Gerry McCann pose for the media with a missing poster depicting an age progression computer generated image of their still missing daughter Madeleine during a news conference in London, May 2, 2012. Portuguese police say they'll resume searching for Madeleine McCann, the British toddler who disappeared in the countrys Algarve region in 2007, in the next few days.Portugal's Judicial Police released a statement confirming local media reports that they would conduct the search at the request of the German authorities and in the presence of British officials.
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Indonesia



With an area of 1,904,569 km (735,358 sq mi) and a staggering number of islands (about 6,000 of which are inhabited), Indonesia is by far the largest of the world's island nations. It is also one of the world's most populous countries - home to over 270 million people - and the most populous Muslim-majority nation. The island of Java, where the capital, Jakarta, is located, is home to more than half of the Indonesian population; it is also the world's most populous island. On the other hand, the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, as well as many of the smaller islands, still boast large areas of wilderness, in particular tropical rainforests, with a massive number of endemic species.



Indonesia is a presidential republic, and the world's third-largest democracy. It also has the unique distinction of sharing land borders with four different countries: Malaysia (whose states of Sabah and Sarawak are located on the island of Borneo), Brunei (also on Borneo), East Timor (the eastern half of the island of Timor), and Papua New Guinea (the eastern half of the island of New Guinea).

2. Madagascar



The world's fourth-largest island, with an area of 587,041 km (226,658 sq mi), Madagascar lies in the western Indian Ocean, separated from the southeastern coast of Africa by the Mozambique Channel. It is also the largest island country located completely in the Southern Hemisphere, since part of Indonesia lies north of the Equator. Besides the main island, the territory of the Republic of Madagascar includes a number of smaller, peripheral islands. Its capital, Antananarivo, lies in the centre of the island, at an elevation of 1,280 m (4,199 ft) above sea level - the highest national capital located on an island.



A sovereign nation since 1960, Madagascar is a semi-presidential democratic republic, home to a population of about 30 million with a very low median age. Though part of Africa, the island is distinctly different in terms of language (related to Malay, Indonesian, and Tagalog) and ecology. A major biodiversity hotspot and one of 17 megadiverse countries, Madagascar is known for its huge number of endemic plant and animal species - which include the iconic lemurs and various species of baobab.

3. Papua New Guinea



Part of the Melanesia subregion of Oceania, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of New Guinea, the world's second-largest island; it also includes the Bismarck Archipelago and other smaller offshore islands. Covering an area of 462,840 km (178,700 sq mi), Papua New Guinea has a land border with the Western Papua province of Indonesia, and maritime borders with Australia (from which it is separated by the Torres Strait) and the Solomon Islands. The capital, Port Moresby, lies on the southwestern coast of the Papuan Peninsula (also known as Bird's Tail Peninsula).



A member of the Commonwealth, Papua New Guinea has been independent since 1975. The monarch of the United Kingdom is its head of state, represented by a Governor-General. With a population of approximately 9 million, the country is known for its linguistic diversity - the highest in the world, with an estimate of over 800 languages spoken in its territory. Its rugged, mostly mountainous environment provides a home for many unique plant and animal species - a number of which are believed to be still undocumented. Part of the Melanesia subregion of Oceania, the Independent State of Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of New Guinea, the world's second-largest island; it also includes the Bismarck Archipelago and other smaller offshore islands. Covering an area of 462,840 km (178,700 sq mi), Papua New Guinea has a land border with the Western Papua province of Indonesia, and maritime borders with Australia (from which it is separated by the Torres Strait) and the Solomon Islands. The capital, Port Moresby, lies on the southwestern coast of the Papuan Peninsula (also known as Bird's Tail Peninsula).A member of the Commonwealth, Papua New Guinea has been independent since 1975. The monarch of the United Kingdom is its head of state, represented by a Governor-General. With a population of approximately 9 million, the country is known for its linguistic diversity - the highest in the world, with an estimate of over 800 languages spoken in its territory. Its rugged, mostly mountainous environment provides a home for many unique plant and animal species - a number of which are believed to be still undocumented.

4. Japan



With an area of 377,975 km (145,937 sq mi), Japan consists of four main islands and a number of smaller island groups that stretch from the Sea of Okhotsk to the East China Sea along Asia's Pacific coast; the Japanese archipelago as a whole numbers over 14,000 islands. Most of the country's major cities - including the capital, Tokyo, the port of Yokohama, and Kyoto, the former capital - are located on Honshu, the largest of the main islands. Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan is highly prone to earthquakes and volcanic phenomena, which are kept under control (so far as it is possible to do so) by state-of-the-art technology.



Inhabited for thousands of years, Japan is the only country in the world whose head of state is an emperor - who, however, has a merely ceremonial role. The nation is a parliamentary monarchy, whose head of government is the Prime Minister. A very densely populated country, it is home to over 125 million people, with one of the world's highest life expectancies.

5. Philippines



The 7,641 islands that make up the Philippines cover an area of 300,000 km (120,000 sq mi) in the western Pacific Ocean, north of Indonesia and south of Taiwan. Inhabited since prehistory, the islands are named after King Philip II of Spain, who was crown prince at the time of the expedition of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos (1542-43). The archipelago's largest island is Luzon, which is also the northernmost and the world's 4th most populated island; the country's two most populous cities, Quezon City and the capital, Manila, are located there.



Formerly under Spanish and US control, the Philippines have been a sovereign nation since 1946. They are a constitutional republic with a presidential system (in which the president is both head of state and head of government). They are also one of the only two Christian-majority countries in Southeast Asia (the other being East Timor). A densely populated country, home to over 100 million people, the Philippines also boast an extremely rich biodiversity, with over 200 protected areas.

6. New Zealand



One of the world's southernmost nations, and also one of the most isolated, New Zealand (Aotearoa in the indigenous Maori language) consists of two large main islands - known as North Island (Te Ika-a-Maui) and South Island (Te Waipounamu) - and over 700 smaller islands, covering an area of 268,021 km (103,483 sq mi). Because of its isolation, it was the last habitable landmass to be settled by humans, around the late 13th century. The two main islands, separated by the Cook Strait, are sharply different from a geological point of view, with the North Island marked by intense volcanic activity, and the South Island (the larger of the two) by high mountain ranges and deep coastal fiords.



New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy (Commonwealth realm), whose head of state is the monarch of the United Kingdom, and a parliamentary democracy. It is home to about 5 million people, 16% of whom identify as Maori, the original Polynesian settlers of the islands. A peaceful country of great natural beauty, New Zealand also enjoys the distinction of having been the first country in the world to grant the right to vote to women, in 1893.

7. United Kingdom



Covering an area of 242,495 km2 (93,628 sq mi), the United Kingdom lies off the north-western coast of the European mainland. It consists of four countries - England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland - and a number of smaller islands and island groups. Three of the countries are located on Great Britain, Europe's largest island, and the world's 9th-largest, while Northern Ireland is the north-eastern half of the island of Ireland, which lies west of Great Britain. The United Kingdom is home to over 67 million people, and also includes 14 overseas territories and three Crown dependencies. Its capital, London, is one of Europe's largest cities, and one of the world's premier financial and cultural centres.



As its name implies, the United Kingdom is a constitutional monarchy (though its constitution is uncodified), whose head of government is the Prime Minister. The present United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland dates from 1922, following the independence of the Irish Free State. The monarch of the UK is also head of state of 14 (at the time of writing) independent countries, the Commonwealth realms. The UK joined the European Union in 1973, and was the first member state to leave the Union, on 31 January 2020.

8. Cuba



Located at the meeting point of the Gulf of Mexico, the northern Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean, Cuba is the largest island nation in the Americas, with an area of 109,884 km (42,426 sq mi) and a population of about 11 million. Besides the island of Cuba, the largest in the Caribbean, the country includes over 4,000 smaller islands. Located south of the Tropic of Cancer, Cuba has a tropical climate, and is often hit by hurricanes; it also boasts a thriving biodiversity, with many endemic plant and animal species. Its capital, Havana, is known for its diverse architecture; founded by the Spanish in 1519, it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities founded by Europeans in the Americas.



Inhabited by native peoples since the 4th millennium BC, Cuba was discovered by Christopher Columbus on 27 October 1492. A Spanish colony until 1898, Cuba became independent in 1902. Since the 1959 revolution it has been a one-party socialist republic, an authoritarian state led by the Communist Party - one of the few remaining in the world. Cuba is also a multiethnic country, with a substantial presence of Afro-Cubans, the descendants of the enslaved Africans brought to the island to work in sugarcane plantations between 1500 and 1820. Rum, made from sugarcane molasses, is one of Cuba's most famous products. Located at the meeting point of the Gulf of Mexico, the northern Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean, Cuba is the largest island nation in the Americas, with an area of 109,884 km (42,426 sq mi) and a population of about 11 million. Besides the island of Cuba, the largest in the Caribbean, the country includes over 4,000 smaller islands. Located south of the Tropic of Cancer, Cuba has a tropical climate, and is often hit by hurricanes; it also boasts a thriving biodiversity, with many endemic plant and animal species. Its capital, Havana, is known for its diverse architecture; founded by the Spanish in 1519, it is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities founded by Europeans in the Americas.Inhabited by native peoples since the 4th millennium BC, Cuba was discovered by Christopher Columbus on 27 October 1492. A Spanish colony until 1898, Cuba became independent in 1902. Since the 1959 revolution it has been a one-party socialist republic, an authoritarian state led by the Communist Party - one of the few remaining in the world. Cuba is also a multiethnic country, with a substantial presence of Afro-Cubans, the descendants of the enslaved Africans brought to the island to work in sugarcane plantations between 1500 and 1820. Rum, made from sugarcane molasses, is one of Cuba's most famous products.

9. Iceland



Aptly nicknamed the "Land of Ice and Fire", Iceland lies in the North Atlantic Ocean, barely south of the Arctic Circle, which passes through the small island of Grimsey. Geologically, Iceland is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which separates the Eurasian Plate from the North American Plate, and includes parts of both plates. The closest land to Iceland is Greenland, the world's largest island, from which it is separated by the Denmark Strait. Covering an area of 102,775 km (39,682 sq mi), Iceland is Europe's most sparsely populated nation, home to about 400,000 people. Famous for its constant volcanic activity and its dramatic scenery, in spite of its northerly latitude it has a relatively temperate climate, mitigated by the warm North Atlantic Current, which also keeps the island's coasts ice-free.



Settled by the Norse in the mid-9th century, Iceland was part of the Kingdom of Denmark until 1944. It is now a parliamentary republic, whose head of government is the Prime Minister. It is a member of NATO and the European Economic Area (though not of the European Union), and maintains close ties with the other Nordic countries. About 36% of Iceland's population live in the nation's capital, Reykjavik ("Smoky Bay"), founded in 1786 on the location of the island's first permanent settlement - the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state.

10. Ireland



Known as the "Emerald Isle" because of its lush vegetation (due to a mild climate with very frequent rainfall), Ireland (Eire in Gaelic) is Europe's third-largest island. The Republic of Ireland occupies five-sixths of the island's surface, with an area of 84,421 km (32,595 sq mi), and a population of about 7 million. The northeastern part of the island, Northern Ireland (sometimes referred to as Ulster, the name of one of the four traditional Irish provinces), is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Inhabited for thousands of years, Ireland has had a long and troubled history, but has also given a major contribution to the development of European culture.



Ireland has been a parliamentary republic since 1949; the President is the head of state, while the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) is the head of government. Though Irish Gaelic is the first official language, English is the primary language for about 95% of the population. Ireland has been a member of the European Union since 1973, but - on account of its policy of military neutrality - is not a member of NATO. The country's capital, Dublin (Baile Atha Cliath), a thriving cultural, industrial, and commercial centre, is located on the eastern coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey.

11. Sri Lanka



Located in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon) lies southwest of the Indian subcontinent, from which it is separated by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. With its characteristic teardrop shape, it covers an area of 65,610.2 km (25,332.2 sq mi), which includes a number of offshore islands. Inhabited for over 300,000 years, Sri Lanka was the seat of many powerful kingdoms and a thriving hub for Buddhism before the arrival of the Europeans (Portuguese first, then Dutch and British) in the early 16th century. Now it is home to about 22 million people, most of whom belong to two main ethnic groups - the Sinhalese and the Tamil - often at odds with each other. Known for its tea production, Sri Lanka is also a major biodiversity hotspot.



Independent from the UK since 1948, Sri Lanka became a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations in 1972. It has a semi-presidential system, similar to that of France, in which the President (elected by the people) exists alongside a Prime Minister and a Cabinet. Sri Lanka is also one of a number of countries that have more than one capital: Colombo, located on island's west coast, is the country's executive and judicial capital, while the nearby city of Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte is the legislative capital.

Source: Author LadyNym This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Washington

AP

More women sue Texas, asking court to put emergency block on state's abortion law

More Texas women who were told they could not end pregnancies with fatal fetal anomalies or that endangered their health are challenging the state's restrictive abortion laws

WASHINGTON

One woman had to carry her baby, missing much of her skull, for months knowing shed bury her daughter soon after she was born. Another started mirroring the life-threatening symptoms that her baby was displaying while in the womb. An OB-GYN found herself secretly traveling out of state to abort her wanted pregnancy, marred by the diagnosis of a fatal fetal anomaly.

All of the women were told they could not end their pregnancies in Texas, a state that has enacted some of the nations most restrictive abortion laws.

Now, theyre asking a Texas court to put an emergency hold on some abortion restrictions, joining a lawsuit launched earlier this year by five other women who were denied abortions in the state, despite pregnancies they say endangered their health or lives.

More than a dozen Texas women in total have joined the Center for Reproductive Rights lawsuit against the states law, which prohibits abortions unless a mothers life is at risk  an exception that is not clearly defined. Texas doctors who perform abortions risk life in prison and fines of up to $100,000, leaving many women with providers who are unwilling to even discuss terminating a pregnancy.

Our hope is that it will allow physicians at least a little more comfort when it comes to patients in obstetrical emergencies who really need an abortion where its going to effect their health, fertility or life going forward, Molly Duane, the lead attorney on the case, told The Associated Press. Almost all of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit tell similar stories about their doctors saying, if not for this law, Id give you an abortion right now.

The Texas attorney generals office, which is defending the state in the lawsuit, did not immediately return an email seeking comment Monday.

The lawsuit serves as a nationwide model for abortion rights advocates to challenge strict new abortion laws states that have rolled out since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. Sixteen states, including Texas, do not allow abortions when a fatal fetal anomaly is detected while six do not allow exceptions for the mothers health, according to an analysis by KFF, a health research organization.

Duane said the Center for Reproductive Rights is looking at filing similar lawsuits in other states, noting that theyve heard from women across the country. Roughly 25 Texas women have contacted the organization about their own experiences since the initial lawsuit was filed in March.

The women who joined the lawsuit describe being elated about finding out they were pregnant before the experience turned catastrophic.

Jessica Bernardo and her husband spent years trying to conceive, even consulting fertility doctors, before finally become pregnant with a daughter, Emma, last July.

Almost immediately, Bernardo was coughing so hard and often she would sometimes throw up. Fourteen weeks into the pregnancy, test results revealed her baby likely had Down Syndrome, so she consulted a specialist who gave her devastating news: Emmas heart was underdeveloped and she had a rare, deadly disorder called fetal anasarca, which causes fluid to build up in the body.

He handed me a tissue box, recalled Bernardo, who lives in Frisco. I thought maybe the worst thing he was going to tell us was that shes going to have Down Syndrome. Instead, he said, I can tell you right away...she wouldnt make it.

The doctor warned her to watch out for high blood pressure and coughing, symptoms of Mirror syndrome, another rare condition where a mother mirrors the same problems the fetus is experiencing.

With Bernardos blood pressure numbers climbing, her OB-GYN conferred with the hospitals ethics board to see if she could end the pregnancy but was advised Bernardo wasnt sick enough. Bernardo spent $7,000 traveling to Seattle for an abortion a week later.

Even if Emma made it through the pregnancy, doctors would have immediately needed to drain excess fluids from her body, only for her to survive a few hours or days, Bernardo said.

Reading about everything they would do sounded like complete torture to a newborn that would not survive, she said. Had I not received an abortion, my life would have very likely been on the line.

Other women facing similar situations have not had the financial resources to travel outside of the state.

Samantha Casiano, a 29-year-old living in eastern Texas, found out halfway through her pregnancy last year that her daughter, Halo, had a rare diagnosis of anencephaly, where much of the skull and brain is missing. Her doctor told her she would have to continue with the pregnancy because of Texas law, even though her baby would not survive.

With five children, including a goddaughter, at home she quickly realized she could not afford an out-of-state trip for an abortion. The next next few months of her pregnancy were spent trying to raise money for her daughters impending funeral, soliciting donations through online websites and launching fundraisers to sell Mexican soup. Halo was born in April, living for only four hours.

I was so full of heartbreak and sadness, all at the same time, Casiano said.

Women in the lawsuit say they could not openly discuss abortion or labor induction with their doctors, instead asking their doctors discreetly if they should travel outside of the state.

Dr. Austin Dennard, an OB-GYN in Dallas, never talked about her own abortion with her doctors after they discovered anencephaly on the babys ultrasound during her third pregnancy last year. She worried her out-of-state trip to end the pregnancy could jeopardize her medical license or invite harassment against her and her husband, also an OB-GYN. Dennard was inspired to go public with her case when one of her own patients joined the original lawsuit filed in March after traveling to Colorado to abort a twin fetus diagnosed with a life-threatening genetic disorder.

There was an enormous amount of fear that I experienced afterward, Dennard said. Its an additional way of feeling silenced. You feel you have to do it in secret and not tell anyone about it.

Dennard is expecting another child later this year.
EU Imposes 1.2 Billion Fine on Meta for GDPR Violations News oi -Kabir Jain

The Irish Data Protection Authority (IE DPA) has fined Meta 1.2 billion euros after investigating its Facebook service. This is the largest fine ever issued under the GDPR and is a result of Meta's transfer of personal data to the United States using standard contractual clauses (SCCs) since July 16, 2020. In addition to the fine, Meta has been instructed to ensure its data transfers comply with the GDPR.

Reason for the Fine

Meta received the fine because it was found to be transferring the personal data of European users to the United States using standard contractual clauses, which the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) deemed to be illegal. The company has been ordered to cease this practice within six months.

Andrea Jelinek, Chair of the EDPB, commented, "The EDPB determined that Meta IE's violation is very serious as it involves systematic, repetitive, and continuous transfers. With millions of Facebook users in Europe, the amount of personal data being transferred is enormous. This unprecedented fine sends a strong message to organizations that significant infringements have significant consequences."

The Data Protection Commission stated that Meta Ireland violated Article 46(1) of the GDPR. This article allows organizations to transfer data to third countries or international organizations if appropriate safeguards and effective legal remedies for data subjects are in place. The DPC concluded that Meta's measures were insufficient in addressing the risks to the rights and freedoms of data subjects.

Meta's Take on the Fine

Meta has announced its intention to appeal the ruling and the imposed fine. They stated that there will be no immediate disruption to Facebook's operations in Europe.

According to Meta, the core problem arises from a "conflict of law" between the data access regulations in the United States and the privacy rights of individuals in Europe. They mentioned that policymakers from the European Union (EU) and the United States are actively working towards resolving this conflict through the establishment of a new transatlantic Data Privacy Framework.

Source

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Motorola Edge 40 Launching Today: Everything You Need to Know News oi -Kabir Jain

The Motorola Edge 40 is set to launch on 23rd May 2023. Ahead of the official launch, Flipkart has already set up a microsite detailing the specs and features of the upcoming phone. Here's everything you need to know.

Motorola Edge 40: Specs & Features

The Motorola Edge 40 comes with a large 6.55-inch pOLED display that has a 144Hz refresh rate and a 360Hz touch sampling rate. The screen provides a high-end viewing experience with its peak brightness of 1200 nits and support for HDR10+. The phone also features an in-display fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication.

Powering the Motorola Edge 40 is a new MediaTek 8020 chipset, accompanied by 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. It is equipped with a 4400mAh battery, and Motorola claims that the included charger can recharge it in approximately 10 minutes, thanks to the 68W fast charging technology. Additionally, the phone supports 15W wireless charging and offers stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support for an enhanced audio experience.

In terms of optics, there is a 32MP front-facing sensor for selfies and a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 50MP main camera with OIS and a 13MP ultra-wide-angle sensor. The phone will come in three striking hues: Eclipse Black, Nebula Green, and Lunar Blue. The Nebula Green and Eclipse Black options actually have a vegan leather finish while the acrylic glass finish is found only in the Lunar Blue colorway.

On the software front, the Motorola Edge 40 runs on Android 13 out-of-the-box with the company's embellishments on top.

Motorola Edge 40: Price & Pre-Order

Motorola inadvertently displayed a banner revealing the price of the Motorola Edge 40. The smartphone will be available at 27,999, and pre-orders will commence on May 23rd. Additionally, customers can opt for a no-cost EMI plan, with the lowest installment starting at 5,000 per month. Although the banner is no longer visible on Flipkart, 91Mobiles captured a screenshot as confirmation.

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Intel Chip For AI: Falcon Shores CPUs Heavily Optimized For Artificial Intelligence Models Like ChatGPT? Tech Biz oi -Alap Naik Desai

Intel strongly intends to compete in the increasingly lucrative and steadily growing Artificial Intelligence (AI) segment. It has announced its roadmap for the next three years, in which it outlined some of its products that will compete against NVIDIA and AMD.

At a supercomputing conference in Germany, Intel provided a few details on a chip optimized for AI computing that it plans to introduce in 2025. The company appears to be shifting gears and altering its strategy for the dynamically altering market.

Intel Was Late To The AI Race, But Promises To Catchup With NVIDIA And AMD

NVIDIA is currently the clear market leader when it comes to chips or processors intended for AI. The company's technology for GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) has helped the company deploy relevant solutions quickly and scale them up to meet the growing demand.

AMD too is a prominent player in the GPU market. However, it has been focusing primarily on the CPUs and APUs, which currently challenge Intel in the laptop and desktop market. AMD is expected to challenge NVIDIA's position with the MI300 chip.

Currently, Intel is nowhere in the AI chip race. Although Intel makes some GPUs, they are still rudimentary. Moreover, after its Ponte Vecchio chip suffered years of delays, Intel basically doubled down on improving CPU technology.

Intel Introduces "Falcon Shores" Chip For AI Models Like ChatGPT, Bard, And Others

Intel intends to develop its own chip dedicated to AI applications. The company claims it has nearly completed shipments for Argonne National Lab's Aurora supercomputer based on Ponte Vecchio.

At the supercomputing conference in Germany, Intel said its forthcoming "Falcon Shores" chip will have 288GB of memory and support 8-bit Floating Point computation. These technical specifications are important for Artificial Intelligence models like OpenAI ChatGPT, Google Bard, and others.

Jeff McVeigh, interim head of Intel's accelerated computing systems and graphics group, said the company is taking time to rework the chip after giving up its prior strategy of combining graphics processing units (GPUs) with its central processing units (CPUs).

Simply put, Intel intends to offer dedicated products for desktops, laptops, graphics, and AI tasks. Moreover, the company intends to sell solutions to multiple buyers and industries, thereby spreading its portfolio.

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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, 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Moldova: EU launches civilian mission to strengthen the resilience of the security sector in the areas of crisis management and countering hybrid threats

European Council / Council of the European Union

Council of the EU

Press release

22 May 2023

The Council is launching today the EU Partnership Mission in the Republic of Moldova (EUPM Moldova) under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) to enhance the resilience of the security sector in the country.

The aim of the mission, formally established on 24 April 2023 at the request of Moldova's authorities, is to contribute to the strengthening of Moldova's crisis management structures and to enhance its resilience to hybrid threats, including cybersecurity, and countering foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI).

To this end, the mission will provide advice at strategic level and identify the needs for capacity building.

The Head of Mission will be Cosmin Dinescu. The Civilian Operation Commander will be Stefano Tomat, EEAS Managing Director of the Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC).

The efforts to destabilise the Republic of Moldova have noticeably increased since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, and represent a direct threat to the stability and security of the external borders of the EU.

Background

In its conclusions of 24 June 2022, the European Council recognised the European perspective of the Republic of Moldova, and decided to grant it, along with Ukraine, the status of candidate country.

In its conclusions of 15 December 2022, the European Council affirmed that the EU would continue to provide all relevant support to the Republic of Moldova as it deals with the multifaceted impact of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

In a letter to the High Representative dated 28 January 2023, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova invited the EU to deploy a civilian mission in the country under the CSDP, which was established by the Council on 24 April.

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Foreign Affairs Council: Press remarks by High Representative Josep Borrell after the meeting

European External Action Service (EEAS)

22.05.2023

Brussels

EEAS Press Team

Check against delivery!

Thank you to all of you for attending this press conference. I will try to summarise what has been, as always, a long day. The Council has focused, as always, on the Ukrainian issue and how to support Ukraine. We had an interesting lunch with the six Western Balkan Foreign Ministers, and we received a report on the situation in the Horn of Africa.

But let me start by pointing to a concrete decision: the adoption of the 8th package of sanctions against Iran for human rights violations, including the latest executions of three protesters that we have condemned strongly. We condemn also the recent execution of a Swedish dual citizen. And on the other hand, the good news is the release of two detained European Union citizens on 12 May.

We also mentioned - I did it during our meeting this morning - yesterday's International Day of Solidarity with the Political Prisoners in Belarus. There are more than 1,500 people detained in appalling conditions. We do not forget them. We have been discussing the situation in Belarus, and we will also come to the final stage on the work on sanctions over interference in Moldova. I hope that it will be finalised in the coming days.

On Ukraine, the success and extent of Ukraine's defence depends not only on the bravery of their soldiers and their people, but also on the pace of ammunition and weapons. On the pace of [our] deliveries. That is why, our military support has to continue, has to increase, has to be extended [with] more air defence systems. This will make a real difference in the battlefield.

This is crucial. I explained to the Foreign Affairs Ministers how the work of our people at the [European] External Action Service (EEAS), with the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the [European] Commission on supplying weapons, ammunition and missiles, is crucial for Ukrainians to be able to defend their territory and their sovereignty.

I stressed that every day of delay in our deliveries has to be measured in human lives. It is not a matter of money. It is a matter of people being killed, of soldiers being killed or wounded. I urge all the Ministers to speed up the delivery and to participate in the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine and to finalise the work for the next tranche of the European Peace Facility (EPF).

[The] good news [is that] the European Training Mission (EUMAM Ukraine) has completed its initial goal of training 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers, and we will train another 15,000 by the end of this year.

We discussed about the 11th package of sanctions [against Russia]. The focus is on the circumvention of the sanctions that is taking place. We have to cut the circuits of circumventing sanctions because otherwise the sanctions are being weakened.

We heard explanations from [EU Sanctions Envoy] David O'Sullivan, who is engaged in addressing circumvention with partners around the world.

We discussed the situation on the battlefield, but also how to end this war. Everybody wants the war to finish. The only one that looks willing to continue the war is Putin. No one wishes peace more than Ukraine, and that is why we support the Ukrainians' initiative, President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy's initiative, for a just peace.

No one who is really interested in peace can put the victim and the aggressor at the same level. I have to address this message to all leaders around the world who, yes, they are very interested in peace, but they continue to put the victim and the aggressor at the same level. And this brings a peace which is not a fair and just peace that could ensure the rights of the Ukrainian people.

We had a lunch with the [EU] Foreign Affairs Ministers and the Western Balkans Ministers [for Foreign Affairs]. We do that regularly, maybe we should do that more often.

We discussed about Russia's influence [in the region] which is trying to derail the European path of the Western Balkans candidates. We welcomed the strategic and courageous choices of some of them, who aligned fully with our foreign policy and sanctions.

And we also indicated to those who have not fully aligned yet, or not aligned at all - and I want to mention notably Serbia - that maintaining close ties with Russia is not compatible with its European Union accession process. It is also damaging to its own national interests, but certainly it is not compatible with the accession process towards the European Union.

We want to advance on enlargement, and we sent a strong message that they need to seize the momentum in the enlargement process created by the swift progress of Ukraine. Ukraine is progressing, they [also] have to follow this path at the same pace. Now is the time for them to speed up reforms, to align with the European Union's standards and to prepare their societies for accession. There is an opportunity, a unique opportunity. They have to use it.

We mentioned specifically the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. And once again, I had to explain that being [a] member of the European Union is an exercise of cooperation. It is an exercise of States that were fighting in the past to become not only neighbours, [but also] friends, partners. This is an exercise of living together. For that, the full and swift implementation of the Agreement is the only way to the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

Tensions and mutual provocations have to reach an end. The negative atmosphere and lack of constructiveness also have to be reversed. Being member of the European Union means being able to cooperate and to act as good neighbours, overcoming all the difficulties of the past.

We discussed a lot the situation in the Horn of Africa, where there is also a very worrisome situation in Sudan.

In Sudan, the ceasefire is the first priority. There are some agreements that should enter into force tonight, but as always implementation is the key. The agreements are good if they are implemented. Otherwise, they are useless.

We will continue our support for a robust African-led framework, and we engage with partners to identify mediators, recognising the pivotal role that Djibouti has been doing during the evacuation of our citizens out of Sudan.

Reconfirming that Kenya is our strong ally in the region, continues to be a pillar of stability and playing an important role for the stabilisation of the whole region.

In Ethiopia, after two years of a devastating conflict, there is progressive normalisation of our relations. The signing of the cessation of hostilities agreement represents an important step towards peace and reconciliation in Ethiopia. Here also the word "reconciliation" after an awful war with countless atrocities - it is the key word, and we will support this reconciliation process. This process requires a strong leadership and a sustainable monitoring mechanism to ensure that the cessation of hostilities is respected by all sides, paving the way for recovery, reconstruction, and reconciliation - the three Rs. They need recovery - economic recovery - they need reconstruction, they need reconciliation.

Our Ambassador in Addis Abeba sent me the other day pictures of his visits to the region of Tigray. It is a good sign of the gradually normalising our relations with Ethiopia based on the progress made on these three requests. I want to repeat them: cessation of hostilities, including the withdrawal of Eritrean troops, unimpeded humanitarian access everywhere, to all parts of the country - particularly Tigray, but everywhere - and accountability for international humanitarian law and human rights violations and abuses.

We have suspended our budget support to the Ethiopian government, but we have never stopped our support to the Ethiopian population. And we have prepared two packages of special measures worth 180 million to finance programmes in the areas of health and education with a special focus in the areas affected by the conflict. This package has been adopted and the [European] Commission services will implement it.

Finally, I am glad to announce that I have launched a new Strategic Communications Taskforce, specifically for Africa, to step up our strategic communications in and with Africa and address the problems of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference [in Africa].

Also, in Somalia, where we were able to launch the Joint Operational Roadmap between the European Union and the Federal Government of Somalia which is going to be a long-standing partner. This Joint Operational Roadmap was launched earlier this month.

I think that is all.

Q&A

Q. High Representative, it is a question on sanctions circumvention. You said that Indian refiners selling Russian oil into Europe, undermines the effectiveness of EU sanctions even if no rules are being broken. Can you layout what you think the problem is? What action do you hope Member States will take?

I have been analysing cases in which, yes, we cut exports to Russia, but we increased a lot the exports to the neighbours of Russia. Before talking about this specific case, let me say that, for example, we have decreased our exports of cars to Russia by almost 80% [this means] 80% less. But at the same time, we have increased the export of cars to some of the Central Asian countries by almost 300%. It is a little bit strange, this appetite for European cars, suddenly by some neighbours of Russia. It is not a stupid idea to imagine that these cars are being imported and, afterwards, re-exported. In this case, it would be a [case of] circumvention.

On the case of India, I said clearly - and I want to repeat - that if India buys Russian oil, it is legal, it is normal. I have not blamed the Indian government, at all. Do not look for trouble. I have not blamed [the Indian government] because it is perfectly legal: our sanctions are not extra-territorial. Our firms are being bound by our decisions, but I cannot impose our will to the Indian government or the Indian companies. So, my rational: it's normal, if thanks to our limitation on the price of oil, India can but this oil [for] cheaper, Russia gets less money. So, the less the better. But, at the same time, one has to look at that and see that India is importing a lot of Russian oil, almost 36% of the export of Russian oil goes to India, and then the exports of refined products to Europe have been multiplied almost by seven.

Once again, I am not blaming the Indian exports; they do what they want to do. They are free, I cannot impose European rules. Maybe you can consider that a refined product is a different product from oil, but the fact is that we do not import Russian oil, but we import distilled products coming from Russian oil.

The result from the point of view of circumvention, one can imagine that it is something clear, but these are the things that we have to study and see what we can do. But I insist: I never blamed the Indian government nor the Indian refiners. I cannot prevent them from doing that. If they have a good price because we imposed a cap on Russian oil, it is good for them and it is good for us because Russia gets less money for the oil they are selling.

Q. High Representative, I understand that Hungary is blocking the agreement on the next tranche of the European Peace Facility (EPF) to Ukraine, and they are saying that they want Ukraine to withdraw one Hungarian company OTP Bank from so-called 'war sponsor list'. Do you think it is a justified demand? Is it really up to the European Union to deal with the Ukrainian government to release different companies from this list, or it should be more of a bilateral issue for Hungary and Ukraine? Also, I would like to ask if you got any feedback from Ukraine on what the solution could be on this matter.

Bilateral [issue or] multilateral [issue]. We have to do everything we can in order to make the next package of military support to Ukraine being approved. If one Member State has a difficulty, let us discuss about it - that is what we are going to do. And my role is to talk with everybody in order to try to look for solutions. Until now, we have been able to find solutions for everyone, for every tranche of military support, and I am sure we will be able to continue doing the same thing. This will require conversations among us.

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Edgars Rinkevics: The EU must send a clear signal to third countries that circumvention of sanctions will not be tolerated

Republic of Latvia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

22.05.2023

On 22 May 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkevics, took part in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union in Brussels, at which the Member States exchanged views on the Russian aggression against Ukraine, on the Horn of Africa, as well as Western Balkans.

In a discussion at the Council on the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Edgars Rinkevics underlined the importance of military support. "The EU must provide military support to Ukrainian armed forces in their fight against Russia's armed aggression. Ukraine's military needs must be met as soon as possible, on a broad scale and in the long term. Therefore, Latvia fully supports further increase of the European Peace Facility's overall financial ceiling by 3.5 billion euros," the Foreign Minister pointed out. At the same time, Edgars Rinkevics noted that the European Peace Facility should remain as a global tool continuing to also aid other regions, including African countries.

Edgars Rinkevics underlined that it was critical to ensure funding for the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) to match the overall ambition of the mission, including through handing over the needed military equipment to the Ukrainian armed forces after the completion of training of Ukrainian military personnel.

While addressing the issue of sanctions against Russia, the Foreign Minister called for the adoption of the 11th sanctions package as soon as possible. Edgars Rinkevics also noted that tougher measures should be taken against attempts to circumvent sanctions. "Circumvention of sanctions remains one of the major issues, especially with risks in trade through third countries. Therefore, the EU needs to send a strong and unequivocal signal to third countries that the circumvention of sanctions will not be tolerated, Edgars Rinkevics emphasised.

The Minister also urged against delay in the adoption of new sanctions on Belarus, as well as reaching an agreement on the sanctioning of persons co-responsible for the persecution of the opposition politician, journalist, author and historian, Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Within the framework of the Foreign Affairs Council, Edgars Rinkevics participated in the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States and Poland, which addressed issues related to the security of the region and featured a discussion on preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.

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Data on interceptions of aircraft completed near the Baltic States' borders on May 15-21, 2023

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of National Defence

2023-05-22

International cooperation

On May 15-21 fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled twice to identify and escort aircraft of the Russian Federation flying in violation of flight rules in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.

On May 18 NATO Air Policing fighter aircraft guarding the Baltic skies were scrambled to intercept two SU-27 flying from Kaliningrad and back through international airspace. The aircraft had no flight plan, their onboard transponders were off and the crews were not maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.

On May NATO fighters aircraft were scramble to intercept one TU-134UBL flying in international airspace from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia. It has no pre-filed flight plan, the crew had the onboard transponder on and maintained radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.

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Deputy Secretary General addresses NATO Parliamentary Assembly

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

22 May. 2023

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana addressed the Spring Conference of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Luxembourg on Monday (22 May 2023). The Deputy Secretary General thanked Luxembourg for its contributions to NATO, particularly in space surveillance and satellite capabilities, and for providing strong support for Ukraine.

The Deputy Secretary General reiterated NATO's commitment to strengthening deterrence and defence in a more dangerous and competitive world. "NATO is up to the challenge," he said, adding that, "we will train and exercise more together, place more forces on higher readiness and strengthen our command and control structures."

Mr. Geoana underscored that security is the foundation for prosperity, stressing that, "without security, peace and prosperity, there is no freedom. This is the time to invest in our values, in NATO, and of course, in many other ways. So I count on your support."

274 parliamentarians from the 31 NATO Allies, as well as around 100 representatives from nearly 25 partner countries and parliamentary entities, are taking part in this year's spring conference of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

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Foreign Minister's Address to the Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir(22 May 2023)

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Deputy Speaker Legislative Assembly, Mr. Riaz Gujjar,

Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Chaudhary Anwar-ul-Haq,

Members of the Legislative Assembly,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I'm here today to express solidarity with you solidarity with the people of Kashmir at this critical juncture.

Mr. Speaker, Jammu and Kashmir dispute is the unfinished agenda of the partition . The rights and aspirations of the Kashmiri people were trampled upon by machinations and intrigue. The territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where we congregate today was liberated at the cost of enormous sweat and blood.

We have not forgotten the massacre of Muslims in Jammu region in 1947. They were among the first martyrs of your movement.

Mr. Speaker, history cannot be changed. Ironically, today as India deviously tries to convince the world that Jammu and Kashmir is but an undisputed part of her territory. But history remembers that it was India that took the Jammu and Kashmir, the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to the Security Council as a dispute yet to be resolved. There, the disputed status of Jammu and Kashmir was internationally recognized, and it was decided that the final disposition of the state shall be made through a free and impartial plebiscite under the UN auspices. For more than seven decades now. The Kashmiri people have been denied their inalienable right.

Today, I asked the world if a country can be allowed to renege on its solemn commitments to the United Nations, break its own promises and blatantly violate international law just because they want to. I must emphasize here that the commitments under the UN Security Council resolutions are sacrosanct. They are neither surveilled to the whims of a jingoistic political party, nor diluted by the passage of time. India's continued denial of the rights of the Kashmiri people is wrongful illegal act no amount of diplomatic duplicity, or Indian state perpetrated terror can change this fact. India will have to fulfill its obligations to the Security Council by granting the Kashmiri people their lawful right to self-determination.

Mr. Speaker, today in occupied Kashmir has become an open prison. A prison with Kashmiri Muslims are forced to breed fear 1000s of them killed disappeared or blinded their lands grabbed their properties confiscated or bulldoze, that culture disintegrated. Their media muzzled, the occupying Indian forces run rampant with arbitrary detentions, torture, extrajudicial killings of Kashmiri Muslims. This mayhem continues under draconian laws, allowing complete impunity for the Indian occupying forces. This wretched perpetual and systemic Indian barbarism not just violate international law, it makes a mockery of the accepted norms of fundamental human rights. I asked those who champion the rules based international order and place a premium on protecting and promoting human rights. How can they turn a blind eye to this savagery? It is indeed, not wise to sacrifice these timeless principles for short term interests. One cannot wax lyrical about international law and the United Nations Security Council resolutions in Europe in the European context, and then turn a blind eye to the violation of the same international law in the Kashmiri context.

Mr. Speaker, India's unilateral and illegal actions of August 5 2019 opened a new chapter of oppression India's ultimate aim is to convert Kashmiris into a dispossessed and disempowered minority in their own land, the fresh delimitations domicile certificates to millions of outsiders, and addition of millions of temporary residents to the voters list are part of a well thought out strategy to change Kashmir's demography and its political landscape. Pakistan outrightly rejects these unilateral and illegal steps. How can the world be a silent bystander when a large country usurps the rights guaranteed by the Security Council, and instead use brute force to suppress those rights? Isn't it the same world that is upholding these principles elsewhere, while remaining completely oblivious to them in Kashmir?

Mr. Speaker, as we speak, India is hosting the meeting of a tourism Working Group in Srinagar meetings of a consultative Forum on Youth Affairs, why 20 has already been held in Jammu, Leh and Srinagar in the past few weeks. This is yet another display of India's arrogance on the world stage, Indian occupation of a territory that is recognized as disputed under international law. India is misusing its position as chair of the G-20. A forum created to address global financial and economic issues with utter disregard for the Security Council resolution, the UN Charter and its principle India's facade of normalcy in Kashmir is met by the harsh reality that occupied Kashmir remains one of the most militarized zones on the planet.

Mr. Speaker, normal areas are not under siege by millions of troops. Normal areas are not operated under the so-called governance rule. Normal areas do not have unidentified graves and half windows. In normal areas people are allowed to travel abroad, and journalists are free to report how can India possibly claim that normalcy has returned to Kashmir? I wish to remind the Indian leaders that unilateral steps in Jammu and Kashmir can neither record legitimacy to their occupation, nor suppress the true sentiments of the Kashmiri people. Gimmickry cannot replace legitimacy. If India wants to be a superpower, Mr. Speaker, then India must be acting like a superpower. The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Affairs speaks clearly on the Srinagar meeting and claims that India is providing "a veneer of support to a facade of normalcy". Pointing out the blatant human rights violations in occupied Kashmir, he has drawn an apt conclusion that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir should be "decried and condemned, not pushed under the rug and ignored".

Mr. Speaker, I remind the world that there are two reports on the situation in occupied Kashmir by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued in 2018 and 2019. Those of us who are interested in upholding human rights are morally bound to pay attention to these reports.

Mr. Speaker, the word Pakistan is incomplete without Kashmir, the people of Pakistan and the people of Kashmir have a unique affinity based on geographical proximity, shared history, commonality of religion, we have shared joy shared sorrows, we share the same hopes the same dreams our hearts beat is one. Pakistan cannot ignore what happens in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a party to the dispute. For us, it is not a matter of choice. We are duty bound to play our role in the just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council resolutions and the wishes of the people of Kashmir.

Mr. Speaker, my presence here today is a testimony of our nation's intergenerational support and lasting commitment to the Kashmir Cause. We want good relations with our neighbors including India. However, good relations can only be achieved through dispute resolution, and not through dispute denialism. durable peace in South Asia remains contingent upon the settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute. Despite our consistent advocacy for constructive engagement and result orientated dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir. India, unabatedly remains hostile. It's regressive actions have in fact, further vitiated the environment and the onus therefore, remains on India to take the necessary steps to create an enabling environment conducive for a meaningful and result oriented dialogue. During my recent visit, to GOA to attend the SCO meeting, I repeatedly said that India would have to revert to the situation on the fourth of August 2019 to work out a way forward.

Mr. Speaker, India has also been trying to use the terrorism bogeyman to mass the indigenous Kashmiri struggle for the legitimate rights to self-determination. It uses the same bogey to blame Pakistan and justify its brutal repression of the Kashmiri people. This is a complete travesty of justice. There is a clear distinction between terrorism and a people's genuine quest for freedom. Terrorism cannot be and should not be used as an excuse to deny the Kashmiri people their fundamental rights and their fundamental freedoms.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to emphasize that the biliterate Indian statements about Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan should be raising alarm bells across the world. These are not isolated statements. They epitomize a political party that nurtures and holds fascist, majoritarianism and religious jingoism. If a billion people are economically and politically incentivized into hate mongering, the results can be disastrous. We could be sleepwalking towards South Asia's Armageddon. Notwithstanding India's military and political rhetoric, Pakistan has exercised maximum restraint. Pakistan does not want another conflict. However, it has the will and capacity to respond forcefully and effectively and defend resolutely against any act of aggression.

Mr. Speaker, Justice delayed is justice denied. I appeal to all men and women of conscious across the world to urge the occupying forces of India to:

One, Rescind its unilateral and illegal actions of the fifth of August 2019 and the subsequent steps;

Two, Implement fully the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and allow the Kashmiri people to freely exercise their right to self-determination through a UN supervised plebiscite;

Three, To provide solemn assurances that it will not change the occupied territories demographic composition and not allow non-Kashmiris to acquire property or residency in Jammu and Kashmir;

Four, To halt its human rights violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Five, To repeal its draconian emergency laws, withdraw its heavy military presence through Kashmiri cities, towns and villages;

Six, To provide unhindered access to UN OHCHR, OIC and human rights organizations and international media to investigate report on the situation in occupied Kashmir.

Mr. Speaker,

I salute the courage of the Kashmiri people and I pay rich tribute to the martyrs. I offer my sincere sympathies to the population living close to the Line of Control, who have suffered enormously. I assure the Kashmiri people of Pakistan's unstinted moral, diplomatic and political support. We have stood by them for decades, and I assure you that we will stand for as long as it takes our Kashmiri brethren to achieve their legitimate rights. We wish to see a day where people across the Line of Control enjoy the same rights and freedoms as are being enjoyed by the rest of the world. I thank you for affording me this opportunity to speak May peace be with you.

Thank you!

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Papua New Guinea, United States deepen relations with defense pact signing

Papua New Guinea, following criticism, has asserted the agreement doesn't impinge on its sovereignty.

By Stephen Wright for BenarNews 2023.05.22 -- The United States signed a defense cooperation agreement on Monday with Papua New Guinea, and announced other security and humanitarian support, in a deepening of its relationship with the most populous Pacific island country.

Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby also hosted India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a summit with leaders of 14 Pacific island countries, underscoring the increased geopolitical competition in the vast ocean region where China's diplomatic relations have burgeoned.

The defense agreement is "mutually beneficial," Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said at the signing ceremony.

"In the context of Papua New Guinea it secures our national interest," he said, predicting it would help the country, one of the poorest in the region, to develop a "robust economy."

Responding to domestic criticism of the defense agreement, Marape said, "this signing in no way, shape and form encroaches into our sovereignty."

U.S. President Joe Biden had planned to stop over in Papua New Guinea on Monday before attending a meeting in Sydney with the leaders of Australia, Japan and India. He canceled the trip to focus on high-stakes Federal debt-limit negotiations, in an apparent setback for U.S. efforts to exert influence in the Pacific.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who traveled to Port Moresby in the president's place, said he carried an invitation from Biden to Pacific leaders to visit Washington in the fall. As part of efforts to counter Beijing's influence in the Pacific, Biden hosted a meeting of Pacific island leaders in September last year in Washington.

"Simply put we are committed to growing all aspects of our relationship," Blinken said at the defense agreement signing ceremony.

The pact, he said, would be transparent to the public and make it easier for the two countries' defense forces to train together and improve the capacity of Papua New Guinea's military to respond to natural disasters.

China, over several decades, has become a substantial source of trade, infrastructure and aid for developing Pacific island countries as it seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and build its own set of global institutions.

Last year, China signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, alarming the U.S. and its allies such as Australia. The Solomons and Kiribati switched their diplomatic recognition to Beijing from Taiwan in 2019.

Modi, in his speech to Pacific leaders, did not specifically mention China but said his country was committed to a "free and open Indo Pacific," the U.S. terminology for a vast region spanning the Indian and Pacific oceans.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, speaking at a U.S.-Pacific island leaders meeting, said there was a "level of disappointment" in Biden's cancellation. He also said he welcomed the fall invitation.

'Intrusion' into PNG affairs

The defense cooperation agreement between Papua New Guinea and the U.S. has been criticized by some analysts and groups such as the PNG Trade Union Congress as being overly accommodative to Washington's interests. Australia's Sky TV reported on what it said was a leaked draft version of the agreement last week.

"It is the processes our government followed and the motivation behind fast tracking the processes with zero public consultation and parliament debate [that] opens up public debate to all sorts of conclusions," said Anton Sekum, acting general secretary of the Trade Union Congress, in a statement on Monday.

"Any agreement that will have elements of intrusion into our sovereignty and may put the country in harm's way must not be done without all citizens' consent," he said.

Elias Wohengu, secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, who was Papua New Guinea's chief negotiator in the defense cooperation talks, said there was no factual basis to rumors that U.S. military personnel who broke Papua New Guinea's laws would enjoy immunity from prosecution.

Speculation it would preclude defense agreements with other countries and required changes to Papua New Guinea's laws was also incorrect, he said.

"There is no immunity in this agreement for any foreign personnel that will be present in Papua New Guinea," Wohengu told a press conference on the weekend.

"If a crime is committed, punishment will be carried out. So anyone who goes out spreading rumors that we will be providing immunity to offenders is wrong," he said.

The State Department said the text of the defense cooperation agreement would be made public when it comes into force.

Papua New Guinea's Ministry of Defense said it would hold a question and answer session for civil society groups and journalists at its headquarters on Tuesday.

Papua New Guinea and the U.S. also signed a shiprider agreement that provides the basis for personnel from the Pacific island country to work on U.S. coast guard and naval vessels, and vice versa, in targeting economic and security weaknesses such as illegal fishing.

Among other support announced by the State Department, the U.S. government will supply $12.4 million of equipment to Papua New Guinea's defense force.

It includes $5.4 million of body armor, provided earlier this month, such as ballistic helmets and flak vests with armor plates. Some $7 million will be provided for military dress uniforms for Papua New Guinea's 50th independence events in 2025.

The U.S. is also exploring warehousing of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief supplies in Papua New Guinea.

BenarNews is an RFA--affiliated news organization.

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.

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Cambodia's Hun Sen publicly warns foreign embassies against 'arrogant' interference

He seemed to be referring to a top US diplomat's 2021 visit to the home of a detained opposition leader.

By RFA Khmer 2023.05.22 -- Prime Minister Hun Sen publicly lashed out at Western diplomats on Monday, saying they have insulted him in the past by visiting with detained opposition leader Kem Sokha.

"In the future, don't be arrogant again in the application of your foreign policy," he said at the inauguration of a tire factory in Sihanoukville.

"The diplomats in Phnom Penh should understand it," the prime minister said. "It is because of you, you made me not trust you. Therefore, why should I do work that is in favor of you?"

Kem Sokha was arrested in 2017 on treason charges. He was finally sentenced in March to 27 years in prison in a verdict widely condemned as politically motivated.

It was unclear if any diplomats have visited Kem Sokha since the March verdict. Before his sentencing, ambassadors from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan and the United States often met with him at his Phnom Penh home while he was under house arrest.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman went to see Kem Sokha during a June 2021 trip that included a meeting with Hun Sen. An angry prime minister later said that she secretly went to Kem Sokha's home without informing the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

'Foreigners who insult me'

On Monday, Hun Sen said he doesn't "trust foreigners who insult me, insult my sovereignty, insult myself when they worked with me and at the same time worked with others."

He issued a similar public warning in April when he cautioned "Cambodia's foreign friends" who support opposition party groups and politicians.

"You have to choose between an individual group that breaks the laws and the government," he said. "Please choose one. If you need those who were penalized by law, please do so, and you can then break diplomatic relations from Cambodia."

U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Stephanie Arzate told Radio Free Asia that the United States doesn't "support any particular individual, institution, or political party" in Cambodia. But American officials "regularly meet with a wide range of individuals, in accordance with diplomatic norms and practices."

Kem Sokha has always denied the charges that led to his arrest, which took place months after the party he co-founded - the Cambodia National Rescue Party - had a strong showing in that year's local commune elections.

The arrest kicked off a broad government crackdown against civic activists and journalists. A similar crackdown has taken place in recent months against activists for the Candlelight Party, which has taken the CNRP's place as the country's main opposition party.

'Just a political trick'

Last week, the National Election Committee ruled that the Candlelight Party couldn't appear on the ballot for the July parliamentary elections, citing inadequate paperwork.

Australia-based social development researcher Seng Sary said Hun Sen may have brought up the embassy visits to divert public attention ahead of the election and to show he is a strong politician who isn't afraid to confront powerful countries.

"This is just a political trick to draw support and to show power to the people and to the opposition leadership," he said.

Hun Sen also said on Monday there remains a possibility that Kem Sokha could be pardoned by King Norodom Sihamoni - but only if the prime minister chooses to make the request in writing to the king.

Translated by Sok Ry Sum. Edited by Matt Reed 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.

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Religious leaders ask US to sanction Vietnamese government officials

The Global Magnitsky Act would allow the US to freeze the assets of those involved in human rights violations.

By RFA Vietnamese 2023.05.22 -- Religious leaders in Vietnam have asked the U.S. government to punish Vietnamese officials involved in religious persecution activities, calling for use of the Global Magnitsky Act to sanction those involved in human rights violations.

Representatives from the Interfaith Council of Vietnam met with American diplomats and an official from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom commissioner at Giac Hoa Pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday.

Officials from Catholicism, Buddhism, Hoa Hao Buddhism, Caodaism and Protestantism urged the Biden administration to make use of a 2016 law, named after a Russian anti-corruption whistleblower, that allows the United States to freeze the assets of foreign government officials and ban them from entering the U.S.

Hua Phi, the administrative clerk of the Caodai religion, told Radio Free Asia that he had to leave his home in the central province of Lam Dong three days in advance of the meeting to avoid police surveillance.

Security forces prevented him from traveling to an Interfaith Council of Vietnam meeting in April, he said.

RFA emailed the People's Committee of Duc Trong district to seek a response on Hua Phi's allegations but didn't receive a response.

Earlier in the week, the U.S. State Department criticized violations of religious freedom in Vietnam, saying in an annual report that the country's legal framework "provides for significant government control over religious practices."

Vietnamese law also "includes vague provisions that permit restrictions on religious freedom in the stated interest of national security and social unity," according to the 2022 International Religious Freedom Report, which provides an overview of the state of religious freedom in nearly 200 countries and territories around the world.

Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the report on Thursday, saying it was "lacking in objectivity."

Compliance with the law in Vietnam includes registering the religion with the government. Currently the government has recognized 36 religious organizations belonging to 16 religions that include Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Caodaism, Hoa Hao Buddhism, Islam and Baha'i.

Those belonging to unrecognized religions are not allowed to operate freely. Hanoi considers the unregistered groups to be illegal and law enforcement has prevented these groups from meeting or carrying out religious rituals or ceremonies.

Translated by Anna Vu. 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.

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Georgia's Diplomatic Balancing Act Is Getting Harder To Pull Off

By Joshua Kucera May 22, 2023

TBILISI -- Since the launch of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, Georgia's government has tried to walk a thin line: to maintain its strong ties to the West while at the same time avoiding the wrath of a Russia on the warpath.

Now, the balancing act is facing its greatest challenge yet.

On May 10, Russia unexpectedly announced that it would restore direct flights to Georgia -- after suspending them in 2019 -- and cancel visa requirements for Georgians visiting Russia. Over a week later, on May 19, the first flight arrived from Moscow to Tbilisi's airport on Russia's Azimuth Airlines. Passengers on the inaugural flight, including some prominent Georgian pro-Russian activists as well as ordinary tourists, were greeted by a media scrum and hundreds of protesters.

The government of the ruling Georgian Dream party, which has faced accusations of appeasing Russia and failing to sufficiently support Ukraine, has argued the resumption of direct flights will boost tourism revenues and make life easier for Georgians who need to travel to Russia. It has sought to allay Western concerns by emphasizing that economic ties with Russia don't contradict the spirit of its relationship to the West and that they shouldn't affect the country's bid to join the European Union.

But it hasn't convinced Brussels.

"We regret Georgia's decisions to restart flights to and from Russia," EU spokesman Peter Stano said in a May 16 press briefing. The move "raises concerns about Georgia's EU path and Georgia's commitment to align with the EU decisions in foreign policy" that it had already undertaken when it signed an Association Agreement with the body in 2014, Stano added.

Georgia -- Azimuth plane landed in Tbilisi from Moscow

Georgian officials have complained that they are facing a double standard compared to other Western-friendly countries that still have direct flights to and from Russia, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Israel. Moscow unilaterally canceled direct flights to Georgia in 2019 in retaliation against anti-Russian protests that year. At the time, the EU and U.S. criticized Russia for the move.

Now, criticism of Georgia for accepting the flights amounts to a "demand that Russia sanction Georgia again," in the words of parliamentary speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

Georgian officials have argued they are only allowing unsanctioned airlines to carry out the flights and so they are not violating Western sanctions. But EU officials say that misses the point, and that the situation has changed since 2019: the EU banned all flights to and from Russia in response to the war in Ukraine and expects its partner countries to do the same.

"Each country in the EU accession process, or aspiring to become part of it, is expected to progressively align with our foreign policy decisions and actions," Stano told RFE/RL in e-mailed comments. "In the case of countries with a clear [EU] perspective, we expect real concrete actions."

Georgia applied for EU candidate status shortly after the start of the Ukraine war in February 2022, along with Ukraine and Moldova. While those two latter countries were awarded candidate status in June 2022, Georgia was instead given an EU "perspective" and a list of reforms it should implement. This fall, the EU will decide, based on its perception of the progress Georgia has made on those reforms, whether to award it candidate status.

Asked about the perception of double standards, Stano said Georgia itself had asked for higher standards. "Armenia is not aspiring for EU membership, but Georgia is and wants to get candidate status from the EU -- well, for that they have to show how they stand up for EU values and principles," he said.

Taken alone, accepting Russia's offer on flights and visas might not have been seen as alarming, but it comes as the Georgian government is already under heavy scrutiny for other anti-Western moves, said one Western diplomat in Tbilisi who requested anonymity so as to be able to speak more frankly. Most significantly, the government recently proposed a bill that would designate media and organizations taking funding from abroad as "foreign agents," against the strong objections from Washington and Brussels. It backed down only after large protests against the bills.

"The international community sees this as not an isolated case but within the overall context," the diplomat said. "There are legitimate concerns about Georgia's foreign policy orientation, and when you are looking for signs about that orientation, this is a bad sign."

Georgian officials have publicly downplayed the foreign policy implications of the move and instead focused on the economic benefits, claiming the resumption of flights could bring in up to $400 million a year to the country's tourism-reliant economy.

Officials from the Georgian Dream party appear to be motivated by mainly domestic political concerns, said Vano Abramashvili, an analyst and head of the Peace Program at the Tbilisi-based NGO Caucasian House. "Economically, Georgian Dream is happy to accept all kinds of money and whatever benefits they can get. Economic growth is part of their narrative, and [their] argument is that 'we prosper because we're at peace,'" Abramashvili told RFE/RL.

The government is also hedging its bets geopolitically because it thinks that "if Russia is not winning in Ukraine, at least it is not losing. They genuinely believe this," he said.

Georgians have mixed views on the resumption of the flights. A poll by the U.S.-based International Republican Institute conducted in March, when the possibility of restoring flights had already been mooted publicly, found 48 percent in favor and 46 percent opposed.

When Georgian Airways, the country's flag carrier, announced on May 16 that it would start operating flights to Russia, it was met with anger on social media and protests outside its Tbilisi offices. The company hit back with a combative Facebook post defending the company's patriotic bona fides and accusing its critics of taking "foreign grants."

If other countries "have the right to fly to Russia and are not included in the list of sanctioned countries, then I ask, what did little Georgia and its small airline do?" asked Tamaz Gaiashvili, the chairman of Georgian Airways, in a separate statement to the press.

Russia's motivations for its gesture remain murky. After the initial announcement was made on May 10, there was no official comment by any senior officials for several days. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova was asked at a May 17 press briefing about its implications for Georgia-Russia relations and she demurred: "Our principled approach is to consistently ease the conditions for communication and contacts between residents of Russia and Georgia, in spite of the lack of diplomatic relations," she said. The decision to restore flights "is consistent with this logic," she added.

Russian state media, though, ran enthusiastic stories touting the move as a step toward rapprochement between the two countries, which have not had diplomatic relations since the 2008 war over Georgia's breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

The Russian government has been seeking to bolster support for the war in the face of waning public support, and one important narrative is that Western attempts to isolate Russia have failed.

"I don't like that Georgia has stepped forward to give [Russian President Vladimir] Putin this lifeline," the Western diplomat noted.

Georgian officials themselves have given mixed assessments of Russia's possible motivations. Georgian Dream head Irakli Kobakhidze said Russia's move amounts to a reward for what he called a "pragmatic" policy vis-a-vis Russia and the Ukraine war. Other officials have complained that the timing appeared to be aimed at spoiling Georgia's EU aspirations.

"With this step, Russia is attempting to harm Georgia's European integration path by projecting the image that Georgia is closely cooperating with Russia," Nikoloz Samkharadze, chairman of the Georgian parliament's foreign affairs committee, told local media.

The resumption of visa-free travel and direct flights was made in recognition of the fact that "Georgia's course toward Russia is as rational and as constructive as possible, taking into account Georgia's close ties with the West," Nikolai Silaev, a foreign policy analyst at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, told RFE/RL. It is "a strong signal that Russia intends to normalize relations with Tbilisi."

To Georgia's Western partners, the prospect of improved ties with Russia is alarming.

Tbilisi "should be very careful about welcoming what looks to be attempts by Russia to normalize relations with Georgia," U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan said at a security conference in the country's capital on May 18.

"I think an important question is, why now? Why is Putin now making these concessions and these offers to Georgia? What is the price that Georgia is going to have to pay for direct flights?" Degnan said. "These are very important questions, because we all know Putin does not give anything without extracting a price."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-diplomatic-balancing- act-russia/32422820.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Pashinian Says Armenia Is Ready To Recognize Nagorno-Karabakh As Part Of Azerbaijan Under Certain Conditions

By RFE/RL May 22, 2023

Armenia said it is ready to recognize the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of neighboring Azerbaijan under certain conditions, a compromise that could help end a decades-old conflict and revive an impoverished region.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian told a press conference on May 22 that any recognition by Yerevan of Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan would be dependent on guaranteeing the rights and security of ethnic Armenians living in the mountainous region.

Azerbaijan and Armenia have been engaged in a dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh since the late 1980s, when ethnic Armenians comprising a majority in the territory demanded it be transferred from Soviet Azerbaijan to Soviet Armenia.

A civil war erupted following the collapse of the Soviet Union with Nagorno-Karabakh declaring its independence from Azerbaijan. However, its independence is not recognized by most of the international community.

Baku regained control over part of the territory following a six-week war in 2020. The two sides signed a truce that is currently monitored by Russian peacekeeping forces.

However, the truce has not brought peace to the region with occasional battles flaring up between the two sides. The latest clash occurred earlier this month.

Pashinian's May 22 statement comes a week after he met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Brussels at the European Union's invitation to discuss a durable peace agreement.

The EU called the meeting, the latest in a series between the two leaders, a positive step forward. However, any lasting peace could still take significant time to hammer out and overcome domestic opposition in Armenia.

A durable peace would allow investment to flow into the South Caucasus, a poor but strategically located region and a key transport hub.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-pashinian-recognize- karabakh-azaerbaijani-territory/32422965.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Bulgarian Parties Reach Deal On Coalition Government After Five Elections In Two Years

By RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service May 22, 2023

Bulgaria's center-right GERB party, which narrowly won last month's parliamentary elections, has reached a compromise with the second-placed We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria coalition to form a government, top officials from both political organizations said.

GERB's nominee for prime minister, former EU Commissioner Maryia Gabriel, and Continue the Change--Democratic Bulgaria's leader Nikolay Denkov have agreed to rotate as head of the government every nine months, they both announced at a joint news conference on May 22.

GERB won a narrow victory in the April 2 vote -- the country's fifth inconclusive parliamentary poll in two years -- with 26.5 percent of the vote, or 69 seats. The pro-European We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria was next with 24.5 percent, giving it 64 mandates. The combined 133 seats will give the two parties a slim majority in the 240-seat parliament.

According to the agreement, the coalition government will have a pro-European Union agenda, with obtaining membership in the Schengen passport-free area and the euro monetary union as top priorities along with fighting Russian influence in Bulgaria's security sector.

Bulgaria has been governed mainly by caretaker governments appointed by President Rumen Radev since public anger over years of corruption boiled over into massive protests in 2020. In February, Radev dissolved parliament and announced the April 2 vote.

Last year in June, the pro-Western government of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov fell after a no-confidence vote in parliament after only six months in power.

Petkov and his fragile coalition took over in December 2021 following eight months of political impasse and two interim administrations after protests against high-level corruption ended the decade-long rule of former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov -- the head of GERB.

The political crisis has prompted EU and NATO member Bulgaria to postpone adopting the euro by one year to 2025. In December, Austrian and Dutch opposition blocked Bulgaria and neighboring Romania from being admitted to the Schengen area.

NOTE: This article has been amended to clarify that Mariya Gabriel and Nikolay Denkov jointly announced the deal to form a coaliton government.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/bulgaria-coalition- government-gabriel-denkov-gerb/32422924.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Secretary Blinken Witnesses the Signing of the U.S.-Palau 2023 Agreement Following the Compact of Free Association Section 432 Review

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

May 22, 2023

On May 22, Secretary of State Antony Blinken participated in the signing ceremony of the U.S.-Palau 2023 Agreement following the Compact of Free Association Section 432 Review marking the successful conclusion of Compact-related negotiations with the Republic of Palau regarding the extension of economic assistance.

The United States has a special and historic relationship with the Republic of Palau and intends to continue Compact-related assistance at significant levels that recognize our special relationship, support economic development, bolster resiliency to tackle challenges such as climate change, and assist in building a prosperous, healthy, and more self-sustaining future.

This agreement marks a major milestone in U.S.-Palau relations, which is underpinned by the Compact of Free Association, and continues to support freedom, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. The United States is a Pacific nation, and we have a deep and longstanding partnership with the Republic of Palau and strong people-to-people ties to Pacific Island countries, who are not only our neighbors but also our friends.

Congressional approval is necessary before the agreement can be brought into force, and we are engaged with Congress on this. Additional negotiations are underway to continue federal programs and services that are currently provided under a Federal Programs and Services Agreement.



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Cortes chairs Environment Ministers Council

Minister for Environment and Climate Change Prof John Cortes last week chaired a virtual meeting of the Council of Environment Ministers from the UK Overseas Territories (OTs) and Crown Dependencies (CDs).

The Council was set up at a meeting in Gibraltars Garrison Library in 2015, and has met at least annually since.

The meeting was attended by Environment Ministers, or equivalents, and senior officials from all the territories in question, as well as their London representatives, and the UK Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA), with the secretariat provided by the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (UKOTCF).

The Rt Hon Lord Benyon, UK DEFRA Minister of State (Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs) attended the meeting and participated in the discussions. These covered a wide range of topics, including representation in Conferences of the Parties of environmental conventions and agreements, biodiversity, funding for environmental projects, and management of protected areas.

All present considered the meeting to be useful and successful and agreed to increase the frequency to at least every six months.

Minister Cortes commented: All the OTs and CDs are very different from each other in many ways, but also share many common challenges, problems and opportunities. These meetings of the Council have proved extremely useful in pushing the environmental agenda both in our small jurisdictions and also in the UK.
The United States and Papua New Guinea Sign New Defense Cooperation Agreement and an Agreement Concerning Counter Illicit Transnational Maritime Activity Operations

US Department of State

Media Note

Office of the Spokesperson

May 22, 2023

On May 22, 2023, the United States and Papua New Guinea concluded a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) and an Agreement Concerning Counter Illicit Transnational Maritime Activity Operations.

This DCA represents a natural progression in our decades of defense cooperation with Papua New Guinea. The agreement will modernize our security relationship and replace an outdated Status of Forces Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding regarding defense cooperation. The U.S.-PNG DCA will form the foundational framework around which our two countries will enhance security cooperation, further strengthen our bilateral relationship, improve the capacity of the PNG Defence Force, and increase stability and security in the region.

This DCA will facilitate bilateral and multilateral exercises and engagements in support of regional capacity building priorities. It also enables the United States to be more responsive in emergency situations, such as those involving humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

America's close partnerships with like-minded democratic countries are a tremendous source of stability and strength. The DCA reflects the U.S. commitment to reinvigorate and modernize our democratic partnerships around the word to advance our shared security and prosperity.

The new Agreement Concerning Counter Illicit Transnational Maritime Activity Operations addresses a range of maritime threats including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, and illicit transport of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). This agreement adds to the 11 existing agreements within the Pacific Island region and strengthens maritime governance and enforcement globally.

This new Agreement will enable PNG to participate in the U.S. Coast Guard's Shiprider program, enhancing PNG's organic enforcement capabilities, improving overall maritime domain awareness, and helping PNG protect its sovereignty.

This agreement will provide an expedited mechanism for obtaining flag State consent to board and search vessels reasonably suspected of illicit trafficking, as well as promote robust cooperation and information sharing between the United States and PNG. The signing of this agreement demonstrates a commitment to work together to promote good maritime governance in the region.

Together, we can deliver a strong, united response to actors that continue to engage in predatory behavior, as well as those who disregard territorial integrity and responsible and respectful use of marine resources.

For further information, please contact the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs at pm-cpa@state.gov.





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Secretary Blinken's Meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Hipkins

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

May 22, 2023

The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in Port Moresby to discuss the importance of U.S. and New Zealand engagement with the Pacific. The Secretary and Prime Minister also discussed their commitment to democratic principles and the international rules-based order.

The Secretary and the Prime Minister also reiterated their commitment to addressing the climate crisis and deepening economic cooperation through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Compact Review Agreement Signing Ceremony with Palau

US Department of State

Remarks

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

APEC Haus

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

May 22, 2023

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you, everyone. Good evening. President Whipps, we've had the opportunity to meet a number of times in Washington, but it's especially good to be with you here in the Pacific Islands.

Palau and the United States have a strong relationship rooted in a rich history, and I am grateful to you for all that you've done to deepen those bonds even further.

To Special Envoy Yun, it's pretty simple: This day would not have happened without the extraordinary work of you and your team as well as our team at Embassy Koror. And I can't thank you enough for actually coming out of retirement now - (applause) - and answering the call to serve as you've done throughout an extraordinary career of more than three decades in foreign service.

And to Ambassador Karen Stewart as well, thank you for launching this round of negotiations and for staying on to carry them over the finish line. It's really great to see you.

And thank you as well to our colleagues across the Department of the Interior, including Assistant Secretary Cantor for your joint efforts in negotiating this agreement. This collaboration is just one more demonstration of the whole-of-government approach that we're taking to implement our Indo-Pacific Strategy.

For nearly two decades now, the Compact of Free Association has been a hallmark of partnership. Under the agreement, the United States has been enriched by the contributions of Palauan citizens who come to further their studies, to work throughout our country, to serve in all of the branches of our armed services. And we're proud of the role that we played in helping build Palau's public health infrastructure, strengthening its energy grid, working together to respond to disasters like the Typhoon Jelawat in 2018.

Today's agreement we're about to sign will ensure that this partnership continues to deliver for our people, including by tackling the climate crisis, promoting sustainable economic development, bolstering our security.

These same goals animate the agreement that we'll sign with the Federated States of Micronesia and the one that we're working hard to finalize with the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

In total, the United States will commit $7.1 billion to the Freely Associated States over the next 20 years. It's an investment in our shared Pacific future, one defined by peace, by freedom, by democracy, by the rule of law, by (inaudible).

Enhancing our special relationship with the Freely Associated States is a critical part of our effort, and we look forward to taking many more steps together when we welcome our Pacific Island partners to Washington later this year. So this is a very happy occasion, an important occasion, and one that didn't just happen. It took a lot of work, a lot of effort. The president and I were just recalling the first time we met now close to two years ago, and ever since then we've been working very hard to get to this day. And to our teams, thank you for bringing us across the finish line.

Thank you very much. (Applause.)

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken At a Defense Cooperation Agreement and Shiprider Signing Ceremony

US Department of State

Remarks

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

APEC Haus

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

May 22, 2023

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, thank you very much, everyone. And I have to say I'm very tempted to say, "What the prime minister said," and leave it at that because I could not and cannot say it more eloquently than he just has. But let me first say good afternoon to everyone. It is truly wonderful to be here in Papua New Guinea, to be joining the prime minister, to be joining the defense ministers, to be joining the entire team.

Mr. Prime Minister, we've spent a good bit of time together, including a visit to the Oval Office with President Biden during the Pacific Island Summit last year. And you heard this from the President himself during your call a few days ago, but he asked me again to reiterate to you, to all of our friends in Papua New Guinea, his regrets for being unable to be here today. The President values deeply our nations' longstanding partnership and believes our cooperation is critical to addressing a series of shared challenges that are facing our people. And he's eager to welcome you, to welcome other Pacific Island Forum leaders, back to Washington for a second summit later this year.

We are deeply invested in the Indo-Pacific because our planet's future is being written here. Papua New Guinea is playing a critical role in shaping that future. That leadership is on display this week as you've welcomed 16 delegations for the U.S.-Pacific Island Forum Leaders Meeting to make progress on priorities that we've established together, from tackling the climate crisis to improving public health to enhancing disaster preparedness and response. And the United States is proud to partner with Papua New Guinea on these same priorities because they're our priorities too. We're working together as regional security partners. We're boosting our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific though the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability.

We're driving economic opportunity through partnerships between our businesses, which are bringing tens of billions in new investment to Papua New Guinea. And we are teaming up to bring preventative, lifesaving HIV/AIDS treatment to people here in Papua New Guinea so that they can continue to lead healthy and productive lives.

Simply put, we are committed to growing all aspects of our relationship. And to that end, today, as you've from the prime minister, we're signing two agreements on defense and on maritime cooperation.

The Defense Cooperation Agreement, drafted by Papua New Guinea and the United States as equal and sovereign partners, will enhance the PNG's Defence Force's capability to deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, including through providing medical care and temporary shelter to those who are affected by crises. The agreement will also make it easy for PNG and U.S. forces to train together in new ways and in more places as part of our joint effort to uphold peace and security across the Indo-Pacific. We will be fully transparent of the details of the agreement, which contains elements from our previous agreement and updates to reflect our shared commitment to deepen cooperation on issues that matter most to people here as well as in the United States.

And as you also heard from the prime minister, the Shiprider Agreement will allow the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and the U.S. Coast Guard to deepen cooperation to combat illicit maritime activities, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which we know is destroying livelihoods and threatening green ecosystems that nourish Pacific Island economies.

At more than 2.4 million square kilometers, the PNG's Exclusive Economic Zone is one of the largest in the South Pacific. That poses a tremendous economic opportunity but also a serious challenge for monitoring, for controlling, for surveilling that vast expanse of maritime area. Under this agreement, our forces will be able to board one another's vessels, share technical expertise, and ultimately better patrol the seas together. This is vital to protecting livelihoods for generations to come.

For nearly 50 years, Papua New Guinea and the United States have worked together to deliver prosperity for our people and promote security and stability for the region. You heard the prime minister speak eloquently to that shared history. But I think what's so important is that shared history is also a living history, and together - even as we're inspired by so much that we've done in the past - we are working together to shape the future. That's the task before us. And Mr. Prime Minister, we are very much looking forward to taking our partnership to the next level.

Thank you. (Applause.)

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum Dialogue

US Department of State

Remarks

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

APEC Haus

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

May 22, 2023

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Prime Minister, thank you very, very much. And colleagues, it is a great honor to be with all of you, to be with our Pacific Island partners. Prime Minister, I'm really grateful to you as our host for welcoming all of us to Papua New Guinea.

President Biden was very much looking forward to being here and to addressing Pacific Island Forum leaders before events in Washington required him to be there. He felt it was important for me to represent him to underscore to you our commitment to the region. And in fact, I'm carrying with me a formal invitation from the President for Pacific leaders to come back to Washington this fall for a second summit to continue conversations and develop new initiatives that are critical to our collective future. I know that the President is eager to welcome you in Washington again. The first summit was historic. Our second summit will help us really shape history together.

This is the second opportunity that I've had to be with the Pacific Island Forum. I very much appreciated the discussion last year in Fiji. Vice President Harris also addressed that meeting virtually. And in between those events, senior officials from across our government have regularly traveled to the region.

When President Biden launched the Pacific Island Summit last year, he pledged a new era of cooperation and partnership to deliver for our people. An era of mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual benefit with the United States and the Pacific Islands working together to advance a shared vision for the region that's free, that's open, that's connected, that's prosperous, that's secure, that's resilient.

So we sometimes have formulas, phrases that we repeat to each other on a regular basis, and "free and open" is one of them. What do we actually mean by that? Well, for our part - and I think this is a shared view among everyone at this table - when we talk about free and open we mean a region where countries are free to choose their own path and their own partners; where problems can be dealt with openly, rules will be reached transparently and applied fairly; and goods, ideas, and people will flow freely and lawfully across land, the seas, the skies, and cyberspace.

Over the past year, the United States has been listening hard, listening to you, engaging with your governments, working to deliver on our summit announcements and align with your vision. Today, I think we can actually point to substantial progress on many of those commitments, acknowledging that more work needs to be done. And Prime Minister, I take very much to heart what you said about the need to have clear lines of visibility and accessibility so that we can continue to move forward on the agenda we set for each other.

But if you just look at what we've managed to accomplish over the past year as well as where we're going. I think we do see tangible progress. We're enhancing our diplomatic engagements in the Pacific. Last year, we inaugurated our new embassy building here in Papua New Guinea. I had a chance to visit it this morning. It's an extraordinary facility, really a state-of-the-art building that I think reflects the value that place on our partnership.

We recently opened two new embassies in Solomon Islands and Tonga. We're working to do the same in Vanuatu in Kiribati. We sent our first ever U.S. envoy to the Pacific Islands Forum, Ambassador Frankie Reed, who is here with us today and has been hard at work to deepen our relationships across the region. America's future is here in the Pacific.

We're strengthening our partnerships on public health, the climate crisis, economic growth, and other key regional priorities that respond to people's needs and expectations. By September, we'll open a new USAID mission here in the Pacific Islands based in Papua New Guinea to advance those efforts.

We've also helped Pacific Island countries unlock more than half a billion dollars from international organizations to help communities manage the growing impacts of climate change, a challenge that we know President Biden feels strongly is existential for the Pacific Islands and on which the Pacific Islands have all led in the global community. Today, I am very pleased to announce the United States plans to be among the founding partners to support PIF in standing up the new Pacific Resilience Facility to support investments in adaptation and resilience.

We're updating and enhancing the Compacts of Free Association with our close partners in the Freely Associated States. A little later today, we're signing agreements with Palau, tomorrow with Federated States of Micronesia, and we're looking forward to entering negotiations with the Republic of the Marshall Islands very soon.

As part of these agreements, the United States will commit more than $7.1 billion to the Freely Associated States over the next 20 years. We've also included an enhanced South Pacific Tuna Treaty. We just completed negotiations on a new 10-year economic assistance agreement which will support livelihoods across the region, boost our cooperation on priorities like combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. We know how essential, how vital this is, to virtually all of our partners in the region. We know the damage that it does to livelihoods and the threat that it poses to ecosystems that are quite literally nourishing your economies.

We're advancing shared prosperity across our region by connecting American and Pacific companies and boosting trade and investment through new initiatives and new dialogue. We launched a new transportation partnership and strategic infrastructure initiatives aimed at unlocking over $450 million in financing for clean energy connectivity and for digital infrastructure. We held the first U.S.-PIF dialogue on trade and investment a little bit earlier this year and look forward to a ministerial level dialogue very soon.

And today, I can announce that our Department of Commerce will lead a U.S. business delegation to the Pacific Island countries in the coming year to look at concrete opportunities in energy, in transportation, in health care, in tourism, in telecommunications. We're putting together a very strong delegation of leading American enterprises, and we very much look forward to doing that in a few months' time.

Also deepening the already incredibly vibrant ties between our people, we're partnering with Johns Hopkins University to welcome the first cohort of Pacific leaders at the U.S. Pacific Institute for Rising Leaders program this fall. That will (inaudible) the region's brightest minds on the key priorities that (inaudible) time.

And we're returning the Peace Corps to the region with volunteers already on the ground in Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga, and preparing to arrive in Vanuatu (inaudible) later this year.

We're committed to building on all of this momentum generated in the last year, including by working through the Partners in the Blue Pacific to support 2050 strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

So in short, I think we're making demonstrable progress on the agenda we've set for ourselves. There is more that we can do, more that we will do, more that we have to do. But it was very important for me to be here today to hear from all of you, our partners, on how we're doing, how we can do even better, and how we can deepen all of the work that we've set for ourselves.

So thank you for the honor of joining you today. I'm so grateful to all of our colleagues for being here. I'm very much looking forward to this conversation, to listening to everyone's ideas to everyone's priorities to ensure that the United States is a strong, reliable, effective partner in the Pacific Islands in the future that we are building together.

Thank you very much, Prime Minister. (Applause.)

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken And New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins Before Their Meeting

US Department of State

Remarks

Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State

U.S. Embassy

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

May 22, 2023

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. Mr. Prime Minister, thank you so much for being here. It's an honor and pleasure to host you and (inaudible) congratulations on your now not so new job. I mentioned from my own experience in these things it may be at the point where the inbox is getting higher and higher, the outbox is also a challenge, but it's really great to be able to talk to you here at the embassy today.

And we have with New Zealand a partnership that is bilateral, it's regional, and it's global. We're working together on virtually all of the major issues of concern to people in both our countries. We couldn't be more grateful for it.

And of course, here in the Pacific Island region that partnership is particularly important and vital. It's a terrific opportunity for us to compare notes today. I really appreciate that and welcome that. And at the same time, I think we share an absolute conviction and commitment that we together want to make sure that we're building a future for the Indo-Pacific region, that we make sure that it remains free, open, secure, and prosperous. We have the same objectives, and the more that we're working together in that direction the more effective I think we'll be.

Prime Minister, thank you again for being here.

PRIME MINISTER HIPKINS: Can I thank you for the opportunity to come and meet with you, and also can I acknowledge your presence here? And I think the increased U.S. presence in the Pacific, which is something that we certainly welcome, as a country we are very invested in the Pacific, and we are very happy to see you here and to see that greater involvement. New Zealand and the United States have a number of interests in common and we clearly have a lot of history between our two countries. We have a very important trade relationship, a lot of New Zealanders living and working in the U.S. as well. A lot of New Zealand's businesses present in the United States. And it's an opportunity for us to continue to grow that dialogue.

I also want to note that there are many issues where we have a great deal in common, climate change is particularly important here to the Pacific, and I welcome the Biden administration's commitments around climate change. They mean a lot to the Pacific, and I am sure there'll be a bit of opportunity to talk about those as well.

So I thank you for being here.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. Thanks, everyone.

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Ongoing conflict in Sudan is having a devastating impact on the Sudanese people: UK statement at the Security Council

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.

22 May 2023

Thank you, President. And thank you Special Representative Perthes, Commissioner Adeoye and Executive-Secretary Gebeyehu for their briefings.

Let me start by underlining our support for SRSG Perthes and all UN staff who continue to work in Sudan under extremely challenging circumstances.

President, the conflict in Sudan is a tragedy and has had a devastating impact on the Sudanese people.

The United Kingdom urges the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to immediately stop fighting, protect civilians and grant safe and immediate humanitarian access.

Coordinated action by international and regional partners is crucial to help end this conflict.

We welcome all diplomatic efforts towards this goal including the 11 May Jeddah Declaration and the Ceasefire Agreement agreed on 20 May.

But these commitments will be worthless if they are not put into action or used to secure a military advantage. We call on the parties to fully abide by their commitments in their letter and spirit.

We also welcome the efforts of the AU, IGAD, and League of Arab States to help bring an end to the violence. It is essential that there is strong coordination of efforts between regional and multilateral bodies.

It is also imperative that the voices of the Sudanese civilians are heard loud and clear. They must be included at every stage of the process, especially in mediation efforts to bring an end to the fighting and ultimately to deliver a democratic transition with a civilian government.

President, let me address the appalling human rights and humanitarian situation caused by this fighting.

As we heard, over 500 civilians have been killed. Thousands injured. Millions more lack food and medicine. In West Darfur, visceral violence is igniting at a scale not experienced in decades.

Over 150,000 people have been forced to flee Sudan. The United Kingdom would like to extend our thanks and pledge our support to the neighbouring countries who have welcomed refugees.

Humanitarian need has risen sharply, having already been at record levels prior to the conflict.

We call for an immediate end to the continued attacks on civilian infrastructure, including homes, healthcare facilities, schools, and places of worship. The looting of humanitarian assets is simply unacceptable. We reiterate that the perpetrators must be held accountable.

President, in closing, we offer our full support to UNITAMS as we enter discussions on the renewal of the mandate and we stand in solidarity with the Sudanese people in their demands for a peaceful and democratic future.

Thank you.

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Northern Group partners meet in Warsaw to discuss European security

Key threats and challenges to European security was the focus of meeting of ministers from 12 European countries today

22 May 2023

Ministers and representatives from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the UK met in Warsaw, Poland today for the Northern Group Ministers meeting.

Currently chaired by Poland, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace attended the meeting hosted by Minister of National Defence Mariusz Baszczak in in Legionowo, near Warsaw.

The threats and challenges to European security were discussed during the meeting. All partners agreed that Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine has seriously changed the security environment and that Russia's aggressive posture constitutes a direct threat to the security, stability and the prosperity of the Euro-Atlantic area.

Northern Group members share a common view that providing further military assistance to Ukraine to support its defence against Russia's brutal aggression is crucial.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

Defence partnerships like the Northern Group are vital to tackle shared threats. As likeminded nations we are determined to continue our support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, for as long as it takes.

It was a pleasure to meet again with my friend and close defence partner Mariusz Baszczak. For over 150 years we have enjoyed a close defence alliance with Poland and our ongoing cooperation is supporting security and stability across Europe.

NATO Vilnius Summit was also discussed during the meeting, including the implementation of decisions agreed during the Madrid Summit in 2022. Northern Group members agreed that the Vilnius Summit should enhance regional security by further strengthening of Allied deterrence and defence posture.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace also held a bilateral meeting with his counterpart Mariusz Baszczak during the meeting. It is less than a month since Ben Wallace was last in Poland, invited as a guest to the Bucharest 9 meeting. Prior to that the Ministers met in October 2022 where they signed an Air Defence Complex Weapons Memorandum of Understanding MOU and the Arrowhead-140 Statement of Intent.

The Air Defence MOU enables the UK and Poland to cooperate in the development and manufacture of current and future complex weapons, further strengthening the relationship built through the Defence and Security Cooperation Treaty (2017) and deepening the interoperability of our Armed Forces. The Arrowhead-140 Statement of Intent provides a framework for our governments to collaborate on the procurement and operation of three Arrowhead-140 frigates. The Polish Frigates will be a variant of the Arrowhead-140.

At the end of April, a major 1.9 billion export agreement was signed by the UK and Poland. The contract with UK firm MBDA for a British-designed air defence system is a major boost for Euro-Atlantic security and will support hundreds of highly skilled jobs across the UK.

It is one of the largest deals of its kind in NATO and will see the UK equip 22 Polish air defence batteries with sophisticated UK Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles (CAMMs) and launchers.

These announcements are just the latest recent collaboration between our two countries aimed at helping Poland bolster its armed forces to deter aggression, and are in addition to the UK's deployment of the Sky Sabre air defence system to Poland.

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Press Release

SECNAV awards Marine Security Guards for successful evacuation from Khartoum

22 May 2023

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Virginia -- Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, visited Marine Corps Embassy Security Group Headquarters at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., on May 19 to personally thank the Marines with Marine Security Guard (MSG) Detachment Khartoum for their exceptional performance during the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan.

The primary role of an MSG is to protect personnel, classified information, and government property at U.S. diplomatic facilities around the globe. When fighting occurred within Sudan between two militant groups on April 15, the Marines continued their daily duties. As the conflict drew nearer and became more aggressive, the Marines received their orders to begin preparation for an evacuation.

Throughout the operation, the Marines continued to stand both of their posts, which are manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Additionally, the Marine standing Post One provided command and control for the evacuation and provided real-time updates and information to and from the Chief of Mission and embassy personnel. When the evacuation was completed on April 23, the Marines said the feeling was bittersweet.

"It's a humble feeling being back in the heart of it all, and it reminds you that the greater mission of MCESG is ongoing and we must continue to support that mission," said Staff Sgt. Derek Ferrari, the Detachment Commander for Detachment Khartoum. "The detachment is deactivated but not disbanded yet, and I continue to be impressed with my Marines' ability to remain engaged and take are of one another the same way they did in Khartoum."

During his visit, Del Toro not only thanked the Marines for their heroism in Sudan but also presented each of them with military decorations. The Detachment Commander, Staff Sgt. Ferrari, was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal and each of the Watchstanders was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

"The example that you have set protecting the life of the ambassador and the lives of all the people who were at the embassy has been nothing short of extraordinary," said Del Toro. "I wanted to make sure that before you left this building and head onto other assignments, that I came here today to look you in the eye and say, 'Thank you.'"

After pinning medals on the chest of each Marine involved in the evacuation, Del Toro turned to the families present and thanked each of them for their own sacrifice in allowing their loved ones to serve in every clime and place. He then gathered with everyone to take several pictures and to celebrate the Marines and their actions.

"It is a great honor and a great privilege to be awarded by the Secretary of the Navy," said Sgt. Komlan Akli, a Watchstander with Detachment Khartoum. "The detachment did exactly what is expected of U.S. Marines during times of uncertainty and being awarded for that by the SECNAV means a lot to myself and the rest of the detachment."

The Marines who still have time left to serve on the MSG program have received new assignments and will begin heading back overseas to continue serving at more than 180 diplomatic facilities around the world.

Marines awarded during the ceremony:

Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal:

-SSgt Derek Ferrari: Ocean Township, New Jersey

Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal:

-Sgt Komlan S. Akli: Lyons, Illinois

-Sgt Joshua P. Arledge: Enterprise, Alabama

-Sgt Kyle S. Bangerter: Sarasota, Florida

-Sgt Alonzo J. Longstreet: Milpitas, California

-Sgt Manuel Moncayo Jr.: El Paso, Texas

-Cpl Jason R. Castillo: Houston, Texas

-Cpl Erik O. Hernandez: Las Vegas, Nevada

-Cpl Michael T. Jones: Flowery Branch, Georgia

-Cpl Marvin J. McCaskill: Salisbury, Maryland

-Cpl Christopher B. Wolfert: Keizer, Oregon

-Cpl Karl D. Meier: Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

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A War at Sea: Formidable Shield 2023 enhances Allies' warfighting proficiency

US Navy

22 May 2023

ATLANTIC OCEAN -- Surface Action Group (SAG) Sword, led by Spanish Navy Alvaro de Bazan-class frigate ESPS Blas De Lezo (F 103), steamed in formation from the north, readying their combat systems for the fight. To the south, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) and SAG Shield prepared to join them in neutralizing the threat. In the frigid waters off Scotland's Cape Wrath, these Allied SAGs put their experience, weapons systems, and procedures to the test.

Conducted toward the middle portion of the overall exercise, the "War at Sea" phase of exercise Formidable Shield 2023 marked an inflection point between exercise-related events taking place off the coast of northern Norway and the force's current operations on the Hebrides Range and in the North Atlantic Ocean. The War at Sea involved a series of gunnery exercises (GUNNEX) and combined anti-submarine exercises (CASEX) against fictitious targets, challenging Allied SAGs in multi-domain warfighting, enhancing their ability to operate as a cohesive team.

"As Force anti-submarine warfare commander, [French Navy FREMM frigate] FS Bretagne provides undersea surveillance and defense of the force against any threats underwater," said FS Bretagne's Operations Officer. "This ability has been demonstrated in an extremely wide area and in challenging meteorological conditions. Formidable Shield improves our individual and combined capacity in this area. It also outlines the high level reached by the Alliance in this particular field."

Prior to the War at Sea, SAG Sword and SAG Shield were two separate groups separated by 1,000 nautical miles at sea but integrated under the command of the Task Group Commander embarked in Blas De Lezo. Sword focused on the North and Norwegian Seas and Shield sailed in the North Atlantic, generating the conditions and effects necessary to support more fixed operations off the Hebrides when the two groups ultimately combined.

While disaggregated, maintaining communications and situational awareness between the two groups demanded flexibility from the units and an understanding of the common goal. These groups came together for the War at Sea, testing and enhancing their proficiency in a simulated multi-domain battle scenario. Their common goal in this scenario: neutralize the enemy threat and protect the force.

"The anti-air warfare section on HNoMS Roald Amundsen has to make sure that our battle systems are ready and that our operators have the training they need to shoot down a potential target," said Lieutenant Rokkones, Royal Norwegian Navy Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F 311)'s anti-air warfare commander.

Cooperation in a shared battle space against a common adversary required confidence in one another. Each participating unit and nation needed to know what the others were doing, thinking, and working to achieve. This common understanding was bolstered by Allied contributions to a variety of warfare commander roles in the composite warfare commander (CWC) concept.

The composite warfare doctrine exists to provide survivability and efficiency in managing complex, multi-domain operations. It places command decision making and trust in the hands of capable units and personnel to fill various domain responsibilities through command by negation, where actions are pre-planned, commander's intent is well understood, and warfare commanders have the ability to carry out orders in the absence of further guidance.

Formidable Shield takes this CWC concept one step farther, by incorporating Allied units into the command and control reporting structure and empowering them to carry out their commander's intent in a variety of exercise evolutions.

"Decentralizing warfare area responsibilities during an exercise like Formidable Shield demonstrates our ability to train and fight as a cohesive, combat credible force," said Capt. Jon Lipps, U.S. Sixth Fleet's Commander, Task Force 64, and Formidable Shield Officer in Tactical Control (OTC). "As an Alliance, we can, and often do, combine our many unique capabilities into a multinational force that deters adversaries and can defend our members if necessary. These capabilities, when combined as they are here in Formidable Shield, underscore the true power and potential of our Allied maritime forces across the joint domains."

Dividing principal warfare area responsibilities in a CWC concept reinforces Allies' abilities to counter a variety of subsonic and supersonic threats from multiple directions and in multiple domains. This decentralized and delegated structure also leverages the advantages inherent in different national platforms, while ensuring that capabilities and objective priorities complement one another.

"Formidable Shield is an exercise with the main focus on anti-air warfare," said the Air Defense Officer aboard Royal Netherlands Navy De Zeven Provincien-class frigate HNLMS Tromp (F 803). "As the anti-air warfare commander, we make sure the whole task group [TG] is looking at an identical tactical picture and is aware of the individual units' contribution to TG protection in the anti-air warfare [AAW] domain. At the same time, the contribution from all units to the AAW picture, brought to the commander of the task group by Tromp, ensures timely and justified reactions from the group."

With their combined capacity, command and control expertise, and overwhelming firepower, SAGs Shield and Sword made short work of their exercise adversary. The lessons learned and shared experiences of their time together will no doubt pay dividends to these Allies and to the NATO Alliance against any future Formidable Shield foes, and in exercises, activities and operations to come.

Formidable Shield is a biennial integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) exercise involving a series of live-fire events against subsonic, supersonic, and ballistic targets, incorporating multiple Allied ships, ground forces, and aviation forces working across battlespaces to deliver effects. Formidable Shield demonstrates Alliance cohesion, cutting-edge capacity and capability, and NATO Allies' combined commitment to the deterrence and defense of NATO territory.

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U.S.-Led Multinational Partnership Launches New Task Force for Maritime Security Training in Middle East

US Navy

22 May 2023

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain -- The U.S.-led multinational partnership, Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), established a new task force May 22 that will train partner navies and improve operational capabilities to enhance maritime security in the Middle East.

During a ceremony at U.S. 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain, leaders commissioned Combined Task Force (CTF) 154. The new staff is CMF's fifth task force after standing up CTF 153 in April 2022 for maritime security in the Red Sea.

CTF 154 will lead multinational maritime training at locations across the Middle East, enabling more CMF partner-nations to participate in training opportunities without ships or aircraft, particularly during courses that are facilitated ashore.

"Our navies are at their very best when we train, operate and work together," said Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and CMF. "Establishing CTF 154 demonstrates our deep commitment to strengthening and expanding partnerships through new training opportunities that will enhance regional maritime security."

The new task force is commanded by a U.S. Navy captain who will build and lead a multinational staff. Another nation will assume command as early as this fall.

CTF 154's core staff will be augmented by CMF partners during key training opportunities such as the task force's inaugural event, Compass Rose. This week, CTF 154 is hosting Compass Rose in the Kingdom of Bahrain. More than 50 participants from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and United States began arriving Sunday to attend courses on first aid and vessel boarding procedures.

"I am excited to lead an international team in this important work," said Capt. Oliver Herion, CTF 154's first commander. "Collectively, CMF has tremendous experience and expertise with critical skills, tools and relationships."

CTF 154 will frequently organize training events around five core areas: maritime awareness, maritime law, maritime interdiction, maritime rescue and assistance, and leadership development. Each training opportunity will be tailored to meet partner requests ranging from basic to advanced levels.

"Focusing our efforts to facilitate training for the multinational partnership will refine our skillsets and reinforce our ability to operate together," said Herion. "We are 'Stronger Together' and 'Ready Together.' That is what CMF is all about."

CMF is the largest multinational naval partnership in the world, with 38 nations committed to upholding the international rules-based order at sea.

CMF's other task forces include CTF 150 that focuses on maritime security in the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean; CTF 151, which leads regional counter-piracy efforts; CTF 152, dedicated to maritime security in the Arabian Gulf; and CTF 153 in the Red Sea.

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Horn of Africa: Over 7 million children under the age of 5 remain malnourished across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia

UNICEF

UNICEF calls for investment in sustainable, resilient systems across the region to protect children and communities from future crises

22 May 2023

NAIROBI/JOHANNESBURG, 23 MAY 2023 -- Children in the Horn of Africa are living through an unprecedented large-scale crisis of hunger, displacement, water scarcity, and insecurity. More than 7 million children under the age of 5 remain malnourished and in need of urgent nutrition support, and over 1.9 million children are at risk of dying from severe malnutrition.

As the region comes out of one of the worst droughts in 40 years, vulnerable communities have lost cattle, crops, and entire livelihoods over the past three years of failed rains.

"The crisis in the Horn has been devastating for children," said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa. "Over the past 3 years, communities have been forced to take extreme measures to survive, with millions of children and families leaving their homes out of pure desperation in search of food and water. This crisis has deprived children of the essentials of childhood - having enough to eat, a home, safe water, and going to school."

While the rains have brought some reprieve, it has also led to floods, as the parched ground is unable to absorb large quantities of water, leading to further displacement, increased risk of disease, livestock loss and crop damage. In Somalia, the rains have caused floods that have damaged homes, farmland and roads, as well as washed away livestock and led to closures of schools and health facilities. Initial estimates indicate that the flash and riverine floods across Somalia have affected at least 460,470 people, of whom nearly 219,000 have been displaced from their homes mainly in flood-prone areas, and 22 killed.

Floods have also caused widespread destruction and displacement in several regions of Ethiopia. The flooding has deepened the vulnerability of populations already highly affected by the drought as the areas most affected by flooding and drought overlap. The floods have also worsened health risks, including cholera. The current cholera outbreak is among the longest outbreaks ever recorded in Ethiopia.

"The rains have brought some relief and hope, but also new threats, and recovery doesn't happen overnight," said Fall. "It takes time for crops and herds to grow again, for families to recover from years of hardship. That's why continued support is still critical."

Across the region, 23 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. The number of severely malnourished children seeking treatment in the first quarter of this year remains much higher than last year, and will likely remain high for quite a while. On top of nutrition needs, extreme weather, insecurity and scarcity have also had devastating consequences for women and children, worsening the risk of gender-based violence (GBV), sexual exploitation and abuse.

Major outbreaks including cholera, measles, malaria, and other diseases are ongoing across the region, worsened by extreme weather conditions and fragile health systems. Food prices remain high in local markets, burdening children and families. The climate crisis is compounding the severity of the situation, worsening mass displacement, malnutrition, and disease.

"In 2022, donor support enabled us to provide services for the prevention of malnutrition to over 30 million children and mothers," said Fall. "This year, further flexible funding will not just help children recover from a crisis of this magnitude, but also go towards developing more resilient, sustainable systems for children in the region, that can withstand future climate impacts and other shocks. With the extreme weather cycles that we see today in the Horn of Africa, the next crisis may hit before children and families have had a chance to recover."

#####

Notes for editors:

Thanks to early and rapid support by UNICEF, partners, and donors, children and communities in the Horn of Africa received the lifesaving aid they needed to survive.

In 2022 alone, UNICEF and partners reached more than 2 million children and women in the Horn of Africa with essential life-saving health care services; provided services for the prevention of malnutrition to over 30 million children and mothers; treated almost 1.3 million children under 5 for severe acute malnutrition; and provided safe water for almost 4.6 million people, including renovation of boreholes and systems to provide safe water to schools, health centres and communities.

This year, UNICEF is appealing for US$759 million to provide life-saving support to 16.6 million people  including 12.2 million children  in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, a 39% increase compared to 2022. An additional US$690 million is required to provide climate-sensitive resilience.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 22 May 2023 - Day 453

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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 Russia is highly likely creating a new 'elite' attack aviation group code-named 'Shtorm' to operate over Ukraine. The unit is likely to consist of at least one squadron of Su-24 FENCER and Su-34 FULLBACK fighter-bombers, and a squadron of attack helicopters.

The mix of aircraft types suggests the group will have a primary role of ground attack missions. Credible Russian media reports suggest that the Russian MoD aims to attract highly skilled and motivated pilots by offering large pay incentives and opening recruitment to retired aviators.

The creation of the group highlights how Russian assesses its regular air force squadrons have severely underperformed in their core function of conducting airstrikes on Ukrainian lines.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of May 22th, the Russian Federation launched another massive missile and air strike against the civilian and critical infrastructure of Ukraine.

In general, Russian forces launched 21x missile strikes on the cities of Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia and populated areas of Kharkiv Oblast using 4x Kh-101/Kh-555 air-launched cruise missiles (destroyed by Ukrainian defenders), 5x Kh-22 cruise missiles, 2x Iskander-M ballistic missiles, 5x S-300 anti-aircraft guided missiles and 4x others (types to be determined).

In addition, the Russian forces carried out 42x airstrikes, in particular, using Iranian strike UAVs of the "Shahed" type. According to detailed information, 21x out of 21x drones were destroyed by Ukrainian defense forces. Also, the Russian occupiers launched about 50 MLRS attacks on Ukrainian settlements and Ukrainian Defense Forces. Unfortunately, there are injuries among the civilian population, residential buildings, private houses, a kindergarten and other civilian infrastructure were damaged.

The threat of missile and air strikes remains high across Ukraine.



The Russian forces continue to concentrate main efforts on the Kup'yans'k, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Mar'inks axes.

In total, up to 25x firefights occurred on specified axes. Heavy fighting continues in the cities of Bakhmut and Mar'inka.

Volyn' and Polissya axes: the operational situation has not changed significantly, there are no signs of the formation of offensive groupings.

Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia continues to maintain enhanced military presence in the areas bordering Ukraine. The Russian adversary shelled with artillery and mortars such settlements: Tymonovychy, Halaganivka, and Zarechye of the Chernihiv Oblast; Khodyne, Hirky, Budky, Katerynivka, Tymofiivka, Oleksandrivka in the Sumy Oblast, as well as Morozova Dolyna, Shevchenka, Kozacha Lopan', Hoptivka, Lukyantsi, Zelene, Staritsa, Hatyshche, Pletenivka, Vovchans'k, Varvarivka, Nesterne, Budarky and Chugunivka in the Kharkiv Oblast.

Kup'yans'k axis: Russian invaders carried out airstrikes near the settlements of Orlyanske, Kislivka and Tabaivka of the Kharkiv Oblast. Kam'ianka, Figolivka, Novomlyns'k, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Kup'yans'k, Husynka, Tabaivka, Berestov in Kharkiv Oblast and Stelmakhivka in Luhansk Oblast were under artillery and mortar fire.

Lyman axis: the Russian forces carried out airstrikes in the vicinities of Bilogorivka in the Luhansk Oblast and Verkhn'okam'ians'ke in the Donetsk Oblast. In particular, Nevske and Bilogorivka of the Luhansk Oblast, Tors'ke, Spirne and Vesele of the Donetsk Oblast were shelled by artillery.

Bakhmut axis: Russian troops continus to conduct offensive operations. Battles for the city of Bakhmut continue. The Russian occupier forces launched airstrikes near Bakhmut and Ivanovsky. Vasyukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Markove, Hryhorivka, Bakhmut, Ivanovs'ke, Stupochki, Bila Hora, Torets'k, Severnye, Pivdene, and New York of the Donetsk Oblast were under Russian shelling.

Avdiivka axis: the Russian adversary conducted unsuccessful assault operations on Novokalynovy and Vodyanyi settlements. During this day, Russian airstrikes were carried out in the Avdiivka and Pervomaisky areas. russians shelled with artillery areas of Novokalynove, Berdychi, Avdiivka, Vodyane, Pervomais'ke and Karlivka of the Donetsk Oblast.

Mar'inka axis: Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled numerous Russian attacks in the vicinities of Mar'inka. In addition, the village of Pobyeda, Donetsk Oblast, got under Russian shelling.

Shakhtars'k axis: the Russian forces did not conduct any offensive operations. At the same time, they carried out airstrikes in the vicinities of Vugledar, Prechistivka and Zolotaya Niva and carried out artillery shelling of Vugledar, Novoukrainka and Prechistivka.

Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russian forces are on the defensive. At the same time, they do not stop destroying the infrastructure of settlements, which are near the frontline. Russian airstrikes were carried out in the vicinities of Mala Tokmachka and Novodanilivka of Zaporizhzhya Oblast. Russian forces shelled: Vremivka, Novopil' of the Donetsk Oblast; Olhivske, Hulyaipole, Biloghirya, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanilivka, Novoandriivka, Mali Shcherbaki of the Zaporizhia Oblast and Zaporizhzhia city; Havrylivka, Beryslav, Vesele, Kozats'ke, Burgunka, Antonivka, Veletens'ke of the Kherson Oblast and the city of Kherson.

Ukrainian Air Force carried out 8x strikes on manpower and military equipment concentration areas, as well as 2x strikes on anti-aircraft missile systems.

Ukrainian Armed Forces also destroyed a Russian Mi-24 attack helicopter and a Russian reconnaissance UAV.

Ukrainian missile and artillery units hit 3x weapons and military equipment concentrations, 3x ammunition warehouses, 11x artillery pieces and the Russian forces' radar station.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the previous night, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a group strike by high-precision long-range air-based weapons against facilities of the Dnepr airfield.

The purpose of the strike has been achieved. All the assigned targets have been destroyed.

As a result of the strike, hangars with weapons and ammunition, aviation equipment, as well as a technical missile preparation position were hit.

In Kupyansk direction, aviation, artillery, and troops of the Zapad Group of Forces have engaged the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) close to Dvurechnaya, Masyutovka, Sinkovka, Kotlyarovka, and Krakhmalnoye (Kharkov region).

In addition, actions of three sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were thwarted near Timkovka, Ivanovka, and Kislovka (Kharkov region).

Up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, and one D-30 howitzer have been neutralised during the day.

An ammunition depot of the 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been eliminated close to Stelmakhovka (Lugansk People's Republic).

In Krasny Liman direction, Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems of the Tsentr Group of Forces engaged the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Nevskoye, Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), and Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

Up to 55 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, one Msta-B and D-30 howitzer were destroyed.

In Donetsk direction, the Yug Group of Forces, aviation, and artillery have eliminated up to 270 Ukrainian troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, three motor vehicles, and one D-20 and two D-30 howitzers.

In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, aviation and artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces inflicted a fire damage on AFU units close Shevchenko (Donetsk People's Republic), and Marfopol, Malaya Tokmachka, and Nesteryanka (Zaporozhye region).

One sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been disabled close to Novodonetskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

More 150 Ukrainian servicemen, two pick-up trucks, and two D-30 howitzers have been neutralised during the day.

Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 65th Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was destroyed close to Orekhov (Zaporozhye region).

In Kherson direction, the fire damage has neutralised over 20 Ukrainian servicemen, four motor vehicles, one Giatsint-B gun, and a Msta-B howitzer during the day.

In addition, an ammunition depot of the 123rd Territorial Defence Brigade was destroyed near Stanislav (Kherson region).

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, and artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged 98 AFU artillery units, manpower, and hardware in 107 areas during the day.

Air defence facilities have shot down one Mi-8 helicopter of Ukrainian Air Force near Lozovoye in (Donetsk People's Republic).

In addition, five HIMARS multiple rocket launchers have been intercepted.

In addition, 17 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been destroyed in the areas of Kremenets, Peski, Aleksandrovka, Veseloye (Donetsk People's Republic), Sladkaya Balka, Marfopol (Zaporozhye region), and Sergeyevka and Lyubimovka (Kherson region).

In total, 428 airplanes and 235 helicopters, 4,262 unmanned aerial vehicles, 424 anti-aircraft missile systems, 9,257 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,100 combat vehicles equipped with multiple launch rocket systems, 4,881 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 10,379 pieces of special military hardware have been destroyed during the special military operation.





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Vaccines countering XBB variant to be released to the market: top respiratory expert

Global Times

By GT staff reporters Published: May 22, 2023 12:57 PM

A new COVID-19 infection wave in 2023 will likely peak in late June at about 65 million cases per week, China's top respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan said Monday.

Zhong made the remarks at the 2023 Greater Bay Area Science Forum on Monday in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, when he also revealed that two new vaccines to counter the XBB variant will soon be released to the market.

A small wave of COVID-19 infections at the end of April and early May was "anticipated." Projections showed that a small peak of infections is likely at the end of May, with the number of infections peaking at about 40 million per week. By the end of June, the epidemic is expected to peak at about 65 million infections a week.

The second peak won't be as bad as the first, nor will hospitals be overloaded as reinfection usually comes with milder symptoms, Wang Guangfa, a respiratory expert at Peking University First Hospital, told the Global Times on Monday.

But Wang reminded vulnerable groups such as people with underlying diseases to take measures to prevent infection.

At the forum, Zhong highlighted developing effective vaccines to counter the XBB variant as being critical, since the XBB mutant has become a mainstream strain of COVID-19 in China.

China has approved two COVID-19 vaccines to counter the country's current dominant XBB variant and the new vaccines will soon be released to the market, Zhong revealed at the forum.

He said that three or four more will likely be approved soon. "On developing more effective vaccines, we are running ahead of other countries."

According to the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), the infection rate of the XBB mutant increased from 0.2 percent in mid-February to 74.4 percent in late April and then to 83.6 percent in early May.

The proportion of infections linked to the variant continues to rise, the China CDC said.

The currently circulating XBB strain variant is a recombinant of Omicron. The data show that its transmissibility and immune escape ability are stronger than those of the early circulating Omicron variant, but there is no significant change in its pathogenicity, according to the National Health Commission.

Data published by China CDC Weekly show that among 368 COVID-19 infections, 104 were infected for the second time, with a larger proportion having received booster shots.

"The vaccines based on original variants are not designed to prevent infection by new variants. The former cannot induce sufficiently effective neutralizing antibodies against the mutated strain, whereas the new generation of vaccines, which are more targeted, can induce sufficient and effective antibodies," Xie Liangzhi, chairman of Beijing-based SinoCellTech, said.

Effective vaccines must be updated just as vaccines against the flu are adjusted to target new variants each year, Xie noted.

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Two Saudi Astronauts Barnawi and AlQarni Arrive at ISS

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Riyadh, May 22, 2023, SPA -- The two Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni and mission team crew have arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) today at 16:24 Makkah Time after their spacecraft Dragon 2 successfully docked.

Today, NASA has announced the successful docking of Dragon 2 after 16 hours of the rocket launch yesterday from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The docking of the "Dragon 2" spacecraft with the ISS is a historic moment for the Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi who becomes the first ever Arab woman to fly into space to the ISS. It is a historic moment for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is now the first Arabic country to send a woman on a space scientific mission just as it is also one of the few countries with two astronauts on board the ISS simultaneously.

The mission crew, consisting of four astronauts, Rayyanah Barnawi, Ali AlQarni, Peggy Whiston and John Shoffner, was welcomed and greeted by the International Space Station team that wished them success.

Upon arrival, the mission crew of AX-2 changed their space suits and joined the ISS team preparing to carry out their mission in space, where they will conduct 14 pioneering research experiments in microgravity that are set to have an important scientific impact. The studies that will take place in space by the two Saudi astronauts range from human research and cell science to artificial rain in microgravity in order to develop space science and progress in sending more manned spacecraft to the moon and to Mars. In addition, the Saudi astronauts will also conduct three educational awareness experiments. This space programme has placed the Kingdom as an important player in the global space science research community and as a main investor in the service of humanity and its future.

The Saudi Space Commission confirmed that the astronauts, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni, are fully trained and prepared to carry out their mission in space. SSC is also confident that they will accomplish the mission planned successfully and return safely to earth

The efforts by the SSC are designed to prepare future astronauts and engineers through quality educational and training programs, participation in scientific experiments, international research, and future space-related missions - all of which will contribute to raising the status of the Kingdom and to achieving the goals of Vision 2030

The results of which will enhance the Kingdom's global position within the field of space exploration and service to humanity. It will also confirm the role of Saudi research centers in making a scientific impact in this field.

--SPA

20:06 LOCAL TIME 17:06 GMT

0045

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Strategic Command and Italian delegation discuss cyberspace

A contingent of senior Italian military officers met with their counterparts from Strategic Command to discuss cyberspace and digital.

22 May 2023

The meetings, conducted in MOD Main Building on 18-19 May 2023, formed part of our efforts to drive integration, and lead the cyberspace and electromagnetic domain.

Attendees included Major General James Roddis DSO, MBE, Director Strategy at Strategic Command, and Charles Forte, Chief Information Officer. The Italian delegation included Major General Giovanni Gagliano, Head of Division C4I Systems and Digital Transformation.

Topics discussed included cyberspace operations, training and education, data strategy, NATO and national doctrine, and artificial intelligence (AI) policy.

Major General Gagliano is leading a review of Italy's cyberspace strategy, policy, and governance and spearheading work on cloud strategy.

Italy is highly valued as an ally to the UK and the rest of NATO. British and Italian Defence ministers signed a joint statement of intent on bilateral Defence cooperation in February; and Italy forms part of the UK-led Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

The concepts of driving integration and leading the cyber and electromagnetic domain will be incorporated in Strategic Command's exhibition stand at Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) on 12-15 September 2023 at ExCeL, London.

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Live-fire activity to boost strike power

22 May 2023

Starting today, RAAF Base Townsville will have an influx of Air Force aircraft and activity for this year's Exercise Black Dagger.

Running until June 2, the exercise's intent is training personnel in the coordination of close air support and artillery strikes in support of the joint force.

It is also the culminating activity for students on the No. 71 Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) course, and provides an opportunity to coordinate aircraft and ordnance in live and simulated air-to-ground strikes.

This highly specialised skill is an integral component to maximise the employment of Air Force and Army firepower in a congested battlespace.

Commanding Officer 4 Squadron Wing Commander Sean Jobson said Black Dagger was a critical component of JTAC training as it consolidated everything the students had learnt throughout the course.

"Black Dagger will involve the students executing all phases of close air support missions, from the planning and briefing to the controlling and reporting," Wing Commander Jobson said.

"The exercise is a live-fire activity, which ensures that the JTACs are ready to employ close air support operationally when supporting the joint force."

4 Squadron will deploy the Pilatus PC-21 aircraft, while 77 Squadron will support the exercise with the F-35A Lightning II.

"The Pilatus PC-21 and F-35A Lightning II aircraft will deploy to RAAF Base Townsville for the duration of the exercise, and will also operate in to the Townsville Field and Shoalwater Bay training areas," Wing Commander Jobson said.

The exercise scenarios are conducted at the Townsville Field Training Area and Shoalwater Bay Training Area as they offer a safe and controlled environment for simulated and live weapons employment.

The exercise will be supported by the Army's 5th Aviation Regiment C-47F Chinooks and associated personnel, and a 4th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery, M777 155mm howitzer and crew will play key roles in the JTAC course's objectives.

JTAC students will also join forces with the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, to test their newly developed qualifications during a simulated live-fire platoon assault.

Aircraft will operate on weekdays and during routine daylight flying hours for the duration of Exercise Black Dagger.

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Lithuania's Foreign Minister Landsbergis: "We need to finally go ahead with the Belarusian sanctions package"

Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

2023.05.22

Today, on 22 May, the Foreign Affairs Council is held in Brussels with the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis.

"Today, with EU ministers, we need to agree on military assistance to Ukraine. We cannot delay the 11th sanctions package against Russia and the Belarusian sanctions. For almost six months, we have not adopted any Belarusian sanctions package because, together with the sanctions package, there is a request made by several member states to remove part of the sanctions on Belaruskali and Belarusian potash company. I think it is unacceptable to have these two things connected. I will be asking today to separate the two issues and go ahead with the Belarusian sanctions package if we are seriously supporting the Belarusian opposition and more than 1,500 political prisoners," the head of Lithuania's diplomacy said ahead of the Council meeting.

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Canada strengthens economic security with Republic of Korea and advances Indo-Pacific Strategy with Philippines

Global Affairs Canada

News release

May 22, 2023 - Manila, Philippines - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable MAlanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today successfully concluded her visits to Seoul, Republic of Korea (Korea), from May 16 to 17, and Manila, Philippines, from May 18 to 21.

In Seoul, Minister Joly, alongside the Honourable FranAois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, participated in the inaugural High-Level Economic Security Dialogue with the Republic of Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Park Jin, and Ahn Dukgeun, Minister for Trade. This expanded meeting on economic security was a first for both countries, highlighting the importance of these issues. Building on the leader-level commitment under the bilateral Canada-Korea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and both countries' respective Indo-Pacific strategies, the four ministers agreed on the way forward to increase cooperation on a broad array of economic security issues in the North Pacific region. The ministers discussed concrete ways to create clean growth and prosperity, enhance economic security, and strengthen the resilience of supply chains. Priority areas of mutual interest included critical minerals, clean energy and energy security, supply chains, artificial intelligence, upholding rules-based trade, and cooperating on responding to and protecting against economic coercion.

Ministers Joly and Champagne also accompanied Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and participated in a number of high-level meetings. Witnessed by Prime Minister Trudeau and the Republic of Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol, Minister Joly signed the Youth Mobility Arrangement announced by Prime Minister Trudeau. The agreement will help increase work and travel opportunities available to Canadian and South Korean youth. In breaking new ground for economic prosperity and security and a greener future for generations to come, Minister Champagne and Minister Joly, in the presence of Prime Minister Trudeau and President Yoon, signed the landmark Memorandum of Understanding on Critical Mineral Supply Chains, the Clean Energy Transition, and Energy Security. This will strengthen our energy and economic security while moving towards net-zero emissions by 2050.

In Manila, Minister Joly leveraged Canada's long-standing economic and cultural ties to the region, in order to pursue stronger bilateral and regional engagement with the Philippines and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, consistent with Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy. Minister Joly met with key government officials, including President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo, National Security Advisor Eduardo M. AAo, and Secretary of Justice Jesus Crispin Remulla.

During their meeting, Minister Joly and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. affirmed the two countries' commitment to work together to address common challenges, including maintaining a rules-based international order, upholding regional peace and stability, and combatting climate change.

With Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo, Minister Joly emphasized the importance that Canada places on its relationship with the Philippines, as a key bilateral and regional partner at the heart of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy. The Ministers also discussed the strong people-to-people ties at the foundation of the bilateral relationship, and priority areas for enhanced cooperation, including peace and security, maritime affairs, trade and investment, disaster risk reduction, climate change, and regional issues. Minister Joly also engaged with National Security Advisor Eduardo M. AAo and Secretary of Justice Jesus Crispin Remulla on Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy as well as opportunities for collaboration. Minister Joly highlighted shared commitments to multilateralism and human rights; the importance of maintaining regional peace and stability; combatting malign influence; and Canada's full support for Philippine jurisdiction and sovereignty rights in the West Philippine Sea.

Quotes

"As a reliable and active Indo-Pacific partner, we are seizing every opportunity to collaborate with our partners in the region. That means building up our presence and elevating our partnerships with Korea and the Philippines, placing Canadian values and interests at the heart of our action. By working together, we can all build a more prosperous, open, inclusive and sustainable future that will benefit our people." - MAlanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Quick facts

In 2023, Canada and Korea are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations. Canada's involvement during the Korean War (1950-1953) and sustained positive political and economic cooperation contribute to the close relationship between the two countries.

Released in November 2022, Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy sets out the importance of Canada's bilateral relationship with Korea including on regional security, the transition to clean energy, artificial intelligence, cyber security, economic and energy security, critical minerals and electric vehicle battery supply chains, agriculture and agri-food, and trade corridor infrastructure. In December 2022,Korea released its Strategy for a Free, Peaceful and Prosperous Indo-Pacific Region.

With diplomatic relations beginning in 1949, Canada and the Philippines will mark their 75th year of strong and friendly bilateral relations in 2024.

Canada and the Philippines are aligned on many issues, which have resulted in regular collaboration in the multilateral system, such as ASEAN, United Nations, and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.

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China, Russia maintain frequent high-level interactions, resilient against external discord-sowing

Global Times

By GT staff reporters Published: May 22, 2023 09:40 PM Updated: May 22, 2023 11:55 PM

Senior Chinese and Russian officials met in Moscow to discuss security affairs on Monday, which will be followed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's scheduled visit to China on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The frequent, high-level interactions demonstrated the stability, great potential and strong momentum of China-Russia relations, which are resilient against external noises attempting to sow discord between the two countries over enhanced China-Central Asia cooperation, analysts said.

The head of Russia's Security Council, Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, held talks with Chen Wenqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, Russia's RIA news agency reported.

In Russia, Chen will attend the 11th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues and hold the 8th meeting of the China-Russia law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Cui Heng, an assistant research fellow from the Center for Russian Studies of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Monday that the security talks were very necessary for China and Russia to tackle the growing security risks they jointly face in Eurasia, including those brought about by major power rivalry since the Ukraine crisis, the shadow of nuclear conflict, the return of terrorism in Central Asia and non-traditional security threats.

To deal with these security challenges, China and Russia hope not only to make breakthroughs at a bilateral level, but also to deepen security cooperation in multilateral mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, Cui said.

The expert noted that China and Russia, two founding members of the SCO, are maintaining close bilateral exchanges to ensure smooth multilateral cooperation at the platform amid the summit in June.

Russian media reported that Prime Minister Mishustin is expected to hold talks with Chinese leaders on economy, trade and security among other issues of shared interest.

Against the backdrop of the just concluded China-Central Asia Summit, analysts emphasized Central Asia's importance to both China and Russia, citing the example of the region's role as a juncture in the Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Russia holds a positive attitude toward the cooperation between China and Central Asian countries, and is paying growing attention to China's positive role in promoting stability and prosperity in Central Asia, Zhao Huirong, an Eastern European studies expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

Commenting on Western claims that enhancing China-Central Asia cooperation would make Russia nervous, Cui said this narrative was based on a zero-sum mentality, wrongly presuming that the size of the cake is set and more participants means a smaller share.

China is seeking to make the cake bigger through deepening cooperation with Central Asia as well as Russia so that all can benefit, and this kind of common prosperity is definitely not a threat to Russia, Cui said.

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China says it sees no point in dialogue with US amid sanctions

Iran Press TV

Monday, 22 May 2023 6:00 PM

China says it sees no reason to keep talking with the United States as long as it pursues a wholly disingenuous policy and continues to step up pressure on the country through sanctions.

"Where is the sincerity and sense of dialogue, when the US side talks about the need to maintain contacts only to use them as a means to put pressure on China and hamstring our country," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing on Monday.

The Chinese official called on Washington to "immediately lift sanctions" against China.

"It is necessary to create a favorable atmosphere and favorable conditions for dialogue and contact," Mao explained.

Beijing maintains "necessary contact" with Washington, she stated.

"The United States applies sanctions against individuals and organizations of the PRC," Mao reiterated.

"China is strongly against such unilateral restrictions, which are unlawful. We have strictly set forth Beijing's stance on this issue to the American side," she added.

The Chinese spokesperson called on the United States to have the right understanding of China, meet it halfway and bring bilateral relations back on track.

China views its relations with the US under the three principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as proposed by President Xi Jinping, she said.

China to US: Stop interfering in our internal affairs

Elsewhere in her remarks, Mao urged the United States to immediately stop interfering in China's internal affairs.

"We urge the US to form a correct perception of China, stop interfering in China's internal affairs and harming China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and work with China to bring China-US relations back to the right track with concrete actions," she added.

The spokeswoman made the remarks in response to US President Joe Biden suggesting that a shift in US-China relations could occur soon.

Biden said on Sunday during the Group of Seven (G7) summit in the Japanese city of Hiroshima, that he expected a thaw in Chinese-US relations in the near future.

"We should have an open hotline," Biden stressed.

Biden has said he expects to see a "thaw" in US relations with Beijing, even as he concluded a G7 summit in Japan that made a concerted effort to counter alleged military and economic security threats from China.

The US president said in a news conference at the end of the three-day summit that talks between the two countries had shut down after a "silly balloon" carrying spying equipment flew over North America in February, before being shot down by the US military.

"Everything changed in terms of talking to one another. I think you're gonna see that begin to thaw very shortly," Biden said.

Biden added that his administration was considering lifting sanctions against Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu.

Beijing recently refused to agree to a meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin when the two men attended the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore next month due to the sanctions.

US officials had previously said privately that the Biden administration would not remove the sanctions.

Biden: US stands by 'one China' policy

Biden reiterated at the news conference that the US stood by the "one China" policy, which recognizes Beijing as the sole government of China, and Washington did not support any move by the self-ruled Taiwan to declare independence.

China has sovereignty over Taiwan. The US does not recognize Taiwan as an independent country and officially supports the "One China" policy, but regularly oversteps its own principles. The island nation has become China's most sensitive territorial issue and a major bone of contention with Washington.

Washington continues to antagonize Beijing by siding with Taipei's secessionist administration, engaging in frequent military missions around the island, and serving as its largest weapons supplier.

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China warns UK to stop slandering Beijing to avoid further damage to ties

Iran Press TV

Monday, 22 May 2023 9:23 AM

China has censured persisting efforts by London to slander Beijing and warned of deteriorating ties after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak referred to China as "the biggest challenge" to global security during the G7 summit in Japan.

"The relevant remarks by the British side are simply parrotingawords from others and constitute malicious slanders in disregard of the facts," China's embassy in London declared in a statement on Sunday, vowing that such moves may further harm mutual relations.

The statement came after Sunak claimed in hostile remarks earlier on Sunday at the summit of the Group of Seven (G7) nations that China poses "the biggest challenge" to global security and prosperity but that other leading economies should not decouple from it.

"China firmly opposes and strongly condemns this," added the statement issued by the Chinese embassy.

Leaders of the G7 -- the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Germany, Canada and Italy -- met in Hiroshima for their annual summit on May 19-21. They have pointedly condemned China's persisting economic and military progress and assertiveness, but insisted that they are seeking to keep the door open to cooperation with Beijing.

The US-led group also called for what it described as a "peaceful resolution" to China's long-standing claim to the breakaway island territory of Taiwan.

China maintains sovereignty over Taiwan and under the "One China" policy, nearly all countries across the globe recognize that sovereignty, which bars them from establishing direct diplomatic contact with the self-proclaimed government in Taipei.

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China's youth face dismal job prospects

Young people tell similar stories as the juice runs out of the post-pandemic economy

By Sun Cheng and Hwang Chun-mei for RFA Mandarin 2023.05.22 -- Xu Ke, 21, comes from a long line of university lecturers.

Yet his peers and people a few years older than him are all struggling with a major crisis in their lives: growing competition for a dwindling number of jobs as youth unemployment tops 20%, driven by a huge downturn in manufacturing and foreign investment.

"There aren't many jobs, and the competition for the jobs there are is too strong," said Xu, who is currently studying at a university in Minnesota. "Everyone is willing to do any job."

"With everyone willing to do anything, wages are [kept] low, and benefits are poor," Xu told Radio Free Asia in a recent interview.

Before the pandemic, most of his peers would once have expected to study for a teaching or liberal arts degree, before going on to land jobs as elementary and secondary school teachers.

But those days are long gone, Xu said, adding that the 20.4% unemployment rate among people aged 16-24 reported by the National Bureau of Statistics for April was likely only the tip of the iceberg.

"I would guess that the proportion of young people who can't find a job at all is likely to be between 40 and 50%," he said.

"After all, not everyone [with parents who work in the government] system can even get into senior high school, and not everyone in senior high school can get into college," he said. He cited a government quota introduced in 2021 requiring 50% of junior high school students to take up places in technical and vocational schools, rather than senior high school.

Before the policy was introduced, around 60% of junior high-schoolers would have gone on to senior high, where they would then be eligible to take the grueling "Gaokao" university entrance exam.

Shut out

Some of Xu's friends have now effectively been barred from a university education, and from the white collar jobs that education prepares them for.

Shut out of the system that raised them, they are forced to look for blue-collar jobs instead.

"Wages [in blue-collar jobs] are very low, and there is a lot of strenuous physical labor," he said. "Some people can't do it, or they can't find [even blue-collar] jobs, so they basically spend their time waiting to get old."

For 30-year-old Shan Wentao, it's a familiar scenario.

Born into a working-class family in the eastern province of Anhui, Shan says even his peers can't find work in the current economic environment, with dwindling opportunities in manufacturing and sharp falls in foreign investment.

"I tried to get a shift on a construction site, but there are more people [available to work] in the industry now, and the wages are getting lower and lower, while the work is pretty backbreaking," he said.

One of Shan's friends did land some construction work, but only lasted a few months due to health problems and non-payment of wages.

Yet for young working class people, "lying flat" - essentially doing nothing while living at home - is less of an option than it is for their counterparts with higher-level qualifications, as many are already married, and can't live back home with mom and dad.

"There's nothing to be done about it," he said. "I get the impression they don't want to do these jobs, but what else can they do?"

'Revitalizing the rural economy'

A woman who gave only the surname Chen said she has a 17-year-old relative who is despondent about life after she graduates from vocational school.

"She says the teaching in the technical school is so bad that she isn't learning anything, and that she'll earn very little after she graduates," Chen said. "She says it's easier just to lie flat."

"She doesn't want to do manual work, because it's too tiring, but her family doesn't have the resources to send her to study overseas," she said. "She is desperate, and confused about the future."

National Bureau of Statistics spokesperson Fu Linghui told a news conference on May 16 that "the relevant departments are proactively introducing policies to provide targeted assistance" to help young people into work.

But media reports pointed to a rising number of college graduates in recent years, coupled with residual unemployment from previous years.

President Xi Jinping has called on young people to be less picky about the jobs they'll accept, as well as lauding those who return to rural areas to "revitalize the rural economy."

But his exhortations have fallen on deaf ears as the middle class cash out of the Chinese economy and join the "run" movement, seeking a new life overseas, often via political asylum in the United States.

"During the Mao era, the Chinese government promoted the relocation of educated urban youths to the countryside, through a combination of heavy political propaganda and various kinds of political pressure," U.S.-based economist He Qinglian wrote in a recent commentary for RFA Mandarin.

But while more than 12 million have done so in recent years, the numbers don't amount to much when taken alongside the hundreds of millions of rural residents who continue to move into China's cities to find work.

"Of course the Chinese government knows very well that it won't be able to get rural youths who have experienced the simplicity of urban life to pick up their hoes and bend themselves double over the land again," He wrote, citing the rise of "Taobao villages" as people run online shops from rural locations.

She cited government balance-of-payments data as showing a 43% decline in foreign direct investment in China in 2022, compared with the previous year.

"Foreign-invested companies are gradually withdrawing from the Chinese market, which is a big blow to employment rates," she said, adding that youth unemployment rates would be higher still if the government didn't remove people returning to rural hometowns from the figures.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content 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.

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State Department Clarifies: Not Lifting Sanctions on China's Defense Chief

By Nike Ching May 22, 2023

The United States is not considering lifting current sanctions on China's defense chief, Li Shangfu, the State Department said Monday.

U.S. officials had said sanctions on Li do not prevent him from conducting official meetings with his American counterparts, nor should sanctions be hurdles for military talks between Washington and Beijing.

Over the weekend, U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters that he would not consider easing sanctions on Chinese officials to improve relations. He later suggested that lifting sanctions on the defense chief is "under negotiation right now."

The State Department clarified the U.S. position Monday.

"No, we are not," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told VOA on Monday during his first on-camera briefing. Miller was asked if the U.S. is considering or entertaining the idea of whether to ease sanctions on the top Chinese military official for negotiation purposes.

The People's Republic of China named General Li Shangfu as its minister of national defense in mid-March. In 2018, the U.S. sanctioned Li under the so-called Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) when he headed the Equipment Development Department of the Chinese military.

The sanctions were related to China's purchase of ten SU-35 combat aircrafts in 2017 and S-400 surface-to-air missile system-related equipment in 2018, according to the State Department.

U.S. officials have been eager to resume talks with their Chinese counterparts. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Li are both expected to attend next month's 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 Beijing, Chinese officials questioned Washington's "sincerity" in its outreach for communications.

"China always firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions and has made clear its stern position to the U.S. side. The U.S. side should immediately lift sanctions and take concrete actions to remove obstacles, create favorable atmosphere and conditions for dialogue and communication," said Mao Ning, the spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Monday.

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.

Chinese officials have signaled a willingness to stabilize relations with the U.S., but at the same time they demand that the U.S. stop harming Chinese interests by strengthening ties with Taiwan and imposing technology restrictions on China.

Experts told VOA the ball is in China's court.

"It's unclear whether Beijing will proceed to take steps toward stabilizing ties unless the U.S. rolls back some of the measures it has taken that China objects to," said Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Diplomatic visits to Beijing

Biden also said a "thaw" in the bilateral relationship would begin "very shortly."

U.S. climate envoy John Kerry's visit to Beijing for talks with his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua would come after Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other U.S. cabinet members' planned visits to Beijing, which was agreed during a recent phone call between Kerry and Xie, a diplomatic source who wishes not to be named told VOA.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo had also indicated their plans to visit China.

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In State Visit, Eritrea and China Signal Deeper Partnership

By Salem Solomon May 22, 2023

When Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki arrived in China for a four-day state visit, he was greeted with fanfare that included a red carpet, a guard of honor military procession and a 21-gun salute.

Analysts say Eritrea and China need each other and are working to strengthen already-existing ties.

During a speech in Beijing's Great Hall, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China and Eritrea "share a deep bond of friendship (in) an uncertain and unstable world."

"A strong China-Eritrea relationship is not only in line with the common and long-term interests of both countries, but also for maintaining regional peace," Xi said.

The two presidents discussed partnering on development related to infrastructure, telecommunications, agriculture, mining and fisheries, according to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. China pledged to send medical teams and senior agricultural experts to Eritrea.

In April, when the conflict in neighboring Sudan erupted, 35 Chinese nationals were evacuated from Sudan to Eritrea's capital city, Asmara. Xi thanked Eritrea for that effort during Isaias' visit, saying it "demonstrated the profound friendship between the two countries ... and [a willingness in] helping each other in difficulties," China's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Isaias' ties to China date back to 1967, when he received military training there which he used in Eritrea's 30-year fight for independence.

As an independent nation, Eritrea has been a dependable ally to China on the international stage.

"[Isaias] has wished to cultivate a close relationship with China. This has included voting in support of China in international forums a for example, in June 2020, Eritrea was one of 53 countries who backed the Hong Kong national security law at the United Nations," said Alex Vines, head of the Africa program at the London-based think tank Chatham House.

Eritrea also signed an agreement with China in 2021 to be part of its Belt and Road Initiative which envisions a global network of ports, railways and other infrastructure to transport goods. Vines said China has reduced its investment in Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic but continues to view the Horn of Africa as strategically important as a trade corridor and entry-point to the continent.

Eritrea's status as one of the most diplomatically isolated countries in the world has not deterred China from maintaining the relationship. "I think what President [Isaias] Afwerki is looking for is a deepening partnership, friendship with the country that he feels he can get more investment because the Eritrean economy is in trouble," Vines said.

China broke ground on a copper, zinc and ore mine in Eritrea last year that it says will be a joint project. It has financed other projects including a 500-kilometer (311-mile) road between Eritrea's Massawa and Assab ports.

Awet Weldemichael, a professor of history and global development studies at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, said much of the nature of the economic relationship between the two countries is unknown.

"China has already been the single largest lender to the country, but as in all other cases, the terms of the borrowings are unknown and we don't know when or if at all Eritrea will get to a point of defaulting as have others like Zambia," Awet said.

Others say, with this trip, China is seeking to win support at the U.N.

"China is shopping for support in Africa now," said Dan Connell, an author who has written about the region since the war for independence. "And given that Eritrea's votes are basically up for sale, I think that Isaias went there to make a deal. His support for China, in the general assembly, in exchange for China's support for Eritrea and the Chinese have already indicated they're giving it."

Abraham Zere with VOA's Horn of Africa's Tigrigna Service contributed to this report.

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Firm support of core interests key to smooth development of China-DR Congo ties: FM Qin Gang

Global Times

By Global Times Published: May 23, 2023 12:16 AM

President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi will pay a state visit to China between May 24 and 29 and it is expected that the two countries' leaders will make a top-level plan and clarify the strategic direction for the development of China-DRC relations in the next stage, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said during a meeting with DRC Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula in Beijing on Monday.

The economies of China and the DRC are highly complementary, with broad prospects for cooperation, and China has been Congo's largest trading partner and source of investment for a number of years. China is willing to continue to work with the DRC to promote high-quality joint development of the Belt and Road Initiative, implement various consensuses under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and overcome disturbances and turn the DRC's resource advantages into development momentum, Qin said.

It is hoped that the DRC will create a good business environment and provide security guarantees for Chinese companies hoping to invest and start businesses in the country, Qin noted.

Qin said that firmly supporting each other's core interests has been key to the smooth development of China-DRC relations over the past 50 years, and also the core essence of the China-DRC strategic partnership. China is willing to strengthen solidarity and coordination with the DRC in multilateral bodies such as the United Nations, resolutely defend the principle of non-interference in internal affairs, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and promote the development of international order and global governance toward a fairer and more reasonable direction.

Lutundula thanked China for its long-term help and valuable support for the economic and social development of the DRC, and reiterated that the DRC firmly adheres to the one-China policy.

President Tshisekedi will be paying a historic first visit to China. The DRC will promote practical cooperation in various fields between the two countries with great enthusiasm and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China, while upholding constructive concepts to develop bilateral relations, so as to benefit the two countries, Lutundula said.

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Prime Minister's meeting with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji

India - Ministry of External Affairs

May 22, 2023

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met H.E. Mr. Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka, Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji on 22 May 2023 in Port Moresby, on the sidelines of the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC).

2. This was the first meeting between the two leaders.

3. Prime Minister recalled that FIPIC had been launched during his visit to Fiji in November 2014, and noted the deepening of India's cooperation with Pacific Island Countries (PIC) since then.

4. Both leaders reviewed the close and multifaceted development partnership between the two countries and expressed satisfaction at the progress in key sectors including capacity building, health care, climate action, renewable energy, agriculture, education and information technology.

5. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional developments and agreed to deepen cooperation in multilateral fora.

6. On behalf of the Fijian President, H.E. Mr. Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere, Prime Minister Rabuka bestowed Prime Minister Modi with the highest honor of the Republic of Fiji - the Companion of the Order of Fiji (CF).

7. Prime Minister Modi thanked the Government and the people of Fiji for this honour and dedicated it to the people of India and to the generations of Fiji-Indian community, who have played a key role in the special and enduring bond between the two countries.

Port Moresby

May 22, 2023

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Prime Minister's meeting with Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea

India - Ministry of External Affairs

May 22, 2023

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (PNG) on 22 May 2023 in Port Moresby, on the sidelines of the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC).

2. Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Marape for the warm welcome and for co-hosting the 3rd FIPIC Summit.

3. Both leaders took stock of their bilateral relations and discussed ways and means to further strengthen their partnership across various sectors, including trade & investment, health, capacity building & skill development and Information Technology. They also discussed issues related climate action and promoting people to people ties. Prime Minister reiterated India's support and respect for the priorities and wishes of the Pacific Island nations.

4. Prime Minister and Prime Minister Marape launched a translation of the Tamil classic 'Thirukkural' to Tok Pisin language of PNG. The translated book is co-authored by linguist Mrs. Subha Sasindran & Mr. Sasindran Muthuvel, Governor of West New Britain Province of Papua New Guinea. The book has a foreword by Prime Minister Marape.

6. Prime Minister Modi congratulated the authors and complimented them on their contribution towards preserving the tenets of Indian thought and culture in Papua New Guinea.

Port Moresby

May 22, 2023

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Prime Minister's meeting with Governor-General of Papua New Guinea

India - Ministry of External Affairs

May 22, 2023

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi called on Sir Bob Dadae, Governor-General of Papua New Guinea (PNG), on 22 May 2023 at Government House in Port Moresby, on the sidelines of the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC).

2. The Governor-General warmly welcomed the Prime Minister to PNG on his first visit to the country.

3. Both leaders had a good exchange of views including on the significance of the bilateral ties and development partnership between the two countries, which they agreed to further strengthen.

Port Moresby

May 22, 2023

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JAKARTA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project.

The joint commissioning and testing is conducted prior to the opening of the high-speed railway to ensure safe and smooth operation of the trainsets.

By conducting dynamic testing using a comprehensive inspection train on the newly constructed high-speed railway, the performance of various systems such as tracks, power supply, overhead catenary system, communication, signaling, and early warning monitoring is tested and verified.

Currently, all civil engineering works such as roadbeds, bridges, culverts, and tunnels have been completed. Preparations for operation are being carried out in an orderly manner.

After the completion of the joint commissioning and testing, further running trials and safety assessments will be conducted before the official commencement of operation.

The high-speed line, a landmark project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, connects Indonesia's capital Jakarta and another major city Bandung.

With a design speed of 350 km per hour, the railway spanning 142.3 km will cut the journey between Jakarta and Bandung from over three hours to around 40 minutes.
PM meeting with Prime Minister Modi of India: 21 May 2023

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, at the G7 Summit in Japan.

22 May 2023

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, at the G7 Summit in Japan today.

Prime Minister Modi passed on his warm congratulations on the coronation of his Majesty King Charles III.

The leaders reflected on the deep ties between the UK and India, rooted in our human connections, and the vital importance of democracy and fair and open trade.

They discussed progress on a UK-India Free Trade Agreement. The leaders agreed that their teams would continue to work at pace to finalise an ambitious and mutually beneficial deal.

The leaders discussed the wider objectives of the G7 Summit and the Prime Minister committed his strong support for India's G20 Presidency, which comes at a crucial time for global security and prosperity.

He looked forward to working closely with Prime Minister Modi ahead of a successful Summit later this year.

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India Hosts G20 Tourism Meeting in Kashmir Amid High Security

By Bilal Hussain May 22, 2023

Some 60 delegates representing most G-20 nations arrived in Indian-administered Kashmir on Monday for a tourism meeting that drew criticism from China and Pakistan before it began.

India has deployed high security for the meeting, with National Security Guards, marine commandos and Border Security Force personnel joining dedicated police units to provide security for the third G-20 Tourism Working Group Meeting in the scenic landscapes of Srinagar, Kashmir.

Delegates are expected to discuss ecotourism, destination management and tourism promotion strategies. The gathering is the first international event held in Kashmir since India ended the region's semi-autonomy in 2019.

Neighboring Pakistan and China, which each have border disputes with India, both objected to the meeting last week, saying such meetings cannot be held in disputed areas.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Fernand de Varennes, last week also criticized the meeting, saying that by hosting the session in Kashmir, "India is seeking to normalize what some have described as a military occupation."

In India, even commentators who are sympathetic to the government's campaign to hold the meeting in Kashmir say the security situation in the region undercuts the government's message of stability.

Pravin Sawhney, a former Indian army officer and widely published defense analyst, asserts the G-20 meeting is the government's way of conveying to the world that Kashmir is part of India and that the situation there is normal.

"The message to the domestic audience is that the government has the will and ability to meet the twin challenges of Pakistan and China," Sawhney said. "However, the ground reality is not what the government says.

"The amount of security deployed in the Kashmir valley conveys that [the] government is nervous about the security situation," said Sawhney.

Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a Kashmiri political analyst, said the importance of the meeting in Kashmir is being exaggerated by the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hussain said that while the government is presenting the conference as an achievement to the Indian masses, such events have taken place in the region before and are not as significant as is being claimed.

Hussain said the presence of foreign tourists in Kashmir does not depend on such conferences but rather on the peace and security of the region. He expressed skepticism about the notion that tourism will receive a boost solely from this event and instead argued that tourism will flourish when people perceive Kashmir as a secure destination.

People in Kashmir will 'see benefits'

While welcoming the G-20 group, Ahsan Pardesi, National Conference provincial vice president, Kashmir, told VOA that he hopes the people of Jammu and Kashmir will get to see benefits from the event.

"As far as showcasing Kashmir on an international level is considered, it's been done in the past as well when the Zubin Mehta concert was done. Definitely, G-20 is a much bigger and more significant event, but what we see beyond the tourism summit is a diplomatic victory the current dispensation is trying to convey," he said.

Others in Kashmir say they hope the meeting signals a resumption of more tourism to the region after some European countries gave it a "negative travel advisory" in recent decades.

"For the last many years, Kashmir has witnessed several tourists and travelers, mostly from the countries which have issued 'negative travel advisory' like Spain, Germany, Austria, etc. It is the right time to let people legally and freely walk in Kashmir," Mohsin Dar, in-charge Bar and Bench in Jammu and Kashmir, told VOA.

India assumed the year-long presidency of the G-20 on December 1, 2022, and is hosting the G-20 summit for the first time.

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India Looks to Boost Pacific Ties at Papua New Summit

By Phil Mercer May 22, 2023

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is joining Pacific leaders at a summit in Papua New Guinea Monday as New Delhi seeks to counter China's influence in the region.

Papua New Guinea is hosting the third Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation as the United States is seeking to increase Washington's presence in the Indo-Pacific. It brings together leaders from India, 14 Pacific Island nations as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Energy supplies, climate change and regional security are expected to be on the agenda.

Analysts have said the summit is a sign that strategic competition in the region is not just about China and the United States. India wants to foster new trade and political ties, and to give island leaders an alternative to the major powers in Beijing and Washington.

Paul Barker, executive director of the Institute of National Affairs, an independent think-tank in Papua New Guinea, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp's AM program that Modi's visit was designed to enhance his country's diplomatic influence in the Pacific.

"India as an alternative international power source, economic source but also a leader in the movement on non-aligned nations over many, many years," Barker said, "It wants to, sort of, be able to affiliate with many of the voices across the Pacific."

Barker also said the United States was increasing its strategic interest in the region in response to China's regional ambitions. Last year, Beijing signed a defense agreement with Solomon Islands, a near-neighbor to Papua New Guinea.

U.S. President Joe Biden canceled a visit to Port Moresby because of debt ceiling negotiations back home.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will attend in his absence and is expected to sign a defense cooperation agreement with the government in Port Moresby.

The accord could allow for a significant U.S. military presence in Papua New Guinea. A second bilateral pact is expected to allow the U.S. to help the Pacific nation combat illegal fishing and transnational crime.

University students in Papua New Guinea have demonstrated against the signing of the defense accord with Washington, calling for more transparency from Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape.

He told reporters Monday that his country had nothing to fear from the agreement, adding that "as we go forward over the next 15 years, we will see U.S. soldiers in our country."

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Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attack in Iran

Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attack in the Sarawan County of Iran on 20 May 2023, resulting in the loss of lives of six Iranian security personnel.

The government and people of Pakistan express their deepest condolences to the bereaved families of the martyrs as well as to the Iranian government over this tragic incident. As reaffirmed during the recent meeting between Prime Minister of Pakistan and the President of Iran, we stress upon the need for mutual efforts to eliminate the terrorism on both sides of the border. Pakistan views Pak- Iran border as a border of peace and friendship; and remains committed to working with Iran towards that end.

Islamabad

21 May 2023

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Iran: five individuals and two entities targeted by EU's eighth package of sanctions for human rights violations

European Council / Council of the European Union

Council of the EU

Press release

22 May 2023

The Council decided today to impose restrictive measures on an additional 5 individuals and two entities responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran.

The new listings include the current commander of the Tehran Police Relief Unit of Iran's Law Enforcement Forces (LEF), and an individual linked to the "Maryam Arvin case" - a lawyer who was brutally arrested, gravely mistreated, and subsequently died for her activities in defence of protesters. Today's sanctions also target the spokesman of the Iranian Police, and the secretary of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace of Iran (SCC), the authority responsible for repression in the cyberspace.

Furthermore, the Council is listing the IRGC Cooperative Foundation, which is the body responsible for managing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' investments and funnelling money into the regime's brutal repression and the Student Basij Organization (SBO). The latter acts as the IRGC's violent enforcers on university campuses where students staged protests in the fall of 2022, and were subsequently the victims of repression and serious human rights violations such as abduction and torture.

Restrictive measures now apply to a total of 216 individuals and 37 entities. They consist of an asset freeze, a travel ban to the EU and a prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to those listed. A ban on exports to Iran of equipment which might be used for internal repression and of equipment for monitoring telecommunications is also in place.

The European Union expresses its support for the fundamental aspiration of the people of Iran for a future where their universal human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected, protected and fulfilled.

The EU calls on Iran to end the practice of imposing and carrying out death sentences against protesters, reverse the death penalty sentences pronounced, as well as provide due process to all detainees. The EU also calls upon Iran to end the distressing practice of detaining foreign civilians with a view to making political gains.

Today's package of listings follows the previous seven adopted by the Council on 17 October, 14 November, and 12 December 2022, 23 January, 20 February, 20 March and 24 April 2023.

The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the EU.

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EU imposes fresh sanctions on Iranian individuals, entities

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 22, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- The European Union (EU) has imposed new sanctions on Iranian officials and entities as part of a hostile campaign of pressure against the Islamic Republic.

The European Council announced the latest round of sanctions in a statement on Monday, saying that five individuals and two organizations were targeted over alleged human rights violations.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s Cooperative Foundation was added to an EU asset freeze and visa ban blacklist.

The foundation, which manages the IRGC's investments, had sanctioned by the United States in January.

The EU also blacklisted the Student Basij Organization, an IRGC-affiliated volunteer group.

The individuals targeted include the commander of the Tehran Police Relief Unit, the spokesman of Iran's Law Enforcement Command, the secretary of Iran's Supreme Council of Cyberspace, and two other officials.

The sanctions are the eighth round of bans imposed by the 27-member block against Iran since riots erupted in the country last fall.

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Who is Iran's new top security official?

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

May 22, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- President Ebrahim Raisi appointed Ali-Akbar Ahmadian as the new secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) earlier on Monday to replace Ali Shamkhani. The new SNSC chief has been in charge of key posts in the Islamic Republic over the past four decades.

Ahmadian, 62, is considered one of the most respected figures in the country in matters of national security.

He was a senior commander in different military operations over the 1980-88 Iraqi-imposed war on Iran.

The new SNSC secretary who holds a Ph.D. in strategic management from the Supreme National Defense University is also a dentist.

Known as one of the founders of the IRGC Navy, the official has played a pivotal role in forming a modern naval force for the IRGC.

Ahmadian has been serving as the commander of the IRGC Navy for 16 years before he was appointed as IRGC chief of staff upon a decree in 2000 by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

During his tenure, he created some major changes in the IRGC and shook up its structure.

Ahmadian, who has been serving as the chief of IRGC Strategic Center for 16 years, has also led the force's Imam Hossein University.

He was one of the five figures who were appointed by the Supreme Leader last September to join Iran's Expediency Council.

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Ayatollah Khamenei appoints Shamkhani as his political advisor, Expediency Council member

Iran Press TV

Monday, 22 May 2023 5:34 PM

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has appointed Ali Shamkhani as his political advisor and a member of the Expediency Council.

In a decree on Monday, the Leader announced the appointment and wished success for the former top security official.

Earlier in the day, Shamkhani stepped down as secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) after almost a decade.

President Ebrahim Raeisi, as the SNSC head, appointed Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), as Shamkhani's replacement.

Leader appoints Ahmadian as his representative to SNSC

In another decree, Ayatollah Khamenei appointed Ahmadian as his representative to the SNSC.

The Leader stated that he made the appointment in accordance with Article 176 of Iran's Constitution.

Ayatollah Khamenei commended and appreciated "responsible presence and efforts" by Shamkhani during his tenure.

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EU agrees new sanctions on Iranian individuals, entities

Iran Press TV

Monday, 22 May 2023 5:04 PM

In another hostile act, the European Union has imposed new sanctions on a number of Iranian individuals and entities over alleged human rights violations.

In a press release on Monday, the EU Council said it has decided to impose sanctions on five Iranian individuals and two entities, claiming that they have been responsible for human rights breaches in the country.

This is the EU's eighth package of sanctions against Iranian officials and entities since unrest broke out in the country last fall.

The new bans target the current commander of the Tehran Police Relief Unit of Iran's Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) and also the spokesman of the Iranian Police, and the secretary of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace of Iran (SCC).

Furthermore, the council also blacklisted the IRGC Cooperative Foundation, a body responsible for managing the the elite force's investments.

The 27-nation bloc has so far applied restrictive measures to a total of 216 individuals and 37 entities. They consist of an asset freeze, a travel ban to the EU and a prohibition to make funds or economic resources available to those listed.

In retaliatory moves, Iran has also imposed sanctions on the EU and a number of European individuals and entities.

Tensions between Iran and the European Union have dramatically risen amid the European Parliament's push to designate the IRGC as a "terrorist organization."

Protests erupted in Iran last September after a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, died in hospital days after collapsing at a police station in Tehran.

What started as peaceful protests took a violent turn after rioters, steered by hostile foreign media, fatally attacked policemen and indulged in vandalism against public property in several cities.

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Iran police vow 'definite' revenge for killing of border guards by terrorists

Iran Press TV

Monday, 22 May 2023 9:04 AM

Iran's deputy police chief has expressed the force's determination to avenge the killing of five border guards in a terrorist attack in southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province neighboring Pakistan.

Speaking at the border guards' funeral ceremony in Sistan and Baluchestan's provincial capital, Zahedan, Brigadier General Qasem Rezaei warned the deceived people who are following in the enemies' footsteps that they "will definitely get a decisive and firm response wherever it is necessary."

On Saturday, five border guards were martyred in clashes with armed terrorists and anti-Islamic Revolution groups in Saravan County.

"Today, police forces are more resolved and you will hear the news of the revenge in the near future," Rezae added.

The deputy police chief also emphasized that such incidents will not create divisions between Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan as the trio enjoy long-standing relations.

"Pakistan has given a message, saying that it will deal decisively with the perpetrators of the terrorist attack, and that it is the last message," he said.

'Our patience has limits'

Also the Iranian border police commander warned neighboring countries to observe the principle of good neighborliness and not allow destabilizing activities on their soil.

"Our patience has limits," Brigadier General Ahmad-Ali Goudarzi said.

Over the past years, Sistan and Baluchestan has witnessed several terror attacks targeting both civilians and security forces. Saravan has been the focal point in clashes between Iranian forces and terrorist groups as well as drug traffickers.

On Sunday, spokesman of Baluchistan Government in Pakistan, Farah Azeem Shah, condemned the terrorist attack in Saravan.

Azeem Shah said, "The time has come for the governments and nations of Iran and Pakistan to send a strong message to these elements," stressing that the purpose of such acts of terror was to harm the brotherly relations between Pakistan and Iran.

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Mahsa Amini's Family Accuses Iran's Security Forces Of Vandalizing Her Grave

By RFE/RL's Radio Farda May 22, 2023

The family of Mahsa Amini have blamed Iran's security forces for vandalizing the grave of the young woman whose death while in police custody in September 2022 ignited nationwide protests that have turned into one of the biggest threats to the Islamic republic's leadership since it took power in 1979.

The Amini family's attorney, Saleh Nikbakht, told journalists that early on May 21, "individuals, known for such distasteful actions in the past, attacked and destroyed the tomb of Mahsa Amini."

He then showed pictures of the damaged gravesite that he received from Amini's parents. He said Amini's father revealed that authorities had obstructed the installation of a protective canopy over the grave by threatening a welder that, if he carried out the work, his business would be closed. He did not show any evidence, however, that specifically linked any security officials to the damage.

Mojgan Eftekhari, Amini's mother, had alerted the public to the desecration of her daughter's grave and said she also was upset about the closure of the entrance and exit to the cemetery by officials.

"Please refrain from disturbing the people; their loved ones are here," she wrote in a statement addressing government officials who she said were hindering access to the site.

Ashkan Amini, Mahsa Amini's brother, shared a picture of his sister's grave on Instagram, writing that "even the glass of your tombstone bothers them," referring to Iranian officials whom the family and supporters blame for Amini's death on September 16 in Tehran.

Amini's brother said this was the second time his sister's burial site was destroyed, defiantly stating: "No matter how many times they break it, we will fix it. Let's see who gets tired first."

Mahsa Amini, 22, from the western Iranian city of Saqez, died during her arrest by morality police on a family trip to the Iranian capital. The incident triggered a wave of protests that rapidly swept the nation.

In October 2022, Nikbakht, along with his colleague, Ali Rezaei, took charge of the Amini family's security and filed a lawsuit on behalf of Mahsa's parents against those implicated in her death. To date, the Islamic republic's officials and the judiciary have yet to address the complaint.

The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group says the unrest has led to the deaths of at least 587 individuals, including dozens of children and teenagers.

Additionally, many have lost their sight due to the use of pellet guns by security forces, and at least seven arrested protesters have been executed by the Islamic republic's judiciary.

Iranian government forces have been accused of attacking and destroying the resting places of killed and executed protesters, cultural figures, poets, writers, artists, critical political forces, and even Baha'i citizens, and in some instances, Christians.

In 2020, Amnesty International reported that officials, by concealing burial sites, inhibiting mourning ceremonies, and preventing families from installing tombstones or decorating their relatives' graves with flowers, pictures, badges, or memorial messages, are violating these families' rights and Article 15 of the International Covenant On Economic, Social And Cultural Rights.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-amini-grave-vandalized- protests/32422957.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Dissident Ghadyani Says Iran May Be Ripe For Revolution Amid Executions

By RFE/RL's Radio Farda May 22, 2023

Abolfazl Ghadyani, a prominent Islamic revolutionary-turned-dissident, says that Iran may be ripe for a revolution to overthrow the Islamic leadership as anger turns to rage over the execution of protesters, oppressive policies, and poor living standards.

The 78-year-old Ghadyani, a senior member of the reformist party the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Organization, said in a published statement on May 22 that the most peaceful path for political change in Iran would require Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to "willingly resign, ask for national forgiveness, and make way for a democratic system of governance."

He added, however, that the likelihood of this was nearly impossible given the nature of totalitarian leadership and previous historical trends.

"Let [Khamenei] out of the way of the nation so that the people can hold a free referendum to restore the system," said Ghadyani, who is known for his close ties to prominent opposition figure Mir Hossein Mosavi.

"Let them implement their wish, which I believe is a secular democratic republic system based on human rights, and start rebuilding the country."

Ghadyani said the recent executions of three young protesters -- Saleh Mirhashemi, Saeed Yaqoubi, and Majid Kazemi -- were further evidence of Khamenei's 'tyrannical rule' and that such crimes serve only to harden public resolve to bring about change.

In the face of steady protests around the country since 22-year-old Mahsa Amini's death in custody for a dress-code offense last September, Iranian authorities have warned of harsh penalties for participants in the unrest.

Several protesters have been condemned to death and at least seven of those convicted after what rights groups have called "sham trials," have been executed, including the three young men last week.

A harsh critic of Khamenei, Ghadyani has been summoned repeatedly and imprisoned by Iranian authorities. He has published multiple letters and notes critical of Khamenei in recent years.

Ghadyani also made headlines recently when he announced he was refusing to honor a summons to the Tehran Revolutionary Court because it lacked legal legitimacy.

He has also accused Khamenei of being behind a wave of suspicious illnesses striking mainly girls at schools. Some have accused the government of releasing poisonous gas in schools as retribution for the role young women and students have played in the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protest movement.

Tens of thousands of Iranians -- led by women and students -- have joined protests since Amini's death in September 2022 calling for authorities to respect their human rights and women's rights.

Many have blamed Khamenei for Amini's death and the deaths of protesters at the hands of security forces, who have cracked down brutally on public expressions of frustration.

More than 500 people have been killed in the crackdown, according to rights groups. Several thousand more have been arrested, including many protesters, as well as journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-ripe-for-revolution- ghadyani/32422917.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Iran Replaces Top Security Official

By VOA Persian May 22, 2023

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi appointed a new head of the country's top security body on Monday.

State media said Ali Akbar Ahmadian, a Revolutionary Guards commander, would serve as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

The announcement gave no explanation for the change.

Ahmadian replaces Ali Shamkhani, who served in the post for a decade and played a key role in thawing relations with regional rival Saudi Arabia earlier this year.

Shamkhani also played a prominent role in negotiations with world powers on Iran's nuclear program, which led to a landmark agreement in 2015. However, that deal collapsed in 2018, after then-U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from it, prompting Iran to suspend its commitments under the deal on uranium enrichment.

Before the official announcement of the shake-up Monday, Shamkhani posted on Twitter, hinting about the change.

Shamkhani had recently faced criticism from some quarters in Iran, including over his leading role in talks with Saudi Arabia instead of allowing Iran's Foreign Ministry to steer the negotiations. However, Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian "denied" there was any discord between them and said about the talks, "everything has been coordinated."

Ahmadian, who now takes up the top post on the Supreme National Security Council, was previously in charge of the Revolutionary Guards' strategic center, according to Iran's presidential website.

He had also served as commander of the Guard's navy and the chief of the Guard's joint staff.

Iran's Supreme National Security Council reports to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who makes the final decisions on all of Iran's major policy matters.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.



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Israeli Arms Exports Set to Break 2021 Record of $11.4 Bln

Sputnik News

20230522

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) - Israel's arms exports last year are projected to break the record set in 2021 when they reached $11.4 billion after doubling in less than a decade, Director General of the Israeli Defense Ministry Eyal Zamir said on Monday.

"The State of Israel reached an all-time record in 2021 defense exports amounting to $11.4 billion - doubling in less than a decade. We are currently gathering the data for 2022, and I can already say that last year's record is likely to be surpassed," Zamir told a conference at Israel's Reichman University.

Europe accounted for 41% of Israeli arms exports in 2021, followed by Asian and Pacific nations with 34%, and North America with 12%. Meanwhile, Arab countries that are signatories to the Abraham Accords a a series of joint agreements designed to normalize relations with Israel a accounted for 7% of the country's arms exports, followed by Africa and Latin America with 3% apiece.

Israel will continue developing conventional weapons, while focusing on research in artificial intelligence to become a global AI power, Zamir said. The Israeli Defense Ministry will bolster investment in AI research this year and create a dedicated organization that will deal with AI and robotics, he added.

A Sputnik

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Press release on G7

21 May 2023 15:00

980-21-05-2023

The summit of the so-called Group of Seven ended in Hiroshima, Japan. Its main result is a set of statements saturated with questionable passages of an anti-Russia and anti-China nature. Thus, the G7 summit has once again produced politicised decisions aimed at drawing diving lines in international relations.

The Group of Seven used to be an association whose members coordinated their positions on various issues on the global agenda. However, it has now irreversibly deteriorated, becoming an "incubator" which, under Anglo-Saxon leadership, hatches destructive initiatives and subverts global stability. The initiatives are subsequently imposed on pro-US minions made up of NATO, the EU and other satellites of Washington.

The implausibility of G7 nations' claims to be the global guarantor of financial and economic stability became conclusively evident to everyone during the 2008-2009 crisis. The international events of the past few years indicate that G7 is unable to offer anything productive in either politics or diplomacy. Panic over the objective process of the emergence of multipolarity and the destruction of the US-centred hegemony that used to allow the West to plunder the world, makes the Group's members put every effort into fanning Russophobic and Sinophobic hysteria.

G7 has become literally fixated on an all-out confrontation with Russia. Thanks to the US efforts, it has assumed the role of a headquarters for designing sanction measures and other elements of a "hybrid" war against our country including determining the scale and schedule of Western weapons supplies to the Kiev regime. Today, this is the reason for the existence of this association. This is confirmed by the outcome of the summit. Obstinately showcasing their determination to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia, the G7 leaders brought the leader of the Kiev regime they controlled to the summit, and thus turned the Hiroshima event into the ultimate propaganda show.

Washington, assisted by London, is not only pursuing G7's destructive agenda within the Group but also forcing its allies to agree with decisions that are detrimental to them; it not only makes them raise military spending, which is already substantial, to flood the Kiev regime with arms but also shifts the burden of responsibility for sustaining refugees onto EU states, hooks those countries onto the US "gas needle," and maintains an openly protectionist policy aimed at turning the G7 partners into an industrial and raw material appendix in the hi-tech area. The so-called Euro grandees have completely lost their autonomy and have admitted the Anglo-Saxons' superiority by handing over the management of G7 to them. The European governments have completely disengaged from the interests of their own population.

The joint sanction pressure mechanism set up by G7 has caused the global food and energy crises. The decision endorsed in 2022 to introduce the so-called price caps on seaborne Russian crude oil and oil products to third countries provokes grave misbalances in the global trading platforms, undermines the basics of the market performance of the global economy and directly contradicts WTO norms and international law which the Westerners are prone to resort to if it benefits them. It is the countries that are most in need that are affected by the barriers established by the G7 countries on supplies of Russian food products.

The G7 experiments on energy transition and the introduction of green technologies do not facilitate a sustainable energy balance due to their unreliability. High-income countries can afford such novelties but imposing them on countries that have been suffering from energy hunger for a long time undermines the foundation for sustainable growth of the national economies.

Each of the G7 nations prides itself on its track record regarding protection of democratic values. Meanwhile, none of these club members can boast of their reputation concerning respect for international rights and freedoms. The history of all those nations is aligned with oppression and denial of others' rights. The Eurasian members of G7 are former colonial or expansionist powers who built their wellbeing on exploiting and expropriating others' assets. Regarding the US and Canada, for decades, their native residents had to suffer forceful relocation, bleaching of their cultural identity, abuse and genocide.

The G7 members ought to show an example of democracy in practice rather than unleash the media and NGOs under their control on "obstinate" governments. We see how "humanely" Europe is settling the migration issue and "pacifying" social unrest and how the US cracks down on the opposition. For many years, the West has been patronising the Nazi regime in Kiev and turning a blind eye to all the horrible things it does. We repeatedly asked them how that translates into European ideals of humanism and democratic values. The West has given no answer.

The rules the G7 is promoting are their own ideology and system of values. They serve particular and not common interests of the international community. G7 views the independent policy of third countries as a threat to the infamous "rules-based order." Various steps are taken against the disobedient - from economic pressure and information aggression to blackmail, threats, and military intervention.

The G7 countries not only stained their hands with illegal military interventions against sovereign states and with the arrangement of coups d'etat. Their predatory business keeps pumping out the resources of the Global East and South without looking back at the repercussions for the environment and in violation of labour standards. The relevant facts are well known.

On a parallel track, every effort is made to politicise the performance of multilateral formats, primarily the G20, the most representative and truly leading forum for global economic cooperation. The attempts by the G7 countries to pose as champions of law and justice in international affairs are a mockery of history and common sense.

The cynical and blasphemous choice of Hiroshima as the venue for the summit needs a special comment. Tokyo and Washington refuse to admit their responsibility for unleashing an aggressive war in the Far East and the barbaric nuclear bombing of Japanese cities that

was not dictated by military needs but required by the Americans to test nuclear ammunition. Before the G7 summit, the Biden administration, in its usual arrogant manner, said that Joe Biden did not intend to apologise for those actions. As if anyone doubted it.

In this context, the US leaders' arguments about their "leadership" in arms control and nonproliferation look hypocritical. So do the lamentations of the G7 countries about the need to combat the mythical Russian nuclear threat. We have repeatedly pointed out where the threat really comes from. It is not Moscow, but Washington, London, and other capitals of the "collective West."

Against such an unattractive backdrop, the G7 countries are not shy about flirting with non-Western states so as to bring them to their side and not allow them to develop ties with Russia and China. At the same time, it is obvious that the G7 is the main factor in exacerbating global problems. It cannot reflect the interests of other centres of development, especially those of the Asia-Pacific region, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.

We believe that our assessments of the G7 and its destructive actions are shared by the majority of the world community.

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Russia: Statement by the High Representative on threats against the International Criminal Court

European External Action Service (EEAS)

22.05.2023

EEAS Press Team

The European Union deplores the criminal proceedings initiated by Russian authorities against the Prosecutor and three Judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Any Russian acts against the ICC's mandate and attempts to intimidate those involved in the ICC's investigation of international crimes committed in Ukraine are politically motivated, baseless, unjustified and unacceptable. They are further expression of the Kremlin's disregard for international rules and international law.

The EU reaffirms its full support for the ICC, as an independent and impartial judicial institution entrusted by over 120 States from all regions of the world, to ensure accountability for the gravest crimes.

We stand firmly by the Court and remain committed to defending its personnel from any outside interference aimed at obstructing the course of justice and undermining the international system of criminal justice.

We call upon all States to defend the principles and values enshrined in the Rome Statute and to stand united against impunity.



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Meeting with Supreme Court President Vyacheslav Lebedev

Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Supreme Court President Vyacheslav Lebedev. The discussion focused on measures aimed at humanising law enforcement practice, as well as on efforts to create courts in the new regions of the Russian Federation.

May 22, 2023

14:40

The Kremlin, Moscow

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Lebedev, we constantly discuss this issue, it is always on our agenda: the humanisation of our legislation. I would like to ask you to begin with this.

Supreme Court President Vyacheslav Lebedev: Mr President, thank you for making this issue a priority. It really is a fundamental activity of the Supreme Court and the judicial system as well.

The implementation of this task and the efforts towards it are ongoing. In line with your latest instruction to develop proposals for the humanisation of both legislation and law enforcement practice, we have prepared a corresponding draft law aimed at humanising law enforcement practice in relation to women and persons who have committed crimes of minor or medium gravity for the first time. The ultimate goal of this draft law is that a person, if they were charged with these offences for the first time, would not be held criminally liable at all, so that there would first be administrative or other disciplinary liability. And only when these offences are repeated can criminal liability occur.

As for bringing criminal charges against women, we are now proposing the following structure: for minor offences, even in situations when a woman has no registration, she will still not be held criminally liable. There are several options here. True, she has no registration, but she has a place of residence, her whereabouts are known. But even if it is unknown, the state can provide an opportunity for warn her about the inadmissibility of repeating such actions or actions of a different nature of minor or medium gravity, for which then it would already be possible to prosecute her.

This scheme is being used for the first time, because usually the courts in law enforcement practice have acted in the following way: yes, a crime of minor or medium gravity was committed, but there was no registration. Since there was no registration, there was a question about where to look for the woman and what she might do. There is probably no need to assume: there is no registration, but there is a place of residence, everyone knows where she lives. If not, well, they will find it.

Vladimir Putin: A technical issue.

Vyacheslav Lebedev: Yes. Now there are numerous, significant possibilities of searching, establishing the place of abode of such persons, so this is not a problem. I think the state can do it.

Vladimir Putin: Of course, I agree. It is necessary, as we usually do in such cases, to work on this thoroughly with the expert community, to work on this with the deputies and the Civic Chamber; and I will issue a corresponding instruction to the Executive Office.

Vyacheslav Lebedev: We have almost completed work on this draft law. We will submit it, as you say, to experts for discussion, and it will be submitted to you. We have already submitted it, as per your instruction.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, I remember, of course.

Vyacheslav Lebedev: Nevertheless, it will go up for public review by civil society at large.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you very much.

Vyacheslav Lebedev: As for the Supreme Court's work as a whole, now cases are mostly heard within a reasonable timeframe. You know that there is special oversight over the timeframe for court proceedings. It is very important because a person should not have to stand in line for justice. A person cannot wait long, because all the current problems will lose their meaning if cases are not heard in a timely fashion. Therefore, the following procedure has now been established: if the reasonable time for hearing a case is violated, a citizen who applies to the courts has the right to demand compensation for the violation of the reasonable time for considering the case. This is enshrined in law. This is a very important and good measure, a good institution for compensating the inefficiency of justice, for violations of the reasonable timeframe.

And there is another problem we need to work on. In addition to the reasonable time for holding proceedings, there should also be responsibility - and there is - for the execution of court decisions, so that a court decision is executed within the period established by law, and in the event of non-compliance with this period, the guilty persons must be punished. Otherwise, the effectiveness of justice loses its meaning.

Vladimir Putin: As well as faith in justice itself, in the state. That is right, I agree.

Vyacheslav Lebedev: Yes.

Vladimir Putin: I know that the Supreme Court is also working on establishing appropriate courts for all areas of activity in the new constituent entities of the Federation.

Vyacheslav Lebedev: Yes. In accordance with legislation that has entered into force, the competition to fill the vacancies for the positions of heads of courts in the Donetsk People's Republic, Lugansk People's Republic, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions has already ended. I believe that by autumn we will form the judiciary, and the plenum of the Russian Federation Supreme Court in the new constituent entities will announce the start of work of the courts.

Vladimir Putin: Very good. Establishing judicial bodies in the new constituent entities of the Federation is the most important step in establishing authorities in these regions in general. Therefore, I hope that the work will be completed within the timeframe you have just mentioned.

Thank you very much.

<...>

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What is Northern Sea Route and How Can It Turn Russia Into Arctic Superpower?

Sputnik News

20230522

Ilya Tsukanov

Russia plans to increase the tonnage of cargo shipped through the Northern Sea Route (NSR) to 80 million tons by 2024, and to ship up to 270 million tons through the artery annually by 2035. What is the economic and geostrategic significance of the NSR? And why has Moscow invested so much political and material capital into it? Sputnik explores.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated the importance of the Northern Sea Route at a ministerial meeting last week, saying climate change has made it an inevitability as he emphasized no expense should to be spared on implementing the project.

"There have always been certain issues which need to be addressed when it comes to financing, but at the same time I want to draw your attention to the fact that the development of the Northern Sea Route is of course one of our clear strategic priorities. And here we probably shouldn't think about saving or cutting anything, given the current situation," Putin stressed.

"The Northern Sea Route is opening, this is obvious. Colleagues just spoke about climate change, like it or not, it's happening."

What is the Northern Sea Route?

The Northern Sea Route (also known as Arctic Bridge Sea Route) is an ambitious Russian Arctic maritime transport artery running through the waters of Russia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the far North, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk and the Bering Sea in the east to the Barents and White Seas in the west.

How Long is the Northern Sea Route?

The approximately 5,600-kilometer (km) route is the shortest maritime route between Europe and Asia, with the ability to shave upwards of 9,000 km off transit from the East China Sea to the North Sea, compared to shipments via the Suez Canal.

Once fully operational, the NSR is expected to allow the shipment of goods between Asia and Europe in as little as 19 days, 40% - 60% faster than shipments via the Suez Canal or the Cape of Good Hope, respectively.

Why is the Northern Sea Route Significant?

The Northern Sea Route would allow Russia to become a major player in the transit of trillions of dollars of trade annually, and ease the development and exploitation of Russian territories in the Far North - including vast, untapped reserves of oil and gas.

According to a 2021 estimate by the Pentagon, the Arctic may contain nearly a third of the world's undiscovered reserves of natural gas, as well as more than a trillion dollars of rare-earth minerals.

It's apparently unacceptable that such wealth belong to any nation besides the US, and Washington's fervent opposition to the NSR is a sure sign of its strategic importance. The US Navy has characterized the artery as an attempt to institute the "unlawful regulation of maritime traffic," and has threatened to carry out the same kind of freedom of navigation missions in the Russian Arctic as it has in China-claimed waters in the South China Sea.

In 2021, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of "exploiting [climate] change to try to exert control over new spaces" in the Arctic, including via the modernization of military bases.

What Can Russia Do to Thwart Unwanted Intrusions Into the Northern Sea Route?

Fortunately for Moscow, the task of protecting Russia's northern waters from foreign encroachment has been made easier by the country's outsized spending on military vessels and icebreakers capable of operating in frigid Arctic temperatures, and by decades of US under-investment by comparison.

Earlier this year, for example, it was reported the US Coast Guard was forced to delay the commissioning of a new polar-class icebreaker until 2027, while Russia's Rosatomflot signed a contract on the construction of its sixth and seventh Arktika-class nuclear icebreakers, which will join the 50+ icebreakers of various classes already in operation. For the moment, the United States operates just two icebreakers, a state of affairs which should complicate its freedom of navigation ambitions for years to come.

Russia has spent decades and billions of dollars shoring up its Arctic infrastructure, building or repairing 16 deep-water ports and 14 airfields, creating a Northern Arctic military command, and standing up regional air defense and search and rescue infrastructure to facilitate the security and safety of passage of commercial ships through the NSR.

In March, Russia adopted a new foreign policy concept in which the Northern Sea Route received a prominent place. According to the document, Russia's major foreign policy priorities include advancing the Arctic transport artery "as a competitive national transport corridor making possible its international use for transportation between Europe and Asia."

Russia hopes to establish "mutually beneficial cooperation with the non-Arctic states pursuing a constructive policy toward Russia and interested in international activities in the Arctic, including developing infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route."

Last July, Russia implemented an updated naval doctrine which named the NSR as one of six strategic priority directions for improving Russia's status "as a great naval power and the strengthening of its position among leading global naval powers." The doctrine lists efforts by some unfriendly governments to weaken Russia's control over the Northern Sea Route, including through the growing presence of foreign military infrastructure, as one of the top ten threats to Russia in the maritime space.

What Are Russia's Near-term Plans for the NSR?

Last year, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev announced year-round navigation through the Northern Sea Route is expected to become possible as soon as 2024, with Moscow expecting to ramp up cargo traffic along the route to 80 million tons, as agreed by NSR operator Rosatom and its partners. Trutnev urged a dramatic increase in state investment into infrastructure along the route to speed the artery's opening for use in global trade.

Rosatom expects cargo transit through the Northern Sea Route to grow to 193 million tons per year by 2030, and more than 270 million tons annually by 2035. Russia plans to build dozens of additional ships capable of operating in the frigid waters of the high Arctic, with 41 under construction and 88 still needing to be built - for a total of 158 by the year 2030.

Why Didn't Russia Create the Northern Sea Route Earlier?

Researchers and explorers from the days of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union studied the country's northern regions extensively beginning in the 16th century onward, but it wasn't until climate change and the dramatic retreat of the Arctic polar ice caps from the 2000s onward that Russia received the opportunity to create a global shipping route through its northern waters.

A Sputnik

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Russia Denies Consular Access to American Journalist for Second Time

By VOA News May 22, 2023

The U.S. State Department and media analysts have criticized Russia over its refusal to allow regular consular access to a U.S. journalist who has been detained in Moscow since his arrest in late March.

The State Department had sought a meeting this Thursday with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, but Moscow denied the request, the paper reported.

A State Department spokesperson was cited as saying officials strongly objected to Russia's failure to comply with its responsibilities under international consular agreements governing access to detained Americans.

"Regardless of the hurdles, our team is focused on ensuring timely consular access to all U.S. nationals detained abroad," the spokesperson added.

Russia's Washington embassy did not immediately reply to VOA's email requesting comment.

The Journal reported that Moscow's action is tied to a complaint that Russian journalists didn't get U.S. visas to travel with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the United Nations in New York in April.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told VOA at that time that Washington had issued nearly 100 visas for Russian nationals, including journalists, for Lavrov's trip.

"The United States takes seriously its obligations as host country of the UN ... " the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "We reject recent claims by Russian officials that suggest otherwise."

Since Gershkovich's arrest March 29, Russia has allowed only one consular visit from a U.S. official, Ambassador Lynne Tracy.

Clayton Weimers, executive director of the U.S. office of Reporters Without Borders, a media watchdog group, said, "Russia's pretense for detaining Evan is already flimsy."

"Denying him consular access and blaming it on the failure of Russian journalists to secure American visas really just betrays that Evan has become collateral damage in the Kremlin's war on media freedom and its ongoing arguments with Washington," Weimers said in an email to VOA.

Russian authorities detained Gershkovich while he was on assignment for the Journal in the city of Yekaterinburg.

Russia accused the Moscow-based reporter of espionage a a charge that Gershkovich, his employer and the U.S. government deny.

The U.S. government has officially classified Gershkovich as wrongfully detained.

A Russian court ordered the journalist to be held in pretrial detention until May 29, and denied an earlier request that he be moved to house arrest.

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Assad will not meet Erdogan until Turkish forces withdraw from Syria: FM

Iran Press TV

Monday, 22 May 2023 6:20 AM

Syria's foreign minister says President Bashar al-Assad will only meet his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan when Turkey completely withdraws its military forces from the northern part of Syria

"Damascus would not normalize relations with Turkey, which occupies swathes of land in Syria," Faisal Mekdad said.

He made the remarks in an interview with Russia's RT Arabic television news network in Damascus on Sunday.

Mekdad added that Assad's meeting with his Turkish counterpart would depend on the full pullout of Turkish forces from Syrian territory.

Back in March, Assad stated that there was no point in a meeting with Erdogan until Turkey's "illegal occupation" ended.

"This is linked to arriving at a stage where Turkey would clearly be ready and without any ambiguity to exit completely from Syrian territory and end its support of terrorism and restore the situation that prevailed before the start of the war on Syria," Assad said.

"This is the only situation when it would then be possible to have a meeting between me and Erdogan," he said. "Aside from that, what's the value of such a meeting and why would we do it if it would not achieve final results for the war in Syria?"

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 12 years, the two neighboring countries are taking steps toward reconciliation.

In the meantime, Turkey deployed forces in Syria in October 2019 in violation of the Arab country's territorial integrity.

Ankara-backed militants were deployed to northeastern Syria 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.

The Kurdish-led administration in northeastern Syria says the Turkish offensive has killed hundreds of civilians, including dozens of children since it started.

Turkey has played a major role in supporting terrorists in Syria ever since a major foreign-backed insurgency overtook the country more than ten years ago.

President Assad and other senior officials have said the Damascus government will respond through all legitimate Syrian means available to the ongoing ground offensive by Turkish forces and allied Takfiri militants in the northern part of the war-battered Arab country.

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Michael Milburn in The Hedgehog Review:

For many viewers, the highlight of Ken Burnss documentary The Civil War is the reading of a poignant letter from a Union soldier to his wife a week before he is killed in the First Battle of Bull Run. Sarah, my love for you is deathless, Major Sullivan Ballou writes from his units camp in Washington, DC. It seems to bind me with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence can break; and yet, my love of country comes over me like a strong wind, and bears me irresistibly on with all those chains to the battlefield. Concluding the series premiere episode in September 1990, the letter became the equivalent of a viral phenomenon in that pre-social media age: Within minutes of the first nights broadcast, Burns said a year later, the phone began ringing off the hook with calls from across the country, eager to find out about Sullivan Ballou.The calls would not stop all weekand they continue. The letter still resonates todaySenator Chuck Schumer read an excerpt at Donald Trumps inaugurationand in multiple articles turned up by a Google search, the word that recurs most frequently to praise it is eloquent.

More here.
Line in the Sand: Assad Won't Meet Erdogan Until Turkish Troops Exit Syria

Sputnik News

20230522

Ilya Tsukanov

Russian and Iranian diplomats have worked tirelessly in recent months to facilitate the normalization of relations between Damascus and Ankara - as part of a broader regional realignment which has seen former sworn enemies of the Assad government restore ties with the Syrian Arab Republic.

The possibility of a face-to-face meeting between Syrian President Bashar Assad and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will depend on the withdrawal of all Turkish forces from Syrian territory, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad has said.

"President Assad's meeting with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan is contingent on the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syrian territory," Mekdad said in an interview with Russian media on Sunday.

According to the top diplomat, there cannot be any talk of a normalization of relations so long as Ankara continues to occupy Syrian lands.

"Normalization can only be achieved after the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria, and we highly appreciate the effort made by [our] Russian friends," Mekdad said.

Mekdad's comments echo remarks made by President Assad in March, when he told a Sputnik correspondent that a meeting with Erdogan would be "linked to arriving at a stage" where Turkiye commits to leave Syria, "end its support of terrorism and restore the situation that prevailed before the start of the war on Syria."

"This is the only situation when it would be possible to have a meeting between me and Erdogan. Aside from that, what's the value of such a meeting and why would we hold it if it would not achieve final results for the war in Syria?" Assad asked at the time.

Russia and Iran, which enjoy friendly relations with both Syria and Turkiye, have worked extensively in recent months to put the decade-long crisis in relations between Damascus and Ankara to rest.

Earlier this month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with his Syrian, Iranian, and Turkish counterparts in Moscow to discuss Syria-Turkiye rapprochement, outlining a diplomatic roadmap for normalization, and calling on Damascus and Ankara to discuss repairing transportation and logistics corridors and resume trade and economic cooperation "without any barriers."

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu focused his remarks at the meeting on the need to expand cooperation in the fight against terrorism, and to "advance the political process" in Syria. Cavusoglu also reiterated Turkiye's commitment to the protection of Syria's territorial integrity.

This month's talks were preceded by a similar meeting hosted by Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu in April, and negotiations in Moscow at the deputy foreign ministerial level the same month.

Syria and Turkiye severed relations in March 2012, after Ankara and other regional nations including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Israel joined a US-led push to overthrow the Syrian government, and helped facilitate the flow of Islamist rebels and weapons into the country.

After Russia's intervention in the crisis in September 2015, Ankara shifted its goals, moving to establish a border buffer zone between Turkiye and Syria, sending troops into the neighboring country to "fight terrorism" and Kurdish fighters with suspected ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party - a Turkiye-based militant group which Ankara classifies as terrorists.

Turkiye and its militant allies in the rebel-held province of Idlib currently control about a tenth of Syria. Syrian officials have repeatedly called on Ankara, as well as Washington and Tel Aviv, to immediately end their occupation of the war-torn Middle Eastern nation and return these territories to the control of the internationally recognized government in Damascus.

The apparent continued roadblock in Syrian-Turkish ties comes against the backdrop of the unprecedented normalization of relations between Damascus and its Arab neighbors, and President Assad's triumphant return to the Arab League last week.

A Sputnik

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China boosts naval presence, ability to invade Taiwan: ex-U.S. Navy captain

ROC Central News Agency

05/22/2023 12:11 PM

Taipei, May 22 (CNA) China continued to beef up its Naval presence in 2022, indicating its increasing ability to execute an invasion of Taiwan, a retired American naval captain warned in an article published earlier this month.

In the article in the online monthly magazine "Proceedings" published by the United States Naval Institute, retired Captain James E. Fanell noted that China commissioned 10 warships and one submarine in 2022 and that the People's Liberation Army is continuing to commission the most annual tonnage globally, as it has done for at least the last five years.

The PLA is also continuing to outproduce the U.S. Navy in total numbers of ships, tonnage and supersonic antiship cruise missiles, with the outlook for PLA production and commissioning in 2023 on track to exceed that of 2022, Fanell said.

The highlight of the PLA Navy's (PLAN) shipbuilding last year was the launch of China's third and "most technologically advanced aircraft carrier," the 80,000-ton Type 003 Fujian, he said.

Hailing the carrier as the largest warship an Asian country has ever built, Fanell noted that in 10 years, China had gone from having no aircraft carriers to having three in the water.

The 50,000-ton Liaoning and Shandong are assessed as fully operational, while the Fujian is set to conduct official sea trials later this year, he said.

All these efforts have highlighted the PLAN's expanded "far seas operations" highlighted by its carrier operations outside the first island chain, Fanell said.

With the PLA's "Taiwan-focused combined arms firepower exercise" and increased joint operations with Russia and others, the PLA has demonstrated "why it may be the most dominant naval force in the western Pacific and is able to execute all orders -- including the increasing likelihood of an invasion of Taiwan," he warned.

The former U.S. naval officer also said that during China's live-fire exercises that followed former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in August 2022, the PLA tested its joint force operations "by employing coordinated use of missile, space, cyber, air, army, and naval forces designed to isolate Taiwan and minimalize coastal resistance to invasion forces."

He warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping (cea) is preparing for war, as the president had said repeatedly in 2022.

"Given the PLAN's production and activities in 2022, if Xi is asking Central Military Commission leaders if the PLA is prepared to invade Taiwan, the most probable answer will soon be yes," he concluded.

Before Fanell's retirement, he served as a career naval intelligence officer in posts such as senior intelligence officer for China at the Office of Naval Intelligence and the chief of intelligence for CTF-70, 7th Fleet, and the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

He retired from the Navy in 2015 and currently is a government fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy in Geneva, Switzerland.

(By Joseph Yeh)

Enditem/KB

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Taiwan health minister vows to continue pushing for WHO inclusion

ROC Central News Agency

05/22/2023 05:23 PM

Geneva, May 21 (CNA) As the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) opened its 10-day forum in Switzerland on Sunday, Taiwan's Health Minister Hsueh Jui-yuan () was vowing to continue pushing for the country's inclusion in the World Health Organization (WHO).

At a news conference held at the Geneva Press Club, Hsueh outlined how this could happen, explaining that WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has the authority to invite Taiwan to participate in the WHA, instead of holding a vote of member states.

"This was the case in 2009, when the then-WHO secretary-general directly invited Taiwan to attend the WHA as an observer," Hsueh said when asked by CNA what he thought of Tedros' remarks earlier Sunday that Taiwan's inclusion in the WHA requires members' approval via a vote.

"Taiwan's membership at the WHO is a public health issue instead of a political one," he stressed, adding that "health is a basic human right that must leave no one behind."

Hsueh added that China wrongly interprets the United Nations General Assembly 2758 Resolution that stipulates the People's Republic of China is the only legitimate representative of China, arguing that "the resolution does not address the issue of representing Taiwan."

The health minister said that Taiwan was not asking for the support of other countries for the sake of sympathy, but rather to lay the foundations for Taiwan and the rest of the world to continue cooperating.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu () told a legislative hearing in Taipei on Monday that "what Tedros said about Taiwan's participation in the WHA was not true."

Based on the WHO Constitution, Taiwan's participation in the WHA does not need approval of other member states, Wu said.

"It is the hope of all Taiwan's people to participate in the WHA," he added.

Taiwan was a WHA observer from 2009-2016, but was blocked from the body shortly after the independence leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) took power, because of increasing pressure from Beijing.

Before the WHA event began, 12 of Taiwan's 13 diplomatic allies wrote to the WHA, urging the WHO to discuss Taiwan's participation as a WHA observer.

(By Flor Wang, Novia Huang and Tien Hsi-ju)

Enditem/KB

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson's Remarks on the 76th WHA's Rejecting the Proposal on Taiwan

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China

2023-05-22 18:37

Q: The 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) has once again refused to include a proposal made by Belize and other countries on "Taiwan's participation at the WHA as an observer" in its agenda. What's China's comment?

A: The General Committee and the Plenary Session of the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) have respectively decided to reject the so-called proposal of "inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer" submitted by certain countries. This fully shows that the one-China principle has international support and represents the prevailing trend that cannot be challenged.

In disregard of the views expressed by various parties and what is best for our Taiwan compatriots, the DPP authorities put countries having so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan up to making the proposal. Certain countries either overtly or covertly encouraged and supported this move. These egregious moves go against the trend of history and deliberately undermine international rules. They have been unanimously rejected by countries taking a just stand. By the time the assembly commenced, nearly 100 countries had sent letters to the WHO or issued statements to express their commitment to the one-China principle and opposition to Taiwan's participation in the WHA.

The Chinese Central Government attaches great importance to the health and well-being of our compatriots in the Taiwan region, and has made proper arrangement for Taiwan's participation in global health affairs under the prerequisite that the one-China principle is upheld. The Central Government has updated the Taiwan region over 500 times about the pandemic situation since the start of COVID-19. Over the past year alone, medical and technical experts from China's Taiwan region took part in WHO technical activities 24 times, which involved 26 participants. There is an International Health Regulations Contact Point in the Taiwan region for it to promptly access and report information related to health emergencies. The claim of a "gap" in global anti-epidemic efforts is groundless.

We would like to once again make it clear to the DPP authorities that the public opinion cannot be defied and those who play with fire will get burnt. We also urge certain countries to stop knowingly supporting the false narrative on this matter, stop politicizing issues about health, stop using the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs and stop using Taiwan to contain China.

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Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson comments on WHA rejecting Taiwan-related proposal

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 08:21, May 23, 2023

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Monday made remarks regarding that the 76th World Health Assembly (WHA) has once again refused to include a proposal on "Taiwan's participation at the WHA as an observer" in its agenda.

The spokesperson said that the General Committee and the Plenary Session of the 76th WHA have respectively decided to reject the so-called proposal of "inviting Taiwan to participate in the WHA as an observer" submitted by certain countries. This fully shows that the one-China principle has international support and represents the prevailing trend that cannot be challenged.

According to the spokesperson, in disregard of the views expressed by various parties and what is best for Taiwan compatriots, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities put countries having so-called "diplomatic ties" with Taiwan up to making the proposal. Certain countries either overtly or covertly encouraged and supported this move. These egregious moves go against the trend of history and deliberately undermine international rules. They have been unanimously rejected by countries taking a just stand. By the time the assembly commenced, nearly 100 countries had sent letters to the WHO or issued statements to express their commitment to the one-China principle and opposition to Taiwan's participation in the WHA.

The spokesperson said the Chinese central government attaches great importance to the health and well-being of our compatriots in the Taiwan region, and has made proper arrangement for Taiwan's participation in global health affairs under the prerequisite that the one-China principle is upheld. The Chinese central government has updated the Taiwan region over 500 times about the epidemic situation since the start of COVID-19, and approved the participation in WHO technical activities by 26 Taiwan health experts in 24 groups over the past year. There is an International Health Regulations Contact Point in the Taiwan region for it to promptly access and report information related to health emergencies. The claim of a "gap" in global anti-pandemic efforts is groundless.

The spokesperson said that "we would like to once again make it clear to the DPP authorities that the public opinion cannot be defied and those who play with fire will get burnt. We also urge certain countries to stop knowingly supporting the false narrative on this matter, stop politicizing issues about health, stop using the Taiwan question to interfere in China's internal affairs and stop using Taiwan to contain China."

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Turkey's third-placed presidential candidate endorses Erdogan ahead of runoff

Iran Press TV

Monday, 22 May 2023 4:57 PM

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has secured the endorsement of Turkey's third-placed presidential election candidate, Sinan Ogan, ahead of Sunday's runoff vote.

Ogan's 5.2% of vote prevented Erdogan from winning outright for the first time in 20 years last week.

On Friday, Ogan, called by some analysts a potential "kingmaker," said in a news conference in Ankara that he will back the incumbent president.

Erdogan received 49.52% of votes in the first round of voting on May 14. He fell just short of the majority needed to secure an outright victory.

Erdogan's challenger, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the candidate of a six-party opposition alliance, won 44.88 percent.

"I invite voters who backed us in the first round to support Mr. Erdogan in the second round," Ogan told reporters.

Ogan met the Turkish president on Friday and also held separate negotiations with allies of Kilicdaroglu.

"The National Alliance has failed to convince us," he said, speaking of the main opposition group in Turkey, led by Kilicdaroglu.

Kilicdaroglu sounded defiant in a tweet posted moments after Ogan's announcement, accusing unnamed forces of "selling out this beautiful country" and he signaled his intention to continue pursuing the nationalist voters.

"We are coming to save this country from terrorism and refugees," he wrote. "This is a referendum. No one can fool anyone anymore."

Kilicdaroglu pledged to send "all the refugees home" when he comes to power and accused Erdogan of failing to "protect the borders and honor of our country."

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PM statement to the House of Commons on G7 summit: 22 May 2023

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made an oral statement to the House of Commons following his return from the G7 summit in Japan.

22 May 2023

Mr Speaker, the whole House will join me in remembering the victims of the horrific Manchester Arena bombing, six years ago today. Our thoughts are with them and their families.

Our thoughts are also with the family of Lee Rigby on the tenth anniversary of his murder, and I pay tribute to his son Jack, who's honouring his father's memory by raising money for other bereaved military children.

As Jack's mum says, Lee would be very proud.

Mr Speaker, I've just returned from the G7 Summit in Japan where I was humbled to be the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to visit Hiroshima.

On behalf of this House and the British people, I recorded our great sorrow at the destruction and human suffering that occurred there and our fervent resolve that it should never again be necessary to use nuclear weapons.

As I report to the House on the G7 Summit, I want to address head on a mistaken view that is heard too often.

The idea that Britain is somehow in retreat from the world stage or that our influence is in decline. I reject that utterly.

What we've seen in recent months, is this Conservative government delivering the priorities of the British people and bringing our global influence to bear on some of the world's biggest challenges.

Nowhere is that clearer than Ukraine.

It was a pleasure and privilege to welcome my friend, President Zelenskyy back to the UK last week.

His attendance at the G7 summit was a historic moment.

When Putin launched this war, he gambled that our resolve would falter. But he was wrong then and he is wrong now.

Russia's military is failing on the battlefield. Their economy is failing at home, as we tighten the stranglehold of sanctions and the image of the G7 leaders standing shoulder to shoulder with President Zelenskyy in Hiroshima sent a powerful message to the world: we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Of course, we've seen a huge collective effort across our allies - not least the United States.

But I'm incredibly proud of our role at the forefront of international support for Ukraine.

The first country in the world to train Ukrainian troops. First in Europe to provide lethal weapons. First to commit tanks.

And just this month - first to provide long range missiles.

And we're now at the forefront of a coalition to train and equip the Ukrainian air force.

We gave A2.3 billion in miliary aid last year, second only to the United States - and will match or exceed that this year.

Putin should know that we are not going anywhere.

And we know that Ukraine will not only win the war but can and will win a just and lasting peace - based on respect for international law, the principles of the UN Charter, and territorial integrity and sovereignty.

And Mr Speaker, we bring the same resolve to the biggest challenge to the long-term security and prosperity of our age - China.

As the G7 showed, the UK's response is completely aligned with our allies.

We are working with others to strengthen our defence ties across the Indo-Pacific, diversify our supply chains in areas like critical minerals and semiconductors and prevent China using economic coercion to interfere with the sovereignty of others.

Concrete actions, not rhetoric.

But our economic security is not just about managing the risks of China, Mr Speaker.

We're taking advantage of our post-Brexit freedoms with a hugely ambitious trade policy.

We've concluded negotiations on the CPTPPaa trade deal with the world's fastest growing region.

We've signed critical minerals partnerships with Canada and Australia.

A semiconductor partnership with Japan.

The Windsor Framework secures the free flow of trade within our UK internal market.

And on Friday, we announced almost A18 billion of new investment into the UK from Japanese businesses. That's a huge vote of confidence in the UK.

Creating significant numbers of good, well-paid jobs and helping grow the economy.

And Mr Speaker, we are acting globally to tackle illegal migration.

It is the British government who will determine who comes to Britain. We must stop the boats and break the business model of the criminal gangs.

To do that, we're deepening international cooperation to tackle illegal migration through new deals with Albania, France, and just at last week's Council of Europe meeting - starting with the EU border force too.

And at this weekend's Summit, we've secured agreement that we will increase G7 cooperation, too.

So, Mr Speaker, our foreign policy is clearly delivering for the British people.

By strengthening our relationships with old friends and new, from the Indo-Pacific to Washington to Europe, we're delivering a diplomatic dividend for the UK.

And that's not all.

We've announced billions more for defence - the largest European contributor to NATO.

We've signed an historic agreement to design and build the AUKUS submarine, giving the UK, Australia, and the US, inter-operable submarine fleets in the Atlantic and the Pacific.

We've launched a new programme to build the fighter jets of the future with Italy and Japan, announced that in 2025, the Carrier Strike Group will return to the Indo-Pacific once more and in Sudan, the British military completed the largest evacuation of any country.

And if anyone thinks the UK is no longer able to wield hard power in defence of our values just ask the Ukrainian soldiers driving British tanks or firing our long-range missiles.

All that, Mr Speaker, is how we will prosper at home and defend our values abroad.

That's how our foreign policy is delivering for the British people.

And that's why on the world stage, Britain is forging ahead - confident, proud, and free.

And I commend this statement to the House.

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PM remarks at the G7 Press Conference

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's remarks at the at the G7 press conference

22 May 2023

Let me start by thanking Prime Minister Kishida and the people of Japan for their warm and generous welcome and hospitality.

At this pivotal moment for peace, freedom, and democracy, the G7 came together with our allies and friends to confront a more dangerous world.

We leave Hiroshima stronger and more united than ever.

And through this summit, we have advanced the priorities of the British people with two big aims - economic security and national security.

First, economic security.

On this trip, we've secured almost A18 billion of new investments into the UK from Japanese businesses.

That's a huge vote of confidence in the UK - creating hundreds of new jobs, with significantly more to come as projects get underway.

All helping to grow our economy - one of my five priorities for the UK.

And alongside our unprecedented new defence and security partnership it's clear that the UK-Japan relationship has never been closer as we work with G7 allies to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The G7 also demonstrated unity of purpose on China.

China poses the biggest challenge of our age to global security and prosperity. They are increasingly authoritarian at home and assertive abroad.

And, as the G7 have showed, the UK's response is completely aligned with our allies.

This is all about de-risking - not de-coupling.

And with the G7, we are taking steps to prevent China from using economic coercion to interfere in the sovereign affairs of others.

A new theme of this Summit was also AI.

AI can bring huge benefits for our economy, society, and public services.

But of course - it needs to be developed safely, securely, and fairly.

And that will require international cooperation something the UK is in a natural position to lead.

Our second aim for this Summit was national security.

All leaders at this Summit are grappling with the issue of illegal migration.

My policy is this: it is the British government who will determine who comes to Britain.

We must stop the boats and break the business model of the criminal gangs.

This is a global issue - and it will increasingly be a focus of our international engagement.

Just last week, at the Council of Europe we agreed to strengthen cooperation with the EU's border force.

At this Summit, we secured the G7's agreement to deepen our work together.

And we expect this to be an important focus of the G7 next year, under Italy's leadership.

And there is no more pressing issue facing the G7 and the world - than Ukraine.

I want to pay tribute to my friend, Volodymyr. It was a privilege to welcome him to Chequers earlier this week.

And I believe his attendance at this G7 was a moment of historic significance.

The image of the G7 and our partners standing shoulder to shoulder with President Zelenskyy sends a powerful message about the unity and determination of the G7 allies.

We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, because their security is our security.

The G7's strategy is clear:

Our military, diplomatic and economic tools are all part of the Ukrainian counter-offensive.

We're delivering more support on the battlefield through air defence, artillery, tanks, and long-range missiles - which the UK was the first country to provide.

We're supporting Ukraine to develop the air force it needs for the future with the UK training Ukrainian pilots, starting this summer.

And we've made a real breakthrough at this Summit, thanks to President Biden's support for an international coalition to provide F-16 jets.

We're ratcheting up the economic cost to Russia with a new package of sanctions.

And we know that Ukraine must not only win the war but win a just and lasting peace.

We're working with allies to provide coordinated bilateral security arrangements and a collective commitment to Ukraine's future defence, to guarantee they can deter future attacks.

And any peace settlement must be on Ukraine's terms.

I want to just quote from the statement that the G7 and our partner countries have just agreed:

"We support a just and durable peace, based on respect for international law, the principles of the UN Charter, and territorial integrity and sovereignty."

In other words: we must, and we will show that violent territorial aggression does not reap rewards.

There could be no more fitting place to discuss the urgent need for peace, than Hiroshima.

I was deeply moved to visit the peace memorial on Friday.

What we saw there was haunting.

A child's tricycle, twisted by the blast.

School uniforms bloodied and torn.

And with those images in our minds, we resolved never to forget what happened here.

And at this historic summit, G7 leaders recommitted ourselves to the path of peace, freedom, and democracy.

Thank you.

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Update 159 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

International Atomic Energy Agency

43/2023

Vienna, Austria

22 May 2023

Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) lost all external power for several hours this morning, underlining the extremely precarious nuclear safety and security situation at the facility and the urgent need to protect it and prevent an accident, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said today.

It was the seventh time Europe's largest nuclear power plant (NPP) was completely disconnected from the national electricity grid since the military conflict in Ukraine began 15 months ago, once again forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators for the power it needs for reactor cooling and other essential nuclear safety and security functions, Director General Grossi said.

The ZNPP's only remaining external 750 kilovolt (kV) power line was cut around 05:30am local time and re-connected after more than five hours, according to IAEA experts present at the plant.

"This morning's loss of all off-site power demonstrates the highly vulnerable nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. As I've said repeatedly, this simply can't go on. We're playing with fire. We must act now to avoid the very real danger of a nuclear accident in Europe, with its associated consequences for the public and the environment," Director General Grossi said.

"I'm continuing to engage in intense negotiations with all the involved parties to secure the protection of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. I will not stop until this has been achieved," he said.

The Director General said he aimed to secure agreement on a set of principles to protect the ZNPP during the armed conflict, covering also the availability and security of external power supplies at all times.

The seven indispensable pillars for nuclear safety and security outlined by the Director General early during the conflict also stress the need for secure off-site power supplies from the grid for nuclear sites.

The ZNPP does not have any operational back-up power lines since the last functioning 330 kV power line was damaged on the right bank of the Dnipro River on 1 March. This back-up power line has still not been repaired, meaning that when the 750 kV line is lost the plant immediately depends on its diesel generators which are its last line of defence for electricity supplies, Director General Grossi said.

"For more than two and a half months, this major nuclear power plant has only had one functioning external power line. This is an unprecedented and uniquely risky situation. Defence-in-depth - which is fundamental to nuclear safety - has been severely undermined at the ZNPP," he said.

Director General Grossi called for stepped-up efforts to restore the ZNPP's back-up power lines and reiterated the need for the IAEA team at the site to gain access to the nearby Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP), which has yet to be granted despite assurances by Russian state nuclear company Rosatom. The ZTPP operates its 330 kV open switchyard, through which back-up power has in the past been provided to the ZNPP.

Initially after this morning's off-site power cut, all the ZNPP's 20 diesel generators started operating, but 12 of them were later switched off. This left eight running, which is sufficient to operate all systems safely. The IAEA experts at the site were informed that there is enough diesel fuel for 23 days. After the 750 kV line was restored, the diesel generators were gradually turned off.

Five of the ZNPP's six reactors were already in a cold shutdown state before today's power outage, and preparations were under way to transfer also Unit 5 from hot to cold shutdown. Following the restoration of off-site power, Unit 5 is being returned to hot shutdown.

Elsewhere in the country today, a team of IAEA experts at the South Ukraine NPP said an emergency shutdown had occurred at one of its three reactor units. Plant management informed the IAEA team that the automatic shutdown took place due to grid disturbance or instability. The SUNPP still has off-site power available.

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Ukrainian 'sabotage group' mounted attack across border: Russian regional governor

Iran Press TV

Monday, 22 May 2023 4:40 PM

A Ukrainian "sabotage group" has carried out a cross-border attack in Russia's southwestern region of Belgorod, according to the governor of the Russian region.

In a statement on Monday, Vyacheslav Gladkov said that a Ukrainian army "sabotage and reconnaissance group" had entered the Graivoron district of Belgorod, which borders Ukraine, adding that at least three people had been injured in the attacks.

"They are in the hospital in a state of moderate severity. All necessary medical assistance is provided," the governor said in a Telegram post.

Saboteurs shelled an administrative building in Belgorod and damaged three residential buildings, which caught fire, Gladkov further said, adding that a shell also hit a kindergarten in the village of Zamostye, where another woman was injured.

In an earlier statement on Monday, he said that Russian troops, the border service, the National Guard and the FSB "are taking the necessary measures to eliminate the enemy."

Ukrainian media cited military intelligence as saying the "Liberty of Russia Legion" and the "Russian Volunteer Corps," both consisting of anti-Kremlin Russian nationalists, were behind the attack.

Both groups claimed in a Telegram post that they had "fully liberated the settlement of Kozinka of Belgorod region. [The] first groups have entered Grayvoron."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed of the incident, and that work was underway to drive the "saboteurs" out of Belgorod.

Peskov further said the cross-border sabotage aimed to "divert attention" away from Bakhmut and "minimize Ukraine's losses" in the eastern city, which Russian troops claim to have fully captured but which Kiev says is not completely occupied.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak said that Kiev had "nothing to do" with the attack and that Russian anti-Kremlin guerrilla groups were responsible.

"Ukraine is watching the events in the Belgorod region of Russia with interest and studying the situation," he stressed.

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Russia says US liable for Bakhmut destruction after Zelenskiy likens city to Hiroshima

Iran Press TV

Monday, 22 May 2023 8:02 AM

Russia has highlighted Ukrainian president's remarks likening the ruins in his country's eastern city of Bakhmut to the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima at the end of WWII, blaming Washington and its policies for both of them.

"Nice one," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote mockingly in a Sunday post on the her Telegram social media account, adding, "Since both were carried out by the White House."

She was referring to remarks made by Volovymyr Zelensky during his visit to Hiroshima for the G7 summit in the Japanese city, in which he compared the tragic destruction of the city by the 1945 US atomic bombing to the ruins left in Bakhmut as the result of conflict largely fueled by the massive flow of weapons to Ukraine.

Zelensky confirmed to reporters on the sidelines of the G7 summit that destruction and loss of Bakhmut, saying: "They've destroyed everything. There are no buildings. It's a pity. It's [a] tragedy."

He, however, insisted that Ukrainian troops were still in control of some areas in Bahkmut, though they did acknowledge the situation in the city was "critical." after Russia's attack.

Zelensky further claimed during a press conference in Hiroshima that the Ukrainian forces were continuing to fight inside Bakhmut and that they were carrying out "important tasks," without elaborating on details.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has praised the triumph of Russian forces in Bakhmut, describing it as the "liberation" of the city, widely viewed as the focal point of armed combat between Russian and Ukrainian troops.

The Kremlin further declared on Sunday that all "military personnel who distinguished themselves in the operation [in Bahkmut] will be recommended for state decorations."

It added that Putin had "congratulated the Wagner assault units as well as all service personnel of the Russian Federation Armed Forces who had rendered them the required support and protected the flanks, on the completion of the operation to liberate" the city.

Zelensky, however, insisted that Ukrainian troops still maintained presence in the ruined city, claiming: "Today they are in Bakhmut a in which places, I won't share. But this speaks to the fact that Bakhmut has not been captured by the Russian Federation as of today. There are no two or three interpretations of this."

Zelensky went on to state that once the war is over, he would like to see the same kind of successful reconstruction that Hiroshima experienced in places like Bakhmut.

The US and its mostly Western allies in Europe have supplied Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars worth of various lethal weaponry since the onset of the war in February 2022.

Russia has time and again warned that the Western military support would only prolong the war and ruin any hope for a peaceful end.

Weapons supplied to Kiev include advanced missile systems, armored vehicles, tanks, and communication systems, in addition to long-range attack drones, and other weapons, as the West continues to give its all-out support to Kiev against Moscow's troops.

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Russia Claims Group Crossed Border From Ukraine In Attack; Nuclear Plant Back Online

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service May 22, 2023

Violent clashes erupted on the Russian-Ukrainian border with Moscow accusing a Ukrainian "sabotage group" of trying to make an incursion into the country, an allegation Kyiv rejected.

Explosions and sporadic gunfire could be heard on May 22 in the Belgorod region, with the local governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, saying that fighting had spilled into Russia in the Graivoron district which borders Ukraine. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The governor said six people were injured in the clashes. The incursion into Russian territory may be the biggest since the Kremlin launched its war against Ukraine 15 months ago.

A group calling itself the Liberty of Russia Legion, which claims to be made up of Russians cooperating with Ukrainian forces, took responsibility for the attack. The Ukrainian government denied any role in the events.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had been informed of the incursion, and that work was under way to drive the "saboteurs" out.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said on May 22 that it had restored external electricity supply to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, Europe's largest nuclear station, after a brirf cut-off earlier in the day.

Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk region overnight causing damage to the last high-voltage transmission line leading to the nuclear power plant.

"Ukrenerho restored the power transmission line that supplies the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. The station is switching to power supply from the Ukrainian power system," the national transmission operator, Ukrenerho, said in a statement.

It was the seventh time that the nuclear plant had been operating without external power since the start of Russia's invasion, the plant's Ukrainian operator, Enerhoatom, said in a statement earlier on May 22.

Enerhoatom said diesel generators automatically turned on during the external power interruption. The diesel generators have enough fuel to operate for 10 days.

The situation around the plant has been a cause for concern ever since Russian forces took control of it soon after the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

During the nighttime attack, Russian forces launched 16 missiles and 20 Iranian-made kamikaze drones on the Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine's air defense command said. As a result of the attack, several people were wounded, it added.

Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration head, Serhiy Lysak, said that 15 drones and four cruise missiles had been shot down by the Ukrainian air defenses.

Bakhmut Fighting

Ukraine's military said on May 22 that it was continuing to fight for control of Bakhmut, despite claims by Russia that it had taken full control of the devastated city.

Bakhmut has been the epicenter of the fighting in eastern Ukraine with massive casualties on both sides. Though military experts say the city has little strategic value, it has taken on great symbolic importance for both Kyiv and Moscow.

Ukrainian military officials claim to control an "insignificant" area in Bakhmut but say they are in the process of surrounding the city by retaking territory to the north and south.

In the meantime, Ukrainian forces said they continued to repel attacks along the whole Bakhmut-Avdiyivka-Maryinka front line in the Donetsk region.

Ukraine's General Staff said in its daily report that its forces beat back 37 Russian attacks in the previous 24 hours.

Russian forces carried out 52 missile and air strikes on Ukrainian military and civilian targets alike, the military said.

Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of Donetsk regional military administration, said two civilians were killed by Russian shelling in the region.

In the southern region of Kherson, Russian shelling of civilian areas killed one person, Oleksandr Prokudin, the head of the Kherson regional administration, said on May 22.

With reporting by AP and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-bakhmut- zaporizhzhya-nuclear-plant/32422157.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Three Key Goals Russia Achieved by Liberating Artemovsk

Sputnik News

20230522

Ilya Tsukanov

The Russian military confirmed Sunday that operations by assault detachments supported by artillery and aviation of the Southern Group of Forces had led to the total liberation of the DPR city of Artemovsk. Alexey Leonkov, one of Russia's top military observers, told Sputnik what this means tactically, strategically, and politically.

The northeastern Donetsk People's Republic city of Artemovsk (also called Bakhmut) has been reduced to rubble, with entire districts leveled, and most of its 70,000 residents fleeing. Ukrainian forces left Artemovsk after 224 days of brutal house-to-house fighting, with Russian forces estimating losses of 30,000 or more Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries.

The Russian military has yet to provide data on losses on the Russian side, prompting the State Department and Kiev to conjure up fantastical figures of up to 100,000 dead or injured. The Kremlin has dismissed these "invented out of thin air" figures, saying Washington "simply does not have the possibility to name any correct figures."

US President Joe Biden on Sunday attempted to downplay the significance of Artemovsk's loss, saying that there aren't "many buildings left standing" in the city, and that Ukrainian forces had "been able to lock down an awful lot of Russian forces, including the Wagner Group" in the fighting. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had once dubbed Bakhmut the "fortress of our morale," compared the scale of destruction in the city to Hiroshima, prompting a retort from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who quipped that "the White House arranged both."

Why is Artemovsk So Important?

What is it about Artemovsk that led both sides to dig in so deeply and commit such immense human and material resources to fighting for the city? Russian military observer Alexey Leonkov says the city's significance in the broader Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine can be divided into three parts: military operational-tactical, military strategic, and political.

In the operational-tactical sense, the battle for Artemovsk led to the loss of large numbers of Ukrainian troops and vast quantities of military equipment, and cracked open one of Kiev's major fortified stronghold in Donbass, with others including the Avdeevka-Mariinsk-Gorlovka grouping and the Severodonetsk-Kramatorsk grouping of forces.

"These two groupings, against which even more concentrated hostilities will be waged, will open [Russian forces' path] to Pavlograd, after which the expanses of the so-called operational steppe begin, where camouflage will become an issue, and where the concentration of enemy forces will become a very difficult and costly undertaking," Leonkov said.

"It's clear that we will not limit ourselves to the liberation of the Donetsk People's Republic to its administrative borders," Leonkov added, noting that fighting will continue in Kherson and Zaporozhye, and that an effort will be made to "move the danger stemming from the weapons Ukraine has received away from our borders."

"Right now this relates to the range of the Storm Shadow missiles - which have a range of 560 km. Take the entire line of contact, measure 560 km and draw the point where we should stop. I think this will be not only the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, but Odessa, Nikolayev, Krivoy Rog, Poltava, Sumy, Chernigov and so on. Plus, of course, the Kharkov region. In other words, [Kiev] themselves have indicated to us where the frontier we move to should be, because it's the distance to which we move the danger away from our borders," the observer said.

Military Strategic Significance

At the strategic level, Leonkov noted, the concentration of fighting in and around Artemovsk over these past months gave the Russian side time to train its mobilized troops and to recruit additional contract fighters, while Russia's military-industrial complex received time to mobilize its resources and ramp up production to wartime levels.

"That is, the amount of ammunition we're producing now is much higher than it was at the start of the special military operation," the observer said. "Besides this, the production of weapons which at the start...numbered in the single digits were increased. Take for example the Tornado-S high-precision rocket artillery system, a direct competitor to the HIMARS and which surpasses the US system in many technical characteristics. At the start of the special military operation there were only about 20 units of this system, while now there are over 100, and this number is growing."

Throughout the battle for Artemovsk, "the enemy thought he was constricting our forces, where in actuality we were the ones constricting his forces in order to carry out [the abovementioned] rearrangements, to increase our firepower and strength in a calm, planned manner," Leonkov stressed.

In addition, Leonkov said, the concentration of Ukrainian forces in Artemovsk prevented Kiev from launching offensive operations in other areas, including the long-promised spring counteroffensive.

"When they were fighting for Bakhmut and said that this city would not be surrendered under any circumstances, they associated its defense with preparations for a counteroffensive. The idea was that Bakhmut would draw in significant [Russian] forces, while [Kiev] would be able to build up a force on that point on the line of contact where they were planning their offensive," Artemovsk "practically destroyed" these plans, the observer said.

Political Significance

The third significant component of Artemovsk's liberation is its political symbolism, and has to do with NATO's support for Kiev in the proxy war against Russia, according to Leonkov.

"The supply of weapons and military equipment in Artemovsk was mainly assigned to the European countries, with systems from their arsenals becoming the main ones. Precisely when we began to work effectively in the use of air-dropped glide bombs, the burden of supplying weapons and military equipment had fallen on the Europeans, who managed to crush voices of dissent demanding a halt to the supply of weapons to Ukraine. The weapons were delivered on the expectation that they would be needed to help Ukraine hold on to this territory. But the city was lost, and with great losses," both among Ukrainians and foreign mercenaries - "possibly including even professional [NATO] soldiers," the observer noted.

"How the European Union will explain these losses to its citizens is an open question. Maybe they will not explain, instead shutting them up with money, and this will remain hidden behind the scenes. But sooner or later it will still leak out and become public knowledge. Therefore, I think that the forces advocating for the reduction of European military assistance to Ukraine will receive an additional argument, which they will use to put pressure on officials. Therefore, I think that for them, the loss of Bakhmut will not pass unnoticed," Leonkov summed up.

In other words, the loss of Artemovsk, together with other recent Russian victories on the battlefield - from the elimination of Patriot missile systems in Kiev to the recent destruction of a massive NATO ammo dump in Khmelnitsky, western Ukraine to the loss of Ukrainian artillery systems by the dozens using drones might motivate President Zelensky's Western partners to rethink their priorities, and finally force Kiev to the negotiating table.

A Sputnik

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Kremlin: Putin Briefed on Ukraine's Attempt to Infiltrate Into Russia's Belgorod Region

Sputnik News

20230522

Earlier, two civilians were killed and another one was injured as a result of a Ukrainian shelling of a village in Russia's Belgorod region.

The Russian Defense Ministry, the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Border Service reported to President Vladimir Putin about an attempt to break into the Belgorod region by Ukrainian saboteurs, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

"The Ministry of Defense, the FSB and the Border Service reported to the Russian president ... about an attempt by a Ukrainian sabotage group to break into the Belgorod region. Work is underway to push them out of the Russian territory and destroy this sabotage group. There are enough forces and resources on the spot," Peskov said.

The purpose of sabotage acts, like the one in the Belgorod region, is to divert attention from what is going on in the city of Bakhmut and to minimize the political effect of the loss of city by Kiev, the official added.

Earlier in the day, Belgorod region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said that a Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group had infiltrated the territory of the Grayvoronsky district of the region.

"A sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Ukrainian armed forces infiltrated the territory of the Grayvoronsky district. The armed forces of Russia, together with the border service, the Russian Guard and the FSB, are taking the necessary measures to eliminate the enemy," Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

The governor of the Belgorod region said three people were hospitalized with shrapnel wounds and a kindergarten caught fire after shelling in the Grayvoronsky district.

The governor added that he would report on the details.

Ukraine has carried out several attacks on the Russian regions along its border, including the Belgorod region, amid Moscow's special military operation.

In February, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, after the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian attacks.

A Sputnik

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Every week we add value for Ukraine from the NATO Summit in Vilnius - address by the President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine

22 May 2023 - 18:08

I wish you health, dear Ukrainians!

We have already started preparing for this and the coming weeks. We expect new meetings and negotiations, so far to a greater extent - aavisits to us, to our state. There will be more weapons for our warriors.

Every week we add value for Ukraine from the NATO Summit in Vilnius. We are doing everything to make sure that the decision at the summit is the one that will work for us. We'll see, but still we're working on it.

By the way, today there is an important declaration from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. Things are called what they are: a clear recognition of Russia's crimes against our country as genocide, a clear condemnation of ruscist ideology. This is the right basis for other international organizations as well.

We are preparing for several interim security measures in our neighboring countries, those that support us the most. We will also make new appeals to ensure that the world understands Ukraine and to strengthen our ties with partners.

And we will continue our intensive foreign policy, various non-standard formats, maximizing the world's useful attention to Ukraine and our defense. More and more results for Ukraine - air defense, artillery, armored vehicles, shells, training - all of this is a must.

Today I want to thank all our warriors who are defending the sky. From last night to this morning, they have shot down 25 Shaheds. 25 out of 25. An excellent result. And each such downing means saved lives, saved infrastructure. Thank you!

They also managed to shoot down some of the terrorists' missiles, but unfortunately not all of them. Unfortunately, there were hits. Dnipro and Kharkiv, Odesa and Lviv, Kyiv and Zaporizhzhia - all our cities and communities need to receive a full-fledged air shield. We are working very hard on this together with our partners.

Today, it is worth celebrating the units of the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops, which are the most resilient and effective. The 3rd and 5th separate assault brigades, the 80th separate airborne assault brigade, the 93rd separate mechanized brigade "Kholodny Yar", the 214th separate special forces battalion... Thank you, warriors! This is the Bakhmut direction, this is the extraordinary strength of our people.

Glory to all our warriors who are destroying the enemy!

Glory to all who protect our cities from terrorist attacks!

Glory to all those who make our victory closer every day!

Thank you to everyone in the world who supports us! Thank you!

Glory to Ukraine!

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Latest in Ukraine: Russia Attacks Dnipropetrovsk with Missiles, Drones

By VOA News May 22, 2023

New developments:

Barrage of Russian missiles and drones launched against Dnipropetrovsk.

Russia knocks out a high-tension line supplying external power to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine says.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left the G-7 meeting in Japan with reassurances that Kyiv's allies will see out the fight.

Ukrainian officials said Monday that Russian forces used missiles and drones to carry out overnight attacks on the Dnipropetrovsk region, leaving buildings damaged and at least eight people injured.

Governor Serhiy Lysak, in a post on Telegram, said the damage included residential buildings and vehicles.

Ukraine's air force, also on the Telegram messaging app, posted that the Russian attack involved 16 missiles and 20 Shahed drones, and that Ukrainian air defenses shot down four cruise missiles and 20 drones.

Russia has intensified its aerial assault on Ukraine in recent weeks as Ukraine plans a counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming territory from Russian forces.

Nuclear plant

The Ukrainian state nuclear power operator said Monday that Russian shelling knocked out a high-tension line supplying external power to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Energoatom said on Telegram that the plant was forced to run on diesel backup generators for several hours before power was restored.

Energoatom said Monday's cut was the seventh since Russian forces seized control of the plant in the early stages of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The plant is Europe's largest nuclear power plant, and the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed concern about safety and security dangers there amid the ongoing conflict.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi tweeted Monday that the nuclear safety situation was "extremely vulnerable."

"We must agree to protect plant now; this situation cannot continue," Grossi said.

Bakhmut fight

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday at the close of the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, that the obliteration of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut by Russian forces harkens back to the Hiroshima bombing at the end of WWII.

"Hiroshima is a rebuilt city now. And we dream of rebuilding all of our cities that are now in ruins, and every village where not a single house is left intact after Russian strikes," Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian leader delivered the warning that if the world does not unite against Russia, it will only be "a matter of time before other criminals in public office want to start similar wars," adding, "I am here in Hiroshima so that the world can hear the Ukrainian call for unification from here."

Zelenskyy contested Russia's claims Sunday that it had occupied Bakhmut.

On Saturday, Russia said it had seized the beleaguered city after a nine-month battle there. Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Russian troops and Wagner forces for their victory.

Meanwhile, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, said Sunday he had visited front-line positions near Bakhmut and thanked the Ukrainian troops defending the area.

Syrskyi said in a post on Telegram that Kyiv's forces still controlled a part of Bakhmut, albeit an insignificant area. He noted, however, that their foothold would be enough to advance into the devastated city once the tide turned.

He said Kyiv's forces controlling the suburbs were forming a "tactical encirclement" around Russian troops in the city.

G-7 support for Ukraine

At a G-7 news conference Sunday in Hiroshima, U.S. President Joe Biden said that Western allies "will not waver" in their support for Ukraine.

Biden said the major powers would remain united behind Ukraine against Russian aggression. He also announced Sunday a new $375 million package of military aid to Ukraine.

Meeting with the Ukrainian leader on the sidelines of the G-7 summit, Biden said the military aid package included ammunition, artillery, armored vehicles and training.

"Together with the entire G-7, we have Ukraine's back and I promise we're not going anywhere," Biden told Zelenskyy.

Biden affirmed U.S. support for a joint effort with allied and partner nations to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft such as the F-16.

Biden told reporters that he had received a "flat assurance" from Zelenskyy that Ukraine would not use Western-provided F-16 fighter jets to go into Russian territory and that such warplanes would be used "wherever Russian troops are within Ukraine and the area."

But Ukraine has not yet won commitments to receive F-16 jets from allies.

Responding to a question by VOA's Russian service at the G-7 Summit, Zelenskyy said that discussions on the delivery of F-16 have come a "step further," starting with the training of Ukrainian pilots on the aircraft, which he affirmed that Ukraine plans to complete as soon as possible.

"We will be working for these people to be as educated as possible, as trained and experienced as possible with huge experience to decrease this process of training to make it short," he told VOA. "I cannot tell you how many aircraft we'll be able to get. I cannot tell you definitely when it will take place, but we will speed it up because it's important for us every day. We're losing our people."

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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NATO Body Recognizes Russia's Crimes Against Ukraine as 'Genocide'

By VOA News May 22, 2023

New developments:

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency characterized the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as "extremely vulnerable" after Europe's largest nuclear power station in occupied Ukraine lost external power temporarily and had to switch to its emergency diesel generators. Shelling around the plant must stop, he said, to avert a potential nuclear disaster.

Northern European defense ministers strongly supported F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots in Poland, but Washington says F-16s will not be "a dramatic game changer" for Ukraine's defense against Russia and it will take "several months at best" deciding on their delivery.

Russia claimed Monday that the cross-border operation against its Belgorod region by saboteurs came from Ukraine, the latest in a series of attacks, it said. A senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had nothing to do with the incursion, pointing instead to Russia's emerging "violent resistance movement."

Two Ukrainian war veteran amputees covered a total of 120 kilometers (75 miles) walking toward each other to raise funds for medical equipment for Ukraine's main military hospital. "This is how we can help our brothers and sisters in arms, and in some way our country. Because our country is really fighting right now. We are all fighting in the ways we can."

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Monday unanimously recognized Russia's crimes against Ukraine as genocide, striking "a diplomatic victory [for Ukraine with] far-reaching political consequences," said Yehor Cherniev, the head of Ukraine's delegation at the assembly in Luxembourg. "This is our diplomatic victory. All of our key wishes regarding the final text of the declaration have been taken into account."

The declaration includes support for an international tribunal for Russian war crimes, a pledge to help Ukraine achieve victory, a commitment to restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity, the implementation of further sanctions, and an aid program similar to the Marshall Plan to help restore the country's economy.

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the declaration from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. "Things are called what they are: a clear recognition of Russia's crimes against our country as genocide, a clear condemnation of ruscist ideology," he said. "This is the right basis for other international organizations as well."

Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant 'extremely vulnerable'

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency characterized the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as "extremely vulnerable" after Europe's largest atomic power station in occupied Ukraine lost external power temporarily and had to switch to its emergency diesel generators.

This was the seventh time the nuclear plant lost power since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said Rafael Grossi, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. "The nuclear safety situation at the plant [is] extremely vulnerable," he said in a tweet. The power was later restored but Grossi appealed for shelling to stop around the Russian- occupied power plant.

"We must agree to protect [the] plant now; this situation cannot continue," he tweeted.

IAEA staff are deployed at the plant, which is occupied by Russian troops. The plant's six nuclear reactors, which are protected by a reinforced shelter able to withstand an errant shell or rocket, have been shut down. But a disruption in the electrical supply could disable cooling systems that are essential for the reactors' safety even when they are shut down. Emergency diesel generators, which officials say can keep the plant operational for 10 days, can be unreliable.

Energoatom, Ukraine's state nuclear company, announced that power had been restored at the plant but rang the alarm that the facility is "on the verge of a nuclear and radiation accident." The agency claimed Russian shelling caused the loss of the last high-voltage transmission line to the plant in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, about 500 kilometers (311 miles) from Kyiv.

It was not possible to independently verify that claim.

Fighting, especially artillery fire, around the plant has fueled fears of a disaster like the one at Chernobyl, in northern Ukraine, in 1986. Then, a reactor exploded and spewed deadly radiation, contaminating a vast area in the world's worst nuclear catastrophe.

F-16s to Ukraine not 'game-changer'

U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said "it will take several months at best" to decide on supplying F-16s to Ukraine. Speaking with reporters with the Defense Writers Group in Washington on Monday, Kendall said the F-16s "will give the Ukrainians an interim capability they don't have right now, but it's not going to be a dramatic game changer." He said "airpower has not been a decisive factor so far," citing the effectiveness of ground-based air defense systems. "The F-16s are going to help the Ukrainians, but it's not going to fundamentally change that equation," he remarked.

Kendall acknowledged, however, that time has come to start thinking on this issue. "We could certainly have started earlier, but there were much higher priorities," he said.

At a meeting Monday in Poland, defense ministers from northern European countries showed "great support" for training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets.

"Great support for the goal of training F-16 pilots for Ukraine," Denmark's Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in a tweet, adding that Denmark is ready to play a central role.

U.S. President Joe Biden also affirmed U.S. support for a joint effort with allied and partner nations to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft such as the F-16.

Responding to a question by VOA's Russian service at the G-7 Summit, Zelenskyy said that discussions on the delivery of F-16s have come a "step further," starting with the training of Ukrainian pilots on the aircraft, which he affirmed that Ukraine plans to complete as soon as possible.

Ukraine has not yet won commitments to receive F-16 jets from allies.

Senior Russian diplomats said Monday the transfer of F-16 jets to Ukraine would raise the question of NATO's involvement in the conflict and would not undermine Russia's military goals.

VOA Eastern Europe Bureau Chief Myroslava Gongadze and National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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NEWARK, Del, May 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The market for citrus molasses market was predicted to reach US$ 687.2 Million in 2022. Sales are predicted to reach US$ 1507.06 Million by 2033, with a CAGR of 7.4% from 2023 to 2033 due to the increased demand for citrus goods.



The livestock population is predicted to grow in the next years in order to meet expanding livestock sector demand for dairy, meat, products, and farming. The need for feed is anticipated to rise along with the number of animals. The rising awareness among consumers about eating healthily has boosted the need for immunity and natural components in animal feed. The market for citrus molasses in the animal feed sector is anticipated to rise as a result.

Owners of livestock and pets are more concerned than ever with the well-being of their animals. This is a major factor in their increased investment in high-quality animal feed. need for livestock feed has increased globally as a consequence of consumers' need for more accurate livestock feed. Consumers are growing more knowledgeable about the allergies and intolerances of their dogs, which is expected to open up opportunities for the production of citrus molasses.

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Citrus molasses is manufactured in large numbers and consequently readily available on the market. This is a crucial element in the market's success in attracting customers. The low cost of citrus molasses is due to its availability and the lack of extra processing needed. This makes the product extremely desirable for use in final applications, particularly in the market for animal feed and biofuel. The excellent nutritional value increases market value together with affordable rates.

Key Takeaways:

Global market for citrus molasses is expected to be valued at US$ 738.05 M illion by 2023.

by 2023. In terms of global share, conventional citrus molasses has the dominant market share, accounting for 81% of the market in 2022.

By application, the pulp production gained significance and is likely to grow with a 6.1% CAGR from 2023 to 2033.

With an 71.2% market share in citrus molasses market in 2022, the United States is expected to continue to be one of the most profitable markets during the forecast period.

Germany holds a sizeable portion of the European citrus molasses market and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 3.3% during the anticipated period.

Mexico is predicted to have a CAGR of 6.23% during the forecast period and had around 26.2% of the Latin American market in 2022.

A multitude of new businesses have entered the market in an effort to attract clients by providing distinct citrus molasses product offers as a result of the rising demand for citrus goods, - remarks an analyst at FMI.

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Competitive Landscape:

Prominent players are:

Lemon Concentrate S.L.

Louis Dreyfrus Company B.V.,

Citrusuco S.A.,

Citromax Group,

Sucocitrico Cutrale Ltd.,

Yantai North Andre Juice Co. Ltd.

Vita-Pakt Citrus Products,

Peace River Citrus Products

Rio Grande Juice Company

Citrus Processing India (P) Ltd.

Some key developments of the leading companies in this market are:

Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. (LDC) published its consolidated financial accounts for the year 2022 in 2023, in the midst of fresh and continuing socioeconomic, geopolitical, and environmental turbulence. The Group continued to contribute to maintaining crucial food and agribusiness supply networks operating in a reliable, responsible, and safe manner. As part of the Group's decarbonization journey, LDC also declared a 33.6% reduction target for its Scope 1 & 2 emissions rates of greenhouse gasses by 2030 as contrasted to 2022 as its baseline year.

In 2022, Citrosuco, a Brazilian company that makes 20% of the orange juice consumed worldwide, recently unveiled the launch of Evera, a cutting-edge division that will generate natural ingredients for a variety of industries using an approach that reuses orange waste, such as peels, husks, seeds, leaves, and flowers.

More Valuable Insights Available:

Future Market Insights offers an unbiased analysis of the global citrus molasses market, providing historical data for 2018 to 2022 and forecast statistics from 2023 to 2033.

To understand opportunities in the citrus molasses market, the market is segmented on the basis of citrus molasses by nature (conventional, organic), sales channel (b2b/ direct sales, b2c/ indirect sales), end-use application (animal feed, pulp production, biofuel) and across five major regions (North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East & Africa).

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Key Segmentation:

By Nature:

Conventional

Organic

By Sales Channel:

B2B/ Direct Sales

B2C/ Indirect Sales

By End Use Application:

Animal Feed

Pulp Production

Biofuel



By Region:

North America

Latin America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East and Africa



Table of Content (ToC):

1. Executive Summary

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

About the Food and Beverage Division at Future Market Insights (FMI):

The food and beverage team at Future Market Insights offers expert analysis, time-efficient research, and strategic recommendations with the objective to provide authentic insights and accurate results to help clients worldwide. With a repertoire of over 100+ reports and 1 Million+ data points, the team has been analyzing the industry lucidly in 50+ countries for over a decade. The team provides a brief analysis on key trends including competitive landscape, profit margin, and research development efforts.

Explore FMIs related ongoing Coverage on Food and Beverage Domain:

Triammonium Citrate Market Size: The market for Triammonium Citrate is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecasted period. According to projections, the industry would be worth US$ 646.3 Million by 2032, up from US$ 364.3 Million in 2022.

Citrus Flavors Market Share: The global citrus flavors market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.9% over the forecast period. By 2032, the market value is anticipated to reach US$ 19.4 Billion.

Sodium Citrate Dihydrate Market Trends: The sodium citrate dihydrate market is expected to record a CAGR of over 3% during the forecast period.

Citrus Oils Market Growth: The citrus oils market is estimated to be valued at US$ 3.9 Billion in 2022. As per Future Market Insights (FMI), the overall market value is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 5.8 Billion by 2032, rising at a CAGR of 4% from 2022 to 2032.

Citrus Yogurt Market Forecast: The global citrus yogurt market garnered a market value of US$ 2,202 Million in 2023 and is expected to accumulate a market value of US$ 3,403.0 Million by registering a CAGR of 4% in the forecast period 2023 to 2033.

Citrus Pulp Fiber Market Types:The global citrus pulp fibre market is expected to reach a market valuation of US$ 162.5 Million by 2022, accelerating with a CAGR of 6.6% by 2022 to 2032.

Citrus Pectin Market Analysis: The global Citrus Pectin market is estimated at US$ 116.9 Billion in 2022 and is projected to reach US$ 183.9 Billion by 2032, at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2022 to 2032.

Citrus Pulp Market Outlook: The global citrus pulp market is expected to be valued at US$ 180.97 Million in 2023 and to reach a valuation of US$ 287.2 Million by 2033. The demand for citrus pulp is estimated to expand at a steady 5.9% CAGR.

Citrus Water Market Overview: The citrus water market is expected to register a 17.1% CAGR during the forecast period, from US$ 10.59 Million in 2023 to US$ 51.9 Million in 2033.

Citrus Gummies Market Demand: Global citrus gummies market is expected to be valued at US$ 194 Million in 2023 and to reach a valuation of US$ 304.1 Million by 2033. The demand for citrus gummies is estimated to grow at a steady 5% CAGR.

About Future Market Insights, Inc.

Future Market Insights, Inc. (ESOMAR certified, Stevie Award - recipient market research organization and a member of Greater New York Chamber of Commerce) provides in-depth insights into governing factors elevating the demand in the market. It discloses opportunities that will favor the market growth in various segments on the basis of Source, Application, Sales Channel and End Use over the next 10 years.

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OAKLAND, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data Bridge Market Research's latest report, " Inherited Retinal Diseases Market " provides a thorough analysis of growth strategies, drivers, opportunities, key segments, Porter's Five Forces analysis, and the competitive landscape, offering valuable insights for industry professionals. Key players in the market, major collaborations, mergers and acquisitions along with trending innovation and business policies are reviewed in the large-scale Inherited Retinal Diseases marketing report. This report aims to examine the market with respect to general market conditions, market improvement, market scenarios, development, cost and profit of the specified market regions, position, and comparative pricing between major players. It is a professional and detailed report focusing on primary and secondary drivers, market share, market size, sales volume, leading segments and geographical analysis. The winning Inherited Retinal Diseases market report comprises of comprehensive and thorough insights, which are based on business intelligence.



The world-class Inherited Retinal Diseases business report is a useful resource that provides current as well as upcoming technical and financial details of the industry to 2029. This market report provides top to bottom examination of the market as far as income and developing business sector is concerned. This market research report is promising and the way in which anticipated. The analysis and forecasting of market data using best statistical and coherent models, market share analysis, and key trend analysis are the major accomplishing factors in this market report. It brings together high-quality global market research for the success of the business at an international level.

The inherited retinal diseases is supportive and aim to reduce the progression of the disease. Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the inherited retinal diseases market will grow at a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period of 2022 to 2029.

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Inherited retinal diseases -or IRDs-are a group of diseases that can cause severe vision loss or even blindness. Each IRD is caused by at least one gene that is not working as it should. IRDs can affect individuals of all ages, can progress at different rates, and are rare. However, many are degenerative, which means that the symptoms of the disease will get worse over time. Common types of IRDs include Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), Retinitis Pigmentosa, Choroideremia, Stargardts Disease, and Achromatopsia

The goal of gene therapy is to correct or compensate for the faulty gene. IRDs are especially strong candidates for gene therapy treatments, due to the retinas unique physical makeup. Compared to other organs of the body, the eye is small and easy to access for treatment administration. However, certain areas of the body are immune privileged, which means that the normal immune response isnt as active. This is typically in areas of our bodies that are very important, and may become damaged if swelling or inflammation occurs. This means that anything that is implanted into the eye-a cell with a corrected gene, for instance-is less likely to be rejected.

The diagnosis and treatment of inherited retinal diseases consist of various techniques that allow diagnosis of inherited retinal disease after the approval of the product. The treatment for the disease is recently approved, which support the market growth.

The Latest Study Conducts a Comprehensive Analysis of the Global Market, considering the current competitive landscape and its future evolution in the next few years.

The global Inherited Retinal Diseases market is experiencing rapid growth, fueled by rising demands, industrialization, consumer awareness, and technological advancements. Sales and revenue in this sector have surged at an exponential pace, and the market's expansion is expected to continue over the projected period.

In order to expand their market share and reach a wider client base, leading businesses in the worldwide Inherited Retinal Diseases market are heavily investing in research and development. The study provides detailed insights into the strategies, financial health, revenue, gross margin, and growth rates of these companies.

Opportunities

Increase in Government Initiatives Towards Inherited Retinal Disease.

Moreover, the increase in awareness and treatment-seeking rate and emerging reimbursement policies for the treatment will boost new opportunities for the market's growth rate.

Also, the launch of effective therapies and continuous clinical trials will provide beneficial opportunities for the inherited retinal diseases market in the forecast period of 2022-2029. Also, the high unmet need for current treatment and developments in healthcare technology will escalate the growth rate of the inherited retinal diseases market in the future.

Recent Development

In January 2022, the world's leading organization committed to finding treatments and cures for blinding retinal diseases, has announced the launch of the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Enhanced Translational Research Acceleration Program.

The most prominent players in the Inherited Retinal Diseases market include.

Spark Therapeutics

Novartis AG

Okuvision

Nidek Co. Ltd.

Invitae Corporation

Carl Zeiss Meditech AG

Optos (A Subsidiary of Nikon Corporation)

Neurosoft

PIXIUM VISION

LKC TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Renurone

Astellas Pharma

REGENXBIO Inc.

Ionis Pharmaceuticals

Sparing Vision

Ocugen Inc

Johnson & Johnson

IVERIC bio

Second Sight

Coave Therapeutics

MeiraGTx Limited

Gensight Biologics

ProQR Therapeutics

Bionic Vision Technologies

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Market intelligence platform will help you understand:

Identify emerging market trends & dynamics

Market intelligence with quality and accuracy

Benchmark against competitors & industry

Explore competitive strategy & market share

Discover regional market opportunities

Deliverable formats include PDF, PPT, Excel & Online Dashboard

Data Bridge Market Research employs a comprehensive and iterative research methodology focused on minimizing deviance in order to provide the most accurate estimates and forecast possible. The company utilizes a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches for segmenting and estimating quantitative aspects of the market. In Addition, a recurring theme prevalent across all our research reports is data triangulation that looks market from three different perspectives.

Our market estimates and forecasts are derived through simulation models. A unique model is created customized for each study. Gathered information for market dynamics, technology landscape, application development and pricing trends is fed into the model and analyzed simultaneously. These factors are studied on a comparative basis, and their impact over the forecast period is quantified with the help of correlation, regression and time series analysis. Market forecasting is performed via a combination of economic tools, technological analysis, and industry experience and domain expertise.

Key Market Segments Covered in Inherited Retinal Diseases Industry Research

Disease Type

Stargardts Disease

Achromatopsia

Cone-Rod Dystrophy

Choroideremia

Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA)

Type

Diagnosis

Therapy

End User

Hospitals

Specialty Clinics

Ambulatory surgical center

Home Healthcare

Distribution Channel

Retail Sales

Direct Tender

Inherited Retinal Diseases Market Regional Analysis/Insights:

The countries covered in the inherited retinal diseases market report are U.S., Canada and Mexico in North America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Rest of Europe in Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, South Africa, Egypt, Israel, Rest of Middle East and Africa (MEA) as a part of Middle East and Africa (MEA), Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Rest of South America as part of South America.

North America dominates the inherited retinal diseases market in terms of market share and market revenue and will continue to flourish its dominance during the forecast period. This is due to the presence of major key players and well-developed healthcare infrastructure in this region. Europe on the other hand is projected to exhibit the highest growth rate during the forecast period due to the increasing patient pool, rising investment in the healthcare sector and growing government support.

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Key Industry Drivers:

Increase in the prevalence of Inherited Retinal Diseases

The increasing prevalence and continuous discovery of new mutagenic sites that are genetically transmitted are expected to act as a driver for the growth of the market. The prevalence of monogenic IRDs is approximately 1 in 2000, affecting two million people online.

Increasing in Pipeline Products

As clinical trial activity rises to new levels, the field appears poised to make rapid and important advances in IRD research and patient care. These are only a few common trials, thus, the companies operating in this market continuously do clinical trials and put their candidates in clinical trials. This is expected to create an opportunity and fuel the global inherited retinal diseases market. High prevalence of genetic conditions

Also, the increase in the prevalence rate of some genetic conditions such as Miller-Dieker syndrome and Walker-Warburg syndrome will further enhance the growth of inherited retinal diseases market.

Furthermore, an Increase in strategic initiatives by key players, advancement in medical technology, increasing product approval for IRDs, rising initiatives by public and private organizations to spread awareness and growing government funding are the factors that will expand the inherited retinal diseases market. Other factors such as an increase in the demand for effective therapies and a rising adoption rate for early genetic counselling will positively impact the growth rate of the inherited retinal diseases market. Additionally, high disposable income, rising number of cases of various retinal diseases will result in the expansion of inherited retinal diseases market.

Core Objective of Inherited Retinal Diseases Market:

Every firm in the Inherited Retinal Diseases market has objectives but this market research report focus on the crucial objectives, so you can analysis about competition, future market, new products, and informative data that can raise your sales volume exponentially.

Inherited Retinal Diseases Market Size and growth rate factors.

and growth rate factors. Important changes in the future Inherited Retinal Diseases Market.

Top worldwide competitors of the Market.

Scope and product outlook of Inherited Retinal Diseases Market.

Developing regions with potential growth in the future.

Tough Challenges and risk faced in the Market.

Global Inherited Retinal Diseases top players profile and sales statistics.

Table of Contents:

Introduction Market Segmentation Executive Summary Premium Insights Global Inherited Retinal Diseases Market : Regulations Market Overview Global Inherited Retinal Diseases Market, By Disease Type Global Inherited Retinal Diseases Market, By Type Global Inherited Retinal Diseases Market, By End User Global Inherited Retinal Diseases Market, By Distribution Channel Global Inherited Retinal Diseases Market, By Region Global Inherited Retinal Diseases Market: Company Landscape SWOT Analyses Company Profile Questionnaires Related Reports

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Europe Inherited Retinal Diseases Market , By Disease Type (Retinitis Pigmentosa, Stargardts Disease, Achromatopsia, Cone-Rod Dystrophy, Choroideremia, Leber Congenital Amaurosis, Macular Edema, and Others), Type (Diagnosis and Therapy), End-User (Hospitals, Specialty Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Home Healthcare, Others), Distribution Channel (Retail Sales and Direct Tender) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/europe-inherited-retinal-diseases-market

North America Inherited Retinal Diseases Market , By Disease Type (Retinitis Pigmentosa, Stargardts Disease, Achromatopsia, Cone-Rod Dystrophy, Choroideremia, Leber Congenital Amaurosis, Macular Edema, and Others), By Type (Diagnosis and Therapy), End-Users (Hospitals, Specialty Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Home Healthcare, Others), Distribution Channel (Retail Sales and Direct Tender) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2029 https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/north-america-inherited-retinal-diseases-market

Asia-Pacific Inherited Retinal Diseases Market , By Disease Type (Retinitis Pigmentosa, Stargardts Disease, Achromatopsia, Cone-Rod Dystrophy, Choroideremia, Leber Congenital Amaurosis, Macular Edema, and Others), Type (Diagnosis and Therapy), End-Users (Hospitals, Specialty Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Home Healthcare, Others), Distribution Channel (Retail Sales and Direct Tender) Industry Trends and Forecast to 2029 https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/asia-pacific-inherited-retinal-diseases-market

Retinal Dystrophy Treatment Market , By Type (Peripheral Dystrophy, Central Dystrophy), Therapy (Magnetic Therapy, Gene Therapy), Treatment (Drugs, Surgery), Route of Administration (Oral, Topical, Others), End- Users (Hospitals, Homecare, Specialty Clinics, Others), Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies), Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, Germany, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Hungary, Lithuania, Austria, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Rest of Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Rest of Asia Pacific, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Kuwait, Israel, Egypt, Rest of Middle East and Africa) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-retinal-dystrophy-treatment-market

Retinal Vein Occlusion Market , By Type (Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion, Central Retinal Vein Occlusion), Condition (Non-Ischemic, Ischemic), Diagnosis (Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Fundoscopic Examination, Fluorescein Angiography, Others), Treatment (Antivascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Corticosteroid Drugs, Laser Retinal Photocoagulation, Others), End User (Hospitals and Clinics, Research and Academics, Others) Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Rest of South America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Hungary, Lithuania, Austria, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Rest of Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-retinal-vein-occlusion-market

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Retinal Biologics Market , By Diseases Indication (Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, Retinal Vein, Occlusion), Drug Class (VEGF-A Antagonist, TNF-a Inhibitor), End-Users (Hospitals, Homecare, Speciality Centres, Others), Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacy, Online Pharmacy, Retail Pharmacy) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-retinal-biologics-market

Retinal Disease Therapeutics Market , By Disorder (Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Eye Disease, Retinal Detachment, Retinoblastoma, Macular Pucker, Macular Hole, Floaters), Disorder Type (Genetic, Age Related), Treatment Techniques (Laser, Freezing, Implanting, Indenting, Pneumatic Retinopexy, Scleral (SKLAIR-ul) Buckling, Vitrectomy), Route of Administration (Oral, Topical, Intravitreal, Others), End-Users (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Home Healthcare, Others), Distribution Channel (Direct Tender, Hospital Pharmacy, Retail Pharmacy, Online Pharmacy, Others), Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Rest of South America, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Russia, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Hungary, Lithuania, Austria, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Rest of Europe, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Rest of Asia-Pacific, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, Egypt, Israel, Kuwait, South Africa, Rest of Middle East and Africa) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-retinal-disease-therapeutics-market

Vitreoretinal Surgery Devices Market , By Product (Per Fluoro Carbon Liquids, Endoillumination Instruments and Vitreo Retinal Prefilled Silicone Oil Syringes), Type (Illumination Surgery Devices, Photocoagulation Surgery Devices, and Vitrectomy Surgery Devices) Application (Anterior Vitreoretinal Surgery, Posterior Vitreoretinal Surgery), End Use (Hospitals, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, Others), Country (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Italy, U.K., France, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, Rest of Europe, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Rest of Asia- Pacific, Brazil, Argentina, Rest of South America, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Israel, Rest of the Middle East and Africa) https://www.databridgemarketresearch.com/reports/global-vitreoretinal-surgery-devices-market

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Dublin, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Top 7 Armored Vehicles Manufacturers - Annual Strategy Dossier - 2023 - Key Strategies, Plans, SWOT, Trends & Growth Avenues and Market Outlook - GDLS & GDELS, BAE Systems, Oshkosh Defense, Rheinmetall, KNDS, Iveco Defense, Hanwha Defense" company profile has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The report analyzes & provides comprehensive insights into the Global Top 7 Armored Vehicle OEMs with focus on a blend of quantitative & qualitative analysis.

The report provides detailed analysis on the OEMs, including, comprehensive analysis of business portfolio and strategic market positioning, overall strategy focus, key strategies & plans for medium term, financial analysis and a detailed SWOT analysis for each OEM against the backdrop of emerging, rapid shifts in the geopolitical dynamics, equations & landscape and technological leapfrogging.

The report also projects market evolution for the Global A&D market over medium term with analysis of emerging market scenario, defense spending growth projections, key market & technology trends, issues & challenges, key growth domains and potential growth opportunities

Land systems, led by the Iron Triangle of MBTs, IFVs & Artillery Guns/SPHs, are back in the reckoning following the renewed threat to Europe, especially to Central & Eastern European nations, from Russian belligerence since the invasion of Ukraine and the return of World War-I style trench warfare after over a century in Southern & Eastern Ukraine marking an effective resurgence for the King of the Kill Zone.

The looming spectre of land warfare over the plains of Europe has the entire region spooked up once again and frantically preparing to defend itself through the revitalization of European defense industrial base which is underway in full swing after decades of neglect & apathy.

The focus has been on the modernization & replacement of legacy, Cold war-era systems with latest, next-gen systems incorporating cutting-edge technologies & capabilities providing effective capabilities overmatch against Russian systems & armor. Additionally, rapid ramp up of production for munitions, especially, artillery shells to replenish depleted stock levels given the ongoing U.S. & NATO security assistance to Ukraine and to meet growing demand levels & increased preparedness levels to meet the imminent threat



Poland has been leading the pack of European nations having already placed a huge order for around 250 M1A2 upgraded Abrams MBTs worth $4.5 billion, in addition, to plans to locally produce up to 1,000 South Korean K2 Black Panther MBTs, 672 K9 Self Propelled Howitzers and 288 K239 Chunmoo MRLS, worth almost a massive $14.5 billion, while also contemplating plans to procure AS-21 Redback IFVs.

The Cold-war era British Challenger 2 MBTs are already headed for another series of capabilities upgrade, in addition, to procurement of Boxer wheeled & Ajax tracked armored vehicles as part of fleet recapitalization plans of the British Army. Across the English Channel, the first lot of upgraded French Leclercs, featuring an all digital backbone & enhanced protection, have just been delivered to the French Army in late 2022 with another batch due in 2023.

German tank-maker KMW, too, has been contemplating plans & gearing up to ramp up production rates for the Leopard 2A7 MBTs based on market signals and to capitalize on a revised German strategic defense posture following 'Zeitenwande' while also meeting growing regional requirements over near to medium term. However, the upcoming Franco-German joint MGCS program is likely to be the core, long-term growth pivot for the industry going forward



The U.S., too, has been drawing up plans for an eventual replacement for two of the core assets of its BCTs, namely, the M1 Abrams MBT & the M2 Bradley IFVs. The incumbent OEM, GDLS, has already showcased AbramsX, featuring an AI backbone and diesel-electric hybrid powertrain, as a replacement for the M1 Abrams operated by the U.S. Army which is also looking to replace its combat proven Bradley IFVs under the OMFV program.

Away from traditional armor strongholds, the U.S. & Europe, Australia's flagship Land 400 program has effectively heralded an armor renaissance down under with the award of multiple, big ticket contract awards for armored vehicles procurement under multiple phases over the past decade to replace Australian Army's ageing platforms and to beef up domestic defense industrial base under a local production model



Key Topics Covered:



Business Structure & Snapshot - For each of the Global Top 7 Armored Vehicles Manufacturers

Founded

Headquartered

Business Segments

Employees

Revenues

Market Capitalization

Key Executives

Shareholding/Ownership Pattern & Structure

Financial Performance Snapshot - For each Industry OEM

Revenue Base & Growth Trend

Revenues Split by Key Segments

Revenues Split by Key Geographic Markets & Regions

Gross Earnings & Margin Trend

Operating Earnings & Operating Margin Trend

Return on Sales Trend

Profitability Growth Trend

Cash Flow from Operations

R&D Expenditure Trend

CAPEX Trend

Order Intake Trend

Order Backlog Position & Growth Trend

SWOT Analysis - For each of the Top 7 Industry Players

Strengths to be Leveraged

Weaknesses to be worked on

Opportunities to be capitalized upon

Threats to be negated & mitigated

Strategy Focus across OEMs - Near to Medium Term - For the Top 7 Armored Vehicles Manufacturers

GDLS & GDELS

BAE Systems plc

Oshkosh Corporation

Rheinmetall AG

KNDS

Iveco Defense

Hanwha Defense

Analysis of Key Strategies & Plans for the Armored Vehicles Manufacturers

Analysis Coverage:

Business and Product Portfolio Strategies & Plans

Market, Segment, Domain & Program Specific Strategies & Plans

R&D Strategies & Plans

Growth Strategies & Plans

Business and Corporate Strategies & Plans

Sales & Marketing Strategies & Plans

Production/Manufacturing Strategies & Plans

Financial Strategies & Plans

Acquisitions, Strategic Alliances & JVs

Other Strategies & Strategic Initiatives

Global Armored Vehicles Market - Force Field Analysis - Analysis of Driving & Restraining Forces and their Overall Dynamics

Strategic Market Outlook - Global Armored Vehicles Market - 2023-2032

Analysis of the Emerging Market Scenario for Armored Vehicles

Global Defense Spending - Trends & Growth Projections

Top 5 Defense Spending Nations & Defense Budgetary Trends

Key Growth & Technology Investment Priority Areas

Key Upcoming Armored Vehicle Programs

Emerging Technologies

Market Outlook & Demand Growth Projections for Armored Vehicles - 2023-2032

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ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.
New York, United States , May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global DC-DC Converter Market Size is to grow from USD 11.28 billion in 2022 to USD 29.86 billion by 2032, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.2% during the projected period. The rising adoption of energy-efficient power electronics in various industry verticals such as telecommunication, automotive, manufacturing, aerospace & defense, medical, transportation, information technology, consumer electronics, energy, and power, and others are expected to boost the demand for the DC-DC converter market during the forecast period.

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DC-to-DC converters, often known as dc choppers, are power electronics components that convert one DC voltage source with variable values and, in some cases, polarity to another. DC-DC converters use semiconductors such as insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), power metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), thyristors, or other power-controlled semiconductor devices, as well as diodes and LC circuits. The DC-DC converter is used in many industries, including consumer electronics, information technology and communications, energy and electricity, and automotive. It's also found in computers, laptops, mobile phones, spacecraft power systems, transportation, and lighting. The rising popularity of electric vehicles, the increased use of DC-DC converters in railway applications, and an overall increase in demand for electrical components are the primary factors driving the growth of the global DC-DC Converter market. Furthermore, a number of variables, such as rising power consumption and increased industrial automation, are driving the market.

Browse key industry insights spread across 212 pages with 122 market data tables and figures & charts from the report on " Global DC-DC Converter Market Size , Share, and COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product Type (Isolated and Non-Isolated), By Output Type (Single, Dual, Triple, and Multiple), By Output Power (0.5-9W, 10-29W, 30-99W, 100-250W, 250-500W, 500-1000W, and >1000W), By Industry Verticals (Telecommunication, Automotive, Manufacturing, Aerospace and Defense, Medical, Transportation, Information Technology, Consumer Electronics, Energy and Power, and Others), and By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa), Analysis and Forecast 2022  2032 Get Detailed Report Description Here:

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The IT & telecommunication segment accounted for the largest revenue share of more than 33.7% over the forecast period.

On the basis of industry verticals, the global DC-DC converter market is segmented into telecommunication, automotive, manufacturing, aerospace & defense, medical, transportation, information technology, consumer electronics, energy and power, and others. Among these, IT & telecommunication are dominating the market with the largest revenue share of 33.7% over the forecast period. This increase is primarily driven by considerations such as energy efficiency, voltage management, signal integrity, capacity savings, and many more.

The isolated segment is witnessing significant CAGR growth over the forecast period.

On the basis of product type, the global DC-DC converter market is segmented into isolated and non-isolated. Among these, isolated is witnessing significant CAGR growth over the forecast period. In an isolated DC-DC converter, the transformer separates the power source channel from the output supply channel. Because of rising consumer electronics demand, the total market for isolated DC-DC converters will grow throughout the projected period.

The DIN rail segment is dominating the market with the largest revenue share over the forecast period.

On the basis of form factor, the global DC-DC converter market is segmented into SIP, DIP, DIN Rail, Box, Chassis Mount, Discrete, and Brick. Among these, the DIN rail segment is dominating the market with the largest revenue share of 38.6% over the forecast period. Because of the wide input voltage range and programmable characteristics of these DC-DC converters, it is straightforward to integrate variable voltage equipment into production processes.

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Asia Pacific dominates the market with the largest market share over the forecast period.

Asia Pacific is dominating the market with more than 35.28% market share over the forecast period. Because of the increasing development of technically superior power converters in the region, Asia Pacific leads the worldwide DC-DC converter market. Furthermore, India has begun significant moves toward electrification of the public transportation industry, resulting in an increased demand for cost-effective and trustworthy charging infrastructure.

Competitive Analysis:

The report offers the appropriate analysis of the key organizations/companies involved within the global market along with a comparative evaluation primarily based on their product offering, business overviews, geographic presence, enterprise strategies, segment market share, and SWOT analysis. The report also provides an elaborative analysis focusing on the current news and developments of the companies, which includes product development, innovations, joint ventures, partnerships, mergers & acquisitions, strategic alliances, and others. This allows for the evaluation of the overall competition within the market. Major vendors in the Global DC-DC Converter Market include Flex Ltd., ABB, Infineon Technologies AG, General Electric (GE), RECOM Power GmbH, Delta Electronics, Traco Electronic AG, Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd., TDK Lambda Corporation, Ericsson, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Vicor Corporation, Analog Devices, Inc., Crane Holdings, Co., NXP Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, Renesas Electronics Corporation, and among others.

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Recent Developments

On January 2023, Micross Components, Inc. ("Micross") signed into a definitive agreement to purchase Infineon's HiRel DC-DC converter business, including hybrid and bespoke board-based power products, according to Infineon Technologies AG. This sale will allow Infineon to focus more on core semiconductor advancements for the high-reliability market while deemphasizing businesses that require more tailored product offerings for the high-reliability industry. The transaction is expected to finalize in the first quarter of 2023.

In November 2022, The TDK-Lambda brand PH1200A280 complete brick DC-DC converters have been introduced by TDK Corporation. The modules produce isolated, regulated 12V, 24V, 28V, 36V, and 48V outputs and are rated at 1200W with an input voltage range of 200 to 425Vdc. The converters are ideal for dispersed power systems with 380V DC input that use non-isolated AC-DC power sources. Other applications for a power module-based solution include semiconductor production, communication systems, test and measurement, and specialized power supplies.

Market Segment

This study forecasts revenue at global, regional, and country levels from 2020 to 2032. Spherical Insights has segmented the Global DC-DC Converter Market based on the below-mentioned segments:

DC-DC Converter Market , Product Type Analysis

Isolated

Non-Isolated

DC-DC Converter Market, Output Type Analysis

Single

Dual

Triple

Multiple

DC-DC Converter Market, Output Power Analysis

0.5-9W

10-29W

30-99W

100-250W

250-500W

500-1000W

>1000W

DC-DC Converter Market, By Form Factor

SIP

DIP

DIN Rail

Box

Chassis Mount

Discrete

Brick

DC-DC Converter Market, Regional Analysis

Telecommunication

Automotive

Manufacturing

Aerospace and Defense

Medical

Transportation

Information Technology

Consumer Electronics

Energy and Power

Others

DC-DC Converter Market, Regional Analysis

North America US Canada Mexico

Europe Germany Uk France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Australia Rest of Asia Pacific

South America Brazil Argentina Rest of South America

Middle East & Africa UAE Saudi Arabia Qatar South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa



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EL DORADO, Ark., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard Lithium Ltd. (Standard Lithium or the Company) (TSXV: SLI) (NYSE American: SLI) (FRA: S5L), a leading near-commercial lithium company, announced that, as part of the resource definition work at its South West Arkansas Project (see news release dated 20th March 2023) it has sampled, to the best of its knowledge, the highest confirmed lithium grade brine in Arkansas, with a grade of 581 mg/L. These sampling data follow similar high-grade results from the Companys resources in Texas (see news release dated 28th March 2023).



Dr. Andy Robinson, President and COO of Standard Lithium commented, We continue to be very pleasantly surprised by the lithium grades sampled from our projects in Arkansas and Texas. We previously developed the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the SWA Project using a conservative assessment of the lithium brine grades across the project area. Using that conservative resource basis still yielded a PEA with very attractive project economics (after-tax NPV US$1.97 Billion and IRR of 32% at 8% discount rate; see news release dated 12th October 2021). This recent infill drilling work to further define the lithium resource has resulted in a marked upside to the in-situ lithium grade. In our experience, the grade of lithium in brine used for Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) has a meaningful impact on both capital expenditures and operating costs in connection with the extraction process, so a higher grade typically results in lower overall costs and should have a positive effect on project economics in the forthcoming Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS). We are delighted that sampling from this recent well has led us to find lithium brine with the highest confirmed grade in Arkansas, and we look forward to incorporating these into the forthcoming PFS.

Analysis and Testing Details

The lithium brine samples were taken from a pre-existing well located in the central-eastern portion of Standards project area (see Figure 1 below). This well (the Beulah-Taylor #1) was first drilled in July 1982 and subsequently decommissioned in August 1982. Standard Lithiums drilling team commenced drilling on 21st February, 2023 and deepened the hole to a total measured depth of 8,940 ft on 8th March, 2023 (see news release dated 20th March 2023).

Examples of high porosity Smackover Formation rocks recently recovered from the Montague #1 well (that is part of Standard Lithiums current drilling program) are also shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1: South West Arkansas (SWA) Project overview map showing the location of the re-entered well (Beulah-Taylor #1) with associated lithium concentrations in brines sampled from the Smackover Formation. Other data on the map are lithium concentrations in brines sampled by the Company in 2018 from existing wells on the southern edge of Standards project area.

Figure 2: Examples of high porosity oolitic limestones from the Smackover Formation recovered from the Montague Well. This well is part of Standard Lithiums current drilling program in the South West Arkansas Project.

Brines from the Beulah-Taylor#1 were sampled using a workover rig from several different zones in the Smackover Formation during March and early April, and the lithium concentrations of those samples are reported in Table 1 below. All brine samples were analyzed at multiple analytical laboratories (both third-party and also at the Companys analytical facility in El Dorado, Arkansas) in order to confirm sample quality and maintain QA/QC procedures. The Standard Lithium data provided in Table 1 below were all analyzed, performed, and reported by Western Environmental Testing Laboratories of Sparks NV, a third-party, accredited testing facility.

Table 1: Beulah-Taylor#1 Lithium Brine Analyses in South West Arkansas Project Area

Smackover Sampling Name [ 1 ] Lithium concentration

(mg/L) [ 2 ] Average Lithium

concentration (mg/L) [ 3 ] Zone 1 (Upper Smackover) 531 / 569 563

Zone 2 (Upper Smackover) 581 / 574 Zone 3 (Upper Smackover) 570 Zone 4 (Middle Smackover) 551

Notes:

[1] Smackover Formation descriptors (Upper, Middle, and Lower) are a local project area naming convention.

[2] Where two lithium analyses are provided, they represent the main sample and a blind duplicate for QA/QC purposes.

[3] Unweighted mean lithium concentration from the four representative brine samples (plus duplicates) from Beulah-Taylor#1.

Quality Assurance

Steve Ross, P.Geol., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the relevant scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Ross is a consultant to the Company.

About Standard Lithium Ltd.

Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company with a portfolio of projects in process. The Companys flagship projects, the LANXESS Property Project and the South West Arkansas Project, are located in southern Arkansas near the Louisiana stateline. The Company is focused on the evaluation and testing of commercial lithium extraction and purification from brine sourced from approximately 180,000 acres of leases across these two projects. The Company operates a first-of-a-kind industrial-scale Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Demonstration Plant at the LANXESS Property Project. The scalable, environmentally friendly process eliminates the use of evaporation ponds, reduces processing time from months to hours and greatly increases the effective recovery of lithium. A Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) and Front-End Engineering Study (FEED) for Phase 1A of the LANXESS Property Project commenced in September 2022. A Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) of the South West Arkansas Project commenced in May 2022. The Company is also pursuing the resource development of other projects in the Smackover Formation in East Texas, as well as approximately 45,000 acres of mineral leases located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.

Standard Lithium is jointly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the trading symbol SLI; and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol S5L. Please visit the Companys website at https:// www.standardlithium.com .

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.

This news release may contain certain Forward-Looking Statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, target, plan, forecast, may, schedule and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to development of a commercial lithium plant, completion of definitive feasibility study, future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration and drilling activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Companys current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e8255d52-4648-4659-9760-983f8a504f39

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da2a0eab-5f15-48d1-ace9-c4718be0848e
Did you lose money on investments in Charles River? If so, please visit Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com to discuss your rights.



NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP announces that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased or acquired the securities of Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (Charles River or the Company) (NYSE: CRL) between May 5, 2020 and February 21, 2023, inclusive (the Class Period). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 against the Company and certain of its officers (the "Complaint").

According to the Complaint, Charles River is a full-service, non-clinical global drug development partner with a mission to create healthier lives. The Company has three reporting segments: Research Models and Services, Discovery and Safety Assessment, and Manufacturing Solutions. The Discovery and Safety Assessment segment accounts for approximately 60% of the Companys total revenue and offers, among other things, safety assessment studies required for regulatory submission of therapeutic solutions.

Plaintiff alleges that Defendants made materially false and misleading statements throughout the Class Period. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Charles River had engaged in illegal activity with respect to its importation of non-human primates for research; (2) as a result, Charles River was at a heightened risk of criminal and regulatory investigation by, inter alia, the U.S. Department of Justice; and (3) as a result, Charles River would be forced to suspend shipments of primates from Cambodia.

On February 22, 2023, before the market opened, Charles River revealed that it had received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) relating to an ongoing investigation in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) into the supply chain and illegal importation of non-human primates for research. The Company noted that it was voluntarily suspending shipments of primates from Cambodia, which would negatively impact its earnings for the year and would reduce revenue growth by 200 basis points to 400 basis points.

On this news, Charles Rivers stock price fell $24.51, or 10%, to close at $219.09 per share on February 22, 2023.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than July 18, 2023 . A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesnt require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.

If you purchased or acquired Charles River securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com.

Since 1993, Bernstein Liebhard LLP has recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. In addition to representing individual investors, the Firm has been retained by some of the largest public and private pension funds in the country to monitor their assets and pursue litigation on their behalf. As a result of its success litigating hundreds of lawsuits and class actions, the Firm has been named to The National Law Journals Plaintiffs Hot List thirteen times and listed in The Legal 500 for ten consecutive years.

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2023 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

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HIGHLIGHTS



Ongoing aircore ( AC ) drilling at Novos 100%-owned flagship Becher Project continues to deliver promising results, with over 10,000 m of the planned Q2 2023 20,000 m program complete.

) drilling at Novos 100%-owned flagship Becher Project continues to deliver promising results, with over 10,000 m of the planned Q2 2023 20,000 m program complete. Becher is located in the northern section of the Egina Gold Camp 28 km along trend from De Grey Mining Limiteds 10.6 Moz Au (JORC 2012) 1 Mallina Gold Project.

Mallina Gold Project. Drilling is being completed on intrusion-related and structural gold targets generated from the 2022 program 2 which identified an initial priority focus area of ~20 sq km at the Heckmair, Irvine and Whillans prospects.

which identified an initial priority focus area of ~20 sq km at the Heckmair, Irvine and Whillans prospects. 423 holes for a total of 10,080 m of AC drilling have been completed on 320 m spaced infill drill lines (previously 640 m spaced) at the highly prospective Heckmair intrusion and Irvine shear corridor prospects. Promising results have been generated from the first 349 holes under shallow cover (10  20 m) including: 3m @ 5.23 g/t Au from 9 m in F1474 3m @ 2.93 g/t Au from 9 m in F1739 3 m @ 2.08 g/t Au from 12 m F1427 3 m @ 1.04 g/t Au from 18 m in F1469 1 m @ 1.57 g/t Au from 30 m in F1603 9 m @ 0.77 g/t Au from 6 m (including 3 m @ 2.05 g/t Au from 6 m) in F1631 15 m @ 0.61 g/t Au from 0 m (including 6 m @ 1.16 g/t Au from 0 m) in F1711 9 m @ 0.39 g/t Au from 51 m in F1597 12 m @ 0.28 g/t Au from 6 m (including 6m @ 0.42 g/t Au from 9 m) in F1498 18 m @ 0.24 g/t Au from 21 m (including 6 m @ 0.39 g/t Au from 24 m) in F1582

Most AC gold intercepts to date have been hosted in hornblende diorite intrusion or sediments. AC drilling is a standard approach of shallow drilling that will be used to guide future deeper drilling.

Prioritised targets at Heckmair and Irvine will be assessed for deeper RC drilling in Q3 2023, with the remaining ~10,000 m of AC drilling continuing to test additional key areas at Heckmair and Whillans.

Commenting on the drill program, Novo Executive Co-Chairman and Acting CEO Mike Spreadborough said, We are very excited by further standout assay results from our Becher Project, which is located in the Egina Gold Camp. Our ongoing AC program has highlighted the potential for significant mineralisation throughout the area. Novo has discovered a large broad area of gold anomalism with recent drilling now confirming gold mineralisation extending into the underlying intrusions and sandstone rock units adjacent to De Greys Mallina Gold Project. Novo will continue the current drilling program to build on the excellent progress to date at Becher to further define the extent of mineralisation.

_______________

1 De Grey has reported that its Hemi deposit at the Mallina Gold Project is comprised of Measured Mineral Resources of 4.7 Mt @ 1.7 g/t Au for 265 koz Au, Indicated Mineral Resources of 153.4 Mt @ 1.3 g/t Au for 6,590 koz Au, and Inferred Mineral Resources of 92.6 Mt @ 1.3 g/t Au for 3,779 koz Au, as those categories are defined in the JORC Code (as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). Refer to De Greys public disclosure record for further details. No assurance can be given that a similar or any mineral resource estimate will be determined at Novos Becher Project.

2 Refer to the Companys news release dated March 6, 2023.



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novo Resources Corp. (Novo or the Company) (TSX: NVO, NVO.WT & NVO.WT.A) (OTCQX: NSRPF) is pleased to report continued outstanding results from the 2023 AC drilling program at Becher. Results referred to in this news release are not necessarily representative of mineralisation throughout the Egina Gold Camp.

The Becher Project is located in the northern section of the Egina Gold Camp 28 km along trend from De Grey Mining Limiteds (De Grey) 10.6 Moz Au (JORC 2012)1 Mallina Gold Project. Novo commenced its 2023 AC program at Becher in mid-April 2023 and has already received gold results for 3,350 (including QAQC) samples of priority drilling, facilitated by a fast-tracked field sampling methodology and Chrysos PhotonAssay analysis, currently achieving an assay turnaround time of 5  12 days.





Figure 1 - Egina Gold Camp tenure showing the Becher and Nunyerry North Projects and the priority Becher prospects is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3420ef5e-1f0b-4e46-b8c5-ba12502c4544.

Background

The Becher Project covers an area approximately 20 sq km in the north of the 100% Novo owned E47/3673 exploration tenement. The area is characterised by shallow cover overlaying the highly prospective and under-explored Mallina Basin. Becher is situated adjacent to De Greys 10.6 Moz Au (JORC 2012)1 Mallina Gold Project and 2.5 km south of their Withnell South discovery3 (Figure 1).

During 2022, over 32,000 m of drilling was conducted by Novo on broad regional lines (640 m line spacing), focused on ENE trending gold-fertile, structurally complex corridors at Becher and successfully delineated three standout gold and associated pathfinder element targets at Irvine, Heckmair and Whillans. Analysis of multielement geochemistry from bottom-of-hole samples also identified prospective hornblende-diorite intrusions within and around the targeted structural corridors. These intrusions are commonly associated with gold deposits in the Mallina Basin.

The current 20,000 m AC program is testing multiple, high-priority structural and intrusion-hosted gold targets generated from the 2022 programs, delineated in well-defined and highly anomalous structural corridors. Drilling is being completed at high-priority drill prospects at Heckmair, Irvine and Whillans following significant gold and pathfinder anomalies and sanukitoid intrusion-related signatures in the 2022 AC bottom-of-hole drill hole samples.

The current drilling program is on schedule for completion by the end of Q2 2023.

_______________

3 While certain aspects of Becher mineralisation seem analogous to that at the Mallina Gold Project as disclosed by De Greys Mallina Gold Project, mineralisation is not necessarily representative of mineralisation throughout the Becher Area or the Egina Gold Camp.



Drilling and Results

To date, 423 holes for a total of 10,080 m AC drilling have been completed over the eastern Heckmair and Irvine prospects (Figure 2), with standout gold assay results returned in the first 349 holes. New results show high potential for mineralisation hosted both within the large Heckmair hornblende-diorite intrusion, along and in proximity to large cross-cutting and offset structures and at the margins of the intrusion where they are in contact with the Constantine Sandstone country rocks, all under shallow cover.

Results from the current AC program are located on 320 m lines across the Heckmair prospect and infill the previous 640 m drilling completed during the 2022 program. In addition, an east-west traverse was conducted across both the western and eastern faulted blocks of the Heckmair intrusion, intersecting anomalous gold mineralisation within a demagnetised portion of the intrusion (Figure 2 and Figure 3). Additional infill lines at Irvine are spaced as closely as 160 m in some areas.

Significant intercepts (> 2 g*m in tenor) include:

3 m @ 5.23 g/t Au from 9 m in F1474

15 m @ 0.61 g/t Au from 0 m including 6 m @ 1.16 g/t Au from 0 m in F1711

3 m @ 2.93 g/t Au from 9 m in F1739

9 m @ 0.77 g/t Au from 6 m including 3 m @ 2.05 g/t Au from 6 m in F1631 and

4 m @ 0.4 g/t Au from 27 m including 3 m @ 0.49 g/t Au from 27 m in F1631

3 m @ 2.08 g/t Au from 12 m in F1427

18 m @ 0.24 g/t Au from 21 m including 6 m @ 0.39 g/t Au from 24 m in F1582

9 m @ 0.39 g/t Au from 51 m including 6 m @ 0.45 g/t Au from 51 m in F1597

12 m @ 0.28 g/t Au from 6 m including 6 m @ 0.42 g/t Au from 9 m in F1498

3 m @ 1.04 g/t Au from 18 m in F1469

1 m @ 1.57 g/t Au from 30 m in F1603

Refer to Table 1 in the Appendix below for a complete list of assay results.

Two AC cross-sections examples are shown from the Heckmair intrusion Figure 5 and the Irvine Shear corridor Figure 5 below.

Figure 4 shows a significant zone of pervasive sericite altered and quartz veined intrusion identified in F1498 in the northern portion of the western Heckmair block, with an intercept of 12 m @ 0.28 g/t Au from 6 m, including 6 m @ 0.42 g/t Au from 9 m. The intrusion is characteristic of the medium to coarse grained hornblende-diorite intercepted in other holes within the Heckmair prospect.

An intercept of 3 m @ 5.23 g/t Au from 9 m in F1474 was associated with quartz veining hosted within the Heckmair intrusive in proximity to the southern contact with the Constantine Sandstone country sediments. Anomalous mineralisation occurs both within the sediments to the south and within the intrusion to the north.

An intercept of 9 m @0.77 g/t Au from 9 m including 3m @ 2.05 g/t Au was identified in F1631 and is associated with quartz veining and shearing within the Constantine Sandstone country rocks (Figure 5). F1631 is located at the boundary of the Irvine and Heckmair prospects, with the inferred contact of the intrusion with the sediments approximately 36m to the north-west of the hole collar.

Refer to Table 1 in the Appendix below for a complete list of assay results. True widths from AC drilling cannot be estimated at this time.





Figure 2 - Becher Project showing main prospects, target zones, AC drilling progress to date and planned AC drilling over interpreted geology is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8680a83b-c5e2-422c-b47f-8150f0359176.





Figure 3 - Close up of the Heckmair-Irvine-Whillans focus area with 2022 interpreted target zones and significant gold intercepts from 2022/2023 AC drilling programs is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/339afa3b-c565-43bf-86e4-c55bc115d21c.





Figure 4 - Sections from the recent AC drilling at Heckmair (looking east) is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/272f27b1-2d68-4339-b918-b2e71050f970.





Figure 5 - Sections from the recent AC drilling at Irvine (looking north-east) is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bff7d4b8-50b0-44cf-8e16-9c91f7fbfc74.

Next Steps

Latest results from infill AC drilling highlight the need to continue prioritising these targets, including both structurally controlled and intrusion related gold which appear similar to mineralisation at De Greys Mallina Gold Project3. Drilling of the remaining ~10,000 m AC drilling continues at Heckmair and Whillans, and targets at Heckmair and Irvine will be considered for follow-up deeper RC drilling in Q3 2023.

Given ongoing gold and multielement results, AC drilling will continue past the 20,000 m Q2 2023 program completing the regional reconnaissance 640 m spaced drill lines at Bonatti, and follow up any new targets at closer spacing.

Analytical methodology

One-metre samples are collected from the drill rig and placed on the ground in piles for geological quantitative and qualitative logging. These piles are then speared at three-meter composites into a 500-gram Chrysos PhotonAssay jar. Some of the end of hole intervals are shorter than three meters depending on final hole depths. Jars are dispatched weekly to Intertek Genalysis (Intertek) in Perth, Western Australia and analysed for gold using Chrysos PhotonAssay (PHXR/AU01).

QAQC procedures for the program include insertion of a certified blank approximately every 25 samples (4 per hundred), a Chrysos PhotonAssay certified standard approximately every 50 samples (2 per 100) and duplicate sampling (split of 3 m composite) at the rate of 4 per hundred. In addition, Intertek inserts Chrysos PhotonAssay certified standards at the rate of 2 per hundred.

QP STATEMENT

Mr. Alwin Van Roij (MAIG), is the qualified person, as defined under NI 43-101, responsible for, and having reviewed and approved, the technical information contained in this news release other than information concerning De Greys Mallina Gold Project. Mr. Van Roij is Novos Exploration Manger  East Pilbara.

ABOUT NOVO

Novo explores and develops its prospective land package covering approximately 10,500 square kilometres in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, along with the 22 square kilometre Belltopper Project in the Bendigo Tectonic Zone of Victoria, Australia. In addition to the Companys primary focus, Novo seeks to leverage its internal geological expertise to deliver value-accretive opportunities to its stakeholders.

For more information, please contact Michael Spreadborough at +61-419-329-687 or mike.spreadborough@novoresources.com, or Leo Karabelas at +1-416-543-3120 or leo@novoresources.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Novo Resources Corp.

 Michael Spreadborough 

Michael Spreadborough

Executive Co-Chairman and Acting CEO

Forward-looking information

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation) including, without limitation, that 2023 AC program will test multiple, high-priority structural and intrusion-hosted gold targets generated from the 2022 programs, that Heckmair and Irvine will be assessed for follow-up deeper RC drilling in Q3 2023, whilst the remaining approx. 10,000 m AC drilling continues to further test Heckmair and Whillans, and that AC drilling will continue past the 20,000 m Q2 2023 program completing the regional reconnaissance 640 m spaced drill lines at Bonatti, and also follow up any new targets at closer spacing. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the resource industry and the risk factors identified in Novos annual information form for the year ended December 31, 2022, which is available under Novos profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date those statements are made. Except as required by applicable law, Novo assumes no obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any change to any forward-looking statement contained or incorporated by reference herein to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. If Novo updates any forward-looking statement(s), no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

APPENDIX

Table 1: Becher Area  location data for 2023 AC drill holes

HOLE_ID COORDSYS EASTING

(m) NORTHING

(m) RL

(m) AZI DIP TYPE DEPTH LEASE F1414 MGA94_50 619441 7685023 58.0 180 -60 AC 97 E47/3673 F1415 MGA94_50 619441 7685048 57.9 180 -60 AC 97 E47/3673 F1416 MGA94_50 619441 7684423 59.1 180 -60 AC 67 E47/3673 F1417 MGA94_50 619441 7684448 59.1 180 -60 AC 85 E47/3673 F1418 MGA94_50 619761 7684110 58.5 180 -60 AC 12 E47/3673 F1419 MGA94_50 619761 7684135 58.4 180 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1420 MGA94_50 619761 7684160 58.3 180 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1421 MGA94_50 619761 7684185 58.2 180 -60 AC 10 E47/3673 F1422 MGA94_50 619761 7684210 58.1 180 -60 AC 10 E47/3673 F1423 MGA94_50 619761 7684235 58.0 180 -60 AC 7 E47/3673 F1424 MGA94_50 619761 7684260 58.0 180 -60 AC 7 E47/3673 F1425 MGA94_50 619761 7684285 58.0 180 -60 AC 11 E47/3673 F1426 MGA94_50 619761 7684310 57.9 180 -60 AC 13 E47/3673 F1427 MGA94_50 619761 7684335 57.9 180 -60 AC 20 E47/3673 F1428 MGA94_50 619761 7684360 57.9 180 -60 AC 13 E47/3673 F1429 MGA94_50 619761 7684385 57.9 180 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1430 MGA94_50 619761 7684410 57.9 180 -60 AC 21 E47/3673 F1431 MGA94_50 619761 7684435 57.8 180 -60 AC 33 E47/3673 F1432 MGA94_50 619761 7684460 57.8 180 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1433 MGA94_50 619761 7684485 57.9 180 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1434 MGA94_50 619761 7684510 57.9 180 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1435 MGA94_50 619761 7684535 57.9 180 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1436 MGA94_50 619761 7684560 57.9 180 -60 AC 17 E47/3673 F1437 MGA94_50 619761 7684585 57.9 180 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1438 MGA94_50 619761 7684610 57.8 180 -60 AC 21 E47/3673 F1439 MGA94_50 619761 7684635 57.8 180 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1440 MGA94_50 619761 7684660 57.7 180 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1441 MGA94_50 619761 7684685 57.7 180 -60 AC 21 E47/3673 F1442 MGA94_50 619761 7684710 57.6 180 -60 AC 27 E47/3673 F1443 MGA94_50 619761 7684735 57.7 180 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1444 MGA94_50 619761 7684760 57.6 180 -60 AC 28 E47/3673 F1445 MGA94_50 619761 7684785 57.6 180 -60 AC 22 E47/3673 F1446 MGA94_50 619761 7684810 57.6 180 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1447 MGA94_50 619761 7684835 57.6 180 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1448 MGA94_50 619761 7684860 57.7 180 -60 AC 23 E47/3673 F1449 MGA94_50 619761 7684885 57.6 180 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1450 MGA94_50 619761 7684910 57.7 180 -60 AC 22 E47/3673 F1451 MGA94_50 619761 7684935 57.7 180 -60 AC 29 E47/3673 F1452 MGA94_50 619761 7684960 57.8 180 -60 AC 27 E47/3673 F1453 MGA94_50 619761 7684985 57.8 180 -60 AC 28 E47/3673 F1454 MGA94_50 619761 7685010 57.8 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1455 MGA94_50 619761 7685035 57.7 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1456 MGA94_50 619761 7685060 57.7 180 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1457 MGA94_50 619761 7685085 57.7 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1458 MGA94_50 619761 7685110 57.7 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1459 MGA94_50 619761 7685135 57.7 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1460 MGA94_50 619761 7685160 57.7 180 -60 AC 40 E47/3673 F1461 MGA94_50 619761 7685185 57.7 180 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1462 MGA94_50 619121 7683985 59.0 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1463 MGA94_50 619121 7684010 59.0 180 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1464 MGA94_50 619121 7684035 59.0 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1465 MGA94_50 619121 7684060 59.0 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1466 MGA94_50 619121 7684085 59.0 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1467 MGA94_50 619121 7684110 59.0 180 -60 AC 20 E47/3673 F1468 MGA94_50 619121 7684135 58.9 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1469 MGA94_50 619121 7684160 58.9 180 -60 AC 26 E47/3673 F1470 MGA94_50 619121 7684185 58.9 180 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1471 MGA94_50 619121 7684210 58.9 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1472 MGA94_50 619121 7684235 58.9 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1473 MGA94_50 619121 7684260 58.8 180 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1474 MGA94_50 619121 7684285 58.7 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1475 MGA94_50 619121 7684310 58.7 180 -60 AC 29 E47/3673 F1476 MGA94_50 619121 7684335 58.7 180 -60 AC 12 E47/3673 F1477 MGA94_50 619121 7684360 58.5 180 -60 AC 12 E47/3673 F1478 MGA94_50 619121 7684385 58.5 180 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1479 MGA94_50 619121 7684410 58.4 180 -60 AC 14 E47/3673 F1480 MGA94_50 619121 7684435 58.3 180 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1481 MGA94_50 619121 7684460 58.3 180 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1482 MGA94_50 619121 7684485 58.2 180 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1483 MGA94_50 619121 7684510 58.2 180 -60 AC 13 E47/3673 F1484 MGA94_50 619121 7684535 58.2 180 -60 AC 10 E47/3673 F1485 MGA94_50 619121 7684560 58.1 180 -60 AC 12 E47/3673 F1486 MGA94_50 619121 7684585 58.1 180 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1487 MGA94_50 619121 7684610 58.0 180 -60 AC 18 E47/3673 F1488 MGA94_50 619121 7684635 58.0 180 -60 AC 18 E47/3673 F1489 MGA94_50 619121 7684660 58.0 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1490 MGA94_50 619121 7684685 58.1 180 -60 AC 20 E47/3673 F1491 MGA94_50 619121 7684710 58.1 180 -60 AC 17 E47/3673 F1492 MGA94_50 619121 7684735 58.1 180 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1493 MGA94_50 619121 7684760 58.1 180 -60 AC 22 E47/3673 F1494 MGA94_50 619121 7684785 58.1 180 -60 AC 20 E47/3673 F1495 MGA94_50 619121 7684810 58.1 180 -60 AC 21 E47/3673 F1496 MGA94_50 619121 7684835 58.3 180 -60 AC 22 E47/3673 F1497 MGA94_50 619121 7684860 58.3 180 -60 AC 23 E47/3673 F1498 MGA94_50 619121 7684885 58.4 180 -60 AC 21 E47/3673 F1499 MGA94_50 619121 7684910 58.4 180 -60 AC 18 E47/3673 F1500 MGA94_50 619121 7684935 58.5 180 -60 AC 22 E47/3673 F1501 MGA94_50 619121 7684960 58.4 180 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1502 MGA94_50 619121 7684985 58.5 180 -60 AC 18 E47/3673 F1503 MGA94_50 619121 7685010 58.5 180 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1504 MGA94_50 619121 7685035 58.6 180 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1505 MGA94_50 619121 7685060 58.9 180 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1506 MGA94_50 619121 7685085 58.6 180 -60 AC 13 E47/3673 F1507 MGA94_50 619121 7685110 58.3 180 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1508 MGA94_50 619121 7685160 58.0 180 -60 AC 17 E47/3673 F1509 MGA94_50 619121 7685135 58.2 180 -60 AC 18 E47/3673 F1510 MGA94_50 619121 7685185 57.9 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1511 MGA94_50 619121 7685210 58.0 180 -60 AC 28 E47/3673 F1512 MGA94_50 619121 7685235 58.1 180 -60 AC 27 E47/3673 F1513 MGA94_50 620071 7684606 57.7 90 -60 AC 12 E47/3673 F1514 MGA94_50 620046 7684606 57.6 90 -60 AC 10 E47/3673 F1515 MGA94_50 620021 7684604 57.7 90 -60 AC 10 E47/3673 F1516 MGA94_50 619996 7684604 57.7 90 -60 AC 12 E47/3673 F1517 MGA94_50 619971 7684605 57.6 90 -60 AC 13 E47/3673 F1518 MGA94_50 619946 7684607 57.6 90 -60 AC 9 E47/3673 F1519 MGA94_50 619921 7684610 57.7 90 -60 AC 11 E47/3673 F1520 MGA94_50 619896 7684611 57.6 90 -60 AC 12 E47/3673 F1521 MGA94_50 619871 7684612 57.7 90 -60 AC 10 E47/3673 F1522 MGA94_50 619846 7684612 57.7 90 -60 AC 14 E47/3673 F1523 MGA94_50 619821 7684607 57.8 90 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1524 MGA94_50 619796 7684603 57.8 90 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1525 MGA94_50 619771 7684609 57.8 90 -60 AC 17 E47/3673 F1526 MGA94_50 619746 7684615 57.8 90 -60 AC 20 E47/3673 F1527 MGA94_50 619721 7684613 57.9 90 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1528 MGA94_50 619696 7684611 57.9 90 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1529 MGA94_50 619671 7684609 57.9 90 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1530 MGA94_50 619646 7684609 57.9 90 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1531 MGA94_50 619621 7684608 57.9 90 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1532 MGA94_50 619596 7684605 58.1 90 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1533 MGA94_50 619571 7684608 58.2 90 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1534 MGA94_50 619546 7684607 58.4 90 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1535 MGA94_50 619521 7684602 58.6 90 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1536 MGA94_50 619496 7684599 58.9 90 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1537 MGA94_50 619471 7684598 59.0 90 -60 AC 20 E47/3673 F1538 MGA94_50 619421 7684607 58.7 90 -60 AC 21 E47/3673 F1539 MGA94_50 619396 7684607 58.5 90 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1540 MGA94_50 619371 7684607 58.5 90 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1541 MGA94_50 619346 7684609 58.5 90 -60 AC 18 E47/3673 F1542 MGA94_50 619321 7684609 58.5 90 -60 AC 21 E47/3673 F1543 MGA94_50 619296 7684606 58.5 90 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1544 MGA94_50 619271 7684599 58.6 90 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1545 MGA94_50 619246 7684606 58.3 90 -60 AC 14 E47/3673 F1546 MGA94_50 619221 7684616 58.3 90 -60 AC 20 E47/3673 F1547 MGA94_50 619196 7684622 58.1 90 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1548 MGA94_50 619171 7684622 58.1 90 -60 AC 17 E47/3673 F1549 MGA94_50 619146 7684627 58.1 90 -60 AC 23 E47/3673 F1550 MGA94_50 619096 7684613 58.0 90 -60 AC 14 E47/3673 F1551 MGA94_50 619071 7684609 58.0 90 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1552 MGA94_50 619046 7684609 57.8 90 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1553 MGA94_50 619021 7684607 57.7 90 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1554 MGA94_50 618996 7684605 57.8 90 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1555 MGA94_50 618971 7684606 57.7 90 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1556 MGA94_50 618946 7684608 57.7 90 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1557 MGA94_50 618921 7684603 57.7 90 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1558 MGA94_50 618896 7684605 57.9 90 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1559 MGA94_50 618871 7684607 58.2 90 -60 AC 20 E47/3673 F1560 MGA94_50 618846 7684611 58.3 90 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1561 MGA94_50 618821 7684613 58.1 90 -60 AC 12 E47/3673 F1562 MGA94_50 618796 7684621 57.9 90 -60 AC 9 E47/3673 F1563 MGA94_50 618771 7684617 57.7 90 -60 AC 8 E47/3673 F1564 MGA94_50 618746 7684612 57.6 90 -60 AC 7 E47/3673 F1565 MGA94_50 618721 7684609 57.7 90 -60 AC 7 E47/3673 F1566 MGA94_50 618696 7684609 57.6 90 -60 AC 8 E47/3673 F1567 MGA94_50 618670 7684612 57.6 90 -60 AC 12 E47/3673 F1568 MGA94_50 618645 7684616 57.6 90 -60 AC 26 E47/3673 F1569 MGA94_50 618620 7684618 57.6 90 -60 AC 35 E47/3673 F1570 MGA94_50 618595 7684619 57.7 90 -60 AC 26 E47/3673 F1571 MGA94_50 618570 7684619 57.6 90 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1572 MGA94_50 618545 7684619 57.5 90 -60 AC 13 E47/3673 F1573 MGA94_50 618520 7684619 57.4 90 -60 AC 11 E47/3673 F1574 MGA94_50 618495 7684620 57.4 90 -60 AC 9 E47/3673 F1575 MGA94_50 619441 7684635 57.8 180 -60 AC 31 E47/3673 F1576 MGA94_50 619441 7684685 57.7 180 -60 AC 40 E47/3673 F1577 MGA94_50 620081 7684155 58.2 360 -60 AC 90 E47/3673 F1578 MGA94_50 620081 7684198 58.2 180 -60 AC 55 E47/3673 F1579 MGA94_50 621188 7684173 64.7 147 -60 AC 37 E47/3673 F1580 MGA94_50 621141 7684246 64.2 147 -60 AC 55 E47/3673 F1581 MGA94_50 621114 7684287 64.8 327 -60 AC 43 E47/3673 F1582 MGA94_50 621094 7684318 66.2 327 -60 AC 49 E47/3673 F1583 MGA94_50 621165 7684208 64.4 327 -60 AC 49 E47/3673 F1584 MGA94_50 621187 7684174 64.7 327 -60 AC 43 E47/3673 F1585 MGA94_50 620703 7684337 70.3 327 -60 AC 55 E47/3673 F1586 MGA94_50 620719 7684313 70.9 327 -60 AC 31 E47/3673 F1587 MGA94_50 620737 7684283 69.3 327 -60 AC 37 E47/3673 F1588 MGA94_50 620756 7684254 69.1 327 -60 AC 36 E47/3673 F1589 MGA94_50 620786 7684206 67.4 327 -60 AC 44 E47/3673 F1590 MGA94_50 620803 7684180 66.8 327 -60 AC 41 E47/3673 F1591 MGA94_50 620806 7683593 60.3 147 -60 AC 60 E47/3673 F1592 MGA94_50 620793 7683614 60.3 147 -60 AC 66 E47/3673 F1593 MGA94_50 620779 7683635 60.2 147 -60 AC 60 E47/3673 F1594 MGA94_50 620765 7683656 60.2 147 -60 AC 54 E47/3673 F1595 MGA94_50 620745 7683687 60.3 147 -60 AC 60 E47/3673 F1596 MGA94_50 620731 7683708 60.2 147 -60 AC 79 E47/3673 F1597 MGA94_50 620477 7684095 65.8 327 -60 AC 73 E47/3673 F1598 MGA94_50 620518 7684033 68.6 327 -60 AC 79 E47/3673 F1599 MGA94_50 619660 7684173 58.8 147 -60 AC 43 E47/3673 F1600 MGA94_50 619647 7684193 58.8 147 -60 AC 55 E47/3673 F1601 MGA94_50 620113 7683481 60.8 147 -60 AC 49 E47/3673 F1602 MGA94_50 620097 7683501 61.0 147 -60 AC 67 E47/3673 F1603 MGA94_50 620327 7684325 60.8 147 -60 AC 31 E47/3673 F1604 MGA94_50 620313 7684346 60.3 147 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1605 MGA94_50 620299 7684367 60.0 147 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1606 MGA94_50 620286 7684388 59.6 147 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1607 MGA94_50 620272 7684409 59.3 147 -60 AC 31 E47/3673 F1608 MGA94_50 620258 7684429 59.2 147 -60 AC 23 E47/3673 F1609 MGA94_50 620245 7684450 59.0 147 -60 AC 18 E47/3673 F1610 MGA94_50 620231 7684471 59.0 147 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1611 MGA94_50 620217 7684492 59.1 147 -60 AC 43 E47/3673 F1612 MGA94_50 620203 7684513 58.9 147 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1613 MGA94_50 620190 7684534 58.9 147 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1614 MGA94_50 620176 7684555 58.8 147 -60 AC 31 E47/3673 F1615 MGA94_50 620162 7684576 58.8 147 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1616 MGA94_50 620149 7684597 58.7 147 -60 AC 31 E47/3673 F1617 MGA94_50 620135 7684618 58.7 147 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1618 MGA94_50 620121 7684639 58.5 147 -60 AC 37 E47/3673 F1619 MGA94_50 620108 7684659 58.4 147 -60 AC 31 E47/3673 F1620 MGA94_50 620094 7684680 58.5 147 -60 AC 31 E47/3673 F1621 MGA94_50 620316 7684049 61.4 147 -60 AC 37 E47/3673 F1622 MGA94_50 620303 7684070 61.2 147 -60 AC 36 E47/3673 F1623 MGA94_50 620289 7684091 60.8 147 -60 AC 42 E47/3673 F1624 MGA94_50 620275 7684112 60.5 147 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1625 MGA94_50 620261 7684133 60.2 147 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1626 MGA94_50 620248 7684154 59.9 147 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1627 MGA94_50 620234 7684174 59.7 147 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1628 MGA94_50 620220 7684195 59.4 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1629 MGA94_50 620207 7684216 59.1 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1630 MGA94_50 620193 7684237 58.9 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1631 MGA94_50 620179 7684258 58.7 147 -60 AC 31 E47/3673 F1632 MGA94_50 620166 7684279 58.6 147 -60 AC 29 E47/3673 F1633 MGA94_50 620152 7684300 58.5 147 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1634 MGA94_50 620138 7684321 58.3 147 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1635 MGA94_50 620124 7684342 58.3 147 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1636 MGA94_50 621074 7683768 61.3 147 -60 AC 48 E47/3673 F1637 MGA94_50 621060 7683789 61.3 147 -60 AC 42 E47/3673 F1638 MGA94_50 621047 7683810 61.3 147 -60 AC 42 E47/3673 F1639 MGA94_50 621033 7683831 61.3 147 -60 AC 42 E47/3673 F1640 MGA94_50 621019 7683852 61.2 147 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1641 MGA94_50 621005 7683873 61.2 147 -60 AC 36 E47/3673 F1642 MGA94_50 620992 7683894 61.2 147 -60 AC 36 E47/3673 F1643 MGA94_50 620978 7683915 61.3 147 -60 AC 42 E47/3673 F1644 MGA94_50 620964 7683936 61.5 147 -60 AC 42 E47/3673 F1645 MGA94_50 620951 7683957 61.8 147 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1646 MGA94_50 620937 7683978 61.9 147 -60 AC 36 E47/3673 F1647 MGA94_50 620923 7683998 62.2 147 -60 AC 36 E47/3673 F1648 MGA94_50 620910 7684019 62.4 147 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1649 MGA94_50 620896 7684040 62.7 147 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1650 MGA94_50 620882 7684061 63.0 147 -60 AC 36 E47/3673 F1651 MGA94_50 620868 7684082 63.4 147 -60 AC 43 E47/3673 F1652 MGA94_50 620855 7684103 64.3 147 -60 AC 36 E47/3673 F1653 MGA94_50 620841 7684124 65.4 147 -60 AC 36 E47/3673 F1654 MGA94_50 620081 7685135 57.7 180 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1655 MGA94_50 620081 7685160 57.6 180 -60 AC 31 E47/3673 F1656 MGA94_50 620081 7685185 57.7 180 -60 AC 16 E47/3673 F1657 MGA94_50 620081 7685210 57.6 180 -60 AC 25 E47/3673 F1658 MGA94_50 620081 7685235 57.7 180 -60 AC 15 E47/3673 F1659 MGA94_50 620081 7685260 57.5 180 -60 AC 13 E47/3673 F1660 MGA94_50 620081 7685285 57.5 180 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1661 MGA94_50 620081 7685310 57.5 180 -60 AC 13 E47/3673 F1662 MGA94_50 620081 7685335 57.4 180 -60 AC 20 E47/3673 F1663 MGA94_50 620081 7685360 57.4 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1664 MGA94_50 620081 7685385 57.3 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1665 MGA94_50 620081 7685410 57.3 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1666 MGA94_50 620081 7685435 57.3 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1667 MGA94_50 620081 7685460 57.3 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1668 MGA94_50 620081 7685485 57.3 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1669 MGA94_50 620081 7685510 57.2 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1670 MGA94_50 620081 7685535 57.2 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1671 MGA94_50 620081 7685560 57.2 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1672 MGA94_50 620081 7685585 57.2 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1673 MGA94_50 620081 7685610 57.2 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1674 MGA94_50 620081 7685635 57.2 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1675 MGA94_50 620081 7685660 57.1 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1676 MGA94_50 620081 7685685 57.3 180 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1677 MGA94_50 620081 7685710 57.7 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1678 MGA94_50 620081 7685735 58.0 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1679 MGA94_50 620081 7685760 58.1 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1680 MGA94_50 620081 7685785 58.1 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1681 MGA94_50 620081 7685810 58.0 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1682 MGA94_50 620081 7685835 57.9 180 -60 AC 22 E47/3673 F1683 MGA94_50 620081 7685860 57.8 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1684 MGA94_50 620081 7685885 57.5 180 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1685 MGA94_50 620081 7685910 57.5 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1686 MGA94_50 620081 7685935 57.5 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1687 MGA94_50 620081 7685960 57.5 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1688 MGA94_50 620081 7685985 57.5 180 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1689 MGA94_50 620081 7686010 57.8 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1690 MGA94_50 620081 7686035 57.9 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1691 MGA94_50 620081 7686060 58.5 180 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1692 MGA94_50 620081 7686085 58.8 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1693 MGA94_50 620081 7686110 59.1 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1694 MGA94_50 620081 7686135 59.4 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1695 MGA94_50 620081 7686160 59.0 180 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1696 MGA94_50 620081 7686185 58.7 180 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1697 MGA94_50 620608 7684479 62.4 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1698 MGA94_50 620594 7684500 61.8 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1699 MGA94_50 620581 7684521 61.2 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1700 MGA94_50 620567 7684542 60.8 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1701 MGA94_50 620553 7684563 60.5 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1702 MGA94_50 620540 7684584 60.2 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1703 MGA94_50 620526 7684605 60.0 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1704 MGA94_50 620512 7684626 59.8 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1705 MGA94_50 620498 7684647 59.7 147 -60 AC 42 E47/3673 F1706 MGA94_50 620485 7684668 59.7 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1707 MGA94_50 620471 7684688 59.6 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1708 MGA94_50 620457 7684709 59.6 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1709 MGA94_50 620444 7684730 59.5 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1710 MGA94_50 620430 7684751 59.5 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1711 MGA94_50 620416 7684772 59.3 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1712 MGA94_50 620403 7684793 59.2 147 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1713 MGA94_50 620389 7684814 59.2 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1714 MGA94_50 620375 7684835 59.2 147 -60 AC 7 E47/3673 F1715 MGA94_50 620361 7684856 59.1 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1716 MGA94_50 620348 7684877 58.9 147 -60 AC 7 E47/3673 F1717 MGA94_50 620334 7684898 58.9 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1718 MGA94_50 620320 7684918 58.7 147 -60 AC 10 E47/3673 F1719 MGA94_50 620307 7684939 58.4 147 -60 AC 7 E47/3673 F1720 MGA94_50 620293 7684960 58.3 147 -60 AC 14 E47/3673 F1721 MGA94_50 620279 7684981 58.2 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1722 MGA94_50 620266 7685002 58.2 147 -60 AC 6 E47/3673 F1723 MGA94_50 620252 7685023 58.2 147 -60 AC 5 E47/3673 F1724 MGA94_50 620238 7685044 58.1 147 -60 AC 6 E47/3673 F1725 MGA94_50 620224 7685065 58.0 147 -60 AC 6 E47/3673 F1726 MGA94_50 620211 7685086 57.9 147 -60 AC 8 E47/3673 F1727 MGA94_50 620197 7685107 57.9 147 -60 AC 8 E47/3673 F1728 MGA94_50 620183 7685128 57.9 147 -60 AC 19 E47/3673 F1729 MGA94_50 620752 7684843 59.6 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1730 MGA94_50 620739 7684864 59.6 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1731 MGA94_50 620725 7684885 59.5 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1732 MGA94_50 620711 7684906 59.2 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1733 MGA94_50 620698 7684927 59.1 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1734 MGA94_50 620684 7684948 59.0 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1735 MGA94_50 620670 7684968 59.0 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1736 MGA94_50 620657 7684989 58.9 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1737 MGA94_50 620643 7685010 58.9 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1738 MGA94_50 620629 7685031 58.8 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1739 MGA94_50 620615 7685052 58.7 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1740 MGA94_50 620602 7685073 58.6 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1741 MGA94_50 620588 7685094 58.7 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1742 MGA94_50 620574 7685115 58.6 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1743 MGA94_50 620561 7685136 58.6 147 -60 AC 20 E47/3673 F1744 MGA94_50 620547 7685157 58.6 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1745 MGA94_50 620533 7685178 58.6 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1746 MGA94_50 620519 7685198 58.6 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1747 MGA94_50 620506 7685219 58.7 147 -60 AC 20 E47/3673 F1748 MGA94_50 620492 7685240 58.5 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1749 MGA94_50 620478 7685261 58.3 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1750 MGA94_50 621528 7684246 61.0 147 -60 AC 7 E47/3673 F1751 MGA94_50 621514 7684267 60.9 147 -60 AC 9 E47/3673 F1752 MGA94_50 621501 7684288 60.9 147 -60 AC 10 E47/3673 F1753 MGA94_50 621487 7684309 60.8 147 -60 AC 21 E47/3673 F1754 MGA94_50 621473 7684330 60.8 147 -60 AC 9 E47/3673 F1755 MGA94_50 621460 7684351 60.6 147 -60 AC 26 E47/3673 F1756 MGA94_50 621446 7684372 60.5 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1757 MGA94_50 621432 7684393 60.4 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1758 MGA94_50 621418 7684413 60.3 147 -60 AC 30 E47/3673 F1759 MGA94_50 621405 7684434 60.1 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1760 MGA94_50 621391 7684455 60.1 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673 F1761 MGA94_50 621377 7684476 60.0 147 -60 AC 29 E47/3673 F1762 MGA94_50 621364 7684497 60.0 147 -60 AC 24 E47/3673

Table 2: Becher Area  Aircore drilling Intercepts > 0.1 g/t Au with up to 2 m internal dilution
CALABASAS, Calif., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Resonate Blends, Inc. (OTCQB: KOAN) (Resonate Blends or the Company) is pleased to report it has entered into a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) to complete an acquisition of Pegasus Specialty Vehicles, LLC (Pegasus). A Letter to Shareholders from Resonates Chairman and CEO Geoff Selzer follows:



Dear Shareholders,

When Resonate Blends first entered the public sector in late 2019, we made clear our mission was to provide shareholder value for the investors who believed in our commitment of demystifying cannabis to the emerging wellness market and creating innovative products designed to support intentional and mindful use as a core part of daily wellness. We believed we accomplished this goal with the creation of our award-winning Koan Cordials.

Since late 2019, we have been attempting to raise money to implement our business plan, including our planned acquisition strategy, but have not been able to secure all the funds necessary to do so for several reasons. The present economy without federal cannabis reform, the restrictions on commercial banking, the saturated nature of the cannabis industry, the strength of the illicit market and the decline in public investor interest in cannabis stocks over the past 18 months have all prevented this from happening. We have been very vocal in our belief that all stakeholders, from our employees, our customers and our financial community, need to be considered as we drive our strategy. We are clear that a relative startup in the cannabis industry, as a public company, does not serve those interests and have decided to set our sights on new opportunities.

We have recently commenced a search for other businesses that may benefit our existing shareholders and bring in new investors and opportunities. As a result, we were recently approached with a new opportunity for the public company that we feel may bring improved commercial and shareholder value. Weve been told by many that Resonate is attractive to private companies due to our capital structure, fully-reporting SEC status and our loyal investor base. We have worked hard over the years to maintain a healthy capital structure attractive to private companies looking to become public.

After completion of our due diligence, we signed a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with Pegasus Specialty Vehicles, LLC (Pegasus) on April 21, 2023. This opportunity in the rapidly growing clean energy sector presents a unique opportunity for our shareholders and is consistent with our perspective of value-based investing. Pegasus is an innovative leader in the low-emission and zero-emission electric vehicle (EV) and emerging hydrogen fuel cell technology for school buses and specialty vehicles. The leadership team from Pegasus is well known and respected throughout the industry and their relationships have created a nationwide network of distributors to sell their buses and specialty vehicles in all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Micronesia, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Caribbean.

The Pegasus advantage is in its flexible business model of addressing the needs of the traditional, hybrid electric, full electric (EV) battery and hydrogen fuel cell markets. To leverage their position in this emerging market, Pegasus has developed strategic partnerships with leaders in the EV and hydrogen fuel cell sectors, such as Peterbilt, Zeus Electric Chassis, Hyperion Motors and Via Motors. There is a lot more to know about Pegasus and its future growth plans, but we will save this information for an expected later announcement.

To summarize, we are excited to let the investment community and our loyal shareholders know we are moving our public holding company towards an opportunity we all feel will provide a clearer path to near term revenue opportunities, revenue growth and overall profitability than what our current business can provide.

As always, we are grateful for our shareholders support and patience as we continue the process towards our expected closing of Pegasus. We expect to be in contact over the coming weeks detailing our progress towards this exciting opportunity.

In the meantime, stay safe, stay healthy.

Geoff Selzer

CEO

Completion of the Proposed Merger is subject to the negotiation of a definitive merger agreement and related documentation, approval of the Proposed Merger by our Board of Directors, the completion of due diligence to the satisfaction of both parties, financing and satisfaction of other conditions that are to be negotiated as part of the merger agreement. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that a merger agreement will be entered into or that the Proposed Merger will be consummated.

About Resonate Blends, Inc. (OTCQB:KOAN)

Resonate Blends is a Calabasas, CA-based portfolio of Cannabis Wellness and Lifestyle brands. The company created the Resonate Systema comprehensive system of interconnected experience targets to personalize consumers relationship with Cannabis through its products. Koan Cordials, the worlds first Cannabis Cordial and Resonates flagship product line, was awarded the prestigious Gold Leaf Award for Best New Brand and a Clio Cannabis award for packaging and design. To learn more, please visit www.resonateblends.com or http://www.koan.life

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements include, but are not limited to, any statements relating to our product development programs and any other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties that could negatively affect our business, operating results, financial condition and stock price. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from managements current expectations include those risks and uncertainties relating to our ability to raise capital, the regulatory approval process, the development, testing, production and marketing of our drug candidates, patent and intellectual property matters and strategic agreements and relationships. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations or any changes in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. A complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties that may affect the Companys business, including the business of any of its subsidiaries, is included in Risk Factors in the Companys most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Corporate Contact

David Thielen

Chief Investment Officer/Director

Resonate Blends, Inc.

david@resonateblends.com

571-888-0009

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/41136796-ae0c-4e35-80f4-a0f81e8b64fe
LONG BRANCH, N.J., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Payments , an NJ-based credit card processing and merchant services provider, expands to a new office after a record year of portfolio and employee growth. The companys new location will serve as a critical hub for regional and national expansion for businesses across retail, healthcare, hospitality, automotive sales industry and more. The announcement comes at the heels of the NJBIZ Magazine award win honoring Green Payments CEO Cliff Green as a 2023 Leader in Finance for his work within the New Jersey community and beyond.



Our new home serves as a testament to our teams hard work helping businesses navigate a fast-paced digital market, said Green. As the digital payment space continues to evolve rapidly, we are dedicated to providing the best path forward for businesses of all sizes with customized service and unparalleled support. Im honored to be selected as a leader in finance, but it could not be possible without my hard-working team.

Since its inception in 2019, Green Payments has helped over 5,000 businesses build their financial stability with reduced processing fees. In 2022 alone, the companys processing portfolio increased a staggering 134%, totaling over $1.2 billion in processed transactions. Located in Little Silver, New Jersey, the new location allows the company to meet the needs of its expanding portfolio and team of experts.

The companys award-winning services , like its unique Dealer Genie program, provide frictionless support and reduced processing fees for hundreds of businesses nationwide. Green Payments customized programs and partnerships with emergent biometric technologies offer merchants and customers the latest in payment options for the best experience possible.

For more information about Green Payments, visit greenpayments.io . Those interested in job opportunities with an award-winning company can learn more here .

About Green Payments

Green Payments is a payments technology company delivering innovative software and services to customers nationwide. Green Payments technologies, services and employee expertise enable businesses large and small to operate their businesses more efficiently through a broad range of solutions to minimize overreaching credit card fees for building a healthier economy. Since 2019, Green Payments has established itself as a leader in the payments industry with a focus of customer service at its core, providing 24/7 assistance and continued checkups throughout the length of the contract. Visit greenpayments.io for more information.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c32ef968-e2f3-4e01-bace-b080b31a7e69
AHOSKIE, N.C., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A $40,000 grant from SECU Foundation will help the Choanoke Area Development Association (CADA) expand its capacity to address affordable housing needs in Northampton, Bertie, Halifax, Hertford, and Martin counties. CADA supports the work of local governments in the region to develop quality affordable housing for low-income households, helping qualifying residents achieve self-sufficiency and a better quality of life.



On behalf of the CADA board of directors, staff, and families within the communities that CADA serves, we want to say thank you to the SECU Foundation for your generous grant. This funding will assist the Choanoke Area Home Consortium with conducting a comprehensive housing community needs assessment. We are in the process of establishing an advisory committee to assist with the assessment and develop an annual action plan to address identified housing needs, said Christopher Moody, CADA executive director. This is the beginning of something great  thank you, SECU Foundation, for your positive impact on our communities!

We are seeing the tremendous impact that the Foundations Rural Opportunity Grant program is making in the growth and sustainability of non-profits in rural and underserved areas that have received the grants, said James Eure, SECU district senior vice president, Northeast Region. Affordable housing is a growing concern and can be tackled with the help of community leaders and organizations working together. We look forward to the housing opportunities CADA will create for residents in the region through SECU Foundations grant.

About SECU and SECU Foundation

A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, and federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for over 85 years. SECU is the second largest credit union in the United States with $50 billion in assets. It serves over 2.7 million members through 274 branch offices, over 1,100 ATMs, Member Services Support via phone, www.ncsecu.org, and a Mobile App. The SECU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by the contributions of SECU members, promotes local community development in North Carolina primarily through high-impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, and human services. Since 2004, SECU Foundation has made a collective financial commitment of over $235 million for initiatives to benefit North Carolinians statewide.

Contact: Jama Campbell, Executive Director

Office: 919-839-5562 | secufoundation@ncsecu.org

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c06235ca-6e64-4eb1-8c7d-12f36a3b3226
TORONTO, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chalice Brands Ltd. (CSE: CHAL) (Chalice or the Company) announced today that the Company has obtained an order (the Initial Order) from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) (the Court) granting protection under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) (CCAA) as well as commenced a process in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for an order (the Receivership Order) granting the appointment of an Oregon state receiver over certain of Chalices subsidiaries (the Receivership Entities and the process, the State Receivership).



In accordance with the Initial Order, all creditors of Chalice, as well as creditors of all of the Companys subsidiaries (such subsidiaries, the Non-Filing Affiliates), will be stayed from enforcing their claims. The Initial Order provides for a stay of proceedings in favour of the Company and the Non-Filing Affiliates for an initial period of 10 days, subject to such extensions as the Court may subsequently order, and the appointment of KSV Restructuring Inc. as Monitor in the CCAA proceeding.

The Receivership Order, if granted, will approve the appointment of Kenneth Eiler as receiver (the Receiver) over the businesses, assets and property of the Receivership Entities and grant the Receivership Entities a broad stay of proceedings against them or their property. The intent of the State Receivership proceeding is to, among other things, ensure that the parties are able to effect a coordinated restructuring effort and support the CCAA proceeding.

After reviewing a number of options, Chalices Board of Directors determined that commencing the CCAA proceeding and State Receivership proceedings is in the best interests of the Company and its stakeholders. The stays of proceedings in the Initial Order and the Receivership Order, if granted, will provide Chalice with additional time to consider potential restructuring transactions, including a sale and investment solicitation process to explore potential strategic options and alternatives. Chalice intends to continue its work with the Monitor, the Receiver and their advisors in connection with its consideration of potential restructuring transactions. Chalice anticipates providing a further update once additional details regarding potential restructuring transactions are available, though it can offer no assurance that any potential restructuring transactions will be available on terms acceptable to the Chalice and the courts, or at all. There can also be no assurance that any potential restructuring transactions will result in any transactions or the outcome of the proceedings will provide any residual value for the benefit of holders of the Companys Common Shares.

The Company hopes to exit CCAA protection well-positioned to rebuild its stakeholders trust and deliver high-quality, farm-to-table products to its customers. Despite the efforts by Chalices management and Board of Directors to preserve the Companys cash liquidity while seeking to restore the Company to profitability, the Companys future remains uncertain. Chalice continues to be delayed in the filing of its December 31, 2021 audited annual financial statements together with the Companys quarterly interim financial statements thereon and all associated materials.

Trading in Chalices Common Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the CSE) has been subject to a cease trade order and halted since May 2022 as a result of the Company failing to file its audited annual financial statements for the year-ended December 31, 2021. The Company expects that trading of the Common Shares will remain halted indefinitely.

A comeback hearing in respect of the relief granted pursuant to the Initial Order will be scheduled within ten days (the Comeback Hearing). Interested parties that wish to bring a motion at the Comeback Hearing are required to provide notice to the affected parties prior to the Comeback Hearing pursuant to the requirements set forth in the Initial Order.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes forward-looking information and statements, which may generally be identified by the use of the words will, continues, anticipates and intends and variations or similar expressions which include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs including, without limitation, the date of any future court appearance or update; the Companys plans with respect to potential restructuring transactions; and potential benefits of a restructuring transaction.

Forward-looking information and statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of Chalice to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information and statements herein. Such assumptions, risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, that the stay will have the effect contemplated by Chalice in providing it with additional time to consider and restructuring transactions and that changes in the CCAA proceeding, the restructuring process and Chalices ability to meet its obligations proceed on the basis anticipated by Chalice or at all. Although Chalice believes that any forward-looking information and statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such information and statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such risks and uncertainties and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking information and statements. Any forward-looking information and statements herein are made as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, Chalice assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking information and statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward looking information and statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, changes in the CCAA proceeding or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.

For more information regarding the Companys CCAA Proceeding

A copy of the Initial Order and other information will be available on the Monitors website at www.ksvadvisory.com/experience/case/chalice-brands-ltd.

Additional enquiries for the Monitor may be directed to:

KSV Restructuring Inc.

In its capacity as Court-appointed Monitor of Chalice Brands Ltd.
Dublin, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Glaucoma - Competitive Landscape, 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



This report provides comprehensive insights about 45+ companies and 50+ drugs in Glaucoma Competitive landscape. It covers the therapeutics assessment by product type, stage, route of administration, and molecule type. It further highlights the inactive pipeline products in this space.



According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, glaucoma describes a group of conditions in which there is characteristic cupping of the optic disc with corresponding visual field defects due to retinal ganglion cell loss. It is a progressive condition and the most common cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The two major categories of glaucoma are open-angle glaucoma and narrow-angle glaucoma/angle-closure glaucoma. The "angle" in both cases refers to the drainage angle inside the eye that controls the outflow of the watery fluid (aqueous) which is being produced inside the eye.



Open-angle glaucoma (OAG) is the most common form of the disease. The drainage angle formed by the cornea and iris remains open, but the trabecular meshwork is partially blocked. This causes pressure in the eye to increase gradually and damages the optic nerve.

It happens so slowly that the patient may lose vision before they are even aware of a problem, while in the case of narrow-angle glaucoma, the structure inside the eye that allows fluid to drain normally from the eye (called the drainage angle) becomes restricted. Narrow drainage angles in the eye increase the risk of the drainage angle that gets blocked, resulting in a significant increase in eye pressure and risk of vision loss. If this occurs, narrow-angle glaucoma is usually called angle-closure glaucoma.



Most people with glaucoma do not notice symptoms until they begin to lose eyesight. As glaucoma damages optic nerve fibers, small blind spots may begin to develop. These spots usually occur on the side or in the peripheral vision. Many people do not notice the blind spots until significant optic nerve damage has already happened. Blindness can result when the entire nerve is destroyed.



Given the asymptomatic development of early-stage glaucoma, the disease often progresses significantly before it is detected. For many years, it was believed that glaucoma affected primarily peripheral vision and central vision was left unharmed until very late in the disease.

Contrary to this dogma, research now shows that loss of peripheral vision is not an early indication of the disease, and that the full range of vision (peripheral and central) is often affected. Further, the visual field tests are not sensitive to early vision losses. By the time glaucoma is detected by a peripheral field test in many patients, more than half of the optic nerve fibers are damaged or have perished. Research is ongoing to perfect better tests for central vision that can detect the disease in earlier stages.



It is an inherited disease, meaning that if person have a family history of glaucoma, person are at increased risk. Additional risk factors include thin corneas or people with thinning of the optic nerve, general health conditions such as diabetes, obesity and circulatory problems, and other eye issues like extreme myopia and hyperopia.



There is no cure for glaucoma, but early treatment can often stop the damage and protect the vision. Doctors use a few different types of treatment for glaucoma, including medicines (usually eye drops), laser treatment, and surgery.



Report Highlights

In December 2022, Visiox Pharma announced that it had received notification from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that the agency has completed its filing review and accepted for filing the New Drug Application (NDA) for PDP-716 (0.35% brimonidine tartrate) for the treatment of glaucoma.

In October 2022, Essex Biotechnology Ltd announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Essex Bioinvestment Ltd had secured (i) a patent and know-how license agreement; and (ii) a patent assignment deed in relation to SkQ1, an active pharmaceutical ingredient, from Mitotech S.A. Under these Agreements, Mitotech grants Essex Bioinvestment worldwide rights (excluding Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia) and interests in SkQ1, transferable and irrevocable, in the field of ophthalmology exclusively.

On October 6, 2022, Santen Pharmaceutical announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had accepted the Santen filing for reviewing the marketing authorization application for the use of STN1013001 for the lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP) in open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. The marketing authorization application is based on a clinical package that includes positive results from a Phase III clinical trial conducted in Europe and Asia - a non-inferiority trial of STN1013001.

In September 2022, TearClear announced that the company's lead product, TC-002 (latanoprost ophthalmic solution 0.005%), met the primary and all secondary endpoints in the CLEAR Phase III pivotal trial. With these results, TearClear plans to file a New Drug Application (NDA) with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the first quarter of 2023.

In May 2022, Qlaris Bio, Inc., announced results from QC-201, a first-in-human, Phase 2 clinical trial of QLS-101, the Company's investigational therapy for lowering intraocular pressure (IOP) in the treatment of glaucoma. Study findings demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile for QLS-101, including no evidence of hyperemia (eye redness), as well as a positive efficacy signal, in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) or ocular hypertension.

In December 2021, Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company Ltd. announced that it had entered into an agreement with Visiox Pharma LLC (Visiox) to grant exclusive worldwide rights (except for India and Greater China) for the development and commercialization of PDP-716 and SDN-037. Under the terms of the license agreement, SPARC received an upfront payment, milestone payments, and royalties on sales, in addition to 10% equity* in Visiox.

Key Questions Answered

Current Treatment Scenario and Emerging Therapies:

How many companies are developing Glaucoma drugs?

How many Glaucoma drugs are developed by each company?

How many emerging drugs are in mid-stage, and late-stage of development for the treatment of Glaucoma?

What are the key collaborations (Industry-Industry, Industry-Academia), Mergers and acquisitions, licensing activities related to the Glaucoma therapeutics?

What are the recent trends, drug types and novel technologies developed to overcome the limitation of existing therapies?

What are the clinical studies going on for Glaucoma and their status?

What are the key designations that have been granted to the emerging and approved drugs?

Key Players

Santen Pharmaceuticals

Visiox Pharma

Nicox Ophthalmics

pH Pharma

Omikron Italia

Tarsier Pharma

TearClear

Laboratoires Thea

EMS

Peregrine Ophthalmic

Ocuphire Pharma

HK inno.N

VivaVision Biotech

Qlaris Bio

Future Medicine

PolyActiva Pty Ltd

Theratocular Biotek

Whitecap Biosciences

JeniVision

AbbVie

Noveome Biotherapeutics

Key Products

DE-130A

PDP-716

NCX 470

PHP-201

Citicoline

TRS01

TC-002

T4032

Bremen

POLAT 001

Nyxol

IN-A010

VVN539

QLS-101

FM 101

PA5108

TO-O-1001

WB-007

JV-GL1

AGN-193408 SR

ST266

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ur4rd9

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.
Columbus, OH, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) of Columbus, OH today as one of eight recipients of the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nations highest honor given to museums and libraries that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities. Over the past 29 years, the award has celebrated institutions that are making a difference for individuals, families, and communities.

IMLS is delighted to announce the eight worthy recipients of the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, including the Center of Science and Industry (COSI), said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. COSI has found traditional and decidedly untraditional but fun and imaginative ways to bring science to life and put it in the heads and hands of learners of all ages.

Founded in 1964, COSI makes science real and relevant for learners of all ages. Whether it is through hands-on experiences, creative media programming, distribution of science kits around the globe, or by hosting accessible community events and programs, COSI reinforces that science is everywhere and for everyone. COSI strives to stretch beyond a place-based experience  creating a COSI that lives and breathes beyond our physical location, traveling both digitally and literally, to engage, inspire, and transform through all things science.

Selected from 30 national finalists, the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service winners represent institutions that provide dynamic programming and services that exceed expected levels of service. Through their community outreach, these institutions bring about change that touches the lives of individuals and helps communities thrive.

COSI is honored to be recognized as a recipient of the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, said Dr. Frederic Bertley, president and CEO of COSI. We are proud to stand alongside such remarkable museums and libraries as they are recognized for their community impact and contributions to the field. The magnitude of this recognition confirms that the work COSI has done in our community, state, across the nation, and around the world is truly making a difference in the lives of the individuals we serve.

The award will be presented at a ceremony this summer in Washington, DC. For a complete list of 2023 recipients and to learn more about the National Medal winners, visit the IMLS website.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower Americas museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About COSI

The Center of Science and Industry (COSI), the #1 Science Museum in the Country as voted by USA Todays 10Best, is an esteemed science center that has delighted Central Ohio, with all things science for 59 years, inspiring interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) topics and delivering our experiential, "hands-on fun" brand of learning. COSI has been awarded five Emmys for its effective science communication television and video productions impacting science literacy for people of all ages. As a trusted educational resource for families, schools and community partners, COSI is an essential element of our regional and national community, engaging millions of people annually through onsite, offsite and online experiences. For more information, please visit COSI.org.

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LONDON, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Business Research Companys research on the public safety and security market forecasts the market share to grow from $493.7 billion in 2022 to $554.1 billion in 2023, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 12%., Further, the public safety and security market is predicted to expand to $878.0 billion in 2027, at a CAGR of more than 12%. In 2022, North America held the largest share of the public safety and security market.



One significant factor driving the growth of the public safety and security market is the increasing instances of transnational and regional instability. This instability refers to political unrest in neighboring countries, emphasizing the need for safeguarding citizens and infrastructure against threats on a national and international scale.

Learn More In-Depth On The Public Safety And Security Market

https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/pu b lic-safety-and-security-global-market-report

Another important driver in the public safety and security market is the rise in criminal activities. Criminal activities involve actions that are prohibited by criminal law, encompassing physical or mental behaviors executed to commit crimes.

For instance, in October 2022, the New York Police Department reported a 16.5% increase in major felony crimes compared to the previous year, resulting in a total of 4,367 arrests for complaints in New York City alone. This upward trend in criminal activities is driving the demand for public safety and security solutions.

Major players in the public safety and security market include Accenture Plc., AGT International, Atos, BAE Systems, Cisco Systems Inc., Elbit Systems, Ericsson, Fotokite, Harris Corporation, Hitachi Ltd.

Get A Free Sample Of The Global Public Safety And Security Market Report

https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/sample.aspx?id=9263&type=smp

The global public safety and security market is segmented as -

1) By Component: Services, Solutions

2) By Solution: Critical Communication Network, Biometric and Authentication System, Surveillance System, Emergency and Disaster Management, Cyber Security, C2/C4ISR Networks, Scanning and Screening System, Public Address and General Alarm, Backup and Recovery System

3) By Services: Professional Services, Managed Services

4) By Vertical: Homeland Security, Emergency Services, Critical Infrastructure Security, Transportation Systems, Other Verticals

The public safety and security market report provides an in-depth analysis of the global public safety and security market, its growth prospects, and key factors influencing its trajectory. It highlights the advancement in the industry and how players are adopting and implementing new solutions to stay relevant. In addition, the report provides information on major players and their business strategies.

Public Safety And Security Global Market Report 2023 by The Business Research Company provides insights on the public safety and security market size, public safety and security market segments, public safety and security market trends, drivers and restraints, major competitors market positioning, revenues and market shares.

The Business Research Company has published over 4,500+ industry reports, covering more than 2,500+ market segments and 60 geographies. The reports draw on 1,500,000 datasets, extensive secondary research, and exclusive insights from interviews with industry leaders.

Learn More About The Business Research Company

The Business Research Company is a market intelligence firm pioneering in company, market, and consumer research. With offices all around the world, TBRC has specialist consultants in a variety of fields, including manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, chemicals, and technology.

Global Market Model  Worlds Most Comprehensive Database
BETHESDA, Md., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Jeremy Schulman Grant, a financial grant designed to support law students in need, is now accepting applications. The grant, established by accomplished commercial litigation attorney and philanthropist Jeremy Schulman, provides $5,000 in funding to a low-income law student who is committed to pursuing a legal career. The deadline to apply for the scholarship is December 15, 2023, and the winner will be announced on January 15, 2024.



To be eligible for the grant, applicants must be currently on the path to a law degree in the United States, in good academic standing, and able to demonstrate a commitment to their legal education. Applicants must also be able to demonstrate financial need and show that they are facing significant financial barriers to success. Preference may be given to applicants who are first-generation college students, members of underrepresented groups, or those who have overcome significant obstacles to pursue their legal education.

Eligible law students must submit an essay that answers the following question: "In your opinion, what is the most significant challenge facing the legal profession today, and what steps do you believe should be taken to address this challenge?" The essay should be no longer than 1,000 words and should be submitted by Word Doc to apply@jeremyschulmangrant.com.

Jeremy Schulman, the founder of the grant, is an accomplished commercial litigation attorney, philanthropist, and entrepreneur who has made significant contributions to the legal profession and the broader community. He is a co-founder of the law firm Schulman Bhattacharya and serves as the Chairman of the Litigation and Arbitration Group.

In addition to his legal practice, Jeremy Schulman is actively involved in philanthropy and civic engagement. He serves on the advisory board of the Round House Theatre, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting arts and culture in the Washington DC area. He has also established the Jeremy Schulman Grant, a financial grant that provides $5,000 in funding to a low-income law student who is committed to pursuing a legal career.

Jeremy Schulman obtained his J.D. Magna Cum Laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law and his undergraduate degree in Mathematics & Government from Cornell University. He has worked as a leading commercial litigator in several law firms, including Shulman Rogers, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae LLP.

Mr. Schulman's commitment to excellence, his passion for philanthropy, and his dedication to supporting those in need make him a role model for aspiring lawyers and community leaders. He continues to inspire and make a positive impact in the legal profession and the broader community through his legal practice, philanthropic activities, and entrepreneurial ventures.

The Jeremy Schulman Grant is an excellent opportunity for law students who are facing financial obstacles to achieve their goals. The grant provides not only financial assistance but also recognition and support to those who are committed to pursuing a legal career. Applicants are encouraged to submit their essays as soon as possible to be considered for this prestigious scholarship. For more information and to submit an application, please visit https://jeremyschulmangrant.com/jeremy-schulman-grant/.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This May, Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, releases The Weight of Everything by Pura Belpre Young Adult Honor Author Marcia Argueta Mickelson. This contemporary YA novel follows a teen girl of Mexican and Guatemalan descent as she navigates the depths of grief with warmth and self-discovery.

Six months ago, Sarah's beloved mother died in a car accident. Her dad fell apart, and Sarah had to leave her fine arts boarding school to take care of him and her little brother. Now, her dad's drinking and spending have gotten out of control, and Sarah is trying to hold everything together at home while adjusting to the local public high school. She's sure she doesn't have the time or emotional energy for a relationship with her sweet, handsome classmate, David Garza. But when a school project leads her to delve into her mother's Mexican and Guatemalan roots and rediscover her love of art, she stumbles upon a long-buried piece of history that mattered deeply to her mom. Sarah realizes she cant carry her pain silently anymore and she must find a way to balance her role as a caretaker with her own needs.

The Weight of Everything gracefully weaves together moments of pain, joy, and love with sensitive prose. Readers will cheer for Sarah as she finds her voice with the help of her new community.

Advance Praise for The Weight of Everything:

[L]ovingly conveys the pivotal role older siblings can play after a parent's death and weaves in Sarah's new interest in Guatemalan history and social activism in an organic manner. A thoughtful and substantive story about loss, cultural discovery, and first love.Kirkus Reviews

Through Sarahs tentative steps toward healing, Mickelson (Where I Belong) attentively showcases the mending power of tenderness, patience, and love in this moving read.Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Marcia Argueta Mickelson was born in Guatemala and immigrated to the United States as an infant. She attended high school in New Jersey and then graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in American Studies. She is the author of five novels including Star Shining Brightly, The Huaca, and Where I Belong, and she is a winner of the Pura Belpre Young Adult Author Honor. She lives in Texas with her husband and three sons.

About the Publisher

Carolrhoda Lab is dedicated to distinctive, provocative, boundary-pushing fiction for teens. From Michael L. Printz Award Honorees to a National Book Award Finalist, Carolrhoda Lab novels probe and examine the young-adult condition one novel at a time, affording YA authors and readers an opportunity to explore and experiment with thoughts, ideas, and paradigms in the human condition. For more information, visit www.lernerbooks.com or call 800-328-4929.

Follow us online:

Blog: lernerbooks.blog

Twitter: @LernerBooks

Facebook: Lerner Publishing Group

Instagram: @LernerBooks

Tiktok: @LernerBooks

Pinterest: @LernerBooks

Look inside at lernerbooks.com.

The Weight of Everything

May 2023

$19.99 Hardcover, Jacketed

eBook Also Available

Ages 12 - 18

HC: 978-1-7284-7535-6

240 Pages  5 1/2 x 8 1/4

Media contacts:

Lindsay Matvick

Publicity Director

800-328-4929, x385

lmatvick@lernerbooks.com

Megan Ciskowski

Associate Publicist

800-328-4929, x347

mciskowski@lernerbooks.com

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TORONTO, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Since 2007, national writing contest the Meaning of Home shares what home means to students in Grades 4, 5 and 6. This year, three grand prize winners and nine runners-up have joined over 12,000 students across Canada to raise $302,000 for Habitat for Humanity organizations across Canada through their entries. Three grand prize winners won a $30,000 grant to their local Habitat for Humanity organization. Runners-up have won a $10,000 grant for their local Habitat. Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who entered and earned a $10 donation to their local Habitat for Humanity with their submission.



The Grade 4 grand prize winner is Daphne U. (Toronto) for her entry: No Place Like Home. Her $30,000 grant will benefit Habitat for Humanity GTA.

The Grade 5 grand prize winner is Harleen S. (Winnipeg), for her entry: Home, a Place for Love and Laughter. Harleens grant will benefit Habitat for Humanity Manitoba.

The Grade 6 grand prize winner is Leah C. (Cote Saint-Luc), for her entry: What Home Means to Me, and whose grant will benefit Habitat for Humanity Quebec.

Runners-Up

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

Armeen A. Winnipeg, Manitoba In My Babas Arms Habitat for Humanity

Manitoba Ellyot W. Peterborough, Ontario What home means to me Habitat for Humanity

Peterborough & Kawartha Region Dominique E. Cambridge Bay, Nunavut Home Habitat for Humanity

Iqaluit

Safety, security, a place of love, a place to grow, play, learn and make memories  these are the things that children say matter most when asked what home means to them, says Julia Deans, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada. Housing provides a foundation for all these things, and we continue to build and advocate so more families can benefit from affordable homeownership.

Since the Meaning of Home contest began in 2007, over 100,000 students have shared what home means to them. With the support of Sagen as founding sponsor, these students have raised $2.3 million to help more families in need of homes build stronger lives through housing, said Stuart Levings, President and CEO of Sagen.

The Meaning of Home contest would not be possible without the generous support of Founding Sponsor, Sagen, and Award Sponsors Urban Systems Foundation, Face to Face Games, and Home Trust.

To read all the winning entries, please visit www.meaningofhome.ca/page/winners2023.

About Sagen

As a sponsor since 2000, Sagen has donated over $6.8 million in support of Habitat Canada and has helped thousands of Canadian families realize their dreams of affordable homeownership. While Sagens financial support provides crucial funding for their homeownership program, its support of Habitat Canada extends far beyond financial support. Throughout the sponsorship, Sagen employees from all levels of the organization, including President and CEO Stuart Levings and his executive team, have lent their leadership experience, industry knowledge and time to help launch many of Habitats signature programs, including the Sagen Homebuilding Grants, Global Village Volunteer Program in Canada and the Meaning of Home Contest. These programs, along with Sagens support and involvement in them has significantly increased their ability to raise funds, recruit volunteers and ultimately, support more families and build stronger communities. Find out more at www.sagen.ca

About Habitat for Humanity Canada

Founded in 1985, Habitat for Humanity Canada is a national charitable organization working toward a world where everyone has a decent and affordable place to call home. Habitat for Humanity brings communities together to help families build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. With the help of volunteers, Habitat homeowners and 46 local Habitats working in every province and territory, we provide a solid foundation for better, healthier lives in Canada and around the world. Habitat for Humanity Canada is a member of Habitat for Humanity International, which was established in 1976 and has grown to become a leading global non-profit working in more than 70 countries. For more information, please visit www.habitat.ca.



For more information:

Sarah Anderson Austin

Director, Communications

Habitat for Humanity Canada

saustin@habitat.ca

C: 437-241-6974

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/45576943-8062-4eaa-9a55-42a575cd7952
LISBON, PORTUGAL, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the dynamic world of cryptocurrencies, launching a new token or project can present numerous challenges, particularly when it comes to securing traditional funding options. However, a groundbreaking solution has emerged in the form of crypto launchpads, offering streamlined processes that enable projects to gain exposure, funding, and liquidity.

Introducing CryptoHub Launchpad, a pioneering platform that empowers crypto projects of all sizes by providing cutting-edge tools and services. With a commitment to driving innovation, CryptoHub aims to establish itself as the premier launchpad in the industry, incorporating revolutionary features on several prominent networks, including the highly anticipated PulseChain Network.







Recognizing the significance of collaboration and shared ownership, Crypto Hub has made a strategic decision to distribute the launchpad's ownership and involvement among key players and esteemed crypto investors. This move will create a larger team and enhance the decentralization of the launchpad, ensuring a more diverse and inclusive ecosystem.

One of the most prominent launchpads in the Web3 space is PinkSale, which offers three key features: the ability to create tokens, conduct pre-sales, and implement token locks. Examining the profit potential of the pre-sale feature alone, PinkSale's contract address on the Binance Smart Chain (BSC) network has generated over 1400 BNBs (equivalent to 400k USD) within a span of just 100 days. Extrapolating these numbers, PinkSale's estimated yearly income exceeds 1.3 million USD solely from BSC pre-sales and 7 million USD total features.

Based on comprehensive analysis, it is evident that PinkSale is not an isolated case, as competitors in the launchpad market also exhibit strong financial performance. Most launchpads boast an average of five features and generate well over one million USD in revenue. Considering CryptoHub Launchpad's ambitious plan to offer ten features, employ a team of fifteen members paid automatically from profits, and establish partnerships with major Web3 companies, the projected income is expected to be substantial.

CryptoHub Launchpad offers an unprecedented opportunity for its owners, granting access not only to revenue streams but also to the decision-making processes that shape the platform's future. Shareholders of CryptoHub Launchpad are not merely launchpad owners; they also hold ownership rights to all future decentralized applications (dapps) created within the CryptoHub Ecosystem.

There are four types of shareholders in CryptoHub Launchpad, each represented in the form of an NFT on the Ethereum Mainnet:

Core Founders (20% Ownership) Team Members (15% Ownership) Key Investors (20% Ownership) Investors (45% Ownership)

To foster decentralization, CryptoHub has created a unique collection of NFTs that represent ownership shares. These NFTs can be found on OpenSea ( https://opensea.io/collection/cryptohub-ownership-shares ) and serve as a means for wallet owners to claim their profits on the CryptoHub Foundation Website ( https://cryptohub.foundation/ ).

For retail investors aspiring to become CryptoHub Launchpad shareholders, the process is straightforward. By minting an Ownership Share on the CryptoHub Minting Website ( https://cryptohub.foundation/ ), individuals can secure their position.

Each NFT represents 0.25% ownership and is priced at 0.4 ETH during the public sale, which commences on May 20th. Remarkably, each NFT has the potential to generate a passive income of over $1,000 per month, making it a lucrative investment that pays for itself within the first month of launchpad activity.

The NFT sale is divided into two stages: the Public Sale and the Whitelisted Sale.The Whitelisted Sale, a special opportunity reserved for winners of upcoming competitions on Twitter, will be announced on May 30th. Participants selected for the whitelist will enjoy a discounted price of 0.2 ETH per NFT, representing a 50% reduction.

The team behind CryptoHub Launchpad believes that this is just the beginning of an exciting journey. Their vision extends far beyond the launchpad itself, as they are committed to shaping the future of decentralized finance and empowering crypto entrepreneurs worldwide.

By revolutionizing the token launch process and distributing ownership across key players and esteemed crypto investors, CryptoHub Launchpad is set to disrupt the industry and pave the way for a more inclusive and collaborative ecosystem. With its advanced features, strong revenue potential, and commitment to decentralization, CryptoHub Launchpad is poised to become a driving force in the world of crypto innovation.

To learn more about CryptoHub Launchpad and become a part of this groundbreaking venture, visit their website at https://cryptohub.foundation/ and secure your ownership share in the future of decentralized finance.

Website | OpenSea | Twitter | Whitepaper










NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FE International (FE or the Company), a four-time Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America M&A advisor to the global technology industry, announced today it has hired veteran investment banker Randal V. Stephenson as its Head of Investment Banking. In this role, Stephenson will launch and oversee the firm's investment banking platform along with FEs existing Due Diligence & Accounting Advisory and Sell-side M&A Advisory businesses.



Building off the Companys collective experience of over 1,200 completed M&A transactions, Stephenson has begun implementing FEs expansion plans. Investment Banking will be run out of FEs Rockefeller Plaza headquarters in New York, and Stephenson will oversee Company professionals in New York, Miami, San Francisco, and London.

Stephenson brings over 25 years of experience in management and finance. He started and/or managed investment banking businesses at several firms, including Merrill Lynch, Jefferies, CIT Group, and Duff & Phelps, and has closed 230 M&A and financing transactions in over 20 countries valued at more than $43 billion. Stephenson brings a track record of providing strategic consulting, M&A, and capital raising advisory to international corporate, private equity, and government clients across several industries.

On his new role and the addition of investment banking to FEs tech sector intelligence and relationships, Stephenson commented, During the past decade, FE has established itself as a leading M&A advisor to the global tech industry, with hundreds of completed sell-side transactions. This next stage of growth will add investment banking talent to an already world-class FE team of M&A professionals, as well as trained accountants and CPAs, who provide our clients with due diligence, Quality-of-Earnings (QofE) analyses, and transaction accounting and reporting services.

Thomas Smale, Chief Executive Officer of FE, commented on Stephensons hire, We are thrilled to have Randal join FE and lead the investment banking business. In addition to being an accomplished M&A and capital raising investment banker with hundreds of transactions to his credit, Randal has experience over two and a half decades starting and expanding international investment banking businesses in both large and small Wall Street platforms, internationally as well as in the U.S.

Ismael Wrixen, FEs Executive Chairman said, Randals several experiences recruiting, training, and motivating talented investment banking teams, determining optimal geographies, clients, and investment banking products and services for delivery to the market, and furthering our world class banking standards are all the elements FE seeks as we embark on this next phase of our evolution as a leading international advisory firm.

About FE International

FE International is an award-winning global M&A advisor of SaaS, e-commerce and digital media technology businesses. The Company has completed over 1,200 acquisitions for founders, owners and acquirers, and is considered the preeminent valuation thought leader in the technology industry. The FE team includes experts in exit planning, valuation, accounting, legal and investment banking. Founded in 2010, FE is known for its extensive network of pre-qualified international investors. With headquarters in New York and regional offices in Miami, San Francisco, and London. FE is truly an international company serving clients worldwide. FE was named one of The Americas' Fastest Growing Companies from 2020-2023 by The Financial Times and is also a four-time Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Company in America award winner.

Media Contact

KCSA Strategic Communications

Michael Ganci

FEI@kcsa.com
Covina, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the latest research study, the demand of Pneumatic Cylinder Market is estimated to be US$ 2,207.9 Million by 2032 with a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period

Overview:

A pneumatic cylinder is an air cylinder, also known as a pneumatic actuator which uses air pressure that helps in converting air energy into reciprocating linear motion. Pneumatic Actuators are safe, reliable, and efficient that use pressurized air for converting energy into linear or rotary motion.

Rapid growth in urbanization and growing industrialization has positively impacted market growth. The use of pneumatic cylinders in pharmaceuticals, automobiles, auto components, chemicals, plastics, garments, engineering, leather products, textile products, etc., is anticipated to increase the demand for the Pneumatic Cylinder market growth.

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Some of the Top Market Players Are:

SMC Corporation

Festo

IMI

Parker

Aventics

Aro (Ingersoll Rand)

Univer

Camozzi

Metal Work

Airtac

Ashun Fluid Power Co.

Bimba Manufacturing

EMC

Bansbach

Aignep.

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Prominent Growth Driving Factors

The prominent growth driving factors of the pneumatic cylinder market include:

Industrial Automation: The increasing adoption of automation in various industries, such as manufacturing, automotive, and packaging, is driving the demand for pneumatic cylinders. These cylinders are essential components in automated systems for tasks like material handling, assembly, and machine control.

The increasing adoption of automation in various industries, such as manufacturing, automotive, and packaging, is driving the demand for pneumatic cylinders. These cylinders are essential components in automated systems for tasks like material handling, assembly, and machine control. Cost-effectiveness: Pneumatic cylinders are known for their cost-effectiveness compared to other types of actuators. They offer a lower initial investment, simpler installation, and lower maintenance costs, making them a preferred choice for many industries.

Pneumatic cylinders are known for their cost-effectiveness compared to other types of actuators. They offer a lower initial investment, simpler installation, and lower maintenance costs, making them a preferred choice for many industries. Versatility and Flexibility: Pneumatic cylinders can be used in a wide range of applications due to their versatility and flexibility. They can operate in various environments, withstand harsh conditions, and perform different types of movements, such as linear, rotary, and gripping actions.

Pneumatic cylinders can be used in a wide range of applications due to their versatility and flexibility. They can operate in various environments, withstand harsh conditions, and perform different types of movements, such as linear, rotary, and gripping actions. Energy Efficiency: Pneumatic systems are energy-efficient, as they only require compressed air to operate. Compared to hydraulic systems, which need pumps and motors, pneumatic cylinders consume less energy, resulting in cost savings for industries.

Pneumatic systems are energy-efficient, as they only require compressed air to operate. Compared to hydraulic systems, which need pumps and motors, pneumatic cylinders consume less energy, resulting in cost savings for industries. Safety and Reliability: Pneumatic cylinders are designed with safety features such as overload protection, emergency stop functionality, and fail-safe designs. They offer reliable performance, low risk of leakage or contamination, and are less prone to breakdowns or system failures.

Pneumatic cylinders are designed with safety features such as overload protection, emergency stop functionality, and fail-safe designs. They offer reliable performance, low risk of leakage or contamination, and are less prone to breakdowns or system failures. Growing Industrial Sector: The expanding industrial sector, particularly in emerging economies, is driving the demand for pneumatic cylinders. Industries such as manufacturing, oil and gas, chemical, and food processing require pneumatic cylinders for various applications, contributing to market growth.

The expanding industrial sector, particularly in emerging economies, is driving the demand for pneumatic cylinders. Industries such as manufacturing, oil and gas, chemical, and food processing require pneumatic cylinders for various applications, contributing to market growth. Technological Advancements: Continuous advancements in pneumatic cylinder technology, such as the development of lightweight materials, improved sealing systems, and enhanced control mechanisms, are further propelling market growth. These advancements offer improved efficiency, accuracy, and durability.

Continuous advancements in pneumatic cylinder technology, such as the development of lightweight materials, improved sealing systems, and enhanced control mechanisms, are further propelling market growth. These advancements offer improved efficiency, accuracy, and durability. Environmental Considerations: Pneumatic cylinders are considered environmentally friendly as they do not produce harmful emissions or require hazardous fluids for operation. This aligns with the increasing emphasis on sustainability and eco-friendly practices in various industries.

Overall, the pneumatic cylinder market is driven by factors such as industrial automation, cost-effectiveness, versatility, and energy efficiency, safety, growing industrial sectors, technological advancements, and environmental considerations.

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Key Highlights:

In July 2020, Norelem launched new range of pneumatic cylinders for factory environments and compressed air applications. New launched product range consist of round cylinders (DIN ISO 6432) and standard cylinders (DIN ISO 15552) which offers integration within machinery and are easy to installation.

Top Trends Influencing the Market

The top trends influencing the pneumatic cylinder market include:

Industry 4.0 and Smart Manufacturing: The integration of pneumatic cylinders with advanced technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) is revolutionizing industrial processes. Pneumatic cylinders are becoming a part of smart manufacturing systems, enabling remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and enhanced productivity.

The integration of pneumatic cylinders with advanced technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things) and AI (Artificial Intelligence) is revolutionizing industrial processes. Pneumatic cylinders are becoming a part of smart manufacturing systems, enabling remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and enhanced productivity. Miniaturization and Compact Designs: There is a growing demand for smaller and more compact pneumatic cylinders to fit in tight spaces and enable miniaturization of equipment and machinery. Manufacturers are developing compact designs without compromising performance, which is particularly beneficial in industries with space constraints.

There is a growing demand for smaller and more compact pneumatic cylinders to fit in tight spaces and enable miniaturization of equipment and machinery. Manufacturers are developing compact designs without compromising performance, which is particularly beneficial in industries with space constraints. Energy Efficiency and Sustainability: Energy efficiency has become a critical consideration for industries seeking to reduce operational costs and minimize environmental impact. Pneumatic cylinder manufacturers are focusing on designing energy-efficient solutions by optimizing air consumption, reducing leakage, and incorporating energy recovery systems.

Energy efficiency has become a critical consideration for industries seeking to reduce operational costs and minimize environmental impact. Pneumatic cylinder manufacturers are focusing on designing energy-efficient solutions by optimizing air consumption, reducing leakage, and incorporating energy recovery systems. Customization and Modularity: The market is witnessing an increasing demand for customized pneumatic cylinders to meet specific application requirements. Manufacturers are offering modular designs that allow customers to select and combine different components, sizes, and features, enabling flexible and tailored solutions.

The market is witnessing an increasing demand for customized pneumatic cylinders to meet specific application requirements. Manufacturers are offering modular designs that allow customers to select and combine different components, sizes, and features, enabling flexible and tailored solutions. Integration of Sensors and Controls: Sensors and advanced control systems are being integrated with pneumatic cylinders to enable precise positioning, force control, and feedback. This integration enhances operational accuracy, productivity, and safety in various industrial applications.

Sensors and advanced control systems are being integrated with pneumatic cylinders to enable precise positioning, force control, and feedback. This integration enhances operational accuracy, productivity, and safety in various industrial applications. Adoption of Lightweight Materials: To improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption, pneumatic cylinder manufacturers are exploring lightweight materials such as aluminum and composite alloys. Lightweight cylinders offer benefits such as improved maneuverability, reduced inertia, and increased payload capacity.

To improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption, pneumatic cylinder manufacturers are exploring lightweight materials such as aluminum and composite alloys. Lightweight cylinders offer benefits such as improved maneuverability, reduced inertia, and increased payload capacity. Focus on Maintenance and Condition Monitoring: Proactive maintenance and condition monitoring have gained significance in the pneumatic cylinder market. Manufacturers are incorporating technologies like predictive analytics and remote monitoring systems to detect anomalies, prevent failures, and optimize maintenance schedules.

Proactive maintenance and condition monitoring have gained significance in the pneumatic cylinder market. Manufacturers are incorporating technologies like predictive analytics and remote monitoring systems to detect anomalies, prevent failures, and optimize maintenance schedules. Shift towards Electric Actuators: While pneumatic cylinders continue to dominate many applications, there is a gradual shift towards electric actuators in certain industries. Electric actuators offer advantages such as precise control, programmability, quieter operation, and compatibility with Industry 4.0 technologies.

These trends, including industry 4.0 integration, miniaturization, energy efficiency, customization, sensor integration, lightweight materials, maintenance focus, and the rise of electric actuators, are shaping the pneumatic cylinder market and influencing product development and customer demands.

Pneumatic Cylinder Market: Report Scope & Segmentation

Report Attribute Details Revenue Forecast in 2032 USD 2,207.9 MILLION Market size value in 2023 USD 1,289.60 MILLION Expected CAGR Growth 5.2% Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023  2032 Top Market Players SMC Corporation, Festo, IMI, Parker, Aventics, Aro (Ingersoll Rand), Univer, Camozzi, Metal Work, Airtac, Ashun Fluid Power Co., Bimba Manufacturing, EMC, Bansbach, and Aignep. Segments Covered By Product Type, By Industry Type, By Sales Channel and By Region Customization Options Customized purchase options are available to meet any research needs. Explore customized purchase options

Geographic Overview:

The pneumatic cylinder market exhibits a global presence, with significant market activity and growth observed across various geographic regions. Here is an overview of the market's geographic landscape:

North America: North America holds a substantial share in the pneumatic cylinder market. The region is characterized by the presence of several key industries, including automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and oil and gas. These industries drive the demand for pneumatic cylinders, particularly in applications such as material handling, robotics, and machine control. The region also benefits from technological advancements and a focus on automation and smart manufacturing.

North America holds a substantial share in the pneumatic cylinder market. The region is characterized by the presence of several key industries, including automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and oil and gas. These industries drive the demand for pneumatic cylinders, particularly in applications such as material handling, robotics, and machine control. The region also benefits from technological advancements and a focus on automation and smart manufacturing. Europe: Europe is another prominent market for pneumatic cylinders. The region's manufacturing sector, especially in countries like Germany, Italy, and France, contributes to the demand for pneumatic cylinders. The emphasis on energy efficiency, sustainability, and Industry 4.0 initiatives further drives the adoption of pneumatic cylinders in European industries. The presence of established pneumatic cylinder manufacturers and suppliers in the region adds to its market strength.

Europe is another prominent market for pneumatic cylinders. The region's manufacturing sector, especially in countries like Germany, Italy, and France, contributes to the demand for pneumatic cylinders. The emphasis on energy efficiency, sustainability, and Industry 4.0 initiatives further drives the adoption of pneumatic cylinders in European industries. The presence of established pneumatic cylinder manufacturers and suppliers in the region adds to its market strength. Asia Pacific: The Asia Pacific region exhibits significant growth potential in the pneumatic cylinder market. Rapid industrialization, infrastructure development, and the presence of large manufacturing hubs in countries like China, India, Japan, and South Korea drive the demand for pneumatic cylinders. The automotive, electronics, and packaging industries are major consumers of pneumatic cylinders in this region. Additionally, increasing investments in industrial automation and the adoption of advanced technologies contribute to market growth.

The Asia Pacific region exhibits significant growth potential in the pneumatic cylinder market. Rapid industrialization, infrastructure development, and the presence of large manufacturing hubs in countries like China, India, Japan, and South Korea drive the demand for pneumatic cylinders. The automotive, electronics, and packaging industries are major consumers of pneumatic cylinders in this region. Additionally, increasing investments in industrial automation and the adoption of advanced technologies contribute to market growth. Latin America: Latin America showcases opportunities for the pneumatic cylinder market, driven by the region's developing industrial sector. Countries like Brazil and Mexico have seen significant investments in manufacturing and automation, creating demand for pneumatic cylinders. The agriculture, mining, and oil and gas industries in the region also contribute to market growth.

Latin America showcases opportunities for the pneumatic cylinder market, driven by the region's developing industrial sector. Countries like Brazil and Mexico have seen significant investments in manufacturing and automation, creating demand for pneumatic cylinders. The agriculture, mining, and oil and gas industries in the region also contribute to market growth. Middle East and Africa: The Middle East and Africa region present a growing market for pneumatic cylinders, primarily driven by the oil and gas industry. The region's construction, mining, and manufacturing sectors also contribute to the demand for pneumatic cylinders. Countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa are key markets in this region.

It's important to note that the geographic overview provided here is a general representation, and the market dynamics and growth in each region may vary based on specific factors such as economic conditions, industrial development, and government initiatives.

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Analyst View:

Rapidly growing automobile industries have favored market growth. The adoption of advanced technology, such as robotics, in various manufacturing, automobile, and healthcare industries has fostered the demand for market growth. Growing demand for pneumatic valves and rising demand from automobile industries is further expected to fruitful the demand for Pneumatic Cylinder market growth.

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French English

COMBINED GENERAL MEETING AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS DATED 23 MAY 2023

APPOINTMENT OF SLAWOMIR KRUPA, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER



Press release

Paris, 23 May 2023

Combined General Meeting

The General Meeting of shareholders of Societe Generale was held on 23 May 2023 at Maison de la Mutualite - 24 rue Saint-Victor - 75005 Paris and was chaired by Mr. Lorenzo Bini Smaghi.

Quorum was established at 53. 45% (vs 54.83% in 2022):

681 shareholders participated by attending the General Meeting in person at the place where it was held on 23 May 2023;

914 shareholders were represented at the General Meeting on the day it was held by a person other than the Chairman;

11605 shareholders voted online;

2 754 shareholders voted by post;

9 839 shareholders, including 7 244 online, representing 1.01% of the share capital, gave proxy to the Chairman;

A total of 25 793 shareholders were, in accordance with the regulations, present or represented and thus participated in the vote.

The agenda item, with no vote, was an opportunity to present and discuss with shareholders the Group's energy transition plan and social and environmental responsibility.

In addition, 13 shareholders sent written questions prior to the General Meeting. The answers were made public before the General Meeting on the institutional website.

All the resolutions put forward by the Board of Directors were adopted, in particular:

The 2022 annual company accounts and annual consolidated accounts;

The dividend per share was set at EUR 1.70. It shall traded ex-dividend on 30 May 2023 and paid from 1 st June 2023;

June 2023; The appointment of four directors for 4 years: Mr. Slawomir Krupa, Mrs. Beatrice Cossa-Dumurgier, Mrs. Ulrika Ekman and Mr. Benoit de Ruffray;

The compensation policy for the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, the Deputy Chief Executive Officers and the Directors;

The components composing the total compensation and the benefits of any kind paid or awarded for the 2022 financial year to the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer and the Deputy Chief Executive Officers;

A favorable opinion was issued on the remuneration paid in 2022 to regulated persons;

The authorisation granted to the Board of Directors to purchase ordinary shares of the Company was renewed for 18 months up to 10% of the share capital;

The authorisation for capital increases, enabling the issue of shares in favour of employees within the framework of a company or group saving plan, was renewed for 26 months;

The amendments to the By-laws relating to the four-year term limit for Directors elected by employees and the capping at 74 of the Chairmans age limit.





The detailed voting result is available this day on the Company's website in the item "Annual General Meeting".

Board of Directors

Following the four appointments of directors decided by the General Meeting of 23 May 2023, the Board of Directors has the following composition:

Mr. Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, Chairman;

Mr. Slawomir Krupa, Director;

Mr. William Connelly, Director ;

Mr. Jerome Contamine, Director;

Mrs. Beatrice Cossa-Dumurgier, Director ;

Mrs. Diane Cote, Director;

Mrs. Ulrika Ekman, Director;

Mrs. France Houssaye, Director elected by employees;

Mrs. Annette Messemer, Director ;

Mr. Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Director;

Mr Johan Praud, Director elected by employees;

Mrs. Lubomira Rochet, Director;

Mr. Benoit de Ruffray, Director ;

Mrs. Alexandra Schaapveld, Director;

Mr. Sebastien Wetter, Director representing employees shareholders.

Mr. Jean-Bernard Levy, Non-voting Director (censeur).

At the end of the General Meeting of 23 May 2023, on the proposal of the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board of Directors unanimously appointed Mr. Slawomir Krupa as Chief Executive Officer. The functions of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer will continue to be separated in accordance with Article L. 511-58 of the French Monetary and Financial Code.

Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, Chairman of the Board of Directors, said: The Board of Directors expresses its warm gratitude to Frederic Oudea and to the General Management whose term of office has come to an end. It commends Frederic Oudeas actions during his 15 years of General Management, during which he demonstrated the Banks ability to withstand crises and adapt its business model before launching or expanding major strategic initiatives such as the merger of Societe Generale and Credit du Nord retail banking networks in France, the development of Boursorama, the acquisition of LeasePlan by ALD, the joint venture with Alliance Bernstein or the exit from Russia.

The entire Board also joins me in warmly congratulating Slawomir Krupa on his appointment as Chief Executive Officer. It will be up to him, with the new General Management, to pursue these initiatives and further transform the Group for the greater benefit of its shareholders, customers and all its teams respecting its corporate purpose (raison detre) Building together, with our clients, a better and sustainable future through responsible and innovative financial solutions.

After consulting the Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee, the Board of Directors unanimously approved the proposal made by the Chief Executive Officer, in compliance with the regulations in force, to appoint Philippe Aymerich and Pierre Palmieri as Deputy Chief Executive Officers as of 23 May 2023, as announced in the press release dated 9 March 2023 (Hyperlink). The Chief Executive Officer and the Deputy Chief Executive Officers are effective managers (dirigeants effectifs) within the meaning of banking regulations (Article L.511-13 of the French Monetary and Financial Code).

The Board of Directors has adopted the terms and conditions of employment of the new Chief Executive Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officers.

The Board of Directors is now made up of 50% women and more than 90% (11/12) independent directors if we exclude from the calculations the three directors representing the employees in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article L. 225-23 of the Commercial Code, paragraph 2 of Article L. 225-27 of the Commercial Code and the AFEP-MEDEF code.

The Board of Directors held after the General Meeting has decided that, as of 23 May 2023, the Board committees will be composed as follows:

Audit and Internal Control Committee : Mrs. Alexandra Schaapveld (chairwoman), Mr. Jerome Contamine, Mrs. Diane Cote, Mrs. Ulrika Ekman and Mr. Sebastien Wetter;

: Mrs. Alexandra Schaapveld (chairwoman), Mr. Jerome Contamine, Mrs. Diane Cote, Mrs. Ulrika Ekman and Mr. Sebastien Wetter; Risk Committee : Mr. William Connelly (chairman), Mrs. Beatrice Cossa Dumurgier as from 2024 and guest during the period, Mrs. Diane Cote, Mrs. Ulrika Ekman, Mrs. Annette Messemer and Mrs. Alexandra Schaapveld ;

: Mr. William Connelly (chairman), Mrs. Beatrice Cossa Dumurgier as from 2024 and guest during the period, Mrs. Diane Cote, Mrs. Ulrika Ekman, Mrs. Annette Messemer and Mrs. Alexandra Schaapveld ; Compensation Committee : Mr. Jerome Contamine (chairman), Mr. Benoit de Ruffray, Mrs. France Houssaye and Mrs. Annette Messemer;

: Mr. Jerome Contamine (chairman), Mr. Benoit de Ruffray, Mrs. France Houssaye and Mrs. Annette Messemer; Nomination and Corporate Governance Committee: Mr. Henri Poupart-Lafarge (chairman), Mr. William Connelly, Mr. Benoit de Ruffray and Mrs. Lubomira Rochet.

Biographies

Mr Slawomir KRUPA, born on 18 June 1974, of French and Polish nationalities, is graduated from the Institut dEtudes Politiques de Paris. he has acquired a 27 years experience in banking, particularly international banking. He joined the Societe Generale group in 1996 as part of the General Inspection Department. As from 2007, he moved to Corporate and Investment Banking, where he took on a range of responsibilities. In 2007, he was Head of Strategy and Development, then Head of Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) in 2009 and Deputy Head of Financing in 2012. He was appointed CEO of SG Americas in January 2016. In January 2021, he joined the Groups General Management team as Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Global Banking and Investor Solutions. He holds a directorship at Societe Generale FORGE, a French unlisted subsidiary of the Group. Professional address : Tours Societe Generale, 17, cours Valmy, CS 50318, 92972 La Defense cedex

Ms. Beatrice COSSA-DUMURGIER, born on 14 November 1973, of French nationality, is graduated from Ecole Polytechnique (1997), Corps des Ponts et Chaussees (2000), and holds a Master of Science from Massachussetts Institute of Technology (Boston, 2000). She began her career at McKinsey in France and the US, before joining the French Ministry of Finance in 2000, first in the Treasury Department and later in the Agence des participations de lEtat (French State Investment Agency). She joined BNP Paribas Group in 2004 and held various strategic, operational and executive positions within G100 until 2019, the last being Chief Executive Officer of the online brokerage subsidiary and member of Domestic Markets Executive Committee. In 2019, she joined BlaBlaCar as Chief Operating Officer, CEO of BlaBlaBus and as a member of the Executive Committee. She has been Deputy General Manager (employee not corporate officer) of Believe since September 2022. She is also an independent director of Peugeot Invest, SPAC Transition and Casino Guichard-Perrachon. Mrs. Beatrice Cossa-Dumurgier has declared to the Board that these last two terms of office will end, at the latest, at the General Meetings approving the 2023 financial statements. Professional address : 24 rue Toulouse Lautrec - 75017 Paris.

Ms. Ulrika EKMAN, born on 6 October 1962, of American and Swedish nationality, holds a J.D. from the New York University School of Law, an M.A. in History from New York University and a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. She was a partner in the US and international law firm Davis Polk LLP, where she represented clients in complex domestic and cross-border transactions across a wide range of sectors, including mergers, acquisitions, spin-offs, disposals and reorganisations (1990-2004). Ulrika Ekman was a member of the Management Committee of Greenhill & Co., a leading independent investment bank that provides financial advisory services for mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, financing and fundraising to companies, institutions and governments from its multiple offices across five continents (2004-2012). She is currently an independent member of the Board of Directors of Greenhill & Co., where she chairs the Nomination and Governance Committee and sits on the Compensation Committee. Professional address : Tours Societe Generale, 17, cours Valmy, CS 50318, 92972 La Defense cedex

Mr Benoit de RUFFRAY, born on 4 June 1966, of French nationality, is graduated from Ecole Polytechnique and Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees, and holds a Masters degree from Imperial College in London. He began his career in 1990 upon joining the Bouygues group. After leading major international projects, he became Head of Latin America in 2001. From 2003 to 2007, he was Chief Executive Officer of Dragages Hong Kong, and later, in 2008, Deputy CEO of Bouygues Batiment International. He became CEO of Soletanche Freyssinet group (Vinci group) in 2015. Benoit de Ruffray was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eiffage on 18 January 2016. He has been a Director of Getlink since 27 Avril 2023. Professional address: 3-7 place de lEurope, 78140.

M. Philippe AYMERICH, born on 12 August 1965, of French nationality, is graduated from Frances Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC). He joined Societe Generale in 1987, first in the Inspection Division where he performed audit and advisory work in a range of areas until 1994, at which time he was appointed Chief Inspector. In 1997, he moved to Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking where he was appointed Deputy Managing Director of SG Spain, in Madrid. From 1999 until 2004, he served in New York, first as Deputy Chief Operating Officer and later, from 2000, as Chief Operating Officer for SG Americas Corporate & Investment Banking arm. In 2004, he was appointed Head of the Automotive, Chemicals & General Industries Group in the Corporate & Institutions Division. In December 2006, he was appointed Deputy Chief Risk Officer for Societe Generale Group. Philippe Aymerich was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Credit du Nord in January 2012. He has been Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Societe Generale since May 2018. He has also been director and Chairman of the board of directors of Boursorama and Franfinance, French unlisted companies of the Group. Professional address: Tours Societe Generale, 17, cours Valmy, CS 50318, 92972 La Defense cedex

M. Pierre PALMIERI, born on 11 November 1962, of French nationality, is graduated from the Ecole Superieure de Commerce in Tours. He began his career at Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking in 1987 within the Export Finance department where he became, in 1989, Head of the finance engineering team. He joined the Agence Internationales team in 1994, where he created the Commodity Finance global business line. He was appointed Global Head of Structured Commodity Finance in 2001. In 2006, he created and co-headed the Natural Resources and Energy global business line. He was appointed Deputy Head of Global Finance in 2008, became Head of Global Finance in 2012 before widening his scope of responsibilities to the whole Global Banking and Advisory activities in 2019. He holds a directorship of Societe Generale Marocaine de Banques, unlisted company of the Group. Mr. Pierre Palmieri is proposed for the position of Director of ALD at the General Meeting of this company scheduled on 24 May 2023. Professional address: Tours Societe Generale, 17, cours Valmy, CS 50318, 92972 La Defense cedex

Declarations

As all other Directors, the new Directors, as well as the Chief Executive Officer and the Deputy Chief Executive Officers have made the regulatory declarations on the absence of conflicts of interest and the absence of convictions mentioned on page 158 of the Universal Registration Document filed by Societe Generale on 13 March 2023 with the French market authority (AMF) under number D.23-0089.



Press contacts:

Jean-Baptiste Froville_+33 1 58 98 68 00_ jean-baptiste.froville@socgen.com

Fanny Rouby_+33 1 57 29 11 12_ fanny.rouby@socgen.com

Societe Generale



Societe Generale is one of the leading European financial services groups. Based on a diversified and integrated banking model, the Group combines financial strength and proven expertise in innovation with a strategy of sustainable growth. Committed to the positive transformations of the worlds societies and economies, Societe Generale and its teams seek to build, day after day, together with its clients, a better and sustainable future through responsible and innovative financial solutions.



Active in the real economy for over 150 years, with a solid position in Europe and connected to the rest of the world, Societe Generale has over 117,000 members of staff in 66 countries and supports on a daily basis 25 million individual clients, businesses and institutional investors around the world by offering a wide range of advisory services and tailored financial solutions. The Group is built on three complementary core businesses:

French Retail Banking with the SG bank, resulting from the merger of the two Societe Generale and Credit du Nord networks, and Boursorama. Each offers a full range of financial services with omnichannel products at the cutting edge of digital innovation;

International Retail Banking, Insurance and Financial Services, with networks in Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and specialised businesses that are leaders in their markets;

with networks in Africa, Central and Eastern Europe and specialised businesses that are leaders in their markets; Global Banking and Investor Solutions, which offers recognised expertise, key international locations and integrated solutions.







Societe Generale is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index, Euronext Vigeo (Europe and Eurozone), STOXX Global ESG Leaders indexes, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index (World and Europe).

In case of doubt regarding the authenticity of this press release, please go to the end of Societe Generales newsroom page where official Press Releases sent by Societe Generale can be certified using blockchain technology. A link will allow you to check the documents legitimacy directly on the web page.



For more information, you can follow us on Twitter @societegenerale or visit our website societegenerale.com.

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CORAL GABLES, Fla., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the arrival of Julio Frenk as president in 2015, the University of Miami set in motion a process to transform course delivery and classroom design. This transformationto improve student engagement, integrate technology with pedagogy, and reimagine classrooms for the 21st centuryis a strategic priority for the University.

The Platform for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PETAL) launched in 2019 under the leadership of Laura Kohn-Wood, dean of the School of Education and Human Development, and Allan Gyorke, assistant provost for educational innovation and chief academic technology officer. From its inception, PETAL was designed to translate empirical research into strategies that would put the University in the vanguard of advancing the art of teaching and the science of learning.

PETAL has now received a major boost from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation: a $5 million grant to establish the Ilene M. Dresner Endowed Fund for Educational Innovation. This gift significantly will expand PETALs scope and enable the platform to evolve into an institution-wide ecosystem that addresses teaching challenges, incubates solutions, and communicates them throughout the Universitys campuses and in the higher education community.

The funds name honors the late Ilene Dresner, a 1969 graduate of the School of Education and Human Development. Dresners husband, Bruce Dresner, also an alumnus, sits on the foundations board and has a long history of engagement and support with the University.

The gift is part of the Universitys Ever Brighter: The Campaign for Our Next Century. The most ambitious in the Universitys history, the $2.5 billion campaign is set to conclude in 2025, when the University will celebrate its centennial.

I have always championed the immense potential of the University of Miami to pioneer educational innovations that foster student success, Frenk said. This transformative investment by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation will significantly strengthen our efforts to incubate, disseminate, advance, and recognize excellence in teaching and learning across our three campuses.

Kohn-Wood explained: The idea behind PETAL was related to what I think is the strength of a place like the University of Miamimoderately sized, but also a Research One institution with 12 schools and colleges, nine of which have undergraduates.

It is critical that the University, with its wide range of disciplines, ensures that students have the kinds of classroom experiences that enhance their learning. And this is done through having excellent teachers, she continued. On the flip side, in Ph.D. programs, nobody really teaches you how to be a great teacher. We assumed for many years that good teachers are born, not made, and thats not true. The research shows that you can absolutely help people to be good teachers.

As Kohn-Wood pointed out, good teaching means much more than simply standing in front of a class with a PowerPoint and talkingand that moving beyond that model can be challenging for teachers and students alike. Its a lot easier to default to what we know, and part of the culture building relies on creating a different kind of academic experience for students that goes beyond just content delivery, she noted. Its about engaging the students in a shared learning experience that activates the content."

Since its inception, PETAL has collaborated with partners across the University to host workshops, learning groups, and speaker series. It also provides faculty members with an online repository of teaching and learning resources; in addition, it sponsors awards that recognize excellence in teaching. Instructional innovations are implemented in real time, giving students access to cutting-edge learning opportunities.

In 2022, PETAL took a major step forward with the arrival of historian Kathi Kern, the inaugural vice provost for educational innovation, who also joined the College of Arts and Sciences as professor of religious studies.

Kern was previously at the University of Kentucky, where she taught for 30 years, putting teaching innovations into practice in her classes. In 2010, she founded a teaching and learning center that, in her words, became a crucial campus resource for faculty development.

Like Kohn-Wood, Kern is mindful of the challenges inherent in creating a lasting culture of instructional experimentation, but she is excited about the partnership with the foundation and what it will enable the University to do. The Endowed Fund for Educational Innovation will provide support to elevate faculty teaching and student learningin perpetuity.

Kern said she was drawn to Miami by the Roadmap to Our New Century, the Universitys strategic plan as it approaches its centennial in 2025. I was persuaded that this is a university with an appetite to innovate, she said. I see this as an opportunity to actualize those elements of the roadmap that focus on incubation. Thats what this gift is going to allow us to do, she added.

The model for teaching and learning centers has evolved since they first started in the 1990s, Kern continued. PETAL is a more flexible model that brings together and coordinates different resources for teachers. My goal is to build on everything that Dean Kohn-Wood and Assistant Provost Gyorke have done and continue to foster a culture of academic innovation in the classroom that addresses what our students and faculty need right now.

The ideas that Kern envisions incubating might include new ways of assessing students mastery of course content or ways to manage the impact on the pedagogy of generative artificial intelligence systems, like ChatGPTa particularly pressing concern for faculty members across all disciplines.

Part of the gift will fund a distinguished presidential scholar position for PETAL. We will seek out national or international experts on particular issues, like generative AI, Kern explained. We will open it to the campus community and have a core group of faculty who want to study with that person for a year in a faculty learning community. The goal is to generate new strategies that we can incubate and study, see what weve learned, and carry those lessons back to schools, colleges, and departments.

Kern believes that good teaching starts with good course design. Its about bridging gaps. Here I am with all my disciplinary expertise as a scholar, and here is where my novice learner is, or my early major, or my senior capstone, she said. How can I design a journey for them that will enable their mastery of the concepts and skills they need? I really think that if we dont engage students in producing some of the knowledge themselves, weve lost an opportunity.

We started PETAL with a working group of faculty, Kohn-Wood recalled. We piloted some ideas and adjusted as we went. This gift will allow us to scale up our efforts and institutionalize the idea that to be a faculty member at the University of Miami means that you will be an excellent teacheryou will know how to optimize the classroom experience for your students.

Attachment
CALGARY, Alberta, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Direct Energy and Direct Energy Regulated Services are committed to supporting the many Albertans affected by recent wildfires in the province. The energy providers are offering assistance to impacted customers and contributing to disaster relief efforts.

Direct Energy donated $10,000 to the Canadian Red Cross 2023 Alberta Fires Appeal, which was matched by the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta, for a total donation of $30,000. This donation will support the Canadian Red Cross's work to provide immediate and ongoing relief, recovery, and resilience efforts in response to fires, and community preparedness and risk reduction for future all-hazard disaster events within Alberta.

Were greatly saddened by the devastation caused by these wildfires, and we want to reassure our customers and the communities we serve that were here to help during this difficult time, said Tanis Kozak, vice president, Direct Energy Alberta. We extend our deepest sympathies to those impacted and our gratitude to Albertas brave emergency services personnel who have stepped up to help.

Direct Energy will continue to match (U.S.-based) and double-match (Canada-based) employee donations to the Canadian Red Cross relief efforts in Alberta.

In addition, during this difficult time, Direct Energy has temporarily suspended disconnection and collection activity, has added interest locks, and is offering extended payment plans for impacted customers. Albertans affected by the wildfires can defer their bill payment by up to two weeks by logging into their online account and selecting Payment Extension under Account Summary.

The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta will continue to match every dollar donated to the Canadian Red Cross 2023 Alberta Fires Appeal until June 3, tripling their impact.

Customers who need bill payment support should contact our customer care representatives by calling Direct Energy at 1-866-374-6299 or Direct Energy Regulated Services at 1-866-420-3174. For more information, customers can also visit directenergy.ca/alberta-wildfires or directenergyregulatedservices.com/alberta-wildfire-support.

To provide additional support to the relief efforts, donate to the Canadian Red Cross online at redcross.ca or by calling 1-800-418-1111.

###

About Direct Energy

Direct Energy is one of North Americas largest retail providers of electricity, natural gas, and energy-related services to over three million homes and business. It is part of NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG), a leading integrated energy company working to bring the power of energy to people and organizations across North America. Direct Energy, its subsidiaries and/or affiliates, operate in 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 8 provinces in Canada.
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Thurgood Marshall College Fund's (TMCF) Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) division will host its annual entrepreneurial program, THE PITCH 2023 competition, with actor and author Hill Harper as one of the guest judges. The final round of pitches will occur on May 25, 2023, at Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, both in-person and virtually.

In addition to Harper, guest judges will be Mickeia Jackson, managing director at CBRE, and Chantel Powell, Founder & CEO @PlayPits.

THE PITCH is an exciting competition designed to train 200 of the most outstanding young minds from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions in entrepreneurial training and app development. The program is intended for students who think critically, creatively and are passionate about solving problems.

The competition includes the third cohort of MetaScholars, the largest cohort to date. The top 10 MetaScholars will compete against other students who have completed ten weeks of core learning and skills acquisition in the Metaverse, blockchain, and Web3 technology, equipping them with the skills necessary to succeed in the rapidly evolving business landscape.

"Last year, the Foundation supported the pilot of the Metaverse with MetaScholars as a part of THE PITCH competition," said Natalie Grandison, Director of Engineering Initiatives at the A. James & Alice Clark Foundation. "It was an exciting experience to not only view the in-person event in the virtual world as an avatar, but also to interact with the student teams from across the country that were able to have a quality experience developing their solutions and pitches virtually. We are proud to support this competition again, helping these 200 exceptional students build up their business acumen and compete to identify and create innovative solutions that solve today's problems."

THE PITCH is a fusion of technology and business acumen, bringing together "techie" students interested in building mobile apps and developing their technical skills with business-minded students who understand what it takes to succeed in business. The program aims to train future innovators from HBCUs in the skills necessary to generate economic success by identifying the next generation of global entrepreneurs from the Black college community.

Teams will develop solutions to business, social, or educational challenges and pitch their ideas to expert judges composed of entrepreneurs, small business owners, executives, venture capitalists, and other investors.

"Wells Fargo is proud to partner with TMCF to support and elevate the entrepreneurial journey of talented HBCU students," said Gigi Dixon, Wells Fargo's head of External Engagement for Diverse Segments, Representation, and Inclusion. "The Pitch is championing the next generation of emerging leaders who are solving problems, contributing to the future of technology, and making an impact in their communities."

Each participant in THE PITCH is an aspiring entrepreneur and intrapreneur, and this unique environment provides fertile ground for the growth and development of entrepreneurial ventures. It is also an excellent opportunity for HBCU students to learn, engage in hands-on exercises, and develop the three C's of an Entrepreneurial Mindset: Curiosity, Connections, and Creating Value.

"Our partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund helps to expand career opportunities for Black students and other underrepresented communities in our industry," said Tim Dismond, Chief Responsibility Officer of CBRE. "We are proud to support this initiative that empowers aspiring leaders with critical entrepreneurial, technology, and business skills needed for success."



ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND (TMCF)

Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nation's largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member schools include publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending Black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building, research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in K-12 and higher education. The organization is also a source for employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and jobs.

ABOUT THE A. JAMES & ALICE B. CLARK FOUNDATION

The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation partners with organizations to strengthen their ability to meet the needs of the individuals, families, and communities they serve. In keeping with Mr. Clarks desire to spend down within a decade and maximize the impact of this funding, the Clark Foundation established its current philanthropic model in 2016. The Foundation focuses its philanthropy in three strategic areas: educating future engineering leaders, improving the lives of veterans and their families, and providing members of the DC community the best opportunity to thrive. To learn more, visit: https://clarkfoundationdc.org/
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dominion Lending Centres Inc. (TSX:DLCG) (DLCG or the Corporation) acknowledges receipt of a court order to produce certain documents, records and data in connection with an inquiry by the Competition Bureau. As noted in the Competition Bureaus press release dated May 19, 2023: The order, granted by the Federal Court of Canada on May 16, 2023, requires DLC to produce records and written information that are relevant to the Bureaus investigation. There is no conclusion of wrongdoing at this time.



Gary Mauris, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: We will co-operate with the Bureau and will fully comply with the order. DLC competes with many other franchisors and providers of technology solutions and support services to mortgage brokers in Canada. DLC does not believe it is dominant in any market and does not believe it has engaged in any anti-competitive conduct. As noted by the Bureau, they are conducting an investigation and they have not reached any conclusions at this time.

About Dominion Lending Centres Inc.

The DLC Group is Canadas leading network of mortgage professionals. The DLC Group operates through Dominion Lending Centres and its three main subsidiaries, MCC Mortgage Centre Canada Inc., MA Mortgage Architects Inc. and Newton Connectivity Systems Inc., and has operations across Canada. The DLC Groups extensive network includes ~8,000 agents and ~544 locations. Headquartered in British Columbia, the DLC Group was founded in 2006 by Gary Mauris and Chris Kayat.

Contact information for the Corporation is as follows:

James Bell

Co-President

403-560-0821

jbell@dlcg.ca

Robin Burpee

Co-Chief Financial Officer

403-455-9670

rburpee@dlcg.ca

NEITHER THE TSX EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
Chris Caldwell of United Renewables and Tom Gosling Meet to discuss ESG

DOUGLAS, Isle of Man, May 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sustainability expert Tom Gosling is raising concerns about the potential negative consequences of relying solely on ESG targets. In a recent episode of the Conversations on Climate Podcast, Gosling argues that ESG targets can lead to greenwashing and create a false sense of security.



ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance. ESG targets are used by investors to measure how companies are performing in these areas. However, Gosling argues that ESG targets can be gamed by companies that are simply looking to improve their image rather than actually making a difference.

We need to be careful about using ESG targets as a proxy for sustainability, Gosling says. We need to look at the underlying data and make sure that companies are actually making progress.

Gosling also argues that ESG targets can create a false sense of security. Companies that meet ESG targets may believe that they are doing enough to address climate change, when in reality they may still be making a significant contribution to environmental problems.

We need to think about sustainability in a more holistic way, Gosling says. We need to look at the entire value chain, from the extraction of raw materials to the disposal of waste. We also need to consider the social and governance aspects of sustainability.

Goslings concerns about ESG targets have sparked a debate among sustainability experts. Some agree with Gosling that ESG targets can be harmful, whilst others believe that they are a necessary step in the fight against climate change.

The debate is likely to continue as ESG becomes increasingly important in the world of finance. It is important to have a clear understanding of the potential benefits and risks of ESG targets before making any investment decisions.

Join us for Season 2 of Conversations on Climate, the podcast that brings together brilliant minds from academia and business to share their expertise on the urgent issue of climate change. In this new season, we delve deeper into the world of sustainable business practices and offer practical tips and insights on how companies can thrive in a changing world. From seasoned veterans to up-and-coming entrepreneurs, our guests share diverse perspectives and innovative solutions to global environmental challenges. Don't miss out on this valuable resource is for anyone committed to a greener future.

Listeners can subscribe to the podcast's YouTube channel or follow them on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date on the latest episodes. The podcast aims to create a community of thinkers, researchers, policymakers, and business leaders who discuss the challenges ahead and offer solutions to global climate and environmental issues.

Watch this interesting episode of the Conversations on Climate podcast now to find out how your ESG targets may be doing more harm than good.

For more information about Conversations on Climate please visit the United Renewables website.

Tom Gosling is an Executive Fellow in the Department of Finance at LBS where he contributes to the evidence-based practice of responsible business by connecting academic research, public policy, and corporate action. He also works with the Leadership Institute at LBS.

Chris Caldwell is an entrepreneur and founder of United Renewables, a green energy company working across wind, solar, tidal and anaerobic technologies with a special interest in serving island communities. He is also a growing authority in the digital climate debate, as host of the podcast Conversations on Climate.

Conversations on Climate is a joint production of United Renewables and the London Business School Alumni Energy Club.

Episode 1 of Season 2 of the Conversations on Climate Podcast, featuring Francois Ortalo-Magne Dean of the of London Business School, is available here.

Conversations on Climate brings world-leading thinkers from business and academia together to share their expertise on the subject of climate change. Previous guests include Sir Andrew Likierman, Julio Dal Poz, Professor Jean-Pierre Benoit, and Professor Ioannou. Tara Schmidt, Professor Dan Cable, Professor Zoe Chance, Professor Lynda Gratton.

All previous episodes can be found here. Related articles can be found here.

CONTACT Isabella Hawke  Sales and Marketing Consultant

COMPANY United Renewables

PHONE +447624457139

EMAIL IIhawke@unitedrenewables.co.uk

WEB unitedrenewables.co.uk/resources

A photo and a video accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9ad2de1a-ef1b-41dd-abde-512a9c9452c6

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a1ca299e-0881-40c1-917c-3eeec9b963b9
VANCOUVER, May 23, 2023 - Atomic Minerals Corp. ("ATOMIC MINERALS" or the "Company") (TSXV:ATOM) is pleased to announce the execution of a definitive option agreement (the "Option Agreement" or the "Agreement") with Kraken Energy Corp. (CSE:UUSA) ("Kraken"). Kraken may acquire up to a 75% interest in the Harts Point Uranium Property (Figures 1 & 2) in San Juan County, southeast Utah ("Harts Point" or the "Property"). The Property is located in the center of the Colorado Plateau, referred to by some as "the Athabasca Basin of the US" and is 64 kilometers ("km") (40 miles) north of the White Mesa Uranium Mill, the only fully licensed and operating conventional uranium mill in the United States.

The Property consists of 324 lode mining claims on Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") ground that covers an area of 2,622 hectares ("ha") (6,480 acres) and drill permits are in place for up to 25 exploration drill holes upon payment of the US$58,000 bond to the BLM.

Atomic Minerals President & CEO Clive Massey commented, "We have begun to see the fruits of our research efforts with the execution of the Kraken agreement. Kraken's top notch technical team will work diligently to validate our geological model for Harts Point as a Lisbon Valley analog, as we eagerly await the pending drilling campaign. Concurrently, we plan to initiate the permitting process at our 10 Mile property, another Lisbon Valley analog, 80 kilometres to the northwest or we plan to initiate the permitting process at our Dolores property, another Lisbon Valley analog, 52 kilometres to the east."

Harts Point Property Highlights:

World class uranium jurisdiction: located in the center of the Colorado Plateau, which has produced over 328 million ("M") pounds ("lbs") U 3 O 8 at 0.2 to 0.4% U 3 O 8 since the 1950s 1 .

O at 0.2 to 0.4% U O since the 1950s . Harts Point Anticline is Analogous to the Lisbon Valley Anticline: where the Lisbon Valley Uranium District (Figure 1) hosted 17 large uranium mines which produced approximately 80M lbs U 3 O 8 at 0.34% U 3 O 8 from 1948 to 1988 2 . The dimensions of these tabular sandstone-hosted uranium deposits range from 2 to 13 meters ("m") (7 to 43 feet) thick, 100 to 3,048 m (328 to 10,000 feet) long, and 31 to 427 m (100 to 1,400 feet) wide 3 .

O at 0.34% U O from 1948 to 1988 . Significant Historic Uranium Production: Several historic mines located 11 km (7 miles) west of the Harts Point Property produced approximately 280,000 lbs U 3 O 8 at 0.3% U 3 O 8 from the favorable Chinle Formation host rock 4 . The Lisbon Valley Anticline is located 31 km (19 miles) to the east of the Harts Point Property (Figure 1) produced approximately 80M lbs U 3 O 8 0.34% U 3 O 8 2 .

Historic Exploration: Three wide-spaced historic oil and gas wells on the Property (Figure 2) along the east flank of the Harts Point Anticline show 'off-scale' radioactivity within the favorable Chinle Formation host rock.

Excellent Infrastructure: located approximately 64 km (40 miles) north of the White Mesa uranium processing facility. There is excellent access throughout the Property, which is situated 45 km (28 miles) from the town of Monticello, Utah.



Atomic Minerals' technical team identified Harts Point after spending the last number of years reviewing the gamma logs and geology logs from the Utah and Colorado historic oil and gas drill holes throughout the Plateau, looking for gamma kicks near the base of the favourable Chinle formation in areas of increased thickness, ideally located along the nose of the salt anticlines. Their thorough search identified Harts Point where three historic drill holes spaced approximately 4.5 km (2.8 miles) apart carried basal Chinle gamma spikes.

Three historic holes located approximately 4.5 km (2.8 miles) apart carried basal Chinle Formation gamma spikes between 1,200 feet to 1,400 feet below surface. Gamma ray logs from each of the three holes showed spikes within the Moss Back Member which forms the basal section of the Chinle and is the primary location for uranium mineralization in this formation throughout the area. The Upper Indian District located 11 km (7 miles) west of the Harts Point Property (Figure 2) produced approximately 280,000 pounds U3O8 at 0.3% U3O8 from the favourable Chinle Formation host rock4, indicating the Chinle is prospective for uranium both to the northeast and west of Harts Point.

Terms of the Agreement:

Under the terms of the Agreement, the parties have entered into a definitive option agreement (the "Option Agreement"), pursuant to which the Kraken may acquire up to 75% of the Harts Point Property by meeting the following requirements:

Kraken will be the operator and must incur US$1.5 million of eligible expenditures within 18 months from the date of the Option Agreement to earn a 65% interest.

Kraken has the option to increase interest in the Property from 65% to 75% by incurring an additional US$2.0 million of eligible expenditures within 30 months from the date of the Option Agreement and issuing Atomic 2.0 million common shares of Kraken.

Kraken will grant Atomic a 2.0% net smelter royalty (subject to a buy down to 1.0% for US$5.0 million).

After the initial option (Kraken 65%: Atomic 35%) or the extended option (Kraken 75%: Atomic 25%), a definitive Joint Venture Agreement will be formed.

Figure 1: Harts Point Location Map within Colorado Plateau

Figure 2: Harts Point Property with Regional Uranium Occurrences

References

1 Holger Albrethsen, Jr. and Frank E. McGinley (1982). Summary History of Domestic Procurement Under U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Contracts, September 1982.

2 Chenoweth, W.L. (1990). Lisbon Valley, Utah's Premier Uranium Area, a Summary of Exploration and Ore Production. Utah Geological Survey Open File Report 188, July 1990.

3 Gordon W. Weir and Willard P. Puffett (1981). Incomplete manuscript on stratigraphy and structural geology and uranium-vanadium and copper deposits of the Lisbon Valley area, Utah-Colorado. Open-File Report 81-39. Pages 153 to 163. United States Department of the Interior

Geological Survey.

4 Chenoweth, W.L. (1993): The geology and Production History of the Uranium deposits in the White Canyon Mining District, San Juan County, Utah, Utah Geological Survey Miscellaneous Publication 93-3.

The data disclosed in this news release is related to historical drilling results. Kraken has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. Kraken considers these historical drill results relevant as the Company is using this data as a guide to plan exploration programs. The Company's current and future exploration work includes verification of the historical data through drilling.

About the Company

Atomic Minerals is a Vancouver based publicly listed uranium exploration company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange, with current assets in Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin and the Four Corners region of the southwest United States. The Company is led by a highly skilled management and technical team with numerous previous successes in the junior mining sector.

For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.atomicminerals.ca

Qualified Persons

Mr. R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo. (BC), is the "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and is responsible for the technical contents of this news release and has approved the disclosure of the technical information contained herein.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Clive Massey"

Clive H. Massey

President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Dave Langlais

(778) 316-5105

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor their Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Atomic Minerals Corp. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Atomic Minerals Corp. management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Atomic Minerals Corp. undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

SOURCE: Atomic Minerals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/756184/Atomic-Minerals-Options-Colorado-Plateau-Hosted-Harts-Point-Uranium-Property-to-Kraken-Energy
Vancouver, May 23, 2023 - Homerun Resources Inc. (TSXV: HMR) ("Homerun" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company executed a Letter of Intent (LOI) on May 22, 2023 to document the general terms of a Material Supply Agreement (the "Material Supply Agreement") between Homerun Resources Inc. ("HMR") and the vendor ("Vendor") concerning the supply of silica sand and is subject to negotiation and execution of the Material Supply Agreement between the parties. The execution of the Material Supply Agreement will be subject to the following conditions:

The purchase price will be US$20.00 per tonne net of recoverable costs and sales taxes and export taxes.

The Parties agree to exercise their best efforts to conclude and execute the final form of the Material Supply Agreement within 30 calendar days of the date of this LOI.

Each Party obtaining all necessary and appropriate governmental, regulatory, contractual, board of director, shareholder, member and other third-party licenses, permits, approvals and/or consents which are required to execute the Material Supply Agreement.

Such other necessary and appropriate conditions as the parties shall mutually agree during their final negotiations of the Material Supply Agreement.

Brian Leeners, Director and CEO stated, "This Supply Agreement is part of the Company's plan to build a globally distributed book of high-purity quartz (HPQ) silica sand supply. By accessing a reliable and abundant source of high purity quartz, we can ensure a stable supply chain and secure a competitive advantage in meeting the increasing global market demands. The Company's plan is to procure HPQ silica through company-owned resources, joint ventures and other collaborations, including open market purchases. The Company is currently in discussions with several additional current and future HPQ silica producers to build regional supply for the Company's global initiatives."

The Vendor has provided extensive third-party testing that verifies and demonstrates that the raw silica sand grade averages +99.8% SiO2 and contains very low levels of impurities. The Company will now initiate testing on the reduction of the remaining impurities by applying advanced chemicals and thermal processing (through a combination of calcination and acid leaching). Also, the applicability of the material for ultra-clear silica glass will be assessed by laboratory melting tests.

High-Purity Quartz (HPQ)

Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals and occurs in many different geological settings. However, very few deposits are suitable for HPQ applications. Therefore, HPQ silica sand has become one of today's most sought-after key strategic minerals for applications in high-tech industries, including semiconductors, photovoltaic (PV) cells and solar panels, high temperature lamp tubing, telecommunication & optics, microelectronics, and, energy storage applications. As these industries continue to experience rapid growth and technological advancements, the demand for high-purity quartz is expected to rise significantly.

Beneficiation of raw quartz into refined high purity products involves several steps which need to be adapted to minimize the specific impurities of the individual raw quartz feed in line with the end-use application. As a result, high-purity quartz with impurity levels of less than 20ppm per tonne can be achieved.

The prospects for HPQ are promising. Emerging technologies, such as advanced semiconductors, current and next-generation solar, and high-performance electronics, will increasingly rely on HPQ in their manufacturing processes. Moreover, as environmental concerns drive the shift towards renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies, the demand for HPQ in solar and other clean energy applications is expected to rise. By strategically investing in HPQ supply now, HMR is positioned to capitalize on these future opportunities and maintain a strong market presence in the years to come.

About Homerun Resources

Homerun Resources is focused on the development of its business within the critical elements and energy metals sectors.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

Homerun Resources Inc.

"Brian Leeners"

Brian Leeners, CEO & Director

brianleeners@gmail.com / +1 604-862-4184 (WhatsApp)

The TSX Venture Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved or disapproved the contents of this press release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167097
Vancouver, May 23, 2023 - Westward Gold Inc. (CSE:WG), (OTC:WGLIF), (FSE:IM50) ("Westward" or the "Company") is pleased to announce remaining assay results from vertical diamond drill hole T2301 at the Company's Toiyabe Gold Project in Lander County, Nevada ("Toiyabe") (see press release dated April 26th, 2023, for additional information). T2301 was drilled to a total depth ("TD") of 612 meters, and significant gold intervals for the entire length of the hole are shown in Figure 1 below.

Key takeaways from T2301:

New zone of Carlin-type gold mineralization discovered down-section, to the northeast of previously-identified gold mineralization at depth (the "SSD Zone")

Confirmed the mineralizing system continues to produce high-grade gold (>2 g Au/t) near surface and at depth, both gold zones remain open in every direction

The hydrothermally-altered SSD Zone extends and strengthens to the northeast and gold mineralization is associated with significant oxidation; SSD Zone strike length now increased to 625 meters

Pervasive vertical alteration of favourable lower plate carbonate host rocks indicates the potential for continuation of the gold system to the north and northeast

Figure 1: Significant Gold Assays - T2301

Note: Hole location (NAD83 UTM 11N): E 523084, N 4432898, Elev. 2335m. Gold intervals reported in Figure 1 were calculated using a 0.14 g Au/t cut-off. Weighted averaging was used to calculate reported intervals. True widths are estimated at 70-90% of drilled thicknesses.

Steve Koehler, Westward Technical Advisor, and recipient of the 2005 Thayer Lindsley Award for his role in the original Cortez Hills discovery nearby, noted: "The recognition of gold in upper plate rocks above or outboard from gold mineralization in lower plate carbonate rocks in T2301 is reminiscent of geologic patterns in the Carlin Trend north area - especially those gold deposits down-dip from the Carlin and Pete open-pit deposits. The down-dip continuation of the SSD Zone - and its association with favourable carbonate stratigraphy and compressional tectonic features - is similar to the setting of deeper deposits discovered on the Carlin and Cortez Trends."

Mr. Koehler continued: "In T2301 we've tapped into a previously-undiscovered area of lower plate gold mineralization, never before drill tested in this section of the property. Utilizing well-documented geologic models from the Carlin and Cortez areas is key to unlocking exploration value at Toiyabe."

Figure 2: Toiyabe Targeting - Carlin Down-Dip Model Analogue

Hole T2301, the third-deepest ever drilled at Toiyabe, was designed to test for northeast extensions of the recently-identified SSD Zone. This hole was collared as a 300-meter northeast step-out from the closest hole that intersected the SSD Zone (legacy hole T1002 intersected 16.7m of 2.15 g Au/t from 298.1m depth(1)). T2301 intersected significant mineralization ~350m downdip to the northeast from the T1002 intersection, making the total known strike length of the SSD Zone approximately 625m in length trending northeast from hole T2210 - drilled by Westward in 2022 - to hole T2301. The SSD Zone encountered in T2301 continues to be clay-altered and oxidized to TD at 612m (see Figure 3 below for visual examples). Mineralization remains open in all directions, including at depth where the hole ended in anomalous gold (8.1m of 0.47 g Au/t). The focus of future drilling will be two-fold: (i) expanding the near-surface gold mineralization, and (ii) completing widely-spaced step-out drilling to determine the geometry and extent of the SSD Zone, both of which are trending to the northeast.

Dave Browning, Westward's VP Exploration, commented: "What we are seeing in T2301 is unique and has never been seen in any previous deep drilling at Toiyabe, and provides substantial evidence that our northeast vectoring is the correct strategy. The size of the alteration cell observed in surface mapping and our hyperspectral analysis - now confirmed at depth - leads us to believe there is a major feeder system responsible for the surface satellite deposits in the area. Permits are in hand through our Plan of Operations to allow for a robust follow-up of T2301."

Figure 3: Gold Mineralization at Depth Associated with Oxidation

(Note Units Shown in Boxes are Feet)

T2301 is one of the most important holes ever drilled at Toiyabe in that it confirmed many new geological theses developed by the Westward technical team since the property was acquired approximately 2 years ago, notably:

Favourable stratigraphy dips to the northeast, contrary to previous models: through relogging of legacy drill holes and hyperspectral imaging, Westward eliminated the topographical bias that had dominated previous operators' targeting efforts. T2301, combined with the 2022 reverse-circulation ("RC") drill campaign, confirmed this thesis (see Figure 4 for an updated cross-section). The adjacent past-producing Toiyabe-Saddle Mine and shallow gold mineralization at Toiyabe are near-surface satellite deposits of a larger mineralizing system at depth. The mineralizing hydrothermal system strengthens to the north and east: alteration (including oxidation, silicification, decalcification and brecciation) of the favourable lower plate carbonate rock package occurs over a ~365m interval in T2301 and is more pervasive compared to any previous holes. The Carlin Down-Dip Model analogue for Toiyabe (see Figure 2 above) remains intact and is supported by results from T2301.

Dave Browning, Westward's VP Exploration, added: "The tireless efforts of the Technical Team to advance the exploration thesis over the last two years has been commendable. The success of T2301, a borehole that was collared based entirely on new datasets acquired by Westward, is a testament to the progress made at Toiyabe since June 2021. We feel that we are now no longer searching for where the gold system may be, but rather we are on track to vector into the strongest parts it."

Figure 4: Toiyabe Cross-Section



Click Image To View Full Size

Note: Figure 4 includes modelled drillhole traces and assay data inherited from previous operators, please see disclosure under endnote (1) for additional information.

As the Company continues to move north and east in its efforts to expand upon the strike length of both near-surface gold mineralization and the SSD Zone, it will benefit from having consolidated Toiyabe and the Turquoise Canyon Project, which lies adjacent and to the east. Westward's total land package in the area amounts to 39 sq. km of fully-contiguous unpatented mining claims, and also includes the East Saddle Project, which was staked by the Company in late 2021 and lies immediately south and east of Toiyabe.

Sampling Methodology, Chain of Custody, Quality Control and Quality Assurance "QA/QC"

The Company implemented a best-practices QA/QC program during the drilling campaign. All core cutting and sampling was conducted under the supervision of the Company's Vice President Exploration or Project Geologist, and the chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility was continuously monitored. Samples were transported directly from the company's core cutting facility in Crescent Valley, NV by Westward Gold personnel to Bureau Veritas' ("BV") certified preparation facility in Elko, NV, where they were crushed and pulverized. Resulting sample pulps (30g sample size for gold and 500mg for multielement) were transported to BV's certified facilities in Sparks, NV for fire assay and Vancouver, BC, for multielement analysis. Bureau Veritas is independent of the Company.

Core sample intervals were determined based on geological observations from the technical team. Certified standards and blanks were inserted every 10 samples. All samples were analyzed for gold, silver, and 35 additional elements. Assays consisted of fire assay / AAS for gold, and Aqua Regia ICP-ES/MS for geochemistry. The data was reviewed and verified by Westward's Qualified Person prior to disclosure in any news releases, including this one.

Drill hole deviation was measured by gyroscopic down-hole surveys with tooling provided by REFLEX of Elko, NV. The deviation surveys provided accurate data about the true inclination and azimuth of the holes. Obtaining an accurate survey of the drillholes leads to a better contextual understanding of the core samples, and a more robust 3D geological model.

Data Verification

Westward personnel were on site throughout the drill campaign, and oversaw daily operations including the transportation of core boxes to a secure logging and storage facility in Crecent Valley, NV. Core was photographed and captured into a digital database, and one-half was retained in the physical core library. Assay certificates for all samples submitted to BV were received and audited against digital assay results as part of the Company's QA/QC procedure.

(1) Sources: NI 43-101 Technical Report, IM Exploration Inc., Prepared by Donald E. Cameron, P.Geo, August 5, 2021; Toiyabe data room and drill log files inherited from previous operators. The Company and its qualified person have relied on third-party data during its review of the information presented herein, and while it believes the information to be relevant to investors, it cautions readers that it should not be unduly relied upon in drawing inferences on the mineralization at Toiyabe, as additional work is required to confirm drill intercepts and/or soil samples, including (but not limited to): re-sampling and re-assaying of available core and/or pulps, verification of assay certificates where available, review and verification of drillhole geologic logs versus the preserved core and RC cuttings.

Qualified Person

The technical information contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Steven R. Koehler, Technical Advisor to the Company, who is a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Koehler is a Certified Professional Geologist (CPG) through the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG).

About Westward Gold

Westward Gold is a mineral exploration company focused on developing the Toiyabe, Turquoise Canyon, and East Saddle Projects located in the Cortez Hills area of Lander County, Nevada, and the Coyote and Rossi Projects located along the Carlin Trend in Elko County, Nevada. From time to time, the Company may also evaluate the acquisition of other mineral exploration assets and opportunities.

For further information contact:

Colin Moore

President, CEO & Director

Westward Gold Inc.

colin@westwardgold.com

www.westwardgold.com

The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This news release contains or incorporates by reference "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, which address events, results, outcomes, or developments that the Company expects to occur are, or may be deemed, to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally, but not always, identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "potential", "on track", "forecast", "budget", "target", "outlook", "continue", "plan" or variations of such words and phrases 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 connotation of such terms.

Such statements include, but may not be limited to, information as to strategy, plans or future financial or operating performance, such as the Company's expansion plans, project timelines, expected drilling targets, and other statements that express management's expectations or estimates of future plans and performance.

Forward-looking statements or information are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements or information, including, without limitation, the need for additional capital by the Company through financings, and the risk that such funds may not be raised; the speculative nature of exploration and the stages of the Company's properties; the effect of changes in commodity prices; regulatory risks that development of the Company's material properties will not be acceptable for social, environmental or other reasons, availability of equipment (including drills) and personnel to carry out work programs, that each stage of work will be completed within expected time frames, that current geological models and interpretations prove correct, the results of ongoing work programs may lead to a change of exploration priorities, and the efforts and abilities of the senior management team. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements or information. These and other factors may cause the Company to change its exploration and work programs, not proceed with work programs, or change the timing or order of planned work programs. Additional risk factors and details with respect to risk factors that may affect the Company's ability to achieve the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are set out in the Company's latest management discussion and analysis under "Risks and Uncertainties", which is available under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company's forward-looking statements and information are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations, and opinions of management as of the date of this press release, and other than as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements and information if circumstances or management's assumptions, beliefs, expectations or opinions should change, or changes in any other events affecting such statements or information.

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Durango's Mayner's Fortune property is 7.5km south of the Terrace airport with an area of interest consisting of a two-kilometre-thick metasedimentary sequence hosting at least six sub parallel N to NE striking limestone (with minor marble) units. The first limestone unit has historical inferred reserves of 454,000 tonnes grading 96.3% limestone which is a non-43-101 compliant resource and has not been verified by the Company. * Representative samples taken from exposed outcrop have returned calcium carbonate levels of up to 99.9% at surface.

The Company plans to do additional mapping near the fifth limestone unit, followed by trenching, test drilling and production (if warranted). The area is easily accessible and can be driven to by logging roads and has been mapped and measured at 1.6km long at surface. Previous reports have indicated that limestone units one and three are of high quality and size but due to the ease in accessibility and the grand size Durango is interested to see if the fifth limestone unit is high quality at depth.

Marcy Kiesman of Durango stated, "We are happy that the Ministry of Mines has had time to review our documentation and issue Durango the bulk tonnage permit. Our geological team is now working on timing for a site preparation visit to Mayner's which will be followed by additional exploration."

Global Growth of Limestone Market

In 2022, the global limestone market size was valued at USD $72 billion with the expectation to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.3% for the next seven years. The use of limestone for water treatment and purification activities is one of the forces driving the demand of limestone in coming years. Global Limestone Market Size, Share & Growth Report, 2030 (grandviewresearch.com)

*The historical reports have not been verified by the Company and therefore should not be relied upon. The technical contents of this press release were approved by Melanie Mackay, P.Geo., professional geologist, an independent qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Durango

Durango is a natural resources company engaged in the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties. The Company is positioned for discovery with a 100% interest in a strategically located group of properties in the Windfall Lake and Troilus gold camps in the Abitibi region of Quebec, Canada.

For further information on Durango, please refer to its SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Marcy Kiesman, CEO

Telephone: 604.428.2900 or 604.339.2243

Email: durangoresourcesinc@gmail.com

Website: www.durangoresourcesinc.com



Click Image To View Full Size

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward?looking information or statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, which may include, without limitation, statements that address the upcoming work programs, and other statements relating to the business, financial and technical prospects of the Company. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of minerals, the ability to achieve its goals, the COVID-19 pandemic, 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. Such forward-looking information reflects the Company's views with respect to future events and is subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The Company does not undertake to update forward?looking statements or forward?looking information, 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.

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.

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Huntsville ON, May 23, 2023 - Steadright Critical Minerals (CSE:SCM) ("Steadright" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that both special meeting items held in Toronto, Ontario on May 16, 2023 has been ratified unanimously by the Shareholders of Steadright. The RAM Nord 94 mineral claims to purchase contiguous to the RAM Property and the sale of Steadright's option on the 3 mineral claim property packages, B2 Nord, B2 and B2 Sud.

Total shares that voted in favour of the two items at the special meeting was 3,730,371 or representing 27.54 % of the outstanding shares.

Steadright's Board of Directors has also amended the terms of the Purchase of the RAM Nord 94 claims with 2615153 Ontario Inc. from 2,200,000 common shares and $15,000 to compensate the vendor, to 2,100,000 common shares and $11,000.



Click Image To View Full Size

The RAM project has a strike length of over 9km on the "Main Block" area and a 2km splay with both up to 500 meters wide and open at depth. The entire strike length currently contains, "Drill Ready" targets based on the alignment of the magnetic, gravity, ground and airborne EM anomalies coincident with identified geological targets.

As reported by Marum Resources and Ressources Appalaches, March 13, 2003, in the Canadian Mining Journal, "These results and those of earlier drill programs have identified a low-grade, Nickel-Copper system from surface to a vertical depth of 150 meters and measuring 500 meters by 200 meters based on historical press releases). The system is characterized by several zones over 20 meters thick that are possibly related to a 60-meter-thick zone defined by earlier drilling. Overall, the massive sulphide zone intersects vary between 0.25-0.75 % Ni (Nickel) and 0.20-0.47 % Cu (Copper)".

In the REPORT ON MINERAL EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES IN QUEBEC DV 2003-02, Marum Resources and Ressources Appalaches also reported "the massive sulphide zones with up to 1.2 % Ni, 1.6 % Cu, 0.13 % Co, and 0.4 g/t Pt, were reported. On the Main Grid, located on the same property, four out of eight drill holes intersected nine mineralized zones, from 4 to 65 m thick, containing massive sulphides and yielding grades up to 1.6 % Ni, 1.5 % Cu, 0.18 % Co, and 0.2 g/t Pt were reported". In addition, the report states, "these drill results confirm that the B-20 property (RAM) hosts an important Ni-Cu system located near surface, with significant cobalt and platinum group element concentrations". Steadright press release January 24th, 2023.

The Last closing price of Steadright Critical Minerals was $0.08 per common share.

John Morgan, CEO of Steadright comments, "We are pleased to be adding 94 mineral claims to the 33 current mineral claims on the highly prospective Nickel, Copper, Cobalt, PGM RAM property near Port Cartier, Quebec. With unprecedented interest in Nickel, Copper, Cobalt PGM's Steadright is in a very favourable position with a growing land package that encapsulates a District scale with over 9km in strike length and a 2km splay from surface in the best location for future open pit mining operations."

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

John Morgan

CEO

Steadright Critical Minerals Inc.

Phone: (647) 637-8608

Email: info@steadright.ca

Web: www.steadright.ca

Exploring for a better tomorrow

Steadright Critical Minerals Inc. is a mineral exploration company established in 2019. Steadright currently holds an option on its RAM property near Port Cartier, Quebec within the Gaspe Bay Region, which is accessible by route 138. The RAM project is comprised of 4,201 acres and located on a Anorthositic complex that is in a highly prospective geological unit and historically been under explored for Ni, Cu, Co and precious metals. Steadright also has an option agreement for the B2 Project exploring for Cu, Ag located in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean Region of Quebec. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Rating Held by D Held by R Total Lean Republican 1 6 7 Tossup 7 1 8 Lean Democrat 3 0 3 Total 11 7 18

ALABAMA

ALASKA

ARIZONA

ARKANSAS

CALIFORNIA

COLORADO

CONNECTICUT

DELAWARE

FLORIDA

GEORGIA

HAWAII

IDAHO

ILLINOIS

INDIANA

IOWA

KANSAS

KENTUCKY

LOUISIANA

MAINE

MARYLAND

MASSACHUSETTS

MICHIGAN

MINNESOTA

MISSISSIPPI

MISSOURI

MONTANA

NEBRASKA

NEVADA

NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW JERSEY

NEW MEXICO

NEW YORK

NORTH CAROLINA

NORTH DAKOTA

OHIO

OKLAHOMA

OREGON

PENNSYLVANIA

RHODE ISLAND

SOUTH CAROLINA

SOUTH DAKOTA

TENNESSEE

TEXAS

UTAH

VERMONT

VIRGINIA

WASHINGTON STATE

WEST VIRGINIA

WISCONSIN

WYOMING

The battle for control of the nations state legislatures has gotten a little bit more competitive since mid-summer -- but not a whole lot.Whenlast rated the nations legislative chambers in June, there were fewer competitive chambers than at any time since at least 2002. In the updated ratings, it appears six chambers in five states are more competitive.Three chambers are shifting in the GOPs direction: Kentuckys House, from lean Democratic to tossup; Minnesotas House, from lean Democratic to tossup; and Nevadas Assembly, from safe Democratic to likely Democratic.Three chambers are also shifting in the Democrats direction -- Michigans House from likely Republican to lean Republican, and both chambers in North Carolina from Safe Republican to Likely Republican.In general, though, these shifts do not dramatically change this election cycles overall landscape, which tilts against the Democrats. The Democrats still have more chambers at risk this cycle -- and limited options for flipping chambers held by the GOP.All told, the GOP is poised to pick up two or three chambers this fall, though outcomes could range from a Democratic gain of two to a Republican gain of seven or eight.The current partisan breakdown in state legislatures is 58 Republican-held chambers and 40 Democratic-held chambers. That's a slightly smaller margin than the 61 chambers the GOP controlled in 2012. Historically, though, it's a high GOP total. As recently as the run-up to the 2010 election, the Democrats held a 62 to 36 advantage in chambers.Today, the GOP controls both chambers in 27 states, while the Democrats control both chambers in 19; three states have one chamber controlled by each party. (Nebraska's unicameral legislature is nonpartisan.)Less than a month away from Election Day, there are 18 chambers vulnerable to a change in control, up by one from mid-summer. That's well below the number of chambers in play at this point in the cycle than in 2012, when there were 24 in play. It's also fewer than the 27 in play at this point in the most recent midterm election, 2010.The Democrats do have more at risk this cycle. Not only is 2014 the sixth year of a Democratic presidential term, but they also have more chambers at risk than the Republicans do. Of the 18 at-risk chambers this year, 11 are currently held by the Democrats, compared to seven held by the GOP.That said, the relatively small number of vulnerable chambers limits the Democrats downside risk this year. And the modest number of adjustments made in this update contrast with the 2006 and 2010 cycles, when national partisan waves developed. Those years,was shifting large numbers of chambers right up through Election Day. The Democrats challenge stems less from a Republican headwind and more from the map they have faced since the beginning of this cycle.Of the 11 chambers at risk for the Democrats, seven are rated either tossup or lean Republican. The Democratic-held chamber that leans Republican is the New Hampshire House, thanks to a GOP-friendly redistricting map. The seven Democratic-held tossup chambers are: the Colorado Senate, the Iowa Senate, the Nevada Senate, the New Mexico House, the West Virginia House and two new additions, the Kentucky House and the Minnesota House. The remaining at-risk chambers are currently rated lean Democratic: the Colorado House, the Maine Senate, and the Oregon Senate.Meanwhile, among GOP-held chambers, there's currently only one that's a tossup, the New York Senate. Another six Republican-held chambers are leaning Republican: the Arkansas House, the Iowa House, the New Hampshire Senate, the Washington state Senate, the Wisconsin Senate, and one newly classified lean Republican chamber, the Michigan House.The ratings shift for three chambers that arent highly competitive. Nevadas Assembly shifted from safe Democratic to likely Democratic, and both chambers in North Carolina switched from safe Republican to likely Republican. In each of these chambers, the minority party has a chance of gaining ground on the majority, but not enough to wrest control.The situation in North Carolina is the most interesting. Theres been a backlash against the North Carolina GOPs conservative agenda, and while it probably wont be enough to flip the chambers this year, even Republicans acknowledge it could cut the partys margins in one or both chambers.As always, assessment are based on interviews with dozens of state and national political sources. Chambers are rated on the following scale: safe Republican, likely Republican, lean Republican, tossup, lean Democratic, likely Democratic and safe Democratic. The categories labeled "lean" and "tossup" are considered competitive or in play. Chambers in either of the "likely" categories are not expected to change party control on Election Day, but it's possible that the minority party could net a few seats and nibble into the majority's lead. The current partisan breakdown in each chamber comes from the National Conference of State Legislatures; seats that are vacant or held by third-party politicians are not included in the totals.The Republican takeover of the Alabama Legislature in 2010 won't be reversed any time soon, despite the Oct. 20 indictment of House Speaker Mike Hubbard, the architect of the takeover. The biggest competition for incumbent Alabama lawmakers came in the primaries, rather than the general election.The bipartisan coalition that led the Senate from 2006 to 2012 is ancient history, thanks to a Republican-friendly redistricting in 2012. That leaves the GOP in good shape to retain solid control through at least the next redistricting after the 2020 Census. While the gubernatorial race was shaken up with the creation of a fusion ticket between an Independent and a Democrat, there isnt much reason to think it will change the calculus for legislative races.Arizona Republicans have been in control of the legislature for years, despite some intra-caucus friction between hard-liners and pragmatists. Even though Democrats can be competitive in Arizona  including in this years gubernatorial race  its not clear that the party can count on coattails, especially in a midterm election. Smaller gains are possible, but at the end of the day, the GOP should be able to maintain control in both chambers.After a long period of Democratic control, the GOP took the majority in both Arkansas chambers in 2012. Its hold is solid in the Senate, but the House is more iffy, with Democrats needing to net just two seats in order to flip the chamber back. The battle will be waged district by district , though the GOP is still slightly favored, since Republicans are now slightly favored in both the open-seat gubernatorial race and a hard-fought U.S. Senate contest  a lean that could translate into other races.California Democrats are in no danger of losing their majorities in both chambers, particularly as Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown looks strong for another term in 2014. The only danger would come from losing their two-thirds supermajority, which allows the party in power to exercise their will on budgetary and other matters without minority input. The odds are slightly on the side of Democrats keeping their two-thirds majorities in both chambers, though in the Senate, it could take until a special election in December.In purple Colorado, the Democrats control both legislative chambers and the governorship. But their grip on the Senate hangs by a thread after two Democratic lawmakers were ousted in a recall election for taking pro-gun-control stances. A half-dozen seats are competitive, including the two recall seats. Republicans feel good about their chances, but too much remains up in the air to move the Senate away from tossup. The House also stays at Lean Democratic.Even though Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy is facing a tough re-election campaign, Connecticut Democrats are in good shape to maintain their legislative majorities. They aren't expected to reach the two-thirds supermajority, however, that would allow the party to override gubernatorial vetoes, a power that would become especially important if the GOP ousts Malloy this fall.The Democrats will have no trouble holding on to their majorities in this blue state.Despite a highly competitive gubernatorial race this fall and Florida's history as a purple state in presidential races, the GOP is in solid control of both chambers of the legislature.The GOP won a two-thirds supermajority in the state Senate in 2012, and just missed doing the same in the House. Achieving dual supermajorities could allow them to pass constitutional amendments without Democratic votes. The GOP stands ready to pick up another couple seats in the House this fall, making a second supermajority possible. While the Democrats are finding stronger-than-expected prospects in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races in the state, the GOP should have a solid hold on both chambers.Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie was ousted in a primary, and the winner of the three-way general election for governor is anybodys guess. But in the legislature, Hawaii's Democratic majorities are ridiculously large. Even if the GOP manages to pick up seats, they'll still be far, far in the hole.Both chambers in Idaho are solidly in Republican control. While the GOP has some internal divisions, the Democrats shouldn't be much of a factor for the foreseeable future.A weak Democratic gubernatorial candidate -- unpopular incumbent Pat Quinn, locked in a close race with deep-pocketed GOP businessman Bruce Rauner  could cost Democrats their supermajority in the House, but the party should remain in power in both chambers, thanks to the strongly advantageous, Democratic-drawn redistricting map. Of the 19 seats up in the Senate this year, only two are considered competitive, so the best plausible outcome the Republicans is perhaps 20 out of 59 seats.Meanwhile, in the House, only 47 of 118 seats are even contested, and perhaps 10 are competitive.Indiana's GOP majorities are super-safe; in fact, the Republicans in the Senate could add another seat or two. Democrats are hoping that bigger turnout in the 2016 presidential election year could help them claw back a few House seats, though even then, gains in the Senate will be an uphill climb. Some Democrats hope to they might be able to win back enough seats to bust the GOP quorum-proof majority, but even if they win some of their targeted seats, they run the risk of losing some others and ending up with a wash.Iowa is one of a vanishing number of states with split legislative control. The Democratic edge in the Senate is narrow -- the GOP needs to flip just one seat to achieve a tie, and two to gain control. The GOP has a slightly larger margin in the House. The 2014 election features a relatively easy re-election bid by GOP Gov. Terry Branstad and a highly competitive open-seat U.S. Senate contest; better-than-expected results by either Branstad or Republican Senate candidate Joni Ernst could have an impact on legislative races.GOP Gov. Sam Brownback's strongly conservative agenda has irked Democrats and moderate Republicans, making his re-election contest against Democrat Paul Davis unusually competitive. The GOP edge in the House -- the only chamber that will be contested this year -- is too massive for Democrats to pose much of a threat to Republican control. But the traditional Democratic-moderate Republican coalition may well gain at the margins, with several moderate Republicans prevailing in primary elections and Democrats possibly picking up a few seats. This might be enough to thwart proposed constitutional amendments that require a two-thirds majority.As most Southern legislative chambers have slipped away from the Democrats, the Kentucky House has somehow managed to remain the exception. The GOP would need a five-seat gain to take control. An i nflux of money will help the GOP cause, as would the prospect of party switchers joining the fold if the GOP ends up on Election Night with a one- or two-seat deficit. A flip is no slam-dunk, but in a midterm election where the GOP has a good environment, caution means shifting this from Lean Democratic to tossup. Meanwhile, the GOP-held Senate is in no danger of going Democratic.Neither chamber in Louisiana is contested this year.The Maine Legislature has flipped back and forth in recent years, with the GOP taking over in 2010 and the Democrats seizing back control in 2012 (when Obama was at the top of the ballot). The Democrats' sizable majority in the state House looks durable for now, but the much narrower Democratic margin in the Senate makes a GOP takeover a possibility. Any impact from the hotly contested gubernatorial race is tough to predict, since its a three-way contest.Races for state legislature have taken a back seat to the open-seat gubernatorial contest so far, and Republicans are doing better than expected in the gubernatorial contest. Still, Democratic margins are large in both chambers, and no one expects GOP gains significant enough to eliminate Democratic supermajorities.While the gubernatorial race is proving to be much tougher than Democratic nominee Martha Coakley might have expected just a few months ago, the Democrats have massive margins in Massachusetts. Whoever wins the governorship, it wont make a difference in the state House and Senate.The GOP hold in the Senate is secure, but the House is looking somewhat competitive. The Democrats would need to gain five seats to take the majority in the House. Thats looking slightly more plausible than a few months ago -- they have a few strong candidates in open races and their vulnerable incumbents seem to be hanging on. Still, the GOP has some good prospects of their own, so they maintain the advantage. The House race shifts from Likely Republican to Lean Republican.The GOP would need a net gain of seven seats to take control in the House. Several vulnerable Democratic-Farmer-Labor seats are in GOP-leaning districts, and a GOP net pickup of seven seats is conceivable. Control of the chamber could hinge on narrow margins in a few of the 134 districts. Meanwhile, the solidly Democratic Senate is not up this year.Neither chamber in Mississippi is contested this year.Once a relatively competitive state, Missouri has taken a turn to the right. The large GOP margins in both chambers are utterly solid -- and important for the GOP's continuing skirmishes with moderate Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. The Republican majority is so lopsided that Republicans have been able to override Nixon's vetoes.The Democrats may hold the Montana governorship, but the GOP maintains a sizable enthusiasm gap over Democrats in the state, and as a result, their grip on the legislature is solid. Thanks to the state's conservative bent and Democrats' increasing difficulty winning in rural areas, control of the House appears safe for the GOP and is only slightly less solid in the Senate. But in a midterm election year where a Democratic U.S. Senate seat is in all but flipped -- and amid concerns about President Obama's proposed rules on carbon emissions (an unpopular policy in energy-producing states) -- even minor Democratic gains are implausible.Nebraska's unicameral legislature is officially nonpartisan,doesn't handicap it.The Democratic edge in the Assembly is one seat short of a supermajority and seems likely to hold, but the prospect of an easy re-election for GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval  and a lead in early balloting for the GOP -- could pull some seats the GOPs way. As a result, were moving the Assembly from Safe Democratic to Likely Democratic; if the GOP surge continues, we might push it further before Election Day. The far more narrowly divided Senate is perennially under attack from the minority GOP. Republican prospects in the Senate have increased since our last handicapping. Three seats will be in play; the GOP has plausible contenders and a general election slate for statewide offices that's more of a draw for Republican voters. However, the districts, all in Clark County (Las Vegas), lean modestly Democratic. This is the GOPs strongest takeover chance in recent years, but for now, but being cautious keeps the rating at tossup.Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan is favored to win re-election, but the Democrats may not be so lucky in the legislature. They currently control the state's massive 400-seat state House, but their reign could be short, since the Republicans benefit from a redistricting map favorable to their party. In a midterm election cycle that's more favorable to the GOP, it's entirely plausible for Republicans to net the 20 seats needed to flip the majority; after all, the chamber is known for experiencing wild swings. The much smaller state Senate is currently held by the Republicans, and the GOP has an ever-so-slight edge in keeping control.Neither chamber in New Jersey is contested this year.The state Senate isn't up this year, but control of the New Mexico House --which has been in the hands of Democrats since 1953 -- is up for grabs this year, with only a three-seat gain needed to flip the chamber. It doesn't hurt Republicans that it's a midterm election and that GOP Gov. Susana Martinez is favored to win a second term. Martinez is joined on the ticket by other Hispanic Republicans  and women -- making the ticket more diverse than in past years. It's a tossup, but its clear that this is a major opportunity for the Republicans.New York's Senate is as fluid as its House is rock-solid. A coalition of Republicans and maverick Democrats currently run the Senate, and Republicans have taken comfort in some recent polls. However, there are too many moving parts with choices about party affiliation to call the Senate anything but a tossup.North Carolina has been one of the most contentious state government battlegrounds over the past two years, thanks to the aggressively conservative agenda pursued by the House and Senate GOP majorities. This appears to have sparked some backlash  the GOP U.S. Senate candidate, state House Speaker Thom Tillis, is struggling in his bid to oust Democratic incumbent Kay Hagan for that very reason. In addition, the Democratic-aligned outside groups are better organized and better funded than they were in 2010 and 2012, when GOP outside groups dominated.So its now looking plausible for Democrats to peel back a few seats in one or both chambers, especially in districts anchored by urban counties like Wake, Buncombe and New Hanover. While its not a slam dunk Republicans will lose their supermajorities, its now within the realm of possibility. And if so, that would set up Democrats, if they can get their organizational act together, to make a serious challenge for control of one chamber or other in 2016, despite districts drawn to favor Republicans.In solidly Republican North Dakota, both chambers are held by Republican supermajorities; they are safe.Ohio may swing in presidential races, but the GOP has a lock on both chambers of the legislature. With the legislative picture bleak, the Democrats suffered a further blow with the implosion of gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald amid personal questions. It might even be enough to add marginally to the GOP lead in one chamber or the other.The days when conservative Democrats ruled the Oklahoma Legislature are gone. The realignment toward Republicans in Oklahoma, hastened by Obama's unpopularity, ensures that the GOP will maintain supermajorities in both chambers.Oregon has been such a solidly Democratic state in recent election cycles that it's not clear that the GOP will be able to take advantage of some breaks, notably the public's disaffection with the spectacular failure of the state health insurance marketplace under Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber. Weighing down GOP hopes is a shortage of vulnerable seats and mediocre candidate recruitment. The narrowly divided Senate, currently controlled by the Democrats, is vulnerable to a tie; a flip looks more unlikely for Republicans than it did a few months ago, and an extension of the Democratic edge looks more plausible than it did previously. It stays at Lean Democratic. In the House, meanwhile, the Democrats have a somewhat more comfortable margin.Republican Tom Corbett is the most vulnerable incumbent governor in the country, but the GOP's edge in the legislature seems reasonably solid. In the Senate, the Democrats would only need to flip three seats to take control of a chamber the GOP has long held, but the lineup of seats being contested is favorable to the Republicans. Meanwhile, in the House, the margin is wider, giving Republicans some room for error. If Corbett's re-election bid begins to be a down-ballot drag for the GOP, one or both of these chambers could shift to vulnerable. But there's no sign of that yet.Rhode Island has one of the most lopsided legislatures in the nation. Regardless of what happens in the competitive open-seat gubernatorial race, the Democrats have nothing to worry about.With a Republican-friendly redistricting map, there are few real competitive legislative elections on tap in South Carolina this cycle. While there's some skirmishing between establishment and Tea Party Republicans, both chambers will end up safely in the GOP camp. (The Senate is not being contested this year.)In solidly Republican South Dakota, the only relevant battles are between the establishment and Tea Party wings of the GOP. The Democrats aren't much of a factor here.The GOP has a lock on the Tennessee Legislature.Recent election cycles have demonstrated that Texas is growing ever-more conservative, so the GOP's current edge in the legislature seems rock solid. The House is poised to continue under the leadership of centrist conservative Joe Straus, while the Senate will almost certainly be run by Dan Patrick, the GOP nominee for the state's powerful position of lieutenant governor. Patrick is conservative even by Texas standards, and hes expected to relax the senate's longstanding two-thirds supermajority, probably to three-fifths, which would effectively gut any remaining Democratic leverage in the chamber.The Utah Legislature is tilted massively toward the GOP. There's no chance of broad Democratic gains.In solidly blue Vermont, the Democrats have strong majorities, so any marginal gains by the GOP should not make a difference. There are a handful of Progressive Party and Independent legislators, but their numbers are not big enough to make a practical difference in control.There's no reason to rate the Legislature because it has no regular elections this year. However, a vacancy in one safe Democratic Senate district means that a special election will be on the ballot in November. Either way, the GOP will retain the control it won with the departure of a Democratic lawmaker from the previously tied chamber  a watershed development that effectively blocked key agenda items being pursued by newly elected Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe.Its looking like a status-quo election in Washington state. The Democrats look likely to hold on to their House majority, and the Republicans are modestly favored to keep their coalition in the state Senate, which they currently exercise with 24 Republicans and two Democrats. One of those Democrats is retiring, but the GOP appears to pick up an open seat of a retiring minority Democrat incumbent, which along with the the remaining GOP-caucusing Democrat, will be enough to continue their coalition. In the House, the GOP could notch a couple of seats -- too few to flip control, but possibly enough to hand the majority some tough votes on fiscal issues next year.On the House side, the GOP could undo a Democratic run of control that began all the way back in 1928. Some think the GOP has an edge, but it's a tossup for now. In the Senate, the Democrats should be able to hold on for at least one more cycle.The Wisconsin Assembly has a huge Republican advantage; the GOP-led Senate is much tighter. Four Republican senators are leaving, two in competitive districts, giving Democrats a chance to return Wisconsin to divided government despite a pro-Republican redistricting map. But for that to happen, Democrat Mary Burke would need to provide some coattails downballot; shes locked in a tight race with incumbent Gov. Scott Walker.
Lewis Hamilton says he and Toto Wolff are "working on" a new contract for the seven time world champion for 2024 and beyond.

The big story pedalled by Formula 1's international media this week is that Hamilton, 38, may be in direct contact with Ferrari president John Elkann about a potential big-money offer to leave Mercedes.

But at the same time, there are rumours that Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have been guaranteed by Elkann that top-name technical signings will soon be making their move to Ferrari.

As for the Hamilton-to-Ferrari rumour, the major German newspaper Bild insists there is "nothing" to the story.

Hamilton, meanwhile, has been quoted by the Italian newspaper La Stampa as declaring that he is "happy at Mercedes".

"We haven't signed a new contract yet, but we're working on it," the British driver added.

Mercedes team boss Wolff sang a similar tune in conversation with the Austrian newspaper Osterreich on Monday when he was asked about the latest Hamilton rumours.

"None of it is true. We are discussing things normally, without any time pressure," Wolff said.

For his part, Hamilton says his relationship with Wolff is strong.

"I've been with Mercedes since 2013 and we hit it off straight away," he said. "He (Wolff) never told me that I have to change in this way or that.

"He always accepted me for who I am."

Hamilton will have a significantly upgraded Mercedes to race this weekend in Monaco, while Ferrari will unveil new rear suspension at the following grand prix in Barcelona.

"Toto is totally focused on making Mercedes improve," F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told the Daily mail.

"He told me he made adjustments within the team to be sure that there is the right intensity to gain performance as soon as possible. I am sure this will happen very, very soon."

(GMM)
Afrexim invests over $10 billion to support devt

Vincent Amenuvev Business News May - 23 - 2023 , 13:38

The African Export-Import (Afrexim) Bank, a pan-African trade finance institution, has for the past 30 years invested over $10 billion to support Ghana in various sectors.

The sectors include agriculture, agro-processing, financial institutions, energy and hospitality among others.

Established in 1993 under the auspices of the African Development Bank, Ghana was the first country to receive support from Afrexim to strengthen the cocoa sector.

In all, the pan-African multilateral institution has spent about $90 billion since its establishment to support countries in Africa in sectors such as finance, commodity crisis management and trade.

Recently, it supported its member countries to procure personal protective equipment (PPE), vaccines and test kits during the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as the importation of food and fertilisers.

Annual Meetings

The President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afrexim Bank, Professor Benedict Okey Oramah, made these known in Accra last Friday at the launch of activities to mark the banks 30th annual meetings.

The meetings, which coincides with Afrexim's 30th anniversary celebrations, will be held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) from June 18 to 21, this year.

It is on the theme: Delivering the Vision. Building Prosperity for Africans.

The annual meetings and anniversary celebrations will bring together thousands of people, including African and Caribbean leaders, senior government officials, other policymakers, corporate leaders, bankers and the academia.

The meetings will include the Annual General Meeting of shareholders and an extensive seminar programme, including plenaries and side events.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to grace the occasion.

Giving a breakdown of some of the interventions, Prof. Oramah recalled that during the commodity crisis of 2015 and 2016 and at a time when many international banks left the continent, Afrexim made sure its member countries did not go into trade payment defaults.

He explained that about $10 billion was disbursed to support countries on the continent to solve that challenge.

On COVID-19, he revealed that the bank released $16 billion to enable beneficiary countries on the continent to purchase test kits, PPE, and vaccines among other things.

Under the Medical Supplies Platform, Prof. Oramah said the bank provided $2 billion to address the 30 per cent gap in the procurement vaccines faced by countries on the continent, while $8 billion went to support food and fertiliser supplies.

He indicated that the bank had four pillars that underpinned its strategic plan, with intra African trade and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) being high on its agenda.

The Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, lauded the Afrexim Bank for supporting the country with a $750 million loan last year to help stabilise the economy.

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison, expressed excitement over the healthy partnership between the country and Afrexim Bank.

Because the bank has been our critical partner in the management of our foreign market, the central bank lodged $500 million of our foreign reserves into the account of the bank, he pointed out.
Digital technology in financial space improves in Ghana  BoG Governor

Vincent Amenuveve Business News May - 23 - 2023 , 11:20

A book titled The Enabling Architecture for a Digital Economy" that seeks to break down the digital economy concept by building structures in a practical and digestible way, has been launched in Accra.

The book systematically lays down the fundamental framework for policymakers and other stakeholders to enable them to grasp the potential blocks for a developing economy.

Co-authored by Professor Kwaku Appiah-Adu and Franklin Asare, it was launched by the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Ernest Addison, last Thursday.

The foreword of the 244-page book was written by the former Prime Minister of the Great Britain, Tony Blair, and published by Ace Publishers, a leading publishing company in Accra.

The event was attended by financial experts, bankers, marketing executives and politicians, including a former Minister of State for Tertiary Education, Elizabeth Ohene; a prominent Ghanaian lawyer, Sam Okudzeto, and a former diplomat and veteran journalist, Kabral Blay Amihere.

Digital technology up

Addressing the launch, Dr Addison said Ghana had improved over the past 20 years in the use of digital technology to deliver financial services and products that ensured financial inclusiveness.

He explained that the Global Financial Index report revealed that the country's financial inclusion rate had improved from 41 per cent in 2014, to nearly 70 per cent in 2021.

That, he said, was as a result of the efforts of the central bank to improve digital technology in its operations since 2003.

He indicated that the introduction of E-Zwich, mobile money transactions and Financial Technology (FINTECH), all backed by relevant regulations had combined to make financial transactions more inclusive in the country.

I agree that digital technology can be a potent tool for financial inclusiveness.

The book has relevance with the operations of the Bank of Ghana in using digital technology to transform society, Dr Addison further explained.

Touching on the book, he said the co-authors skilfully combined their experiences in the current financial environment in which businesses operated, highlighted digital strategic development and gave an insider view of developing and developed economies.

Cyber security

Dr Addison further stated that the increase in the use of digital technology in the financial space had also increased the cyber security risks, but over time, the financial institutions were also building robust systems to deal with the challenge.

As part of the governance and monitoring interventions, the BoG had set up the Financial Industry Command Security Operations Centre at the central bank, and it would soon be commissioned by the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

The centre, Dr Addison noted, would enable the bank address cyber security issues in the entire banking sector.

Co-authors

Prof. Appiah-Adu is a professor of Strategy and Senior Policy Advisor at the Vice-President's Secretariat, while Mr Asare is the Chief Executive Officer of TechGulf Ghana Limited, an information technology firm headquartered in San Francisco in the United States.

The co-authors explained that the book sought to break down a seemingly complex digital economy concept by building structures in a practical and digestible way.

They said the book, step by step, laid down the fundamental framework for policymakers and other stakeholders to quickly grasp the potential blocks for a developing economy.

They described the book as a treasure for academics, policymakers, students and business executives.

Prof. Appiah-Adu explained that they both shared a common passion to see the youth on the streets with talents but without capital to turn their ideas into tangible things for commercial purposes being nurtured in the right environment to succeed in all their endeavours.

Launching

The Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries, Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, launched the book and sold 100 copies for a start.
Fertiliser importer supports 3 farmers

Emmanuel Bruce Business News May - 18 - 2023 , 11:10

Rejuvenate Gaia Global Limited, the sole licensed importer and dealer of Greenfert Organic Granular Fertiliser has supported three farmers with a total amount of GH10,000 through its Buy and Win promotion.

The promotion that runs throughout 2023 will see GH10,000 to be shared among three lucky farmers every month.

The three lucky winners in the first draw of the promo were Vivian Abora from the Secondi-Takoradi Municipal Assembly, who received a cash prize of GH4,000. The second and third place went to Bek & Bek Farms, and Joseph Teye Kofi, both from the Yilo Krobo Municipal Assembly, taking away with GH3,000 each,

To qualify, farmers are required to buy one or more Greenfert Organic fertiliser from any of its registered agents nationwide.

Speaking at the draw, the Managing Director of Rejuvenate, Randolph Obeng-Frimpong, said after years of supplying Greenfert organic granular fertiliser grains to Ghanaian farmers, the company deemed it necessary to celebrate its relationship with its cherished farmers across the regions of the country.

This promotion is special in a way as every farmer stands the chance to win some cash on a purchase of some Greenfert organic fertiliser from any of our agents spread across Ghana, he said.

He said in order to make the promotion fair, each purchase had the same chance of winning. So, a peasant farmer who buys only one bag and a commercial farmer who buys more than one bag can all win. A commercial farmer will only get a second chance if he/she buys more than 200 bags in the same month.

The good thing about Greenfert organic fertiliser is the experimental process after which the farmer begins to reap the benefit of 100 per cent retention in terms of quality of crop production and harvested crops while maintaining sustainability and fixing the soil, Mr Obeng-Frimpong noted.

He added that it was a two-in-one product that enhanced crop production and also concentrated on enhancing soil quality, with the most important aspect being its affordability on the market.

Rewarding customer loyalty

Deputy Managing Director, Rejuvenate, Dr Gameli Nordor, for his part mentioned that the initiative was aimed at rewarding customer loyalty and also celebrating its relationship with the cherished farmers across in the country.

All we are aiming to do is to give farmers additional help aside from the top-quality fertiliser we have been providing that solves a two-in-one problem, which is providing the soil with the right nutrients and also fixing the soil in the long term due to its organic nature.

Greenfert is a one-time application product that lasts for at least six months, providing the right quantity of nutrients required by the crops, he said.

He added that Greenfert fertiliser was a hundred per cent organic and hence aided in soil improvement, therefore farmers should opt for the 4-3-3 formula brand of product for an increase in yield.
Japan Motors unveils new Nissan Qashqai model at CEOs Summit

Kwame Larweh Business News May - 22 - 2023 , 19:35

Auto dealers Japan Motors Trading Company have unveiled the next generation Nissan Qashgai model at the side-lines of the ongoing CEOs Summit at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City in Accra today (May 22).

The new model is equipped with sharp LED headlamps and sporty 18-inch alloy wheels.

It is also features a Bose audio, traffic updates and real time vehicle information and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto interface.

With a background inspired by Japanese kiriko glass, this vehicle boasts an ultra-widescreen high-definition display with a wireless charging system, Mr Amine kabbara, General Manager in charge of Salee and Marketing told the Graphic Business.

He revealed that the new generation has an Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology system that automatically stops the car when it is over-speeding or in the process of crashing into an object.

It also show on the 12 inch display screen an incoming object in the dark and have installed body massages in all the seats, he noted.

He disclosed that with an asking price tag of 41 thousand euros, Ghanaians can buy the vehicle through a special scheme with the various banks where they pay in tranches or make a discounted payment at any of the sales points and showrooms.

Mr Kabbara called on businesses to take advantage of the CEOs summit and make the most out of it.
'Pat Thomas Highlife Night' concert scheduled for August 4

Graphic Showbiz Showbiz News May - 23 - 2023 , 10:52

An evening of outstanding music performances dubbed the Pat Thomas Highlife Night scheduled to come off on Friday, August 4 has been launched to celebrate veteran Highlife musician, Pat Thomas for his years of dedication and hard work to the Ghanaian music industry.

The launch hosted at Alisa Hotel, Ridge, Accra on Monday May 22 was attended by representatives from the creative industry, including the Ghana National Folklore Board, National Commission on Culture(NCC), and Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA).

Pat Thomas Highlife Night which will be held at the Accra International Conference Centre(AICC), will feature classic performances by some of Ghana's best Highlife artistes such as Kuami Eugene, KK Fosu, Kwabena Kwabena, among others.

In addition to paying tribute to the veteran Highlife act, the concert also aims at providing a stage for up-and-coming Highlife musicians to develop their abilities and network with key people in the creative industry.

Speaking at the launch, a member of the planning committee of the concert, Kwabena Adu Peter revealed that the event is not intended to monetise the works of the veteran musician but geared towards recognising the hard work of his likes who have given a firm foundation for Ghanaian music to gain global recognition.

We are not seeking to monetise his works, but this event is to celebrate our hero Pat Thomas, as well as honour him for his years of hard work and dedication through the promotion of Highlife music on the world stage," he said.

Proceeds from the event would be used to set up a music school at Agona in the Ashanti Region where Pat Thomas comes from to train young talents.

Read also: My children sacrificed for my career  Patience Ozokwor speaks on AMVCA award
Godfred Opare Djan writes: Celebrating unique and versatile 'NAPO' on his birthday

Godfred Opare Djan Opinion May - 23 - 2023 , 00:38

It will be absolutely unjust and unfair to wait until I put my solid friendship that has turned into family ties with Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Ghanas Energy Minister, into something else, instead of celebrating him.

In my adult life, I have come into contact with lots of personalities and I have seen the good, the bad and the ugly side of friendship, and without any shred of fear would say that my association with Dr. Prempeh, popularly called Napo, is something special because it is beautiful by all standards.

Our First Encounter

It was in the late part of 2007 when a school mate, who is now my brother, Mr. Yaw Kankam, called me on phone that his brother was interested in succeeding Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor as the Member of Parliament, and, as a practicing journalist, he would like me to help the brother. At the time I was working with The Enquirer newspaper.

A meeting was scheduled at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra, now Lancaster Hotel, one Sunday afternoon, and I had to make sure that I got to the venue on the agreed time.

Unfortunately for me, my friend Mr. Kankam, who arranged the meeting, did not come, but Dr. Prempeh was already seated waiting for me.

After exchanging pleasantries, Napo wanted us to have to talk over lunch, but a typical Akwapim person like me had consumed some heavy fufu with palm-nut soup at my base in Aburi before setting out for the meeting.

As a matter of fact, Napo was not happy that I wouldnt eat lunch with him, but our meeting however proceeded and lasted for less than 15 minutes, with Napo parting with a surprise gift to me, and I left the meeting with the finest impression of meeting with someone with humility and respect for me and that has been the case ever since.

I quickly placed a call to Mr. Kankam about our meeting and started offering Dr. Prempeh the needed media support as an aspiring Member of Parliament.

Finally, the primary for the Manhyia Constituency was held at Georgia Hotel in Kumasi and Dr. Prempeh won with a huge margin, and that became one of the front-page stories in The Enquirer the next day and eventually he won the 2008 Parliamentary election to become the MP for Manhyia.

Dr. Prempeh, despite the position of The Enquirer newspaper at the time, was one of the few New Patriotic Party (NPP) personalities that featured prominently in that newspaper.

Life With Napo In Opposition

Friendship based on trust has been established and Dr. Prempeh had displayed nothing, but honesty, openness and hard work, as a politician, to me and the onus was on me to work and promote his interest, which I promised myself to do always.

Napo would not go for days without calling to check on me or meet with me, and what was very interesting was the fact that I was assured of seven gifts if I should meet with him seven times in the week.

Even in his busiest moments, he would either send gifts through Mr. Kankam or his younger brother, Nana Owusu, to me.

Dr. Prempeh would go to extent of driving to my area to check on me, and one thing about him is he goes straight to the point during our meetings and does not waste time on matters that do not bring him anything good.

Our bond became stronger when I got to know later that Dr. Prempeh is the son of the late Apagyahene, Oheneba Kwame Kyeretwie. I knew the father, when I was working with The Ghanaian Times newspaper and he treated me with respect anytime I was assigned to the Manhyia Palace. I wasnt surprise to know that because Napo has his father in him.

When I told him of how his late father dealt with me he was surprised and went further to ask certain questions about how well I knew the father.

Napo showed glimpses of a good lawmaker in Parliament immediately he became an MP, and I followed his contributions on the floor of Parliament and came to the firm conclusion that he was a perfect replacement for Dr. Addo-Kufuor.

Napo With NPP In Power

Dr. Prempeh, who understands friendship and relationship, would continue to engage with me, as he was named the Minister of Education by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic.

When he was named as the Minister of Education, a few friends called to ask if he was capable of handling the ministry because of his background as a Medical Doctor, and my answer to those people was that Magic Will Happen.

Truly, Dr. Prempeh excelled at the Ministry of Education, as he was able to preside over the rolling out of the governments flagship programme, Free Senior High School (Free SHS), with perfection.

Workaholic, as he is, he dealt with teething problems associated with the Free SHS, with a team of hardworking directors at the ministry.

It was not strange to me that when Dr. Prempeh exited the Ministry of Education, he made record as the first minister of that sector under whose tenure education workers never went on strike.

His passion to excel was paramount to him such that he could drive himself to the office, in the early hours that most people were sleeping, to work.

Ownership Of The Inquisitor And Falsehoods

With my understanding of friendship and appreciation of Dr. Prempeh, several lies have been thrown out by persons who are so much confused about how my newspaper would promote and defend the man who would never think evil about the next person.

Those elements have gone to the extent of peddling lies that The Inquisitor newspaper that started before the NPP took office in 2017 was for Dr. Prempeh, and what was amazing was the fact that these same elements have over the years set many traps and landmines to find fault with my friendship with Dr. Prempeh.

Unfortunately for the wicked souls, The Inquisitor has survived the machinations and still operating and will never stop promoting and defending Dr. Prempeh, whether in office or out of office.

The position of The Inquisitor is purely based on the fact that Dr. Prempeh is hardworking, a team player and a problem solver, who must be encouraged at all times and must not be destroyed.

Golden-hearted Dr. Prempeh

All the years that I have known Napo, he has not for once called me by name, but rather he addresses me as Onua, and would always run away from my courtesies to him, first as an elderly person and secondly as a minister of state.

Without any fear of contradiction, I have never for once had any bad encounter with Napo, but fully remember that he takes his time to listen to me and always ready to dissect our discussions very well.

It will be satanic and unwise not to talk about the number of times that Dr. Prempeh treated me with kindness, as they have become countless. He has never turned against me on any occasion, as he was always prepared to come to my assistance and treats anything that borders on me with much seriousness.

Dr. Prempeh, on the occasion of your birthday, I wish to thank you for treating me with respect, dignity and kindness always.

Happy Birthday Me Wura!
Develop guidelines for birthday celebrations in schools  Psychologist

By Eugenia Asare Tandoh Junior News May - 23 - 2023 , 13:39

A Clinical Child Psychologist, Mrs Ethel Obeng-Treve, has asked school authorities to develop guidelines for birthday celebrations in schools.

The guidelines, she said, would provide a template for a uniform celebration of birthdays in schools to prevent extravagant ceremonies that could have a negative impact on children.

Speaking in an interview, Mrs Obeng-Treve said the celebrations should be modest and child-centred to create memories suitable for child growth and development.

For instance, she said, giving the celebrant a birthday card or hat designed by the class and making merry would be enough to create lasting memories for children.

With such uniform celebration, she said children who did not celebrate birthdays because of religious or cultural reasons would not feel isolated or develop low self-esteem when others in their class celebrate theirs.

Mrs Obeng-Treve noted that children attached great importance to birthdays and, therefore, when the celebrations were handled well, it would have a positive impact on their lives.

Advantages She said the guidelines would help build stronger bonds among classmates as they participated in activities, created memories, and promoted solidarity and friendship among them.

Celebrating birthdays in school could also boost the celebrants confidence because acknowledging a child's birthday in the presence of their peers could positively impact their self-esteem and confidence.

They also feel valued and special, reinforcing their sense of self-worth and nurturing a positive self-image, she pointed out.

Mrs Obeng-Treve noted that celebrating birthdays in school contributed to the development of the childs social skills and emotional well-being by providing opportunities for him or her to interact, communicate and collaborate in a joyful and festive setting.

Drawbacks

According to Mrs Obeng-Treve, if the guidelines were not developed, some parents would go overboard with the celebration which could affect other children whose parents were unable to do the same for them on their birthdays.

For instance, she said, if unregulated, birthday celebrations could bring about exclusion and inequality in the classroom. This is because inconsistent or unequal recognition of birthdays might lead to feelings of exclusion among those who did not receive the same or even similar level of celebration, leading to a sense of disappointment and hurt.

Children, whose parents have personal or cultural reasons for not celebrating their birthday might suffer from emotional sensitivity since the public acknowledgment of others in the presence of their classmates might trigger some discomfort or even distress, she said.

Mrs Obeng-Treve noted that most of the time, unregulated birthday celebrations resulted in some parents or guardians going all out during such celebrations to give expensive gifts such as designer bags, toys, big cakes, treats, and over-the-top decorations.

That, she said, could put a financial burden on families who could not afford them, leading to comparisons, low self-esteem, anxiety, undue stress, or a feeling of inequality among the schoolchildren.

She noted that depending on the extent and duration of birthday celebrations, they could disrupt classroom routines and impede learning time.

Birthday celebrations can generate negative peer pressure and social expectations among children because those who cannot afford extravagant celebrations or have different preferences may be compelled to conform or face social judgment, she pointed out.

Mrs Obeng-Treve advised children to stop putting pressure on their parents to celebrate their birthday for them since birthday celebrations did not define them, adding that you are more than enough and you are special every single day.

Celebration

She urged school authorities to make birthday celebrations in schools more fun by engaging in activities that highlight each child's uniqueness or by posting the child's name or birthday on a noticeboard or school calendar so that every child is remembered on their special day.

Mrs Obeng-Treve recommended that for a successful and child-centred celebration, parents and school authorities should have an outline of how birthdays are to be celebrated to ensure that everyone was aware of the requirements and expectations.
Ten dead, 37 critically ill in SA cholera outbreak

Africa news Junior News May - 22 - 2023 , 17:21

An outbreak of cholera has killed at least 10 people in South Africa's most populous province of Gauteng, health authorities have said.

According to reports, at least 95 people have since last Monday visited hospitals showing cholera symptoms in Hammanskraal, an area north of the capital, Pretoria.

Lab tests on Sunday confirmed at least 19 were cases of cholera, the Gauteng health department said in a statement as reported by the bbc.

It added that 37 people were admitted in critical condition.

The victims included a three-year-old child and nine adults.

Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, the provincial head for health, has urged the public to take extra precautionary measures and maintain proper hand hygiene.

The city of Tshwane is warning residents of Hammanskraal and surrounding areas not to drink water from their taps, adding that water tankers were being supplied.

Africa news
UPSA joins Commonwealth Enterprise Investment Council

Daily Graphic Education May - 23 - 2023 , 13:52

The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has joined the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) as a strategic partner.

The Vice-Chancellor of the UPSA, Professor Abednego Feehi Okoe Amartey, would, therefore, represent the university on the CWEIC Global Advisory Council.

The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) is a top-tier public institution that provides higher education in both academic and professional business disciplines in Ghana.

With over 50 years of experience, UPSA has achieved a reputation as the oldest Ghanaian human resource development institution in professional accountancy and management with many of its alumni in key leadership positions in Ghana and abroad, a statement signed by the Registrar of the UPSA, Dr Koryoe Anim-Wright, said.

It said the CWEIC was a commercial, not-for-profit membership organisation with an official mandate from the Commonwealth Heads of Government to facilitate trade and investment throughout the 56 Commonwealth member nations and that it boasted of a vast network of more than 130 Strategic Partners which included Commonwealth governments, businesses, multilateral institutions and the academia.

It said the CWEIC had built a reputation as a trusted intermediary, providing invaluable connections between business and government, as well as between Strategic Partners looking to collaborate with one another.

Following a visit to Ghana by the CWEIC Deputy Chairman, Lord Swire, it said UPSA decided to join the CWEIC network to foster new strategic alliances and international collaboration.

Member

Commenting on the development, Professor Amartey said: UPSA is very pleased to be a member of CWEIC.

As a progressive university that wants its graduates to become the most targeted by top employers and its faculty, the leading resource for the transfer of knowledge to industry, this partnership will afford us the opportunity to forge symbiotic relationships that will create opportunities for our students and faculty while enriching our offerings.

Professor Amartey joined the UPSA 16 years ago and became Vice-Chancellor in 2017.

Under his tenure, the university has grown exponentially in infrastructure and reputation.

Student population has grown from 11,500 to 20,240 with an over 50 per cent rise in academic offerings.

His exemplary leadership has been recognised with several awards.

For his part, Lord Swire said the CWEIC is delighted to welcome the University of Professional Studies as the latest Strategic Partner.

We are excited to assist UPSA in achieving its objectives and establishing fresh partnerships.

The remarkable expansion of the university serves as evidence of Professor Amarteys dedication to and belief in the significance of delivering specialised education for the development of professional services.

These services provide essential support to businesses and organisations, enabling them to operate more efficiently and effectively, and as such play a crucial role in the growth and development of Commonwealth trade and investment, he said.

Established as the Institute of Professional Studies in 1965 by the founder, Nana J.K. Opoku Ampomah, the institute was the only tertiary educational institution to train professional accountants and administrators in the whole of West Africa at the time.

By order of a Presidential Charter in 2008, the institute became a university, offering Doctoral, Postgraduate, Bachelor and Diploma courses, as well as professional programmes. UPSA is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programmes (ACBSP) in the USA.
3 Burnt to death in head-on collision

Biiya Mukusah Ali May - 23 - 2023 , 10:30

Three passengers are said to have been burnt to death in an accident involving a Tamale-bound passenger bus from Accra and a loaded trailer on the Techiman-Kintampo highway.

The accident occurred last Friday night at a spot between Nipahiammoa and Bono Manso in the Kintampo South District of the Bono East Region.

According to the Bono East Regional Fire Command, about 40 other passengers sustained injuries, including burns, in the accident.

The Grandbird bus with registration number AK-285-22 was carrying 42 passengers, while there were four occupants, including the driver of the trailer.

Confirmation

The Bono East Regional Fire Commander, Assistant Chief Fire Officer One (ACFO l) Emmanuel Nkum, who confirmed the incident to journalists, said three people were burnt beyond recognition in the incident.

He said the command received a distress call around 11:40 p.m. that there was an accident at Bono Manso and some men were quickly dispatched to the scene to control the fire.

ACFOI Nkum said the bus was travelling from Tamale to Accra, while the trailer was heading towards the Tamale direction,and they collided head-on.

Critical condition

According to an eyewitness, some of the victims who were in critical condition were rushed to the Techiman Holy Family Hospital, while those with minor injuries were sent to the Jema Government Hospital for medical attention.

The conductor of the Grandbird bus identified only as Kofi, told journalists that the driver of the Grandbird bus attempted to overtake a State Transport Corporation (STC) bus but rescinded his decision when he spotted the oncoming trailer.

He said the brakes of the bus failed leading to the accident, explaining that the trailer first caught fire soon after the collision before it spread to the bus.

He said passengers in the bus struggled before they managed to escape through the windows of the bus.

Stable condition

A Shift In-charge of the Techiman Holy Family Hospital, Andrews Oppong, told newsmen that a total of 18 people were brought to the hospital.

He explained that those with minor injuries had been treated and discharged, while five were still on admission receiving treatment but were in a stable condition.

Mr Oppong said the driver in charge of the bus sustained severe injuries and was rushed to the theatre for treatment, explaining that most of the victims had burns.
CATS organises inter-unit cooking competition, food exhibition

Justice Agbenorsi May - 23 - 2023 , 13:43

The Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFCSC) has emerged winners of the second inter-unit cooking competition of the Ghana Armed Forces Catering Training School (CATS).

GAFCSC beat the Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), first-runner up, and the Engineer Regiment, second-runner up, to become winners.

The competition, in which 10 units participated, formed part of efforts by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to deepen the skills and knowledge of military chefs.

Organised under the auspices of the Military Academy Training Schools (MATS) of the GAF, the competition was on the theme: Unearthing the culinary skills of military chefs.

As part of the ceremony, there was also the stripping and assembling of rifle competition among the Navy, Army and the Airforce as part of amusement to cheer the audience who witnessed the competition.

It also featured an eating competition from the participating units.

Quality

Assistant Commandant of TRADOC, Brigadier General Paul Seidu Tanye Kuleno, explained that since its establishment, GAFCSC had offered quality, sustained and civil catering and food service training to the personnel of GAF, their family members and the general public.

He noted that as the only unit authorised within the GAF to train chefs and cook service personnel with hospitality and catering services skills, the annual competition was instituted to pitch the best chefs of the various units against one another in order to demonstrate their skills and expertise in their chosen trade with the colours.

Events of this nature will go a long way to enhance the skills among military chefs and also advance the cause of sustaining troops in the field and more importantly to provide nutritional balance of food in order to maintain a good blog morale among troops, Brig. Gen. Kuleno said.

Commendation

The Sanaahene of Ati New Tafo Akyem and President of the Royal Chiefs Association of Ghana, Okatakyie Nana Anim I, commended the GAF for organising the competition.

He added that his association would support GAF in activities seeking to foster army-civilian relationship.

Nana Anim urged the GAF to improve on the competition as the culinary sector was an integral part of the countrys tourism which had the potential to generate revenue for the country.
CSOs demand political intervention in Ghana's petroleum sector - call for transparency in Aker Energy and JOHL operations

Kweku Zurek May - 23 - 2023 , 14:19

The alliance of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) Working on Extractives Governance have expressed concerns over the recurring controversies surrounding Aker Energy and AGM operations, as well as the sale of 50% of Jubilee Oil Holding Limited's (JOHL) interest in the Deepwater Tano block to PetroSA.

The CSOs in a jointly signed statement issued today said the two pressing issues require immediate political intervention to save the country from financial loss. The statement was read by the Coordinator for the Economic Governance Platform, Abdul Karim Mohammed at a press briefing today in Accra.

The CSOs include the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), the Centre for Extractives and Development Africa (CEDA), the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), CSOs Open Licensing Monitoring Group, the Citizen's Movement Against Corruption (CMAC), the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas (CSPOG), Penplusbyte and Oil Watch Ghana.

The rest are the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), the Natural Resources Governance Institute (NRGI), Publish What You Pay (PWYP), the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), IMANI Ghana and Women Aspire.

Concerns

Regarding the controversies surrounding Aker Energy, the CSOs raised questions about the transparency and value for money in the company's operations.

They criticized the government and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) for attempting to purchase offshore petroleum blocks at an overpriced value of $1.65 billion.

The CSOs said despite their objections, Parliament authorized the GNPC to borrow $1.1 billion for the transaction.

However, recent developments revealed that one of the blocks, SWDT, has been returned to Ghana for free, while the main block, DWT/CTP, is now controlled by AFC Equity Investment after Aker defaulted on a $200 million loan.

The CSOs demanded accountability for the mismanagement of public funds and called for transparency in the approval of Aker's Plan of Development (PoD) for the Pecan field. The CSOs also expressed concerns about the reported sale of JOHL's interest in the Deepwater Tano block to PetroSA.

They criticised the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) for allegedly initiating the sale of 50% of JOHL, despite its significant revenue potential for the state.

The CSOs deemed the pre-emption claims illegal and highlighted the risks posed to Ghana's interests in petroleum operations. They called for the removal of GNPC's CEO, Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah, and the Board Chairman, Freddie W. Blay, as well as the immediate transfer of JOHL's assets from offshore jurisdictions to GNPC.

Related: CSOs demand removal of GNPC Board Chair and CEO over controversial stake sale

The CSOs further demanded complete information on the AFC transaction, including a full audit of the expenditure of the $200 million loan, justification for using a 14-year-old FPSO in a field with a 25-year production period, and the disclosure of Aker's Plan of Development (PoD).

They also called on the Norwegian Government to pay attention to Aker's behaviour in Ghana to protect the country's reputation as a host of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

The CSOs concluded their statement by emphasizing the need for prudent management of Ghana's resources to benefit the citizens, especially during challenging times. They urged citizens to demand accountability in the petroleum sector and called for urgent political action to address the pressing issues raised.
CSOs demand removal of GNPC Board Chair and CEO over controversial stake sale

Kweku Zurek May - 23 - 2023 , 15:32

Some civil society organisations (CSOs) working on extractives governance in Ghana are calling for the immediate removal of Freddie Blay as Board Chairman of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah as Chief Executive of the GNPC.

The CSOs say their demand stems from the inability of the two to give Ghana better deals between the GNPC and its partners and thereby disregarding significant revenue potential the GNPC holds for the state.

Speaking at a press conference today (May 23, 2023) in Accra, the CSOs made reference to the GNPC's plan to sell a 50 percent stake in Jubilee Holdings Limited (JOHL), which is a subsidiary of the GNPC to PetroSA, disregarding the significant revenue potential it holds for the state.

Abdulkarim Mohammed, the Coordinator for the Economic Governance Platform, speaking on behalf of the CSOs at the press conference expressed concerns about the continued presence of Mr Blay and Mr Danquah in the management of the GNPC.

He said their involvement poses substantial risks to Ghana's interests in Jubilee Holdings Limited.

"We demand the immediate removal of Opoku Ahweneeh Danquah, GNPC's CEO, and Freddie W. Blay, the Board Chairman, from their positions as they have become a threat to Ghana's petroleum sector," stated Mr. Mohammed.

The CSOs are also urging swift political action to address two significant developments in Ghana's petroleum industry.

In a jointly signed statement which was read at the press conference, they mentioned controversies surrounding Aker Energy and AGM operations, as well as the sale of Jubilee Oil Holding Limited's stake in the Deepwater Tano block.

The CSOs allege that Aker Energy attempted to convince GNPC to pay an exorbitant $1.65 billion for shares in offshore petroleum blocks, despite objections raised by the CSOs.

Subsequently, Parliament authorised GNPC to spend $1.1 billion on these blocks.

The statement adds that recent events have resulted in one block being returned to Ghana without cost, while the more promising Pecan field is now under the control of AFC Equity Investment due to Aker's default on a $200 million loan.

Mr. Abdulkarim Mohammed demanded clarification regarding the $1.1 billion borrowed by GNPC and expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of accountability from the Ministry of Energy and other state agencies involved.

Additionally, the CSOs highlighted the sale of a 50 percent stake in Jubilee Oil Holding Limited's interest in the Deepwater Tano block to PetroSA and GNPC's acquisition of a 7 percent stake in the sale of Anadarko's interest in the Jubilee and TEN fields in 2021.

The 2022 PIAC annual report indicates that JOHL's interest generated approximately $290 million in that year alone, despite the amount not being deposited in the Petroleum Holding Fund (PHF).

The CSOs include the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), the Centre for Extractives and Development Africa (CEDA), the Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC), CSOs Open Licensing Monitoring Group, the Citizen's Movement Against Corruption (CMAC), the Civil Society Platform on Oil and Gas (CSPOG), Penplusbyte and Oil Watch Ghana.

The rest are the Institute of Democratic Governance (IDEG), the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), the Natural Resources Governance Institute (NRGI), Publish What You Pay (PWYP), the Centre for Public Interest Law (CEPIL), IMANI Ghana and Women Aspire.
Eni Ghana trains 900 youth in Western Region

Delali Sika May - 23 - 2023 , 13:29

Oil production company, Eni Ghana, and its partners, have trained more than 900 youth in entrepreneurship and small business management in 10 communities in the Western Region at the cost of $9 million.

The training, which was to prepare them for the job market, was in partnership with Vitol, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and the World Bank and executed by the Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA).

The beneficiaries were drawn from 10 communities in the Ellembelle District in the Western Region.

While some were already owners of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), others were assisted to acquire skills and trades of their choices from the scratch.

Some of the areas they were trained in included financial literacy, health and environmental management, compliance and regulatory support as well as branding and packaging.

They were also supported to formalise their businesses with the Office of the Registrar of Companies.

Technical skills training was also offered in various trade areas, such as livestock, agro and fish processing, food and drink production, textiles, garment and accessories production, toiletries and cosmetics production, leather, rattan and woodworks, bamboo and catering services.

At the last graduation ceremony at Elonyi in the Ellembelle, some of the trainees, who had completed the programme, which was implemented over two years, exhibited their products and services.

Initiative

A statement from Eni said the beneficiaries of the initiative were drawn from communities such as Atuabo, Bakanta, Ngalekye, Sanzule (including Anwolakrom fishing area) and Krisan.

Other communities Eikwe, Anokyi, Ngalekpole, Asemda, and Baku in the Ellembelle District.

The project, designed in collaboration with the World Bank, is part of the sustainability initiatives that Eni Ghana, together with its Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) partners, Vitol and GNPC.

It is under its Economic Diversification Building Business Project, focused on women, youth and marginalised groups to enable the establishment of MSMEs.

It was also to foster entrepreneurial culture and support the local economy of the district to impact the communities, support startup businesses and enhance employment opportunities, the statement said.

Eni added that the project had been very well received by all stakeholders, including the leadership of the various communities and the Ellembelle District.

Eni is a global integrated energy company operating in 69 countries.

It has been present in Ghana since 2009 with its upstream activity and currently accounts for a gross production of about 70,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from the OCTP block, which it operates with Vitol and GNPC.
Galamsey surges in election years - Former FC Executive Director points out

Emelia Ennin, Kester Korankye Aburam & Timothy Ngnenbe May - 23 - 2023 , 09:03

A former Executive Director of the Forestry Commission, Oppon Sasu, has said that the lack of political will on the part of politicians to clamp down on illegal mining (galamsey) during election years has resulted in the devastation caused by its activities.

According to him, the country witnessed an increase in illegal mining during the election years of 2012, 2016 and 2020 due to the involvement of politicians in galamsey.

He said the active involvement of politicians and politically exposed individuals in the illegal gold trade had also helped to entrench the destructive activity in the nations forest reserves.

Mr Sasu told the Daily Graphic in an interview that during the past three election years, politicians either relaxed the clampdown on illegal mining or simply looked away to profit from the proceeds of the illegal trade to support their political campaigns.

During election years, we see the increase in galamsey because it gives the politicians easy money, so they lack the political will to stop it and sometimes they even take money from the illegal miners even before they enter the forest to mine, and all you need is the power to mine without restrictions.

Even if they enter the forest for only a week, imagine the destruction they can cause and the money they can make, he said.

Mr Sasu was speaking to the Daily Graphic during the recently held stakeholders dialogue on natural resources in Accra.

It was held on the theme: Harnessing our natural resources responsibly for our sustainable collective good.

Destructions

With over 40 years experience in managing forest resources, Mr Sasu said without the help or protection of the political class, individuals would not be able to enter forest reserves illegally to mine gold.

Giving a personal history of how the countrys forest reserves had been degraded over the years, he said major degradation started in the 1980s when devastating wildfires broke out in many parts of the country.

He said the mass return of Ghanaians living in Nigeria in 1983 also brought about the phenomenon of illegal chainsaw logging, while farmers also encroached on forest reserves to expand their farms around the same period.

As young officers, we realised the destruction before illegal mining set in, he recalled.

He said until around 2000, there were no illegal mining in forest reserves, and that galamsey activities were only done with hand-held tools such as pickaxes and shovels, limiting the extent of destruction.

However, he said, by 2012, illegal miners had begun using excavators for their activities, thereby increasing the impact on the forest.

The advent of excavators in the illegal mining trade came with the influx of foreign nationals in the trade.

Solution

Mr Sasu said there was no small-scale mining ongoing in any of the countrys forest reserves but rather, large- scale illegal mining under the pretext of prospecting for gold.

He, therefore, urged the government to, as a matter of urgency, stop all prospecting activities in forest reserves and encourage deep mining instead of surface mining if there was the need to mine in a forest reserve.

He also called for strict implementation of the countrys regulations on mining, noting that enforcement of the regulations would deter people from indulging in illegal mining.

Positive stories

However, the Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, said a lot was being done to contain the menace and also cause people to shift from illegalities to legal mining.

He said small-scale mining was taking place in 13 out of the 16 regions, apart from Oti, Volta and Greater Accra, with about three million people depending on small-scale mining.

"We have to do it very well.

We must not look at the few in illegal operations to say we should shut down small-scale mining," he said.

Mr Ayisi said there were areas where illegal small-scale mining was not taking place in water bodies, ramsar sites or ecological sensitive areas and they could be supported to formalise their operations.

He said recently when the commission discovered that 200 smaller scale miners were mining illegally underground in a community in the Upper East Region, the commission stepped in to support them and they were now doing things right.

"We have given them two mercury free processing machines which cost $300 to $1,000 to work and pay.

Their operation has been licensed, they have their EPA permit and they are working lawfully," Mr Ayisi pointed out.

Also in the Bole District, the Minerals Commission CEO said 300 people were operating illegal mines, but the commission sent them three mercury-free processing machines and formalised their operations which would translate to providing a means of livelihood to 3,000 people.

'If we do it over the next five years we will see responsible mining.

The solution will not be overnight. It will require time to do this," Mr Ayisi pointed out at the just ended Natural Resource Stakeholders Dialogue.
Ghanaian peacekeeper named United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year 2022

Kweku Zurek May - 23 - 2023 , 10:39

Captain Cecilia Erzuah, a Ghanaian peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA), has been selected as the recipient of the 2022 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.

The 32-year-old Captain, who has been stationed in Abyei since March 2022 as the Commander of the Ghana Engagement Platoon, will receive the prestigious award from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a ceremony commemorating the International Day of UN Peacekeepers on Thursday, May 25, 2023.

Established in 2016, the United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award recognizes the dedication and efforts of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

United Nationa General Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a statement praised Captain Cecilia Erzuah. He said: "Resolution 1325 reminds us that our women peacekeepers are not only supporting global peace and security. They are leading the way. By every measure, Captain Cecilia Erzuah of Ghana is one of those leaders. On every front, Captain Erzuah's work has set the standard for ensuring that the needs and concerns of women are reflected across our peacekeeping operations."

Captain Erzuah expressed her gratitude for being chosen to receive the award, emphasizing that it is an honour for her entire platoon. She is known for her advocacy of gender equality and community engagement.

Captain Erzuah ensured that her 22-member platoon, comprising equal numbers of men and women, conducted regular patrols and engaged with local leaders, women's groups, and youth groups to better understand and address community concerns and needs. Collaborating with civilian UN colleagues, she also organized discussions on topics such as domestic violence, gender equality, and childcare. These conversations resulted in increased participation of women in Community Protection Committees, previously dominated by men, and facilitated better early warning systems for threats of violence against civilians and broader security issues.

Captain Erzuah's battalion also organized monthly market walks, which fostered strong and lasting relationships between traders, local residents, and the UN.

In January 2023, when violence escalated in the village of Majbong in southeast Abyei, Captain Erzuah's platoon intensified its presence and regularly checked on the well-being of displaced people in the volatile area, enabling the mission to provide the necessary support. Gradually, community members who had sought refuge in the surrounding bush began returning to their homes in the village, reporting an increased sense of safety. Traditional chief Deng Paul Mankuol of Majbong commended the mixed patrols, stating, "The patrols are boosting the confidence of community members to engage in daily activities safely."

Captain Erzuah is the first Ghanaian peacekeeper and the first recipient from a contingent or unit to be honoured with this prestigious award. Ghana currently holds the distinction of being the largest contributor of women military peacekeepers to the United Nations, with 375 currently deployed.
Govt to revamp operations of Internal Audit Agency

Severious Kale-Dery May - 23 - 2023 , 14:56

The government has initiated a process to restructure the operations of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA) to enhance independence, provide adequate resources and strengthen its technical capacity.

The move is also to focus on the Internal Audit function to ensure the prevention of financial irregularities in public institutions.

Ghanas strategy is to embark on an ambitious structural reform agenda aimed at reinvigorating private sector-led growth by improving the business environment, governance and productivity,

The Director-General of the ISSUE, Dr Eric Oduro Osae announced this at the opening of the 9th Governance Forum of African Federation of the Institutes of Internal Auditors (AFIIA) in Accra yesterday.

The IIA Governance Forum, on the theme: Innovate to sustain, is a prelude to the 9th AFIIA Conference, which will open tomorrow on the theme, as Sustainability through innovation.

The forum offers a rare opportunity for sharing knowledge, insights and best practices in all the organisational processes and serves as an opportunity for benchmarking and collaboration with fellow professionals.

Code

Dr Osae told the forum that Ghana was developing a unified corporate governance code to guide boards and management of public sector institutions for improved governance.

Ghana is also restructuring and repositioning the internal audit function to be more responsive to the needs of boards and management, he added.

Dr Osae said the restructuring also included professionalisation of the internal audit function in the public sector and that required a good partnership between the IAA and the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA).

He said the IIA Ghana, the IAA and the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) had been collaborating to drive change in the public sector of Ghana and it is yielding positive impacts.

We believe other countries can replicate this collaborative approach and we are willing to share our experiences, Dr Osae said.

He said the issue of new audit committee guidelines in 2023 to govern operations of audit committees and management showed our commitment to improve governance in public institutions for efficiency and value for money in public spending.

Since this forum targets participants with governance responsibilities, I advise board members and management to involve their internal auditors and audit committees at all levels of managerial decision making to enable them offer the best assurance and advisory services.

That way, we can create sustainable competitive advantages that can support business growth and development, Dr Osae advised.

Professionals

He said weak institutional structures and systems had the potential of derailing gains and success made through innovation and advised boards, management and all professionals to mainstream enterprise risk management in their operations.

He further advised them to identify risks associated with innovations and collaborate with key stakeholders to effectively manage those risks for sustainable growth and development.

Dr Osae said the development of Africa and the role of all professionals, particularly internal auditors in promoting good governance could not be overstated, adding that the African problems could only be solved by Africans, so let us collaborate to develop common solutions to our common problems.

He urged the participants to take opportunity of the forum to network, benchmark their practices with their peers and more important, be committed to supporting processes that helped our organisations to create greater value through innovation.

Together, let us build a stronger, more agile and more resilient organisations that are better equipped to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow, he concluded.
ICAG begins project to tackle public waste

Justice Agbenorsi May - 23 - 2023 , 09:23

The Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana (ICAG), has launched a public forum to engage key players on leveraging a good Public Financial Management (PFM) system for national development.



The forum, which was launched in Accra yesterday with support from PwC Ghana, would feature a series of engagements with emphasis on issues such as waste prevention, money laundering, and avoiding terrorism financing, among others.

It also seeks to identify gaps, deliberate on the successes chalked up and find common grounds to accelerate national development.

The event formed part of ICAGs mandate of contributing to policy and economic decision-making and enhancing stakeholder engagement.

Launch

A Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei-Asare, who launched the forum slated for November this year, said renewed effort to further reform and strengthen the national PFM system would help anchor economic transformation.

She said despite key interventions to ensure transparent, accountable and efficient use of public resources, the last Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEA) assessment report for Ghana indicated the need for further reform in the PFM landscape.

As a people and government, we have always known that improving PFM is a necessary condition for building a resilient national economy that can withstand intermittent local and external headwinds.

Undoubtedly, the impact of the recent convergence of crises has been devastating for the global, regional and national economies, she added.

Commendation

The Deputy Minister commended the ICAG for setting in motion a process that fosters honest and engaging discussion on PFM.

She entreated ICAG and partners to place the issue of Domestic Revenue Mobilisation (DRM) at the centre of the agenda for the forum, adding: In a period where the country has limited access to other sources of funds, prioritising, collecting and effective use of domestic revenue is not an option but the only real choice.

Government, therefore, welcomes the renewed interest of key stakeholders and the general public in this journey to further reform the PFM system, she said.

Aim

For her part, the President of ICAG, Sena Dake, explained that the forum sought to support the strengthening of sustainable businesses, particularly entrepreneurs and Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), while contributing to the transformation of the public sector and policy decision-making for a resilient economy.

Among others, she said the forum would address gaps evolving through technology Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digitisation or Automation of systems, as well as standards of the profession, including sustainability accounting and integrated reporting.

Ms Dake urged accountants to champion value of integrity, transparency, accountability, and expertise in every sector of the economy.
Report: Women get greater support in more fields China remains one of the safest countries in the world, as it has long been among nations with the lowest crime rates, and the rate of serious violent offenses in the country has been on a continuous decline in recent decades, according to a report. In the past 20 years, crimes of intentional homicide, robbery and abduction have been constantly dropping across the country. The number of people accused of such crimes decreased by 67.7 percent last year compared with 2003, according to the report issued recently by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Law. It revealed that the number of defendants convicted of serious violent crimes decreased to 56,800 in 2021 from 95,700 in 2013. In addition, offenses involving firearms were down 21 percent year-on-year in 2022, while those involving explosives declined 19 percent, the report said. "These figures have shown that such crimes in China remain low, indicating that Chinese people's sense of security is at a high level," said Zhang Zhigang, an associate research fellow at the institute who heads the team that compiled the report. The country has also increased legal protection for women and children, Zhang said. In March last year, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the National Health Commission and the All-China Women's Federation jointly launched a campaign to fight the crime of abducting and trafficking women and children. By September, more than 900 such cases were solved and over 1,340 suspects captured, according to the report. It cited data showing that 717 people were charged with the crime from January to September last year, with 234 others accused of buying the abducted women and children. To give stronger support for women in more fields, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, adopted in October an amendment to the Law on the Protection of Rights and Interests of Women, the report said. Furthermore, judicial agencies have prioritized a crackdown on the sexual assault of children. In addition, the report hailed the country's greater efforts in recent years in fighting telecommunications and online fraud as well as corruption. The fight against related crimes will be further strengthened in the next two or three years, according to the report. More cases concerning money laundering will be handled, as fugitive capture and asset recovery work intensifies, the report said. Moreover, it said that judicial action against crimes such as spying and theft of State secrets will be enhanced to better guarantee national security, following a revision to the Counter-Espionage Law, which was adopted in April by the NPC Standing Committee and will take effect on July 1.
Neonatal jaundice cases rise in Volta Region

Alberto Mario Noretti May - 23 - 2023 , 12:44

A specialist paediatrician at the Volta Regional Hospital, Hohoe, Dr Edem Sarbah, has said new-born jaundice cases in the Volta Region have been increasing tremendously in the past four years.

For instance, he said, the cases rose from 720 in 2019 to 879 in 2020. In 2021, a total of 997 cases were reported and that increased to 1,238 in 2022, Dr Sarbah disclosed.

He said the incidence rate of neonatal jaundice in the region now stood at 3.7 per cent, an increase of 3.2 per cent from last year.

Dr Sarbah said these during the launch and commemoration of the Volta Regional Neonatal Jaundice Week in Ho last Friday.

Organised jointly by the Paediatric Society of Ghana and the Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH), the celebration was on the theme Spot the Yellow, Stop Disability and Death.

Underreported

Dr Sarbah said the figures were less than the actual number of babies who developed jaundice, adding that some of them returned to the hospital with preventable disabilities while some died.

Awareness about newborn jaundice remains low, hence the drive for this advocacy, he pointed out.

He explained that jaundice may occur on its own or due to underlying conditions and surgical causes.

According to him, the brain damage caused by newborn jaundice was irreversible and was connected to deafness, speaking difficulties, mobility problems, seizures, impaired intellect, cerebral palsy and death in some cases.

Dr Sarbah said the symptoms of yellow eyes or skin in the new-born indicated a medical emergency, for which reason the cases must be reported immediately to the nearest healthcare facility.

By spotting the yellow, we have the opportunity to stop the disability and grant our children a life filled with promises, possibilities and boundless potential, he said.

Prevention

Earlier, the Director of Medical Service at HTH, Dr Lord Mensah, said the prevention of the disease was key to the development of the child.

Therefore, the HTH would maintain a firm stance to support the paediatric unit in various ways to prevent disabilities in newborns, he added.

The Queen of the Ve-Deme Tsowu Afede clan, Mama Afiakumah II, who presided, urged public-spirited individuals and corporate bodies to support the Paediatric Society of Ghana with great zeal and resources in the campaign to minimise neonatal jaundice cases in the region, and for that matter the country.
Prosecutors urged to study plea bargaining law

Emelia Ennin Abbey May - 23 - 2023 , 10:43

Police prosecutors have been advised to equip themselves with the provisions on the new plea bargaining in the Criminal and Other Offence (Procedure) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (Act 1079).

This would help them have a better understanding of the new plea bargaining law and thus enable them play their role in the administration of justice more effectively.

A Chief State Attorney at the Attorney-Generals Office, Evelyn Daawee-Keelson who gave the advice said having a firm understanding of the provisions would greatly help the police prosecutors in the discharge of their duties and ensure that the objective for which the law was made was achieved.

What is plea bargaining?

On July 22, 2022, the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo passed a bill to introduce plea bargaining into Ghanas justice system for some cases.

Plea bargaining is a process in criminal justice where an accused person relinquishes the right to a full trial in exchange for some other benefit.

In consideration of a guilty plea, the accused person gets lesser charges, reduced number of offences, or receives a lesser sentence.

Training

Mrs Dawee-Keelson gave the advice during a capacity building for 120 police prosecutors under the Accra Regional Police Command to equip them to execute their duties and enhance the judicial justice system in the country.

The participants, grouped into two batches, were taken through a two-day capacity training on the new plea bargaining law of Ghana, the limits of Police prosecutors in criminal trials, courtroom etiquette, drafting an effective witness statement and charge sheet.

The training was organised by the Legal Resources Centre with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) under a project dubbed Improving Criminal Justice and the Adminstration of Justice through advanced Technology Solution solutions

Mrs Daawee- Keelson, who is also a part-time lecturer in Criminal Procedure at the Ghana School of Law, stated that the Attorney General would soon come out with guidelines that would help prosecutors and facilitate the process.

She stressed that until then, police prosecutors who think plea bargaining in a case they were handling would be more useful to the state or who were approached by lawyers or accused persons to enter into plea bargaining, would have to engage their superiors who would advise with input from the Attorney-General

The arrangement, she explained, was to ensure transparency and for uniformity.

Feel free to consult.

You can come to the office with your docket if you have any challenge in court, she said.

Exemptions

A Principal State Attorney at the AGs Office, Richard Gyambibi, said Act 1079 does not allow for plea bargain in all criminal offences as offences such as treason, high treason, genocide, rape, defilement, robbery and kidnapping are exempted.

Other offences not covered by plea bargaining are attempted murder, abduction, piracy and hijacking, and an offence related to public elections.

A Programmes Officer at the Legal Resource Centre (LSC), Enoch Jengre, said the Centre was a non-governmental organisation that develops human rights capacities within communities and works with state institutions to ensure social progress and development access to justice and minimizing crime and enhancing good governance.

LSC, he said, was also the implementing agency for the USAID Justice Sector Support Activity which focuses on monitoring and sustaining the implementation of Ghana`s Case Tracking System (CTS) that employs technology solutions to track criminal cases from inception until they are disposed of in 40 districts in seven regions.

It is also behind the justice for children initiative that facilitates and supports actions aimed at promoting, protecting and developing the rights of children in Ghana.

LSC was also involved in the e-justice initiative which was to ensure the effective integration of ICTs in the delivery of justice to help free up the clogged justice system.

The head of legal and prosecutions at the Accra Regional Police Command, Chief Superintendent of Police, Elorm Donald Bani, said the training would build the capacity of the police prosecutors on legal processes to follow in criminal process and educate them on recent changes in the law.
University of Ghana ranked Ghana's number one again, 2nd in West Africa

graphic.com.gh May - 23 - 2023 , 12:27

The University of Ghana has been ranked as the best university in Ghana and second-best in West Africa in the 2023 edition of the Global 2000 list by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR).

The university was also considered part of the top 6.1% of world-class universities by the CWUR.

This outstanding recognition solidifies the University's position as the leading institution in Ghana and the second-best in West Africa.

The CWUR's rigorous assessment process evaluated 20,531 universities worldwide, with only the top 2000 making it to the Global 2000 list. The rankings were based on seven objective indicators across four areas, which are, education quality, alumni employment, faculty quality, and research performance.

Scoring an impressive 69.1, the University of Ghana secured the top spot in Ghana. In the West Africa Region, the University of Ghana's remarkable performance positioned it as the second-best University, just behind Nigeria's University of Ibadan, which achieved a score of 69.5.

This notable achievement comes at a time that the University is celebrating its 75th Anniversary and is testament to the University of Ghana's unwavering commitment to academic excellence, innovative research, and holistic student development over its 75 years of existence.

The University's impressive performance in key areas such as academic reputation, research output, faculty quality, international collaborations, and graduate employability, solidifies its reputation as an intellectual hub and provider of high-quality education.

Reacting to the ranking, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice-Chancellor of the University, expressed her joy and attributed this success to the resilience, dedication and hard work of the faculty, staff, and students. She emphasised that this achievement reflects the Universitys collective commitment to excellence and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.

The Premier Universitys recognition as the leading institution in the country and the second-best in West Africa is a source of immense pride for the nation as it has long been regarded as a beacon of higher education. The University has and continues to nurture generations of leaders, scholars, and professionals who contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of Ghana and beyond.

With this remarkable milestone, the University of Ghana has firmly established itself as a leading force in academia, setting new benchmarks for higher education in Ghana in particular and West Africa as a whole.

Background

Since 2012, the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) has been publishing the academic ranking of global universities that assesses the quality of education, employability, quality of faculty, and research without relying on surveys and university data submissions.

The ranking started out as a project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with the aim of rating the top 100 world universities. It was quickly reported worldwide by universities and the media, and many requests were received to expand it. In 2019, the ranking expanded to list the top 2000 out of nearly twenty thousand universities worldwide, making it the largest academic ranking of global universities.

Details of the 2023 Edition captures the CWUR seven objective and robust indicators grouped into four areas to rank the worlds universities.

For Education, the assessment is based on the academic success of a universitys alumni, and measured by the number of a university's alumni who have won prestigious academic distinctions relative to the university's size and attracts 25% of the scores.

Employability is the second area assessed and is based on the professional success of a universitys alumni, and measured by the number of a university's alumni who have held top positions at major companies relative to the university's size which also attracts 25%.

10% of the scores are dedicated to Faculty, which is measured by the number of faculty members who have won prestigious academic distinctions.

On Research area, the assessment is focused on, Research Output measured by the total number of research papers (10%); High-Quality Publications, measured by the number of research papers appearing in top-tier journals (10%); Influence, measured by the number of research papers appearing in highly-influential journals (10%) and Citations, measured by the number of highly-cited research papers (10%)
World Day of the Boy Child: Factors affecting boys mental health in Ghana

Daily Graphic May - 23 - 2023 , 14:21

World Day of the Boy Child which falls on May 16 each year is observed around the world by boy child advocacy organisations.

The global theme for 2023 is: 'Boys and mental health'.

Despite significant progress in improving gender equality and empowering girls, boys continue to face unique challenges that affect their mental health and social development leading to poor academic performance, among others, thus it has now become very important to recognise and address the challenges facing young boys in Ghana.

Here are five factors that are, particularly, relevant for Ghanaian boys after an eight-year interaction with boys through Junior Shapers Africas (JSAs), a male child personal development initiative, extra curricular initiatives.

Father Absence Phenomenon

The first is Father Absence Phenomenon: Many boys in Ghana are growing up in households with less involvement of fathers in their lives due to various reasons such as death, neglect of pregnancy, poor fatherly leadership and direction in the home, separation, divorce, nature of father's job or migration.

During JSA's engagement with boys in Jamestown, Accra in 2020, it was observed that four out of five boys go to bed and leave for school without seeing their father for days, weeks or months.

This story is not so different with children from middle to upper class homes.

Boys complain of not having the opportunity to spend enough time with dads due to their busy work schedules.

This is, therefore, resulting in negative consequences on their mental and social health, as boys often rely on male role models for guidance and support as they transition into puberty.

The combination of an emotionally unavailable father and an overwhelmed busy mother may force some boys to align with bad peers or rely on television and social media male models for masculine guidance which can be dangerous.

Poor Mental Health

The second is Poor Mental Health and Emotional Intelligence Awareness: Mental health issues are often stigmatised in Ghana, and boys may struggle to express their emotions and seek help when needed.

This lack of awareness and understanding of emotional intelligence can lead to long-term mental health challenges leading to unhealthy relationships with themselves and others.

School authorities must begin to prioritise mental health awareness for students.

Disciplinary Discrimination

The third is Disciplinary Discrimination by Parents and Teachers: in some homes and schools, boys are often subjected to harsher disciplinary measures than girls, which can have a negative impact on their self-esteem and social development.

Boys often complain about not being offered a fair hearing in their classrooms when, for instance, there is a fight or argument between a boy and a girl.

Teachers are seen often taking the sides of girls and punishing the boys severely.

This situation may contribute to the perpetuation of harmful gender stereotypes.

An abused boy is likely to perpetuate abuse.

Insufficient Exposure

The fourth is Insufficient Exposure to Positive Male Role Models and Mentorship Opportunities: In Ghana we have very few men initiating mentorship programmes for young boys.

Many boys lack exposure to positive male role models and mentorship opportunities, which can limit their potential for personal and social growth.

In recent times, some boys derive inspiration from male celebrities they see on television or social media platforms who display superficial affluence.

This may lead to a misguided perception about masculinity, values and work ethic among young boys.

Lack of Validation

Finally, the fifth one is Lack of Validation for their Feelings, Emotions, and Interests: "Barima nsu" meaning men don't cry in Akan language is often told to boys and men who dare to express their emotions or tears.

This situation often pressurises boys to conform to traditional masculine norms and suppress their emotions and interests, leading to a lack of validation for their individuality.

There are sad incidences where parents ridicule their boys for allowing another child to bully them at school or for choosing a career that is considered to be feminine. This can result in difficulties in forming authentic relationships and finding their place in society.

Createsupportive environment

On this World Day of the Boy Child, let us recognise these challenges and commit to creating a more equitable and supportive environment for all children in Ghana.

By addressing these factors affecting the mental and social health of Ghanaian boys by parents and educators, we can empower them to reach their full potential and thrive as healthy and confident future men, husbands and fathers.

Mahatma Ghandi once said; "It's easier to build a boy than to mend a man"

JSA is looking foward to collaborating with mental health experts in Ghana to organise its maiden mental health fitness walk for boys and dads.

World Day of The Boy Child

World Day of the Boy Child was founded in 2018 by Dr Jerome Teelucksingh, a university lecturer from the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

It focuses on boys and their well-being, their needs to feel happy, healthy, and valued within family and community.

There is an urgent need to focus on the home and school in order to save the boy child.

Junior Shapers Africa (JSA)

Founded in 2015, Junior Shapers Africa (JSA) is Ghana's foremost boy child and male youth personal development initiative established to address the silent struggles of boys and inspire boys to become phenomenal gentlemen for the betterment of our society.

Annually, JSA runs a variety of extra curricular programmes under the name JSA Phenomenal Boys Academy to train and counsel various age groups of boys.

It has trained and counselled close to 9000 boys/youth in personal development through virtual sessions, camps and events.

JSA has been supporting the educational needs of the less privileged boys, since 2016 and it is currently funding a year tertiary education of a mechanical engineering student at Accra Technical University

It is blessed with an inspiring alumni community who inspires junior gentlemen annually through peer mentorship.

* The writer is the Founding Director: Junior Shapers Africa & JSA Phenomenal Boys Academy
Dr. Afriyie Akoto rallies support for Ernest Yaw Anim

Kweku Zurek Politics May - 23 - 2023 , 13:41

Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, an aspiring flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), visited Kumawu on Sunday to rally support for the party's Parliamentary candidate, Ernest Yaw Anim, in the scheduled Parliamentary by-election today.

Speaking to the constituents, Dr. Afriyie Akoto urged them to vote overwhelmingly for Ernest Yaw Anim, highlighting that he embodies unity.

In an electrifying atmosphere, Dr. Afriyie Akoto expressed his joy after receiving updates that never had such unity been witnessed within the NPP as the by-election had brought about.

Emphasizing the importance of unity, he stated that it was crucial for the NPP's success in the current by-election and the upcoming 2024 general elections.

"We are delighted that there is now unity within Kumawu NPP. That is all we were seeking ahead of Tuesday's polls. Therefore, I urge you to locate Anim, who occupies the first position on the ballot, and vote overwhelmingly for him," he emphasized.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto participated in a thanksgiving church service held in honour of the late Philip Basoah.

Addressing the congregation, Dr. Afriyie Akoto praised the late Philip Basoah, who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumawu, as a disciplined and hardworking representative for Ghana and the Kumawu constituency.

"I developed a friendship with Philip Basoah during his time in Parliament. He worked diligently for Ghana and the Kumawu constituency. I commend the people of Kumawu for electing him to serve your interests in Parliament. Basoah will always be remembered for his humility," he remarked.
NDC accuses Vice President Bawumia of spreading lies during Kumawu rally

Kweku Zurek Politics May - 23 - 2023 , 09:55

In a scathing response to Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia's recent speech at a New Patriotic Party (NPP) rally in Kumawu, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has strongly condemned "his use of false claims and misleading information".

The NDC, in a press statement released today, accused the Vice President of peddling lies and called for clarity on his statements.

One of the claims made by Vice President Bawumia that drew the NDC's attention was his assertion that the NPP government had built over 150 factories, while the NDC had only constructed two.

The NDC vehemently refuted this statement, highlighting that during their tenure, they established strategic state-owned factories that played a vital role in the growth of key sectors in Ghana's economy.

The NDC claimed that the PresidentAkufo-Addo/Bawumia-led government had failed to construct even a single state-owned factory since assuming office in January 2017.

They labelled the claim of the NDC constructing over 150 factories as a "palpable falsehood." The NDC further emphasized that the NPP's 1D1F program, which the Vice President referenced, involved private sector initiatives supported by the government and did not constitute the construction of state-owned factories.

The claim by the Vice President is a barefaced lie. For the records, the erstwhile NDC/Mahama administration established strategic, high priority State-owned factories that anchored growth in key sectors of the Ghanaian economy, the statement said.

We must hasten to point out to the Vice President that if his so-called 150 factories claim relates to governments poorly-implemented 1D1F program, then he needs to educate himself and cure his own ignorance about the nature of their so-called 1D1F initiative. This is because, none of the said 1D1F factories, was actually built by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.

The press statement also addressed Vice President Bawumia's controversial remark about guinea fowls flying to Burkina Faso during the NDC government's tenure.

The NDC accused Bawumia of deliberately spreading misinformation, stating that there was no truth to his claim.

They referred to journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni, who had investigated the guinea fowl production and marketing joint venture project by the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and the Asongtaba Cottage Industry.

According to the NDC, the investigation did not reveal any evidence of guinea fowls flying to Burkina Faso. They argued that Bawumia's repetition of this claim was both outrageous and baseless.

The NDC concluded the statement by criticizing Vice President Bawumia's leadership of the economic management team, blaming him for the alleged collapse and bankruptcy of the Ghanaian economy. They called on Bawumia to take his responsibilities seriously and refrain from indulging in "nuisance comedy."

Indeed, it is noteworthy to remind Bawumia and his likes that Manasseh Azuri Awuni, the journalist who investigated the guinea fowl production and marketing joint venture project by the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) and the Asongtaba Cottage Industry is on public record to have refuted this claim, the statement said.

Signed by Sammy Gyamfi Esq., the National Communication Officer of the NDC, the press statement demands that Vice President Bawumia corrects his misleading statements and ceases to spread falsehoods.

The NDC's strong response to the Vice President's speech showcases the intensifying political tension between the ruling NPP and opposition NDC ahead of the upcoming Kumawu by-election.
NDC-UK/Ireland Chapter celebrates John Mahama's victory in NDC Primaries

GraphicOnline Politics May - 23 - 2023 , 13:57

In a press release issued today, the NDC-UK/Ireland Chapter extended heartfelt congratulations to President John Dramani Mahama for his triumph in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential primary held on Saturday, May 13, 2023.

The primary witnessed President Mahama's resounding victory, securing close to 100% of the vote.

The NDC-UK/Ireland Chapter took the opportunity to commend the national leadership of the NDC, led by Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, for ensuring a fair, transparent, and peaceful conduct of the primaries.

It said the outcome of the elections had been accepted harmoniously by all stakeholders, reflecting the party's commitment to unity and democracy.

The NDC-UK/Ireland Chapter also acknowledged the actions of Dr. Kwabena Duffour Kojo Bonsu, two prominent members of the NDC who graciously accepted the outcome of the primaries. Both individuals pledged their unwavering support to the NDC's collective interest, vowing to contribute to the party's efforts in securing victory in the upcoming 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. The release said Dr. Kwabena Duffour's active participation in the Kumawu by-election campaign further attests to his dedication to the NDC's cause.

It added that the primaries not only provided an opportunity for the candidates to engage with voters across Ghana but also revitalized and energized NDC branches throughout the country, adding that the resounding support witnessed during the campaign period had prepared the party for the challenges ahead in the 2024 elections.

The NDC-UK/Ireland Chapter express the belief that President Mahama is best equipped to tackle Ghana's current economic challenges, which they attribute to what they perceive as poor leadership under President Akufo-Addo and his government.

In light of this conviction, the entire membership of the NDC-UK/Ireland Chapter reaffirmed their unwavering commitment and relentless efforts in contributing to a resounding victory for the NDC in the 2024 elections. Their collective goal is to build a Ghana that aligns with the aspirations and dreams of its citizens.

Chairman Alhaji Alhassan Mbalba concluded the press release by once again congratulating President John Dramani Mahama on his historic victory, expressing confidence in his leadership abilities and wishing him success as he embarks on the journey towards the 2024 elections.
Quaysons nullification: NDC should blame itself  Gary Nimako Marfo

Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Politics May - 23 - 2023 , 19:40

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) should blame itself and not point fingers at the Supreme Court for nullifying the election of James Gyakye Quayson as the Member of Parliament (MP) of Assin North, the Director of Legal Affairs of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gary Nimako Marfo, has stated.

According to him, the Quayson debacle could have been avoided if the NDC had taken guidance from the Supreme Courts decision in the case of Ex parte Zanetor in 2016, in which the court held that the eligibility criteria for one to become an MP under Article 94 of the 1992 Constitution takes effect when the Electoral Commission (EC) opens nominations for aspirants to file to contest elections.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Nimako, who was a lawyer in the Zanetor case, said when the EC opened nominations for the 2020 elections in October last year, Mr Quayson ought to have ensured that he met all the criteria under Article 94 of the Constitution as interpreted in the Zanetor case before filing to contest the elections.

He, therefore, described as untenable, arguments by some members of the NDC that the Supreme Court was wrong to have nullified the election of

Mr Quayson because he got a certificate renouncing his Canadian citizenship in November before the elections in December 2020.

In law, the foundation of everything has to be strong. You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. The foundation of Mr Quaysons election was unconstitutional because, at the time he filed to contest, he had not renounced his Canadian citizenship. Because the filing was wrong, all the processes afterwards collapsed, he said.

Lessons

Mr Marfo said unlike the NDC, right after the Zanetor case in 2016, the NPP put in place a verification committee to ensure that none of its Parliamentary candidates fell afoul of Article 94 of the Constitution.

The verification committee, he said, was the final layer that could recommend to the National Executive Council (NEC) to disqualify a candidate, even though the person had won a primary if it determines that the candidate was not eligible per any of the criteria under Article 94 of the constitution.

This problem can never happen in the NPP; it is not possible. Everything is verified by the verification committee, although the candidate had gone through vetting at the constituency and even won the primaries, he added.

Unconstitutional act

Last Wednesday, May 17, the Supreme Court held that the whole process leading to the election of Mr Quayson  filling of nomination forms, the election itself and swearing-in, were all in violation of Article 94(2)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, which bars a person with dual citizenship from contesting as an MP.

It was the considered view of the court that as of the time Mr Quayson filed his nomination forms in October 2020 to contest for the Assin North seat, he had not yet renounced his Canadian citizenship and, therefore, was not qualified per Article 94(2) (a) of the Constitution.

Renunciation process

Mr Marfo agreed with the Supreme Courts position and dismissed arguments by those who said the former MP had renounced his Canadian citizenship when he commenced the process and he was not to be blamed for the delay in the renunciation certificate by the Canadian government due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Describing in detail how the naturalisation and renunciation procedure of Canada works, Mr Marfo said one can renounce his Canadian citizenship only when a renunciation certificate had been issued by the government of Canada.

According to him, the fact that one applied to renounce his Canadian citizenship was not a guarantee that he would be granted a certificate.

It can be refused especially if the person does not meet the criteria. An example is when there is an espionage case against the person or the person owed taxes.

Mr Quayson knew very well that he had not gotten a certificate of renunciation, yet he came to Ghana, picked forms from the EC and filled them, stating that he does not owe allegiance to any other country other than Ghana, Mr Marfo said.
Subin MP urges Prez Akufo-Addo to address Finance Minister's fate following IMF deal

GraphicOnline Politics May - 23 - 2023 , 10:07

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Subin constituency, Eugene Boakye Antwi, has emphasized the need for President Akufo-Addo to make a decision regarding the future of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta following the closure of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal.

Speaking in an interview on Joy FM, Mr. Antwi explained that the power to dismiss the Finance Minister lies solely with the President, and the role of the MPs was to highlight the Minister's shortcomings and argue for his removal from office.

Antwi stated that the 98 New Patriotic Party (NPP) MPs who previously called for Ofori-Atta's dismissal in 2022 are now awaiting direction from the President.

He expressed their expectation for a meeting with either the Majority Leader or the President himself to discuss the way forward.

Antwi clarified that as an MP, he does not possess the authority to remove the Finance Minister but rather to expose any failings.

In November 2022, 98 NPP MPs demanded the immediate removal of Ken Ofori-Atta, citing economic mismanagement.

They petitioned President Akufo-Addo, threatening a parliamentary boycott if their demands were not met.

However, after a meeting, they agreed to the President's appeal to allow Ofori-Atta and Minister of State Charles Adu Boahen to remain in office until the conclusion of the IMF negotiations.

With Ghana's IMF bailout now approved, Mr. Antwi emphasized that questions about Ofori-Atta's future should be directed to the President.

He noted their support for the President and their concerns about Ofori-Atta's potential impact on electoral prospects in the upcoming year.

When asked about a potential successor, Antwi dismissed the notion of requiring prior experience, highlighting that everyone learns on the job and experience is acquired through practical engagement.

So far as we are concerned, we have demonstrated to the entire country, and the whole world that this is our decision or difficulty with the continued stay of Ken Ofori-Atta. We are waiting for the Majority Leader to come either convene a meeting or for the president to convene a meeting with the majority caucus and tell us the way forward, Mr. Antwi said.

He added: We stood with the president, and we have played our part. We demonstrated to him that the continuous stay of Ken at the Finance Ministry will not do well in electoral fortunes next year, and we continue to drum that home.
Today's by-election: Kumawu precursor to 2024 polls?

Kwadwo Baffoe Donkor Politics May - 23 - 2023 , 09:19

The simple matter of a parliamentary by-election for a seat largely considered a safe one for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has become a complex issue as four candidates appear on the ballot sheet for todays poll in Kumawu.

The Ashanti Region seat has been occupied by the NPP since 1996, but the strong showing of a former party faithful who went independent in 2020 has altered the dynamics in what has become an important contest for the NPP.

That candidate, Kwaku Duah, bears the same name as the other Independent candidate, a younger man who some political watchers have argued appears to be a mere strategic entry in the scheme of the challenge posed by his senior namesake.

Enjoying only the slimmest of advantages in numbers in the two-party Parliament, the NPP  whose members death occasioned the by-election  cannot afford to let the seat slip by, with each passing parliamentary debate set on a knifes edge on account of the nearly even numbers of the NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Such have been the stakes that the police yesterday issued a statement that adequate police personnel had been deployed to Kumawu for todays by-election.

We wish to assure the people of the Kumawu Constituency to go about their normal activities freely, including going out to exercise their civic duty of casting their vote, a statement issued and signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs, said.

We would like to urge the general public, especially the people of the Kumawu Constituency, to work with us to deliver a peaceful election and ensure the safety and security of all, the statement added.

It said the police had already met with stakeholders, including the leadership of the NPP, the NDC and one of the Independent candidates, to enhance collaboration among all stakeholders and to ensure a peaceful election.

The other Independent candidate was unable to honour the invitation to the meeting.

The NPP appears more concerned with the candidature of the senior Duah, who has a bird as his symbol on the ballot paper.

He fell out with the party and went independent in the last parliamentary election in 2020, coming second as he polled 11,698 representing 39.96 per cent of the total valid votes cast. The NPPs candidate then, the late Philip Basoah, polled 14,960 representing 51.11 per cent.

The then NDC candidate, Bernard Opoku Marfo, came third by polling 2,439 votes, representing 8.33 per cent, while Nana Amoako of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM) polled 174 votes, representing 0.59 per cent.

In the presidential race, President Akufo-Addo won with 23,502, representing 80.69 per cent of the valid votes cast, as against the NDCs John

Mahamas 5,325, representing 18.28 per cent of valid votes cast.

Campaign

The NDC and the NPP over the weekend rounded up their campaigns for todays poll, having toured, since last month, every nook and cranny of the constituency to woo voters.

All political campaign activities came to an end last Sunday, with the NPP holding what could be described as a mammoth rally that featured bigwigs, including President Akufo-Addo and Vice-President Dr Bawumia.

It followed last Saturdays movement of big shots of both the NDC and the NPP as family and friends mourned the former MP, Basoah, at his funeral.

For the NDC, the removal of Assin South MP, James Gyakye Quayson, has become the motivation to snatch any seat in sight.

A must-win seat

Even though the voting patterns in the constituency have over the years favoured the NPP, the party is not leaving anything to chance.

Even before the primary to elect a candidate to contest the by-election, the NPP had practically moved its machinery to the constituency and set up a command post in the house of the constituency chairman.

Aside from ensuring that the party retains its slim majority in Parliament, a win for the NPP would be deemed as a vote of confidence in the administration of the government and would serve as a booster for the upcoming general election in December 2024.

Addressing the party faithful last Sunday, the Majority Leader in Parliament and MP for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, admitted that the slim majority that the party has in Parliament was affecting the progress of work, and as such there was the need for the electorate to ensure that the NPP won the seat.

Surprise

Even though the NDC has not fared very well in the previous elections in the constituency, its candidate, Kwasi Amankwa, is full of confidence that he will pull a surprise.

He believes the divine forces are behind him, and that the party will come out victorious by the close of the polls today.

According to him, the party had put in a lot of work not just to increase its votes in the constituency, but to win the seat.

As a boost for his campaign, the presidential candidate of the NDC, former President John Dramani Mahama, was in the constituency last Friday where he and his entourage called on the family of the late MP to commiserate with them.

For some, todays poll is a virtual referendum on the NPPs stewardship in eight years.

Confusion

The common name being used by the two Independent candidates in the by-election could be cause for worry for some voters.

Until last Sunday, both candidates were using the same symbols on the notice of their posters and wore virtually the same kente cloth aside from bearing the same name.

However, the Electoral Commission has changed the symbol of the second Kwaku Duah, who entered the race at the last minute, from the initial dove to a hoe.

According to the EC, even though the commission asked about the similarity of their symbols and asked him to change it, he refused, thus prompting the EC to do that for him since the law allowed the EC to do that.

Machinations

Kwaku Duah, who first contested in the last parliamentary election, has accused the members of his former party for sponsoring his own family member, Kwaku Duah, to contest him just to confuse his supporters.

He has refused to align with any of the political parties and pledged to maintain his neutrality when he wins.
....Well support him to reclaim seat  NDC

Daily Graphic Politics May - 23 - 2023 , 09:12

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has pledged to support embattled James Gyakye Quayson to reclaim the Assin North parliamentary seat anytime a by-election is held.

The full weight of the party, including the Minority Caucus in Parliament, will be put behind Honourable Quayson so as to ensure an even more resounding victory for him in the upcoming by-election, the General Secretary of the NDC, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, said in a statement.

The statement also described the ruling as strange, and made reference to similar situations involving Messrs J.H. Mensah, Baba Jamal and Peter Amewu, where the Supreme Court had stated that it did not have the jurisdiction to invalidate a parliamentary election and that the High Court was where such a matter should be taken.

It added that even though there are serious questions about the legitimacy of this decision after consultation with Mr Quayson, the leadership of the NDC wishes to state unequivocally that we are ready for the by-election that is now the result of this decision.

Recall

The Supreme Court last Wednesday ruled that Parliament should expunge the name of Mr Quayson from its records.

This ruling was the outcome of a case brought before the Supreme Court, invoking its original jurisdiction to examine the constitutionality of Mr Quaysons election.

Mr Quayson had been accused of holding dual citizenship prior to the 2020 election, an allegation he vehemently denied.

Per the ruling, Parliament is expected to declare the Assin North seat vacant with a by-election imminent.

The Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, in an earlier statement, insisted that at the time of his election, Hon. James Gyakye Quayson was not a dual citizen, neither was he a dual citizen as at the time he took the oath of office as a Member of Parliament.

The intention of the framers of Ghanas constitution is not to allow a dual citizen to perform the functions of Parliament.
Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero placed the island in Condition of Readiness 1 as of 1 p.m. today.
Governor Lou Leon Guerrero placed Guam in Condition of Readiness 1 at 1 p.m., Tuesday, according to a news release from the governor's office.

At COR1, destructive winds are possible within the next 12 hours.

The community is advised to remain indoors until COR 4 is announced. All residents in low lying, flood-prone and coastal areas, especially in the southern villages of Inalahan, Ipan, Talofofo, Malesso, Hagat and Humatak, are ordered to evacuate and seek shelter in private residences or designated government shelters in higher elevation no later than 6 p.m., today.

Simultaneously, Joint Region Marianas, Naval Base Guam, Andersen Air Force Base, and Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz are also in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1 at 1 p.m., today. All Andersen gates are now closed. All Navy Base Guam gates will be closed at 10 p.m. today. The time for gate closure is subject to change based on weather conditions. For installation-specific operations or questions, please consult the respective installation Facebook page or reach out to the Public Affairs Officer.

What to Expect:

On its current track, the system is expected to bring tropical storm force winds to Guam by this evening, with the possibility of typhoon force winds of 81 - 110 mph by Wednesday morning. Rainfall amounts of 8 to 15 inches are possible with locally higher amounts. A slowing forward speed could lead to much higher rainfall totals.

Emergency Shelters Available:

The Guam Department of Education opened 12 emergency shelters at 8 a.m., today:

North

AsTumbo Elementary School

Maria A. Ulloa Elementary School

Machananao Elementary School

Upi Elementary School

Wettengel Elementary School

Central

B.P. Carbullido Elementary School

George Washington High School

South

Talofofo Elementary School

Merizo Martyrs Memorial School

Harry S. Truman Elementary School

Inalahan Middle School

M.U. Lujan Elementary School

What should you take to the shelter?

7-day supply of food and water for all members of your family

Bedding

Personal hygiene products

Medication

7-day of supply for infants and toddlers, including diapers and formula

Valid Photo ID

Important documents including birth certificates, passports and medical immunization cards

Transportation

Those seeking shelter who do not have reliable transportation, or have a disability and need a ride to a designated storm shelter, are advised to contact their village Mayors Office for information on transportation. Residents will need to go to their respective Mayors Office for bus transportation to the shelters. Village Mayors contact information is listed below:

AGANA HEIGHTS

Paul M. McDonald, Mayor

mayor.mcdonald671@gmail.com

671-472-6393/8285/6

ASAN-MAINA

Frankie A. Salas, Mayor

asanmainamayor@gmail.com

671-472-6581/671-479-2726

BARRIGADA

June U. Blas, Mayor

mayorbarrigada@gmail.com

671-734-3725/34/36/37/3859

CHALAN PAGO-ORDOT

Jessy C. Gogue, Mayor

ocp.mayor@gmail.com

671-472-8302/3/7173

DEDEDO

Melissa B. Savares, Mayor

melissa.savares@gmail.com

671-632-5203/5019/671-637-9014

HAGAT

Kevin J. T. Susuico, Mayor

agatmayor@yahoo.com

671-565-2524/4330/4335/4336

HAGATNA

John A. Cruz, Mayor

hagatnamayor2004@gmail.com

671-477-8045/47/671-472-6379

HUMATAK

Johnny A. Quinata, Mayor

umatacmo@gmail.com

671-828-2940/8251/52/58

INALAHAN

Anthony P. Chargualaf, Mayor

inalahanmayor@gmail.com

671-475-2509/10/11

MALESSO

Ernest T. Chargualaf, Mayor

mayorernestc@yahoo.com

671-828-8312/2941

MANGILAO

Allan R.G. Ungacta, Mayor

mayorallan.ungacta@yahoo.com

671-734-2163/5731

MONGMONG-TOTO-MAITE

Rudy A. Paco, Mayor

mtmmayorpaco17@gmail.com

671-477-6758/9090/671-479-6800/6801

PITI

Jesse L.G. Alig, Mayor

jesse.alig@pitiguam.com

671-472-1232/3

SANTA RITA-SUMAI

Dale E. Alvarez, Mayor

srsmo.mayor@gmail.com

671-565-2514/4337/4302/04

SINAJANA

Robert RDC Hofmann, Mayor

guammayor@gmail.com

671-472-6707/671-477-3323

TALOFOFO

Vicente S. Taitague, Mayor

talofofomayor@gmail.com

671-789-1421/3262

TAMUNING

Louise C. Rivera, Mayor

mayorlcrivera.tatuha@gmail.com

671-646-5211/8646

671-647-9816/9819/20

YIGO

Anthony P. Sanchez, Mayor

ymayortony@gmail.com

671-653-5248/9119/9446

YONA

Bill A. Quenga, Mayor

yonamayor2020@gmail.com

671-789-4798/0012/1525/6

Visit the following links for the latest advisory information:

For more information, contact the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/10 or the GHS/OCD 24/7 watch desk at (671) 475-9600.
Once the winds die down and the danger has passed, Guam Power Authority will begin making repairs and reconnecting power.

Critical restoration priorities will include hospitals, water wells, wastewater facilities, as well as communications operations, schools, public health and safety buildings and ports of entry.

GPA has asked residents not to inundate or overwhelm dispatch lines with inquiries regarding service restoration.

Updates on power restoration will be provided to media, Office of Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense and posted on GPAs Facebook page.

As power is restored, the authority's smart meter network will know who has power and who doesn't. Crews will be sent to pockets within the villages to make repairs.

Dispatchers should be called for down energized sparking lines, damaged poles or blown transformers. Stay away from all down lines and equipment as they may still be energized and can cause harm if you come in contact with the lines or equipment.

Consider such situations as dangerous and life threatening, and report the situation to GPA's 24-Hour Trouble Dispatch at 671-475-1472/3/4 or via direct message on GPAs Facebook page.

Please provide exact location or address, contact information and condition of location.
The American Red Cross is closely monitoring Typhoon Mawars approach to the Marianas and working with local government agencies for what may come if Mawar hits Guam and the Marianas as a Category 4 typhoon.

At Category 4, maximum sustained winds are at 130 mph to 156 mph, and catastrophic damage can occur.

The Red Cross is urging families to be prepared to protect themselves, their families and their homes.

The organization is mobilizing volunteers and resources to brace for any damages and assist with response, that will evolve along with the needs of the community. Currently, a team of volunteers are on-island to help support the response. Additional resources and workforce stand ready as the needs arise.

The safety of our community throughout Guam is our priority, said Chita Blaise, executive director of the American Red Cross Guam Chapter. As the typhoon intensifies, we ask everyone to prepare their homes and households by putting together an emergency kit and staying tuned to the latest information.

Additional Red Cross resources

Download the free Red Cross Emergency App for real-time weather alerts, open shelters, and expert advice on emergency situations. Search American Red Cross in app stores or go to redcross.org/apps.

For more preparedness resources, visit redcross.org/prepare.

Red Cross also encourages local residents to learn about ways to volunteer in the event of needs post storm. Visit www.redcross.org/volunteer to see opportunities and register.

In an emergency:
Guam is now bracing for impact as Typhoon Mawar continues to grow in strength and moves toward the Marianas.

Throughout the southern villages of Guam, mayors and their staff are assisting with the shelters and driving through the villages announcing the governors evacuation order.

The clock is ticking as Guam is under a Typhoon Warning, which means that damaging winds of 39 mph or more can be expected within 24 hours. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has placed Guam under Condition of Readiness 1 as of 1 p.m., Tuesday. This indicates the possibility of destructive winds within the next 12 hours.

Need for Flexibility

For experienced mayors, such as Mayor Johnny Quinata of Humatak or Mayor Ernest Chargualaf of Malesso, their time in office still did not prepare them enough for a typhoon that might be Guams strongest since 2002.

As Quinata supervised the creation of Humataks berm near his office, he said that despite being in his third term, there are still new processes to take care of now.

We usually have problems like the flooding, but this is the first time that low-lying areas have to leave their house to go to higher ground, Quinata said. We put sandbags where the floods are at  in front of the houses, but in the back portion, where the waves are going to come in, theres nothing we can do.

Mayor Chargualaf, meanwhile, was making door-to-door announcements explaining the governors executive order.

Along the low-lying coastal areas, Im making this announcement so residents can leave. Were also making an announcement that our guys are preparing sandbags for those who may want it, he said.

Need for Cooperation

While Mayor Kevin Susuico of Agat organized plans within his well-staffed office, he asked for the communitys cooperation.

After the briefing with the governor and Homeland Security, it is clear that we will be affected, Susuico said. For any residents that are out there, we ask them to please listen to any advisements coming from the National Weather Service and Homeland Security. Our village typically floods in our lower-lying areas, so when we get hit with heavy rainfall, we will flood.

In Inalahan, Mayor Anthony Chargualaf ensured that the community chat was ready to inform residents with up-to-date information about the storm.

Since the onset of this storm, I have a huge community chat, Chargualaf said. I have more than 20% of the villages population in this chat, but as you know the roof tongue in CHamoru, you just let one know, and 10 others will know.
By Thomas Benavente

Pacific Daily News

Guam is now bracing for impact as Typhoon Mawar continues to grow in strength and moves toward the Marianas.

Throughout the southern villages of Guam, mayors and their staff are assisting with the shelters and driving through the villages announcing the governor's evacuation order.

The clock is ticking as Guam is under a Typhoon Warning, which means that damaging winds of 39 mph or more can be expected within 24 hours. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has placed Guam under Condition of Readiness 1 as of 1 p.m., Tuesday. This indicates the possibility of destructive winds within the next 12 hours.

Need for Flexibility

For experienced mayors, such as Mayor Johnny Quinata of Umatac or Mayor Ernest Chargualaf of Merizo, their time in office still did not prepare them enough for a typhoon that might be Guams strongest since 2002.

As Quinata supervised the creation of Umatacs berm near his office, he said that despite being in his third term, there are still new processes to take care of now.

We usually have problems like the flooding, but this is the first time that low-lying areas have to leave their house to go to higher ground, Quinata said. We put sandbags where the floods are at  in front of the houses, but in the back portion, where the waves are going to come in, theres nothing we can do.

Mayor Chargualaf, meanwhile, was making door-to-door announcements explaining the governors executive order.

Along the low-lying coastal areas, Im making this announcement so residents can leave. Were also making an announcement that our guys are preparing sandbags for those who may want it, he said.

Need for Cooperation

While Mayor Kevin Susuico of Agat organized plans within his well-staffed office, he requested for the communitys cooperation.

After the briefing with the governor and Homeland Security, it is clear that we will be affected, Susuico said. For any residents that are out there, we ask them to please listen to any advisements coming from the National Weather Service and Homeland Security. Our village typically floods in our lower-lying areas, so when we get hit with heavy rainfall, we will flood.

In Inarajan, Mayor Anthony Chargualaf ensured that the community chat was ready to inform residents with up-to-date information about the storm.

Since the onset of this storm, I have a huge community chat, Chargualaf said. I have more than 20% of the villages population in this chat, but as you know the roof tongue in CHamoru, you just let one know, and 10 others will know.
Thursday updates:

Guam in COR 4

(5 p.m.) With Typhoon Mawar moving from the area, Guam has been placed in Condition of Readiness 4.

GPA working to restore power

GPA update

(5 p.m.) Guam Power Authority has begun its post-typhoon power restoration process. Crews have begun 24/7 shift work clearing lines and restoring power.

Some GPA crews will first work on the transmission lines bringing power from the power plants out to the substations. Other crews will begin to restore power to circuits and ultimately to customers.

Shell stations open in Yigo, Tamuning

(3 p.m.) Shell gas stations in Yigo and Tamuning are open for the general public, according to a news release from the company.

Some Mobil and Circle K stations are also open.

The Shell station in Upper Tumon is reserved for government first responders. All other Shell gas stations remain closed, according to the company.

Boil water notice issued for Guam

(1:30 p.m.) The Guam Waterworks Authority has issued a boil water notice due to possible bacterial contamination in the water that can occur when increased run-off enters a drinking water source following heavy rains.

Villages are experiencing water outages and crews are working to restore service.

Outages are affecting Tamuning, Nimitz Hill, Hagat, Santa Rita, Yona, Talofofo', Ipan and Malojloj.

The agency will assess the water system to be within acceptable levels as soon as possible, according to Guam Waterworks Authority.

Wednesday updates:

927 people in shelters

(11 a.m.) There were 927 people in 11 emergency shelters Wednesday morning.

The shelter at Harry S. Truman Elementary School was closed bcause of a generator problem, and people at that shelter were taken to Inalahan Elementary School.

GPA: no intent to shutdown islandwide power

(9:10 a.m.) GPA does not intent to shut down the island-wide power system. The system runs automatically and only cuts out power service when damage has occurred to the circuit. It shuts down automatically for safety. The system will be energized as long as power circuits remain intact.

Repairs of the system will resume once high winds die down to a safe level. GPA will mobilize to proceed with assessments and repairs. This will begin the recovery phase of the island-wide power system around Guam.

4 p.m. passage over southern Guam

(9 a.m.) Typhoon Mawars track has shifted slightly to the south, with the eye expected to pass over the southern part of the island this afternoon.

The worst weather will be between 1 and 6 p.m. today, forecasters said.

As of 9 a.m., Guam was experiencing tropical storm conditions, with winds of 58 mph. Later today, the island could see sustained winds of up to 145 mph, with gusts of 170 mph.

The storm underwent an eyewall replacement cycle overnight - a phenomenon in intense storms where a new eye develops around an older eye. That caused the windspeed to drop, and the storm went from a super typhoon to a typhoon.

As the new eye develops, the storm can intensify again, according to forecasters.

Tuesday updates:

862 people in shelters

(9 p.m.) There were 862 people in shelters as of 9 p.m. Tuesday, with emergency officials warning that people who lived in coastal areas and in homes that weren't made of concrete would be in significant danger during the storm.

Staying safe during the storm

(5:15 p.m.) With low-lying coastal areas being evacuated Tuesday evening, emergency officials are encouraging residents to avoid filling sandbags at the beach.

People who need sand for sandbags are encouraged to contact their mayor's office for assistance.

Use flashlights, not candles

The Guam Fire Department recommends the use of flashlights instead of candles during power outages but if you have to use candles, keep these tips in mind:

Never leave a burning candle unattended. Extinguish candles completely before you leave the room or go to sleep.

Do not burn candles on or near anything that can catch fire. Keep candles away from decorations, curtains, beddings, paper, walls, furniture, and other combustible materials.

Always keep candles, matches, and lighters out of the reach of children and never leave children unattended in a room where candles are lit. Place candles out of the reach of children and pets and away from areas where they can be knocked over.

Keep burning candles away from flammable liquids.

Never touch or move a burning candle when the wax is liquefied.

Mawar is a Cat 4 typhoon

(3:21 p.m.) Typhoon Mawar is a Category 4 Typhoon that continues to intensify as it moves toward Guam, according to a bulletin from the National Weather Service.

The storm was 170 miles southeast of Guam, packing 140 mph winds and heading northwest at 12 mph.

"Passage very near or directly over Guam as a Category 4 typhoon on Wednesday is looking increasingly likely. The triple threat of Cat 4 typhoon force winds, torrential rains and life-threatening storm surge are all expected for Guam," according to the Weather Service.

Post offices closed

(2:48 p.m.) All U.S. Postal Service facilities on Guam, Saipan and Rota closed Tuesday and will remain closed on Wednesday because of Typhoon Mawar.

The Guam, Saipan and Ptoa post offices will remain closed until further notice, according to the Postal Service.

There will be no street delivery, PO box delivery or retrieval of mail from blue collection box or mail slots while the offices are closed.

Position at 1 p.m.

(1 p.m.) The eye of Typhoon Mawar was located near Latitude 11.4 degrees north and longitude 146.7 degrees East. Mawar is moving north at 8 mph. It is expected to make a turn toward the northwest with little change in forward speed over the next few days.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to 130 mph. Mawar is forecast to intensify through tonight. Typhoon force winds extend outward from the center up to 25 miles. Tropical storm force winds extend outward from the center up to 100 miles.

Guam in COR 1

(1 p.m.) Guam moved into Condition of Readiness 1 at 1 p.m. Tuesdy, meaning destructive winds are possible within the next 12 hours.

The community is advised to remain indoors until COR 4 is announced.

Simultaneously, Joint Region Marianas, Naval Base Guam, Andersen Air Force Base, and Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz are also in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness 1

All Andersen gates are now closed. All Navy Base Guam gates will be closed at 10 p.m., subject to weather conditions.

Governor orders evacuations from low-lying coastal areas.

(11:20 a.m.) Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero has ordered the evacuation of residents living in low-lying coastal areas, especially in the south. She has ordered the National Guard to help with the evacuations, as well as with traffic control.

United flights canceled

(11 a.m.) Due to inclement weather as a result of Typhoon Mawar, United Airlines announced that most of the afternoon flights scheduled for May 23 and all flights for May 24 have been tentatively canceled. United has issued a travel waiver for all Guam, Saipan, and Micronesia flights scheduled between May 22 and 24.

The United City Ticket Office in Guam will be closed after 1 p.m. on Tuesday and will remain closed Wednesday.

United customers who are scheduled to depart on May 23 and May 24 are encouraged to check united.com or the United app for the most current flight information or to reschedule their flights as a result of Typhoon Mawar. Customers can contact United Reservations at 1-800-864-8331 for assistance.

Public Health

(9:50 a.m.) The Department of Public of Health and Social Services Northern Pharmacy will close today at 12 p.m. in preparation of Typhoon Mawar.

DPHSSs Northern Community Health Center in Dededo and Southern Community Health Center in Inalahan will remain open throughout Typhoon Mawar.
National Weather Service forecasters painted a dire picture of the devastation Guam will face if Super Typhoon Mawar stays on its current track and slams the island Wednesday.

"Who knows what we'll be waking up to on Thursday morning?" said Landon Aydlett, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service on Guam. "The landscape will be radically altered."

In a Facebook briefing Tuesday night, Aydlett and other forecasters explained that Mawar will be a benchmark storm that will be remembered for decades. If it stays on course, they said, it will be worse than Pongsona in 2002.

If you're on Guam, you need to be in a fully reinforced concrete structure. If you're anywhere else, you're at substantial risk to injury or death, said Science and Operations Officer Brandon Aydlett, Landons brother. If you're not in a safe, reinforced concrete structure, please find one immediately.

It is going to be weird tomorrow night when most of the island, probably all the island, if you do not have a generator, will be without power without communications, Brandon Aydlett said.

The storm, packing winds of 155 mph and continuing to intensify Tuesday night, was expected to begin battering the island late Tuesday. As of 7 p.m., the center of Super Typhoon Mawar was located near latitude 12.1 degrees north and longitude 146.3 degrees east.

Mawar was 140 miles southeast of Guam, moving north-northwest at 8 mph.

It was expected to pound the island from Tuesday night until Thursday morning, bringing 10-15 inches of rain, with 20 inches in some areas. Seas will be as high as 20-40 feet, and surf as high as 25 feet.

Typhoon-force winds will begin Wednesday morning, ranging from 130-155 mph, with gusts up to 190 mph.

Significant, Brandon Aydlett said. This is going to be catastrophic.

After peak conditions hit, the weather will steadily improve throughout the afternoon and evening Wednesday, although typhoon winds will last until sunset. Tropical storm winds are likely to remain until Thursday morning.

Were looking at the potential for a 36-hour period of at least tropical-force winds, he said. Wednesday is going to be a rough day for Guam.
Airport update:

The A.B. Won Pat International Airport Guam continues to remain open.

However, due to inclement weather as a result of Typhoon Mawar, United Airlines announced that most of the afternoon flights scheduled for May 23 and all flights for May 24 have been tentatively canceled. United has issued a travel waiver for all Guam, Saipan, and Micronesia flights scheduled between May 22 and 24.

The United City Ticket Office in Guam will be partially open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 23 to assist customers. The CTO will be closed on May 24.

United customers who are scheduled to depart on May 23 and May 24 are encouraged to check united.com or the United app for the most current flight information or to reschedule their flights as a result of Typhoon Mawar. Customers can contact United Reservations at 1-800-864-8331 for assistance.

The following cancellations have been announced as of Tuesday:

Arrivals

UA150 1545 Kansai - canceled for May 23

UA827 1550 Narita - canceled for May 23

UA136 1600 Nagoya - canceled for May 23

UA201 1810 Honolulu - canceled for May 23

UA154 1815 Chuuk - canceled for May 23

UA197 2150 Narita - canceled for May 23

UA865 2215 Narita - canceled for May 23

KE423 0105 Incheon - canceled for May 24

KE421 1515 Incheon - canceled for May 24

TW303 1400 Incheon - canceled for May 23

7C1182 1500 Narita - canceled for May 23

7C3102 1605 Incheon - canceled for May 23

KE421 1515 Incheon - canceled for May 23

Departures

UA177 1650 Kansai- canceled for May 23

UA873 1700 Narita- canceled for May 23

UA171 1705 Nagoya - canceled for May 23

UA193 1855 Koror - canceled for May 23

UA183 1915 Manila - canceled for May 23

UA185 2335 Yap - canceled for May 23

KE424 0225 Incheon- canceled for May 24

KE422 1700 Incheon- canceled for May 24

TW304 1500 Incheon- canceled for May 24

7C1181 1610 Narita- canceled for May 24

7C3101 1710 Incheon- canceled for May 23

KE422 1700 Incheon- canceled for May 23

With the anticipated 1 p.m. declaration of COR 1, travelers coming to or from Guam should contact their respective airline for the latest updates on their flight status or go to https://www.guamairport.com/passenger/flights/flight-schedule.

DPHSS update:

The Department of Public of Health and Social Services Northern Pharmacy will close today at 12 p.m. in preparation of Typhoon Mawar.

DPHSSs Northern Community Health Center in Dededo and Southern Community Health Center in Inalahan will remain open throughout Typhoon Mawar.

Visit the following links for the latest advisory information:

NWS Website: https://www.weather.gov/gum/

NWS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NWSGuam/

GHS/OCD Website: https://ghs.guam.gov/

GHS/OCD Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GHSOCD/

JRM Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jrmguam

For more information, contact the Joint Information Center at (671) 478-0208/10 or the GHS/OCD 24/7 watch desk at (671) 475-9600.




Haiti - Dom. Republic : 31,810 illegal Haitians return to Haiti in one month





The latest report (April 2023) from the Support Group for Returnees and Refugees (GARR) reveals that 31,810 men, women and children have returned to Haiti (repatriated by teams from the Dominican General Directorate of Migration (DGM), returned to the border or returned "voluntarily")



Repatriation by Dominican migration services: 15,973 compatriots:

Repatriation through the official border crossings: Anse-a-Pitres, Belladere, Malpasse and Ouanaminthe, amounted to 12,726 compatriots:

Men (71.81%); women (23.8%) and minors, boys and girls, (5.72%).



Repatriation through unofficial border crossings: Baptiste, Belladere (Rocher), Cornillon, Fonds-Verettes, Las Cahobas (Bateille), Savanette (Miguel) amounted to 3,247 compatriots B>:

Men (50.78%), women (20.08%) and minor boys and girls (29.13%).



Turn back at the border: 4,425 compatriots:

Refoulement through the official border crossings (Anse-a-Pitres, Belladere, Malpasse and Ouanaminthe) amount to 3,021 compatriots:

Men (55.27%), women (41.77%) and minor boys and girls (5.3%)



Turn back through unofficial border crossings: Baptiste, Belladere (Rocher), Cornillon, Fonds-Verettes, Las Cahobas (Bateille), Savanette (Miguel), amount to 1,332 compatriots B>:

Men (47.59%), women (23.34%) and minor boys and girls (29.05%)



"Spontaneous" or "voluntary" returns from our compatriots: 11,412

"Spontaneous" returns through the official border crossings (Anse-a-Pitres, Belladere, Malpasse and Ouanaminthe) amount to 7,582 compatriots:

Men (50.36%), women (38.69%) and minors, boys and girls, (10.93%)



"Spontaneous" returns via unofficial border crossings: Baptiste, Belladere (Rocher), Cornillon, Fonds-Verettes, Las Cahobas (Bateille), Savanette (Miguel), amount to 3,830 compatriots:

Men (43.42%), women (31.80%) and minors, boys and girls, (24.77%)



Pregnant women:

Repatriated: 112

Spontaneous returns: 70

Turned back: 39

Total: 221



Unaccompanied Minors:

Repatriated: 189

Spontaneous returns: 474

Turned back: 59

Total: 722



Notes :

The Memorandum of Understanding on repatriation and so many other tools for the protection of migrants signed by Haiti and the Dominican Republic are not respected in any way. The GARR observes more and more cases of intolerable excesses on the part of Dominican migration.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Cholera : Daily bulletin #187





May 13, 2023: (latest data available, previous Ministry bulletin May 12 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39596-haiti-cholera-daily-bulletin-186.html



Data calculated since the first confirmed case (October 3rd, 2022)



Total suspected cases: 44,236 cases +17 in 24 hours, the day before +214 in 24 hours

Total confirmed cases: 2,678* cases +0, the day before +0 in 24 hours

Total hospitalized cases (suspected and confirmed): 38,653 cases +61 cases in 24 hours, the day before +157 in 24 hours

Total deaths: 685** deaths ((460 institutional (+0) and 225 community (+0)) +0, previous +1



*No information on the number of samples received and the number of cases confirmed by the MSPP Laboratories. Information not updated for 24 days

**Not updated for 4 days



Partial assessment of cholera in Haiti according to data from the Department of Epidemiology, Laboratories and Research of the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP).



Distribution of suspected cases, total since October 3:

Partial and incomplete updating of the MSPP

Less than 1 year: 1.017 (+1)

1-4 years: 8,840 cases (+3)

5-9 years: 6,360 cases (+5)

10-14 years old: 3,165 cases (+0)

15-19 years old: 2,325 cases (+1)

20-29 years old: 5,700 cases (+3)

30-39 years old: 4,858 cases (+0)

40-49 years old: 3,600 cases (+1)

50-59 years old: 2,729 cases (+0)

60-69 years old: 1,933 cases (+1)

70-79 years old: 1,119 cases (+1)

80 years and over: 458 cases (+1)



Men: 54.40% men (+); Women 45.60 (-)



Positivity rate by age segment:







Number of tests performed: 7.606* +0 in previous 24 hours +0 in 24 hours



Positivity rate: 35.20%, previous 35.20%



*No information on the number of samples received and the number of cases confirmed by the MSPP Laboratories. Information not updated for 24 days



Departments with confirmed cases:

Artibonite, Centre, GrandAnse, North, North West, Nippes, North East, West, South and South East



Previous bulletin: https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39596-haiti-cholera-daily-bulletin-186.html



List of Treatment Centers for acute diarrhea (including Cholera): https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-37939-icihaiti-flash-list-of-acute-diarrhea-treatment-centers-including-cholera.html



Definitions:

Suspected cases:

Anyone with acute watery, profuse diarrhea with or without vomiting and dehydration

Confirmed case:

Any suspected case with a positive culture for Vibrio cholerae or presenting an epidemiological link with a confirmed case of cholera

Hospitalized case:

Any suspected or confirmed case that spends at least 24 hours in a care centre

Institutional death:

Any suspected or confirmed case who dies in a treatment center.

Community death:

Any suspected case that dies outside of a caring institution.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38148-haiti-humanitarian-the-un-and-its-partners-launch-a-flash-appeal-of-$1456m-for-haiti.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-37816-icihaiti-cholera-entry-ban-on-cooked-food-from-haiti-on-the-dajabon-market.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37807-haiti-flash-cholera-the-who-is-sounding-the-alarm.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37803-haiti-flash-already-7-dead-from-cholera-and-dozens-of-suspected-cases.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37795-haiti-flash-cholera-back-in-haiti-fear-of-epidemic-the-un-ready-to-intervene.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





2 million US armored vehicles burned

Monday, May 22, 2023 in Martissant, heavily armed individuals set fire to an armored "Backhoe Loader" (backhoe loader) of the heavy machinery department of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) with Molotov cocktails. After the destruction of 2 Canadian INKAS armored vehicles on the night of May 17 to 18 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39568-haiti-flash-ambush-2-armored-vehicles-burned-1-policeman-killed-1-other-injured.html with the same method, it is the 3rd armored vehicle that the PNH loses in less than a week, a loss estimated at nearly 2 million US dollars.



A Haitian sets himself on fire

This weekend, Karl-Ludson Azo (30), the Haitian flag at his side, set himself on fire in broad daylight on the steps of the Vertieres monument erected in memory of the heroes of independence. The motives for this suicide are not yet known. His father, Renold Azor Senior Pastor of the Evangelical Church of Limbea confirmed the suicide without giving further explanation...



PNH : 2 bandits mortally wounded

On Sunday May 21, 2023, two bandits were fatally injured by the police and an American-made M-4 rifle was seized as part of a series of joint operations between the Petion-ville police station and the Kenscoff police station in the sectors of Fort-Jacques, Malik, Dieg, Meyot and Madyowo. Police patrols patrol the area from Fort-Jacques to Gwojan.



An alleged bandit killed with a machete by the population

Monday on the RN#1, an alleged member of Savien's "gran Grif" gang was killed with a machete and his body burned by residents of the Artibonite Valley.



A ransomer shot dead by the police

On the night of Sunday May 21 to Monday May 22, 2023, following a call for help from several residents of Rue Saint Surin (Petion-ville), located near Sainte Therese, reporting an armed individual ("Chata" as well as known), who was trying to ransom several citizens, was fatally injured in exchanges of fire with the police who intervened on the scene.



Foot France : "Corventina" adds 2 goals to its list

On the penultimate day of the Division 1 Arkema season, Stade de Reims faced Dijon FCO, a match won brilliantly [3-1] by Stade de Reims, thanks to a double [5', 59'] of our rising star Melchie Dumornay aka "Corventina" who scored 10 goals this season.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39583-haiti-football-corventina-nominated-for-2-new-trophies.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-39547-icihaiti-football-france-corventina-in-the-d1-arkema-elected-revelation-of-the-2022-2023-season.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Published on 2023/05/22 | Source

New stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "The Childe" (2022)

Advertisement

Directed by Park Hoon-jung

With Kim Seon-ho, Kang Tae-ju, Kim Kang-woo, Go Ara, Kwon Hyuk-hyun,...

Formerly known as "Sad Tropics" (, seul-peun-yeol-dae)

Synopsis

"The Childe" will focus on a man born to a Korean father and a Filipino mother who aspires to be a boxer. He travels to the Philippines in the hopes of tracking down his father, and in the process, he gets mixed up with some bad people.

Release date in Korea : 2023/06/21
Helsinki is set to host the national Museum Days from May 24th to May 26th, 2023, with the theme of "Museums of the Future." Organized by the Finnish Museums Association, celebrating its centenary, this significant event brings together over 400 museum professionals and trustees for the most important museum industry gathering of the year. The Museum Days culminate in the Museum Awards Gala, where the prestigious "Museum of the Year" award will be presented.

The program for the Museum Days includes timely speeches, panel discussions, and the 100th Annual General Meeting of the Finnish Museums Association. The meeting and festivities will take place at Paasitorni in Hakaniemi, Helsinki.

Expert speeches and discussions during the Museum Days will focus on the future of museums. The diverse program also features thematic group work, allowing for in-depth discussions on various perspectives regarding the future of museums.

The keynote speaker on the first day will be museologist Bruno Brulon Soares, who will address museums amidst significant global changes. Brulon Soares will also delve into the new museum definition established by ICOM, an organization in which he played a significant role. Museology professor Dr. Leena Paaskoski, professor of European history Laura Kolbe, and Tommi Laitio, the director of culture and leisure activities for the City of Helsinki on leave, will engage in a joint discussion on the future of museums based on short presentations.

Thursday's program will begin with a thought-provoking talk by Associate Partner Loic Tallon, who will challenge our perceptions of museums and digital services. Museums will also have their voices heard as the possibilities and significance of digitalization in the development of museum services are explored.

The Museum Days reach their climax on Thursday, May 25th, with the Museum Awards Gala starting at 7 p.m. The finalists for the Museum of the Year 2023 award are Kuopio Museum, Museum of Play, Mobilia - The Automobile and Road Museum, and Riihisaari - Savonlinna Museum. Additionally, the Communication Achievement Award and the Museokortti Special Award will be presented.

On Friday, May 26th, Museum Days participants will have the opportunity to explore the history and present-day of Helsinki through study trips. These excursions include a day trip at sea on the historic coastal vessel m/aux Astrid and a visit to the historical Suomenlinna Fortress.

HT
Annu Kemppainen , the executive director of Helsinki Pride, confirmed to Helsingin Sanomat on Monday that the National Coalition has not been accepted as a partner of the event celebrating gender and sexual minorities because several of its members voted against the bill to reform the trans act earlier this year.

HELSINKI PRIDE has rejected the partnership applications of the Centre and National Coalition Party, according to Helsingin Sanomat .

He declined to comment on the other partner selections, citing the fact that they have yet been published. The National Coalition has brought up the issue, so Im only able to comment on this as far as the party is concerned, he explained to the newspaper.

Members of the Parliament voted 113 for and 69 against the bill on 1 February.

Both the Centre and National Coalition defined the vote as an issue of confidence and allowed their members to vote freely, despite the former being part of the ruling coalition that had drafted the bill. The two parties ultimately accounted for one-third of the 69 nay votes, 13 of which came from the Centre and 10 from the National Coalition.

The National Coalition, on the other hand, was the only opposition party to cast votes in support of the bill, with 26 of its 37 members doing so and making sure the bill passed.

Helsinki Pride Communitys board had a long and somewhat difficult discussion about the issue, said Kemppainen. The board concluded that the trans act has been so critical for our community that, due to their voting behaviour, certain parties were not accepted as partners of the Helsinki Pride event.

The community, he added, was hoping for unanimous support for the bill from the National Coalition.

Human rights are not questions of conscience. The National Coalition has lawmakers who do great work for the rights of rainbow people. We were disappointed that the party didnt make a collective decision on the issue, told Kemppainen.

Official partners are able to organise activities in conjunction with the event and receive visibility in public communications and the event. The National Coalition has been one of the partners for several years.

The decision drew some pointed criticism from the party members.

Daniel Sazonov (NCP), a Deputy Mayor of Helsinki, described the decision as confusing and saddening on Twitter, arguing that it sends a questionable message about the requirements for supporting the event and its objectives.

Katri Manninen, a special aide with the National Coalition, announced she will not be participating in the march this year.

Im not going to sugar-coat this: I think its hurtful and offensive to me and members of the National Coalition who have worked for human rights and equality. I feel like were not qualified to speak up for equality, she tweeted.

Ville-Veikko Rantamaula, the chairperson of the Centres district organisation in Helsinki, confirmed to Helsingin Sanomat that also the Centre has been excluded from Helsinki Pride 2023. The decision to suspend co-operation came as a major shock to the party, which was intent on participating also this year.

It looks like a select group is allowed to participate in an event that speaks for equality and non-discrimination, he said.

Rantamaula viewed that the decision, assuming it was an attempt to chastise parties for their handling of the trans act reform, was a step too far.

This goes against all the values and activities that encouraged us to participate in the event, but going forward we wont be participating even if the decision was overturned. Thats how it is, he declared.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT
Thousands of individuals in Finland are missing out on their entitlement to a national pension, according to a recent press release by Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The organization has identified 7,066 customers who may be eligible for a national pension due to their small earnings-related pension. In an effort to rectify this issue, Kela will proactively reach out to these individuals to assist them in claiming the benefits they deserve.

Kela conducts regular checks to identify pensioners with low incomes who may qualify for a national pension but have not applied for it. During the most recent check, 7,066 customers were discovered who met the criteria. This annual register search aims to ensure that individuals receive the financial support they are entitled to, improving their overall well-being during retirement.

In 2021, a similar register search identified 3,557 customers who may have been eligible for a national pension. Following Kela's outreach efforts, approximately 1,600 of them were successfully granted the national pension they deserved. This demonstrates the importance of raising awareness and providing assistance to those who may not be aware of their entitlements.

The customers who will be contacted this year predominantly consist of individuals who have reached the age of 65. However, younger individuals who receive a disability pension are also included in Kela's efforts to ensure no eligible individual falls through the cracks.

When Kela identifies a customer in its registers who appears to be entitled to a national pension, the institution will make contact and provide guidance on how to apply for the benefit. This can be done through the OmaKela e-service, over the phone, or via a letter. Pirjo Raute, Benefits Manager at Kela, explains that people often fail to apply for a national pension because they have already applied for an earnings-related pension before reaching the age of 65. Since a national pension in the form of an old-age pension cannot be received until the age of 65, individuals may overlook the need to apply.

It is important to note that not all customers identified through the register search will necessarily be eligible for a national pension. This could be due to other sources of pension income, such as pensions from other countries that Kela may not receive direct information about from the payer.

The national pension can provide supplementary income for pension recipients who live alone and receive an earnings-related pension and other pensions, up to a maximum amount of EUR 1,512.37 per month. For pension recipients living with a spouse or partner, the income limit is EUR 1,355.29 per month.

Additionally, eligible pensioners may also qualify for a guarantee pension. The guarantee pension ensures that residents of Finland receive a minimum monthly pension of EUR 922.42 if their total pension income before taxes falls below EUR 914.96 per month. However, the income limit and minimum pension amount are lower for individuals who have chosen early retirement on an old-age pension.

Receiving a national pension, even if the amount appears modest, can have a significant impact on the everyday lives of individuals with low incomes. In cases where financial hardship persists, pensioners are encouraged to explore other potential benefits they may be entitled to, such as housing allowance for pensioners or care allowance for pensioners. If these benefits, along with the national pension, are insufficient to cover necessary housing and living expenses, individuals can apply for basic social assistance from Kela, which serves as a last resort option after exploring all other potential benefits.

Kela's commitment to proactively reaching out to customers who may be eligible for a national pension reflects its dedication to ensuring that all Finnish citizens receive the financial support they are entitled to during their retirement years. By raising awareness and providing assistance, Kela aims to improve the financial well-being and quality of life for pensioners across the country.

HT
Economic sanctions , a commonly used tool in international diplomacy, inflict significant economic damage on target countries, with the poorest segments of their populations bearing the brunt of the consequences. Recent studies reveal that sanctions imposed by the United Nations result in an annual decline of 2 percentage points in the growth rate of sanctioned nations. Extrapolated over a decade, this amounts to a staggering 25 percent reduction in per capita economic output.

Likewise, unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States lead to an annual growth decline of nearly 1 percentage point, resulting in a long-term slump of 13 percent in per capita economic output.

"Economic sanctions consistently hit individuals living in or near poverty the hardest. This pattern has been evident in previous instances, particularly with regard to US sanctions. For instance, studies indicate that the sanctions imposed on Iran in 2012 primarily impacted the country's young and less educated population," explains Florian Neumeier, Head of the ifo Research Group on Taxation and Fiscal Policy. These findings are based on evaluations of 160 countries, of which 67 have experienced economic sanctions between 1976 and 2012. However, given that sanctions have primarily targeted smaller economies in the past, it is challenging to extrapolate the exact impact on a larger economy like Russia, Neumeier notes.

Furthermore, economic sanctions have been found to negatively affect life expectancy, particularly in poorer countries. United Nations sanctions, on average, reduce life expectancy by 1.2 to 1.4 years, while US sanctions result in a decrease of approximately six months. "When examining the distinction between male and female life expectancy, it becomes evident that women are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of sanctions," highlights Neumeier.

The unintended consequences of economic sanctions disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, exacerbating existing inequalities and stifling opportunities for socio-economic advancement. While the intention behind imposing sanctions is often rooted in political motives, it is crucial to consider the humanitarian implications of such measures. The detrimental impact on poverty-stricken populations and their overall well-being must be carefully evaluated when weighing the costs and benefits of economic sanctions.

As policymakers navigate complex international relationships, it is imperative to find alternative approaches that minimize harm to the most vulnerable segments of society. Balancing diplomatic objectives with the need to protect the rights and livelihoods of individuals living in target countries is vital for fostering a more equitable global landscape.

In conclusion, economic sanctions wield profound economic and humanitarian implications, with disadvantaged communities suffering the most severe consequences. As the world engages in international diplomacy, it is crucial to explore strategies that avoid exacerbating inequalities and prioritize the well-being of all individuals, regardless of their socio-economic status.

HT
Sydney Bailey, a writer and NHHS theater teacher, dies at age 35

Sydney Katherine Bailey [PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FAMILY VIA SHULER FUNERAL HOME]

Sydney Katherine Bailey, a brilliant writer, beloved high school theater teacher and courageous survivor, died on Sunday, May 14, after a six-and-a-half-year battle with brain cancer. She was 35.

She was a brilliant writer, a beloved theater teacher, the absolute best nephew aunt, and above all else, an amazing mother.

Born in Miami, Sydney spent most of her childhood in Hendersonville, where her parents were intimately involved in the Flat Rock Playhouse. Her late mother, Wendy Wilkins Bailey, performed all along the East Coast for the first eight years of Sydneys life, primarily jumping between Disney World and Flat Rock Playhouse, where she was a crowd favorite and her husband, Bruce Bailey, worked as a production manager and set designer. Having been raised by thespians certainly helped shape her craft, but the simple truth is that Sydney was born to be an artist.

She knew more loss in her life than most young people. She was just 11 years old when her mother succumbed to cancer in 1999, and 27 when she lost Bailey, her adoptive father, who died in 2015 at age 60 when his heart stopped suddenly.

Sydney attended New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts, where she received her degree in dramatic writing in December of 2009. Sydney had the effortless ability to write what she knew and turn it into something beautiful. Sydneys inherent wisdom was rare and the kind that will live on forever in her words that she so generously left behind.

In the fall of 2013, Sydney became the theater teacher at North Henderson High School, where she left a legacy. She was involved in her students lives more deeply than as a teacher alone. She was a confidant, mentor, safe space and friend. The fact that Sydney was responsible for changing childrens lives was abundantly clear. Some of them went as far as to say that she saved their lives.

In addition to Wendy and Bruce Bailey, Sydney was preceded in death by her grandparents, George and Teal Wilkins; uncle, George Wilkins, Jr.; and cousin, Christopher Wilkins.

She leaves behind the light of her life, her daughter, Hayes Wilkins Bailey; loving husband, Jeffrey Thompson; father Riccardo Hernandez; Bonus Mom Julie E. Smith; siblings Katie Bailey, Molly Bailey, Teo Hernandez and Lucas Hernandez; brother-in-law, Andrew Sigmon; nephews, Luke Collazo, Jude Collazo, Callum Bailey Enzor; countless wonderful aunts, uncles and cousins, lifelong friends, students, Hot Dog Queen Gretchen Weiners and Fairy Godmothers Allison, Amycoco and Kk.

A special place will always be held for Dr. Navin Anthony. The family will never forget the care and kindness he and his team provided for our Syd.

There will be a celebratory gathering to honor Sydneys life in the near future.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at gifts.Duke.edu. Donations can also be made by mail. Checks should be made payable to the Tisch Brain Tumor Center and sent to The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center, DUMC Box 3624, Durham, North Carolina 27710. Donations may also be made to the Hayes Wilkins Bailey education fund at: https://gofund.me/a0cf4040
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy Urges Action to Ensure Social Media Environments are Healthy and Safe, as Previously-Advised National Youth Mental Health Crisis Continues

Today, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon Generals Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. While social media may offer some benefits, there are ample indicators that social media can also pose a risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents. Social media use by young people is nearly universal, with up to 95% of young people ages 13-17 reporting using a social media platform and more than a third saying they use social media almost constantly.

With adolescence and childhood representing a critical stage in brain development that can make young people more vulnerable to harms from social media, the Surgeon General is issuing a call for urgent action by policymakers, technology companies, researchers, families, and young people alike to gain a better understanding of the full impact of social media use, maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of social media platforms, and create safer, healthier online environments to protect children. The Surgeon Generals Advisory is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ongoing efforts to support President Joe Bidens whole-of-government strategy to transform mental health care for all Americans.

The most common question parents ask me is, is social media safe for my kids. The answer is that we don't have enough evidence to say it's safe, and in fact, there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young peoples mental health, said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment. And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisis  one that we must urgently address.

Usage of social media can become harmful depending on the amount of time children spend on the platforms, the type of content they consume or are otherwise exposed to, and the degree to which it disrupts activities that are essential for health like sleep and physical activity. Importantly, different children are affected by social media in different ways, including based on cultural, historical, and socio-economic factors. Among the benefits, adolescents report that social media helps them feel more accepted (58%), like they have people who can support them through tough times (67%), like they have a place to show their creative side (71%), and more connected to whats going on in their friends lives (80%).

However, social media use can be excessive and problematic for some children. Recent research shows that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety; yet one 2021 survey of teenagers found that, on average, they spend 3.5 hours a day on social media. Social media may also perpetuate body dissatisfaction, disordered eating behaviors, social comparison, and low self-esteem, especially among adolescent girls. One-third or more of girls aged 11-15 say they feel addicted to certain social media platforms and over half of teenagers report that it would be hard to give up social media. When asked about the impact of social media on their body image, 46% of adolescents aged 13-17 said social media makes them feel worse, 40% said it makes them feel neither better nor worse, and only 14% said it makes them feel better. Additionally, 64% of adolescents are often or sometimes exposed to hate-based content through social media. Studies have also shown a relationship between social media use and poor sleep quality, reduced sleep duration, sleep difficulties, and depression among youth.

While more research is needed to determine the full impact social media use has on nearly every teenager across the country, children and adolescents dont have the luxury of waiting years until we know the full extent of social medias effects. The Surgeon Generals Advisory offers recommendations stakeholders can take to help ensure children and their families have the information and tools necessary to make social media safer for children:

Policymakers can take steps to strengthen safety standards and limit access in ways that make social media safer for children of all ages, better protect childrens privacy, support digital and media literacy, and fund additional research.

take steps to strengthen safety standards and limit access in ways that make social media safer for children of all ages, better protect childrens privacy, support digital and media literacy, and fund additional research. Technology companies can better and more transparently assess the impact of their products on children, share data with independent researchers to increase our collective understanding of the impacts, make design and development decisions that prioritize safety and health  including protecting childrens privacy and better adhering to age minimums  and improve systems to provide effective and timely responses to complaints.

better and more transparently assess the impact of their products on children, share data with independent researchers to increase our collective understanding of the impacts, make design and development decisions that prioritize safety and health  including protecting childrens privacy and better adhering to age minimums  and improve systems to provide effective and timely responses to complaints. Parents and caregivers can make plans in their households such as establishing tech-free zones that better foster in-person relationships, teach kids about responsible online behavior and model that behavior, and report problematic content and activity.

make plans in their households such as establishing tech-free zones that better foster in-person relationships, teach kids about responsible online behavior and model that behavior, and report problematic content and activity. Children and adolescents can adopt healthy practices like limiting time on platforms, blocking unwanted content, being careful about sharing personal information, and reaching out if they or a friend need help or see harassment or abuse on the platforms.

adopt healthy practices like limiting time on platforms, blocking unwanted content, being careful about sharing personal information, and reaching out if they or a friend need help or see harassment or abuse on the platforms. Researchers can further prioritize social media and youth mental health research that can support the establishment of standards and evaluation of best practices to support childrens health.

In concert with the Surgeon Generals Advisory, leaders at six of the nations medical organizations have expressed their concern on social medias effects on youth mental health:

Social media can be a powerful tool for connection, but it can also lead to increased feelings of depression and anxiety  particularly among adolescents. Family physicians are often the first stop for parents and families concerned about the physical and emotional health of young people in their lives, and we confront the mental health crisis among youth every day. The American Academy of Family Physicians commends the Surgeon General for identifying this risk for America's youth and joins our colleagues across the health care community in equipping young people and their families with the resources necessary to live healthy, balanced lives.  Tochi Iroku-Malize, M.D., MPH, MBA, FAAFP, President, American Academy of Family Physicians

Todays children and teens do not know a world without digital technology, but the digital world wasnt built with childrens healthy mental development in mind. We need an approach to help children both on and offline that meets each child where they are while also working to make the digital spaces they inhabit safer and healthier. The Surgeon Generals Advisory calls for just that approach. The American Academy of Pediatrics looks forward to working with the Surgeon General and other federal leaders on Youth Mental Health and Social Media on this important work.  Sandy Chung, M.D., FAAP, President, American Academy of Pediatrics

With near universal social media use by Americas young people, these apps and sites introduce profound risk and mental health harms in ways we are only now beginning to fully understand. As physicians, we see firsthand the impact of social media, particularly during adolescence  a critical period of brain development. As we grapple with the growing, but still insufficient, research and evidence in this area, we applaud the Surgeon General for issuing this important Advisory to highlight this issue and enumerate concrete steps stakeholders can take to address concerns and protect the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents.We continue to believe in the positive benefits of social media, but we also urge safeguards and additional study of the positive and negative biological, psychological, and social effects of social media. Jack Resneck Jr., M.D., President, American Medical Association

The first principle of health care is to do no harm  thats the same standard we need to start holding social media platforms to. As the Surgeon General has pointed out throughout his tenure, we all have a role to play in addressing the youth mental health crisis that we now face as a nation. We have the responsibility to ensure social media keeps young people safe. And as this Surgeon Generals Advisory makes clear, we as physicians and healers have a responsibility to be part of the effort to do so.  Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., CEO and Medical Director, American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychological Association applauds the Surgeon General's Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health, affirming the use of psychological science to reach clear-eyed recommendations that will help keep our youth safe online. Psychological research shows that young people mature at different rates, with some more vulnerable than others to the content and features on many social media platforms. We support the advisory's recommendations and pledge to work with the Surgeon General's Office to help build the healthy digital environment that our kids need and deserve.  Arthur Evans, Jr., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President, American Psychological Association.

Social media use by young people is pervasive. It can help them, and all of us, live more connected lives  if, and only if, the appropriate oversight, regulation and guardrails are applied. Now is the moment for policymakers, companies and experts to come together and ensure social media is set up safety-first, to help young users grow and thrive. The Surgeon Generals Advisory about the effects of social media on youth mental health issued today lays out a roadmap for us to do so, and its critical that we undertake this collective effort with care and urgency to help todays youth.  Susan L. Polan, Ph.D., Associate Executive Director, Public Affairs and Advocacy, American Public Health Association

The National Parent Teacher Association shared the following:

Every parents top priority for their child is for them to be happy, healthy and safe. We have heard from families who say they need and want information about using social media and devices. This Advisory from the Surgeon General confirms that family engagement on this topic is vital and continues to be one of the core solutions to keeping children safe online and supporting their mental health and well-being.  Anna King, President of the National Parent Teacher Association.

In December 2021, Dr. Murthy issued a Surgeon Generals Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health calling attention to our national crisis of youth mental health and well-being. Earlier this month, he released a Surgeon Generals Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, where he outlined the profound health consequences of social disconnection and laid out six pillars to increase connection across the country, one of which being the need to reform our digital environments. The new Surgeon Generals Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health is a continuation of his work to enhance the mental health and well-being of young people across the country.

The full Surgeon Generals Advisory can be read here.



For more information about the Office of the Surgeon General, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/priorities.
While Bitcoin is the first crypto and remains the biggest one on the market today, even 14 years after its launch, it would be impossible for it to carry the entire cryptosphere on its back alone. Thankfully it doesnt have to. There are thousands of altcoins with origins all over the globe that bring their own unique and desirable functionality to the table to round everything out.

Its because of them and the communities behind them, maybe even more so than Bitcoins philosophy itself, that the market has been able to thrive and become what it is today. Here are three of the best altcoins, established and upcoming, that take part in this: Solana (SOL), XRP (XRP), andDogeMiyagi (MIYAGI).

Solana: Speed and Affordability

Ranking at 10 within the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market cap, Solana is on a quest to create a new image for crypto and the blockchain by removing the complex and unapproachable aspects that may deter mainstream consumers. Solana's cutting-edge blockchain design enables it to process transactions at a breakneck pace, outpacing competing cryptocurrencies.

The minimal transaction costs of Solana are a breath of fresh air as it means that users may transact without going bankrupt, in contrast to other networks that may impose exorbitant fees that leave your wallet gasping for breath. The ecosystem of Solana is brimming with a diverse range of projects and dApps that meet a variety of needs and interests. Users have a wide range of alternatives to explore and interact with on Solana, including metaverse gaming and NFTs.

Solana: Speed and Affordability

XRP: Real Life Practicality

The digital asset XRP was developed primarily to make international payments easier. Due to its potential, XRP has attracted investors' attention in the six years since its launch, which has led to its rank just outside the top 5 most valuable crypto at the 6th position. By utilising a consensus algorithm that makes it possible for these payments to be settled extremely instantly, XRP seeks to revolutionise cross-border transactions.

The Ripple Protocol Consensus method or RPCA, a special consensus method that provides some of the quickest speeds available, is how XRP is able to accomplish this. Additionally, XRP has agreements with significant financial organisations like Santander and American Express, which demonstrates the practical value XRP has created in the fintech and crypto industries.

DogeMiyagi is more than just a catchy moniker.

DogeMiyagi: Meme Coins and Karate

DogeMiyagi is more than just another meme coin, with all due respect. Memes coins are a great trend that has brought a lot of attention and value to the crypto industry, but this project is something much more than that. An entirely community-driven endeavour is designed to impart some wisdom on how to survive in this challenging environment to other meme coins.

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You will have access to a vast array of options as a member of the DogeMiyagi community. You can generate memes that will blow up the internet, buy limited-edition DogeMiyagi NFTs that will shine in your digital collection, and participate in a variety of cryptocurrency-related debates that will send your head into a frenzy. Additionally, you'll be utilising the native token to its fullest extent, which will heighten the excitement. It's like having your own personal crypto sensei directing you at every turn.

For more on DogeMiyagi, check out the links below:

Website:https://DogeMiyagi.com/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/_DogeMiyagi_

Telegram:https://t.me/DogeMiyagi

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Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar held a key meeting with senior police officials at Bengalurus Vidhana Soudha on Tuesday evening. They directed the officials to take strict action against hooligans who disturb the harmony in society and declared that no moral policing will be encouraged. CM Siddaramaiah also asked them to monitor social media posts which spread misinformation and might lead to law and order issues. Congress leader Siddaramaiah. (PTI)

According to the chief ministers office, a separate meeting will be held to discuss the traffic snarls in Bengaluru and find a solution to it. A tweet from Karnataka CMO read, People have elected a new government and they are expecting a change. Officials should respond to their problems and provide a solution to them. A separate meeting will be held on de-congestion of Bengaluru city. Strict legal action should be taken against disturbing, inflammatory and provocative posts on social media. Drug addiction should be prevented. The Hoysala patrol should be vigilant and prevent crimes.

Speaking to the reporters, deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, No moral policing will be encouraged in Karnataka, and we will be promoting friendly policing. We also asked the police department to come up with a report on Bengaluru traffic and find solutions to it. 

CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar also held a meeting with the district collectors and directed them to get ready for the monsoons and fix the civic issues.

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Ahead of the crucial Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, which are scheduled to be held later this year, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday announced that all the unauthorised colonies that were constructed in state till December 31, 2022, will be regularised. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.(HT_PRINT)

The chief minister said that the government will also ensure all the arrangements related to infrastructure, electricity, and water. "The state government will also provide necessary funds for development in these colonies. All arrangements related to infrastructure will be made. Along with water and electricity, other arrangements will be ensured. The aim of the government is to make life easier for the people," CM Chouhan said.

People residing in these colonies will not be asked to pay any development charges and the houses will be regularised in the condition in which they exist, Chouhan added.

He further stated that after regularisation, residents of these colonies will be eligible for bank loans, and allocations can be made for them from the MP/MLA local area development funds.

People should form resident welfare associations for proper development of their colonies, Chouhan said, appealing them to focus epsecially on cleanliness.

"Illegal colonies means, have we become criminals? Today, we have come to remove the stigma of illegality which was attached to the name of these colonies. Why is it illegal? Have we bought something with wrong earnings, we have made the home with hard work, then why is it being called illegal," CM said.

He added, "It is a matter of thinking, on the one hand we are running the Chief Minister Land Residential Rights Scheme in the village and giving a piece of land free of cost to those who do not have a land to live. Even in the cities, we are making the people land owners who have been in possession of the land for many years. While on the other hand, those who have built their houses by investing their life's earnings, we are calling them illegal?"

The legalistaion announcement comes days after Chouhan-led BJP government provided the free air travel facility to senior citizens for pilgrimage.

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Based on the modus operandi of the assailants to murder retired assistant sub-inspector, his wife and son, the police are suspecting the involvement of Bengala gang in the triple murder, as it is yet to zero in on the culprits and the intention behind the crime. The police also suspect that as the victims of the triple murder had not resisted, it suggested that the assailants would be five or more in number, who had over-powered the trio easily and bludgeoned them with blunt weapons. (iStock)

The police are also scanning the cases handled by the slain ex-cop Kuldeep Singh during his service in hope to find a clue. He retired six years ago and was posted at the Child and Women Cell of city police before his retirement.

The police have also not ruled out the involvement of some acquaintances of the family in the crime. However, the police are tight-lipped and reluctant to share any information.

According to the police, the modus operandi of the assailants is similar to the Bengala gang. Around 12 years ago, the Bengala gang had murdered Sohan Singh, father-in-law of former MLA from Ludhiana Atam Nagar and president of Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) Simarjeet Singh Bains, in Noorpur Bet village.

Sohan, who used to live alone in the house, was found murdered on December 23, 2011. The assailants had robbed cash and jewellery from the house. The Patiala police had solved the case in 2014 with the arrest of eight members of the gang.

According to police sources, members of the Bengala gang used to target the houses outside the villages. Moreover, they do not carry weapons but use the things which they found in the targeted houses. The members of the gang usually assault their target brutally in their head so that they dont resist. In most of the cases, the victims died.

The police also suspect that as the victims of the triple murder had not resisted, it suggested that the assailants would be five or more in number, who had over-powered the trio easily and bludgeoned them with blunt weapons.

The Bengala gang was active in the city and surrounding areas. On July 13, 2020, the Basti Jodhewal police had arrested five members of the Bengala gang for hatching a conspiracy of robbery.

On February 3, 2019, the Khanna police had arrested 8 members of Bengali-Musa gang.

Retired assistant sub-inspector Kuldeep Singh, 65, his wife Paramjeet Kaur, 60, and son Gurwinder Singh alias Pali Grewal, 30, were found dead in their house in Noorpur Bet village of Ladhowal area on Sunday night. The Ladhowal police lodged an FIR under sections 397 (robbery or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 302 (murder) of the IPC against unidentified accused following the statement of Sumandeep, daughter of Kuldeep.

Assailants rob jewellery from the dead bodies

Family members of the victims stated that apart from robbing cash and jewellery from the house, they have taken away jewellery worn by the victims. Earrings, chains and rings were missing from the bodies. The assailants have also stolen the expensive clothes from the house.

Fake currency notes puzzle police

Fake currency notes of 2,000 scattered in the house have puzzled the police. The police are still trying to figure out if the assailants had thrown the currency notes in the house or if they found the same from the house.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Tarsem Singh Deogan Tarsem Singh Deogan is a senior reporter at Ludhiana. He has 16 years of experience in journalism. He has covered all beats and now focuses on crime reporting. ...view detail
Sandeep Bareta, one of the three absconding Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda national committee members who are key conspirators in five sacrilege cases of 2015, was arrested from Bengaluru airport when he was trying to flee to Singapore. Sandeep Bareta, one of the three absconding Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda national committee members who are key conspirators in five sacrilege cases of 2015, was arrested from Bengaluru airport when he was trying to flee to Singapore on Monday night. (HT Photo)

Punjab Police had issued a look out circular (LOC) against Bareta in three interlinked sacrilege cases of Faridkot, including Bargari in which dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been named as the main conspirator, in November 2021.

Also read: Sacrilege cases: Punjab and Haryana HC issues notice on plea from Gurmeet Ram Rahim

An official privy to the development said that Bareta, who was on the run for five years, was detained at Bengaluru airport on Monday night when he was attempting to board a Singapore-bound flight of Singapore Airlines.

Faridkot inspector general of police Pardeep Kumar Yadav said a police team has been sent to Bengaluru to take custody of the accused. He is accused in five cases of sacrilege, he said.

To be in Faridkot by Wednesday

ADGP Surinder Pal Singh Parmar, who heads the Punjab Police special investigation teams (SIT) probing the three interlinked sacrilege cases of Faridkot, said: At present, Bareta is in the custody of Bengaluru police. Following procedures, he will be brought to Faridkot on transit remand by Wednesday evening and will be presented in a local court. We will interrogate him and track down the two others absconding dera national committee members. In due course, a supplementary chargesheet will be filed in the Faridkot court, which will commit it to the Chandigarh court where the trial is on, he said.

In February, the Supreme Court had transferred the trial against dera head Ram Rahim and seven followers in three interlinked cases of Bargari sacrilege from a court in Faridkot to Chandigarh. The trial has now begun in a Chandigarh court.

According to the SIT probe, the three members of deras national committee, Sandeep Bareta, a resident of Bareta in Mansa district, Pardeep Kler of Panipat in Haryana and Harsh Dhuri of Dhuri in Sangrur district are the key links in Punjabs five sacrilege incidents that sparked off statewide protests in 2015. Bareta has been declared proclaimed offender in the cases.

Direct link with Sirsa dera chief

The SIT probing the sacrilege cases claims to have found that the instructions to execute the sacrilege at Bargari, Moga and Gurusar were given by Bareta, Kler and Dhuri, to the district dera committee members. In the Bargari sacrilege cases, the instructions to steal a bir and then commit sacrilege came through the three. The trio had met dera follower Mohinder Pal Bittu and instructed him for the theft and sacrilege, ADGP Parmar said.

The SIT found that the conspiracy of desecration of Sikh scriptures was hatched at the administrative block of Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa and that the followers never acted without the permission of sect head Ram Rahim. The SIT has filed chargesheets against Ram Rahim in the three cases, naming him main conspirator.

An official familiar with the investigation said that the three dera national committee members were the missing link in the sacrilege cases. The accused who had committed the sacrilege never got instructions from Ram Rahim as they were given by the trio. Baretas arrest is crucial as it will complete the chain of command and establish direct evidence against Ram Rahim, he said.

Sacrilege incidents that triggered outrage

The bir was stolen from Burj Jawahar Singh Wala village gurdwara on June 1, 2015. An FIR was registered the next day at Bajakhana police station. Three derogatory posters threatening sacrilege were pasted at Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala villages on September 24-25, 2015 following which an FIR was registered. On October 12, 2015, torn pages of the bir were found scattered in front of a gurdwara in the adjoining Bargari village, resulting in an outrage across the state and the killing of two Sikh protesters in firing.

The trio, including Bareta, was named as accused in the Malke (Moga) and Gurusar (Bathinda) cases. Torn pages of Guru Granth Sahib were found at Malke village in Moga district in November 2015 and Gurusar (Bhagta) village in Bathinda district in October 2015.

Last year, three dera followers were convicted and sentenced for three years imprisonment in Malke sacrilege case.

Another case of sacrilege feared

In 2018, then DIG (now retired) Ranbir Singh Khatra-led SIT had arrested more than 20 dera followers, including Mohinder Pal Bittu who was killed in the Nabha jail in 2019, in connection with the sacrilege incidents and rioting in Punjab in 2015.

The probe found that in the Moga case, the trio gave instructions to dera state committee member Pirthi Singh after which sacrilege was done by a dera follower at Malke village.

In the Gurusar case, the torn pages of Guru Granth Sahib found in October 2015 were delivered to a dera state committee member, Jatindervir alias Jimmy, from the Sirsa dera directly. Deepak, a Malout resident, picked these pages from the dera headquarters and handed them over to Jimmy near the Bathinda thermal plant. There could be another case of sacrilege as we are yet to identify from where the dera had got those pages. The trios link was revealed during the interrogation of the accused dera followers, including Bittu, Pirthi and Jimmy. Baretas interrogation can reveal from where these pages were found, the SIT official said, adding that the SIT could get the names of more people involved in sacrileges.

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Food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Tuesday ordered closure of wheat procurement operations in mandis in the state from May 25. State government has operationalised 2,780 mandis in the state during the present rabi season: Minister. (ANI File Photo)

Kataruchak said that more than 125.57 lakh MT wheat has arrived in the mandis of the state during the current rabi season that started from April 1 in the state. Out of this, 121.07 lakh MT has been procured by government procurement agencies, while nearly 4.5 lakh MT has been procured by the private traders. A sum of 24,693-crore has been paid as MSP to the 8,09,149 farmers of the state, he added.

The minister said state government had operationalised 2,780 mandis in the state during the present rabi season but following a drastic dip in arrivals of wheat from May 10 in certain parts of the state, 2,628 mandis have been closed so far in a phased manner. At present, wheat is being procured in 152 main mandi yards covering all the districts.
The directorate of vigilance has announced that special secretary vigilance YVVJ Rajasekhar, who was divested of duties by the Delhi government over graft allegations, will resume his functions as usual starting Monday. The directorate cited an ordinance promulgated by the Centre, that introduces a bundle of new provisions in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, 1991, effectively nullifying a Supreme Court judgement which shifted the authority of controlling bureaucrats in the national capital from the lieutenant governor to the elected Delhi government. The ordinance has sparked a fresh war of words between the Centre (represented by lieutenant governor VK Saxena; left) and Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal (right)-led AAP government. (PTI)

Also Read: Delhi ordinance will face stiff judicial test

The central government is later expected to introduce the ordinance in Parliament in the form of a Bill.

The directorates order, signed by assistance director (caretaking), also says that Rajasekhars office will be de-sealed, and the work flow status will be maintained as per the status on May 10  a day before the Supreme Court ruled that the Delhi government has control over bureaucrats assigned to departments under its purview.

Also Read: AAP to undertake door-to-door campaign, hold rally against services ordinance

HT reached out to the Delhi government, but officials did not respond to requests for comments on the development.

Rajasekhar has been at the centre of a controversy since May 15, when he was divested of duties and ordered to hand over all files to the government. Subsequently, the officer alleged that some of the files were copied by unknown people shortly after he was shunted from his role.

Also Read: Kejriwal to meet Pawar, Thackeray this week to seek support against Centres ordinance

People aware of the matter said a Delhi-based NGO had accused Rajasekhar of corruption, forgery and harassment, as well as of threatening people. However, Abhinav Samaj, the NGO, later denied issuing any such document, prompting the officer to write to the Centre and profess his innocence.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday set aside an order by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) mayor Shelly Oberoi calling for fresh elections to six members of the 18-member standing committee, and directed her to declare the results to the polls conducted on February 24. Justice Purushaindra Kaurav said that mayor Shelly Oberois decision to reject the ballot of one of the persons was bad in law. (PTI)

The high court verdict has cleared one of the major sticking points that had held back the constitution of the most important and powerful panels of the civic body, and paved the way for the formation of various committees that are vital for civic administration.

The mayor had on February 24 announced fresh elections after holding that one vote as invalid. Though municipal officials said that both the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won three seats each in the Standing Committee, the mayor did not formally announce the results. Instead, she ordered a repoll, prompting two BJP councillors --- Shikha Rai and Kamaljeet Sehrawat --- move the high court.

Justice Purushaindra Kaurav said that Oberois decision to reject the ballot of one of the persons was bad in law. The court also said that the rejected ballot should also be counted and taken into consideration before declaring the result.

The writ petitions are found to be maintainable. The action of the mayor/returning officer of rejecting the ballot and declaring it to be invalid, after the stage of scrutiny had reached and the quota successfully ascertained; the same is bad in law. The decision of repoll by the mayor is impermissible as the same was not based on any material relevant to the issue. The decision of the mayor was in excess of powers conferred by the applicable law. The actions were without any power or authority and taken without jurisdiction, the court said in a 76-page order.

The court had stayed mayors order on February 25, and reserved its order on May 12.

Oberoi on Tuesday said that she accepts the courts decision. We hold the court of law in high regard and thus, accept the decision of the honourable high court. We are committed towards working together to ensure a cleaner and safer Delhi for all, as per the vision of the Delhi chief minister.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the mayor did not act in accordance with the prestige of her post. The high court has cancelled mayors order of re-election thereby upholding BJPs stand. The court has shown the mirror to the AAP by setting aside the decision to hold fresh elections. The court has clearly stated that the mayors action was not rational and against the rules. Now, the mayor should call a meeting of the House and declare the result without delay, he said.

Sehrawat, one of the petitioners, said that she expected the mayor to follow the courts order. We expect the AAP to adhere to the courts direction and declare the results, she said.

There was no announcement by the municipal secretariat on when the next meeting of the MCD House will be held.

Focus now on aldermen verdict

With the high court order outlining the contours of the six directly elected members of the Standing Committee, the focus will now shift to the second phase of elections to the 12 zonal ward committees.Each ward committee will also elect one member to the Standing Committee, which controls the purse strings of the civic body as well as ratifies the policies before they are discussed and passed in the House.

However, 10 aldermen that are nominated by the lieutenant governor will be playing a crucial role in the indirect elections to the Standing Committee members by ward committees. These aldermen are members of the House but have voting rights only in ward committees, and not in the House.

The Supreme Court is currently hearing an AAPs challenge to the nomination of aldermen by the LG. While reserving its verdict on May 17, the court remarked that giving powers to the LG to appoint members to the MCD could destabilise the democratically elected local self-government, and wondered why appointing aldermen to a municipal corporation should be an issue of great concern for the Union government.

Former MCD chief law officer Anil Gupta said that the high courts order means that both AAP and the BJP will have three members each in the standing committee, but the real balance of power will depend on the SC verdict. The elections for ward committees were held up due to this case (nomination of aldermen) and now the corporation can proceed with the subsequent polls. The Supreme Court order will tilt the balance in the favour of one party, he added.

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His bookstore rarely pops up in cool, slick Instagram stories. But then venerable scholars are not known to be social media savvies. And they are the exalted ones who happen to be staunch followers of Ramesh Chandra Jains establishment. It is widely considered to have one of countrys best collections of books on Indian history, politics and society. Bookseller, publisher and distributor Ramesh Chandra died on 20 May, following a brief illness, aged 80.

Bookseller, publisher and distributor Ramesh Chandra died on 20 May, following a brief illness, aged 80. He is survived by wife, Usha Rani, and two daughters, a son, and their families. He lived in Gurugram, where he was born, and shuttled daily to Delhi to direct his book trade.

Situated on Ansari Road, Manohar Publishers & Distributors resembles an Ali Babas cave of books. The browsing hall is a maze of crammed shelves. Regulars are treated to sweet milky chai. They included the late scholar Simon Digby, who would make two piles of books; one for immediate reading went to his apartment in Nizamuddin West, the other would be shipped to his home in England.

When it opened in 1967, the shop was known as Prabhu Book Service. It was the second outlet of the original Gurugram namesake specialising in rare old books. That store was started by Rameshs eldest brother, late Satyaprakash, in Nai Subzi Mandi.

The initial collection was assembled from books randomly acquired at the Sunday Book Bazar in Daryaganj. Ramesh later joined Satyaprakashs business, along with their other brother Vijay Kumar ( Gurugrams most distinguished bookseller, Vijay presently runs the iconic Prabhu). Back in 1967, the three brothers opened a shop on Ansari Road. Subsequently the family business was divided and Ramesh received the Ansari Road branch. He renamed it after his father, Manohar Lal. Ramesh was 25.

The initial period was tough. Rescue for the young entrepreneur came from the US, where about 18 universities set up academic centres of Indian studies. Scholars who joined these centres needed specialized books on India. Ramesh would help them source the books. He would also send catalogues to those American universities. Gradually, he picked up repeat clients within the academic circles. Word-of-mouth publicity also followed. In 1970, Ramesh diversified the business by debuting in publishing with Sikhs and their Literature, authored by an American scholar at the University of Missouri. It was the first of the 1700 titles to be published by Manohar, so far.

Meanwhile Ramesh gave up active work about a decade ago, letting son Ajay hold the reins, himself indulging in a passion for coin collecting. Whatever, at the fag end of his life, he must have been a satisfied man at least on one account. The address across the road from his shop was disconcertingly popular as a landmarkthe headquarters of Oxford University Press.

Over the years, most of OUPs offices moved elsewhere in the city, leaving only a showroom stacked with books. Ramesh would still say that I will truly arrive when people will start saying that Oxford is in front of Manohars and not vice-versa.

Today, Amazons warehouse stands where OUP was. While Rameshs legacy is thriving with five floors, 30,000 books, and production of 40 new titles every year.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mayank Austen Soofi Mayank Austen Soofi is a writer-snapper trying to capture Delhi by heart. ...view detail
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia till June 1 in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged irregularities in the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy. AAP leader Manish Sisodia at Rouse Avenue Court in connection with Delhi excise policy case in New Delhi. (PTI)

Special judge MK Nagpal extended the judicial custody of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader after Sisodia was produced in person before the court.

During the brief proceedings on Tuesday, the court directed the jail superintendent to consider Manish Sisodias application that sought to exchange the books that he had completed reading during his period in custody with a new set of books approved by the court.

The jail superintendent was also told by the special judge to consider Sisodias request for a table and chair in the prison cell.

Manish Sisodia was first arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a case related to the excise policy on February 26 and later by ED on March 9 after grilling him for eight hours in Tihar jail. Sisodia is currently in judicial custody. His bail applications in the two cases investigated by CBI and ED have been dismissed by the trial court and his appeals are pending in the high court.

On May 4, ED filed its fifth charge sheet in the case in which the agency named Sisodia as the main accused. On May 19, the court reserved its orders on taking cognizance of the ED chargesheet.

The federal agency has previously said that the excise policy, specifically brought by Sisodia, promoted cartel formations through the back door, awarded exorbitant wholesale profit margins of 12% and incentivised other illegal activities as part of a criminal conspiracy by Sisodia and other AAP leaders to extract kickbacks from liquor businesses.

Sisodia has denied all charges and AAP has termed the case a politically motivated witch hunt.

The Delhi governments 2021-22 excise policy aimed to revitalise the citys flagging liquor business. It aimed to replace a sales-volume-based regime with a license fee-based one for traders and promised swankier stores, free of the infamous metal grilles, ultimately giving customers a better buying experience. The policy also introduced discounts and offers on the purchase of liquor, a first for Delhi.

The plan, however, came to an abrupt end, with Delhis lieutenant governor VK Saxena recommending a probe into alleged irregularities in the regime. This ultimately resulted in the policy being scrapped prematurely and being replaced by the 2020-21 regime.
A 26-year-old inmate of the Tihar central jail allegedly died by suicide on Monday evening within hours after he was convicted by a Delhi court in a robbery case, officials said on Tuesday. The director general (prisons) said that a judicial probe has been initiated into the case. (File)

The man, identified by security officials as Jawed, was produced before the court on Monday and later he was found hanging in a jail bathroom.

Sanjay Baniwal, the director general (prisons), said, As per the security officials, Jawed hanged himself from a tap in the bathroom with the help of a cloth at 5pm at the common toilet area of the enclosure for mulahiza inmates. He further said that the staff later took him to the jail hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead.

A jail official, asking not to be named, said that as per co-inmates, the deceased was in deep depression after getting the conviction order.

He was reportedly crying after coming from the court. Later in the evening, he went to the bathroom, where he hanged himself with a very thick cord, made by twisting together several thinner clothes. Nobody could notice it as toilets and bathrooms are not covered under CCTV surveillance in Tihar, he said.

Baniwal said that Jawed was convicted by the court of additional sessions judge -2 (fast track court) south, in a case of 2016 robbery case registered at Delhis Malviya Nagar police station.

The court concerned has been informed about the incident and a judicial probe has been initiated into this case, he added.

The case against Jawed was registered under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 392 (Robbery), 397 (Robbery with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 411 (Dishonestly receiving stolen property) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, eight suicide cases were reported from different Delhi jails (Tihar, Mandoli and Rohini) in 2019. In 2020, ten such cases were reported while eight cases were reported in 2021.

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At least 20 areas of the city are in the grip of an acute water supply crisis owing to the poor infrastructure at the boosting stations of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), admitted municipal officials on Tuesday, adding that the tanks at the boosting stations have been filled with sludge for want of maintenance. People fill water from a roadside tap on a hot summer day at Old MG Road, in Gurugram on Tuesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The worst affected by the supply shortage are the residents of Sushant Lok-1, 2, DLF, Ardee City, Greewood City, Palam Vihar, sectors 45, 9A, 23 and 28, who are finding it difficult to cope amid the steadily rising temperature.

MCG officials said there are 138 boosting stations within the municipal limits but most of them are in poor shape owing to lack of maintenance. Even the new and developing sectors are reeling under the crisis, they said.

Residents alleged that machinery, electrical panels, old pipelines and valves at the boosting stations keep developing snags, affecting regular supply.

Rajkumar Yadav, president of residents welfare association of Sector 46, said the poor infrastructure is affecting distribution. Every day, a new problem arises and supply is interrupted and residents have to call for a water tanker. Despite repeated complaints, MCG officials are not visiting the boosting station to check the cause of the problem, he said.

MCG officials said they conducted a survey last year in February, which revealed that of the 138 boosting stations, 25 are closed since construction, 77 are in a poor shape and 19 do not have electricity connections.

PC Meena, commissioner of MCG, said, It has come to light that at 90% of boosting stations, sludge is frozen in the water tanks. The aim now is to repair all stations so that supply is streamlined, he said.

Chaitali Mandhotra, member, Ardee City RWA, said regular supply itself is inadequate and even a minor snag or blip in a pump or valve magnify the shortage and prolong it for another four or five days. Last week, the sluice valve became dysfunctional. The GMDA supply stoppage added to our woes on May 18. We are still recuperating. We have been following up with the MCG on the installation of a six inch pipeline for enhanced GMDA supply since the past one year. Till date, there has been no progress, she said.

Dinesh Vashisht , president, RWA, Sectors 3, 5 and 6, said the condition of the boosting stations in old Gurugram is the worst. Since the past three to four years, the tanks have not been cleaned at all, despite tenders worth lakhs of rupees being passed every month for their cleaning. Most of these water tanks have leakage issues, while others do not have motors or generators, he said.

Boosting stations are closed due to non-availability of electricity and water connections in Sushant Lok, Sector 45, Sector 9A, Sector 23, Sirhaul, Chakkarpur, Saraswati Vihar, and DLF Block U, said officials.

MCG officials said the water supply in the city is being handed over to private agencies.

After the survey report in February last year, the MCG commissioner ordered cleaning and repair of all boosting stations and installation of new machinery, but more than a year later, there is no improvement in the condition of these boosting stations, said residents.

Radhey Shyam, chief engineer, MCG, said repair work on boosting stations is undertaken from time to time in the city. Machinery is also changed. For those stations that do not have electricity, a letter has been sent to the electricity department seeking new connections, he said.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Leena Dhankhar Leena Dhankhar has worked with Hindustan Times for five years. She has covered crime, traffic and excise. She now reports on civic issues and grievances of residents. ...view detail
Amid the ongoing tussle between the Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan Congress chief Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said on Tuesday that it was up to Gehlot to respond to the ultimatum that Pilot had given to Gehlot. Pilot has threatened Gehlot stating he would launch a state-wide movement if action on his demands was not taken by the month-end. (File)

Randhawa said, He has given an ultimatum to the CM. It is the CM who can respond to his ultimatum. When it comes to the Congress party, I will definitely respond to you.

When asked about talks with Pilot, Randhawa told reporters, They [Ashok Gehlot-Sachin Pilot] are not the only leaders in Rajasthan. There are many other leaders. I am speaking to all of them, to leaders of all communities.

Pilot has threatened Gehlot stating he would launch a state-wide movement if action on his demands was not taken by the month-end.

The rivalry between the Pilot camp and Gehlot camp took an even uglier turn after the former held a day-long fast against the Gehlot government's alleged inaction over the corruption charges against the previous BJP government. Pilot did not stop there, he went on a five-day and 125-kilometre Jan Sangharsh Yatra from Ajmer to Jaipur.

Among Pilot's demands are disbanding the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) and its reconstitution, compensation for the people who have been affected by government job exam paper leak cases, and a high-level probe into corruption charges levelled against the former Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government.

Randhawa on Saturday said the Congress wouldn't expel dissidents but reminded how the leaders in the past had fared after leaving the party. "The party never wants to expel anyone. Congress is such a party that respects every person and never wants to leave those who are with it for a long time. The Congress did not expel anyone, and you all know the condition of the ones who left the Congress.

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari on Monday attacked the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in West Bengal after another explosion linked to illegal firecrackers was reported in the state  third such blast in a span of seven days. The leader of opposition in the state assembly said the situation in West Bengal is far worse than the situation in Ukraine. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.(PTI)

"The condition of West Bengal is worse than that of Ukraine. There is not much explosion happening in Ukraine as it is happening in Bengal. Even though the situation has become a bit peaceful there but recently explosions are going on in Bengal," Adhikari said while talking to news agency ANI.

The recent explosion allegedly happened in the house of a local TMC leader in the state's Birbhum district. Similar incidents took place earlier in South 24 Parganas district on Sunday which killed three members of a family. On May 16, two back-to-back blasts followed a huge explosion took place which claimed 12 lives in Purba Medinipur district.

Adhikari further talked about Supreme Court's upcoming May 26 hearing on TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee's plea challenging the Calcutta high court order allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforecement Directorate (ED) to probe him in relation with the multi-crore School Service Commission recruitment scam.

"Law is equal for everyone but my allegation is on Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) is that they have left Mamata Banerjee in Saradha chit fund scam, her nephew (Abhishek Banerjee) in case of coal and cow smuggling," he said.

Also read: Prime accused in Bengal firecracker factory blast dies in hospital in Cuttack

The TMC leader was earlier questioned by CBI in connection with the school recruitment scam, which he later criticised for the agency's decision to summon him on short notice.
The West Bengal government on Tuesday directed all medical colleges and hospitals in the state to ensure the next of kin of the deceased are not compelled to carry the dead bodies in an improper and undignified manner. A government circular pointed out instances where relatives are forced to carry the dead bodies of their near ones themselves owing to the lack of proper conveyance facility. West Bengal hospitals asked to ensure 'dignified' conveyance of deceased.(HT)

Also read: Prime accused in Bengal firecracker factory blast dies in hospital in Cuttack

The concerned local body will arrange for a mortuary van/any dignified means of transport as early as possible and the hospital authority will discharge the dead body only after such arrangements is made, the circular read.

Several instances come to light where the relatives are forced to carry the mortal remains of their closed one in miserable conditions. Recently, a man had to carry his five-month-old son's body in a bag for almost 200 km as he was unable to pay for the ambulance van. He travelled with his deceased son in a public bus.

In January, a video of a man carrying his deceased mother with the help of his father in Jalpaiguri district on his shoulder went viral. These instances brought the Mamata Banerjee government under attack from the opposition.

The government notice suggested that these distressing instances could be avoided if the health facilities and local bodies work together in a coordinated manner. It directed hospitals to co-ordinate with local bodies to arrange a mortuary van or any dignified means of transport if the next of kin are unable to arrange the conveyance themselves upon the death of the patient in the hospital facility.

The notice further highlighted that the handing over process of the dead body and its conveyance must be followed in a dignified manner.
Twenty two-wheelers were completely gutted as a massive fire broke out outside the parking lot of Lucknow Civil Court in the Qaiserbagh area on Tuesday. A short circuit in the wires overhead is said to have caused the incident. Twenty two-wheelers were gutted as a massive fire broke out outside the parking lot of Lucknow Civil Court, in the Qaiserbagh area of Lucknow, on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

Most vehicles belonged to lawyers which were parked near the Gate No 2. Before firemen could reach and douse the flames, as many as 20 two-wheelers perished in the fire outside the premises.

Chief fire officer, Lucknow, Mangesh Kumar, said that at around 1.02 pm they received a call about the fire. A team with five fire tenders immediately reached the incident site and doused the flames in 30 minutes.

Later, lawyers organised a protest seeking compensation for their losses and saying that they had previously complained to LESA and LMC about the tangled wires, but all complaints fell on deaf ears.

According to Narendra Pratap Mishra, a lawyer on the court premises, he saw people searching outside when he too rushed out and found that his new two-wheeler parked outside had caught fire.

A police team led by additional DCP West Zone and SHO Wazirganj arrived at the location and reassured the protesting lawyers that action would be taken.

CN Sinha, ADCP, West Zone, said that the situation was under control and that they were assisting the firemen in removing the rubble.
MUMBAI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the rollback of 2000 currency notes last week and gave citizens approximately four months to exchange or deposit the notes in their possession. RBIs circular did not specify the need for consumers to furnish documents (Aadhaar and Pan cards, commonly) to confirm their identities while making the deposits or exchanges. However, Tuesday, the first day of the drive, was marked by confusion at all the banks. The forms furnished by the banks were not uniform either, which led to further confusion among citizens. Karur Vysya Banks Prabhadevi branch issued small forms for the exchange, asking customers to provide their name, mobile number, the number of notes to be deposited, composite amount and signature, and ignored the identity proof. Kotak Bank in the same neighbourhood, however demanded the identity proof along with the form filled out. (Vijay Bate/HT Photo)

In the absence of a specific mandate, many banks decided to play safe and urged consumers to furnish identification and fill out copious forms.

Jeshal Jhaveri, an employee of a private bank in Worli, said, There was a lot of confusion about the need for documents. I visited two banks myself  HDFC bank mandated filling out forms for an exchange of the notes, while Kotak Mahindra Bank added submission of identity proofs along with the forms. There is a lack of clarity on guidelines.

The forms furnished by the banks were not uniform either, which led to further confusion among citizens. Karur Vysya Banks Prabhadevi branch issued small forms for the exchange, asking customers to provide their name, mobile number, the number of notes to be deposited, composite amount and signature, and ignored the identity proof. Kotak Bank in the same neighbourhood, however demanded the identity proof along with the form filled out.

At ICICI Banks Prabhadevi branch, customers had to fill out a small slip and present the identity proof. Alwyn Joseph, an employee of the branch said, We have been told to collect the proof for reconciliation purposes and maintaining records.

A woman, who works as a house help in Dadar, requesting anonymity, said, I have five notes of 2000 each. When I went to the Central Bank of India, I was asked to fill the form. I did not know how to do so and returned without exchanging the money. I will have to seek my sons help now. She added that shops have stopped accepting the 2000 currency.

Pankaj Khandelwal, a resident of Goregaon, was anxious about filling out forms, which was put to rest when he visited the Punjab National Banks Jawahar Nagar branch in Goregaon West, where the process was smooth without any documentation.

Making deposits in ones own branch was simple. Ravindra Yadav got his job done in less than 20 minutes at SBI without filing out any form. Some customers like Kishore Baikar, cleverly deposited cash at Kotak Mahindras deposit machine. It barely took a minute to deposit the money into my account. I did not fill any forms and the banks service was good, said Baikar.

The 2,000 notes will continue to remain a legal tender till September 30; therefore there was no need to rush, said RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das last week. We expect most of 2,000 banknotes to come back to the exchequer by September 30. We have more than adequate quantities of printed notes already available in the system, not just with RBI but also with currency chests operated by banks. There is no reason to worry, Das had said.
Mumbai: The 61-year-old ESIS Hospital in Mulund is slated to be upgraded and house a new medical college. This will be the citys sixth medical college. The hospital building and grounds, currently under the state government, will be transferred to the Centre, which will then reconstruct the building. The details of the handover are yet to be decided. The hospital has a sanctioned strength of 400 beds, of which 200 are in use and 50 to 60 of them are occupied daily. 600 medical posts are present, of which 304 are occupied and 195 are vacant. While facilities for sonography, X-rays and an operation theatre are present, MRI and CT scan machines are not present. (HT PHOTO)

The proposal was approved in a meeting with Bhupender Yadav, union environment, forest and climate change minister and Devendra Fadnavis, the deputy chief minister on Monday.

The hospital building is currently not in good condition as it was built in 1962. The scenario is also quite different as the hospital is for industrial workers which are present in fewer numbers in Mumbai today, said Dr Sanjay Dhawale, a medical officer and former director (medical) of the ESI scheme.

The hospital has a sanctioned strength of 400 beds, of which 200 are in use and 50 to 60 of them are occupied daily. 600 medical posts are present, of which 304 are occupied and 195 are vacant. While facilities for sonography, X-rays and an operation theatre are present, MRI and CT scan machines are not present.

The hospital will be equipped with modern amenities, said Rachitkumar Trivedi, general secretary of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) of the Mumbai North East Constituency. The present operation will continue as of now. The timeline for the upgradation will be known in a few weeks.

Dhawale said that while the demand for beds for the hospital is not much, the medical college will need 500 beds.

The upgradation of other ESI hospitals in Mumbai is also underway. According to Dhawale, the reconstruction of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Parel, is complete, and 100 beds have been in use over the last two months. The hospital is run collectively by the Central government, state government and millowners association.

The ESIC hospital in Andheri, which was burnt to ashes in 2018, is being renovated. The state government-run ESIS hospital in Kandivali is currently accommodating the hospitals doctors, nurses, and staff. Its sanctioned strength is 300, but only 85 beds are currently in use due to reduced demand.
Mumbai: A four-month-old boy died due to Covid-19 infection on Tuesday, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) report. HT Image

As per the BMC health officials, the infant had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a complication associated with Covid-19.

The health officials denied the infant having any other comorbidities.

The city has so far this year recorded 26 Covid-19 deaths with the majority of the deceased being senior citizens and having comorbidities.

The city also recorded 16 new cases, of which 14 have mild symptoms and are taking treatment at home. The city has 142 active cases, out of which 19 are in hospital.

Overall, the state reported 39 new cases, taking the number of active cases to 455. Of them, 452 are taking treatment at home.

Meanwhile, three years after the Covid-19 pandemic started, the World Health Organisation (WHO) on May 5 said that Covid-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, marking a symbolic end to the devastating pandemic that triggered lockdowns, upended economies worldwide and killed at least 7 million people worldwide.

The BMC, however, has advised citizens to continue to follow Covid appropriate behaviour like wearing mask, maintaining hand and cough hygiene and following social distancing.
Police have arrested eight people from Mahim and charged them with murder after a man, who was allegedly beaten up by locals for stealing valuables, succumbed to his injuries at Sion hospital on Monday. HT Image

According to the Shahu Nagar police, the thief, identified as only Bablu, stole a mobile from one Mohammed Amjad Khans residence on May 17. Later, when he entered the house of another resident, Sapna, he was caught, senior police inspector Jeetendra Kamble said.

Neighbours immediately gathered and bashed him up with whatever things they could get their hands on. Bablu managed to escape the mob but later fell on the railway tracks, he said.

The Wadala Government Railway Police found him and admitted him to Sion hospital. All Bablu could tell the police at the hospital was that he was beaten up by locals in Mahim, a police officer said.

Kamble said, We initially registered a case under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code but later added section 302 (murder). On Tuesday, we arrested eight people from Azad Nagar in Mahim East who had assaulted him resulting in his death.

A local who intervened and tried to save Bablu was abused by the eight, another police officer said.

The accused, identified as Imtiyaz Shaikh, Shivam Devekar, Mohammed Amjad Khan, Ajay Nair, Chandrakant Reddy, Daniel Korna, Yeshu Siddharmah and Ilyias Shaikh, will be produced before a court on Wednesday.

Police officers said since Bablu was severely injured, he could not share details about himself. Kamble said they have circulated his photo in all police stations and are inquiring in the area to identify the deceased.
Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch have arrested a main accused in a case concerning smuggling of Ketamine and Viagra, worth 8 crore, to Australia and the United Kingdom using a courier service. The wanted person, Ali Asgar Shirazi, was nabbed from Mumbai airport while trying to flee to Dubai on Monday night. Wanted drugs supplier arrested from airport while trying to flee to Dubai

Shirazi was not aware that the crime branch had issued a look out circular (LOC) against him in March this year after they arrested five accused in the case and his name had surfaced during interrogation.

Shirazi, who is a resident of Andheri, was produced in court on Tuesday and was remanded to police custody till June 1. He is the main link in the case, as he was in touch with Kailash Rajput, who is one of the biggest drug suppliers to the country and has reportedly been traced to the United Kingdom (UK).

The Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) launched a manhunt for Shirazi in March and a police team visited Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and several places in the country to search for him but he was continuously changing his destination, said an officer of the crime branch.

He was arrested on Monday night when he reached the airport, and the immigration officers alerted the crime branch as an LOC was issued against him, added the officer.

The AEC of the crime branch had raided the premises of a courier office in Andheri East and had claimed to have seized 15 kilograms of Ketamine and 23,000 tablets of Viagra, worth around 8 crore in March. The police had earlier arrested seven accused in the case.

The contraband and the banned medicine were being smuggled to Australia and the UK through courier, said police officials. The police officer said they have issued LOC against the three wanted, including Danish Mulla, Shirazi and Rajput.

During the raid in March, police arrested Vijay Rane and Hasim Shaikh  who ran the courier service in question and had an office named Shree Swami Samarth advertisement in Andheri East. During the investigation, the officials learnt that the accused procured Ketamine from Gujarat.

After interrogation, police arrested Vikas Gupta and Nitesh Yadav. Gupta worked as a driver and Yadav was employed in the courier service. Rane and Hasim wrapped the party drugs into small packets and handed them over to Yadav and Gupta, who delivered the consignment to clearing agents at the airport cargo hub.

After questioning Yadav and Gupta, the police arrested Abhay Jadaye, Babasaheb Kakade and Shitesh Pawar. The three of them worked with an authorised clearing agent and booked consignments for air cargo.

The police said the trio used to take an extra commission from Yadav and Gupta to ensure that the consignments were cleared by the Customs and booked them to Australia and the UK along with their other consignments, said joint commissioner of the police Lakhmi Gautam of the crime branch.

The accused had been supplying Ketamine to Australia and the UK for a long time and had smuggled at least 10 kilograms of ketamine every month, added the official.
Mumbai: The tribal development department has decided to introduce a biometric attendance system and install CCTV cameras in classrooms and premises of the residential schools after bogus enrolment of students and teachers staying away from classrooms came to the fore. HT Image

According to the department, the move will help them remove bogus students and also increase the attendance of tribal students as well as teachers.

In a recent presentation, the tribal development department highlighted a few cases of enrolment of bogus students and teachers not reporting to working places. It also highlighted that the institutes running the residential schools on government aid have reportedly faked the number of students to earn the government aid received for students and teachers.

Face reading-based biometric attendance will be taken twice a day in these schools. There are incidents of teachers and students coming to school late or resuming late after long holidays. After implementing it in pilot mode, it will be spread over all the government and aided schools. The CCTV and biometric attendance will also help the department in monitoring the safety and attendance of the children in the school, said tribal development minister Vijaymkumar Gavit.

The pilot projects will be implemented first in Nandurbar and Gadchiroli, the tribal districts with remote areas. We have 30 project offices covering that many districts and each project officer is in charge of 50 to 100 schools. Since the schools are located in remote areas, it becomes difficult for them to monitor the attendance and safety of the children. The CCTVs and biometric system will help us take care of the attendance and the safety, said an official from the tribal development department.

Maharashtra has 499 government residential schools with over 2 lakh students and 556 aided residential schools with 2.5 lakh students.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Surendra P Gangan Surendra P Gangan is Senior Assistant Editor with political bureau of Hindustan Times Mumbai Edition. He covers state politics and Maharashtra governments administrative stories. Reports on the developments in finances, agriculture, social sectors among others. ...view detail
The National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) officials on Tuesday said they have completed the installation of the final viaduct, spanning 25km, between Duhai and Meerut (South) station, of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project, which proposes to connect three cities of Delhi, Ghaziabad and Meerut. NCRTC officials on Tuesday said they have completed the installation of the final viaduct, spanning 25km, between Duhai and Meerut (South) station, of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

NCRTC officials said after the opening of the 17km priority section in Ghaziabad this June, it is likely that the section towards Meerut will be the next to open.

Officials said with the completion of the viaduct from Duhai to Meerut (South), the RRTS stretch from Sahibabad to Meerut (South), about 42km long, has been completed.

The viaduct work is complete between Duhai and Meerut (South), which has 825 pillars. The work on the overhead equipment and track laying is also going on at a fast pace. It is likely that this section would be the second RRTS section to start operations, followed by the Delhi section and finally the 23km Meerut (South) to Modipuram (Meerut) section, which also comprises the underground section and the Meerut Metro section, said Puneet Vats, chief public relations officer, NCRTC.

The Duhai to Meerut (South) comprises four stations at Muradnagar, Modinagar (North) and Modinagar (South) in Ghaziabad district besides the Meerut (North) and Meerut (South) stations.

The work is progressing at a fast pace on the Ghaziabad to Meerut section and is expected to be made operational by end 2024. The work on stations towards Meerut is also going on at a fast pace, said an official from NCRTC, asking not to be named.

The officials said \slab casting of the concourse and the platform level of Muradnagar station (in Ghaziabad) has been completed and finishing work is going on at the station.

Apart from that, the construction of technical equipment rooms in the station has also been completed. Keeping in view the convenience of commuters, entry and exit gates of this station are being provided on both sides of the road, and their construction is progressing rapidly, they added.

The construction of both Modinagar (South) and Modinagar (North) stations (in Ghaziabad) is also going on rapidly , the official said.

At present, slab casting of the concourse level of Modinagar (South) station has been completed and slab casting of the platform level is in the final stage. Simultaneously, the slab casting of the concourse and platform levels of Modinagar (North) station has also been completed, the official said.

The NCRTC plans to operate 30 RapidX trains on the RRTS line and 10 as local metro in Meerut. The trainsets are being manufactured at a facility at Savli, Gujarat and 12 of them have already arrived at the Duhai Depot in Ghaziabad.

The 82km RRTS project is being constructed at a cost of 30,274 crore and is expected to be fully operational by March 2025.

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Personnel of the cyber police station of the range busted a gang of cyber conmen who duped police pensioners of several lakh rupees. The accused in police custody (HT Photo)

The police team arrested five fraudsters and recovered five mobile phones, ATM cards, SIM cards etc from their possession. DSP Atul Yadav said the police team under inspector in-charge Rajeev Tiwari arrested Abdul Mateen aka Martin Da, 32, Basharat Ansari, 25 of Deoghar district in Jharkhand and Ankit Agarwal, 29, SK Zeeshan Hussain, 25 and Vijay Prasad, 25 of Kolkata with nine mobile phones, 15 ATM cards, 11 pre-activated SIM cards and a smart watch.

The accused duped retired police constable Bholanath Chaudhary of 10 lakh and retired sub-inspector Rajkumar of 20 lakh. The accused called the duo posing as treasury officers and took their bank account details and password etc on the pretext of updating their pension documents online.

An FIR was lodged in both incidents and investigations revealed that a Jharkhand gang of conmen was involved in the fraud.

Investigations revealed that the gang had committed 179 such frauds in different cities and states and had duped people of cash worth several crore rupees.

Twelve other members of the gang have already been arrested in other states of the country. The accounts of the accused have been frozen and a search was on for other members of the gang.

During interrogation, the kingpin of the gang, Abdul Mateen, said that the gang took details of pensioners through open source and online. Then they made calls to pensioners posing as treasury officers and took them into confidence.

The gang members took access to the OTP and other important details through remote accessing apps- AnyDesk, teamviewer etc and transferred their cash into bank accounts of acquaintances and known people.

Gang members SK Zeeshan and Ankit Agarwal lured acquaintances and relatives and used their bank accounts to transfer cash of cyber fraud victims in return for a commission of 8 to 9% on each transaction.

Later, they took out the cash using ATM cards at a commission of 8 to 9% on each transaction.
A subway line that links downtown Beijing with Daxing International Airport in the Chinese capital now allows passengers to enter and exit stations by just scanning the palm of a hand, setting an example of how using biometric data in public transportation can make commuting more convenient. The pilot program was launched on Sunday on the Daxing Airport Express subway line to spare passengers the trouble of swiping a card or scanning a QR code to catch a train, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport said. Any commuter age 14 and above can first register the print of either palm through a simple, automated process and provide relevant information to authorize the payment gateway of WeChat, a popular messaging app in China. Once the palm print is registered, a commuter can scan the palm at any automated ticket gate to pass through. The fare is automatically deducted after exit. "Passengers can just place a palm above the scanning machine when entering or exiting a subway station. The ticket gate will open if the palm scan matches the palm print registered voluntarily," said Zhang Li, an expert at the Beijing Metro Network Control Center. The ticket gates can recognize the user's palm print and veins without contact, which is more hygienic, faster and safer than conventional check-in methods, Zhang said. The biometric method combines the use of palm print and vein mapping, which are different for every individual. The registration is a one-time process and doesn't require renewal. The commission said data masking and encryption technologies have been applied to protect user information. Xin Jianhua, general manager of the public service center at WeChat Pay, said palm scans can be gradually used in offices, schools, gyms and restaurants, as it requires no contact and is therefore more safe and efficient. "Currently, it is very useful for the elderly and those who have physical limitations. They can take the subway without using smartphone apps," he said. Use of biometric data allows passengers to take subway trains if they do not have cash or when they forget their subway cards, he added.
LUCKNOW Exactly four months ago, on January 24, five-storeyed Alaya Apartment building on Wazir Hasan road in Lucknow came crashing down. The collapse killed three people (including two women from a family) and injured several others while rendering several families homeless. Honey Haider and Afreen Fatima (HT Photo)

While the physical injuries caused due to the cave-in have mostly healed, the residents of the building have still not been to limp back to normalcy. Most of the flat owners in the building are either living in rented accommodations or have taken refuge in some relatives home. According to the survivors, the government has only given them verbal assurances so far.

Sharing her heart-wrenching story, Ranjana Awasthi, one of the residents of the building, told HT, I am a single parent. My husband passed away only a year after my daughter Aloka was born. I raised her single handedly and worked hard all my life to provide for her. Her wedding was scheduled this year itself but our apartment building collapsed. As a consequence, her marriage was called off and I lost everything I earned in 30 years of service.

At present, Ranjana and Aloka are lodged at a friends place as renting a flat would be a financial burden. My daughter had stopped working as her wedding was scheduled. Now that we have lost everything and my salary isnt enough anymore, my daughter has also resumed working. Hopefully, we can both manage to rent a house, said Awasthi.

They blamed the incompetence of officers investigating the case who have failed to come up with any conclusions. I have met the divisional commissioner and the CM as well. All authorities assured me of help but nothing is happening. In fact, it is ironical that we have lost our house but are still getting messages for payment of house tax, she said. I faced a turmoil when my husband died. Today, I am in a similar situation. Hopefully, we will overcome this too, she added.

Another building resident, Honey Haider, has shifted to his in-laws family in the old city. Honey and his wife Afreen Fatima had to live at a dargah after the building cave-in. Today, they are trying to rebuild their life by working on small interior projects to earn some livelihood.

We got married in 2022. Both of us were never into any full-time job as my wife and I were freelance interior designers, said Honey. The couple has lost their infant just a month before the collapse. Before they could come to terms with the tragedy, another one struck them in the form of the building cave-in.

The couple now spends large part of the day on sites but is hardly able to make enough. In absence of government assistance, the couple is facing a hard time. We were a joint family, all living on the same floor of the building. Today, our entire family is split up. Im living with my in-laws, my father is in Raipur with my sister, and my brother Abbas Haider and Ruba Haider with their in-laws, added Haider. My dad is dealing with depression and has even become suicidal. Were still getting messages to pay house tax. Were trying to move on with a heavy heart. What other option do we have, asked the couple.

Meanwhile, Bhola Prasad, another flat-owner in the building, is still hopeful of some turnaround. He had purchased a flat in the building in 2017. Through the flat, Bhola earned rental income, which was the sole source of earning in his old age. Today, he is dependent on his children for even the smallest of expenses. He (Bhola) has been depressed ever since the building collapsed. He doesnt talk much these days, said Surya Gupta, Bholas son.

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LUCKNOW/PRAYAGRAJ/AGRA/KANPUR Reserve Bank of Indias announcement to take 2,000 notes out of circulation had triggered speculations of a demonetisation-like situation when a beeline of customers had to wait outside banks to get currency notes exchanged. Thankfully, no such rush was witnessed at any bank branch across the state. Most of the banks recorded a meagre turnout. (PTI)

Most of the banks recorded a meagre turnout and the exchange process went on smoothly at a majority of the branches. However, there was some confusion regarding the procedure for the note exchange. While some banks asked customers to fill out a form, others told people to use the cash deposit machine. Here is how the procedure was carried out in the major cities of the state:-

LUCKNOW

In the state capital, things went on swiftly at almost all bank branches. Only the ICICI Bank branches could not start with the exchange as planned due to a server error. However, not many turned up on Day 1 allotted to exchange 2,000 notes.

Saurav Singh, cashier at HDFCs Hazratganj branch, said, We have three cashiers on duty here. I only attended to four people who had come to exchange their notes. They also had just a couple of notes, nowhere close to the maximum limit.

Echoing a similar observation, Sushant Rawat, manager of the Hazratganj branch of Punjab National Bank, said, It is a very simple and swift process. One can exchange up to Rs. 20,000, beyond which, if they have an account with us, they can deposit the amount and withdraw in different denominations later. We only attended to about 10 customers on Tuesday. None of them had notes beyond the set limit.

Shweta Singh at Axis Bank, branch relationship officer, and Suman G Jha, chief manager at the Hazratganj branch of the State Bank of India, also shared a similar experience.

PRAYAGRAJ

Banks in the city did not witness a rush of customers to exchange 2,000 currency notes on Tuesday. While no chaos or anxiety was witnessed among bank customers, several of them were confused over the ID card required to make the exchange at the bank. Customers added that different banks followed different procedures for the exchange.

I went to one of the branches of a prominent nationalised bank in Govindpur. They had no separate counter for people wanting to exchange 2,000 notes. The officials present said that I will have to fill up a form and submit a photocopy of a valid identity card but the exchange would be possible only after two days when they get further clarification. For now, I could deposit the notes in my account using the cash deposit machine, said Ram Lal Maurya, a resident of Shivkuti.

When compared with public sector undertakings, private banks appeared more organised and ready to make the exchange. HDFCs Civil Lines Branch set up two separate counters to allow non-account holders to exchange notes as per RBI norms. Abhishek Singh, the branch manager of HDFC bank, Civil Lines, said that no rush was seen during the entire day and just 20 people availed of the exchange facility at his branch.

AGRA

In the Taj city, bank officials felt customers are resorting to a wait and watch strategy given the low turnout of customers coming in to get the exchange done. Banks are fully prepared for the exchange and deposit according to the wish of a customer. Our preparedness has been checked by senior bank officials. However, there was no rush on the first day of the exchange, said the branch manager of a nationalised bank.

Meanwhile, Dr Preetinder Singh, commissioner, Agra division, in a video message, said, In view of Tuesday being the first day of exchange or deposit, local police officials interacted with branch managers and officials at banks and assured them of deployment of cops if required. The police force is prepared to meet any situation, if the number of those coming to exchange increases in days ahead.

KANPUR

In Kanpur too, banks witnessed a marginal turnout of people wishing to exchange 2,000 notes. However, several city residents were reported to pay for fuel in bills of 2,000. We are largely getting 2,000 notes at the pumps. The petrol pump I own received 15 times more 2,000 notes than it used to during normal days, said Mohd Anwar, who owns a pump near the Bada Chauraha.

In the wake of the ongoing note exchange procedure, banks have been asked to ensure that their CCTVs are functional. Also, banks have issued a circular to issue tokens in case there is a surge of people turning up to get their 2,000 notes exchanged.
It was business as usual for the banks in Patna on Tuesday, the day that marked official withdrawal of 2,000 currency notes from circulation. At a bank in Patna on on Tuesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

No special counter was seen operating for exchange or deposit of these notes.

There is no extra rush of customers with pink notes. The overall business is usual. However, deposits of cash in the form of the high value notes into accounts is considerably high. Yesterday, we received deposits of more than 14 lakh in form of 2,000 denomination notes, said a cashier of Raja Bazar branch of the Union Bank of India, adding that final figures would be clear in the evening.

While most customers did not face any problem in depositing the high-value notes into their accounts, those seeking to exchange these notes had to undergo the trouble of filling up requisition forms with all credentials for easy identification and attach a photocopy of the valid identity proof. I have come to the Bank of India branch for exchange of 2,000 notes as the nearby Union Bank branch refused to accept them, citing absence of the guidelines from its headquarters, said Aviram Ranjan, a Bandar Bagicha resident.

Private banks, too, have made the filling of requisition slips and submission of photocopy of the ID proof mandatory for exchange. We recognise what our bosses say. We dont go by the statements of RBI or the SBI. We follow rules in black and white, said a cashier at HDFC Bank, Raja Bazar, when reminded about the media reports about hassle-free exchange assured by the RBI by an impatient customer.

Shailesh Chandra Sinha, a resident of SK Puri, had to go home for collecting the copy of ID proof to exchange the high-value notes as the local SBI branch sought details of credentials and ID proof. There was no display for direction of exchange of 2000 notes at the bank. Bank officials are reluctant to exchange, said Sinha.

Prafull Kumar, general secretary of Bank of India employees association (Bihar chapter), however, claimed all branches are exchanging 2,000 notes without asking for any ID proof.

Big retail houses, however, are accepting the high currency notes without any issues. They are sending promotional messages on mobiles, asking people to come with big notes and make purchases, said Ravi Shankar Ratnakar, a medical professional at Rajiv Nagar.

Banks across Jharkhand also did not report any rush on Tuesday, HTC adds from Ranchi.

While most branches have provisioned for dedicated counter to exchange notes, there was hardly any queue for the purpose.

Prasidh Singh, a senior citizen visiting the State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Ranchi for the exchange, said, My tenant gave me 2,000 banknotes long back. I have come to exchange it. I was worried there could be a long queue but there was only one person before me, said Singh.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Subhash Pathak Subhash Pathak is special correspondent of Hindustan Times with over 15 years of experience in journalism, covering issues related to governance, legislature, police, Maoism, urban and road infrastructure of Bihar and Jharkhand. ...view detail
Buxar girl Garima Lohia has made Bihar proud by securing the second position in the coveted all India civil services examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in 2022, results of which were declared on Tuesday. Garima Lohia. (HT Photo)

Lohia, 24, moved to her native place Buxar from Delhi for exam preparation, unlike many other aspirants who migrate to different educational hubs from small towns.

A commerce graduate from Delhi University, Lohia has cleared the prestigious exam in the second attempt.

Talking to reporters, she said, I decided to prepare for civil services exam in 2020 during Covid-19 lockdown. After returning home, I started self study and also took help from online study platforms. In my first attempt, I could not clear the prelims examination. I again worked hard and cleared the exam in the second attempt. I was expecting to clear the exam but I did not imagine I would get second rank.

Preparation strategies vary from person to person. I usually studied for 15 hours in a day. I referred to different books and online study material. My family always supported me. I believe one should prepare for exams wherever they feel comfortable for better productivity. My mother constantly motivated me during my preparation. She she used to stay awake with me, she said.

Lohias father Narayan Prasad Lohia passed away in 2015. Mother Sunita Devi is a homemaker. Garima has an elder sister and a younger brother.

Celebrating her success, she remembered her father with wet eyes. It is his blessing behind my success. I have kept his photo everywhere for inspiration, she said.

Lohia completed her matriculation from Woodstock School in Buxar. Then she went to Varanasi for intermediate and later took admission in Delhis Kirori Mal College in commerce stream.

I aspired to become an IAS officer so that I can resolve the issue faced by common people at the ground level. I wish to serve Bihar. I have got so many things from the state, so I feel responsible for returning to the state as well, she said.

A total of 933 candidates qualified for the UPSC 2022 examination. Of them, 180 have been selected for Indian Administrative Services.

Meanwhile, chief minister Nitish Kumar congratulated all the successful candidates, including topper Ishita Kishore, whose parents hail from Patna.

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The Nitish Kumar governments famed cycle scheme for girl students in Bihar, which is widely acknowledged for its phenomenal success in reducing gender disparity at the level of secondary education since its launch in 2006-07, has achieved equally positive results in faraway Zambia and has been adopted in six African countries. The cycle scheme for girls was launched by the Nitish Kumar government in 2006-07. (HT Photo)

Professor Nishith Prakash of Northeastern University, Boston, USA, who carried out a study in Zambia a year after the model was introduced there in 2015-16, on Tuesday said the results were remarkable in drawing girls to education.

The absenteeism of girls in schools reduced by 27%, late arrivals by 66% and average commuting time to schools by 35%. The girls now feel in control of their own lives. Now, they could aspire to higher things with a much better self-image. A desire to delay marriage and pregnancy to an optimal age was also induced in them, said Prakash, while delivering a lecture on Wheels of Change: Transforming Girls Lives with Bicycles, organised by the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI), a Patna-based think-tank.

Prakash had earlier done a study along with other researchers on the impact of the scheme for ADRIs International Growth Centre (IGC) - Bihar program and found it had managed to significantly reduce the gender gap in secondary education, which was also reflected in the class 10 Bihar board exams with near parity in the number of girls and boys.

Since the launch of the scheme in Bihar, under which girls who continue secondary school education are given a bicycle for free, the number of beneficiaries has increased over fivefold.

In 2007-08, the number of girl beneficiaries was just 1,56,092, while it increased to 5.48 lakh in 2011-12.

Prakash said the scheme has since been replicated not only in other states of India, but was also subsequently taken up by the United Nations (UN) and unveiled in six other African countries.

Former chief secretary and Information commissioner Tripurari Sharan said it was evident that the lives of girls in the households of Bihar had been transformed in more ways than one. They have been able to get advanced education, get into jobs and finding suitable life partners at the right age due to the cycle scheme, he said.

Dr Ashmita Gupta of ADRI said, The aim of ADRIs IGC-Bihar program is to do research in such a way that it could be applied in all parts of the real world. This study did just that.

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The Kondhwa police have booked a college student for allegedly molesting his female friend as he was angry that their common friend dropped her home on a two-wheeler at night. The youth later sent the complainants private photos to her relatives from her mobile phone. The Kondhwa police have booked a college student for allegedly molesting his female friend (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

The victim, a Pisoli resident, lodged a complaint at Kondhwa police station. According to the FIR, the accused is her friend. He became enraged when the complainant was dropped home by her college friend on a two-wheeler at 8 pm on May 18. The accused molested and verbally abused her, before forcibly taking her mobile phone and allegedly sending her private photos to her brother and cousins husband through Facebook and WhatsApp platforms.
As the process of exchanging, depositing 2,000 notes began on Tuesday; private, cooperative and nationalised banks did not have a rush of citizens and the process was smooth. The bank officials did not seek proof like Aadhar card and other officially verified documents from customers on Tuesday. In wake of recent notification, many petrol pumps in city issued notices about usage of  2,000 currency notes. (RAHUL RAUT/ HT )

Besides banks, petrol pumps, and malls reported an increase in usage of 2,000 notes for making purchases.

Subhash Mohite, president of Pune Urban Cooperative Bank Association, an umbrella organisation of all co-operative banks in the city said, There was no rush as such in the banks and customers could easily deposit 2,000 notes . In Pune Peoples Cooperative Bank, 2,000 notes amounting to 80 lakh were deposited and against that an exchange of 80,000 took place. Across all the banks, customers deposited the currency but exchange remained at around just 1 per cent.

Vaishali Kumar, an entrepreneur who deposited ten notes at a nationalised banks said, The bankers did not ask for any proof and the deposit process was smooth a hassle-free experience.

However, some commuters alleged that a few petrol pumps were refusing to accept 2,000 notes. While, some stations forced consumers to spend the entire sum of 2,000 to fill fuel in their vehicles. Some fuel stations also put up notices stating that their outlets will accept the currency only if they spend a minimum 75 per cent of its value on purchasing petrol or diesel.

All India Petrol Dealers Association (AIPDA) spokesperson Ali Daruwala said, We have appealed to all petrol pump owners to not refuse customers who are giving 2,000 denomination currency to fill fuel. There is no need for a panic situation regarding the acceptance of 2,000 note or its circulation, as its a legal tender. Such behaviour will not be tolerated and those who are being subjected to inconvenience must contact the concerned pump owner for redressal of their grievances.

Sameer Shinde , a customer said, I went to a petrol pump in Baner and they refused to accept the note. Later, they said I have to sped 75% of the note value. When other commuters intervened, the pump management relented.
Jharkhand Academic Council will declare JAC Class 10th, 12th Result 2023 today. Candidates who have appeared for Jharkhand Class 10 and Class 12 Science stream board examination can check Jharkhand HS results on Hindustan Times education page. JAC 10th 12th Result 2023 Live Updates JAC 10th, 12th Result 2023: How to check Jharkhand Board results on HT Portal

The result link will also be available on the official site of JAC at jac.jharkhand.gov.in and on jacresults.com.

The JAC class 10th exams were conducted from March 14 to April 3 and the class 12th exams were held from March 14 to April 5, 2023 at various examination centres across the state. Around 8 lakh candidates have registered themselves for JAC Class 10, 12 board examination in the state.

Candidates who have appeared for the Class 10 and Class 12 examination can check the results through these simple steps given below on HT portal.

JAC 10th, 12th Result 2023: How to check Jharkhand Board results on HT Portal

Visit the official site of Hindustan Times at hindustantimes.com.

Click on Education link available on the left hand side of the portal.

A new page will open where you will get the Board exam tag on the top of the page.

Click on it and a new page will open having names of all the boards.

Click on Jharkhand board page link and then go to Jharkhand Class 10 or Jharkhand Class 12 result link.

Enter the required login credentials.

Click on submit and your result will be displayed on the screen.

Check the result and download the page.

Keep a hard copy of the same for further need
The son of a retired government school teacher from nondescript village Badhuwa situated on Indo-Nepal border in Bihars Araria district, 25-year-old Avinash Kumar cracked the coveted civil services examinations securing 17th rank in his third attempt. In his two previous attempts he could not even qualify the preliminary test. Avinash Kumar from Bihar's Araria district secure 17th rank

In my school days I had faced floods while going to the Shri Rani Saraswati Vidya Mandir, Forbesganj from where I cleared my tenth with 10 CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average) Avianash said while talking to HT over phone. You can go ahead with your goal only when you have lived the painful situations he said adding One has to take risk in life and I too took the risk by quitting the job in 2020 but today I can say I can do at least something for my country.

Stressing the importance of self-study he said, Self study should always be given the first priority if a student wants to crack UPSC the highly competitive examination where you have to deal with brilliant students coming from every state.

The village called Badhuwa is between Forbesganj and Jogbani on the Indo-Nepal border faced by floods every year which has caused immense loss to the farming community. I have also experienced the pains and sufferings of my father who is now a farmer, he said.

After matriculation, he cleared his XII from Chinmaya Vidyalaya Bokaro by obtaining over 93% marks and later pursued his engineering degree from Yadavpur University Kolkata and passed with flying colours and was awarded gold medal. Later he worked in the electricity department in West Bengal as an engineer till 2020.

But something very special was in the store of Avinash and he decided to prepare for UPSC in Delhi, the mother Pratima Devi, a house maker said adding He never lost his heart even after two successive failures and this time he had done proud to all of us.

The father Ajay Kumar Singh who is now practising farming in his village Badhuwa said, My son has been honest to his work and what he has done today is the result of his honesty and dedication.
Sunny Leone is in Cannes and opted to go green for her first public appearance. She has shared glimpses of herself in a one-shoulder gown. The actor who is making her Cannes debut this year is in France for the premiere of her film, Kennedy. Director Anurag Kashyap and actor Rahul Bhat are also in Cannes for the film. Also read: Sunny Leone feels odd when people ask her what she's going to wear at Cannes: I am going to wear clothes Sunny Leone has reached Cannes.

Sharing some stunning pictures of herself from the French Rivera, Sunny wrote on Instagram, Amazing first day @festivaldecannes doing interviews for #kennedy. Thank you @ilya.vanzato for making me feel beautiful. She looks lovely in the green Maria Kokhia gown with a waist panel. She kept her makeup simple and paired the outfit with matching heels.

Her fans loved her all-green look. A fan wrote, Sunny is always looking beautiful. Another wrote, Look like a baby doll. One more commented, Ayyy prettyyyyy.

Sunny is in Cannes with her husband Daniel Weber. Upon her arrival in France, she shared a video from her car as she sat beside Daniel. She expressed her excitement about all the gowns and dresses and promised her fans to keep them updated with lots of pictures and videos. Sharing the video, she wrote on Instagram, Mission #kennedy about to arrive this gorgeous hotel!!

On Monday, Rahul Bhat, who plays the lead role in Kennedy, shared a candid video with Anurag as they had some fun in Cannes. He added the song Jumma Chumma De De with it and captioned it, Zeher hai ke pyaar hai Kennedy ka chumma. With the OG @anuragkashyap10. They simply posed on a street with their backs to each other.

Directed by Anurag Kashyap, Kennedy stars Sunny Leone, Rahul Bhatt and Abhilash Thapliyal in the lead roles. The film revolves around an insomniac ex-cop, long thought to be dead, but still operating for the corrupt system, and looking for redemption. It has been selected for a Midnight Screening at Cannes Film Festival 2023. It is among the few films from India this year to be the official selections at the festival this year.

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Harman Baweja is all set to make his OTT debut with Hansal Mehta's Scoop. The actor recently opened up about his past relationship with actor Priyanka Chopra and how he can't really complain about them because it is 'part and parcel' of the profession. (Also read: Hansal Mehta says he had to 'emotionally blackmail' Harman Baweja to act in web series Scoop) Harman Baweja opened up about his past link-up with Priyanka Chopra.

Harman made his acting debut opposite Priyanka with Love Story 2050, which released in 2008. The duo also starred in What's Your Raashee? which released in 2009. Both the actors were rumoured to be dating each other by the start of the former and went their separate ways by the release of the next.

Now, speaking to Etimes in a new interview ahead of the release of Scoop, Harman was asked about the media attention their relationship received, to which he said, "Thats tabloid media to start with. They are not really interested in if you have done a film or bagged another film or worked hard on a film set and got injured. They see you outside a restaurant and three minutes later another girl walks out of the same restaurant and apparently the tabloids think you are having lunch with that girl, while in reality that is not probably true. I would have gone to pick up a packet of food and the other girl might have been with her dad. The scoops were fun when they were sweet but it was bitter when they werent. But its a part and parcel of the line you can't really complain."

Harman had produced Hansal's film Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai? in 2002 as well as other Punjabi films like Jinne Jamme Saare Nikamme and Honeymoon. The upcoming series Scoop is adapted from Jigna Voras book, Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison. It features Karishma as crime reporter Jagruti Pathak who finds herself as the prime accused in the shocking murder of another journalist. The cast includes Prosenjit Chatterjee, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub, Deven Bhojani and Tannishtha Chatterjee in pivotal roles. Scoop will premiere on Netflix on June 2, 2023.

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Kamal Haasan is the latest celebrity to bring to attention the ongoing protest by the wrestling community in India. The veteran actor spoke up about the issue on social media as the protest hit the one month mark. The head of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been accused of sexual harassment by a number of female wrestlers and the wrestling community as a whole is planning to a candle march from Jantar Mantar to India Gate in Delhi on Tuesday evening. (Also read: Vidyut Jammwal on wrestlers protest: 'First they are citizens of this country, should be given required help') Kamal Haasan spoke out in support of the Indian wrestling community on Tuesday. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)(PTI)

On Twitter, the actor wrote, "Today marks 1 month of protests by athletes of the wrestling fraternity. Instead of fighting for national glory, we have forced them to fight for personal safety. Fellow Indians, who deserves our attention, our national sporting icons or a politician with an extensive criminal history? #IStandWithMyChampions #WrestlersProtest."

Many fans also backed Kamal with the hashtag 'I Stand With My Champions'. One fan shared, "When most of the prominent Bollywood artists and celebrities have stayed silent on this issue, #KH is the only biggest star to come forward and support our national icons for their justice. #KamalHaasan." Another stated, "Thank you Leader. Our national sporting icons deserve the attention and justice #IStandWithMyChampions #WrestlersProtest."

Pooja Bhatt, Sonu Sood, Gauahar Khan, Vidyut Jammwal and Swara Bhasker are some of the other celebrities that have supported the wrestlers and amplified their pleas since their protest began last April. Vidyut had said at an event, "They are our athletes and troubled, but first, they are the citizens of the country. They should be given the required help. I think the authorities are listening to them, but what next? What are they doing about their concerns? I am an athlete and I have a feeling if they would listen to them and things will change now. Theyll do whats right.

Kamal formed the political party Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) in 2018 in Tamil Nadu. He was last seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Vikram last year. He starred in the action thriller with Fahadh Faasil, Vijay Sethupathi and Kalidas Jayaram. Suriya also had a cameo in the film.

The actor is currently working on the long-delayed Indian 2. The S Shankar film also stars Kajal Aggarwal, Siddharth, Rakul Preet Singh and Gulshan Grover.

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Last week, Priyanka Chopra debuted with some dazzling new looks on the cover of Grazia UK. She was also featured on 12 other international editions of the magazine. On Tuesday, the actor showed off her latest photoshoot which featured her in some fashionable and risque outfits. She posted the pictures on Instagram and fans called the photoshoot one of her bests. (Also read: From Korean barbeque to Indian food: Priyanka Chopra reveals 'foodie' daughter Malti Marie's favourite dishes) On Instagram, Priyanka Chopra added pictures from new magazine cover shoot.

On Instagram, the actor added the pictures from her latest photoshoot and captioned it, "POV: You see the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains in Topanga, on a hot day, and everything around was in full bloom (thanks to the crazy rain weve had this year in SoCal) Thats the story behind these pictures we shot for @thezoereport." Priyanka shared her cover photoshoot for The Zoe Report which featured her in an outdoor setting.

In the first photo, Priyanka is wearing a mesh dress amidst yellow flowers. In the second pic, she has her eyes closed against the sun. In the third and fourth photos, she dons a backless lime green dress. In another photo, she's wearing a teal outfit that is strategically tied around her body and shows off some skin. The final photo features Priyanka in a white strapless gown against a mountain backdrop.

Fans reacted with hearts and fire emojis to her latest photoshoot. One fan stated, "Prii is the sun that shines in every look." While another exclaimed, "One of your bests." Yet another commented on her tattoo in one of the pictures and said, "Ohh that world map tattoo looks so cool."

The actor recently made a whirlwind 24 hour trip to India just to attend cousin Parineeti Chopra's engagement ceremony to Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha earlier this month. She will begin shooting for her next project, Heads of State with Idris Elba and John Cena in some time.

Her Prime Video web series Citadel airs its season one finale on May 26. The second season of the spy thriller, also starring Richard Madden, has already been commissioned. This month, she also starred in the rom-com Love Again with Sam Heughan, Celine Dion and Russell Tovey. Her husband Nick Jonas also has a cameo in the film.

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Richa Chadha is attending the 76th Cannes Film Festival as a producer this time. The actor was seen at the festival with husband, actor Ali Fazal, to get partnerships for their upcoming projects under their banner Pushing Buttons Studios. Richa took to her Instagram Stories to respond to the conversations about those attending the festival. She also brought up that a lot of people were talking about fashion on the red carpet. She asked people not to 's**t on anyone' as people were excited to be at Cannes. (Also read: Richa Chadha is in Cannes as producer, shares LOL moment as event ID has her Masaan still in place of picture) Richa Chadha asked people not to criticise those attending the Cannes festival without a film to show.

Sharing old pictures from her 2015 visit to Cannes, Richa wrote on her Instagram Stories, "There's a lot of chatter on SM (social media) about Cannes, fashion, film, etc. Just wanna say, don't s**t on anyone plz. People are excited to be here, I notice the ones that are thanking the brands/designers/alcohol labels that are bringing their influencers here. It's also a great venue for marketing no? Let them be. You'll notice most people say, they're at the red carpet but won't specify the film. Well, cuz they're not here with a film or for a film."

Richa shared a photo of herself at Cannes in 2015.

Richa attended Cannes in 2015 with Neeraj Ghaywan's Masaan with actor Vicky Kaushal and the other members of the team. Masaan picked up two awards when it premiered at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard Section. She also added, "Having said that, should you be so lucky to get to work on a film that ends up at @festivaldecannes... it's the BEST feeling in the world. It is after all a FILM festival, no matter what anyone says. And as an artist, there's no greater joy and contentment than a 7 min long standing ovation at the Grand Palais. That's me after shedding buckets... it was overwhelming."

Richa also added a photo of the Masaan team after the film premiere at Cannes.

Recently, celebrities like Vivek Agnihotri and Nandita Das had spoken about Cannes and the event being 'reduced to a fashion show'. Nandita had posted her Cannes pics on Instagram and shared, "Sadly missing Cannes this year. Sometimes people seem to forget that it is a festival of films and not of clothes!" Meanwhile, Vivek had tweeted over the weekend, "Do you know that Cannes Film Festival is about films? I thought I should remind you just in case you were thinking its a fashion show.

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Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra were spotted together as they returned from their Japan vacation at the Mumbai airport on Tuesday. The couple walked hand-in-hand as the paparazzi followed them to click their pictures. (Also read: Ranbir Kapoor recreates Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani's viral wedding moment, fans find it cute. Watch) Kiara Advani and Sidharth Malhotra returned from their Japan vacation on Tuesday.

In the video captured by a paparazzo account that was soon posted on Instagram, Sidharth and Kiara were spotted arriving at the Mumbai airport holding hands. Kiara kept her look casually stylish in an all-white jumpsuit with yellow shades and a pink side bag, whereas Sidharth opted for a jacket over a black T-shirt and faded track pants.

Many fans reacted to the post and added their comments. "So awwwdorable (red heart emoticons)" said a fan in the comments. Another said, "Absolutely gorgeous and cute." One comment read, "They look so good together."

Kiara and Sidharth married in a private ceremony earlier this year in Rajasthan. Kiara wore a pink Manish Malhotra lehenga, while Sidharth opted for an ivory sherwani by the same designer for their wedding. The actors had worked together in the film Shershaah that was released in 2021. The biopic told the story of late Kargil war hero and Param Vir Chakra-awardee Captain Vikram Batra. They are said to have fallen for each other while working for the film.

After their wedding ceremony was held on February 7 at Jaisalmer's Suryagarh Palace, Sidharth and Kiara had also held a reception in Delhi. They also hosted another reception in Mumbai some days later that saw Kareena Kapoor Khan, Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt, Gauri Khan, Kajol and many other celebrities in attendance.

Kiara recently shared the teaser of her next film Satyaprem Ki Katha on Instagram, where she teams up with her Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 co-star Kartik Aaryan. The short clip introduced their characters in the drama. Helmed by Sameer Vidhwans, and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, the film is all set to hit the theatres on June 29, 2023.

Sidharth will next be seen in his debut web series, Indian Police Force, in which he plays a police officer. He also has a film Yodha in the pipeline.

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Kim Kardashian is reflecting on her past relationships, and coming to terms with the fact that she cannot help who "don't want the help." Although the SKIMS founder did not name anyone directly during her candid interview, many speculated that she was talking about her ex-husband Kanye West. (Also read: Kim Kardashian's social media empire fuels a $1.34 billion buyout blitz. Can her fame save cash-strapped investors?) Kim Kardashian was married to Kanye West for eight years.

Kanye, who goes by the name Ye, and Kim officially divorced in November 2022 after more than eight years of marriage. Earlier this year it was reported that he has married Bianca Censori. They were seen having dinner wearing wedding rings, and their photos were shared on paparazzi and fan pages.

Now, as per a report by People, during an appearance on the latest episode of the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast on Monday, Kim Kardashian opened up about her past relationships and revealed that she is in a "very good place" in her life. "Something I learned is that you cannot help people that don't want the help. You can't force your beliefs and project that on someone that thinks something totally different."

Although she did not take Kanye's name, she further spoke about learning from her past relationships, adding: "It's okay to have those different views. It's why the world goes round. But if you don't align in the same values and morals and things at your core, then it's okay to realize that this life is so short, and you should go and find the people that do align with what you really believe in. Those are some of the things that I would teach my kids when they're looking for friends and partners and relationships. You can't really force things upon other people. You can't expect them to be where you're at, at your level Sometimes I feel like people think that if a relationship doesn't work out that it's a failure, but I don't really look at it like that 15 years together, 10 years. That's not a failure. That is so beautiful."

Kim was one of the attendees at the 2023 Met Gala where she was spotted chatting with her ex Pete Davidson. Kim and Pete had called it quits in August last year. The couple had dated for nine months after connecting on the set of Saturday Night Live, when she hosted in October 2021. Meanwhile, the reality star's younger sisters, Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner were also present at the red carpet.

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Tom Cruise defies death once again in Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One as he takes on jaw-dropping stunts, including an incredible motorcycle jump off a cliff with seconds to spare before certain disaster. From surviving an exploding fish tank to hanging from a plane about to take off, Cruise's stunts continue to push the boundaries of action cinema. With the latest trailer highlighting this heart-stopping moment, fans can expect an adrenaline-packed thrill ride like never before in the upcoming instalment of the Mission: Impossible series. (ALSO READ| Mission Impossible-Dead Reckoning Part One trailer: Tom Cruise is back as Ethan Hunt with more dangerous stunts. Watch) Tom Cruise on stunt preparations for Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

The Secret Behind Tom Cruise's Daredevil Stunts

How does Tom Cruise does such acts? The daredevil actor once revealed the thrilling details of the breath-taking mountain bike jump off a cliff in Norway during a chat with talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. Cruise nonchalantly discussed the meticulous preparations that went into ensuring his safety, right down to taping his shoelaces. "Even my shoelaces were taped," he quipped, emphasizing the level of caution taken to avoid any potential entanglements during the high-flying adventure.

The Countdown to Disaster: Six Seconds to Spare

With a mere six seconds to spare before hitting the ground, Cruise explained that he had to flawlessly deploy his parachute while freefalling through the air. And despite the intense pressure, he made it clear that he wasn't "counting the six." Such a death-defying act undoubtedly required nerves of steel, and Cruise demonstrated once again that he doesn't rely on stunt doubles.

Relentless Training and Unparalleled Preparation

Surviving a stunt of this magnitude requires relentless training and meticulous attention to detail, as Cruise emphasized in an another video released by Paramount Pictures few months ago. "You train and drill every little aspect over and over and over again," he stated. By the time the scene was shot on location, Cruise had already amassed an astonishing record of over 500 skydives and 13,000 motocross jumps.

The Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

In "Dead Reckoning Part One" to be released on July 12, Cruise reprises his role as Ethan Hunt, leading an International Monetary Fund (IMF) team in a race against time to prevent a terrifying weapon from falling into the wrong hands. With the fate of the world at stake and dark forces from Ethan's past closing in, he must confront a mysterious and powerful nemesis named Gabriel. The mission takes a deadly turn, forcing Ethan to weigh his duty against the lives of those he cares about most.

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Sarath Babu died of multi-organ failure in a private hospital in Hyderabad on Monday. The veteran actor was 71. Several members of the Tamil film industry including Kamal Haasan, Surya, Karthi paid tribute to him. Rajinikanth was also among those who spoke about the late actor. They had worked together on a number of films and Rajinikanth shared that he had tremendous respect for him. Sarath wanted him to quit smoking and he wouldn't smoke in front of him. (Also read: Veteran actor Sarath Babu dies at 71) Rajinikanth paid tribute to late actor Sarath Babu.

Rajinikanth also shared that they knew each other before they became actors and were friends. He added that the late actor always had a smile on his face and never got upset. Earlier this month, Sarath Babu was admitted to AIG Hospitals in Hyderabad. According to several news reports, he had contracted sepsis, which affected his organs and he was put on a ventilator.

Speaking about his friend, Rajinikanth told the news agency PTI, "I have never seen him getting serious or angry. You all know that all the films I acted with him are very big hits  Mullum Malarum, Muthu, Annamalai and Velaikkaran. He had great love and affection for me...he would always regret my smoking and ask me to quit it for a long life. If he would see me smoking, he would snatch the cigarette and put it out. So, I won't smoke before him."

The Tamil actor also recalled how he helped get into the right frame of mind for a key scene in the 1992 film Annamalai directed by Suresh Krissna. He said, "In Annamalai, there is this important scene about a challenge (Rajinikanth taking on Sarath Babu after their friendship turns sour) that took a lot of retakes as the emotions did not come out properly. He got me a cigarette and after that I felt relaxed and the take was approved. He always advised me about good health but he is no more now."

Sarath Babu made his acting debut in 1973 with the Telugu film Rama Rajyamwas. He last seen in the Tamil film Vasantha Mullai this year. The actor will be cremated on Tuesday in Chennai.

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Actor Ram Charan, who is still basking in the worldwide recognition for his work in SS Rajamoulis magnum opus RRR, responded to a question about his Hollywood debut. The actor was speaking at the Film Tourism for Economic and Cultural Preservation event at Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC). Ram also talked about the kind of films he wants to do in the future. He also spoke about doing films on India's strong culture. At the event, Ram Charan also spoke about his admiration for Kashmir since his childhood. (Also Read | Ram Charan dances to RRR's Oscar-winning song Naatu Naatu with South Korea ambassador at Kashmir summit) Ram Charan speaking at the G20 tourism working group meeting in Srinagar. (AFP)(AFP)

Answering a question about making a debut in Hollywood, Ram said, I want to explore India more and I don't think I would want to travel anywhere else for my films unless the producer or director is from Hollywood. I want to stick to my culture. I want to educate that our Indian sentiments are so strong. Our culture is so strong. There's a lot of dignity in our stories. Nowadays, when you see it, it's not South Indian or North Indian movie, it's about Indian mitti ka (soil's) stories. These stories are finally coming out."

Reacting to a video, shared on Twitter, several fans said they cant wait for Rams Hollywood debut. A person wrote, Twitter will go bonkers the day the announcement is made. Cant wait (sic). Another tweet read, Proud of his growth. Cant wait for the day he signs a Hollywood project (sic).

At the event, Ram also said as quoted by news agency PTI, It will sound cliche, but the coolest place to shoot in India is Kashmir. I am a second-generation actor. My dad (Chiranjeevi) has shot extensively in Kashmir. I shot in this auditorium (SKICC) in 2016. So, visiting Kashmir in summer feels like an achievement for me. This is such a surreal feeling. It has been 95 years of existence of the film industry, (but) it will take them another 95 years to explore Kashmir. It is untapped, it is virgin.

Ram is currently shooting for Shankars upcoming Tamil-Telugu bilingual Game Changer. He is said to be playing an IAS officer with anger issues while Kiara Advani plays his co-star. Ram has a yet-untitled project with director Buchi Babu Sana in the pipeline next.

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Fans of the 2022 blockbuster RRR will always remember Ray Stevenson as the lead antagonist, British General Scott Buxton for how he left the audience amazed with his convincing performance. He was 58. But the actor was 56 when he shot an action scene for the film and was hung from the harness at a height. The official Twitter handle of RRR has shared a still from the scene to highlight his dedication to his performances. Also read: RRR actor Ray Stevenson dies at 58: SS Rajamouli expresses grief, says he 'brought in so much energy to sets' Ray Stevenson while filming RRR (left) and in Thor films (right).

Sharing Ray's still from RRR, the tweet read, "He was 56 years old when we were shooting this difficult scene but he did not hesitate while performing this stunt. We will forever cherish having you on the sets of #RRR, Ray Stevenson. Gone too soon (broken heart emoji)."

Jr NTR on Ray's death.

Expressing grief on Ray's death, Jr NTR tweeted, "Shocked to hear about Ray Stevenson's passing. Gone too soon. It was a great experience working with him. May his soul rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and dear ones during this difficult time."

The official Twitter handles of Thor and Marvel Studios shared a picture of Ray Stevenson as Volstagg and captioned it, We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ray Stevenson, who brought humour and wit to the character of Volstagg. He was a wonderful actor who will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

Ray had played the role of Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels and The Clone Wars and will be seen in Star Wars live-action series Ahsoka as the antagonist Baylan Skoll. A tweet from the official handle of Star Wars read: We are heartbroken to hear of the passing of our dear friend Ray Stevenson.

James Gunn, who had worked with Ray on Thor: The Dark World, condoled the death of the actor on Twitter. He wrote, Damn. So sorry to hear about the passing, far too young, of Ray Stevenson. I only knew him a little from shooting post-credits of Thor 2 & a couple interactions at events, but we had some good laughs & he was a joy to work with. His friends & family are in my heart today.

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Ray Stevenson, known across India for playing the British Governor Scott Buxton in SS Rajamouli's RRR, died at 58. He was also known for playing an Asgardian warrior in the Thor films, and a member of the 13th Legion in HBOs Rome. The official social media handles of RRR confirmed the news. SS Rajamouli have also penned a note expressing grief over the death of the actor. SS Rajamouli (right) with Ray Stevenson on RRR sets.

A still of Ray from RRR was shared late Monday night with the caption: What shocking news for all of us on the team! Rest in peace, #RayStevenson. You will stay in our hearts forever, SIR SCOTT. #RRRMovie.

RRR director SS Rajamouli condoled the death of the noted actor in a heartbreaking note. Sharing a picture from the sets of the film, he wrote on Twitter, Shocking... Just can't believe this news. Ray brought in so much energy and vibrancy with him to the sets. It was infectious. Working with him was pure joy. My prayers are with his family. May his soul rest in peace.

Many of the actor's fans also condoled his death in the comments section. A fan wrote, Rarely actors capture the camera. What a solid screen presence he had. God bless his soul and give strength to his family. I wished to see more of him on screen. Another tweet read: So heartbreaking. He was a fantastic actor. His performance in RRR was spectacular!! You will be missed. RIP.

Ray was also known for his roles like Volstagg in Marvel's Thor franchise and Othere in Vikings. He has voiced Gar Saxon in the animated Star Wars series The Clone Wars and Rebels and was set to join Rosario Dawson in Disney's upcoming The Mandalorian spinoff Ashoka.

According to Deadline, Ray was born on May 25, 1964, in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. He began his screen career in the early 1990s, appearing in European TV series and telefilms. His first big-screen credit was opposite Helena Bonham Carter and Kenneth Branagh in Paul Greengrass' 1998 drama The Theory of Flight. He went on to star in Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur (2004), Lexi Alexander's Punisher: War Zone (2008), the Hughes Brothers' The Book of Eli (2010) and Adam McKay's The Other Guys (2010).

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Actor Sarath Babu, who died on Monday after multi-organ failure in a private hospital in Hyderabad, will be cremated on Tuesday in Chennai. Following the veterans demise, several celebrities such as Rajinikanth, Jr. NTR, Prakash Raj and Chiranjeevi took to social media to pay their tributes. Also read: Veteran actor Sarath Babu dies at 71 Sarath Babu's last rites will be performed on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Sarath Babu was rushed to AIG Hospitals in Hyderabad after his condition worsened. As per reports, Sarath Babu had contracted sepsis, which had impacted the functioning of kidneys, lungs, liver and other organs. He was put on a ventilator. On Monday, he died at the age of 71. As per Sarath Babus publicist, his mortal remains were shifted to Chennai on Tuesday morning for friends and family to pay their last respects. His funeral will take place around 2 PM on Tuesday.

Actor Rajinikanth remembered Sarath Babu as a close friend and wonderful man. The translation of his tweet read: Today, I lost my close friend and wonderful man Sarath Babu. It is an irreparable loss. May his soul rest in peace (sic).

Jr. NTR tweeted: Sad to hear about the passing of veteran actor Sarath Babu garu. His contributions to Indian cinema will be remembered forever. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and friends. Om Shanti (sic).

Actor Prakash Raj remembered Sarath Babu for his warmth and encouragement. He tweeted: Wonderful to have met this ever smiling soul. Will cherish his warmth and encouragement throughout my career.. thank you dearest #SarathBabu for everything . RIP (sic).

Actor Chiranjeevi remembered Sarath Babu, who was his co-star in many films, for the beauty and sophistication in his performances. He wrote on Twitter in Telugu, Silver screen 'Zamindar', popular actor. The news of Sarath Babu's death was shocking. He has earned a place in the hearts of the audience with his performance that exudes beauty and sophistication. I have a lot of connection with Shri Sarath Babu. He has been my co-star in many films. To his family members, My deepest condolences to all the fans. Oh peace (sic). Chiranjeevi wrote.

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Actor-model-casting director Aditya Singh Rajputs demise has shocked his close friend-actor Gautam Vig. The two knew each other for over five years, however, Vig was so taken aback with the news that he couldnt even see Rajputs dead body. I couldnt do a video call when his funeral was going on, says Vig who is currently shooting in Chandigarh. Gautam Vig and Aditya Singh Rajput

Rajputs death was speculated to be due to drug overdose. While no confirmation has come from the police or the hospital, Vig is disheartened by the speculations. I dont understand why people do this after someones gone. The same thing happened with Sidharth Shukla as well. Until anything is proven I dont believe in that. That is just to catch some eyeballs. I have seen him in the last 5-6 years, we have partied so much. I know that he was always fun, he would never do drugs in front of me. I have never seen him doing that. We would party, even drink and smoke. But never seen him doing drugs or even talking about it. How do they know it was drug overdose, Vig rues.

Vig last met Rajput in April at the launch of his song. We spoke three days ago, where he was asking me to come to Mumbai to party, he recalls. Talking about Rajput, the former Bigg Boss contestant shares, He was a fun guy, always happy, always ready to help others and very business minded. He would always talk about work and nothing else.

Vig was shooting for his daily soap when his friend Rajiv Adatia (former Bigg Boss contestant) called him to inform about Rajputs death. I was in the middle of the scene and I froze. I had no idea what happened to me, I was in shock. I didnt expect he would go so soon, he adds.

Rajput hailed from Delhi and was 32 when he died. Along with modelling, casting and acting, Rajput was also a photographer. He was a part of films such as Krantiveer and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. Furthermore, he also did shows such as Splitsvilla 9, Code Red, Aawaz Season 9, Bad Boy Season 4, and others.
TV actor Varun Sood, designer Rohit Verma, and several others have paid tributes to late actor Aditya Singh Rajput who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on Tuesday. Responding to unconfirmed reports of a drug overdose, Rohit also urged everyone to avoid jumping to conclusions and let the doctors do their duties. (Also read: Splitsvilla's Aditya Singh Rajput, 32, found dead at Andheri residence) Aditya Singh Rajput dies in Mumbai.

Talking to the media, Rohit Verma said, There are a lot of rumours, a lot of people think...lot of people are talking about him, about overdose and all...The postmortem report is yet to come. I think it is all bullsh**, it can be an accident.

Rohit added, "Let us leave that job to the experts - I think we should all let the doctors do their job. We have no right to pass this kind of statement for anyone, and create such wrong rumours, when he is not around." Rohit also said that he talked to Aditya six days ago, when Aditya reached out to him seeking suggestions for a yoga teacher.

Onir was among the first ones to pay his respect to Aditya. He tweeted, Shocked to hear this... so young and full of life. Vey very Tragic.

Reacting to the news of Aditya's death, Sweety Walia took to her Instagram Stories and wrote, "OMG! This can not be true! Aditya, no ways! We are completely shaken. May your soul rest in peace. waheguru #friendsforever." She also told Aaj Tak that Aditya was a cheerful boy and she had a "deep friendship" with him. "He used to respect those who were elder than him. The news of his death has left me broken. I got his message a few days back. I was injured and he had been sending me voice messages. His last message was, Come home soon.. I will feed you Maggi," Sweety said.

Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit paid his respects to Aditya and tweeted, "Its shocking. Cant believe this . A fun-loving guy , a very good actor Aditya Singh Rajput is found dead at his apartment in Andheri area. Body sent for post-mortem. Have no words to express my sorrow and condolences to the family."

Paying his tributes to Aditya, Varun Sood tweeted, "Just heard the news about Aditya Singh Rajput.. It really shook me. I know I am not in touch with anyone from MTV days except a few..but I hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy"

Originally from Delhi, Aditya Singh Rajput had worked in films such as Krantiveer and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. He also participated in several reality shows including Splitsvilla 9. He also featured in Love, Ashiqui, Code Red, Aawaz Season 9, Bad Boy Season 4, and several advertisements.

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The funeral of actor Aditya Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his apartment in Andheri, Mumbai on May 22, was held on Tuesday at Oshiwara. His mother was seen arriving for the cremation in Mumbai. (Also read: Aditya Singh Rajput death: Rohit Verma rubbishes reports of drug overdose, Onir and Varun Sood pay tributes) Aditya Singh Rajput's mother was seen arriving for the cremation on Tuesday.

Reportedly, the actor was found in the washroom of the 11th-floor high-rise building where he lived and was first discovered by his friend. On Monday, news agency ANI confirmed the death of Aditya Singh Rajput. Designer Rohit Verma had earlier responded to unconfirmed reports of a drug overdose, and urged everyone to avoid jumping to conclusions and let the doctors do their duties.

Now a clip has surfaced on Instagram that was posted by a paparazzo page, where friends and family members of the late actor were seen arriving for the funeral. The video showed Aditya's body being brought out in a stretcher from the ambulance, while some of his family member stood beside. Aditya's mother also arrived, as she was escorted inside with the help of family and friends. Among those who were present at the cremation were Rajiv Adatia, Rohit Verma and Harsh Rajput.

A day ago, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit had reacted to the news of Aditya's death and tweeted, "Its shocking. Cant believe this . A fun-loving guy , a very good actor Aditya Singh Rajput is found dead at his apartment in Andheri area. Body sent for post-mortem. Have no words to express my sorrow and condolences to the family." Varun Sood had tweeted, "Just heard the news about Aditya Singh Rajput.. It really shook me. I know I am not in touch with anyone from MTV days except a few..but I hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy"

Aditya Singh Rajput had worked in films such as Krantiveer and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. He also participated in several reality shows, most prominently in Splitsvilla 9. He also featured in Love, Ashiqui, Code Red, Aawaz Season 9, Bad Boy Season 4, and several other advertisements.

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Kanpur-girl and actor Amita Yadav is excited about coming to Lucknow to shoot her next project in June. In 2021 too, she shot for yet-to-release Punjabi film which is based in the state capital and moves to Jalandhar. Amita Yadav was last seen in Sanjog last year.

Last seen in daily soap Sanjog (2022), as antagonist, the actor tells, I am excited to come back to shoot as Lucknow is like home for me. All l can reveal is that its a web series and an inter-religion love story directed by Rahul Dutta. Last time I shot in the Old City and had several shots in Aminabad locality as well as other locations.

Yadav made her OTT debut with web-series Bechare (2021) and is keen to do films but has her own sets of dos and donts!

I want to work on all mediums  TV, series and films  but I have drawn a line. Many shows on OTT are too bold, which I am uncomfortable with, so I surely wont be seen doing any skin show and bold shots. My values dont allow me to go beyond the limit. Many term it as demand of the script but for me its not justified. I personally feel things can be aesthetically shot and the message can be conveyed without exposing. If the maker does not agree, I am happy to let go of it...

On her acting journey, Yadav adds, Acting was always on my mind, so I went to Mumbai and joined a Mass Communication programme. I had no clue on how to go about acting, but I am destinys child and things happened for me one after another. My batchmates used to go for auditions so I started accompanying them. They were not able to make it, but I got selected for serial Yeh Hai Mohabattein (2017). It was followed by Naamkaran (2019) and in Sanjog I played Rajneesh Duggals sister which unfortunately went off-air abruptly.

Films are next on her mind. When you come from a non-filmi background you dont know much. So, we learn with trial and error! Im here since 2016 and have done theatre, TV and now OTT. I have never given an audition for any film yet but now I feel that I am prepared to take a leap. On her visit to the city, she is looking forward to further explore the local delicacies and visit her home town.
It was a dream of former Prime Minister (PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who first envisaged opening of an alternate sea route for the north-eastern part of India through Myanmar in 2003. Bangladesh that time was very non-committal on transit to India. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) appointed the public sector consultancy company called RITES to do a study way back in 2003. This was the beginning of the journey. Sittwe Port

The operationalisation of Sittwe ports new terminal on May 9, 2023 on the 162nd birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore is a major milestone that India and Myanmar have achieved. It is an important component of the Kaladan Multi-modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) for which a framework agreement was signed between India and Myanmar as the contracting parties on April 2, 2008. Although it took over two decades from the year of planning to operationalisation of the port, the revamped Sittwe port (the new terminal) is all set to play a bigger role in Bay of Bengal.

Sittwe port is located at Kaladan river delta. The port was built with a grant-in-aid of around $ 500 million from the Indian government. The new terminal consists of riverside pier jetties, which can only handle small-sized general cargo vessels. The other existing jetties in Sittwe handle cargoes like rice, timber and pulses, mostly destined for Yangon. Given the current political situation in Myanmar, port connectivity between Kolkata and Sittwe is rather symbolic, but it carries some important ways forward.

First, the Kaladan project has two major components: Waterways component and road component. As on date, the waterways component has been completed. On the other hand, the road component, which includes construction of a 109-km double-lane highway between Paletwa and Zorinpuri (Mizoram-Myanmar border), is still a work in progress. Until this highway is ready, northeast Indias access to the Bay of Bengal through Sittwe will remain incomplete.

Second, with opening of the Sittwe port, trade between Myanmar and India is likely to get a boost. Exports from India to Myanmar through this new shipping route may include construction materials such as cement, steel and bricks, among others, whereas Indias imports from Myanmar would be rice, timber, fish and seafood. The trade in rupees may help facilitate not only trade between Myanmar and India but also procurement and shipment of projects goods which are needed for the implementation of Indian projects in Myanmar.

Third, it is widely agreed that accelerating infrastructure investments in northeast India and neighbouring countries, along with connectivity projects with Bangladesh and Myanmar, hold high promise for unlocking the Northeasts economic potential. Access to the Bay of Bengal may give new impetus to value chains in Northeast, particularly states of Mizoram and Tripura. Sectors like agro-horticulture, bamboo, rubber and processed food may gain from the opening of the Sittwe port provided the road components between Paletwa (Myanmar) and Zorinpuri (Myanmar) is completed on fast-track, and Myanmar allows third-country trade for Indias Northeast through Sittwe port. A new agreement in this line requires fresh negotiation between the two countries.

Fourth, maritime transport is still a dominant logistics in the Bay of Bengal region. Ports cannot run alone until they are connected with regular shipping services. With new ports joining the league, opportunities for short sea shipping have expanded. Both Sittwe and Kyaukphyu ports are in Rakhine state and the distance between them is just 65 nautical miles. However, Kyaukphyu enjoys higher navigable depth, and it is proposed to be a bigger port. There are few more ports being planned along the Myanmar coast in the Bay of Bengal such as Dawei and some ports are lined up for redevelopment such as Thilawa, Pathein, Myeik, all in Myanmar, and Ranong in Thailand. In Bangladesh, Matarbari port is under construction, and India has planned an international transit terminal at Galathea Bay of the Great Nicobar Island in Bay of Bengal. Each port is unique in terms of location, hinterland and development objectives. While some of the ports such as Sittwe have started operation, some are either in planning stage or under construction. Promoting greater cooperation among the ports in Bay of Bengal may lead to improved port performance and gain from their geographic locations.

Fifth, the current version of the BIMSTEC Agreement on Maritime Cooperation, which is expected to be signed in the coming BIMSTEC Summit to be held in November 2023, has provision for cabotage-free intra-BIMSTEC water transportation. But, it does not deal with the mandates of port cooperation. Bay of Bengal countries may implement activities that encourage dialogue among stakeholders in the maritime sector. For example, countries require dialogue on emerging issues like greening of ports and shipping, digitalisation and competition policy. More dialogue per issue may help countries narrow the gaps in development and help them design the best strategy to deal with the new challenges.

Finally, the operationalisation of Sittwe Port is a great achievement. However, dividends will be more once the Kaladan project becomes fully operational, which will then give Northeast Indian states complete access to the Bay of Bengal.

This article is authored by Prabir De, professor, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi.
Chinas rising security footprint in Central Asia is causing concern among regional and global stakeholders. As Beijing expands its economic and political influence in Central Asia, its security footprint has become increasingly visible, with ramifications for stability, human rights, and regional security dynamics. In this context, evaluating the forces driving Chinas security engagement in Central Asia, its methods to security cooperation with regional partners, and the ramifications of its increasing footprint for the region and beyond is essential. Chinas increasing security footprint in Central Asia (Representational Image)

Central Asia is a strategically significant region for China, with rich natural resources, key transportation routes, and a shared border that is critical for Chinas security. China views Central Asia as an important region for its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which aims to create a vast network of infrastructure and trade links between China and countries worldwide. After the erstwhile Soviet Unions disintegration, Chinas relationship with Central Asia was built on economic cooperation. Beijing has invested heavily in the regions infrastructure, including building roads, railways, and pipelines and financing energy and mining projects. China as the regions largest trading partner, has sought to deepen economic ties by establishing free trade zones and providing loans and grants to support regional development. This economic engagement has been accompanied by increasing security cooperation as China seeks to protect its economic interests and manage potential security threats.

One of the main drivers of Chinas security engagement in Central Asia is the perceived threat of terrorism and extremism emanating from the region. China has long been concerned about the potential for instability in Xinjiang, its westernmost province with a border with Central Asia. The Chinese government has accused Uyghur ethnic minorities of separatists and religious extremists carrying out terrorist attacks in Xinjiang and other parts of China. Chinese authorities have cracked down heavily on the Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region. As Central Asian countries share ethno-cultural similarities with the Uyghurs, China sees Central Asia as a potential source of support and sanctuary for anti-Chinese activities operated by Uyghur separatists and extremists. Therefore, it has sought to build closer security ties with the regional governments to counter this threat.

Chinas security cooperation with Central Asian countries has taken several forms, including military training and equipment provision, intelligence sharing, and joint exercises. China has also established a new regional security forum, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which includes China, Russia, and the four Central Asian states as its founding members. The SCO has been touted as a platform for regional security cooperation and has held joint military exercises and counterterrorism operations. China has also established bilateral security agreements with individual Central Asian countries, including a strategic partnership with Kazakhstan and a security cooperation treaty with Tajikistan. One of the key features of Chinas security engagement in Central Asia is its focus on border security and counterterrorism. China has provided military equipment and training to Central Asian countries to help them patrol their borders and prevent the infiltration of terrorists and extremists. China has also provided intelligence support to Central Asian countries.

In the three decades following the erstwhile Soviet Unions collapse, the Russian Federation and China have pursued contrasting goals in post-Soviet Central Asia. While Moscow strives to maintain its strategic influence in the region; Beijings soft power has risen, bolstered by its expanding economic cooperation with Central Asian republics. Recently, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in his Nowruz message to Tajik President Emomali Rahmon that China was preparing a splendid plan for strengthening relations with Central Asia. President Xi sent a similar message to Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

Chinas rising security footprint in Central Asia has fuelled speculation that it could eventually overtake Russia as its dominant security provider. While Russia has long dominated the Central Asian security setting, Chinas growing economic and political influence has given it a bigger stake in regional security dynamics. While Russian influence in post-Soviet Central Asian countries continues to wane, China is expanding its economic and political clout. China is making progress in the security domain in Central Asia. Over the previous five years, it supplied 18% of the regions arms, a considerable rise over the 1.5% of Central Asian arms imports it contributed between 2010 and 2014. China built its first military bases in the region in 2016, high in Tajikistans Pamir Mountains, and has begun projecting its paramilitary troops operational capabilities into the region. While Moscow holds a strategic advantage over Beijing, the gap is shrinking, and if current trends continue, Moscows dominance may be eroded in the future.

While Russian influence in post-Soviet Central Asian states has been declining as a result of its ignorance of the Central Asian region, the region remains a critical source of hydrocarbons as well as a critical transit point for Chinas BRI in support of Chinas rising economic interests there. As a result, Beijing and Moscow have been secretly competing to extend their regional control at the expense of the other. However, with the changing dynamics in the region following the Ukrainian crisis, Beijing is undoubtedly gaining strategically.

On the other hand, it is important to note that Chinas security engagement with Central Asia is still relatively new and is largely focused on counterterrorism and border security, while Russia has a long history of military and security cooperation with Central Asian countries. It has been a key player in regional security affairs since the collapse of the erstwhile Soviet Union. As Chinas economic influence in the region continues to grow, its security footprint will also likely expand. Still, it is unlikely to completely displace Russia as a key player in regional security affairs.

The growing security footprints of China in Central Asia have ramifications for Indian ambitions in the region. India is concerned about how the BRI has allowed China to increase its economic, political, and security influence in Central Asia. Chinas economic initiatives in Central Asia can potentially make these countries dependent on China, limiting their capacity to pursue autonomous policies. Chinas debt trap approach has already harmed Central Asian nations. Central Asian low-income nations such as Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are under debt duress. Due to their failure to repay the Chinese loan, Beijing has taken over mining rights and territory gains in these nations.

Chinas expanding influence over Central Asia worries India but also presents opportunities for New Delhi. Central Asian countries view India as a strategic counterbalance to China. Along with the debt trap, the Chinese BRI has many other issues. These include inadequate risk management, a disregard for details, and a lack of coordination between the engaged local governments, private businesses, and state-owned firms in China. On the contrary, Indias connectivity projects, such as the International North-South Transport Corridor and the Chabahar Port project in Iran, are free of political motivation and completely support regional connectivity.

To balance Chinas growing influence in the region, India has recently increased its wide-ranging cooperation with Central Asian countries. By providing military troops in Central Asian countries with equipment and training, India has also tried to expand its security cooperation with those countries. As the outcome of the First India-Central Asia Summit in January 2022, India established an India-Central Asia Joint Working Group (JWG) on Afghanistan, a JWG on the Chabahar port, and regular meetings of Indias and Central Asian nations national security advisers. These three measures are consistent with Indias revamped Central Asia strategy, which aims to improve cooperation on regional security, Afghanistan, and connectivity. Based on the analysis, it may be inferred that a proactive Indian presence in Central Asia is essential for balancing Chinese dominance in the region.

This article is authored by Pravesh Kumar Gupta, Associate Fellow (Central Asia), Vivekananda International Foundation.
NEW DELHI:Ishita Kishore, the 26-year-old Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) alumnus who topped the civil services examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) ,said that she was confident about clearing the examination but topping the merit list came as a surprise. (Twitter/)

Ishita Kishore said the realization that she wanted to be a civil servant was an early one since she was born into an air force family and that service and duty were a part of her upbringing.

Im still soaking in the result I have been constantly supported by my family, she said after securing the first rank in the UPSC exam. This was her third attempt.

Ishita Kishore said her first choice was the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

Women bagged the top four ranks in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by UPSC. Garima Lohia, Uma Harathi N and Smriti Mishra secured the second, third and fourth ranks respectively in the examination. Lohia and Mishra are graduates of the University of Delhi, while Harathi N is a B.Tech degree holder from IIT-Hyderabad, according to news agency PTI.

UPSC has recommended 933 candidates, including 320 women for appointment to various services including the IAS, Indian Police Service and the Indian Foreign Service. A total of 11,35,697 candidates applied for the examination, out of which 5,73,735 candidates appeared for the examination.

Ishita Kishores parents originally hail from Patna and she did her schooling and college in Delhi, You can say Im from all over India, she said. Her hobbies include Madhubani painting.

After completing her undergraduate degree in Economics Honours from SRCC, Kishore went on to work at Ernst and Young in the risk advisory department. She opted for political science and international relations as her optional subject.

Ishita Kishore said clearing the civil services exam requires immense hard work. There are no easy routes or shortcuts, she said. You have to put in the hard work and commit to it. There are no quick fixes, you need to put in the effort.
Rahul Gandhi's truck ride to Chandigarh to listen to drivers' Mann ki Baat Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited truck drivers on Monday night to know about their problems and to listen to their Mann ki Baat. In visuals tweeted by the party, Gandhi is seen sitting inside a truck, travelling with one of the drivers and speaking to truck drivers. Rahul Gandhi travelled to Chandigarh from Delhi with the drivers to understand the issues faced by them, the party said. Read Here. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visits truck drivers on Monday night to know about their problems. (Twitter/Congress)

Nobel laureate's praise for PM Modi: One of the most visible leaders

PM Narendra Modi is certainly one of the most visible leaders that India has had in a lifetime, Nobel laureate Brian Paul Schmidt said after a meeting with the Indian leader in Sydney. PM Modi is on a three-day visit to Australia where he met Schmidt. The Nobel winner is the leader and chief executive officer of Australian National University. Read Here.

'Disappointed but we must hold': Virat Kohli breaks silence after RCB's heartbreaking exit in IPL 2023

Breaking his silence after Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) unceremonious exit from the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, former India captain Virat Kohli has bemoaned the below-par season performance of Faf du Plessis and Co. in the 16th edition of the cash-rich league. Despite starting as one of the strong title contenders, the Kohli-starrer side failed to reach the business end of the celebrated tournament. RCB have gone 16 editions without lifting the IPL trophy. Read Here.

Ram Charan responds to question about his Hollywood debut. Here's what he said

Actor Ram Charan, who is still basking in the worldwide recognition for his work in SS Rajamoulis magnum opus RRR, responded to a question about his Hollywood debut. The actor was speaking at the Film Tourism for Economic and Cultural Preservation event at Sheri Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC). Ram also talked about the kind of films he wants to do in the future. Read Here.

Cannes 2023: Diana Penty drops a Femme Fatale moment in semi-sheer dress, Mouni Roy opts for a black gown. All pics

Actors Diana Penty and Mouni Roy are in Cannes, southern France, to attend the ongoing 2023 Cannes Film Festival. The 76th edition of the prestigious Festival De Cannes will conclude on May 27, and actors, filmmakers, producers and film enthusiasts from all over the globe are travelling to the French Riviera town to attend. See Here.

Tips To Manage Time During Exam

Exams can be a difficult time on kids. However, they can become easier. Here are some useful tips to manage time during the examination. Read Here.

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Women candidates secured the top four spots in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations, the second straight year of an all-female top three, results announced by the government agency showed on Tuesday. Ishita Kishore with her family on Tuesday (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

At the top spot was Ishita Kishore, a graduate of economics from Sri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University (DU), with Garima Lohia, a commerce graduate from Kirorimal College, DU, and Uma Harathi, an engineering graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, completing the podium finishes.

Among men, the leading rank  fifth  was secured by Mayur Hazarika of Assam.

The UPSC exam determines entry to the countrys premier government positions, such as Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Indian Foreign Services (IFS) and Indian Police Services (IPS).

The back-to-back stellar results by women candidates in one of the countrys toughest exams shows how women are capable of superlative performances when given equal opportunities. This only underlines the importance of ensuring that young girls are not discriminated against when it comes to access to education, and gender bias is acted against at every level  familial, social and institutional.

A total of 1,135,697 candidates applied for this examination, out of which 573,735 candidates appeared in the examination. Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2022 was conducted on June 5, 2022.

Following the test, 13,090 candidates qualified for the written (main) examination that was held in September, 2022. A total of 2,529 candidates qualified for the next and final stage, the personality test.

The Commission has shortlisted 933 candidates against 1,022 vacancies. There are 180 vacancies for IAS officers, 38 for IFS, 200 for IPS, 473 in group A services and 131 in group B.

Group A includes the bulk of the bureaucracys services  a list that runs into 16 in all  while Group B has six, of which four are Union territory specific administrative and police services.

Last year, the commission recommended 685 candidates for appointment to various services, while the number of vacancies was 749.

While the top three positions were of women last year as well, they accounted only about a quarter  or 177  of the total successful candidates in 2022.

This year, of the top 25 candidates, 14 are women and 11 men, while overall, 613 men and 320 women have been recommended for the services.

According to a government statement, the top 25 successful candidates opted for subjects like anthropology, commerce & accountancy, economics, electrical engineering, law, history, mathematics, political science & international relations, philosophy, sociology and zoology as their optional choice in the written stage of the process.

Educational qualifications of top 25 successful candidates range from graduation in engineering; humanities; science; commerce and medical science from premier institutions of the country such as IIT, NIT, DTU, Gauhati Medical College, University of Health Science, University of Delhi, Gujarat National Law University, Jadavpur University, Jiwaji University, the statement added.

The recommended candidates also include 41 persons with benchmark disability (14 orthopedically handicapped, 7 visually challenged, 12 hearing impaired & 08 multiple disabilities).

Congratulating the candidates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, Congratulations to those youngsters who have cleared the Civil Services Exams. My best wishes for a fruitful and satisfying career ahead. This is a very exciting time to be serving the nation and bringing a positive difference in the lives of people.

Kishore chose political science and international relations as her optional subject, while Lohia chose commerce and accountancy, and Harathi chose anthropology.

Overjoyed with her result, Kishore said service and duty were part of her upbringing. Im still soaking in the result, Kishore, 26, said. I have been constantly supported by my family. There are no easy routes or short cuts. You have to put in the hard work and commit to it. There are no quick fixes, you need to put in the effort.

I was keen on appearing for the UPSC exam since my childhood. I was sure that I would crack the UPSC examination, but I never imagined that I would secure the second rank, Lohia, the second-rank holder, said.

Harathi, the third rank holder, said: Either male or female, family support is crucial to achieve the goal. This exam process requires emotional support, family support. Information and content, books are available online, but emotional support, family support is not available. That is important.

Smriti Mishra, who secured the all India fourth rank, and was also a DU student, said: I completely gave up social media and also distanced myself from social gatherings and continuously focused on studying. This was my third attempt at the UPSC exams and I am very happy to have secured the fourth rank.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has hit out at Trinamool Congress MP Nusrat Jahan after a video went viral in which she is purportedly heard saying that the BJP and the Congress will be beaten with bamboo sticks if they come to seek votes in West Bengal's Basirhat. News agency ANI claimed that Jahan was addressing a public meeting in her parliamentary constituency Basirhat recently, ahead of the West Bengal panchayat elections. TMC MP Nusrat Jahan at Parliament House complex .(HT Photo)

"In 2021, they said 'is bar 200 par' but they failed and their boat capsized. No matter how big the boats are, all capsize in the tide of Mamata Banerjee. They are planning a bigger conspiracy this time. They have stopped people's money. They have stopped funds for the 100 days work (MGNREGA) to the State. It is a conspiracy to stop Mamata Banerjee's work for the people," ANI quoted the TMC MP as saying.

They do not give anything to Bengal. Why will the people of Bengal vote for you? What have you done for the people of Bengal? You will not get a single vote. Whoever comes here during panchayat elections, be it BJP or Congress, will be beaten with bamboo sticks by the people of Basirhat, Jahan is purportedly heard saying.

Responding to the Trinamool MP's remarks, the BJP on Tuesday tweeted, Part-time politician Nusrat Jahan, who is hardly found in her constituency & never helped people when in need, suddenly finds a way to garner attention. She asks people to beat BJP with bamboo! This is normal in Mamatas Democracy. Bengal will soon teach them a lesson!

State BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar said this makes our resolve stronger why Bengal must oust TMC.

Beat up BJP workers with bamboo sticks & batons when they come to seek your votes-TMC MP. Nusrat, Our Karyakartas are fighting TMC goons having bombs & guns. We neither fear this,nor bamboo sticks, Majumdar tweeted.

BJP IT-cell head Amit Malviya said elections in Bengal, local body elections in particular, are a sham.

"Nusrat Jahan, TMC MP from Basirhat, in a desperate attempt to whip up frenzy, asks people in her constituency to beat up BJP and Congress workers with bamboo sticks and batons, when they come seeking votes in the panchayat elections! This politics of violence and intimidation in West Bengal is Mamata Banerjees abiding legacy," Malviya tweeted.

West Bengal BJP state secretary Priyanka Tibrewal alleged that violence is in the nature of the TMC.

"These kinds of elements in our society are not very social. Even if you check her background... her marital status is still not clear. Violence is in their nature that has been proved. She has no time to attend to the constituency. Rather she is busy with two or three marriages. That is also undeclared," Tibrewal told ANI.

Ahead of the panchayat elections in the state, the ruling TMC and the BJP are levelling allegations of malpractice against each other.

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The cash-strapped Go First, which abruptly stopped operations from May 3, has not given a timeline to resume flight operations, aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Tuesday. Go First suspended its operations on May 3 and has announced to keep it suspended till May 26. (File)

The airline has responded to our notice and there has been no definite timelines for resumption yet, said a DGCA official, who did not want to be named. However, officials said that the airline had expressed an intent to resume operations at the earliest.

Go Firsts plea for voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings was filed on May 2 and it suspended its operations on May 3 and has announced to keep it suspended till May 26.

On Friday, a section of media had claimed that Go First could resume operations from May 27, citing an e-mail to pilots informing them about a refresher course. The reports had also stated that the airline would operate with a handful of aircraft to destinations like Delhi, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.

Go First spokesperson did not comment on the matter.

The regulator, on May 8, had issued a show cause notice to the airline due to the sudden cancellation of flights and initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process. It also asked them to stop the booking ad sale of tickets directly or indirectly, with immediate effect. The DGCA continues to disallow the airline from selling tickets, a second official told HT.

DGCA has issued a show cause notice to Go First under the Aircraft Rules, 1937, for their failure to continue the operation of the service in a safe, efficient and reliable manner.

DGCA had asked the regulator to submit their reply within 15 days of the receipt of the notice. It had also warned them about their further course of action and decision on the continuation of their Air Operators Certificate (AOC ) based on the reply submitted.

The government, however, said that it was hopeful about the revival of the airline by the end of the month.

Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday said that the government wants resumption of flights as soon as possible. He also said that the government had impressed upon Prat & Whitney that India needed to have the planes up and running.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Neha LM Tripathi I am a principal correspondent with the national political bureau of the Hindustan Times. I track the aviation and railways ministry. I also write on travel trends. I cover the beats at the national level for the newspaper. Before being in Delhi, I have worked as a journalist in Mumbai as well. My hobbies include trekking and travelling. ...view detail
The Delhi Police on Tuesday clarified that there was no misbehaviour with former Delhi minister Manish Sisodia in the Rouse Avenue Court after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal shared a video showing cops surrounding Sisodia when media people were asking him questions on the Delhi ordinance. It is against the law to issue statements to the media by the accused in judicial custody, the Delhi Police said clarifying the action of the cop who was seen putting his arm around Sisodia. Commenting on the Delhi ordinance, Sisodia said, "Modi ji has become very arrogant."

Here is the video

Sharing the video, which was originally posted by Delhi minister Atishi, Kejriwal wrote: 'Do Delhi Police have the rigts to misbehave with Manish ji like this? Have the cops been instructed to do this by powers above?"

This is how Delhi Police controlled by the BJP-led centre, treats India's best education minister. Strongly condemn this manhandling. The nation is watching, AAP MP Raghav Chadha said.

"The talk of police misbehaviour with Mr Manish Sisodia at the time of production in Rouse Avenue Court is propaganda. The police response as seen in the video was imperative from a security point of view. It is against the law to issue statements to the media by the accused in judicial custody," Delhi Police responded promptly.

Sisodia was brought to the court on Tuesday where his judicial custody was extended till June 1. The judge also directed the jail authorities to consider providing the politician with a chair and a table along with books inside the prison.

As seen in the video, when Sisodia was brought to the court, media people asked him to comment on the ordinance that the Centre brought on May 19 empowering the LG over the elected government.

As soon as the question was asked, the cops accompanying him gestured to the media people to make way. "Modi ji has become very arrogant, does not respect democracy..." Sisodia said when a cop caught hold of Sisodia putting his arm around his head in what looked like a stranglehold.

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New Delhi The copyright to the screenplay written by director Satyajit Ray for his 1966 film Nayak belongs to him, and after his death to his son Sandip Ray and the Society for Preservation of Satyajit Ray Archives, the Delhi high court ruled on Tuesday, stressing that an author, commissioned by the producer of a film to write its screenplay, must be first owner of the copyright. Satyajit Ray first copyright owner of movie Nayak: Delhi HC

The courts ruling came while deciding a lawsuit by the family of the films producer RD Bansal who contended that the copyright to the film as well as the screenplay belonged to them.

Ray, recognised as one of cinemas great masters, died in 1992.

Nayak, or Nayak: The Hero starring Uttam Kumar and Sharmila Tagore is a psychological drama set on a train that deals with the aspiring, impatient Bengali middle class of the 1960s and its constant struggle with money and Marxism. It won the Special Jury Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Nayaks story and screenplay were written by Ray, making it the second film to be penned wholly (story and screenplay) by him after Kanchenjungha (1962).

Inexorably, the conclusion is that under Section 17 of the Copyright Act, Satyajit Ray, as the author of the screenplay of the film Nayak, was the first owner of the copyright... The contention that the plaintiff is the owner of the copyright in the screenplay in the film Nayak, therefore, cannot be accepted and is accordingly, rejected, justice C Hari Shankar held.

Bansals family had sought to restrain HarperCollins from publishing and distributing a 2018 novel by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay that was a novelisation on Rays screenplay for Nayak on the grounds that this was an infringement of its copyright.

On the other hand, HarperCollins contended that the copyright belonged to Satyajit Ray, and after his death to his son Sandip Ray and the Society for Preservation of Satyajit Ray Archives (SPSRA).

Rejecting the Bansal familys suit, justice C Hari Shankar said the producers family has no right to injunct the novelisation of the screenplay by third parties. The court observed that there was no dispute that the screenplay of the film was entirely the work of Satyajit Ray and the producer contributed no part to it.

The court said that, being the author, Ray was the first owner of the copyright to the screenplay and the right to novelise it was vested in him, and the later conferment of this right by his son and SPSRA to a third party was above board.

Copyright in the screenplay of the film Nayak vested, therefore, consequent on the demise of Satyajit Ray, on his son Sandip Ray and SPSRA. The conferment of the right to novelise the screenplay, by Sandip Ray and the SPSRA on the defendant, therefore, is wholly in order, ruled the court.

Ray won an honorary Academy Award in 1992 for his real mastery in the arts of motions pictures and his profound humanism which has had indelible influence on filmmakers throughout the world.
New Delhi Germs of separatism that the central leadership failed to contain; the way Congress Working Committee consented to Partition without consulting Gandhi; and the reason for the non-insistence of central leadership on having the Frontier Province with India  these are some of the questions that will be investigated by a new centre for Independence and Partition Studies to be set up by Delhi University, according to a draft concept note issued by an eight-member panel set up by the university to oversee the upcoming centre. HT Image

The draft note, which has been reviewed by HT, and the ordinance that will govern the centre will be placed before the universitys academic council on May 26.Once approved by the academic council, the proposal will be reviewed by the executive council at a meeting on June 9.

The roots of Indias Partition, the draft note argues, actually began in the 8th century.

It says that India, as the oldest living civilisation, was once a great melting pot that subsumed all differences and divisions but developed lethargy and intellectual complacency due to repeated invasions.

Due to external invasions, starting with the Arab invasion of Sindh in early 8th century, Indians started to gradually lose their cultural and intellectual strengths and many fault lines along caste, religion, language and race came to be drawn. Of these, religion grew into a chasm and resulted in the country being partitioned on religious lines, the draft note adds.

The horrors of Partition also serve as a grim reminder of invasions and savagery of more than a millennium that transformed a land of tolerance, coexistence and plenty into that of strife, fault lines and schism, it says.

The draft also says that a process of destruction that was started by medieval invaders was only completed by the British.

Indian society witnessed a stagnation that led to a long phase of lethargy and intellectual complacency in every aspect of life. If centuries of invasions destroyed the grand structures and attacked the Indian knowledge system, then the British colonisers completed this task by destroying the collective memory of these structures and the grand knowledge system, it says.

The draft note envisions that the centre will also investigate other questions around Partition  including the role played by Cyril Radcliffe, who divided India and Pakistan, and the high-voltage politics surrounding Partition.

The centre was first conceptualised in 2020and will be set up as a multidisciplinary hub. The five-page draft note refers to Prime Minister Narendra Modis push in 2021 to observe August 14, also Pakistans independence day, as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, and says though some departments touched upon various aspects of Independence and Partition, such effort was hardly based on field research, dedicated archival sources or studies of affected groups. Further, there has been no effort to create a dedicated resource centre for exclusive studies on Independence and Partition. There is hardly any effort to sensitise the student communities to the traumas and horrors around Partition, the draft note adds.

DU vice chancellor Yogesh Singh said that the centre will serve as a critical resource hub on Partition. Historians and political scientists are of the view that the Partition and its impact should also be shared with the younger generations. The centre will serve as a resource and catalyst in conducting research, preserving testimonies, and important documents pertaining to the Partition, said Singh.

Prakash Singh, director of South Delhi campus and chairperson of the committee, said that the centre did not aim to deny or criticise past scholarship. We dont want to deny or critique past scholarship. Our only aim is to highlight certain segments that have never been highlighted in mainstream history writing. Tribal leaders, local heroes have been ignored and did not receive much attention until Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, said Singh.

Last year, Jawaharlal Nehru University vice chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit shared that the varsity had plans to set up a centre to study Partition.

A Partition Museum was recently opened at the Dara Shikoh Library Building (DSLB) on the Ambedkar University campus at Kashmere Gate. The museum is managed by The Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust (TACHT) which set up a Partition Museum in Amritsar earlier.

Maya John, a member of the academic council who teaches history, said, Among the aims and objectives of the centres, it is proposed that the centre will study past invasions, suffering and slavery over 1300 years. The language is objectionable and suggests a ring-wing assertion of the Indian subcontinents past. The manner in which the note talks about the invasion of the past 1300 years is a clear-cut right-wing ideology at play.

The kind of approach that is being taken seems to lay a lot of emphasis on retrieving the history of unsung heroes. This approach doesnt necessarily help the scholarship to move forward. This approach reflects undermining of earlier historical scholarship and the anti-colonial struggle during the partition period, said John.

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Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday announced that from today he will be travelling across the country to fight for the rights of the people of Delhi, seeking support against the ordinance that the Union government brought to scuttle down the powers of the Delhi government. Making an appeal on Twitter, Kejriwal wrote, "After years, the Supreme Court gave a verdict in favour of the people of Delhi. But it was overturned by the Centre through the ordinance. When this law comes in the Rajya Sabha, it should not be allowed to pass under any circumstances. I will meet the presidents of all political parties and seek their support." Desh bhar mein nikal raha hoon: Kejriwal's appeal to parties amid ordinance row

Opinion | Delhi ordinance will face stiff judicial test

This fight is not only for the people of Delhi. This fight is a fight to save Indian democracy, a fight to save the constitution given by Baba Sahib, a fight to save the judiciary. This fight is a fight to save the country. I expect everyone's support in this, Kejriwal tweeted.

The first destination for Kejriwal is West Bengal as Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann are scheduled to meet West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool supremo Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.

The agenda is the ordinance while they may also exchange ideas on Opposition unity. "They are scheduled to have a closed-door meeting at the state secretariat. They may also hold a discussion on probable strategies for next year's general elections," a senior TMC leader said.

On Tuesday evening, Kejriwal and Mann will leave Kolkata and fly to Mumbai where they are scheduled to meet Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar on Wednesday.

Opposition unity on Delhi ordinance: What Congress said

Kejriwal met Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday in New Delhi and said the ordinance can be rejected in the Upper House if all Opposition parties come together. It will be a semifinal before the 2024 Lok Sabha election if the law gets defeated in the Rajya Sabha, Kejriwal said, with Nitish Kumar vowing to support Kejriwal.

The ordinance issue gives ammo to the opposition parties looking for a united platform ahead of the Lok Sabha election, but the Congress has not yet clarified its stance on the Delhi ordinance issue. While Delhi Congress leaders Ajay Maken, and Sandeep Dikshit criticised Kejriwal's 'rudeness', the party's official stand on the issue is not yet out.

"The Congress Party has not taken any decision on the issue of the Ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the Government of NCT of Delhi with respect to appointment of officers. It will consult its state units & other like-minded parties on the same. The Party believes in the Rule of Law and at the same time does not condone unnecessary confrontation, political witch-hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party," KC Venugopal tweeted.

Delhi ordinance: What is the controversy?

On May 11, the Supreme Court ruled that the elected government in the NCT will have administrative powers except law and order and land. Going by the verdict, the Delhi government got the power to transfer IAS officers working in Delhi. It did so immediately after the verdict by transferring services secretary Ashish More. More complained to the LG and alleged 'personal vengeance of minister Saurabh Bharadwaj behind the transfer. On May 19, the Union government brought an ordinance giving special powers to the LG and creating a separate service for the Delhi officers. AAP said the ordinance is unconstitutional while BJP leaders said the ordinance is necessary to maintain Delhi's dignity.

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Authorities sent an additional 600 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel from five companies to Manipur on Tuesday to bolster security in areas that have a mixed population of Kukis and Meiteis, a day after fresh incidents of arson were reported from the northeastern state, marking a return of ethnic clashes that has left at least 73 people dead and 40,000 displaced. A road wears a partially deserted look in Kangkopki district of Manipur on Tuesday. (PTI)

Also Read: Army deployed as fresh violence erupts in Manipur, houses set on fire in Imphal

On Tuesday, business establishments remained closed and people were asked to stay indoors in Imphal, where a mob torched two houses on Monday after four armed people, including a former MLA, forced people to shut their shops.

Locals, armed with licensed guns, were found guarding their localities against possible attacks by constructing makeshift bunkers in a few places, including Pukhao and Leitanpokpi in Imphal East district, police said.

Taking note of the fresh violence, the government has decided to send some 1,800 personnel of the CRPF and Assam Rifles to the state in the next two days, officials aware of the matter said on condition of anonymity. After the cases of violence came down, a joint meeting of the police, state administration and paramilitary forces was held during which specific areas were identified. These areas are those where there is mixed population of Kukis and Meiteis, the official said. The paramilitary forces will be present in such areas as part of measures to ensure there is no tension and normalcy is restored.

Also Read: Meiteis, Kukis keep moving to safer areas as tensions persist in Manipur

State authorities relaxed curfew hours by two hours. Restrictions now apply from 5am to 2pm. The government has lifted curfew in at least five districts, which include Senapati, Tamenglong, Noney, Ukhrul and Kamjong.

There are currently around 10,000 personnel from the army and Assam Rifles and 7,000 from the CRPF and BSF in the troubled state. Paramilitary forces are guarding NH-2 in Manipur to keep supply lines open.

As of Tuesday, the portion of NH-37 in Manipur has been secured and opened for traffic, the official said. Very soon, NH-2 will also be opened.

Also Read: Manipur extends internet ban to curb spread of hate speech

Sporadic incidents of violence were reported from the state on Sunday and Monday. Chief minister N Biren Singh on Monday appealed to the people to stop torching houses of innocent people. People who had fled their homes are slowly returning after the government assured them safety, a Manipur police officer overseeing the arrangements said, wishing to remain unnamed. There are around 39,000 people living in camps run by state and paramilitary forces. They are housed in community halls. Most of the displaced people, who lost their homes, are in Churachandpur district, he said.

(With PTI inputs)

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AHMEDABAD: Four Bangladesh nationals have been arrested in Gujarat on charges that they illegally entered the country and were trying to radicalise local youth in Ahmedabad and collecting money, according to a statement by Gujarats anti-terrorist squad (ATS) on Monday. Gujarat ATSs DIG Deepan Bhadran said the four were allegedly involved in recruiting for terror group al-Qaeda (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The four were part of a local al-Qaeda module trained by their handlers in Bangladesh, the statement issued by deputy inspector general (DIG) Gujarat ATS, Deepan Bhadran said

The four persons were identified by the police as Mohammad Sojib, Munna Khalid Ansari, Azharul Islam Ansari, and Mominul Ansari.

Based on the received intelligence, four illegal Bangladeshi immigrants involved in recruiting for al-Qaeda were arrested, said Bhadran.

He added that the police first picked Sojib, who earlier lived in Ahmedabads Rakhial area, for questioning.

Sojib revealed that he and three other individuals are associated with al-Qaedas network and were receiving instructions from their handler based in Bangladesh, identified as Shariful Islam. Through Islam, these youths came into contact with Shayba, who is reportedly heading al-Qaedas operations in Mymensingh district, Bangladesh.

According to the ATS, the suspects were trying to radicalise people in Gujarat and were also transferring funds to Bangladesh. The ATS did not, however, indicate how much money had been transferred.

Gujarat ATS received information about four Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in Ahmedabads Odhav and Narol areas, using duplicate IDs. They are associated with al-Qaeda and have been motivating Muslim residents of the city to join the militant organization, as well as collecting funds for al-Qaeda.

ATS said fake identity documents and literature produced by the terror groups media wing were seized at the instance of the four suspects.

ATS said the focus of its inquiry was to identify individuals who facilitated their border crossing, ascertain methods to raise funds, identify local contacts, and individuals who may have been influenced by them.
NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday unveiled plans to open its fourth consulate in Australia at Brisbane, the capital of Queensland state, fulfilling a long-standing demand of the Indian diaspora. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at an Indian community event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on May 23 (AP)

The announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a diaspora event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney that was also attended by his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. A new Indian consulate will be opened soon in Brisbane, he said.

India has a high commission in the national capital Canberra and there are currently consulates in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. There is also an honorary consulate in Brisbane.

The oldest Indian consulate was established in Sydney in 1941 as the trade commission of India. A consulate was established in Melbourne in September 2006, and another in Perth in October 2011.

Brisbane is the most populous city of Queensland state and the third-most populous city in Australia, with a population of about 2.6 million. Indian-origin residents make up the third-largest diaspora in Brisbane.

According to Australias 2016 census, more than 619,000 people were of Indian ancestry. They make up 2.8% of the countrys population and this figure included 592,000 people born in India. Since then, the number has risen to about 750,000.
Banks on Tuesday began accepting 2,000 currency notes for exchange days after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday last announced the withdrawal of the highest-value currency notes from circulation. The  2,000 notes will continue to have legal tender status. (ANI)

RBI has advised banks to maintain daily data on deposit and exchange of 2,000 banknotes in a specific format and provide waiting space in the shade with drinking water facilities for customers.

In Guwahati, there was no major rush at banks. Business was normal at both private and public sector banks in the city. There is no rush as yet for customers to deposit 2000 notes in our branch. Until Monday, a few customers deposited small amounts of 2000 notes. No special measures such as setting up separate counters to handle such customers have been taken yet. But we will do so if needed, said Biltu Rai, the manager of the Bhangagarh branch of Punjab National Bank.

Prasidh Singh, a pensioner who was at a State Bank of India (SBI) branch in Ranchi for the exchange, said his tenant gave him 2,000 notes long back and he had to deposit that money. An SBI staffer said only three people prior to Singh turned up to exchange notes in the morning.

At an IDBI Bank branch in Jaipur, only three of around 20 customers had come to deposit 2000 currency notes for exchange until 11am.

RBI governor Shaktikanta Das on Monday said there was no reason for people to rush to banks for exchanging these banknotes, citing adequate availability of small denomination notes and a fairly long exchange window of over four months.

He maintained the withdrawal of banknotes from circulation would not have any significant impact. Das said the notes constituted less than 11% of total currency in circulation.

The 2,000 notes will continue to have legal tender status, allowing people to use them to buy goods and services.

Das did not comment on whether the high denomination notes would be legal tender beyond September 30. He said RBI will be sensitive to the requirements and adequacies of people. ...there may be people outside India who require time to exchange. We will look into all these issues and resolve them.

Das said the deadline was to ensure people take the matter seriously. He added that if they had kept it open-ended, it may not have been taken seriously.

A government official aware of the matter told HT that the September 30 deadline and the status of legal tender could be reviewed in due course. The withdrawal of legal tender status requires the governments approval.

RBI first stopped printing 2,000 notes in 2018-19 and then started reducing it from circulation. Thus, the total value of these banknotes in circulation fell to 3.62 lakh crore, or 10.8% of all notes on March 31, 2023, from 6.73 lakh crore on March 31, 2018 (or 37.3%).

Das said the large denomination notes were not used for day-to-day transactions and therefore, economic activity will not be impacted. He clarified that while RBI has not specified any additional procedure for depositing the notes, bearers will have to follow the existing rules. He cited an income tax rule and said if customers deposit cash above 50,000 then they have to produce their PAN cards.

Das maintained the withdrawal of 2,000 banknotes from circulation will have a very, very marginal impact on the economy. He dismissed as speculative the idea that the 1,000 note could return.

He said the withdrawal was part of currency management. He added the high denomination notes fulfilled their purpose of rapid re-monetisation after the November 2016 demonetisation. He added that the central bank expects most of the 3.62 lakh crore in circulation in 2,000 notes to return to the banking system by September 30.
The central government is cracking down on unauthorised centres administering yellow fever vaccine and issuing fake certificates, and has asked states to identify and take action against them, according to people familiar with the matter. Representational Image

Following reports that certain unauthorised centres are administering vaccination and issuing invalid or fraudulent yellow fever vaccine certificates, resulting in the quarantine of passengers, ministry of health and family welfare reiterates taking extreme caution to the invalid vaccination certificates issued from these unauthorised centres, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said in a letter that was sent to the states on April 20th.

HT has reviewed the letter.

Although administering yellow fever shots is controlled by the government, there have been reports of some private centres providing the shots illegally in certain parts of the country. The quality of vaccine cannot be monitored and the certificates issued by these centres may not be valid for re-entry into India or entry into other countries that are free of the disease.

Yellow fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes, with 40-60% mortality. The yellow in the name comes from jaundice which affects some patients. The virus is endemic in tropical areas of Africa, and central and south America.

Occasionally, travellers who visit yellow fever endemic countries may bring the disease to countries free from the ailment. To prevent this, many countries require proof of vaccination against yellow fever before they issue a visa, or allow entry or re-entry.

India, for instance, requires travellers to yellow-fever endemic countries to get the vaccine before they travel, although it is usually checked only on re-entry. A single dose provides lifelong protection against the disease, and a booster dose of the vaccine is not needed.

The Indian government recently found that many of the Indians it evacuated from Sudan, were not vaccinated as per international standards against the disease and had to be quarantined as a precautionary measure. According to the data shared by the press information bureau on Operation Kaveri, the rescue of Indians stranded in the war-torn African nation, of 1,191 passengers who were evacuated till end of April, 117 needed to be quarantined.

That seems to have prompted the letter.

It is requested that the state/Union Territory government may probe into the reports of such non-authorised vaccination centres at your states and initiate necessary corrective measures to ensure strict compliance to the national policies and guidelines, the letter said. Action initiated on such centres may also be reported to the Central International Health Division.

Fake vaccination certificates not only have a negative impact on public health but also are against the law, the health secretary said. The Centre has also increased enforcement at points of entry to ensure that travellers with fraudulent certificates do not enter the country through international borders and are quarantined as mandated under the International Health Regulations 2005.

There is no established transmission of the virus within the country. The risk if yellow fever importation into India is considered high if there is laxity in the strict implementation of the vaccination measures taken for the travellers, Bhushan said in the letter.

A senior central government official who asked not to be named said, We dont know who these people are, from where they are procuring the vaccine, and selling at exorbitant rates. The certificates that Indian government approved centres issue follow international guidelines. These centres are merely duping people who will eventually face inconvenience on their return.

In India, all travellers over nine months of age travelling to and from yellow fever endemic countries are required to be in possession of a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate issued by authorised and designated vaccination centres on arrival into the country. The Central International Health Division of the Directorate General of Health Services, under the Union health ministry, is the nodal office for administering yellow fever vaccines and issuing vaccination certificates.

Meanwhile, yellow fever vaccine supplies that were in short supply till a couple of weeks ago  as the vaccine is procured from Russia  are back on track, said the official cited above.

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NEW DELHI: Indias aerospace sector is on a high growth trajectory that not only provides opportunities to multinational companies to harness the captive market, but also give them chance to set up a base in the country and serve the region as a whole, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman told visiting senior leadership team of Boeing on Tuesday. The Boeing delegation led by Boeing India president Salil Gupte met finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. (Twitter/FinMinIndia)

In reference to the recent bulk order for aircrafts placed by Indian companies, FM stated that Indias aerospace and civil market is on a #HighGrowth trajectory & also informed the group about aircraft leasing operations being undertaken by banks in GIFT-IFSC @GIFTCity, Union finance ministry said in a tweet.

The companys delegation was led by Boeing India president Salil Gupte.

In February this year, Tata groups airline Air India announced $80 billion deal with Boeing of the US and Airbus of France to buy 470 aircraft . The deal was Boeings third biggest sale in terms of order, which would create up to 1 million jobs across 44 states in the US, according to an American governments estimate.

In the context of Indias geographical advantage, FM underlined Indias focus on repositioning itself as an #MRO hub that can potentially serve the region from Europe to Africa to Far East, the finance ministry tweeted.

FM highlighted the opportunities available in India for relocating of companies in the form of not just a #CaptiveMarket but also the chance to be a hub for serving the region as a whole and this can be rewarding for companies from a business point of view, it added.

Sitharaman welcomed the Boeing delegation and sought their views and suggestions pertaining to investments in general and aviation sector in particular.

Talking about Indias journey towards becoming the 3rd largest economy in the world, FM apprised the group of the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi and the vision for next 25 years #AmritKaal, while leading India to mark 100 years of independence, the ministry said. The Amrit Kaal is the 25 years in the run-up to countrys 100th year of Independence.

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Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) will soon find its place among the top 50 destinations globally while calling tourism in the region a reflection of Indias multi-religious and multi-cultural ethos. Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, Union ministers G Kishan Reddy, Ajay Bhatt, Jitendra Singh, officials and delegates at the working group meeting. (PTI)

...it will be on the travel bucket list of global travellers, said Sinha in his address in Srinagar to a tourism working group meeting of the G20 grouping of the worlds largest economies.

The meeting is one of the biggest international events being held in J&K since the nullification of Article 370, which stripped the region of its semi-autonomous status in August 2019. It is being seen as a reiteration on the global stage of the region being Indias integral part.

Sinha said tourism cannot grow in isolation. ...tourism needs good infrastructure, sound policies, and effective and responsive administration. He added only peace and happiness can bring warmth to hospitality.

He referred to the regions majestic peaks, crystal-clear lakes, and serene green landscape and added J&K is more than a tourism destination. Sinha said record 18 million tourists visited J&K last year and the tourism sector contributed 7% to its GDP.

Sinha said the government has identified 300 new destinations to promote green tourism, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), youth and women entrepreneurs and involve local communities to support sustainable tourism.

He said the tourism sector has been accorded the status of industry. Sinha also referred to fiscal incentives being offered to it as per the regions Industrial Policy. We are receiving massive investment proposals from the industries in the hospitality sector.

Sinha spoke about over 300 movies that were filmed in the region last year. ...such enthusiasm is bringing about a qualitative change in the lives of people. Our aim is to make the countryside and popular destinations more sustainable and preserve the beauty of fascinating heritage sites.

Sinha, who was scheduled to host a high tea for G20 delegates, said Prime Minister Narendra Modis development schemes have empowered the masses and effective administration has isolated the terror ecosystem, which thrived with the support from across the border. Now even foreign investments are also coming into J&K. He said there have been green shoots of better times people have anxiously looking for.

Sinha said the grassroots democracy has been strengthened in J&K and new industries are coming up. ...rapid agricultural growth is making our villages prosperous; new institutions have been opened up in higher education, and youths are being trained for industry 4.0 technologies.

He said infrastructure development is progressing rapidly. Sinha added their emphasis on technology is transforming J&K into a digital society. He said the regions ranking on the parameters of sustainable development goals (SDGs) has gone up over the last four years. ...entire society, especially the young generation, is scripting a bright future for themselves and the nation.

China skipped the working group meeting. Delegates and officials from G20 members, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the UK, the US, and the European Union, attended the inaugural events on the banks of Dal Lake.

Officials from embassies in New Delhi instead of representatives from the capitals represented some members of the grouping such as Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

India, which assumed the forums presidency in December, organised G20-related events in J&K and Arunachal Pradesh to showcase normalcy and development in these areas and to negate territorial claims by other countries. Pakistan has objected to the holding of such meetings in Kashmir. It was one of the reasons behind Chinas decision to boycott the event in Srinagar. China also stayed away from a G20 event in Arunachal Pradesh. Beijing claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet.

The draft for a national strategy on film tourism was unveiled at a session on the sidelines of the meeting on Monday. There was also a side event on ecotourism, and a panel discussion focused on green tourism, digitalisation, skills, MSMEs, and destination management.

These priorities are building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and achieving the targets under the 2030 SDGs.

On Monday afternoon, some of the foreign guests took a ride on a boat on the Dal Lake and visited a handicrafts exhibition. A trip to the ski resort of Gulmarg for delegates scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled because of security concerns.

Srinagar has been decked up in the G20 colours for the meeting. The road from Srinagar Airport to the venue of the meeting has been spruced up with walls covered with murals and paintings. Local markets were cleaned up and even security bunkers were given a new look in the run-up to the meeting.

Multi-tier security arrangements have been made for the international event. Marine commandoes and National Security Guard personnel carried out security drills ahead of the meeting around its venue. River and lake domination was done to ensure water bodies around the venue of the meeting are safe. Central Reserve Police Force personnel also conducted mock drills at Dal Lake since Friday.
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir suffered for 30 years due to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism but is now on the path of development due to the Centres schemes and initiatives, lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said on Tuesday on the second day of the G20 tourism working group meeting in Srinagar. G20 delegates enjoying a Shikara ride in Dal Lake, in Srinagar on Monday. (ANI)

Delegates and officials from G20 members, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the UK, the US, and the European Union (EU) are attending the three-day meeting, which began on Tuesday at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre on the banks of Dal Lake.

For almost 30 years, this land of peaceful co-existence of almost all religious sects had to suffer dueo to state-sponsored terrorism by our neighbouring country. However, PM Narendra Modi, through developmental schemes, isolated the terror ecosystem, which thrived with support from across the border. J&K is now witnessing a new era that has opened limitless possibilities for growth and peace, Sinha said.

India organised G20-related events in Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh to showcase normalcy and development in these areas and to negate territorial claims by other countries. Pakistan has objected to the holding of such meetings in Kashmir, one of the reasons behind Chinas decision to boycott the event in Srinagar. China also stayed away from a G20 event in Arunachal Pradesh. India has maintained that it is natural to arrange such events in areas that are an integral and inalienable part of the country.

Union tourism minister G Kishan Reddy also brushed aside Pakistans objections to the meeting being held in J&K.

Who is Pakistan to talk about issues on our land? What right do they have? Since Independence, Jammu and Kashmir has been with India. It is our own land. The people of J&K are our responsibility, and we will do everything for them, he said.

The meeting is one of the biggest international events held in Jammu & Kashmir since the nullification of Article 370 in August 2019 and one that served as a reiteration on the global stage of the region being an integral part of the country.

Sinha added that the governments initiatives have helped bring about change on the ground in J&K. Todays J&K is not the land of hartals, separatism or stone pelting but it has become a land of peace and prosperity. Now our youngsters are focusing on their careers, he said.

Sinha said that the tourism sector was blooming in the region, which was due to the work done by the administration at the ground level.

A record 18 million tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir (last year).. We have identified 300 new destinations to promote green tourism, small and medium enterprises, youth and women entrepreneurs, and involve local communities to support tourism, he said.

The 63-year-old said the government was committed to ensuring infrastructural growth in the region. Grassroots democracy has been strengthened, new industries are coming up, rapid agricultural growth is making our villages prosperous, infrastructure development is progressing rapidly, and our emphasis on technology is transforming J&K into a digital society, he added.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday secured the support of Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee as he began his campaign to seek backing from Opposition parties against a Union government ordinance brought to curb the Delhi governments administrative powers, days after a verdict by the Supreme Court upheld the primacy of the city-states elected government over bureaucracy. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday. (ANI)

Banerjee assured Kejriwal that the TMC will oppose the bill when it is brought to Parliament. Her party has 22 members in the Lok Sabha, where the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has a clear majority, and 12 in the Rajya Sabha, where the issue could come to a head because of higher Opposition numbers.

This will give us a chance to defeat the BJP before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the TMC chairperson said, triggering speculations that the ordinance issue may add impetus to the effort opposition parties are making to form an anti-BJP platform. We support Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the fight against the central ordinance... Request all parties not to vote for BJPs law, she added, flanked by Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann.

To be sure, the Congress, the largest opposition party, is yet to decide on a stance. On Tuesday, two of its leaders, Ajay Maken and Sandeep Dikshit, argued against extending support to the AAP, citing a string of past issues where the two parties were at loggerheads. On Monday, party general secretary KC Venugopal had tweeted that the party was still deliberating on the issue.

The issue is emerging as the first big challenge for the Opposition, which has been trying to forge a common platform to take on the BJP in the 2024 polls. With less than a year to go for the general elections, a vote on the bill will test if opposition parties can set aside their differences and come together on a move linked to Indias federal structure and the balance of power between the Centre and states.

Kejriwal thanked Banerjee for her support. The Centre wants to crush the success people of Delhi achieved after an eight-year struggle. The Centre brought the ordinance hours before the Supreme Court, which passed an order in our favour, went on vacation. They are making a mockery of democracy, Kejriwal said.

He said the upcoming vote on a bill to convert the ordinance into a law will be a semi final before the 2024 elections.

Kejriwal and Mann are scheduled to meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Wednesday.

During Tuesdays meeting, Mann accused the BJP of causing problems for states ruled by opposition parties.

They will go to any length. They created trouble for us in Punjab with the governor not allowing the state government to hold a budget session of the legislative assembly. If 30 governors and the PM can run the country then why do they make tall statements on Indias democracy during foreign tours? Mann said.

The ordinance  which gives the lieutenant governor control over the Capitals bureaucracy  was issued on May 19, days after a May 11 Supreme Court verdict gave the Delhi government control over bureaucrats assigned to departments under its purview. Any ordinance needs be passed by Parliament within six weeks of its reassembly, or it lapses.

Kejriwal said that he will be travelling across India to seek support against the ordinance.

After years, the Supreme Court gave a verdict in favour of the people of Delhi. But it was overturned by the Centre through the ordinance. When this law comes in the Rajya Sabha, it should not be allowed to pass in any circumstances. I will meet the presidents of all political parties and seek their support, he tweeted.

After meeting Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in New Delhi on Sunday, Kejriwal said the ordinance can be rejected by the Upper House if opposition parties unite. If the country survives, the parties will survive. After 2024, they (BJP) will change the Constitution, Kejriwal added.

Supporting him, Banerjee said: This is a government of the bulldozer, for the bulldozer and by the bulldozer. They cannot accept a Supreme Court verdict. I am shocked. The Centre wants to rule all states with governors and ordinances.

I am told that many BJP (Rajya Sabha) members are not happy. I appeal to all to defeat the ordinance. I am with Telangana, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh on this issue, she added.

None of the three leaders mentioned the Congress at the press conference.

Bengal BJP leaders took a swipe at the Opposition. This is not an alliance. It is a gang where everybody is looking for an opportunity to be the leader, said Bengal BJP unit president Sukanta Majumdar.
London The high court in London upheld the 12-month suspension of Dr Prashant Sankaye, a musculoskeletal specialist, after a medical tribunal earlier found he groped a woman patient in 2020. HT Image

Justice Charles Bourne on Monday dismissed Dr Sankayes appeal, accepting that the patient, whose identity was kept hidden, was an honest witness and there was no alternative explanation for her perception of the touching.

According to the allegations, the 48-year-old radiologist touched the patient inappropriately at European Scanning Centre in Marylebone, London,during an ultrasound of her back in July 2020.

The woman, who also worked as a receptionist in the same clinic, told a woman radiologist what happened the same day and three days later gave a written statement to the management. The matter was then referred to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal.

Dr Sankaye denies the allegations.

The Tribunal in October 2022ruled that Dr Sankaye was guilty of sexual misconduct, which, it said was opportunistic and formed a short part of the overall physical examination. It recommended a 12 month suspension as an appropriate measure.

Dr Sankaye had appealed in the high court saying that the tribunals decision was wrong, citing, among his other defences, the lack of the criticisms or allegations against him during his career of 30 years.

Dr Sankaye completed MBBS from University of Mumbai in 1998 and has been in the UK since 2004. In 2012 he became a member of the Royal College of Radiologists. In 2020, he became the head of the Musculoskeletal Radiology at Imperial College, London.
Former Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Centre's ordinance to the transfer of bureaucrats in the national capital, calling him arrogant. AAP leader Manish Sisodia at Rouse Avenue Court in connection with Delhi excise policy case in New Delhi. (PTI)

"Modi ji has become so arrogant he neither follows democracy...looking at Kejriwal ji's work...he has become arrogant...," Sisodia told media while he was being produced before the court after the expiry of judicial custody in an alleged money laundering case related to the Delhi excise policy case.

The union government on May 19 issued an ordinance restoring to itself the power over services in Delhi - a week after the Supreme Court ruled that the Delhi government has control over bureaucrats assigned to departments under its purview. The ordinance strengthened the position of the Lieutenant Governor, allowing him to act in sole discretion in deciding matters related to the transfer and posting of bureaucrats.

It also provides for creating a National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSR) and a Public Service Commission (PSC) for transfers and postings of the officers.

Several AAP leaders have lashed out at the Centre over the ordinance, calling the move an act of dishonesty and treachery.

Meanwhile, Delhi court extended Sisodia's judicial custody till June 1 in the excise policy case. The court directed the jail Superintendent to consider Sisodia's request to provide him chair and table for study purposes and also allowed him to have a legal meeting with his lawyer.

(With inputs from ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) aspirants, who cleared the prestigious civil service examination 2022 and also, offered encouragement to those who couldnt clear it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congratulations to those youngsters who have cleared the civil services Exams. My best wishes for a fruitful and satisfying career ahead. This is a very exciting time to be serving the nation and bringing a positive difference in the lives of people," Modi tweeted.

I understand the disappointment of those who couldnt clear the civil services Exams. Not only will there be more attempts to avail but also India offers several diverse opportunities to showcase your skills and strengths. Wishing you the very best, Modi, who is in Australia, said in another tweet.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also congratulated the toppers and lauded the women candidates for bagging the top four ranks. "Many congratulations to all the aspirants who have been successful in this year's UPSC Civil Services Examination. It is heartening to see that the first 4 ranks have been bagged by women. You all have the responsibility to serve the country with dedication and devotion. My best wishes for the future, the former Congress chief tweeted.

Ishita Kishore and Garima Lohia got the first and second ranks, respectively in the coveted civil services examination, the results of which were announced by the UPSC. As many as 933 candidates - 613 men and 320 women - have qualified for the civil services examination.

Kishore, 26, cleared the prestigious examination on her third attempt. Kishore told HT that she was confident about clearing the examination but topping the merit list came as a surprise.

Kishore said the realisation she wanted to be a civil servant was an early one since she was born into an air force family and that service and duty were a part of her upbringing.

I am still soaking in the result I have been constantly supported by my family, she said.

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New Delhi: There was not much rush at banks on Tuesday, the first day of depositing or exchanging 2,000 banknotes, even as some private banks insisted on an identity proof from customers. People stand in a queue to exchange  2,000 notes at a bank in Patna on Tuesday. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

Most customers came with only a few 2,000 notes, bankers said. Some banks did not start the exchange facility on Tuesday, citing lack of guidelines from their head office.

Also Read: On Day 1, few takers for exchange of 2,000 notes in Delhi-NCR

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced the withdrawal of the 2,000 denomination notes from circulation and advised people to exchange or deposit the notes by September 30.

There was no rush as such. Around nine to 10 people had come to deposit 2,000 notes since the morning. But they were in small amounts, not more than four to five each, said an employee at the State Bank of India branch in Kolkata who declined to be named.

Swapan Kumar Das, 69, a retired central government employee, who braved the scorching sun to visit the State Bank of Indias Kalikapur branch in Kolkata, had come to deposit four notes of 2,000.

In the first week of April, bank authorities gave me five 2,000 notes. The notes were lying in the cupboard as it was hard to use them. When the guidelines came, I thought of depositing them back in the bank, said Das.

Also Read: Confusion over forms on Day 1 of exchange of 2,000 notes

Kakoli Bhadra, a local resident, returned disappointed from the bank as it did not allow the exchange. The officials said that the exchange facility hasnt started yet; only deposit is being accepted, she said.

In Patnas Raja Bazar HDFC Bank branch, a casher initially refused to exchange 2,000 notes, saying that there were no guidelines from the headquarter yet. He asked customers to deposit the money in their account, claiming that the branch had received 14,00,000 in 2,000 denomination in the accounts.

When some customers insisted on exchange, he handed them a form and sought an identity document such as Aadhaar card, driving license or voter ID card.

Bhupinder Mahal, senior manager of New Amritsar branch of Punjab National Bank, said only five to six people came with 2,000 notes. We were expecting long queues, but it did not happen. A possible reason can be people have a lot of time till September 30 to exchange the notes, he said.

Also Read: Queues, confusion as window to exchange 2,000 notes opens in Punjab

In Ambala, Payal, a cashier at a nationalised bank, who only gave her first name, said no separate counters have been started and any customer can exchange the notes from the cash counters. No many people had come to exchange the notes, she said.

At the HDFC Bank branch on Mall road in Ludhiana, there was a long queue at a counter for depositing the high-value banknotes. The bank insisted on ID proof from customers.

A city-based businessman, who is into catering, said he had come to deposit 2,000 notes amounting to 68,000 at the bank, but it wasnt accepted. I have an account with the bank but KYC is pending. I was told to fill a form, submit identification proof and only after verification will I be able to submit the notes. This is utter harassment, he said, requesting anonymity.

A bank official said they were following Reserve Bank guidelines. Officials at other banks, including Punjab National Bank and state Bank of India said that they had anticipated higher footfall.

Also Read: What Indias removal of 2,000 Rupee notes means for the economy?

As long as we have cash, we have been instructed to exchange notes, irrespective of how many times that same customer keeps coming, said Kirandeep Kaur, cashier at Ghumar Mandis State Bank of India branch. By 1.30pm, we have facilitated 50 customers having 10 2,000 notes each.

Bank officials in Punjab said as Tuesday was a state holiday on the occasion of Guru Arjan Devs martyrdom day, the number of customers was low. They anticipated more customers from Wednesday.

In Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, there was no rush at banks. A visit to three bank branches in the city showed that not more than eight to 10 people were there to exchange or deposit 2,000 notes. The HDFC Bank Shastri Nagar branch accepted 2,000 notes only after jotting down details of the person in a register.

However, the flow of 2,000 notes at petrol pumps in various parts of the country remained high. People are asking for fuel of 50 or 100 and giving us 2000 notes, said Arun Shetty, a pump attendant of Pratap Sons petrol pump on Mall Road in Kanpur. My pump has received 15 times more notes than it used to get during normal days, said Mohd Anwar, whose pump is near Bada Chauraha.

(With inputs from state bureaus)

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New Delhi: The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 could jeopardise vast tracts of ecologically important forests and leave out several so-called unclassed forests that cover around 15% of Indias total forest cover, a new report by a high-level working group constituted by Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy on the bill has said. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 was introduced in Lok Sabha in March and subsequently referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). (HT Archives)

Unclassed forests are recorded as forests but not included in the reserved or protected forests category. The ownership of such forests varies from state to state, according to the Forest Survey of India. The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023 was introduced in Lok Sabha in March and subsequently referred to the Joint Committee of the Parliament. The Joint Committee, headed by BJP MP Rajendra Agrawal invited public suggestions on the Bill on May 3.

In response, Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy constituted a high-level working group of 18 members comprising retired bureaucrats , senior conservationists, lawyers, and representatives from civil society organisations working on rights of forest-dependent communities that drafted the analysis and submitted it to the Joint Committee on May 18.

One of the major provisions of the bill is to cover only land that has been declared or notified as a forest under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 or under any other law. It also seeks to recognise only forest lands that were recorded as forests as on or after October 25, 1980.

This will be the most perverse interpretation of the clause and endanger most unclassed forests that got protection since the Godavarman judgment (1996). This may include forests yet to be notified under Section 4 and Section 20 of the Indian Forest Act and lands recorded in various government records before October 25 1980-- all of which got protection under the Godavarman judgment. It will threaten a vast tract of forest land by creating an exemption from the Act. That will lead to massive deforestation, fragmentation of existing forests and cause irreparable damage to biodiversity and other ecological services, the report said.

One of the objectives of the bill is to remove any ambiguity around the Supreme Courts December 12, 1996 judgement in TN Godavarman Thirumulpad vs. Union of India and others case that said that forests will not only include forest as understood in the dictionary sense, but also any area recorded as forest in Government records irrespective of the ownership.

Acknowledging the importance of lands recorded as forest in government records before October 25 1980 is critical in protecting Indias forests as many of them are recorded as unclassed forest, the report said. Many such lands are recorded in local terminology in the government records decades/ years before 1980. As per the latest Forest Survey of Indias State of Forest Report (2021), out of the total forest area of 7,75,288 sqkm, 1,20,753 sqkm is categorised as unclassed. These account for approximately 15% of Indias total forest cover, and in some atates and Union Territories, unclassed forests are a massive portion of the total forest cover. For example, in northeast India, 97.2% of Nagalands, 88.2% of Meghalayas, 75.6% of Manipurs, 53% of Arunachal Pradeshs and 33.4% of Assams total forest area is categorised as unclassed forest.

Further, the high-level committee has highlighted that in many states, important ecosystems are protected and managed as forests but may not be notified or recognized as such. Some of them also include sacred groves and privately managed lands which have high ecological significance. For instance, in Karnatakas Kodagu district, out of a total district area of 4,097 sq. Km, only 1,439 sq. Km. is notified forests. Other, equally good forest patches in the district are classified as bane, paisari, devarkadu, urudve, uruguppe etc in the government records. The Maharashtra government recently notified a 1,463 ha of mangrove areas as forest, while a sizable portion is yet to be notified .

Similarly, the Hesaraghatta grasslands in Bengaluru are not notified as forests; the sacred forest of Mangar Bani in Gurugram is recorded as gair mumkin pahad and is awaiting recognition as forest by Haryana; large tracts of scrub lands in Western Rajasthan that have been managed by the local communities for generations, and one of the last habitats of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard are yet to be also recognized as forest.

Prakriti Srivastava, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Kerala and Prerna Singh Bindra, Former member, Standing Committee, National Board for Wildlife have also submitted their comments on the amendment bill to the Joint Committee.

In a nutshell, the amendments appears to have four basic aims: a) to undo the provisions of the existing Forest Conservation Act; b) to overturn the gains obtained for conservation through the Godavarman judgement; c) to reduce and restrict the ambit and purview of the Forest Conservation Act and convert large forest tracts to other land uses and (d) to privatise large portions of forests ostensibly in the name of creating plantations couched in the language of sustainable development and carbon neutrality. If adopted by the Parliament, this Act will likely be the death-knell for forests and conservation in the near future, Srivastava and Bindra said in their submission.

Further, to limit the Acts ambit to include only those lands which are recorded as forests on or after October 25, 1980 will amount to removing legal protection under FC Act from millions of hectares of land that have the characteristics of forests but are not notified as such. Its ramifications are ominous: It will exempt significant forests across the country. The bulk of the Aravallis, tiger habitats of the Terai and Central India, the Western and Eastern Ghats, the biodiversity hotspots of the north-east and many mangroves along the coasts will no longer be considered forest and can potentially be sold, diverted, cleared, felled, utilised, exploited without any regulatory oversight, if the bill is passed, their submission added.

The amendment will have a massive impact on forest dwellers and various tribal communities, experts said. Many of the proposed amendments in the Bill [Section 1A (1)(b) and Section 1A (2)] adversely affect the protection accorded to Scheduled Tribes (STs) and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) under the FRA because if the land falls outside the scope of the FCA, it effectively eliminates the requirement of obtaining consent from the Gram Sabha for diversion of that land. The FRA provides for recognition of the forest rights of the STs and OTFDs, and by doing so, it intends to undo the historic injustice these communities have faced because of the denial of their forest rights, Vidhis committee said.

It recommended that the Joint Parliamentary Committee redraft the bill and include the following in the purview of Forest Conservation Act: land that has been declared or notified or is under the process of being notified as a forest following the provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 or under any other law for the time being in force. (b) the land recorded as forest irrespective of their ownership. (c) land is recognizable as forests by local communities or in terms of its ecological and cultural significance. (d) the land that is identified or used for compensatory afforestation in lieu of forests diverted.
New Delhi: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team is travelling to the UK in connection with its probe into the violent demonstration and attempt to vandalize the Indian high commission in London by pro-Khalistan protestors on March 19, people familiar with the development said . The agency took over the probe from Delhi police after the ministry of home affairs (MHA) met with UK home office representatives in April. (File photo for representation)

The team will meet officials of Scotland Yard and Metropolitan Police in London this week to gather details on the suspects and evidence on the attack, the people added, asking not to be named.

As reported by HT last month, NIA is investigating a larger conspiracy by Pakistan-backed UK-based pro-Khalistan leaders including Avtar Singh Khanda, who is also the alleged handler of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, for leading the protestors to the high commission. Khanda, associated with Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), and two others, - Gurcharan Singh and Jasvir Singh , are named as key suspects in the first information report (FIR)

Pro-Khalistan protestors pulled down the national flag and attempted to vandalize the Indian high commission in London on March 19, an incident to which British police didnt react in time.

The agency took over the probe from Delhi police after the ministry of home affairs (MHA) met with UK home office representatives in April.

HT reported on April 19 that the agency is looking at Pakistans role in the conspiracy and planned to send a team to London. Pakistans spy agency Inter Services Agency has often figured in cases probed by the NIA linked to pro-Khalistan extremists.

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New Delhi: At least five opposition parties confirmed or indicated on Tuesday that they will boycott the opening of the new Parliament building on May 28, arguing that it should be President Droupadi Murmu, not Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who presides over the inauguration. PREMIUM An aerial view of the New Parliament House, in New Delhi on Saturday. (ANI)

The two-hour long programme with multi-faith prayers and a guest list that includes all members of Parliament (MPs) and chief ministers is being planned for the inauguration of the new Parliament building, but some opposition parties said not having the President at the occasion was unacceptable.

Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesnt get that. For him, Sundays inauguration of the new building is all about I, me, myself. So count us out , tweeted Trinamool Congresss Rajya Sabha leader Derek OBrien, whose party was the first major outfit to announce it was pulling out of Sundays event.

Hours later, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and a leader from a Left party said they too will stay away.

Bharatiya Janata Party hit back at the criticism. In August 1975, then PM Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe, and later in 1987 PM Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Library. If your (Congress) head of government can inaugurate them, why cant our head of government do the same, said Union minister Hardeep Puri.

According to party leaders aware of the plans, the Congress  whose leaders criticised the Modi government over the issue on the weekend -- too will boycott the event, and their ally, the DMK, is likely to take a similar decision.

The inauguration led by Modi will take place inside the new Lok Sabha chamber that can accommodate nearly 900 people. The programme will also showcase the modern facilities of the new building that is likely to start functioning from the monsoon session in July. All MPs, chief ministers, judges of Supreme Court, former President, former vice-president and former Lok Sabha speakers have been invited for the event, which will start at 12 noon and end by 1.30pm, a parliamentary official said, seeking anonymity.

But opposition parties said they will avoid being associated with an event that ignored the President.

No way the Left can associate with this event that ignores the President of India and is organized on a day associated with Veer Savarkar, said CPI MP Binoy Viswam.

Aam Aadmi Party will boycott the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building on 28th May. AAP has taken this decision in view of the questions being raised regarding the matter of not inviting the President to the inauguration ceremony, the party said in a statement.

Preparations for the opening have been on high gear all week. The roads inside the Parliament complex have got a fresh coat of bitumen. The existing Parliament building, which will be converted into a museum, is getting a wash and new lawns have been laid around the new building, which is getting final touches, a second official said, declining to be named.

Last week, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla met Modi and invited him to inaugurate the new building. Construction of the new Parliament building is complete now and the new building symbolises the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self reliant India), said an official communique.

On December 10, 2020, Modi laid the foundation stone for the new building, but the work was delayed due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. The secretariat, however, argued that in spite of the delay, the building has been built in record time.

The current Parliament House was completed in 1927. The lack of space was being experienced in this building as per the present requirements. In both the Houses, there were also lack of convenient arrangements for the sitting of the MPs which was affecting efficiency of work of the Members, said the Lok Sabha secretariat communique. The old building also functioned as the Constituent Assembly that wrote Indias Constitution.

In the present building of the Parliament, there is a provision for the sitting of 543 Members in the Lok Sabha while 250 in the Rajya Sabha. Keeping in view the future requirements, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha while 300 members in the Rajya Sabha in the newly constructed building of the Parliament, the communique said. The joint session of both the Houses will be held in Lok Sabha chamber only, and in that case 1,280 MPs will be able to sit there.
The Trinamool Congress will not attend the inaugural ceremony of the new Parliament building in Delhi on May 28, party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien announced on Tuesday. Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the TMC MP said that the new building is just about I, me, and myself for him. TMC Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek OBrien

Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesnt get that. For him, Sundays inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out, Derek O'Brien wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, CPI general secretary D Raja also said that his party will not attend the ceremony, reported news agency PTI. Reportedly, several opposition parties are likely to unitedly skip the ceremony, however, a final decision on it will be taken on Wednesday.

PM Modi is set to inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 at 12 pm, reported ANI. On May 18, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla met PM Modi to invite him to inaugurate the new building.

The new building offers spacious seats, the latest facilities, and tablets on each desk. According to the Lok Sabha secretariat, arrangements have been made for a meeting of 888 members in the Lok Sabha and for 384 members in the Rajya Sabha. In the present building, there is a provision for the sitting of 543 members in the Lok Sabha, while 250 in the Rajya Sabha.

PM Modi had laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building on December 10, 2020. However, the construction was delayed due to the second wave of Covid-19 in 2021.
PATNA: The Patna high court on Tuesday stayed proceedings against former Jhanjharpur MLA Gulab Yadav in a rape case against him filed by a woman lawyer. The FIR was registered by the Rupaspur police station in Patna on the order of a Danapur court (File Photo)

No coercive steps shall be taken against the petitioner in connection with the complaint case, justice Sandeep Kumar said on Tuesday on a petition filed by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Gulab Yadav. The case has been listed for hearing on September 6.

Senior IAS officer Sanjeev Hans was also named in the case.

The Patna police registered a first information report (FIR) against Yadav and Sanjeev Hans in December 2022 in a rape case filed against them by a lawyer of the Allahabad High Court.

The woman first complained to police in 2021, alleging that the former legislator lured her with promise to make her a member of the Bihar Womens Commission and called her to his residence in Rukanpura in Patna in 2016. The woman alleged that the RJD leader raped her and shot it on his mobile phone.

Lawyer Shivnanadan Bhatri, who appeared for the RJD leader, said the high court order was a big relief for Sanjiv Hans and Gulab Yadav. Now, the HC will hear the case and decide future course of action, he added.

According to the FIR registered by the Rupaspur police station in Patna on the order of a Danapur court, the former legislator called the rape survivor to a hotel in Delhi, where IAS officer Sanjeev Hans was also present, and threatened to release the video. The FIR said the two raped the woman lawyer at the hotel in Delhi and subsequently at other hotels on different dates
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Tuesday recalled the unforgettable moments from his trip to India in March, as he shared the platform with PM Narendra Modi at a community event in Sydney. Speaking at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, the Australian PM also offered tips to understand India well and advised the travellers to explore the country by train and bus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, shakes hands with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during an Indian community event at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, Tuesday.(AP)

"When I was in India in March, it was a trip full of unforgettable moments, celebrating Holi in Gujarat, laying a wreath for Mahatma Gandhi in Delhi... Everywhere I went, I felt a deep connection between the people of Australia and India. If you want to understand India, travel by train and bus," he said, referring to his four-day official visit to India from March 8-11.

Albanese also recalled his visit to Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium where the two leaders had watched together the final Test match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2023 between their nations. They had also celebrated 75 years of friendship between both countries, for which they also did a lap of honour across the ground to mark the feat. "

Albanese's comments came at the event, which was held for PM Modi to address the Indian diaspora in the Australian city. Upon their arrival, PM Modi was given a grand welcome with Vedic chanting. After the traditional welcome, the two leaders also shared a warm hug and walked into Sydney's biggest stadium to reverberating cheers.

PM Modis visit to Australia marked the final leg of his three-nation six day tour which concludes today.

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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday called his counterpart Prime Minister Narendra Modi the boss while addressing the community event in Sydney for the Indian diaspora. Albanese's remark came as he compared the crowd for PM Modi to legendary rockstar Bruce Springsteen - who is incidentally known as The Boss among his fans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gesture during an event with members of the local Indian community at the Qudos Arena in Sydney (AFP)

The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss, Albanese said as he witnessed the rousing welcome that PM Modi received from the crowd who chanted slogans like Bharat Mata ki Jai, Vande Mataram, and Modi, Modi.

Earlier, PM Modi was greeted with a traditional welcome, including Vedic chanting as he arrived at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park. A cultural program was also at the venue by several artists.

PM Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea. He is visiting Australia for the first time in nine years.

On Wednesday, Modi and Albanese are scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese addressed a special community event in Sydney on Tuesday. Modi was welcomed at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney in a traditional manner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese at a special community event in Sydney on Tuesday.

Modi addressed the members of the Indian diaspora at the community event - to celebrate the country's dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora, amid immense enthusiasm among the community members.

On the occasion, Modi announced that India will open a consulate in Brisbane to fulfil the long-pending demand by the diaspora.

Top points on PM Modi in Sydney:

1. "The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen (American singer) and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss," said Albanese at the community event. Bruce Springsteen is also known as 'The Boss'.

2. Addressing the community event, Modi said, When I came here in 2014, I made a promise to you that you will not have to wait for 28 years for an Indian Prime Minister. So, here I am in Sydney once again.

3. "Our lifestyles may be different but now Yoga also connects us. We have been connected due to cricket for a long. But now tennis and films are also connecting us. We might prepare food in different manners but Masterchef is connecting us now."

4. Modi said he heard that Chatkazz 'Chaat' and 'Jalebi' from Jaipur Sweets at Harris Park are very delicious. "I want you all to take my friend Australian PM Albanese to that place," Modi said.

5. "Mutual trust and mutual respect have not developed only due to the diplomatic relations of India-Australia. The real reason, the real power is - all of you Indians who live in Australia," Modi said.

6. Modi said today, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) considers India a bright spot in the global economy. World Bank believes that if anyone is challenging global headwinds, it is India. The banking system in several countries is in trouble today but on the other hand, the strength of India's banks is being appreciated everywhere, the PM said.

7. The event's organisers, the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation (IADF), were expecting a crowd of more than 20,000. The programme started with cultural performances.

8. Supporters of Modi have organised special buses from Brisbane and Canberra. Before leaving for Japan to attend the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Modi said he will meet the Indian community in Sydney at a special event.

9. Modi and Albanese will have a bilateral meeting on Wednesday.

10. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 census, 619,164 people in Australia declared that they were of ethnic Indian ancestry. This comprises 2.8 per cent of the Australian population. Among those, 592,000 were born in India. Prime Minister Modi last visited Australia in 2014.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to maintain his position as India's most revered leader. However, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has seen a notable surge in his approval ratings, which have risen by 15 per cent subsequent to the Bharat Jodo Yatra, according to a public survey conducted by NDTV in collaboration with Lokniti-Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS). Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Indian community programme in Sydney on Tuesday, (PTI)

According to NDTV, Lokniti-CSDS carried out the survey with 7,202 respondents spread across 71 constituencies.

Key takeaways from the survey:

1. The survey, conducted across 19 states between May 10 and 19, claimed that around 43 per cent of the respondents said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance should win a third straight term, while 38 per cent disagree.

2. 43 per cent of the respondents said if elections are held today, Narendra Modi will be their top choice for the prime minister. Rahul Gandhi will be his closest rival with 27 per cent votes.

3. Despite the loss in the Karnataka assembly election, it seems Modi's popularity remains strong as the BJP's vote share has increased to 39 per cent in 2023 from 37 per cent in 2019. The Congress's vote share has increased too - from 19 per cent in 2019 to 29 per cent in 2023.

4. Other popular choices for the PM are Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal (both 4%), followed by Akhilesh Yadav (3%), Nitish Kumar (1%), and 18% for the others, the survey found.

5. The survey further revealed that Modi is highly regarded for his oratory skills, with 25 per cent of the respondents expressing their fondness for this aspect. Additionally, 20 per cent of the participants appreciated Modi's focus on development as a prime minister, while 13 per cent admired his diligent work ethic. An equal percentage of respondents were captivated by his charisma. Approximately 11 per cent of the surveyed individuals expressed their appreciation for Modi's policies.

6. Regarding Rahul Gandhi, 26 per cent of the respondents said they had always liked him, while 15 per cent expressed their newfound appreciation after the Bharat Jodo Yatra. On the other hand, 16 per cent of the participants admitted to not liking the Congress leader, while 27 per cent remained indifferent towards him.

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Congress MP Manish Tewari on Tuesday said Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri must read the Constitution of India after the Union minister slammed the Congress for "raking controversies where none exist" after Congress leaders raised questions over PM Modi inaugurating the new Parliament building on May 28. An aerial view of the New Parliament House which will be inaugurated on May 28.

"Congress has a habit of raking controversies where none exist. While President is the Head of State, PM is the Head of Govt and leads the Parliament on behalf of the Govt, whose Policies are effected in form of Laws. The President is not a Member of either House, whereas PM is," Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted.

Citing Article 79 of the Constitution, Manish Tewari said, "There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the council of States and the House of the People. Ministers of the Union must read the Constitution of India very carefully."

New Parliament building inauguration: What is the controversy

PM Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 -- on the birth anniversary of VD Savarkar. Congress leaders and several other opposition leaders asked why the PM will inaugurate and not the president.

1. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the new Parliament building should be inaugurated by the President and not the Prime Minister.

2. The same opinion was echoed by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge who questioned why President Droupadi Murmu is not being invited to the inauguration. "The Office of the President of India is reduced to tokenism under the BJP-RSS government," Kharge said.

3. President alone represents the government, opposition and every citizen aline, Kharge said.

4. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said it was bizarre when the PM performed the ground-breaking ceremony of the new Parliament building. "Articles 60 and 111 of the Constitution of India make it clear that the President is the head of parliament. It was bizarre enough that the PM performed the ground-breaking ceremony & puja when construction began, but totally incomprehensible (& arguably unconstitutional) for him and not the President to inaugurate the building," Tharoor said.

5. To Tharoor's comment, minister Hardeep Singh Puri said President is not a member of either of the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.

6. Congress's Anand Sharma said Article 79 makes it clear that Parliament comprises the President of India, the head of the Parliament, and the two houses. "First, the permanent house the Rajya Sabha, the Council of States and then the House of the People, the Lok Sabha. Why the Council of States? Because India is a union of states. And the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is the number 2 in the warrant of precedence, the honourable Vice President of India," Anand Sharma said.

7. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said the BJP, blinded by power, has become a fountainhead of constitutional immorality. "The Hon. President is the Head of the Legislature, which is above the head of the Government ie the the PM of India. The new parliament inauguration should be done by the President as the protocol demands," Chaturvedi tweeted.

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the delay on the part of the Telangana high court in deciding member of Parliament YS Avinash Reddys anticipatory bail petition that he moved after being named a suspect in the 2019 murder of his uncle YS Vivekananda Reddy. It directed a vacation bench of the high court to take up the matter on Thursday. The Supreme Court. (PTI)

YS Avinash Reddy, who is a cousin of Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, moved the top court for protection from arrest or a direction to the vacation bench to take up his matter at the earliest. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the larger conspiracy behind the murder, sent YS Avinash Reddy two notices to join the investigation on May 16 and 19.

The Supreme Court set aside an earlier order staying his arrest on April 24 while directing the anticipatory bail to be decided first.

A Supreme Court vacation bench of justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha said that despite the April 24 order, the anticipatory bail had not been decided. How much time does it take to decide on an anticipatory bail petition? We are not happy that [high] court is not passing an order despite our direction, it said. ...that an earlier bench heard the [anticipatory bail] petition will not come in the way of the high court [vacation bench] to hear the matter.

After the April 24 order, the high court heard the matter twice in April but could not conclude the hearing before its closure for vacation. The matter was posted for hearing next on June 5. The top court has set June 30 as the deadline for the conclusion of the investigation in the case.

The top court also expressed displeasure over the unwillingness of the accused to cooperate with the CBI probe. After our order [of April 24] did you appear? The documents suggest that you have not been appearing. Are you apprehending arrest?

Senior advocate V Giri, appearing for YS Avinash Reddy, said his clients liberty is at stake and he is seeking protection from arrest as the CBI has arrested his father.

Suneetha Narreddy, daughter of the YS Vivekananda Reddy, opposed the pleas. On her plea, the top court passed the April 24 order setting aside the high courts April 18 order directing the CBI to provide a written questionnaire to the accused before summoning him in the case. The top court said it was an attempt to stultify the probe.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, who represented Narreddy, told the court that earlier this week when CBI went to summon the accused for questioning, his supporters created a law-and-order situation.

The Telangana high court in March 2020 directed the CBI to take up a probe into the murder. Narreddy moved the court for it citing the slow pace of the investigation of a Special Investigation Team, which was reconstituted thrice to probe YS Vivekananda Reddys murder.

In October 2021, the CBI filed a charge sheet naming four accused in the case.

YS Vivekananda Reddy was found murdered at his home in Pulivendula in Andhra Pradeshs Kadapa district in 2019. In November, the top court directed the trial to be shifted from Kadapa to Hyderabad.

YS Vivekananda Reddys family raised questions over the fairness of the trial in Kadapa citing the closeness of the Andhra chief minister with YS Avinash Reddy.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed a vacation bench of the Telangana high court to take up the anticipatory bail petition of Andhra Pradesh lawmaker YS Avinash Reddy, in connection with the 2019 murder of his uncle and former state minister YS Vivekananda Reddy, on Thursday. YSR Congress Party MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy (PTI)

A bench of justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha also expressed unhappiness over the high court taking more than a month in deciding the anticipatory bail plea of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP, who represents the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in the southern state.

We direct the anticipatory bail petition be placed before the next vacation bench of the high court on May 25 and necessary orders be passed after hearing all parties, the bench said.

Apprehending arrest in the case, Avinash Reddy, who is the cousin of Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, approached the top court for a direction to the high courts vacation bench to take up his matter at the earliest.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the larger conspiracy behind the murder, had served the lawmaker three notices to join investigation on May 16, 19 and 22, but he failed to appear on all three occasions.

On April 24, the Supreme Court set aside an earlier order that stayed his arrest while directing the high court to decide the anticipatory bail first. On Tuesday, the apex court bench noticed that despite the April 24 order, the anticipatory bail has not been decided yet.

How much time does it take to decide an anticipatory bail petition. We are not happy that (high) court is not passing order despite our direction, it said.

After the April 24 order, the high court heard the matter on two dates but could not conclude hearing before it closed for vacation on May 1. The matter was posted to June 5 even as the outer limit set by the top court for the investigation to be over in the case is to expire by June 30.

We clarify that the fact that an earlier bench has heard the (anticipatory bail) petition will not come in the way of the high court (vacation bench) to hear the matter, the top court said.

In October 2021, CBI named four accused in its charge sheet in the murder case of former lawmaker YS Vivekananda Reddy, who was found killed at his home in Pulivendula in Kadapa district on March 15, 2019. The name of Avinash Reddy, along with others, was separately added as a suspect. In November last year, the top court directed the trial to be shifted from Kadapa to Hyderabad as the family of the deceased raised apprehension over a fair trial owing to the closeness of the Andhra Pradesh chief minister with the Kadapa MP.

On Monday, a team of CBI sleuths reached the Vishwa Bharati Hospital in Kurnool to take Avinash Reddy into custody for questioning, but hundreds of followers of the YSRCP lawmaker prevented the federal agencys officials from entering the building. Reddys mother is undergoing treatment for a heart ailment at the hospital.

After holding two rounds of talks with Kurnool superintendent of police (SP) G Kishnakanth, seeking assistance from the local police to arrest the MP, CBI sought help of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) citing lack of cooperation from the local police.

The Supreme Court was also upset over the unwillingness shown by the lawmaker to cooperate with CBI probe. The bench said, After our order (of April 24), did you appear? The documents suggest that you have not been appearing. Are you apprehending arrest?

Senior advocate V Giri, appearing for Avinash Reddy, said, My liberty is at stake. I am seeking protection from arrest as the CBI has already arrested by father.

The application moved by Reddy was opposed by Suneetha Narreddy, daughter of the deceased former MP. It was at her instance the top court passed the April 24 order setting aside an earlier order by the high court that directed CBI to supply written questionnaire to the MP before summoning him in the case. The top court held this to be a clear attempt by HC to stultify the probe.

Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, who represented Suneetha Narreddy, told the court that earlier this week when CBI went to call the MP for questioning, his supporters created a law-and-order situation.

Since nobody appeared for CBI, the bench told Luthra, We can understand if CBI counsel makes this statement. He is entitled to have his anticipatory bail plea heard. You are free to raise all objections before the high court.

Following the Supreme Court direction on Tuesday, CBI sleuths chose to maintain restraint and decided to wait till the petition is heard by the vacation bench of the high court, people familiar with the matter said.

On Tuesday, the CBI teams confined themselves to the police guest house in Kurnool and Avinash Reddy to the fifth floor of the Vishwa Bharati Hospital, where his mother is undergoing treatment for heart ailments, a police officer privy to the development said, requesting anonymity. The CRPF personnel, who were expected to arrive in the town to help CBI arrest the MP last night also stayed back in Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, hundreds of YSR Congress Party leaders and workers from the Kadapa and other parts of Rayalaseema continued to pour into Kurnool town to express solidarity with the MP and prevent his arrest by CBI.

Local party leaders arranged food and water for them, as they blocked the roads leading to the hospital.

YSRCP general secretary and advisor to the state government on political affairs Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said Avinash Reddy was not running away from the CBI probe. He was questioned by CBI four or five times. Being a responsible MP, he will definitely cooperate with the agency. He is only seeking more time to appear before CBI only because his mother has been ailing and father was in jail. What is wrong with it? he asked.

The party general secretary also defended hundreds of YSRCP workers and leaders coming to Kurnool. They are concerned about his mothers health and were agitated over the possible arrest of their leader, he said. They will definitely come in support of their leader if they feel injustice is being meted out to him.

After the YSRCP came to power in Andhra Pradesh in 2019, an SIT was formed and reconstituted thrice to probe into the murder case. Not happy with the slow pace of the probe, the Telangana high court in March 2020 directed CBI to take up further probe on a petition filed by Suneetha Narreddy.
VARANASI: The Varanasi district court on Tuesday ordered that seven cases of the same nature related to the Gyanvapi complex dispute will be heard together, with Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi suit being the leading case. The Varanasi district court said the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi suit will be the leading case. (AFP)

The court of district judge Ajay Krishna Vishvesh fixed July 7 as the next date of hearing.

The district court, while exercising his special power, has ordered to consolidate the seven cases related to Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case and to hear them together, said Subhash Nadan Chaturvedi, lawyer for the Hindu side. The court said civil suit number 18 Rakhi Singh and others vs State of UP and others (Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case) shall be the leading case.

In his order, the judge said it would be in the interest of justice that all these cases be heard together, said special advocate for Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi matter Rajesh Mishra.

The district judge, in his order, said if all these cases remain pending in different courts, there is a possibility that contradictory orders may be passed. Whereas if all these cases remain in one court, there will be no possibility of any contradictory judgment or order in all these cases, said Mishra.

Citing Order 4A of the CPC [Code of Civil Procedure], the judge said it has been provided that when two or more cases are pending in the same court and the court is of the opinion that it is in the interest of justice, their joint hearing may be ordered, he added.

The Muslim side said they would take a call on future course of action after consultation with their advocates.

After going through the order, we will hold discussion with fellow advocates and decide our move, said Raees Ahmad Ansari, advocate for Gyanvapi mosque management committee.

Another lawyer from the Gyanvapi panel, requesting anonymity, said they are likely to the order before a higher court.

On December 5 last year, four Hindu plaintiffs in the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case [civil suit number 18/2022]  Lakshmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas and Rekha Pathak  moved the district court, urging it to hear all the seven cases together, citing the similar nature of the cases. However, the Gyanvapi mosque management committee had opposed the plea.

The women plaintiffs have sought permission for regular worship of deities, including Shringar Gauri, located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi complex.

On April 17, the Varanasi district court had ordered to transfer all the seven cases  six of which were pending before the court of the civil judge (senior division) and one before the civil judge (senior division) fast-track court  to the district court.

After the cases were transferred last month, they were given new numbers in the district court. Civil suit number 712/2022 was given number 1, case 839/2022 was given new number 2, civil suit number 840 was given number 3, civil suit number 350 became number 4, civil suit number 245 was given number 5, civil suit number 358 was given number 6, while civil case number 925/2022 was given new number 7.

Of these, civil suit number 712/2022 (or new Number 1) has been filed on behalf of Bhagwan Adi Vishweshwar Virajman, the deity, through next friend Kiran Singh and others.
Outrage has erupted across social media after a Twitter user claimed that Vistara Airlines asked him to show a "cremation centre receipt" when he requested for his booking to be rescheduled. Hey @airvistara, asking for cremation centre receipt from a frequent traveler who asked for a booking to be rescheduled on family emergency basis is by far the coldest thing I have heard from a B2C brand, ever. I literally have no words, Nagarajan said in his tweet. Representational image.

The tweet triggered a flurry of reactions from other users, many of whom not only referred to the airline's actions as appalling, but also narrated their own experiences.

"I'm sorry that you had to experience this, Karthik, in the midst of your loss. Love to you and your family," commented one user.

"Shocking! Indian aviation needs to learn a lot, there is large scope for improvement. U just can't simply say fly the new feeling!" tweeted another.

Vistara swiftly responded, expressing regret to the user and vowed to investigate the matter.

"Dear Mr. Nagarajan, thank you for your patience. Please accept our heartfelt condolences. With great concern we thoroughly investigated, listened to the recorded call and discovered that our team understood your situation and offered one-month extension of the voucher validity.

However, when you asked for the sector change, which is not permitted globally, our team requested you to share the supporting documents for the bereavement in your family as required for compliance purposes.

Our team while asking for supporting documents mentioned multiple options and that would have inadvertently hurt your sentiments. We sincerely apologize for that. We value you as our esteemed customer and your continued patronage. Kindly DM us the requested documents at your convenience for us to process your request. Look forward to your kind understanding," the airline tweeted.

In January, Go First Airline left around 55 passengers behind at the Bengaluru airport. The low-cost carriers flight G8-116 took off for Delhi from Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport, leaving passengers stranded in the shuttle bus.

Aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had imposed a 10 lakh fine on the airline.

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Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar said whatever his party leader Nawab Malik alleged against Sameer Wankhede is turning out to be true as the former zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau is now facing a CBI probe. Nawab Malik has been in jail since February 23, 2022, in an ED case linked to Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. In 2021, as the drugs on cruise case was being probed, Nawab Malik made several allegations of irregularities against Sameer Wankhede. What Malik used to allege is turning out to be true. He has been harassed for speaking the truth, Sharad Pawar said. Sharad Pawar said his party leader Nawab Malik stands vindicated now that CBI is investigating a case against Sameer Wankhede.

'Why?': Bombay High Court questions Sameer Wankhede over release of 'SRK chats' - Report

Nawab Malik's son-in-law was arrested by Sameer Wankhede

During his tenure at the NCB, Sameer Wankhede headed several high-profile cases and interrogated several Bollywood celebrities in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput-Rhea Chakraborty drugs case. His last high-profile case was the Cordellio cruise case in which he arrested Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan.

During the probe, Nawab Malik made several explosive claims regarding Sameer Wankhede's religion, caste, first marriage etc.

Nawab Malik's son-in-law Sameer Wankhede was also arrested by NCB in connection with a drugs case and was granted bail after he spent eight months in prison. There was no evidence against Sameer Khan and Nawab Malik said the NCB tried to pass off 200kg of herbal tobacco as ganja.

Nawab Malik claimed Wankhede extorted money from many Bollywood stars during the pandemic.

The now jailed NCP leader alleged that Sameer Wankhede was raised as a Muslim and his full name is Sameer Dawood Wankhede but he forged documents to get a job in the Indian Revenue Services under the Scheduled Caste category. Malik also said that Wankhede's first wedding was according to Muslim rituals.

Sameer Wankhede booked in  25 crore bribery case

The CBI has booked Sameer Wankhede in an alleged bribery case of 25 crore which has its links to the Aryan Khan drugs case. Through KP Gosavi, an independent witness, Sameer Wankhede allegedly demanded 25 crore from Shah Rukh Khan to not press charges against his son. Wankhede, however, dismissed all the allegations and produced purported chats with Shah Rukh Khan in his defence.

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Trinamool Congress national spokesperson Saket Gokhale filed a Right to Information (RTI) application on Tuesday with the Information and Broadcast Ministry seeking the copies of files that are related to the ban on BBC's documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Trinamool Congress national spokesperson Saket Gokhale (File)

Announcing his decision to file an RTI, Gokhale said that while the Modi government was promoting Sudipto Sen's controversial movie 'The Kerala Story', why were they massively insecure about people watching the BBC documentary.

Gokhale tweeted, BJP & Modi Govt went into an uproar when the hate propaganda film Kerala Story was banned by the Govt of West Bengal on grounds of law & order. However, BJP & Modi Govt banned the BBC documentary India: the Modi Question in January by invoking emergency laws & powers. PM Modi himself promotes Kerala Story along with his ministers but is massively insecure about people watching the BBC documentary. Why the double standards?

Gokhale further added, If BJP genuinely claims to stand for freedom of expression, why not allow people to watch the BBC documentary & decide for themselves? Why the hypocrisy? Ive, therefore, filed an RTI with the I&B Ministry asking for copies of all files relating to the decision of banning the BBC documentary. Freedom of expression cannot be invoked when it is suitable to the BJP & films be banned when they expose the reality of that party.

In the RTI, Gokhale sought the grounds on which the documentary titled 'India: the Modi Question' produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC has been banned in India.

Gokhale further asked to ministry to furnish all files, file notings, correspondence, and memos relating to the decision of instituting a ban on the aforementioned documentary.

This comes after the Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Bengal government's ban on the public screening of 'The Kerala Story', ruling the order passed by chief minister Mamata Banerjee's government was not based on any material produced before the top court.

Banerjee had then said, West Bengal government has decided to ban the movie 'The Kerala Story'. This is to avoid any incident of hatred and violence, and to maintain peace in the state What is 'The Kashmir Files'? It was to humiliate one section. What is 'The Kerala Story'?... It is distorted.

'The Kerala Story'  which claims to depict the 'forced recruitment and conversion of young girls and women by the Islamic State'  triggered a furious political row even before it was released; the movie's trailer claimed 32,000 girls from Kerala went missing, were radicalised and joined the terror group.

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Wrestlers protesting in Delhi against instances of alleged sexual assault by national federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh have called for a candlelight march this evening from Jantar Mantar in the national capital to India Gate. The second phase of the protest - led by three of the country's elite wrestlers, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Mallik - marks one month today. Wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia speak with the media during their protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, Monday.(PTI)

On May 19, the wrestlers marched from Jantar Mantar to the city's Bangla Sahib Gurudwara.

Punia, an Olympic medalist, tweeted a video clip urging sympathetic members of the public to show support by participating in the march. "Those who cannot physically participate must light candles in their homes at 5 pm and share videos on social media to extend their support."

Sunday marked the end of the deadline given by wrestlers for the arrest of Brij Bhushan Singh.

This was after they warned of a 'mahahapanchayat' outside the new Parliament building next week - on the day it will be inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier today the wrestlers were backed by students and teaching staff from Jawaharlal Nehru University, who took out a protest march that was joined by Malik. Aishe Ghosh, president of the JNU students' union, said, "... hundreds of students and teachers joined the solidarity gathering..."

'Lie detector' test

Brij Bhushan Singh - the Wrestling Federation of India chief accused of sexually harassing seven athletes, including a minor - declared Sunday his willingness to take a polygraph, or 'lie detector' test, so long as the same test is conducted on protesting wrestlers, including Phogat and Punia.

Singh - a Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh - who has repeatedly denied all charges and claimed a 'political conspiracy' against him, tweeted: "I am ready for a narco test, polygraph test or lie detector test if the same test of Phogat and Punia is also conducted..."

The WFI chief's declaration prompted a fierce pushback from the wrestlers, who said they too were ready for such a test so long as it is supervised by the Supreme Court and broadcast live.

Phogat - a Commonwealth Games medalist - said, "I would like to tell Brij Bhushan that not only Vinesh, all the girls who have given the complaint, are ready to undergo the Narco test. It should be done live so that the entire country knows about his cruelty to the country's daughters."

Delhi Police has filed a status report on the wrestlers' complaint of sexual assault against Singh and a Special Investigation Team has been formed to investigate the matter.

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Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha drew flak for a tweet on Monday as BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla wondered that Sinha was the presidential candidate of the opposition parties against Droupadi Murmu. "Congress wanted him to become President of India! Imagine," the BJP spokesperson tweeted sharing the screenshot of Yashwant Sinha's tweet in which Sinha wrote: "I plan to contest my next Lok Sabha election from Papua New Guinea on a Modi ticket which I hope he will give." Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape welcomed PM Modi by touching his feet on Sunday.

The comment comes as PM Modi was in Papua New Guinea on his maiden visit to host a key summit between India and 14 island countries. The visit witnessed historical moments with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape welcoming PM Modi and touching his feet on his arrival. Papua New Guinea generally does not accord a ceremonial welcome to any leader coming after the sunset but an exception was made for PM Modi.

Papua New Guinea conferred the Companion of the Order of Logohu which very few non-residents of the nation received so far. The award was for championing the cause of unity of Pacific Island countries and spearheading the cause of the Global South.

Marape addressed PM Modi as the leader of Global South. "We are victims of global powerplay... You (PM Modi) are the leader of Global South. We will rally behind your (India) leadership at global forums," said Marape.

Speaking at the forum, PM Modi said for him the Pacific island nations are "large ocean countries and not small island states".

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Breakfast together is part of the daily ritual. Those who can, come down to the bright common room on the first floor at 9 o'clock. Not all eleven members of the communal living group on Mendelstrasse, Berlin are always there. But most are. "Here I always have someone to talk to," says Heidemarie Mehlau. "We live together despite all our differences." And that's a good feeling, says the 80-year-old. Especially when you need help or are sick, she says, it's a good feeling to have a community behind you. Having a diversity of ages  with young and old under one roof  can improve lives, especially as the population ages. (Volker Witting/DW)

Waltraud, 71, puts it more bluntly: "Living here is winning the lottery." She enjoyed the quiet life in a village in the countryside for a long time, but then wanted a change. Here, in the city, she says, the housing project is like living in the village in some ways: "You help and take care of each other, exchange ideas about everyday things."

The eleven members of the association range in age from 13 to 90, and they share a common concern: They are sick of living alone in an anonymous city.

They have staked out a communal building in a large, modern new housing complex of 351 apartments: A small island in a large project. Each member maintains his or her own self-contained rental apartment, but the members co-finance the common room, with TV and kitchenette, where the morning breakfast ritual also takes place. It's a residential community with privacy.

Cornelia Apel is the initiator of the project. The 65-year-old had already committed to such a project more than ten years ago, but finding a developer willing to support a multigenerational housing project had been very difficult. "I contacted all kinds of cooperatives and other developers. Often, they didn't even respond at first," she told DW. In Germany, multigenerational habitation is still the exception. Finally, at the beginning of 2014, Apel reached a cooperation agreement with the Berlin housing company "Gesobau."

The association members were able to move into the new building complex at the beginning of 2019. At the time, there were 13 committed members who had sought and found a new home in the community. Two association members have since passed away, said Apel, a retired nursing consultant who moved in at the time with her now late husband. "I didn't want to be lonely," the retiree states as her main motive.

A model for rapidly aging societies?

Multigenerational co-habitation has many advantages. The residents remain independent, but they get new contact opportunities in the community. The diversity of life experiences, education, hobbies, and professions among the residents is also stimulating for everyone.

Heidemarie Mehlau also experiences it that way. "There is always someone to talk to and exchange ideas with." Arguments are also part of it, but that usually only happens at the members' meetings, when technical issues have to be discussed. Another advantage of multigenerational housing is that working parents can be relieved of the burden of childcare. And, later in life, it is more cost-effective than being housed in a nursing facility.

Ingrid Meyer-Riegel has been involved from the very beginning. The 86-year-old says she is no longer "afraid to be alone," and considers multigenerational living projects to be progressive: "Too many old people are lonely in a society with more and more singles and older people."

And this trend applies worldwide, especially to developed industrial societies like Germany. The proportion of 65-year-olds measured against the total population is rising everywhere: In Germany, the proportion of people over 65 is 21.8%, according to the statistics agency Eurostat. In Italy, this proportion is the highest in the EU: 23.3%. But Japan is the front-runner; There, the proportion of people over 65 is already 29.1%.

Numerous studies show that the feeling of loneliness increases with age. A survey conducted by the opinion research institute Forsa in 2021 came to the conclusion that one in five people over 75 feels lonely at times. People over 80 are at risk of social isolation.

For Joachim Wirtz, it was therefore clear for a long time that he wanted to live in a shared housing project. It was the "lucky lottery ticket" for the 74-year-old, who told DW he could not imagine a life without his diverse community. He had lived in shared apartments on-and-off since his youth. For him, the exchange with the two youngest members of the community, who are 13 and 22 years old, is invigorating. That's when you get to talk about issues like climate protection. "No one is going to get me to leave," Wirtz said.

While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter Berlin Briefing.

This article was originally published in German.
Actor Sunny Leone has arrived in Cannes, southern France, to attend the 76th edition of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Sunny will debut at this year's Festival de Cannes for the premiere of her film, Kennedy, with director Anurag Kashyap and actor Rahul Bhat. They are also in Cannes to support their upcoming project. Sunny took to Instagram to share first pictures from her arrival in the French Riviera town. It shows her looking like a summer dream in a green cut-out gown. Sunny Leone shares first pictures from Cannes looking like a summer dream in green cut-out gown. (Instagram)

Sunny Leone's first pictures from Cannes are here

Sunny Leone took to Instagram to share pictures of herself looking incredible while doing press calls at the Cannes Film Festival. "Amazing first day @festivaldecannes doing interviews for #kennedy," Sunny captioned the post. She wore a cut-out maxi dress in the photoshoot. It is from the shelves of the clothing label Maria Kokhia, and celebrity stylist Ilya Vanzato styled the sensational ensemble. Scroll through to see Sunny's pictures and read our download on her first look at the prestigious festival.

Sunny's emerald green maxi dress features a one-shoulder design, a decolletage-revealing neckline, a billowy full-length sleeve with cinched cuff, a midriff-baring cut-out on the waist, a gathered design, a figure-hugging silhouette accentuating her frame, a thigh-high slit on the front, and a floor-grazing hem length.

Sunny accessorised the thigh-slit gown with embellished emerald green strappy high heels, matching rings, and delicate ear studs. Lastly, she chose centre-parted open wavy locks, subtle smoky eye shadow, kohl-lined eyes, mascara on the lashes, glossy coral pink lip shade, feathered brows, rouged cheekbones, dewy base, and a hint of highlighter for the glam picks.

Meanwhile, Kennedy has been selected for a Midnight Screening at Cannes Film Festival 2023. Apart from Sunny Leone and Rahul Bhatt, the Anurag Kashyap film also stars Abhilash Thapliyal in the lead role.
About 2 billion people will live in hazardous heat conditions by the end of the century if climate policies continue on their current trajectory, according to new research published in the Nature Sustainability journal. That represents 23% of the projected global population. If the climate warms more drastically  a potential scenario under current policies  about 3.3 billion people could face extreme temperatures by the end of the century. If emissions aren't drastically reduced, some 2 billion people will face life-threatening heat. Cities are adapting. (Rehman Asad/NurPhoto/IMAGO)

The study, led by scientists at the UK's University of Exeter and Nanjing University in China, found that 60 million people are already exposed to dangerous heat levels, characterized by an average temperature of 29 degrees Celsius (84.2 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher.

How do hot temperatures harm human health?

Extreme heat can result in a range of illnesses and death, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). These include heatstroke and hyperthermia. Temperature extremes also worsen chronic conditions and have indirect effects on disease transmission, air quality and critical infrastructure.

The elderly, infants and children, pregnant women, outdoor and manual workers, athletes and the poor are particularly vulnerable to higher temperatures.

Limiting warming to the lower Paris accord target of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels would still expose 400 million people to dangerous heat levels by the end of the century, the study found.

People living in India, Sudan and Niger will all be heavily affected by even 1.5 degrees warming, but 2.7 degrees will have enormous effects on countries like the Philippines, Pakistan and Nigeria.

Calculating the human cost of climate change

Researchers said their study breaks the trend of modelling climate impacts in economic rather than human terms.

"It invariably distorts value away from human lives and towards centres of wealth," Ashish Ghadiali, a climate activist and co-author of the paper, told DW, adding that modelling focused on economics "places more value on a life in New York State than in Bangladesh."

Most other models also prioritize current populations over future ones, with inequality in global warming being "both globally distributed, but also intergenerational," said Ghadiali.

"It fundamentally values my life more than my children's lives and certainly more than my grandchildren's lives," he said.

Looking at individual country impacts on dangerous heat levels, researchers found that current emissions from 1.2 average US citizens condemn a future human to live in extreme heat. Despite having disproportionate emissions, the US population faces a much lower threat from dangerous temperatures.

How can people be protected from extreme heat?

Previous studies have shown cities are particularly vulnerable to such dangerous temperature rises, due to the "heat island effect." Buildings, roads and infrastructure absorb and radiate the sun's heat more than natural environments like forests and water bodies, raising urban temperatures by as much 15 degrees Celsius in some cases, compared to rural areas.

Cities around the world are introducing the new role of chief heat officer to deal with inevitable temperature increases. One of those is Cristina Huidobro, who took up the post for Chile's capital Santiago in March 2022.

"Many cities in the world face extreme heat, but the solutions and the way you approach it are very, very local," Huidobro told DW.

Still, Huidobro said, they all broadly follow a three pronged strategy  preparedness, awareness and adaptation.

Preparedness can include categorizing heat waves in the same way as other natural disasters, or setting up an alert threshold to trigger a certain city response.

Huidobro said raising awareness of the dangers of heat are an integral part of the role.

"Taking care of yourself in an extreme heat event is really simple  drink water, seek shade and rest," she said. "Nobody has to die from extreme heat."

The third prong is adapting the city to the new reality of high temperatures, largely by creating more green spaces in the city.

Santiago has just launched an urban reforestation project to plant 30,000 trees across the city and develop strategies that treat the trees as part of the urban infrastructure.

"Trees, trees, trees, trees everywhere. It's bringing more green into the city," Huidobro said.

But planting trees isn't as easy as people think.

"We're putting trees in really dense streets, like in the main avenues of the city, where you have a lot of cement. You need to dig a hole and really do some civil works."

It's also not an instant solution to urban heat as trees need time to grow.

"The whole idea is to try to plant the shade that we're going to have in the next 20 or 30 years," said Huidobro.

The US cities fighting extreme heat

The United States  where previous studies have found 12,000 people die prematurely from heat each year  has appointed three chief heat officers so far, in Phoenix, Miami and Los Angeles.

The Californian city of Los Angeles, which is ranked as the most susceptible to natural disasters including heat waves, recently launched a campaign to build more "resilience hubs" with shade and cooling powered by renewables in high-risk communities. It already has a network of cooling centres mainly in libraries, where people can go to beat the heat.

They are also working on an early warning system for heat waves.

Phoenix, a city in the middle of the Sonoran Desert, is working on a number of adaptations, including building cooling pavements with a special sealant that reflects the sun. The sealant makes paths several degrees cooler to the touch and keeps the night air cooler.

The city of Miami in Florida is planning major urban tree-planting campaigns, and has also spent millions of dollars on air-conditioning units for public housing residents while providing financial assistance to help cover the energy bills of low-income households.

But Santiago's Huidobro said air-conditioning is generally a last resort for adaptation because of its climate impacts.

Santiago wants to plant 33 "pocket forests" that would be used as climate shelters, especially near schools and health facilities. These are an alternative to the air-conditioned cooling centres being developed in the US and Europe.

"During a heat wave people can go inside these nature-based cooling centres and get their shade, and rest and drink water," said Huidobro.
The government will make sure that Indias next census (whenever it happens) is smarter and more dynamic, Union home minister Amit Shah said while inaugurating the new office of the Registrar General of India (RGI). PREMIUM It is a matter of concern that the 2021 decadal census has seen such an unprecedented delay (Hemant Padalkar/HTPhoto)

Some of the forthcoming changes which the minister spoke about are praiseworthy indeed. These include linking birth and death registration data to the national population register in real time. Not only will this give us a better idea of the state of the population, it will also make existing databases, such as list of welfare programme beneficiaries and voter lists more accurate.

This is a logical culmination to making a smart database of Indian citizens, which was started when the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was rolled out. To be sure, some of the success on these fronts is also a function of socioeconomic advances such as a sharp increase in institutionalised births in the country. Other innovations, such as the census data being collected electronically by handheld devices, have been deployed in other government surveys.

Laudable as these objectives are, it is a matter of concern that the 2021 decadal census has seen such an unprecedented delay. The governments official explanation of the pandemic being responsible for this defies logic. When read with the continuing uncertainty about the conduct of the 2021 census, the governments latest comments about making the next census smarter, suggest a truncated understanding of the importance of the census.

While the census is primarily a geographically tied headcount of the people, the exercise in India has offered much more information than just a summary headcount. A lot of the information in the census is meant to capture the dynamics within the population: The share of rural and urban population, their occupational status in farm and non-farm and main and marginal work, migration and its longevity, mother tongue and other languages spoken, quality of household dwellings and assets are some such statistics.

Previous census exercises have served as a treasure trove of information for both the government and academia by providing information, often at a granular level, on such issues. Even if one assumes that the census has been postponed to make it smarter in capturing the headcount, the opportunity cost of delayed information on other aspects cannot be justified. Let great not become the enemy of good.
On May 19, the Union government issued an ordinance restoring to itself the power over services in Delhi by making a raft of major amendments in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, 1991. The decision was intended to effectively nullify the May 11 judgment of the Supreme Court (SC) that handed over control of services in the national capital to the elected Delhi government, excluding those related to police, public order and land. PREMIUM On the position of the lieutenant governor (LG) vis-a-vis the elected government in the matter of services, the Constitution bench said the former shall be bound by the decisions of the government on services(ANI)

On the position of the lieutenant governor (LG) vis-a-vis the elected government in the matter of services, the Constitution bench said the former shall be bound by the decisions of the GNCTD on services. Explaining the meaning of the term government of that state under the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules, 1954, in the context of the national capital, the court held that any reference to the state government in relation to Delhi shall mean the elected government.

Against the background of this categorical statement, it is clear the central ordinance has been promulgated to nullify the judgment. The new section 3(A) begins with a non-obstante clause notwithstanding anything contained in any judgement order or decree of any court .

The reference is obvious. The SC held that the legislative assembly has the power to legislate on services and the NCTD government has executive power thereon. In contrast, the ordinance says the legislative assembly has no power to make any laws on services, notwithstanding any decision of any court.

This raises an important constitutional question: Can Parliament make any law nullifying the SCs judgment and its direction? In Peoples Union of Civil Liberties and another vs Union of India (AIR 2003 SC 2363), the SC held that the legislature has no power to declare that the decision given by the court is not binding or is of no effect. It can change the basis on which a decision is given by the SC, but it cannot review and disregard such a decision. In fact, this has been the SCs consistent view. So, the new section 3A of this ordinance, which seeks to nullify and set at naught the SCs decision, does not appear to be valid.

There is a second interesting aspect to this ordinance. It seeks to establish an authority  National Capital Civil Service Authority  under part 4A for provisions relating to the maintenance of the democratic and administrative balance in the Governments of the national capital territory of Delhi. It comprises the chief minister (CM) who will chair the panel, and the chief secretary (CS) and the principal home secretary (PHS) as members. Two members will constitute the quorum and all decisions will be taken by majority. This authoritys only responsibility is to recommend transfers and postings, and make recommendations for disciplinary matters. This authority may even meet with only the CS and the PHS present. Even when the CM presides, if the two senior bureaucrats join hands, the CM will be out-voted. It does not need any research to conclude that the CS and the HS may invariably be on one side, and the CMs opinion is likely to not count at all.

So, all matters relating to transfers and postings and disciplinary issues are likely to be recommended by the two senior bureaucrats, and ultimately decided by the LG. The CM or his ministers may end up having no say in these basic administrative functions. The SC had said that bureaucrats are an essential link in the chain of accountability, and therefore, the system requires them to be accountable to the council of ministers and the legislature. This ordinance negates that fundamental principle of accountability. The SC had said that for any government to function, it must have control over the bureaucracy. But by creating this panel, section 45(E) contained in the ordinance appears to run contrary to the SC verdict, and also violates Article 239AA (6) of the Constitution.

A third controversial provision is contained in section 45J (4) of the new part 4A, which says the CS will submit the proposal to the LG and the CM for their opinion for the convening, prorogation and dissolution of the assembly. According to this provision, the summons to the members of the assembly may have to be issued by the CS. As per the Constitution, the decision to summon the House is taken by the cabinet, headed by the PM or the CM. The decision of the cabinet to summon or prorogue the House is conveyed to the speaker, and the secretary general informs the president of the cabinet decision. Thereafter, the President issues summons. States follow the same practice, with the governor in place of the President.

But under the new procedure, the CM and the LG are merely informed of their opinion. The ordinance does not say who moots the proposal to convene the assembly and who takes the decision in this matter. In the absence of clarification, it should be presumed that the CS will decide to convene, prorogue and dissolve the assembly. No further comment is needed to explain the wisdom behind this provision.

Article 239AA (7) empowers Parliament to make a law to supplement the provisions contained in that article. But Parliament cannot make a law that goes contrary to Article 239AA. The present ordinance appears to be violative of that article. The long preamble to the ordinance with far too many whereas has created an impression that if the Delhi CM transfers even a deputy secretary, it will have both national and international repercussions, but if the LG does so, there wont be any problem. This is a total absence of logic. This ordinance is legally unsound and politically unwise.

PDT Achary is former secretary-general, Lok Sabha The views expressed are personal
Finland's HMD Global, which markets Nokia-branded smartphones and feature phones, on Tuesday launched the Nokia C32 smartphone in India. Nokia's C32 smartphone (Image courtesy: Nokia)

C32 is available in 3 colour schemes  Beach Pink, Breezy Mint, and Charcoal.

Nokia C32: Variants and price

Nokia C32 has two variants, of which one has 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage, while the other has 4 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. These carry price tags of 8,999 and 9,499 respectively.

Nokia C32: Incentives

The company is offering additional incentives such as 1-year replacement guarantee, and special benefits up to 3,500 for Jio Plus users.

Nokia C32: Features and specifications

(1.) IP52 protection (can hold up against dust and spills); Android 13 as operating system.

(2.) A 5,000 mAh battery with the latest AI-powered battery-saving features; 3-day battery life.

(3.) A 6.5-inch IPS screen display with 7,200*1,600 pixel resolution and 60 Hz refresh rate; 20:9 aspect ratio.

(4.) Unisoc SC 9863A chipset as processor; connectivity features such as 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, and 3.5 mm headphone jack.

(5.) 8 MP front camera for selfies and video calls; 50 MP primary camera and 2 MP secondary lens at the back, each with LED flash.

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Maleesha Kharwa, a 15-year-old girl from Mumbais Dharavi, has become the face of Forest Essentials, a luxury skincare brand. Forest Essentials introduced her to the world in March this year as their new Yuvati. Beyond just a personal triumph for Kharwa, this collaboration carries a greater purpose, as the brand strives to empower underprivileged children through education, helping them to transform their dreams into realities. Recently, Forest Essentials posted a clip of Kharwa visiting a store that had her campaign photos. Her wholesome reaction has struck a chord with people. Maleesha Kharwa, the face of luxury brand Forest Essentials. (Instagram/@maleeshakharwa)

After introducing her as the face of their new campaign, the brand even interviewed her, where she answered 13 questions. Kharwa revealed that Priyanka Chopra is her inspiration and expressed her admiration for Nora Fatehis dancing skills. She even showcased her go-to dance move and sang her favourite song.

Kharwa, who aspires to be a supermodel, regularly shares snippets from her life with her 2.3 lakh Instagram followers. She often uses the hashtag #theprincessfromtheslum with her posts.

Recently, Forest Essentials shared a heartening video featuring Kharwa visiting a store displaying her campaign photos, and her expressions say it all. They captioned the viral video: Her face lit up with pure delight. To see her dreams in front of her in sight. Maleeshas story is a beautiful reminder that dreams really do come true.

Watch the viral video here:

Since being shared on April 4, the video has raked up more than 6.2 million views and the numbers are still counting. Many even flocked to the videos comments section and left their thoughts.

Heres how people reacted to the video:

Finally a person whose face is recognisable! This is how we want to look when we use skin products, we want to take care of our skin, look good & attractive! Also, look at her original hair! The skin tone. Omg! Shes even beautiful with that genuine blush!! posted an Instagram user. Another added, @forestessentials massive respect for breaking the status quo and thank you for giving her this opportunity to shine. @Forestessentials I truly appreciate your gesture. I request that you take up her dreams as your dream and take her under your wings and make her fly high, commented a third.

In 2020, Hollywood actor Robert Hoffman met Kharwa and set up a Go Fund Me page to support her dreams. The page highlights her challenges, including lack of food, water, and proper shelter during the monsoon season. Through this page,

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Author and politician Shashi Tharoor recently delighted his Twitter followers by sharing pictures of himself with a two-year-old boy named Anantha Padmanabhan. The boy is the son of his colleague Prakash and is from Tharoors constituency. Along with the pictures, he mentioned that he introduced the kid to the world of writing by tracing the words Om Hari Shri with his fingers in three languages. While this ritual is traditionally performed on Vidyarambham day, which signifies the initiation of children into the realm of knowledge, Tharoor emphasises that learning should happen every day. Shashi Tharoor with two-year-old boy Anantha Padmanabhan. (Twitter/@ShashiTharoor)

First thing today: My Thiruvananthapuram based colleague Prakash brought his two and a half year old son Anantha Padmanabhan to be initiated into writing, something that normally happens at the annual Vidyarambham day. Since learning should happen every day, I gladly traced Om Hari Shri with his finger in three scripts (Malayalam, Sanskrit and English) on a platter of rice grains. He seemed to enjoy it! wrote Shashi Tharoor while sharing pictures on Twitter.

The pictures show the kid sitting in Tharoors lap as they trace Om Hari Shri in Malayalam, Sanskrit and English on a platter of rice grains.

Take a look at the pictures here:

Since being shared on May 21, the tweet has been viewed over 1.2 lakh times and the numbers are still increasing. Additionally, it has raked a plethora of likes and comments. The comments reflect both admiration for the childs early exposure to the world of writing and concern for preserving the joys of a carefree childhood.

Heres how people reacted to Shashi Tharoors tweet:

He and his family must be feeling very blessed, posted an individual. Another added, What a lucky boy Anantha Padmanabhan is, to be initiated into writing by you!! Bless Bless. Beautiful moment captured. May he become another prodigy! expressed a third. A fourth commented, Great start for him.lovely picsBut at two and half? I hope the kid gets to enjoy a few more years of carefree childhood before entering the grind. That kid is learning words in English, Hindi and Malayalam that would require a dictionary, shared a fifth.

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A heartwarming gesture by a UK-based dentist, Dr Usama Ahmed, has been winning hearts online. You may ask, what is it? Well, he took his grandmother on a trip to Paris. Now, several videos capturing their joyful moments in the city of love have quickly gone viral, spreading happiness across the Internet. Elderly woman enjoying her time in Paris with grandchildren. (Instagram/@drusamayt)

The beautiful journey began when her grandson Hamza Ahmed asked if she wanted to go to Paris. Initially hesitant, she questioned what they would do in a foreign country where they didnt know anyone. However, she eventually agreed to embark on the adventure.

In the now-viral video, Dr Usama Ahmed, the dentist, shares glimpses of his grandmothers time in Paris. The video starts with a text overlay that reads, POV making our grandma live her best life, as the elderly woman gazes out of the hotel window. As the video progresses, she can be seen enjoying shopping, exploring the city, and striking poses for the camera with her grandchildren. Dr Usama Ahmed shared the heartwarming video on Instagram with the caption, Paris trip 2023. Where should we go next?

Watch the video right here:

Since being shared on May 14 ago, the video has raked up more than three million views, and the numbers are still increasing. The share has also prompted many to leave their thoughts in the comments section.

Heres how people reacted to the viral video:

You are lucky that you could at least fulfil your dreams with your grandmother. My grandfather died before I could become something to do something for him like this. Really appreciate humans like you, wrote an individual. Another added, Manifesting doing this for my grandmother. She makes me miss my Nani Jaan so much. Take care of her and make use of every moment she is with you, commented a fourth. A fifth remarked, This is so cute. Sweetest thing I have watched today ! Say hi to granny, joined a sixth. Many in the comments shared that they should plan their next trip to India.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is presently on a three-day visit to Australia. When PM Modi arrived in Sydney, he was greeted with a thunderous welcome. Members of the Indian diaspora waited with dhols and flags to welcome PM Modi, chanting his name along with slogan Bharat Mata Ki Jai. However, this isn't all. A video shared by ANI shows a recreational aircraft spelling out PM Modi's name to welcome him. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name spelled from a recreational aircraft.(Twitter/@ANI)

"'Welcome Modi' spelled by a recreational aircraft's contrails before the community event in Sydney, Australia," wrote ANI as they shared the video. The clip shows an aircraft spelling out the PM's name to welcome him to Sydney. This post was shared just an hour ago. Since being posted, it has been viewed over 6,000 times. The share has also received several likes and comments.

Watch the video below:

When PM Modi arrived in Sydney, officials, including Australian High Commissioner to India, Barry O'Farrell, welcomed him. PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with Australian PM Anthony Albanese, during his visit.

According to the Australian government's official statement, the leaders will discuss trade and investment at their bilateral meeting, as well as efforts to increase trade between the two nations through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people ties, renewable energy, and defense and security cooperation.
PM Narendra Modi is certainly one of the most visible leaders that India has had in a lifetime, Nobel laureate Brian Paul Schmidt said after a meeting with the Indian leader in Sydney. PM Modi is on a three-day visit to Australia where he met Schmidt. Brian Paul Schmidt is the winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics. Nobel laureate Brian Paul Schmidt is seen.

"Prime Minister Modi is certainly one of the most visible leaders that India has had in my lifetime, and just talking to him, I can see why. He's very personable and really takes an interest in people when he talks to them. And I think that's probably true of whoever he talks to, whether it's the President of the United States or someone that he meets for the first time from society," Brian Paul Schmidt said.

Talking of India's work in research and science, Brian Paul Schmidt said, It was actually really enjoyable. He (PM Modi) was very well briefed on what we're doing here in Australia and how we can work together in research and science. India's ability to do world-class science has become just an order of magnitude higher because India is investing in its science and scientists to give them equipment and the ability to ask questions on the edge.

Brian Paul Schmidt has spent most of his academic career as an astrophysicist at the ANU Mount Stromlo Observatory and Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics before becoming Vice-Chancellor. The Nobel winner is the leader and chief executive officer of Australian National University.

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Tensions are running high at Amazon's Seattle headquarters as employees announce plans for a massive walkout scheduled for next week. Memos obtained by the Washington Post reveal that disgruntled workers are preparing to take action in response to recent layoffs and the controversial return-to-office mandate. The Amazon HQ2 Met Park campus in Arlington, Virginia, US, on Monday, April 3, 2023. Amazon.com Inc. announced last month it is pausing construction on its sprawling second headquarters near Washington, with the first phase of the campus that the company calls HQ2 nearing completion and will be finished and occupied as planned.(Bloomberg)

The tech giant was one of the first companies to admit to overhiring during the pandemic, resulting in a massive workforce reduction. This decision has sparked outrage among employees who blame top executives for failing to make better investments and for the lack of transparency surrounding the company's mission.

"Morale feels like it's at an all-time low," said an anonymous Amazon employee. "There's so much uncertainty and lack of clarity from leadership. It's an unsettling time to work at Amazon."

The walkout, organized by employee activists, aims to draw attention to the frustrations surrounding layoffs, the return-to-office policy, and the company's perceived inaction regarding climate change. Organizers hope to rally at least 1,000 employees to participate in the demonstration, which is set to take place one week after Amazon's annual shareholder meeting.

The employees' discontent stems from a lack of communication and transparency from company leaders. Many workers discovered news of the layoffs through media reports rather than official channels, exacerbating feelings of uncertainty about their job security.

Additionally, the return-to-office mandate has raised concerns among employees, particularly those who must uproot their lives and relocate to comply with the new policy. The lack of clarity and the potential risk of losing their jobs while relocating have added to the frustration.

"We want to be heard," said a Seattle-based Amazon employee. "Leadership is making unilateral decisions without considering input from workers. People are fed up."

This walkout follows a series of cost-cutting measures implemented by Amazon, including thousands of layoffs and the termination of various projects and divisions. Employees feel that these actions are contradictory to the company's aspiration of being "Earth's Best Employer," as proclaimed by former CEO Jeff Bezos.

The walkout, spearheaded by a coalition of employee groups, including Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, aims to push the company to address its impact on climate change. While Amazon had previously committed to its Climate Pledge, employees feel that the company is not living up to its promises and accuse it of "greenwashing."

Despite recent strong financial results, with net sales increasing by nine percent, the company's stock price soaring, and its first-quarter net income reaching $3.2 billion, employee stock compensation has been cut, divisions have been closed, and leadership changes have occurred.

The walkout, scheduled to occur during lunchtime outside Amazon's iconic Spheres, highlights the growing discontent among employees who believe that the company's leaders are not exhibiting the innovative and flexible "Day 1 mentality" that has been a core tenet of Amazon's culture.

Amazon has stated that it respects employees' rights to express their opinions, while company spokesperson Drew Herdener mentioned the positive energy among employees returning to the office.

However, the looming walkout signals a turning point in employee relations at the tech giant. As tensions rise and demands for change grow stronger, the outcome of this demonstration could have far-reaching consequences for Amazon and its workforce.

In the face of mounting challenges, Amazon will need to navigate the delicate balance between its business objectives and the concerns of its employees to maintain its position as a global industry leader.
Law Enforcement authorities are on the lookout for a driver who crashed into a popular Japanese sushi restaurant in Studio City, Los Angeles, before fleeing the scene on foot. Footage shows the wreckage outside the Sushi Restaurant. (Image Credit: KTLA)

The severe crash occurred on Thursday afternoon, causing significant damage to the establishment.

Emergency responders, including the Los Angeles Fire Department, arrived at Akira Sushi on Ventura Boulevard around 1:35 p.m. local time following reports of a vehicle collision. Upon arrival, they discovered a white Alfa Romeo lodged inside the restaurant, but the driver was nowhere to be found.

CCTV surveillance footage revealed that the Alfa Romeo veered off the road after sideswiping another vehicle. It then collided with a third vehicle before crashing through the front window of the restaurant. Debris can be seen flying inside the eatery as the car plowed through.

Police from the Los Angeles Police Department have categorized the incident as a hit-and-run, as the driver fled on foot with a dog in tow. Unfortunately, no further details about the suspect have been disclosed at this time.

Eyewitnesses at the scene described a chaotic scene. One witness, Odalis Alvarez, recounted seeing a man bleeding from the head and wearing an ankle monitor. The driver allegedly ran around the car to retrieve his dog before frantically leaving the scene.

Alvarez stated, "He said that he needed to call his wife because he just got into a car accident," highlighting the driver's distressed state.

Another eye-witness attempted to pursue the driver, who was visibly injured. They were unable to keep up as the suspect entered a nearby cab shortly after leaving the crash site.

The L.A. Fire Department's Urban Search and Rescue specialists were called in to assist with the extraction of the vehicle from the damaged building.

Nicholas Prange, a representative from the LAFD, confirmed their involvement in the operation.

Building and safety officials are currently assessing the structural integrity of the restaurant following the crash.

ALSO READ| Devastating car crash in Western Oregon claims seven lives and leaves several injured

Fortunately, no injuries were reported, as the establishment was empty at the moment of the collision, except for the head chef, who was working in the kitchen.

The circumstances leading up to the crash remain unclear, and Police continue their search for the driver involved in this hit-and-run incident.

The investigation is ongoing, and updates will be provided as more information will be gathered.

Topic Source: KTLA 5
Dutch politician and former Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel, along with a European delegation is on a visit to Bangladesh from May 20-26, where the delegation will investigate the genocide committed by Pakistan in 1971. The delegation tends to meet victims, witnesses, genocide researchers, academics, policymakers and government representatives in Bangladesh. (File)

The mission is an initiative of the European Bangladesh Forum (EBF) and will also consist of genocide scientist Anthonie Holslag (VU), political analyst Chris Blackburn, British EBF chairman Ansar Ahmed Ullah and Dutch EBF chairman Bikash Chowdhury Barua.

The mission's goal is to obtain firsthand information on the genocide committed by the Pakistani army in Bangladesh during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.

The delegation tends to meet victims, witnesses, genocide researchers, academics, policymakers and government representatives in Bangladesh. In addition, the team visits a number of killing fields and war museums in and around the capital Dhaka and the second major city Chittagong, according to an official statement.

The mission to Bangladesh takes place at a time when there is worldwide attention for the genocide in Bangladesh.

Recently, two members of the US Congress submitted a resolution to the US House of Representatives calling on the President of the United States, Joe Biden, to recognize the crimes against humanity committed by the Pakistani military at the time.

In the United Kingdom, too, recognition of the 1971 genocide has been discussed in parliament. According to delegation leader Van Bommel, "Dutch recognition of this genocide is relevant because in 1972 the Netherlands was one of the first countries to recognize the independence of Bangladesh."

According to the official statement, the fact-finding mission will communicate its findings to the Dutch government and the House of Representatives. The European Bangladesh Forum will also organise a conference on the findings.
Jeffrey Epstein, the enigmatic financier and convicted sex offender, is again at the centre of news for reportedly blackmailing Bill Gates in 2017. Epstein sent Gates an email in which he threatened to expose Gates' affair with a Russian woman. Gates has denied any wrongdoing, and his representatives have said that he was "horrified" by Epstein's threats. (ALSO READ: Explosive blackmail unveiled! Jeffrey Epstein, Bill Gates' tangled web of secrets and a Russian bridge player) Jeffrey Epstein(AP)

Let us delve into the key events that have defined Epstein's reputation, shedding light on his most notorious controversies.

Ambiguous Origins and Vast Wealth:

Born on January 20, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York, Jeffrey Epstein's early life remains shrouded in mystery. He later became a highly successful financier, catering to affluent clients. His immense wealth was reportedly built through his association with prestigious names in finance, including Leslie Wexner, the founder of L Brands.

Conviction for Sex Offenses and Controversial Sentence:

Epstein's most infamous controversy unfolded in 2008 when he pleaded guilty to state charges of solicitation of prostitution involving a minor. The nature of the deal raised eyebrows, as Epstein received an unusually lenient sentence of 18 months in private jail where he was allowed to leave for work in day. This controversial arrangement was facilitated by Alexander Acosta, who was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida at the time. The leniency of the sentence sparked public outrage, igniting debates about preferential treatment for the wealthy and connected.

Controversies Involving Bill Clinton:

Jeffrey Epstein's social circle included notable figures, and one of his controversial associations involved former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Allegations emerged that Clinton had taken multiple trips aboard Epstein's private plane, dubbed the "Lolita Express," which was known for its lavish amenities. These allegations raised concerns about the nature of their relationship and prompted questions about whether Clinton was aware of Epstein's illicit activities. However, it should be noted that Clinton has denied any wrongdoing, stating that he had limited interactions with Epstein and was unaware of the extent of his crimes.

Controversies Involving Prince Andrew:

Another high-profile individual associated with Epstein was Prince Andrew, Duke of York. Epstein and Prince Andrew were known to have had a friendship spanning several years. However, their association became marred with controversy when one of Epstein's accusers, Virginia Giuffre, alleged that she was forced to have sexual relations with Prince Andrew while underage. The Prince denied the allegations, but the scandal surrounding their connection intensified. As a result, Prince Andrew withdrew from his public duties as a member of the British royal family. Investigations and legal proceedings related to these allegations are ongoing, and their resolution will determine the ultimate implications for Prince Andrew's reputation and legal standing.

ALSO READ| Jeffrey Epstein-related case: Virgin Islands wants to subpoena untraceable Google co-founder Larry Page

Mysterious Death and Lingering Questions:

On August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in New York City. The official cause of death was ruled as suicide by hanging. However, the circumstances surrounding his demise ignited intense speculation and conspiracy theories. Questions arose about the adequacy of his supervision, the potential involvement of others, and whether Epstein's death was truly self-inflicted. These unanswered questions continue to fuel public curiosity and demand for further investigation.

Jeffrey Epstein's life is a complex tapestry woven with a series of deeply troubling controversies. Unravelling the enigma surrounding Epstein remains an ongoing quest for justice and understanding.

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It's "troubling" that media is "downplaying" the paparazzi car chase that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle went through, a popular US broadcaster and friend of the couple said. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, along with her mother Dorian Ragland, were trailed by photographers as they left a New York City charity event last week. Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex are seen. (Reuters)

Read more: Kate Middleton shares deeply personal feelings about joining royal family

The couple set off alarms as their spokesperson claimed that they had been dangerously pursued by paparazzi in a near catastrophic car chase that lasted over two hours. However, conflicting reports later emerged about the incident, with police saying the pursuit was short and led to no injuries.

CBS Mornings host Gayle King hit out at the couple's critics, branding efforts to "downplay" the incident "troubling".

I think it was a very unfortunate incident. Its troubling to me that anybody would try to downplay what that would mean to them. Thats very troubling to me," Gayle King said, adding that it was unsettling that some people have tried to minimise how they felt in that moment.

Im just really sorry it happened and very sorry they had to go through it. Everybody can have all of their opinions but I always go back to, How did they feel in that moment?, the broadcast journalist continued.

At the event Meghan Markle accepted the Ms. Foundations Woman of Vision Awards along with Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown.

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U.S. President Joe Biden and White House Speaker Kevin McCarthy engaged in a crucial one-on-one meeting on Monday to address the pressing issue of avoiding a potentially catastrophic government debt default. WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 22: U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) talks to reporters outside his office at the Capitol following a meeting with President Joe Biden on May 22, 2023 in Washington, DC. McCarthy characterized today's debt limit negotiations as more productive than previous sessions. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)(Getty Images via AFP)

The talks, held at the White House, were described as "productive" by both parties, although significant disagreements continue to hinder the possibility of reaching a conclusion.

The urgency of the meeting arose due to the approaching of the 11th hour, June 1 deadline set by the US Treasury for Congress to authorize further borrowing. President Biden had to even cut short his trip to Asia to prioritize resolving the impasse ahead of this critical date.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed his view on the discussion, stating, "I felt we had a productive discussion. We don't have an agreement yet, but I did feel the discussion was productive in areas (where) we have differences of opinion." He further emphasized their commitment to finding a resolution, mentioning that negotiators would work tirelessly to bridge the gaps.

Debt limits are raised periodically to cover existing approved loans, but House Republicans are now demanding significant spending cuts to address the nation's substantial $31.8 trillion debt as a condition for averting a default.

The 46th U.S. President approached the meeting with optimism, stating, "I am optimistic we are going to make some progress." He acknowledged the shared responsibility of both sides in resolving the impasse and finding a viable solution. After the meeting, the president echoed McCarthy's sentiment, describing the discussions as "productive" while acknowledging the remaining areas of disagreement.

Negotiations have experienced ups and downs over the weekend, with McCarthy's team and White House negotiators engaging in extended meetings on Sunday night and Monday.

ALSO READ| What happens if US fails to resolve its debt ceiling crisis? All possibilities listed

House conservatives, including eminent faces of the House Freedom Caucus, have issued a warning to McCarthy on the ongoing negotiations.

Members of the House Freedom Caucus have made it clear that they expect the Speaker to halt negotiations with President Biden and focus on pushing the Senate to pass the Republican bill that had already cleared the House last month.

Rep. Scott Perry, who chairs the House Freedom Caucus stated, That side over there is the one that hasnt passed anything, added, And you keep asking us what were willing to accept. What were willing to accept is what we passed last month. Thats why we passed it. They havent passed anything, yet you keep asking us what we want to do, what well take. What well take is what we passed.

The speaker has the responsibility to speak for the House majority and hes doing that. I think he knows which majority of his conference is, and that is that we could get to debt ceiling increase with 217 votes with the reforms and the cuts that we have in place. And our position hasnt changed that the Senate needs to pass the House bill, Virginia Rep. Bob Good said while opposing the debt limit bill.

Sticking points from yesterdays negotiation that holding up the debt ceiling deal

We dont have an agreement yet, stated Mr. McCarthy. But I did feel the discussion was productive in areas that we have differences of opinion.

He further emphasized the commitment to ongoing dialogue, saying, Biden and I will talk everyday until we get this done.

Despite the several differences, McCarthy acknowledged that the overall tone of the discussions was more positive than in previous instances, indicating some potential for progress.

Earlier, the House Speaker underscored the urgency of reaching a resolution this week to allow Congress sufficient time to meet the looming deadline of June 1st.

He provided an estimate that the process of drafting, reviewing, and voting on an agreement would require approximately 72 hours.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen delivered a cautionary letter to Congress on Monday, stating that the United States could potentially exhaust its funds to meet its financial obligations as early as June 1st if the debt limit is not raised.

Yellen underscored the gravity of the situation and described the likelihood of a default in early June as "highly probable."

Her statement emphasized the severe hardship that American families would endure if Congress fails to take action and increase the debt limit.

"If Congress fails to increase the debt limit, it would cause severe hardship to American families," the statement read.

ALSO READ| Decoding the US debt ceiling: The history, crisis, and potential fallout

Democrats have rejected the demand and instead proposed maintaining flat spending levels.

Both President Biden and Mr. McCarthy face pressure from the more progressive and conservative wings of their parties to maintain their respective positions.

Given the Democrats' slim one-seat majority in the Senate and the Republicans' narrow control of the House, reaching a compromise has proven challenging thus far.

As there is no official update from the White House on when the next meeting will be held, it can be assumed that there will be a potential meeting later this week.
Shireen Mazari, Pakistan's former human rights minister and a close aide of ousted prime minister Imran Khan, on Tuesday quit the party and announced her retirement from active politics following her arrest over the recent violence. Shireen Mazari, Pakistan's former human rights minister.(Photo credit-Twitter)

Mazari, 72, made the announcement after she was released following her arrest for the fourth time since May 12 when she was picked from her residence by police and sent to jail. She served as the minister for human rights from 2018 to 2022, under Khan's regime.

Addressing a press conference here, she condemned the violence after the arrest of Khan on May 9, adding that she had given a similar undertaking in the Islamabad High Court.

"Not only the May 9 and 10 violence, but Ive always condemned every kind of violence especially against state institutions and symbols like the General Headquarters, Supreme Court and Parliament, she said.

She then announced to quit Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party as well as active politics, saying the arrest had adversely affected her health and family.

"From today, Im not part of PTI or any active party because first [for me are] my family, my mother and kids, she said.

Feeling the heat of legal processes, several PTI leaders have quit the party but none of them had enjoyed the stature of the liberal-minded Mazari. Her decision to part ways with Khan is being considered as a big political loss to the party.

Civil society including journalists expressed dismay at her decision and Geo News anchor Hamid Mir termed her retirement a "huge loss" for democracy and human rights activism.

Political analyst Mosharraf Zaidi said the development was an absolute disgrace for the government, the military and the country at large.

Mazari was arrested for the fourth time on Monday after the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court had directed authorities to set her free if she was not required under any other case.

Her daughter Imaan Mazari-Hazir talking to the media after the court orders had said that the government should think and not destroy homes like this.

Mazari-Hazir had also lambasted Khan, saying that "it is a pity that party chief Imran Khan has forgotten the workers and leadership".

Mazari was first arrested on May 12 from her residence in Islamabad as part of a crackdown launched by the federal government on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters following the May 9 attacks on military installations and government buildings.

On May 9, violent protests erupted after the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers. His party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander house, Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was also attacked by the mob for the first time.

Police put the death toll in violent clashes to 10 while Khan's party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel.

Thousands of Khans supporters were arrested following the violence that the powerful Army described as a dark day in the history of the country.

Mazari has been a vocal critic of Pakistan's military and the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Khan had lamented Mazari's re-arrest, saying that such actions by the government showed the plight of the mighty.

The former ministers arrest had came after a series of arrests of several other PTI leaders, including Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Omer Cheema, Ali Mohammad Khan, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and others.

All of these leaders other than Khan were arrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), after widespread violence by the supporters of Khan who took to streets after his arrest.

Shehbaz said on Sunday that those involved in attacks on the military installations would be tried in the military courts while those charged with attacks on the civilian targets would be prosecuted under civilian laws.
Kate Middleton treats Prince William like the "fourth child", a source who worked with them in Kensington Palace revealed as polling showed that the couple are the most popular members of the royal family. Tom Quinn, author of Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family shared conversations he had with a source that worked closely with Prince William and Kate. Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince William and Kate Middleton leave after the coronation ceremony of Britain's King Charles and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey.(Reuters)

Read more: Kate Middleton shares deeply personal feelings about joining royal family

"Kate treats him [William] like the fourth child because he's prone to tantrums," the source told Tom Quinn, adding that Kate also knows exactly how to stop arguments from escalating.

They do have rows. It's not a perfect marriage. They have terrific rows. But, where some couples have a row and throw heavy vases at each other, William and Kate throw cushions at each other. It's always kept under control," Tom Quinn said quoting the source.

The royal author attributed the couple's marital success to Queen Elizabeth's legacy noting that the late monarch understood the importance of maintaining a dignified silence during turbulent times.

Because William adopts the manners and ways of behaving of his grandmother and Kate is very good at not complaining, both of them have stuck to the thing that made Queen Elizabeth II such a remarkable monarch. They very rarely complain and when they do it's always in measured terms, the author said.

Kate and William are the most favoured royals, so much so that the Prince of Wales has overtaken her husband in the popularity charts, a recent Ipsos survey found.

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Following attacks on government buildings nearly all over the nation in the wake of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's arrest in a corruption case earlier this month, the National Assembly on Monday passed a resolution denouncing "shameless incidents" on May 9 and expressing solidarity with the armed forces, Geo News reported. Rioters demonstrate in Pakistan.(AP)

The resolution put out by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif supported the civil-military leadership's choice to prosecute rioters in accordance with pertinent national legislation, such as the Pakistan Army Act.

The house also reaffirmed its unwavering trust in, unwavering solidarity with, and unwavering support for the Pakistani Armed Forces.

In reference to the unprecedented almost three-day-long violent protests by PTI supporters after their leader Imran Khan's incarceration, the resolution reaffirmed the designation of May 9 as "Black Day," reported Geo News.

During the nationwide riots, at least eight people were killed and several more were injured, and internet connectivity was interrupted nationwide for about 72 hours.

The resolution also encouraged the relevant authorities to enforce social media laws and policies to stop propaganda that was being released against Pakistan's institutions from both inside and outside of Pakistan, "under the patronage and facilitation of multiple players," according to Geo News.

PTI chairman Imran Khan, who is on bail till June 2, was recently arrested by Rangers personnel from Islamabad High Court (IHC) in the Al-Qadir Trust case. After Khan's arrest, PTI workers held protests in cities across the country, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, and Mardan.

An anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Friday approved pre-arrest bail for Imran Khan in three cases filed against Pakistan's former prime minister after his arrest on May 9.

Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi and other PTI leaders are facing a NAB inquiry related to a settlement between the PTI government and a property tycoon, which reportedly caused a loss of 190 million pounds to the national exchequer.

According to the charges, Khan and other accused allegedly adjusted 50 billion - 190 million pounds at the time sent by Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) to the government, as per the Geo News. (ANI)
The City of Parramatta Council in Australias Sydney on Monday created history by electing its Councillor Sameer Pandey as its first ever Indian-origin Lord Mayor. Pandeys election to the post coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Australia as part of his three-nation tour which concludes Tuesday. Sameer Pandey is a small business owner with a background in IT.

Speaking about his new role, Pandey expressed his excitement and said he would like to create a more sustainable and inclusive Parramatta under his leadership. He also spoke about PM Modis visit to Sydney and expressed optimism about the continued growth of the bilateral relationship between the two countries. Parramatta has the fastest-growing population of the Indian diaspora. I hope to see the relations between India and Australia grow further under the leadership of PM Modi. I am humbled and excited about my role. I want to create a city which is sustainable, smart, inclusive and diverse, Pandey was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Who is Sameer Pandey?

Pandey was first elected to the council in 2017. In 2022, he became Parramattas first Deputy Lord Mayor from the Indian subcontinent. He will succeed Councillor Donna Davis MP, who stepped down from the role following her election as the State Member for Parramatta.

Sameer will serve as Parramattas Lord Mayor, a title granted to the mayor of the City of London and some other cities in the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada.

A small business owner with a background in IT, Pandey wishes to transform Parramatta as a smart city with focus on community and local businesses. Parramatta is home to a vibrant and diverse community, and Im excited to lead the City as it cements itself as Sydneys second CBD (central business district) and the focus of some of its most exciting opportunities, he was quoted as saying in the press release.

After assuming the office, Pandey will have had a lot of work on his hand, including some major projects such as the aquatic centre, town hall and Riverside Theatre redevelopments, the Australia Today reported. In a press release, sharing his excitement about the new role, he said it was a privilege to lead the council. The City of Parramatta is the geographical heart of Greater Sydney and a major economic powerhouse as well as the best place in Sydney to live, the statement read.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nisha Anand Trainee Content Producer for Hindustan Times Digital Streams. I read about feminism, late modern history, and globalisation of Korean music. ...view detail
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Australia on Tuesday met the Executive Chairman of Fortescue Future Industries, an Australia-based Green energy and technology firm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets the Indian Community in Sydney on Monday. (ANI)

John Andrew Henry Forrest AO, nicknamed Twiggy, is an Australian businessman. He is best known as the former CEO (and current non-executive chairman) of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) and has other interests in the mining industry and in cattle stations.

According to the Financial Review, Forrest was the richest person in Australia in 2008.

The Prime Minister also met Paul Schroder, CEO of Australian Super, in Sydney.

He was appointed Chief Executive of Australian Super on October 1, 2021, and is responsible for the leadership and strategic development of the fund as well as the provision of advice to the board.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea.

PM Modi was received by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell and other officials upon his arrival in Sydney.

During his visit, PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.

At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people links, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation, said the official statement released by the Australian government.

Members of the Indian diaspora also welcomed PM Modi as they chanted slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram".

During the visit, the Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community," the statement added.

Meanwhile, Australian PM Albanese said he looks forward to visiting India in September in New Delhi for the G20 Leaders' Summit, the world's premier forum for economic cooperation.

Describing the relationship between India and Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the high degree of mutual trust between the two nations has naturally translated into greater cooperation over time, especially on defence and security matters.

In an exclusive interview with 'The Australian' newspaper, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he wants to elevate relations with Australia to the "next level," which would entail deeper defence ties to support the creation of an "open and free" Indo-Pacific.

"India believes that these challenges can be addressed only through shared efforts," he said, adding that he wanted India and Australia to press forward to realise the "true potential" of closer defence and security ties.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markles biographer Omid Scobie accused the British media of harassing him and his family with fake gossip. Hitting back at publications that have recently written about his career, Omid Scobie said the UK media is targeting his family and peers. Prince Harry-Meghan Markle: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex are seen.(AP)

Read more: Kate Middleton shares deeply personal feelings about joining royal family

Bothering my friends, family, a lifetime of colleagues, inventing fake gossip to incite hate... all within days of me giving evidence in a media case? he tweeted, adding, Not a coincidence. Been down this road many times now, I know exactly who is up to what, and Im not going anywhere.

Expressing that he thought that the fascination around his job at Heat, where he worked for 11 months after college was bizarre, Omid Scobie claimed that it was a toxic work environment for him, noting that despite what peoples intentions appeared to be, hes not ashamed of this job. He wrote that it was a blast covering red carpets every day and doing celebrity interviews.

It just says a lot about certain sections of this industry that outlets would rather (repeatedly) put energy into trying to define someone by a job from two decades ago instead of focusing on the bigger, more newsworthy issues that have long plagued publishers and newsrooms such as that place, he wrote.

I was taken aback by what seemed completely immoral and I never carried out the task, he also said. On Piers Morgan, he said, Mr Morgan was asking how confident they were in the reporting and was told that the information had come from voicemails. I recall being surprised to hear this at the time, which is why it stuck in my mind.

I was a journalist trying to do my job, he added blasting claims that he was a cheerleader for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

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Kate Middleton shared one messy habit that Prince William is a "nightmare" for as the royal couple released clips from their home Kensington Palace. Reacting to the video, royal fans wondered what the couple is like at home and away from the spotlight. In the clip, the couple can be seen on a trip to an RAF base in Cyprus in 2018 where Kate Middleton revealed how Prince William is like when the pair are relaxing at home, revealing one habit that drives her mad. Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, arrives for the Coronation of King Charles III, in London, Saturday, May 6 2023. King Charles III and Camila the Queen Consort, members of the Royal family and VIP's gathered at Westminster Abbey for the Coronation service.(AP)

When the couple met military personnel serving on the island who had opened a new recreation facility, they admired the new decor in the room as Prince William warned, "Keep the pizza off the sofas."

Kate Middleton then revealed that her husband had a habit of it, saying: You're a nightmare with that.

Royal fans swooned after seeing the clip of Prince William with one user writing on Instagram, "[Kensington Palace] social team is bring the energy lately and I love it."

The videos are amaziiiiing, another wrote while a third commented, "Thank you for all the behind the scenes videos! You are all doing [a] fantastic job! Well done."

Earlier in an interview with BBC Radio 1 in 2017, Kate Middleton was asked what her family's order takeaways were. To this, Kate replied, Absolutely and curry, definitely!, revealing that she is a spice lover but Prince William doesn't share her spicy tastes.

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Ukraine cant win the war against Russia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, widely perceived to be the closest European Union nation to the Kremlin, said in an interview. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban gives a press conference in the Karmelita monastery housing the prime minister's office in Budapest .(AFP)

Looking at the figures, looking at the surroundings, looking at the fact that NATO is not ready to send troops, its obvious that there is no victory for poor Ukrainians on the battlefield, Orban told Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait on Tuesday.

The war can only be stopped when Russia clinches an agreement with the US, Orban said. He added that he hopes Donald Trump will win re-election next year and that, while he has been with odds with President Joe Biden, it was not good for business to criticize the US.

Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha, Orban said his government has diverged from the mainstream European Union approach on Ukraine after Russia invaded its neighbor last year.

Under his self-styled illiberal leadership, Hungary is blocking a 500 million-euro ($540 million) tranche of EU financial aid to Ukraine. It also opposes new sanctions against Russia, citing bilateral disputes with the government in Kyiv.

They include a demand for Kyiv to take OTP Bank Nyrt.  Hungarys largest lender which has operations in both Russia and Ukraine  off of a list of international war sponsors.

Last week, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also said that Ukraine was limiting the educational rights of the countrys ethnic-Hungarian citizens. Then he pointed to a Washington Post story suggesting that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had at one point talked about blowing up a pipeline delivering oil from Russia to Hungary via Ukraine.

Orbans approach to Ukraine and close ties with Russia has underscored his fractious relationship with his allies in the EU and NATO.

Many members of the alliance have criticized him for undermining democracy and allowing corruption to thrive during his more than decade-long stint in power.

Hungary is one of only a few NATO members that have refused to supply weapons to help Ukraine beat back Russias invasion. Orbans critics say his push for the EU to cut financing to Kyiv is akin to asking for capitulation to Russian aggression.

The government of the State of Qatar is the underwriter of the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg.
In a bold move that promises to reshape the Republican Party's 2024 presidential race, Senator Tim Scott, the first Black Republican elected to the Senate from the South since Reconstruction, announced his campaign for president on Monday. With a positive and aspirational message, Scott aims to position himself as the alternative to former President Donald J. Trump, signaling to the Republican establishment that he is the candidate to rally around to stop Trump's nomination. Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott delivers his speech announcing his candidacy for president of the United States on the campus of Charleston Southern University in North Charleston, S.C., Monday, May 22, 2023. (AP)

Speaking before a packed crowd at his alma mater, Charleston Southern University, Scott delivered a rousing speech that emphasized the choice facing the nation and the Republican Party. "Our party and our nation are standing at a time for choosing: Victimhood or victory? Grievance or greatness? I choose freedom and hope and opportunity," he declared, repeating the choice three times for emphasis.

Scott's decision to enter the race comes after a soft rollout in February and the establishment of an exploratory committee in April. With $22 million in fundraising and the support of veteran political operatives, Scott has quickly amassed the resources needed to mount a formidable campaign.

However, Scott's message of hope and inclusion may face challenges in resonating with base Republican voters still steeped in Trump's angry demands for vengeance. The entry of other prominent Republicans into the race, such as Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida and former Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, is expected to further complicate the battle for the nomination.

Acknowledging the concern that multiple opponents could split the anti-Trump vote, Scott was introduced at his announcement by Senator John Thune of South Dakota, who called on other elected Republicans to support Scott. "Tim Scott is the real deal," Thune proclaimed, signaling the need for unity within the party to ensure Trump's defeat.

Scott's $22 million war chest, the largest of any presidential candidate in history, gives him a significant advantage. His fundraising prowess, combined with the $42 million he has raised for other Republicans, has created a depth of loyalties that other candidates cannot match.

However, the biggest question surrounding Scott's candidacy is whether his message of positivity steeped in religiosity can attract enough Republican voters in a crowded primary field. As the race begins, Scott faces formidable opponents, including President Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Scott's personal story of rising from working-class poverty to become the first Black Republican senator from the South in over a century resonates with many. He has been a prominent voice in his party on matters of race, condemning acts of hate and advocating for police reform and economic opportunities in low-income neighborhoods.

Also Read | Trump dominates GOP field in latest poll: Biden and DeSantis struggle to keep up

While Scott's race has made him a rising star in the Republican Party, it remains to be seen whether it will translate into increased support from Black voters on a national stage. Some Black Democrats dismiss Scott's candidacy, citing his conservative voting record and the limited appeal of his message.

As Scott embarks on his campaign, he faces the challenge of overcoming the dominance of Trump within the party. However, his message of hope and inclusion, coupled with his personal story of resilience and success, offers a unique perspective that resonates with many Americans. Only time will tell if Scott's bid for the presidency will ultimately succeed in reshaping the Republican Party and charting a new path forward.
Six Pakistan security personnel were killed in an overnight siege by dozens of militants on a Hungarian-owned oil and gas exploration site, police said Tuesday. About 50 fighters attacked a site owned by the Budapest-headquartered MOL Group around midnight in the Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. (File)

Pakistan has seen an increase in militancy since the Taliban returned to power in neighbouring Afghanistan in 2021, with attacks mostly targeting security forces and foreign interests accused of exploitation.

About 50 fighters attacked a site owned by the Budapest-headquartered MOL Group around midnight in the Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, district police chief Asif Bahadur told AFP.

"They were armed with light and heavy weapons and fired mortar shells, killing six security personnel at the main entrance" to the remote site near the Afghan border, said Bahadur.

He said the dead included four members of paramilitary police assistance force the Frontier Constabulary and two Pakistani private security guards for the firm.

"The exchange of fire continued for more than an hour. Police forced the militants to flee," Bahadur added.

He blamed the attack on Pakistan's domestic chapter of the Taliban movement -- the most active militant group in the region -- although there has been no claim of responsibility.

Noor Wali Khan, a second district police official, confirmed the attack and the death toll.

The MOL Group has operated a Pakistan subsidiary since 1999 and employs 400 people in the country, according to their website.

"We are assessing the information," a spokesman for the Hungarian embassy in Islamabad said, adding that no diplomatic action was planned.

The MOL Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bahadur said the attackers came from the nearby North Waziristan district, which borders Afghanistan and has historically been a hive of militancy.

During America's post-9/11 invasion of Afghanistan the area was heavily targeted by drone strikes and an Islamabad military offensive to rout Islamist fighters.

The Pakistan Taliban -- known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) -- was formed in 2007 by militants who splintered off from the Afghan Taliban to focus their fight on Islamabad for supporting America's invasion.

On Monday, officials said two empty girls' schools in the province were attacked overnight by militants, leaving nine classrooms destroyed but no casualties. The attack has not been claimed by any group.
A fabricated image of an explosion near the Pentagon rocked social media and briefly sent the stock market into a frenzy. The incident occurred on May 22 when a verified Twitter account masquerading as "Bloomberg Feed" shared the image, falsely reporting a "large explosion" near the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense. Fake explosion image near Pentagon sparks chaos on social media and briefly rattles the stock market.(AP)

The fake report gained rapid traction and was spread by numerous media outlets, including Russia Today and Republic, reaching millions of Twitter users. However, local authorities, including the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, swiftly responded, assuring the public that no explosion or incident had taken place.

Social media users with a keen eye were quick to point out inconsistencies in the image, exposing it as likely generated by artificial intelligence. They noted irregularities in the building's frontage and the merging of two different fences depicted in the image. Nevertheless, the initial dissemination of the image caused a momentary dip of 0.26% in the S&P 500 before it quickly recovered as the hoax was revealed.

This incident highlights the worrisome potential for AI-powered deception and deepfakes. The use of AI tools to create fake news and deceptive content is not new. In May, The Irish Times was forced to apologize after unwittingly publishing an article generated by AI. Similarly, California's financial regulator cracked down on crypto trading services that employed AI-generated avatars as CEOs in promotional videos.

The crypto industry has also fallen victim to AI-generated deepfakes. One notable example involved a faked video of FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried, which circulated shortly after the exchange collapsed. The video aimed to lure FTX users to a malicious site under the false promise of a "giveaway." Such instances underscore the need for regulation and vigilant oversight of AI technologies.

The fake Pentagon explosion and its ripple effects serve as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by the financial and news sectors in distinguishing truth from AI-driven falsehoods. As generative AI becomes more advanced, concerns arise across various industries. The music industry grapples with potential copyright infringements, while the education sector faces the threat of AI-enabled cheating. Now, the financial and news sectors find themselves grappling with the dissemination of AI-generated deep fakes.

Experts and commentators have called for increased regulation of AI to prevent the misuse of this powerful technology. The incident serves as a wake-up call for the need to address the potential consequences of AI-driven deception and manipulation. Without proper safeguards, the line between reality and fabrication becomes increasingly blurred, with potentially disastrous consequences for society at large.

As we navigate an era where AI increasingly permeates our daily lives, vigilance, regulation, and responsible use of this technology are paramount. The challenge lies in harnessing the benefits of AI while mitigating its risks. Only by staying one step ahead can we safeguard against the perils of AI-powered deception and protect the integrity of our financial markets and information ecosystem.
In a bid to secure the Republican nomination and prevent Donald Trump from facing off against Joe Biden once again, sole Black Republican Senator Tim Scott, 57, formally launched his presidential campaign on Monday. Speaking at Charleston Southern University in South Carolina, Scott expressed concerns about the current state of the nation under President Biden and the "radical left." Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott delivers his speech announcing his candidacy for president of the United States on the campus of Charleston Southern University in North Charleston, S.C., Monday, May 22, 2023.(AP)

The announcement adds Scott's name to the growing list of candidates vying for the top post, signalling an intensifying race for the 2024 presidential election.

List of candidates announcing to run for Presidential post

Republican presidential nomination race

Donald Trump

Former President Donald Trump, 76, has officially announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election. On November 15, 2022, Trump launched his campaign from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump's decision to run for a third time did not come as a surprise, as he had been hinting at it for several months. (ALSO READ: US has lost its way, Donald Trump says with a new nickname for Joe Biden)

During his announcement, Trump described the United States as being "in decline" and emphasized his administration's achievements, referring to it as a "golden age." However, Trump's candidacy is not without challenges. He is currently facing multiple investigations, though he denies any wrongdoing. Additionally, he has become estranged from some prominent figures within the Republican Party due to controversies surrounding his 2020 election claims and the events of January 6.

Ron DeSantis

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, 44, is expected to declare his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president. While DeSantis has not yet made his official announcement, sources indicate that he will file the necessary paperwork with the Federal Election Commission in late May. DeSantis, who was re-elected for a second term in November 2022, is considered Trump's main competitor within the party.

According to a recent poll, Trump currently holds 58% support among Republicans and GOP-leaning independents, while DeSantis has garnered 16%. However, a majority of these voters expressed satisfaction with either Trump or DeSantis as the party's nominee.

Nikki Haley

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, 51, declared her presidential bid on February 14. Haley, who also served as a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, is the first prominent Republican to challenge Trump.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy, a 37-year-old entrepreneur, announced his Republican candidacy on February 21. Ramaswamy emphasized the importance of putting merit back into various aspects of American society. (ALSO READ: Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy becomes the second 2024 presidential candidate to accept Bitcoin donations)

Perry Johnson

Perry Johnson, a 75-year-old Michigan businessman, launched his presidential campaign during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in March. Despite his lack of political experience, Johnson received a notable percentage of support in CPAC's straw poll.

Asa Hutchinson

Asa Hutchinson, a former Arkansas governor, officially announced his presidential bid on April 2. Hutchinson, 72, aims to appeal to voters seeking leaders who embody the best aspects of America.

Larry Elder

Larry Elder, a conservative talk radio host, entered the race for the Republican nomination on April 20. Although considered a long shot candidate, Elder gained attention during the 2021 recall election to replace California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Democratic presidential nomination race

Marianne Williamson

Marianne Williamson, 70, a bestselling author, announced her candidacy for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination on March 4. Williamson ran for president in 2020, focusing on pacifist and progressive platforms.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., 69, announced his bid for the Democratic nomination on April 19. Kennedy, an attorney and activist, aims to address the perceived corruption resulting from the merging of state and corporate power.

President Joe Biden

President Joe Biden, 80, has confirmed his intention to seek a second term in office. In a pre-recorded video released on April 25, Biden announced his 2024 campaign, emphasizing the need to protect and expand freedom. Biden has consistently expressed his intention to run in 2024, barring any major health issues.

Biden's candidacy potentially sets the stage for a rematch with Trump, who he defeated in the 2020 election. Biden has stated that he is undeterred by the possibility of facing Trump again and believes his message of leadership appealing to the best of America resonates with voters.

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US president Joe Biden and Republican house speaker Kevin McCarthy held a sit-down meeting to discuss raising the country's debt ceiling. The debt ceiling is a spending limit set by US Congress that determines how much money the government can borrow. US Debt Crisis: The US Capitol is seen in Washington, DC.(AFP)

I believe we can get a deal done,  McCarthy said after the meeting although no agreement was reached between the two. "We don't have an agreement yet. But I did feel the discussion was productive in areas that we have differences of opinion. Biden and I will talk every day until we get this done," McCarthy said.

While Joe Biden said in a statement, I just concluded a productive meeting with Speaker McCarthy about the need to prevent default and avoid a catastrophe for our economy. We reiterated once again that default is off the table and the only way to move forward is in good faith toward a bipartisan agreement.

This comes as Goldman Sachs estimated that the US will run out of cash within three weeks unless it solves its debt crisis. Cash in the Treasury Department would drop below $30bn (24.1bn) by June 8 or June 9- the bare minimum for the world's largest economy to meet its obligations, according to the investment bank.

The bank's economists Alec Phillips and Tim Krupa warned that the estimate is "subject to substantial uncertainty so there is certainly a chance that receipts could slow more than expected and leave the Treasury short of cash by June 1 or 2".

A default on the US debt would almost surely cause a recession in the US economy, which would have damaging effects on economies all around the world.

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A Russian court has extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months, Russian news agencies reported Tuesday. US journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges, stands inside a defendants' cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his arrest at the Moscow City Court in Moscow.(AFP)

Gershkovich, an American citizen, was ordered held until Aug. 30. He had been arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges.

Gershkovich is the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges, and his arrest rattled journalists in the country and drew outrage in the West.

The U.S. government has declared Gershkovich to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release. Hes being held in Moscows Lefortovo prison.

Tuesdays court hearing wasnt announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy. Russian authorities havent detailed what evidence -- if any -- they have to support the espionage charges. Various legal proceedings have been closed to the media.

U.S. Embassy officials were allowed at least one prison visit to Gershkovich since his arrest in Yekaterinburg on March 29. But Russian authorities have denied other visits.
Under the transformational light of a new moon, Sandals Resorts International (SRI) unveiled its latest resort, the all-new 260-room Sandals Dunn's River , with a celebration befitting its legendary lore in Jamaica 's tourism history. The night brought together leaders in the Caribbean, valued members of the Sandals Resorts family, and Jamaica's most quintessential performers - including GRAMMY-Award winning artist Shaggy and The Voice winner Tessanne Chin - to commemorate the next chapter in the new resort's storied history.

Prime Ministers, including The Most Honourable Andrew Michael Holness of Jamaica and The Honourable Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Ministers of Government including Minister of Tourism of Jamaica The Honourable Edmund Bartlett; and local dignitaries from across the Caribbean region, as well as other distinguished guests, joined together with Stewart, SRI CEO Gebhard Rainer and other members of the Sandals Resorts team for an official invocation of the resort and a momentous ribbon cutting ceremony, toasting to the future of luxury tourism in Ocho Rios.

Prime Minister Holness in his main address recalled his conversation with the late Gordon 'Butch' Stewart about purchasing the property. "It is such an impressive thing to see a dream come to reality and if there is one thing you could say about Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, it's that he was a dreamer. He was also a doer that will bring that dream to fruition, a man who will always get the job done. We are standing here literally living in 'Butch' Stewart's dream," he said.

A Tribute to a Legendary Past, A Celebration of the Future

Surrounded by the sounds of flowing water and tropical birds and under a canopy of thatched branches invoking the lush Jamaican rainforest, guests were met with cocktails expertly crafted with local ingredients paired with an array of cuisines from the resort's restaurants, including concepts entirely new to the Sandals brand. The evening was a nod to the resort's earlier days as the Arawak Hotel, built in 1957, and originally designed by visionary architect Morris Lapidus, whose joyful, flamboyant designs defined the epitome of 1950s and 1960s Caribbean chic. The event themed the "Return of a Legend," featured an experience and vibe artfully recreated for the event. The outdoor spaces of the luxury all-inclusive resort were transformed into a retro supper club, complete with lounge music, glittering gold accents, vibrant green palms and SWAG servers - a new take on the 'cigarette servers' from decades past. Melodies from a 40-member choir from the University of the West Indies, the Edna Manley College and the Ashe Company, featured a spanning tribute to Sandals late founder, Gordon 'Butch' Stewart, honoring a life well lived, a dream realized, and a legacy that will never be forgotten.

Echoing the Heartbeat of Jamaica

Like the resort itself, whose design inspiration is pulled from the flowing water of the nearby Dunn's River Falls, the event infused and celebrated the soul of Jamaica throughout the festivities. Guests were treated to the sounds of a steel-drum band; ribbon dancers; aerial performances, with costumes matching the vibrancy of the island's culture, in front of a state-of-the-art video mapping of the Falls; as well as local musicians such as the Jamaican instrumental trio, Touch of Elegance. Mimicking the pathway of the flowing water from Dunn's River Falls, entertainers also performed within the pool, floating on original bamboo rafts custom made by Jamaican artisans. An electrifying performance from the renowned cast of STOMP, fresh off their Broadway run, brought the 'beat' of Jamaica to the stage with a wordless percussion spectacle.

A Star-Studded Beginning

The celebration culminated in awe with a crowd rousing performance from the ever-iconic Mr. Boombastic himself, Shaggy. Capping off the evening, an impressive fireworks display lit up the Ocho Rios sky, and - moved by the momentum - a lunar after-party continued with a beach bash under a new moon, signaling yet another phase in the story of Sandals Dunn's River.

"Now, with the future before us, we stand on solid ground, committed as ever to celebrating our Caribbean heritage and delivering to the next generations of Sandals customers the unsurpassed level of innovation, excitement and unparalleled service they have come to expect and that they so well deserve," Stewart concluded.

Hotel website
Cambria Hotels, part of the Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) family of brands, continues its expansion in top markets with the opening of the Cambria Hotel Orlando Universal Blvd. The new hotel joins the nearby Cambria Hotel Orlando Airport to further the brand's quest to bring modern accommodations to travelers' favorite urban destinations.

Located at 6801 Visitors Circle, the 118-room Cambria Hotel Orlando Universal Blvd pairs modern design, upscale convenience and amenities with a central location in the International Drive Resort area, near major attractions like Universal Studios, SeaWorld, and Disney World. The Orange County Convention Center is just minutes away, making the hotel a convenient choice for business travelers.

The Cambria Hotel Orlando Universal Blvd, which participates in Choice Privileges, the award-winning loyalty program from Choice Hotels, features the following design-forward, locally inspired amenities and experiences that appeal to the modern traveler:

Multi-purpose indoor and outdoor spaces, including a rooftop lounge with a 360-degree view of the city and rooftop swimming pool.

Locally inspired design decor, reflecting the unique personality of the surrounding community.

Contemporary and sophisticated guest rooms, complete with design forward fixtures, abundant lighting, plush bedding, and Bluetooth Mirrors.

Two onsite restaurants showcasing freshly made food, local craft beer, wine and specialty cocktails, as well as to-go options.

Multi-function meeting spaces and a 3,650 square feet event space.

State-of-the-art fitness and business center.

The Cambria Hotel Orlando Universal Blvd was developed by Supreme International Hotels Inc. There are currently more than 65 Cambria hotels open across the U.S. in popular cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, New Orleans, Detroit and Phoenix, with nearly 70 hotels in the pipeline. Cambria guests visiting any of these locations and more are able to gain enhanced rewards and benefits through the Choice co-branded, no fee credit card program.

Hotel website
Barthelemy Bauters, hailing from the North of France, moved to Provence to assume the reins at Capelongue, a part of the Beaumier group. This latest step is yet another milestone in the adventure-laden professional journey of this dynamic leader who has roamed the world extensively.

Kicking off his career as Bar Manager at the Sofitel Queenstown Hotel and Spa in New Zealand, Bauters remained within the Sofitel group, steadily progressing through various roles to grasp the unique demands of each outlet and foster a close bond with his team.

From a Management Trainee at Sofitel Wanda Beijing in China to Maitre d'Hotel at Sofitel la Ora Beach Resort in French Polynesia, from Restaurant Manager at Sofitel Gold Coast in Australia to Food and Beverage Director in Thailand and Hungary, Bauters has a rich portfolio of international experience.

This extensive experience lends immense value to his role as a General Manager and underscores his strong, knowledgeable leadership. After a brief tenure in Switzerland at the W in Verbier, Bauters revisited Asia, with stints in Thailand and Vietnam, before ultimately returning to Europe. Now, he aspires to face new challenges within the Beaumier group, drawn to the collection's unique hotels and the group's overall philosophy. After joining as General Manager of Fitz Roy in Val Thorens in 2022, he now steps into his new role in Provence, ready to put his expertise to work at Capelongue.
Zien Group - the parent company of Eden Hotels and all future brands and businesses - has appointed Rosalind Chan as Marketing Director. In this role, Chan will be responsible for leading the company's brand positioning and marketing strategy. Additionally, she will also handle digital marketing and PR, becoming the face in global media. As an important member of the senior executive team, she will play a key role in scaling the growth and international reach of Zien.

With over 13 years of experience as a marketing specialist in the hospitality, co-working, and real estate sector, Chan has held international senior marketing positions at LabTech, The Office Group, and Hilton Worldwide. Rosalind spent two and a half years at the LabTech Group, where she introduced a new digital and content marketing role and led the re-branding and repositioning of Camden Market. Before that, she was responsible for brand and product marketing strategy at the British flexible workspace provider, The Office Group (TOG). As Head of Marketing, she played a key role in launching the brand in Germany. Early in her career, Chan joined Hilton Worldwide in 2011, where she gained seven years of experience in digital and brand marketing. Over the years, she held various roles, including senior Brand Manager for Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, and Curio, a Collection by Hilton in EMEA.
Aimbridge Hospitality, a leading, global hospitality management company, has appointed marketing and communications executive Stephanie Peterson to its newly created senior executive role of Head of Marketing & Communications. Reporting to Ann Christenson, Chief Human Resources Officer, the hire reflects Aimbridge Hospitality's continued commitment to building out strategic areas of the business and infusing top talent within its executive leadership team while providing unparalleled benefits to its owners and associates.

Peterson will oversee all marketing and communications duties at Aimbridge Hospitality, including working directly with Aimbridge Hospitality President & CEO Michael J. Deitemeyer to formulate powerful internal and external strategies that showcase the strength of Aimbridge Hospitality, build on the company's culture and underscore the hospitality leader's clear points of differentiation in the hospitality and management space.

Peterson brings more than 20 years of experience in consumer and corporate communications, marketing, and B2B strategies. Most recently, she served as Head of Communications - North America for Kraft Heinz, where she designed the communications strategy and led all internal communications, corporate communications and brand public relations for the U.S. and Canada, the company's largest Zone. During her time with Kraft Heinz she launched a successful turnaround story and revitalized a number of iconic brands by leveraging breakthrough, culturally relevant earned media campaigns that put the food-maker back on the map as one-to-watch.

Prior to Kraft Heinz, Peterson was recruited as the first Head of Communications for IHOP Restaurants, and iconic $3B global breakfast brand, where she oversaw corporate, franchisee, employee, community relations, and brand public relations, including leading award-winning earned media campaigns such as IHOb. Earlier in her career, Peterson also held leadership roles in communications and marketing at KIND Snacks, PepsiCo, and The Dow Chemical Company.

Peterson joins a number of recent senior-level hires added to the Aimbridge Hospitality team over the last year, including Mark Tamis, President, Operations; Allison Reid, Chief Global Growth Officer; and Mark Chloupek, Chief Legal Officer, and Patrick Volz, Chief Operating Officer, Global Operations.
With 126 hotels opening this year in Asia Pacific, you could say Hilton is growing at its fastest in the region, although Ben George, APAC SVP & commercial director, concedes, not as fast as generative AI is developing.

This whole AI vertical is growing so fast, he told me during one of his many swings through Singapore from his base in Manila. We are holding training sessions and we are using more and more of it at work and in our call centres. For high volume, low value work, it is brilliant  repetitive questions from customers and team members, for example.

Forecasting  we are rolling out our enterprise forecast management and in a matter of weeks, it will be fully automated. We have 250-300 analysts in Shanghai who are very much in tune with the use of AI in forecasting and increasingly, we are hiring people straight from universities with no hotel experience.

Hiring differently as well as deploying new tech tools are necessary at a time when Hilton is ramping up its expansion in what George, who has been with Hilton for three decades, calls our best year in terms of hotels as well as an intense, fast-paced recovery from the slump of Covid.

Business is so good at the moment that its difficult to manage. I mean, revenues fell by 80% in 2020 and now first quarter, booking pace is up 100% year on year. Thats not surprising, given the suffering of Q1 last year.

He said that China and Japan were showing the highest growth, purely because they just reopened. Japan just fully relaxed all restrictions, its one of the last countries to do so. Chinas extreme growth is domestic driven; we are not yet seeing the inbound/outbound rush, which is tied to airline capacity. Australia, South-east Asia, India  all are still well ahead, 20-30% ahead of 2019. The second half will get better with China coming back.

George expects that growth will slow down. We cant keep growing at 100%. The mix will change. We will see leisure travel being replaced by big groups, the big conventions are returning. We dont see any signs of a general slowdown ahead.

Read the full article at webintravel.com
According to the latest Europe Hotel Construction Pipeline Trend Report from Lodging Econometrics (LE), analysts at LE report that at the close of the first quarter, the countrys hotel construction pipeline stands at 1,776 projects/266,901 rooms.

Projects under construction stand at 814 projects/125,657 rooms, while projects scheduled to start construction in the next 12 months account for 419 projects/62,625 rooms. Projects in the early planning stage have hit a record high 543 projects with 78,619 rooms, up 17% by projects and 12% by rooms year-over-year (YOY). New project announcements experienced a healthy increase in Q1, to close the quarter at 203 projects/26,740 rooms. Construction starts were also up over the last four quarters, in Q1, with 126 projects/17,163 rooms.

Travel activity to popular European tourist destinations was steady in the first quarter. Lodging demand and increased occupancy can be expected to continue as the region gets ready to host several upcoming major events, including the Spanish Grand Prix, French Open, Monaco Grand Prix, Tour de France, Wimbledon, UEFA Champions League Final, and the upcoming Summer 2024 in Paris and the Winter 2026 Olympics in Milan and Cortina dAmpezzo. Demand has motivated developers to move forward with plans as evidenced by the rise in projects in early planning and new project announcements.

The top countries in the Europe Construction Pipeline by project count are led by the United Kingdom with 340 projects/47,551 rooms, Germany with 238 projects/40,368 rooms, and France with 139 projects/15,889 rooms. Next, is Portugal with 130 projects/15,419 rooms, and Turkey with all-time highs of 108 projects/15,862 rooms. These five countries account for 54% of projects and 51% of rooms in the regions total pipeline at Q1.

Cities in Europe with the largest pipelines by project count are London with 90 projects/15,393 rooms, Istanbul with a record 42 projects/7,360 rooms, and Dusseldorf with 38 projects/7,080 rooms. Next is Lisbon with 35 projects/4,073 rooms, followed by Dublin with 31 projects/5,873 rooms.

The top hotel franchise companies in Europes construction pipeline at the Q1 close are Accor with 277 projects/36,964 rooms, Hilton Worldwide with 202 projects/28,769 rooms, and Marriott International with 185 projects/28,722 rooms. InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) follows with 148 projects/20,174 rooms, and Radisson Hotel Group with 49 projects/10,018 rooms. Combined, the companies account for 48% of projects and 47% of rooms in the total pipeline.

The leading brands for each of these franchise companies at Q1 are Accors Ibis brands with 94 projects/11,137 rooms, Hiltons Hampton brands with 73 projects/10,590 rooms, Marriotts Moxy brand with 41 projects/6,700 rooms, IHGs Holiday Inn Express with 52 projects/7,090 rooms, and Radisson Red with 11 projects/2,256 rooms.

The LE forecast for new hotel openings continues to rise in 2023, with 452 new hotel projects/62,519 rooms anticipated to open by year-end. LE analysts forecast another 409 new hotel projects/56,632 rooms to open by year-end 2024.

About Lodging Econometrics (LE)

For over 25 years, Lodging Econometrics (LE) has been the industry-leading provider of global hotel intelligence and decision-maker contact information. LE custom-builds business development database programs for hotel franchise companies looking to accelerate their brand growth, hotel ownership and management companies seeking to expand their real estate portfolios, and lodging industry vendors wanting to increase their sales. To learn more about our business development programs contact us: +1 603.431.8740, ext 0025 or [email protected]

Hannah Paoletti

Media Relations Manager

+1 603 427 9556

Lodging Econometrics
Guangzhou, China - The World Travel & Tourism Councils (WTTC) 2023 Economic Impact Research (EIR) today reveals Chinas Travel & Tourism sectors GDP contribution is forecast to grow more than 150% this year.

The sector is set to contribute CNY 9.9TN to the economy this year, edging closer to the 2019 pre-pandemic high of CNY 12.27TN.

Despite the effects of the pandemic spanning into 2022 in China, WTTC is forecasting for the sector to create almost 11.5MN jobs this year, recovering one in two of the jobs lost to reach 74.7MN. This means around one in 10 workers in China, are directly or indirectly employed in the Travel & Tourism sector.

While the sector is still shy of 7.9MN jobs to reach pre-pandemic levels, by the end of this year it will only be 10% below 2019 levels.

International visitor spend in China is forecast to grow more than 50% this year to reach more than CNY 306BN. Although this is positive growth, it is still almost 70% below the 2019 peak.

A look back on last year

Due to ongoing travel restrictions, last year the sectors GDP contribution declined by almost 30% to reach CNY 3.9TN, representing just over 3% of the economy.

In 2019, before the pandemic, the Travel & Tourism sector in China was worth CNY 12.3TN, representing almost 12% of the economy.

The sector saw jobs decline in 2022, from the previous year, to a low of 62.9MN jobs nationally  one in 12 jobs across China.

International visitor spend in China also declined in 2022 as the effects of prolonged travel restrictions continued to have a chokehold on the sector. International visitor spend declined a further 8.5%, remaining almost 80% below 2019 levels.

Domestic visitor spend followed a similar pattern, declining 33% last year, remaining 67% below 2019 levels.

Travel & Tourism is a vital driver of economic growth and job creation to China, and we predict a significant boost to the global Travel & Tourism sector as residents begin to travel once again. The fact China has reopened is great news. In 2019 Chinese tourists represented 15% of international spending and that figure is set to grow. We are urging governments to prioritise and streamline visa applications to ensure embassies can manage the high visa demand from Chinese residents. Julia Simpson, WTTC President & CEO

In 2019 and 2022, between 74-77% of international visitors to mainland China came from Hong Kong, Macau, Myanmar, South Korea, Japan, the U.S. and Vietnam. There were 49.7MN arrivals from those source markets in 2019, however in 2022, this reduced by 85% to 7.2MN arrivals.

What does the next decade look like?

The global tourism body is forecasting that the sector will grow its GDP contribution to almost CNY 27TN by 2033, 14% of the Chinese economy and will employ over 100MN people across the country, with one in seven Chinese residents working in the sector.

Asia-Pacific

In 2022, the Asia-Pacific Travel & Tourism sector contributed $1.6TN to the regional economy, but this is still 50% behind the 2019 peak. WTTC forecasts the regions GDP contribution from the sector will reach more than $2.6TN in 2023  just 16% below the 2019 highpoint.

The sector employed over 155MN people across the region in 2022, an increase of 8.7MN from the previous year but still 15% behind pre-pandemic levels. WTTC forecasts the sector will fully recover the jobs lost during the pandemic by the end of 2024.

About WTTC

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel & tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world's leading travel & tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. For more than 30 years, WTTC has been committed to raising the awareness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the travel & tourism sector.

WTTC Press Office

WTTC
The Meet the Money 2023 conference wrapped up earlier this month, after 3 days of informative panel discussions exploring opportunities, challenges, and trends in the hospitality industry. The summaries below outline discussions our experts and executives presented to an audience of hotel owners, developers, investors, lenders and operators.

Interested in attending next year? Well be hosting the conference in Los Angeles May 6-8, 2024. Join our mailing list for announcements and other information.

General Session #1: C-Suite

Moderator Eric Danziger of Resolute Road Hospitality led a discussion with top executives from Peachtree Hotel Group, Mission Hill Hospitality, The LCP Group, Pacifica Hotels and NewcrestImage.

Panelists began by discussing their approaches to recovery after the pandemic, including allocating more capital to hospitality properties to keep valuations up, planning for a recession, anticipating changing new norms in the workplace, finding opportunities in credit, and predicting shifts in markets to new cities. They also explored alternate hospitality experiences such as luxury recreational vehicle sites (like AutoCamp), new options presented by advances in technology, and how their relationship with brands has evolved over the last few years.

Source: JMBM

Panelists:

Greg M. Friedman, Peachtree Hotel Group

Greg P. Kennealey, Mission Hill Hospitality

Francis P. Lively, The LCP Group

Matt D. Marquis, Pacifica Hotels

Mehul B. Patel, NewcrestImage

General Session #2: Brands & Management: Insiders insights to optimizing your deals

Bob Braun of JMBM led a panel discussion exploring the priorities and challenges for various brands in the industry. Panelists talked about what theyve learned from the pandemic, what changes they think will become permanent, trends theyre seeing in different markets, and how brands can help consumers differentiate between their offerings.

Source: JMBM

Panelists:

Ben Cary, Accor

Tiffany Cooper, Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group

David Kuperberg, Hyatt

Patrick Speer, Hilton

Breakout 1A: Alternative Hospitality: Glamping and luxury hostels

Robert Stiles of RobertDouglas led a breakout session exploring trends in alternative hospitality, including hostels, experiential travel and luxury camping. The panel discussed the rise in demand for outdoor-focused travel, investment opportunities in unusual properties, and comparisons with traditional hotels.

Panelists:

Chris Haydon, Autocamp

Channing E. Henry, PKF hotelexperts

Peter Mack, Collective Hotels & Retreats

Steve Shpilsky, Stay Open

David Smith, Outside Capital

Breakout 1B: Select Service and extended stay

Adrienne Jubb of Aimbridge Hospitality led a breakout panel discussion exploring the opportunities and challenges of select services and extended stay, including acquisitions, cap rate expectations, financing, and comparisons to full-service properties.

Panelists:

Danny Givertz, OCI Hospitality

Matt Bailly, Prospera

Ryan Phelps, Dynamic City Capital

Nirav Shah, Hyatt

Tim Wilson, BlackRidge Group

Breakout 2A: Making money with lifestyle and boutique

Guy Maisnik of JMBM moderated a breakout session exploring the opportunities available in lifestyle and boutique hotels. Panelists discussed how boutique and lifestyle properties have addressed the challenges of the past few years, building loyalty with travelers for independent boutiques and soft brands, how smaller hotels are different from larger brands, and matching boutique and lifestyle hotels to the market theyre in.

Panelists:

Catie Cramer, IHG Hotels & Resorts

John M. Keeling, Valencia Hotel Group

Frances Kiradjian, BLLA

David J. Kuperberg, Hyatt

Jorgan von Stiening, Palisociety

Breakout 2B: The magic of F&B and restaurant concepts

David Sudeck of JMBM moderated a breakout session exploring how food and beverage concepts can help enhance a hotel, and the factors that go into creating a successful restaurant concept or partnership. Panelists discussed how they frame their food and beverage goals when planning a hotel restaurant, co-investment and lease vs. management, what to do if a restaurant does not succeed, and how things have changed in terms of guest expectations, space programing, and profitability.

Panelists:

Tom Dillon, APICII

Gregory Griffie, Davidson Hotels & Resorts

David Israel, hotelAVE

Peter Peterson, Cultivate Hospitality Group

Meet the Money General Sessions and Breakouts

Meet the Money Special Presentations

About Meet the Money

For 30 years, Meet the Money has created an energetic environment to forge relationships, negotiate deals, and gain an in-depth understanding of hotel investment and finance. Our national hotel conference attracts heavy hitters and offers an opportunity for productive, one-on-one networking with them.

Were looking forward to hosting the conference again in 2024. Mark your calendars  Meet the Money 2024 will be held on May 6-8, 2024. For updates and more information, visit www.MeetTheMoney.com.

*See how JMBMs Global Hospitality Group can help you.

About the JMBM Global Hospitality Group

The hospitality attorneys in the Global Hospitality Group of Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP comprise the premier hospitality practice in a full-service law firm, and the most experienced legal and advisory team in the industry. Our team of seasoned hotel lawyers has helped clients with more than 4,600 hospitality properties located around the globe valued at more than $123 billion, and have worked on more than 2,700 management and franchise agreements. Our experience provides one of the most extensive virtual data bases of market terms for deals and financings. The hospitality lawyers of our team are not just great hotel lawyerswe are also hospitality consultants and business advisors, dealmakers and facilitators of the flow of capital. We help our clients find the right operator, joint venture partner or capital provider. We know who to call and how to reach them.

Jim Butler

+1 310 201 3526

JMBM

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ALPHARETTA, GA - Surfsand Resort in Cannon Beach, Oregon, has built its long-held reputation as a leading vacation spot in part based on its enviable location overlooking the iconic 235-foot-high Haystack Rock just off the Northwest Pacific Coast. In 2022 the resort further elevated its stature by updating all the propertys systems prior to a property-wide renovation and expansion starting in November 2023. Surfsand also reinforced its allure as a destination for special moments by introducing various packages of themed experiences and upgrades individual guests and groups can reserve in addition to their rooms. Coinciding with these advancements, Surfsand decided to upgrade its operational and digital capabilities by choosing property management, point-of-sale and payment processing software and systems from Agilysys.

In addition to improving efficiency for both guests and staff, the new software will help Surfsand unify data on guest preferences across various property experiences so that each stay can be tailored in advance with special amenities and offers, and so that staff can personalize their interactions with guests before, during and after each stay.

The propertys diverse offerings include those that are family-friendly, such as Taffy the Puffin birthday bashes, guided tide pool excursions, group photo shoots and beach bonfires featuring smores; those with romantic appeal such as sunset dining on the beach, couples spa retreats and art tours; and those designed for pet lovers, such as pet-friendly rooms, furry guest welcome baskets that provide a towel, a placemat, bowls for food and water and tasty treats at check-in, and activities designed for pet participation.

noted that systems that make these enriched guest experiences easy to discover and reserve are integral to the propertys evolution.

Our one-of-a-kind location supports delivering unique guest experiences, whether visitors are designing their dream weddings, celebrating family milestones, or connecting more closely as couples. When evaluating technology systems, it was essential that we be able to tailor them to fit our hotel and the special things we do for our guests. Our guests are looking to book more than rooms; they want to book something special. Our technology systems need to make it easy for guests to connect with all the amenities and thoughtfully designed experiences we offer, so Surfsand can be not only their favorite resort, but the one to which they return most often to enjoy personalized experiences they cannot find elsewhere. Surfsand General Manager Phillip Wilson

While the ability to tailor the technology to Surfsands unique offerings is important, Wilson said his number one driver in selecting systems is customer service he can count on. I have worked with Agilysys and numerous other hospitality technology providers, and Agilysys support is hands-down better than all the rest, Wilson said. All of us users know systems, no matter who provides them, will have problems or even fail from time to time. Knowing that skilled and intelligent support is there to help and that response times are quick is hugely important. Agilysys has that advantage.

Wilson also noted that properties that are not part of a standardized brand structure greatly benefit from the ability to tailor reports and functions for their unique guest and market data requirements. In non-branded hotels, operations change and different needs pop up, so we often need custom data sets, Wilson observed. Other hospitality technology providers, including the largest ones, charge customers for any report you ask to have built. Agilysys accommodates diversity in how properties operate without exacting that financial burden.

A pleasant surprise was how quickly the Surfsand staff members were able to learn the new software as well as operate it proficiently. When software is intuitive and easy to learn, user satisfaction is meaningfully higher, Wilson said. We were pleased with how quickly our staff members became comfortable operating even the advanced capabilities of the system.

Jeba Kingsley, Agilysys vice president of professional services, commented that Surfsands goals make the property an ideal customer for Agilysys solutions. Helping Surfsand create deeper understanding of guests and staff over time so they can continuously evolve personalized, unique and enhanced experiences is the perfect role for Agilysys solutions, Kingsley said. Our solutions provide best-of-breed operating performance when deployed standalone, and also are designed to work together across a hospitality ecosystem to deliver exponential value as each solution contributes data to create and utilize a unified profile for each guest over time. We get energized when working with customers such as Surfsand who recognize the long-term advantage of using their hospitality technology systems to enhance guest and staff experiences and to take satisfaction to a higher level.

Versatile PMS Capabilities Support Efficiency and Deeper Guest Knowledge

Key drivers for Surfsands PMS selection were the ability to manage a diverse mix of accommodations and amenities, the ability to leverage efficient cloud-based operations while also maintaining offline operating integrity during Internet challenges, and rich digital and mobile options for both guests and staff.

The system also equips staff to see and book available upgrades, dining and activity reservations and Experience Enhancement packages in a single session from a single comprehensive view without switching among different systems. In turn, guests also can experience personalized offers when booking in advance and while they are checking in. Intuitive interfaces, simplified workflows, and groupings of commonly used tasks also make user training simpler and faster.

Proven Point-of-sale and Payment Solutions Maximize Security and Convenience

Agilysys POS and payment solutions enable Surfsand to use a wide range of traditional fixed-station POS terminals and mobile devices (across Microsoft Windows, Android and iOS operating systems) to match the needs and style of different venues and revenue centers across the property.

Guests can pay for restaurant checks and other transactions using their mobile phones through one of the first point-to-point encryption (P2PE) payment solutions for hospitality validated by the PCI Security Standards Council. Surfsand can deliver secure electronic payments across guest experiences, including countertop, table service, EMV, mobile tablet, and signature capture scenarios. They also can choose from a broad array of U.S. credit card processors and can easily change equipment as technology evolves.

Agilysys has been a terrific partner in helping us to map out our hospitality technology evolution, and we look forward to continuing to create new ways to delight guests leveraging the advanced capabilities these systems enable, Wilson concluded.

About Agilysys

Agilysys is well known for its long heritage of hospitality-focused technology innovation. The Company delivers modular and integrated software solutions and expertise to businesses seeking to maximize Return on Experience (ROE) through hospitality encounters that are both personal and profitable. Over time, customers achieve High Return Hospitality by consistently delighting guests, retaining staff and growing margins. Customers around the world include: branded and independent hotels; multi-amenity resort properties; casinos; property, hotel and resort management companies; cruise lines; corporate dining providers; higher education campus dining providers; food service management companies; hospitals; lifestyle communities; senior living facilities; stadiums; and theme parks. The Agilysys Hospitality Cloud combines core operational systems for property management (PMS), point of sale (POS) and inventory and procurement (I&P) with Experience Enhancers that meaningfully improve interactions for guests and for employees across dimensions such as digital access, mobile convenience, self-service control, personal choice, payment options, service coverage and real-time insights to improve decisions. Core solutions and Experience Enhancers are selectively combined in Hospitality Solution Studios tailored to specific hospitality settings and business needs. Agilysys operates across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and India with headquarters located in Alpharetta, GA. For more information visit Agilysys.com

Kris Burnett

PR Manager
We were delighted to connect with the investment and hotel-owning community during the International Hospitality Investment Conference (IHIF) last week and take this opportunity to share our main findings from the conference with you below.

Are the operators keeping pace with AI?

Our CEO Alex Sogno thought there was work to be done, telling delegates attending the technology panel: We dont have a lot of say in what technology we are given by the operator. AI should be available when you call room service, for example. It should be available so that you can operate in different languages. Its frustrating. The OTAs do it  20 years ago the hotels gave away the keys to OTAs, and theyre doing it again, taking the lead with AI.

Read coverage of Alexs panel discussion in Hospitality Investor here.

Investors - Is there going to be a pickup in transactions?

There is a strong appetite for investment with capital available, waiting for opportunities arising due to debt issues. Furthermore, it was still felt that there was a mismatch between buyer and seller aspirations, with strong trading meaning that, despite the increases in costs from teams to energy putting pressure on the bottom line, there was little distress. Carine Bonnejean, managing director  hotels, Christie & Co, said: You need a trigger for people to sell. Is one on its way?

Size matters

Hotels were warned that they ran the risk if being seen as a cottage industry if they continued to use revpar as their KPI and not look to revenue per square metre and optimise performance. Mews founder Richard Valtr said: The rooms are not the whole property. More and more hotels are getting into models such as extended stay - we need to get to 100% usage of spaces.

Debt - still the unknown question

Will pressure increase on owners due to (a) increased debt cost and (b) difficulty in refinancing? The likely answer is yes, as banks cannot continue providing support unless the borrowers business strong cash-flows. Also, fewer banks are willing to lend, and LTVs are down.

This is an opportunity for the PE/Debt Funds, who can step in to the capital stack, but the cost of such funding will be higher, and there is always the risk of falling foul of a loan to own house.

Luxury - when will it end?

There appears to be an unceasing demand for luxury though not all luxury is created equal, of course (like residential development, luxury is one of the most overused words in the industry).

With all these luxury hotels under development, aiming to open in two years and stabilise after three, who are going to be the buyers in five years' time?

Are luxury rates going to keep increasing?

There were cautious tones on the sidelines at the conference after a mixed Q1, but there was still enthusiasm for luxury, from both developers and operators. NH Hotels Yuan Fang told the conference that the group was confident that the strong ADR in the luxury universe will be maintained.

Is the importance of local customers growing?

It was recognised that hotels needed to pay more attention to the communities around them. Guests were demanding more authentic experiences when they stayed and, with hiring hard, hotels needed to raise their profile as sources of careers.

Accor chairman & CEO Sebastien Bazin said that hotels needed to look to locals and make sure they use the bar, the restaurant, the public spaces to work remotely to create an attractive atmosphere. The industry needs to be more innovative to attract locals: To generate additional profit, we are creating very successful venues for our spa and gym with a club membership concept for local members. Next to our lobbies, we are also creating trendy bakeries/coffee shops for our hotel guests and locals, says Alex Sogno, Global Asset Solutions CEO.

If you wish to discuss any of these trends and investment insights further, please contact us on [email protected]
Myth-Buster: Fears of Upgrading Your Hotel PMS System - and How to Let Them Go

Why the fear of change may be costing you more than you think

No matter how long youve had your hotel PMS, there will come a time when you need to upgrade your solution. Maybe your hardware is outdated, and you dont have all of the functionality you need, or your software doesnt allow you to track and export all of the analytics required to make business decisions. In fact, according to Hospitality Technologys 2023 Lodging Technology Study, 69 percent of respondents indicated they are adding, upgrading, or switching suppliers for their property-management systems sometime this year.

Yet many hotel owners who have outdated software are resistant to switching to more modern hotel property management systems (PMS). Often, the reason for this is that they have heard horror stories from other hoteliers who invested in new software that didnt meet their unique requirements and ended up using their legacy software even though they knew it would impact their bottom-line profit. I had two specific conversations this week where FDM's told me they really don't like what they use today, but they are scared of starting all over. The thought of changing their PMS horrifies them.

Change is hard, and we know that upgrading your PMS solution is easier said than done. But rather than ignoring your PMS problems. If you dont take action, you may be missing out on new growth opportunities. If you dont change, adapt and evolve, then you will become obsolete or, worse - extinct.

There are many reasons that hotels of all sizes hesitate to upgrade their PMS systems  even if theyre causing them loads of stress  and these are a few of the most common reasons we hear.

1. Disruption

The idea of changing a PMS strikes fear into your heart (and the hearts of every other hotelier) because it effectively means replacing the central nervous system of your business. And yet, this is precisely the operation that so many dealerships must undergo to stay competitive.

There are several reasons why a hotel may need to change its property management system, including:

Outdated technology: The hotel's existing PMS may need to be updated and no longer meet the hotel's needs or keep up with industry standards.

Lack of functionality: The hotel may have outgrown its existing PMS and require additional functionality, such as revenue management tools, channel management, or mobile accessibility.

Inadequate support: The hotel may be experiencing ongoing issues with its PMS, such as system crashes, data loss, or slow response times, and may need more support from the vendor.

Integration issues: The hotel may be using multiple systems that need to be integrated with its PMS, causing inefficiencies and data discrepancies.

Cost: The hotel may be paying too much for its current PMS and want to switch to a more cost-effective solution.

Brand standards: The hotel may be part of a larger brand or franchise and may need to switch to a PMS that meets brand standards and integrates with the brand's other systems.

Staff turnover: The hotel may have experienced staff turnover, and the new staff may prefer a different PMS or have experience with another system.

Simply put, sticking with an outdated PMS is the easy way out. Sure, it might save you the initial pain of disrupting your business and your employees to implement a new system, but in the long run, the easy way out never pays off.

2. Costs

Is the cost of upgrading your PMS worrying you? Its a valid concern, but realistically, managing your hotel with an outdated solution could be costing you more money in the first place.

For example, investing in a single PMS that includes all of the most important features and functions you need could be more cost-effective than the cost associated with stacking additional systems together to get all the desired features and functionality. Additionally, what are the costs associated with using your current system? Many hoteliers are being overcharged without knowing it.

Finally, with a modern cloud-based PMS, usually you are looking at payments month to month in smaller amounts rather than having to come up with a huge investment up front - and ongoing updates and maintenance are included.

Altogether, the hotel technology industry has seen major changes over the years, and being able to afford a modern PMS solution is easier than ever.

3. Pain of Implementation

The length of time it takes to switch to a new hotel property management system (PMS) can vary widely depending on several factors, such as the size of the hotel, the complexity of the hotel's operations, and the features and capabilities of the new PMS. In general, however, the process can take as little as a few weeks.

The most important consideration for a hotel to implement a new property management system (PMS) is to ensure that the new system is a good fit for the hotel's specific needs and goals. You should carefully evaluate the features and capabilities of potential PMS options to determine whether they meet the hotel's requirements. Here are some other important considerations for a hotel to keep in mind when implementing a new PMS:

Ease of use: The new PMS should be easy for hotel staff to use and should require minimal training. A system that is overly complex or difficult to use can lead to frustration and decreased efficiency.

Integration with other systems: The new PMS should be able to integrate with other hotel systems, such as revenue management, accounting, and marketing software. This can help streamline operations and reduce the risk of errors.

Customization options: The new PMS should offer a range of customization options that allow the hotel to tailor the software to its specific needs. This can help ensure the system is flexible enough to meet the hotel's evolving needs over time.

Cost: The cost of implementing a new PMS can vary widely depending on the vendor and the features included. Hotels should carefully evaluate the costs associated with each option to ensure that the new system fits within their budget.

Vendor support: The PMS vendor should provide strong support throughout the implementation process and should be responsive to any issues or questions that arise. This can help ensure a smooth transition and minimize disruptions to hotel operations.

Investing in a new PMS is a big decision that may introduce some challenges along the way, but the benefits of a new system far outweigh any of the challenges of implementation if you partner with the right tech provider. Hotels should consider their needs, budget, and goals when selecting a new PMS and work closely with the PMS vendor to ensure a smooth transition and adequate support post-implementation. Careful planning, training, testing, and communication can help make the process easier and more seamless for everyone involved.

No Reason To Delay The Switch

It is common for hotels to periodically evaluate and upgrade their PMS to take advantage of new features, improve efficiency, and enhance the guest experience. As technology continues to evolve and the hospitality industry becomes increasingly competitive, it is likely that more hotels will consider upgrading their PMS to stay ahead of the curve.

As Charles Darwin said, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change."

There are several benefits to getting a new hotel property management system:

Improved efficiency: A new PMS can streamline many of the hotel's operations, reducing the amount of time and effort required to manage guest reservations, check-ins, check-outs, and other tasks. This can help staff work more efficiently, ultimately leading to better guest satisfaction and higher revenue.

Increased revenue: A modern PMS can provide hotels with valuable data and analytics to help them make better business decisions. By having access to real-time information about occupancy rates, room rates, and other key performance indicators, hotels can make more informed pricing and marketing decisions that can help them increase their revenue.

Better guest experiences: A new PMS can provide hotels with tools to enhance the guest experience, such as online check-in and check-out, mobile room keys, and personalized guest profiles. These features can help guests feel more comfortable and valued, leading to better reviews and repeat business.

Integration with other systems: A modern PMS can integrate with other hotel systems, such as revenue management, accounting, and marketing software. This can help hotels automate many of their operations, reduce the risk of errors, and provide a more seamless experience for guests.

Increased security: A new PMS can provide hotels with enhanced security features, such as data encryption, secure payment processing, and user access controls. This can help protect sensitive guest information and reduce the risk of data breaches or other security incidents.

Skyware Hospitality Solutions all in one cloud-based PMS is a great option for hotels looking to upgrade. Our solution comes equipped with all the powerful features youll need out of the box. Skyware also provides seamless integrations with other systems, such as online booking engines, payment gateways, and channel managers, which can help hotels streamline their operations and increase efficiency. The modern platform is designed to be user-friendly and easy to navigate, with a customizable dashboard that allows hotel staff to view and manage their operations in real-time. The system is also designed to be scalable so that it can be used by hotels of all sizes, from small boutique properties to large resorts.

Our customer success team onboards each customer, ensuring their confidence in their system. And if any issues arise later on, our technical support can help 24/7. Finally, Skyware is one of the most effective systems in the industry and offers several flexible payment options to fit almost any budget.

Rest assured, if you take the time to think about your needs, research, and ask questions, you will be happy with the new solution you choose for your business. If you want a partner to help you on your journey, were always here to help.

To learn more, or take a live demo tour of the software, reach out to Jan Murza, Director of Sales at 877-759-9329 option3.

About Bob Palloni





As the chief operating officer of Skyware Hospitality Systems, Bob is responsible for leading the company in corporate strategy, business development, product innovation, and market profitability. An accomplished tech developer and visionary entrepreneur, he has decades of progressive experience in all phases of lifecycle software development. Bobs strength as a strategic planner focuses on networking and application evolution, assuring continued knowledge of trends and vendor partnerships. Prior to forming Skyware, Bob was a senior developer for Visual One/Agilysys and assisted support engineers in troubleshooting customer issues for resolving database performance and networking problems. Previously, Bob also launched an IT development company, KASS Systems, providing integrated technologies to meet the business requirements for small-to medium-sized businesses.

About Skyware Hospitality Solutions

Skyware Hospitality Solutions is the industrys most innovative all-in-one hospitality technology platform trusted by leading independent hotels, resorts, RV parks, and multi-property groups. The company has reimagined the fragmented, complex legacy landscape into a visionary universe of modern, integrated solutions with limitless possibilities. With more than 30 years of hospitality technology experience, Skywares solutions are carefully curated to fit the unique needs of each property and built to respond flexibly to the demanding requirements of a fast-changing industry.

Built from the ground up to centralize and simplify operations, the end-to-end cloud-based PMS suite includes Online Booking Engine, POS, Sales and Catering, and Activity/Spa Scheduling. The easy-to-use system is up and running quickly and seamlessly, delivering a scalable, cost-effective solution that can work with or replace existing hotel systems and technology investments.

With deep industry knowledge and top-rated North American-based support, Skywares patented technology accelerates its customers' ambitions, whether to grow and transform or simply become more efficient, productive, and profitable.

Currently, over 200 unique hotel customers in over 5 countries look to Skyware for tools, technology, and world-class expert support. Founded in 2009, the privately held company is headquartered in Crestview, Florida. For more information, please visit skywaresystems.com.
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7 music copyrights basics every musician and songwriter needs to know

If you are looking for a quick and simple guide to music copyright rights. With just seven facts, this guide fills you in on all the basic need-to-knows.

by Bobby Borg of Discmakers Blog

Music copyrights are pretty straightforward and rather complex all at once. The simple explanation is copyrighting your work gives you protection and rights so other folks cant use your creative work without your consent. But when you dig beneath the surface, there are nuances that can get confusing.

Here are seven basic tenets about music copyrights that you need to know.

1. A music copyright is born upon creation, not registration

When you take an original idea from your head and put it into a tangible form, such as lyrics in a notebook or a melody in your iPhone voice recorder, a copyright is born and it gives you a bundle of rights under the United States Copyright Act.

Now, upon publication of that work, its highly recommended to register your copyrightwith the United States Copyright Office in Washington DC, as this will give you three more very important rights. But make no mistake, a copyright is born upon creation.

2. Three important rights granted by copyright registration

The act of taking a recording of your song, putting it in an envelope, and mailing it to yourself through the United States Postal Office  aka a poor mans copyright  establishes some details regarding the creation of the idea, including a date of creation, but it does not give you:

The right of rebuttable presumption of ownership The right to sue in a court of law The right to receive actual or statutory damages

These rights come via registration in Washington DC, which is why its advisable to officially copyright your work.

3. Splits are equal across elements of a song

Consider this scenario: Youve written lyrics by yourself and Ive written music by myself. Then we get together to co-write and combine the two. Once we merge these two elements together, we now both have an equal ownership interest in both the words and the music and the two parts cannot be separated without us continuing to have some sort of ownership interest in whatever new work is created. So, when two or more people come together to write a song, the splits are equal in the entire song.

4. Negotiating splits

While a joint work is, by default, split equally among the contributors of a song, the splits can be negotiated differently in writing  but there is no one way to negotiate splits. Some people say that 50 percent of the song should be split among the contributors of the music and the other 50 percent of the song should be split among the contributors of the words. Others might argue  including other contributing band members  that the entire song should be split equally among the group, even non-writing members.

Again, there is no single answer or way to negotiate splits, but its advisable to keep a written split sheet of the negotiations locked away to define each contributors agreed-upon share.

5. Two music copyrights in one

There are actually two music copyrights in the recording of a song.

The first copyright is the song itself, which is usually created by the songwriters or the artist. The second copyright is the copyright of the sound recording, which is usually created by the person who captures the sound, such as the producer or the performers on the record. So there are two copyrights in the recording of the song, and you need to make sure to understand both of those rights to make sure that you get fully paid.

6. You need a license to use copyrighted material in your song

Any time you want to use any part of another artists song in your composition or recording, you must get a license from the original owner. Thats right  whether its four bars of music you want to re-record or as little as one note from someone elses master recording you want to lift and bury in the mix, you must get a license from the publisher and/or master owner, respectively. Failure to clear these rights early on can end up being costly and can even lead to infringement charges. Any time you want to interpolate or sample any part of another artists song, you must get a license from the original owner.

Now, this is different than recording someone elses song as a cover. You dont need permission for that, but you do need to pay the songwriter a royalty for every copy made or stream streamed.

7. YouTube videos using music require a synchronization license

When merging a song with visual images, a sync license must be obtained from the author/owner of the song  and that includes a video of you performing a cover song. Many DIY artists ignore this law, usually out of ignorance, with one of two results:

The publisher/owner of the song asks YouTube to take it down The publisher/owner permits the song to stay up and collects YouTube ad money Make no mistake, cover songs on YouTube require a synchronization license from the publisher or via companies like easysonglicensing.com.

Bobby Borg is the author of Music Marketing For The DIY Musician (Second Edition), Business Basics For Musicians (Second Edition), and The Five Star Music Makeover (published by Hal Leonard Books). Get these books at any fine online store in physical or digital format. Learn more at www.bobbyborg.com.

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The Berkshire Family YMCA celebrates the completion of the $12.4 million, two-year renovation of the North Street facility. Mayor Linda Tyer, Congressman Richie Neal, U.S. Sen. Edward Markey and capital campaign Chair Matthew Scarafoni do some livestreaming. CEO and Executive Director Jessica Rumlow speaks about the people and organizations that helped make the renovation happen. State Rep. Tricia Farley Bouvier talks about the importance of child care. Farley Bouvier introduces Commissioner of the Department of Early Education and Care Amy Kershaw. PreviousNext

Pittsfield YMCA Celebrates Completion of $12.4M Renovation



U.S. Sen. Edward Markey speaks at the YMCA celebration on Monday. Markey and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren secured $1 million in federal funds for the project.

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Planners say "child care is the engine" of the Berkshire Family YMCA's $12.4 million overhaul.



The expanded facility includes a new infant room, an additional toddler room, an expanded preschool area, a science, technology, arts and math (STEAM) space, and a gross motor skills space.



This has opened over two dozen enrollment slots and increased child-care services by 40 percent.



"I stand in front of all of you today with a humble heart because I know it took the community, the state, and even the country to make this project happen," CEO and Executive Director Jessica Rumlow said during an unveiling ceremony on Monday at the North Street facility.



"I stand before you today with so much gratitude because every person in this room recognizes the importance of the YMCA in this community, the value of investing in this historic facility to ensure the Y has the ability to continue putting our mission into practice through caring, honesty, respect, responsibility through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all."



State Rep. Tricia Farley Bouvier pointed out that there is $2.3 million in state funding invested in between tax credits, earmarks, and American Rescue Plan Act funds because people believed in this project.



While she was impressed with the reimagining of the basketball court with an elevated running track, the fitness center, and other improvements that the project encompasses, it was the transformation in early education that sparked her interest.



"We have to keep saying that early education is at the very center of addressing poverty, early education is at the very center of our economy, early education as the very center of family stability, early education is the secret sauce," she said.



"And we are making great strides right here in the city of Pittsfield, right here at the YMCA, to start that process."



She said the next step is addressing the pay of early educators, which received a round of applause from attendees. The salary of an early educator should be equivalent, if not more, than a person teaching fourth grade, Farley Bouvier asserted.



"They were pretty clever here when they said, 'Well Patricia, we know you're going talk about early ed because that's pretty much all you ever do," she joked.



Upon entering the facility, Commissioner of the Department of Early Education and Care Amy Kershaw was told that child care was the engine of the project. One of its early funding sources included a $1 million child-care facility state grant from the Early Education and Out of School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund.



"And I couldn't agree more. This child care is the engine for our economy and the engine for the preparation of the next generation for school and life success," she said.



"So we are so thrilled through the department that we had the opportunity to make a contribution from our own capital grant program. It sounds like it was a little bit of a wild ride and you're still on it but I want to say it was 100 percent worth it."



U.S. Sen. Edward Markey attended the ceremony in one of three appearances across the state this week. It was a great day for Berkshire County, he said, adding that the state's delegation could not say "no" to supporting such a good effort.

The renovation includes a new Feigenbaum Foundation Child Care Center, Jane and Jack Fitzpatrick Track, McGraw Family Sport Court, Scarafoni Family Welcome Center, and the Greylock Federal Credit Union Pool area.



The YMCA received $600,000 in state historic tax credits and a state earmark. Markey and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren had announced a $1 million federal grant award for the project through the Department of Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development.



Markey said the 1909 building is an "integral part of Pittsfield's past, present, and future." With the historical tax credits, many original features were preserved in the final design.



"This is absolutely almost the dawn of a new era and we can see it with the natural light coming into the building," Markey said. "How 21st century all of the children, all of the families, all the seniors who will have access to this incredible facility."



The state dollars went toward "greening" the YMCA and addressing structural and facade improvements including new energy-efficient windows, LED lighting, and a heating and cooling system. The monies also helped to expand child care, create construction jobs for 136 workers, and add 10 new full-time employees.



"By the way, we're not really going to turn a profit because all the money we make goes back into the community. We just do more if we do well and that's exactly how we want it."



Support for the $12.4 million project includes:
Sutton Legionnaires walked a 100-mile relay to raise money for other veterans. They were hosted by Post 152 in North Adams. The American Legion Riders lead the parade. PreviousNext

American Legion Post 125 Hosts Sutton Walkers



Marchers arrive at the celebration at Post 152 on Sunday. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Dozens of American Legion members from Sutton marched their way through downtown North Adams on Sunday participating in the 100 Miles For Hope Walk.

The Sutton American Legion Post 414 veterans and Boy Scouts concluded their walk through the city at a celebration hosted by American Legion Post 125.

"It is just a big party to welcome them into the city," Post 125 Commander Mitchel Keil said. "We walked out to them last year because it is 100 miles from our post to their post, so it is our turn to host the reception."

What started out as a program to encourage fitness and wellness, became a national American Legion fundraising drive. Pledges and donations are collected by Legionnaires participating in the relay-style walk to benefit the National American Legions Veterans and Children Fund.

"It is a great way to build up that camaraderie that everyone is looking for, and it is easier to raise money when we work together," Keil said.

Keil said Post 414 and Post 125 are sister Legions.

Bill Halene, 414 past commander, added that families of servicemen and -women can tap this fund if they are in need. Also, active Coast Guard members can request money from the fund if the government shuts down.

"One Legion can do a lot for the community, and that is great," he said. "But when you start connecting with other Legions, you can just get more people involved because you have different outlooks from different sides of the state."

He said they have raised more than $2,000 in this campaign. Twenty-seven walkers started the trip with 17 making the final march into North Adams.

Walkers lined up on Ashland Street and made their way down Main Street after rendezvousing with Post 125 members. The American Legion Riders and a float from the Adams Post 160 led the convoy with its police escort. They swung a left down American Legion Drive terminating at Post 125.

Upon arrival, walkers were served hot food and serenaded by country music tribute band WailOn, which performed from a stage set up in the parking lot. Indoors, there were raffles.

"I am impressed we did a little something for them, but they kicked up to the next level," Hallene said.
BCC to Host Virtual Admissions Info Sessions

PITTSFIELD, Mass  Berkshire Community College (BCC) will host two free virtual information sessions to be held in the month of June: Saturday, June 3 at 10 am and Wednesday, June 7 at 6 pm.

The 30-minute info sessions, presented by admissions counselors on Zoom, are designed to familiarize prospective students with the application and registration process.

Registration is required. To register for a session, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/virtualinfo

Information session participants can:

Ask questions about the admissions process: how to apply, register, and choose classes

Learn about BCC's affordability and its financial aid options

Hear from staff about quality programs and student support services

Discover how classes will transfer to hundreds of schools or prepare graduates for an immediate career

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Stevie Nicks has publicly thanked Taylor Swift for a song that expresses her feelings after the death of her good friend and bandmate, Christine McVie.

Nicks and McVie had worked together as members of Fleetwood Mac since the early 1970s and spoke often of their close friendship.

McVie died in November 2022 at age 79 after a stroke. She had also been diagnosed with metastatic cancer.

Towards the end of her show in Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday (22 May), Nicks spoke of how meaningful Swifts song Youre On Your Own, Kid was to her.

Thank you to Taylor Swift for doing this favour for me. And that is: writing a song called Youre On Your Own, Kid, she told the crowd.

That is the sadness of how I feel. As long as Chris was even on the other side of the world... we didn't have to talk on the phone.

Wed go back to Fleetwood Mac, wed walk in and be like, Hello sister, how are you. There was no... never a minute had passed. Never an argument in our entire 47 years, never.

Nicks, 74, continued by explaining that Swifts song about forging through lifes hardships alone resonated with her after the loss of her companion.

So, when it was the two of us, the two of us were on our own, kids. We always were. And now, Im having to learn to be on my own, kid, by myself.

Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up

Stevie Nicks, Taylor Swift, Christine McVie (Getty)

This is not the first time that Nicks has namechecked the work of younger artists that count her as an inspiration.

After the news of McVies death was announced, the Edge of Seventeen vocalist called upon the words of Haim in a tribute.

Using their 2020 song Hallelujah, which speaks of the wonder and gratitude of sisterhood, Nicks shared a handwritten note with the lyrics: Why me, howd I get this? Hallelujah.
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An 18-year-old high school student in Taiwan who inherited millions of dollars, fell to his death just two hours after allegedly marrying a man he met just twice, the victim's mother alleged.

The student from central Taiwan's Taichung city, surnamed Lai, inherited a property portfolio worth NT$500m (13.11m) from his father shortly before his death.

His body was discovered on 4 May lying on the ground outside an apartment building in Beitun district where his husband of two hours, identified as a 26-year-old man surnamed Hsia, lived on the 10th floor.

The death was brought to light by Lai's mother, surnamed Chen, who held a news conference on 19 May alleging foul play in her son's death.

Ms Chen claimed her son was "not gay" and only met Mr Hsia twice before his death. Lai died just a day after the cremation of his father, who died in late April, Ms Chen said, according to The Strait Times.

Mr Hsia, an escrow assistant, had taken out Lai from their home on the pretense of handling real estate business on that fatal day.

Mr Hsia and Lai then registered their marriage and after two hours of their wedlock, Ms Chen was informed of her son's death.

She told reporters that she "would never accept" that her son died by suicide because he had "no reason to". Ms Chen described her son as an obedient boy set to read philosophy at a local university and had just obtained a motorcycle licence and a new scooter.

Her lawyers claimed that the family believed Lai, who inherited around 30 properties, was killed because of his wealth.

Lai met Mr Hsia twice, with one of those meetings being after death of senior Lai, when the escrow assistant showed up to pay his respect at the wake, the lawyers said. Mr Hsia reportedly had a longstanding relationship with Lai's father.

Taichung district prosecutors said Mr Hsia was questioned under suspicion of homicide and later released on NT$300,000 (7,865) bail.

Investigators later questioned him along with his father on Monday for five hours at the prosecutor's office last Monday.

Addressing the presas, Mr Hsia said Ms Chen's views were "one-sided" and not the entire picture. He was stopped by his lawyers from revealing more.

Forensic medical expert Kao Ta-cheng examined Lai and the ground where the body was found. He claimed that the injuries Lai suffered showed he was unlikely to have fallen from the 10th floor, noting that there were no haemorrhages in his head or abdominal cavities.

Normally, injuries caused by falling (from a buildings 10th floor) could not be so slight, he said, suspecting that Lai had been poisoned before his fall.

The prosecutor's office said their examination and autopsy of Lai's body is complete and the remains have been returned to the family. The autopsy report has not been released yet.
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India has begun hosting a controversial G20 tourism meeting being held in the picturesque Kashmir valley, where the hosts stand accused of an unprecedented surge of raids and arrests in the name of securing the international event.

Kashmir, which is administrated in parts and subject to broader territorial claims by India, Pakistan and China, is one of the most heavily militarised regions in the world, and several G20 member states including China, Saudi Arabia and Turkey are staying away from the tourism summit.

In the middle of the night on a day leading up to the G20 meet, which runs this week until Wednesday, a family in Kashmirs largest city Srinagar was woken up to loud bangs on their door by about 20 to 30 military personnel.

Indias security forces raided their home and locked them inside, beginning what the family said was the longest hour of their lives.

Several gun-toting security personnel barged into their home just as the family had gone to bed, and asked to accompany a male member to a top floor room where they set up a light machine gun on a table, Asad Rehman*, one of the family members, told The Independent.

One security personnel used me as a shield and I could hear his gun clicking behind me before he asked me to take them to the top floor room, Rehman said.

After entering the room, the military personnel nodded at each other as one of them said, Were in the right house.

It was that moment when I thought this is it, the house might blow up any moment or I will be shot, and began saying final prayers in my head.

The man said security forces kept his elderly parents inside one room and did not allow them to leave, asking them to turn the lights off throughout the raid.

The security forces verbally abused and harassed [us] for nothing. They just came and began checking without offering any explanation. It was the most traumatic night of our lives as we were clueless about what was happening and why, he said.

The forces entered the house by scaling walls and not through the main entry gate, according to him. They came without asking permission and left without giving an explanation, Rehman said.

He said four or five homes in the same neighbourhood were raided in the same night and perhaps dozens more in the following nights. The conflict always touched us on the surface. But now after this raid we feel violated and traumatised, said Rehman.

The alleged raids came just days before the G20 meeting started on Monday with the goal of boosting tourism and projecting a display of normalcy in the disputed region.

The government has made elaborate arrangements in the run-up to the three-day event. It revamped the citys commercial centres and spruced up roads and highways leading up to the convention centre on the iconic Dal Lake.

Central Reserve Police Force holds a special drill at Dal Lake ahead of G20 meeting (EPA)

Walls and roads were splashed in orange, while the citys streetlights were lit up in the tricolour of the Indian national flag.

This weeks meeting is the first major international event in the valley since New Delhi stripped Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir state of its semi-autonomy in 2019, scrapping a clause of the constitution that granted it special status and splitting it up into two federally administrated territories.

Security has been beefed up even further in the weeks leading to the summit, with elite security forces like the marine commandos, National Security Guard, the Border Security Force and various police forces deployed on the ground.

In another alleged raid, the daughter of separatist leader Shabir Shah tweeted CCTV footage of security personnel entering her home and conducting search operations. Sehar Shabbir said their house was raided because of the G20 meet, and called it the highest level of harassment.

This video shows army men, black cat commandos leaving my home and the damage they caused following this massive devastating raid, she said.

My mother accompanying half of them while they searched the top level of the house and rest were checking the ground floor and other rooms. They destroyed the drawing rooms furnishings and scattered objects all over, she said.

Srinagar police said they were aware of tweets by daughter of separatist Shabir Shah claiming harassment during search operation. A statement said: It is clarified that it was search[es] of 20 houses, when inputs of movement of terrorists in this locality came. This has nothing to do with G20 but is routine in case of inputs.

Mehbooba Mufti, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir when it was a state, claimed police locked up and detained hundreds of Kashmiris ahead of the meeting.

In a party newsletter, she alleged there was an unprecedented surge in arrests, raids, surveillance and persecution of our people.

Security forces are breaking into homes, ransacking & violating the privacy of people here, she tweeted.

As if the existing repression in Kashmir wasnt enough, GOIs [Government of Indias] paranoia about G20 has unleashed bigger demons. Even women are not being spared.

In a statement on Monday, police said there had been a need to enhance the security measures at vulnerable locations to avoid any chance of terrorist attack during the meeting.

The valley has a bloody history including some of the deadliest militant attacks on Indian security forces since a violent insurgency began in 1989. India has accused Pakistan of fuelling the insurgency, a claim Islamabad has denied.

India has responded to these incidents with a brutal counter-insurgency that has left thousands of militants dead, as well as perpetrating what human rights activists allege is a litany of rights violations for civilians.

At the end of a review meeting in 2022, home minister Amit Shah claimed 229 terrorist attacks occurred in 2021, a decrease from 417 in 2018. He said killings of members of the security forces reduced from 91 in 2018 to 42 in 2021.

India, the G20 president for 2023, has hoped to showcase that the controversial changes in 2019 brought peace and prosperity to the region amid opposition from neighbours Pakistan and China.

China marked its objection by publicly rejecting the G20 invite, citing firm opposition to holding any kind of G20 meetings in the disputed territory. Other countries have quietly stayed away, including previous G20 hosts Indonesia.

Indias tourism secretary Arvind Singh told reporters on Saturday that the meeting was not only to showcase its (Kashmirs) potential for tourism but to also signal globally the restoration of stability and normalcy in the region.

Domestic tourists certainly have returned to the valley with a vengeance since the end of pandemic-era restrictions on travel, with an Associated Press report describing hotels across Srinagar and surrounding beauty spots being booked up for months.

But if this is normalcy, then it has been taking place for the past few weeks under the watchful eye of almost ubiquitous armed security forces, with increased checks on people coming out of their houses for work and other day-to-day activities, while the main road to the convention centre was shut for civilian traffic along with many city schools.

Roads bore a deserted look as barricades were placed on the streets, while people tried to avoid security checks.

An Indian paramilitary soldier checks bag of a Kashmiri man during a surprise search operation as security is being beefed up ahead of the G20 meetings (EPA)

At the start of the summit itself, most of the checkpoints  locally known as bunkers  that appear once every 200m on regular days were either removed or camouflaged with cubicle-like security posts decorated by G20 signage.

Paul Staniland, a political scientist who studies south Asia at the University of Chicago, told the Associated Press that the G20 meet was in line with Indian government policy to symbolically project normalcy and stability in Kashmir and was unlikely to herald any policy changes.

Mufeed Hilal, a resident of Kashmir, said that even as the meeting could boost tourism, the people want to see the Kashmir issue resolved.

Fernand de Varennes, the UNs special rapporteur on minority issues, had last week called out the meet as a facade of normalcy while massive human rights violations continued in the region.

The government of India is seeking to normalise what some have described as a military occupation by instrumentalising a G20 meeting and portray an international seal of approval, he said.

The comments were dismissed by Indias mission at the UN in Geneva, which said the statement was baseless, with unwarranted allegations.

We are aghast that Fernand de Varennes has acted irresponsibly to politicise this issue, misused his position as SR [special rapporteur] to publicise on social media his presumptive and prejudiced conclusions, the statement said.

*Name changed to protect identity
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Pakistans former prime minister Imran Khan has been granted bail by an Islamabad court in eight more cases until next month, in a big win for the politician who fought against his arrest on a slew of terrorism and corruption charges.

The chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party was granted protection from arrest until 8 June while his wife Bushra Bibi was granted bail until 31 May in a corruption case by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court.

Mr Khan, who is facing nearly 150 legal cases, was dramatically arrested from outside a court and was later released on orders of the Supreme Court following widespread violence in the country by his supporters.

He was granted bail in terrorism cases after he was charged with inciting violence as hundreds and thousands of his supporters clashed with the police and attacked public property and military installations following his arrest.

The PTI chief arrived at the NABs office, Pakistans anti-corruption agency, in Islamabad on Wednesday following the courts decision.

Mr Khan and his wife will be quizzed on the investigation of charges against him in a corruption case linked to a real-estate business tycoon, popularly known as the Al Qadir Trust case.

On Tuesday, Mr Khan was escorted by security police personnel carrying ballistic shields alongside his black car after he left the anti-terrorism court in Islamabad.

Imran Khan has been granted protection from arrested till early June (REUTERS)

The heightened security was the result of Mr Khans fears that he could be assassinated.

The couple has been accused of accepting the gift of property worth millions of Pakistani rupees to build a private university Al-Qadir University in exchange for providing benefits to the real estate tycoon.

In an interview with Independent Urdu, Mr Khan said he is ready to talk to the Pakistani army chief and even the Shehbaz Sharif government to negotiate.

Im a politician, I want dialogue with anyone, including the army chief or the establishment but Im afraid it takes two to tango. Theres no one to talk to, he said.

Mr Khan said that the prime minister of Pakistan has nothing to do with his arrest and legal cases against him, describing him as a puppet.

Private security members escort former Prime Minister Imran Khan (in vehicle) as he appears before a court to get extension in bails (EPA)

When asked if he was willing to negotiate, he responded: Yes, a politician should always be ready to negotiate with anyone. Because politicians resolve differences through negotiations and not through guns.

He said more than 10,000 PTI workers and supporters are currently in jail without any charges.

"They have just been picked up. They get bail from the court and are picked up again as soon as they come out of jail. Whatever is happening is illegal," he added.

Mr Khan, who had said there was an 80 per cent chance of his arrest on Tuesday, had asked his supporters to remain peaceful and not resort to any kind of violence if he is again arrested.
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At least seven people, including four children, were killed in Thailand after a heavy storm caused a metal roof to collapse on a schools activity centre, officials said on Tuesday.

One of the victims was a six-year-old boy at the Wat Nern Por primary school in Phichit province who died of his injuries after the incident on Monday, local officials from the Disaster Prevention Department and Public Relations office said.

The children, aged between six and 13, had gone inside the activity centre in the northern Thailands district school to take shelter from the rain, the office said in Facebook posts

At least 18 people were taken to the hospital after the mishap due to heavy rains.

The deceased included four boys, two parents, and one member of the schools cleaning staff, Patcharin Siri from the provincial public relations department said.

All the houses have been damaged by the storm but this arena just completely collapsed, local mayor Kannika Intarakul told the ThaiPBS broadcasting service.

The storm struck the region at about 6.30pm local time, the local media reported, adding that heavy rain and high winds caused the roof to suddenly collapse.

A witness at the spot told the broadcaster that they heard a sound just like in a war zone and in a span of five seconds, the storm reached me.

This comes after Thailands Meteorological Department flagged a warning for heavy rain in the northern part of the country this week.

Monday was also the official start of the rainy season.

The officials have forecasted further adverse weather across much of northern and central Thailand over the coming days.

On Tuesday, the Meteorological Department forecast isolated heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across the region through at least 29 May.

Gusty winds, lightning, and hail are possible during thunderstorms, the officials have warned. They added that strong winds could fell trees and power lines as well as cause damage to unsecured infrastructure.

Flooding and landslides are possible in areas where thunderstorms produce intense rainfall, the Met department said.
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A shareholder rebellion against the board of Shell secured a fifth of votes at a stormy annual general meeting on Tuesday where climate protesters tried to rush the stage.

Security staff linked hands to shield chairman Sir Andrew Mackenzie and chief executive Wael Sawan as a handful of activists made for the top table.

Fossil Free London later claimed responsibility for the rush, while several other groups also sang songs and chanted slogans.

Shut down Shell, dozens of protesters chanted through most of the first hour, making it almost impossible for Sir Andrew to kick off the meeting on time.

A climate activist is removed after disrupting Shells annual general meeting in London on Tuesday (Reuters)

The chaotic scenes at the Excel conference centre in London came as shareholders were asked to vote on Shells environmental report.

Most did, but an alternative plan which was proposed by activist investors at Follow This secured 20.2 per cent of the votes, Shell revealed.

Considering that up to 99 per cent of shareholders voted along with the board on the other 25 resolutions, 20 per cent of support and a significant number of abstentions in spite of a negative board recommendation clearly indicates shareholder discontent, Follow This founder Mark van Baal said after the meeting.

There were heated exchanges throughout the four-hour event, not just between the board and the protesters, but also with shareholders who wanted the company to do more to cut its environmental impact.

Dozens of protesters were carried out of the room, one still shouting climate criminals as three security guards held his arms and legs.

After the stage was stormed around 50 minutes into the meeting, one woman appeared to faint as she was escorted out by security. Another screamed that the three men carrying her out of the room were hurting her.

Obviously that last incident went a stage further than we experienced in the first part of today, Sir Andrew said after protesters had been escorted out. He added that people would be removed if they tried to get onto the stage again.

However, the protesters  who had to own Shell shares to get into the building  also managed to frustrate other shareholders in the room. Some shouted shut up and get a job.

It was not until well over an hour into proceedings that the meeting was able to continue as planned.

Security repeatedly escorted protesters out one at the time. However, one protester was replaced by another, continuing the interruption.

A member of Dutch activist group Milieudefensie is dragged away from the Shell meeting (AFP via Getty Images)

In the confusion, Sir Andrew also mistakenly asked security to remove a non-protesting shareholder who had got up to ask for the meeting to push ahead.

Are you asking us to start the meeting? I apologise, he said, to laughter from the room.

Early in the meeting, a group of protesters sang: Go to hell Shell and dont you come back no more, no more, no more, no more to the tune of the Ray Charles song Hit The Road Jack.

The first protester to get up shouted: Welcome to Shell complicit in the destruction of peoples homes, livelihoods and lives. Welcome to hell.

He added: I refuse to accept your hell on earth. Board members, directors and shareholders, Im here to demand that you shut down Shell. He also said: The sea levels are rising, and so are the people.

The sea levels are rising, and so are the people! Protester at Shell AGM

As the meeting wore on the audience thinned out as protesters were removed.

After a couple of hours shareholders were able to ask questions, many focusing on Shells history of pollution and what they argue are its insufficient plans to lower emissions.

Turning his back on the board, Follow Thiss Mr Van Baal said that his plan would make Shells climate ambitions clearer and stronger.

I will not waste any more time, I will not waste anyones time today in trying to convince the board, he said, with his back to Sir Andrew and Mr Sawan.

Instead I will address our fellow shareholders: Dear shareholders, your board is only determined to cling to hydrocarbons because you, shareholders, allow them to do so. Because you shareholders continue to vote against change.

But Sir Andrew argued that Mr Van Baals plan would harm, rather than help, Shells ability to help the world.

The targets it contained would weaken our business, he added. It would force us to reduce the numbers of customers we serve, and most important who we hope to decarbonise, he told shareholders.

It would reduce our ability to help the world through our decarbonised products to cut carbon emissions.

He asked shareholders to vote against the resolution.

According to the results, they heeded his advice, yet a not insignificant number of them voted to kick him off the board.

Shell said that 6.9 per cent of shareholder votes had been cast against Sir Andrews re-election, while 5.3 per cent voted against the pay packages that the top executives were handed last year.
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A Victorias Secret model has revealed why it was important for her to document the last days shell spend with her terminally ill grandmother after the 85-year-old decided to seek euthanasia to end her life.

Ali Tate Cutler, a Texas-based model, revealed her grandmothers plan to die by medical assistance on TikTok this week. In the first of a series of emotional clips, Cutler explained that her grandma, who lives in Canada and who she refers to as Bubbie, had chosen to seek euthanasia after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. In Canada, euthanasia and assisted suicide have been legal for people over 18 and who are eligible since 2016.

Bubbie has entered her final chapter in life, Cutler wrote on a video of herself and her grandmother playing a game together. After her terminal cancer diagnosis, she is choosing to be euthanised in Canada.

In the caption, Cutler acknowledged that no one gets out of this life alive, before claiming that the best way we can honour life is to be aware of death.

Love to your elders. Love to those who have come before us, Cutler wrote, before adding: Love you Bubbie.

In the caption of the video, which has since been viewed more than 441,000 times, the model poignantly wrote: Only thing that is certain is death and taxes. So much love to those who have come and gone before us.

In another video posted during her grandmothers final days, which has since been viewed more than 12 million times, Cutler filmed the pair participating in a TikTok trend as they got ready for a dinner out. My grandmother has chosen euthanasia for her terminal diagnosis, so this is the last time I can take her out to dinner, Cutler explained in a caption on the video, before noting that she has so many emotions right now, but that her priority is making it the most memorable week for her grandmother.

Speaking to The Independent, Cutler revealed that her grandmother has always felt strongly in support of euthanasia, and that, by the time shed received the terminal cancer diagnosis, she knew that she kind of wanted to exit the world in this way.

She just did not want to suffer in her final moments, Cutler explained of her grandmothers mindset upon learning that, even with chemotherapy treatment, she would only have six months left to live. So she decided that she wanted to go out in her own terms.

According to Cutler, whose family has travelled to Canada to spend time with the 85-year-old in her final days, they were not necessarily proponents of euthanasia before they learned of Bubbies decision.

However, Cutler said that her family has been incredibly supportive since learning of her grandmothers wish, a mindset that she said stems from their belief in body sovereignty and autonomy.

First and foremost, thats an overarching principle of pretty much all of our beliefs, she explained. For us, its about allowing the person to choose on their own terms, how and what they want to do with their body, and how they want to leave the world.

You know, we come into the world alone, we leave it alone. Its a personal decision.

In one of her videos, Cutler acknowledged how hard it has been to spend the time with her grandmother, knowing that it will be the last time they spend together. However, she said that she is trying to stay positive for her Bubbie.

These last four days have been so hard. Im trying to stay positive for my Bubbie, but I cant handle that Im about to say goodbye forever at the airport tomorrow, Cutler admitted as she filmed herself crying. In the caption of the emotional video, she added: Being able to cry with her has been a blessing. But its the finality of death that is repeating on a loop in my mind.

According to Cutler, she decided to share the videos to TikTok because she realised how beautiful it was to watch someone die as she was grieving her grandmother during their final moments together.

It was less of a statement on euthanasia and more a kind of being in awe of watching this person choose their own way out with dignity and with sovereign choice, Cutler clarified.

The decision was also a statement about how we grieve, as Cutler noted that, usually she sees posts about death after someone has lost a loved one.

Usually I see when people go through deaths in a family, they post a photo or a video when their loved one has passed saying, I miss this person, or, Im really sad right now because of this. And I always thought that was kind of weird and out of order, like, we should be celebrating this person while theyre still here, she said.

The model, who frequently uses her platform to discuss issues such as mental health and self-love, also acknowledged the way the videos approach death, which she said is a topic she doesnt see talked about enough.

When I saw someone I loved dying well and she was so clear in her decisions  it was an opportunity to open up discussion around death

The thing I dont see talked about enough is death, including for myself. And I havent really healed my relationship to death or with death yet. And I know its impending, she explained. So when I saw someone I loved dying well and she was so clear in her decisions  it was an opportunity to open up discussion around death.

According to Cutler, this is what social media should be used for. This is an experience thats a human experience for every single person, she said, while acknowledging the difference between her videos, which show a picture of what it means to be human, and the videos of relatively little substance that she typically sees on TikTok. Social media is such a powerful tool when used correctly.

Prior to her grandmothers decision, Cutler admitted that her views on euthanasia were divided, as she wasnt sure about the ethical morality of the assistance. However, she said her final moments with her grandmother changed her mind.

(TikTok / @alitatecutler)

Watching it up close and personal, I would say that I think now people should be given the option, the choice, she explained. Its happening whether we like it or not, in many places of the world. So we kind of need to have a dialogue about it.

In addition to documenting her own handling of the situation, Cutler also took the opportunity to share her grandmothers feelings about choosing euthanasia.

In a video titled Bubbie answering questions on euthanasia, Cutler asked her grandmother how she is feeling as she moves closer to the date when she will end her life.

In response to the inquiry, Cutlers grandmother revealed that the date is like the light at the end of a tunnel.

The video was also informational, as Cutler asked her grandmother to elaborate on the process of seeking euthanasia in Canada, and how doctors are able to determine whether you are doing it for the right reasons.

According to Cutlers grandmother, she was asked what her diagnosis is, whether it is fatal, and how many more months she has to live.

They give you time to consider. They keep stressing the fact that you can always change your mind, the models grandmother continued.

In Canada, there are two available options when it comes to medical assistance in dying (MAID), according to the governments website. They both include a physician or nurse practitioner, who either directly administers a substance that causes death, such as an injection of a drug, or who provides or prescribes a drug that the eligible person takes themselves, in order to bring about their own death.

As for who is eligible for euthanasia, the government states that an individual must be at least 18 years old and mentally competent, which means being capable of making health care decisions for yourself.

One must also have a grievous or irremediable medical condition, make a voluntary request for MAID that is not the result of outside pressure or influence, and provide informed consent.

As for what the process entails, Cutlers grandmother said it includes setting an appointment, then the initial injection, which puts you to sleep.

And the big pain is the prick in the hand to provide for the little valves. And then, once youre in a deep sleep, there are two other injections you get. At that point you dont know, so its painless, the TikTokers grandparent explained.

Cutlers grandmother also revealed that she plans to end her life at the hospital, as she noted that she came in quietly and would like to go out quietly.

In response to her granddaughters question about whether she is nervous, the 85-year-old shook her head no. Im looking forward to it, she said, as she explained that she doesnt want to be dependent or have no control as her illness progresses.

When Ill be ready, Ill know. Ive always made my own decisions for myself in living, and I trust I will in death, she said.

She also expressed her belief that her husband is waiting to greet her. I do believe my husband is there saying: Its about time. And Ill say: Hi, Im here. Thats it, she told her granddaughter.

In the caption of the video, Cutler acknowledged that it was one of the hardest and most beautiful conversations shes ever had, and that it was healing for both her and her grandmother.

Having talked about it in depth and her feelings going into it and her decisions for why she was doing this, I feel like it was a cathartic sigh of release for everyone involved, Culter told us of the candid conversations she had with her grandmother. Because we were talking about things that were normally unspoken, maybe it was a shame release.

It just felt like a release. I cant explain it other than that. It felt like, were talking about the thing that people dont talk about and it feels really good.

In their final video together, Cutler asked her grandmother to share her advice for a young person coming into the world now. Whats the biggest takeaway that you could tell anyone? she asked.

In response to the question, Cutlers grandmother said: Laugh. Have fun. Enjoy your loved ones as much as you can. Tell them you love them. Share. Be open, be honest. Talk. Just talk.

If you have love in your life, hold onto it because its so precious. Just honour love, express it, live it.

In the emotional clip, Cutler then added that her grandmother is a testament to the importance of respecting one anothers decisions. We all have our own decisions to make  and we need to respect and not have judgement for anyones decisions they make about their own life. Especially when theyre not hurting anyone else.

The poignant videos have sparked a debate around death and euthanasia on TikTok, where many have praised Cutler for sharing the emotional videos, while others have criticised the choice.

Beautiful moments. Honouring her choice and your grace in loving her through it, one person wrote, while another said: Im so so so sorry about all of this. Losing somebody you love is the worst pain but so happy to see you get closure.

This is beautifully tragic. No one wants to lose a family member but to be able to do it on your own terms? Surrounded by love? Thats beautiful! someone else wrote.

However, in her most recent video, which did not include her grandmother, Cutler replied to a comment from a viewer whod asked why shed decided to publicise the end of the 85-year-olds life, as they claimed it was so wrong.

In response to the question, the model defended her decision, as she revealed that she has always felt death was taboo and not discussed enough in the west.

Death comes for us all. And seeing how triggered some people got on the matter of a strangers dying choices, I know it was a heart-centred choice, she said. That video got 11m people talking about death. I would say this is one of the more useful cultural conversations I have seen on this app. So I said what I said.

While reflecting on the viral, and divided, response to her videos, Cutler acknowledged the differences in how viewers have reacted, with the model noting that some have been triggered because we dont talk about death and maybe people think death shouldnt be talked about and it should be something thats done privately away from prying eyes.

I think theres a couple themes here that are living in the shadow, and that shadow is places that humans naturally recoil from, she said. And the shadow is our mortality. That were all going to die. But when were young and were living in health, we forget that for moments of time.

So, highlighting that brings up a kind of primordial fear of what comes next.

According to Cutler, the second theme she has recognised is discomfort with the concept of euthanasia, as it raises questions about who is in control and about belief in the afterlife. People have their moral beliefs cemented on the topic [of suicide], she said. And so to see someone choosing this way out of the world, its bringing up a very under-discussed yet strong topic.

Cutler also admitted that, before her grandmothers decision, she wouldve counted herself among those who strongly disagree ethically with medically assisted death.

According to Cutler, who identified herself as a spiritual person, her previous disagreement with euthanasia stemmed from the belief that we were put here for a reason and a time, and a place and a vision.

And we were interfering with that plan or that faith by making this decision. I would have been extremely opposed, she continued. But, at this point, I can say that thats no longer my feeling.

She gave the examples of lifesaving surgeries or life support, as she asked: Arent we playing God that way? You know, arent we changing the outcome of fate? Arent we keeping people alive that wouldnt be naturally alive?

Although she acknowledged theres a lot more she needs to understand about the issue, and so many arguments that she needs to flesh out, she said her mind is now open to the idea of euthanasia.

Ultimately, for me, the main issue here is that I dont think anyone else gets to tell you what to do with your body, she said. Thats the main point, and that is my overarching principle. So everything has to flow from that.

Cutler is also extremely grateful for those who have shared their own stories about their loved ones in response to the videos, as she noted that it was beautiful to receive all of that outpouring of love and care and grief.

As for those who have not made up their minds about the topic of euthanasia, Cutler encourages them to be with dying people and to experience dying people.

She also wants people to ask themselves if they truly believe we have the right to tell other people what to do with their body.

If their answer is yes, she said she respects their opinion. But, if their answer is no, she thinks it will ultimately lead to a discussion about euthanasia and how it correlates to a belief that we shouldnt be allowed to tell people what to do with their body.

My question is for people to be able to ponder their own mortality, their own deaths, and really think about, would they want this option available to them? she said. And if that answer is yes, then talk about it. Have those conversations. Get interested, because we all need to have some agency in our final days.

Cutler noted that, in America especially, the debate around the concept prompts parallels to other topics that are raised when we consider bodily autonomy, such as abortion rights or vaccine mandates. We cant sleep on it. We cant just tuck this away. This is the reality for a lot of people right now who are dying. And do we want this option to be available to them? For me, that answer is yes, she said.

Physician-assisted suicide, which is when life-ending drugs are given to a patient who qualifies, is legal in 10 US states and the District of Columbia. To be eligible, individuals must have a terminal illness and a prognosis of six months or less to live. The topic has remained highly controversial in the US, however, due to debates around its legal, moral, religious and ethical impact.

In 2018, fewer than 1,000 individuals died by assisted suicide in the US, according to statistics from Statista. By 2021, the number had grown to just 1,300.

As for the current mindset of her grandmother, who is facing death head on and who will die on a date of her choosing in the coming weeks, Cutler confirmed that she has no regrets.

She has no regrets. She has no second thoughts about it. And so for me its now become more of a celebration of her life rather than this heart-stopping grief about losing her, she said.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus has revealed that she took inspiration from Princess Dianas iconic wedding dress for her own nuptials more than three decades ago.

The Seinfeld alum appeared on Live with Kelly and Mark on 22 May, where she opened up about her nearly 36-year marriage to actor Brad Hall. You and your husband have been married for 35 years, Ripa said, as she showed a photo from their 1987 wedding ceremony.

The photo showed the newlywed couple smiling and walking down the aisle together. For the occasion, Louis-Dreyfus wore a white wedding dress with a flowing ball gown skirt and quintessential 80s puff sleeves adorned with ruffles. She tied her hair back in a low bun and completed the look with a flower crown and a long white veil.

Yes. Look at that wedding dress, the comedian replied, laughing. Youll see I fashioned my dress after Princess Diana. Its the times, I guess.

Julia Louis-Dreyfuss wedding gown wasnt a far cry from the one worn by the late Princess of Wales on her wedding day to the then-Prince of Wales in July 1981. Since then, the voluminous bridal gown has become one of the most recognisable dresses of all time.

On 29 July 1981, an estimated 750 million people worldwide watched as Lady Diana Spencer became Princess Diana during a royal wedding ceremony at St Pauls Cathedral in London. Her wedding dress was designed by former husband-and-wife duo David and Elizabeth Emanuel.

The silk-taffeta gown featured a fitted bodice overlaid with panels of antique Carrickmacross lace that originally belonged to Queen Mary. It also included a sequin-encrusted train measuring 25 feet that remains the longest in royal wedding history.

Much like Kate Middletons wedding dress in 2011, there was so much secrecy surrounding Princess Dianas gown that the Emmanuels were required to create an alternate gown in case the dress was revealed preemptively to the public.

In 2021, Princess Dianas wedding dress was displayed at Kensington Palace as part of a temporary exhibition exploring royal style. The gown  which is now privately owned by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry  marked the first time it had gone on display in 25 years.

The Queen with Princess Diana and Prince Charles on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day in 1981 (PA)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Brad Hall will celebrate 36 years of marriage this June. Last year, the 62-year-old actor celebrated her wedding anniversary by sharing a sweet tribute to her husband on social media.

Even though were surrounded by a lot of bad news, Im celebrating some good news today  Been tied to this superb guy for 35 years! she captioned the Instagram post, which featured their smiling wedding photo. What in the living hell? How did that happen so quick?

The couple  who share sons Henry, 28, and Charlie, 23  first met as students at Northwestern University, when Louis-Dreyfus auditioned for Halls theater production in the early 1980s. They were married on 25 June 1987 in Santa Barbara, California.
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Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo have married in front of friends and family in Spain.

The Made in Chelsea stars officially tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at a registry office in Chelsea in April.

However, their big wedding celebration came on Saturday (20 May), as the couple held a second ceremony in Seville.

Haboo, 29, wore a long-sleeved white gown, with her hair tied into a low bun.

Laing, 34, meanwhile, wore a black tuxedo with a bowtie, and showed up at the wedding wearing sunglasses.

In clips shared on Instagram by wedding guests, the couple were shown kissing beneath an archway adorned with flowers after saying their vows.

At the reception, they could be seen cutting into the cake while sparklers went off. The reception took place outside near a huge fountain, with guests sat at long banquet tables adorned with flowers and balloons hanging in the air.

Guests were also shown cheering along to September by Earth, Wind and Fire at the dinner, and later dancing with Laing and Habboo on their shoulders as a live band performed Tina Turners Proud Mary.

Former Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh was in attendance, as well as Sam Thompson and his girlfriend, Love Island star Zara McDermott.

Spencer Matthews also attended the wedding, after not making the cut in Laing and Habboos first ceremony.

The oversight was the subject of an episode of Habboo and Laings podcast NearlyWeds, where Laing explained why Matthews and wife Vogue Williams were not invited to the London civil event.

Amongst the hectic-ness of getting people there and things like that, I thought Spencer and Vogue were away. Spencer got upset, which is fair enough, Laing said.

So I sent Vogue a message hoping to get a bit of support and then she replied, To be honest Jamie, its not good. And I was like, F***.
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A Chinese company selling pregnancy tests in the UK must be investigated over the potential risk that expectant mothers genetic data may be shared with the Chinese government, a cross-party group of parliamentarians have warned.

MPs and peers have called for the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) to launch a probe into BGI Group, Chinas leading genomics company, over concerns that data gathered from its NIFTY non-invasive pre-natal tests may be shared with the government in Beijing.

The politicians have shared their concerns about the company after it was blacklisted by the US government, and following the ICOs recent decision to fine Chinese-owned social media company TikTok over its misuse of data.

Conservative former minister Lord Bethell, Tory MP Henry Smith, Labour MPs Siobhain McDonagh, Taiwo Owatemi and Charlotte Nichols, and Lib Dem former minister Alistair Carmichael wrote to the ICO to call for the investigation.

It is vital consumers have full transparency in order to carefully assess the risks associated with sharing such data with state-linked Chinese companies MP and peers' letter to the Information Commissioner's Office

They raised 2021 reporting by Reuters that suggested BGI was using the genetic information collected from pregnancy testing around the world to collect genetic data from millions of women for sweeping research on the traits of populations.

The also raised the alarm about Chinas national intelligence law, which requires private companies to share information with the state if requested for security purposes.

The letter said: It is vital consumers have full transparency in order to carefully assess the risks associated with sharing such data with state-linked Chinese companies.

We must also ensure patients are told about the importance and far-reaching implications of their genetic information  and the risks associated with turning it over.

Most importantly, we must ensure companies like BGI are completely transparent about their data collection and usage, and what Chinese laws they are subject to.

According to BGIs website, the NIFTY test is used to analyse blood samples from pregnant women to screen for genetic abnormalities, including Downs Syndrome.

Tory former health minister Lord Bethell said: BGI is a remarkable genomics and diagnostics company. It has phenomenal technology which I admire, but we just dont know for sure what it does with that data.

I would love to think it is respectful of privacy and security and individual rights, but we know from the practices of the government in China that it is using genomic data for surveillance.

He added: We have got to ask ourselves can we really trust BGI to be doing genomic testing here in the UK.

This is a national security failing of the highest order. The Government must act Alistair Carmichael

Lib Dem MP Mr Carmichael, who has previously raised concerns about the company in Parliament, described BGI as the next Huawei, claiming it was a question of when rather than if it is banned in the UK.

With that in mind, the Government should simply get on with it, he added.

He went on: This is a company with proven links to the Chinese military, working in a field that is Beijings strategic priority and enables the repression of human rights.

In March, the science minister George Freeman told Parliament that BGI is a danger point. Why then is BGI being allowed to open a new centre in London whilst continuing to build partnerships with UK universities?

This is a national security failing of the highest order. The Government must act.

A BGI Group spokesman said: First and foremost, BGI Group will be fully transparent and welcomes any opportunity to provide information on our work in the UK.

We believe in transparent, collaborative research and openly sharing results, a principle that is crucial to providing the greatest benefits for all of humanity. We will continue to advocate for open and inclusive global scientific collaboration with the aim of fighting diseases more effectively and improving the health of mankind.

The company has denied being linked to the Chinese state, and said it had previously refuted allegations made by the politicians in their letter to the ICO.

BGI emphasised that its labs meet stringent standards in information security, adding: Our data standards globally include the UKs BS10012 standard, compliance with the EUs General Data Protection Regulation, and the ISO27001 standard on information security.

The company added it does not engage in unethical practices and does not provide gene technology for the surveillance of Uighurs. BGI Group does not condone and would never be involved in any human-rights abuses.
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The UK state contributed to the death of a teenager who took her own life after being groomed by a far-right extremist and later arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences, an inquest has heard.

Rhianan Rudd was found dead in a childrens home aged 16 on May 19 2022, around 18 months after she was detained for downloading a bomb-making manual online and accused of plotting a terrorist attack.

Rhianan, who had autism, had been groomed and exploited by an American extremist, evidence of which led to the charges being dropped five months before her death.

At a pre-inquest review hearing at Chesterfield Coroners Court on Tuesday, Jesse Nicholls, representing Rhianans family, said while consideration was given to whether the teenager was a victim of sexual exploitation, a referral order was only made in August 2021 despite police and MI5 knowing she was a victim for almost a year.

In continuing to investigate and prosecute, and not withdraw the prosecution, the state contributed to Rhianan's death Jesse Nicholls, for the family

He said: Rhianan was aware for over a year that she was being prosecuted for serious criminal offences at a time when she was 14 years old and a victim of child sexual exploitation.

In continuing to investigate and prosecute, and not withdraw the prosecution, the state contributed to Rhianans death.

If Rhianan had been identified as a victim earlier and had Rhianan been signposted to appropriate support, her death could have been avoided.

The issue is [the investigation] should not have been happening in the way that it was.

Mr Nicholls claimed that despite the police and MI5 having knowledge of Rhianan being a victim of crime, the referral order was made by a social worker and did not lead to charges being withdrawn until December 2021.

He said this delay contributed to a decline in Rhianans well-being which ultimately resulted in her death.

Claire Palmer, representing Derbyshire Police, told the court that police began investigating Rhianan in September 2020 after her mother, Emily Carter, referred her to the anti-radicalisation scheme Prevent.

Ms Palmer said that when she was arrested in October 2020, Rhianan was at some degree, in crisis, and was interviewed about her sexual exploitation, but did not believe she was a victim.

What the police found was a vulnerable, complex young lady where there were very serious issues Claire Palmer, for Derbyshire Police

She said: By the time police became involved, Rhianan was sadly already radicalised.

What the police found was a vulnerable, complex young lady where there were very serious issues.

Rhianan was charged with various offences in April 2021 and was due to stand trial in March 2022, but charges were dropped after evidence emerged she had been groomed by the American extremist Christopher Cook.

Rhianan, who moved to Derbyshire with her family from Essex in 2012, continued to work with Prevent and was studying for her GSCEs at the time of her death at the Bluebell House Residential Home, on the edge of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire.

After a rapid review by social services, her case was not deemed to meet the criteria for a serious case review into her care.

Mr Nicholls earlier told the court that the inquest should consider how the police investigation affected Rhianans state of mind, given how she was a victim of sexual exploitation.

He claimed action was not taken soon enough to see her as a victim rather than an offender.

He said: The inquest will need to investigate, among other matters, the impact that the investigation may have had on Rhianans state of mind.

Secondly, we say that the inquest should investigate how it came to be that Rhianan was subjected to the criminal justice system for alleged terror offences and whether as part of that adequate or appropriate steps were taken at the right time to recognise her for what she was  a victim of child sexual exploitation  which resulted in the discontinuance of the prosecution.

For a period of well over a year, possibly significantly longer depending on the date of MI5s knowledge, the state was effectively investigating and prosecuting a child for serious criminal offences.

The hearing on Tuesday was also attended by representatives of Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council and Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, as well as Blue Mountain, which runs the residential home.

Peter Nieto, area coroner for Derby and Derbyshire, said there is a lot to understand and consider regarding Rhianans complex case, and lots of issues for Rhianan that were pre-occupying her.

He said: There are also issues that need to be understood in relation to her care and support because she was a looked-after child at the time of her death and there were a number of organisations involved with her support and care, and there was also some degree of arrangements for her that might be relevant.

There is obviously quite a lot to understand about what may have been on Rhianans mind at the time she took her own life and what issues might have affected her decision-making leading up to her death.

Another hearing will take place on September 19, with the inquest due to start on February 19 next year.
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Rishi Sunak has said he will not second guess military commanders on planned British Army cuts.

The Prime Minister declined to say what size he thought the Army should be when asked about the plans at the London Defence Conference on Tuesday, and said it was up to senior officers to decide what they spent the defence budget on.

But Labours shadow defence secretary John Healey told the same conference it was perverse to cut troop numbers at a time of rising insecurity and blamed Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, for failing to secure enough funding for more troops.

In the past decade, the Army has shrunk from 97,000 full-time, trained soldiers to 76,000, and the Future Soldier programme will see it reduced further to 73,000 regulars while increasing the size of the Army Reserve.

My job is not to second guess the decision that our military chiefs are making Rishi Sunak

Mr Wallace in January warned the Commons that the UKs armed forces had been hollowed out and underfunded.

Mr Sunak said: The Army will have a total force capacity of 100,000, split between regulars and reserves.

Now the Defence Secretary is currently in the process of reviewing that. There will be a defence command paper issued shortly which will talk through all that.

But ultimately my job is not to second guess the decision that our military chiefs are making. What I can say, what weve delivered as a Government, is record defence uplifts.

He added: How that is best spent to deal with the threats that we face is a question that our military chiefs will make.

Later on Tuesday, Mr Healey urged the Government to abandon the planned cuts, describing them as the wrong plan at the wrong time.

He said: When Nato is increasing, to take the lesson from Ukraine, its high readiness force to 300,000, it is perverse that Britain at the same time is looking to and planning to cut the strength of our full-time forces further.

It seems to me that this is driven by costs, not threats, and it seems to me that this is, sad to say, a result of the Defence Secretarys failure to win new money from the MoD (Ministry of Defence) for those needed to deal with the threats that we face.

Mr Wallace had previously said that his department needed 8 billion over the next two years to cover the impact of inflation, but Marchs Budget saw the Government commit only 5 billion.

That money is largely earmarked for the nuclear deterrent and replenishing the UKs stockpiles after donating equipment to Ukraine.

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister reiterated his commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP when economic and fiscal conditions allow.

He said the UK was one of a minuscule number of countries that had consistently met the Nato standard of spending 2% of GDP on defence.

Mr Sunak also denied that the UK is declining as a global power.

He pointed to achievements in the past six months including the Windsor Framework on post-Brexit Northern Ireland trading arrangements, the UKs accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership trading bloc, and the Aukus defence partnership with Australia and the US.

I dont know how you look at any of that and say Britain is not anything but confident, free and doing great stuff thats making an enormous difference in the world, the Prime Minister said.

But while Mr Healey said Labour supported Aukus and acknowledged the importance of the Indo-Pacific, he warned against devoting too many military resources to the region.

He said: At a time when our forces are stretched, I think they are badly served by leaders who pretend they can do everything everywhere in the world.

The support we can give to allies, the contribution we can make to the strategic security balance in the Indo-Pacific is powerful in ways other than straightforward military deployments.

The conference, hosted by Kings College London, also heard from Polish president Andrzej Duda, who used his speech to call for all Nato members to increase defence spending.

He said: Let me stress, all allies. We must bear in mind that Nato forces are not just the US troops. Its our joint potential contributed by each and every member of the alliance.

Let me recall that if we want article five to provide iron-clad security guarantees, then the provisions of article three have to be strictly followed, and article three stipulates that every one of us, each Nato member, has to individually maintain and develop the capacity to resist armed attack.
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High street coffee chain Caffe Nero has announced the launch of a major new set of book awards.

The Nero Book Awards will highlight outstanding books from across multiple genres and celebrate the best writing and books from across the UK and Ireland.

The inaugural awards will open for entries on June 19 across four categories: childrens fiction, debut fiction, fiction and nonfiction.

The awards prize fund totals 50,000, with the four category award winners receiving 5,000 each and the winner of the book of the year receiving an additional 30,000.

Our venues were intended as and have come to be gathering spots where people come to talk, read and discuss issues of the day Gerry Ford, Caffe Nero founder and chief executive

Gerry Ford, founder and chief executive of Caffe Nero, said the new awards were a natural fit for the company.

Caffe Nero was founded in 1997 on the principle of being a warm and welcoming neighbourhood gathering spot, a place to bring people together, he said.

Our venues were intended as and have come to be gathering spots where people come to talk, read and discuss issues of the day. Most of our stores are filled with books.

Caffe Nero has also supported the arts in a variety of ways in past decades, including partnerships with Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the National Gallery, the V&A and the Royal Academy of Arts.

With the arts as part of our company culture  these awards are a natural fit for us, Mr Ford said.

The Nero Book Awards have been launched in partnership with the Booksellers Association, Brunel University London and Right To Dream.

Shortlisted books, category winners and an overall winner of the Nero Gold Prize will be selected by judges, from booksellers and authors to media commentators and influencers.

The inaugural shortlist of 16 books  four per category  will be announced in November 2023, followed by an announcement of the four category winners in January 2024.

The Nero Book Awards do that rare thing of celebrating books across multiple genres, with an emphasis on commercial books with wide appeal Meryl Halls, Booksellers Association

The overall winner will be revealed in February at an awards ceremony.

Meryl Halls, managing director of the Booksellers Association, said: This is a hugely exciting moment for the world of books.

The Nero Book Awards do that rare thing of celebrating books across multiple genres, with an emphasis on commercial books with wide appeal.

With its brand values centred around quality, craft and community, plus its strong existing connection to the arts, Caffe Nero is a perfect partner with whom to establish these brand-new awards.

Bea Carvalho, Waterstones head of books, said: Booksellers and readers will be delighted about the news of the launch of the Nero Book Awards.

A prize which celebrates books with wide appeal across genres is extremely welcome and presents a hugely exciting moment in the bookselling calendar  we cant wait to see the inaugural lists and share them with our customers.

The announcement of the Nero Book Awards coincides with the launch of another new book awards series from social media platform TikTok.

TikTok said that in the past year, the #BookTok hashtag has grown more than 160% to over 138 billion views, with a community of authors, readers and fans helping to promote new authors and revive much-loved classics.

The TikTok Book Awards UK and Ireland 2023 will recognise the communitys favourite authors, books and creators through categories inspired by the BookTok ecosystem.

Awards categories will include: BookTok creator of the year, BookTok book of the year, BookTok author of the year, and best BookTok revival, among others.

The list of nominees will be curated based on BookTok data as well as publisher contributions before being reviewed by a judging panel of experts, including TikTok creators, industry experts and special guest judges including Annie Macmanus and Elizabeth Day.

The final winners of a prestigious TikTok book award will be decided by the TikTok community in the UK and Ireland through an in-app vote that will go live in July, with all winners being crowned in August.

Candice Brathwaite, award-winning author and TikTok Book Awards judge, said: As an author, theres nothing better than to see people discussing and debating your book.

I love going to TikTok to find unfiltered reviews and recommendations, so its great to be giving this community the chance to have their say through the TikTok Book Awards for UK and Ireland.

When it comes to judging, for me its about celebrating the books people just cant forget, the books that give you a whole new perspective, the books you immediately want to buy for all of your friends.

I cannot wait to see who the winners will be.
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Vehicle thefts rose by a quarter in England and Wales last year, according to new figures as experts warn that criminals are employing advanced and more hi-tech methods to steal cars.

Some 130,389 incidents of vehicles being stolen were recorded in 2022, according to AA Insurance Services analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics.

This is up 25 per cent from the total of 104,435 during the previous 12 months.

AA Insurance Services said thieves are using a variety of hi-tech methods to steal vehicles.

These include relay thefts, which involves cars being tricked into opening, and key cloning.

Criminals are also using advanced practices to overcome enhanced vehicle security systems, the company added.

There were 212,900 reports of thefts from vehicles in 2022, up 10% from 193,647 a year earlier.

Motorists are being advised to consider using steering wheel locks and not to store valuables in vehicles.

We urge police chiefs and crime commissioners across the country to create an action plan to crack the case Gus Park, AA Insurance Services

AA Insurance Services managing director Gus Park said: These figures are in danger of getting out of control.

If left to spiral further there will be big cost implications in terms of the impact to wider society, let alone the price policy holders pay.

We urge police chiefs and crime commissioners across the country to create an action plan to crack the case.

Unfortunately, there is no one thing that can guarantee keeping your car safe from theft, but just making it a bit harder for the thieves can make it less likely that theyll go for your car.
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A child sex offender who stabbed a seven-year-old girl to death in a frenzied knife attack more than 30 years ago has finally been jailed.

David Boyd took his neighbour Nikki Allan from the estate where they lived in Sunderlands east end before luring her to her death in a derelict warehouse in 1992.

He stabbed the girl 37 times in the chest and abdomen and attacked her with a brick before disposing of her body in the basement of the Old Exchange building.

Nikki Allan, was murdered in 1992 and her killer has finally been brought to justice (PA Media)

Boyd was found guilty at Newcastle Crown Court earlier this month and was sentenced to life on Tuesday afternoon, to serve a minimum term of 29 years.

During the sentencing, Mrs Justice Lambert said she was sure he had sexually assaulted the little girl, or attempted to, after tricking her into following him that night.

She said she was certain Boyd murdered the child after the assault in order to silence her. Boyd pushed her into the Old Exchange Building after striking her across the face, the judge said.

She must have quickly known she was trapped, the judge added. She must have quickly known you were coming after her to hurt her.

It was cold and dark. It must have been a truly terrifying experience for this seven-year-old girl.

Nikkis mother Sharon Henderson said in a victims statement how her little girls murder had destroyed her familys lives.

David Boyd stabbed Nikki repeatedly in a brutal murder (PA)

Read on her behalf by Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday, she said: Nikki was a bright and sparkly child who was always a mammys girl.

She had a beautiful smile and was loved. I cannot put into words how I felt when I heard Nikki was missing and was ultimately found murdered.

She described the horror of the 1993 trial when an innocent man, George Heron, was acquitted and said at the time she believed, because of what she had been told, that he had got away with Nikkis murder.

She said Northumbria Police said at the time they were not looking for anyone else in connection with Nikkis murder in Sunderlands East End in 1992.

Nikkis mother Sharon Henderson outside Newcastle Crown Court after Boyd was convicted of murdering her daughter (PA)

Mr Wright later said Mr Heron was entirely innocent of any involvement in the murder of the seven-year-old in 1992.

In 2017, advances in DNA techniques allowed police to re-examine Nikkis case and extract samples from her clothing, leading to Boyds arrest.

Im 57 and Ive spent more than 30 years fighting for justice, Ms Henderson also told the court. My life and that of my family has never been the same since Nikki was murdered.

By murdering Nikki, David Boyd destroyed the life of my beautiful daughter, my life and the lives of my daughters and grandchildren. We have not been able to live normal lives since that day.

The crime scene in the Old Exchange Building in Hendon, Sunderland where Nikki was murdered (CPS/PA Wire)

Following the sentencing, Mr Heron said: "I lost what little honour and property I had as a result of being falsely accused of Nikki Allans murder.

"I have had to read and hear (both online and offline) malicious lies being spread about me and my family - some of whom are now deceased and whose funerals I didnt get a chance to attend (in some cases, I didnt even find out about their deaths until months later).

"When I was arrested and interviewed in October 1992, my DNA was taken and has been held on record since then. The police would have been able to check it against any new developments/advances in science.

"Moving around several times and trying to rebuild what is left of my life hasnt been easy - learning to trust anyone is difficult and I havent even felt that I could trust in any professional to get help. I have had to learn how to adapt on my own.

"Trusting the police has taken a long time - they still make me nervous to the point of feeling nauseous if I am alone with them."

Nikki was seven when she was lured to her death (PA Media)

Following Boyds sentencing, Northumbria Police detective chief superintendent Lisa Theaker said: "First and foremost, my thoughts are with Nikkis family. I would like to thank them for their patience and strength shown during their relentless pursuit of justice.

"Since 2017, we have taken more than 1,200 statements with 2,500 documents produced and over 5,500 actions created. The team has obtained DNA from more than 800 men - travelling the length and breadth of the country to ultimately prove Boyd was responsible.

"Over the last six years, we have been supported by a team of amazing specialists and witnesses who have helped us in our pursuit of justice. I would like to thank them - as well as the residents of Sunderland.

"Every single person who came forward and provided their DNA for elimination helped to push us closer to securing justice for Nikki and her family. Without their help, this would not have been possible."
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Police resumed their search of a remote reservoir in Portugal on Tuesday as the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann continues.

Dozens of officers descended on the Barragem do Arade reservoir to find the toddler who went missing 16 years ago from an apartment complex on the Algarve.

Pictures from the barren site show members of the emergency services with their faces covered in bandanas as they search the sparse grassland with sniffer dogs. Others were seen with rakes and metal rods preparing to search the ground.

Portuguese authorities from the Judicial Police (PJ) criminal investigation unit taking part in the new search (AFP via Getty Images)

A rigid-hull inflatable boat is being used by officers to search the reservoir and a no-fly zone has been implemented allowing only police drones to buzz overhead.

As the map below shows, the site of the search is around 30 miles from Praia da Luz, the flats in the municipality of Lagos, where Madeleine disappeared on 3 May, 2007.

This map shows where Madeleine McCann went missing (the resort) and where police are searching now (the reservoir) (Datawrapper)

At the time, her parents Kate and Gerry McCann had left their children asleep in their holiday apartment while they dined with friends at a nearby tapas restaurant. Nothing was amiss when Mr McCann checked on the youngsters just after 9pm that night, but when his wife went back at about 10pm she found Madeleine missing.

It is not the first time the Barragem do Arade reservoir has been searched, however.

In 2008, Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleines body was there.

A brief statement from the prosecutors office in the German city of Braunschweig confirmed the search but did not reveal why it was taking place. Braunschweig prosecutor Christian Wolters told reporters that investigators were acting on the basis of certain tips but would not give further details.

The Barragem do Arade is located in the municipality of Silves, in the middle of the Algarve, in southern Portugal.

Police at the scene of the search, which is expected to last several days (AFP via Getty Images)

The remote position within the municipality makes it a popular area for people walking, camping overnight or using the reservoir for canoeing or other water activities.

It is 16 miles from the municipalitys capital, also called Silves, which is a historic small town popular with tourists.

Like much of the Algarve, the area is well-known for its fine wines which are dotted around the area and popular for day-trips.

Madeleine McCann has been missing since 2007 (PA Media)

The town of Silves is exactly 30 miles away from where Madeleine disappeared in Praia da Luz, which is a quieter part of the municipality, but only a few miles from the large city of Lagos, which is situated on the coastline.

Investigators believe convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, 45, killed Madeleine, then aged three, after abducting her from a holiday apartment in the area.

Brueckner, who has denied involvement in Madeleines disappearance, was first identified as a suspect by German investigators.
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The Duke of Sussex will find out whether he has won his bid for a second legal challenge against the Home Office over his security arrangements when in the UK.

Harry is seeking the go-ahead from the High Court to secure a judicial review over a decision that he should not be allowed to pay privately for his protective security.

The early-stage legal action is among five other civil cases that the duke is pursuing through the court in London.

At a hearing earlier this month, a judge was asked by Harrys legal team to allow the duke to bring a case over decisions taken by the Home Office and the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec)  which falls under the remit of the department  in December 2021 and February 2022.

The Home Office, opposing Harrys claim, said Ravec considered it was not appropriate for wealthy people to buy protective security, which might include armed officers, when it had decided that the public interest does not warrant someone receiving such protection on a publicly funded basis.

Lawyers for the Met Police, an interested party in the case, said Ravec had been reasonable in finding it is wrong for a policing body to place officers in harms way upon payment of a fee by a private individual.

Mr Justice Chamberlain will give his ruling at 10.30am on Tuesday.

The court was told at the earlier hearing that Harrys latest legal challenge was related to an earlier claim he brought against the Home Office after he was told he would no longer be given the same degree of personal protective security when visiting the UK.

A full hearing in that challenge, which also focuses on Ravecs decision-making and for which Harry was given the go-ahead last summer, is yet to be held.

Harrys lawyers told the court earlier this month that the Home Office delegated an issue of principle to Ravec over whether an individual whose position had been determined by Ravec not to justify protective security should be permitted to receive protective security but to reimburse the public purse for the cost of that security provision.

Ravec later concluded that individuals should not be permitted to privately fund protective security, the judge was told.

Tuesdays ruling comes amid an ongoing High Court trial involving the duke, in which he is bringing a contested claim against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over allegations of unlawful information gathering.

Harry is also waiting for rulings over whether similar cases against publishers Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) and News Group Newspapers (NGN) can go ahead.

A judgment is also expected in the dukes libel claim against ANL  publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday  over an article on his case against the Home Office.
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Dominic Raab, who resigned from cabinet last month after a bullying inquiry, will stand down as an MP at the next general election.

The former deputy prime minister and justice secretary confirmed his exit plans on Monday night.

Mr Raab quit Rishi Sunaks cabinet last month over bullying allegations from civil servants.

An independent investigation by Adam Tolley KC found he had acted in an intimidating and aggressive way with officials in behaviour that could have amounted to bullying.

Mr Raab will not contest his Esher and Walton seat, which he has held since 2010, at the next election, due by January 2025.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey told LBC on Tuesday morning: He knew he was going to lose.

Sir Ed added: Well be working every day to earn the trust of people in Esher and Walton. Its not just about Dominic Raab, it really is about the whole Conservative Party.

The Surrey constituency, which Mr Raab won by just 2,743 votes at the 2019 election, is a key target for the Liberal Democrats at the next national poll.

He joins a slew of senior Tories, including former chancellor Sajid Javid and ex-environment secretary George Eustice, announcing their exit plans amid a polling slump.

I have become increasingly concerned over the last few years about the pressure the job has placed on my young family Dominic Raab

Former health secretary Matt Hancock, who was a Conservative until he lost the whip over his Im A Celebrity appearance, and Dehenna Davison, seen as a rising star in the Tory party, are also among around 30 Tories to be quitting the Commons.

In a letter to the chairman of his local Conservative Association, seen by the Telegraph, Mr Raab reportedly cited concerns about the pressure on his family as being behind his decision.

I have become increasingly concerned over the last few years about the pressure the job has placed on my young family, he wrote in the letter dated May 19, according to the newspaper.

I will continue to carry out all my responsibilities to my constituents, and provide every support in campaigning, so that we win here next year  which I am confident we can do under this Prime Ministers leadership.

Mr Raab was sent to the backbenches after Mr Tolleys report concluded he had engaged in an abuse or misuse of power that undermines or humiliates while he was foreign secretary. He was also found to have been intimidating to staff by criticising utterly useless and woeful work while justice secretary.

The senior lawyer led a five-month investigation into eight formal complaints about Mr Raabs conduct as Brexit secretary and foreign secretary, and in his previous tenure leading the Ministry of Justice.

Though he stopped short of describing the conduct as bullying, Mr Tolleys findings were consistent with what he said would amount to the offence under the ministerial code.

Mr Raab stayed true to his pledge to step down from cabinet if any bullying claim was upheld.

But the karate black belt went down fighting, criticising the Kafkaesque saga and alleging the inquiry had set a dangerous precedent by setting a low threshold for bullying.

The 49-year-old said he had been warned that unionised officials were targeting him, in a widely-criticised tirade that raised concerns about a breakdown of trust between ministers and civil servants.

His departure spells the end of a colourful political career which left him no stranger to controversy, as well as his ambitions of one day taking over in No 10.

Mr Raab, who made an unsuccessful run to replace Theresa May as Tory leader in 2019, was demoted from foreign secretary after accusations of being missing in action by being on holiday in Crete during the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation.
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Former Irish premier and architect of the Good Friday Agreement Bertie Ahern has said there is no reason why the Stormont Assembly should not be meeting next week.

He said that everything that was necessary to happen to restore the Northern Ireland powersharing institutions had happened and expressed concern about dragging out the process over the summer.

Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said he understands that DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson wants to keep his supporters and base onside, but said that he will have to face them down.

Mr Adams also said he believed the DUP leader when he said the prospect of Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeill becoming First Minister was not the obstacle hindering the institutions revival.

The two leaders were speaking as part of a panel discussion in the members restaurant of Leinster House in Dublin on Tuesday evening, hosted by the Ceann Comhairle, or speaker of the Dail, Sean O Fearghail.

Mr Adams praised the organisation of the event and remarked it was the only event that the Irish establishment has had about the Good Friday Agreement.

All those other events up at Queens (University) and so on and so forth, the Irish government didnt do that. This government is to touch from the process.

Among those on the panel were former SDLP leader Brid Rodgers, former UUP director of communications David Kerr and co-founder of Northern Ireland Womens Coalition Monica McWilliams.

In the audience were Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, TDs from Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein, the Social Democrats and the Rural Independent Group, the former speaker of the Assembly Alex Maskey, and the leader of the Seanad Jerry Buttimer.

Artist Shane Gillan, who created the hand-drawn portraits of politicians and key players in the peace deal negotiations as part of the event, was also present.

Mr Ahern said he had been concerned a few months ago that the British Government might endeavour to change the Good Friday Agreement in some way and say that this is a change that we have to do to get the unionists onside.

He also said there was huge merit in the DUP moving ahead with a deal to restore Stormont before the summer.

I just think that everything thats necessary has already happened. It looks as if the DUP need a bit of a commitment around trade legislation. Once its around trade legislation I wouldnt lose 30 seconds sleep about it, if its anything else, Id be very worried about that, he said.

Theres no reason that they shouldnt all be meeting next week, in my opinion, he said, adding he had a fear about that dragging it out over the summer.

The British and the DUP  theyre tic-tacing with each other clearly, and its around this trade legislation.

If I was in the DUP, I think theres huge merit in them in getting their bit of trade legislation and doing it now, before the summer break, before the marching season, before the holiday season, and then just getting on with it.

Mr Adams said: Jeffrey Donaldson knows that he has to go back into the Assembly.

He said it was fair enough to want to keep your own supporters and your own base onside, but added: You also have to tell those that you know are not going to come with you, to move to one side, you have to face them down.

He added: Jeffrey has a choice. I believe it when he says he doesnt have a problem  he probably doesnt like the fact  that Michelle ONeill is First Minister designate, but that is not the reason why (he wont take his party back to Stormont).

Reflecting on the campaign ahead of the referendum, Monica McWilliams said that most people do not realise how difficult it was during those six weeks to get people who had suffered and sacrificed the most to vote yes.

The thing I remember for me that turned it was the doctors and nurses came out, which is something they rarely do, and stuck their heads above the parapet and the doctors said Never again do I want to spend my life doing surgery on people who are missing limbs, who have had the most shocking injuries, and the doctor was crying as he was saying it, and that was a moment in which the people of the country listened.

And the nurses that came out and said the same, that their entire 30 years of their health profession, their medical profession had been taken up by nothing else except intensive care and fixing bodies.

Of the famous appearance of David Trimble and John Hume on stage with U2 ahead of the referendum vote, David Kerr said he was incredulous when he had heard the proposals, and that both were very nervous on the night.

Its the defining image. I dont care what anybody says, thats the image thats in the history books, he said.
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Cases of the highly contagious disease diphtheria have risen substantially in the past year, new figures show, with three people dying with the illness.

The rising number of cases were linked to increased spread among asylum seekers and to people catching it from their pets, according to the latest release from the UK Health Security Agency.

Toxigenic diphtheria was identified in 87 people in England last year, a jump from the 10 cases in 2021. Risk to the wider public of catching diphtheria is still very low however, the UKHSA said.

Some 72 cases of the Corynebacterium diphtheriae (C. diphtheria) strain were found among asylum seekers who had recently arrived in England.

One asylum seeked died in November last year with the disease after being held at Manston processing centre in Kent.

11 cases of the Corynebacterium ulcerans (C. ulcerans) strain were recorded in 2022, with all these cases linked to peoples pets. Two people died with this type of diphtheria. There is however no direct evidence that this strain passes through person-to-person transmission.

Toxigenic C. diphtheria is a highly contagious infection that spreads by coughs, sneezes, or through close contact with someone who is infected.

Diphtheria cases were recorded amongst asylum seekers who had been in Manston processing centre last year (PA)

Babies and children in the UK are vaccinated against diphtheria and so cases are rare in the UK. Over the past decade, the number of diphtheria cases in England has increased from an average of 2 to more than 10 cases per year.

The incubation period for the illness is between two and five days, with a maximum of 10 days.

Gayatri Amirthalingam, Deputy Director for Public Health Programmes at UKHSA, said that the organisations latest annual report shows that the number of diphtheria cases in the UK remains very low.

The low numbers reflected the success of the vaccination programme, he said, adding: The risk to the wider public from diphtheria is very low.

He continued: However, in recent years, we have seen vaccine uptake fall among young people due to the challenges posed by the pandemic and this leaves children and young people who are not fully vaccinated at risk.

I would urge parents of children and young people who have missed out on these important vaccines to contact their school nurse, school immunisation team or GP surgery to arrange a catch-up as these vaccines offer the best protection as young people start their journey into adulthood.

Cases of diphtheria have also been increasing across Europe and experts presenting at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) have called for improved health screening of those arriving on small boats.

Researchers found that there was evident tranmission of diphtheria among migrants, which they believed had occured during travel within migrant facilities.

They pointed to lack of vaccination amongst asylum seekers as the reason for outbreaks. They called for increased awareness of disease symptoms among border officials caring for asylum seekers.
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Climate change protesters have again clashed with drivers as they staged marches on three bridges in central London. Forty-five Just Stop Oil (JSO) activists blocked the roads on Blackfriars, London and Tower bridges on Tuesday morning by walking slowly in the road.

One man was handcuffed by police after he appeared to push two JSO supporters in a bid to clear the road. He was detained on suspicion of common assault but not arrested, the Metropolitan Police said.

A motorcyclist also tried to drive through the group of demonstrators  and there were a number of clashes at the other protest sites with members of the public snatching banners, according to JSO.

The group posted footage of the Blackfriars Bridge confrontation on Twitter, saying: This is an impossible situation.

Thats where our government has left us. More and more people are realising taking action is the right thing to do.

Do we disrupt other ordinary people, like this man, arrested for lashing out today, or just sit back and watch everything burn?

Tuesdays clashes came after footage of another confrontation in the City of London was posted on social media on Friday.

A man approached JSO protesters as they marched slowly in front of traffic on Mansell Street, near the Tower of London, before snatching their banners and pushing a woman to the ground.

He also grabbed a phone from one of the campaigners and threw it away, before trying to push other activists out of the road.

Police now have powers under the Public Order Act to force protesters out of the road and onto the pavement.

These orders were used at all three bridges on Tuesday by 8.55am, JSO said.

The Metropolitan Police urged the public not to intervene in protest action.

A spokesman said: At around 8.25am, Met police officers detained a male member of the public for common assault after an altercation between him and two Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge.

There have been no arrests and police are investigating the matter.

We completely understand the frustration and anger of Londons communities when protesters walk slowly in the roads.

We urge people not to intervene and to let police deal with the situation who, if not already there, will arrive promptly.
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A nursery has been fined 225,000 for serious hygiene breaches after mouse droppings were found in childrens playrooms and a kitchen.

Busy Bees at Leytonstone, in east London, was closed by health inspectors after they also found a lack of hot water due to a broken boiler, no soap in the toilets and poor levels of cleaning during a visit on January 12 last year.

Busy Bees runs more than 390 outlets throughout the UK that offer rich learning opportunities and warm, nurturing environments that parents and children love.

The firm has now pleaded guilty at Thames Magistrates Court to two food safety and hygiene offences and has been fined 225,000.

The court was told that environmental health officers from Waltham Forest Council found mouse droppings throughout the kitchen, under units, by the sink, storeroom, and in the childrens playrooms.

In addition, there were other cleanliness issues such as a lack of hot water due to a broken boiler, no soap in the toilets, inadequate levels of cleaning and poorly documented management control, the court heard.

As a result, the nursery was closed by the council on the same day.

Matt Labaki, operations director for Busy Bees, said: Once the issues had been identified we immediately brought in external contractors to address both issues that had been found and they conducted a complete review of our health and hygiene processes.

Both issues were rectified within days.

Health inspectors criticised the general level of cleanliness at the nursery (Waltham Forest Council)

The independent specialists reviewed the site and implemented a plan to deal with the issues and ensure we meet the required standards.

Our actions included a thorough deep clean of the entire premises, including all equipment used within the nursery. We have made significant investment in the centre and in retraining staff to ensure all are fully up to speed with current hygiene best practice.

At the hearing the judge acknowledged that this was a localised failing and only related to this particular nursery. It was acknowledged in court that Busy Bees has an excellent record with consistently high gradings in hygiene across our nurseries and that industry recognised systems and checks are in place.

Fresh mouse droppings at the Busy Bees nursery in Leytonstone (Waltham Forest Council)

Councillor Khevyn Limbajee, Waltham Forests cabinet member for community safety, said the findings were shocking.

He said: When parents entrust their children to attend a nursery, they do so in the belief that they will be left in a safe and clean environment.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to the diseases due to their developing immune systems. The intervention from our Food & Safety Team was crucial in preventing children from being exposed to hazardous conditions that could have impacted their health.

The Judge has rightly recognised the serious nature of the offences in this case through the imposition of such a significant penalty against Busy Bees Nurseries Limited.
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Sixteen years after Madeleine McCann vanished from the Algarve holiday apartment where she was sleeping next to her infant twin siblings, police have launched a major new search for evidence.

After laying dormant for several years since David Cameron kickstarted an ultimately fruitless Metropolitan Police inquiry in 2011, the case of the missing three-year-old was revived once more in 2020 when German prosecutors revealed a new suspect.

Follow The Independents live coverage for the latest updates

But three years on, 43-year-old convicted paedophile Christian Brueckner  who denies any connection to the missing youngster  is yet to be charged, as he languishes in a German prison for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman two years prior to Madeleines disappearance at the same resort.

Madeleine McCann went missing in Praia da Luz in May 2007 (PA)

However, on Monday, police activity was spotted at a reservoir some 30 miles from the Praia da Luz resort, in what was soon reported to be international authorities gearing up for a major new search this week based on leads suggesting Brueckner made repeated trips to the area which he dubbed his little slice of paradise.

The fresh search at the reservoir  one of six in the Algarve  is the first in Portugal since 2014, and comes as the Metropolitan Police were granted a further 110,000 by the Home Office to fund their search for Madeleine, who would turn 20 this month.

It brings the total amount spent on the search for the Leicestershire-born girl, codenamed Operation Grange, to just shy of 13.1m since 2011, and is significantly less than the more than 300,000 approved by the Home Office the year prior.

While the costs incurred by German and Portuguese authorities are unknown, Lisbons then-attorney general Fernando Jose Pinto Monteiro said in 2012 that the search for Madeleine had been the most expensive in the countrys history.

As they began their fresh search near the Arade reservoir on Tuesday, police combed the waterways banks with the help of sniffer dogs, rakes and pickaxes, with emergency service divers spotted on a rigid-hull inflatable boat.

Further along the banks of the reservoir, emergency services and officials from Portugal, Germany and the UK were seen holding briefings near blue police tents.

Four teams of officers from the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria are involved in the operation, along with at least 20 of their German counterparts, Portuguese news outlet SIC said. A no-fly zone has been put in place over the water and media and other onlookers are being kept a mile back from the site of the search.

Police used pickaxes and divers in their search on Tuesday (AFP via Getty Images)

The reservoir was previously searched in 2008, at the height of efforts to find Madeleine, when Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it, claiming to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleines body was there.

Earlier this month, Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry McCann posted a short statement on their Find Madeleine Campaign website to mark the anniversary of her disappearance.

They said: Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleines abduction. Still missing still very much missed. It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel.

The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough.

Additional reporting by PA
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From breaking news to live mishaps, Naga Munchetty takes the unpredictability in her stride  and often while in excruciating pain.

Unbeknown to millions of viewers and listeners, the BBC presenter has been battling a debilitating womb condition called adenomyosis.

In an exclusive and deeply personal interview with The Independent, the 48-year-old revealed she was only diagnosed eight months ago after she bled for 30 days on the trot.

An estimated one in 10 women are affected by adenomyosis but the misunderstood condition often remains undetected for years and sometimes even decades. Symptoms include heavy periods, bloating, and pelvic pain.

Ms Munchettys experience with this crippling pain began long before her diagnosis; she had been warned her entire life that she might suffer from it but it was more than three decades before it was confirmed.

I went through this for 32 years before being diagnosed, the Radio 5 Live and Breakfast presenter said. Even then, there is no like cure, there is no treatment.

She recalled the pain on the first day she started her period, aged 16, while in a shopping centre with her mother.

I was literally bent over double, she recalled. I went to the loo  I was very ill. I threw up. I had started my period. It was very heavy. I was in extreme pain, crying, doubled over, feeling faint. And that became my routine every time I had my period.

Ms Munchetty endures constant pain and has lived every day on painkillers for the past year  recounting a recent incident where she nearly passed out while presenting Breakfast.

I just said, I have to leave, she recalls. And I went to the loo and I thought I was going to pass out, but I threw up and then just came back.

The presenter was left feeling panicky because she could not concentrate. I just felt I wasnt in the room because I just couldnt concentrate, she adds. And then you get annoyed with yourself for not doing your job to the best of your ability.

Ms Munchetty noted she does not wear light-coloured trousers while presenting as she is so afraid of leaking while on her period, and has been coping with life-changing heavy periods since she was a teenager. She explained her period would last for 10 days and come on every two and a half weeks.

When I used to have my periods, I used to set an alarm every three hours at night, sleep on a towel, and wear a massive sanitary towel, she recalled.

She also revealed she felt doctors did not take her pain seriously enough when she was growing up even though her periods were crippling and she would be throwing up and wrapped around the toilet for the first 12 hours.

Youve got pain and it's just like Oh, you are just unlucky, some women have really heavy periods, she added.

Or you feel like, well, everyone else is having periods and theyre fine. Why am I being so weak? Why am I being such a baby about it? Its just part of being a woman. Its almost like you end up gaslighting yourself.

Ms Munchetty also revealed she was so incapacitated with pain over the past weekend that her husband called an ambulance in the middle of the night because she was writhing around and moaning and screaming in pain.

All I remember saying is: If the ambulance comes (which it didnt), do not let them give me a full hysterectomy, she added. Because that is the only cure to get rid of it.

She recalled she was in such agony she did not even know if she would be able to get dressed to get in the car to go to hospital. It was like something was exploding inside of me constantly.

The journalist said she was frustrated by the lack of research into womens health as well as the lack of training doctors receive as she noted a gender, ethnicity, and class gap exists in healthcare.

Women go through stuff alone, dont they? she reflected. Be it miscarriage, be it bad birth experiences, be it endometriosis, be it adenomyosis, be it body dysmorphia.

But when we are a collective, when we realise that there are many of us having this, we are stronger.
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When police in Scotland pulled over a car with 10,000 worth of Class A drugs, they were not expecting to find a lamb perched in the back seat with a bag of chips.

The bizarre encounter took place on the M74 near Glasgow in April, resulting in the arrest of all the passengers- minus the lamb.

Officers said the lamb had been taken in by a local farmer, who said the innocent bystander appeared at deaths door.

After giving the lamb milk, vitamin boost and placing it in a heat box, it soon perked up.

After police obtained information where the lamb came from using the tag in its ear, it was eventually returned to its owner, Kirsty Mair.

The 25-year-old runs North Lanrigg Farm, near Motherwell, North Lanarkshire, with her father Robin only learned about the theft of her lamb when police officers showed up at her door.

She has since named the lamb Pablo, after the Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

MS Mair told The Times she had seen a social media post from Police Scotland on April 23 about the lamb.

When I saw the picture I thought it looked an awful lot like the lambs Ive been getting, she said.

In a series of tweets at the time of the discovery, Police Scotland joked about the peculiar circumstances uncovered at the roadside.

Oh ewe! Officers from #GlasgowRP stopped this vehicle (not a Lamborghini!) on the #M74 J3 NB yesterday, officers wrote.

The force also thanked a police dog that was said to be instrumental in finding the drugs.

PD Billy entered the car and indicated drugs were present. Officers recovered heroin, with an estimated street value of 7,000 and cocaine, worth an estimated value of 3,000, the force said in a statement.
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The Duke of Sussex has lost his High Court bid to buy police protection for his family during trips to the UK.

Prince Harry, 38, had wanted to personally pay for security after being stripped of taxpayer-funded protection when he and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, stepped down as senior royals and moved to the US in 2020.

But Home Office lawyers argued it was not appropriate for wealthy people to buy security from the police. There were also concerns that it would reduce the availability of a limited pool of close protection officers.

A judge has now refused Harry permission to bring a judicial review over the decision in what would have been a second challenge relating to his security arrangements.

The blow for Harry comes a week after he and his wife Meghan said they were involved in a near catastrophic car chase in New York after being followed by highly aggressive paparazzi in a relentless pursuit.

The legal action was among five other civil cases Harry is pursuing through the courts, including three outstanding claims relating to alleged phone hacking.

He has already been granted permission to fight the decision not to be given the same degree of personal protective security when visiting the UK, although a date for the hearing has not been set.

According to Freedom of Information figures obtained in February, the government has so far spent 296,882 on the security case, with the figure now likely to be higher.

In February 2020, an official committee  known as Ravec  decided the duke, his wife and children would no longer be automatically granted police protection on visits to the UK.

The High Court was told he did not know the committee existed, or that members of the royal household were involved, and believed its decisions were independent.

Legal documents filed by his representatives said that, at the time, there were significant tensions between Prince Harry and the Queen's private secretary, Sir Edward Young.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were stripped of publicly-funded police protection when they stepped back from their royal roles in 2020 (AP)

After launching an initial claim for judicial review over that decision, his representatives challenged further decisions relating to the Sussexes security arrangements.

The High Court heard that Prince Harry made the offer to reimburse or proactively finance the cost of the security measures to members of the royal household in January 2020, but in December 2021 the home secretary passed the decision on whether that was possible back to Ravec.

The committee decided the move would be wrong in principle in February 2022.

Lawyers for the Metropolitan Police said Ravec had been reasonable in its findings.

The Home Office told the High Court the committee considered it was not appropriate when it had decided that the public interest does not warrant someone receiving such protection on a publicly funded basis.

Prince Harry has previously raised concerns about his familys safety (PA)

The judge dismissed the legal arguments from Harrys team on all five grounds and refused permission to apply for judicial review of the 2021 and 2022 decisions.

Mr Justice Chamberlain ruled Harrys offer to pay for police protection potentially affected anyone who might seek to pay for protective security that had not otherwise been made available.

His judgment said that Ravec had warned that permission to allow private funding would constitute a precedent of uncertain scope.

There were also concerns that permitting private funding would reduce the availability of a limited pool of close protection officers in the UK, where police are not routinely armed and undergo intensive specialist training for the role.

The ruling comes amid an ongoing High Court trial involving the duke, in which he is bringing a contested claim against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) over allegations of unlawful information gathering.

Harry is also waiting for rulings over whether similar cases against publishers Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) and News Group Newspapers (NGN) can go ahead.

A judgment is also expected in the dukes libel claim against ANL  publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday  over its reporting of the row around his security arrangements.

Harrys legal challenge over the original decision by Ravec will be heard at a later date.
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Suella Braverman is facing fresh allegations of ministerial code breaches over her failure to formally disclose years of previous work with the Rwandan government.

The home secretary co-founded a charity called the Africa Justice Foundation with Cherie Blair, which trained Rwandan government lawyers between 2010 and 2015.

Several people the charity worked with are now key members of President Paul Kagames government and are involved in the UKs 140m deal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Ms Braverman did not officially disclose her previous links to the country when appointed home secretary in 2022, despite the deal being a linchpin of the governments migration policy and ongoing legal challenges alleging politically-driven human rights violations including torture, murder and kidnappings.

One former minister told The Independent that the home secretary never mentioned her work with the charity and should have been upfront and transparent, while two former standards chiefs said Ms Braverman should have formally disclosed her former role.

Ms Braverman resigned from her post as director of the Africa Justice Foundation weeks before being elected to parliament, and did not declare her previous role to Home Office permanent secretary Matthew Rycroft last year.

A source close to the home secretary said it was not necessary for her to disclose her previous work, adding: This was charity work carried out by Ms Braverman before she was an MP, and for which she wasnt paid.

But the omission has sparked calls for Rishi Sunak to widen a potential investigation into a speeding scandal, just seven months after she resigned for breaking the ministerial code through her use of official documents.

Sir Alistair Graham, former head of the Committee of Standards on Public Life, told The Independent: If the Rwanda policy was there when she produced a declaration of interest, and did not include it, then I would have thought that could be a breach of the ministerial code.

Suella Bravermans official visit to Rwanda in March was her third visit to the country (PA Wire)

It would be a personal failure that the prime minister should address, and may want to consult his ethics adviser on.

Sir Alex Allan, the former adviser on ministerial standards who quit under Boris Johnson, said the home secretarys past work should have been declared after she became responsible for the Rwanda deal.

I would have thought that it would be an issue that she would have had to discuss with the Home Office permanent secretary, he added. There would have been an internal discussion.

The former minister said Ms Braverman should have referenced any previous work with the Rwandan government to colleagues: It absolutely has to be flagged - this is all part of the ministerial code.

During a Commons debate over Ms Braverman's alleged attempt to have civil servants arrange a speeding awareness course on Tuesday, the chair of parliament's human rights committee chair questioned whether her rosy-eyed view of Rwandas human rights record had been influenced.

SNP MP Joanna Cherry asked whether her robust defence of the country has anything to do with her undisclosed links to the Rwandan government, and if the new potential ministerial code breach would be included in any inquiry.

Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin said the home secretary's work was a charitable endeavour before she entered parliament, while the prime minister's official spokesman told journalists there were no plans for an investigation into her disclosures.

Suella Braverman resigned from the Africa Justice Foundation weeks before being elected as a Conservative MP in the 2015 general election (Companies House)

Labours deputy leader Angela Rayner asked how many strikes it would take for Mr Sunak to sack his home secretary, adding: After days of dither and delay, the prime minister still has not decided whether his ethics adviser should investigate.

The ministerial code states that ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests.

It is the personal responsibility of each minister to decide whether and what action is needed to avoid a conflict or the perception of a conflict, taking account of advice received from their permanent secretary and the Independent Adviser on Ministers interests, the document adds.

Official guidelines state that ministers must complete a written declaration on appointment, which must be comprehensive and, even in instances where a particular interest may not appear relevant to the office held, err on the side of disclosure so that the fullest advice can be offered in return.

An excerpt from the financial accounts of the Africa Justice Foundation from its first year of operation, signed by Suella Braverman under her maiden name (Charity Commission)

Directorships and links to charities are listed as examples of information that must be given, and The Independent understands that any past connections with foreign governments are particularly sensitive.

The Liberal Democrats said Ms Braverman was embroiled in scandal after scandal. Chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said: This looks like yet another potential breach of the ministerial code from the home secretary.

Rishi Sunak must immediately request his ethics adviser to investigate these latest allegations. This situation is becoming farcical.

The chief justice of Rwandas supreme court sat on the Africa Justice Foundation board that Ms Braverman chaired, when she was a practising barrister working under her maiden name Suella Fernandes.

Records obtained by The Independent show that the charity received more than 300,000 in donations and spent the bulk of the funding on a scholarship scheme seeing Rwandan government lawyers sent to British universities.

A 2011 document signed by Ms Braverman said the Africa Justice Foundation aimed to strengthen the rule of law in Rwanda and help the country achieve its aims for justice sector reform.

It said the charity ran training as part of the governments strategy to strengthen its justice sector, and provided services for both lawyers and judges that were a priority for the Rwandan government.

The charity built on work by a Conservative Party volunteering project backed by Rwandan president Paul Kagame, seen with Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell during a celebration for the 10th anniversary of Project Umubano in Kigali on 11 August 2017 (Paul Kagame/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Despite the Africa Justice Foundations name, all of its in-person work abroad was carried out in Rwanda and the country remained its core focus, although the scholarship programme was later broadened to lawyers from Sierra Leone, Ghana and Ethiopia.

By the time Ms Braverman resigned her directorship in 2015, Rwandan media reported that 19 alumni were serving in government institutions including the Office of the President, the Office of the Prime Minister and Rwanda Law Reform Commission, and research by The Independent shows that some now hold senior posts in the countrys Ministry of Justice.

The Africa Justice Foundation ceased operation shortly after Ms Bravermans departure and was formally removed from the Charity Commission register in 2016.

The home secretary has alluded to previous visits to Rwanda with a Conservative Party volunteering scheme while being grilled on its human rights record and suitability for receiving asylum seekers from the UK in parliament, without providing detail.

In November, she told the Home Affairs Committee: I have actually visited Rwanda twice, quite a while ago around 2010 or 2009, and Ive always found Rwanda to be a very inspiring country actually.

A spokesperson for the home secretary said she had not disclosed her involvement in the Africa Justice Foundation and the nature of its work training Rwandan government lawyers because it was not necessary.

They said Ms Braverman did not make any submissions to colleagues on the countrys suitability for the asylum deal struck when she was attorney general, and had not discussed her former role publicly since becoming home secretary because it was not relevant.

The spokesperson denied that her view that Rwanda is a fundamentally safe and secure country had been influenced, or that she had deliberately concealed links to the country.
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A woman who uses a wheelchair and requires a ventilator overnight was forced to sleep on a Travelodge dining room sofa after being told the accessible room she paid for was out of order.

Kat Watkins, who has brittle bone disease and sleep apnoea, said she was still in pain nearly four weeks after the incredibly frustrating incident on 26 April, which has knocked her confidence in being able to travel.

The 36-year-old UN development officer at Disability Wales had booked an accessible twin room at the Travelodge in Hounslow for herself and her PA while they travelled from south Wales to see James Bay perform at the Royal Albert Hall.

Ms Watkins said the out of order accessible room she had booked was filled by the time they returned from the concert ( Anabela Alves dos Santos)

But upon arriving at the hotel in a carefully planned journey, Ms Watkins said she was told that all of the accessible rooms were out of order.

With no other suitable rooms available, the hotel agreed to arrange for a taxi to take Ms Watkins from Hounslow to an accessible room at the Twickenham Travelodge after she returned from the concert, given that many Tube stations do not have wheelchair access.

After arriving back in Hounslow at 12.30am though, staff were unable to find a suitable taxi, and the previously out of order rooms had all since been filled, according to Ms Watkins.

With no solution reached by 2.30am, Ms Watkins  already tired and in pain  and her PA, Anabela, were forced to bed down on two sofas in the hotels dining room.

I had to drive back to Wales the next day and I needed some rest, plus my breathing was getting more and more shallow because I am a ventilator user, Ms Watkins told The Independent.

In her role as a development officer at Disability Wales, Ms Watkins educates children and schools about the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Anabela Alves dos Santos)

[Anabela] had to ask for everything, like a glass of water, duvet, pillows and heater, because it was cold as well, it was really quite cold down there. That actually got switched off at some point in the night, the heater that was keeping us warm.

Describing her nights sleep as really quite terrible, Ms Watkins said: The amount of pain that I was in was really quite bad because the sofa was incredibly hard. I have osteogenesis imperfecta ... so my bones break quite easily, and I cant really sit or stay on anything hard because its just really bad for my body.

Four weeks later, and the incident is still causing Ms Watkins pain. She said: My hips and my back have not been right since, at all, which is quite annoying because they had got into quite a good place where they werent causing me too [many] issues. But that really set them off again.

Despite having travelled to London to reunite with a friend at the concert whom she had not seen for six years, Ms Watkins said it was now hard to remember the concert itself, adding: This has just overshadowed everything and its been hard for me to look back on it in a positive light.

Travelodge said it would like to sincerely apologise to Ms Watkins and her PA, adding: On this rare occasion we failed to meet our normal high standard of service. We should have informed Ms Watkins ahead of checking-in that her room was out of order and that we had moved her booking to one of our nearby hotels.

We are very sorry for the inconvenience of this miscommunication and we have refunded the booking in full and offered an e-voucher for a future stay. We hope that we can welcome back Ms Watkins and reinstate her faith in our brand.

But Ms Watkins likened the apology to a slap in the face, having allegedly received no phone calls from the company about the incident and only an email which seemed very impersonal.

Thats just really hard because an open dialogue is a nicer way of getting things sorted, and them asking what they can do to make things better or put things in place so it doesnt happen again, she said.

Speaking more broadly, Ms Watkins, suggested that if public spaces and buildings were more accessibly designed at the construction stage, experiences such as her own last month would be less frequent.

Noting that disabled people account for at least 17 per cent of the population in England and Wales, she said: Were nearly a fifth of the population, theres a lot of us, and we need to be included in society and not just an afterthought of society.
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Madeleine McCann, a three-year-old girl from Rothley, Leicestershire, went missing from the Portuguese holiday resort of Praia da Luz on the Algarve on 3 May 2007, a case still unsolved and still the subject of intense interest among the public and press.

Follow all the latest updates on The Independents live blog

Her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, posted a statement on the Find Madeleine website on 3 May 2023 marking the latest anniversary of their daughters disappearance, reiterating their hopes of being reunited with her one day and posting a poem, The Contradiction by Clare Pollard, to express their feelings.

Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleines abduction. Still missing... still very much missed, they wrote.

The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough. Thank you to everyone for your support- it really helps.

Here is a reminder of the events of the case.

The story began when the McCanns  affluent doctors Kate and Gerry, their three-year-old daughter Madeleine and her two-year-old twin siblings  joined a group of seven family friends and their five children on holiday at the Ocean Club in the village of Praia da Luz on the southwestern tip of Portugal on 28 April 2007.

After a pleasant spring break by the sea, the adults in the party went out for dinner at the resorts open-air tapas bar on 3 May, gathering at 8.30pm. The children were left behind sleeping in their respective apartments with the doors unlocked and a rota system in place among the parents to ensure that someone returned every half-hour to check on them.

When Kate McCann took her turn and returned to her apartment at 10pm, she raced back to the restaurant screaming Madeleines gone! Someones taken her! The police were quickly called and 60 staff and fellow guests searched the complex, calling out the girls name in vain until daybreak the following morning.

Border police and airport staff were put on alert and hundreds of volunteers joined the efforts to find the missing girl over the coming days, the case fast becoming a sensation.

Madeleine McCann (PA)

The Portuguese authorities would later attract criticism over their conduct in the crucial earliest hours of the investigation when the trail might still have been warm, accused of making rudimentary mistakes like failing to conduct a house-by-house search of every local residence or interview all of the other guests at the resort, acting slowly to erect roadblocks and potentially compromising forensic evidence at the crime scene.

The police initially stated that they believed Madeleine was still alive and had been abducted from the room by a stranger as the parents described their anguish and despair over her vanishing, a worst fear realised for any parent.

On 26 May, police issued a description of a suspicious man seen on the night of the girls disappearance. The individual in question was spotted by Jane Tanner, one of the McCanns dining companions, who said she had seen a Mediterranean man with dark hair and beige trousers carrying a child close to the apartment when she went to check in on her own children. Scotland Yard would later come to dismiss the sighting as a red herring.

The search continued as the summer progressed amid a wild media circus and with huge fundraising activities underway, the McCanns setting up Madeleines Fund on 15 May to raise cash to support further investigation and keep the profile of the case high, attracting generous donations from celebrities like Richard Branson, Simon Cowell, JK Rowling and Coleen Rooney. By 30 May, the case was such a cause celebre that they were being flown out to meet the Pope at the Vatican in Sir Phillip Greens Learjet.

A local man, Robert Murat, subsequently became its first suspect and had his house and car searched, his swimming pool drained and his electronic devices confiscated but no evidence was found to link him to Madeleine and the matter was soon dropped.

By June, the Portuguese police admitted that they had failed to protect potentially useful evidence at the scene as frustration with the lack of developments grew and the media began to question whether the McCanns themselves had been involved in the matter.

Lurid tabloid allegations suggested the couple and their friends might have been swingers and that the McCanns, as physicians, might have been in the habit of sedating their children, while others claimed inconsistencies in their version of events.

Gerry and Kate McCann (AP)

The intensity of the hostility towards the parents would later be described by Roy Greenslade of The Guardian as no journalistic accident, but a sustained campaign of vitriol against a grief-stricken family, singling out The Daily Express and Daily Star for particular condemnation.

In July, assistance offered by former South African police officer Danie Krugel  who claimed his handheld matter orientation system could help to find Madeleine  was rubbished, while British police sent over two springer spaniel sniffer dogs to search for DNA.

Relations with the local authorities would ultimately sour as the latter came to resent British intrusion into a Portuguese inquiry, according to Anthony Summers and Robbyn Swans book Looking for Madeleine (2014).

By August, Madeleine has been missing for 100 days and police admitted for the first time that she may never be found. They also told the McCanns that they were no longer considering the matter an abduction case but, rather, a murder inquiry.

The McCanns themselves were interviewed as arguidos (suspects) by Portuguese police in September, with the parents told that the dogs had discovered DNA evidence from the missing girl in the boot of their holiday rental car, lines of inquiry that had already been leaked to the British press. They vehemently denied having any part in her disappearance.

Despite being listed as suspects (a designation that would linger until the following July), the McCanns were allowed to return to Britain on 9 September. A day later, chief inspector Tavares de Almeida of the Policia Judiciaria in Portimao signed a nine-page report concluding that Madeleine McCann had died in their apartment as a result of an accident, that the tapas dinner and rota checks on the McCann children had been part of a planned cover-up, that the familys friends had helped to mislead the police and that the McCanns had concealed the body and then faked an abduction. A public prosecutor subsequently applied for the confiscation of Kate McCanns diary and Gerry McCanns laptop plus the groups phone records.

On 2 October, chief inspector Goncalo Amaral was removed from the case and transferred after alleging that the British police were only interested in pursuing leads favourable to the McCanns. He would later publish a book, Maddie: The Truth of the Lie, the following summer, resulting in a lengthy libel battle with the McCanns that would run back and forth through the courts until March 2017.

Back in Britain, Gerry McCann issued a video that November in which he speculated that his family had been watched by a predator during their stay at Praia da Luz. His wife had come to believe that a potential perpetrator could have seen a note in the resorts guest book visible to all in reception noting their dining arrangements on the evening of Madeleines disappearance. The couple followed up on 20 January 2008 by releasing a sketch of a creepy man they said other holidaymakers had said they had seen loitering at the Ocean Club.

In April, a month before the one-year anniversary of the fateful night, Portuguese police travelled to Leicestershire to conduct further interviews with the McCanns friends.

Then, on 21 July, Portugals attorney general, Fernando Jose Pinto Monteiro, announced that there was no evidence to link either the McCanns or Robert Murat to the disappearance and closed the case, unsolved.

With the trail cold and no closure in sight, the McCanns continued to publicise their cause, issuing computer-generated images of how Madeleine might look now that she had aged on 3 November 2009 and condemning the release of previously unseen Portuguese police files  detailing possible sightings of their daughter  to British newspapers in March 2010.

The McCanns published a book of their own about their ordeal in May 2011, entitled simply Madeleine, which was serialised in The Sun as the newspaper led a campaign calling on British prime minister David Cameron to launch a new inquiry. He did so.

Commenced by then-home secretary Theresa May, the Metropolitan Polices Operation Grange would be led by commander Simon Foy and comprise a team of three detective inspectors, five detective sergeants, 19 detective constables and six civilian staff.

It began to yield results in 2013, with Scotland Yard formally announcing a new investigation in July and saying in October it had identified 41 potential suspects. That same month, BBC Crimewatch released an e-fit image of a man of particular interest who had been seen in Praia da Luz with a child matching Madeleines description in May 2007.

Detectives arrived in Portugal in January 2014 promising new arrests and finally searched the village in June, interviewing four people the following month but without unearthing new information. The quartet would be definitively ruled out in April 2017, before the UK government said it would continue to fund the investigation until 2020, having already admitted it had cost 10m in its first four years of operation.

That investment had enabled detectives to have tens of thousands of documents translated, investigate over 8,000 potential sightings, take 1,338 statements, collect 1,027 exhibits and investigate 650 sex offenders and 60 persons of interest, all without definitively establishing the truth.

The Madeline McCann case lay dormant before suddenly exploding into life in June 2020 when German media revealed that Christian Brueckner, a 43-year-old prisoner with a track record of child abuse and drug trafficking, had been identified as a new suspect by the public prosecutor of the German city of Braunschweig.

Christian Brueckner (Italian Carabinieri)

He had reportedly been living in a Volkswagen camper van in the Algarve at the time of Madeleines disappearance and one woman has since come forward to suggest she saw a girl that might have been Madeleine speaking German in a supermarket in Portugal in 2017.

German investigators classified their probe into his movements as a murder inquiry, saying they were working on the assumption that Madeleine is dead and reporting in July 2021 that they had found an abandoned cellar beneath his former allotment near Hanover where she could, theoretically, have been held captive.

Hans Christian Wolters, the prosecutor leading the investigation into Brueckner, has said he was very confident the inmate is responsible for kidnapping her.

If you knew the evidence we had you would come to the same conclusion as I do but I cant give you details because we dont want the accused to know what we have on him  these are tactical considerations, he told the BBC.

It was subsequently revealed that Madeleines Fund still had 773,629 to spend as of 31 March 2020, meaning the McCanns can continue to bankroll a private investigation to find their daughter long after the police hunt is finally drawn to a close, should they choose to.

Brueckner was formally made a arguido in relation to the case on 21 April 2022.

On 19 September, the McCanns lost their libel case against Mr Amaral, the former chief inspector who had investigated the disappearance, before the European Court of Human Rights.

The couple had attempted to argue that Mr Amaral was responsible for damaging their reputation and breaching their rights to respect for their private life and to be presumed innocent after taking exception to his book and associated media appearances in which he had repeatedly suggested they were responsible for the vanishing.

Their complaint also argued that Portugals Supreme Court had failed to allow them proper redress over the alleged libel by Mr Amaral after judges threw out their earlier claim in 2017.

The verdict left the McCanns with three months to appeal against the decision.

In February 2023, a Polish woman called Julia Faustyna made headlines by claiming she was Madeleine, using the Instagram name @iammadeleinemccann.

Ms Faustyna, 21, did not provide any supporting evidence but sought DNA tests to prove her origins. The results ultimately revealed that she was entirely of Polish origin, with no British heritage, disproving her claims for good.

In April 2023, a court in Braunschweig dropped a rape charge against Brueckner, unrelated to the Madeleine McCann case, concluding it did not have jurisdiction.

Police in Germany continue to claim they have concrete evidence that Madeleine is dead but this has still not been confirmed and their investigation is ongoing, with Brueckner still not charged in the McCann case.

Like her parents, Madeleines sister Amelie, now 18, observed the 16th anniversary of her disappearance in May 2023.

Speaking publicly for the first time at a prayer meeting in Rothley, she said: Its nice that everyone is here together but its a sad occasion.

Amelie McCann reportedly joined in with chants including Never never give up, leave no stone unturned, dont forget about me and still missing, still missed.
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The people of Northern Ireland have sent a clear message that they want powersharing back up and running, the Taoiseach has said.

Commenting after last weeks local elections in the region, Leo Varadkar told the Dail that he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would do all they could to help restore the devolved institutions in Belfast.

But the Irish premier cautioned that the power to resurrect the Stormont Assembly and Executive currently lay with the DUP.

Mr Varadkar was responding to a question from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald who had urged the Taoiseach and Mr Sunak to convene a meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIC) in the wake of the council elections.

The message is clear from the people of Northern Ireland, that they want the Executive up and running, and they want the enormous problems that they face on a day to day basis dealt with by their politicians, the Taoiseach said.

The elections saw Sinn Fein emerge as the largest party in local government for the first time in Northern Ireland, replicating its result in the Assembly election last year when it became the biggest party at Stormont.

While the DUP lost its position as the largest party at council level, it consolidated its position as the main unionist party by winning the same number of seats as it secured in the last local government election in 2019.

The DUP is currently exercising a veto to block powersharing in Northern Ireland in protest at post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The party has insisted the election result has reinforced its mandate to seek further concessions from the UK government on the vexed trading dispute.

But Sinn Fein has insisted the electorate has made clear it wants a return to devolution without any further delay.

The republican party has called for Mr Sunak and Mr Varadkar to convene a meeting of the BIIC to chart a path back to powersharing.

So it's now critical that the British and Irish governments come together and focus the effort on the immediate restoration of the Executive and Assembly and I believe this must happen at Taoiseach and Prime Minister level Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald

Raising the issue in the Dail on Tuesday, Ms McDonald said: A few days ago, the north went to the polls again and delivered a seismic change in local government elections.

And the clear message is that Ireland has changed and is changing. The clearer message is that people want to see the Executive back up and running to deal with the issues that matter in health and housing, in delivering good jobs and to make politics work for everyone.

So its now critical that the British and Irish governments come together and focus the effort on the immediate restoration of the Executive and Assembly and I believe this must happen at Taoiseach and Prime Minister level.

We need to see an early meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference at this level.

We will be working together to do all that we can to ensure that the Assembly, the Executive, the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are back up and running again Taoiseach Leo Varadkar

Taoiseach, can I ask will you work to ensure that this happens?

Mr Varadkar said he had discussed the issue with Mr Sunak in Iceland last week and would be meeting him again at the European Political Community summit in Moldova next week.

We will be working together to do all that we can to ensure that the Assembly, the Executive, the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement are back up and running again, he said.

But as you know as well as I do, the rules allow the two major parties  Sinn Fein and the DUP  to block that from happening, the DUP are currently the ones who are blocking it.

But were going to work together with the UK Government to do all that we can to have it up and running as soon as possible.
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Police have combed the banks of a reservoir in Portugal with the help of sniffer dogs, rakes and pickaxes as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Emergency service divers were seen on a rigid-hull inflatable boat early on Tuesday morning at the Barragem do Arade  around 30 miles from Praia da Luz, where the three-year-old went missing in 2007.

Officers concentrated their search at one area of the reservoir  erecting white tents on a hill on the banks.

Further around the water, emergency services and officials from Portugal, Germany and the UK were seen holding briefings near blue police tents.

In the search area, uniformed and plain-clothed officers spent a number of hours scouring the banks  hammering away at the ground with pickaxes and combing through small rocks with rakes and spades.

A track leading to the search area was cordoned off with police tape and marked vehicles from Portugals National Republican Guard.

The new searches come as the Home Office granted an extra 110,000 in funding this financial year for the Metropolitan Police to assist with finding Madeleine, down from just over 300,000 last year.

The total funding given to Operation Grange has been just under 13.1 million since 2011.

Portuguese police confirmed on Monday that they are co-ordinating searches in the Algarve at the request of German police and in the presence of British officers.

The Metropolitan Police said officers will be there in order to inform Madeleines family if there are any developments.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell said: The Met continues to work with and support colleagues in Portugal and Germany, with their investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Met officers will be in Portugal and I am grateful to the Policia Judiciaria and Bundeskriminalamt for allowing us to be present whilst their work is ongoing, so that we can inform Madeleines family of any developments.

A brief statement from the prosecutors office in the German city of Braunschweig confirmed the search, but did not reveal why it was taking place.

Braunschweig prosecutor Christian Wolters told reporters that investigators were acting on the basis of certain tips but would not give further details.

Four teams of officers from the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria are involved in the operation, along with at least 20 of their German counterparts, Portuguese news outlet SIC said.

It has been reported that the prime suspect in Madeleines disappearance, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, 45, spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017.

Investigators believe he killed Madeleine after abducting her from a holiday apartment.

Brueckner, who has denied involvement in Madeleines disappearance, was first identified as a suspect by German investigators.

The Sun reported that the search was sparked after they discovered video and photos of Brueckner near the reservoir.

A no-fly zone has been put in place over the water and media and other onlookers are being kept a mile back from the site of the search.

Brueckner is facing charges in Germany over a number of separate sex offences allegedly committed in Portugal during that time.

It is not the first time the reservoir has been searched.

In 2008, Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleines body was there.

The most recent search in Portugal in relation to her disappearance was in 2014, when British police were given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished.

Earlier this month, Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry McCann posted a short statement on their Find Madeleine Campaign website to mark the anniversary of her disappearance.

They said: Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleines abduction.

Still missing still very much missed.

It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel.

The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough.
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A guitar given by The Who rocker Pete Townshend to a friend whose own was stolen could fetch up to 20,000 when it is auctioned next month.

Townshend donated the 1989 Takamine FP-360SC electro-acoustic guitar to a friend known only as Robert in the 1990s after the theft of Roberts instrument from his flat in south-west London.

When Robert died in 2014, the guitar was inherited by the vendor, who wants to stay anonymous.

Having heard Roberts story, the vendor contacted Townshend in 2018 and got a response confirming the musician gave the guitar to Robert, whom he remembered as a sweet man.

Townshend subsequently signed an email to authenticate the tale.

Based on its provenance, the Takamine guitar is believed to have been used on stage during The Whos 1989 25th anniversary tour of America and the UK and also during solo performances by Townshend.

The guitar will be sold by specialist music auction house Gardiner Houlgate in Corsham, Wiltshire, on June 14.

Auctioneer Luke Hobbs said: Pete Townshend is one of the great pioneers of rock guitar so its a real honour to be able to sell one of his instruments. With The Who still so popular around the world, were expecting international interest.

Although he says its a wrench to see such the guitar go, the vendor has now reached the stage of his life at which he feels it should be enjoyed by a fan of the band rather than be kept in its case.

Townshend was The Whos principal songwriter and guitarist, scoring hits with rock classics including Pinball Wizard, Quadrophenia, My Generation, Wont Get Fooled Again and Substitute.

Formed in 1964, the band appeared at the 1969 Woodstock festival and went on to sell more than 100 million records worldwide.

During The Whos early years, Townshend developed a reputation for smashing his guitars on stage.

This auction will also feature a bass amplifier and speaker used by The Whos late bass player John Entwistle, with cases bearing The Who logo.
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Boris Johnson is said to have put on a French accent to gently mock president Emmanuel Macrons views on Ukraine during a speech to Republicans in Texas.

The former Tory prime minister spoke at a private lunch in Dallas, where he told US right-conservatives to stick with it and insist they were backing the right horse by supporting Ukraine.

I just urge you all to stick with it  it will pay off massively in the long run, Mr Johnson told the audience, according to Politico.

The ex-PM added: You are backing the right horse. Ukraine is going to win. They are going to defeat Putin.

Mr Johnson is said to have gently mocked Macron with a faux-French accent as he quoted his remarks about not wanting the Russian president Vladimir Putin humiliated.

I think it was my French friend and colleague Emmanuel Macron who said Putin must not be humiliated, he told the group of Republican politicians and donors.

I think it takes an awful lot to humiliate Vladimir Putin, frankly, he added. I dont think its our job to worry about Vladimir Putins ego, or his political prospects, or developments in his career.

Mr Johnson called Mr Macron Putins lickspittle after the French president criticised the then-prime ministers response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis, according to a former leading No 10 official.

Mr Johnson also called Mr Macron a four-letter word that begins with c, former director of communication Guto Harri said in his podcast Unprecedented.

Donald Trump and Florida governor Ron DeSantis, two of the leading candidates for the Republican nomination, have shared their scepticism about support for Ukraine.

But Mr Johnson told Republicans that had every hope that the Ukrainians will be able to deliver a very substantial counterpunch this summer, adding that there was a prospect of a complete Russian military collapse.

Joe Biden told fellow leaders at the recent G7 conference that the US would support providing fighter jets, including American-made F-16 jets.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called the decision one that would greatly enhance our army in the sky.

Mr Johnson has made around 5m from outside earnings in the past year, mostly from the lucrative speaking circuit, on top of the 84,000 salary he still receives as a backbench MP. But he is not believed to have been paid for the speech in Dallas.
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Suella Braverman has announced a crackdown on overseas students bringing family members to the UK as part of a push to reduce net migration.

The home secretary said all foreign students  apart from those on postgraduate research programmes  will be banned from bringing their dependants from January 2024.

Ms Braverman said there had been an unexpected spike in the number of dependants  saying the economic benefits brought by students could not be at the expense of the Tory promise to cut immigration.

Rishi Sunaks government is also stopping international students switching from the student visa route to work routes before their studies have been completed.

Maintenance requirements for students and their dependants will also be pulled, and Ms Braverman has vowed to clamp down on unscrupulous education agents who may be supporting inappropriate applications to sell immigration not education.

Around 136,000 visas were granted to dependants of sponsored students in the year ending December 2022, the government said  an eight-fold increase from 16,000 in 2019.

Despite the crackdown, Ms Braverman insisted that the government would work with universities to deliver an alternative approach to make sure the best and the brightest students can bring dependants.

Mr Sunak and Ms Braverman are under huge pressure from Tory MPs for plans to cut net migration, with official annual figures to be published this week expected to show it has reached at least 700,000.

The PM told the cabinet on Tuesday that the latest moves would make a significant difference to the numbers. Ms Braverman said it struck the right balance between acting decisively on tackling net migration and protecting the economic benefits that students can bring.

Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman said move on overseas students would help cut net migration (PA)

Britains universities warned the Tory government against a crackdown on foreign students  urging the government to take students out of the overall net migration figure to depoliticise the issue.

The Russell Group, representing 24 elite universities, said foreign students brought in vital export income. New immigration rules are likely to have a negative impact given the fierce global competition for international students, said the Russell Groups chief executive Tim Bradshaw.

But the group said it was pleased the graduate route  where overseas students can work in the UK for up to three years after completing their studies  will remain open.

Universities UK said the Braverman announcement leaves some questions unanswered on exactly which students could still bring family members to Britain.

Anything that threatens to affect the UKs global success as a top destination for international talent needs to be considered very carefully, said Universities UKs Jamie Arrowsmith  pointing to a report that found overseas students boosted the economy by 42bn during 2021-22.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), called the tightening of immigration rules vindictive and shameful. The union leader warned that the new curbs may be damaging to the pipeline of international talent into the country.

Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman are under pressure from Tory MPs (PA)

With the huge net migration figure set to come on Thursday causing Tory anguish, Ms Braverman had reportedly pushed five proposals  including raising the salary threshold for skilled workers and reducing the time foreign students can stay in the country.

But chancellor Jeremy Hunt and education secretary Gillian Keegan were said to have pushed back against wider restrictions on foreign students.

Right-wing allies of Ms Braverman have warned of the unbearable strain of record net migration numbers  arguing the party will be punished at the ballot box if it fails to tackle the biggest single issue.

Even some Tory moderates told The Independent they welcomed a crackdown on some students bringing family members  urging Mr Sunak to consider changes to salary requirements and an overall annual cap on visa numbers.

Ms Braverman said the government expected net migration to fall to pre-pandemic levels in the medium term. Explaining last years net migration figure of 504,000, she cited temporary factors such as the influx Ukrainian refugees and Hong Kong citizenship scheme.

But Marley Morris, migration expert at the IPPR think tank, said targeting students and their dependants was a mistake because most of them dont stay in the UK. Most international students are temporary migrants and are not a major contributor to net migration in long run.

Settlement schemes aside, ex-Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has insisted that the UK remains addicted to cheap labour and needs to invest in technology to perform low-paid tasks such as picking and cleaning fruit.

However, the latest IMF report, which upgrade Britains growth forecast, endorsed the Sunak governments approach in plugging skills shortages with immigrants.

The international body said the UK should look again at fine-tuning the immigration system to alleviate sectoral and skilled labour shortages and enhance labour market flexibility.
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More than 10 per cent of all Tory MPs have said they are planning to stand down at the next general election  with former deputy PM Dominic Raab the latest to announce his departure.

The next election is expected sometime next year, though no official date has yet been set. Despite this, dozens of MPs from across the parties have said they wont be standing again.

Here are some of the bigger names who have said they wont be returning to the Commons after voters go to the polls.

Which MPs are standing down?

CONSERVATIVES

Former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab (Jordan Pettitt/PA) (PA Wire)

Dominic Raab, Conservative MP for Esher

Dominic Raab recently left government after an inquiry found he had behaved in an intimidating way towards officials.

Mr Raab has now said he wont be making a return to the Commons after the next election, citing "the pressure the job has placed on my young family".

The Surrey MP is just 49 years old and has served in many senior ministerial roles.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey, whose party is targeting Mr Raabs seat, says the former DPM was in fact standing down because he knew he is going to lose.

Matt Hancock has had a taste of celebrity thanks to his stint on reality TV (PA Archive)

Matt Hancock, Conservative MP for West Suffolk

Following his divisive appearance on Im A Celebrity, Matt Hancock went public with his intention to stand down on 7 December.

Writing to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stating that he looks to influence the public debate from outside of Parliament, he remarked that hed discovered a whole new world of possibilities.

Notably, this decision followed a letter from a senior figure in his local Tory association expressing that he was not fit to represent the area.

Former health secretary Mr Hancock has served as MP for West Suffolk since 2010.

Sajid Javid made several unsuccessful bids to lead the country (PA Wire)

Sajid Javid, Conservative MP for Bromsgrove

On 2 December, former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid announced that this parliamentary term would be his last.

He described his position as an incredible privilege, remarking that he will continue to support the government and the causes I believe in.

The former Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has represented Bromsgrove since 2010.

Nadine Dorries (Getty Images)

Nadine Dorries, Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire

A close ally of Boris Johnson Nadine Dorries announced she was planning to quit the Commons after "much soul-searching".

Speaking on her TalkTV television show she cited the lack of cohesion, the infighting and occasionally the sheer stupidity of her colleagues in removing Mr Johnson as PM as behind her reason.

Despite it being a job that I've loved for every year I've done it, I'm now off. Oh gosh, I've just said it out loud, there's no going back now, she said.

George Eustice (James Manning/PA) (PA Archive)

George Eustice, Conservative MP for Cambourne and Redruth

Former environment secretary George Eustice is another MP who has said he wont stand again.

Mr Eustice has not held back in criticising aspects of governemnt policy in recent months  arguing the government should not have taken such an ideological approach to Brexit free trade deals.

By the time of the next election, I will have been in politics for 25 years, including almost 15 years as a member of parliament, he said.

I will also be 53 and I want the opportunity to do a final career outside politics so have decided not to seek re-election. This has been a difficult decision for me.

Senior Tory Sir Graham Brady will not stand for re-election (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)

Graham Brady, Conservative MP for Altrincham and Sale West

Sir Graham is most notable for having chaired the powerful Tory party 1922 committee almost continuously since 2010.

Turmoil in the Conservative Party means he has become somewhat of a household name in recent years.

He has said he would be bringing his time as a politician "to a close" while still "young enough to pursue other opportunities and interests".

Dehenna Davison has only been in Parliament for three years (PA Wire)

Deheena Davison, Conservative MP for Bishop Auckland

Elected in 2019, Deheena Davison currently juggles her position in the House of Commons with a presenting role on GB News.

On 25 November, she announced her intention to stand down via her Facebook page.

She had been seen as one of the rising stars of the Tory party until her sudden announcement last month.

Gary Streeter is a veteran MP (PA Media)

Gary Streeter, Conservative MP for South West Devon

Sharing his letter of resignation via Twitter on 25 November, Sir Gary Street said: It has been an honour and privilege to serve the people of South West Devon and I will continue to do so until the next election.

Sir Gary was first elected to represent Plymouth Sutton in 1992 and then South West Devon in 1997.

While in opposition, from 1998 to 2001 he served as Shadow Secretary of State for International Development.

Crispin Blunt, Conservative MP for Reigate

Conservative MP Crispin Blunt (PA Media)

Crispin Blunt has represented his Surrey constituency for 25 years, but this May he confirmed his intention to stand down.

He previously sparked fury after he came to the defence of a colleague found guilty of child sex assault.

Mr Blunt previously served as chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and was Parliamentary Under Secretary for Prisons and Youth Justice under David Cameron.

Former energy minister Chris Skidmore (PA Archive)

Chris Skidmore, Conservative MP for Kingswood

Serving since 2010, Mr Skidmore stated on 26 November that he would not be running for election again.

During his tenure as an MP, he became vice-chairman of the Conservative Party for Policy in 2018.

He has served as the representative for Kingswood since 2010.

MP for Norwich Chloe Smith (PA Wire)

Chloe Smith, Conservative MP for Norwich North

Serving as MP for Norwich North since 2009, Chloe Smith confirmed the news via her website on 22 November.

In 2023, she will become the longest-serving MP for either Norwich constituency in modern history.

Chris Pincher quit his Government role on June 30 after allegedly assaulting two fellow guests at the exclusive Carlton Club (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Archive)

Christopher Pincher, Conservative MP for Tamworth

The Tamworth MPs conduct was the spark that ultimately triggered Boris Johnsons downfall as prime minister.

He has reportedly told Conservative central office that he wont be standing at the next election.

Julian Knight (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/PA) (PA Media)

Julian Knight, Conservative MP for Solihull

Julian Knight has had the Tory whip suspended after a serious sexual assault allegation was made against him.

He has said he will remain sitting as an independent until the next general election when he will stand down.

Sir Charles Walker has been an MP for 17 years but is unhappy with the current climate. (PA)

Sir Charles Walker, Conservative MP for Broxbourne

An MP since 2005, Sir Charles revealed in February that he would not be seeking re-election.

Describing the current political environment as pretty toxic, he later told TimesRadio that I suspect we will lose the next general election.

Nigel Adams held a variety of ministerial briefs (AFP via Getty Images)

Nigel Adams, Conservative MP for Selby and Ainsty

Previously the minister for Asia at the foreign, commonwealth and development office, Mr Adams was elected in 2010.

He won a majority of more than 20,000 votes in 2019 but confirmed in April that he wanted to spend time pursuing other interests.

William Wragg called on both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss to resign in the year of Tory chaos (PA Media)

William Wragg, Conservative MP for Hazel Grove

Mr Wragg is a vice-chairman of the influential 1922 Committee and has been an MP in Greater Manchester since 2015.

However on 22 November. he announced he would not be standing again.

I shall continue to represent constituents to the best of my ability in the meantime and thank everyone for their wonderful support over the years, he said.

Adam Afriyie faced a petition for bankruptcy from HMRC last year (PA)

Adam Afriyie, Conservative MP for Windsor

Representing Windsor since 2005, Mr Afriyie made his announcement in July.

It is a double and unexpected honour to have been elected the first black Conservative MP in the history of our Party, he said at the time.

Before he was selected as a Parliamentary candidate, Mr Afriyie worked for disgraced Jeffrey Archer on his unsuccessful bid to become Mayor of London in 1999.

Douglas Ross in the Scottish Parliament(Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Wire)

Douglas Ross, Conservative MP for Moray

Mr Ross, who is leader of the Scottish Tories, has said he will not stand as an MP at Westminster again in order to focus on his work in the Scottish Parliament, where he is also an MSP.

Mike Penning, Conservative MP for Hemel Hempstead

The former minister Mike Penning, who has been an MP since 2005, is planning to retire. He describes stepping down as one of the most difficult decisions of my life.

Paul Beresford, Conservative MP for Mole Valley

Stephen McPartland, Conservative MP for Stevenage

Stuart Anderson, Conservative MP for Wolverhampton South West

Nicola Richards, Conservative MP for West Bromwich East

Matthew Offord, Conservative MP for Hendon

Henry Smith, Conservative MP for Crawley

Robert Goodwill, Conservative MP for Scarborough and Whitby

Robin Walker, Conservative MP for Worcester

John Howell, Conservative MP for Henley-On-Thames

Pauline Latham, Conservative MP for Mid Derbyshire

Gordon Henderson, Conservative MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey

Craig Whittaker, Conservative MP for Calder Valley

LABOUR

Harriet Harman has also served as deputy party leader (UK Parliament)

Harriet Harman, Labour MP for Camberwell and Peckham

Ms Harman has served her constituency since 1982, and is warmly regarded as the mother of the house.

The MP has held positions in various cabinets and shadow cabinets, but announced in December 2021 this term would be her last.

Dame Margaret has been an MP for nearly 30 years (Getty Images)

Dame Margaret Hodge, Labour MP for Barking

The veteran MP has held her post since 1994 and served as Minister of State for Work and later the Department for Culture under the last Labour government.

Dame Margaret announced in December last year that she would not be seeking re-election.

She previously served as Leader of Islington London Borough Council from 1982 to 1992.

Margaret Beckett is another veteran Labour MP standing down (PA)

Dame Margaret Beckett, Labour MP for Derby South

Dame Margaret has served her constituency since 1983 and held a series of high profile positions on the party.

Under John Smith she was deputy leader of the Labour Party, then under Tony Blair the MP was leader of the House of Commons and later Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She also served as Foreign Secretary between 2006 and 2007.

But after nearly 40 years, Dame Margaret said last March that this term would be her last.

Ben Bradshaw is a former BBC Radio reporter (Getty Images)

Ben Bradshaw, Labour MP for Exeter

Mr Bradshaw became an MP when Labour surged to power under Tony Blair in 1997.

He served as secretary of state for culture, media and sport from 2009 to 2010 under Gordon Brown.

In February he announced he would not be standing again.

Jon Cruddas previously said Labour is paralysed by its lack of radicalism (GETTY IMAGES)

Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham

Having held his seat for 21 years, Mr Cruddas confirmed in August that he wouldnt be representing his constituency in the next general election.

There is never a good time to go but, with the Tories in crisis both locally and nationally, I feel it is time to let someone new take on the challenge, he told the Romford Recorder.

Dame Rosie Winterton is also to step down as an MP (PA Archive)

Dame Rosie Winterton, Labour MP for Doncaster Central

The MP for Doncaster Central since 1997, Dame Rosie Winterton has also served as deputy speaker since 2017.

She confirmed in February that she would be standing down.

Barry Sheerman, the MP for Huddersfield (BBC Parliament)

Barry Sheerman, Labour (Co-op) MP for Huddersfield

Representing Huddersfield since 1979, Mr Sheerman is the longest-serving Labour MP.

He confirmed the news of his planned departure in December 2021.

Alex Cunningham announced last month he will not be seeking re-election (Wikimedia Commons)

Alex Cunningham, Labour MP for Stockton North

Mr Cunningham confirmed his intended move in November 2021.

He has served as an MP since May 2010.

Paul Blomfield (PA Media)

Paul Blomfield, Labour MP for Sheffield Central

Mr Blomfield confirmed in February 2022 that he would not stand in a decision he labelled difficult.

Turning 70 next year, he regarded his position  which he has held since 2010 - as one of extraordinary privilege."

Wayne David, Labour MP for Caerphilly

The former shadow foreign, commonwealth and development minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Mr David announced in February that he would not choose to seek re-election.

Dr Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton

Elected under Tony Blairs Labour in 1997, Mr Whitehead is one of only two Labour MPs in Hampshire.

In January 2022, he wrote in a letter to party members that, at 71, he could not give a further five-year commitment to the role of MP despite wanting to in principle.

Colleen Fletcher, Labour MP for Coventry North East

Former local councillor Colleen Fletcher announced in September she would not be standing again, telling the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was time to pursue some new challenges.

She has represented Coventry North East since 2015.

PLAID CYMRU

Hywel Williams (UK Parliament)

Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru MP for Afron

Mr Williams announced his intent to retire on 11 November. He has served as an MP since June 2001.
 Close Suella Braverman 'confident that nothing untoward happened' over speeding ticket

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Suella Braverman is facing fresh allegations that she broke the ministerial code over her failure to formally disclose years of previous work with the Rwandan government.

The home secretary is already facing accusations that she broke the ministerial code after the Sunday Times revealed Ms Braverman asked her staff to help her dodge a speeding fine.

Now Ms Braverman is facing further pressure after she failed to disclose that she co-founded a charity called the Africa Justice Foundation which worked with several key members of President Paul Kagames government who are involved in the UKs 140m deal to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Ms Braverman did not officially disclose her previous links to the country when appointed home secretary in 2022, despite ongoing legal challenges alleging politically-driven human rights violations including torture, murder and kidnappings.

One former minister told The Independent that the home secretary never mentioned her work with the charity and should have been upfront and transparent.

A spokesperson for the home secretary said it was not necessary for Ms Braverman to disclose her links with the charity, which she resigned from shortly before being elected to parliament.
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Rishi Sunak has been urged to launch an investigation into Suella Bravermans handling of a speeding offence, as the scandal that threatens to deepen rifts in the Tory party.

The prime minister is said to be considering emails in which Whitehall officials raised concerns to the Cabinet Offices propriety and ethics team about Ms Bravermans request for help to arrange a private speed awareness course.

Mr Sunak endured an awkward cabinet meeting on Tuesday, with his home secretary accused of breaching the ministerial code by asking taxpayer-funded civil servants to assist with a private matter.

Senior Conservatives told The Independent that Ms Braverman had shown constant poor judgement and appeared to have made a mistake too far.

Ms Braverman insisted she had done nothing untoward. She has admitted speeding and paying a fine  but did not deny asking officials for help in trying to arrange a one-to-one speed course rather than joining fellow motorists on the programme.

Officials were so concerned by her alleged request they emailed the Cabinet Offices propriety and ethics team, who told them to disregard it, according to The Times.

The newspaper also claimed the emails show that Ms Braverman instructed them to organise the course, rather than simply soliciting advice, as suggested by her allies.

This piles pressure on Mr Sunak to launch an investigation into allegations she breached the ministerial code, as does reporting by The Guardian that the most senior civil servant in the Home Office was informed about the claims.

A senior official is said to have reported Ms Bravermans initial request to Matthew Rycroft, the departments permanent secretary, due to concerns about whether it was appropriate.

Suella Braverman under pressure to quit if she is found to have broken ministerial code (PA)

Mr Sunak spoke to both his independent adviser on ministers interests Sir Laurie Magnus and the home secretary on Monday as he considered his response, telling MPs he had asked for further information.

Sir Laurie cannot begin an investigation into a ministers conduct without the authorisation of the PM.

But No 10 said on Tuesday that Mr Sunak has not yet decided whether to ask his ethics adviser to investigate Ms Bravermans handling of her speeding offence. He is still looking at all the requisite information before coming to a decision, said the PMs official spokesman.

Tory MPs are split between those who want to see Ms Braverman fired if a rule breach is proven and allies who claim disgruntled civil servants are behind the storm in a teacup.

One Tory minister told The Independent: The PM should ask Sir Laurie to investigate urgently. If shes found to have breached ministerial code  again  she should absolutely go.

A former cabinet minister said there was clearly a case for investigation  adding that it appeared to be a mistake too far for Ms Braverman. Frankly, there have been a number of lapses of judgement. If theres a breach of code the prime minister might want to get someone else.

Rishi Sunak under pressure to launch probe into Suella Braverman (PA Wire)

Another Tory ex-minister added: Its behaviour which illustrates her constant poor judgement. The PM will be damaged if he lets her continue peddling inflated rhetoric and giving speeches that trash the Conservative brand.

One senior Tory said colleagues would be less sympathetic if Ms Braverman is found to have broken the rules because she has a track record, adding: Despite all this stuff about her representing a faction, it is a pretty small faction and a lot of right-wingers do not like her at all.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Ms Braverman should resign if she is found to have broken the ministerial code, while the Liberal Democrats said Mr Sunaks inability to act on a probe is a clear failure of leadership.

Suella Braverman 'confident that nothing untoward happened' over speeding ticket

Sir Alistair Graham, former chair of the committee on standards in public life, also called for an investigation  saying it looks like totally inappropriate behaviour.

The ex-standards chief told The Independent: If the evidence demonstrates she asked civil servants to behave in an inappropriate manner, I would think it would be a breach of the code.

But her allies have argued she was the victim of a smear campaign. Craig Mackinlay MP said the row over Ms Bravermans speeding fine is a total storm in a teacup.

Henry Smith MP said the speeding story suggested a wider movement against Ms Braverman in Whitehall. There is a lot of pushback against policies she is pursuing, particularly the Rwanda plan, so I suspect that is what is more behind this, the Tory backbencher added.

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said there was no need for an investigation. He told BBC Radio 4: I would have thought the prime minister could think this through pretty clearly, that this is not a big story.

Former head of the civil service Lord Kerslake said Mr Sunak should get on with it and launch a formal inquiry. He seems to be doing a sloppy investigation before an investigation, but hed be better just to get on with it and get Sir Laurie to undertake the necessary work, he told Channel 4 News.

Meanwhile, the Lib Dems chief whip Wendy Chamberlain has written to cabinet secretary Simon Case to urge him to investigate whether Ms Braverman instructed her special adviser to deny that she had been done for speeding.

The Home Office and Ms Bravermans aide have been approached for comment.
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A Labour government wouldnt turn to immigration as the easy answer to plugging workforce shortages, Rachel Reeves has said.

The shadow chancellor said Britons should be trained to fill vacancies in sectors such as data science and in the NHS.

It comes after Labour chairwoman Anneliese Dodds last week indicated migration could increase in the short term if the party comes to power, but would ultimately be reduced by addressing the domestic skills shortage.

Asked about her colleagues comments, Ms Reeves told the Sun: What I want to see is people who are already in Britain being trained up for the jobs that are available in the economy there are many people who are not in work who with the right support, could get into work.

There are many people who are not in work with the right support, could get into work Rachel Reeves

Simply allowing in foreign workers to take British jobs doesnt make any sense at all, she told the newspaper during a trip to the United States.

If weve got a shortage of data scientists, if weve got a shortage of nurses or doctors, and the Migration Advisory Council are saying we need to bring people in, then we should then be training those people.

There are many people who are not in work with the right support, could get into work.

She spoke of devolving work support programmes to a local level, as well as reforms in childcare and the NHS as ways to help millions of economically inactive people into employment.

Westminster is braced for fresh data that is expected to show net migration reached record levels last year.

The Office of National Statistics is set to publish figures this week that could show net migration  the number of people arriving via legal means, subtracted from the amount leaving the country  reached at least 700,000 in the 12 months up to December 2022.

That will exceed the record of 500,000 set in the year to June 2022 and is substantially higher than the 226,000 level which stood when the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto promised that overall numbers will come down following the introduction of post-Brexit border controls.

Earlier on Monday, Sir Keir Starmer told BBCs Today programme he would expect it to come down and I want it to come down from 500,000.

The Labour leader declined to put a number on it when repeatedly pressed, saying previous governments tended to miss targets, but that the direction of travel for net migration would be downwards.
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Overseas students apart from postgraduates on research programmes will be banned from bringing dependents to the UK from January 2024 as the Government attempts to curb net migration.

The package, announced ahead of figures on Thursday which are expected to show net migration running at record levels, amounts to the single biggest tightening measure a government has ever done.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told his Cabinet that around 136,000 visas were granted to dependents in 2022, an eightfold increase from 16,000 in 2019.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman told MPs: This package strikes the right balance between acting decisively on tackling net migration and protecting the economic benefits that students can bring to the UK.

Now is the time for us to make these changes to ensure an impact on net migration as soon as possible. We expect this package to have a tangible impact on net migration.

Taken together with the easing of temporary factors, we expect net migration to fall to pre-pandemic levels in the medium term.

The package strips international students of the right to bring dependents unless they are on postgraduate courses currently designated as research programmes and removes the ability for international students to switch out of the student visa route into work before their studies have been completed.

Taken together with the easing of temporary factors, we expect net migration to fall to pre-pandemic levels in the medium term. Suella Braverman

The measures also include reviewing the maintenance requirements for students and dependents and steps to clamp down on unscrupulous education agents who may be supporting inappropriate applications to sell immigration, not education, the Prime Ministers spokesman said.

Alongside that there will be better communication around the immigration rules to the higher education sector and to international students, and improved and targeted enforcement activity.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman told MPs: This package strikes the right balance between acting decisively on tackling net migration and protecting the economic benefits that students can bring to the UK.

Now is the time for us to make these changes to ensure an impact on net migration as soon as possible. We expect this package to have a tangible impact on net migration.

Taken together with the easing of temporary factors, we expect net migration to fall to pre-pandemic levels in the medium term.

Ministers are struggling to balance a political commitment to reduce net migration with the economic needs of businesses to find staff to fill vacancies.

Mrs Braverman suggested the dependents of students were likely to make a more limited contribution to the economy than migrants coming under the skilled worker route.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), in an upbeat assessment of the UKs economy, suggested that addressing labour shortages could trigger greater growth.

It suggested fine-tuning the immigration system to alleviate sectoral and skilled labour shortages and enhance labour market flexibility.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: We have the flexibility to use our points-based system to ensure that we have the right numbers coming in, that match our needs.

But youve got the commitment from the Prime Minister, that net migration needs to come down.

Former Bank of England economist Andy Haldane, who sits on the chancellors council of economic advisers, told the BBC the UK should be liberal in our visa policies to fill skills gaps.
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Alice Sebold, the author of the best-selling novel The Lovely Bones, and Anthony Broadwater, the man who was wrongfully convicted of raping her, have both spoken out, months after his exoneration.

Ms Sebold and Mr Broadwater spoke to journalist Rachel Aviv, for an article published on Monday (22 May) in The New Yorker.

I still dont know where to go with this but to grief and to silence and to shame, Ms Sebold wrote to Ms Aviv.

Mr Broadwater told Ms Aviv: We both went through the fire. You see movies about rape and the young lady is scrubbing herself in the shower, over and over. And Im saying to myself, Damn, I feel the same way. Will it ever be gone from my memory, my mind, my thoughts? No. And its not going to be gone for her, either.

Ms Sebold was a college student when she was raped in Syracuse, New York in 1981. Mr Broadwater, a Black man, was arrested and convicted of the attack in 1982, despite the fact that  as noted by The Associated Press  Ms Sebold had not recognized him in a lineup.

Anthony Broadwater outside court after his exoneration in 2021 (Syracuse.com )

Mr Broadwater was released from prison in 1999, but was not exonerated until November 2021, when a judge overturned his conviction. Defence lawyer David Hammond said the wrongful conviction happened as the result of junk science hair analysis and a faulty identification, Syracuse.com reported at the time.

Im not going to sully this proceeding by saying, Im sorry. That doesnt cut it, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said at the time, according to Syracuse.com. This should never have happened.

Mr Broadwater was reported in March to have settled a lawsuit against New York State for $5.5m over his wrongful conviction.
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Bryan Kohbergers sister feared that her brother was involved in the stabbings of four University of Idaho students before police swooped on their parents home and arrested him for murder, according to a bombshell report.

Sources told NBCs Dateline that one of the accused killers older siblings grew increasingly suspicious of her brother and his behaviour when the family gathered to spend the holidays together.

Her suspicions were so great that  at one point  several family members searched Mr Kohbergers white Hyundai Elantra for possible evidence of the crime, they said.

Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were found brutally stabbed to death in the off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, that the three women shared with two other roommates on 13 November.

For more than six weeks, no suspects were publicly identified and leads appeared to have gone cold.

In mid-December, Mr Kohberger  a 28-year-old criminology PhD student at Washington State University (WSU)  embarked on a cross-country trip with his father from his student rental home in Pullman, Washington, back to the family home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, to spend the holidays together.

But, during his time at home, his family members noticed that he was behaving somewhat bizarrely.

The source said that Mr Kohberger was constantly wearing latex gloves, including inside their own home.

One of his two older sisters began to wonder if he could have played a part in the murders  and, at one point, she raised her concerns with her other family members.

She loudly pointed out that, at the time of the murders, her brother was living just a few miles from the crime scene and that he drove a white Hyundai Elantra  the make and colour of vehicle at the centre of the investigation.

Along with his bizarre tendency to wear latex gloves at all time, she believed that the family should consider that Mr Kohberger might have killed the four victims, the source said.

Mr Kohbergers father allegedly defended his son and insisted he could not have been involved.

But the concerns were clearly big enough for several of the family members to reportedly decide to search the 28-year-olds vehicle to look for possible evidence.

Bryan Kohberger is accused of killing Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin (PA police)

By that point, police said Mr Kohberger had already been spotted cleaning his car out with bleach and so the family members didnt find anything of note, the source said.

It is not clear if Mr Kohberger was aware of his family members suspicions that he could have been behind the murders  or what prior behaviour may have led his own sister to suspect him capable of carrying out such a brutal crime.

Soon after, in the early hours of 30 December, law enforcement descended on the family home and arrested him for the murders.

At the time of his arrest, the source said Mr Kohberger was wide awake standing in the kitchen wearing latex gloves and putting his personal trash in plastic bags to take it out to a neighbours trash can.

An attorney close to Mr Kohbergers family declined to comment on the revelations outlined in Datelines The Killings on King Road.

On Monday (22 May), he will appear in court for his arraignment on four counts of first-degree murder and burglary.

The 28-year-old is scheduled to be arraigned in Latah County Court in Moscow, Idaho, where he is expected to enter a plea on the charges.

Mr Kohberger had been due to appear in court for a week-long preliminary hearing on 26 June, where the prosecution would lay out the case and evidence against the suspect.

However, on 16 May, a grand jury indicted Mr Kohberger on the charges, paving the way for the case to proceed without and leading to the cancellation of the preliminary hearing.

Mr Kohberger is accused of breaking into the student home in the early hours of 13 November and stabbing the four students to death in a horror attack that rocked the college town of Moscow and sent shockwaves across America.

The motive remains unknown and it is still unclear what connection the WSU PhD student had to the University of Idaho students  if any  prior to the murders.

However, the affidavit, released in January, revealed that Mr Kohbergers DNA was found on a knife sheath left behind at the scene of the murders.

It also revealed that his white Hyundai Elantra was caught on surveillance footage at the crime scene and that one of the surviving roommates came face to face with the killer  masked, dressed in head to toe black and with bushy eyebrows  as he left the home in the aftermath of the murders.

Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin (Jazzmin Kernodle)

New details have also emerged about what was found during an initial search of his apartment and a rental storage unit.

The court documents show that two items found in his apartment tested positive for blood.

The two items were a mattress cover on the bed and an uncased pillow, both of which had visible reddish brown stains.

The documents do not reveal who the blood belongs to.

Investigators seized a string of other items from his home including possible human and animal hair strands, a disposable glove and a computer.

The murder weapon  a fixed-blade knife  has still never been found.

As a criminal justice PhD student at WSU, Mr Kohberger lived just 15 minutes from the victims over the Idaho-Washington border in Pullman. He had moved there from Pennsylvania and began his studies there that summer, having just completed his first semester before his arrest.

Before this, he studied criminology at DeSales University  first as an undergraduate and then finishing his graduate studies in June 2022.

Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves pictured together before their murders (Instagram)

While there, he studied under renowned forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland who interviewed the BTK serial killer and co-wrote the book Confession of a Serial Killer: The Untold Story of Dennis Rader, the BTK Killer with him.

He also carried out a research project to understand how emotions and psychological traits influence decision-making when committing a crime.

Now, he is facing life in prison or the death penalty for the murders that have rocked the small college town of Moscow and hit headlines around the globe.
South Africa: Experts want every diarrhoea case to be treated as suspected Cholera

Experts are advising healthcare workers to treat all diarrhoea cases as suspected Cholera until proven otherwise.

This is while government is working tirelessly to contain the spread of the disease that has already claimed 15 lives in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria.

Head of the Centre for Enteric Diseases at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), Dr Juno Thomas, said the hallmark of cholera is acute watery diarrhoea.

This is defined as diarrhoea lasting less than seven days, which is typically watery, non-bloody liquid stools that may contain a bit of mucous, she explained, adding that diarrhoea is three or more stools within 24 hours.

Speaking during a webinar on Tuesday, she said 20% of those infected with cholera  caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae  develop acute watery diarrhoea and most patients may vomit, while fever is mostly absent.

The classical appearance of stool in severe cases is described as rice water.

However, according to Thomas, in many cases with mild to moderate cholera, stool is watery but coloured.

Therefore, any acute watery stool, regardless of colour, must be regarded as suspected cholera.

According to the latest data, Gauteng and Free State are the hardest hit, while another case of cholera has been detected in another province yet to be confirmed.

South Africa reported its first cholera death in February after the virus arrived in the country from Malawi.

Locally acquired cases are of great concern because it often means there are many infections that have not been identified.

Ideally, Thomas said, clinicians should alert the lab before submitting a specimen from a suspected cholera case.

Patient management must never wait for a laboratory diagnosis. The laboratory diagnosis is for public health action and not to guide individual patient management, she stressed.

Meanwhile, Wits Universitys infectious diseases specialist, Dr Jeremy Nel, said it was uncommon for adults to have severe dehydration from diarrhoea.

So, always think of cholera, Nel stressed.

If you get the fluids right in cholera, youre almost fine  Remember that fluid hydration is 90% of the management of cholera. If you get this right, even if you dont have antibiotics and forget about other components, youre almost certain youll be saving their lives.

Therefore, he said it was important for clinicians not to delay rehydrating the patient.

The oral volume of fluid for moderate cases can be excessive, so intravenous administration of some or all of the fluid is often necessary.

Meanwhile, the Department of Healths Aneliswa Cele, said as of 21 May 2023, cholera has been reported in at least 24 countries, of which 15 are in Africa.

Given the ongoing cholera outbreaks in the South African region, there is a high possibility of continued importation of cases to South Africa.

Cele urged clinicians to maintain a high index of suspension for cholera in patients who present acute watery diarrhoea.

Surveillance measures should be strengthened to enable early detection of cases. That is why in Free State, for instance, we have a national team on the ground to support the provincial team.

In the meantime, Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu has sent technical teams to work with the City of Tshwane and the Department of Health in response to the cholera outbreak.

He has since directed the City of Tshwane to stop supplying water from the Temba Water Treatment plant after the tests found that the drinking water quality does not meet the minimum drinking water quality.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-05-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
 Close Moment Idaho student murders suspect arrives in court for arraignment

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Police in Pennsylvania have spoken out about the possible connection between Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger and the death of a woman whose body was found almost a year after her disappearance.

It emerged this week that Mr Kohbergers parents had been ordered to testify before a grand jury investigating the disappearance and death of Dana Smithers, 45.

Smithers vanished without a trace in May 2022 from Monroe County, Pennsylvania  where Mr Kohberger was living at the time. Her remains were found last month in a wooded area, her cause of death still unknown.

A source told CNN that the accused killers mother had already given evidence to the grand jury while his father was appearing to testify on Thursday.

Stroud Area Regional Police Department has now issued a statement insisting there is NO EVIDENCE that Dana Smithers disappearance, is in ANY WAY tied to Idaho murder suspect Bryan Kohberger.

The development comes days after Mr Kohberger was arraigned on four counts of murder and one count of burglary in Moscow, Idaho.

Mr Kohberger is accused of killing Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20, on 13 November.
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The grieving family of slain University of Idaho Kaylee Goncalves has complained to the court after the judge presiding over their daughters murder case mispronounced her name.

Bryan Kohberger, accused of the 13 November stabbings of Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, appeared in Latah County Court in Moscow to enter a plea on Monday (22 May).

During the brief hearing, Judge John Judge informed Mr Kohberger of his rights, the charges against him and the penalties  including the death penalty  if he is convicted.

But while reading out the charges, the judge mispronounced two of the victims names. First, he appeared to call Goncalves Kayla and then struggled to pronounce Kernodles first name, ultimately saying Zana.

This is hard, Im sorry, the judge told the court.

According to reporters present during the hearing, Goncalves sister Alivea Goncalves was seen shaking her head in disapproval. Ms Goncalves later complained to the victim assistance coordinator, COURTV reported.

Before the hearing kicked off on Monday, the grieving sister was seen arriving in court with her parents and newborn baby, who she named in part after Goncalves and Mogen.

Latah County Judge John C. Judge presides over an arraignment hearing for Bryan Kohberger (Reuters)

Mondays hearing appears to be the first time Judge Judge presided over a hearing in which Mr Kohberger was present. He has been on the district court bench since 2008.

Mr Kohberger last appeared in court on 12 January to waive his rights to an expedited preliminary hearing, with Judge Megan Marshall presiding at the time.

In an unusual move on Monday, Mr Kohbergers attorney said that he was standing silent on the charges, leaving the judge to enter not-guilty pleas on his behalf.

Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court on Monday 22 May (AP)

Shackled and dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit with what appeared to be protective armour underneath, the accused killer entered the courtroom just after 9am PT, giving his attorney Anne Taylor a brief smile as he sat down next to her.

The judge went through each count individually, saying aloud each of the victims names.

Mr Kohberger showed no emotion or expression as he stared straight ahead at the judge while hearing the names of the students who he is accused of violently killing.

Mr Kohberger spoke only to answer defiantly and loudly yes and yes I do when asked if he understood the charges, maximum penalties and his rights in the court.

The prosecution now has 60 days to confirm whether or not they are seeking the death penalty in the case.

Mr Kohberger is accused of breaking into an off-campus student home on King Road and stabbing the victims to death with a large, military-style knife.

FILE - Bryan Kohberger, left, looks toward his attorney, public defender Anne Taylor, right, during a hearing in Latah County Court

Two other female roommates lived with the three women at the property and were home at the time of the massacre but survived.

One of the survivors  Dylan Mortensen  came face to face with the masked killer, dressed in head to toe black and with bushy eyebrows, as he left the home in the aftermath of the murders, according to the criminal affidavit.

For more than six weeks, no arrests were made and no suspects named before law enforcement swooped on Mr Kohbergers family home in Albrightsville, Pennsylvania, on 30 December and arrested him for the quadruple murders.

Ethan Chapin, 20, Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20 and Kaylee Goncalves, 21 (Instagram/Kaylee Goncalves)

An affidavit released in January revealed that Mr Kohbergers DNA was found on a knife sheath left behind at the scene of the murders

It also revealed that his white Hyundai Elantra was caught on surveillance footage close to the crime scene.

New details have emerged since about what was found during an initial search of his apartment in Pullman and a rental storage unit. The court documents show that two items found in his apartment  a mattress cover on the bed and an uncased pillow  tested positive for blood.

Judge Judge has set Mr Kohbergers trial date for 2 October 2023 following a request by Mr Kohbergers attorney to set the date as late as possible. The trial is expected to take around six weeks.
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A former sheriffs deputy has been sentenced to at least 35 years in prison for murdering of his married girlfriend after she insulted his penis size.

Jason Cunningham, 48, fatally shot 37 -year-old Nicole Harrington in the back of the head in a parking garage elevator in downtown Augusta in June 2020, authorities say.

Augusta District Attorney Jared Williams said in a statement that Cunningham had become incensed after Harrington insulted the size of his manhood.

Cunningham was then involved in an eight-hour stand-off with Columbia County deputies at a boat ramp at Clarks Hill Lake before being taken into custody.

On Monday, Cunningham was sentenced to 30 years after pleading guilty to murder, and a further five years for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

According to an affidavit obtained by WRDW, Cunningham claimed he had gone to meet Harrington to end their affair.

Former Richmond County deputy Jason Cunningham was sentenced to at least 35 years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend (Richmond County Sheriffs Office)

He told investigators the pair started to argue, and he shot her in the head as she entered an elevator.

This was an extramarital affair in which the defendant was living a double life, District Attorney Williams said.

Mother of three Nicole Harrington, 37, was murdered by former Georgia deputy Jason Cunningham in 2020 (Instagram)

Cunningham resigned from the Richmond County Sheriffs Office in 2018 when he tested positive for an illegal substance after he was involved in an accident while on duty, WFXG reported.

Harrington, from Florida, was survived by three children.

Cunningham also worked as a marketing manager for Forces United, a veterans support organisation in Georgia.
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Donald Trump appeared virtually in Manhattan criminal court on 23 May for the first time since he was charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.

Judge Juan Merchan disclosed the terms of a protective order that prohibits the former president from publicly discussing evidence in the case after prosecutors with the New York District Attorneys office share information with Mr Trumps legal team in a case stemming from hush money payments during his 2016 campaign.

A trial is set to begin on 25 March 2024, days after voting begins in Republican presidential primaries as Mr Trump once again seeks the GOP nomination. He has pleaded not guilty.

Mr Trump grew agitated with the announcement of the trial date, waved his hands and shook his head in disapproval, then folded his arms in frustration as he begins to stare down what could be a weeks-long trial in a critical period in the middle of his 2024 campaign.

Prosecutors have argued that a protective order was necessary to keep Mr Trump  who already has repeatedly lashed out against Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg and Judge Merchan  from broadcasting information about the case before a jury has been selected and a trial begins.

Mr Trump will be allowed to publicly discuss the case and defend himself in the public sphere, as he continues to adamantly reject the charges as a witch hunt against him, but he risks being held in contempt of court if he uses any evidence handed to his team in an attempt to target witnesses, court staff or others involved with the case.

On Tuesday, the former president appeared on a video screen in front of two American flags with golden fringes, seated next to his attorney Todd Blanche.

A six-page order on 8 May prohibits the presumptive frontrunner for the Republican nomination for president, who has used his online bully pulpit with an audience of obedient followers to broadcast veiled threats and insults at his perceived enemies, from disseminating covered materials on social media platforms including, but not limited, to Truth Social, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, Snapchat, or YouTube, without prior approval from the court.

Mr Trump also cannot disclose the names and identifying information of any personnel from the Manhattan district attorneys office, other than sworn members of law enforcement, assistant district attorneys, and expert or fact witnesses (other than summary witnesses) until a jury has been selected, according to the order. Mr Baggs office can also redact identifying information from discovery materials, the judge has said.

The former president is very concerned that his First Amendment rights are being violated by this protective order, Mr Blanche told the judge on Tuesday.

Its certainly not a gag order, Judge Merchan said.

Its certainly not my intention in any way to impede Mr Trumps ability to campaign ... Hes certainly free to deny the charges, he added. Hes free to do just about anything that doesnt violate the specific terms of this protective order.

(via REUTERS)

Mr Trump, his former attorney Michael Cohen and the former owner of the National Enquirer David Pecker allegedly worked in concert toidentify, purchase, and bury negative information about him and boost his electoral prospects leading up to the 2016 presidential election, according to prosecutors.

The alleged payments were used to cover up sex scandals as part of a conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the 2016 election, according to prosecutors.

Hours after he first appeared in criminal court on 4 April, after the judge warned him against making any incendiary remarks or personal attacks, Mr Trump immediately flew back to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where he went on to do just that.

I have a Trump-hating judge, with a Trump-hating wife and family, he said that night.

He called Mr Bragg a local failed district attorney and a criminal who should resign.

The former president is at the centre of several other civil and criminal investigations, including a $250m lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James, special counsel probes from the US Department of Justice into January 6 and mishandling of classified White House documents at Mar-a-Lago, and a criminal case in Georgia stemming from his attempts to pressure officials to overturn that states election results in 2020.

Earlier this month, a federal jury found Mr Trump liable for for battery and defamation in a lawsuit from the writer E Jean Carroll, who said the former president raped her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s.

Jurors agreed that Mr Trump sexually abused her and then defamed her when he denied her allegations. She was awarded $5m in damages for both claims.
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A 19-year-old man has been charged with threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or their family members after allegedly ramming a truck into bollards outside a park near the White House.

Sai Varshith Kandula was arrested after intentionally crashing a U-Haul box truck into barriers outside Lafayette Park in Washington DC at roughly 9.40pm on 22 May, according to US Park Police and US Secret Service.

He has also been charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

News agencies photographed police officers removing a Nazi flag from the truck and examining the flag on the ground. A black backpack and a roll of duct tape also appear to have been removed from the truck. The trucks cargo area appeared to be empty.

He allegedly told police that he wanted to seize power and kill the president, according to a statement of facts filed by a Secret Service agent in court documents released on 23 May.

He purchased the flag online because he admires authoritarian nature, Eugenics, and their one world order, according to court filings. Mr Kandula also said he admires Adolf Hitler as a strong leader.

Asked by police how we would plan seize power, he allegedly said that he would kill the president if thats what I have to do and would hurt anyone that would stand in my way, according to court filings.

He allegedly told police that he had planend the attack for six months, outlined in a green book, according to filings.

Mr Kandula, from the St Louis suburb of Chesterfield, Missouri, graduated from Marquette Senior High School in 2022, according to the Rockwood School District.

A LinkedIn profile that appears to match that description shows an interest in a career in data analytics with experience and certification in programming and coding languages.

He allegedly traveled from Missouri to Dulles International Airport with a one-way ticket, then rented the truck and drove towards the White House, according to authorities.

Sai Varshith Kandula is pictured in a Marquette High School yearbook image from 2022, courtesy of the Rockwood School District (Rockwood School District)

Police have declined to publicly provide further details about the nature of the alleged attack or information about the suspect. Law enforcement officials also indicated the suspect made threatening statements during his arrest.

There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel and the cause and manner of the crash remain under investigation, Anthony Guglielmi, the Secret Service chief of communications, said in a statement on Monday night.

The nearby Hay Adams hotel evacuated guests from the building shortly after the crash but allowed them back into the building by 1am ET.

A bystander taking a selfie near a rented box truck is moved away by a US Secret Service agent as law enforcement agencies investigate the truck that crashed into security barriers at Lafayette Park across from the White House (REUTERS)

Following the crash and the release of the suspects name, a wave of accounts on Elon Musks Twitter sought to portray the incident as a false flag or a hoax, echoing similar baseless statements in the aftermath of the mass shooting at a Texas mall earlier this month after the gunman was revealed as an alleged neo-Nazi with SS and swastika tattoos.

Right-wing pundits including Donald Trump Jr and other personalities and accounts on the social media network continue to falsely suggest that news organisations are labelling the crash suspect as a white supremacist in an attempt to undermine both the attack and threats of white supremacist violence.

This was initially published on 23 May and has been updated with developments
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Donald Trump launched a fresh defamatory attack on E Jean Carroll hours after her lawyers formally asked to amend her remaining defamation lawsuit against the ex-president to include his smears at a CNN town hall.

Ms Carrolls attorney Roberta Kaplan filed a proposed update to the $10m Manhattan civil court complaint on Monday to include comments made by Mr Trump after he was found liable for the sexual assault and defamation at a jury trial in New York.

Mr Trump made a perhaps unsurprising move in response, delivering a new compounded salvo via Truth Social on Tuesday morning.

I dont know E. Jean Carroll, I never met her or touched her (except on a celebrity line with her African American husband who she disgustingly called the Ape,), he wrote. I wouldnt want to know or touch her, I never abused her or raped her or took her to a dressing room 25 years ago in a crowded department store where the doors are LOCKED, she has no idea when, or did anything else to her, except deny her Fake, Made Up Story, that she wrote in a book. IT NEVER HAPPENED, IS A TOTAL SCAM, UNFAIR TRIAL!

Mr Trump has previously accused Ms Carroll of calling her husband ape, without any evidence.

His latest statement included some of the very same prior comments that Ms Kaplan cited in Mondays filing.

He doubled down on his prior defamatory statements, asserting to an audience all too ready to cheer him on that I never met this woman. I never saw this woman, that he did not sexually assault Carroll, and that her account  which had just been validated by a jury of Trumps peers one day before  was a fake, made up story invented by a whack job, the proposed amended lawsuit states.

Those statements resulted in enthusiastic cheers and applause from the audience on live TV, the suit adds.

Ms Carroll sued the former president for defamation after he angrily denied allegations in her 2019 memoir that he had sexually assaulted her in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman in the 1990s.

In 2022, after New York opened a one-year window for survivors of sexual assault to sue their accusers regardless of when the alleged attacks occurred, Ms Carroll sued him in a separate lawsuit for battery and defamation.

On 9 May the jury deliberating over the second lawsuit awarded Ms Carroll $5m in damages after finding she had proved the case on a preponderous of evidence.

E Jean Carroll emerges triumphant from a Manhattan courthouse after she was awarded $5m from Donald Trump for sexual assault and battery (Associated Press)

Mr Trump has appealed the $5m jury verdict.

The day after the jury returned its verdict, Mr Trump appeared on a CNN town hall where he branded her sexual abuse claim against him fake and a made up story.

Ms Carroll told The New York Times in an interview that Mr Trumps comments on CNN were stupid, disgusting and vile.

Ms Carrolls initial defamation lawsuit, dubbed Carroll I, became bogged down in litigation after Mr Trump asked the Justice Department to defend him. The case is currently before a lower court, awaiting a possible trial date.

Her attorney Ms Kaplan on Monday said in the amended complaint that the ex-president has sought to delay and evade these proceedings in every way he could.

At trial, Ms Carroll testified that she was leaving Bergdorf Goodman when she had a chance encounter with Mr Trump some time in 1996.

The meeting was friendly at first, but Mr Trump later led her to a dressing room on the 6th floor luxury department store and shoved her up against a wall before violating her.

Ms Carroll told the jury that she had been fearful of speaking out about the assault, and only told two close friends.

Despite complaining that he was not receiving a fair trial, Mr Trump declined to give evidence on his own behalf.

Instead, the jury was played the infamous Access Hollywood tapes, in which he boasted that stars were able to get away with sexually assaulting women.
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A man lost an arm after he was attacked by an alligator when he fell into a pond behind a Florida bar.

Jordan Rivera, 23, says he tripped and was attacked as he went to relieve himself behind Banditos bar in Port Charlotte because the lines for the bathroom were too long.

When he fell into the pond the 10ft long alligator attacked and bit off his right arm above the elbow.

Bar patrons ran outside when they heard Mr Rivera shouting for help, dragged him out of the water and applied a tourniquet to prevent him from bleeding to death.

I didnt lose my life, I lost an arm, its not the end of the world, you know, Mr Rivera told NBC2 from his hospital bed.

Jordan Rivera lost right arm in alligator attack behind Florida bar (NBC2)

And he explained what led to the horrific attack.

I ended up walking over to the water hole, I didnt realise how big it was at the time, as I was going over there something happened where I either tripped or the ground below me just went down, Mr Rivera said.

I ended up in the water. And thats literally the last thing I remember.

He said the next thing he knew he was in a hospital bed and was missing his arm.

Confusion. I was like Whoa. Because I just woke up and I was just sitting here. And I looked over and I saw my arm the way it was and I was like, Whoa, he said. It kind of feels like my arm is just there, but not there.

And he said he wanted to thank the rescuers who had saved his life.

The first thing I would do is shake the mans hand, Mr Rivera said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission say that trappers were brought in to remove the alligator, which was then euthanised.

Mr Riveras mother, Teresa Lessa, told the news station that she was grateful her son had survived the attack, even with a major injury.

Thats the best thing, is that I have him. Yes, arm gone, very traumatic. But hes here, Teresa Lessa said.

And she added: I call them angels, that were there, that saved his life. The chance of someone being there with a tourniquet, to me, its a miracle that hes here.

There are around 1.3 million alligators in Florida, and they are found in all 67 counties of the state, according to FWC.

The agency says that over the last 10 years, Florida has averaged eight unprovoked alligator bites per pear that require professional medical treatment.

That means the chance of a Florida resident being seriously injured in an alligator attack is around one in 3.1 million, the agency states.
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A Florida school has banned elementary students from reading several works in its library, including The Hills We Climb, the poem written and read by Amanda Gorman at Joe Bidens inauguration as president.

The poem will now only be accessible to middle school students at the Bob Graham Education Center in Miami Lakes, Florida, according to The Miami Herald.

The poem, which received international acclaim, was one of several texts reportedly challenged by a parent of two students for referencing critical race theory or gender ideology.

Daily Salinas, the parent, also challenged three books; The ABCs of Black History, Cuban Kids, Countries in the News Cuba, and Love to Langston, the newspaper reported.

Ms Salinas told the Herald in Spanish that she is not for eliminating or censoring any books but wants appropriate material that allows students to know the truth about Cuba.

A school committee made up of three teachers, a library media specialist, a guidance counsellor and the schools principal, decided that Countries in the News Cuba, was balanced and age-appropriate in its wording and presentation and would be kept available for all students.

It determined that the four other works were more appropriate for middle school students and would be moved to their area of the school library.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a string of laws over the last year targeting education, including a measure that restricts honest discussions of race and racism and another that prohibits classroom instruction related to gender or sexuality from kindergarten through high school, what opponents have called the Dont Say Gay law.

So they ban my book from young readers, confuse me with @oprah , fail to specify what parts of my poetry they object to, refuse to read any reviews, and offer no alternativesUnnecessary #bookbans like these are on the rise, and we must fight back  DONATE here: pic.twitter.com/p96dlnrSp4  Amanda Gorman (@TheAmandaGorman) May 23, 2023

The number of book challenges across the state has risen since the laws introduction, The Herald reported.

Ms Gorman took to Twitter on Tuesday to mock the ban and posted the form that was submitted claiming the poem had been written by Oprah Winfrey.

So they ban my book from young readers, confuse me with (Oprah Winfrey) fail to specify what parts of my poetry they object to, refuse to read any reviews, and offer no alternativesUnnecessary book bans like these are on the rise, and we must fight back, she tweeted.
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Two hikers were found dead after a flash flood swept them away and carried their bodies for miles along a Utah Canyon, say officials.

Gary York, 65, and John Walter, 72, were killed in Buckskin Gulch after they were caught by surprise and swept away by the rushing wall of water, according to Kane County Sheriffs Office.

Authorities say that the alarm was raised on 21 May when a group hiking the Paria River found a dead male in the canyon, just over the border in Arizona.

Gary York and John Walter killed by flash flooding in Utah canyon (Kane County Sheriffs Office)

The male had no identification on him so deputies began looking for vehicles at trailheads in the area to try and work out who the victim was.

The following day, the sheriffs office received a call from an Ohio police department saying they had received a call about two overdue hikers who had failed to make contact with their families.

They had not been heard from since Saturday afternoon as they hiked five miles into Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch, said the agency.

York, who was from West Chester Township, was identified from photos sent to the sheriffs office.

Search and rescue teams then began working their way through Buckskin Gulch where the body of Walter, who was from Kettering, Ohio, was found.

Buckskin Gulch (also known as Buckskin Creek, Buckskin Wash, and Kaibab Gulch) is a gulch and slot canyon in southern Kane County, Utah in the United States, near the Arizona border. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

York was carried nearly 10 miles down the canyon, while Walter was carried between seven to eight miles, deputies said.

Again, we have witnessed the relentless power and danger of flash flooding in Kane Countys slot canyons, the sheriffs office said in a statement.

In March, two men from Florida drowned in flooding in the same canyon, a 16-mile hike through slot canyons near the Utah-Arizona border
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A woman in Minnesota who mistakenly flushed her wedding ring down the toilet has finally found it 13 years later.

Oh my gosh, this is my ring, said 71-year-old Mary Strand earlier this week at the metropolitan council office in Rogers when she was presented with the gold and diamond ring.

Its nice to see it again.

The wastewater treatment workers with the Twin Cities' Metropolitan Council found a ring buried in grit and muck next to a chisel and a clamp while working at a plant in March.

The council received hundreds of claims from people saying they lost the ring but they were finally able to find the owner with the help of old photos and jeweler Paul Hartquist.

Ms Strand said her daughter spotted the ring on television after WCCO ran a story about the council officials hoping to find the rightful owner. "My daughter called me and she said, 'Mom, you're never going to believe this, but I just saw Frank Vascellaro do a story about your ring'," Ms Strand said.

Met council maintenance manager John Tierney said he was "optimistic that we would find somebody and I'm glad for these two".

The ring was a gift to Ms Strand from her husband, David, on their 33rd anniversary in 2010. The couple have been married for 46 years.

The ring didn't fit properly and after a few months of wearing it, the ring fell into the toilet, she said.

Mary Strand was reunited with the ring after 13 years (Screengrab/ Metropolitan Council)

I am standing there washing my hands and I reached over and I flushed it and I am watching this ring swirl around, Ms Strand said, explaining how she lost the ring.

I dove for the ring and it went down the drain.

Her husband, who reportedly has his own drain and sewer business, tried to find the ring, but even his expertise failed.

"We put a camera down the line, a sewer camera, it goes 200 feet down the line, and we didnt see anything, Mr Strand said. That was it. We wrote it off.

Although the ring isn't in a wearable condition after making rounds of sewers for 13 years, Ms Strand said she was just "glad to have it back, because you can get it reset".

Ms Strand, as it turns out, has lost other rings in the past.

According to the Washington Post, she previously lost her original engagement ring and a ring studded with five sapphires that her co-workers had given her as a Christmas gift.
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A search is underway for a missing Oregon teen who is believed to be endangered.

The Oregon City Police Department is asking for the publics assistance in locating 12-year-old Alaysia Shelby.

Alaysia is believed to have run away from her home on Monday (22 May).

She has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing cargo pants, a dark-coloured zip-up sweatshirt, and Nike shoes.

Alaysia is 57 ft and weighs 135 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oregon City Police Department at 503-655-82110728.
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Former president Donald Trump fired out three furious all-caps posts on his Truth Social page on 18 March, invoking images of burning cities and World War III while stoking unrest with a call for his supporters to protest, protest, protest what he predicted would be his arrest in New York.

Alvin Bragg  the Manhattan district attorney whose office is overseeing a criminal investigation into the former presidents business practices following long-running allegations of fraud  issued a memo to his staff in response, stressing that he does not tolerate attempts to intimidate our office or threaten the rule of law in New York.

His internal message did not mention the former president by name or his incendiary rhetoric, but he referred to public comments surrounding an ongoing investigation by this office.

As with all of our investigations, we will continue to apply the law evenly and fairly, and speak publicly only when appropriate, he said.

On March 30, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Mr Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, making him the first former president to ever face criminal charges. Prosecutors accuse him of attempting to cover up an illegal scheme to suppress negative stories about him in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

Like all defendants facing criminal charges, Mr Trump was processed before appearing in court on Tuesday 4 April, with his fingerprints taken. However, he was not placed in handcuffs and a mugshot was not taken.

At his arraignment that day, Mr Trump pled not guilty to all charges before flying back to Mar-a-Lago in time to deliver a prime-time address that night.

No matter who you are, we cannot and will not normalise serious criminal conduct, said Mr Bragg at a press conference that afternoon.

Throughout the prosecution, right-wing opponents have bombarded Mr Braggs office with claims of election interference or raised baseless conspiracy theories, including antisemitic and racist attacks, that accuse Mr Bragg of leading a politically motivated case against the 2024 candidate for president.

Mr Trumps allies and right-wing pundits have baselessly accused Manhattan prosecutors of mounting a politically motivated investigation while ignoring violent crime.

Last year, homicides in New York City fell by 12 per cent while shootings dropped by 17 per cent compared to 2021, the lowest rates since 2019, and significantly lower than massive surges in 1980s and 1990s. Spikes in robberies and burglaries drove a 22 per cent overall jump in so-called major crimes, and overall crimes dropped precipitously in February with significant decreases in murders, shootings and subway crimes, continuing what New York City Police Department officials report as a downward trend.

The former president and other right-wing conspiracy theorists have also placed Mr Bragg at the centre of antisemitic and racist conspiracy theories, alleging Jewish billionaire philanthropist George Soros is directing Mr Braggs investigation at the expense of the lives of Black New Yorkers. On 19 March, Fox News programme Fox & Friends said that the Black prosecutor has to pay his master back by prosecuting Mr Trump.

Manhattans first-ever Black district attorney was overwhelmingly elected to the role in 2021 with 84 per cent of the boroughs vote.

A criminal investigation into Mr Trumps business empire includes a hush-money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels and long-running allegations that he inflated the value of his properties and assets to fraudulently obtain loans and defraud his lenders, which also is at the centre of a separate civil lawsuit from the office of the New York Attorney General.

Mr Bragg inherited the case from his predecessor Cy Vance, who began his investigation into Mr Trump while he was still in the White House.

The 49-year-old former state attorney and federal prosecutor from Harlem has been involved with lawsuits against the Trump administration more than 100 times.

As the chief deputy attorney general for the state of New York, Mr Bragg led a lawsuit against the Donald J Trump Foundation, which resulted in then-president Trump admitting that he used the organisation for political purposes and for his business under an alleged scheme that the office of New York attorney general called a shocking pattern of illegality. The foundation agreed to pay out $2m to charities and agreed to dissolve.

In November 2021, Mr Bragg handily defeated Republican opponent Thomas Kenniff in a general election for New York County District Attorney. He was sworn into office on 1 January 2022.

In addition to being the first Black district attorney, I think Ill probably be the first district attorney whos had police point a gun at him, Mr Bragg said during a victory speech after his election.

I think Ill be the first district attorney whos had a homicide victim on his doorstop. I think Ill be the first district attorney in Manhattan whos had a semi-automatic weapon pointed at him. I think Ill be the first district attorney in Manhattan whos had a loved one re-enter from incarceration and stay with him, he added. And Im going to govern from that perspective.

An early memo from Mr Braggs office said he would only seek jail time for the most serious offences with a goal to keep non-violent or first-time offenders out of jail, stressing that locking people up does not stop or slow crime. After widespread criticism from police groups and public officials, he later clarified that prosecutors ultimately have that discretion.

But the pledge outraged right-wing tabloids and Republican officials; Mr Braggs policy likely would have had a significant impact on hundreds of people routinely sent to jail for non-violent crimes, an effort that has increasingly seen bipartisan support.

(REUTERS)

Right-wing media and Republican officials routinely painted New York City as lawless and crime-infested, pointing the blame at recent laws aimed at reforming the money bail system.

New Yorks Division of Criminal Justice Services, however, has reported that the re-arrest rate is nearly identical since the reforms were implemented in 2020. Criminologists have not made any meaningful connections between crime rates and so-called progressive prosecutors.

Mr Braggs office and investigations were roundly criticised by Republican candidates across the country in last years elections, including by then-candidate for New York governor Lee Zeldin, a campaign that the GOP hoped would chip away at the states reliable Democratic firewall ahead of 2024.

Mr Zeldin accused the district attorney of abandoning his duties and refusing to enforce the law after Mr Bragg pledged that his office would limit the kinds of cases for which prosecutors would seek prison sentences, a line of attack that echoed across the country as candidates pounced on progressive prosecutors to advance a tough on crime message. (Mr Zeldins campaign also aired a violent advert telling voters to cast their ballots like their lives depended on it.)

While in office, Mr Bragg also opened a new Special Victims Division to focus on sex crimes, human trafficking and domestic violence. The offices hate crimes unit also has expanded with additional prosecutors and investigators.

After he was repeatedly asked that year whether an investigation into Mr Trump and his Trump Organization was still ongoing, Mr Bragg said: It is.

Prosecutors are going through documents, interviewing witnesses and exploring evidence not previously explored, he added.

Mr Trumps former personal attorney Michael Cohen pleaded guilty in 2018 to a federal charge relating to a $130,000 payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels two years earlier in the run up to 2016s presidential election. Notably, the case from federal prosecutors during the Trump administration who outlined Cohens actions made in service of then-President Trump.

The payment allegedly intended to buy Ms Daniels silence before she spoke publicly about an alleged affair with then-candidate Trump. Cohen was allegedly repaid the money he gave to her in payments that could be grounds for felony falsification of business records. Mr Trump has continued to deny the affair.

Mr Trump appeared to be the only person to have leaked news of his predicted arrest. He made similar claims during a federal law enforcement search of his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, publicising that a raid was underway before law enforcement agencies did.

His attacks on the DA didnt end after Mr Trumps arrest and arraignment on 4 April.

In his primetime TV address at Mar-a-Lago on that night he railed against the charges, Mr Bragg and Judge Merchan.

The criminal is the district attorney because he illegally leaked massive amounts of grand jury information, he said to loud applause. For which he should be prosecuted, or at a minimum he should resign.

He also targeted Mr Braggs wife and the Trump hating-judge with a Trump-hating wife and family.

His statements came just hours after Judge Merchan warned Mr Trump against making any threatening posts on social media that could inflame tensions or incite violence, with the former presidents attacks on the DA raising the probability that he could be placed under a gag order.

Judge Merchan intends to issue a protective order limiting what the former president can publicly share about evidence in the case.

This story was initially published on 19 March 2023 and has been updated with developments
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Jack Sweeney, the 20-year-old college student who was once banned from Twitter for posting the real-time movements of Elon Musks jet, has a new aircraft in his sights: that of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

On Monday, Sweeney launched a new Twitter tracker using the name @DeSantisJet that follows the movements of the official Florida jet DeSantis uses for state business. This tracker, like the one he created to follow Musk's private jet, uses public flight information required by aviation authorities.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Sweeney said he also plans to track DeSantis flights on other private aircraft once he can identify them.

Like Sweeneys revamped version of his Musk tracker @elonjet, the DeSantis Twitter tracker reports movements with a 24-hour delay. That delay complies with a Twitter rule change imposed shortly after the company suspended Sweeney's original Musk tracking account in December. Sweeney's Twitter account was later restored.

Sweeney, who is a student at the University of Central Florida, tracks a variety of other private jets used by politicians, technology tycoons and celebrities, a list that includes former President Donald Trump; business titans Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg; and celebrities Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian.

Like other tracking accounts, Sweeney's DeSantis tracker appears on a variety of social platforms ranging from Facebook and Instagram to smaller sites such as Telegram, Mastodon, and Nostr. His Musk tracker also uses accounts on BlueSky, a nascent Twitter alternative, and Truth, a Trump-founded social network.

Sweeney said DeSantis is just becoming someone that people want to know about. The Florida Republican has long given signs of gearing up to run for president in the 2024 election, where he would contend with Trump and several other announced candidates.

The AP reported Tuesday that DeSantis plans to kick off his presidential campaign in a Twitter Spaces chat with Musk on Wednesday, citing two people with knowledge of the decision.
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Joe Biden has again been criticised for saying that his late son Beau Biden lost his life in Iraq  a reference to the presidents long-held belief that toxic burn pits led to the younger Biden passing away from brain cancer at the age of 46.

The president made his latest remarks to US troops stationed in Japan during his trip to the country, after making similar remarks at least twice last year.

My son was a major in the US Army. We lost him in Iraq, said Mr Biden during an informal visit with troops at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni last Thursday in a video obtained by The New York Post.

Right-wing media outlets have attempted to use Mr Bidens comments on Beaus death as a sign that the 80-year-old Democrat has memory issues, ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Mr Bidens son died of brain cancer in 2015 at the Walter Reed military hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.

Last October, Mr Biden made similar comments while designating Camp Hale in Colorado as a national monument.

The area, covering 436 square miles, was the training site of the 10th Mountain Division during the Second World War.

Mr Biden spoke of the bravery of the division as they fought in Italy, before stating that he lost his son in Iraq.

Then US vice president Joe Biden (right) talks with his son, US Army Capt Beau Biden (left) at Camp Victory on the outskirts of Baghdad on 4 July 2009 (AFP via Getty Images)

Just imagine, I mean it sincerely, I say this as a father of a man who won the Bronze Star, the conspicuous service medal, and lost his life in Iraq. Imagine the courage, the daring, and the genuine sacrifice they all made, the president said.

A clip of the moment shared by the conservative Washington Examiner on Twitter has been viewed more than a million times.

Mr Bidens son had served in Iraq between 2008 and 2009 as a member of the Delaware Army National Guard. He was the Delaware Attorney General between 2007 and 2015.

Just months after leaving the post, he passed away at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on 30 May 2015.

After his passing, he was given the Delaware Conspicuous Service Cross for heroism, meritorious service and outstanding achievement.

Joe Biden greeting US soldiers at the US Marine Corps base in Iwakuni (AFP via Getty Images)

Beau Biden died of brain cancer in 2015, more than five years after he returned from a year serving in Iraq. Joe Biden has attributed the cancer to Beau Bidens proximity to burn pits in Iraq, though sometimes conceded he isnt sure, tweeted CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale.

In 2016, then the vice president, Mr Biden said his sons cancer could have been caused by the toxic burn pits he was exposed to during his service in the Middle East.

The New York Times reported that Mr Biden said he was stunned when he read a chapter concerning the death of his son in the book The Burn Pits: The Poisoning of Americas Soldiers by Joseph Hickman.

Guys, Im going to be the biggest pain in your neck as long as I live, until we figure out about these burn pits, he said in a conference room in the congressional complex.

Burn pits were used to get rid of waste, such as plastics, rubber, and batteries, in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The smoke from the pits could be toxic, Newsweek noted.

The Department of Defence has stated that almost 3.5 million service members could have been exposed to toxins at harmful levels because of the practice.

Ive always believed that we have a sacred obligation to equip those we send to war, and care for those and their families when they come home, Mr Biden said during his State of the Union speech earlier this year.

And they come home, many of the worlds fittest and best-trained warriors in the world, never the same. Headaches. Numbness. Dizziness. A cancer that would put them in a flag-draped coffin.

While Mr Biden said he couldnt be entirely sure that his sons cancer was caused by the burn pits, he said his administration would be finding out everything we can.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stated on its website that it understands that many Veterans are especially concerned about exposure to the smoke and fumes generated by open burn pits.

In Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas of the Southwest Asia theater of military operations, open-air combustion of trash and other waste in burn pits was a common practice. The Department of Defense has now closed out most burn pits and is planning to close the remainder, the agency said.

Researchers, including experts at VA, are actively studying airborne hazards like burn pits and other military environmental exposures. Ongoing research will help us better understand potential long-term health effects and provide you with better care and services.
 Close Donald Trump Jr accidentally says his father has the charisma of a mortician in bungled attack video

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Prosecutors in Mr Trumps criminal case in Manhattan have shared a recording of the former president speaking to a witness with Mr Trumps legal team, according to CBS News.

The witness hasnt been identified, a document made public by the prosecutorial office on Friday stated.

The document is known as an automatic discovery form and outlines the charges that a defendant is facing and also provides an overview of the evidence gathered against Mr Trump thats set to be put forward at trial or at a preliminary hearing.

Meanwhile, as competition builds for the Republican Partys 2024 presidential nomination, Mr Trumps other legal woes continue to mount as a maintenance worker has made a shocking claim about the handling of classified documents at Mar-a-Lago.

The worker recalled helping to move boxes into a storage room just one day before the Department of Justice visited Mar-a-Lago seeking the papers, reported The New York Times. The worker didnt know what the boxes contained at the time.
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Just one week after a Manhattan jury found former president Donald Trump liable for sexually assaulting and defaming writer E Jean Carroll, no fewer than three women who had senior roles in his administration have come forward to allege inappropriate behaviour on Mr Trumps part towards women on his White House staff.

The trio includes two of Mr Trumps top lieutenants, Alyssa Farah Griffin  his ex-White House communications director who now co-hosts ABCs The View  and Stephanie Grisham, who served as press secretary for both Mr Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump in addition to serving as Ms Trumps chief of staff.

Ms Grisham, who has become a vocal critic of the ex-president since the end of his administration, said that Mr Trump targeted a specific female aide for a significant amount of inappropriate attention.

She said that although the then-president habitually opined on womens physical appearance, his behaviour towards this one staffer was was really bad to the point that I was extremely uncomfortable.

E. Jean Carroll Mulling Another Defamation Lawsuit Against Trump: 'Weighing All Of Our Options'

Specifically, she said Mr Trump would ask aides to ensure the staffer in question was in the traveling party when he made trips abroad, even when such duties were supposed to be the responsibility of other White House aides.

Ms Grisham in an interview with CNN also accused Mr Trump of asking one of her deputy press secretaries to bring the staffer to see him so he could look at her a**.

The former White House press secretary explained how she attempted to keep the staffer in question from ever being left alone with the then-president. She said her concern about how Mr Trump would behave behind closed doors if he were left with the unnamed aide predated Ms Carrolls rape allegation against him.

"I did everything I could to keep her off of trips, actually, and to stay with her if she was with him alone, because I was really nervous about what could happen and this was before I knew kind of any of the the E Jean Carroll allegations. I stupidly did know about the Access Hollywood video but maybe that was what made me you know, keep with her all the time, she said.

E Jean Carroll arrives at court during her trial against Trump (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Alyssa Farah Griffin, who served as a top spokesperson for then-vice president Mike Pence and the Pentagon before returning to the White House as communications director in mid-2020, told The Daily Beast that she witnessed a number of problematic behaviour[s] and comments from the then-president towards young, female White House staffers during her time in the West Wing.

I saw behavior and engagement with very young junior female staffers from the former president that made me uncomfortable, she said. Its a pattern. It was visible. It didnt take a genius to see it. It was reported, I dont know if it was handled, but this is a man who does not respect women  its a man who objectified women, she said.

Ms Griffin, a longtime conservative communications professional who served as the top spokesperson for the House Freedom Caucus before joining the Trump administration, said nothing was ever done about Mr Trumps alleged misconduct despite it being an open secret and a subject of open discussion among his West Wing aides.

Former White House communications director Alyssa Farah (Getty Images)

Ms Grisham also revealed that the ex-presidents allegedly inappropriate behaviour was well-known among his senior aides. But she, too, said not a single one of them was able to do anything about it.

"I think at the end of the day, what could they do other than go in there and say, This isnt good, sir?" she said. "And you know, Donald Trump will do what Donald Trump wants to do.

Another former White House aide, Olivia Troye, told Newsweek that shed witnessed [Mr Trumps] behaviour first hand and said it happened openly in front of other White House staff, including during meetings in the West Wing.

Ultimately, the three ex-staffers  all of whom have become vocal critics of the ex-president since he left office  are just a few of the women whove discussed alleged misconduct by Mr Trump.

Lisa Bloom, an attorney who has represented many of his past accusers, wasnt shocked to discover that he continued his bad bahaviour after assuming the highest office in the US.

In a statement to The Independent, she called the claims disgusting but not surprising.

Stephanie Grisham served as White House Press Secretary for 12 months (AFP via Getty Images)

Trumps blatant sexual harassment and sexual assault of women never ends. Even more disgusting are the voters who support him knowing he treats women so badly, she said.

Since Mr Trump entered the American political arena as a candidate for president in 2015, at least 25 women have accused him of all manner of sexual misconduct, ranging from inappropriate passes and groping to outright rape.

The allegations leveled against the New York developer and television personality turned president go back decades, long before he ever considered running for the White House, with many of them dating to his heyday as a real estate tycoon and business icon in the 1980s and 1990s.

One oft-reported incident stemmed from a divorce deposition given in 1990 by his late first wife, Ivana Trump. During their divorce proceedings, his soon-to-be ex-wife accused Mr Trump of raping her during a violent attack after a visit to a plastic surgeon shed recommended left him in pain from a scalp reduction procedure.

That allegation was revealed in 1993 book Lost Tycoon by author Harry Hurt III, who viewed a transcript of the deposition. In his book, Hurt described the incident recounted in the deposition as a violent assault with a sexual component.

In a statement provided to the author, Ivana Trump admitted that shed described the attack as rape during her sworn deposition but stressed that she [did] not want [her] words to be interpreted in a literal or criminal sense.

Mr Trump, who has denied the incident with his late ex-wife ever happened, was also accused of rape by writer E Jean Carroll, who recently won a multi-million dollar jury verdict against the ex-president for sexual abuse and defamation, based on Ms Carrolls allegation that Mr Trump assaulted her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan decades ago.

Although Ms Carroll, a former Elle advice columnist, sued Mr Trump for rape, the jury found that her attorneys did not prove that he was liable.

They did find that it was more likely than not that he sexually assaulted Ms Carroll, who testified that the future president had penetrated her with a body part but said under oath that she could not see what the body part in question had been.

A spokesperson for Mr Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent, but the ex-president has repeatedly denied ever having behaved improperly around any women. He has also denied ever behaving improperly with his ex-wife and has said he has never met and does not know Ms Carroll, who has said that she might again sue him for defamation after he denounced her during a CNN town hall on 10 May.

A 2016 story in The New York Times included accounts from more than 50 women who had become acquainted with the future president over the years, either socially or professionally, or as models or beauty pageant contestants.

The Times said the womens stories showed a history of unwelcome romantic advances, unending commentary on the female form, a shrewd reliance on ambitious women, and unsettling workplace conduct in settings ranging from construction sites of his projects, at his various homes, beauty pageant dressing rooms, and his eponymous Manhattan skyscraper.

These written accounts of alleged bad behaviour  all of which Mr Trump and his spokespersons have strenuously denied  surfaced again and again throughout Mr Trumps 2016 campaign, and were further validated by what became known as the Access Hollywood tape in October 2016.

On 7 October that year  one month before voters went to the polls on Election Day  The Washington Post published a video taken of Mr Trump and then-NBC host Billy Bush.

The footage was taken in a bus while the two men were traveling to a taping of Access Hollywood eleven years prior to the 2016 campaign. The films audio track included a lewd exchange in which Mr Trump described his efforts to seduce a woman who he knew to be married, starting with an unwanted kiss.

"I dont even wait. And when youre a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. ... Grab em by the pussy. You can do anything, he said.

While some top Republicans strongly condemned the then-GOP presidential nominee  with a few even calling on him to drop off the Republican ticket  Mr Trump remained defiant and shrugged off the criticism.

A month later, he was elected president of the United States.
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Congressman George Santos sent out a series of thank you notes to his Republican colleagues, whose votes last week assured the New York Republican would not be expelled from the House of Representatives.

"I want to personally thank you for your support in referring the vote for my expulsion to the Ethics Committee," the letters, obtained by Insider, say. "This has been an especially difficult time in my life, and I want to serve my constituents the best I can."

"Now more than ever, the Republican majority needs to stick together, and you demonstrated great dedication and courage by putting differences aside to allow the proper process to play out," the messages conclude.

A spokesperson for Mr Santoss office confirmed the letters were accurate and said the Republican "wanted to express his thanks to his fellow members for allowing the process to play out so that the 118th Congress can focus on the critical issues facing our country, starting with border security and addressing the issue of the debt ceiling."

On Wednesday, the House bucked convention and sent a proposal to expel Mr Santos, who was indicted on a series of federal fraud charges earlier this month, to the House Ethics Committee.

Typically, the committee defers to the Justice Department on criminal matters.

Earlier this month, Mr Santos was hit with a 13-count federal indictment, alleging a series of fraudulent actions before and during his run for office.

The charges include 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.

Prosecutors allege he lied on financial forms submitted as part of his House candidacy, failed to disclose forms of income, overstated earnings, and used donations from his political campaign for personal purposes, including thousands of dollars of the solicited funds on personal expenses, including luxury designer clothing and credit card payments.

Mr Santos, who flipped beat an incumbent Democrat to win his Long Island seat in 2022, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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Gov Glenn Youngkin of Virginia is giving fresh consideration to the possibility of running for president, Axios reported on Tuesday.

Mr Youngkin, a conservative who was elected governor in 2021, said last month that he was fully focused on his duties in Virginia rather than a presidential campaign. But the release of a campaign-style video last week with the line it's time to usher in a new era of American values reignited speculation that Mr Youngkin may ultimately launch a bid.

If he does, Axios reports, it will be in part because of the challenges his fellow governor Ron DeSantis is experiencing as he looks to get his campaign off the ground.

The conventional wisdom for months was that Mr DeSantis was the most formidable challenger to former President Donald Trump  even at times besting him in polls of early voting states. But Mr DeSantis has had a difficult spring, losing ground in the polls to Mr Trump and, reportedly, the confidence of some of the deep-pocketed donors hes relying on to fuel his imminent campaign.

That may have left the door ajar for other Republicans who harbor ambitions of challenging the former president. Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, former Gov Asa Hutchinson, and Sen Tim Scott have all launched campaigns, with a host of other would-be candidates still weighing their own futures.

For now, Mr Youngkins political team is rejecting ideas that he is moving closer to a presidential bid.

Governor Youngkin is focused on Virginia, Dave Rexrode, senior adviser to Mr Youngkin, told Axios. Anyone who anonymously says otherwise probably isnt as close to the Governor as they want people to think.

Mr Youngkins timeline may be different than those of other candidates. Virginia has state legislative elections coming up in November, with Democratic control of the state Senate currently stalling parts of Mr Youngkins agenda. The other consideration is that Virginia governors are only permitted to serve one term, meaning that 2024 will be Mr Youngkins last year in office.

Still, Axios has reported that some wealthy Republican donors want Mr Youngkin in the race. Hes reconsidering, Axios quoted an adivser to Mr Youngkin as saying. Hed be in his own lane: Hes not never-Trump, and hes not Trump-light.

Unlike Mr DeSantis, Mr Youngkin has not had full control of the state assembly during his term as governor and was elected in a state that has not supported a Republican for president in nearly two decades. But like Mr DeSantis, hes focused on culture war issues like severely limiting discussions of race in public schools and attempting to ban mask mandates.

On economic issues, hes governed like a standard Republican: focused on cutting taxes, at the expense, according to Democrats, of investment in social infrastructure.
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A famous drag show restaurant has filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida and Governor Ron DeSantis, claiming a bill that prohibits childrens attendance at drag shows has hurt its business and is a violation of the First Amendment.

Hamburger Marys Orlando, a franchise location of the drag show restaurant chain Hamburger Marys, is alleging that the state of Florida, Seeks to explicitly restrict or chill speech and expression protected by the First Amendment in a lawsuit filed in the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida on Monday.

The lawsuit pertains to SB 1438, nicknamed the Protection of Children, which allows for criminal penalties against a food service establishment for admitting children to an adult live performance.

The bill, which was signed into law by Mr DeSantis last week, prohibits children from attending adult live performances or the establishment can face fines, have their license suspended or revoked and their liquor license suspended or revoked.

Hamburger Marys Orlando offers family friendly drag performances on Sundays, which they say have been greatly affected by the passage of SB 1438.

This bill has nothing to do with children, and everything to do with the continued oppression of the LGBTQ+ community, Hamburger Marys Orlando wrote in a Facebook post.

In the lawsuit, Hamburger Marys Orlando said immediately after the bill passed, 20 per cent of their bookings were cancelled for the 21 May 2023 show as well as future bookings despite the performances being family friendly.

Hamburger Marys Orlando is alleging in the lawsuit that the bill does not serve a compelling governmental interest and is too vague, thus violating the restaurants First Amendment right to freedom of expression.

The law and anticipation of it has had a chilling effect on free speech in Florida, the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit names Mr DeSantis, the state of Florida, as well as Melanie Griffin, the Secretary of the State Department of Business and Professional Regulation for Florida, as defendants.

The recent Protection of Children bill defines adult live performance as any presentation in front of a live audience where a part of it depicts sexual activity, sexual conduct, nudity, lewd exposure, lewd conduct, prosthetic or imitation genitals and more.

Hamburger Marys Orlando claims, There is no lewd activity, sexually explicit shows, disorderly conduct, public exposure, obscene exhibition, or anything inappropriate for a child to see in their family-friendly brunches.

The restaurant claims several undercover agents visited a drag brunch in December and did not witness any lewd acts that were inappropriate for children.

Hamburger Marys Orlando is also alleging that the state of Florida has not provided examples of specific conduct that is harmful to children.

The uncertainty about what specific conduct this law prohibits, as well as the threat of police surveillance and criminal charges, is precisely what concerns the Plaintiff in this case, the lawsuit says.

Instead, Hamburger Marys Orlando believes this is another example of conservative leaders trying to restrict LGBT+ inclusivity in communities.

Anytime our legislators want to demonize a group, they say they are coming for your children. In this case, creating a false narrative that drag queens are grooming and recruiting your children with no factual basis or history to back up these accusations AT ALL, Hamburger Marys Orlando wrote on Facebook.

They are setting a precedent that the state legislators [sic] can decide what is best for you based on THEIR own values and convictions, and write it into law, Hamburger Marys Orlando added.

The Independent has reached out to Hamburger Marys Orlando and Mr DeSantis office for comment.
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Kari Lake has suffered a final defeat in her bid to overturn her loss in last year's race for Arizona governor. A judge dismissed Ms Lakes only remaining legal claim, affirming the election of Democrat Katie Hobbs.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter A. Thompson said Ms Lake failed to prove her claim that Maricopa County did not verify signatures on mail ballots as required by law.

Ms Lake was among the most vocal of last years Republican candidates promoting former President Donald Trumps election lies, which she made the centerpiece of her campaign. She has built a loyal following among Trump supporters and is openly considering a run for the US Senate seat now held by Kyrsten Sinema, an independent and former Democrat. Ms Lake is also often mentioned as a potential vice presidential pick for Mr Trump, who is campaigning for a second term in the White House.

While most other election deniers around the country conceded after losing their races in November, Ms Lake did not. She has touted her legal battle in fundraising appeals and speeches around the country.

Ms Lake did not immediately comment on the ruling.

She filed suit after losing to Ms Hobbs by about 17,000 votes, asking the courts to install her as governor or order a new election. Judge Thompson dismissed the case, but the Arizona Supreme Court revived a claim that challenges how signature verification procedures were used on early ballots in Maricopa County, home to more than 60 per cent of the states voters. County officials had defended the signature verification efforts and said they had nothing to hide.

Kari Lake (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Ms Lakes signature verification claim was the subject of a three-day trial. Her lawyers argued that there was evidence that lower-level screeners who found inconsistencies in signatures ran them up the chain of command, where they were neglected by higher-level verifiers.

She did not contest whether voters signatures on ballot envelopes matched those in their voting records.

The former TV anchor faced a high bar in proving not only her allegation over signature verification efforts but also that it affected the outcome of her race.

Judge Thompson, who was appointed to the bench by former Republican Gov Jan Brewer, said she did not meet that high bar.

The evidence the Court received does not support Plaintiffs remaining claim, he wrote.

Earlier in her lawsuit, Ms Lake had focused on problems with ballot printers at some polling places in Maricopa County. The defective printers produced ballots that were too light to be read by the on-site tabulators at polling places. Lines were backed up in some areas amid the confusion. Ms Lake alleged ballot printer problems were the result of intentional misconduct.

County officials say everyone had a chance to vote and all ballots were counted because those affected by the printers were taken to more sophisticated counters at election headquarters.

In mid-February, the Arizona Court of Appeals rejected Ms Lakes assertions, concluding she presented no evidence that voters whose ballots were unreadable by tabulators at polling places were unable to vote.

The following month, the state Supreme Court declined to hear nearly all of Lakes appeal, saying there was no evidence to support her claim that more than 35,000 ballots were added to vote totals.

Earlier this month, the court sanctioned Ms Lakes lawyers $2,000 for making false statements when saying that more than 35,000 ballots had been improperly added to the total count.
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Marjorie Taylor Greene has defended her boyfriend after an old video of him dressed in drag went viral online.

The far-right Republican lawmaker from Georgia has slammed drag queens and says that it should be illegal for children to go to their shows.

But that has not stopped her from supporting Brian Glenn, who dressed up like a female while an anchor for WFAA TV in Dallas.

In the video, which has been watched more than 1.3m times, Glenn, who is wearing a blonde wig, gloves and a pink cardigan, compliments how the outfit feels.

Im kicking the shoes off. I may keep the pantyhose on. It does feel kind of good, actually, he says in the video.

Greene, who is now dating the TV journalist following her divorce from Perry Greene after 27 years of marriage in September, reported the video on her Twitter account.

Im literally loling. @brianglenntv dressed in drag for morning news in Dallas years ago reporting on an upcoming local theatre production and the morons over at Patriot Takes think this is an attack, she tweeted. Brian loves the throwback and is reposting. The left is so stupid.

Im literally loling. @brianglenntv dressed in drag for morning news in Dallas years ago reporting on an upcoming local theatre production and the morons over at Patriot Takes think this is an attack.

Brian loves the throwback and is reposting. 

The left is so stupid. https://t.co/d2NSYXyXd6  Marjorie Taylor Greene  (@mtgreenee) May 22, 2023

Glenn also reposted the video poking fun at himself.

The things I did for morning show television!! LOVED it and so did the @wfaa @WFAADaybreak viewers. Its a good thing I have a sense of humor!

Greene has previously taken a much more hard-line view of drag.

Whats the difference in children stuffing cash in a drag queen bra and a strippers bra? Nothing. Its wrong and its indoctrination, she tweeted on 15 June.
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Marjorie Taylor Greene spent $100,000 on some cherry chapstick used by Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a short fundraising auction held at the House GOPs weekly meeting.

The auction lasted about 15 minutes on Tuesday, according to Politico.

The Georgia congresswoman wasnt the only one to bid on the chapstick. As the bidding continued, Mr McCarthy reportedly added things to the pot, such as agreeing to attend a dinner with donors and supporters for the auction winner.

A spokesperson for Ms Greene confirmed the events to Politico and The Independent.

The chapstick came from the campaign of Florida Republican Representative Aaron Bean, who also served as the auctioneer  a role previously held by former Missouri GOP Republican Representative Billy Long, who left the chamber to run to campaign for the Senate, an effort which was ultimately unsuccessful.

Ms Greene didnt start bidding for the chapstick until Mr McCarthy announced that he would attend the dinner, according to Politico. The funds from the auction will go to the Republicans campaign efforts. Others who bid on the chapstick included Washington Republican Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Oklahomas Stephanie Bice, and Jason Smith of Missouri.

Im honored to be able to donate $100,000 to the [National Republican Congressional Committee] to help Republicans increase our majority in 2024 and defeat the Democrats. My constituents will be honored to host a visit with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who we all think is doing a great job, Ms Greene told the outlet in a statement.

The Independent has reached out to the office of the speaker for comment.

Mr McCarthy is still far from agreeing to a deal with President Joe Biden on the debt ceiling, with just a few days left to the deadline set by the Treasury for when the US is at risk of defaulting on its financial obligations.

As the auction suggests, Republicans remain behind Mr McCarthy as he tries to get Mr Biden to agree to substantial spending cuts.

Democrats slammed the auction, seemingly concerned at the way the GOP is behaving amid the economic turmoil.

They doing this insane chapstick s*** while the country teeters on default. Wild, Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar tweeted.

Spending $100,000 on chapstick while working overtime to gut the programs that working families rely on. GOP priorities in a nutshell, New York Representative Nydia Velazquez added.

Following the auction and the requests for donations to the NRCC, the House GOP spent the meeting discussing the debt ceiling as they shared their doubts about the 1 June deadline proposed by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Florida Representative Matt Gaetz argued that Ms Yellen should be called to testify about the estimated deadline in front of the House Financial Services Committee before 1 June, according to Politico.

So far, shes been the Obi-Wan Kenobi of wrong answers on the economy, he told the outlet after the meeting on Tuesday. He claimed that Ms Yellen is taking pointers from the White House to increase the worries about a debt default.

Mr Gaetz claimed that Ms Yellen has less evidence for her estimate than a student doing a typical eighth-grade algebra assignment.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana said, Wed like to see more transparency on how the estimate was made.

The treasury said again on Monday that the US may be unable to pay all its obligations by next week.

Mr McCarthy told the press that I believe we can still get there on a deal on the debt, and get there before June 1.
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President Joe Biden will host Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark at the White House next month for talks on their joint efforts including supporting Ukraine.

The White House announced Frederiksen's June 5 visit on Tuesday, a few days after the White House announced Biden was endorsing an international effort to trainand eventually equipUkraine with the F-16 fighter jets that President Volodymyr Zelesnkky has long sought.

Denmark, a member of NATO, has purchased dozens of American-made F-16s since the 1970s and has indicated it is open to the possibility of providing Ukraine with some.

The two leaders will review our efforts as NATO allies and close partners to strengthen transatlantic security and bolster economic prosperity, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "They will discuss our unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russias brutal war of aggression.

White House officials have said providing F-16s is not seen as essential to Ukraine's immediate needs as it prepares for an expected counteroffensive to try to take back territory seized by Russian forces. But the U.S. and allies agree that upgrading Ukraine's Soviet-era jet fleet is critical for the countrys long-term security needs.

Jean-Pierre said the two leaders would also discuss energy security, climate change, and other global issues.
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The US has expressed "serious concerns" about China's move to ban the sale of chipmaker Micron Technologys products that Beijing claimed posed security risks".

China's cyberspace regulator on Sunday announced that America's biggest memory chips "posed significant security risks to Chinas critical information infrastructure supply chain, affecting China's national security".

It banned operators of key infrastructure from buying the products from Idaho-based Micron, in a move seen as retaliation against Washington's export controls on semiconductors.

"This action, along with recent raids and targeting of other American firms, is inconsistent with [Chinas] assertions that it is opening its markets and committed to a transparent regulatory framework," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller on Monday.

The Department of Commerce is engaging directly with the PRC [People's Republic of China] to make our view clear," he added.

China is one of the biggest markets for Micron, which generated 25 per cent of its $30.8bn (24.8bn) in revenue last year, the Financial Times reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Bejing's decision followed a seven-week investigation into Micron by the cyberspace administration, in apparent retaliation against sanctions imposed by Washington.

The US, Europe and Japan are reducing Chinese access to advanced chipmaking and other technology they say might be used in weapons at a time when president Xi Jinping's government has threatened to attack Taiwan and is increasingly assertive toward Japan.

The US Commerce Department said it strongly opposed the action which had no basis in fact.

Micron said it is evaluating the conclusion of the review and assessing the next steps.

"We look forward to continuing to engage in discussions with Chinese authorities, it said in a statement.

The company was reportedly informed of the decision in a meeting in Beijing on Sunday. Micron received no communication from the cyberspace regulator until it was summoned for a meeting this weekend.

China firmly promotes high-level opening up to the outside world and, as long as it complies with Chinese laws and regulations, welcomes enterprises and various platform products and services from various countries to enter the Chinese market, the cyberspace agency said.

Beijing imports more than $300bn (242.2bn) worth of foreign chips every year.

Beijings decree comes a day after Group of Seven (G7) leaders singled out China on issues including Taiwan, nuclear arms and human rights abuses at the annual meeting of global leaders in Hiroshima, Japan.

In a communique of the G7 summit, the group criticised China for its use of economic coercion", the militarisation of the South China Sea, interference activities aimed at undermining the safety of diplomats, the integrity of democratic institutions, and economic prosperity.

Micron chief executive Sanjay Mehrotra was part of a delegation of business leaders and dined with US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel and Citi chief Jane Fraser on Saturday night.

The chipmaker said selling to Chinese companies could cost it as much as a high single-digit percentage of its annual revenue as the companys shares sank about 3 per cent on Monday.

Mark Murphy, the companys chief financial officer, said Micron was unclear what security concerns Beijing had. He said the company is evaluating what portion of its sales could be impacted, according to CNN.

We are currently estimating a range of impact in the low single digits percent of our company total revenue at the low end and high single-digit percentage of total company revenue at the high end.
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Texas Senator Ted Cruz found himself denounced by the daughter of late civil rights champion Dr Martin Luther King Jr on Sunday after he attempted to invoke Dr Kings legacy in order to attack the modern incarnation of the anti-racism movement.

Mr Cruz used Dr Kings name in his own tweet attacking the NAACP, one of Americas oldest and best known anti-racist institutions.

The Texas Republican took issue with the organisation after it issued a travel advisory warning about Floridas far-right turn under Governor Ron DeSantis, in particular efforts to ban what he calls woke lessons in schools which most experts on the issue say is really about erasing teachings about the struggle for civil rights and racial equality in America. The advisory came as a result of a unanimous vote by the NAACPs board.

"Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color," the advisory states.

Mr Cruz responded on Twitter to a conservative publications writeup of the issue and wrote angrily: This is bizarre. And utterly dishonest. In the 1950s & 1960s, the NAACP did extraordinary good helping lead the civil rights movement. Today, Dr. King would be ashamed of how profoundly theyve lost their way.

But Dr Kings daughter, author and activist Bernice King, retorted that her father would be strongly opposed to conservative efforts to whitewash American history as well as the campaign against LGBT+ Americans currently consuming the far-right.

What my father would be deeply concerned about is the harmful, discriminatory legislation in Florida, she wrote.

She wasnt the only person to take issue with the senators tweet. A Democratic former member of New Yorks congressional delegation, Mondaire Jones, was less subtle in his response as he opined that Mr Cruz would have fought desegregation efforts in the 50s and 60s.

We know exactly which side you wouldve been on in the 1950s and 60s, Ted, wrote the congressman-turned-CNN-contributor.

The NAACPs president, Derrick Johnson, further explained the organisations decision in a statement.

"Under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the state of Florida has become hostile to Black Americans and in direct conflict with the democratic ideals that our union was founded upon. He should know that democracy will prevail because its defenders are prepared to stand up and fight. We're not backing down, and we encourage our allies to join us in the battle for the soul of our nation, said Mr Johnson.

Mr DeSantis team, meanwhile, issued a response calling the advisory a stunt for attention.
 Close Listen: Ron DeSantiss presidential launch suffers major technical issues

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Donald Trump Jr has shared a seemingly AI-generated clip of Ron DeSantis edited into the role of Michael Scott in The Office in a clip in which the character is mocked for wearing a womans suit.

Imagine when next time its not an obvious spoof from The Office but an attempt to depict itself as legitimate and much more nefarious, CNNs Jake Tapper tweeted.

Since his 2024 campaign got off to a shaky start on Wednesday evening with its much-derided Twitter Spaces launch, Mr DeSantis has been doing the rounds of right-wing media outlets, reminding voters of his record in Florida and taking the occasional dig at his chief rival, former president Donald Trump.

In one interview, he said that if hes elected president, he would consider pardons for those charged with January 6 Capitol riot offences, and when pressed as to whether that would include Mr Trump, he said the measure would include everyone.

His remark was criticised not just by Democrats, but was also sharply rebuked by former Republican Rep Liz Cheney, who tweeted: Any candidate who says they will pardon January 6 defendants is not qualified to be president.
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Ron DeSantis has teased his expected announcement that hes putting his hat in the ring for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination as he took a subtle dig at his main rival, former President Donald Trump.

As he pitched the appointment of a seventh right-leaning justice to the Supreme Court, the Florida governor noted how he, if elected president, would be able to run for re-election and spend eight years in the White House, unlike Mr Trump who would only be able to serve one term as he has already spent four years as the commander-in-chief.

Mr DeSantis appeared at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Orlando, Florida on Monday, saying that the 2024 election could decide the makeup of the nations highest court for the next quarter-century.

The governor told the audience that four of the Supreme Courts nine current justices may leave their posts over the next eight years.

Clarence Thomas is 74 years old, while Samuel Alito is 73, and Chief Justice John Roberts and Sonia Sotomayor are both 68.

In that group, only Justice Sotomayor has a more progressive bent, while Chief Justice Roberts has at times voted with the courts left-leaning justices on some social issues.

Mr DeSantis would attempt to replace them all with rightward judges, entrenching the courts current six-three conservative advantage.

I think if you look over the next two presidential terms there is a good chance that you could be called upon to seek replacements for Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito and the issue with that is, you cant really do better than those two, Mr DeSantis said, according to the Daily Mail.

If you replace a Clarence Thomas with somebody like a Roberts or somebody like that, then youre gonna actually see the court move to the left, and you cant do that, he added.

So it is possible that in those eight years, we have the opportunity to fortify justices Alito and Thomas as well as actually make improvements with those others, and if you were able to do that, you would have a 7-2 conservative majority on the Supreme Court that would last a quarter century, he said to applause from the audience.

Mr DeSantis looks set to announce his candidacy on Wednesday in Miami. While the Republican nomination is believed to be a fight between the governor and Mr Trump, the former president remains a heavy favourite according to recent polling.

The governor also spoke about his initiatives to protect faith and family in what could be interpreted as a dig at the three-times married former president who was recently found liable by a court in Manhattan of sexually assaulting and defaming the columnist E Jean Carroll. Mr Trump is also criminally accused of trying to illegally influence the 2016 presidential election through pay-offs to a porn star and a Playboy model he is alleged to have had affairs with. He denies any wrongdoing.

Were working with groups that are addressing the needs of the father and trying to get them engaged with their kids, Mr DeSantis said, according to Fox News.

Even if you have the kids that are born of a father in prison, we are using these resources to foster mentorship opportunities for kids that do not have that kind of support, he added.

And if you look at when kids do well  its when somebody is willing to take an interest in them, he said. If you have somebody in the community that takes an interest, that child can be so much better in the future.

Mr DeSantis also claimed that children need to understand the foundations of our country. They need to understand our Constitution and our Bill of Rights and understand what it means to be an American.
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The college student who tracked Elon Musks private jet on Twitter has now turned his focus on Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

Jack Sweeney, a student at the University of Central Florida, created a Twitter account called @DeSantisJet", which tracks the whereabouts of the aircraft that Mr DeSantis uses.

The automated feed tracks the governor's 10-seat Textron jet with tail number N943FL, which is owned by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The data is shared 24 hours later to comply with Twitter's anti-doxxing rules. His account has already garnered over 15,800 followers.

It was set up to track Mr DeSantis because of the "rising interest" in the governor amid speculations of him running for the 2024 presidential election, Mr Sweeney told Insider.

Well, you know Ron DeSantis is becoming more and more of a public figure in that he might run for the White House, he added.

Mr DeSantis on 11 May signed a bill into law that will redact details about trips he makes on both state planes and private, chartered flights, including names of staff and family members travelling with him.

However, his movements can be still monitored using publicly available data from ADS-B Exchange, a flight-tracking platform.

Mr Sweeney on Monday tweeted that the account tracks the Textron jet which the governor uses for state-related matters. Flights of the aircraft do not guarantee that Mr DeSantis is onboard, he said.

"As others have noted, DeSantis also gets rides on political donors planes for personal matters. If we become aware of these flights, it will also be shared here.

The student shared the first tweet about the governors travels on 19 May when he flew from Tallahassee to Tampa and back.

Mr Sweeney gained popularity after Mr Musk tried to purchase the @ElonJet account, which tracked the billionaire's jet, for $5,000. The student refused the offer and when Mr Musk took over Twitter, he suspended the account.

Mr Sweeney got around the ban by creating a new account @ElonJetNextDay, where tracking data of Mr Musk's jets are shared with a 24-hour delay.

The student told News Channel 8 he is not motivated by a political agenda. People can do what they want, he said.

There can be supporters that are interested in where he goes and want to follow them or people who are more criticizing for what flights theyre going where.
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A Republican governor is walking back a comment he made about hunting Democrats with dogs, saying it was all just a joke.

South Carolia's Govenor Henry McMasters was attending a state GOP convention when he made the comment on Saturday.

"I look forward to the day that Democrats are so rare, we have to hunt them with dogs," he said.

Henry McMasters (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The comment was made in front of hundreds of delegates in attendance, and made its way to social media after a reporter, Joseph Bustos, live-tweeted the comment, according to the Washington Post.

The next day, Anderson County Democratic Party Chairman Chris Salley, who is Black, asked the State Law Enforcement Division to investigate the comments pending the governor's refusal to retract and apologise for the statement.

Mr Salley called the governor's comment a "racially-tinged dog whistle" and an "incitement of political violence."

"Black, Gay man in America. I've had to be on guard for people trying to 'hunt me down' most of my life," he wrote in a statement on Sunday.

Christale Spain, who is also Black and chairs South Carolina's Democratic Party, called the comments "absolutely chilling."

"The majority of the Dem electorate in SC is Black and our governor is saying out loud he can't wait to hunt us down with dogs," she wrote.

Dogs were used by slavers to hunt down escaped slaves prior to emancipation, and police have been criticised in the past for the use of dogs specifically against Black individuals, according to VICE.

"There is a very coded language there," Mr Salley said on Monday.

On Monday a spokesperson for the governor issued a statement claiming he had been making the comment for years, and said that "everyday South Carolinians understand that it's a joke."

It was not the first time the governor used dogs while issuing political invective; in 2018 he called Democrats "dogs" during a Faith and Freedom BBQ hosted by a Republican congressman, according to the State. More than 1,200 people were at the event.

Mr McMasters spokesman, Brandon Charochak, said people who took issue with the comments were "whining," and described the idea of hunting political opponents down with dogs as a "light-hearted joke."

"If South Carolina Democrat partisans can no longer bear light-hearted jokes made at their expense, then maybe they should focus their energy on winning and whining," he wrote.

Mr Salley was not impressed by the explanation that the comments were just a joke.

"People are standing up and saying 'This is not okay. I don't care how may times you've been making this tired joke,'" he said. "While he may think we're sitting over here whining, we're working."
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As Sen. Tim Scott enters the 2024 GOP presidential field, he will be eager to introduce himself to voters who might not know much about him.

Here are five things to know about the South Carolina Republican:

FOREMOST: FAITH

Raised by a single mother, Scott, 57, talks often of how Frances Scott worked long hours as a nurse's assistant to provide for her two sons. It was a meager existence, the senator said, but it was centered around their strong Christian faith.

At age 18, Scott became what he terms a born-again believer.

His faith is an integral part of his political and personal narrative, as well as his belief in being a positive catalyst for change. He often quotes Scripture at campaign events, weaving his reliance on spiritual guidance into his stump speech and using Faith in America to describe his series of appearances before joining the race.

Last year in a speech at the Reagan Presidential Library, Scott said he saw America at a crossroads  with the potential for a great resetting, a renewal, even a rebirth." His autobiography, released last year, is titled America: A Redemption Story.

When his now-rival Nikki Haley appointed him to the U.S. Senate in 2012, Scott became the first Black senator from the South since just after the Civil War. In a 2014 special election to serve out the remainder of his term, Scott became the first Black candidate to win a statewide race in South Carolina since the Reconstruction era.

Before that, Scott had just been elected to his second term representing South Carolinas 1st Congressional District. He served a single term in the state House, as well as, beginning in 1995, nearly 14 years on the Charleston County Council, while also operating an insurance business. He also briefly ran for lieutenant governor, ultimately abandoning that pursuit to seek the congressional seat vacated by retiring Rep. Henry Brown.

At that time, South Carolinas governor and lieutenant governor were elected separately; had Scott stayed in that race and won it, he and Haley would have served together as South Carolinas top officeholders.

I DISRUPT THEIR NARRATIVE

The Senate's sole Black Republican, Scott doesn't shy away from pointing out that his is often the only face of color in many rooms of conservatives.

When I fought back against their liberal agenda, they called me a prop. A token. Because I disrupt their narrative, he said in an April video announcing his presidential exploratory committee, shot on the site of Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, where the Civil Wars first shots were fired.

In his Reagan Library speech last year, Scott said that belief in conservative values had changed his life, arguing that his ability to succeed in politics had disproven critiques from liberals he said you can call me a prop, you can call me a token. ... Just understand what you call me is no match for the proof of my life.

Rejecting the notion that the country is inherently racist, Scott has repudiated the teaching of critical race theory, an academic framework that presents the idea that the nations institutions maintain the dominance of white people.

He has also spoken on the Senate floor about his personal experiences as a Black man in America.

I have felt the anger, the frustration, the sadness and the humiliation that comes with feeling like youre being targeted for nothing more than just being yourself, Scott said in 2016, recounting how he was pulled over seven times in a year.

But Scott argues that liberals have tried to weaponize race by portraying nonwhite citizens as politically oppressed.

Hear me clearly: America is not a racist country, he said in a nationally televised response to President Joe Biden's 2021 address to Congress. Its backwards to fight discrimination with different types of discrimination. And its wrong to try to use our painful past to dishonestly shut down debates in the present.

MONEY TALKS

Scott is coming into the campaign with more cash on hand than any other presidential candidate in U.S. history. At the end of his 2022 campaign, he had $22 million left over, which he plans to immediately transfer to his presidential coffers.

There are millions more in other organizations created to support Scott and his efforts. Opportunity Matters Fund, a pro-Scott super political action committee, spent more than $20 million to help Republicans in 2022, reporting $13 million-plus on hand to start 2023. Tech billionaire Larry Ellison has donated at least $30 million to the organization since 2021, according to federal filings.

Another super PAC, Opportunity Matters Fund Action, had around $3 million at the end of last year.

HISTORY WITH TRUMP

Scott has maintained a generally cordial relationship with Trump, despite initially endorsing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio in the 2016 GOP presidential primary.

But he also spoke out against Trump after the then-president said there were very fine people on both sides of a deadly clash between white supremacists and anti-racist demonstrators in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Scott said that Trumps principles had been compromised and that without some introspection, it will be hard for him to regain ... moral authority.

Scott also called it indefensible after Trump retweeted a post in June 2020 containing a racist slogan associated with white supremacists. Trump later deleted it.

In his 2022 book, Scott said that Trump listened intently to his viewpoints on race-related issues. And on the campaign trail, Scott has railed against political correctness in much the same fashion as Trump.

If you wanted a blueprint to ruin America, youd keep doing exactly what Joe Biden has let the far left do to our country for the past two years, Scott said this year in Iowa. Tell every white kid theyre oppressors. Tell Black and brown kids their destiny is grievance, not greatness.
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Donald Trump will make a virtual appearance in court today for the second hearing in his landmark criminal hush money case  so that a New York judge can warn him about posting evidence on social media.

The former president will appear via video in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday afternoon where Judge Juan Merchan can make sure he understands the terms of the protective order issued in the case.

The judge imposed the order after Mr Trump took aim at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Judge Merchan himself after being charged with 34 felonies for falsifying business records during the 2016 race for the White House.

The order, issued on 8 May, bars Mr Trump and his attorneys from publishing information in the case and the names of certain Manhattan DA personnel that is not already public once the information is handed over to his legal team.

It even limits Mr Trumps access to some of the information  with some evidence only to be shared with Mr Trump while he is in the presence of his attorneys and the former president banned from making copies, photographing or transcribing the documents.

While Mr Trumps legal team have slammed the order  claiming it is a muzzle on the former president  Judge Merchan stopped short of issuing a gag order, meaning it does not bar Mr Trump from speaking about the case.

While his lawyers and prosecutors in the case must appear in person, Mr Trump can join remotely  avoiding the sensationalism and heightened security when he surrendered to New York authorities back on 4 April and became the first US president in American history to ever be arrested and charged with a crime.

Though he can avoid showing up in person, the judge is taking the extra step of personally instructing Mr Trump about the terms of the protective order  after he made a series of social media posts attacking the investigation, Judge Merchan and DA Bragg.

In a historic day for America, Mr Trump was arrested and arraigned on 34 criminal charges in New York on 4 April.

According to Manhattan prosecutors, Mr Trump and his former fixer and attorney Michael Cohen carried out a catch and kill scheme in the lead-up to the 2016 election.

Cohen allegedly made hush money payments on Mr Trumps behalf to suppress negative information about him by silencing individuals over alleged affairs he had with women.

Trump in court for his arraignment on criminal charges on 4 April (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Mr Trump repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election, the charging documents read.

Three specific alleged affairs and hush money payments were mentioned in the charging documents  a $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, a $150,000 to former playboy model Karen McDougal and a $30,000 payment to a doorman at Trump Tower who claimed he had information that Mr Trump had fathered a child with a woman while married to Melania Trump.

Mr Trump then allegedly reimbursed Cohen but falsely recorded the payments as legal fees.

Each of the 34 criminal charges relates to an individual entry in the Trump Organizations business records.

Cohen has already served jail time for his part in the hush money case and has now become prosecutors star witness in the case against Mr Trump.
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Donald Trump has lashed out at his longtime booster and Fox News host Laura Ingraham after she reported on polls suggesting the former president's Republican rival would be a better match to take back the White House in 2024.

Ingraham spent a portion of her Monday show discussing moves that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis  Mr Trump's most likely primary rival  is making ahead of his expected announcement.

One of those moves includes an upcoming speech at the National Religious Broadcasting convention in Orlando, where Mr DeSantis will likely try to earn favour with evangelical Christians ahead of announcing his candidacy.

The Fox News anchor and her guest, Common Sense Society executive editor Chris Bedford, also discussed recent polls comparing Mr Trump's and Mr DeSantis's chances against Joe Biden in 2024.

Ultimately, the polls they featured concluded that Mr DeSantis would likely carry Arizona and Georgia  delivering a hypothetical victory over Joe Biden in 2024  while Mr Trump would fail to carry the states much as he did in 2020.

The former president reacted as one might expect.

"Laura Ingraham on FoxNews just did a hit piece on me (there go her ratings!) showing some polls which indicate that Ron DeSanctimonious may do better against Biden than I would, when actually polls show that I do MUCH better against Biden than 'Rob,'" Mr Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. He shared images of Fox News polls suggesting he is more favoured in the Rust Belt than Mr Biden.

Mr Trump then went on to denigrate Fox News and plug their competition.

"The poll your looking at now, which has me doing far better against Crooked Joe, was just put out by FOX, I am sure unhappily. Im also leading DeSanctus by over 40 points in Primary Voting, he said, adding a final plug for Newsmax. Watch Greg Kelly on Newsmax at 10:00 P.M."

Ingraham did mention on her show that Mr Trump was the "overwhelming" favourite to earn the party's primary candidacy, noting that he has a "stunning" lead over Mr DeSantis  who has not yet announced his run  in polling.

Polling data site FiveThirtyEight's national average tracker suggests that Mr Trump has an exceptional lead over Mr DeSantis in a theoretical primary race. Mr Trump has 53.5 per cent of support while Mr DeSantis only scored 20.8 per cent.

Mr DeSantis wasn't the only potential rival to take a lashing from Mr Trump; the former president also hit out at former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

He shared a Newsmax clip capturing a 2021 press conference in which Ms Haley said she would not run in 2024 if Mr Trump was also running.

"This is a classic!" Mr Trump wrote alongside the video. "'I would not run if President Trump ran.'"
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Australias parliament will hold a special screening of a BBC documentary critical of Narendra Modi a day after the prime minister addressed a mass gathering of the countrys Indian diaspora in Sydney.

There will be a 40-minute screening of the two-part documentary India: The Modi Question at Australias Parliament House on Wednesday, just hours after Mr Modi holds bilateral talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. The two leaders are expected to discuss trade and investment, renewable energy and defence and security cooperation.

The Indian leader is looking to deepen ties with Australia in his first visit since 2014.

The documentary, banned in India, examines the prime ministers relationship with Muslims, the countrys largest minority group, and the fallout over the 2002 religious riots that took place in the western Gujarat state at a time when Mr Modi was its chief minister.

Following the screening of the film, there will be a panel discussion including remarks by Akashi Bhatt, the daughter of Sanjiv Bhatt, a former top Gujarat police officer who claimed that the Hindu nationalist prime minister had told officials in a meeting during the Gujarat riots that Hindus should be allowed to vent their anger.

Mr Modi has denied accusations that he did not do enough to stop the riots and last year, Indias Supreme Court gave him a clean chit and cleared him of wrongdoing, with previous investigations finding there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him.

Bhatt is currently serving a life term in prison over the case of a custodial death.

Last year, the Gujarat Special Investigation Team, probing allegations of fabrication of evidence linked to the 2002 riots, filed a chargesheet against activist Teesta Setalvad, Bhatt and RB Sreekumar, another former top police official, accusing them of collusion to try and implicate Mr Modi and top officials in crimes punishable with death.

The chargesheet said Bhatt had lied about the meeting in February 2002, reported The Times of India.

The panel on Wednesday will also include Australian senators Jordan Steele-John and David Shoebridge as well as Amnesty India chair Aakar Patel and professor Mohan Dutta of the Center for Culture-Centered Approach to Research and Evaluation (CARE).

The screening of the documentary has been organised by the group We The Diaspora in collaboration with various human rights groups and collectives like CARE, Hindus for Human Rights (Australia and New Zealand), Amnesty International, Periyar Ambedkar Thoughts Circle-Australia (PATC-A) and The Humanism Project.

Mr Shoebridge described the documentary as extremely well-researched and criticised Indias ban on it, reported Australias SBS News.

Weve made it very clear that Australia has and should have a strong friendship with India, but that friendship should be a friendship of truth, he was quoted as saying to the outlet.

We have said repeatedly that the degrading human rights situation in India, that the lack of freedom of press, needs to be an issue that is squarely raised by Australia in its involvement with the Indian government.

So if the BBC documentary cant be shown in India, well surely it should be able to be shown here, right in the heart of democracy in Australia.

The screening comes as the British broadcaster was summoned on Monday by the Delhi high court in a defamation suit filed by a Gujarat-based non-profit Justice on Trial.

The first part of the series, that aired on 17 January, showed a previously unpublished report from the UK Foreign Office that held Mr Modi directly responsible for the climate of impunity that enabled the 2002 Gujarat riots to take place.

The violence led to the deaths of nearly 1,000 people  mostly Muslims.

Indias federal government dubbed the documentary a propaganda piece that showed a continued colonial mindset.

The BBC earlier defended itself and said its production abided by the highest editorial standards.

Weeks after the release of the documentary, Indias tax authorities conducted raids on the BBCs offices in New Delhi and Mumbai.

Australias foreign minister Penny Wong, when asked about the raids in March, had told SBS News that it was a matter for the Indian legal system.

Australia and India are close friends. We are comprehensive strategic partners. As you would anticipate, we will engage on human rights regularly, and we do, she said.

Meanwhile, Mr Modi addressed a mass rally of the Indian diaspora on Tuesday with Mr Albanese, who said the prime minister received a bigger welcome than Bruce Springsteen. He added that the Indian prime minister was the boss.

Indias prime minister Narendra Modi and Australias prime minister Anthony Albanese gesture during an event with members of the local Indian community at the Qudos Arena in Sydney (AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Modi used the event to announce the opening of a new Indian consulate in Brisbane and heralded ties between India and Australia.

He also claimed that India had the fastest vaccination programme and helped export medicine to other countries amid the Covid pandemic.

He, however, did not mention the reported massive death toll that occurred from Covid in the country in the face of crumbling healthcare infrastructure during Indias second wave of the pandemic.

The event was organised at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, one of the citys biggest indoor stadiums for the event.

A chartered Qantas flight rebranded as Modi Airways brought fans from Melbourne and Modi Express buses were chartered from Queensland, reported ABC News.

Mr Modi has previously addressed massive rallies of Indian diaspora members in the US and UK.
Vladimir Putin declared victory in Bakhmut at the weekend, but Volodymyr Zelensky denied that the city has fallen and claimed that Ukrainians were in the process of encircling the enemy. The longest and bloodiest battle of this war continues with its lethal toll.

Around 70,000 people lived in this small city in Donbas before the Russian invasion 15 months ago. More than 100,000 have been killed and injured since then in the struggle for control which has been going on for 10 months, with entire neighbourhoods razed to the ground.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose Wagner mercenary group has played a prominent role in the Bakhmut assault, announced that he will hand the city to the Russian military next week. Kyivs deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, has insisted he will be in no position to do so. The fierce struggle continues with Ukraine poised to seize dominant heights on the flanks, she has said.
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Madeleine McCanns disappearance has puzzled detectives for more than 15 years  but in 2020 a new potential suspect emerged. Now, police are searching a remote reservoir in Portugals the Algarve that he used to visit in a renewed effort to shed further light on the case.

Follow all the latest updates on the Independents live blog

German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year. His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007.

Christian Brueckner is serving seven years behind bars in Germany (Reuters)

Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from the bed of her holiday apartment while her parents and family friends dined 180 feet away. Her two-year-old twin siblings were also in the apartment she went missing from. Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry McCann have been searching for answers ever since.

The Metropolitan Police took over the investigation, Operation Grange, in 2011 but they hit dead ends. There has not been another significant suspect in the case since 2007 until Brueckner.

Who is Christian Brueckner?

German prisoner Christian Brueckner is a prolific burglar and has been previously convicted for sex crimes against young girls.

He was born in Germany in 1976 and moved to Portugal in his late teens.

It is believed he lived there between 1995 and 2007 working in the food industry.

Brueckner is described as being about 6ft tall, slim and white with short blond hair.

Brueckner had reportedly been using a yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan in and around Praia da Luz (PA Archive)

What are the accusations against him?

Brueckner was declared a prime suspect in the case of the disappearance of Madeleine by Portuguese police in April 2022.

Already in prison in Germany for the rape and murder of a 72-year-old woman, he has now also been charged with multiple sex offences which are alleged to have taken place between 2000 and 2007.

Police in Germany claim to have concrete evidence that the British girl is dead though this has not been proven.

A spokesperson from the Braunschweig prosecutors office previously said: The accused is the same person against whom charges were brought in connection with the disappearance of the then three-year-old British girl Madeleine Beth McCann.

Specifically, the accused is charged with three offences of aggravated rape and two offences of sexual abuse of children.

The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann continues.

The charges mentioned do not relate to the McCann case. But in May German police claim to have found new evidence linked to Madeleine inside a van belonging to Brueckner.

Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry McCann have been searching for answers ever since her disappearance (PA Wire)

How was he identified as a suspect?

Brueckner had reportedly been using a yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan in and around Praia da Luz  the Algarve resort where the McCanns were holidaying at the time Madeleine vanished.

German prosecutors say telecomms data shows Brueckner received a phone call on 3 May 2007 near the Praia da Luz holiday apartment from which the three-year-old went missing, but he reportedly claims to have been miles from the scene with a young German woman.

Brueckner, who has always denied any involvement in Madeleines disappearance, insists he drove the woman, who was on holiday with her parents, to the airport in Faro for her return flight home the following day. They were stopped and photographed at a police roadblock, according to Sky News.

When Portuguese police named Brueckner an arguido  a formal suspect  on 21 April last year, it was the first time they had identified an official suspect since 2007.

Back then, they named Madeleines parents, Kate and Gerry McCann as suspects but both were later cleared.

Brueckner is the first significant suspect in the case since 2007 (PA Media)

Why is he in prison in Germany?

In April 2022, Brueckner was jailed in Germany for the rape and murder of a 72-year-old woman in the same resort - Praia da Luz - as where Madeleine went missing.

Police in Germany, who are treating the case as a murder enquiry, believe Brueckner planned to rob the holiday apartment but moved on to a sexual motive.

It is believed he has a total of 17 convictions including burglary as he steals from hotels and holiday let apartments.

Other cases Brueckner has been linked to

Brueckner has also been linked to other disappearances of children, including a boy, six, in Portugal in 2000, a five-year-old girl in Germany in 2015 and a number of others.

In 2020, he was being investigated over the rape and murder of Tristan Brubach, a 15-year-old boy from Germany.

Belgian authorities have also linked him to the murder of teenager Carola Titze, 16. She went missing while on holiday in De Haan, Belgium on July 5, 1996 and her body was discovered among sand dunes severely mutilated on July 11.

Other cases believed to be linked to Brueckner include that of Inga Gehrike who went missing from Saxony-Anhalt in Germany on May 2, 2015, Rene Hasee, six, who vanished while on a family holiday in Aljezur, Portugal on June 21, 1996 and Jair Soares who disappeared in August 1995.

Peggy Knoblochs case has also been linked to Brueckner after she went missing in May 2001.
 Close G7 summit: Zelensky and Fumio Kishida lay wreaths at Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima

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Russia unleashed a major two-wave overnight air strikes on Kyiv in what Ukraine said was the largest attack on the city since the beginning of the war.

The attack came ahead of Kyivs anniversary of its official founding 1,541 years ago.

More than 40 drones were downed in the capitals airspace, its military administration officials said on Sunday on Telegram. At least one person was killed from the falling debris.

Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyivs military administration cited preliminary information and said the air raid was the largest drone attack on Kyiv since the start of Russias invasion.

Russia used the Iranian-made Shahed drones in the attack, he said. The claims could not be verified immediately.

Meanwhile, Russias UK envoy warned of an escalation of the war as the UK and other Western allies commit more weapons to president Volodymyr Zelensky.

The actions of Nato countries, especially the UK, risk lengthening and triggering a new dimension in the war, Andrei Kelin told BBC News.
The announcement from Moscow came as little surprise, at least in its language  claiming that those who had raided Russian villages close to the border with Ukraine had been completely eliminated. That it came after two days of fighting raises more of an eyebrow.

The attack has been claimed by Russian militia groups who say their aim is to see President Vladimir Putin toppled. Whatever the state of the raid  with suggestions that the militas opperations could be continuing despite the announcements from Moscow  in the context of Russias broader invasion it is a skirmish. It is the intrigue around the incursion that will have a more lasting effect as it becomes part of the propaganda war between Moscow and Kyiv.

For Ukraine, there appears little to lose. Officials such as Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior aide to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, said Kyiv had nothing to do with the incursion, putting it down to Russias emerging violent resistance movement and that tanks are sold at any Russian military store. Andriy Yusov from Kyivs intelligence directorate said both groups were working autonomously on the territory of Russia and Ukrainians were not involved, while Ukrainian TV said they were militiamen and Russian volunteers.
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World Health Organisation (WHO) members met on Tuesday, 23 May, to discuss resolutions to the health emergency in Ukraine triggered by Russia's invasion.

Members came together for the World Health Assembly in Switzerland, the decision-making body of WHO attended by delegations from all WHO member states.

The organisation declared a health emergency in Ukraine after Vladimir Putin's troops launched a full-scale invasion over a year ago.

The WHO says it is delivering specialised medical supplies, coordinating the deployment of medical teams, and working with health authorities to minimise disruptions to the delivery of critical healthcare services within Ukraine and in countries hosting refugees.

The organisation "is coordinating nearly 200 health partners to deliver various health services across the country, reaching 8.5 million people in 2022."

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Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine have been supported on the battlefield by tens of thousands of mercenaries from a shadowy group led by a businessman and longtime affiliate of president Vladimir Putin.

The Wagner Group is a private military company under the control of Yevgeny Prigozhin that cut its teeth in deployments to Crimea and eastern Ukraines Donbas region in 2014 and has since dispatched troops to several conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, including the Syrian Civil War.

In Russias invasion of Ukraine, Wagner has proved indispensable, but an apparent power struggle between the Kremlin and the outspoken Mr Prigozhin has led to the group having its wings clipped by Moscow.

Yevgeny Prigozhin and Vladimir Putin on a tour around the formers food factory in 2010 (AP)

Mr Prigozhin  a 61-year-old ex-convict sometimes known as Putins chef because his catering business has hosted dinners for the Russian president and fed the Kremlins armed forces  denied all links with the group until September last year when he announced he was proud to be its founder.

He said he founded Wagner to support Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas conflict.

I cleaned the old weapons myself, sorted out the bulletproof vests myself and found specialists who could help me with this, Mr Prigozhin said. From that moment, on 1 May 2014, a group of patriots was born, which later came to be called the Wagner Battalion.

Dmitry Utkin, a former Russian intelligence officer, is alleged to be a co-founder who remains near the top of the groups command.

Since its formation, Wagner has been accused of committing human rights abuses in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Mali and Mozambique.

The group is also believed to be working for the Burkina Faso government against an Islamist insurgency.

Prior to admitting his involvement, Mr Prigozhin had a history of suing Russian and Western news outlets that alleged his ties to the group. His secretive stance was to protect the Wagner soldiers, he has claimed.

Wagner fighters in a Soledar salt mine after Mr Prigozhin claimed to have taken the town (Telegram)

Mr Prigozhin was finally forced to confess his links with Wagner as the group rose to prominence in the Ukraine conflict. British intelligence puts the number of Wagner troops active in Ukraine at 50,000, comprising a quarter of Russias total strength.

War contractors are nothing new but military analysts say the Kremlin has been heavily reliant on Wagner due to the heavy losses incurred by official Russian forces during the war, along with difficulties in recruitment.

The UKs Ministry of Defence (MoD) first reported that Wagner had been deployed in Ukraine on 28 March 2022, little over a month into the conflict after Russian losses had already begun to hamper the pace of the initial assault.

Wagner has since then played significant roles in capturing towns such as Soledar, Popasna and Lysychansk  offering relative operational competence while the Kremlin has been forced to repeatedly switch around command of its own forces in the face of losses.

Graves of Wagner fighters in a cemetery near the village of Bakinskaya (Reuters)

Mr Prigozhin has been at pains to claim victories for Wagner in Ukraine, sometimes putting him at odds with the Kremlin line. He has even accused Russias defence ministry of taking credit for Wagner successes.

In the battle for Soledar, a small town subject to an intense assault as part of Russias still-ongoing campaign to take over the city of Bakhmut, Mr Prigozhin said his mercenaries had triumphed over Ukrainian forces days before the Kremlin said its own troops had done the same.

Bakhmut is prized by Moscow as its capture would put Russian forces in a stronger position in the goal of capturing all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas.

On 12 February, Mr Prigozhin said Wagner had taken the village of Krasna Hora near Bakhmut, making no mention of Russian forces as Moscow began to launch a major offensive targeting the Donetsk town along with several other frontline settlements.

A picture released by Mr Prigozhins press service shows what it said were Wagner fighters at the entrance sign to the village of Krasna Hora (Reuters)

Speculation has raged over Mr Prigozhins ambitions in Russian politics and there are signs that Mr Putin is sensitive to any potential challenges by his former cook.

The Kremlin has moved to clip Mr Prigozhins wings, ordering him to halt his public criticism of the defence ministry while advising state media to stop mentioning him or Wagner by name.

Mr Prigozhin has since confirmed that he had also been stripped of the right to recruit convicts from prisons  a key feeding ground for Wagners ranks  ceding the power back to the government for its own forces.

Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser who maintains contacts in political circles, said the Russian government extracted a promise from Mr Prigozhin that he would not create his own political movement or join a parliamentary party unless asked to do so by officials.

They are a little afraid of him and find him an inconvenient person, Mr Markov said.

The group, formally PMC Wagner, recently moved its headquarters to an imposing glass high-rise in St Petersburg, which also acts as a technology centre and holds exhibits of advanced weaponry along grey corridors filled with camouflaged personnel.

The Wagner Groups headquarters in St Petersburg (EPA)

Unsettling accounts of life in the mercenary group have surfaced recently from former members including Andrei Medvedev, who sought asylum in Norway in January after deserting a Wagner regiment in Ukraine.

The 26-year-old said sergeants were ruthless in their attempts to recruit new fighters.

They would round up those who did not want to fight and shoot them in front of newcomers, he alleged in an interview with CNN.

They brought two prisoners who refused to go fight and they shot them in front of everyone and buried them right in the trenches that were dug by the trainees.

The MoD said last July that Wagner was lowering recruitment standards to include formerly blacklisted individuals.

Andrei Medvedev in Oslo after fleeing Wagner command (Reuters)

Mr Medvedev claimed he joined Wagner as a volunteer after serving in the Russian military. He said Wagner fighters were often sent into battle with little direction.

Two former Wagner fighters captured by Ukraine told CNN of devastating losses in assaults reminiscent of First World War charges.

Recalling his first assault near the village of Bilohorivka in Luhansk, one said: There were 90 of us. Sixty died in that first assault, killed by mortar fire. A handful remained wounded.

The other fighter said he was involved in a push for Lysychansk on the Luhansk-Donetsk border.

The first steps into the forest were difficult because of all the landmines spread out. Out of 10 guys, seven were killed immediately, he said.

The fight went on for five days, he said. There is no feeling attached to it. Just wave after wave. Four hundred [Wagner fighters] were brought there, and then more and more, all the time.

Further evidence of brutality emerged on 14 February, as footage appeared to show a Russian convict who fought for Wagner being beaten to death with a sledgehammer after being accused of fleeing the war.

The UKs opposition Labour Party is just the latest political organisation to demand the Wagner Group be classified as a terrorist organisation in response to its barbarous conduct in Ukraine and beyond.

The group again made headlines in early March, following the one-year anniversary of the wars commencement, when Mr Prigozhin once more took to Telegram to undermine Moscow by warning that the entire Russian frontline in Ukraine would be in jeopardy if his soldiers are finally forced to retreat from Bakhmut amid ammunition hunger, seemingly a plea for more resources.

If Wagner retreats from Bakhmut now, the whole front will collapse, he said in a four-minute video posted to the encrypted app. The situation will not be sweet for all military formations protecting Russian interests.

If we retreat, then we will go down in history forever as people who have taken the main step towards losing the war. This is exactly the problem with ammunition hunger.

His appeal comes amid reports that Russian troops have been reduced to engaging in hand-to-hand combat with shovels due to the scarcity of weapons and bullets.

The fighting has remained intense around Bakhmut for months, although local residents who have held on despite the considerable danger to their lives are now finally fleeing as the Ukrainian militarys withdrawal begins to look inevitable following a courageous fightback.
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OpenAI, the AI firm behind ChatGPT, has warned that the arrival of artificial intelligence that surpasses humans is unavoidable.

Artificial general intelligence, also known as superintelligence, has been theorised by philosophers and academics for decades, though rapid advances in recent years mean we may now be on the cusp of it, senior figures within OpenAI warned.

In a blog post published on Wednesday, OpenAIs Sam Altman, Greg Brockman and Ilya Sutskever said that AI superintelligence will be unprecedented in its power  both positive and negative.

Given the picture as we see it now, its conceivable that within the next ten years, AI systems will exceed expert skill level in most domains, and carry out as much productive activity as one of todays largest corporations, the post stated.

In terms of both potential upsides and downsides, superintelligence will be more powerful than other technologies humanity has had to contend with in the past.

OpenAI laid out three ways humanity can navigate the arrival of superintelligence, though warned lawmakers and regulators against trying to stop it.

We believe it would unintuitively risky and difficult to stop the creation of superintelligence, the post warned.

Because the upsides are so tremendous, the cost to build it decreases each year, the number of actors building it is rapidly increasing, and its inherently part of the technological path we are on, stopping it would require something like a global surveillance regime, and even that isnt guaranteed to work. So we have to get it right.

Mr Altman appeared before a congressional hearing last week to face questions from US senators about the risks that advanced artificial intelligence poses.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appears before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law on 16 May, 2023 (YouTube/ Screengrab)

The 38-year-old told the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law that he believed AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT were a significant area of concern and required rules and guidelines to prevent misuse.

Theres no way to put this genie in the bottle. Globally, this is exploding, Democratic Senator Cory Booker acknowledged.

One potential way to prevent AI harms like election manipulation would be by introducing licensing and testing requirements for the development of AI, Mr Altman said.

One possibility, according to OpenAI, is through the creation of a US licensing agency for AI called the Office for AI Safety and Infrastructure Security (Oasis).
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Scientists have invented a new method to determine the sex of yet-to-hatch chickens by sniffing chemicals on eggshells, an advance that could end the brutal practice of culling male chicks.

Most hatcheries across the world still sort chicks by their sex a day after they hatch, with male chicks being brutally culled immediately.

Some European countries have already banned male chick culling or plan to phase it out.

But if the sex of an egg is determined early on in incubation, billions of male eggs could be humanely diverted, said researchers including those from the University of California, Davis.

The new study, published in the journal PLoS One, demonstrated that it is possible to sort eggs by sex early in incubation, based on volatile organic chemicals emitted through egg shells.

The new invention detects volatile organic compounds (VOCs) given off by the developing embryo that diffuse out of the shell.

Scientists first assessed if there was a detectable difference in the chemicals given off by male and female embryos.

They initially developed a sensing chip technology to collect and analyse organic chemicals in the air.

Suction cups used for the industrial handling of eggs were then adapted to sniff air from the eggs without opening them.

The sex of the eggs was then confirmed by DNA analysis.

We found that there are volatile chemicals from the egg, a scent that you can capture and sort statistically, study co-author Tom Turpen said in a statement.

Scientists could use the new technology to identify male and female embryos at eight days of incubation with 80 per cent accuracy, based on two minutes of sampling.

Researchers noted that the presence of a class of volatile chemicals known as fatty acid esters, including isobutyl acetate, ethyl butyrate and isopropyl butyrate, could help define sex differences.

Other organic compounds, like decanal, m-cymene, d-limonene, b-thujene or tetradecane, were also listed for their sex differentiation ability.

Our VOC-based method could correctly differentiate male from female embryos with more than 80 per cent accuracy, researchers wrote in the study.

There are abundant egg-derived VOCs that can be used to statistically classify embryos by sex, non-invasively, early in incubation with high confidence, they noted.

Researchers believe the hardware platform invented at UC Davis could be integrated into hatcheries.

Scientists believe a rapid suction-cup sampling method could be developed to test a lot of eggs at the same time.

They hope to further develop high performance chemical sensor microchips integrated with routinely used egg handling machinery for determining the sex of yet-to-hatch chickens in the future.
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Netflix is launching its long-threatened password sharing crackdown in the UK and US.

The company is writing to members who are sharing Netflix accounts and telling them that they will no longer be permitted to do so.

Instead, they will be encouraged to transfer a profile so that users can have their own standalone accounts, or buy an extra member, which will let people who dont live in a household be added for 4.99 or $7.99 a month.

Your Netflix account is for you and the people you live with  your household, the email sent to problem accounts reads. The message will only be sent to those suspected of currently sharing their accounts.

Netflix has not revealed exactly how it is tracking those it believes to be sharing passwords with people outside their households. But it says that it is watching for telling account activity, based on IP addresses and devices IDs, which might for instance indicate that an account is being used in two very different places at once.

It stressed that the crackdown will not apply to those who are using their account for travelling. You can easily watch Netflix on the go and when you travel  either on your personal devices or a TV at a hotel or holiday home, the email reads.

Users who are affected are encouraged to go to Netflixs help centre. But the email also offers a variety of ways to deal with the problems.

First, users are encouraged to control how your account is used by checking who is currently accessing their account. Netflix has a web page that will show what devices are currently logged into an account, and that same page can be used to kick them out of an account  after which the company encourages changing the password so that any old devices cannot log back in.

If those people sharing an account are doing so with permission, however, Netflix is offering a variety of options. The transfer a profile tool will mean that users can set up a new, separate account but keep their watch history and other details, or the buy an extra member tool essentially lets someone outside the home have permission to share an account for less than the price of a full membership.

Netflix has been gradually rolling out its password sharing crackdown across the world, beginning in Latin America and since expanding to other regions including Spain and Portugal. It has not said how it is deciding which countries are chosen to be hit by the new crackdown.

The move is one of a range of changes from Netflix as it attempts to deal with slowing rates of subscriber growth that have led it to look for new ways to boost profitability. It has said that it believes some 100 million people around the world are using other peoples Netflix accounts  and that encouraging at least some of those to sign up could deal with those falling rates of signups.

In its results call in April, Netflix said that early tests had shown that the crackdown was successful in encouraging people to sign up for their own accounts. While customers initially cancelled their accounts in response to the news, membership and revenue then rose after that as people started paying for their own logins, said co-chief executive Greg Peters.

He also noted then that testing had revealed some problems with the crackdowns, including users complaining that they were being targeted when they were using the app on the go or while on holiday. Netflix had updated the technology underpinning the new rules in response to those complaints, he said  and it was those improvements that had given it confidence to launch the crackdown more broadly.
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TikTok has filed a lawsuit challenging Montanas recently announced ban of the video sharing app.

The social media firm argued that the new law, which is set to come into effect on 1 January next year, is an unconstitutional violation of free speech.

The company, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, said the attempt to block users from accessing TikTok is based on unfounded speculation that the Chinese government could access their data.

The lawsuit by TikTok itself follows one filed last week by five content creators who made the same arguments, including that the state of Montana has no authority to take action on matters of national security. Both lawsuits were filed in federal court in Missoula.

Republican Govenor Greg Gianforte signed the bill last Wednesday and the content creators lawsuit was filed hours later.

TikTok has not shared and would not share US user data with the Chinese government and has taken measures to protect the privacy and security of its users, including storing all US user data in the United States, the company stated in its complaint.

Some lawmakers, the FBI and officials at other agencies are concerned that the video-sharing app could be used to allow the Chinese government to access information on US citizens or push pro-Beijing misinformation that could influence the public.

Chinese law compels Chinese companies to share data with the government for whatever purposes it deems to involve national security. TikTok says this has never happened.

TikTok is spying on Americans. Period, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, whose office drafted the bill, told a legislative committee in March. Knudsens office has said they expected lawsuits and were prepared to defend the new law.

(The Independent)

The federal government and about half the US states, including Montana, have banned TikTok from government-owned devices.

Montanas new law prohibits downloads of TikTok in the state. It would fine any entity  an app store or TikTok  $10,000 per day for each time someone is offered the ability to access the social media platform or download the app. The penalties would not apply to users.

Even if the law comes into force in 2024, security experts have warned that it would be nearly impossible to prevent TikTok users from accessing the app.

Oded Vanunu, head of products vulnerability research at the cyber security firm Check Point, said last week that it would be difficult for any single state to ban the app, as easily available technologies like virtual private networks (VPNs) would allow users to bypass any geolocation blocks.

Additional reporting from agencies
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Greeces wide scattering of differently sized, culturally distinct islands makes it a dream for a multi-stop trip. Come May and June, ferry services ramp up for summer, with hops between different islands taking as little as 20 minutes.

Some islands are vast and ripe for exploring, requiring a taxi, hire car or moped to get across their width. In others, youll simply find a bijou port and a forested interior, fringed by rocky or sandy coves you can stroll to. Wherever you go, youll find waterfront tavernas, petite churches, hushed beaches and sunkissed portside bars. Plus, there are Greek Isles hotels that will seriously make you want to linger.

But where to start? Greeces ferry networks are complex, with different services available at different times of year; its best to use a journey planner such as Ferryhopper.com to check ahead for timings and operators. Services can run late, so leave plenty of time between your last ferry and your flight home  an easy (and stressful!) first-time mistake to make.

Read more on Greece travel:

Best for first timers: The Argo-Saronics

Route: Athens-Poros-Hydra-Spetses

Close to the capital of Athens and its port, Piraeus, these islands huddled around the Greek mainland are fab for a first go if youre not sure island hopping is for you. Spend a few cultured nights in the capital, then hop on the ferry to nearby Poros, just over an hour away: here youll find a smart little red-roofed port topped with a clock tower and a handful of hotels and apartments. Dine by the waterfront, then go off in search of the emerald waters at Love Bay.

Hydra: Tiny but glamorous (GNTO_Y Porfiropoulos)

Just 35 minutes boat-ride from here is Hydra, a tiny but glamorous speck which has attracted artists, musicians and photographers since the Sixties. Bask in its romantic port and sunset bars, then walk the coast road to find secret pebble bays, or take a boat trip to its quietest corners.

Next up is Spetses, 40 minutes away  the mellow, car-free island where recent film The Lost Daughter was shot. Seek out its Cave of Bekiris, tiny whitewashed churches and one of the oldest lighthouses in Greece; then take the 2hr50min catamaran all the way back to Piraeus for a flight out of Athens.

When to go

These undiscovered islands dont get as much footfall as the Cyclades (below) so you can go in peak July and not feel too much of a crush. However, September is a delightful, quieter time to visit.

Where to stay

In Athens, historic Asomaton is walking distance from the sights; asomaton.com

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On Poros, try the mellow Saga Hotel for a bougainvillea-draped pool; Saga-hotel.com

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On Hydra, guesthouse Hydra Icons has 360-degree views from its rooftop; hydraicons.gr

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On Spetses, Niriides Guesthouse is a chic three-star with a family-run feel; niriides-spetses.gr

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For classic looks: The Cyclades

Route: Santorini-Milos-Sifnos-Serifos-Paros-Mykonos

There are two key ingredients for a successful island-hopping adventure: cheap and plentiful flights into and out of your start and end point, and plenty of ferry links in between. In the Cyclades, where the houses are tiny and whitewashed and the cliffs and bays dramatic and undeveloped, there are UK flights to both Mykonos and Santorini  so compare prices and consider flying into one and out of the other. You could start on Santorini for its jaw-dropping cliffside views, killer sunsets and upmarket dinners, taking the two-hour Seajets ferry on to Milos after two or three days.

Santorini for its jaw-dropping cliffside views (YSkoulas)

Klimas brightly painted fishermans houses are the top sight here, but head to lunar-like Sarakiniko Beach, too (this island is beach central) and take a boat to the Caves of Milos. Next up is Sifnos, 40 minutes away, where youre spoilt for pretty whitewashed villages to potter around (dont miss Chrissopigi Monastery); then to Serifos, 20 minutes on, an unspoiled spot with a particularly beautiful Chora, or port town. Youve just got time for a stop on Paros (a 90-minute service that runs every few days)  which has a slightly more modern feel and a bit of nightlife  before a 40-minute boat on to Mykonos, for ample flights home.

Best time to go

These islands fill up during July and August, so go in early June or mid-September for the best combo of weather and quiet-ish landscapes.

Where to stay

On Santorini, the delightful Vasilicos guesthouse is family-run and tailored to you; thevasilicos.com

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On Milos, Milos Summer Time is all cerulean-painted shutters and sea views; milossummertime.com

On Sifnos, the new Sigma Residences are the trendy pad du jour; sigmaresidences.com

On Serifos, the team at stylish Nostos Boutique Hotel will help you get out and explore; nostosboutiquehotel.com

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On Paros, affordable Ayeri Hotel is slightly out of the port crush; ayerihotel.gr

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On Mykonos, Marisso Hotel is a chilled overnight before a flight home. marisso.gr

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For unspoiled nature: The Ionians

Route: Lefkada-Kefalonia-Ithaca-Kefalonia-Zakynthos

Substantially larger, with more towns and trails to dig into, these forested isles are some of the nearest to the UK. Flights into Preveza (connected to Lefkada island), Kefalonia and Zakynthos give you flexibility on route and order. Wed suggest flying into Preveza for the first few nights on Lefkada, staying in relaxed Nidri or Vasiliki for boat trips out to its mind-blowingly beautiful beaches. From Vasiliki you can take the West Ferry to Fiskardo on Kefalonias north coast (1hr45m), then spend up to a week seeing undeveloped beaches, pine forests and gorgeous Venetian towns on this dazzling island.

Agiofili Beach on Lefkada (Lucy Thackray)

Heading east to Sami port, take the 20-minute boat on to Ithaca, a petite, forgotten-feeling speck of gorgeous wild beaches, tiny port towns and chic guesthouses. From here, you could nip back to Kefalonia and fly home; or voyage 3hr45m onward to Zakynthos, home to some of the Ionians most beautiful beaches. Take in its poster-child Shipwreck Beach, Navagio, snorkel with loggerhead turtles or take boats to vivid caves before flying home.

Best time to go

Ferries run between May and September, so go May to early June or September for the best chance of quieter bays and plenty of ferry seats.

Where to stay

On Lefkada, chilled out apartments like Santa Emelia cost from as little as 75 a night; santaemelia.gr

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On Kefalonia, Anthis Beach Apartments fit in with the tranquil vibe of Fiskardo; anthisbeach.gr

Further south on Kefalonia, southerly F Zeen is a fitness-focused splurge; fzeenretreat.com

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On Ithaca, Korina Gallery Hotel is near the restaurants and boats of Vathy harbour; korinahotel.com

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On Zakynthos, try the chic Tsamis Zante Suites; tsamiszantesuites.com

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Travellers whose flights are cancelled due to volcanic eruptions may be refused refunds or compensation by their airlines.

Mount Etna, Europes highest and most active volcano, erupted yesterday and covered the city of Catania in ash. While no injuries have been reported, the eruption launched a dark plume of ash into the sky, causing flights at Catania airport to be suspended. Today, many flights are still being delayed or diverted to nearby Comiso.

Airlines affected include easyJet and Ryanair.

And on Saturday, Mexico Citys two main airports  Benito Juarez International and Felipe Angeles  briefly closed due to the presence of ash that had come from Pococatepetl, an active volcano roughly 45 miles (72km) from the Mexican capital. Again, there were no injuries reported but schools in 11 different villages were forced to close.

But what are your rights if volcanic activity disrupts your travel plans?

A spokesperson for the UKs Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) told The Independent: Flight disruptions caused by ash from Mount Etna are outside of the control of airlines so it is unlikely that passengers would be entitled to compensation for any delays and cancellations arising from these.

Despite widespread monitoring of volcanic activity  Etna is closely monitored by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, for example  any delays caused by volcanic activity are considered exceptional circumstances.

However, airlines have an obligation to look after their passengers if their flights are delayed or cancelled, the spokesperson added.

In the case of cancellations, airlines are obliged to offer passengers the choice of a refund, re-routing at the earliest opportunity or re-routing at a later date. However, given the circumstances, passengers may be unable to get to their destinations as quickly as we or airlines would like.

We expect airlines to do what they can to minimise the overall disruption to passengers, and this includes proactively providing passengers with updates and information about their rights.

Youll likely be unable to claim any compensation if this is the case, although airlines do still have a duty of care to passengers and need to provide care and assistance in the event that they are unable to fly due to such events. This obligation can take the form of accommodation, food and travel costs; in 2013, Ryanair was ordered to pay compensation after a woman took the airline to court for 1,129 that she spent on meals, accommodation and transport after delays due to the Eyjafjallajokull eruption.

Under UK law, airlines must provide you with care and assistance if your flight is significantly delayed. According to the Civil Aviation Authority, these delays are divided into three categories based on distance and length of delay.

For example, if youre on a long-haul flight over 3,500km, airlines will need to provide compensation if there is a delay of four hours or more. Necessary compensation includes:

A reasonable amount of food and drink (often provided in the form of vouchers)

A means for you to communicate (often by refunding the cost of your calls)

Accommodation, if you are re-routed the next day (usually in a nearby hotel)

Transport to and from the accommodation (or your home, if you are able to return there)

In addition, the CAA states that the airline must provide you with these items until it is able to fly you to your destination, no matter how long the delay lasts or what has caused it. If the airline cannot provide these things immediately, it is within reason to purchase them yourself and claim the cost back later (just make sure what you spend is reasonable).

In 2010, the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull affected 10 million passengers, with airspace over some countries being closed or restricted for up to a week. While certain geographical factors meant that this eruption  and its ash  was more disruptive than recent eruptions, it always helps to know your rights in freak events.

EasyJet told The Independent that the closure of the runway at Catania yesterday led to four flights between the UK and Italy being unable to operate, with one flight rescheduled to today.

A spokesperson said: We did all possible to minimise the impact of the airport closure including providing customers with a free of charge transfer to another flight or a refund, as well as hotel accommodation and meals for those who required them.

The safety and wellbeing of our customers is our highest priority and while this was outside of our control we would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

In a statement, Ryanair said: Due to the eruption of Mount Etna, we were forced to cancel a small number of flights to/from Catania yesterday and today. Affected passengers have been notified and advised of their options, and we advise all passengers travelling to/from Catania today to monitor the Ryanair app for further flight updates.
Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris died at the age of 93 on 10 May 2023.

The Australian presenter was a fixture of British television for more than 60 years before he was convicted in July 2014 of 12 assaults which took place between 1968 and 1986.

He was made an MBE in the 1960s, an OBE a decade later and a CBE in 2006,  the year after he painted the Queen Elizabeth IIs 80th birthday portrait.

Harris CBE was revoked in the wake of his conviction.

He was jailed for five years and nine months and released on licence in 2017.

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A passer-by shoved a Just Stop Oil protester to the ground as the group held a slow march on Londons Blackfriars Bridge on Tuesday, 23 May.

Early on Tuesday, activists held banners as they staged a protest against new oil, gas and coal projects in the UK for a fifth week.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed that a male member of the public was detained by officers at around 8:25am after an altercation between him and two Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge.

No arrests have been made.

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In 1989, Tim Berners-Lee invented the internet, and didnt protect the technology because he wanted it to benefit us all. Three decades later, most of the power  and a lot of the profits  of the internet are in the hands of a few tech billionaires, and much of the early promise of the internet is as yet unfulfilled.

To avoid the same fate for space, we need to subsidise new players to create competition and lower costs, and regulate space travel to ensure safety.

Space matters. Investors can already see its potential, having poured almost $9bn (6.5bn) into companies in an industry with a potential market value of $3bn (2.2bn) by 2030.

Space may seem too vast to be dominated by a few tech billionaires, but in 1989 so did the internet. We need to get this right, because from the mechanics and aerospace engineers to the marketing, information and logistics workers, the space industry could fuel global job creation and economic growth. It may even hold the solution to the climate crisis.

For that to happen, we need competition. What we have now is a few players operating perhaps for their founders benefits, not the worlds.

We should not repeat the mistakes we made with the internet and wait for the technology to be abused before we step in. For example, in the Cambridge Analytica scandal a private technology company used weapons-grade social media manipulation to pursue their own profit (which is their obligation to their shareholders) but to societys harm (which it is regulators job to protect).

In space, the stakes are even higher. They also affect all of humanity, not a few countries. There are environmental dangers (we are probing the carbon cost of earth flights but not space flights), and an accident, as well as leading to loss of life in space, could send fatal debris back down to the planet.

These dangers are not unforeseen. Virgin Galactic already had its first fatality in 2014. A Space X launch puts out as much CO2 as flying 341 people across the Atlantic. Earlier this year some unguided space debris from a Chinese rocket landed in the Maldives.

We should not wait until these accidents happen again  perhaps at a bigger scale  before we act.

Space tourism can and should be about much more than giving the 1 per cent another Instagrammable moment, and increasing the wealth of the billionaires who provide the service.

The space industry should be managed in a way that delivers the most good to the largest number of people. That starts with subsidies.

In short, we should treat space travel like any other form of transit. Making that sustainable economically will almost inevitably require some government intervention.

We have been here before. When the combination of both air travel, highways, and rising labour costs led the two largest railways in America to bankruptcy, the Nixon administration intervened and created AmTrak.

This wasnt ideologically fuelled (quite the opposite). This was a decision to make sure America reaped the economic benefits of interstate travel. Even though AmTrak remains unprofitable only 50 years after its creation, it is a crucial piece of economic infrastructure upon which many other industries  as well as millions of individuals and families  rely.

We need to do the same with space travel. Very few individuals will benefit from what will be an uber-luxury segment of the travel market  Virgin Galactic tickets are predicted to cost $250,000 (and that is the entry level space travel product, Virgins competitors are priced at multiples of that cost).

If we subsidise the industry now, while ensuring there are new competitors in the space industry, we can ensure it hits a critical mass where all the broader benefits of space travel become a reality.

This will be much easier than waiting for monopolies to emerge and then trying to fight them (which is what the FTC is trying to do, decades too late, to Big Tech).

Space travel is not just hype, or the plaything of billionaires. It is the final frontier, both physically and economically. If we want it to be a success, we should learn from our triumphs and failures back on earth and apply them to space now.

That means subsidies, support, regulation and safety. These things are important on earth, but in space they are absolutely essential.

Joshua Jahani is a lecturer at Cornell University and New York University, and a board advisor at the investment bank Jahani and Associates specialising in the Middle East and Africa. He has written for NBC, Newsweek, The Independent and CGTN

To find out what others are saying and join the conversation scroll down for the comments section or click here for our most commented on articles
Scrutiny: The Central Bank introduced the Individual Accountability Act, to change the compliance culture and increase transparency in the financial sector

In the long shadow of the global financial crisis, the Central Bank of Ireland, along with other regulators throughout Europe, has been paying close attention to the culture within the financial services sector.

There has been a widely held belief that individuals who should have been held accountable for their actions managed to escape sanction under rules that applied at the time of the last crash.

To address these issues, the Central Bank has recently introduced the Individual Accountability Framework (IAF) Act, which aims to change the compliance culture and increase transparency and trust within the sector. The new framework combines the Senior Executive Accountability Regime with new standards of conduct, fitness and probity and enhanced enforcement powers against both individuals and firms.

The primary objective of the regime is to clarify who is responsible for what. Under the regulations, individual roles are allocated specific accountabilities. Board members are responsible for overseeing and monitoring the firm's strategy and management, while senior executives are accountable for managing the relevant business function that they lead.

Regulators have the power to impose fines or penalties on individuals who fail to meet their obligations. These range from monetary fines to restrictions on future involvement in the financial services industry. Individuals may face criminal prosecution, resulting in potential imprisonment.

Similarly, accountable individuals may also face civil liability if their actions or decisions result in harm or financial losses to stakeholders. This can lead to lawsuits seeking damages and other legal remedies. All of this also carries immense reputational damage for individuals, which can affect their professional standing and future career prospects.

In such an enforcement case the challenge will be how to evidence that an individual has appropriately overseen or managed a function. In the UK the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) requires a statement of responsibilities that outlines the senior manager's responsibilities and prescribed responsibilities.

This statement specifies what the senior manager is responsible and accountable for, rather than how they do it. In contrast, the IAF requires individuals to take reasonable steps, which is open to interpretation and is creating uncertainty and hesitancy for those affected. Further guidance from the Central Bank would no doubt be welcome.

There are also concerns from affected individuals that the level of accountability they now carry is disproportionate to the level of control, power and decision-making they wield over the wider business. Others are seeking guidance on how they can limit or indemnify some of the risk.

For example, firms may consider enhanced Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance policies that offer increased run-off coverage. This coverage can protect individuals for the duration of the statutory limitation period, which is typically six years. It provides financial support for legal expenses incurred during investigations or legal proceedings related to their roles.

Policies may require increased limits and scope to account for the extended coverage, which now encompasses a larger number of staff members.

However, it is crucial to remember that insurance should not be viewed as a substitute for good governance, responsible conduct, and effective risk management. The primary focus should be on implementing robust frameworks, processes, and controls to mitigate risks and ensure compliance with the IAF requirements.

While the threat of enforcement can seem severe, its important to recognise that many of these requirements have long existed, including in the Companies Act 2014. The IAF reinforces and clarifies these pre-existing obligations, highlighting the importance of good business practices, strong governance, robust controls, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities.

The new regime will also enhance existing business standards and introduce new conduct standards for individuals with the aim of improving the operating culture.

These new standards will apply to all control functions at all levels, including most customer-facing staff and back-office functions. Firms must also notify the Central Bank where an individual has been disciplined for a breach of the new standards.

What we are seeing is a clear and consistent trend towards more individual accountability. Not just by the Central Bank, but also the judicial system.

The recent cases that have resulted in the lifting of the corporate veil, a previously impenetrable legal principle that separates the actions and liabilities of a company from its directors and senior managers, has gained a lot of attention.

This shift signifies a fundamental change in the perception of accountability, emphasising that individuals should be held responsible for their actions and decisions within the organisations they serve and the impact of their actions on their communities.

Colm O'Flaherty is Director, Financial Crime, Deloitte Ireland.
Noise monitoring is to be put in place at Dublin Airport. Stock image

The operator of Dublin airport has lodged planning applications for two separate aircraft noise monitoring terminals (ANMT) systems for the airport.

The planned installation of the ANMT systems is part of a 23-strong network of aircraft noise-monitoring terminals the DAA has been directed by Fingal County Council  the designated Aircraft Noise Competent Authority (ANCA) for Dublin  to have in place.

The lodging of the applications for the two terminals comes against the background earlier this year of a spike in north Dublin residents complaints concerning aircraft noise arising from use of the airports new north runway, which opened last August.

The ANCA issued its direction to install the noise-monitoring devices in 2021.

Planning documentation lodged with Fingal County Council states that the network of ANMTs will help to protect residential amenity.

The planning documents state that the ANMTs are to be installed throughout Dublin and the surrounding counties.

The bulk of the devices are to be mounted at installations in the north Dublin area while one will be placed as far south as Bray, Co Wicklow.

The applications form part of the expanded noise-monitoring programme agreed with ANCA.

The two applications currently before Fingal Co Council have been lodged for the grounds of Ardgillan Community College at Castleland, Balbriggan and Donabate Community College, Portrane Road, Ballisk Common, Donabate.

Fifteen of the locations are to be operational by August of this year. All ANMTs are to be operational no later than 24 August, 2024.

The planning documentation states that the ANMTs will provide enhanced monitoring of aircraft noise emanating from Dublin airport.

Gravis Planning stated that the noise monitoring service will inform the future management and operation of Dublin airport as well as the assessment of future development proposals and will help to protect residential amenity.

The AMNTs include a microphone to capture sound and a terminal analyser will enable the recorded data to be transmitted for assessment and logging.

Some of the other locations for the AMNT technology include Lucan, Portmarnock, Dunboyne, Clondalkin and Swords.

Planning documentation lodged with the proposed Ardgillaun Community AMNT states that it will have no negative impact.
Ireland has fought back against EU claims that it is owed 13bn by US tech giant Apple, in a landmark case that is set to conclude next year.

During a hearing at the EU's highest court in Luxembourg on Tuesday, former attorney general Paul Gallagher, acting for the State, said the EU case beggars belief and accused the European Commission of misleading the court on points of Irish law.

A judgment is likely to be handed down in the first half of year, following a non-binding opinion by the courts advocate general on November 9 this year.

It stems from a 2016 Commission ruling, which claimed Apple enjoyed sweetheart deals with successive Irish governments, allowing it to avoid paying 13bn in taxes on profits it earned from iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks sold outside the Americas.

The underpayment, the Commission said, amounted to illegal state aid and allowed Apple to pay an effective corporate tax rate of just 0.005pc in 2014.

Apple and Ireland fought that ruling and won, in a lower EU court, in 2020. Today's hearing was the Commissions appeal against that decision.

Its outcome will determine whether member states can continue to grant multinationals substantial tax breaks in return for jobs and investments, said Commission lawyer Paul-John Loewenthal.

The Commissions case hinges on a claim that two Apple branches in Ireland managed the firm's intellectual property (IP) licenses and that Ireland should have taxed more of the profits earned on the back of those assets.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - May 23rd

Daniel Beard, representing Apple, told the European Court of Justice that the firms IP is designed and managed at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, and that it is paying around 20bn in taxes on those assets in the US.

The Commission just got the facts wrong about what activities went on in Ireland, he said. The profits were talking about - those profits were in fact subject to the US tax regime.

The Apple case is one of many novel tax decisions taken by competition chief Margrethe Vestager under the blocs state aid rules. She has lost similar cases involving McDonalds, Starbucks and carmaker Fiats tax affairs in Luxembourg and The Netherlands.

The amount of contested tax in Ireland  now worth close to 14bn with interest, which which is being held in an escrow account  was the largest penalty meted out to any of the firms.
The final chapter in a long-running tax dispute between the EU, Ireland and US tech giant Apple gets underway on Tuesday at the EUs highest court.

It stems from a 2016 ruling by the European Commission, which claimed that Apple enjoyed sweetheart deals with successive Irish governments, allowing it to avoid paying 13bn in taxes on profits it earned across the EU.

Apple and Ireland fought that ruling and won, in 2020. The Commission appealed that decision, with the first and only hearing in the case taking place in Luxembourg this morning. It could take several months to a year before a judgment is handed down.

The case was one of many novel tax decisions taken by competition chief Margrethe Vestager under the blocs state aid rules, part of a bid to clamp down on large-scale tax avoidance by multinationals after a series of international scandals.

Many companies argued, successfully, that the Commission was wrong to retroactively apply modern tax principles to historic profits  dating back 25 years, in the Irish case.

The amount of contested tax in Ireland  now worth close to 14bn, including interest, and which is being held in an escrow account  was the largest penalty meted out, by far, to any company in the series of cases taken by Ms Vestager.

Apple, which has operated in Ireland for more than 40 years, says it is the largest taxpayer in the world and believes the original case was not about how much tax it paid but where it was paid. Representatives for the US company believe there are no legal issues left to clarify and hope the court will rule in their favour.

The Commission said it does not comment on court hearings. In filings for its 2020 appeal, it said the lower court had misinterpreted its arguments and committed several errors of law.

The Commission has lost other cases it launched around the same time, including one against coffee chain Starbucks in the Netherlands and another against carmaker Fiat Chrysler in Luxembourg.

A global deal to tackle multinational tax avoidance, including a 15pc minimum corporate rate, is due to take effect from next year. The deal was done as a result of revelations about tax loopholes in countries including Ireland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Staff at social media intelligence and online news agency Storyful have shared bonus payments of 1.134m over the past two years.

New accounts show that staff at the slimmed-down Storyful shared a staff bonus of 581,415 in the 12 months to the end of last June, following a similar payout of 553,339 in 2021.

Accounts for the Rupert Murdoch-owned company show that pre-tax losses last year narrowed by 41pc to 3.968m.

The Dublin-headquartered business reduced its losses even as revenues dipped marginally from 4.57m to 4.48m.

The firm implemented a restructuring in fiscal 2021 and the new accounts show that the numbers employed at the Irish unit fell from 89 to 62 last year while staff costs were reduced from 7.05m to 5.6m, including the staff bonus.

Not all of Storyfuls global revenues are included in the results and relate only to the Irish entity, Storyful Ltd.

Former RTE Prime Time presenter Mark Little set up Storyful in 2010, selling it to News Corp for 18m in December 2013.

A note attached to the accounts states that the directors have considered the losses to date and report they are satisfied that appropriate measures have been taken to bring about the companys profitability.

Salaries and fees to directors last year increased from 530,505 to 620,378.

The firms accumulated losses of 52.7m were offset by share premium account of 56m and called up share capital of 389,075 resulting in shareholders funds of 3.65m at the end of June 2022.
By the end of the year, Ireland could be 14bn richer from Big Tech fines and tax payouts.

The first 1.2bn was announced yesterday, when the Irish Data Protection Commissioner slapped Facebook parent Meta with the biggest-ever GDPR fine. That comes on top of another 1.3bn of fines collected from Mark Zuckerbergs tech giant in the last two years in Dublin. And theres more to come.

Under current rules, Ireland gets to keep all of the tech fines imposed by commissioner Helen Dixon, even though the punishment is supposed to be on behalf of the EU.

Today, well start to find out whether Ireland may be forced  against its wishes  to accept almost 13bn of back taxes from Apple that the European Commission says must be paid.

Ironically, in both cases, Irish authorities and regulators have fought against getting the cash.

In the case of the 1.2bn Meta fine, Dublins initial draft decision argued a fine would be overkill and inconsistent with other GDPR decisions.

But under EU law, the Irish office had to circulate the draft decision among other European regulators. Four of them  Germany, France, Spain and Austria  said Meta should be hit with a big fine.

The issue was decided by the European Data Protection Board, which acts as a referee when disagreements on big decisions crop up. It sided with the other European regulators, saying that Metas infringement was of such a significant nature, gravity and duration that it deserved a big fine.

In other words, France, Germany and Spain  often Irelands harshest critics on Big Tech regulation  just effectively handed the Irish taxpayer more than 1bn.

Its not the first time the Irish data protection regulator has had a proposed fine revised upwards after deliberation by European peers. Ireland has picked up some flak in recent years for appearing to err on the low side when it comes to the size of Big Tech fines.

That is always robustly defended by the Irish office, which points out that to cash-rich giants such as Meta who can swallow 1bn fines easily, the more acute punishment is around orders to restructure their business. That might be why 43 of the 47 European regulators who perused this weeks Meta decision didnt take issue with her decision not to impose a fine and appeared to agree with Ms Dixons assessment that the real punishment  an order on Facebook to suspend data transfers between the EU and the US  was a much meatier, more severe sanction.

Even so, to casual observers, its remarkable how Ireland often ends up seeming to minimise the amount of Big Tech punishment cash, or back-tax payouts, that other regulators and Commission officials insist is due to the exchequer.

Economists who lean toward cynicism might point out this no-thanks-guv culture has not exactly been a bad one for Ireland. It may be no coincidence that the period of Irelands biggest tax and regulatory battles with European peers seems to have run parallel with unprecedented corporate tax riches from the sectors affected most by such dues. Any US multinational looking for a European base, and who has followed the decade-long tax case of Brussels vs Ireland and Apple, must think that Ireland will go to the mattresses for low taxes and sovereign tax policy.

As for the other particulars of the Meta decision itself, there are a few things worth noting.

First, the company has five months to put the data suspension into action, meaning no-one will see an immediate disruption in their social media use. The company has also said it will appeal, potentially dragging it out even further.

Second, its only Facebook data thats affected, not Instagram or WhatsApp, even though theyre owned by the same overall company.

Third, its likely that the US and the EU will have a new transatlantic data agreement (called the Data Privacy Framework) in place later this year, meaning that Meta may not have to abide by this ruling anyway, because it may be superseded.

This is what has always happened in the past. The European courts say that a data transfer goes against GDPR because of US surveillance, whereupon internet disruption is threatened by privacy regulators. But the EU and US come up with a patchwork transatlantic agreement to get over the crisis and were back to square one.

Meta has almost 3,000 staff in Dublin with thousands of extra contractors also employed.

In a response to the fine, the companys global affairs president, Nick Clegg, said the company is disappointed to have been singled out for using the same legal mechanisms  so-called standard contractual clauses  as other companies in Europe.

This decision is flawed, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the EU and US, he said.

He may have a point on being the only Big Tech company to be punished for using what is a common commercial practice. But Ireland, while shaking its head in sympathy, will take the cash anyway.
Ray Stevenson arriving for the world premiere of The Three Musketeers in London Photo: Ian West/PA Wire   PA

Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis has led the tributes to actor Ray Stevenson, who has died aged 58.

The Irish actor, whose credits included HBO series Rome, Marvels Thor films and action film RRR, died on Sunday.

His publicist confirmed the news to Variety, and a cause of death has not been given.

Following the announcement, many of Stevensons co-stars have paid tribute to the actor, including former child star Lewis, who starred alongside the actor in TV film Some Kind of Life.

This is so sad, Lewis, who played Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter franchise, wrote on Twitter.

Ray played my dad in the first thing I ever did on TV. Almost 30 years ago. A proper actor with a fascinating career and I couldnt have dreamed of a better first experience in this ridiculous industry.

James Purefoy, who starred alongside Stevenson in Rome, wrote: So sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away. A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim.

My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss.

Meanwhile, RRR director SS Rajamoul wrote: Just cant believe this news. Ray brought in so much energy and vibrancy with him to the sets. It was infectious. Working with him was pure joy. My prayers are with his family. May his soul rest in peace.

Stevenson will posthumously appear in Disney Plus Star Wars spin-off Ahsoka. His role in the series was revealed at Star Wars Celebration earlier this year.

In response to Purefoys tribute, Luke Skywalker actor Mark Hamill posted a broken-heart emoji.
The new weather radar at Shannon will be able to tell the difference between types of precipitation. Photo: Paul Mealey

A new radar system to be installed by Met Eireann at Shannon Airport will be able to discern between types of precipitation like rain, heavy rain, snow and sleet.

The Shannon weather radar is part of the national weather radar network, which currently consists of two weather radars, one located at Shannon Airport and the other at Dublin Airport.

This weather radar network, relied upon heavily by farmers, provides a steady stream of information 24 hours a day, 365 days a year via the Met Eireann website and app, and is used to provide information on the location and intensity of precipitation across Ireland. The new weather radar system in Shannon will provide enhanced precipitation measurement capabilities.

The dual polarisation weather radar, which will replace the current single polarisation version, have the ability to discern between types of precipitation like rain, heavy rain, snow and sleet (based on its shape), and they have better performance than single polarisation radars in discerning precipitation from objects such as buildings or birds.

This will result in benefits for Met Eireann forecasting services and rainfall radar maps offered to the public.

Work is due to start in May and expected to be completed by autumn 2023. During this period, there will be a modified radar service in the south and west of the country, with a temporary weather radar system operating from Cork.

Throughout the radar replacement, Met Eireanns forecasting services will continue as normal, however changes can be expected on the radar image shown on Latest Radar on met.ie and on the Met Eireann app for the south and the west of Ireland.

This is because the radar image will show combined information from the weather radar at Dublin Airport, the temporary one in Cork and two UK Met Office weather radars in Belfast and Wales when available.

Sarah Gallagher, Head of the Observations Division in Met Eireann, said: Irelands weather radar data is fundamental to the provision of accurate forecasts and weather warnings, supporting emergency management and the protection of life and property.
A Belgium-based taxi driver has been remanded in custody after his arrest at Dublin Airport on people smuggling charges.

Abdirashid Alasaw Mohamed (33), who has no address in Ireland, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court today.

Mr Mohamed, who has not indicated a plea, listened to the proceedings with the assistance from a Somalian interpreter and did not address the court.

He faces charges under the Smuggling of People Act for assisting the unlawful entry of three males into the State and providing fraudulent travel or identity document to assist entry into the country.

The offences allegedly happened on May 21 at Dublin Airports Terminal One.

Following his arrest, gardai brought him to Ballymun garda station.

Garda Sharon Breen told the court that the accused made no reply to the charges.

She confirmed that there would be an objection to bail; however, defence solicitor Brian Keenan informed Judge Kelly his client was not making an application at this stage.

Judge Kelly remanded the accused in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on May 30. She also directed that an interpreter attend his next hearing.

The judge granted legal aid after noting from Mr Keenan that the accused worked in Belgium as a taxi driver.

Directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions have to be obtained.
Dublin company says it will refund families affected

The owner of a bouncy-castle company who took deposits off parents for inflatables that he never delivered has issued an apology and vowed to return the money.

As reported in the Irish Independent, a well-known Dublin company has been leaving countless families celebrating communions high and dry by not showing up.

Some parents booked inflatables as far back as September, paying 50 via PayPal, only to be ghosted by the company owner on the day, who turns his phone off and doesnt respond to texts. He is very, very sorry for everything that has happened, said a close friend. The company is in the process of contacting all the customers who were let down by him and they will all be refunded in due course.

He has someone working on contacting all those people affected to organise all the refunds.

He insisted that there was no criminal element to what had happened and no suggestion that he had deliberately defrauded unsuspecting customers.

When asked for a reason for his behaviour, he claimed that the man was unwell.

Given the huge demand for inflatables, most parents book them over six months in advance which limits consumer rights

This is not fraud  this is something dreadful thats happened to a person. They are devastated about what has happened, he said.

Asked why the website is continuing to operate and take deposits, he said the man is hoping to rebuild the business and make it better.

The company has been operating for a number of years but has attracted a surge of criticism in recent times.

Around a dozen parents have left negative comments with Google reviews over the past month, detailing similar experiences of forking out a deposit via PayPal and then being left with a no-show on the agreed date.

PayPal operates a buyer protection clause where a person can apply for a refund on a product but it must be activated within 180 days of the purchase date.

Given the huge demand for inflatables, most parents book them over six months in advance of the communion date which limits their consumer rights.

Sarah Regan, a mother from Donaghmede, Dublin, booked with the company last September 19 for her eight-year-old daughter Aoifes communion, paying a 50 deposit. But Aoife was left in floods of tears after the company owner refused to answer Ms Regans texts or phone her back to let her know he wasnt coming.

To see a little girl sitting in her communion dress in her sitting room with tears plopping down her face was absolutely devastating  I had to walk out of the room, she said.

She added that a tiny bit of communication would have gone 100 miles but to be completely ignored was just so frustrating.

Alan Mullane from Blackrock, paid a 90 deposit for a high-end inflatable for his childs communion last week  only to be the victim of a no-show from the company.

A spokesman for the body representing bouncy-castle operators in Ireland has advised parents to check its website before booking an inflatable.

Over 50 companies have registered with the Irish Inflatable Hirers Federation and are listed on its website, meaning they are fully insured and reputable operators. Somebody who is insured has gone a long way to have been recognised and they are all listed on our website, he said.
The Government will today extend energy grants for business until the end of July.

Minister for Finance Michael McGrath will bring a proposal to his fellow ministers at Cabinet to delay the expiry of the TBESS scheme.

The lag in falling wholesale prices for energy being passed on at retail level is the reason behind the move  while many companies were slow on the uptake for the Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) in the first place.

It was introduced last year to support businesses faced with huge increases in their electricity or gas bills as a result of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

The Minister, on the approval of colleagues, will today extend the scheme to July 31. It is the very last date provided for by the original legislation.

Wholesale energy prices are decreasing but are not yet fully feeding through to domestic and business consumers.

The hedging strategies used by energy suppliers mean there will be a lag before recent declines on the spot market s are passed on to the retail level, an official explained.

For this reason Mr McGrath feels it appropriate to help meet the continued high energy costs still felt by businesses across the country  especially with depressed summer demand likely to affect many food and drink retailers as a result of the hotel and guesthouse accommodation squeeze caused by housing asylum seekers and Ukrainian refugees.

The situation demands continued Government intervention in the short term, the official said, noting a Failte Ireland report that there would be 1.1 billion less than usual spend in the tourism sector this summer.

The scheme will thus be extended for a two further months until the end of July, and businesses will have up to two months from the end of the scheme to make a claim for monetary assistance.

Minister Simon Coveney will bring a separate memo on the same scheme to extend it to include businesses that use kerosene as a main source of energy.

It follows a Government decision in February to find a way to support more businesses with rising energy costs.

TBESS had covered the majority of businesses who were majority gas customers up until this point. Mr Coveneys move extends the support to majority kerosene users.

It is proposed to provide a once-off flat rate payment to such businesses  backdated to match the time period of the wider TBESS scheme.

Minister Coveney will also bring a number of amendments to the Employment Permits Bill that deal in particular with seasonal permits.

Seasonal workers are an essential part of the economy, with many Irish businesses seeing the same workers return year after year. But Mr Coveneys reforms will guard against any exploitation as a result of perceived reliance.

The aim of the amendments is to strengthen worker protection. A permit holder (employee) will be able to transfer their permit and labour to another approved employer without reapplying.

In order to do so, they must have completed nine months with their original employer and the transfer must take place within the validity period of their permit.

There will also be strict limits on deductions that can be taken by employers from wages for food, lodgings and transport. And a register of such seasonal employers is expected to be set up in addition.

Separately at Cabinet, Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman will bring his proposed name for the chair of the oversight board for the Tuam baby-grave exhumations.

The chair will be announced after the meeting of ministers and the work at the former mother and baby home  where over 800 infants may have been interred in a subterranean sewage chamber  is expected to begin before the end of the year.
A judge has warned a man previously jailed for harassing six journalists that prison time is inevitable if he breaches the conditions of a suspended sentence.
Fat Freddie Thompson swallows sim card after he's caught with phone in Portlaoise Prison

He was taken to a padded cell after he again flew into a rage, smashing a phone and kicking over a food trolley

Fat Freddie Thompson smashed a phone and swallowed the SIM card in Portlaoise Prison

Eamon Dillon and Nicola Tallant Tue 23 May 2023 at 08:46
One in four who have received their papers cant move out due to housing crisis

The statistics on direct provision were released in response to a parliamentary question from Independent TD Catherine Connolly. Photo: Tom Burke

The number of direct provision centres in Ireland have tripled over the last five years, largely due to new emergency centres set up to ease capacity issues in the creaking asylum system.

Despite a government commitment to end direct provision, which is a system consistently lambasted by human rights groups, figures show it is getting bigger and relying more on inappropriate accommodation, largely provided by the hospitality industry.

It comes as the department responsible for integration confirmed that more than a quarter of people currently living in direct provision have received their papers, but cant move out due to the housing crisis.

High rents and anecdotal reports of discrimination from some landlords are being blamed for refugees being unable to move out of direct provision centres, exacerbating capacity issues further.

The Government is grappling with a severe lack of accommodation for asylum-seekers amid the emerging problem of protests against housing for them across Ireland.

According to figures provided by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, up to the end of last year there were 50 permanent direct provision centres across Ireland. Between 2018 and 2021, 27 new centres were created  most of which were emergency centres.

And last year alone, 75 more accommodation centres were set up across Ireland, the majority also emergency centres. While some of these are larger centres like the CityWest transit hub, some are hotel rooms or B&Bs which are contracted to accommodate only small numbers of people.

The new centres opened last year included some mixed-use accommodation centres, which accepted Ukrainian refugees and other asylum-seekers.

The figures are accurate up to the end of last year, and so do not reflect direct provision centres that have closed or any of the new accommodation centres that the Government is scrambling to open.

The statistics were released in response to a parliamentary question from Independent TD Catherine Connolly. Ms Connolly said she believed the figures show that the Government was relying more on inappropriate accommodation run by for-profit organisations, despite its recognition that direct provision needed to be wound down.

Direct provision was described as inhuman, not fit for purpose, and being run on a not-for-profit basis. It was to end, but were doing the opposite. We made no progress, and now we have the housing crisis and the war in Ukraine on top of it, Ms Connolly said.

The TD said she was concerned that relying on accommodating people in the hospitality sector was not creating conditions for people to integrate, and that asylum-seekers were being denied basic facilities, including those allowing them to cook for themselves.

Ms Connolly said that while it was not ideal, she would like to see the Government start commissioning not-for-profit accommodation centres in order to try to deal with the current capacity issues.

In 2021, the Government published a white paper that set out a plan to end the expensive and inefficient direct provision system by next year.

However, Integration Minister Roderic OGorman recently admitted achieving that target would be unlikely, blaming the war in Ukraine and increasing numbers of international protection applicants.

The housing crisis is also putting pressure on the direct provision system. The department confirmed that, at the end of last March, there were 5,200 people still living in direct provision despite having already received their papers.

It is understood this figure, which includes more than 1,000 children, represents around a quarter of all people in the system.

People living in the Governments International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) system have reported struggling to find affordable private rented accommodation, while others have said they believed they were being discriminated against by landlords.

The department said that residents with status in IPAS accommodation are no longer international protection applicants and will need to transition into alternative accommodation to create space for new arrivals.
Windscreen of a womans car was shattered by rock in a separate incident on the M8Road safety campaigners have expressed horror at the dangerous acts

ROAD safety campaigners have expressed horror after it emerged a vandal used a slingshot and metal ball-bearings to target cars just off the Dublin-Cork motorway.

The revelation came as another motorist was lucky to escape serious injury when the windscreen of her car was shattered after it had been hit by a rock deliberately thrown at passing vehicles.

Gardai have now increased surveillance of areas where such incidents have occurred - as community activists in Tipperary have demanded firm action before someone is badly injured or even killed.

Multiple incidents have been reported over recent weeks of vehicles being targeted on the Dublin-Cork motorway in different parts of Tipperary.

The latest involved a woman narrowly escaping injury when the windscreen of her car was shattered by a rock thrown as she was driving onto the M8 near Cashel.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - May 23rd

In another horrific incident, both motorists and pedestrians were targeted by a young person armed with a slingshot who fired metal ball-bearings.

Community activist Liam Browne appealed via TippFM for gardai to be supported by public representatives in cracking down on such dangerous behaviour - and for the public to assist gardai by reporting any such incidents they witness.

"All people can see is every day driving up and down a road having stones thrown at them and nobody helping them out. Thats seriously unfair on people, he warned.

Road safety campaigners warned that if such behaviour is not stamped out, a tragedy could result.

In March, another motorist had their windscreen shattered while driving along the M8 in Tipperary by a rock.

Luckily, the motorist was able to safely pull their vehicle over to the hard shoulder though their windscreen had been damaged by the missile.

It followed similar incidents over recent times where objects were thrown from bridges over motorways in Dublin, Wicklow, Meath and Cork.

The most horrific incident occurred in Dublin five years ago where a woman claimed that kittens were tossed from a motorway flyover directly into the path of a vehicle travelling below.

In Wicklow, rocks were thrown from a bridge at cars passing on the N11.

Gardai in Cork had to increase routine patrols of some motorway flyovers after a series of incidents in 2015 where rocks were thrown at the windscreens of cars and trucks passing underneath.

In one case, a collision between vehicles was narrowly averted.

In 2014, an ambulance had to be taken out of service after being damaged when it was hit by rocks thrown from a motorway flyover on the M4 motorway on the Meath-Kildare border.

Tipperary gardai expressed concern at reports of objects being thrown at traffic on the M8 motorway.

One latest incident occurred after a motorist said they spotted a number of people standing on an M8 flyover bridge just outside Cahir.

As their car passed underneath the bridge, the motorist was shocked to realise that an item had been thrown.

This item - believed to be a rock - struck and shattered the windscreen.

Fortunately, the motorist was alerted by the group on the bridge that they had slowed down - and was able to bring their vehicle to the hard shoulder without incident to inspect the damage caused.

The motorist was uninjured but was left shocked by the incident.

Sergeant Declan O'Carroll warned that such behaviour could result in tragic consequences.

"These are serious incidents and Gardai are appealing to people to be aware of the potential fatal consequences of these actions."

"It is a serious offence and this one is being fully investigated, he said.

Gardai urged people to think of the consequences of such actions on a busy motorway.

Detectives have also urged anyone with information about the identity of those involved to help gardai with their inquiries.
A registered firearms dealer made a "serious and grave error" bringing back an "essential component" for a prohibited submachine gun after attending a weapons show in the US, a judge has heard.

Damien Graham (53), of Ballynagall, Ballickmoyler, Carlow, and Patrick O'Mahony Jr (53), of Ballyrameen, Castlemaine, Co Kerry, appeared at Dublin District Court today, having been charged earlier with Firearms Act offences.

Mr Graham has two charges for possessing a conversion kit for an AR15 assault rifle, including a bolt and chamber, at Terminal 2, Dublin Airport, on November 28, 2021.

He is also accused of unlawfully having a bolt from a Sterling submachine gun at the same date and location.

Co-defendant Mr O'Mahony has a single charge for possessing a bolt from a Browning machine gun at Terminal 2 on November 28, 2021.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed summary disposal of the case at the district court level.

Outlining the allegations, Garda Sharon Breen told Judge Treasa Kelly that customs officers searched Mr Graham's check-in luggage and found suspected firearms parts, which were sent for ballistic examination.

On This Day In History - May 23rd

She explained that the conversion kit was to make the rifle calibre smaller because larger calibre ammunition was much more expensive, and it was a common practice. However, the registered firearms dealer had not obtained an importation licence for those parts.

She agreed with defence solicitor Matthew Kenny that gardai did not suspect anything suspicious.

The judge heard that the Sterling submachine gun bolt was an essential part, not a firearm in its entirety.

Garda Breen said the accused was a registered firearms dealer allowing him certain semi-automatic or handguns, however, not machine guns.

Mr Kenny said his client was offering a guilty plea and added that it was an oversight.

He had also met gardai by appointment and answered all questions.

The garda accepted the guilty plea was of assistance.

Mr Graham had an automotive tool firm and a second business as a restricted firearms dealer. The solicitor said his client ought to have known better but made a "serious and grave error" while returning from a gun show in Florida.

The prosecution had brought him considerable anxiety and embarrassment.

The offences can carry a 5,000 fine or up to 12 months imprisonment at the district court level. Mr Kenny implored the court to leave Mr Graham without a recorded conviction and added that his client was in a position to make a donation.

After a recess, the judge questioned the garda further about the submachine gun component and was told that although Mr Graham was a registered firearm dealer, he still could not have a licence for that type of weapon.

The garda reiterated, however, that the accused had an essential component but not the firearm in its entirety.

Judge Kelly said Mr Graham's restricted firearm licence "did not include anything as serious as a submachine gun", which she thought was used just by the army.

She refused jurisdiction for the case to be heard at district court level and granted an adjournment until July 7 for directions from the DPP.

Co-defendant Mr O'Mahony has a single charge for possessing a bolt from a Browning machine gun at Terminal 2 on November 28, 2021. He is yet to indicate a plea.

His case was adjourned until July 4 to consider the disclosure of prosecution evidence with his solicitor.
Ireland is struggling to cope with the scale of the refugee crisis that has swept Europe, the Taoiseach has said.

Leo Varadkar said while issues have arisen with accommodation shortages and some anti-immigration protests, he insisted the vast majority of the near 100,000 people who have arrived in Ireland in the last year have been housed and welcomed by local communities.

There are now 199 recently arrived asylum seekers without any State-provided accommodation.

Seventy-one who had no accommodation were offered a place today.

Eleven more new arrivals were not offered any accommodation when they presented at the International Protection Office today.

"We're facing a major refugee crisis not just here in Ireland but all across Europe, the Taoiseach told the Dail.

"We would have seen in most years (that) 3,000 to 4,000 people come to Ireland each year looking for protection, in the past year it's been closer to 100,000, most fleeing the war in Ukraine, but a very large number of people seeking international protection from other parts of Europe and outside of Europe, as well, and we're struggling to deal with it."

Ministers condemned far-right agitators "peddling lies" and seeking to block migrants from entering certain areas, as they gave statements to the Dail on housing asylum seekers across the country.

They also evoked the history of fleeing Ireland in search of a better life abroad during the Dail debate on the refugee accommodation crisis.

More than 85,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Ireland after fleeing the Russian invasion of their country since its outbreak last February, with a further 15,000 arriving last year seeking asylum.

The State is now offering accommodation to more than 85,000 people amid a severe housing shortage that the Government has said can only be addressed by boosting supply after years of underinvestment.

The Government has committed to refurbishing buildings, encouraged people to "pledge" a home for Ukrainian refugees for a period of time, and to fund rapid-build accommodation units in the hope of housing migrants arriving in Ireland.

Speaking in the Dail, Minister for Equality Roderic O'Gorman - charged with housing and integrating Ukrainians and asylum seekers - said that the people who are "warmly embracing" those who have fled from conflict or persecution "are the true mark of Irishness".

Addressing communication concerns, he said he had engaged with locals and communities to give information and dispel misinformation, but added "we don't always get to do the level of engagement".

He said that masked men who film and intimidate asylum seekers "are not concerned locals", but members of the far right "peddling lies" to further their own agenda.

He added: "The vilification of men in particular who come here seeking international protection, some of these men who have been tortured, exploited and come here seeking refuge, being denigrated as something other, something to be feared."

He said that international protection means fairly and humanely examining a claim for asylum, and should not "vilify" those who have their claims rejected.

He added: "Our deep history of immigration means we have an instinctive understanding of the plight of those seeking to make a better life elsewhere.

"There's not one Irish person who hasn't had a family member, a male family member, who's gone abroad seeking a better life as an economic migrant, and we view them as our families, as proud relatives living elsewhere."

Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien said that in Ireland's "quite recent history", people have had to flee its shores and "weren't always given the welcome that that they should have" but went on to play "a very important role in their new countries".

He said that it was important that the message "from a very dangerous fringe on the right wing aren't allowed to take hold" and suggested that a flux of people seeking asylum in Ireland would now become "the new norm".

He added: "All of us realise that the reality that we live in right now - which is mass migration - is a reality that the developed world and Europe and Ireland are going to have to live with for many, many years to come even post the conflict in Ukraine.

"We look at climate change, we look at all the conflicts right across the world, countries like ours, people see as a safe and secure place where they can rear their families and so I think we have to be more flexible into the future about providing additional accommodation for the long term."

As part of the refurbishment programme, he said that currently there are 59 different projects at various stages of progression that will provide just short of 3,000 additional bed spaces when the work is complete.

Justice Minister Simon Harris criticised "bad actors" who he said travel from community to community who seek to "hijack" the Irish tricolour for their own needs.

"They want to express these concerns for their own ends, they use divisive rhetoric, they use misleading information, and they target those people that have come to Ireland to seek protection," he said.

"In our DNA, we know what it is like to have to leave your homeland and go and seek refuge somewhere else.

"People who drape the tricolour around them while blocking the entry and exit of people from their temporary homes, from their place of shelter, do not speak for our country, they do not speak for this people's house, the Dail."

He said that Government was working "tirelessly" to ensure that asylum seekers who have fled to Ireland and have been left without State-provided accommodation will be housed.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald noted it said something about political life in Ireland that the vast majority of politicians who put themselves forward for election have criticised the actions of the far right "because these are the values of the Irish people".

"Barricades are wrong, blockades at the accommodation of anyone, but particularly vulnerable people is wrong, wrong, and wrong again," she said.

Sinn Fein TD John Brady accused the Government of having a hand in creating "the current mess", criticising Ireland's asylum system as "unworkable" and "unfair" to applicants.

"It is also a fact that it is less well off communities which have had to accommodate the vast majority of refugees, and from the outset the government has failed to deliver on its commitments and responsibilities - at best it has, at times, been reacting to events rather than delivering solutions up front," he said.

Labour TD Duncan Smith said that the statements from three ministers was an example of the "coordinated, coherent response from Government" that the opposition had been calling for.

He said that he had concerns about "a small minority" of public representatives who he said he "would not trust" with certain information in relation to where new arrivals were going to be accommodated.

"There has been instances where representatives have come and said things at public meetings, or have dropped leaflets and that, quite simply, is something that we cannot stand for," he said.
Rival drug gangs have been fighting in north Down for months now with no end in sight

Loyalists have had to flee North Down due to the ongoing feud (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph)

Paramilitaries who have fled north Down due to loyalist infighting are scattered to the four corners of Northern Ireland  with some even moving as far as Co Fermanagh for their own safety.
An Offaly haulier who moved drugs and dirty money for Europe's biggest crime gangs has been ordered to pay back over 720,000.

Thomas Maher (42), who was born and raised in Clara, is serving 14 years for importing cocaine into the UK and Ireland as well as money-laundering.

His links to several major crime gangs, including the Kinahan cartel, were exposed after the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) and gardai accessed his encrypted phone messages.

Maher was involved in smuggling around 1.5m into Ireland and moving 1m of criminal proceeds out of the country.

He has now been ordered to pay back hundreds of thousands to the UK exchequer or face more jail time.

Yesterday a judge at Liverpool Crown Court made a confiscation order for 629,159 (722,840), including Maher's Warrington home, cars, lorries, jewellery, high value watches, artwork, and gold ingots bought in Dubai.

He has three months to pay the sum or face an extra six years in prison.

Maher bragged to associates about being involved in organised crime for over 20 years and was considered a "logistics manager" for the Kinahan crime gang.

Detectives believe he also directed the movement of over 600,000 that was seized by gardai in Drogheda in 2020.

His close associate Jason Reed, a soup run volunteer also linked to the Kinahan gang, is serving a seven-year jail term for money laundering.

Thomas Maher came on the NCA's radar after it emerged that the tractor unit involved in the death of the 39 Vietnamese migrants in Essex was at one point owned by him and still in his wife's name after being sold.

He was released without charge but Maher's luxurious lifestyle raised police suspicions as him and his wife were living off less than minimum wage.

During a seven-month surveillance operation NCA officers watched Maher meet criminal associates to direct the trafficking of cocaine from the Netherlands to the UK and Ireland.

Thomas Maher was arrested in June 2020 as police received intelligence he was planning to leave the country, and he later pleaded guilty to importing class A drugs and money laundering.

The NCA's Head of Asset Denial, Rob Burges, described the order against Maher as a "significant result" and demonstrated their ability to prevent criminals from benefiting from wrongdoing.

Thomas Maher was a career criminal who was trusted by some of Europes biggest crime groups to move their drugs and money.

"The confiscation order will ensure money he made will be returned to the public purse to fund further efforts to protect the public from organised crime.
Paedophile thought of burning house down rather than sell it to pay compensation

Paedophile says he thought of burning his house down rather than sell it to pay victim

Former soldier Stanton groomed victims

Patrick O'Connell Tue 23 May 2023 at 10:52
Tokens of respect are left at the site of Tuam mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway. Photo: Paul Faith

Childrens Minister Roderic OGorman has appointed a director to oversee the excavation and recovery of children's remains at the site of a former mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway.

Daniel Mac Sweeney, a former International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) envoy, will lead the independent office as the director of authorised intervention for Tuam.

He will now have charge of the dig at the former mother and baby home site  where over 800 infants are believed to have been interred in a subterranean septic tank or sewage chamber.

It is hoped exhumations could begin before the end of the year, but Minister OGorman said it would be a matter for Mr Mac Sweeneys assessment.

He will be responsible for ensuring the remains are re-interred in a respectful and appropriate way.

A key first priority for the director will be to engage with relatives, survivors and former residents of the Tuam institution, Mr OGorman said.

The minister has also appointed former INTO general secretary, Sheila Nunan, as a negotiator with the religious orders that ran mother and baby home to seek a meaningful contribution towards redress for their crimes.

Minister OGorman has so far come up empty handed from talks with the religious groups involved, mostly orders of nuns. He refused to specify a range of financial contributions that might be meaningful, saying it was precisely a matter for negotiation, and that Ms Nunan, a former president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) had much experience in the area.

As envoy to the Caucasus with the ICRC, Mr Mac Sweeney has dealt with the missing in wars involving Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"Daniel will oversee the long-awaited intervention at the site of the former mother and baby institution in the town," he said.

"He has extensive expertise and experience contributing to, leading and overseeing humanitarian programmes in the international arena, including in relation to missing persons and identification programmes involving the use of DNA, which will be invaluable in the Tuam director role."

Funding of almost 7 million has been made available for the 2023 costs of the multi-annual intervention.

Asked if the announcement is an attempt to isolate focus on infant deaths in Tuam rather than other institutions, Mr O'Gorman said: "We've given this agency very significant powers in terms of the ability to excavate, to exhume remains, and to analyse remains, and indeed give individualised reports on each set of remains where possible in terms of potential cause of death and the like.

"We also removed a prohibition that had existed in the earlier legislation in terms of any engagement from the coroner.

"So, we have both created a highly-specialised agency and given it the resources to undertake its work, but we've also opened it up and its findings up to other apparatuses of the State as well."

He said this is what he was "asked to do" by the relatives.

"We've been able to address the key concerns that did exist about the original draft," the minister added.

He continued: Last year, I indicated that I would expect to see a meaningful contribution from congregations and lay organisations involved in the running of mother and baby and county home institutions, so today we've appointed Sheila Nunan to continue those engagements.

I've met with six congregations, one Catholic lay organisations and the Church of Ireland previously, and Ms Nunan will continue those engagements now.

Mr O'Gorman also rejected the suggestion that the appointment of Ms Nunan to lead negotiations was an attempt to pass the buck in case the cash talks failed. Weve given a six-month period for these engagements to take place, with the possibility of extension.

Subsequently then, any finalised package or offer will come back to Government, he said.

Labour Senator Marie Sherlock meanwhile maintained that anyone who spent any length of time in a mother and baby institution must have access to the redress scheme, which will be passed by the Oireachtas before the end of the summer.

It is expected that 34,000 people will receive payments, and 19,000 will be eligible to avail of medical cards. Those elderly and unwell will be prioritised for both, the minister said.

Senator Sherlock said the State must open the redress scheme to all survivors, not just those who spent a minimum of six months as inmates.

Time and again, we have asked and queried the scientific basis for the six months and there has not been a reply, she said.

For women excluded from the scheme, it is not about money. It is about recognition, and the recognition of what society did to women and their children and the time. Excluding so many women from the redress scheme is deeply wrong, unfair and diminishes the hurt and trauma inflicted on people.

She added: The State failed totally failed these women and children by outsourcing its responsibility to the church and to these church-run homes. Society turned its back on these women.
The Government is to go out to tender for so-called flotels later this summer in a bid to secure much-needed accommodation space for asylum seekers.

The Department of Equality has confirmed that it intends to publish a request for tender seeking floating accommodation for international protection applicants following detailed investigation and analysis of its use by officials.

The publication of the tender request is not imminent and will not happen until later this summer, the Irish Independent understands, with exact details of where the flotels would be berthed still to be worked out. The Department of Transports maritime unit is involved in the process.

It comes after the Sunday Independent revealed at the weekend that the Department repeatedly turned down several offers of cruise ships to accommodate thousands of refugees last year.

A reassessment of such proposals comes in the wake of an unprecedented accommodation crisis which is forcing some refugees and asylum seekers arriving in the State to sleep on the streets.

The number of international protection applicants without accommodation currently stands at 259.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dail yesterday (tues) that Ireland is facing a major refugee crisis" as it struggles to deal with the number of new arrivals.

"We would have seen in most years (that) 3,000 to 4,000 people come to Ireland each year looking for protection, in the past year it's been closer to 100,000, most fleeing the war in Ukraine, but a very large number of people seeking international protection from other parts of Europe and outside of Europe, as well, and we're struggling to deal with it, he told TDs.

Earlier, Integration Minister Roderic O'Gorman confirmed that the Government is considering using flotels, as one way to help ease the strain on accommodation for asylum seekers in the country.

Their advantage, he explained, was their low draught, meaning the depth of water needed under their keels.

Unlike disused cruise ships, which can only berth in deep-water ports, flotels can be used on inland waterways.

They were specifically designed for river cruising, whether on the Rhine, Danube, Seine or Loire.

This raises the possibility of flotels not only in the cities but also along the whole length of the Shannon.

Mr OGorman said all options now had to be looked at, given the accommodation strain.

He emphasised that the unaccommodated were at the most risk if they remained on the streets.

Flotels offer the prospect of individual cabins on a number of decks, with a single point for security, the gangway.

The minister said that people had the right to protest but I dont think that blockades, or people in masks is acceptable. He added: It is disturbing to see people wrapping the (Irish) tricolour around themselves.

Mr OGorman said he would not overestimate the numbers on the far right, but declined to answer whether such extremists had offered any direct personal threat or menace to himself.

Today's News in 90 Seconds - May 23rd

He said there were 259 asylum seekers and refugees unaccommodated as of today.

But this was down from over 500 on the Monday of last week.

And I hope to see significant decreases in the number of unaccommodated over the next number of days.

He added: Im not sure these marked people represent communities.

Another advantage of flotels is their mobility, which offers flexibility. If they were to encounter unrest in one area, they can slip their moorings for somewhere new.

The minister offered no indication of when the first flotels nor how many people it was ultimately hoped to house on water.
'The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife' by Daniel Maclise, housed at the National Gallery of Ireland, depicts our loss of sovereignty to the Norman conqueror of Ireland

A priceless statue of Strongbow, the Anglo-Norman lord who spearheaded the invasion of Ireland in the 12th Century, may be buried within sight Irelands most famous cathedral  Christchurch

Archaeologists are being urged to consider a survey using ground-penetrating radar to see if the statue is buried near the area where Irish chronicles report it was last seen.

Waterford historian Dermot Power said he believes the potentially priceless statue is buried near Christchurch Cathedral - and that a survey using high-tech ground penetrating radar could lead to its recovery.

"I believe it is buried in the ground somewhere around Christchurch," he told WLRFM.

"All of those houses are Elizabethan so you are talking the late 1500s, maybe a metre down."

Strongbow, whose real name was Richard de Clare, the second Earl of Pembroke, agreed to help the deposed King of Leinster, Diarmuid

MacMurrough, to recover his lands if, in return, he was allowed to marry the king's daughter, Aoife.

The powerful Anglo-Norman lord thus secured for himself the right of succession to Leinster.

Strongbow's army conquered Leinster and he was allowed to keep his new lands by King Henry II once he surrendered his French and Welsh territories and agreed to the English king being overlord of his new Irish possessions.

The Anglo-Norman lord died in 1176 and was buried in Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin.

On This Day In History - May 23rd

He had married Aoife at a ceremony held in Reginald's Tower, in Waterford, in August 1171.

Mr Power said he has traced newspaper articles which referred to the statue standing outside Reginald's Tower in Waterford in 1792.

The Royal Armouries in Leeds, having consulted a description of the statue from the article, confirmed that it likely involved a 13th Century knight.

"It took them nearly four months to decipher what it was, because there is nothing like it in England," he said.

"The 13th century was before they wore (plate) armour - it was essentially chainmail and leather."

However, interest in the statue's whereabouts was piqued by the Royal Armouries admitting that, if found, it would be the oldest of its type in Ireland or the UK.

Mr Power is now urging that ground-penetrating radar be used around the historic area of Christchurch to determine if, as suspected, the statue was buried locally.

Such searches based on historical data have proved successful over recent years, most famously with the discovery of the remains of King Richard III underneath a Leicester car park.
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern chats with Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams before panel discussion on the Good Friday Agreement Referendums in Leinster House tonight. (Picture Credit: Frank McGrath)

The level of death in the Northern Ireland Troubles, if translated to Britain, would equate to over 130,000 killings, Bertie Ahern has told the Seanad.

The number is double the 66,375 civilians killed in the UK during the whole of the Second World War.

Speaking on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, the former Taoiseach said it had delivered on its primary purpose: to stop the killing and achieve a stable peace.

It is easy with the passage of time to forget how utterly awful and heart-breaking the previous generation had been on our island, particularly Northern Ireland, Mr Ahern told Senators.

There were over 3,700 deaths and tens of thousands injured, and the entire society of the island was blighted and held back by the darkness that enveloped it.

He added: To give just one statistic of context, the vast majority of the deaths were in Northern Ireland. In per capita terms, that level of death in Great Britain would equate to over 130,000 killings.

But it was not just a matter of the savagery of the scale of the death, injury and destruction; it was also a matter of the sense of hopelessness it engendered, the sense that the seemingly endless cycle could never be broken and that we were all destined and predestined to accept our grim fate.

Yet through a combination of determination and resolve, added to a modicum of good fortune, politicians and leaders found the means in the spring of 1998 to bring the vicious cycle to an end, he said  not totally but very substantially.

Thereby, they had set in train a new era of peace and stability, and in relations between the North and South and Ireland and Britain, which continued to be enjoyed to this day.

The 10 moments that defined the Troubles

A crucial factor was the passage of time itself, Mr Ahern said.

The 30 years or so of conflict led to a kind of fatigue and exhaustion. There were many participants in the conflict but none of them had achieved what would be called the upper hand.

The paramilitaries had waged a savage campaign that had cost the lives of thousands of people, but they had not prevailed in their stated goals. By the same token, however, the British and Irish States had applied their fullest resources in tackling the subversive activities of the paramilitaries, but this security and justice response had not brought peace.

By the early to mid-1990s, a kind of uneasy stalemate had taken hold, he said. It felt like a stalemate that was not going to be broken by military or security means. All this had, in turn, led to a gradual evolution of the policies of the two Governments in addressing the conflict.

For almost 25 years, the settled view of both governments, individually and collectively, was that there could be no truck with those waging or supporting violence and armed struggle. Political parties supporting the armed groups were excluded from engagement by the governments. The focus of both was entirely on the constitutional parties.

In truth, of course, secret outreaches to the paramilitary worlds were undertaken over the years by many Governments, Irish and British. Looking back, I fully support the fact that such efforts were made, including on the part of my two immediate predecessors as leaders of Fianna Fail, Charles Haughey and Albert Reynolds.

It was Albert Reynolds who was to give the dial its most dramatic twist when he became Taoiseach in early 1992. He immediately made it clear that peace in Northern Ireland was his number one priority. Like my situation some years later with Tony Blair, he enjoyed a good relationship with his counterpart, John Major. They both agreed to explore what they could do together.

The Downing Street Declaration they signed jointly in December 1993 proved the decisive stepping stone towards the peace they both sought, said Mr Ahern, who would eventually replace Mr Reynolds as Fianna Fail leader and Taoiseach.

This declaration set out in clear terms the basis for a comprehensive process of negotiations and the principles that would need to be enshrined in any agreement, he said.

Critically, it opened the way for parties associated with armed groups to participate in the negotiations, but with one fundamental proviso: the groups had to end their campaigns of violence and commit to peace and democracy.

In the summer of 1994, this led to the IRA ceasefire, which was followed in October of that year by a similar move by the loyalist paramilitaries. This was a historic turning point, without question, for which Albert Reynolds and, indeed, John Major, deserve great credit, Mr Ahern said.

He and Tony Blair were therefore not starting from scratch, but rather building on the foundations laid by our immediate predecessors.

Eventually around the table, were the two governments and eight parties: the UUP, SDLP, Sinn Fein, Alliance Party, UDP, PUP, Womens Coalition and the Labour Coalition.

There were ten delegations in all, Mr Ahern said. When I say delegations, I mean big delegations.

You have heard the phrase, It takes a village. The talks process at times looked more like a mid-sized town.

While that meant, at times, crowded corridors or rooms, in fairness, looking back on it, it also helped heighten the chances of whatever was agreed actually sticking.
Travel platform now hosts over one billion reviews

Harveys Point, by Co Donegals Lough Eske, has been named Tripadvisors No1 hotel in Ireland for 2023.

Described as specialising in top-class accommodation, exquisite cuisine and a genuine Donegal welcome, the four-star tops the list of Irelands best hotels in Tripadvisors Travellers Choice Best of the Best Hotel Awards this year.

Its a list the popular hotel has topped many times in the past.

Tripadvisor's Top 10 Irish hotels 2023

Harveys Point, Co Donegal Ashford Castle, Cong, Co Mayo The Merrion, Dublin Muckross Park, Killarney, Co Kerry Fernhill House Hotel, Clonakilty, Co Cork Meadowlands Hotel, Tralee, Co Kerry Dromoland Castle, Co Clare Killarney Park Hotel, Co Kerry Adare Manor, Co Limerick Ballygarry Castle Hotel, Tralee, Co Kerry

Ireland is also home to the worlds best hotel for sleep, according to Tripadvisor, with Co Clares Dromoland Castle named No1 globally for catching some ZZZs.

The Newmarket-on-Fergus five-star is described as Irelands most magical address and a perfectly secluded hideaway that has been welcoming guests since the 16th century.

Dromoland Castle in Co Clare

It beat other snooze-friendly stays including Abigails on Vancouver Island and Santa Barbras Harbor House Inn to the top spot.

We believe that a good night's sleep is the cornerstone of a memorable and rejuvenating hotel experience, said Mark Nolan, the hotels managing director.

Tripadvisors Travellers Choice Awards are based on the quality and quantity of traveller reviews and ratings posted on its website over 2022, the company says, as well as an additional editorial process.

The site now hosts more than one billion reviews, it adds.

Other notable Irish stays include Castlewood House in Dingle, which is named Irelands top small hotel, and features at No14 on the list of the worlds best small hotels.

Castlewood House in Dingle, Co Kerry

The guesthouse, which was named Irelands Best B&B in the Irish Independents Reader Travel Awards for 2023, gets high praise from guests for its warm hospitality, comfortable rooms and great breakfast, Tripadvisor says.

Sheedys in Doolin, Co Clare, which tops the list of Irelands best B&Bs, also features at No9 in Tripadvisors list of the worlds best B&Bs and inns.

Sheedys is recognised for its true Irish hospitality with only excellent reviews on its listing, the company says.

TripAdvisor's Top 10 Irish B&Bs 2023

Sheedys, Doolin, Co Clare Dalys House, Doolin, Co Clare Lawcus Farm Guest House, Stoneyford, Co Kilkenny Dingle Garden Townhouse, Dingle, Co Kerry The 19 th Lodge, Ballybunion, Co Kerry Oranhill Lodge, Oranmore, Co Galway Sea-Breeze Lodge, Galway Desmond House, Kinsale, Co Cork The Tides, Ballybunion, Co Kerry Friars Glen, Killarney, Co Kerry

Breakfast is served at Sheedy's Doolin

Its clear that our community ventured far and wide in the last year, said Sarah Firshein, Tripadvisors head of editorial.

Our 10 winning sub-categories encompass 37 regions around the world and include a wide range of amazing places to stay.

Its No1 hotel in the world for 2023 is Rambagh Palace in Jaipur, India.

"Dubbed The Jewel of Jaipur, this 1835 palace-turned-luxurious hotel holds unbelievable extravagance, Tripadvisor says.

Rambagh Palace has over 5,000 five-bubble reviews and is beloved for its polo bar, historic suites and high tea.

The full list of winners can be found at tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Hotels
Banteer based historian hoping to breathe new life into ancient customs

The uniquely Irish phenomenon of the straw-boys, with their elaborate woven straw disguises, were once a regular sight in many rural parts of the country.

Often spotted at weddings, groups of them would gate crash receptions, entertaining the guests with tricks, music and performances, before demanding a dance with the bride and groom. While the tradition has, for the most part, been consigned to the history books there is a local variation on it that still survives in some areas of Cork where there would be a 'strawing' party in the home of the newly-weds when they returned from honeymoon.

Padraig Og O Ruairc, a historian living in Banteer, is hoping to spark a renewed interest in straw boys and other old Irish folk customs through a talk he will deliver later on this month, under the umbrella of National Heritage Week 2019.

Entitled ' Straw-boys, May-boys, Mummers and Mischief', the free talk will take place on Thursday, August 22 at 7.30pm in the White Country Inn, Banteer. In addition to looking at how festivals, holidays, weddings and other social occasions were traditionally celebrated in Ireland, Padraig will also talk about how strong these traditions are today and will ask whether these customs are in danger of dying out.

According to Padraig, the custom of the straw-boys was not just limited to weddings as they would often make regular appearances at other times of the year to mark different festivals. "For example each February on Saint Brigid's Day gangs of Biddy-boys used to visit their neighbour's houses carrying an effigy of Saint Brigid made out of straw. This tradition continues in some parts of Kerry and Limerick but the custom seems to have died out in the rest of Ireland," said Padraig.

"On the first day of May May-boys would visit villages and towns across Ireland dressed in elaborate disguises decorated with flowers and ribbons, playing music to celebrate the first day of summer - but this tradition is now gone completely," he added.

The strongest one of these traditions to survive in modern Ireland are the Wren Boys, who are still seen in many areas on Saint Stephen's Day. However, as Padraig pointed out "even that tradition has weakened in recent years."

As well as traditional customs Padraig also has a keen interest in traditional craft work and has made costumes and masks for different straw-boy groups using natural materials including straw, leaves, wicker and goatskin.

He argues that in some areas where these straw-boy customs survive the 'straw' aspect of traditional costumes has been lost and replaced by plastic Halloween masks or fancy dress costumes. Padraig is hoping that his Heritage Week event will help to re-kindle interest in these customs and crafts. "Since I moved to Banteer several years ago I haven't seen any Wren-boys out on Stephen's Day.

I've asked locals who have told me that it used to be done when they were younger but that they haven't seen anyone doing it in the area for ten years or more," he said. He pointed out that these fast disappearing traditions were probably thousands of years old.

"It would be a shame to let them die out. I am hoping that if there is a good attendance at the talk and I can get in contact with some interested musicians maybe we could bring 'The Wren' back to Banteer this December," he said. For more details call Padraig Og O Ruairc on 086 3148496 or visit www.heritageweek.ie for a full list of heritage events.
Always busy, at peak times Main Steret in Charleville is choc-a-bloc with traffic travelling between Cork and Limerick.

Cork County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland have been meeting in recent weeks and have commenced an urgent review of Main Street Charleville to faciltate the preparation of safety improvement proposals, a statement issued on Tuesday from the local authority has confirmed.

The safety review of the Main Street, which forms part of the main N20 route between Cork and Limerick, follows several tragedies in which pedestrians have lost their lives while crossing the street. Two people suffered fatal injuries in incidents which took place in the past three weeks.

As part of the review, the delivery on the north Cork towns Main Street of an existing Part 8 scheme for pedestrians near Charleville Library will be expedited to assist Cork County Council to devise proposals to address pedestrian safety specifically. According to the Cork County Council statement, funding will need to be sought from TII in due course.

"It is likely that the nature of the street will require alterations to improve the visibility and safety of pedestrians.

Any long-term solution will need to take by-passing Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) out of Charleville altogether via either an acceleration of the construction of a portion of the N/M20 Project or via a new relief road or upgrading of existing routes. In this regard, Cork County Council has requested TII funding to progress the planning of options to provide traffic relief for Charleville and that such a scheme be funded, and progressed, in addition to the N/M20 Project together with developing safety improvement proposals for the town centre.

Cork County Council welcomes the approval from TII to bring these proposals forward, the statement from the authority concluded.

The matter was raised by Charleville based Fianna Fail councillor, Ian Doyle, during Mondays meeting of Cork County Council.
We are holding the conference to make politics more accessible, inclusive and safe for women

Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald will be among the guest speakers at Fridays Vote Her In Conference in Cork City Hall.

Social Democrat leader Holly Cairns will be among the guest speakers at Fridays Vote Her In Conference in Cork City Hall.

IN the lead up to next years local elections an event taking place in Cork this week will look at the role of women in Irish politics with a view to increasing female representation at both local and national level.

Organised by the advocacy body Women for Election, the national Count Her In conference, will take place this Friday from 10.30am to 3.30pm in the concert space at Cork City Hall.

A non-partisan, non-governmental organisation, Women For Election strives to achieve full representation of a diversity of women within Irish politics, by providing the supports needed to inspire women to enter the political fray.

Fridays conference will feature a series of panel discussions and speeches from a number of high-profile political figures including Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald TD, Social Democrat leader Holly Cairns, Labour leader Ivana Bacik and Minister of State Kieran ODonnell.

It will also incorporate presentations by policy makers, business leaders, academics, students and representatives from a diverse range of social interest groups.

While there is still a year to go to the local elections in May of 2024, Women for Election CEO Caitriona Gleeson said it was important that females considering seeking a local authority seat get their campaigns underway as soon as possible.

In the lead up to the elections, we are holding the conference to champion solutions to make politics more accessible, inclusive and safe for women across Ireland, said Ms Gleeson.

She said the fact that the conference will have such an comprehensive line-up of speakers, combined with a large attendance from across the political divide, was testament to how seriously Irish society is taking gender equality in politics.

2024 is our year to make a real change, a stamp on the Irish political system that proves to us that 50/50 gender equality isnt just pipe dream. It can and will happen, said Ms Gleeson.

She said the conference would showcase new innovations being launched by Women for Election, as well as creating spaces for dialogue and new thinking.

Among the innovations being launched at the event will be the Women for Election DataHub, curated by the Maynooth University-base All-Island research Observatory (AIRO).

AIRO director, Justin Gleeson, said the DataHub provides a comprehensive repository of statistical data telling the story of the history of Irish women in politics since 1918 and curated to provide people with unparalleled insights into the state of gender equality within Irish politics.

For the first time this data has been gathered and centralised in one place, that is accessible to everyone. It will show the story of gender equality in Ireland and the amount of work still to do, said Mr Gleeson.

With this powerful tool at their fingertips people can make informed decisions, drive meaningful change and contribute to a more equitable future for all, he added.

Speaking ahead of Fridays conference Cork City Council chief executive Ann Doherty said that across the country women are leaders in business, health, education, social services and community groups, making a real difference to their respective communities and wider civic life.

We want to see these women, their passions and values reflected in our political decision making, as only one in four councillors in Irish local government are women, said Ms Doherty.

Cork City Council is delighted to be supporting this conference as we must all work together to help shape an environment where women, from all backgrounds, can thrive in politics, she added.

For more information about the Count Her In conference and to register to attend visit www.womenforelection.ie.
Pictured at the University College Cork event GFA25 and the Island of Ireland are Professor Brendan OLeary, University of Pennsylvania; UCC President, Professor John OHalloran; Dr Mary C. Murphy, UCC and Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath TD. The event in Cork city was organised to reflect on the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision

A Cork academic and writer has said that if Irish unity campaigners were to win a Border Poll, unionists would have to consent to the process leading to that outcome for a United Ireland to be viable.

Cork born Professor Brendan OLeary, who received an honorary degree from UCC on Monday, was speaking at a conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement which was held in Cork this week.

Professor OLeary, whose most recent book is entitled Making Sense of a United Ireland, said that the losers consent was essential to successful democracies. He pointed to the problems caused by Donald Trumps refusal to accept his defeat in the 2020 US presidential election as evidence of that happens when such consent is not forthcoming.

Professor OLeary said losers consent was a fundamental feature of successful democracies.

"If unionists lose, they will have to consent to that process if it is to be successful.

"Nationalists, I think, will have little difficulty consenting because they have been used to partition for over 100 years.

"Its the status quo, they wont find it a shocking result to lose the referendum.

Professor OLearys speech came against a timely reminder of the changing shape of Northern Irelands political landscape following last weeks triumph by Sinn Fein in the Norths local elections and in his address he drew attention to the declining Protestant population since the Second World War.

"Demography is not destiny, he told attendees at the conference. Currently, Catholic unionists outnumber Protestant nationalists.

"Unionists are much more hard line on preserving the Union than nationalists are about reunification.

"But that will change over elections to come.

The future, he said, would involve a less Protestant, more undecided and more fluid electorate.

In the recent Northern Ireland local elections, just 17 members of the 60 strong Belfast City Council, once a bastion of unionism, were members of unionist parties and this was a stunning transformation in a City Hall that had been built by unionism and where unionists had dominated until recently.

Professor OLeary, who is now based in the US where he is the Lauder Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania, told attendees that Ireland should invest some of its vast multi billion Euro annual tax surpluses in creating a sovereign wealth fund which would be set aside to fund the transition costs of bringing about a United Ireland at some future point.

While some commentators have suggested changing Irelands flag and national anthem might help persuade unionists to soften their opposition to unity, Professor OLeary questioned whether changing the flag or anthem would have much impact as few unionists say it would make them more comfortable while many nationalists opposed such changes.

He suggested rejoining the Commonwealth, which is headed by the British sovereign, King Charles III, would be a more significant change. He said that Irish nationalists had very considerable reasons to be hostile to the Commonwealth as it had been imposed as a condition of the Anglo Irish Treaty of 1921.

"Irish people associate their independence, their sovereignty with leaving the Commonwealth and its for that reason that the idea of coming back to it seems regressive to many."

However, he said, there was considerable ignorance of what the Commonwealth involved, and what was the British Commonwealth when Ireland left is now a substantially different organisation which would not in any way impinge on Irish sovereignty.

Unionist leaders have already made clear that they will not engage in any discussions about Irish unity ahead of a referendum, because to do so would be to help their opponents to make a more attractive proposal to voters and thus undermine their own position. Prof OLeary said that was a wholly logical position for unionism to adopt: If I was asked to be their adviser, I would give them the same advice: dont assist your adversary.

"Dont en- gage on your terms of surrender until youve actually lost. Now, of course, that creates a problem for the Irish Government. However, he said there was the ability for the Irish Government to use citizens assem- blies, focus groups and other perfectly ethical ways to gath- er unionist views even if their leaders will not formally engage with the process. He said that any serious pro- posal of Irish unity would prob- ably have to entail some form of socialised medicine, even though that didnt have to be the NHS model. Meanwhile, Danny McCoy, chief executive of the Irish Business and Employers Confedera- tion, said that those suggesting Brexit will inevitably be economically disastrous for Britain may not prove to be right. Making clear that he is firmly pro-EU, Mr McCoy said that it was a mistake for anyone in Ireland to assume that the recent political and economic turbulence in will continue indefinitely. He predicted that it may settle down, with the UK and Republic finding themselves locked in a fiercely competitive contest in the increasingly significant services industry
Always busy, at peak times Main Steret in Charleville is choc-a-bloc with traffic travelling between Cork and Limerick.

A commitment by Transport Infrastructure Ireland to build a relief road around the centre of Charleville following two fatal road accidents in which elderly pedestrians were killed was delivered in a dramatic intervention when the tragedies were raised during Mondays meeting of Cork County Council.

The tragedies were raised by Charleville based Cllr Ian Doyle who sought the suspension of standing orders to discuss the safety measures required following the fatal incidents last week and the previous week.

The Fianna Fail councillor prefaced his remarks with the disclosure that he had received support from his fellow councillors during a Northern Area Committee meeting on Monday of last week to seek additional safety measures in the light of an incident in which an elderly pedestrian died after being knocked over crossing the road by a Heavy Goods Vehicle but when he returned following that meeting, he learned of a second tragedy in which another elderly pedestrian lost their life in a similar incident involving a HGV.

"Unfortunately little did I know that I would be facing the exact same thing again  a fatal road accident on the N20 on the main street of Charleville, said Cllr. Doyle. That is two in the last three weeks and I am conscious that there are local families grieving today so I am bringing up this motion with respect.

Describing Charleville as a huge retail and commercial hub in north Cork, Cllr Doyle said that the N20, a national route, was effectively the towns main street. He said that traffic had grown to approximately 1500 vehicles per day and, at some stages of the day, 40% of these were heavy goods vehicles.

"They simply have no other place to go, he said.

Cllr Doyle proposed that Cork County Council seek a meeting with Transport Infrastructure Ireland to improve the safety of the towns five existing road crossing points to add traffic lights and table top surfaces at a minimum of three crossing points. He also referred to ongoing work to improve signage in the town to alert both pedestrians and drivers to the dangers.

Cllr Doyle said he had made contact with the Minister for State in the Department of Transport, Jack Chambers, who had called him to relay his concerns about the situation in Charleville as recently as last Friday. He said that the Minister pledged his support should a request for funding into meet the cost of these measures be made.

While these would address the immediate issues surrounding pedestrian safety in the centre of Charleville, the long term issue was the use of the town by heavy goods vehicles.

Cllr. Doyle said these vehicles had a blind spot in the front which meant that drivers could not see pedestrians as they crossed in front of them due to their position in the cab. The councillor suggested that a sensor, similar to those installed in some vehicles, be installed in the front of HGVs to alert drivers as to the possible presence of a pedestrian in the blind spot but he acknowledged this could be a long way off.

He said that the current County Development Plan as well as previous such plans had included a proposal for a relief road which would allow HGVs bypass the centre of town.

"The plans, including the current County Development Plan, contain a submission for a relief road, CVU01, which comes from the Cork side, past the railway station on the eastern side of the town, and comes out on the northern side of the town.

"Thats been there for the past 15 years and I made a submission at the last County Development Plan and it is included in the current County Development Plan.

Cllr Doyle said he was aware of budgetary constraints and, also, the huge emphasis on the M/N20 bypass which received approval to proceed last year.

"It will be an enormous help to Charleville but with the best will in the world it will be two years before that goes to Bord Pleanala, it will be another three or four years of consideration and eight years of construction  were looking at 20 years down the road before theres any measure of an M20 bypassing Charleville and Buttevant.

"I am looking at a shorter term solution and, in budgetary terms, far less money which would have untold advantages for the town, from an industrial, from a commercial but, most importantly, from a safety point of view.

"Cork County Council should look again at this CVU01 in the County Development Plan and act on it immediately.

Other councillors supported Cllr Doyles proposal. Cllr Bernard Moynihan urged that the letter be sent immediately to the TII in order to deliver urgently on what Cllr Doyle was proposing.

"Last week Ian Doyle raised the motion at the Northern Area Committee meeting  on the way home he got the news of the latest tragedy.

Cllr John Paul OShea of Fine Gael sympathised with the two families who had been bereaved in recent weeks. To have fatality on the Main Street is very upsetting but to have two in three weeks is extremely upsetting for the community there, he said.

"Theres been eight deaths on the Main Street in Charleville over the years which is a significant number.

He said that he had been working with Cllr Doyle regarding the traffic issue in Charleville and called for urgent Government action on delivering the relief road and bypass for the town.

County Council CEO Tim Lucey intervened in the discussion to advise that he had received a communication from TII during the meeting advising of the transport authoritys plans regarding Charleville.

Mr Lucey said that as recently as 2019, Charlevilles Main Street had been identified as a high collision location following a review of collision data.

He said that the Cork County Council director of roads, Padraig Barrett, had received a formal letter from TII at around noon on Monday, while the meeting was ongoing.

"The long term objective is the upgrade of the N/M20 between Cork and Limerick, the second and third largest cities in the country, Mr Lucey said, reading from the TII correspondence.

"However this may take years to complete and TII agree a local relief road that removes the HGV traffic from Main Street has considerable merits, he said.

"Therefore TII agree to fund the immediate planning of such a facility which could use existing infrastructure but, if not possible, to see what is possible or available in the vicinity of the town.

"And to assist in its delivery, it would be helpful if local community and landowners and businesses would be behind same, said Mr Lucey as he read from the letter.

"This funding is in addition to any short term safety works needed.

"Thats extremely positive news this morning, despite the fact that its come in the context of two unfortunate and terribly sad fatalities over the past number of weeks and, before that, other fatalities over a number of years.

Cllr Doyle welcomed the news conveyed during Mr Luceys intervention and described it as very positive albeit against the sad backdrop of the recent fatalities.
If I hadnt had, I can guarantee I wouldnt be here. I can only guess where I could be. It saved my life basically to come here, thats being honest.

Mens Sheds members have opened up about how the organisation has rescued them from depression and some even confiding it saved their lives.

There are over 400 Mens Sheds groups across the island of island, giving mostly middle aged and elderly men a place to bond and also perform tasks in a move to prevent loneliness.

A new documentary series on TG4 lifts the lid on the organisation in Ireland, which was first inspired by the setting up of the group in Australia in the 1980s.

Among sheds focussed for the TV programme are ones in counties Donegal, Kerry, Galway, Louth, Armagh and Dublin.

Ballybrack in south Dublin is unusual in that its members are generally younger than elsewhere nationwide.

The whole idea of this was we were going to focus on men and their mental health and it just so happened the type of lad we were having here were maybe isolated socially, no confidence in themselves, explains Mark Larkin.

Somehow they come in here, they realise, they understand that theyre the same as everyone else, they are treated the same. They are getting that confidence to be out maybe to talking to people that theyd walk by all the time, gradually getting to know their community and then by going out and doing the bits of work, suddenly they are part of your community.

We all love it. We are here every day, Monday to Friday we are here, and that means every day the lads know they can get out of bed and theres somewhere to go.

Brian Connolly admits joining up changed his life.

It was hard to make the decision to come over because I was suffering from depression, and still am, he confides.

It took me a year to make that decision and eventually I made that decision and I came over and never looked back since. If I hadnt had, I can guarantee I wouldnt be here. I can only guess where I could be. It saved my life basically to come here, thats being honest.

Joe Traynor faced similar challenges.

I moved out here five and a half years ago after my wife passed away, he recalls. I live just above here, and I wouldnt move out of the room, from depression and everything.

So I decided, I went to the DSPCA and I rescued him (dog) and he started to get me out walking. I often noticed this place was here, so I popped in one day. I havent looked back since.

The great thing about this is the understanding that everybody has, and nobody turns you away. Youre never turned away from the door, youll always stand by each other and support each other.

John Wildes experience similar difficulties.

About five years ago I was going through a bad depression. I lost my mother to suicide, he sighs. I had a bad accident, I wasnt able to work anymore and I was kind of a bit lost. I used to walk by the club every day and wasnt sure what it was about.

I built up the courage one day and came in. Its the best thing Ive ever done. It more or less saved my life. I dont know what Id be doing. I was in a really bad place with depression and anxiety and stuff, so its really helped with that.

The group at Min na Manrach, not far from An Clochan Liath in Co Donegal meet in an old national school which closed 10 years ago.

We got this place from the parish priest. It is important that this school is being used again. It was closed for 10 years, maybe more than 10 years, reveals Aodh Mac Fhloinn.

It was also fitting as it was educating young people, and now it is educating old lads!

The people in the area help us. We got a defibrillator and its hanging on the wall out there, because out here there are no mobile phones and no internet.

Its important for people to have things like that. We were thinking of doing something for a competition and we came up with Thomas (the tank engine) because everyone could do something with Thomas.

They could pull a nail or hammer a nail or clean a piece of wood, or cut it or whatever suited.

They have now built a large Thomas the tank engine model, which stands on where the old Donegal to Derry railway line once was.

I think they may have stopped the train in the 50s. I think its nice that its down there and its visible. Young people are interested in it, as are the old people because it reminds them of the time the train ran on that line, he reflects.

People working together, thats what the shed is about, men coming together and men helping each other to help themselves.

Aodh has a daughter with Down Syndrome and gave up work to look after her.

The Shed invited me to join them and I didnt go in as I was probably shy and thought that maybe I was too young and I had no business going there. Then they sent me word to come in and help run the place, he recollects.

That encouraged me to go in and help them, So I went in and never looked back. Its a very satisfying job and I thought I had no business being there, but after being there a few times I saw that it was doing me a lot of good.

I was getting time out of the house away from my little girl, not that I wanted to be away but when Im in the shed now I dont thing of the time or whats happened at home or bills etc. Im there and its my own time.

Its a really good thing, its great for anyone to get some time away. From what they do, get a rest from it, a bit of craic. Youre always laughing and doing things, maybe telling a lot of lies and you know its good fun and it gives you time for yourself.

Members of the Corr na Mona shed

The shed at Corr na Mona in north county Galway has built a polytunnel, in which locals grow vegetables.

By chance I met the school principal here and another teacher and they said well be able to go there for some lettuce and opinions etc for lunch, notes Sean Breathnach.

I said no, if you want some you can take a corner or this polytunnel and plant your own vegetables and show the children how to plant vegetables and take care of them etc.

They were thrilled that we were giving them the opportunity. Many children here, unlike us, never saw vegetables being planted so it will benefit them and they can tell their parents and show them off. So hopefully it will work out well.

The shed in Dundalk will be shown trying to surmount Covid restrictions, the one in Armagh City gets together to make crafts for a Christmas fair, those in Cahersiveen in Co Kerry meet up to exercise, while others in An Daingean play cards, music and also help the upkeep of a local burial ground.

The shed is a big, big, part of our lives, confirms An Daingean (Dingle) member Sean O Conchubhain.

We have 50 to 60 members. They all get something out of it. We play cards. Thirty-one on Mondays and Wednesdays, we play poker Tuesdays and Thursdays.

"Youd swear Gamblers Anonymous would be after us but its all for little money. It great for people to be able to get out of their own houses and come here. The shed is a great place, I wont say to pass your time, but to use your time in a good way.
The Sisters from Kenmare and across Ireland, gathered for a final farewell celebration, centre is Mother Abbess Julie McGoldrick with Fr George Hayes, also included, Sr. Maureen ODea, Sr. Anne Kelly, Sr Zita Daly, Sr Concepta Looney, Sr. Karen Small, and Sr Mercedes Coen. Photo by Valerie O'Sullivan.

l-r: Mary Randles, Councillor Dan McCarthy, Sister Zita, Sheila Harrington pictured in the Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare after the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Pupils of S John's Primary School signing at the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare in Holy Cross Church, Kenmare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

l-r: Owen and Patricia OSullivan with Karen O'Mahony pictured at the farewell event in the Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare after the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Donal Hegarty (brother of Sr Assumpta, Newry) pictured with his family Brita, Aoibhinn , Cliona and Liam Hegarty at the Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare after the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Anna Marie O'Sullivan, Mary McCarthy, Noreen McSwiney pictured at the Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare after the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Darren Tan and Julia O'Sullivan presenting candles and flowers to Sister Julie and Sister Concepta at the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare in Holy Cross Church, Kenmare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Sister Julie pictured at the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare in Holy Cross Church, Kenmare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Sister Anne and Br Pat pictured at the celebrations in the Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare after the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Pupils of S John's Primary School signing at the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare in Holy Cross Church, Kenmare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Fr Tom Crean, Barry O'Leary and Denis Cortney pictured in the Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare after the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

Mary O'Neill, Mairead McCarthy, Mary McCarthy, Eileen O'Sullivan, Susan Aldwell, Teresa Cahill, Rita Tuohy,Catriona O'Neill, Carmel OSullivan, Ann Finn pictured at the Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare after the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

L-r: Sister Concepta, Declan Finnegan,Principal Mr. Healy and Sister Anne pictured in the Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare after the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

l-r: Nora Finnegan, Fr. Tom Crean, Declan Finnegan, Emer Finnegan pictured in the Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare after the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

l-r: Mayor of Kenmare Cllr Patrick Connor-Scarteen, James O'Connell, Michael Connor-Scarteen pictured in the Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine Kenmare after the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Sisters of St Clare on Sunday. Photo by Tatyana McGough

The end of an era...The nuns from the Sisters of St Clare Order in Kerry are to depart Kenmare after more than 160 years. In a special ceremony at Holy Cross Church Kenmare, Co Kerry on Sunday, presided by Rev. Fr George Hayes. The Sisters from Kenmare and across Ireland, gathered for a final farewell celebration, centre is Mother Abbess Julie McGoldrick with Fr George Hayes, also included, Sr. Maureen ODea, Sr. Anne Kelly, Sr Zita Daly, Sr Concepta Looney, Sr. Karen Small, and Sr Mercedes Coen. Photo by Valerie O'Sulllivan.

IN a moving ceremony and Mass on Sunday, the last Sisters of the Order of St Clare said their farewells to Kenmare, a town where the Order made their home 161 years ago.

Since the announcement that the convent was to close earlier this year, there have been many tales of these remarkable women whose contribution to the town has been immeasurable - spiritually and educationally - and who put the south Kerry town on the map for its Kenmare Lace.

The final chapter for the Order on Sunday was a celebration of all that they have done for the town with a Mass at Holy Cross Church and a community gathering to say goodbye.

In her farewell speech, Abbess General of the Sisters of St. Clare, Sr. Julie McGoldrick, said it was a sad day for the Sisters of St Clare.

"I would want to emphasise to you that whatever our hope or our vision for the future, having to leave Kenmare is a source of deep sadness for us as religious sisters. For we very much believe that our going from here, at this time, is a great loss both to us as the wider St Clare congregation within Ireland and to you as a Catholic community, and parish community, here in south Kerry, she said.

On This Day In History - May 23rd

While numbers had dwindled at the convent on the outskirts of the town in recent years, the final nuns to depart the house were Sisters Catherine, Assumpta and Concepta who were widely known in the town and tributes were paid to not only them but to all Sisters who made Kenmare their home for 16 decades.

It was no small coincidence that seven nuns had travelled from Newry to Kenmare in the autumn of 1861 to set up the Covent and seven sisters of St Clare attended Sundays celebration.

The sharing of memories from school and convent life, the re-telling of stories about individual sisters who have served here within living memory, and the kind of tributes paid, more generally, to the sisters of St Clare, and to their contribution to Kenmare life across the decades is something we as a religious congregation will particularly cherish - I have felt both deeply blessed and graced in hearing and reading such tributes, Sr. Julie added.

During the Mass Sr Julie was invited to sit in the chair which was presented, in 1860, to Mother Mary OHagan, the first Abbess of the Convent and which the sisters have kindly presented to Holy Cross Church where it will become the Presiders Chair.

Two young people from Kenmare, Jason McGuinness and Rachel OSullivan were called upon to represent the parish and received a candle from Sr. Julie, to represent the spirit of St. Clare continuing in the life of Kenmare Parish.

Julia OSullivan and Darren Tan, who celebrated their First Communion just over a week ago, made two presentations to Sr. Julie and to Sr. Concepta  flowers representing St. Clares love of nature and care for our earth and a second candle with an inscription which the sisters can burn in memory of Kenmare and its people. The children of St. Johns Primary School sang Gifts from God, while Parish Priest Fr George Hayes in his homily said that the Sisters must never be forgotten.

"Over the recent decades, the Church has had to struggle with some of the darkness of the past. But in acknowledging and taking responsibility for faults and failings, let us not forget the good. Let us not forget the silent and often unseen contribution of countless religious women. Women of vision and vitality, of courage and commitment, of generosity and goodness. Women who brought the lives of a community to prayer, women who advocated and fought for the vulnerable and those on the margins. Women who revealed to us something of the loving kindness of God.

The Sisters may be gone but they will never be forgotten, nor will the contribution they made.
Iveragh Coastguard at the scene of the farm accident near Ballaghbeama in Glencar.

A Kerry farmer has suffered severe injuries after receiving a kick from a cow on his farm in Mid-Kerry.

The 84-year old farm has been airlifted to Cork University Hospital following the accident near Ballaghbeama in Glencar on Monday afternoon.

It is understood that the farmer went to check on a calf on his farm and it appears he may have been kicked by a cow while checking on the animals.

However, it was some hours before the alarm was raised after the mans family found him later on Monday evening.

Valentia Coastguard received the call at around 19.50pm and they tasked the Shannon based, Rescue 115 helicopter and 14 members of Iveragh Coastguard to the scene.

The man was was treated on scene and then airlifted by the crew of R115 to CUH for emergency medical treatment. It is understood that he suffered severe chest and facial injuries in the incident.
Tralee-based company BioAtlantis has said the seaweed it harvests is done by hand and in an environmentally friendly way in line with traditional methods.

The company was responding to allegations made by the environmental charity Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) who claim BioAtlantis is harvesting seaweed in a commercial manner in a protected area of the Kenmare River.

FIE say it received requests in recent days from residents in the area looking to try and stop BioAtlantis from harvesting near the village of Eyeries on the Beara Peninsula. It insists the public records show no licences have been issued for seaweed harvesting since March 2014.

A statement from BioAtlantis revealed it applied for a license to hand harvest Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed in Kenmare Bay on the 27 June 2022. But the company does not know when the application will be processed.

It added the seaweed being harvested - A. nodosum  is done in a sustainable way for over 50 years in Ireland. BioAtlantis referred to a study commissioned by the Marine Institute that shows A. nodosum grows back again 11 to 17 months after hand harvesting.

However, when left unharvested, the nodosum seaweed gets washed ashore due to storm damage, where it decays and releases emissions.

BioAtlantis say harvesting the seaweed sustainably, by hand, ensures this renewable resource is utilized in technologies that provide societal benefits, including mitigating the effects of climate change. The company outlines its commitment to developing technologies to mitigate climate change.

BioAtlantis wish to work with local hand harvesters in Kerry and Cork and cultivate their interest in supplying us and to demonstrate how the seaweed can be hand harvested sustainably. Harvesters who are interested in supplying BioAtlantis are welcome to contact us, said a spokesperson for BioAtlantis.

FIE insist the seaweed being harvested reduces light and heat stress and is critical for protecting biodiversity. This dense protective carpet at low tides becomes a forest for a wide range of fish and other creatures when the tide is full.

FIE claim great numbers of attached or encrusting animals are harvested as well as the seaweed itself, which is very slow to grow with a lifespan of more than 50 years.

The environmental group claim BioAtlantis is being investigated by the Minister for Environments Foreshore Division Marine Advisors, but this could not be officially confirmed when The Kerryman contacted the department directly.
The protest at Minster Foley's office, the second protest in less than a month. Picture by John Cleary.

Guards at the latest protest at Education Minister Foley's office. Picture by John Cleary.

Education Minster Norma Foley has declined to comment on the latest public protest at her constituency office in which members of An Garda Siochana were present.

The event was held on Friday last  the second protest in less than a month  by people opposed to teaching about gender identity in schools.

The door to the office remained closed for the duration of the protest as a group of around 20 people gathered to voice their opposition to the new Junior Cycle SPHE curriculum.

Read more Gardai called to remove outspoken Kerry priest from Minister Foleys office

The curriculum will make provision for classroom discussions on a variety of issues, including sexual consent, gender identity and pornography which some parents are vehemently opposed to.

Among the group at Fridays gathering was Alan Whelan, President of the Irish Catholic Schools Association, and outspoken Kerry priest Fr. Sean Sheehy.

Mr Whelan tweeted that he had driven several kilometres to hand deliver a letter to the office but was dismayed to find the office closed with three gardai on door duty to control crowds.

Minister Foley was not present at either protest due to Government and Department of Education duties and declined to comment at this time.

The new curriculum for Junior Cycle SPHE (children between 1st and 3rd year) will cover a range of important topics for young peoples lives, including healthy eating and habits, positive self-worth, safe online behaviour, relationships and sexuality and mental health.

The Minister said the curriculum has been developed by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) which includes students, teachers and parent representatives.

The curriculum development has been subject to two rounds of extensive public consultation with more than 4,000 submissions received from parents alone.

She stated that it has been welcomed by a wide variety of groups and organisations including the Catholic Education Partnership, teaching unions and the Childrens Rights Alliance to name but a few.

The curriculum will be rolled out from September 2023 in secondary schools, and CPD has been provided for teachers to support them in discussing these sensitive and important issues. Further support materials will be published in advance of September.

The curriculum is strictly for post primary students of Junior Cycle level and not primary students as recently suggested.
A former priest and Irish Times columnist who was sentenced to four years in prison for sexual assaults on a school boy in the late 1990s has had his conviction quashed and is to be retried.
A young man has been jailed for 12 months for throwing a whiskey glass at a woman on her way home from a pub in Greystones two years ago.

Christian OBrien (21) of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to the woman at Killincarrig Road, Greystones on May 27, 2021.

Garda Edel Drury told a sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court that the woman and some friends had noticed the defendant acting weird as they were leaving a pub in the town.

The garda said OBrien had also been taking photos of them.

As the group was walking along Killincarrig Road, Garda Drury said the woman turned around when she heard a shout catch this and was struck in the face with a glass.

She said a group of people chased after OBrien and detained him until gardai arrived and arrested him.

Garda Drury said questioning of OBrien at Bray garda station had to be deferred until the following morning due to his state of intoxication.

She said the accused denied throwing the glass but CCTV footage had captured him holding a glass in his hand, although the assault itself was not caught on camera.

The court heard the victim  a 39-year-old mother of one  received a cut above her right eye for which she required five stitches but would have a permanent scar.

In a victim impact statement, the woman said she was off sick from work for seven weeks and had stopped socialising for a while because of the incident.

She said she no longer felt safe even during the day and also suffered panic attacks and depression.

The woman said she was crying all the time and had found the following Christmas a horrible time as she had to try and hide her feelings from her young son.

The court heard OBrien, who comes originally from Nenagh, Co Tipperary, has 81 previous convictions including five for assault and 26 for public order offences.

Judge Patrick Quinn was informed that the accused was on bail after being charged with a burglary in Nenagh when he committed the offence in Greystones.

Counsel for OBrien, Eamonn OMoore BL, said his client had spent a period of his childhood in care and had an addiction with alcohol and drugs.

However, Mr OMoore said it was not all doom and gloom as OBrien had recently completed a Gaisce award while in prison and was due to meet President Michael D Higgins next week.

Sentencing OBrien to two and a half years in prison, Judge Quinn said the accused had an appalling record for such a young man.

The judge said he had carried out an unprovoked assault on an innocent woman in what was an ugly incident.

However, he noted that OBrien had apologised and was remorseful for his actions.

The judge said he would suspend the final 18 months of the prison sentence on condition that OBrien kept the peace on his release, while also engaging with the Probation Service as well as with drug treatment, training and employment and housing support services.

Judge Quinn said the term in prison could only commence after he had completed a current sentence he was serving for the burglary in Nenagh because the crime was committed while he was out on bail.
High pressure is expected to dominate the week ahead. Photo: Gerry Mooney

Temperatures will reach up to 22C in some parts this weekend with more dry and sunny weather predicted by Met Eireann.

The national forecaster has forecast highs of 22C in Connacht across the weekend with counties Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Galway set to bask in the heat.

Counties further south are set to enjoy highs of 21C including Cork, Kerry, Clare and Limerick. The counties Donegal, Tyrone and Fermanagh will also see highs of 21C on Saturday and Sunday.

Temperatures in Co Offaly and Co Westmeath will average around 20C while conditions in Dublin and Waterford will hit the high teens.

Meanwhile, today will be dry with good spells of hazy sunshine as temperatures are set to reach 18C, Met Eireann has forecast.

It will be a little cloudier in the north and northwest with highest temperatures ranging between 14C and 18C, warmest in Leinster and Munster, in light northwesterly breezes.

Wednesday will be generally dry with sunny spells, it will be a little cloudier in the north and northwest with just a chance of some light rain or drizzle pushing in during the afternoon and evening.

Ireland's 7-day weather forecast (22nd-28th of May)

Highest temperatures will generally range between 15C and 20C, warmest in the southeast, in light northwesterly breezes.

The national forecaster said it will stay generally dry and settled through the rest of the week with good sunny spells and above average temperatures.

Thursday will be another dry day with good spells of sunshine. There will be just a slight chance of showers pushing into western areas at times.

Highest temperatures will generally range between 16C and 21C, warmest in Munster, in light northerly breezes.

It will be dry and sunny again on Friday with highest temperatures ranging between 16C and 21C in very light and variable breezes.

On Saturday, it will stay generally dry and sunny for most of the day.

There will be just a slight chance of showers pushing into Connacht and Ulster at times.

Highest temperatures will range between 18C and 22C in light northwesterly or variable breezes.

Sunday will stay mostly dry with good spells of sunshine. There will be a slight chance of showers occasionally pushing into Atlantic coastal regions.

Highest temperatures will range between 17C and 22C in light north to northwest breezes.
An aerial view of destruction in the frontline town of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region of Ukraine. Photo: Press Service of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Machanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via Reuters   via REUTERS
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A TOP member of Russian President Vladimir Putins powerful Security Council has warned that the more destructive the weapons that the West supplied to Ukraine, the higher the risk of nuclear apocalypse. Russia, which has more nuclear weapons than any other state, has repeatedly said the West is engaged in a proxy war with Russia over Ukraine that could escalate into a much bigger conflict. The United States has committed $37 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Putin sent troops into Ukraine in February last year. U.S. President Joe Biden told fellow G7 leaders on Friday that he backed a joint effort with allies to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, according to a senior U.S. Administration official, though there is as yet no commitment to supply the jets themselves. The more weapons are supplied, the more dangerous the world will be, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who serves as deputy chairman of the Security Council, told Russian news agencies while on a trip to Vietnam. And the more destructive these weapons are, the more likely the scenario becomes of what is commonly called a nuclear apocalypse, Medvedev was quoted as saying by the Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA. The West says it wants to help Ukraine defeat Russia but has repeatedly insisted that it does not want to trigger a direct military confrontation between the U.S.-backed NATO military alliance and Russia. The Russian military said on Tuesday it had routed militants who had penetrated the Belgorod region on Russias border with armoured vehicles, killing more than 70 Ukrainian nationalists and pushing the rest back into Ukraine. Medvedev said the attackers were scumbags who should be exterminated like rats. Responsibility ... is carried by the Kyiv regime, and ultimately by its sponsors overseas - that is, Washington and the countries of the European Union, along with affiliated states like Britain and others, Medvedev said, according to TASS.
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Sydney: PM Narendra Modi met the leading Australian industrialist Andrew Forrest, Executive Chairman and Founder of Fortescue Metals Group and Fortescue Future Industries on May 23 in Sydney.

He is currently in Sydney in the last leg of his three-nation tour.

In Sydney, PM @narendramodi met Dr. Andrew Forrest, the Executive Chairman of @FortescueFuture Industries. He spoke about the economic opportunities in India and the reforms undertaken which make the country an attractive investment destination. pic.twitter.com/AwmQZqAVMV  PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 23, 2023

The Prime Minister welcomed Fortescue Groups plans to work with Indian companies in the field of Green Hydrogen.

Emphasizing Indias ambitious renewable energy plans, the Prime Minister highlighted the transformative reforms and initiatives being taken by India, such as the Green Hydrogen Mission.

Forrest briefed Prime Minister on Fortescue Future Industries plans and projects in India.
New Delhi: The Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) of the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) and the State Bank of India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The primary objective of this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is to establish a strong alliance between SIIC and SBI, leveraging their respective technology and domain expertise for mutual benefit, progress, and value enhancement.

The collaboration aims to foster innovation in areas such as Financial Technologies, Cyber Security, Blockchain, AI/ML, Financial Inclusion, and other banking-related technology fields. Both parties will develop a strategic plan to capitalize on their strengths.

The collaboration encompasses various initiatives, such as embracing synergies with start-ups incubated in SIIC, IIT Kanpur, organizing hackathons, ideathons, and grand idea challenges within start-up ecosystems, as well as collaborating with start-ups and fintech companies for solution co-development.

It also covers areas such as information security services, IT infrastructure, network management, project management consultancy, ethical hacking, language technologies (NLP, machine translation), and IoT applications for risk and insurance, wearables, agriculture, and real-time asset tracking. Consulting services in blockchain, AI/ML implementation, agriculture technology, 5G technologies, co-development, co-creation, and training initiatives in mutually agreed areas are also part of the collaboration.

Says Prof Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT Kanpur, This collaboration holds the key to a transformative social impact, blending the brilliance of IIT Kanpur with SBI's vast banking influence. It nurtures the seeds of entrepreneurship and innovation, sowing the seeds of economic growth, employment, and technological breakthroughs. Together, they tackle societal challenges like financial inclusion and sustainable development, empowering startups to create meaningful solutions.

The MoU was officially signed by Professor Ankush Sharma, Professor-in-Charge, SIIC, IIT Kanpur, and Amit Kumar, Deputy General Manager (Software Factory Dept), State Bank of India.

Ankush Sharma, Professor in charge, SIIC, IIT Kanpur said, "This MoU marks a monumental milestone in our journey towards revolutionizing Financial Technologies, Cyber Security, Blockchain, and AI/ML. The alliance between SIIC, IIT Kanpur and SBI holds immense potency, poised to unleash a transformative wave of innovation. Together, we will propel industries to new horizons, redefining the landscape of technology and banking. This exceptional partnership is a testament to our commitment to shaping a brighter future, driving unparalleled progress, and leaving an indelible mark on society for generations to come."

Aparna Kumar, Chief Information Officer, State Bank of India, said, "This collaborative endeavor is dedicated to empowering and guiding emerging startups, cultivating an environment that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. Mrs. Kumar firmly holds the belief that this strategic alliance will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of India, propelling advancements and prosperity to unprecedented levels.

Nikhil Agrawal, CEO, SIIC & AIIDE-CoE, IIT Kanpur said "This collaboration demonstrates our commitment to leverage cutting-edge technologies and promote entrepreneurship. Together, we will explore new frontiers and create transformative solutions that have a lasting impact in the financial and technology sectors."
Kolkata: Magadh Sugar & Energy Limited (MSEL) said its Profit After Tax (PAT) for FY 23 amounted to Rs 50.26 crores, showing a 9% increase compared to Rs. 46.02 crores in FY 22.

MSEL also reported positive growth in its Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBIDTA) for FY 23. The EBIDTA stood at Rs 133 crores, reflecting a 5% increase from Rs 127 crores in FY 22.

The growth in MSEL's ethanol sales can be attributed to the commencement of production at their new distillery unit in Sidhwalia in FY 22.

The company sold 398.95 lakh litres of ethanol, marking a substantial 67% year-on-year growth.

MSEL achieved an increase in sugarcane crushing during FY 23.

The crushing volume reached 219.13 lacs qtl, representing a significant rise of 35% compared to 161.83 lacs qtl in FY 22.

The board of directors of MSEL has declared a dividend of Rs 7 per share on the face value of Rs 10 each.

Commenting on the results, Magadh Sugar & Energy Ltd Chairperson C.S. Nopany said, The Indian Sugar Industry continues to be an important pillar in the countrys growth. Globally, as one of the largest producers, Indias importance was underscored in this SS2022/23, as a cap on Indian exports has led to a rise in global prices.

Domestically, this season saw an improvement in crushing and recoveries in Bihar, after a dismal performance last year due to unseasonal rains and floods, he said.

However, another producing state Maharashtra saw a reduction in production. Overall, SS2022/23 is likely to see lower production, lower exports and stable prices.

At Magadh, along with our performance in the sugar segment, the Ethanol segment also bettered its performance on the back of our new Ethanol Plant, he added.

This is a testament to the strategic investments that we continue to make to capitalize on the burgeoning opportunities in the sector. Our debt reduction continues, and we have a strong base to build our growth story for the forthcoming quarters as we continue to deliver value to all our stakeholders, Nopany stated
Image: Unsplash

Kochi witnessed a special wedding on Sunday when the south Indian city hosted the first Jewish marriage in 15 years, media reports said.

Bride Rachel Binoy Malakhi and groom Richard Zachary Rowe said their vows at a lakeside resort in Kumbalam, in a ceremony solemnised by Rabbi Aryeal Tsion, an Israeli who flew down for the occasion, reports The News Minute.

Rachel, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, is a genome scientist working in the USA. She is the daughter of former Superintendent of Police Binoy Malakhi and clinical psychologist Manjusha Miriam Emmanuel. On May 22, she married Richard, an aerospace engineer working at NASA. He is an American Jew born to Sandy Rowe and Richard Rowe, reports the newspaper.

The wedding ceremony followed all Jerish rituals.

The wedding ceremony was held under a canopy called 'Huppah'.

At Rachel and Richards wedding, they said their vows and exchanged rings. The function was attended by close family members including Anna Riya Malakhi, the brides sister and 20 members of the grooms family, reports the newspaper.

Interestingly, Kochi has a small Jewish population of 25 people.

The last Jewish wedding was held in the city in 2008.
PM Modi with leaders of Pacific Island Countries at Port Moresby on Monday | Image Credit: Twitter/@MEAIndia

Port Moresby/IBNS: India is proud to be the development partner of Pacific Island nations, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi co-chairing the 3rd India-Pacific Islands Cooperation Summit in Papua New Guinea on Monday, media reports said.

Modi said this at the summit which was attended by 14 Pacific Island countries.

Modi said as quoted by NDTV, "India is proud to be your development partner. You can count on India as a reliable partner. We are ready to share our experiences and capabilities with you without hesitation.

"We believe in multilateralism and support a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific."

The Prime Minister said he was happy that his country took beside the Pacific Island nations during Covid-19.

"Challenges related to climate change, natural disasters, hunger, poverty and health were already there, now new problems are arising... I am happy that India stood by its friendly Pacific Island countries in times of difficulty," said Modi.

Earlier, Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Papua New Guinea counterpart James Marape on Monday in Port Moresby, on the sidelines of the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC).

Modi said he had a productive talk with the PM.

"Prime Minister James Marape and I had very productive talks, covering the full range of bilateral relations between India and Papua New Guinea. We discussed ways to augment cooperation in commerce, technology, healthcare and in addressing climate change," Modi tweeted.
PIB

New Delhi/Sydney: More than 20,000 members of the Indian diaspora have packed the Qudos Arena at Sydney Olympic Park and are waiting excitedly to listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address on Tuesday.

Though Tuesday 23rd May is a usual working day for the almost 800,000-strong Indian Australian community, however, nearly 21,000 of them have decided to take a mid-week furlough from the work schedule to attend the grand welcome ceremony for Prime Minister Modi at Qudos Bank Arena Stadium.

Among these are 177 people who have flown from Melbourne to Sydney on a special flight called Modi Airways.

In March, the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundations organising committee meeting floated the idea of a Modi Airways charter plane.

The mood is extraordinary, said Jay Shah, a director of the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation which is staging the reception. Theres a lot of excitement in the Indian community right now.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is to attend the event at Olympic Park.

Indian High Commissioner Manpreet Vohra is quoted as saying: Prime Minister Modi really wants to engage with the Indian-Australian community, its a way of saying thank you to them for being an important bridge between the two nations.

Elaborating on the Modi Airways, Jay Shah told The Australia Today earlier, The idea that we will chant Modi Modi at 10-15,000 feet in the skies excited everyone the moment it was proposed in a planning meeting in March.

With Modi Airways we are creating a history.

Earlier in the day today, all passengers travelling in Modi Airways assembled at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport at 7 am for an extraordinary show of Indian cultural dance on the beats of dhol and dhokla and laddu breakfast.

(With UNI inputs)
James Marape Twitter page

Papua New Guinea prime minister James Marape, who touched Narendra Modi's feet as he arrived in his country recently, has created a new Twitter account to thank the Indian PM.

" Today I created my account on Twitter to thank the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi ji very much for coming to a small country like Papua New Guinea," Marape tweeted.

Today I created my account on Twitter to thank the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi ji very much for coming to a small country like Papua New Guinea.#FIPICSummit #NarendraModi #JamesMarape pic.twitter.com/0TBpLXu1iX  James Marape (@JamesMarape) May 22, 2023

Modi visited the country on the second leg of his three-nation tour.

He is currently visiting Australia in the last leg of his journey.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Monday conferred Papua New Guineas highest civilian honour, the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL), by PNG Governor-General Sir Bob Dadae.

Prime Minister Modi said he is humbled by the gesture, and that the award is a great recognition of India and the accomplishments of the Indian people.

Humbled by the gesture of Papua New Guinea of conferring me with the Companion of the Order of Logohu. Gratitude to Governor General Sir Bob Dadae for presenting the award. This is a great recognition of India and the accomplishments of our people.
Image Credit: UNI

Kolkata/IBNS: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting with his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee here on Tuesday amid the ongoing tussle between the Centre and the government operating in the national capital over share of powers.

Kejriwal, who heads Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), is scheduled to hold a meeting with Mamata Banerjee at West Bengal state secretariat Nabanna at 3 pm.

Kejriwal will be accompanied by Chief Minister of AAP-ruled state Punjab, Bhagwant Mann.

The tussle in the national capital, which is a union territory but with an elected government, began after the Centre brought an executive order which overrides the Supreme Court judgement that favoured the Delhi government on transfers and postings of government officers.

Kejriwal, who has emerged as an anti-PM Modi face nationally with the win in Punjab, has found a surprise support from Congress, which ruled Delhi for years but now lost its significance.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal tweeted, "The Congress Party has not taken any decision on the issue of the Ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the Government of NCT of Delhi with respect to appointment of officers. It will consult its state units & other like-minded parties on the same.

"The Party believes in the Rule of Law and at the same time does not condone unnecessary confrontation, political witch-hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party."

The Congress Party has not taken any decision on the issue of the Ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the Government of NCT of Delhi with respect to appointment of officers. It will consult its state units & other like-minded parties on the same.



The Party  K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) May 22, 2023

Kejriwal's meeting with Banerjee is key as the latter, an arch-rival of the Centre's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is aiming to group all opposition parties in view of the 2024 General Elections.

Kejriwal's state visit comes after Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav met Banerjee to hold discussions on the Opposition's strategy to take on BJP in 2024.

While Kejriwal has always distanced himself from Congress, which ruled Delhi until AAP came to power, Banerjee's stance over the inclusion of Congress in the anti-BJP front has kept on altering.

After proposing the strengthening of the club of regional parties, Banerjee, post Karnataka election results, was all welcome to Congress in the front provided the support is mutual.
Image Credit: Pixabay

Firozabad/UNI: A criminal wanted in the murder of a woman was injured and arrested in an encounter with the police in Uttar area of Firozabad district here in Uttar Pradesh, police sources said here on Tuesday.

Police sources said that during routine checking late on Monday night the police spotted a youth moving in a suspicious manner.

"When the police signalled him to stop, he attempted to escape. When chased the youth opened fire on the police party," they said.

Police sources said that in retaliatory firing the youth sustained a bullet injury in leg.

"The youth was taken to the district hospital. When quizzed the injured accused was identified as Akash. On May 20 Akash shot a woman Sudha in Tilak Nagar locality in broad daylight," they said.

Senior Superintendent of Police Ashish Tiwari said that action under Gangster Act will be taken against the murder accused.
Image Credit: UNI

New Delhi/UNI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a late night truck ride , and also discussed with the drivers about the problems faced by them.

"People's leader Rahul Gandhi reached among truck drivers to know their problems. Rahul ji traveled from Delhi to Chandigarh," the Congress wrote in a tweet on Tuesday.

Along with the tweet, the Congress also shared a 32 seconds video of the former party president.

In the video, Rahul donning a white T-shirt, flanked by his security personnel, can be seen boarding the truck and taking a ride.

The Congress also shared few photos in the micro blogging site in which Rahul can be seen interacting with the truck drivers.

Earlier, the former Congress chief had interacted with the UPSC aspirants at Mukherjee Nagar.
Image Credit: UNI

The minister not only denied the power-sharing formula, but also said that Siddaramaiah will continue to be the chief minister of the state for five years.

"Siddaramaiah will be the chief minister for the entire 5 years. Had there been any talk on power-sharing, the top leadership of the party would have definitely told us. There is no such proposal. Our AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal also did not give any such information that day," he told reporters here after visiting Suttur Mutt.

In his address to the media in New Delhi, Venugopal had dismissed rumours about the power-sharing formula in Karnataka. He had said: "The only power sharing is with the people of Karnataka," he said.

On May 19, however, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar had not denied the power-sharing formula, but said he cannot share Congress party's confidential details. He had also said that the party will take a decision on his possibility of becoming chief minister.

Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah had a faceoff for CM's post after the Congress party registered a thumping victory in Karnataka assembly elections. The party high command had to struggle a lot to persuade Shivakumar for DyCM's post.

The news was also making rounds that Shivakumar had accepted DyCM's post for the time being after getting assurance of CM's post later. In such a situation, Patil's latest statement has all the potential of creating problems for the Congress again in the state.
Image: UNI

Srinagar: India on Tuesday came down on Pakistan heavily for the unwarranted indulgence in the interior matters of India regarding holding of G20 Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar.

Who is Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir is our land and whatever we are doing here ..doing on our own land and for the betterment of the people, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy told media persons on the sidelines of 3rd G20 Tourism Working Group meet being held at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Complex (SKICC) Srinagar.

The high-profile third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting kicked off in Srinagar on Monday amid unprecedented security.

The three-day G20 meet is the first major international event in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, when the erstwhile state's special status was scrapped and it became a Union Territory.

"Who they (Pakistan) are and on what rights they are saying indulging in the interior matter of India, Reddy asked when a reporter said that the High commissioner of Pakistan in India issued a statement on YouTube targeting the G20 Tourism Working Group meet which has been going on in Srinagar for the past 2 days.

He said for the past 75 years after independence Jammu and Kashmir is a part of India and for that thousands of people have sacrificed their lives.

I urge Pakistan to mind their own business and do the best for their own people, provide them employment and food which you are not able to provide them, Reddy added.

Why are they raising fingers in India. They have no right to say anything against India, Reddy questioned.

He said Pakistan is struggling with the problems within and people there are dying for food and employment. They have no rice and no Gas.

Why dont they look after their own problems, he said.

"The people of Jammu and Kashmir are happy and we are doing everything for them," Reddy said and added whatever the people of Jammu and Kashmir need it is the duty of our government to provide them everything and there is no need to give any importance to what Pakistan is saying.

Pakistan has finished and we dont need to think about them, he said adding we will think about the people of Jammu and Kashmir and whatever they require we will provide for them it is our duty.

(With UNI inputs)
Image: Singapore in India Twitter page

Srinagar: Singapore High Commissioner to India Simon Wong, who recently attended the G20 Summit in Srinagar, praised the beauty of Kashmir and described the region as a 'pure beauty'.

"Just landed in beautiful Srinagar for the #G20Kashmir 3rd Working Group Meeting on Tourism. Looking forward to discovering the wonderful sustainable tourism destinations and experiences in J&K! HC Wong," he tweeted.

Just landed in beautiful Srinagar for the #G20Kashmir 3rd Working Group Meeting on Tourism. Looking forward to discovering the wonderful sustainable tourism destinations and experiences in J&K! HC Wong@g20org @JandKTourism @incredibleindia @srinagaradmin pic.twitter.com/2P8KiZmV2I  Singapore in India (@SGinIndia) May 22, 2023

" Very happy to be in Srinagar. Pure beauty. Thank u so much for your warm welcome," he said.

The Summit commenced on Monday.

This is the first major event taking place in the valley ever since the special status of Kashmir was scrapped in 2019.



Image: Singapore in India Twitter page
Image: UNI

New Delhi/Sydney: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday jointly laid the foundation stone of Little India Gateway to be built in Harris Park, Parramatta, Sydney, that is home to a large Indian community.

The two leaders jointly unveiled the plaque for the Gateway entrance to "Little India" in Harris Park.

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a tweet said: Recognising diasporas role as a bridge between India and Australia."

PM @narendramodi joined PM @AlboMP for the foundation stone laying ceremony of Little India Gateway to be built in Harris Park, Parramatta, Sydney, inhabited by a large Indian community," he said.

The Gateway will serve as a symbol of India-Australia friendship and diasporas immense contribution to it," he said.

The area covers three streets  Marion Street, Wigram Street and Station Street East in Sydney's Harris Park, famous for housing a cluster of Indian eateries and businesses and known as 'Little India.

Harris Park is a thriving, dynamic, multicultural hub known for its blend of cultures and large Indian population. Majority of local businesses are from the Indian sub-continent, referred as Little India of Australia. It is a precinct of Indian eateries, 22ct gold Jewellery , Indian spices and fashion which mark it as vibrant hub of Australian Indian community.

Harris Park is a small suburb next to Parramatta that has in the last 10 to 15 years emerged as the go-to spot for Indians.

The 2021 census shows 45 per cent of the 5,043 Harris Park residents were born in India.

People of Indian heritage own a majority of businesses in Harris Park.

A group of nearly 60 Indian store owners who had been campaigning for Harris Park to be renamed, were involved in the preparations to welcome Prime Minister Modi to lay the foundation stone of the 'Little India' Gateway entrance.

Little India Harris Park Business Association president Sanjay Deshwal said they had first proposed officially naming the area Little India in 2015.

He said since then, the number of Indian businesses had doubled from about 30 to about 60.

(With UNI inputs)
Srinagar: J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said G20 Presidency is a matter of pride for India and the presence of UN representatives during the three-day Meeting in Srinagar indicates that the world wants India to host such events in Kashmir.

He said Pakistan should arrange food for their people instead of speaking on G20 meeting being held in Kashmir.

I think the neighboring country ( Pakistan) should arrange eatables for their own people and restore the civil liberties there, Sinha said during a press conference when he was asked that Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had alleged that India was "abusing" G20 presidency by holding a meeting in Kashmir.

Lt Governor Sinha said that several representatives of the United Nations attended the Meeting in Srinagar.

India has moved forward and left all these things behindG20 presidency is a pride for India and several representatives of the United Nations are here, making it evident that the whole world wishes that India should hold such events here, he said.

Indias Chief G20 Coordinator, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, said Pakistan has no locus standi with holding of G20 meeting in Srinagar.

Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India. The meeting held here has nothing to do with them. Not only UN representatives, five UN organization attended this meeting, he said

LG Sinha said the third Tourism Working Group Meeting in Srinagar is the biggest gathering of foreign delegates so far.

57 delegates from 27 countries are participating in the G20 meeting at Srinagar and it is a reflection of Indias strength and our ancient values of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, he said.

He said the G20 Meeting in Srinagar will help in attracting more international tourists and also the advisories issued by several countries against visiting Kashmir will be withdrawn.

Sinha said Kashmir is now peaceful with schools and colleges remaining open and allowing youth to focus on career building.

Todays Jammu Kashmir is not a land of hartals (strike) or stone pelters. Its a land of peace and prosperity that a responsible and responsive administration is trying too hard to bring in the lives of the people, he said.

(With UNI inputs)
Image: Facebook/Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata/IBNS: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann met Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata during which the Bengal Chief Minister pledged support to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi against the Centre's move on officers' posting in the national capital.

Kejriwal is on a mission to unite the opposition over the tussle in the national capital, which is a union territory but with an elected government.

The Centre brought an executive order which overrides the Supreme Court judgement that favoured the Delhi government on transfers and postings of government officers.

If the Centre's bill to convert the Ordinance on Delhi bureaucrats' services is defeated in Rajya Sabha, "it will be the Semi-final before 2024," said the Delhi Chief Minister in Kolkata.

"This (the fight for control) is not just about Delhi. Even the West Bengal Governor does the same thing. Even (Bhagwant) Mann is alleging the same. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister told me that the Governor sitting on a lot of bills," Kejriwal told the media during a briefing after the meeting.

Mamata Banerjee said this is the best chance to oppose the Bharatiya Janata Party government over the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha and appealed to other non-BJP parties to support this.

"The Supreme Court gave a strong verdict after so many years. But ultimately, the Central government will rule all states through ordinances and governors, letters... They don't want to respect the verdict," she added.

"What do they (the BJP) think? Are we their bonded labour? Are we their servants? We are worried that they may change the constitution and change the country's name to party's name. They want to bulldoze the constitution... It is a government of the bulldozer, by the bulldozer, for the bulldozer," Banerjee said.

Agreeing that the BJP "is a threat to the Constitution, Bhagwant Mann said, "If 30 Governors and a Prime Minister want to run the country, why spend so much on elections? If a Lieutenant Governor means a government, why are crores of people voting in elections?"

The ordinance passed late on Friday evening, is in direct contradiction with a recent order of the Supreme Court, which said the elected government should be at the helm of Delhi affairs.

Through an ordinance, the Centre created the National Capital Civil Services Authority to decide on postings and transfers.

Its members will include the Chief Minister, who shall be the Chairperson of the Authority, the Chief Secretary, and the Principal Home Secretary.

According to the new law, all matters are required to be decided by the authority based on the majority of votes of the members present and voting.

The Congress too said it will "oppose the Delhi Ordinance issued in parliament."

The Congress had earlier welcomed the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court, which said in a democratic form of governance, the power of administration must rest on the elected arm.

"If an officer is not responding to the government, the collective responsibility is diluted. If an officer feels they are insulated from the elected government they feel they are not accountable," the apex court had ruled.
Image Credit: Twitter/Narendra Modi

In his first meeting, PM Modi met Professor Brian P. Schmidt, Nobel laureate in Physics and Vice-Chancellor & President of Australian National University, Canberra.

In a tweet on the meeting, the Indian PM said: Had an excellent conversation on science and innovation with Nobel Laureate Dr. Brian Paul Schmidt. His work on these subjects has been rich and shaped academic discourse greatly.

Had an excellent conversation on science and innovation with Nobel Laureate Dr. Brian Paul Schmidt. His work on these subjects has been rich and shaped academic discourse greatly. @cosmicpinot @ourANU https://t.co/1z0p8jMnAF pic.twitter.com/jIHwiNfLKa  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2023

He then met Mark Balla, a business specialist and accomplished public speaker on humanitarian issues. Mark Balla has done commendable work on a topic I am very passionate about - access to sanitation. People know him as a Toilet Warrior. Was wonderful interacting with him earlier today," PM Modi said.

Mark Balla has done commendable work on a topic I am very passionate about - access to sanitation. People know him as a Toilet Warrior. Was wonderful interacting with him earlier today. https://t.co/a1cH5zfwjT pic.twitter.com/oSVUpHSvPU  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2023

He also Danielle Mate Sullivan, aboriginal artist about whom PM Modi tweeted: It was wonderful to learn more about Australian art from Ms. Danielle Mate. Her efforts to popularise traditional forms of art are noteworthy.

It was wonderful to learn more about Australian art from Ms. Danielle Mate. Her efforts to popularise traditional forms of art are noteworthy. https://t.co/Fo771Rv1d3 pic.twitter.com/RMSiZLCFeT  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2023

In his fourth meeting, PM Modi met Sarah Todd, international chef, restaurateur, TV host, speaker and entrepreneur.

Sarah Todd, the celebrity chef, is very passionate about India, which was reflected in her deep knowledge about our cuisine, spices and more. Had an excellent interaction with her in Sydney, said he.

Sarah Todd, the celebrity chef, is very passionate about India, which was reflected in her deep knowledge about our cuisine, spices and more. Had an excellent interaction with her in Sydney. https://t.co/0cmQiuKYwV pic.twitter.com/ShStXSXuAW  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2023

The Indian PM met Professor Toby Walsh, chief scientist, Artificial Intelligence Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney about which he wrote: Had a fascinating discussion on different frontiers of AI and futuristic technology with Mr. @TobyWalsh. One can clearly see his passion towards AI and the need to ensure it is harnessed for human progress.

Had a fascinating discussion on different frontiers of AI and futuristic technology with Mr. @TobyWalsh. One can clearly see his passion towards AI and the need to ensure it is harnessed for human progress. https://t.co/SA48qf6i9x pic.twitter.com/aWrPu32ikm  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2023

PM Modi congratulated all of them on their achievements and encouraged them to contribute to strengthening the India-Australia relationship.


New Delhi/IBNS/UNI: Suspended board of Go First on Tuesday filed caveats before the Supreme Court of India, against four aircraft lessors of the crisis-hit airline, a lawyer, who appeared in NCLAT and NCLT Court for Go First in the matter, said.

A caveat is a legal document filed by one of the parties in a case, in a court of law, to ensure that if an aggrieved party filed any plea for relief, then without hearing the caveator, the court concerned cannot pass any order in the matter.

Caveats have been filed in the Supreme Court, by Varun Berry, the Chairman of the suspended board of Go First, the lawyer of Go First further said.

"This filing of caveat essentially means that the court concerned cannot pass any order without hearing the caveator," the lawyer said.

Caveats have been filed against the May 22 order passed by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Monday, which upheld the order passed by the Delhi bench of the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) on May 10.

The four lessors are SMBC Aviation Capital Ltd, GY Aviation, SFV Aircraft Holdings, and Engine Leasing Finance BV (ELFC). These lessors had lost their cases in the NCLAT Court.

When asked whether the aggrieved party will come to SC, or not, the lawyer said, they may come, as it is the highest court in the country.

"Keeping in view the urgency and importance of the case, they may come to SC," the lawyer further said.

"The joint caveat is related to Go First airlines," said the registry official, who has knowledge and experience in handling cases, cause lists, and review/ curative petitions and PILs.

The NCLAT in its order on Monday, upheld the NCLT order which had admitted Go First Airline's voluntary plea for insolvency and interim protection under a moratorium.

The NCLAT in its order refused to allow lessors to take back possession of the aircraft. It had asked the IRP and the appellant (the four lessors/firms) to approach the adjudicating authority for any further relief they want.

The NCLAT, which had reserved its order on May 15, passed the order after hearing a batch of pleas filed by these 4 lessors -- SMBC Aviation Capital Ltd, GY Aviation, and SFV Aircraft Holdings.

In another development in the same matter, another lessor had approached the Delhi High Court, in which its judge Justice Pratibha M Singh is likely to take up the plea on Wednesday.
Image: Pixabay

China's local governments are grappling with worsening financial conditions, as their debt ratios continue to escalate, posing significant challenges in effectively managing financial risks.

Experts warn that the financial deterioration of 31 provincial-level governments across the country has become irreversible, making debt defaults inevitable. Local governments are burdened with a range of issues, including a deteriorating revenue structure, uneven financial resources between regions, expanding expenditure demands, widening fiscal deficits, and a rapid surge in borrowing to bridge the gap.

This article explores the dire financial situation faced by several Chinese cities and the implications for both local and central governments.

China's local governments are grappling with a growing debt burden and fiscal imbalances, signaling deep financial distress.

Among the 35 major cities in China, only Hangzhou maintains a fiscal self-sufficiency rate exceeding 100 percent, while seven cities have rates below 50 percent.

Notably, six cities face deficits exceeding 100 billion yuan ($14.28 billion), including Chongqing, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Wuhan, and Shanghai.

The city of Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province, has been particularly hard-hit, witnessing mounting debt and significant revenue shortfalls.

In 2022, Harbin's general public budget revenue plummeted by 28.3 percent year-on-year, while expenditures surged by 7.4 percent.

Consequently, the self-sufficiency rate plummeted to a meager 29.22 percent.

The city's government debt balance reached a staggering 289.86 billion yuan ($41.71 billion) by the end of 2022, already indicating a high debt burden prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similarly, Tengchong city in Yunnan Province is experiencing severe financial difficulties, characterized by imbalanced income and expenditure, low-quality revenues, and a rapidly increasing debt rate.

The city's Communist Party boss openly acknowledged the precarious financial situation, highlighting the challenges in risk prevention and management.

To maintain a semblance of fiscal balance across the country, Beijing has been reallocating funds from surplus regions to those facing deficits, creating dependence on the central government.

This approach aims to cover local government deficits and ensure a balanced budget.

However, this mechanism has faltered in recent years as the balance collapsed, leaving the central government unable to resolve the financial problems faced by the 31 provincial-level regions.

As the revenue structure weakens and debt continues to accumulate, local governments have been left with limited options to address their financial woes.

The lack of surplus regions with greater income than expenditures further exacerbates the issue.

China's current affairs commentator, Dr. Jason, suggests that the central government is incapable of solving the financial challenges faced by local governments.

China's local governments, confronted with deteriorating financial conditions and mounting debt, are increasingly seeking assistance from Beijing.

The Guizhou provincial government publicly acknowledged the difficulty of resolving its debt problem independently, requesting support from the central government to ensure financial stability.

The province's move is significant, as it marks the first time a provincial government openly sought help while hinting at the possibility of debt default.

However, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership swiftly responded by demanding the removal of the article from the internet, firmly reiterating the central government's stance against bailouts for local governments.

The former Minister of Finance, Lou Jiwei, also emphasized that Beijing would adhere to the "no bailout" principle regarding local government debts. Guizhou Province, according to its 2022 budget implementation status, is grappling with an alarming debt balance of 1.24 trillion yuan ($179 billion), while its financial self-sufficiency rate stands at a mere 24.2 percent.

The province's heavy reliance on annual fiscal revenue implies that it would take approximately 6.6 years to repay the principal debt amount and a staggering 25 years when considering interest payments.

Moreover, if the provincial government halts investments in fixed assets, the local economy, lacking adequate industrial support, risks stagnation.

The colossal debt burden of Guizhou Province appears insurmountable without intervention from Beijing. Chinese American current affairs commentator, Dr. Jason, highlights two primary reasons behind the Central Committee's decision to remain inactive regarding the local debt issue.

Firstly, he argues that the central government is indeed facing financial constraints, rendering it incapable of addressing the mounting debt crises across the country.

Secondly, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is well aware that regional debt crises are widespread. Setting a precedent by bailing out one region would trigger a domino effect, with other regions demanding similar financial support.

Fearing the bursting of the local debt bubble, the CCP has refrained from providing a blanket financial bailout. China is hence sitting on a lot of financial time bombs.

Its only a matter of time before they burst.
RRR Movie Twitter page

Los Angeles: Actor Ray Stevenson, who worked in several major TV shows and the popular Indian movie RRR, died on Sunday.

The actor, who played the character of British Governor Scott Buxton in SS Rajamouli's RRR, was 58.

Confirming his death, the official Twitter handle of RRR said: "What shocking news for all of us on the team!"

What shocking news for all of us on the team! 



Rest in peace, Ray Stevenson.



You will stay in our hearts forever, SIR SCOTT. pic.twitter.com/YRlB6iYLFi  RRR Movie (@RRRMovie) May 22, 2023

"Rest in peace, Ray Stevenson.You will stay in our hearts forever, SIR SCOTT," read the tweet.

Filmmaker SS Rajamouli also mourned the death of the actor and tweeted: "Shocking... Just can't believe this news. Ray brought in so much energy and vibrancy with him to the sets. It was infectious. Working with him was pure joy."

Shocking... Just can't believe this news. Ray brought in so much energy and vibrancy with him to the sets. It was infectious. Working with him was pure joy.



My prayers are with his family. May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/HytFxHLyZD  rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) May 23, 2023

"My prayers are with his family. May his soul rest in peace," he said.

He portrayed Dagonet in the film King Arthur (2004) and Titus Pullo in the BBC/HBO television series Rome (20052007).

He portrayed two Marvel Comics characters: Frank Castle / The Punisher in Punisher: War Zone (2008) and The Super Hero Squad Show, and Volstagg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (20112017).

His other films include Kill the Irishman (2011), where he portrayed mobster Danny Greene, The Three Musketeers (2011), and RRR (2022), where he portrayed the villainous Governor Scott.

His television roles include Ukrainian mobster Isaak Sirko in the seventh season of Dexter, Blackbeard in the third and fourth seasons of Black Sails, and voicing Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Representational image by Jay Heike on Unsplash

Georgetown/IBNS: A devastating fire engulfed a school dormitory Tragedy in Guyana on Sunday, resulting in the loss of at least 20 lives, according to a government statement.

The nation's President, Irfaan Ali, expressed profound sorrow, describing the incident as a "major disaster" that is both horrifying and painful. The death toll climbed to 20, with several individuals sustaining injuries in the blaze at Mahdia Secondary School, situated in central Guyana, reported AFP.

President Ali swiftly took action, issuing directives for the immediate arrangement of medical facilities in the capital city of Georgetown's major hospitals. His aim was to ensure that every child in need receives the best possible medical attention.

In response to the emergency, both private and military aircraft were dispatched to Mahdia, located approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of Georgetown, as heavy rains affected the region.

As news of the incident spread, Natasha Singh-Lewis, an opposition Member of Parliament, called for a comprehensive investigation into the cause of the fire.

She stressed the importance of understanding the circumstances leading to this horrific and fatal incident, emphasizing the need for preventive measures to avert such tragedies in the future.

Guyana, a small nation with an English-speaking population of around 800,000 people, has a historical background as a former Dutch and British colony. It is renowned for possessing the world's largest per capita oil reserves, which it hopes will pave the way for rapid development and progress.
Image: UNISFA

New York: A Ghanaian peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Interim Security Force in Abyei (UNISFA) will receive the 2022 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award, it was announced on Monday.

Captain Cecilia Erzuah, 32, who has served in Abyei since March last year, as the Commander of the Ghana Engagement Platoon, will receive the award from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during a ceremony marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers this Thursday, said the Department of Peace Operations in a press release.

Abyei is a disputed and resource-rich area between Sudan and South Sudan, which is claimed by both sides. The Security Council authorized the deployment of a peacekeeping force there in 2011, as tensions rose ahead of South Sudans formal declaration of independence.

UNISFA works to strengthen the capacity of police service, in support of the 2011 agreement, and facilitates the delivery of humanitarian aid, the free movement of aid workers, and provides protection for civilians under threat.

Leading the way

Created in 2016, the Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award recognizes the dedication and efforts of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

Resolution 1325 reminds us that our women peacekeepers are not only supporting global peace and security. They are leading the way. By every measure, Captain Cecilia Erzuah of Ghana is one of those leaders, said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

On every front, Captain Erzuahs work has set the standard for ensuring that the needs and concerns of women are reflected across our peacekeeping operations.

An award for all of us

Captain Erzuah expressed her gratitude for being selected to receive the prize which she called an award for all of us, referring to her platoon members.

An advocate for gender equality and community engagement, Capt. Erzuah made sure that her 22-strong platoon, composed equally of men and women, conducted regular patrols and outreach to local leaders as well as womens and youth groups, to better understand and address community concerns and needs.

Together with civilian UN colleagues, she has also hosted discussions on domestic violence, gender equality and childcare, resulting in an increase in the number of women enlisted in Community Protection Committees, which were initially male dominated.

The engagement with community members led to improved early warning about threats of violence against civilians and broader security issues.

Monthly walks

The monthly market walks she initiated with her battalion also contributed to building strong and enduring relationships between traders, local residents and the UN.

In January this year, following a spike in community violence in Majbong, a village in southeast Abyei, Captain Erzuahs platoon stepped up its presence, regularly checking on the plight of displaced people in the volatile area and enabling the Mission to provide necessary support.

Community members, who had sought sanctuary from the fighting in the surrounding bush, gradually began returning to their homes in the village and women reported feeling much safer. The mixed patrols areboosting the confidence of members of the community to go about daily activities safely, said Deng Paul Mankuol, a traditional chief in Majbong.

Captain Erzuah is the first Ghanaian peacekeeper, and the first recipient from a contingent or a unit, to receive this prestigious award.

Ghana is currently the largest contributor of women military peacekeepers to the United Nations with 375 now deployed.
Image: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

New York: A crucial ceasefire poised to enter into force in restive Sudan on Monday evening should pave the way for peace talks to end the month-old conflict, the top UN official in the country has said.

Lives and infrastructure are being destroyed, and the security situation is impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid, said Volker Perthes, the UN Secretary-Generals Special Representative for Sudan, briefing the Security Council on Monday about recent developments.

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Five weeks since the eruption of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on 15 April, the conflict had shown no signs of slowing down despite repeated declarations of ceasefire by both sides, said Mr. Perthes, who also heads the UN mission in the country, UNITAMS.

If honoured, the pending week-long renewable ceasefire should ease aid deliveries to millions in need and pave the way for peace talks, he told the Council.

Civilians paying steep price

However, he raised myriad grave concerns about serious human rights violations, rampant looting, and a flood of weapons throughout the country.

In addition, he said the growing ethnicization of the conflict risks engulfing the country in a prolonged conflict, with implications for the region, calling on both parties to return to dialogue in the interest of Sudan and its people.

Civilians have paid a heavy price for this senseless violence, he said, noting the more than 700 reported deaths, including 190 children, another 6,000 injured, and many more missing. The violence displaced more than one million people; more than 840,000 fled to safer areas while another 250,000 have crossed the borders, and nearly 8,000 of the displaced population are pregnant women.

Serious human rights violations

The fighting throughout the country has resulted in serious human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law and undermined the protection of civilians.

These violations must be investigated, and the perpetrators brought to justice, he said. The UN family continues to monitor and advocate for an end to all violations.

In Khartoum, Darfur, and elsewhere, the warring parties continue fighting without regard for the laws and norms of war, he said, pointing to destroyed or damaged homes, shops, places of worship, and water and electricity installations, alongside a collapsing health sector, with more than two-thirds of hospitals closed, many healthcare workers killed, and medical supplies running low.

Appalled by reports of sexual violence against women and girls, he said the UN is following up to verify these cases. He also raised concerns of rampant looting and enforced disappearances, and that children continue to be vulnerable to recruitment and use as soldiers, sexual violence, and abduction.

Spiralling ethnic violence

In El Geneina in West Darfur, clashes between the parties spiralled into ethnic violence on 24 April. Tribal militias joined the fight and civilians took up arms to defend themselves, he said.

Homes, markets, and hospitals were ransacked and burned, and UN premises looted. More than 450 civilians were reportedly killed, and another 700 were injured. On 12 May, renewed violence reportedly led to at least another 280 deaths and tens of thousands displaced to Chad, he said.

Worrying signs of tribal mobilization are also being reported in South Kordofan as well as the Blue Nile region, he warned.

While blame is circulating that the UN did not foresee the conflict, he said the responsibility for the fighting rests with those currently waging it.

The fighting parties decision to fight out their differences on the ground instead of through dialogue is devastating Sudan, he said.

Cost of war

Commending efforts led by Saudi Arabia and the United States, he said the SAF and RSF signed the Declaration of Commitments in Jeddah on 11 May, representing an important step that commits to respecting international humanitarian law and allow humanitarian access.

Through a hub in Port Sudan, UNITAMS has supported UN Country Team efforts and humanitarian partners to restore the flow of aid supplies into and within the country, he said.

But, additional funding is urgently needed, he said, noting that the revised humanitarian response plan launched on 17 May, requesting $2.6 billion dollars to reach 18 million people, has ballooned from $15 million before the fighting.

As the talks advance, a diverse array of civil and political stakeholders must play their role, he said. Ultimately, only a credible civilian-led transition can chart lasting peace in Sudan.

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Refugee crisis

The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, Raouf Mazou, on Monday, urged increased international support and attention for displaced people from Sudan, including refugees, refugee returnees, and host communities.

Without a concrete and immediate solution, more people are expected to flee from Sudan seeking safety, he cautioned.

Mr. Mazou visited a recent refugee site in Borota, Chad, only a few kilometres from the Sudan border, where 25,000 Sudanese arrived a week ago as the fighting intensified.

Almost 90 per cent of new arrivals are women and children, he said, noting that many people have been sheltering under trees in makeshift shelters with very limited services and minimal resources

As the rainy season approaches, we urgently need to relocate new arrivals to the nearest refugee camps, he said.

Humanitarian needs are growing

UN agencies have been scrambling to provide assistance to those in need, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Monday.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has so far reached nearly 450,000 people with food and nutrition support since its distributions resumed on 3 May, and plans are in place to start distributions in Wadi Halfa in Northern State to more than 9,000 people who are fleeing to Egypt.

The UN food agency is also planning to assess the needs of 500,000 men, women and children who are currently trapped in Khartoum, he said, adding that the assessment should start in the coming days if the security situation allows us to do that.

Meanwhile, the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and its partners are providing access to clean water and sanitation, as well as hygiene in key locations, helping to deliver some 235,000 litres of clean water to health-care facilities in North Darfur and provided clean water to some 40,000 people in East Darfur in the Elneem camp for internally displaced people.

At the same time, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has provided fuel for four maternity hospitals in Khartoum to ensure life-saving health services are available for women and girls who need, Mr. Dujarric said.
Image: IAEA

New York: The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine lost all external power for several hours on Monday morning, highlighting the urgent need to protect the facility and prevent an accident, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement.

This marked the seventh time that Europes largest nuclear power plant had been completely disconnected from the national electricity grid since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion 15 months ago, the agency said, noting that the facility was forced to run on emergency diesel generators once again.

The plants only remaining external 750 kilovolt power line had been cut around 5:30am, local time, and re-connected after more than five hours, according to IAEA experts located at the facility.

Were playing with fire

Agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said the situation demonstrated the highly vulnerable nuclear safety and security situation at the plant, which has come under shelling during the conflict.

As Ive said repeatedly, this simply cant go on. Were playing with fire. We must act now to avoid the very real danger of a nuclear accident in Europe, with its associated consequences for the public and the environment.

The ZNPP was occupied by Russian forces in the early days of the war and is still being operated by Ukrainian personnel.

Most staff live in the nearby town of Enerhodar. On Friday, the IAEA reported that a location close to the town came under artillery fire earlier that day.

Intense negotiations continue

Mr. Grossi said he continues to engage in intense negotiations with all parties to secure the protection of the nuclear plant, stressing that I will not stop until this has been achieved.

He explained that the ZNPP does not have any operational back-up power lines since the last one functioning had been damaged in March, which has still not been repaired.

For more than two and a half months, this major nuclear power plant has only had one functioning external power line. This is an unprecedented and uniquely risky situation. Defence-in-depth  which is fundamental to nuclear safety  has been severely undermined at the ZNPP, he said.

Still awaiting access

He called for greater efforts to restore the back-up power lines, while also reiterating the need for the IAEA team on site to gain access to the Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP), located nearby.

The ZTPP has an open switchyard through which back-up power has been provided to the nuclear plant in the past. Access has yet to be granted despite reassurances by the Russian state nuclear company, Rosatom.

Following the off-site power cut on Monday, all the nuclear plant's 20 diesel generators started operating. However, 12 were later switched off, leaving eight running, which is sufficient to operate all systems safely.

The IAEA said its experts at the site were informed that there is enough diesel fuel for 23 days, adding that after the 750 kilovolt line was restored, the diesel generators were gradually turned off.
Image: Wallpaper Cave

Yaounde: At least two militants of the terror group Boko Haram were killed when they launched offensives against a civilian community and the military in Cameroon's Far North region, locals and security sources confirmed Monday.

The attack took place late Sunday in the Mozogo locality of the region.

Heavily armed militants attacked the locality on several fronts during the night-long battle but were later repelled by soldiers who killed two of them and dumped the bodies in a public place, a military official in the region said.

"Many of them were injured. Unfortunately, a member of the local vigilante was also killed during the battle. We are pursuing those that escaped with bullet wounds," said the official who asked not to be named.

Boko Haram has killed more than 2,000 people since it launched offensives in the region in 2004, according to security reports and local non-governmental organizations.

(With UNI inputs)
Image: UN Photo/Marco Dormino

United Nations: Detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mali injured four UN peacekeepers from Sri Lanka, a UN spokesman said.

The injuries are not serious, and the peacekeepers from the UN mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, are receiving medical treatment, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The incident occurred on Sunday about 12 km northwest of their camp in Tessalit, in the Kidal region, Dujarric said. When the blast occurred, they were in an armored vehicle providing security for a logistics convoy.

"About 40 minutes after the incident, a search of the surrounding area discovered a second IED which was successfully detonated," he said. "Earlier in the day, the mission had detonated another IED discovered some 23 km northwest of the Tessalit camp."

The spokesman said the attack on the peacekeepers was indicative of the continuing violence in Mali.

The UN staff union reported earlier this year that the MINUSMA mission was the most deadly of any world body assignment for the ninth year, with 14 personnel killed in 2022.

(With UNI inputs)
Image: Pixabay

Four Frontier Constabulary personnel and two private guards died during an overnight attack on a Hungarian-owned oil and gas exploration site in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region on Tuesday, media reports said.

Thal Deputy Superintendent of Police Irfan Khan told Dawn News, Late at night, terrorists opened indiscriminate firing at the security personnel posted at MOL Pakistan Oil and Gas Companys plant at the location of Mainji Khel."

The soldiers bravely exchanged fire for two hours. Four personnel of the Frontier Constabulary and two from a private security company have been martyred in this attack, he added.

Khan further said the terrorists were able to flee by taking advantage of the darkness at night time and that the bodies of the soldiers have been shifted to Thal Combined Military Hospital.

Pakistan is witnessing a spike in terrorist attacks in recent times specially in KP and Balochistan.

The spike occurred after the outlawed TTP ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.
Representational image by Dietmar Rabich via Wikimedia Commons

Toronto: The Canadian city of Toronto recently hosted a conference to discuss the initiatives taken by India to confront terrorism as a global threat.

The conference aimed to address the challenges posed by various forms of terrorism, including Khalistani extremism, and explore the funding of such activities, some of which originate from Pakistan, reports Asian Lite.

Several experts, policymakers, and scholars attended the event.

They reportedly discussed the Khalistani terrorism trouble and measures to counter it.

The following report summarizes the key discussions and recommendations put forward by the four distinguished speakers during the conference.

Martin Forget, Michael Giles, Broaden Roth and Mario Silva share their expertise on global terrorism and the need to tame it with a united force, reports Asian Lite.

Understanding Khalistani Terrorism and its Global Implications Martin Forget, an expert in counterterrorism, provided insights into the nature of Khalistani terrorism and its global implications.

He highlighted the historical background of the Khalistan movement and its evolution into a terrorist organization.

Broaden Roth, an expert in terrorism financing, shed light on the crucial issue of funding Khalistani terrorism, with a particular focus on the role played by Pakistan.

He discussed the various channels through which funds are credited to Khalistani terrorist groups and the need for robust measures to disrupt these financial flows.

Image attribution license notice: Dietmar Rabich, Vancouver (BC, Canada), Canada Place, Kanadaflagge -- 2022 -- 1896, CC BY-SA 4.0
Representational image by Victoria Shes on Unsplash

Ottawa/IBNS: An investment of an additional $32 million this year, a 15 percent or over $40 million increase from last year is being made by the government of Ontario to expand healthy menu options for long-term care residents, including a broader range of culturally inspired meals, a news release has said.

We believea good meal is essential to good living, said Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care.

Thats why for the second year in a row, were providing a major increase to improve the quality and variety of food for residents in long-term care.

The Ontario Governments new regulations under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, that came into effect on July 11, 2022, ensures Ontarios seniors experience the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve, both now and in the future.

(Reporting by Asha Bajaj)
Model actor Aditya Singh Rajput, who participated in Splitsvilla 9, passed away on May 22. The actor was found dead in his bathroom at his apartment in Andheri under mysterious circumstances. If reports are to be believed, this happened after an alleged drug overdose.

Actor-Model Aditya Singh Rajput found dead

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Aditya was discovered by his friend in his apartment. He along with the watchman then rushed him to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead.

His body has been sent for postmortem and an investigation is underway, say Mumbai Police.

Drug overdose or accident?

One of his other friends Sabyasachi Satpathy told ETimes that he hadn't been in touch with him since a year and a half. He said that he has heard he must have hit his head when he fell in the bathroom. He also said that he has heard about drug overdose. "I read about in the news about drug overdose."

About his career, he said, "He was doing well. His brand was doing good. People were buying from his site. He was not doing much on TV but his brand did kick off."

He had uploaded an Instagram Story 17 hours ago.

The photo was apparently from an outing with friends. He shared a photo of Mumbai skyline, and wrote, "Sunday funday with besties."

Instagram

He has been a part of shows like Rajputana, Code Red, and Yeh Hai Aashiqui among others. He was also seen in movies like Aadi King, Mom And Dad: The lifeline love and Lovers among others. He started his career at the age of 11.

(If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918)


Kangana Ranaut has added another feature to her cap as she won the Best Actress Award for 'Thalaivii' at the Osaka Tamil International Film Festival in Japan.

She played actress-politician J. Jayalalithaa in the biographical drama film.

Indiatimes

Tanu Weds Manu Returns Completes 8 Years

While Kangana is already on cloud nine for her latest win, her hit film 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns' has also completed 8 years on the horizon of Hindi cinema in 2023.



Kangana Ranaut took to her Instagram stories to celebrate her film with a throwback picture of herself playing the character alongside director Aanand L Rai.

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Kangana's Request To Director Anand L Rai

The actor also shared the popular dance number 'Saddi Galli' from her film and requested the director to make the third installment of the Tanu Weds Manu franchise.

"As TWMR completes 8 years on public demand, I request Aanand L Rai Ji to make part 3. Kya bolte ho dosto(with a smiling emoji)," Kangana wrote on her Instagram stories.

Instagram

About the Tanu Weds Manu Franchise

Tanu Weds Manu, which stars Kangana Ranaut and R Madhavan became a blockbuster after its release. The rom-com was followed by Tanu Weds Manu Returns, which was much loved by both critics and fans. Thus, its only natural for actor Kangana Ranaut to want to feature in yet another Tanu Weds Manu movie.

Directed by Aanand L. Rai, 'Tanu Weds Manu' and its sequel, 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns, both movies revolve around the tumultuous relationship between the characters Tanuja 'Tanu' Trivedi (played by Kangana) and Manoj 'Manu' Sharma (Played by R Madhavan).

Released in 2011, 'Tanu Weds Manu' introduces us to the free-spirited and rebellious girl Tanu from Kanpur, and Manu, a sincere and well-educated NRI doctor from London.

The duo meets through an arranged marriage setup. While Tanu initially rejects Manu's proposal, the latter becomes infatuated with her and pursues her relentlessly.

After they get married, their contrasting personalities and conflicting ideologies lead to constant arguments and misunderstandings. Frustrated with their marriage, Manu seeks solace and guidance from a psychiatrist, Dr. Jassi, who advises him to let go of Tanu and move on.

On the other hand, 'Tanu Weds Manu Returns tells the tale of Tanu and Manu four years after the events of the first film. Tanu and Manu live separately in London.

Tanu develops an extramarital affair, while Manu, still pining for Tanu, is admitted to a mental institution due to his depressed state. Both the films Tanu Weds Manu and Tanu Weds Manu Returns struck a chord with the audience and garnered critical acclaim and commercial success.

(For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.)
Anurag Kashyaps daughter Aaliyah Kashyap on Saturday gave a sweet surprise to everyone by announcing her engagement to her long-time boyfriend Shane Gregoire.

The daughter of the popular filmmaker shared photos from when her beau Shane proposed to her with a diamond ring. Aaliyah's father Anurag Kashyap too reacted to his daughter's engagement news from Cannes.

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Anurag is currently at the prestigious for the screening of his movie Kennedy. The filmmaker also spoke fondly about American entrepreneur Shane Gregoire, who's all set to take the next step with Anurag's daughter.

But, Who's Shane Gregoire?

Shane is a 23-year-old American entrepreneur renowned as the visionary behind Rocket Powered Sound, a groundbreaking software company empowering music producers. Moreover, Shane's official website showcases his expertise in sound design and music production, offering innovative tools and skill development resources to aspiring producers.

AFP

Notably, he is also an avid consciousness researcher.

Although the engaged couple has yet to disclose their wedding date, speculation has arisen, especially after Anurag Kashyap playfully mentioned the wedding's potential expenses in an Instagram post shortly after the engagement announcement.

The Dobaaraa director shared a picture of himself from Cannes and wrote on Instagram, "@cinemakasam is pissed off saying, 'yahan to phone chhod do !!' Unaware that I am calculating the number of remakes I will have to do to throw a wedding soiree, because my dearest @aaliyahkashyap and her beau , my lovely @shanegregoire threw a total curveball at us in the middle of our @festivaldecannes journey of #Kennedy by announcing their engagement."

Meanwhile, if reports are to be believed, Shane popped the question to Aaliyah on their recent trip to Bali after having dated for three years. Aaliyah too shared a picture flaunting her diamond engagement ring on Instagram on Saturday.

While in another photo, she can be seen kissing Shane. Soooooo THIS HAPPENED!!!!! to my best friend, my partner, my soulmate and now my FIANCE, Aaliyah captioned the picture.

(For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.)
The revelation was made by Aydn Kostem a Turkish arms smuggler who had long worked with the Turkish military & intelligence agency
Jamiu Mosobalaje Oyawoye, Kwara-born first professor of Geology in Africa, has died at the age of 95.

The nonagenarian reportedly died on Monday evening in what has been ascribed to age-related illness at his home in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State.

According to Daily Trust, Oyawoye will be buried today by 4pm.

The late Baba Adini of Kwara State was married to two wives and blessed with 10 children.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has described his death as a huge national loss.

He is one of the greatest Nigerians of all time and a pride of the state. His death is the end of a great era in academic accomplishments, dedication to community service, and statesmanship, the governor said in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye.

READ ALSO: Four Dead, Three Injured In Sokoto Gas Cylinder Explosion

He however condoled with the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye II; the Olofa-In-Council and the Muslim community in Kwara State.

Emir of Ilorin and Chairman Kwara State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, on his part described the deceased as a God fearing scholar who lived his life with full commitment and dedication to the propagation of Islam.

The Doyen of Geology in Africa was a kind-hearted and loving man of integrity and father to all and sundry, he said in a condolence message issued by his spokesman, Mallam Abdulazeez Arowona.
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), sitting at the Court of Appeal, Abuja, has consolidated the three remaining petitions challenging the emergence of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as winner of the February 25 presidential election.

The only three petitions before the court are those filed by Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party), Peter Obi (Labour Party) and that of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

Information Nigeria reports that on Saturday, a five-member panel of the court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, proposed that the surviving petitions be consolidated as provided in Paragraph 50 of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2022.

The paragraph states: Where two or more petitions are presented in relation to the same election or return, all the petitions shall be consolidated, considered and be dealt with as one petition unless the tribunal or court shall otherwise direct in order to do justice or an objection against one or more of the petitions has been upheld by the tribunal or court.

But in opposition to the motion, the APC and Tinubu, on Monday, insisted that they would be greatly jeopardised and the interest of justice would not be served if the request for the petition consolidation is granted.

APCs counsel, Charles Edosomwen, addressing the court, argued that it would not be able to defend its victory perfectly if the petitions are consolidated.

According to the Party, it would not be able to engage the huge number of witnesses already lined up to testify against it and its presidential candidate in the election, especially on the myriad of allegations against them.

READ ALSO: Joe Biden Announces Delegation To Attend Tinubus Inauguration

Similarly, Tinubus team of lawyers led by Akin Olujimi, faulted paragraph 50 of the 5th Schedule of the Electoral Act 2022, which empowers the Election Petition Court to consolidate petitions if they are against the same election and the same declaration of the winner.

He argued that different issues were raised in the petitions against him and would require that the petitions be heard differently.

However, the other three petitioners supported the proposal and pleaded with the court to discredit the objections and consolidate the petitions for a quick hearing.

Eyitayo Jegede, counsel to Atiku and his Party, argued that the consolidation of all petitions will afford speedy determination of the petitions, and does not in any way make any of the petitions lose their character.

He also argued that the court does not require the consent to or concurrence of any of the litigating parties

Meanwhile, Femi Ihero, lawyer for the Independent National Electoral Commission, said, We are indifferent to whatever order the court makes. I am not in support or in opposition.

Awa Kalu, counsel to Peter Obi and his Party, said, Taking into account the facts before you, and issues arising before you in the different cases, whatever the court directs, whatever the court decides.

But ruling on its motion on Tuesday, the court led by Justice Tsammani, dismissed the objection of the APC and Tinubu, while moving to consolidate the three surviving petitions.

Tsammani also ordered the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to defend his victory at the election along with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within five days.
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), Abuja, has given Peter Obi as well as Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party, three weeks beginning from May 30, to prove their case, challenging the declaration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as winner of the February 25 Presidential election.

A five-member panel of the court, led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, conveyed the courts position to Obi on Tuesday, while presenting the pre-hearing sessions report of the Court on Tuesday.

Recall that Obi, on Saturday, requested seven weeks to call 50 witnesses to prove his case against Tinubu.

According to the court, it arrived at the decision because of the limited time within which the petition must be disposed off.

Justice Tsammani ordered that Obi must open his petition for hearing on the 30th of this month and end same on the 23rd of June.

The Court said to ensure a speedy hearing of the petitions, there would be no oral examination of witnesses and that the adoption of witness statements will be required.

For star (or expert) witnesses, the court also said 30 minutes shall be used for evidence in chief, while 20 minutes will be for cross-examination, and five minutes for re-examination.

READ ALSO: Tribunal Dismisses PDP, LPs Request For Live Coverage

The Court also ordered the President elect, Bola Tinubu, to defend his victory at the election along with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), within five days.

Obis lawyer, Livy Uzoukwu, speaking to newsmen after the courts directive, said the important thing was that the court has a discretion to determine the weeks parties should use to call witnesses.

What we have to do is to do case management, Livy said adding that what INEC is doing to them by not making electoral documents available is very unfortunate.

INEC is playing pranks, we wrote letters to INEC saying we want to pay the fees required, Uzoukwu said, debunking INECs claim that LP refused to pay requisite fees.

Uzoukwu alleged that INEC was holding on to electoral materials for manipulation purposes, adding that when the hearing begins, he would subpoena the Commission to produce the electoral materials.

Similarly in a pre-hearing report for Atikus petition, presented by Tsammani, it was revealed that 166 witnesses would testify.

While the court granted INEC two days to present its defence, it provided a five-day period each for President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to respond to the petition.

Justice Stephen Adah, who read the pre-hearing report, also noted that Atikus petition had been consolidated with the ones filed by Obi the Labour Partys candidate,and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Controversial Nigerian on air personality, Chinedu Ani Emmanuel also known as Nedu has claimed that most ladies condemning Nollywood actress, Regina Daniels for marrying an older man, Ned Nwoko would do the same if also given the opportunity.

Nedu said this in an episode of his much controversial podcast, The Honest Bunch as he addressed the actress critics.

He argued that most ladies are praying to God to give them what Regina Daniels has.

READ MORE: If Your Partner Insists On No Sex Before Marriage, Something Is Fishy  OAP Nedu Warns Ladies

The media personality stated this on the latest episode of The Honest Bunch audiovisual podcast co-hosted by him.

Nedu said, Shoutout to Ned Nwoko and Regina Daniels. When the whole thing came on social media, everybody went berserk. Everybody was like, what is Regina Daniels thinking?

But everybody is praying to God of Regina Daniels. If Ned Nwoko comes now and says every Lagos girl I want to marry all of you one by one. Plenty girls will queue up.

I saw one post the other day, some weeks ago, where Ned Nwoko opened the door [for Regina Daniels], everybody dey say Awnn! Couple goals. God when?

See video here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsjZcyWoYxN/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=d9629b0a-a9fb-4361-8a4a-cfb431943b50
Some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the November 2023 governorship election in the state.

It was gathered that the Governor Yayah Bello received a group of former members of the PDP from Igalamela/Odolu Local Government Area.

According to a report from The Sun newspaper, those who defected were former caretaker Chairman of Igalamela Local Government Area, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, along with Hon. Adama Sani and Aikoye Anu, the defectors from Ajaka Ward 1 and 2.

Others includes former President of the PDP National Youth Movement, Ahmed Mahmud, and Saidatu Ogohi, the Ajaka Ward 1 Women Leader.

READ MORE: Whether Wike Supports Him Or Not, Dino Melaye Must See Us If He Wants To Win Kogi Guber Poll  Witches, Wizards Association

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Abdullahi Ibrahim said their reason for joining the APC was because of the progress recorded by the incumbent administration of Governor Bello, especially at the local government level.

Ibrahim said remarkable of all Bellos achievements is the rehabilitation of the Umomi-Akpagidigbo-Ugwolawo-Ajaka-Idah road, a significant infrastructure project in Igalamela.

Bello noted that the APC, being a progressive party, welcomes all individuals who are willing to contribute to the development of the state, assuring the former PDP members that they will have equal rights and opportunities within the APC, just like existing members.
A secondary school in Osogbo, Osun State, Fakunle Unity High School, hurriedly shut down academic activities on Tuesday, when some pupils became unconscious after inhaling teargas fired by men of Mopol 39 Base, located directly opposite the school premises.

A source in the school, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Punch that pupils were already in their various classes when teargas fired by the riot policemen engaging in their morning drills filtered into the premises.

As a result, some of the pupils lost consciousness, after inhaling the gas, and were rushed to a private hospital located near the school for treatment, while others were taken to Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.

READ ALSO: Police Teargas Delegates, Journalists As Thugs, Hoodlums Take Over APC Convention Venue

One of the parents, simply identified as Gideon, told The Punch that he was told to check Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, for his daughter, who was said to have been affected by the teargas.

He said, When I got here, I was told to check Uniosun Teaching Hospital for my daughter. The students have been sent home after about 20 of them lost consciousness after inhaling tear gas fired by the men of the Mopol base here.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Adelani Aderinola, through the Information Officer, Roseline Olawuni said the mobile policemen were holding memorial exercise in honour of their fallen colleagues in Benue state when they used the tear-gas that affected the students.

They were shooting tear gas which affected the students on the school. However, the matter has been escalated to the Police Commissioner and has stopped the exercise. The students have been taken to the hospital and most of them have been stabilised.

The spokesperson of Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola confirmed that the police did not fire the tire gas inside the school but they were just using it for their drill. We have ordered them to stop the action. We are sorry for inconvenience.

The Head of Corporation Osun ambulance, Mrs Arowosafe Elizabeth Olayemi explained that, We move 11 patients to Uniosun and the others were taken to spring hospital very close to the school at Aderin, because before we got there the school authority already took the students to the private hospital, you know we cannot just disagree with them because the lives of the students are so important to us.

So, we have to agree with them, it is when the Spring hospital was occupied, we moved the remaining students to Uniosun. We have 11 at Uniosun and the remaining students are at Spring Hospital.

In all, about 35 student were rushed to the hospitals, according to the information given to us.

We were there early enough, within 5 minutes we were there because we have an ambulance close to that place, we have an ambulance at stadium and you know that place is closer, immediately they call me I told them to move down to the school and immediately I ask them to release the students to go home because the more they inhale that thing the more the people were fainting, so I told the principal to release the students to go home so that we can reduce the number.
Just few days to the final hand over ceremony to the next administration, the Second Niger Bridge has been named after President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the special assistant to the President on digital communication, Bashir Ahmed, made the announcement via his Twitter handle on Tuesday, May 23.

READ MORE: Buhari To Commission 2nd Niger Bridge, Six Other Legacy Projects Today

Ahmed said; Ladies and gentlemen, it is official, we now have MUHAMMADU BUHARI BRIDGE.

The name is now being officiated. Thank God for our brand new Muhammadu Buhari Bridge. Thank you, President Muhammadu Buhari.

His tweet came shortly after confirming that President Buhari had officially commissioned the bridge for commuters to use.

However, another aide to the President on digital and new media, Tolu Ogunlesi, said:

Following consultations, the Governors of the South-East have agreed that the Second Niger Bridge shall be named the MUHAMMADU BUHARI SECOND NIGER BRIDGE.

President Buhari is expected to commission other mega projects like the Loko  Oweto Bridge linking Nasarawa and Benue, the Ikom Bridge linking Nigeria and Cameroon, Kaduna  Kano road, Federal Secretariat, Zamfara, Federal Secretariat, Anambra, Federal Secretariat, Bayelsa and Wagon Assembly Plant, Kajola in Ogun state. This would be President Buharis final inauguration of projects before he and his cabinets exit office and the State House in Abuja on Monday, May 29.
The Supreme Court on Monday fixed May 26, 2023, to deliver judgment in an appeal brought before it by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

INFORMATION NIGERIA gathered that the suit which was filed on July 28, 2022, the PDP claimed that Shettimas nomination as Tinubus running mate was in breach of the provisions of sections 29(1), 33, 35, and 84(1)(2) of the Electoral Act 2022.

The party argued that Shettimas nomination to contest the position of Vice-President and Borno Central Senatorial District seat at the same time contravened the law.

Meanwhile, a five-member panel of Justices of the apex court, led by Justice John Okoro fixed the date after all the parties involved adopted and argued their briefs in the matter.

READ MORE: Appeal Court Dismisses PDPs Suit Seeking Disqualification Of Tinubu, Shettima

While the counsel to the APC, Mr Babatunde Ogala (SAN) asked the court to strike out the case since the 180 days stipulated by law to hear the case has elapsed, Mr Joe Agim (SAN), who represented the PDP argued that the issue of 180 days does not apply because the matter of double nomination was purely an illegality and because illegality cannot stand, the court has the right to entertain the matter.

He said the apex court will determine whether there was a double nomination and whether they have locus standi (legal right) to do so.

According to Agim, They have done that before, they did it in the case of Nwosu and APC and they will do it again.

The counsels to the first respondent, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Adebiyi Adetosoye and Ogala representing the APC, respectively, asked that the case be dismissed, with heavy costs awarded against the appellant.
Nigerias outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari has handed the Navy to President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, assuring that the incoming government will address their needs.

Buhari who disclosed this at the Presidential Fleet Review 2023 on Monday, said, the incoming administration of President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu will sustain the current tempo of my administration in giving the Nigerian Navy necessary support to effectively carry out its assigned tasks.

According to him, there is an inextricable link between maritime security and economic prosperity, especially in consideration that Nigerias maritime environment serves both as a store house of resources as well as medium for maritime transport.

He furthered that there was need for safe and secure utilisation of these resources for national prosperity and in support of Nigerias Blue Economy aspirations.

The President said it was in realization of this that his administration vigorously engaged in the recapitalisation of the Nigerian Navy Fleet throughout my eight years in office. Accordingly, about 20 capital ships have been acquired for the Nigerian Navy. These ships comprise offshore patrol vessels, landing ship transport, hydrograaphic survey vessels, seaward defense boats and helicopters as well as over 300 inshore patrol vessels and assault craft.

READ ALSO: Buharis Apology To Nigerians Not Acceptance Of Wrongdoings But Accountability  Garba Shehu

I had the honour to commission a new helicopter NN410 manufactured in Italy, NNS KADA, a landing ship transport, built in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates and NNS IBENO, donated by the Peoples Republic of China.

I deeply appreciate the donation and mutual military cooperation with our ship building partner nations for their support, which has encouraged local ship building by the Nigerian Navy.

He also applauded the Navys ship building effort, adding that, the Nigerian Navy efforts in indigenous shipbuilding in line with the nations local content development plan is yielding positive result.

Our naval engineers were wholly responsible for building 3 Seaward Defence Boats namely NNS ANDONI, NNS KARADUWA and NNS OJI. In December 2021, I equally performed the laying foundation for the construction of 2 Seaward Defence Boats, which will be ready by 2024.

The President also lauded the impressive combat displays staged by elements of the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, alongside a combination of assets from the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force.

He said I expect this to translate into actual capability to dominate Nigerias maritime environment and secure the vast resources therein for the socio-economic development of our great country.

Buhari further expressed optimism that the Navy will soon commence construction of larger ships for itself and other navies in the region and beyond, noting that the forces achievement in ship building is a great pride to Nigeria and an impressive contribution to national development.
When I wrote about GitHub Copilot in November 2021, Copilot was one of only a handful of AI code generation technologies available. I tested it as a Visual Studio Code extension. At the time, Copilot didnt always generate good, correct, or even running code, but it was still somewhat useful. The great promise behind Copilot (and other code generators that use machine learning) is that it was designed to improve over time, both by incorporating user feedback and by ingesting new code samples into its training corpus.

As of May 2023, there are hundreds of AI or code generation extensions available for Visual Studio Code alone. Several of these might save you some time while coding, but if you believe their generated code without reviewing, testing, and debugging it, I have a bridge to sell you.

IDG Hundreds of Visual Studio Code extensions in the marketplace promise code generation or AI, but only a fraction of them actually generate code based on machine learning.

One promising development in this area is that several tools have automatic generation of unit tests. Generating unit tests is a much more tractable problem than generating general-purpose codein fact, it can be done using simple patternsbut youll still have to review and run the generated tests to see whether they make sense.

In the balance of this article, Ill offer a brief history of language models, before surveying the state-of-the-art large language models (LLMs), such as OpenAIs GPT family and Googles LaMDA and PaLM, used for text generation and code generation today. Well finish with a quick tour of 10 code generation tools, including Amazon CodeWhisperer, Google Bard, and GitHub Copilot X.

A brief history of AI models for text generation

Language models go back to Andrey Markov in 1913. That area of study is now called Markov chains, a special case of Markov models. Markov showed that in Russian, specifically in Pushkins Eugene Onegin, the probability of a letter appearing depends on the previous letter, and that, in general, consonants and vowels tend to alternate. Markovs methods have since been generalized to words, to other languages, and to other language applications.

Markovs work was extended by Claude Shannon in 1948 for communications theory, and again by Fred Jelinek and Robert Mercer of IBM in 1985 to produce a language model based on cross-validation (which they called deleted estimates), and applied to real-time, large-vocabulary speech recognition. Essentially, a statistical language model assigns probabilities to sequences of words.

To quickly see a language model in action, type a few words into Google Search, or a text message app on your smartphone, and allow it to offer auto-completion options.

In 2000 Yoshua Bengio et al. published a paper on a neural probabilistic language model in which neural networks replace the probabilities in a statistical language model, bypassing the curse of dimensionality and improving the word predictions (based on previous words) over a smoothed trigram model (then the state of the art) by 20% to 35%. The idea of feed-forward, auto-regressive, neural network models of language is still used today, although the models now have billions of parameters and are trained on extensive corpora, hence the term large language models.

As well see, language models have continued to get bigger over time to make them perform better. There are costs to this, however. The 2021 paper On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots: Can Language Models Be Too Big? by Emily Bender, Timnit Gebru, et al. questions whether we are going too far with this trend. The authors suggest, among other things, that we should weigh the environmental and financial costs first, and invest resources into curating and carefully documenting data sets rather than ingesting everything on the web.

Large language models for text generation

The recent explosion of large language models was triggered by the 2017 paper Attention is All You Need, by Ashish Vaswani et al. of Google Brain and Google Research. That paper introduced a new simple network architecture, the Transformer, based solely on attention mechanisms, dispensing with recurrence and convolutions entirely. Transformer models are both simpler than and superior to recurrent and convolutional models. They also require significantly less time to train.

ELMo

ELMo is a 2018 deep contextualized word representation from AllenNLP (see ELMo paper) that models both complex characteristics of word use (e.g., syntax and semantics) and how these uses vary across linguistic contexts (i.e., to model polysemy). The original model has 93.6 million parameters, and was trained on the One Billion Word Benchmark.

BERT

BERT is a 2018 language model from Google AI Language based on the companys Transformer (2017) neural network architecture (see BERT paper). BERT is designed to pretrain deep bidirectional representations from unlabeled text by jointly conditioning on both left and right context in all layers. The two model sizes used in the original paper were 100 million and 340 million total parameters. BERT uses masked language modeling (MLM) in which ~15% of tokens are corrupted for training. It was trained on English Wikipedia plus the Toronto Book Corpus.

T5

The 2020 Text-To-Text Transfer Transformer (T5) model from Google (see T5 paper) synthesizes a new model based on the best transfer learning techniques from GPT, ULMFiT, ELMo, and BERT and their successors, using a new open-source, pre-training data set called the Colossal Clean Crawled Corpus (C4). The standard C4 for English is an 800 GB data set based on the Common Crawl data set. T5 reframes all natural language processing tasks into a unified text-to-text format where the input and output are always text strings, in contrast to BERT-style models that output only a class label or a span of the input. The base T5 model has about 220 million total parameters.

GPT family

OpenAI, an AI research and deployment company, has a mission to ensure that artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all of humanity. Of course, OpenAI hasnt achieved AGI yet. And some AI researchers, such as machine learning pioneer Yann LeCun of Meta-FAIR, believe that OpenAIs current approach to AGI is a dead end.

OpenAI is responsible for the GPT family of language models, which are available via the OpenAI API and Microsofts Azure OpenAI Service. Note that the entire GPT family is based on Googles 2017 Transformer neural network architecture, which is legitimate because Google open-sourced Transformer.

GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer) is a 2018 model from OpenAI that uses about 117 million parameters (see GPT paper). GPT is a unidirectional transformer that was pre-trained on the Toronto Book Corpus and was trained with a causal language modeling (CLM) objective, meaning that it was trained to predict the next token in a sequence.

GPT-2 is a 2019 direct scale-up of GPT with 1.5 billion parameters, trained on a data set of eight million web pages, or ~40 GB of text data. OpenAI originally restricted access to GPT-2 because it was too good and would lead to fake news. The company eventually relented, although the potential social problems became even worse with the release of GPT-3.

GPT-3 is a 2020 autoregressive language model with 175 billion parameters, trained on a combination of a filtered version of Common Crawl, WebText2, Books1, Books2, and English Wikipedia (see GPT-3 paper). The neural network used in GPT-3 is similar to that of GPT-2, with a couple of additional blocks.

The biggest downside of GPT-3 is that it tends to hallucinate, in other words make up facts with no discernable basis. GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 have the same problem, albeit to a lesser extent.

CODEX is a 2021 descendent of GPT-3 that was fine-tuned for code generation on 54 million open-source GitHub repositories. It is the model used in GitHub Copilot, which I discuss in the next section.

GPT-3.5 is a set of 2022 updates to GPT-3 and CODEX. The gpt-3.5-turbo model is optimized for chat but also works well for traditional completion tasks.

GPT-4 is a 2023 large multimodal model (accepting image and text inputs, emitting text outputs) that OpenAI claims exhibits human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks. GPT-4 outperformed GPT-3.5 in a number of simulated exams, including the Uniform Bar Exam, the LSAT, the GRE, and several AP subject exams.

Its of serious concern that OpenAI hasnt explained how GPT-4 was trained; the company says its for competitive reasons, which makes some sense given the competition between Microsoft (who has been funding OpenAI) and Google. Still, not knowing the biases in the training corpus means that we dont know the biases in the model. Emily Benders take on GPT-4 (posted on Mastodon on March 16, 2023) is that GPT-4 should be assumed to be toxic trash until and unless #OpenAI is *open* about its training data, model architecture, etc.

ChatGPT and BingGPT are chatbots that were originally based on gpt-3.5-turbo and in March 2023 upgraded to use GPT-4. Currently, to access the version of ChatGPT based on GPT-4, you need to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus. The standard ChatGPT, based on GPT-3.5, was trained on data that cut off in September 2021. BingGPT, which you can access in the Microsoft Edge browser, was also trained on data that cut off in 2021, but says (when you ask it) that I am constantly learning and updating my knowledge with new information from the web.

IDG BingGPT explaining its language model and training data, at the right of the image. Screenshot taken March 16, 2023.

In early March 2023, Pascale Fung of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology gave a talk on ChatGPT evaluation. Its well worth spending the hour to watch it.

LaMDA

LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications), Googles 2021 breakthrough conversation technology, is a 2017 Transformer model trained on dialogue, and fine-tuned to significantly improve the sensibleness and specificity of its responses. One of LaMDAs strengths is that it can handle the topic drift that is common in human conversations.

A version of LaMDA powers Bard, Googles conversational AI service. Bard was released March 21, 2023 and made generally available on May 10, 2023. I discuss its code generation capabilities below.

PaLM

PaLM (Pathways Language Model) is a 2022 dense decoder-only Transformer model from Google Research with 540 billion parameters, trained with the Pathways system (see PaLM paper). PaLM was trained using a combination of English and multilingual data sets that include high-quality web documents, books, Wikipedia, conversations, and GitHub code.

Google also created a lossless vocabulary for PaLM that preserves all whitespace (especially important for code), splits out-of-vocabulary Unicode characters into bytes, and splits numbers into individual tokens, one for each digit. PaLM-Coder is a version of PaLM 540B fine-tuned on a Python-only code data set.

PaLM-E

PaLM-E is a 2023 embodied (for robotics) multimodal language model from Google. The researchers began with PaLM, a powerful large language model, and embodied it (the E in PaLM-E) by complementing it with sensor data from the robotic agent. PaLM-E is also a generally capable vision-and-language model. In addition to PaLM, it incorporates the ViT-22B vision model.

LLaMA

LLaMA (Large Language Model Meta AI) is a 65 billion parameter raw large language model released by Meta AI (aka Meta-FAIR) in February 2023. According to Meta, Training smaller foundation models like LLaMA is desirable in the large language model space because it requires far less computing power and resources to test new approaches, validate others work, and explore new use cases. Foundation models train on a large set of unlabeled data, which makes them ideal for fine-tuning for a variety of tasks.

LLaMA was released at several sizes, along with a model card that details how the model was built. Originally, you had to request the checkpoints and tokenizer, but they are in the wild now, as a downloadable torrent was posted on 4chan by someone who properly obtained the models by filing a request, according to Yann LeCun of Meta-FAIR.

Specialized code generation products

While several large language models including ChatGPT and Bard can be used for code generation as released, it helps if they are fine-tuned on some code, typically from free open-source software to avoid overt copyright violation. That still raises the specter of open-source software piracy, which is the claim of a 2022 federal class-action lawsuit against GitHub, Microsoft (owner of GitHub), and OpenAI about the GitHub Copilot product and the OpenAI GPT Codex model.

Note that in addition to using AI models trained largely on publicly available code, some code generation tools rely on searching code-sharing sites such as Stack Overflow.

Amazon CodeWhisperer

Amazon CodeWhisperer integrates with Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs, generates code suggestions in response to comments and code completions based on existing code, and can scan code for security issues. You can also activate CodeWhisperer for use inside AWS Cloud9 and AWS Lambda.

CodeWhisperer supports the Python, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, and C# programming languages well, and another 10 programming languages to a lesser degree. Its available free for individual developers and costs $19 per user per month for professional teams.

CodeWhisperer helped me to write the Python code shown below. I reviewed, tested, and debugged it, and its fine.

IDG Code generation with Amazon CodeWhisperer. I typed the comment at the top of the file, and most of the rest was CodeWhisperer. I did have to choose my code from several options and delete an unused import statement from a previous option.

Bard

Bard support for programming was announced April 21, 2023. The announcement notes support for more than 20 programming languages including C++, Go, Java, JavaScript, TypeScript, and Python. As a quick test, I asked Bard to write a Go function to return the current date and time. It did so quickly:

IDG Bard generated a correct Go language function, an example of using the function, and an explanation of the function, all from the prompt write a go function to return the current date and time. Note the icons to copy the function and the test code.

Not only did Bard write the function, it also explained the function and generated an example of calling the function.
Teacher Rachel Cammisa-Cantz, at Furness High School, in Philadelphia, Monday, May 15, 2023. Read more

Sixty Philadelphia public school teachers were honored Tuesday with the annual Lindback Award for Distinguished Teachers.

The recipients, chosen based on their activities that improve the intellectual and character development of students, will receive $3,500 and be recognized at a reception, according to the website of the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation, which funds the award.

Teachers who receive the award are celebrated for creating positive and supportive learning environments, serving as role models for students, inspiring co-workers, and more, according to the foundation. Of those who are nominated among the districts more than 8,500 teachers, winners are then selected by Philadelphia school district administrators and a union representative.

 READ MORE: These teachers are among Phillys best. Heres what motivates three winners of the Lindback awards.

Here are the Lindback Award winning teachers for 2023:
Michelle Zauner of Japanese Breakfast performs at Union Transfer in 2021. The "Crying in H Mart" author announced an opening casting call to play herself in the movie version of her memoir. Read more

Who wants to be J Brekkie?

Crying in H Mart, the best-selling memoir about food, grief, and Korean identity written by Michelle Zauner, leader of the Philadelphia band Japanese Breakfast, is being made into a movie.

The project has a director in Will Sharpe, the actor familiar to The White Lotus viewers for his role as Ethan, and a screenwriter in Zauner herself, whos adapting the story about her relationship with her late mother Chongmi.

What it doesnt have is an actor to play Zauner, the songwriter, musician, and Bryn Mawr College graduate who is known to her fans by the nickname derived from her social media handle, @jbrekkie.

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On Monday, Zauner posted a notice on her accounts announcing an open casting call for the Crying in H Mart lead.

Who will play Ms. Breakfast? Zauner asked on Instagram. She announced that the production is looking for an 18- to 25-year-old Korean American to play her. Please send a creative video introduction that includes where youre located. Submissions: Hmartopencallcasting@gmail.com, the graphic read.

Playing Zauner, 34, as an 18 to 25 year old would include portraying her during the years she lived in the Philadelphia area, from her time at Bryn Mawr to founding the indie rock band Little Big League, to working at the Society Hill restaurant Xochitl, to grieving for her mother in the H Mart located in Elkins Park. It could also include scenes at Union Transfer, the music venue where she also worked. The venue named its coat check in her honor when she played five nights there in 2021.

Crying in H Mart spent 67 weeks on the New York Times hardcover nonfiction bestseller list, and is currently No. 2 on the paperback nonfiction list. In a 2021 interview with The Inquirer, she said she had no interest in portraying herself in the H Mart movie, and would prefer to cast an unknown Korean American actor in the role.

Japanese Breakfast, the band, is playing the Adjacent Festival on the Atlantic City beach this weekend. The band also includes Zauners husband and former Xochitl coworker, guitarist, and keyboard player Peter Bradley. Its their only U.S. appearance before heading to Europe for a festival tour.

The group plays at the festival at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, preceding Blink 182, Turnstile, and Coheed & Cambria on the main Top Hat stage. The fest gets underway on Saturday, when Paramore, Bleachers, Beach Bunny, Linda Lindas, Jeff Rosenstock, and Philly bands Mannequin Pussy and Slaughter Beach, Dog all perform. Theres more info about the festival at adjacentfestival.com.
Health professionals rally on Thursday, May 11, 2023, outside the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pa. Einstein nurses are currently in contract negotiations. Read more

The attack came out of nowhere on a routine summer evening shift at Albert Einstein Medical Center.

A patient on the behavioral health floor had gotten into a nursing station, where only medical staff are permitted. As a medical technician tried to coax the woman back to her room, the patient lunged at her  and bit off a chunk of her left ring finger.

The patient spat the finger on the floor, according to complaints filed with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The finger could not be reattached, police officers who responded to the North Philadelphia hospital wrote in a sparse report of the event, which took place last July.

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 READ MORE: At picket outside Einstein hospital, nurses say they are stretched too thin: We fall short

Working at hospitals such as Einstein has gotten more dangerous since the pandemic. Nurses at Einstein have been spat at, threatened with rape, and punched in the face so hard they needed reconstructive surgery, according to OSHA reports, police records, and interviews with nurses.

In fact, hospital jobs in Pennsylvania have become almost as risky as working in a coal mine or metal manufacturing plant, according to the 2021 Pennsylvania Workers Compensation and Workplace Safety Report. In manufacturing fields, workers are most often injured through accidents or by overextending themselves. In health care, acts of violence are driving the most common type of injury: being struck.

Nurses say staff shortages, inadequate security, and lax training and protocols for emergencies make their environment dangerous. The pandemic also exacerbated peoples mental health challenges and in some cases limited their access to routine mental health care, adding strain to the hospital units charged with caring for them in crisis.

Violence and threats have become so commonplace in certain settings that some health care workers interviewed by The Inquirer shrug it off as part of the job.

Jyll Kurczewski, a registered nurse in Einsteins psychiatric ward, called police when a patient punched her in the face. But she decided against pressing charges because she didnt have time to go down to Police Headquarters to file a report.

Danielle Wright, a nurse who frequently works with patients experiencing psychiatric emergencies at the hospitals crisis response center, didnt even bother reporting to her supervisors a few years ago when a patient groped her breast while she was treating him.

I just kind of swatted his hand off and walked away, she said. Sometimes it feels like, oh, its just another day.

The union that represents Einsteins 900 nurses is demanding that hospital executives address what they call unsafe working conditions. Now in negotiations for a new contract, the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals wants more nurses on each floor and more security guards trained to respond to violent patients. Nurses at Temple University Hospital, represented by the same union, made similar workplace violence concerns a central issue in their contract negotiations last year.

At a rally outside Einsteins North Philadelphia hospital May 11, about 100 nurses carried signs reading Safe Staffing Saves Lives.

What is happening in our hospitals is unconscionable, said Maureen May, PASNAPs president, who also works in a maternity unit at Temple University Hospital.

Damien Woods, a spokesperson for Einsteins owner, Jefferson Health, said in a statement that safety is of paramount importance.

Jefferson is committed to supporting our employees and has instituted numerous improvements, and will continue to do so, that enhance the safety of all our facilities, he said in an email. Woods declined to elaborate on those improvements or address specific questions about safety.

 READ MORE: Tired and frustrated, some Philadelphia nurses look for life and work outside hospitals

Nurses detail violence in their workplace

Hospitals across Pennsylvania are worried about violence against workers.

About 36,250 people employed in the states hospitals, nursing facilities, ambulatory health care, and social services were injured on the job in 2021, according to the states 2021 workplace safety report. This accounted for 22% of all workplace injuries in Pennsylvania that year.

Thats likely an undercount because hospital culture often discourages reporting offenses that fall short of serious crimes, said Chris Chamberlain, vice president of emergency management for the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, which represents most hospitals.

Theres sometimes a sense that being injured on the job as a health care worker is part of the job, said Chamberlain, formerly an ER nurse for 20 years. Patients are going to assault you, and thats just the way it is.

At Temple, local PASNAP president Mary Adamson, who works in the hospitals ICUs, said nurses advocated for more protections in their new contract after concerning incidents over the last year.

In one especially alarming episode, a patient who had arrived from the city jail tried to leave the hospital through the ceiling tiles in his room and began throwing items and swinging at nurses in the ICU.

Nurses were incensed when higher-ups at the hospital held a meeting about it and didnt include staff members whod intervened or witnessed it, Adamson said.

In another incident, a nurse on her floor was groped by a patient who then threatened to f the hell out of her, she recalled. Adamson said the woman reported the episode to a security guard, who allegedly told her he couldnt do anything because he hadnt witnessed it.

I found her crying alone outside the room, Adamson said.

Temple did not respond to a request for comment.

Staffing shortages cited as union negotiates new contract

Nurses say staff shortages are a key part of the problem. Having too few nurses on a unit may result in lapses in patient care.

Einstein Medical Center, a 548-bed hospital in North Philadelphia, is among the many hospitals struggling with vacancies after medical staff retired or quit during the pandemic. At Einstein, this affects one of the busiest emergency departments in the city, with a Level 1 trauma center and among the largest inpatient behavioral health units among general hospitals in the Philadelphia area.

Staffing shortages have been especially challenging in Einsteins emergency room and behavioral health unit, where patients often require a higher level of care and observation, nurses told The Inquirer. In the behavioral health unit, many patients treatment plans call for one-on-one monitoring around the clock.

If people are feeling like the nurses are ignoring them, people could become violent, said Wright, the crisis response center nurse. If the nurse isnt responding when patients need them, thats very upsetting to people.

Einstein leadership added an additional security guard in the behavioral health unit and an additional nurse and medical technician on the floor after nurses complained. Wright says the security guards already working at the hospital are well-trained in de-escalation tactics and make staff feel safer when patients act aggressively. But the union wants more on hand.

Amid bargaining, nurses say they want support dealing with trauma and burnout, including counseling after a staffer is assaulted. Wright said staff would benefit from a system that would flag patients who have been involved in previous violent episodes in the hospital so that nurses are aware they may need more staff to care for them safely. Kurczewski said nurses would also like Einstein to establish clear protocol on when and how to remove a patient from the unit and when to call police.

The union is further asking Einstein for more transparency on workplace injuries, contending that the hospital has refused to show them results of an internal safety audit conducted after a fatal shooting at Jefferson University Hospital in 2021.

Einstein nurses are also seeking higher wages, which they say would help fill vacancies and retain workers. At last weeks rally, nurses said that Einstein has about 300 open nursing positions mostly filled with traveling nurses who are paid higher rates than permanent nurses and arent as familiar with the hospital and its longtime staff. About 280 nurses have left the health system entirely in the last year, the union says.

While the Einstein negotiations are ongoing, Temples nurses won significant reforms in their contract negotiations last fall. For the first time, Temples nurses are allowed to take up to a week off with pay when theyre assaulted on the job. Their new contract also requires witnesses and affected staff to be present when higher-ups are debriefed on workplace violence.

Though violent incidents still happen, Adamson said, nurses at Temple feel more protected.

Recently, a man came into the hospital swinging a five-foot metal pole. He chased two nurses with it and trashed an information desk, Adamson said. The nurses werent injured, but they were shaken enough that they couldnt return to work, she said. The new contract allowed them to take several days off.

Its a situation that is rampant across the country. All nurses talk about it. But I dont know what would happen if we werent union and fighting for these things, she said.

Nurses look to lawmakers to help with solutions

The issues have prompted federal and state-level lawmakers to propose legislation that would make it a federal crime to assault a health care worker and provide funding for training and safety.

A bill in Pennsylvanias legislature would require hospitals to establish violence-prevention committees to assess risks to hospital staff and train them to mitigate dangers. It would also make reporting acts of violence mandatory.

But until such measures are enacted, Einstein nurses said, they worry that the hitting, scratching, and name-calling they experience on a near daily basis may keep escalating. And the worst acts continue to haunt, nurses told The Inquirer, explaining how the stories get retold again and again.

Did you hear, they whisper in hallways and elevators, about the woman whose finger was bitten off?
Human DNA can be sequenced from small amounts of water, sand and air in the environment to potentially extract identifiable information like genetic lineage, gender, and health risks, according to our new research.

Every cell of the body contains DNA. Because each person has a unique genetic code, DNA can be used to identify individual people. Typically, medical practitioners and researchers obtain human DNA through direct sampling, such as blood tests, swabs or biopsies. However, all living things, including animals, plants and microbes, constantly shed DNA. The water, soil and even the air contain microscopic particles of biological material from living organisms.

DNA that an organism has shed into the environment is known as environmental DNA, or eDNA. For the last couple of decades, scientists have been able to collect and sequence eDNA from soil or water samples to monitor biodiversity, wildlife populations and disease-causing pathogens. Tracking rare or elusive endangered species through their eDNA has been a boon to researchers, since traditional monitoring methods such as observation or trapping can be difficult, often unsuccessful and intrusive to the species of interest.

Researchers using eDNA tools usually focus only on the species theyre studying and disregard DNA from other species. However, humans also shed, cough and flush DNA into their surrounding environment. And as our team of geneticists, ecologists and marine biologists in the Duffy Lab at the University of Florida found, signs of human life can be found everywhere but in the most isolated locations.

Animals, humans and viruses in eDNA

Our team uses environmental DNA to study endangered sea turtles and the viral tumors to which they are susceptible. Tiny hatchling sea turtles shed DNA as they crawl along the beach on their way to the ocean shortly after they are born. Sand scooped from their tracks contains enough DNA to provide valuable insights into the turtles and the chelonid herpesviruses and fibropapillomatosis tumors that afflict them. Scooping a liter of water from the tank of a recovering sea turtle under veterinary care equally provides a wealth of genetic information for research. Unlike blood or skin sampling, collecting eDNA causes no stress to the animal.

Genetic sequencing technology used to decode DNA has improved rapidly in recent years, and it is now possible to easily sequence the DNA of every organism in a sample from the environment. Our team suspected that the sand and water samples we were using to study sea turtles would also contain DNA from a number of other species  including, of course, humans. What we didnt know was just how informative the human DNA we could extract would be.

To figure this out, we took samples from a variety of locations in Florida, including the ocean and rivers in urban and rural areas, sand from isolated beaches and a remote island never usually visited by people. We found human DNA in all of those locations except the remote island, and these samples were high quality enough for analysis and sequencing.

We also tested the technique in Ireland, tracing along a river that winds from a remote mountaintop, through small rural villages and into the sea at a larger town of 13,000 inhabitants. We found human DNA everywhere but in the remote mountain tributary where the river starts, far from human habitation.

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We also collected air samples from a room in our wildlife veterinary hospital in Florida. People who were present in the room gave us permission to take samples from the air. We recovered DNA matching the people, the animal patient and common animal viruses present at the time of collection.

Surprisingly, the human eDNA found in the local environment was intact enough for us to identify mutations associated with disease and to determine the genetic ancestry of people who live in the area. Sequencing DNA that volunteers left in their footprints in the sand even yielded part of their sex chromosomes.

Ethical implications of collecting human eDNA

Our team dubs inadvertent retrieval of human DNA from environmental samples human genetic bycatch. Were calling for deeper discussion about how to ethically handle human environmental DNA.

Human eDNA could present significant advances to research in fields as diverse as conservation, epidemiology, forensics and farming. If handled correctly, human eDNA could help archaeologists track down undiscovered ancient human settlements, allow biologists to monitor cancer mutations in a given population or provide law enforcement agencies useful forensic information.

However, there are also myriad ethical implications relating to the inadvertent or deliberate collection and analysis of human genetic bycatch. Identifiable information can be extracted from eDNA, and accessing this level of detail about individuals or populations comes with responsibilities relating to consent and confidentiality.

While we conducted our study with the approval of our institutional review board, which ensures that studies on people adhere to ethical research guidelines, there is no guarantee that everyone will treat this type of information ethically.

Many questions arise regarding human environmental DNA. For instance, who should have access to human eDNA sequences? Should this information be made publicly available? Should consent be required before taking human eDNA samples, and from whom? Should researchers remove human genetic information from samples originally collected to identify other species?

We believe it is vital to implement regulations that ensure collection, analysis and data storage are carried out ethically and appropriately. Policymakers, scientific communities and other stakeholders need to take human eDNA collection seriously and balance consent and privacy against the possible benefits of studying eDNA. Raising these questions now can help ensure everyone is aware of the capabilities of eDNA and provide more time to develop protocols and regulations to ensure appropriate use of eDNA techniques and the ethical handling of human genetic bycatch.
Mildred Cohn, a University of Pennsylvania biochemist, wrote tips for her white male colleagues in the 1970s on how to treat women and people of color on the faculty. She is featured in a new American Philosophical Society exhibit on women in science. Read more

University of Pennsylvania biochemist Mildred Cohn was a pioneer in studying how the cells in our bodies use energy, earning a National Medal of Science in 1982.

She was perhaps just as well known for working to remove barriers for other women in the sciences.

Cohn is one of nine women featured in Pursuit & Persistence: 300 Years of Women in Science, a new exhibit at the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia.

The display about Cohn illustrates how she overcame discrimination against women throughout much of her career. A college professor once discouraged her from pursuing a career as a chemist, calling it unladylike. She was unable to find work in industry, as many companies specified that only male, Christian applicants need apply.

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My career has been affected at every stage by the fact that I am a woman, she said.

A decade after she joined the faculty at Penn, Cohn chaired a committee on the status of women at the university in 1970, making recommendations for how the school could increase their numbers among the faculty. Later that decade, she wrote a memo to colleagues titled Affirmative Action Retention, in which she outlined strategies for the university to foster a welcoming environment for women and people of color.

 READ MORE: Nine women who changed science are featured in new Philly exhibit

The memo included tips for her white male colleagues on how to interact with women and people of color on the faculty. Here are some excerpts:
Detail on front of the Gothic revival architecture of the Historic Landmark Building Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts at 118 N. Broad Street photographed Nov. 24, 2019. Read more

George Anthony Morton, the subject of the HBO documentary Master of Light, who said he modeled his painting career after Henry Ossawa Tanners, is expected to attend a fundraiser to preserve the Tanner House at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts on Thursday.

Tanner is my spiritual guide, Morton said in a telephone interview. He was always a huge part of my inspiration.

Excerpts from Master of Light tell the story of how Morton grew up in poverty in Kansas City, Mo., was imprisoned on a drug charge for nine years, and learned to paint while incarcerated. It was in jail that he discovered Tanners work.

Later, Morton studied at the Florence Academy of Art U.S. in Jersey City, where, in 2017, he won a six-week fellowship to study at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy. The New York Times reported that he was the only student from the academys American branch attending the workshop in Italy that summer. Morton said the Florence Academy based its curriculum on the same French academic curriculum that Tanner studied in Paris at the Academie Julian in the late 19th century.

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Morton, who now lives in Atlanta, where Tanner also once lived, said he will share excerpts from a new documentary and portrait about Tanner at the PAFA fundraiser, which begins at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Although Tanner and Morton had very different family backgrounds  Tanners parents were highly educated and Mortons were impoverished  he said he has found a lot of similarities between Tanner and himself.

Our lives parallel one anothers, he said Monday. Im just holding his life up as a mirror to my own  I experienced the same racism [in the academy] as he did.

But I dont intend to run away from America. I will be right here, painting my community.

When Tanner moved to France to study in 1891, he never returned to live permanently in the United States.

Members of Henry Ossawa Tanners family are expected to attend: Rae Alexander-Minter, a scholar based in New York who is the granddaughter of one of Henry Tanners sisters (Mary Louise Tanner Mossell) and Lewis Tanner Moore, the grandson of another Tanner sister (Sarah Elizabeth Tanner Moore).

Im certainly delighted to see the attention being paid to what is the history of our family, our comment and our nation. Its all intertwined for me, said Lewis Tanner Moore, Henry Tanners grandnephew.

One of the challenges is that so often, our history is ignored or disregarded and disrespected. To see its value come into focus as a priority is gratifying.

In an interview with The Inquirer last year, Eric Pryor, PAFAs president and CEO, said he had an opportunity to sit down with Rae Alexander-Minter who told him information about the entire Tanner family that was amazing.

That discussion came about as community leaders began to organize and formed the Friends of the Tanner House to save the house at 2908 W. Diamond St. in Strawberry Mansion from possible demolition. The Inquirer first reported on the dangerous conditions at the house in December 2021.

I knew of Mr. Tanner. That I knew. I even heard of Bishop [Benjamin Tucker] Tanner, his father, Pryor told Inquirer reporter Zoe Greenberg.

But he said he had not known that Tanners grandniece, Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander, was the first Black person to earn a doctorate in economics from an American university  the University of Pennsylvania in 1921. Nor had he known that six years later, in 1927, she was also the first Black woman to get a law degree from Penn.

During the period from 1919 to 1923, she was also president of one of the oldest Black women sororities, Delta Sigma Theta.

 READ MORE: National Trust for Historic Preservation names the Tanner House and Chinatown to its 2023 most endangered list

So what I thought was, it needs to be the Tanner Family house, Pryor said. Because oftentimes Black people are held up when they achieve, as the exception. As somehow different, Well, hes special. The power of the Tanner House for me is that the Tanner family was exceptional  And to me, thats a much more powerful story, and why its so important for it to be saved and for that history not to be lost because its the history of a family.

Christopher Rogers, co-director of the Friends of the Tanner House, said Monday he hopes the PAFA fundraiser will help the organization build on the momentum of the news earlier this month that the house was placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservations Americas 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list for 2023.

That 11 Most Endangered list helps gain new national visibility about the campaign [to preserve the house] and what the house represents as a national story, Rogers said. We are extremely grafted to the National Historic Trust.

He said the Friends of the Tanner House has raised $50,000 of their goal to raise $70,000 for repair work that is urgently needed. The citys Department of Licenses and Inspections slapped an orange posting on the house in August 2021.

He added that he hopes Thursdays fundraiser will help to fill in the gap and get us over the hump to begin to do the stabilization work that needs to be done.

To RSVP to attend the fundraiser, please contact the Friends of the Tanner House at this website: https://savethetannerhouse.org/pafa-fundraiser

Inquirer reporter Zoe Greenberg contributed to this article.
Fireworks over the Art Musuem during the Wawa Welcome America Jam on the Parkway. Read more

This years Wawa Welcome America concert will have an enhanced security footprint, organizers said Tuesday.

Attendees at the July 4 concert  headlined by Demi Lovato and Ludacris  will enter the area through a single entrance at Logan Circle, and will see additional security measures including metal detectors, bag checks, and the presence of more security personnel, Wawa Welcome America Inc. president and CEO Michael DelBene said.

Changes in the concerts public safety plan were undertaken in collaboration with city officials. DelBene did not elaborate on changes to the events security, but noted that partner NBC10 will communicate how folks can be prepared for what they will experience leading up to the concert.

All of this is done in an effort to create an event that will remain open and welcoming to all, but at the same time remain a safe space for all to enjoy, DelBene said. And enjoy we will.

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Changes to the safety plan come after two police officers were injured in a shooting last year that caused a panicked evacuation of thousands of attendees from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Philadelphia Police Officer Sergio Diggs and Montgomery County Sheriffs Deputy John Foster were standing near each other in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art when they were shot. Each officer suffered a graze wound  one in the forehead, and the other in the shoulder  and were treated at a hospital and released later that night.

The shots that struck the officers were fired from outside the event site, potentially a mile or more away, investigators later said. Ballistic tests showed the .40-caliber rounds were shot from the same firearm.

Mayor Jim Kenney later told reporters that he would be happy when Im not here  when Im not mayor, and I can enjoy some stuff. Kenneys statement caused a public outcry, and he later walked back his comments, saying they were made in the frustration of the moment.

I may be biased, but I think theres no better place in the country to celebrate the Fourth than right here in the birthplace of our nation, Kenney said Tuesday. Im proud that we continue to have this free festival for residents and visitors that celebrates our vibrant and diverse city, and everything it has to offer.
Donald Trump is allowed to speak publicly about his case, but he risks being held in contempt if he uses evidence turned over by prosecutors in the pretrial discovery process to target witnesses or others involved in the case. Read more

NEW YORK  Donald Trump threw up his hands in frustration Tuesday as a judge scheduled his criminal trial for March 25, putting the former president and current candidate in a Manhattan courtroom in the heat of next years presidential primary season.

Trump, appearing by video conference at a pretrial hearing in the hush-money case, glowered at the camera as Judge Juan Manuel Merchan advised him to cancel all other obligations for the duration of the trial, which could last several weeks.

Trump, wearing a blue suit against a backdrop of American flags at his Florida estate, then turned to a lawyer by his side  their brief discussion inaudible on the video feed  before sitting with his arms folded for the remainder of the hearing.

Trump said little during the hearing, but lashed out afterward on social media, writing: Just had New York County Supreme Court hearing where I believe my First Amendment Rights, Freedom of Speech, have been violated, and they forced upon us a trial date of March 25th, right in the middle of Primary season.

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Very unfair, but this is exactly what the Radical Left Democrats wanted, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Its called ELECTION INTERFERENCE, and nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before!!!

Trump pleaded not guilty last month to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign to bury allegations that he had extramarital sexual encounters. He has denied wrongdoing.

Merchan said he arrived at the March 25 trial date after discussions with Trumps lawyers and prosecutors. Trumps lawyer, Susan Necheles, said Trump knew about the date prior to Tuesdays hearing and said she didnt see his exasperated reaction.

Trumps case is proceeding in state court even as his lawyers seek to have it moved to federal court because some of the alleged conduct occurred while he was president. The Manhattan district attorneys office has until next week to file paperwork stating why it should remain in state court, where the historic indictment was brought.

Trump has made the New York case and the long list of other investigations into his personal, professional and presidential conduct central to his campaign to reclaim the White House in 2024. The Republican has portrayed himself as the victim of a coordinated, politically motivated effort to sully his chances.

Trump often discusses the cases at his rallies, in speeches, TV appearances and on social media. He has repeatedly attacked prosecutors, accusers and judges by name, including Merchan, and has shown no willingness to back down  even after a recent $5 million verdict in a writers sexual abuse and defamation lawsuit against him.

The plaintiff in that case, writer E. Jean Carroll, filed a new claim Monday seeking an additional $10 million or more to hold Trump liable for remarks he made bashing her on CNN the day after the May 9 verdict.

Trump responded Tuesday by doubling down on his contention that Carrolls allegations were a Fake, Made Up Story and a TOTAL SCAM and that her case is part of the Democrats playbook to tarnish my name and person.

Merchan spent the bulk of Tuesdays 15-minute hearing reviewing an order he issued May 8 that sets ground rules for Trumps behavior in the lead-up to the trial.

Its not a gag order and Trump is free to speak about the case and defend himself, Merchan said, but he cant use evidence turned over by prosecutors to attack witnesses or post sensitive documents to social media. If he violates the order, he risks being held in contempt.

Among concerns raised by prosecutors were that Trump could weaponize highly personal information found on witnesses cellphones, such as personal photos and text messages with family and friends, as well as secret grand jury testimony and other material, to rile up anger amongst his supporters.

Nothing in the order prevents Trump from being able to speak powerfully and persuasively in his defense without the need to start attacking individuals, disclosing names, addresses, cellphones numbers, identity, dates of birth, or anything along those lines, Merchan said. Certain sensitive material shared by prosecutors must be kept only by Trumps lawyers, not Trump himself.

Prosecutors sought the order soon after Trumps arrest, citing what they say is his history of making harassing, embarrassing, and threatening statements about people hes tangled with in legal disputes.

Trump was spared a personal appearance at the courthouse Tuesday, avoiding the mammoth security and logistical challenges that accompanied his arraignment last month. Instead, the Republican was connected by video conference, with his face beamed onto TV monitors positioned around the courtroom.

Trump isnt required to appear in court in person again until Jan. 4, just weeks before the first primary votes are expected to be cast.
The Philadelphia District Attorneys Office on Tuesday announced charges against four young men affiliated with a North Philadelphia street group that investigators say committed a string of shootings in 2021 that left two people dead and five others injured.

Following a more than year-long investigation, prosecutors charged four men they say are affiliated with the group BNG or Big Naddy Gang  named after a 15-year-old boy known as Naddy who was fatally shot in April 2021.

After the teen was killed, prosecutors said, his friends  seeking retaliation and local notoriety  formed BNG and committed at least five shootings in the next six months, chronicling the violence along the way on social media, in rap songs, and in texts to one another.

District Attorney Larry Krasner said Tuesday that the young men wrote in one text that they put the h in homicide.

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Today, were going to put the j in jail, the DA said.

Weve had enough of the shootings, killings, blood, and juveniles on both sides of the gun, he said.

The first shooting detectives tied to the men to occurred July 14, 2021, when prosecutors say Dontae Sutton, then 17, critically wounded two young men in a shooting on the 2400 block of North 33rd Street in Strawberry Mansion.

A few months later, prosecutors say, Jamir Brunson-Gans, 18 at the time, shot a 43-year-old man multiple times, leaving him critically injured, on the 3100 block of North Judson Street on Sept. 5, 2021.

The next day, prosecutors said, Brunson-Gans alongside then-16-year-old Elijah Soto, went to the 2200 block of West Huntingdon Street and fatally shot 19-year-old Jordan Murray.

And not even two weeks later, prosecutors say, Sutton and Soto, with then-17-year-old Khalil Henry fatally shot Jerrick Jenkins, 33, in North Philadelphia, at 29th and West York Streets.

Then, on Oct. 4, 2021, prosecutors say, Sutton and Henry, riding in a car they had stolen the day before, shot two people on the 2800 block of North 26th Street.

Brunson-Gans and Soto have each been charged with murder, attempted murder, and related crimes.

Henry has been charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder, and related offenses.

Sutton has been charged with murder, four counts of attempted murder, and many additional crimes.

Court records do not list lawyers for any of the four.

Henry and Sutton were arrested earlier this year and charged with the October shooting, and were in custody when the latest charges were brought this week. Soto had been in custody since March, when he was arrested on drug and gun charges.

This is the third sprawling indictment of a Philadelphia street group in just the last six months, as the District Attorneys Office, in partnership with local and federal police, try to crack down on the numerous street groups across Philadelphia.

Those groups  which prosecutors call gangs, a label sometimes contested by community members given the groups small size and fluid structure and membership  are often made up of a small group of friends, mostly young men, largely from the same neighborhood. Many are involved in the drill rap scene, and their music and social media posts often chronicle  and fuel  shootings, authorities say.

 READ MORE: In West Philly, best friends were shot over an Instagram feud they had nothing to do with

Assistant District Attorney Joseph Lanuti, who led the investigation with the Gun Violence Task Force, said the people the men shot were not members of rival groups, as investigators say they typically see, and it was unclear why they were shot.

The motives are varied, Lanuti said at a news conference. But the group, he said, sought notoriety, they sought infamy, they sought attention.

Previously, Brunson-Gans was arrested in August 2022 and charged with two counts of illegal gun possession after he drove a shooting victim to the hospital, and police later found two guns in his car, according to court records. One of the weapons had an obliterated serial number, and the other had been reported stolen from West Virginia in 2016, the records say.

He was scheduled for a jury trial in that case in July.

Soto was arrested in January 2022 and charged with conspiracy and simple assault after court records say he and three others attacked, kicked, and stabbed a juvenile. A court spokesperson said the adult charges against Soto were withdrawn and the case was transferred to juvenile court.

Most recently, Soto was arrested in March 2023 after he was found in the Hunting Park section of the city carrying large quantities of cocaine and a gun, which, according to court records, he was prohibited from carrying because of a previous juvenile adjudication.

Lanuti said that although the task force investigations into group violence take time, they ultimately bring justice.

If you are in a gang committing gun violence in Philadelphia, dont be surprised if youre next, he said.
Joseph W. LaForte is escorted out of Police Headquarters in Mineola, N.Y., in 2005. Read more

Federal authorities on Tuesday accused a beleaguered Philadelphia cash advance company and its principals of committing what prosecutors described as an astronomical fraud that fleeced investors out of $550 million and threatened its business customers with Mafia-style threats of intimidation and violence.

In a 133-page court filing, prosecutors charged Old City-based Par Funding; its founder Joseph LaForte; his wife, Lisa McElhone; his brother, James LaForte; and the companys chief financial officer, Joseph Cole Barleta, with counts of conspiracy, extortion, wire and securities fraud, tax evasion, obstruction of justice, witness tampering and perjury  charges that could send them to prison for decades and force them to forfeit more than $416 million in proceeds.

The case, which follows a 2020 lawsuit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and an FBI raid on the companys offices later that year, constitutes one of the U.S. Justice Departments most significant efforts to date to crack down on predatory practices within the multibillion-dollar merchant cash advance industry.

Critics have likened the industry  which offers quick loans at high interest rates to businesses suffering cash crunches and deemed too risky to borrow from traditional banks  to payday lenders, who offer similar services to individuals and whose tactics have drawn scrutiny from regulators for years.

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Court filings unsealed Tuesday paint Par Funding and LaForte  a two-time felon who founded the company after his release from federal prison in 2011  as one of the most egregious actors in the business.

The company and its principals raised more than a half-billion dollars from investors between 2016 and 2021 by making what prosecutors described as materially false and fraudulent statements about the business leadership and financial health.

All the while, the indictment alleges, Par Funding lent out that money to borrowers who were bombarded with aggressive collection efforts including public shaming campaigns, death threats, and visits from muscled goons when they failed to pay up.

One borrower said a collector for the company had threatened to stick a fork in his head if he didnt pay off his debts. Another told authorities shed been threatened with having her hands cut off.

 READ MORE: Par Funding threatened violence, trashed reputations after businesses took out loans at brutal interest rates, borrowers say

Those tactics proved exceedingly lucrative, according to the indictment. Between 2016 and 2020, it said, the business paid LaForte and McElhone more than $95 million, much of which they are accused of funneling through separate businesses and failing to fully report on their personal income taxes.

The charges in this case involve an astronomical fraud loss, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra M. Lastowski said at a court hearing Tuesday.

LaForte, 52, of Haverford, was not available for comment. His lawyer, Brian J. McMonagle, declined to discuss the allegations after the hearing, at which his client was ordered detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for next week.

Previously, LaForte has pushed back against the fraud allegations and dismissed the claims of extortion of his business clients as absurd and patently false stories from disgruntled ex-customers hoping to escape paying the money they owed.

It was not clear Tuesday whether McElhone, 44  who is listed on company records as Par Fundings CEO, despite prosecutors assertion that she fulfilled that role in name only  had retained an attorney.

Cole Barleta  who prosecutors said was named Par Fundings CFO in 2012 despite not having a college degree and minimal work experience aside from a gig moonlighting as a competitive food eater  told a federal judge Tuesday he was still searching for an attorney to represent him in the case.

Broadly, the allegations contained in Tuesdays indictment mirror accusations first lodged in the SECs civil fraud lawsuit  a case which prompted a federal judge in Florida to order LaForte and McElhone to pay more than $200 million. They have appealed that judgment.

All three  as well as Perry Abbonizio, another Par Funding principal who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges earlier this year  are accused of promising investors double-digit returns while keeping them in the dark about the companys finances and who was running the business day to day.

 READ MORE: How Philly investors were drawn into what SEC alleges is $500 million fraud

While McElhone was the companys CEO on paper, investigators say she rarely set foot in the office and instead served as a proxy for LaForte. He was legally barred from selling securities because of his felony convictions in 2006 for a $14 million real estate Ponzi scheme and in 2009 for operating an illegal offshore gambling operation.

None of that was disclosed to investors, prosecutors said Tuesday. But that wasnt the only negative information the company allegedly hid.

At swanky solicitation events hosted in King of Prussia and Wildwood, Fla., LaForte often boasted of the low default rate on Par Fundings loans and the companys profitability.

Just to brag about the company, were probably the most profitable cash advance company in the United States  or maybe the world, he told potential investors at one 2019 meeting, according to the indictment.

In reality, prosecutors said, between 2016 and 2020 the business was operating at yearly deficits as high as $70 million  often hidden by false representations in their books and driven by the companys failure to properly underwrite loans they were issuing to borrowers.

According to the indictment, the need to collect on loans the business was issuing prompted Par Fundings aggressive collections efforts led by LaForte, his brother James, and another employee  Renato Gino Gioe, a reputed associate of New Yorks Gambino crime family who served as an enforcer for the company.

Gioe pleaded guilty to charges last year. In Tuesdays filings, prosecutors described him traveling across the country  often at Joseph LaFortes instruction  to harass and intimidate borrowers whose payments had fallen in arrears.

Threatening one borrower in Los Angeles in 2018, Gioe said failure to pay up could affect the business owners wives, households and children, according to an exchange quoted in the indictment.

He has admitted later telling the same business owner about a suspicious car accident involving another person who failed to cover their debts.

Joseph LaForte allegedly threatened other delinquent borrowers that hed blow up their homes or kidnap their children if they didnt start paying up.

Im going to put a bomb in your car and when you turn it on, its gonna blow and youre going to go with it, prosecutors said he told a Long Island electrician in 2019.

James LaForte, who prosecutors said once identified himself as a soldier for the family, allegedly threatened to kill a Miami business owner and his family if he didnt pay.

And when the federal dragnet began to descend upon Par Funding and its owners, James LaForte allegedly attacked an attorney representing a court-appointed receiver in the SEC case on a Center City street.

He pleaded not guilty to that crime in March. Tuesdays indictment expands on those charges, also accusing his brother of being involved in that Feb. 28 attack as well as threats made to witnesses, including Abbonizio, in the days that followed.

Joseph LaForte, meanwhile, remains under indictment in a separate case stemming from several firearms investigators found in his possession during a 2020 raid on his home despite his felony record prohibiting him from owning them.

Read the indictment:
Brokers pick their best insurers Insurance Business tasked hundreds of brokers with ranking nine insurers across 11 categories to help determine the leading insurers in Australia. Brokers also revealed the challenging aspects of working with insurers, which included the following: The art of underwriting is declining as insurers move to auto-rate, standardised guidelines. They want limited touch.

Underwriters just dont answer the phone, and when the gatekeeper says they will call you, it never happens. I would say we spend just as much time, if not more, chasing insurers than we do the insured.

Claims management and new people coming onboard with staffing changes.

Lack of service and lack of knowledge: insurers are more focused on internal issues, so you can hardly ever get hold of underwriters or claims staff (almost 90% of the time you do not get hold of anyone on the first attempt, and in some cases, it takes days for your call to be returned).

Insurers are not thinking outside the box and taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Significant increases in pricing and changes in underwriting guidelines with a lack of appetite for higher-risk clients.

In an age where businesses are having to be innovative to remain relevant by offering new or additional products and services, insurers are struggling to keep up. If it is even close to outside of the insurers perceived box, its a decline from most of them. All of IBs winners are delivering and meeting brokers demands across the industry. Senior vice president of Liberty Specialty Markets Ben Hissey emphasises the importance of collaborating with brokers to address client challenges. Thats why broker-insurer partnerships based on trust and adaptability really matter, he says.

Starting from a place of humility is important on the underwriting side. Its important on the claim side as well

Kathleen Warden Berkshire Hathaway

Service trumps price

Of the 11 categories, brokers ranked six as the most important:

1. BDM support

2. (tie) Premium stability

2. (tie) Turnaround time  new business

4. Online platforms and services

5. Overall service level

6. Product innovation

These rankings remind us that there is so much more to our partnerships than price, says Hissey.

Overall, Liberty Specialty Markets took the silver medal in the 2023 IB Brokers on Insurers awards. The company also won silver medals for premium stability, turnaround times  claims, and turnaround times  new business and took gold for product innovation.

Its about flexibility, understanding and the ability to listen to what clients need so we can work together to build an insurance solution that delivers mutual advantage, adds Hissey.

Kathleen Warden, head of customer and broker engagement for Berkshire Hathaway, agrees. She sees a strong emphasis on service in these results.

When you look at where the focus is  BDM support, turnaround time, platforms and services and service levels  all are related to Can I get this job done? Can I get the engagement that I need?, she says.

Berkshire Hathaway won bronze for overall service levels and turnaround times  new business as well as BDM support, which Warden thinks is interesting.

We dont have a single BDM working for us, she admits. Our underwriters are out in the market working to represent the company as a whole. They must be doing a brilliant job because people think we have great support without having a single BDM.

Broker-insurer partnerships based on trust and adaptability really matter

Ben Hissey Liberty Specialty Markets

What do brokers think of the top three categories?

During the survey, brokers were invited to comment on the following areas regarding the best insurance companies in Australia:

BDM support

Sixty-five percent of brokers said BDM support had worsened, and 35% said it had improved over the past 12 months.

Broker feedback:

I dont even know who our BDMs are most of the time. And what they can actually do for us is nothing apart from pass queries on to other people.

It has improved. The BDMs are more out meeting brokers and are more proactively participating in negotiations with underwriters.

Premium stability

Seventy-three percent of brokers said premium stability had worsened, and 27% said it had improved over the past 12 months.

Broker feedback:

Premiums continue to be on the rise, irrespective of how clean a risk is. Insurers need to consider client loyalty.

We are seeing more stable and manageable increases at renewal; there are not too many large scares compared to the previous 12-month period.

Turnaround time  new business

Seventy-one percent of brokers said turnaround times for new business had worsened, and 29% said they had improved over the past 12 months.

Broker feedback:

Due to everyone working from home, the care factor is no longer there. Plus, staff are stretched to capacity. More staff would help.

A lot of insurers or agencies will respond to quotes within a day or two, with terms following fairly quickly once all information is received.

Hissey says that Liberty Specialty Markets challenge has been going out of its way to build strong relationships.

At Liberty, we want to be a long-term partner. We take pride in offering a consistent product appetite with relevant and responsive claims and engineering outcomes. As other insurers start to return to markets they previously pulled out of, it can bring short-term capacity, and reminding brokers of the value we offer as a long-term insurance partner is critical.

What distinguishes the top insurers in the marketplace?

What do the winners think differentiates them from their peers?

At Liberty, our team is recognised for the high level of product expertise we bring to the market, along with fully empowered underwriting and claims teams, says Hissey. Service and turnaround times are key, be that for the largest and most complex insurance programs in the region right through to meeting the needs of local mum and dad horticultural businesses who equally rely on our coverage.

Warden says excellence at Berkshire Hathaway boils down to three elements: humility, service and solutions.

Thats how we orient ourselves, she explains. So, when we talk about humility, we start from a place of understanding that brokers and customers have a choice, right? They do not have to choose us. They dont have to introduce you. Brokers dont have to introduce us to their customers, buy a policy with us or submit a vote.

We have to always remember that anytime they choose us, we need to be grateful for it and not start to take that for granted. So, starting from a place of humility is important on the underwriting side. Its important on the claim side as well.

The key for Berkshire Hathaway is to think about the process from various perspectives.

We acknowledge the claim early. We acknowledge the submission early and help the broker and customer get the job done right when theyre in the insurance process. Theres something there that theyve got to get done. Theres been a focus on some of the more simple, simpler parts of service, like answering the phone and returning a call. And I think its funny to get that feedback because you would just take that as a given.

Everything impacts our industry from either a claim or underwriting point of view. Every new technology, every new idea, we have to figure it out and accept the intellectual challenge when someone is asking for something thats other than the norm.

Insurer of the Year

Liberty Specialty Markets

Silver

Allianz

Bronze

BDM support

Vero

Gold

Allianz

Silver

Berkshire Hathaway

Bronze

Brand recognition and reputation

QBE

Gold

Allianz

Silver

CGU

Bronze

Broker communication, training and development

Vero

Silver

Allianz

Bronze

Commission structure

CGU

Gold

Allianz

Silver

Vero

Bronze

Online platforms and services

CGU

Gold

Zurich

Silver

Allianz

Bronze

Overall service level

Liberty Specialty Markets

Silver

Berkshire Hathaway

Bronze

Premium stability

Liberty Specialty Markets

Silver

Chubb

Bronze

Product innovation

Liberty Specialty Markets

Gold

Chubb

Silver

Product range

QBE

Gold

Chubb

Silver

Allianz

Bronze

Turnaround time  claims

Liberty Specialty Markets

Silver

Chubb

Bronze

Turnaround time  new business
IB identified the winners of the Brokers on Insurers 2023 special report by asking brokers across the country to the rate the performance of insurance firms operating in Australia. The IB team ensured that the results were relevant and timely by asking the respondents to rate only insurers they had dealt with in the past 12 months.
With Kate and Denise at the helm, both practices have more than doubled their revenue, Jeatran said. Their unwavering commitment to innovation and keen ability to track industry trends have earned the trust of both our clients and colleagues alike. As they embark on their new roles as presidents of our business insurance and employee health and benefits divisions, respectively, we are excited to witness how their visionary leadership will elevate our offerings to new heights.
Catastrophic events impact millions of Americans every year, said NICB president and CEO David J. Glawe. From hurricanes to floods and everything in between, these events are often scary and life changing. But what makes these events even worse is what happens afterward as homeowners affected by these natural disasters are targeted by dishonest contractors.
Hannover Re, the third largest reinsurer, also chose not to outline its reasons when the companys departure from the NZIA was announced in April. Two other major names  global provider Zurich Insurance Group and top reinsurer Munich Re  already left before then.
We are very pleased to announce the signing of this transaction, which was particularly attractive given SUNZs track record of excellent underwriting, strong claims handling and experienced management team, said David Presley, CEO of Compre North America. Compre has decades of experience in workers compensation and we continue to build on this as a center of excellence within our business. We look forward to continuing our partnership with SUNZ to support their expansion and strategic growth, and remain focused on collaborating closely with all our clients to help achieve their objectives.
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Lockton Appoints Caruso Financial Institutions Practice Leader in the Northeast

Lockton, based in Kansas City, Missouri, has appointed Joe Caruso as its financial institutions practice leader in the Northeast. Caruso is based in New York, New York.

Caruso brings 30 years of experience to his new role, joining Lockton from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, where he served as regional head financial lines/financial institutions. He also worked as financial institution industry practice leader at AIG and served at Marsh.

Verdi Joins Alliant Insurance Services

Frank Verdi has joined Alliant Insurance Services as vice president within its employee benefits group. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, Verdi will focus on strategic employee benefits for clients throughout the Northeast.

Verdi has 35 years of experience on both the carrier and brokerage sides of the business. Before joining Alliant, Verdi was area vice president for Gallagher.

Alliant is headquartered in Newport Beach, California.

Marsh McLennan Names Moher President of National Employee Health and Benefits

Marsh McLennan Agency has named Kate Moher president of national employee health and benefits.

Moher joined White Plains, New York-based agency in 2018 as national employee health and benefits practice leader. She has 28 years of industry experience and previously served as chief executive officer at C2 Solutions and as national vice president broker strategy and development at UnitedHealth Group.

Harford Mutual Insurance Group Names Bischoff Assistant VP of IT

Harford Mutual Insurance Group, headquartered in Bel Air, Maryland, has named Jeffery Bischoff as assistant vice president of information technology. Bischoff has 25 years of IT experience. Most recently, he held the position of technology solution manager in the policy platform department at American Family Insurance Group.

Previously, Bischoff held technical positions at Selective Insurance Group, Housing Authority Insurance Group, and Travelers Insurance before joining New London County Mutual Insurance in 2015 as assistant vice president of IT.

Topics New York A.J. Gallagher
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More than 33 million people in the United States are driving vehicles that contain a potentially deadly threat: Airbag inflators that in rare cases can explode in a collision and spew shrapnel.

Few of them know it.

And because of a dispute between federal safety regulators and an airbag parts manufacturer, they arent likely to find out anytime soon.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is demanding that the manufacturer, ARC Automotive of Knoxville, Tennessee, recall 67 million inflators that could explode with such force as to blow apart a metal canister and expel shrapnel. But ARC is refusing to do so, setting up a possible court fight with the agency.

NHTSA argues that the recall is justified because two people have been killed in the United States and Canada and at least seven others have been injured by ARCs inflators. The explosions, which first occurred in 2009, have continued as recently as this year.

NHTSA tentatively concluded, after an investigation that has lasted for eight years, that the inflators are defective. The agencys documents show that the inflators date from at least the 2002 model year to January 2018, when ARC installed equipment on its manufacturing lines that could detect potential safety problems.

One of those who died was Marlene Beaudoin, a 40-year-old mother of 10 from Michigans Upper Peninsula who was struck by metal fragments when her 2015 Chevrolet Traverse SUV was involved in a minor crash in 2021. She and four of her sons had been on their way to get ice cream. The sons were not hurt.

ARC maintains that no safety defect exists, that NHTSAs demand is based on a hypothesis rather than technical conclusions and that the agency has no authority to order a parts manufacturer to carry out recalls, which ARC contends are the responsibility of automakers.

In a letter to NHTSA, ARC said no automaker has found a defect common to all 67 million inflators, and no root cause has been identified in the inflator ruptures.

ARC believes they resulted from random one-off manufacturing anomalies that were properly addressed by vehicle manufacturers through lot-specific recalls, the letter said.

In a statement, NHTSA indicated that both ARC and automakers are responsible for recalls and that it can seek a recall from a parts maker that supplies multiple automakers.

The next step is for NHTSA to issue a final ruling on whether the inflators are defective, then hold a public hearing. It potentially could take ARC to court to seek a recall order. NHTSA would not say when or whether any of this will happen.

In the meantime, owners of vehicles made by at least a dozen automakers  Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Ford, Toyota, Stellantis, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Hyundai and Kia  are left to wonder anxiously whether their vehicles contain driver or front passenger inflators made by ARC. (Some vehicles have ARC inflators on both sides.)

Because ARC supplies inflators that are included in other manufacturers airbags, theres no easy way for vehicle owners to determine whether their inflators are made by ARC. Neither NHTSA nor ARC nor the automakers have released a full list of affected models.

The standoff with ARC has sent automakers struggling to find out just how many of their vehicles contain the inflators. The auto manufacturers are also asking NHTSA whether they must start doing recalls. Automakers know many of the models affected. But many say theyre still gathering information from later model years to determine which vehicles contain the affected inflators.

We are still investigating, said Maria Buczkowski, a spokeswoman for Ford. We have not had any ARC airbag inflators rupture in the field.

James Bell, a Kia spokesman, said, We do not have a final count on vehicles that were built with ARC inflators, but the team is collecting the data.

Toyota confirmed that some of its vehicles have ARC inflators but wouldnt comment further.

Other automakers said they were trying to find a cause and were working with the government or didnt respond to requests from The Associated Press for information.

NHTSA contends that byproducts from welding during manufacturing can clog a vent inside the inflator canister thats designed to let gas escape to fill airbags quickly in a crash. Pressure can build to the point where the canister is blown apart.

Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, called on NHTSA and the automakers to release a list of affected models.

Customers, I think, have a right to know if theres a potential defect in their car, particularly if its sitting a few inches from their chest and can explode,  Brooks said.

The situation, he said, is reminiscent of the early stages of the Takata airbag inflator recalls in 2001. It took years for all the affected vehicle models to be announced.

Both ARC and Takata used ammonium nitrate to inflate airbags. Takatas situation was more dangerous, Brooks said, because in its inflators, the chemical could deteriorate over time when exposed to high heat and humidity. Unlike Takata, ARC uses ammonium nitrate only as a secondary chemical to inflate air bags. ARCs problem appears to derive instead from a manufacturing defect.

From 2017 to 2022, the ARC problems triggered seven small recalls from automakers. On Friday, the same day NHTSA announced its action against ARC, General Motors announced the recall of nearly 1 million more.

The company said its recalling certain 2014 through 2017 GMC Acadia, Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave SUVs because the ARC inflators can explode. The recall came after GM was told this year that the drivers air bag ruptured in a 2017 Traverse. GM, which says it doesnt know what caused the inflator to explode, has hired an engineering firm to help investigate.

We disagree with NHTSAs new sweeping request when extensive field testing has found no inherent defect, ARC said in a statement.

While the recall demand is being sorted out, Brooks of the Center for Auto Safety recommends that owners of vehicles from the 12 affected brands insist that dealers disclose whether their particular vehicle contains an ARC inflator.

The more customers who complain, the more pressure that puts on the manufacturers, he said.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Personal Auto
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Sapiens International Corporation, a global provider of software solutions for the insurance industry, announced an agreement to integrate Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to harness the most advanced generative AI models and tools for the insurance industry.

Sapiens will integrate Microsoft Azure OpenAI and Azure Power Virtual Agents to provide generative AI solutions for insurance companies, allowing customers to easily navigate complex documents such as policies, terms and conditions, and more, using natural large language AI models.

Sapiens AI, cognitive services and process automation can empower insurers through the entire insurance value chain, to provide instant answers across multiple domains of customer interaction in a multitude of languages, enhancing the customer experience while reducing the high volume of calls live agents and relevant personnel typically receive. It can also assist in underwriters day-to-day activities and reduce time around claims processing and fraud detection.

Generative AIs potential as a revolutionary enabler for the insurance industry is enormous, and now is the time for insurance companies to discover how it can contribute to facilitating and growing their business. said Alex Zukerman, chief strategy officer at Sapiens.

WTW Intros New Financial Product to Protect Intangible Assets

Identifying a gap in coverage, WTW announced the introduction of a new financial product targeting clients intending to protect and leverage their intangible assets by considering transfer of the associated risks.

To meet client demand, WTW is introducing Intangible Asset Protection (IAP), a first-of-its-kind product to fill a coverage gap in the market.

An intangible asset is one that is not physical in nature but one that can hold significant value, and which can be created, transferred, bought or sold. Typical examples of intangible assets include intellectual property rights such as patents, trademarks, and copyrights, in addition to databases, contracts, and licensing agreements. Non-public, proprietary information such as formulas, processes, R&D testing data, designs, algorithms, and computer programming code are also typically defined as intangible assets that carry exposures where a company might want to consider protecting and transferring the associated risks, which is where WTWs new IAP product would apply.

WTW said this new IAP coverage closes a coverage gap in cyber, property, business interruption, and traditional intellectual property (IP) insurance. IAP is a tailored insurance offering that will initially cover non-public, proprietary, intangible assets from accidental or malicious insider actions resulting in disclosed, misappropriated, damaged, destroyed or lost IA.

Procore Announces Exclusive Insurance Programs for Construction Industry

Procore Risk Advisors, a brokerage dedicated to the construction industry, announced two insurance programs exclusive to Procore customers: Builders Risk and General Liability Wrap-up (GL), in partnership with top rated carriers.

With a focus on securing the best possible coverage and rates, Procore Risk Advisors brokerage team helps customers utilize risk data from across its platform to craft a comprehensive picture, a detailed risk profile  taken a step further with its exclusive programs for Builders Risk and GL Wrap-up offering:

Tailored Coverage and Pricing: A platform that enhances customers risk management, and offer better pricing with more coverage offerings based on investment in technology to mitigate risk.

Exceptional Experience: A streamlined application process combined with dedicated construction risk experts.

Trusted Insurance Partners: Programs are backed by top rated carriers. Builders Risk is exclusively backed by Allianz and Swiss Re.

Topics Carriers Willis Towers Watson Construction
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Travel insurance startup Faye said it raised $10 million in series A funding just a year after launching its product in the U.S., bringing the companys total funding to $18M.

The round was led by Munich Re Ventures along with existing investors Viola Ventures and F2 Venture Capital. Additional investors include Menora Tech and Mike Nelson, former CEO of Global Travel

Insurance at Allianz.

Faye said it expects to quadruple its revenue in 2023 alone, having earned millions in premiums in its first year in the market. The company also plans to more than double its pool of travel advisors and distribution

partners which is already in the hundreds.

The funding news comes shortly after the company launched its Travel Advisor Portal, a one-stop-shop where travel advisors and agencies can easily offer, learn about and manage travel insurance with Faye. The company also released a newly developed API to enable seamless integration with travel distributors who wish to offer a new level of travel protection to their customers, fully embedded into their offerings.

Fayes approach combines travel insurance with real-time assistance, trip alerts, a 24/7 concierge and even financial support, said Faye co-founder & CEO, Elad Schaffer. Our role is to help ensure that you have a smooth adventure thats memorable for the right reasons. Weve built an offering that travelers will want to use for life, so bringing Faye along is just as obvious as bringing your passport. This approach is working: we continue to see rapid growth in travelers using Faye, and coming back for more  month over month.

The boom in travel insurance purchases across the industry supports what will be an incredibly busy season of summer travel. Faye said it anticipates continued consumer frustration  from crowded airports to staff shortages  and thus an increase in trip protection purchases and reliance on providers that go the distance to offer both insurance and around-the-clock assistance.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions InsurTech Tech Funding
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The Louisiana Supreme Court appointed an attorney to take control of the multitude of hurricane and storm-related lawsuits filed in state courts by McClenny Moseley and Associates.

In an order posted online Thursday, the high court named Edward J. Walters Jr., with Walters, Papillion, Thomas and Cullens, as special trustee. He is tasked with compiling a list of attorneys in good standing and prepared to assume representation of former MMA clients and facilitating the return or surrender of client files to the clients new counsel. He is also directed to contact former MMA clients to determine if they have retained new representation and if not, refer them to the list of attorneys who are available to help them.

The Supreme Court on May 10 placed a stay on all of the hurricane-damage lawsuits filed by MMA in state courts. The law firm conducted a massive robo-texting and email campaign to sign up clients and filed thousands of lawsuits in federal courts, many of them against the wrong insurer and often on behalf of homeowners who were already represented by other attorneys.

The May 10 order directed the chief judge for each state court to compile a list of all hurricane and storm-related lawsuits filed by MMA within 20 days and submit the case names and docket numbers to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel. The office in March suspended the law license of MMAs managing partner in New Orleans, William R. Huye III, and is conducting an investigation that may lead to further sanctions.

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner James Donelon fined MMA $2 million for what he called an insurance fraud scheme. Federal judges in both theEastern and Western Louisiana districts have also sanctioned the firm and its lawyers.

New Orleans insurance defense attorney Michael Moseley, whose personal investigation prompted the federal courts to investigate MMAs mass filings, applauded the appointment of Walters in a LinkedIn post.

Mr. Walters is a well known and respected attorney who will make sure the victims of MMAs bad behavior have access to proper legal representation, he said.

The Supreme Courts order states specifically that Walters will not have an attorney-client relationship with former MMA clients.

Monson said many of the MMAs former clients have likely lost an opportunity to pursue lawsuits against their insurers because Louisianas two-year prescription period for property damage claims has expired.

Monson said he personally compiled a list of 25 lawsuits that MMA filed against the wrong insurer that can no longer be filed against the correct carrier because the statute of limitations has passed. During an April 26 hearing before Magistrate Judge Kathleen Kay, an attorney who represents State Farm says he knows of 78 other lawsuits that were incorrectly filed against the carrier. Monson said if those claims were for damage caused by Hurricane Laura  which struck the Louisiana coast in August 2020  those cases cannot be refiled.

Monson said the only recourse for claimants who missed out because of MMAs incompentence will be a malpractice suit. He said a lot of money is at stake. The 25 lawsuits that he knows were filed against the wrong insurer claimed more than $1.8 million in damage, he said.

Photo: In this Aug. 27, 2020 file photo, buildings and homes are flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura near Lake Charles, La. Homeowners often make four key mistakes with their property insurance during hurricane season. They dont have flood insurance, they dont get their needed coverage in time, they carry a deductible that is too high or they dont have enough coverage. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)

Topics Louisiana
The former director of the New Mexico Office of Archaeological Studies is suing state officials, saying his race and gender played a role in his firing.

Eric Blinman filed a lawsuit in federal court late last week against Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, state Cultural Affairs Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego, and several others, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

In the suit, Blinman alleges Garcia y Griego wrongfully terminated him because he was an older white man who complained about a lack of resources to do his job.

He also claims his firing was retaliation because he told a human resources director, who is a defendant, in confidence about his suspicions of improper conduct by Garcia y Griego.

He is asking for an unspecified sum for wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress, as well as punitive damages.

Daniel Zillmann, a Department of Cultural Affairs spokesperson, called the allegations untrue and unfounded. There was sound and carefully considered reasoning behind the termination of Dr. Blinman.

A representative for the office of Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, did not respond to a message seeking comment night.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Mexico New Mexico
Source: Streetwise Reports

May 23, 2023 (Investorideas.com Newswire) First Tellurium Corp.'s Deer Horn project in British Columbia is known to have the only positive preliminary economic assessment for a tellurium project in North America. It has applied to take a 10,000-tonne bulk sample at the site.

First Tellurium Corp. (FTEL:CSE) is submitting a permit application to the British Columbia Ministry of Mines and Energy to take a 10,000-tonne bulk sample from its flagship Deer Horn project.

First Tellurium has secured a contract with Lorax Environment Services Ltd. to provide services in cooperation with Moose Mountain Technical Services to apply for the permit. Deer Horn is known to have the only positive preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for a tellurium (Te) project in North America.

The stock has been a quarterly pick several times for asset manager Chen Lin, author of the What's Chen Buying? What's Chen Selling? newsletter. In December 2022, Chen wrote that the stock could "have a huge 2023" if the United States supported tellurium mining this year.

The U.S. military is providing US$250 million for critical metals projects, including tellurium, and Canada's federal 2023 budget earmarked CA$1.5 billion for a critical minerals infrastructure fund.

"We will hit the jackpot as FTEL is the only pure play in tellurium," Chen wrote.

To attempt to take advantage of some of the funding, First Tellurium has even registered as a federal lobbyist. Deer Horn was named by First Solar Inc. (FSLR:NYSE) as one of only four world-class Te projects.

"There's a very decent chance tellurium will breakout this year because First Solar is using 60% to 70% of worldwide production to make a solar panel," Chen wrote. "Their production has grown rapidly."

First Solar plans to double its solar panel manufacturing capacity and spend US$1.36 billion to lessen China's dominance of the market, according to S&P Global.

The Catalyst: Deer Horn a Key Tellurium Project

Tellurium's (Te) use as a semiconductor in solar photovoltaic (solar PV) panels has increased.

Recent International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts show that solar PV technology will generate more power by 2027 than any other source. Te and silver (Ag), also in demand for solar PV, are abundant at Deer Horn.

The market for Te is expected to grow by about 60 metric tons from 2020 to 2024, according to research by Technavio.

"Factors such as increasing urban population, rise in disposable income, strong supply chain, and high internet penetration are driving the growth of the global consumer electronics market," the research firm said in a release. "The increase in demand for consumer electronics will, in turn, drive the demand for tellurium over the forecast period."

Deer Horn was noted as a key tellurium project in a U.S. geological report on critical minerals in the country, the company said.

"The Deer Horn intermediate-sulfidation epithermal deposit in west-central British Columbia, Canada, contains high gold and silver grades with abundant base metal sulfides and telluride minerals," the report stated.

Massive Shortage of Tellurium Looming

One of the least common elements on the planet, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, most rocks contain an average of about three parts per billion Te, making it eight times less abundant than gold. In addition to solar panels and thermoelectric applications, it's also used in lithium batteries and is used for vulcanizing rubber, tinting glass, and manufacturing rewritable CDs and DVDs.

Both the U.S. and Canada are trying to reduce dependence on China for such critical metals. U.S. President Joe Biden has banned solar panels coming from a Chinese company that uses forced labor.

First Tellurium Chairman Tony Fogarassy attended OECD's 2023 Forum on Responsible Mineral Supply Chains in Paris as part of First Tellurium's outreach on critical minerals.

"We know there's a looming, massive shortage of critical minerals needed for batteries, electric vehicles, solar power - any technology related to climate change and carbon reduction," Fogarassy said. "Canada is seen as a prime future supplier of critical minerals due to its stable political and economic structure, and also its world-leading knowledge about exploration and mining."

Company Looks to Confirm, Enlarge Zone Extension

Deer Horn's PEA was calculated on 450 meters of a 2.4-kilometer gold-silver-tellurium vein system. Sampling in 2022 identified a possible 1.1-kilometer extension of the system, the company has said.

First Tellurium is drilling this year to confirm and enlarge the zone extension and to conduct infill drilling to expand the current resource.

The company will also test new targets and do mapping and aerial surveys of the 5,133-hectare property, which features more than tellurium, according to President and Chief Executive Officer Tyrone Docherty.

"Our Deer Horn project also contains significant showings of silver and copper, both essential green metals, along with the critical metals bismuth and tungsten," he said.

In addition, the company's Klondike Tellurium Project in Colorado is considered America's top Te exploration project and was previously owned by First Solar as a potential source of raw Te for its solar panels, Docherty said. [OWNERSHIP_CHART-10739]

In March, technical analyst Clive Maund rated First Tellurium as an immediate Buy.

Ownership and Share Structure

According to the company, 11% of First Tellurium is owned by management and insiders.

Docherty owns 10.6% or 7.7 million shares, Director Josef Anthony Steve Fogarassy has 1.38% or 1 million shares, and Director Lyle Allen Schwabe has 0.73% or 0.53 million shares. There are no institutional investors, and the rest is retail.

The company has a market cap of CA$10.34 million, with about 73 million shares outstanding and 63.4 million free-floating. It trades in a 52-week range of CA$0.25 and CA$0.085.

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As chairs and tables were coming off trucks on Princes Street that first day three years ago, people just sat down. There was a huge response to it, and its developed to become nearly iconic in Cork, said publican Paul Montgomery.

Now almost three years since a web of city centre streets were claimed back for pedestrians and outdoor diners, he is one of countless business owners who have reaped the rewards of the reimagining of Cork city.

Covid lifeline

First introduced as a lifeline in 2020 for hospitality businesses struggling with public health restrictions, Cork City Council invested 1.3m in drawing the public back into the city to drink and dine al fresco as part of the Reimagining Cork City programme.

Availing of Failte Irelands Weatherproofing & Dining Enhancement Scheme, bespoke outdoor infrastructure was put in place on five city centre streets (Princes Street, Caroline Street, Beasley, Pembroke Street and Union Quay) and the Council approved over 200 outdoor dining grants for city centre traders.

Off the back of initial success, the following year 17 streets were permanently closed off to traffic, and over the course of 2021 Cork City Council say tens of thousands of people enjoyed the facilities on Princes Street alone.

Now three years on from the pedestrianisation experiment, Cork City Council say outdoor dining is set to be a permanent feature of Corks tourism and hospitality offering, and it is open to requests from businesses for further pedestrianisation.

Princes Street the poster child

Views of Princes Street, Cork City. Pic Larry Cummins

It was 1971 when Corks Princes Street became the first pedestrian-only street in Ireland. More than 50 years later, the thoroughfare lined with colourful parasols is the poster boy for the pandemic-triggered reimagination of the city centre.

Tourists come into Cork city and theyve heard about Princes Street its an iconic street in the city now, said Paul Montgomery, owner of several establishments on newly pedestrianised streets in the city centre, including Clancys and An Sibin on Princes Street, as well as Conways Yard and Atlas.

We had pedestrianised streets long before covid-19. Before on Princes Street and other streets, there was still no traffic during the day, but people were just walking by. Its the fact that you can actually sit and dine on them now, its a place that you can stop, and its something that we can certainly be proud of, he said.

Mr Montgomery said that it is important not to lose the unique atmosphere created by the measures introduced during the pandemic, and to keep building on its success.

We could do a lot more with bookending the streets, talking about the streets that are pedestrianised in the city, to keep building off of the success. We need to show ourselves off internationally, he said, calling on both Cork City Council and Failte Ireland to promote the Cork streets that are now a national treasure.

As well as the boost that pedestrianisation brought for businesses that were operating on these city centre streets since before the pandemic, the heightened footfall along these routes is attracting new traders to set up shop.

Corine Ngandeu, owner of Cork Niche Fragrances on Princes Street, said that the fact the street was pedestrianised was one of the main reasons she decided to open up her perfume shop there in January.

Corine Ngandeu, owner of Cork Niche Fragrances at 35 Princes Street, Cork City. Pic Larry Cummins

Because of the restaurants and everyone being able to sit outside its a busy, busy street, and that was the main factor to be honest. Footfall is very important, and theres definitely great traffic here, so it was the major reason I decided to open my store [on Princes Street], she said.

Even though she is able to rely on a certain amount of custom seeking her out as the only niche perfume supplier in the city, Ms Ngandeu says her location on Princes Street puts her business in a very, very good position.

If I was on a different street I would probably still have somewhat of a business, but Princes Street is there, you cant miss it. The amount of people that pass through is unreal in a day, and when the weather is nice its even crazier, so the street does make a difference, she said.

Overall benefits

Kevin Herlihy, President of Cork Business Association, said that overall businesses in the city centre are very positive about the changes to the streetscape.

Its had a fantastic effect on a lot of businesses, and it really has created a lovely ambience and a lovely atmosphere in the city, he said.

I have friends that have central retail in other cities in Ireland and theyre very envious of Cork. We were the shining light when the whole thing started on Princes Street back in 2020, and other cities are certainly jealous of what Cork has been able to do, he added.

The move to prioritise the pedestrian has not come without its challenges and trade-offs, as the lack of vehicular access on the network of 17 streets for most of the day has made it more difficult for traders shuttling supplies in and refuse out, and for customers who can no longer travel door to door by car.

Green Party city councillor Dan Boyle has also highlighted that the setting out of dining chairs and tables on streets has created some accessibility issues.

There are a few laneways that in effect have been closed and devoted to the adjacent businesses, stopping through ways on the likes of Grafton Street, and sections off Washington Street onto Little Hanover Street, he said.

Part of the licensing arrangement is there is a pathway that people can walk past, but [in some cases] its not wide enough for two people coming in opposite directions, and I would question whether its wide enough for wheelchairs, he added.

Councillor Boyle also said that in the rush to use street space there may be too much cramming of on-street furniture, which could restrict access to outdoor facilities for those with restricted mobility.

He said that he is a supporter of the Reimagining Cork City project, but that its continued rollout needs to be nuanced to make it as effective as possible for all citizens.

Audits of street furniture licenses carried out by the City Council with the Cork Access Group in 2021 and 2022 didnt find any significant accessibility issues, with a further audit due to be carried out this summer.

MacCurtain Street

The public realm in Coburg Street, Bridge Street and MacCurtain Street is next in line for a major transformation.

Across the river from the 17 streets already pedestrianised, MacCurtain Street and the surrounding Victorian Quarter (VQ) is next in line for a major transformation, as the MacCurtain Street Public Transport Improvement Scheme is set to be completed in time for Christmas.

Shane Clarke, Director of Operations for the VQ, said that the project will turn the hierarchy upside-down on the street which had two to three lanes for traffic before works got underway, and will reclaim space for the public realm and pedestrians.

About 60 to 70% of the traffic volume will be taken out [and] the widths of the pavements are effectively doubled from what they were before covid-19, he said.

Shane Clarke, Director of Operations for The VQ

Mr Clarke said it is an omelettes and eggs situation for traders in the area who are currently enduring incremental works along the street, but the hope is it will result in increased footfall in the entire quarter, as well as enlivening nearby areas around Kent Station, Penrose Wharf and Horgans Quay.

While plans for a revamp of MacCurtain Street and the wider area were in the pipeline for over a decade, Mr Clarke said that the pandemic really accelerated a change in how people think about the development of the city.

Cork is rediscovering that it actually has a pretty stunning city centre The 17 streets that were pedestrianised were just brilliant, and although MacCurtain Street is not going to be pedestrianised its going to have a much different atmosphere. I think the city is, and will, see the benefit of investing in place-making, [MacCurtian Street] is a continuation of whats happened in the city centre, and Id love to see it happen elsewhere, he said.

Further expansion

A spokesperson for Cork City Council said that the feedback from both businesses and the public from the outset of the pandemic pedestrianisation has been overwhelmingly positive, and that the council does intend to pedestrianise more streets in future.

Cork is recognised by the WHO as a Healthy City and increasing pedestrianisation will only improve the city centre experience for those living in, working in and visiting the city, they said.

Other businesses have seen the success of the pedestrianisation of the 17 streets and have indicated that they are interested in exploring the potential to pedestrianise their streets. Cork City Council will consider any requests for further pedestrianisation which will have to consider numerous factors including traffic movement in the city and the City Development Plan, they added.
MANY OF the giants of the movie world may be posing on La Croisette for the Cannes Film Festival, but an increasing number of Irish and international filmmakers are this week making their annual trip to West Cork.

Schulls Fastnet Film Festival has become one of the most beloved shindigs in Irelands movie calendar. With its low-key approach, intimate setting and friendly, inclusive vibe, it could hardly be more unlike the movie juggernaut that is Cannes - and thats exactly what Irelands top filmmakers enjoy about it.

Fastnets annual line-up is also highly impressive. Oscar winners and movie royalty again head to Schull in celebration of a remarkable period in Irish screen storytelling, to the festival where the village is the screen. Schull doesnt have a cinema, meaning the vast shorts programme and new Irish and international features are screened at various venues.

Cannes is on at the moment but you couldn't have a bigger difference, says Lenny Abrahamson, the director of Adam & Paul, the Oscar-winning Room and global TV hit Normal People. There wouldn't be a dress code now in Schull!

The atmosphere is incredibly warm in the town and the whole town gets involved because as they say, the town is the screen. They're projecting films in cafes and pubs and there's this lovely proper festival atmosphere that just makes it great.

Then you just have really interesting people turning up partially because people have formed relationships with the festival over the years."

Lenny Abrahamson with Paul Mescal at last year's Fastnet Film Festival in Schulll. Picture: Larry Cummins

Abrahamson also points to the local residents who've helped the festival through the years - figures such as former director-general of the BBC Greg Dyke, and film producer David Puttnam. "People with fabulous histories in the industry all pitching up to this little town and everybody mixes with everybody. There's no VIP zone. That's another reason why it's very special, because its democratic, says Abrahamson.

Last summer, Abrahamson joined forces with cast and crew from Normal People for a reunion and conversation with actor Paul Mescal following the success of the show. Attendees described it as like listening in on a friendly conversation in the pub. It does feel like a chat when youre doing these events in Schull, says Abrahamson. If ever there was a place where the word vibe applied, I think it would be Fastnet in May. I always look forward to it.

This year, Abrahamson will host two events that again shine a light on the extraordinary breadth and depth of Irish screen talent. He will host a Q&A with the filmmaking talent behind Oscar-winning short An Irish Goodbye - including actor James Martin.

It was such a great piece of work and obviously did so incredibly well," says Abrahamson. "Again, I think they will fit beautifully in Schull, because there seems to be a tremendous amount of warmth in and around that project. That will chime with the kind of feeling that you get in Schull, I think they'll have a fabulous welcome there. I'm really looking forward to talking to them and to meeting James.

I'm also doing an event with Kate McCullough, the excellent director of photography who did An Cailin Ciuin and also the second block of Normal People. I'm facilitating a workshop and a conversation about cinematography with her.

Abrahamson in Schull last year chatting to Paddy Breathnach and Ciaran Hinds. Picture: Larry Cummins

Since his debut success with Adam & Paul, the Dublin filmmaker has established a reputation as one of Irelands greatest screen storytellers. Films have included the poignant tale of a rural worker in Garage, the adventures of an eccentric rock group in Frank, and the tale of a teenager who commits a serious crime in What Richard Did. His adaptation of Emma Donoghues powerful novel Room went all the way to the Oscars with four nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, eventually taking home the top prize for its lead actress Brie Larson.

He currently has a number of projects in development including a drama based on the life of US boxer Emile Griffith, and is writing a project which though fictional, is set around the same environment as his childhood.

I grew up in a small community in Dublin, a Jewish community. I've been very interested in that experience. I'm writing something which is connected to my parents and their lives and their experiences and memories within that. It's a fictional family, but very much inspired by that.

Other projects in development include an adaptation of John Boynes novel The Hearts Invisible Furies, in collaboration with Garage screenwriter Mark OHalloran.

Throughout his career Abrahamson and his producers at Element Pictures, Ed Guiney and Andrew Lowe, have maintained that building a strong indigenous film industry could reap many benefits for Irish storytellers.

He must have been pleased, then, to see the green charge at this springs Oscars, with a record-smashing 14 nominations.

It's brilliant, he agrees. We are seeing the fruits and have been over the last few years of a consistent policy of supporting film and television.

Its incredibly satisfying to see people like Colm Bairead come up with a film as wonderful as An Cailin Ciuin. That couldn't be more of a local film, and yet it has this really substantial international footprint and recognition from across the world. I think there's a bigger opportunity than we've so far grabbed - with more forward thinking and active support, the industry could grow a lot more.

You'd imagine the upcoming festival in Schull will again do its bit to help that growth.

Highlights of Fastnet Film Festival in Schull

As well as being a major showcase for Irish and international short films, Schull will be abuzz with dozens of events, presentations and screenings over the five days of its 2023 programme.

Irish Language Film Day: Thursday 25th is Irish language day with a series of events taking part on Cape Clear. They include a special screening of An Cailin Ciuin followed by a Q&A with its young star Catherine Clinch, and a walking trail featuring a number of Irish-language shorts.

West Cork on Camera: On Friday 26th, look back on West Corks history through a series of archival and contemporary films from the Irish Film Institute film archive. Part I includes rarely-seen newsreel, amateur and professional film from the 1920s to the 1970s. Part II features two shorts: Fathom, Sharon Whooleys film filmed on Fastnet Lighthouse; and All That Is, Is Light by West Cork filmmaker Pat Collins.

Aidan Quinn will be in Schull for the festival. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images)

Aidan Quinn: The charismatic Irish-American actor will be the subject of the festivals main interview with journalist Greg Dyke on Sunday 28th. A number of Quinns films - including This is my Father, Legends of the Fall, Songcatcher and The Assignment - will also be screened over the course of the festival.

Family Screenings in the Park: Members of the public can take advantage of the good weather forecast with a series of free public screenings on Sunday 28th from 2-4pm. The programme will include a selection of past and present competition shorts and be followed by a special screening of Cartoon Saloons Oscar-nominated Wolfwalkers.
For the last 18 months, Fred has continually reminded me we have yet to go on our honeymoon.

"Theres no honeymoon when you have a child," I always reply, giving off a distinctly Mother Superior energy.

Much like I wore Fred down initially and tricked him into our relationship, so too has Fred worn me down and convinced me to book a holiday in the sun, and so here we are, in Spain, sitting on blue sun loungers, marvelling at how cheap the crisps are.

Having booked the holiday I should probably have had some idea where we were going, but when we landed at the airport in Spain I was as surprised as Fred to find out we were headed for Salou. 'Who knew?' said I, and Ted shot me a look that suggested he didnt fully believe I had the situation under control.

Throughout our journey, Ted had been brilliant and remained decidedly pleasant, even when Mammy messed up on the airport shuttle.

We had been wandering around Terminal 1 in Barcelona just long enough for Fred to gently suggest some help from Duo Lingo to assist us in locating our tour bus. I took this suggestion as nothing less than a personal slight. I insisted on following my intuition, telling me to head right, where we bumped into another Irish family trying to navigate their way to Salou.

While their Mammy felt we should keep going straight ahead, something in my gut (maybe it was God) told me to jump on a shuttle bus and head for the other Terminal. "We have to go back and tell the other family theyre going the wrong way," said Fred, because of course in an equitable world, no family gets left behind.

"Theres no time, Fred," I replied as the bus doors closed and we made our way across the airport.

That poor woman is after going completely wrong, I thought to myself, sympathetic to her lack of navigation skills but simultaneously grateful my sense of direction was much more on point.

LIKE COLUMBUS

My feeling of superiority was short-lived, however, when we finally found our tour bus operator who informed us we had gone the wrong direction and should have followed mammy number one. Much like Christopher Columbus insisting that the Americas were, in fact, India, and everyone else - including the people who lived in the West Indies - were entirely incorrect, I doubled down on the fact that I had made a complete hames of the situation and informed Fred it was actually a better way to get to where we wanted to be.

"Its great now that we got to see both terminals," I announced to Fred as we trundled onto our bus, bleary-eyed and world-weary.

When we finally landed at our hotel in the wee hours we only threatened to end our marriage twice while negotiating the digital door key. Because I am sadomasochistic, I immediately unpack our clothes, lining up our panic-bought items, including some matching Spider-Man togs for Fred and Ted.

On day one of our holiday, Fred nearly skipped breakfast until I reminded him it was our national duty to raid the buffet for lunch as Irish people.

"Bring my tote bag and grab as many rolls as you can," I told him, despite his protestations.

After breakfast, we hit the pool where, because we all purchase fashion from the same sweatshop, we are met with a scatter of Scottish children also dressed in identical Spider-Man swimwear. "You could easily bring home the wrong child," Fred notes, and I nod while making a mental commitment to double-check we dont accidentally steal a child who speaks like Lewis Capaldi.

MEN WITH FORKS

So far the holiday has mostly consisted of reapplying suncream, making sure armbands are being worn in the pool and constant reminders that toys are there to be shared - and thats just Fred. Ted also needs a bit of minding.

Even though its not that hot for Spain in May, I am squirting both buachailli with Factor 50 on the hour, every hour, with the same gusto a climate change protester might throw tomato soup at a modern art exhibition.

Whats nice about holidays is its a chance to chat with your partner on the brief intervals between chaperoning Ted in the kids' pools. Yesterday the major debate was whether or not you can eat ice cream with a fork, Freds utensil of choice when digging into a tub of gelato.

"People eat ice cream with forks all over the world," Fred maintained as Ted followed suit, his fork utterly futile in its attempt to conquer a glass of chocolate milk. As I watch Fred, I am suddenly reminded of Noel Gallaghers description of his brother Liam as a man with a fork in a world of soup. Noel, if youre reading this, maybe we were both wrong, and spoons are for Philistines.

Bar fork-gate, Teds first holiday has been a success so far. As a parent, of course, it is like no other holiday Ive ever had - the book I optimistically brought will probably never get read and the days of afternoon siestas are over, but weve got something better now. A small Spider-Man, eating his second ice cream of the day, wearing his armbands in bed because you can never be too careful.

Just when I thought I couldnt love Ted more, this morning, he handed me a breakfast roll to stash in my bag for later because he too has answered Irelands call. What a patriot.
Irelands oldest person, Mairin Hughes, still knows how to enjoy life.

The inspirational 109-year-old still does the crossword regularly, loves birdwatching and does everything youre supposed to do to keep well.

On Monday Mairin Hughes, who was born in Belfast and spent part of her long life in Kerry, Cork and Dublin, celebrated her birthday with her community at Maryfield Nursing Home in Chapelizod, Dublin.

As she arrived in the lobby of the nursing home, sporting a navy blazer and pink scarf, she expressed surprise at her fellow residents and a family member waiting for her with balloons and a big cake.

She was presented with medals for each year she has lived as a centenarian, and read out a quote to the room that accompanied her latest medal, which she remarked was very true.

You have lived through remarkable times in the history of Ireland and the world. You have witnessed remarkable changes, unimaginable at the time of your birth in 1914.

Sin a bhfuil, she added afterwards, Irish for that is all.

A celebration is held for Mairin Hughes (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA)

After her favourite song, Oro Se do Bheatha Bhaile, was played, which she sang along to enthusiastically, she and her friends boarded the vintage tea bus that awaited them outside.

She said her advice to people is to live life to the full and that not wasting time is important.

She told the PA news agency she does enjoy her birthdays. Its nice to get cards and that sort of thing, its nice to know that people remember you.

When asked if life gets better as you get older, she said you learn a certain amount and you do advance that way, and you learn to cope with situations.

She added: Im a cosmopolitan, because I was born in Belfast, and then dad was transferred to Dublin, and we were in Dublin for a couple of years, and then transferred to Killarney, and he retired while we were in Killarney so we still stayed there.

When I married I moved to Cork.

She said life at Maryfield was the next step in her remarkable journey.

When asked if she likes city life, she said: I like the country, I want to see greenery. I like the quietness and the birds, which we have here. Theyre gorgeous around the river.

Mairin Hughes celebrated on the vintage tea bus (Grainne Ni Aodha/PA)

Asked for her advice on a happy life, she said it is all about your attitude.

Orla Quigg, director of nursing at Maryfield, told PA that she is a smart woman who loves doing puzzles daily.

Mairin is a super lady. She really is inspirational to all of us here, she said.

Shes lived on the grounds of Maryfield for over 30 years. She lived in apartments at the front and then she moved into the nursing home when it was rebuilt.

She plays Scrabble every day, she does a crossword every day, she does everything youre supposed to do to keep well.

She loves history and shes part of history. Shes very witty, shes so smart.

She added: She doesnt like the fuss, she doesnt see why she should be made a fuss of. She just does what she does, and she feels if you get up every morning, sure thats enough.

After Mairin Hughes and her friends take their seats aboard the bus, they were heard singing Alive alive oh! from the song Molly Malone before the vintage tea bus drove off down the road.
Key staff at Cork University Hospital (CUH) have been told by their union not to cooperate with or even attend meetings with PWC consultants, hired to implement a "transformation and improvement" programme at the hospital.

Your home for the latest news, views, sports and business reporting from Cork.

The Irish Examiner revealed on Monday that 608,252 was paid to PWC Consultants between October and December in escalating monthly amounts. The arrangement remains in place, running up fees which could exceed 1m.

Hospital CEO David Donegan has insisted PWC staff have not been asked to or authorised to or expected to take on line management or operational management duties.

However, Forsa trade union has written to its members in the hospital telling them: Most significantly trade unions have been informed that PWC are giving direction to CUH staff and attending operational meetings."

Forsa has advised members to cease interacting with these consultants and not to attend or participate in meetings with them. The letter warned:

It is entirely unacceptable to Forsa that external consultants, who are not direct employees of the HSE, are having such an active role in the running of CUH.

Forsa's head of the health amd welfare division Ashley Connelly said: That remains the position to now.

That is Forsas position, and Forsa has expressed concerns quite strongly at the continued use of external consultants, she said. The union represents health and social care professionals, clerical, administrative, management, and technical staff.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has also raised questions about the involvement of the consultants.

General secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said: The fact that one hospital, Cork University Hospital, increased its spend on consultancy firms by 333.8% in the space of one month is shocking.

She said the INMO will continue to raise this issue with the HSE.

Trade unions representing all workers in the public service believe that the continued reliance on consultancy firms is a breach of the outsourcing provisions of the latest public sector agreement and have referred to the Public Sector Agreement Oversight Group.

CUH CEO David Donegan previously defended this practice, in a letter to Labour TD Sean Sherlock.

Writing on May 8, he said: To date, there has not been a single concern raised by a CUH employee with us, about this work, and to the contrary there has been widespread support for it, particularly from our clinical leaders.

He added: When PWC are present in meetings, or acting as project managers, they are at all times supporting or advising a HSE employee who has accountability.

However, unions have already raised the involvement of PWC staff in CUH with HSE national management. The INMOs Albert Murphy wrote to the HSE's chief operations officer Mary Day, on behalf of the National Joint Council, to say PWC consultants are giving direction to staff.

He focused on particular issues with how the arrangement worked over Christmas, concerns which Mr Donegan has rejected.

It has been brought to the attention of the NJC of trade unions that in the absence of the CEO of Cork University Hospital, Price Waterhouse Coopers Consultants have been appointed to run the hospital and are giving direction to staff, the union letter stated.

A hospital spokesman said: Management consultants have no role in the management of the hospital and are not responsible or accountable for the delivery of services.

Data released to Mr Sherlock shows monies paid to PWC for work with CUH and associated sites under the umbrella of the CUH Group, jumped from 61,500 in October to 266,779 in November, reaching 279,973 in December.

During this time and subsequently patients in Cork have faced long delays in getting a bed. As recently as today, there were 75 patients waiting in CUH according to the INMO's TrolleyWatch, and seven in Bantry.
Legislation protecting Irish coastal areas is set to be published in the coming weeks, a coalition of environmental groups 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.

Fair Seas, which is comprised of a range of environmental groups, said following a meeting with Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan it is now "hopeful" the Marine Protected Areas Bill 2023 will come before the Dail before the summer break.

The Fair Seas coalition, which is made up of groups such as the Irish Wildlife Trust, Birdwatch Ireland, Coastwatch, and Friends of the Irish Environment, has now launched a countrywide survey to gauge people's knowledge and understanding of marine life, environment, and biodiversity.

The marine bill aims to cement the country's ambition to protect 30% of its maritime area by the end of the decade. The EU's Marine Strategy Framework Directive legally compels member states to establish marine protected areas (MPAs).

However, the originally proposed bill was criticised by environmental groups earlier this year as "falling very short", with "weak and ambiguous language overall", as they addressed the Oireachtas climate committee.

The Oireachtas climate committee has published recommendations that Fair Seas said should be reflected in the bill when published.

Fair Seas last year released an influential report that found a mere 2% of Ireland's coast which is designated as marine protected area must increase 18-fold in order to restore and enhance endangered species such as sharks, puffins, and even blue whales.

The Fair Seas report said it was possible to increase the level to 36%, and that doing so would not only help restore biodiversity, but also act as vast carbon stores in the climate change crisis.

For its countrywide survey, Fair Seas pointed to a previous sample it conducted in October last year that showed 81% of people agreed with more legal protection for the ocean.

It said it was now asking people to answer online questions about the health of Irelands marine environment, how they use the seas, and what actions they believe the Government needed to take to manage this environment.

The 15-minute survey asks about topics such as how important the ocean is to people, and where peoples knowledge about the marine environment comes from.

It also asks if the marine environment has changed over the last decade, what they have done to protect the marine environment, the impact their lifestyle has on the marine environment, and how much time they spend by the sea.

The Ocean Literacy Survey will remain open until the end of the summer but an overview of initial results will be presented at the Fair Seas World Ocean Day Conference in Cork on Thursday, June 8, it said.

Fair Seas campaign manager Aoife O'Mahony said: "Our relationship with the ocean is a complex one and there is a growing awareness that understanding this relationship is essential if were to successfully protect and restore our seas.

"Similar surveys have been carried out in Scotland and Wales in recent years. This will provide us with a baseline of ocean literacy in Ireland and will be useful for international comparison as well as informing much needed protection of our valuable ocean wealth.

The survey can be found here.
A seven judge Supreme Court has been urged to direct a retrial of Tipperary farmer Patrick Quirke for the charge of the murder of part-time DJ Bobby Ryan.

Lawyers for Quirke told the court a trial court is the best place to resolve issues arising from its March ruling that a computer was unlawfully seized from Quirkes home by gardai.

Following submissions on Tuesday, the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Donal ODonnell, said the court would give its judgment later on the consequences flowing from the earlier findings.

The Supreme Court declared in March that the search of the computer, as a portal into the digital world, was unlawful, as this was not sought in the sworn information seeking the warrant, so it was not judicially authorised.

The judgment marked a win for Quirke, 53, in his bid to overturn his 2019 conviction by a majority verdict of 10:2 for the murder of his alleged love rival. Quirke denied the murder charge.

His 13-week trial at the Central Criminal Court was the longest murder trial in the history of the State.

Bobby Ryan's remains were found in a disused underground tank on a farm at Fawnagowan, owned by Mary Lowry on April 30, 2013, almost two years after he went missing. File picture

Quirkes trial was told the computer was used for internet searches on the rate of decomposition of human remains and the limitations of forensic DNA.

On Tuesday, Quirkes senior counsel, Bernard Condon SC, said his client wants a trial judge to conduct an inquiry into whether the computer evidence may be admissible.

The Supreme Court cannot fall back on mere inadvertence on the part of the gardai who applied for the warrant to search Quirkes home. They knew they wanted to search Quirkes computer but did not say that in the application to the issuing district court judge, he said.

The gardai have a duty of candour and they seem to have been reckless in the information they left out of the warrant application, said Mr Condon.

Meanwhile, Sean Guerin SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, argued the Supreme Court should decide the computer evidence was admissible. An appellant court can examine whether the interference with privacy should be treated as an unjustifiable breach of a right, he added.

He submitted that careful judicial scrutiny can occur at a later stage to protect the privacy rights of the accused.

Quirke pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Ryan, a part-time DJ going by the name of Mr Moonlight.

Quirke was arrested after Mr Ryans remains were found in a disused underground tank on a farm at Fawnagowan, owned by Mary Lowry on April 30, 2013, almost two years after he went missing.

Mr Ryan had been in a relationship with Ms Lowry and was last seen alive as he left her home early on June 3, 2011. The prosecution argued at Quirkes trial that circumstantial evidence validly established he had murdered Mr Ryan.

It was contended Quirke had staged the discovery of the body as he was about to give up his lease on the farm and feared he would be found out. The prosecution argued Quirke had murdered Mr Ryan so he could rekindle an affair with Ms Lowry.
A judge has warned a man previously jailed for harassing six journalists that prison time is inevitable if he breaches the conditions of a suspended sentence.

Brendan Doolin (41) of Leighlin Road, Crumlin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2019 to five years in prison, with the final two years suspended.

Doolin, described by his lawyers as an internet troll, had admitted harassing Sarah Griffin, Kate McEvoy, Sinead O'Carroll, Christine Bohan, Roe McDermott and Aoife Barry by sending them hundreds of abusive online messages on dates between May 2012 and February 2018.

On Tuesday, Judge Martin Nolan handed Doolin a three-year sentence, which he suspended for three years on strict conditions. He ordered the sentence to run consecutively to the suspended portion of Doolin's previous sentence. The new sentence will come into effect in December.

Judge Nolan said if all matters had been dealt with at the same time, he would have given Doolin a longer sentence.

Noting Doolin had served his sentence, Judge Nolan said: At this stage in life, he is bothering no one we know of at least. I assume a good eye is being kept on him. He said Doolin is an unusual personality who lives an unusual life. He said the court considered that it probably would not be just to imprison him at this stage.

Judge Nolan warned Doolin that if he breaches court orders not to contact the injured parties or the terms of this suspended sentence, he would be brought back before the court again and prison time is inevitable. At a hearing on Monday, the court heard Doolin was released from custody in December 2021 and has not re-offended since.

Eoghan Cole BL, representing the State, said that after Doolin had been charged with the harassment offences and facing trial, he committed multiple breaches of his bail condition not to be in any contact whatsoever with any of the injured parties, either directly or indirectly.

Garda seizure

Doolin pleaded guilty to one count of harassment on dates between August 8, 2018, and August 6, 2019. A prosecuting garda told Mr Cole that in April and May 2019, Kate McEvoy and Sarah Griffin contacted gardai to report that posts were being made about them online in language similar to that used previously by Doolin.

Gardai got a warrant to search Doolin's house and seized his laptop. He told gardai he didn't own a phone. The laptop was analysed and found to contain photos of Kate McEvoy and Roe McDermott taken in the atrium of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, linked to a particular model of smartphone.

A second search was carried out of Doolin's home and the smartphone in question was found concealed under his floor boards containing the photos. Doolin admitted the phone was his.

Emails and online posts

Mr Cole said that separately, Doolin had made up email addresses very similar to the names of some of the injured parties and then used these emails to post obnoxious or upsetting messages online. Ms McDermott, Ms Griffin and Ms McEvoy reported that they were contacted by others at various times in 2019 asking why they were posting such messages.

Ms Griffin said people, including fellow writers, would get negative comments from her from an email similar to her name, in what she felt was an attack on her livelihood.

One comment made to look like it had been posted by Ms Griffin said: You're going to be ripped into tiny pieces all in good time. Ms Griffin cancelled certain public engagements, the court heard, due to a fear that Doolin would be monitoring her.

Counsel told the court that Doolin also responded to several legitimate tweets posted by the injured parties by using uncomplimentary, unflattering or abusive language, describing them as dull, cowardly, classist, white feminist. Doolin also responded to a social media post by Ms Griffin's husband by commenting: We know where you are, all in good time.

Aoife Barry, Sarah Griffin and Kate McEvoy also reported that they received multiple password reset requests after Doolin tried to enter their emails, knowing that this meant they would receive messages asking them to change their passwords.

None of the six injured parties were present in court although all submitted victim impact statements which were not read aloud. Mr Cole said a theme of all the victim impact statements was a wish shared by the women that Doolin would receive whatever help he needs to overcome his problems.

Remorse

Keith Spencer BL, defending Doolin, said his client's bail breaches were of a lower order than his original offending, describing it as more nuisance behaviour. Mr Spencer said that Doolin had been suffering from profound mental health difficulties at the time but has since corrected his behaviour and expressed remorse.

He doesn't even operate computers now, he doesn't go near them because he's afraid and he knows that there are orders in place, said Mr Spencer, pointing out that Doolin continues to cooperate with the Probation Service.

The court heard previously that all the cases shared similar features in that each of the women Doolin targeted either worked as journalists or had a strong social media presence, particularly on Twitter.

2019 sentencing

Sentencing Doolin in 2019, Judge Nolan said that the court had heard about what was the dark side of the internet, which allows a man sitting in his house to inflict huge amounts of trauma on six women. He said the defendant felt like he was untouchable.

Judge Nolan said that most of us could put up with one, two, three or even a dozen insulting and abusive responses, but that there had been literally hundreds of responses to what the women said. He said the women were literally stalked on the internet by the defendant.

He said that all of the complainants asked Doolin to stop, but he persisted. He said he behaved in a very vindictive way.

Judge Nolan said the mitigating factors in the case were Doolin's guilty plea, his co-operation, his admissions, his expression of remorse, his own difficulties and his unlikelihood of offending in the future.

He said that he had no doubt that Doolin knew the difference between right and wrong and that nothing in the psychiatric report disputed this. He said Doolin offended grievously and he persisted in harassing and intimidating and attempting to frighten the victims.
A convicted murderer who assaulted a barrister during his trial and conducted his own appeal because he was unable to find a lawyer to represent him has claimed that gardai planted evidence against him during their investigation.

Vesel Jahiri, aged 42, stabbed Anna Finnegan, aged 25, to death in her home a month after she had sought refuge at a womens shelter. Anna had written that Jahiri made her life hell, had beaten her and almost killed her. They had been together since she was 16 years old.

Jahiri was sentenced to life imprisonment after he was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury of the murder of the mother of his two children at Allendale Glen, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, on September 21, 2012.

Following the trial in April 2017, jurors also found him guilty of stabbing Annas brother Karl Finnegan in the chest and head during the same attack. Jahiri, of no fixed abode and who is serving his time in Cloverhill Prison, had pleaded not guilty to both charges and claimed he stabbed Mr Finnegan in self-defence after he first stabbed him.

Second trial

It was Jahiris second trial for murdering Ms Finnegan after a jury failed to reach a verdict in his first trial in 2014. The trial had been disrupted after Jahiri, who is from Kosovo, assaulted the prosecuting barrister. At the trial, Jahiri, who had earlier dismissed his legal team to represent himself, leapt across the benches and punched Patrick Marrinan in the face before being wrestled to the ground by prison officers and removed from the court.

When the trial resumed, the accused was accompanied by four prison officers dressed in full riot gear as he was brought back into court.

Jahiri appealed his conviction and claims that gardai planted knives and a knife block at a temporary address he was staying at in Lohunda Crescent, Clonsilla. The appellant claims this was done to imply that he had to have brought the knife to the scene of the crime himself to stab Anna, which he denies.

Court of Appeal

At the Court of Appeal, Jahiri claimed that the trial judge failed to stop the trial and direct he be found not guilty as he was not allowed to inspect the knife as he was entitled to do. He further claims the trial judge erred in excluding Jahiri from the latter stages of the trial due to his behaviour and in denying him a closing speech.

Jahiri claims he took the knife from Mr Finnegan after being attacked at Allendale Glen and that Mr Finnegan must have stabbed his sister during the fight.

He also claims that gardai wiped CCTV from Cabra Garda Station of gardai allegedly wiping the blade of the knife to remove Mr Finnegans fingerprints, to leave only Jahiris fingerprints and Annas blood remaining.

Jahiri told the three-judge court that had the blade not been wiped, forensics would have revealed Mr Finnegans fingerprints underneath some of his. He claimed this would prove the appellant could have only held the knife after Mr Finnegan and this, submits Jahiri, would prove he could not have brought the knife to Allendale Glen.

The appellant further claims that gardai then took a knife block, six knives, and a meat cleaver from Allendale Glen and planted it at his address so they could link it to the murder weapon as they were the same brand.

The Constitution says all are equal before the law and I should not have been stopped to inspect the exhibits, said Jahiri.

Jahiri submitted gardai hid and tampered with evidence to incriminate him.

Anna Finnegan, aged 25, was stabbed to death in her home a month after she had sought refuge at a womens shelter. Anna had written that Jahiri made her life 'hell'.

Cathleen Noctor, for the State, said that much of Jahiris lengthy submission was the appellants interpretation of the trial and that is a matter for the jury.

It has to be said that the appellant, for reasons best known to himself, has given misrepresentations of what happened at the trial, said Ms Noctor. Jahiri had claimed that a neighbours 999 call had not been played to the jury in the second trial as it had in the first trial but Ms Noctor said it was not an exhibit in the case under appeal and Jahiri had cross-examined witnesses about the call at the trial.

Ms Noctor said that when Jahiris fifth and final legal team came off record they had told the trial Jahiri had received all the material in the case. The barrister said that no application had been made by Jahiri to exclude the knives or any evidence the prosecution had introduced in the trial.

Regarding Jahiris claims over his fingerprint being on the murder knife, Ms Noctor said the jury heard all of it and rejected it.

Ms Noctor said the CCTV in Cabra Garda Station from 2012 could not have been recovered after three weeks or a month when it deletes itself and there had been no issue over the matter from Jahiris legal teams.

He complains of the failure to have the knives available to him and that he was denied the right to inspect them  the offences were in 2012, the trial was in 2014, and he was represented by five legal teams. Any of them could have made that application, said Ms Noctor.

Jahiri also claims he had been denied a phone to contact witnesses in the case.

Ms Noctor said every assistance had been given to Jahiri to get his witnesses but he had not provided their details, which the prosecution described as a ruse on the defendants part.

Jahiri submitted he had not been properly charged with the crimes and thus had not been lawfully brought before the court, which meant his arrest, trial, and conviction is unlawful on both.

Ms Noctor said Jahiri had been properly charged and properly returned for trial on both matters.

Mr Justice John Edwards said the court would reserve judgment in the matter.
The cross-party Committee on Environment and Climate Action has sought legal advice after Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe twice turned down its invitations, saying he was under no obligation to accept.

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.

The committee has held public sessions with senior ministers including Simon Coveney, Eamon Ryan, and Charlie McConalogue to discuss their roles in relation to the Climate Action Plan.

In response to the invitation, Mr Donohoe replied that the issues the committee were discussing were of more relevance to ministers responsible for sectors with sectoral emission ceilings, that govern how much greenhouse gas emissions different sectors of society and the economy can emit.

Mr Donohoe suggested that it did not apply to him. The Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers said that the minister had a particular responsibility in relation to the public sector, and so was answerable for sectoral emissions ceilings.

The role of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is to serve the public interest by supporting the delivery of well-managed, well targeted and sustainable public spending through modernised, effective, and accountable public services.

So, what is the role of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in relation to climate?

In June 2022 Deputy Ged Nash asked the then Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath the details for a new climate division in his department, in terms of its staffing structure, overall responsibilities, and its function in relation to implementation and enforcement of sectoral carbon budgets and ceilings across Government.

In his response, Minister McGrath said in recognition of the scale and urgency of the challenge of meeting Irelands climate and action targets, a new Climate Action Division had been established within the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

"The new Climate Action Division aims to maximise the contribution which the department can make in this area. The division will bring together key expenditure areas with a strong climate dimension, including adaptation, mitigation and climate finance. A core responsibility will be to ensure that climate impacts are fully considered in the development of policies and actions for which the department is responsible."

Functions

The Minister outlined the key functions of the new division, including climate policy coordination, performance budgeting, and wellbeing; climate policy research and analysis; as well as oversight of sectoral spending in the departments of transport, agriculture, environment, climate, communications, and the Office of Public Works (OPW), amongst others.

"Regarding the sectoral climate ceilings, each relevant Government minister will be responsible for achieving the legally binding targets for their own sector, with each minister accounting for their performance towards sectoral targets and actions before the Oireachtas Committee annually.

"Within the overall expenditure framework set by my department, it will be the responsibility of each minister to ensure that their departments priorities and spending allocations are aligned with the emissions ceilings in their sectors."

Further clarity of the role of the Department of Expenditure and Reforms climate division became evident earlier this month when Deputy Ruairi O Murchu asked Minister Donohoe to outline the targets for 2023 for the climate division of this department.

In response, the Minister explained that the climate division has responsibility for oversight of capital investment policies, and advises the minister and Government on the public expenditure implications of climate action.

Targets

He explained the key targets of the climate division in 2023 include robust monitoring of the expenditure implications of both national and international climate policies to understand the potential costs associated with achieving climate targets and to ensure the Departments policies and tools take sufficient account of climate considerations.

"This is a multi-faceted programme of work that builds on the progress made in previous years to help shape policymaking that is financially sustainable and represents the best use of available resources,

"The work is supported by the climate research unit within the division, whose objective is to undertake analysis on the wider economic implications of climate policies and the potential compliance costs associated with climate targets.

The minister added the climate research unit works in collaboration with the Department of Finance and the Economic and Social Research Institute to estimate the macroeconomic and fiscal impacts of the States climate action measures and examine the distributional impacts of climate policy on the Irish economy and the costs that individual households and businesses are likely to face as a result of the climate transition.

The Climate Division also has responsibility for the implementation of performance reporting and driving progress in the development and application of budgeting tools such as well-being, green and equality budgeting. These are designed to bring a greater level of transparency and accountability to how public money is being spent, and strengthen the link between expenditure allocations and the delivery of public service outputs and outcomes. It is clear from these statements that the Climate Division within the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform does not have responsibility for meeting the emissions ceilings within individual sectors  responsibility lies with the Minister in the relevant Department.

While Minister Donohoe is not responsible for climate targets being kept within emissions ceilings, the work of the Climate Division has the potential to provide valuable insights into the exploration of transgressions where emissions ceilings have been or are likely to be breached. Similarly, the wider economic implications of climate policies must also be of interest to the Oireachtas Committee.

The key role of the Climate Division in the implementation of performance reporting and driving progress in the development and application of wellbeing, green, and equality budgeting tools is an essential part of the understanding of the ability of individual Departments to meet sectoral ceilings for climate emissions.

Greenhouse gas emissions

New data from Eurostat recently report Ireland to have had the largest rise in greenhouse gas emissions in 2022. Irelands greenhouse gas emissions in Q4 of 2022 rose in tandem with GDP, which was almost twice as large as the second biggest year-on-year increase.

Following Ireland was Latvia, which saw greenhouse gas emissions rise by 6.8%, with Malta in third place, rising by 6.4%. Denmark was the fourth country to report an increase, with its rate of emissions growing marginally at just under 2%.

The remaining 23 countries all saw a fall in greenhouse gas emissions, with Slovenia seeing the most dramatic decrease at almost 16%.

It appears that the Climate Division in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is in a key position to provide insights into how this ongoing challenge is being addressed and how we are going to get these figures in line with the rest of Europe.

At a time of climate emergency, why is the Minister not stepping forward enthusiastically and voluntarily to do exactly that?

Time for all of us to stop prevaricating, procrastinating and dodging the bullet  and do whatever we can, wherever we can to meet our climate targets and challenge the climate breakdown we are hurtling towards.

Dr Catherine Conlon is a public health doctor in Cork and former director of human health and nutrition, safefood
Fresh searches are under way in Portugal in the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Police divers entered the water early on Tuesday at the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine went missing in 2007.

Tents have been erected on the banks of the reservoir and officers from Portugal, Germany and the UK were seen holding morning briefings on Tuesday, the BBC reported.

A police motor boat was sent into the water with two officers on board.

Portuguese police confirmed on Monday that they are co-ordinating searches in the Algarve at the request of German police and in the presence of British officers.

Portuguese authorities gather at a makeshift Judiciary Police (PJ) base camp in the Arade dam area, Faro district, one day before the official start of a new search operation amid the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, in Silves, Portugal. Picture: Luis Forra/ EPA-EFE/Shuttershock

A brief statement from the prosecutors office in the German city of Braunschweig confirmed the search but did not reveal why it was taking place.

Four teams of officers from the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria are involved in the operation, along with at least 20 of their German counterparts, Portuguese news channel SIC said.

Around a dozen officers with sniffer dogs were moving along the bank of the reservoir as part of the search.

It has been reported that the prime suspect in Madeleines disappearance, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, 45, spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017.

Investigators believe he killed Madeleine, then aged three, after abducting her from a holiday apartment.

Brueckner, who has denied involvement in Madeleines disappearance, was identified as a suspect by Portuguese officials in June 2020.

The Sun reported that the search was sparked after German investigators discovered video and photos of Brueckner near the reservoir.

A no-fly zone has been put in place over the water and media and other onlookers are being kept a mile back from the site of the search, the newspaper said.

Brueckner is facing charges in Germany over a number of separate sex offences allegedly committed in Portugal during that time.

German authorities are expected to release a statement about the search later on Tuesday.

Police guard a Judiciary Police (PJ) makeshift base camp in the Arade dam area, Faro district, one day before the official start of a new search operation amid the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Picture: LUIS FORRA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

It is not the first time the reservoir has been searched.

In 2008, Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleines body was there.

The most recent search in Portugal in relation to her disappearance was in 2014, when British police were given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished.

Earlier this month, Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry McCann posted a short statement on their Find Madeleine Campaign website to mark the anniversary of her disappearance.

They said: Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleines abduction.

Still missing still very much missed.

It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel.

The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough.
Former US president Donald Trump has made a video appearance in his New York criminal case, with the judge tentatively setting a trial date for late March of next year.

The hearing lasted about 15 minutes.
Asia Thai Coalition Agrees Plans but Silent on Royal Insult Reform

Move Forward Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat (center) joins hands with coalition partners at the signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding (MOU) among eight Thai political parties in agreement to form a new government, in Bangkok on May 22, 2023. / AFP

BANGKOKThailands government-in-waiting on Monday announced ambitious plans to rewrite the constitution, end military conscription and allow same-sex marriage, but made no mention of highly controversial proposals to change royal insult laws.

The eight-party coalition, headed by the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP), inked a deal outlining nearly two dozen policies on which they all agree.

MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat said again on Monday that he was confident of becoming prime minister, but he faces an uphill battle because of opposition within the military-allied Senate to his plans to reform lese-majeste legislation.

Its another historic moment that shows we can transform the government to democracy peacefully, Pita told reporters, noting the deal was being signed on the ninth anniversary of the military coup that brought Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha to power.

The purpose of this MOU [memorandum of understanding] is to collect the agenda that all parties agree and are ready to push in government and parliament.

MFP and fellow opposition outfit Pheu Thai dominated the May 14 election, in which voters delivered a humiliating defeat to ruling conservative army-linked parties.

Mondays wide-ranging agreement, which gives only broad policy topics, includes a commitment to rewrite the 2017 constitution, which was drawn up by the then-ruling military junta headed by Prayut.

But it contains no mention of plans to reform the royal defamation laws that shield King Maha Vajiralongkorn from criticism.

Pita insists MFP will not back away from its campaign pledge to change the law, but the stance is spooking Thailands conservative royalist-military establishment.

Even discussing lese-majeste reform was taboo until recently, and the issue could scupper Pitas chances of taking the top job.

His coalition has 313 of the 500 lower house seatsa comfortable majority for day-to-day governing.

But the vote to choose a PM also includes the 250-seat Senate, whose members were all handpicked by Prayuts junta. Several have said they will not vote for Pita because of the lese-majeste issue.

Pita insisted he was confident he would become prime minister, saying the coalition was working to win senators over.

We have a negotiation team and I think they are lessening their concerns, he said.

The deal also covers plans to tackle the monopolies and oligopolies that dominate some sectors of the Thai economy, notably in brewing and other alcohol production.

Plans to replace compulsory military service with a voluntary system also appear, along with a pledge to regulate cannabis more strictly after it was legalized last year.
Burma Cyclone Mocha and Its Aftermath in Numbers

Devastation in Sittwe caused by Cyclone Mocha. / The Irrawaddy

Cyclone Mocha made landfall on Myanmars west coast in Rakhine State on Sunday with winds of up to 195 km (120 miles) per hour, before crossing into neighboring Chin State and Sagaing and Magwe regions. It left a trail of massive destruction in western Rakhine State and the northwestern resistance strongholds of Chin State and Sagaing and Magwe regions in conflict-torn Myanmar, becoming the strongest storm to hit the country in 16 years.

While all of these areas have suffered widespread destruction of homes, public infrastructure and plantations, storm-related deaths have only been reported in Rakhine, Magwe and Sagaing. The United Nations (UN) said on Friday that at least 800,000 people needed emergency food aid and other assistance after the storm.

The UN and other international aid agencies still havent been able to make a complete assessment of the storms impact due to communication breakdowns and difficulty accessing the affected areas, mainly because they are still waiting for the juntas approval. The total death toll in Rakhine is still unclear as local volunteers have reported conflicting numbers. Myanmars junta announced on Friday that 145 people were killed in Rakhine alone. However, locals and rescue teams said some people are still missing, feared dead. As of Monday, The Irrawaddy estimates the total death toll in Rakhine, Magwe and Sagaing at 157, with Rakhine the worst affected with 149 deaths.

The following numbers show the devastation caused by Cyclone Mocha as of Monday in only Rakhine, Magwe and Sagaing, while data on the devastation in Chin State has not been confirmed yet.
Burma Myanmar Junta Forces Suffer Heavy Casualties in Battle for Sagaing Village

Smoke rises above Badu village during a clash between armed resistance groups and the regime forces in Sagaing Township on Monday. / 96 Soldiers PDF

Intense clashes lasting for eight hours broke out on Monday when Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs) attempted to seize a police outpost at Badu village, Sagaing Region, according to locals and resistance groups.

The village in Sagaing Township had been raided by around 100 junta troops just the day before, forcing thousands of residents to flee.

Junta forces deployed helicopter gunships to conduct airstrikes and drop reinforcements during the resistance attack.

Fighting erupted at 9 am on Monday when 10 PDF groups attacked the Badu police outpost where around 30 soldiers and police were stationed, said Ko Zayar Lwin, a leader of the 96 Soldiers PDF group that joined the raid.

Resistance fighters were forced to retreat after two hours of fierce fighting when the military deployed a Russian MI35 gunship to attack them with rockets and machinegun, Ko Zayar Lwin told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.

They resumed their attack on the outpost at 1.45 pm but were again repelled by the helicopter gunship. Munition fired by the gunship reportedly burned several houses in the village.

Resistance fighters eventually managed to occupy some parts of the police outpost, where they burned the prison cell, according to the PDF group.

However, the MI35 gunship returned the same evening to conduct further airstrikes. All resistance fighters were forced to retreat from the fighting when an MI17 transport helicopter carrying reinforcements was spotted approaching the clash site, the resistance groups said.

We were almost able to occupy the whole police outpost yesterday. But our fighters had to retreat because we were afraid of being trapped in the village by regime forces dropped by helicopters. We were also low on ammunition, Ko Zayar Lwin said.

The PDF groups claimed around five regime forces and police were killed in the clashes while one resistance fighter suffered serious injuries.

They said their attack was hampered by strong defenses including bunkers at the police outpost.

To occupy junta bases, we need more powerful weapons and better organization because regime forces have now implemented strong defensive plans, Ko Zayar Lwin said.

Junta reinforcements who arrived on Monday also torched houses in the village.

On Sunday, junta forces reportedly suffered casualties when around 100 troops from military division 33 in Sagaing town raided Badu and clashed with local PDFs. Three PDF fighters were also injured. Meanwhile, a 27-year-old female resident was killed and a child and senior citizen injured in an accident as they fled the village in vehicles.

Elsewhere in Sagaing Township, at least 12 regime forces including an officer were killed on Sunday when four PDF groups attacked a police station in Sadaung town, according to Zero Guerrilla Force, which joined the raid.

The PDF fighters were forced to retreat when two junta fighter jets arrived to patrol the skies above the area, the group said.
Burma Myanmar Political Prisoners Launch Hunger Strike After Fellow Inmates Disappear From Cells

Myingyan Prison in Mandalay Region

Political prisoners in Mandalays Myingyan Prison are staging a hunger strike after prison authorities forcibly removed eight political prisoners from their cells for interrogation, according to a local strike committee.

Monywa Peoples Strike Committee said in a statement that two political prisoners, Ko Kyaw Min Naing and Ko Thet Maung Maung, were taken from their cells at around 5 p.m. on Sunday, followed a few hours later by Ko Kyaw Myo Tint and Ko Zaw Zaw Aung, and by Ko Okka at around 11 p.m. on the same day. Ko Kyaw Myo Tint and Ko Zaw Zaw Aung were earlier transferred to Myingyan Prison from Mandalays Obo Prison.

On Monday morning, two others, Ko Kyaw Tint Oo and Ko Aung Myo Thant, were also dragged away, he said.

Ko Shin Thant, a leading committee member and a former political prisoner who was detained in Myingyan Prison for nearly two years, said the committee has received reports from sources inside the prison that the detainees were being beaten and that one of them, Ko Okka, was beaten to death, but his body had not been seen or returned.

One prisoner was returned to their cell on Monday but another political inmate was removed, according to local strike committees.

Ko Shin Thant said that aside from the report that Ko Okka had been killed, the condition and whereabouts of the other missing prisoners remained unknown.

The reason for the removals is still unclear.

The Irrawaddy couldnt independently verify the reports.

Myingyan Peoples Strike Committee also reported accounts of political inmates being dragged away to unknown locations since Sunday.

The whereabouts and conditions of the political inmates removed from their cells since Sunday remain unknown, the group stated on Tuesday, raising concerns for their lives and for the futures of the other political inmates.

Ko Shin Thant of Monywa Peoples Strike Committee said the prison is currently heavily guarded by police and junta soldiers, and that regular inmates were under lockdown on Monday, confined to their cells.

The political detainees in Myingyan Prison are staging a hunger strike, refusing food provided by the prison, demanding to know what happened to the inmates who had been removed.

For now, we havent yet received any more updates of what is happening behind bars, he added.

Myingyan Prison houses more than 250 political prisoners detained since the 2021 coup.

Since the military takeover, at least 3,562 people have been killed and 22,600 civilians have been arrested, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Of them, 18,309 remain behind bars.
Burma Over 50,000 Displaced as Myanmar Regime Column Torches Sagaing Villages

People fleeing junta arson attacks in Kantbalu Township on May 20. / Kyun Hla Activists Group

Myanmar junta forces have burned down at least 20 villages and killed four civilians over the last month in Kantbalu Township, Sagaing Region.

A combined force of around 300 Myanmar military troops from Light Infantry Battalions 361 and 368 and pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia has been raiding villages in the east and south of Kantbalu Township since April 20, causing over 50,000 locals to flee their homes, said villagers and resistance groups.

On the morning of May 17, the regime force entered Nyaung Zin Kyi Village in Kantbalu, firing mortars and light arms at nearby villages.

The same day, regime forces shot and killed a 27-year-old displaced man from Nyaung Paung Yin Village. Two men and a woman were also killed on the same day in an artillery strike by the Kantbalu-based Artillery Battalion 6006.

On May 18, junta soldiers torched Man Kyi Suu Village and nearby villages.

In response to the arson attack, Kantbalu Peoples Defense Force (PDF) and other resistance groups attacked the regime column.

They [junta forces] left Man Kyi Suu Village on Friday and we fought them as they pulled out of the village, said a member of the Kantbalu Underground Warriors PDF.

The regime force then torched Suu Tat Village, before heading for Bote Kone Village, and came under attack again from the combined force of resistance groups in a battle that lasted for an hour.

My house was burned down, and they [junta troops] also took away cattle belonging to me and other villagers, said Daw Hmone, a 62-year-old Suu Tat resident.

The regime column was ambushed again on May 20 and suffered many casualties, according to PDFs, although casualty figures could not be verified. The junta troops then retreated to Bote Kone Village, where they torched many homes.

On the following day, the junta column headed southwest and is now based in Min Ywar Taw Village. They are very cruel and now they are preparing for another arson attack as they cannot beat us, said a fighter from Kantbalu PDF.

He added that tens of thousands of residents from a dozen villages have fled their homes. Some 50,000 civilians have been displaced and are in urgent need of food and medicine, according to volunteers helping the refugees.

On May 21, the junta column also burned down Pyit Tine Htaung Village in Sabei Nant Thar village tract, which is located beside the ShweboMyitkyina Road.
May 22, 2023



A pair of grants are kickstarting research at Idaho State University into new ways of treating exposure to a deadly carcinogen and congenital disorders.

Recently, Kinta Serve, associate professor, and Heather Ray, assistant professor, in ISUs Department of Biological Sciences, were each awarded a Pilot Project grant from the Idaho INBRE Program. Serve will be trying to identify new and earlier ways of treating asbestos exposure. Serve and her students will be looking into how changes in the pleural cavity - the small cavity surrounding the lungs - of mice following exposure to asbestos lead to chronic diseases like mesothelioma and asbestosis.

Asbestos exposure is an ongoing health risk, especially among people living or working in older buildings that were constructed with asbestos-containing materials, said Serve. Many chronic diseases, including asbestos-related diseases, are thought to arise from early changes in immune and cell responses. By studying these immune and cell changes early on - a few weeks after asbestos exposure - we hope to identify new ways of treating or preventing disease.

It is exciting to be involved in this research because while we know a lot about asbestos exposure, there are still major gaps in our knowledge, said Larisa Knapp, a junior from Preston, Idaho. Everything I do in the lab will be discovering new information that can truly help people. Not only am I learning so much about the research process, toxicology, and immunology, but I'm also helping with discoveries that can lead to a better understanding and prevention of related cancers, asbestosis, and autoimmune disease.

Meanwhile, Ray and her students are looking at the role of the protein Mannan-binding lectin serine protease 1 (Masp1) in the development of frog embryos. Also found in humans, the Masp1 protein is involved in embryonic patterning - the genetic programs that are used by an organism to form the bodys organs. When the patterning process is disrupted, it leads to malformations of the organs.

The underlying genetic causes of developmental disorders are complex, and patients and their families are often left wondering why and how they occurred, Ray said. Our research is shedding new light on how Masp1 is involved in a specific genetic disorder, 3MC Syndrome, which can help answer these questions for those affected.

Im thrilled for the opportunity to work with Dr. Ray and a team of undergraduate students to better understand a disorder that affects many individuals, said Mikayla Macaluso, a masters student from Kuna, Idaho. Its intriguing to see the impact that a single protein has on a physical feature such as facial development.

The Idaho INBRE Program seeks to improve the health of all Idahoans by augmenting and strengthening Idahos capacity to do and sustain biomedical research and education.

For more information on Idaho State Universitys Department of Biological Sciences, visit isu.edu/biology.

Prospective students can book a campus tour at https://www.isu.edu/visit/.
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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.
Residents of Khartoum heard artillery fire and saw warplanes flying overhead, raising fears of intense fighting despite the internationally-monitored ceasefire.

Some reported relative calm as the truce began, aimed at allowing for humanitarian relief. However, activists wrote to the UN envoy to Sudan, complaining about severe human rights abuses against civilians during the fighting.

The ceasefire deal, agreed between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after five weeks of fierce battles, has raised hopes for a pause in a conflict that has displaced nearly 1.1 million people.

The truce is being monitored by Saudi Arabia and the US but concerns remain about possible violations, with both sides accusing each other of an attempted power grab.

Sudanese activists complain of indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes against residential areas, extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence, and the taking of civilians as human shields.

The crisis is putting pressure on Sudans neighbours, with refugees streaming into Chad in large numbers.
France has officially banned domestic flights on short routes that take less than two-and-a-half hours by train, in an effort to reduce airline emissions.

While some airlines have questioned the legality of the measure, it has already been put into practice.

The ban will mostly affect air travel between Paris and regional hubs such as Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux, but connecting flights will remain unaffected.

However, critics argue that the threshold for comparable train journeys falls short of the roughly three hours it takes to travel from Paris to Marseille by high-speed rail.

The new law stipulates that train services on the same route must be frequent, timely, and well-connected to meet the needs of passengers who would otherwise travel by air and be able to absorb the increase in passenger numbers.

Passengers should be able to make outbound and return train journeys on the same day, having spent eight hours at their destination.

Air France has already made its compliance with the plan clear in exchange for government coronavirus financial support, but the industry is calling for more significant solutions to airline emissions. Meanwhile, French politicians are discussing ways to reduce emissions from private jets as well.
TikTok Inc., a social media company, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Missoula, seeking to overturn Montanas ban on the video sharing app.

The company argues that the law violates free speech rights and is based on unfounded speculation that the Chinese government could access users data.

The ban is the first of its kind in the United States. The move came after five content creators filed a similar lawsuit claiming the state of Montana has no power to take action on national security matters.

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill allowing the ban on TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, to take effect on Jan. 1.

TikTok maintains that it has not shared U.S. user data with the Chinese government and has taken measures to protect the privacy and security of its users.

The FBI and other U.S. agencies are concerned that the app could be used to allow the Chinese government to access information on U.S. citizens or push pro-Beijing misinformation.

Montanas new law prohibits downloads of TikTok in the state and imposes penalties of $10,000 per day for entities that offer access to the app. The penalties do not apply to users.
A trial for opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on rape charges resumed in Senegal on Tuesday, but for the second time, he failed to attend the proceedings.

The courtroom in capital Dakar was surrounded by a security cordon as clashes have erupted previously due to the case.

Sonko, popular among the youth, has labelled the trial as a political scheme to derail his 2024 presidential aspirations.

He has been charged with rape and death threats against an employee of a beauty salon, which he denies.

Sonko demanded guarantees for his security as a condition for attending the trial, and currently, he is believed to be in the southern city of Ziguinchor, where he holds the position of Mayor.

Senegal has traditionally been stable, but in recent years, it has experienced turbulence that has at times turned violent.

In 2021, several days of protests erupted after Sonkos arrest, leaving at least 12 people dead.

During clashes between Sonkos supporters and police ahead of the May 16 proceedings, three other people lost their lives.

Sonko, who is the president of the PASTEF-Patriots party, finished third in the 2019 elections against the incumbent Macky Sall.

Political tensions have been on the rise due to Salls refusal to rule out running for a third term as President, which opposition leaders argue would be unconstitutional.

In March, Sonko received a six-month suspended prison sentence for defamation and insults against the tourism minister.
Over 100 climate activists storm annual shareholder meeting of Go to hell, Shell

British oil and gas company Shells shareholders meeting was met with environmental protests regarding the companys plan to combat carbon emissions.

Demonstrators from Greenpeace, Fossil Free London, Neon, and Tipping Point protested outside the London meeting, with over 100 activists interrupting CEO Wael Sawans opening statement, and others attempting to occupy the stage.

Shareholder activist group Follow This introduced a resolution calling for Shell to strengthen its efforts to fight climate change, which was supported by one-fifth of the voters.

Follow This founder Mark van Baal said there was shareholder discontent due to 20 percent support and abstentions, despite the boards recommendation.

Shell chairman Andrew Mackenzie argued that the resolution would weaken the business, reducing its ability to make a difference in the world.

Critics have slammed Shell for its net zero carbon emissions by 2050 goal, accusing it of greenwashing or marketing its activities as climate-friendly.

Shut down Shell, protesters chanted as they interrupted speeches from Mackenzie and other board members.

Dozens of protestors were removed from the event by members of the security team. Earlier in the month, Shell announced that first-quarter profit had sharply risen due to resurgent oil prices, echoing other energy companies such as BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and TotalEnergies.

Rising profits amid high electricity and gas bills facing Britons have caused critics to accuse energy majors of profiteering. (AFP)
Proposal Represents Immediate, Cash Premium of 26% over Alpha's 20-day Volume-Weighted Average Price as of May 12, 2023

Opportunity for Alpha Shareholders to Realize Compelling, Immediate and Certain Value 

No Financing Contingency and Credible Transaction Partner with a Clear Path Towards Obtaining Any Regulatory Approvals

Public Proposal Follows Attempts to Engage with Alpha in Private

Tecpetrol's Intention is to Responsibly Develop These Premium Lithium Assets as part of the Integrated Western Battery Supply Chain

TORONTO, May 22, 2023 /CNW/ - Tecpetrol Investments S.L. ("Tecpetrol"), a member of the Techint Group of Companies (the "Techint Group"), announced today that it has made a non-binding proposal (the "Offer") to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares ("Shares") of Alpha Lithium Corporation (NEO: ALLI) (OTC: APHLF) (German WKN: A3CUW1) ("Alpha" or the "Company") a Canadian incorporated, headquartered and listed company, for cash consideration of C$1.24 per Share (the "Offer Price"). The Offer was presented in a letter that Tecpetrol submitted to the president and chief executive officer of Alpha on May 15, 2023.

Alpha refused to consider Tecpetrol's proposal and did not engage with Tecpetrol following discussions between advisors. Through these exchanges, Tecpetrol indicated an ability to improve the financial terms of its Offer if Alpha would agree to give Tecpetrol access to expedited due diligence so that Tecpetrol could determine an appropriate increase in price based on its findings. Tecpetrol remains prepared to engage immediately in good faith negotiations with Alpha, improve the Offer based on due diligence, and complete the transaction expeditiously with support from Alpha's board of directors.

Tecpetrol's intention, in line with its energy transition strategy, is to sustainably develop these premium lithium assets as part of the integrated Western battery supply chain. The proposal is aligned with Canada's critical minerals strategy, whose vision is to increase the supply of critical minerals and support the development of the domestic and global value chains for the green and digital economy.

Tecpetrol is a company incorporated in Spain that is part of the Techint Group, a conglomerate with a strong presence in Canada for more than 20 years, notably through Tenaris, the leading Canadian manufacturer and supplier of steel tubes for the Canadian oil and gas industry. Tecpetrol is fully committed to this opportunity and has put in place a comprehensive and highly experienced team to facilitate the execution of the transaction described above on an expedited basis.

Financial and Strategic Benefits of the Offer

Tecpetrol firmly believes that the Offer is in the best interests of Alpha shareholders and that shareholders should have the opportunity to determine what is best for their investment. Tecpetrol believes the significant benefits of the Offer include, among other things:

Attractive Premium to Shareholders . The Offer implies an aggregate purchase price of approximately C$241 million for the Company (on a fully-diluted, in-the-money basis) and represents the following premiums to the trading price of the Shares on the NEO Exchange for the period ending May 12, 2023 : 26% premium to the 20-day volume weighted average price; and 13% premium to the closing price.

. The Offer implies an aggregate purchase price of approximately for the Company (on a fully-diluted, in-the-money basis) and represents the following premiums to the trading price of the Shares on the NEO Exchange for the period ending : Credible and Experienced Counterparty with Clear Path to Closing . The Techint Group is a large global industrial organization and has an extensive track record and reputation of completing large transactions in industrial and extractive sectors around the globe, including in Canada , and in navigating complex regulatory frameworks. The Techint Group's strong integration in the western allied countries' supply chains and significant presence and history of successful investment in Canada make it a credible transaction partner with a clear path towards obtaining any Canadian or other regulatory approvals and ultimately closing.

. The Techint Group is a large global industrial organization and has an extensive track record and reputation of completing large transactions in industrial and extractive sectors around the globe, including in , and in navigating complex regulatory frameworks. The Techint Group's strong integration in the western allied countries' supply chains and significant presence and history of successful investment in make it a credible transaction partner with a clear path towards obtaining any Canadian or other regulatory approvals and ultimately closing. Certainty of Value and Liquidity Through De-Risked Transaction . The Offer will crystallize full value for the Company's shareholders, providing them with immediate liquidity, and eliminates the exploration, development and execution risk associated with bringing the Company's properties into production.

. The Offer will crystallize full value for the Company's shareholders, providing them with immediate liquidity, and eliminates the exploration, development and execution risk associated with bringing the Company's properties into production. Standalone Plan Remains Challenging and Underfunded . The development of the Company's assets requires financing to fund a significant capital program (further diluting the Company's existing shareholders), and necessitates technical expertise given the development and execution risk.

. The development of the Company's assets requires financing to fund a significant capital program (further diluting the Company's existing shareholders), and necessitates technical expertise given the development and execution risk. Tax - Efficient Structure . Tecpetrol is contemplating an acquisition of the Shares of the Company, which provides a tax-efficient structure for the disposition of the Shares by shareholders.

- Tecpetrol is contemplating an acquisition of the Shares of the Company, which provides a tax-efficient structure for the disposition of the Shares by shareholders. No Financing Condition. Tecpetrol has the financial resources necessary to satisfy the Offer in full with cash on hand and does not require external financing.

Advisors

BMO Capital Markets is serving as financial advisor and Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP is serving as legal advisor to Tecpetrol. In addition, Crestview Strategy is serving as government relations advisor and Teneo is serving as strategic communications advisor.

About the Tecpetrol Energy Transition Unit

Tecpetrol's Energy Transition Unit is Techint Group's dedicated business unit responsible for advancing its position in the global energy transition through investments in decarbonized energy sources, carriers and technologies, with the objective of contributing to a significant reduction in the carbon footprint. As part of this initiative through its subsidiary Techenergy Lithium S.A., Tecpetrol has built a lithium processing pilot plant in northern Argentina engineered for scale, which supports a production flowsheet involving direct lithium extraction. For additional information on Tecpetrol, please visit its website at https://www.tecpetrol.com/en

The Techint Group is a global conglomerate with diversified business lines in steelmaking, complex infrastructure construction, design and construction of industrial plans and machinery, technologies for the metals and mining industries, oil and gas exploration and production and research-oriented health facilities. Through our six main companies  Tenaris S.A. (NYSE and Mexico: TS and EXM Italy: TEN), Ternium S.A. (NYSE: TX), Techint Engineering & Construction, Tenova, Tecpetrol and Humanitas  the Techint Group operates on six continents, employs 79,300 employees and generates over US$33 billion in annual revenue. We have an extensive track record of completing large transactions in industrial and extractive sectors around the globe, including in Canada, and in navigating complex regulatory frameworks. For additional information on the Techint Group, please visit its website at https://www.techintgroup.com/en

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian provincial securities laws. The words "will", "may", "should", "believe", "expect" and derivatives thereof and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events, trends or prospects and which do not relate to historical matters, identify the above mentioned and other forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include: statements regarding Tecpetrol's intention to complete the transactions contemplated by the Offer; the proposed terms and conditions of the Offer, including the amount and form of consideration under the Offer; the benefits of the Offer to Alpha shareholders, including the crystallization of full value, immediate liquidity and the elimination of the exploration, development and execution risk; the tax benefits of the Offer compared to other transactions; the expected conditions to completion of the Offer; the expected timing of the Offer; the clear path towards obtaining regulatory approvals and closing of the Offer; Tecpetrol's intentions regarding the funding of the Offer; Tecpetrol's intention to sustainably develop Alpha's premium lithium assets as part of the integrated Western battery supply chain; and potential further engagement between Tecpetrol and the Company, including possibly varying the terms or conditions of the Offer.

Although Tecpetrol believes that these forward-looking statements and information are based upon reasonable assumptions and expectations, the reader should not place undue reliance on them, or any other forward-looking statements or information in this news release. The actual outcome of future events could differ from the forward-looking statements and information herein, which are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by the statements in this news release include: the ability to obtain regulatory clearances (including clearances from regulators, to the extent applicable, in Argentina and Canada) and meet other closing conditions to any possible transaction; the ability to realize financial, operational and other benefits from the proposed transaction; general economic conditions in the jurisdictions in which Tecpetrol and the Company operate and elsewhere which may impact the markets for our products and services; the impact of market conditions on our businesses; the ability to effectively complete transactions in the critical minerals space and to integrate acquisitions into existing operations; changes in technology which have the potential to disrupt the business and industries in which we operate; and the market conditions of key commodities, the price, supply or demand for which can have a significant impact upon the financial and operating performance of our business. Except as required by law, Tecpetrol undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

DISCLAIMERS

THIS NEWS RELEASE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO BUY OR SELL, OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL OR BUY, ANY SECURITIES. ANY OFFERS, SOLICITATIONS OR OFFERS TO BUY, OR ANY SALES OF SECURITIES WILL BE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGISTRATION AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS UNDER APPLICABLE LAW.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Blackrock Silver Corp. (TSXV: BRC) (the "Company" or "Blackrock") is pleased to announce that it has received approval from the Nevada Bureau of Land Management and finalized a drill agreement with Tonatec Exploration LLC to commence its Phase-1 drill program at the Company's Silver Cloud property ("Silver Cloud"). Silver Cloud is located along the prolific, high-grade Northern Nevada Rift in north central Nevada adjacent to the Hollister mine and 15 kilometres south of the Midas mine.

In January 2023, the Company confirmed its original bonanza-grade discovery intercept at the Northwest Canyon target with metallic-screen assay which returned 1.52 metres grading 70 g/t gold and 600 g/t silver in core hole SBC22-020 (see news releases dated December 7, 2022, and January 17, 2023). A severe winter in northern Nevada precluded immediate follow up on this bonanza-grade intercept.

With ground conditions improving, access to Silver Cloud has now been restored and equipment can now be mobilized to the property. The Phase-1 drill program at Silver Cloud is anticipated to start in early June 2023.

Andrew Pollard, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company commented: "This bonanza-grade gold and silver discovery at the Northwest Canyon target is a potential game-changer for Blackrock Silver and we've been chomping at the bit to get back up there with the drills ever since. After what was a very severe winter in Nevada, the snow has finally melted and access has been regained allowing us to mobilize our equipment and commence drilling in June, giving Blackrock the opportunity to finally walk this new exciting discovery forward with this fully-funded program."

Pollard continued, "Nestled along the Northern Nevada Rift, in between and on trend of two of Nevada's highest-grade historic gold mines, the Silver Cloud property holds tremendous potential in what may be the missing link of what is one big, high-grade system. In January 2023, we reported the highest-grade intercept we've had as a Company in making this new discovery, intersecting 1.52 meters grading 70 g/t gold and 600 g/t silver in core hole SBC22-020 in Northwest Canyon. Based on the historic drill data which has assays of 5.61 g/t gold over 12.2 meters, the Company believes the vein could extend up to 2 kilometers along a north-northwest orientation. This Phase-1 program will test an initial 500 metres of that strike potential."

The initial Phase-1 program will commence with 2,200 metres of drilling for approximately 500 metres of strike along the Northwest Canyon vein projection. The vein does not outcrop at the surface and is hosted within the porphyritic Silver Cloud Rhyolite volcanic unit. Based on data from previous historic drilling in the target area, including a drill intercept in SCP-15 of 12.2 metres grading 5.61 g/t gold, the Company believes the vein could have as many as 2 kilometres of strike length along a north-northwest orientation.

Figure 1: Northwest Canyon

Map 1: Northwest Canyon drillhole locator

Quality Assurance/ Quality Control

All sampling is conducted under the supervision of the Company's project geologists, and a strict chain of custody from the project to the sample preparation facility is implemented and monitored. The core samples are hauled from the project site to a secure and fenced facility in Battle Mountain, Nevada, where they are loaded on to American Assay Laboratory's (AAL) flat-bed truck and delivered to AAL's facility in Sparks, Nevada. A sample submittal sheet is delivered to AAL personnel who organize and process the sample intervals pursuant to the Company's instructions.

The core and QA/QC samples are crushed and pulverized, then the pulverized material is digested and analyzed for Au using fire assay fusion and an Induced Coupled Plasma (ICP) finish on a 30-gram assay split. Silver is determined using five-acid digestion and ICP analysis. Over limits for gold and silver are determined using a gravimetric finish. Data verification of the assay and analytical results are completed to ensure accurate and verifiable results. Blackrock personnel insert a blind prep blank, lab blank or certified reference material approximately every 15th to 20th sample. In addition, a random selection of pulps are sent to ALS Minerals in Reno, Nevada, for check assays.

Blackrock's exploration activities at Silver Cloud are conducted and supervised by Mr. William Howald, Executive Chairman of Blackrock. Mr. William Howald, AIPG Certified Professional Geologist #11041, is a Qualified Person as defined under National Instrument 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.

Blackrock Silver to Present at Gravitas' 4th Los Angeles Summit

Blackrock Silver is pleased to announce it will be presenting at Gravitas' 4th Los Angeles Summit, which will be taking place at The Beverly Hills Hotel from Sunday, June 4th to Tuesday, June 6th, 2023, in Beverly Hills, California.

Andrew Pollard, President, and Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled to present on Monday, June 5th, 2023, at 11 am PDT, where he will also be fielding investor questions during the in-person summit.

Gravitas' 4th Los Angeles Summit will feature public and private companies across various industries presenting to a highly selective audience of venture capital, family office, and institutional investors attending from Canada, the United States, and abroad. We also welcome any investors from the Southern California area to register to attend.

For registration details, please visit: Click Here

Summit Details:

Event: Gravitas' 4th Los Angeles Summit

Format: Presentations and Q&A

Presentation Dates: Monday, June 5th and Tuesday, June 6th, 2023

Time: 9:00 AM PDT - 4:00 PM PDT

Venue: In-person at The Beverly Hills Hotel

About Blackrock Silver Corp.

Backed by gold and silver ounces in the ground, Blackrock is a junior precious metal focused exploration company driven to add shareholder value via the drill bit. With 2.97 million tonnes grading 446 g/t silver equivalent[1] at its Tonopah West project, and a new bonanza-grade gold discovery at Silver Cloud, the Company has a proven track record of exploration success. In addition to its gold and silver project portfolio, the Company is credited with a lithium discovery, the Tonopah North project, which is under option to a major lithium exploration group. Anchored by a seasoned Board, the Company is focused on its 100% controlled Nevada portfolio of properties consisting of low-sulphidation, epithermal gold and silver mineralization located along the established Northern Nevada Rift in north-central Nevada and the Walker Lane trend in western Nevada.

For further information, please contact:

Andrew Pollard, President & CEO

Blackrock Silver Corp.

Phone: 604 817-6044

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements concern, but are not limited to: the Company's strategic plans; timing and expectations for the Company's exploration and drilling programs, including the Phase-1 drilling program at Silver Cloud; estimates of mineralization from drilling; geological information projected from sampling results; and the potential quantities and grades of the target zones. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: conditions in general economic and financial markets; accuracy of assay results; geological interpretations from drilling results, timing and amount of capital expenditures; performance of available laboratory and other related services; future operating costs; and the historical basis for current estimates of potential quantities and grades of target zones. The actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of risk factors, including but not limited to: the timing and content of work programs; results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties; the interpretation and uncertainties of drilling results and other geological data; receipt, maintenance and security of permits and mineral property titles; environmental and other regulatory risks; project costs overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses; availability of funds; failure to delineate potential quantities and grades of the target zones based on historical data; and general market and industry conditions. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. The assumptions used in the preparation of such statements, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date the statements were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this news release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law.

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.

[1] Technical information relating to the Tonopah West project is based on and derived from the NI 43-101 report prepared for Blackrock entitled "Technical Report and Estimate of Mineral Resources for the Tonopah West Silver-Gold Project, Nye and Esmeralda Counties, Nevada, USA" effective April 28, 2022 authored by Michael S. Lindholm, C.P.G. and Jeffrey Bickel, C.P.G. (the "Technical Report"). The Technical Report outlines 2.97million tonnes at a block diluted grade of 208 grams per tonne (g/t) silver (Ag) and 2.5g/t gold (Au) for a total inferred mineral resource of 19,902,000 ounces Ag and 238,000 ounces Au, or 446 g/t silver equivalent (AgEq) for 42.6million oz AgEq. AgEq equivalent grade is based on silver and gold prices of US$20/ounce and US$1750/ounce, respectively, and recoveries for silver and gold of 87%and 95%
Properties cover over 1,000 km 2 in northeastern Finland and are prospective for: Gold  Auermavaara prospect Lithium  Geological terrain considered prospective for lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites Phosphate and REE  Properties cover part of Sokli carbonatite complex

Company evaluating strategic options for the critical minerals opportunities

ST. JOHN'S, NL, May 23, 2023 /CNW/ - Aurion Resources Ltd. (TSXV: AU) (OTCQX: AIRRF) ("Aurion" or the "Company") announces that is has staked properties prospective for gold, lithium, phosphate and rare earth elements (REE) in northeastern Finland.

Summary

Properties cover over 1,000 km 2 in northeastern Finland Unexplored to underexplored region

Gold  Auermavaara prospect Up to 10.4 g/t Au in grab samples

Lithium  Geological terrain considered prospective for lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites Highly anomalous lithium in regional till sampling Unexplored region for lithium

Phosphate and REE  Properties cover part of the Sokli carbonatite complex Historic drill intercepts in residuum of weathered bedrock include: 13.51% P 2 O 5 and 5.03% total rare earth oxides (TREO) over 12.00 m from 2.00 m 8.53% P 2 O 5 over 48.50 m from 23.10 m , including 14.79% P 2 O 5 over 19.20 m from 23.10 m 7.15% P 2 O 5 over 57.90 m from 6.55 m , including 11.81% P 2 O 5 and 18.30% Fe 2 O 3 over 22.75 m from 6.55 m 10.57% P 2 O 5 over 22.90 m from 34.40 m Historic drill intercepts in fresh rock include: 4.23% P 2 O 5 over 125.00 m from 54.00 m 3.33% P 2 O 5 over 189.40 m from 31.00 m Historic trench result: 10.42% P 2 O 5 and 2.78% TREO over 39.10 m Part of the Kola Alkaline Province

Company to evaluate strategic options for the critical minerals opportunities

Link to Figures: https://aurionresources.com/site/assets/files/1494/nr23-11figures.pdf.

Comments

"Gold in Central Lapland is the top priority for Aurion, however, our prospect generation business continues to be active. We are pleased to add this large and underexplored land package prospective for gold and critical minerals," commented Matti Talikka, Aurion's CEO. "The recent introduction of the European Critical Raw Materials Act highlights the role of critical metals for renewable energy and electrification. We look forward to making a contribution to Finland's pursuit of these objectives. Our work in vanadium helped to launch Strategic Resources, now a significant multi-national development company in which Aurion holds a significant ownership stake. We will assess alternatives for this large portfolio of critical metal exploration opportunities and aim to repeat our success with Strategic."

Property Package

The extensive Savu property is located in northeastern Finland in the municipalities of Savukoski and Salla (Figure 1). The property package includes recently staked areas (two reservations) totaling 1,404.7 km2 and the Auermaa property comprised of 632.2 km2 in a reservation and two exploration permit applications.

The property covers several geologic domains that are considered prospective for several commodities including gold, lithium, phosphate and rare earth elements (REE) (Figure 2).

The property is considered to be largely unexplored to underexplored yet has significant road access to allow for cost-effective exploration.

Gold  Auermavaara Prospect



The Auermaa property includes the Auermavaara Au prospect, which was initially discovered in 1985 by Lapin Malmi Oy, a company that was co-owned by Outokumpu Mining Oy and Rautaruukki Oy. This prospect has seen limited exploration, but surface sampling by Aurion has returned from nil to 10.4 g/t Au in grab samples. In addition, historic till sampling has returned anomalous gold values and five historic drill holes intersected anomalous gold values up to 0.4 g/t Au. Historic information based on data in reports "M06/4714/2002/1/10" by the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), "001/4713,4714/OI/88" by Lapin Malmi Oy and report "080/4714/OI/90" by Lapin Malmi Oy. Aurion considers the data to be relevant and reliable.

The gold mineralization is hosted by Archean metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks and is interpreted to be associated with iron rich garnet bearing rocks that may represent metamorphosed silicate facies iron formation.

Lithium



The property package includes large areas that are considered prospective for lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites. Historic geologic mapping data includes numerous observations of pegmatites in outcrops and in boulders, but the area has not been explored for lithium despite numerous anomalous lithium values in regional scale till sampling by the GTK.

Within the property bounds, a total of 493 regional scale till samples were collected between 1976 and 1988 (Regional till geochemistry data by the GTK, https://gtkdata.gtk.fi/MDaE/index.html). The sampling was widely spaced with one sample approximately every 4 km2. Approximately 10% of the till samples returned values above 35 ppm Li, including 14 samples over 50 ppm Li to a maximum of 95.7 ppm Li and 35 samples ranging from 35 to 50 ppm Li. Cesium and tantalum were not included in the historic till analysis by the GTK.

The lithium in till values are comparable to the area in western Finland where a number of spodumene bearing pegmatites exist and a lithium mine and a processing facility to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide is under development by Keliber Oy (a subsidiary of the Sibanye-Stillwater Group).

The prospective area for LCT pegmatites is mainly within an Archean geologic domain that comprises various metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks, mafic to felsic intrusions including pegmatitic rocks. A potential analogue for the Archean domain is the Yilgarn Craton in western Australia that hosts the world class Greenbushes spodumene pegmatite deposits.

Phosphate and REE  Kaulus Prospect



The Kaulus phosphate and REE prospect is located in the northeast corner of the property and covers part of the Sokli carbonatite complex. The Sokli carbonatite complex belongs to the Kola Alkaline Province that extends from Russia to Finland. The Kola Alkaline Province contains a number of carbonatites with significant phosphate, REE and/or iron deposits (for example Kovdor and Khibina) of which many are currently or have been in production.

The limited and periodic exploration activities at the Kaulus prospect by the GTK have included mapping, till sampling, geophysical surveys, trenching and diamond core drilling. Aurion has acquired the exploration data sets from the GTK and considers the data to be relevant and reliable. Partial information on the exploration activities have been included in reports by the GTK (For example, Sarapaa et. al. 2013, Exploration potential of hi-tech metals in Finland, 161/2013, GTK).

Trenching and drilling by the GTK returned several significant phosphate and REE mineralized intervals (Figure 3). Intervals with elevated iron contents have also been intersected. The phosphate mineralized lithologies include carbonatite and sovite and mineralization has been encountered in both fresh and weathered bedrock. Phosphate and REE grades in the residuum of weathered bedrock are higher compared to fresh rocks due to the weathering related secondary enrichment processes.

Highlight intervals from previous exploration activities by the GTK in the Kaulus area include:

Drill intercepts in residuum of weathered bedrock include: 13.51% P 2 O 5 and 5.03% *total rare earth oxides (TREO) over 12.00 m from 2.00 m (drill hole U5422014R30) 8.53% P 2 O 5 over 48.50 m from 23.10 m , including 14.79% P 2 O 5 over 19.20 m from 23.10 m (drill hole U5422012R10) 7.15% P 2 O 5 over 57.90 m from 6.55 m , including 11.81% P 2 O 5 and 18.30% Fe 2 O 3 over 22.75 m from 6.55 m (drill hole U5422013R20) 10.57% P 2 O 5 over 22.90 m from 34.40 m (drill hole U5422016R44)

Drill intercepts in fresh rock include: 4.23% P 2 O 5 over 125.00 m from 54.00 m (drill hole U5422012R3) 3.33% P 2 O 5 over 189.40 m from 31.00 m (drill hole U5422012R4)

Trench result: 10.42% P 2 O 5 and 2.78% TREO over 39.10 m (trench U5422014R33)



* Total rare earth oxides (TREO) include La 2 O 3 , CeO 2 , Pr 6 O 11 , Nd 2 O 3 , Sm 2 O 3 , Eu 2 O 3 , Gd 2 O 3 , Tb 4 O 7 , Dy 2 O 3 , Ho 2 O 3 , Er 2 O 3 , Tm 2 O 3 , Yb 2 O 3 , Lu 2 O 3 and Y 2 O 3 .

The Kaulus prospect covers the southern part of the Sokli carbonatite complex. The main part of the Sokli carbonatite ("Sokli Project") is held by Finnish Minerals Group, a special-purpose company wholly owned by the State of Finland. The mineral reserves for the lateritic part of the Sokli Project currently stand at 133.3 Mt @ 12.21% P 2 O 5 and 18.34% FeO, and the indicated mineral resource at 151.6 Mt @ 11.97% P 2 O 5 and 18.60% FeO (Information sourced from https://www.mineralsgroup.fi, 20.5.2023,). Elevated levels of REE, vermiculite and manganese have also been observed. The Finnish Minerals Group is currently advancing technical and economic studies on their Sokli Project.

Next steps



The Company intends to compile and review the historical data and plan a surface mapping and sampling program to further assess the property during the upcoming field season. The Company will also evaluate strategic options for the critical minerals opportunities.

This news release has been reviewed by Andrew Hussey, P.Geo., GIS Geologist and Database Manager for Aurion Resources, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. For more information on these projects please visit our website at www.aurionresources.com.

About Aurion Resources Ltd.



Aurion Resources Ltd. (Aurion) is a well-funded, Canadian exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V: AU) and the OTCQX Best Market (OTCQX: AIRRF). Aurion's strategy is to generate or acquire early-stage precious metals exploration opportunities and advance them through direct exploration by our experienced team or by business partnerships and joint venture arrangements. Aurion's current focus is exploring on its Risti and Launi projects, as well as advancing its joint venture properties with B2Gold and Kinross in Finland.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Matti Talikka, CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Re-assaying historic Santa Helena core confirms high-grade Cu-Au-Ag-Zn targets

LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Meridian Mining UK S (TSX:MNO) (OTCQX:MRRDF) (Frankfurt/Tradegate:2MM) ("Meridian" or the "Company") is pleased to announce upcoming drilling programs at Santa Helena and C2A East copper gold targets in the Cabacal VMS belt. Recent re-assays of historic drill core confirm high grade Cu-Au-Ag-Zn results at shallow depths (e.g., 5.6m @ 3.4% Cu, 3.0g/t Au, 82.6g/t Ag, and 7.6% Zn from 38.4m). Additional results are pending. To reach this stage of Santa Helena's development, the Company has made significant progress in field mapping, surface geophysical programs, data confirmation studies[1], and the relogging and resampling of historical core samples. With this upcoming drill campaign, Meridian is among the few companies worldwide advancing a VMS belt with multiple resource development projects and significant exploration potential.

Highlights Reported Today

Meridian launches next resource development and discovery phase at the Cabacal Project;

Additional contractor engaged to launch Santa Helena multi pronged drill program; Vertical drill program to confirm historical assays and VMS host geology; Angled drill program to test high-grade gold over-print; Full assaying of available core and new drilling to test for mineralised extensions; Meridian Santa Helena's near mine upside to be tested;

Meridian receives first assays from Santa Helena re-sampling program; including JUCHD-032 resampled : 5.6m @ 3.4% Cu, 3.0g/t Au, 82.6g/t Ag and 7.6% Zn from 38.4m; Compared to historical result of 5.6m @ 3.4% Cu, 2.8g/t Au, 73.5g/t Ag & 6.0% Zn; JUCHD-033 resampled : 16.8m @ 0.7% Cu, 1.0g/t Au, 37.4g/t Ag & 5.3% Zn from 73.9m; Compared to historical result of 16.8m @ 0.7% Cu, 1.2g/t Au, 39.9g/t Ag, 5.1% Zn;

including Predefined drill targets prepared for twinning historical Santa Helena results [2] ; including JUCHD-031: 27.6m @ 1.5g/t Au, 1.6% Cu, 36.3g/t Ag, 4.4% Zn from 24.9m ; JUCHD-101: 18.9m @ 1.3g/t Au from 6.3m, including 4.5m @ 4.1g/t Au & 49.1g/t Ag from 10.2m; JUCHD-041: 8.0m @ 2.4% Cu, 2.0g/t Au, 62.1g/t Ag & 7.1% Zn from 38.5m;

; including Third rig being mobilized to advance Cabacal resource definition and extension; and

and New drill program to also test C2A East copper-gold target[3].

[1] See Meridian News release of March 29, 2022

[2] Historical results may include areas where mining activity has taken place and voids are present.

[3] See Meridian news release June 28, 2022.

Dr. Adrian McArthur, CEO, comments: "We are pleased to announce the and expansion of the Cabacal program and the engagement of our contractor for our first exploration and resource delineation drill program over the high-grade VMS trend that hosts the historical Cu-Au-Ag-Zn Santa Helena mine. We strongly believe that this deposit has been structurally over-printed by a later-stage gold event, characteristic of the Cabacal belt. The Santa Helena historical resource was only partially mined, and like Cabacal, there is much more upside as an open pit prospect than as a selective underground mine. We have prepared this program using the exact same preparation and methodology used to expand the now advanced-stage Cabacal deposit. With the commencement of the program, Meridian will be advancing resource development studies on a second VMS open pit target at Santa Helena. In addition, we will test the copper-gold potential of C2A East, which is a neighboring extension of the Cabacal deposit."

Santa Helena Resource Delineation

The Santa Helena deposit is located 9km to the southeast of the Cabacal Mine area, within the 11km Mine Corridor trend. The deposit was first discovered by BP Minerals ("BPM") in 1984, and is associated with the same host geology as that of the Cabacal Mine. The former operator at Santa Helena, Prometalica ("PML"), commissioned the underground mine in 2006 with an historical Measured and Indicated resource of 1.12 Mt @ 6.2% Zn, 1.3% Cu, 1.3g/t Au, 41.7 g/t Ag. Production commenced in 2006, but the mine closed well ahead of planning in 2008 with the collapse of the zinc price. Total production amounted to 439,813t @ 6.65% Zn, 1.62% Cu, 1.77g/t Au & 43.02g/t Ag. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources, and the Company is not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource.

Shallow oxide gold mineralization is recognized in an historical trenching area to the east of the resource limit , which was not previously considered in SRK's historical 2007 estimate for the deposit. Along with unmined resources, Meridian sees potential for resource additions here, and in testing for potential extensions to the mineralized envelop in unsampled core intervals. Numerous historical holes have not been sampled to conclusively demonstrate the limit of mineralization (or analysed for the full suite of elements). Of the 39 PML holes, gold assays are not available for 12 of the holes (~31%), and in an additional 9 of the holes, the first recorded sample starts within the mineralized halo (grades of 0.1 - 1.0g/t Au). The sampling approach in the original BPM holes (for which data is available in the JUCHD series) is similar, with an average starting depth of 22.4m. Whilst some angled holes were drilled by BPM, historical drilling was overwhelmingly vertical, and unsuited to testing the late stage overprinting vertical gold structures now recognized in the belt. The Company has reviewed the historical drill database that supports the presence of a gold-overprint. Original Santa Helena drill core photos illustrate similar vein textures to that seen at the Cabacal deposit ("Photo 1").

Photo 1: Example of auriferous quartz vein in JUCHD031 (Sample JUF33596; 6.7 g/t Au, 97.6g/t Ag, 7.6% Cu, 7.0 % ).

The resampling results reported today are part of the Company's QAQC program to verify the historical information with modern laboratory check assays. Results repeat well, within the expected margin of variation for sampling duplicate intervals of core.

Figure 1: Location of Santa Helena within the Cabacal Belt.

Meridian also concluded surface geophysical surveys[4], detecting three shallow dipping EM plates interpreted to be bedrock conductors ("Figure 2"). The EM plates have a typical conductivity thickness for Cu-Zn sulphides of 4 Siemens. The leading edge of the two most eastern plates aligns with the position of the resource envelope and extend outwards a further ~200 - 250m to the north-northwest into sparsely drilled areas. The response from a gradient array IP survey also aligns well with the Cu-Zn-Au-Ag sulphide system, and remains open over extensions to the east. This suggests some sulphides are present in the shallower up-plunge sector of the deposit beyond the historical resource limit. The peak chargeability response follows the strike of the deposit in the eastern sector, reaching ranges of 30 mV/V (millivolts per volt) - characterized as a moderate to strong response for VMS mineralization. Initial scout drilling will be conducted to evaluate IP and EM anomalies for potential repeats or extensions of the Santa Helena mineral system.

Figure 2: View to the west of Santa Helena drilling and the EM plates and IP anomalies. Drill holes are coloured by Cu grade (light grey unsampled). The three Maxwell EM plates dip to the north, with modelled extents of 500 x 300m, 250 x 300m, 350 x 300m. The higher threshold chargeability inversion shells (21-24-27-30mV/V) are shown in the eastern sector of the deposit and remain open.

The Opportunity of Repeating Cabacal's Angled Drilling Success at Santa-Helena

Santa Helena exhibits a significant precious metal geochemical footprint[5] with a gold in soil anomaly extending 350m beyond the limits of its pre-mining resource envelope, which was focussed on the underlying, but shallow, high-grade massive-sulphide mineralization ("Figure 3"). These and other geochemical anomalies are open 100m past the last reported trench results. Additional soil anomalies are present to the west suggesting structural repeats and/or cross-cutting structures breach the surface in multiple places. Past BPM interpretations show a folded geometry to the VMS horizon, with cross-cutting sub-vertical structures in axial positions. The Company's drilling at Cabacal showed that the gold footprint can become detached some distance from the VMS base metal response. The Company will be evaluating where such patterns are replicated more broadly through the Cabacal belt.

[4] See Meridian news release January 24, 2023

[5] See Meridian news release March 29, 2022

Figure 3: Gold in soil response at Santa Helena and example of trenching and historical drilling results showing unexploited near surface mineralization.

Santa Helena and Mine Corridor Drill Plan

The planned drill program will be conducted using a low impact portable rig due to the hilly local terrain of the Santa Helena deposit. The Company has received the required permits to start the program and final drill tenders have been received. First drill core is expected towards the beginning of July and assays in Q3. While the mobile rig is on site, it will also test the 2022 copper discovery C2A East (C2A East is located 3.0km East of the Cabacal deposit ("Figure 4") where local hilly terrain restricts access to the larger diamond rigs. The C2A East prospect has extensive surface copper gossans up to 0.1% Cu and an underlying IP and EM anomaly. The C2A East prospect is associated with a 1200 x 650m alteration halo. The Company sees strong similarities to the Cabacal deposit's VMS and gold-overprint at C2A East. An initial 1,000m program will be undertaken with scope to expand based on results.

Figure 4. C2A East copper-gold target

Cabacal Project Studies

Following the PEA, the Company is now focussed on the next phase of resource development and extension drilling. A third rig is being mobilized back to site to the accelerate next phase of resource development, processing and geotechnical studies. Drilling continues to extend coverage into sparely drilled positions which remained unclassified, or inferred, and to infill areas where modelling may be impacted by the dominance of historical vertical drilling, believed to be under-representing the gold overprint. Discussions are underway with key services providers that will support the expansion of hydrogeological studies, and environmental studies will be supplemented to position the project for potential expansion studies beyond the 2.5Mta base case projected in the PEA.

About Meridian

Meridian Mining UK S is focused on:

The development and exploration of the advanced stage Cabacal VMS goldcopper project;

Regional scale exploration of the Cabacal VMS belt;

Exploration in the Jauru & Araputanga Greenstone belts (the above all located in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil); and

Exploring the Espigao polymetallic project in the State of Rondonia, Brazil.

Cabacal is a gold-copper-silver rich VMS deposit with the potential to be a standalone mine within the 50km VMS belt. Cabacal's base and precious metal-rich mineralization is hosted by volcanogenic type, massive, semi-massive, stringer, and disseminated sulphides within deformed metavolcanic-sedimentary rocks. A later-stage sub-vertical gold overprint event has emplaced high-grade gold mineralization cross-cutting the dipping VMS layers.

The Cabacal Mineral Resource estimate consists of Indicated resources of 52.9 million tonnes at 0.6g/t gold, 0.3% copper and 1.4g/t silver and Inferred resources of 10.3 million tonnes at 0.7g/t gold, 0.2% copper & 1.1g/t silver (at a 0.3 g/t gold equivalent cut-off grade), including a higher-grade near-surface zone supporting a starter pit.

The Preliminary Economic Assessment technical report (the "PEA Technical Report") dated March 30, 2023, entitled: "Cabacal Gold-Copper Project NI 43-101 Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment, Mato Grosso, Brazil" outlines a base case after-tax NPV5 of USD 573 million and 58.4% IRR from a pre-production capital cost of USD 180 million, leading to capital repayment in 10.6 months (assuming metals price scenario of USD 1,650 per ounces of gold, USD 3.59 per pound of copper, and USD 21.35 per ounce of silver). Cabacal has a low All-in-Sustaining-Cost of USD 671 per ounce gold equivalent for the first five years, driven by high metallurgical recovery, a low life-of-mine strip ratio of 2.1:1, and the low operating cost environment of Brazil (see press release dated March 6, 2023).

Readers are encouraged to read the PEA Technical Report in its entirety. The PEA Technical Report may be found on the Company's website at www.meridianminig.co and under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The qualified persons for the PEA Technical Report are: Robert Raponi (P. Eng), Principal Metallurgist with Ausenco Engineering), Scott Elfen (P. E.), Global Lead Geotechnical and Civil Services with Ausenco Engineering), Simon Tear (PGeo, EurGeol), Principal Geological Consultant of H&SC, Marcelo Batelochi, (MAusIMM, CP Geo), Geological Consultant of MB Geologia Ltda, Joseph Keane (Mineral Processing Engineer; P.E), of SGS, and Guilherme Gomides Ferreira (Mine Engineer MAIG) of GE21 Consultoria Mineral.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Meridian Mining UK S

Dr. Adrian McArthur

CEO and Director

Meridian Mining UK S

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ph: +1 (778) 715-6410 (PST)

Technical Notes



Samples have been analysed at the accredited ALS laboratory in Lima, Peru. Samples are dried, crushed with 70% passing <2mm, split off to give a mass of approximately 250g, and pulverized to >85% passing 200#. Routine gold analyses have been conducted by Au-AA23 (fire assay of a 30g charge with AAS finish). High-grade samples (>10g/t Au) are repeated with a gravimetric finish (Au-GRA21). Samples with visible gold identified during logging are analysed by screen fire assay method Au-SCR21. Samples are held in the Company's secure facilities until dispatched and delivered by staff and commercial couriers to the laboratory. Pulps are retained for umpire testwork, and ultimately returned to the Company for storage. The Company submits a range of quality control samples, including blanks and gold and polymetallic standards supplied by Rocklabs, ITAK and OREAS, supplementing laboratory quality control procedures. In BPM sampling, gold was analysed historically by fire assay and base metals by three acid digest and ICP finish at the Nomos laboratory in Rio de Janeiro. Silver was analysed by aqua regia digest with an atomic absorption finish. True width is considered to be 70-80% of intersection width.

Geophysical and geochemical exploration targets are preliminary in nature and not conclusive evidence of the likelihood of a mineral deposit

Qualified Person

Dr. Adrian McArthur, B.Sc. Hons, Ph.D. FAusIMM., CEO and Director of Meridian as well as a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and verified the technical information in this news release.

Stay up to date by subscribing for news alerts here: https://meridianmining.co/contact/

Follow Meridian on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeridianMining

Further information can be found at: www.meridianmining.co

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements for the purposes of applicable securities laws. These statements address future events and conditions and so involve inherent risks and uncertainties, as disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in under the heading "Risk Factors" in Meridian's most recent Annual Information Form filed on www.sedar.com. While these factors and assumptions are considered reasonable by Meridian, in light of management's experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, Meridian can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Meridian disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or results or otherwise.

Table 1: Historical Intersections referenced in this release.
VANCOUVER, BC, May 23, 2023 /CNW/ - Coast Copper Corp. ("Coast Copper" or the "Company") (TSXV: COCO) is pleased to announce a National Instrument ("NI") 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate (the "2023 MRE") for the gold-copper Merry Widow open pit located at its optioned Empire Mine property ("Empire Mine", "Empire" or the "Property"). The 2023 MRE1 updates and improves the 2008 MRE2 published by Grande Portage Resources Ltd and should be considered Coast Copper's first proof of concept with the results feeding into a scoping study for a "hub and spoke" processing facility previously announced by Coast Copper (see news release March 21, 2023). The updated resource and modeled pit case are shown in Figure 1.

Highlights from Coast Copper's 2023 MRE include:

Geological proof of concept that copper-gold-magnetite mineralization is structurally controlled at intersections of both thrust and high angle faults, in addition to dyke margins,

Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate of 81,322 ounces (" oz ") gold equivalent (" AuEq ") grading 3.52 grams per tonne (" g/t ") gold (" Au ") and 0.50% copper (" Cu ") [4.258 g/t AuEq] contained within 0.59 million metric tonnes (" MT ") (using a net smelter return (" NSR ") cut-off of $30 CDN ) (see Table 1) 1 ,

") gold equivalent (" ") grading 3.52 grams per tonne (" ") gold (" ") and 0.50% copper (" ") contained within 0.59 million metric tonnes (" ") (using a net smelter return (" ") cut-off of ) (see Table 1) , Increase in average grade, and resource constrained to "reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction" pit shell,

Conservative metal recoveries assumption of 60% Au and 77% Cu based on limited 2008 metallurgical work,

Global in-situ strip ratio of 5.5:1.0 based on a conservative 50-degree pit slope angle,

Geological model indicates potential targets on strike and at depth of current 2023 MRE,

Merry Widow 2023 MRE represents only 200 meters ("m") strike length of an overall >2 kilometers ("km") trend.

The Merry Widow open pit area is one of 15 exploration target zones at Empire identified from historical drilling by previous operators and more recent exploration conducted by Coast Copper. Empire also includes a target zone at the historical Benson Lake Mine/Old Sport Horizon with copper and gold potential covering approximately 3 square kilometers ("km2") based on historical exploration and mining completed by Cominco Resources3. To note, the 2023 MRE does not include the historical Benson Lake Mine reserves.

The updated resource is presented in Table 1 and illustrated in Figure 2. Sue Bird, M.Sc., P.Eng., of Moose Mountain Technical Services ("MMTS") was contracted to calculate the 2023 MRE published within this news release. An updated technical report will be filed on Coast Copper's website and with SEDAR within 45 calendar days of this disclosure.

Adam Travis, Coast Copper's CEO, commented: "The Empire Mine Property covers 23 mineral occurrences, including 3 past-producing open pit and two past-producing underground mines. The 2023 MRE at the Merry Widow open pit covers an area approximately 200 m by 100 m which is a small portion of the known exploration footprint on the Property. Empire includes 15 identified exploration target zones of which the Merry Widow open pit is the first that Coast Copper has tested. Therefore, this 2023 MRE should be considered a proof of concept that takes the historical information, combines it with our recent drilling and geophysics programs, and delivers a NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate that shows substantial improvements over the previously published historical estimate in 2008 (the "2008 MRE"). Furthermore, the 2023 MRE covers just 25 m of the known 200 m strike length between the Merry Widow open pit and the Raven pit located to the north. We expect to publish an Exploration Target Range in due course as we systematically look to unlock the known potential at Empire."

Table 1: Merry Widow Copper-Gold Resource Estimate* - effective date of April 26, 2023

NSR Cut-off ($CDN) Tonnage NSR ($CDN) Strip Ratio Cu (%) Au (g/t) CuEq (%) AuEq

(g/t) Cu (Klbs) Au (Oz) AuEq (Oz) 20 615,506 188.42 5.30 0.49 3.41 2.80 4.13 6,652 67,423 81,703 25 605,340 191.22 5.38 0.50 3.46 2.84 4.19 6,635 67,302 81,544 30 594,019 194.33 5.50 0.51 3.52 2.89 4.26 6,611 67,132 81,322 35 579,143 198.48 5.67 0.52 3.59 2.95 4.35 6,579 66,857 80,978 40 563,577 202.92 5.85 0.53 3.67 3.02 4.45 6,530 66,544 80,563 45 540,764 209.69 6.14 0.54 3.80 3.12 4.59 6,445 66,046 79,882 50 525,090 214.53 6.35 0.55 3.89 3.19 4.70 6,388 65,646 79,357 55 508,911 219.69 6.59 0.56 3.99 3.27 4.81 6,299 65,241 78,759 60 497,215 223.50 6.77 0.57 4.06 3.32 4.90 6,216 64,941 78,284

*See Footnote 1 for disclaimers related to the 2023 Mineral Resource Estimate table

Interpretation

The work completed on the geological model provides proof of concept that zones of significant mineralization occur not only along the intrusive dyke margins, but also along the structural intersections of thrust and high angle faults (see Figure 2). As previously announced by Coast Copper, (see news release January 18, 2023), this reinforces the potential for multiple high-grade, near-surface targets along the 2 km upper Merry Widow trend.

Updating the previous geological model and constraining the resource to "reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction" pit shell resulted in an increase of average gold and copper grades as compared to the 2008 resource. The gold grade increased by 73% from 2.03 g/t to 3.52 g/t and the copper grade increased by 50% from 0.34% to 0.51% (excluding any potential credits for cobalt, silver, and magnetite). Future work will include further investigation into these potentially significant accessory metal constituents.

Due to limited metallurgical data from test work conducted in 2008 from drill core samples, the 2023 MRE applied conservative recoveries of 60% Au and 77% Cu. In 2010, further metallurgical work by Grande Portage reported recoveries of 95% Au and 88% Cu from a small bulk sample. Given the discrepancy between recovery values, the Company plans to complete a proper metallurgical test program on the representative material types to improve metal recoveries in the near future.

The 2023 MRE examined possible parameters affecting economics such as pit shapes and pit slopes. A very conservative pit slope of 50-degrees was used even though the previous Merry Widow pit, which ceased production in 1968, currently stands up well with a significantly steeper overall pit slope. To maximize the pit slope angles and reduce strip ratio, Coast Copper will look at completing a geotechnical assessment of the open pit and lab testing for optimal pit design.

Due to a lack of modern QA/QC standards and incomplete sampling from 1989-1990 drill assay data, some data from the field programs was not able to be used in the 2023 MRE. Although some data was not used in the calculation of the 2023 MRE, the assay data and geological observations will be used to target historically mineralized areas, especially those that are noted to occur outside the 2023 MRE. The 500 m long Kingfisher Adit was established by Empire Mines in 1960, approximately 107 m below the bottom of the Merry Widow pit, to extract further magnetite resource by block caving methods below the Merry Widow pit. Rock chip sampling, geological observations and observed mineralization within this adit during the 2022 field program have returned values up to 3.4 g/t Au and 2.6% Cu (see news release August 15, 2022), indicating potential resource expansion at depth.

Coast Copper expects to outline additional mineral resource potential for the Merry Widow open pit area in an upcoming press release. Exploration efforts will focus on expanding the Merry Widow mineralized trend along strike to the north-northeast towards Raven Pit/Bluff as well as to the south towards Marten, where it has completed initial drill testing that has highlighted the potential for the system to occur in both directions. Further exploration efforts will be followed at depth below the Merry Widow open pit where copper and gold mineralized skarn as well as magnetite skarn were sampled along the Kingfisher Underground which is up to 40 m below the 2023 MRE. The Company expects to complete this in due course.

Mirva Properties Ltd ("Mirva") has retained a 2% NSR royalty on the Empire Mine property, of which 1% may be purchased for $1,000,000 at any time up to 120 days after commencement of commercial production. The Empire Option Agreement has been structured such that this NSR royalty plus all other NSR royalties which may currently exist and be payable on the Empire Mine property will not exceed in aggregate 2.5% before buydowns.

Key Assumptions and Methods Used for Mineral Resource Estimate

Updates from the previous model by Giroux in 2008 included the addition of drillholes from Coast Copper's 2021 drill program, incorporating results from 1989 underground chip sampling for interpretations, updated interpretations of the mineralized resource envelope, drillhole data validations, updated grade capping and the use of current economic factors to develop a 'reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction' pit.

Mineralization Envelope

Implicit modeling tools were used to develop a mineralization envelope which targets a minimum $20 NSR value cutoff in a smooth and continuous shape. The shape was then clipped away from mined out areas. The clipping distance is 10m in plan and 20m vertical from the provided underground stope survey.

NSR is calculated from assay grades, metallurgical recovery, and the Net Smelter Price ("NSP") using the formula:

NSR = (Cu%/100) x CAD$ 3.96/lb x 2204.6 lbs/tonne x 77% + Au gpt x CAD$76.05/g x 60%

Table 2: Parameters Used to Derive Net Smelter Price

CAD: USD 0.75 Gold Price 1800 USD/oz Recovery 60 % Payable 99 % Refining cost 8 USD/oz Net Smelter Price 76.05 CAD/ gram Copper Price 3.50 USD/lb Recovery 77 % Concentrate Grade 29 % Transport cost 100 $US/tonne dry concentrate Treatment cost 100 $US/tonne dry concentrate Payable deduct 1 %unit Refining 0.1 USD/lb Cu Net Smelter Price 3.96 CAD/ lb

These parameters assume a copper concentrate with gold credits as per the preliminary Metallurgical testing done in 2008 and 2010 and overseen by Gary Hawthorn, P.Eng.

Data Verification

A review of the drillhole data was undertaken and after statistical validation it was determined that the 1989 data was biased high for gold, low for silver and acceptable for interpolation of copper. Data from 1989 drillholes was considered in the development of the mineralization envelope but were not used in interpolations due to lack of certificates and QA/QC as well as the inability to have confidence in the 1989 grades. The model was run using the 1989 data only for copper.

Variography and Interpolations

The block model utilized a 10m x 10m x 5m selective mining unit with interpolation of copper and gold done using multiple passes of Inverse Distance Cubed with the variography as the basis of the interpolation search parameters. Variography found that within the mineralization the strongest correlation of assay values is trending at azimuth 160 dipping 40 degrees with a range of approximately 40 m.

Grade Capping

Cumulative Probability Plots were used to establish gold and copper capping and outlier values. The table below summarizes the capping done on the assays prior to compositing and the Outlier Restrictions done to the composites during interpolation. For composite grades above the outlier value provided, and at distances greater than 5 m from the data, the value is essentially capped.

Table 3: Grade Capping and Outlier Values

Capping Outlier Au, g/t 50 40 Cu% N/A 10

Specific Gravity and Resource Pit Limits

Specific Gravity ("SG") is variable within the mineralization envelope, probably because of the presence of both lower SG dykes which are too thin to model and areas of higher SG sulfides and magnetite. SG was interpolated using 2 passes of Inverse Distance Squared interpolation using the same search parameters as Pass 3 and 4 of the gold/copper interpolation. SG values were capped at 4.6 prior to interpolation and any blocks not reached by the interpolation were assigned SG of 3.35 which is the median of the capped values.

Lerch Grossman pit optimization tools have been used to select a pit shape for limiting the resource. The LG pit targets NSR calculated in each block using copper and gold interpolation results.

Table 4: Lerch Grossman Pit Optimization Parameters

Parameter Value Units NSR Price Factor 140 % Mining Cost 15 CAD/tonne Processing Cost 25 CAD/tonne Ore SG as per Interpolation Waste SG 3.35 Pit Slope 50 degrees

Qualified Persons

The technical information contained in this news release has been prepared, reviewed, and approved by Wade Barnes, P.Geo. (BC), Coast Copper's geological consultant and a Qualified Person ("QP") within the context of Canadian Securities Administrators' NI 43-101; Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

The 2023 MRE has been provided by Sue Bird, M Sc., P.Eng., Geological and Mining Engineer (NI 43-101 QP) of MMTS.

About Coast Copper Corp.

Coast Copper's exploration focus is the optioned Empire Mine property, located on northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, which covers three historical open pit mines and two past-producing underground mines that yielded iron, copper, gold and silver. Coast Copper's other properties include its 100% owned Knob Hill NW Property located on northern Vancouver Island, its Home Brew and Shovelnose South Properties in central B.C., and its Scottie West Property located in the "Golden Triangle" of northern B.C. Coast Copper's management team continues to review precious and base metals opportunities in western North America.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors:

"Adam Travis"

Adam Travis, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Cautionary Notes Related to this news release and/or maps

1. The 2023 Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by Sue Bird, P.Eng., an independent Qualified Person. The effective date of the mineral resource estimate is April 26, 2023. Mineral Resources are reported using the 2014 CIM Definition Standards and were estimated in accordance with the CIM 2019 Best Practices Guidelines, as required by NI43-101. Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that any Mineral Resources will be converted into Mineral Reserves. These Mineral Resource estimates include Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. It is reasonably expected that the majority of Inferred Mineral Resources could be upgraded to Measured or Indicated Mineral Resource with continued exploration. The Mineral Resource Estimate has been confined by a "reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction" pit using the following assumptions, which were estimated from comparable projects: a. Au price of USD$1,800/oz and Cu price of US$ 3.50/lb at an exchange rate of 0.75 US$ per CAD$; b. 77% Cu metallurgical recovery, 29% Cu concentrate grade, 100$USD/tonne concentrate transport, 100 $USD/tonne concentrate treatment, 1% unit concentrate grade deduction, and 0.1 $USD/lb Cu refining cost c. 60% Au metallurgical recovery, 99% payable Au, and 8 USD$/oz Au refining cost. d. Mining costs of CAD$15/tonne; e. Processing + G/A costs of CAD$25/tonne; f. Pit slopes of 50 degrees; The resulting NSR equation is: NSR (CDN$) = (Cu%/100) x 3.96 x 2204.6 x 0.77 + Au x 76.05 x 0.6. The bulk density of the deposit is interpolated from sample data. The average value specific gravity used for the Mineral Resource Estimate is 3.45 at the base case cutoff. Copper and Gold Equivalents were calculated using CuEq=NSR/67.22 and AuEq=NSR/45.63, respectively. 2. A historical NI 43-101 Technical Report, authored by Giroux, G.H., & Raven, W. and dated November 30, 2008, concerning the copper gold resources for the Merry Widow Property was filed on Grand Portage Resources Ltd.'s SEDAR page on January 22, 2009. The 2008 Grand Portage historical resource estimate, completed by Gary H. Giroux, P.Eng, MASc, of Giroux Consulting Ltd., was based on a 3D geological model integrating 4,448 meters of diamond drilling of 43 drill holes, 2,290 assays, with 104 down-hole surveys collected between June and December 2006. The resource was reported utilizing gold cut-off grades ranging from 0.10 g/t to 3.00 g/t gold, as more particularly set out in the report. A complete copy of the report A gold cut-off grade of 0.50 g/t gold was selected as representing one possible mining scenario. For the purposes of the calculations, lognormal cumulative frequency plots were used to assess grade distribution to see if capping of high values was required and if so at what levels. For all elements, capping levels were established based on the individual grade distributions as follows: Gold - 18 gold assays were capped at 32.0 g/t gold, Silver - 9 silver assays were capped at 165 g/t silver, Copper - 7 assays were capped at 11.7% copper, Cobalt - 5 assays were capped at 0.48% cobalt, Iron - all iron assays were capped at 50% iron (the analytical detection limit). 3. Benson Lake Mine historical reserves recorded by Cominco Resources (1972) report a non NI 43-101 validated Measured and Indicated resource of 454,000 tonnes of 0.59 g/t Au and 1.3% Cu and Inferred resource of 2.7 million tonnes of 1.7% Cu with no Au grade calculated. 4. Cominco Resources, Drill Section Maps "Plan of Cominco's Benson Lake Operations on Empire Claims Showing Ore Reserves & Proposed Exploration Program," 1970, Private Files

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

Certain information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release, including any information regarding the proposed Transaction, private placement, board, and management changes, as to our strategy, projects, plans or future financial or operating performance, constitutes "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Coast Copper, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, geological, and competitive uncertainties, and contingencies. Although Coast Copper believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Such factors include but are not limited to fluctuations in market prices, exploration and exploitation successes, continued availability of capital and financing, changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations, expropriation, or nationalization of property and general political, economic, market or business conditions. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect our actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release, or incorporated by reference, are qualified by these cautionary statements. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Highlights:

Santa Cruz Phase 1 construction is on budget and on schedule through end of April with commercial production planned for the EOY 2023.

Drilling at BamaStar to support NI 43-101 Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") mobilized May 15 th , 2023 for a 2 month diamond drilling program.

South Star is reviewing proposals for the NI 43-101 preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") scheduled for end of Q1 2024.

South Star will participate in 121 Mining Investment Conference in New York and Benchmark Gigafactories USA conference in Washington DC.

South Star has hired a new market making service provider.

Closing of private placement.

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / South Star Battery Metals Corp. ("South Star" or the "Company") (TSXV:STS)(OTCQB:STSBD), is pleased to announce a Phase 1 construction update for the Santa Cruz Graphite Mine in Bahia Brazil, as well as providing a general corporate update.

Richard Pearce, CEO of South Star commented, "Santa Cruz construction on the Phase 1 plant and mine installations continues on budget and on schedule through the end April 2023. BamaStar is moving forward. The same drillers we used on the maiden resource program at BamaStar mobilized May 15th for a 2-month diamond drilling campaign in support of the upcoming PEA, which will present our 5-7 year strategic plan of two mines producing a 100,000 tonne per year ("tpy") of high quality concentrates and 60-70,000 tpy of value-add and battery anode materials. South Star has two scalable assets in strategic, stable, mining-friendly jurisdictions and the team to build and operate them in a safe responsible manner in partnership with communities and stakeholders. It's happening at the perfect time, when supply is constrained and demand is growing exponentially. This dynamic is expected to place significant pressure on the graphite price in 2023 and for the foreseeable future. Santa Cruz will be the first new graphite producer in the Americas since 1996, and BamaStar is expected to be producing in 2027."

Santa Cruz Construction and Licensing Update

Construction through the end of April 2023 is on schedule and on budget for Phase 1 commercial production at the EOY 2023. Q2 2023 the main work programs include:

Civil construction, foundations, and retention walls for the plant area;

Civil infrastructure including entrance, security, additional offices, supply chain storage warehouse and contractor support area;

Electrical substation and internal electrical distribution network; &

Delivery of approximately 35% of the major equipment.

BamaStar PEA

The drilling company has mobilized for a 2-month drilling program in support of the upcoming PEA, planned for completion end of Q3, 2024. The driller is the same company that completed the recently filed maiden resource definition drilling program. The PEA program will include approximately 1,500-2,000 meters, and the goals are to expand the existing mineral resources, continue testing boundaries and improve the understanding of the geology and mineralization controls. The drilling program includes both step-out drilling to expand resource definition and some in-fill drilling to upgrade inferred resources into measured and indicated categories. The program will also include some oriented core in key holes to better understand structures and geotechnical/geomechanical parameters.

In addition, the Company is reviewing proposals for the upcoming PEA, which will present the 5-7 year strategic plan of two mines in strategic jurisdictions producing a 100,000 tonne per year ("tpy") of high quality concentrates and 60-70,000 tpy of value-add and battery anode materials. The Company is advancing with studies associated with value-add physical and chemical characterizations, battery suitability tests, as well as floatation, purification, micronization and spheronization technologies.

South Star Participation in Upcoming 121 Mining Investment Conference in New York City and the Benchmark Minerals Intelligence Gigafactory USA Conference in Washington DC

South Star is pleased to announce its participation in the upcoming 121 Mining Investment Conference in New York City on June 5-6. 121 Mining Investment New York will be hosting approximately 80 mining companies and more than 300 investors for two days of targeted one to one meetings. In addition, the Company will be participating in the Benchmark Minerals Intelligence Battery Gigafactories USA 2023 Conference in Washington DC on June 8-9. The conference will explore the rise of USA's lithium ion battery gigafactory economy and the need to build secure, sustainable supply chains for lithium, nickel, graphite, cobalt, manganese, rare earths and other critical raw materials.

South Star Retains Red Cloud Securities Inc. to provide Market-Making Services

South Star has retained Red Cloud Securities Inc. ("Red Cloud"), an arm's length party, to provide market stabilization and liquidity services in compliance with the policies and guidelines of the TSX Venture Exchange. Red Cloud is an established IIROC regulated broker dealer offering corporate issuers advisory, investment banking, research, and distribution services. As consideration for the services, the Company has agreed to pay Red Cloud a flat monthly fee of $5,000, payable quarterly in advance. Red Cloud will provide the services on an ongoing basis unless the agreement is terminated by either party with no less than 30 days' prior notice.

Red Cloud and/or its clients may have an interest, directly or indirectly, in the securities of the Company. There are no performance factors contained in the agreement with Red Cloud and Red Cloud will not receive any common shares or options from the Company as compensation for its services. The engagement of Red Cloud is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Closing of a Non-Brokered Private Placement

South Star has completed a non-brokered private placement of units (the "Private Placement" or the "Offering") for total proceeds of C$67,800.25. Net proceeds from the Private Placement will be used for exploration, development, Phase 1 construction activities, corporate G&A and general working capital requirements. Phase 1 commercial production is planned for Q4 2023.

The Private Placement consists of 127,925 units priced at C$0.53 per unit (the "Units"). Each Unit consists of one (1) common share and one (1) common share purchase warrant (the "Warrants"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share of the Company at an exercise price of C$1.25 per common share for a period of five years from the date of issue, subject to acceleration as set out below. The securities issued in this Private Placement will be subject to a four-month hold period from the date of closing and approval by the TSXV, expiring September 24, 2023.

If during a period of ten consecutive trading days between the date that is four (4) months following the closing of the Private Placement and the expiry of the Warrants the daily volume weighted average trading price of the common shares of the Company on the TSXV (or such other stock exchange where the majority of the trading volume occurs) exceeds C$2.50 for each of those ten consecutive days, the Company may, within 30 days of such an occurrence, give written notice to the holders of the Warrants that the Warrants will expire at 4:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on the 30th day following the giving of notice unless exercised by the holders prior to such date. Upon receipt of such notice, the holders of the Warrants will have 30 days to exercise their Warrants. Any Warrants which remain unexercised at 4:00 p.m. (Vancouver time) on the 30th day following the giving of such notice will expire at that time.

About South Star Battery Metals Corp

South Star Battery Metals Corp. is a Canadian battery metals project developer focused on the selective acquisition and development of near-term production projects in the Americas. South Star's Santa Cruz Graphite Project, located in Southern Bahia, Brazil is the first of a series of industrial and battery metals projects that will be put into production. Brazil is the second-largest graphite-producing region in the world with more than 80 years of continuous mining. Santa Cruz has at-surface mineralization in friable materials, and successful large-scale pilot-plant testing (>30t) has been completed. The results of the testing show that approximately 65% of Cg concentrate is +80 mesh with good recoveries and 95%-99% Cg. With excellent infrastructure and logistics, South Star is fully funded for Phase 1, and the 12-month construction and commissioning are underway. Santa Cruz will be the first new graphite production in the Americas since 1996 with Phase 1 commercial production projected in Q4 2023. Phase 2 production (25,000tpy) is partially funded and planned for 2026, while Phase 3 (50,000tpy) is scheduled for 2028.

South Star's second project in the development pipeline is strategically located in Alabama in the center of a developing electric vehicle, aerospace and defense hub in the southeastern United States. The BamaStar Project is a historic mine active during World Wars I & II. Trenching, phase 1 drilling, sampling, analysis, and preliminary metallurgical testing have been completed. The testing indicates a traditional crush/grind/flotation concentration circuit that achieved grades of approximately 94-97% Cg with approximately 86% recoveries. South Star is executing on its plan to create a multi-asset, diversified battery metals company with near-term operations in strategic jurisdictions. South Star trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol STS, and on the OTCQB under the symbol STSBF.

South Star is committed to a corporate culture, project execution plan and safe operations that embrace the highest standards of ESG principles based on transparency, stakeholder engagement, ongoing education, and stewardship. To learn more, please visit the Company website at http://www.southstarbatterymetals.com.

This news release has been reviewed and approved by Richard Pearce, P.E., a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 and President and CEO of South Star Battery Metals Corp.

On behalf of the Board,

Mr. Richard Pearce

Chief Executive Officer

For additional information, please contact:

South Star Investor Relations

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

+1 (604) 706-0212

Twitter: https://twitter.com/southstarbm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southstarbatterymetals

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southstarbatterymetals/

YouTube: South Star Battery Metals - YouTube

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

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 press release.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: moving Santa Cruz into production and scaling operations as well as advancing the Alabama project; and the Company's plans and expectations.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. 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. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections.
VANCOUVER, BC, May 23, 2023 /CNW/ - Nevada King Gold Corp. (TSXV: NKG) (OTCQX: NKGFF) ("Nevada King" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results from one vertical, reverse circulation ("RC") hole recently completed at its at its 5,166 hectare (51.6km2), 100% owned Atlanta Gold Mine Project, located in the prolific Battle Mountain Trend 264km northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Highlights:

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AT23HG-21 149.4 219.5 70.1 3.18 20.8 Includes 198.2 213.4 15.2 6.63 68.6

Table 1: Interval released today. True width estimated at 90-95%.

AT23HG-21 plotted on section 22-5N(2) intercepted 70.1m of 3.18 g/t Au, including 15.2m of 6.63 g/t Au , and was collared 25m west of previously released AT22HG-13 which averaged 82.3m of 3.60 g/t Au, including 12.2m of 17.59 g/t Au , (see January 12, 2023 , release). These two holes add to the rapidly growing, high-grade, sub-horizontal silica replacement zone that developed within strongly decalcified dolomite and overlying volcanics along and adjacent to the northerly trending West Atlanta Fault (" WAF "). This "core" zone of higher grade mineralization ranges from 30m to 70m wide and 50m to 100m true vertical thickness and is currently identified in widely-spaced drill holes over a 400m north-south strike length. The Company is actively tracking it northward along the WAF with a series of drill fences designed to fill a 200m gap in drill coverage between Section 22-8N (released February 1, 2023 ) and Section 22-15N (released April 27, 2023 , see Figure 1).





, and was collared west of previously released AT22HG-13 which averaged , (see , release). These two holes add to the rapidly growing, high-grade, sub-horizontal silica replacement zone that developed within strongly decalcified dolomite and overlying volcanics along and adjacent to the northerly trending West Atlanta Fault (" "). This "core" zone of higher grade mineralization ranges from to wide and to true vertical thickness and is currently identified in widely-spaced drill holes over a north-south strike length. The Company is actively tracking it northward along the WAF with a series of drill fences designed to fill a gap in drill coverage between Section 22-8N (released ) and Section 22-15N (released , see Figure 1). Section 22-5N(2) is the longest drill section released to date by the Company. Running 400m east-west, this section starts at the bottom of the East Ridge Target, completely crosses the Atlanta Mine Fault Zone (" AMFZ ") and then transits most of the West Atlanta Graben. The same structural and mineralization patterns are repeated along drill fences for at least 400m northward. Mineralization remains open at both ends of Section 22-5N(2) and the Company will soon initiate drilling to track the mineralization hit in AT22-RC12 and RC13 eastward up into the East Ridge Target and westward from AT22HG-8T later this summer to test mineralization beyond the West Atlanta Graben's western margin.





this section starts at the bottom of the East Ridge Target, completely crosses the Atlanta Mine Fault Zone (" ") and then transits most of the West Atlanta Graben. The same structural and mineralization patterns are repeated along drill fences for at least northward. and the Company will soon initiate drilling to track the mineralization hit in AT22-RC12 and RC13 eastward up into the East Ridge Target and westward from AT22HG-8T later this summer to test mineralization beyond the West Atlanta Graben's western margin. Looking immediately south of Section 22-5N(2) is the east-west trending South Fault, which previous explorers perceived to cut off mineralization at Atlanta . However, holes drilled by Nevada King indicate gold mineralization is in fact present south of the South Fault, which implies that the AMFZ could well extend further south into the South Extension Target. If this area proves to host gold mineralization, a significant area currently categorized as strip material could instead contribute to a future resource, while opening up mineralization further south along the WAF in an area with no historical drilling. Given the strong mineralization seen along Section 22-5N(2) the Company will now target the extension of this high-grade gold southward from this section.

Cal Herron, Exploration Manager of Nevada King, commented, "We continue to interserct higher-grade results as our drills step westward across the WAF from the AMFZ into the West Atlanta Graben. The WAF is a major control over gold/silver mineralization and proximity to this structure is the key to finding higher-grades within the adjacent AMFZ and West Atlanta Graben. The Company will continue drilling more fences east-west across the WAF in order to expand the northerly-trending high-grade core zone and test the thick, volcanic-hosted mineralization occurring within the adjacent West Atlanta Graben. The Company will also test for mineralization southward along the AMFZ, moving into an area with no historical drilling that is looking more like a major blue sky target at Atlanta."

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AT22HG-8T^ 135.7 185.4 49.7 3.50 3.3 Includes 170.4 183.8 13.4 7.65 6.6 And 239.0 278.7 39.6 1.54 2.6 Aggregate 135.7 278.7 89.3 2.74 3.0 AT22SE-42 122.0 201.2 79.3 1.50 1.4 And 234.8 318.6 83.8 0.48 3.6 Aggregate 122.0 318.6 163.1 0.98 2.5 AT22HG-9 201.2 205.8 4.6 2.1 6.3 AT22HG-16* 163.1 170.7 7.6 2.98 7.5 And* 196.6 292.7 96.0 1.38 3.1 Includes* 289.6 292.7 3.0 9.16 39.2 AT22HG-13 109.8 192.1 82.3 3.60 11.0 Includes 147.8 175.3 27.4 9.92 30.9 Includes 161.6 173.8 12.2 17.59 33.0 Includes 167.6 173.8 4.6 32.47 50.0 AT22NS-82 102.1 128.0 25.9 2.90 8.1 Includes 120.4 126.5 6.1 8.16 17.1 AT22NS-69 89.9 135.7 45.7 1.57 8.5 AT22NS-80 80.8 129.6 48.8 1.37 6.6 AT21-41B* 38.1 73.2 35.0 1.17 11.3 AT21-43A* 19.8 33.5 13.7 1.9 18.6 AT22RC-12 0 57.9 57.9 1.38 14.0 AT22RC-13 0 19.8 19.8 0.99 7.4 AR-18 221.0 257.6 36.6 0.53 1.9 ARC-5 (U) 131.1 202.7 71.6 2.97 11.1 includes 173.2 199.7 26.5 6.35 12.6 ARC-5 (L)* 259.1 282.0 22.9 2.23 1.9 ARC-2 155.5 184.5 29.0 3.93 27.5 ARC-1 176.5 289.9 113.4 2.11 10.8 KR98-1 186.0 239.3 53.4 3.05 1.1 KR98-3 266.8 288.1 21.3 0.83 0.9

Table2. Other holes used in Section22-5N(2). The AT21/22 series holes were drilled by Nevada King. ARC series of holes were drilled by Goldfields in 1990. KR series of holes drilled by Kinross in 1998. *Denotes hole that bottomed in mineralization.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Calvin R. Herron, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101").

About Nevada King Gold Corp.

Nevada King is the third largest mineral claim holder in the State of Nevada, behind Nevada Gold Mines (Barrick/Newmont) and Kinross Gold. Starting in 2016, the Company has staked large project areas hosting significant historical exploration work along the Battle Mountain trend located close to current or former producing gold mines. These project areas were initially targeted based on their potential for hosting multi-million-ounce gold deposits and were subsequently staked following a detailed geological evaluation. District-scale projects in Nevada King's portfolio include (1) the 100% owned Atlanta Mine, located 100km southeast of Ely, (2) the Lewis and Horse Mountain-Mill Creek projects, both located between Nevada Gold Mines' large Phoenix and Pipeline mines, and (3) the Iron Point project, located 35km east of Winnemucca, Nevada.

The Company is well funded with cash of approximately $10 million as of May 2023.

The Atlanta Mine is a historical gold-silver producer with a NI 43-101 compliant pit-constrained resource of 460,000 oz Au in the measured and indicated category (11.0M tonnes at 1.3 g/t) plus an inferred resource of 142,000 oz Au (5.3M tonnes at 0.83 g/t). See the NI 43-101 Technical Report on Resources titled "Atlanta Property, Lincoln County, NV" with an effective date of October 6, 2020, and a report date of December 22, 2020, as prepared by Gustavson Associates and filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

NI 43-101 Mineral Resources at the Atlanta Mine

Resource Category Tonnes (000s) Au Grade (ppm) Contained Au

Oz Ag Grade (ppm) Contained Ag

Oz Measured 4,130 1.51 200,000 14.0 1,860,000 Indicated 6,910 1.17 260,000 10.6 2,360,000 Measured + Indicated 11,000 1.30 460,000 11.9 4,220,000 Inferred 5,310 0.83 142,000 7.3 1,240,000

Please see the Company's website at www.nevadaking.ca.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operations and activities of Nevada King, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the Company's exploration plans and the Company's ability to potentially expand mineral resources and the impact thereon. 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. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Nevada King, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Nevada King does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.
Vancouver, BC  TheNewswire - May 23, 2023 - Recharge Resources Ltd. ("Recharge" or the "Company") (CSE:RR) (OTC:RECHF:) (Frankfurt:SL5) announced today that it has received the drill permit to drill up to 6 additional holes at the Pocitos Lithium Brine Project on the Pocitos 2 Block in Pocitos salar, Argentina. The drill hole program will be implemented once the magneto telluric data is attained in late May early June and processed. The survey will penetrate to at least 600m depth.

Additional drilling across the contiguous Pocitos 1 and Pocitos 2 blocks will assist to determine the size of the potential resource as well as allow the confidence of the estimate to be moved from inferred to indicated and measured categories upon completion of this initial NI 43-101.

As previously announced, the basis for the NI 43-101 report is well underway after Recharges Qualified Person, Phillip Thomas set up the drill program in Argentina when he was there in November 2022, again in January 2023 and most recently in May of 2023 to measure and review core, flow rates and assays to create the anticipated NI43-101 compliant report. External hydrologists working at Rincon nearby are also scheduled to visit and inspect the site and core.

Thomas, BSc Geol, FAusIMM MAIG, has spent the past 22 years exploring for lithium brines, including building and operating a pilot plant for production at Rincon Salar (sold to Rio Tinto for US$825 Million) as well as he and his team explored the Pozuelos salar, producing an indicated and inferred resource, from four exploration wells. (recently sold to Ganfeng for US$962 million).

Fig 2. Dec, 2022 Drilling at Pocitos 1 Fig 3. 2018 Drilling at Pocitos 1 Fig 4. 2018 Drilling at Pocitos 1

This is another milestone in the Company's endeavour to build up to a 20,000-tonne Ekosolve direct lithium extraction (DLE) plant at the Pocitos project in order to supply Richlink Capital Pty. Ltd. up to 20,000 tonnes of lithium chloride/carbonate per year, as previously announced under a letter of intent of offtake.

Furthermore, Recharge is currently awaiting the results of its ongoing recovery and carbonate conversion studies at the Ekosolve pilot plant at the University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.

Figure 1. Recharges QP Phil Thomas at Ekosolve Testing Facility  University of Melbourne, Australia

Ekosolve pre-engineering studies have shown that provided brine flow exceeds 35,000 megalitres per year, 110 ppm lithium content and above have been deemed economic at a class C estimate. Recharge successfully completed a 2022 drill campaign at Pocitos 1 assaying 169 ppm and over a two-week period averaging 161 ppm Lithium. Further surface pit samples taken from the recently acquired contiguous Pocitos 2 project sampled 181 PPM lithium, the highest lithium value found on the Pocitos salar surface to date. All three drill holes at the project have had exceptional brine flow rates.

CEO, David Greenway, summarised, "Recharge is pushing forward on all fronts with drilling now completed and awaiting assays at the Brussels Creek Copper-Palladium-Gold Project. Drilling is pending at the Pocitos lithium brine project and a Spring recon program now approved for the Georgia Lake Lithium project. Pending drilling, NI 43-101, and testing at the Eksolove pilot plant should make for an exciting next period for Recharge and its stakeholders at the Pocitos lithium brine project.

About Pocitos Lithium Brine Project

The Pocitos Project is located approximately 10 km from the township of Pocitos where there is gas, electricity, and internet services. Pocitos (1 &2) is approximately 1,352 hectares and is accessible by road. Collective exploration totaling over USD $2.0 million developing the project, including surface sampling, trenching, TEM geophysics and drilling three holes that had outstanding brine flow results. Locations for immediate follow up drilling have already been designed and identified for upcoming exploration. Our next step is to do a Magnetotelleric geophysics survey to position the next drill holes. This survey will penetrate to more than 800m.

Lithium values of up to 169 ppm from laboratory analysis conducted by Alex Stewart were recorded by during the projects drill campaigns as recent as December 2022. A double packer sampling system in HQ Diamond drill holes were drilled to a depth of up to 409 metres. The flow of brine was observed to continue for more than five hours. All holes had exceptional brine flow rates.

Figure 5. Pocitos Lithium Claim Map

Qualified Person

Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, FAusIMM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein.

Thomas is independent of the Company and is NOT a shareholder of Recharge Resources. Thomas visited the property to view the core between January 15th-22nd, 2023 and 8 May 2023 to determine if additional flow tests could be arranged.

About Recharge Resources

Recharge Resources is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on exploring and developing the production of high-value battery metals to create green, renewable energy to meet the demands of the advancing electric vehicle and fuel cell vehicle market.

All Stakeholders are encouraged to follow the Company on its social media profiles on , , and Instagram.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

David Greenway

David Greenway, CEO

For further information, please contact:

Recharge Resources Ltd.

Joel Warawa

Phone: 778-588-5473

E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: recharge-resources.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Informationtime

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements, which reflect the expectations of management regarding Recharges intention to continue to identify potential transactions and make certain corporate changes and applications. Forward looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits Recharge will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect managements current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including Recharges results of exploration or review of properties that Recharge does acquire. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and Recharge assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Lode Metals Corp. (CSE: LODE) ("Lode" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it will conduct a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering"), under the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption (as defined below), of units of the Company (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.20 per Unit to raise gross proceeds of up to $3,000,000.

Each Unit will consist of one (1) common share (each, a "Common Share") of the Company and one (1) Common Share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one (1) Common Share at a price of $0.30 for a period of twenty-four (24) months after the closing date of the Offering, provided that if the Common Shares have a closing price on the Canadian Securities Exchange (the "CSE") (or such other securities exchange on which the Common Shares may be traded at such time) of $0.35 or greater for a period of ten (10) consecutive trading days, then the Company may elect to accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants to the date that is thirty days following a public announcement of the election.

The net proceeds raised from the Offering will be used for the exploration of the Company's projects and for working capital purposes. The Company does not propose to make any payments to non-arms-length parties from the proceeds of the sale of Units, other than in connection with established compensation for services provided to the Company in the ordinary course of business, nor does the Company propose to make payments from the proceeds to persons conducting investor relations activities.

Subject to compliance with applicable regulatory requirements and in accordance with National Instrument 45-106 - Prospectus Exemptions ("NI 45-106"), the Offering is being made to purchasers resident in Canada, except Quebec, pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI- 45-106 (the "Listed Issuer Financing Exemption"). The securities offered under the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption will not be subject to a hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. There is an offering document (the "Offering Document") related to the Offering that can be accessed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and on the Company's website at: www.lodemetals.com. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision.

As disclosed in the Offering Document, the Company may pay finders' fees to eligible parties who have assisted in introducing subscribers to the Offering as permitted by CSE policy and applicable securities laws.

About Lode Metals Corp.

Lode Metals is a gold exploration company focused on applying modern exploration techniques integrated with current geological models to the previous producing, high-grade Cracker Creek property located in northeastern Oregon, United States. The Cracker Creek property consolidates the contiguous, high-grade, past-producing Columbia, Eureka, Excelsior and North Pole Mines, collectively the most prolific gold producers in Oregon between 1891 and 1934.

For further information contact:

Jon Bey

President & Chief Executive Officer

Lode Metals Corp.

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

www.lodemetals.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 neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

Certain information in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Kraken Energy Corp. (CSE: UUSA) (OTCQB: UUSAF) (the "Company" or "Kraken") is pleased to announce the execution of a definitive option agreement (the "Option Agreement" or the "Agreement") to acquire up to a 75% interest in the Harts Point Uranium Property (Figures 1 & 2) in San Juan County, southeast Utah ("Harts Point" or the "Property"). This news follows the previously announced binding letter of agreement (see May 2nd, 2023 press release).

Harts Point is located in the center of the Colorado Plateau, referred to by some as "the Athabasca Basin of the US" and is 64 kilometers ("km") (40 miles) north of the White Mesa Uranium Mill, the only fully licensed and operating conventional uranium mill in the United States. The Property consists of 324 lode mining claims on Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") ground that covers an area of 2,622 hectares ("ha") (6,480 acres) and drill permits are in place for up to 25 exploration drill holes upon payment of the US$58,000 bond to the BLM.

Garrett Ainsworth, Chairman of Kraken, stated, "We are very pleased to have executed the option agreement on Harts Point, which has strong potential to host a uranium deposit trend along the east flank of an anticline feature within the well-known Chinle Formation in the Colorado Plateau. Historical uranium mining to the east and west of Harts Point along with historic off-scale radioactivity in the Chinle Formation on Harts Point have significantly de-risked our upcoming drill program where the majority of permitting has already been completed."

Harts Point Property Highlights:

World class uranium jurisdiction: located in the center of the Colorado Plateau, which has produced over 328 million ("M") pounds ("lbs") U 3 O 8 at 0.2 to 0.4% U 3 O 8 since the 1950s 1 .

Harts Point Anticline is Analogous to the Lisbon Valley Anticline: where the Lisbon Valley Uranium District (Figure 1) hosted 17 large uranium mines which produced approximately 80M lbs U 3 O 8 at 0.34% U 3 O 8 from 1948 to 1988 2 . The dimensions of these tabular sandstone-hosted uranium deposits range from 2 to 13 meters ("m") (7 to 43 feet) thick, 100 to 3,048 m (328 to 10,000 feet) long, and 31 to 427 m (100 to 1,400 feet) wide 3 .

Significant Historic Uranium Production: Several historic mines located 11 km (7 miles) west of the Harts Point Property produced approximately 280,000 lbs U 3 O 8 at 0.3% U 3 O 8 from the favorable Chinle Formation host rock 4 . The Lisbon Valley Anticline is located 31 km (19 miles) to the east of the Harts Point Property (Figure 1) produced approximately 80M lbs U 3 O 8 0.34% U 3 O 8 2 .

Historic Exploration: Three wide-spaced historic oil and gas wells on the Property (Figure 2) along the east flank of the Harts Point Anticline show 'off-scale' radioactivity within the favorable Chinle Formation host rock.

Excellent Infrastructure: located approximately 64 km (40 miles) north of the White Mesa uranium processing facility. There is excellent access throughout the Property, which is situated 45 km (28 miles) from the town of Monticello, Utah.



Matthew Schwab, CEO of Kraken, commented, "Harts Point is perfectly situated for a discovery between previously producing operations to the east and west and has historic drilling that shows 'off-scale' radioactivity within the property. With the significant upside potential at Harts Point and drill permits in place, our team is now finalizing the remaining details to begin drilling on the property as soon as possible."

Figure 1: Harts Point Location Map within Colorado Plateau

Figure 2: Harts Point Property with Regional Uranium Occurrences

Terms of the Agreement:

Under the terms of the Agreement, the parties have entered into a definitive option agreement (the "Option Agreement"), pursuant to which the Company may acquire up to 75% of the Harts Point Property from Atomic Minerals Corporation (TSXV: ATOM) ("Atomic") by meeting the following requirements:

Kraken will be the operator and must incur US$1.5 million of eligible expenditures within 18 months from the date of the Option Agreement to earn a 65% interest.

Kraken has the option to increase interest in the Property from 65% to 75% by incurring an additional US$2.0 million of eligible expenditures within 30 months from the date of the Option Agreement and issuing Atomic 2.0 million common shares of Kraken.

Kraken will grant Atomic a 2.0% net smelter royalty (subject to a buy down to 1.0% for US$5.0 million).

After the initial option (Kraken 65%: Atomic 35%) or the extended option (Kraken 75%: Atomic 25%), a definitive Joint Venture Agreement will be formed.

As consideration for identifying the Harts Point Property and facilitating completion of the proposed transaction, a "non-arm's length party" to the Company will be issued 110,000 common shares in the capital of the Company as a finder's fee (the "Finder's Fee Shares"). The Finder's Fee Shares will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day.

References

1 Holger Albrethsen, Jr. and Frank E. McGinley (1982). Summary History of Domestic Procurement Under U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Contracts, September 1982.

2 Chenoweth, W.L. (1990). Lisbon Valley, Utah's Premier Uranium Area, a Summary of Exploration and Ore Production. Utah Geological Survey Open File Report 188, July 1990.

3 Gordon W. Weir and Willard P. Puffett (1981). Incomplete manuscript on stratigraphy and structural geology and uranium-vanadium and copper deposits of the Lisbon Valley area, Utah-Colorado. Open-File Report 81-39. Pages 153 to 163. United States Department of the Interior

Geological Survey.

4 Chenoweth, W.L. (1993): The geology and Production History of the Uranium deposits in the White Canyon Mining District, San Juan County, Utah, Utah Geological Survey Miscellaneous Publication 93-3.

Technical Information:

All scientific and technical information in this news release has been prepared by or reviewed and approved by Matthew Schwab, P.Geo., President and CEO of the Company, and Garrett Ainsworth, P.Geo., Chairman of the Company. Each of Mr. Schwab and Mr. Ainsworth is a Qualified Person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

The data disclosed in this news release is related to historical drilling results. Kraken has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. Kraken considers these historical drill results relevant as the Company is using this data as a guide to plan exploration programs. The Company's current and future exploration work includes verification of the historical data through drilling.

About Kraken Energy Corp.:

Kraken Energy Corp. is a new energy company advancing its portfolio of high-grade uranium properties in the Unites States. The Company is advancing its 100%-owned Apex Uranium Property, located 280 km (174 miles) east from Reno, Nevada which is recognized as Nevada's largest past-producing uranium mine. The Company has additionally entered into an option agreement to earn 100% of the Garfield Hills Uranium Property. The past-producing Garfield Hills Uranium Property covers 1,238 ha (3,060 acres) and is located 19 km (12 miles) east of Hawthorne in Mineral County, Nevada. The Company has also recently staked the Huber Hills Uranium Property, located 136 km (85 miles) north of Elko, Nevada which covers 1,044 ha (2,580 acres) and encompasses the historic Race Track open pit mine.

For more information about the Company, please visit; www.krakenenergycorp.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Kraken Energy Corp.

Matthew Schwab

President & Chief Executive Officer

Corporate Office:

Suite 907 - 1030 West Georgia Street

Vancouver, British Columbia

V6E 2Y3

T: (604) 377-1212

For investor relations inquiries, contact:

Kin Communications Inc.

T: (604) 684-6730

E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This news release contains forward-looking information which is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this press release include our plans for exploration at the properties. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Risks that could change or prevent these statements from coming to fruition include changing costs for mining and processing; increased capital costs; the timing and content of upcoming work programs; geological interpretations based on drilling that may change with more detailed information; potential process methods and mineral recoveries assumption based on limited test work and by comparison to what are considered analogous deposits that with further test work may not be comparable; the availability of labour, equipment and markets for the products produced; and despite the current expected viability of the project, conditions changing such that the minerals on our property cannot be economically mined, or that the required permits to build and operate the envisaged mine can be obtained. The forward-looking information contained herein is given as of the date hereof and the Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - PowerStone Metals Corp. (CSE: PS) (FSE: W0R) ("PowerStone" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has appointed Garrick Mendham as lead technical advisor, and that Emerging Markets Capital ("EMC"), a mining focused investment firm based in Hong Kong led by Jorge Ramiro Monroy, has been appointed as a strategic advisor to the Company.

Mr. Mendham has over 35 years' of experience in the mining industry across North America, Australia and Asia in various roles and commodity groups with extensive knowledge of the critical metals sector. He has worked for companies such as BHP Group Limited, Rio Tinto, Lihir Gold Limited, Bond Corporation, and Queensland Nickel Group.

Mr. Mendham joined Hong Kong based RH Mining Resources Ltd. in 2012 and became a board member in 2017 as Executive Director. Prior to joining RH Mining, Mr. Mendham was with a prominent Hong Kong resources investment group and was the founding Chairman of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Hong Kong branch, and currently serves as a board director of Infinitum Copper. He received a Bachelor of Mine Engineering from the University of New South Wales, a Graduate Diploma in Finance from the Securities Institute of Australia, and holds Mine Manager Certificates in Australia for both New South Wales and Western Australia.

EMC and Mr. Ramiro Monroy have founded a number of mining ventures with Asian capital doing business in North America. Jorge is the CEO and Founder of Reyna Silver, a Toronto Venture Exchange listed company with silver exploration projects in Mexico and the US and currently serves as board director of Reyna Gold, Sierra Madre Gold and Silver and Arabian Shield Resources. Mr. Ramiro Monroy holds a Bachelor's degree from the State University of New York, an MBA in Finance from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Jorge is fluent in English, Hindi, Spanish and Portuguese and has passed the level III HSK Chinese Fluency Exam.

In connection with the appointments of Mr. Mendham and EMC, the Company issued an aggregate of 300,000 options at an exercise price of C$0.10 per underlying common share, which are exercisable for five years from the date of issue, subject to certain vesting conditions, pursuant to the Company's stock option plan.

About PowerStone

PowerStone is a mineral exploration company focused on the identification and exploration of high-quality critical metals assets, in favorable mining jurisdictions, to help meet the increasing demand of metals required for the transition to a green economy. PowerStone is currently exploring the Chilton Cobalt Property, a prospective cobalt asset located in Quebec, Canada. The Company may also evaluate the acquisition of other mineral exploration assets and opportunities. For more information, please visit www.powerstonemetals.com.

Contact Information

Raymond Harari

Chief Executive Officer, PowerStone Metals Corp.

e: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

t: 507-6675-2221

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as that term is defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information by its nature is based on assumptions and 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 or information. We have made certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and information. Although PowerStone's management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. The Company does not undertake to update forwardlooking statements or forwardlooking information, except as required by law.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the business of the Company and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof.
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Gratomic Inc. ("Gratomic", "GRAT" or the "Company") (TSXV:GRAT) (OTCQX:CBULF) (Frankfurt:CB82) announces that it has completed a further tranche of its non-brokered private placement offering of up to 20,000,000 working capital units ("WC Units") at a price of $0.30 per WC Unit for gross proceeds of up to $6 million (the "Offering") with the placement of 2,237,363 WC Units for gross proceeds of $671,208.90. The Company has raised $4,148,189.40 to date.

Each WC Unit consists of one (1) Common Share and one (1) Common Share purchase warrant (a "WC Warrant"). Each WC Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one (1) Common Share (a "WC Warrant Share") at a price of $0.45 per WC Warrant Share until May 19, 2025.

A finder's fee of $1750 was paid to an eligible intermediary and 5,833 broker warrants ("Broker Warrants") were issued. Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one (1) common share of the Company at a price of $0.45 until May 19, 2025.

The securities issued on this closing of the Offering are subject to a hold period expiring on September 20, 2023. Final closing of the remainder of the Offering is expected on or before May 26, 2023.

Proceeds from the Offering will be used for general working capital and for operating capital for the Company's Aukam Project.

One insider subscribed for 879,030 WC Units for proceeds of $263,709 on this closing of the Offering. The insider private placement is exempt from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101") by virtue of the exemptions contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1) (a) of MI 61-101 in that the fair market value of the consideration for the securities of the Company issued to the insider does not exceed 25% of its market capitalization.

The securities to be offered pursuant to the Offering have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Gratomic

Gratomic is a multinational company with projects in Namibia, Brazil, and Canada. Its aim is to become a leading graphite supplier and to secure a strong position in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain through developing its flagship Aukam graphite mine and ongoing exploration at the Capim Grosso property. Gratomic will continue to explore graphite opportunities that show the potential to produce the specific flake size and purity required for active anodes.

Large quantities of high-quality vein graphite have been shipped for testing to confirm their suitability as anode material. Gratomic is confident that the test results will provide a unique competitive advantage in the desired target markets. The Company will continue to update the public on the status of these tests and will share results as they become available.

On the January 25, 2023 Gratomic announced that it had entered into a LOI with Graphex Technologies to supply graphite through existing facilities and develop a downstream processing facility in the continental US.

Gratomic has entered into a collaborative agreement with Forge Nano to use its patented atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology to coat the spherical graphite required in lithium-ion batteries.

For more information: Visit www.gratomic.ca or contact:

Arno Brand at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (416) 561- 4095

Sign up at gratomic.ca/contact/ to be added to our email list.

For marketing and media information, please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

"Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors 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. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com)
Israeli forces killed three Palestinian fighters Monday in a raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank in what the army described as an operation targeting "terrorist" suspects.

In a statement, the Palestinian health ministry identified the three men killed in Balata camp in Nablus as Muhammad Abu Zaytoun, 32, Fathi Abu Rizk, 30, and Abdullah Abu Hamdan, 24.

The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party, said in a statement that the three were among the group's "fighters".

The group's emblem was wrapped around the foreheads of the men in a morgue, and their bodies shrouded in the Palestinian flag.

The Israeli army said it had shot several fighters when a gun battle erupted during a "counterterrorism" operation.

During the operation, "armed suspects fired at the soldiers, who responded with live fire. Hits were identified," it said.

The army added in a statement that it "apprehended three wanted individuals suspected of involvement in terrorist activity", and that weapons and ammunition were seized.

Palestinian presidency spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh described the killings as a "veritable massacre" and charged that repeated Israeli raids and attacks by settlers constituted a "major war crime and a collective punishment".

He said "silence" from the United States had emboldened Israelis to escalate attacks, calling on Washington to "immediately intervene to stop the Israeli madness that will drag the region toward explosion".

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War and its forces regularly launch incursions into Palestinian cities, which are nominally under the control of Abbas's Palestinian Authority.

Deadly military operations have surged in recent months across the Palestinian territory.

- Escalating violence -

Muhammad Zuhd, an activists from the camp, said "violent clashes took place between resistance fighters and the Israeli army" after hundreds of soldiers entered Balata.

Mourners, some of them armed, gathered in the streets as the men's bodies were carried in a funeral procession.

Samer Thouqan, from Fatah, said residents "were surprised by an extreme, barbaric attack".

"They (Israeli troops) started shooting from all sides and destroyed many homes in this camp," he said.

Following the raid, Palestinians inspected the rubble of a damaged building and salvaged belongings.

Israel's army, meanwhile, said it had "located in one of the residences an explosives manufacturing site" and detonated it.

The Hamas militant group, which rules the blockaded Gaza Strip, described those killed as "freedom fighters".

"Hamas reiterates that resisting the (Israeli) occupation is a legitimate right for the Palestinian people in their quest for freedom," the group said in a statement.

Densely-populated Balata is home to some 27,000 people, making it the largest camp in the West Bank, according to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

The Israeli army also reported clashes in an operation in Jenin, north of Nablus, where it said suspects hurled explosive devices and fired at the soldiers.

The troops "responded with live fire" and in two cases "a hit was identified", the statement said.

Israeli forces arrested three suspects in Jenin and seven others in other parts of the West Bank, it added.

The latest raids come just over a week into a fragile Gaza ceasefire after a five-day cross-border conflict between Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group.

Since the start of the year, at least 153 Palestinians, 20 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian have been killed in violence linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to an AFP tally compiled from official sources from both sides.

They include, on the Palestinian side, combatants and civilians, and on the Israeli side mostly civilians and three members of the Arab minority.
Pavlo Zaporozhets fought for Ukraine in the ATO [the Anti-Terrorist Operation Zone] from 2014 to 2017. When the Russian full-scale invasion began in February 2022, he joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces Military Intelligence, living and working in Kherson. After Russias invasion of the Southern city of Ukraine, Zaporozhets was arrested by the FSB, the Russian intelligence service, allegedly with two grenades and bomb-making materials.

On May 9, 2022, Pavel was abducted and kept until August in one of the torture chambers in Kherson - a basement on Teploenergetkiv Street. He was subjected to brutal methods of violence, including electric shocks, in order to extract confessions, Pavlo's cousin Marina Zaporozhets told Zlochyn.dp.ua. "In August 2022, Russian FSB officers took my cousin to the annexed Crimea, to the pre-trial detention center No. 1 in Simferopol. And in October he was transferred to the pre-trial detention center No. 2," she added.

A criminal case was opened against Zaporozhets. After a pre-trial investigation, an indictment was submitted to the Rostov-on-Don court, and in February 2023 Zaporozhets was transferred to the Russian Federation, she explains. "When he was being transferred in a police van, he had the opportunity to call us by asking a Russian prisoner to borrow his phone. He told us what had happened to him and where he was," she recalls. "Pavlo is currently in Rostov. At first, he was in solitary confinement, now he is held with another Kherson resident."

Tried as a civilian

Zaporozhets' case is currently being reviewed by the Southern District Military Court of Rostov-on-Don. According to the official information available on the court's website, the Ukrainian former serviceman is accused of an attempt to commit an act of international terrorism. He faces a sentence of between 10 years and life imprisonment. According to TASS, Russias leading news agency, his case is the first criminal case against a Ukrainian prisoner in Russia regarding an act of international terrorism to be reviewed on the merits in court.

Zaporozhets' Russian defense lawyer Oleksiy Ladin, explains that at the time of his detention the accused was a military man who was allegedly carrying out an order to destroy enemy patrols. "The case file includes a copy of a letter from the Coordination Center of Ukraine for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, in which they confirm that Zaporozhets is a soldier and is currently subject to prisoner of war status. However, the Russian side does not recognize that Pavlo is an active serviceman, he is being tried as a civilian," Ladin told Zlochyn.dp.ua. "Zaporozhets was indeed following a combat order, and he was detained on his way to the place where he was supposed to lay the tripwires. There was no explosion. No one was injured," he added. According to the defense lawyer, Zaporozhets' case was sewn with white threads.

Counsel Ladin is known in Ukraine for defending Crimean Tatars accused to overthrow the Russian constitutional system, among them Edem Bekirov. The Russian lawyer also defended Ukrainian journalist Vladyslav Yesypenko. He is currently defending Zhuk Yaroslav Pavlovych, detained in Melitipol and accused of the same charges as Zaporozhets, as well as Gennady Lasynskyi, currently held in Simferopol, accused of possessing weapons and explosives, and many others Ukrainian prisoners.

Oleksiy Ladin, the Russian lawyer for many Ukrainian prisoners. Photo from Oleksiy Ladin's official Facebook page

Challenging the evidence

"On May 9, my client was illegally detained, tortured with electric shocks, beaten, he endured so much. And then, on August 2, he supposedly appeared in the office of an FSB investigator in Simferopol, where he was officially detained and arrested," Ladin says. "Several pieces of evidence are illegal. In particular, according to the indictment, Zaporozhets was supposed to have committed, as it is written, a terrorist act, which could have resulted in the deaths of Russian military personnel and civilians of both Ukraine and Russia. But on May 9, 2022, Kherson was neither legally nor factually the territory of the Russian Federation. It was the territory of Ukraine."

During the preliminary hearing, the defense asked for a number of evidence to be declared inadmissible. However, the court denied the request, considering it premature. The court also denied the defense lawyer's motion to dismiss the criminal case.

Not a hearing, but a real performance

And eventually, on March 15, 2023, the first court hearing was held. "It was not a hearing, but a real performance, attended by representatives of the propaganda media. They made a sensation about the 'Ukrainian terrorist'," comments Marina Zaporozhets. Then the Russian state-owned media outlet TASS spread information that Zaporozhets had pleaded guilty.

Zaporozhets' cousin provided Zlochyn.dp.ua with an audio recording of his statement in the Military Court of Rostov-on-Don. The following are the words of the accused on the record:

"Your Honor, I ask you to dismiss the prosecutor's motion [to keep him on remand], I fully support the position of my defense. I would also like to draw your attention to the fact that I was illegally detained, or rather abducted, on the territory of a foreign state by Russian law enforcement officers. Then I was illegally detained in Kherson for three months and illegally transferred to the Republic of Crimea, where I was placed in detention. I did not obstruct the investigation by my actions, but rather contributed in every way to establish the truth in the case. I have no intention of hiding from the court, as I consider myself innocent. I do not intend to put pressure on the witnesses in the case, as it makes no sense for an innocent person to do so. Considering all of the above, I ask the court to dismiss the prosecutor's motion and choose a different measure of restraint for me, that does not involve detention. Thank you, your honor."

Looking for prisoners exchange?

Ladin said that during the court hearing prosecution witness K., an FSB officer, stated that he had examined items at a border checkpoint that had allegedly been seized by law enforcement officers from Pavlo Zaporozhets during operational and search activities in Kherson. But the defense lawyer notes that this, according to witness K., took place on August 8, while Zaporozhets was arrested three months earlier.

"During the preliminary hearing, they failed to provide a single witness. There is an assumption that the remaining witnesses are in Kherson, beyond the reach of the FSB. [Kherson was retaken by Ukrainian forces last November.] Therefore, the prosecution changed the evidence examination procedure and presented a number of written case materials. The prosecution will try to present witnesses again at the next hearing," says Ladin.

During a hearing in April, the court reviewed Zaporozhets' medical examination. Another hearing took place on May 17, but the prosecutors office could not ensure the attendance of witnesses. It asked to be allowed to present witness statements. The defense objected. The court dismissed the objection. The next hearing is scheduled on May 31.

Ladin says that even if Zaporozhets is not acknowledged as a military man and convicted as a civilian, he intends to seek prisoners exchange. "Even if there is a verdict that has become final, there is a legal possibility of exchanging him through clemency," he says.

This report is part of our coverage of war crimes justice produced in partnership with Ukrainian journalists. A first version of this article was published on the "Zlochyn" website.
Rosensteel Fleishman, PLLC, a highly respected law firm based in Charlotte, NC, announces the launch of free personal injury consultations for individuals and families affected by car accidents. The firm, known for their unwavering commitment to client satisfaction and exceptional legal representation, extends this offering to provide accessible and empathetic support for those navigating the complex aftermath of an accident.

The experienced attorneys at Rosensteel Fleishman understand the emotional and physical toll a car accident can have on both victims and their loved ones. As personal injury attorneys, the firm is dedicated to helping clients successfully navigate the legal landscape, ensuring they receive the compensation and care they rightfully deserve. From car accident cases to broader personal injury claims, Rosensteel Fleishman is a trusted partner for those seeking justice and closure.

Hiring a Charlotte personal injury attorney in the wake of an accident can be essential for numerous reasons. The lawyers at Rosensteel Fleishman are skilled negotiators, adept at securing fair settlements from insurance companies that they may be reluctant to pay. Additionally, their expertise in gathering and analyzing evidence can prove invaluable in building a strong case. By thoroughly evaluating the circumstances of an accident, these attorneys can identify liable parties, assess the extent of damages, and calculate the financial impact on a victims life.

With a compassionate understanding of the challenges faced by accident victims and their families, Rosensteel Fleishman ensures that each client receives personalized attention and support. The firms commitment to alleviating the burden of legal complexities allows clients to focus on their recovery, knowing their case is in capable hands. Offering free personal injury consultations demonstrates the firms dedication to empowering North Carolina individuals with knowledge and resources, regardless of their
Ji Sung surely knows how to prove his love for wife and actress Lee Bo Young with a delightful interaction on Instagram.

The award-winning actor never shied away from expressing his feelings and support for the actress. From promoting her drama, surprise gifts and more, the 46-year-old actor makes sure that his wife feels that he is her number one fan. It was after Lee Bo Young's Instagram featured an afternoon with her acquaintances.

Sitting casually in front of a statue, she seemed to be enjoying her moment with friends. Amid hundreds of comments, one post stood out the most, and that is, of course, Lee Bo Young's husband.

Ji Sung's Interaction With Lee Bo Young on Instagram Delighted Fans

Ji Sung is definitely a "husband-material" after the actor hyped his wife's IG post.

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"Why are you so pretty? It's an Instagram system???!" he wrote, delighting netizens with his interaction with the "Mine" star.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that Ji Sung had shown his love for Lee Bo Young through social media.

Back in 2021, the award winning actor marked their wedding anniversary with a heartwarming post. On Ji Sung's Instagram, the "Adamas" star took a trip down memory lane and recalled his special day with Lee Bo Young.

He shared a photo on their wedding day as they celebrated their eighth anniversary.

Although Ji Sung seldom shares photos of him and his wife, the actor loves sharing heartwarming and candid photos of the actress and their kids.

Ji Sung and Lee Bo Young married on September 27, 2013, after they met on the set of the 2004 K-drama "Save the Last Dance for Me." The celebrity couple is blessed with two children, Kwak Ji Yoo and Kwak Woo Sung.

Besides Ji Sung's post, fans were also delighted by her Instagram posts hints about his K-drama comeback.

Lee Bo Young New Drama: Actress Returns With BBC Remake 'Hyde'

Following the thriller mystery series "Mine" in 2021, Lee Bo Young returns to the small screen with an interesting K-drama. She will star alongside Lee Mo Saeng, and Lee Chung Ah for the upcoming TVING series "Hyde."

Slated to premiere sometime in 2023, it is a remake of a BBC series. It focuses on the journey of a woman who searches for the truth behind a series of missing people.

While DK E&M Production Company is set to produce Lee Bo Young's new drama, "Hyde" will be helmed by director Kim Dong Hwi of "Fight for My Way" and "The Tale of Nokdu."

Although the premiere date is yet to be confirmed, various outlets say "Hyde" is expected to air in the second half of 2023.

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 Trudeau government has downgraded its long-delayed plan for Africa from a strategy to a framework, saying this better reflects the original intent of the policy despite criticism the Liberals are not taking the region seriously. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Rob Oliphant rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa on Friday, June 7, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand
The streets surrounding Elmhurst Hospital in New York City have become the staging ground for over 150 resident physicians striking for pay parity. The future of the medical profession is forced to grapple with a persistent issue long evaded  wage disparity.

Elmhurst Hospital, a critical pivot of public health and a notable battleground during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, now sits as the epicenter of a different kind of crisis. At the core of this unrest lies the glaring wage gap between residents employed under the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai working at Elmhurst and those stationed at Mount Sinais main campus. This striking difference in wages brings to the forefront an inconvenient reality  an equal workload does not guarantee equitable compensation.

The recent surge in physician unions across the United States marks a direct response to longstanding issues ingrained within the health care system. Among these are pay inequities, relentless work hours, and a blatant disregard for hazard pay, an issue which starkly rose to prominence during the brutal apex of the COVID-19 crisis. It is disheartening to witness the very doctors who fought on the frontlines of this crisis, now battling for what should be a given  fair pay and appropriate working conditions.

The issue is not about the nature of the work a resident undertakes, which remains fundamentally the same whether in a public hospital like Elmhurst or a private one like Mount Sinais main campus. Its about respect and equity. Its about whether society values the work of its healers enough to ensure they are adequately compensated.

Its undeniable that the privilege of serving patients is profound and deeply personal, but that should not come at the expense of fair compensation and a quality of life that is conducive to the well-being of health care providers. It is not only unfair but also potentially damaging to the profession, which risks deterring compassionate and talented individuals from joining its ranks.

The COVID-19 pandemic peeled back the veneer of the health care system, revealing the inequalities and systemic issues that lie beneath. The strike at Elmhurst is not an isolated incident, but a manifestation of these larger problems, echoing the cries for fairness, equity, and respect within the profession.

Physician strikes, like the one at Elmhurst, should be seen as desperate calls for change rather than a calculated standoff. They stem from persistent frustrations, demanding work conditions, and a lack of necessary support. Resident physicians, like all medical professionals, are committed to patient care, but they shouldnt be required to do so at the expense of their well-being and equitable treatment.

The situation calls for compassion, understanding, and a commitment to systemic changes. The medical community and society at large need to rally behind these resident physicians and support their fight for fair wages and dignified working conditions. This struggle goes beyond their individual welfare; its a fight for the integrity of the medical profession.

Its time the medical community and society address the wage disparity in medicine head-on. This issue goes beyond mere numbers; it speaks to respect, fairness, and the responsibility towards the future of the medical profession. Its time to stand up for the dignity of all doctors, from the most seasoned specialist to the youngest resident. After all, the strength of the medical profession lies in its unity and shared commitment to a noble cause  healing those in need.

Kevin Pho is an internal medicine physician and founder, KevinMD.
Educationists are blaming both the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) and university management systems for failing on their job.

This follows a report by the Daily Monitor that millions of current and former students at various universities in Uganda are doomed after it emerged that the courses they are pursuing or completed are invalid since they expired.

An expired or invalid course, is a degree or diploma programme that is not duly accredited for teaching by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), the sector statutory regulator.

Speaking to KFM, Modern Musiimenta, the country director STiR Education, an international NGO that supports education systems in India and Uganda attributes the current crisis to a system failure at both universities and the education Council for failing to carry out their oversight role.

The challenge points to a problem of systems, you have on one hand, universities that have fully fledged academic registrars departments that are supposed to follow up and ensure that every course advertised for learners to apply is accredited. On the other hand, you have NCHE which is In charge of supervising institutions not playing its oversight role, said Mr Musiimenta.

Musiimenta says the alternative for affected students and parents should be to sue the council for fleecing them of the Shs20,000 annual fees they pay to the council for supervision.

Its unfair for learners and parents who pay their money every year to the national council to see that it is sleeping on the job, he added.

He recommends that the best thing to do would be to sue both the council and the respective universities.

The crisis has come to the fore after the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom reportedly declined to admit an alumna of Makerere University, who had studied a Bachelor of Biomedical Laboratory Technology, to pursue an advanced degree.
Police in Sheema district are investigating circumstances under which a security guard identified as Elly Kamanye, 55, a former crime preventer who was deployed at a wedding party over the weekend was stabbed to death.

According to the Greater Bushenyi police spokesperson Mr. Martial Tumusiime, it is alleged that on Sunday, May 21, 2023, during a late night wedding party for a one Emmanuel Gubingu at Rwengiri II village, Kigarama sub county, in the Sheema District, the deceased was deployed as a security guard.

He adds that a misunderstanding between the suspect and a one Ivan Amanya broke out over a woman identified as Grace Mary Kantebe a barmaid at Ox-ford Pub in Kanyeganyeje village.

Mr. Tumusiime explains that the suspect armed with a panga attempted to cut Kantebe which prompted the deceased to intervene, but he was instead stubbed in the stomach.

The deceased returned to the party calling for help while holding the stomach and narrated that Texas (suspect) had stabbed him. He was rushed to Kabwohe health centre IV and later referred to Mbarara referral hospital where he died, said Mr. Tumusiime.

Police say the suspect is detained at Kigarama police post and the body of the deceased was handed over to the relatives for burial after a postmortem at Mbarara referral hospital.

Last week, police responded to 3 incidents of shooting, two of which arose out of anger and rage by a police officer in Mbarara district and a saracen security guard in Tororo municipality.

The third shooting was by a police officer in Mukono municipality, due to mistaken identity.

The Uganda Police Force spokesperson, Mr. Fred Enanga has since said that investigations so far reveal that the shootings were not as a result of organised crime, or attacks targeting any community but just random cases arising out of petty disagreements.
A new virtual exhibition marking the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement has been launched.

The Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheal Martin, has launched the exhibition, which tells the story of the Agreement and of the long road to peace.

Speaking about the launch, the Tanaiste said, "Thanks to the Good Friday Agreement, signed on 10 April 1998, an entire generation on the island of Ireland has grown up free from the shadow of violence.

"The Agreement allowed us to reimagine how we thought of ourselves, and of each other. It transformed how the world saw our island and its potential.

"Together, we have achieved things that previous generations would have thought impossible: from paramilitary decommissioning, to reformed policing, to an entire infrastructure for political engagement and cooperation East-West, North-South and within Northern Ireland."

He continued: "For many, this is an imperfect peace. Much work remains for us to truly fulfil the vision and values of the Agreement that was signed in Belfast, and to make sure that all communities and all traditions can fully reap the benefits of peace.

"As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish Government remains profoundly committed to the ongoing journey of peace and reconciliation on and between these islands."

The exhibition is available to view at '25 Years of the Good Friday Agreement: Ireland - this is Ireland'.
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.
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(Kitco News) - Binance, the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange, commingled the customer and company funds in their U.S. bank accounts from 2020 to 2021 in violation of U.S. law, according to a Reuters report published Tuesday.

The report cited three sources with first-hand knowledge of the exchanges operations as well as bank records and other documents to back up the allegations. One source with direct knowledge of the exchanges internal finances said the sums ran into billions of dollars and commingling happened almost daily.

The mixing of funds was allegedly done through Binances accounts at Silvergate Bank, the U.S.-based lender which imploded in March, sparking the ongoing banking crisis and renewed fears that crypto losses could jeopardize the broader financial industry.

Reuters cited bank and company records from 2019-2021 as well as interviews with former insiders which showed that Binance used Silvergate as the lynchpin of its financial operations. One bank record showed that on Feb. 10, 2021, Binance mixed $20 million from a corporate account with $15 million from an account that received customer money.

According to the inside sources and bank records, the exchanges Cayman Islands holding firm, Binance Holdings, maintained one Silvergate account for dollar-denominated company revenue, while U.S. dollars from customers went into another Silvergate account of Seychelles-based Key Vision Development which was controlled by Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao.

The report claimed Binance told Silvergate that the Key Vision accounts purpose was to receive dollar deposits from non-U.S. customers. According to the sources and bank records, Binance mixed customer money and company revenues in a third Silvergate account, belonging to a Zhao-controlled Cayman firm. The exchange then converted the money in this third account into BUSD, Binances branded U.S. dollar stablecoin.

BUSD was itself the focus of a major enforcement action in February when Paxos Trust revealed they were ordered by the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) to stop minting the stablecoin for Binance. The order came following an investigation by the NYDFS and the SEC that lasted through the November collapse of number-two exchange FTX and the ascendance of Binance to a near-monopolistic position in the global crypto market.

When news of the Paxos decision broke, CZ attempted to distance himself from the issuer and minimize Binances involvement with the BUSD token. Paxos is regulated by NYDFS. BUSD is a stablecoin wholly owned and managed by Paxos, he wrote, adding that The lawsuit is between the US SEC & Paxos.

But the wording of the NYDFS statement on their enforcement action suggested that U.S. regulators saw Binance and not Paxos as the bad actor. The NYDFS cited several unresolved issues related to Paxos oversight of its relationship with Binance in regard to Paxos-issued BUSD.

The regulator explained that while they authorized Paxos to issue BUSD on the Ethereum blockchain, they did not authorize Binance-Peg BUSD on any blockchain, and Binance-Peg BUSD is not issued by Paxos. This directly contradicted CZs assertion that Paxos is solely responsible for all BUSD.

Binance mints billions in Binance-peg or B-Tokens, which are its own versions of third-party coins like Bitcoin, Ether, USDC and USDT, and it deploys them on its own BNB Smart Chain. But Binance has acknowledged that they have failed to maintain 1:1 collateral for these B-tokens, with a Bloomberg source claiming that on one occasion, Binance only had $100 million in stored collateral to support $1.7 billion in Binance-peg USDC.

Reuters cited multiple former U.S. regulators who said that moving money between the various Silvergate accounts and into their own stablecoin could have enabled Binance to shield funds from tax authorities in countries where it operates. The former regulators said the commingling of these funds put client assets at risk by obscuring their whereabouts.

Reuters also cited a statement from Binance in which the exchange denied mingling customer and company funds. These accounts were not used to accept user deposits; they were used to facilitate user purchases of crypto, said Binance spokesperson Brad Jaffe. There was no commingling at any time because these are 100% corporate funds.

Jaffe claimed that when users sent money to the account, they were not depositing funds but buying the exchanges B-Token, BUSD, which was exactly the same thing as buying a product from Amazon.

But the former U.S. regulators told Reuters that Jaffes claims were undermined by the exchanges own documentation. From late 2020 and throughout 2021, Binances website told customers their dollar transfers were deposits that would be credited to their trading accounts in the form of BUSD, the report said. Customers were told they could withdraw their deposits as dollars, creating the expectation that clients funds would be safeguarded in the same way as traditional cash deposits.
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(Kitco News) - The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has announced that it will begin accepting applications on June 1 for crypto trading platforms looking to serve retail investors.

According to a report released on Tuesday that outlined the regulator's consultation conclusions on proposed policy recommendations for virtual asset trading platforms, the public has thus far been open to the proposed requirements, though some have sought further clarification.

The public feedback period for the proposed regulations was originally opened in February, and the SFC received 152 written submissions from industry and professional associations, professional and consultancy firms, market participants, licensed corporations, individuals and other stakeholders.

Based on the feedback received, the SFC has modified some of the proposed requirements to help ensure a smooth rollout. Moving forward, the regulator plans to implement multiple measures designed to help protect investors including ensuring suitability in the onboarding process, good governance, enhanced token due diligence, admission criteria and disclosures.

Providing clear regulatory expectations is the key to fostering responsible development, said Julia Leung, CEO of the SFC. Hong Kongs comprehensive virtual assets regulatory framework follows the principle of same business, same risks, same rules and aims to provide robust investor protection and manage key risks. This will enable the industry to develop sustainably and support innovation.

The new guidelines for virtual asset trading platform operators, set to go into effect on June 1, spell out the requirements for the safe custody of assets, segregation of client assets, avoidance of conflicts of interest, and cybersecurity standards and requirements expected of licensed trading platforms.

All operators of virtual asset trading platforms who agree to comply with the terms and conditions of the SFCs updated standards are now encouraged to apply for an operator's license. Those that do not wish to obtain a license are expected to proceed with an orderly closure of their business in Hong Kong, the announcement said.

The rollout of the new regulations is a welcome sight for companies aiming to establish operations in Hong Kong as the SFC has yet to approve any virtual asset trading platform to provide services to retail investors. Most virtual asset trading platforms currently accessible by the public are not regulated by the SFC and will need to obtain a license to operate if they wish to stay in business.

Blockchain-related activity in Hong Kong has been on the rise over the past year as the region has received behind-the-scenes approval from China to expand its cryptocurrency ecosystem.

In February, it was revealed that representatives from Chinas Liaison Office and other officials have been regular attendees at Hong Kongs crypto gatherings in recent months. The representatives have reportedly adopted a friendly approach to working with companies by checking on developments, asking for reports, and in some instances, making follow-up calls.

In the official 2023-2024 budget released by Hong Kong, Financial Secretary Paul Chan revealed that the Special Administrative Region would be allocating HKD$50 million ($6.5 million) to help develop the countrys Web3 ecosystem and included plans to integrate Chinas central bank digital currency  the digital yuan  with their own program.
LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) will spend over $200 million on carbon dioxide removal credits to take away and store 800,000 tons of emissions as part of its sustainability efforts, it said on Tuesday.

Even with pledges of huge reductions in emissions, many scientists believe extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) by using nature, or technology, will be essential to meet global goals set under the Paris climate agreement to curb climate change.

These agreements reflect our ambition to support scale, innovation and evolution in these technologies. Alongside reducing emissions, the world needs significant investment in durable carbon removal solutions with gigaton-scale potential, Ashley Bacon, chief risk officer, JPMorgan Chase said in a statement.

The bank has signed purchase agreements with several carbon removal projects, including a nine-year deal with Switzerlands Climeworks, for 25,000 tons of carbon removals from its direct air capture (DAC) projects, which suck CO2 from the air and permanently store it.

It has also signed a deal with Charm Industrials to remove and store 28,500 tons over five years using its bio-oil technique.

Charms projects inject a carbon-rich liquid made from excess, inedible plant materials deep underground so the carbon absorbed as the plants grew is permanently stored and not released back into the atmosphere.

Due to their early stage and complexity, carbon removal credits are much more expensive than traditional offsets which pay for emissions cuts elsewhere to compensate for emissions companies have not cut themselves.

JPMorgan said the deals are expected to enable the company to match every ton of operational emissions it is unable to cut itself with removal credits by 2030.

Were first reducing emissions to minimize our environmental impact and then addressing what we cant yet abate, Brian DiMarino, JPMorgan Chase head of operational sustainability, said.
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(Kitco News) - Gold and silver prices are solidly lower in early U.S. trading Tuesday, with silver notching a seven-week low. An appreciating U.S. dollar on the foreign exchange market and rising U.S. Treasury yields have the gold and silver market bulls running for cover. Chart-based selling is also featured today as the near-term technical postures for both metals have deteriorated recently. June gold was last down $17.50 at $1,959.70 and July silver was down $0.576 at $23.28.

Asian and European stock markets were mixed to weaker overnight. U.S. stock indexes are pointed toward slightly lower openings when the New York day session begins. Reports said President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy on Monday afternoon had productive talks on the U.S. debt-ceiling extension. Both are scheduled to meet again this week on the matter. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has reiterated that the U.S. government could run out of money by June 1 if no new debt-extension deal is reached.

The apparent progress on the U.S. debt talks may be prompting some added selling pressure on the safe-haven gold and silver markets. Also, Federal Reserve officials recent comments have been generally still leaning more hawkish than dovish on U.S. monetary policy, which is another bearish element for the metals.

In overnight news, the Euro zone May composite purchasing managers index (PMI) came in at 53.3, which was slightly less than expectations. The April reading was 54.1. A number above 50.0 suggests growth in the sector.

The key outside markets today see the U.S. dollar index higher and hitting a two-month high overnight. Nymex crude oil prices are slightly up and trading around $72.20 a barrel. Meantime, the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note yield is presently fetching 3.72%.

U.S. economic data due for release Tuesday includes the weekly Johnson Redbook and chain store retail indexes, the U.S. flash manufacturing and services purchasing managers indexes, the Richmond Fed business survey, and new residential sales.

Technically, the gold futures bulls have the overall near-term technical advantage but have faded recently. Prices are trending down on the daily bar chart. Bulls next upside price objective is to produce a close in June futures above solid resistance at the May high of $2,085.40. Bears' next near-term downside price objective is pushing futures prices below solid technical support at $1,900.00. First resistance is seen at the overnight high of $1,974.40 and then at this weeks high of $1,984.80. First support is seen at last weeks low of $1,954.40 and then at $1,950.00. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 6.0

The silver bears have the overall near-term technical advantage. Prices are trending lower on the daily chart. Silver bulls' next upside price objective is closing July futures prices above solid technical resistance at $24.50. The next downside price objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at $22.00. First resistance is seen at todays high of $23.81 and then at $24.00. Next support is seen at $23.00 and then at $22.50. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 4.0.
DOHA, May 23 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Tuesday he would inflict more pain on short sellers and told them to watch out just days before a planned OPEC+ meeting to decide on future oil policy.

"Speculators, like in any market they are there to stay, I keep advising them that they will be ouching, they did ouch in April, I don't have to show my cards I'm not a poker player... but I would just tell them watch out," he told the Qatar Economic Forum organised by Bloomberg.

Short sellers are investors that bet on oil prices falling, and hence when an unexpected move by OPEC+ to cut production causes a rally, they are forced to close their positions at a loss.

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, and other OPEC+ producers announced surprise voluntary cuts in April that lifted prices after a slump driven by concerns that a banking crisis could impact demand.

Analysts at Standard Chartered bank said in a note this week that short speculative positions are now as bearish as they were at the start of the pandemic in 2020.

"We think the latest build-up in short positions significantly increases the probability of further production cuts when OPEC+ meets," the analysts said.

Brent prices were trading 1.3% higher at just under $77 a barrel at 1300 GMT, about $10 below their peak after OPEC+ announced the additional cuts in April.

OPEC+ members are due to meet on June 4 in Vienna to decide on their next course of action.

The April cuts were described as "inadvisable" by Washington, which had also been critical of the group's decision to cut production in October.

The minister said the alliance would continue to be proactive, preemptive and hedge against what may come in the future, regardless of any criticism.

"We should be brave enough to attend to the future without continuing the so-called 'kicking the can' policies, those policies that may allow us to fend the situation for this month, next month or the month after but with that we are losing sight of our intentions and our more important objectives," he said.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, including Russia, known as OPEC+, would continue to be a responsible market regulator, the minister added.

He again blamed the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) and its initial predictions for a 3 million barrel per day (bpd) fall in Russian production on the back of the Ukraine war for misleading the market.

"Look who did the most in trying to bring forecasts and data and projections that really created most of the volatility that we have had in 2022 and continue to do so?" Prince Abdulaziz said.

"There is an organisation called the IEA, I think they have proven that it really takes special talent to be consistently wrong."

The IEA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In its monthly oil market report last week, the agency upgraded its forecast for 2023 oil demand by 200,000 bpd to 102 million bpd, adding that the oil market faces a supply crunch in the second half of the year.
DOHA, May 23 (Reuters) - Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters on Tuesday said the sale of Credit Suisse (CSGN.S) to UBS (UBSG.S) was "surprising" given the "unusual" terms of the deal, which prioritised shareholders over bondholders.

"The conclusion was very surprising to me, in terms of the way that the bank was resolved through this very unusual sale to UBS, with associated unusual payments to shareholders versus bondholders," Winters told an audience at the Qatar Economic Forum, organised by Bloomberg.

Under the rescue deal, engineered by Swiss authorities over one March weekend amid global banking turmoil, UBS agreed to buy Credit Suisse for 3 billion Swiss francs ($3.4 billion) in stock and to assume up to 5 billion francs in losses that would stem from winding down part of the business.

About $18 billion in Credit Suisse's Additional Tier 1 (AT1) debt was rendered worthless in the transaction, leading to litigation from bondholders.

Winters said the banking crisis was over but that a transformation of banks was still needed.

Speaking at the same forum, Qatar Investment Authority CEO Mansoor Ebrahim al-Mahmoud said he thought UBS had got a "good deal" with the Credit Suisse takeover.

Qatar's sovereign wealth fund, Credit Suisse's second-largest investor, has explored seeking redress for losses incurred in the takeover, Reuters reported on May 17, citing two people familiar with the matter.

The QIA sought legal advice on whether it had any claim against Swiss authorities, including through international arbitration, after the forced sale at a fraction of Credit Suisse's market value, the two sources said.

UBS has flagged tens of billions of dollars of potential costs - and benefits - from its takeover of Credit Suisse, underscoring the high stakes involved as it prepares to complete the rescue of its struggling Swiss rival.

The first rescue of a global bank since the 2008 financial crisis, which is backed by up to 250 billion Swiss francs in public funds, will create a wealth manager with more than $5 trillion in invested assets and over 120,000 employees globally.
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(Kitco News) - Global uranium production from mines increased by 2.3% in 2022 to 48,888 tonnes. Kazakhstan was the largest uranium producing country in 2022, followed by Canada and Namibia.

According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA), in 2022, the worlds total uranium production amounted to 48,888 tonnes, which is an increase of 2.3% over 2021 (47,808 tonnes).

WNA said that last year, mined uranium covered only 74% of the global demand, with the rest covered by secondary sources.

In 2022, Kazakhstan produced the largest share of uranium from mines (43% of the world supply), followed Canada (15%) and Namibia (11%).

According to the report, in situ leach (ISL, also called in situ recovery, ISR) mining technology has been steadily increasing its share among other uranium mining methods, mainly due to its widespread use in Kazakhstan, and in 2022 it accounted for 56% of global production.

Kazakhstan was the largest uranium producing country with 21,227 tU mine-produced in 2022, which is 2.7% less compared to the countrys output of 21,819 tU in 2021.

Canada was the world's largest uranium producer for many years, accounting for about 22% of world output, but in 2009 was overtaken by Kazakhstan. In 2022, Canada ranked second and produced 7,351 tonnes of uranium, which is 56.6% more than in 2021 (4,693 tonnes). Uranium production increase in Canada was primarily due to the resumption of production at the Cigar Lake mine in Saskatchewan after the COVID-19 related suspension was lifted in July 2021.

Moreover, after being held in safe care and maintenance since 2018, on February 9, 2022 Cameco announced plans for the McArthur River/Key Lake operations gradual return to production, which was achieved on November 9, 2022.

Namibia lost one position and landed third in 2022. The country produced 5,613 tonnes of uranium in 2022, which is 2.4% lower than in 2021 (5,753 tonnes). Chinese companies have taken control over two uranium producing mines in Namibia, Husab and Rossing.

Australia is fourth with 4,087 tonnes of uranium produced in 2022, which is 2.5% less than in 2021 (4,192 tonnes). Uranium production ceased at Rio Tintos Ranger mine in January 2021. However, Australia's known uranium resources are the world's largest  almost one-third of the world total.

Uzbekistan sits fifth. This resource-rich Central Asian nation produced 3,300 tonnes of uranium in 2022, which is a decline of 6.3% compared to 2021 (3,520 tonnes). Uzbekistan does not process uranium locally and exports its entire produced stock to other countries.

The complete list is on the chart.
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(Kitco News) - The U.S. Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced earlier today that they have sanctioned four entities and one individual for obfuscated revenue generation and malicious cyber activities that support the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) Government.

According to the OFAC, North Korea engages in a wide range of malicious cyber activities and uses its own IT personnel to secure international technology jobs under fraudulent pretexts.

Todays action continues to highlight the DPRKs extensive illicit cyber and IT worker operations, which finance the regimes unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, said Brian Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. The United States and our partners remain committed to combatting the DPRKs illicit revenue generation activities and continued efforts to steal money from financial institutions, virtual currency exchanges, companies, and private individuals around the world.

The DPRKs malicious cyber actors target individuals and companies worldwide to steal funds to support the regimes priorities, including its unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs.

According to a Feb. 1 report from blockchain research firm Chainalysis, North Korean entities including Lazarus Group are the single largest source of crypto hacks and theft in the world. In 2022, they shattered their own records for theft, stealing an estimated $1.7 billion worth of cryptocurrency out of the global total of $3.9 billion, they wrote.

The entities sanctioned by the OFAC included the Pyongyang University of Automation, which the report called one of the DPRKs premier cyber instruction institutions. It trains many of the malicious cyber actors who work under the regimes Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB), the primary intelligence bureau and cybercrime entity of the DPRK.

The Treasury also sanctioned the RGB-run Technical Reconnaissance Bureau and its subordinate cyber unit, the 110th Research Center.

The OFAC claimed the Technical Reconnaissance Bureau leads the DPRKs development of offensive cyber tactics and tools and operates several departments, including those affiliated with the Lazarus Group.

On April 14, 2022 the U.S. Treasury identified the Lazarus Group as the actors behind the single largest crypto theft of all time after nearly $615 million was stolen from Ronin, a blockchain network that lets users transfer crypto in and out of the popular online game Axie Infinity on March 23. Blockchain analytics firms including Chainalysis and Elliptic confirmed at the time that North Korea was behind the break-in.

The OFAC also alleged that the DPRK generates significant revenue through the deployment of IT workers who fraudulently obtain employment with companies around the world, including in the technology and virtual currency industries. They said North Korea maintains an IT workforce spread around the world, but concentrated principally in China and Russia, to generate revenue that contributes to its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs.

The Treasury said these workers use fake personas, proxy accounts, stolen identities, and falsified or forged documentation to get hired by companies based in wealthy countries, and can earn upwards of $300,000 each per year.

DPRK IT workers often take on projects that involve virtual currency, they wrote. DPRK IT workers also use virtual currency exchanges and trading platforms to manage digital payments they receive for contract work as well as to launder these illicitly obtained funds back to the DPRK.

The North Korean Chinyong Information Technology Cooperation Company (Chinyong), as well as Russia-based senior Chinyong executive Kim Sang Man, were both sanctioned in the latest Treasury action.

The Treasury announcement also contributed to more bad press for Binance, as Coindesk reported soon afterward that several of the DPRK-controlled crypto wallets listed by the OFAC were hosted by Binance. According to the OFAC, a number of sanctioned wallets containing bitcoin, ether, USDT and USDC belonged to Sang Man Kim, a 58-year-old North Korean citizen.

On Nov. 8, the OFAC designated Ethereum-based crypto mixer Tornado Cash as a supporter of North Koreas nuclear weapon development program.

This action is part of the United States ongoing efforts to limit the DPRKs ability to advance its unlawful weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs, the announcement said.

According to the Treasury, Tornado Cash smart contracts have been utilized by various actors, including the Lazarus Group, to obfuscate the source of funds acquired from cyber heists.

Malicious cyber actors subsequently used the Tornado Cash smart contracts to launder more than $96 million of funds derived from the June 24, 2022 Harmony Bridge Heist, and at least $7.8 million from the August 2, 2022 Nomad Heist, the OFAC said.
Henderson European Focus Trust plc (LON:HEFT  Get Rating) announced a dividend on Monday, May 22nd, Upcoming.Co.Uk reports. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of GBX 1.30 ($0.02) per share on Tuesday, June 27th. This represents a yield of 0.82%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 1st. The official announcement can be viewed at this link.

Henderson European Focus Trust Price Performance

Shares of Henderson European Focus Trust stock traded down GBX 0.25 ($0.00) during midday trading on Monday, reaching GBX 158.75 ($1.97). The company had a trading volume of 134,604 shares, compared to its average volume of 215,188. The company has a current ratio of 7.25, a quick ratio of 6.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.72. The company has a market capitalization of 337.77 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -721.59 and a beta of 0.90. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 156.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of GBX 153.23. Henderson European Focus Trust has a 1-year low of GBX 120.60 ($1.50) and a 1-year high of GBX 165.50 ($2.06).

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Henderson European Focus Trust Company Profile

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Henderson European Focus Trust plc is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Henderson Investment Funds Limited. It is co-managed by Henderson Global Investors Limited. The fund invests in public equity markets of Continental Europe. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

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Altus Power, Inc. (NYSE:AMPS  Get Rating) CEO Gregg J. Felton acquired 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $4.41 per share, with a total value of $110,250.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 11,859,603 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $52,300,849.23. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Altus Power Stock Performance

Shares of AMPS traded up $0.29 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $4.71. The company had a trading volume of 1,290,915 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,181,162. The stock has a market capitalization of $753.60 million, a P/E ratio of -235.38 and a beta of 0.58. Altus Power, Inc. has a 52-week low of $4.08 and a 52-week high of $14.72. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $5.00 and a two-hundred day moving average of $6.45. The company has a quick ratio of 3.15, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79.

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Altus Power (NYSE:AMPS  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 30th. The company reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $26.76 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.03 million. Altus Power had a net margin of 0.57% and a negative return on equity of 0.86%. On average, analysts expect that Altus Power, Inc. will post 0.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Institutional Trading of Altus Power

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on Altus Power from $12.00 to $10.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 16th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Altus Power from $12.00 to $9.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. B. Riley reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $14.00 target price on shares of Altus Power in a report on Friday, March 31st. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Altus Power from $10.00 to $7.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Altus Power has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $10.67.

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in AMPS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. purchased a new position in Altus Power in the first quarter valued at $39,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Altus Power in the 1st quarter valued at about $107,000. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. raised its holdings in Altus Power by 33.3% in the 1st quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 20,000 shares of the companys stock worth $149,000 after purchasing an additional 5,000 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. purchased a new position in Altus Power during the first quarter worth approximately $67,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Altus Power in the first quarter valued at approximately $12,973,000. 43.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Altus Power Company Profile

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Altus Power, Inc, a clean electrification company, originates, develops, owns, and operates roof, ground, and carport-based photovoltaic solar energy generation and storage systems. The company serves commercial, industrial, public sector, and community solar customers. Altus Power, Inc was founded in 2013 and is based in Stamford, Connecticut.

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AGCO Co. (NYSE:AGCO  Get Rating) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the thirteen analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $154.33.

Several research analysts have commented on AGCO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of AGCO from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $149.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on shares of AGCO from $122.00 to $135.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of AGCO from $185.00 to $189.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 2nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on AGCO from $129.00 to $136.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on AGCO in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company.

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AGCO Trading Up 0.4 %

AGCO stock opened at $114.77 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $124.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $130.96. AGCO has a fifty-two week low of $88.55 and a fifty-two week high of $145.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.59. The firm has a market cap of $8.59 billion, a PE ratio of 8.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.74 and a beta of 1.34.

AGCO Increases Dividend

AGCO ( NYSE:AGCO Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The industrial products company reported $3.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.64 by $0.87. The firm had revenue of $3.30 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.15 billion. AGCO had a net margin of 7.30% and a return on equity of 27.21%. AGCOs revenue for the quarter was up 22.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.39 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that AGCO will post 14.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 19th will be given a $5.00 dividend. This represents a yield of 4.87%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 18th. This is a positive change from AGCOs previous dividend of $4.50. AGCOs dividend payout ratio is currently 8.96%.

Insider Transactions at AGCO

In other news, SVP Torsten Rudolf Willi Dehner sold 744 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.71, for a total transaction of $104,688.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 26,867 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,780,455.57. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 16.60% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in AGCO by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 6,453,637 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $942,424,000 after purchasing an additional 106,593 shares during the last quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC grew its holdings in AGCO by 7,866.4% in the 1st quarter. Mizuho Markets Americas LLC now owns 3,589,105 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $300,695,000 after buying an additional 3,544,052 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management grew its holdings in AGCO by 7.9% in the 3rd quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 3,309,412 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $318,266,000 after buying an additional 241,457 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in AGCO by 0.6% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,260,006 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $452,130,000 after buying an additional 18,305 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in AGCO by 2.0% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,038,095 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $275,543,000 after buying an additional 40,341 shares in the last quarter. 75.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AGCO Company Profile

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AGCO Corp. engages in the manufacture and distribution of agricultural equipment and related replacement parts. It operates through the following geographic segments: North America, South America, Europe and Middle East, and Asia, Pacific, and Africa. The Asia/Pacific/Africa segment includes the regions of Australia and New Zealand.

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Banco Itau Chile (NYSE:ITCL  Get Rating) is one of 70 publicly-traded companies in the Commercial banks, not elsewhere classified industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its competitors? We will compare Banco Itau Chile to related businesses based on the strength of its valuation, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership, risk, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Banco Itau Chile and its competitors revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Banco Itau Chile $2.94 billion $487.62 million 4.93 Banco Itau Chile Competitors $641.25 billion $3.08 billion 9.18

Banco Itau Chiles competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Banco Itau Chile. Banco Itau Chile is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Banco Itau Chile 0 0 0 0 N/A Banco Itau Chile Competitors 629 2237 2268 59 2.34

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Banco Itau Chile and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.

As a group, Commercial banks, not elsewhere classified companies have a potential upside of 81.42%. Given Banco Itau Chiles competitors higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Banco Itau Chile has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors.

Dividends

Banco Itau Chile pays an annual dividend of $0.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.9%. Banco Itau Chile pays out 24.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Commercial banks, not elsewhere classified companies pay a dividend yield of 2.5% and pay out 17.0% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

Profitability

This table compares Banco Itau Chile and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Banco Itau Chile 11.23% 13.12% 1.06% Banco Itau Chile Competitors 18.91% 11.95% 0.97%

Volatility & Risk

Banco Itau Chile has a beta of 0.98, suggesting that its stock price is 2% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Banco Itau Chiles competitors have a beta of 0.94, suggesting that their average stock price is 6% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.2% of Banco Itau Chile shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 24.6% of shares of all Commercial banks, not elsewhere classified companies are held by institutional investors. 8.0% of shares of all Commercial banks, not elsewhere classified companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Banco Itau Chile competitors beat Banco Itau Chile on 8 of the 12 factors compared.

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. The Colombia segment offers commercial and retail banking and treasury and international business operations. The company was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in Las Condes, Chile.

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Ranch Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Get Rating) by 1.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 16,006 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 248 shares during the period. Ranch Capital Advisors Inc.s holdings in Southern were worth $1,143,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 127.6% during the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 421 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 236 shares during the period. Horizon Bancorp Inc. IN bought a new stake in shares of Southern during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. VitalStone Financial LLC bought a new stake in shares of Southern during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 192.0% during the 4th quarter. Bourgeon Capital Management LLC now owns 511 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 336 shares during the period. Finally, Miller Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Southern by 66.7% during the 4th quarter. Miller Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 500 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 200 shares during the period. 61.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Southern Trading Up 0.1 %

Southern stock traded up $0.08 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $71.03. 641,140 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,145,162. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $71.39 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $68.91. The Southern Company has a 52 week low of $58.85 and a 52 week high of $80.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $77.45 billion, a PE ratio of 22.89, a P/E/G ratio of 4.95 and a beta of 0.51. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.51.

Southern Increases Dividend

Southern ( NYSE:SO Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.71 by $0.08. Southern had a net margin of 11.53% and a return on equity of 10.78%. The business had revenue of $6.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.14 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.97 EPS. Southerns quarterly revenue was down 2.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that The Southern Company will post 3.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 6th. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. This is a positive change from Southerns previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.94%. Southerns dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 90.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Southern

In other Southern news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.89, for a total value of $359,450.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 146,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at $10,516,356.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, EVP Bryan D. Anderson sold 9,491 shares of Southern stock in a transaction that occurred 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.89, for a total transaction of $359,450.00. Following the 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 quarter, insiders have sold 91,917 shares of company stock valued at $6,889,527. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on SO. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of Southern from $73.00 to $79.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Southern from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 17th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of Southern from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 20th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Southern from $79.00 to $78.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Southern from $73.00 to $71.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 17th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $73.07.

About Southern

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The Southern Co is a holding company, which engages in the generation and sale of electricity. It operates through the following segments: Traditional Electric Operating Companies, Southern Power and Southern Company Gas. The Traditional Electric Operating Companies segment refers to vertically integrated utilities that own generation, transmission and distribution facilities, and supplies electric services in the states of Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi.

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BTS V, fondly known by fans as Kim Taehyung, and Blackpink's charismatic Jennie are creating quite a stir as they prepare for their first-ever appearance at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2023.

This debut is made even more intriguing with circulating rumors about their potential romance.

Anticipation Peaks for their Red Carpet Debut

The anticipation among fans is reaching fever pitch as Taehyung and Jennie prepare for their Cannes red carpet debut.

The "Sweet Crooner" confirmed via his Instagram that he'll be walking for Celine at this year's festival.

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But what's caught everyone's attention is the possibility that Jennie and Taehyung are more than just colleagues.

This speculation has only fueled fans' eagerness to see their Cannes outfits and potential interaction on the red carpet.

Arrival at the French Riviera

Taehyung has been actively sharing his Cannes preparations on Instagram, adding to fans' excitement. He posted a snapshot of a handwritten invitation note from Celine, and a photo with Peter UTZ, the Celine Head of Couture and Events, sparking the interest of the fans.

His recent updates have confirmed his presence in the French Riviera, the glamorous backdrop for the Cannes Film Festival.

Unveiling a Potential Love Affair

Adding a twist to this tale, the alleged romance between BTS V and BLACKPINK Jennie has dominated recent headlines.

A video from Paris displaying a seemingly intimate moment between them-holding hands-has left fans in a state of shock and curiosity.

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This shared intimate moment in the city of love has fueled rumors and speculation about their relationship status.

A Case of Coincidental Schedules or Something More?

Fans have been quick to notice an increasing trend of overlapping schedules between Taehyung and Jennie, particularly in New York and Paris.

While some fans express their concern for potential impact on their group activities, others seem eager to see the pair stepping out on the red carpet together, as a glamorous Hollywood couple would.

One fan mentioned, "Their schedules do seem to coincide quite frequently. I'm curious if there's more to it."

Another fan expressed, "If they're genuinely in love, they should make it public. It must be hard on the fans not knowing the truth."

In Case You Missed It: EXO: The Real Kings of K-pop, Eclipsing BTS & BLACKPINK in Wealth, Influence

However, some fans urge respect for the pair's privacy, whether they are dating or not.

A supporter stated, "No matter their relationship status, they deserve their space. We should respect their privacy."

Even as fans anxiously wait for their Cannes debut, most speculate that, if they were to meet at Cannes, they would likely maintain their professional personas, pretending to be strangers, all in the name of K-pop's unwritten dating policy.

So the possibility of them going together and admitting their relationship may be close to zero.

Follow and subscribe to KpopStarz for more K-pop news and lists.

Cassidy Jones wrote this.

KpopStarz owns this article.
The prestigious Cannes Film Festival has recently become a heated ground for debate surrounding the ensemble and makeup choices of BLACKPINK's Jennie.

Her attendance as the cast of HBO's "The Idol" saw mixed reactions from netizens worldwide, sparking both adoration and criticism.

This article delves into these reactions, offering insight into the varying perspectives of the global fanbase.

The Outfit and Makeup Controversy

Despite Jennie's indisputable beauty, fans were disheartened by her attire and makeup choices, which were perceived as ill-fitting and ageing.

Fans were left questioning, "Where did the 'Human Chanel' go?"

As the Global Ambassador for Chanel, expectations were high, but fans felt the outfit made her proportions seem disproportionate, and the makeup style came across as unusual, evoking a look typically associated with movie stars in their 40s or 50s.

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However, even amidst the criticism, there were still those who believed Jennie retained her radiant charm, reminiscent of a "Disney princess."

The Makeup Artist's Role

Speculation grew among fans questioning whether the makeup artist had changed, given Jennie's distinctly different look.

Despite the outcry over her new makeup style, some admirers commended the bold and daring departure from her usual look.

"I really feel sorry for her makeup these days, but she's so pretty," one fan confessed, encapsulating the conflicting emotions many felt.

Fashion: A Debated Topic

Jennie's fashion choices at the Cannes Film Festival attracted the attention of netizens worldwide.

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BLINKs expressed concern over her preference for black and white clothing, with some describing the styles as "bland."

While many admired Jennie's distinct fashion sense, others expressed dissatisfaction with the fit of the non-Chanel dress she donned, commenting that it didn't complement her body type or height.

The Price Tag on Glamour

Jennie's red carpet look was headlined by an elegant Chanel dress, adding up to an estimated cost of over 40 million won.

Adorned with a Chanel hairband and high heels featuring ribbon straps, her styling was indicative of the luxury typically associated with the fashion house.

Fans were, however, taken aback by the stark contrast in Jennie's look at the afterparty, where she appeared in a hip and provocative outfit from Chanel's SS 2023 collection.

Unseen Side of the Debate

While a substantial number of fans expressed disappointment over Jennie's outfit choice, some pointed out the idol's undeniable charisma that seemed to override any fashion faux pas.

In Case You Missed It: Taeyong Faces Intriguing Inquiry: Is He Secretly Dating a Bandmate in NCT?

The makeup, deemed a bit disappointing by a group of fans, was overshadowed by her striking features, notably her collarbone and shoulders, drawing praise for their aesthetic appeal.

The Photocall: A Silver Lining

The Photocall event presented a different story. Here, Jennie appeared in a chic, simple outfit that seemed more in line with fans' expectations.

The clean-cut ensemble, accompanied by her signature smile, appeared to win back hearts, with comments flooding in about how stunning and radiant she looked.

The success of her look at the Photocall served as a reminder of Jennie's versatility and capacity to adapt, a trait admired by many.

"Her photocall outfit was the saving grace," one fan remarked, underlining a sentiment widely shared across social media platforms.

Nevertheless, while some enthusiasts favored this attire significantly more than the Chanel number she exhibited on the red carpet previously, a section of fans held onto their reservations.

Their argument was rooted in the belief that Jennie's remarkable appearance, rather than the outfit's design, was the primary factor contributing to its appeal.

The Idol in the Eyes of the Fans

At the end of the day, despite the swirl of debate, Jennie's star power remained undiminished. Her captivating presence still managed to shake the crowd, reminding fans and critics alike of the powerhouse that she is.

"The makeup is a bit disappointing but she looks like a princess and looks so pretty," one fan graciously admitted, summarizing the general sentiment of many.

BLACKPINK's Jennie's venture into Cannes 2023 stirred both praise and criticism, underscoring her significant influence in the global fashion arena.

Her attire and makeup at the event were a departure from her typical "Human Chanel" persona, yet they provoked an intriguing dialogue about expectations and beauty standards in the world of glamour.

In the spotlight or under scrutiny, Jennie continues to captivate, all while encouraging her fans to welcome change and embrace versatility.

Follow and subscribe to KpopStarz for more K-pop news and lists.

Cassidy Jones wrote this.

KpopStarz owns this article.
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Dubai [UAE], May 23 (ANI/GPRC): The nineteenth World Congress of the Academy for Global Business Advancement's (AGBA) was held in Dubai from 20th -22nd May, 2023. Researchers 32 countries presented more than 250 papers at the conference with the theme "Business and Entrepreneurship Development in a Globalized and Digitalized Era". This included delegates from countries like the USA, India, Indonesia, UAE, Afghanistan, Thailand, Kenya, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Bangladesh, Finland, Vietnam, Pakistan, Malaysia, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, South Africa, Egypt, New Zealand, Uganda, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, UK, Oman, and Nigeria, among various other nations.

The conference had the presence of eminent speakers like V Muraleedharan, Minister of State, Ministry of External Affairs, Govt. of India, Dr Aman Puri, Consulate General of India in Dubai, Manjeev Puri, Former Ambassador, among various other academicians and dignitaries from across the world.

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Guest of Honour at the conference, V Muraleedharan, Minister of State, Ministry of External Affairs, in his keynote address, it is an undisputable fact that we have witnessed challenges that have fundamentally changed the world. He emphasized the role of India during COVID. India provided millions of vaccines to more than 100 countries. He talked about regional cooperation as the cornerstone of global stability. He talked about India's journey during Amritkal starting an era of transformation. In next twenty five years, India will remain one of fastest growing economies thriving on entrepreneurial proclivity of Indian youth. He said that India's G20 presidency has been very important. One family one future is theme for G20. Unity, inclusivity and decisive action are key areas that India focused during her G20 vpresidency. He said that voice of global south summit, chaired by PM Narendra Modi highlighted unity of voice and unity of purpose. He also highlighted that during Indian presidency of G20 participation of African nations was the highest.

Prof. Dheeraj Sharma, Director, Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak while addressing the scholars, academicians, and business community of Dubai talked about that management scholars from around the world need to examine relevant, pertinent, and timely problems such as food grain crisis which is due to Russia Ukraine conflict. Management scholars should look at alternative trade routes for global business and look at how to smoothen the global supply chain. Prof Sharma emphasized the role of regional linkages on global relations between nations.

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Prof Sharma also talked about Indian G20 presidency which has now created how amongst all developing countries to have an achievement orientation and learning that they can do it too. G20 presidency has been a success because nation now have demonstrated willingness to share not based on power but based on need. Indian presidency of G20 has created an optimal balance between de jure and de-facto powered global institutions.

The conference also had two major panel discussions. The first panel discussion had the theme, "The role of G20 in creating global economic stability". The panel was chaired by Prof. Dheeraj Sharma and had eminent panelists such as Dr Manjeev Puri, former ambassador of India to European Union, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Nepal, Prof. Tatiana Karabchuk, Associate Professor, UAE University and Dr Maysaa Banat, Assistant Professor, Rafik Hariri University. The panel also discussed in detail the G20: India's leadership as a host: Challenges and opportunities.

Manjeev Puri said, about the three game-changing issues, which included how people recovered from the pandemic and its impact on the world recession, sustainable development and climate change, and poly-crises.

Prof. Tatiana said, "If G20 looked at facilitating growth and addressing economic balance, the best strategy is to create conditions like Social Cohesion, which is important for sustainable development and growth.

Dr Maysaa emphasized the importance of the extraordinary power of global language and diplomatic communication as a transformative force for economic stability and how G20 can harness this power to shape o brighter power for all. She emphasized how diplomatic communication in G20 recent times has helped alleviate crisis.

Prof. Dheeraj Sharma finally said that India has contributed to global business by producing top class business leaders who are heading some of the largest global corporations. The conference body came to a consensus that India will have to play a significant and active role in managing rising global conflicts through traditional Indian wisdom.

The topic for the second panel discussion was "Regional cooperation for strengthening global linkages in the VUCA world". The panelists included Prof. Glenn Muschert, Professor at Khalifa University of Science & Technology, Prof. Melodena Stephens, Professor of Innovation at Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, and Prof. Maxime Jaffre, Assistant Professor, UAE University. Prof. Dheeraj Sharma chaired the panel.

Prof. Muschert said that regional corporations play an important role in knowledge exchange in the VUCA world, where change is only constant. Further, he added that regional corporation is not a choice but a necessity.

Prof. Stephens said, "that trade cross borders because people cross borders as we have unified the world through currencies."

Prof. Jaffre emphasized the "PLACE," which creates global ties and helps to strengthen regional corporations through culture by creating an ecosystem of different corporations.

Prof. Sharma finally concluded the discussion by stating that research agenda for the future researchers is set now and we must find ways to have a paradigmatic shift from a push economy to a pull economy by thwarting the MNCs from pushing unnecessary, low-value, wasteful, and polluting products. We must recognize the usefulness of Indian way of life in saving the world from climate change and pollution. He reiterated the need for greater understanding amongst people of the world to cooperate not due to power but on the basis of need.

The conference also had several Faculty Development Workshops on various topics related to research on business and entrepreneurship development. Wide varieties of research papers were presented over a three days conferences on topics like innovation management, IT capabilities, healthcare, cyber security, consumer behavior, and sustainability, among others.

This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Primex News Network

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 23: Premium Real Estate Marketing agency, Realatte, has been pioneering innovative digital marketing and tech solutions targeted for the real estate sector and has announced its ambitious growth plans of doubling its International market share with offices now in UK and Dubai, and foraying into the upcoming tier 2 markets in India, by setting up 6 more offices in FY 23-24, in the real estate digital marketing space. The agency also aims to expand their current portfolio of digital marketing for hospitality and large-scale retail (malls) real estate, across leading metros. Realatte, over the last 5 years, has worked with over 500 real estate builders and has in all managed 1000+ real estate projects across the entire spectrum including budget homes to ultra-luxury homes in residential, and from small offices to large retail spaces in commercial and also hospitality sector. Their impressive client roster includes some of the top names in real estate, such as DLF, Godrej Properties, Puravankara Limited, Brigade Group, M3M India, Sunteck Realty, Shapoorji Pallonji, Mahindra Lifespaces, House of Hiranandani Group, Kolte Patil Developers, Piramal Realty, Rustomjee to name a few.

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Founded by an expert team of digital marketing professionals, Realatte has been successfully implementing an ROI-Centric approach and their result-driven strategies have established them as the best in the business. Today, Realatte has grown and expanded its presence through offices in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Delhi, the UK, and Dubai.

Speaking about the growth, Rahul Goyal, Co-Founder, Realatte, said, "The pandemic changed the paradigms of marketing, across the globe, for various sectors. Especially for the Real Estate sector, which comes with its own set of unique challenges and dynamic growth opportunities. We at Realatte understand these finer nuances of what it means to connect, engage and delight customers seeking to invest in a home or office purchase, which is often a once-in-a-lifetime investment. We also work closely with brands to help alleviate the entire digital engagement from being a lead generation activity to a holistic branding exercise. In terms of harnessing the potential of digital marketing, this is a good time for India as positive policy push is helping build a strong digital infrastructure, while the number of mobile phone and internet users across the country continues to rise. The accelerated digitization of processes, further calls for a stronger focus on digital marketing as a vital, if not primary tool for marketing, and we at Realatte, aim at driving the transition to digital marketing for sector-specific sales and brand building needs."

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According to a recent report, the size of the Indian real estate market is USD 263.37 billion and is anticipated to register a CAGR of over 20.51 per cent during 2023-28. Realatte aims to leverage its deeply rooted relations within the entire real estate fraternity, and expand its service offerings to real estate clients in tier 2 markets, as well as international clients, providing them the best of tech innovations in transformative solutions and digital marketing, helping businesses of its repertoire of clients to move on the upward trajectory.

Rohan Shah, Co-Founder, Realatte adds, "As an ROI driven digital marketing agency with a focus on real-estate as a sector, we have been a witness to the dynamic changes in the sector, especially in the post-pandemic era. As one of India's largest real estate digital marketing agency, we have now come to realize that it's not only about selling a project digitally but it is also important to create a unique brand positioning and build a narrative around that. We at Realatte are leading this change, by offering our clients a result oriented, consumer focused, holistic approach to a real estate brand. We currently handle brand management, project-specific positioning, Online reputation management, and also help developers leverage the power of brand ambassadors/influencers to create trust value"

Realatte currently offers a strong tech backbone for clients, which includes marketing automation tools, CRM systems, corporate websites, mobile apps, and booking engines, etc., which is all managed by the strong 100 members. The technology experts at Realatte leverage cutting-edge strategies to drive results, including Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Management, Pay Per Click Marketing, ORM, Social Lead Generation, Affiliate Marketing, and our proprietary ORCA - Marketing Automation platform. Their services also extend to website auditing and consulting, ensuring that a brands online presence is optimized for success, through customized solutions, including custom scalable portals, CMS-based solutions, static sites, landing pages, and a seamless Book Now - Payment Gateway integration

At the heart of Realatte's success is its core expertise in creating comprehensive and impactful digital marketing campaigns, backed by its state-of-the-art technology. The founders Nirav Gosalia, Mayank Vora, Harish Patel, Rahul Goyal, and Rohan Shah bring their futuristic vision and strong understanding of the sector, while helping brands make the best out of each campaign. It is a part of "The Logicloop Alliance", which comprises a group of companies which includes the technology services company Logicloop Tech, the 360-degree digital marketing agency Logicloop Digital and Juicy Gifts which is into corporate gifting.

Head on to their website to know more about Realatte: https://realatte.com/

(Disclaimer: The above press release has been provided by Primex News Network. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 23 (ANI): Bhumika Chauhan, originally belonging to Uttarakhand but currently pursuing her bachelor's studies in law from a government institute in Madhya Pradesh, is elated at being shortlisted for scholarships from Reliance Foundation.

"Winning the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship fills me with immense joy and gratitude. It not only validates my hard work but also opens doors of opportunity," she said,

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She aims to become a successful lawyer and is determined to contribute meaningfully to the betterment of society at large.

"I aim to advocate for justice and provide free legal aid to marginalized communities. I am determined to use this scholarship to fuel my passion for knowledge, contribute to my community, and create a better future for myself and others."

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On Monday, the names of students who were selected for Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships for 2022-23 were released. Selected scholars, five thousand first-year undergraduate students from across the country, will be awarded and receive a grant of up to Rs two lakh each.

Reliance Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited.

The Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships are awarded on merit-cum-means basis for students in any stream of study. For this year, selected scholars are from streams including Engineering/Technology, Science, Medicine, Commerce, Arts, Business/Management, Computer Applications, Law, Education, Hospitality, Architecture and other professional degrees.

The 5,000 scholars for the 2022-23 cycle, of which 51 per cent are girls, were selected from nearly 40,000 applicants studying at over 4,984 educational institutions through a rigorous selection process, which involved an aptitude test, Class 12 marks and other eligibility criteria. 99 students with disabilities were also part of the list.

In December 2022, Reliance Foundation announced it will award 50,000 scholarships over the next 10 years.

Like Bhumika, Ananya, a first-year medical student from Delhi too thanked the foundation for their initiative.

"I'm very grateful to have recieved the Reliance Foundation Scholarship. It not only relieves a financial burden but also validates my hard work, dedication, and aspirations. It has given me a renewed sense of motivation to excel academically and make a positive impact in the field of healthcare. I highly appreciate the commitment of Reliance Foundation to nurturing young minds and investing in their education," Ananya said.

Ananya's message to other students is to never stop believing in themselves and have the courage to take the first step towards their respective dreams.

Archisman Manna from Howrah in West Bengal, who passed higher secondary examination from Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur in 2022 with flying colours was also one among those 5,000 shortlisted by Reliance Foundation. He said he had secured the 7th rank in 12th standard in his state and is now studying BSc in statistics.

"I got to know about the Reliance Foundation's scholarship from social media and applied for it. I gave the qualification exam conducted by the Reliance Foundation and yesterday I got to know about my selection. I wholeheartedly thank all the members, officials connected with the Reliance Foundation for giving me this Scholarship," Archisman said.

His aim is to pursue higher studies in the field of statistics and mathematical sciences.

For those who wish to receive Reliance Foundation scholarships, the applications call for the next round of Undergraduate Scholarships (2023-24) will be made in the coming months, the foundation said on Monday. (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 23: The heatwave conditions are likely to persist in the national capital on Tuesday with the maximum temperature expected to settle around 43 degrees Celsius, even as the weather office has forecast light rain or drizzle later in the day.

Delhi is reeling under scorching heat for the past several days with the mercury even breaching the 46-degree mark in parts of the city on Monday.

A minimum temperature of 29.8 degrees Celsius, three notches above normal, was recorded on Tuesday morning. Heatwave-Like Conditions in Rajasthan: State Records Highest Maximum Temperature of 42.1 Degrees in Last 24 Hours, Fresh Western Disturbance May Bring Relief Next Week.

The relative humidity stood at 38 per cent at 8.30 am. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the maximum temperature on Tuesday is expected to hover around 43 degrees Celsius.

It has also forecast a generally cloudy sky with light rain or drizzle later in the day. A blistering heatwave has swept parts of Delhi, straining power grids and posing challenges to outdoor labourers, homeless people and animals.

The IMD has predicted that similar conditions would continue before rains bring some relief from Wednesday onwards. Delhi's primary weather station, Safdarjung Observatory, recorded a maximum temperature of 43.7 degrees Celsius -- four notches above normal and the maximum so far this year, on Monday.

The mercury soared to 46.2 degrees Celsius at Najafgarh, making it the hottest place in the capital. Narela (45.3 degrees Celsius), Pitampura (45.8 degrees Celsius) and Pusa (45.8 degrees Celsius) also recorded heatwave conditions. Heatwave in Mumbai: How To Survive Hot Weather? Six Easy Hacks To Keep Yourself Cool in Sweltering Summer Heat.

The threshold for a heatwave is met when the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degrees Celsius in the plains, at least 37 degrees Celsius in coastal areas, and at least 30 degrees Celsius in hilly regions, and the departure from normal is at least 4.5 degrees Celsius.
Prayagraj (UP), May 23 (PTI) Lawyer Vijay Mishra, who represented the slain mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, has been booked after a man accused him of extortion, police said on Tuesday.

Attarsuiya police station SHO Yogesh Pratap Singh said Saeed Ahmad, a resident of Dariyabad, filed a case against Vijay Mishra on May 20 accusing him of extortion.

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Citing the FIR, the SHO said that on January 5, 2023, Vijay Mishra had purchased plywood and Sunmica worth Rs 1.20 lakh from Saeed's store on credit. He paid some of the outstanding amount on different dates.

On April 17, when Shekhar, a staff at Saeed's shop, called up Mishra and told him to pay the dues, he allegedly hurled abuses at Shekhar and demanded Rs 3 crore from him, the SHO said, adding the matter is being investigated.

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On April 15, Atiq Ahmad (60) and his brother Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists in the middle of a media interaction on Saturday night while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college here for a checkup.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 23 (ANI): The Assam and Meghalaya governments will hold Chief Ministerial-level border talks on May 24 in Assam's Guwahati district to amicably resolve the border dispute in the remaining six 'areas of difference'.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that both the Chief Ministers of Assam and Meghalaya will meet on May 24 in Guwahati to discuss the settlement of the border dispute in the remaining six areas.

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"Discussions will be held to find out a solution for the remaining six areas which are under dispute. After that, I and Meghalaya Chief Minister will propose to visit the area which is presently conflict-stricken. We will visit as a goodwill gesture in those areas", CM Sarma said.

Assam and Meghalaya were having 12 areas that was under dispute along the inter-state border.

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Earlier in March last year, both the state governments signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) resolving their border dispute in six of the 12 areas of difference in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Assam and Meghalaya two months after a draft resolution was submitted by the Chief Ministers of both states to Shah on January 31 for examination and consideration by the MHA.

The governments of Assam and Meghalaya had come up with a draft resolution to resolve their border disputes in six of the 12 "areas of difference" along the 884 km boundary.

According to the proposed recommendations for the 36.79 square km of land, Assam will keep 18.51 square km and give the remaining 18.28 square km to Meghalaya.

The long-standing land dispute was sparked in 1972 when Meghalaya was carved out of Assam. The border issues came as a result of different readings of the demarcation of boundaries in the initial agreement for the new state's creation. (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 [India], May 23 (ANI): Delhi Police arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly stalking and harassing a 24-year-old woman by uploading her objectionable photos on social media.

According to police, the accused was identified as Amandeep Kumar.

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Police said that the victim filed a complaint alleging that someone had created her fake ID on Instagram and had uploaded objectionable photos mentioning her mobile number.

Based on the complaint, a case was registered at Cyber Shahdara police station and an investigation was initiated.

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Police collected the IP address of the alleged Instagram profile and conducted a detailed analysis of Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR).

"During the analysis, it was observed that the alleged IPDR address was registered against the mobile number of a man, Amandeep Kumar who belongs to Punjab," said Delhi Police.

The accused was arrested on May 19 after technical surveillance.

"The accused is habitual of looking or surfing at online sexual content and is unemployed. He randomly did this act for fun," said the police.

Further investigation into the matter was underway. (ANI)

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Thiruvananthapuram, May 23: A 32-year-old fireman died while attempting to douse a massive fire that broke out at a state-run drug warehouse here in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.

Ranjith, the deceased, was attached to the Chakka unit of the state Fire and Rescue Services. According to police, the tragedy happened when a portion of the fire-hit building collapsed over him crushing the hapless man while he was busy dousing the raging flames. Delhi Fire: Braveheart Fireman Rajesh Shukla Battles Flames and Injury to Save 11 Lives, Twitter Applauds 'The Real Hero'.

He and his his fellow firemen rushed to the Kinfra Industrial Park nearby Thumba after learning that a major fire erupted in a warehouse there.

The drug warehouse, owned by the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL), was gutted in the fire by 1.30 am.

The security guard of the warehouse first saw the fire and informed the fire services, a police officer said. "A beam of the building suddenly fell upon the fireman, crushing him. He was rushed to the hospital but he succumbed to the injuries," he told PTI.

Several units of fire service personnel rushed to the spot to douse the flames and the blaze was extinguished, he added.

Condoling the death, General Education Minister V Sivankutty, in a Facebook post, said the fire in the building was "unfortunate" and the government would carry out a probe into the incident. Mumbai: 10 People Injured in Cylinder Blast at Jogeshwari West.

Last week, another warehouse of KMSCL was gutted in fire in Kollam district, following which Health Minister Veena George ordered a probe into the incident.

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New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) India has an "unparalleled institutional mechanism" to address the issues of human rights violations, with the rights panel having an overarching jurisdiction to look into grievances of specific vulnerable sections of the society, NHRC chairperson justice (retd) Arun Kumar Mishra on Tuesday said.

He said while addressing members of various international human rights forums, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said in a statement.

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India "cannot be ignored for its overall progress", and advancement "along with its democratic values, which are the best in the world", it said.

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India has an "unparalleled institutional mechanism" to address the issues of human rights violations with the NHRC having overarching jurisdiction in addition to seven other national commissions and its deemed members to look into the rights-based grievances of specific vulnerable sections of the society, he was quoted as saying in the statement.

No doubt certain improvements may be required, but the "freedom of speech" and the kind of debates, which happen in India, are "not heard of anywhere," he said.

Justice Mishra was chairing the statutory full commission meeting of the chairpersons and representatives of the seven national commissions, who are its ex-officio members. The objective was to enhance synergy and mutual cooperation among the Commission towards the promotion and protection of human rights and share best practices in that direction, the statement said.

The NHRC chief said each national commission has been working tirelessly in its respective jurisdiction to promote and protect human rights.

All that is required is to "create more synergy" among the works of all the commissions, and the NHRC to create an atmosphere of rights-based culture in the country with the consistent support of centre and state governments irrespective of political dispensation, he said.

The interventions of the NHRC and other national commissions will help the governments in good governance for which they are committed, and hence, these "should not be considered adversarial to their functioning", the NHRC chief added.

He said all Commissions must ensure that the last person in the queue should get the distributive justice that he deserves.

There is a need to standardise education for children. Vernacular languages are being forgotten. If "substandard education" for children in Madrasas continues, the Muslims will never come up. He said a policy of reservation to benefit the neediest among the reserve categories needs to be considered, according to the statement.

The NHRC chairperson said the deemed members of the statutory commissions may bring to the notice of the NHRC any such case where they require further investigation and feel the need to recommend monetary relief to the victim of the violation of the rights.

Rekha Sharma, chairperson, National Commission for Women expressed "serious concern" over human trafficking. Trafficking of women from West Bengal to Srinagar has "increased", she was quoted as saying in the statement, adding, forceful conversion in the name of marriage is a serious issue of rights violation, which needs to be addressed.

Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, Chairperson, National Commission for Backward Classes said that "some states do not implement the national welfare schemes", which are necessary to end inequality and discrimination in society.

A "dangerous trend" is being noticed of giving benefits of reservation to those who have "intruded into Indian borders" thereby usurping the benefits of welfare schemes meant for the citizens of the country. This needs to be checked, he was quoted as saying in the statement.

Iqbal Singh Lalpura, Chairperson, National Commission for Minorities expressed concern over the "non-payment of compensation to several victims of 1984 riots" even after so many years.

He said the National Commission for Minorities is working on a book having basic information about the religious practices of different faiths. Lalpura also said they would like to collaborate with the NHRC on the research projects.

"Running orphanage has become a kind of a racket to siphon off funds received through massive donations," Priyank Kanoongo, Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, was quoted as saying in the statement.

Subhash Ramnath Pardhi, Member, National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Praveen Prakash Ambashta, Deputy Chief Commissioner, Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities also took part in the discussion.

Member, NHRC, Dnyaneshwar M Mulay suggested that a museum of human rights in the country needs to be built to showcase human rights from the ancient era till date. He also suggested jointly organising a festival to showcase Indian heritage of promotion and protection of human rights.

Earlier, welcoming the participants, D K Singh, Secretary General, NHRC, gave a brief insight into the activities of the Commission towards the fulfilment of its mandate.

These included among others the disposal of 1,09,982 cases during 2022-23 and recommendations for payment of Rs 13.69 crore as relief in 279 cases to the victims or their next of kin, 81 suo motu cases, 48 on-spot inquiries, besides nine core group meetings and four open house discussions and advisories issued from time to time.

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New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) An Indian delegation attended the 16th Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition, being held in Malaysia from May 22-25, the Defence Ministry said here on Tuesday.

Established in 1991 and held biennially, the exhibition -- LIMA -- is one of the largest maritime and aerospace exhibitions in the Asia-Pacific, it said in a statement.

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"An Indian delegation, led by Additional Secretary (Defence Production) T Natarajan, attended the 16th Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 23), being held at Langkawi, Malaysia between May 22-25.

"The Additional Secretary (Defence Production) also called on Malaysian Minister of Defence Dato' Seri Mohamad Hasan on the sidelines of the exhibition," the ministry statement said.

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This year's edition involves over 600 exhibitors from more than 30 countries, including India.

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Thiruvananthapuram, May 23: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) issued a circular to all temples under them to not allow mass drills and other activities organised by the RSS on temple premises.

The circular, issued on May 18 says that this should be strictly followed and action will be taken against those officers who do not follow it. RSS March in Tamil Nadu: Supreme Court Allows Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh To Carry 'Route March', Rejects State Government's Appeal Against Madras High Court's Decision.

The TDB'S fresh circular is a reiteration of its earlier order on March 30, 2021, which said that other than for temple rituals and festivals the temple premises should not be used for any other purpose. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Holds Meeting With Chief Imam of All India Imam Organization Dr Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi.

According to the circular issued by the TDB, the board re-issued the order after noticing that RSS branches functioning on its temple premises.

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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 23 (ANI): A man has been detained on Tuesday for allegedly giving threats on Twitter to 'blast' the city, said the police.

Mumbai police on Monday received a threat around 11 am after a person posted a threatening message on Twitter and said, "I am gonna blast the Mumbai very soon."

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After receiving the threat, the police swung into action and started an investigation into the matter.

Later the police on Tuesday informed that one person had been identified and taken into custody.

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"The police have identified the person and have taken him into custody for interrogating him," said Mumbai police.

Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI)

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Bhubaneswar, May 23 (PTI) The Odisha government on Tuesday said it will strictly enforce the ban on ganja at Shiva temples across the state.

A direction regarding this was issued to all districts, and the police by the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department.

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'Ganjan' or marijuana in no form be used in any Shiva temple in the state, the government told the districts.

"Like the practice of animal sacrifice was banned at Bhagabati Temple in Banapur in Khurda, and subsequently it was banned in most of the temples, the restriction will be imposed on the use of ganja in all Shiva temples in Odisha," Culture Minister Ashwini Patra said.

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The state government's decision came after Padma Shri Baba Balia, the head of Ananta Balia Trust, wrote to the Excise Department last month to impose restrictions on the use of ganja.

He said that this kind of intoxication, which has a direct impact on the health of people, was being used in the name of 'bhog' or prasad.

While ganja is not offered to the deity at Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, it is a century-old practice observed during 'Gharsana' ritual at Akhandalamani shrine in Bhadrak. The 'bhog' is later offered to the devotees.

Opposing the decision, Congress MLA Suresh Routray said, "Bhang is offered to Lord Narayan, while ganja is offered to Lord Shiva. These are 'bhog' and should not be banned."

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Hyderabad, May 23 (PTI) A case was registered against a Tollywood actress and her friend for allegedly damaging the official vehicle of an IPS officer here, police said on Tuesday.

Actress Dimple Hayathi and her male friend were accused of intentionally damaging the police vehicle of Deputy Commissioner of Police (TrafficI) Rahul Hegde which was parked in the cellar of an apartment in the posh Jubilee Hills area here where they reside, as per the complaint lodged by the driver of the DCP.

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The head constable-cum-driver in a complaint said they were regularly parking the car in the allotted parking place in the apartment cellar, and alleged that the actress and her friend were frequently obstructing their way. On May 14, they intentionally damaged the car while taking their vehicle in reverse, a police official at the Jubilee Hills Police Station said.

After damaging the car, the actress deliberately kicked the traffic cones which was placed beside the vehilce, the complainant said adding it has been recorded in the CCTV camera.

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Following the incident, the driver lodged a complaint and based on it, the police registered a case on May 17 under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 279 (rash driving) against the actress and her friend, the official said.

The official further said the investigating officer (IO) summoned Dimple Hayathi and her friend to police station on Monday and after inquiry served a notice under section 41 A of CrPC on both of them.

Meanwhile, Rahul Hegde told mediapersons that they (actress and her friend) were causing inconvenience to him by blocking the way for his car (by allegedly parking their car on the way).

According to him, in one instance, they intentionally obstructed the way for his car and did not oblige despite repeated requests.

He said he has to attend to emergency duties. And recently they dashed their car against his parked vehicle resulting in damage to it. The driver has lodged a complaint with the police over the incident and they will investigate into it, the DCP added.

The IPS officer further said he does not know who they are and they also don't know who he is as he is a new occupant in the building.

Dimple Hayathi has acted in Telugu movies like Khiladi' and Rama Banam'.

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Kolkata, May 23 (PTI) The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday said it will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.

Leader of the TMC in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay told PTI that the inauguration programme should have been held either on Independence Day, or Republic Day, or on Gandhi Jayanti, and not on the birth anniversary of VD Savarkar.

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"We have decided to boycott the inauguration programme of the new Parliament building on May 28. The inauguration should have been done on either Independence Day or Republic Day, or on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It should not have been done on the birth anniversary of VD Savarkar," he said.

Asked if the TMC raised its concerns with the Centre, Bandopadhyay replied in the positive.

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"The opposition parties have been kept in the dark about what will happen to the old Parliament building. The government is maintaining a stoic silence on it," he said.

TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien said Parliament is not just a building but an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and the foundation of Indian democracy.

"Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn't get that. For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out, he tweeted.

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New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) Capital markets regulator Sebi on Tuesday revised the methodology for clearing corporations with regard to computation of core Settlement Guarantee Fund corpus in commodity derivatives segment.

A core Settlement Guarantee Fund (SGF) is a corpus used for settlement of trades during defaults and all intermediaries -- stock exchanges, clearing corporations and brokers -- contribute towards it.

Also Read | Ganja Ban: Odisha Government Bans Ganja at Shiva Shrines Across the State.

Sebi received representations from clearing corporations that in light of the turnover and the open interest observed at the stock exchanges in the recent times, the target corpus level prescribed in 2018 need to be reviewed and methodology for computation of core SGF corpus in commodity derivatives segment.

In its circular, the regulator said that the clearing corporations in commodity derivatives segment can now align their core SGF in terms of its framework issued in August 2014 and July 2018 and excess contribution may be returned to the contributing stakeholders on a pro-rata basis, after taking due approval from Sebi.

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Earlier, clearing corporations were mandated to augment their core SGF to the respective target corpus level in the subsequent years based on overall risk, peak open interest in the previous period as well as expected growth of business in the future.

The new guideline would come into force from July 1, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) said in a circular.

The regulator, in August 2014, prescribed norms related to core SGF, default waterfall and stress test for clearing corporations and stock exchanges. The framework provided detailed guidelines regarding computation of Minimum Required Corpus (MRC) of core SGF as well as contribution to core SGF.

Further, Sebi, in June 2018, mandated a minimum amount of MRC of Rs 10 crore for stock exchanges having commodity derivatives segment.

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New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) Visual messaging app Snapchat has crossed 200 million monthly active users mark in India and 120 million of them watch content on the platform, parent firm Snap Inc said on Tuesday.

The company on the occasion announced the launch of an experimental AI-powered chatbot customised for Snapchat, My AI, that can recommend birthday gift ideas, plan a trip for a long weekend or even suggest a recipe for dinner.

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"Snapchat reaches over 200 million monthly active users in India," Snap Inc said in a statement.

The visual messaging app has over 750 million monthly active users globally comprising 90 per cent of users in the age bracket of 18-24 years.

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"I am thrilled to have joined Snap at a time where the momentum among our Indian community has never been stronger. We see incredible potential for partners, creators and brands to build communities and businesses on Snapchat, and we couldn't be more excited about our future.

"Young India has particularly valued the healthy and private environment that has been at the heart of our experiences and this will continue to be our focus going forward," Snap, APAC, President, Ajit Mohan said.

Snap said that now more than 120 Million Indian Snapchatters watching content across stories, spotlight (user generated content) and partnered content o the app

According to company's internal data, Snapchatters in India play with Augmented Reality (AR) Lenses over 50 billion times every month, and over 85 per cent of Snapchatters use Lenses to visually express themselves during festive months in India.

The company has started partnering merchants in India to build a local e-commerce ecosystem in the country on top of its augmented reality enabled app.

"As the Snapchat community continues to grow in India, Snap is building its team and enhancing its operations with hires across a variety of roles to better serve the Indian Snapchatter community," the statement said.

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Cairo, May 23 (AP) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Sudan's rival generals to abide by the latest cease-fire or face possible sanctions as residents reported sporadic fighting Tuesday between the warring sides in the capital of Khartoum and a northern city.

Sudan descended into chaos after fighting erupted in mid-April between the country's military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

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The fighting has killed hundreds, wounded thousands and turned Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields. Early on, foreign governments raced to evacuate their diplomats and nationals as thousands of foreign residents scrambled to get out of Sudan. More than 1 million Sudanese have been forced from their homes by the fighting.

Over the past weeks, the United States and Saudi Arabia have been mediating in talks between the warring sides, held in the kingdom. A new truce was announced over the weekend  the seventh attempt so far to stop the deadly violence in the East African nation. It went into effect on Monday night. All previous cease-fires have been violated.

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In a video message posted by the US Embassy on social media early Tuesday, Blinken said the fighting has been tragic, senseless and devastating.

The truce, he said, is meant to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance and restore essential services and infrastructure destroyed in the clashes.

A remote mechanism, backed by the US, has been established to monitor the truce, Blinken added  a 12-member monitoring committee consisting of three representatives from the warring sides, three from the US, and three from Saudi Arabia.

If the cease-fire is violated, we'll know and we will hold violators accountable through sanctions and other means, he said. We facilitated the cease-fire, but it's the responsibility of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to implement it.

Both sides agreed to stop hostilities and the looting of civilian properties and humanitarian supplies, as well as seizing civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, power planets, water pumps, and fuel stations.

Aid workers and civilians have reported widespread looting in Khartoum and elsewhere across the country, along with dire lack of basic services, medical care, food, and water.

A doctor's group has also said that the RSF has seized hospitals. Allegations of sexual violence against women, including rape and gang rape in Khartoum and the restive western Darfur region, have also been reported.

Residents, meanwhile, said they heard loud sounds of gunfire and explosions Tuesday in parts of Omdurman, a city next to Khartoum, with military aircraft flying overhead. They also reported sporadic clashes around the military's headquarters in Khartoum.

Sounds of firefight are very close, said Babakr Abdel-Rahman, an Omdurman resident, speaking over the phone, with loud sounds of gunfire and aircraft heard in the background. They don't respect people's lives.

Fighting was also reported in the northern city of Obeid, where RSF was said to have attacked the military headquarters and other parts of the city. (AP)

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) receives an invitation to the UN climate summit in November in Dubai from Mohamed Al Khaja, the UAE ambassador to Israel. (Photo Credit: TPS)

Tel Aviv [Israel], May 23 (ANI/TPS): The United Arab Emirates invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog to visit the Persian Gulf state to represent the Jewish state at the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai in November. It would be Netanyahu's first public visit to the UAE.

The invitations to Netanyahu and Herzog were conveyed separately by the Emirati Ambassador to Israel Mohamed Al Khaja on Monday.

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Israel and the UAE signed the Abraham Accords in September 2020. But Netanyahu was unable to follow up with his own state visit because of repeated Israeli election campaigns and coronavirus travel restrictions.

Yair Lapid, who was then foreign minister, became the first senior Israeli official to visit the UAE in June 2021 when he inaugurated an Israeli embassy in Abu Dhabi and a consulate in Dubai. Naftali Bennett became the first Israeli premier to visit the Emirates in December 2021.

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Netanyahu was supposed to visit the Emirates shortly after the swearing in of his current government in December 2022. But Emirati officials postponed the visit in anger at National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit to the Temple Mount on January 3.

Some 70,000 participants, including political and business leaders, scientists and representatives of various corporations and non-governmental organizations are expected to attend.

Israel's delegation to the conference will include around 100 companies. (ANI/TPS)

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Sydney [Australia], May 23 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Australia on Tuesday, interacted with Gina Rinehart, Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting.

Georgina Hope Rinehart AO was born on 9 February 1954, is an Australian billionaire mining magnate and businesswoman. Rinehart is the Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting, a privately owned mineral exploration and extraction company founded by her father, Lang Hancock.

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"Fostering India-Australia collaboration in the mining and minerals sector. PM Narendra Modi held a meeting with Georgina Hope Rinehart, Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting Group, Roy Hill and S. Kidman & Co, in Sydney," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

During his visit, PM Modi met other Chief Executive Officers in Sydney.

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Earlier, he had met Paul Schroder, CEO of Australian Super and John Andrew Henry Forrest AO, nicknamed Twiggy.

Schroder was appointed Chief Executive of Australian Super on October 1, 2021, and is responsible for the leadership and strategic development of the fund and providing advice to the board.

Meanwhile, Twiggy is best known as the former CEO (and current non-executive chairman) of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) and has other interests in the mining industry and in cattle stations.

After his meeting with PM Modi in Sydney, Australia, Andrew Forrest, Executive Chairman of Fortescue Future Industries said, "...Fossil fuel sector has only limited time to run and it must be replaced with a fuel which causes no harm and can do everything which coal, oil and gas can do. That is something that PM is clearly a global champion on and I found the PM to be the global government partner of the global industry partner to promote green hydrogen across the world..."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea.

PM Modi was received by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell and other officials upon his arrival in Sydney.

Members of the Indian diaspora also welcomed PM Modi as they chanted slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram".

During his visit, PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.

At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people links, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation, said the official statement released by the Australian government.

The Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community," the statement added. (ANI)

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Sydney [Australia], May 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park with Vedic chanting and other traditional types of welcome as he arrived in the company of Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese to address Indian diaspora at a community event in the Australian city.

After a traditional welcome, PM Modi and Albanese greeted each other with a warm hug and walked into Sydney's biggest stadium to reverberating cheers. PM Narendra Modi Welcomed With Vedic Chanting, Other Indian Traditional Ways at Qudos Bank Arena in Presence of Australia PM Anthony Albanese in Sydney (Watch Video).

PM Narendra Modi Welcomed With Vedic Chanting:

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney amid Vedic chanting and other traditional ways at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is also with PM Modi. pic.twitter.com/onjx7Yq2f1  ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

He was also welcomed in India traditions. Priests were present at the event and chanted prayers.

A cultural program was held at the Qudos Bank Arena. Various cultural performances were performed by various artists, Bharatnatyam, Garba and other dance forms were performed at the event.

Members of the Indian diaspora expressed their excitement at attending the event. Modi is visiting Australia for the first time in nine years. He has last visited the country in 2014.

An attendee Shashi Prabha said, "All of us are excited for PM Modi to arrive. That is the most important thing for us at the moment."

Earlier, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that a chartered Qantas flight rebranded as "Modi Airways" was in Melbourne to bring fans to Sydney and "Modi Express" buses are being chartered from Queensland.

The plane full of Indians from across Australia arrived this morning in Sydney for the diaspora event. 'Welcome Modi' in Australia Sky Video: Watch Recreational Aircraft Contrails Welcoming Indian Prime Minister in Sydney.

According to ABC, PM Modi will address a rally which is expected to draw a crowd of up to 20,000 people who are hoping to catch a glimpse or listen to him.

Prime Minister Modi had arrived in Sydney on Monday as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea. PM Modi was received by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell and other officials upon his arrival in Sydney.

Earlier today, he met different Sydney-based CEOs and highlighted "transformative reforms and initiatives" taken by his government and India's credentials as one of the most preferred major economies for foreign investments in the world.

He also met certain prominent figures of the country including artists and those working in science, artificial intelligence, art and music. (ANI)

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Washington [US], May 23 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Principal Secretary PK Mishra on Tuesday held a meeting with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and discussed strengthening the economic and technology partnership between the two nations.

Sharing details regarding the meeting, Indian Embassy in Washington in a tweet stated, "Dr P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary @PMOIndia had a productive meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce @GinaRaimondo. They discussed the strengthening of economic and technology partnership."

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Earlier, PK Mishra at the White House also held discussions with Senior Advisor to President on Clean Energy John Podesta, Director National Economic Council Dr Lael Brainard and Deputy NSA/G20 Sherpa Mike Pyle.

Indian Embassy in Washington tweeted, "At the White House, Principal Secretary @PMOIndia Dr P.K. Mishra held discussions with @johnpodesta, Senior Advisor to President on Clean Energy; Dr. Lael Brainard, Director National Economic Council and Deputy NSA/G20 Sherpa Mike Pyle."

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PM Modi's Principal Secretary PK Mishra on Monday interacted with senior officials from US administration, representatives from industry, think- tanks and academia over lunch at India House.

Ambassador of India to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu tweeted, "Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Dr. P.K. Mishra @PMOIndia interacted with senior officials from US Administration, reps from industry, think- tanks and academia over lunch at India House. Delighted to host him."

On Monday, PK Mishra met with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development Samantha Power.

Indian Embassy in Washington tweeted, "Principal Secretary @PMOIndia Dr. P. K. Mishra met with @USAID Administrator @SamanthaJPower today. Both sides had productive discussions on ongoing work under the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), development cooperation, 3rd country partnerships and India's Presidency."

PK Mishra also met with White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients. During the meeting, the two sides held a discussion on strengthening the bilateral partnership between India and US.

Indian Embassy in Washington tweeted, "Dr P.K. Mishra, Principal Secretary @PMOIndia, met with White House Chief of Staff @WHCOS Jeff Zients this morning. They had a very cordial & productive discussion on strengthening bilateral partnership."

On May 23, the India-US Working Group on Education and Skill Development was launched in virtual mode.

Ministry of Education, Government of India and the US Department of State today launched the India-US Working Group on Education and Skill Development in virtual mode, with the aim to enhance cooperation and collaboration between the two countries in the field of education and skill development.

Neeta Prasad, Joint Secretary for International Cooperation, Ministry of Education, Government of India and Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, US Department of State co-chaired the Working Groups from India and US respectively, the Ministry of Education said in the press release.

The establishment of the India-US Working Group on Education and Skill Development was announced by the leaders on the sidelines of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue held between India and the US in Washington DC on April 11, 2022, the Ministry of Education said in the press release.

Discussions during the meeting focussed on the topics like Skilling and vocational education, certification and recognition, matchmaking between US and Indian higher educational institutions, and engaging with the private sector. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Irbil, May 23 (AP) A Turkish strike in northern Iraq killed three Yazidi militiamen and wounded three others on Tuesday, regional officials said.

A local official affiliated with the militia disputed that account, saying none of its fighters were killed, but that a shepherd died in the Turkish drone strike.

Also Read | Layoffs Hit Pakistan: Massive Dip in Sales Leads To Thousands of Job Cuts in Auto Industry, Says Report.

According to the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdish regional government, the early morning strike in the district of Sinjar targeted a headquarters of the Shingal Resistance Units, or YBS, in the village of Chumu-Khalaf.

An official with the central government in Baghdad, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the strike had targeted a meeting of high-ranking YBS officials.

Also Read | Paridhi Adani Faces Racism at Heathrow Airport Security Check: Gautam Adanis Daughter-in-Law Calls Out Pathetic Behaviour of Officials.

Naif Shemo, head of the Sinjar Yazidi council, told The Associated Press that the area targeted by Turkish drones was an abandoned Yazidi village where most of the houses had been previously destroyed by the militant Islamic State group.

The YBS, made up of mostly minority Yazidis, was instrumental in driving out Islamic State militants from Sinjar after the collapse of the Iraqi army and withdrawal of the semi-autonomous Kurdish forces in 2014.

The IS militants' takeover of Sinjar killed and captured about 10,000 Yazidis in attacks that the United Nations classified as genocide.

Tuesday's attack was the second such strike in just over a week. A similar strike on earlier this month killed three Yazidi militiamen, the Iraqi-Kurdish authorities said. Also at that time, a local official affiliated with the YBS denied any deaths.

The Turkish Defense Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. On Tuesday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that the Turkish military had neutralised 126 terrorists in the past month, according to Turkey's state-owned broadcaster TRT.

The group has been a frequent target of Turkish attacks in recent years for its ties to the insurgent Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK, a separatist movement banned in Turkey.

Continued violence in Sinjar has stunted beleaguered efforts to return Yazidis to their ancestral homeland in the province of Nineveh in northern Iraq after years of displacement.

Clashes last year between the Yazidi militia and the Iraqi army in heavily populated areas of war-scarred Sinjar caused as many as 10,000 people to flee the area, many of whom had returned from previous displacement, according to Kurdish officials.

Tensions remain high between the many groups operating in Sinjar.

A power-sharing agreement brokered by the UN in October 2020 between Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurdish local government, stating that the federal police are the sole state authority, has failed to take hold. (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 23: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) released the Civil Services 2022 exam results today, May 23. Candidates who appeared for the personality test of UPSC Civil Services 2022 exam can visit the official website of UOSC at upsc.gov.in. The UPSC CSE preliminary exams were held on June 5, 2022, while the results of the examination were released on June 22.

On the other hand, the UPSC CSE main examination was conducted from September 16 to 25 and the results of the same were declared on December 6. Following this, the interviews were held which concluded on May 18. In the UPSC Civil Services Exam or UPSC CSE 2022 Final Results, women candidates bagged the top honours with Ishita Kishore securing AIR 1 followed by Garima Lohia, Uma Harathi N and Smriti Mishra. MBOSE SSLC Result 2023 at megresults.nic.in; Meghalaya Board To Declare Class 10 Exam Results Soon, Know Steps To Check Score.

Steps To Check UPSC Civil Services Final Result 2022:

Visit the official website of UPSC at upsc.gov.in

On the homepage, click on the "UPSC Civil Services Final Result 2022" link

Enter using your login details and click on submit

Your UPSC Civil Services Final Result 2022 will be displayed on the screen

Check the result

Take a printout for future reference

Meanwhile, here's the direct link to check UPSC Civil Services Final Result 2022. Following the trend of past result dates, the UPSC CSE 2022 Final Exam Results were declared a few days after the interviews concluded. The UPSC CSE final exam results PDF will contain the name and roll number of the qualified candidates.

This year interviews were conducted in three different phases for the UPSC CSE Final Exams. As per the UPSC Civil Services Final Result 2022, a total of 933 candidates have been recommended for appointment to various government services.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2023 02:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Bhubaneswar, May 23: The Odisha government has banned consumption of Ganja at Shiva shrines across the state. The Odia Language, Literature and Culture department has directed all collectors and SPs to implement the ban.

Following a request by Anant Balia Trust priests, Culture department director Dillip Routray has asked all collectors and superintendents of police to take necessary measures to stop the consumption of the contraband on Lord Shiva shrine premises. Mumbai: Two Arrested With Ganja Worth Over Rs 1.8 Lakh in Thane; Manhunt Launched for Third Accused.

"As per my perception, use of any kind of psychotropic substances should be banned in all places of worship. So, my department has issued the instructions to the collectors and SPs," said state Excise and Culture Minister Aswini Patra. Nitish Kumar Used To Smoke Marijuana, Alleges RJD MLA Rajvanshi Mahto.

If anyone is found violating the rule, legal action will be taken against him/her, Patra warned. Welcoming the move, Padma Shri Baba Balia said, "We have written a letter to the Centre and Odisha government requesting a ban on ganja at Shiva shrines as consuming ganja is injurious to health. Thanks to the Odisha government for the move."

However, he said, there is a tradition to offer ganja or bhang to Lord Shiva in many shrines. So, bhang can be offered to the Lord Shiva at the shrine but should not be distributed among devotees for consumption, Baba Balia suggested.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2023 04:17 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in March by Russian authorities on spying charges. He denies the allegations, with the US urging his release.A Russian court on Tuesday extended the jail sentence of imprisoned US reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months, Russian news agencies reported.

Also Read | UPSC Civil Services Final Exam Result 2022: Ishita Kishore Tops Civil Services Exam, Women Bag Top Four Ranks.

Gershkovich has been accused of collecting state secrets about Russia's military industrial complex, which he denies. The charges carry a possible 20-year prison sentence.

Also Read | Delhi Shocker: Man Promises to Help Job Seeker, Rapes Her Outside His Office in Gurugram.

Moscow says the pretrial investigation is being held behind closed doors because of the sensitivity of the case. Court documents have not been released either.

Gershkovich's parents were at the Lefortovo court in Moscow for the hearing, according to a CNN reporter who was present.

Appeal against jail sentence denied

The 31-year-old reporter who covered Russia and Ukraine for the Wall Street Journal remains in custody at Lefortovo prison as he awaits a trial.

His appeal against a decision to keep him behind bars as he waits for a trial start date was denied in April.

US calls for Gershkovich's immediate release

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday reiterated his calls for Gershkovich to be released.

"He shouldnt be detained at all. Journalism is not a crime. He needs to be released immediately," Kirby told CNN.

"Were still going to work very, very hard to see if we can get him home with his family where he belongs."

Kirby also said the United States wants consular access to Gershkovich, who became the first American to be detained in Russia on spying charges since the Cold War.

He has been only allowed visits from his Russian lawyers so far.

rm, zc/wd (Reuters, AFP)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2023 09:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, May 23: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said that now is a good time to start thinking about the governance of superintelligence -- future AI systems dramatically more capable than even artificial generative intelligence (AGI).

Altman stressed that the world must mitigate the risks of today's AI technology too, "but superintelligence will require special treatment and coordination". OpenAI Launches Free ChatGPT App for IOS Users in US.

"Given the picture as we see it now, it's conceivable that within the next 10 years, AI systems will exceed expert skill level in most domains and carry out as much productive activity as one of today's largest corporations," he said in a blog post along with other OpenAI leaders.

"Given the possibility of existential risk, we can't just be reactive. Nuclear energy is a commonly used historical example of a technology with this property; synthetic biology is another example," he noted.

Last week, Altman admitted that if generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong, as US senators expressed their fears about AI chatbots like ChatGPT.

Altman, who testified at a hearing in the US Senate in Washington, DC, said that the AI industry needs to be regulated by the government as AI becomes "increasingly powerful". Artificial Intelligence Powered Writing Tools Can Be Biased, Sway Opinions, Help Spread Misinformation Like Social Media, Warns Researchers.

In the blog post, he said that major governments around the world could set up a project that many current efforts become part of, or we could collectively agree that the rate of growth in AI capability at the frontier is limited to a certain rate per year.

"And of course, individual companies should be held to an extremely high standard of acting responsibly. Second, we are likely to eventually need something like an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for superintelligence efforts," he mentioned.

"Tracking compute and energy usage could go a long way, and give us some hope this idea could actually be implementable," said Altman.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2023 11:36 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
London, May 23: The city of Preston in the UK has elected Gujarat-born Yakub Patel as its first Indian-origin Muslim Mayor for 2023-24 following the completion of Councillor Neil Darby's term in office. In his new role, Patel will chair council meetings, and act as ceremonial head representing the city at engagements throughout their year in office.

"I am honoured and delighted to become the Mayor of Preston, a city I am proud to call my home. I hope to make positive differences to the communities that I serve and also provide additional support through my Mayoral charities for the coming year," Patel said. Prior to his new role, Patel has been serving as the city's Deputy Mayor since May 2022. Indian-Origin Sikh Councillor Jaswant Singh Birdi Scripts History in UK, Becomes First Turban-Wearing Lord Mayor of Coventry.

The long serving councillor has been undertaking civic duties and hosted the visit of the Royal Family in summer alongside the then Mayor. "...It gives me great pleasure to be handing over the chains of office to the Mayor-elect, Councillor Yakub Patel. The last year has been the most outstanding experience of my life and it has been a huge honour to have been the Mayor of our fabulous city," Preston's outgoing Mayor Darby wrote in a tweet.

Born in Bharuch, Gujarat, Patel graduated from M S University of Baroda with a degree in BA and MA in English Literature. He came to the UK in June 1976 and started his career in 1979 with Preston Corporation. Patel also held roles as a Revenue Inspector, Traffic Inspector, Assistant Chief, Chief Inspector and Operations Manager before he retired on July 4, 2009. Indian-Origin NYPD Cop Sumit Sulan Honoured by US President Joe Biden With Presidential Medal of Valor.

He has been involved in politics since the age of 10 when he started canvassing and delivering leaflets for his late father, who was a strong supporter and a member of the Congress party. He was first elected as a Labour Party councillor for Avenham Ward in 1995 and was the first Muslim councillor in the history of Preston City Council.

In addition, Patel was also elected as a Lancashire County Councillor for Preston West Division during 2001-2009. The new Mayor is also an active member of the local community and serves as a co-opted member for Preston Jamea Mosque and Preston Muslim Burial Society. He is a school governor for Frenchwood Community Primary School. Rosemere Cancer, Preston Domestic Violence Services and Emmaus will be Patel's Mayoral Charities for 2023-24.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2023 12:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
On 22 May Colombias government announced the suspension of a ceasefire with the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), the largest grouping of dissident units of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Farc) guerrilla group, in response to the killing of four minors in Putumayo department.

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On 22 May the deputy foreign ministers of Chile and Peru declared the bilateral migrant crisis on the shared border between the two countries to be over after holding a meeting in Lima.

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On 22 May US officials requested an investigation into alleged labour rights infringements at Mexicos San Luis Potosi plant of US-firm Goodyear Tyre and Rubber Co, invoking the rapid response mechanism (RRM) under the US-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) free trade agreement.

Analysis:

The request for an investigation was made by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) and followed an appeal by La Liga, a newly created independent Mexican trade union, which claimed that Goodyear employees at the plant in San Luis Potosi state were being denied benefits available to other workers in the rubber and tyre sector elsewhere in the country. Under the terms of the USMCA, which took effect in 2020, the Mexican authorities now have 10 days to initiate a labour rights review at the facility, and a further 45 days to investigate the substantive claims.

Last month a vote by Goodyear workers on whether to accept a new collective contract had to be suspended after allegations of vote-rigging by the long-established labour union, the Confederacion de Trabajadores de Mexico (CTM), which, it was claimed, colluded with company management to steal a ballot box. A new vote was held earlier this month with employees overwhelmingly rejecting the proposed agreement.

This was seen as an important victory for La Liga, the recently-formed independent union, which is seeking to win recognition and to replace the CTM at the plant. The CTM is often accused of being a sweetheart or yellow union which tends to align itself with management rather than the interests of its members.

In a statement Goodyear said staff turnover at the companys San Luis Potosi plant is low and that the wages it pays are competitive.

Looking Ahead: Both major US political parties, the Democrats and Republicans, have supported the observation of minimum labour standards in Mexico, not least because they believe low wages can be a threat to jobs in the US. With Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador seeking to align himself with working class voters, the likelihood is that independent labour unions will continue to gather strength.
On 22 May a Brazilian appeals court (TRF-4) dismissed, a judge critical of methods used in previous iterations of the highly-politicised Lava Jato corruption probe, for allegedly breaching disciplinary norms in relation to efforts to crack down on previous investigators.

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In a significant development in the case surrounding the Idaho College murders, the suspect opted to "stand silent" during the initial phase of the judicial proceedings on Monday, the NY Times reports.

Bryan Kohberger, the Idaho College murders suspect, refrained from entering a plea, as confirmed by his defense attorney, Anne Taylor. Consequently, Judge John C. Judge took the initiative to enter a not-guilty plea on behalf of Kohberger.

It is worth noting that the accused has expressed his belief, through legal representation, in his eventual exoneration from all charges.

The serene college town of Moscow, Idaho, which had not witnessed a murder for seven years until the tragic incident on November 13 that claimed the lives of four students, had been gearing up for the trial's commencement scheduled for October.

READ NEXT: Idaho College Murders Suspect Indicted

What Happens if the Idaho College Murders Suspect Enters a Plea?

Suppose Bryan Kohberger, the primary suspect in the Idaho College Murders, enters his plea. In that case, a critical countdown will commence, marking the deadline for prosecutors to make an official announcement regarding their intention to pursue the death penalty for the brutal ambush killings of three young individuals: Kaylee Goncalves (21), Madison Mogen (21), and Xana Kernodle (20).

Renowned defense attorney Edwina Elcox, notable for her representation of "cult mom" Lori Vallow, emphasized the gravity of this situation, stating that "the most morbid of all clocks start ticking" upon entering a plea.

The prosecution has a narrow window of 60 days to submit a written notice of intent to seek the death penalty.

Furthermore, if Kohberger proceeds with his plea, the prosecution must formally file their intent to seek the death penalty within 60 days following the plea.

Meanwhile, Idaho has recently reintroduced the use of the death penalty by firing squad.

Irrespective of Kohberger's decision to enter a plea, another clock will start ticking concerning his constitutionally guaranteed right to a swift trial. This clock would expire within six months, Elcox told Fox News.

Idaho College Murders Trial

Prosecutors have presented compelling evidence in court records, shedding light on Bryan Kohberger's alleged connection to the Idaho College murders victims, per ABC News.

Detailed accounts reveal that Kohberger's white Hyundai Elantra was reportedly observed passing by the victims' home on multiple occasions before the tragic events.

Law enforcement officials disclosed that the suspect's smartphone was traced to the vicinity of Moscow; however, it was deactivated between 2:47 and 4:48 a.m., precisely when the killings occurred.

Furthermore, authorities have revealed a significant breakthrough in the case. Kohberger's DNA was reportedly discovered on a knife sheath found on one of the victims' beds, providing a potential piece of evidence.

Originally hailing from Pennsylvania, Kohberger departed from the university campus after the semester and embarked on a cross-country journey. However, on December 30, he was apprehended at his parent's residence in the Pocono Mountains. In early January, Kohberger willingly consented to extradition back to Idaho.

During the extradition hearing, Jason LaBar, the chief public defender for Monroe County, represented Kohberger. In a statement, LaBar conveyed Kohberger's eagerness to be vindicated of the charges, expressing a strong desire to resolve the matter expeditiously.

READ MORE: Missing Texas Woman Found Dead

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Idaho college murder suspect Bryan Kohberger 'stands silent' at arraignment - From ABC7
Donald Trump's continuous attacks on rape accuser E. Jean Carroll may cost him even more as he continued disparaging her on TV and social media, even after he was found liable for sexually assaulting her and defaming her.

Carroll was awarded $5 million for Trump defaming and sexually abusing her in a civil trial. Now, the former Elle magazine columnist is seeking at least $10 million more, according to her most recent court filing last Monday. This new amended lawsuit seeks to hold him accountable for the remarks he made after the verdict and even cited the former president's controversial CNN town hall earlier this month,

According to the Associated Press, the new Carroll amended lawsuit claims that Donald Trump "doubled down" on derogatory remarks against E, Jean Carroll during a cable TV appearance after the verdict. This points to his appearance during the CNN town hall, where he maintained he did not rape her and continued claiming that he does not know her.

"It is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill will, or spite," wrote Carroll's attorneys in this amended lawsuit against Trump. "This conduct supports a very substantial punitive damages award in Carroll's favor both to punish Trump, to deter him from engaging in further defamation, and to deter others from doing the same."

Donald Trump's CNN Town Hall Comments That Led To the Amended Lawsuit

After the verdict against him was made, Trump ranted about it during his controversial CNN Town Hall appearance. Trump was already appealing the case and reiterated that Carrol's case was a "fake" and a "made-up story," even referring to it as "hanky-panky."

According to the Guardian, Trump repeated his past claims during the Town Hall and called her a "whack job" again.

READ NEXT: Joe Biden Family Probe: House Republicans Find No Evidence of Wrongdoing

Roberta Kaplan, who represents the former Elle magazine columnist, stated that the former president's CNN Town Hall remarks "makes a mockery of the jury verdict and our justice system" and stressed that he must not be allowed to get away with repeating defamatory statements.

During that same town hall, Trump also attacked the judge who oversaw the case, claiming that he was an "anti-Trump judge" and claiming that he is biased against the former president.

The Case of E. Jean Carroll

In her testimony in court, E. Jean Carroll gave an emotional account of how Trump sexually assaulted her inside a dressing room in the Bergdorf Goodman Department Store in Manhattan. She stated that she ran into the New York property mogul while shopping, and he lured her into a dressing room and sexually assaulted her there.

Carroll stayed quiet about the ordeal but did tell two of her closest friends about it. During their testimony, those two friends described her as hysterical, and their account matched that of Carroll's.

Carroll finally went public with her story in 2019 when Trump was still the POTUS. He denied all the allegations that she made against him, leading to her filing a lawsuit, which did not go through as he was still president at that time. However, he continued defaming her after leaving office, which then led to the lawsuit which Carroll won.

Her lawyers presented two witnesses in court who have similar tales of repeated behavior from Trump, with both witnesses claiming they were also sexually assaulted. This, along with his infamous "Grab'em by the p***y" tape showed a pattern of behavior that Trump is confident he could get away with rape and that he would do it again.

READ NEXT: Judge Tosses Out Donald Trump's Lawsuit Vs. New York Times

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: E. Jean Carroll asks judge to amend lawsuit to seek further damages against Trump - CNN
A devastating incident unfolded overnight at a government boarding school in Guyana, resulting in the tragic loss of at least 19 students' lives, with numerous others sustaining injuries, AP reports.

Authorities are investigating the Guyana dormitory fire, contemplating whether it was intentionally set ablaze. Distressingly, sources revealed on Monday that nearly all the victims, except one, were Indigenous girls.

President Irfaan Ali expressed deep sorrow, describing the event as tragic and painful. He assured the public that his government is diligently employing all available resources to aid in the identification process of the 13 recovered bodies.

According to a government statement, the fire erupted in the dormitory building of a secondary school in Mahdia, a border town located approximately 200 miles (320 kilometers) south of Georgetown, the capital city. Indigenous communities predominantly inhabit Mahdia, renowned for its gold and diamond mining activities.

Dwayne Scotland, the deputy fire chief overseeing the scene, remarked, "The fire was maliciously set," noting that it originated in the southwestern corner of the building.

While early investigations suggest intentional arson, Police Chief Clifton Hicken emphasized that the evidence strongly supports this conclusion. Additionally, Chief Hicken mentioned that the girls' dormitory had five entrances, but the presence of iron grills trapped the students inside during the tragedy.

READ NEXT: Guyana Pirates Trial

Guyana Dormitory Fire

The Fire Service reported earlier in the day that the building in central Mahdia had been completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived at midnight, according to Reuters.

Tragically, fourteen children died at the scene, while another five succumbed to their injuries at the hospital. Six children with injuries were urgently transported by air to Georgetown, the capital city, for further medical attention. Moreover, at least 17 other children were conveyed to the local hospital for treatment.

Earlier police statements revealed that a student inside the dorm where the fire originated heard screams and witnessed a fire in the dormitory bathroom area, providing a glimpse into the early moments of the tragedy.

Mark Ramotar, the head of police communications, emphasized on Monday that the majority of the 19 children who tragically perished were of Indigenous descent. "The dormitory typically accommodates students from Indigenous communities," he explained.

The youngest victim in the Guyana dormitory fire was a five-year-old boy, the caretaker's son, while the remaining fatalities were girls, as confirmed by the Ministry of Education. Among the victims, the heartbreaking list includes siblings and a set of twins.

Bad Weather Makes Guyana Dormitory Fire Assistance Efforts Complicated

National Security Adviser Gerald Gouveia, an official source, cited adverse weather conditions and big thunderstorms as significant hindrances that impeded pilots' ability to respond promptly, potentially impacting the efficacy of the assistance efforts.

During an interview with Al Jazeera, Denis Chabrol, a journalist based in Guyana, it was highlighted that inclement weather prevented the evacuation of injured children from the dormitory fire site.

Given that the school served students from remote villages, Chabrol emphasized the potential difficulty in reaching out to the families of those who tragically lost their lives or sustained injuries.

"Emergency responders and government officials will face the challenge of contacting the parents and guardians of the children who perished and were injured." He further noted, "It's going to be a truly challenging time for the officials to effectively communicate with the parents and guardians of those affected by this devastating fire."

Guyana is located between Venezuela and Suriname on the northern coast of South America.

READ MORE: El Salvador Stampede

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Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: GUYANA NEWS ROOM - MAHDIA TRAGEDY UPDATE - From News Room Guyana
The "ABC Islands" - Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao - are a stunning group of islands that lie in the Caribbean just off the coast of Venezuela.

Unlike some of the other Caribbean islands that lie in the direct path of hurricanes, Aruba has year-round tropical sunshine making it an ideal vacation spot.

Aruba, known as "one happy island," mesmerizes tourists with its stunning features. The island provides a variety of stunning natural beauty in nature, from its immaculate white beaches to the mesmerizing rugged terrain and desert-like hills.

READ NEXT: Barbados: Top 5 Tourist Spots

Top 5 Tourist Spots in Aruba

Here are five of the best tourist spots in Aruba to help you make the most of your trip. Aruba offers some of the best wreck diving chances in the entire Caribbean for adventurers and divers. Prepare to explore the colorful culture, partake in life-changing activities, and unearth the hidden gems that make Aruba an unforgettable travel destination.

Baby Beach

On Aruba's southeast coast, Baby Beach is well-known for its natural beauty and welcoming atmosphere for families.

This artificial lagoon provides a calm, shallow water experience, making it an excellent place for kids to play. In addition, the beach draws kiteboarders and windsurfers because of its favorable conditions.

Although the lagoon's waters seem tranquil, it is essential to remember that the bay that leads to the Caribbean Sea presents a different situation. The current could be strong here.

However, there are also fantastic snorkeling chances there. When snorkeling at Baby Beach, it is important to exercise caution and avoid wandering beyond the lagoon's protected waters because the area's beautiful marine life can encourage you to do so.

You can completely take in Baby Beach's beauty and safety if you stay inside the approved area.

Palm Beach

Aruba's high-rise resorts are concentrated around Palm Beach, which provides various services and attractions. For those who do not intend to rent a car, this lively region is a convenient and enjoyable visit because it is home to many restaurants, casinos, bars, and shops. Palm Beach is easy to navigate on foot thanks to its layout designed for pedestrians.

Palm Beach's moderate surf, ideal for swimming and leisurely water activities, is one of its best features. You may hire a paddleboard or a waverunner from one of the many watersports concessions in the area if you want to take a break from tanning and splashing in the waves.

Additionally, Palm Beach is also well-known for its vibrant nightlife scene, which features a variety of venues that can accommodate a wide range of interests and inclinations.

Arikok National Park

Arikok National Park should be on your travel itinerary if you love nature. This hilly park, which makes up around 20% of the island, offers a variety of wildlife encounters.

You can encounter unique animals like the Aruban whiptail lizard, Aruban cat eye snake, Aruban parakeet, and Aruban burrowing owl throughout your journey.

Arikok National Park has three magnificent beaches with diverse species: Dos Playa, Boca Prins, and Daimari Beach. Within the park's limits, these beautiful expanses of sand provide a tranquil coastal experience.

The Natural Pool, commonly known as Conchi, is one of the park's most notable features. It can only be reached by 4x4 vehicles, ATVs, on foot, or on horseback, which gives the experience an element of adventure.

Aruba Aloe Factory

The Aruba Aloe Museum, Factory, and Store is in Hato and offers guided factory and museum tours. These tours delve into the cultivation of the aloe plant and explore the various processes involved in creating aloe-based skincare products.

Led by knowledgeable Aruba Aloe trip guide leaders, these educational tours are available throughout the day, with new tours starting every 15 minutes. The tours are conducted in multiple languages to cater to diverse visitors.

In addition to the guided tours, visitors can opt for self-guided tours of the museum. The self-guided experience begins with a brief multimedia presentation that provides insights into the museum's history. Visitors can then explore the factory's facilities, including the aloe-cutting chamber, the testing lab, and the filling chamber.

Alto Vista Chappel

Even if you don't follow the Catholic faith, a visit to Alto Vista Chapel is still worth it. This charming chapel is a popular tourist spot in Aruba and sits atop a hill near Noord. Officially known as "Our Lady of Alto Vista," it is considered Aruba's first Catholic church.

The chapel's small size, painted yellow with a crimson roof, creates a striking contrast against the backdrop of the vivid blue waters. You can explore Alto Vista Chapel every day between 5 and 7 pm, and there is a unique gathering on Tuesdays.

Remarkably, there has been a chapel at this site since 1750, although the current building dates to 1952. When you visit Alto Vista Chapel, take advantage of the nearby Peace Labyrinth. It provides a peaceful, reflective space to wander through its intricate pathways and contemplate or recite prayers.

READ MORE: Unique Tourist Spots to Visit on the Spice Island

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WATCH: Top 10 Things To Do in Aruba - From Travelmoji
The cause of a massive industrial blaze in West Easton may never be known.

West Easton Police Chief Robert Mahady told the borough council Monday that the origin of the April 4 fire at 1550 Lehigh Drive has not been determined and experts are closing out the investigation.

Mahady said an official fire report has not been completed but the consensus of multiple fire experts is that the fire burned too hot to leave any evidence of the infernos source.

Theres nothing left, Mahady said.

The fire destroyed a $9 million warehouse complex, including the inventory of eight businesses that operated out of the warehouse.

Overhead view a month after these industrial buildings burned down at 1550 Lehigh Drive in West Easton. The fire was on April 4, 2023.Saed Hindash | For lehighvalleylive.com

Mahady said he met this week with six different fire marshals, and other fire experts from various agencies and insurance companies.

It was determined that they are not going to be able to determine the origin, Mahady said.

Mahady said he knows people are looking for answers but he commended the experts for not speculating when the evidence was uncertain.

Over 20 agencies responded to the fire that burned for a day and a half.

 MORE: Lack of code enforcement prior to massive fire is a wake-up call for tiny West Easton

Council President Paul James said he spoke with property owner Chaim Greenbaum about the sites future. According to James, Greenbaum said he needs to work with his insurance company to devise a plan to clean the site before any decisions are made to build on the property.

James said any new construction would need to comply with current code ordinances, including codes that deal with the property, which is adjacent to the Lehigh River, being in a floodplain.

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John Best is a freelance contributor to lehighvalleylive.com.
A man wanted for fleeing from parole in a previous methamphetamine case was arrested Monday after being found with 45 grams of the drug in Northampton County, authorities said.

Fredrick Burd, no address listed in court papers, was charged Monday by the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office with possession with intent to distribute meth, possession of meth and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The 29-year-old Burd was sent to Northampton County Prison after failing to post $250,000 bail, records show. A defense attorney has not yet entered an appearance in Burds case.

Burd was sentenced in August 2021 to one and half years to three and a half years total in prison in two separate 2020 Northampton County cases, and was released on parole in February 2022, records say.

In one case, Burd pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver drugs after Palmer Township police said they found 25 grams of meth in his backpack during an August 2020 traffic stop.

Burd also pleaded guilty to fleeing from police, accidents involving damage and DUI, after police said he led officers through three Northampton County towns in May 2020 before crashing into a vehicle in Lower Nazareth Township.

Agents with the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office said they were investigating Burd this month for alleged meth sales in Easton. They learned Burd was also wanted for allegedly absconding from state parole.

On Monday, Burd was spotted on Main Street in Glendon and was arrested, agents said.

Burd had a zippered backpack with him, and inside agents said they found a bag with 45 grams of meth, which they estimated had a street value of $4,500. Burd also had small, clear plastic bags with him commonly used for drug sales, agents said.

In a later interview with authorities, Burd reportedly admitted to selling meth in and around Easton, court papers say. The meth was sent to the Pennsylvania State Police crime lab for further chemical analysis.

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A police officer and another driver were injured when their vehicles collided Saturday afternoon along Route 638 west in Greenwich Township, the townships police chief said.

Chief Richard J. Hummer said the incident happened just after 1 p.m. Saturday. The Greenwich officer was dispatched to a call in the area of Bullman Street in Phillipsburg for a reported foot chase. As the marked police cruiser was passing another vehicle on the highway, the front of the patrol vehicle and left side of the other car collided, Hummer said.

Both drivers were taken to an area hospital for treatment of injuries, Hummer said. The officer had minor injuries, but Hummer did not have a status on the other driver.

Pohatcong Township police are investigating the accident, the chief said.

Aside from Greenwich and Pohatcong police, other assisting agencies included New Jersey State Police; Hunterdon County ALS; Stewartsville Volunteer Fire Co; Greenwich Township Emergency Squad; and Pattenburg Rescue Squad.

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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.
There was no better fishing or wading in the Bushkill Creek than in Tatamy, according to Joe Baylog.

The clear water once flowed from bank to bank, according to Baylog, the local chapter president of Trout Unlimited.

For the past 20 years, though, its been known to dry up, leaving hundreds to thousands of dead fish per episode. His organization counts at least 15 instances since 1999. One incident in 2020 left 2,000 fish dead.

Baylog connects the creeks decreased water flow to the increased depths of the nearby Hercules Cement quarry. The cement plant doing business as Buzzi Unicem USA lies in Stockertown. Its quarry is in Upper Nazareth Township with a sliver in Palmer Township.

As the quarry goes deeper, the creek keeps drying up, Baylog said.

Theyre destroying a natural resource, Baylog said Sunday.

Plant manager Rad Slavov said the plant is saving the creek, not destroying it. He maintains the stream has long had an intermittent flow, dating well back into the quarrys 100-plus-year history.

To access limestone at increasing depths, the quarry must pump out groundwater at the quarry floor. This groundwater feeds the creek and keeps it flowing when rainfall is scarce, Slavov said.

Conservationists say each of the 15 Bushkill Creek fish kills coincides with power outages or pump failures at the quarry. The stream that flowed freely for hundreds of years now suddenly relies on man-made pumps for its water, they say.

Under pressure to make the pumps more reliable, Buzzi is installing $3 million backup generators this month, Slavov said. If the power goes out, the pumps will keep pumping.

During the installation of the backup generators, however, the pumps needed to be turned off. This resulted the latest dry-creek episode and the latest rift between the cement plant and the community.

Baylog reports a fish kill in the creek on Wednesday, May 17, and Thursday, May 18. Members of his organization photographed the dead fish around noon May 18.

Tatamy resident Brad Frace posted to Facebook after he spotted the dried-up creek around 4 p.m. May 17. He scooped up fish from shallow puddles in the dry creek bed and deposited them in a deep pool near the beach, a stretch of creek that runs behind the Tatamy Volunteer Fire Department.

There were fish everywhere, he said. It was disgusting.

Tatamy resident Brad Frace rescued this trout from the dried-up Bushkill Creek around 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, 2023.Courtesy of Brad Frace

Tatamy resident Brad Frace rescued this trout from the dried-up Bushkill Creek around 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, 2023.Courtesy of Brad Frace

Tatamy Borough Manager Mark Saginario said he received some calls May 18 from residents concerned about the dry creek. He said he could have organized an effort to rescue the fish had he known the pumps at the quarry were turned off.

Its a shame, Saginario said.

Slavov says cement plant employees continuously monitored the stream. Fish observed in small pools were moved to larger ones. When the creek got too dry, the quarry turned the pumps back on.

It was a well-coordinated effort on both Wednesday and Thursday, Slavov said. He said no fish deaths were observed.

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission fisheries biologist Dan Ryan said last week the state didnt receive any reports of trouble at the creek. By the time a fish and boat commission representative checked the creek, the water level had risen. Its unclear how many fish were affected, what sort of fish were affected or how many died.

Ryan said the event may have stressed the fish, but small fish can survive in pockets of water if the flow returns relatively quickly.

I know folks are concerned when the flow goes down, but we took extra precautions to make sure the fish remained safe, Slavov said.

Slavov said work still needs to be undertaken to synchronize the backup generators so that they automatically turn on when the power goes out. That work will likely be moved to the fall when the creek level is higher. Its too dangerous to work on the generators unless the pumps are de-energized, he said.

Maya van Rossum of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network said her organization is taking a close look at what happened May 17 and 18.

Theres lots of evidence that the creek went dry, van Rossum said. It was a huge problem and it should not have happened.

van Rossums organization threatened to sue Hercules in 2020 over the fish kills. While Baylog is pleased to see the backup generators going in, hes concerned over continued quarry missteps, including the latest gaffe over the generator installation.

Baylog said hydrological gauge data and Trout Unlimited observations show flow dropped dramatically when the pumps were shut off and remained minimal for the remainder of the work period on May 17 and 18.

The cement company says its continued mining has little effect on the creek. Most of the water at the bottom of the quarry comes from underground streams, not the creek, they say. A dye test ordered by the state in 2020 shows only 10% of the water pumped out of the bottom of the quarry came from the creek and 90% came from deep springs, according to the then-plant manager. Hercules says naturally occurring sinkholes are draining the creek, not the quarry activity.

Or, as Baylog suggests, the 60 million gallons of water a day being pumped from the bottom of the quarry is exacerbating the sinkhole problem. And even if only 10% of the quarry water comes from the creek, that may be enough to completely drain the stream, he said.

More and more sinkholes keep opening up around the quarry in the vicinity of bridges and homes along the creek, Baylog said.

Two big questions loom for the cement company and the creek:

1. The quarry depth is at or close to sea level. The owners want permission to go 50 feet deeper. How will this affect the creek and the local water table?

2. When the cement plant eventually shuts down, what happens when the pumps turn off for good? Will the Tatamy stretch of the Bushkill Creek dry up permanently?

The Department of Environmental Protection is taking a close look at both questions, Baylog said. He shared a March 23 letter from a Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection geologist asking Hercules to address 17 deficiencies if it wants an extension of its mining permit (and an opportunity to dig from its current depth, 50 feet above sea level, down to sea level).

Slavov said Monday that Hercules has responded to or is in the process of responding to all 17 allegations as part of the normal back-and-forth exchange during a permit extension. He said the deepening is proposed on the east end, or the dry side of the quarry. The west end is the side continually pumped free of groundwater, he said.

Department of Environmental Protection spokeswoman Colleen Connolly said her department is reviewing Hercules April 2023 submission.

We cannot give a timeline for a decision, Connolly said.

The state wants a detailed analysis on what an additional 10 years of pumping would mean to the local geology and an analysis on whether nearby sinkholes can be attributed to the quarry. It wants more details on the methodology of the 2020 dye test. The DEP is reviewing Hercules application and its own data to determine the quarrys impact on the creek and surrounding area.

The department is reviewing a very complex and detailed permit application, Connolly said.

Slavov said Monday, the available evidence shows that the limited deepening request will have no adverse effect on the hydrologic balance of the area.

The state wants a plan to gradually reduce pumping to minimize the environmental impact when the quarry eventually shuts down. The quarry is responsible for moving a huge amount of water, the equivalent to draining Lake Wallenpaupack every two years, Baylog said.

Quarry records show about 4 million to 8 million gallons a day were pumped out back in the 1970s Baylog said. That figure grew to 20 million gallons a day in 1999 before topping out at 60 million gallons a day now, he said.

Slavov said the quarry will fill with groundwater once the plant shuts down. The effect on the creek should be minimal, he said.

The current plan, however, is to continue to operate the quarry for many years into the future to support the adjacent cement plant operations, Slavov said.

Baylog said he doesnt oppose the quarry. He acknowledges the quarry provides 130 jobs, jobs Slavov calls high paying. But the quarrys economic benefits must be balanced against the need to preserve the environment. The payoff of continued mining comes at the expense of more study, more analysis, more proof that continued mining wont contribute to the death of the Bushkill Creek in Tatamy.

Connolly said the DEP received many public comments during a hearing last year on the quarrys impact. Anyone who still wants to weigh in can contact the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protections Pottsville District Mining Office regarding the permit application.

The creek in Tatamy remains a Class A coldwater fishery, the highest designation for a trout stream in the state, despite its troubles over the past 20 years. Its regrettable to see how the creek has changed for the worse and would be even more regrettable if it dried up for good, Baylog said.

Hercules doesnt own the stream, he said. The company must be held accountable for its actions, he said.

That stretch was once one of the nicest, most pristine sections of the creek when I was a kid, Baylog said. I wouldnt walk back there now.

Members of the Forks of the Delaware chapter of Trout Unlimited snapped this photo of a dried-up Bushkill Creek on May 18, 2023.Courtesy of Joe Baylog

Members of the Forks of the Delaware chapter of Trout Unlimited snapped this photo of a dead fish in the Bushkill Creek on May 18, 2023.Courtesy of Joe Baylog

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.
After looking at more than 440,000 traffic stops initiated by Pennsylvania State Police last year, researchers said Tuesday data shows race was not a factor in citing or arresting drivers but there were racial disparities in vehicle searches.

The National Policing Institute, established in 1970 and formerly known as the National Police Foundation, released its 169-page report Tuesday that you can read here.

Of the 441,329 recorded stops, 71.1% drivers were white non-Hispanic, 14.4% were Black, 8.2% Hispanic, 1.8% Asian or Pacific Islander and 0.3% American Indians.

Robin Engel, senior vice president of the National Policing Institute, said researchers saw an increase in the volume of traffic stops, in the percentage of searches, and a significant increase in the search and seizure rates during the stops.

Black and Hispanic drivers were not more or less likely to be issued a citation, warned or arrested compared to white drivers, Engel said.

The predicted probability for arrest was 1.6% for white drivers compared to 1.8% for Black and Hispanic drivers.

That difference is not statistically significant, it could be due to chance, Engel said.

If stopped, the likelihood of a discretionary search was 1.4% for white drivers, but 2.7% for Black drivers and 2.1% for Hispanic drivers.

While those disparities remain, we are very optimistic because those disparities have been decreasing over time, she said, adding the illegal items seized during those searches have increased two or three fold.

The departments seizure of contraband, including firearms and drugs, during discretionary searches is among the highest in the nation.

The data showed the strongest predictors of a discretionary search at a traffic stop were legal variables, for example, if a driver was stopped for speeding, a moving violation or registration offense.

How fast youre going is one of the strongest predictors of whether or not youll get a citation, Engel said. If you have a search and contraband is seized, that is one of the strongest predictors that you are arrested (at a traffic stop).

This traffic stop study is one piece, one tool to hold officers accountable to the standards of fair, equitable and safe treatment of motorists and of individuals across the Commonwealth, Engel said.

(The study is) not going to answer all the questions that you have. This study will not tell you whether not troopers engage in racial profiling, is what we called it back then and now we talk about bias or officer bias. No traffic stop study can tell you that. Statistical analyses alone of traffic stop data cannot determine whether or not an individual stop is made based on bias, but it is a tool that will demonstrate patterns and trends that you can look at over time and continually improve, she said.

Colonel Christopher Paris, commissioner of the state police, said the goal of studies like this is to have the most professional, non-biased police services.

We want to be, not only operating under best practices, but we want to monitor these trends and patterns over time, Paris said at a news conference held at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Hershey.

I fundamentally believe in all sectors that which gets measured, gets improved, Paris said. I would expect our members to embrace this. Nobody wants a non-constitutional encounter. I would say that a successful traffic stop is a constitutional one.

Asked what he would take away from the report, Paris listed a number of positives, including that troopers are conducting more traffic enforcement, making the roadways safer by stopping speeding drivers, and that 88% of the stops were 15 minutes or less.

The department did not see the final report until it was released Tuesday, so we want to tear into that report, obviously, he said.

And if there was one thing, a biggest issue that state police need to work on?

We show up every day trying to be better, Paris responded.

COLLECTING THE DATA

Officials did not have an exact cost of the report at Tuesdays news conference but Paris said it was a multi-year contract that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The report comes after Spotlight PA reported in 2019 that Pennsylvania State Police quietly stopped collecting data on the race of drivers in traffic stops starting in 2012.

At that time, it meant PSP was one of 11 statewide law enforcement agencies in the U.S. that did not collect race data on traffic stops and was by far the largest, Spotlight said following a survey.

After Pennsylvania State Police announced in 2021 they would resume collecting demographic data for all traffic stops, they reported more than 85% of state police stations failed to collect the necessary data that year and researchers could not perform any substantive analysis.

As part of the resumed data collection, Engel developed a form each trooper is required to fill out after making a traffic stop. The data on a drivers race is based on the troopers perception of the persons race and ethnicity.

Using a law enforcement officers perception of race is considered a best practice for traffic stop studies, Engel said. Pennsylvania drivers licenses do not list race and drivers are not asked their race; that would not be considered a good practice for a whole host of reasons, according to Engel.

Engel cautioned there were factors and information from in and around a traffic stop that were also not included on the forms.

Its not reasonable for troopers to capture all that information on a single form. So we have only the data that has been measured, she said.

In terms of monitoring troopers and the department, in addition to collecting traffic stop data, Paris said citizen complaints can be made toll-free at 866-426-9164 or online here, video and audio recordings are made from troopers vehicles, and a trooper body camera pilot program is slated to begin this summer.

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The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission is planning months of road and camera improvements around the I-78 bridge between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The actual work itself is expected to begin in spring 2024 and last the year.

The commission on Monday awarded a $2.8 million contract to outside engineering consultants Arora and Associates of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, to design the project.

The eventual work is to include milling and paving the New Jersey side from the river to Exit 3 for Phillipsburg, installing shoulder rumble strips, restriping the highway, and replacing the camera system on both sides of the bridge.

In its announcement, the commission said it is optimistic that two-lane travel can be maintained in both directions during the daytime, and one-lane travel both directions at night, when the project gets underway next year.

The project also will consider alternative pavement designs to be more resistant to truck traffic. The commission said trucks comprise 30% of that crossings traffic, about double the average of all the commissions eight toll bridges, from Milford-Montague at New Jerseys northernmost reaches to Trenton.

The I-78 bridge opened in 1989, connecting Williams Township in Pennsylvania with Phillipsburg in New Jersey. Its reported average of 63,500 vehicles a day last year is the most of all the commissions bridges.

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A Portlaoise Logistic company owner escaped conviction after one of his former employees was caught speeding twice in one day.

Raul Filip of RCF Logistics Ltd, Unit B11, National Enterprise Park, Portlaoise was summoned to court over two unpaid speeding fines at the R445 Clogheen, Monasterevin on October 30 last.

Solicitor Josphine Fitzpatrick explained that her client ran a logistics company and one of his former employees was driving on the day.

She said the driver was nominated and attempted to pay but late delivery meant the payment wasnt accepted. She said the man was detected speeding going into and coming out of Monasterevin on the same day.

Unfortunately the nomination was made out of time, Ms Fitzpatrick said. She asked the court to consider a payment from her client.

He does employ 32 people in his logistics business, four of whom are drivers, she said.

Judge Andrew Cody said he would strike out the summonses if 1,000 was donated to the Portlaoise Action To Homelessness(PATH) charity.

The money was handed over and Judge Cody struck out the charges.
A man agreed to forfeit possessions including over 1,000 and personal items to the State.

The matter arose during a court police property application relating to Ashley Brennan, of 10 St Endas Road, Terenure, Dublin 6, who Portlaoise District Court heard was in Thailand.

Garda Erica Sweetman said the man was in Thailand but she had been in phone contact and had communicated with him online. The items had been seized on April 24, 2020.

He no longer has any interest in this property, she told the court.

He signed a disclaimer notice in respect of this, she said.

Garda Sweetman said the property included a number of personal items, watches, hoovers and 1,190 in cash.

She requested that some of the items which might contain sensitive information relating to the man be destroyed.

Judge Andrew Cody granted the application. He ordered the destruction of the personal items and said the other goods should be forfeited to the State for disposal.

Judge Cody said the cash should be donated to Laois Domestic Violence Service.
Inland Fisheries Ireland say a Laois farmer who removed gravel from the River Nore was fined over 5,000 last month.

According to the IFI, the farmer was found guilty of two breaches of fisheries legislation for deliberate destruction caused at a local river.

The farmer was prosecuted for damaging spawning beds and disturbing spawn or fry during destructive gravel removal works carried out on an 80 metre stretch of the Delour River, a tributary of the River Nore, near Mountrath.

Commenting on the conviction, South-Eastern River Basin District Director at Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), Lynda Connor commented on the case.

This is a serious crime against the environment. The destruction of the river habitat, and the spawning beds for the likes of trout and salmon, threatens the species survival in this area, and beyond into the greater Nore catchment, she said.

Landowners need to seek all necessary and relevant information from their advisors, and from IFI, before carrying out any works near or on a watercourse adjacent to their land, Ms Connor added.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the offences at Portlaoise District Court on April 21, 2023, and was fined 4,000 and ordered to pay a further 1,500 for the costs of the prosecution.

Evidence was given by Fisheries Environmental Officer Oliver McGrath, and the incident took place on September 30, 2022.

Pictured above gravel deposits: Supplied by IFI

The offences were secured under Section 173 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959, as amended, for injury or disturbance of the spawn or fry of Salmon, Trout or Eels and for the injury or disturbance of their spawning bed, bank or shallow where their spawn or fry may be.

The IFI encourages members of the public, anglers and farmers to report incidents such as this, and those of water pollution, fish kills, and illegal fishing to its confidential 24/7 phone number, 0818 34 74 24.
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Gardai claim that a man who arrested and was placed inside a garda car was so disruptive that he caused a vehicle collision.

Last month, Naas District Court was told that Ivan Matuashvili, with an address given as the Citywest Hotel in Citywest, County Dublin, but who is currently remanded in custody, was denied entry into a centre for asylum seekers.

This allegedly prompted the 39-year-old to drive into two security people.

Gardai added that he was later found drinking in a forest, but when he was brought back to a garda station, he allegedly bit a female garda in County Kildare on April 26 last.

On the latest court date (Thursday, May 18) gardai added that after he was placed in the back of a garda car, he allegedly attacked gardai sat beside him, and this caused such a tense situation inside the car that he allegedly caused a road traffic collision.

Mr Matuashvili appeared on the date in question via video-link.

Judge Desmond Zaidan was also told by gardai that directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) are not yet ready.

He adjourned the case to June 1 to allow for legal advice from the DPP.

Two medical reports are also expected to be produced on a later date.
A former soldier who was jailed for 10 years for 'a cynical and cold campaign of rape' against a woman he had been dating has appealed his conviction, arguing that the trial judge should have warned the jury about the dangers of convicting a defendant on the basis of the uncorroborated evidence of a complainant.

Niall Kennedy (32) of Standhouse Lawns, Newbridge, County Kildare was convicted by a jury in December 2021 of 12 counts of rape on eleven different occasions in August 2017.

He was also convicted of harassment on multiple occasions between February and August 2017 and of making threats to kill or cause serious harm to the woman in June 2017 and twice in August 2017.

Kennedy, who has no previous convictions, denied the charges and did not accept the jury's verdicts.

At the Court of Appeal on Monday, Kennedy's lawyers submitted that a warning about the woman's evidence in the case should have been issued by the judge to the jury before they began their deliberations.

Roderick O'Hanlon SC, for Kennedy, said that the woman admitted to lying in the past about her relationship with Kennedy and that the jury should have been told to approach her evidence with caution and 'not jump to conclusions'.

Mr O'Hanlon said the trial judge said he was not going to give the jury a 'corroboration warning' regarding the woman's evidence as requested by the defence, which would go to her reliability and credibility as a witness.

A corroboration warning may be given by a judge to a jury to highlight the dangers of convicting a defendant on the basis of uncorroborated evidence.

Mr O'Hanlon said the complainant gave evidence of her dealings with a male friend of hers, whose life she claimed Kennedy had threatened to 'destroy.'

"He told me that he knew [the male friend] was a druggy and that he would destroy his career.

"I did not know that [the friend] was into drugs and I don't believe that even now," said the woman at trial.

Mr O'Hanlon said the complainant had texted another friend to the contrary, saying she asked [the male friend] about using drugs and that "he had been doing coke and weed for a while".

"It was put to her that she had told lies to the jury about her belief that [the male friend] was using drugs," counsel said, submitting that the complainant accepted that she had told lies.

Mr O'Hanlon said the woman also lied to her parents about the relationship and to her employer about being off sick when she was with the accused.

The barrister said that at the time of the alleged harassment, thousands of Watsapp messages had been exchanged between both parties.

Between April 2017 to May 2017, 4,716 messages were sent with the woman sending 2,381 of those.

Mr O'Hanlon said that a warning should have also been given to the jury as to the Kennedy's state of mind at the time as he maintained the sexual intercourse had been consensual.

The barrister said that the corroboration warning could have also addressed why in the days after she alleged she was raped the woman went to the gardai complaining of being harassed but not of being raped.

Mr Justice George Birmingham said the trial judge was 'very familiar' with the law on issuing a corroboration warning and there was a 'wide margin' afforded to trial judges on whether or not to do so.

Mr Justice Edwards said the woman had said she had forgotten about describing her friend as a drug-user and did not accept she lied in that she 'stood over what she said - she did not believe he was into drugs.'

Mr Justice Edwards said the woman accepted that she told something different to the jury regarding the male friend but that 'a lie has to be a conscious decision, in that you can't lie if you forget something - it's not a lie. She claims she didn't remember the text exchange.'

Mr O'Hanlon said the lack of the warning 'doesn't properly address the manner in which a jury should address her evidence. The court ought to have issued a caution alerting the jury to those aspects of the complainant's evidence'.

Vincent Heneghan SC, for the State, said the woman had explained why she told lies about the relationship.

"She was trying to protect herself and her family from the accused, a person who had come back into and out of her life. She was afeared and embarrassed by it. It was not a plan to fool the jury," said Mr Heneghan.

The barrister said the jury is asked to decide on matters of the truth which 'happens in every case anyway.'

"In every case, the trial judge is obliged go about explaining to a jury what their function is - an assessment of the evidence from the witnesses in the box and all judges do that," said Mr Heneghan.

The barrister said the trial judge gave a lengthy and proper review of the evidence in detail for the jury and to ask for a corroboration warning from the judge in the case would be 'asking judge to step into the function of a jury'.

Mr Heneghan said the trial judge did not feel the need to give the warning, had given his reasons for refusing the application and had made no error in principle in making his decision.

Mr Justice Birmingham said the court would reserve its judgement in the matter.

At the trial in February of last year, Mr Justice Paul Burns said the case was characterised by a 'more than usual degree of degradation and abuse of trust' of the woman and set a headline sentence of 13 years.

He said Kennedy had carried out a of 'a cynical and cold campaign of rape' against the woman.

He imposed a sentence of 12 years with the final two years suspended for five years on strict conditions.

The trial heard that the woman was in her early 20s when she met Kennedy in December 2016 on the Tinder dating app and soon began a relationship.

However, the court heard that Kennedy then began turning up outside her place of work, or in a nightclub when the woman was out with friends.

He would turn up uninvited, was constantly texting her and demanding that she send him photographs, a Garda witness said.

The woman found the level of communication 'unbearable' and wanted to end the relationship.

Kennedy also sent images of an indecent nature to her mothers phone.

While they continued in an on-off sexual relationship, the court heard that Kennedy continued to harass the woman, including following her when she was on nights out with friends.

On one occasion outside a Dublin nightclub, he showed up and threatened to kill one of her male friends.

In August 2017, Kennedy told the woman to come to his house where he raped her, while calling her 'a slut and a whore' and telling her that 'she deserved it.'

He told her that the only way 'to make things up with him was to be in a threesome' and that she had to have sex with him 24 times, and also for every time he said she had sex with another man.
Kildare County Council (KCC) has agreed to draft a letter to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth of Ireland.

Three councillors put forward the following joint motion to KCC at the latest Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District (MD) meeting, which was held on Wednesday, May 17: "That this MD writes to the Minister for Integration calling on him to ensure that supports are available to all people seeking refuge in the Kildare- Newbridge MD regardless of country of origin."

The motion was put forward by Cllr Rob Power (Fianna Fail), Cllr Chris Pender (Social Democrats) and Cllr Noel Connolly (Sinn Fein).

Speaking to KCC, Cllr Connolly pointed to six people who tragically lost their lives while attempting to flee a conflict in their homeland back in March of 2022.

"Asking for asylum is a human right," he added.

He also said that while he recognises that the Ukraine crisis is an emergency situation, he stressed that the same asylum should be hastened for other international protection applicants (IPAs).

"People fleeing Ukraine should not be left waiting in limbo, but neither should anyone else. No human being is more deserving than another."

The suggestion was made by (left to right) councillors Rob Power, Noel Connolly and Chris Pender.

He also criticised the 'blatantly racist' asylum seeking system in Ireland, and alleged that black and brown migrants often have to resort to taking up accomodation in tents to make way for white European IPAs.

Cllr Connolly commended the work of the Newbridge4All (N4A) activist group, as did Cllr Pender and Cllr Power.

In addition, Cllr Power pointed out that certain groups of people were spreading a negative narrative around IPAs in Ireland.

He pointed to the history of Irish immigrants: "Anyone who knows anything about Irish history knows that if you were Irish, and you touched down on another nations shores, there would automatically be assumptions made about you."

While he acknowledged that the issue is not confined to the MD, and is a national one, he nevertheless wished for KCC to draft a letter to the Minister.

Their motion was supported by Fine Gael Cllrs Peggy ODwyer (who also seconded the motion) and Mark Stafford, as well as chair of the meeting, Fianna Fail Cllr Suzanne Doyle, who said: "In the rush to create housing, we need to be aware of the social impacts too."

Following a vote between members, the councillors unanimously agreed to draft a letter addressed to Minister O'Gorman, and to circulate the draft once it is written up.

ADDITIONAL STATEMENT

N4A also issued a statement to the Leinster Leader, which reads: "Newbridge For All welcomes the motion put forward by Councillors Noel Connolly, Chris Pender and Robert Power.

"As a community group committed to promoting inclusion, solidarity, empathy, and cooperation in our town, we fully support this motion.

N4A continued: "We believe that everyone, regardless of nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability or legal status, has the right to live with dignity, engage actively, and contribute to the community.

"We stand in solidarity with all residents of Newbridge, including those who are new to the town, and support the provision of, and access to, adequate housing, education, and healthcare services for all.

"We believe that people who are seeking asylum, who have been displaced and forced to flee their homes due to conflict or violence, deserve compassion and support as they come to Newbridge in search of safety and the opportunity to live fulfilling lives without fear of persecution.

"We applaud the work of many groups and individuals who actively support people in our community, helping them meet basic needs and integrate socially within our town.

"We believe that an inclusive and connected community is stronger together, and we are committed to working with others to create a community where everyone feels valued, appreciated, and able to contribute to all facets of our society.

"Therefore, we call on all of our local representatives to support this motion to ensure that everyone who comes to Newbridge seeking refuge can access the supports they need to thrive; together, we can build a more welcoming and inclusive community for all."

The group added: "You can sign up to our values statement on our facebook page (Newbridge For All) or email us at newbridge4all@gmail.com."
The Minister for Children has appointed a director to oversee the excavation and recovery of childrens remains at the site of a former Mother and Baby Home in Tuam, Co Galway.

Daniel Mac Sweeney, a former International Committee of the Red Cross envoy, will lead the independent office as the director of authorised intervention for Tuam.

He was appointed following a recruitment campaign ran through the Public Appointments Service.

He will be responsible for ensuring the remains are re-interred in a respectful and appropriate way.

A key first priority for the director will be to engage with relatives, survivors and former residents of the Tuam institution.

The Department of Children said work is ongoing to establish core staffing and administrative structures, and to appoint an advisory board to support Mr Mac Sweeney in his work.

Minister Roderic OGorman said he is pleased with the appointment.

Daniel will oversee the long-awaited intervention at the site of the former Mother and Baby institution in the town, he said.

He has extensive expertise and experience contributing to, leading and overseeing humanitarian programmes in the international arena, including in relation to missing persons and identification programmes involving the use of DNA, which will be invaluable in the Tuam director role.

Funding of almost seven million euro has been made available for the 2023 costs of the multi-annual intervention.

Asked if the announcement is an attempt to isolate focus on infant deaths in Tuam rather than other institutions, Mr OGorman said: Weve given this agency very significant powers in terms of the ability to excavate, to exhume remains, and to analyse remains, and indeed give individualised reports on each set of remains where possible in terms of potential cause of death and the like.

We also removed a prohibition that had existed in the earlier legislation in terms of any engagement from the coroner.

So, we have both created a highly-specialised agency and given it the resources to undertake its work, but weve also opened it up and its findings up to other apparatuses of the State as well.

He said this is what he was asked to do by the relatives.

Weve been able to address the key concerns that did exist about the original draft, the minister added.

Separately, the Government has appointed former general secretary of the Irish National Teachers Organisation Sheila Nunan to act on behalf of the minister in leading the process of negotiation with all religious bodies who had a historical involvement in Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions.

The purpose of her role is to undertake ongoing negotiations with the religious congregations, lay Catholic organisations and church leaders who were involved with the institutions, with a view to securing a financial contribution towards the cost of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme.

The department said: Recognising the importance of these negotiations to survivors and to the public, the minister believes that engaging this bespoke expertise is essential to advancing the process in the most advantageous manner.

The Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will provide financial payments to an estimated 34,000 people and a form of enhanced medical card to an estimated 19,000 people at a cost of about 800 million euro.

It will be the largest scheme of its kind in the history of the State in terms of numbers of beneficiaries.

Asked if the current surplus in the State finances should lead to an expansion of the Mother and Baby Home redress scheme for those below the six-month eligibility period, Mr OGorman said he is advancing the scheme as initially outlined.

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, @rodericogorman, today announced the appointment of Mr Daniel Mac Sweeney as Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam.  Read the full press release here: https://t.co/YzQIwCkX8E pic.twitter.com/5uHju4rd8I  Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, Youth (@dcediy) May 23, 2023

He said: I know from speaking to survivors that theyre eager to be able to access the scheme.

There are 34,000 former residents and survivors who will be able to access this scheme and receive payments.

19,000 will be able to receive medical cards and we are conscious, I suppose, of the age and infirmity of some of those who will be able to make application on the scheme, thats why theres a provision under the scheme that the independent office can prioritise applications from people who are maybe particularly elderly or who are unwell.

Thats why we need to get this legislation passed by the end of this Dail term.

The minister refused to put a figure on what he expects religious bodies to pay as it would undermine the entire negotiating process.

He said the Government is working to get the Institutional Payment Scheme passed through the Dail and Seanad.

Its really important that we get it passed because we are also working to put in place the admin infrastructure and we want, by the autumn, to be in a position where people can start making applications to it.

Mr OGorman also rejected the suggestion that the appointment of Ms Nunan to lead negotiations is an attempt to pass the buck from Government.

He said: The final decision on this will be made by Government.

We agreed today that any agreements that she achieves will be brought back to Government for final sign-off, so itll be a Government decision ultimately.
A Sinn Fein TD has accused the Government of appalling lack of engagement with locals about migrant accommodation but said nobody should have a veto on who moves into their community.

David Cullinanes comments come after several recent protests against international protection applicants being moved into accommodation in Co Clare and Dublin.

He said: The lack of engagement with communities at times has been appalling  and I dont believe that anybody should have a veto on who moves into a community.

But theres a difference between having a veto and consultation and what I would call engagement, which is sharing information and informing local communities and local politicians as to whats happening.

The lack of that engagement also creates an unnecessary frustration that wouldnt be there if the Government was doing its job right.

Mr Cullinane condemned attacks against migrants and people who are seeking international protection.

He said: There is absolutely no place for intimidation of people who are coming here seeking international protection.

I genuinely believe it is fundamentally wrong and it should not be happening.

Mr Cullinane said it was also wrong to intimidate politicians, gardai and protesters campaigning for rights of migrants.

But he added: But that doesnt excuse the Government, in my view, from mistakes that theyre making.

Mr Cullinane also accused the Government of failing to deliver modular homes and the repurposing of buildings,

He said: Nobody  be they Irish or non-national or someone seeking international protection  should be sleeping in tents and there is a moral responsibility on the Government to deal with that.

Mr Cullinane added: I would say to anybody who has concerns about the failure of Government, please dont take it out on vulnerable people who are here because of fleeing war or fleeing for all sorts of reasons and coming for safety and bringing their children, I think thats absolutely unacceptable.

Asked about the Garda response to the protest, he said there was sense to Commissioner Drew Harriss approach of not falling into a trap of overresponding to the far right but added there was a responsibility to ensure laws were enforced.

Mr Cullinane said: Nobody wants to have unnecessary confrontation, but where the law is broken the gardai have to act and act decisively because nobody can break the law and get away with impunity.

He added that gardai needed to be properly resourced.

Mr Cullinane also called for additional resources for communities that are housing international protection applicants.
Pictured right is a 2nd year class at the old Moyne Latin School, taken all of sixty years ago, in the autumn of 1963.

Four years later, this class of sixteen young lads sat their Greek Exam on 16 June 1967, the final day of their Leaving Cert.



Of those sixteen, eight of them were from Leitrim, six from Longford and two from Cavan - three provinces were represented.

Now, fifty-six years later, they are all pensioners, having experienced the joys and sorrows of life.



On Thursday, 1 June they will meet again, to talk and reminisce about the days when they cycled long distances in good weather and bad to study Latin and Greek.



The Leaving Cert class of 1967 was the last before the introduction of free education, school busses and third-level grants.

A new era was about to commence that September under Donogh OMalleys grand scheme for Irish education.



Neither did they have the pleasure (or temptation) of sitting beside girls in class, as it was boys-only until autumn 1967.

It was a humble school in ways, with just five teachers, five rooms and seven subjects.



The school had a historic reputation for preparing young men for the priesthood and two of the 1967 Leaving Cert class became priests, Fr Pat Lennon, now Parish Priest in Dromard and Fr Michael Kiernan who has served his priestly life in Sacramento, California.



The class will meet at the old Moyne Latin School, now the Community Centre, on Thursday, 1 June at 3.00pm and anyone who may have been in the group in first year will be welcome to call.

Beidh failte romhaibh.

Pictured above : Back row: Michael McCabe, Rocullion, Cloone; Gerry Masterson, Beaghmore Carrigallen; Gene Dowling, Rathmore, Aughnacliffe, Pat Redehan, Corglass, Moyne; Ciaran ORourke, Druminbawn, Aughavas; Bernard Grimes, Beaghmore, Carrigallen; Donal Brady, Loughdavin, Loughduff, Benny Cumiskey, Berneyhill, Gowna. Front Row: Gerry Lyons, Carrigallen; Sean O Suilleabhain, Aughakine, Aughnacliffe; Pat Lennon, Crealaughta, Ballinamuck; Michael Kiernan, Bandra, Ballinamuck; Liam McNamee, Drumkeeran, Cloone; Mark Reilly, Berinagh, Moyne; Eamonn Maguire, Carrigallen. (Four others not in the photo on that day - John Lee, Drummerkane, Aughavas, John Dermody, Mullinroe, Dring, Peter Lee, Carrigallen and John Francis Murtagh, Legga)
The Government is committed to introducing budgetary measures for landlords, according to the Minister for Housing Darragh OBrien.

He said the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure have clearly signalled a desire to attract and retain landlords in the rental system which he added has been under strain for years.

We are committed to effective and meaningful measures in the upcoming Budget in that space.

We want to make sure, fundamentally in everything that we do, that those that need most get most, and that we continue in that space as well.

Working families, people who arent working as well, those who have special needs and disabilities, our elderly too.

So, you know, this Government, I think, has been very progressive in the manner in which we have put forward the Budgets.

The @EnergyCloud_org project is a great example of creating a positive social & environmental impact through collaboration & partnerships. Delighted to join one of the residents in #Swords as @Fingalcoco become the first local authority in Ireland to partner with EnergyCloud. pic.twitter.com/envTQc06GC  Darragh O'Brien (@DarraghOBrienTD) May 22, 2023

Asked by journalists if Fianna Fail would support a tax break after reports that Fine Gael was seeking relief for average-income households, Mr OBrien said it is far too early to speculate on the October Budget.

Well see what happens but weve got to be careful about how we manage our finances too.

And we will be and that will be a decision that will be taken by Government as a collective, by all our TDs and by Cabinet in particular, as as to how we move forward.

He said there would be a number of suggestions but the Budget would be fair, pro-enterprise and pro-family.

Mr OBrien was speaking at the expansion of a EnergyCloud social enterprise pilot project which diverts excess renewable energy to heat homes.

Fingal County Council has become the first local authority in Ireland to partner with EnergyCloud to provide free hot water to homes using surplus renewable energy.

The project, which is already under way with the approved housing body Cluid, is supported by SSE Airtricity.

EnergyCloud chair Gabriel DArcy said hundreds of millions of euro worth of electricity is wasted due to a lack of demand at a time when 550,000 households are suffering from fuel poverty.

He said up to 80,000 homes have registered for the scheme which involves the installation of a 250 euro device which uses surplus energy to heat immersion tanks.

Mr OBrien said about 1,000 homes had been connected already through the scheme.

He said he expects to have 10,000 homes connected by the end of the year.

Asked if the high level of sign-ups showed there was a problem with fuel poverty in Ireland, the minister said Government has given direct support to families.

What weve done obviously throughout the cost-of-living crisis too is being able to support households directly to reduce their household bills and we continue to do that, we had a very significant package running into over nine billion euro in additional cost-of-living measures and well continue to keep this under review as we move into this winter.

Asked about repurposing office blocks for housing, Mr OBrien said: Weve got to look at all avenues and to see what things can be done to look at where there may be surplus office space, or what can be repurposed into housing. But we need to actually increase our housing supply.
Ryanair, today (23 May) celebrated carrying 10 million passengers in/out of Ireland West Airport Knock.

Ryanair currently operates over 120 weekly flights to/from Ireland West Airport Knock, a 15% growth on Summer 2022. With over 900000 Ryanair passengers expected to fly in/out of Knock airport this year, the airline says it is committed to driving recovery, growth, and tourism post-Covid.

Ryanairs Head of Communications, Jade Kirwan said: We are delighted to be celebrating carrying 10 million passengers in/out of Knock Airport. Ryanair has operated at Ireland West Airport Knock since 1986 and our recently announced record Summer 23 schedule will not only provide Ryanairs West and North-West customers with low-cost fares ... but will continue to promote important rural development through the support of over 580 local jobs and delivery of even greater connectivity with Europe and its millions of holidaymakers."

Celebrating todays milestone, Joe Gilmore, Managing Director, Ireland West Airport added: We are delighted to mark yet another significant milestone in the airports history welcoming Ryanairs 10 millionth passenger to the airport. Its been a fantastic 37 years with so many great highlights and milestones achieved along the way. During this time Ryanair has continued to grow and provide critically important international access to and from the UK market and connected the West of Ireland to sun destinations in Spain and Portugal and also delivered access to European cities such as Milan, Barcelona and Cologne which have been hugely important in growing tourism numbers to the West and Northwest of Ireland. Its remarkable that in their 37th year of operation here at the airport that it will be their busiest on record and it is testament to the popularity of their destinations and their continued expansion at the airport that record numbers will travel on their services from the airport this year.

"Id like to thank Ryanairs customers and in particular the Ryanair staff here at the airport, who continue to play a very important role in helping the airport and Ryanair reach passenger milestones such as this and ensure the experience using the airport continues to be both a seamless and pleasant one. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our relationship with Ryanair and expanding our range of services with them over the coming years.
Hungary on Tuesday, May 23, modified a new whistleblower law, following outcry by human rights groups, by removing a section that had allowed citizens to report anonymously against perceived attacks on conservative values. Budapest-based rights groups had said the original measures were aimed at stirring anti-LGBQT sentiment.

Hungary's president Katalin Novak had also said the original law was impractical and sent it back to parliament for a review. A modified version of the bill, without the controversial section, was approved by the Budapest assembly on Tuesday.

Last month, the originally adopted bill widened anti-corruption whistleblower legislation by allowing citizens to report abuses of "fundamental values and rights" contained in the constitution. Citizens would have been able to report to authorities "in the public interest of... protecting the Hungarian way of life."

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New areas of potential abuses had included "casting doubt" on the "constitutionally recognized role of marriage and family" or on "children's (...) right to self-identity according to their birth gender."

Since an amendment in 2019, Hungary's constitution  rewritten by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government after it took power in 2010  states that marriage is only possible between a man and a woman, and that the mother is a woman and the father is a man.

Previously the government had argued that the whistleblowing bill merely harmonized Hungarian legislation with a 2019 EU directive on whistleblower protection. But President Novak blocked it and said the "vaguely worded provision...fails to effectively safeguard the values outlined in the (constitution) and does not contribute to their enforcement."

The disputed bill was the "continuation of the government's homophobic and transphobic campaign," the rights group Amnesty International Hungary told AFP.

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The move was the latest in Orban's hard-line socially conservative agenda that has shaped Hungary into what the nationalist premier calls a Christian bastion against liberal ideologies. Other laws have effectively banned same-sex couples from adopting children and prevented transgender people from changing their name or gender in official documents.

In 2021 a law that banned the "promotion and display" of homosexuality to minors sparked fury among critics who said it conflates being gay with pedophilia. An EU infringement procedure against that bill  dubbed a "child protection" law by Budapest  is underway, with the European Commission alleging it breaches its law. The case is already at the European Court of Justice and has been supported by 15 EU countries including Germany and France.

Le Monde with AFP
LIMERICK manager John Kiely has urged the county's supporters to 'continue' the journey' with his panel of players ahead of their winner takes all Munster SHC clash with Cork on Sunday.

Kiely praised the support that his side received in Thurles for the Tipperary game last weekend but is looking for another push from the Green Army at the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

"We have great support. Cork have great support. It will be all required. I hope our crew have their few tickets got and that they are going to be there to give the boys a shout on.

"These boys have given them a lot in the last number of years and the supporters have been on that journey with us. We would like them to continue that."

Limerick's clash with Cork on Sunday at the TUS Gaelic Grounds has a 4pm throw-in and is live on RTE2.
THE author of a 'bleak and tender' story, Fiona Scarlett, will be joining the teaching team of the creative writing programme at the University of Limerick.

With her debut novel, Boys Don't Cry, the writer touched on toxic masculinity and the legacy of family violence in the heart of working-class Dublin. Published by Faber&Faber in 2021, her novel was an instant Irish Times Bestseller

She will be joining UL for the academic year 2023-24, alongside renowned authors Donal Ryan, Eoin Devereux, Kit de Waal and Sarah Moore Fitzgerald.

Originally from Dublin, Fiona lives in Kildare. At the moment, she is working on her second novel.

I am absolutely thrilled to have been appointed as Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Limerick, commented Fiona. "What a privilege to be working alongside the renowned UL creative writing team, a faculty not only known for its talent and excellence, but for its compassion, empathy, and dedication to craft. I am incredibly excited for the year ahead, and especially looking forward to meeting with all the wonderful students and getting to know them and their work. What an honour that is.

Speaking of the good news, Frank McCourt Chair of Creative Writing at UL, Joseph O'Connor, commented: She's not only an immensely gifted writer, although she is certainly that, as readers of 'Boys Don't Cry' will know, she's also a highly accomplished teacher of Creative Writing. Fiona joins our teaching team at an exciting moment. As Chair of Creative Writing, and on behalf of MA Course Director Prof Sarah Moore and our great colleagues Donal Ryan, Emily Cullen and Eoin Devereux, I welcome her, with heartfelt thanks and anticipation of great things.

Professor Eoin Devereux added: The Creative Writing MA at UL will benefit hugely from Fiona Scarletts addition to our teaching team. Fiona is a highly accomplished author and a vastly experienced teacher. I am particularly looking forward to Fiona contributing to our module Creative Writers In The Community. I have seen, first hand, at our Winter School, Fionas abilities as an educator.
THERE was plenty of meaty debate at this months Limerick IFA meeting thanks to secondary school students.

Local schools who participated in the finals of the Certified Irish Angus Schools Competition in Croke Park, were invited to give presentations.

Students from Laurel Hill Secondary School FCJ and John the Baptist Community School, Hospital gave a talk on their projects. The Villiers School team was unable to attend due to prior commitments.

Sean Lavery, Limerick IFA chair, said the Certified Irish Angus Schools Competition is a great news story for Irish agriculture and a great learning experience for the participants.

The competition complements the Agricultural Science subject in the Leaving Certificate, but it also exposes the team to the workings of the food industry, shows the care and attention required to produce quality beef, informs the team of possible careers in the food industry.

What was obvious on the night was the confident delivery by both teams of their projects. Both teams were able to demonstrate problem-solving, presentation skills and public speaking. There is no doubt that the skills learned will stand to all throughout their careers, said Mr Lavery.

The Hospital schools project focused on the next generation of farmers, especially female farmers. They addressed issues like the low level of female farm ownership and some solutions like targeted incentives to address this imbalance.

Laurel Hills project highlighted how regenerative farming practices could work for very many Irish farmers to help produce Irish Angus beef while helping the environment at the same time.

None of these projects would have happened without the support of the Certified Irish Angus Producer Group and sponsors ABP and Kepak along with the schools and their teachers, Deirdre Condon-Gaffney of Laurel Hill and Jennifer Ahern of John the Baptist Community School. The support of parents was also very important.

The quality of both presentations was a positive message for Limerick and Irish farmers and was great to hear especially with so much negative commentary on farming in general recently, said Mr Lavery.
In the arid landscape of Israel, Israeli companies are pioneering groundbreaking agricultural technologies that have the potential to transform the global landscape of sustainable farming. Their innovations are making a significant positive impact amidst the ongoing food crisis.

Israel, often referred to as the 'Start-Up Nation,' has leveraged its unique geographical and climatic conditions along with its entrepreneurial spirit and highly skilled workforce, to emerge as a global high-tech powerhouse. The agricultural sector, in particular, has seen Israeli technology making a remarkable difference, especially in creating unique solutions for arid climates with scarce resources.

Agricultural Advancements Amidst Global Food Insecurity

The world is currently grappling with a pervasive food crisis that has brought an ominous cloud over our future. This crisis is marked by the worst rice shortage in two decades, an unfortunate consequence of climate change, extreme weather conditions, and population growth, which have strained our food systems. Simultaneously, the world is navigating through a broader commodity crisis that is impacting global economies.

Further compounding this crisis is the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which have disrupted critical supply chains and hindered agricultural exports. Amidst these challenges, we see Israeli technology offering innovative responses to these pressing issues, reshaping agricultural practices, and illuminating a path forward.

The global community finds itself in a scramble to secure essential food supplies, adding pressure to already taxed resources.

A beacon of hope

Yet, it is during such crises that innovation presents a path forward. In this context, we turn to Israel, where a technological revolution is underway, promising to reframe agricultural practices and offering hope in these challenging times.

3 companies revolutionizing agriculture & impacting our world

1. ICL Group (ICL: NYSE)

A specialty minerals company and one of the worlds largest fertilizer manufacturers stands as a shining example. One of ICL's most promising innovations is their new eqo.x fertilizer technology. This state-of-the-art controlled-release fertilizer with a biodegradable coating is revolutionizing the fertilizer industry by maximizing nutrient use efficiency. By minimizing nutrient losses to the environment, eqoX ensures that more nutrients are available to nourish crops, thereby increasing yields and improving agricultural sustainability. The company also launched ICLeaf in India, ICLeaf - is a revolutionary diagnostic tool to help farmers address nutrient surplus or deficiencies, and maximize yields. By measuring ten different elements in a leaf sample, ICLeaf offers precise, real-time feedback and nutrient use recommendations. ICLeaf supports farmers in India growing grape, cotton, banana, tomato, and pomegranate, with plans to expand to other crops. This revolutionary diagnostics tool was created at the Center for Fertilization and Plant Nutrition (CFPN), which was founded through a partnership between ICL and the Volcani Institute (Agricultural Research Organization ARO).

The digital technology suite  including the ICLeaf and Crop Advisor solutions, among others  was developed by Agmatix, an ICL owned digital ag startup, which developed the worlds first single-engine designed to drive the agronomic innovation cycle from research and experimental data into meaningful and actionable insights. The powerful Agmatix platform can read and interpret thousands of the different data points commonly used across the agricultural industry to help scientists, agronomists, and farmers make actionable decisions. The platform Empowers farmers with real-time data and insights to optimize nutrient management, address deficiencies, and boost crop yields and thereby sales.

2. Netafim

Another Israeli company contributing to this technological revolution in agriculture is Netafim. Known for its pioneering work in drip irrigation, Netafim has long been at the forefront of developing sustainable solutions to farming challenges. Their innovative irrigation systems enable farmers to optimize water and nutrient usage, thereby increasing crop yields while reducing the environmental impact. Netafim's smart irrigation technology utilizes real-time data to adjust watering schedules and amounts, ensuring optimal conditions for plant growth. In areas prone to drought or water scarcity, such precision, and efficiency are crucial.

3. BioBee Biological Systems, this Israeli company has a game-changing approach to agriculture through its biologically based integrated pest management solutions. BioBee uses beneficial insects and mites for biological pest control, reducing the need for chemical pesticides. Their method not only helps control pests but also maintains the health of crops by avoiding chemical residue. They have also improved the way pollination is conducted, particularly in greenhouses. Instead of relying on wind or other insects, BioBee deploys domesticated bumblebees that have proven to be more effective and efficient pollinators. This technology leads to better crop yield and quality.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, as we navigate through the daunting food and commodity crises, we find ourselves at a crossroads. Israeli companies like ICL, Netafim, and BioBee, are leading a technological agricultural revolution. They are taking a fresh look at agricultural norms and setting new standards for efficiency and sustainability. This agricultural renaissance, driven by Israel's entrepreneurial spirit and technological expertise, showcases Israel's global standing in high-tech and innovative technological solutions. Amid the current crises, the world looks towards these Israeli advancements with anticipation and hope, recognizing their potential for significantly transforming agriculture and positively impacting our world.

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New Delhi: Go First airline has fallen short of providing a definite timeline for resumption of flight operations in its latest response to the Indian civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

There is no definitive timeline as of now for resumption of operations by Go Air.They have expressed an intent to resume operations at the earliest though," a senior official said.

The Wadia Group-backed carrier was given 15 days to respond in a showcause notice sent by DGCA on 8 May.

The regulator had asked the low-fare airline to explain the reasons behind its inability to run operations and had suspended the airline from accepting new bookings and halted the sale of tickets.

The fate of the airlines flying permit will now depend on the regulators assessment of the response filed by the airline, another official said.

The decision on the continuation of Go Firsts air operator certificate (AOC) will be taken on the basis of the response submitted by them and DGCA is working on that," another official said.

The validity of an air operator certificate or flying permit to an airline is conditional to an airline company operating flights with a minimum of five aircraft in its fleet. While Go First still has the requisite number of aircraft in its fleet, the Wadia Group airline suspended operations after voluntarily filing insolvency proceedings in the NCLT on 2 May.

In its NCLT petition, the airline blamed engine maker Pratt & Whitney for unserviceable engines, resulting in a 30-50% grounded fleet since 2020, causing losses to the tune of 10,800 crore on account of revenue loss and additional expenses.

While the admission of Go Firsts plea in NCLT triggered immediate moratorium on the airlines aircraft and assets, the aircraft lessors opposed the admission of the plea in NCLAT citing it as an impediment in the recovery of planes from Go First. However, the NCLAT upheld the NCLT ruling on 22 May.
Veteran investor Rajiv Jains GQG Partners LLC has raised its stake in billionaire Gautam Adanis conglomerate by about 10% and will take part in the conglomerates future fund raising, doubling down on what he calls the best infrastructure assets available in India."

Within five years, we would like to be one of the largest investors in Adani Group depending on the valuation, after the family," Jain, GQGs chief investment officer, said in an interview. We would certainly want to be partners in any of Adani Groups new offerings."

Jain said the value of GQGs Adani holdings was close to $3.5 billion. He didnt specify which companies he bought into or what part of the investment value came from direct purchases and rallies in Adani shares.

In March, GQG acquired almost $2 billion worth of shares in four of Adanis firms from a family trust. That initial investment in the beleaguered conglomerate bolstered the tycoons companies after they were accused of brazen" stock-price manipulation and corporate fraud by New York short-seller Hindenburg Research, causing Adani Group at one point to shed more than $150 billion in market value.

The Indian-origin investor who works from Fort Lauderdale in Florida, said he was unconcerned by the short sellers allegations, which Adani has repeatedly denied and that Jain characterized as par for the course in Indias business context. Over a 30-year investment career, Ive yet to come across a perfect company," Jain told Bloomberg News earlier this year.

Jain has also justified his contrarian investment by pointing to the value of Adani Groups businesses, including its coal mining and airport assets, which are tethered to Indias development goals. Prime Minister Narendra Modi  who is seen to share a close friendship with Adani  is pushing domestic business houses to build up critical infrastructure and lure manufacturing away from places like China.

Market momentum appears to be in Jains favor for now as Adani Group stocks surged after an interim expert panel report submitted to Indias Supreme Court last week found no conclusive evidence of stock-price manipulation by the conglomerate.

Flagship firm Adani Enterprises Ltd. advanced as much as 19% on Tuesday, taking its three-day jump to 46%, while Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd. gained 8% to recoup all its losses triggered by Hindenburg.
NEW DELHI : In the luxury tobacco market, weekend transactions are usually steady, except some upswing during the wedding season. But this past weekend, Raahul Kapoor, the co-founder of The India Cigar Club, a seller of imported tobacco, fielded an unusual number of inquiries. Most buyers had an additional query: Do you accept 2,000 notes?"

The question offered a glimpse into the unintended repercussions of the Reserve Bank of Indias (RBIs) decision to withdraw the high-value banknotes.

Luxury retailers experienced a sudden uptick in business after RBIs recent mandate to withdraw the highest denomination 2,000 note from circulation. Although these bills remain legal tender, a reluctance to endure lengthy queues at banks and the potential association of high-value notes with unaccounted funds have driven the affluent to spend money on luxury items rather than deposit it in banks.

Kapoors other luxury venture, Surya Concepts, also received more than average inquiries for gold-dusted chocolate truffles and fudges. We sold 4 lakh worth of truffles in 2,000 notes, unlike in any other month where we sell about 1 lakh worth," he said.

It will not be surprising if we see a lot of people over the next few months buying massy luxury brands," Kapoor said.

The past weekend also saw a notable shift away from credit card transactions to cash, mostly in 2,000 notes, according to Vishal Anand, the CEO of Moonshine Food Ventures, which operates fine-dining restaurants such as Saga in Gurugram and Farzi Cafe in Aerocity, among others.

The usage shot up a little bit, but people did not spend more just to get rid of the cash," he said. Anand said that the denomination had been out of circulation for a while now, so most people knew this was coming". We are accepting it and depositing in the banks," he said.

Other retailers also said they are open to accepting the 2,000 notes as the RBI has clarified that the bills remain legal tender. To be sure, the sales surge isnt as significant as expected, said a retail executive requesting anonymity.

Others said it is too early" to gauge the consequence of the announcement, said Kumar Rajagopalan, chief executive of the Retailers Association of India.

Titan Co.-owned jewellery store chain Tanishq said it continues to accept the denomination in cash in full compliance with regulations both in letter and spirit. In any case, in Tanishq, we dont get folks seeking to convert their unaccounted money due to our strict norms on PAN cards, etc., as per PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) norms. At present, I do not have any data or understanding of any significant jump in cash business in the last three days," said Ajoy Chawla, CEO of the jewellery division at Titan Co.

Safir Anand, a senior partner at the law firm Anand & Anand, which works with several luxury firms, said this panic buying could be a temporary phenomenon that will likely last a couple of weeks. A lot of this buying, he said, could happen in the bridge-to-luxury and luxury brands.

As this is not akin to demonetization, for multiple reasons, there is some panic buying, but this should not last very long," he said.

Neelesh Hundekari, a partner in the consumer and retail practice at consulting firm Kearney, said: They are accepting 2,000 notes at duty-free stores. And so, all avenues will be explored, and discretionary stores of value things will see a short burst in demand," he said.

For online luxury retailer Darveys.com, which sells bags, shoes and clothing from over 100 bridge-to-luxury and luxury brands worldwide, orders shot up by 30% this weekend. Typically, the months of May-July are the weakest for the company because many customers travel abroad on holidays and shop from there.

We have done 30% more business this month than we had anticipated, thanks to the weekend that went by. The average order value, which hovered around the 18,000-20,000 mark, also shot up to 26,500. Many customers asked us if we accept cash on delivery and would take 2,000 banknotes. As far as we are concerned, these are legal tenders for now, and we will continue to accept them," said Nakul Bajaj, founder and CEO of the retailer.

During the weekend, Mint observed a substantial increase in shoppers at prominent retail destinations in Delhi, including the Emporio mall, owned by real estate titan DLF. Luxury brands Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Tods witnessed a surge in serious buyers, surpassing the typical Sunday footfall. However, some representatives in the food and beverage stands inside the cinema halls were hesitant to accept the notes.
Elon Musk -backed Tesla is offering steep discounts on some Model 3 cars in the US. Reportedly, the company is offering discounts of up to $1300 while the company has also raised prices for some cars. Earlier this month, Tesla was also offering discounts of up to $250 on Model 3 and Model Y cars. Model 3 cars now start at $40,240 while Model Y cars start at $47,490.

Tesla is offering even steeper discounts in Europe, with the EV maker offering discounts of up to $3,490 euros on its China-made Model 3 car and discounts of up to 3,660 euros for its Germany-made Model Y car. Reports suggest the company is also offering similar discounts in France, Germany, United Kingdom and Italy.

According to Reuters, Tesla is offering discounts due to heavy production from its factories in Germany and China. During the first quarter of this year, Tesla had around 15 days of global inventory which is much lower than the industry average of 35 days in the US. However, it is the highest global inventory the company has had in around 3 years.

Tesla is also facing the issue of slowing demand and the company produced more cars than it sold in the first quarter of this year. The sluggish demand along with rising inventory could have forced the company to offer steep discounts.

Hinting at the reasoning behind price cuts, Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the shareholders meeting last week said, "We see what the demand is and then we adjust pricing to meet the demand,"

However, this is not the first time Tesla is offering discounts on its cars this year. The company has offered discounts in many markets this year in a bid to clear up its stocks.

Shortly after the shareholder meeting, Musk said in an interview with ABC News that he could try advertising Tesla cars for the first time while warning that it could be a tough 12 months for the company.
Physis Capital, the venture capital arm of angel network Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), has marked the first close of its maiden fund at $7 million, nearly a year after launching the $50 million vehicle.

The firm is looking to make the final close for the first fund in 2024, said Ankur Mittal, partner at Physis Capital.

First close is a fundraising milestone that allows private equity and venture capital firms to start deploying the capital.

The VC firm said it will actively look to invest from its first fund by the third quarter of 2023 in startups looking to raise pre-Series A to Series B capital. The fund also has a greenshoe option of another $25 million.

Physis Capital raised the capital from a mix of family offices and ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNIs), said Mittal, adding that the fund didnt tap IPVs existing set of investors.

While majority of funds raised by Physis Capital so far are from Indian HNIs and family offices, we are now receiving significant interests from investors across multiple international locations including Singapore, the US and the UAE. Along with these international funds, we are in the process to raise funds from institutions and commence deployment," said Mitesh Shah, partner, Physis Capital.

The sector-agnostic fund is looking to build a portfolio of 15-20 startups with an average ticket size of $2.5 million. The fund will look to invest between $500,000 and $2.5 million as initial investment and will further back its portfolio companies in future rounds," said Mittal.

He also said that the firm wont necessarily invest in hot areas as VCs often end up paying a premium to invest in such companies.

Physis Capital will invest in companies that have a solid business model and are likely to generate sustainable returns in the long term while avoiding those with high cash burn, high capex requirements, and low customer stickiness, said Mittal.
In a world where overseas trips may remain an unaffordable dream, a group of credit card aficionados, are defying the odds. Through strategic point accumulation, the individuals have amassed enough rewards to embark on globe-trotting adventures without spending a single penny on flight tickets or hotel stays. Among them is Kashif Ansari, 29, who is gearing up for an exhilarating two-month world tour this year-end.

Yet another is Ankush Dixit, 33. Over time, he has snagged 15 business class flight tickets between Delhi and Dublin (Ireland) for his trips with family almost completely for free. The flight tickets would have cost me around 25 lakh," said the Gurgaon-based entrepreneur.

Dixit and Ansari are not alone. There is a growing group of individuals, who sign up for several credit cards to amass enough reward points that would fund a major chunk of their travel budgets, including flights and hotel stays. Cashbacks and vouchers for buying gadgets, shopping on e-commerce sites, watching movies and dining out are some of the other perks that credit cards users can enjoy. These self-proclaimed credit card enthusiasts do one simple thing to achieve thisfunding all their expenses through credit cards.

I use credit cards for all my regular expenses, from rent, groceries, to shopping and dining out, and each transaction earns me rewards. Even for small expenses, like rickshaws or paying vegetable vendors, I use credit cards," said Ansari, a finance professor at OP Jindal University. Its a myth that you need to spend extra to earn rewards on cards. Your daily expenses will do the job."

If you run a business, you could have sweeter deals, because along with your personal expenses, you can also fund business expenses using the plastic.

Take the case of Murshidabad-based entrepreneur Sumanta Mandal, whose monthly spending through credit cards average 2 lakh. My personal expenses are limited, but as a business owner, I use many business credit cards to cover my expenses, such as vendor payment, advertising costs, software subscription and hosting cost," he added.

However, the rewards points game is not as simple as it sounds so far.

The CC geeks

Wringing out maximum benefits out of ones spending depends on a host of factors. For one, spending capacity may play a key role in the kind of perks you could earn. Dixits 15 free business class flight tickets worth 25 lakh came for over 10 lakh air-miles (equal to about 16 lakh reward points). It got accumulated by spending about 80 lakh. In the last one year, I put two major expenses: my wedding and home renovation. However, this is an exception. On an average, my annual spends on credit cards are 30-40 lakh," he added. Dixit paid 3.5 lakh in taxes on these tickets out of his pocket.

View Full Image Mint

Boopathy Arumugam, a businessman from Erode, Tamil Nadu, who has annual expenses of over 1 crore, takes advantage of his high spending power by charging all his expenses via credit cards to earn enough reward points to fund his international family vacations every year. For my trip to Greece and Austria, I booked business class tickets for my family and hotel stays using my credit card points," said Arumugam, 47. All the free perks combined were worth 14.75 lakh. I spent 480,000 miles for four business class air tickets, and for hotels, I spent 190,000 points."

A majority of these credit card nerds have annual spends of over 8 lakh. But even those who do not spend as much, have a few tricks up their sleeves to fund luxury vacations using rewards. Gurgaon-based Ankush Sethia is a case in point. He uses Axis Magnus card that offers additional 25,000 points worth 5,000 on spending 1 lakh per month. If he cannot spend 1 lakh for his regular expenses, Sethia buys vouchers and sells them to friends at a discount to complete the milestone.

During sales on e-commerce platforms, he shops for his family and friends on e-commerce platforms using discounts available on his card. Its a win-win for both as the shoppers get a discount, and Sethia earns rewards on the purchases without actually spending his own money.

The rewards depend on the type of payments on credit cards. For instance, some cashback cards exclude common expenses such as utilities and groceries from its benefits, and may not be useful to someone if those are key spending areas. However, there are workarounds like buying an Amazon Pay voucher or topping up the Paytm wallet to pay for these items. This method may attract fees of 0.5-2%, but if your card gives you a 5% cashback, you will still pocket a sweet 4.5-3%.

Note, that no two credit cards would offer the same value, and rewards programmes on different types of cards are complex. For instance, reward cards that allow transferring rewards to airmiles or hotel loyalty programmes will require you to evaluate the conversion rates on two levels: One, reward earned on each purchase and two, conversion ratio of rewards to loyalty points.

Sounds complex? Well it maybe for a beginner. But the points nerds have mastered the art. In fact, some have turned the passion for credit cards into their profession. Dixit and Setia are co-founders of a credit card comparison platform called Multiply, while Mandal runs a portal for credit card recommendations and personal finance advice called TechnoFino.

They believe in optimising spends to the hilt, which means that all of them own at least 10 credit cards (see graphic). For instance, Ansari uses Axis Airtel Credit Card just to pay his and familys phone bills. All of us use an Airtel sim card and the only purpose of this card is to recharge mobile. Each recharge with this card gives me 25% cashback."

Mandal has 51 active credit cards. I strategically choose cards based on my needs and preferences. For instance, when I plan to purchase gadgets, I use a credit card that offers reward points redeemable for vouchers at Croma or any other electronic stores. Simultaneously, I am also accumulating air miles for future travels within the next five years," he added.

The 20% TCS on international transactions done with a credit card is not a deterrent for these CC geeks as banks offer 2X rewards on spends done overseas. Dixit has already exhausted his 7 lakh limit, beyond which TCS will kick in after 1 July but he is prepared for it. To get 30% reward that my card offers, Im fine with maintaining the extra 20% extra cash flow. Also, if not credit, I will use a debit card, which too attracts TCS so better to use the credit cards which at least earns rewards," he added.

Mandal concurred. As the 7 lakh limit is not applicable to forex cards and cash, credit cards are a better option."

Is it for everyone

Most rewarding cards are premium products and involve high annual charges ranging from 10,000-1 lakh (see graphic). Chasing rewards also runs the risk of overspending. A 2021 study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology said credit cards motivate spending by exploiting reward networks. People Mint spoke with, said they dont make extra purchases just to snag rewards. Besides credit cards carry the highest interest rates if one defaults on bill payments by the due date. Hence, the rule of thumb is to assess your cash flows before spending on credit cards, and settle all dues in full and on time. Besides, award tickets (flight tickets bought through airmiles) are limited, so one needs to book them in advance. Ansari intends to finalise all bookings for his world tour by June. Earning rewards is not the tough part, the tough part is ensuring that you get a good deal on dates youre available. I will build my itinerary, check all the deals and then start transferring the rewards, as once transferred, I will be bound to those airlines," he said.

Paying on time is even more crucial when you own multiple cards. Arumugam has missed due dates a few times when he was travelling overseas, but he was lucky as the banks waived off the fees in view of his timely payments history. Ansari has also missed a payment. The bill amount was small so the interest did not pinch me, but my cibil came down from 790 to 750. It is not a massive downgrade as I have a long history of on-time payments. Even one default can bring down cibil scores by 80-90 points," Ansari said.
Anticipating a rush to exchange 2,000 notes for smaller denominations starting today, May 23, banks have geared up to tackle the crowd with dedicated counters, officials said on Monday. The RBI has already issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) to banks to streamline the process.

"Do not rush to banks:" RBI Governor

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Monday reiterated that 2000 notes will continue to be a legal lender, after the central bank's announcement that the notes will be withdrawn from circulation. He also said he doesn't expect a rush in the branches and urged people to not rush to banks.

The country's largest public sector bank by assets, the State Bank of India (SBI), has issued a guideline to all its branches saying that no form or identity proof should be asked for from customers to exchange 2,000 currency notes, even as it underlined the one-time limit of 20,000 for depositing or exchanging the banknote.

Punjab National Bank on Tuesday said there is no need for an Aadhaar card and no official verified documents while exchanging 2000 currency notes. The lender has instructed its branches and also clarified that there is no need to fill out any form.

The bank informed ANI, "No Aadhaar card, no official verified documents (OVD) required, no need to fill any form is the current instruction to all the branches of PNB," after old forms were circulated online seeking additional personal information for exchanging 2000 currency note.

Step-by-step guide to exchange  2000 notes

1)Reach your nearest branch of any bank starting today, 23 May, 2023 to deposit or exchange your 2000 notes.

2) The bank will provide you with a request slip which needs to be duly filled.

3) When done, you need to submit the form along with the 2000 currency notes to get them exchanged.

Exchange Limits

You can exchange 2000 notes up to a limit of 20,000 at a time.

Deposit Limits

People can deposit 2000 notes without restrictions subject to compliance with extant Know Your Customer (KYC) norms and other applicable statutory/regulatory requirements.

RBI notification on 2000 notes withdrawal

According to RBIs Friday notification, people have been given time from May 23 to September 30 to exchange or deposit 2,000 notes so that these can be withdrawn from circulation. These notes will continue to be legal tender even after the September 30 deadline, and can be used for transactions, the central bank had clarified.
After the finalisation of Karnataka Chief Minister and its cabinet, Congress leader UT Khader was nominated as the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Monday. UT Khader won the Vidhan Sabha election for the fifth time. He is likely to file a nomination for the post on Tuesday morning.

Formalities of signing the nomination papers extending support to the leader will be done by CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

The nomination has come as a surprise as there were rumours of names like RV Deshpande, TB Jayachandra, and HK Patil to be announced as the next Speaker of the Karnataka Assembly. According to reports, State Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and National General Secretary KC Venugopal met UT Khader and discussed the matter with him.

The senior Congress leader held the position of deputy opposition leader in the last assembly. This year he won the election from Mangalore Constituency in Dakshin Kannada district. During the cabinet reshuffle scheduled to take place after two years, UT Khader was promised to offer a ministerial position by the Congress party, reports local media.

The nomination of UT Khader for the role of speaker reflects Congress' focus on providing opportunities to minority community leaders. The party is also trying to maintain their representation in important positions.

Karnataka's victory worked as a major morale booster for the Congress and the rest of the opposition parties. The oath-taking ceremony of the Karnataka CM and cabinet turned into a show of opposition strength when several opposition leaders including, Bihar CM Nitesh Kumar, Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin, NCP leader Sharad Kumar, etc.

The opposition is actively trying to unite to prepare for the Lok Sabha election 2024. Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal on Monday said that the opposition will hold a meeting with a large number of opposition leaders soon. As of now, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is leading the charge of uniting the opposition parties against the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of next year's Lok Sabha Polls.
Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal is likely to meet West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata today, news agency PTI has reported citing an official.

AAP supremo is trying to drum up opposition support over his government's fight against the Centre over an ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital.

As per PTI, Kejriwal is scheduled to land at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in the afternoon, following which he will visit the state secretariat Nabanna to meet the Trinamool Congress chief.

"They are scheduled to have a closed-door meeting at the state secretariat. They may also hold a discussion on probable strategies for next years general elections," a senior TMC leader told PTI. Moreover, the AAP chief is also likely to meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday in Mumbai.

Earlier, Kejriwal met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the ordinance issue and the latter also extended full support to AAP in its tussle with the Centre on the matter. The meeting came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in Delhi. Kejriwal had on Saturday said that the ordinance was unconstitutional" and they will challenge it in the apex court.

Nitish Kumar had said the Centre's actions were strange" and baffling". How can you take away an elected government's power," the Janata Dal (United) leader asked. The Bihar chief minister said Kejriwal is doing good work in Delhi and it's surprising that his government is being stopped from doing its work. That's why we are saying that all (opposition parties) in the country should come together," he had added.

Some sources also said that the Congress is likely to oppose in Parliament a bill, when it is brought, that will seek to replace a Union government Ordinance on Delhi's Services matters. Sources in the party, meanwhile, said the Congress may oppose the bill when the government brings it in Parliament to replace the Ordinance that essentially upturn the Supreme Court verdict

Earlier on Monday, AAP said it will organise a 'maha rally' on 11 June against the Centre's black ordinance that effectively gives the lieutenant governor control over administrative services, negating a Supreme Court order in favour of the Kejriwal dispensation.

During a press conference, AAP's Delhi convenor Gopal Rai said, "This ordinance shows that the Centre will impose "dictatorial decisions" like this on the country. He appealed to Delhiites to join the rally in large numbers.

The Centre promulgated the ordinance on May 19 to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and disciplinary proceedings against them.

(With inputs from PTI)
India is all set to get its new Parliament building by this weekend. The new parliament building will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28. Before its inauguration, the building entered into another controversy, as opposition parties are criticising the government for selecting 'Veer Savarkar Jayanti, as the inauguration date.

Here are the ten latest updates Parliament building row

-The parliament building will be inaugurated on May 28. Other than spending, the date of the inauguration of the building has become another controversial issue for the opposition parties.

-May 28 is the birth anniversary of VD Savarkar, who is one of the BJP's biggest icons. The Congress has said that the date is a complete insult to the country's founding fathers.

-Calling out on the Modi Government, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, accused the government of "repeatedly disrespecting propriety" by not inviting the President and the former President to the inauguration.

-In his series of tweets, Mallikarjun Kharge said that the President of India represents the people, the government, the opposition, and the whole of India.

-Joining the Congress in its attack to the BJP, CPI's D Raja said, "Obsession with self-image and cameras trumps decency and norms when it comes to Modi-ji."

-The Congress leader Anand Sharma called the inauguration of the new Parliament house unconstitutional". Anand Sharma told ANI, that the new parliament building inauguration is not constitutionally correct" as the President, who is the Head of the Parliament will be excluded from the key events.

"It is not constitutionally correct to take a major decision about the Parliament excluding the head of the Parliament, the President of India from the decision-making from the foundation stone laying, now for the inauguration," Anand Sharma said while addressing a press conference on Monday.

-On Sunday, Rahul Gandhi tweeted,""The President should inaugurate the new Parliament House, not the Prime Minister!"

-AIMIM head Asaduddin Owaisi, said in his tweet that PM Modi is head of the executive, not the legislature." He mentioned the separation of powers in the Indian parliament and suggested that the Hon'ble Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chair could have inaugurated" the new parliament building.

"He (PM Modi) is head of the executive, not legislature. We have a separation of powers and Hon'ble Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chair could have inaugurated (it). It's made with public money, why is PM behaving like his 'friends' have sponsored it from their private funds," tweeted AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.

-Replying to the opposition's criticism, Union Minister Hardip Singh Puri said in his tweet that the Congress has a habit of raking controversies where none exist.

-In addition to this, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia called the Congress useless" and said, Veer Savarkar is the pride of every Indian." He called people opposing the inauguration date as inconsequential and not even a worth of the dust on Veer Savarkar's feet."

The present parliament building was completed in 1927 and will be a century-old in the coming years. In 2020, PM Modi laid foundation of the new building of Parliament. A total of 888 members can sit in the new building at the same time.
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on Monday shot down a Pakistani drone carrying narcotics along the international border in Punjab's Amritsar, news agency ANI has reported citing a BSF official.

As per the officials, the two packets suspected to be heroin have been seized during the search.

Ajay Kumar Mishra, BSF Commandant, Amritsar told ANI, BSF shot down a Pakistani drone carrying narcotics near the International border in Punjab's Amritsar. Troops of 144 Corps of BSF conducted an operation in the BOP Rajatal area in which a drone has been shot down. 2 packets suspected to be of heroin have been seized."

Earlier on Sunday, officials said the BSF shot down a Pakistani drone carrying narcotics near International Border near Punjab's Amritsar.

The BSF troops deployed in the depth area heard the buzzing sound of a suspected Pakistani drone in the Dhanoe Kalan village in Amritsar district around 8.48 pm on Saturday, the BSF said in a statement.

"The BSF troops immediately reacted to intercept the drone as per the laid down drill and successfully downed the Pakistani drone with contraband," it said.

During the initial search of the area, the BSF troops recovered a "drone (Quadcopter, DJI Matrice, 300 RTK) along with a consignment containing three packets of suspected narcotics, attached with the drone by the means of the iron ring, from the farming fields of Dhanoe Kalan village."

The BSF said that four luminous strips were also found attached to the consignment for easy detection of smugglers.

"The gross weight of the recovered consignment of suspected heroin is approximately 3.3 kg. Another nefarious attempt of Pakistan foiled by vigilant BSF troops," added the BSF, which is mandated to guard 3,323 km India-Pakistan border.

(With inputs from ANI)
New Delhi: Spain is looking to invest in bulk drug parks in India in a move that could help diversify both their active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) supply chains.

Bulk drugs are used for manufacturing critical drugs, but 85% of Indias supplies come from other countries, especially China.

The department of pharmaceutical participated in the 12th session of India-Spain Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation (JCEC) meeting held in New Delhi. Both the countries are pharmaceutical powerhouses and have considerable potential for mutual collaboration. Both sides enjoy very healthy bilateral trade. Besides this, Spain has expressed interest in the investments in the Bulk Drug Parks since Spain is also looking at diversifying its API supply chain," the DoP said in a communication.

Right now, the discussions are in the very a preliminary stage and will require a series of consultations to take the initiative forward," said an official. India exported over $173.26 million worth of pharmaceutical goods to Spain in FY21, which rose to $197.14 million in FY22. Queries sent to the spokesperson of the department of pharmaceuticals and the Embassy of Spain did not elicit a response.

The department is implementing the scheme for bulk drug parks with the aim of achieving drug security and reducing dependence on imports. Under the scheme, the government is offering financing to develop common infrastructure facilities at bulk drug parks.

The government has already initiated work on three bulk drug parks in Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. Uday Bhaskar, director general of Pharmexcil, an export lobby, said, Particularly during covid pandemic, every country was talking about too much dependence upon China is not good. Most of the countries in Europe wanted to develop their own essential generic formulations. This API issue comes in most of the countries importing API and chemicals from China and some extent from India. Our pharmas export goods to Spain. But what kind of investment Spain wants to make in India it is too early to say."
Amid the uproar from the Opposition parties over an alleged no invitation" to the President to inaugurate the new Parliament, some parties have decided to boycott the inaugural ceremony on May 28. There have also been demands from the Opposition that the President and not the Prime Minister should inaugurate the new Parliament building.

According to the quoted sources by news agencies, a joint statement is likely to be announced soon, announcing a united boycott of the inaugural of the new Parliament building. So far, only the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) have said that they will skip the inauguration.

TMC leader Derek O'Brien has meanwhile tweeted that count us out". He said, Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesnt get that. For him, Sundays inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out."

Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesnt get that



For him, Sundays inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out  Derek O'Brien |  ' (@derekobrienmp) May 23, 2023

The final decision, according to the reports, will be taken on Wednesday once the party receives a formal invitation to attend the inaugural function of the new Parliament.

Meanwhile, CPI General Secretary D Raja also said his party will not attend the ceremony. Soon after the MPs started receiving soft copies of the invitation, they got into a huddle to discuss the issue.

The Opposition sources indicated that most of the parties are of the view that they should unitedly skip the ceremony, but a final decision on the issue will be taken on Wednesday.

They have also voiced their objections to PM Narendra Modi inaugurating the new Parliament building; they have instead proposed that President Droupadi Murmu should be entrusted with this honour.

One question for the government -- why are you insulting the president who happens to be a woman from a humble background? Is it because she comes from a humble background? The president is the first citizen of the country and why are you not getting the new building of Parliament, which is called the pillar of democracy, inaugurated by her?"

"This is because you want your name to be etched on its stones. You want to insult a woman and a tribal because there is no election in the state she comes from," Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said.

(With agency inputs)
When Jerome Eisenberg enrolled his daughter at the Brentwood School in Los Angeles, where Adam Levine met some of his Maroon 5 bandmates, the investment manager says he expected her to get a traditional liberal arts education.

But after the murder of George Floyd, the $50,000-a-year school said it was reimagining its purpose with an eye toward anti-racism" and diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. In Eisenbergs view, Brentwood was pulling a bait and switch" on parents. He sued the school last year for breach of contract, civil rights violations and emotional distress.

The curriculum shifted away from teaching students critical thinking skills  how to think  and started indoctrinating them into what to think, based on Brentwoods preferred political fad of the moment," Eisenberg said in his lawsuit.

Brentwood succeeded in having the suit sent to private arbitration in November. A representative of the school declined to comment.

War on Woke

Republican politicians like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have pushed laws to curtail instruction in gender, sexuality and racial identity in public schools. Private schools arent subject to those laws, but that doesnt mean theyre immune to the culture war. Conservative-leaning parents have voiced opposition in other ways, including by filing lawsuits.

There is an increased appetite for parents using the legal process to fight for their kids in a way that just wasnt as prevalent before," said Sara Goldsmith Schwartz, of Andover, Massachusetts-based Schwartz Hannum PC, who frequently represents private schools.

David Pivtorak, a lawyer for Eisenberg, also said he believes legal complaints against private schools over DEI have increased, though he added that the true number may be understated because of arbitration clauses like the one at Brentwood.

Others see a distortion. Jin Hee Lee, director of strategic initiatives at the NAACPs Legal Defense Fund, said the pitched legal and political battles are painting a misleading" picture about opposition to DEI instruction.

The majority of parents want their children to attend a school that is diverse and inclusive," Lee said, and the majority of Americans understand that we have a very tragic legacy of slavery and Jim Crow and racial subjugation that were still dealing with in this country."

Breach of Contract

Parents determined to challenge private school teaching and policies face a number of obstacles. Public school parents can argue that the government is infringing on their First Amendment rights by forcing DEI or similar instruction on their children. Parents largely waive those rights when they enroll their kids in private schools.

Private schools are bound by their own policies and not the US Constitution," said Jennifer Rippner, a law lecturer at Indiana University, Bloomingtons School of Education.

When parents do sue private schools, its usually for breach of contract, according to New Hampshire education lawyer Linda Johnson, who represents independent schools and consults with them on managing their legal risk. The process sometimes starts off with a 10-page, single-space letter addressing everything that the parent thought the school did wrong to try to justify a repayment of tuition," she said.

Many of the disputes arise out of school disciplinary action, Johnson said. In the current environment, that can have political overtones.

Manhattans $60,000-a-year Spence School, Gwyneth Paltrows alma mater, was sued in 2019 by Adam and Michelle Parker after their daughter was disciplined for posting on Instagram a text exchange in which she and some friends joked about dressing up as enslaved and indigenous people for Halloween.

Her punishment was a half day of in-home reflection," and the school had multiple grade-wide assemblies to go over what she had done, according to the Parkers lawsuit.

False Narrative

The Parkers say their daughter was mocking, not exhibiting, racism. They allege that Spence disciplined the girl before even seeing the post and perpetuated a false narrative" after they saw it. According to the suit, the school admitted to the Parkers that it had gotten it wrong" and that Spence failed to convene a community standards committee" as stipulated in their enrollment contract.

The suit was dismissed in 2020. Then, last year, a New York appeals court revived a breach-of-contract claim, keeping out allegations of slander, libel and emotional distress.

A lawyer for Spence declined to comment, and lawyers for the Parkers didnt respond to requests for comment.

Johnson said suits focused narrowly on unequal or arbitrary discipline can succeed. If the handbook lays out guidelines for infractions but doesnt have a disclaimer that we maintain the flexibility to handle them the way we think is necessary under the circumstances," the school may be legally exposed, she said.

When it comes to parents challenging private school curricula they see as misguided, Steven Ludwig, a Philadelphia-based education lawyer, said he doesnt see a viable legal path. After all, the parents made the decision to send their children to that school.

If a person doesnt like what is being taught, they can go somewhere else," Ludwig said.

Where to Go?

Thats not always so easy. Private schools that have embraced DEI are frequently also those with the strongest academic reputations and the best records of placing graduates in Ivy League and other elite colleges  which themselves have been criticized as bastions of wokeness. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, a noted anti-DEI crusader, was called out for hypocrisy when it emerged that he sent his daughters to a Houston prep school that teaches DEI.

Former investment banker Andrew Gutmann caused a stir two years ago when he wrote a letter to other parents at Manhattans Brearley School urging them to reject Brearleys obsession with race" and saying he was pulling his daughter, Lauren, from the top-ranked school, where tuition is about $60,000.

Brearley head Jane Fried shot out an email calling the letter deeply offensive and harmful" and reaffirming the schools commitment to being inclusive" and antiracist."

Gutmann said in an interview that his family wasnt looking for a conservative education." He said they just want what anybody wouldve used to call a traditional liberal arts education."

A representative of Brearley didnt respond to a request for comment.

Parents Movement

Since withdrawing Lauren from Brearley, Gutmann said, it has been nearly impossible" to find a school that challenges his daughter academically but isnt politicized." He tried a small private school in New Jersey and then another in Florida before opting to home-school her this year. He plans to send her to a British boarding school in the fall.

Gutmann clearly has no regrets. Now living in Boca Raton, Florida, he is even running for Congress on the issue, as a Republican in Floridas 22nd congressional district  which, he notes, includes Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago estate. His primary campaign announcement starts by recounting his letter to Brearley.

My words were read by millions of people across America, and they helped ignite what we now call the parents movement and the fight against woke education," Gutmann said in the announcement. He name-checked other groups he said he was proud to call allies, including Moms for Liberty. The Florida-based parents rights group has been at the forefront of efforts to ban certain books and gain control of school boards for conservatives.

Awake to Failure

We have a nation thats awake now to the rampant educational failure thats happening in our schools, and the fact that theyve become indoctrination centers instead of places of learning," said Moms for Liberty co-founder Tiffany Justice.

Lee of the NAACPs Legal Defense Fund thinks the opposite is true.

Its not as if school districts and private schools are necessarily doing all they should be doing when it comes to race equity or having a more inclusive or representative curriculum," she said. Theres actually more that they should be doing, but what little they are doing is now under attack."

Although the efforts of Justice and other conservative activists focus on public schools, Myra McGovern, a spokesperson for the National Association of Independent Schools  which counts Brentwood, Spence, Brearley and the Dalton School among its members  said private schools cant help but be affected as well.

Every school across America, and in many ways around the world, is dealing with this increased polarization," McGovern said.

In her Massachusetts law practice, Schwartz sees that too. Short of lawsuits, private schools have had to deal with an incredible increase in the intensity, velocity and volume of complaints generally, from students, parents and alums," she said. The world is frazzled."

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
New Delhi: China engaged in an intense but ultimately abortive backroom attempt to derail a G20 youth conference held in Ladakh in late April, according to persons aware of the matter.

Youth20, or Y20, is an engagement group of youth organizations that comes under the umbrella of the G20, of which India holds the presidency this year.

According to the persons cited above, China flew participating organizations that were due to attend the Ladakh pre-summit all the way to Beijing for what it called a youth conference in March.

However, Beijings goal was to convince these organizations to skip the Youth20 pre-summit meeting, which was to be held in Ladakh on 26 April.The summit is set to be held later this year.

China firmly opposes holding any form of G20 meetings on disputed territory, the spokesperson of Chinas foreign ministry, Wang Wenbin, was quoted as saying during a press briefing in Beijing. We will not attend such meetings."

This Chinese attempt represents a more direct effort to secure Beijings objectives at Indias expense.Chinas embassy in New Delhi told Mint it was not aware of a meeting between Chinese authorities and youth organizations in Beijing.However, the people cited above said once New Delhi caught wind of Beijings efforts, Indias Youth20 organizers lobbied participating groups to attend the Ladakh meeting. In what turned out to be a diplomatic win for India, more than 100 delegates from over 30 countries participated in the summit.

Chinese organizations skipped the pre-summit. Representatives from at least four G20 member countries attended the Beijing meet, the people said, without giving more details. In addition to Ladakh, the Chinese have also opposed G20 meetings in Jammu and Kashmir on account of its all-weather ally Pakistan.

However, the ministry of external affairs has defended New Delhis decision to hold G20 meetings in Kashmir and Ladakh. The meetings and events of G20 are being held across India. They are being organized in every region of India and it is very natural to have these meetings in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh," said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at a press briefing.

This has become part of a pattern. India has been relatively aggressive on the question of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. The issue of India hosting a G20 meeting in these parts of India were up in the air for a long time but I dont think the Chinese expected India would go ahead with this.

They may have thought that other countries would also be opposed to it. However, as the opposition to this has crumbled, there is pressure on them to demonstrate that they continue to hold the candle on this issue for Pakistan," said Harsh Pant, professor of international relations at Kings College London. Pant said Indias ability to mainstream" Ladakh and Kashmir by holding G20 meetings has been a point of consternation" for Beijing, which sees these regions as disputed".
New Delhi: In a bid to strengthen bilateral relations, Indian Railways virtually handed over 20 Broad Gauge (BG) locomotives to Bangladesh in a ceremony held at Rail Bhavan New Delhi. The event was attended by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bangladesh Minister for Railways Nurul Islam Sujan.

These locomotives, provided as grant assistance from the Government of India, fulfill an important commitment made during the visit of Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina to India in October 2019.

The Indian side has suitably modified the locomotives to meet the requirements of Bangladesh Railway. This handover will contribute to handling the increasing volume of passenger and freight train operations in Bangladesh.

Speaking on this occasion, Ashwini Vaishnaw said, Indias relationship with Bangladesh is civilizational, cultural, social and economic. Prime Ministers of both the countries are playing proactive role to improve bilateral relationship across social, economic and political sectors. Indian Railways are also playing a vital role in improving and strengthening rail connectivity across the border and improving trade between both the countries.

As of now, five BG connectivity are operational, namely Geda- Darsana, Benapol- Petrapol, Singhabad- Rohanpur, Radhikapur- Birol and Haldibari-Chilahati. Work on two more cross border rail connectivities, Akhaura-Agartala and Mahihasan-Shahbazpur are progressing well and are likely to be completed and commissioned shortly," he added.

Addressing the gathering virtually, Bangladesh Minister for Railways Nurul Islam Sujan said, I express my gratitude to the Indian Government for their support. Previously in June 2020 Indian Government provided 10 locomotives to Bangladesh as grant. We express our heartfelt gratitude to India for providing broad gauge locomotives.

Sujan stated that the supply of broad gauge locomotives will improve both goods and passenger trains, and he hoped for increased collaboration in the railway sector between the two countries.

Currently, three pairs of passenger trains operate between India and Bangladesh, fostering people-to-people contact. These include the Kolkata-Dhaka Maitree Express, Kolkata-Khulna Bandhan Express, and New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka Mitali Express.

According to the Ministry of Railways, Rail trade between India and Bangladesh has witnessed consistent growth, with nearly 100 cargo trains exchanged per month. In the last financial year, approximately 2.66 million metric tons of cargo were transported to Bangladesh.

It added that the exported commodities include stone, DOC, food grains, china clay, gypsum, maize, onions, and other essential items as per demand from India. Since 2020, permission has been granted to operate parcel container and NMG rakes, which typically transport agricultural products, fabrics, finished goods, light commercial vehicles, and tractors. A new traffic of geo-synthetic bags has recently commenced, and three parcel trains have been sent from Gujarat.

In line with Indias commitment to improving rail services in Bangladesh, 10 BG diesel locomotives were handed over to Bangladesh on a grant basis in July 2020. According to Bangladeshs reports, these locomotives have been performing well and contributing to the smooth movement of rail traffic in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis tour of Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia has so far had all the optics we have come to expect of his foreign visits. In Papua New Guinea, diplomacy took an unusual turn with the island nations Prime Minister James Marape parting with protocol to receive Modi after sunset, and, to surprise back home, welcoming him by touching his feet. New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, it is reported, also flew to Papua New Guinea especially to meet Modi, even though a meeting with US President Joe Biden was called off on account of a political tussle in Washington over Americas debt limit. Anyway, the Quad four did meet. And on Tuesday, in Sydney, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese got a glimpse of Modis popularity with the Indian diaspora there. Cheers, slogans and roars had decibel levels that are unusual for that part of the world. On the whole, such was the impression made that Biden even sought Modis autograph in a light moment. How much of a difference all this makes in the hard give-and-take world of international diplomacy remains debatable, but the buzz Modis foreign visits generate remains strong.
New Delhi: The Russian Federation sees the present conditions as an opportunity for Moscow and New Delhi to have extended presence" in each others financial markets, Russian ambassador to India Denis Alipov said in an interview. His remarks assume significance amid the Western sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine. Alipov also called for the two nations to set up joint ventures in petrochemicals, mining, heavy engineering, metallurgy and railways in the backdrop of the Make in India push. Edited excerpts from emailed interview:

The imbalance in bilateral trade and certain barriers Indian exporters face remain major issues. How do both sides intend to address these challenges?

Russia-India trade has touched $44 billion mostly due to the growing supplies of energy resources, fertilizers and other materials from Russia and so addressing the trade imbalance is a priority issue indeed. Both sides are working towards capitalising on the momentum and diversifying trade ties. It is important to engage the private sector in trade and investments in a big way as we register an unprecedented increase of Russian interest in the Indian market lately. Its an opportune moment for the Indian businesses to do the same. Last month, we organized three business fora in New Delhi and hosted a 50-members strong FIEO delegation in Russia. Since 2022, there has been an unprecedented surge in the number of business and regional missions exploring new opportunities both ways. We are optimistic about larger Indian exports to Russia in such sectors like engineering, machinery, automobile, pharma, textile and food. It is also an opportune moment for extended presence in financial markets of the both. We see a positive momentum in establishing joint ventures in the petrochemicals, mining, heavy engineering, metallurgy and railways sectors, notably in the framework of Make in India initiative. Among the recent examples is a new transformer steel plant in Maharashtra. We are purposefully committed to make trade flows smooth and seamless by removing trade barriers and liberalizing the customs regime. In this regard, we also focus our dialogue on the improvement of payments and logistics systems as well as an early launch of EEU-India FTA negotiations.

ONGC Videsh has taken a 20% stake in Sakhalin-1 project. Are more Indian companies in talks to pick up stake in Russian oil/gas projects?

The mutual desire to expand investments in the promising Russian and Indian energy markets is evident. Along with the ONGC Videsh participation in the Sakhalin-1 project, OIL, IOC and Bharat PetroResources possess stakes in various Russian projects, including Vankorneft and Taas-Yuriakh. Indian companies are exploring opportunities offered by the Vostok Oil cluster as well as LNG projects on Russias Arctic shelf. More options for the Indian partners are there with the recent launch of the Ust-Luga LNG production plant and its gas transportation initiatives. In India, a huge interest is there to expand the Russian presence in petrochemicals as well as exploration and extraction projects.

What role do you see Russia playing in Indias plans for nuclear power plants as it aims to turn net zero?

Russia remains the only country that implements agreements with India in the nuclear power area contributing in a big way to the development of the Indian low carbon energy security. The Kudankulam NPP (nuclear power plant) project is the flagship initiative in the bilateral trade and economic cooperation, which involves the construction of six 1000 MW power units equipped with VVER-1000 light water reactors. Russia is designing the plant, supplying and supervising the installation of equipment and training the personnel. Units 1 and 2 are currently operating at 100% capacity since 2014. The construction of the second stage (units 3-4) and the third stage (units 5-6) is underway. Looking ahead, our agenda includes the construction of a new state-of-the-art VVER-1200 unit under the gen 3+ technology based on water-cooled and water-moderated energy solutions. This technology combines successful experience in NPP operation with cutting-edge safety standards. Dedicated discussion is going on with respect to the cooperation on a low-power nuclear power plant, nuclear fuel cycle, land-based and floating SMRs, nuclear science and medicine, etc. Importantly, we have accumulated considerable experience to be utilized on a new site for Russian-designed reactors in India, and expect relevant decisions to be taken soon.

Russia is designing the plant, supplying and supervising the installation of equipment and training the personnel. Units 1 and 2 are currently operating at 100% capacity since 2014. The construction of the second stage (units 3-4) and the third stage (units 5-6) is underway.

Looking ahead, our agenda includes the construction of a new state-of-the-art VVER-1200 units under the gen 3+ technology based on water cooled and water moderated energy solutions. This technology combines successful experience in NPP operation with cutting-edge safety standards. Dedicated discussion is going on with respect to the cooperation on a low-power nuclear power plant, nuclear fuel cycle, land-based and floating SMRs, nuclear science and medicine, etc. Importantly, we have accumulated considerable experience to be utilized on a new site for the Russian-designed reactors in India, and expect relevant decisions to be taken soon.

India and Russia have enjoyed a strong defence partnership. Some concerns has been voiced that the war in Ukraine and high technology sanctions on Russia will make it harder for both countries to cooperate. Is this a concern for you?

Against the backdrop of how the US goes out of its way to derail Russia-India defence ties one should be more concerned with what it would do to India-US cooperation if it wanted to pressure India. It will be a snap of a finger exercise.

In stark contrast to that, Russia and India have over the decades created deep-rooted trust in each other. One cannot win such confidence overnight, certainly not with the arrogant self-serving attitude the US has been notorious for no matter how deeply one embed itself in value added chains. One has to be politically compliant with the US.

Russia has never bound defence partnership with political demands, and offers the fullest possible transfer of advanced technologies. The licensed production in India of T-90 tanks, Su-30MKI fighters, AK-203 assault rifles as well as other armaments and components fully complies with the requirements of the state programs Make in India" and Self-reliant India". A highly successful supersonic cruise missiles BrahMos" joint venture is a role model of successful bilateral engagement. Russia and India are committed to implement all agreements including the contract for the supply of advanced S-400 Triumph air defence systems. Recently, we decided to upgrade the 2019 agreement on spare parts joint production focusing on private sector involvement to ensure our partnership to remain robust and reflect on new realities.

As regards the sanctions, dont buy the narrative of Russias high technology dependence in military production on anyone. Russias weapons are well known as one of the worlds best and weve been self-reliant in their production since the very start.
New Delhi: The UK and Ukraine are interested in securing Indian participation in the reconstruction of war-ravaged Ukraine, according to persons aware of the matter.

Next month, the two western countries are expected to hold the latest Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. The conference aims to bring together the governments and private sectors of key nations to discuss Ukraines reconstruction after the war devastated public infrastructure.

The forum was launched in 2017 and has been meeting annually.

The people cited above said the UK and Ukraine are interested in inviting Indian private sector firms and government officials to discuss cooperation in reconstructing Ukraine. Queries to the external affairs ministry remained unanswered at press time.

The idea was first mooted by Ukraines deputy foreign minister Emine Dzhaparova during a visit to India last month.

The Ukrainian Deputy FM proposed that rebuilding infrastructure in Ukraine could be an opportunity for Indian companies," reads an MEA press release detailing the outcomes of the visit.

The Ukraine Recovery Conference 2023 will focus on mobilising international support for Ukraines economic and social stabilisation and recovery from the effects of war, including through emergency assistance for immediate needs and financing private sector participation in the reconstruction process," reads the website of the conference.

We expect the broad participation of the international community, international financial institutions, the private sector and civil society to mobilise support for Ukraine," it added.

As of September 2022, New Delhi had given Kyiv around 7725 kilograms of humanitarian aid. India has also committed to continuing this supply of aid. Sanjay Verma, who serves as Secretary (West) in Indias Ministry of External Affairs, committed to providing school buses and other forms to Ukraine during Deputy Foreign Minister Dzhaparpvas visit in April.

A similar assurance was made by Prime Minister Modi to Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

Cooperation through the Ukraine Recovery Conference could boost Indias aid and economic outreach to Ukraine. However, it is not yet known whether the Indian government and investors have responded positively to Western overtures.

We are keen to see the private sector play a leading role by applying its expertise and supporting Ukraines recovery, and invite investors to consider specific sectors and opportunities. To support this, Ukraine continues to implement an ambitious reform agenda and look for ways to support investment in Ukraine and reduce risk," say the organisers of the URC 2023.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has an abandoned multimillion-dollar fishing villa in Finland that he is unlikely to ever use, according to reports. The opulent three-story residence, situated on the picturesque coast of Lake Saimaa in southeast Finland, was specifically constructed for Putin by a close associate at a staggering cost of approximately $3.2 million.

The lavish villa, featuring luxurious amenities such as an elevator, wine cellar, underground garage, sauna, personal swimming pool, billiard room, office, and eight toilets, was never completed.

A video released by Russian independent outlet The Insider showcased the vacant house, revealing scaffolding, stacks of building materials, cables, refrigerators, and an uninstalled bathtub. The construction process faced numerous challenges, with workers frequently quitting due to issues related to wages and working conditions. In fact, some Finnish workers even refused to participate in the project.

Also Read: US imposes sanctions on over 300 targets in fresh Russia action

The villa's funding came from Viktor Khmarin, a former university classmate of Putin's and now a prominent lobbyist for the Russian leader. Khmarin, who currently serves as the general director of Russia's largest hydroelectricity company, is married to Putin's cousin. The villa was intended to entice Putin into spending more time with Khmarin, reflecting their long-standing friendship that dates back to their college years.

However, Khmarin's plan to lure Putin to the Finnish retreat ultimately failed, as the Russian leader lost interest in fishing in Finland. Consequently, Khmarin decided to abandon the villa and consider it a financial loss, unable to find a buyer for the property.

This villa's reported location places it near another property, Villa Segren, which Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny alleged was utilised by Putin as a holiday retreat. Navalny's drone footage from 2017 displayed a pier and helipad on the grounds of Villa Segren.

While the construction timeline remains unclear, it is known that Putin's disinterest in fishing in Finland was revealed during his visit to the nearby city of Savonlinna, where he met Finland's President Sauli Niinisto. Subsequently, Khmarin's aide arrived at the villa and instructed the workers to halt construction activities.
The economy did not play a big role in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming a government in Karnataka, but may have in its defeat. High levels of corruption and inflation and shifting preferences of rural voters were among the reasons listed by political analysts to explain the Karnataka state assembly poll results.

The BJPs national leadership isnt taking chances, going by apparent responses that officialdom has scrambled: Tax authorities had a go at credit-card spending outside the country and the Reserve Bank of India pretty much sentenced the 2,000 note to death.

These hurriedly-announced decisionsa call for notes to be returned to banks during peak summer months takes an uncommon deficiency of empathyaim at burnishing the governments credentials for reducing corruption and soaking the rich. They might seem like minor inconveniences eventually.

For, if political analysts have got it right, then the bigger worry for the economy is the rural Karnataka voters snub to the BJPs brand of welfarism. The party claims to have created a labharthi" class of beneficiaries. Dissatisfaction in this self-aware vote bank can set off competitive populism among political parties. A game of catch-up could be on the cards.

We have seen this play out before. In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Odisha and Telangana state governments tried to relieve rural distress and improve agricultures viability by giving money to farmers. The central government felt challenged, and started doing the same through the PM-Kisan scheme. Income supplements for farmers arent bad economics. Minimum support prices distort market signals to farmers on what to produce and how much, but direct transfers dont do that. However, the failure was that the government missed an opportunity to convert distortionary farm subsidies, such as on water and power, into income supplements. The merits of this reform are difficult to explain in a noisy political environment. It is pending and likely to remain so. Meanwhile, income supplements for other vote banksminus necessary accompanying reformsbegan to look like a distinct possibility.

Taking a lead in the run-up to the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party has turned up the knob on populism. It successfully restarted a debate on pensions, forcing several state governments to go back to the old pension scheme (OPS) for their employees, unmindful of the burden this will put on their exchequers. Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have announced a return to OPS and Himachal Pradesh is also expected to do so. Punjab is reviewing it.

The Narendra Modi government at the Centre has not been able to resist this challenge of populism. It has constituted a panel to look into improving pensions for government employees, a class of voters that isnt in distress.

Among others, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, deputy chairman of the erstwhile Planning Commission chaired by then prime minister Manmohan Singh, has cautioned that going back to the OPS will bankrupt governments. The OPS was stopped by the A.B. Vajpayee government in December 2003 because it was not sustainable.

In Karnataka, the Congress government decided on its first day in office to implement its campaign promises: 200 units free electricity per month to every household, 2,000 every month to every women head of a family, 10kg of rice every month to every member of below-poverty-line families, 3,000 to all unemployed graduates, 1,500 to all 18-25 year-old unemployed diploma holders every month for two years and free travel for women in public transport buses. In its 2019 Lok Sabha campaign, the Congress had promised income support under its Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) of 72,000 a year to Indias poorest families. It will probably reissue that promise for the polls next year.

The danger then would be that the Centre, under pressure to respond with a big-buck scheme of its own, would go ahead even though it has not created the fiscal space necessary to make such spending feasible. Blame a failure to improve Indias tax-to-GDP ratio from the under-12% level it has been for years, trailing most comparable economies.

Fiscal unaffordability is a worry, but not the chief one. Karnataka may be in a position to afford sops. The trouble is India is responding to economic pain with populism and appeasementthe sort of political giveaways that offer no sure path out of economic difficulties. Only sustainable livelihoods can deliver economic security and also expand our consumption market by enhancing peoples ability to spend, a must for our economy to grow sustainably.

It is widely agreed that Indias economy isnt generating the number of jobs required by millions of low-skill youngsters. Governments have been under the impression that welfare spending can compensate for these failures. Moneyeven speedy, leakage-proof digital transferscannot substitute for quality livelihoods.

Our economic model isnt delivering for all Indians. Repairing it requires sound policy advice from economists and technocrats, which governments seem allergic to. Good bureaucrats often have reserves of bad ideas for when the political temperature heats up. Political conviction in reforms appears to be on the wane. Both the Congress and BJP seem ready to tear down the progressive economic policies of their earlier PMs. That cant be good for the economy.

Puja Mehra is consulting editor, Mint, and the author of The Lost Decade (2008-18): How Indias Growth Story Devolved into Growth Without a Story
In John Grishams The Rainmaker, lawyer Rudy Baylor fights for a family denied an insurance claim by a major corporation, Great Benefit. Baylor sued for compensation along with punitive damages, arguing that the denial was a deliberate corporate strategy. His victory, resulting in $50 million in punitive damages, reinstates the effectiveness of such an award to ensure accountability and deter misconduct.

Punitive damages, fundamental to legal structures across many developed and developing nations alike, serve as a formidable deterrent against wrongdoings and a means to uphold justice and accountability. Levied over and above the actual damages incurred by victims, they are regularly imposed in cases of egregious negligence. Nations like the US, China, Australia, Canada and the UK utilize this legal provision, reinforcing a practice of accountability.

However, in stark contrast, India presents a lagging picture. The concept of punitive damages remains relatively alien to Indian jurisprudence, which has conventionally been inclined towards compensatory damages that are mostly symbolic. However, they are touted to cover the victims actual loss. Absence of a comprehensive law of torts in India, coupled with an inconsistent pattern of ruling on damages alone, muddies the waters.

Instances of collapsing structures, rampaging dogs and people inflicting harm on others frequently dominate our local headlines. Regardless of the perpetrators status, be it a businessman, government employee or a regular individual, it is often the common man who bears the brunt of misconduct or negligence. This pressing reality underscores the need for enhanced legal provisions to protect the most vulnerable among us and ensure justice is served.

Such legislation would ensure parties, including government entities, are held accountable for negligent actions. Establishing comprehensive law of torts would amplify expectations of civic responsibility and foster greater trust in the legal mechanisms that safeguard society. Inconsistent rulings on punitive damages by Indian courts in major incidents like the Uphaar cinema fire accident, compared to the Morbi bridge collapse, highlight a significant legal incongruity. While the Gujarat high court decreed an interim compensation of 10 lakh for the deceased and 2 lakh for the injured in the Morbi case, the compensation awarded in preceding cases was not alike. Despite a death count of over 3,000 in the Bhopal gas tragedy, compensation stood at just $470 million. The Uphaar cinema case saw a paltry 25 lakh awarded, despite 59 fatalities and over 100 injuries. This disparity in rulings, coupled with an absence of clear legislative guidance, creates a perplexing precedent and underscores the pressing need for a robust, standardized law of torts in India. It will streamline the legal landscape, providing a consistent approach to all civil wrongs, leading to better risk management and efficient use of resources. Its deterrent effect, deterring negligence and rash public behaviour, fosters safer practices in various sectors, thus protecting society on the whole. It also champions fairness, helping equalize the power dynamics between individuals and influential entities.

Unfortunately, this law never made its way into Indias legal system. Despite the British introduction of common law in the 18th century and the comprehensive codification of criminal, commercial and procedural laws by 1882, tort law remained uncodified, standing as the only major field without a legal framework. The fourth law commission in 1879 emphasized the importance of having a torts law in India, leading Frederick Pollock to draft a Law of Torts for India in 1886 (bit.ly/3omHreI). However, this draft never progressed to legislative action. Even after independence in 1947, numerous reports continued to advocate for the establishment of such a law in the country.

Multiple committees and commissions have emphasized the necessity of implementing such a law in India, particularly concerning the liability of the state in tort cases. The First Law Commission of Indias first report in April 1956 outlined proposals for legislation regarding the liability of the state in tort cases. Although an actual draft bill was not included, a bill based on the report was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 1967 and referred to a joint committee. Unfortunately, due to the dissolution of the Lok Sabha in 1971, the bill was not passed and has not been revived since . The consultation paper for the National Commission to Review the Working of the Indian Constitution (bit.ly/42V62WR) that had dealt with the issue of torts also makes an interesting read. To cite it: The present state of the law relating to liability of the State in tort in India, it is apparent that the law is neither just in its substance, nor satisfactory in its form. It denies relief to citizens injured by a wrongful act of the State, on the basis of the exercise of sovereign functions. A political organisation which is set up to protect its citizens and to promote their welfare, should, as a rule, accept legal liability for its wrongful acts, rather them denounce such liability."

Irrespective of that, once a law of torts is introduced in India, it would be crucial to invest in the comprehensive training of legal practitioners, including both lawyers and judges, to handle tort cases competently. The reality is that courts generally exhibit a reluctance to award punitive damages. While the Supreme Court and a few high courts have recently imposed punitive damages in certain cases, they have also reduced damages in others, demonstrating variability in applying this principle.

Such decisions, often heavily influenced by case specifics and judges interpretations, unfortunately, do not solidify precedent, as not every victim can escalate their cases to higher courts. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to enact a law of torts that extends its jurisdiction to subordinate courts. This move would democratize access to justice, ensuring that punitive damages arent a privilege reserved for a select few, but a right accessible to all victims of civil wrongs.

Bibek Debroy, Aditya Sinha & Bikashita Choudhury are, respectively, chairman, additional private secretary (policy and research), and young professional at the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP)  A group of Chinese citizens living and working in Florida sued the state Monday over a new law that bans Chinese nationals from purchasing property in large swaths of the state.

The law applies to properties within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of military installations and other critical infrastructure and also affects citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. But Chinese citizens and those selling property to them face the harshest penalties. The prohibition also applies to agricultural land.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the law will have a substantial chilling effect on sales to Chinese and Asian people who can legally buy property. The suit says the law unfairly equates Chinese people with the actions of their government and there is no evidence of national security risk from Chinese citizens buying Florida property.

The law will codify and expand housing discrimination against people of Asian descent in violation of the Constitution and the Fair Housing Act, the ACLU said in a news release announcing the suit. It will also cast an undue burden of suspicion on anyone seeking to buy property whose name sounds remotely Asian, Russian, Iranian, Cuban, Venezuelan, or Syrian.

U.S.-China ties are strained amid growing tensions over security and trade. In nearly a dozen statehouses and Congress, a decades-old worry about foreign land ownership has spiked since a Chinese spy balloon traversed the skies from Alaska to South Carolina last month.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to launch a presidential campaign this week, signed the bill May 8. His office didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The law is set to take affect July 1. It will be a felony for Chinese people to buy property in restricted areas or for any person or real estate company to knowingly sell to restricted people. For the other targeted nations, the penalty is a misdemeanor for buyers and sellers.

It applies to military instillations as well as infrastructure like airports and seaports, water and wastewater treatment plants, natural gas and oil processing facilities, power plants, spaceports, and telecommunications central switching offices.

The ACLU says the law will have the net effect of creating Chinese exclusion zones that will cover immense portions of Florida, including many of the states most densely populated and developed areas.

This impact is exactly what laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the California Alien Land Law of 1913 did more than a hundred years ago, the lawsuit says.

Those on the restricted list that already own property near critical infrastructure must register with the state or face fines of up to $1,000 a day. Theyre also prohibited from acquiring additional property. The law has provisions to allow the state to seize property from violators.

The number of states restricting foreign ownership of agricultural land has risen by 50% this year.

Heading into 2023, 14 states had laws restricting foreign ownership or investments in private agricultural land. So far this year, restrictive laws also have been enacted in Arkansas, Idaho, Montana, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia.

Foreign land ownership has become a political flashpoint, said Micah Brown, a staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center at the University of Arkansas.

Brown said the recent surge in state laws targeting land ownership by foreign entities stems from some highly publicized cases of Chinese-connected companies purchasing land near military bases. Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force said that the Fufeng Groups planned $700 million wet corn milling plant near a base in Grand Forks, North Dakota, poses a significant threat to national security.

After a Chinese army veteran and real estate tycoon bought a wind farm near an Air Force base in Texas, that state responded in 2021 by banning infrastructure deals with individuals tied to hostile governments, including China.

___

Associated Press writer David Lieb in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Courtesy/Laredo Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Courtesy/Laredo Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Courtesy/Laredo Police Department Show More Show Less 5 of 5









The Laredo Police Department is seeking help from the community identifying a suspect in the theft of a puppy.

The images released by LPD show the subject taking a pit bull puppy and leaving the scene of the theft in the passenger side of a black Ford Taurus.
As part of a community-centered effort across many local organizations, the City of Laredo Health Department has launched the Laredo Breastfeeding Workgroup from members of the community and organizations that serve mothers and families.

The workgroup is currently implementing a four-phase strategic road plan to improve breastfeeding initiation and continuation within the community.

The workgroup contains representation from various programs and organizations throughout the Laredo community including WIC, the City of Laredo Health Department, ObGyn Associates of Laredo, Nurse-Family Partnership, Healthy Texas Mothers and Babies, local hospitals, and beyond.

"Informed decision making helps families to be comfortable and confident in their choice to breastfeed," Laredo Health Director Dr. Richard Chamberlain said. "At Laredo Public Health, we believe in the importance of preserving breastfeeding to whatever degree possible. Remember there are many scientific facts about the importance of breastfeeding, one fact that resonates deeply with me is the antibodies in breast milk protect infants from common childhood illnesses. Healthy babies are happy babies."

Over the past few months, the workgroup has been creating a situational picture of what breastfeeding looks like in the community. This includes learning about the services already available, the experiences of women and families with breastfeeding and understanding challenges to breastfeeding.

"One of the challenging things about breastfeeding for mothers is that they often do not feel supported by their friends, family or the wider community," said Reynol Vela, Laredo Nurse-Family Partnership supervisor.

The workgroup invites community champions who are interested to join the monthly meetings held virtually the first Friday of each month at 11 a.m. To register, email rvela@ci.laredo.tx.us.

For more information about joining workgroup meetings, please reach out to the City of Laredo Health Education and Promotion Division at 956-269-2042.
Courtesy/LISD

The Laredo Independent School District held a day of remembrance to honor all fallen war heroes, Prisoners of War and Missing in Action.

Cigarroa High School JROTC Cadets participated in a Roll Call of all fallen American Heroes and a POW/MIA remembrance.
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A man has been indicted for a failed smuggling attempt that killed the alleged smuggler and three migrants from Guatemala in February in the City of Rio Bravo, an arrest affidavit states.

In addition, the attorney for Marcos Adrian Garcia filed a waiver of presence at arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of his client on May 19.

The case unfolded at about 3:40 a.m. Feb. 25. when U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Laredo South Station responded to a report of a group of migrants being transported in Rio Bravo.

An agent then activated his units emergency lights when he spotted a blue Chrysler 300 traveling east on Espejo Molina Road. But the Chrysler sped off and took an immediate turn, causing the agent to lose sight of the vehicle, states the arrest affidavit.

Moments later, the agent observed that the Chrysler had rolled over in the 1100 block of Paseo del Tiber with several casualties. Four people died in the crash, the affidavit states.

The Webb County Sheriffs Office would identify them as Jose Guadalupe Guzman, 20, and three migrants from Guatemala. Authorities said that Guzman, a U.S. citizen, was the driver.

The driver was believed to be smuggling undocumented citizens at the time of the pursuit. A total of six (migrants) were located at the rollover site. One (migrant) was pronounced deceased at the scene. Two other (migrants) were pronounced deceased at local hospitals, states the affidavit.

Three other migrants survived but suffered significant injuries. Homeland Security Investigations took over the investigation. During the investigation, authorities noticed a white Ford F-150 outside the perimeter of the crash site.

A special agent approached the vehicle and encountered three occupants. One was identified as Garcia. Further investigation revealed that the Chrysler used in the fatal human smuggling attempt was registered to Garcia, according to court documents.

Special agents said they collected evidence from the debris, including a traffic citation issued to Garcia on Feb. 24.

HSI Laredo submitted a subpoena for the subscriber information on Garcias phone. Subscriber information for the phone provided by Garcia showed Guzman as the financial liable party and the user of the phone, the affidavit states.

Authorities said that tolls from the phone number showed communication and attempted communication among Garcia, Guzman and an unknown contact in the immediate hours leading to the vehicle crash at about 3:40 a.m., authorities said.

An investigation revealed that Garcia and the unknown contact were working as scouts for Guzman. The investigation also showed that Guzman attempted to communicate with Garcia when he was spotted by the Border Patrol unit, states the affidavit.
Personnel from Adult Protective Services were at the Webb County Courthouse on Monday as the Commissioners Court proclaimed June as the Elder Abuse Prevention Month during their regular meeting.

The purpose of this commemoration is to provide an opportunity for communities around the world to promote a better understanding of abuse and neglect of older persons by raising awareness of the cultural, social, economic and demographic processes affecting elder abuse and neglect.

A proclamation was read by Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina citing June 2023 as Elder Abuse Awareness Month.

According to Texas Health and Human Services, nationwide one in every 10 adults age 60 and older have experienced abuse or negligence.

The proclamation stated people who are elderly and have disabilities have contributed to the general welfare of this county by helping to preserve customs, conventions and traditions of many people from diverse backgrounds and these residents are vital and integral members of our society and their wisdom and experience have enriched our lives.

Abuse of the elderly and people with disabilities in domestic and institutional settings is a widespread problem affecting hundreds of thousands of people across the country, said Tijerina during the proclamation..

Tijerina added that in 2022 there were 119,448 completed cases of elderly and disabled persons abuse in Texas in which 84,655 were confirmed.

Elderly abuse is grossly under reported ... and happens to men and women of all income levels, all culture and ethnic groups, he said. It is our duty as citizens to reach out to the people in need.

Commissioner for Precint 2, Wawi Tijerina, thanked Adult Protective Services for taking care of the county elder population.

Thank you so much for everything you do. Our elderly population is vulnerable. Sometimes people take advantage of grandma, mom or whoever, and it is very difficult to report it. Thank you for taking care of them, you are doing such a great job, she said.
KIMIHIRO HOSHINO/AFP via Getty Images

A Texas high school student was chosen as the Lone Star State's representative in the final round of the 15th annual Google Doodle contest and could have her design featured on the search engine's homepage.

Doodle for Google is an annual art contest open to students in grades kindergarten to 12th who are invited to create their own version of the Google logo for the chance to have it published on Google.com. This year's contest asked students to answer the prompt I am grateful for through their art.
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HAGATNA, Guam (AP)  Powerful Typhoon Mawar smashed the U.S. territory of Guam and continued lashing the Pacific island with high winds and heavy rain Thursday, knocking down trees, walls and power lines and creating a powerful storm surge that threatened to wash out low-lying areas.

The typhoon, the strongest to hit the territory of roughly 150,000 people since 2002, briefly made landfall Wednesday night as a Category 4 storm at Andersen Air Force Base on the northern tip of the island, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Doll.

The storm strengthened to 150 mph (241 kph) winds the following morning, regaining its status as a super typhoon, according to the weather service. Mawar was forecast to intensify further.

As it churned slowly over the island, the typhoon flipped cars and ripped branches from trees. At what felt like its peak intensity Wednesday night, the winds screeched and howled like jets flying overhead and rainwater rushed into some homes.

Videos posted on social media showed fallen trees, an overturned pickup truck, solar panels flying through the air, parts of a hotels exterior wall crumbling to the ground and exposing rebar, and storm surge and waves crashing through coastal reefs.

The early scope of the damage was difficult to ascertain, with power and internet failures making communication with the far-flung island difficult. The governor and lieutenant governor were making their way after daylight arrived to assess the damage, weather service meteorologist Landon Aydlett.

It looks like toothpicks, Aydlett said. It looks like a scene from the move Twister, with things just thrashed apart. Lots of Guam is dealing with a major mess thats going to take weeks to clean up.

J. Asprer, a police officer in the Dededo precinct in northern Guam, said before dawn that he had not received any reports of injuries but several police cars and personal vehicles had been damaged by debris, and uprooted trees made some roads impassable. Most of the calls overnight came from worried people off-island who were unable to reach family members, Asprer said.

We told them well have to wait until the storm clears up a bit, he said.

Ray Leon Guerrero, an assistant in the mayors office in Barrigada, a village of about 9,000 people in central Guam, stayed at the office overnight fielding calls from residents and heard objects slamming into the roof and outside walls constantly.

Oh man. It was pretty noisy, he said.

The slow-moving storm continued to batter the island early Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph (225 kph), and it was expected to intensify through Friday, the weather service said.

In a sign of how much help Guam might need, the Navy ordered the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group to head to the island to assist in the recovery effort, according to a U.S. official. The Nimitz, along with the USS Bunker Hill, a cruiser, and the USS Wayne E. Meyer, a destroyer, were south of Japan and expected to arrive in Guam in three or four days, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ship movements not yet made public.

The weather service said the storm made landfall at around 9 p.m. Wednesday in Guam, which is about 3,800 miles (6,115 kilometers) west of Hawaii and 1,600 miles (1,575 kilometers) east of the Manila, the capital of the Philippines.

It was on land for about 30 to 35 minutes before it moved back offshore, Doll said by phone from the weather services office in Tiyan, Guam.

Peak winds at the office reached 105 mph (169 kph), but the office later lost its wind sensors, Aydlett said. The building vibrated with a constant, low rumbling, and its doors and windows shook, he said.

By early Thursday, Mawar was centered 75 miles (121 kilometers) northwest of the island and 85 miles (137 kilometers) west of Rota, Guams neighbor to the north, moving west-northwest at 8 mph (13 kph).

Power was knocked out for the entire island of Rota, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. said late Wednesday. Rota has about 2,500 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In Tumon, on Guam's northeastern shore, winds tore a granite countertop from a hotels outdoor bar and tossed it 4 feet (about a meter) in the air. Guests scrambled to stack chairs to brace the doors, and windows buckled and creaked.

Tinian and Saipan, in the Northern Marianas, were under tropical storm warnings. Some people in those areas have been living in temporary shelters or tents since Category 5 Super Typhoon Yutu in 2018.

Mawar, a Malaysian word that means rose, might threaten Taiwan next week.

Many communities on the 212-square-mile (549-square-kilometer) island had lost power by Wednesday afternoon, and some to the south had lost water service. A flash flood warning was issued for the entire island as forecasters predicted as much as 25 inches (64 centimeters) of rain in addition to a life-threatening storm surge of 4 to 6 feet (1.2 to 2 meters).

Ahead of the storm, Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero ordered those living in coastal, low-lying and flood-prone areas to evacuate to higher ground. The highest point on the island is Mount Lamlam in the southwest at 1,334 feet (406 meters). But much of the beachfront tourist district of Tamuning, where many resorts are located, is close to sea level.

Leon Guerrero said an emergency declaration approved by President Joe Biden will support the mobilization of resources into Guam, which is especially crucial given our distance from the continental U.S.

Guam is a crucial hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific, and the Department of Defense controls about a third of the island. Rear Adm. Benjamin Nicholson, Joint Region Marianas commander, authorized the evacuation of defense personnel, dependents and employees from areas that were expected to be affected.

The military said it moved its ships out to sea as a standard precaution. It also sent aircraft off the island or placed them in protective hangars.

About 6,800 U.S. service members are assigned to Guam, according to the Pentagon.

___

Brumfield reported from Washington. AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland, and Associated Press writers Lolita C. Baldor in Washington, Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu, Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska, and Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles contributed.
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BOGOR, Indonesia (AP)  Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, on Tuesday on a visit aimed at strengthening economic ties between the two Muslim-majority nations amid heightened global geopolitical tensions.

Widodo hosted Raisi at the colonial-style presidential palace in Bogor, just outside the capital, Jakarta. Raisi is visiting at Widodos invitation as Indonesia aims to speed up its post-pandemic economic recovery by increasing exports.

The two-day visit is expected to deepen Iran's ties with Indonesia after the two nations concluded negotiations this month on a Preferential Trade Agreement. The two leaders witnessed the signing of that pact and 10 other agreements Tuesday.

At a joint news conference after meeting with Raisi, Widodo said they discussed expanding export opportunities in the Middle East and Iran and opportunities for Iranian businesses to invest in the development of Indonesias new capital on Borneo island.

Raisi said the countries hope to raise the value of their two-way trade to $20 billion.

Bilateral trade increased by more than 23% last year to $257.2 million, according to Indonesia's Trade Ministry.

Indonesia, Southeast Asias largest economy, is seeking new markets for its exports to reduce its reliance on traditional trading partners, many of which have been affected by the weakened global economy and geopolitical risks. Iran is a nontraditional trade partner for Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.

Raisi said his country has attained remarkable development in its economy, science and technology despite decades of U.S. government sanctions.

The numerous documents that we signed today showed the will of the two countries to develop relations in all situations despite of threats and sanctions by the enemies, Raisi said.

We believe that sanctions and threats cannot stop us in any way," Raisi said. Cooperation and communication with neighboring countries, Muslim nations and countries that are aligned with us is our priority.

The two leaders said they also discussed heightened geopolitical tensions in many parts of the world and agreed to continue their support for Palestinians and education for women and humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.

In February, Raisi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to seek further cooperation following a September meeting in Uzbekistan, when Xi underscored Chinas support for Iran.

Both China and Iran have sought to project themselves alongside Russia as a counterweight to American power.

Washington has accused Iran of selling hundreds of attack drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine and has sanctioned executives of an Iranian drone manufacturer.

While in Indonesia, Raisi is scheduled to meet with House Speaker Puan Maharani, religious figures and businesspeople. He also will visit Jakartas Istiqlal Grand Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, and give lectures at an Islamic university.

Widodos last trip to Iran was in 2016, while the last official state visit from Iran was in 2015, when then-President Hassan Rouhani attended the 50th commemoration of the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung city.

___

Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.
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ARADE DAM, Portugal (AP)  Police on Tuesday renewed the search for Madeleine McCann, the British child who disappeared in 2007 in Portugal, with officers digging and scraping the surface of land near a dam close to where she went missing.

About 20 officers with rakes and hoe-like tools spread out in a line and began poking and raking the soil close to the Arade dam, which is located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the resort of Praia da Luz, where the 3-year-old girl was last seen 16 years ago.

Police also used a drone to scan the area from above and searched with sniffer dogs on both sides of the dam. Firefighters also carried out searches on the reservoir in a dinghy.

There were no immediate details on what progress was being made.

A media briefing is expected at the end of the searches Wednesday or Thursday.

The operation, headed by Portuguese police aided by German and British colleagues, was announced Monday. Portuguese officials said it followed a request from German authorities.

Portuguese police on Monday had set up several tents and cordoned off the area to the media and public. More than a dozen cars and police vans arrived early Tuesday.

Between 20 and 30 officers, some in uniform, were in the area. Witnesses said that police began searching shortly before 8 a.m.

Portuguese media say this is the fourth search for McCann, following the initial one in 2007 in the Algarve area and further efforts in 2013 and 2014. Another search was held in Germany in 2020.

This search is believed to be the first in the area of the dam by police, but this couldn't be immediately confirmed.

The reservoir is currently less than half full owing to a drought affecting Portugal and neighboring Spain. The area where police were working with the tools would be below water in years of normal rainfall.

In mid-2020, German officials said that a 45-year-old German citizen, identified by media as Christian Brueckner, who was in the Algarve in 2007, was a suspect in the case. Brueckner has denied any involvement.

Brueckner is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005.

He is under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasnt been charged. He spent many years in Portugal, including in Praia da Luz, around the time of Madeleines disappearance.

German prosecutors in Braunschweig said in a written statement Tuesday that criminal procedural measures were taking place in Portugal as part of the Madeleine McCann case and that officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office were taking part.

The statement said more detailed information could not be given for "investigative tactical reasons.

The case of Madeleine McCann stirred worldwide interest for several years, with reports of sightings of her stretching as far away as Australia, along with a slew of books and television documentaries about the case.

Rewards for finding Madeleine, who would now be 20, reached several million dollars.

British, Portuguese and German police are still piecing together what happened on the night when the toddler disappeared from her bed in the southern Portuguese resort on May 3, 2007. She was in the same room as her twin brother and sister, who were 2 at the time, while her parents had dinner with friends at a nearby restaurant.

Referring to the latest searches, Braunschweig prosecutor Christian Wolters said Tuesday that the probe was being held on the basis of certain tips, but declined to give further details.

Madeleine's parents are not commenting due to the active investigation, according to an email response from the website set up for the search for the child, findmadeleine.com.

___

Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, and Ciaran Giles and Jennifer O'Mahony in Madrid, contributed to this report.
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KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Russia's military said Tuesday it quashed what appeared to be one of the most serious cross-border attacks from Ukraine since the war began, claiming to have killed more than 70 attackers in a battle that lasted around 24 hours.

Moscow blamed the raid that began Monday on Ukrainian military saboteurs. Kyiv portrayed it as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans. It was impossible to reconcile the two versions, to say with certainty who was behind the attack or to ascertain its aims.

The battle  which took place in southwest Russia's Belgorod region, about 80 kilometers (45 miles) north of the city of Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine  was a fresh reminder of how Russia itself remains vulnerable to attack, along with Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.

The region is a Russian military hub holding fuel and ammunition depots and was included in Russian President Vladimir Putin's order last year to increase the state of readiness for attacks and improve defenses.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to say how many attackers were involved in the assault or comment on why efforts to put down the attackers took so long.

Such cross-border attacks embarrass the Kremlin and highlight the struggles it faces in its bogged-down invasion of Ukraine.

The Belgorod region, like the neighboring Bryansk region and other border areas, has witnessed sporadic spillover from the war, which Russia started by invading Ukraine in February 2022.

Far from the 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) front line in southern and eastern Ukraine, Russian border towns and villages regularly come under shelling and drone attacks, but this week's attack is the second in recent months that also appears to have involved an incursion by ground forces. Another difference from earlier cross-border attacks is that Russia's effort to repel it continued into a second day for the first time.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed local troops, air strikes and artillery routed the attackers.

The remnants of the nationalists were driven back to the territory of Ukraine, where they continued to be hit by fire until they were completely eliminated, Konashenkov said, without providing evidence. He did not mention any Russian casualties.

Russian forces destroyed four armored combat vehicles and five pickup trucks the attackers used, he said. Local officials alleged the invaders also used drones and artillery.

The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said the raid targeted the rural area around Graivoron, a town about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the border. Twelve civilians were wounded in the attack, he said, and an older woman died during an evacuation.

The Russian news portal RBK, quoting unidentified sources in the regional interior ministry and territorial police, said Graivoron came under heavy shelling that lasted about five hours early Monday. After that, tanks fired at the Graivoron border checkpoint while the adjacent village of Kozinka came under mortar and rocket fire, RBK said, citing the same sources. Gladkov later reported that a Koznika villager had been killed.

The attacking force was made up of 10 armored vehicles and an unspecified number of troops, RBK said.

Earlier Tuesday, the regional governor urged residents who had evacuated not to return home until they received official instructions to do so. He said a counterterrorism operation was completed by early Tuesday evening.

Gladkov also said fire from the Ukrainian side of the border on Tuesday hit the Borisovka area, about 20 kilometers (20 miles) northeast of Graivoron. No casualties were reported, he said without elaborating on the incident.

The regional governor complained in a video late Tuesday that federal authorities' claims for the past year that everything is under control do not ring true in light of this attack and prior assaults. He appealed again to the Kremlin to strengthen defenses.

Since the war began, drones, explosions and missiles have hit fuel and ammunition depots, railroad equipment, bridges and air bases on Russian territory and Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine. Assassinations of Russian-appointed government officials and other public figures have also taken place in those areas.

Ukraine said Russian citizens belonging to murky groups called the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion were behind the assault.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said the attackers were Russian dissidents unhappy about Putins policies.

These are Russian patriots, as we understand it. People who actually rebelled against the Putin regime, she said.

The Freedom of Russia Legion said on Telegram the goal was to liberate the region.

The Russian Volunteer Corps implied on Telegram that the attack was over, adding: One day, well come to stay. The post went up at around the same time as the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have quashed the assault.

The U.K. Defense Ministry said it was highly likely that Russian security forces were fighting partisans in at least three locations in Belgorod.

Russia is facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions, with losses of combat aircraft, improvised explosive device attacks on rail lines and now direct partisan action, it said Tuesday.

Russias Investigative Committee, its top law enforcement agency, announced an investigation into alleged terrorism and attempted murder in connection with the raid.

Belgorod officials earlier this year said they had spent nearly 10 billion rubles ($125 million; 116 million euros) on fortifications to protect the region.

Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said the raid elicits deep concerns and that a "bigger effort was required to prevent future attacks.

The Russian Volunteer Corps claimed to have breached the border in early March. The shadowy group describes itself as a volunteer formation fighting on Ukraines side. It's not clear if it  or the Freedom of Russia Legion  has any ties with the Ukrainian military.

Elsewhere, Ukrainian forces made minor progress against Russian forces on the edge of Bakhmut, the eastern Ukrainian city that Moscow claims to have captured, according to Maliar, the Ukrainian deputy defense minister.

She said Tuesday that Ukrainian troops still controlled the southwestern outskirts of the city and that fighting was continuing in the suburbs, on Russias flanks.

Ukrainian military leaders say the fight in Bakhmut isn't over.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
Four people were shot and wounded outside an Alabama bar early Sunday in what police described as an exchange of gunfire
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TCAP testing began Monday, and this is the first year the third-grade retention law goes into effect in the state of Tennessee, meaning students could be held back for not meeting expectations in English.
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Several features of the Services, such as advertisements, classified ads, contests or sweepstakes, polls or surveys, and blogs, may be provided or operated by third parties. These third parties may also collect your personal data in order to use their services. For example, when you visit our Site or use our Services, advertisers or advertising intermediaries may select and display advertisements to you on your device. These companies may collect information from your device to help select which advertisements that they believe are more relevant to you. They may also use this information to tell advertisers that the advertisements have been delivered and seen. Please check their privacy policies for information about their privacy practices. You can also find out more about how they collect your information in the Cookies and Online Trackingsection of this Privacy Policy. In some cases these third parties may provide your personal data to us when there is a legitimate interest to do so.



Affiliates



Our Company has a number of affiliates. A list of them can be found at this link: http://hdmediallc.com. Our affiliates may sometimes share the personal data that they acquire with us when they have consent or there is a legitimate interest in doing so.



Other Sources



We may also obtain online and offline information about you from other organizations that have your permission or where there is a legitimate interest in sharing your personal data with us or companies like us. We may combine this with information we collect in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

C. HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA

Provide Products and Services that Are Relevant to You, Improve Your Experience, and Manage our Relationship with You.



If you sign up for an account with us (which is required in order to view some content offered through the Services or to make certain submissions) or use Facebook Connect in conjunction with the Services, then we may use your personal data to maintain your account and to correspond with you. We may use your personal data to provide you with products and services you have asked for, including allowing you to interact, comment, and participate in online games and contests. We may use your information to monitor, improve and protect our products, content, services and websites, both online and offline. We may also provide you with help and support where we believe it is required.



Personalize Content and Offers.



We may use your personal data to send you materials that we think would be of interest to you. We may also use cookies, web beacons, and other technology to help us recognize your computer/device and help us understand where our users go and how much time they spend there. We may also use these technologies, as well as geo-location technologies, to deliver content that is customized to you. If you do not wish to have us collect and use information collected from cookies, you should disable cookies on your computer/device. You should refer to your browsers help menu for up-to-date information on blocking cookies and other technologies. Currently, the Site is not designed to respond to any Do Not Track signals or other similar mechanisms. For more information about our use of cookies and similar technology, please see the Cookies and Online Tracking section of this Privacy Policy.



Send You Direct Marketing.



We may use your personal data to make decisions about what direct marketing to show you. This may include communications by post, telephone, email, messages (including push notifications from installed apps) to your devices, through social media (such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and on the Site, or on other websites, as you browse the Internet. The communications may contain information about our products, services, events and offers. We may also send you information, offers and promotions from our commercial customers and partners where you have given your consent. To opt-out of direct marketing, please see the instructions in the Access and Control Your Information section of this Privacy Policy.



Send You Product-Related and Similar Product and Services Communications.



If you email us, submit information to us, or ask to be placed on a mailing list that we maintain, then we may contact you and send information to you. We may send you information, exclusive offers and promotions about similar products and services to those that you have already engaged with or purchased, if you have previously given your consent. We may send you service messages by email, SMS, social media, postal mail, or other methods, containing important information about changes to our services or your account. To opt-out of receiving productrelated and similar product and services communications, please follow the instructions in the communication, change your account settings or email us at privacy@hdmediallc.com.



Conduct Market Research and Perform Analytics.



We may use your personal data to improve our marketing and promotional efforts, as part of a statistical usage analysis, and/or to improve the features and content of the Services. Specifically and among other methods, we may use Google Analytics, which collects user information using first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookie) or other first-party identifiers and third-party cookies (such as Google advertising cookies) and or other third-party identifiers. For more information about how Google collects and processes your data, please visit: https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/. If you wish to opt-out of Google Analytics, we direct you to Googles opt-out mechanism at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/.



Gain Audience Insights.



We may provide our commercial customers and partners with information about the effectiveness and reach of advertising campaigns that they have planned or carried out. This information will not identify you directly without your consent. For example, we may tell advertisers how many customers their advertisements can reach based on demographic criteria they select or how many times an advertisement was viewed. To opt-out of having your information used for audience insights, please email privacy@hdmediallc.com.



Detect Ad Blockers.



When you visit the Site, we may check (using cookies, code, script or other technical means) to see if you have an ad blocker installed on your device or if your internet browser settings allow advertisements. If we detect that your device or internet browser is using an ad blocker, we may ask you to whitelist, trust or pause blocking advertisements while you visit the Site. If you continue to use an ad blocker this may have an impact on the content you are able to see on the Site.



Allow Third-Party Advertising.



In some instances, targeted advertising may be displayed on the Site by third parties. Please be aware that the Companys advertisers, business partners, sponsors, service providers, vendors and third parties accessible through the Services (such as via links from the Site and/or through Facebook Connect) may have their own privacy practices. The Company is not responsible for any actions or policies of such third parties. You should check the applicable privacy policies of the third parties when providing information to them. These third parties may provide your personal data to the Company and may also use the information in accordance with their own privacy practices.



Provide Co-Branded Services and Features.



We may offer co-branded services or features, such as competitions or other promotions, together with a third party and may share the information you provide with that third party with your consent. These co-branded services may be hosted by the Company or by the third party. In these instances the third party may also be a data controller for your information. In this case, the third partys use of your information will be governed by their privacy policy, which you should always read. To opt-out of sharing your information with such third parties, please email privacy@hdmediallc.com.



Disclose Information as Permitted or Required by Law.



Your personal data may be disclosed where we are permitted or required by law to do so, such as pursuant to a court order, warrant, subpoena, or discovery request. We may also disclose your personal data where we are allowed by law in cases where we believe in good faith that it is necessary to prevent a crime, an injury or financial loss to ourselves or to third parties.



Ensure Services Are Being Used Appropriately.



If you engage in disruptive behavior anywhere on the Site or in the Services, including violations of the Terms of Use, we may use your personal data to stop such behavior. This may involve informing and responding to relevant third parties such as law enforcement agencies about the content and your behavior.



Sale of Our Business or Bankruptcy.



In conjunction with the sale or offering for sale of some or all of the Company or in the event of the Companys bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, or similar financial circumstances, your personal data may be part of the assets disclosed.



Sale or License of Personal Data for Targeting Marketing.



In order to provide you with ads and other content that may be of interest to you, or in order to provide you with targeted emails or other communications that may be of interest to you, we may sell or license some or all of your personal data to third parties. You may opt-out of this practice by emailing us at privacy@hdmediallc.com or following the procedures set forth in the Access and Control Your Information section of this Privacy Policy.



Process Payments and Check Your Identity.



Customer personal data will be used to take payment for products and services and may be used to verify credit details related to this payment. Permission to do so is implicit in providing financial details to process payment. Direct debit or continuous payment authority information, including card details, may be retained in accordance with our regulatory requirements, by us or our payment processors for ease of renewal of services. Additionally, we may receive updated payment details from your bank or payment provider from time to time, which we may use to ensure that your details are kept up to date and to allow us to take future payments. Financial institutions, such as those which process credit card orders, are subject to federal privacy laws. If we provide a service to you that is dependent on age or residency, and we have an obligation to verify this information, then we may pass your details to a third party to carry out the verification for us.



Ensure Our Products and Services Conform With Industry Standards.



We may share your personal data with auditors for the purposes of verifying that we comply with relevant standards. This may require them to access your information in our systems.



Share Between Our Affiliates for Analytics, Analysis, Audience Insights, Business Efficiencies, Content Personalization, and Delivery of Relevant Advertising.



The Company may rely on our legitimate interests as an advertising-funded organization to share your information with our affiliates to perform analytics and analysis of how you interact with the Site, develop relevant products and services, deliver more relevant advertising and show you relevant affiliate content. To opt-out of sharing your information with such affiliates, please email privacy@hdmediallc.com. Please bear in mind that opting-out will relate to any future sharing and not to information already shared.



Disclosure to Our Processors.



We may pass your information to our processors  companies that we use to provide services on our behalf, for example for home delivery services, prize fulfillment agencies, market research or other purposes mentioned in this Privacy Policy. These processors can only use your information in accordance with our instructions and for no other purpose.

D. OUR LEGAL BASES FOR USING YOUR PERSONAL DATA

Legal Bases



There are a number of legal grounds that enable us to collect and use your personal data. Below are the most relevant:



i. With Your Consent (Consent)



There are some activities where we process personal data with your consent, such as asking permission to send you marketing materials by email. You can opt-out or withdraw consent at any time. However, if you opt-out or withdraw consent, we may not be able to provide the product or service you have requested.



ii. To Fulfill a Contract (Contract)



We may process your personal data in order to fulfill a contract we have with you. For example, we would use your information to provide you with access to your digital subscription or other products you have signed up for or to provide information regarding contests you have entered (such as to notify you if you win a prize to which you are entitled).



iii. For a legitimate interest (Legitimate Interest)



We may use your information where there is a legitimate reason to do so and only if it is fair and lawful. When we rely on legitimate interests as the basis for collecting your information, we will balance our legitimate interests versus your privacy rights.

Our legitimate interests include:



 Support for a free press, including journalist activities of societal importance;

 Support for the right to receive information;

 Development, delivery, and maintenance of relevant and engaging products, services, and advertising;

 Understanding how and when our audience engages and interacts with us and other organizations;

 Improvement of our ability to serve our audience;

 Conducting commercial business; and

 Compliance with industry standards.



iv. To Comply with Legal Obligations (Legal Obligation)



Under certain circumstances, we may process your personal data to ensure compliance with legal and regulatory obligations or to prosecute or defend claims.



Purpose of Processing



The specific legal basis for our use will depend on the purpose the information is used for. Please note that we may rely on more than one legal basis for our use.





Purpose of Processing Legal Basis Provide products and services that are relevant to you, improve your experience, and manage our relationship with you Consent, Contract, Legitimate Interest, Legal Obligation Personalize content and offers Consent, Contract, Legitimate Interest Send you direct marketing Consent, Legitimate Interest Send you product-related and similar product and services communications Consent, Contract, Legitimate Interest Conduct market research and perform analytics Consent, Legitimate Interest Gain audience insights Consent, Legitimate Interest Detect ad blockers Contract, Legitimate Interest, Legal Obligation Allow third-party advertising Consent, Contract, Legitimate Interest Provide co-branded services and features Consent, Contract, Legitimate Interest Disclose information as permitted or required by law Consent, Contract, Legal Obligation Ensure services are being used appropriately Legitimate Interest, Legal Obligation Sale of our business Legitimate Interest, Legal Obligation Sale or license to third parties for direct marketing Consent, Legitimate Interest Process payments, check your identity Consent, Contract, Legitimate Interest, Legal Obligation Disclosure to processors Consent, Contract, Legitimate Interest, Legal Obligation Share between our affiliates for analytics, analysis, audience insights, business efficiencies, content personalization, and delivery of relevant advertising Consent, Legitimate Interest Ensure our products and services conform with industry standards Legitimate Interest

E. ACCESS AND CONTROL YOUR INFORMATION

Updating Your Information.



Please ensure your personal information is current or tell us of any changes or inaccuracies. You may update this information in your account settings or email us at privacy@hdmediallc.com. Please note that we may seek confirmation of your identity before making any changes to your account.



Managing Your Accounts with the Site.



You may have several accounts for Services available through this Site. To access or modify your subscription account with the Site, log in at https://www.loganbanner.com/account and follow the instructions to change your account settings. For other accounts, such as a newsletter account or classifieds advertisement account, you can manage your account through the account management methodology prescribed by the vendor for that Service or contact us at privacy@hdmediallc.com.



Opting Out / Withdrawing Consent for Processing.



Under circumstances where we may rely on your consent to process personal data, you may withdraw your consent at any time. You may do this by changing your account settings as described above or by sending the details of your request to privacy@hdmediallc.com (please note that we may seek confirmation of your identity before making any changes to your account). In some instances we may still have an alternative legal basis to continue to process that personal data as set forth in the Purpose of Processing section of this Privacy Policy. If you do withdraw consent, we may not be able to provide the product or service you have requested.



Email Promotions.



For email promotions, in addition to changing your account settings, you may opt out of receiving commercial email messages from us by following the instructions contained in those email messages.



Targeted Advertising.



Please see the Cookies and Online Tracking section of this Privacy Policy for information about how to disable cookies and other choices that may be available to you with respect to certain types of targeted advertising.



Retention of Personal Data.



We will retain your personal data for as long as necessary for the uses set forth in this Privacy Policy, or while there is a legitimate reason for doing so. If you ask us to delete your information before that time, we may not be able to do so due to technical, legal, regulatory or contractual constraints. For example, we would need to retain your name and contact details for suppression purposes if you do not want to receive direct marketing from us. If you ask for your account to be closed, we will do this as soon as is reasonably possible subject to any applicable terms and conditions relating to the account. Some personal data from closed accounts is retained in order to comply with legal obligations, prevent fraud, collect any fees owed and to resolve disputes.



Confirmation of Your Identity.



Please note that we may seek confirmation of your identity before releasing any personal data to you or making changes to your account.

F. EMBEDDED CONTENT AND LINKS TO THIRD-PARTY SITES AND SERVICES

Our Services may embed content from, or link to, third-party websites and services, including social media platforms, that are outside of our control. We are not responsible for the security or privacy of any information collected by other websites or other services. This Privacy Policy does not govern these third partys content or services, and we encourage you to review the privacy statements applicable to the third-party websites and services you use.

G. OUR COMMITMENT TO SECURITY

We have put in place physical, electronic, and managerial procedures that we believe are appropriate to safeguard and help prevent unauthorized access, maintain data security, and correctly use the information we collect online. Please note that we cannot guarantee the security of our databases, Site or Services; nor can we guarantee that information will not be intercepted while being transmitted over the Internet. In order to use some of the features of the Services, you may be required to create an account with us. For your protection, this account will only be accessible by means of a password or similar security measure. If you believe that your password or email address has been compromised, you should change your account with us immediately. If you forget your password for your subscription account with this Site, follow the instructions on the login page at https://www.loganbanner.com/users/admin/.

H. CHILDREN

Collection of Information.



The Company does not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 13 through the Services unless such collection is done in accordance with the law. If you are a child under the age of 13 that intends to submit information to the Company through the Services, you must obtain your parents consent prior to making such a submission. In the event that the Company obtains actual knowledge that you are a child under the age of 13, the Company may require that you (and/or your parent) prove to us your prior parental consent. Even if you are 13 or over, we recommend that all children under the age of 18 obtain parental consent prior to the submission or purchase of anything through the Services. To obtain a parental consent form, please contact privacy@hdmediallc.com.



Parental Options and Review.



Parents of children under the age of 13 have the option to agree to the collection and use of their childs personal data without consenting to the disclosure of the information to third parties (subject to the Companys protection of itself and others, disclosures for legal reasons, and the Companys current technological capabilities). In addition, parents can review the personal data provided by their child under the age of 13, ask to have it deleted and refuse to allow any further collection or use of the childs information (subject to the same items as above). In order to make these requests, parents should email a detailed request to privacy@hdmediallc.com or follow the procedures set forth in the Opting Out / Withdrawing Consent for Processing section of this Privacy Policy. Please note that, while the Services will not require more information from children under 13 than is reasonably necessary to participate in any activity or event, deletion of required information (such as information that would permit the Company to contact the winner of a contest) may result in termination of the childs participation in an event or activity. Parents should also note that the official rules for contests and promotions on the Services may contain additional information related to their childrens privacy and the parents rights and responsibilities.

I. GDPR COMPLIANCE

Company Does Not Target EU Users.



Company does not presently have an office in Europe, accept sales in the currency of an EU country, market in the language of an EU country (other than English, the language of Companys country), provide translation in the language of an EU country, or have a domain suffix for an EU country. Nor does Company actively offer shipping services to an EU country, engage in monitoring the behavior of EU residents, or otherwise actively target customers or consumers in the European Union. Nevertheless, Company has incorporated certain provisions into this Privacy Policy in an effort to comply with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Additional Rights of Users in the EU.



If you are an individual in the European Union, you may request a copy of your personal data from the Company and you may have the right to not be profiled. You can also ask us to correct any inaccuracies in your personal data. In some circumstances you may be able to ask us to transfer information you have provided to us to another organization. Similarly, you may be able to transfer your information from another organization to us, but you should check with us first to confirm this is possible. You may also have the right to object, erase, or restrict our processing of your information  for example, where we process personal data because this is in our legitimate interests, you may object to this. We will need to carefully consider your request, as there may be circumstances which require us, or allow us, to continue processing your data. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@hdmediallc.com. These rights may be restricted by law, for example we may not be able to provide a copy of your data where the data we hold is also the data of a third party and it is not reasonable to disclose this information. Please note that we may seek confirmation of your identity before releasing any personal data to you or making changes to your account.

J. CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS

California residents are entitled once a year, free of charge, to request and obtain certain information regarding our disclosure, if any, of certain categories of personal data to third parties for their direct marketing purposes in the preceding calendar year. California residents who are registered users of the Services and are under the age of 18 are entitled, in accordance with California law, to request and obtain removal of content and information that they themselves post on the Services. You may request such removal by emailing us at privacy@hdmediallc.com. In your request, please provide a description of the material that you want removed and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material, and include your name, email address and/or Site user name, year of birth, mailing address (including city, state, and zip code), and the subject line California Removal Request so that we can process your request. Please note that your request does not ensure complete or comprehensive removal of the material. For example, some information that you have posted may be republished or reposted by another user or third party or may be retained for legal reasons.

K. COOKIES AND ONLINE TRACKING

This section covers our use of cookies and similar technologies, such as web beacons, Local Shared Objects (Flash cookies) and HTML 5 Local Storage. We and third parties that provide content, advertising, or functionality to our Services, or that measure and analyze ad performance on our Services, may use cookies, web beacons, mobile ad identifiers, and similar technologies to facilitate administration and navigation on the Site, to better understand and improve our Services, to determine and/or improve the advertising shown to you on the Site or elsewhere, and to provide you with a customized online experience.

Cookies.



Cookies are small files that are placed on your computer when you visit a website. Cookies may be used to store a unique identification number tied to your computer or device so that you can be recognized as the same user across one or more browsing sessions, and across one or more sites. Cookies serve many useful purposes. For example:



Cookies can remember your sign-in credentials so you do not have to enter those credentials each time you visit a Service.

Cookies can help us and third parties understand which parts of our Services are the most popular because they help us see which pages and features visitors access and how much time they spend on the pages. By studying this kind of information, we are better able to adapt our Services and provide you with a better experience.

Cookies help us and third parties understand which ads you have seen so that you dont receive the same ad each time you access a Service.

Most browsers accept cookies automatically, but can be configured not to do so or to notify the user when a cookie is being sent. If you wish to disable cookies, refer to your browser help menu to learn how to disable cookies. If you disable browser cookies or flash cookies, it may interfere with the proper functioning of the Services.



Beacons.



We, along with third parties, also may use technologies called beacons (or pixels) that communicate information from your device to a server. Beacons can be embedded in online content, videos, and emails, and can allow a server to read certain types of information from your device, know when you have viewed particular content or a particular email message, determine the time and date on which you viewed the beacon, and the IP address of your device. We and third parties use beacons for a variety of purposes, including to analyze the use of our Services and (in conjunction with cookies) to provide content and ads that are more relevant to you.



Local Storage and Other Tracking Technologies.



We, along with third parties, may use other kinds of technologies, such as Local Shared Objects (also referred to as Flash cookies) and HTML5 local storage, in connection with our Services. We also may use unique identifiers associated with your device, such as mobile ad identifiers. These technologies are similar to the cookies discussed above in that they are stored on your device and can be used to store certain information about your activities and preferences. However, these technologies may make use of different parts of your device from standard cookies, and so you might not be able to control them using standard browser tools and settings. For HTML5 local storage, the method for disabling HTML5 will vary depending on your browser. For Flash cookies, information about disabling or deleting information contained in Flash cookies can be found at https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/disable-local-shared-objects-flash.html.



How to Disable Tracking Technologies.



If you wish to disable cookies and other tracking technologies, please refer to your browsers help menu to learn how to disable them. Information about how to disable Flash cookies is set forth above. Some web browsers may transmit do-not-track signals to the websites with which the user communicates. The Services currently do not take action in response to these signals. Please note that disabling cookies and other tracking technologies may interfere with the proper functioning of the Services.

L. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

This Privacy Policy may be changed from time to time, so we encourage you to check back with every visit to the Services. If you do not agree to one or more of the changes, you may choose to opt out, using the Opting Out procedures set forth in this Privacy Policy. Once the change has been made, all information collected by the Services after the change will be subject to the new terms of the Privacy Policy. In addition, if you affirm your agreement to this Privacy Policy, such as by clicking I agree when asked if you agree to be subject to this Privacy Policy or the legal terms of the Services, then all information collected prior to the change will also be subject to the new terms. The current version of this Privacy Policy is effective August 1, 2019.

M. CONTACT US

For privacy concerns, you may contact our Privacy Operator / Data Protection Officer as follows:

By email: privacy@hdmediallc.com

By postal mail: Website Privacy Issues

c/o Jim Heady

HD Media Company, LLC

946 Fifth Avenue

Huntington, WV 25701

Company may have several operators collecting or maintaining personal information. The operator listed above, or his/her successor, is responsible for responding to privacy inquiries. Third parties accessible through the Services may have their own such operators.
Two Longford mothers have appeared in court charged with fraudulently carrying out a string of transactions while using a stolen Revolut card.

Sylvia Nevin (33) 41 Grian Ard, Ardnacassa, Longford and Winnifred Nevin, also known as Winnie Mooney, 4 Camlin View, Longford were both charged with a series of theft related offences at several shops in Longford town on March 6.

They included thefts at Fresh Today, Longford Shopping Centre, Day Today, The Kiosk, 57 Dublin Street, Longford, Iceland, Athlone Road, Longford, Mr Price, Athlone Road, Longford, The Checkout, Ballymahon Street, Longford and Tesco, Longford Shopping Centre.

All of the alleged incidents, the court heard, resulted in the loss of 234 to the injured party.

Sgt Mark Mahon, for the prosecution, said the card had been taken from the alleged male victim inside the doors of a local fastfood restaurant.

This matter relates to an incident where a revolut card was obtained from the injured party in a takeaway in Longford and gardai found out there was a number of transactions on that revolut card, he said.

The total amount the injured party was out of pocket was 234.76. It would appear there would be seven different transactions that brought it up to that amount at various different locations.

Judge Bernadette Owens accepted jurisdiction in the case, meaning the matter could be dealt with at District Court level.

Solicitor for both women, Brid Mimnagh said Ms Mooney, or Ms Nevin as she is otherwise known, was a single mother of four with her co-accused being a widow mother of three young children.

Ms Mimnagh said she would be seeking an adjournment to allow for a fully prepared submission of mitigation on foot of a guilty plea which was to be entered by both women.

Legal aid was also granted to both accused, who were remanded on bail until a sitting of Longford District Court on July 18.

Its expected that on that date a victim impact statement from those shops affected will also be handed into the court.
A woman has appeared in court charged with biting a security guard during an altercation at holiday resort giant, Center Parcs.

Forty-year-old Ann Marie Roche, of Baskin Lane, Cloughran, Swords, Dublin came before a sitting of Longford District Court today (Tuesday) charged with two counts of assault causing harm following an incident on June 10 last year.

Garda Vincent O'Leary gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. He said Ms Roche made no reply after caution before handing her a true copy of the charge sheet.

Sgt Conor McShane, on behalf of the State, asked for bail to be extended from previous charges of intoxication and using threatening and abusive behaviour which Ms Roche had initially been charged with.

He said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had consented for summary disposal on two section 3 assaults, meaning the case could be heard and disposed of at District Court level.

Those alleged offences took place the day after the two assault charges before the court.

Judge Bernadette Owens, in deciding jurisdiction, was told while there were no medical reports to hand, the allegations centred on two separate bites to the thumb area and palm of a security guard's left hand.

The court was told both alleged bites punctured the skin of the alleged victim.

Ms Roche, who stood impassively in the body of the court throughout today's brief hearing, gave no indication of how she would plead.

Her defence solicitor Anthony Feeney requested the full disclosure of all statements and evidential documentation relevant to the case.

Judge Owens acceded to that request and remanded Ms Roche on bail to a sitting of Longford District Court on June 20.
Hold onto you hats, Backstage Theatre are about to present another unmissable theatre experience when they welcome Decadent Theatre's dramatic adaptation of Donal Ryans acclaimed, Booker Prize-nominated novel, From a Low and Quiet Sea.



Created in conjunction with Galway Arts Centre this production features a stunning cast consisting of; Aosaf Afzal, Eva Bartley, Denis Conway, and Darragh O'Toole.

The story is one of four souls. Each searching for something they have lost. Each trying to make sense of the road they have chosen.



For Farouk, family is all. He has protected his wife and daughter from the war. If they stay, they will lose their freedom. If they flee, they will lose all they have known of home, for a faraway land across the merciless sea.



Lampy is distracted. Hes with Eleanor, but shes not Chloe. His granddads sniping jokes are getting on his wick. And on top of all that, he has a bus to drive; those old folks from the home cant wait all day.

For John, the game was always the lifeblood coursing through his veins. Manipulating people for enrichment, for enjoyment, for spite. But it was never enough. The lifeblood is slowing down, will God listen?



Florences son is acting differently which forces her to look for answers, but she is afraid of the truth that lies within herself.

The mother, the refugee, the penitent, the dreamer. Four characters, four lost souls, searching for a version of home.



The play is an adaptation by author Donal Ryan, in conjunction with the cast, and director Andrew Flynn.

This original production of From A Low and Quiet Sea was developed with support of: The Arts Council, Backstage Activate Bursary and GIAF Elevate programme.

From a Low and Quiet Sea will be presented onstage at backstage theatre on Tuesday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24. Curtain at 8pm.
Crime

By Long Island Published: May 23 2023

Hampton Bays resident, Paul Allen, 66, was arrested on charges of child pornography possession and public lewdness following an extensive investigation by the Suffolk County DA's Office and Southampton Town Police Department.

Paul Allen, a 66-year-old resident of Hampton Bays, was apprehended on Monday, May 22, at his residence on King Street. The arrest followed an extensive investigation conducted by the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office in collaboration with the Southampton Town Police Department.

Law enforcement officials have revealed that the investigation revolved around allegations of possessing child pornography and engaging in acts of public lewdness. The combined efforts of the investigating agencies led to sufficient evidence being gathered, leading to the subsequent arrest of Paul Allen.

Allen has been charged with multiple offenses, including two counts of public lewdness, categorized as misdemeanors. Additionally, he faces three counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child under the age of 17, classified as felonies. Moreover, he is confronted with five counts of possessing sexual performance by a child, encompassing instances of sexual conduct involving a child under the age of 16, also designated as felonies.

As of today, Allen is scheduled for arraignment in Suffolk County Court on Tuesday, May 23. The arraignment will be presided over by a judge who will assess the charges brought against him and determine the subsequent legal proceedings.

Law enforcement agencies have not released further details regarding the circumstances surrounding the case or any additional individuals involved. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging anyone with relevant information to come forward and assist in the inquiry.

The arrest of Paul Allen serves as a reminder of the continuous efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat crimes involving child exploitation. Such offenses are taken seriously, and the authorities remain committed to protecting the well-being of children within the community.
Local News

By Chris Boyle Published: May 23 2023

Interactive App and Website Highlights 47 African American Historical Sites Across the County.

In celebration of Juneteenth, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today launched the interactive Freedom Trail Challenge highlighting African American historical sites within Suffolk County. The trail, which is available on a downloadable app and on Suffolk County's website, will provide residents an opportunity to learn about the African American history of the county.

Juneteenth (short for June Nineteenth) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. On June 17, 2021, it officially became a federal holiday.

In Suffolk County, we proudly embrace inclusivity and equality and creating this Juneteenth Freedom Trail allows residents of all ages to explore and better understand the rich African American history that our County has to offer, said County Executive Steve Bellone. Juneteenth gives us an opportunity to acknowledge and commemorate the progress made in this nation. However, there is still work to be done in regards to eliminating injustice in our country. As the county government, we bear the responsibility of taking meaningful steps to creating an environment where everyone is accepted and treated equally.

"Creating this Juneteenth Freedom Trail allows for all of the research and information concerning African American historical sites within Suffolk County to be housed under one umbrella," said Deputy County Executive Vanessa Baird-Streeter. "We are thankful for each of the town's historians, historical societies, commissions and individuals who have dedicated their work to uncovering the rich history displayed in the Suffolk County Juneteenth Freedom Trail. We encourage educators, administrators, community based organizations and youth groups to participate in our challenge and use the information shared as teachable opportunities for the residents of Suffolk County and beyond."

The Juneteenth Freedom Trail Challenge is open to all school age children from now until June 15th. The County is working with local school districts, community based organizations and youth organizations to encourage student participation in the challenge.

Students who visit a majority of the historical sites will be recognized at the Juneteenth Jubilee celebration on June 19th. Visiting each location is worth one point; completing the photo challenge at each site is worth one additional point. Prizes will also be awarded for the first, second and third place winners.

"It warms my heart that Juneteenth has gone from a day that many residents were unfamiliar with to a national holiday that we can all celebrate and learn about together," said Suffolk County Legislature Minority Leader Jason Richberg. "The county's new Juneteenth Freedom Trail program is an incredible opportunity for our young people to learn about Suffolk County's history and the numerous historical African American sites across our county. Thank you to County Executive Bellone and our friends at the county's African American Advisory Board for all of their work on this initiative."

Mary Cascone, Babylon Town Historian said: "Every day - not just around holidays and anniversaries - the history of African-American people is local history. This a great opportunity to share community stories and history with our Suffolk County neighbors, in this interactive format."

For more information on how to play, please visit www.suffolkcountyny.gov/ Freedom-Trail.
Crime

By Chris Boyle Published: May 23 2023

Sharayda Washington fired ten shots, striking and killing a 16-year-old and injuring another.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly announced that a West Hempstead man was sentenced today to 32 years to life in prison for an ambush shooting of rival gang members in March 2019, in which a 16-year-old was struck and killed, and another teen was injured.

Sharayda Washington, 26, was convicted on March 23, 2023, after a jury trial before Judge Robert Schwartz of Murder in the Second Degree (an A-I felony); Attempted Murder in the Second Degree (a B violent felony); Assault in the Second Degree (a D violent felony); and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree (a C violent felony).

The trial began on March 13, 2023, and the jury deliberated for approximately two hours before delivering their verdict.

The defendant was sentenced today to 32 years to life in prison.

This defendant, trying to settle a score with a rival and elevate his status within his own gang, fired a barrage of bullets at a young man who was standing with an unsuspecting group, killing 16-year-old Josiah Tucker and injuring another teen, said DA Donnelly. This violent outburst took place as members of the community were walking the streets in broad daylight, and just steps away from the Nassau County District Court, which had people exiting for the day. Thankfully, no one else was hurt. My office remains committed to ridding Hempstead of senseless and deadly gang violence.

DA Donnelly said that, on March 13, 2019, at approximately 5:45 p.m. in the vicinity of 129 Jackson Street in Hempstead, the defendant, a member of the Bloods, fired 10 shots with a .22 caliber handgun at a group of nine individuals who were part of the Crips, in retribution for an altercation that took place a week earlier between the rival gangs.

Sixteen-year-old Josiah Tucker was struck in the chest and a second 16-year-old victim was shot in the buttocks.

Both teens were taken to NYU Langone Hospital  Long Island, where Tucker was later pronounced deceased.

The defendant fled the scene following the shooting and was later apprehended in Georgia in connection with another pending criminal matter in Nassau County and extradited on October 14, 2019.

Washington was charged in this case on December 4, 2019.
Now in its 45th year, HIA-LI is one of Long Islands largest business advocacy organizations. It also represents the Long Island Innovation Park at Hauppauge, the largest industrial park in the Northeast. The park supports 55,000 jobs, produces $13 billion in goods and services each year, and accounts for eight percent of Long Islands gross domestic product. For more information, go to www.HIA-LI.org or call (631) 543-5355.
The New York State Board of Regents' decision in April 2023 that all public schools in the state be banned from using Native American names, logos, and mascots, the New York State Department of Education (NYSED) this week have released their official guidelines on the implementation of the ban, including putative measures for failure to comply.

These punishments range in severity, with a "last resort" consisting of an offending school school losing state funding.

The ban will affect 12 Long Island school districts, including Massapequa, Comsewogue, and Brentwood.
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Lycoming College 2023 graduate Michael Kustanbauter of Muncy, Pa., was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant active duty Military Police Officer at a May 11 commissioning ceremony officiated by Lt. Col. John C. Acosta of Bald Eagle Battalion ROTC program.

As an ROTC cadet, Kustanbauter participated in weekly classes, physical training, monthly leadership labs, and a field training exercise every semester, all while keeping pace with his academic commitments. He graduated from Lycoming College May 13, with a major in criminal justice and a minor in sociology. Upon commissioning, Kustanbauter committed to six years of military service.

As part of the commissioning ceremony, Kustanbauter raised his right hand and recited the oath as he received gold lieutenant bars, signifying the transition from cadet to professional military officer, and his first salute, representing the symbolic receipt of respect due a newly commissioned 2nd lieutenant.

Pursuing a career through the ROTC program at Lycoming College is a very challenging yet rewarding path to follow. We are very proud of Mike for living up to the rigorous demands of an ROTC cadet, said Chip Edmonds, executive vice president at Lycoming College. Mikes Lycoming College education has prepared him well for an exceptional career as he embarks upon a life marked by leadership and service in our nations military.

The Lycoming College Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program offers students the chance to pursue higher education with financial support from the Army. Along with learning and physical training, the program prepares students for military service as commissioned officers in the active Army, or part-time in the Army Reserve or Army National Guard. More information on ROTC at Lycoming College is available at https://www.lycoming.edu/rotc.
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT  Another batch of Taiwanese businessmen visited to look into investment and business prospects inside this premier Freeport on Thursday.

According to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Jonathan D. Tan who welcomed the team, the facility visit is part of the Integrated Investment Campaign: New Southbound Philippines-Taiwan Delegation in the Philippines.

The said campaign is aimed at providing foreign investors an insight about the business climate in the Freeport and entice them to invest here.

During the investment briefing held at the SBMA boardroom, Tan disclosed to the nine-man delegation of businessmen that the administrations new approach in enticing investments here is called the JDT method which stands for Jobs Development and Tourism.

Using the Chairmans initials, the JDT method focuses on increasing job opportunities for Filipino workers, Development of the Subic Bay Freeport, and Tourism boom for all tourist spots here.

J for jobs, create more jobs for the people; D for development, encourage more investors in making the Freeport a competitive business hub; and T for tourism, make your stay at the Freeport relaxing while doing business, Tan said.

Business and Investment Department for Manufacturing and Maritime (BID-MM) Manager Karen Magno gave an investment briefing to the group regarding the various business activities inside the Freeport Zone.

She also highlighted the ease of doing business in the Freeport as the SBMA very well provides assistance for companies locating here.

Xantheng Subic International Corporation Assistant to the CEO Best Chang also presented the Tipo Hightech Eco Park (THEP) located at the Tipo Gate area. THEP is a rising industrial park that can cater from small to heavy industry businesses.

The Subic Bay Development and Management Corporation (SBDMC) Inc. Investment Services Department Manager Julie Tan also gave a briefing on the Subic Bay Gateway Park (SBGP), citing that the area has been one of the first industrial parks for Taiwanese companies in Subic.

Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PITC) Taipei Director for Commercial Affairs and Head of Delegation Anthony B. Rivera expressed his gratitude to Chairman Tan, citing that the Subic Bay Freeport is certainly a conducive area for Taiwanese businesses to prosper.

The official also thanked the SBMA for the presentation, facility visit and for arranging the meetings with other locators inside the Freeport, citing that the information provided will certainly be useful for companies looking into investing in Subic.

Deputy Administrator for Business Group Atty. John Aquino also conveyed his gratitude to the delegation, citing that their interest in investing in Subic Freeport would also mean the possibility of investing here. He added that by giving them a look into this premier Freeport, the delegation would also pique the interest of other Taiwanese companies as well.

The business mission, which is an offshoot of the Integrated Investment Promotion Campaign in Taiwan back in October 2022, was made thru the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) of Taipei.

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A man found not far from a middle school in Dorchester with gunshot wounds died on Monday, prompting an investigation by Boston police.

Officers responded to a call of shots fired at around 4:57 p.m. in the area of 264 Columbia Road, according to a police statement. Upon arrival, they found the victim, who has not been identified by authorities. He was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The man was found near Lilla Frederick Pilot Middle School. Class was no longer in session but after-school activities were taking place, prompting the school to go into safe mode, Channel 7 reported.

The Frederick Middle Schools Safe Mode was lifted after it was determined that normal after-school activities could resume, and all students were moved to another location where they could be received by their families, the school told families.

Read more: Officials investigating fatal shooting that occurred in Waltham

Boston Public Schools told families about the situation, letting them know that the middle school was working with BPS Safety Services and Boston Police to ensure that our school community was safe, the television station reported.

This marks the fourth shooting near the middle school since March 2022, Boston.com reported. At that time, a teacher and TechBoston student were both shot outside the school. In October 2022, a student from Jeremiah Burke High School was shot outside Lilla Frederick. Two months later, two people were shot near the Joseph Lee K-8 School, about two miles away from the middle school.

Read more: Springfield shooting in Bay neighborhood leaves victim with serious injuries

Boston police are investigating the shooting and ask for the publics assistance. Anyone with information can reach out to Boston Police Homicide Detectives at (617) 343-4470.
Police are searching for an individual accused of firing gunshots near a Boston firefighter crew working in Dorchester Tuesday afternoon.

At around 12:15 p.m., Boston firefighters assigned to the Ladder 6 company were working in the Dorchester Avenue and Gallivan Boulevard area when they heard shots fire near them, the department wrote in a statement.

Boston and state police immediately responded to the firefighters aid after the shots rang out. Police secured the area and authorities said no one was hit by the gunfire.

Police shut down portions of Dorchester Avenue and Gallivan Boulevard on Tuesday afternoon to investigate the shooting and search for the suspect.

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to call the Boston Police Department at 800-494-TIPS.
A Rhode Island man was charged after he was suspected of poisoning on May 18 almost 50 fish in a koi pond outside a motel in Foster, Rhode Island belonging to a state senators wife, WCVB reports.

Heidi Weston Rogers, the owner of the Stone House Motor Inn on Danielson Pike in Foster, posted on Facebook that since May 19, she counted 18 koi fish and 30 large goldfish dead. Rogers husband is Rhode Island state Sen. Gordon Rogers.

The Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals law enforcement officials were contacted by the Foster Police Department about an animal cruelty investigation, according to a statement. Jeffrey Gronski was taken into custody without incident and charged with malicious injury or killing of animals. Officers learned that Gronski poured Miracle-Gro in the pond after a dispute with Rogers. He was arraigned and released on personal recognizance but is due to appear in court again on Aug. 17.

Some humans are just evil, Rogers post read. We have had our koi pond at the motel for 15 years, and spend countless hours every spring and summer maintaining it.

She said Gronski, a long-term guest, was asked to clean some junk outside of his room, and instead wanted to get even.

He knew how much time was spent on the pond and caring for the fish, and he knew how much they meant to us, she said.

Rogers said she spent thousands of dollars and 15 years raising the fish and maintaining the pond. Growing up, her grandchildren liked to feed the fish.

Read more: Sharon Kranich charged in connection with Pittsfield kidnapping

In a second post on Friday night, she shared videos of the dead fish inside the shovel of a bulldozer before they were dropped into a mass grave.

I still cannot believe that someone could be this cruel, her second post read. Fifteen years of caring for these fish now covered in dirt.
SPRINGFIELD  Kevin Atheampong, a 17-year-old junior at Baystate Academy Charter Public School in Springfield, wants to be a mechanical engineer. I like the idea of creating a product and getting it out there, he said. And it involves physics. I think physics is interesting.

Tuesday, he met with a recruiter and an environmental engineer from MassDOT and with other employers, military branches, the Massachusetts State Police, educators and training programs at a first-of-its-kind job and career fair hosted by former Pride Stores owner Robert Bolduc and Bolducs Hope for Youth & Families Foundation.

Tanyah Griffith, a 17-year-old junior at the same school, headed over to the Baystate Health table. Shes interested in nursing, she said, because she always wants to be in a position to help others.

Bolduc, who sold Pride in 2022 to focus on the philanthropy, welcomed between 400 and 500 high school 11th and 12 graders from Springfields Empowerment Zone Schools and also from Springfields public charter schools to the fair at the MassMutual Center.

The citys public schools were invited, but Tuesdays date conflicted with their schedules, Bolduc said.

Theyll be here next year, he said.

The job fair marries his long -term goal of helping young people improve their lives with his experience over the decades hiring and staffing a chain of convenience stores with a central commercial kitchen.

These kids have so much opportunity, he said. But they dont know they have it. And once they learn what they can do, it gives them a goal so they work harder, study harder. You need a goal.

Youth employment, or lack of it, has been a persistent problem in the economy.

While the states overall unemployment rate averaged 3.4 percent in 2022, a number economists call full employment, the unemployment rate among those 16 to 19 years old and looking for work was 10.2%. Among those 20 to 24 years old, it was 7.7%, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At Bolducs event, the city of Springfield presented information on a variety of careers, said Chloe Meunier, a human resources generalist, who represented the city. Most of those jobs require education after high school.

But the city will hire recent high school graduates for training as 911 emergency operators, she said.

Meunier is also looking to fill summer jobs in the citys parks and recreation department.

Thats exactly what Bolduc said he had in mind  helping students land that first summer job, while also opening their minds to a career ladder.

Big Y loves us, he said.

State Police showed off body armor and spoke with fair visitors about the Student Trooper program for 15 to 17 year olds, as well as a paid cadet program for people ages 19 to 25 years old who are interested in a career in law enforcement.

Among the training programs present were Tech Foundry, which teaches computer skills for the IT workforce, and Westover Job Corps.

Matthew Brunell, co-executive director of the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership, said instructional time is at a premium. But so is the opportunity for students to meet employers and recruiters.

Every interaction here today is a mock job interview, he said. Thats a life skill.
The states K-12 education department is encouraging school districts to either restrict or ban students cellphone use in schools, hinting at the possibility of a statewide mandate in the future.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley announced Tuesday that the department will likely create a matching grant of up to $1 million for districts that pilot a cellphone restriction policy. This is not a mandate at this time, he said, but were certainly interested in piloting more of this.

To help students focus on class and curb online bullying and other negative mental health effects, some Massachusetts public schools now require students to lock up their phones before school and retrieve them afterward.

Riley invited teachers, administrators and students from schools that have instituted restrictions or bans to speak before the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education at their monthly meeting on Tuesday.

Many of these schools lock their students phones through cellphone pouches developed by the company Yondr. Currently, 45 school districts across Massachusetts have implemented cellphone pouches. At Eliot K-8 Innovation Upper School in Boston, students are required to lock up their phones in the pouches before stepping into school. Although students can carry the pouches with them throughout the day, they can only be unlocked by a teacher or at the end of school.

For us, it was this opportunity to build more opportunities for social interaction, both instructionally, academically, but the social-emotional needs that we needed from our students with each other, said Eliot Executive Director Traci Walker Griffith.

For Gwyneth Zeeck, a current eighth grader at Eliot, her school implemented the cellphone policy when she was midway through seventh grade. Prior to the policy, Zeeck said students would have the urge to scroll through their phones during class time.

The urge was there, and when you were in school and you were in a place that you hadnt been for so long, Zeeck said. You move to what was comfortable, as comfortable as being on your phone.

Zeeck said since the phone ban students at her school have been interacting with each other more. Shes also noticed that prior to the new phone policy, she hadnt really made any new friends.

I had friends but I hadnt talked to anyone new and I had stuck with who I had, and those interactions through my phone and things like that, Zeeck said. But as soon as after that, I started talking with a lot more people and becoming less shy and talking and really becoming confident in myself and figuring out who I was beyond that screen that had been our lives for a year and a half.

Eric Plankey, a student member of the Board of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education from Westford Academy, asked the panel whether students were more present at home as a result of the cellphone policy.

Alexander Sproule, a student at Concord-Carlisle High School, said many of the students have the urge to check their phones once they get home.

I dont necessarily think that all these students are learning good strategies to focus and study on their own without the distraction because theyre so used to just being told, put your phone away and if they dont have anyone telling them to do that at home, I dont necessarily think that theyre going to take that on, Sproule said.

Mary Ann Stewart, another member of the Board of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, asked what the school districts were doing to address mental health challenges on children caused by social media.

Griffith said the key to improving students mental health was to adjust their schedules to incorporate more social and emotional learning. At Eliot K-8 Innovation Upper School, a portion of the students day is called EPIC  an acronym for Elliot Play Innovate Create  where students choose to engage in project-based activities like podcasting or chorus.

The cellphone use policy is just one of the many ways that were trying to think about building the social-emotional skills that our students really missed for depending on the school community in this in the around the country, Griffith said.

Springfield Public Schools announced late last spring that they would be piloting a cellphone pouch program that falls. While students and other community members initially expressed concerns over the cellphone ban, some students later celebrated the policy.

Honestly I think a lot of people were being overly dramatic at first, Springfield Central High School first-year student Gianni Medina told MassLive in the fall. Its not bad at all and its honestly cool going to school without a cellphone.
A Springfield man involved in a highly organized crime ring that cut catalytic converters from vehicles in three states pleaded guilty to selling as much as $80,000 a week in stolen car parts to scrap dealers.

Jose Torres, 37, admitted to federal charges of conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce, interstate transportation of stolen property and conspiracy to commit money laundering on May 17 in federal court in Boston, according to a statement from acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy.

Torres is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 6. The interstate transportation charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, while the other two could bring prison sentences of five years each and multiple fines, according to Levy.

Torres, who also goes by the nickname Goldy Tech, was arrested with six other Western Massachusetts men on April 12 and charged with multiple offenses connected to the thefts, which took place in 2022 and 2023, Levy said.

Rafael Davila, 35, of Agawam, who was considered the ringleader, was arrested on the same day with his brother, Nicholas Davila, 25, of Springfield. Also charged are Carlos Fonseca, 26; Santo Feliberty, 34; and Alexander Oyola, 37, all of Springfield; and Zachary Marshall, 26, of Holyoke. Their cases are pending.

The six other men are accused of cutting out catalytic converters from at least 471 cars across Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Police believe they were involved with a significant number of additional thefts that have not been identified or were never reported to law enforcement, Levy said.

Law enforcement working together identified a maroon Acura as being used in thefts in multiple communities, which helped them tie the crimes to the same people. Each theft involved at least two suspects wearing black, who targeted residential and commercial vehicles, the statement said.

The suspects were skilled and able to locate and cut away the catalytic converter from a vehicle within a minute in most instances, using battery operated power-tools, specifically a fast-cutting reciprocating saw, Levy said. It is further alleged that Rafael Davila engaged in catalytic converter thefts and burglaries on a full-time basis, committing these multiple nights per week for upwards of eight hours a night.

Davila is believed to have kept meticulous records that accounted for the sites that the crew targeted. The men are also accused of targeting certain makes and models of cars that had the most valuable converters, Levy said.

Prosecutors say Torres role in the ring was to purchase the stolen catalytic converters and then sell them to scrap dealers in the Northeast. He sold between $30,000 and $80,000 in stolen vehicle parts each week, Levy said.

Catalytic converters use precious metals in their core and are targeted for theft because of the high value of these metals  including palladium, platinum and rhodium. Some of these precious metals are more valuable per ounce than gold, and their value has been increasing in recent years, with black-market prices being more than $1,000 each, the statement said.

More than 70 police agencies in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut assisted in the case through their investigations of individual catalytic converter thefts in their communities.
Living in New York City, working full time and without a car, Jessica Ray and her husband have come to rely on deliveries of food and just about everything else for their home. It has meant more free time on weekends with their young son, rather than standing in line for toilet paper or dragging heavy bags of dog food back to their apartment.

I dont even know where to buy dog food, said Jessica Ray of the specialty food she buys for the familys aging dog.

There are millions of families like the Rays who have swapped store visits for doorstep deliveries in recent years, meaning that contentious labor negotiations now underway at UPS could become vastly more disruptive than the last time it happened in 1997, when a scrappy upstart called Amazon.com became a public company.

UPS delivers millions more packages every day than it did just five years ago and its 350,000 unionized workers, represented by the Teamsters, still seethe about a contract they feel was forced on them in 2018.

In an environment of energized labor movements and lingering resentment among UPS workers, the Teamsters are expected to dig in, with the potential to cow a major logistical force in the U.S.

The 24 million packages UPS ships on an average day amounts to about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes, or as UPS puts it, the equivalent of about 6% of nations gross domestic product.

Higher prices and long wait times are all but certain if there is an impasse.

Somethings got to give, said Thomas Goldsby, logistics chairman in the Supply Chain Management Department at the University of Tennessee. The python cant swallow the alligator, and thats going to be felt by all of us.

In other words, brace yourself for Supply Chain Breakdown: The Sequel.

In the second half of 2021, the phrase global supply chain began to enter casual conversations as the world emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses struggled to get what they needed, raising prices and wait times. Automakers held vehicles just off the assembly line because they didnt have all the parts.

Some of those problems still linger and a strike at UPS threatens to extend the suffering.

Those who have come to rely on doorstep deliveries for the basic may have to rethink weekly schedules.

We finally reached a point where we finally feel pretty good about it, Ray said. We can take a Saturday afternoon and do a fun family activity and not feel the burden of making everything work for the day-to-day functioning of our household.

UPS workers feel they have played a part in the transformation of how Americans shop since the last contract was ratified in 2018, while helping to make UPS a much more valuable company.

Annual profits at UPS in the past two years are close to three times what they were before the pandemic. The Atlanta company returned about $8.6 billion to shareholders in the form of dividends and stock buybacks in 2022, and forecasts another $8.4 billion for shareholders this year.

The Teamsters say frontline UPS workers deserve some of that windfall.

Our members worked really hard over the pandemic, said Teamsters spokesperson Kara Denize. They need to see their fair share.

Union members rejected the contract they were offered in 2018, but it was pushed through by union leadership based on a technicality. The acrimony over the current contract was so fierce that last year workers rejected a candidate to lead the Teamsters favored by longtime union head James Hoffa, instead choosing the more combative Sean OBrien.

OBrien went on a nationwide tour of local Teamsters shops preparing frontline workers ahead of negotiations.

In addition to addressing part-time pay, and what workers say is excessive overtime, the union wants to eliminate a contract provision that created two separate hierarchies of workers with different pay scales, hours and benefits. Driver safety, particularly the lack of air conditioning in delivery trucks, is also in the mix.

A win at UPS could have implications for the organized labor outside the company.

Teamsters are attempting to organize Amazon workers and dozens of company delivery drivers and dispatchers in California joined the union last month. There are also prominent labor organization campaigns at Apple, Starbucks, Trader Joes, Apple, even strippers at a dance club in Los Angeles.

This has just huge implications for the entire labor movement in the United States, said John Logan, the director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University, referring to labor talks at UPS. Theres greater assertiveness and militancy on the part of a lot of young labor activists and some sectors of the labor establishment. Sean OBrien is representative of that.

When dozens of UPS locals met with Teamsters leadership early this year, OBrien delivered a message of urgency.

Were going into these negotiations with a clear message to UPS that were not going past August 1, OBrien told the gathering.

It would be the first work stoppage since a walkout by 185,000 workers crippled the company a quarter century ago.

UPS CEO Carol Tome has remained optimistic publicly, telling investors recently that the company and the Teamsters were not far apart on major issues.

While we expect to hear a great deal of noise during the negotiation, I remain confident that a win-win-win contract is very achievable and that UPS and the Teamsters will reach agreement by the end of July, Tome said.

If Tome is wrong, Americans may need to put aside more time to shop like they used to do.

It has the potential to be significantly impactful, Ray said. My husband and I have invested a lot in figuring out how to remove the burden of just making sure we always have toilet paper.
HOLYOKE  The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education continues to offer no clear explanation for how to end the receivership of the citys public schools, now entering its eighth year.

State Education Commissioner Jeffrey C. Reilly stressed proceeding carefully to avoid severe financial implications or unintended consequences, all without offering a path out of receivership. He favored a cautious approach in transitioning out of the states oversight of Holyokes public schools.

Reilly said he speaks regularly with Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia and Receiver Anthony Soto, who updated the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday.

At the meeting, Soto detailed improvements and challenges the Holyoke Public Schools face, even if receivership were to end.

Soto said faculty diversity has increased, pre-K seats have doubled, and the schools will shift from a K-8 model to separate elementary and middle schools in the 2023-24 academic year. According to Soto, the transition will enhance students learning experiences by unifying instructional approaches across the district.

Adopting data-driven decision-making has been a critical strategy for the district under Sotos leadership. He has implemented a real-time data dashboard that provides academic and non-academic student information.

Stakeholders  including teachers, parents, students and community leaders  regularly review this data and help refine strategies for continuous improvement. Soto expressed hope that this practice will continue to drive improvements in Holyokes schools.

However, challenges persist. Despite increased funding through the Massachusetts Student Opportunity Act and federal relief funds, staffing must still be addressed, he said. Student mental health needs have also escalated, worsened by the pandemic.

We need to do a better job, making sure that were doing everything we can to meet those needs, Soto said.

He encouraged cooperation to overcome these challenges, emphasizing, as a community, we need to come together and work together just to do whats right for our students.

Soto pointed out that the funding influx from the Student Opportunity Act and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief program has been crucial. The resources have facilitated planning for a comprehensive middle school experience and a reshaping of the school district.

Despite the significant improvements under receivership, Soto, a Holyoke native, admitted his role comes with challenges, including criticism and feelings of alienation. Nevertheless, he said he remains steadfast in his commitment to the students of Holyoke.

Soto highlighted the importance of high expectations and data-centric teaching strategies. He said he believes these strategies are vital in counteracting the impacts of systemic racism and helping students reach grade-level performance.

As the district transitions to new school structures, Soto acknowledged that mental health support remains an ongoing challenge. The district is exploring how staffing could best meet student needs, considering the number of adjustment counselors, special education teachers and the structure of student support teams.

Soto expressed optimism about Holyokes future, particularly the citys improving economy.

I feel like the leadership and the support of the City Council ... are on the rise, Soto said.

His vision includes a groundbreaking ceremony for a new middle school, a development he believes the citys students deserve.

Katherine Craven, Commission chair of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, commended the work underway in receivership districts, citing increased graduation rates, decreased dropout rates, and greater participation in advanced coursework. However, she also acknowledged the complexities involved in transitioning from state oversight.

Since the state receivership policy was authorized in 2010, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has taken over three communities  Lawrence in 2011, Holyoke in 2015 and Southbridge in 2016. All three districts remain under state control. In practice, this means a state-appointed receiver can make decisions typically made by a superintendent and local school board, reform curriculum, and report directly to the DESE commissioner.

Supporters and opponents of the policy have differing views on how effective the intervention has been in the three districts.

Lawmakers on Beacon Hill are considering a bill backed by teachers unions nicknamed the Thrive Act that would end the ability for the state to place school districts in receivership.

The proposed legislation comes as Democrats for Education Reform released a poll from MassINC Polling Group that found 66% of Massachusetts voters thought the state should have the ability to place schools into receivership. The poll, with a margin of error of 4.8%, drew responses from 600 voters in the state. It found 16% of respondents opposed school receivership while 18% did not have an opinion on the matter.

Meanwhile, at Tuesdays meeting, board member Michael Moriarty, a former Holyoke School Committee member, stressed the mental health issues in the Holyoke community, especially with school-age children.

Moriarty recalled former Receiver Stephen Zrike, who had worked in challenging places like Chicago and Boston, referring to Holyoke as the most traumatized community he had ever seen.

Moriarty pointed out the correlation between the citys socioeconomic status and the lack of support for children experiencing critical mental health issues.

We are in a much more impoverished community. The ecosystem of support for children who are having, like, critical issues with mental health is practically wholly inadequate, he said.

He noted the increasing incidence of severe mental health episodes. He appealed to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Public Health to examine the districts metrics, data and support services.

Moriarty added that the receivership statute mandates the education community and every secretary under the governor, including the Department of Public Health, to provide specific support and attention to receivership communities like Holyoke.

Material from State House News Service was used in this report.
A correctional officer who tried to break up a fight between inmates at a Massachusetts maximum security prison was stabbed multiple times in the head and back Monday night, the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union (MCOFU) told WCVB.

In a statement sent to the news station, correctional officers attempted to interrupt a brawl between multiple inmates at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley on Monday at around 6 p.m.

MCOFU did not immediately respond to a MassLive request for comment.

The inmates broke away from the brawl and began fighting officers. Officials said one inmate pulled out a makeshift knife and stabbed an officer in the head and back several times, WCVB reported.

The officer tackled the inmate to the ground and was stabbed again in the face and head, officials said. Correctional officers took control of the situation and subdued the inmates.

Officials told the news station that several correctional officers were injured in the fight. Two officers, including the one who was stabbed, were taken to a hospital for treatment. None of the injuries were reported to be life-threatening.

Luckily, due to the quick response and training, the officers were spared life-threatening injuries, the MCOFU wrote in a statement sent to Boston25News.

MCOFU Legislative Lobbyist Guy W. Glodis told the station that the attack was a part of an epidemic of violent assaults against officers within Massachusetts Correctional facilities.

Inmates at the Bristol County House of Corrections protested in April, the situation caused around $200,000 in damages. However, no injuries were reported to inmates or correctional staff.

Names of inmates and officers involved in the fight have not been released.
A man driving a motorcycle in a Tuesday morning crash on Interstate 91 in West Springfield is dead, Massachusetts State Police confirmed. It was one of three crashes in the area on Tuesday morning.

The man has so far been identified as a 24-year-old from Chicopee, state police said.

State police and other emergency personnel responded to a single-vehicle crash at around 6:25 a.m. at Exit 10. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation tweeted that two left lanes on the northbound side were shut down and told commuters to expect delays. This left a buildup of traffic as far as just before the Chicopee Curve, WWLP reported.

Update: two left lanes closed. Expect delays. https://t.co/Zeya12BsKA  Mass. Transportation (@MassDOT) May 23, 2023

In the same area just after 7 a.m., two separate multi-vehicle crashes involving five vehicles occurred, state police said. Three people were taken to Bay State Medical Center and treated for minor injuries.

The cause of the fatal crash is under investigation by Troop B of the Massachusetts State Police, the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section, the State Police Crime Scene Services Section and the State Police Detective Unit for Hampden County.

Read more: Springfield shooting in Bay neighborhood leaves victim with serious injuries

On Monday near Exit 8, a multi-car crash left a woman trapped inside her vehicle, prompting state troopers to use their cruiser to stabilize the vehicle so she could get out. The woman, a 29-year-old from Westfield, was taken to Bay State Medical Center with injuries deemed not life-threatening.
UPDATE: Chicopee man, 24, killed in motorcycle crash on I-91 in West Springfield

Serious injuries were reported after a motorcycle crash caused the left lane of Interstate 91 in West Springfield to shut down to traffic on Tuesday.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said the incident happened on the northbound side at Exit 10, according to an official tweet. In a second tweet, they told commuters to expect delays.

Motorcycle crash with serious injuries in #Springfield on I-91-NB at Exit 10. Left lane closed.  Mass. Transportation (@MassDOT) May 23, 2023

Read more: Springfield shooting in Bay neighborhood leaves victim with serious injuries

Traffic was backed up as far as just before the Chicopee Curve, WWLP reported. Live video showing Exits 9 and 10 show traffic at a standstill while state troopers block the closed off lanes with their cruisers.

Its unclear how many vehicles were involved or how many people were injured.

MassLive has reached out to Massachusetts State Police for more information.
Worcester Public Schools Superintendent Rachel Monarrez is following through on the administrations decision to find a new home for the districts alternative high school program, essentially ending the districts relationship as a Diocese of Worcester lessee.

In April, the diocese confirmed it was ending the districts lease for the former St. Stephen School on Grafton Street that houses La Familia Dual Language School at the end of the school year. The move meant that the district only had one remaining lease with the diocese, the former St. Casimir School building at 22 Waverly St., which houses the districts alternative high school program.

At the time, Monarrez told reporters the lease for 22 Waverly St. was sunsetting and the building itself was older, so the district was looking for another building that could possibly house the program.

In a memo to Worcester City Manager Eric Batista dated May 10, Monarrez provided him with details of a building located at 11 McKeon Road that the district found to house the program. The building formerly housed Woodward Day School.

The Worcester School Committee already authorized the district to enter into a lease for a space for up to nine years on Jan. 19.

The district issued a request for proposals and received a proposal with the location at 11 McKeon Road as a response, which the district deemed rated highly advantageous and determined to be acceptable.

Monarrez requested the City of Worcester Purchasing Department accept the bid, and said, as she understood it, the City Council had to authorize Batista to execute the lease agreement as well.

In a May 23 letter to the council, Batista recommended it approve the districts request to lease the space. The council is set to vote on the lease at Tuesday nights city council meeting.

Leasing the space will cost $182,004 for 2023-24, $187,500 for 2024 -25 and $193,128 for 2025-26, according to the memo.

Read more: Worcester County coalition aims to reduce barriers to food access

The district can extend the lease for up to two three-year increments, the memo reads.

The districts lease for St. Casimirs will end on June 30, after which time the district will no longer lease space from the diocese.

The diocese had ended its lease for St. Stephen School two years into a five-year contract. Monarrez told MassLive in April that the diocese did not give the district a reason why it ended the lease for St. Stephen early. However, she said it did mention it could terminate the districts lease during a meeting earlier this year about the districts sexual health education curriculum: Advocates for Youths Rights, Respect, Responsibility.

The lease agreement gave the diocese the ability to terminate the lease at any point as long as it gave 90 days notice, according to Monarrez.

In January, Monarrez told the Telegram & Gazette she put a stop to plans to shuttle students from La Familia to Worcester East Middle School for their health classes. The pastor of St. Stephen Church, Monsignor Robert Johnson, reportedly told the principal of the school that there was an agreement to take students off campus for the classes, which was stipulated by the diocese.

We made it clear (to the diocese) that were a public school entity and our children will learn the grade-level standard in their school, Monarrez said in April.

Current students at La Familia are guaranteed enrollment at Chandler Magnet for the 2023-2024 school year and will be fully integrated into the existing dual-language program there.
Lors de la seance parlementaire du 523 mai 2023, le Speaker de lAssemblee Nationale a fait une declaration sur les mots utilises par le deputee de la Circonscription de Port-Louis Ouest / Grande Riviere Nord Louis lors du discours de la PPS Dorine Chuckowy.

Hon. Members,At the sitting of Tuesday last, during the second reading of the Education (Amendment) Bill, after the intervention of Hon. Navarre-Marie, Dr the Hon. Chuckowy had the floor. While the Hon. Member was intervening, Hon. Navarre-Marie was behaving in a grossly disorderly manner by constantly interrupting the Hon. Member and the proceedings of the House.Consequently, the Chair had no alternative than to order the Hon. Member to withdraw from the Chamber. The Hon. Member continued in an argument with the Chair. At some point in time, Hon. Minister Toussaint raised a point of order to the effect that Hon. Navarre Marie uttered the words you are shouting like a dog to address of the Chair.

I asked Hon. Navarre-Marie to withdraw the words if ever she had said so. Instead, she questioned as to the words she had uttered.

I undertook to verify the Hansard and ordered the Hon. Member to comply with my prior order given to her to withdraw from the Chamber.

At that point in time, as I was not in a position to ascertain the words she had said, I could not name her.

Hon. Members

I have verified from the Hansard and it is clear that Hon. Navarre-Marie had indeed uttered the words you are shouting like a dog.

I consider these words to be disrespectful and derogatory towards the Chair and offensive to the decorum of the House.

Neither did the Hon. Member withdraw the words uttered by her nor has she up to now expressed any regret for having uttered those words.

In the light of the above, I leave the matter in the hands of the House for any action it may deem appropriate.

I thank you.
Merck Foundation(www.Merck-Foundation.com) CEO acknowledge Burundi First Ladys efforts as Ambassador of More than a Mother to build healthcare capacity, break infertility stigma, and support girl education; Merck Foundation provided around 50 scholarships to doctors in many critical and underserved medical specialties in Burundi; Merck Foundation Burundi Alumni Summit and Merck Foundation Awards Ceremony 2023 were conducted in Burundi chaired by Burundi First Lady and Merck Foundation CEO; After celebrating 2022 awards winners, Merck Foundation and Burundi First Lady announced the Call for Applications for 2 categories of 2023 includes 8 different Awards for Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields.

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany joined H.E. Madam ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, The First Lady of Burundi & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother together with Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education of Burundi to inaugurate the First Public IVF center in Burundi and acknowledge its staff who have been trained by Merck Foundation scholarships to be the first fertility care team in Burundi.

Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and President of More Than a Mother Campaign emphasized, I am very proud to be here today to celebrate such outstanding milestone, it is a history in the making, to train the first IVF and fertility care team in Burundi to be the staff of the first public IVF center established by my dear sister, Burundi First Lady. This is the best step to improve couples access to quality and equitable fertility care hence breaking infertility stigma around women and couples. I am proud to witness our Merck Foundation Alumni sharing their acquired knowledge and skills with other doctors and with media representative and community members with the aim to raise awareness about male infertility and infertility prevention and management. This kind of workshops is essential to create a culture shift and break the silence.

Today we are sharing with all the audiences in person and online the impact of our programs that aim to transform patient care, build healthcare and media capacity, break the stigma of infertility, empower women, support girl education in Burundi and the rest of Africa.

Moreover, we officially launched our programs in partnership with my dear sister, The First Lady of Burundi which started since started in 2020. We have achieved a lot in a very short time since then, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej added.

Merck Foundation in partnership with Burundi First Lady and Ministry of Health of Burundi, has provided 51 scholarships to our local doctors in critical and underserved specialties such as Diabetes, Endocrinology, Preventative Cardiovascular Medicine, Oncology, Fertility & Embryology, Sexual & Reproductive health care, Acute care, and Respiratory care.

H.E. Madam ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, The First Lady of Burundi & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than a Mother emphasized  I am very happy to meet and host Merck Foundation CEO and her team in our country. We started our joint programs in 2020 and are happy to officially launch these important programs, and also celebrate an important milestone of success and impact. We worked hard together with Merck Foundation over the past three years to make history by providing specialty training to first specialists in many fields in public sector hence transforming patent care landscape in our country.

Dr. Rasha Kelej further added, I am proud to share that out of the total 51 scholarships, we have together provided 35 scholarships for Diabetes Master course and PG Diplomas in Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine. This has provided Burundi with its very first diabetes center which has been established by one of the graduates of Merck Foundation Master course.

For the Diabetes Master course in French and English, one young doctor from each province in Burundi has been enrolled. After completion, these Doctors can establish diabetes clinics in their respective Health centers or Hospitals with the aim to help prevent and manage the disease in their respective communities. Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej added.

Moreover, during the launch program, Merck Foundation Burundi Annual Summit and Awards Ceremony was held, during which Merck Foundation CEO together with Burundi First Lady met and acknowledged the Merck Foundation Graduates and the Winners of the Merck Foundation Awards.

Merck Foundation in partnership with The Burundi First Lady has also initiated Educating Linda Program, which is very important for Burundi girls as through this program, scholarships are provided to 20 underprivileged but brilliant girls to continue their education till they graduate. Additionally, Merck Foundation distributed 3000 essential school items sets to school-going girls to support them.

Moreover, Merck Foundation CEO together with The First Lady of Burundi launched and signed together seven childrens storybooks titled: Davids story to emphasize and strengthen family values of love and respect from an early age, Educating FIFI to emphasize on the importance of empowering girls through education, Make the Right Choice to raise awareness about coronavirus prevention amongst children and youth, Jacklines Rescue to emphasize on the importance of empowering girls through education, Not Who You Are to teach boys to love and respect their future wives and eliminate domestic violence, Ride into the Future to emphasize on the importance of empowering girls through education and Sugar free Jude to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness on the early detection and prevention of Diabetes. Thousands of copies of these storybooks have been distributed to school students of Burundi in partnership with Ministry of Education of Burundi.

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China Cancer Antibodies Market Trends & Clinical Trials Insight 2023 Report Highlights:

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Insight 50 Companies Involved in Development Of Cancer Antibodies In China

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China antibody market has experienced significant growth over the past decade, with increasing number of international and local pharmaceutical firms entering the market and significant investments being made in research and development activities. The antibody market in China is driven by several key factors, including an ageing population, ever increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, and the growing demand for targeted therapies. The government regulatory framework has also played predominant role in the development of pharmaceutical market thereby creating structural and incentivized environment for research and development domain.

Being a highly competitive field with both domestic and international players vying for market share. Some of the key domestic players in Chinas antibody market include Shanghai Jungshi Biosciences, Innovent Biologics, BeiGene and Sino Biopharmaceutical. Junshi Biosciences is a leading players in the Chinese antibody market with a portfolio that includes monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer as well as autoimmune disorders. The company has also entered into several collaborations with international partners, including Eli Lilly and Co and Coherus Biosciences to develop and commercialize its domestically developed products globally.

Furthermore, Innovent Biologics is another key players in the countrys antibody market including antibody based therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Additionally, Innovent has also established partnerships with international pharmaceutical companies including Eli Lilly and Roche which has made its products to be available in international markets as well.

The Chinese government has been supportive of the development of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, creating a favorable regulatory environment and providing incentives for research and development. The government also launched the Made in China 2025 initiative which aims to transform China into a global leader as a high-tech industry, including biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. In addition, the regulatory agencies has also implemented several regulatory reforms aims at streamlining the drug approval process and reducing the time and cost of bringing new drugs to the market.

Despite the significant growth potential of Chinas antibody market there are several challenges that need to be addressed. However, there are also significant opportunities for companies operating in the Chinese antibody market. With an ageing population and an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, there is a growing demand for targeted therapies, particularly in the areas of cancer and autoimmune diseases. In addition, the governments focus on developing the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries and creating a favorable regulatory environment provides opportunities for companies to expand their presence in the Chinese market and develop new partnerships and collaborations.

Overall, the future of Chinas antibody market looks promising with continued growth and innovation expected. However, companies in the industry will need to navigate the challenges and seize opportunities to stay competitive in the global market. There are also challenges that companies in the antibody market will need to navigate if they are to remain competitive. For example, the industry still lags behind its Western counterparts in terms of research and development, and there is a shortage of experienced talent in the field. Furthermore, the regulatory environment can be unpredictable, and there are concerns about intellectual property protection, which can deter investment and innovation.

Our report provides a comprehensive analysis on the current market trends, major players and the regulatory environment of Chinas antibody market. The report also covers the impact of domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies, emerging technologies and therapies and the future growth prospects. Additionally, the report also includes insights into the competitive landscape including company profiles and their market strategies as well as potential challenges and opportunities for investors and stakeholders.

For More Information Contact:

Neeraj Chawla

Research Head

Kuick Research

neeraj@kuickresearch.com
by Fern Siegel , May 23, 2023

VCCP named Jed Grossman its first Chief Creative Officer in the U.S. His charge is to lead creative for the agency and drive its growth in North America.

The hire follows VCCP NY merging with its San Francisco-based creative agency Muhtayzik Hoffer (M/H) to create one entity earlier in the year.

Grossman reports to Darren Bailes, Global Chief Creative Officer Darren Bailes.

VCCP US has added Mike's Hard Leomonade, Nutribullet and Native to its roster. Now, with the merger of VCCP NY and M/H complete and Jed coming on board, we have the leadership in place to propel the agency to new heights," said Brett Edgar, CEO at VCCP US. "He has a challenger spirit."

Previously, Grossman was executive creative director at Arts & Letters, where he managed a cross-agency team and welcomed clients such as Google, ESPN, and Tito's Vodka.

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Before that, he held posts at B-Reel, Mother New York and Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

Grossman has won numerous awards, including Cannes Lions, The One Show, The Clio Awards, D&AD and Art Director Club.

VCCP US embraces bravery and openness in its approach to creativity, and those values ultimately drew me toward the agency, said Grossman.

VCCP US client list includes White Claw, T-Mobile for Business, Audi and Staples.
by Ray Schultz , May 22, 2023

Hearst Magazines has reached a collective bargaining agreement with Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), resulting in what it says is the first union contract with the company after two years of negotiations.

WGAE members have ratified the contract after a negotiating process attended by walkouts, rallies, petitions and charges of unfair labor practices.

According to the WGAE, the contract includes a major increase in salary minimums, with the minimum salary level going from $45,000 to $60,000 for some employees.

Moreover, writers, producers and editors across the companys 28 brands are guaranteed annual wage increases, and 401 matching at the same rate for the length of the contract.

The contract also contains provisions for severance pay.

This contract will establish and codify many important workplace benefits and protections, including industry-standard wage floors, minimum guaranteed annual wage increases, just cause, gender-neutral bathrooms, a path to reporting discrimination, and a diversity committee to help hold the company accountable to more equitable hiring practices, the union says in a statement.
by Ray Schultz , May 22, 2023

"Vice New Tonight" will be airing its final episode this Thursday.

In April, Vice Media told staff it was pulling the plug on the "Vice News Tonight."

This weeks finale has three segments:

Modern Day Lynchings Vice News looks into the killing of Rasheem Carter and examines if lynchings are still happening in 2023.

Brink of an IntifadaIsraels far-right government has declared the expansion of settlements in the West Bank a priority. This episode explores the potential fallout.

E-CarcerationA look into the new face of mass incarcerationthe growing use of ankle monitorsand the hidden consequences to people who may not be guilty of any crimes.

The episode airs on Thursday night at 10 pm ET.

Despite the shutdown of "Vice New Tonight", Vice denies it is abandoning news.

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We are NOT exiting the news business, but we are changing the shape of Vice News to position the whole Company for long-term opportunities and improve how we deliver important, ground-breaking journalism well into the future, said an internal staff memo from co-CEOs Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala.

Earlier this month, Vice Media filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to facilitate purchase by a group of creditors. including Fortress Investment Group and Soros Fund Management.
by Wayne Friedman , May 23, 2023

In-theater advertising company Screenvision says industry attendance is now at 80% to 85% of its levels pre-2019 -- and things are looking up.

We are more relevant and vital than ever as a platform, said John Partilla, chief executive officer of Screenvision at a pre-upfront meeting with Television News Daily.

In contrast to other declining media, Partilla said in-theater business for marketers looks much better -- especially as linear impressions continue to decline.

As a result, Christine Martino, chief revenue officer of Screenvision, says there is continued growth in advertising volume at the company -- now 5% to 10% of the levels of 2019 for its in-theater pre-show.

Partilla also highlights the rising importance of attention metrics. Cinema viewing has a 75% active attention score for its video advertising, according to Amplified Intelligence. This is between two and six times that of TV, CTV, social media, and digital.

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Screenvision says marketers continue to return to the big screen, with automotive advertisers remaining the top in-theater advertiser.

Not surprisingly, close behind automotive advertisers are premium video streaming marketers -- which many assume are the main competition to traditional movie theaters. The list here includes all the major premium video platforms: Amazon, Apple TV+, Paramount+, Peacock, Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Max.

Martino says 25% of its inventory is currently bought on programmatic demand-side platforms including The Trade Desk and private marketplaces.

For those buying into Screenvisions pre-show, where marketers run their messages, the company says marketers have seen on average a 10% incremental sales lift and $2.33 return on ad spend (ROAS) for recent campaigns in cinema, according to research from Cinelytics.

Currently, Screenvision reaches 40 million consumers monthly, as the company steadily returns to 2019 levels. Screenvision also sees it as a positive sign that Amazon and Apple each want to spend $1 billion or so on a full slate of movies per year.

We know we can grow our audience, says Martino.

In its upfront presentation Tuesday, Screenvision said it is forming two new specialty cinema advertising networks: Screenvision Medias Black Cinema Advertising Network, with more than 3,800 screens and Screenvisions Hispanic Cinema Advertising Network, with more than 3,700 screens.

Screenvision is partnering with TikTok for TikTok on the Big Screen, a customized 60-second segment during Screenvisions pre-show, where marketers can activate against curated TikTok content.

The Screenvision Media cinema advertising network is on 13,500 screens in more than 2000 locations in 50 states and 94% of U.S. markets.
by Steve Ellwanger , May 23, 2023

Who wouldnt want a free dinner in New York City with actors Matt Damon, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Allen White and rapper Ludacris?

Belgian-style premium lager Stella Artois is offering 15 reservations to The Worlds Most Fascinating Dinner in September that could be won by scanning a QR code on special-edition, 12-pack bottles and cans.

The campaign is the latest extension of the beer brands Make Time for the Life Artois campaign, which is designed to encourage off-premise dining occasions.

In this commercial from the Anomaly agency that begins airing on Memorial Day, Saldana is enjoying a meal with Damon and Ludacris when she asks If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?

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Ludacris then phones White and asks the same question.

Like a culinary genius? White says. Definitely no actors. I think theyre all a little bit weird. (White actually plays a chef on his FX show "The Bear.")

According to Stella Artois, on Sept. 21 multiple world-renowned chefs will present a spin on some of New York City's most famous dishes.

The venue for the dinner has yet to be chosen, a brand rep tells MarketingDaily.

Entries can be made via the QR code or a dedicated website until the week of Sept. 4 when the 15 dinner winnerswho can attend with one guest each and receive roundtrip airfare and a hotel staywill be chosen.

Entrants also have a chance to win instant prizes that include a $25 Uber Eats credit and Stella Artois merchandise.
The Midland Area Community Foundation has awarded a $2,300 grant to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Midland to purchase an automated external defibrillator. The funding was disbursed from the Hemlock Semiconconductor Donor-Advised Fund.

We are so excited and grateful for this opportunity to make our space safer for congregants, groups, and the public, said Rev. Eric Severson, the fellowships minister.
ONEKAMA  The Onekama Village Council has given a green light to a new event stage coming to Onekama Village Park.

The council voted unanimously during a regular meeting May 17 to accept and administer funding to install and maintain an event stage in the park. Trustee Andrea Arthur was absent from the meeting.

The project is being spearheaded by Onekama Collaborative Recovery, a group founded by Joe Suchocki in 2022 to "improve the economic and social well-being of the citizens of Onekama through a coordinated program of activities, projects, programs and policy changes," according to the group's mission statement.

The village council voted 4-3 against approving the event stage during its April 19 meeting, with Suzanne Schwing, Susan Halloran, Wayne Miller and Roger Burger voting no and Arthur, Rod Hudson and Sara Fauble voting yes.

The council was largely in favor of the stage but had concerns about the proposed location within the park.

Onekama Collaborative Recovery also led the charge of the village entering the Consumers Energy Foundation's Put Your Town on the Map competition, which "provides funding for three projects that help small communities in Michigan grow and thrive," according to a Consumers news release.

Shortly after the project was voted down, the village was named one of 10 finalists in the competition, which offers $25,000 for first place, $15,000 for second and $10,000 for third.

The 10 finalists are invited to submit a video or PowerPoint presentation to be presented to a panel of judges June 8 during the Small Town and Rural Development Conference which will be held at Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville.

During the public comment portion of the May 17 meeting, about a dozen attendees stood up to encourage the council to approve the stage.

"After I heard the controversy over the band shell, I did a little research. ... According to the U.S. census, between 2017 and 2021, the population of the village of Onekama has dwindled by almost 29%," Ralph Mortensen said. "Unless anyone is happy with that particular trend, I suggest it's time to really think carefully about not only thinking about things new and different, but trying them."

Linda English, owner of Appearance Salon and Spa, said in order to keep local businesses open, the village "must have positive growth."

"The band shell is one way. The law of nature says if you don't have growth, you die," English said. "I didn't write that law. The village board didn't write that law. God wrote that law. I urge you, as servants of this community, to work together and make this happen for the good of us all."

Halloran asked Suchocki if the stage would be elevated to allow for enhanced visibility. Suchocki said since it will be a multi-purpose structure, raising it would mean the stage would have to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, which would add to the maintenance and complexity.

"I think we could raise the band shell about as high as the current stage is, which is maybe 6-8 inches, and we could pour the cement walk to come off of Portage Road 36 inches wide without doing a ramp," Suchocki said. "We would be able to be ADA compliant. So we'd raise it about the same amount the current stage is. I think that's a doable proposition."

Miller said he could likely find a solution to the dilemma.

"I think if we take a transit out there I can show you how you might gain some height without having to gain any work," he said.

Suchocki said the structure would be manufactured by Cedar Forest Products, of West Olive. Assembly would be done by Mathieu Builders and electrical would be performed by McDougall Electric.

"I went with contractors that are local, trusted, licensed and ... will make themselves available for our construction schedule," Suchocki said.

Suchocki said John Wemlinger  who was also named to the council during the meeting  is leading the project's fundraising team, which hopes to raise $75,000 for construction and $8,100 for 10 years of electric meter base fees and maintenance.

"We look to pour the concrete pad in early September  at the end of the last concert  so that it can cure. If we can get the stage ordered, it requires 25% down payment which would be on John Wemlinger ... to raise a lot of money quick so we can order it," Suchocki said. "... It's a 14-week lead time. If we ordered it in the first week of June, the company said it could be delivered by the end of September, possibly earlier, so construction could be finished possibly in October."
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REED CITY  The Reed City Class of 2023 celebrated their graduation with a ceremony Sunday.

The ceremony, held at the Reed City High School football field, saw 91 seniors prepare to move onto the next chapter of their lives.

Director of Development for Michigan Vet Homes and 2002 Reed City High School graduate, Ryan Engle, who was also named distinguished alumnus, spoke to the class on their next steps.

He shared three words that he hopes they will follow: passion, compassion, and humosity, a word that combines humility and curiosity.

Reed City is the birthplace of a lot of incredible journeys. I think the Class of 2023 will have the same. Theres a lot of incredible people in that class that I'm sure will go forth and do incredible things, he said.

Engle hopes the students will think of the three words he shared with them.

Maybe if they can't do it every day, that they may just think about that, here and there as their lives move forward into the next chapter, he said. Do what makes you happy.

New graduates expressed excitement for their future.

It's pretty exciting. I mean, I can't wait to go off to college as well. It's pretty good, graduate Kyle Crusan said.

Graduate Elijah Brown is ready to move forward.

I'm just ready to take my next steps in life, ready to move on from high school, Brown said.

Browns grandmother said she was feeling mixed feelings.

Its such a mixed bag of emotions. Were not ready for him to be old enough. Were incredibly proud of him. He crossed hurdles other people didnt know about, she said.

Graduate Gavin Simmer is excited to be done with high school.

I feel a lot better now that I finally got out of school. I mean, it's definitely a big step in my life, he said.

Simmer is looking forward to making money once he joins the workforce.

I'm definitely getting a job, making money and then putting my name out there, getting stuff done, Simmer said.

Another graduate, Lane Meese, said he didnt feel much different after getting his diploma.

I feel no difference, really, I just got a piece of paper, he said.

Meese wants to go to college and get a certification to be a lineman, and is excited to get paid to go to work.

Engle closed by sharing a quote from Teddy Roosevelts Citizenship in a Republic speech, otherwise known as the man in the arena speech, which implores us to put our heads down, ignore the noise and power through whatever may come.
Michigan State Police are investigating the reported abduction and rape of a 16-year-old Sanford girl.

Michigan State Police Lt. Kim Vetter said troopers are working with the Midland County Sheriffs Office on the investigation of the Monday night incident.

(Investigators) responded to a residence in Sanford last night after a juvenile female was reported missing by her family, Vetter said Tuesday. The juvenile returned home while officers were on scene and reported that she was the victim of a sexual assault and abduction.

Investigators took statements and collected available evidence pertaining to these crimes. Currently, there are several social media posts circulating about this incident that may contain misleading information.

There is no discernible threat to the public, Vetter said.

As always, we encourage citizens to remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings, she added, also stating that if residents see something suspicious, they should call 911 immediately.

Charles Schaub stated in a social media post that his daughter was abducted from the Pine Haven Recreation Area in Sanford.

The girl told her father that two Black men driving a bright blue van with tinted windows abducted her. She said the men took her to a location about 40 minutes away. She reported being taken to a house with dogs and put into a room with no windows. She said the men, who had guns in the house, raped her.

Later, the men drove the girl to Downtown Midland, dropped her off near Ace Hardware and fled the scene.

Schaub said the girl underwent a rape test and blood work Tuesday. She was also given medicine for sexually transmitted diseases.

We need the communitys assistance to find these people, Schaub said.
ROYAL OAK  Gov. Gretchen Whitmer gave final approval Monday afternoon to a red flag law that aims to keep firearms away from those at risk of harming themselves or others as the state grapples with ways to slow gun violence in the wake of its second mass school shooting.

Michigan joined Minnesota as the second state in under a week to implement a red flag law after Democrats in both states won control of both chambers and the governors office in November. New Mexico previously was the last state to pass a red flag law in 2020.

"Passing Red Flag laws here took years of relentless advocacy and work," said Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City). "Raising awareness and building trust among gun owners, law enforcement, elected officials and the community will take time too. But Michigan now has another tool to prevent firearm suicides and mass shootings."

Whitmer signed the legislation just outside of Detroit, flanked by state lawmakers and individuals affected by gun violence. Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who began campaigning for gun safety after she was shot in the head in 2011, was also in attendance.

We have heard too many times from those who knew a mass shooter who had expressed concern in advance about that mass shooter's intentions, Whitmer said Monday. With extreme risk protection orders, we have a mechanism to step in and save lives.

The new law, also known as extreme risk protection orders, is expected to go into effect next spring. It will allow family members, police, mental health professionals, roommates and former dating partners to petition a judge to remove firearms from those they believe pose an imminent threat to themselves or others.

The judge would have 24 hours to decide on a protection order after a request is filed. If granted, the judge would then have 14 days to set a hearing during which the flagged person would have to prove they do not pose a significant risk. A standard order would last one year.

Michigan became the 21st state to implement a red flag law. Questions remain of whether the state will have better success in enforcing it than others have. An Associated Press analysis in September found that in the 19 states with red flag laws, firearms were removed from people 15,049 times since 2020, fewer than 10 per 100,000 adult residents.

"Sadly, this law will be largely unenforceable, do little to make us safer and infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens," said Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland). "While Democrats play knee-jerk politics, I am going to stay focused on policies that can actually save lives, which is why I am a co-sponsor on a bi-partisan package of bills to improve public safety in our schools and prevent 'catch & release' liberal prosecutors from pleading down gun related felonies and letting criminals like the MSU shooter off easy.

Some local sheriffs in Michigan have told The Associated Press that they won't enforce the law if they don't believe it's constitutional. Over half of the states counties have passed resolutions declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, opposing laws they believe infringe on gun rights.

For those who are in law enforcement who refuse to enforce these important orders, let me say this loudly and clearly: I will make certain that I find someone with jurisdiction who will enforce these orders, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said at the bill signing.

The U.S. is on a record pace for mass shootings so far this year.

Nearly half the states have passed legislation addressing guns or school safety this year, but the division among states continues to widen. Democratic-led states have enacted new laws to restrict semi-automatic weapons and expand background checks and waiting periods to buy guns. Republican-led states have backed the right to carry concealed guns without permits or for trained staff to bring guns to school.

Gun violence within schools has rocked Michigan in recent years. A total of seven students have been killed, and 12 others injured, in school shootings at Oxford High School in 2021 and Michigan State University in 2023.

Earlier this month, two school districts in Michigan banned backpacks as a results of fears of firearms being brought into schools. The ban at Grand Rapids Public Schools came after a third-grader brought a loaded gun into the school.

The red flag law is the final piece of legislation to be signed in a sweeping 11-bill gun safety package advanced by Michigan Democrats following the Feb. 13 shooting at MSU. Safe storage and universal background checks were signed into law last month by Whitmer.

Karen Kobylik, whose daughter shot and killed her brother and boyfriend before taking her own life last May, was also in attendance. Kobylik had repeatedly called police prior to the shooting, pleading with them to take her daughter's firearms. She told the AP in an interview earlier this month that she believes all three lives would have been saved in the state had there been a red flag law.

I want to thank Karen and all the brave people who have come forward and shared the most painful story of your life to try to help improve the world for others, Whitmer said prior to the signing.

Troy Forbush, who was injured after being shot at MSU on Feb. 13, was also in attendance Monday and spoke with Whitmer following the signing.

Michigan Democrats, who are in control of all levels of state government for the first time in 40 years, have indicated that they plan to advance further gun safety measures.
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SYDNEY (AP)  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by around 20,000 cheering fans, many chanting Modi, at a Sydney stadium on Tuesday during his second visit to Australia as his country's leader.

Modi shared the stage with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who compared the reception by the primarily Indian crowd at Qudos Bank Arena to a concert by U.S. rock star Bruce Springsteen at the same venue.

The last time I saw someone on the stage here was Bruce Springsteen and he didnt get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got, Albanese told the capacity crowd.

Prime Minister Modi is the Boss, Albanese added, using Springsteens nickname.

Modi told the audience he expected trade between the two countries will double in the next five years.

"Our positive cooperation is growing in areas like climate action, disaster management, strategic technologies, reliable supply chain, education and health security, Modi said.

"It hasnt grown through diplomacy. The real strength is the Indians living in Australia, he added.

A skywriter had earlier emblazoned the sky over Sydney with the message Welcome Modi in an indication of the citys enthusiasm about the 72-year-old Indian leader's visit.

The Indian diaspora accounts for only 3% of Australias population but is the nations fastest growing ethnic minority.

Modi is the only leader of the so-called Quad nations to continue with his scheduled visit to Australia after U.S. President Joe Biden pulled out of a planned meeting of the group in Sydney to return to Washington to focus on debt limit talks. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hosted a Group of Seven summit last week, later canceled his Australia trip as well.

Modi told The Australian newspaper that he wants to take Indias relationship with Australia to the next level, including closer defense and security ties to help ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

As two democracies, India and Australia have shared interests in a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. There is alignment of our strategic viewpoint, Modi told the newspaper.

The high degree of mutual trust between us has naturally translated into greater cooperation on defense and security matters. Our navies are participating in joint naval exercises. I am confident that there is merit in working together to realize the true potential in closer defense and security cooperation, Modi added.

Albanese told Parliament that Australia will host naval exercises involving India, the United States and Japan called Malabar for the first time this year in another sign of a deepening commitment to the Quad.

India is a key strategic partner, Albanese told Parliament. We are both part of a growing and dynamic region and Prime Minister Modi is a very welcome visitor to our shores.

Albanese said he and Modi expect to complete negotiations on a free trade deal before the end of the year.

That will create Australian jobs, helping our industries prosper, sparking growth in innovation, Albanese said.

Negotiations on the deal began in 2011. The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement would increase the scope of a bilateral trade pact that came into force last December.

India is Australia's sixth largest trading partner, with the two-way exchange of goods and services valued at 46.5 billion Australian dollars ($31 billion) last year.

Australia is eager to increase trade with India as a means of diversifying from China, Australia's biggest trading partner. Australian efforts to improve trade relations with India have gained urgency in recent years as Beijing has imposed restrictions on certain Australian products.

Modi last visited Australia in November 2014, just months after his government was first elected.

Australia pulled out of the original Quad security dialogue with India, the United States and Japan in 2008, fearing the grouping would provoke a Chinese military buildup. Since China took that course anyway, the Quad reformed in 2017 and Australia returned to joint Quad military exercises in 2020.

With the Quad summit in Sydney canceled, a substitute Quad meeting was convened on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan.

Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday night from Papua New Guinea, where he hosted a meeting with Pacific Island leaders to discuss ways to better cooperate.

Asked if Australia would raise the issue of Muslim and minority rights in India with the Hindu leader, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said he expected Albanese and Modi would have a full conversation.

We have never had a greater strategic alignment with India than we do right now. Both countries are deeply invested in the collective security of the Indo-Pacific region, Marles said.

Sydney doctor Vani Arjunamani, one of the organizers of a rally near the stadium where Modi appeared, said the Indian leader was drawing bigger crowds than he did when he visited Australia in 2014.

Its very interesting, isnt it? Is there another head of state that can pull this crowd? It is very unusual, Arjunamani said.

___

McGuirk contributed from Canberra, Australia.

Associated Press writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.
AP

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP)  Dozens of militants attacked an oil and gas plant on Tuesday in Pakistan's remote northwest, near the border with Afghanistan, killing four security troops and two private guards, officials said.

Oil production was temporarily suspended following the attack on the oil and gas extraction facility run by a multinational European company, MOL Pakistan Oil and Gas, in Hangu, a restive district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
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MIDDLETOWN  The owner of the Middletown hookah bar where a 20-year-old New Britain man was shot and killed in the early hours Sunday has voluntarily closed the business for two weeks, a city official said.

Officers responded at 3:49 a.m. Sunday to a report of shots fired at 695 South Main St., and found the victim, later identified as Jonathan Semidey Jr., with a gunshot wound in the parking lot, Chief Erik Costa has said.

Officers initiated medical care, but Semidey died at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, the chief added.

More than 50 white candles were lit near the back door of the business Monday, bearing messages of love and condolences for the victim. Empty bottles of Remy Martin and other liquors, along with a bouquet of red roses, were among the items on a nearby table.

Health Director Kevin Elak confirmed the shutdown Tuesday morning. No health department-related complaints have been filed for the business, he said.

The building owner is listed in the assessors database as Sunshine Equity LLC of Charlestown, Mass. The health department has Song Chen listed as the principal. However, Hearst Connecticut Media has been unable to contact him for comment.

There have been 38 calls for service at the address, as well as 103 property checks so far this year, Costa said.

State Department of Consumer Protection Communications Director Kaitlyn Krasselt said her office does not regulate hookah lounges because they are not allowed to hold a liquor license. The law prohibits smoking in liquor establishments, she added.

Other such incidents occurred at the hookah lounge when it was called the Midnight Hookah Lounge and other different ownership.

In the past, neighbors complained about excessive noise and traffic at the lounge. No arrests were made in connection to those complaints and patrons would quiet down when asked by officers, Costa has previously said.

Police are continuing to investigate the case. Anyone with information is asked to call the Major Investigations Unit at 860-638-4140.
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CAIRO (AP)  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday warned Sudan's rival generals to abide by the latest cease-fire or face possible sanctions, as residents reported sporadic fighting between the sides in the capital of Khartoum and a northern city.

Sudan descended into chaos after fighting erupted in mid-April between the country's military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The fighting has killed at least 863 civilians, including at least 190 children, and wounded more than 3,530 others, according to the Doctors' Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties. The toll could be much higher, the medical group said. The conflict has also turned Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields. Early on, foreign governments raced to evacuate their diplomats and nationals as thousands of foreign residents scrambled to get out of Sudan.

More than a million Sudanese have been forced from their homes by the fighting, including over 840,000 who have sought shelter in safer parts of the country, and another 250,000 crossed into neighboring countries, according to the U.N. figures.

Over the past weeks, the United States and Saudi Arabia have been mediating in talks between the warring sides, held in the kingdom. A new truce was announced over the weekend  the seventh attempt so far to stop the deadly violence in the East African nation. It went into effect on Monday night. All previous cease-fires have been violated.

In a video message posted by the U.S. Embassy on social media early Tuesday, Blinken said the fighting has been tragic, senseless and devastating.

The truce, he said, is meant to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance and restore essential services and infrastructure destroyed in the clashes.

A remote mechanism, backed by the U.S., has been established to monitor the truce, Blinken added  a 12-member monitoring committee consisting of three representatives from the warring sides, three from the U.S., and three from Saudi Arabia.

If the cease-fire is violated, well know and we will hold violators accountable through sanctions and other means, he said. We facilitated the cease-fire, but its the responsibility of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to implement it.

Both sides agreed to stop hostilities and the looting of civilian properties and humanitarian supplies, as well as seizing civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, power plants, water pumps, and fuel stations.

Aid workers and civilians have reported widespread looting in Khartoum and elsewhere across the country, along with dire lack of basic services, medical care, food, and water. The Doctors Syndicate has also said that the RSF has seized hospitals. Allegations of sexual violence against women, including rape and gang rape in Khartoum and the restive western Darfur region, have also been reported.

Doctors Without Borders said Tuesday in a statement its staff has been harassed, and its medical premises and other facilities have been repeatedly looted and occupied since the fighting began. The charity, known by its French acronym MSF, runs medical projects in 10 of Sudans 18 provinces, including the capital.

We are shaken and appalled by these deplorable attacks, said Jean-Nicolas Armstrong Dangelser, MSF emergency coordinator in Sudan. We are experiencing a violation of humanitarian principles, and the space for humanitarians to work is shrinking on a scale Ive rarely seen before.

Residents, meanwhile, said they heard gunfire and explosions Tuesday in parts of Omdurman, a city next to Khartoum, with military aircraft flying overhead. They also reported sporadic clashes around the militarys headquarters in Khartoum.

Sounds of firefight are very close, said Babakr Abdel-Rahman, an Omdurman resident, speaking over the phone, with loud sounds of gunfire and aircraft heard in the background. They dont respect peoples lives.

Fighting also was reported in the northern city of Obeid, where RSF was said to have attacked the military headquarters and other parts of the city.

Radhouane Nouicer, the U.N. expert on human rights in Sudan, slammed the warring parties for taking the country hostage, and described the civilian suffering as dehumanizing.

This is the destruction of a country in a way that is dehumanizing to its people, he said in a statement Tuesday. People feel alone and abandoned amid a chronic shortage of food, drinking water, homes destroyed, indiscriminate attacks in residential areas and widespread looting; the whole country is taken hostage.

The weekslong conflict has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian disaster in Sudan, prompting the U.N. to update its humanitarian response for 2023.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said last week that the number of people who would need assistance this year increased by 57%, to 24.7 million people, or more than a half the countrys population. That requires $2.6 billion, an increase of 47% compared to prewar estimates, it said.

The U.S. said it would allocate $245 million in additional support to Sudan and neighboring countries impacted by the conflict. That brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance commitment for Sudan and neighbors Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic to nearly $880 million in 2023, according to the State Department.
Republican and Democratic members of the Alabama House of Representatives have joined on a video opposing reports the White House wants to stop the U.S. Space Command headquarters from moving to Alabama.

Members released the joint video Monday, one week after a report that President Biden may block the move to Huntsville, which ranked highest among bases nationwide that competed for the headquarters. The base was started in Colorado Springs, Colo., and officials in that state are fighting to keep it permanently.

Quoting unnamed sources, NBC News reported May 17 that some defense and congressional officials believe President Bidens White House is laying the groundwork to stop the commands move to Alabama in part because of concerns about the states restrictive abortion law.

I just hope that we get to the point where politics is put to the side, that were focusing on the merits of the decision, why that decision was made and they made the right choice, Democrat and House Minority Leader Rep. Anthony Davis of Huntsville said in the video released Monday.

Republican state Reps. Rex Reynolds and James Lomax, both of Huntsville, also recorded support. Reynolds said the Air Force base selection committee and leadership chose Huntsville, and Lomax said more than 80 government agencies and commands already reside at Redstone.

Its not just an Army base, Lomax said. Its a federal center of excellence.

Republican House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter of Rainesville said the Air Force has said twice the command should be in Huntsville, and state Rep. David Cole, a retired Army colonel, spoke for Huntsville saying he understands what the command means in protecting America.

Republican state Rep. Wes Kitchens of Huntsville said, When you look at all the statistics, Huntsville is the clear choice. And Rep. Mike Kirkland of Scottsboro said the employees affiliated with Space Command would enjoy Huntsville.

We are equipped, we are ready and we are able to take care of Space Command, said Republican State Rep. Phillip Rigsby, a Huntsville native.

Support also came from Mobile, where Republican Rep. Shane Stringer said military decisions should be based solely on whats best for our military. We should not be inserting red state/blue state politics, Stringer said calling it an affront to our military.

Republican state Rep. Scott Stadhagen of Hartselle also said he wants President Biden to make the right decision and put the command headquarters where it belongs.

Quoting unnamed choices, NBC News reported May 17 that some defense and congressional officials believe President Bidens White House is laying the groundwork to stop the commands move to Alabama in part because of concerns about the states restrictive abortion law.

All abortion is illegal in Alabama unless medically necessary to avoid a serious health risk to the mother. The law says the mother cannot be held criminally or civilly liable for an abortion.

Before the abortion law passed, Huntsville had already scored best in a military comparison of multiple states wanting the Space Command headquarters. The competition was designed to compare the competing bases for command needs and effect on family members.

The Pentagon has a new policy that it will pay the expenses of any service member who must leave her state to get an abortion.

2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit al.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
President Joe Biden has chosen an Air Force general to be the next head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency.

An Air Force official confirmed Tuesday that Biden nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, currently the deputy commander of Cyber Command at Fort Meade in Maryland. Biden's pick will be sent to the Senate, which must approve the nomination.

Haugh, if confirmed, will replace Gen. Paul Nakasone, who has served as the head of the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command since May 2018.

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Haugh will be the first Air Force general to head the NSA since Lt. Gen. Michael Hayden led the agency between 1999 and 2005, as well as the first Air Force general to fill the dual-hatted role since it started including the duties of also leading Cyber Command in 2010.

Dave Deptula, a retired Air Force lieutenant general and dean of the nonprofit Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, told Military.com on Tuesday that Haugh's appointment is notable because many top leadership positions are dominated by services such as the Army, Navy and Marine Corps.

"For two decades, you've had a Pentagon leadership, from the military perspective, that's been dominated by the surface services," Deptula said. "If you look at this holistically, it's about time."

Deptula also praised Haugh's background and said, if confirmed, he will take Nakasone's initiatives to the next level.

Haugh's more than 30-year career in the Air Force started in 1991 when he was commissioned as an officer through the ROTC program at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.

His past leadership roles include serving as the commander of the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia; as the commander of the 318th Cyberspace Operations Group at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas; and as the director of intelligence at U.S. Cyber Command.

U.S. Cyber Command is a unified combatant command focusing on protecting the Defense Department's networks, as well as defending against cyber attacks from foreign enemies. The National Security Agency is tasked with collecting intelligence from around the world.

Neither Cyber Command nor the NSA immediately returned a request for comment on Haugh's nomination. The White House also did not immediately return a Military.com email seeking comment.

Haugh's confirmation could take some time in the Senate, especially as Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala,, continues his months-long hold on hundreds of military nominees.

Haugh's nomination comes at a time when the Air Force is under intense scrutiny following the arrest of an Air National Guardsman who allegedly leaked classified and sensitive information online.

The Air Force is conducting an internal investigation into how Jack Teixeira obtained the sensitive information, which included photos of numerous classified defense documents pertaining to operations in the Ukraine war, as well as U.S. surveillance efforts around the world, federal officials claim.

The nomination also comes as other Air Force officials are being eyed for top leadership positions.

Gen. Charles "C.Q." Brown is widely seen as the frontrunner and Biden's likely nominee to replace Gen. Mark Milley as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

In August, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder was tapped to serve as the Department of Defense press secretary after serving as the director of public affairs for the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force.

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: Chatter Builds About Gen. 'CQ' Brown Candidacy for Chairman of Joint Chiefs
Home Depot has begun taking over military exchange store sales of major appliances.

Customers of shopmyexchange.com can now get Home Depot's selection of major appliances tax-free plus a 1% discount.

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service, known as AAFES, announced May 18 that sales had begun, and Home Depot officials confirmed the 1% discount to Military.com.

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The appliances are available through the site's Home Depot-branded section.

In the exchanges' physical stores, Home Depot showrooms will first appear at Fort Moore, Georgia; Fort Cavazos, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph and Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; and Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The showrooms will ultimately roll out to 60 AAFES exchanges in the continental U.S., Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Navy Exchange stores are also expected to shift sourcing and delivery of major appliances to Home Depot this year.

The extent of the showrooms will vary according to the size of the exchange, but Home Depot's "entire assortment" will be for sale on the website, AAFES spokesperson Chris Ward told Military.com.

Home Depot's popular 10% military and veteran discount on most products does not extend to major appliances.

The selection now available to exchange shoppers includes washers, dryers, refrigerators, freezers, built-in microwaves, ranges, cooktops, ovens and hoods. Home Depot itself will fulfill the orders and handle delivery.

The appliances will be available exclusively for delivery -- with the delivery cost calculated according to Home Depot's usual method based on size, weight and other factors, Ward said. Exchange shoppers will not be able to pick up their appliances at a Home Depot store.

AAFES' announcement characterized the new development as a "collaborative effort" between Home Depot and the exchange service meant to improve the quality of life of service members, veterans and their families.

The deal means exchange shoppers will have more major appliances to choose from, AAFES Director and CEO Tom Shull said in the announcement.

Customers will access the new discount program through the exchanges' stores or websites, not directly from a Home Depot store or Home Depot's website. The deal is available to veterans and their families, active-duty troops and their families, and all other authorized exchange shoppers.

Ward said most exchange stores will continue selling their existing inventory of major appliances until they sell out, at which time they'll transition to a Home Depot showroom. AAFES aims to have the 60 showrooms in place by October.

The military exchanges opened to more than half a million new shoppers in 2021 when the Defense Department extended shopping privileges to about 600,000 civilian employees.

-- Amanda Miller can be reached at amanda.miller@monster.com.

Related: New Home Depot Military Discount Coming on Appliances Through Exchange Deal
A hoax in mid-May claiming that homeless New York veterans were being evicted to make room for immigrants was fishy from the get-go: The region has made big strides in housing veterans, and some communities say they've solved the issue completely.

New York City and its mayor, Eric Adams, are struggling to handle an influx of asylum seekers from the Mexico border and have moved them to suburban hotels this month in areas such as Dutchess County, New York, which prompted outrage from Republicans and cable news.

But the founder of a local charity, Sharon Toney-Finch, is now under fire for claiming nearly two dozen homeless veterans were evicted to make room for the migrants. Local news reports indicated the story was fabricated, according to The Associated Press, with an alleged check to cover the veterans' stay apparently doctored and several men recruited to pretend they were kicked out of the hotel.

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While the area grapples with a migrant influx -- the county declared a state of emergency last week -- veterans have been well taken care of after years of effort. Dutchess County is one of 10 communities in New York state that reported veteran homelessness had been solved.

Toney-Finch, who says she served two tours in Iraq and was wounded, later claimed to have moved the homeless veterans to a hotel in Danbury, Connecticut, to keep them safe. Connecticut, like Dutchess County, has been certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs as having solved veteran homelessness -- the first of three states in the U.S. to enjoy the distinction.

The VA has worked for more than a decade to house veterans nationally. Veteran homelessness has decreased about 55% in the U.S. since 2010, when then-President Barack Obama set a five-year goal to find permanent housing for all veterans.

New York City announced an end to chronic veteran homelessness in 2015. By 2020, its homeless veteran population was estimated at just six people across the five boroughs.

Dutchess County has done even better. It is one of 10 of New York state communities certified by the VA as having matched all of their homeless veterans with shelter. Albany, Buffalo, Western New York, Long Island, Rochester, Saratoga Springs, Schenectady, Syracuse and Troy are the other nine.

Connecticut has managed the same goal.

"When the Department of Housing and Veterans Affairs embarked on ending veteran homelessness, our goals were (1) end chronic veteran homelessness and (2) effectively end veteran homelessness. We maintain our status thanks to ongoing efforts to manage the solutions we developed," Evonne Klein, the CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, told Military.com via email.

The nonprofit organization, which is dedicated to ending all forms of homelessness in the state, played a significant role in the original push to end veteran homelessness there.

The blowup over Toney-Finch's claims included a New York state Republican lawmaker originally floating legislation that would prohibit veterans from being displaced, calling the evictions an embarrassment, according to the AP. Now that her story has come under scrutiny, State Assemblyman Brian Maher is calling for an investigation of the claims.

Connecticut was once the site of thousands of homeless veterans -- many of whom also suffered from other conditions exacerbated by the lack of reliable shelter. The state's eventual solution depended on bringing together a network of nongovernmental organizations, state legislators, businesses and veterans service officers.

The combination of local, state and national level assistance was key to solving a complicated problem, and can also be seen in the New York communities such as Dutchess County, where veteran homelessness is a matter of chasing down individuals, rather than staring at hundreds or thousands of homeless veterans.

"We're very close to 100% housing for veterans," Catherine Osten, a Connecticut state senator, member of the Connecticut state legislature's Committee on Veterans' and Military Affairs, and a Vietnam-era veteran of the Army, said in an interview. "There's always a certain number of veterans who prefer to live outside for a variety of reasons, who I have talked with. But we are close to ensuring that all veterans who want to be in housing are in housing."

The VA is also still working on housing thousands more veterans across the country. It hopes to permanently house 38,000 homeless veterans this year, after it overshot the same goal last year by 6%.

Meanwhile, the details of the homeless veteran evictions hoax and Toney-Finch's role are still not entirely clear. But as New York City and its neighboring areas figure out how to manage asylum seekers, it's unlikely veterans will be facing any eviction threats.

-- Adrian Bonenberger, an Army veteran and graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, reports for Military.com. He can be reached at adrian.bonenberger@monster.com.

Related: VA Aims to House 38,000 Homeless Vets in 2023, Repeating Goal It Surpassed Last Year
In an unusual move, a federal judge has ordered 3M CEO Mike Roman to personally attend mediation sessions aimed at settling the company's long-running legal battle over allegedly defective military earplugs.

In one of the largest U.S. mass torts, 3M faces over 200,000 lawsuits in U.S. District Court in northern Florida. On Friday, the judge presiding over those cases, Casey Rodgers, required Roman to appear at mediation sessions in Pensacola scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

"Mediation discussions have progressed to a critical juncture where the most senior party representative leaders must be present," Rodgers wrote. Every member of the plaintiffs' lawyers' settlement committee also must attend this week's mediation.

"Roman must personally attend, and listen and engage directly with the mediators, so that his reports to the board of directors regarding the potential for global resolution of these cases are properly informed by firsthand knowledge," Rodgers wrote.

3M declined to comment.

Tens of thousands of former and current military members allege that defective 3M earplugs  once standard military issue  damaged their hearing. Their claims against 3M were roped together in a "multi-district litigation," or MDL, case in Rodgers' court.

MDLs commonly feature bellwether trials that are supposed to set a tone for settling all claims. Military plaintiffs won 10 of 16 earplug bellwether trials in Florida, with juries awarding them nearly $300 million.

But the trials failed to spark a global settlement of all the lawsuits. So, Rodgers in June required formal mediation between 3M and plaintiffs' attorneys. She terminated those talks in January after they failed.

Plaintiffs' attorneys in late April asked Rodgers to resume mediation, noting that plaintiffs in a separate set of earplug claims in Minnesota were also seeking a "global" settlement and that renewed mediation would help everybody.

3M disagreed, responding that further mediation in Rodgers' court wasn't necessary, and that "nothing has materially changed" since January. The company said it is committed to ongoing mediation, but in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Indianapolis.

Plaintiffs' attorneys have asked that bankruptcy court mediation be dismissed.

Last summer, declaring the MDL litigation process "broken beyond repair," 3M put its Aearo Technologies into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, automatically freezing litigation against the subsidiary. 3M's earplug business originated in Aearo, which is also named as a defendant in the earplug suits against 3M.

3M had sought to extend the litigation freeze to 3M itself. But in December, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Jeffrey Graham denied that request  a significant blow to the company's legal strategy.

3M has asked the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse Graham's ruling.

After Aearo's bankruptcy filing, 3M suddenly claimed it was not solely liable for hearing damage suffered by military veterans who used 3M earplugs. Rodgers then accused the company of "bad faith manipulation."

3M is potentially liable for billions of dollars in earplug-related damages through the federal district court. Its Aearo bankruptcy gambit is aimed at reducing that potential burden.

2023 StarTribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A new study by Rand Corp. has found a much smaller number of veterans, compared to the general population, say they believe in white supremacy, the QAnon conspiracy theory and left-wing extremism.

But nearly 18% of veterans did agree with the idea that Americans may have to resort to violence because the country has gone in a direction they don't support, according to a survey of about 1,000. The think tank also found that 28% agreed with the Great Replacement Theory, a cornerstone of racist ideology that claims powerful elites are trying to replace native-born Americans with immigrants and people of color who share their political beliefs.

The theory is also referenced by the far-right as "white genocide."

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The data from Rand highlights a troubling trend among veterans, who in recent years have often been involved in domestic terrorism and other far right-related crimes. The study found that veterans might be slightly less likely to align with radical viewpoints when compared to polls done on the general public, though the data on the subject is minimal and not directly comparable.

Extremist groups such as the Oath Keepers -- the group's former leader and members were convicted of seditious conspiracy for their role in the Jan. 6 insurrection -- have also preyed on troops and those who leave the service, hoping to benefit from their status and military know-how.

"My biggest concern is this study provides a lot of data but stimulates a lot of questions. What we're focused on is the transition; the research shows that's a vulnerable period for substance abuse, homelessness and other issues," Rajeev Ramchand, a researcher who wrote the report, told Military.com. "This highlights there are other groups who are bad actors trying to recruit into their groups. If a group comes to them and offers camaraderie, that to me is concerning."

Veterans represent about 7% of the U.S. population, according to the Census Bureau, yet veterans were behind 10% of all domestic terror attacks between 2015 and 2021, according to recent expert testimony before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.

There is scant data on whether military service drives anyone toward radical ideologies, but extremist groups are attracted to service members and veterans for their knowledge of weapons and logistics, and inherent social credibility that can bring in more recruits.

Despite the interest and recruiting from extremist groups, Rand said it found evidence that fewer veterans expressed support for extremist groups such as the Proud Boys, which also had members convicted of seditious conspiracy for their role on Jan. 6, as well as the politically liberal extremist group Antifa and the QAnon conspiracy theory, which claims the government, financial world and media are run by a group of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who operate a global sex trafficking ring.

"On the one hand, these results are encouraging," according to the Rand report.

However, the survey data does not include more in-depth information such as interviews that could explain the findings. "It is difficult to interpret the reasons for these lower figures for veterans," the report found.

"Most military veterans are seeing the best in America and are not so far down the rabbit hole [joining] extremist organizations or ideologies," Ellen Gustafson, co-executive director of We the Veterans, a nonpartisan group that organizes veterans to work in elections, including operating polling stations, told reporters at a Monday press conference.

Veterans in the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were among the throngs of rioters who smashed windows, fought police and broke into the U.S. Capitol during the violent Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, which was egged on by then-President Donald Trump as an effort to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's election win.

The Oath Keepers stockpiled weapons at a nearby hotel for a planned insurgency, fighting police and National Guardsmen in the streets of Washington, D.C., and neighboring Virginia. That group's founder, Stewart Rhodes, who served a short stint in the Army, and several of his followers were handed very rare convictions on sedition charges.

Veterans and members of the military have been key members of extremist movements for decades. Louis Beam, who was a helicopter door-gunner in Vietnam, became a klansman after the war and led the Texas Emergency Reserve, a militia that at its peak had more than 2,000 members and threatened violence against Vietnamese fishermen who had immigrated to the state. Beam went on to write Essays of a Klansman, arguing that the preservation of the white race required terror attacks within the U.S.

Most infamously, Timothy McVeigh, an Army veteran who had served in Operation Desert Storm, perpetrated the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people and injured nearly 700 others.

Meanwhile, the Great Replacement Theory played a central role in the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. There, white supremacists and alt-right groups including neo-Nazis, Confederate sympathizers, klansmen and Proud Boys marched at the University of Virginia with tiki torches chanting "Jews will not replace us," protesting the planned removal of a Robert E. Lee statue.

-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.

Related: The Threat from Extremist Groups Is Growing. Service Members and Vets Are Getting Sucked into the Violence.
The Pentagon said Tuesday that the decision to train Ukrainians on F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets is unlikely to aid any forthcoming counteroffensive push or immediately affect the conflict.

The department's top spokesman, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, said the training will take place outside of Ukraine in Europe and characterized it as an investment in the medium- to long-term capabilities of Ukraine. But he offered few other details on the newly unveiled plans during a briefing to reporters.

President Joe Biden announced to world leaders at the Group of Seven summit in Japan last week that the U.S. and its allies will begin training Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets after months of requests from leaders in Kyiv.

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"F-16s for Ukraine is about the long-term commitment to Ukraine," Ryder told reporters at a briefing, before adding that "these F-16s will not be relevant to the upcoming counteroffensive."

Ryder told reporters that details on what the training will look like -- especially when it will start, who will provide the jets and how -- are still being worked out.

The Pentagon's chief spokesman did say that "training will take place outside of Ukraine, at sites in Europe" and that officials "hope that we will be able to start the training within weeks or months -- in the relatively near term."

When asked whether the country could expect to get deliveries of the modern jets this year, Ryder told reporters, "I don't want to put a timeline on it."

A U.S. official said Friday that it would be up to the countries that are participating in the training to decide "when to actually provide jets, how many we will provide, and who will provide them."

While Ukraine's interest in foreign fighter jets has been public knowledge since last year, U.S. officials have steadfastly maintained that, while they were considering the request, the capability would not make a major strategic impact.

Gen. James Hecker, the head of U.S. Air Forces in Europe as well as Air Forces Africa and Allied Air Command, told Military.com in March that he thought the jets would "help them a little bit" but added that "I don't think it's going to be a game changer."

Ryder said the F-16 training is considered by officials inside the Pentagon as "part of a conversation about how we support Ukraine in the mid- to long-term."

"If they are not successful in their counteroffensive, then everything else is largely a moot point," he said.

U.S. officials have followed a now-familiar pattern of publicly being hesitant to offer a suggested weapons platform, only to later give the go-ahead. Requests for weapons like the Bradley fighting vehicle, the Patriot missile air defense system, and M1 Abrams tanks all followed a similar pattern.

In the case of the F-16 jets, Ryder noted that the request was made by the Ukrainians in April 2022 and since then it was being considered by the National Security Council. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin OK'd the plan this month.

"There was unanimous agreement that this was something that we should and need to support so, prior to the G7, Secretary Austin made the recommendation to proceed," Ryder said.

"We've said all along that we are committed to supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes, both in the near term and in the long term," he added.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: US Will Train Ukrainians on F-16 Fighter Jet After Months of Speculation
Reds righty Connor Overton had, whos been out since mid-April due to an elbow strain, had a setback in his recovery and will undergo exploratory elbow surgery to determine the root of his troubles, manager David Bell announced to reporters Monday (Twitter link via Olivia Ray of WLWT Cincinnati). Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer further adds that the surgery could very well end the rightys season.

Overton, 29, appeared in six games for the 2022 Reds (four starts) and posted a sharp 2.73 ERA in 33 innings of work. With just an 11.3% strikeout rate and a minuscule .204 batting average on balls in play contributing to that mark, Overton never seemed likely to sustain that level of success, but he regressed far more precipitously than the Reds had anticipated through his first three starts of the current campaign.

While Overtons velocity remained consistent with its 2022 levels, he was clobbered for 14 runs on 19 hits (three of them homers) and seven walks in just 11 innings of work. Overton actually improved his strikeout rate a bit (to 16.4%) and more than doubled his swinging-strike rate (from 6% to 12.5%), but his elbow barked after just three starts and hell now face a lengthy absence.

Originally a 15th-round selection by the Marlins in the 2014 draft, Overton bounced around the league on a series of minor league deals and also played with the independent Lancaster Barnstormers before landing with the Reds, his sixth affiliated organization, prior to the 2022 season. Hes posted sharp numbers in the upper minors  2.45 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate, 5.4% walk rate in 91 Triple-A innings  but has yet to find much in the way of big league success. In 59 1/3 Major League innings between the Blue Jays, Pirates and Reds, he has a 4.85 ERA with a 15.7% strikeout rate and 9.5% walk rate. Hell accrue big league service and pay while on the injured list, though his chances of lasting the entire 2023-24 offseason on Cincinnatis 40-man roster take a big hit with news of this surgery.

Overton likely wouldve gotten a lengthier look in a rotation audition this season, but hes now out of the picture for the foreseeable future. Cincinnati also subtracted veteran righty Luis Cessa from that mix when they released him last week. Overton joins lefty Nick Lodolo on the injured list, though Lodolo, who has a stress reaction in his tibia, isnt looking at nearly as long an absence. The Reds are currently utilizing Hunter Greene, Graham Ashcraft, rookie Brandon Williamson, journeyman Ben Lively and veteran offseason pickup Luke Weaver in the rotation. Top prospect Andrew Abbott, whos fanned 45.3% of his opponents between Double-A and Triple-A, could get a look at some point this summer as well.
MANISTEE, MI  A U.S. Coast Guard crew rescued a two people and a wayward sailboat from Lake Michigan.

According to Coast Guard Station Manistee, the crew received a report of a sailboat with a torn sail and disabled engines at 1:40 a.m. on May 19.

The sailboat was reportedly drifting in the waves approximately two miles off Little Sable Point with two people onboard.

A local towing agency was sent to assist the sailors, but due to rough weather conditions, including 6-to-7-foot waves and restricted visibility, a USCG crew was dispatched to assist.

The crew was able to successfully secure a tow to the sailboat and brought it safely back to shore.

Bravo Zulu, shipmates, a Facebook post reads, along with several photos of the rescue.

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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)  Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen says he was blindsided during an attack on him outside a South Florida hotel following a concert earlier this year.

I heard a couple of steps and then I just saw this (flash) and the next thing I knew was I was on the ground, Allen, 59, told ABCs " Good Morning America " in an interview broadcast Monday. I landed on my backside  hit my head on the pavement.

Def Leppard was in Fort Lauderdale to perform at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino when he was attacked March 13 while taking a smoke break outside a hotel.

Police arrested Max Hartley, a 19-year-old from Avon, Ohio, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of battery and four counts of criminal mischief, according to court records. Police said they have not determined a motive.

I dont think he knew who I was, but he must have seen that I wasnt a threat because, you know, Ive only got one arm, said Allen, who lost his left arm in a car accident in 1984.

According to the police report, Hartley was hiding behind a pillar outside the hotel and then ran at Allen, knocking him to the ground. He also attacked a woman who tried to help Allen, but she wasnt seriously injured.

Hartley then ran to another hotel and started breaking car windows until he was stopped by witnesses and police arrived, police said.

Hartleys lawyer, Kevin Gardiner, said in an email that he cant comment on a pending case.

Allens head struck the ground during the attack, and he and his wife, Lauren Monroe, told Good Morning America that theyve been focusing on his recovery.

My heart just completely sank into me. I know the journey of trauma. Everything stopped in our house and focused on him, Monroe said.

The couple created the Raven Drum Foundation to help survivors of trauma, especially veterans and first responders, in 2001.

Allen and his bandmates performed Friday at a small venue in their hometown of Sheffield, England, on Friday before kicking off their European tour.

I know that Im not going to be playing music in a band forever, said Allen. But while I am, I plan on making as many people happy as I possibly can. And this is my time. This is my opportunity.
LUDINGTON, MI  The iconic Budweiser Clydesdales will appear four times in two Northern Michigan beach towns next month.

The horse team is scheduled for events, including parades and meet-and-greets, in Manistee and Ludington June 8-11.

Heres the schedule:

5-7 p.m. Thursday, June 8 at Douglas Park/First Street Beach in Manistee.

6-7 p.m. Friday, June 9, at the Love Ludington Street Party in downtown Ludington.

5-7 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at Loomis Street Boat Launch in Ludington.

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, June 11, at Mason County Fairgrounds near Ludington.

The Ludington appearances coincide with the citys Love Ludington Weekend festival, which will be larger than ever this year as the city celebrates its 150th anniversary.

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The events are coordinated by Ludington Beverage Co., an Anheuser-Busch and craft beer wholesaler, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary of serving West Michigan.

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ROYAL OAK, MI -- A 44-year-old Michigan man is facing charges of first-degree premeditated murder after he allegedly shot and killed his ex-girlfriend at a car dealership Saturday morning.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald announced the charge against Gregory Davis along with charges of assault with intent to murder, felon in possession of a firearm, felonious assault, and four counts of felony firearm second offense for his alleged role in the death of a 40-year-old Sterling Heights.
Taylor Swifts Saturday night Gillette Stadium show in the pouring rain brought some comedic ramifications to Sundays performance.

Saturdays Eras Tour crowd fearlessly braved the rain for the entirety of the show, but the same cant be said for Swifts piano keyboard.

During her surprise song section of the Sunday concert, Swift debriefed the crowd about the weather from the night prior.

So it rained a lot last night, like a monsoon. To be exact, it rained for 3 and a half hours straight and it just kept getting more and more rain, she said into her microphone.

It was as she was explaining the Saturday show that a piano key on her keyboard played a deep, dark note. In shock, the artist asked the audience if they could hear what she was hearing.

I didnt play that. So that means -, she said as she got cut off from the booming low notes once again.

Thats when Swifts jaw dropped as over 65,000 crowd members laughed and screamed at what was unfolding.

Swift was planning to perform a surprise song on the keyboard, but told fans that song would have to be played on the guitar because the rain damaged the instrument.

This has clearly broken my keyboard because it was literally under water. I didnt know how any of the instruments were working last night. So this is broken. Im just going to get the guitar, its going to be fine, she said.

Swift then played Red as her second surprise song of the night. She also played I Think He Knows previously that night.

But fans of Swift know that almost anything she does is hardly coincidental.

Swift has been famously known to tease fans with news surrounding her music. But instead of announcing it in the open, she sneakily embeds hidden messages in lyrics, outfits, music videos and more.

These Easter eggs unite the fandom to partake in a scavenger hunt for potential news surrounding the artist.

Was Sundays piano mishap purely a coincidence? Or maybe another clue for fans.

During a recent concert in Nashville the artist announced the re-recording of her 2010 album Speak Now, now called Speak Now (Taylors Version). It is set to release July 7.

A song on the album is titled Haunted which is exactly how fans were describing Swifts rouge keyboard. Would this mean her newest version of the song from the upcoming album be released soon?

We all agree that last nights piano malfunction is for sure an Easter Egg for Haunted TV?? Her 13th show @GilletteStadium, haunted pianojuuuuuuuuuust sayin, a Twitter user said.

Or did fans just hope shell play Haunted as surprise song at her upcoming concerts.

I swear if somehow Taylors piano playing by itself is foreshadowing Haunted for MetLife or something Im gonna freak out, another user tweeted.

The Eras Tour artist will be traveling to East Rutherford, New Jersey, to play MetLife Stadium starting Friday.
Theres a new level of flag warning at Michigan state parks Great Lakes swimming beaches: The double red flags.

Double red flags means swimming is closed and visitors are not allowed to enter the water from the beach, according to a news release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR began integrating this upgraded flag warning during 2022. The flags are intended to boost awareness of changing swimming conditions and save lives, the DNR said.

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Many people underestimate the power of the Great Lakes and dont always understand how quickly even the most experienced swimmer can get into a life-threatening situation and [be] swept away, Ron Olson, chief of DNR Parks and Recreation, said in a statement. Thats why the DNR is committed to making beach safety and public education a top priority.

There have been 1,170 Great Lakes drownings since 2010, including 108 in 2022 and 15 so far in 2023, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project.

We began introducing double red flags at some state-designated swim beaches in 2022, said Pat Whalen, district supervisor for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. This year, all equipment is in place, and the new flag warning system has been rolled out to all state-designated swim beaches along the Great Lakes in nearly 30 state parks.

It is illegal to enter the water during a double red flag, the DNR said.

RELATED: Lake Michigans deadly trend continues in 2022 despite increase in safety measures

The updated system now includes:

Double red flag : Water access closed. Do not enter the water; dangerous conditions. (The double red flag restriction does not include those participating in board sports, such as surfing, kite surfing and skim boarding, with appropriate safety gear.)

Red flag : High hazard. High surf and/or strong currents. Its recommended that you stay out of the water.

Yellow flag : Medium hazard. Moderate surf and/or currents. Watch for dangerous currents and high waves.

Green flag: Low hazard. Calm conditions. Enter the water, but exercise caution.

State-designated swim beaches are identified by swim buoys, lifesaving flotation device and equipment, and (only at Great Lakes beaches, not inland beaches) the Great Lakes flag warning system.

The DNR also offers the following advice on how to stay safe at Michigans Great Lakes swimming beaches:

There are no beach guards at state parks. Never swim alone and always keep a close watch on children. Bring U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets, especially for new and inexperienced swimmers.

Water currents near piers, breakwalls and outlets of rivers can be extremely hazardous.

Visitors in areas without designated swim beaches should use extreme caution because they will not have the benefit of the beach flag warning system or the visual cautions of buoys that mark water depth and obstacles.

Before leaving home for any beach outing, check local weather reports and lake conditions and learn about the types of Great Lakes currents and how to escape them.

Visit Michigan.gov/BeachSafety for tips and information on safely visiting the Great Lakes, including state-designated swim beach locations, the beach flag warning system, Great Lakes currents (and how to escape them) and more.

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WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- A man who shot himself near a Washtenaw County elementary school was not targeting the building, police said.

A 20-year-old man was arraigned on Thursday, May 4, in the 14B District Court on charges of carrying a concealed weapon after he reportedly shot himself during an armed confrontation with police near an elementary school earlier this month, police said.

It appears they were not targeting the school and just happened to be walking by the school when the deputy made contact with them, Derick Jackson, a spokesperson for the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office, told MLive/The Ann Arbor News in an email. There is no reason to believe the school was a target.

A passerby had reported two men near Rawsonville Elementary School, 3110 S. Grove St. in Ypsilanti Township around 9 a.m. on Monday, May 1. The person also reported seeing a ski mask and a gun.

When deputies approached the men, they fled on foot. As they fled, the man carrying the gun shot himself through the abdomen and the leg, Jackson said.

No other shots were fired and the pair only had one gun, Jackson said.

The injured man was taken to the hospital at the time. There were no charges against the second man, police said.

The 20-year-old posted his $500 bond on Tuesday, May 9, police said.

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YPSILANTI, MI - A virtual education program previously only available to Washtenaw County high school students is expanding to accommodate middle school students in the fall.

The Washtenaw Alliance for Virtual Education, a free, public high school providing an alternative to traditional high school with in-person and online learning options, will enroll 25 eighth-graders in a similar program after receiving a grant from the New Schools Venture Fund.

The school in Ypsilanti is part of the Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium. Plans are to also expand the program to seventh-graders the following year, WAVE Program Director Monique Uzelac said, adding that depending on demand, a sixth-grade option could be added after that.

Offering the Washtenaw Alliance for Virtual Education program to middle school students in Washtenaw Countys nine public school districts is a natural progression, Uzelac said, after hearing from families and local school districts about the need for the past decade.

WAVE has a draft lease in place to run the middle school on the lower level of a building currently housing its high school at 301 W. Michigan Ave. in downtown Ypsilanti. In its first year, the program will be staffed by members of WAVEs high school team.

Weve known that there is a small but regular need for middle school students who need an alterative thats more flexible and more personalized, Uzelac said. Its been one of those scratching at the door for a long time.

The grant allowed WAVE to create a planning team to develop the schools curriculum and do a needs assessment with local middle school staffs and community partners in developing the model for middle school.

Like the WAVE high school, the middle school will focus on an adult-student advisory model that gives students a higher level of communication than they would receive in a traditional school setting, Uzelac said.

In the past, Uzelac said there hasnt been one type of student who has benefitted from its flexible and individualized course offerings. Some examples of students enrolled through WAVE include those who have parenting responsibilities, those who are looking for an alternative to the traditional pacing and size of high school classes and those who have had disciplinary issues like expulsion from school.

While high school students typically have more flexibility with how often they check in with an adviser for in-person support, middle school students will be expected to attend school in-person for at least four half-days a week, Uzelac said, with the option to stay the entire school day or to work remotely based on their familys schedule.

The curriculum also builds in a social-emotional learning component, acknowledging that students who are referred to the program might have behavior issues.

Most importantly, we want to focus on community building, social emotional skill development and having these students really feel like they have a home in a school for the first time, Middle school planning team member Melissa Denig said.

We are very intentional about carving out that time to build relationships and I think thats one of the things students who leave us report is a high level of connection and relationship with the staff members here. I think its a lot harder in a traditional school when you have 30 kids in your classroom and you have so much curriculum to focus on.

Where a traditional middle school model functions like a mini high school, the WAVE middle school will take some of the best practices that have worked for middle school-aged students in ensuring it offers those students who need it a sense of community, WAVE middle school adviser and planning team member Sarah Giddings said.

Those interested in learning more about the new WAVE middle school program should contact their local school district for more information about enrolling, WAVE Student Coordinator Karma Stuart said. Orientations for the school is set for Aug. 28.

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.

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This article has been updated to reflect the funds for the program came from a community funding request from the office of U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, and not a Department of Justice Grant.

YPSILANTI, MI -- High schooler Kiki Owens thinks conversations with law enforcement can be very awkward -- but, ultimately enlightening.

Owens, an eleventh grade student at Washtenaw International High School and Educate Youth mentor, joined law enforcement officers, other students and community leaders Friday, May 19 at the Ypsilanti Senior Center to reflect on clashes between police and youth.

It was very weird but it was very worth it having the officers listen to us. (It) was something that we felt was very important.because the teens, we need to get involved and we are an important factor with making change, Owens said.

The forum, hosted by Educate Youth, was part of a police-youth dialogue made possible by a $149,000 community funding request from the office of U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor. Educate Youth launched the conversations in 2018 when they joined national educational movement L.O.V.E. Is The Answer, a police-community relations training program, according to Gail Wolkoff, the nonprofits director.

Wolkoff has led after-school support services at Educate Youths center on 104 S. Huron Street since she founded the nonprofit in 2017, with the mission of interrupting the school to prison pipeline.

For all of my years, Ive been involved with education and helping teenagers to interact with adults, especially interact with power, and then on top of that interact with power with weapons, Wolkoff said.

L.O.V.E. Is The Answer was born out of filmmaker A.J. Alis 2017 documentary Walking While Black: L.O.V.E. Is The Answer, which uses Alis personal story of being stopped by police when walking in his neighborhood. He hopes it will offer steps to end racial profiling in policing.

As a young Black woman, Owens said she broke down when she first watched Alis documentary.

I feel like even though I havent dealt with actual violence from police brutality or any type of racial profiling, I feel like I can still relate to that because it could happen, she said.

Walking While Black: L.O.V.E. Is The Answer" director A.J. Ali tells his story at Ypsilanti Senior Center.Grace Tucker

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti police Chief Kirk Moore and former Ypsilanti mayor Lois Allen-Richardson also delivered remarks at the Educate Youth event, which occurred during National Police Week.

...Young people can get to know our law enforcement, and build that trust and get to know theyre not the enemy. They want to mentor you, they want everybody to have a future and live in a community thats safe, Dingell said.

Wolkoff said she initially partnered with Richardson and Educate Youth board member Nat Alston to bring the L.O.V.E. Is The Answer program to Ypsilanti as a means of resolving ongoing turbulence between area youth, particularly Black youth, and law enforcement.

Theyve all experienced being Black, theyve all experienced being stopped (by police), theyve all experienced being told to assume the position, Wolkoff said.

Gail Wolkoff, executive director of Educate Youth, is awarded a certificate of appreciation on behalf of the Detroit chapter of Groove Phi Groove by Harry Smith, chapter president.Grace Tucker

Derrick Jackson, community engagement director at the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office, says he intends to make a live screening of Walking While Black and a post-movie discussion with Ypsilanti youth a mandatory part of deputy orientation.

Every single officer coming through the Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office is going to have that interaction, and to me there is nothing more telling or important than letting our young people from our community teach our officers what it really means to be a good police officer, Jackson said.

Gabe Moore, an eleventh grade student at Washtenaw Technical Middle College and Educate Youth mentor, also thinks youth voices are essential.

The police need to understand where the youth is coming from. Understanding each others opinions is very important, especially coming from a community that has such a large gun violence issue, Moore said.

Those interested can learn more about Educate Youth here and the L.O.V.E. Is The Answer movement here.

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.

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ST. JOHNS, MI  The cases of two men accused of shooting and killing a Bath Township hunter will be tried separately following a judges ruling Monday in Clinton County Circuit Court.

Judge Shannon L. W. Schlegel on Monday, May 22, denied a motion by the Michigan Attorney Generals office seeking to joinder the cases of Thomas Olson of Grand Blanc Township and Robert Rodway of St. Johns.

Instead, Schlegel ruled, the cases of Olson and Rodway, both 34, will be heard separately.

The judge also ruled that voir dire, otherwise known as the examination process of potential jurors, will be conducted by the attorneys in the case as opposed to strictly Schlegel.

Online court records also show that no plea agreement is expected in the case, noting that a jury trial will likely be scheduled for later this year.

Olson and Rodway are charged with felony murder, a charge carrying a life sentence without the possibility of parole, and felony firearm, a charge carrying a mandatory prison sentence of two years to run consecutive to any other conviction.

The charges stem from the 2018 cold case homicide of Chong Yang.

The AGs office has alleged the defendants killed Yang while hunting and then stole his headlamp, knife, backpack and shotgun.

The Michigan State Police Fugitive Team arrested Olson and Rodway on Dec. 1, 2022. They are both being held without bond.

Read more at The Flint Journal:

2 men charged with murder in 2018 death of Bath Township hunter

Cases against 2 men charged in Bath Township hunters 2018 death proceed to examination

2 men will stand trial in Michigan hunters 2018 cold case homicide

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FLINT, MI  The homicide cases against two men are in jeopardy after the star witness for the prosecutions case was found killed last week in Flint.

Genesee County District Court Judge Christopher R. Odette on Tuesday, May 23, dismissed without prejudice the cases against Byron and Cameron Powell, ages 43 and 52, respectively.

The two men appeared in orange jumpsuits and shackles Tuesday in Odettes courtroom, originally slated for a preliminary examination on charges of first-degree premeditated murder, discharging a firearm from a vehicle causing death, possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a concealed weapon and three counts of felony firearm.

But without the prosecutions witness, James Brown, they were unable to proceed with their case.

Flint Police D/Sgt. Tyrone Booth confirmed to MLive-The Flint Journal Tuesday, that city police were investigating Browns death last week.

Booth said Flint police were called out around 7:21 p.m. Thursday, May 18, to the intersection of Chestnut Street and Holbrook Avenue and found Brown dead from multiple gunshot wounds.

No additional information was immediately available.

Related: Reward offered for information in unsolved Flint homicide from January 2021

Cheryl Lopez, the assistant prosecuting attorney handling the case in place of Karen Hansen who is on medical leave, said her office learned of the witness death Tuesday morning.

Attorneys for Byron and Cameron Powell, Elias Fanous and Kami Trescone, respectively, each said they were shocked by the news.

The Powells charges stem from the Jan. 1, 2021, homicide of Christopher Allen Jones, a man otherwise known as Doc.

Flint police officers on Jan. 3, 2021, were dispatched to the 700 block of West Dewey Street in Flint where Jones was found slumped over in the drivers seat of a vehicle.

Witnesses said gunshots had been heard at around 4:30 a.m., and a vehicle was seen fleeing eastbound afterward.

In July 2021, Brown was interviewed about the New Years Day shooting and told police he had witnessed Jones murder.

Brown was in a vehicle with another witness prosecutors planned to call, according to a probable cause statement.

The two witnesses were westbound on West Dewey Street, and Brown said he could see Byron Powell driving the suspect vehicle and Cameron Powell in the front passenger seat.

The Powells pulled next to Jones vehicle and began shooting, Brown told police.

Read more at The Flint Journal:

Mt. Morris Township hotel guest heard fatal shooting outside room

Sentencing scheduled for Flint woman who shot, killed friend

Teen dies in UTV crash in rural Lapeer County

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FLINT, MI -- A Genesee County judge has thrown out the last active criminal case related to the Flint water crisis.

District Judge William H. Crawford granted former Flint Department of Public Works Director Howard Crofts motion to dismiss two counts of willful neglect of duty against him during a hearing on Monday, May 22.

In making his ruling, Crawford became the third county judge to dismiss criminal water crisis charges against former state and city employees since the Michigan Supreme Court ruled 11 months ago that a lone grand juror, like the one used in the Flint cases, has the power to investigate, subpoena witnesses and issue arrest warrants but not to issue direct indictments as happened here.

I live in Flint. I understand the need for justice, Crawford said in court Monday, but some decisions have to be made.

Crawford compared Crofts case to that of former Gov. Rick Snyder, who was also charged with two counts of willful neglect of duty before those charges were dismissed by former Genesee Circuit Judge F. Kay Behm in December.

Prior to Behms ruling, Circuit Judge Elizabeth A. Kelly also dismissed felony charges against seven other former state officials who were indicted for Flint water crimes in 2021.

I see nothing to distinguish the arguments between Snyder and Croft, Crawford said.

Flint water prosecutors in the office of Attorney General Dana Nessel have appealed the previous dismissals, saying the decisions will ultimately be decided by the state Supreme Court.

Assistant Attorney General Chris Kessel asked Crawford on Monday to hold his ruling on Croft in abeyance until the Supreme Court gives direction on other pending Flint appeals.

Whoever is on the wrong side (of Crawfords ruling) is going to go to the Circuit Court and they are going to appeal there ..., Kessel said. All of us would be best served -- myself, this court, the taxpayers who are literally paying for all of this, would be best served (by) taking this motion under consideration. Let the Supreme Court tell us how these cases are going to go forward.

Attorney Alexander S. Rusek, who represents Croft in the case, asked the judge to immediately dismiss the charges.

Mr. Croft has lost years of his life under indictment, Rusek said. They used the wrong process and they lost.

Croft declined to comment on Crawfords ruling.

The former DPW director was the department head in charge of Flints water system before and during the water crisis. He has said he had no training, education or experience in dealing with municipal water systems and relied on the expertise of others, including state regulators, to carry out his job.

During his time as DPW director, the citys emergency managers made a series of decisions that resulted in Flints water source being changed from Lake Huron to the Flint River in what was designed to be a temporary, cost-saving measure for the city.

Experts have said that switch in water sources and the improper treatment of river water resulted in elevated levels of lead, bacteria and chlorination byproducts in Flints water system.

Croft was among 15 individuals charged initially with crimes related to the water crisis -- charges that were resolved with plea bargains or through dismissals after Nessel was elected to her first term in 2018.

A criminal investigation was restarted in 2019, resulting in the most recent indictments of Snyder, Croft and others.

The willful neglect charges Croft is facing claim he failed to communicate information about the risks associated with drinking Flint River water and with failing to ensure the safety and quality of city water.

In a video deposition, Croft has said former Flint emergency manager Ed Kurtz set the tone for Flints preparations to switch the citys water source to the Flint River in 2013, telling him and others to only do the minimum required by the (state) -- no extras.

Read more at The Flint Journal:

New census update estimates Flints population has dropped below 80,000

In midst of bankruptcy, Christmas Tree Shops closing Flint Township store

Flint mayor driving unmarked police vehicle after credible threats against him

Flint gets whopping repair bill for ex-employees 2022 crash into US-23 overpass

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FLINT, MI - After calling the Flint Farmers Market home since 2016, Spectacular Spudz has a new location in downtown Flint.

The location is at 131 W. Second Street, across from Mott Community Colleges Culinary Arts Institute and near Buckham Alley.

To be honest with you, it hasnt hit me yet, Keysa Smith said, owner of Spectacular Spudz, on Tuesday, May 23.

The restaurant is takeout only for now, and Smith has not set an official date for a grand opening. The restaurant will also have online ordering and delivery with Door Dash.

On the menu features everything with a baked potato - but plenty of different toppings including bacon, cheese, chicken alfredo, broccoli, veggie options, Philly steak, and turkey.

I always wanted to open up a restaurant, Smith said. I manifested this my whole life.

Nicknamed Chef K, she was initially inspired by an old Flint restaurant called the Potato Patch she used to visit.

Smith was a chef for 25 years and owned a catering service where she hosted several festivals.

The Flint resident is just getting started to accomplishing her dreams.

I did become the second Black woman in Genesee County to own and operate a Class C license, she said. I was able to obtain it as an ex-felon because they changed the laws in Michigan. Thats a double plus.

I have always felt special, so this was never challenging for me, Smith said. Im just doing what I was supposed to do.

Business hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Tuesday-Thursday, but the schedule is tentative.

Follow Spectacular Spudz on Facebook and Instagram.

Read more at The Flint Journal:

4th generation of family to take over Bueches Food World grocery store

Hernandez Mexican Food set for grand opening on Saturday

Michigan 11-year-old with cerebral palsy sparks need for $25M treatment facility

Michigans Best Local Eats: Vasquez Mexican Food offers tamales every Sunday

Isaiah Oliver to resign as president of Community Foundation of Greater Flint

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KENT COUNTY, MI  Sheriffs deputies early Tuesday, May 23, recovered two stolen vehicles and two pistols in separate overnight pursuits.

Just after midnight, a Kent County sheriffs deputy spotted a stolen vehicle, a Lincoln MKX, with a stolen license plate on Eastern Avenue near 60th Street SE.

The driver did not stop for police and fled west on 60th then north on South Division Avenue. Once the Lincoln neared 44th Street, it slowed and several occupants got out and ran.

Police caught a 14-year-old Kentwood boy but others got away. Police found two handguns in the Lincoln.

A deputy who was assisting then spotted a Jeep Compass  reported stolen - circling near 44th Street and South Division. The deputy gave chase as the Jeep sped away.

The pursuit continued to northbound U.S. 131 and ended near Mulford Drive SE and Linden Avenue in Grand Rapids. Several occupants ran from the scene and were not found.

The Jeep was stolen on Monday in Byron Township. The Lincoln was stolen about a month ago in Wyoming. Police believe that the Lincoln had been used in many vehicle break-ins throughout Kent County.

One of the guns was stolen earlier this year from a Plainfield Township home, police said.

State police, Grand Rapids police, Kentwood police and Wyoming police assisted sheriffs deputies.

Both of the pursuits remain under investigation. Police reminded residents to keep car keys inside homes.

Police asked anyone with information to call sheriffs detectives at 616-632-6125 Silent Observer at 616-774-2345. Silent Observer callers can remain anonymous.

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Why sheriff pushback on Michigans red flag gun laws may not matter
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  In honor of those who have died in service to their country, a variety of Memorial Day parades, flag placement ceremonies and other activities are planned in Grand Rapids and surrounding communities.

Memorial Day is held on the last Monday in May, which falls on May 29 this year. It was first nationally observed in 1868, originally known as Decoration Day to honor Union soldiers who died in the Civil War.

Now, the national day of observance pays homage to all American military members who died during active duty.

The holiday differs from Armed Forces Day and Veterans Day in that it focuses specifically on those soldiers who died for their country.

Below is a list of parades and other Memorial Day events in West Michigan.

Grand Rapids Memorial Day parade

The Grand Rapids Memorial Day parade takes place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30. The parade starts at Division Avenue under the I-196 overpass. The route heads south to Fulton Avenue, then east to Veterans Memorial Park at 101 Fulton St. E. A ceremony of remembrance is held immediately following the parade at the memorial park.

Parade attendees include various national and reserve guards, high school bands, Gold Star mothers, the Kent County Honor Guard and Kent County Veterans Services. During the remembrance ceremony, hundreds of poppy flowers will be placed at the Veterans Memorial Park.

Grand Rapids flag placement

The Walter Durkee American Legion Post 311 is asking for assistance placing American flags at servicemembers graves at Graceland Memorial Park the weekend before Memorial Day. Flags will begin to be placed starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 27.

The Grand Valley State University Veteran Alumni Network is assisting Post 311 to make sure the flags are placed to honor fallen servicemembers. Graceland Memorial Park is located at 4341 Cascade Road SE in Grand Rapids.

Walker Memorial Day Parade

The city of Walker Memorial Day parade is set for noon on Memorial Day. Remembrance Road will close at 11:30 a.m. for the parade and will reopen once the parade is over. The parade route goes along Remembrance Road and spectator parking is only available at Walker Ice & Fitness.

Wyoming Memorial Day ceremony

The city of Wyoming is holding its annual Memorial Day ceremony at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 29 at Veterans Memorial Garden, 2380 DeHoop Ave. SW. The ceremony is hosted by Mayor Vanderwood and features guest speakers, the Godfrey-Lee High School band and the Wyoming Police Department honor guard.

Attendees are encouraged to arrive early and bring a blanket or folding chair. Parking is available at the Wyoming Senior Center and Pinery Park. Handicap-accessible parking is available in front of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety.

Cascade Township Memorial Day ceremony

The Cascade Township annual Memorial Day ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. outside the Kent District Library - Cascade Township Branch at 2870 Jacksmith Ave. SE. The ceremony honors those who died in service to the U.S. and recognize the members of the McDonald-Osmer American Legion Post 451.

The ceremony includes remarks from Cascade Township Supervisor Grace Lesperance and retired U.S. Air Force Col. Trisha Torres. The color guard of the 3rd Michigan Infantry Co. F Civil War re-enactors and Boy Scout Troop 345 will be at the event. Music will be provided by the Forest Hills Central High School jazz band.

Plainfield Charter Township Memorial Day tribute

The Plainfield Township Memorial Day tribute will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 25 at the Charles Weldon Veterans Memorial Park, 5767 W River Drive NE. The Rockford Public School band will play military service songs, followed by speeches and readings of Congressional Medal of Honor citations and the placement of a wreath. In case of inclement weather, this tribute will be held in the Plainfield Charter Township Fire Station, at 6145 Belmont Ave., next to the township offices.

Hudsonville Memorial Day service

The annual Hudsonville Memorial Day service takes place at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 29 in Veterans Park. The event includes music in remembrance of those who have served America. There will be remarks by Hudsonvilles mayor, local veterans and other Hudsonville representatives. Veterans Park is located at 3275 Central Blvd.

Jenison Memorial Day parade

The Jenison Memorial Day parade is held on May 29 at 9 a.m. The parade route goes along Baldwin Street, starting at the corner of 20th Avenue down to Cottonwood Drive. A memorial service is held at the Georgetown Township Cemetery following the parade. Seating is not provided at the cemetery.

Coopersville/Marne Veterans Train

Friends of Coopersville and Marne Railway is hosting a Veterans Train ride to honor those who have served in the military. The train rides are 90 minutes long on May 29 and tickets are free for military veterans. To purchase or reserve tickets, call Friends of Coopersville and Marne Railway at 616-997-7000.

Holland Memorial Day parade

The Holland Memorial Day parade begins at 9 a.m. Monday, May 29 in downtown Holland. The parade begins at Eighth Street and Central Avenue, goes down Eighth Street then turns right and continues down Columbia Avenue to end at the Pilgrim Home Cemetery, 370 E 16th St. The parade is followed by a program at the cemetery at noon with music and a remembrance ceremony.

Zeeland Memorial Day parade

The Zeeland Memorial Day parade starts at 9 a.m. on Monday, May 29, beginning at Main Street and Centennial Street. The parade continues down Main to State Street, then State Street South to Central Avenue and finally Central Avenue East to Maple Street. The parade ends at the Zeeland Cemetery, where a memorial ceremony is planned immediately following the parade.

Grand Haven Musical Fountain Memorial Day show

The Grand Haven Musical Fountain show will include a variety of patriotic music on Memorial Day. The show, which times music and lights to the fountain at the Lynne Sherwood Waterfront Stadium. The show begins at 10 p.m.

Saugatuck Memorial Day parade

The Saugatuck Memorial Day parade starts at 9 a.m. on May 29. The parade, sponsored by The American Legion, starts at Culver Street and then proceeds down Butler Street to Mary Street.

Douglas Memorial Day Parade

In the city of the Village of Douglas the parade starts at10 a.m. The parade route starts at Lake Vista SuperValu, then proceeds down Center Street to Beery Field.

Gun Lake Memorial Day Cruise

The fourth annual Gun Lake Memorial Day Cruise in Wayland starts at 11 a.m. on Memorial Day. All types of vehicles are welcome to join the cruise and spectators along the route are encouraged.

A drivers meeting will be held at 10:30 a.m. at Gun Lake Community Church off M-179 to go over the route and safety guidelines. The cruise route goes through Orangeville, passing the Veterans Memorial and ends back at the Gun Lake Community Church, passing the Yankee Springs Veterans Memorial. The cruise takes roughly an hour.

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JACKSON, MI -- Severe smoke and flame damage left a home in east Jackson uninhabitable Friday night, officials said.

At about 10:30 p.m. May 19, the Jackson Fire Department responded to a structure fire reported in the 1200 block of South Elm Avenue on the east side of Jackson.

A passerby called Jackson Fire after seeing flames coming from a residential building, said Cpt. Joe Smith.

Heavy flames and smoke were pouring out of the homes windows as police and fire crews arrived at the scene, Smith said.

A resident who had managed to escape the burning building spoke with firefighters. Due to a slight language barrier, fire crews were unsure if any of the mans roommates were still in the home, Smith said.

Crews did an aggressive interior search and ended up not finding anybody -- the people believed to be inside were not there, Smith said.

Firefighters battled the blaze for about three hours, Smith said.

Smoke and fire damage throughout the house was significant, Smith said, adding the building will not be inhabitable for some time. It is unknown if the residents are seeking help with the American Red Cross.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Smith said.

Jackson Fire was assisted by the Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety and the fire departments of Summit, Napoleon and Spring Arbor townships.

Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter.

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JACKSON COUNTY, MI -- Another single-lane closure is coming to I-94 in Jackson County.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is closing westbound I-94 to a single lane between M-106 (Cooper Street) and Airport Road. This will allow workers to conduct overhead sign installation, officials said.

The closure will take place between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 23, through Thursday, May 24. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes.

Want more Jackson-area news? Bookmark the local Jackson news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Jackson daily newsletter.

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THREE RIVERS, MI  In late 2021, a Three Rivers Middle School teacher resigned after being told he needed to remove a pride flag from his classroom.

The school board voted unanimously, just three weeks later, to reverse the temporary ban and allow the pro-LGBTQ+ flags in classrooms. However, that teacher, Russell Ball, did not return.

RELATED: Michigan teacher says he quit after being ordered to remove Pride flag from middle school classroom

But what has emerged in Balls absence has been a sense of support, inclusion and pride.

So much, that it has led one local man, Andrew George, along with a team of passionate community members to throw the first ever Three Rivers Pride Festival. The festival is scheduled for noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday, June 24 on Main Street.

George, who identifies as pansexual, is no stranger to organizing pro-LGBTQ+ rallies in the community.

When pride flags were ordered to come down in school classrooms in November 2021, George, along with then-17-year-old Three Rivers High School student, Riley-Jo Mains, organized a protest against the districts ban.

There was a tremendous amount of community activism that came out of it to fight to get those flags put back up, said George, who also serves as chairman of Three Rivers Downtown Development Authority and Economic Development Committee.

In fact, George and Mains saw so much support from community members that it gave George a glimmer of hope. Perhaps, despite the rural, conservative nature of Three Rivers, the LGBTQ+ community had more allies than believed, he thought.

Inspired by a friend, George and others took to Main Street in downtown Three Rivers a couple weeks later. They waved pride flags and held signs in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Leading up to it, I was so sure we were going to get a considerable amount of pushback, being that we are in such a rural community, George said. My mind was blown.

More than 90% of all the responses we got from the traffic and all the people going by, was all positive. When that happened, it was kind of a realization that I think, Hey, you know what, I think our little town of Three Rivers is ready for a pride festival.

Now, with the communitys first pride festival a month away, George is again blown away by the support.

We have had a bigger outpouring of community support from local businesses than we could have ever imagined, he said. We are just so excited.

The free event will feature games and activities, live music and an array of food vendors, local artisans and businesses.

Every moment of this festival is designed to be a celebration of who we are as individuals and as a community, George said. Its not just about the activities or the music, but about bringing people together in a spirit of joy and pride.

Joy, pride and human rights, he said.

A big thing is, explaining that this isnt a political issue, George said. Its a matter of human rights. ... Members of the LGBTQ+ community are not advocating for straight people to have less rights, we are just advocating to have the same rights.

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While he tries to keep his activist side separate from his job at the local DDA and Economic Development Committee, George said theres no question in his mind that putting diversity and inclusion on display is good for business.

We want to make sure that everybody knows that downtown Three Rivers is a community for everybody, George said.

Throwing a pride festival is important, George said, because there are still many examples of things that affect the gay community in such a negative way, he said.

Related: LGBTQ students are under attack, says Michigan teacher who quit over removal of pride flag

The flag controversy is an example, he said. While no one was physically attacked, those who see community in that flag were made to feel unwelcomed. And that can have a lasting, negative impact, George said.

George hopes that this will be the first pride festival of many in Three Rivers.

While the main event itself is free, there will also be a full drag performance from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Riviera Theatre, 48 N. Main Street. Tickets for the drag show cost $15 and will be available starting Monday, May 29 at www.trpride.com.

For more information, visit www.trpride.com or check out the Three Rivers Pride Facebook event page.

The first-time event is being presented by Watershed Voice and Confluence Cannabis. Numerous local businesses and OutFront Kalamazoo are also helping to sponsor the event.

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PORTAGE, MI  A protest with far-right men wearing Bud Light costumes outside a Portage drag show ended with one person arrested Saturday. A second person may also be charged.

The far-right protesters were outside the Unitarian Universalist Community Church, 10441 Shaver Road, on Saturday, May 20, during the Drag Me to Church drag show that was suitable for all-ages, according to the event page. There was also Drag 101 workshop.

There were people attending the event and a small group of protesters outside, Portage Public Safety Chief Nick Armold said. Photos from outside the event showed roughly 10 people protesting the drag show and a larger group protesting the protesters.

Officers were in the area and responded to an altercation between people from each side, Armold said. The issue was de-escalated and one person protesting the drag show was arrested, Armold said.

The man was charged with disorderly conduct under Portage city code, Armold said on Tuesday, May 23. A second person may also be charged, although police didnt clarify which side that person was from.

No injuries were reported, Armold said.

Numerous social media posts talked about the Proud Boys showing up to the drag show and asked for people to come help protect the show. Police havent responded to questions about whether the protesters were from the Proud Boys group.

One man posted about the protest on Twitter, wearing a Bud Light costume and saying, The groomers are big mad. Other social media posts show multiple people wearing the Bud Light bottle costumes.

Bud Light has been criticized by some on the far right after it sent beer to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in April. Mulvaney posted a video of herself with the beers as part of a sponsorship deal and promotion. Well-known conservatives called for a boycott and celebrities spoke out against the sponsorship. Kid Rock posted a video of him shooting cans of the beer and Travis Tritt said hell ban the beer from his tour.

During the show, the church raised money for Legacy House, which provides shelter and support for homeless LGBTQ young adults.

We are especially grateful to members of the Portage Public Safety Department and other members of law enforcement whose presence kept everyone safe, the church said in a statement.

We will not let the politicization of diversity that is occurring today alter the course of our mission and vision  of who we are as a community. We will continue, with love and compassion, to support safety and justice for the LGBTQ community.

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KALAMAZOO, MI -- Seven Western Michigan alumni will be watching the Tony Awards a little closer this year.

Thats because theyve been nominated for awards or worked on nominated shows. Heres this list:

Crystal Lucas-Perry: Nominated for Best Actress in a Featured Role for the Broadway show Aint No Mo

Darren Johnston: Nominated with his production company No Guarantees for several awards including Best Play, Best Director and Best Costume Design for Fat Ham

Josh Reid: Nominated for Best Sound Design for A Christmas Carol

Tyler Siems: Company manager of Best Musical nominee Kimberly Akimbo

Brian Martin: cast member of Some Like it Hot

Jeffrey Fauver: Publicist for Fat Ham

D.J. Potts: Associate sound designer for Fat Ham

The Tony Awards are at 8 p.m. on June 11 on CBS.

Johnston 09, associate producer of Fat Ham was nominated with his production company for several awards.

The nominations represent more than just the individuals nominated, Johnston said. All but one of the actors in Fat Ham-- a reinvention of Shakespeares Hamlet focused on a Black family in the South -- made their Broadway debut through the show, he said.

Johnston said were entering a renaissance of new playwriting and directing, especially for Black playwrights and directors.

This play is at the tip of the spear, and to have it rewarded by the community is just incredibly gratifying, Johnston said.

If Johnstons company, No Guarantees, wins, it would be his fourth Tony.

Reid was nominated for Best Sound Design of a Play for A Christmas Carol. Reid also serves as a sound design instructor in WMUs Department of Theatre.

This is Reids first nomination and first full show as a lead designer, which made the nomination even more surreal, he said. In the past, Reid has worked as an associate designer, so this will open doors for him to create on his own.

I have a lot of creative energy that I would like to put out into the world and contribute to productions, Reid said. So being able to be a full designer and make this move is a really important step for me.

The nomination was a bit of a shock to Reid because Christmas shows are sometimes forgotten during award season, Reid said.

The fact that all of the designers were nominated for Tonys really speaks for the fact that we spoke to the audience and we spoke to the voters and they remembered us, Reid said.

For many of the nominees, connections made and lessons learned at WMU influenced where they are today. Johnston knew Fauver, publicist for Fat Ham, socially from attending parties and was roommates with another Tony nominee.

Reid was friends with Lucas-Perry, who was nominated for Best Actress in a Featured Role for the Broadway show Aint No Mo, and still keeps in touch with her today.

Its a good time to be a WMU theater grad, Johnston said.

Johnston and Reid both pointed to the interdisciplinary nature of WMUs theater program as contributing factors to the success theyve seen in the industry.

What kind of person do you want to be in your theater making, what did you have to say, what was important to you? That was always encouraged, Johnston said. I never felt like WMU was the kind of theater practice that was trying to put you into a box.

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KALAMAZOO, MI  A woman who was arrested during a 2021 protest as police cleared a homeless encampment has pleaded no contest to one of the six charges she faced.

Monica Washington-Padula, 36, pleaded no contest Tuesday, May 23, in Kalamazoo County Circuit Court to using a self-defense pepper or oleoresin capsicum spray. The charge is a high-court misdemeanor, which is treated like a felony, Judge Paul Bridenstine said.

She entered the plea the day a jury trial was scheduled to start. The plea came from an agreement with the Kalamazoo County Prosecutors Office, after the judge said self-defense and duress may not be something Washington-Padula could argue for her actions, she said.

Washington-Padula and her defense attorneys could have gone through the whole trial and then found out she had no defense, leading to a jury finding her guilty of all charges, she said.

It wasnt justice for me because it doesnt talk about why we would feel the need to defend ourselves, Washington-Padula said to a group of about 45 supporters after the plea.

With the plea, five charges were dismissed: two felony charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, two felony charges of assaulting, resisting, obstructing a police officer and one misdemeanor charge of trespassing.

Related: Kalamazoo protester accused of hitting officer with flagpole at homeless encampment headed toward jury trial

Bridenstine will decide her sentence, which will likely be court costs and fees without incarceration, he said.

Washington-Padula, an Afro-Native (Ojibwe) community activist, was arrested Oct. 8, 2021, by Kalamazoo police as they cleared the homeless encampment near Ampersee Avenue and Bridge Street. She was one of four people arrested that day.

The issue started when police told protesters they were trespassing and needed to leave, according to previous reporting. A group of protesters had their arms intertwined.

One protester, Mento Matthews, was taken to the ground by officers and was heard saying he cant breathe, Washington-Padula said.

Washington-Padula watched as police dealt with what they called a medical emergency with Matthews. She was being held back by Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Sgt. Kristie Hofer and they started struggling over a flagpole, according to previous testimony.

Hofer sprayed pepper spray at some point, according to testimony. Officer Edward Dillenbeck previously testified he saw what was happening, ran over and grabbed Washington-Padula from behind.

Washington-Padula sprayed her pepper spray at that point. She did not know the person grabbing her was an officer, her attorney Alicia McCarthy said.

I did what I did because I wanted to make sure my friend was OK, Washington-Padula told MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette.

Matthews was scheduled to testify in the trial, and he said he was ready to testify.

Monica saved my life, honestly, he said after her plea.

Related: Residents react as Kalamazoo homeless encampment closes down, property left behind

Washington-Padula said she watched Matthews struggle in front of her, asking for help and she tried to advocate for him.

Its a natural instinct to defend yourself, Washington-Padula said. What we saw today  the police are treated as the ultimate authority on whether you live or die. Even if you defend yourself, you can still be liable.

Its almost as if we dont have a choice. For many people, theyre going to have that natural reaction.

Police escalated the violence against the protestors and used racial profiling, she told MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette. Issues with racial inequity happen throughout the city, according to the OIR Group report, which looked at at how police responded to various protests throughout 2020.

The Kalamazoo Citizens Public Safety Review and Appeal Board, which only has advisory powers, found the police officers were in the wrong during the arrest of Washington-Padula. The citizen police board claimed she did not receive adequate medical care for 20 hours.

Related: Police board finds officers mishandled womans arrest, but city manager disagrees

The Kalamazoo City Managers Office, which has the final decision in the matter, ruled the woman was offered reasonable medical treatment.

Unhoused people are still humans and there is still work that needs to be done to help them, Washington-Padula said. She thanked people for sticking with her as the case dragged out for months.

Matthews pleaded guilty Jan. 23 to attempted resisting, assaulting, or obstructing a police officer and was sentenced to four days in jail, with credit for four days already served. A misdemeanor charge of trespassing was dismissed. He must also pay $750 in court costs and fees.

Codi Robert Shepard, another protester, pleaded guilty Sept. 2, 2022, to assaulting an officer, causing injury and was sentenced to four days in jail, with credit for four days already served. A charge of resisting, assaulting or obstructing a police officer was dismissed, along with a misdemeanor charge of trespassing. They must pay $1,396 in court costs and fees.

Related: 5 people face felony charges after arrests at Kalamazoo homeless encampment

Protester Christina Smith also pleaded guilty Sept. 2, 2022, to attempted resisting, assaulting, or obstructing a police officer and was sentenced to four days in jail, with credit for four days already served. A misdemeanor charge of trespassing was dismissed. She must pay $900 in court costs and fees.

Protester Andrew Dolby pleaded guilty Jan. 19 to attempted resisting, assaulting, or obstructing a police officer and was sentenced to four days in jail, with credit for four days already served. A misdemeanor charge of trespassing was dismissed. He must pay $750 in court costs and fees.

Washington-Padula is scheduled to be sentenced at 8:30 a.m., Aug. 21.

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KALAMAZOO, MI -- Bishop Paul J. Bradley started off the event with a prayer, asking the Holy Spirit for guidance during an in between period at the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo, as a new bishop-elect has been chosen.

Fill him with all the gifts and talents you want him to have, Bradley, 77, said while introducing Kalamazoos next bishop, Edward M. Lohse, 61, at a news conference in the city on Tuesday, May 23.

Bradley has served the diocese since June 2009, and Pope Francis recently accepted his resignation, which is required by church law when Bradley turned 75 in October 2020.

Lohses appointment as the fifth Bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo was announced on Tuesday, by the Popes office in Rome.

Lohse, a priest for 34 years in Pennsylvania, said he is humbled and honored to be the fifth bishop of Kalamazoo. The appointment came as a surprise, he said. He thanked Bradley and others, and said he knows he will be building on a solid foundation.

I promise to give my all, he said. He emphasized working together.

I know the task ahead is a daunting one, I am aware of that, but none of us walk the path of faith alone, he said. He asked people to pray for him and said he would do the same.

Lohse grew up in farm country south of Erie, Pennsylvania.

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He will be ordained July 25 at St. Augustine Cathedral in Kalamazoo.

Nearly 80,000 Catholics are part of Kalamazoos diocese, which covers nine counties: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren.

Lohse delivered a message in Spanish before ending his speech.

Bradley expressed gratitude for everyone who has supported him and the congregation. He thanked Pope Francis for choosing a wonderful new shepherd for the church and asked everyone to bless the bishop-elect.

Bradley joked hes been waiting and waiting for his successor, but it has been great to stay on before the transition began.

Bradley will continue as apostolic administrator until Lohses ordination.

Bishop Paul J. Bradley recites the liturgy during the first Back-to-School Mass at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan on Thursday, September 12, 2019. Hundreds of students from across the Diocese of Kalamazoo were in attendance.Emil Lippe | MLive.com

Things happen when they are supposed to, Bradley said.

Weve been waiting for you, Bradley said. We welcome you with open arms and a joyful heart.

Want more Kalamazoo-area news? Bookmark the local Kalamazoo news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Kalamazoo daily newsletter.

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KALAMAZOO, MI  Pope Francis has appointed Monsignor Edward M. Lohse as the fifth bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo, replacing retiring Bishop Paul J. Bradley.

Bradley, 77, submitted his resignation, as required by church law, when he turned 75.

The diocese announced Tuesday, May 23, that Pope Francis has accepted his resignation and appointed Lohse as his replacement. The diocese covers nine counties: Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren.

MORE: Pope choses wonderful new shepherd to lead in Kalamazoo, outgoing bishop says

Nearly 80,000 Catholics are part of the diocese.

Monsignor Edward M. Lohse, right, has been appointed by Pope Francis to replaced retiring Bishop Paul J. Bradley Monsignor, left, as bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo. (Photos provided by the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo)

Lohses ordination will be July 25 at St. Augustine Cathedral in Kalamazoo. He is currently vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Erie in Pennsylvania. Bradley, who has served as bishop since June 5, 2009, will continue as apostolic administrator until Lohse is ordained.

With thanksgiving to our Loving God and with deep gratitude to our Holy Father, Pope Francis, our Dioceses wait for our new Shepherd has yielded a wonderful gift in the selection of Bishop-Elect Edward M. Lohse as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Kalamazoo, Bradley said in a statement.

We welcome him with open arms and hearts filled with joy. May he walk with us, teaching us and leading us in the ways of hope-filled disciples of our Risen Lord.

The diocese is holding a press conference Tuesday morning.

Lohse, 61, a priest for 34 years, said in the statement: I am both humbled and honored to be asked by the Holy Father to become the fifth Bishop of Kalamazoo, and I am grateful to Bishop Bradley for his support.

The task ahead is a daunting one, but none of us walks the path of faith alone. I know that I will need to count on the prayers of Bishop Bradley, the priests, religious and laity of the diocese, and I pledge my prayers for them in return. Together, we will go forward to proclaim Christ, and to meet him in the hearts of all Gods people in the Diocese of Kalamazoo.

He was ordained April 21, 1989, at St. Peter Cathedral in Erie, Pennsylvania. He has held a number of positions for the Diocese of Erie and the Vatican.

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Pamela Pugh announced her campaign for U.S. Senate Tuesday morning, contending shes the best candidate to build out a statewide presence in a Democratic primary that has quickly grown crowded.

Pugh, the current president of the State Board of Education, told MLive in an interview her leadership in education, public health and climate action have left her well-primed for Congress. She noted she was first elected as a Democrat in 2014 even as Republican Gov. Rick Snyder was reelected to a second term as Governor. Pugh was reelected to the board in 2022.
LANSING, MI  The voting age is 18 years old everywhere in America, but in many states you can preregister to vote at 17 as long as youll be 18 by the time of an election.

Now, Democratic lawmakers and Michigan clerks want preregistration to begin at 16.

Early participation, getting preregistered, is important because democracy works best when were all prepared to participate and make our voices heard, said Rep. Betsy Coffia, D-Traverse City.

She testified to the House elections committee Tuesday on her House Bill 4569, which would make Michigan the 16th state to allow its citizens to preregister to vote when they turn 16. After preregistering, the voter would be automatically registered to vote when they turn 18.

Sixteen is a notable milestone in responsibility for young adults, Coffia explained, as they can get drivers licenses and are becoming civically engaged through high school government classes. Changing the law, she told fellow lawmakers, will increase young voter turnout.

By allowing future voters the option of preregistration, we can direct that newfound enthusiasm towards completing their first steps in democratic participation and hopefully a lifetime of robust civic engagement, Coffia said.

Related: Why Michigan led the nation in young voter turnout in 2022 midterms

The Secretary of State and Michigan Department of Education would do annual public outreach under the bill.

MDE would ensure preregistration materials are available at every public high school, and the SOS would send a postcard to every 16-to-18-year-old with a drivers license or state ID card who is eligible to preregister but has not done so.

Rep. Jay DeBoyer, R-Clay, told MLive hes greatly concerned about the bill because it deviates from lawmakers duties into territory of voting advocates encouraging people to vote.

While I listen to testimony and I hear people talk about the things we have to do to encourage more people to vote, DeBoyer said, thats not my statutory obligation, nor is that a clerks obligation, nor is it a poll workers obligation.

Michigans county and municipal clerks associations support the bill, and two clerks testified for it Tuesday. Canton Townships Michael Siegrist said it would help clerks with paperwork and list maintenance issues regarding new voters.

And Lansings Chris Swope said his office looked at census data and found they had at least a few thousand unregistered 18-to-22-year-olds in the city.

So, anything that we can do to get folks registered and voting earlier is better, Swope told lawmakers.

Coffias bill is part of a four-bill package heard but not voted on in Tuesdays committee meeting:

HB 4567 would no longer require certain ballots be automatically challenged.

HB 4568 would end Michigans ban on paying for a ride to a polling place.

HB 4570 would create a robust absentee ballot tracking system, implementing part of the Proposal 2 voting rights expansion that voters passed overwhelmingly in November. would create a robust absentee ballot tracking system, implementing part of the Proposal 2 voting rights expansion that voters passed overwhelmingly in November.

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Michigans public schools will no longer be ranked by the states Department of Education or receive grades for performance on an A-F scale after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation undoing the approach.

It wont require schools to report students grades any differently, only schools own performance.

The practice began less than four years ago with a law passed in 2018 under Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. Education advocates had criticized the approach as lacking nuance. The repeal passed the House in March with some bipartisan support, 63-45, but was approved by the Senate on a party-line vote.

Less is more with the repeal of the A-F system, which always tried to create the false impression that rating schools was easy, state superintendent Michael Rice said in a statement. It isnt. Schools are complex, and what educators do daily for children is as well. It distills poorly into a letter grade system.

Read more: Michigan looks to drop A-F school grading system

The Michigan Department of Educations parent dashboard for school transparency will still offer performance data on schools, as required under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act passed in 2015. Under that law, schools are rated on many of the same metrics, but on a scale of 1 to 100, rather than six letters.

The state was also required to publish an annual list of the lowest-performing schools each year but the legislation removed that requirement. The ranks were categorized as a five-point scale from significantly above average to significantly below average.

Read more: Michigan flags 112 low-performing schools for intensive intervention

Whitmer, in a statement after signing the bill, said the change would will eliminate burdensome requirements and allow schools to implement the best practices to help their students succeed.

Rep. Matt Koleszar, D-Plymouth, sponsored the repeal. He said the A-F approach failed to meet federal standards.

This legislation was rushed through in lame duck, with strong opposition from public educators, administrators and school boards. I am proud to get another law off the books that never served to help our students, Koleszar said in a statement.

Educators had harshly criticized the legislation when it passed after midnight in 2018 in the waning days of Snyders administration. Michigans American Federation of Teachers union publicly welcomed the repeal.

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With Michigan now the 21st red flag state in the country, the question of who carries out these extreme risk protection orders has already been answered: Law enforcement.

It becomes complicated, however, when a county establishes itself as a Second Amendment sanctuary  like Livingston County did in 2020 and Ottawa County seems soon to follow. In doing so, counties actively dissuade officers from enforcing laws relating to gun control, red flag orders among them.

The actual impact on police, however, remains to be seen. Unlike with other gun-related laws, an extreme risk protection order comes from a judge. For failing to comply with a granted red flag order, officers could be held in contempt of court, meaning fines or even jail time.

Its the same as getting an order from the court saying youve got to do this and they dont, said Daniel Manville, clinical law professor and director of Michigan State Universitys Civil Rights Clinic.

RELATED: 5 things to know about Michigans pending red flag laws

Under Senate Bill 83, signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday, a person can file an extreme risk protection order against another adult in any Michigan county. For a minor, however, an order would need to be filed where the petitioner or respondent lives, per guidance from the Department of Attorney General.

Since the bills failed to obtain immediate effect before leaving the legislature, the practice will not be implemented until 90 days after the legislature adjourns session for the year.

The orders are meant to temporarily remove firearms for as long as a year, depending on the circumstances, from Michiganders at risk of harming themselves.

Courts could only issue an order when there is a preponderance of evidence removing firearms is necessary. Once the order is granted, law enforcement would seize firearms immediately or the at-risk person would turn over any guns within a 24-hour period, again depending on the situation.

No fewer than three months after a judge grants an order, a person could ask a court to or a court itself could extend the order for an additional year should enough reason exist. Conversely, a judge could end the order early if there is sufficient evidence risk protection measures are no longer needed.

For Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy, the outline and intent of the bills dont matter as hes already indicated he will not enforce them.

In an April 24 Facebook video, Murphy spoke at length about why he found the premise of red flag laws unconstitutional, questioning why only demonstrating preponderance of evidence  and not the higher standards of probable cause, or beyond a reasonable doubt  was necessary to grant an order.

He also took issue with how the courts could really prove a person was lying in filing a risk order frivolously, saying if somebody truly believes something  whether its true or not, in our mind  how can you say that they knowingly and intentionally made a (false) accusation ... How can we prove that? You cant.

The sheriffs comments came the same day Livingston Countys Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution vowing not to put any public resources behind enforcing restrictions on firearm ownership within their jurisdiction.

Murphy did not respond to a request for comment by time of publication, and in his April video, he noted that he was not talking any more on this particular issue. Thats how I feel.

We have never, ever been able to legislate our way out of a crisis. Thats not how it works, Murphy said in the video statement. You can make all the laws in the world and people are still going to do evil things. People are still going to do bad things.

Ottawa County, too, seems poised to pass its own resolution declaring the area a constitutional county at its next board of commissioners meeting Tuesday, May 23.

Commissioner Joe Moss posted to Facebook the resolution resolves to protect the individual freedoms of the people of Ottawa County as outlined in the constitutions of the United States and the state of Michigan.

We are committed to protecting freedom, parental rights and American values in Ottawa County, Moss wrote.

Given the boards conservative tilt, the resolution is likely to pass. Whether this will compel Ottawa County Sheriff Steve Kempker to disregard the law, when in effect, is unclear. His office did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

RELATED: Livingston County leaders take aim at red flag gun laws, vote to become constitutional county

April Zeoli, policy core director with the University of Michigans Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, said in her years of studying gun policy across the country shes yet to see a sheriff ignore a risk protection order granted by a judge.

This is a court order, and it cant be ignored, said Zeoli, also an associate professor of health management and policy at the university. Sheriffs have to enforce it. ... Ive heard sheriffs announce they wont do it, but I have never heard of a circumstance in which there are court orders and then the sheriff says they wont do it.

She added officers making blanket statements regarding unenforcement could have a sort of chilling effect on order usage.

There also are other agencies, besides locally elected sheriffs, capable of enforcing extreme risk protection orders.

Danny Wimmer, press secretary for the Department of Attorney General, said in a statement that while the law requires a law enforcement agency to enforce the order, that agency does not need to be the most local authority.

For example, Lansing police, the Ingham County Sheriffs Department or the Michigan State Police could respond to an order issued against someone living in Lansing.

The designation is made by the judge receiving the petitioner, which would be the judge overseeing the family court division of the circuit court in whichever county the petition is filed, Wimmer wrote. Because the designated agency must have jurisdiction over the respondent, the agencies a judge may designate for any individual do not change based on where the petition is filed or which judge receives it.

Attorney General Dana Nessel echoed the sentiment on Monday, prior to Whitmer signing the red flag package.

And for those in law enforcement who refuse to enforce these important orders, let me say this loudly and clearly: I will make certain that I find someone with jurisdiction who will enforce these orders, she said.

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OSCODA, MI  The U.S. Air Force and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) are at odds again over the discharge requirements for a cleanup system at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base.

According to officials, the Air Force is refusing to sign an agreement with the state that would govern discharge standards for an interim remedial system planned to stem the flow of PFAS chemicals into Van Etten Lake.

The system under design would extract PFAS from groundwater under the old alert apron area near Pierces Point on the former bases northwest corner.

Its the Air Forces position is that we are not required to get permits and so we do not intend to enter into a permanent agreement, said Air Force site manager Steven Willis during a restoration advisory board (RAB) meeting May 17.

We actually havent done that at any other installations.

However, the Air Force has signed such agreements, called a Substantive Requirements Document (SRD), at Wurtsmith before  and has been found in violation of them. The state uses SRDs because the Department of Defense is exempt under federal law from having to obtain a discharge permit like private companies or other government institutions are.

In lieu of a permit, EGLE uses SRDs to govern allowable levels of PFAS which can be discharged back into the ground or surface water at other stopgap cleanup systems on the base, including newly expanded systems which came online last fall.

Related: Air Force tries to win back trust in Oscoda

In October, stopgap systems called interim remedial actions (IRAs) were launched to capture and treat groundwater flowing into Van Etten Lake at Ken Ratliff Memorial Park and Clarks Marsh, a wetland near the old base firefighting training area.

State officials say the SRD agreements are necessary to ensure the systems are functioning properly and that the Air Force is reporting its data in a way thats publicly available.

The discharge data for the Wurtsmith systems is posted on a special EGLE online database system called MiEnviro.

We just want a reporting framework so that we have an idea of how that system is functioning on an ongoing basis, said Charles Bauer, a water resources supervisor with EGLE in Bay City. Its not unreasonable to have that and I think we have it fairly well set up with the other treatment systems. And I think it would be appropriate for this one as well.

The dispute is the latest in a yearslong legal push-and-pull between the Air Force and state of Michigan, which oversees the Wurtsmith cleanup but generally lacks authority to force the Department of Defense to comply with various state cleanup rules. At Wurtsmith, the Air Force regulates its own cleanup as the lead federal agency involved in the pollution site even though the Air Force, itself, is the polluter.

A similar dispute over state PFAS discharge standards at Wurtsmith interim systems led to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer invoking sections of a national defense policy bill in 2021 in a bid to force compliance from the Pentagon.

The Air Force similarly refused to follow state PFAS discharge requirements in 2018, resulting in rebukes from Michigan Congressional delegates and outrage from local citizens.

During the May 17 advisory board meeting, EGLE officials said the stalemate over a formal discharge agreement on the Pierces Point system could delay its eventual launch.

My understanding is that without this SRD, we will not approve a groundwater discharge with the infiltration gallery, said Beth Place, EGLE site manager.

So, that puts a big lock on the on switch? asked board member Robert Tasior.

Correct, said Place. Were hoping that we will be able to work it out because I dont think either agency wants to see delays.

Community members urged the agencies to reach an agreement another way, such as through a memorandum of understanding.

There are other intergovernmental agreement devices that you can use to accomplish this and memorialize the requirements without a permit, said Dave Carmona, a former air traffic controller who is applying for a seat on the board.

Despite its refusal to sign an SRD with the state, Willis said the Air Force is designing the Pierces Point system discharge to be much lower than what they are for the existing systems.

Board members questioned that.

The existing SRDs give you guys a lot of leeway as to how poorly you can operate and still be in compliance, said board member Rex Vaughn.

Its not the words I would use but, yes, the discharge levels are fairly high, Willis replied.

The latest legal dispute comes as EGLE, local government boards, elected officials and citizen cleanup advocates are pushing the Air Force to expand the number of interim systems on the base while it continues to study the extent of PFAS around Oscoda and develop a final base-wide plan.

In February, EGLE asked the Air Force to install stopgap systems on PFAS hotspots around township wastewater treatment plant, the Three Pipes Drain into the Au Sable River, two old landfills in the bases northern corner and an adjacent plume flowing toward the YMCA Camp Nissokone from underneath a spot called the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office (DRMO) area.

In March, the Air Force replied that it would study the need for new systems this year but did not commit to building any more.

Local cleanup advocates say thats not acceptable.

We believe strongly believe that no more data needs to be collected; that the data exists and they should use that data, said advocacy board member Cathy Wusterbarth, co-leader of the NOW (Need Our Water) advocacy group. We dont necessarily trust the Air Force that this is going to be done in a timely manner. It needs to be done now.

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ANN ARBOR, MI  An invasive pest thats killing hemlock trees along Lake Michigan has been discovered at a University of Michigan arboretum in Ann Arbor.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) has verified a detection of hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) which was discovered May 9 at the Nichols Arboretum, a popular natural spot along the Huron River known as the Arb.

The discovery is unexpected. Eastern hemlock trees are not native to Washtenaw County, although there are several ornamental stands at the arboretum. The infestation was reported to an MDARD hotline.

How HWA arrived in Ann Arbor isnt known.

We dont have any clear evidence on how HWA may have spread to the arboretum, said Rob Miller, an invasive species specialist at MDARD.

It could have been spread by birds or people moving around, but really thats just speculation, he said.

It looks like those trees have been infested for a few years now, Miller said, based on the level of infestation on one particular tree in general and the fact that it was found at a few different locations within the arboretum.

Hemlock woolly adelgid is a small insect that uses long, siphoning mouthparts to extract sap from hemlock trees. This weakens needles, shoots and branches. Over time, growth slows and trees become grayish-green. Without treatment, infested trees die within four to 10 years.

Infestations are recognizable by the appearance of tiny cotton ball like masses at the base of hemlock needles on the underside of tree branches.

The bugs pose a major threat to Michigans estimated 170 million hemlock trees, an evergreen thats largely found along streams, rivers and coastal dunes in northern forests but which is also used in park and residential landscaping.

In February, HWA bugs were found at the Crystal Downs Country Club in Benzie County; their northernmost Michigan detection. In the past six years, infestations have been confirmed in five other coastal counties, including Allegan, Ottawa, Muskegon, Oceana and Mason.

Though the tiny insects dont move far on their own, they can be blown by wind or hitchhike on birds or mammals that come into contact with an infested branch. Cars, boats or recreational vehicles parked under infested trees can also transport the insects to new locations.

A native of Japan, its believed the adelgids first arrived in the United States in the 1950s in Virginia.

Mike Palmer, a pest management specialist and horticulturist at Nichols Arboretum said plans are being developed to treat the hemlocks with pesticide.

The arboretum aims to preserve the trees and prevent them from becoming a source of additional infestation. There are five hemlock stands at the arboretum, with the largest being in a secluded area on the western end known as Heathdale. Some of the arboretum hemlocks are 70-plus years old. None have been planted in decades.

They make a really specific microsite with the shade they throw, said Palmer. Their general features are just beautiful.

Although the arboretum disfavors using pesticides, the situation compels it. It would change the Arb so much if we let them all die, Palmer said.

Its a really devastating insect once it gets hold, said Palmer.

Miller said MDARD and local invasive management specialists plan to canvass in neighborhoods around the arboretum to search for hemlocks and alert people to the infestation.

Miller said MDARD is evaluating whether to regulate hemlock nursery stock, forest products and yard waste movement through a quarantine for Washtenaw County.

Infested trees should be photographed and reported with a detailed location by either emailing MDA-Info@Michigan.gov, calling 800-292-3939, or using the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network reporting tool or smartphone app.

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The Detroit Tigers have swapped minor-league outfielders with the Miami Marlins.

The Tigers received Brady Allen, 23, in exchange for 31-year-old Jonathan Davis.

Davis, who has played parts of five seasons in the big leagues, was assigned to Triple-A Toledo.

Allen, a fifth-round draft pick out of South Carolina in 2021, will likely head to Class A (advanced) West Michigan.

The deal gives the Marlins a viable Major League fill-in who offers speed, defense and experience, while the Tigers pick up an interesting young outfielder with a solid college background.

Davis signed with the Tigers as a minor-league free agent after spending last season in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He played well at Triple-A Nashville and logged 91 plate appearances with the big-league club. Although he hit just .224 with a .581 OPS (71 OPS+), he stole seven bases in eight attempts while playing exclusively in center field for the Brewers.

Davis had an .852 OPS in 141 plate appearances this year for the Mud Hens.

Allen is a native of Lakeland, Fla., where the Tigers hold spring training.

In 142 plate appearances with Class A (advanced) Beloit, Davis is hitting .256 with a .764 OPS. He has 12 doubles, a triple and three homers.
A cold front just north of Michigan is going to have at least some good affect on our weather.

The cold front moving in from a not-so-common direction of the north-northeast is called a back-door cold front. We gave that kind of cold front the back-door name because it moves into our state from almost the opposite direction of most cold fronts, which move across Michigan from west to east.

After the back-door cold front moves through Michigan Wednesday the smoke in the air should go away.

Here is a computer model forecast from a model that actually knows how to forecast smoke concentrations.

Smoke forecast from a model shows the arc of clearing coming in from the north Wednesday afternoon, May 24, 2023

Notice the bright yellow and orange colors which denote thick smoke in the atmosphere. By Wednesday evening the back-door cold front will be pushing into the south half of Lower Michigan. Behind the cold front the air will be cleaner with the smoke clearing out.

We should have strong sunshine Thursday with no smoke in the sky.

This clearer sky comes with a not-so-desirable weather situation- the chance of frost across Lower Michigan.

The smoke situation may start to clear up some as rain falls over the Canadian wildfires area. There is a large-scale storm system moving through western Canada over the next few days. This should put some water on some of the fires.

Total rainfall from Tuesday, May 23 to Sunday, May 28.

The blue, green and orange shaded areas of western and central Canada signify meaningful rainfall for the fire situation.

So when will the smoke come back and will it be as thick? Here is another model that forecasts particles in the atmosphere out to a longer time period.

Smoke forecast through Saturday, May 27

You can see the smoke clears out with the back-door cold front and then quickly come back in a patchy form by the weekend. The return of the smoke doesnt look as thick as it has been. This idea seems correct given the rain falling across Canada.

Maybe we will have just enough smoke for warm afternoons and magical sunrises and sunsets this holiday weekend.
Officials at the James and Grace Lee Boggs School in Detroit are planning to build a universally-accessible park and playscape at their campus on the citys east side. And a statewide placemaking initiative should help them do just that.Dubbed Boggs Park, the new park will feature a playscape with areas for performances, gatherings, public art installations, and green space. The play areas are being designed with people of varying learning styles and mobility in mind, including poured-in-place surfacing and continuous looping, six feet-wide pathways for ease of movement for those in wheelchairs. Universally-accessible playground equipment will be installed, and plans call for both active and quiet areas to meet the varying social needs of its young people.The James and Grace Lee Boggs School, a place-based community school named for the renowned Detroit activists, has partnered with the Boggs Educational Center Project Team and Detroit Disability Power on the project. The non-profit school is a tuition-free public school academy, or charter school.The Boggs Park project has been accepted into the Public Spaces Community Places program, the states long-running placemaking initiative that awards matching grants to enrolled projects. Should organizers successfully raise $75,000 through a crowdfunding campaign by Monday, July 17, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation will contribute a $75,000 matching grant.The Boggs Park crowdfunding campaign is being hosted on the Michigan-based Patronicity platform, which is available online The park designers understand that one size does not fit all and the park reflects the diversity of people who will use it, Dessa Cosma, executive director of Detroit Disability Power, says in a statement. Specifically, this park considers the needs and preferences of people with different learning styles and different mobility, including various mobility equipment.The James and Grace Lee Boggs School , and soon-to-be Boggs Park, is located at 7600 Goethe St. in Detroit.Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith
23.05.2023 LISTEN

Ace Ghanaian broadcaster, has endorsed Empress Gifty's new song 'Awiey3 Pa' as the next big song in the country.

According to him, the song carries a strong message of hope and inspiration for people.

Speaking on Okay FM's Drive Time show after listening to the song, Abeiku Santana said the message is clear, simple and precise concise.

The broadcaster with decades of experience said one can easily relate to the lyrics of the song, for this reason, he urged everyone to stream it.

"Man is not God, whatever plans He has for you will come to pass regardless of what people will do, think or say," Abeiku Sanatana said.

He further added that the message coupled with the quality of production will make it the next big song in the country.

The song which is Empress Giftys first single for the year, is off her album expected to be released before the end of the year.

Empress Gifty has earlier revealed that 'Awiey3 Pa' which was written by her colleague, Ewura Abena was inspired by Jeremiah 29:11 which says For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

The song is available on all music digital stores.
The ruling party in Mauritania has won a landslide victory in last week's legislative and local elections, according to official results on Sunday

The results were not a suprise. The El Insaf ruling party was expected to win in a field of 25 parties in a country with just1.8 million voters.

As a result, El Insaf took 80 of the 176 seats in parliament, the independent electoral commission (CENI), Dah Abdel Jelil, anounced.

It also won all 13 regional councils and 165 of the 238 local constituencies up for grabs.

Positive outcome

The result will be welcomed by the veteran head of state, President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, ahead of next year's presidential poll.

The vice-president of the party Mohamed Yayha Horma said the result was expected.

We knew we had an effective track record and a robust campaign," he said.

"Our election campaign machine is much more powerful than the others...it gave results. If you count the number of offices and bureaus where there were reported irregularities and for which we are asking for full correction, you will see that it has absolutely no impact on this election."

Eyes are on the next presidential polls

The elections are the first since 2019, when the president came to power.

He has since overseen the West African country's relative stability in an increasingly violent Sahel region.

He is widely expected to seek re-election in 2024, although he has not confirmed his plans.

Thirty-six other seats also went to parties allied to the president, while 24 went to the opposition, nine of them to the conservative Islamist Tewassoul movement, which was the main opposition group in the outgoing parliament.

Official turnout was reported to be of 71.8 percent. However, the opposition complained of "massive fraud" in the elections.

If we look at the strong presence of the Tewassoul party," said Soubbi Weddady, vice-president of the Islamist party, "and its popularity...throughout the campaign, it is clear that if these elections had been organised in a completely transparent manner, we would have had much better results. Despite all this, Tawassoul retains its place as the leading opposition force, which confirms its important place on the political spectrum.

There will be a run-off vote on 27 May for the remaining 36 parliamentary seats.

(with AFP)
Anti-racist groups and teaching unions in France have demanded an inquiry into why French police requested schools provide information on the number of pupils absent on the Muslim festival of Eid.

The Ministry of the Interior has confirmed it asked some schools in the south-western city of Toulouse "to evaluate" the rate of absenteeism on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, on 21 April, but it refuted claims that the request constituted a census on faith.

France's laws on secularism forbid the gathering of statistics relating t o ethnicity, origins or religion, with very few exceptions.

Police sent emails to school principals in the academy of Toulouse asking them how many students were absent on the day as part of a "request from the intelligence services" to calculate the percentage of absenteeism... during the Eid holiday".

The request was made directly to the schools concerned, without the approval of the Toulouse rectorate.

"In no case do we carry out investigations of this kind," Mostafa Fourar, the rector of the academy, told French news agency AFP.

"As soon as the heads of establishments and school principals informed us of this request, instructions were given not to respond to it," the rectorate said.

"We see this as a serious drift, a stigmatisation of Muslim students and an attack on their freedom of conscience."

'Proper investigation'

Leaders of associations and trade unions have expressed concern over the police initiative.

The police request is "particularly shocking in that it associates Muslim religious practice with the issue of security", said human rights group SOS Racisme, underlining that the request to schools came from the departmental directorate of public security (DDSP).

"For what other religious holidays does the Ministry of the Interior request an assessment of the rate of absenteeism", the group asked in its press release.

The Sud-Education teachers' union said it didn't understand how such an initiative could have come about "without having been discussed anywhere".

The Union of Mosques of France has called for a "proper investigation".

"Families must be duly informed and reassured of the fate of the information given by some heads of schools who have, unfortunately, responded to the police's request," it said.

Responding to the criticism, Secretary of State for Citizenship, Sonia Backes, issued a statement on Sunday in which she acknowledged the Interior Ministry had made the request for information on absenteeism, but denied any desire to classify students according to their religion.

"The ministry regularly studies the impact of certain religious holidays on the functioning of public services, particularly within the school system," she wrote, adding that "no nominative data has been requested or recorded at any time."

According to a 2004 circular, pupils are required to maintain regular school attendance but are allowed to take a day off to commemorate and take part in religious holidays, providing the request is made in advance.

(with AFP)
Chief Executive Officer of Ghanas Buffer Stock Company, Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab, has declared his intention to contest the Pusiga constituency parliamentary seat in the Upper East Region on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) when the party officially opens nominations.

According to him, the decision to contest the seat is borne out of enormous pressure from constituents to assuage their plight and to continue his developmental agenda for the constituency.

Speaking to Citi News in Pusiga, Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab said his evidence-based developmental projects in the constituency have resonated well with constituents, thus their clarion call for him to contest the Pusiga seat.

Most of the calls were weird, so I came down myself and did a tour, visited all those people, and they were very clear in their minds that theyre calling upon me to come and contest, and I have given them my word that when the time is right, I will present myself.

But I cannot also impose myself because we have a delegate system. They are supposed to elect me before I can present myself to the voting population of the constituency. Im giving you a strong affirmation that I will be contesting when the time is right. I will pick up a form and present myself to NPP delegates for our internal contest, he said.

Mr. Hanan reiterated his commitment to advance the development of the Pusiga constituency in Parliament, assuring constituents of victory when given the nod as the parliamentary candidate of the NPP in the upcoming elections.

He argued that the constituency has not received its fair share of the national cake under the Member of Parliament for the area, Hajia Laadi Ayamba, hence the need to change for the betterment and prosperity of the area.

Recounting some of his developmental projects in the Pusiga constituency, Mr. Hanan pledged to do more in providing jobs and better social services for constituents when elected MP.

Even though Im not yet an MP, Ive done so well. Ive recruited some youth into the security services, Ghana Education Service limited recruitment, and some have received scholarships to study. I brought in equipment to open up roads in the constituency. Ive installed about 85 boreholes, and some are under construction. I have also engaged contractors to complete some rural electrification projects to connect houses to the national grid.

I have donated three ambulances in the Pusiga constituency. Im currently building a nurses quarters in Waari and have supported our traditional rulers with palaces where they can sit and adjudicate cases. For me, Im not here to discriminate but to help my people, and its not about political party but development. What I want to be proud of is the number of people I have supported in my political life.

-citinewsroom
23.05.2023 LISTEN

The National Democratic Congress Chapter in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland (NDC-UK & Ireland Chapter) led by its workaholic Chairman, Alhaji Alhassan Mbalba has on behalf of the membership and the leadership send its congratulations message to the Former President John Dramani Mahama for the resounding victory in the just ended presidential primaries.

President Mahama obtained a total votes of 297,603 representing (98.9%) of the total valid votes emerging as the flagbearer of the NDC beating his closest contender Kojo Bonsu who polled 3,181 votes representing (1.1%).

A press statement signed by Chairman Mbalba noted that the entire Chapter will continue with their relentless efforts to ensure that the NDC led by President Mahama wins the 2024 general elections massively.

"The entire membership of the NDC-UK & Ireland Chapter will continue with our relentless efforts in contributing our qouta to ensure a landslide victory for NDC at the 2024 elections so that we can all build the Ghana we all want".

He also commended the National leadership led by Chairman Johnson Asideu Nketiah for conducting a fair, transparent and peaceful presidential and parliamentary primaries.

BELOW IS THE FULL PRESS RELEASE:

NDC-UK/IRELAND CHAPTER CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA ON HIS HISTORIC VICTORY AT NDC's PRIMARIES

On behalf of the entire membership, the leadership of NDC-UK & Ireland Chapter would like to congratulate President John Dramani Mahama on his resounding victory in NDC's presidential primaries held on Saturday 13th May 2023.

The NDC is a broad church and the largest political party in Ghana, so former President Mahama's unprecedented (close to 100%) victory is testament to his popularity within not only the NDC but Ghana's political landscape.

We would also like to commend the national leadership of NDC under the able leadership of the national Chairman Hon. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah for ensuring that the conduct of the presidential and primaries was fair, transparent and peaceful; the outcome of which has been accepted by all stakeholders.

Dr. Kwabena Duffour and Hon. Kojo Bonsu are worthy of commendations. The two leading members of the NDC have subordinated their individual interest to the collective interest of NDC by accepting the outcome of the presidential primaries and congratulated President John Mahama. They both pledged to support NDC in its efforts to winning the presidential and parliamentary elections in 2024. Dr. Kwabena Duffour joining the campaign trail for the Kumawu's by-election is a demonstration of his commitment to the course of NDC.

The primaries has offered the candidates the opportunity to tour the length and breadth of Ghana to canvas for votes. This has energised and revitalised the branches, and they are now battle ready for the elections 2024.

Having listened to President Mahama's acceptance speech at the auditorium of University for Development Studies, we have the undoubted belief that President Mahama is best qualified to address the current economic quagmire that Ghana finds itself in under the corrupt and inept leadership of President Akufo-Addo and his government.

To this end, the entire membership of the NDC-UK & Ireland Chapter will continue with our relentless efforts in contributing our qouta to ensure a landslide victory for NDC at the 2024 elections, so that we can build the Ghana we all want.

Once again, congratulations Your Excellency!

Alhaji Alhassan Mbalba

Chairman

NDC-UK & Ireland Chapter
The French government has unveiled an ambitious plan to accelerate cuts to its greenhouse gas emissions, targeting a reduction of 50 percent by 2030 compared with 1990 levels.

The roadmap  presented by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne  includes detailed figures for reductions for individual sectors of the economy, ranging from the transport industry to households.

The objectives  from speeding up the transition to electric cars or switching freight from road to rivers  are aimed at bringing France's ambitions for slashing carbon pollution into line with the EU's target for 2030.

France has so far cut its emissions by 25 percent compared with 1990 levels, requiring significant fresh efforts if it is to hit the new 50 percent target.

The centrist government of President Emmanuel Macron is wary of provoking consumers with costly initiatives, with memories still fresh of an increase in fuel taxes and vehicle emissions restrictions in 2018 which sparked nationwide protests.

The so-called "Yellow Vest" revolt against Macron began in small and medium-sized towns and the countryside where locals felt they were being penalised for using their cars when no other forms of transport were available.

"We're asking for a bit from the smallest (polluters) and a lot from the biggest," an aide to Borne told reporters, meaning around half of efforts would be for companies, a quarter for households and a quarter for local administrations.

Concern about climate change has leapt up the political agenda in the last 12 months, with the country experiencing its hottest year since records began last year which left rivers dry, crops withered and widespread water shortages.

A record nationwide winter drought during January and February has also led to fears about water supplies this summer.

Macron and climate change

Macron, who has admitted to grasping the scale of the planet's environmental problems late, promised to put climate change at the heart of his second term in office which began in May 2022.

He pledged to make France the first major nation to abandon fossil fuels and gave Borne an extra job title for planning the ecological transition.

But the 45-year-old former investment banker has be en derided by environmental groups and Greens lawmakers for going too slow and he sparked criticism on 11 by calling for a "pause" on EU environmental legislation.

Among other developed countries, the United Kingdom has the most ambitious short-term goals of any major economy, with an objective of 2030 emissions being 68 percent below 1990 levels.

The United States has committed to cut greenhouse gases 50-52 percent by 2030 below 2005 levels, while Germany has set a 65 percent reduction target compared to 1990.

The UN's climate science panel has said the world must slash emissions 43 percent this decade to keep within the Paris Agreement's 1.5C global warming limit.

'(with newswires)
Illegal small-scale mining, commonly known as galamsey, poses a significant health threat to children living in affected areas, according to Prof. Paul Sampene Ossei, an Associate Professor of Pathology at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

The renowned pathologist revealed that children in Galamsey areas are prone to cognitive impairment and congenital anomalies, which are caused by drinking water contaminated with chemicals used in the mining process.

Speaking on Accra-based JoyNews' PM Express on Monday, May 22, Prof. Ossei emphasized the gravity of the situation, noting that children in Galamsey areas are born with anomalies due to the impact of the chemicals on their development.

"It is not only cognitive impairment that children from these Galamsey areas are suffering, some have congenital anomalies," he said.

These children because of their development, are not birth naturally, he added.

He stressed that the metals and chemicals used in Galamsey find their way into the placenta, which can cause long-term damage to the health of both mothers and their unborn children.

Drinking water that has been contaminated with these chemicals used for the galamsey is the cause of these. Literature suggests that most of these metals are received in the placenta, the pathologist revealed.

The situation is particularly alarming given that Galamsey activities are often carried out in close proximity to residential areas, putting entire communities at risk.

The threat of Galamsey to public health has been a major concern in Ghana in recent years, with many environmentalists, health experts, and concerned citizens calling for urgent action to address the issue.

The government has made efforts to crack down on Galamsey, but the practice remains prevalent in many parts of the country.

The revelations by Prof. Osei further emphasizes the urgent need for action to address the health risks associated with Galamsey.

It is crucial that steps are taken to prevent the contamination of water sources by the chemicals used in mining, and to ensure that affected communities have access to clean drinking water and appropriate medical care.
23.05.2023 LISTEN

Newmont Ghana Gold Limited, a leading multi-national mining company has committed GHS136,122,206.47 to sustainable development initiatives in its ten host communities since May 2008.

The communities are Kenyase Number One, Kenyase Number Two, Ntotroso, Gyedu, Wamahinso, Yamfo, Susuanso, Afrisipakrom, Terchire and Adrobaa.

Through its Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF), each of these ten communities in Tano North and Asutifi North districts of the Ahafo region can boast of development projects in the areas of health, education, infrastructural development, economic empowerment and cultural heritage, among others.

To date, NADeF has awarded scholarships to about 11,600 students across its host communities in Ahafo with some 377 tertiary students and 33 apprentices benefitting from the Foundations scholarship last year alone.

The scholarships, totaling GHS1,762,350.00, forms part of the corporate social responsibility of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL).

Partnerships

Liebherr Ghana Limited/NADeF Excellence Scholarship Award for the ninth time continued to support the human resource development of the Ahafo South Mine host communities with GHS20,000.00 annually.

The recipients include Samuel Afriyie from Kenyasi Number Two, a second-year geological engineering student at the University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, and Emmanuel Oteng, from Wamahinso, a second-year renewable energy engineering student at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani campus.

NADeF, in partnership with the African Underground Mining Services, a subsidiary company of NGGL Ahafo Mine, for the second time, offered GHS63,000.00 to 14 beneficiaries.

Interacting with the media in Sunyani, Communications and External Relations Manager Samuel Osei also said the company last year paid GHS2.7 billion in taxes to the government.

Ahafo alone contributed 1.2 billion to the amount. Corporate tax component of the GHS2.7 billion was GHS554.9 million while mineral royalties accounted for GHS325 million. Carried interest was GHS37.4 million, pay as you earn (PAYE)  GHS 186.1 million, while withholding tax amounted to GHS120.4 million, he said.
Former National Chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) Bernard Mornah has said Ghanaians should brace themselves for more hardships following the $ 3 billion programme approved by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) due to the conditionalities.

Already, he said, utility tariffs have been increased due to the IMF programme.

Speaking on the Big Issue on TV3 Tuesday, May 23, Mr Mornah said You see that water tariffs have gone up. There is going to be more hardship imposed on Ghana.

The Ministry of Finance confirmed that the first tranche of $600million of the $ 3 billion Extended Credit Facility (ECF) has been received by the Bank of Ghana (BoG).

The cash, according to the Ministry, is to help restore macroeconomic stability, sustain the country's debts and lay a strong foundation for inclusive growth.

The first tranche of $600million of Ghana's low interest of $3billion Extended Credit Facility has been received to help restore macroeconomic stability, sustain the country's debts and lay a strong foundation for inclusive growth, the Ministry tweeted on Saturday, May 20.

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta earlier stated that the second tranche was expected to be received in the next 6 months.

Speaking at the IMF-Ghana joint press conference held in Washington on Thursday, May 18, he said There is a 600million Dollars release, I am sure we can get it by tomorrow, and in the next 6 months it is going to be another 600million dollars and then we have about five different tranches in the periods forward to get to the $3billion.

But Bernard Mornah said, you will have to shrink the people of Ghana before you get the second tranche.

3news.com
23.05.2023 LISTEN

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak appears not to be ready to stand down on his constant labelling of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as a liar.

In his latest post on his social media, the Minority MP has tagged the Vice President as a chronic liar.

According to him, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is neither an expert in the economy nor digitisation.

Dr. Clement Apaak insists that the Vice President is a master of lies and must be told in his face.

Dr. Bawumia is a chronic liar and must be told so to his face. His area of expertise is lies not the economy or digitisation. Let the lying one be told that we will call him out at every opportunity. Not this time bro, you won't get away with lies, I promise you, Dr. Clement Apaak said.

This latest jabbing of the Vice President by Dr. Clement Apaak follows his visit to Kumawu last weekend where he rehashed the claim that under John Dramani Mahama, Guinea fowls flew from Ghana to Burkina Faso.

The NDC is not happy about this and in a press release described it as ridiculous and a senseless lie.

The release signed by National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi noted that such claims only undermine Dr. Bawumias own intelligence and make a mockery of the high office he occupies.
An Assistant Lecturer at the University of Media, Arts and Communication (UniMAC), Mr. Philip Atawura has appealed to the public for financial assistance to undergo a kidney transplant.

Mr. Atawura, who lectures at the Ghana Institute of Journalism branch of UniMAC has been diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease and has been undergoing dialysis treatment as a temporary measure to sustain his life.

In a letter from the Office of the Registrar, UniMAC, the cost of a kidney transplant for Mr. Atawura is Thirty-Eight Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Dollars ($38,160), with an additional Three Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH 300,000.00) for the donor and ancillary issues in India.

The letter further stated that the University is appealing to the public to assist with any amount towards a fundraising campaign to get Mr. Atawura and his donor to India to undergo treatment.

"We shall be very grateful if you could assist with any amount towards a fundraising campaign to get Mr. Philip Atawura and his donor to India to undergo treatment," the letter read in part.

The University has provided bank account details for donations as well as a Vodafone mobile money number for those who wish to contribute.

The Acting Registrar of UniMAC, J. Sika Akoto, PhD, signed the letter, which was copied to the Vice-Chancellor, Acting Director of Finance, and Acting Rector (Institute of Journalism).

Donations can be made to the following bank account details:

Bank: Prudential Bank Ltd.

Account Name: University of Media, Arts and Communication

Account Number: 0091901740010

Branch: Ring Road Central

Narration on payment: Re: Mr. Philip Atawura

For those who prefer to contribute via mobile money, the Vodafone mobile money number for Philip Atawura is +233-503-470-988.

Read full statement below:


The New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress have been urged by the National Peace Council in the Ashanti Region to desist from any actions that would destabilize today's by-election in Kumawu in the Ashanti Region.

The two major political parties have been urged to maintain decorum by Rt. Rev. Nuh Ben Abubekr, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Peace Council.

We want peace, no one liked what happened at Ayawaso Wuogon constituency during the by-election. We dont want it to be repeated here. Parliament has also enacted a law, the police chief Dampare George Akuffo has also met the two main political parties. We expect them to follow the law and follow the road map they themselves have set up. The EC officials who have been selected to see to the running of the by-election, so they should do their work properly and impartially without deviating from what they have been taught, Rt. Rev. Nuh Ben Abubekr advised.

Following the passing of the incumbent MP, Philip Basoah, about 34,000 voters are anticipated to cast their ballots at 78 polling stations in the Kumawu constituency to choose a new Member of Parliament.

To succeed Mr. Basoah, four candidates are running made up of Ernest Anim of the NPP, Kwasi Amankwaa of the NDC and two independents with the same name, Kwaku Duah.

Benjamin Bannor Bio, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission said in a press conference before today's election that political parties should hire competent persons to serve as poll workers.

What we are requiring from the candidates is for them to provide effective polling agents, not noisy ones. But the one who knows the difference between 69 and 96, the one who can understand adding up figures, for them to be at all the polling centres to represent them.

They should be there throughout the voting period, during counting they should be there and observe. If after counting they are not in agreement, they can call for recounting. When its done, declaration of results forms will be filled, and they need to sign and take a copy, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Electoral Commission stated.
On 23 May, France marks a national day for the victims of colonial slavery. Descendants of people enslaved by the French empire fought to establish the event 25 years ago, and today they're still fighting for a national memorial in their ancestors' honour.

It is 175 years since France abolished slavery for good. But for the descendants of hundreds of thousands of enslaved men and women in France's former colonies, the history is anything but distant.

My grandfather was the son of two slaves. I'm only the third generation of my family that isn't enslaved, says Emmanuel Gordien, whose ancestors were taken from Africa to work in what was then the French colony of Guadeloupe.

It's a very recent, complicated and painful story for those of us who are descended from slaves.

Gordien is president of the '98 March Committee, CM98, which was founded in the wake of a landmark demonstration calling on the French state to recognise its history of slavery.

That march, which brought as many as 40,000 people onto the streets of Paris on 23 May 1998, helped push the French government to recognise the slave trade as a crime against humanity, which it did in 2001.

And in 2017, France declared 23 May a national day of remembrance for the victims of colonial slavery: more than one million people who were trafficked from Africa to French colonies, and generations of people born from them, before the trade was abolished definitively in 1848.

Today, four of those former colonies  Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Reunion  are overseas departments of France, which means that thousands of French citizens living today are descended from people who France enslaved.

A day for slaves and their descendants

France in fact has two days to commemorate slavery. The other, on 10 May, memorialises the slave trade, slavery and abolition.

But for Gordien and other descendants of enslaved people, that alone wasn't enough.

With any crime against humanity, it's the victims that you have to honour, always, he told RFI, stressing that both days should get the same recognition.

That hasn't always happened. While 10 May typically sees the top members of the French government laying wreaths at a solemn ceremony in Paris, the commemorations on 23 May tend to be lower profile and driven chiefly by descendants themselves.

Of course, that doesn't make them less meaningful  if anything, it's the opposite.

In Paris, today's celebrations will see people lay flowers for their enslaved ancestors at the Ministry of Overseas France, as part of an annual celebration named Limye ba Yo  a Creole phrase that means roughly let's put them in the spotlight.

What strikes me more and more is that we see families who come with small kids and say to them, 'you lay the flower', says Gordien.

Maybe they don't entirely understand why they're doing it, but they see that around them people are crying, laughing, reflecting, and they see other people like them who are also laying flowers.

And that allows them to see that they have an identity and culture of their own within the national one.

Call for a memorial

But CM98 has also been pushing for a permanent memorial to the victims of the French slave trade, which the association wants to see given a prominent position in central Paris.

President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for the idea when it was proposed in 2018, but none of the designs met CM98's central demand: that the memorial should include the names of the roughly 200,000 people officially freed in France's Caribbean and Indian Ocean colonies under the 1848 abolition.

The project has since stalled, which Gordien is hoping to change.

France calls itself the country of human rights  and it's true that in 1789, a law was passed declaring that people are born free and equal before the law. In 1789. Except that, in 1848, 59 years later, my ancestors were still enslaved by France, he says.

France abolished slavery in its colonies a first time in 1794  only to reinstate it in 1802.

By creating a memorial, the French Republic can say: 'yes  there was a failure', says Gordien. And all the people who were enslaved by France's fault, by putting all their names on a memorial, that for me  and for France  it's a major symbolic reparation.

National history, family stories

Beyond public remembrance, his association works year round to encourage the descendants of enslaved people to get to know their ancestors.

It helps them trace their family history, which is often patchy due to missing records  or generations of silence.

I never learned about slavery at school, says Gordien. Nobody talked about it.

He was only aware of his history thanks to his father: unusually for the time, he shared the story of his own grandfather, who had arrived in Guadeloupe a slave and later became free.

His mother, however, never once spoke about it. The story is too painful, too shameful, Gordien says.

He was only recently able to fill in both sides of his family tree; in total, he counted 32 enslaved women and men among his direct ancestors.

They're not even slaves to us anymore, he says of himself and other descendants. They're just relatives  relatives who we're learning about and learning to love.

Gordien sees more and more young people coming to his association in search of their own forebears.

While what they find can be upsetting, what I see is that it soothes people, he says.

They feel like they can live more easily with this history.
France's Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Tuesday called for the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to be prosecuted for ordering the use of chemical weapons and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Syrians during the country's civil war.

Colonna hit out at Assad during an interview with the French broadcaster France 2.

She said that the 57-year-old should be put on trial and added: "The battle against crime, against impunity is part of French diplomacy."

Assad last week returned to the geopolitical scene with an appearance at a summit of the Arab League in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. It was a first appearance at the regional bloc in a decade.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who opened the summit, acknowledged the painful years of struggle in Syria and added that he hoped the country's rapprochement would bring greater stability to the region.

Salute

Pro-Assad social media users hailed Assad's visit as a victory. They shared images of him smiling and shaking hands with fellow Arab leaders.

Despite the incipient rehabilitation, Colonna said the French government would not be changing its policy towards the Syrian ruler.

"We have to remember who Bashar al-Assad is. He's a leader who has been the enemy of his own people for more than 10 years," she said.

A lifting of European Union sanctions on the Syrian regime was not planned, she added.

"So long as he doesn't change, so long as he doesn't commit to reconciliation, to the fight against terrorism, the fight against drugs ... so long as he doesn't fulfil his commitments, there's no reason to change our attitude towards him," Colonna said.

"I think it's up to him to change, it's not up to France to change our attitude," she added.
Nigerian artist-designer Demas Nwoko has won the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement 2023 at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia He is one of many Africans in focus this year.

As an architect, painter, sculptor and designer, Demas Nwoko is considered a pioneer of Nigeria's modern art movement.

His architecture, while still drawing on traditional African construction, has all been innovative and has largely bypassed his non-formal training.

Nwoko himself describes himself as an "artist-designer".

Son of a king, born in 1935 in southern Nigeria, he found his first inspirations in the palace designed by his grandfather.

Since the 1970s, his work has been charachterised by a syncretic approach between architectural styles - the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought - combining Igbo architecture from Nigeria with Japanese construction techniques.

He is now known for constructions suited to tropical climates, relying on principles of sustainability decades before it reached mainstream thinking.

Ghanaian-Scottish curator

The decision,was taken at the recommendation of the exhibition curator, Lesley Lokko, and was approved by La Biennale's Board of Directors chaired by Roberto Cicutto.

Lokko said: One of the central themes of the 18th International Architecture Exhibition is an approach to architecture as an 'expanded' field of endeavour, encompassing both the material and immaterial worlds...

Baba [Nigerian honorific title] Demas Nwoko is everything all at once: an architect, sculptor, designer, writer, set designer, critic, and historian."

She added that when pushed to dscribe his work, Nwoko refers to himself as an artist-designer, which speaks both to the polyglot nature of his talents and works, and to the rather narrow interpretation of the word 'architect' that has arguably kept his name out of the annals.

African influence

This edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale largely focuses on Africa as it is for the first ever curated by an African woman.

The Ghanaian-Scottish architect and university lecturer, Lesley Lokko, is also a bestselling novelist

She organised the show's central exhibition, inviting 55 practices from around the world to participate, many from Africa and the African diaspora.

La Biennale runs until November 26, 2023, for which Lokko has designed a workshop of ideas, themed "Laboratory of the Future."

Architects from all over the world will congregate at this year's La Biennale, in 63 national pavilions in the old brick halls of the Arsenale, the former shipyard and naval base of the former Republic of Venice.
Some irate residents of Teshie in Accra have hinted at plans to stage a demonstration over the poor road network in their community.

The demonstration dubbed Mba Teshie meaning Why Teshie, is to draw governments attention to the poor state of the roads in the area after their calls for the roads to be fixed have fallen on deaf ears.

The demonstration will begin at 5am on Tuesday, 30 May 2023.

Converging point for the demonstration is the Adjorman Roundabout in Teshie.

Source: classfmonline.com
23.05.2023 LISTEN

In spite of its being the most convenient mode of communication, railway in this country has never been exposed to its true potential. With its basic infrastructure tracing back more than a hundred years, it has suffered more neglect than perhaps any service sector since independence. The all-important move to activate the sector took place in the mid-eighties when for the first time some dynamic steps led to substantial revamping, resulting in remarkable improvement in terms of increased number of locomotives, introduction of inter-city trains with a reasonably good maintenance of time-tables, near-perfect ticketing arrangements, improved signalling and so on. However, Bangladesh now focuses on railway connectivity to ease communion of the people. But Bangladesh Railway (BR) is trudging along because of its excessive reliance on outdated locomotives caused by the failure to add new engines to its fleet in time. The BR has long been struggling to run its services with the outdated engines, but the situation deteriorated after more than 100 new trains were added to its fleet over the last decade. Bangladesh also bought some locomotives engines to meet the demand. But that is not sufficient.

Amidst this, India provided 20 more locomotives (engines) as a grant to Bangladesh Railways. India handed over the broad-gauge engines to Bangladesh Railway on May 23, 2023. The railway ministers of the two countries attended the locomotive handover ceremony virtually from the darshana of Bangladesh and Gede part of India respectively. The engines might help Bangladesh to some extent in tackling some shortage of engine crisis.

In a meeting held between the two railway ministers of Bangladesh and India on July 1 last year, a request was made to grant 20 broad gauge locomotives to Bangladesh Railways. In the Inter-Governmental Railway Meeting (IGRM) held at the Railway Building in New Delhi, India from August 29 to 31 of the same year, the government decided to take quick action to grant 20 broad gauge locomotives to Bangladesh Railways. India has agreed to provide the rail engines during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in September last year. This is the second time in three years that India is providing locomotives to Bangladesh following requests by Bangladesh Railway.

Earlier, Bangladesh Railways received 10 broad gauge locomotives from India as a donation in 2020. The locomotives found earlier are plying on the western route.

According to the information of Bangladesh Railway, the total number of engines currently in the company's fleet is 307. Out of this, 197 engine meter gauges, majority of which are running in the eastern part of the railway. On the other hand, 110 broad gauge engines are operating in the western region. At present, about 400 trains are being operated by the Railways. In contrast to these trains, the number of running engines is only 271. Naturally, the company is suffering from engine shortage, due to which normal operations are disrupted.

On the other hand, the majority of the engines in the fleet have reached the end of their economic life. Although the economic life of railway engines is fixed at 20 years, most of the engines are over 40 years old. Most of the trains are not able to run at the desired speed with these old engines, the working hours of the engines have decreased.

The old engines have to be taken to the factory for frequent repairs. According to Bangladesh Railway's Engineering (Locomotive) Branch data, taking the engine to the factory for repair is part of normal operations. But it has a certain limit. As per the norms set by the Railways, 80 percent of the total number of engines should be kept for daily use. The remaining 20 percent will be in servicing. At present, the ratio of repairable and serviceable engines is higher than the prescribed standards. In such a context, the officials of the organization think that the Indian broad-gauge engines will speed up the railway management system.

India requested Bangladesh to receive 20 diesel-powered broad-gauge engines as a grant in December last year. But due to some procedural complications, they didn't come to the country so far. Finally, On May 23, 2023, India officially handed over 20 locomotives to Bangladesh.

The 20 engines that India donated as a grant have been visited by Bangladesh railway officials in India earlier. Bangladesh Railways sent a seven-member inspection team from the Ministry of Railways to India on November 30 last year to see the donated locomotives. The inspection team submitted a report to the Ministry of Railways on December 15 last year. They were told in that report that they had seen 34 locomotives in India. From among them, 20 locomotives have been selected for donation after evaluating the technical issues.

The 20 engines that India supplied Bangladesh recently was manufactured in 2017-18. In selecting the engines, it has been taken into consideration whether they will be compatible with the overall railway network of Bangladesh including railways, stations, signal system.

India would never go back on its word in this endeavor, stated the Indian rail minister recently, assuring Bangladesh of full assistance in improving the latters rail system. India is indeed helping Bangladesh enhance its railway infrastructure, particularly in converting the entire train network to broad gauze. This railway diplomacy may be another milestone in strengthening India-Bangladesh ties.

Following the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bangladesh, the broad-gauge engines were brought into the country after detailed verification of specifications, import clearance, customs duty, VAT and tax procedures, said railway officials.

India, Bangladesh have been pursing 'Railway diplomacy' in different ways. For example, however, following the commencement of the Covid-19 epidemic, passenger rail services between Bangladesh and India were discontinued in March 2020. Before the suspension, two trains ran between the two countries: the Maitree Express between Dhaka and Kolkata and the Bandhan Express between Khulna and Kolkata.

But it was a piece of good news for both Indian and Bangladeshi people that passenger train services between India and Bangladesh resumed on May 29, 2022. It is two years after they were suspended owing to the outbreak of the pandemic on March 28, 2020, with the Bandhan Express departing Kolkata for Khulna and the Maitree Express departing Dhaka for Kolkata. The two countries railway ministers have already hailed the Mitali Express, a third train, on June 01, 2022.

Mitali Express, the third passenger train service connecting Bangladesh and India, began operating on June 01, 2022. The train travels 513 kilometers between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka (Dhaka Cantonment station) in nine hours.

The India-Bangladesh railway connectivity has not only improved people-to-people contact between the two countries but it is also intended to boost tourism between them. Shopping malls, hospitals, and low-cost hotels are also expected to be built in the vicinity, allowing people to move around the stations more efficiently. A hospital, shopping malls, and low-cost motels must be available near the station in the following days. But both parties must remove all hurdles and complexities regarding the bilateral trans service. Visa-related complexities should be addressed properly. The Target should be the welfare of the people from both sides. Millions of Indian and Bangladeshi citizens would be grateful to the Indian and Bangladeshi governments for restoring the train services. It would be much better if the procedure could be made more fluid.

This will help enhance trade between the two countries, and flourish tourism. The rail link will improve rail network access to the regions key ports, dry ports, and land borders, supporting regional trade growth and encouraging regional economic and social development. The benefits of both products and passenger travel will be available to ordinary citizens and businesspeople in both countries. As a result, it will strengthen people-to-people communication even more. It will facilitate commercial activity and allow more people to contact one another.

The two countries have been collaborating to improve and expand rail connectivity. Both sides are working on several projects, and some historic railway lines are being restored at the same time.

The Bandhan Express was resurrected by reactivating a long-dormant rail link between Kolkata and Khulna, Bangladeshs third-largest city. The Barishal Express served this route until 1965 when it was halted due to the India-Pakistan war. Bandhan was revived in 2017 by the Narendra Modi government and Sheikh Hasina administration.

Following the launch of the Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka Cantonment in April 2008, the Bandhan Express was the second train to depart. It spans the distance between Kolkata and Khulna, passing through Petrapole and Benapole on the way to meet the needs of people from both countries.

Since its inception, the Maitree Express has been a huge success. The 90 percent occupancy rate on the tri-weekly route between Kolkata and Dhaka used to be the norm. Now, the Mitali Express has started to run between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka in North Bengal.

Both countries governments have been attempting to improve the rail link between them, and not simply through passenger trains. The 20 engineer's donation is a part of Indian railways contribution to build Bangladesh railway prosperous. In August 2021, the two countries resumed regular freight train service between Haldibari, India, and Chilahati, Bangladesh, on the newly restored link.

The Haldibari-Chilahati train link between India and East Pakistan was also operating until 1965 when it was shut down owing to the war. At the time of Partition, this was part of the broad-gauge major line connecting Kolkata and Siliguri. On this route, the two sides expect at least 20 freight trains to cross the border each month.

Trains continued to run between the two countries after the Partition because they were once part of a single, seamless railway network under British authority. As a result, the infrastructure to connect the two sides via railways was substantially there.

Policymakers on both sides saw this as an opportunity to strengthen diplomatic ties by allowing products and passengers to traverse borders. Between India and Bangladesh, five rail routes have restarted thus far. Petrapole (India)-Benapole (Bangladesh), Gede (India)-Darshana (Bangladesh), Singhabad (India)-Rohanpur (Bangladesh), Radhikapur (India)-Birol (Bangladesh), and the Haldibari-Chilahati connection are among them.

According to the media reports, stone chips, ballasts, grains, and other items are commonly transported to Bangladesh. CONCOR, a railway PSU, has begun container shipping with private clients Fast Moving Consumer Goods. Typically, the goal is to develop a speedier and more cost-effective freight link by weaning them off of the sea route. The Eastern Railway of India made it easier to import de-oiled soya cakes from Bangladesh last year.

Around 1.2 million tonnes of the cargo were transported via train in October of last year, rather than the customary route between the Nhava Sheva port and the Land Customs Stations, Petrapole Port.

There were eight railway interchanges between India and Pakistan before the 1947 division. Only five are currently operational: Benapole-Petropole, Darshana-Gede, Rohanpur-Singabadh, Biral-Radhikarpur, and Chilahati-Haldibari.

According to the media reports, the IR presented the plan to Bangladesh Railway (BR) in April this year. The infrastructure of the route from Gede-Darshana-Ishwardi-Abdullpur-Parbatipur-Chilahati-Haldibari.

The IR now has the opportunity to reestablish the ancient Siliguri-Sealdah route via Bangladesh, thanks to the resumption of train service on the Chilahati-Haldibari way.

According to the media reports, the proposed transit facility will save nearly three hours of journey time. At the moment, Indian trains must travel 573 kilometers from Sealdah in Kolkata to reach Siliguri. If the new route can be used, the distance will be reduced to merely 200 kilometers. Trains from Siliguri passed through Haldibari and entered Chilahati in the former East Pakistan en route to Kolkata before 1965. This line was permanently closed after the Indo-Pak conflict in 1965. But the Resumption of India-Bangladesh passenger and freight train services will benefit both Bangladesh and India.

Transiting IR trains through Bangladesh may be a win-win situation for BR, IR, and the people and trade of the two nations. But there must have communication between the Northeast and Bangladesh, and the Akhaura-Agartala railway link must be resumed for both freight train and passenger tarin as soon as possible which can mark yet another significant milestone for the two countries. The increased connectivity between the Northeast and Bangladesh will boost trade between the two countries.

Dr. Shakuntala Bhabani is a 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 Majority Leader, Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on 22nd of May 2023 joined the outgoing Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Akwasi Annin Yeboah, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon Simon Osei Mensah, and the Municipal Chief Executive of Suame, Hon Maxwell Ofosu Boakye, to commission a District Court Complex at Breman in the Suame Municipality of the Ashanti Region.

In his opening remarks, the Municipal Chief Executive of Suame, Hon Maxwell Ofosu Boakye, congratulated all individuals whose combined efforts have led to the birth and completion of the court complex.

He was particularly grateful to the Member of Parliament for Suame, Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu for supporting the Chief Justice's bold initiative with his share of the District Assembly Common Fund. He also extended same gratitude to his predecessor, Prof Osei Bobbie Boahen, during whose tenure the project started.

Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu showered praise on the Chief Justice, His Lordship Akwasi Annin Yeboah for having the foresight to expand the administration and delivery of justice to the doorstep of the ordinary citizen.

He enumerated various projects that have taken place under the leadership of the Chief Justice such as the over 100 new court buildings and the magnificent accommodation facilities for the judges. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu singled out the Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund, Mrs. Irene Naa Torshi, who accepted the challenge by the Chief Justice to build more court complex, which consequently led to the development of the formula to support the funding of such laudable initiative, for appreciation.

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu who doubles as Sompahene of the Suame Municipality also expressed appreciation to the Bremanghene, Nana Kutin Kotei Sraman II for making available the parcel of land on which the building has been constructed in spite the difficulties the Municipal Assembly faces in acquiring land.

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Hon Simon Osei Mensah pleaded with the chiefs and opinion leaders within the Court's jurisdiction not to interfere with the delivery of justice. He said the entreaties from the chiefs and opinion leaders may turn to weaken the court if they continually plead for clemency on behalf of culprits standing trials.

The Bremanghene, Nana Kotei Kutin Sraman II expressed his appreciation to the Chief Justice and the Majority Leader for their efforts which started some three to four years ago. He made reference to some prevailing offences within the jurisdiction of the court and requested that the Chief Justice put such minor offenses into consideration when deciding on the status of the newly inaugurated Court.

The Chief Justice, His Lordship Akwasi Annin Yeboah, in his keynote address, quoted the Local Service Act 2016, Act 936, as the foundation upon which the whole initiative was grounded. He stated that justice delivery must reflect the needs of everyone, the poor and the rich, the young and the old, etc and urged the staff of the Court to deliver equal justice to all without fear or favour.

He went on to urge the general public not to entertain any fear when reporting misconduct of staff who may fall foul of the law in their line of duties.

The Chief Justice, who was accompanied by the Deputy Judicial Secretary, assured the Municipal Chief Executive and the Chiefs that the court will now operate as District Circuit Court. He, however, pledged that the Judicial Administration would not renege on its promise to include a Magistrate Court when space becomes available.

The occasion was graced by various heads of departments within the municipality, including the District Commander of the Ghana Police Service, the Municipal Fire Officer, the Municipal Coordinating Director, staff of the Judicial Service, Assembly Members of the Suame Municipality, staff of the Assembly and the general public.
Explosions again shook Sudan's capital on Tuesday, dimming hopes that a US and Saudi-brokered humanitarian ceasefire will take hold on the ground after more than five weeks of fighting.

The latest, one-week truce formally entered into force late Monday, but it was quickly violated, like a series of previous such agreements since the war between two rival generals erupted on April 15.

"We can hear the sound of artillery fire," a Khartoum witness told AFP on Tuesday. "Every few minutes, there's a blast."

Residents had also reported combat in northern Khartoum and air strikes in the east of the capital shortly after the deadline at 9:45 pm (1945 GMT) Monday.

Map of Sudan and neighbouring countries. By Sophie RAMIS (AFP/File)

In some parts of Khartoum an uneasy silence held Tuesday as residents desperately hoped for a pause in combat to allow in life-saving humanitarian aid, or to enable more people to flee the embattled city of five million.

The fighting has pitted the army, led by Sudan's de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The battles have left about 1,000 people dead, forced more than a million to flee their homes and sparked mass evacuations of foreigners and major refugee flows into neighbouring counties.

People have run low on water, food and basic supplies, and the war has left more than half the population, 25 million people, in need of humanitarian aid, according to the UN.

'Broken promises'

Fighters of Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been at war with the regular army. By - (Rapid Support Forces (RSF)/AFP/File)

A foreign aid group voiced frustration with the fighting that has piled new misery on the already poverty-stricken northeast African nation.

"Beyond official announcements, Sudan is still pounded and bombarded, with millions of civilian lives at risk," Karl Schembri of the Norwegian Refugee Council wrote on Twitter.

"We've had over a month of broken promises and empty words while humanitarian colleagues were killed, together with children and others and hospitals destroyed."

Volker Perthes, the United Nations envoy to Sudan, told the UN Security Council on Monday that "fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite a commitment by both sides not to pursue military advantage before the ceasefire takes effect".

Soldiers of the Sudanese army seen on a road blocked with bricks in Khartoum on May 20, 2023. By - (AFP/File)

While no previous truce has held, the United States and Saudi Arabia, which brokered the deal, said this agreement was different because it was "signed by the parties" and would be supported by a "ceasefire monitoring mechanism".

According to the text released by the United States, warring sides were to use the two days before it took effect to "inform their respective forces" about it and "instruct them to comply".

Neither side has yet blamed the other for violating the truce, as they did within minutes after the previous ceasefires unravelled.

'Victory or martyrdom'

Hours before the truce was to start, Daglo released a voice message on social media in which he told his fighters: "It is either victory or martyrdom, and victory will be ours."

Addressing reported violations by his forces -- including rampant looting, targeting of civilians and attacks on churches -- he blamed "coup plotters" in the army.

Looted cars parked in southern Khartoum on May 21, 2023 amid ongoing fighting between two rival generals. By - (/File)

Major fighting has rocked the western Darfur region near Chad, where the UN has reported hundreds of civilians killed in the West Darfur capital El Geneina.

Perthes in his Security Council address warned that "the conflict risks to expand and prolong ... with implications for the region."

"In parts of the country, fighting between the two armies or the two armed formations has sharpened into communal tensions, or triggered conflict between communities," he said, after reports of civilians being armed in Darfur.

Sudan has a long history of military coups and the army in 2019 overthrew the veteran Islamist autocrat Omar al-Bashir after mass protests against his rule.

Sudanese were promised a gradual transition toward civilian rule, but Burhan and Daglo staged another coup in October 2021 before simmering tensions between the two men flared into the current round of bloody fighting.
It's not yet dawn but dozens of troops from Niger and France's legendary Foreign Legion are boarding a French C-130 military transport plane, each weighed down with gear.

In the green-lit hold, their faces are locked in concentration as the aircraft takes off over the arid Sahel. A few soldiers manage to doze off, their heads resting on their bags or their heavy helmets.

Their mission: to make a parachute jump to take an abandoned military position in Niger not far from the Malian border -- an area where the ruthless Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (IS-GS) is resurgent.

The joint operation is symbolic of the new approach President Emmanuel Macron wants to use for France's mission in West Africa's deeply troubled Sahel.

After nearly a decade, its troops were forced to pull out of Mali -- still fighting an Islamist insurgency -- following a military coup.

The junta then, according to Western governments, called on Russia's Wagner mercenary group for help.

France's exit from Mali has encouraged the jihadists to regain freedom of movement in the border region -- and the parachute operation is aimed at keeping them at bay.

The cooperation with Niger is part of a strategy which Paris hopes will show that it has learned the lessons of Mali. By ALAIN JOCARD (AFP)

After an hour's flight, the crew announces the countdown for the drop over the Liptako region.

The alarm rings. The aircraft's side doors open. Time to jump.

"Don't stop!" shouts an officer as the paratroopers hurl themselves into the night at a frantic pace, filling the sky with mushrooms of beige silk.

Niger. By (AFP)

In just one minute, dozens of soldiers have jumped over the sandy expanses of southwestern Niger. The plane, abruptly emptied of its passengers, turns around, heading back to its base near the capital Niamey.

On the ground, the soldiers are about to get to work.

'Laboratory'

The cooperation with Niger is part of a strategy which Paris hopes will show the key lesson from Mali: support local forces by providing the equipment and expertise they need, but don't substitute for them.

"In Niger and everywhere in Africa, the idea is now different from what was done in Mali. Today our help starts with what the partner needs," said the commander of the French forces in the Sahel, General Bruno Baratz.

The pullout last year from Mali brought the curtain down on the long-running Barkhane operation against Islamist militants in the francophone ex-colonial region -- a hugely problematic deployment that left over 50 French troops dead.

Neighbouring Burkina Faso, also led by a junta, this year also pushed out French forces from its territory, a prelude to what the West fears will also be a pivot to Wagner.

President Emmanuel Macron ordered operations to be more low profile and more specifically tailored to the needs of partner countries. By ALAIN JOCARD (AFP)

It was against this increasingly difficult background that Macron ordered lower-profile operations more specifically tailored to the needs of partner countries.

The new strategy is upheld to the letter in Niger, which has accepted 1,500 French soldiers on its soil to bolster its armies at a time when IS-GS is once again a threat.

Ahead of the jump over Liptako, a commander with the Foreign Legion's 2nd Paratroop Regiment told the assembled troops that the mission would be "hard."

"There's heat, there's the environment, and we don't know where the enemy is. We are counting on you to help us," he said to the Nigerien troops.

"I believe the French army is trying to use Niger as a laboratory for new relationships" in Sahel, and "be a supporter rather than a leader" said Michael Shurkin, director of global programmes at risk management firm 14N Strategies.

"France is convinced it needs to be as discreet as possible," he said.

"France was fighting its own war in parallel to what Malians were doing. Now France is trying to do things differently."

Niger strategy

A French military officer, who asked not to be named, said the new strategy still meant a "de-Barkhane-isation" of attitudes in the French armed forces, who grew used to tracking militants in the desert in much more autonomous conditions.

But Niger seems satisfied.

The Barkhane operation was hugely problematic for the French armed forces. By ALAIN JOCARD (AFP)

"Today the commanders are from Niger and they master the terrain and the needs. We can only congratulate ourselves. The French bring us the military training, equipment, intelligence and air resources that we lack," Niger's former defence minister Kalla Moutari told AFP.

In Mali, Barkhane notched up undeniable tactical victories against the jihadists.

But the country's political authorities never managed to re-establish control in areas purged of militants. And the Malian army remained fragile, despite years-long efforts to strengthen it.

Cooperation with Niamey, however, is smoother.

"Niger has a particularly effective counter-insurgency strategy," combining population security and the return to the state to disputed areas, Baratz said.
Access to rare earth minerals and Russia's war against Ukraine topped the agenda on French President Emmanuel Macron's historic visit to Mongolia. But the joint declaration signed during the meeting also underlines France's attempts to find an alternative uranium source for its nuclear reactors.

As it stands, France depends to a large extent on uranium sourced in West Africa. That supply chain, however, is under threat because of social and political unrest in the region.

The 18-article joint declaration, which trumpets "strengthening political, economic, commercial and defence cooperation", also notes that both countries will also cooperate in the energy sector.

Dig down into the declarion, however, and in Article 12 notes that as part of this cooperation, negotiations over investment in the "joint Zuuvch-Ovoo project" will be "accelerated" with an aim to concluding them in the autumn.

It cites, in particular, the uranium mining project run by Badrakh Energy, a company jointly run by France's Orano Group (formerly Areva) and Mongolia's Monatom.

Hasty negotiations

The relatively low position of the article addressing nuclear cooperation within the French-Mongolian joint-statement belies its importance.

France has 18 nuclear power plants with 56 reactors at the moment. That number is set to expand substantially in nthe coming years as will the need for uranium,

In response to the need to slash fossil fuel emissions and cut its reliance on foreign energy , Macron announced, in February 2022, that France would spend 51,7 billion to build another 14 new nuclear reactors over a 28 year period.

The need for new reactors was underlined by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the energy suppy problems that arose from it.

France's and uranium

According to figures published by the French Ministry of Ecological Transition in France, 40 percent of energy consumption comes from nuclear, 28,1 percent from petrol, 15,8 percent from natural gas, and 12,9 percent from alternative sources such as wind and hydropower.

French electricity company EDF's figures show that nuclear's part in electricity market is even higher: 70,6 percent, against hydropower's 11.2 percent, windpower 6.3 and solar 2.2 percent.

The result is that France's dependency on uranium will grow substantially in the coming years.

To satisfy its current nuclear fuel demands, France needs between 8.000 and 9.000 tons of uranium per year, a ccording to the portal Connaissance des Energies.

The 563 page report "Uranium 2022 Resources, Production and Demand" jointly published by the IAEA and the OECD's Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) adds that about two thirds of the world production of uranium comes from Kazakhstan (39.4 percent), Canada (22 percent) and Australia (10 percent.) Other producers include Niger, Namibia, Russia and Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

As France does not have its own uranium deposits, it has to rely on imports.

On 23 April, French Daily Le Monde wrote that in Niger Orano's giant uranium mine faces multiple threats' including the threat of jihadist attacks.

In fact, Uranium deposits have become " a key component of France's energy independence strategy," according to the paper, but the tide is turning.

Of the two mines that were operated since 1971 in Niger, only the one in Somair remains. The Akouta Mining Company (Cominak) closed in March 2021 after reserves were depleted.

But the largest problem is the volatility of the region. France was forced to leave neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali (which also provides uranium).

French troops

Orano still wants to maintain a foothold in Niger. On 4 May, the company signed a general partnership agreement with the government of Niger, which, according to Nicolas Maes, CEO of Orano Mining, confirms the major role of Niger in the global uranium industry. But the unrest on its doorstep is starting to take its toll.

For now, French troops are still present in Niger, co-patrolling the border region with the Nigerian army under "operation Almahaou" to monitor activities in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso as the French forces there were wound down.

Meanwhile, in Niger itself, the Imouraren mine, presented as the "mine of the century" by Orano and snatched from the Chinese in 2009, is still "on hold pending feasibility studies of new mining techniques".

However, the real reason is more likely to be the human and investment risk, which may be too high.

According to an infograph by Orano published in 2021, France has been gradually moving away from Niger for its uranium: Most of the "yellow cake" now comes from Kazakhstan (2,840 ton), with Niger's Somair (1,996 ton) still a solid second. The Cigar lake mine at McLean Lake Mill in Canada also produces 1,788 tons.

However, with the increasing instability in the region, alternatives are indispensable.

The role of Mongolia

French-Mongolian cooperation on uranium is not new. Areva Mines has been involved in exploring the Dornogovi province since 1997. The World Nuclear Association says that the Zoovch Ovoo deposit has resources of over 54,000 tons of Uranium.

In 2015, nuclear cooperation between France and Mongolia took a step forward with the creation of Badrakh Energy, a joint venture that is controlled by Orano's subsidiary Areva Mongol (66 percent) while Erdenes Mongol, through its subsidiary Monatom, holds 34 percent.

Erdenes Mongol, states that total investment is to be 1 billion over 22 years with expected income of 5.5 billion. A flyer by Orano says that a two year pilot deal with new mining processes that was launched in 2021 will generate 20 tons of uranium.

Macron now hopes to speed up the paperwork on this so full production could start in the autumn, easing the pressure on France's increasingly hungry nuclear reactors.
Sharm El-Sheikh, 22 May 2023  African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development have called for reforms of the IMFs Special Drawing Rights (SDR) system to strengthen the global financial safety net and make more liquidity available to developing countries.

The call for reforms was made during a meeting of the Africa High-level Working Group on the Global Financial Architecture on the margins of the 2023 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

Coordinated by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the High-level Working Group comprises African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, the African Union, the African Development Bank, Afreximbank, and the World Bank, and includes the participation of IMF staff and Executive Directors. The Group serves as a forum to develop reform proposals for the global financial architecture and strengthen the African voice on the global stage.

SDRs Original Design and SDRs in Practice

During the meeting, Ms. Hanan Morsy, ECAs Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist, delivered a presentation on reforming the SDR allocation and rechanneling mechanism. The SDR system came into existence in 1968 with the aim of supplementing official reserves and facilitating global liquidity. The IMFs Articles of Agreement stipulate that SDR allocations are meant to be considered every five years, referred to as basic period. The Articles also allow for SDR allocations in response to unexpected major developments. Throughout the 12 "basic periods" since the inception of the SDR system, there have been merely four general allocations and one special allocation (with two notable ones in 2009 and 2021). This is despite the fact that global macroeconomic conditions would have warranted more frequent allocations during this time.

Ms. Morsy also emphasized that, when SDRs are allocated, they tend to disproportionately benefit countries that are less in need of them. This is because SDRs are distributed in proportion to existing IMF quotas, which are primarily a function of an economys size and relative position in the world economy. For instance, during the 2021 general SDR allocation of $650 billion, high-income countries, which are least likely to require or utilize SDRs, received approximately $450 billion, constituting almost 70% of the total allocation. Africa, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, received fewer SDRs than Germany, a country with a population of only 83 million.

Making SDR allocation decisions more rule-based and analytical

The ministers emphasized the need for SDR allocation decisions to be made in a rule-based analytical manner to reduce the discretionary and political nature of the allocation process. The Unexpected Major Developments provision needs to be clarified and operationalized to include the following triggers: force-majeure exogenous shocks, such as pandemics or natural disasters, global recessions, and significant capital flow reversals from emerging and developing economies.

Ensuring that SDRs are distributed effectively to where they are most needed

The ministers underscored the importance of ensuring that SDRs are directed to countries that require them most. They advocated for the rechanneling of SDRs to Multilateral Development Banks, such as the African Development Bank, as a means to achieve this goal. They noted that the proposal for SDR rechanneling put forward by the African Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank provides a viable technical solution that would allow to leverage SDRs to provide much needed liquidity to African countries. They called upon SDR donor countries to participate in the proposal and thereby enable its implementation.

Moreover, the ministers called for reforming the SDR rechanneling mechanism to promote greater utilization. First, suggestions were made to reform the SDR intermediation system. Second, the ministers recommended that the IMF Executive Board could consider updating the SDR's "reserve asset characteristic" to align with the wide-ranging and unconditional contemporary use of reserve assets. Lastly, they called for increased measures by the IMF to promote transparency in the SDR market.

The ministers further urged for a reform of the SDR allocation formula to take into account countries liquidity needs in addition to IMF quotas. By doing so, a greater proportion of future SDR allocations would reach countries with the largest liquidity needs, thus enhancing the effectiveness of SDR allocations in stabilizing the global economy.

Advancing the Sustainable Debt Coalition

Alongside the important discussions on SDRs, the meeting included an update on the Sustainable Debt Coalition initiative by Sherine El Sharkawy, Egypts Deputy Minister of Finance for Economic Affairs. The Coalition provides a framework for collaboration between creditor and borrower nations on topics at the intersection of debt, development, and climate change. The Coalition was officially endorsed during ECAs Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in March 2023 in Addis Ababa. Deputy Minister El Sharkawy reported that over 20 countries have already signaled their interest to join the Coalition. She invited all African nations to join the Inaugural Meeting of the Coalition, to be hosted in Cairo over 14th-15th September.
23.05.2023 LISTEN

The Paramount Muslim Chief of Aplaku, Bortianor, Oshiyie and Kokrobite (ABOK) Sarki Salifu Attram has commended the Ga Traditional Council over measures put in place to enforce the ban on drumming and noise-making in the Greater Accra Region.

He also applauded the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Henry Quartey for his support and commitment to ensuring compliance with the directives.

Sarki Salifu Attram made the commendation after the Ga Traditional Council announced the ban on noise-making and drumming which took effect on the 15th of May 2023, as part of preparation towards the annual Homowo festival.

The month-long ban he said forms part of activities to mark the annual Homowo festival adding that activities such as using loudspeakers, drums, tambourines, funeral rites and roadside evangelism are all affected.

According to him, the time has come for all chiefs, opinion leaders, philanthropists and other stakeholders to come on board to ensure that the culture and traditions of Ga people are respected adding that when people respect their culture and traditions they will in turn respect the people.

He called on the task force which consists of AMA personnel, the Police Service and Representatives of the Traditional Councils to work diligently in the interest of Ga people.

He also advised the Ga youth who are not mandated to enforce the ban not to take the law into their own hands but to rather video anyone who flouts the law and call on the appropriate task force to deal with the matter.

Sarki Salifu Attram used the opportunity to call on all Muslims under his jurisdiction to strictly adhered to the directives of the Ga Traditional Council so as to live in harmony with all.

He stated that Muslims in Aplaku, Bortianor, Oshiyie and Kokrobite have over the years respected the culture and traditions of the people and wIll not disobey the directives of the Traditional Council.
Mr. Solomon Kumah

23.05.2023 LISTEN

My reason to help organise this maths and science quiz competition is to assist the younger generation by impacting them with the requisite knowledge that will prepare them for the future ahead and I am grateful to be part of their stories yet to be told, Mr Solomon Kumah has said.

He disclosed this when speaking on the launch of the 2nd edition of the Science and Science Quiz competition by the New Juaben North Municipal Education Directorate and Mr. Solomon Kumah with the media.

According to the US-based Ghanaian, science and maths quiz competitions played an important role in his educational career as he represented his alma matas, Effiduase Presby and Asokore Methodist schools respectively on many occasions.

Mr. Solomon Kumah also emphasised those opportunities he got at the time gave him exposure and other benefits in his educational career and therefore thought it wise to do same for the young ones.

He was grateful to the Education Directorate and all other stakeholders for their support and assured them of his readiness to ensure the quality of education in the municipality is well improved.

Mr. Solomon Kumah is a Ghanaian based in the United States who has a keen interest in the well-being of the people and also the future of the next generation.

Meanwhile, the Municipal Education Director, Madam Bervely Dansoa Bartels on her part revealed the maiden edition held last year had a massive impact on the performance of students in their BECE results and was optimistic it will be much better this year as well.

She noted representatives from New Juaben North came second in the regional maths and science quiz organised last year and urged those who will be in the contest to do their best to win the ultimate.

She was, however, grateful to Mr. Solomon Kumah for his continuous support in organising the events as well as his commitment to the improvement of education in the municipality.

Some contestants and students who shared their experiences with the reporter could not hide the fact that the competition has been a morale booster for them as far as maths and science education is concerned.

They indicated the maiden edition has improved their morale in learning the subjects because of the earlier perception that science and maths are difficult to study.

With respect to maths and science teachers present, they underscored the importance of the competition to them as it exposes them to their weaknesses and also inspires them to do more per the performance of their school reps.
23.05.2023 LISTEN

On May 15, 2023, when a boisterous crowd of Nigerians on and off social media were urging their own Hilda Baci on to set a new record as the longest non-stop cook in the world, Ghanaians were realising that one of their social media influencers, Mona Faiz Montrage, has been charged in the United States of America for allegedly using the same Internet to dupe people.

As is to be expected, both issues became leading on social media platforms in both countries; topping discussions, feeds, and trends. These two accidental coincidences tell of the powerful nature of social media as a tool for good and for bad in the modern world.

Almost an intrinsic part of today's man, social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, and YouTube hold a great potential for both good and evil, depending on who is using them for what.

In leisure, they abridge time and space. They also allow instant, easy, affordable, and real-time multimedia connections and communication, thereby reducing the pain that distance brings. They are also a great source of learning, knowledge sharing, networking, and remote working among others.

Statistics

The World Population Review says there are more Snapchat accounts in Ghana (over 34 million) than the country's total population (31 million). Even the perceived decent apps have caught the virus, too.

Also, data published in Meta's advertising resources indicates that Facebook had 5.65 million users in Ghana in January 2023 (DataReportal).

By February 2023, the numbers published in Metas advertising tools indicated that Instagram had 1.70 million users in Ghana in early 2023 (DataReportal).

For Twitter, some 1.15 million users are Ghanaians, according to the February 2023 data of DataReportal.

Cumulatively, Ghana was home to 6.60 million social media users in January 2023, equating to 19.5 percent of the total population.

The favourite social media platforms for Ghanaians, according to DataReportal, are WhatsApp (44.2%), Instagram (13.5%), Facebook (12.5%), Twitter (7.9%), TikTok (6.0%), Snapchat (4.1%), Telegram (3.9%), iMessage (1.1%), Facebook Messenger (0.8%) and Pinterest (0.8%).

Potential

This huge following from Ghana means that anything posted by an individual in Ghana spreads fast and wild. It also means the potential of global networking is enormous and those who know and value it can prioritise it through these platforms.

The easy-to-use nature of these platforms means that anybody who owns a smartphone and has access to the Internet can use them. The farmer can use social media to form virtual cooperatives to share problems and find solutions as well as sell produce, universities can use them for remote lecturing and students can use them for virtual learning.

Business people and institutions can also use social media to enhance their brand visibility. Even individuals use social media for a billion other things, including crafting an image for personal branding purposes, selling business propositions, and advertising their professional skills, among others.

Almost anybody and everybody can find some good use of social medias boundless opportunities.

Bad Influence

Sadly, however, in our part of the world, social media have resulted in considerable decay in morals, privacy invasion, sexual immorality, fakeness, fraud, deceit, and everything bad. As a result, many view it as the devils tool of bad influence, especially on the youth. Although these vices are not new, social media magnifies them through its huge global following and labyrinthine networks.

Instead of harnessing the positives, our youth use them to compete for attention through likes, shares, or following. The irony is that not much of that attention is geared towards positivity to society or indigenous businesses. Indeed, social media has made life a competition of vanity. It has become the preferred stage for outing spousal foibles in a no-holds-barred manner.

Rather than leveraging these numbers for positive things, many a Ghanaian youth is wallowing in social medias vain allure and destroying themselves in the process. Their whole life is now a social media spectacle. It is the new addiction that is almost more destructive than the most potent cocktail of hard drugs.

But how long can this last, given the havoc it is already wrecking on our youth and the country as a whole? It is time the youth see the fakeness of social media and returns to our cultural factory setting.

If we should be there, we should use it to advance our own good, build and nurture relationships and market our talents, country, and businesses to the world.

By Seidu Agongo, Philanthropist and Businessman
23.05.2023 LISTEN

Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Sekondi Member of Parliament has defended the Akufo-Addo administration's financial sector cleanup.

He believes that if the government had not taken action to clean up the sector, the consequences would have been severe.

Speaking on the Big Issue on TV3 on May 23, he said the Bank of Ghana provided some of the struggling banks with liquidity support during the previous National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, but the funds were misapplied and nothing was done about it.

They gave liquidity support to banks for people to squander, it is in the report, the Deputy Minister of Energy said.

He further asked, What would have been the outcome of government not doing anything?

On his part, former Deputy Finance Minister, Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan argued that the defunct Beige Bank converted from a Savings and Loans organization to a bank too quickly.

Mr Ricketts-Hagan also questioned the decision to grant a universal license to Construction Bank, which he argued was intended for the construction industry.

The Cape Coast South MP suggested that it could be time to reconsider how licenses are granted to banks.

With these banks [Merged into CBG], John Mahama can come back to power and do some segregation of assets, he said.

Some of them can get back their licenses but they can go back to become Savings and Loans because UT was Savings and Loans for a long time before it became a bank. Beige became a bank very quickly after a short span being savings and loans, so we have got to look at the license given.

Construction Bank was a bank meant for construction, why should such a bank be given a universal license?

It is just like what we have done to ADB which was meant for agric but we gave it a universal license and now it is doing all sorts of things. NIB was set up for a purpose but it has become something else. Now we have set up a development bank which could have been NIB," he said during an engagement on the TV3 Key Points program.
23.05.2023 LISTEN

Members of the Western Region Network of Ministers, Churches and Councils have appealed to Parliament to ensure the passage of the Promotion of Proper Human Sex Rights and the Ghanaian Family Values Bill currently before the House.

The Government must ensure that the laws of the land did not, in any way, conflict with the spiritual, social, moral and cultural norms of the people, the Network said.

Right Reverend Emmanuel Kwesi Ansah, the Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, Sekondi-Takoradi Diocese, and Chairman of the Network, made the call during a press conference in Takoradi at the weekend.

The members have a strong stance about the issue because the Western Region hosts a lot of foreigners, who come as expatriates and tourists due to the harbour, minerals/mining potentials, as well as the oil found in commercial quantities.

Rev Bishop Ansah explained that the influx of foreign culture in the region gave them the cause for concern since recent developments revealed that some youth had fallen victims to activities of LGBTQIA+, which was associated with some of the alien cultures.

All arms of government; Executive, Legislature, and the Judiciary must, as a matter of urgency, come out to overtly condemn the LGBTQIA+ activities with a concerted voice and assure the masses of their commitment to tackling the problem head-on, he said.

The Government must demonstrate the political will in creating a social and legal environment that would be intolerable for anyone wanting to engage in the act of perversion, whether he was a foreigner or a citizen.

Bishop Ansah called on the Government to ensure that educational institutions were insulated from the promotion of LGBTQIA+ activities, since the youth stood the risk of becoming more vulnerable and gullible to the act.

Our health centres must be made friendlier to those who have suffered abuse through LGBTQIA+ to confidently approach any health post and receive help without looking over their shoulders, he said.

The Network had consciously nurtured a cordial and fruitful relationship with the local authorities such as the Regional Coordinating Council, MMDCEs, Western Regional Parliamentary caucus, and traditional authorities, Bishop Ansah said, and urged them to join the crusade to combat the menace.

He commended the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, and the parliamentarians who had boldly spoken against it.

Bishop Ansah called on churches in the region to intensify prayers on the subject since all perversion had demonic connotation and undertones, visit educational institutions to educate the youth on the need to eschew that behaviour, intensify family life education in the churches and encourage parents to assume full responsibility for the proper upbringing of their children.

He also suggested to the church to develop a document on homosexuality and its attendant problems, which could be used to teach children, youth and adults in all churches and collaborate with stakeholders to effectively resolve issues of homosexuality.

GNA
Ernest Yaw Anim, the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) parliamentary candidate in the Kumawu by-election has told Kwasi Amankwaa, the NDC candidate that his allegation of vote-buying is baseless.

Mr. Amankwaa, the candidate for the NDC raised concern that some elderly and mentally ill people were being transported to polling stations to cast their ballots.

It is very pathetic that the NPP have to resort to buying votes and then sharing money and pretending for these people to come and tell the EC that they are disabled, he told Media Generals Ibrahim Abubakar in an interview while visiting some voting centers Tuesday, May 23.

He added, So they escort them to come and vote for the NPP.

Replying to the allegation, NPP candidate Ernest Yaw Anim said the NDC candidate is crying because he knows he will lose.

Those are the tantrums of a losing candidate, he can equally do same, he can go and get old people into taxis and buses and bring them to the polling station, and nobody stops him from doing that.

We are trying to get everybody to be part of the process, so as part of it we have organized people to bring all people to the polling centers so they can be part of this process.

I dont think it is something he should complain about, he should try to get involved in the process of getting everyone on board because this is an election that is going to determine the future of Kumawu and the future of Ghana and the 2024 elections. If he feels that we are putting in certain strategies and it is working to our advantage, he can also adopt the same," Ernest Yaw Anim argued.
An Adentan Circuit Court has sentenced a 21-year-old Nigerian woman to three years imprisonment for stabbing a colleague multiple times with a broken bottle over clothes.

Mercy Ayimode, charged with causing harm, pleaded guilty.

The court presided over by Mrs Sedinam Awo Balokah convicted Mercy, unemployed, on her own plea.

Prosecution led by Inspector Eric Ransford Abban said the complainant Victoria Dennies and the accused, now convict, were Nigerians, residing at Madina, Accra.

Prosecution said Mercy was ejected by her landlady from her residence and the complainant accommodated her.

It said the complainant gave the convict some clothes because her landlady had confiscated her belongings.

Prosecution said during her stay at the complainants house, the complainant borrowed GHC100 from her.

Later, Prosecution said the friendship between the complainant and the convict turned soured and the convict demanded her GHS 100.

The complainant managed and paid the convicts GHC 100.

Prosecution said the complainant also demanded her clothes.

On May 9, 2023, Prosecution said the complainant was in the company of two others when a scuffle erupted between her and Ayimode over the complainants clothes.

Prosecution said witnesses separated the two.

The convict took a broken bottle and stabbed the complainant multiple times all over her body.

Prosecution said witnesses around the scene arrested the convict and handed her over to the Police.

GNA
Professor Tshilidzi Marwala

23.05.2023 LISTEN

The newly appointed Rector of the United Nations University (UNU), Professor Tshilidzi Marwala has arrived in Ghana for a 4-day official visit.

Prof. Marwala will engage with key stakeholders of the Institute and assist the INRA in enabling supportive building blocks to advance its mission and sustainability plan.

Professor Marwala will also deliver a lecture co-convened by the UNU- Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) and the University of Ghana on Artificial Intelligence and Economic Growth on 25 May 2023, at 2:00 pm at the University of Ghana Great Hall.

AI is touted as a game-changer for Africas economic growth. Its efficient use can optimize resource endowments, serve as a catalyst for enhanced natural resources conservation, and promote sustainable development, he said.

The Rector will speak to the media in an interview on Thursday 25 May after his scheduled high-level visits and meetings and will also hold a meeting with the UNU-INRA team before he departs on 26 May 2023.

Professor Marwala is the first Rector of the United Nations University from the Global South. He assumed office as Rector of UNU on 1st March 2023. Prior to that, he served as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg (South Africa) from January 2018 through February 2023. He had previously served as that universitys Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalization (20132017) and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (20092013).
Former President John Dramani Mahama has provided details of his decision to restore the licenses of some indigenous banks that were collapsed in 2019 if elected President.

Mr. Mahama announced these plans during his acceptance speech as the NDC flagbearer in Tamale last week.

Speaking at the CEOs Summit in Accra on May 22, Mr. Mahama expressed that some banks were unjustifiably collapsed due to personal vendettas against major shareholders in the financial sector.

Definitely l gave you an example, I said one bank was shut down because there was criminal prosecution against its major shareholder. It had nothing to do with the bank, and there might be other such cases, so we need to look at all of them and see whether the withdrawal was just or it wasnt.

And the point even is, if you wanted to apply such position, with this Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), are you going to shut down existing banks? Existing banks have been weakened by this DDEP. If you apply the same principles you applied to indigenous banks, you [government] probably will withdraw licenses of some existing banks, the former President explained.

However, Joe Jackson, the Director of Business Operations at Dalex Finance, believes it would be practically impossible for future governments to restore the licenses of the collapsed banks.

He highlighted the challenges and complications involved, such as the passage of time and the need for re-capitalization and rebuilding client trust.

It's really going to be a difficult thing to do because of the entanglement and so much time has passed. Assuming that Mr. Mahama wins the 2024 general elections, he will assume office in 2025, which will be close to 7 years since the clean-up in the banking sector.

It becomes very difficult to understand how you are going to restore all these licenses. When you restore their licenses, does it mean that they will come back and re-capitalise? Set up another institution to get their clients back? The practicality is not that simple, restoring licenses is a very complicated issue. Were the banks unjustifiably taken? And how practical is it? It's going to be difficult, challenging and not practicable, the Director of Business Operations at Dalex Finance said on Citi TV/Citi FMs news analysis programme, The Big Issue over the weekend.

The banking clean-up exercise by the government in 2020 cost around GH21 billion, and several institutions had their licenses revoked due to corporate governance issues.

-Citi Newsroom
23.05.2023 LISTEN

There was half-an-hour suspension in voting at the Bodomase Methodist Polling Station in the Kumawu Constituency after a clash between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to our correspondent, Ibrahim Abubakar, the misunderstanding erupted when the NDC supporters demanded the removal of a ballot from the box in the ongoing by-elections in the Constituency.

This followed a complaint lodged with them by an elderly woman, who said the official of the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) who assisted her to vote rather thumb-printed for the NPP instead of her request, NDC.

Police reinforcement team had to be deployed to bring tempers down.

The EC official is said to have failed to convince the crowd about her action and was whisked away to safety to allow voting to continue.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of the NDC, Franklin Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, who arrived at the station later on, warned the ECs Presiding Officer about the incident not repeating.

What we have to do is simply to put our clear instruction that we do not want any such thing from happening anymore [and] weve told our agents to definitely be vigilant.

-3news.com
Ola Girls Senior High School in Ho in the Volta Region will continue to maintain its standards as a Class A school in the West Africa Senior High School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The Headmistress of the school, Madam Benedicta Amata Mawunyo Agbezudor, gave the assurance during the celebration of the 69th Speech and Prize Giving-Day Celebration of the school themed: Preparing Today's Girl for the Future of Work and Entrepreneurship, held on Saturday, 20 May 2023 in Ho.

The Headmistress noted the partnership between the Catholic Church and the Ghana Government is to provide quality and holistic education for academic and moral excellence in a disciplined school environment through technology; so that, at the end of the stipulated years training, every young woman who leaves Ola SHS-Ho, must be hard working, truthful, punctual and have high integrity at every duty and responsibility.

According to the Headmistress, academic excellence is the highest virtue of the school and despite the various challenges facing the school, this is held in high esteem.

The 2022 WASSCE recorded an overall performance of 77.6percent (A1 to C6), thus out of the total number of 811 candidates presented 625 qualify for any tertiary institution of their choice.

She said the sterling academic performance and the serene atmosphere of the school did not come on a silver platter.

She indicated it was due to the high level of discipline among staff and the students despite many challenges.

The Headmistress, however, indicated that the school is yet to benefit from any projects since the onset of governments free Senior High School.

Madam Agbezudor noted: Since the inception of the Free Senior High School Policy, OLA SHS-Ho, has not received a single project, not even the special ones promised to support Double Track Schools.

Though the school is 69 years old, she further noted that the current school bus cannot support students educational tours considering their population. That the old duty post vehicle and buses are very weak costing a lot to be maintained.

Most classrooms are overpopulated, hence there is an urgent need to provide a 24Unit Classroom Block in order to facilitate effective teaching and learning of the Girl-Child and to maintain the Schools high standards".

Currently, the school needs Sick Bay/Clinic, a well-equipped Modern Science Laboratory, a well-equipped ICT, Visual Arts and Home Economics blocks, among other things.

The Headmistress also appealed to the Volta Regional Minister Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, to locate and bring back to site the contractor working on the Headmistress bungalow project which was 70percent complete but has been abandoned with part of the roof blown off by the rains.

In all, 51 students, 8 Teachers and 1 non-teaching staff received various awards for their hard work.

The 69th Speech And Prize Giving Day was sponsored by the 1997 and 1998 Past Ola Girls Association.

The current student enrollment of the school is 3,518 comprising 3,341 Boarders and 177 Day students.

-classfmonline.com
Questions about who mediates in a conflict  and when  are crucial. Mediation is about trust, an awareness of regional realities and insights into complex politics. It should happen before conflict reaches a mutually damaging stalemate . This spares lives and political disintegration of the kind seen in Libya and Somalia .

Who's likely to be the most successful as a mediator is a question that needs to be addressed urgently in the ongoing Sudan civil war .

Based on our research on continental integration and conflict management in war situations , we believe that an African Union-led mediation process promises a better and more stable peace agreement than a non-African mediation process.

The African Union's mediation would bring on board Sudan's immediate neighbours (Chad, the Central African Republic, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya and South Sudan). This would give these countries an opportunity to address their concerns and interests in the conflict for a lasting peace agreement.

The African Union successfully mediated in 2019 in Sudan after the military overthrew president Omar al-Bashir . This intervention helped, at the time, to prevent the country's descent into a military dictatorship. It also helped align the demands of the Sudanese people in anticipation of a transition to civilian rule.

The warring parties in the ongoing conflict have also shown an openness to the African Union's mediation. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan , who led a coup in October 2021 , sent a team to the union's Peace and Security Council in February 2023 . The team lobbied for the lifting of sanctions on Sudan. The African Union suspended Sudan in 2019 from participating in the organisation's activities until it sets up a civilian-led government.

The African Union has refrained from taking a position on the conflict, which makes it a suitably neutral negotiator. Additionally, it's working on measures to ensure that Sudan gets back to transitioning to democracy and civilian rule .

Read more: Sudan crisis explained: What's behind the latest fighting and how it fits nation's troubled past

We're not against the ongoing US-Saudi Arabia-mediated initiative in Jeddah. But these negotiations are primarily about opening humanitarian corridors for civilians. They're not for negotiating an end to the fighting.

In our view, this is a process that the African Union is best placed to lead. This doesn't exclude the participation of other countries. Three reasons favour the African Union as the lead mediator in Sudan.

Trust, regional realities and insights into complex politics

Firstly, the African Union has the trust of Sudan's warring parties after its successful mediation in 2019. This intervention was in line with the union's policy to provide  African solutions to African problems . This policy resonates with the union's 55 member states. It played out in Ethiopia in November 2022 when the organisation helped negotiate a cessation of hostilities agreement between prime minister Abiy Ahmed's government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front.

Secondly, regional realities, dynamics and the interests of Sudan's neighbours are crucial to the resolution of the conflict. Take Chad, with which Sudan shares a 1,403km border. Chad is just emerging from decades of sustained conflict . It shares strong historical, economic, cultural and religious relations with Sudan. But these relations are strained.

Sudanese rebels have previously attacked Sudan from hideouts in Chad's territory. Chadian rebels have done the same to Chad from Sudan's territory. Both countries have accused each other of launching these proxy attacks through their respective rebel groups. This has led to clashes between their militaries along their common border in the past, straining stability.

The fallout of conflict in Sudan extends beyond Chad. Sudan's seven neighbours have an interest in Sudan's stability . None wants to host Sudanese refugees as the situation degenerates into a humanitarian crisis. Fighting in one country easily causes cross-border flows of people. This threatens regional stability.

Read more: Sudan: the longer the conflict lasts, the higher the risk of a regional war

These threats to stability are best understood and resolved by the African Union. The union is a leading and active mediator in African conflicts and has a generally successful mediation track record . Mediators from outside Africa are either not cognisant of  or ignore  these sensitive African elements to conflict.

Thirdly, the war in Sudan is driven by complex politics. In our view, only mediators who have been involved in helping the country solve its tensions before can possibly help both sides stand down.

The armed conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces was inevitable because of pre-existing instability.

One reason for this was the 2019 overthrow of Bashir. The military subsequently established a transitional military council . But the Sudanese people demanded civilian rule .

The African Union mediated a settlement between the military and civilian representatives. This helped establish a three-year power-sharing Transitional Sovereign Council in 2019. However, Burhan's 2021 coup undid this agreement. This led to a political deadlock and civilian protests .

Read more: Sudan's people toppled a dictator  despite the war they're still working to bring about democratic change

The African Union understands this context.

As a continental body, the union has legitimacy and the authority to sanction member states into compliance. It also desires a satisfactory outcome for citizens of a state for which it is an umbrella organisation.

Continental interests

International actors like the US and Saudi Arabia engage others because they're driven by national interests . The African Union's participation would serve continental interests. The union has the goal to silence the guns and boost African integration and peace. It's aware that continental development is at stake. It should continue asserting its role in addressing the situation in Sudan.

Chris Changwe Nshimbi receives funding from the National Research Foundation (South Africa) and the European Commission.

Nelson Alusala 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 Chris Changwe Nshimbi, Director & SARChI Research Chair: Political Economy of Migration in the SADC Region, University of Pretoria And

Nelson Alusala, Senior Research Associate, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia has expressed his anger over what he perceives as unfair treatment of NDC polling agents in the Kumawu by-election.

He complained that the NDC polling agents have been asked to sit at a place farther than the usual range they are expected to sit for effective monitoring and observation of the election process.

Mr Nketia, who was present on the ground today in Kumawu to monitor the election, was seen in a video footage posted by GTV registering his concerns regarding the alleged mistreatment of his party's agents.

"He (the agent) is supposed to see what is going on here and that is why he is an observer. Hes been granted accreditation from the Electoral Commission to come and observe the election. So why do you give him a farther place to sit? he said.

Let them be at a spot where they can clearly see what goes on on the verification machine. The verification machine is very important so come and sit closer to it, he continued while instructing the NDC polling agents to get closer.

He further accused election officials of deliberately obstructing NDC polling agents from carrying out their duties effectively.

Watch the video below;


The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed concern over a pink sheet that had already been signed at the Oyoko Methodist polling station even before the start of the Kumawu by-election on Tuesday.

The assistant polling agent, who disclosed that an EC official propelled the NDC and NPP agents to sign against what the Electoral Commission guidelines, brought the issue to the notice of the NDC's Ashanti Regional Chairman, Augustus Nana Kwasi.

Speaking to Starr News, the Ashanti Regional NDC Chairman called on the EC to change its officer for a peaceful election.

We were doing monitoring and one of our agents alerted me that there was something going on here that is not right and so we rushed down here. To be honest with you, weve seen the declaration form signed but what we know is that the declaration forms must be signed after the election. We have the pictures of these pink sheets, the EC officer has admitted that he ordered them to sign but this is not part of the ECs laws that declaration forms must be signed before voting ends.

"So we are asking Jean Mensah to change the EC boss here right now, we dont want any chaos here," he said.

Augustus Nana Kwasi continued. "This election is a do-and-die affair and so were not going to sit down and allow somebody to rig this election, we are very vigilante. It is early days and we dont want any confusion. We are asking the IGP to come down and see what they are doing, we dont want any violence here."
Deputy General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has expressed confidence in his party's ability to pull off a surprise victory in the Kumawu by-election.

He asserted that the NDC has made significant strides and is halfway towards achieving its goal of wresting the seat from the NPP.

"We have accomplished part of what we came to do in Kumawu. We have witnessed the NPP struggling, which is indicative of President Akufo-Addo's waning popularity," Gbande stated.

"I can assure you that the people of Kumawu will show Nana Addo and the NPP, he added.

During an interview on Accra-based Asaase Radio's Breakfast Show on Tuesday, May 23, Gbande claimed that the residents of Kumawu are dissatisfied with the current government led by Akufo-Addo.

He also alleged that the NPP is utilizing state funds to influence voters and resorting to desperate tactics in their quest for votes.

But, Mr. Gbande remains optimistic that the results of the by-election will be unfavorable for the NPP.

Gbande emphasized that the NDC has conducted its campaign in a respectable manner by highlighting the reasons why the constituents should reject the NPP for the first time since 1996.

"We are not here for mere political rhetoric. Our purpose is to work and remind the people of Kumawu about the ongoing developmental projects," he stated. "While we campaign based on goodwill, they engage in vote buying and misuse state resources to secure votes."

Currently, a by-election is underway in Kumawu in the Ashanti region, to fill the seat left vacant by the late NPP MP, Philip Basoa.
The People's National Convention (PNC) has threatened to sue its 2020 flagbearer David Apasera.

This comes after the PNCs 2020 flagbearers sued the partys General Secretary Janet Nabla for defamation.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, 23 May 2023, co-signed by its Communication Secretary and Policy Analyst/Ashanti Regional Secretary, Samuel Ayesu Sulemana Seidu and Communication Secretary, Samuel Ayesu Sulemana Seidu, the PNC noted: It has come to the notice of the party that the dismissed 2020 flag bearer, David Apasera, is going round radio and television stations claiming he is suing the General Secretary of the party, Janet Nabla for defamation of character.

The party would want all media stations to ignore him because the media is not the court and he knows the way to the court," the statement said.

According to the PNC, David Apasera, ever since he was removed as Leader and subsequently dismissed from the party, has been to the court seven times to challenge his dismissal and he has been unsuccessful."

The party also accused the 2020 flagbearer of using the General Secretarys name to resurrect his career.

We are appealing to the media and the general public to disregard David Apasera and his nuisance. He is only using the name of the General Secretary, Janet Asana Nabla, to resurrect his dead name, it stressed.

The 2020 presidential candidate of the PNC has sued the General Secretary of the party for defamation.

According to the writ, Ms Nabla since sometime in or around 2021, Defendant has embarked on a smear campaign against the Plaintiff by granting interviews at various media (TV, radio, newspaper) outlets with the view to damaging Plaintiffs image and reputation.

Mr Apasera who is also the Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga sued the PNC General Secretary for defaming him during a programme at Accra-based ETV Ghana, which was subsequently published.

The Publications complained of were calculated to besmirch the reputation and character of Plaintiff and to lower his esteem in the eyes of the right-thinking members of the general public as part of a grand scheme to get Plaintiff removed from his position as the leader of the PNC.

The 2020 Presidential Candidate further indicated that by reason of the publications complained of Plaintiff has been seriously injured in his reputation and has been brought into public scandal, odium and contempt.

Mr Apasera is, therefore, seeking relief from the court including: A declaration that the words published or caused to be published by the Defendant, are derogatory.

General Damages for publication of Defamatory words published or caused to be published by Defendants, an order for perpetual injunction restraining the Defendant either by herself or her agents or assigns from further publishing or causing to be published and or distributing defamatory words against Plaintiff.

He is further seeking Exemplary damages of 1,000.000 (One million Ghana Cedis) against Defendant for publishing or causing to publish the defamatory words, against Plaintiff.

Also, an Order directed at the Defendant to retract and apologise for the defamatory publication and cause same to be published on, some media platforms indicated by Mr Apasera, together with 4 publications on the front and back pages of the Daily Graphic Newspaper for 4 consecutive weeks and cost including lawyers fee.

Source: classfmonline.com
Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the National Coordinator of Cashew Watch Ghana, a civil society platform made up of NGOs, cashew farmers, media and local processors in the cashew industry has projected that the global cashew market value is estimated to reach a whopping USD 10.5 billion by 2031.

According to him, the current global cashew market size is about USD 7 billion but expressed the worry that cashew nut exports from Ghana in 2020 only yielded about US$340.7m despite the countrys estimated untapped potential of over US$ 660 million.

Speaking at Sampa in the Jaman North District of Bono Region during the launching of the Amplifying the Voices of Cashew Farmers Project, which is being implemented by Cashew Watch Ghana, Mr Ahenu pointed out that the cashew industry alone has a potential of transforming the Ghanas economy in the medium to long term.

The Amplifying the Voices of Cashew Farmers (AVFC) Project is a 15-month initiative being implemented by Cashew Watch Ghana with funding support from STAR Ghana Foundation at the cost of Gh.c 348,561.

Ghana estimates annual production of between 110, 000 and 130, 000 tons of raw cashew nuts (RCNs) and about 85% of which are exported.

Challenges

Even though the cashew sector has grown into one that contributes significantly to Ghanas economic growth, particularly in job creation and poverty reduction and is increasingly becoming one of the most important agricultural sectors in Ghana, there are a lot of challenges facing the sector.

One of the key challenges, according to analysts, is the lack of coordination among the cashew value chain actors.

Mr Ahenu called on the government to take advantage of the current windfall in the cashew industry to put in place pragmatic measures that will help revolutionize and transform the cashew industry into a vehicle for socio-economic advancement.

Mr Ahenu, who is also the founder/CEO of Global Media Foundation, urged the government to create an enabling policy environment that will drive forward the cashew industry in Ghana.

He that even though the Tree Crops Development Authority Act 2019 (ACT 1010) which was passed by Parliament in 2019 and subsequent inauguration of the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) in September 2020 as the regulatory body for cashew and 5 other tree crops has not lived up to expectation.

Regulation

Sections 2 and 3 of the Tree Crops Development Authority Act, 2019 (Act 1010), the Act of Parliament that established TCDA, according to him is to regulate and develop the production, processing, trading, and marketing of cashew, mango, shea, coconut, rubber, and oil palm in Ghana but the Authority lacks necessary financial support to prosecute its agenda.

The cashew sector, he said, even though had grown into one that contributes significantly to Ghanas economic growth, particularly in job creation and poverty reduction and is increasingly becoming one of the most important agricultural sectors in Ghana, the government had neglected the sector by virtually doing nothing in sector to accelerate its growth.

Mr Ahenu asked the government to increase technical and financial support provided to the Tree Crops Development Authority (TCDA) and Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to ensure effective implementation of the 10-years National Cashew Development Plan as well as the effective operationalization of the Tree Crops Development Authority Act 2019 (Act 1010).

The Jaman North District Director of MOFA, Victor Yao- Dablu, who chaired the event, said the district indisputably leads in cashew production but unfortunately, the produce is carted and exported annually in their raw state by local and foreign companies.

He said TCDA is now the regulatory institution for cashew and five other tree crops. It is mandated to regulate and develop the production, trading, processing, and marketing of cashew, shea, coconut, mango, rubber, and oil palm, by conducting research into developing these sectors, providing technical support as well as coordinating and facilitating the capacity building of producers, processors, and traders of these crops.

He, however, expressed concern over the absence of an L.I which, according to the MOFA district director, is hampering the effective implementation of the Law and therefore called on parliament to pass the L.I to help in operationalization of the law.

The MOFA Director commended STAR Ghana Foundation for supporting the Amplifying the Voices of Cashew Farmers Project initiated by Cashew Watch Ghana saying this project has come at the right time when cashew farmers are battling with low pricing for their produce."
Some 29 Civil Society Organizations working on extractives and transparency in Ghana have petitioned the Norwegian government to caution Aker Energy over its controversial activities in the country's petroleum sector.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Tuesday, Abdul Karim Mohammed of the Economic Governance Platform argued that Aker Energy's controversial activities are tarnishing Norway's image as a champion of transparency.

He urged the Norwegian government to caution the company in order to uphold Norway's standing on transparency issues.

"We request the Norwegian Government to take particular interest in the behaviour of Aker in Ghana to forestall the negative image for a country that hosts a global transparency initiative, the EITI, he said.

The CSOs cited Aker Energy's attempts to make Ghana pay $1.65 billion for stakes in oil blocks that later turned out to have been overvalued.

According to the CSOs, the same blocks have now been abandoned or sold off for next to nothing.

"Aker Energy purchased an FPSO for $35 million. In their Plan of Development submitted to the Government, Aker's previous owners intend to bill Ghana $1.7 billion for the FPSO," said Mohammed.

The petition comes as Aker Energy continues to face criticism in Ghana over its deals and operations in the country's petroleum sector.

The Norwegian company and its subsidiaries, according to the coalition, will be under close watch to ensure their activities serve Ghana's best interests and uphold transparency.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has expressed its displeasure with the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District Assembly in the Central Region for failing to complete a Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound which was awarded in 2016.

The 2020 Auditor Generals report reveals that although GH100,000 has been injected into the project, it has not made any significant progress.

In response to questions from the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, the Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese District Coordinating Director, Dr. John Agbemenu Nunya, attributed the incompletion of the project to the delay in the release of the common fund by government.

This is a common fund project that was awarded in 2016, and because the funds were not coming as expected, we abrogated the project and re-awarded it in 2019. Just about two months ago, the contractor informed us that he cannot complete the project with the contract sum, so we are in the process of repackaging it for award, he explained.

The Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) is a national health reform initiative aimed at providing healthcare at the doorsteps of rural community members, particularly women and children.

It seeks to reduce health inequalities and promote equity of health outcomes.

-Citinewsroom
The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has reportedly sacked one of its Polling Officers for allegedly directing an old voter to vote for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the ongoing by-elections against her will.

The female polling officer in charge of Methodist JHS, Bodomase 2 was accused of forcing the old woman to vote for NPP when she actually wanted to vote for the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

A family of the old woman who raised alarm over the situation said she initially wanted to help her old grandmother in the boot but was asked to step aside by the said EC official.

Speaking to this rreporter, the family member said the EC official after asking her to stand aside forced the old lady to vote for the NPP candidate when the woman asked to put her hand on the NDC candidate.

The situation caused a serious banter between some NDC agents and the officials of the Electoral Commission disrupting the voting process for an hour.

It took the intervention of Police re-enforcement to restore calm at the polling center.

The Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission in charge of Corporate Services, Dr. Bossman Asare, who later showed up at the polling center met with the General Secretary of the opposition NDC to resolve the issue.

The polling officer was later seen leaving the center with a police escort which paved the way for the election process to resume

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Patton Fund Management Inc. purchased a new position in Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE:CAG  Get Rating) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 5,723 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $221,000.

Other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Utah Retirement Systems increased its stake in Conagra Brands by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 83,870 shares of the companys stock worth $2,737,000 after buying an additional 300 shares during the period. NorthRock Partners LLC purchased a new position in Conagra Brands during the 4th quarter valued at about $261,000. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Conagra Brands by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,234,029 shares of the companys stock valued at $40,266,000 after purchasing an additional 51,950 shares during the period. TD Asset Management Inc. increased its position in Conagra Brands by 16.1% during the 3rd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc. now owns 182,749 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,078,000 after purchasing an additional 25,308 shares during the period. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC increased its position in Conagra Brands by 14.7% during the 3rd quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 10,746 shares of the companys stock valued at $351,000 after purchasing an additional 1,379 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.08% of the companys stock.

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Conagra Brands Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE CAG opened at $35.39 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.90. Conagra Brands, Inc. has a 12 month low of $31.07 and a 12 month high of $41.30. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $37.23. The stock has a market cap of $16.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.19, a PEG ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.56.

Conagra Brands Dividend Announcement

Conagra Brands ( NYSE:CAG Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 5th. The company reported $0.76 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.64 by $0.12. Conagra Brands had a net margin of 6.59% and a return on equity of 15.34%. The firm had revenue of $3.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.08 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.58 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Conagra Brands, Inc. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 28th will be issued a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.73%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th. Conagra Brandss payout ratio is presently 79.04%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

CAG has been the topic of a number of research reports. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Conagra Brands from $40.00 to $42.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Conagra Brands from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their price objective on shares of Conagra Brands from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, March 31st. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Conagra Brands in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a hold rating and a $43.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Conagra Brands from $43.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $41.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Charisse Brock sold 7,036 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.04, for a total value of $260,613.44. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 94,802 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,511,466.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, COO Thomas M. Mcgough sold 45,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.66, for a total transaction of $1,739,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 104,859 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,053,848.94. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Charisse Brock sold 7,036 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.04, for a total transaction of $260,613.44. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 94,802 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,511,466.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.98% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Conagra Brands Profile

(Get Rating)

Conagra Brands, Inc engages in the manufacture and sale of processed and packaged foods. It operates through the following segments: Grocery and Snacks, Refrigerated and Frozen, International, and Foodservice. The Grocery and Snacks segment includes branded, shelf stable food products sold in various retail channels in the United States.

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Banque Cantonale Vaudoise cut its holdings in shares of Fortive Co. (NYSE:FTV  Get Rating) by 3.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 46,088 shares of the technology companys stock after selling 1,410 shares during the quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoises holdings in Fortive were worth $2,961,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brown Advisory Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Fortive by 39.4% in the third quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 5,710,019 shares of the technology companys stock worth $332,894,000 after purchasing an additional 1,614,640 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in Fortive by 75.3% in the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,345,333 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $136,733,000 after acquiring an additional 1,007,368 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Fortive by 2.7% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 37,557,116 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $2,288,355,000 after acquiring an additional 989,883 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners boosted its holdings in Fortive by 54.2% in the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,678,828 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $156,729,000 after acquiring an additional 941,135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Fortive by 3.0% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 29,779,513 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,736,146,000 after acquiring an additional 860,002 shares in the last quarter. 94.84% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Fortive news, SVP Stacey A. Walker sold 3,249 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.75, for a total value of $220,119.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 32,721 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,216,847.75. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, SVP Stacey A. Walker sold 1,336 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.39, for a total transaction of $88,697.04. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 37,946 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,519,234.94. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Stacey A. Walker sold 3,249 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.75, for a total value of $220,119.75. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 32,721 shares in the company, valued at $2,216,847.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Fortive Stock Performance

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Fortive from $70.00 to $68.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Fortive from $77.00 to $78.00 in a report on Thursday, April 27th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Fortive from $77.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. StockNews.com started coverage on Fortive in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Vertical Research raised Fortive from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $74.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $73.00.

Shares of NYSE:FTV traded down $0.27 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $66.15. 147,892 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,996,835. The companys 50 day moving average price is $65.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.17. The firm has a market cap of $23.39 billion, a PE ratio of 31.04, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.72. Fortive Co. has a 52 week low of $52.47 and a 52 week high of $69.78.

Fortive (NYSE:FTV  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The technology company reported $0.75 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.73 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.42 billion. Fortive had a return on equity of 11.92% and a net margin of 12.92%. The firms revenue was up 6.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.70 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Fortive Co. will post 3.35 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Fortive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 26th will be paid a $0.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 25th. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.42%. Fortives payout ratio is 13.08%.

About Fortive

(Get Rating)

Fortive Corp. engages in the design, development, manufacturing, and marketing of professional and engineered products, software, and services for a variety of end markets. It operates through the following segments: Intelligent Operating Solutions, Precision Technologies, and Advanced Healthcare Solutions.

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Hill & Smith (LON:HILS  Get Rating) had its price target lowered by analysts at Berenberg Bank from GBX 1,600 ($19.90) to GBX 1,490 ($18.53) in a report issued on Friday, Digital Look reports. The firm currently has a buy rating on the stock. Berenberg Banks price objective would suggest a potential upside of 6.28% from the companys current price.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Numis Securities reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 1,600 ($19.90) price target on shares of Hill & Smith in a report on Monday, February 20th. Peel Hunt reaffirmed a buy rating and set a GBX 1,500 ($18.66) price objective on shares of Hill & Smith in a research report on Wednesday, March 8th. Finally, Shore Capital lowered Hill & Smith to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, March 8th.

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Hill & Smith Stock Up 2.9 %

HILS traded up GBX 40 ($0.50) during trading on Friday, hitting GBX 1,402 ($17.44). The company had a trading volume of 187,975 shares, compared to its average volume of 127,444. Hill & Smith has a 1-year low of GBX 859 ($10.68) and a 1-year high of GBX 1,474 ($18.33). The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 36.58, a current ratio of 2.01 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The company has a market cap of 1.12 billion, a PE ratio of 2,092.54 and a beta of 1.24. The business has a 50-day moving average of GBX 1,347.96 and a 200-day moving average of GBX 1,275.04.

Insider Activity at Hill & Smith

About Hill & Smith

In related news, insider Anthony (Tony) James Quinlan purchased 1,911 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, March 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 1,300 ($16.17) per share, with a total value of 24,843 ($30,899.25). In other news, insider Anthony (Tony) James Quinlan acquired 1,911 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 13th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 1,300 ($16.17) per share, with a total value of 24,843 ($30,899.25). Also, insider Pete Raby bought 1,920 shares of Hill & Smith stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 10th. The stock was bought at an average price of GBX 1,347 ($16.75) per share, with a total value of 25,862.40 ($32,167.16). Insiders have acquired a total of 7,456 shares of company stock worth $9,996,915 in the last three months. 2.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

(Get Rating)

Hill & Smith PLC manufactures and supplies infrastructure products in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, North America, the Middle East, rest of Asia, and internationally. It operates through Roads & Security; Utilities; and Galvanizing Services segments. The Roads & Security segment designs, manufactures, and installs temporary and permanent safety products for the roads market, as well as provides range of security products to protect people, buildings, and infrastructure from attacks, including hostile vehicle mitigation solutions, high security fencing, and automated gate solutions.

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Brunswick Co. (NYSE:BC  Get Rating) VP Brenna Preisser sold 1,309 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.21, for a total value of $99,758.89. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 52,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,976,180.54. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Brunswick Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of BC traded down $0.44 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $76.43. The stock had a trading volume of 294,920 shares, compared to its average volume of 580,214. Brunswick Co. has a 12 month low of $61.89 and a 12 month high of $93.15. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $80.59 and a 200 day simple moving average of $79.31. The company has a current ratio of 1.86, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.17. The company has a market capitalization of $5.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.37 and a beta of 1.53.

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Brunswick (NYSE:BC  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The company reported $2.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.36 by $0.21. Brunswick had a return on equity of 36.65% and a net margin of 8.97%. The company had revenue of $1.74 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.71 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.53 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Brunswick Co. will post 10.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Brunswick Dividend Announcement

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Brunswick

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 12th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.09%. Brunswicks payout ratio is 19.28%.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. International Assets Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Brunswick during the 1st quarter worth $52,000. Bank of Montreal Can grew its stake in shares of Brunswick by 140.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 41,387 shares of the companys stock worth $3,496,000 after acquiring an additional 24,171 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS boosted its holdings in shares of Brunswick by 10.5% in the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 28,255 shares of the companys stock worth $2,286,000 after acquiring an additional 2,694 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Brunswick by 0.7% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,426,552 shares of the companys stock worth $519,843,000 after acquiring an additional 46,519 shares during the period. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can boosted its holdings in shares of Brunswick by 9.7% in the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 45,006 shares of the companys stock worth $3,746,000 after acquiring an additional 3,992 shares during the period. 93.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on BC. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Brunswick in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company. MKM Partners upped their price objective on shares of Brunswick from $91.00 to $105.00 in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. B. Riley upped their price objective on Brunswick from $88.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price target on Brunswick from $105.00 to $94.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Brunswick from $110.00 to $122.00 in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Brunswick presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $102.25.

About Brunswick

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Brunswick Corp. engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of recreational marine products, including marine engines, boats, and parts and accessories for those products. It operates through the following segments: Propulsion, Parts and Accessories, Boat, and Corporate/Other. The Propulsion segment manufactures a full range of outboard, sterndrive, and inboard engines, as well as propulsion-related controls, propellers, and rigging parts and accessories.

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Epwin Group (LON:EPWN  Get Rating)s stock had its house stock rating reiterated by research analysts at Shore Capital in a report issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports.

Epwin Group Stock Performance

Epwin Group stock traded up GBX 0.57 ($0.01) during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching GBX 67.57 ($0.84). 216,360 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 242,262. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 121.07. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 72.30 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 73.63. The firm has a market cap of 97.92 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,126.08 and a beta of 1.04. Epwin Group has a fifty-two week low of GBX 66 ($0.82) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 86.40 ($1.07).

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Epwin Group news, insider Stephen Harrison bought 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 20th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 76 ($0.95) per share, for a total transaction of 7,600 ($9,452.74). 36.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Epwin Group Company Profile

Epwin Group Plc manufactures and sells building products in the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Extrusion and Moulding, and Fabrication and Distribution. The company offers windows, doors, cavity closers, and curtain walling products; wood plastic composite decking products and panels; glass reinforced plastic prefabricated components, such as door canopies, dormers, chimneys, copings, bay window canopies, and bespoke components; fascias and cladding systems; rainwater, soil, and underground drainage products; bathroom panels/wall boards; and insulated glazing units.

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Shares of Finning International Inc. (TSE:FTT  Get Rating) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the eight brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is C$43.29.

Several research analysts have commented on FTT shares. National Bank Financial downgraded shares of Finning International from an outperform market weight rating to a sector perform market weight rating in a research note on Monday, February 6th. Raymond James raised their price objective on Finning International from C$42.00 to C$43.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 9th. Scotiabank boosted their target price on Finning International from C$44.00 to C$45.00 in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Finning International from C$38.00 to C$43.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Finally, CIBC lifted their target price on shares of Finning International from C$43.00 to C$45.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th.

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Finning International Price Performance

Shares of Finning International stock opened at C$37.70 on Thursday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is C$34.51 and its 200-day moving average price is C$34.56. The firm has a market capitalization of C$5.69 billion, a PE ratio of 11.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.56 and a beta of 1.71. Finning International has a 12 month low of C$23.46 and a 12 month high of C$39.48. The company has a current ratio of 1.32, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 98.71.

Finning International Increases Dividend

About Finning International

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 25th will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 24th. This is a positive change from Finning Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.65%. Finning Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.15%.

(Get Rating)

Finning International Inc sells, services, and rents heavy equipment, and power and energy systems in Canada, Chile, the United Kingdom, Argentina, and internationally. The company offers telehandlers, articulated trucks, asphalt pavers, backhoe loaders, cable assist vehicles, cable yarding systems, chip dozers, cold planers, compactors, dozers, drills, electric rope shovels, excavators, material handlers, motor graders, off-highway trucks, pipelayers, remixing transfer vehicle, road reclaimers, road wideners, skid steer and compact track loaders, tack distributors, track loaders, underground-hard rock, wheel loaders, wheel tractor-scrapers, and windrow elevators, as well as attachments.

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BrewBilt Brewing (OTCMKTS:BRBL  Get Rating) and Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP  Get Rating) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, earnings, institutional ownership, risk and valuation.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for BrewBilt Brewing and Molson Coors Beverage, as reported by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score BrewBilt Brewing 0 0 0 0 N/A Molson Coors Beverage 4 7 3 0 1.93

Molson Coors Beverage has a consensus price target of $57.87, suggesting a potential downside of 7.34%.

Risk & Volatility

Insider & Institutional Ownership

BrewBilt Brewing has a beta of 3.64, meaning that its stock price is 264% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Molson Coors Beverage has a beta of 0.83, meaning that its stock price is 17% less volatile than the S&P 500.

76.2% of Molson Coors Beverage shares are owned by institutional investors. 5.0% of BrewBilt Brewing shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.3% of Molson Coors Beverage shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares BrewBilt Brewing and Molson Coors Beverages net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets BrewBilt Brewing N/A N/A -478.38% Molson Coors Beverage -1.97% 7.16% 3.57%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares BrewBilt Brewing and Molson Coors Beverages revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio BrewBilt Brewing $120,000.00 0.00 -$8.55 million N/A N/A Molson Coors Beverage $12.81 billion 1.05 -$175.30 million ($1.19) -52.48

BrewBilt Brewing has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Molson Coors Beverage.

Summary

Molson Coors Beverage beats BrewBilt Brewing on 5 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About BrewBilt Brewing

(Get Rating)

BrewBilt Brewing Co. engages in the manufacture and sale of audio-video system technologies. Its product portfolio includes protection switches, high definition routers, analog routers, control panels, sound pals, and audio distribution. It offers advanced applications utilized in the commercial and government broadcast industry. The company was founded on November 15, 2006 and is headquartered in Grass Valley, CA.

About Molson Coors Beverage

(Get Rating)

Molson Coors Beverage Co. is a holding company, which engages in the production and sale of beer. It operates through the following segments: Americas, and EMEA and APAC. The Americas segment operates in the U.S., Canada and various countries in the Caribbean, Latin, and South America. The EMEA and APAC segment operates in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Serbia, the UK, various other European countries, and certain countries within the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1786 and is headquartered in Golden, CO.

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Heritage Trust Co cut its stake in DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE  Get Rating) by 2.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 6,288 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 164 shares during the period. Heritage Trust Cos holdings in DTE Energy were worth $739,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of DTE. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in DTE Energy by 6.6% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,028,699 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,044,624,000 after buying an additional 1,420,586 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of DTE Energy by 6.5% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 18,213,090 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,095,415,000 after purchasing an additional 1,111,992 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of DTE Energy by 15.8% during the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 4,431,298 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $509,910,000 after purchasing an additional 605,522 shares during the last quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of DTE Energy by 33.8% during the third quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 2,286,775 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $263,268,000 after purchasing an additional 577,589 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of DTE Energy by 3.8% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,288,386 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,192,570,000 after purchasing an additional 372,903 shares during the last quarter. 74.55% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other DTE Energy news, SVP Joann Chavez sold 4,000 shares of DTE Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $113.09, for a total value of $452,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 14,607 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,651,905.63. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.23% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

DTE Energy Trading Up 0.3 %

NYSE:DTE opened at $109.22 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.66. DTE Energy has a 12 month low of $100.64 and a 12 month high of $136.77. The company has a market cap of $22.51 billion, a PE ratio of 19.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $110.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $113.27.

DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 27th. The utilities provider reported $1.33 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.38 by ($0.05). DTE Energy had a return on equity of 10.59% and a net margin of 6.15%. The company had revenue of $3.78 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.79 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.31 EPS. Research analysts forecast that DTE Energy will post 6.18 earnings per share for the current year.

DTE Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 19th will be given a $0.9525 dividend. This represents a $3.81 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 15th. DTE Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.43%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on DTE shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of DTE Energy from $120.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of DTE Energy from $130.00 to $124.00 in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of DTE Energy from $138.00 to $133.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Guggenheim lowered their target price on shares of DTE Energy from $131.00 to $127.00 in a report on Monday, April 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of DTE Energy from $123.00 to $124.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $129.89.

About DTE Energy

(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.

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Hugoton Royalty Trust (OTCMKTS:HGTXU  Get Rating) declared a dividend on Tuesday, May 23rd, investing.com reports. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be given a dividend of 0.01 per share on Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a yield of 9.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 30th.

Hugoton Royalty Trust Price Performance

HGTXU stock opened at $1.22 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $1.71 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1.76. Hugoton Royalty Trust has a 52 week low of $1.16 and a 52 week high of $3.30.

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Hugoton Royalty Trust Company Profile

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Hugoton Royalty Trust engages in the collection and distribution of monthly net profits to unit holders. The company was founded on December 1, 1998 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.

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InterContinental Hotels Group (LON:IHG  Get Rating)s stock had its buy rating reaffirmed by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, MarketBeat.com reports.

IHG has been the subject of several other research reports. Numis Securities reissued an add rating and set a GBX 5,550 ($69.03) price target on shares of InterContinental Hotels Group in a research report on Wednesday, February 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a hold rating and set a GBX 5,850 ($72.76) price target on shares of InterContinental Hotels Group in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th. Redburn Partners downgraded shares of InterContinental Hotels Group to a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of InterContinental Hotels Group from GBX 6,000 ($74.63) to GBX 6,200 ($77.11) and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 9th. Finally, Peel Hunt reaffirmed a hold rating and issued a GBX 5,750 ($71.52) target price on shares of InterContinental Hotels Group in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of GBX 5,836.67 ($72.60).

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InterContinental Hotels Group Stock Up 1.2 %

Shares of IHG opened at GBX 5,352 ($66.57) on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of 9.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 3,185.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.02 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a 50 day moving average of GBX 5,382.28 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 5,267.15. InterContinental Hotels Group has a twelve month low of GBX 4,174 ($51.92) and a twelve month high of GBX 5,796 ($72.09).

Insider Activity

About InterContinental Hotels Group

In other InterContinental Hotels Group news, insider Daniela Barone Soares bought 150 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 5,428 ($67.51) per share, for a total transaction of 8,142 ($10,126.87). In other InterContinental Hotels Group news, insider Daniela Barone Soares bought 150 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of GBX 5,428 ($67.51) per share, for a total transaction of 8,142 ($10,126.87). Also, insider Graham Allan bought 300 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were acquired at an average price of GBX 5,370 ($66.79) per share, for a total transaction of 16,110 ($20,037.31). Corporate insiders own 4.82% of the companys stock.

(Get Rating)

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC owns, manages, franchises, and leases hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Greater China. The company operates hotels under the Six Senses, Regent, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Vignette Collection, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, avid, Staybridge Suites, Atwell Suites, Candlewood Suites, voco, and Crowne Plaza.

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Live Oak Private Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) by 22.8% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 13,786 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,562 shares during the period. Live Oak Private Wealth LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $1,395,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 132,480,611 shares of the companys stock valued at $10,997,216,000 after buying an additional 1,451,582 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 100,951,462 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,379,979,000 after buying an additional 962,801 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 57,777,797 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,868,937,000 after buying an additional 389,746 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 22.7% during the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 35,468,228 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,944,500,000 after buying an additional 6,558,762 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 16,050,540 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,332,355,000 after buying an additional 260,832 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.85% of the companys stock.

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Philip Morris International Trading Up 0.1 %

PM stock traded up $0.09 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $93.16. The company had a trading volume of 3,835,059 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,364,518. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 52 week low of $82.85 and a 52 week high of $109.81. The stock has a market cap of $144.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.65, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.68. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $96.46 and its 200 day moving average price is $98.81.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $8.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.03 billion. Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 128.55% and a net margin of 10.80%. The businesss revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.56 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 23rd were paid a $1.27 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 22nd. This represents a $5.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.45%. Philip Morris Internationals payout ratio is 90.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total value of $786,800.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 87,321 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,588,020.35. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.15% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PM has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group raised Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the company from $106.00 to $116.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and lifted their target price for the company from $109.00 to $116.00 in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Philip Morris International from $109.00 to $118.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They set a buy rating and a $114.00 target price for the company. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Philip Morris International presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $110.60.

About Philip Morris International

(Get Rating)

Philip Morris International, Inc is a holding company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine-containing products. Its products include cigarettes and reduced-risk products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: European Union, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, South and Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia, and Americas.

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Shares of Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE:NLS  Get Rating) have been assigned an average rating of Hold from the seven brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and two have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $3.67.

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Nautilus in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. William Blair downgraded shares of Nautilus from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a report on Friday, February 10th.

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Nautilus Stock Performance

Shares of NLS stock opened at $1.24 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $39.47 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.38 and a beta of 1.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 1.26 and a current ratio of 2.52. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $1.31 and a 200 day simple moving average of $1.54. Nautilus has a 52 week low of $1.12 and a 52 week high of $2.69.

Institutional Trading of Nautilus

About Nautilus

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in Nautilus in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Cubist Systematic Strategies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nautilus in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its position in shares of Nautilus by 145.6% in the 1st quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 27,882 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 16,529 shares in the last quarter. Brinker Capital Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Nautilus in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Intrepid Capital Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Nautilus by 71.3% in the 4th quarter. Intrepid Capital Management Inc. now owns 25,700 shares of the specialty retailers stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 10,700 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 33.79% of the companys stock.

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Nautilus, Inc engages in the provision of fitness products. It operates through the Direct and Retail segments. The Direct segment offers products directly to consumers through direct advertising, catalogs and the Internet. The Retail segment retails products through a network of independent retail companies with stores located in the United States and Canada, as well as Internet-based merchandising.

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NEA Management Company LLC lessened its stake in IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ  Get Rating) by 44.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 14,614,829 shares of the companys stock after selling 11,735,238 shares during the quarter. IonQ accounts for approximately 2.8% of NEA Management Company LLCs holdings, making the stock its 13th biggest position. NEA Management Company LLC owned approximately 7.38% of IonQ worth $50,421,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in IonQ in the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in IonQ by 163.5% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 9,092 shares of the companys stock worth $115,000 after purchasing an additional 5,641 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors purchased a new position in IonQ in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC purchased a new position in IonQ in the 4th quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in IonQ in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 46.18% of the companys stock.

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IonQ Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:IONQ traded up $0.02 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $10.88. The stock had a trading volume of 12,159,168 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,818,299. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $6.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $5.13. The stock has a market cap of $2.19 billion, a PE ratio of -31.97 and a beta of 1.91. IonQ, Inc. has a 1-year low of $3.04 and a 1-year high of $11.65.

Analyst Ratings Changes

IonQ ( NYSE:IONQ Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 30th. The company reported ($0.09) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $3.81 million during the quarter. IonQ had a negative return on equity of 15.32% and a negative net margin of 531.99%. Sell-side analysts expect that IonQ, Inc. will post -0.34 earnings per share for the current year.

IONQ has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Benchmark reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a $8.00 price objective on shares of IonQ in a research report on Friday, March 31st. Morgan Stanley started coverage on IonQ in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. They set an equal weight rating and a $7.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and set a $9.00 price target on shares of IonQ in a research report on Friday, March 31st.

About IonQ

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IonQ, Inc engages in the development of general-purpose quantum computing systems. It sells access to quantum computers with 20 qubits. The company makes access to its quantum computers through cloud platforms, such as Amazon Web Services' (AWS) Amazon Braket, Microsoft's Azure Quantum, and Google's Cloud Marketplace, as well as through its cloud service.

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North American Construction Group Ltd. (NYSE:NOA  Get Rating) (TSE:NOA) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, April 25th, Zacks reports. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 26th will be paid a dividend of 0.074 per share by the oil and gas company on Friday, July 7th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.55%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 25th.

North American Construction Group has increased its dividend by an average of 40.1% annually over the last three years and has raised its dividend annually for the last 1 consecutive years. North American Construction Group has a dividend payout ratio of 16.5% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect North American Construction Group to earn $1.95 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.29 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 14.9%.

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North American Construction Group Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:NOA opened at $19.07 on Tuesday. North American Construction Group has a 52-week low of $9.20 and a 52-week high of $19.70. The stock has a market cap of $503.83 million, a P/E ratio of 10.31 and a beta of 1.50. The businesss 50 day moving average is $17.85 and its 200 day moving average is $15.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. TD Securities lowered North American Construction Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, February 17th. StockNews.com lowered shares of North American Construction Group from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, May 15th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of North American Construction Group from C$24.00 to C$25.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. TheStreet raised North American Construction Group from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, National Bank Financial upped their price objective on North American Construction Group to C$27.00 in a research report on Friday, February 17th.

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NOA. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in shares of North American Construction Group by 59.5% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 771,400 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $11,156,000 after buying an additional 287,900 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its position in North American Construction Group by 956.7% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 191,408 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $2,764,000 after buying an additional 173,295 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new position in North American Construction Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,537,000. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its stake in shares of North American Construction Group by 786.3% in the 1st quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 93,484 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,561,000 after purchasing an additional 82,936 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its stake in North American Construction Group by 8.5% during the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 1,019,744 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $14,787,000 after acquiring an additional 79,671 shares during the period. 57.19% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

North American Construction Group Company Profile

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North American Construction Group Ltd. engages in providing mining and heavy construction services. It offers mining and heavy construction services to customers in the resource development and industrial construction sectors. The firm focuses on supporting the construction and operation of surface mines in the oil sands.

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Charlies (OTCMKTS:CHUCD  Get Rating) and Curaleaf (OTCMKTS:CURLF  Get Rating) are both small-cap consumer staples companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and risk.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Charlies and Curaleaf, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Charlies 0 0 0 0 N/A Curaleaf 0 1 7 0 2.88

Curaleaf has a consensus target price of $10.00, indicating a potential upside of 255.05%. Given Curaleafs higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Curaleaf is more favorable than Charlies.

Valuation and Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Charlies $16.69 million 1.06 -$7.19 million N/A N/A Curaleaf $1.34 billion 1.32 -$370.10 million ($0.54) -5.22

This table compares Charlies and Curaleafs gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Charlies has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Curaleaf.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

3.1% of Charlies shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.1% of Curaleaf shares are held by institutional investors. 74.8% of Charlies shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Charlies and Curaleafs net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Charlies -140.60% N/A -327.67% Curaleaf -28.88% -19.76% -8.17%

Summary

Curaleaf beats Charlies on 6 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Charlies

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Charlie's Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, formulates, markets, and distributes e-cigarette liquids and vaping systems in the United States and internationally. The company also offers energy drink under the Bazi brand name. It sells its products through distributors, specialty retailers, and third-party online resellers to approximately 80 countries, primarily, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Australia, Sweden, and Canada. The company was formerly known as True Drinks Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Charlie's Holdings, Inc. Charlie's Holdings, Inc. was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California.

About Curaleaf

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Curaleaf Holdings, Inc. operates as a holding company with interest in medical and wellness cannabis operations. It operates through the Cannabis Operations and Non-Cannabis Operations segments. The Cannabis Operations segment includes the production and sale of cannabis via retail and wholesale channels. The Non-Cannabis Operations segment provides professional services including cultivation, processing and retail know-how and back office administration, intellectual property licensing, real estate leasing services and lending facilities to medical and adult-use cannabis licensees under management service agreements. The company was founded on November 13, 2014 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE  Get Rating) by 8.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 32,386 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 2,946 shares during the period. Reynders McVeigh Capital Management LLCs holdings in Pfizer were worth $1,659,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in PFE. RB Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Pfizer by 6.7% in the first quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 5,446 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $282,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares during the period. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 1.1% in the first quarter. Ironwood Wealth Management LLC. now owns 36,081 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,868,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. United Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 0.6% in the first quarter. United Bank now owns 46,671 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $2,416,000 after purchasing an additional 290 shares in the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 136.3% in the first quarter. Ergoteles LLC now owns 36,766 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $1,903,000 after purchasing an additional 21,209 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Pfizer by 6.4% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 1,337,418 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock valued at $69,238,000 after purchasing an additional 79,887 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.62% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity at Pfizer

In other Pfizer news, major shareholder Pfizer Inc bought 1,811,594 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $2.76 per share, for a total transaction of $4,999,999.44. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 5,952,263 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,428,245.88. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, major shareholder Pfizer Inc acquired 1,811,594 shares of Pfizer stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $2.76 per share, for a total transaction of $4,999,999.44. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 5,952,263 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,428,245.88. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Scott Gottlieb acquired 1,000 shares of Pfizer stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 8th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $38.58 per share, for a total transaction of $38,580.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 6,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $231,480. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have purchased 1,813,594 shares of company stock worth $5,076,999. 0.05% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Pfizer Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:PFE traded up $0.21 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $38.96. 23,120,240 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 23,279,469. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. Pfizer Inc. has a 12 month low of $36.17 and a 12 month high of $54.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $219.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 0.63. The firms fifty day moving average price is $39.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $44.32.

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.00 by $0.23. Pfizer had a return on equity of 37.53% and a net margin of 31.25%. The company had revenue of $18.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $16.49 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.62 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 28.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that Pfizer Inc. will post 3.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Pfizer Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 9th. Investors of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.21%. Pfizers payout ratio is 32.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on PFE shares. SVB Leerink dropped their target price on Pfizer from $49.00 to $48.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Pfizer in a report on Wednesday, May 17th. Atlantic Securities dropped their price target on Pfizer from $50.00 to $46.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on Pfizer from $55.00 to $53.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Finally, Bank of America dropped their price target on Pfizer from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 21st. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $47.33.

Pfizer Profile

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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.

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Shares of Rio Tinto Group (LON:RIO  Get Rating) have earned a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the fourteen analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is GBX 6,140.91 ($76.38).

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on RIO shares. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a buy rating and set a GBX 6,600 ($82.09) price target on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a report on Friday, April 21st. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,100 ($63.43) to GBX 5,000 ($62.19) in a report on Friday, April 21st. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Rio Tinto Group from GBX 5,840 ($72.64) to GBX 5,800 ($72.14) in a report on Monday, April 24th. UBS Group set a GBX 5,000 ($62.19) price target on Rio Tinto Group in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Rio Tinto Group in a report on Friday, March 17th.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Rio Tinto Group news, insider Ngaire Woods purchased 500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 4,921 ($61.21) per share, for a total transaction of 24,605 ($30,603.23). In other Rio Tinto Group news, insider Peter Cunningham sold 2,167 shares of Rio Tinto Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 5,922 ($73.66), for a total transaction of 128,329.74 ($159,614.10). Also, insider Ngaire Woods acquired 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 11th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 4,921 ($61.21) per share, for a total transaction of 24,605 ($30,603.23). Over the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 1,910 shares of company stock worth $9,916,080. 14.67% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Rio Tinto Group Stock Performance

Rio Tinto Group Cuts Dividend

RIO opened at GBX 4,912.50 ($61.10) on Tuesday. The businesss 50 day moving average is GBX 5,213.51 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 5,605.02. The stock has a market cap of 61.41 billion, a PE ratio of 806.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.64 and a beta of 0.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.47. Rio Tinto Group has a twelve month low of GBX 4,424.50 ($55.03) and a twelve month high of GBX 6,406 ($79.68).

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 20th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 9th were paid a dividend of GBX 185.35 ($2.31) per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.99%. Rio Tinto Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 6,650.33%.

Rio Tinto Group Company Profile

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Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company offers aluminum, copper, diamonds, gold, borates, titanium dioxide, salt, iron ore, and lithium. It also owns and operates open pit and underground mines, mills, refineries, smelters, power stations, and research and service facilities.

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SandRidge Energy, Inc. (NYSE:SD  Get Rating)s share price gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $17.52, but opened at $15.66. SandRidge Energy shares last traded at $15.55, with a volume of 116,151 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com began coverage on SandRidge Energy in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock.

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SandRidge Energy Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $584.13 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 2.34. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $14.69 and a 200-day moving average of $16.26.

SandRidge Energy Dividend Announcement

SandRidge Energy ( NYSE:SD Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 15th. The oil and natural gas company reported $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $56.11 million for the quarter. SandRidge Energy had a return on equity of 37.95% and a net margin of 96.37%.

The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 24th will be given a dividend of $2.00 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 23rd.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On SandRidge Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in SandRidge Energy by 14.4% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 190,697 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock worth $3,055,000 after purchasing an additional 24,007 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of SandRidge Energy by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 216,942 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock valued at $3,475,000 after acquiring an additional 6,621 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of SandRidge Energy by 96.8% in the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 27,431 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock valued at $439,000 after acquiring an additional 13,491 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. lifted its stake in shares of SandRidge Energy by 7.8% in the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 37,875 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock valued at $607,000 after acquiring an additional 2,752 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of SandRidge Energy by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 676,265 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock valued at $10,834,000 after acquiring an additional 4,383 shares during the last quarter. 17.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

SandRidge Energy Company Profile

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SandRidge Energy, Inc is an oil and gas company. It engages in acquisition, development, and production activities. The company was founded by Noah Malone Mitchell in 1984 and is headquartered in Oklahoma, OK.

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V.F. Co. (NYSE:VFC  Get Rating) was the recipient of some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Traders bought 29,275 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of approximately 122% compared to the average daily volume of 13,181 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling at V.F.

In related news, Director Carol L. Roberts purchased 7,109 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was bought at an average price of $21.07 per share, for a total transaction of $149,786.63. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 7,109 shares in the company, valued at approximately $149,786.63. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.90% of the companys stock.

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Institutional Trading of V.F.

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VFC. M&G Investment Management Ltd. raised its position in V.F. by 33.7% in the 4th quarter. M&G Investment Management Ltd. now owns 2,833,728 shares of the textile makers stock worth $79,344,000 after purchasing an additional 714,611 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in V.F. by 138.8% in the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 65,650 shares of the textile makers stock worth $1,964,000 after purchasing an additional 38,160 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System raised its position in V.F. by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 93,471 shares of the textile makers stock worth $2,581,000 after purchasing an additional 3,748 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in V.F. by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 26,308,313 shares of the textile makers stock worth $786,882,000 after purchasing an additional 336,122 shares during the period. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its position in V.F. by 10.1% in the 3rd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 89,200 shares of the textile makers stock worth $2,668,000 after purchasing an additional 8,202 shares during the period. 96.89% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

V.F. Price Performance

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of V.F. in a research note on Tuesday, April 25th. They set an overweight rating for the company. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of V.F. from $24.00 to $22.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of V.F. from $30.00 to $24.00 in a report on Monday, March 20th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on shares of V.F. from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of V.F. from $23.00 to $20.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, V.F. presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $30.37.

Shares of NYSE VFC traded down $0.49 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $19.07. 6,451,265 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 7,662,231. V.F. has a 52 week low of $18.53 and a 52 week high of $51.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.41 billion, a PE ratio of 18.28, a PEG ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 1.44. The companys 50 day moving average price is $21.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $26.20.

V.F. Company Profile

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VF Corp. designs, produces, procures, markets and distributes lifestyle apparel, footwear and related products. It operates through the following segments: Outdoor, Active, and Work. The Outdoor segment refers to authentic outdoor-based lifestyle brands including performance-based apparel, footwear, equipment, backpacks, luggage and accessories.

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UiPath (NYSE:PATH  Get Rating) is set to post its quarterly earnings results after the market closes on Wednesday, May 24th. Analysts expect UiPath to post earnings of $0.02 per share for the quarter. UiPath has set its FY 2024 guidance at EPS and its Q1 2024 guidance at EPS.Individual interested in participating in the companys earnings conference call can do so using this link.

UiPath (NYSE:PATH  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, March 15th. The healthcare company reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by $0.02. UiPath had a negative net margin of 31.02% and a negative return on equity of 15.38%. The business had revenue of $308.55 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $278.14 million. On average, analysts expect UiPath to post $0 EPS for the current fiscal year and $0 EPS for the next fiscal year.

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UiPath Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:PATH opened at $16.63 on Tuesday. UiPath has a 52-week low of $10.40 and a 52-week high of $22.30. The company has a market capitalization of $9.27 billion, a P/E ratio of -27.72 and a beta of 0.69. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $15.48 and a 200 day simple moving average of $14.33.

Insider Buying and Selling at UiPath

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UiPath

In other news, CAO Hitesh Ramani sold 12,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.01, for a total value of $204,120.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 407,349 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,929,006.49. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . In other news, CFO Ashim Gupta sold 40,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.18, for a total transaction of $647,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 1,624,341 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $26,281,837.38. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link . Also, CAO Hitesh Ramani sold 12,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.01, for a total value of $204,120.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 407,349 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,929,006.49. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders sold 92,000 shares of company stock valued at $1,529,720 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 31.88% of the companys stock.

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its position in UiPath by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 40,993 shares of the healthcare companys stock worth $885,000 after purchasing an additional 1,506 shares in the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in UiPath in the 1st quarter worth about $184,000. BlackRock Inc. increased its holdings in UiPath by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,316,635 shares of the healthcare companys stock worth $114,786,000 after purchasing an additional 99,242 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP acquired a new position in UiPath in the 1st quarter worth about $534,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new position in UiPath in the 1st quarter worth about $259,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 56.40% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $20.00 price objective on shares of UiPath in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of UiPath from $15.00 to $16.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of UiPath from $16.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on UiPath from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, March 16th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group restated an outperform rating and set a $27.50 price objective on shares of UiPath in a report on Friday, March 17th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $19.03.

UiPath Company Profile

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UiPath Inc provides an end-to-end automation platform that offers a range of robotic process automation (RPA) solutions primarily in the United States, Romania, and Japan. The company offers a suite of interrelated software to build, manage, run, engage, measure, and govern automation within the organization.

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Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd. lessened its stake in shares of Crescent Point Energy Corp. (NYSE:CPG  Get Rating) (TSE:CPG) by 62.0% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 19,577 shares of the oil and gas producers stock after selling 31,878 shares during the quarter. Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd.s holdings in Crescent Point Energy were worth $140,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Crescent Point Energy by 15.9% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 15,100 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $109,000 after purchasing an additional 2,073 shares during the period. Tacita Capital Inc grew its stake in shares of Crescent Point Energy by 4.4% in the 3rd quarter. Tacita Capital Inc now owns 52,670 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $327,000 after buying an additional 2,200 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp grew its stake in shares of Crescent Point Energy by 2.4% in the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 97,800 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $697,000 after buying an additional 2,300 shares in the last quarter. Credit Suisse AG grew its stake in shares of Crescent Point Energy by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Credit Suisse AG now owns 630,276 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $3,883,000 after buying an additional 2,388 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sigma Planning Corp grew its stake in shares of Crescent Point Energy by 3.3% in the 3rd quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 75,900 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $468,000 after buying an additional 2,400 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 32.71% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on CPG shares. StockNews.com started coverage on Crescent Point Energy in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Raymond James raised Crescent Point Energy from a market perform rating to an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd.

Crescent Point Energy Stock Performance

Crescent Point Energy stock traded up $0.15 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $6.89. 548,807 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,373,967. The firm has a market cap of $3.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.49 and a beta of 2.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $6.99 and a 200 day moving average of $7.15. Crescent Point Energy Corp. has a 12 month low of $5.51 and a 12 month high of $10.96.

Crescent Point Energy (NYSE:CPG  Get Rating) (TSE:CPG) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The oil and gas producer reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.29 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $748.85 million for the quarter. Crescent Point Energy had a return on equity of 13.81% and a net margin of 12.59%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Crescent Point Energy Corp. will post 1.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Crescent Point Energy Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.074 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.30%. Crescent Point Energys payout ratio is currently 40.85%.

About Crescent Point Energy

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Crescent Point Energy Corp. engages in the exploration, development, and production of oil and gas properties. Its focus areas include: Viewfield Bakken, Flat Lake Torquay, and Shaunavon. The company was founded on April 20, 1994 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CPG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Crescent Point Energy Corp. (NYSE:CPG  Get Rating) (TSE:CPG).

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Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd. lessened its holdings in Traeger, Inc. (NYSE:COOK  Get Rating) by 68.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 104,470 shares of the companys stock after selling 224,028 shares during the quarter. Waratah Capital Advisors Ltd. owned approximately 0.09% of Traeger worth $295,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of COOK. Swiss National Bank grew its position in Traeger by 7.4% in the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 69,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $517,000 after acquiring an additional 4,800 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Traeger by 18.7% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 82,811 shares of the companys stock valued at $616,000 after acquiring an additional 13,040 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its position in Traeger by 134.1% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 20,784 shares of the companys stock valued at $155,000 after acquiring an additional 11,905 shares during the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in Traeger by 39.1% in the 1st quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 31,234 shares of the companys stock valued at $232,000 after acquiring an additional 8,773 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. grew its position in Traeger by 17.2% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,774,890 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,204,000 after acquiring an additional 260,933 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 45.16% of the companys stock.

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Traeger Stock Up 3.9 %

Traeger stock traded up $0.14 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $3.76. The companys stock had a trading volume of 119,579 shares, compared to its average volume of 451,729. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $3.45 and its 200-day simple moving average is $3.44. The company has a current ratio of 2.04, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34. Traeger, Inc. has a 52-week low of $2.48 and a 52-week high of $5.45.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Traeger ( NYSE:COOK Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 16th. The company reported ($0.13) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of ($0.25) by $0.12. Traeger had a negative return on equity of 27.11% and a negative net margin of 62.12%. The company had revenue of $138.13 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $117.38 million. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Traeger, Inc. will post -0.28 EPS for the current fiscal year.

COOK has been the subject of several research reports. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $3.00 target price on shares of Traeger in a report on Friday, March 17th. Piper Sandler cut Traeger from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $6.00 to $4.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Traeger from $6.00 to $4.50 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 17th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a market perform rating and issued a $3.50 target price on shares of Traeger in a report on Friday, March 17th. Seven 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, Traeger presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $4.27.

Traeger Company Profile

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Traeger, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, designs, sources, sells, and supports wood pellet fueled barbeque grills for retailers, distributors, and direct to consumers in the United States. Its wood pellet grills are internet of things devices that allow owners to program, monitor, and control their grill through its Traeger app.

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The draft bill for the long-awaited Digital India Act (DIA) will be released in the first week of June and will be up for consultation by June 7, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Rajeev Chandrasekhar told Moneycontrol on the sidelines of a pre-draft consultation conference in Mumbai. The DIA bills consultation on the draft will start on June 7, Chandrasekhar said. The Digital India Act is expected to replace the Information Technology Act, 2000, taking in to consideration the need to regulate and safeguard users in the burgeoning internet economy in India. This was second such consultation after the first pre-consultation in Bengaluru in March. The event in Mumbai had legal experts, think tanks and major corporates including big tech firms like Meta in attendance. Another consultation is expected in Delhi soon, ahead of the release of the draft bill in June. The government aims to enable the digital economy in India to cross $1 trillion by 2025-26. Syncing with the global norms Not just focused on India, the government is also taking into consideration the discussions and actions being taken globally to regulate the growing digital economy to protect users and avoid market monopoly by technology giants. "All the regulators in the world want to regulate through the prism of user harm. Countries of the world must harmonise and cooperate because victims are in one jurisdiction and the perpetrators are in some other jurisdiction," he said during his address. Chandrasekhar added, "The DIA will be increasingly harmonized with other global rules and regulations on this." Referring to the European Union's imposition of a record fine of 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) on Meta on May 22, for violating Global Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) on cross-border data transfers, Chandrasekhar highlighted that the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 has similar measures. That is in the DPDP bill. You will see when the Parliament passes it. We have the same kind of punitive measures there as well. The Digital Data Protection Bill is going to the Parliament in July, he told Moneycontrol. Intermediaries may lose safe harbour In India, the government is looking to do away the Section 79 provision under the IT Act, 2000 entirely, which provides immunity to intermediaries platforms from not getting prosecuted for hosting third party content that spreads disinformation, hate speech, religious incitement etc. Chandrasekhar also said that the government is deliberating to step aside from intervening between the intermediary platforms and users; instead creating an adjudicatory mechanism to resolve issues faster. The model of the government being in between the dispute of the user of a platform and the platform, can be replaced with the government stepping aside and saying this is the issue between the two of you. We can create an adjudicatory mechanism for those disputes, which will be fast, rapid and transparent but not have the government in the middle, he said.
As the economy gains momentum and vehicle output witnesses a new record, leading passenger-vehicle makers have lined up big-ticket investments in excess of Rs 1,20,000 crore for the next few years, as per the data collated from all the companies. Credit rating agency ICRA claims that the capex outlay for OEMs is estimated to be Rs 65,000 crore for the next two fiscal years alone, with OEMs budgeting for a substantial outlay towards capacity creation and product development, including development of capabilities/platforms for electric vehicles. The total amount earmarked by all OEMs is in addition to Rs 20,000 crore that carmakers such as Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, and Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), etc. are spending on building additional capacities for Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEV) to meet unmet demand. The confidence stems from the fact that passenger vehicle sales reached nearly 4 million and are projected to post 10-15% CAGR over the next few years . For instance, CRISIL, in its latest report, claims that overall passenger vehicle (PV) sales will grow 9-10% this fiscal year to nearly 50 lakh units, scaling a new all-time high. This will be nearly 20% above the pre-pandemic peak of 40.5 lakh units. This fiscal year will also see the highest-ever sales by domestic PV original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), the research agency projects. A healthy order book driven by pent-up demand and higher incomes, especially of sport utility vehicles (SUVs), and better availability of semiconductors, will support domestic growth, though exports remain sluggish, the CRISIL report said. Several OEMs are scaling-up their investments to develop electric vehicles (EV), including hybrid platforms; while initial EV launches were based on the existing ICE platforms, the OEMs are now developing greenfield platforms for EVs to accommodate optimum battery capacity and ensure light weighting, said Rohan Kanwar Gupta, Vice President & Sector Head - Corporate Ratings, ICRA Limited. A majority of the capex outlay (including product development) will be met through healthy cash accruals/parent funding support, apart from inorganic fund raise in some of the recently formed EV subsidiaries. Heres a look at how various OEMs are lining up capex for the coming years. Hyundai Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL recently announced that it would 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 South Korean carmaker revealed that the earmarked amount, which will be funded through internal accruals, will partly go towards establishing a battery pack assembly facility with an annual capacity of 1,78,000 units. The investment demonstrates our long-term commitment towards the Indian market and how we intend to stay ahead of the curve for e-mobility, Puneet Anand, AVP & Group Head  Corporate Affairs, Hyundai Motor India Ltd., told Moneycontrol over the phone. We will be making multiple announcements in the near term and it will all be part of the total Rs 20,000 crore we have earmarked, he added. He also clarified that some portion of the proposed capex will be spent on ramping up total production volumes to 8.5 lakh units a year and introducing new electric and internal combustion engine vehicles from its factory in Sriperumbudur, outside Chennai. Tata Motors Homegrown automaker Tata Motors has enhanced its investment outlay for the current financial year by 27.7 percent to Rs 38,000 crore . The Mumbai-based automaker, which had invested Rs 30,000 crore last year, will be deploying the funds towards product and platform development for electric vehicles (EVs) and internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), and freeing up capacity. The total capex during the current (financial) year will be almost Rs 38,000 crore, out of which it will be about Rs 30,000 crore or 3 billion in JLR and Rs 8,000 crore in Tata Motors PV division, revealed PB Balaji, Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Tata Motors, while speaking to reporters in a post-Q4 earnings call. Renault and Nissan Auto majors Renault and Nissan have also announced a Rs 5,300 crore ($600 million) investment in Tamil Nadu as part of their new India strategy. (() While four of their vehicles will be brand new C-segment SUVs, there will be two A-segment cars  one each by Renault and Nissan. Maruti Suzuki Maruti Suzuki, which aims to regain its 50 percent marketshare by the middle of the decade, is expected to invest Rs 42,000 crore on two greenfield facilities in the country. It is still in the process of deploying Rs 18,000 crore (Rs 11,000 crore in the first phase) at its Kharkhoda facility in Haryana, and there is speculation that it will spend Rs 24,000 crore on another location. Both the facilities will have an annual capacity of 2 million units. Based on an estimation of the market growth till 2030-31, including growth of exports, we estimated that besides installing 1 million units in Kharkhoda we would need another 1million capacity. Actual investment sanctions would be made from time to time taking actual market growth into account, RC Bhargava, Chairman, MSIL, told Moneycontrol. He stated that the company would be meeting its investment needs through internal accruals, and that it had cash reserves of Rs 45,000 crore as of March. MG Motor India MG Motor India also recently announced that it will invest over Rs 5,000 crore to beef up its manufacturing operations by 2028. The Chinese-owned British carmaker, revealing a five-year roadmap, said that it would be setting up a second manufacturing plant, which would have a dedicated battery assembly unit to bring down the cost of electric vehicle manufacturing and mainstreaming EVs. In an official statement, the company revealed that it will also be spending part of the earmarked outlay for augmenting the installed capacity at its Halol unit from 1.2 lakh units to 3 lakh units per annum. The company intends to launch 4-5 cars, mostly electric vehicles, and achieve 65 to 75 percent of its sales through EV by 2028. Mahindra & Mahindra Late last year, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M Ltd) had announced that, through its subsidiary, it will make investments of around Rs 10,000 crore over 7-8 years to set up a manufacturing facility in Pune. In an official release, M&M revealed that the amount will be spent on development and production of its upcoming Born Electric Vehicles (BEVs). Based on the INGLO EV Platform, these include e-SUVs under the XUV brand and the all-new electric-only brand, BE. A report by Bain & Company claims that Indias electric vehicles (EV) value chain revenue pool is expected to reach between $76 billion and $100 billion by 2030, potentially translating to an $8 billion$11 billion profit pool. The same report also indicated that 35-40% of all vehicles sold in India by 2030 will be EVs and that the electric car segment will account for 15-20% of total four-wheeled PV sales by the end of this decade.
Indias decision to withdraw Rs 2,000 currency notes will hit the black money in the economy and boost transparency in the system, the National Co-convener of the Swadeshi Jagran Manch said. The philosophy of demonetisation was not in tune with the Rs 2,000 notes, Ashwani Mahajan, who is also a Professor at Delhi University, told Moneycontrol in an interview. The withdrawal of high denomination notes will definitely have an impact on the flow of black money. The Swadeshi Jagran Manch is the economic affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which provides Indias ruling Bharatiya Janata Party with its top leadership and a committed cadre. In November 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modis administration had banned Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes overnight, leading to withdrawal of a large chunk of money from the system as citizens had to deposit the cash in their bank accounts. Critics contend that demonetisation did not meet some of its aims, like curbing black money and counterfeit money. Mahajan is of the view that demonetisation led to several gains in the economy, including a fall in the currency in circulation as a proportion of GDP, more digital transactions, greater transparency, as well as a collateral hit to the counterfeiting industry. Now, the withdrawal of Rs 2,000 notes  introduced in November 2016 primarily to meet the currency requirement of the economy  is the logical follow up to demonetisation. There is hardly any use of Rs 2,000 notes. That means this money is held in large quantities by those who are keeping it illegitimately, Mahajan said. Also read: Former RBI Deputy Governor Gandhi sees no need for notes larger than Rs 500 It is the job of agencies, like the income tax department, to look into those who have deposited a large amount of Rs 2,000 notes, he added. On May 19, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) caught everyone by surprise when it announced a four-month window for citizens to deposit or exchange the high denomination notes at bank branches. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das told reporters on May 22 that the note had served its purpose. He did not mention black money. Also read: Rs 2,000 withdrawal to boost fight against corruption, says BJPs Gopal Agarwal Tax collected at source on card spends a logical move On the issue of the government seeking to bring those spending large amounts overseas using credit / debit cards into the tax net, Mahajan said he supported the move. Every government over the world tries to widen the tax net, Mahajan said. How is it possible that a person spending Rs 7 lakh abroad is not earning enough to pay income tax? he asked. Therefore, it is logical for the government to ask those with international card spends worth more than Rs 7 lakh to pay 20 percent tax on the same, he added. Credit / debit card spends abroad were brought under the ambit of the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, whereby all such spends would attract a tax of 20 percent. Following widespread backlash, the finance ministry exempted international spends of up to Rs 7 lakh from the tax.
With the European Union (EU) fining Meta and stating that the company did not protect European data from America's surveillance regime, retired Supreme Court judge BN Srikrishna is foreboding a similar kind of tussle in India if modifications are not made to the upcoming data protection law. The EU's clash with the surveillance laws of the United States was the reason behind the former fining Meta a record 1.2 billion. The EU also ordered Meta to stop transferring EU data to the US. "This is going to happen in India, if this government doesn't take adequate care in the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill (DPDP) 2022," said Srikrishna, who led the committee that drafted the Personal Data Protection Bill in July 2018. Why? EU's General Data Protection Rules (GDPR) requires one to identify (before data is transferred from Europe to any countries outside the EU) whether the laws in the other countries are equivalent to European ones in terms of safeguarding data of EU citizens, explained Mathew Chacko, Partner at Spice Route Legal. "In the 2022 data protection bill, the government can exempt any agency from any of the provisions of the Act. That means any government agency can dip into data and take it without consent. Does it really give people adequate protection that is expected under the law? This is going to be a big issue," Srikrishna said. The area of focus, Chacko pointed out, is the regulations of government in relation to data interception. Meta is subject to US surveillance laws (like FISA 702), that give powers to the US government to ask for data whenever they want. India too has similar powers under the Information Technology Act, Telegraph Act, and provisions of the Indian Penal Code. The upcoming DPDP Bill 2022 expands on these provisions by providing exemptions to government agencies from the provisions of the bill. "The government must, while enacting the new data protection legislation, comprehensively grapple with the problem of interception. Not only so that it complies with the requirements of European law, but also so that it complies with the requirements of the Indian constitution," Chacko told Moneycontrol. "If they do not, the same issues that have happened between the US and the EU on data transfers, in respect to FISA 702, could see itself being revisited in India, perhaps in a slightly less hostile or less controversial manner," he added. GDPR Vs DPDP: Cross border data regulations As per the proposed DPDP Bill 2022, the government after an assessment will notify the countries or territories outside India to which data may be transferred, Siddharth Mahajan, Partner, Athena Legal said. "The government under the proposed law intends to have a white-list approach," Mahajan said. However, when it comes to comparison with similar regulations in jurisdictions such as the EU, the DPDP falls short. "The GDPR takes into account various situations and also provides standard contractual clauses which may allow transfer of EU data between two private entities located in the EU and outside to facilitate such transfer of data outside the EU," he said. "Earlier versions of the proposed Indian data law had similar provisions to GDPR; however, the present version is much more simplified," he added.
The withdrawal of Rs 2,000 currency notes has not triggered panic buying of gold jewellery using cash, as witnessed during the 2016 demonetisation. Jewellers in various cities told Moneycontrol that customers were not desperate to use their Rs 2,000 notes to buy jewellery. Although some jewellers initially demanded a premium for purchases using Rs 2,000 notes, customers werent willing to pay anything extra, contending that the bills were still valid. The Reserve Bank of India said May 19 the Rs 2,000 notes, introduced after demonetisation in November 2016, will be withdrawn from circulation. The RBI gave the public time till September 30 to exchange or deposit the notes in banks or designated RBI branches. The notes will continue as legal tender, the central bank said. Banks will start accepting the Rs 2,000 notes from May 23. Also read: RBI declares to withdraw all Rs 2,000 currency notes: All your queries answered No urgency Moneycontrol spoke to 10 jewellery shop owners and industry association representatives in New Delhi, Mumbai and Patna, who said there was nothing extraordinary taking place in the market. There is no rush and panic-related situation in the market. Some shopkeepers dont even have a normal flow of customers, said Yogesh Singhal, president of the Bullion Jewellers Association. The initial expectation was that people would rush to buy jewellery by using the Rs 2,000 notes. However, jewellers said the Rs 2,000 notes are still legal tender and so customers can pay the same rates. Yes, we are accepting the Rs 2,000 notes, said a jewellery shop owner in Greater Kailash, New Delhi. Some jewellers in Chandni Chowk in old Delhi said they initially tried to demand a premium of Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 but customers refused to pay anything extra. The day the RBI announced the withdrawal, some shop owners might have tried to take premium, but customers refused, said a jewellery shop owner who sought anonymity. The purchase of gold, silver, jewellery, or precious gems and stones below Rs 2 lakh does not require customers to declare their permanent account number (PAN). Any purchase of jewellery below Rs 50,000 does not need even the Aadhaar card as a mandatory KYC document. I got some reports that some jewellers tried to sell gold at Rs 63,000-65,000 per 10 grams, but rumours of Rs 70,000-75,000 are completely untrue," said Singhal. Gold was quoted at Rs 61,560 on May 23 in New Delhi. Also read: RBIs Rs 2,000 note withdrawal to have little impact on economy Business as usual "If somebody is buying gold using these notes, there should not be any issue. There are no jewellers who are charging a premium while accepting Rs 2,000 notes. It is business as usual. All premium-related news are rumours  there is no truth to it," said Surendra Mehta, national secretary of the India Bullion & Jewellers Association. Sharad Aggarwal, owner of Panchrattan Diamonds in old Delhi, said jewellers are getting lots of queries from customers asking whether they are accepting Rs 2,000 notes. But those queries are not converting into sales. The rumours are that we are accepting premiums, but the reality is that there's a fall in customers since gold prices are high, said Aggarwal. Another jeweller in Delhi agreed. "We are expecting our sales to increase only when the price of gold falls below Rs 50,000," the jeweller said. Some jewellery shops didnt even have regular footfalls in the days that followed the RBIs announcement. "The shop is in front of you. Are you seeing any customers here? There is no question of a premium, said a shop owner in Connaught Place who didnt wish to be identified, gesturing to his empty store. Unlike the 2016 demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, the number of people holding Rs 2,000 notes is lower. The RBI stopped printing them in 2018-19 and they were rarely in circulation. According to RBI data, the number of Rs 2,000 notes in circulation declined to 10.8 percent of the total on March 31, 2023. The value of these banknotes in circulation declined to Rs 3.62 lakh crore from Rs 6.73 lakh crore at its peak on March 31, 2018 (or 37.3 percent of the notes in circulation). "We were expecting a rise in sales after the [RBI] announcement and we were preparing for that, but sales have not happened accordingly, the manager of a major jewellery brand shop told Moneycontrol, declining to be identified. At Noidas Sector 18 jewellery market, some people had started buying gold and silver with their Rs 2000 currency notes, but the volumes were low. We have had several customers visit us and buy jewellery. The rush has definitely increased, but the volumes remain small, said another jeweller in Noida on condition of anonymity. Most people have a few currency notes lying around their house which they do not wish to exchange in banks. There is no panic or rush as was seen during demonetisation. However, some people who walked out of these shops claimed that gold is easily available for cash but a premium is being charged. People who want to transact in cash are being asked for a premium of about 8 percent in this market, Gaurav Khandelwal told Moneycontrol, adding that he did not buy any gold and would rather exchange the money at his bank. One jeweller, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted that this might be true in some cases. This is being practiced, depending upon demand. There are people who are indulging in buying jewellery at premium rates. People who do not want to transact in cash are being given the gold price on the market, the jeweller said. Luring customers Some jewellery shop owners tried to attract customers by printing posters publicising the RBI's order and asking buyers to exchange their currency for gold and silver. Relax, there is no need to panic! We are still accepting Rs 2,000 notes. Buy diamond and gold jewellery at the regular rates, said one such advertisement. Breaking news! Printing of Rs 2,000 note has been stopped. Buy diamonds and gold at the regular rate. No extra payment required, said another advertisement. In some other parts of the country, including Patna, and Mumbai, the situation was largely the same, with jewellery shop owners reasoning that because adequate time has been provided, there is no rush.
During his third and final stop on his three-nation tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Australia. In addition to holding talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, PM Modi attended a community event celebrating the country's dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora during his three-day stay.

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With analysts being bullish about the growth prospects of the second-largest government-owned oil producer, BPCL shares are among the top gainers on Nifty 50 index, up around 2 percent. Brokerage firms see an upside of up to 20 percent from todays high of Rs 371.95. At 11:43 am, shares of BPCL was up 1.8 percent at Rs 368 on the BSE. The state-owned company reported a 159 percent surge in standalone net profit at Rs 6,478 crore for the March quarter, beating Street estimates. According to the poll conducted by CNBC-TV18, the company was expected to report a net profit of Rs 3,981 crore. Revenue was up 8 percent YoY to Rs 1.33 lakh crore. Analysts believe BPCLs marketing performance can improve in the upcoming quarter as Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are estimated to be generating gross margins of Rs 9.1 on petrol and Rs 11.6 on diesel in 1Q of FY24 till date due to a decline in crude oil prices. Morgan Stanley expects BPCL to continue witness strength in margin. It has an overweight rating on shares of the company with a target price of Rs 390 while Investec has maintained hold rating with a hike in target price to Rs 375 from Rs 320. Morgan Stanley said that the companys core earnings beat estimates on the back on strong refinery margin of $20 per barrel. Investec highlighted that BPCL reported a 35 percent beat on consensus EBITDA estimates primarily driven by higher-than-expected refining and marketing margin. Investec has also increased its EPS estimate for FY24 by 11 percent and by 10 percent for FY25. Catch up on all LIVE stock market updates here Jefferies has maintained its buy call on shares of BPCL with a target price of Rs 445. Besides, JM Financial Institutional Securities highlighted that the board approved a dividend of Rs 4 per share or 40 percent payout against a dividend of Rs 16 per share paid in FY22, implying 39 percent payout. The brokerage firm has maintained its buy call on the stock with a revised target price of Rs 415 on valuations as the stock is trading at 1.1 times its FY25 Price to book, and as OMCs integrated margin has improved with lower crude price and normalisation of product cracks. Even Nuvama Institutional Equities has reiterated its buy recommendation on the stock as it is confident about BPCLs gross refining margin even as that shall remain subdued in the near term on anticipated recession fears. The brokerage firm has hiked its FY24 and FY25 EBITDA by 5 percent and target price by 5 percent to Rs 442 on strong growth prospects. Another factor that drove selling in the stock was a reduction in debt. Debt declined by Rs 44 billion QoQ to Rs 359 billion at end of March quarter. Motilal Oswal Financial Services highlighted that there is no update on the divestment roadmap for BPCL now. The brokerage firm has maintained its neutral rating on shares of BPCL with a target price of Rs 360.
The Indian benchmark indices ended with a minor gain in the volatile session on May 23 with the Sensex rising 18.11 points or 0.03 percent to close at 61,981.79, and the Nifty adding 33.60 points or 0.18 percent to end at 18,348. After a positive start, the benchmark indices extended the gains as the day progressed. However, last-hour selling erased all the intraday gains although indices managed to close in the green patch. "During the day, the Nifty index exhibited a predominantly sideways movement, hovering around the 18,400 level. Despite the lack of significant fluctuations, market sentiment remained optimistic as the Nifty managed to sustain its position above the support level of 18,300. However, a notable resistance was observed at 18,500. If the Nifty manages to break through this resistance decisively, it could potentially trigger a rally towards the 18,800 level," said Rupak De, Senior Technical Analyst at LKP Securities. Stocks and Sectors Top gainers on the Nifty included Adani Enterprises, Divis Laboratories, Eicher Motors, Bajaj Finserv and UPL, while losers were Apollo Hospitals, Tech Mahindra, Grasim Industries, HCL Technologies and Titan Company. On the sectoral front, the metal index was up 2.6 percent and the power index was up 1 percent, while buying was also seen in oil & gas, auto, FMCG and healthcare. Some selling was seen in the capital goods, information technology and realty names. The BSE midcap and smallcap indices ended with marginal gains. Among individual stocks, a volume spike of more than 3500 percent was seen in Delta Corp, GNFC and Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail. More than 100 stock touched their 52-week high on the BSE, including Ceat, ADF Foods, ABB India, Jyoti, Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company, IOC, Poonawalla Fincorp and Usha Martin. On the other hand, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, ARSS Infrastructure Projects, Balaji Amines, Gayatri Projects, Gland Pharma, HDIL, Ipca Laboratories, Jet Airways, Punjab Chemicals, Rolta, Spicejet and Vivimed Labs touched their 52-week low. Outlook for May 24 Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research (Retail), Kotak Securities The benchmark indices observed profit-taking at higher levels; the Nifty concluded the day up 34 points. While some IT stocks saw profit booking at higher levels, the Metal index continued to outperform all other sectors and increased by nearly 2.5 percent. Today's market took the barrier near 18,420 after a gap-up opening, and in the second half due to intraday profit booking it swiftly corrected. But the short-term pattern is still on the optimistic side. Technically, the index has produced a Hammer candlestick reversal configuration on the daily charts, which suggests a high likelihood of transient weakness. We think that since the short-term market structure is non-directional, level-based trading is the best approach for day traders. Currently, 18,300 would serve as a key support level for traders. Above that point, the sentiment will probably stay favourable and the index may rise as high as 18,45018,500. On the other hand, selling pressure is likely to increase below 18,300. The Nifty could decline until 18,20018,175 below the same. Deepak Jasani, Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities The Nifty gave up the early gains in a sell-off post 1400 hrs on May 23 and ended marginally higher. At close, the Nifty was up 0.18 percent or 33.6 points at 18,348. Volumes on the NSE were higher than the recent average. The midcap index rose more than the Nifty even as the advance-decline ratio remained above par at 1.12:1. Global markets retreated on May 23 as concerns about the US debt limit standoff spread across the globe post a Monday meet which did not show much progress. The Nifty formed a high wave candle on May 23 after a rise in the previous session. It keeps facing resistance from 18,400+ levels. It could continue to face resistance from the 18,432-18,458 band, while 18,218-18,297 band could offer support. Jatin Gedia, Technical Research Analyst, Sharekhan by BNP Paribas: The Nifty opened on a positive note. However, during the second half of the session, it gave up most of the gains and closed well off the intraday highs. On the upside, the upper boundary (18,400) of the broad trading range 18,000  18,400 acted as a stiff resistance and the Nifty was unable to surpass the resistance. One reason could be that the daily and hourly momentum indicator still has a negative crossover and is still away from the equilibrium line indicating that there could be further consolidation over the next few trading sessions. Considering that the Nifty is around the upper boundary we can expect some weakness in the near term as the Nifty shall retest its supports. Overall, we still believe that the Nifty is in a consolidation mode and the range of consolidation is likely to be 18,000  18,400. In terms of levels, 18,42018,450 shall act as the immediate hurdle while 18,170  18,150 is the crucial support zone to watch out for on the downside. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
It was a good start to the week as the market closed higher, continuing the uptrend for the second consecutive session on May 22, driven largely by technology and metal stocks. Pharma, oil & gas and select FMCG stocks also aided the uptrend. The BSE Sensex climbed 234 points to 61.964, while the Nifty50 rose 111 points to 18,314 and formed a bullish candlestick pattern on the daily timeframe, negating lower highs and lower lows formation of previous four straight sessions. "Zooming into 15 minutes chart, we observe that Nifty has reversed its recent short-term downtrend. The reversal was confirmed when the Nifty took out the previous swing high of 18,186 last Friday. Further upsides are now likely once the immediate resistance of 18,335 is taken out. Crucial support is now at 18,178," Subash Gangandharan, Senior Technical and Derivative Analyst at HDFC Securities said. On the daily chart, he observes that Nifty found support near the 20-day SMA (simple moving average) and has bounced back in the last two sessions, indicating the uptrend looks set to continue. "Immediate upside target for the Nifty is at 18,459 once the immediate resistance of 18,335 is taken out," Subash said. The broader markets also joined bulls as the Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 indices gained six-tenth of a percent respectively, but the overall market breadth was equal. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Note: The open interest (OI) and volume data of stocks in this article are the aggregates of three-month data and not just the current month. Key support, resistance levels on Nifty Pivot charts indicate that the Nifty may get support at 18,216, followed by 18,179 and 18,120. If the index advances, 18,336 would be the key resistance level to watch out for followed by 18,373 and 18,433. Nifty Bank The Bank Nifty, however, underperformed broader markets, falling 84 points to 43,885 and forming small bodied bearish candlestick pattern with a long lower shadow and small upper shadow on the daily charts. The Bank Nifty has been consolidating near its all-time high. "It has managed to sustain its position above important moving averages, indicating strength in the trend. Despite this, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) is currently displaying a bearish crossover, suggesting weak momentum," Rupak De Senior Technical analyst at LKP Securities said. In the short term, he feels the Bank Nifty may continue to consolidate in a narrow range of 43,500-44,000. The support levels to watch are at 43,700 and 43,500, while the resistance level stands at 44,000-44,200, he said. As per the pivot point calculator, the Bank Nifty may take support at 43,735, followed by 43,654 and 43,524. The key resistance levels are 43,996, 44,077 and 44,208. Call options data On the monthly options front, the maximum call open interest (OI) was at 18,500 strike, with 1.03 crore contracts, which is expected to be a crucial resistance level for the Nifty. This was followed by 18,300 strike comprising 78.63 lakh contracts and 18,400 strike with more than 77.08 lakh contracts. Call writing was seen at 18,500 strike, which added 24.42 lakh contracts, followed by 18,600 strike, which added 11.28 lakh contracts, and 18,900 strike, which added 9.21 lakh contracts. Call unwinding was at 18,200 strike, which shed 22.92 lakh contracts, followed by 18,100 strike, which shed 8.59 lakh contracts, and 19,100 strike, which shed 5.41 lakh contracts. Put option data The maximum put open interest was at 18,200 strike, with 1.27 crore contracts, which is expected to be an important support in the coming sessions. This was followed by the 18,000 strike, comprising 1.13 crore contracts, and 18,100 strike with 79.16 lakh contracts. Put writing was seen at 18,200 strike, which added 46.63 lakh contracts, followed by 18,300 strike, which added 41.84 lakh contracts, and 18,000 strike, which added 36.4 lakh contracts. Put unwinding was seen at 17,500 strike, which shed 7.25 lakh contracts, followed by 19,000 strike, which shed 60,700 contracts, and 18,800 strike, which shed 3,200 contracts. Stocks with high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in the stock. The highest delivery was seen in United Breweries, Dabur India, Federal Bank, ITC and Godrej Consumer Products among others. 65 stocks see a long build-up An increase in open interest (OI) and price typically indicates a build-up of long positions. Based on the OI percentage, 65 stocks, including Dixon Technologies, Balkrishna Industries, Muthoot Finance, Cummins India and Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals saw long build-ups. 21 stocks see long unwinding A decline in OI and price generally indicates a long unwinding. Based on the OI percentage, 21 stocks, including Whirlpool, Polycab India, Federal Bank, BHEL and Manappuram Finance saw long unwinding. 32 stocks see a short build-up An increase in OI along with a price decrease indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on the OI percentage, 32 stocks, including MCX India, Siemens, Glenmark Pharma, Tata Communications and JK Cement saw a short build-up. 71 stocks see short-covering A decrease in OI along with a price increase is an indication of short-covering. Based on the OI percentage, 71 stocks were on the short-covering list. These included IRCTC, Abbott India, Aarti Industries, Divis Laboratories and Balrampur Chini Mills. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) Results on May 23 Stocks in the news Shree Cement: The cement major has recorded a 15.3 percent year-on-year decline in standalone profit at Rs 546.2 crore for the March FY23 quarter, impacted by a sharp increase in power and fuel cost. The standalone revenue for the quarter grew by 16.7 percent to Rs 4,785 crore compared to the year-ago period. Profit and topline were above analysts' estimates, but operating numbers missed expectations. PB Fintech: The Policybazaar and Paisabazaar operator has reduced its PAT loss significantly to Rs 8.9 crore for the quarter ended March FY23, from Rs 219.6 crore in the same period last year. The operating revenue grew by 61 percent to Rs 869 crore compared to the corresponding period last fiscal. The insurance premium at Rs 3,586 crore for the March FY23 quarter increased by 65 percent and credit disbursal at Rs 3,357 crore grew by 53 percent over a year-ago period. Torrent Power: The stock will be in focus as the board of directors of the company will meet on May 29 to consider raising funds via the issuance of non-convertible debentures up to Rs 3,000 crore through a private placement basis. The board will also consider financial results for the quarter and year ended March 2023, and recommendation of final dividend, if any, for FY23. ITI: The multi-technology public sector firm has bagged an advance purchase order (APO) from BSNL worth Rs 3,889 crore for its 4G rollout. The scope of work includes planning, engineering, supply, installation & commissioning and AMC of the 4G mobile network for 23,633 sites in the west zone of the BSNL network. Astra Microwave Products: Astra Rafael Comsys, the joint venture company, has bagged Rs 158 crore worth of orders from defence public sector undertaking (DPSU) for the supply of software-defined radio (SDR). JSW Steel: The company and Japan-based JFE Steel agreed to establish a cold rolled grain-oriented electrical steel (CRGO) manufacturing joint venture in India. The 50:50 joint venture company will be able to manufacture the entire range of CRGO products at its proposed facilities at Vijayanagar in Karnataka. The resolution plan submitted by its subsidiary JSW Steel Coated Products for National Steel & Agro Industries has been approved by NCLT. HEG: The graphite electrode manufacturer has registered a 23 percent year-on-year decline in consolidated profit at Rs 99.72 crore for the March FY23 quarter, impacted by lower topline and operating numbers. Revenue from operations for the quarter at Rs 616.88 crore fell by 8.3 percent compared to the corresponding period last fiscal. The company announced a final dividend of Rs 42.50 per share. HEG board has approved further investment of up to Rs 90 crore in one or more tranches, in its subsidiary TACC. Fund Flow FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) bought shares worth Rs 922.89 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased shares worth Rs 604.57 crore on May 22, provisional data from the National Stock Exchange showed. Stocks under F&O ban on NSE The National Stock Exchange has added Indiabulls Housing Finance, and retained L&T Finance Holdings and Manappuram Finance to its F&O ban list for May 23. Securities in the ban period under the F&O segment include companies in which the security has crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by experts on Moneycontrol are their own and not those of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
#1. Reserve Bank to decide fate of Rs 2,000 currency notes after September 30 Authorities will take a decision on Rs 2,000 banknotes closer to the September 30 deposit or exchange deadline, Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das has said. There will be no adverse impact on the economy from the withdrawal of the highest denomination currency, he said. The central bank on May 19 said it is withdrawing Rs 2,000 notes from circulation, giving time until September 30 to deposit them or exchange the notes for lower denominations. Why its important: The Reserve Bank has said the high-value banknotes will continue to be legal tender. Although it said the withdrawal is part of its currency management system, the central banks move has baffled experts. #2. Adani stocks shoot up after Supreme Court panel finds no evidence of malfeasance Stock of Adani Group firms have surged, with flagship Adani Enterprises rising nearly 19 percent, and combined market capitalization breaching Rs 10 lakh crore, rising the most in nearly nine months after a Supreme Court-appointed panel said it found no regulatory failure on allegations of price manipulation and violation of minimum public shareholding rules. Six out of 10 group stocks hit the upper limit. Why its important: Despite the dramatic rise, the overall market cap is still Rs 9 lakh crore below its value before Hindenburg released its report. The damage to business credibility may take longer to repair. #3. Appeals court upholds Go First bankruptcy order of tribunal, offering hopes of revival The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal has upheld the National Company Law Tribunals order preventing Go Airlines planes from being repossessed by lessors amid insolvency proceedings. An adverse order would have led to lessors taking back these aircraft, impacting plans to resume operations. Why its important: The latest order will help Go First restart operations with planes that will now not be repossessed. Although the budget carrier plans to restart operations next month, it remains to be seen whether it is able to do so. #4. Reserve Bank meet focusses on strategic role of boards of state-run banks The banking regulator should stress on the strategic role of boards and increase the remuneration of independent directors of public sector banks. These were among the issues put forward to the Reserve Bank of India in its interaction with the full boards of state-run banks. The meeting will be followed by those of private banks in Mumbai on May 29. Why its important: Indian banks have put the bad loans crisis behind them. Its time to further strengthen governance and the fiduciary role bank boards could play. #5. Ola Electric secures funding worth $300 million at a valuation of $6 billion Ola Electric has secured $300 million (approximately Rs 2,500 crore) in its latest funding round, which will push up its valuation to $6 billion, merchant bankers said. The electric scooter maker had raised $200 million at a valuation of $5 billion in January last year. The paperwork for the deal will be finalised in a few weeks. Why its important: Ola electric will use the money from the latest fundraising to boost capacity of producing electric two-wheelers from half a million to 2 million every year. This will be in keeping with the outlook of the rapidly increasing demand for e-scooters. #6. Government readies launch of second set of incentives for steel sector The central government is set to introduce a second production-linked incentive initiative for the steel industry that would bolster the local capital goods industry and boost supplies of essential materials in the country. The new initiative is in the final stages of discussions at the steel ministry and is expected to be implemented before the end of the current year. Why its important: The second edition of the production-linked scheme would focus on capital assistance to produce special steel grades that are not covered by existing incentive program. #7. Income tax department to monitor advance tax payments by companies The income-tax department will keep a close watch on advance tax payments by analyzing India Incs annual and quarterly balance sheets as well as sectoral growth trends. Financial statements of top 100 listed companies in their last published annual reports, and quarterly reports through the year, will be analyzed, according to the departments central action plan for 2023-24. Why its important: Although compliance has risen significantly in recent years, the latest move attempts to ensure local companies do not defer their tax liabilities for the financial year. #8. JioMart retrenches over 1,000 employees as it aligns with Metro Cash and Carry Reliance Industries online wholesale format JioMart has laid off more than 1,000 employees as it aligns its operations with the recently acquired Metro Cash and Carry. This is part of a larger cost-cutting measure over the next few weeks, which will include reducing by two-thirds the 15,000-employee strength in the wholesale division, company executives said. Why its important: JioMart is looking to improve margins and reduce losses after starting a price war in the grocery products distribution space last year. #9. Payments firm PhonePe raises additional $100 million from General Atlantic PhonePe has raised an additional $100 million from growth equity firm General Atlantic. With this, the growth equity fund has invested around $550 million in the Walmart-backed fintech firm in the latest round of funding. PhonePe has so far raised $850 million through five infusions in this round and is inching closer to its billion-dollar fundraising target. Why its important: The payments start-up has been raising money aggressively after been hived off from Flipkart in December last year. Investor interest in digital transactions continue to be high. #10. European Union fines Facebook parent Meta $1.3 billion over data transfers to the US Facebook owner Meta Platforms has been hit by a record 1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) privacy fine and given a deadline to stop shipping user data to the US after European Union regulators said it failed to protect personal information from American security services. The fine imposed by Irelands Data Protection Commission, which regulates Meta across the EU, is a record for a breach of the blocs general data protection regulation. Meta said it will challenge the order. Why its important: Countries and blocs are tightening data privacy and transfer laws. Tech multinationals will have to learn to comply without compromising their business interests.
Capital market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of Indias (Sebi) consultation paper on rationalisation of total expense ratio (TER) has sent the Rs 40 lakh crore mutual fund (MF) industry to the drawing board to reassess the impact of the proposals on their business models. Most fund houses Moneycontrol spoke to, ever since the paper came out on May 18, say that the proposals are on expected lines. However, some fund officials say that Sebis proposals to bring brokerage costs within the TER limit dent a fund houses margins. All officials Moneycontrol spoke with requested anonymity as they didnt want to speak on regulatory matters. The Association of Mutual Funds of India (AMFI), the MF industrys trade body, refused to comment. Thanks for reaching out. We don't have any comment as of now as these queries are already part of the consultation process, said an AMFI spokesperson in an email. On expected lines Most industry officials say that Sebis proposals are on expected lines. Ever since the regulator put out a press note in late 2022 about setting up a committee to look into the expenses, the Sebi chairperson has publicly acknowledged the regulators rationale in having a re-look at expenses. TER definition okay; charges perhaps not Among the proposals, the more contentious appears to be the one in which Sebi says that a schemes TER must include brokerage costs. Earlier a few important costs, like goods and services tax (GST), brokerage and securities and transaction tax (STT), and beyond 30 incentives were paid over and above the base. Now, Sebi has proposed that all these charges must be included in a schemes TER. ALSO READ: Is your mutual fund justified for the expenses it charges you? Though many batted for transparency in the TER, they ask for exclusion of statutory payments, such as GST and STT from TER. They are neither in our control nor in the control of Sebi. They may change any time, says a senior fund official. Taxes paid should not be included in TER as the rate of tax can change or new taxes can be introduced. As a principle, it is better to keep these tax payments out of TER, officials say. Brokerage or research fees: the dilemma Sebi points out that fund houses have been seen as paying research fees to brokerage houses. This, it says, amounts to double-charging investors, as they pay management fees to the fund house. ALSO READ: Insurers selling mutual funds positive for both; can increase compliance burden MF schemes transact in many securities through stockbrokers. They are paid remuneration by MFs for trade execution and allied services as well as research. Sebis consultation paper says that 42 MF houses paid out Rs 3,466 crore in FY2021-2022. MFs are allowed to pay up to 0.12 percent of trade value towards brokerage and transaction costs for the purpose of execution of trade in case of cash market transactions and 0.05 percent of trade value in case of derivatives transactions. Such a high payout towards brokerage can lead to corruption. For instance, too cozy a relationship between dealers and brokers can also lead to front-running, says the first official quoted above. If the regulator asks to include brokerage costs in TER, the board members of the AMC will scrutinise the quantum of payment made to brokers for trade execution as the same will eat into the profits of the AMC, says a second MF official. ALSO READ: TCS rules on foreign tours, magazine subscriptions, iTunes, international equities all doubts clarified But not all are in favour of including brokerage in the TER. Some point out to the nuances of money management. This is not a typical charge you can estimate for the entire year, saying we would incur 0.12 percent charge and then charge it to the schemes TER within the prescribed limits. Dynamic markets and a surge of inflows or outflows at any given time of the year can increase or decrease the brokerage cost drastically, says a third MF official. For instance, there are often macro changes that impact sectors differently and fund managers will need to churn in the interest of the portfolio. These transactions will have brokerage costs, he adds. A fourth MF official pointed that appointing a panel of stockbrokers is a global practice in money management business. There are some sell-side analysts who can offer better insights on a business or an underlying security than the internal talent pool of an AMC. Brokerage costs factor in expenses incurred on such research, he adds. Large AMCs, however, can consider taking limited purpose membership of stock exchanges to carry out their trades as envisaged in the consultation paper, he added. A uniform TER across all schemes Some fund houses, especially small- and mid-sized ones, say that Sebis move to have a uniform TER among all schemes within a fund house is a good move. Including all the expenses in TER is a good move as the customer comes to know what she is paying, says the second fund official quoted above. ALSO READ: US Fed on brink of policy U-turn? Time may be right to think gold Uniform TER for all schemes in a category is a good move as it disincentivises floating new schemes with a sole objective of charging higher TER. The fund houses may continue to focus on existing schemes performance to attract more money, says the fifth fund official. B-30 dilemma Sebi has also proposed paying B30 incentives only in case of a new investor (new PAN-based) at the industry level. The commission payable may be fixed at 1 percent of the first application amount, or the SIP committed, subject to a cap of Rs 2,000, the paper added. Also, this incentive must be paid out of investor education and awareness expenses. Earlier, MF houses used to charge 30 basis points, over and above TER, subject to conditions and pass it to the distributors. The fourth MF official quoted above pointed out that a new investor typically starts with more than one scheme, spread across fund houses. There may be confusion about which fund house will pay the B30 incentive. Similar is the case for women investor incentives. Also, investor education and awareness expenses should be used only for the purpose of investor education and not for rewarding distributors, the fourth official added. Most fund officials Moneycontrol spoke with are upbeat about the regulators stance of empowering smaller MF houses. Measures such as performance-based fee are being attempted through regulatory sandbox, which should show the way forward to this high-growth industry, they say. They see the consultation paper effectively addressing three stakeholders  investors, AMCs, stockbrokers and distributors. All in all, this consultation paper has shaken up the MF industry and will work for the greater good in the long term as the investor benefits from lower costs. However, the regulator should also need to pay heed to bringing down expenses incurred towards services rendered by the Registrar and transfer agents, banks and KYC by AMCs, says the fourth official quoted above. Mutual fund companies may jointly or individually approach Sebi before June 1, 2023, the deadline set by the regulator for feedback on the consultation paper.
Builder.ai, the London-based composable software platform, said it has raised $250 million in its Series D round led by Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), with participation other new and existing investors such as Iconiq Capital, Jungle Ventures and Insight Partners. The company, which also has presence in the Delhi NCR belt, will invest the fresh funds in talent, partnerships and technology. The fundraise comes shortly after Microsoft had also picked up a stake and entered into a strategic partnership with Builder.ai, to take on the likes of Google. Including the latest fundraise, Builder.ai has now raised over $450 million. The company, which was not a unicorn yet, said its valuation had increased by 1.8x since its previous round around March last year but did not reveal specific numbers. Our team is already investing this capital in our AI and automation capabilities, not only keeping pace with the fast-moving industry, but leading from the front so we can empower our customers more and at the same time use new frontier technology responsibly. said Sachin Dev Duggal, founder and chief wizard, Builder.ai. The company has also entered into partnerships with JP Morgan & Chase, Etisalat UAE and other technology and financial enterprises to leverage Builder.ai's artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. "QIA is very excited to be partnering with the leader in this space. This investment is aligned with QIAs strategy of supporting innovative companies shaping the future of the global economy, said Ahmed Ali Al-Hammadi, CIO for Europe, Turkey and Russia at QIA.

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NBCC Ltd, the government-owned construction company tasked by the Supreme Court to complete stalled Amrapali projects amounting to around 38,000 housing units, has so far completed close to 9,000 units, company officials said. It has done so utilising the Rs 4,000 crore received from homebuyers, a consortium of banks and SBICAP Ventures, which manages the stressed assets fund of the government, the NBCC sources added. The two challenges NBCC currently faces have to do with realisation of funds from homebuyers and the floor area ratio (FAR) issue, they told Moneycontrol. As many as 4,000 homebuyers had registered on the companys customer portal but they have not been coming forward to pay up the dues. There is also some uncertainty about the projects unused portion of the FAR, which is used to determine the total floor area of a building in relation to the size of the plot. NBCC is working on 25 Amrapali projects at 17 locations. It had taken over the incomplete projects of the Amrapali Group following a Supreme Court order in July 2019. We have received close to Rs 4,350 crore through several sources of funding such as homebuyers dues (Rs 1,800 crore), consortium of banks (Rs 1,200 crore out of the sanctioned Rs 1,500 crore) and SBICap (Rs 650 crore sanctioned, of which Rs 300 crore has been received) and the remaining from attached properties that have been sold, and consumed around Rs 4,000 crore, one of the persons said. The total amount required to complete all the Amrapali projects is estimated at Rs 8,000 crore. The company has completed structural work of close to 23,000 units, the sources said, adding that as many as 2,500 units have been sold, raising Rs 430 crore so far. We are hopeful that we will be in a position to hand over all the units by 2025 subject to realisation of dues by the homebuyers and resolution of the FAR issue, they said. The Supreme Court-appointed court receiver has asked close to 4,000 homebuyers invested in Amrapali homes in Noida and Greater Noida, the Delhi satellite towns in Uttar Pradesh, to clear their dues. As We have appealed to them to pay up within 15 days with 12 percent interest otherwise we will be cancelling their units. These exclude the 1,500 buyers who are part of the subvention scheme, they said. The FAR issue In March this year, the Supreme Court had asked NBCC to give a proposal on unused FAR, which it has submitted to the Noida Authority and Supreme Court, the sources told Moneycontrol. We had earlier proposed that we will sell the additional FAR and exit. This could have fetched close to Rs 2,000 crore but this was refused. We have now proposed that we should be allowed to construct new dwellings on this additional FAR available to us. There is a possibility that this may help us generate close to Rs 8,000 crore, which we can plough back into the completion of the project, one of the company officials said. The company is also exploring other models to generate additional funds after it receives approval for utilising the additional FAR. These funds will also be required to construct new housing units on these land parcels. Currently, we do not have any sovereign guarantee or seed money available with us. Once these approvals have been received, we may launch 14,000 fresh units of which 10 percent would be in the luxury category. We are proposing three such projects subject to us getting approval for utilisation of FAR, the officials said. Asked why the reason for the delay in receiving occupancy certificates for the projects that have been completed, he explained that most of the plans for these projects were cleared by the authority way back in 2013. We were handed over these projects on an as-is-where-is basis. All these permissions have to be renewed. The process of getting these clearances renewed is on. We are also working at providing dedicated electricity and water connections for these projects. Temporary connections have been provided, he added. Most buyers have been given fit-out certificates in these projects and registries are pending. We are yet to recover dues from buyers who have been residing in these projects. Close to 8,000 families have been residing here on the basis of these fit-out certificates. Most of them had bought these units at Rs 2,000 per square foot. As per the forensic audit conducted by the Supreme Court, the minimum cost of these units has been fixed at Rs 3,000 per square foot. We are yet to recover 15 percent of the cost from these unit holders before they can register these units. The recovery process is still on and that is the reason why it is taking time, they said. Homebuyers take Homebuyers that Moneycontrol spoke to said that they have to do with commercial electricity being supplied to NBCC for construction work. There are no direct electricity connections. How are we to carry on like this? said Mukesh Kumar, a resident of the Centurian Park project. There is no direct water connection, functional power backup and parking space is still under construction. It has become extremely difficult to run lifts during summers as the transformer has a certain load that it can take. The annual maintenance contract for lifts has also expired, forget about air conditioners, he added. Lack of facilities is perhaps the main reason why buyers are not coming forward to pay the dues. They are worried that if they do, they may be forced to take possession of the unit without basic amenities in place. We are also not satisfied with the quality of the materials used, said another buyer, who did not want to be named.
Mumbai-based listed real estate developer Keystone Realtors, also known as Rustomjee Group, has 20 projects in the pipeline with a potential 27.86 million sq.ft. of saleable area. The projects include commercial and residential segments in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and will come up over the next five to seven years. The company plans to launch one project in every quarter of FY 24, it said in a regulatory filing to BSE. From its pipeline of 20 projects, the company is projecting Gross Development Value (GDV) of Rs 35,103 crore. According to an investor's presentation filed by Keystone on the BSE, six projects are in the mid- and mass segments, five in the so-called aspirational segment and four in the affordable category. Three projects are classified as super premium/premium and two are commercial projects. We are happy to announce that we acquired five new projects in FY23 of GDV of Rs 34.3 billion, in line with our capital light expansion strategy. With the recent few acquisitions, our company has entered new micro markets like Mahim, Chembur, Kalyan-Dombivli, Boman Irani, Managing Director of Rustomjee Group, said. Also read: Rustomjee Group plans invest Rs 1,000 crore by the end of the next fiscal in MMR: MD Boman Irani Strong Operational Cash Flow (OCF) of Rs 4.6 billion in FY23 and inflow of Rs 7.3 billion from pre-IPO/IPO, has helped reduce the net debt to Rs 0.19 billion as at FY23," he said. He added, "Additionally, the commitment of Rs 3.5 billion received towards recently launched AIF (Alternative Investment Fund) has further strengthened the companys financial position and provided growth capital to expand and bolster our dominant position in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) region." The company on May 22 reported an 82 percent increase in consolidated net profit at Rs 76.59 crore for March quarter. Its net profit was Rs 42.03 crore in the year-ago period. Also read: Rustomjee Group-run Keystone Realtors sets IPO price band at Rs 514-541, to focus on homes between Rs 1 crore and Rs 7 crore In an interview to Moneycontrol earlier, Irani had said that Rustomjee Group planned to invest Rs 1,000 crore by the end of 2023-24 to launch projects with a combined saleable area of 2.5 million sq ft in MMR.
The exchange or deposit of Rs 2000 banknotes can only be done at the bank branches, and not through post offices, according to sources in the know. Exchange facility is available only at banks. Customers can make deposits since Rs.2000 note is a legal tender, source said. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) last week decided to withdraw Rs 2,000 banknotes from circulation in pursuance of the Clean Note Policy, and has advised banks to stop issuing these notes with immediate effect. Members of the public were asked to deposit Rs 2,000 banknotes into their bank accounts and/or exchange them for banknotes of other denominations at any bank branch by September 30. Deposit into bank accounts can be made in the usual manner, that is, without restrictions and subject to extant instructions and other applicable statutory provisions. The central bank asked banks to provide a deposit and/or exchange facility of Rs 2,000 banknotes until September 30, to complete the exercise in a time-bound manner and to provide adequate time to the members of the public. The facility for exchange of RS 2,000 banknotes up to the limit of Rs 20,000/- at a time shall also be provided at the 19 Regional Offices (ROs) of RBI having Issue Departments1 from May 23, 2023, RBI said in a release.

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It was business as usual for banks on the first day of accepting Rs 2,000 currency notes that were withdrawn by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) late last week. Moneycontrol reporters visited several bank branches in Mumbai and Delhi and observed that there was no rush of people to either deposit or exchange their Rs 2,000 notes. On May 19, announcing the decision to withdraw the high-value notes, the RBI said people could visit bank branches from May 23 to September 30 to deposit or exchange their Rs 2,000 notes. I went to the branch to enquire about Rs 2,000 note exchange. I wanted to know whether there are forms to fill or any other things to do before depositing Rs 2,000 notes, said an HDFC Bank customer in Mumbai. Some banks did see some customers coming in to exchange or deposit Rs 2,000 notes but there was no rush for it. We had some customers who wanted to deposit their Rs 2,000 notes. But only 3-4 of them came today, said the branch manager of a bank, who did not wish to be named. Also read: From 1946 to 2023, a timeline of demonetisation and rupee note withdrawals in India Another manager with a public sector bank said: "We have made a separate counter for exchanging these notes. We have also arranged a drinking water facility and proper sitting arrangements. We are expecting more customers in the coming days, so we have arranged the facilities accordingly." Form mandatory in some banks Some customers did raise issues with the exchange process. A customer with a public sector bank said that when he went to deposit his Rs 2,000 note, a bank representative told him to fill out a form. Also read: Ground Report | No panic in gold jewellery market on Rs 2,000 note withdrawal I was told to fill out a form that required Aadhar card details, said the customer. Forms for deposits and exchange HDFC Bank, Canara Bank, Indian Bank, and Bank of Baroda have asked customers to fill out request slips for the exchange of Rs 2,000 bank notes, slips gathered by Moneycontrol showed. The slip further said that any identity proof such as Aadhar card, Driving Licence, Voter ID Card, Passport, NREGA Card, Pan Card, or letter issued by the National Population Register containing details of name and address to be shown at the counter. HDFC Bank asked to self-attest a copy of any document with the request slip, its form showed. Also read: No form or identity proof needed to exchange Rs 2,000 notes, says SBI Union Bank of India and ICICI Bank asked customers to fill out deposit slips for the exchange of Rs 2000 banknotes at their branches. Further, one of the executives at the Axis Bank branch at Bhayandar West, Thane, said the bank is only accepting deposits over the counter or in cash deposit machines. When asked about the exchange of notes, the executive at the branch said, We have not received any communication from our management for the exchange of notes, once we get an update we will start. Similarly, the IDBI Bank branch at Bhayandar, Thane, on May 23 was only exchanging two Rs 2,000 banknotes due to lower cash for exchange at the branch, a senior executive present at the branch told Moneycontrol. Also read: MC Explains | What to do with your Rs 2,000 currency notes? This is only for today; tomorrow we will have adequate cash and there will not be any problem, he added. A lot of people have visited our branch since morning for exchange as well as deposit of these notes. In this branch, for deposit or exchange of Rs 2,000 banknote, only a deposit slip is required. Announcements by RBI and banks The countrys largest public sector bank, State Bank of India (SBI), on May 22 informed all its branches that no form or identity proof would be needed to exchange Rs 2,000 currency notes, even as it reiterated the one-time limit of Rs 20,000 for depositing or exchanging these notes. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on May 22 said that banks will have to arrange adequate facilities for customers coming to deposit or exchange Rs 2,000 notes. Provide shade and water to those exchanging Rs 2,000 notes, said Das. During the visit to several banks, Moneycontrol observed that some banks have made special facilities for customers. For example, a branch of Indian Bank had an exclusive counter for customers coming to exchange or deposit Rs 2,000 notes. Also read: RBI to withdraw Rs 2,000 notes: Here is what data shows on currency denominations in circulation The branch manager of a private bank, on condition of anonymity, said it is still waiting for instructions from the head office to organise additional facilities for people coming to deposit or exchange Rs 2,000 notes. We have heard that the RBI has told banks to offer facilities to customers. We are waiting for instructions from our head office, said the manager. Withdrawal of notes The RBI on May 19 said it is withdrawing Rs 2,000 notes from circulation based on a review and as part of a clean note policy. However, the banknotes in Rs 2,000 denomination will continue to be legal tender, the RBI said in a release. The central bank has advised members of the public to deposit Rs 2,000 banknotes into their bank accounts or exchange them for banknotes of other denominations at any bank branch. "Deposit into bank accounts can be made in the usual manner, that is, without restrictions and subject to extant instructions and other applicable statutory provisions," the RBI said in the release.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met business leaders of top Australian companies here and called for enhancing cooperation with the Indian industry in areas such as technology, skilling, and clean energy. Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday for the third and final leg of his three-nation tour during which he will hold talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and attend a community event to celebrate the country's dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora. He is visiting Australia as a guest of the Australian Government. Modi held bilateral meetings with Hancock Prospecting Executive Chairman Gina Rinehart, Fortescue Future Industry Executive Chairman Andrew Forrest, and AustraliaSuper CEO Paul Schroder. During his meeting with Rinehart, the prime minister highlighted the reforms and initiatives being undertaken in India and invited her to partner in technology, investment and skilling in the mining and minerals sector, a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said. In a meeting with Schroder, he said that India is one of the most preferred major economies for foreign investments in the world and invited AustralianSuper to partner with India, it said. AustralianSuper is an Australian superannuation fund headquartered in Melbourne. Similarly, during his meeting with Forrest, he welcomed the Group's plans to work with Indian companies in the field of Green Hydrogen. "Emphasising India's ambitious renewable energy plans, the Prime Minister highlighted the transformative reforms and initiatives being taken by India, such as the Green Hydrogen Mission," it added. Forrest briefed the Prime Minister on Fortescue Future Industries' plans and projects in India. After the meeting, Schroder said that Australian super does invest in India and in particular in the National Indian Infrastructure Fund. "We have had a very good experience in investing in India," he said. Forrest said that he and the prime minister acknowledged that the fossil fuel sector has only limited time to run and it must be replaced with a fuel which causes no harm but can do everything which oil and gas can do. Rinehart said that there are huge business opportunities between India and Australia. The Indian economy is growing at a healthy pace and reached about USD 3.5 trillion and there are plans to take it to USD 32 trillion in the next 25 years. "Growth in the future is going to be huge" Australia really needs to work harder to develop its relations with India," she said, adding India has taken several steps to attract foreign investments by cutting approvals and regulations. During April 2000 and December 2022, India received USD 1.07 billion in investments from Australia, according to government data. Both countries have already implemented an interim free trade agreement on December 29 last year. The two nations are now engaged in widening the scope of that agreement into a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). Australia is the 13th largest trading partner of India in 2022-23. While exports stood at USD 6.95 billion, imports from that country in the last fiscal aggregated at USD 19 billion. India is Australia's largest export market for gold and chickpeas, the second-largest market for coal and copper ores and the third-largest market for lead and wool. Key products of imports from Australia include coal, copper ores and concentrates and petroleum.
Its a good time to be in the air-conditioning business. As my colleagues at Bloomberg News write, an additional 1 billion cooling units are expected to be installed by the end of the decade. Its one of the main ways in which humans are adapting to more frequent and intense heatwaves. With a potentially strong El Nino on the horizon  a climate pattern which increases global temperatures  and greenhouse gas emissions still higher than ever, were looking at another record-breaking summer, and another one, and another and so on. For many, owning an air conditioner has already become a matter of survival rather than comfort. But, of course it creates a vicious cycle: The hotter the earth gets, the more air conditioners well need or want to install. But air conditioners are a disaster for the planet, containing toxic coolants with greater warming potential than CO2 and drawing on precious energy resources. So more air conditioners means more potential warming, which means more air conditioners. While air conditioning has, no doubt, allowed humans to live in more extreme environments  just like heating at the other end of the temperature spectrum  new research sheds light on the fact that, just like other animals, humans are still tied to a climate niche. Going back millennia, this niche is the mean annual temperature (MAT) associated with the best conditions for humans to flourish. An analysis of global population density gives us a peak MAT of about 13C, and a second smaller peak at 27C  associated with monsoon climates in South Asia. These are the zones in which we thrive. The dip in the middle corresponds with drier climates that arent as suitable for us, our livestock or our crops; therefore, it has lower population densities, such as parts of the Middle East. The temperature zone is no coincidence: Gross domestic product also peaks at about 13C, and if the temperature shifts, we see productivity fall. For context, New York City and Milan have MATs of about 13C. The study, published in Nature, explores the human cost of rising global temperatures, taking a helicopter view on what works for people now, and how climate change will alter that. As things stand, current policies and action put us on track for 2.7C of warming above pre-industrial temperatures by 2100. This would leave a staggering 2 billion people  22% of the projected end-of-century population  exposed to unprecedented heat (defined as being a MAT of 29C and above). India  set to be the worlds second-biggest market for cooling units after China by 2050  and Nigeria would be the worst affected population-wise, with a combined 900 million people living in dangerously hot temperatures. Hundreds of millions of people would also get pushed into the middle ground which hasnt historically supported dense human populations. That poses huge challenges for adaptation. Air conditioning can help with the physiological effects of heat, and there are more climate-friendly ways of keeping our cities cool with innovative construction methods and vegetation, but thats only part of the problem. Given our reliance on plants and animals for food, which typically share our temperature preferences, and a plentiful water supply, exposure to such extreme heat will be existential for some areas  especially as the worst hit areas are some of the poorest regions in the world which may not be able to afford to adapt. As Marten Scheffer, one of the study authors and an ecologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands said in a pre-launch press conference: There will be parts of the world population that would be better off moving. Air conditioning, then, is a poor band-aid for a huge systemic problem and mass climate migration out of these areas will be inevitable. If the 2 billion estimate ends up being accurate  noting that it doesnt account for sea-level change and other climate threats  thats a monumental challenge. Migration events often lead to conflict and poor outcomes for refugees even at comparatively small magnitudes. A conversation about how to re-accommodate swathes of our global population while avoiding those problems will have to start now. Flip that on its head, Scheffer notes, and you get a more positive message: For every 0.1C of warming we prevent, another 140 million dont have to move away from their homes. Heres to breaking the cycle  before entire regions become effectively uninhabitable. Lara Williams is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering climate change. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Credit: Bloomberg
The eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, captured by Russian forces after more than 220 days of house-to-house fighting, is unique in that it comes with its own supply of bubbly to celebrate the victory. The workers of Artwinery, one of eastern Europes biggest producers of sparkling wine, only managed to evacuate about a million bottles from cellars 236 feet underground in 200-year-old gypsum mines, leaving 9 million bottles behind. The question is whether this Pyrrhic victory is to be toasted, or whether the defiant winemakers, who moved production to the Odessa region, will save what was once known as Soviet Champagne to celebrate the towns eventual Ukrainian liberators. The battle for Bakhmut, the most protracted of the war so far, could also have been the bloodiest. The Russian occupation authorities estimated Ukrainian losses at 15,000 to 20,000 dead last month, though propaganda outlets have cited numbers up to 40,000. US President Joe Biden has said that Russia has suffered over 100,000 casualties in Bakhmut. In any case, its likely that more people died or were wounded in the fighting than the 70,000 residents of Bakhmut before the war  a population now almost completely gone, save for a few dozen desperate souls hiding out in basements. The losses are not quite on the scale of Verdun, which resulted in about 700,000 casualties in World War I. Ukrainians still havent officially recognised the loss of Bakhmut, but they would like it to have been Russias equivalent of the fight for that small French town, which tied up and sapped the invading German armys forces long enough to prepare a successful attack elsewhere. That has been the ongoing rationale for the protracted, costly defense of Bakhmut from Ukraines military spokespeople and experts. Russian propagandists, for their part, have made a similar counterclaim  that Russian commanders, in particular Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner mercenary force, had intentionally lured Ukrainians into the Bakhmut meat grinder, bleeding the reserves Kyiv would otherwise use for a counteroffensive. The ploy would also deplete as much of Ukraines Western equipment as possible. They created a semi-encirclement of Bakhmut, pro-Kremlin political scientist Sergei Markov wrote on his Telegram channel. This was an interesting decision. It created an illusion for [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskiy that Bakhmut could be held. Zelenskiy kept throwing more and more Ukrainian military resources at this, and Wagner kept destroying them. Both sides are treating this phase of the war as one of attrition, at least before the start of the long-heralded Ukrainian counteroffensive. But they dont address why the fiercest fighting focused on this tiny part of the 600-mile front line. The Russian invaders, after all, could have elected to fight for the territory theyd lost in the Kharkiv region so they could again threaten Ukrainian fortresses such as Slovyansk and Kramatorsk with encirclement. They could also have tried to expand their gains in the Zaporizhzhia region, already declared Russian territory by the Kremlin. They could have sent Wagner, which markets itself as incapable of retreat, to push Ukrainian forces farther away from Donetsk, the biggest city in Russia-occupied Ukraine. Now, the front line is no more than 15 kilometers away from it, making Donetsk vulnerable to a wide range of Ukrainian weaponry. Instead, they chose to bang their heads against Bakhmuts defenses, which included a large network of tunnels like the ones where Artwinerys bottles were stored. Ukrainians, too, could have chosen to give up Bakhmut and use the troops to look for weaknesses in the Russian lines, like the ones they discovered last fall which resulted in the recovery of a large swathe of territory in the Kharkiv region. While they defended fortress Bakhmut, as it came to be known in the official discourse, the Russian military constructed bastions on long stretches of the front that should make such Ukrainian lightning strikes much more difficult. Prigozhins ambitions, both entrepreneurial and now apparently also political, were likely the main reason Russia persevered in Bakhmut. The regular Russian military, demoralised by Kharkiv region defeat and the forced withdrawal from Kherson in southern Ukraine, needed time to regroup, train hundreds of thousands of new recruits, accumulate weapons and ammunition, internalise the realities of modern drone war  in other words, to adapt. A recent report from the UKs Royal Services Institute argues it has, to a large extent, done so. Prigozhin, for his part, needed victories to maintain a high public profile and win Kremlin protection for his private army, which operates on a shaky legal foundation, So Wagner attacked relentlessly  first in the salt mining town of Soledar and then in Bakhmut, fighting to the point of exhaustion. Prigozhin now says the force will pull back to rebuild itself. Wagner is leaving the front lines unbeaten, an important point for the legend he is conjuring up at the price of thousands of his fighters lives. OK OK, its your victory, all yours, Igor Girkin  aka Strelkov, a veteran of Russias Ukraine wars and a harsh critic of both Prigozhin and the military command  wrote on his Telegram channel. A district center, no less, in four months and with losses that require your entire corps to be reconstituted because its no longer battle-ready. Be proud! Strelkovs sarcasm aside, however, Prigozhin and his mercenary corps have earned official congratulations from President Vladimir Putin  as much of a personal security guarantee as one can count on in todays Russia. Unfortunately for Prigozhin, it is only extended while he continues playing a part in the invasion, which means he needs to find more recruits to send against the next fortress or face being sidelined and squashed by his many enemies in the Russian bureaucracy. On the Ukrainian side, Zelenskiy has made sure Bakhmut acquired a symbolic status, complete with a music video viewed 13 million times on YouTube and the ceremonial handover of a battle flag from the town to US Congress. Even now, Ukraines military says the Russian forces in Bakhmut are semi-encircled, a claim that finds little support on war theater maps. Its important to Ukrainian morale that some kind of defensive operation continue, even if the fighting goes on outside the city limits. Bakhmuts fall isnt great for Zelenskiys ceaseless campaign to obtain more Western weapons, including long-range missiles and aircraft. One could argue, however, that Zelenskiys dogged stand on fortress Bakhmut has served a more important purpose than merely supporting a domestic and international narrative. It has sent a powerful message to the Russian military: If Moscow makes a push toward Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, both fortified at least as well as Bakhmut, it will need to expend even more lives and materiel. This message likely will be heeded, at least in the short-to-medium term. Unlike Wagner, which needs a heroic reputation to avoid absorption in the regular military or dissolution, the regular troops arent motivated enough to send wave upon wave of attackers against massive defenses built up over eight years. Lacking the stomach for more battles like the Bakhmut one, Russian generals will be hard put to use the meager military advantages they have extracted from taking the town, such as straighter supply lines and a shorter distance between the Russian artillery and Ukraines next echelon of defense. With Prigozhins self-serving passion dampened by the need to reconstitute his tattered force, the Russian troops will be squarely on the defensive, apart from sporadic attempts to push forward on the outskirts of Donetsk. The invading army is left to wonder what will happen next. When will the Ukrainian counteroffensive materialise? Why does Zelenskiy feel secure enough to take much-publicised overseas trips? Russian soldiers in the trenches must deal with rumors that Ukrainian forces are massing against Donetsk, or even the Russian city of Belgorod. This is not a great position to be in a year and three months into what was supposed to be a blitzkrieg. In that sense, Bakhmut, turned into a desert by the fighting, has served and is still serving its purpose for Ukraine. The Russian forces had better leave any sparkling wine still sitting in Bakhmut cellars alone. Its too early to pop the bubbly. Leonid Bershidsky, formerly Bloomberg Opinions Europe columnist, is a member of the Bloomberg News Automation Team. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Credit: Bloomberg
Deliberations on the war in Ukraine, predictably, dominated the three-day G7 summit hosted by Japan in Hiroshima which concluded on May 21, with President Volodmyr Zelensky making a surprise in-person appearance. Other old chestnuts which engaged the leaders of the seven most affluent nations included the challenge that China posed to the current global order and the intractable climate change impasse. India was among the eight nations that joined the G7 as special invitees and while Prime Minister Narendra Modi received rare praise for his personal popularity from his peers, the outcome of the Hiroshima deliberations will test the political acumen and diplomatic perspicacity of Delhi, as it prepares to host two back-to-back summits : the SCO in July and the G20 in September. This perhaps was evident in the no-show by China at the G20 tourism working group meeting that began in Srinagar on May 22. G7 Versus China-Russia The final statement issued in Hiroshima by the seven leaders is over 19,000 words and covered many of the issues that need global consensus but the broad strategic contour was more than evident  the discord between the US-led G7 on one hand and the China-Russia dyad on the other. This has considerable relevance for India that now wears a combination of hats that include being the current lead sherpa of the G20 and the SCO ; membership of the four-nation Quad; and acknowledged as the voice of the Global South. Furthermore, in relation to the nuclear issue, Indias distinctive profile was tacitly acknowledged by Japan  as a nuclear weapon capable nation that remains a non-NPT (nuclear non-proliferation treaty) signatory but deemed to be part of the global grouping that is grappling (often ineffectually) with complex nuclear challenges. Hiroshima as the venue for the current deliberations has a special poignancy for Japan that is the only victim of an atomic weapon attack in August 1945 (the other city being Nagasaki) and the greater responsibility for world leaders is to ensure that the nuclear taboo, which has not been transgressed till now be rendered more robust. The more recent Russian threat to take recourse to this apocalyptic capability over the reverses Moscow has suffered in the war in Ukraine pose an unprecedented challenge  that of a permanent member of the UN Security Council seeking to use a nuclear weapon for territorial advantage. However, while the opening section of the joint statement is familiar summit language: strengthen disarmament and non-proliferation efforts, towards the ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all  the need to censure nuclear sabre-rattling is absent. Indias Tightrope Walk The tightrope walking for India in the run-up to the July SCO and September G20 summits can be gleaned from two references in the opening paragraph of the Hiroshima document. While Russia comes into focus in the first bullet with G7 leaders asserting that they will: support Ukraine for as long as it takes in the face of Russias illegal war of aggression  the China reference is more elliptical. The last two bullets in the preamble dwell on : upholding and reinforcing the free and open international order based on the rule of law, respecting the UN Charter to the benefit of countries, large and small; and strongly opposing any unilateral attempts to change the peacefully established status of territories by force or coercion anywhere in the world and reaffirming that the acquisition of territory by force is prohibited. As expected, both Moscow and Beijing have rejected the G7 communique and in a social media rebuttal, Moscow on Sunday (May 21) described the Hiroshima deliberations as an incubator for anti-Russian and anti-Chinese hysteria. Beijing also opposed the G7 statement and has castigated Japan  the host and other members for feeding an anti-China narrative. Pulling Off SCO, G20 Summits The Indian dilemma will unfold in the coming weeks, when PM Modi will be received in the US (June) and France (July) as a state guest, thereby burnishing both his profile and that of the special bilateral Delhi has with two G7 nations. Indias own predicament with China over the latters territorial assertiveness in Galwan in 2020 and the more recent deadlock along the LAC (line of actual control) is unresolved. The fact that the Quad nations held a short-notice summit level meeting in Hiroshima (to redress the Biden cancellation of the Australia meeting) would not have been lost on China and puts India in the US partners basket. High level summits are about showcasing both symbolism and substance. For Delhi, it is imperative that both the SCO summit (where Russia and China are expected to join) and the G20 (that includes all the G7 members as also Russia and China) proceed without any diplomatic setbacks or turbulence. The fineprint of the Hiroshima document and G20 developments in Srinagar point to the challenges that lie ahead for Delhi. Commodore C Uday Bhaskar (Retd.) is Director, Society for Policy Studies, New Delhi. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication.
Singapores post-COVID bull run has brought more than its fair share of grousing. The city-state basks in its status as Asias destination of choice, a beneficiary of disillusion with magnets such as Hong Kong. Thats come with a big caveat: High costs that push workers to consider packing for the suburbs  of another country. Happily for Singapore, one very proximate would-be competitor needs to work a lot harder to be a serious rival. Johor, the southern state of peninsular Malaysia, is often depicted as an arm of the islands economy. Singapore was briefly part of Malaysia before becoming a republic in 1965. People flow across the border each day by the hundreds of thousands. Cars, trucks and motorcycles line up at rush hour. Food, goods, water and power cross the Johor Strait, which is less than half a mile at its narrowest point. With the cost of putting a roof over your head becoming prohibitive for some in Singapore, Johor is getting a fresh look. Its not only right next door, its cheap. Enhancing the attraction is the decline of the Malaysian ringgit, which has skidded against the Singapore dollar. But embracing the ex-spouse has its pitfalls. Johor is struggling with public services. The commute can be long, thanks to chronic congestion at peak times. While easily available in Singapore, domestic help is harder to come by and, with more employers cracking the whip on return-to-office, logging into Zoom too often from your spacious abode in Malaysia might not be such a great career move. I lived in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, a few hours drive north of Johor Bahru, the states biggest city, in the 1990s. I have been back a number of times after moving from the US to Singapore in 2019. However, I hadn't spent much time in JB since Singapore rents skyrocketed. I was intrigued by the idea that the global financial center was, perhaps, on the verge of pricing itself out of the market just when it became the flavor of the moment. Anecdotes constantly arise in conversations among foreign professionals about someone who knows a person who fled north, despite their robust salary or the deep pockets of their multinational employer. Chatting last week with some of JBs leading realtors, I came away with an appreciation for the wrinkles in the current crush, or fantasy. Yes, property transactions by volume and value hit a record high last year in Malaysia and its southern state. But it's driven more by Malaysians than by expats looking to make their Singapore packages stretch. The common thread, for sure, is the tie to Singapore. If anything happens in the Singapore economy, we are very affected, Sr Vadeveloo Suppiah, a former chairman of the Johor chapter of the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents, told me. There are Malaysians working in Singapore and seeking to trim overheads, or who are flush and can afford to stay on the island, but want to buy a home across the strait. There are Singaporean citizens who want to move to JB to save cash. Expats employed in Singapore, but without bulging relocation deals that cover rent and school fees, are an emerging group. Most of Vadeveloos clients are Malaysians working in the city-state. Its not all about expats like me  for now at least. As confident as agents are, the real test of JBs appeal and whether Singapore's star is dimming, if even slightly, will come in a few years. Thats when a light-rail system joining downtown JB with the islands northern transport hub of Woodlands, and from there to the hyper-efficient underground train system, is scheduled to begin. Days before I visited, Singapore announced that construction on its side of the Rapid Transit System was halfway complete. Its going to be a game changer, Vadeveloo declared. For a long time, there was just a single crossing. The Causeway, erected by British colonial authorities, marks its centenary in September. In an effort to ease bottlenecks, a second road link was opened in 1998 after years of delays owing to disagreements about precise location, size and scope. While clearly not being able to live without each other, the two nations dont always see eye to eye. Among areas often mentioned as good deals is Puteri Harbour, around 30 minutes drive southwest of central JB. Along the highway, billboards protrude from the hillside promoting international schools such as Marlborough College and Raffles American School. Strolling around the waterfront retail area that abuts hotels and high-rise apartments one recent afternoon, I could see what fans were getting at. I also recognised this place, like many in Malaysia, had a generous amount of hype to go with its substance. Plenty of shopfronts were chained up with dusty signs plastered to walls advising they were closed for COVID. On the promenade, security guards and janitors outnumbered others by about six to one. Later, at a bar called Rock Bottom, financial planner Adrian Paul is happy with his choice to relocate. A 37-year-old Malaysian with Singapore permanent residency, he and his Singaporean wife started considering leaving the city-state with their daughter when rents began the giddy ascent soon after COVID curbs were eased. The rent on their three-bedroom condo was climbing to S$7,000 ($5,250) -$8000 per month. For 8,000 Malaysian ringgit ($1,777) a month, the family now lives in a five-bedroom house with a yard, pool and space for several cars in the nearby Leisure Farm neighborhood. Here we can save and have a better quality of life, Paul said. This place is much busier on weekends. But this isnt simply transplanting an existence from Singapore. Internet connections aren't so great, Paul found. There are problems with trash collection, and taxis and ride-hailing services can sometimes take more than an hour to arrive. Paul is careful not to schedule meetings in downtown Singapore before, say, midmorning, and he has flexibility that enables him to work from home a couple of times a week. He recounts the experiences of a neighbor working for an investment bank in the financial district. If she leaves at 6 pm, she may not get home until after 8 pm. Its great as long as you dont have office hours. Singapore has taken steps to cool its property market, whose astronomical values the government attributes largely to delays in construction during the pandemic. Last month, in an effort to take some heat out of the industry, stamp duty for second-home buyers was increased and raised dramatically for foreigners purchasing private property. Singaporeans buying their first home are exempt. The state plays a huge role in housing; most citizens reside in apartments bought from the Housing & Development Board and politicians are acutely sensitive to perceptions of affordability. Days after the new measures, the likely next premier, Lawrence Wong, pledged to keep valuations manageable. In Singapore, the Prime Minister has to be a real estate agent, Wong told a May Day rally. An aging society heavily urbanised and with a languishing birth rate requires immigration, and Singapore embraces it more than many advanced nations. Its economy will always be inextricably linked with Malaysia, especially Johor. The latter wants the money from investors coming in. The city-state needs fresh food, vegetables, technicians, barmen, caterers, bus drivers and postal workers. Singapore needs to watch it doesnt become uncompetitive. For Johor, there are the challenges unleashed by geographic fortune: Demand from Singapore residents is making food, education and shelter more expensive for locals whose paychecks are in ringgit. The JB area is itself sucking in talent from across Malaysia. For all its allure, Johor isnt close to replicating Singapore, even if more people are prepared to at least contemplate a shift. Its not as simple as build and they will come. The dynamic reminds me of perennial complaints about the US dollars premier standing. The search for an alternative to the greenback, some magical currency that has all its advantages and no drawbacks of its own, keeps coming up short. Singapores moment in the sun isnt over. The boom in JB doesnt do normal business hours. The towering sign on the approach to the border checkpoint that proclaims its love for Johor is firmly planted on Malaysian soil. Daniel Moss is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian economies. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. Credit: Bloomberg
Those caught speeding in the UK usually get a choice between paying a fine and taking three points on their drivers license, or taking a speed awareness course. The smart play is to do the course. So when she was caught speeding while still attorney general, Home Secretary Suella Braverman ticked that option. So far, so relatable. In fact, a number of MPs and ministers have been caught speeding and had to accept the consequences. But Braverman allegedly wanted to avoid a media field-day around publicly appearing in the naughty room. Reports over the weekend said she asked a civil servant to help her dispatch the penalty without a group course. According to the reports, she was rebuffed, since the civil service code prevents them from acting on private matters or in a way that would be construed as party political. (When her political office was also unable to arrange for a private course, she gave up and took the points.) Well, the media field-day came anyway. Sunak was stuck having to answer questions about Bravermans speeding ticket at the G7 conference in Hiroshima and then had to consult with his ethics adviser. Bravermans role is now in question, and she spent Monday trying to assure MPs and the public that nothing untoward has happened. The allegations of impropriety seem almost quaint when held up against the kinds of scandals that brought down Boris Johnson and others  to say nothing of what counts as a major scandal in the US or elsewhere. But the row comes the same week that the government is due to release figures expected to show a significant jump in immigration levels, an issue that gets the publics attention and has divided the Tory Party. Sunak has also already lost three cabinet ministers to scandals over ethical breaches, two for bullying and one for failing to declare a tax investigation that resulted in a penalty. Those losses caused no lasting damage, but the situation around Braverman poses a different challenge. A once and future candidate for the party leadership, she has a strong following from the partys right, particularly among those who believe the Conservatives only path to electoral victory (or even viability in the future) is by taking a harder line on immigration. She was the architect of the Illegal Migration Bill, under which anyone arriving in the UK without permission is criminalised. Shes so enthusiastic about Britains new deportation policy she gushed over the interior design of Rwandan refugee shelters. Her speech last week to a conference on national conservatism argued that Britain should train more domestic fruit pickers and truck drivers to cut immigration. Bravermans supporters are inclined to blame this latest scandal on a woke-leaning civil service, or factions in parliament, which they accuse of weaponising rules and codes to get rid of mainly right-leaning officials whose political agenda they dislike. Yet Sunak couldnt just wave aside the matter, even if he was tempted to. He has staked his election hopes on both a record of delivery and a reputation for accountability. Another breach of the ministerial code by a high-ranking official, however seemingly minor, reflects badly on him and his party more generally. And Sunak has already given Braverman a pass by reinstating her after she was fired by Liz Truss after admitting to data breaches. To do so a second time, if the allegation is upheld, would smack of the very double standard that eroded public trust in Johnsons government. That would threaten Sunaks attempts to close the polling gap with Labour and rebuild trust in his party. Sunak has consulted ethics adviser Laurie Magnus for guidance; perhaps it will all fizzle. If not, the ultimate decision will be the prime ministers. If Sunak loses his home secretary, he risks being accused by an important segment of his party of going wobbly on his immigration pledges and marginalising a key wing of Conservatives. If he manages to keep Braverman, hell be accused by Labour (which faces a quandary of its own when it comes to immigration policy) of putting political expediency above his integrity pledge for a second time. The problem with speeding is that it can lead to a crash. Therese Raphael is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion covering health care and British politics. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. Credit: Bloomberg
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is likely to meet his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday, an official said. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo is trying to drum up opposition support over his government's fight against the Centre over an ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital. Kejriwal is scheduled to land at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in the afternoon, following which he will visit the state secretariat Nabanna to meet the Trinamool Congress chief. "They are scheduled to have a closed-door meeting at the state secretariat. They may also hold a discussion on probable strategies for next year's general elections," a senior TMC leader said. Kejriwal has met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the ordinance issue and the latter has extended full support to AAP in its tussle with the Centre on the matter. The AAP chief may also meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday in Mumbai.

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said he will be meeting leaders of various political parties to ensure that a bill related to Centre's ordinance nullifying the Supreme Court order on services matters is not passed in the Rajya Sabha. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has announced that it will hold a "maha rally" at Ramlila Maidan here on June 11 against the "black ordinance". "Today, I am starting my journey around the country for the rights of the people of Delhi. The Supreme Court had passed a judgement giving justice to the people of Delhi. The Centre snatched away those rights by bringing the ordinance," Kejriwal said. "When this comes in the Rajya Sabha, it has to be ensured that it not passed. I will meet the leaders of all political parties and ask for support," he added. Kejriwal is expected to meet his West Bengal counterpart and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday. The AAP on Monday sought support of all non-BJP parties in defeating in the Rajya Sabha a bill to replace the Centre's ordinance on Delhi's services matter, saying this is a "time for agni pariksha" for Opposition parties, and they should come together if they want to save the country's democracy and Constitution. The AAP is locked in bitter tussle with the BJP-led Centre since the Union government promulgated an ordinance on Friday to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority which will handle the transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and also matters of disciplinary proceedings against them. The ordinance essentially overturned a Supreme Court order last week which gave the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in Delhi.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has said he is not in the race to become prime minister and asserted the Opposition wants a leadership that would work for the betterment of the country. Speaking on Monday at a condolence meet for Ram Takawale, the Pune University's vice chancellor who passed away recently, Pawar said opposition parties might face a little task of projecting one person as the prime ministerial candidate if they come together. "I am putting efforts to get the Opposition together. I am not in the race to become the prime minister as I am not contesting the next (Lok Sabha) election," he told reporters. On seat-sharing with the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT), which are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Pawar said, "Recently, a meeting was held at my residence. Leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi will decide on it." "Uddhav Thackeray, Sonia Gandhi or Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and I will sit together to discuss more about it," he said on seat-sharing. The tenure of several civic bodies in Maharashtra got over early 2022, but polls were not held due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Lok Sabha elections are due in 2024, and the Maharashtra Assembly polls are also due in the later part of next year.

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In a remarkable achievement, women have secured the top four positions in the prestigious Indian Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The results of the examination were announced recently. Ishita Kishore secured the first position in the exams. A graduate in Economics (Hons.) from Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi, she opted for Political Science and International Relations as her optional subject. Following her closely, Garima Lohia, secured the second rank. A graduate in Commerce from Kirorimal College, University of Delhi, she chose Commerce and Accountancy as her optional subject. In the third position is Uma Harathi N, who graduated with a B.Tech. in Civil Engineering from IIT Hyderabad. Smriti Mishra came in fourth. She pursued her undergraduate studies in Zoology from Miranda House College, University of Delhi, and selected Zoology as her optional subject for the examination. Moreover, the top 25 successful candidates comprise 14 women and 11 men, indicating a significant shift in gender representation within the civil services. The educational qualifications of these candidates range from graduation in Engineering, Humanities, Science, Commerce, and Medical Science. The selected candidates are from renowned institutions such as IIT, NIT, DTU, Gauhati Medical College, University of Health Science, University of Delhi, Gujarat National Law University, Jadavpur University, among others. Additionally, it is noteworthy that the recommended candidates include 41 persons with "Benchmark Disability". The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2022, conducted on 5th June 2022, saw an overwhelming response, with a total of 11,35,697 candidates applying for the examination. Out of these, 5,73,735 candidates appeared for the examination. Following the preliminary stage, 13,090 candidates qualified for the Written (Main) Examination, which was held in September 2022. The number further reduced to 2,529 candidates who qualified for the Personality Test of the examination. Finally, the UPSC recommended 933 individuals (613 men and 320 women) for appointment to various services.

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Veteran Irish actor Ray Stevenson, who played the villainous British governor in RRR, has died. He was 58. The actors representatives told The Associated Press that he died on Sunday but shared no other details. Shocking... Just can't believe this news. Ray brought in so much energy and vibrancy with him to the sets. It was infectious. Working with him was pure joy, tweeted SS Rajamouli, the director of RRR. My prayers are with his family. May his soul rest in peace, the filmmaker tweeted, sharing a photo of him with Stevenson from the sets of the magnum opus. Shocking... Just can't believe this news. Ray brought in so much energy and vibrancy with him to the sets. It was infectious. Working with him was pure joy. My prayers are with his family. May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/HytFxHLyZD  rajamouli ss (@ssrajamouli) May 23, 2023 The official Twitter account of "RRR" too paid tribute to Stevenson. "What shocking news for all of us on the team. Rest in peace, Ray Stevenson. You will stay in our hearts forever, Sir Scott," @RRRMovie tweeted, referring to the actor by the name of his character, Governor Scott. What shocking news for all of us on the team! Rest in peace, Ray Stevenson. You will stay in our hearts forever, SIR SCOTT. pic.twitter.com/YRlB6iYLFi  RRR Movie (@RRRMovie) May 22, 2023 Ray Stevenson was also best known for playing an Asgardian warrior in the Thor films. He was a member of the 13th Legion in HBOs Rome. Born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Stevenson worked in British television for many years. He made his film debut in Paul Greengrasss 1998 film The Theory of Flight. In 2004, he appeared in Antoine Fuquas King Arthur as a knight of the round table and several years later, played the lead in the pre-Disney Marvel adaptation Punisher: War Zone. Stevenson has three sons with Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia, who he met while working on "Rome".
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Nithin Kamath, the founder of online trading platform Zerodha and a big fitness advocate, recently took to Twitter to emphasize the importance of strength training for Indians. Kamath highlighted with a statistics chart that only about 50 lakhs, or 0.3% of the Indian population, engage in regular gym workouts. He tweeted: "Strength training is integral to increasing healthspan, and we need more focus on this." Kamath further emphasized that exercise has been proven through extensive research to delay death, prevent cognitive and physical decline, and surpass other interventions in terms of overall health benefits. Most Indians think that you don't need strength training as you age. The truth is strength training becomes even more critical as we get older, especially after our 40s. The stronger we are, the more active we can be when we are older. 2/5https://t.co/0VGIy6qevM  Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) May 22, 2023 Kamath, 43, said the common misconception held by most Indians that strength training is unnecessary as one ages. On the contrary, he explained, "Strength training becomes even more critical as we get older, especially after our 40s. The stronger we are, the more active we can be when we are older." Additionally, he emphasized the importance of strength training for women, as they are more susceptible to bone density loss than men. Addressing the financial aspect of gym memberships, the billionaire acknowledged that they may not be affordable for everyone. He stated, "You don't need a gym for strength training, but it does help with motivation if you can get there." Kamath suggested alternatives such as yoga or simple free-hand exercise routines that can be done anywhere, with the goal of gradually increasing intensity to build and maintain strength. It is heartening to see open-air gyms coming up in public parks in Bengaluru. There is no better way to seed the idea of exercising among people, especially those that are intimidated by gyms or can't afford it. An open-air gym at every park in India will be 5/5 pic.twitter.com/Ki97UrSVN8  Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) May 22, 2023 Responding to Kamath's remarks, Twitter users expressed concerns about the affordability of gym memberships. One user highlighted the disparity, stating, "The monthly salary of an average Indian is $354, while a good gym membership in India costs between $50 and $100. How is it possible?" Another user argued that those earning $354 a month do not require gym memberships, as their daily activities already provide sufficient movement. The user further suggested that the number of individuals who truly need gym memberships is significantly higher than the 5 million quoted. Another Twitter user pointed out that gym membership is not the only way to engage in strength training, stating, "There's a correlation here but not causation." They emphasized that alternative methods can be just as effective. In response to the discussion, a user highlighted the prevalence of rural areas in India, stating, "Approximately 70% of India's population lives in rural areas where there are no gyms, but their lifestyle requires hard work." They argued that the effective membership rate is closer to 3-4%, indicating a significant gap between gym availability and the overall population. Nithin Kamath clears the air on AI replacing jobs, explains Zerodha's policy on layoffs Kamath also found it heartening to witness the emergence of outdoor fitness spaces in public parks, as they provide an alternative for individuals who are intimidated by traditional gyms or cannot afford memberships. Kamath expressed his optimism sharing one such park gym from Bengaluru, stating, "There is no better way to seed the idea of exercising among people."
Four restaurants in Dubai were awarded new Michelin stars on Tuesday in the guides second year issuing awards in the city. Tresind Studio received two Michelin stars, while Avatara, Moonrise and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal received one, bringing the total number of starred restaurants in Dubai to 14, up from last years 11. None of the winners from last year lost stars. The list reflects an elevated food scene in the Dubai, which used to be dominated by restaurants that licensed concepts from celebrity chefs. Lately, however, chefs have opened original concepts to acclaim. Investment from the citys tourism and economy agency has amplified those efforts: Dubai sponsored Michelins arrival here last year in a boost to the citys appeal to tourists and potential residents. The amount paid by Dubai was undisclosed but was close to what other locations have paid, according to a person familiar with the matter. (Tourism agencies in Florida paid a reported $1.5 million to sponsor the guide.) Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, sees investment into  and recognition of  the restaurant scene as a virtuous circle. If this is going to help me create that scene and elevate it to another level, itll encourage more people to invest in Dubai, and then those brands will attract more people in, he says in an interview with Bloomberg. If I can give them more reasons to come here every weekend, why not? The big winner to come out of this years awards was Atlantis the Royal, the splashy new hotel that hired Beyonce to play at its grand opening party in January. Five of its restaurants received honors from the guide, including Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, which received one star. Additionally, Dinners Arturo Scamardella won the guides sommelier award and chef Ariana Bundy won an award for opening of the year for Arianas Persian Kitchen. The resort, which uses its celebrity-chef helmed restaurants as a major selling point, is hosting the ceremony and this years gala. Chef Himanshu Saini also did well. His Tresind Studio moved up from one star to two, and his Passion F&B groups Avatara, which is fully vegetarian, received one star. LAtelier de Joel Robuchon in Dubai only reached selected status; which means recommended but not star-worthy. In Floridas recent Michelin awards, the outpost there received two stars, the top-ranked restaurant in that market. This year there were 17 restaurants awarded Bib Gourmands, Michelins cheap eats category, including three new restaurants. In Dubai that was defined last year as a place where you can get a three-course meal for around 250 dirhams ($68). Next year the amount of Michelin stars in Dubai could well climb higher; a gaggle of chefs with starred restaurants in other countries will open places at the upcoming One Zaabeel hotel, which is slated to open at the end of the year. And there is some grumbling among chefs and food bloggers around the selections, with some restaurants deemed worthy not making the list. The full list of starred restaurants and Bib Gourmands follows. An asterisk (*) indicates a newly listed restaurant or one that gained a star. Two Stars (Excellent cooking, worth a detour) Il Ristorante  Niko Romito STAY by Yannick Alleno Tresind Studio* One Star (High-quality cooking, worth a stop) 11 Woodfire Al Muntaha Armani Ristorante Avatara* Dinner by Heston Blumenthal* Hakkasan Hoseki Moonrise* Ossiano Tasca by Jose Avillez Torno Subito Bib Gourmand 21 Grams* 3Fils* Aamara* Al Khayma Bait Maryam Brasserie Boulud FiLia Folly Goldfish Ibn Albahr Indya by Vineet Kinoya Ninive Orfali Bros REIF Japanese Kushiyaki Shabestan Teible Green Star (restaurants with best sustainable practices) Boca* LOWE Teible*
Jamie Dimon, whose counterpart at Morgan Stanley just announced hell depart in the next 12 months, said hes still invigorated and has no plans to quit anytime soon. I cant do this forever, I know that, the JPMorgan Chase & Co. chief executive officer said at the firms Investor Day Monday. My intensity is the same. I think when I dont have that intensity, I should leave. Dimon, 67, said whenever the board decides on his successor, that person should have the courage to admit mistakes, but move beyond them quickly. The CEO has for years quipped that hes planning to stay at the biggest US bank for another five years, no matter when hes asked. Asked by Wells Fargo & Co. analyst Mike Mayo on Monday how many more years he plans to stay CEO, Dimon joked: Three and a half. Morgan Stanleys James Gorman, 64, said on Friday that he plans to step down as CEO within the next year and assume the role of executive chairman.

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Tesla is listing China-made Model 3 and Model Y models for sale in Canada, the company's website showed on Tuesday, confirming the electric car maker has completed its first shipments to North America from its Shanghai factory. Tesla's website showed both rear-wheel drive Model Y vehicles and the long-range, all-wheel drive version of the Model 3 available for immediate delivery in British Columbia, with codes showing they were manufactured at Tesla's Gigafactory Shanghai. Both models qualify for federal incentives of C$5,000 ($3,700) in Canada, which, unlike the United States, does not link electric-vehicle subsidies to the location of the plant that made the car. Tesla representatives in China and at the company's headquarters in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The company and other electric car manufacturers have a cost advantage in China as exports from that market boom. The China-made version of the Model Y was listed for C$61,990 in Canada. That is about 22% more than the equivalent vehicle costs in China before incentives. Tesla's move to export to Canada from Shanghai could help it keep vehicles made at its plants in California and Texas for sale in the United States, where they qualify for potential tax incentives of up to $7,500 under the Biden administration's subsidy program. It also opens a new market for Tesla Shanghai, which last year accounted for more than half of the company's production. Tesla's Shanghai factory manufactures EVs for sale in China and exports to overseas markets, including Europe. But Tesla faces growing competition on price and features from EV makers in China, and its Berlin factory has been ramping up output of the Model Y for customers in Europe. Tesla uses a code when listing vehicles for sale that corresponds to the first three digits of the vehicle identification number, or VIN. The VINs for Tesla models built by the Shanghai factory all start with the letters "LRW." It was not clear how many China-made, Tesla vehicles were available for purchase in Canada or how many had been sold. Tesla said last month that it would offer a new, cheaper version of its Model Y in Canada, a rear-wheel drive variant of the SUV-styled crossover that would qualify for Canadian government incentives. The cars qualifying for that subsidy on Tesla's website carry a VIN code showing they were built by the company's Shanghai factory. A Tesla production plan reviewed by Reuters showed the automaker had designed and tested Model Y vehicles for export to North America, with a target of producing nearly 9,000 for export this quarter. A person with knowledge of the development said those Model Y cars were bound for Canada. The person declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. It was not immediately clear what the equivalent target was for exports to Canada for the Model 3. Reuters had reported in November Tesla had considered plans for exporting made-in-China vehicles to North America. After the Reuters report was published, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in a Twitter post, had said "False," without elaborating.
A conversation about the smartest animal intelligence wouldn't be complete without mentioning other animals in the wild. Sure, they don't make the best pets, but they're definitely some of the world's smartest animals.

1. Great Apes

This group is comprised of our closest relatives in the Hominidae family, which includes gorillas, orangutans and chimpanzees. Humans share 99 percent of our DNA with chimpanzees, which are arguably the smartest animal in the wild. Chimps develop tight-knit social structures, make tools, and exhibit individual personalities and self-awareness.

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In captivity, the great apes quickly learn human words and sign language and can even comprehend abstract ideas like identifying objects and concepts not currently present in their environment. Although many great apes are in captivity due to endangered populations, they fare much better in the wild since controlled facilities rarely provide them the mental stimulation they need to live a fulfilled life.

" " Wild chimps use tools like rocks to perform tasks like breaking open nuts. Martin Harvey/Getty Images

2. Dolphins

Dolphins are some of the smartest animals in the world; they are basically the humans of the sea. Their brains weigh about 3.5 pounds, giving them the second-highest brain-to-body size ratio in the animal kingdom. Although they don't possess the same language skills as people, researchers have proven that dolphins have complex communication structures that allow them to navigate challenges far beyond the simple task of solving mazes.

Dolphins have been known to use their high intelligence to form social groups, use tools, and even pass on nonessential cultural traditions. For example, a dolphin named Billie spent some time in a training facility. Billie mimicked her fellow dolphins' show trick of "tail-walking" above the water's surface without human training. When Billie was released back into the wild, there were several eyewitness accounts of wild dolphins performing the show-stopping ability, even after Billie's death and despite the skill giving them no evolutionary advantage.

" " Dolphins in the wild taught each other the act of tail-walking, which involves rising vertically out of the water and then moving forward or backward across it. University of St. Andrews

3. Elephants

It should come as no surprise that these gigantic creatures have the largest brains of any land mammal on Earth. They are known for their excellent memories that live dormant in 251 billion neurons (nearly three times more than humans). This diverse network of neural pathways provides elephants with exceptional long-term memory storage for navigation routes and feeding-ground and fresh-water locations, which can become the difference between life and death in the drought-prone regions in which they often roam.

" " A family or herd of African elephants march in a line toward a water hole in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Their superb memories help them recall the way back to these spots. Vicki Jauron, Babylon and Beyond/Getty Images

4. Crows

Crows are arguably the most intelligent birds in the world. They are not as charismatic as the African grey, but they are more equipped to overcome dynamic challenges in both rural and urban environments.

For example, researchers from the University of Oxford have witnessed New Caledonian crows constructing compound tools to bypass a puzzle-box experiment to reach the hidden treat inside. This feat confirms that crows have the ability to problem-solve at a level only ever achieved by humans and chimpanzees.

Other species of crow have been recorded using breadcrumbs for fishing, and dragging fishing lines out of the water for an easy meal. However, arguably the most incredible cognitive feat of crows took place in Japan, where local crows recognized the color of streetlights to crack hard-shelled nuts with the wheels of passing vehicles while staying out of harm's way.

" " New Caledonian crows demonstrate that they can remember the location of out-of-sight tools while planning a three-stage sequence of behavior. Romana Gruber, CC BY-ND

5. Squirrels

Despite their cute and flighty nature, squirrels are actually methodical, strategic survivors in predator-heavy environments. The storage habits of common gray squirrels best illustrate the most notable example of this forward-thinking approach.

Gray squirrels require a high caloric intake for their size and, therefore, must stash away food for lean months in the winter season. These highly intelligent creatures construct nests known as dreys high in the canopy safe from danger, but bury food in several locations in case their stash is compromised. Squirrels are even known to establish false caches to confuse would-be thieves and protect the majority of their nuts and other food.

" " Gray squirrels use a mnemonic technique called "spatial chunking" to sort out and bury their nuts by size, type, nutritional value and taste. Sunshower Shots/Shutterstock

Now That's Freaky Octopuses deserve a mention on this list of smartest animals. Their intelligence and adaptability to their environment are in a league of their own  and that's part of the problem when researchers try to pinpoint how smart they are. Octopuses have large brains with more neurons than a human brain  more than half of which are in their long tentacle-like arms. That means their arms literally have a mind of their own. Researchers have even seen disconnected limbs crawling and lifting food to where their mouth would be long after they've been cut off the octopus' body. Octopuses also build homes using coconut shells and will camouflage their den with multicolored rocks to hide from predators.
Renowned global icon, Niall Horan, has finally announced that he is heading to New Zealand in April of 2024! The tour will tie into the release of his latest studio album The Show, bringing his melodic prowess to audiences down under for the first time since 2018, with the Flicker World Tour.
Last week, the disappearance of Madeline Molina Pantoja became the story in Midland.

The 20-year-old Molina Pantoja was killed, and her body was disposed of south of Midland -- approximately 3 miles east of County Road 190 and County Road 1160.

As of Tuesday, Mario Juan Chacon Jr. was still in the Midland County Jail, faced with a murder charge and a $3 million bond.

So, what happened and when? This is a timeline from May 9-21 based on events we know happened, those written in an affidavit and other details from news reports.

Timeline

May 9

Around 11 p.m. -- A friend of Madeline states she drops off Madeline at her apartment (Palladium Museum Place Apartments)

May 10

8:30 p.m. -- Mario Juan Chacon Jr. calls Madelines brother and said that he and Madeline had an argument, and she was not returning his calls (according to Madelines brother)

8:35 p.m. -- Madelines brother last heard from Madeline. Her brother states she sounded upset because she was arguing with Chacon.

8:37 p.m. -- Madelines brother sent Madeline a text. She didnt respond.

9:31 p.m. -- Madeline texted a second friend to confirm plans that they would meet at Madelines apartment and swim on May 11, according to that friend

May 11

1:59 a.m. -- Security footage shows a pickup near an oil company off Montgomery near the apartment complex of Madeline. The camera shows the passenger side of the vehicle -- which appears to have two different colored rims. The photographs taken later of the vehicle shows this matches the description of Mario Juan Chacon Jr. pickup. (According to the affidavit)

3:22 a.m.  A Flock camera shows a license plate of Marios pickup in the area of South County Road 1160 at 3:22 a.m. The continued investigation showed traffic cameras, cell phone data and nearby business cameras, which show Marios vehicle at the apartment complex. The evidence shows the time frame of Marios location from his residence to the apartment and later back to his residence. The time frame of this evidence is from approximately 12:26 a.m. to 3:37 p.m.)

6 p.m. -- The second friend of Madeline arrives at Palladium Museum Place Apartments to meet Madeline (to swim). She states she calls Madeline numerous times and knocks on Madelines apartment door. The second friend also states she could push the door open and see light in Madelines apartment. The second friend leaves to get food and called first friend of Madeline.

8 p.m. -- Both friends arrive back at Madelines apartment to check for a second time. It is stated that they observed the light, which was previously on, has been turned off. They state calling Madelines brother.

9:20 p.m. -- One of Madelines friends says she attempted to call Mario Juan Chacon Jr.

9:23 p.m. -- Mario Juan Chacon Jr. calls back and states he had witnesses that he has been at his house all day. (According to one of the friends)

9:25 p.m. -- Madelines brother said he called Mario Juan Chacon Jr. to see if he had heard from Madeline. Mario Juan Chacon Jr. said he had been with his dad all day (According to the brother)

9:26 p.m. -- Mario Juan Chacon Jr. sends Madelines brother his location (According to the brother).

Prior to 11 p.m. -- Palladium Museum Place Apartments manager lets Madelines brother and the two friends into her apartment. Madeline is not there but keys, phone and car are at the apartment/complex.  Missing is a black couch table, Madelines dog had no food or water, according to a police affidavit.

11:02 p.m. -- Midland Police Department officer is dispatched to attempt to locate/check welfare at Palladium Museum Place Apartments, 1711 W. Francis Ave.

11:13 p.m. -- Officer arrives at the complex. Madelines brother states Madeline lives at the apartment with Mario Juan Chacon Jr.

Officer then meets individually with Madelines two friends.

Multiple officers enter the apartment, unlocked by maintenance, to confirm Madeline is not inside and to look for a crime scene. An officer observes a dirty mop bucket, a sticky floor (as it is when too much cleaning product is used) and a detective is called. The friends and brother confirm Mario Juan Chacon Jr. has a key to the apartment (According to the affidavit).

Officer speaks with neighbor who said around 1:30 a.m., she woke up to loud yelling coming from Madelines apartment. Neighbor said she heard a woman scream (as if the person screaming was scared).

May 12

12:05 a.m. -- Mario Juan Chacon Jr. gives a voluntary interview and states he last saw Madeline on May 9 and his last contact with her was around 9 p.m. on May 10. Mario Juan Chacon Jr. also said he remained at a West County Road address on the night of May 10 (according to the affidavit).

10:50 a.m. -- MPD receives another check welfare call from Palladium Museum Place Apartments and that a female voice is heard inside Madelines apartment.

Officers observe a mop near the front entry door with dirty water and a Swifter-style mop on the floor near the door that leads to the bedroom. Officers also noticed a hole in the bathroom door and a hole in the door that leads to the bedroom (with hair attached to the damage in the door). Officers also found the bed comforter on the bed was missing and a dark red stain on the bed sheet.

Note: Foul play is believed to have occurred at Palladium Museum Place Apartments (it is written in the affidavit).

5:45 p.m. -- Mario Juan Chacon Jr. is interviewed at the police department. The beginning of the interview was a non-custodial interview, and Mario was advised he was free to leave. Mario said he forgot to mention that he went and had drinks with his cousin on May 10. Mario said he drove his pickup and picked up his cousin who lives in the same apartment complex as Madeline. Mario said he dropped off his cousin and drove hack to the West County Road address. Mario said his cousin called him when he got to his address, so he knew it was 11:06 p.m.

May 13

A search warrant for cellular telephone records for AT&T wireless pertaining to a cellular number is obtained. It is sent to AT&T.

May 18

Mario Juan Chacon Jr. is interviewed at the police department (a non-custodial interview). Mario was told lies were found in his timeline. Mario asked if he could leave the interview and ended the interview). Mario refuses a polygraph.

9 p.m. -- More than 200 rally around Midland Police Department calling for Madelines return and questioning what the police know about the case

May 19

1:30 p.m. -- Midland Police Department Chief Seth Herman laid out a number of actions taken by law enforcement following the disappearance of 20-year-old Madeline Molina Pantoja.

May 20

Early morning hours -- Cellular telephone records are obtained, and geo-location records are mapped for the dates May 10-12 (with the help of the Texas Rangers).

A 1-mile area around ECR 190 and SCR 1138 (approximately 3 miles east of County Road 190 and County Road 1160) in Midland County is noticed. MPD members and Texas Rangers conduct a search and discover human remains. Detectives corroborate jewelry Madeline is known to wear to the remains.

Assistant District Attorney Tim Flathers discusses the case with officials and recommends a charge of murder.

Approximately 3:30 p.m. -- Midland Police Department detectives arrest Mario Juan Chacon Jr.

May 21

Bond for Mario Juan Chacon Jr. is set at $3 million
Odessa Police Department

The Odessa Police Department is searching for a missing woman last seen on April 30 in Odessa.

Brittany Sawyer, 35, is about 5 foot 5, weighs approximately 130 pounds and has blonde hair and blue eyes.
" " Leucochloridium paradoxum is a parasitic flatworm (or "helminth") that uses a gastropod, or snail, as an intermediate host in order to intice its ultimate target, a bird. Henri Koskinen/Shutterstock

Look, something had to inspire those "Alien" movies.

By one estimate, somewhere around 40 percent of all known animal species are parasitic. From 30-foot (9-meter) fish tapeworms to Orthione griffenis, a "cough drop-sized" crustacean that drinks shrimp blood to survive, planet Earth is crawling with parasites.

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Many of them have evolved to find very specific hosts. Take Strigiphilus garylarsoni, a "chewing louse" named after cartoonist Gary Larson (you may remember him as the creator of "The Far Side"). It spends its entire life cycle on the skin of an unsuspecting owl, where the stowaway feeds on feathers and other organic materials. Besides owls, no other animals are known to harbor this particular kind of louse.

But sometimes, one host isn't enough. Sometimes, the only way for a parasite to reproduce and complete its own life cycle is by passing through multiple carriers.

Such is the case for Leucochloridium worms, biological oddities that have been accused of turning snails into "zombies."

This behavior is said to be part of an elaborate scheme that also involves hungry birds and their poop. Supposedly, if things go according to plan  for the worms  those poor old snails get their eyes pecked out.
Public defender Anne Taylor speaks during a status hearing for Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, at Latah County District Court in Moscow, Idaho, U.S., January 12, 2023. Kai Eiselein/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) speaks during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades
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.
Reporter

Andrew Roberto was raised his whole life on Saipan. He graduated from Saipan Southern High School, holds a degree from Northern Marianas College, and a BA in English from the University of Guam. He once worked for KUAM, UNO Magazine, and the Guam Daily Post.
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijani forces opened unprovoked fire at Armenian military positions from 00:20 until 01:10 on May 23, the Defense Ministry said in a press release.

The Azerbaijani forces used various caliber small arms in the shooting targeting positions deployed in the area of Kutakan, Gegharkunik Province.

No one was hurt in the attack, the ministry added.

As of 08:00, the situation on the frontline was relatively stable.
Shoppers stock up on supplies in preparation for Typhoon Mawar at Maite Pay-Less on Monday, May 22, 2023.
SYDNEY (Reuters)  Pacific island leaders will meet South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on Monday, their third summit in a week wit
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LAS VEGAS (AP)  A federal appeals court has ruled that a U.S. deportation law that fueled family separations at the southern border is neutral as to race, striking down an unprecedented Nevada ruling that had determined it was racist and unconstitutional.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals made that determination Monday in its long-awaited decision on the law known as Section 1326, which makes it a crime to unlawfully return to the U.S. after deportation, removal or denied entry.

The ruling is a blow for advocates who had hoped to see major changes to the nations immigration system after U.S. District Judge Miranda Du almost two years ago threw out an illegal reentry charge against a Mexican immigrant. Du said she dismissed the case on the grounds that Section 1326 of the Immigration and Nationality Act is discriminatory against Latinos and therefore violated Gustavo Carrillo-Lopez's constitutional rights.

We are deeply disappointed in the Ninth Circuits decision to uphold Section 1326, a discriminatory law that continues to fuel the mass incarceration of Black and brown people, waste government resources, and tear families apart, Sirine Shebaya, executive director of the National Immigration Project, said in an emailed statement.

A federal public defender for Gustavo-Carrillo said she also was disappointed by the courts ruling but declined to say whether she will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

We intend to seek further review on this very important constitutional issue, Amy Cleary said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Du's ruling in August 2021 was the first of its kind since Congress made it a crime almost a century ago to return to the U.S. after deportation under the Undesirable Aliens Act of 1929.

Her order spanning 43 pages traced the law's history to the 1920s  a time when the Ku Klux Klan was reborn, Jim Crow came of age, and public intellectuals preached the science of eugenics, said UCLA history professor and leading Section 1326 researcher Kelly Lytle Hernandez.

The Justice Department quickly appealed. It conceded that the 1929 law was based on racism but argued in December before a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit in California that later revisions  like Section 1326  made it constitutional.

That statute, as enacted in 1952 and amended since, is constitutional under equal protection principles, a Justice Department attorney told the judges. And the district court in this case is the only one in the country to conclude otherwise.

The Justice Department said Monday it had no comment on the appellate court's ruling.

Amid the appeal, the U.S. government still pursued Section 1326 cases across the country because Dus order did not include an injunction on the statute.

Section 1326, along with its misdemeanor counterpart Section 1325, are among the most prosecuted charges by the federal government. Section 1325 criminalizes unauthorized entry into the U.S.

The number of cases has fallen since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, but the Justice Department continues to prosecute tens of thousands of people annually for illegal reentry.

At the same time, immigration lawyers and advocates nationwide have continued to challenge the deportation law using the same legal framework seen in the Nevada case.

And there are more cases to come, said Khaled Alrabe, a senior staff attorney at the National Immigration Project.

Later this week, a panel of judges for the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals on the U.S. Virgin Islands is set to hear a similar case challenging Section 1326 as racist and unconstitutional.

We'll continue to work with our partners, advocates, organizers and, of course, the federal defenders to repeal and rid ourselves of these racist laws, Alrabe said.
After 80 years, a southern Illinois airman who was listed as missing in action is coming home.

Tech. Sgt. Harold Kretzer will be interred at 1 p.m. June 2 at Camp Butler National Cemetery in Springfield. His body had been in an unmarked grave in Romania before being moved to an American cemetery in Belgium.

Kretzer had been listed as missing in action since Aug. 1, 1943, when the Odin native's B-24 Liberator did not return to the airfield after fighting over Ploiesti, Romania. The 34-year-old U.S. Army Air Forces airman was 32 years old when he was presumed among 225 World War II airmen who died that day.

Because his remains could not be identified, he was buried as "unknown" in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Romania.

At the end of the war, the organization American Graves Registration Command recovered fallen American personnel but was unable to identify 80 unknowns from the cemetery. Their remains were interred at Ardennes American Cemetery and Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery in Belgium.

Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency members exhumed in 2017 the remains of airmen unidentified from the Operation Tidal Wave mission. The agency and Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used DNA to confirm Kretzer 's identity and the identities of about 39 others. He officially was accounted for Aug. 23, according to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

More than 81,000 service members still are unaccounted, according to Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency representative Ashley Wright.

Kretzer, who was assigned to the 66th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy), 8th Air Force, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Air Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Presidential Unit Citation with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster, U.S. Army Air Force Flight Engineer Wings Badge, and Honorable Service Lapel Button World War II for his service.

His memorial services will be private, but his burial at Camp Butler will be open to the public.

"We appreciate the effort of the U.S. Department of Defense to bring Uncle Harold home after 80 years and its continued effort to identify and bring others home no matter how much time has passed," said Kretzer's grand-niece, Glenda Thomas. "We are also grateful to the many veterans organizations who tirelessly advocate for those who have served in this nations wars."
Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree/Journal-Courier

Students interested in attending classes at Lincoln Land Community College can check out the school for themselves at the college's open house.

The event will take place 11 a.m.-2 p.m. June 20 at the college's Springfield campus, as well as its outreach offices in Taylorville, Litchfield and Jacksonville, 32 N. Central Park Plaza.
A report released Tuesday by Attorney General Kwame Raoul found that more than 450 members of the Catholic clergy in Illinois sexually abused nearly 2,000 children between 1950 and 2019.

The investigation found 1,997 children were abused by 451 Catholic clergy across the state. Of those, 32 clergy members were found to have sexually abused children in the Diocese of Springfield, which covers Cass, Menard, Morgan, Sangamon, Christian and Macon counties.

It is my hope that this report will shine light both on those who violated their positions of power and trust to abuse innocent children, and on the men in church leadership who covered up that abuse," Raoul said. These perpetrators may never be held accountable in a court of law, but by naming them here, the intention is to provide public accountability and a measure of healing to survivors who have long suffered in silence.

The Attorney General's Office has spent the past four and a half years investigating reports of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Illinois, as well as the practice of protecting the perpetrators.

The report lists the clergy abusers and details church leaders' failure to protect victims while covering up the allegations to protect the clergy.

Prior to the report, the Catholic Church had named only 103 clergy abusers in Illinois, far fewer than the 451 identified in the report. In the Diocese of Springfield, a minimum of 163 victims were linked to the 32 clergymen identified in the new report.

Our Saviour Catholic Church in Jacksonville was found to have had three cases of children sexual abuse.

Joseph Cernich served as a priest in Jacksonville from 1983 to 1986. A case of abuse was reported to have happened in 1984. He also served at two parishes in Springfield. He was placed on leave several times before being stripped of his priestly duties in 2003. He wasn't placed on the Catholic Church public list of clergy credibly accused of sexual misconduct or assault until November 2018.

Robert DeGrand served at Our Saviour from 1980 to 1987, with a case of abuse happening between 1981 and 1984. DeGrand also served at Saint Mark in Winchester, Saint Patrick in Bluffs and five other parishes. He was removed from the ministry in 2015 but wasn't placed on the Catholic Church public list until November 2018.

Michael Driscoll served in Jacksonville at Our Saviour from 1960 to 1989, with a case of abuse occurring between 1966 and 1967. He died in 1989 and wasn't placed on a list until November 2018.

Raoul said his office has provided recommendations to dioceses on how best to protect their members and investigate allegations to prevent the number of cases from rising.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki said he supports the investigation and feels it is time to bring all the crimes out into the public.

"The attorney generals inquiry into the history of clergy sexual abuse of minors in this diocese has served as a reminder that some clergy in the Church committed shameful and disgraceful sins against innocent victim-survivors and did damage that simply cannot be undone," Paprocki said. "As bishop of this diocese, I cannot undo the damages of the past, but I have been and continue to be fully committed to ensuring we do all we can to prevent abuse from happening again."

A statement by the Illinois Catholic Dioceses said procedural changes have been made to better protect victims of sexual abuse and to find justice.

Policies include fair and respectful treatment for anyone bringing forth allegations of abuse, assistance from the diocese's victim assistance ministry, all allegations of sexual abuse of a minor are reported to civil authorities, abuse by those who have died or have been laicized is investigated and handled in the same manner as all other allegations, and the diocese will cooperate with any and all investigations. More detailed procedures can be found on individual diocese websites.

Paprocki said the abuse of children is immoral and it is important for all cases to be investigated properly.

"As difficult as this process has been for all involved, especially the victim-survivors, we credit the attorney generals office for bringing about greater transparency, and, especially for keeping the spotlight on this issue to help us sustain the vigilance with which we guard against any future threat of abuse," Paprocki said. "We hope the attorney generals office continues this vigilance for creating a safer environment with other institutions, and it doesnt stop with just the Catholic Church."

Others who served in the Jacksonville area and were accused of sexual abuse  though those cases may not have taken place in parishes in this area  include:

Alvin Campbell  Served at Our Saviour, 1960-63

Eugene Costa  Served at Saint Luke in Virginia in 1976, Saint Basil in Chandlerville in 1976 and Saint Fidelis in Arenzville in 1976.

Ray Franzen  Served at Our Saviour, 1942-49

Joseph Havey  Served at Holy Ghost in Jerseyville, 1975-76

George Kromenaker  Served at Our Saviour in 1947 and again from 1949 to 1952

Joseph Cullen O'Brien  Served at Saint Alexius Church in Beardstown, 1977-78; and at Saint Fidelis in Arenzville, 1977-78

James Patrick O'Hara  Served at Saint Mark in Winchester, 1959-68

Louis C. Shea  Served at Saint Mary in Mount Sterling, 1970-77

Frank Westhoff  Served at Saint Mary in Pittsfield, 1976-84; Holy Redeemer in Barry, 1976-84; and Holy Family in Griggsville, 1976-84

The full report can be found on the Attorney General's website or read below:
Benjamin Berger/AP

Federal and local law enforcement officers have arrested a 19-year-old man after it appears he deliberately crashed a U-Haul truck into barriers adjacent to the White House.

The man has been identified as Sai Varshith Kandula in an NBC News report, and according to several reports he is a native of the St. Louis suburb Chesterfield, Missouri. Additional reports indicate Kandula graduated from Marquette High School last year.
The Department of Defense last year requested $773 billion in fiscal year 2023 funding for its operations. This $773 billion represented a $30.7 billion increase from the previous years enacted amount  and accounts for half of all discretionary spending in the federal budget.

But even this hefty hike was not the Pentagons only chance at asking for more tax dollars, thanks to a scheme mainly known to Washington insiders.

Most lawmakers across the political spectrum agree we must provide sufficient resources for the Pentagon to defend our national interests and the American people, especially during this time of global uncertainty.

However, the military service chiefs and combatant commanders also requested an extra $24 billion on top of this massive sum to pay for various items in last years unfunded priorities lists. Our organizations, Taxpayers for Common Sense and the National Taxpayers Union, banded to track and report on this fiscally unsound practice. Like many things related to Pentagon spending, these lists have their own acronym, UPL.

Seeking congressional approval for unfunded priorities is an old practice that started informally when military service chiefs appeared at congressional hearings and were asked what weapons systems did not make it into the final budget request. From that modest beginning, these wish lists grew to include research projects, military construction, you name it.

To make things worse from the taxpayers point of view, this wasteful practice is even enshrined in law now.

In its fiscal year budget request to Congress, the Pentagon asked for $842 billion. This, combined with the Unfunded Priorities Lists we have found so far  13 lists totaling more than $17 billion  puts the Pentagons total budget request at close to $860 billion. From our collaboration on this budget-tracking effort for the last two years, we know there are more UPLs out there we havent dug up  yet.

Were not the only ones asking how long the federal budget can accommodate bloated Pentagon increases like these.

Like so many other federal spending programs, items on unfunded priorities lists can create mission creep and take on a life of their own, regardless of their merit. Some of the extras that appear as unfunded priorities just missed the cut for the Pentagons formal request to Congress, and thats why they make it onto the list in the first place. But others seem to wind up there with a wink and a nod to one of the many congressional caucuses that advocate for spending programs benefiting particular states or districts.

Recently, in a victory for common sense and fiscal sanity, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced his support for efforts to rein in this wasteful practice in Senate testimony to Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, who, with senators Mike Lee, R-Utah, Mike Braun, R-Indiana, Angus King, I-Maine, has sponsored legislation to nix the statutory requirement that military services, combatant commands and other Pentagon subsets produce an annual UPL. This ends the legal requirement; services could still submit the list if they desire.

Remember, it is difficult to kill a federal program in Washington  no matter how unnecessary or wasteful  once it has taken root in the fertile fields of special interest lobbying. And UPLs are one way those interests get an unwarranted second bite at the budget apple taxpayers have worked so hard to cultivate.

Americans have defended democracy for more than two centuries. To keep democracy strong, however, it is essential to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent thoughtfully and transparently on worthwhile rather than wasteful programs that couldnt fit into a nearly $850 billion budget request.

The late senator Everett Dirksen, R-Illinois, was reputed to have said, A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money. He also warned against poor legislative budgeting practices that amounted to fiscal suicide on the installment plan.

If he made either of those statements today, he could have easily been referring to the Pentagons unfunded priorities lists.
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. The first Armenian investment crowdfunding platform, ARFI, as well as the Armenian National Interests Funds, ANIF, will be presented at the Orion Summit 2023, which will be attended by representatives of venture companies, large corporations, financial institutions, universities, family offices, and investors.

The Orion Summit 2023 investment summit will take place in New York City on June 19-22. Startup founders and investors participating in the summit will have the opportunity to register on the platform during the event. Our goal is to provide new sources of financing for Armenian SMEs and IT startup projects and to give investors the opportunity to invest in these projects in an online environment from anywhere in the world. Our main target is to attract the potential of the diaspora, and here, Orion Summit 2023 is also a good opportunity to draw the attention of international investors to Armenian companies, said Edgar Evoyan, CEO of ARFI Investment Company.

ARFI Investment Company, the operator of the ARFI investment crowdfunding platform, is a subsidiary company of the Armenian National Interests Funds, ANIF. This investment crowdfunding platform provides a unique opportunity to invest from all over the world in new IT startup projects and in small and medium-sized enterprises operating in Armenia. The company is licensed by the Central Bank of Armenia.

More than 40 world-class speakers will perform at the summit from leading Armenian and international companies, including financial, technological, educational and other industries. Registration to participate at the summit is available through the official website. Orion Summit 2023 will last four days. The summit will include meetings and discussions about innovations and investments, visits to Covenant Venture Capital, One World Trade Center, the Harvard Club, and the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech.
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has held a meeting with UK Minister for Europe Leo Docherty in Yerevan.

The Prime Minister welcomed Dochertys visit to Armenia and attached importance to close cooperation and development with the UK in various sectors, the Prime Ministers Office said in a readout.

PM Pashinyan expressed certainty that bilateral relations have big potential for progress.

UK Minister for Europe Leo Docherty said that the launch of the Strategic Dialogue with Armenia has already been announced and that the UK is interested in expanding ties in various directions.

Issues related to trade-economic partnership and opportunities for implementing projects in solar energy and other sectors were discussed. PM Pashinyan added that the Government of Armenia is eager to involve British investors into the Armenian market.

The process of Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization of relations, unblocking of regional transport and economic infrastructures, the work for ensuring delimitation and border security between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the situation around Nagorno Karabakh, namely the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Nagorno Karabakh resulting from the illegal blockade of Lachin Corridor by Azerbaijan and the introduction of an international mechanism for dialogue between Baku and Stepanakert were discussed.

PM Pashinyan said that by blockading the Lachin corridor, as well as cutting off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan seeks to subject the Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh to ethnic cleansing.
Money laundering trial against former Panama President Martinelli and others begins

Money laundering trial against former Panama President Martinelli and others begins View Photo

PANAMA CITY (AP)  Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli was among some 20 people who went to trial Tuesday on money laundering charges as he tries to mount a political comeback ahead of next years national elections.

Martinelli, who had back surgery last week, was not present. One of his lawyers tried twice to stop the proceedings, but Judge Baloisa Marquinez dismissed the efforts. The former president has denied wrongdoing.

The case, known locally as New Business, dates back to 2017 and concerns the purchase of a publishing company that owns national newspapers.

Prosecutors maintain that through a complex series of foreign money transfers totaling $43 million, companies that had won lucrative government contracts during Martinellis presidency, funneled money to a front company that was then used to purchase the publisher. The front company collecting the money was called New Business.

Martinelli is also expected to go to trial later this year in a case related to massive bribes paid by Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht to win government contracts.

Martinelli served as Panamas president from 2009 to 2014. He is expected to participate in his partys primaries in July.
Yosemite, CA Yosemite National Park is set to receive a significant boost with $17 million in total support from the nonprofit Yosemite Conservancy in 2023. The funds will be utilized to restore trails and ecosystems, advance scientific and historical research, safeguard wildlife, and enhance visitor experiences within the park.

Yosemite National Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon emphasized the crucial role of philanthropy in supporting national parks and credited the Yosemite Conservancy, the nations first friends group, for its century-long partnership. Muldoon highlighted the positive impact of their collaboration, which has facilitated access to iconic landmarks, funded research for the preservation of endangered species, and enhanced visitor experiences. She expressed enthusiasm for the future and the joint efforts to ensure Yosemites preservation for generations to come.

Yosemite Conservancy President Frank Dean recognized the essential role of donors in funding priority projects within the park. He emphasized the significance of protecting Yosemites natural treasures, particularly considering the awe-inspiring water flows and the parks status as an irreplaceable global gem.

This year, approximately 50 projects, programs, and services will benefit from the grants. Among them are initiatives to improve safety on the popular Mist Trail, investigate threats to giant sequoias, and conduct research on declining populations of park salamanders, bats, and Pacific fishers.

Dean stressed the need for upgrades on the Mist Trail, frequented by an average of 3,000 hikers daily. Recognized as one of the most spectacular and popular trails in the entire National Parks system, the Mist Trail offers views of Vernal Fall, Glacier Point, Nevada Fall, and Half Dome. The planned improvements include trail enhancements, new signage for safety and navigation, improved viewing areas below Vernal Falls, elevating Tribal perspectives, footbridge additions, and enhanced accessibility within the greater Happy Isles trail system.

The grants will also support the parks Junior Ranger programming, the renowned Ask a Climber program and the documentation of Chinese-American history within the park.

Dean highlighted that 2023 will witness the completion of significant visitor improvement projects funded by the Conservancy. In the coming month, a new Welcome Center will open in Yosemite Valley, while later in the year, access will be restored to the area surrounding the 620-foot Bridalveil Fall. Extensive improvements to trails, viewing areas, parking, and visitor amenities have been made to enhance the visitor experience.
South Carolina ready to renew abortion ban around 6 weeks of pregnancy after Senate vote View Photo

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  Abortion will soon be severely restricted in one of the last bastions for legal access in the U.S. South.

The South Carolina Senate approved a bill Tuesday that would ban most abortions after around six weeks of pregnancy  before most people know they are pregnant  and sent it to the Republican governor who has promised to sign the bill into law as soon as possible.

The proposal restores a 2021 ban that took effect when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. The ban was overturned by the states highest court because it violated the state Constitutions right to privacy.

South Carolina reported increasing numbers of abortions following that decision, which left abortion legal through 22 weeks of pregnancy, while other Southern states enacted stricter laws.

Abortion is banned or severely restricted in much of the South, including bans throughout pregnancy in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. In Georgia, its allowed only in the first six weeks.

Most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy will be banned in North Carolina beginning July 1 after the states Republican-controlled Legislature successfully overrode the Democratic governors veto last week.

A legal fight is widely expected in South Carolina. Vicki Ringer, the director of public affairs for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, said Tuesday evening that her organization would file a request for a temporary restraining order after Republican Gov. Henry McMaster signs the measure.

Any challenge that reaches the South Carolina Supreme Court would also face a new bench, as the lone woman who authored the leading opinion in the abortion case had reached the courts retirement age.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey expressed confidence the law would stand.

It has been a long and bumpy road but it was an important debate to have, Massey, a Republican, told reporters Tuesday. Im glad we finally got a resolution on it. Its something thats going to make South Carolina not the abortion destination state of the Southeast and I think thats important.

The move marks the end of a monthslong impasse between the two Republican-led chambers. The South Carolina House backed off a proposal to ban abortion almost entirely at conception and passed the new restrictions last week after nearly 24 hours of debate split across two days. Senators had tried three times to muster the votes necessary for the near-total ban over the past year.

The latest attempt failed last month after the only five women in the 46-member chamber successfully filibustered the proposal. Members of the coalition known as the sister senators  three Republicans, one Democrat and one independent  again fought the new bill.

In blistering speeches, the three Republican women said the six-week ban did not give women enough time to make a decision. They urged other members of their party to adopt a 12-week abortion ban instead in what Sen. Katrina Shealy called a real compromise.

We in the South Carolina Legislature are not God. We do not know whats going on in somebody elses life. We do not have the right to make decisions for someone else, Shealy said.

Shealy and Republican Sen. Penry Gustafson had voted for an earlier version of the six-week ban but said they could not support changes inserted by the House. Shealy criticized a new requirement that biological fathers make child support payments beginning at conception as ridiculousness. House Republicans also axed a provision expressly allowing minors to petition the court for an abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Republican Sen. Sandy Senn denounced new sections permitting civil lawsuits against doctors who violate the proposal and mandating that patients sign an additional form attesting that they had the chance to view the ultrasound. She called the latter requirement an intimidation tactic that is piling up the paperwork on women.

Massey insisted the differences were not significant and largely technical changes necessary to satisfy one South Carolina Supreme Court justice who previously voted with the courts 3-2 majority to strike the last ban.

The bill includes exceptions for fatal fetal anomalies, the patients life and health, and rape or incest up to 12 weeks. Doctors could face felony charges carrying up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The Senates 15 Democrats, unified against both abortion bans, have largely let the Republican majority debate the issue among themselves. As they have before, Democrats suggested Tuesday that voters should decide the matter. Opponents have also argued that South Carolinas high maternal mortality rates  with even poorer outcomes among Black patients  would grow worse under the new restrictions.

The three Republican women joined every Democrat in voting against the bill.

Im conflicted because I want to reduce abortions but I dont want to eliminate womens and mothers rights, Gustafson told reporters after the vote.

Just like when they first entered the state House on Tuesday, the women of the Senate were greeted with rousing applause from the dozen remaining abortion rights supporters as they exited the chamber. All five donned buttons that read elect more women.

Independent Sen. Mia McLeod said she was disheartened that a male-dominated chamber voted on a bill that would have a devastating impact on women and girls for generations.

We should be initiating the discussions because were the only ones who have firsthand knowledge about what it takes not only to give birth but to raise a child, she told The Associated Press.

While those discussions may be over this session, some of the most ardent abortion opponents in both chambers are already looking ahead to the 2024 elections.

Republican Sen. Richard Cash acknowledged the Senates current makeup lacked the votes for a stricter proposal but vowed that the fight will continue to outlaw all abortions. If he wins reelection, he said theres going to certainly be a renewed effort to protect life at an earlier point in time.

Shealy, a Republican who rejected assertions that she is a baby killer in her floor speech, cited conversations with real people in her conservative district as the impetus for her decision.

I didnt get elected to get reelected. I got elected to do the right thing, said Shealy.

-

This story version substitutes the 12th paragraph to correct that the Republican women senators argued against a six-week ban as not giving women enough time to make a decision, not 12 weeks.

___

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.

By JAMES POLLARD

Associated Press/Report for America
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan, who is in the State of Qatar on a working visit, has participated in the opening ceremony of the Qatar Economic Forum.



Following the official ceremony, the President of the Republic of Armenia met with Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the presidents office said in a press release.

The President expressed gratitude to the Emir for the invitation and congratulated him on organizing the Qatar Economic Forum at a high level.



During the meeting, President Khachaturyan highlighted the importance of the consistent development of close friendly relations between Armenia and the Arab world and the willingness of both sides on this matter.

In his speech, the President presented to the Emir the details about the realities in the South Caucasus region and the essence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. President Vahagn Khachaturyan emphasized that Armenia is committed to establishing peace in the region and good relations with neighboring countries.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani noted in his speech that he is aware of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and hopes that the developments will lead to achieving the agenda of sustainable peace. The Emir noted that currently there are 10 flights from Qatar to Armenia and vice versa on weekly basis which attests to the potential for cooperation between the two countries. Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also stressed that the establishment of stability and peace in the region will contribute to the further development of relations.

During the discussion, the sides touched upon the possibility of opening the Embassy of Qatar in Armenia, the importance of the latter was highlighted by both sides which may raise the Armenian-Qatari economic, agricultural, political, cultural cooperation to a new level.

Concluding the meeting, the President of the Republic of Armenia invited the Emir of Qatar to visit Armenia.
Texas man near deadly police shooting during Capitol riot gets nearly 7 years in prison

A Texas winery operator was sentenced on Tuesday to nearly seven years in prison for storming the U.S. Capitol and joining an attack on the House chamber when police shot and killed another rioter.

Christopher Ray Grider also tried to cut power to the Capitol building during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot  a terrifying act of political and institutional sabotage, according to prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced Grider to six years and 11 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorneys office for the District of Columbia.

Grider, 41, joined the mobs assault on the House chamber and helped another rioter break the Speakers Lobbys glass doors, setting in motion the chain of events that led to an officer fatally shooting fellow rioter Ashli Babbitt, prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

Prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of seven years and three months for Grider.

Grider pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts before going to trial on other charges. He testified at his December 2022 bench trial before Kollar-Kotelly decided the case without a jury and convicted him of seven charges, including civil disorder and obstructing the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Bidens electoral victory.

Defense attorney Brent Mayr said Grider truly regrets his actions on January 6 and apologizes to his family, his community, and most importantly, this country. There is no evidence that Grider engaged in any violence at the Capitol, his lawyer noted.

This is a sad day, Mayr wrote in an email after his clients sentencing. We respect the courts consideration of all Chris did to try to make things right after January 6, but we are disappointed that his sentence is significantly longer than others who did so much worse than him.

More than 1,000 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Just over 500 of them have been sentenced, with more than half receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from a week to over 14 years. Only seven rioters have received longer prison sentences than Grider so far, according to an Associated Press review of court records.

Also on Tuesday, a different judge sentenced a Proud Boys extremist group member from Rhode Island to two months of imprisonment for his role in the Jan. 6 riot. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden also sentenced Bernard Joseph Sirr to six months of home confinement and one year of probation, according to court records.

Sirr, 47, of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty in January to joining other rioters in a coordinated push against police officers guarding a tunnel entrance on the Capitols Lower West Terrace.

Prosecutors had sought a 10-month term of imprisonment for Sirr, a U.S. Army veteran who has worked as a reactor engineer at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center, where the states only nuclear reactor is located.

Grider was a U.S. Air Force military police officer who guarded an air base after serving in the Army National Guard. More recently, he has operated a family-owned winery with his wife near Waco, Texas.

Grider and a friend flew to Washington, D.C., on the morning of Jan. 6. They missed then-President Trumps speech at the Stop the Steal rally, but the two friends arrived in time to join the crowd of Trump supporters marching to the Capitol.

Outside the Capitol, Grider helped other rioters dismantle police barricades and picked up a discarded police helmet.

After entering the building, he approached a utility panel and tried in vain to cut power to the Capitol. He urged other rioters to join him as he marched toward the House chamber, shouting We gotta get into the chamber! This way, this way, this way!

Joining the mobs attack on doors leading to the House, Grider pleaded with police officers to open the doors. Grider handed the helmet to another rioter, Zachary Alam, who used it to smash a pane on the Speakers Lobbys glass doors, prosecutors said. A Capitol police lieutenant on the other side of the doors shot and killed Babbitt, an Air Force veteran from California, as she climbed through the opening.

Despite witnessing the shooting, and instead of obeying the officers directives to leave the area, Grider lingered on for several minutes, interfering with police efforts to provide medical assistance to the wounded rioter and restore order to the area, a prosecutor wrote in a court filing.

Alam was charged separately and has a jury trial scheduled to start on July 31.

Mayr said Grider was not some fanatical, anti-social, antigovernment individual who dwelled upon or obsessed about coming to (Washington) to do harm and violence.

He was a productive, positive member of his community with a host of underlying issues and experiences that made him susceptible to being manipulated by a narcissist and false beliefs that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump, Mayr wrote in a court filing.

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN

Associated Press
DeSantis plans to announce 2024 bid Wednesday on Twitter Spaces with Elon Musk, sources tell AP View Photo

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, long seen as Donald Trumps leading rival for the Republican nomination, plans to launch his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday in an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, according to two people with knowledge of the decision.

DeSantis, an outspoken cultural conservative, will outline his plans in an evening audio event streamed on Twitter Spaces, according to the two people. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to discuss the announcement publicly.

The 44-year-old two-term governor would be joining a crowded Republican contest to decide whether the party will move on from Trump in 2024. DeSantis has embraced Trumps combative style and many of his policies, but casts himself as a younger and more electable version of the former president.

In choosing Twitter, DeSantis is taking a page out of the playbook that helped turn businessman-TV celebrity Trump into a political star.

The timing of DeSantis long-expected announcement has been shrouded, with various iterations of plans being leaked over the past few days. Some close to him suspected that he was providing conflicting information about the timing and location to root out leakers. Others believe he changed his initial preparations after news reports came out about them.

Musk, speaking at The Wall Street Journals CEO Council Summit event in London on Tuesday, seemed to confirm the Wednesday event, saying DeSantis would be making quite an announcement on Twitter. The first time something like this is happening on social media, he said, with live questions and answers.

The news of DeSantis impending announcement came as Trump was making a video appearance in a New York courtroom as part of his criminal case. A judge tentatively scheduled Trumps trial to begin March 25, which falls in the heart of the presidential primary season. Trump pleaded not guilty last month to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records at his family company, the Trump Organization.

DeSantis was expected to meet with donors Wednesday at the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami before the Twitter Spaces event, which was scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT.

While it is common for campaigns to publicize their announcements in videos shared on social media, it is far more unusual  and perhaps unprecedented  to hold a campaign announcement in a live social media forum.

Big if true , DeSantis wife, Casey, posted Tuesday on Twitter, linking to a Fox News story on the announcement and adding a smiley face.

Earlier Tuesday, the Florida governor gave no hints of his 2024 plans during a short Cabinet meeting in Tallahassee where he discussed state business with agency heads. The media was barred from covering a subsequent bill signing ceremony.

DeSantis has emerged as a national star in Republican politics as an unapologetic leader on controversial issues.

The governor sent dozens of immigrants from Texas  by way of Florida to a small island off the Massachusetts coast to draw attention to the influx of Latin American immigrants trying to cross the Southern border. He signed and then expanded a Parental Rights in Education bill  known by critics as the Dont Say Gay law  which bans instruction or classroom discussion of LGBTQ issues in Florida public schools for all grades.

More recently, he signed a law banning abortions at six weeks, which is before most women realize theyre pregnant. And he removed an elected prosecutor who vowed not to charge people under Floridas new abortion restrictions or doctors who provide gender-affirming care.

Trumps allies lashed out Tuesday at DeSantis plan.

This is one of the most out-of-touch campaign launches in modern history. The only thing less relatable than a niche campaign launch on Twitter, is DeSantis after party at the uber elite Four Seasons resort in Miami, said Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trumps super PAC.

Trump himself frequently dismisses his rival as Ron DeSanctimonious.

In choosing to announce with Musk, DeSantis is linking his presidential announcement to one of the worlds richest men, who has emerged as a conservative cult hero of sorts.

Since buying Twitter last October, Musk has reinstated the accounts of prominent Republicans, including Trump and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had been removed. Popular conservative broadcasters have flocked to Twitter, with ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson and the podcast hosts of The Daily Wire announcing they will start streaming on the platform.

Musk himself has promoted far-right conspiracy theories on Twitter, including misleading claims questioning a Texas mall shooters background and a debunked rumor that House Speaker Nancy Pelosis husband had a relationship with an assailant who attacked him.

Earlier this month, Musks tweets likening billionaire philanthropist George Soros to a Jewish supervillain were met with criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, which said they would embolden antisemitic extremists. Musk said he would be more thoughtful in the future.

Twitter was once Trumps most important megaphone  one he used to dominate his rivals in the 2016 primary and to command the news cycle for years. Trump was barred from the platform after a mob of his supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with Twitter citing the risk of further incitement of violence. Although his access was reinstated shortly after Musk took over, he has yet to tweet.

About 1 in 5 U.S. adults say they use Twitter, the Pew Research Center found last year.

Democrats are somewhat more likely than Republicans to say they have Twitter accounts, according to a Fox News poll from December. Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say Musk buying Twitter was a good thing and to have a favorable view of him.

___

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Ali Swenson in New York, Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco and Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report.

By STEVE PEOPLES

Associated Press
A Texas winery operator was sentenced on Tuesday to nearly seven years in prison for storming the U.S. Capitol and joining an attack on the House chamber when police shot and killed another rioter.

Christopher Ray Grider also tried to cut power to the Capitol building during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot  a terrifying act of political and institutional sabotage, according to prosecutors.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sentenced Grider to six years and 11 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney's office for the District of Columbia.

Grider, 41, joined the mob's assault on the House chamber and helped another rioter break the Speakers Lobbys glass doors, "setting in motion the chain of events that led to an officer fatally shooting fellow rioter Ashli Babbitt, prosecutors wrote in a court filing.

Prosecutors had recommended a prison sentence of seven years and three months for Grider.

Grider pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts before going to trial on other charges. He testified at his December 2022 bench trial before Kollar-Kotelly decided the case without a jury and convicted him of seven charges, including civil disorder and obstructing the Jan. 6 joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory.

Defense attorney Brent Mayr said Grider truly regrets his actions on January 6 and apologizes to his family, his community, and most importantly, this country. There is no evidence that Grider engaged in any violence at the Capitol, his lawyer noted.

This is a sad day, Mayr wrote in an email after his client's sentencing. We respect the courts consideration of all Chris did to try to make things right after January 6, but we are disappointed that his sentence is significantly longer than others who did so much worse than him.

More than 1,000 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Just over 500 of them have been sentenced, with more than half receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from a week to over 14 years. Only seven rioters have received longer prison sentences than Grider so far, according to an Associated Press review of court records.

Also on Tuesday, a different judge sentenced a Proud Boys extremist group member from Rhode Island to two months of imprisonment for his role in the Jan. 6 riot. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden also sentenced Bernard Joseph Sirr to six months of home confinement and one year of probation, according to court records.

Sirr, 47, of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty in January to joining other rioters in a coordinated push against police officers guarding a tunnel entrance on the Capitol's Lower West Terrace.

Prosecutors had sought a 10-month term of imprisonment for Sirr, a U.S. Army veteran who has worked as a reactor engineer at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center, where the state's only nuclear reactor is located.

Grider was a U.S. Air Force military police officer who guarded an air base after serving in the Army National Guard. More recently, he has operated a family-owned winery with his wife near Waco, Texas.

Grider and a friend flew to Washington, D.C., on the morning of Jan. 6. They missed then-President Trump's speech at the Stop the Steal rally, but the two friends arrived in time to join the crowd of Trump supporters marching to the Capitol.

Outside the Capitol, Grider helped other rioters dismantle police barricades and picked up a discarded police helmet.

After entering the building, he approached a utility panel and tried in vain to cut power to the Capitol. He urged other rioters to join him as he marched toward the House chamber, shouting We gotta get into the chamber! This way, this way, this way!

Joining the mob's attack on doors leading to the House, Grider pleaded with police officers to open the doors. Grider handed the helmet to another rioter, Zachary Alam, who used it to smash a pane on the Speakers Lobbys glass doors, prosecutors said. A Capitol police lieutenant on the other side of the doors shot and killed Babbitt, an Air Force veteran from California, as she climbed through the opening.

Despite witnessing the shooting, and instead of obeying the officers directives to leave the area, Grider lingered on for several minutes, interfering with police efforts to provide medical assistance to the wounded rioter and restore order to the area, a prosecutor wrote in a court filing.

Alam was charged separately and has a jury trial scheduled to start on July 31.

Mayr said Grider was not some fanatical, anti-social, antigovernment individual who dwelled upon or obsessed about coming to (Washington) to do harm and violence.

He was a productive, positive member of his community with a host of underlying issues and experiences that made him susceptible to being manipulated by a narcissist and false beliefs that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump, Mayr wrote in a court filing.
HELENA, Mont. (AP)  Montana has become the first state to specifically ban people dressed in drag from reading books to children at public schools and libraries, part of a host of legislation aimed at the rights the LGBTQ+ community in Montana and other states.

Bills in Florida and Tennessee also appear to try to ban drag reading events, but both require the performances to be sexual in nature, which could be up for interpretation. Both bills also face legal challenges.

Montanas law is unique because  while it defines such an event as one hosted by a drag king or drag queen who reads childrens books to minor children  it does not require a sexual element to be banned.

That makes Montanas law the first to specifically ban drag reading events, said Sasha Buchert, an attorney with Lambda Legal, a national organization that seeks to protect the civil rights of the LGBTQ+ community and those diagnosed with HIV and AIDS.

Its just constitutionally suspect on all levels, Buchert said Tuesday, arguing the bill limits free speech and seeks to chill an effort that helps transgender youth know they are not alone.

The bill, which was co-sponsored by more than half of the Republican-controlled legislature, took immediate effect after Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed it on Monday.

Gianforte signed the bill because he believes its wildly inappropriate for little kids, especially preschoolers and kids in elementary school, to be exposed to sexualized content, spokesperson Kaitlin Price said in a statement.

The bill initially sought to ban minors from attending drag performances, which were defined as shows that tended to excite lustful thoughts. The legislation was later amended to ban minors from attending sexually oriented or obscene performances on public property.

The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Braxton Mitchell, said he sponsored the bill because drag shows in recent years have been specifically aimed at children," and spoke of online videos that show children at drag shows.

In my humble opinion, there's no such thing as a family-friendly drag show, Mitchell said in April.

Drag performers who opposed the legislation said they have separate drag performances for children compared to those intended for adults.

It's not clear how often such drag reading events have been held at public schools or libraries in Montana. Drag reading events were held in 2022 at ZooMontana in Billings and at a bookstore in downtown Helena. Both events drew protests, but neither would be banned under the new law. Another event held at a Bozeman bookstore last weekend also drew protesters.

A Montana drag performer with The Mister Sisters in Great Falls, whose stage name is Julie Yard, helps organize drag reading events and says she has never been asked to coordinate one in any school  public or otherwise. Between 6 to 10 events are scheduled throughout the state in the coming months.

Usually the requests for drag story hours happen a lot through the summer, Yard said. They typically tend to coincide with Pride celebrations.

Planning such events in the current political climate also involves developing a safety plan and working with local law enforcement in case protesters show up.

The drag reading events will continue despite the protests, which Yard says helps prove that they are needed.

For us, it's again just doubling down and making sure that we are sending a message out there to anyone, but especially kids who are vulnerable, that there is a place for them, there is a community for them, and that there are folks out there who are interested in making sure that they are accepted and feel safe.

Tennessee's bill to restrict drag performances in public spaces or in the presence of children was temporarily blocked in March by a federal judge who sided with a group that filed a lawsuit claiming the statute violates their First Amendment rights. U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker said the state failed to make a compelling argument as to why Tennessee needed the law, and agreed that it was likely vague and overly broad.

A drag show restaurant has filed a challenge against Florida's ban, saying the law deprives the restaurant of its First Amendment rights to free expression. The restaurant had held family friendly drag shows on Sundays, but the law required them to ban children from the shows. Gov. Ron DeSantis also signed bills this week to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors and restrict the discussion of personal pronouns in school.

Gianforte signed a bill this year to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors in Montana during a legislative session in which transgender lawmaker Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr was expelled from the House floor following a protest against Republican lawmakers who had silenced her over her opposition to the care bill.

Last week, he signed a bill to define the word sex in state law to mean only male or female. Kansas and Tennessee have similar laws set to take effect on July 1 that LGBTQ+ allies argue will deny legal recognition to nonbinary and transgender people and prevent them from changing the sex on their birth certificates and driver's licenses. Montana's law would take effect on Oct. 1.
MOSCOW (AP)  A Russian court on Tuesday extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months in a closed-door hearing emblematic of the secrecy that has marked the case against the first United States correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges.

Gershkovich, a 31-year-old American citizen, was ordered held until Aug. 30. He was arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges.

Tuesdays pre-trial hearing wasnt announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy.

Russian authorities havent detailed what  if any  evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges.

Various legal proceedings in the case have been closed to the media. No details immediately emerged about what was said at Tuesday's hearing. State news agency Tass said the session was closed because the reporter was accused of possession of secret materials.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday night that Gershkovichs parents, Soviet emigres living in New Jersey, were visiting Moscow and saw their son during the short hearing.

I dont know how to describe this happiness and this sadness at the same time, the newspaper quoted the reporter's mother, Ella Milman, as saying. She said Gershkovich looked relaxed and well, and that they communicated through smiles.

The U.S. State Department said at least one U.S. Embassy official also attended the hearing.

Gershkovich's arrest has rattled journalists in the country and drawn outrage in the West.

The U.S. government declared Gershkovich to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release. Hes being held in Moscows Lefortovo prison.

U.S. Embassy officials were allowed to visit Gershkovich once in prison since his arrest in Yekaterinburg on March 29, but Russian authorities have denied two more recent requests to see him.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters in Washington, We once again call on Russia to comply with their obligation to provide consular access to him. He added that the charges against Gershkovich "are baseless and we continue to call for his immediate release as well as for the immediate release of Paul Whelan.

Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, is serving a 16-year espionage sentence in a remote Russian prison. The retired U.S. Marine was detained in 2018. Whelan and Washington deny he spied in Russia.

The Biden administration had hoped to secure Whelans release during negotiations on a prisoner exchange that eventually freed American basketball star Brittney Griner from a Russian prison last December.

Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips in soaring U.S.-Russian tensions over the Kremlins military operation in Ukraine.

In a statement after Tuesday's hearing, the Wall Street Journal said: While we expected there would be no change to Evan's wrongful detention, we are deeply disappointed. The accusations are demonstrably false, and we continue to demand his immediate release.
High ranking x pests within the Ministry of Health and Child Care are sending female employees on financially rewarding workshops in exchange for x, a workers union has said.

In a 16 May 2023 correspondence to the Acting Health Secretary, Zimbabwe Health Workers Union general secretary L. Sarai also accused department heads of grabbing work-related workshops intended for junior employees.

It has come to our attention that there is rampant abuse of authority by heads of department within the ministry concerning opportunities to attend work-related workshops and other assignments with monetary benefits, Sarai said.

These leaders attend workshops which are earmarked for junior employees and in some cases, not related to their line of work.

In most cases, invitation letters are directed to these heads, instead of passing these opportunities they then grab them for financial benefit.

The union said despite attending the work-related workshops, the leaders are still too lazy to relay what they have learnt to other staff members as per norm.

In extreme scenarios, the union said, a director attends a workshop meant to benefit a junior officer.

Upon returning, further claims the union, the bosses then task junior officers to either teach others or disseminate the information.

In more alarming cases, the union said some bosses were using work-related workshops to solicit for xual favours.

It is very disturbing to note that opportunities that are meant for information sharing and learning are now being used in exchange for xual favour by some male leaders, the union said.

We implore your good office to investigate this rot with a view to bring culprits to account for their misdeeds.

Attempts to seek comment from the Ministry of Health spokesperson Donald Mujiri drew blanks as he had not responded to written questions sent to him.

On her part, parliaments health committee chairperson Ruth Labode said she had not been made aware of the grievances by health workers.

 ZimLive

Breaking News via Email
Yves here. This is a very lucid post on the debt ceiling game of chicken that presents some options that I had not heard discussed before, such as a conflicts of law argument for spending in excess of debt ceiling limits.

By Eric Kramer. Originally published at Angry Bear

What should President Biden do if Republicans refuse to raise the debt ceiling? What should he say he will do, in advance, to avoid a catastrophe and gain leverage in negotiations?

The answer to these questions is far from clear.

Krugman and Klein on Unorthodox Legal Strategies

Paul Krugman argues that the administration should do something  anything  to avoid a debt default. He doesnt care about the details  platinum coin, consul bonds, 14th amendment. He thinks that there is a real possibility that the Republicans will be unwilling to accept any compromise on the debt ceiling, and that this could have such dire consequences that some plan B is essential. (Krugman has also opposed any negotiations over the debt ceiling, a position I have previously discussed.) But Krugman worries that the administration has made the adoption of unorthodox policies more difficult by dismissing the possibility of a legal workaround:

I have no idea what happens next. I think theres a real possibility that Biden officials will in the end be forced by sheer Republican intransigence to adopt unconventional methods after all  a task that will be made much harder by the fact that those same officials have spent months trash-talking the approaches they may need to follow.

One problem with any effort to ignore the debt ceiling is that it will be subject to litigation. We do not know how this litigation will end. As Ezra Klein rightly points out, the Supreme Court can do whatever it wants. In the meantime, while litigation works its way through the courts, it is far from clear that financial markets will function properly. Furthermore, consistent with my previous posts, Klein believes the politics of repudiating the debt ceiling are bad for Biden:

If testing the question wouldnt cost anything, there would be no harm in trying. But I dont think it would have no cost. The strength of the Biden administrations political position is that it stands for normalcy. The debt ceiling has always been raised before, and it must be raised now. But if the administration declares the debt ceiling unconstitutional, only to have the Supreme Court declare the maneuver unconstitutional, then Biden owns the market chaos that would follow. Who will voters blame in that scenario? Republicans, who say they just wanted to negotiate over the budget, as is tradition? Or Biden, who did something no other president had done and failed? Right now, at last, the positions are clear. The White House is open to budget negotiations but opposed to debt ceiling brinkmanship. Republicans are the ones threatening default if their demands are not met. They are pulling the pin on this grenade, in full view of the American people. Biden should think carefully before taking the risk of snatching it out of their hands and holding it himself.

Biden should certainly try to negotiate a reasonable resolution of the stand off. (Reasonable to me means a balance of spending cuts and tax increases, cuts that are not harshly targeted at the poor or Bidens key policy priorities, a substantial increase in the debt limit so that we are not doing this again this year or next, and no sequester.) But as Krugman argues there is no guarantee negotiating will work, so the administration still needs a plan B.

Prioritization

There are two debt limit strategies other than the platinum coin, consul bonds, and the 14th Amendment that should be on the table in this discussion.

First, the President can try to avert a financial crisis by prioritizing interest payments and reissuing maturing debt (which keeps the total outstanding debt within the debt ceiling limit). Other spending obligations would be met to the extent that cash is available, consistent with the Treasurys ability to target and prioritize. (For example, perhaps the Treasury can send out Social Security checks, but withhold payments to health care providers.) Here is a short description of how this might play out by Edelberg and Sheiner at Brookings.

If this succeeds in averting a major financial crisis  a big if, but certainly possible  hitting the debt ceiling might end up looking something like a government shutdown to the public. There would be considerable short-term pain, but the public would quickly grasp the stakes and Republicans would be forced to raise the debt ceiling. As Edelberg and Sheiner note, there would likely be litigation claiming that the Treasury cannot pick and choose who to pay, and that debt holders need to take a haircut. (For some additional legal, operational, and political problems with this approach see here.) But at least in this case it might be the Supreme Court that would trigger a financial crisis.

This may be the administrations plan B. It would explain why the administration has dismissed some of the extraordinary legal theories that have been bouncing around  the Treasury doesnt need to mint a platinum coin or issue consul bonds to execute this strategy. On the other hand, its far from a perfect or foolproof option. Like any failure to raise the debt ceiling, it could lead to a worldwide economic cataclysm, especially if prioritization fails operationally or legally.

Ignoring the Debt Ceiling

Finally, rather than citing the 14th Amendment, the President could argue that when the debt limit is reached, he needs to disobey a duly enacted law of Congress  tax law, spending law, and the debt limit are inconsistent  and that ignoring the debt limit is the least unconstitutional option. This position has been argued persuasively by Dorf and Buchanan (see here for a brief summary and citations). The 14th Amendment would be helpful here, but it is not the central issue (the conflict between duly enacted laws would exist even without the language in the 14th Amendment). This is important, because the language of the 14th Amendment is far from clear, which means that the Court can do whatever it wants.

Litigating Ex Ante

If we hit the debt limit, some degree of financial disruption is inevitable because of uncertainty about the legality of whatever strategy the administration pursues. (The strategy least subject to legal uncertainty may be paying off all creditors on a first-come, first-served basis, but first-come, first-served will stiff bond holders and will clearly disrupt financial markets.) Perhaps this uncertainty should have been cleared up through litigation ex ante, although this would empower the Supreme Court to issue an opinion designed to advantage the Republicans. In any event, although there is a lawsuit in process, it is far from clear that the legal uncertainty will be resolved before the limit is reached.

So Where Are We?

Where does this leave us? Im not sure.

In the long run the only solution to our debt accumulation problems is to develop a bipartisan national consensus on fiscal policy. Obviously, this is impossible in the present moment. I will discuss this in future posts.

Given the current situation, I tend to agree with Ezra Klein that announcing an intention to resort to unconventional methods is politically risky. So is refusing to negotiate, at least without a compelling explanation that most voters can understand. Biden and the Democrats are supposed to be our non-crazy political party. As I have previously suggested, I do not think that arguments about hostage taking etc. are compelling to voters, and voters may well blame Biden if he refuses to negotiate and a debt default triggers a severe recession. It may not be fair, but politics aint beanbag.

As I have previously argued, the best way to refuse to negotiate on the terms House Republicans have proposed is to offer to negotiate over the future of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. But this train has probably left the station. Given where we are today, the best bet is to agree to negotiate and compromise, but insist that spending cuts must be matched with tax increases on the wealthy dollar-for-dollar and to fight for cuts that reflect democratic priorities. Negotiations on these terms might well fail, but the Democrats would have a solid case that any breakdown was due to Republican intransigence. This might force Republicans to pass a clean increase or allow Biden to blame Republicans for his unconventional measures (if he takes them) and for any economic harm that results from their intransigence.

Finally, suppose that Biden believes the best response  the least unconstitutional option, and the least economically damaging  to a failure to raise the debt ceiling is to simply ignore the debt ceiling. This is the Dorf/Buchanan position. In this case the President could announce that if the debt limit is reached he will keep issuing debt to fulfill his obligations under Congressional tax and spending statutes, because in his judgment this is the constitutionally required solution. However, to be gentlemanly and bipartisan about it, he could say that he would consider defaulting on the debt if Republican leaders of the House and Senate ask him to do so in writing.
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan held a meeting on May 23 with UK Minister for Europe Leo Docherty.

Grigoryan and Docherty discussed regional security and stability issues, Grigoryans office said in a readout. In this context, Grigoryan attached importance to the efforts aimed at democratization by Armenia in ensuring security.

The Secretary of the Security Council and the UK Minister for Europe attached importance to the positive dynamics of development of relations between Armenia and the UK and exchanged views on further expansion of the bilateral relations agenda.
On Tuesday (23/05/2023), NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg participated in a meeting of the European Union defence ministers in Brussels.

The Secretary General stated NATO Allies and partners are providing unprecedented support to Ukraine. He welcomed the announcement by the US, the UK and other European NATO Allies that they are going to start training Ukrainian pilots in fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including F-16s. He stressed that this is part of our long-term commitment to Ukraines ability to defend itself.

Mr. Stoltenberg called for even closer cooperation between NATO and the European Union to ramp up production of ammunition and defensive equipment, both to support Ukraine and to replenish our own stocks. He outlined NATOs unique role in setting standards for all NATO Allies, providing a clear demand signal through the NATO defence capability targets, and engaging regularly with industry to identify bottlenecks. The Secretary General said that NATO is revising capability targets, especially for battle-decisive ammunition, giving industry the long-term demand signal it needs to invest. He also stressed the need to ensure that ammunition is interoperable and interchangeable, and that there are no new barriers between European and North American NATO Allies.

The Secretary General announced that NATO will hold an informal event with transatlantic industry leaders on the margins of the next meeting of defence ministers in Brussels on June 15-16, to which he has also invited EU High Representative Borrell, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, and Ukrainian representatives.

The Secretary General also stressed the importance of NATO-EU cooperation on resilience and critical infrastructure, including through the joint taskforce.
(Natural News) Residents of East Palestine in Ohio were initially told that the Norfolk Southern train that derailed in their town contained only malt liquor, a type of drinking alcohol. This was later proven false as the trains cars also carried harmful chemicals that continue to affect locals.

The Daily Mail first broke the news of this revelation, citing newly emerged recordings of frantic 911 calls it obtained. Emergency dispatchers were initially reassuring concerned callers that there was no need to evacuate. The dispatchers had been advised that the 38 cars involved in the accident contained some type of drinking alcohol.

Within two hours of the derailment, a firefighter on the scene called 911 to give an assessment of the substances that spilled. The firefighter said: We have been advised the tankers are all malt liquor. A male voice on the other end of the line attested to the malt liquor story, adding that the scene was very, very chaotic.

A male resident called 911 to ask what was in the train cars, prompting the female dispatcher to ask a colleague. She asked what substance was in the front cars that derailed, and if any hazardous materials were present. The dispatcher returned the call and told the resident: There was some type of drinking alcohol in the front, [though] Im not sure what was in the back.

One desperate grandmother also called, saying: If its chemicals [that spilled], I want to go and get my granddaughter. The dispatcher reassured her that she and her granddaughter were good as there was no need to evacuate. (Related: Eric Coppolino and the Health Ranger call for the TOTAL EVACUATION of East Palestine due to extremely toxic dioxin fallout that will poison the land and crops for GENERATIONS.)

Reports revealed that malt liquor was indeed on the Norfolk Southern train that derailed. However, it later emerged that five of the 38 train cars contained toxic substances including vinyl chloride, which is used to make plastic. Authorities ordered the spilled substances to be burned, resulting in these chemicals turning into dioxins that caused respiratory problems and skin irritation among residents.

East Palestines fire chief felt he was left to sit by and watch things fall apart

According to the Mail, city officials blamed the erroneous reports and conflicting advice on Norfolk Southerns initial response minutes after the crash. Brian Drabick, chief of the East Palestine Fire Department (EPFD), said dispatchers were working off information provided by the company.

Based on emails and text messages obtained and published by the news outlet, the fire chief had to bear the brunt of the poor communication among local and federal officials. This, the Mail added, came as he desperately tried to lead East Palestine through the disaster.

In the days following the derailment, Drabick wrote about how he felt defeated, useless and so angry. He became furious after being informed that one of his firefighters had developed asthma due to exposure to toxic chemicals. The fire chief lamented: Why does this have to be so hard?

The correspondences also revealed how the fire chief felt like he was left to sit by and watch s**t fall apart. They also disclosed how Drabick felt like Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had abandoned him. Moreover, he admitted to having to take a moment because he was getting overwhelmed with everything that was happening.

In one of the messages, Drabick disclosed that he had lost faith in the East Palestine City Health Department after it told him to treat the derailment like a normal house fire.

Visit Disaster.news for more stories about the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and chemical spill.

Watch East Palestine resident Tracy Hager discloses how some people still experience serious symptoms of chemical exposure after the disaster.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

More and more East Palestine residents reporting health issues following train derailment and toxic chemical spill.

BOMBED WITH DIOXINS: East Palestine residents developing chemical bronchitis following train derailment.

The disaster in East Palestine, Ohio was politically motivated, warns Department of Transportation official.

Farmers near East Palestine worry about train derailment contamination as growing season approaches.

ANALYSIS: East Palestine controlled explosion released carcinogenic dioxins and a WWI choking agent.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Hungary has blocked the release of the latest military aid package from the European Union (EU) to support Ukraine and has vowed to keep blocking it until a Hungarian bank is taken off Kyivs list of so-called international sponsors of war.

The bank in question is the OTP Bank, the largest commercial bank in Hungary and one of the largest independent financial institutions in Eastern Europe. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto called Ukraines listing of OTP Bank scandalous and unacceptable. (Related: Poland threatens to cut off oil exports to major German refinery if Russian state-owned oil company remains a major shareholder.)

In response, Szijjarto warned that Hungary would continue blocking the release of approximately 500 million euros ($541 million) from the EUs European Peace Facility until the bank is removed from the list.

The EUs proposal would have moved the 500 million euros from the fund to allow EU member states to submit new claims to be reimbursed for the weapons, ammunition and vehicles they send to Ukraine. Since the beginning of Russias special military operation in Ukraine, the EU has withdrawn a total of about 3.6 billion euros ($3.89 billion) from the European Peace Facility to reimburse member nations for their military aid to Ukraine.

We cannot support the allocation of another half a billion euros from the European Peace Facility for arms transfers to Ukraine, and we will not give it the green light as long as OTP is on this particular list, said Szijjarto. Its fair to say that weve had enough.

Szijjarto added that Hungary will also continue opposing any new sanctions against Russia and its allies, saying: I want to make clear that as long as Ukraine keeps OTP on its list of international sponsors of war, we cant support decisions requiring new economic and financial sacrifice on the part of the European Union and its member states.

Ukraine becoming increasingly hostile toward Hungary

Ukraines National Agency on Corruption Prevention added the bank to its list of international sponsors of war on May 5, claiming that the bank continues to operate in Russia despite sanctions and because of its de-facto recognition of the so-called peoples republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.

Relations between Hungary and Ukraine, which share a border, have been tense ever since early 2022, as Budapest continues to refuse to supply Kyiv with weapons or to allow military aid to be transported through Hungary.

Under conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary has maintained close ties with Moscow, argued against EU sanctions and sought to purchase more Russian energy to maintain its energy security.

Szijjarto said Kyiv has become increasingly belligerent to Hungary, citing Ukraines threat to close down Hungarian-language schools catering to the Hungarian minority of the western Zakarpattia Oblast, making up around 12 percent of the Oblasts population.

The foreign minister also cited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskys threat to bomb the Druzhba pipeline, which links Russia to Hungary via Ukraine.

In response to the current scandal, EU officials said they are working to resolve the issue, including acting as a middleman between Kyiv and Budapest and trying to get a statement from the Ukrainians on whether they had blacklisted the entirety of OTP or just its Russian branch.

Well talk to the Ukrainians and well talk to the member states, including Hungary, said one senior EU official who spoke with Reuters. Our priority is clear  its to help Ukraine win a war. And to do that, there needs to be military and financial aid. Its an absolute priority for the European Union.

Learn more about the situation in Ukraine at UkraineWitness.com.

Watch this episode of the Ron Paul Liberty Report as co-hosts former Texas Rep. Ron Paul and Daniel McAdams discuss Hungarys call for a ceasefire in Ukraine.

This video is from the channel What Is Happening on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Leaked docs: Zelensky planning to blow up Druzhba pipeline connecting Russia and Hungary.

US is more than a DECADE behind in ammunition stockpiling but Biden is still giving it away to Ukraine.

UKs ammo stockpiles are dangerously low after sending generous military aid to Ukraine.

Austria, Hungary agree NOT to send any weapons to Ukraine (perhaps they wish to avoid being destroyed by Russia).

NATO members are running out of weapons that they can send to Ukraine.

Sources include:

TheNewAmerican.com

APNews.com

Reuters.com

Bloomberg.com

EuroNews.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has launched impeachment proceedings against President Joe Biden and three other officials of the executive branch, claiming that they need to be removed from office for corruption.

The congresswoman for the Peach State recounted her move to lay down articles of impeachment in an interview with the Post Millennial. Greene said she solemnly and soberly decided to use the powers that the founders provided and issue a check against what the Biden administration thinks are unfettered powers. She added: Its something I dont take lightly.

These men knew that with unchecked power, any branch of government could lose sight of the job they were hired to do and become beholden solely to the power they wield. This is what has happened in America today. Power corrupts.

According to Greene, the chief executive ought to be impeached for deliberately compromising national security by refusing to enforce immigration laws and secure our border. Biden had also allowed approximately six million illegals from over 170 countries to invade our country, most of them positive for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19).

She also noted that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas aided and abetted the complete invasion of our country by deliberately flooding our nation with drugs, terrorism and illegal aliens. Greene also pointed out that the secretary intentionally diverted resources away from our borders, stopped construction of the border wall, and broke existing laws by allowing mass parole for illegal aliens. (Related: House HSC Chair reveals proof of potential FRAUD committed by Secretary Mayorkas  a gateway to impeachment.)

Mayorkas also ended the Remain in Mexico policy put in place by former President Donald Trump to address the wave of illegal immigrants. Greene also noted how in place of this, Biden reinstated catastrophic and disastrous catch-and-release policies toward illegals.

DOJ, FBI heads should also be impeached

Aside from Biden and Mayorkas, Greene also submitted articles of impeachment against Attorney General Merrick Garland of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray.

She accused Wray of turning the FBI into the personal police force of both Biden and Garland. It is wholly unacceptable for the FBI director or any civil officer to use their power in a way that targets one political class and favors another, the congresswoman emphasized.

According to Greene, Wray has used Soviet-style tactics in his fascist targeting of average Americans. She recounted how he sent armed agents to Trumps Mar-a-Lago residence in August 2022, something the member of Congress dubbed a politically motivated raid to influence an upcoming election. Moreover, she also referenced how Wrays agency is protecting Hunter Biden from a criminal probe following the discovery of his illicit activities via the so-called laptop from hell.

Meanwhile, the Georgia congresswoman accused Garland of weaponizing the DOJ [into the] Department of Injustice. She mentioned that the former federal judge and Supreme Court nominee refused to act on terrorism done by Antifa and Black Lives Matter. These groups, Greene added, have caused billions of dollars in property damage and taken lives.

Greene wrapped up her interview by drawing a comparison between government officials and private sector employees.

Employees are fired when they are corrupt, arent adequately serving their employer or purposely destroying a company. In this case, the employer is the American people because they pay the salaries  of everyone in the federal government, she said.

The Constitution outlines a very simple process to fire the corrupt officials serving in the federal government  impeachment. Wray, Garland, Mayorkas and Biden are all corrupt and unfit to hold office, and they all must be impeached.

Watch this video of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) announcing her filing of articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Yikes: A THIRD of Democrat voters want to impeach Biden.

Congresswomen: Federal law enforcement agencies must be held accountable for tyranny.

RAV correspondents: Traitors Biden, Mayorkas must be impeached for helping ILLEGALS instead of Americans.

AG Merrick Garland exposed as the corrupt Biden official who tried to sweep Hunter Bidens tax crimes under the rug.

Sources include:

ThePostMillennial.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The Department of Defense (DoD) has purportedly found a $3 billion accounting error that short-changed Ukraine of American aid. Rectifying this error would mean more weapons, ammunition and equipment being sent to Kyiv.

The department cited a Senate aide and an official with the DoD, who were both anonymous. The two said the U.S. military had overestimated the value of some of its hardware sent to Ukraine by around $3 billion. According to the sources, the Defense Department used the current replacement costs for equipment taken from its stocks instead of factoring in the original price and depreciation.

Per Reuters, the DoD sent a memo to all four service branches of the U.S. Armed Forces on March 31 clarifying how the value of the equipment should be calculated. The anonymous DoD staffer used the example of 155 millimeter artillery shells, of which more than 1.5 million were sent to Ukraine. While each shell costs about $800 today, its cost over several decades averages out to much less.

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the DoD made a major mistake that could underestimate future needs of its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The Defense Department is reportedly taking steps to notify Congress of the accounting adjustment.

Our priority should be a Ukrainian victory over [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, he remarked. Unilaterally altering military aid calculations is an attempt at deception and undermines this goal.

As of May 15, the U.S. has only approved $6 billion in aid for Ukraine  one-eight of the original $48 billion approved by Congress in December 2022. Getting more funding approved is difficult at the moment, due to the standoff over the national debt ceiling.

Kyiv has repeatedly said its success in the Russia-Ukraine war heavily depends on military aid sent by Washington and the rest of its NATO allies. Meanwhile, Moscow has warned that continued provision of military aid heightens the risk of direct confrontation. Based on estimated figures from the Russian military, the U.S. and its allies had delivered over $100 billion worth of weapons and supplies to Ukraine by December 2022.

Accounting error means more money for the Ukraine war machine

The U.S. government provides weapons for Kyivs use through two means.

First, the presidential drawdown authority (PDA) permits the DoD to send materiel from its own stockpiles. As of writing, the PDA consists of 37 separate packages that amount to a total of $21.1 billion.

Second, the recently announced Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) would see Washington pay the military-industrial complex to make new weapons and ammunition. Under the USAI, the DoD can directly purchase Ukraine-bound weapons from military manufacturers instead of taking from existing stockpiles.

The $1.2 billion USAI was announced on May 9 as part of an ongoing program to build up the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) over the long term and provide for immediate battlefield needs. (Related: Pentagon to announce another $1.2B weapons package for Ukraine  when does it end?)

According to a press release, the package includes air defense systems, ammunition and support to enable Ukraine to better maintain its on-hand systems and equipment. It continued 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.

Visit MilitaryTech.news for more stories about U.S. military aid to Ukraine.

Watch Steve Bannon and Ben Harnwell discussing the Defense Departments $3 billion accounting error in Ukraine aid on Bannons War Room below.

This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Corruption in the midst of war: Ukraine unlikely to receive the promised $65 billion in Western aid.

Biden regime prepared to once again escalate war in Ukraine with another upgraded weapons package.

Billions of dollars worth of American arms and aid disappear into a black hole once they enter Ukraine.

Sources include:

SGTReport.com

21stCenturyWire.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) TGPs Cristina Laila reported on this fake viral news story last week.

A pregnant Manhattan hospital worker accused of taking a Citi bike from a young black man, actually paid for the bike, her lawyer says.

(Article by Jim Hoft republished from TheGatewayPundit.com)

Social media morons threatened a 6-month pregnant nurse after an out-of-context video of the woman in a heated exchange with a mob surrounding her at a bike docking station went viral last week.

The woman was also placed on leave from Bellevue Hospital and is now in hiding!

Help! Help me! Please help me! the woman yelled as a man tried to take the Citi bike away from her.

Get off me! Get off me, youre hurting my fetus, the distressed pregnant woman shouted as she pushed the man away.

Im not touching you! Youre putting your stomach on my hand, the black man replied.

The video conveniently started recording right before the pregnant woman paid for the bike and undocked it from the bike station.

WATCH:

This lady tried her best to weaponize her tears, but when she realized it wasnt going to work she switched it off and acted like nothing happened. This should be criminal. pic.twitter.com/P1UW3gJZGf  ?_Imposter_? (@Imposter_Edits) May 14, 2023

Leftists reportedly doxxed and threatened the pregnant woman.

On Friday, Justin Marino, the attorney for the pregnant nurse told FOX News they were planning on suing the mainstream media outlets who lied about the woman and the incident.

Justice is coming for the race-baiters Shes been called a racist. Shes been called a thief. There are reasons defamation laws exist, and we plan to pursue that. Lawyer for pregnant NYC Nurse in viral Citi Bike video is planning to sue the media

pic.twitter.com/iCdHCYDxiG  DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) May 19, 2023

Read more at: TheGatewayPundit.com
YEREVAN, MAY 23, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the "Dalan" technology center in Yerevan. The investment program is implemented with the support of the Armenian government and Enterprise Armenia Investment Support Fund, ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister.

Those in charge for the project noted that the technology center will have 158,000 square meters. total area, will offer 3,000 jobs, will consist of 22 floors and will include 34,000 square meters of office space. The center will also include a scientific and educational center, an exhibition hall, a conference hall, an event hall, a hotel, etc. The investment program is estimated at 125 million USD.

TechnoPark is being built in accordance with BOMA International (Building Owners and Managers Association) standards, and the design and construction works are carried out in compliance with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) requirements. The complex is a technologically well-equipped multifunctional center.

The representatives of the project thanked the Prime Minister for the support of the Government and the Enterprise Armenia Investment Support Fund and for the smooth implementation of the project.
(Natural News) Two academics reportedly received money from the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein even after his conviction for pedophilia in 2008. Epstein died while in custody in 2019.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), linguist Noam Chomsky received $270,000 while Leon Botstein, the president of Bard College in New York state, received $150,000 from the late financier. Both academics confirmed receiving the money and meeting multiple times with Epstein.

Chomsky told WSJ that he and Epstein met to discuss political and academic topics. On the issue of the money, the linguist claimed the transfer involved his own funds connected to his late wife. He told the Daily Mail that both the money transfer and his relationship with Epstein after his conviction were completely public for many years. (Related: New emails reveal deep ties between Jeffrey Epstein and former CEO of JPMorgan, Barclays.)

Meanwhile, Botstein said he received checks from an account linked to Epstein in 2016. The money was given to the school that same year as part of a more than $1 million donation. A spokesman for Bard confirmed the donation, adding that it was Botsteins compensation for working on an advisory board for the charity foundation Gratitude America  which Epstein created in 2012.

The Bard president previously told the WSJ that Epstein gave the school $75,000 in unsolicited donations in 2011. He later claimed not remembering the 2016 payments until asked by the outlet, since they didnt appear as donations from Epstein in the school records. Botstein also admitted to meeting with Epstein more than a dozen times to raise funds, but was unsuccessful.

Donations to schools reportedly an attempt to rehabilitate Epsteins image

The donations given by Epstein to Chomsky and Botstein appear to be an attempt by the convicted sex offender to rehabilitate his tarnished image.

Chomsky, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, claimed that the financier was simply helping him rearrange his own funds after being asked for help with a technical matter. He also argued that in civilized societies, a person who has served a sentence returns to society without prejudice.

The simplest way seemed to be to transfer funds from one account in my name to another, by way of his office, said Chomsky. These are all personal matters of no ones concern.

Botstein also alleged what while Epstein named him as a consultant and paid fees for his alleged work at Gratitude America, he never actually worked there. He told the WSJ that the late convicted sex offender did not want to write a check to the school, so Epstein instead concocted this scheme.

He took pity on me and he said, Im gonna give you money and you do whatever you want with it,' Botstein added.

Epstein pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution from a minor and was registered as a sex offender in 2008. In 2019, federal prosecutors charged him with sex trafficking a minor and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. Epstein denied the charges and was refused bail before he died in August 2019 in an apparent suicide.

Botsteins 2016 total philanthropic contribution to Bard was $1.04 million, the Bard spokesman commented. Had the extent and horror of Epsteins crimes been known, Bard would not have accepted his support.

Visit Epstein.news for more stories about the late convicted sex offender and his associates.

Watch this video that talks about the connection of big banks with Jeffrey Epsteins child sex trafficking operations.

This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Liz Crokin: Jeffrey Epstein used JPMorgan as main bank for his sex trafficking operation  Brighteon.TV.

REPORT: LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman visited billionaire Epsteins PERV ISLAND knowing all about the convicted sex offender and underage prostitute manipulator.

Joe Bidens CIA director had multiple contacts with Jeffrey Epstein.

Epstein victim vows to release video tape showing VIP elites raping and murdering children.

Tucker Carlson went there: says Its time we talked about the elite pedophilia problem.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

DailyMail.co.uk

TheGuardian.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving from the cloud and computer screen into life-like humanoid robots that are now being deployed to work human jobs as security guards, bartenders, and eventually nurses.

Bernt Bornich, CEO and founder of 1X, an AI company funded by OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, told the media that his companys humanoid EVE robot has been working as a security guard at two industrial sites since April of this year.

According to Bornich, the humanoid EVE project is going better than we thought. The design includes a head, a face, two arms, and can move about autonomously much like an actual human robot does.

The project is going so well that as many as 10 new EVE robots are being produced by 1X every single month. The goal is to implant these humanoid devices into all sorts of industries in order to replace human workers.

Thanks to a $23.5 million investment from OpenAI, humanoid EVE robots are already patrolling sites both in Norway and in Dallas. If anything goes wrong, human 1X workers can step into the androids body through virtual reality and make it do something else on command.

Youre there in a second as if you were there, Bornich bragged about the technology. We have this grand vision: we want to solve the problem of the labor shortage. We have visibility on how to solve it, but we need a lot of data.

(Related: Will the AI robot workers of the future all be leftists?)

Five years from now, AI robots will fill the labor shortage gap

In the next five years, Bornich envisions a completely different society where there is no more labor shortage because millions of human jobs will soon be replaced with humanoid EVE robots doing the jobs instead.

One area where Bornich envisions AI robots taking over human roles is in elderly care facilities. Instead of actual human beings caring for the elderly, soulless humanoid EVE robots will dole out pills, spoon-feed soup, and clean bed pans.

I think we will have a completely different society, where we dont think about labor scarcity, where we have sustainable energy creation which can be converted into any product and service, Bornich admitted.

We could get there in five years, if we dont hit any roadblocks, or within this decade. Its going to be an exciting future.

Less-humanlike robots have already been working as security patrol for several years now. The egg-shaped K5 robot, manufactured by California-based Knightscope, and the two-wheeled robot made by start-up Ascento are also in use as security patrol in railway depots throughout Switzerland.

If 1X is successful, many more such robots equipped with AI technology and more closely resembling humans will take over all the open positions left behind with nobody to fill them, in large part due to the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic genocide.

Previous generations of androids worked in the lab, but not in the real world, Bornich said about his companys AI robots, which are more advanced than the other varieties made by Knightscope and Ascento.

With our security guards, we are solving a real problem and giving them a service that is better quality and more affordable.

Instead of just being gimmicks like the others, Bornich says the humanoid EVE AI robot from 1X will actually be able to do many of the jobs that human beings currently do.

Starting with guarding made sense, he says. It has the least amount of tasks. Everything you do helps to train the system, so it gets better at doing those tasks, so you dont need to intervene because it knows how to do it.

The latest AI-related news can be found at Cyborg.news.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) A woman from Texas died while four others were hospitalized after receiving liposuction and other cheap cosmetic surgeries in Mexico.

The women, reported to be in their 30s and 50s, were diagnosed with fungal meningitis, a fungal infection that causes serious inflammation and swelling of the brain and spinal cords lining.

The five women traveled from Texas to clinics in Matamoros, a city located near the Mexican border. They then developed the potentially fatal infection three days to six weeks after their surgeries. (Related: Oregon hospital reports outbreak of rare fungal superbug.)

The surgeries took place between February and April. Health officials in the U.S. have raised the alarm over the five cases, warning Americans to be wary of cheap medical procedures in Matamoros.

Experts still dont know what type of fungus caused the brain infection, but cases of Candida auris infection are currently on the rise in America. The recorded cases were linked to hospitals not sterilizing equipment properly.

Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of Health issued a warning over the cases on May 16.

The agencies reported that the five patients were given an epidural, a procedure that involves injecting an anesthetic into the area around the spinal cord to numb pain. The women visited clinics like Clinica K-3 and River Side Surgical Center, which offers cosmetic procedures such as Brazilian butt lifts and liposuction.

As of writing, experts still havent confirmed if the five cases were linked and where the patients were infected. Officials are monitoring for more new cases.

The CDC is urging women with treatments booked in Matamoros that require an epidural injection to cancel their appointments.

Dr. Jennifer Shuford from the Texas Department of Health also advises people who have recently undergone medical procedures in Mexico to monitor themselves for signs and symptoms of meningitis.

According to Shuford, meningitis caused by bacteria or fungi can be life-threatening if left untreated.

There is currently a thriving medical tourism industry south of the U.S. border, where procedures are often offered at a fraction of the cost of those in America.

According to figures, at least one million Americans cross the border to get medical procedures every year.

Fungal meningitis symptoms and prevention

Meningitis is characterized by the swelling of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord following an infection.

Meningitis can be caused by infection with fungi like Blastomyces, which has triggered an outbreak in Michigan, and C. albicans, the fungus that causes thrush.

If you have fungal meningitis, you cant spread the infection to others. However, you may experience the following symptoms, which may appear gradually:

Fever

Nausea

Sensitivity to light

Severe headaches

Stiff neck

You may also have other symptoms, such as:

Dislike of bright lights

Changes in mental status

Confusion

Hallucinations

Personality changes

Severe cases of fungal meningitis can cause patients to suffer seizures, fall into a coma and die.

You may be at high risk for fungal meningitis:

If you have certain medical conditions like AIDS, cancer, diabetes, HIV and leukemia

If you have an immune system that does not respond adequately to infections

If you have an immune system malfunction due to medical treatment

To prevent fungal meningitis, avoid exposure to environments that may contain fungal elements.

If you are immunosuppressed, like those who have HIV, try to avoid bird droppings and avoid digging and dusting activities, particularly if you live in a geographic region where fungi like Blastomyces, Coccidioides or Histoplasma thrive.

Some guidelines recommend that those with HIV should get antifungal prophylaxis if they reside in a geographic area where there are high incidences of fungal infections.

Hospital treatment for fungal meningitis involves several courses of antifungal medications, which are often administered through an IV drip. Patients may be given medications for at least six months to one year.

Visit DangerousMedicine.com for more stories like this.

Watch the video below to know more about a dangerous fungal infection spreading through the U.S. at an alarming rate.

This video is from the Data Dumper channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Medical nightmare: Woman left unable to function and in excruciating pain after botched surgery, then has her memories wiped by the pain meds.

Active compound of Dragons Blood resin found to suppress yeast infections.

Thinking of cosmetic surgery? Think again because this is what the mainstream medical industry WONT tell you.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

DSHS.Texas.gov

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) It is no secret now that former President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign was targeted by the deep state. The Russian collusion narrative was just a sick hoax dreamed up by Hillary Clintons campaign, and last weeks report from special counsel John Durham made that crystal clear.

But the report also laid bare another shocking truth: then-President Barack Obama and then-Vice President Joe Biden were in on the entire plot after being briefed about it by then-CIA Director John Brennan. Obama could have called off the FBIs phony counterintelligence probe right then and there  but he didnt.

Former House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes, now CEO of Trump Media & Technology Group, said on Sunday that the findings listed in Durhams bombshell report last week prove beyond a doubt that Obama and Biden were directly involved in promulgating the Trump-Russia collusion hoax.

Nunes made his remarks in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo.

Most Americans are saying, how can this happen? How can this happen in the United States of America? Now, as you know, I spent a lot of time abroad. I made a lot of friends overseas. And I have gotten so many calls after this Durham report from people who are saying, what the hell is going on in the United States? he began during one segment.

How can you guys have a justice system like this? I think a lot of people were shocked. A lot of them knew me. A lot of them knew that I was telling the truth. But when you see Durham go through this exhaustive three-year process and actually come forth with all of this information that, in any normal world, there would be  there were so many crimes committed here, he noted further.

And, remember, dont forget that you had Obama. You asked me, what did Obama know about this? Well, the six  this was a stunt by the Hillary Clinton campaign in 16. It failed miserably because Donald Trump won overwhelmingly. Then what happened? Obama was directly involved because hes the one that went back right after the election in 2016, Nunes, a Republican who represented a red district in California, added.

He got all the intelligence agencies involved. And they leaked out to the fake news media that, oh, the Russians must have done something and they were trying to help Trump. Obama did that. But Obama knew. But we now know from Durham, Obama knew and his team knew in August of 16 that this was a dirty trick by the Hillary Clinton campaign. So, I think the question is, where do we go from here? Thats the real question, right? he said.

Whats more, the FBI literally committed election interference 1) by falsely accusing Trump of colluding with a foreign power using a bogus dossier bought and paid for by Clintons campaign; and 2) dropping four investigations into her and the Clinton Foundation despite the fact that evidence abounded they were using it to sell influence to the highest bidder since everyone believed Hillary, and not Trump, would win the 2016 election.

In late July 2016, the FBIs then-director, James Comey, was briefed that U.S. spy agencies had intercepted a Russian intelligence analysis that Clinton had approved a plan by her campaign to smear Trump as an asset of the Kremlin, former federal prosecutor Andy McCarthy wrote in the New York Post. Durham provides no reason to believe the FBI investigated the Russian analysis; indeed, he finds that the bureau essentially ignored it.

Of course, regardless of whether the Russian analysis was authentic, we now know the Clinton campaign had exactly such a strategy, and that the campaign managed to get the FBI to do its bidding in framing Trump as Putins puppet, he added.

And Obama knew of the whole plot the entire time. And did nothing.

Sources include:

USAJournal.com

NYPost.com
(Natural News) Researcher and intellectual property analyst Karen Kingston has established, through factual documents sourced from the FDA and vaccine manufacturers, that the covid-19 vaccines are actually biological weapons of mass destruction that are known to maim and kill (while offering near-zero immunity against covid).

In a powerful interview included in todays Brighteon Broadcast News episode (below), she calls for law enforcement to confiscate these biological weapons in the same way they might confiscate roadside bombs, radiological weapons or other weapons of mass destruction that threaten innocent people.

In addition, those who were complicit in deploying these known biological weapons against innocent people must be indicted and prosecuted for felony crimes.

Kingston presents factual proof that the covid-19 vaccines are actually biological weapons that are known to maim, disable and kill innocents. The fact that they are injected into children  for whom there is zero risk of covid in the first place  is proof that the vaccine agenda is rooted in depopulation and mass murder rather than public health.

Additional documents reveal that both vaccines manufacturers and the FDA both knew that covid-19 vaccines didnt work to halt infections or transmission.

Yet they promoted them anyway. And they lied about their efficacy and safety.

They murdered people. And they are still getting away with it.

Its time for law enforcement to step in and start arresting the domestic terrorists who deployed these biological weapons, Kingston urges.

Watch the full interview below, which also covers:

 Expose-News editor seriously injured in deep state assassination attempt

 50 US senators just issued satellite phones as a security measure

 Croatian politician declares WHO to be a TERRORIST organization

 Unused border wall hardware caught on shocking drone video

 Target retailer partners with actual SATANISTS to push LGBTQ+ gear for children

 Medical school professor claims gender transitions can start before birth

 They want to mutilate the newborns!

 Full interview with Karen Kingston

 She calls for all vaccine bioweapons to be SEIZED by law enforcement

 Those who deployed the bioweapons should be indicted and PROSECUTED

Brighteon: Brighteon.com/75e5515c-7849-40da-b31f-0b1dd0cf766f

Rumble: Rumble.com/v2pik6g-bbn-may-23-2023-calling-on-law-enforcement-to-seize-all-vaccine-bioweapons..html

Bitchute: Bitchute.com/video/eGHJdtXVzeoi/

Banned.Video: Banned.video/watch?id=646ccf1961bacaf6a62798af

iTunes podcast: Healthrangerreport.com/brighteon-broadcast-news-may-23-2023-calling-on-law-enforcement-to-seize-all-vaccine-bioweapons-in-the-usa-feat-karen-kingston

Discover more interviews and podcasts each day at:

https://www.brighteon.com/channels/HRreport

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(Natural News) A new report claims that before he committed suicide in 2019, pedophile pervert Jeffrey Epstein threatened to out billionaire eugenicist Bill Gates for an affair he allegedly had with a young Russian card whiz by the name of Mila Antonova.

After Gates refused to participate in a philanthropic venture that Epstein was concocting with JPMorgan Chase, Epstein wrote in a 2017 email to Gates that he was planning to go public with the details of the alleged fling between Gates and Antonova.

Gates first met Antonova in 2010 when the two were playing in the same bridge tournament. Not long after, Antonova moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to work as a software engineer.

According to Antonova, she maintained friendly terms with Gates, who was married to his then-wife Melinda French Gates at the time of the brief fling.

As for Epstein, he reportedly met Antonova while she was in search of financial backers for a bridge academy she decided to start. Epstein also later paid for her to attend software school.

(Related: The highly corrupt FBI also played cover for Epstein and his wicked child sex trafficking activities.)

Gates says he is sorry for ever getting involved with Epstein

Because Gates did not want to participate in Epsteins JPMorgan scheme, Epstein asked him in that 2017 email to reimburse him for Antonovas schooling in an attempted blackmail effort.

Unless Gates agreed to pay back Epstein for Antonovas coding courses, he was going to tell the world that Gates had had an affair with her.

To this day, Gates says he regrets ever getting involved with Epstein in the early 2010s. This was after Epsteins 2008 conviction in a Florida court on charges of solicitation and procuring a minor for prostitution.

Around that time, Epstein reportedly became involved with Gates as part of an effort to raise money for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mr. Gates met with Epstein solely for philanthropic purposes, a spokesperson for Gates said about the email revelations. Having failed repeatedly to draw Mr. Gates beyond these matters, Epstein tried unsuccessfully to leverage a past relationship to threaten Mr. Gates.

According to the same spokesperson, Gates never paid up in response to Epsteins threats. Gates also allegedly had no financial dealings with Epstein at any point throughout their time in contact with one another.

Antonova, meanwhile, says she did not even know who Epstein was at the time when he offered to help pay her way through school. She just assumed, she says, that he was a successful businessman who wanted to help her for no apparent reason.

I am disgusted with Epstein and what he did, Antonova now says, declining to comment on her alleged affair with Gates.

Antonova apparently lost to Gates at the tournament, which is what inspired her to start her own business venture teaching others how to play the card game she loved dearly.

Boris Nikolic, a top Gates adviser at the time, told Antonova she should meet Epstein, which she did in 2013 at his Manhattan townhouse. While not interested in her project, Epstein did agree to pay for her software engineer studies.

I dont know why he did that, Antonova says about Epsteins offer to pay for her schooling. When I asked, he said something like, he was wealthy and wanted to help people when he could.

In November 2014, Epstein also provided an apartment for Antonova, though she did not live at the flat for very long before moving across the country.

The latest news coverage about Epstein, Gates, and other globalist perverts can be found at Globalism.news.

Sources for this article include:

NYPost.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Much of the conversation about the toxicity of Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccines centers around their use of experimental mRNA technology and toxic spike proteins. But did you know that covid injections also contain cancer-causing SV40 virus promoters?

Microbiologist Kevin McKernan tested sample vials from Pfizers mRNA lot, which he found contain Simian Virus 40 promoters that are known to cause cancer in humans. Since the SV40 he found was just a piece of the virus rather than the whole thing, he described them as SV40 promoters.

In case you are unfamiliar with SV40, it is a rhesus monkey kidney cell virus that was used by the pharmaceutical industry to create polio vaccines. (Related: Roughly a decade ago, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finally admitted 98 million Americans were given polio injections contaminated with the cancer-causing SV40 virus.)

Both the inactivate polio vaccine (IPV) and the oral live polio vaccine (OPV) developed by Dr. Albert Sabin were found to contain SV40, which later prompted the passage of a federal law in 1961 prohibiting the use of SV40 in any vaccines.

Apparently Pfizer missed the memo, though, as SV40 fragments and components were identified by McKernan in the companys covid jabs. Perhaps this explains why cancer is a common side effect in those who got injected for covid?

World Council for Health says DNA contamination in covid jabs means a red line has been crossed

Another thing McKernan discovered in Pfizers covid jabs is unacceptable levels of double-stranded DNA plasmids, also known as DNA contamination. Both the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA injections were discovered to contain this DNA contamination.

Sasha Latypova is also familiar with the presence of DNA contamination in covid injections, having told Peter Snowden during an interview that it continues to be a huge problem because of this replication competent plasmid.

It can then invade human cells, it can invade the bacterial cells that live in your gut, she added. So, they go into the bacteria they replicate there, they replicate antibiotic-resistant genes  it can cause sepsis, it can cause cancer, all sorts of issues.

Describing this as a red line that has been crossed, the World Council for Health (WCH) issued a warning that DNA contamination of mRNA vaccines poses a risk to everyone on the planet.

Replicable DNA, so-called plasmids, in both the monovalent and bivalent vaccines, which should not be there at all  We can only speculate how it will end, but what needs to happen today after the publication of the paper by McKernan et al (2023) is an immediate stop of the covid-19 vaccine program.

There is a fat chance of that ever happening, but at least the notion is gaining traction. The covid so-called emergency is now officially over, and suddenly the government has decided that the American public should no longer get Johnson & Johnsons (Janssen) viral vector covid injection  but Pfizer and Moderna are still distributing their respective shots.

Its in both Moderna and Pfizer, McKernan explained in an interview with Conservative Reviews David Horowitz, noting that there appears to be no quality control in the manufacturing processes for these two widely distributed injections.

We looked at the bivalent vaccines for both Moderna and Pfizer and only the monovalent vaccines for Pfizer because we didnt have access to monovalent vaccines for Moderna. In all three cases, the vaccines contain double-stranded DNA contamination. If you sequence that DNA, youll find that it matches what looks to be an expression vector thats used to make the RNA.

Would you like to learn more about the dangers and ineffectiveness of all vaccine injections? You can do so at Vaccines.news.

Sources for this article include:

Expose-News.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Ohio-based lawyer Thomas Tom Renz has called for an investigation of the hospital murders committed at the height of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

He made this call during the May 16 episode of his Brighteon.TV program Lawfare with Tom Renz. According to the lawyer, other people who talked about the COVID-19 murder protocols were simply dismissed as conspiracy theorists. Renz then cited a client he was representing, a pharmacist with a doctorate degree from Stanford University.

His client recorded her conversation with a nurse at the Ascension Hospital in Alabama while complaining about these murder protocols. Renz said: The case is based on the fact that she didnt feel like she could do what they were asking her to do because she felt like they were killing people, and she recorded everything that was happening. We have a massive amount of the things she recorded.

According to Renz, the nurse was telling the pharmacist that the doctor on her floor was ordering her to kill people by means of the murder protocols. Given that the recording constituted an admission of the crime, he said it warrants an investigation from the office of Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and state prosecutors. (Related: Atty. Tom Renz to sue Big Pharma, hospitals for harmful COVID-19 treatments.)

Furthermore, Renz added that there are several questions that need to be asked and answered  most especially if these nefarious practices are happening in other hospitals across the country.

Legislators incentivize hospitals for killing patients

Renz also pointed out that legislators enacted laws that granted immunity to hospitals, after passing laws that incentivized them for killing their patients.

Did we turn these hospitals into death factories? Because thats what it sounds like to me, not just from this clip, but from the culmination of all the evidence Ive looked at. What we did was we passed legislation; we passed all sorts of protections for doctors, nurses and hospitals and incentivize them killing people, he said.

And you know what they did? They killed people. Thats what I think they did. Thats why COVID death numbers were so high. Thats why they didnt allow early treatment because you wouldnt make as much money if you allowed ivermectin that would work.

Renz also lamented how many lawmakers had no clue about the legislation they are passing because they do not bother reading it at all. Most elected officials are beyond negligent and completely derelict in their duties because they do not know the content of the bills they legislate, he added.

According to Renz, COVID-19 immunity does not protect willful actions. Based on the recording he played, it was pretty clear that the hospital murders around the country were willful.

Renz ultimately called on his viewers to share the recording and get the word out, claiming that it is being suppressed on social media.

We sent this to all sorts of people, [but] Im praying that it gets out there. Weve got to make sure everybody in the country hears this, he said. The evidence is overwhelming. Its very clear what has occurred. This is part of a conspiracy in my mind. Theres really no question. They knew what was happening.

Follow HospitalHomicide.com for more about the hospital protocols that killed COVID-19 patients.

Watch the May 16 episode of Lawfare with Tom Renz below. Lawfare with Tom Renz airs every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and every Saturday at 12:30-1 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

Hospitals murdering COVID-19 patients by forcing them to take deadly drugs like remdesivir and midazolam  Clay Clark on Brighteon.TV.

Murder for money: Whistleblower reveals hospitals get PAID for every COVID patient admitted.

Hospitals became DEATH and MURDER facilities during covid, facts show.

Former nurse describes hospital Covid-19 protocols as medical murder.

Under covid tyranny, US hospitals have become MURDER FACTORIES where ivermectin is forbidden because it saves lives.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

TomRenz.com
(Natural News) The World Health Organization (WHO) and its leftist partners, including the Biden regime, are busy plotting the next fake pandemic and their iron-fisted response to it. House Republicans, meanwhile, are speaking out in defiance of it.

On May 17, GOP members of Congress took to the podium during a hearing to lambast Biden and the WHO for forging new agreements that will centralize the global health response to another disease scare entirely within the WHO.

Two days after House Republicans warned about the plot, WHO General-Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued a report to all member nations, including the United States, reiterating the position of the United Nations (UN) public health arm that it needs far more control over the next crisis than it had during the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19).

Ghebreyesus noted that as the re-emergence of epidemic-prone diseases continues to accelerate  this is him admitting that the plan is to launch another pandemic very soon  the WHO requires authoritative powers that extend far beyond just the disease itself.

In essence, Ghebreyesus indicated in the report that the WHO needs to be given global authority over hunger, poverty, ecological degradation, climate change, and social and economic inequalities. In other words, the WHO wants to be king of the world.

(Related: Check out the mad scientists the WHO is already appointing to head up its new global medical fascism police state.)

The WHO wants the U.S. Constitution to become null and void during the next public health emergency

Ghebreyesus is demanding that all member nations, including the U.S., begin the process of establishing a global architecture for health emergency preparedness, prevention, response, and resilience (HEPR), which also includes global governance, financing and HEPR systems.

Democrats in Congress, along with some RINO Republicans, expressed their support for Ghebreyesus plan, while some GOP lawmakers spoke out against it.

International law does not trump our Constitution, said Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) at a Capitol press conference. Biden cannot force Americans to follow laws and regulations not passed by our own federal government.

The World Health Organization pandemic treaty is very vague, it affects our sovereignty, and it could be exploited to tell Americans what kind of health care they need in the event of a global pandemic, added Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.).

It was Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) who organized the forum of opposing GOP members, of which there are 18, so far, in total.

On behalf of the United States, Ambassador Pamela Hamamoto is currently in the process of negotiating the terms of the WHOs so-called Pandemic Accord, or Pandemic Treaty, which is slated to be signed by all 194 WHO member nations in 2024.

The signing is also scheduled to include a vote on certain amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHRs), which also fall under the banner of the WHOs Pandemic Accord.

In sum, these negotiations are intended to produce legally binding treaties and agreements that will coordinate a united response among member nations during a health emergency, with much of the decision-making authority vested in the WHO, reported The Epoch Times Kevin Stocklin.

According to these agreements, the WHO would have the authority to, for example, declare when a pandemic is in effect and to coordinate medical supply chains to ensure equitable distribution among member nations. The agreements also speak to global coordination between the WHO and national health authorities like the CDC to set health policies, and coordination among governments on issues like fighting misinformation.'

The WHOs far-reaching globalist agenda for the world has never been more obvious and in our faces than it is today with the UN bodys Pandemic Accord scheme. You can learn more about it at Globalism.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheEpochTimes.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Is widespread political violence coming in the very near future? Are enough Americans fed up that they are near the breaking point and ready to take back their government by force, if necessary?

Maybe.

According to sources cited by CBS News, more than 50 senators have been supplied with satellite phones to address the growing apprehensions regarding security risks faced by members of Congress. The Senate Sergeant at Arms, who assumed the position following the January 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol, has reportedly offered these devices as part of several new security measures being provided to senators.

The outlet said that the offer of satellite phones has been made available to all 100 senators. As per CBS News, at least 50 senators have opted to accept these phones, following the recommendation of Senate administrative staff to keep the devices easily accessible, especially during travel.

In testimony before the Senate Appropriations Committee in last month, Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson said satellite communication is being provided to ensure a redundant and secure means of communication during a disruptive event.

Gibson clarified that the satellite phones are intended to act as a security backup in scenarios where emergencies cause disruptions to communication infrastructure in specific regions of the country. CBS News reported that the costs for the satellite airtime necessary to utilize these phones will be covered by federal funds, adding:

A Department of Homeland Security advisory said satellite phones are a tool for responding to and coordinating government services in the case of a man-made or natural disaster that wipes out communication.

Gibson has also opened an office demonstration space in the basement of the Russell Senate Office Building to offer senators and staff an exhibition of new home state office security upgrades. The demonstration room offers exhibitions of duress buttons, mail screening devices and safety glass to reduce the risk of attacks.

Our team provided initial physical security enhancements for 31 offices and improved existing security for 52 others in 2022, Gibson noted in her April testimony. Maintaining security systems in good working order is a priority, and to support this effort, our team conducted over 622 service calls to maintain, repair, and or test and inspect state office physical security systems in 2022.

Interestingly, Senate administrators have also offered to provide stop the bleed training for lawmakers and staffers to quickly treat injuries and wounds.

In an April briefing, House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland provided legislators with an update on a program designed to enhance the security of residential properties belonging to House members. McFarland informed the legislators that there has been significant participation in this program, indicating a strong commitment to improving security measures.

Additionally, McFarland emphasized that House administrators are actively working in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies to safeguard the well-being of members of Congress during events conducted in their respective home states. Furthermore, efforts are being made to enhance security measures for their residences, thereby prioritizing the safety of lawmakers.

But the expectation of increased violence against lawmakers is definitely a real thing.

The new satellite phone system is one part of a new security program that includes hardening lawmaker offices and homes and seems geared towards domestic unrest that could threaten other communications networks like cell service, said a private domestic intelligence firm Forward Observer in its daily subscriber brief on Monday.

In late 2022, Congress passed a spending measure that authorized additional funds for hometown security initiatives focused on protecting members of Congress. The legislation outlined the requirement for security administrators to strengthen member protection, which includes the implementation of a security program for Congressional Leadership, the expansion of services provided by the Dignitary Protection Division, and the establishment of more USCP field offices.

This expansion aims to extend Capitol Police protection beyond Washington, D.C., encompassing cities in other locations as well, CBS News reported.

Sources include:

ForwardObserver.com

CBSNews.com
Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan has held a meeting with United States Major General Keith Phillips and Mr. Patrick Prior from the U.S. Department of Defense.

May 23, 2023, 09:55 Armenia Security Council Secretary, Pentagon representatives discuss regional security

STEPANAKERT, MAY 23, ARTSAKHPRESS: Armen Grigoryan and the Pentagon representatives discussed the regional and extraregional security situation and also attached importance to the Armenia-U.S. cooperation in the security sector, Grigoryans office said.
(Natural News) Steve Bannon, former top adviser to President Donald Trump, believes America is fading fast under the current regime, but he still believes there is a chance to return the country to some semblance of normal and save it before a total collapse.

Thats if Joe Biden and the Democrats are defeated in 2024.

In an interview with Natural News founder and editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, for Brighteon TV, Bannon, who hosts the popular War Room podcast on the Real Americas Voice network, was first asked if he agrees that the country is living through one of the most dire situations in its entire history, and there is only a short window of opportunity to turn things around or lose the country as it was founded.

I dont think theres any doubt. I think if you look at the three previous crises of this country  the Civil War, the Great Depression, and World War IIand thats just the problems on the basic politics, economics, invasion, sovereignty issues. It doesnt even deal with the issues of an existential threat like the Chinese Communist Party and how theyve infiltrated And it doesnt even touch upon artificial intelligence and the convergence and the singularity. So if you look at this  this is, I think, the most dangerous time not simply in American history, I think its the most dangerous time in world history. And now, because of artificial intelligence and biotechnology and the advances, I think its the most dangerous time for the human race.

He also agreed with Adams that the programmers of AI tools like ChatGTP are injecting left-wing cultural mores and woke values, but he added it gets worse than that. Eventually, he believes that AI machines and algorithms will be able to program themselves and could even view humanity as the enemy.

During the segment, the two also discussed billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who Bannon said bought Twitter as a means of eventually creating a massive AI operation. He also claimed that Musks electric vehicle company, Tesla, was funded with Chinese money.

If hes got some plan or sees it as some cybernetic global brain for humanityif you see what hes thinking about with Twitter, what he feels he has, combined with the AI of Tesla, understanding that both are fully financed by the Chinese Communist Party, thats never been disclosed, and he wont talk about it, we have a problem.

Adams noted that Brighteon TV content remains banned on Twitter despite Musks free speech pledge and that his legal team has already sent demand letters to the platform with a warning that a lawsuit will be forthcoming unless Musk allows the content to be shown.

But Bannon doesnt believe Musk is prepared to do that because, he said, Adams is one of the most sophisticated anti-CCP voices in America today, and Musk is bought and paid for by the Chinese.

Next, the topic turned to the global effort to centralize currencies through the use of digitized money via Central Bank Digital Currencies, with Adams noting that Western governments, in particular, are rapidly moving in that direction.

One of our objectivesis to end the Federal Reserve, Bannon said, in regard to the MAGA movement started by Trump, who was the first candidate to declare for the GOP presidential nomination in November. It is a complete scam that has caused the concentration of wealth in this country of 1 percent of our population, our citizens, control 90 percent of the assets.

If the founders were able to revisit todays America, Bannon said, They would spit on the floor of what weve allowed to happen. The Federal Reserve is the funding mechanism for that.

Bannon went on to predict that if it got to a point where Americans were forced to accept a biometric device that would need to be scanned to participate in society along with digital money that can be tracked in real-time and taken away on a whim, we might as well be in a prison camp.

Thats why I said this is the most dangerous time in American history, Bannon continued, and I believe the most dangerous time in global history and the most dangerous time for the human race, he added.

WATCH:

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

Rumble.com
(Natural News) Footage found on the companys website shows that Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of the infamous Bud Light brand of transgender beer, aims to create a more diverse and inclusive environment by firing its white male employees.

In the video, a company employee is seen complaining that there are still too many white males that work at the company  but that can be fixed with a massive purge.

Were still 40 percent women and 60 percent men, and still predominantly white. So, theres still work to be done, the person states.

The clip then shifts over to a black woman who works at Anheuser-Busch making additional threats against the companys white male employee base, which is targeted for elimination in order to make the struggling company darker and less male.

I feel like I finally found my voice as a black woman and Im not prepared to lose it, the black woman says.

Watch the video below from the Anheuser-Busch InBev YouTube page:

(Related: Just about everything Anheuser-Busch is doing these days seems to be intentional as a form of corporate suicide.)

Will Anheuser-Busch survive its new pro-transgender, anti-white corporate ethos?

Bud Lights tribute to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, a mentally deranged male pretending to be a female who was celebrated by Anheuser-Busch for reaching a milestone of so many days as a woman.

When America caught wind of Bud Lights special tribute can for Mulvaney celebrating his transgenderism, the brands sales figures plummeted. Billions of dollars were wiped off the firms valuation and millions of customers were chased off  all so a mentally ill tranny can feel affirmed in his delusion.

Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch as a whole is trying to become less white and less male with a new diversity and inclusion campaign. Lara Laila Garber, Anheuser-Buschs European Diversity and Inclusion Manager, revealed that at AB InBev, what we wanted to do is ensure that diversity and inclusion is fully integrated in our business strategy.

Ever since partnering with Mulvaney, Anheuser-Busch has been circling the drain. HSBC recently downgraded the company, which is seeing its products sit on store shelves rather than be purchased like they once were before the Mulvaney scandal.

Why is anyone drinking this garbage in the first place? one commenter asked, noting just how disgusting Anheuser-Busch products are and were long before Mulvaney appeared on its beer cans.

I will no longer purchase any beer from the Anheuser-Busch company  done, period, wrote another. Even if they do the right thing and kick the trannies to the curb, I wont support them.

Numerous others noted that Anheuser-Busch seems to be ostracizing its primary customer base, which tends to be white and working-class  or at least used to be.

The target audience for trash beers like Bud used to be younger, working-class men. I guess times have changed, one of them said. Then again, we stopped drinking that swill about a week after turning 18 (legal drinking age back in the day) after discovering that imported brews were far superior.

Another commented that it actually makes sense for Anheuser-Busch to have a fake woman promote its fake beer  because what could be more fitting than that?

It looks like the woke movement is used to destroy all of our trademark corporations on purpose, speculated another about the true purpose behind all this.

This leads the U.S. to 3rd world status further. Now the Disneys and McDs of the world will come from other countries. We will be known for nothing.

Companies that intentionally go woke are just asking to go broke. Learn more at Wokies.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheNationalPulse.com

NaturalNews.com
Britain is set to enjoy a mini-heatwave with above-average temperatures that could last until June.

Forecasters said that the UK will see the hottest day of the year on Thursday as temperatures soar to 25C (77F) in southwest England.

The Met Office said it could be warmer than parts of Morocco, which is experiencing below-average temperatures for this time of year.

Warm weather expected to last until June

According to its figures, the capital city Rabat is forecast to see 24C while Casablanca will likely hit 22C on Thursday, as per The Guardian.

Meanwhile, medium-range forecasts show that the warmer-than-average temperatures will continue until the end of May and into the first week of next month12.

Tom Morgan, an operational meteorologist at the Met Office, told the Telegraph: "Temperatures are going to rise day after day as days are getting lighter and lighter with more incoming heat from the sun as nights get shorter. The highest temperatures will be seen in southwest England, where it is expected to hit 25C on Thursday."

At this time of year, temperatures must hit 25C or 26C in southwest England for at least three days in a row to be officially classed as a heatwave.

Morgan said other parts of the UK will see temperatures in the low 20s as far north as southern Scotland.

But the east coast will feel cooler at around 16 to 18C as winds from the North Sea moderate temperatures.

Also read: UK Weather Forecast: Strong Winds Likely to Unleash This Week That Could Affect Travel Commutes

Sunny and dry conditions prevail in the south

The mini-heatwave comes after an April during which average maximum temperatures were generally above normal and the UK had about a third less rain than usual, as per Telegraph.

It is set to turn warmer over the next few days as high-pressure sweeps across the UK, with temperatures of up to 21C in southern England on Thursday and about 17C as far north as Aberdeen in Scotland.

Temperatures will drop slightly on Friday, although they could reach 20C in southern and eastern England with the weekend set to be dry and warm as high pressure dominates.

BBC Weather said the jet stream running across the UK early next week would result in wind and rain in the north and showers in the southeast, but it would still be warmer than usual for the time of year.

By midweek, there is the potential for very warm weather in the south, possibly nudging into the mid-20Cs.

The Met Office forecast is for widespread settled weather next week, with any rain confined to western and northern areas: "Temperatures are likely to rise above average through the first few days, except nearer to the coast and perhaps the far north, which may see slightly cooler conditions, and it is expected to become warm, perhaps very warm, later in the period."

There will be a change moving into the second half of May, with more unsettled conditions bringing spells of rain or showers.

"Drier spells are also likely, particularly in the south, as is typical for late spring. Temperatures will continue to be above average, especially in the south where it could be very warm early in the period. Further north a return to near normal conditions is possible later in the month," said the Met Office.

The UK's hottest day so far this year was Good Friday, when 23.4C (74F) was recorded in St James's Park in central London.

Related article: UK Weather Forecast: Possible Wintry, Rainy Conditions Likely to Unfold This Week
A shark bites an angler while spearfishing off the Florida coast last week, it was reported on Sunday, May 21. An unknown shark species attacked the fisherman on his foot, where he sustained deep cuts and lacerations.

However, the Florida man survived the vicious shark attack and was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The incident occurred during the evening hours of Friday, May 19.

The said Florida shark attack was the second in a week, wherein a separate encounter involving 20-year-old Kevin Blanco was attacked by a bull shark while also spearfishing. He was taken to Jackson Memorial South following the shark attack.

Meanwhile, earlier in May, another related incident involved a 13-year-old girl Ella Reach who sustained bites on her arm, knee, finger, and stomach from a bull shark attack.

The United States is leading in terms of the number of shark attacks for each country worldwide. The U.S. record shows Florida to have the highest number of shark encounters, including fatal and non-fatal attacks. Aside from bull sharks, other shark species like great white sharks and bull sharks lurk in Florida waters.

In recent years, previous incidents have indicated the increasing proximity of predatory sharks in heavy-populated areas. In 2022, climate scientists linked climate change-induced ocean warming to responsible for the phenomenon, explaining intense heat drives fish and other prey of sharks to move closer to shore. These forces sharks to follow their food as well.

Florida Shark Bite Incident

In a Facebook post by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office (MCSO), last week's incident involved a 35-year-old man who was fishing off a dock on Flagship Drive in Summerland Key, Florida, at approximately 8:00 p.m. local time on Friday.

In the post, the MCSO - Florida Keys Facebook page said the shark went out of the water and landed on the dock when it bit the Florida fisherman. The current condition of the man was not disclosed as of Saturday, May 20.

Also Read: Controversial Shark-Hunting Tournament in Florida Rewards Hunters With Largest Caught Shark

Florida Shark Attacks

In 2022, Florida incurred a total of 16 shark attacks followed by 8 in New York, 5 in Hawaii, 4 in California, 4 in South Carolina, 2 in North Carolina, 1 in Alabama, and 1 in Texas, according to Florida Museum's International Shark Attack File.

Based on the museum's 2022 shark attack report, the U.S. has a total of 41 attacks followed by 9 in Australia, 2 in Egypt, 2 in South Africa, 1 in New Zealand, and 1 in Thailand.

Shark bites in the Sunshine State are rare and typically not life-threatening, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), as cited by CNN.

The FWC emphasizes that it is "extremely unlikely" for a human to be bitten by a predatory shark in Florida waters. However, it says that such incidents still occur and provides some of the following tips to avoid or reduce shark bites:

Stay in groups since sharks prefer a lone or solitary individual.

Avoid swimming far from the shore.

Refrain from going into the water during twilight hours when sharks are most active.

Related Article: Shark Attack in the Florida Keys Leaves 10-Year-Old Boy to Lose a Part of His Leg
Parts of Florida are likely to see severe weather, including hail, floods, and 7-inch heavy rain.

7-Inch Heavy Rains, Flood Watch

In some areas of Florida, up to 7 inches of rain may fall, according to the National Weather Service.

With 1 to 3 inches of rain expected and potentially greater quantities of 4 to 7 inches, parts of Big Bend in Florida are under a flood watch.

According to the Service in Melbourne, many showers and lightning storms are predicted to strike Central Florida later today and might reach the East Coast by tonight. Up to 4 inches of rain are anticipated.

In addition to heavy rain as well as periodic cloud-to-ground lightning, a few of the storms may develop into severe ones with wind gusts of up to 60 mph.

Localized rainfall of as much as four inches in a short period of time is likely when thunderstorms recur, which could cause low-lying regions to flood.

For Central Florida during the week, more storms are expected.

Severe weather in Florida

The Weather Service predicts that Central Florida will remain uneasy for the majority of the week due to several disturbances. Large levels of moisture will continue to exist, and by the middle of the week, a weak low-pressure system may develop near Florida.

Consequently, a lot of showers and thunderstorms with lightning are predicted. Strong storms can produce hail up to the size of a quarter, numerous cloud-to-ground lightning strikes, and gusty gusts of 40 to 50 mph.

Forecast: Pensacola

In Pensacola, there is a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, primarily after 2 PM. With a high of around 87, the sky will be mainly sunny. The area's 5 to 10 mph northerly wind will change direction to the south in the late afternoon.

Pensacola may have showers and thunderstorms with a 50% probability during the evening. With a low of about 70, it will be mainly overcast. Pensacola might receive fresh rainfall levels of between a quarter and half an inch, Florida Today reports.

Forecast: Tellahasee

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch in Tallahassee that will last from noon on Monday to 2 AM on Wednesday.

Over the next two days, it may rain a lot more than once. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches on average are predicted, with lone totals of 4 to 7 inches likely.

Also Read: Flash Flood Warning in Effect Over Parts of Tennessee Until June 10 as Potential Dam, Levee Failure Seen by Experts

Forecast: Jacksonville

In the meanwhile, thunderstorms and showers are expected in Jacksonville before noon, followed by showers and maybe a thunderstorm between midday and two o'clock. After 2 PM, thunderstorms and showers are predicted. In Jacksonville, the highs today will be close to 80 degrees. Wind from the east will blow at 5 to 10 mph. The New rainfall quantities between a quarter and half of an inch are likely, increasing the chance of precipitation to 80%.

The evening will bring showers and thunderstorms with a low of about 70. Wind from the northeast will blow at 5 mph to 10 mph. There is an 80% chance of precipitation, and there is a chance of new rainfall between a quarter and a half inch, The Weather Channel reports.

Related Article: Severe Weather from Cold Front Puts South US at Risk of Tornadoes, Damaging Winds, Hail
An ocean sunfish was caught 'mimicking' a shark in the waters off the California coast last week. It might be scary at first since its swimming looked like a shark from the movie "Jaws" with its fin sticking to the water's surface. However, members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries confirmed it was only a mola mola, the world's largest bony fish.

The said sunfish behavior has been linked to ecological mimicry, a defense mechanism used by animals to protect themselves by impersonating another species of the Animal Kingdom to scare off any predators or threats. Yet, the recent shark impersonation seemed to have no real effect to fend off the sunfish's predators except just scaring human observers at first.

Ocean Sunfish Impersonates Shark

On May 17, the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Facebook page posted a picture of the ocean sunfish which appears to be mimicking a shark in Greater Farrallones National Marine Sanctuary. In the image, it can be seen that the mola mola looks like a shark while its head and fin are slightly visible from the water.

The photo was only taken by coincidence but it makes the sunfish to resemble like a shark, Jennifer Stock, spokesperson for the marine sanctuary, told Newsweek. Stock clarified to the digital media site that mimicking a shark is not something the sunfish typically do and there was no ecological mimicry occurring.

Also Read: Giant Ocean Sunfish Washes Up Along the UK Coast at Norfolk Beach

World's Largest Bony Fish

Being the world's largest bony fish, the ocean sunfish can grow even bigger than an average human and some shark species.

In October 2022, The New York Times reported the discovery of a giant 10-foot ocean sunfish weighing over 6,000 pounds, comparing it around the weight of a Chevrolet Suburban car.

The mola mola are also foraging predators that will eat different kinds of food available to them. Still, their preferred prey are the jellyfish, according to the non-profit conservation organization Oceana.

Ecological Mimicry

As mentioned earlier, ecological mimicry involves the use of certain biological features or morphological appearances to impersonate another animal. Such defense mechanism is in addition to other well-known defense or predatory tactics like camouflage, which pertains to changing one's color or appearance relative to the environment.

In May 2013, a study was published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, researchers define mimicry is the resemblance or similarity of one organism (the mimic) to another organism (the model) that improves the mimic's fitness through its perceptive impact on the behavior of a third party.

Another type of animal mimicry is called Batesian mimicry. According to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, monarch and viceroy butterflies serve as an example of Batesian mimicry, which pertains to a species mimicking the warning signals of another species without needing to change characteristics completely.

Related Article: World's Largest Bony Fish Found After Giant Sunfish Washed Ashore in the Azores
During a prayer service in a mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, Muslim cleric Murat Gundogdu called on the faithful to be armed on the day of the presidential runoff election this Sunday and, also, used the expression "Armenian progenies," news.am informs, citing Ermenihaber.am.

May 23, 2023, 13:16 Turkey Muslim cleric uses hate speech against Armenians

STEPANAKERT, MAY 23, ARTSAKHPRESS: It is clear from the video recordings made on the smartphone that Gundogdu had said as follows, in particular: "For 80 years, what has this country suffered from you, wheat has it suffered from the Armenian progenies? We have so many martyrs.

From another video, it becomes clear that a faithful reacted negatively to Gundogdu's call to prepare the weapons and a fight started in the mosque.

The Directorate of Religious Affairs in Turkey announced that it has launched an investigation into Gundogdu's call to prepare the weapons. But there has been no official comment yet on the aforesaid hate speech against Armenians.


Norfolk single parent families set to get support

Around 100 formerly homeless people from young single parent families will be given the support they need to move on with their lives, thanks to a grant of 60,000 from Norfolk Freemasons to YMCA Norfolk.

This project will support vulnerable and hard to reach single parent families by providing a dedicated Family Engagement Worker to provide a range of support, activities and opportunities to ensure a brighter future for them and their children. The project will be tailored to the young peoples strengths and aspirations, enabling them to address poor social mobility, parenting skills, improve physical, emotional and mental health, reduce loneliness and isolation and sustain independent living.



The support on offer will likely include counselling, parenting skills, financial literacy, life skills, creating peer support networks and much more over a period of up to two years.



The projects success will be measured on the number of families successfully avoiding children being taken into care, and instead successfully accessing social housing.



The grant from Norfolk Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.



John Lee, YMCA Norfolk CEO, said: We are very grateful to Norfolk Freemasons for their generous grant which will allow us to give support to single parent families that is designed to change the course of their lives. The aim is to get them into social housing, equipped with the skills they need to become independent  and we could not do this without the support of the Norfolk Freemasons.



Stephen Allen, Head of Norfolk Freemasons, said: Im very pleased weve been able to help YMCA Norfolk with its excellent project to help local one parent families. The parenting and financial skills on offer are potentially life-changing, giving them a chance of real independence, where the children can hope to take full advantage of their education and break the cycle of depravation that has blighted their parents lives.



Pictured above, from the left, are: Communications Officer for Norfolk Freemasons, Mike Spalding, YMCA Norfolk, CEO, John Lee, YMCA Umbrella Scheme Resettlement Worker, Stephen Brooks, YMCA Norfolk Senior Marketing and Fundraising Officer, Harriet King, YMCA Norfolk Head of Marketing & Fundraising, Susie Knight, YMCA Norwich Community Housing Manager, Damien Woolston and Head of Norfolk Freemasonry, Stephen Allen.



Keith Morris, 23/05/2023
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Refusing to grant the Narcotics Control Bureau custody of a suspected Pakistan national arrested with 2,525kg of methamphetamine from a vessel off the Kerala coast, the Ernakulam Additional District Sessions Court on Monday directed the agency to file a fresh affidavit on Tuesday. Additional Sessions Judge K Sanilkumar, considering NCBs remand application for Zubair Derakhshandeh, observed that its reports and custody petition do not disclose the distance off the coast from where the seizure was made.

When the application was considered in open court in the morning, the judge ordered the production of Zubair by evening. Later in the evening, in the judges chamber, Zubairs counsel B A Aloor objected to the application. He claimed that nothing has been revealed in the NCB report and affidavits about the distance off the coast where the seizure was made. According to him, the case would not stand if the seizure was made at a distance beyond 12 nautical miles (the limit of Indian territorial waters) off the coast.

The defence counsel also argued that Zubair is a Pakistani refugee in Iran and so cannot be considered a Pakistan national. Going through the report filed by the NCB, the court observed that there was nothing mentioned about the distance at which the seizure was made. The court directed the agency to file a fresh affidavit on Tuesday detailing the same. Ordering that Zubair be produced before it on Tuesday at 11am, the court also sought the appearance of the NCB senior prosecutor.

Speaking to reporters, Aloor said the NCB should disclose whether the seizure was made in Indian waters or the high seas. If the offence was committed outside the Indian territorial waters, CrPC 188 (offence committed outside India) will not stand. Section 188 (b) specifies that no offence outside India shall be inquired into or tried in India except with the previous sanction of the central government unless an Indian citizen, ship or aircraft registered in India is involved. Here, neither is there any mention of the distance or any sanction from central government, he said.

It was on May 10 that Indian Navy frigate Teg intercepted a mother ship carrying 2,525kg of methamphetamine, in what is considered the largest ever drug haul in the country. The drugs and Zubair were handed over to NCB when the naval vessel reached Kochi on May 13. The seized meth is estimated to be worth more than Rs 20,000 crore in the international market.

HUGE HAUL OFF KERALA

It was on May 10 that Navy frigate Teg intercepted a mother ship carrying 2,525kg of meth, in what is considered the largest ever drug haul in the country. The drugs and Zubair were handed over to NCB when the naval ship reached Kochi

KOCHI: Refusing to grant the Narcotics Control Bureau custody of a suspected Pakistan national arrested with 2,525kg of methamphetamine from a vessel off the Kerala coast, the Ernakulam Additional District Sessions Court on Monday directed the agency to file a fresh affidavit on Tuesday. Additional Sessions Judge K Sanilkumar, considering NCBs remand application for Zubair Derakhshandeh, observed that its reports and custody petition do not disclose the distance off the coast from where the seizure was made. When the application was considered in open court in the morning, the judge ordered the production of Zubair by evening. Later in the evening, in the judges chamber, Zubairs counsel B A Aloor objected to the application. He claimed that nothing has been revealed in the NCB report and affidavits about the distance off the coast where the seizure was made. According to him, the case would not stand if the seizure was made at a distance beyond 12 nautical miles (the limit of Indian territorial waters) off the coast. The defence counsel also argued that Zubair is a Pakistani refugee in Iran and so cannot be considered a Pakistan national. Going through the report filed by the NCB, the court observed that there was nothing mentioned about the distance at which the seizure was made. The court directed the agency to file a fresh affidavit on Tuesday detailing the same. Ordering that Zubair be produced before it on Tuesday at 11am, the court also sought the appearance of the NCB senior prosecutor.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Speaking to reporters, Aloor said the NCB should disclose whether the seizure was made in Indian waters or the high seas. If the offence was committed outside the Indian territorial waters, CrPC 188 (offence committed outside India) will not stand. Section 188 (b) specifies that no offence outside India shall be inquired into or tried in India except with the previous sanction of the central government unless an Indian citizen, ship or aircraft registered in India is involved. Here, neither is there any mention of the distance or any sanction from central government, he said. It was on May 10 that Indian Navy frigate Teg intercepted a mother ship carrying 2,525kg of methamphetamine, in what is considered the largest ever drug haul in the country. The drugs and Zubair were handed over to NCB when the naval vessel reached Kochi on May 13. The seized meth is estimated to be worth more than Rs 20,000 crore in the international market. HUGE HAUL OFF KERALA It was on May 10 that Navy frigate Teg intercepted a mother ship carrying 2,525kg of meth, in what is considered the largest ever drug haul in the country. The drugs and Zubair were handed over to NCB when the naval ship reached Kochi
By PTI

MUMBAI: A sessions court here has set aside a magistrate's order and directed a shelter home to set at liberty a 34-year-old woman sex worker detained there, saying as per rule, sex work can be called an offence when one engages in it in a public place causing annoyance to others.

The woman approached the sessions court after the magistrate's court on March 15 this year directed her to be detained at the shelter home in Mumbai for one year for care, protection and shelter.

Additional sessions Judge CV Patil set aside the magistrate court's order last month. The detailed order was made available recently.

The woman was detained in February following a raid at a brothel in suburban Mulund. Thereafter, an FIR was registered against the accused and she, along with two others, was produced before a magistrate court in Mazgaon.

After perusal of the medical report, the magistrate found she was a major and sent her to the Navjeevan Mahila Vastigriha, Deonar, for one year for care, protection and shelter from the date of order.

In her plea before the sessions court, the woman denied indulging in any immoral activities.

The sessions court in its order held that the magistrate, only on the ground of antecedent of indulging in a similar kind of offence, has detained the victim.

The order is under challenge only on the ground of antecedent that the victim was found indulging earlier also in a similar act, but the victim is major. She has the right to do work, the judge said.

"As per rule, to involve in sex work is not itself an offence, but to do sex work in a public place so as to cause annoyance to others can be called an offence," the sessions court said.

Further, it noted there was no allegation that the woman indulged in sex work in public. In such circumstances, detaining the victim only on the ground of one antecedent of similar work is not proper, the sessions judge said.

The victim has two kids, they certainly need their mother, and if the victim is detained against her wish, it certainly curtails her right to move freely all over India, the court observed.

Hence considering the legal position, major age of the victim, the magistrate court's order dated March 15 needs to be set aside and the victim needs to be set at liberty, it said.

MUMBAI: A sessions court here has set aside a magistrate's order and directed a shelter home to set at liberty a 34-year-old woman sex worker detained there, saying as per rule, sex work can be called an offence when one engages in it in a public place causing annoyance to others. The woman approached the sessions court after the magistrate's court on March 15 this year directed her to be detained at the shelter home in Mumbai for one year for care, protection and shelter. Additional sessions Judge CV Patil set aside the magistrate court's order last month. The detailed order was made available recently.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The woman was detained in February following a raid at a brothel in suburban Mulund. Thereafter, an FIR was registered against the accused and she, along with two others, was produced before a magistrate court in Mazgaon. After perusal of the medical report, the magistrate found she was a major and sent her to the Navjeevan Mahila Vastigriha, Deonar, for one year for care, protection and shelter from the date of order. In her plea before the sessions court, the woman denied indulging in any immoral activities. The sessions court in its order held that the magistrate, only on the ground of antecedent of indulging in a similar kind of offence, has detained the victim. The order is under challenge only on the ground of antecedent that the victim was found indulging earlier also in a similar act, but the victim is major. She has the right to do work, the judge said. "As per rule, to involve in sex work is not itself an offence, but to do sex work in a public place so as to cause annoyance to others can be called an offence," the sessions court said. Further, it noted there was no allegation that the woman indulged in sex work in public. In such circumstances, detaining the victim only on the ground of one antecedent of similar work is not proper, the sessions judge said. The victim has two kids, they certainly need their mother, and if the victim is detained against her wish, it certainly curtails her right to move freely all over India, the court observed. Hence considering the legal position, major age of the victim, the magistrate court's order dated March 15 needs to be set aside and the victim needs to be set at liberty, it said.
Australia to boost PNG ties as US pivots to Pacific

Defence Minister Richard Marles says Australia is focused on its own relationship with Papua New Guinea amid concerns about a new security pact with the United States.

PNG Prime Minister James Marape and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed new defence agreements in Port Moresby on Monday.

But PNG opposition MPs and protesters called for more transparency about what the agreement means for Washington's military foothold in the region and whether it would impact its "friends to all" foreign policy.

Mr Marles welcomed renewed US engagement in the Pacific and said Australia was focused on boosting its own ties with Port Moresby.

"The fact that America is walking down this path is something that we certainly see as being very positive and we will continue to work with PNG in terms of developing our own friends," he said on Tuesday.

Mr Marape told protesters there was "nothing for us to be fearful about".

He said the new pact had nothing to do with China, despite the US agreement resulting in an increase in its military presence over the next decade.

"We have a healthy relationship with the Chinese government and they are an important trading partner," he said.

The agreement also set to expand PNG's ability to deliver humanitarian assistance and respond to natural disasters.

Australia is working to forge its own defence co-operation agreement with PNG with negotiations continuing as the Pacific minister held meetings with leaders in Port Moresby.



Asked whether concerns over the US pact sparked a rethink of Australia's agreement, with negotiations running behind schedule, Mr Marles said PNG remained an important partner.

"Papua New Guinea is profoundly important for Australia in so many ways, but that includes our national security, which is why we are building our relationship evermore," he said.


By PTI

MUMBAI: Former Mumbai NCB chief Sameer Wankhede, accused in a cruise 'drug bust' bribery case, on Monday submitted a letter to the office of the Mumbai police commissioner seeking protection after claiming he and his wife were receiving death threats for the last few days.

An official said a letter was sent to the police commissionerate in south Mumbai through a representative of Wankhede.

The Central Bureau of Investigation booked Wankhede and four others on May 11 for allegedly seeking a bribe of Rs 25 crore from actor Shah Rukh Khan for not implicating the actor's son Aryan in the Cordelia cruise 'drug bust' case.

Wankhede, who has been booked for alleged criminal conspiracy and threat of extortion as well as provisions pertaining to bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act, was questioned by the CBI in connection with the case on Saturday and Sunday.

ALSO READ | 'Punished for being patriot', says Sameer Wankhede on CBI raids in Rs 25 crore bribery case

The Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer claimed he and his wife Kranti Redkar have been receiving death threats and also abusive messages on social media platforms over the last four days.

The FIR against Wankhede and four others was based on a report of then Deputy Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Gyaneshwar Singh, who headed a Special Enquiry Team in the cruise ship 'drug bust' case after allegations of irregularities surfaced.

Wankhede last week said the FIR was registered against him because he had lodged a complaint against Singh with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes.

Wankhede has alleged Singh humiliated and harassed him during an inquiry since the former belonged to a backward community.

The Bombay High Court on Monday extended Wankhede's interim protection from any coercive action, such as arrest, in the case till June 8.

MUMBAI: Former Mumbai NCB chief Sameer Wankhede, accused in a cruise 'drug bust' bribery case, on Monday submitted a letter to the office of the Mumbai police commissioner seeking protection after claiming he and his wife were receiving death threats for the last few days. An official said a letter was sent to the police commissionerate in south Mumbai through a representative of Wankhede. The Central Bureau of Investigation booked Wankhede and four others on May 11 for allegedly seeking a bribe of Rs 25 crore from actor Shah Rukh Khan for not implicating the actor's son Aryan in the Cordelia cruise 'drug bust' case.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Wankhede, who has been booked for alleged criminal conspiracy and threat of extortion as well as provisions pertaining to bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act, was questioned by the CBI in connection with the case on Saturday and Sunday. ALSO READ | 'Punished for being patriot', says Sameer Wankhede on CBI raids in Rs 25 crore bribery case The Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer claimed he and his wife Kranti Redkar have been receiving death threats and also abusive messages on social media platforms over the last four days. The FIR against Wankhede and four others was based on a report of then Deputy Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Gyaneshwar Singh, who headed a Special Enquiry Team in the cruise ship 'drug bust' case after allegations of irregularities surfaced. Wankhede last week said the FIR was registered against him because he had lodged a complaint against Singh with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes. Wankhede has alleged Singh humiliated and harassed him during an inquiry since the former belonged to a backward community. The Bombay High Court on Monday extended Wankhede's interim protection from any coercive action, such as arrest, in the case till June 8.
Dilip Singh Kshatriya By

Express News Service

AHMEDABAD: In a startling episode, around 38 teenagers were rescued from a mass wedding ceremony in Ahmedabads Vatava neighborhood.

A member of Pryas NGO, upon learning that 38 weddings were about to be held as part of a mass marriage ceremony in Ahmedabad, swing into action and stopped the wedding preparations on Friday with the help of volunteers, District Child Marriage Prohibition Office and the local police.

The member had learned that some of these mass marriages were underage marriages.

Upon reaching the wedding venue, officials sought the birth certificates of all 72 individuals scheduled to marry and over the next two days, the organisation in charge of the mass marriage ceremony cooperated with the government officials and produced the needed paperwork.

It was discovered that 19 of the 36 potential weddings were illegal and at least one of the participants was under the legal age for marriage. The team had verified the names registered in mass marriages for two days.

Men in India are legally permitted to get married only at the age of 21, while women are allowed to do so when they turn 18.

Project coordinator of Prayas NGO Indrajeetsinh Chauhan said, Our team verified the names registered in mass marriages for two days on Friday and Saturday after receiving information that some people were getting married in Vatva, Ahmedabad, despite the fact that they were not legally eligible to do so. We discovered 19 couples, or 38 people, were getting married despite not being of marriageable age.

Meanwhile, Gujarat has reported as many as 61 cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) between 2017 and 2021, as per the Union Government's data tabled in the Parliament on March 31, 2023.

As many as six incidents of child marriage were reported in 2017 and eight in 2018.

2019 saw a rise in child marriage-related cases with 20 such incidents being reported, while as many as 15 and 12 such cases were reported in 2020 and 2021 respectively.

Child marriage cases in Gujarat

2017: 6

2018: 8

2019: 20

2020: 15

2021: 12

AHMEDABAD: In a startling episode, around 38 teenagers were rescued from a mass wedding ceremony in Ahmedabads Vatava neighborhood. A member of Pryas NGO, upon learning that 38 weddings were about to be held as part of a mass marriage ceremony in Ahmedabad, swing into action and stopped the wedding preparations on Friday with the help of volunteers, District Child Marriage Prohibition Office and the local police. The member had learned that some of these mass marriages were underage marriages. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Upon reaching the wedding venue, officials sought the birth certificates of all 72 individuals scheduled to marry and over the next two days, the organisation in charge of the mass marriage ceremony cooperated with the government officials and produced the needed paperwork. It was discovered that 19 of the 36 potential weddings were illegal and at least one of the participants was under the legal age for marriage. The team had verified the names registered in mass marriages for two days. Men in India are legally permitted to get married only at the age of 21, while women are allowed to do so when they turn 18. Project coordinator of Prayas NGO Indrajeetsinh Chauhan said, Our team verified the names registered in mass marriages for two days on Friday and Saturday after receiving information that some people were getting married in Vatva, Ahmedabad, despite the fact that they were not legally eligible to do so. We discovered 19 couples, or 38 people, were getting married despite not being of marriageable age. Meanwhile, Gujarat has reported as many as 61 cases under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA) between 2017 and 2021, as per the Union Government's data tabled in the Parliament on March 31, 2023. As many as six incidents of child marriage were reported in 2017 and eight in 2018. 2019 saw a rise in child marriage-related cases with 20 such incidents being reported, while as many as 15 and 12 such cases were reported in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Child marriage cases in Gujarat 2017: 6 2018: 8 2019: 20 2020: 15 2021: 12
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: Five months ahead of the assembly elections, the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots is resonating in the politics BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh. A day after senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler was charge-sheeted in a Delhi court by the CBI in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, two senior BJP leaders, state party chief VD Sharma and medical education minister Vishvas Sarang, have alleged that Congress leader Kamal Nath had role in the 39-years-old case.

Sharma further claimed that the CBI and the central agencies will shortly charge the former Madhya Pradesh CM in a manner similar to the way they have charge-sheeted Tytler. Raising the issue, Sarang said, Names of four Congress leaders in leading the mobs which massacred the Sikhs in Delhi in 1984 had come to the fore during the probe in the past. The four Congress leaders, included Sajjan Kumar (who is in jail), Jagdish Tytler who has been charge-sheeted recently and Kamal Nath. I dont want to take the name of the fourth Congress leader, as hes no longer alive.

In 2000, the Justice Nanawati Commission was appointed to probe the 1984 Sikh genocide, but after 2004, when a Congress-led government came to power at the Centre, the entire issue was covered up and no action was taken against those found involved. After 2014, investigative agencies started working in the matter again, resulting in Sajjan Kumars conviction by court and his subsequent life imprisonment. On Saturday, the CBI has charge-sheeted Tytler in the case. The involvement of Kamal Nath too in the anti-Sikh riots is well-known, Sarang said.

State Congress chief Kamal Nath rubbished the allegations. In my 45 years political career, no one has raised an incriminating finger at me. The riots happened in 1984, but no FIR has been lodged against me till date, Nath said.

Even the Commission formed by the erstwhile BJP government at the Centre found me innocent in the entire matter. Now, with nothing left to attack me, BJP leaders, like state party chief VD Sharma are raising the issue just to cover their own Do number Ke Kaam (shady deeds), he told journalists in Anuppur district on Monday.



BHOPAL: Five months ahead of the assembly elections, the issue of 1984 anti-Sikh riots is resonating in the politics BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh. A day after senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler was charge-sheeted in a Delhi court by the CBI in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, two senior BJP leaders, state party chief VD Sharma and medical education minister Vishvas Sarang, have alleged that Congress leader Kamal Nath had role in the 39-years-old case. Sharma further claimed that the CBI and the central agencies will shortly charge the former Madhya Pradesh CM in a manner similar to the way they have charge-sheeted Tytler. Raising the issue, Sarang said, Names of four Congress leaders in leading the mobs which massacred the Sikhs in Delhi in 1984 had come to the fore during the probe in the past. The four Congress leaders, included Sajjan Kumar (who is in jail), Jagdish Tytler who has been charge-sheeted recently and Kamal Nath. I dont want to take the name of the fourth Congress leader, as hes no longer alive. In 2000, the Justice Nanawati Commission was appointed to probe the 1984 Sikh genocide, but after 2004, when a Congress-led government came to power at the Centre, the entire issue was covered up and no action was taken against those found involved. After 2014, investigative agencies started working in the matter again, resulting in Sajjan Kumars conviction by court and his subsequent life imprisonment. On Saturday, the CBI has charge-sheeted Tytler in the case. The involvement of Kamal Nath too in the anti-Sikh riots is well-known, Sarang said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); State Congress chief Kamal Nath rubbished the allegations. In my 45 years political career, no one has raised an incriminating finger at me. The riots happened in 1984, but no FIR has been lodged against me till date, Nath said. Even the Commission formed by the erstwhile BJP government at the Centre found me innocent in the entire matter. Now, with nothing left to attack me, BJP leaders, like state party chief VD Sharma are raising the issue just to cover their own Do number Ke Kaam (shady deeds), he told journalists in Anuppur district on Monday.
Rajesh Asnani By

Express News Service

JAIPUR: In the political landscape of Rajasthan, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has stirred a fresh controversy by voicing his support for Sachin Pilots demand for an investigation into corruption allegations during the tenure of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

In a viral video, Shekhawat can be seen stating that if anyone is involved in corruption, an inquiry should be conducted but that should be conducted without political interference. Shekhawat emphasised the need for a fair investigation that is not driven by political motivations.

Political observers, however, believe Shekhawats statement not only targets Raje but also chief minister Ashok Gehlot, much like Sachin Pilot. Actually Rajasthans politics is going through a unique phase during this election year, where prominent leaders from both the BJP and Congress openly accuse leaders within their own parties of colluding with the Opposition.

It is hardly a secret that Shekhawat and Raje do not share warm relations for a long time as both are seen as major contenders to be the CM face in case the BJP comes back to power in Rajasthan. Earlier, after Pilot accused Gehlot of neglecting corruption cases during Rajes tenure, Congress workers in Gehlots hometown of Jodhpur demanded that Pilot should also address the Sanjeevani scam, in which Minister Shekhawat has been implicated as a prime accused. CM Gehlot has also claimed that Union home minister Amit Shah and Shekhawat were behind the rebellion by Pilot and his supporting MLAs in 2020 to topple the state government.

The strained relationship between Shekhawat and CM Gehlot can be traced back to the last Lok Sabha elections when former defeated latters son Vaibhav, establishing himself as a significant figure not only in Gehlots home district but also in western Rajasthan. On the other hand, it is no secret that there is animosity between Shekhawat and Raje within the BJP.

In 2018, after Ashok Parnami was removed as state BJP chief, Amit Shah wanted to appoint Shekhawat as the president of Rajasthan BJP. However, then-CM Raje vetoed his nomination, resulting in the post remaining vacant for two and a half months in an election year. Later Madanlal Saini was eventually appointed as the BJP State President. Now , five years later Shekhawat is also considered a contender for the post of CM within the BJP.

JAIPUR: In the political landscape of Rajasthan, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has stirred a fresh controversy by voicing his support for Sachin Pilots demand for an investigation into corruption allegations during the tenure of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje. In a viral video, Shekhawat can be seen stating that if anyone is involved in corruption, an inquiry should be conducted but that should be conducted without political interference. Shekhawat emphasised the need for a fair investigation that is not driven by political motivations. Political observers, however, believe Shekhawats statement not only targets Raje but also chief minister Ashok Gehlot, much like Sachin Pilot. Actually Rajasthans politics is going through a unique phase during this election year, where prominent leaders from both the BJP and Congress openly accuse leaders within their own parties of colluding with the Opposition.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It is hardly a secret that Shekhawat and Raje do not share warm relations for a long time as both are seen as major contenders to be the CM face in case the BJP comes back to power in Rajasthan. Earlier, after Pilot accused Gehlot of neglecting corruption cases during Rajes tenure, Congress workers in Gehlots hometown of Jodhpur demanded that Pilot should also address the Sanjeevani scam, in which Minister Shekhawat has been implicated as a prime accused. CM Gehlot has also claimed that Union home minister Amit Shah and Shekhawat were behind the rebellion by Pilot and his supporting MLAs in 2020 to topple the state government. The strained relationship between Shekhawat and CM Gehlot can be traced back to the last Lok Sabha elections when former defeated latters son Vaibhav, establishing himself as a significant figure not only in Gehlots home district but also in western Rajasthan. On the other hand, it is no secret that there is animosity between Shekhawat and Raje within the BJP. In 2018, after Ashok Parnami was removed as state BJP chief, Amit Shah wanted to appoint Shekhawat as the president of Rajasthan BJP. However, then-CM Raje vetoed his nomination, resulting in the post remaining vacant for two and a half months in an election year. Later Madanlal Saini was eventually appointed as the BJP State President. Now , five years later Shekhawat is also considered a contender for the post of CM within the BJP.
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Amidst protracted tensions along the Line of Actual Control, China is continuing to strengthen its infrastructure and connectivity in the comparatively peaceful Middle Sector. As high density troop deployment from both sides continues in Eastern Ladakh, India is also strengthening its infrastructure and defences.

Sources on Monday confirmed that the Chinese side is focusing on air connectivity at the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) camps. Apart from realignment and construction of a new link road, helipads are coming up at Sarang, Poling and Jindu (opposite Niti Pass).

A new PLA camp near Niti Pass has also been spotted, sources said. Niti Pass was an ancient trading route between India and Tibet. It has remained closed since the 1962 war with China. Sources said helipads will help in quick deployment and improved supply for Chinese troops in the area.

The Chinese are also constructing border settlement villages with one coming up at a place 45 km off Tholing, across the Middle Sector, with a likely military complex close to the village. Work at both the locations is nearing completion.

Speaking on the Chinese infrastructure build up, defence analyst Maj Gen Sudhakar Jee (Retd) said China wants to tire India down through strategic encirclement. Besides raising the cost of enhanced troops, China is activating dormant sectors like the Middle Sector to tire down India and force it to post additional troops and cause imbalance in its national security strategy, he opined.

The Indian side is also pushing for troop and infrastructure beef-up, including along the Middle Sector. This necessitated the re-organisation of troops along with positioning arms and equipment and commensurate infrastructure.

NEW DELHI: Amidst protracted tensions along the Line of Actual Control, China is continuing to strengthen its infrastructure and connectivity in the comparatively peaceful Middle Sector. As high density troop deployment from both sides continues in Eastern Ladakh, India is also strengthening its infrastructure and defences. Sources on Monday confirmed that the Chinese side is focusing on air connectivity at the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) camps. Apart from realignment and construction of a new link road, helipads are coming up at Sarang, Poling and Jindu (opposite Niti Pass). A new PLA camp near Niti Pass has also been spotted, sources said. Niti Pass was an ancient trading route between India and Tibet. It has remained closed since the 1962 war with China. Sources said helipads will help in quick deployment and improved supply for Chinese troops in the area. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Chinese are also constructing border settlement villages with one coming up at a place 45 km off Tholing, across the Middle Sector, with a likely military complex close to the village. Work at both the locations is nearing completion. Speaking on the Chinese infrastructure build up, defence analyst Maj Gen Sudhakar Jee (Retd) said China wants to tire India down through strategic encirclement. Besides raising the cost of enhanced troops, China is activating dormant sectors like the Middle Sector to tire down India and force it to post additional troops and cause imbalance in its national security strategy, he opined. The Indian side is also pushing for troop and infrastructure beef-up, including along the Middle Sector. This necessitated the re-organisation of troops along with positioning arms and equipment and commensurate infrastructure.
Preetha Nair By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: In what is seen as a big consolidation of Opposition forces against the BJP, the Congress on Monday said an Opposition meeting will take place in a day or two. However, the Congress is yet to take its call on an ordinance promulgated by the Centre last week to wrest control over transfers and postings of officers in the Kejriwal government, after the Supreme Court ruled in the AAPs favour.

With the ordinance becoming another rallying point for non-BJP parties, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi here. Addressing the media, Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said that the venue and date of the Opposition meeting will be announced in a day or two.

While Kejriwal urged all Opposition parties to defeat a bill on Delhi governments powers in the Rajya Sabha, Venugopal said the Congress will consult its state units and other like-minded parties on the matter before taking the call.

The party believes in the rule of law and at the same time does not condone unnecessary confrontation, political witch-hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party, Venugopal said. To win the number game, the Opposition needs the support of the Congress (31 MPs), BJD (9) and YSR Congress (9) in the Rajya Sabha.

NEW DELHI: In what is seen as a big consolidation of Opposition forces against the BJP, the Congress on Monday said an Opposition meeting will take place in a day or two. However, the Congress is yet to take its call on an ordinance promulgated by the Centre last week to wrest control over transfers and postings of officers in the Kejriwal government, after the Supreme Court ruled in the AAPs favour. With the ordinance becoming another rallying point for non-BJP parties, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi here. Addressing the media, Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said that the venue and date of the Opposition meeting will be announced in a day or two. While Kejriwal urged all Opposition parties to defeat a bill on Delhi governments powers in the Rajya Sabha, Venugopal said the Congress will consult its state units and other like-minded parties on the matter before taking the call.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The party believes in the rule of law and at the same time does not condone unnecessary confrontation, political witch-hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party, Venugopal said. To win the number game, the Opposition needs the support of the Congress (31 MPs), BJD (9) and YSR Congress (9) in the Rajya Sabha.
S Godson Wisely Dass By

Express News Service

THOOTHUKUDI: Five years after 13 civilians were killed in police firing in Thoothukudi during anti-Sterlite protests, police and revenue officials found guilty by the Aruna Jegadeesan inquiry committee have not been prosecuted yet. The Aruna Jegadeesan committee appointed to probe into the incident has indicted 17 police personnel and four revenue officials for the deaths between May 22 and 23 in 2018.

The case was probed by both the CBI and the inquiry commission. The CBI, which took over the case on August 14, 2018, from the CB-CID as directed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, had charge-sheeted 101 people and Thirumalai, a police inspector. The officer was later promoted to DSP.

The Jegadeesan panel that investigated the incident for four years at a cost of 5.5 crore, held 17 police personnel responsible for police excesses and four revenue officials for lapses. While one of them was an IAS officer, there were three deputy tahsildars, three IPS officers, one DSP, three inspectors, two sub-inspectors and eight police constables. Many of them were promoted to higher posts later.

The report found constables Raja, Sathish Kumar and Mathavan guilty of using weapons to gun down Karthick, Jayaraman and Kaliappan, respectively, while constable Sudalaikannu was held solely responsible for killing Manirajan, Shanmugam, Selvaraj and Jansi Rani. Corroborating with evidence and witnesses, the retired judge had concluded that either Constable Shankar or SI Rennes had a role in shooting down Tamilarasan and Kanthaiah at the district collectorate. Similarly, SI Sornamani or constable Sudalaikannu had killed Ranjith on the collectorate campus, constable Thandavamurthy or Sudalaikannu had killed Snowlin, and Sudalaikannu or constable Sathish Kumar must have shot dead Glaston outside the collectorate, the one man commission report said while recommending criminal action against them.

ALSO READ | Stalin promises legal action over Thoothukudi firing

Apart from police personnel, the commission suggested departmental action against the then collector Venkatesh for his commissions and omissions and suggested initiation of departmental action and other actions known to law against three special executive magistrates/deputy tahsildars --- Sekar, Chandran and Kannan --- as the commission did not accept their explanations for allegedly issuing shooting orders.

A sister of the deceased victim told TNIE, "Why has the government not arrested the police personnel who were found guilty of killing 13 people by the Aruna Jegadeesan committee? The government must register FIR against each of these personnel and they must be detained to render justice to the victims families, she said.

An RTI reply said the state government had placed DSP Thirumalai, head constables Shankar, Sudalaikannu, and Satheeshkumar under suspension pending inquiry since October 17, 2022. The suspension order of constable M Shankar accessed by TNIE said he was suspended over pending grave charges against him for certain lapses detailed in the report of the commission of inquiry by Justice Aruna Jegadeesan.

Anti-Sterlite activist Merina Prabhu said the DMK government did not walk the talk. "They promised befitting action before coming to power, but action is missing now," he said.

Henri Tiphagne, executive director, Peoples Watch, said the state government must take steps to get permission from the HC for further investigation by a special investigation team, on the basis of evidence in Aruna Jegadeesans report as per Section 173(8) of Criminal Procedure Code. "The 17 police officers and four revenue officials named in the report must be placed under suspension immediately until they are prosecuted," he said. While the CBI held rioters responsible for violence, the Jegadeesan committee report held the police guilty of killing civilian protesters.

ALSO READ | Thoothukudi firing: Three tahsildars who gave shooting orders charged for departmental action

Activist Krishnamurthy told TNIE, "We cannot accept the CBI's chargesheet, as it was partial. The CM should break the silence and ensure justice for the people. The victims will get justice, only if those found guilty are punished."

A bureaucrat told TNIE that the Aruna Jegadeesan report is also biased as it did not hold the protesters accountable for the mob activity that unfolded after the police opened fire. There is a need for further investigation, he said.

THOOTHUKUDI: Five years after 13 civilians were killed in police firing in Thoothukudi during anti-Sterlite protests, police and revenue officials found guilty by the Aruna Jegadeesan inquiry committee have not been prosecuted yet. The Aruna Jegadeesan committee appointed to probe into the incident has indicted 17 police personnel and four revenue officials for the deaths between May 22 and 23 in 2018. The case was probed by both the CBI and the inquiry commission. The CBI, which took over the case on August 14, 2018, from the CB-CID as directed by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, had charge-sheeted 101 people and Thirumalai, a police inspector. The officer was later promoted to DSP. The Jegadeesan panel that investigated the incident for four years at a cost of 5.5 crore, held 17 police personnel responsible for police excesses and four revenue officials for lapses. While one of them was an IAS officer, there were three deputy tahsildars, three IPS officers, one DSP, three inspectors, two sub-inspectors and eight police constables. Many of them were promoted to higher posts later. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The report found constables Raja, Sathish Kumar and Mathavan guilty of using weapons to gun down Karthick, Jayaraman and Kaliappan, respectively, while constable Sudalaikannu was held solely responsible for killing Manirajan, Shanmugam, Selvaraj and Jansi Rani. Corroborating with evidence and witnesses, the retired judge had concluded that either Constable Shankar or SI Rennes had a role in shooting down Tamilarasan and Kanthaiah at the district collectorate. Similarly, SI Sornamani or constable Sudalaikannu had killed Ranjith on the collectorate campus, constable Thandavamurthy or Sudalaikannu had killed Snowlin, and Sudalaikannu or constable Sathish Kumar must have shot dead Glaston outside the collectorate, the one man commission report said while recommending criminal action against them. ALSO READ | Stalin promises legal action over Thoothukudi firing Apart from police personnel, the commission suggested departmental action against the then collector Venkatesh for his commissions and omissions and suggested initiation of departmental action and other actions known to law against three special executive magistrates/deputy tahsildars --- Sekar, Chandran and Kannan --- as the commission did not accept their explanations for allegedly issuing shooting orders. A sister of the deceased victim told TNIE, "Why has the government not arrested the police personnel who were found guilty of killing 13 people by the Aruna Jegadeesan committee? The government must register FIR against each of these personnel and they must be detained to render justice to the victims families, she said. An RTI reply said the state government had placed DSP Thirumalai, head constables Shankar, Sudalaikannu, and Satheeshkumar under suspension pending inquiry since October 17, 2022. The suspension order of constable M Shankar accessed by TNIE said he was suspended over pending grave charges against him for certain lapses detailed in the report of the commission of inquiry by Justice Aruna Jegadeesan. Anti-Sterlite activist Merina Prabhu said the DMK government did not walk the talk. "They promised befitting action before coming to power, but action is missing now," he said. Henri Tiphagne, executive director, Peoples Watch, said the state government must take steps to get permission from the HC for further investigation by a special investigation team, on the basis of evidence in Aruna Jegadeesans report as per Section 173(8) of Criminal Procedure Code. "The 17 police officers and four revenue officials named in the report must be placed under suspension immediately until they are prosecuted," he said. While the CBI held rioters responsible for violence, the Jegadeesan committee report held the police guilty of killing civilian protesters. ALSO READ | Thoothukudi firing: Three tahsildars who gave shooting orders charged for departmental action Activist Krishnamurthy told TNIE, "We cannot accept the CBI's chargesheet, as it was partial. The CM should break the silence and ensure justice for the people. The victims will get justice, only if those found guilty are punished." A bureaucrat told TNIE that the Aruna Jegadeesan report is also biased as it did not hold the protesters accountable for the mob activity that unfolded after the police opened fire. There is a need for further investigation, he said.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Tuesday granted permission to NDTV founders Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy to travel abroad for three weeks for business purpose and personal reasons.

Justice Prathiba M Singh said owing to the professional standing of the petitioners, they do not pose a flight risk and are permitted to travel abroad from July 25 to August 15.

The high court allowed them to visit the United Kingdom after fulfilling necessary conditions imposed by the court before the registrar.

It also asked them to provide details of their itinerary to the registrar of the high court.

The Roys filed the application in a pending petition in which they have challenged the lookout circular opened against them at the behest of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pursuant to lodging of two FIRs over alleged corruption.

Their counsel submitted they wish to travel abroad for business and personal reasons, including a visit to Prannoy Roy's brother.

The plea was opposed by the counsel for the authorities on the ground that investigation was pending against both the petitioners.

Justice Singh noted that the Roys were also permitted to travel abroad last year by a coordinate bench of the high court.

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Tuesday granted permission to NDTV founders Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy to travel abroad for three weeks for business purpose and personal reasons. Justice Prathiba M Singh said owing to the professional standing of the petitioners, they do not pose a flight risk and are permitted to travel abroad from July 25 to August 15. The high court allowed them to visit the United Kingdom after fulfilling necessary conditions imposed by the court before the registrar.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It also asked them to provide details of their itinerary to the registrar of the high court. The Roys filed the application in a pending petition in which they have challenged the lookout circular opened against them at the behest of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pursuant to lodging of two FIRs over alleged corruption. Their counsel submitted they wish to travel abroad for business and personal reasons, including a visit to Prannoy Roy's brother. The plea was opposed by the counsel for the authorities on the ground that investigation was pending against both the petitioners. Justice Singh noted that the Roys were also permitted to travel abroad last year by a coordinate bench of the high court.
By Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Even as Manipur was limping back to normalcy after being rocked by ethnic clashes, fresh tension erupted on Monday when a mob torched some abandoned houses in the state capital Imphal.

The trouble began when at around 10 am, two persons, one allegedly armed with a single barrel gun, began to threaten roadside vendors, mostly women, to close their shops at the New Checkon area.

This infuriated people. As the news spread, a mob arrived and torched some abandoned houses, official sources said. The situation was brought under control by Army and paramilitary personnel. The police arrested the two accused, who live in a nearby area, and a former MLA who allegedly instigated the duo.

An indefinite curfew, albeit with 5 am-4 pm relaxation every day, is still in force in some districts. After Mondays incident, the government reduced the curfew relaxation time by three hours in areas of Imphal. Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the state government was working towards restoring normalcy. He urged people to cooperate with it. Speaking at a press conference held in the evening, he said the accused were being questioned by the police.

In most areas, Army, paramilitary and state forces are deployed. If people have any issues, they can contact the police. The government will deal with the culprits as per the law, he said. His Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma said the National Peoples Party (NPP), which he heads, adopted a resolution for peace.

GUWAHATI: Even as Manipur was limping back to normalcy after being rocked by ethnic clashes, fresh tension erupted on Monday when a mob torched some abandoned houses in the state capital Imphal. The trouble began when at around 10 am, two persons, one allegedly armed with a single barrel gun, began to threaten roadside vendors, mostly women, to close their shops at the New Checkon area. This infuriated people. As the news spread, a mob arrived and torched some abandoned houses, official sources said. The situation was brought under control by Army and paramilitary personnel. The police arrested the two accused, who live in a nearby area, and a former MLA who allegedly instigated the duo. An indefinite curfew, albeit with 5 am-4 pm relaxation every day, is still in force in some districts. After Mondays incident, the government reduced the curfew relaxation time by three hours in areas of Imphal. Chief Minister N Biren Singh said the state government was working towards restoring normalcy. He urged people to cooperate with it. Speaking at a press conference held in the evening, he said the accused were being questioned by the police. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In most areas, Army, paramilitary and state forces are deployed. If people have any issues, they can contact the police. The government will deal with the culprits as per the law, he said. His Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K Sangma said the National Peoples Party (NPP), which he heads, adopted a resolution for peace.
By Express News Service

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Tuesday that all unauthorised colonies built until December 31, 2022 in the Assembly polls-bound state would be legalised.

Making the announcement at an event on regularisation of unauthorised colonies and associated civil infrastructure development and building permission grant, the CM added that necessary funds will be made available for development of these newly legalised colonies.

Tuesday's decision is likely to benefit 20 lakh people, which may eventually strengthen the ruling BJPs support base in urban pockets, particularly in the mushrooming colonies on the outskirts of big cities.

All arrangements related to infrastructure will be made. Along with water and electricity, other arrangements will be ensured. Development fees will not be charged from poor residents of these colonies. The houses built will be accepted and given permission in the same condition, he said.

He, however, said that if any illegal colony comes up in future, it will be the responsibility of the concerned officials. Officers must keep a close watch to prevent this, he added.

With this development, the residents of legalised colonies will be able to get bank loans. Money from MLA and MP LAD funds can be released for development. He said that resident associations should also be formed in the colonies. A public campaign should be started to ensure that the colonies do not lag behind in cleanliness.

The CM further asked all the urban bodies to provide necessary cooperation to the resident associations of the legalized colonies.

Addressing the same program, the CM said that poor people coming to the city for work should be provided meals for Rs 5 under the Deendayal Rasoi Yojana. No person should sleep hungry in this state.

While asking to strike a humane balance in anti-encroachment removal drives, the CM said there should not be any crisis over the livelihood of hand cart pushers.

Addressing the event, the state urban development and housing minister Bhupendra Singh said action is being taken to legalise 6077 unauthorised colonies built up to December 31, 2016. Legalising unauthorised colonies built up to December 31, 2022 will benefit residents of 2500 additional colonies.

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on Tuesday that all unauthorised colonies built until December 31, 2022 in the Assembly polls-bound state would be legalised. Making the announcement at an event on regularisation of unauthorised colonies and associated civil infrastructure development and building permission grant, the CM added that necessary funds will be made available for development of these newly legalised colonies. Tuesday's decision is likely to benefit 20 lakh people, which may eventually strengthen the ruling BJPs support base in urban pockets, particularly in the mushrooming colonies on the outskirts of big cities.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); All arrangements related to infrastructure will be made. Along with water and electricity, other arrangements will be ensured. Development fees will not be charged from poor residents of these colonies. The houses built will be accepted and given permission in the same condition, he said. He, however, said that if any illegal colony comes up in future, it will be the responsibility of the concerned officials. Officers must keep a close watch to prevent this, he added. With this development, the residents of legalised colonies will be able to get bank loans. Money from MLA and MP LAD funds can be released for development. He said that resident associations should also be formed in the colonies. A public campaign should be started to ensure that the colonies do not lag behind in cleanliness. The CM further asked all the urban bodies to provide necessary cooperation to the resident associations of the legalized colonies. Addressing the same program, the CM said that poor people coming to the city for work should be provided meals for Rs 5 under the Deendayal Rasoi Yojana. No person should sleep hungry in this state. While asking to strike a humane balance in anti-encroachment removal drives, the CM said there should not be any crisis over the livelihood of hand cart pushers. Addressing the event, the state urban development and housing minister Bhupendra Singh said action is being taken to legalise 6077 unauthorised colonies built up to December 31, 2016. Legalising unauthorised colonies built up to December 31, 2022 will benefit residents of 2500 additional colonies.
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Four faculty and staff members at Cayuga Community College have been recognized with the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence this semester.

The annual SUNY award recognizes winners for their commitment and accomplishments while emphasizing SUNY's dedication to classroom instruction, intellectual drive and support for local communities.

Our recipients of the SUNY Chancellors Award for Excellence illustrate what it means to be dedicated to our students, our institution and our communities, Cayuga President Dr. Brian Durant said in a news release. Their belief in our students, their dreams and their potential is tireless, as is their confidence in our institution and the role we play in Central New York.

The four recipients are:

Excellence in Faculty Service: Norman Lee, professor and director of student activities, who since 1996 has coordinated multicultural and performing arts programs, lectures, concerts, an annual retreat for student club leaders and new student orientation. He's also a certified diversity workshop trainer and last year earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities.

Excellence in Teaching: Sheila M. Myers, professor and coordinator of applied learning and honors study, who since 2011 has dedicated herself to preparing students for their chosen careers. She leads courses in ecology, environmental science, aquatic science, career and life planning, and service and leadership. She also advises the college's Phi Theta Kappa honor society, and has authored several novels.

Excellence in Professional Service: Shannon M. Patrie, registrar, who worked with faculty and administrators during COVID-19 to create a master schedule to accommodate changes in courses. She also helped lead the process of making sure students complied with pandemic guidance. She joined Cayuga in December 2016 after more than 15 years in leadership roles at other SUNY institutions.

Excellence in Classified Service: Haley Vitale, class of 2015, confidential administrative assistant to the provost and vice president for academic affairs. Vitale's responsibilities include support and coordination for the Strategic Priorities group, support for the college's Perkins Grant initiatives and a leadership and public-facing position with the Tuition and Fees Appeals Committee. She is also a member of the President's Council and is leading an initiative to install room scheduling software.

The winners were recognized at the college's commencement ceremony May 18 at Falcon Park.

For more information, visit cayuga-cc.edu.
Mukesh Ranjan By

Express News Service

RANCHI: Jharkhand is all set to get the countrys largest High Court building at Ranchi. It is three times bigger than the Supreme Court in New Delhi.

President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate the newly constructed state-of-the-art Jharkhand High Court building in Ranchi on May 24.

Spread over 165 acres of land, the High Court building has 25 air-conditioned courtrooms and two large halls with a sitting capacity of 1200 lawyers along with 540 chambers for them. It also has a parking capacity of more than 200 vehicles.

The building project is estimated to cost Rs 550 crore.

The high court building has three blocks with a built-up area of about 68 acres. The Judicial Block has two floors with a total of 13 courts including that of the Chief Justices on the first floor, while 12 courts have been built on the second floor, said an official in the construction department requesting anonymity.

It has a separate Advocate Generals Office that has a chamber for four Additional Advocates Generals and 95 Government advocates, besides that of the Advocate General, he added.

Interestingly, the walls of the entry hall have been decorated with photographs of the old High Court building, freedom fighters from Jharkhand, and Bhimrao Ambedkar. On one end, the entire life of Mahatma Gandhi has been displayed through photographs.

The ultra-modern High Court building is also equipped with a 2000 KVA solar power plant which will take care of 60 per cent of the total power requirement of the entire premises.

Also, a 30,000 square feet library has been set up in the new High Court building, in which more than five lakh legal books can be kept. All facilities are available in the library which has been built just above the Chief Justice Court, in which judges and other judicial officers can sit and study.

In order to keep the campus green, a total of 4436 saplings have been planted as well.

The High Court building complex also has a post office, a dispensary, a railway booking counter and a creche.

500 CCTV cameras have also been installed.

RANCHI: Jharkhand is all set to get the countrys largest High Court building at Ranchi. It is three times bigger than the Supreme Court in New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate the newly constructed state-of-the-art Jharkhand High Court building in Ranchi on May 24. Spread over 165 acres of land, the High Court building has 25 air-conditioned courtrooms and two large halls with a sitting capacity of 1200 lawyers along with 540 chambers for them. It also has a parking capacity of more than 200 vehicles.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The building project is estimated to cost Rs 550 crore. The high court building has three blocks with a built-up area of about 68 acres. The Judicial Block has two floors with a total of 13 courts including that of the Chief Justices on the first floor, while 12 courts have been built on the second floor, said an official in the construction department requesting anonymity. It has a separate Advocate Generals Office that has a chamber for four Additional Advocates Generals and 95 Government advocates, besides that of the Advocate General, he added. Interestingly, the walls of the entry hall have been decorated with photographs of the old High Court building, freedom fighters from Jharkhand, and Bhimrao Ambedkar. On one end, the entire life of Mahatma Gandhi has been displayed through photographs. The ultra-modern High Court building is also equipped with a 2000 KVA solar power plant which will take care of 60 per cent of the total power requirement of the entire premises. Also, a 30,000 square feet library has been set up in the new High Court building, in which more than five lakh legal books can be kept. All facilities are available in the library which has been built just above the Chief Justice Court, in which judges and other judicial officers can sit and study. In order to keep the campus green, a total of 4436 saplings have been planted as well. The High Court building complex also has a post office, a dispensary, a railway booking counter and a creche. 500 CCTV cameras have also been installed.
By PTI

MUMBAI: NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said the Lok Sabha constituencies won by the BJP in Maharashtra would be discussed first in the seat-sharing talks of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners.

The MVA, an alliance of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, will "hundred percent" contest the next year's Lok Sabha elections together, he told reporters here.

"We said there should be a discussion first on vacant seats (seats won by the BJP in 2019) and how many of these seats Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena should get. After that, discussions will take place on the remaining seats," Pawar said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party had won 23 of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in 2019, followed by its then alliance partner Shiv Sena which had bagged 18.

"There is no formula for seat-sharing. Uddhav Thackeray had expressed the desire to keep the seats his party had won. But there was no further discussion on it. Leaders of the three parties (for conducting the talks) will be nominated," Pawar added.

The `Vajramuth' (solidarity) rallies of the MVA have been postponed due to the rising summer temperatures and they will resume after the weather cools down, he said.

Asked whether he contacted Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil who was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Sunday, Pawar said he will speak to him in person.

MUMBAI: NCP leader Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said the Lok Sabha constituencies won by the BJP in Maharashtra would be discussed first in the seat-sharing talks of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners. The MVA, an alliance of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, will "hundred percent" contest the next year's Lok Sabha elections together, he told reporters here. "We said there should be a discussion first on vacant seats (seats won by the BJP in 2019) and how many of these seats Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena should get. After that, discussions will take place on the remaining seats," Pawar said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Bharatiya Janata Party had won 23 of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in 2019, followed by its then alliance partner Shiv Sena which had bagged 18. "There is no formula for seat-sharing. Uddhav Thackeray had expressed the desire to keep the seats his party had won. But there was no further discussion on it. Leaders of the three parties (for conducting the talks) will be nominated," Pawar added. The `Vajramuth' (solidarity) rallies of the MVA have been postponed due to the rising summer temperatures and they will resume after the weather cools down, he said. Asked whether he contacted Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil who was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate on Sunday, Pawar said he will speak to him in person.
By PTI

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday assured her counterpart from Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, that her party would support him in his fight against the Central ordinance to control appointments and transfer of bureaucrats in that city-state.

After a nearly hour-long meeting here, Banerjee told newspersons that a forthcoming vote in Rajya Sabha on a bill to convert the central ordinance on control of services in Delhi into law, will be a "semi-final before the 2024 elections."

Kejriwal who came to Kolkata along with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann as part of a nationwide tour to garner support for his fight also launched an attack against the BJP.

He alleged the saffron party "buys MLAs, uses CBI, ED to try to break" opposition governments, besides using Governors to disturb non-BJP governments such as "Bengal and Punjab."

Banerjee told newspersons, "We support AAP in the fight against the Central ordinance. Request all parties not to vote for BJP's law (on controlling appointments in Delhi)".

She also said, "I request all parties not to vote for BJP's law (on controlling appointments in Delhi). This (contest in the Parliament) will be a semi-final before the 2024 elections."

The feisty TMC leader also quipped "The double engine (BJP rule in both state and centre) has become a troubled engine."

READ HERE | 'Political tourism of PM aspirants has started ahead of 2024': BJP on Kejriwal-Mamata meet

Kejriwal and Mann also turned the impromptu press conference held after the meeting of the two leaders, into an attack on the BJP and central government.

The AAP leader and Delhi chief minister said "BJP has made a mockery of democracy --- where it cannot form a government, it buys MLAs, uses CBI, ED to try to break the government. Governors to disturb non-BJP governments such as Bengal and Punjab".

The bone of contention between the AAP government and the BJP has been the Central government ordinance setting up a National Capital Civil Service Authority which overturned a Supreme Court order last week giving control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in Delhi.

The new ordinance takes away these powers from the Delhi state government and gives them to a committee which would be effectively controlled by the Centre.

A central law has to be brought to replace the ordinance and opposition parties are hoping to stall that in the upper house or Rajya Sabha when it comes up for debate.

The AAP has already sought the support of all non-BJP parties saying this is a "time for agni pariksha" for opposition parties, and that they should come together if they want to save the country's democracy and Constitution.

Kejriwal has earlier met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the ordinance issue and the latter has extended full support to AAP in its tussle with the Centre on the matter.

The AAP chief is also likely to meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday in Mumbai.

The ordinance has to be ratified by Parliament within six months.

For which, the Centre will have to bring a bill for its passage in both Houses of Parliament, the opposition hopes.

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday assured her counterpart from Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, that her party would support him in his fight against the Central ordinance to control appointments and transfer of bureaucrats in that city-state. After a nearly hour-long meeting here, Banerjee told newspersons that a forthcoming vote in Rajya Sabha on a bill to convert the central ordinance on control of services in Delhi into law, will be a "semi-final before the 2024 elections." Kejriwal who came to Kolkata along with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann as part of a nationwide tour to garner support for his fight also launched an attack against the BJP.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He alleged the saffron party "buys MLAs, uses CBI, ED to try to break" opposition governments, besides using Governors to disturb non-BJP governments such as "Bengal and Punjab." Banerjee told newspersons, "We support AAP in the fight against the Central ordinance. Request all parties not to vote for BJP's law (on controlling appointments in Delhi)". She also said, "I request all parties not to vote for BJP's law (on controlling appointments in Delhi). This (contest in the Parliament) will be a semi-final before the 2024 elections." The feisty TMC leader also quipped "The double engine (BJP rule in both state and centre) has become a troubled engine." READ HERE | 'Political tourism of PM aspirants has started ahead of 2024': BJP on Kejriwal-Mamata meet Kejriwal and Mann also turned the impromptu press conference held after the meeting of the two leaders, into an attack on the BJP and central government. The AAP leader and Delhi chief minister said "BJP has made a mockery of democracy --- where it cannot form a government, it buys MLAs, uses CBI, ED to try to break the government. Governors to disturb non-BJP governments such as Bengal and Punjab". The bone of contention between the AAP government and the BJP has been the Central government ordinance setting up a National Capital Civil Service Authority which overturned a Supreme Court order last week giving control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in Delhi. The new ordinance takes away these powers from the Delhi state government and gives them to a committee which would be effectively controlled by the Centre. A central law has to be brought to replace the ordinance and opposition parties are hoping to stall that in the upper house or Rajya Sabha when it comes up for debate. The AAP has already sought the support of all non-BJP parties saying this is a "time for agni pariksha" for opposition parties, and that they should come together if they want to save the country's democracy and Constitution. Kejriwal has earlier met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the ordinance issue and the latter has extended full support to AAP in its tussle with the Centre on the matter. The AAP chief is also likely to meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday in Mumbai. The ordinance has to be ratified by Parliament within six months. For which, the Centre will have to bring a bill for its passage in both Houses of Parliament, the opposition hopes.
Mayank Singh By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Middle Sector along the Line of Actual Control with China is considered the least disputed. China continues to strengthen its infrastructure along this sector.

It is also the only sector in which there was a broad agreement and India and China exchanged maps. But since China breached all agreements and the Memorandum of Understandings signed in 1993 and thereafter between the two countries, the status of the Middle Sector is unclear.

The Barahoti Valley in this sector is one of the eight mutually accepted disputed areas on which both countries have overlapping claims.

There are around 22 passes in the 545-km Middle Sector, which includes the boundaries shared with Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Middle Sector in Uttarakhand has four valleys - Harshil, Mana, Niti and Barahoti. Multiple sources on the ground confirmed that our troops now reach passes that are most important access points in mountains.

NEW DELHI: The Middle Sector along the Line of Actual Control with China is considered the least disputed. China continues to strengthen its infrastructure along this sector. It is also the only sector in which there was a broad agreement and India and China exchanged maps. But since China breached all agreements and the Memorandum of Understandings signed in 1993 and thereafter between the two countries, the status of the Middle Sector is unclear. The Barahoti Valley in this sector is one of the eight mutually accepted disputed areas on which both countries have overlapping claims.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); There are around 22 passes in the 545-km Middle Sector, which includes the boundaries shared with Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The Middle Sector in Uttarakhand has four valleys - Harshil, Mana, Niti and Barahoti. Multiple sources on the ground confirmed that our troops now reach passes that are most important access points in mountains.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: Moti and Jaya, two mongrels from the holy city of Kashi, are set to fly out to their new parents in Europe soon. Passport, geo-tagging and all the formalities have been completed and in the next three months Moti will be flying out to Milan while Jaya will get her final abode in Amsterdam.

It so happened that both the female mongrels were spotted by European tourists in the by-lanes of Varanasi old city. While Moti was rescued from Assi Ghat by Vera Lazzaretti, an Italian woman tourist and Jaya by Merel Bontelbal of The Netherlands at Munshighat area.

According to Animotel Care Trust (ACT), a Varanasi-based NGO working for rescue and rehabilitation of ailing, injured as well as physically-disabled street dogs, Moti will land at Milan airport in Italy on July 14. Jaya, of the same breed, will be departing to Amsterdam by August-end or September to stay with Merel Bontelbal and her family.

It is Animotel Care Trust which made all the preparations for the immigration of mongrels. According to founder presidents of ACT, Indraneel Basu and Sudeshna Basu, true companion passport of seven-month-old Moti is ready and vaccination and their blood serum has been tested in Italy and Portugal.

Their microchip for geo-tagging, along with a 15-digit identification number, will be injected soon.

Jaya, the six-month-old, would fly to the Netherlands as the process to complete her vaccination and other testes was on, said the ACT CEO Sundilip Sengupta.

Narrating the story of Moti meeting Vera, Sengupta said in December last year when the Italian tourist noticed Moti being harassed by stray dogs and even locals trying to shoo her away. Vera rescued the severely injured Moti and contacted us, whom we brought to our shelter and rehabilitation home, said Sengupta, Vera decided to adopt Moti, he added. Even Jaya had somewhat similar story of getting noticed by Merel Bontelbal of Amsterdam.

LUCKNOW: Moti and Jaya, two mongrels from the holy city of Kashi, are set to fly out to their new parents in Europe soon. Passport, geo-tagging and all the formalities have been completed and in the next three months Moti will be flying out to Milan while Jaya will get her final abode in Amsterdam. It so happened that both the female mongrels were spotted by European tourists in the by-lanes of Varanasi old city. While Moti was rescued from Assi Ghat by Vera Lazzaretti, an Italian woman tourist and Jaya by Merel Bontelbal of The Netherlands at Munshighat area. According to Animotel Care Trust (ACT), a Varanasi-based NGO working for rescue and rehabilitation of ailing, injured as well as physically-disabled street dogs, Moti will land at Milan airport in Italy on July 14. Jaya, of the same breed, will be departing to Amsterdam by August-end or September to stay with Merel Bontelbal and her family.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It is Animotel Care Trust which made all the preparations for the immigration of mongrels. According to founder presidents of ACT, Indraneel Basu and Sudeshna Basu, true companion passport of seven-month-old Moti is ready and vaccination and their blood serum has been tested in Italy and Portugal. Their microchip for geo-tagging, along with a 15-digit identification number, will be injected soon. Jaya, the six-month-old, would fly to the Netherlands as the process to complete her vaccination and other testes was on, said the ACT CEO Sundilip Sengupta. Narrating the story of Moti meeting Vera, Sengupta said in December last year when the Italian tourist noticed Moti being harassed by stray dogs and even locals trying to shoo her away. Vera rescued the severely injured Moti and contacted us, whom we brought to our shelter and rehabilitation home, said Sengupta, Vera decided to adopt Moti, he added. Even Jaya had somewhat similar story of getting noticed by Merel Bontelbal of Amsterdam.
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modis arrival into Papua New Guinea (PNG) was special in more ways than one. He was conferred with the highest civilian awards of Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Besides, Prime Minister of New Zealand Chris Hipkins flew down specially to meet PM Modi.

At a ceremony at the Government House, Governor General of Papua New Guinea Sir Bob Dadae conferred PM Modi with the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL). This is the highest civilian award of PNG. Humbled by the gesture of PNG. This is great recognition of India and the accomplishment of our people, said the Prime Minister said.

Earlier, on his arrival, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape touched PM Modis feet. The Prime Minister was also conferred with the highest honour of Fiji by the Prime Minister of Fiji . The titl `Companion of the Order of Fiji is in recognition of his global leadership. Only a handful of non-Fijians have received this honour to date. "Grateful to the people and Government of Fiji for conferring the Companion of the Order of Fiji on me. It is an honour for the people of India and a recognition of the strong ties between India and Fiji, said PM Modi.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Christ Hipkins came to PNG to specially meet PM Modi, on the sidelines of the Forum for India Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit. This was their first interaction since Hipkins assumed office in January. "I had an excellent meeting with PM Hipkins and discussed the full range of India-New Zealand operations. We talked about how to improve commercial and cultural linkages between our nations, said PM Modi.

PM Modi has now landed in Sydney which is the last leg of his three nation tour. He will have a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, besides interacting with the business community.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modis arrival into Papua New Guinea (PNG) was special in more ways than one. He was conferred with the highest civilian awards of Papua New Guinea and Fiji. Besides, Prime Minister of New Zealand Chris Hipkins flew down specially to meet PM Modi. At a ceremony at the Government House, Governor General of Papua New Guinea Sir Bob Dadae conferred PM Modi with the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL). This is the highest civilian award of PNG. Humbled by the gesture of PNG. This is great recognition of India and the accomplishment of our people, said the Prime Minister said. Earlier, on his arrival, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea James Marape touched PM Modis feet. The Prime Minister was also conferred with the highest honour of Fiji by the Prime Minister of Fiji . The titl `Companion of the Order of Fiji is in recognition of his global leadership. Only a handful of non-Fijians have received this honour to date. "Grateful to the people and Government of Fiji for conferring the Companion of the Order of Fiji on me. It is an honour for the people of India and a recognition of the strong ties between India and Fiji, said PM Modi.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Christ Hipkins came to PNG to specially meet PM Modi, on the sidelines of the Forum for India Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit. This was their first interaction since Hipkins assumed office in January. "I had an excellent meeting with PM Hipkins and discussed the full range of India-New Zealand operations. We talked about how to improve commercial and cultural linkages between our nations, said PM Modi. PM Modi has now landed in Sydney which is the last leg of his three nation tour. He will have a bilateral meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, besides interacting with the business community.
Express News Service

NEW DELHI: From June 1, all cough syrup exporters will have to undertake mandatory testing of their products at specified government laboratories before getting permission for the outbound shipments.

The direction comes after three alerts issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), in seven months, on contaminated India-made cough syrups.

"The export of cough syrup shall be permitted to be exported subject to export samples being tested and production of a certificate of analysis issued by any of the laboratories, with effect from June 1, 2023," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification on Monday.

The earmarked central government labs include Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Regional Drug Testing Lab (RDTL - Chandigarh), Central Drugs Lab (CDL - Kolkata), Central Drug Testing Lab (CDTL - Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai), RDTL (Guwahati) and the NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited drug testing labs of State governments.

The quality check of the cough syrups has been taken after India's image as the "pharmacy of the world" took a knock following the WHO alerts on contaminated cough syrups.

For this, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare would partner with the state governments and the exporters.

Officials believe this measure would help re-emphasise India's commitment to assuring the quality of various exported pharmaceutical products. They added that necessary steps are being taken to ensure the smooth implementation of this testing requirement.

India exported cough syrups worth $17.6 billion in 2022-23 against $17 billion in 2021-22.

India-made cough syrups were allegedly linked to the deaths of 70 children in the Gambia and 18 children in Uzbekistan last year.

In April, WHO again raised an alert over contaminated India-made cough syrup sold in the Marshall Islands and Micronesia. But it was not just cough syrups.

Earlier this year, an India-manufactured eye drop was linked to an outbreak of highly resistant bacterial infections in the U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is the national public health agency of the US, had linked the eye drops manufactured by Chennai-based pharma company Global Pharma Healthcare to the likelihood of a highly drug-resistant bacteria gaining a foothold in the U.S.

India is the largest provider of generic drugs globally, supplying over 50 per cent of the global demand for vaccines, about 40 per cent of generic demand in the US, and about 25 per cent of all medicine in the UK.

Globally, India ranks third in pharmaceutical production by volume and 14th by value.

The industry includes a network of 3,000 drug companies and about 10,500 manufacturing units. It facilitates the availability and supply of high-quality, affordable, accessible medicines worldwide.

Similarly, over 80 per cent of the antiretroviral drugs used globally to combat AIDS are supplied by Indian pharmaceutical firms.

NEW DELHI: From June 1, all cough syrup exporters will have to undertake mandatory testing of their products at specified government laboratories before getting permission for the outbound shipments. The direction comes after three alerts issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), in seven months, on contaminated India-made cough syrups. "The export of cough syrup shall be permitted to be exported subject to export samples being tested and production of a certificate of analysis issued by any of the laboratories, with effect from June 1, 2023," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification on Monday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The earmarked central government labs include Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission, Regional Drug Testing Lab (RDTL - Chandigarh), Central Drugs Lab (CDL - Kolkata), Central Drug Testing Lab (CDTL - Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai), RDTL (Guwahati) and the NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited drug testing labs of State governments. The quality check of the cough syrups has been taken after India's image as the "pharmacy of the world" took a knock following the WHO alerts on contaminated cough syrups. For this, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare would partner with the state governments and the exporters. Officials believe this measure would help re-emphasise India's commitment to assuring the quality of various exported pharmaceutical products. They added that necessary steps are being taken to ensure the smooth implementation of this testing requirement. India exported cough syrups worth $17.6 billion in 2022-23 against $17 billion in 2021-22. India-made cough syrups were allegedly linked to the deaths of 70 children in the Gambia and 18 children in Uzbekistan last year. In April, WHO again raised an alert over contaminated India-made cough syrup sold in the Marshall Islands and Micronesia. But it was not just cough syrups. Earlier this year, an India-manufactured eye drop was linked to an outbreak of highly resistant bacterial infections in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is the national public health agency of the US, had linked the eye drops manufactured by Chennai-based pharma company Global Pharma Healthcare to the likelihood of a highly drug-resistant bacteria gaining a foothold in the U.S. India is the largest provider of generic drugs globally, supplying over 50 per cent of the global demand for vaccines, about 40 per cent of generic demand in the US, and about 25 per cent of all medicine in the UK. Globally, India ranks third in pharmaceutical production by volume and 14th by value. The industry includes a network of 3,000 drug companies and about 10,500 manufacturing units. It facilitates the availability and supply of high-quality, affordable, accessible medicines worldwide. Similarly, over 80 per cent of the antiretroviral drugs used globally to combat AIDS are supplied by Indian pharmaceutical firms.
By PTI

MUMBAI: A 14-year-old ailing boy from Maharashtra's Sangli district died allegedly after he was severely beaten up by a witch doctor, who claimed that the teenager was possessed, an official said on Tuesday.

Aryan Deepak Landge, who lived in Kavathe Mahankal of the district, died of injuries on May 20 but the incident came to light after anti-superstition activists approached the police, he said.

As per the complaint by activists from Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti, an organisation that works towards eradicating superstitions and blind faith, Landge had a fever for many days and there was no relief despite treatment.

His family took him to a 'mantrik' (witch doctor), Appasaheb Kamble, at Shirgur in neighbouring Karnataka, the official said.

Kamble claimed that the boy was possessed by a 'demon' and he would need to 'drive it away' by beating up Landge.

However, the boy sustained serious injuries due to the beating, prompting his family to rush him to a hospital in Miraj in Sangli district, about 40 km from Shirgur.

He died during treatment, the official said.

After learning about Landge's death, activists from Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti met his family members and then assistant police inspector Jitendra Shahane at Kavathe Mahankal police station to lodge a complaint.

As there is no anti-superstition legislation in Karnataka, the official said, police registered a Zero FIR under Indian Penal Code section 304 (causing death by negligence) against the witch doctor.

A Zero FIR (first information report) allows any police to accept a complaint and forward it to the appropriate station for action.

The case will now be probed by the Karnataka police, he added.

MUMBAI: A 14-year-old ailing boy from Maharashtra's Sangli district died allegedly after he was severely beaten up by a witch doctor, who claimed that the teenager was possessed, an official said on Tuesday. Aryan Deepak Landge, who lived in Kavathe Mahankal of the district, died of injuries on May 20 but the incident came to light after anti-superstition activists approached the police, he said. As per the complaint by activists from Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti, an organisation that works towards eradicating superstitions and blind faith, Landge had a fever for many days and there was no relief despite treatment.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); His family took him to a 'mantrik' (witch doctor), Appasaheb Kamble, at Shirgur in neighbouring Karnataka, the official said. Kamble claimed that the boy was possessed by a 'demon' and he would need to 'drive it away' by beating up Landge. However, the boy sustained serious injuries due to the beating, prompting his family to rush him to a hospital in Miraj in Sangli district, about 40 km from Shirgur. He died during treatment, the official said. After learning about Landge's death, activists from Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti met his family members and then assistant police inspector Jitendra Shahane at Kavathe Mahankal police station to lodge a complaint. As there is no anti-superstition legislation in Karnataka, the official said, police registered a Zero FIR under Indian Penal Code section 304 (causing death by negligence) against the witch doctor. A Zero FIR (first information report) allows any police to accept a complaint and forward it to the appropriate station for action. The case will now be probed by the Karnataka police, he added.
By PTI

KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday said it will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28.

Leader of the TMC in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay told PTI that the inauguration programme should have been held either on Independence Day, Republic Day, or Gandhi Jayanti and not on the birth anniversary of VD Savarkar.

Asked if the TMC raised its concerns with the Centre, Bandopadhyay replied in the positive.

"The opposition parties have been kept in the dark about what will happen to the old Parliament building. The government is maintaining a stoic silence on it," he said.

TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien said Parliament is not just a building but an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and the foundation of Indian democracy.

"Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn't get that. For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out," he tweeted.

KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday said it will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28. Leader of the TMC in Lok Sabha Sudip Bandyopadhyay told PTI that the inauguration programme should have been held either on Independence Day, Republic Day, or Gandhi Jayanti and not on the birth anniversary of VD Savarkar. Asked if the TMC raised its concerns with the Centre, Bandopadhyay replied in the positive.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "The opposition parties have been kept in the dark about what will happen to the old Parliament building. The government is maintaining a stoic silence on it," he said. TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien said Parliament is not just a building but an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and the foundation of Indian democracy. "Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn't get that. For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out," he tweeted.
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: For the first time in decades, there was no shutdown or blanket security curbs in the Valley even as the G20 tourism meeting got underway in Srinagar on Monday. This is in sharp contrast to the past, when there would be calls for hartal from Islamabad and shops would remain shut whenever a major event happened in Srinagar.

Jammu and Kashmir has changed and there are no takers for such shutdown calls now, said Union minister Jitendra Singh. The mindset of the common man has changed, he added, noting that 61 delegates from 29 countries are currently in Kashmir, soaking in the culture and beauty of the picturesque Valley.

The objective of the G20 Tourism Working Group meet is to bring back film shooting to the Valley. Already, shooting permission has been sought for 370 films.

Shah Rukh Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and Karan Johar have been in Srinagar for shooting their films.

Actor-producer Ram Charan attended the G20 meet on Monday. He enthralled the audience when he and South Korea Ambassador Chang Jae-bok shook a leg together on stage to the beats of the popular song Naatu Naatu, which won an Oscar.

SRINAGAR: For the first time in decades, there was no shutdown or blanket security curbs in the Valley even as the G20 tourism meeting got underway in Srinagar on Monday. This is in sharp contrast to the past, when there would be calls for hartal from Islamabad and shops would remain shut whenever a major event happened in Srinagar. Jammu and Kashmir has changed and there are no takers for such shutdown calls now, said Union minister Jitendra Singh. The mindset of the common man has changed, he added, noting that 61 delegates from 29 countries are currently in Kashmir, soaking in the culture and beauty of the picturesque Valley. The objective of the G20 Tourism Working Group meet is to bring back film shooting to the Valley. Already, shooting permission has been sought for 370 films. Shah Rukh Khan, Rajkumar Hirani and Karan Johar have been in Srinagar for shooting their films. Actor-producer Ram Charan attended the G20 meet on Monday. He enthralled the audience when he and South Korea Ambassador Chang Jae-bok shook a leg together on stage to the beats of the popular song Naatu Naatu, which won an Oscar. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); });
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City

 Cody M. Christoff, 25, 23 Orchard St., Auburn, was charged May 17 with second-degree criminal contempt.

 Sean F. Curtis, 38, transient, Auburn, was charged May 17 with third-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal mischief, resisting arrest and second-degree assault.

 Matthew C. Buchanan, 37, transient, Auburn, was charged May 18 with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest.

 Dakota J. Best, 18, 227 Woodlawn Ave., Auburn, was charged May 18 with fourth-degree criminal mischief.

 Michael J. Berry, 56, 109 N. Division St., Apt. B, Auburn, was charged May 19 with aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child-first offense and driving while ability impaired by drugs or alcohol.

 Elonora M. Bowman, 40, 93 Washington St., Auburn, was charged May 19 with fourth-degree welfare fraud and fourth-degree grand larceny.

 Timothy M. Cutler, 39, 74 Fitch Ave., Auburn, was charged May 19 with first-degree criminal contempt.

 Christopher R. Cappelli, 39, 26 Jefferson St., 3, Auburn, was charged May 21 with driving while intoxicated-first offense and alcohol-cannabis in motor vehicle on highway.

 Thomas R. Harvey, 33, 26 Jefferson St., 3, Auburn, was charged May 21 with aggravated family offense, second-degree criminal contempt, resisting arrest and second-degree obstructing governmental administration.

 Cameron A. Kerstetter, 18, 40 Parker St., Auburn, was charged May 20 with sexual misconduct and endangering the welfare of a child.

 Lisa Baldwin, 44, 98 South St., 3, Auburn, was charged May 20 with second-degree criminal contempt.

 Alison L. Burke, 36, 115 North St., Apt. 4, Auburn, was charged May 20 with petit larceny.

County

 Troy S. Powers, 51, 5697 Dresserville Road, Moravia, was charged May 17 with driving while intoxicated with two previous convictions in 10 years and resisting arrest.

 Destiny R. Dennis, 22, 37 Olympia Ave., Brogan Manor, Auburn, was charged May 18 third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and and operating a vehicle without insurance.

 Alex A. Baez, 28, 11839 Maplewood Road, was charged May 20 with driving while intoxicated-first offense.

State

 Christopher Fedrizzi, 54, Jordan, was charged May 18 with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content level of at least .08% and driving while intoxicated-first offense.

 Matthew R. McKay, 41, Auburn was charged May 22 with petit larceny.
Namita Bajpai By

IANS

LUCKNOW: The Varanasi District Court allowed the consolidation of eight pending suits in relation to the Gyanvapi mosque dispute, on Tuesday. The eight cases are posted for the next hearing on July 7.

Varanasi district judge Dr AK Vishwesha observed that since the cases were almost similar, they should be tried and consolidated together.

The Court also reiterated its earlier observation that if the cases remained pending in different courts, there was a possibility of contradictory orders being passed in them.

"I am of the opinion that it will be expedient in the interest of the justice that all the suits mentioned here should be tried together and may be consolidated as all these suits and proceedings shall be decided upon the evidence in any such suits and proceedings and Civil Suit (18/2022) Smt Rakhi Singh and others Vs State of UP and Others shall be the leading case and evidence shall be recorded in the leading case," the judge said.

The Varanasi district judge passed the order under the provision of Section 4A of CPC. The counsel for the applicants stated that in Uttar Pradesh, the Uttar Pradesh Civil Laws (Reforms and Amendment) Act, a new order 4A was inserted in the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) for consolidation of suits and proceedings.

Moreover, the district judge also acted in the wake of the Supreme Court's order of November 11, 2022, wherein the apex court had empowered the district court judge to determine whether consolidation of similar suits was warranted if an application was made before him.

One of the pleas to transfer cases concerning the Gyanvapi dispute to the Court of District Judge was moved by some petitioners -- Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas, and Rekha Pathak -- in suit no. 18/2022. They had claimed that since all the suits were of similar nature, they should be tried together to save time, money and to avoid legal challenges.

Through suit no 18/2022, five Hindu women petitioners had sought year-long access to worship at Maa Shringar Gauri site on the western wall of Gyanvapi mosque premises.

Of the seven suits, six are pending in the court of Varanasi Civil Judge (Senior Division) and one is pending before the fast-track court of civil judge (senior division). The case pending in fast track court pertains to the one filed by Lord Vishweshwar Virajman (Swayambhu) through his next friend Kiran Singh, the international general secretary of Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh. Through the suit, the plaintiff has sought to hand over Gyanvapi premises to Lord Adi Vishweshwara Virajman.

Last year, the civil court had ordered a survey of the mosque premises by an advocate commissioner, who then videotaped the premises and submitted the report to the Varanasi Civil Court (Senior Division). The report, among other things, stated that an object similar in appearance to a Shivling was found in the Wuzu Khana of the mosque premises during the survey.

The matter was later transferred to the Varanasi District Court on orders passed by the Supreme Court.

LUCKNOW: The Varanasi District Court allowed the consolidation of eight pending suits in relation to the Gyanvapi mosque dispute, on Tuesday. The eight cases are posted for the next hearing on July 7. Varanasi district judge Dr AK Vishwesha observed that since the cases were almost similar, they should be tried and consolidated together. The Court also reiterated its earlier observation that if the cases remained pending in different courts, there was a possibility of contradictory orders being passed in them.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "I am of the opinion that it will be expedient in the interest of the justice that all the suits mentioned here should be tried together and may be consolidated as all these suits and proceedings shall be decided upon the evidence in any such suits and proceedings and Civil Suit (18/2022) Smt Rakhi Singh and others Vs State of UP and Others shall be the leading case and evidence shall be recorded in the leading case," the judge said. The Varanasi district judge passed the order under the provision of Section 4A of CPC. The counsel for the applicants stated that in Uttar Pradesh, the Uttar Pradesh Civil Laws (Reforms and Amendment) Act, a new order 4A was inserted in the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) for consolidation of suits and proceedings. Moreover, the district judge also acted in the wake of the Supreme Court's order of November 11, 2022, wherein the apex court had empowered the district court judge to determine whether consolidation of similar suits was warranted if an application was made before him. One of the pleas to transfer cases concerning the Gyanvapi dispute to the Court of District Judge was moved by some petitioners -- Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas, and Rekha Pathak -- in suit no. 18/2022. They had claimed that since all the suits were of similar nature, they should be tried together to save time, money and to avoid legal challenges. Through suit no 18/2022, five Hindu women petitioners had sought year-long access to worship at Maa Shringar Gauri site on the western wall of Gyanvapi mosque premises. Of the seven suits, six are pending in the court of Varanasi Civil Judge (Senior Division) and one is pending before the fast-track court of civil judge (senior division). The case pending in fast track court pertains to the one filed by Lord Vishweshwar Virajman (Swayambhu) through his next friend Kiran Singh, the international general secretary of Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh. Through the suit, the plaintiff has sought to hand over Gyanvapi premises to Lord Adi Vishweshwara Virajman. Last year, the civil court had ordered a survey of the mosque premises by an advocate commissioner, who then videotaped the premises and submitted the report to the Varanasi Civil Court (Senior Division). The report, among other things, stated that an object similar in appearance to a Shivling was found in the Wuzu Khana of the mosque premises during the survey. The matter was later transferred to the Varanasi District Court on orders passed by the Supreme Court.
Shruti Kakkar By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Telangana High Court to hear the anticipatory bail application of YSRCP MP YS Avinash Reddy, an accused in the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case, on May 25.

A vacation bench of justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha said it was not happy over the HC's delay in considering the bail plea and wondered why it was taking so long for the hearing.

Avinash Reddy is the incumbent lawmaker from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency and has been named as an accused in Vivekananda Reddy's murder.

Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district on the night of March 15, 2019, weeks before the Assembly elections in the state.

On April 24, the top court set aside a Telangana High Court order granting interim relief from arrest to the Kadapa MP and said that such a decision prejudices the investigation. It granted the CBI time till June 30 to complete its investigation into the case.

Following the SC's decision, the Telangana High Court heard Avinash Reddy's anticipatory bail plea on April 27 and 28 but proceeded to adjourn the hearing until June 5.

Taking note of this delay, the SC's vacation bench said, "We are inclined to grant the prayer as anticipatory bail application which was taken up after the SC order was heard on April 27 and April 28, and no orders were passed. We direct that the plea will be placed before the next vacation bench on May 25 and necessary orders be passed after hearing all the parties."

The bench at the same time also expressed its displeasure over Avinash Reddy not appearing before the CBI and declined to direct the central agency to exempt him from interrogation in view of his mothers ill-health.

"We are not happy from both angles - court not passing the order and how much times it takes but at the same time notice was issued by the CBI and you didnt appear," the bench remarked.

Meanwhile, senior advocate VV Giri, who was appearing on behalf of the respondent, told the court that his client was being hounded. "The application was heard on two days on the 27th and 28th (April) but has been adjourned and is posted on June 5. Earlier, we didnt receive the CBI notice but now we have. My client's father was arrested and my client is being hounded, Giri said.

Avinash Reddy had failed to appear before the central agency on May 16 and May 19 after being summoned in connection with Vivekananda Reddy's murder.

The CBI took over the investigation in July 2020 on the orders of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and began quizzing Avinash Reddy in connection with the case.

His father YS Bhaskar Reddy, uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, was arrested by the CBI on April 16 in connection with the murder.

Meanwhile, CBI officials, on Monday, reached Vishwa Bharati Hospital in Kurnool to take the YSRCP lawmaker into custody for questioning after he rejected the CBI summons.

According to the summons, he was directed to appear before the probe agency on May 22 at 11:00 AM.

However, Avinash Reddy failed to appear and instead wrote to the CBI seeking a 10-day extension, citing his mother's hospitalisation on account of poor health.

(With additional inputs from online desk)

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Telangana High Court to hear the anticipatory bail application of YSRCP MP YS Avinash Reddy, an accused in the YS Vivekananda Reddy murder case, on May 25. A vacation bench of justices JK Maheshwari and PS Narasimha said it was not happy over the HC's delay in considering the bail plea and wondered why it was taking so long for the hearing. Avinash Reddy is the incumbent lawmaker from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency and has been named as an accused in Vivekananda Reddy's murder.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Vivekananda Reddy, one of the brothers of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, was found murdered at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district on the night of March 15, 2019, weeks before the Assembly elections in the state. On April 24, the top court set aside a Telangana High Court order granting interim relief from arrest to the Kadapa MP and said that such a decision prejudices the investigation. It granted the CBI time till June 30 to complete its investigation into the case. Following the SC's decision, the Telangana High Court heard Avinash Reddy's anticipatory bail plea on April 27 and 28 but proceeded to adjourn the hearing until June 5. Taking note of this delay, the SC's vacation bench said, "We are inclined to grant the prayer as anticipatory bail application which was taken up after the SC order was heard on April 27 and April 28, and no orders were passed. We direct that the plea will be placed before the next vacation bench on May 25 and necessary orders be passed after hearing all the parties." The bench at the same time also expressed its displeasure over Avinash Reddy not appearing before the CBI and declined to direct the central agency to exempt him from interrogation in view of his mothers ill-health. "We are not happy from both angles - court not passing the order and how much times it takes but at the same time notice was issued by the CBI and you didnt appear," the bench remarked. Meanwhile, senior advocate VV Giri, who was appearing on behalf of the respondent, told the court that his client was being hounded. "The application was heard on two days on the 27th and 28th (April) but has been adjourned and is posted on June 5. Earlier, we didnt receive the CBI notice but now we have. My client's father was arrested and my client is being hounded, Giri said. Avinash Reddy had failed to appear before the central agency on May 16 and May 19 after being summoned in connection with Vivekananda Reddy's murder. The CBI took over the investigation in July 2020 on the orders of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and began quizzing Avinash Reddy in connection with the case. His father YS Bhaskar Reddy, uncle of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, was arrested by the CBI on April 16 in connection with the murder. Meanwhile, CBI officials, on Monday, reached Vishwa Bharati Hospital in Kurnool to take the YSRCP lawmaker into custody for questioning after he rejected the CBI summons. According to the summons, he was directed to appear before the probe agency on May 22 at 11:00 AM. However, Avinash Reddy failed to appear and instead wrote to the CBI seeking a 10-day extension, citing his mother's hospitalisation on account of poor health. (With additional inputs from online desk)
By IANS

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday announced that it will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28 as not inviting President Droupadi Murmu is an insult to her.

In a tweet, AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said: "Not inviting her Excellency President Droupadi Murmu for inauguration of Parliament House is a gross insult to her. This is also an insult to Dalit, tribal and derived class of the society. AAP will boycott the inauguration orogramme in protest of (Prime Minister) Modi not inviting the President".

Earlier in the day, the Trinamool Congress announced a boycott of the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

In a tweet, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien said: "Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn't get that. For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, me, myself. So count us out".

The Trinamool has already raised objections about the choice of date of the inauguration of the new Parliament building. According to the leadership, the occasion of inauguration of the new building should be on the occasion of the Independence Day on August 15, instead of May 28 which is the occasion of the birth anniversary of RSS patriarch VD Savarkar.

According to the Trinamool leadership, the Union government has also kept the opposition in the dark over the fate of the old Parliament building.

Even Congress is likely to boycott the inauguration of the new building. Party sources said that a decision is likely to be taken on Wednesday or Thursday.

On Tuesday, Congress General secretary communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh also responded to Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and said, "SUV - Self-Usurped Vishwaguru - has already annexe-d the Parliament for self-aggrandisement. But surely, there is a fundamental difference between inaugurating an Annexe where officials work and a library which is hardly used on the one hand, and inaugurating not just the Temple of Democracy but its sanctorum itself."

He was responding to Puri's remarks that in August 1975, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe, and later in 1987 Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Library.

A row has erupted on the inauguration of new Parliament building after former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi demanded that President Murmu should inaugurate the new Parliament House instead of PM Modi.

A war of words has erupted between Congress and the BJP over the inauguration of the New Parliament House by PM Modi on May 28.

NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday announced that it will boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28 as not inviting President Droupadi Murmu is an insult to her. In a tweet, AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said: "Not inviting her Excellency President Droupadi Murmu for inauguration of Parliament House is a gross insult to her. This is also an insult to Dalit, tribal and derived class of the society. AAP will boycott the inauguration orogramme in protest of (Prime Minister) Modi not inviting the President". Earlier in the day, the Trinamool Congress announced a boycott of the inauguration of the new Parliament building.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In a tweet, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien said: "Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn't get that. For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, me, myself. So count us out". The Trinamool has already raised objections about the choice of date of the inauguration of the new Parliament building. According to the leadership, the occasion of inauguration of the new building should be on the occasion of the Independence Day on August 15, instead of May 28 which is the occasion of the birth anniversary of RSS patriarch VD Savarkar. According to the Trinamool leadership, the Union government has also kept the opposition in the dark over the fate of the old Parliament building. Even Congress is likely to boycott the inauguration of the new building. Party sources said that a decision is likely to be taken on Wednesday or Thursday. On Tuesday, Congress General secretary communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh also responded to Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and said, "SUV - Self-Usurped Vishwaguru - has already annexe-d the Parliament for self-aggrandisement. But surely, there is a fundamental difference between inaugurating an Annexe where officials work and a library which is hardly used on the one hand, and inaugurating not just the Temple of Democracy but its sanctorum itself." He was responding to Puri's remarks that in August 1975, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe, and later in 1987 Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Library. A row has erupted on the inauguration of new Parliament building after former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi demanded that President Murmu should inaugurate the new Parliament House instead of PM Modi. A war of words has erupted between Congress and the BJP over the inauguration of the New Parliament House by PM Modi on May 28.
By PTI

JAIPUR: A seven-year-old girl was allegedly sold for Rs 4.50 lakh to be married off to a middle-aged man in Rajasthan's Dholpur district, police said on Tuesday.

The family of Bhupal Singh (38) had "purchased" the girl from her father after paying Rs 4.50 lakh.

Singh married the girl on May 21, the police added. The alleged incident took place in the district's Mania area.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused's family settled in their village after some members served time in jail in a murder case in Madhya Pradesh, the police said.

Superintendent of Police (Dholpur) Manoj Kumar said information was received on Tuesday about the girl being "bought" and married off to a middle-aged man.

A team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Mania) Deepak Khandelwal raided a house from where the girl was rescued. She had henna drawn on her hands and ankles.

Khandelwal said Singh's family members confessed to "buying" the girl after paying Rs 4.50 lakh to her father.

A case has been registered and information is being gathered about who and how many people were involved in the act following which further action will be taken, the police said.

JAIPUR: A seven-year-old girl was allegedly sold for Rs 4.50 lakh to be married off to a middle-aged man in Rajasthan's Dholpur district, police said on Tuesday. The family of Bhupal Singh (38) had "purchased" the girl from her father after paying Rs 4.50 lakh. Singh married the girl on May 21, the police added. The alleged incident took place in the district's Mania area.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused's family settled in their village after some members served time in jail in a murder case in Madhya Pradesh, the police said. Superintendent of Police (Dholpur) Manoj Kumar said information was received on Tuesday about the girl being "bought" and married off to a middle-aged man. A team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Mania) Deepak Khandelwal raided a house from where the girl was rescued. She had henna drawn on her hands and ankles. Khandelwal said Singh's family members confessed to "buying" the girl after paying Rs 4.50 lakh to her father. A case has been registered and information is being gathered about who and how many people were involved in the act following which further action will be taken, the police said.
By PTI

GUWAHATI: The chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya will meet here on Wednesday to carry forward discussions on resolving border disputes in the remaining six areas.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday he and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma will also visit the disputed areas later as a goodwill gesture.

"The Meghalaya CM will come here tomorrow and discussion will be held on finding solutions for the remaining six areas," he said.

Assam and Meghalaya have a longstanding dispute in 12 areas along the 884.9-km-long interstate border.

The two Northeastern states had signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2022 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi towards ending the disputes in six areas.

Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972 and had since then challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1971, which is recognised by Assam as its border.

On the progress of talks with Nagaland over oil exploration along the disputed boundary between the two states, Sarma said, "We have sent our proposal to the Nagaland government and we are now waiting for their response. We have not pursued the matter much as it was Nagaland who had sought our views. Now it is up to them."

Sarma and his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio had on April 20 agreed in principle to go ahead with oil exploration in areas along their disputed boundary for the economic benefit of both states.

Assam and Nagaland are exploring all options to bring an end to the decades-old border imbroglio in an amicable manner, an Assam government statement said in New Delhi after the meeting between the two chief ministers.

Rio told reporters later that Assam and Nagaland have in principle decided to go for an MoU on oil exploration in the disputed areas so that oil can be extracted and royalties can be shared between the neighbouring states.

Assam shares a 512.1-km border with Nagaland, with the dispute since the creation of the neighbouring state in 1963 and the matter is now pending before the Supreme Court for a resolution.

GUWAHATI: The chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya will meet here on Wednesday to carry forward discussions on resolving border disputes in the remaining six areas. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday he and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma will also visit the disputed areas later as a goodwill gesture. "The Meghalaya CM will come here tomorrow and discussion will be held on finding solutions for the remaining six areas," he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Assam and Meghalaya have a longstanding dispute in 12 areas along the 884.9-km-long interstate border. The two Northeastern states had signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2022 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi towards ending the disputes in six areas. Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972 and had since then challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1971, which is recognised by Assam as its border. On the progress of talks with Nagaland over oil exploration along the disputed boundary between the two states, Sarma said, "We have sent our proposal to the Nagaland government and we are now waiting for their response. We have not pursued the matter much as it was Nagaland who had sought our views. Now it is up to them." Sarma and his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio had on April 20 agreed in principle to go ahead with oil exploration in areas along their disputed boundary for the economic benefit of both states. Assam and Nagaland are exploring all options to bring an end to the decades-old border imbroglio in an amicable manner, an Assam government statement said in New Delhi after the meeting between the two chief ministers. Rio told reporters later that Assam and Nagaland have in principle decided to go for an MoU on oil exploration in the disputed areas so that oil can be extracted and royalties can be shared between the neighbouring states. Assam shares a 512.1-km border with Nagaland, with the dispute since the creation of the neighbouring state in 1963 and the matter is now pending before the Supreme Court for a resolution.
Shankari Sundararaman By

Last weeks ASEAN summit at Labuan Bajo revealed more differences than commonalities among the 10-member organisation, even as the internal unity is being challenged by a variety of domestic and regional compulsions. While the central focus of the summit remained the growing geopolitical rivalry and the domestic political stalemate in Myanmar, the emphasis on the unity of the grouping cannot be taken for granted, even as individual member countries are seeing the geopolitical scenario more as an opportunity to gain economic advantages at the cost of maintaining the regions balance on normative matters. Malaysia has come into stark focus in the region over how the new incumbent government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is today moving closer to China through several economic agreements while avoiding any outright conflict over the sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, leading to an ambiguous strategic balance in the region.

During the last few weeks, the debate in Malaysian politics heated up between Anwar Ibrahims government and the Opposition over the question of Malaysias strategic balance vis-a-vis China. Following his first visit to China last month, the Malaysian PM returned home with both significant economic deals amounting to the tune of $39 billion and to sharp criticism from the Opposition that his visit laid bare the vulnerabilities of Malaysias security concerns, particularly in the contested claims over the South China Sea.

The visit resulted in finalising 19 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and China focusing on investments to address key areas of infrastructural development and enhancement of digital services, which are key priority issues for Malaysia. Slated as the biggest investment deal that Malaysia has achieved so far from China, Prime Minister Anwar elaborated on the need to view Chinese partnership as the way forward while praising the global influence of Chinese Premier Xi Jinping.

A close look at how Malaysia has systematically become a clear economic partner for China is indicative from the period when Prime Minister Najib was in office: he opened up avenues for the expansion of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Malaysia through the negotiation on the East Coast Rail Link that would connect the region of Tumpat in Malaysias Kelantan province with Port Klang on the countrys western shores, which lies at the northern tip of the Strait of Malacca. By this route, the southern tip of Thailand in the South China Sea would be connected to the Malacca Strait, pushing the infrastructural requirements of the BRI across the mainland while connecting the geopolitically sensitive region of the South China Sea to the Malacca Strait through an overland route.

However, in 2018, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed won a historic second term on the mandate of fighting corruption, and in his first overseas visit to China, he spoke of the need to reassess the Chinese investments in the BRI and the East Coast Rail Link, which was almost equivalent to forms of neocolonialism. This deal was later renegotiated with better terms for Malaysia so as to address some of the constraints of national debt within the country, especially as such huge investment projects were likely to impact the Malaysian economy vis-a-vis its increasing dependency on China. The renegotiated deal, while more favourable to Malaysia, continued to strengthen the economic ties between the two countries.

However, the Mahathir government also challenged Chinas assertions over the 9-dash line by submitting a revised claim to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, which clearly asserted Malaysias sovereign rights to the contested region as per the UNCLOS.

One of the foremost concerns highlighted by Anwars visit to China indicates that Malaysias foreign policy tilt occurs when the countrys neutrality needs to remain high. For Malaysia, the issues of political stability within the country remain significant as coalition partners remain divided on domestic and foreign policy issues.

The Opposition has been critical of the statement made by Anwar regarding negotiations with China. Much of the criticism has been on the suggestion that the energy resources in the Petronas areas in the South China Sea could be jointly explored and such a possibility can be negotiated, which is a red flag insofar as Malaysias sovereign rights in the South China Sea are concerned. To address the matter of Malaysias sovereign claims in the South China Sea, there needs to be unequivocal consensus between the ruling party and the Opposition.

At the ASEAN summit earlier this month, two core issues were in focusfirst, Prime Minister Anwar stated that cohesion was imperative to handle the shifting geopolitics in the region and also added that the principle of non-intervention in internal affairs needs to be re-evaluated, especially in light of the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar. Second, Indonesian President Jokowi and Philippine President Marcos emphasised the ongoing geopolitical tensions emanating from major power conflicts. While the South China Sea dispute remains inconclusive, given that China does not seem ready to accept international law as the basis of a resolution, the regional states need to maintain their neutrality with no uncertain terms.

The move that ASEAN has often repeated vis-a-vis the progress towards a Code of Conduct is still uncertain, leaving little room for any negotiation with Chinaboth at the level of individual claimant countries or at the regional stage. At this point, not just Malaysia but all ASEAN members need to reassert a high degree of neutrality without compromise.

Shankari Sundararaman

Professor at School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi

(shankari@mail.jnu.ac.in)

Last weeks ASEAN summit at Labuan Bajo revealed more differences than commonalities among the 10-member organisation, even as the internal unity is being challenged by a variety of domestic and regional compulsions. While the central focus of the summit remained the growing geopolitical rivalry and the domestic political stalemate in Myanmar, the emphasis on the unity of the grouping cannot be taken for granted, even as individual member countries are seeing the geopolitical scenario more as an opportunity to gain economic advantages at the cost of maintaining the regions balance on normative matters. Malaysia has come into stark focus in the region over how the new incumbent government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is today moving closer to China through several economic agreements while avoiding any outright conflict over the sovereignty claims in the South China Sea, leading to an ambiguous strategic balance in the region. During the last few weeks, the debate in Malaysian politics heated up between Anwar Ibrahims government and the Opposition over the question of Malaysias strategic balance vis-a-vis China. Following his first visit to China last month, the Malaysian PM returned home with both significant economic deals amounting to the tune of $39 billion and to sharp criticism from the Opposition that his visit laid bare the vulnerabilities of Malaysias security concerns, particularly in the contested claims over the South China Sea. The visit resulted in finalising 19 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and China focusing on investments to address key areas of infrastructural development and enhancement of digital services, which are key priority issues for Malaysia. Slated as the biggest investment deal that Malaysia has achieved so far from China, Prime Minister Anwar elaborated on the need to view Chinese partnership as the way forward while praising the global influence of Chinese Premier Xi Jinping.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A close look at how Malaysia has systematically become a clear economic partner for China is indicative from the period when Prime Minister Najib was in office: he opened up avenues for the expansion of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Malaysia through the negotiation on the East Coast Rail Link that would connect the region of Tumpat in Malaysias Kelantan province with Port Klang on the countrys western shores, which lies at the northern tip of the Strait of Malacca. By this route, the southern tip of Thailand in the South China Sea would be connected to the Malacca Strait, pushing the infrastructural requirements of the BRI across the mainland while connecting the geopolitically sensitive region of the South China Sea to the Malacca Strait through an overland route. However, in 2018, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed won a historic second term on the mandate of fighting corruption, and in his first overseas visit to China, he spoke of the need to reassess the Chinese investments in the BRI and the East Coast Rail Link, which was almost equivalent to forms of neocolonialism. This deal was later renegotiated with better terms for Malaysia so as to address some of the constraints of national debt within the country, especially as such huge investment projects were likely to impact the Malaysian economy vis-a-vis its increasing dependency on China. The renegotiated deal, while more favourable to Malaysia, continued to strengthen the economic ties between the two countries. However, the Mahathir government also challenged Chinas assertions over the 9-dash line by submitting a revised claim to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, which clearly asserted Malaysias sovereign rights to the contested region as per the UNCLOS. One of the foremost concerns highlighted by Anwars visit to China indicates that Malaysias foreign policy tilt occurs when the countrys neutrality needs to remain high. For Malaysia, the issues of political stability within the country remain significant as coalition partners remain divided on domestic and foreign policy issues. The Opposition has been critical of the statement made by Anwar regarding negotiations with China. Much of the criticism has been on the suggestion that the energy resources in the Petronas areas in the South China Sea could be jointly explored and such a possibility can be negotiated, which is a red flag insofar as Malaysias sovereign rights in the South China Sea are concerned. To address the matter of Malaysias sovereign claims in the South China Sea, there needs to be unequivocal consensus between the ruling party and the Opposition. At the ASEAN summit earlier this month, two core issues were in focusfirst, Prime Minister Anwar stated that cohesion was imperative to handle the shifting geopolitics in the region and also added that the principle of non-intervention in internal affairs needs to be re-evaluated, especially in light of the ongoing political crisis in Myanmar. Second, Indonesian President Jokowi and Philippine President Marcos emphasised the ongoing geopolitical tensions emanating from major power conflicts. While the South China Sea dispute remains inconclusive, given that China does not seem ready to accept international law as the basis of a resolution, the regional states need to maintain their neutrality with no uncertain terms. The move that ASEAN has often repeated vis-a-vis the progress towards a Code of Conduct is still uncertain, leaving little room for any negotiation with Chinaboth at the level of individual claimant countries or at the regional stage. At this point, not just Malaysia but all ASEAN members need to reassert a high degree of neutrality without compromise. Shankari Sundararaman Professor at School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi (shankari@mail.jnu.ac.in)
By Express News Service

PALAKKAD: The relatives of Zulfiqar, 48, who died in a Pakistan jail have said that they are waiting for his body to reach Kerala. We are ready to receive the body if it is brought to any of the airports in Kerala, C V Hameed, the father of Zulfiqar, told TNIE from his house at M rayamkunnu, Kappur, Thrithala.

I am 80 and will be unable to go to Chattisgarh airport to bring the body. He had been working as a sales representative in a firm in Abu Dhabi for six years before he went missing five years ago, said Hamid. His wife and children are still in Abu Dhabi. There was no information about him for the past five years, said Hamid. The district administration has not informed of any moves to bring the body of Zulfiqar to Kerala, he added. His relatives said that if they get the body of Zulfiqar, it will be buried in Marayamkunnu Juma Masjid.

His family had reported at the local police station that Zulfiqar had been missing and they had registered a case. The NIA was also on the lookout for Zulfiqar when the news of his death came from a Pakistan jail. It is learned that he went fishing and violated the territorial waters of Pakistan which landed him in jail.

However, the relatives said that they were unaware that Zulfiqar was arrested by Pakistani police. They only know that his family was based in Abu Dhabi, and initially he had worked as a driver and later as a sales representative in a firm in Abu Dhabi. He had come to his house in Marayamkunnu in 2018 and since then there was no information about him. The family members said that earlier the personnel of the Special Branch and Intelligence Bureau had come to the house and inquired about Zulfiqar.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had informed the Foreign Regional Registration Officer in Amritsar on May 20, 2023, asking him to make necessary arrangements to receive the mortal remains of an Indian civil prisoner at the Attari border on May 22, 2023, and hand it over to the relatives. It was informed that repatriation of the mortal remains of an Indian fisherman late Zulfiqar, son of Abdul Hameed, Kappur, Eravakkad Post, Palakkad, Kerala, is scheduled to arrive on Monday through the Attari border. A copy of the letter had also been sent to the additional chief secretary (Home) of the Kerala Government asking the department to inform the family members of the deceased about the scheduled repatriation of the mortal remains.

MISSING FOR 5 YRS

Zulfiqar had been working in Abu Dhabi before he went missing five years ago. His family had filed a missing case at the local police station. The NIA was also on the lookout for Zulfiqar when the news of his death came from a Pakistan jail

It is learned that he went fishing and violated the territorial waters of Pakistan which landed him in jail. His mortal remains is scheduled to arrive on Monday through Attari border. His father Hamid, 80, said he is ready to receive the body if brought to any of the airports in Kerala

PALAKKAD: The relatives of Zulfiqar, 48, who died in a Pakistan jail have said that they are waiting for his body to reach Kerala. We are ready to receive the body if it is brought to any of the airports in Kerala, C V Hameed, the father of Zulfiqar, told TNIE from his house at M rayamkunnu, Kappur, Thrithala. I am 80 and will be unable to go to Chattisgarh airport to bring the body. He had been working as a sales representative in a firm in Abu Dhabi for six years before he went missing five years ago, said Hamid. His wife and children are still in Abu Dhabi. There was no information about him for the past five years, said Hamid. The district administration has not informed of any moves to bring the body of Zulfiqar to Kerala, he added. His relatives said that if they get the body of Zulfiqar, it will be buried in Marayamkunnu Juma Masjid. His family had reported at the local police station that Zulfiqar had been missing and they had registered a case. The NIA was also on the lookout for Zulfiqar when the news of his death came from a Pakistan jail. It is learned that he went fishing and violated the territorial waters of Pakistan which landed him in jail.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); However, the relatives said that they were unaware that Zulfiqar was arrested by Pakistani police. They only know that his family was based in Abu Dhabi, and initially he had worked as a driver and later as a sales representative in a firm in Abu Dhabi. He had come to his house in Marayamkunnu in 2018 and since then there was no information about him. The family members said that earlier the personnel of the Special Branch and Intelligence Bureau had come to the house and inquired about Zulfiqar. The Ministry of Home Affairs had informed the Foreign Regional Registration Officer in Amritsar on May 20, 2023, asking him to make necessary arrangements to receive the mortal remains of an Indian civil prisoner at the Attari border on May 22, 2023, and hand it over to the relatives. It was informed that repatriation of the mortal remains of an Indian fisherman late Zulfiqar, son of Abdul Hameed, Kappur, Eravakkad Post, Palakkad, Kerala, is scheduled to arrive on Monday through the Attari border. A copy of the letter had also been sent to the additional chief secretary (Home) of the Kerala Government asking the department to inform the family members of the deceased about the scheduled repatriation of the mortal remains. MISSING FOR 5 YRS Zulfiqar had been working in Abu Dhabi before he went missing five years ago. His family had filed a missing case at the local police station. The NIA was also on the lookout for Zulfiqar when the news of his death came from a Pakistan jail It is learned that he went fishing and violated the territorial waters of Pakistan which landed him in jail. His mortal remains is scheduled to arrive on Monday through Attari border. His father Hamid, 80, said he is ready to receive the body if brought to any of the airports in Kerala
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A fire and rescue department official was killed while attempting to douse a major fire that broke out in the warehouse of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) at KINFRA park in Menamkulam.

JS Renjith, a 32-year-old fireman from the Chakka unit of the state Fire and Rescue Services, suffered fatal injuries after a portion of the building collapsed on him while he was busy putting out the raging flames.

The fireman was pulled out of the rubble with great difficulty and was rushed to a private hospital in the city where he passed away at 3.50 am. Renjith is a native of Attingal and had joined the force six years ago.

The blaze was first noticed around 1.30 am on Tuesday in the section where chemicals are stored. It has been speculated that the fire could have erupted from the spot where the bleaching powder was kept.

The warehouse of Kerala Medical Services Corporation in KINFRA park, Menamkulam was gutted in a major fire outbreak reported in the wee hours of Tuesday. A fire and rescue services personnel was killed in action while trying to put out fire. The blaze lasted for hours and was pic.twitter.com/bCm1qXVto4  The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) May 23, 2023

A security guard at the warehouse first saw the fire and informed fire services, a police officer told PTI. Only security personnel were present at the spot when the accident occurred. "A beam of the building suddenly fell upon the fireman, crushing him. He was rushed to the hospital but he succumbed to the injuries," he told PTI.

Last week, another warehouse of KMSCL was gutted in a fire in the Kollam district, following which Health Minister Veena George ordered a probe into the incident.

(Photo | BP Deepu, EPS)

Fire and rescue services units from the district were deployed to fight Tuesday's blaze, which was contained after several hours of effort.

Sources informed TNIE that the chemicals were gutted by the fire while the medicines were not damaged as they were kept in a separate building.

The estimated loss due to the fire is pegged at Rs 1.5 crore.

Expressing profound grief over the death of the fireman, the Health Minister said a direction has already been given to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the fire incident. "Safety audits will be conducted in all drug warehouses under the KMSCL. Fire safety audits will be conducted in hospitals also," she said in a statement, as reported by PTI. Various scientific examinations including forensic tests would be conducted at the fire accident site on the Kinfra campus to ascertain the reasons for the flames, the minister added.

PTI reported that DGP B Sandhya, who visited the fire accident site, said that the drug warehouse building did not have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the fire and rescue department and there was no mandatory equipment to douse the flames.

ALSO READ | Second KMSCL fire mishap in five days: Opposition claims ploy to destroy Covid corruption evidence

(With inputs from PTI)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A fire and rescue department official was killed while attempting to douse a major fire that broke out in the warehouse of the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL) at KINFRA park in Menamkulam. JS Renjith, a 32-year-old fireman from the Chakka unit of the state Fire and Rescue Services, suffered fatal injuries after a portion of the building collapsed on him while he was busy putting out the raging flames. The fireman was pulled out of the rubble with great difficulty and was rushed to a private hospital in the city where he passed away at 3.50 am. Renjith is a native of Attingal and had joined the force six years ago.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The blaze was first noticed around 1.30 am on Tuesday in the section where chemicals are stored. It has been speculated that the fire could have erupted from the spot where the bleaching powder was kept. The warehouse of Kerala Medical Services Corporation in KINFRA park, Menamkulam was gutted in a major fire outbreak reported in the wee hours of Tuesday. A fire and rescue services personnel was killed in action while trying to put out fire. The blaze lasted for hours and was pic.twitter.com/bCm1qXVto4  The New Indian Express (@NewIndianXpress) May 23, 2023 A security guard at the warehouse first saw the fire and informed fire services, a police officer told PTI. Only security personnel were present at the spot when the accident occurred. "A beam of the building suddenly fell upon the fireman, crushing him. He was rushed to the hospital but he succumbed to the injuries," he told PTI. Last week, another warehouse of KMSCL was gutted in a fire in the Kollam district, following which Health Minister Veena George ordered a probe into the incident. (Photo | BP Deepu, EPS) Fire and rescue services units from the district were deployed to fight Tuesday's blaze, which was contained after several hours of effort. Sources informed TNIE that the chemicals were gutted by the fire while the medicines were not damaged as they were kept in a separate building. The estimated loss due to the fire is pegged at Rs 1.5 crore. Expressing profound grief over the death of the fireman, the Health Minister said a direction has already been given to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the fire incident. "Safety audits will be conducted in all drug warehouses under the KMSCL. Fire safety audits will be conducted in hospitals also," she said in a statement, as reported by PTI. Various scientific examinations including forensic tests would be conducted at the fire accident site on the Kinfra campus to ascertain the reasons for the flames, the minister added. PTI reported that DGP B Sandhya, who visited the fire accident site, said that the drug warehouse building did not have a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the fire and rescue department and there was no mandatory equipment to douse the flames. ALSO READ | Second KMSCL fire mishap in five days: Opposition claims ploy to destroy Covid corruption evidence (With inputs from PTI)
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin will be on a week-long visit to Singapore and Japan to invite investments to the state and also invite investors to Global Investors Meet scheduled to be held in Chennai in January 2024. Industries Minister TRB Rajaa and senior officials will accompany the chief minister. This is Stalins second visit abroad after becoming the chief minister to invite investments.

According to the tentative schedule, Stalin will have programmes in Singapore on Tuesday and reach Japan on the night of May 25. He will be leaving for Chennai on May 31.

On May 23, the chief minister will be meeting S Iswaran, Singapore Minister for Transport and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, K Shanmugam SC, Minister for Home Affairs and Law, and CEOs of key industrial houses in Singapore - Temasek, Sembcorp, and CapitaLand Investment.

On Tuesday evening, Guidance Tamil Nadu, State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu, FameTN, Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission, and Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation will take part in an investors conference representing Tamil Nadu. MoUs will be signed with Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore India Partnership Office, and Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries. After this, the chief minister will participate in a cultural event organised by Singapore Tamils.

In Japan, Stalin will be meeting industrial leaders from May 26 and invite them to the GIM 2024. Stalin will also take part in a conference aimed at encouraging Japanese industries to invest in Tamil Nadu. MoUs will be signed during his stay in Japan.

A release said so far the government delegation visited only Tokyo. But this time, the chief minister will visit Osaka, the commercial city of Japan, on invitation from industrialists, and hold talks with CEOs of various firms. In Osaka, Stalin will take part in an investors conference to be held in association with Japan External Trade Organisation. He will also attend a reception hosted by the Indian community.

During his visit to Tokyo, Stalin is scheduled to meet Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, and Ishiguro Norihiko, Chairman of JETRO. MoUs will be signed with two renowned industrial houses in Japan. Stalin will also visit the industrial centre there.

The release also said since July 2021, Tamil Nadu has signed MoUs for 226 projects bringing in investment of Rs 2,95,339 crore and employment opportunities for 4,12,565 people.

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin will be on a week-long visit to Singapore and Japan to invite investments to the state and also invite investors to Global Investors Meet scheduled to be held in Chennai in January 2024. Industries Minister TRB Rajaa and senior officials will accompany the chief minister. This is Stalins second visit abroad after becoming the chief minister to invite investments. According to the tentative schedule, Stalin will have programmes in Singapore on Tuesday and reach Japan on the night of May 25. He will be leaving for Chennai on May 31. On May 23, the chief minister will be meeting S Iswaran, Singapore Minister for Transport and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations, K Shanmugam SC, Minister for Home Affairs and Law, and CEOs of key industrial houses in Singapore - Temasek, Sembcorp, and CapitaLand Investment. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); On Tuesday evening, Guidance Tamil Nadu, State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu, FameTN, Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission, and Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation will take part in an investors conference representing Tamil Nadu. MoUs will be signed with Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore India Partnership Office, and Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries. After this, the chief minister will participate in a cultural event organised by Singapore Tamils. In Japan, Stalin will be meeting industrial leaders from May 26 and invite them to the GIM 2024. Stalin will also take part in a conference aimed at encouraging Japanese industries to invest in Tamil Nadu. MoUs will be signed during his stay in Japan. A release said so far the government delegation visited only Tokyo. But this time, the chief minister will visit Osaka, the commercial city of Japan, on invitation from industrialists, and hold talks with CEOs of various firms. In Osaka, Stalin will take part in an investors conference to be held in association with Japan External Trade Organisation. He will also attend a reception hosted by the Indian community. During his visit to Tokyo, Stalin is scheduled to meet Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan, and Ishiguro Norihiko, Chairman of JETRO. MoUs will be signed with two renowned industrial houses in Japan. Stalin will also visit the industrial centre there. The release also said since July 2021, Tamil Nadu has signed MoUs for 226 projects bringing in investment of Rs 2,95,339 crore and employment opportunities for 4,12,565 people.
By AFP

KHARTOUM: Explosions again shook Sudan's capital on Tuesday, dimming hopes that a US and Saudi-brokered humanitarian ceasefire will take hold on the ground after more than five weeks of fighting.

The latest, one-week truce formally entered into force late Monday, but it was quickly violated, like a series of previous such agreements since the war between two rival generals erupted on April 15.

"We can hear the sound of artillery fire," a Khartoum witness told AFP on Tuesday. "Every few minutes, there's a blast."

Residents had also reported combat in northern Khartoum and air strikes in the east of the capital shortly after the deadline at 9:45 pm (1945 GMT) Monday.

In some parts of Khartoum, an uneasy silence was held Tuesday as residents desperately hoped for a pause in combat to allow in life-saving humanitarian aid, or to enable more people to flee the embattled city of five million.

The fighting has pitted the army, led by Sudan's de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

The battles have left about 1,000 people dead, forced more than a million to flee their homes and sparked mass evacuations of foreigners and major refugee flows into neighbouring counties.

People have run low on water, food and basic supplies, and the war has left more than half the population, 25 million people, in need of humanitarian aid, according to the UN.

Broken promises

A foreign aid group voiced frustration with the fighting that has piled new misery on the already poverty-stricken northeast African nation.

"Beyond official announcements, Sudan is still pounded and bombarded, with millions of civilian lives at risk," Karl Schembri of the Norwegian Refugee Council wrote on Twitter.

"We've had over a month of broken promises and empty words while humanitarian colleagues were killed, together with children and others and hospitals destroyed."

Volker Perthes, the United Nations envoy to Sudan, told the UN Security Council on Monday that "fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite a commitment by both sides not to pursue military advantage before the ceasefire takes effect".

While no previous truce has held, the United States and Saudi Arabia, which brokered the deal, said this agreement was different because it was "signed by the parties" and would be supported by a "ceasefire monitoring mechanism".

According to the text released by the United States, warring sides were to use the two days before it took effect to "inform their respective forces" about it and "instruct them to comply".

Neither side has yet blamed the other for violating the truce, as they did within minutes after the previous ceasefires unravelled.

Victory or martyrdom

Hours before the truce was to start, Daglo released a voice message on social media in which he told his fighters: "It is either victory or martyrdom, and victory will be ours."

Addressing reported violations by his forces -- including rampant looting, targeting of civilians and attacks on churches -- he blamed "coup plotters" in the army.

Major fighting has rocked the western Darfur region near Chad, where the UN has reported hundreds of civilians killed in the West Darfur capital El Geneina.

Perthes in his Security Council address warned that "the conflict risks to expand and prolong ... with implications for the region."

"In parts of the country, fighting between the two armies or the two armed formations has sharpened into communal tensions, or triggered conflict between communities," he said, after reports of civilians being armed in Darfur.

Sudan has a long history of military coups and the army in 2019 overthrew the veteran Islamist autocrat Omar al-Bashir after mass protests against his rule.

Sudanese were promised a gradual transition toward civilian rule, but Burhan and Daglo staged another coup in October 2021 before simmering tensions between the two men flared into the current round of bloody fighting.

KHARTOUM: Explosions again shook Sudan's capital on Tuesday, dimming hopes that a US and Saudi-brokered humanitarian ceasefire will take hold on the ground after more than five weeks of fighting. The latest, one-week truce formally entered into force late Monday, but it was quickly violated, like a series of previous such agreements since the war between two rival generals erupted on April 15. "We can hear the sound of artillery fire," a Khartoum witness told AFP on Tuesday. "Every few minutes, there's a blast."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Residents had also reported combat in northern Khartoum and air strikes in the east of the capital shortly after the deadline at 9:45 pm (1945 GMT) Monday. In some parts of Khartoum, an uneasy silence was held Tuesday as residents desperately hoped for a pause in combat to allow in life-saving humanitarian aid, or to enable more people to flee the embattled city of five million. The fighting has pitted the army, led by Sudan's de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The battles have left about 1,000 people dead, forced more than a million to flee their homes and sparked mass evacuations of foreigners and major refugee flows into neighbouring counties. People have run low on water, food and basic supplies, and the war has left more than half the population, 25 million people, in need of humanitarian aid, according to the UN. Broken promises A foreign aid group voiced frustration with the fighting that has piled new misery on the already poverty-stricken northeast African nation. "Beyond official announcements, Sudan is still pounded and bombarded, with millions of civilian lives at risk," Karl Schembri of the Norwegian Refugee Council wrote on Twitter. "We've had over a month of broken promises and empty words while humanitarian colleagues were killed, together with children and others and hospitals destroyed." Volker Perthes, the United Nations envoy to Sudan, told the UN Security Council on Monday that "fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite a commitment by both sides not to pursue military advantage before the ceasefire takes effect". While no previous truce has held, the United States and Saudi Arabia, which brokered the deal, said this agreement was different because it was "signed by the parties" and would be supported by a "ceasefire monitoring mechanism". According to the text released by the United States, warring sides were to use the two days before it took effect to "inform their respective forces" about it and "instruct them to comply". Neither side has yet blamed the other for violating the truce, as they did within minutes after the previous ceasefires unravelled. Victory or martyrdom Hours before the truce was to start, Daglo released a voice message on social media in which he told his fighters: "It is either victory or martyrdom, and victory will be ours." Addressing reported violations by his forces -- including rampant looting, targeting of civilians and attacks on churches -- he blamed "coup plotters" in the army. Major fighting has rocked the western Darfur region near Chad, where the UN has reported hundreds of civilians killed in the West Darfur capital El Geneina. Perthes in his Security Council address warned that "the conflict risks to expand and prolong ... with implications for the region." "In parts of the country, fighting between the two armies or the two armed formations has sharpened into communal tensions, or triggered conflict between communities," he said, after reports of civilians being armed in Darfur. Sudan has a long history of military coups and the army in 2019 overthrew the veteran Islamist autocrat Omar al-Bashir after mass protests against his rule. Sudanese were promised a gradual transition toward civilian rule, but Burhan and Daglo staged another coup in October 2021 before simmering tensions between the two men flared into the current round of bloody fighting.
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Most New York voters support allowing wine to be sold in grocery stores, according to a recent Siena College poll that included questions paid for by Wegmans, which is pushing for the change.

The poll found 75% of 810 registered voters surveyed support allowing New York grocery stores to sell wine. There is bipartisan support for the proposal, with 73% of Democrats and 76% of Republicans endorsing the idea.

Two lobbying firms, Brown & Weinraub and Yoswein New York, co-authored a memo that was sent to state legislators highlighting the poll's findings.

"Seldom do we see issues in Albany that are as one-sided with the public as this," the firms wrote. "Forty other states (including D.C.) allow consumers to buy wine in their local markets  where they can already buy beer in addition to all their other groceries. In many of those states, grocers feature New York wines."

The release of the poll results follows the introduction of a new bill to allow wine sales in grocery stores. The legislation is sponsored by state Sen. Liz Krueger and Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter.

The bill differs from a previous version of the measure that was introduced in 2010 but never passed the state Legislature. That bill would've allowed wine to be sold in big box stores, such as Target and Walmart, convenience stores and drug stores.

What Hunter, D-Syracuse, and Krueger, D-Manhattan, proposed would limit wine sales to full-service grocery stores. Big box stores, convenience stores and drug stores would not be eligible to sell wine. An incentive  lower license renewal fees  would be offered for selling New York wines.

"With overwhelming public support  from the left and from the right, upstate and downstate  this is simply the right thing to do," Krueger said in a statement.

Supermarkets are urging the state Legislature to pass the bill and allow wine sales in grocery stores. In Wegmans stores, signs are posted encouraging customers to visit nytimeforwine.com, a website that was created to build support for the proposal.

Although most voters support the bill, there is strong opposition to it from liquor stores.

Stefan Kalogridis, president of the New York State Liquor Store Association, owns Colvin Wine Merchants in Albany. He told The Citizen that if grocery stores are allowed to sell wine, liquor stores will close because they won't be able to compete with supermarket chains.

But that's disputed by the lobbying firms advocating for the wine-in-grocery stores bill. In their joint memo, Brown & Weinraub and Yoswein New York, dismissed the liquor lobby's "sensational claims" that liquor stores won't survive if grocery stores are allowed to sell wine. As examples, they noted that Florida, South Carolina and Texas allow wine sales in grocery stores and have liquor stores.

The bill to allow wine sales in grocery stores is emerging as a top issue for the end of the legislative session. Lawmakers are scheduled to wrap up their work in early June.
By AFP

BEIJING: There were no survivors after a fishing vessel carrying 39 crew members from China, Indonesia and the Philippines capsized last week in the Indian Ocean, according to an initial government probe released on Tuesday.

The Chinese vessel overturned on May 16, with 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesians and five Filipinos on board.

"From an analysis of the ship's capsizing... it is preliminarily judged that there are no survivors from the ship," Beijing's transport ministry said in an official social media post.

The boat capsized within Australia's vast search-and-rescue region, 5,000 kilometres (2,700 nautical miles) to the west of Perth, the state capital of Western Australia.

Chinese state media reported on Monday that seven bodies had been found by Chinese and Sri Lankan rescue vessels, without specifying the nationalities of the dead.

Australia had sent three aeroplanes and four ships to help in the international search-and-rescue efforts.

The rescue operation has been downgraded to a "48-hour small-scale investigation" as of Tuesday morning, the Chinese transport ministry said.

Rescuers had trawled an area of around 64,000 square kilometres (18,700 square nautical miles), and "did not find any sign of survivors", according to the ministry.

Rough weather

The fishing vessel's distress beacon was first detected last week as Cyclone Fabian drove waves as high as seven metres (23 feet) and winds as strong as 120 kilometres per hour (75 miles per hour) through the area.

Rough weather conditions held back rescue efforts, with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Canberra warning of "challenging" survival conditions.

The Chinese transport ministry said rescue boats had sounded their horns for one minute of mourning in the early hours of Tuesday, with only seven vessels remaining on the scene by noon.

"The shipwreck's condition shows no obvious change from the previous day, and is gradually drifting northeast," the ministry said.

The capsized vessel was owned by Penglai Jinglu Fishery Company, one of China's major state-run fishing firms.

It was authorised to fish for neon flying squid and Pacific saury, according to the North Pacific Fisheries Commission.

It left Cape Town in South Africa on May 5 for Busan in South Korea, according to the MarineTraffic tracking website, which last located the vessel on May 10 southeast of Reunion, a tiny French island in the Indian Ocean.

Penglai Jinglu Fishery also runs squid and tuna fishing operations in international waters, including the Indian Ocean and seas surrounding Latin America.

BEIJING: There were no survivors after a fishing vessel carrying 39 crew members from China, Indonesia and the Philippines capsized last week in the Indian Ocean, according to an initial government probe released on Tuesday. The Chinese vessel overturned on May 16, with 17 Chinese, 17 Indonesians and five Filipinos on board. "From an analysis of the ship's capsizing... it is preliminarily judged that there are no survivors from the ship," Beijing's transport ministry said in an official social media post.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The boat capsized within Australia's vast search-and-rescue region, 5,000 kilometres (2,700 nautical miles) to the west of Perth, the state capital of Western Australia. Chinese state media reported on Monday that seven bodies had been found by Chinese and Sri Lankan rescue vessels, without specifying the nationalities of the dead. Australia had sent three aeroplanes and four ships to help in the international search-and-rescue efforts. The rescue operation has been downgraded to a "48-hour small-scale investigation" as of Tuesday morning, the Chinese transport ministry said. Rescuers had trawled an area of around 64,000 square kilometres (18,700 square nautical miles), and "did not find any sign of survivors", according to the ministry. Rough weather The fishing vessel's distress beacon was first detected last week as Cyclone Fabian drove waves as high as seven metres (23 feet) and winds as strong as 120 kilometres per hour (75 miles per hour) through the area. Rough weather conditions held back rescue efforts, with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Canberra warning of "challenging" survival conditions. The Chinese transport ministry said rescue boats had sounded their horns for one minute of mourning in the early hours of Tuesday, with only seven vessels remaining on the scene by noon. "The shipwreck's condition shows no obvious change from the previous day, and is gradually drifting northeast," the ministry said. The capsized vessel was owned by Penglai Jinglu Fishery Company, one of China's major state-run fishing firms. It was authorised to fish for neon flying squid and Pacific saury, according to the North Pacific Fisheries Commission. It left Cape Town in South Africa on May 5 for Busan in South Korea, according to the MarineTraffic tracking website, which last located the vessel on May 10 southeast of Reunion, a tiny French island in the Indian Ocean. Penglai Jinglu Fishery also runs squid and tuna fishing operations in international waters, including the Indian Ocean and seas surrounding Latin America.
By AFP

PAKISTAN: India is "abusing" its presidency of the G20 by holding a tourism conference in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told AFP.

It is the first diplomatic event in the territory since Pakistan suspended trade and diplomatic ties with India in 2019 when New Delhi imposed direct rule on Jammu and Kashmir and enforced a heavy security lockdown.

"I wish I could say I was surprised, but I think that this is a continuation in what is becoming a norm now, of India's arrogance on the international stage," he told AFP in a Monday interview in Muzaffarabad.

"They're abusing their presidency of the G20 to push their colonial agenda, but if they think that by holding one event in occupied Jammu and Kashmir they can silence the voice of the Kashmiri people, then I believe that they are truly mistaken."

Jammu and Kashmir has been roiled for decades by an insurgency seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan, with tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels killed in the conflict.

Non-G20 member Pakistan controls a smaller part, and says holding the tourism meeting from Monday to Wednesday in the territory violates international law, UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements.

ALSO READ: Valley peaceful on Day One of G20 meet in Srinagar

The G20 participants -- made up of the European Union and the world's 19 top economies -- have been "put in a pretty awkward spot", said the 34-year-old Bhutto Zardari.

"Those countries who make it a point to remind us and protest how outrageous it is that international law has been violated in Europe: I believe that they should be just as outraged when international law is violated in Kashmir," he said, in a reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

China, which also claims Arunachal Pradesh in full as part of Tibet, has stood by Pakistan in condemning the meeting to promote tourism in the area -- renowned for its lakes, meadows and snow-capped mountains.

Muslim nations Saudi Arabia and Turkey are not sending government representation, while some Western countries have scaled back their presence, according to reports.

'Patient people'

India is attempting to portray what officials have called "normalcy and peace" in the violence-wracked region by inviting the international community to a sprawling, well-guarded venue on the shores of Dal Lake in Srinagar.

Over the past week, residents have chafed under stepped-up security measures. Hundreds have been detained in police stations and thousands including shopkeepers have received calls from officials warning them against any "signs of protest or trouble".

"One of the most militarized zones in the world can never be seen as normal," said Bhutto Zardari.

The South Asian neighbours have fought three wars since they were created at the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947.

Since India's 2019 constitutional changes, rebels in Jammu and Kashmir have largely been crushed -- although young men continue to join the insurgency.

Dissent has been criminalised, media freedoms curbed and public protests limited, in what critics say is a drastic curtailment of civil liberties by India.

The Pakistani foreign minister ruled out any chance of a warming of ties between the two countries unless New Delhi revoked the change in status of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Until this topic is addressed, it really stands in the way of peace in all of South Asia," said Bhutto Zardari -- the son of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and the grandson of deposed and executed former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Without it, no "meaningful dialogue" could begin on shared threats including militancy and worsening climate change.

The crackdown in Jammu and Kashmir was ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who since coming to power in 2014 has increasingly used religious polarisation to mobilise the Hindu majority. Next year, he will seek a third term in power at elections.

"We are patient people," said Bhutto Zardari.

PAKISTAN: India is "abusing" its presidency of the G20 by holding a tourism conference in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told AFP. It is the first diplomatic event in the territory since Pakistan suspended trade and diplomatic ties with India in 2019 when New Delhi imposed direct rule on Jammu and Kashmir and enforced a heavy security lockdown. "I wish I could say I was surprised, but I think that this is a continuation in what is becoming a norm now, of India's arrogance on the international stage," he told AFP in a Monday interview in Muzaffarabad.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "They're abusing their presidency of the G20 to push their colonial agenda, but if they think that by holding one event in occupied Jammu and Kashmir they can silence the voice of the Kashmiri people, then I believe that they are truly mistaken." Jammu and Kashmir has been roiled for decades by an insurgency seeking independence or a merger with Pakistan, with tens of thousands of civilians, soldiers and rebels killed in the conflict. Non-G20 member Pakistan controls a smaller part, and says holding the tourism meeting from Monday to Wednesday in the territory violates international law, UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements. ALSO READ: Valley peaceful on Day One of G20 meet in Srinagar The G20 participants -- made up of the European Union and the world's 19 top economies -- have been "put in a pretty awkward spot", said the 34-year-old Bhutto Zardari. "Those countries who make it a point to remind us and protest how outrageous it is that international law has been violated in Europe: I believe that they should be just as outraged when international law is violated in Kashmir," he said, in a reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. China, which also claims Arunachal Pradesh in full as part of Tibet, has stood by Pakistan in condemning the meeting to promote tourism in the area -- renowned for its lakes, meadows and snow-capped mountains. Muslim nations Saudi Arabia and Turkey are not sending government representation, while some Western countries have scaled back their presence, according to reports. 'Patient people' India is attempting to portray what officials have called "normalcy and peace" in the violence-wracked region by inviting the international community to a sprawling, well-guarded venue on the shores of Dal Lake in Srinagar. Over the past week, residents have chafed under stepped-up security measures. Hundreds have been detained in police stations and thousands including shopkeepers have received calls from officials warning them against any "signs of protest or trouble". "One of the most militarized zones in the world can never be seen as normal," said Bhutto Zardari. The South Asian neighbours have fought three wars since they were created at the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947. Since India's 2019 constitutional changes, rebels in Jammu and Kashmir have largely been crushed -- although young men continue to join the insurgency. Dissent has been criminalised, media freedoms curbed and public protests limited, in what critics say is a drastic curtailment of civil liberties by India. The Pakistani foreign minister ruled out any chance of a warming of ties between the two countries unless New Delhi revoked the change in status of Jammu and Kashmir. "Until this topic is addressed, it really stands in the way of peace in all of South Asia," said Bhutto Zardari -- the son of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and the grandson of deposed and executed former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Without it, no "meaningful dialogue" could begin on shared threats including militancy and worsening climate change. The crackdown in Jammu and Kashmir was ordered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who since coming to power in 2014 has increasingly used religious polarisation to mobilise the Hindu majority. Next year, he will seek a third term in power at elections. "We are patient people," said Bhutto Zardari.
Bengaluru-based Simple Energy has launched the much-awaited One electric scooter. Prices for the Simple One start at 1.45 lakh, going up to 1.58 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom Bengaluru). The 750-watt portable charger costs an additional 13,000. The Simple One was first unveiled in August 2021, and it has taken the company over a year and a half to get the model into production.

Deliveries of the Simple One electric scooter begin on June 6, 2023, in Bengaluru. The manufacturer plans to deliver the e-scooter in a phase-wise manner. The prices align with the revised FAME II subsidy scheme that will be applicable from June 1, 2023.

The Simple One is now available with two new colours - Brazen X (pictured) and Light X

The One packs a 5 kWh battery pack, slightly larger when compared to the previously announced 4.8 kWh battery pack. The battery promises a seven-layer protection system with an in-house developed battery management system (BMS) and IP-67 compliance. The battery size had to be increased in order to meet the AIS 156 Amendments announced last year, the company explained.

Also Read : Simple One electric scooter spotted ahead of launch

The Simple One claims a 212 km (IDC) range on a single charge. The company previously claimed a range of 236 km on a single charge. Nevertheless, the model still holds the tag of offering the longest range on an electric scooter in the country.

With all the changes, the Simple One now weighs 134 kg, which has gone up when compared to the prototype first shown. The model uses a PMS mid-drive motor with 8.5 kW (11.3 bhp) of peak power and 4.5 kW (6 bhp) of continuous power delivery. Peak torque stands at 72 Nm. Performance figures haven't dipped though with the Simple One capable of sprinting from 0-40 kmph in 2.77 seconds with a top speed of 105 kmph.

There are four riding modes - Eco, Ride, Dash, and Sonic. The electric scooter rides on 12-inch alloy wheels and comes with combi-braking with a 200 mm disc at the front and a 190 mm single disc at the rear. The model uses telescopic front forks and a monoshock unit at the rear. The tubular steel frame underpins the vehicle.

The Simple One electric scooter can sprint from 0-40 kmph in 2.77 seconds with a top speed of 105 kmph

The One gets a digital instrument console with an open-source Android OS and comes with telematics, ride statistics, Bluetooth connectivity, OTA updates, Park Assist and more. The e-scooter can be charged between 0-80 per cent in 5 hours and 54 minutes with a 750-watt home charger available from September onwards. Theres fast charging too that can charge the battery at a rate of 1.5 km per minute. The company will be offering the electric scooter

The Simple One e-scooter is available in six colour options - Brazen Black, Namma Red, Grace White and Azure Blue - along with the new dual-tone additions Brazen X and Light X. The new One takes on the Ather 450X, Ola S1 Pro, Vida V1 Pro, Bajaj Chetak and TVS iQube in the segment.

The Simple One deliveries will begin from June 6 onwards in Bengaluru

The Simple One is being built at the company's manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu. The model is 95 per cent localised with only the battery cells imported. The Simple Vision 1.0 production plant meets the Industry 4.0 standards and can build the battery and motor, apart from the general assembly. The facility has an annual capacity of three lakh units per annum on a two-shift basis.

Bookings are currently open for the One electric scooter while Simple Energy is working on setting up physical service stations right from the start. Customers can book a service appointment on the mobile app for a seamless digitised process. The e-scooter is offered with a 3-year/30,000 km warranty, a 1-year/10,000 km warranty on the charger and a one-year warranty on the Simple dock feature.

First Published Date:
Akshay Oberoi receives Artistic Achievement Alumni Award from his alma mater, feels extremely honoured

Mumbai May 22: Actor Akshay Oberoi was recently honoured by his alma mater and he shared his gratitude for the respect and recognition given to him by them. From sixth to twelfth grades, Akshay attended middle and high school in 2003.

Akshay Oberoi receives Artistic Achievement Alumni Award from his alma mater, feels extremely honoured

He shared, "I am extremely honoured to be awarded the Artistic Achievement Alumni Award by Newark Academy in Livingston, New Jersey. This is a very special place for me because it was foundational, and I also met my partner, Jyothi, there. This award is important because it makes me feel like I have made my teachers and faculty proud of what I have achieved today."The 38-year-old actor, who made his debut as a child actor in 'American Chai', later worked in 'Isi Life Mein', 'Pizza', 'Piku', 'Fitoor', 'Laal Rang', 'Thar', 'Love Hostel' and now is all set for his next project which is a mystery thriller 'Gaslight' starring Sara Ali Khan in the lead role, playing a differently-abled woman, Misha.His latest project is 'Fighter', which is directed by Siddharth Anand. Akshay is playing the role of an air force pilot. The film also stars Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone as Indian Air Force pilots. It is slated for release on January 25, 2024.ANI22 May 2023

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Greek PM wins election, but fails to reach majority

Athens, May 22: Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis won the national election but failed to reach the majority, Al Jazeera reported.

Greek PM wins election, but fails to reach majority

With most of the votes, Mitsotakis's New Democracy party was 40.83 per cent of the votes, ahead of the left-wing Syriza party of Alexis Tsipras, which had 20.1 per cent.The projections from Greece's interior ministry showed New Democracy falling six seats short of an outright majority in parliament, leaving Mitsotakis with the choice of building a coalition or bringing about a new ballot for a decisive result, reported Al Jazeera.Hailing his party's big victory as a "political earthquake," Mitsotakis hinted that he would seek another election in order to secure an absolute majority that would allow the party to govern alone.The election was held under a new law of proportional representation, which makes it particularly difficult for any party to win enough parliamentary seats to form a government on its own.If a second election is held, probably in late June or early July, the law will change again, shifting to a system that rewards the leading party with bonus seats and making it easier for the frontrunner to secure a parliamentary majority.After winning the election, Nikos Dendias, the foreign minister in Mitsotakis's government said that the result was a great surprise, reported Al Jazeera citing Greek public broadcaster TV ERT.Early reactions from New Democracy officials suggest that a new election is well on the cards, with June 25 now being floated as a likely date."It's a huge surprise ... an amazing result," Dendias said.Takis Theodorikakos, a minister and a senior New Democracy official, told private TV station Skai that the result suggested that the conservatives could garner enough in a second election "to continue the reforms as an autonomous government".Senior Syriza official Dimitris Papadimoulis, a European Parliament vice president, told TV ERT that if confirmed, the result would be "significantly far" from the party's goals and would mark a failure to rally opposition to the government.When winning the election in the early vote count, government spokesperson Akis Skertsos said, "[The exit polls] show a clear victory for New Democracy and a clear renewal of the mandate to continue the major changes sought by Greek society," reported Al Jazeera.Sunday's election is the first in Greece since its economy ceased being under strict supervision by international lenders who had provided bailout funds during the country's nearly decade-long financial crisis.Mitsotakis, a 55-year-old Harvard-educated former banking executive and global management firm consultant, won the last election in 2019 on a promise of business-oriented reforms and has promised to continue tax cuts, boost investments and bolster middle-class employment.His popularity took a hit following a February 28 rail disaster that killed 57 people after an intercity passenger train was accidentally put on the same rail line as an oncoming freight train. It was later revealed that train stations were poorly staffed and safety infrastructure broken and outdated.ANI22 May 2023

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PM Modi leaves for Australia after Papua New Guinea visit

Port Moresby [Papua New Guinea], May 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi emplaned for Sydney from Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

PM Modi leaves for Australia after Papua New Guinea visit

PM Modi will be on a three-day visit to Australia, with whom India signed a historic trade deal last year.The prime minister decided to proceed with his visit to Sydney, after US President Joe Biden pulled out from the scheduled Quad Summit that was cancelled and later held on the sidelines of the just concluded G7 summit in HiroshimaDuring his Australia visit PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people links, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation, said the official statement released by the Australian government.PM Modi will also meet Australian business leaders to drive Australia's growing trade and investment relationship with India and take forward opportunities from the Australia-India CEO Forum held in Mumbai in March," according to the statement."During the visit, the Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community," the statement added.Meanwhile, Australian PM Albanese said he looks forward to visiting India in September in New Delhi for the G20 Leaders' Summit, the world's premier forum for economic cooperation.Earlier today in Papua New Guinea, PM Modi underlined the role of capacity building in the India-Pacific Island countries partnership. He interacted with alumni of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) from across Pacific Island Countries (PIC)."These ITEC alumni, including government officials, professionals and community leaders, are contributing to their societies using the skills gained in India. PM lauded them for keeping India in their hearts and reiterated his support for capacity-building efforts in the region," according to Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.Earlier today, PM Modi also interacted with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. It is pertinent to mention that this is the first meeting since Hipkins became the country's Prime Minister."Had an excellent meeting with the New Zealand PM Chris Hipkins and discussed the full rage of India-New Zealand relations. We talked about how to improve commercial and cultural linkages between our nations," tweeted PM Narendra Modi.PM Modi also interacted with the leaders of Pacific Island nations on the sidelines of the third India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit in Papua New Guinea's capital Port Moresby.The Third Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit held at Port Moresby on Monday, was jointly hosted with Papua New Guinea. Prime Minister Narendra Modi co-chaired the Summit with Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea.PM Modi also hosted a banquet lunch with Indian cuisine and millets for the leaders of the Pacific Island countries.Australia is the final leg of the three-nation visit of PM Modi who began his journey by attending the G7 and Quad Summits in the Japanese city of Hiroshima.ANI22 May 2023

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System has adequate currency notes, no reason to worry: RBI Governor on move to withdraw Rs 2000 notes

Mumbai, May 22: Noting that there is no reason for worry over the move to withdraw Rs 2000 notes, which continue as legal tender, Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das has said the central bank has more than adequate notes of other denominations available.

System has adequate currency notes, no reason to worry: RBI Governor on move to withdraw Rs 2000 notes

There has been some speculation that the decision to withdraw Rs 2000 note may put a strain on the overall money supply."Let me assure you, we have more than an adequate quantity of notes available, already printed. We have more than an adequate quantity of printed notes already available in the system - not just with the RBI but also at the currency chests which are operated by the banks. So, there is adequate stock available and there is no reason to worry," Das told reporters here.Speaking about the September 30 deadline exchange of Rs 2000 notes, he said a date was decided so that people take the process seriously and it does not become endless."...Time is given up to September 30 (for exchange of notes) so that it is taken seriously, otherwise, if you leave it open-ended, it becomes a kind of an endless process," Das said in the interaction with the media.Currency notes of Rs 2000 denomination were primarily issued for the purpose of quickly replenishing the value of money which was being taken out from the system when the legal tender status of then-prevailing Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes was withdrawn during demonetisation."That purpose has been fulfilled. Today there are enough notes in circulation of other denominations," he said.The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday decided to withdraw the Rs 2000 denomination currency notes from circulation, but added they will continue to remain as legal tender.RBI had advised banks to stop issuing Rs 2000 denomination banknotes with immediate effect.RBI, however, said that citizens will continue to be able to deposit Rs 2000 banknotes into their bank accounts and/or exchange them into banknotes of other denominations at any bank branch up to September 30, 2023.The exchange of Rs 2000 bank notes into notes of other denominations can be made upto a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank starting from May 23, 2023."It has also been observed that this denomination is not commonly used for transactions. Further, the stock of banknotes in other denominations continues to be adequate to meet the currency requirement of the public," RBI said Friday.RBI said Rs 2000 denomination banknote was introduced in November 2016, primarily to meet the currency requirement of the economy in an expeditious manner after the withdrawal of the legal tender status of all Rs 500 and Rs 1000 banknotes in circulation at that time.The objective of introducing Rs 2000 banknotes was met once banknotes in other denominations became available in adequate quantities. Therefore, the printing of Rs 2000 banknotes was stopped subsequently in 2018-19.About 89 per cent of the Rs 2000 denomination banknotes were issued prior to March 2017 and are at the end of their estimated life span of four-five years.The total value of these banknotes in circulation has declined from Rs 6.73 lakh crore at its peak in March 31, 2018 (37.3 per cent of Notes in Circulation) to Rs 3.62 lakh crore constituting only 10.8 per cent of Notes in Circulation on March 31, 2023.Meanwhile, the State Bank of India, in a communication shared with all its circles, said no ID cards or requisition forms are needed for the exchange of Rs 2000 currency notes. The customers, however, would be allowed to exchange a maximum of ten currency notes of Rs 2000 at a time.ANI22 May 2023

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PM Modi arrives in Sydney, to hold talks with Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese

Sydney, May 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea.

PM Modi arrives in Sydney, to hold talks with Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese

PM Narendra Modi was received by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell and other officials upon his arrival in Sydney.During his visit, PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people links, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation, said the official statement released by the Australian government.Members of the Indian diaspora also welcomed PM Modi as they chanted slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram" .Some members of the Indian diaspora also clicked photographs with PM Modi.An elderly woman, who was also waiting to meet the PM, sang a song, "Suno Suno Ae Duniya Valo, Bharat Ne Bulaya Hai.....," for PM Modi. The Prime Minister patiently listened to her and waited for her to finish the song.A group of cheerful kids was also present at the spot, waiting to meet PM Modi. The Prime Minister interacted with them and gave them his blessings as well.PM Modi will also meet Australian business leaders to drive Australia's growing trade and investment relationship with India and take forward opportunities from the Australia-India CEO Forum held in Mumbai in March," according to the statement."During the visit, the Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community," the statement added.Meanwhile, Australian PM Albanese said he looks forward to visiting India in September in New Delhi for the G20 Leaders' Summit, the world's premier forum for economic cooperation.PM Modi, who is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Papua New Guinea, hosted the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) jointly with his counterpart James Marape today.Earlier, he visited Japan where he attended the summit of the G7 advanced economies and held bilateral meetings with several world leaders. The Quad Summit was also held on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima.ANI22 May 2023

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New Zealand PM Hipkins insisted on flying to Papua New Guinea especially to meet PM Modi, say sources

Port Moresby [Papua New Guinea], May 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held bilateral talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in Port Moresby during which they discussed enhancing ties in various sectors including commerce, education, IT, tourism, etc.

New Zealand PM Hipkins insisted on flying to Papua New Guinea especially to meet PM Modi, say sources

It was the first interaction between the two leaders after Hipkins took over from his predecessor Jacinda Arden.There were some doubts whether the Hipkins would go ahead with his visit to Papua New Guinea after the last-minute cancellation of Joe Biden since the New Zealand PM had scheduled his visit to the Pacific Island nation to coincide with that of the US President and PM Modi.In a warm gesture towards India, Hipkins insisted on flying to Papua New Guinea especially to meet PM Modi, according to sources.After the meeting with the New Zealand PM, PM Modi tweeted, "Had an excellent meeting with New Zealand PM @chrishipkins and discussed the full range of India-NZ relations. We talked about how to improve commercial and cultural linkages between our nations."The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said, "Giving fresh impetus to India-New Zealand relationship. "PM @narendramodi met PM @chrishipkins of New Zealand in Port Moresby."The two leaders, in what was their first interaction, discussed expanding cooperation in various sectors including trade and commerce, education, culture, sports and people to people ties," the MEA spokesperson tweeted.PM Modi on Sunday arrived in Papua New Guinea on the on the second leg of his three-country visit.The prime minister tweeted before his departure about his historic visit and also thanked PM James Marape for the warm welcome he was accorded. Earlier today in Papua New Guinea, PM Modi underlined the role of capacity building in the India-Pacific Island countries partnership. He interacted with alumni of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) from across Pacific Island Countries (PIC).PM Modi co-chaired the 3rd India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, James Marape. Notably, 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) participated in the summit.Addressing the FIPIC Summit, PM Modi said that India is ready to share its experiences and capabilities with Pacific island countries without any hesitation."My Papua New Guinea visit has been a historic one. I will greatly cherish the affection received among the people of this wonderful nation. I also had the opportunity to interact with respected FIPIC leaders and discuss ways to deepen ties with their respective nations," PM Modi said.Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also held a meeting with New Zealand PM Chris Hipkins today. Taking to his Twitter handle, Blinken called New Zealand an "important partner" in the Pacific and around the world.Blinken tweeted, "Good meeting with Prime Minister Hipkins today in Port Moresby. New Zealand is an important partner in the Pacific and around the world. US-NZ partnership is key to promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region."ANI22 May 2023

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Biden races against time to resolve debt ceiling crisis deadlocked with House Speaker McCarthy

Washington, May 22: US President Joe Biden is racing against time, fresh after his successful trip from Hiroshima after the G7 summit, and has scheduled an SOS meeting on Monday with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to resolve the debt ceiling crisis before June 1.

Biden races against time to resolve debt ceiling crisis deadlocked with House Speaker McCarthy

After that time, the Treasury will run out of money to honour interest payments to stakeholders.President Biden and House SpeakerMcCarthy are scheduled to meet at the White House in what the US media has described as a pivotal moment to forge a budget compromise to raise the nation's borrowing limit before June01 and avoid what economists claim could be a catastrophic effect on the money markets and global stock exchanges .The meeting will be significant as both leaders race to prevent a cash crunch after a weekend of start-stop talks.Both Biden and McCarthy now appear upbeat as the deadline nears for the US treasury to run out of money to pay its bills.NBC news reported that Biden and McCarthy spoke on phone on Sunday while the President was returning home on board the Air Force One."It went well, we'll talk tomorrow," Biden said in response to a question on his return late Sunday.Meanwhile, negotiators met for over two hours at the Capitol late Sunday evening, saying little as they left.Financial markets turned down last week after talks stalled, multiple media reports said.McCarthy told the media that his talks with Biden on Sunday had "productive", but the on-again, off-again negotiations between his staff and White House representatives were leaving little glimmer of hope on a quick and rapid solution as they are focused on spending cuts, which the White House wants of the table.The spending cuts affect Bidens vote banks as they mostly relate social welfare spending and senior citizens benefits. .The contours of an agreement appear within reach, media reports claimed saying the negotiations narrowed down on a 2024 budget year cap, a key to resolving the gridlock. Republicans are firm next year's spending cannot be more than current 2023 levels, but Democrats have refused to accept the steeper cuts McCarthy's team first proposed in their bill in the house. .The sooner a budget deal is reached it would help unlock a separate vote to lift the debt ceiling and allow more borrowing to pay the bills on the debt. The debt that breached the 31.4 trillion mark has to pave the way for fresh borrowing to pay bills on debt already incurred.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Sunday that June 1 is a "hard deadline"."We'll keep working," said Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president, as the White House team exited talks late Sunday.McCarthy said "I think we can solve some of these problems if he (Biden) understands what we're looking at. But I've been very clear to him from the very beginning. We have to spend less money than we spent last year."Reports said McCarthy came out of the Capitol Hill meeting sounding optimistic but was very careful not to criticize Biden's trip, as he had done before.However he said "There's no agreement on anything."Biden told the media at Hiroshima before his flight back home that Republicans must accept the reality, there is no deal to be made solely, solely, on their partisan terms.The President said he did his bit to raise the borrowing limit so the government can keep paying its bills, by agreeing to significant cuts in spending. "Now it's time for the other side to move from their extreme position", he added.Republican lawmakers insist on sharp spending cuts with caps on future spending, rejecting any alternatives proposed by the White House for reducing deficits in part with revenue from taxes.They want a roll back on next year's spending to 2022 levels, but the White House wants the same 2023 levels as in 2024.In the 2023 budget year, Republicans initially sought to impose spending caps for 10 years, though the latest proposal narrowed that to about six. The White House wants a two-year budget deal, a moratorium on spending cuts for two years.A budget compromise enables McCarthy to deliver for conservatives, while not being so severe that it would chase off the Democratic votes that would be needed in the divided Congress to pass any bill, media reports saidRepublican lawmakers also want cuts in IRS money and, by sparing defense and veterans accounts from reductions, would shift the bulk of spending reductions to other federal programs.The White House has rejected the proposal by keeping defense and non-defense spending flat next year, which would save $90 billion in the 2024 budget year and $1 trillion over 10 years.All sides across the aisle are eyeing a package that includes a framework that would speed energy project developments.IANS23 May 2023

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On May 22, 2023, GAC Energy, a subsidiary of GAC Group and GAC AION, signed an agreement with LynkVertx Technology Co., Ltd. (LynkVertx), a company incubated by the team of Academician Minggao Ouyang from Tsinghua University, for their strategic cooperation on V2G (vehicle-to-grid) technology development and applications, according to a post on GAC Group.

Under the agreement, GAC Energy and LynkVertx will utilize the cutting-edge vehicle-grid interaction technology developed by Academician Ouyang's team to conduct deep cooperation in product technology application, energy management systems, and demonstration scenario construction, targeting the transportation energy IoT, source-grid-load-storage, and other areas. Leveraging their respective strengths in ecological resources, market resources, supply chain resources, and technological resources, they will jointly explore and expand the market.

Photo credit: GAC Energy

In addition, the duo will promote the formulation of V2G-related policy standards and lead the high-quality development of the energy industry through the comprehensive application of V2G.

Earlier, on April 18, GAC AION launched its "Fast Charging + V2G" action plans at the Auto Shanghai 2013, introducing its flagship model, the Hyper GT, equipped with V2G technology. The EV maker said its super charging & battery swap station also incorporates V2G technology and will gradually be promoted to users, so as to drive the commercial application of V2G.

With the support and promotion of the Chinese government, the electric vehicle industry is experiencing a flourishing opportunity in China. On May 17, Chinas National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration issued the "Implementation Opinions on Accelerating the Construction of Charging Infrastructure to Better Support the Popularization of New Energy Vehicles in Rural Areas and Rural Revitalization," which further encourages research on key technologies such as V2G (vehicle-to-grid) and collaborative control of photovoltaic storage and charging. This policy provides a favorable external environment and policy support for the cooperation between GAC Energy and LynkVertx.

On May 22, Academician Ouyang and his team visited GAC AIONs factory, where they toured the latters technology exhibition hall and intelligent production line.
Chaichuns Extravagant Celebration of International Tea Day

Kolkata, May 22: International Tea Day celebrated every 21st May is a proclamation by the United Nations to recognize the history and economic significance of tea. The tea industry in India has a long history and its contribution to the economy is enormous.

Chaichun's Extravagant Celebration of International Tea Day

Chai Chun, a brand with many original offerings stressed on the quality and sustainability this International Tea Day. A special plucking and processing drill was organised in a tea estate and 9 factories to ensure quality and swift delivery. The one-day drill aimed at plucking, processing and tasting on the same day to assure the freshness that everyone seeks in a cup of tea. Chai Chun also extended the celebration to its entire retail stores spread across prime locations in India and several airports. In the stores, the day was observed by a guided and free tea tasting experience for anyone who visited the store. Simultaneously across 30 locations including factories, estate and stores, the observance of the International Tea Day was also to educate and spread awareness about the wonderfully healthy world of tea along with the history of more than two centuries.With Okayti Tea Estate and 9 modern factories as sister companies, Chai Chun offers some of the best Darjeeling and Terai-Dooars tea. The Director and founder of the company also visited all the processing units, the estate and outlets to observe supply chain and the working conditions of employees at every level. Reflecting on the event, Rajeev Baid, CEO and MD of ChaiChun and its other undertakings, stated "Running a business while simultaneously breaking away from the excessively hierarchical colonial structure that still influences the tea industry requires great courage. However, it is essential to transcend the confines of commerce and focus on building a better future for all."Tea, the second most consumed beverage globally after water, has been cherished for its medicinal properties for centuries. In the face of numerous external hazards in today's world, the promotion of tea's health aspects has become increasingly vital. Renowned for its abundance of antioxidants and nutritional value, tea has emerged as the go-to beverage for individuals devoted to their well-being and overall health.The celebration of International Tea Day proved to be a remarkable event that not only highlighted the health benefits of tea but also emphasized the significance of fair-trade practices and fostered a deeper understanding of the tea industry as a whole.This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)ANI23 May 2023

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Not correct for me to prejudge... FS Kwatra on temple vandalism issue being discussed during PM Modi-Albanese meet

Sydney, May 22: Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on Monday refrained from divulging details about the discussion on Khalistani extremism and cases of vandalisation of temples in Australia, between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart during the upcoming bilateral talks scheduled on Tuesday.

Not correct for me to prejudge... FS Kwatra on temple vandalism issue being discussed during PM Modi-Albanese meet

"It is not correct for me to prejudge what would be discussed between PM Modi and PM Albanese," Kwatra said when asked if PM Modi and PM Albanese, in their upcoming bilateral talks, could discuss Khalistani extremism.Kwatra made the above remarks while addressing a special media briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia.PM Modi is to join the bilateral talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Sydney on Tuesday.Notably, several cases of Khalistani extremism and brawls between Khalistani activists and pro-India demonstrators have recently come to the fore in several parts of Australia. Indian flags were burnt and even a Hindu temple was vandalised recently in Australia.A question was raised before the foreign secretary regarding the same, reacting to which, he said, "I would only say that all issues of bilateral engagements including the issues of attaining harmony in our society and the safety and security of our two societies will be discussed."Kwatra also said that Australian PM Albanese will host a dinner for PM Narendra Modi, who will meet several officials during his stay in Sydney until Wednesday."Prime Minister will be in Sydney till Wednesday evening during this period. This is just to give you a bit of an outline of what lies ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to Australia in Sydney. He will hold bilateral meetings with the Honorable Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, also call on Governor General David Hurley and meeting with Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton," Kwatra said.He also said, "Prime Minister Albanese will also host a dinner for Prime Minister and during his upcoming two days of stay, honourable Prime Minister will meet leading CEOs and address the Indian community.""Here we will share more detailed information on his various engagements during his stay in Sydney over the course of a couple of days," the foreign secretary added.PM Modi reached Australia and was received by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell and other officials upon his arrival.During his visit, PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people links, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation, said the official statement released by the Australian government.PM Modi will also meet Australian business leaders to drive Australia's growing trade and investment relationship with India and take forward opportunities from the Australia-India CEO Forum held in Mumbai in March," according to the statement."During the visit, the Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community," the statement added.Meanwhile, Australian PM Albanese said he looks forward to visiting India in September in New Delhi for the G20 Leaders' Summit, the world's premier forum for economic cooperation.PM Modi, who is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Papua New Guinea, hosted the third summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) jointly with his counterpart James Marape today.Earlier, he visited Japan where he attended the summit of the G7 advanced economies and held bilateral meetings with several world leaders. The Quad Summit was also held on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Hiroshima.ANI23 May 2023

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Urbanrise Acquires 15 Acres of Prime Land Parcel in Nizampet, Hyderabad; To Invest Rs. 1,925 Crores in Developing 4.8 Million sq. ft Residential Area in the City

Hyderabad, May 22: South India's largest real estate developer, Urbanrise (an Alliance Group company) today announced that the company has acquired 15 acres of residential land parcels at Nizampet, Hyderabad.

Urbanrise Acquires 15 Acres of Prime Land Parcel in Nizampet, Hyderabad; To Invest Rs. 1,925 Crores in Developing 4.8 Million sq. ft Residential Area in the City

The company is all set to develop 4.8 million sq. ft of world-class high-rise residential community in the city, earmarking investments of Rs. 1,925 Crores, that has an estimated revenue potential of Rs. 3,400 Crores to the organization. Urbanrise stands tall in the city with its flagship projects like On Cloud33, The World of Joy, The Happening Heights and Spring is in the air, that are developed with world-class infrastructure and best-in-class amenities. The new acquisition exhibits the organization's objective of consolidating its position in the market and the distinction of the potential this market offers in terms of premium residential projects.This new project, that is all set to be developed, will house the best of architecture and finesse along with world-class amenities and unique facilities that the city has never seen before.The organization is aggressively looking at expanding its market share in the golden triangle - Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai that it currently operates in by launching new projects.Commenting on this, Suneel Bommireddy, Vice Chairman of Urbanrise and Alliance Group, said, "Hyderabad is the key city in our Golden triangle and a strategic market for our organization's growth plans. The trust reposed by the customers in our projects gives us a sense of satisfaction as well as makes us optimistic to expand our presence in the market by bringing in newer projects in Hyderabad. We are committed to providing the discerning Hyderabad customers with world-class residential projects with futuristic amenities.""We will continue to garner the trust and confidence of our customers by providing them high quality homes at great locations," added Bommireddy.This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article.ANI23 May 2023

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Formalities complete, Moti and Jaya prepare to fly out to their new homes abroad

Varanasi (UP), May 22: Moti and Jaya are an object of envy these days. These two Indie dogs are all set to fly out to their new forever homes, across the seven seas, after being adopted by European parents.

Formalities complete, 'Moti' and 'Jaya' prepare to fly out to their new homes abroad

Their passport, geotagging and all the formalities have been done and within the next three months they would be flying out to be with new 'parents' in Milan and Amsterdam.Moti, a female dog, was rescued from Assi Ghat here by an Italian woman tourist Vera Lazzaretti, who immediately decided to adopt her.Moti will be landing at Milan airport in Italy on July 14, while Jaya, of the same breed, will be leaving for Amsterdam in The Netherlands by August-end or September to stay with Merel Bontelbal and her family.Both are being prepared to immigrate by Animotel Care Trust (ACT), a Varanasi-based NGO working for rescue and rehabilitation of ailing, injured as well as physically disabled street dogs.Dr Indraneel Basu and Sudeshna Basu, the founder presidents of ACT, said, "True companion passport of 7-month-old Moti is ready, and vaccination and their blood serum has been tested in Italy and Portugal. Their microchip for geotagging along with a 15-digit identification number will be injected soon. Ticket to depart from IGI Airport on July 13 is ready."After that, it will be six-month-old Jaya's turn to depart for The Netherlands, said the trust's chief executive officer Sundilip Sengupta."In December 2022, Vera noticed Moti being attacked by street dogs while locals were also trying to keep the puppy away from their area. Vera rescued Moti and contacted us. We brought it to our shelter and rehabilitation home. Later, Vera decided to adopt Moti. Since we work for adoption of rescued street dogs, we consulted officials about how a foreign national can adopt a canine to take it abroad," said Sengupta.He added, "It was a unique experience as we saw the process of getting 'True Companion' passport issued and the protocol to be followed to make the canine ready to send abroad."Sengupta said that Merel of The Netherlands noticed this puppy being attacked by strays. Merel rescued the injured puppy and contacted us."Merel wanted to take Jaya with her but as she had to leave the very next day, we told her it could not be without the necessary formalities for sending a dog abroad. As per Merel's wish, Jaya is being prepared to be sent after completing the course of vaccination, necessary tests and issue of passport."Both the dogs will finally have their day when they land in their new homes.IANS23 May 2023

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Biz2Credit to hire 200 for digital lending SaaS platform Biz2X in India

New Delhi, May 22: Digital lending platform Biz2Credit on Monday said it will hire 200 people in India in the next few months for its software-as-a-service (SaaS)-based platform called Biz2X.

Biz2Credit to hire 200 for digital lending SaaS platform Biz2X in India

In a bid to expand its footprint in the domestic market, the company will target fresh talent from top-tier academic institutions, including IITs, BITS Pilani, NIT Delhi and more.Biz2X enables financial institutions to provide a customised online lending experience for their small and midsize business customers."We're committed to delivering cutting-edge solutions and creating an enabling environment for our employees, thereby setting a benchmark for excellence in the digital lending space," said Vijay Kumar Jamwal, HR Head of Biz2X.The company will recruit in domains such as data science, product development and product engineering teams.Biz2Credit said it experienced a 44 per cent growth in 2022 compared to the previous year. This year, they are projecting a growth rate of over 70 per cent.With the current employee strength of over 300 in India, the company also plans to expand Biz2X's footprint in Pune, Noida, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regions.With over 750 employees globally, the company is building next-generation business lending solutions.IANS23 May 2023

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Uttarakhand CM Dhami approves hike in DA of government employees, pensioners

Dehradun, May 22: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has given the approval to increase the Dearness Allowance (DA) of state government employees and pensioners by four per cent, a statement said on Monday.

Uttarakhand CM Dhami approves hike in DA of government employees, pensioners

According to the statement, with the increased DA, more than 3 lakh government employees and pensioners will benefit from the dearness allowance.After the issuance of the mandate, dearness allowance will now increase from 38 per cent to 42 per cent in Uttarakhand.The cabinet had authorized CM Dhami to take a decision on increasing the DA of the personnel.Approval has been given by the Chief Minister to increase the dearness allowance in the interest of state employees and pensioners, the statement added.On Sunday, CM Dhami, lauding the work done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last nine years, said that the Bharatiya Janata Party will win all five Lok Sabha seats in the state in the next year's general elections."PM Modi has done unprecedented work in the last nine years. We will win all the five Lok Sabha seats from here and send them with more votes," said Dhami after the BJP State Working Committee meeting held on Saturday.Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami took part in Bharatiya Janata Party BJP's State Working Committee meeting in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.The meeting held at the Survey Auditorium in Dehradun's Hathibarkala was called for discussions regarding the state's Lok Sabha elections. Uttarakhand has five Lok Sabha seats.The countrywide Mass Contact Campaign, which will start on May 30, was also discussed at the conference.ANI23 May 2023

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Amit Sadhs Ghuspaith is a tribute to late photojournalist Danish Siddiqui

Mumbai, May 22: Actor Amit Sadh is all set to enchant the audience with his compelling performance in the short film 'Ghuspaith' which was recently screened at the Boston International Film Festival 2023.

Amit Sadh's 'Ghuspaith' is a tribute to late photojournalist Danish Siddiqui

He said that the film is dedicated to photojournalists like Danish Siddiqui, who "risked their lives to report realities to us through their heart-wrenching photographs."Amit said "I'm thrilled to be a part of this project. When Mihir approached me for the film, his preparation and exuberance won me over. That's why I said yes to Ghuspait. As his first directorial venture, he has done an excellent job.""I'm confident that he will go far from here, and it's an honour to have been a part of encouraging such talent. They say pictures speak a thousand words. We've dedicated the film to photojournalists like Danish Siddiqui, who risked their lives to report realities to us through their heart-wrenching photographs."Danish Siddiqui was a photojournalist for an international news portal. He was from New Delhi. It was in 2021, when he was killed while covering a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban Forces near a border crossing with Pakistan.On the work front, Amit has projects lined up such as 'Main', 'Pune Highway', 'Duranga 2' and a few more in the pipeline, of which some are said to release this year.IANS23 May 2023

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Zeenat Aman on working with Big B: We were both punctilious and punctual

Mumbai, May 22: Veteran actress Zeenat Aman has reminisced about working with megastar Amitabh Bachchan and said that part of the reason they made a good onscreen jodi is their shared work ethic.

Zeenat Aman on working with Big B: We were both punctilious and punctual

Zeenat took to Instagram, where she talked about working with Amitabh in the 1981 film 'Laawaris', which also stars Amjad Khan. The story revolves around an orphan who stumbles over reality in search for his parents.The film became known for its song "Mere Angene Mein Tumhara Kya Kaam Hai". The second version became very popular due to Bachchan's comedic performance in drag.The veteran actress shared a still from the film and wrote "Laawaris was released 42 years ago on this day on 22nd May 1981. An old school Masala blockbuster, it's the story of a man born from an illicit relationship, and includes themes of love, betrayal, murder and reconciliation.""This still is from the song "kab ke bichhde hue hum aaj". I had been visiting a friend in London, and flew directly to Kashmir to make it in time for this shoot. Director Prakash Mehra had been keeping unwell, but his excellent team of assistants stepped up to the plate."Zeenat talked about shooting a song over two-three days "in some of the most stunning locations" she has ever been to."Jumpsuits were all the rage back then, and this purple set was just fabulous! (and the reason I chose this picture.)"Going down memory lane on working with Big B, she added "Amit ji and I have had such a long working relationship, and I think part of the reason that we made a good onscreen jodi is our shared work ethic. We were both punctilious and punctual, which anyone in the industry will agree is not quite as common amongst actors as they'd like!""I only ever recall him being late to set once in all those years, and boy is that a story to tell."IANS23 May 2023

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Doosri Maa actress Neha Joshi dons sarees that shape her overall appeal

Mumbai, May 22: Actress Neha Joshi, who essays the role of Yashoda in the television show 'Doosri Maa', said that the sarees worn by her character in the show shape her overall appeal and that the character has different facets.

'Doosri Maa' actress Neha Joshi dons sarees that 'shape her overall appeal'

Talking about the same, Neha told IANS "I'm captivated by my character Yashodha, who embodies strength and simplicity. Yet, it is her appearance on the show that truly captivates me. The sarees she adorns play a vital role in shaping her overall appeal. Set in Uttar Pradesh, Yashodha not only fulfils her roles as a devoted mother and exemplary daughter-in-law and as a compassionate social worker. The creative team has impeccably crafted her saree collection to perfectly complement these diverse roles."The actress herself has a "splendid collection" of sarees and she feels that her on-screen character reflects on her life as well.She further mentioned "You'll often find Yashoda, my character, gracefully donning plain cotton sarees with broad borders in soothing pastel hues. These classic cotton sarees, adorned with elegant prints on blouses, harmonise flawlessly with her persona. The way Yashoda drapes her saree and carries herself is a testament to her character's essence. In my own life, I find a reflection of Yashoda's style. I possess a splendid collection of cotton sarees that I adore wearing for gatherings, parties, formal occasions, and traditional ceremonies. A saree is a powerful statement of style, effortlessly combining modesty and boldness. For me, it remains the epitome of elegance and self-expression."'Doosri Maa' airs on iamp;TV at 800 p.m. from Monday to Friday.IANS23 May 2023

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Sana Khan, Sharad Malhotras Dil Nisaar Hua celebrates love and passion

Mumbai, May 22: The song 'Dil Nisaar Hua' featuring Sharad Malhotra, Sana Khan, and Jaya Nandi hit the airwaves on Monday. Crooned by Javed Ali, the song is the first chapter from the three chapters of the timeless musical trilogy.

Sana Khan, Sharad Malhotra's 'Dil Nisaar Hua' celebrates love and passion

Shot in Antaleya, Turkey, the song blends melody, emotions and soulful vocals with music composed by music director Prateek Gandhi, and the music video directed by Faisal Miya Photuwale.Actor Sharad Malhotra shared "The song exudes immense love through its enchanting music, heartfelt lyrics, and beautifully shot visuals. Every aspect of the song contributes to its exceptional nature, but the presence of talented artists, including myself and the stunning faces alongside me, and the breathtaking locations, truly make it extraordinary. The song is a true celebration of love and connection which will transport us to a realm of deep, intense, and pure emotions."Sharing her thoughts on the song, Sana Khan said "Being a part of 'Dil Nisaar Hua' has been an incredible journey. The song beautifully encapsulates the essence of love and showcases the raw emotions we experience. I am thrilled for audiences to witness this musical masterpiece."The song, released by Krooners Musik, in association with The Bucketlist Films, is available to stream on Krooners Musik official Youtube Channel.IANS23 May 2023

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Beijing (Gasgoo)- Lenovo, the prominent Chinese computer manufacturer, recently revealed its achievement in the automotive sector by creating an intelligent simulation platform for Geely Auto.

This platform has successfully supported over 12,000 virtual crash tests for each vehicle.

Photo credit: Lenovo

Utilizing high-performance computing solutions, Lenovo, with the aid of the ThinkSystem servers and Neptune liquid cooling technology, assisted Geely in building this intelligent simulation platform.

The comprehensive high-performance computing platform offers intelligent support in various areas including process development, logistics simulation, digital dynamic analysis of new vehicle models, 3D simulation resource library, and lightweight display platforms. By providing customers with faster access to simulation data, this platform accelerates new vehicle development while ensuring data security and effectively reducing total cost of ownership (TCO).

Furthermore, Geely has also adopted Lenovo's xCloud hybrid cloud solution, which has placed rigorous demands on Lenovo's computing technology architecture and software ecosystem. In addition, Lenovo used its energy-efficient Neptune liquid cooling technology to create a green, high-performance computing platform.

Lenovo stated that it has already assisted over 200 large and medium-sized enterprises in successfully embarking on their journey towards intelligent transformation. With six years of continuous service transformation, Lenovo has completed the strategic layout of its 3S (Smart Devices, Smart Infrastructure, Solutions and Services) full-stack products, solutions, and services. Gradually evolving from a hardware manufacturer, Lenovo has transformed into a solution provider offering comprehensive services.
TN state transport orders bus conductors not to accept Rs 2,000 notes from passengers

Chennai, May 22: The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, Tirunelveli, has issued a circular instructing bus conductors not to accept Rs 2,000 denomination notes from passengers or exchange the same for lower value note.

TN state transport orders bus conductors not to accept Rs 2,000 notes from passengers

Oral instructions have been given by other State Transport Undertakings to their bus conductors on similar lines.Meanwhile, retail outlets and fuel stations have also stopped accepting Rs 2,000 denomination notes.Meanwhile the State Bank of India (SBI) has issued a circular instructing the branch officials not to ask the public who come for exchange of the Rs 2,000 notes to fill in a challan/slip."The RBI has clearly stated that the Rs 2,000 notes will continue to be a legal tender and hence it is not understood as to why all these details are required to be submitted to the bank by the public for exchanging the notes. It is cumbersome for the public as well as for the bank employees/officers," said C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) in a letter to Indian Banks' Association (IBA).Stating that the prescribed procedure is unwarranted, Venkatachalam urged IBA to come out with a uniform procedure for banks to follow while exchanging the Rs 2,000 notes."The bank management are yet to come out of the Rs 500/Rs 1,000 banknote demonisation syndrome. Demonitisation is different and withdrawal of Rs 2,000 note is different," Venkatachalam told IANS.The slip for exchange and deposit of Rs 2,000 banknotes has its roots in the RBI's May 19 circular to the banks on the withdrawal of the said currency."Deposit of Rs 2000 banknotes into accounts maintained with all banks can be made in the usual manner, that is, without restrictions and subject to compliance with extant Know Your Customer (KYC) norms and other applicable Statutory requirements. The banks shall also be required to comply with Cash Transaction Reporting (CTR) and Suspicious Transaction Reporting (STR) requirements, where applicable," the RBI circular notes.On May 19, the RBI said it will withdraw all the Rs 2,000 banknotes as a part of its clean note policy and added that it will continue to be a legal tender.According to the RBI, people may deposit Rs 2,000 banknotes into their bank accounts and/or exchange them into banknotes of other denominations at any bank branch."Deposit into bank accounts can be made in the usual manner, that is, without restrictions and subject to extant instructions and other applicable statutory provisions."The central bank said in order to ensure operational convenience and to avoid disruption of regular activities of bank branches, exchange of Rs 2,000 banknotes into banknotes of other denominations can be made upto a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank starting from May 23.IANS23 May 2023

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Instagram up after a brief outage, company says technical issue

New Delhi, May 22: Meta-owned Instagram case back to life after being down for over an hour early on Monday as users witnessed errors saying the app couldnt refresh, and the website went blank for some users.

Instagram up after a brief outage, company says 'technical issue'

According to a company spokesperson, a technical issue caused some people to have trouble accessing Instagram globally."We resolved the issue as quickly as possible for everyone who was impacted, and we're sorry for any disruption this has caused," said the company,According to website outage tracking portal DownDetector, Instagram was down around 6PM ET on Sunday (3.30 am on Monday).Other Meta services like Facebook and WhatsApp were unaffected."Instagram is back! Sorry for the trouble - we had a brief outage earlier and resolved the issue that caused it," the company mentioned.More than 100,000 people had globally reported problems with the photo-sharing platform.In October last year, thousands of Instagram users from all over the world reported issues, locking users out and informing many of them that "we suspended your account".Several users reported being unable to appeal Instagram's decision, resulting in their accounts being logged out and their email and password not being found, it added.IANS23 May 2023

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Ghar Banduk Biryani is a story of oppression told through black comedy, action

Mumbai, May 22: Director-actor-producer Nagraj Manjule, who is known for 'Sairat', 'Pistulya' and 'Fandry', said that the film 'Ghar Banduk Biryani' is a unique blend of drama and comedy as it tells a story of supression through black comedy, action and drama.

Ghar Banduk Biryani' is a story of oppression told through black comedy, action

'Ghar Banduk Biryani', directed by debutant filmmaker Hemant Awtade, stars Nagraj Manjule, Sayaji Shinde, Akash Thosar and Sayli Patil in the lead.Elaborating on the same, Manjule said "The approach of Ghar Banduk Biryani is so unique and fascinating as never before has been the subject of oppression, suppression and love been dealt with black comedy, action and drama. I am grateful for the support of my wonderful cast and crew who gave this film their all and now it is on the viewers to ensure that this film reaches them as it is sure to entertain anyone and everyone."Produced by Zee Studios and Manjule, the film opens in the fictitious area of Kolagad, which is rife with rebel activity. Commander Pallam (Sayaji Shinde) and his rebels are plotting revenge on an MLA from their hiding place in the forest. In a nearby village, Raju (Akash Thosar) is meeting his prospective bride Lakshmi (Sayli Patil), whose father has one condition for the marriage - that Raju should at least have a house of his own. For Raju, a cook at a local dhaba, making the best biryani in town is easy, but getting a house is next to impossible.In the film, Manjule plays the role of Inspector Raya Patil, who lands in trouble while performing his duty honestly, resulting in a transfer to Kolagad. At some point, these three stories come together.Actor Sayaji Shinde said "I have portrayed numerous characters across industries and languages, however, portraying Pallam in 'Ghar Banduk Biryani' was a different experience together as the character itself is so unique with so many layers. Also, this film gave me an opportunity to work with Nagraj who is just so talented at whatever he does and Hemant has done some brilliant work in his debut film."The film is filled with dramatic twists and turns and a cat and mouse chase interspersed with love, longing and loss.Actor Aakash Thosar said "'Ghar Banduk Biryani' is such a well-thought story, executed with so much style and panache that it will immediately pull you into the worlds of the three main characters. The way the lives of these 3 characters intertwine is something to look out for. I am grateful to Nagraj sir and Hemant sir for choosing me for this role and for trusting me again after 'Sairat'".'Ghar Banduk Biryani' is streaming on ZEE5.IANS23 May 2023

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Israel wants young immigrants to strengthen Jerusalem

Tel Aviv, May 22: According to a plan written in collaboration with the Jerusalem Municipality and with the assistance of the Jewish Agency, the State of Israel will act with the aim of encouraging young immigrants aged 18-35, single and married, to settle in Jerusalem, establish their home there, strengthen the city and be a significant component in the development of the city both in terms of the number of residents and in all areas of life.

Israel wants young immigrants to strengthen Jerusalem

According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, since 2018 over 18,000 new immigrants immigrated to Israel and settled first in Jerusalem, about half of them young people aged 18-35. However, alongside the large percentage of young people who come to the city, about 30% of them have left Jerusalem in the last 5 years.The profile of the young immigrants who arrive in the city constitute a substantial human and economic resource for the city, and as part of the commitment of the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and the Minister Sofer to strengthen the status of Jerusalem, the program was formulated with the aim of promoting the optimal integration of the immigrants in the city in all areas of life, strengthening their sense of belonging to the place and finding their home in it, and thereby contributing to strengthen the city.The program will operate on several levels, including encouraging immigration to Jerusalem, which includes holding unique annual fairs abroad to encourage immigrants to settle in Jerusalem, the establishment of young immigrant centers in Jerusalem in cooperation with the Jewish Agency that will work to absorb the immigrants. (ANI/TPS)ANI23 May 2023

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Researchers find how hydrocortisone improve treatment of septic shock

California, May 22: Sepsis is a global health problem, impacting 55 million patients and killing 11 million people each year. Sepsis treatment may include early detection, source management, antibiotics, fluids, vasopressors, and adjuvant therapy. For more than 50 years, corticosteroids have been studied as an additional therapy for septic shock. Despite this substantial amount of evidence, questions about the effects of corticosteroids on mortality remain.

Researchers find how hydrocortisone improve treatment of septic shock

An international team of researchers from UC San Francisco, Raymond Poincare AP-HP Hospital, Versailles SQY University, Paris-Saclay University and Inserm, and the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney studied the role of hydrocortisone in the management of adult patients with septic shock in a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine Evidence. They discovered that, while hydrocortisone had a minor effect on overall survival, it was related with a reduction in the requirement for vasopressor medicines and an improvement in survival when given in combination with other corticosteroids.The study, led by first authors Romain Pirracchio, MD, MPH, PhD, UCSF Professor of Anaesthesia, Djillali Annane, MD, PhD, and senior author Anthony Delaney, MBBS, MSc, PhD, was designed to assess the role of corticosteroids in the management of patients with septic shock, as well as the contradictory effects on mortality observed in previous research and treatment.The research team performed a meta-analysis of the effect of hydrocortisone on patients with septic shock by pooling individual data from studies conducted between 1998 and 2019 including adult patients with sepsis or septic shock who received intravenous hydrocortisone at a maximum daily dose of 400 mg for at least 72 hours, or a placebo. Individual patient data were available for 17 studies, and 7 of these provided 90-day mortality data. The primary endpoint was 90-day all-cause mortality.Secondary outcomes included mortality in ICU and discharge from hospital, at 28 and 180 days, and number of days without the need for vasopressor drugs to maintain cardiovascular function, without a ventilator, and the number of days without vital organ failure.The researchers found that hydrocortisone was not associated with a significant reduction in mortality for patients with septic shock compared to placebo. Hydrocortisone was, however, associated with a significant increase, on average of 1.24 days, in the number of days without the need for vasopressor drugs.The study also suggests that the association of fludrocortisone, a corticosteroid with a strong action on the regulation of water and sodium, with hydrocortisone might reduce mortality."For the first time, the effects of hydrocortisone for the treatment of patients with septic shock could be studied by analyzing individual data from the main randomized trials published to date," said Pirracchio. "This study shows that if the effect of hydrocortisone on the mortality of septic shock is modest, this treatment makes it possible to spare the exposure of patients to vasopressor drugs and to prevent their complications. The combination of fludrocortisone with hydrocortisone seems to provide a greater benefit in terms of survival."ANI23 May 2023

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Assam: Massive participation by students in rhino awareness programmes

Guwahati, May 22: An effort to inculcate a sense of love and aspiration to conserve the State Animal of Assam, the one-horned Indian rhinoceros, in young minds attracted the participation of a total of 1590 students from various schools in the Kaziranga landscape in Assam in three 'Rhino Goes to School programmes in the month of May, Bio-diversity conservation organisation Aaranyak said in a statement on Monday. 'Rhino Goes to School' which is supported by UK-based David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF), is a flagship awareness generation programme of research-oriented bio-diversity conservation organisation Aaranyak that focuses on enlightening young students about the magnificence of the greater one-horned rhino so that they realise the immense ecological value of this ancient animals that has enriched our land.

Assam: Massive participation by students in rhino awareness programmes

The bio-diversity organisation said that the programme is executed in an interactive way with school children who are told through audio and visual modes about the importance of the one-horned rhinoceros in our ecosystem besides its different characters, and suitable habitats.'Rhino Goes to School' programme was organised by Aaranyak on May 8.The programme which was participated by 560 students was marked by audio and video presentations on Rhino, talk about local flora and fauna, interaction and open quiz, statement mentioned. Aaranyak's official Arif Hussain was the resource person in the programme that was graced by Paguram Pegu, Headmaster of the School, Babuli Hazarika, ex-honorary wildlife warden, Khirud Saikia, member of Aaranyak and other teachers of the school.On the same day another Rhino Goes to School (RGTS) programme was organised by Aaranyak in Gohpur where 680 students were in the audience and interacted with the resource person with their queries on the one-horned rhino.350 students participated in another 'Rhino Goes to School' programme on May 9.ANI23 May 2023

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Jennifer Lawrence wears flip flops on Cannes red carpet, defies unofficial dress code

Los Angeles, May 23: Actress Jennifer Lawrence made a statement with her choice of footwear at the Cannes Film Festival. Attending the premiere of 'Anatomie d'une Chute (Anatomy of a Fall)', she broke the festival's unofficial dress code by wearing flip flops.

Jennifer Lawrence wears flip flops on Cannes red carpet, defies unofficial dress code

The actress turned heads in a cherry red, crepe silk gown by Dior Haute Couture which featured spaghetti straps and a soft ruffle at the bustline along with a matching red wrap. She wore an Archi Dior necklace made of white gold and diamonds as her accessory, reports aceshowbiz.com.As she walked down the stairs at the Palais des Festivals, the 32-year-old lifted up her skirt, revealing a pair of black flip flops underneath her elegant dress. It was a bold move since Cannes famously encourages women to wear heels on its red carpet. Back in 2015, a number of women were reportedly turned away from attending a premiere of 'Carol' because they were wearing flats.Lawrence was joined by producers Daniel Angeles and Justine Ciarrocchi when posing photographers. She also received their help as she navigated the stairs.Although Lawrence opted for the comfy sandals for the special screening of 'Anatomy of a Fall', she changed into a more formal footwear for another premiere on the same day. The 'X-Men' star wore the same gown but paired it with red satin heels when attending the premiere for 'Bread and Roses', a documentary she produces, at Cannes. The project follows the lives of women living in Afghanistan after the Taliban's resurgence.At another premiere held during the film festival in France, Natalie Portman wowed in a dazzling recreation of a 1949 Christian Dior gown. She wore a sparkling strapless gown that featured a voluminous, scalloped skirt with layers of ornate blue beading when attending the premiere of 'May December' on Saturday.The 'Thor Love and Thunder' actress' custom Christian Dior piece was inspired by the 'Junon' dress from the designer's 1949-1950 fall/winter collection. The original dress is part of The Costume Institute's collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, although it's not currently available to view.Portman was joined by her co-stars Charles Melton, Julianne Moore and Cory Michael Smith at the special screening.IANS23 May 2023

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91-year-old among diaspora who arrive in Sydney on Modi Airways to greet PM Modi

Sydney, May 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a grand welcome when he landed in Sunday to commence his three-day visit to Australia.

91-year-old among diaspora who arrive in Sydney on 'Modi Airways' to greet PM Modi

Among those who had gathered to greet PM Modi included 91-year-old Dr Navamani Chandra Bose who journeyed from Melbourne to meet the Indian prime minister in Sydney, according to The Australia Today.She was full of energy and passion and very happy to travel by "Modi Airways." "Very happy today and it's going to be a great event," said the nonagenarian who arrived by the 'Modi Airways,' a special charted flight that took off from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport.The plane full of Indians from across Australia arrived this morning for the diapsora event in Sydney.During PM Modi Australian visit, the Prime Ministers of both countries will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, "a core part of our multicultural community", the Australian government said in a statement.Visuals from Melbourne Airport tweeted on the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation, which is organising the event in Sydney showed passengers waving the tricolour and dancing.According to a report in the Australia Today, 177 people had booked to be part of a the special "Modi Airways" flight from Melbourne to Sydney.Among the passengers on the flight was 91-year-old Navamani Chandra Bose. She was accompanied by her daughter who said that Dr Navamani is the wife of NS Chandra Bose who was the President of the Indian Medical Association from 1991 to 1992 and had served as the President of the Tamil Nadu State Bharatiya Janata Party from 1995 to 1997."I'm the daughter and this is the wife of Dr Chandra Bose who was the state President of Tamil Nadu's BJP from 1995-1997," she said.PM Modi is on a three-day visit to Australia, with whom India signed a historic trade deal last year. Prime Minister Modi received a warm welcome from the Indian community upon landing in Sydney. This is the Indian PM's second visit to the country after 2014.During his visit PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement.The Australia visit is on the last and final leg of PM Modi's three-nation tour. After meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, PM Modi will attend a community event to celebrate the country's dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora.Ahead of Modi's arrival, Prime Minister Albanese said in a statement, "I am honoured to host Prime Minister Modi for an official visit to Australia, after receiving an extremely warm welcome in India earlier this year."ANI23 May 2023

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Celebrity chef Sarah Todd meets PM Modi in Sydney, discusses Ayurveda

New Delhi, May 23: Celebrity chef and restaurateur Sarah Todd shared her experience of her meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Australian city of Sydney. She gave a glimpse of their discussion on Ayurveda and its benefits.

Celebrity chef Sarah Todd meets PM Modi in Sydney, discusses Ayurveda

Sarah Todd took to Instagram handle and dropped pictures with PM Modi from the meeting.Sharing the pictures, she wrote, "An incredible honour to be invited personally to meet one on one with the visionary leader, Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Shri Narendra Modi today in recognition of my work and achievements."Sarah shared details about her conversation with PM Modi."@NarendraModi and I engaged in a conversation that delved into the Ayurvedic principles of ancient Indian cuisine and the use of the finest local ingredients and their health benefits. Our discussion reinforced my love of India, my passion for the food industry and reaffirmed that I'm on the right track. Beyond the captivating conversation, we also discussed the next steps and carved a clear vision for the direction for me to follow. Grateful for Mr. Modi's guidance and support in shaping my path ahead," she added.She ended the note by saying, "Feeling inspired and grateful for this opportunity. Excited for the journey ahead!"Sarah has always been inspired by the incredible diversity in Indian cuisine. Her Insta posts are proof of this.In this picture, a celebrity chef gorging on some delicious sandwiches and street food."India, you never cease to amaze me! Every time I visit this beautiful country, I'm blown away by the incredible diversity in cuisine. From street food and the Sandwich to fine dining, there's always something new and delicious to discover. And it's not just the food, but also the vibrant fashion scene that continues to inspire me," she captioned the post.Sarah loves to explore ingredients and is always ready to indulge in all the amazing local dishes city like Mumbai has to offer.Her trip to Rajasthan was the inspiration for her first cook.Since her debut on MasterChef Australia, Todd has grown to become one the most renowned and exciting names in the Indian food scene, opening her first restaurant Antares Restaurant and Beach Club in 2014, where after she returned to Australian screens for a six-part series called 'My Restaurant in India', airing in 156 countries worldwide.In 2020 Todd was invited as an official chef for the Australian Open in the AO Chefs Series, hosting a fine dining restaurant that was featured in a 5-part series called Perfect Serve.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea. Earlier he met with the CEOs of Sydney-based companies.ANI24 May 2023

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Changan Automobile announced on May 19th in response to investor inquiries that it has established a joint venture with CATL for the production and manufacturing of power battery cells with an annual production capacity expected to reach 25GWh. The joint venture's corporate registration is set to be completed in the first half of this year, and production scheduled within this year.

Photo credit: Changan Automobile

In February this year, Changan Automobile disclosed a public announcement regarding the company's plan to establish a battery joint venture with Changan New Energy and CATL. According to the announcement, the registered capital of the joint venture is 1.5 billion yuan. To be specific, Changan Automobile contributes 285 million yuan, accounting for a 19% stake, Changan New Energy subscribes for 450 million yuan, accounting for a 30% stake, while CATL holds the other 51% stake, which is worth 765 million yuan of the registered capital.

In addition, Changan Automobile has collaborated with CATL and Huawei to launch the high-end new energy brand, AVATR.

According to the Chinese corporate information inquiry platform Tianyancha, AVATR Technology (Chongqing) Co., Ltd., was established in 2018 with its headquarters located in Chongqing, and branches in Shanghai and Munich, Germany. In March 2022, AVATR completed its first round of strategic financing and business information changes, making CATL officially become the second-largest shareholder of AVATR Technology, holding a 23.99% stake.
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Attorney General Kwame Raoul: 'As I said in the letter I sent to the mayor of Danville today, any future attempt by the city of Danville to restrict the fundamental right to access abortion care would be a violation of Illinois law and will not go unchallenged'
LOS ANGELESPineapple Support, the adult industrys leading mental health nonprofit, on Tuesday welcomed LiveJasmin as a bronze-level sponsor. The live cam site joins more than 60 adult businesses and organizations in committing funds and resources to the organization.

"LiveJasmin began in 2001 and since then, we have been pioneering the live cam industry," says Zsolt Theiss-Balazs, chief product officer of LiveJasmin. "By partnering with Pineapple Support, not only are we able to represent our models in the industry but also to support all those active in the adult business. Our dedication to the premium services our models offer is not only to guarantee the quality of said services but also to ensure they always feel safe and supported."

Pineapple Support was founded by British performer Leya Tanit in 2018, after a string of losses in the adult industry from depression and other mental illnesses. The organization, a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization in the United States, has connected more than 10,000 adult performers to mental health services, including free and low-cost therapy, counseling, and emotional support.

Im beyond thankful to LiveJasmin for their support and sponsorship, says Tanit. When brands with such a well-known, global reputation as LiveJasmin back our cause, it sends a very strong message to the industry that we need to all play a part in helping to keep the adult industry safe and healthy. Id like to thank LiveJasmin and all the team behind the brand for their contribution.

To learn more about becoming a sponsor of Pineapple Support, visit pineapplesupport.org/ sponsorship. Details about additional ways to support, as a company or individual, can be found on the organizations website pineapplesupport.org.
On Tuesday, Tate Survance reported to Rantoul police that the teen had been flirting with him and that he wanted it to stop. He did not tell police at the time that he and his wife had allegedly had sex with her in the past.
Russia claims it repelled one of war's most serious cross-border attacks

Russian troops and security forces quashed an alleged cross-border raid from Ukraine in what appeared to be one of the most serious cross-border attacks since the war began
The bigger the gig, the more likely it is these days that universities, cities, villages and school districts will hire an outside firm to assist in its search. In this week's money-themed edition of Meeting Minutes & More, we look at 10 local examples from the past year and change, and the price tags for each.
FBI agent Andrew Huckstadt said 73-year-old Philip Bueno's car got stuck when he repeatedly backed into the building. The Prophetstown man "stated that he threw the red gas can out of the window so the gas would spill and he could light the gas on fire, but the can landed in an upright position."
In a recent study published in the American Journal of Cardiology, researchers performed a prospective cohort study in the general population enrolled in the United Kingdom (UK) Biobank to understand the gender-based genetic basis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) arising due to very high levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), i.e., >100 mg/100 ml.

Study: Very High High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and Cardiovascular Mortality. Image Credit: nobeastsofierce / Shutterstock

Background

In clinical practice, HDL-C is considered good cholesterol; however, some recent studies have suggested that gene alleles associated with higher HDL-C levels are disproportionately associated with protection from CVDs. Women have higher HDL-C levels than men, raising the need for exploring varying CVD risk patterns by gender. Notably, women inherently have physiologic modulators of lipid metabolism.

About the study

According to the authors, the present study is one of the first to investigate the genomic basis for the elevated HDL-C levels stratified by gender.

The study population comprised UK Biobank enrollees aged between 37 and 73 years who did not have coronary artery disease (CAD), assessed via pre-specified criteria. The UK Biobank recruited these participants between 2006 and 2010; moreover, they used a standard questionnaire to gather their sociodemographic data, health status, pre-diagnosed diseases, family history, and lifestyle habits, including alcohol consumption frequency and smoking history, and subsequently, linking this data to Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data.

Further, UK Biobank maintained a record of each participant's weight, body mass index (BMI), height, and blood pressure (BP). The average follow-up lasted for nine years; however, follow-up also ended in case of cardiovascular death, all-cause death, or loss of follow-up.

The researchers explored six categories of HDL-C levels, less than 30 mg/100 ml, more than 30 mg/100 ml but less than 40 mg/100 ml, greater than 40 but less than equal to 60 mg/100 ml (reference category), greater than 60 mg/100 ml but less than equal to 80 mg/100 ml, >80 mg/100 ml, and >100 mg/100 ml.

In addition, they used Cox proportional hazards models to compute hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all-cause mortality across all five HDL-C categories considering the sixth category as a reference.

The team performed the Analysis of Variance for normally distributed and the Kruskal-Wallis test for non-normally distributed continuous variables, and the chi-square test for categoric variables reported as mean  standard deviation (SD) and frequency, respectively. Furthermore, they used interaction analyses to identify the gender-based variations (men/women. overall) between high HDL-C and cardiovascular outcomes.

Finally, the team created a weighted genetic risk score (GRS) based on the 142 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with HDL-C in a large-scale genome-wide association study. The variants included in the GRS ranged from common-to-rare (minor allele frequency <5%) variants with small to modest and large effect sizes, respectively. The team presented coefficients of the association between these SNPs and HDL-C to provide the genetic basis of the findings of this study.

Results

Two percent of the whole male population in the UK Biobank had >80 mg per 100 ml HDL-C concentrations (very high), and, consequently, they were nearly at two-fold higher adjusted risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality compared to those with normal HDL-C levels of more than 40 and less than equal to 60 mg per 100 ml (normal). Likewise, women with very high HDL-C levels constituting 11% of all women enrolled in the UK Biobank, had no mortality benefit compared to those with normal HDL-C levels after accounting for confounders.

Thus, high (>60mg/100 ml) HDL-C levels are nonprotective in men and women and not deemed a reliable marker of atheroprotection per current clinical practices. However, very high (>80 mg/100 ml) HDL-C levels are markers of high risk in men alone. These findings partially elucidate the lack of usefulness of all pharmaceutical interventions targeted at increasing HDL-C levels.

Based on patient profiles, the authors noted that patients encompassed within the high HDL-C category were more often women with lower BMI and triglyceride levels who were nondiabetic and did not suffer from hypertension. Though alcohol consumption raises HDL-C levels, this study covariate did not weaken the effect of high HDL-C levels. Similarly, genetic covariates, such as HDL-associated SNPs, did not alter the study findings. However, conflicting with prior findings, the HDL-C GRS integrating rare and common genetic variants did not weaken the results linked to high HDL-C levels.

Additionally, the authors noted that the patients with high HDL-C levels had a compromised HDL-C particle, which altered its structure and functionality. Intriguingly, HDL-C particle, due to its pro- and anti-inflammatory properties, influenced the immune system; thus, its high levels might be manifesting as higher systemic inflammation. However, the authors noted that C-reactive protein levels were much reduced in patients falling under the highest HDL-C population subset, likely due to a much lesser frequency of proinflammatory CVD risk factors.

Conclusions

To conclude, interventions targeted at reducing the risk associated with very high HDL-C levels in men warrant further study because they appeared to pose a nonlinear risk. Importantly, it should be an important consideration when using HDL-C measurements in routine to estimate CVD risk in the general population.
In the latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), researchers summarized data provided by local and state vaccination programs for kindergarteners across 49 United States (US) and the District of Columbia (DC) and provisional admissions or grace periods of admission across 27 US states between 2021 and 2022.

Local- and state-level vaccinations can prevent diseases among students. Despite almost entirely resuming in-person learning following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related disturbances, vaccination programs continue to document the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections on vaccination coverage and evaluation. Follow-up assessments with under-vaccinated children are critical to increasing vaccine distribution to pre-COVID-19 levels and protecting pediatric individuals from developing diseases.

Vaccination Coverage with Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates Among Children in Kindergarten  United States, 202122 School Year. Image Credit: CDC

About the report

In the present report, researchers described the distribution and exemption of four vaccines, i.e., the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine; diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP) vaccine; the varicella vaccine; and the polio vaccine among kindergarteners in the 2021-2022 school year.

Parents supply their children's immunization or exclusion-related documents to schools as mandatory requirements for admission by local and state authorities, or schools receive information from state vaccination data registries. In addition, government-aided vaccination programs collaborate with educational departments and school employees to determine the status of vaccinations among students attending private and public kindergartens.

Unweighted estimates, aggregated based on the type of school, are reported to the CDC through the Secure Access Management System's online surveys. The CDC utilizes the statistics to generate statewide and nationwide estimates of kindergarten immunization coverage. Cities' statistics are combined with state-level data.

Vaccination coverage and exemption estimates are modified based on the types of surveys and response rates. Among US states, 27 states recorded the count of children attending kindergarten during grace periods (school attendance without evidence of full vaccinations or exemptions within a predetermined period) or interim admission (attendance at school while finishing catch-up vaccinations).

State-wise values were computed for MMR vaccine coverage (the proportion of kindergarteners who received full MMR vaccination and those who were exempt from vaccinations but possessed a documented exemption).

Results

Between 2021 and 2022, 49 US states documented vaccination coverage for all four vaccines and their exemptions among public school kindergarteners and 48 states for private school kindergarteners. Between 2021 and 2022, 3,835,130 children attended kindergarten across 49 US states, 92% of whom (n=3,536,546) participated in the vaccination surveys; 96% (n=3,686,775) were surveyed for exemption from vaccines; and 66% (n=2,527,578) were surveyed to assess grace periods and the status of interim recruitment.

Between 2020 and 2021, national-level coverage of state-required vaccines among kindergarteners decreased from 95% to 94%. In the 2021-2022 school year, national coverage of two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, required doses of diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP), and the poliovirus (polio) vaccine was 93%.

The estimates were lower than those documented for the 2020-2021 year (94%) and the 2019-2020 year (95%). National MMR vaccination coverage remained below the Healthy People 2030 target of 95% among kindergarten children. Despite 2.60% of kindergarten children being exempted from 1.0 vaccines due to medical (0.2%) or non-medical (2.3%) reasons between 2021 and 2022, 4.40% of non-exempted kindergarteners were not fully vaccinated against measles, and the percentage increased in most states compared to the prior year.

All except four of the 35 US states and the DC with less than 95% MMR vaccine coverage might attain coverage rates of 95% if all non-exempted kindergarten pupils within the grace period, tentatively registered, or attended school with no vaccination records were vaccinated.

Conclusions

Overall, the finding showed that national kindergarten vaccination rates dropped from 95% in previous years to 93% in the 2021-2022 school year, i.e., nearly 250,000 kindergarteners were unvaccinated and unprotected against measles, which could lead to outbreaks in the future. Increased follow-up with under-vaccinated pupils can help prevent children from developing vaccine-preventable illnesses by mitigating the impact of disruptions in vaccination coverage.

High vaccination coverage is crucial as schools return to in-person learning to safeguard children from diseases that can be prevented with vaccines. Immunization programs may locate schools that have inadequate vaccination coverage using local-level data, such as school assessments or immunization information systems.

School vaccination regulations that are strictly enforced, school-based vaccination centers, recall frameworks, and school nurses following up on under-vaccinated students could increase vaccination coverage.
Targeted protein degradation uses different types of "degrading" drugs (degraders) to force proximity between a target protein (for example, a mutated protein that contributes to the development of a disease) and the cellular machinery that directs protein degradation. By inducing such proximity, the target proteins are marked for destruction by the cellular proteasome.

This week, the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and the BBVA Foundation are hosting the 39th Barcelona BioMed Conference-;an event in which leading figures can exchange ideas and discuss the latest advances in the field of proximity induction-based pharmacology. The "Proximity-inducing pharmacology: Targeted protein degradation and beyond" conference, co-organized by Dr. Cristina Mayor-Ruiz, from IRB Barcelona, and Dr. Georg E. Winter, from the CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine in Vienna (Austria), is being held in Barcelona between 22 and 24 May. Dr. Mayor-Ruiz and Dr. Winter are experts in the development of "degraders".

The event will involve the participation of international experts from academia and industry, such as Dr. Jay Bradner, a renowned scientist in the field and founder of several start-ups, Dr. Craig M. Crews from Yale University and Dr. Alessio Ciuli from the CeTPD at the University of Dundee, both experts in PROTACs (a type of "degrader"), and Dr. Heidi Greulich from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The event will also include representatives from the biotech industry and pharmaceutical sectors.

It is a great honor to be able to organize this conference, in which international figures of this level are participating. Through the exchange of ideas over these days, we hope that new projects and collaborations will emerge that will advance the field." Dr. Mayor-Ruiz, Head of the Targeted Protein Degradation and Drug Discovery laboratory at IRB Barcelona

Dr. Mayor-Ruiz will give her talk in a highly anticipated session dedicated to "molecular glue"-type drugs. These kinds of degraders are small molecules that promote interactions between proteins or other biomolecules, thereby facilitating their interaction and presenting very interesting properties as a result of their pharmacokinetic characteristics.

New horizons in proximity-inducing pharmacology

Targeted protein degradation is based on a protein degradation process within cells discovered by Drs. Aaron Ciechanover, Avram Hershko, and Irwin Rose, who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2004. The field has since opened up new approaches to address diseases that had no cure and to block proteins and processes that were thought impossible to treat with conventional drugs.

Proximity induction-based pharmacology is expanding and now also contemplates the modification or degradation of other biomolecules, such as RNA molecules and bacterial proteins.

"What makes this conference unique, in addition to the high scientific level of the speakers, is that it focuses on exploring the enormous potential of this technology. Working in a novel field like this, which is constantly evolving, is very exciting," comments Dr. Winter, co-organizer of the event and researcher at CeMM Austria. Dr. Winter will also be participating in the session devoted to molecular glues on Monday.

Computational science in the discovery of new degraders

One of the days of the congress is dedicated to computational biology, which has played a fundamental role in drug development and is now beginning to find applications in pharmacology based on inducing proximity between biomolecules. Computer simulation and machine learning tools facilitate the selection of the most promising drug candidates. In addition, they can also help to optimize the compounds by proposing modifications that improve their properties.

The field of computing in proximity induction pharmacology is represented at the conference by several IRB Barcelona researchers, including Dr. Patrick Aloy, Dr. Miquel Duran-Frigola (alumnus of the Institute), and Dr. Carles Perez-Lopez.
California has allocated more than $1 billion in recent years to combat its opioid crisis. Much of the money has been used to distribute fentanyl test strips and the overdose reversal drug naloxone, as well as deliver medical care to people who are homeless. The state has an opioid awareness campaign tailored to youths and recently called on the National Guard to help detect drug traffickers.

Yet the problem keeps getting worse.

Driven largely by the prevalence of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine, drug overdoses in California now kill more than twice as many people as car accidents, more than four times as many as homicides, and more than either diabetes or lung cancer, according to California Health Policy Strategies, a Sacramento consulting group. And the state's overdose surveillance dashboard indicates most opioid overdose deaths involve fentanyl.

Provisional data for last year from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a small annual increase in overdose deaths in California, to nearly 12,000. Across the U.S., overdose deaths again topped 100,000.

"As a parent, it scares the hell out of me. As a governor, I see it, I recognize the nature of what's occurred on the streets," Gov. Gavin Newsom said May 12 in announcing more funding for California to produce its own naloxone.

Despite all the state is doing to reduce drug overdose deaths, public health policy experts say there are no easy or clear answers. Drug policy experts applaud California's effort to make naloxone as commonly available as fire extinguishers in schools, bars, libraries, and gas stations, but they also recommend diverting more offenders from prisons and jails into treatment and encourage ramping up the use of anti-addiction medication.

"Even if we do a lot of things right in policy, were going to have a fair amount of deaths in the coming years, said Keith Humphreys, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University and a drug policy expert.

He said lawmakers should examine the underlying, complex causes of addiction if they want to make lasting change. Lawmakers have created a Select Committee on Fentanyl, Opioid Addiction, and Overdose Prevention and are advancing a bill to create a Fentanyl Addiction and Overdose Prevention Task Force. The bill would require the task force to start meeting next year and submit an interim report by January 2025 and recommendations by July 2025.

"It really is something, like covid, that we have to focus on and make some permanent structural changes, like to health care, mental health care, and funding to deal with addiction," Humphreys said.

Newsom acknowledged as much, saying, "We have a lot more work to do."

The Democratic governor was joined last month by Attorney General Rob Bonta in calling on the California National Guard, California Highway Patrol, and state Department of Justice to crack down on fentanyl dealing in San Francisco, where fatal overdoses jumped more than 40% in the first three months of this year over 2022.

The move was criticized as "a law enforcement-first approach to matters of public health" in a joint statement from 28 organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the San Francisco Public Defender's Office.

While the governor has focused on fentanyl trafficking and making naloxone more readily available, state lawmakers have recently been debating whether and how to stiffen punishments for dealers.

Several proposals have already stalled, such as one to send dealers to jail for up to nine years if they sell fentanyl on a social media platform and another warning dealers they could be charged with murder if someone dies taking their drugs. Lawmakers kept alive two bills to boost punishments for dealers of large volumes of fentanyl and those who carry a gun.

Democrats who control the legislature's public safety committees are reluctant to support tougher penalties for fear of sparking a new war on drugs or reprising steep penalties on crack cocaine that criminalized Black people disproportionately.

Black and Latino Californians experienced an increase in overdose deaths of more than 200% between 2017 and 2021, according to Konrad Franco, who conducted the research for California Health Policy Strategies. Black people make up 6% of California's population but accounted for 13% of its overdose deaths in 2021.

We cannot go backwards and fill our prisons with kids of color, said Assemblymember Liz Ortega, a Democrat from San Leandro, during a special hearing last month on fentanyl-related bills.

Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, questioned the effectiveness of increased penalties for people who are largely controlled by their addictions.

Benjamin said lawmakers should instead support drug courts that promote treatment programs over incarceration, though he said incarceration may be needed to protect the public mostly from violent offenders who refuse treatment and harm others.

Humphreys pointed to the Honest Opportunity Probation With Enforcement and 24/7 Sobriety programs as models. They combine regularly testing offenders for drugs and alcohol with short penalties for violations.

You use the criminal justice system in a way that in the long run actually reduces incarceration rather than increasing it," Humphreys said of the approach.

Yet Tanya Tilghman, a Black woman from San Francisco, supports tougher penalties for fentanyl dealers and said the issue crosses racial lines. She became an activist with Mothers Against Drug Addiction and Deaths after her son became addicted to methamphetamine and more recently to fentanyl.

When people are doing drugs, it doesnt see color or racial boundaries, she said. "Its killing a lot more people and its killing a lot of Black people."

Daniel Ciccarone, a drug policy expert at the University of California-San Francisco, said enforcement efforts may be popular with the public but "simply dont work as well as we want them to." At minimum, he said, any crackdown should be coupled with an equal public health approach.

"Weve thrown tens of billions of dollars at the war on drugs over two generations, almost three generations now, and believe it or not, drugs across category  from marijuana to cocaine to heroin/fentanyl  drugs are ever more pure and ever cheaper despite impressive levels of effort, Ciccarone said. "The most honest answer is theres no clear answer as to what to do about the fentanyl crisis.

He recommended California allow supervised consumption sites where opioid users could legally inject drugs, an idea Newsom vetoed last fall but that Ciccarone said can ease people into treatment. Other harm reduction strategies, including expanding the use of test strips and other chemical analyses to check drugs for contamination with fentanyl, can also save lives, he said.

Humphreys led a 17-member commission that examined the opioid crisis and made recommendations including expanding the availability of prescription drugs such as buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone to ease addicts' cravings and withdrawal symptoms.

Still, some parents of children who have experienced opioid addiction say tougher penalties must be part of the response.

"What they dont understand is that fentanyl has changed the drug landscape like no other drug has in the history of the United States of America," said Jaime Puerta, whose only son, Daniel, died from fentanyl in 2020 at age 16.

This article was produced by KFF Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
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Forest managers are keeping an eye on a small fire within the Red Rock Ranger District, the Coconino National Forest announced Monday afternoon.

Smoke from the fire, currently just a quarter-acre in size, was reported Saturday, but poor weather and the remote area the fire is located in prevented forest officials from confirming the blaze.

It is located within the Secret Mountain Wilderness area about 4.5 miles west of Slide Rock State Park.

Dubbed the Miller Fire, forest officials report that the blaze is smoldering at a low intensity in heavy dead and down fuels. The fire was confirmed at about 10:30 a.m. on Monday.

Due to the lack of accessibility and potential thunderstorms, [fire fighters] are monitoring the fire and developing strategic plans, a media release from the Coconino National Forest stated.

No structures are threatened by the fire, although smoke may be visible, according to the Coconino National Forest.

The fire has also caused no road or trail closures, but forest officials are asking visitors to avoid the fire area.
Evolution depends on genes being passed down through the generations via reproduction, and same-sex sexual behavior does not result in offspring.

So, why havent the many genes associated with same-sex sexual behavior, known as SSB-associated genes, been purged from the human genome over time? Its a question that has perplexed scientists for decades, one thats explored anew in a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study by two University of Michigan biologists.

One possible explanation for the persistence of SSB-associated genes is that they have more than one function, a concept called pleiotropy. Perhaps SSB-associated genes are advantageous to heterosexuals in some way, helping them to have more children.

Support for this idea includes a 2021 Nature Human Behaviour study by University of Queensland biologist Brendan Zietsch and colleagues. They presented evidence that heterosexuals carrying SSB-associated genes have more sexual partners than those not carrying the genes. This could confer an evolutionary advantage, because more sexual partners could translate into more children, according to the Zietsch et al. study.

We were very intrigued by Zietsch et al.s paper and immediately thought that the mechanism they proposed is unlikely to work in modern societies due to contraception. Jianzhi Zhang, Professor, U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

In a Brief Report published online May 15 in PNAS, Zhang and U-M graduate student Siliang Song conclude that the mechanism for SSBs genetic maintenance proposed by Zietsch and others has been lost in modern societies.

Since the widespread availability of oral contraceptives in the 1960s, having more sexual partners no longer predicts that an individual will have more offspring, according to the analysis by Zhang and Song.

In fact, the U-M researchersusing data from more than 300,000 individuals of European ancestry in the United Kingdoms Biobank database of genetic and health informationfound the opposite to be true.

Since the 1960s, the correlation between the number of sexual partners and the number of children in heterosexuals switched from positive to negative. That means same sex-associated genes, formally known as SSB-associated alleles, are now linked to fewer children rather than more children, according to the study.

If the primary mechanism responsible for the past evolutionary maintenance of human SSB-associated alleles was their offering of reproductive benefits to OSB [opposite-sex sexual behavior] individuals via boosting their number of sexual partners, this mechanism is no longer at work in modern societies and probably has been gone for at least a half century due to the widespread use of contraception, the authors wrote.

We were awed by the drastic impact of technological advancement on human evolution itself, Zhang said. We were surprised by the clear reversion in the sign of the correlation before and after the wide availability of oral contraceptives in the U.K.

Zhang and Song suggest that SSB-associated genespast studies showed that the behavior is influenced by many genes, each with a small effectwill gradually decline in frequency, unless a new mechanism arises to maintain them in the human genome.

But the authors stress that theyre talking exclusively about the genetic variants associated with same-sex sexual behavior and not the behavior itself, which is affected by both genetic and environmental factors.

In fact, the proportion of U.K. Biobank participants reporting same-sex sexual behavior has been on the rise in recent decades, likely due to growing societal openness toward it, according to the authors.

The scientific and statistical techniques used in the study by Song and Zhang include genome-wide association analysis, genetic correlation and phenotypic regression.

A substantial increase in contraception took place in the U.K. after oral contraceptives became available to married and unmarried women in 1961 and 1967, respectively. To more specifically evaluate the potential role of contraception in their findings, U-M researchers divided the Biobank data into subgroups based on the self-reported year in which each participant first had sex.

They found a positive correlation between SSB-associated genes and the number of children in the sub-group from 1950 to 1959, supporting the previously proposed mechanism for the maintenance of those genes prior to the widespread use of oral contraceptives. But the genetic correlation between SSB-associated genes and the number of children turned negative in the 1960s, according to the authors.

SSB-associated alleles are overall reproductively detrimental in the contemporary British population and have a combined effect of lowering the number of children, Song said.

The authors caution that their results are based on British people of European ancestry and may not represent a general pattern across populations with diverse cultural, social, economic and/or political environments.

The work was supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Last June, Jay Comfort flew to the United States from his home in Switzerland to attend his only daughter's wedding. But the week before the ceremony  on a Friday evening  Comfort said he found himself in "excruciating pain."

"I tried to gut it out for three hours because of the insurance situation," said Comfort, a retired teacher and American citizen who has Swiss insurance.

When the pain became unbearable, Comfort called his brother, who drove him and his wife, Nazuna, a few miles to the nearest emergency department, at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's hospital in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Every bump of the drive was "like someone taking something and just jabbing it into my abdomen," he said.

At the hospital, Nazuna Konishi Comfort handed over her husband's Swiss insurance card, which confirmed coverage by Groupe Mutuel. Jay recalled the staff making copies of his insurance card and then treating his acute appendicitis. Doctors performed emergency surgery to remove the inflamed appendix.

Diagnostic tests confirmed he had a rare cancer, which doctors in Switzerland later removed with another surgery after he returned home. "It was a miracle," Comfort said, adding that the cancer was completely removed.

After his appendectomy, Comfort recalled vomiting and then waiting in a recovery room. In all, he spent about 14 hours at UPMC Williamsport before being released. He attended his daughter's wedding and, eventually, traveled back to Switzerland.

Then the bill came.

The Patient: Leslie "Jay" Comfort, 66, a retired educator who worked in Japan and Switzerland. Comfort pays a monthly fee and deductible for Switzerland's mandatory basic health insurance, which he has with the Swiss-based Groupe Mutuel. His benefits  and the prices for procedures  are defined by the Swiss government.

Medical Service: Emergency laparoscopic appendectomy and diagnostic tests, which showed Comfort had a rare subtype of cancer called goblet cell adenocarcinoma.

Service Provider: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Williamsport, which is about 3 hours northeast of Pittsburgh. The UPMC health system is one of the state's largest employers, with 40 hospitals.

Total Bill: $42,156.50, covering emergency surgery, scans, laboratory testing, and three hours in a recovery room. His insurer has said it will pay him about $8,184 (7,260.40 in Swiss francs), which is double the procedure's price in Switzerland. This left him to cover the remaining roughly $34,000.

What Gives: Although Comfort has health coverage, his Swiss insurance had no contract with the U.S. hospital where he underwent emergency surgery  or with any other provider outside Switzerland.

With what is considered an excellent health system, Switzerland has the highest prices for medical care in Europe. As in the U.S., the country relies on private insurers and hospitals. But the cost of care in Switzerland is substantially lower than what is charged in the U.S., so the reimbursement his insurer offered is a fraction of what Comfort owes the U.S. hospital.

"I'm trying to do the right thing and say I'm willing to pay my responsibility," he said.

Groupe Mutuel does not have agreements with foreign providers, such as UPMC, and does not deal with them directly, said Lisa Fluckiger, a spokesperson for Groupe Mutuel. The insurer originally agreed to reimburse Comfort what would have been paid in Switzerland for the same treatment in a public hospital and then double that because it was an emergency in a foreign country  a total of 4,838 in Swiss francs, or about $5,460.

While helpful, Comfort said, that amount wouldn't pay off the $42,156.50 he owes UPMC.

UPMC has expanded its reach throughout Pennsylvania and is now the largest provider of care in many parts of the state. In 2016, it purchased a smaller health system and now runs two major hospitals, UPMC Williamsport and UPMC Williamsport Divine Providence Campus.

Studies show that in areas where hospital consolidation is high, prices go up. Because there is less competition, hospitals have more power to charge what they want when patients have private insurance or are paying out-of-pocket.

In the U.S., the amounts charged for medical care are "all over the map," said Johnathan Clarke, vice president of strategy and business development at Penfield Care, a medical cost-containment company in Canada. The company negotiates medical bills on behalf of individuals, including international visitors to the U.S., but is not involved in Comfort's case.

Clarke said he would expect an appendectomy to be priced between $6,500 and $18,800, based on his analysis of Medicare payments in the Pittsburgh area. Healthcare Bluebook  which evaluates insurers' claims data to provide cost estimates based on what insurers have paid, rather than what providers charge  says a fair price for a laparoscopic appendectomy in Williamsport is about $14,554.

Comfort said a "reasonable price estimate" based on his own internet research would be between $7,500 and $12,000.

Comfort's care included an X-ray and an EKG, or electrocardiogram for his heart, because "there was no information relating to past medical/surgical history for this patient," wrote Susan Manko, vice president of public relations at UPMC. The staff also conducted pathology work that identified cancer.

But those additional services did not fully explain the gap between cost estimates and what the hospital charged. For instance, UPMC charged $8,357 for Comfort's three-hour stay in the recovery room.

Manko said Comfort's total bill aligns with UPMC's standard charges.

The cost disparities highlight the stark difference in international pricing. Cost estimates last year showed the average amount paid for an appendectomy in the U.S. was "nearly exactly double" that paid in Switzerland, said Christopher Watney, chief executive of the International Federation of Health Plans, an industry association whose members include health insurers on six continents.

Health care in Switzerland, though, is often expensive compared with other European countries, Watney said. The Swiss pay double for an appendectomy compared with Germans, and more than three times that of those in Spain, he said. Across the globe, Watney said, many countries include an overnight stay in the cost of an uncomplicated appendectomy in contrast to Comfort's experience, which was billed as outpatient care.

Comfort, who has dual residency in Switzerland and Japan after nearly three decades working abroad, said he worked in the U.S. long enough to qualify for Social Security benefits and Medicare. He said he had previously tried to gain Medicare coverage at one point but still is not enrolled, after being transferred to a couple of offices and "playing phone tag."

Still, unlike many patients dealing with a five-figure medical bill, Comfort said he is not concerned about UPMC harming his financial reputation. The health system doesn't "seem to put bad marks against people's credit record  and I don't have credit in the United States. I've been out for 30 years."

Manko confirmed that, saying UPMC reviewed and updated its collection policy last year; it states the health system will not engage in "extraordinary collection actions" such as lawsuits, liens on homes, arrests, or reporting to credit agencies.

She said the health system  which, as a nonprofit system, is tax-exempt  maintains a "robust financial assistance program" for patients unable to pay. But "to our knowledge" Comfort has not applied for financial assistance, Manko told KFF Health News.

The Resolution: Comfort said he spent months waiting for a bill and finally reached out to UPMC because, if the bill had arrived this year, he would have had to pay his insurance deductible again on top of the charges.

Comfort received a full UPMC bill six months after his surgery. Manko said there was "confusion" at the time of Comfort's ER registration. Comfort's wife provided the insurance information, she said, "but there was no documentation in the patients record for address, policy number or policy holder information."

Once Comfort received his bill, he realized it was much higher than his Swiss insurance reimbursement and, frustrated, contacted KFF Health News.

Fluckiger said the original payment amount Comfort's insurer calculated was by episode and did not include the scan or laboratory costs. After receiving questions from a KFF Health News reporter, Groupe Mutuel "realized that we have not included the laboratory analysis and the CT scan," which are not routinely part of an appendectomy, Fluckiger wrote.

After KFF Health News provided a detailed summary of the UPMC bill, the insurer increased the amount it would pay Comfort. In all, the insurer said, Comfort should receive 7,260.40 in Swiss francs, or about $8,184.

Comfort still hopes to negotiate directly with UPMC to reduce what he owes.

"I don't want to try to walk away, saying I don't owe you anything," Comfort said. "That's not right. We're moral people, you know. But if you're going to try to gouge me and play the power trip and think you're going to try to get everything you can out of me, I won't play that game."

The Takeaway: Though the Affordable Care Act was meant to provide insurance to more Americans and bring down the cost of care, hospital bills remain extraordinarily high and highly variable.

For a nonemergency, Comfort could have tried to compare prices at other hospitals. But most hospitals in the area where he fell ill are owned by UPMC. And an inflamed appendix can't wait for comparison shopping.

Clarke, the cost-containment expert, said the "only thing" Comfort could have done differently was to purchase a travel health insurance policy before leaving Switzerland. While prices for health care in continental Europe are comparable to Switzerland, the high cost of care in the U.S. means Groupe Mutuel insurance is "insufficient."

That is especially important for visitors to the U.S. since, as Robin Ingle, CEO of travel insurance company Ingle International, said: U.S. prices are "kind of crazy numbers."

Bill of the Month is a crowdsourced investigation by KFF Health News and NPR that dissects and explains medical bills. Do you have an interesting medical bill you want to share with us? Tell us about it!
In the recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), researchers reported on JYNNEOS vaccine effectiveness (VE) against Mpox infections among New York (NY) residents in 2022.

Bavarian Nordics JYNNEOS (Modified Vaccinia Ankara) vaccine was used in the state- and nation-wide vaccination campaigns during the 2022 Mpox outbreak, which primarily affected gays, bisexuals, and males who had sex with males (MSM). As a result, health authorities prioritized postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) and vaccinating high-risk individuals (mainly MSM). However, data on JYNNEOS VE from controlled trials are limited.

Study: Effectiveness of JYNNEOS Vaccine Against Diagnosed Mpox Infection  New York, 2022. Image Credit: Dotted Yeti / Shutterstock

About the report

In the present report, researchers presented JYNNEOS VE in preventing Mpox infections among NY residents during 2022.

The team compared JYNNEOS vaccination results among adult males with laboratory-verified Mpox (case-patients) diagnosed between 24 July and 31 October 2022, in New York, to those among control individuals diagnosed with primary syphilis or rectal gonorrhea and prior history of sexual intercourse with males without Mpox infection.

Surveillance data were systematically obtained for the analysis. The team matched cases and controls to the vaccination system records of the state. Logistic regression modeling was performed to calculate the odds ratios (OR), which were used along with the number of JYNNEOS vaccination doses received to estimate VE. The data were adjusted for age, ethnicity, race, a residential region within New York but outside of New York City, and the Mpox diagnosis week.

The status of JYNNEOS vaccination was classified into the following groups: an unvaccinated group (zero JYNNEOS vaccine doses received); vaccinated for Mpox or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) with specimens obtained within two weeks of initial vaccine administration; vaccinated with STI specimens obtained after two or more weeks of the initial vaccination; and vaccinated with STI specimens obtained following the subsequent vaccination.

Reports were assessed by population health staff members and entered into the Communicable Disease Electronic Surveillance System (CDESS). One-dose, two-dose, and combined estimates of JYNNEOS vaccine effectiveness were obtained.

Results

Between 2 June and 31 December 2022, the NYSDOH recorded 375 Mpox cases, and the NYSIIS recorded 27,385.0 vaccine doses administered, of which 61% (n=16,769) and 39% (n=10,616) were the first and second doses, respectively. The case counts were highest in the middle of August, five weeks following the JYNNEOS immunization campaign launch.

Between 24 July and 31 October, 252 cases and 255 controls (80 and 175 with primary-type syphilis and rectal gonorrhea, respectively) satisfied the eligibility criteria and had similar ages. Hispanics were more common among cases than controls (44% versus 19%, respectively), and more cases (69%) than controls (36%) resided in urban areas outside New York City.

The majority (91%) of participants (n=220) were unvaccinated, and 9.0% of cases (n=22) were JYNNEOS vaccinees, among whom 10 individuals (4.0%), 10 individuals (4.0%), and two individuals (1.0%) had received one dose <2.0 weeks prior, one dose 2.0 weeks prior, and two doses, respectively. Among controls, 51 (20%) were JYNNEOS vaccinees, including 42 individuals (17%) who were diagnosed with an STI 2.0 weeks after receiving the initial dose (9.0%, 23 individuals) or both doses (7.5%, 19 individuals).

The adjusted one-dose, two-dose, and combined JYNNEOS VE estimates were 68%, 89%, and 76%, respectively. JYNEEOS VE observed in less than two weeks of receiving the initial dose was non-significant, probably due to the inclusion of PEP recipients and individuals with Mpox exposure after vaccination but before developing protective immunity.

Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the study findings. The initial analyses, excluding males aged 50.0 years who may have been administered smallpox vaccines before the termination of regular non-military US vaccinations in 1972, yielded similar results. The second analysis comprised 71.0 control individuals diagnosed with secondary syphilis and yielded a single-dose or double-dose VE of 65.0%.

Among controls, 84% (n=213) underwent testing due to the presence of symptoms (41%, 88 individuals), partner referrals (9.0%, 19 individuals), screening purposes (48%, 103 individuals), or other reasons (1.40%, three individuals). The third sensitivity analysis, including only control individuals undergoing testing due to referrals or symptoms, yielded a one-dose or two-dose VE estimate of 64.0%.

The fourth sensitivity analysis included the findings of only individuals with known ethnicity and race estimates, yielded single-dose or double-dose VE estimates of 81.0%. The lower estimated VE obtained by analyzing secondary syphilis patients may reflect control individuals with different clinical presentations or more remote risk behaviors. Lower VE obtained by limiting the control group to individuals undergoing testing due to symptoms or referrals may reflect the intended elimination of low-risk individuals seeking care or the inadvertent elimination of high-risk individuals accessing Mpox screening frequently.

Based on the findings, the adjusted combined one-dose (administered 2.0 weeks prior) or two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine effectiveness was 76%. The findings underpin the advocacy of two-dose JYNNEOS vaccination regimens to prevent Mpox, following CDC and NY State Department of Health (NYSDOH) recommendations. The vaccine may be incorporated into broader sexual health programs.
The internet is overflowing with pictures of food: On news sites, social media and the banner ads that pop up everywhere.

Many of the food images are uploaded to sell specific foods. The idea is that the images on Facebook or Instagram will make us yearn for a Mcdonald's burger, for example. In other words, the image awakens our hunger.

New research from Aarhus University now shows that the images can actually have the opposite effect. At least if we see pictures of the same product repeatedly.

A number of experiments reveal that we can get a sense of satiety if we see the same image more 30 times. Tjark Andersen, who recently defended his PhD at Department of Food Science at Aarhus University, explains more.

In our experiments, we showed that when the participants saw the same food picture 30 times, they felt more satiated than before they had seen the picture. The participants who were shown the picture many times also chose a smaller portion than those who had only seen the picture three times, when we subsequently asked about the size of portion they wanted." Tjark Andersen, Department of Food Science, Aarhus University

Tricking your brain into feeling full

It may sound strange that the participants felt full without actually eating anything. But this is really quite natural, explains Tjark Andersen. How we think about food has a large influence on our appetite.

"Your appetite is more closely linked with your cognitive perception than most of us think. How we think about our food is very important," he says, and continues:

"Studies have shown that if you make people aware of different colours of Jelly Beans, even if they have eaten all they can in red Jelly Beans, will still want the yellow ones. Even if both colours taste completely the same."

Within brain research, these findings are explained with so-called grounded cognition theory. For example, if you imagine putting your teeth in a juicy apple, the same areas of the brain are stimulated as if you actually take a bite of an apple.

"You will receive a physiological response to something you have only thought about. That's why we can feel fully satisfied without eating anything," he says.

A large online experiment

Tjark Andersen and his colleagues are not the first to discover that we can get feel full by looking at pictures of food. Other research groups have previously shown this.

The new research from Aarhus University is that they examined the number of repetitions needed  and whether variation in the images removes the sense of satiety.

"We know from previous studies that images of different types of food don't have the same effect on satiety. That's why you can really feel full after the main course but still have room for dessert. Sweet things are a completely different type of food," he says.

To investigate whether variation in food completely removes the sense of satiety, Tjark Andersen and his colleagues designed a number of online experiments. They ended up getting more than 1,000 people through their digital experiments.

First they showed a picture of just orange M&Ms. Some participants were shown the picture three times, others 30 times. The group that saw most pictures the M&M felt most satiated afterwards, explains Tjark Andersen.

"They had to answer how many M&Ms between 1 and 10 they wanted. The group which had seen 30 images of orange chocolate buttons, chose a smaller amount than the other two groups."

Afterwards, they repeated the experiment. This time with M&Ms in different colours. The colours did not change the result.

Finally, they replaced the M&Ms with Skittles. Unlike M&Ss, Skittles taste different depending on the colour.

"If colour didn't play a role, it must be the imagined taste. But we found no major effect here either. This suggests that more parameters than just colour and flavour have to change before we can make a effect on satiety," he explains.

Could be used as a weight loss strategy

Since 1975, the number of overweight people worldwide has tripled. According to the WHO, obesity is one of the biggest health challenges facing humans. And the reason why we become too fat is that we eat too much food and too much unhealthy food and we do not take enough exercise.

This is where Tjark Andersen's results come into the play. Perhaps they can be applied as a method to control appetite, he says.

"Think if you developed an app based on a Google search. Let's say you wanted pizza. You open the app. Choose pizza  and it shows a lot of photos of pizza while you imagine eating it. In this way, you could get a sense of satiety and maybe just stop wanting pizza."

Perhaps his results can best be used to ensure that you don't start a meal. The participants in the study only chose slightly fewer Skittles or M&Ms, corresponding to less than 50 calories.

"You won't save many calories unless you completely refrain from starting a meal. But perhaps the method can be used for this as well. It'd be interesting to investigate," he says.

Social media are overflowing with food

Tjark Andersen and a number of other researchers are studying how food advertisements on social media affect us, because we are constantly being confronted with delicious food.

A few years ago, an American research group tried to find out how many advertisements with food we encounter on average when we are on social media. The researchers monitored a number of young people and mapped out the content they met.

On average, the young people saw 6.1 of food-related posts in 12 hours. The vast majority of the posts were pictures of food  and more than a third were about desserts or other sweet food.

The internet and, in particular, social media can be a contributory factor in our becoming increasingly overweight. But it may also be the solution.

Only the future will tell.
For children with asthma residing in urban areas, the neighborhood they live in is a stronger predictor of whether they will have exacerbations (asthma attacks) than their family's income or their parents' level of educational attainment, according to research published at the ATS 2023 International Conference.

Research has shown that social determinants of health underlie significant health disparities among children with asthma. We know that these factors do not act in isolation, so we used a composite score of neighborhood-level child opportunity to determine whether it would predict exacerbation-prone asthma better than individual socioeconomic indicators. We hypothesized that having fewer opportunities would be associated with being prone to asthma exacerbations." Emily Skeen, MD, study's corresponding author, pediatric pulmonary fellow, University of Colorado at Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora

The researchers used the Childhood Opportunity Index (COI) 2.0, which includes 29 measures relevant to child development across three domains: education, health/environment and social/economic. Higher scores represent greater opportunity.

Dr. Skeen explained: "We chose to use the COI in our study as it is the only composite measure of neighborhood conditions that is specific to children."

Dr. Skeen and colleagues looked at 193 children ages 8-17 from the Denver area who had asthma and were participating in an observational study at a tertiary care hospital-;a study in which researchers observe the effect of a risk factor, diagnostic test, treatment or other intervention without trying to change it. They computed COI from the participants' home address and gathered information on household income and parental educational attainment. Using two statistical models, they compared neighborhood and individual socioeconomic predictors with asthma exacerbation history. Asthma status was classified as asthma-null (no exacerbations in the previous five years) or exacerbation-prone (one or more exacerbation within the previous year).

The exacerbation-prone group of children had a median age of 11.8-;younger than the group that was not exacerbation-prone. Seventy-four percent (142) of children in the study were exacerbation-prone. The most heavily represented ethnic group (65 percent) identified as Hispanic.

The odds of children being classified as exacerbation-prone increased by 40 percent with a 20-point decrease in overall neighborhood-level COI. The study showed similar results for the education and social/economic domains but not for health/environment.

Odds of being exacerbation-prone increased 10 percent with a $5,000 decrease in household income, while parental education was not significantly associated with the outcome.

"Our finding that lower neighborhood-level opportunity is associated with increased risk of exacerbation-prone asthma suggests that the significant burden caused by frequent asthma exacerbations could be mediated with targeted community interventions rather than focusing on individual-level interventions alone," said Dr. Skeen. "Our work is in line with prior studies that lower COI scores are associated with increased asthma-related emergency visits and ICU admissions, but ours is the first data published looking at how the COI predicts exacerbation-prone status and how that compares to individual-level predictors."
Thought Leaders Dr. James Kesby/Professor Thomas Burne/Professor Darryl Eyles Postdoctoral Research Fellow/Professorial Research Fellows Queensland Brain Institute

To commemorate World Schizophrenia Awareness Day, we spoke to three researchers from the Queensland Brain Institiute about their research, and why it is so important to raise awareness around Schizophrenia.

Dr. James Kesby: I am a postdoctoral fellow at UQs Queensland Brain Institute and the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research. My research career as a behavioral neuroscientist has spanned universities in Australia and the United States and has focused on understanding the neurobiology of disorders such as schizophrenia, psychosis, methamphetamine abuse, and HIV.

Professor Thomas Burne: I am a Professorial Research Fellow at UQs Queensland Brain Institute and the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research. As a neurobiologist, my particular expertise is in the development and application of animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Professor Darryl Eyles: I am interested in the neurobiology of schizophrenia and autism and have 35 years of research experience in this field. With a particular focus on dopamine systems, my lab focuses on how risk factors for schizophrenia and autism, such as developmental vitamin D deficiency and maternal immune activation, and how to change the way the brain develops and functions.

You are a member of The Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), home to some of the most cutting-edge schizophrenia research in the world. Please could you briefly outline your research interests and activities?

Dr. James Kesby: I am particularly interested in what brain changes underlie the decision-making problems in schizophrenia. My work uses rodent models and the most advanced tools at our disposal to modulate specific brain circuits and understand how the brain navigates our choices. I pair these pre-clinical approaches with studies in people with and without schizophrenia. By combining this knowledge, we can better understand how decision-making processes are altered in people with schizophrenia and which brain areas/circuits could contribute to these changes based on my work in rodents.

Professor Thomas Burne: My labs research goal is to investigate the role of environmental and genetic risk factors in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. My long-term vision is that studying these processes in animals will lead to a greater understanding of the role of non-genetic and genetic factors in brain development and adult brain function. We are refining ways of interpreting animal behavior to improve our understanding of cognition, such as decision-making and executive function, and ultimately provide models to better test therapies for mental disorders. Building on our discoveries that vitamin D impacts the developing brain, my team has made recent discoveries on the role of vitamin D in synaptic plasticity in the adult brain and the impact of vitamin D deficiency on mild cognitive impairment in people.

Image Credit: Axel_Kock/Shutterstock.com

My other goal is to develop more sophisticated paradigms to assess cognitive function in rodents. Schizophrenia is a disorder characterized by positive and negative symptoms. However, the cognitive symptoms are poorly treated by medication.

Professor Darryl Eyles: One of the very few neurobiological findings in schizophrenia is increased dopamine synthesis and release in a part of the brain called the dorsal striatum. Several studies have also shown this abnormality increases in individuals transitioning from the disease prodrome to diagnosis. I build models in animals mimicking this abnormality to:

a) understand the impact this has on the areas of the brain that connect with the dorsal striatum

b) understand the timing for when brain processes that govern schizophrenia-relevant behavioral phenotypes emerge

c) see if we can pharmacologically prevent schizophrenia from occurring.

How has your particular area of schizophrenia research changed over the last 20 years, and what questions remain?

Dr. James Kesby: The major revolution was the understanding of where in the brain certain neurochemical changes, thought to underlie psychosis, were located. We used to believe that psychosis was due to too much dopamine in one part of the striatum, but better medical equipment (cameras that can now see into peoples brains) has shown definitively that these changes are in a different subregion of the striatum than previously thought. Not only has this shifted our understanding of schizophrenia, but it has directly impacted how I model psychosis in animals. It has also provided new potential avenues for developing new treatments that improve a greater number of symptoms.

Professor Thomas Burne: In the past 20 years, we have discovered many biologically plausible risk factors that impact the developing brain and contribute to the incidence of schizophrenia. Many questions remain, including the interaction of the different risk factors we identified in our research.

Professor Darryl Eyles: Undoubtedly, the Positron emission tomography data in patients convincingly showed us where in the brain the dopamine abnormality occurs, that this abnormality is pre- rather than post-synaptic, and that it is dynamic has dominated my thinking about how to understand the causes of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia requires lifelong treatment. What are the current treatment options for schizophrenia, and how do you hope your work can influence the schizophrenia treatment landscape?

Dr. James Kesby: Unfortunately, our current treatment options for schizophrenia are limited, and these options are only helpful in reducing psychotic symptoms  not those affecting cognition, motivation, and emotional expression. My work aims to identify what alterations in brain function may cause decision-making problems, and this information could lead to the development of new treatments. I am particularly interested in how decision-making processes decline after the onset of a psychotic episode. By understanding how this occurs and who may be more likely to experience declines, my research aims to inform how we can better direct interventions and deliver support in early psychosis services.

Professor Thomas Burne: Of particular concern with current antipsychotic medications is the undesirable side effects, including metabolic and cardiovascular effects. A key challenge is understanding the causes of this disorder, including known complex environmental and genetic risk factors that also overlap with other neuropsychiatric disorders. Together with helping to treat cognitive symptoms, our goal is to ultimately find better treatments (pharmacological or behavioral) to promote healthy brain aging and improve quality of life.

Professor Darryl Eyles: The current treatments for schizophrenia are grossly inadequate and produce life-threatening/shortening side effects.

One major collaboration I have is attempting to bypass the oral route for the most effective antipsychotic, Clozapine. Clozapine produces terrible metabolic outcomes in patients, increasing rates of diabetes/weight gain and cardiovascular dysfunction. In collaboration with pharmaceutical researchers, we have developed a way of chemically packaging and delivering Clozapine to the nose.

Our animal data indicates we can successfully concentrate this drug in the brain and produce an industry-standard antipsychotic action at a fraction (3.5%) of an oral dose to produce the same outcome. The exciting aspect of this work is that we can dramatically reduce these debilitating metabolic effects. This work has huge implications for all antipsychotic drugs.

Schizophrenia is a highly stigmatized condition. Why is this, and what can be done to destigmatize schizophrenia?

Dr. James Kesby: When the word schizophrenia is mentioned, most people think of psychosis. Media representations of psychosis mean many people fear someone with psychosis and think of them as violent. This is not true, and we can treat the psychosis associated with schizophrenia relatively well in most cases. Many disorders feature psychosis, but for those living with schizophrenia, cognitive problems are considered the biggest hardship. These symptoms make it more challenging to maintain work and friendships, things most people take for granted. We should all appreciate that people with schizophrenia, and other severe mental illnesses, suffer from symptoms that make their daily lives more challenging. By being more mindful, accommodating and supportive of the different challenges people with schizophrenia face, we can all help decrease the stigma associated with this mental illness.

Professor Thomas Burne: Schizophrenia is often misunderstood as a split personality disorder, which has led to a lot of stigma. Instead, schizophrenia involves an altered perception of reality, which can greatly impact an individuals day-to-day activities. So rather than marginalize people with this condition, we should offer them support within the community and greater awareness and assistance.

Image Credit: PopTika/Shutterstock.com

Professor Darryl Eyles: People do not understand that schizophrenia is a brain disorder, just like cardiovascular problems are a disorder of heart function. We need the public to understand that the brain is an organ like any other, and people with this disorder need our help, not fear.

Are there any misconceptions you wish people would better understand?

Dr. James Kesby: I wish people understood that schizophrenia is more than psychosis. It features a range of complex cognitive and motivational problems that we cannot improve with current treatments.

Professor Thomas Burne: Often, people see schizophrenia as a violent and aggressive disorder (psycho), but this is largely untrue and results from media hype.

Professor Darryl Eyles: I wish people could understand that this disorder is frightening for patients. Being unable to function cognitively while having voices talk to you must be incredibly debilitating.

World Schizophrenia Awareness Day aims to raise awareness of this mental illness that affects over 20 million people worldwide. Why, in your opinion, is it so important to raise awareness around schizophrenia?

Dr. James Kesby: Schizophrenia is one of the most devastating illnesses a person can suffer from. Its onset is at a stage of life (~15-25 years of age) when we are figuring out who we are as people and what job/career we want to work towards. Not only does schizophrenia dramatically impact someones ability to prepare for the workforce, but it can also make it hard to catch up. We need to provide more support to help people get back on track, as well as focus on finding new ways to alleviate the symptoms or prevent them entirely.

Professor Thomas Burne: We need better awareness of schizophrenia because we do not understand the causes of this condition, nor do we have a cure. We also need better treatments with fewer side effects. Despite a concerted effort over the last 50 years, much work is still required to raise awareness and advance our understanding of the condition.

Image Credit: SOLOVEVA ANASTASIIA/Shutterstock.com

Professor Darryl Eyles: Stigma/ignorance/fear. These words often describe someone interacting with a patient. People with schizophrenia need our understanding and engagement and to be encouraged to seek professional assistance when unwell.

What is next for you and your research?

Dr. James Kesby: My research focuses on looking in more detail at how our brain makes the calculations we require to act on a decision, especially when we are uncertain of the outcomes. We have data suggesting that people with psychosis respond to uncertainty differently than those without schizophrenia. I am interested in understanding why this is the case.

Professor Thomas Burne: Recent genome-wide association studies have revealed hundreds of candidate genes that increase the risk of disease. However, in most cases, the underlying biology of these genes is not known. We have been able to examine how mutation of specific candidate genes in rodents influences brain development and how these impact animal behaviors with potential relevance to people. This knowledge is developing a better understanding of the disease process and hopefully give us clues to future treatment options.

I am also committed to building research capacity and training the next generation of researchers for different career pathways in a rapidly evolving world of schizophrenia research, particularly harnessing new technologies in imaging, chemogenetics, and behavioral pharmacology.

Professor Darryl Eyles: We are working on a connectivity study in two animal models to examine how cortical neurons respond to increased dopamine release/firing. This may help us understand how abnormalities in dopamine function change how cortical neurons function, thereby providing leads for understanding cognitive abnormalities in this disorder. It may also help provide new therapeutic targets.

Also coming up is a clinical trial for our intranasal Clozapine study. In the first instance, this will be a tolerability trial for our vehicle (Sol Gel), which is how we suspend the chemically packed Clozapine. If that is tolerated well by patients, we will seek funding for a clinical trial of the active agent in treatment-resistant patients.

Where can readers find more information?

Dr. James Kesbys google scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?hl=en&user=5EDjT-0AAAAJ

The Conversation articles: https://theconversation.com/why-do-some-people-struggle-to-make-healthy-decisions-day-after-day-147666 https://theconversation.com/why-that-cigarette-chocolate-bar-or-new-handbag-feels-so-good-how-pleasure-affects-our-brain-91773

TEDxUQ talk: https://youtu.be/y5CZiuT-g3M

Mayne, P.E. and Burne, T.H.J. (2019) Vitamin D in synaptic plasticity, cognitive function, and neuropsychiatric illness. Trends in Neurosciences. 42(4) , 293-306. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.01.003

, 293-306. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.01.003 Conn, K.-A., Burne, T.H.J. and Kesby, J.P. (2020) Subcortical dopamine and cognition in schizophrenia: Looking beyond psychosis in preclinical models. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 14 , e542. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00542

, e542. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00542 Cui, X., McGrath, J.J., Burne, T.H.J. and Eyles, D.W. (2021). Vitamin D and schizophrenia: 20 years on. Molecular Psychiatry. 26(7) , 2708-2720. doi: 10.1038/s41380-021-01025-0

, 2708-2720. doi: 10.1038/s41380-021-01025-0 Flintoff, J., Kesby, J.P., Siskind, D. and Burne, T.H. (2021). Treating cognitive impairment in schizophrenia with GLP-1Ras: an overview of their therapeutic potential. Expert Opinion On Investigational Drugs. 30(8), 877-891. doi: 10.1080/13543784.2021.1951702

About Dr. James Kesby

Dr. James Kesby is an emerging leader in the field of psychosis neurobiology and decision-making. The impact of his work and leadership have been recognized through an Advance Queensland Research Fellowship (2016-2019) and awards for his innovative approaches. For example, he received a 2019 Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Maltz Prize for Innovative Schizophrenia Research for leading cross-species studies of decision-making. As lead CI, he has completed multiple grants leading to significant outputs, including a Peter F. McManus Charitable Trust Grant (Kesby et al., Addict Biol. 2018), Advance Queensland Research fellowship (5 papers including Suetani et al. Cog Affect Behav Neurosci. 2022) and an NHMRC sole-CI Project Grant (4 papers including Cui et al., Int J Mol Sci. 2021). He led invited discussions for the National Mental Health Research Strategy Workshop in 2020 (National Mental Health Commission, Australian Government), demonstrating the recognition of his expertise in mental health research.

About Professor Burne

Professor Burne is a leading Australian researcher in the field of biological psychiatry. Prof. Burne has a broad background in behavioral neuroscience, with specific training and expertise in behavioral brain research. As a Professorial Research Fellow with the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research and Group Leader at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI). His research focus includes cognitive testing in rodent models of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, as well as psychopharmacological studies and research on clinical populations. Prof. Burne has >150 peer-reviewed publications, which ha ve attracted over 8500 citations (H-index 50). Together with collaborators, he has been awarded >$8 million in research funding. Since 2003, he has supervised 17 PhD students, and 28 honours students. Prof. Burne served as president of the Biological Psychiatry Australia Society, is the Queensland representative of the Australasian Neuroscience Society, is a member of the NHMRC Animal Welfare Committee, and sat on the international consensus panel for the use of psychoactive drugs in medical research.

About Professor Darryl Eyles

I run a developmental neurobiology laboratory partially funded by the Queensland Centre for Schizophrenia Research. Several research fellows, research assistants and PhD students are attempting to understand the neurobiology of severe mental illness. My discovery that the vitamin D receptor and the enzyme involved in the synthesis of the active vitamin D hormone is the most highly cited publication ever in the 30-year history of the Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy. My early epidemiological studies were the first to show vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is a risk factor for schizophrenia. My studies modeling numerous developmental risk factors for schizophrenia all show they converge on developing dopamine systems. This may be the antecedent for the onset of schizophrenia later in life.
Physicians and scientists from the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center will discuss the latest research and clinical trial results on combination therapies for breast cancer, a potential new treatment for patients with recurrent glioma, and advances in PSMA PET guided radiotherapy for patients with prostate cancer, among other topics, at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting.

At this year's scientific forum, Dr. Dennis Slamon, chair of hematology-oncology and director of clinical and translational research at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, will present findings from the NATALEE clinical trial (abstract LBA500), which looks at adding ribociclib, a targeted therapy drug, to standard hormone therapy as adjuvant treatment for patients with early hormone-receptor positive/HER2 negative breast cancer. The results will be highlighted during the oral presentation on June 2 at 2:45pm CT in Hall D1.

Dr. Timothy Cloughesy, professor of neuro-oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, is the senior author of abstract LBA1, which highlights INDIGO clinical trial results, a global, randomized double-blinded, phase 3 study of vorasidenib verse placebo in patients with residual or recurrent grade 2 glioma with an IDH1/2 mutation. The findings will be presented during the plenary session on June 4 at 1PM CT in Hall B1.

In this time of remarkable and rapid advancement in cancer medicine, the data and experiences presented during these sessions at ASCO offer important insights into emerging areas of study, and allow a critical open forum for participation with a wide range of top experts." Dr. Michael Teitell, Director, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center

Highlights of noteworthy presentations at ASCO 2023 that feature contributions from UCLA researchers include (all times are listed in CDT):

Breast cancer

Oral abstract session

Phase III NATALEE trial of ribociclib + endocrine therapy as adjuvant treatment in patients with HR+/HER2 early breast cancer.

Abstract: LBA500

Presenter: Dennis Slamon, MD, PhD

Date: June 2 at 2:45PM

Location: Hall D1

Poster sessions

A phase 3 study of gedatolisib plus fulvestrant with and without palbociclib in patients with HR+/ HER2- advanced breast cancer previously treated with a CDK4/6 inhibitor plus a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor (VIKTORIA-1).

Abstract: TPS1118 | Poster Bd #: 335b

Presenter: Sara A. Hurvitz, MD, FACP

Date: June 4 from 8 to 11AM.

Location: Hall A

UCLA B-13: A phase 1b trial evaluating the safety of ribociclib, tucatinib, and trastuzumab in patients with metastatic, HER2+ breast cancer and a multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase 2 study of preoperative treatment with ribociclib, trastuzumab, tucatinib, with or without fulvestrant versus docetaxel, carboplatin, trastuzumab, and pertuzumab in HR+/HR-, HER2+ breast cancer.

Abstract: TPS1116 | Poster Bd #: 334b

Presenter: Nicholas Patrick McAndrew, MD, MSCE

Date: June 4 from 8 to 11AM.

Location: Hall A

A phase 1, first-in-human, open label, escalation and expansion study of ORM-5029, a highly potent GSPT1 degrader targeting HER2, in patients with HER2-expressing advanced solid tumors.

Abstract: TPS1114 | Poster Bd #: 333b

Presenter: Sara A. Hurvitz MD, FACP

Date: June 4 from 8 to 11AM.

Location: Hall A

Brain tumors

Plenary session

INDIGO: A global, randomized, double-blinded, phase 3 study of vorasidenib versus placebo in patients with residual or recurrent grade 2 glioma with an IDH1/2 mutation.

Abstract: LBA1

Senior Author: Timothy Cloughesy, MD

Date: June 4 at 1PM

Location: Hall B1.

Poster session

Depth of radiographic response (DpR) and time to tumor regrowth (TTG) to predict overall survival following anti-VEGF therapy in recurrent glioblastoma.

Abstract: 2063 | Poster Bd #: 420

Presenter: Benjamin M. Ellingson, PhD

Date: June 3 from 1:15 to 4:15PM

Location: Hall A

Prostate cancer

Poster discussion sessions

PSMA PET guided salvage radiotherapy among patients with prostate cancer in the post-prostatectomy setting: A single center post-hoc analysis.

Abstract: 5009 | Poster Bd #: 103

Presenter: Jeremie Calais, MD, MSc

Date: June 3 from 1:15 to 2:45PM

Location: E450

Do bone scans over-stage disease compared to PSMA PET? An international multicenter retrospective study with blinded independent readers.

Abstract: 5011 | Poster Bd #: 105

Presenter: Wolfgang Peter Fendler, MD

Date: June 3 from 1:15 to 2:45PM

Location: E40

Poster sessions

Early findings from the GARUDA trial: The impact of a genetic signature of late radiation toxicity on prostate cancer treatment decision making.

Abstract: 5089 | Poster Bd #: 183

Presenter: Joanne B. Weidhaas, MD, PhD

Date: June 3 from 8 to 11AM

Location: Hall A

PSMA PET findings in an EMBARK-like cohort of patients with high-risk non-metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer: A single center post-hoc retrospective analysis.

Abstract: 5091 | Poster Bd #: 185

Presenter: Wesley Robert Armstrong, BS

Date: June 3 from 8 to 11AM

Location: Hall A

Genomic alterations and self-reported Agent Orange exposure in United States veterans with metastatic prostate cancer.

Abstract: 5068 | Poster Bd #: 162

Presenter: JJ Haijing Zhang, MD

Date: June 3 from 8 to 11AM

Location: Hall A

Blood cancer

Poster session

UCHMC 1812: A phase 1b trial of CPX-351 plus gemtuzumab ozogamicin for relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia.

Abstract: 7024 | Poster Bd #: 154

Presenter: Sunmin Park, MD, PhD

Date: June 5 from 8 to 11AM

Location: Hall A

Colorectal cancer

Poster session

STELLAR-303: A phase 3 study of XL092 in combination with atezolizumab versus regorafenib in patients with previously treated metastatic colorectal cancer.

Abstract: TPS3630 | Poster Bd #: 327a

Presenter: J. Randolph Hecht, MD

Date: June 5 from 8 to 11AM

Location: Hall A

Kidney cancer

Poster session

Zr-DFO-girentuximab for PET/CT imaging of clear cell renal cell carcinoma: Results from phase 3 ZIRCON study.

Abstract: 4554 | Poster Bd #: 46

Presenter: Brian M. Shuch, MD

Date: June 3 from 8 to 11AM

Location: Hall A

Ovarian cancer

Poster session

Initial results of dose finding in a first-in-human phase 1 study of a novel Claudin 6 (CLDN6) targeted antibody drug conjugate (ADC) TORL-1-23 in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Abstract: 3082 | Poster Bd #: 280

Presenter: Gottfried E. Konecny, MD

Date: June 3 from 8 to 11AM

Location: Hall A
In April, Mark Lee Dickson arrived in this 4,500-person city that hugs the Utah-Nevada border to pitch an ordinance banning abortion.

Dickson is the director of the anti-abortion group Right to Life of East Texas and founder of another organization that has spent the past few years traveling the United States trying to persuade local governments to pass abortion bans.

"Sixty-five cities and two counties across the United States" have passed similar restrictions, he told members of the West Wendover City Council during a mid-April meeting. The majority are in Texas, but recent successes in other states have buoyed Dickson and his group.

"We're doing this in Virginia and Illinois and Montana and other places as well," he said.

The quest to enact local bans has become particularly acute in small towns, like West Wendover and Hobbs, New Mexico, which are situated by borders between states that have restricted abortion and states where laws preserve access. They are crossroads where abortion advocates and providers have looked to establish clinics to serve people traveling from the large swaths of the U.S. where states have banned or severely restricted abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned nearly 50-year-old nationwide abortion protections established by the court's decision in Roe v. Wade.

Residents and leaders in West Wendover and many other towns and cities are grappling with the arrival of outside advocates, including Dickson, who now claim a stake in the governance of their small and otherwise quiet communities.

Dickson's proposal to the West Wendover City Council came after council members voted against issuing a building permit to California-based Planned Parenthood Mar Monte in March. Officials from the Planned Parenthood affiliate told the local board the facility would offer primary care services in addition to abortion and other reproductive care. The vote followed hours of heated debate during public comment. Then, Mayor Jasie Holm vetoed the council's decision, leaving the request for the permit in limbo.

Located in northeastern Nevada, West Wendover is more than 100 miles by car from Elko, the county seat, 120 miles west from Salt Lake City, and 170 miles south from Twin Falls, Idaho. The city has been a strategic location for casinos and a marijuana dispensary, which are legal in Nevada but restricted in Utah and Idaho. Similarly, its proximity to states that moved to restrict abortion access following the Dobbs decision overturning Roe has put a spotlight on the city.

Dickson's anti-abortion proposal has drawn support from the town's more conservative residents. But brothers Fernando and Marcos Cerros have challenged the anti-abortion efforts. In addition to wanting to protect and expand access to abortion, they both saw the primary care clinic that Planned Parenthood Mar Monte was seeking to establish as a potential victory in their rural community, which is designated a medically underserved area by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.

Fernando Cerros, 22, said Planned Parenthood offered a solution to the area's health care shortage "on a silver platter."

"And it was denied. I need to do what I can do to get it here," he said.

The Cerros brothers have tried to organize a group to support abortion access and establish the Planned Parenthood clinic in West Wendover, but have found it difficult to sustain. They said they feel outnumbered by residents who support Dickson. Marcos Cerros, 18, said he attends Catholic Mass every Sunday in West Wendover and that parishioners there are regularly exposed to inflammatory anti-abortion language.

Abortion up to 24 weeks is protected in Nevada law, and the state legislature recently approved a bill to enshrine the law in the state constitution. To become law, the measure will need to pass once more during Nevada's next legislative session, in 2025, and be approved by voters in 2026.

Last year, following the Dobbs decision, then-Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, issued an executive order similar to ones in other states protecting patients who seek abortion care from facing prosecution by states where it is not legal.

Across Nevada's eastern border, in Utah, abortion is legal up to 18 weeks while challenges to a trigger ban and a move to clamp down on abortion clinic licensure continue through the courts.

Idaho's laws against abortion are among the most restrictive in the country. Currently, the state allows abortion only in certain cases of rape and incest or to save the mother's life. In April, the state made headlines after lawmakers there passed an abortion trafficking law that criminalizes helping minors cross state borders to receive an abortion or obtain abortion pills without parental consent.

Extreme variations in abortion policy from state to state are the new normal, and local challenges are "what we're in for," said Rachel Rebouche, dean of the Beasley School of Law at Temple University and co-author of a recent research paper examining the post-Dobbs legal reality. "The theaters of conflict are multiplying, and this is the complex legal landscape that we live in."

Dickson's strategy in creating what he calls "sanctuary cities for the unborn" involves invoking a 150-year-old federal law that restricts the mailing of abortion pills. But Dickson argues the law goes further, banning any "paraphernalia," including anything that could be used to perform an abortion, such as certain medical devices and tools.

Federal officials contend that although the abortion provision in the law has not been amended, previous court decisions have limited the reach of the Comstock Act. The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion in December concluding that the law does not prohibit the mailing of abortion medication.

Dickson argues that the Comstock Act should supersede any state law or state constitutional protection. Rebouche said she's unsure how it will shake out in the courts.

"There's a number of jumps a court would have to take, the most significant of which would be that Comstock is still good law and it preempts abortion law," she said. "That's a controversial holding because Comstock has not been enforced or applied for decades."

A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte declined to comment on whether the organization would continue to pursue the clinic in West Wendover, citing legal issues.

Dickson's proposal now sits in the hands of the West Wendover City Council. He assured local leaders that, should they proceed with implementing the ordinance, his attorney will represent them at no cost. That attorney, Jonathan Mitchell, is a former solicitor general of Texas and is credited with helping shape the law that allows civil lawsuits against people and providers "aiding and abetting" pregnant women terminating a pregnancy.

An anti-abortion ordinance was walked back in at least one Ohio city, and other local bodies have voted against such ordinances or chosen not to put them to a vote, according to Dickson's website.

Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, said there's an irony in Dickson's multistate effort to stop people from crossing state lines for reproductive health care, including abortion.

"It would be laughable if it were not so tragic," Miller said. "It's an incredibly cynical, politically motivated effort largely aimed at sowing confusion and stigmatizing abortion care."

Miller also pointed to other municipalities in the U.S.  urban centers like New York, Seattle, Philadelphia, and more  that have approved local ordinances protecting and expanding access to abortion care.

The West Wendover city manager, mayor, or council members would need to request that consideration of the proposal be added to a meeting agenda for it to move forward. Holm, the mayor, said she would not include the ordinance for consideration "at any time." City Council member Gabriela Soriano, the only woman on the council, said in late April that she was unsure whether other council members would pursue the ordinance.

Holm said she was unaware of any outreach to the city from Planned Parenthood Mar Monte about moving forward with the clinic.

If the anti-abortion ordinance in West Wendover were instituted and prevented the opening of a clinic in the city, it would have far-reaching implications for residents. Currently, they face more than an hour drive in either direction to the nearest hospital.

For some community members, the decision isn't so clear-cut.

The Cerros brothers said their mother, who is Catholic and Hispanic, is against abortion but in support of the Planned Parenthood clinic opening in West Wendover. Years ago, she had a miscarriage after driving an hour and a half to Salt Lake City for emergency care.

"There's a big divide between people who think you're killing babies versus people who think pregnancy is not black and white. Things come up," Fernando Cerros said. "Sometimes you need emergency care. And a clinic like that would help."
The world should be prepared to respond to a disease outbreak of "even deadlier potential" than COVID-19, the head of the WHO said after the UN agency launched a global network to monitor disease threats.

In a speech at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday (22 May), WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the end of COVID-19 as a global health emergency did not mean the global health threat was over.

"The threat of another variant emerging that causes new surges of disease and death remains," he told the annual decision-making meeting of the WHO's 194 member states.

"And the threat of another pathogen emerging with even deadlier potential remains."

Kicking off the 76th meeting of the WHA on Saturday (20 May), the WHO launched the International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN) to help identify and respond to emerging disease threats using genomics.

The genetic information from viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing organisms can help scientists recognize and track diseases and develop treatments and vaccines. It can show how infectious or deadly a particular strain is, and how it spreads.

The network aims to give every country access to pathogen genomic sequencing and analytics as part of its public health system, Tedros said at the launch.

The IPSN Secretariat, hosted by the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence, will bring together genomics and data analysis experts from around the world, incorporating governments, philanthropic foundations, multilateral organizations, civil society, academia and the private sector.

Rajiv Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, an IPSN funder, said global collaboration in pathogen genomic surveillance had been "critical" during the fight against COVID-19.

IPSN builds upon this experience by creating a strong platform for partners across sectors and borders to share knowledge, tools, and practices to ensure that pandemic prevention and response is innovative and robust in the future." Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation

Victoria Fan, a senior fellow in global health at the Center for Global Development, a think tank, says this kind of high-quality data would be an important tool for tracking pathogens of pandemic potential and supporting a timely response by other countries.

"Ensuring timely, accurate, quality data will remain the key challenge as countries reporting [a disease outbreak] face negative penalties," she told SciDev.Net, citing as an example South Africans facing global travel bans after the country announced detection of the new Omicron strain of COVID-19 in late 2021.

"Increasing positive incentives for reporting such as paying countries to report, as well as reducing negative incentives such as trade or travel restrictions imposed by other countries may be helpful," she added.

Earlier this month, the WHO declared that COVID-19 was no longer a so-called Public Health Emergency of International Concern, saying the virus was now "an established and ongoing health issue".

While the decision reflects the decline in COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, it could have implications for low- and middle-income countries' access to resources, and national health spending priorities, analysts told SciDev.Net.

A number of proposals to strengthen the WHO's response to health emergencies will be discussed at the WHA, which finishes next week (30 May), including a global health emergency council, made up of international leaders.

"We cannot kick this can down the road," said Tedros in his address.

"When the next pandemic comes knocking - and it will - we must be ready to answer decisively, collectively and equitably."

The Ethiopian said the COVID-19 pandemic had had major implications for health-related Sustainable Development Goals, with insufficient progress made to meet 2030 targets.

Despite 477 million more people enjoying universal health coverage since 2018, fewer than half the world's population will be covered by 2030 on current trends, meaning the rate of progress must double in order to achieve the target of health coverage for all by 2030, he warned.

The WHA, hosted by the Palais des Nations in Geneva, will review the challenges and achievements of the WHO over the last year.

It will also decide on the budget for the next two years, as well as addressing broader funding issues.
Hyundai confirmed the launch of an all-new sub-compact SUV which will be based on the Grand i10 Nios platform. The South Korean carmaker has named its new model Exter. Now, the latest developments suggest that Hyundai will begin SUV production in July. Furthermore, Exters deliveries will begin by early August at most Hyundai outlets across the country, reported Autocar. The SUV will officially be launched in India in July. Exter is being touted as Hyundais most affordable SUV and will be slotted below the Venue in the brands India portfolio.

Hyundais new sub-compact SUV will directly compete with Tata Punch in the Indian market. Exter will have a lot of common elements with the carmakers Grand i10 Nios and Aura. Exters platform, its 1.2-litre engine in petrol and even the CNG guise will be shared with these two cars.

Also Read: Official: Hyundai Exter to Feature 6-Airbags as Standard Safety Feature

Hyundai is likely to offer the Exter in five trim levels  EX, S, SX, SX(O) and the fully loaded SX(O) Connect. The carmaker is reportedly going big on safety as well. Buyers can expect a long list of safety features which includes six airbags as standard across all variants. Going by the official releases of the Exter, the sub-compact SUV will follow Hyundais Parametric design language. This design philosophy is seen on newer Hyundai models globally. Exter will boast of boxy proportions, an upright stance and a split headlamp set-up with H-patterned LED Daytime Running Lamps.

Besides, Hyundais smallest SUV gets dual-tone alloy wheels, roof rails, a textured finish for the C-pillar, dual-tone paint options with a floating roof effect round and slightly flared wheel arches with thick cladding all along. All these features will give the car a sporty look.

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At the rear, Exters profile is punctuated by an upright tailgate, a small built-in spoiler, a shark-fin antenna and tail-lamps that feature H-patterned LED lighting.

Apart from Exter, Hyundai fans are also looking forward to the launch of the facelifted Creta SUV. The revamped Creta will come with a wide grille with inserts reminiscent to the new Verna sedan and a split headlamp design. The India-bound Creta facelift will also share some design elements with the Hyundai Exter micro SUV. Creta facelift will likely be offered with a 1.5-litre diesel and a 1.5-litre petrol engine options that are seen on the current model.
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Arizona Republicans seeking to restrict how trans and nonbinary students are spoken to by their teachers were sharply rebuffed by Gov. Katie Hobbs on Monday, who vetoed a measure forcing teachers to secure parental permission before students could have their pronouns and chosen names respected.

As politicians across the country continue to pass harmful legislation directed at transgender youth, I have a clear message to the people of Arizona: I will veto every bill that aims to attack and harm children, Hobbs wrote in her veto letter for Senate Bill 1001.

The bill would have barred teachers and school staff from referring to a student with pronouns or names inconsistent with their biological sex or given name, regardless of the students request. Only written parental permission could change that  but even then, a provision allowed for staff with a religious or moral conviction to continue to undermine the wishes of students and their parents.

Hobbs criticized the bill as a discriminatory attack and called on lawmakers to craft proposals that better address the challenges the state faces without hurting Arizonans.

Instead of coming up with new ways to target and isolate our children, we should be working together to create an Arizona where everyone has the freedom to be who they are without fear of harassment or judgment, she wrote on Twitter.

The measure continued hostility toward LGBTQ Arizona youth from GOP lawmakers, who last year joined a national wave of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric to pass a trans athlete ban and gender-affirming surgery prohibition. This year has seen heightened discrimination, with Arizona Republicans introducing several measures to punish drag performances, keep trans students out of public school facilities and ban any books that mention any pronouns.

SB1001, in particular, drew criticism from the LGBTQ community, which denounced it for putting trans and nonbinary students at risk of increased suicide risk. Trans and nonbinary youth already face disproportionately high rates of contemplating or attempting suicide, but research shows that simply using correct pronouns can decrease that risk as much as 65%.

Proponents of the bill, however, sought to frame it as a protection of parental rights and safeguard for students.

Parents have a right to know if their children are in psychological turmoil, said the bills sponsor, Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, in an emailed statement. (They) need to know if their children are confused, depressed, anxious, isolating themselves, having suicidal thoughts or are in need of mental health care because of gender dysphoria. Parents cant get their children the counseling or therapy needed if their school is hiding this information from them.

Gender dysphoria is a condition characterized by intense distress that occurs when a persons biological sex and gender identity dont align. Treatment for the condition is gender-affirming care, which includes accurate pronoun use.

Kavanagh, a lawmaker with a history of anti-trans legislation who authored several discriminatory proposals this session, slammed Hobbs for what he called turning a blind eye to the mental health issues students face.

Hobbs, meanwhile, applauded the numerous students and advocates who testified against the bill at the state Capitol, and echoed the words of Rep. Lorena Austin, D-Mesa, who spoke out against it repeatedly. Austin is the states first nonbinary and gender nonconforming lawmaker.

I would like to reemphasize their words to all the young people of the state, Hobbs wrote. You have every right to be who you are.

Also rejected on Monday was House Bill 2560, which would have required the secretary of state to post a list of every registered voter online before an election took place, and a list of everyone who voted afterwards, along with images of the ballots cast and a copy of the cast vote record. The bill was enthusiastically supported by Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, and proponents touted it as wins for transparency and voter trust.

But Hobbs, who was secretary of state from 2019 until 2022, and voting rights advocates disagreed.

While she acknowledged the measures good intentions, Hobbs warned it would likely present privacy challenges for Arizona voters, and the bills lack of allocated funding would increase the workload for election officials without proper compensation.

This bill threatens anonymity and privacy  core tenants of free and fair voting in our democracy, she wrote.

Alex Gulotta, director of the states All Voting is Local organization, celebrated Hobbs veto as a preventative measure to avoid giving election denialists any more fodder.

Thank you to Governor Hobbs for protecting Arizonas elections by vetoing this bill, which would have empowered conspiracy theorists to spread disinformation about Arizona elections, Gulotta said in an emailed statement.

Six other bills were rejected by Hobbs on Monday, bringing her running total for the year to 94, the most of any other governor before her. And with several more measures still awaiting a final decision, the Democrat is likely to break 100 soon.

House Bill 2108 would have required Arizonans receiving unemployment benefits to meet strict criteria to remain eligible, including logging five weekly work applications and writing up a weekly report. The measure, purporting to act as a barrier against fraud, only served to further burden struggling Arizonans, Hobbs said .

House Bill 2441 sought to respond to the water cutoff residents of the Rio Verde Foothills faced when Scottsdale turned off their water supply. The bill would have required local governments in Maricopa County to enter an agreement with a third party to treat and transport water to a standpipe for three years, which could then be self-hauled. Hobbs dismissed the measure as a short-term solution that would likely not go into effect immediately as it wasnt passed with supermajority support. She advocated instead for a similar bill that has yet to be approved by the Senate which would be implemented immediately if it garnered enough support.

Senate Bill 1011 would have allowed cities to hold partisan elections if they chose to, which is currently prohibited. Cities, Hobbs wrote , are simply not asking for such a change.

Senate Bill 1025 would have enacted stricter limits for which areas cities can designate as free from political signs. Arizonans are not asking for more campaign signs in their communities, Hobbs wrote .

Senate Bill 1048 would have increased the amount of money Arizonans can donate to a campaign before they must meet certain reporting requirements. The threshold would have been raised from $100 to $200. That, Hobbs said , only serves to reduce transparency in campaign financing.

Senate Bill 1100 increased the weight threshold of all-terrain-vehicles at which Arizonans could expect to be required to drive with a designated license and pay a specified tax from 2,500 to 3,500 pounds.

Hobbs also signed five bills on Monday, including House Bill 2826, which continues the states low-income health insurance program, AHCCCS, until 2029. State agencies undergo regular periods of review, after which the legislature decides whether or not to preserve their existence, and for how long. Other bills approved included:

Senate Bill 1157 , which outlines stricter and more detailed reporting requirements for discharging and transferring patients from or between assisted living facilities.

Senate Bill 1333 that requires the Department of Health Services to create a searchable online database with information on health professionals whose certification or licenses have been revoked in the past five years.

House Bill 2478 , which raises the sentencing penalty for an assault against a law enforcement officer, placing it on the same level as an assault against a health care worker or firefighter.

Senate Bill 1186, which expands the rights of foster children, including requiring them to be placed with close relatives and as near to their siblings as possible and being allowed to attend extracurricular school activities if they choose to.
Go First Crisis: Soon after it was reported that Wadia group-backed airline is planning to resume backend operations by the end of this month, Go First has reportedly told Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), that there is no definite timeline as of now for the resumption of operations.

According to news agency ANI, DGCA said that in a reply to the airline regulator, Go First airline said they have no definite timeline for the resumption of operations yet.

In a reply to DGCA, Go First airline said they have no definite timeline for the resumption of operations yet: DGCA pic.twitter.com/Pr2qrOCIOS ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

Earlier, it was reported that the airline is likely to resume office operations by the end of May.

According to a report by CNBC-TV18, the airline is confident that its fleet, which is deemed flight-worthy, will resume operations in the near future.

The report had said the airline had informed its employees that it is aiming to recommence flight operations by mid-June.

On the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order, sources told CNBC-TV18 that, NCLAT has adopted a balanced approach while holding the legality of the admission order. NCLAT has balanced the rights, giving lessors liberty to approach the NCLT."

Meanwhile, the suspended board of Go First on Tuesday filed caveats before the Supreme Court against four aircraft lessors of the crisis-hit airline.

Four caveats have been filed by Varun Berry, the Chairman of the suspended board of Go First through his counsel advocate Pranjal Kishore, as per the information available on the website of the Supreme Court of India.

The lessors are - SMBC Aviation Capital Ltd, GY Aviation, SFV Aircraft Holdings and Engine Leasing Finance BV (ELFC) - owning around 22 aeroplanes.

The caveat has been filed against the order passed by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal on Monday, which upheld the order passed by the Delhi bench of the NCLT on May 10.

As of now, Go First has not yet approached the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) with their plans to resume operations.

However, there is a possibility that the airline may resume domestic flights on high-volume routes such as Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Bengaluru, and Delhi-Chennai.

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On Monday, May 22, the NCLAT instructed the Insolvency Resolution Professional (IRP) and the appellant (lessors) to approach the adjudicating authority if they desire to seek additional relief.

The airline is likely to resume operations with less than 10 aircraft. As per the order, erstwhile management of Go First was being represented by Divakar Maheshwari at NCLAT.
Indians seem to be dominating the business world globally. From CEOs of top brands like Google and Microsoft to their own empire, the Indian story seems to be on the rise. Another example of it is the recent Forbes list of the worlds richest billionaires. The number of Indian billionaires in the worlds top 500 has jumped to 169 from 166 last year. And age is not a bar for the list. Heres a look at some of the oldest Indian billionaires in the Forbes 2023 list.

Lachhman Das Mittal - Sonalika Group

Founder of tractor manufacturer Sonalika Group, 92-year-old Lachhman Das Mittal is the oldest Indian on the list of billionaires. He has proved that age is just a number when you have a passion for something. Lachhman Das Mittal previously worked for the Life Insurance Corporation of India. At the age of 60, he quit his LIC job to start his own business venture in 1990.

Benu Gopal Bangur - Shree Cement

Benu Gopal Bangur, 91, is the man behind Shree Cements, known to be one of Indias biggest cement manufacturers. The company is behind brands like Shree Ultra Jung Rodhak, Bangur Cement and Rockstrong. Following a family business split in 1990, Bangur acquired a majority stake in the company. His total net worth is estimated to be around $7.1 billion as per Forbes.

Kushal Pal Singh - DLF

He announced his arrival on the scene with the successful construction of DLF City, a township on the outskirts of Delhi. The company developed into a multi-billion real estate empire. DLF today is headed by KP Singhs son Rajiv. KP Singh continues to hold the title of Chairman Emeritus at DLF and has a net worth of $9.9 billion

Prathap Reddy - Apollo Hospitals Enterprise

Eminent cardiologist, Prathap Reddy is the owner of Indias popular hospital, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise. He founded the company in 1983. Today, Apollo has a chain of more than 5000 pharmaceuticals, about 291 primary care health centres, and 71 hospitals. 91-year-old Prathap has given the responsibility of running the Enterprise to his four daughters. Reddy has a net worth of $2.2 billion.

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Hasmukh Chudgar - Intas Pharmaceuticals

Another medical business venture that has acquired enough profit over the last few years is Intas Pharmaceuticals, founded by 89-year-old Hasmukh Chudgar. Established in 1977, the company today is run by Chudgars sons Nimish and Binish. Away from the operational duties of Instas Pharma, Chudgar has a net worth of $7.6 billion.
Shares of SpiceJet nosedived 20 per cent on Tuesday hitting a fresh 52-week low. The stock hit a days low of Rs 22.65, before recouping some losses. Currently, the shares are trading at Rs 24 on the NSE, down 14.5 per cent.

SpiceJet has been in a conundrum of losing market share, grounded aircraft and illiquidity. And despite the troubled days SpiceJet is celebrating its 18 glorious years of flying high in the Indian skies. The stock has been on the downslide since its competitor GoFirst filed for insolvency. Investors and lessors fear that SpiceJet would go the same route after defaulting on rental payments.

On a year-to-date basis, the shares were down 40 per cent despite a rebound in travel demand for the overall industry. On the other hand, rival IndiGo has gained about 12 per cent during the period.

The woes of SpiceJet have worsened over the past few months amid financial crunch and several grounded aircraft. The airline has defaulted on lease rental payments and is in negotiations with lessors for two years now to restructure them.

The company had earlier clarified that it has no intention to file for bankruptcy in a bid to assuage business partners even as lessors are pushing the airline to clear their dues.

The company on Tuesday said it aims to bring 4 of the 25 grounded aircraft back to service by June 15 and more aircraft will return to operations in the following weeks. The airline is targeting the return of two Boeing 737s and two Q400s.

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SpiceJet plans to start a slew of flights including two international UDAN flights on the theAgartala-Chattogram-Agartala and Imphal-Mandalay-Imphal sectors by June end. The airline also plans to launch a new UDAN flight on the Kolkata-Tezpur-Kolkata sector and restart Kolkata-Gwalior-Kolkata and Jammu-Gwalior-Jammu UDAN flights. In addition, SpiceJet will launch flights on Kolkata-Agartala-Kolkata and Kolkata-Imphal-Kolkata sectors and restart flights on the Kolkata-Chattogram-Kolkata sector, the company said.

Among the listed as well as the unlisted aviation players, IndiGo is the market leader with 55.7 per cent share, while SpiceJet has 6.9 per cent, as of March quarter.
Meta has been fined a record $1.3 billion by the Irish Data Protection Commission, which oversees Meta operations in the EU over its violation of data transfer rules on May 22. It ordered the social media company, Facebook, to stop transferring the data collected from the users of the European Union to the United States, as reported by the New York Times. The Irish watchdog said that the company didnt adhere to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the EU and because of this it posed a threat to the fundamental rights and freedoms of European users.

Meta, in its response, said that it will appeal against this decision in court as it will affect a lot of Facebook users around the world. This ruling applies only to Facebook, hence it excludes WhatsApp and Instagram from this penalty. The Irish regulators have given a grace period of five months to Meta to comply with this decision.

GDPR, a major rule governing data privacy, was adopted by the EU five years ago, and the punishment for its violation, which is issued by Irelands Data Protection Commission, has become one of the most serious issues for any company in todays times. Authorities claimed that Meta disregarded a ruling made in 2020 by the highest court of the European Union by sending Facebook data over the Atlantic that was not adequately shielded from American surveillance agencies.

Failure to adhere to the European Court of Justice decision in 2020 regarding the EU-US data flow agreement, also known as Privacy Shield, by Meta has led to this huge penalty from Irish Data Protection. According to various reports, Meta is bent on appealing against this decision of the EU and said that the absence of data flow from different regions will lead to the internet being risked with national and regional silos" which can affect the global economy and induce a lack of services among different nations which are shared till now.

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We appeal these decisions and will immediately seek a stay with the courts," said Nick Clegg, Metas president of global affairs, and Jennifer Newstead, chief legal officer at the company.

In 2020, the European Court of Justice invalidated the Privacy Shield, an agreement between the EU and the US regarding data flows. A new data flow agreement that the EU and US are now negotiating may be announced later this year. With this decision in the background, Meta would be hoping that this EU-US data privacy agreement would be approved and instated before the Irish regulators deadline come in place.
Vedanta Group, the promoter of metals-to-oil conglomerate Vedanta Ltd, has signed a five-year loan for about $850 million with JPMorgan and Oaktree, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The billionaire Anil Agarwal-led group is relying on money from its units to tackle its debt burden, after its efforts to sell some zinc assets to Hindustan Zinc Ltd for $3 billion failed.

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Earlier this month, Vedanta reported an 8% slump in its fourth-quarter profit as prices of metals declined.

JPMorgan and Oaktree declined to comment, while Vedanta did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The Union Ministry of Education and national assessment regulator PARAKH on Monday organised the first workshop to brainstorm school assessments, examination practices and equivalence of boards across the country.

In India, currently there are around 60 school examination boards that are operating in different states and Union Territories. The aim is to establish a unified framework that enables seamless transitions for students moving between different boards or regions, School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar said at the workshop.

This includes aligning curriculum standards, grading systems and evaluation methodologies to enhance the credibility, recognition of certificates and grades obtained across boards, he added.

A reform outlined in the new National Education Policy, PARAKH will set up assessment guidelines for all boards to help remove disparities in scores of students enrolled with different state boards.

The Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development (PARAKH) will work on setting norms, standards and guidelines for student assessment and evaluation for all recognised school boards.

Education Testing Service, which conducts key tests such as TOEFL and GRE, has been chosen by the National Council for Education Research for setting up the regulatory platform.

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The workshop focused on discussion on equivalence across educational boards. Multiple stakeholders were informed regarding the conception of PARAKH. The discussion revolved around the need to reassess the prevailing rote examination culture in our education system. There is a growing realisation that holistic assessments, encompassing various dimensions of a students abilities and potential, are equally important, a senior education ministry official said.

Further, the discussion emphasised the need for well-designed and standardised question papers, ensuring fairness and consistency across schools and boards. Additionally, there is a call to strike a balance between formative and summative assessments, reducing the burden of high-stakes examinations while effectively measuring a students progress. An analysis of examination results of secondary and higher secondary boards was also presented, he added.
The Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) has announced the GSEB Class 10 result date 2023. The board will declare the GSEB SSC results 2023 on May 25 at 8 AM for Class 10th students. Students who appeared in the Gujarat Board SSC Class 10th exams 2023 will be able to check results through the official website- gseb.org. Candidates can check their results by using their seat number.

Gujarat SSC examinations 2023 was held from March 14 to March 28, 2023. Those students who score a minimum of 33 per cent in each subject will be declared pass in the GSEB 10th results 2023.

GSHSEB SSC Result 2023: How to Check

Step 1: Visit the official website of the board at gseb.org

Step 2: On the homepage, click on the SSC result link

Step 3: Key in your credentials and log in

Step 4: Your result will be displayed on the screen

Step 5: Check and keep the hard copy of the same for future reference.

Students will also be able to check their scores through the SMS app on mobile. One can type an SMS in the format: SSCSeatNumber and send it to 56263. The marks secured in each subject will be notified on the mobile number. Apart from this, results GSHSEB class 10th results will be available through WhatsApp. Candidates have to send their seat number on WhatsApp number on 6357300971.

Those who are not satisfied with their results can apply for rechecking of the answer sheets. The details regarding the same will be shared by the board after the declaration of results.

Last year, a total of 772771 candidates registered for the exam, out of which 503726 passed. The overall pass percentage was 65.18 per cent, with 59.92 per cent of boys passing the examination and 71.66 per cent of girls passing the exam.

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Meanwhile, GSEB board students who appeared in the HSC science stream were able to download the marksheets on May 2. The overall pass percentage of GSEB HSC results 2023 was 65.58 per cent.
Step 1  Go to the website jac.jharkhand.gov.in.

Step 2  Then click on the result link available on the homepage.

Step 3  Now a new page will open, where enter your roll number and submit.

Step 4  Marksheet will appear on your screen.
The Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) will announce the Jharkhand board class 10th and 12th board results for the year 2023 today, May 23. Students will soon be able to check and download their scores from the official website, jacresults.com, and jac.jharkhand.gov.in, once the results are declared. Apart from the official website, the Jharkhand Board will release the 10th and 12th results on jac.jharkhand.gov.in, jac.nic.in, and jharresults.nic.in.

JAC 12th Result 2023 LIVE Updates

JAC 10th Result 2023 LIVE Updates

More than 4,33,000 students appeared in the matriculation or class 10th examination and 3,50,000 students appeared in the intermediate or 12th class examination. The Jharkhand Board will reportedly release the merit list along with the names of the toppers this year on the result declaration day. The JAC Class 10th exams were held from March 14 to April 3 this year, while the JAC Class 12th exams were conducted from March 14 to April 5. The exams were held at various centres across the state.

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To pass the Jharkhand board exam, students must score a minimum of 33 per cent in each subject and overall. Students are advised to check all the details mentioned on the Jharkhand 10th and 12th Board mark sheet 2023. The details include the name of the candidate, roll number, examination name, total subjects, marks secured in every subject, total marks secured by student, minimum marks required to pass, along with qualifying status and percentage acquired.

Last year, over 6.8 lakh students appeared for the exams. Of the total number of students, 3.99 lakh students had appeared for the JAC matric exam 2022 while the rest of the students about 2.81 lakh appeared for Jharkhand intermediate exam 2022. The Jharkhand Class 10 exams were conducted from 24 March to 20 April 2022 while the JAC Board Class 12 exams were conducted from 24 March to 25 April 2022. The Jharkhand Board has attained its highest-ever pass percentage of 95.93 per cent for class 10 last year and for class 12 in 2022. This was a huge jump when 75.01 per cent passed in 2020. For class 12 students as well, the pass percentage skyrocketed from 77.37 per cent in 2020 to 90.71 per cent in 2021.
The Uttarakhand Board of School Education will release class 10th and 12th board results on May 25 at 11 AM. In an official notification, the Uttarakhand Board of School Education informed the development. Uttarakhand results will be declared at States Education headquarter at 11 AM. Students who appeared in the examination can access their results from ubse.uk.gov.in.

Uttarakhand 10th, 12th Board Results 2023: How to check online

Step 1: Visit the official website ubse.uk.gov.in.

Step 2: On the homepage, navigate the link to download class 10 or class 12th board result.

Step 3: Select the link depending on your class.

Step 4: This is will open a new tab that will ask the candidate to mention his or her admit card roll number and date of birth.

Step 5: Select the submit option.

Step 6: The screen will display the results.

Step 7: Download the result for future references.

Uttarakhand 10th, 12th Board Results 2023: How to check via SMS

Step 1: Open sms application on your mobile phone.

Step 2: In the create message section, write UK10 or UK 12 < Space > Roll Number and sent the message to 5676750.

Students, who fail to qualify for one or more subjects, will have to sit for the compartment examinations. Reportedly, no specific date has been announced for the compartment examination. As stated in the reports, the tentative date for the UK Board 12 supplementary exam 2023 is August. In addition to that, the UK class 12 supplementary examination 2023 will be conducted offline.

Reportedly, the Uttarakhand Board class 10 compartment exams tentative date is in July. The schedule for the UK Board 12 and 10 compartment exams will be announced on the boards official website. This year, a total of 1,32,110 students registered in the intermediate exams while 1,27,320 have registered for the high school board exams.

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The Uttarakhand board had earlier identified 1,250 examination centres to be set up for the UBSE 10th and 12th board exams 2023. Out of the total, the board identified 198 centres as sensitive and 15 centers as highly sensitive and aims to make these examinations cheating-free in the state. However, as per reports, there had been a huge decrease in the figures of copying year after year in the examinations of the UBSE.
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Kari Lake at a July 18, 2022, candidate forum in Peoria. Photo by Gage Skidmore (modified) | Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0

To win her latest challenge to her 2022 election loss, Kari Lake had what many said was an insurmountable burden: She had to prove that Maricopa County did absolutely no verification of early ballot affidavit signatures.

And while some of Lakes supporters are already blaming the judge in the case for setting such a high bar for victory, the reality is that this is exactly the case that her attorneys sought to make when they argued that the second trial was needed.

The reason they had to prove it was because they alleged it, Jim Barton, Arizona election lawyer and partner at Barton Mendez Soto, told the Arizona Mirror.

Lake, a Republican who lost the race for Arizona governor to Democrat Katie Hobbs more than six months ago, has since then challenged the results of the 2022 general election all the way up to the Arizona Supreme Court. Her second trial in the courtroom of Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson concluded Friday, and his decision in the case could come at any time.

Ahead of the three-day trial, Thompson issued a ruling that said to overturn the results of the election, Lakes lawyers must prove that Maricopa County conducted no higher level signature verification for ballots cast in the 2022 general election last November  and that the number of illegal ballots cast because of that changed the results of the election.

Lower level, or level one, signature verifiers compare the signatures on early ballot envelopes with those on file for the voter and, if they are consistent, send the ballot for tabulation. Inconsistent signatures are sent to higher level review, or level two, by a more experienced worker. Envelopes with no signature or one that higher level reviewers determine doesnt match are sent to be cured, which involves contacting the voter to confirm their identity and the validity of their ballot.

Lakes lawyers took issue with the judges ruling regarding their burden of proof and made a late night filing, asking for leeway to attempt to prove not just that no higher level signature verification took place, but also that no lower level verification occurred. The judge granted their request.

They did the same thing that theyve been doing, which is make allegations and then, when you get to the hearing, they come up with new theories.  Jim Barton

But two of Lakes own witnesses, who worked in level one signature verification themselves, immediately disproved Lakes argument that no level one review took place.

I was very focused on verifying signatures and ensuring they matched, Lake witness Jacqueline Onigkeit testified during the first day of the trial.

Even so, some Lake supporters believe that the judge intentionally set a hurdle too high for Lake to overcome.

Republican Rep. Justin Heap, a Mesa attorney, tweeted Friday that he believes the case will be dismissed.

This is not because the evidence is insufficient or her legal team is incapable, Heap wrote in the tweet. It is because the Court has intentionally set the bar SO HIGH that it would be impossible for anyone to prevail As a trial attorney this appears, in my opinion, to be Court-imposed elevated standards of proof intended to guarantee dismissal, while preserving the appearance of impartiality.

But two lawyers who spoke to the Arizona Mirror argue that it was Lakes own team that painted themselves into a corner with the case law they cited in their filings leading up to the trial.

In filings ahead of the trial, Lake lawyers Bryan Blehm and Kurt Olsen cited the case Reyes v. Cuming, and Thompson based Lakes burden of proof on that argument.

Lake has narrowed her claim to that complained of in Reyes, and she must demonstrate at trialthat Maricopa Countys higher level signature reviewers conducted no signature verification or curing and in so doing had systematically failed to materially comply with the law, Thompson wrote.

In Reyes, which occurred in Yuma County in 1997, the Arizona Court of Appeals found that the County Recorder conducted zero signature verification efforts in a 1996 Board of Supervisors election.

In arguing for the second trial, Lakes attorneys said they had evidence that the situation in Maricopa County was like Reyes on steroids.

But when the trial began, Blehm and Olsen seemingly abandoned any effort to prove that no verification was performed, instead attempting to prove that signature verification workers didnt spend enough time reviewing each signature for verification to actually have taken place.

The strategy didnt impress Barton, who primarily represents labor unions and liberal interests.

I dont think they put any evidence on to show that no review happened, he said. Instead, they did the same thing that theyve been doing, which is make allegations and then, when you get to the hearing, they come up with new theories.

Lakes expert witness testified, based on data from the county, that workers verified 274,000 ballots in three seconds or fewer and 70,000 in 2 seconds or fewer. Olsen claimed during closing arguments that election workers quick click-throughs of signature images did not equal true signature verification.

You dont just get to go back and say, Well, we think that it should have been this way or it should have been that way, Barton said.

Theyre winging it. This is a classic case of the blind leading the blind. It is embarrassing to watch.  Tom Ryan

Barton explained that their argument doesnt work, precisely because they based their claim on the Reyes case.

If they can show that the process was not used, as opposed to not being used well, thats where the Reyes case law comes in, he said.

Regardless of whether Lake believes the countys signature verification efforts were sufficient, during the trial, her lawyers showed video of verification taking place. And her witnesses who worked verifying signatures testified that signatures verification did take place, and that they diligently performed their jobs.

Lakes team has shifted its legal theories throughout the last six months that her case and its appeals worked their way through the courts, Phoenix personal injury lawyer and frequent Lake critic Tom Ryan told the Mirror, adding that it seems like her lawyers are throwing legal theories against a wall to see what sticks.

He added that just because a judge makes a ruling that a party in a case believes is unfair, that doesnt mean the judge is biased.

Hes bending over backwards to give Lakes legal team every opportunity to prove their case, Ryan said, referencing Thompsons wide latitude to Lakes lawyers, given their failure during the trial to follow or understand basic court rules.

Ryan said he believes this is at least partially because Lakes attorneys are not election law experts, even though election law has stringent rules and timelines and varies significantly from other areas of the law. Olsen is an employment attorney from Washington, D.C., and Blehm is Scottsdale divorce lawyer.

Theyre winging it, Ryan said. This is a classic case of the blind leading the blind. It is embarrassing to watch.
With the Supreme Court asking the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker to rule on the disqualification petition filed by Uddhav Thackeray against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 15 other MLAs for their revolt that split the Shiv Sena, the ruling faction and ally BJP have been comfortably assured of the governments stability. With this, the saffron party has now turned its attention to the Mumbai civic polls coming up later this year.

The BJP had leapfrogged from 31 to 82 seats in the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election, but lost the single-largest party position by a whisker to the Thackeray-led united Shiv Sena which won 84 of the 227 seats. With the Shiv Sena split into Shinde and Thackeray factions, the BJP has sensed a golden opportunity to bag the richest civic body in India which has been ruled by the undivided Shiv Sena for more than 30 years.

BMC elections have been due for more than a year now with the term of the corporators elected in 2017 ending in March last year. The polls were first postponed in view of the rising Covid-19 cases in Mumbai and then with the Maharashtra Legislature deferring civic and local elections till OBC quotas are restored in the state.

The Assembly then passed a bill in both houses to amend the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act 1888, enabling the appointment of an administrator to the civic body, a first since 1984. For the last one year, BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal has been running the show as the administrator.

Following party president JP Naddas recent two-day tour of the state during which he held several meetings, Mumbai BJP leaders launched Mumbai 150 mission for the BMC election. The Mumbai unit of the party is confident Uddhav Thackerays Shiv Sena faction wont get the required numbers to be able to appoint its mayor.

The BJP has asked party workers to reach out to the people in their wards and explain how BMC has become a hotspot of corruption under Uddhav Thackeray. The workers have been told to explain to the public that it was because of the BJPs support that Thackeray had so far managed to appoint a mayor of his choice.

Along with campaigning for BMC elections, the party will also canvass for 2024 Lok Sabha elections, popularising the benefits of Narendra Modi government schemes in every BMC ward.

In 2017, the BJP and undivided Shiv Sena had fought the BMC elections separately despite having an alliance at the Centre and state level. The Shiv Sena won 84 seats and the BJP won 82, despite which the latter supported Thackerays choice for the mayoral post. The election results, however, had marked a significant shift in Sena-BJP dynamics with the saffron party adding 51 new seats to its tally while the former managed only nine new seats.

Mindful of the challenge it faces, the Shiv Sena-UBT too has started gearing up for BMC elections, its first electoral test since the split in the party ousted the Thackerays from power. According to sources, the party will fight the BMC elections under the leadership of Aditya Thackeray.

There is also some suspense on whether Shiv Sena-UBT, Congress and NCP  constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition  will fight the elections together. In the last MVA meeting that took place immediately after the Congress swept the Karnataka elections, there were discussions that the three parties may contest together. But Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patoles remarks that the party is prepared to go solo has muddied the waters.

Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap has said the high commands decision will be final. When taking charge while the MVA government was in power, he had advocated for fighting the BMC elections alone, but now Jagtap is of the opinion that one should always consider the change in the situation.

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The Congress tally in 2017 dropped by 21 seats compared to previous election and stood at 31 seats. Its performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and Maharashtra Assembly elections wasnt too impressive either. Some Congress leaders feel the demand to go solo in BMC elections in these circumstances may not bode well ahead of the 2024 battle, for either the party or opposition unity.

Karnataka may have given the party a morale boost, but Maharashtra is a different ball-game. Its the last electoral contest in the state before the 2024 General Elections and no party can afford to drop the ball.
TV actor Aditya Singh Rajput was found dead in his home in Mumbai on May 22. A friend discovered the former Splitsvilla contestant in an unconscious state in his bathroom and rushed him to a hospital, where Aditya was declared dead on arrival.

While some unverified reports have claimed Aditya Singh Rajput died due to alleged drug overdose, the Mumbai police has said that it is currently probing the matter. When asked about the reports of alleged drug overdose, DCP KrishnaKant Upadhyay said, We are investigating exactly what has happened. So we will update once we get the necessary details."

ALSO READ | Aditya Singh Rajputs Mom Inconsolable In Hospital; Cops Found 2 Injury Marks; Post-Mortem Underway

Mortal remains of the actor has been taken to Siddharth hospital and postmortem will begin at 10 am today. The actors family will be reaching Mumbai shortly.

ALSO READ | Aditya Singh Rajputs LAST TEXT to Sweety Walia Revealed; Devastated Actress Says He Told Me

Aditya Singh Rajput was quite active on social media. Just five days ago, he had shared a heartwarming video on his Instagram account, emphasising the importance of self-love". He captioned the video: What is happiness according to you?" In the clip, Aditya Singh Rajput said, Happiness is maa ke hath ka khana. Happiness is cuddles after a long tiring day at work. Happiness is playing with your dog. Happiness is best time with your best friend. But happiness nowadays is money also. But more important happiness is finding happiness in small things. For that, you dont need money, but yes money is important. But happiness is more important and inner peace is important. Do you agree?"

Aditya, who hailed from Delhi, started his career as a model. He was a part of films such as Krantiveer and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. He reportedly appeared in several advertisements and participated in MTV Splitsvilla 9. He was also part of TV projects like Love, Ashiqui, Code Red, Aawaz Season 9, Bad Boy Season 4, and others.
The sudden and unfortunate death of Aditya Singh Rajput has been shrouded in controversy and speculation. Fashion designer Rohit Verma has criticized the drug overdose reports surrounding his untimely demise and asked everyone not to jump to any conclusions.

A video of him talking to the media was shared by Viral Bhayani. In the video, Verma expressed his disbelief at the rampant speculations and addressed the swirling rumors head-on. There are a lot of rumours. A lot of people talking about that he took overdose of drugs and all. I think its all bullshit because it can be an accident. Let us leave that job to the experts. I think we should all let the doctors do their job. We have no right to pass this kind of statement for anyone, and create such wrong rumours, when he is not between us.

Rohit also informed that he talked to Aditya six days ago when Aditya asked him about a yoga teacher. Many celebrities have expressed their condolence for the family.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani)

To note, late actor Aditya Singh Rajput was found dead in his home in Mumbai on May 22. His mother on Tuesday arrived at a hospital in Mumbai to collect her sons mortal remains. His post-mortem is underway at the hospital. According to a statement, issued by Aditya Singh Rajputs family, the actors last rites will be performed today at 12:30 pm.

A friend discovered Aditya Singh Rajput in an unconscious state in his bathroom and rushed him to a hospital, where the actor was declared dead on arrival. Senior inspector Mohan Patil said that Aditya had been unwell for the last few days, but he refused to take any medicine.

Rajput woke up around 11 am and ate parathas for breakfast and had not been feeling well since. Around 2.30 pm, he told the house help who stayed with him to make some khichadi for lunch. He again complained of feeling nauseous and went to the bathroom. A few minutes later, the house help heard a thud and called out for help, Patil was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. Police officials found two injury marks on Adityas body - a bump on the back of his head and a cut on his left ear.

The Mumbai police have recorded statements of three people in the Aditya Singh Rajput death case - his domestic help, private doctor and watchman.
Aditya Singh Rajputs last rites were held on Tuesday, May 23 at Oshiwara in Mumbai. As reported by E-Times, the Splitsvilla 9 fames mother broke down at the funeral and got emotional as she bid final adieu to her son.

Several of Adityas industry friends and colleagues also attended the funeral. Bigg Boss 15 fame Rajiv Adatia was one of the firsts to arrive for the funeral. Among others, Rohit K Verma, Ashoke Pandit and Harsh Rajput also paid their last respects to the late actor.

Aditya Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on May 22. He was discovered in an unconscious state in his bathroom and rushed to a hospital, where the actor was declared dead on arrival.

Earlier, Adityas Splitsvilla co-contestant Varun Sood took to Twitter to mourn actors demise. Just heard the news about Aditya Singh Rajput. It really shook me. I know Im not in touch with anyone from MTV days except a few but I hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy," he wrote.

Meanwhile, Adityas postmortem has been done and the report is now awaited. A small injury on the rare left side of his head was seen during the panchnama. There was no bleeding, but the swelling on that part of the head was clearly visible. We suspect that he sustained a serious internal head injury but are awaiting a post-mortem report to ascertain the exact cause of his death, the police officer said as quoted by The Indian Express.

Aditya, who hailed from Delhi, started his career as a model. He was a part of films such as Krantiveer and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. However, he rose to fame after he participated in the 9th season of MTV Splitsvilla. Besides this, Aditya was also a part of TV projects like Love, Ashiqui, Code Red, Aawaz Season 9, and Bad Boy Season 4 among others.
A day after Aditya Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment, it has been reported that police officers are also investigating if the Splitsvilla 9 fame slipped and died in his bathroom. Police sources have revealed that Adityas family and friends have claimed that they noticed injuries on his head and around his ear.

Aditya was staying alone at his Mumbai residence since one of his roommates was not home from the last few days, whereas the other used to leave for work early morning to used to come back late night. Reportedly, one of Rajputs friend named Shubhi has informed cops that Rajput was not keeping well from the last few days and was complaining of acidity. The friend also claimed that Aditya even puked on Sunday afternoon.

Not just this, but as per police sources, Adityas maid has also informed that Rajput had cold and cough and was puking since the last few days.

Reportedly, it was between 2 pm and 2:30 pm that Aditya went to the washroom. Thats when his house help heard a sound and found the actor on the floor. The house help then ran downstairs and asked the watchman for help. The two picked up Rajput and called for a doctor. The doctor suggested that they will have to take Aditya to the hospital.

For the unversed, the former Splitsvilla contestant was found in an unconscious state in his bathroom when he was rushed to a hospital. However, Aditya was declared dead on arrival. Some unverified reports claimed Aditya died due to alleged drug overdose. However, postportem has been conducted and its report is now awaited.

Aditya hailed from Delhi and started his career as a model. He was a part of films such as Krantiveer and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. However, he rose to fame after he participated in the 9th season of MTV Splitsvilla. Besides this, Aditya was also a part of TV projects like Love, Ashiqui, Code Red, Aawaz Season 9, and Bad Boy Season 4 among others.
TV actor Aditya Singh Rajputs mother was on Tuesday clicked arriving at a hospital in Mumbai to collect her sons mortal remains. Aditya was found dead in his home in Mumbai on May 22. The actors mother was inconsolable as she reached the hospital along with her family members.

The actors post-mortem is underway at the hospital. According to a statement, issued by Aditya Singh Rajputs family, the actors last rites will be performed today at 12:30 pm.

A friend discovered Aditya Singh Rajput in an unconscious state in his bathroom and rushed him to a hospital, where the actor was declared dead on arrival. Senior inspector Mohan Patil said that Aditya had been unwell for the last few days, but he refused to take any medicine.

Rajput woke up around 11 am and ate parathas for breakfast and had not been feeling well since. Around 2.30 pm, he told the house help who stayed with him to make some khichadi for lunch. He again complained of feeling nauseous and went to the bathroom. A few minutes later, the house help heard a thud and called out for help, Patil was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. Police officials found two injury marks on Adityas body - a bump on the back of his head and a cut on his left ear.

The Mumbai police has recorded statements of three people in the Aditya Singh Rajput death case - his domestic help, private doctor and watchman.

While some unverified reports have claimed Aditya Singh Rajput died due to alleged drug overdose, the Mumbai police has said that it is currently probing the matter. When asked about the reports of alleged drug overdose, DCP KrishnaKant Upadhyay said, We are investigating exactly what has happened. So we will update once we get the necessary details."
Varun Sood has reacted to former Splitsvilla co-contestant Aditya Singh Rajputs sudden demise. In an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha, Varun revealed that he got to know about Adityas death through social media.

I saw it on Instagram. I wasnt in touch with anyone post the show but it is very unfortunate that it happened. I wish strength to the entire family," Varun told us.

Aditya Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on May 22. A friend discovered Aditya Singh Rajput in an unconscious state in his bathroom and rushed him to a hospital, where the actor was declared dead on arrival.

While some unverified reports claimed Aditya died due to alleged drug overdose, Varun refused to talk about the same and said, I dont know whats the cause of the death but someone I have known passed away. It is obviously really sad."

On Monday evening, Varun took to Twitter to mourn Adityas demise. Just heard the news about Aditya Singh Rajput. It really shook me. I know Im not in touch with anyone from MTV days except a few but I hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy," he wrote.

Just heard the news about Aditya Singh Rajput..It really shook me. I know im not in touch with anyone from MTV days except a few..but i hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy Varun Sood (@VSood12) May 22, 2023

Meanwhile, Adityas postmortem has been done and his last rites will be held later today. Aditya, who hailed from Delhi, started his career as a model. He was a part of films such as Krantiveer and Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara. However, he rose to fame after he participated in the 9th season of MTV Splitsvilla. Besides this, Aditya was also a part of TV projects like Love, Ashiqui, Code Red, Aawaz Season 9, and Bad Boy Season 4 among others.
The much-spoken about series The Idol premiered at Cannes 2023 and it had everyone talking. The international series, created by Euphorias Sam Levinson and Abel The Weeknd Tesfaye, features Johnny Depps daughter Lily Rose-Depp and The Weeknd in the lead. The series also marks BLACKPINK member Jennies international acting debut. While the videos from their red carpet appearance have already gone viral, the first reactions of The Idol are out and they are divided.

On Monday night, following the premiere of the series, Variety reported the crowd gave the cast and creator of the series a five-minute-long standing ovation. Videos of Abel and Sam accepting the honour and expressing their gratitude to the reactions have surfaced online.

THE IDOL cast receives standing ovation at the Cannes, following the premiere of the show.  pic.twitter.com/NqiwmQ8moM The Weeknd News (@NewsWeeknd) May 22, 2023

However, not everyone seemed on the same page. A few who watched the series at Cannes took to Twitter and revealed they are not a fan of the show.

Lots of strong reactions to #TheIdol out of #Cannes2023  ranging from I hated it to the TV version of clickbait to I dont need to see any more of Lily-Rose Depp naked. Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) May 22, 2023

The Idol, or 50 SHADES OF TESFAYE: A Pornhub-homepage odyssey starring Lily Rose Depps areolas and The Weeknds greasy rat tail. Love that this will help launch the HBO Max rebrand, should slot nicely next to House Hunters! Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) May 22, 2023

Yeah, THE IDOL has the EUPHORIA vibes you might expect but its really more like somebody put BLACK SWAN, SUCCESSION, and SECRETARY in a blender and let it rip. Prepare yourself for quite the discourse #cannes erickohn (@erickohn) May 22, 2023

The Idol convo in the theater. I hated it. Garbage. Im disgusted.. Shes way better than I thought shed be. Tatiana Siegel (@TatianaSiegel27) May 22, 2023

Los Angeles Times review of the series reads, The Idol is writer-director Sam Levinsons follow-up to the hit HBO drama Euphoria, with a similar penchant for graphic sex, cute clothes and self-destruction. In other words, a, well, naked attempt to bring the TikTok generation back to cinemas with a tantalizing nepo-baby vibe, along with hints of scandal."

Revenge porn photos of bodily fluids on Depps face, masturbation with ice cubes, nightclub-owning scam artists and vile Hollywood sycophants populated the first two episodes of the already-controversial series," Varietys review of the series read.

The Idol has been making headlines for its raunchy teasers and trailers, and for plot since it was announced. Well have to wait until June 4, when it releases, to see audience reactions.
The West Bengal cabinet has decided to give land to the Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) for the construction of new pits and expansion of non-operational coal mines, a senior official said.

The cabinet of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday decided to allot around 30 acres of land in the Asansol industrial area in Paschim Bardhaman district to ECL, he said.

ECL, a subsidiary of Coal India, had sought the land from the state government, he added.

Law Minister Moloy Ghatak said the land will be given to ECL to reopen six abandoned mines in Dalurbadh in Pandabeswar, Kenda in Jamuria, Raniganj, Damolia and Dalora.

Around 1.30 lakh people were working in the coal mines of ECL. Due to the closure of the mines, many lost their jobs. This decision of the state government will provide employment to many locals," Ghatak said.

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Besides, the cabinet also decided to give around 4 acres of land to Eastern Railway for the freight corridor project.

The cabinet also granted promotions to officers of the Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police.
A 32-year-old man, identified as Lokesh, was swept away in a stormwater drain in Bengaluru city on Sunday. The incident took place on the same day when a 22-year-old techie lost her life after her vehicle submerged in a waterlogged underpass.

While the police suspect that Lokesh tried to gauge the depth of the stormwater drain and accidentally slipped into it, Lokeshs relatives denied this claim and alleged that he slipped and fell into the drain, being subsequently washed away.

#WATCH | Karnataka: A 32-year-old man in Bengaluru, identified as Lokesh, died after drowning in a stormwater drain after allegedly slipping and falling in it. His body was found 5km away from the spot. A case of unnatural death registered at Kempapura Agrahara Police Station. pic.twitter.com/glphoAAU0m ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

Lokesh reportedly slipped and fell at Kempapura Agrahara, and his body was discovered in Byatarayanapura, located on Mysore Road, approximately 5 kilometers away. The Kempapura police station has filed a case of unnatural death in relation to the incident.

Also Read: Infosys Techie Death in Bengaluru Rain: How 5 People with Her Were Saved by News18 Reporters Efforts

Infosys Techie Death

A22-year-old woman techie employed in Infosys drowned on Sunday after the car she was riding in with her family got stranded in water up to their necks at the KR Circle underpass in Bengaluru near the Vidhana Soudha due to heavy rains.

With the assistance of concerned individuals who hurried to the flooded underpass in the city center, the fire and emergency services personnel successfully rescued five members of the family and the driver.

However, the woman, identified as Bhanurekha, was unable to survive. She, along with the other survivors, was immediately transported to St Marthas Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead.

Upon receiving news of the incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah promptly visited the hospital to assess the situation. In response to the tragedy, he announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to be provided to the bereaved family as well as free medical treatment for those admitted to the hospital.

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The family from Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh had hired a car and come to see Bengaluru. Bhanurekha works in Infosys. Due to the downpour, the barricade at the underpass fell down and the driver took the risk of crossing the underpass, which he should not have," Siddaramaiah told reporters.

Also Read: Infosys Techie Drowns as Car Gets Stuck in Flooded Bengaluru Underpass; CM Orders Rs 5L Ex-gratia
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A QAnon supporter at an April 19, 2020, protest against COVID-19 restrictions at the Arizona Capitol. Photo by Jerod MacDonald-Evoy | Arizona Mirror

A special committee created by the Arizona legislature to examine the states response to COVID-19 will feature a litany of speakers who have spread disinformation about the pandemic, vaccines, spoken at QAnon events and have conspiratorial beliefs about the virus, including believing it will usher in the mark of the beast.

And the two-day hearing is being promoted by QAnon-friendly groups with an acronym that has significance in the QAnon conspiracy theory.

The Novel Coronavirus Southwestern Intergovernmental Committee will hold two days of hearings on May 25 and May 26 at the Arizona Capitol, during which a string of ostensible experts will tell the state and federal Republican lawmakers on the panel their opinions on the pandemic, and Arizonas response to it.

The Republican elected officials on the panel include state Sens. T.J. Shope and Janae Shamp, the chair and vice-chair, respectively, of the state Senates Health and Human Services Committee; state Rep. Steve Montenegro, who chairs the state House of Representatives Health and Human Services Committee; and U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs, Eli Crane and Paul Gosar.

Extremist researchers on Twitter were quick to note that the various groups sponsoring the committee had begun promoting it by the acronym, NCSWIC, which is commonly used within the QAnon community to stand for Nothing Can Stop What Is Coming. It most often refers to an unfounded belief that Deep State collaborators will soon be arrested.

Although the official name of the panel spells the word southwestern correctly, the committees outside boosters intentionally divided the word into south western in order to use the acronym in their promotion.

Flyers promoting the committee created by the QAnon-friendly groups involved in the event feature the acronym prominently, but do not include the actual name of the committee.

Acronyms are popular among the QAnon community, and the most well known is WWG1WGA, meaning Where We Go One, We Go All, a phrase used as a rallying cry among the digital soldiers of the QAnon community. Disgraced former Gen. Michael Flynn was seen wearing a WWG1WGA bracelet in the conspiracy theory film The Deep Rig, which was filmed in part at the Arizona Senates partisan 2020 election audit in Maricopa County.

Flynn is connected to the committee through The America Project, which is partially funding the event and promoting it heavily. Montenegro, the Goodyear Republican who will be on the committee, is the groups national policy director.

Former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne, who heads The America Project, has been a leading voice in 2020 election fraud claims and has railed against the so-called Deep State. Byrne was also an attendee of an hour-long meeting at the White House during the final days of Trumps presidency in which he, former Trump attorney Sidney Powell and Flynn urged the president to overturn the election.

The America Project has a history of promoting QAnon-related content, and it is helping pay for the travel of the speakers, many of whom have their own links to the QAnon conspiracy theory.

The appeal to QAnon isnt surprising to Mike Rothschild, a journalist who has written extensively about QAnon. This kind of signaling isnt new, but its usually seen in the social media of conspiracy promoters who want to entice Q believers without actually saying they believe in QAnon, Rothschild told the Arizona Mirror. The acronym NCSWIC has no other use beyond QAnon, and any Q believer would clearly see it for what it is.

Rothschild said that it is a signal to the believers and Q acolytes that these are their people, and the makeup of the event and the people putting it on seems to demonstrate the same.

A huge part of Q is made up of COVID- and vaccine denial, and the use of that term tells you everything you need to know about who these people are trying to appeal to, and what theyll be saying, Rothschild said.

That the hearing is an official legislative activity lends it the imprimatur of legitimacy, which is hugely important in QAnon and other conspiracy communities.

These meetings are hugely helpful to these groups, Rothschild said. They offer a microphone and guaranteed time to cranks, conspiracy theorists, and extremists to push their talking points and just ask questions, and, if theyre lucky, one of their especially outlandish answers will go viral and get shared by liberals looking to dunk on it.

Requests for comment to Montenegro, Shamp and Shope were not returned. Kim Quintero, a spokeswoman for the Arizona Senate Republican caucus, refused to answer questions from the Mirror and referred to a comment she sent to The Arizona Republic, which she posted on Twitter.

Is this a serious media inquiry? If so, you are absolutely ridiculous, the statement said.

The speakers at the two-day hearing have no shortage of conspiratorial beliefs about the pandemic. The speaker list has been changing since it was officially announced: Of the 11 initially listed as testifying, only seven are now expected to attend.

The mark of the beast doctor

Dr. Lela Lewis has made news in Florida for the free medical clinics her organization, Liberty and Health Alliance, helped put on.

But Lewis is an ardent anti-vaxxer whose organization believes that the COVID-19 vaccine and public health protocols are a way to usher in the mark of the beast.

In a document on her organizations website titled COVID, The Great Reset, and The Third Angels Message, it states that the implementation of COVID rules and regulations is clearly a step in the direction of history towards the political situation that must exist in order for the Mark to be given in accordance with Bible prophecy.

The document also claims that fatality rates for COVID have been manipulated, without providing evidence and claims that COVID will usher in the Great Reset, a term used in QAnon conspiracy theories that often refers to a shadowy cabal of elites seizing global power to oppress the people. It is often linked to the New World Order, another conspiracy theory that has deep roots in antisemitism.

Lewis has also crusaded against other culture war targets of the right, including critical race theory and gender identity. At a conference called Upside Down, Lewis brought together speakers who railed against these issues including one who decried the outlawing of conversion therapy.

The HCQ doctor

Dr. Peter McCoullough has made news a few times, mostly due to fact-checking.

During the pandemic, McCoullough made a number of claims about COVID-19 and the vaccine, that drew national attention. During a July 13, 2021, interview on Fox News with Laura Ingrahm, McCoullough claimed there was no clinical reason to get vaccinated against the delta variant that was beginning to surge around the world and led to a spike in COVID deaths in the U.S.

Prior to his appearance on Ingrahms show, McCoullough had already been a known source of misinformation, telling the U.S. Senate that there was no reason people under the age of 50 should get vaccinated. At the time McCoullough gave that testimony, people between the ages of 20 to 49 were seeing a major resurgence of the virus.

While promoting these views, he was sued by his former employer, who said that he continued to use his former titles with them such as vice chief of internal medicine at Baylor University Medical Center in interviews in which he gave false and misleading claims.

McCoullough also testified before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security Committee, claiming that the antiviral drug hydroxychloroquine was more effective than public health measures such as masking.

The cardiologist has also suggested on the Joe Rogan podcast that the pandemic itself was planned, that people who have been infected before have permanent immunity, that COVID vaccines are risky because they are experimental and that the spike protein in the vaccine is dangerous.

None of those claims have merit.

McCoullough has become a darling to those in the conspiracy and QAnon world, appearing regularly on shows like the one hosted by conspiracy theorist Stew Peters, who said the COVID vaccine is a bioweapon. Peters also was behind multiple QAnon conspiracy documentaries that made dubious claims about the vaccine, including that it included snake venom.

McCoullough has also appeared on Flynns Reawaken America tour, where he has denounced drag shows and gender identity issues.

The iermectin doctor

Dr. George Fareed has also been a frequent guest on right-wing shows.

Fareed and his partner, Dr. Brian Tyson, regularly touted ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and other medications not authorized by the FDA to treat COVID, including in presentations to government bodies. They also attended school board meetings, where they argued against mask mandates for students and staff.

Ivermectin, which is primarily used for treating parasitic worms and is not an antiviral drug, has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat COVID-19. One form of the medication that is approved by the FDA is used for treating people with intestinal diseases and roundworms.

Nonetheless, it became one of the alternatives of choice to treat COVID in conservative circles, where skepticism about coronavirus vaccines continue to run high. Some even resorted to taking a poisonous version of the drug that is intended solely for use as a de-wormer for horses or other livestock.

Fareed has also made false claims about the efficacy of the COVID vaccine, saying that the vaccine does not reduce hospitalization and death.

Data has consistently shown that hospitalization rates were higher for those who are unvaccinated versus those who are vaccinated. Additionally, data shows that those most at risk of death from the virus, including those 65 and older, showed a higher rate of hospitalization in the unvaccinated category than their vaccinated counterparts.

The anti-vaxx attorney

Aaron Siri is an attorney who is most well known for his work with an organization called the Informed Consent Action Network, or ICAN.

The group has been on the frontlines of anti-vaccine misinformation and is funded by New York billionaire Del Bigtree. The organization was listed as one of the Biden administrations disinformation dozen.

Bigtree and his organization have been behind a number of discredited claims, including attempting to tie vaccines to autism, a long debunked claim. Bigtree and his organization has also been widely criticized by groups like the Anti-Defamation League for wearing a Star of David in an attempt to tie the anti-vaxx movement to the plight of Jews during the Holocaust.

During the pandemic, Bigree and Siri launched a number of lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies and tech companies aimed at this agenda.

Bigtree and ICAN have also appeared at an event at Trumps Doral Resort in Florida that hosted a litany of QAnon speakers, and he has also rallied alongside the anti-government group the Oath Keepers.

ICAN has also lied about the COVID vaccine in order to spread fear and misinformation about the vaccine to their followers and any others that will listen.

The frontline doctor

Dr. Richard Urso is part of a group called Americas Frontline Doctors (AFLDS), which is led by Simone Gold, who is infamously known as the Demon Sperm Doc for her claims in a viral video that endometriosis is caused by having sex with demons in your dreams.

During the height of the pandemic, AFLDS pushed for the use of hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin and stated there was no scientific proof for the efficacy of face masks, among other false claims.

The group has also claimed to have cured COVID with a cocktail it sells, though it refused to submit the claim to peer review. Gold and the groups communications director were both among those who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, and Gold was given 60 months imprisonment for her role.

Urso is a member of the group and has been similarly spreading misinformation about COVID and the vaccine.

In March of last year, Urso claimed during a hearing before the Tennessee legislatures House Health Subcommittee that people who had received a vaccine booster for COVID were at a greater risk of dying.

There is no credible evidence to suggest what Urso said, and evidence actually shows the opposite, as do studies on the efficacy of the booster.

Like the other doctors with AFLDS, Urso has been urging the use of hydroxychloroquine as an over-the-counter medication for COVID treatment.

The doctor with retractions

Dr. Pierre Kory is the co-founder of a COVID-denying group called the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance. The FLCCC is an anti-vaccine misinformation group, and Kory has been at the frontlines of spreading that misinformation.

Much like many of the other doctors who will be presenting to the committee, Kory has been pushing for the use of ivermectin to treat COVID, and his group marketed a cocktail that was estimated to cost $500 that they said could treat the flu and RSV.

Kory has called ivermectin a miracle drug and made a number of unsubstantiated claims about what it can do. He also has gone on conservative shows saying that there are tons of journals showing that the COVID vaccine is unsafe, despite that being an unequivocally false statement.

Kory has also had his own scientific work retracted due to flawed results. A paper he authored pushing for unproven COVID treatments was retracted after the facility cited in the study said the data was incorrect.

He has also been charging people thousands of dollars for his own COVID protocols.
The scorching summer heat is set to pave the way for an intense rain activity. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of a strong spell of thunderstorms, rain and hailstorm over northwestern states and issued an orange alert for the next two days.

An active western disturbance is likely to move across the northern region from May 23-26. The stormy system is likely to get powered by moisture from the Arabian Sea, as well as Bay of Bengal, which may enhance the rain activity even further. It is also expected to bring down the day temperatures by four-six degrees over northwest India during the next three days, as per IMD.

SUDDEN WEATHER CHANGE?

Scientists explain that such stormy systems are common during the pre-monsoon period, and they mostly impact the northwest India as well as northeastern states, especially amid heatwaves over the region. However, this time, there is likely to be a strong interaction with winds from the adjoining seas.

We are expecting a significant moisture supply from the Arabian Sea. Strong southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to northeast India are also prevailing. Together, they could strengthen the rain activity over the region, senior IMD scientist Dr Soma Sen Roy told News18.

Over the next four days, rainfall is expected at many places over northwest India with thunderstorm, lightning and occasional gusty winds from the evening of May 23 to May 26, with maximum intensity on May 24 and 25.

Rainfall could be particularly heavy over most parts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad. Strong gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph are likely over Uttarakhand, which may then advance to Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi on May 24; and over west Uttar Pradesh on May 25.

The forecast suggests a probability of hailstorm over Punjab and Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan in the next two-three days. Hailstorm is also very likely at isolated places over Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim on May 23 and 24. The strong winds and hailstorm could damage vulnerable structures, as the weather department has urged local administration officials to prepare accordingly.

The impact would also be seen over parts of northeast India, which could also see fairly widespread rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura over the next four days.

RELIEF FROM HEAT

The latest forecast also signals at much-needed relief from heat, as large parts of India sizzle with maximum temperatures hovering at 40-45C. Delhi recorded its highest temperature of 44.9 at Ridge on Monday, while it touched 46.5 in Jhansi, west Uttar Pradesh  the highest for Northwest India.

A heat wave currently prevails in some parts of Delhi and south Haryana, southwest Uttar Pradesh, north Madhya Pradesh and east Jharkhand.

But as the rainy system moves, it is likely to bring down the day temperatures by four-six degrees over northwest India during the next three days, says IMD. There will be no major change in temperatures after that.

MONSOON ON TRACK

While the rain arrival is in time for the monsoon, it is not the monsoon system.

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According to IMD, the southwest monsoon is likely to make its onset over the Kerala coast around June 4  four days later than its normal date. The forecast carries a model error of  4 days.

Currently, the conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of south Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea and Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the next two days.
A police constable has been dismissed from service for taking an official car of a High Court judge for a joyride and crashing it into an electric pole, a senior official said here on Tuesday.

Besides dismissing him, Nagpur police commissioner Amitesh Kumar also directed recovery of the cars repairs cost from the constables pocket, he said.

The constable, who had joined the police force in 2016, was posted on guard duty at the official bungalow of Justice Valmiki Sa Menezes of the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court.

On April 4, he took a car assigned to the judge for a ride without permission. While passing through Vayusena Nagar, he crashed into an electric pole, the official said.

The front portion of the car was severely damaged, but the constable brought the car back to the judges bungalow and parked it there without informing anyone about the accident, he said.

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Sadar Police initially registered a case against an unidentified person but the investigation, aided by CCTV footage, revealed the constables role.

Following an inquiry, the police commissioner on Monday dismissed him from service and also ordered recovery of Rs 2.28 lakh from his retirement benefits towards the cost of the cars repairs, the official said.
With record 46 degrees Celsius in many parts of Delhi, many are struggling to cope with the hot weather. Those with air conditioners are still better off. However, among those, some are still awaiting a technician to refill gas, clean filters or fix an electrical issue, according to a survey conducted by LocalCircles.

LocalCircles over the last 30 days, received hundreds of complaints from across the country about slow service of AC brands, broken complaint filing and resolution process and high charges.

When asked about getting AC service, 13% owners used brand service via maintenance contract and 7% used brand service on ad hoc basis; another 7% utilised service providers through the dealers, 38% used local service providers and 15% organised third party service providers.

While others said they havent got their ACs serviced as yet, 4% dont intend to get the AC serviced as they dont need any service this year and are working fine, and 10% are not planning to use them or get them serviced this year.

When asked why consumers were not using brands or manufacturers to get their ACs serviced, 54% respondents cited high cost as the main reason, while 54% indicated complicated contact process; 17% felt the manufacturers/ brand services are time consuming; 4% said the staff lack expertise; 4% cited other reasons. Only 19% of the respondents said they had used the services of the AC manufacturer/ brands service centre.

Those who got their ACs serviced by third party vendors complained that they were cutting corners by causing additional damages to the machine in order create more work for themselves.

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Consumers have indicated how they were not happy with their air conditioner service, and why brands should pay more attention to their aftersales service or third party service providers.

The survey received over 23,000 responses from consumers located in 286 districts of India. 67% respondents were men while 33% respondents were women. 47% respondents were from tier 1, 36% from tier 2 and 17% respondents were from tier 3, 4 & rural districts.
The Aam Aadmi Party has alleged that Delhi Police has alleged misbehaved with former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia when he was taken out of Rouse Avenue court.

In a video, that is now doing the rounds on social media, cops can be seen taking Sisodia out of court when reporters asked him about the ordinance that Centre brought in the state vs Centre over control on services.

             ?            ? https://t.co/izPacU6SHI Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 23, 2023

In a tweet, AAP leader Atishi said: Shocking misbehaviour by this policeman with Manish ji in Rouse Avenue Court. Delhi police should suspend him immediately."

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Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also echoed the same. He asked if Delhi Police has the right to misbehave with Manish Sisodia like this. Has the police been asked from above to do this?" he added.

The Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi has extended the judicial custody of AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy CM, Manish Sisodia, until June 1 in the Delhi excise policy case. Additionally, the court has instructed the jail authorities to consider Sisodias request for a chair and table to facilitate his study purposes.
While Day 1 of the G20 Summit in Srinagar under tight security was a success, Indias central intelligence agencies have found that the Pakistani terror outfits and pro-Khalistan entities along with some Canadian leaders were trying to dent the three-day event by creating anti-India opinions to influence global leaders.

A top official, quoting a missive released after a top-level meeting of security and intelligence officials, said it has been found that the United Jihad Council (UJC), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and other outfits active in the Valley held a meeting recently in which they highlighted the Kashmir issue before the international community through various channels ahead of the G20 Summit.

The meeting was attended by Syed Salahuddin, chief of UJC, which is the umbrella organisation of 13 main terror outfits, and head of Hizbul Mujahideen along with other terror leaders.

Separatist leaders and Pakistan-based lobbyists tried to influence the pro-India global opinion to make the G20 Summit unsuccessful. Officials pointed out that several groups were created to influence the opinion on social media through Pakistan-based digital creators and fake accounts.

Meanwhile, the New Democratic Party (NDP), which is headed by a pro-Khalistan ideologue, MP Jagmeet Singh, has urged the Canadian government to boycott the G20 events in Kashmir citing various issues. Singhs Twitter account has been withheld in India after his Pro-Khalistani tweet.

Another senior official, aware of the anti-India drive to dent the G20 meeting, said pro-Khalistani entities also met in the UK and Canada a few days ago to put political pressure on the governments against the event.

Efforts have been made through terror outfits to create fear in public and law and order issues in the Union Territory.

Several terror groups were tasked with the specific type of attacks but due to the massive multi-layered security grid and detailed deployment plans, nothing has been reported so far.

Srinagar city has been spruced up for the three-day G20 working group meeting on tourism beginning Monday, while stringent security arrangements are in place across the Kashmir Valley to ensure that the high-profile event passes off peacefully, officials said on Sunday.

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Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Sunday the G20 Working Group meeting in J&K is a historic opportunity for people of the UT to showcase their culture, heritage, tourism and warm hospitality.

The third G20 Tourism Working Group meeting will continue till May 24.
In a devastating incident around 7am on Mumbai-Nagpur old highway, an ST bus and a truck collided, killing seven people and injuring 13 others. The injured have been rushed to Sindkhedaraja Hospital for further treatment and care.

Emergency services had swiftly responded to the scene, providing immediate medical assistance to the injured.

A tragic accident occurred in Maharashtras Buldhana district when a bus traveling from Pune to Mehekar collided with a high-speed truck approaching from the opposite direction.

Visuals from the spot looked like the impact was such that the truck, which appeared to be of a logistic firm, got lifted from the ground. Apart from authorities, locals were also seen aiding the rescue operations.

In another incident, at least five people were killed and seven others injured when a speeding truck hit a sports utility vehicle (SUV) in Maharashtras Amravati district, an official said on Tuesday.

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The accident took place at around 11pm on Monday on Daryapur-Anjangaon Road under Khallar police station limits in Amravati, located nearly 650 km from the state capital Mumbai, he said.

Most of the victims were from one family. They were returning to Daryapur after attending a family function, the official said. The injured persons were admitted to a hospital in Daryapur, he said.
The Odisha Government banned the usage of Ganja in religious places, especially all Shaivite temples across the state in its latest order.

In an order letter dated May 10, the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department directed collectors of all the districts to take necessary steps to facilitate the prohibition of ganja use at the temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.

Like the practice of animal sacrifice was banned at Bhagabati Temple in Banapur and it was banned in most of the temples subsequently, the restriction will be imposed on the use of ganja in all Shaivite temples in Odisha, State Excise Minister Ashwini Patra said.

The order was introduced after a religious preacher Balia Baba, the head of Ananta Balia Trust, on April 13 wrote to the Excise Department of the state to ban the use of ganja at the famous Baba Akhandalmani Shiva temple as it was impugning the spirit of the place.

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Hundreds of devotees from across the state visit the Shiva shrine every day. However, the excessive use of ganja in the name of Lord Shiva is polluting the religious spirit of the place, the religious leader wrote in the letter.

Lord Shiva never uses ganja. Over time, many misconceptions about the Hindu religion and its Gods have been circulated. Instead of ganja, many good things can be offered to the Lord, the letter read urging the Government to restrict people from using ganja in all Shaivite temples in the state.
Ahead of the assembly polls in Rajasthan, the Union government has started to shift its focus to the state, offering citizens better connectivity and infrastructure development.

Since May 15, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has visited the state twice to review and inaugurate new projects. Not just Gadkari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also given a lot of projects to the state since April.

Gadkari, who visited the state on May 15 and 22, has reviewed a number of projects, including the Amritsar-Jamnagar greenfield corridor. This expressway will be connected to the Delhi-Katra Expressway near Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district and will facilitate pilgrims from Rajasthan going to the Vaishnao Devi Dham.

During the inspection, Gadkari had said the expressway will cut the travel time between the cities of Punjab and Gujarat by 10 hours. It will connect the economic towns of Amritsar, Bhatinda, Sangaria, Bikaner, Sanchore, Samakhiyali and Jamnagar across the four states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The six-lane 917-km-long access controlled expressway is being built at a cost of Rs 22,500 crore.

Further the Amritsar-Jamnagar greenfield corridor will be connected to Ludhiana through a four-lane Ludhiana-Bathinda Expressway that will be 75-km-long and will connect major towns of Rajasthan with that of Punjab. This will ease the trade flow between these cities. Another 128-km greenfield highway, planned at a cost of Rs 4,350 crore, will connect Ludhiana with Rupnagar and ease the journey from parts of Rajasthan to Kullu-Manali.

In Jaipur, construction of a six-lane greenfield spur from Delhi-Mumbai expressway is also underway. Being constructed at a cost of Rs 4,500 crore, this e-way will be 92 kms long. Further, a greenfield expressway ring road in Jodhpur and a greenfield bypass in Udaipur are also under construction.

Rajasthan gets its first Vande Bharat Express today. This will significantly enhance connectivity and boost tourism. https://t.co/TqiCCHWeV9 Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 12, 2023

NOT JUST ROAD, BUT RAILWAYS TOO

On April 12, the state got its first Vande Bharat enhancing connectivity to the national capital. The PM did not visit the state, but inaugurated the train through video-conferencing.

On May 10, in less than a month, the Prime Minister visited Rajasthan and laid the foundation stone and dedicated to nation infrastructure projects worth over Rs 5,500 crore in Nathdwara, this included both railways and road projects. He laid the foundation stone for road construction projects for upgradation to two-lanes in Rajsamand and Udaipur and inaugurated three national highway projects.

Modi also laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of Udaipur railway station and gauge conversion project. During his address, Modi said that the day is not far when Rajasthan will be one of the states with 100 percent rail electrification.

Before that, the Prime Minister had visited the state in February for the inauguration of the Delhi-Mumbai expressway in Dausa. During the programme, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of 247 km of national highway projects to be developed at a cost of more than Rs 5,940 crore, including 67-km long four-lane spur road from Bandikui to Jaipur to be developed at a cost of more than Rs 2,000 crore, a six-lane spur road from Kotputli to Baraodaneo, to be developed at a cost of about Rs 3,775 crore and two-lane paved shoulder of Lalsot-Karoli section, being developed at a cost of about Rs 150 crore.

NOT ABOUT ELECTIONS

When contacted, both the railways and road ministries said that the projects have nothing to do with the upcoming elections.

According to an official from MoRTH, currently projects worth Rs 80,000 crore are underway in Rajasthan. This year, the ministry is aiming to complete projects worth Rs 20,000 crore.

We have been inaugurating and reviewing the projects for various states. Currently, there is no part of the country where our projects are not underway. So the election has nothing to do with these projects, the MoRTH official added.

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A similar response was from the railways as well. We are undertaking projects depending upon the feasibility and requirement, an official said, demanding anonymity.

Rajasthan is expected to go for polls around November-December and soon after that 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be held around March.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a champion of an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle, has always celebrated India through his culturally rich ensembles. Showcasing his commitment to environment-friendly fashion, Modi adorned an exquisite chandan-shade Sadri jacket, custom-made from 25-28 recycled PET bottles, at the G7 Summit in Japan.

The PM has been at his experimental best when it comes to supporting India and its rich culture in fashion: sporting khadi Modi kurtas to celebrating traditional Indian attire. Heres a look at some impressive ensembles he has adorned over the years.

Be kind, rewind

After donning the sleeveless Sadri jacket in sean blue colour during the Lok Sabha budget session in February 2023, which was gifted to him by the Indian Oil Corporation, PM Modis decision to wear it once again in chandan colour at the G7 Summit reaffirms his commitment to promoting eco-friendly practices.

Designed by EcoLine, a clothing brand originating from Tamil Nadu, which manufactures clothes made from recycled PET bottle waste and organic cotton, the attire serves as a powerful reminder to safeguard our planet and reduce the effects of climate change. And having Prime Minister Narendra Modi support the cause through his sartorial decisions helps convey the message.

We are immensely thrilled and honoured to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi choose to wear the Sadri jacket presented by EcoLine Clothing once again," said Senthil Sankar, Managing Partner at EcoLine Clothing. We are truly amazed and deeply grateful for his continued endorsement. It is a testament to our shared vision of promoting eco-friendly practices and creating a greener future. We remain committed to delivering high-quality, environmentally conscious products, and we are inspired to further innovate and contribute to the cause of sustainability."

Khadi for nation, khadi for fashion

An advocate for Make in India, PM Modi has always been supportive and encouraging towards the fabrics of the country, one of them being khadi. The Prime Minister regularly wears khadi during his travels across the globe. According to a report on Narendra Modis official website, he has left no stone unturned to popularise khadi and create a mass movement where everyone purchases khadi products, particularly on the special day of Gandhi Jayanti.

The PM has been quoted on the official website saying, When we purchase khadi, we are brightening the lives of the lakhs of weavers who toil day and night.

The love khadi has received from PM Modi, and to honour and celebrate Indias Fabric of Freedom, Khadi India presented a showcase dedicated to the cloth at Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI in March 2023. Taking inspiration from the Prime Minister and how khadi has become a symbol of sustainable fashion and ultimate luxury, Manoj Kumar, chairman, KVIC, shared his thoughts during the Fashion Week, saying, Honble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji has coined a popular slogan Khadi for nation, Khadi for fashion, Khadi for transformation, and KVIC is working hard to realise this dream. Increasingly, designers across the spectrum are looking at khadi with a new lens as it encourages them to create fashion relevant to the present and the future."

Experimental hero: The Modi Kurta

From colours to unique styling, Narendra Modi has made his sartorial choices a perfect mood board for statement dressing. Remember the much-talked-about interview with Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, where he mentions why he cuts off the sleeves of his trademark kurtas?

Kurtas have played an integral part in Narendra Modis wardrobe. And the reason why the PM chooses to wear a half-sleeved kurta is because he used to travel with a small luggage bag and the long-sleeved kurtas take up a lot of space. So he would cut them and make them half-sleeved.

When simplicity becomes style, it becomes a statement. On the official Narendra Modi website, the PM shared how the Modi Kurta was born. He said: My work with the RSS and BJP not only meant excessive travelling, but also uncertain and punishing schedules. And, as someone who always washed his own clothes, I realised that washing a full-sleeved Kurta was tougher and more time-consuming so I decided to cut the Kurtas into half-sleeved ones.

A symbol of culture

Be it the traditional Naga warrior headgear or the Garo hat in Shillong, Narendra Modi has always embraced every traditional Indian attire with open arms. Having donned many hats of culture during his travels in India, Modi has carried off every symbol of culture with elan.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)

During his visit to Kochi, Kerala, in April 2023, PM Modi looked suave in the customary dress of the state comprising a white and gold kasavu mundu, a shawl, and a kurta, as he commenced a procession on foot.
Numerous accommodations are taking proactive steps to minimize their environmental footprint by addressing food waste, supporting local economies, and educating their guests. Surprisingly, they manage to achieve all these sustainability goals while still providing exceptional experiences to their visitors. Interestingly, travelers themselves are increasingly conscious of their impact and are actively considering sustainability when planning their holidays. According to Booking.coms Sustainable Travel Report, a significant 97% of travelers express their desire to travel more sustainably this year. Furthermore, nearly 73% of them express their intention to leave the places they visit in a better state than when they arrived, while 82% seek authentic experiences that genuinely reflect the local culture. These findings clearly demonstrate travelers commitment to supporting destinations and communities they visit, highlighting their growing interest in sustainable tourism.

To make it easier for travellers to plan their green holidays, Booking.com has curated a list of accommodations. From eco-friendly camps to high end sustainable luxury hotels these accommodations are not simply places to enjoy a great stay but also places that have actively put measures in place to minimise their environmental impact, use renewable energy sources and make efforts to benefit the local communities too.

Cedar Inn, Darjeeling

The Cedar Inn exemplifies a strong commitment to sustainability. The hotel takes significant steps to promote eco-conscious practices, including serving organic food to guests, offering information about local ecosystems, heritage, culture and eliminating the use of single-use plastics. Nestled in the enchanting town of Darjeeling, the Cedar Inn provides a serene setting with breath-taking views of the surrounding mountains, allowing guests to fully immerse themselves in an environmentally friendly experience.

Chokling ArtHouse  The Treasure of Himalayas, Bir

As an idyllic getaway, this destination not only offers a perfect escape but also distinguishes itself by noteworthy sustainable practices. Chokling ArtHouse  The Treasure of Himalayas is the eco-friendly stay in Bir if you are looking at making your travel sustainable. The property follows environmentally friendly measures such as dedicated efforts to minimise food waste, promoting the use of reusable towels, and giving guests the option to opt-out of regular room cleaning. Staying at such environmentally conscious accommodations encourages guests to embrace sustainability beyond their trip, making a positive impact even after they return home.

Six Sense Vana, Dehradun

Situated in the foothill of the Himalayas, Six Senses Vana is a wellness retreat designed to help visitors rejuvenate with a sense of purity. The stay here includes daily retreat activities like yoga, meditation, workshops and wellness consultation that helps you connect with yourself and nature. Along with providing a space that helps relax and unwind, following sustainable practices is a way of life. The property uses various eco-friendly practices such as rainwater harvesting, solar heating to using organic linen, LED bulbs, in-house bottling plant, use biodegradable bags, grow local and seasonal ingredients in house, Vana creates a blissfully inviting eco-friendly space for travellers.

Nature Hunt Eco Camp, Assam

For a sustainable and eco-friendly experience that preserves Assams natural charm, Nature Hunt Eco Camp is the ideal choice. This property embraces eco-friendly practices to ensure the conservation of Assams charm. They use energy-efficient LED lamps, serve locally sourced cuisine, and provide water conservation options for travellers, all contributing to the betterment of the environment while supporting the local economy. Additionally, the camps close proximity to the UNESCO World Heritage site, Kaziranga National Park, offers guests the opportunity to explore this remarkable wildlife sanctuary during their visit.

Abode, Mumbai

Located in Colaba, Mumbai, Abode is a luxury boutique hotel that offers travellers an authentic, personal and an engaging experience. The hotel sits in an elegant colonial building and features vintage furniture and original artworks. The design and style of this property is dedicated to environment and social responsibility with a focus on sustainability. The furniture here has been crafted by local artisans and where possible energy-saving solutions are implemented. The airport pick-up service is run by an organisation focused on empowering the women of Mumbai, the spa employs blind masseuse and the shop in the lobby sells products from local NGOs.

The Tamara, Coorg

Adding to Coorgs reputation as the Scotland of India," the Tamara stands out as an exquisite property that exemplifies a strong commitment to sustainability. The hotel has implemented various eco-friendly measures to minimise its environmental impact while ensuring an exceptional guest experience. These measures include installing electric car charging stations, employing local guides for tours and activities, and utilising key cards or motion-activated electricity to save costs and reduce environmental footprint. By incorporating these practices, The Tamara showcases its dedication to preserve the beauty of Coorg while providing guests with an unforgettable experience.

Vythiri Resort, Wayanad

Vythiri Resort is an exquisite eco-friendly jungle hideaway set in lush tropical rainforest ideal for those looking to recharge and rejuvenate amidst nature. It is built mostly with natural materials like mud, thatch and bamboo, with minimum use of concrete and is available in configurations ranging from lofty tree houses, rustic cottages and a set of suites. The property has taken significant steps towards sustainability and follows some good practices such as the bio-gas plant, solar heated water and employment practices that focus training on sustainable tourism practices in daily work. Bird watching, trekking, cycling, jungle walk are some of the activities one can enjoy here.
Aditya Singh Rajputs last rites were held on Tuesday, May 23 at Oshiwara in Mumbai. Reportedly, the Splitsvilla 9 fames mother broke down at the funeral and got emotional as she bid final adieu to her son. Several of Adityas industry friends and colleagues also attended the funeral. Bigg Boss 15 fame Rajiv Adatia was one of the firsts to arrive for the funeral. Among others, Rohit K Verma, Ashoke Pandit and Harsh Rajput also paid their last respects to the late actor.

READ MORE: Aditya Singh Rajput Funeral: Actors Mom Breaks Down; Rohit Verma, Rajiv Adatia Pay Last Respects

Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday said the ban imposed on The Kerala Story by some states was unconstitutional after it was cleared by the CBFC. Banning a film which has been passed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) amounts to insulting the constitution. The ban on The Kerala Story by some states is not correct," she said. The Kerala Story has polarised the political discourse in the country as it depicts how women from Kerala were forced to convert and recruited by the terror group Islamic State (IS).

READ MORE: Kangana Ranaut SLAMS The Kerala Story Ban, Calls It Unconstitutional

Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani were snapped at the Mumbai airport on Tuesday evening. The two actors were returning from Japan after enjoying a vacation. In the video that surfaced online, Sidharth and Kiara were seen holding hands and flaunting their million-dollar smiles as they walked towards their car and posed for the paparazzi. Earlier, a picture of Sidharth and Kiara also went viral on social media from their Japan vacation. The two actors fell in love with each other while shooting for their hit film Shershaah and tied the knot on February 7 this year.

READ MORE: Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani Hold Hands, Flaunt Smiles As They Return From Japan; Watch

BTS member V aka Kim Taehyung and BLACKPINKs Lisa recently attended Naomi Campbells birthday party in Cannes amid the ongoing French film festival. In a picture that surfaced on social media, V and Lisa can be seen posing with the birthday girl. The two sported an all-black outfit and looked gorgeous as ever. Among others, pop stars Robin Thicke and Ashlee Simpson also attended Naomis birthday bash. Vs picture with Lisa comes at a time when formers dating rumours with BLACKPINKs Jennie have also been making headlines.

READ MORE: BTS V Parties With BLACKPINK Member Lisa at Cannes Amid Jennie Dating Rumours

Shehnaaz Gill is ready to fall in love again but it is not for her heart. The actress, speaking with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, said that her heart craves for love for the sake of her career. It is no secret that Shehnaaz was rumoured to be dating Sidharth Shukla. Following his death, Shehnaaz stepped away from the spotlight for a while before returning stronger. Salman Khan had recently also urged her to move on. Recently, Shehnaazs dating rumours with her Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan co-star Raghav Juyal also made headlines. However, later the actor clarified that there is no truth in these speculations.

READ MORE: Shehnaaz Gill Admits Shes Ready to Fall in Love, Says Pyaar Mein Dhoka Milega
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli have been cautious in safeguarding their daughter Vamikas privacy. Despite it being over two years since Vamikas birth, the couple has not shared her face with the public.

Recently, Anushka was seen in the city sporting an oversized shirt and pants. As she made her way to her car, she greeted the paparazzi who had gathered with a smile and wave. But, she refrained from engaging with them further as she was accompanied by Vamika during the outing.

Despite the paparazzis insistence, Anushka told them that her child was with her before getting into her car. She seemed visibly irritated when the photographers started shouting her name. Anushkas reaction to the paparazzi didnt sit well with a section of netizens. They started trolling her, claiming she was being unreasonable and compared her to other Bollywood moms who happily pose with their children. On the other hand, some defended Anushka and urged the photographers to respect her privacy.

She seems to be the only one who actually managed to keep vamika away from media," wrote one user. Another, defending her right to privacy, wrote, I just like her attitude manshe is straight and on point privacy is privacy." Another use commented, Bachhe ko dur rakho ye sabse."

On the work front, Anushka is not only gearing up to walk the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festval but is also reportedly scheduled to present an award honouring women. It is said Anushka Sharma will deliver the accolade alongside Hollywood veteran Kate Winslet.

Virat and Anushka tied the knot in a private ceremony in 2017 in Tuscany and were blessed with daughter Vamika in January 2021.
Gulshan Devaiah weighed in on Vijay Varma and Tamannaah Bhatias dating rumours in a new interview and confessed that while he is not aware of their relationship status, he does feel there is a spark between the two. The actor made the statement weeks after he teased Vijay Varma during the trailer launch of Dahaad. Videos went viral showing Gulshan and Sonakshi Sinha pulling Vijays leg with Tamannaahs name.

Addressing the viral moment, Gulshan told Hindustan Times that he decided to tease Vijay after reports of them dating went viral. I have no idea. I havent even met her. I have seen just media reports and pictures of them together and started teasing. But by the looks of his, rather than me confirming, his face says something. Kuch toh hai. Kya hai exactly pata nahi (Something is there but what is it I dont know). They do look like they have very good chemistry. Im sure that means something," he said.

Speaking of the viral moment, the actor added, I started the Tammanh joke and it went viral. He took it sportingly. We are friends and we respect each other a lot. I would never want to put him down. I knew I could tease him a little bit. It was well within the boundaries. Its not nearly close to how I would tease him in reality (laughs)."

Their relationship rumours sparked after a video of them kissing on New Year in Goa went viral. Later, the two attended Diljit Dosanjhs concert in Mumbai. According to Pinkvilla, Tamannaah Bhatia spoke about her marriage speculations while talking to Hindustan Times. She added: People are constantly getting me married to all kinds of people- from doctor to businessman! I feel I have already been married too many times, I dont know what will happen when I really get married! Will people be excited anymore? People will think it is another speculation."
In a shocking turn of events, nine fans of Telugu superstar Jr NTR were arrested by the police in Karnatakas Robertsonpet for their alleged involvement in sacrificial activities.

According to a report in Great Andhra.com, the fans in question allegedly killed two goats and spilled their blood on Jr NTRs flexi banners outside a theatre as part of the actors birthday celebrations. Jr NTR celebrated his 40th birthday on May 20.

The individuals arrested were identified as P Siva Naga Raju, K Sai, G Sai, D Naga Bhushanam, V Sai, P Nageswara Rao, Y Dharani, P Siva, and B Anil Kumar. As per the report, on May 20, Siva Naga Raju and his friends arrived at Siri Krishna and Siri Venkata theatre to celebrate Jr NTRs birthday. They reportedly killed the goats, smeared their blood on Jr NTRs banners, and took away the carcasses along with the sharp weapons used in the act before escaping the scene."

Meanwhile, after the massive success of Jr NTRs RRR, it is being speculated that the Telugu star is now all set to make his Bollywood debut with Yash Raj Films War 2. The film, directed by Ayan Mukerji, is expected to go on floors later this year and promises to showcase some high-octane action scenes.

On Taraks birthday, Hrithik Roshan seemingly confirmed that the pan-India superstar is indeed a part of the YRFs Spy Universe. Jr NTRs reaction to Hrithiks tweet added fuel to the fire.

Hrithik took to Twitter on Saturday and wrote, Happy Birthday @tarak9999! Wishing you a joyous day and an action-packed year ahead. Awaiting you on the yuddhabhumi my friend. May your days be full of happiness and peace until we meet Puttina Roju Subhakankshalu Mitrama.

Replying to his tweet, Jr NTR wrote, Thank you sir for your lovely wish! Im going to soak in the day today You should start counting down the days too Hope you sleep well thinking about what awaits because I want you well rested at the yuddhabhoomi. See you soon!"

Thank you sir for your lovely wish!Im going to soak in the day todayYou should start counting down the days too Hope you sleep well thinking about what awaits because I want you well rested at the yuddhabhoomi  see you soon!  Jr NTR (@tarak9999) May 20, 2023

War is a franchise dear to Aditya Chopra and he was clear from the beginning to take War 2 to a whole new level, and Jr NTRs potential addition has definitely made this one of the most awaited films of Bollywood.
Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani were snapped at the Mumbai airport on Tuesday evening. The two actors were returning from Japan after enjoying a vacation. In the video that surfaced online, Sidharth and Kiara were seen holding hands and flaunting their million-dollar smiles as they walked towards their car and posed for the paparazzi.

Sidharth sported a black t-shirt with matching trousers. He layered it with an oversized shirt and looked dapper as always. On the other hand, Kiara advani looked gorgeous as ever in an all-white attire.

Reacting to the video, one of the fans called them adorable, whereas another wrote, power couple. Watch the video here:

Earlier, a picture of Sidharth and Kiara also went viral on social media from their Japan vacation. Sidharth was seen wearing a black t-shirt paired with a blue jacket and matching joggers. He was seen holding a few shopping bags as Kiara stood next to him.

Kiara and Sidharth fell in love with each other while shooting for their hit film Shershaah. The lovebirds tied the knot on February 7 this year at the Suryagarh Palace in Jaisalmer. Their wedding was an intimate ceremony with only family members and close friends in attendance. However, the couple hosted a mega star-studded reception later in Mumbai.

Later, in an interview with News18 Showsha, Kiara opened up on life post her wedding and how it has made her appreciate her mother more than ever. For the first time, Im running a home. I used to live in my parents home. My mum did it all and weve so much respect and value for her right now. But its lovely and a beautiful phase. Im very, very happy, she said.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Kiara will soon be seen in Satyaprem Ki Katha with Kartik Aaryan. She has already wrapped up shooting for the same. On the other hand, Sidharth has Dharma Productions Yodha and Rohit Shettys Indian Police Force in his pipeline.
May 22 was the birthday of arguably one of the worlds most beloved cartoonists of all time, Georges Prosper Remi, known by the pen name Herge, who mesmerised readers across the globe with his iconic creation of Tintin. Even though the Belgian cartoonists magnum opus series The Adventures of Tintin has been translated into around 100 languages and more than 300 million copies have been sold across the globe since its creation 94 years ago, the globe-trotting reporter has some unique connections with, of all places on Earth, Taiwan. The island has been one of the few countries Herge visited, even though none of his adventures mentioned the geopolitically sensitive T word in any of the 24 books of the gung-ho fictional character with his trademark quiff.

Generalissimos grand invitation

It is said that modern Taiwans founder Chiang Kai-shek was one of the first heads of state to get mesmerised by the baby-faced journalist. After reading one of Herges earliest Tintin stories, The Blue Lotus, originally serialised in the weekly Belgian newspaper supplement Le Petit Vingtieme between 1934 and 1935, and set in China during the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, in 1931, the Generalissimo, who was then leading the Nationalist Chinese resistance against the Japanese imperialist forces in the Mainland, sent a personal invitation to the Belgian creator of Tintin to visit his country at the behest of his wife, Soong Mei-ling.

Soong sisters and Tintin

Interestingly, Mei-lings elder sister Soong Ching-ling also strongly connected with The Blue Lotus, which was published as a book in 1936. Ching-ling, who happened to be modern Chinas founding father, Sun Yat-sens widow and future vice president of the Communist-ruled Peoples Republic of China (PRC), had a friend in Belgium called Lou Tseng-Tsiang or Lu Zhengxiang. He had once served as a former prime minister of her husband, Sun, and later became a Benedictine monk at the abbey of St Andre in Bruges, taking the name Dom Pierre-Celestin Lou. According to Roger Faligots book Chinese Spies: From Chairman Mao to Xi Jinping, Herge was introduced to Chinese sculptor Zhang Chongren through Lou for the first time. The rest, as they say, is history. A young Zhang, then a student at Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, helped Herge authentically create the Chinese scenes and settings for The Blue Lotus. The Belgian artists legendary camaraderie with Zhang also resulted in the creation of the adorable character of a little boy, Chang Chong-Chen, who, after making his debut in The Blue Lotus, made a remarkable return in Tintin in Tibet as an air crash survivor in the high Himalayas. Notably, in the original French version of the comics, Chang was christened as Tchang Tchong-Jen. On the other hand, French investigative journalist Faligots seminal work also mentioned, To help him with his research, Dom Pierre-Celestin Lou lent Herge the book he had published the previous year, The Invasion and Occupation of Manchuria.

Madame Chiang Kai-shek & Chang

In her dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, titled How Tintin Met Tchang: The Sino-Belgian Catholic Network in the Early Twentieth Century, scholar Zhiyuan Pan noted, Although the comic had not officially entered China, the first lady of the Republic of China, Soong Mei-ling learned of it through a source of information which remains unclear from current research. However, there is also an unverified claim by the Chinese version of Wikipedia that Mei-ling or Madame Chiang Kai-shek, herself translated one version of Tintin in the early Republic of China (around 1930-the 40s), and it was designated as a good childrens book, but it should have been out of print after many wars.

Taipei-based Professor Albert Tang Wei-min, a Tintin aficionado, who also visited Herge Museum, among other places associated with the adventure series, noted, Since Madam Chiang was associated with the publications of several literature and translation works, there may be a good chance of her bringing out a Tintin book in Chinese before the Japanese aggression, but I have never come across any such information before. But the academic from Fu Jen Catholic University in New Taipei City informed, Zhang Chongrens mentor was Ma Xiangbo, one of the founders of my university and the Tushanwan Orphanage near Shanghai, where Zhang grew up after losing his mother at an early age. Tushanwan was a cradle for many Chinese artists, including Zhang, who benefitted from art-exchange programs and regular visits from Europe. An aged Ma, who took Zhang under his wing, used his contacts and connections in Belgium to play a key role in helping Zhang to study in Belgium and eventually get introduced to Herge. On the other hand, Madame Chiang Kai-Shek was the president of my university for 17 years.

Three-decade-old invitation

In addition, Pan, in her theological thesis, mentioned, As recorded in the diary of Lu Zhengxiang on 7th December 1939, he received a telegram from Chongqing from the Minister of Information, Dong Xianguang (Hollington Tong): Madame Chiang invites Herge. Reimbursement provided. Lu told Dom Neut of the invitation, and he contacted Herge the next day. According to the biographer Benoit Peeters, the real intention of this telegram was to invite Herge to draw for the educational sector of the Chinese government, probably in a weekly for Chinese youth. Ultimately, Herge could not go because he was doing military service before being declared unfit due to sinusitis and boils in May 1940. A few days later, Germany launched attacks on Belgium and began its occupation, which lasted for the next five years.

Herges long-pending visit, however, got materialised after more than three decades. But by then, Chiang Kai-shek had left the Chinese Mainland to relocate the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan as its president, while there was a geopolitical concern as well as a dilemma for the Belgian comics czar. In the book, The Real Herge: The Inspiration Behind Tintin, its author Sian Lye mentioned, However, in November 1972, Herge received a letter from Taiwan. The letter was from Mr. Tsai, who was reissuing the invitation from thirty-five years earlier to visit the country from the same government, under the leadership of the same man, and in the name of the same people.

Dilemma before departure

But the Cold War-era decade of the swinging seventies that saw both the Communist Mainland and the Nationalist (Kuomintang) Taiwan tussling for the legitimate rights of China in the diplomatic sphere also resulted in some dilemma for Herge. This had been instigated by a journalist and friend of Herges, Dominique de Wespin, who visited Taiwan in 1971 and reminded her contacts of the invitation they had made to Herge so long ago. The book further claimed, Herge was keen but sought advice from Father Neut, who had passed on the original invitation to him. But Father Neut, who was more conscious of the political situation in China and Taiwan at that time, urged him not to accept, telling him that while in 1939 Chiang Kai-Shek had been the leader of the Chinese state, he was no longer in charge. Neut felt that the days of his government on Formosa were numbered and added that if Herge were to visit Taiwan, the political situation in that area was so tense it would make it extremely difficult for him to ever visit China.

But eventually, Taiwan had the last laugh. Undeterred by Father Neuts advice, Herge accepted the invitation and travelled to Taiwan, Lye informed.

In 1973, just two years before both Mei-ling and the Generalissimo passed away, Herge was in Taiwan on its governments invitation and was awarded a Golden Lei medal at the Taiwan National History Museum in recognition of his support of China during the Sino-Japanese conflict in The Blue Lotus. Herges personal album has a newspaper clipping about his felicitation in Taipei and a photo of him posing in front of a Buddhist temple that has an uncanny similarity with Taipeis historic Longshan temple in Wanhua district.

Much-awaited reunion with Chang

Another significance of Herges Taiwan trip was that it was part of his quest to search for his long-lost Chinese friend Zhang with whom he lost contact after the latter returned to China after completing his course in Brussels. But, unfortunately, despite visiting Taiwan with high expectations of finding the real-life Chang, Herge had to return disappointed. Neither could he find the Chinese artist, nor the Taiwanese government could provide him with a single piece of information about Zhang.

As luck would have it, Shanghai-born Zhang remained on the Mainland since returning from Belgium and passing through the subsequent upheavals and turmoil in his country. He had, as per Pans paper, suffered a great deal because of his Catholic faith and the sculpture he had made of Chiang Kai-shek in 1946 was taken as counter-revolutionary evidence against him: his property was confiscated, and most of his artworks were destroyed. He was beaten and publicly humiliated before being sent to do farm labour at a May 7th cadre school. A few years after Herges Taiwan visit, the erstwhile victim of the Mao-era Culture Revolution was rehabilitated by the Deng Xiaoping regime in 1979. Moreover, Zhang was eventually connected to Herge through some key officials of the Deng regime, but the Belgian cartoonists efforts to visit China were believed to be jeopardised by his previous Taiwan trip as Lye highlighted, as he had visited Taiwan, it was now incredibly difficult for him to get a Chinese visa.

On the other hand, Zhangs approval applied in China to be allowed to go to Belgium was pending for a long time, and it would take years before the two friends managed to have their long-awaited and high-profile reunion in 1981 at the invitation of the French government. But Herges wish to visit the mainland, the only country featured in two different Tintin adventures, remained unfulfilled as he passed away two years later.

Tongue-wagging Tintin Legacy in Taiwan

But sadly, like China, Tintin was published in Taiwan only in the mid-1990s when China Times Publishing Company brought out a translation series, and later, in the 2000s, another Taiwanese publishing major, Sharp Point Press, printed the Mandarin version of the adventures of the Belgian boy journalist with their special editions coming out as late as 2018. I remember being introduced to Tintin when I took my son to the previous branch of Alliance Franchise in the early 2000s as they decorated the French language classrooms with Tintin graffiti. However, those wall paintings no longer exist as they later shifted to the current National Taiwan University (NTU) campus, rued Professor Tang.

Today, in Taiwan, akin to the Mainland, the Chinese name of Tintin  Dingding () is often used as a slang for phallus since the Chinese character resembles JJ, which is the short form for Jiji (), the word for penis in Chinese. Besides, a popular pharmacy chain across Taiwan is named after the intrepid investigative reporter, while the Bon Hotel in the heart of Taipei is a tiny Tintin-themed boutique hotel located on the 4th floor of a commercial building. Nonetheless, Taiwan probably remained the only country besides the USA where Tintins Belgian creator had an official visit, not any transit, outside Europe.

The author is an independent journalist and MOE Huayu Scholar in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Views expressed are personal.
Esha Gupta looked uber hot in a black bodycon midi dress with rhinestone detailing at the bust. The diva opted for a casual loose bun with the evening dress. (Image: Instagram)
There is a spring in the step of the Congress after winning the Karnataka polls. And with this comes a renewed energy to make opposition unity a reality, which till now has been stillborn.

Sources say the May 27 Niti Aayog gathering could be a meeting ground for this unity, or at least a meeting. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal after talks involving party leader Rahul Gandhi, its president Mallikarjun Kharge, and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday that the date for an opposition meeting will be announced in a day or two. The meeting after consultation with stakeholders could be held either in Delhi or a safe place like Patna as some parties like the Trinamool Congress have reservations over allowing the Congress to take the lead.

In fact, its Nitish Kumar who is playing the role that Mamata Banerjee did in 2019: forging opposition unity. Its felt that being from the Hindi heartland, a good orator, with no corruption charges against him gives Nitish the edge over other players. Also, many opposition leaders may not have an issue with the Bihar CM taking charge.

But the hurdle remains the Aam Aadmi Party. The Congress may have got support from AAP during the previous Parliament session, but it cannot take the help of any party that it sees as eating into its vote bank. The Congress is aware that AAP can grow only by weakening it. This is why the Aam Aadmi Party was not invited to the oath-taking ceremony of the newly formed Karnataka government.

In fact, even on the Centres controversial Delhi ordinance, while AAP has got support from some opposition outfits like the TMC, and even Congress allies such as the JD(U), the grand old partys response has been cautious.

A statement issued by KC Venugopal said, The Congress will consult its state units and other like-minded parties on this. The party believes in the rule of law and at the same time does not condone unnecessary confrontation, political witch hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party." This is under pressure from Delhi leaders like Sandeep Dikshit and Ajay Maken who have openly criticised AAP for not being able to sort out its tussle with bureaucrats. In fact, a few days ago Sandeep Dikshit had criticised his party for not standing up to AAP and had mentioned the fact that his mother, late Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, had been harassed" by Arvind Kejriwal.

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This puts the plan suggested by Nitish Kumar and TMC in a spot. Sources say one of the proposals is that these opposition parties will have an understanding of one joint candidate on each key Lok Sabha seat for the 2024 elections so anti-BJP votes arent divided. This plan may fail if the Congress and AAP dont come to an agreement. Similarly, Murshidabad MP and leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhurys political survival is tied to anti-Mamataism". West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee insists that the Congress must ensure Adhir sheds this opposition.

With neither side ready to blink, is it a blind alley for the idea of opposition unity before the meeting has even begun?
Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal will kick off a whirlwind tour this week beginning with West Bengal and Maharashtra to elicit support from the Trinamool Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray against the Centres ordinance on jurisdiction over bureaucrats in the national capital.

The ordinance effectively took away the elected governments executive and legislative power over services awarded to it by a five-judge Constitution Bench after an eight-year-long battle with the Centre.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha would be accompanying the Delhi Chief Minister to both West Bengal and Maharashtra. AAP sources said the party plans to travel to all non-BJP-ruled states and that Kejriwal will reach out personally to all leaders in the opposition camp.

Kejriwal has already met former BJP ally and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U) and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD, who have come out in open support of the AAP government. The Left parties, too, have announced a demonstration on May 24 to demand that the ordinance be withdrawn.

There, however, may be more to Kejriwals meetings with opposition leaders than just galvanizing support against the May 19 ordinance.

He (Nitish Kumar) is engaged in uniting all opposition leaders. I have requested him that if all opposition parties and non-BJP parties come together, and if they (central government) bring this ordinance in the Rajya Sabha in the form of a bill, we can defeat it. And if this bill is defeated in the Rajya Sabha, in a way, this will be the semi-final for 2024 (Lok Sabha elections). If this bill is defeated, a message will go across the country that the BJP is losing 2024, Kejriwal had said after meeting Nitish Kumar.

After the still-born G8 or Group of 8 meeting in which Kejriwal had invited seven non-BJP chief ministers, the Delhi CM is trying to turn the current crisis into an opportunity to re-engage with all non-BJP leaders and catapult himself and the party onto the national stage. The G8 chief ministers who gave the initial meeting call a miss are West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

The AAP has pitched the ordinance has an experiment by the central government to allegedly grab power in other opposition-ruled states.

The manner in which an attempt has been made to cripple the Delhi government by promulgating an ordinance is being used as a prayogshala (laboratory). In the coming days, as one sees the situation, they can bring an ordinance for the whole country and impose tanashahi (dictatorship), said AAP Delhi State Convenor Gopal Rai.

Many opposition parties have alleged that the central government has misused investigative agencies like CBI and ED to settle political scores, with 14 of them even having petitioned the Supreme Court unsuccessfully on the alleged misuse of central investigative and seeking guidelines for the future.

But defeating such a bill, if and when it is tabled in the Rajya Sabha, would prove to be a Herculean task for the opposition which has never been united enough to defeat controversial bills like the dilution of Article 370 or the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Ironically, the AAP had supported the BJP on abrogation of special status for Jammu and Kashmir, something which former J&K CM Omar Abdullah has reminded the party of.

What has been done to Delhi is a travesty & goes against the spirit of cooperative federalism. That said Raghav, its a shame the AAP didnt realise the danger of its actions when it happily sided with the BJP in Aug 2019. J&K was dismembered & reduced to a union territory & the https://t.co/4fQWYvOIfI Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 20, 2023

Moreover, the AAP has 10 MPs in the Rajya Sabha and would need to court its bitter rival, the Congress, which has 31 MPs. Without the Congress, it is difficult to predict how the other opposition parties would eventually side. Currently, the opposition is spaced out in the Rajya Sabha as per the following MP count:

TMC - 12 MPs

DMK  10 MPs

TRS  7 MPs

RJD  6 MPs

CPI(M)  5 MPs

JD(U)  5 MPs

TDP  1 MP

NCP  4 MPs

Samajwadi Party  3 MPs

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray  3 MPs

CPI  2 MPs

JMM  2 MPs

Other smaller parties like AGP, IUML, JD (S), Kerala Congress, Marumalarchi DMK, RLD, Tamil Manila Congress (Moopanar) and TDP have one MP each in the Rajya. Without the Congress, these add up to 77. With the Congress, the tally goes to 108.

Nitish Kumar had recently met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary KC Venugopal to garner support against the ordinance. While initial indications suggested the Congress would support the AAP, Venugopal scorched all speculation.

The Congress Party has not taken any decision on the issue of the Ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the Government of NCT of Delhi with respect to appointment of officers. It will consult its state units & other like-minded parties on the same, he tweeted. This was retweeted by former Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken.

The Congress Party has not taken any decision on the issue of the Ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the Government of NCT of Delhi with respect to appointment of officers. It will consult its state units & other like-minded parties on the same.The Party  K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) May 22, 2023

The BJP-led NDA has a comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha with 329 MPs, but in the 238-member Rajya Sabha, the saffron party has 93 MPs. Assuming that all members would be present and voting, the BJP needs to cross 119.

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Even though many of its allies have left the NDA, the BJP can still hope to cross the finish line with the support of allies like AIADMK (4 MPs), five nominated members and parties like BJD (9), YSRCP (9), BSP (1), Independent and others (3) and smaller parties like Mizo National Front, National Peoples Party, Pattali Makkal Katchi, RPI (Athawale), Sikkim Democratic Front, United Peoples Party (Liberal), who have one member each.

There is also a high-probability of walkouts in the opposition camp. The aim is to defeat the ordinance, but only after talks with various leaders will we be in a position to better gauge the situation, an AAP leader told News18 on condition of anonymity.
Aam Aadmi Party convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his team met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, beginning a campaign to seek support against a controversial ordinance of the Centre on transfers and postings of bureaucrats. Along with Kejriwal were several party colleagues such as Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Raghav Chaddha, Atishi, and Sanjay Singh.

VIDEO | West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee greets her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal as he, along with other AAP leaders, arrives at state secretariat in Nabana, West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/sNpS9LKXFS Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 23, 2023

The meeting lasted over half an hour. Afterwards, Mamata Banerjee requested all parties to support AAP and to vote against a bill based on this ordinance when it is tabled in the Rajya Sabha. She also spoke about miracles", maintaining that if the bill is defeated in the Upper House, the government may not be around for another six months.

We will support AAP in fighting against the central ordinance. I am requesting all partiesmy humble appeal to all, even BJP members, is to give their vote to non-BJP parties, the Trinamool Congress chairperson said.

The Centre promulgated an ordinance on Friday to create the National Capital Civil Services Authority to decide on postings and transfers of bureaucrats and make the Lt Governor the final arbiter over such matters. It effectively took away the elected Delhi governments executive and legislative power over services awarded to it by a five-judge Constitution Bench after an eight-year-long battle with the Centre.

Congress question

Arvind Kejriwal did not state whether he wants the Congresss support on the matter or not. He said, I am thankful to Didi (Mamata) that she has said that she will support us in the Rajya Sabha. We will win the semi-final. This government at the Centre is undemocratic. They either try to topple opposition governments by buying MLAs or intimidate through ED and CBI. This ordinance vote will be the semi-final and we have to win."

Kejriwal and his team will next head towards Maharashtra. How the opposition resists the central governments move in the Rajya Sabha will be a litmus test ahead of the 2024 general elections, analysts said. And the Congresss role in this will be crucial, they added. The Congress and AAP have a fractious relationship.

Though the AAP-TMC meeting was to seek support against the Centres ordinance, sources say there were discussions on opposition strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Sources on May 26, Mamata and other non-BJP chief ministers will be in Delhi, and another opposition meeting may take place.

Opposition unity efforts

Several key opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Nitish Kumar, Sharad Pawar, and Arvind Kejriwal have been trying to work out a formula to jointly take on the BJP in next years polls.

Samajwadi Partys Akhilesh Yadav, Janata Dal (Secular)s HD Kumaraswamy, Janata Dal (United)s Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dals Tejashwi Yadav have met Mamata Banerjee in recent days. The TMC chief has proposed that whichever party is strong on whichever Lok Sabha seat should put up a candidate there supported by other opposition parties to defeat the BJP.

Mamata has been vocal about opposition unity since 2016. In 2019, a big rally of opposition leaders took place in Kolkata, but the BJP cruised to a victory in the parliamentary polls that year. TMC general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, Mamata Banerjees theory is clear: whoever is strong in whichever area should fight the BJP. We are ready to support the Congress on 200 seats but they also have to support us. They will also have to give space to regional parties. They have to give space to Akhilesh in UP."

This time, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has also met key opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee and Sharad Pawar. Nitish also met the Congress, and plans are afoot for an opposition meeting soon. Nitish seems to have a rapport with all the camps now, say analysts. The plan for the opposition to put up joint candidates against the BJP from all seats has also come up.

Kejriwal too has broached the subject of opposition unity but his equations with the Congress remain a stumbling block.

Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar too has reached out to all opposition leaders, from the Congress to Mamata.

The equations between Mamata, Kejriwal, and Congress remain crucial for the 2024 contest, observers say.

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There is also speculation over who can be the face of the opposition against Narendra Modi.

Speaking to News18, political strategist Prashant Kishor said a few days ago that mere meetings in the opposition camp will not pose a threat to the BJP. A narrative has to come up, which will counter the Modi narrative, he added.
In the US, there is a group of politicians who wear the "anti-China" label as a badge of honor. They repost every media coverage of their reckless anti-China "causes" and become overjoyed every time they're called "China hawks." Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher is one of them.

According to a Friday report from The Guardian, Gallagher once again hyped the bromidic "China threat theory" during his recent two-day visit to the UK. According to him, China's goal is "to render us subordinate, humiliated and irrelevant on the world stage," a statement that couldn't have more absurdity.

For years, we have seen so many China hawks from the US either encourage increased arms sales to the island of Taiwan, criticize Washington's decision to hold back sanctions against China, or call for the condemnation of China's so-called human rights problems. But as a rising star in the US political anti-China circle, Gallagher has not only accomplished the above-mentioned routine actions, but also stands out among all American anti-China politicians for his extremely imaginative and sensationalized words.

For example, the US lawmaker made a big deal about "China bullying the US" on several occasions, making people wonder if he comes from a parallel world whose reality is so seriously out of touch with ours.

Earlier this year, Gallagher was appointed president of the anti-China club in the US Congress - the so-called House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the US and the Chinese Communist Party. This title obviously gives him a greater sense of "responsibility" and "pride," as he has been striding on the anti-China path this year. Some American political elites have even praised him and his anti-China club for being "hard at work."

However, Gallagher is working hard in the wrong direction on China-related issues, and such "diligence" reflects a kind of laziness of US politicians that do not seek to make progress. According to Lu Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Gallagher's words and deeds represent a typical mindset among US politicians who do not want to compete on a level playing field, but rather want to trip up their opponents to maintain their country's dominant position temporarily.

Such a force is still growing in the US, with power that cannot be underestimated. These people are not thinking about a zero-sum game with China, but a negative-sum game where two sides compete for who causes more harm to the other. They don't care if this will lead to a lose-lose situation, and the US also has to pay the price. It only matters to them that China should always be suppressed by the US, and they act confidently as if that will definitely happen.

Coupled with the military-industrial complex that constantly profits from warmongering, people like Gallagher are now really creating such an absurd public opinion environment against China in the US.

Yet, the reality is that China hawks like Gallagher actually have no confidence in his country's dominance in the world, as the decline of US hegemony continues to accelerate. Washington knows that it has no certainty of winning, so it prefers to rope in more allies against its competitors, persuading the former to follow it to implement a dangerous China policy. This is exactly the intention behind the UK trip of Gallagher and the other 10 US congressmen.

Right now, Republican politicians are almost a synonym for ignorant ultra-conservatism in the US. And it is evident that almost every GOP politician who wants to stand out is maliciously talking about China. For newcomers like Gallagher who seek higher familiarity and position in their party, this means they have to take an even more conservative and extreme position, especially by playing up the pursuit of suppression instead of competition with China.

To these people, honor comes from their interests. In other words, they feel their actions and deeds are glorious as long as their interests can be advanced. No wonder Gallagher feels so proud to be labeled a "China hawk."

"I think it's extremely sad that instead of contributing to the US' development by proposing positive and beneficial ideas, politicians like Gallagher are clipping others' wings to defend American interests," Lu said.
Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari on Tuesday said that the Union ministers should read the Constitution of India very carefully". His comment came after Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri slammed the Congress for raking controversies where none exist".

Citing Article 79 of the Constitution, Manish Tewari said, There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the council of States and the House of the People. Ministers of the Union must read the Constitution of India very carefully."

Puri had earlier tweeted, Congress has a habit of raking controversies where none exist. While President is the Head of State, PM is the Head of Govt and leads the Parliament on behalf of the Govt, whose Policies are effected in form of Laws. The President is not a Member of either House, whereas PM is."

Days ahead of the opening of the new parliament building, a controversy erupted as the Congress accused the government of disrespecting Constitutional propriety and demanded that President Droupadi Murmu should do the inauguration instead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP hit back, saying the Congress was in the habit of indulging in cheap politics" of running down the countrys achievements for its selfish ends.

In a series of tweets, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that the then president Ram Nath Kovind was not invited to the new Parliaments foundation laying ceremony in December 2020 and claimed that President Murmu is not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

The Modi Government has repeatedly disrespected propriety. The Office of the President of India is reduced to tokenism under the BJP-RSS Government," the Congress president alleged.

Noting that Parliament is the supreme legislative body while the President is the highest Constitutional authority, he said she alone represents the government, the Opposition, and every citizen alike.

She is the First Citizen of India. Inauguration of the new Parliament building by her will symbolise the governments commitment to democratic values and Constitutional propriety," Kharge tweeted.

Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 following an invitation by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

Earlier, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and several opposition leaders had said that the president should inaugurate the new Parliament House and not the prime minister.

Sources claimed that Murmu was approached for inaugurating the building but she wanted the prime minister to do it.

Whenever a good thing happens, Congress leaders resort to cheap politics which has become its hallmark under Rahul Gandhi. When the nation is feeling proud on the construction of the new Parliament building, its leaders have again stooped to a new low," BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni said.

Citing records, BJP sources said the Parliament House Annexe was inaugurated by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi on October 24, 1975.

BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi slammed the opposition parties, saying they do not refrain from playing negative politics" even in this glorious moment".

The Opposition is indulging in cheap politics at a time when they should be together because Parliament is a symbol of Indian democracy. It is not related to any political party," he said.

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The Congress and other parties have been critical of the project to build the new Parliament building undertaken by the Modi government.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Communist Party of India (Marxist) have announced to boycott the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28. The decision came after several Opposition parties demanded that President Droupadi Murmu should inaugurate the new building in the national capital.

As per media sources, more Opposition parties, including Congress, are mulling skipping the event as leaders of like-minded parties deliberated on the issue and a joint statement by the floor leaders on a united boycott of the event may be released soon.

Announcing the partys decision on Twitter, TMC MP Derek OBrien said Parliament is not just a new building but it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules that are the foundation of Indian democracy.

Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesnt get thatFor him, Sundays inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out  Derek OBrien |   (@derekobrienmp) May 23, 2023

Echoing similar views, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the Aam Aadmi Party will boycott the ceremony for not inviting President Murmu and called it an insult" to the Dalit, tribal and deprived society of India.

Not inviting President Droupadi Murmu ji to the inauguration ceremony of the Parliament House is a gross insult to her. This is an insult to the Dalit tribal and deprived society of India. AAP will boycott the inauguration program in protest against Modi ji for not inviting the President," Singh tweeted.

                                         @AamAadmiParty     Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) May 23, 2023

CPI general secretary D Raja also said his party will not attend the ceremony.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury accused PM Modi of bypassing" the President during the foundation stone laying ceremony for the new Parliament building and also during its inauguration.

Modi bypassed the President when the foundation stone for the new Parliament building was laid. Now too at the inauguration. Unacceptable. Constitution Art 79: There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses," Yechury said in a tweet.

Only when the President of India summons the Parliament can it meet. The President begins, annually, Parliamentary functioning by addressing the joint session.

The first business Parliament transacts each year is the Motion of Thanks to Presidents Address," he said in a tweet.

According to news agency PTI sources, most of the Opposition parties are of the view that they should unitedly skip the ceremony, but a final decision on the issue will be taken on Wednesday.

PM Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 following an invitation by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

On Monday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge raised an objection to President Murmu not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament Building, saying the Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India, and the President of India is its highest Constitutional authority.

It looks like the Modi government has ensured the election of President of India from the dalit and the tribal communities only for electoral reasons," he also charged.

Earlier in the day, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri slammed the Congress for lacking national spirit and sense of pride" in Indias progress and the opposition party accusing him of trying to obfuscate and dissimulate".

Puri said the then prime minister Indira Gandhi had inaugurated the Parliament Annexe building on October 24, 1975 and successor Rajiv Gandhi had laid the foundation of the parliament library on August 15, 1987. If your head of government can inaugurate Parliament annexe and library then why cant the head of the government of this time do? Its as simple as that," he said.

Hitting back at Puri, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari alleged that the minister is trying to obfuscate and dissimulate". Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, I am afraid, is trying to obfuscate and dissimulate. There is a difference between an annexe to the Parliament, library and a new Parliament building," he said in a tweet.

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The opposition parties had boycotted the ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the building by Modi in December 2020, citing concerns about its timing amid farmer protests, the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic distress due to a lockdown.

(with PTI inputs)
Even as Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal is meeting opposition parties to drum up support for his protest against the Delhi ordinance, Punjab Congress has urged its party high command to avoid solidarity with AAP on the issue.

Launching a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party and its government in Punjab, Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa said on Tuesday that the AAP deserved no solidarity from Congress because it had unleashed a ruthless witch-hunt campaign against the Congress MLAs, leaders and workers in Punjab and made their lives hell by misusing the police and investigation agencies.

Bajwa urged the Congress high command to take into consideration anti-democratic" steps being taken by the Punjab government before reaching a decision on extending support to the AAP after the BJP-led central government promulgated an ordinance nullifying the Supreme Court ruling that empowered the Delhi government with control of services.

In order to strangulate the voice of the main opposition party in Punjab, the AAP government in Punjab stooped to the lowest level and lodged false FIRs against Congress leaders and workers, right from the former chief minister to village sarpanches and panches", Bajwa said.

I appeal to Congress high command to consult the leadership of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Karnataka before even considering helping the AAP. It was instrumental in giving a political edge to the BJP in these states. AAP is the B team of BJP and they are two sides of the same coin. Lets not protect a wolf in the sheeps clothing, he added.

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The opposition leader asked when all the previous CMs of Delhi including Sheila Dikshit exercised their responsibilities without any hue and cry why Kejriwal is creating a commotion now.

He said that cooperative federalism principles shouldnt be applied to Delhi because its a national capital, not a state or union territory. I believe it is a friendly game between team A (BJP) and team B (AAP) and we should let them play," Bajwa added.
Google Pixel 7a was introduced at the I/O 2023 earlier this month, making it the fourth-gen Pixel a-series phone in the market. The new Pixel 7a looks to build on Googles focus on bringing an affordable Pixel for people who dont want to buy the flagship Pixel. Having said that, Google has narrowed the gap between the features you get the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7a this year.

The company has switched to its custom Tensor G-series chip since the Pixel 6 series came out. And this year, you have the Tensor G2 spearheading the flagship and mid-range duties for Google. But for Rs 43,999 Pixel 7a isnt exactly affordable by any means that too in a market like India where buyers are spoilt for choices. So, what could be the main things that makes the Pixel 7a a worthy buy in the range? We give you the answer in this review.

Google Pixel 7a Review: Whats Cool?

The first thing you notice with the Pixel 7a is its compact design. With a 6.1-inch display, you have a petite form factor, which has become a rarity in most segments. But when you hold the Pixel 7a you realise that a small phone is still very appealing.

There have been some design changes, notably the use of a plastic body panel at the back but the frame is made of aluminium which makes the phone easy to hold and grip tightly. The camera module at the back also sees some cutbacks but overall you will find the Pixel 7a design identical to that of the premium Pixel 7.

The 6.1-inch display gets an OLED panel and this year you have a 90Hz refresh rate screen, which is an upgrade on the 60Hz screen you had with the Pixel 6a. The colours on the panel are vibrant and you have different settings to suit your preference. Having a high refresh rate screen is a definite plus as it makes scrolling fluid and the overall experience is pretty good.

Now we will talk about the cameras on the Pixel 7a which also has been upgraded with a new 64MP primary sensor along with a 13MP ultrawide sensor. These cameras paired with Googles computational photography give you natural tones and excellent detailing in the images. Even in low light, the quality of the photos will leave you impressed. Fair to say that the Pixel 7a cameras are a match for the best in the segment and see major improvements compared to its predecessor thanks to the overall package.

Pixel phones give you the best software experience thanks to the stock UI and with Android 13 onboard, the Pixel 7a gives you the premium features on a budget. In addition to this, Google will offer three OS updates for the Pixel 7a which means you get up to Android 16 for the device, and another two years of security updates are also available. You get the Pixel 7a with IP67 rating, wireless charging support is also there and a selfie camera.

The performance of the Pixel 7a is a mixed-bag but we will talk about the good parts first. The Tensor G2 is a capable chip but not equivalent to a flagship hardware. Make no mistake, you can still enjoy web browsing, catch up with social media, and play games as well. Most of these are the prime reasons why you buy a phone and the Pixel 7a easily delivers on that front.

Google Pixel 7a Review: Whats Not So Cool?

Pixel 7a has a lot going in its favour but even then you have to talk about the drawbacks since it costs over Rs 40,000. Firstly, the Tensor G2 chip has the same thermal management issues that we have noticed on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Pixel 7a has a smaller battery than the Pixel 6a but even then the battery life should be well compensated by the hardware, which is not the case here. Like we said, the Tensor G2 is good with performance but when you are competing with phones that have the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, the stakes are much higher.

Once again, Google is limiting the availability of the Pixel 7a to a single 128GB storage variant. Yes, we get that you have Google Drive storage but most people would still like a 256GB variant, especially at a time when most phones come without a microSD card slot.

Which brings us to the next concern with the Pixel 7a, its battery life. The average screen-on-time we got during our tests is around 4.5 hours which is not what we expected from a 6.1-inch compact phone.

The charging support is limited to 18W and the wireless charging unit only gives you 5W speed, which is not very fast. It also doesnt have a headphone jack, and no charger in the box either.

Google Pixel 7a Review: Should You Buy It?

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Pixel 7a has shown signs of growing up. It has picked up a lot of features from the premium Pixel 7 but to keep the cost down, some cutbacks have been made which arent exactly a deal breaker. The cameras have been upgraded, the display quality is better now and the overall experience of the phone will keep most of you satisfied.

However, the Tensor G2 is the elephant in the room and Google needs to find a solution to fix the issues with the Tensor chip, mostly concerned with the thermal management which has a direct impact on the phones battery life. If you want a premium-like Pixel experience, the Pixel 7a offers you the chance to experience the Pixel camera, stock Android and a compact design in the so-called premium affordable market. If heavy performance is not your cup of tea then the Pixel 7a is worth giving a shot.
Bill Gates, Microsoft Corps co-founder, on Monday said the technology race to win is the development of the top artificially intelligent agent, poised to disrupt search-engine, productivity and online shopping sites.

Youll never go to a search site again," he said. Youll never go to Amazon."

Speaking at AI Forward 2023, an event in San Francisco hosted by Goldman Sachs Group Inc and SV Angel, Gates said it would disappoint him if Microsoft were not in the running, though there was a 50% chance the top player to emerge will be a startup.

Amazon.com Inc, Alphabet Incs Google and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Gates said Inflection AI, co-founded by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman, impressed him.

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Various industry players have worked on building a computer assistant, powered by AI, that consumers can command by speech or text to handle a range of tasks for them.

Whoever wins the personal agent, thats a big thing," Gates said.
Who wouldnt be on hand to support a friend in their hardest moments? However, some people seem only to ask for our help when they have problems and then disappear when everything gets back on track. When you come into contact with them, you feel exhausted, even drained of all energy. Meet the energy vampires." Recently, more and more posts have been appearing on TikTok with the energy vampire" hashtag, which has almost 10 million views on the social media site. People explain how they have felt exhausted and abandoned by their friends, who only seem to show up when somethings wrong.

The metaphorical term energy vampire" refers to a person who drains the mental and emotional energy of others. They are people who take advantage of a friends listening skills and empathy to satisfy their own needs, and do not offer support in return. This term, used in the field of psychology, is now increasingly being used in the mainstream. In an interview with Psych Central, trauma therapist Jasmine Cobb explains that these people are usually co-dependent. Their negative attitudes, complaints and demands for attention can drain the positive energy of others, leaving them emotionally depleted and empty. This phenomenon can be similar to trauma dumping," which describes the irrepressible need to share emotions related to traumatic events. According to medical experts, this type of friendship is toxic, as it can lead to anxiety, sadness, stress, low self-esteem and even social isolation.

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To recognize this type of person, here are some signs that may indicate that you are dealing with an energy vampire." It is a person who demands a lot of attention, makes you feel anxious and tired after you have been in their company, is very self-centered and shows very little interest in you, blames others for everything, has a victim mentality, exaggerates all their problems, has a constant negative attitude and is rarely there for you.

In posts shared on TikTok, internet users give advice on how to protect themselves from this type of friendship. A young user dubbed theglowupsecrets" advises, for example, setting boundaries with this type of friend, and making a conscious choice not to divert all your energy and attention to that person. You can also distance yourself from them, by not inviting them to interact with you anymore. Having a more neutral reaction to their problems can also help avoid them, as they are constantly looking for a reaction when they want your support. In an interview with NBC News, Christiane Northrup, author of the book Dodging Energy Vampires," advises using a technique she calls the broken wing" strategy. When the energy vampire" tries to reach out to you, try telling them that youre feeling tired or under the weather. They will go to another source immediately," Northrup says. They do not want to be around somebody who doesnt have energy to give back."
In an unfortunate incident at the Beat market in Luxettipet town, the owner of an Apollo medical shop encountered a challenging situation involving a group of monkeys. On Sunday evening, two monkeys entered the shop, surprising the owner and causing a moment of panic. Regrettably, during this chaotic moment, one of the monkeys was accidentally crushed when the shop owner hurriedly closed the shutter.

In response to their fellow monkeys tragic demise, the remaining monkeys exhibited aggressive behaviour towards the shop owner. Meanwhile, customers who were purchasing medications became agitated and tried to chase the monkeys away. This escalating situation caused further distress among the troop of monkeys, and they vented their frustration by invading the shop, causing disorder by throwing pharmaceutical boxes and creating panic with their loud shrieks. Their presence also unsettled people in the vicinity.

In a detailed account of the incident, a troop of monkeys arrived in the town around 10 a.m. and ventured towards the main road. Among them, one particular monkey attempted to enter a pharmacy, possibly in search of food or out of curiosity.

As the shop personnel reacted to the monkeys intrusion, they attempted to close the door. Unfortunately, during this process, the monkey got caught and, tragically, lost its life. This incident caused great distress and anger among the remaining monkeys, leading them to retaliate against the store. In their fury, they broke the glass, causing damage to the property.

Fearing further aggression from the enraged troop, the workers of the shop promptly locked the doors, seeking safety inside. The tense situation prompted them to stay indoors, not daring to confront the monkeys or risk any potential harm. The monkeys persisted outside, waiting until approximately 5 oclock.

After several hours, the troop eventually left the vicinity, relieving the workers of their presence.

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To show respect for the deceased monkey, the workers carried its body to the banks of the River Godavari, where they performed final rites, honoring the monkeys life in a solemn manner.

In 2021, a troop of monkeys sought revenge in Majalgaon, Maharashtra after an infant monkey was killed by dogs. They kidnapped around 250 puppies, taking them to tall buildings and trees where they tragically perished.
The scorching summer heat in Pune has prompted a surge in the demand for refreshing food and beverages. To cater to this need, a multitude of unique cold food shops have emerged across the city, offering a diverse range of treats such as ice cream, cold beverages, and the popular Mastani. Among these offerings, Rabri has gained recent prominence as a sought-after summertime delicacy.

The introduction of Radha Gokul Rabadi, the first unique Rabadi house in Pune, has significantly contributed to the rising popularity of this dessert. With its primary location in Wakad and additional branches in Kharadi, Hinjewadi, and Manjari, Rabadi House has strategically placed its outlets to cater to a wider audience.

The success of Radha Gokul Rabadi can be attributed to the expertise and passion of its founders, Mahesh Ethape and Shrikant Rathod. Their commitment to crafting high-quality Rabri and their profound understanding of this traditional Indian dessert have resonated with Pune residents. Through their innovative approach, they have elevated Rabri from a simple treat to a delectable and indulgent experience.

The availability of different varieties of Rabri throughout the city has further contributed to its popularity. Pune residents can now savor a wide array of Rabri flavours and combinations, adding to the excitement and allure of this traditional dessert.

We founded Rabadi House with the vision of bringing the diverse flavors of Rajasthan to the people of Pune," explained Ethape. After a successful launch in Bhosari, where the response exceeded our expectations, we were motivated to expand and establish branches across Pune."

Rabadi House offers an enticing array of flavors to tantalize the taste buds. Our menu boasts a delightful selection, including strawberry, mango, fig, Lachchha, Sada (plain), and custard apple (Sitaphal)," shared Ethape. However, he noted that the custard apple and fig flavors have emerged as clear favorites among customers. The distinct sweetness of custard apple and the delectable essence of fig have garnered immense popularity," Ethape added with pride.

The team at Rabadi House takes great pride in ensuring the utmost quality and attention to detail in crafting each flavor. Our goal is to provide Punekars with an unforgettable Rabadi experience, reminiscent of the flavours I personally enjoyed in Rajasthan," Ethape expressed.

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So, Punekars can now beat the scorching summer heat with a delightful twist to their traditional treat - rabri. This creamy and indulgent dessert is served in a unique and charming earthen cup called a Kulhar. The Kulhar not only adds to the visual appeal but also enhances the flavour of the rabri, making it an even more enjoyable experience.
The enormous strength of lions gives them the ability to govern over jungles. They frequently hunt their prey by themselves but when they come across large creatures like buffalo or hippopotamuses, they frequently turn to their pride to carry out the hunt. However, it is not always simple for these strong predators to catch their intended prey. Numerous videos on the internet show the same. And one such video among them is going viral now. In the clip, the pride of lions is unable to take down a buffalo that somehow manages to escape while fighting 15 lions and three hippos. The video was shared on a Youtube channel named Hassanein a few months ago. The video is from Kenyas Masai Mara National Reserve.

The viral video of a brave buffalo, who didnt succumb to the pride of lions and also collided with three hippos, meanwhile, is showcased under the News18 Hindi series, Wildlife Viral. In the first part of the video, the Topi pride (a family unit of lions) are chasing and hunting a cape buffalo. From surrounding the giant horned animal to scratching it with their claws, they tried every possible way to bring their prey down but failed. The buffalo kept running to escape, and due to this, he reached a small stream of a lake that the lions couldnt enter.

After this, the lions sat around him and surrounded him by staying outside the water. Hippos arrived there at the same time. The hippos then began assaulting the buffalo because they probably did not like the buffalo in their water. However, the buffalo also collided with them, causing them to run away from him.

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Suddenly, the lions broke their siege which they made around the small stream, when they saw a zebra. This turned out to be the golden moment for the buffalo to escape, as he left the stream and went towards its home. More than 2 lakh people have watched this video, and many more have commented with their thoughts.

A person said that the buffalos final walk appeared to be that of a victor as it emerged from the water.
The emerging political crisis in Pakistan has seen violent protests across the country against the current ruling civilian government and its military.

Although the army of Pakistan has conveyed that it has no intention of imposing yet another martial law after former Prime Minister Imran Khans arrest and his immediate release by Supreme Court recently, the countrys chequered past indicates that the possibility of Pakistan going under yet another military rule cant be ruled out easily, especially when the army is being challenged directly.

Protests after Khans arrest saw military premises being targeted. Protesters stormed into the Pakistan army headquarters in Rawalpindi.

FOURTH AND FIFTH MARTIAL LAWS

The last time the country saw martial law imposed was 16 years ago, in 2007, by Pervez Musharraf who began his term of ruling the country with it in 1999. In a military coup, Musharraf, then army chief of Pakistan, removed the countrys Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on October 12, 1999 and on October 14, 1999, declared martial law. He suspended the countrys constitution and dissolved its parliament.

Musharraf was Sharifs choice to head the army, but according to General (Retired) Ziauddin Butts conversation with Pakistan newspaper Dawn, Musharrafs first aim after his appointment as the army chief in October 1998 was Pakistans next military coup. Musharraf is considered the chief architect of the 1999 Kargil war that Pakistan badly lost. It is said Musharraf imposed the limited-scale conflict on India without approval of the civilian government headed by Sharif.

Sharif got a hint that Musharraf was going to overthrow his government. Before Musharraf could make a move, he was sacked by the civilian government and a new army chief was appointed. The countrys army and Musharraf swiftly launched the counter move, toppled the government, and arrested the prime minister, later exiling him to Saudi Arabia.

In doing so, Musharraf revisited the countrys controversial past of its military chiefs eliminating electorally won civilian governments and declaring themselves, first the chief martial law administrator and then the president of the nation.

Almost two years later, in June 2001, he elevated himself to become the countrys president. In 2002, he imposed on the country a heavily amended constitution that extended his term for another five years. All this while, he was also the head of its military.

His re-election bid in 2007 is another story of how the military of the country has made constitutional institutions lame and fragile.

The Supreme Court opposed his re-election bid, as the countrys parliament was going to elect a president who continued to remain its army chief, which was constitutionally illegal. In response, Musharraf, in his first step, tried to sack the chief justice of the country, but failed. After the top court put a stay on his re-election bid in October 2007, in his second step, he declared a mini martial law in the country. The state of emergency declared in the country saw its constitution dismissed, and the countrys chief justice and other top court judges removed. To validate his re-election bid, in the third step, he installed a puppet judiciary. Result: His re-election outcome was accepted.

Musharraf resigned from the army and became a civilian president after it. Facing impeachment, he was forced to resign on August 18, 2008.

He was in the office for 3,234 days or eight years and 10 months.

FIRST MARTIAL LAW: THE BEGINNING

Pakistan was born in 1947. The country adopted its constitution after nine years, on February 29, 1956. The rulebook to run the country was enforced on March 23, 1956. After spending nine years on making the constitution, Pakistan saw its abrogation within 29 months of its implementation, on October 7, 1958, by then president Iskander Mirza, who, it is said, colluded with the army to impose emergency in the country. Political activities were banned. National and provincial assemblies were dissolved. Pakistan was officially put under martial law with its army chief General Mohammad Ayub Khan as chief martial law administrator.

Within 20 days of the abrogation, Pakistan saw its first military coup. Ayub Khan, who already had declared himself as the field marshal of the country, went on to depose Iskander Mirza on October 27, 1958, to become the countrys president.

The first martial law officially lasted for 44 months and was replaced by a presidential form of government with Ayub Khan being the countrys supreme leader. The military ruler gave Pakistan another constitution in 1962 that was presidential in nature, concentrating all powers in his position. Khan believed Pakistan was not ready for a parliamentary democracy system. Political parties were banned initially. Leaders were either banned or exiled. Civil servants were replaced with army officers. Later, Ayub Khan came up with his own political party, the Convention Muslim League.

Under his presidency, Pakistan saw the next phase of emergency imposed, when it declared a war on India over Kashmir in 1965. Result: Miscalculation of its own and Indias military strengths left Pakistan defeated and embarrassed. Seeing his popularity going down, he decided not to contest the 1970 presidential election and instead chose General Yahya Khan, who was the army chief since 1996, to replace him as the next president of the country.

Ayub Khan ruled the country till March 1969, which is 3,803 days or 10 years and four months.

SECOND MARTIAL LAW

The countrys second martial law was imposed immediately after Ayub Khans resignation from the presidential office, with General Yahya Khans elevation as the countrys president on March 25, 1969. He ruled the country till December 1971 as its president, army chief and martial law administrator.

Yahya Khan favoured elections in the country with a new constitution. He declared he will rule the country till the next general elections. Abrogating Ayub Khans 1962 constitution, his administration restored Pakistans four original provinces  Punjab, Sind, North-West Frontier Province and Balochistan.

Under his rule, Pakistan saw its worst military defeats so far after it fought another war with India. Soundly defeated, the country was divided into two parts with East Pakistan declaring its independence as Bangladesh in 1971.

Facing two big war losses against India in just six years, when army was driving the country, Yahya Khan and the countrys army had no other option, but to leave the political system for some time. He handed over the countrys presidency to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Under Bhuttos leadership, Pakistan saw its current constitution adopted in 1973. It changed the countrys political system again to parliamentary in nature. The constitution was adopted on August 14, 1973, with Bhutto becoming the countrys prime minister.

Yahya Khan ruled the country for 1,001 days or almost two years and nine months.

THIRD MARTIAL LAW

Pakistans third martial law was declared on July 5, 1977, by Pakistan army chief General Zia-ul-Haq. He took the reins of the country and put prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in house arrest over allegations of election fraud. Zia-ul-Haq was Bhuttos choice to head the Pakistan army. The electoral fraud led to widespread violence in the country post the March 1977 parliamentary elections.

National and provincial assemblies were dissolved. While declaring the martial law, he assured the nation of holding elections in 90 days, but soon declared himself the next president, in September 1978. Next year, all political parties and leaders were targeted and banned. Bhutto was found guilty and was hanged to death on April 4, 1979.

Pakistans governance and political system was given a religious shape through his Islamization mandate. Minorities were specifically targeted. In February 1985, President Zia allowed elections to national and provincial assemblies, on the condition that no political parties were allowed to contest. At the same time, he was declared the countrys president for another five years. A Sindhi politician, Muhammad Khan Junejo, was chosen as the prime minister when the martial law was lifted in December 1985.

In May 1988, President Zia again dissolved the national and provincial assemblies, alleging corruption and disloyalty. Promising an election soon, he formed a caretaker government, declaring himself as its head.

President Zia was in office till August 17, 1988, heading the country and its army, before dying in a plane crash. He ruled the country for 3,624 days or nine years and 11 months.

COUNTRYS HISTORY MARTIALLED

A country just 75 years young has seen three constitutions implemented. The countrys rulebook was abrogated twice and suspended multiple times. Military dictators heavily amended it to suit their own purpose. The country has seen direct rule of military dictators for around 32 years with five martial laws and almost no political activities. National and provincial assemblies were dissolved multiple times.

The military dictators pushed Pakistan to fight three wars with India. For a Pakistani citizen, the country lost all, along with a big chunk of territory in the form of Bangladesh.

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A country which was born in 1947 from the worlds largest democracy, India, needed a clear chapter for its growth story, like India. The story, however, has been hijacked and martialled not by outsiders, but by the Pakistan military.

Growth of a country means political stability, which has been totally absent in Pakistan, thanks to its martial laws.
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Sprawling Midwestern pipelines that would carry captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants and other facilities would change little when they cross state lines.

The proposals would be constructed the same way in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska and the Dakotas  with carbon steel pipe ranging from 4 to 24 inches in diameter with operating pressures of up to 2,200 pounds per square inch.

But the rules and procedures that determine whether they can be built in the first place vary widely among those states.

They range from seemingly no rules at all in Nebraska to Iowas robust system, which puts all regulation of the pipelines construction and operation into the hands of one governing body.

Yet, even in states with rules that give a measure of protection to people who own land in the path of the pipelines, there are calls to strengthen those protections.

Legislation failed in three of the states this year that would have restricted or prevented the companies from using eminent domain to gain land easements. It remains unclear whether regulators and courts in each of the states will decide that the projects are worthy of that forced power.

Some counties have adopted stricter rules about where the pipelines can be built, and landowners are arguing in court that merely allowing the companies to survey land without permission is unconstitutional.

This is just the beginning, said Vicki Hulse, a northwest Iowa landowner who is challenging Iowas survey law and alluded to further legal challenges as the permit processes advance. Theres a long ways to go.

The most prominent projects have been proposed by Navigator CO2 Ventures and Summit Carbon Solutions.

Navigator wants to build about 1,300 miles of pipe  mostly in Iowa  to transport the greenhouse gas to Illinois for underground sequestration or other commercial purposes.

Summit plans a route of more than 2,000 miles that would end with sequestration in North Dakota.

The wild West

While Nebraska has laws concerning pipeline transport of hazardous liquids, such as crude oil, it has not adopted regulations or oversight of carbon dioxide pipelines.

A proposal in 2022, which failed to advance in the Nebraska Legislature, was aimed at requiring companies that build carbon dioxide pipelines to remove the pipe once the pipeline was abandoned.

In reaction to the controversial Keystone XL pipeline and its initially proposed route across the states fragile Sandhills, the Nebraska Legislature a decade ago passed laws governing the routing of hazardous liquid pipelines. But those do not pertain to carbon dioxide projects.

Right now, some counties are considering local ordinances concerning the pipelines,according to Jane Kleeb, founder of Bold Nebraska, the citizen group that led the opposition to the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline. She said at least 430 landowners are rejecting offers to sell right-of-way to carbon dioxide pipeline developers in the Midwest.

Omaha lawyer Brian Jorde, who represents many of those landowners, said he doesnt believe the pipelines have the right to use eminent domain to obtain right-of-way under Nebraska law, an issue that will likely end up in court.

At this time, none of the companies planning a carbon-capture pipeline in Nebraska  Navigator CO2 Ventures, Carbon America or Summit Carbon Solutions  has filed any eminent domain actions in that state, according to Jorde.

As long as they dont try to use it against any of my clients, theyll be fine, he said.

Jorde thinks Nebraskas lack of a permitting process for carbon dioxide pipelines will benefit landowners if they must fight against eminent domain. Other states with laws about the permitting process explicitly say that eminent domain is allowed for the projects. Nebraska has no such edict.

Similar processes

All the other states have a board or commission to review and decide whether to grant pipeline permits. Some have publicly elected members and others are composed of governors appointees.

North and South Dakota have three-person commissions with elected members.

The commissions in Illinois and Minnesota have five members appointed by their governors, although the Illinois Commerce Commission cannot, by law, have more than three members of the same political party affiliation.

The Iowa Utilities Board has three members who are appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, who recently named a new chairperson. That prompted the existing chairperson  who was still set to serve on the board for several years  to step down.

Each of the states permit processes share the goals of evaluating the need for the projects, the environmental impacts and the best routes.

Iowa, Illinois and South Dakota hold one final hearing to make those determinations, and Illinois commission has 11 months from the application date to make its decision about whether to issue a permit.

North Dakotas commission holds four final hearings in different parts of the state, the last of which for Summit was held Tuesday.

Minnesota is an outlier: An administrative law judge presides over multiple hearings to determine the need for a pipeline and its proper route. The judge submits a finding of facts to the commission along with legal conclusions and recommendations. Then the commission decides.

Iowa is unique in that it is the only state to empower its board or commission with discretion over eminent domain. In the other states, eminent domain is handled by the courts after pipeline permits are granted.

Landowner interactions

The states also vary widely in how they govern  or dont  the communications among pipeline companies and affected landowners.

Those communications most often pertain to informing the public about the projects, surveying land to help determine a pipeline path, negotiations for easements and, potentially, eminent domain.

All of these are state-by-state, uniquely different permitting processes, said Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, vice president of government and public affairs for Navigator. How and when we communicate with landowners. How and when we go about negotiation.

In Iowa, the companies are required to hold informational meetings in each of the affected counties, after which they can begin negotiations with landowners and survey land without fear of trespassing charges  although that survey law was recently found by a district court judge to be unconstitutional.

There are similar rules for land surveys in the Dakotas, but in Illinois there is nothing in the law that forces the surveys until after a permit is issued and eminent domain is sought.

Negotiations for easements or rights of way can begin whenever in the Dakotas. In Illinois, the companies are required to send notifications by certified mail and can follow up in other ways if there is no response. The companies must generally show a good faith effort to negotiate before starting the eminent domain process.

Legislation that ultimately failed in Iowa this year would have broadly curtailed the companies abilities to conduct surveys without landowner permission and would have prevented them from limitless contact in regard to negotiations.

Court challenges so far

Jorde predicted it will be at least three years before all the legal challenges related to the pipeline projects are settled.

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed in Iowa and North and South Dakota regarding the pipelines. Most of them have been initiated by the pipeline companies.

In North Dakota, Summit has sued landowners to get access to their properties for land surveys. A judge in that state recently upheld the law that allows the surveys as constitutional.

In South Dakota, there are more than 100 pending state and federal court proceedings related to the pipeline proposals. Summit has sued landowners to gain access to their property for surveys and counties for moratoriums and other actions that would block construction of its pipeline.

Recently, Summit initiated more than 80 eminent domain proceedings in South Dakota court. Each of those cases will likely take a year or more to decide and must conclude before construction can begin, Jorde said: Thats a humongous roadblock.

And some landowners have sued Summit, claiming the company lacks legal authority to enter their land for surveys or to exercise eminent domain.

In Iowa, Summit and Navigator have sued landowners and counties and also the Iowa Utilities Board to prevent it from releasing certain information they have provided to the board as part of the permit process.

The lawsuits against landowners have sought to obtain injunctions to gain access to their properties, and more than 10 suits are pending in different counties. The landowners are arguing that Iowas pipeline land survey law is unconstitutional, and there is the potential for multiple, conflicting rulings.

In the first case to be decided  one of Navigators lawsuits  a judge ruled that the law is unconstitutional because it does not provide compensation for the duress landowners suffer by the mere act of the forced entries onto their properties. The law provides compensation for actual damage caused to land, which Navigator has said satisfies a constitutional requirement that land cannot be taken without appropriate compensation. In another Iowa county, a judge upheld the constitutionality of the law. A decision by a third judge in another county is pending.

A trial is also pending for a Summit land surveyor who was charged with trespassing in Dickinson County. The Iowa Supreme Court recently declined to review a district court judges decision to let the case proceed to trial.

Permits in Iowa

Summit is the furthest along in the hazardous liquid pipeline permitting process in Iowa. The Iowa Utilities Boards recently departed chairperson had said a final, weekslong hearing on Summits permit would be held starting in October, but the board has not yet issued an order setting that schedule. Two new members recently joined the three-person board.

Navigator has said it will seek a permit hearing sometime in the first three months of 2024. The timing of a permit hearing for a third company, Wolf Carbon Solutions, which intends to build a much smaller length of carbon dioxide pipeline in eastern Iowa, is unclear.

Summit wants to construct about 680 miles of pipeline in northern and western Iowa and connect to 11 facilities. Navigators project would bisect the state from northwest to southeast and include about 810 miles of pipe that would connect to at least 14 facilities. Wolfs project would span about 95 miles on the eastern edge of the state and connect to two ethanol plants.

Navigator and Summit have indicated they will use eminent domain to gain land easements for their projects. Wolf has said it will get voluntary easement agreements for the full length of its pipeline in Iowa.

Joshua Haiar of the South Dakota Searchlight contributed reporting for this article.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Australian influencers and esteemed members of the Australian civil society on Monday in Sydney. He met public speaker Mark Balla aka Toilet Warrior, restaurateur Sarah Todd, indigenous artist Danielle Mate, musician Sebastian Guy and Nobel laureate Brian P. Schmidt.

Furthering - cultural & people to people ties. PM @narendramodi interacted with prominent public figures of Australia, working in diverse fields of science, artificial intelligence, humanities, social work, gastronomy, art and music. Congratulated them on their  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 23, 2023

Furthering India and Australia cultural and people to people ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with prominent public figures of Australia, working in diverse fields of science, artificial intelligence, humanities, social work, gastronomy, art and music. Congratulated them on their achievements and encouraged them to contribute to strengthening India-Australia relationship, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in a tweet.

The Australian celebrities were in awe of Prime Minister Modi and his achievements in India. Restaurateur Sarah Todd said the Prime Minister has done incredible things for India while Guy Sebastian, the winner of the first Australian Idol in 2003, said PM Modi asked him to learn the Oscar-winning song Naatu Naatu from feature film RRR.

Sarah Todd, international chef, restaurateur, TV host, speaker and entrepreneur. pic.twitter.com/85cZcb8DNM Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 23, 2023

I feel very lucky to have met him and I can see that he really cares about the country and his vision. The Prime Minister is an incredible influencer and I think coming from humble beginnings and standing up as this leader in the country - he has done such incredible work, Todd said.

The first person I will call after meeting His Excellency is my mother, Sebastian said, adding that his mother was raised in Uttar Pradeshs Kanpur.

Business specialist and accomplished public speaker on humanitarian issues Mark Ballas also lauded PM Modi for making the world pay attention to sanitation.

PM Modi is the absolute number one change maker in the sanitation space globally, Ballas said, referring to the steps the government has taken under the leadership of PM Modi to change the way Indians think about sanitation and cleanliness.

Professor Brian P. Schmidt @cosmicpinot, Noble laureate in Physics and Vice-Chancellor & President of Australian National University, Canberra. pic.twitter.com/CFNaUCayKR Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 23, 2023

Nobel laureate Brian Paul Schmidt said PM Modi was very well-briefed on what research has been going on in Australia. Indias ability to do world-class science has become an order of magnitude higher, because India is investing in science and scientists, giving them equipment, Nobel laureate Schmidt, who is also the vice-chancellor and president of the Australian National University, said.

Professor Brian P. Schmidt @cosmicpinot, Noble laureate in Physics and Vice-Chancellor & President of Australian National University, Canberra. pic.twitter.com/CFNaUCayKR Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 23, 2023

PM Modi also met indigenous artist Danielle Mate. Sydney-based artist Danielle specialises in creating large-scale murals and public art. She has collaborated with several renowned Australian brands, supporting their reconciliation action plans.

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PM Modi has a creative element to himself, he can see similarities in arts and culture of two countries, Mate said after meeting with the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister also met professor Toby Walsh who is the chief scientist at the Artificial Intelligence Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney and sociologist and author, associate professor Salvatore Babones.
China sought to interfere in Canadas last two elections but failed to sway the outcome, a top official reviewing allegations of elections meddling said Tuesday.

David Johnston, who was tasked with the investigation after recent media reports of Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 ballots also ruled out a public inquiry into the matter demanded by the opposition.

China denies the claims.

Foreign governments are undoubtedly attempting to influence candidates and voters in Canada," Johnston, who previously served as governor general, told a news conference.

He concluded, however, that those efforts did not change the outcome of the vote.

He said Canadas 2019 and 2021 elections were well protected by sophisticated mechanisms and there is no basis to lack confidence in those results."

Moreover, I have found no examples of ministers, the prime minister or their offices knowingly or negligently failing to act on intelligence," Johnston said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus minority liberal government has faced increasing pressure to explain how it responded to the allegations that Beijing sought to influence or subvert Canadas democratic process.

The accusations reported in local media and based on leaked intelligence documents and unnamed sources included secret campaign donations and Chinese operatives working for Canadian candidates or lawmakers in an attempt to influence policy.

More recently, it emerged that Beijing sought to intimidate an opposition Canadian lawmaker and his relatives in Hong Kong over his criticisms of China.

Earlier this month, Ottawa expelled a Chinese diplomat implicated in the scheme.

Beijing, which has called the accusations groundless," reacted by sending home a Canadian diplomat while warning that aligning with Washingtons China policy risked sabotaging Canadas relations with its second-largest trading partner.

Johnston in his interim report, after reviewing original source intelligence files and interviewing senior intelligence officials, rejected calls for a public inquiry to shed light on the accusations and bolster confidence in Canadian elections.

A public review of classified intelligence simply cannot be done," he said.

Instead, he said he would hold hearings over the summer and invite testimony from targeted diaspora communities as well as national security and international relations experts.

In his preliminary findings, Johnston noted common foreign interference techniques included cyberattacks, online influence campaigns, disinformation and the exploitation of human relationships."

He also identified shortcomings in how intelligence is shared within government, describing significant and unacceptable gaps in the machinery of government."

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Johnston said it is a real and growing threat and more remains to be done promptly to strengthen our capacity to detect, deter, and counter foreign interference and elections."

Johnston is scheduled to release a final report in October.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met the Australian business leaders Gina Rinehart, John Andrew Henry Forrest and Paul Schroder in Sydney.

Georgina Hope Rinehart is an Australian billionaire mining magnate and businesswoman and the executive chairman of Hancock Prospecting.

Fostering India-Australia collaboration in the mining and minerals sector. PM Narendra Modi held a meeting with Georgina Hope Rinehart, Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting Group, Roy Hill and S. Kidman & Co, in Sydney, external affairs ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted shortly after their meeting.

The potential for our two countries is huge. In the last less than 5 years under Modi, your economy has grown to $3.5 trillion and the plan for the next 25 years is to grow to $32 trillion. The growth recently is huge. The growth in the future is going to be huge. Australia really needs to work harder to develop its relations with India, Rinehart said.

He came into office with an important mantra which was from red tape to red carpet. Cut approvals, regulations, so you can welcome investment and that is what he has done and wants to do for his country, she further added while speaking to news agencies.

PM Modi also met John Andrew Henry Forrest, the former CEO of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG). Forrest was Australias richest person in 2008.

Also known as Twiggy, Forrest has other interests in the mining industry and in cattle stations.

Fossil fuels have a limited run and there is a need for fuel that can do everything and causes no harm. That is something that the Prime Minister is clearly a global champion in and I have invited him to be the global government partner and the global industry partner to promote green hydrogen across the world, Forrest said.

He said under the leadership of PM Modi, economic development has reached the grassroots of India.

PM Modi also met Paul Schroder, CEO of AustralianSuper. Schroder is responsible for the leadership and strategic development of the superannuation fund group.

AustralianSuper, the countrys premier superannuation fund, is trusted by 2.87 million Australians who depend on it to manage their retirement savings.

Ours was a very interesting meeting and the Prime Minister understands business, which is very encouraging as well, Schroder said.

He also said that AustralianSuper also invests in India and said the fund house has a good experience in investing in India.

After completing his visit to Papua New Guinea, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney, marking the final leg of his three-nation tour.

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He received a warm welcome from Australian High Commissioner to India Barry OFarrell and other officials upon his arrival.

He is meeting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a bilateral meeting on Wednesday.
The popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi transcends borders, and an example of the same was seen during the Indian leaders ongoing visit to Australia for the third and final leg of his three-nation tour.

On Tuesday, PM Modi will address the community members at the event at Sydneys Qudos Bank Arena, where over 20,000 people are expected to gather to get a glimpse of him and listing to the Indian leader speak on the India-Australia relationship.

To catch a glimpse of the prime minister and listen to him speak on the Australia-India relationship, people of the Indian diaspora from across Australia reached Sydney in privately chartered Modi Airways flights.

Around 170 Indian-origin people took a chartered flight from Melbourne to Sydney to attend the Qudos Bank Arena event that will also be attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, according to a report by NDTV.

Sporting tri-colour turbans and waving Indian flags, members of the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation (IADF), boarded the flight named Modi Airways" by the Prime Ministers supporters.

IADF is organising the Sydney event to celebrate Australias dynamic and diverse Indian community- a core part" of the nations multicultural community, according to an official statement by the Australian government.

A lot of people are waiting outside the event venue also, where they will be cheering for PM Modi," said Dr Amit Sarwal, co-founder of IADF, as cited by the NDTV report.

PM Modi, who is on a 3-day tour to Australia, is scheduled to hold talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and attend a community event to celebrate the countrys dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora.

Modi arrived in Sydney from Papua New Guinea, where he held talks with his counterpart James Marape and took stock of their bilateral relations. He also discussed ways to further augment cooperation in areas like commerce, technology, healthcare and climate change.

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He began his three-nation tour on Friday from Japan where he attended three sessions at the G7 summit following an invitation by Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.

Modi along with US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese also attended the 3rd in-person Quad Summit in Hiroshima.
In another jolt to former prime minister Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), party vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was arrested again minutes after being released from Rawalpindis Adiala Jail on Tuesday evening.

As per Geo TV, another PTI leader Musarrat Jamshed Cheema was also arrested again soon after her release.

Earlier in the day, the Islamabad High Court ordered Qureshis release after he stated before it that he would abstain from inciting party supporters which leads to violence across the country.

Besides Qureshi, there were some top PTI leaders who were arrested from Islamabad within 24 hours of the outbreak of violence by PTI supporters after Khans arrest on May 9 in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

This comes hours after Shireen Mazari, a former minister and Khans close aide, quit the PTI and condemned the actions of the 70-year-old leaders supporters who attacked and torched sensitive defence installations across Pakistan on May 9.

Mazari, 72, announced her resignation and retirement from active politics after she was released following her arrest for the fourth time since May 12 when she was picked from her residence by police and sent to jail in connection with the violence on May 9. She served as the minister for human rights from 2018 to 2022, under Khans regime.

Addressing a press conference, she said she had given a undertaking in the Islamabad High Court. Not only the May 9 and 10 violence, but I have always condemned every kind of violence especially against state institutions and symbols like the General Headquarters, Supreme Court and Parliament," she said.

The National Assembly, the lower house of Pakistans Parliament, on Monday passed a resolution vowing to try May 9 rioters, who were involved in attacks on military and state installations, under the existing laws including the Army Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act.

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The resolution, which was moved by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, has been adopted by the House after a majority of lawmakers voted in favour of it.

(with inputs from news agency PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that Australia understands Indias position when it comes to the ongoing war in Ukraine. An advantage of being good friends is that we can discuss freely and appreciate each others viewpoint. Australia understands Indias position and it does not impact our bilateral relationship, PM Modi was quoted as saying by the Australian.

Speaking to Cameron Stewart of The Australian in an exclusive interview, PM Modi said the evolving India and Australia relationship will also entail deeper defence ties in order to create an open and free Indo-Pacific. The Indo-Pacific faces a number of challenges such as climate change, natural disasters, terrorism, security of the sea lanes of communication, piracy, illegal fishing among others, the Prime Minister was quoted as saying by the Australian.

On February 24, marking the one year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, the Australian government announced additional military support to Ukraine and imposed further sanctions against Russia

The Albanese government decided to provide Ukraine with additional Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), enhancing their surveillance capabilities as they continue their fight against Russia.

In addition to that, Australia Defence Forces (ADF) trained around 200 Ukrainian recruits.

The Australian government also imposed targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on 90 individuals and financial sanctions on 40 entities. The sanctions target Russian ministers in various sectors such as energy, natural resources, industry, education, labour, migration and health.

This includes prominent players in Russias defence industry like Kalashnikov Concern, Admiralty Shipyards, Tupolev, Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau, and Kurganmashzavod, according to a release by the Australian foreign ministry.

Australias response to Russias invasion of Ukraine now encompasses over 1,000 sanctions.

During the G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held their first in-person meeting since the start of the war in Ukraine last year.

PM Modi expressed his deep concern for the war in Ukraine, saying it was a humanitarian issue rather than solely political or economic.

He assured President Zelensky of Indias commitment to resolving the situation and stated that India would contribute within its capabilities to help resolve the situation.

PM Modi said that Australia and India must press forward and realise the true potential of having closer defence and security ties.

Prime Minister Modi reached Sydney on Monday where he is meeting with Australian business leaders and the Indian community. This is the third and last leg of his six-day, three nations trip.

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PM Modi and his host and counterpart Anthony Albanese will hold a bilateral meeting on Wednesday.

PM Modi is meeting business executives and the 750,000-strong Indian diaspora on the second day of his two-day official visit to Sydney. He left for Australia on Monday after attending the FIPIC, Quad and G7 Summits.
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PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with Australian PM Anthony Albanese, and meet Governor General David Hurley. He will also meet leading CEOs and address the Indian community here. Australian PM Anthony Albanese will also host a dinner for PM Modi. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said informing about PM Modis schedule.

Ahead of Modis arrival, Prime Minister Albanese said in a statement, I am honoured to host Prime Minister Modi for an official visit to Australia, after receiving an extremely warm welcome in India earlier this year.

Australia and India share a commitment to a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. Together we have an important role to play in supporting this vision, he said, amidst Chinas aggressive behaviour in the region as well as its efforts to expand its influence.

Prime Minister Modi has also said that he was looking forward to his meeting with Albanese on May 24.

Briefing the media, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that all issues of bilateral engagement, including the issues which pertain to harmony in society, and the safety and security of the two societies would be discussed.

It is not correct for me to prejudge what would be discussed between the two leaders, he said in response to a question on pro-Khalistan activities in Australia.

During the visit, the Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australias dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community, the Australian government said in a statement.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016 census, 619,164 people in Australia declared that they were of ethnic Indian ancestry. This comprises 2.8 per cent of the Australian population. Among those, 592,000 were born in India. Prime Minister Modi last visited Australia in 2014.

Modi arrived in Sydney from Papua New Guinea, where he held talks with his counterpart James Marape and took stock of their bilateral relations. He also discussed ways to further augment cooperation in areas like commerce, technology, healthcare and climate change.

The two leaders co-hosted the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) summit on Monday, fostering regional cooperation.

During the summit on Monday, PM Modi unveiled a 12-point development plan for the Pacific Island nations in a range of areas including healthcare, renewable energy and cyber-security as he announced that India is ready to share its capabilities with the region without any hesitation.

Modi began his three-nation tour on Friday from Japan where he attended three sessions at the G7 summit following an invitation by Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.

Modi along with US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese also attended the 3rd in-person Quad Summit in Hiroshima.

The Quad meeting was moved to the sidelines of the G-7 summit in Hiroshima after US President Biden postponed his trip to Australia to return to Washington, amid ongoing negotiations over raising the US debt limit.

(With PTI Inputs)
Russias embassy in Norway on Tuesday hashly criticised a planned visit by a US aircraft carrier to Oslo as an illogical and harmful" show of force.

The 337-metre (1,106-foot) USS General Ford is scheduled to dock in the Norwegian capital this week.

There are no issues in the North that require a military solution, nor issues that require outside intervention," Russian embassy spokesman Timur Chekanov told AFP by email.

Considering that Oslo admits that Russia poses no direct military threat to Norway, such shows of force seem illogical and harmful," he added.

The first-in-class aircraft carrier is a nuclear-powered ship with a displacement of more than 100,000 tonnes.

The US Navy announced in early May that the ship had departed Norfolk on its first combat deployment", following a shorter two-month deployment in the autumn of 2022.

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The fact that a new aircraft carrier is now making its first visit to Norwegian waters is very positive for our cooperation with the Americans," Norwegian Defence Minister Bjorn Arild Gram told news agency NTB while on a visit to the massive warship.

Relations between NATO member Norway and Russia  with which the Scandinavian country shares a border in the Far North  have deteriorated sharply in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia said Tuesday it had scrambled an Su-27 fighter jet to prevent violations of the state border" by two US Air Force strategic bombers flying over the Baltic Sea.

After removing the foreign military aircraft from the Russian state border, the Russian fighter went back to its air base," the Russian defense ministry said.

The army prevented the violation of the border, the statement said, adding that the flight of the Russian fighter was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace."

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder confirmed that US aircraft were intercepted by Russia, saying the B-1 bombers were taking part in a long-planned exercise in Europe."

It is the latest in a series of similar incidents.

Just over a week ago, Russia said two aircraft, one German and one French, were intercepted attempting to violate" its airspace.

Mid-April, Russia dispatched a fighter jet to escort a German naval aircraft over the Baltic Sea.

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In March, an American drone crashed after colliding with a Russian jet over the Black Sea.

Russias defense ministry said it had scrambled jets after detecting a US drone over the Black Sea, but denied causing the crash, saying the aircraft had lost control.
The United Nations launched on Tuesday an appeal for $333 million in emergency funding for 1.6 million people it said were affected after deadly Cyclone Mocha tore through Myanmar.

Mocha brought lashing rain and winds of 195 kilometres per hour (120 miles per hour) to Myanmar and neighbouring Bangladesh on May 14, collapsing buildings and turning streets into rivers.

Myanmars junta has given a death toll of 148 people, mostly from the persecuted Rohingya minority in western Rakhine state.

The UNs humanitarian affairs office said it was seeking $333 million to help provide shelter, medical facilities, food and clean water ahead of the rainy season.

We are now in a race against time to provide people with safe shelter in all affected communities and prevent the spread of water-borne disease," Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Ramanathan Balakrishnan said in a statement.

More than $200 million would come from the overall humanitarian aid plan for this year in Myanmar, the statement added, with $122m sought to support new relief efforts for those affected by the cyclone.

Balakrishnan later told reporters the United Nations was hoping to receive approval soon to distribute relief to communities in Rakhine.

The state is home to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, many of whom live in displacement camps following decades of ethnic conflict.

A military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017 sent hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fleeing into neighbouring Bangladesh, with harrowing stories emerging of murder, rape and arson.

A junta spokesman did not respond to AFP questions about whether UN agencies would be granted access to displacement camps in Rakhine that house Rohingya.

Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, who was head of the army during the 2017 crackdown, has dismissed the term Rohingya as imaginary".

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In Bangladesh, officials told AFP that no one had died in the cyclone, which passed close to sprawling refugee camps that now house almost one million Rohingya.

The appeal comes after the UNs food agency said Monday that lack of funding has forced it to cut food aid for around one million Rohingya refugees living in camps in Bangladesh for the second time in three months.
South Africa: President Ramaphosa turns sod in Lesotho water project

President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) as a project that has not only made history, but has brought hope to the citizens of both Lesotho and South Africa.

The President was speaking at the launch of Phase 2 of the LHWP at Polihali Dam in the mountain kingdom.

I would like to emphasise that the Lesotho Highlands Water Project is more than just a water project.

It is a beacon of hope, a symbol of progress, a symbol of international cooperation, and a testament to the strength of bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Lesotho and the Republic of South Africa. Together, we have achieved a lot, and I have no doubt that we will continue to work together to ensure that this project is completed successfully, President Ramaphosa said.

President Ramaphosa noted that once Phase 2 is complete, more than 400 million cubic meters of water will flow every year from the upper reaches of the Senqu River in Lesotho through the existing conveyance infrastructure to the Vaal Dam in South Africa.

He emphasised, however, that the benefits of the project are not only one sided.

We are determined that this massive trans-border project should equally benefit the peoples of Lesotho and South Africa. In addition to the royalties Lesotho receives from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, local jobs have been created and new roads have been built in the Kingdom.

Both Phase I and II include the construction of hydropower facilities to provide electricity for Lesotho. It has been critical for us as both Lesotho and South Africa that all communities affected by the construction of the Polihali Dam were consulted, that there should be fair compensation and relocation to alternative housing nearby, he said.

The President highlighted that the LHW project is one of biggest infrastructure investment that government has embarked on outside its borders.

This project is a good example of public-private collaboration to build key public infrastructure. Most of the approximately R40 billion in capital required for Phase Two will be raised in South Africas financial markets by the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority. The private sector is playing a similar role in many of our other major water resource infrastructure projects in South Africa, he said.

Turning to South Africas own plans, the President said South Africa and Namibias governments are also working together to add further water infrastructure.

As African countries all our water resources are interconnected. South Africa shares 60 per cent of its freshwater resources with its neighbours. We are therefore committed to multilateral trans-border collaboration to ensure that shared water resources are used for the benefit of all.

As South Africa, we are also working with Namibia on the joint planning of additional dam infrastructure on the Lower Orange River. This is to ensure that the Lesotho Highlands Water Project does not negatively impact the Lower Orange River system, he said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2023-05-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Nebraska lawmakers gave their final approval to a bill that bans some gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth as well as abortions after 12 weeks.

At the end of an emotional and often raucous day that was briefly interrupted by protests in the legislative chamber, 33 senators voted to shut off a filibuster and send the bill (LB754) to Gov. Jim Pillen for his signature.

Because the bill has an emergency clause attached, LB574 will become law a day after Pillen signs it.

When it does, gender-affirming surgeries for individuals under 19 would be outlawed in Nebraska, and the Department of Health and Human Services would be required to develop regulations for puberty blockers and hormone therapy.

Opponents said that rule-making process could ultimately ban those treatments, as well.

Transgender youth who have already begun treatments before Oct. 1 this year would be allowed to continue those treatments, according to supporters.

As amended earlier this week, the bill also bans abortions after 12 weeks gestational age, which is marked from a woman's last menstrual period. That's about 10 weeks after fertilization.

Opponents raised concerns about the lack of exceptions for fetal anomalies, and that the amendment did not remove criminal penalties for abortion from state statute.

Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, the chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, told Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, who raised those concerns, that he would work to remove those criminal penalties in a future legislative session.

An amendment from Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont would have changed 12 weeks gestational age to 12 weeks post fertilization and added "fetal anomalies incompatible with life" to the bill. But that amendment was not considered on Friday.

Photos and video: Scene at Nebraska Capitol as lawmakers debate LB574 for final time
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The Billings City Council has voted unanimously to approve settling the contentious franchise fees lawsuit that has lingered in the courts for nearly five years.

The class action suit, pitting around 35,000 residents against the city over millions collected in utility fees, was settled in January. A judge in the case ruled the fees had been collected illegally and barred the city from ever imposing the fees again.

As part of the settlement, the city agreed to pay $3.6 million to the class. In addition, the city has also paid the private Billings law firm Moulton Bellingham more than $960,000 so far to represent the city in the case.

Of the $3.6 million settlement amount, as much as $925,000 will go to the plaintiffs attorneys, and $130,000 will go to a private court administer to notify classmates. The remainder, just over $2.5 million, will be split evenly among the 35,000 or so plaintiffs  around $70 each. For most plaintiffs, the payment will come in the form a reduced utility bill sometime early in 2024.

The settlement now moves back to the courts in November for a judges final approval.

A sore point throughout the case has been that even in winning, city residents lose. Because the settlement will be paid for by taxpayers, city residents are essentially paying themselves.

The cost of paying for the settlement hasn't been budgeted by the city but will come out of the general fund; the settlement cannot be funded by the water, wastewater, or solid waste departments because revenue from those departments must be used for those services.

Another sore point has been the suggestion from plaintiffs attorney Matthew Monforton that the case could have been settled in March of 2018 for $20,000.

City officials have bristled at that suggestion, but in another ironic twist in the case have been unable until now to rebut it. Because parties in a lawsuit generally cant address each other, the city couldnt talk about it publicly because the public were the plaintiffs.

In a memo sent Monday to the City Council, city attorney Gina Dahl said the $20,000 offer was made before any legal complaint had been filed, and wouldnt have protected the city from other lawsuits related to the illegal fees.

There was no class action so the settlement would not have been binding upon the vast majority of people and entities who paid the franchise fees, Dahl wrote the Council.

On May 14, 2018, the City Council at the time voted to halt the fees. Two days later, a group of Billings residents filed a class action lawsuit seeking more than $100 million.

Thats yet another sore point for the city. City officials have complained the suit came after the fees were already eliminated.

The city actually formally abolished the franchise fees two days before this lawsuit was filed. So, weve spent nearly five years litigating something that does not exist, Moulton Bellingham attorney Doug James told the Council Monday.

The city had been warned over the years, however. State courts had ruled before that the city was beyond its authority in charging some fees, according to the lawsuit.

When Billings Mayor Bill Cole, an attorney, was campaigning in 2017, he said the city had a bad track record in the Montana Supreme Court on a lot of fees that have been determined to be taxes and that go beyond their statutory authority. The city has lost about four different lawsuits on that question over time, he was quoted in court records as saying. Cole suggested the city may have become overly creative in generating new revenue streams because it had bucked up against the mill levy cap.

Former mayor Chuck Tooley served on the City Council from 1988 to 1993 and then as mayor from 1996 to 2005. He insisted in a court affidavit that when the City Council adopted the franchise fees in 1992, they acted in good faith and believed the fees were legal.

I would not have supported the adoption of franchise fees if I believed that they were illegal or if I believed that the city did not have authority to adopt the fees, Tooley testified.

James, the citys outside counsel, on Monday described the case as extraordinarily complicated. Notifying the thousands of class members and current utility ratepayers has been tricky, partly because many are hard to identify and locate. The city doesnt have a master list of all utility payers.

The city has changed a lot since the suit was filed, James said. People have died, theyve married, they've divorced, changed names, moved to the city, moved out, moved within the city.

That challenge was compounded recently when the private court administrator sent thousands of notifications to the wrong addresses. At its own expense, the administrator has since renotified potential class members.

Residents with questions are encouraged to call the class administrator at 833-513-0862 or by mail at PO Box 25199, Santa Ana, CA 92799; or contact class counsel Matthew Monforton by phone at 406-570-2949, by mail at Monforton Law Offices, P.C., 40 Spanish Peak Drive, Suite 101, Bozeman, Montana 59718, or by e-mail at ClassCounselMonforton@mail.com. The Detailed Notice describing the Settlement and other court documents is available online at www.CityofBillingsFranchiseFeesSettlement.com.

Were grateful to get this resolved, there have been formal and informal attempts to settle this by elected officials and administration for more than four years, said Billings City Administrator Chris Kukulski in a statement. Now, we can focus our time and attention on opportunities for the community.
Authorities say they are investigating an apparent gunfight at an off-road vehicle rally in Mexicos Baja California state that left 10 people dead and another 10 wounded. Videos posted on social media showed heavy shooting at the rally in an area of Ensenada and at least three bodies lying on the ground. The shooting, which took place early Saturday afternoon, provoked an intense mobilization of units of the army, navy, and state and local police.

Baja California officials say gunmen in one vehicle opened fire on people and vehicles at the rally. State prosecutor Ricardo Ivan Carpio said that vehicle was found to have "perforations from gunshots and traces of blood inside." The state prosecutors office said there was evidence of crossfire suggesting it was a confrontation between members of organized crime groups.

(Read more Mexico stories.)
TikTok is taking Montana to court over the state's first-in-the-nation ban complete ban of the app, which was due to take effect Jan. 1 but could now be delayed. In a complaint filed Monday in US District Court for the District of Montana, TikTok said the ban violated First Amendment protections, Politico reports. "We are challenging Montanas unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana," the complaint stated. "We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts."

The complaint seeks an order "invalidating and preliminarily and permanently enjoining" Montana from enforcing the ban, per NBC. TikTok has a Chinese parent company, and Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte says the ban on the app will "protect Montanans private data and sensitive personal information from being harvested by the Chinese Communist Party," the Washington Post reports. In the lawsuit, TikTok said the "extraordinary and unprecedented measures" against the company are "based on nothing more than unfounded speculation." The state is also being sued by several Montana-based content creators who filed a lawsuit hours after Gianforte signed the law. (Read more TikTok stories.)
Most of the tweets on the OSINTdefender Twitter account, which bills itself as an "open source intelligence monitor," have focused lately on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A post on Monday morning, however, set off alarms closer to home, after a phony image circulated on social media depicting what appeared to be an explosion at the Pentagon. The photowhich showed a huge plume of black smoke near the Department of Defense's headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, outside of Washington, DCwas tweeted not only by the OSINTdefender account, which cited "initial reports" of the explosion, but also by a since-suspended yet verified account pretending it was the Bloomberg Twitter feed, as well as by Russian state media outlet RT, reports Politico.

Arlington Fire & EMS soon dismissed that there'd been any type of blast in the vicinity. "There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public," the department tweeted around 10:30am ET; the AP contacted the department directly to make sure that tweet was authentic. Politico notes it's not clear who created the photo, or how it was made. But eagle-eyed Twitter users were quick to zoom in and point out tiny things that seemed off in the photo. Such imperfections have led misinformation and digital forensics pros to believe the image was likely produced using some sort of generative artificial intelligence program.

"Specifically, the grass and concrete fade into each other, the fence is irregular, there is a strange black pole that is protruding out of the front of the sidewalk but is also part of the fence," Hany Farid, a computer science professor at the University of California-Berkeley, tells the AP. "The windows in the building are inconsistent with photos of the Pentagon that you can find online." What wasn't fake about the morning's commotion: how the phony photo "briefly spooked stocks," per (the real) Bloomberg. A little after 10am ET, right as the image was making its rounds, the S&P 500 took a short dip of about 0.3%, though it quickly bounced back after it was revealed the image was fake, which the OSINTdefender Twitter account later confirmed. (Read more Pentagon stories.)
Last month, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin left the distinct impression that he wouldn't be running for the GOP nomination. This month, a much different narrative has emerged. First, Youngkin's campaign dropped a video on social media of the governor speaking at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library that looked very much like a campaign spot. "That's a presidential ad," Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, tells WVIR. "It has nothing to do with Virginia." In Sabato's view, the video is Youngkin's way of making sure he stays in the 2024 conversation.

On the heels of that video comes a story at Axios reporting that Youngkin is indeed serious about a possible run. "He's reconsidering," an anonymous source described as close to the governor tells the outlet. "He'd be in his own lane: He's not never-Trump, and he's not Trump-light." Part of the calculus appears to be that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, expected to launch his own campaign sometime this week, isn't exactly lighting up the polls in the race against Donald Trump.

All of the above is quite a change from April, when headlines such as this one appeared in the New York Times: "Youngkin Gives 2024 Presidential Run the Cold Shoulder." The stories emerged after Youngkin told reporters that he intended to focus on Virginia in 2023 and the state's legislative races. But as Sabato points out, that doesn't he mean he can't enter the race late in the year or perhaps in January. "He's hoping that Republicans will be looking for a fresh face" by then, says Sabato. (Read more Glenn Youngkin stories.)
Last week, the big news on Jeff Bezos was that he was spotted on his new $500 million, 417-foot superyacht, said to be the longest sailing yacht on Earth. This week, even bigger news, at least if you're a romantic: The Amazon founder is said to be engaged to longtime girlfriend Lauren Sanchez. A source "close to the couple" confirmed as much to Page Six, which notes that whispers of a possible engagement started popping up when Sanchez was spotted at the Cannes Film Festival in France, sporting what appeared to be a diamond on her left ring finger.

People has a close-up of the giant gem on Sanchez's hand. TMZ also confirms the engagement, reporting that the billionaire proposed while they were sailing around Europe on the yacht. Bezos, 59, and Sanchez, 53, began dating in 2018, though Page Six notes they kept their relationship low-key until Bezos' divorce from then-wife MacKenzie Scott was finalized in 2019. Sanchez was separated from her own spouse, talent mogul Patrick Whitesell, at the time. Sanchez has two teens, 15-year-old Ella and 16-year-old Evan, whom she shares with Whitesell, as well as a 22-year-old son, Nikko, from a previous relationship with ex-NFL player Tony Gonzalez. Bezos shares three sons and a daughter with Scott.

One person who's not celebrating over the news: Sanchez's estranged brother, who doesn't have any inside info on the potential impending nuptials but believes the report of his sister's engagement to Bezos is trueand calls it a "sloppy PR stunt" on her part. "I truly believe that this is just their way of distracting from the legal developments," Michael Sanchez tells the Daily Beast. The outlet notes he has sued Bezos for defamation over claims that Michael Sanchez leaked photos and texts from his sister (they were once close) to National Enquirer publisher American Media. (Read more Jeff Bezos stories.)
Some of the latest reports about fighting in the Ukraine-Russia war have a rare twist: They're describing an assault inside Russia. It appears that independent militia groups are behind the attacks in the border region of Belgorod. Ukraine insists that its own army is not involved, though a spokesman for President Volodymyr Zelensky says leaders in Kyiv are watching the events "with interest and studying the situation," reports the New York Times. The BBC reports that two pro-Ukraine paramilitary groups, called the Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, are responsible. Much is murky about the situation, notes France 24, but it appears the groups are made up of Russian mercenaries who want to overthrow Vladimir Putin.

The question is whether the groups truly acted on their own or with some guidance from Ukrainian officers. The Liberty of Russia Legion in particular claimed on social media to have "liberated" the border village of Kozinka. Videos surfaced showing armored vehicles in various other border villages. The Russian governor of the region has confirmed the attacks and said a counterattack to oust the forces was underway. The cleaning of the territory by the Ministry of Defense together with law enforcement agencies continues, Vyacheslav Gladkov said on the messaging app Telegram. The development comes after the Discord leaks revealed that Zelensky has floated the idea of launching ground attacks in Russia. (Read more Russia-Ukraine war stories.)
A London judge ruled Tuesday against Prince Harry in his efforts to pay for police protection when he visits Britain, reports the AP. A High Court judge rejected the Duke of Sussexs assertion that the British government exceeded its authority when it denied him the right to hire police to provide security in the UK. The British government stopped providing security after Harry and his wife, Meghan, quit their royal duties and moved to California in 2020. As the BBC notes, a lawyer for the government argued in court that it shouldn't allow the wealthy to "buy" police officers "as private bodyguards for the wealthy, and that it's not reasonable to expose officers to danger because of "payment of a fee by a private individual."

Harry has said he doesnt feel safe visiting Britain with his young children, and has cited aggressive press photographers. The case was argued last week on the same day Harry and Meghan sought cover from paparazzi in a New York police station after a spokesperson said they had been involved in a near catastrophic car chase with photographers after a gala event. No one was injured and no citations given, but police said photographers made it challenging for the couple to get where they were going. Harry is separately challenging the decision to deny him government-paid security. That lawsuit is the only one of five active legal cases he has in London courts that is not against British tabloid publishers over allegations of libel or phone hacking.

(Read more Prince Harry stories.)
A man has been charged with threatening the president after a U-Haul truck crashed into security barriers across the street from the White House late Monday. Investigators believe the driver intentionally struck the barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square just before 10pm. A witness tells NBC Washington that he initially thought the driver accidentally struck the barriers, but then watched as the vehicle backed up and rammed into them a second time. The man was then arrested. "There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel and the cause and manner of the crash remain under investigation," a Secret Service rep said, per CBS News.

However, CBS spoke to a law enforcement source who said the driver made threats referring to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. A bomb-squad robot was later seen searching the vehicle, which left tire marks on a curb near a series of metal poles around the park. There were no weapons or explosives, though investigators did find a Nazi flag in the vehicle's cab, per NBC. The drivera US citizen who did not appear on any watch listsis now charged with assault with a dangerous weapon; reckless operation of a motor vehicle; threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a president, vice president, or family member; destruction of federal property; and trespassing, per CBS. (Read more White House stories.)
Susan Smith was in her early 20s when she told police that a Black man had stolen her car, with her two young sons inside. Actually, she'd let her car roll into a lake, drowning the boys still strapped in their car seats. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 30 years. And now, those 30 years are nearly up. Smith, "one of the most notorious prisoners in South Carolina history," will become eligible for parole in November 2024, per People. "She says she is a different person than she used to be," a family member tells the Messenger in an exclusive interview. "She's working very hard to change the perception of her, especially when it comes to a parole board."

Though at trial it was claimed Smith killed her sons because she was dating a man who didn't want kids, she has said she doesn't know why she committed murder. She said she loved her kids but wasn't in the proper state of mind. Police said she was in the midst of a depressive, suicidal episode, per the New York Post. Smith spent the next 20 years behind bars at Leath Correctional Institution in Greenwood "romping with prison guards, taking drugs and self-harming," according to the outlet. But she's "been on her best behavior" in recent years with a parole hearing looming. Just over a year ago, Smith wrote to a boyfriend of her plan to "leave the past mistakes behind and start fresh," as People reported.

"She'll always be a manipulative person" but she's realized she needs to "start living in such a manner to prove that she's a worthy candidate for parole," Jon Ozmint, former director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections, told the Post in 2020. Even so, Ozmint said it was "highly unlikely" Smith would be granted parole on her first attempt as "the emotion behind the murders carries much more weight than the probability Smith will reoffend." Even the relative who spoke to the Messenger believes Smith should remain behind bars. "I love Susan and I always will. But I loved Michael and Alex, too," the person says. "Susan took their lives away, and she doesn't deserve to get her life back." (Read more South Carolina stories.)
A 16-year-old girl who awoke to the sound of her 8-year-old sister screaming managed to save the sibling from an attempted drowning by her own mother, according to South Carolina police. Sadly, another sister, 6-year-old Mackaya Bradley-Brun, could not be saved. She's presumed to have drowned. Police have arrested 37-year-old Jamie Bradley-Brun for the alleged murder of Mackaya and the attempted murder of her 8-year-old sister, who hasn't been identified. "I know what happened and it's pretty horrific," Beaufort County Sheriff PJ Tanner said at a news conference, per NBC News. He applauded the "amazing" courage of the 16-year-old, who "defended her family when no one else was available to."

The teen called 911 at 1:25am on Friday. She'd been awoken by the sound of her sister's screams in the family's home on St. Helena Island, then found her mother trying to drown the girl in the bathroom, Tanner said. "She had the ability and courage to utilize her own strength to get her 8-year-old" sister out of the house, he said, per NBC. She reportedly pulled her sister from her mother's grasp before both fled to a relative's home. The teen then "had the composure to know that 911 needed to be called because she knew her other sister was in the home," Tanner said.

Deputies responded eight minutes later, per WYFF. A confrontation ensued, with Bradley-Brun allegedly trying to grab a weapon from a deputy, and officers using a stun gun. Mackaya, found in a different part of the house, was pronounced dead at a hospital. "Jamie Michele Bradley-Brun most likely drowned the six-year-old ... then attempted to drown an eight-year-old child," deputies wrote, per Law & Crime. The 8-year-old didn't suffer serious injuries, reports the AP. Her mother, who has no prior arrests in South Carolina, is held without bond. (Read more murder stories.)
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The Golden Valley County man killed earlier this month at his rural home has been identified.

Dennis Murnion was found dead May 15 by county deputies at a residence on Hedgesville Road, about 14 miles north of Shawmut. The Golden Valley County Sheriffs Office could not specify how the 66-year-old died, but Undersheriff Mark Olson said Tuesday his death has been ruled a homicide.

Murnions death was the first homicide investigated by GVSCO since the Kennedy Administration, Olson said. Two people are currently in custody as suspects in the homicide, but no criminal charges have been filed.

GVSCO deputies were dispatched to Hedgesville Road to conduct a welfare check May 15, the Gazette previously reported. After finding the body of Murnion, GVSCO launched a search that included members of the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Wheatland County Sheriff's Office. Members of the Casper Police Department in Wyoming arrested the two suspects May 16, Olson said.

While the names of the two suspects have yet to be released, they are described as a 37-year-old man and 21-year-old woman. Theft charges have already been filed against both suspects, Tami Allen with the Golden Valley and Musselshell County Attorneys Office previously told the Gazette, and more charges are expected to be filed as the investigation progresses. The two suspects are being held in custody on a $50,000 bond.

Golden Valley County, with just 830 residents, is one of the least populated counties in Montana. Its sheriff's office consists of Sheriff Robert Pallas, Undersheriff Olson, two sergeants, a deputy and three reserve deputies. The last time deputies were called to a homicide was in 1962 when a man shot and killed his wife at their Ryegate home.

Dorothy Ann Wolff, a 40-year-old mother of five, was fatally wounded while struggling over control of a rifle with her husband, Edward Wolff. Edward Wolff was hospitalized when a bullet went through his jaw. Although he was charged with murder following the shooting, according to newspaper accounts, Dorothy Wolffs death was ruled an accident following a coroners inquest.
Authorities in Alaska tried without luck to free a 20-year-old man who'd become stuck waist-deep in mud flats on Sunday and had to watch as he was drowned by the incoming tide. Zachary Porter of Lake Bluff, Illinois, had been walking with friends on the Turnagain Arm mud flats near Hope when he became stuck between 50 to 100 feet from shore around 6pm, reports the Anchorage Daily News. A friend immediately called 911, recognizing this would be a race against time, with the tide moving in. Despite the friends' efforts to free Porter, he was waist-deep in mud when the first rescue crews arrived. He remained stuck and was submerged just before 6:45pm, troopers said, adding his body was recovered Monday morning.

"I have been in contact with all my members, and they're all heartbroken," Kristy Peterson, lead EMT for the Hope-Sunrise Volunteer Fire Department, who was at the scene for the rescue attempt, tells the AP. "This is a hard situation," she adds. "But you have to remember that it's Mother Nature, and she has no mercy for humanity." Several other people have died after becoming stuck in the mud flats, per the AP. In 2013, Army Capt. Joseph Eros died while trying to cross from Fire Island to Anchorage. Years earlier in 1988, 18-year-old Adeana Dickison died after becoming stuck in mud flats near Ingram Creek.

But those are rare cases. As the Daily News reports, the Girdwood Fire Department is called to rescue people trapped in mud flats at least a couple of times per year. Just last month, crews rescued a person who'd become trapped while fishing. Girdwood Fire crews use a tool that sprays high-pressure water or air into the mud-like quicksand to break it up, per the Daily News. But there needs to be enough hands ready to rescue crew members that might also become stuck. Members of the Girdwood Fire Department arrived too late Sunday, following a 47-mile trip that can take up to an hour. A friend of Porter's who tried to save him was taken to a hospital with hypothermia, per Alaska Public Media. (Read more Alaska stories.)
Ron DeSantis is expected to launch his 2024 campaign for president this week, notes CNN, and the Florida governor is floating a new selling point: the possibility of a 7-2 conservative majority on the Supreme Court that would last for a long time. DeSantis made the case Monday in an address to the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Orlando, reports the New York Times. He suggested a president who serves the next two terms might replace Clarence Thomas, 74, and Samuel Alito, 73, and maybe even Sonia Sotomayor, 68, and Chief Justice John Roberts, 68, per Politico. If so, that would not only maintain the current 6-3 conservative majority but expand it.

By this logic, DeSantis would have the advantage over Donald Trump, who could serve only another four years in office. You would have a 7-2 conservative majority on the Supreme Court that would last a quarter-century, DeSantis said. So this is big stuff, very important that that gets done right. Meanwhile:



Telltale shift: The Hill noticed that DeSantis has removed "FL" from his Twitter handle, a reference to his home state, presumably to give himself a more national reach for the campaign launch.

The Hill noticed that DeSantis has removed "FL" from his Twitter handle, a reference to his home state, presumably to give himself a more national reach for the campaign launch. Growing pack: GOP Sen. Tim Scott already joined the Republican race this week, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is reportedly reconsidering a run himself, and others including Mike Pence and Chris Christie are possibilities. The Wall Street Journal sees it as a sign that challengers see Trump as beatable and DeSantis as vulnerable. The story notes, however, that Trump seems happy with a larger field.

GOP Sen. Tim Scott already joined the Republican race this week, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is reportedly reconsidering a run himself, and others including Mike Pence and Chris Christie are possibilities. The Wall Street Journal sees it as a sign that challengers see Trump as beatable and DeSantis as vulnerable. The story notes, however, that Trump seems happy with a larger field. Some advice: At the Daily Beast, conservative Matt Lewis assesses the state of the 2024 race and suggests that DeSantis give up now. Lewis sees two scenarios at this point: "1) Either Trump is inevitable, in which case this is all a moot point, or 2) DeSantis may have already blown his narrow chance of ousting Trump as the GOP nominee, in which case DeSantis would probably be better off not running."

(The nation is about to meet Florida first lady Casey DeSantis .)
A German man accused of trying to kill emergency workers by setting them on fire had been living with his mother's corpse in a high-rise apartment packed full of canned food, bottled water, toilet paper, and other supplies, investigators say. The 57-year-old man has been charged with nine counts of attempted murder in connection with the May 11 incident, the Washington Post reports. Officers went to the apartment building in the town of Ratingen in western Germany because the building manager was concerned that a 91-year-old woman had not been seen for some time and mail was piling up, regional interior minister Herbert Reul said at a hearing Monday.

When police forced their way into the apartment, believing there could be a "helpless person" inside, they were attacked by the tenant's son, who sprayed them with a flammable liquid and set them on fire. "Emergency and rescue services, some of whom were still burning, ran from the 10th floor to the street," Reul said. Almost two weeks after the attack, three emergency workers are still in critical condition and five others are being treated for serious injuries. The female officer who was the first to enter the apartment suffered burns to 80% of her upper body.

The 91-year-old's severely decomposed body was found in a wheelchair. Authorities believe she died of natural causes some time ago. Authorities say handwritten notes found in the apartment show that the suspect was influenced by anti-vaccine conspiracy theories. In one, he described the COVID-19 vaccine as the "vaccination of the devil," Spiegel reports. Investigators are trying to search the man's electronic devices but they were severely damaged by fire and water. Investigators are also trying to determine whether a 73-year-old man found dead in another apartment in the building is connected to the case. (Read more Germany stories.)
A Russian court on Tuesday extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months, Russian news agencies reported. Gershkovich, an American citizen, was ordered held until Aug. 30, per the AP. He had been arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer, and the US government have denied the charges. Tuesdays court hearing wasnt announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy. Russian authorities havent detailed whatif anyevidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges. Various legal proceedings have been closed to the media, and no details immediately emerged about whether Gershkovich or US Embassy representatives attended Tuesday's hearing or what was said.

Tass said the session was closed because the reporter was accused of possession of secret materials. Gershkovich is the first US correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges, and his arrest rattled journalists in the country and drew outrage in the West. The US government has declared Gershkovich to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release. Hes being held in Moscows Lefortovo prison. US Embassy officials were allowed at least one prison visit to Gershkovich since his arrest in Yekaterinburg on March 29, but Russian authorities have denied permission for other visits.

(Read more Evan Gershkovich stories.)
In a move to cut carbon emissions, France has officially banned domestic short-haul flights when train alternatives are available. The law was published in a formal government decree, ending the airline industry's hopes of soaring above it, the BBC reports. The ban mostly grounds air trips between Paris and cities like Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux, though connecting flights won't be affected. The BBC notes that critics have called this a mere "symbolic ban," even though planes emit 77 times more CO2 per passenger than trains on these routes.

However, this journey to a greener future hasn't been smooth. As the Local reports, originally, the law proposed to ban any flight for journeys that could be done within six hours by rail. After a bit of turbulence in Parliament, this was trimmed down to a two-and-a-half-hour train ride. The law also ensured that train services on the same route must be frequent, timely, and well-connected, so passengers don't miss their air travel too much. Those planning a day trip should be able to make outbound and return train journeys on the same day.

Notably, this law only applies to commercial flights, not private air. Air France is already on board with this plan thanks to a 2020 COVID financial support package. Other airlines won't be able to fill the gap either; competitors are banned from doing so. Travelers trading commercial flight for private will need to keep in mind that French politicians are also trying to reduce emissions from private jets. (Read more environment stories.)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to launch his White House bid on what used to be Donald Trump's favored social media platform. The Republican will make the announcement in a Twitter Spaces session with CEO Elon Musk starting at 6pm Eastern on Wednesday, campaign officials confirmed to Politico. At a Wall Street Journal event Tuesday, Musk said he isn't planning to endorse a candidate but he wants to use Twitter as a virtual town square. The event will be moderated by GOP donor David Sacks, who supports DeSantis and has close ties to Musk, the New York Times reports.

A source tells NBC that the DeSantis team has been in talks with Musk for weeks and the Twitter CEO does not believe Trump, who has a large lead over DeSantis in the polls, can win back the White House. Last year, Musk said DeSantis would "easily" win if he ran against President Biden. Fox says that after the Twitter event, DeSantis will be interviewed by former Rep. Trey Gowdy at 8pm. DeSantis critics scoffed at the announcement of the Twitter event. "Announcing on Twitter is perfect for Ron DeSantis. This way he doesnt have to interact with people and the media cant ask him any questions, a Trump adviser told Politico. (Read more Ron DeSantis stories.)
Donald Trump threw up his hands in frustration Tuesday as a judge scheduled his criminal trial for March 25, putting the former president and current candidate in a Manhattan courtroom in the heat of next years presidential primary season. Trump, appearing by video conference at a pretrial hearing in the hush-money case, glowered at the camera as New York Judge Juan Manuel Merchan advised him to cancel all other obligations for the duration of the trial, which could last for several weeks, the AP reports.

Trump, wearing a blue suit against a backdrop of American flags at his Florida estate, then turned to a lawyer by his sidetheir brief discussion inaudible on the video feedbefore sitting with his arms folded for the remainder of the hearing. Trump pleaded not guilty last month to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records at his family company, the Trump Organization. At Tuesday's hearing, Merchan reviewed an order barring Trump from publicly disseminating certain evidence turned over by prosecutors. Trump is allowed to speak publicly about the criminal case, according to Merchans order, but he risks being held in contempt if he uses evidence turned over by prosecutors in the pretrial discovery process to target witnesses or others involved in the case.

Trump was spared a personal appearance at the courthouse, avoiding the mammoth security and logistical challenges that accompanied his arraignment last month . Instead, the Republican was connected by video conference, with his face beamed onto courtroom TV monitors. Merchan, noting Trumps "special" status as a former president and current candidate, has made clear that the protective order shouldnt be construed as a gag order and that Trump has a right to publicly defend himself.

In a post on his Truth Social network after the hearing, Trump said he believed his First Amendment rights had been violated. "They forced upon us a trial date of March 25th, right in the middle of Primary season," he wrote. "Very unfair, but this is exactly what the Radical Left Democrats wanted. Its called ELECTION INTERFERENCE, and nothing like this has ever happened in our Country before!!!" (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
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Christopher Morrison, 23, was seen leaving the Lake Region Reentry Center in Devils Lake wearing black pants, a blue T-shirt with a black T-shirt underneath, a black hat, and white and black shoes, according to the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Morrison is described as Native American, 5 feet 11 inches, 210 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He has ties to Fargo, Fort Yates, and potentially Rapid City, the department said. He is on supervision for felony failure to register as a sexual offender.
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North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley will renew his push for mandatory minimum sentences for certain violent crimes, calling the state's trends troubling.

Wrigley on Tuesday released 2022 crime statistics, including reported homicides, drug offenses and crimes against people. Not all instances resulted in arrests or prosecution.

Homicides increased from 17 in 2021 to 30 in 2022; 2020 is the 20-year record, at 32 homicides. Reported crimes against persons, including robbery, held flat last year but are up 37% from 2013.

"The yearslong trend of increasing violent crime in North Dakota persists," the attorney general told reporters.

Wrigley also blasted House lawmakers for having "derailed" his bill last month to impose tougher penalties for violent gun crimes and offenses against police -- legislation he said "we're going to be back with" in 2025, citing the 2022 statistics.

The bill hit rocks in the House over several issues, including amendments rewriting the bill, Wrigley's involvement in the legislation, and which lawmakers got to negotiate the bill's final language with the Senate.

Wrigley said Tuesday, "There's no policymaker in our state that can stand up and look their constituents in the eye and not acknowledge we've got a violent crime problem, and it's getting worse."

He plans to add a new statistic to future reports: crimes committed by people who are on early parole.

"It'll be decisional information for our Legislature, for our judges, for our state's attorneys and for our Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation," the attorney general said.

Statistics

Wrigley highlighted such statistics as reported rapes increasing nearly 12% last year, and robberies increasing 16%.

Child pornography offenses increased 21%, "staggering" numbers and likely underreported, given how many cases are prosecuted federally, "but you can know they're being addressed," Wrigley said.

Aggravated assaults increased nearly 10%. Kidnapping/abduction rose nearly 31%.

Several crime statistics decreased last year, including drug/narcotic violations down 9.4%, but drug seizures, trafficking, addiction rates and overdose deaths remain prevalent issues, according to Wrigley.

North Dakota logged 129 drug overdose deaths in 2022, according to preliminary data on the North Dakota Violent Death Reporting System online.

State and federal investigators have improved at "moving up the chain" and targeting "the worst (drug) traffickers you can possibly get," Wrigley said.

DUI arrests continued a general decadelong decline, what Wrigley called "a really positive trend," though they were up 4.3% last year.

Court filings

Statewide district court filings fell 11% last year, down to 141,514 total criminal, civil, traffic and other filings, according to the 2022 North Dakota court system annual report released in March.

Filings in the nine-county South Central Judicial District, encompassing Burleigh and Morton counties, fell nearly 12%, to 26,280 filings in 2022, including a 17% drop in criminal filings. The district still had the most total filings of any in North Dakota last year.

State Court Administrator Sally Holewa called the statewide drop in filings significant but not unusual.

"It's not so much of a dramatic drop. I think it's more cyclical," she said.

The decrease is mostly due to fewer administrative traffic filings, probably due to turnover and vacancies among law enforcement officers, she said.

Courts also saw a major decrease in contract collections, an indicator of "the tail end" of effects from the 2016-17 oil bust, according to Holewa.

Morton County State's Attorney Al Koppy said various reasons account for differences from year to year, including 2022's decreases. He cited the killings of four people in 2019 at RJR Maintenance & Management in Mandan.

"That totally skews the statistics for that year. You just don't know what's going to come down the pike," Koppy said. "It's whatever happens."

District courts had 244 jury trials last year, down from 285 in 2021. South Central had the most jury trials in the state in both years: 100 in 2021 and 78 in 2022.

Holewa attributed the decrease in trials to attorney practices and also to what deals are offered in cases.

Since 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, remote proceedings became part of district courts' protocols, but they are now largely "district-driven," according to Holewa.
Kyodo - May 22

Yuko Kishida, the wife of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, has gifted pairs of wearable binoculars to the spouses of the leaders of the Group of Seven countries and international organizations who attended the G-7 summit that concluded Sunday in Hiroshima, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
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Saltwater and oil spilled at a well site near Glenburn in northern North Dakota's Renville County earlier this week, according to state environmental officials.

Cobra Oil and Gas Corp. informed state agencies on Sunday that a malfunction in an oil-water separator caused the spill of 6,300 gallons of saltwater and 420 gallons of oil, impacting farm land. Saltwater is a byproduct of oil production.

The well has been shut down until repairs are completed, according to the spill report on file with the state.

State officials are on site to monitor remediation efforts, the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality said.
Dreaming of connecting with nature? 450 000 km of stories await you at Parks Canada administered places from coast to coast to coast!

TOBERMORY, ON, May 19, 2023 /CNW/ - The vast network of protected areas administered by Parks Canada is a gateway to nature, history, and 450 000 km of stories from coast to coast to coast.

Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park officially opened for the 2023 summer visitor season on May 1. Again, this year, Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park will be offering the opportunity to book an overnight stay in a yurt or campsite, hike beautiful trails and learn more about these parks from knowledgeable staff.

World famous hiking is available at Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park, located in a rugged landscape, home to orchids, ferns and black bears. Plan your visit! Reservations must be made for campsites and parking spots before arrival. Credit: Parks Canada (CNW Group/Parks Canada)

National parks and national marine conservation areas are gateways to discovering, learning about, and connecting with nature. There are countless opportunities to enjoy the mental and physical benefits of being outdoors at these treasured places. This season at Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park, stay overnight in a yurt, book a campsite, learn from an outdoor educator, or reserve your seat on a tour boat to view shipwrecks and visit Flowerpot Island. Visitors are asked to visit the park's website to make a reservation.

Hours of operation

Parks Canada Visitor Centre: May 1 to October 31, daily, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cyprus Lake Campground Office:

May 1 to May 18 and September 18 to October 31, daily, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

May 19 to September 17, daily, from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

If you're still looking to make plans this summer, consider spending the night to rest and recharge! Parks Canada's Reservation Service allows visitors to plan their trips to a wide variety of national parks and national historic sites across Canada with confidence, ease, and knowledge that they have a guaranteed spot waiting for them. If your favourite spot is booked on your preferred days, check back regularly for cancellations, or plan your visit for less busy periods like during the week or the shoulder seasons. To book a stay, please visit the Parks Canada website at reservation.pc.gc.ca or call 1-877-RESERVE (1-877-737-3783). Please note, parking reservations are required.

To make the most of their Parks Canada experience, visitors are asked to plan their trip in advance, by visiting the Parks Canada website and signing up for the e-newsletter, to be among the first to find out about new and noteworthy events and activities, special offers, trip planning ideas and much more  all delivered directly to their inboxes! Visitors can also download the Parks Canada app, listen to Parks Canada's new podcast ReCollections, and follow Parks Canada on social media for destination inspiration and to help plan their perfect visit.

The Parks Canada team at Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park is excited to welcome new and returning guests with reservations back to experience everything that Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park have to offer.

Quotes

"As we near summertime, I encourage everyone to connect with nature and culture and make lasting memories at Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park. National historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas represent the very best that Canada has to offer where Canadians and visitors to Canada can explore nature and learn about Canada's history. The vast network of protected areas administered by Parks Canada has something for everyone to enjoy."

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault

Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

"The visitor season coming into full swing at Parks Canada's administered places is always an exciting time of year. The Parks Canada team works extremely hard to provide visitors with high quality and meaningful experiences across the country. We look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors to Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park to create lasting memories!

Ron Hallman

President & Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada

Quick Facts

In the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, Bruce Peninsula National Park and Fathom Five National Marine Park feature towering cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment plunging into the blue waters of Georgian Bay. World famous hiking is available in a rugged landscape, home to orchids, ferns and black bears.

and Fathom Five National Marine Park feature towering cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment plunging into the blue waters of Georgian Bay. World famous hiking is available in a rugged landscape, home to orchids, ferns and black bears. Parks Canada has launched a new podcast series, entitled ReCollections . Five initial episodes share the captivating stories behind various national historic sites across the country. Delve into Canada's rich natural and cultural heritage as you uncover these cherished treasures.

has launched a new podcast series, entitled . Five initial episodes share the captivating stories behind various national historic sites across the country. Delve into rich natural and cultural heritage as you uncover these cherished treasures. Parks Canada administered places are a source of shared pride for all Canadians. That is why the Government of Canada is pleased to continue to offer free admission to all Parks Canada's administered places for youth aged 17 and under. By encouraging young people to discover and connect with these incredible natural and cultural places, we can inspire the next generation of stewards for these protected places.

administered places are a source of shared pride for all Canadians. That is why the Government of is pleased to continue to offer free admission to all Parks Canada's administered places for youth aged 17 and under. By encouraging young people to discover and connect with these incredible natural and cultural places, we can inspire the next generation of stewards for these protected places. In celebration of diversity, Parks Canada continues to offer free admission to new Canadian citizens for one year through the Institute for Canadian Citizenship's Canoo mobile app. Visiting Parks Canada's national heritage places is a great way for Canadians to experience the outdoors and learn more about our environment and heritage.

Want the ultimate ticket to nature, history and adventure? The Parks Canada Discovery Pass provides unlimited admission for a full year to over 80 destinations across the country. Visitors can purchase their Parks Canada Discovery Passes online, on-site, and at partner retailer locations across the country.

Associated Links

SOURCE Parks Canada

For further information: Kaitlin Power, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-230-1557, [email protected]; Media Relations, Parks Canada, 1-855-862-1812, [email protected]
Dreaming of exploring the stories of the past? 450 000 km of stories await you at Parks Canada administered places from coast to coast to coast!

OTTAWA, ON, May 19, 2023 /CNW/ - The vast network of protected areas administered by Parks Canada is a gateway to nature, history, and 450 000 km of stories from coast to coast to coast.

Laurier House National Historic Site is open for the 2023 summer visitor season. This year, Laurier House National Historic Site will be offering enhanced guided heritage tours, will participate in Ottawa's Doors Open event, and will offer Canada Day programming.

This year, Laurier House National Historic Site will be offering enhanced guided heritage tours, will participate in Ottawas Doors Open event, and will offer Canada Day programming. Credit: Parks Canada (CNW Group/Parks Canada)

National historic sites reflect the rich and varied heritage of Canada and provide an opportunity for Canadians to learn more about its diverse history. At Laurier House National Historic Site, visitors can learn more about the home and lives of two of Canada's longest serving prime ministers: Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King. Visitors are invited to take a guided heritage tour of the historic house, to attend the Doors Open event on June 3 and 4, and enjoy special programming to be offered on Canada Day. Plan your visit today and hear stories of the events that have shaped Canada's past, present, and future!

Hours of operation

May 4 to June 30, Thursday to Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

July 1 to September 4, daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Historic Places Days are an opportunity to discover Canada's many diverse historic destinations and the vital role these places have in their communities. This year, Historic Places Days begins on July 8. Travel back in time and discover the great stories of the past. Hundreds of fascinating historic places, including Laurier House National Historic Site, are waiting to be discovered! To make the most of their Parks Canada experience, visitors are asked to plan their trip in advance, by visiting the Parks Canada website and signing up for the e-newsletter, to be among the first to find out about new and noteworthy events and activities, special offers, trip planning ideas and much more  all delivered directly to their inboxes! Visitors can also download the Parks Canada app, listen to Parks Canada's new podcast ReCollections, and follow Parks Canada on social media for destination inspiration and to help plan their perfect visit.

The Parks Canada team at Laurier House National Historic Site is excited to welcome new and returning guests back to experience everything that the Laurier House National Historic Site has to offer.

Quotes

"As we near summertime, I encourage everyone to connect with nature and culture and make lasting memories at Laurier House National Historic Site. National historic sites, national parks and national marine conservation areas represent the very best that Canada has to offer where Canadians and visitors to Canada can explore nature and learn about Canada's history. The vast network of protected areas administered by Parks Canada has something for everyone to enjoy."

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault

Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

"The visitor season coming into full swing at Parks Canada's administered places is always an exciting time of year. The Parks Canada team works extremely hard to provide visitors with high quality and meaningful experiences across the country. We look forward to welcoming new and returning visitors to Laurier House National Historic to create lasting memories!

Ron Hallman

President & Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada

Quick Facts

Laurier House National Historic Site invites visitors to admire one of Parks Canada's richest and most authentic collections of antiques and paintings. Relive the country's history through anecdotes and untold stories about the lives and accomplishments of Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King .

and . Parks Canada has launched a new podcast series, entitled ReCollections . Five initial episodes share the captivating stories behind various national historic sites across the country. Delve into Canada's rich natural and cultural heritage as you uncover these cherished treasures.

has launched a new podcast series, entitled . Five initial episodes share the captivating stories behind various national historic sites across the country. Delve into rich natural and cultural heritage as you uncover these cherished treasures. Parks Canada administered places are a source of shared pride for all Canadians. That is why the Government of Canada is pleased to continue to offer free admission to all Parks Canada's administered places for youth aged 17 and under. By encouraging young people to discover and connect with these incredible natural and cultural places, we can inspire the next generation of stewards for these protected places.

administered places are a source of shared pride for all Canadians. That is why the Government of is pleased to continue to offer free admission to all Parks Canada's administered places for youth aged 17 and under. By encouraging young people to discover and connect with these incredible natural and cultural places, we can inspire the next generation of stewards for these protected places. In celebration of diversity, Parks Canada continues to offer free admission to new Canadian citizens for one year through the Institute for Canadian Citizenship's Canoo mobile app. Visiting Parks Canada's national heritage places is a great way for Canadians to experience the outdoors and learn more about our environment and heritage.

Want the ultimate ticket to nature, history and adventure? The Parks Canada Discovery Pass provides unlimited admission for a full year to over 80 destinations across the country. Visitors can purchase their Parks Canada Discovery Passes online, on-site, and at partner retailer locations across the country.

Associated Links

SOURCE Parks Canada

For further information: Kaitlin Power, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-230-1557, [email protected]; Media Relations, Parks Canada, 1-855-862-1812, [email protected]
MONTREAL, May 23, 2023 /CNW/ - McDonald's Canada announced today that work has begun on the new site for the first-ever standalone McCafe location in a Canadian airport at Montreal Pierre-Elliot-Trudeau International Airport. Set to open this summer, this will also be the first standalone McCafe location in the province of Quebec.

The first-ever stand-alone McCafe location in Quebec and in a Canadian airport, will open this summer at Montreal's Pierre Elliot Trudeau International Airport. (CNW Group/McDonald's Canada)

"We are excited to be expanding our footprint to meet our guests growing appetite for our Premium Roast Coffee beyond their daily rituals," said Michele Boudria, President and CEO of McDonald's Canada. "This new standalone McCafe at the Montreal Pierre-Elliot-Trudeau International Airport is a milestone in the evolution of the McCafe brand in Quebec."

The standalone McCafe site will be located in front of Gate 50 near the entrance of international departures to provide a convenient access point for domestic and international travellers. It will also feature self-ordering kiosks to meet customer demands for a quick and convenient place to order their Premium Roast Coffee and a variety of items to enjoy "on the go" while in transit.

In addition to the existing staples of Premium Roast Coffee, espresso-based beverages, McMuffin sandwiches, and sweet bakery treats, the menu at this location will feature an exclusive lineup that includes freshly made in-house sandwiches, such as grilled cheese and freshly baked croissant sandwiches.

Taking the reins of this brand-new site is McDonald's franchisee, Francois Nolin, who has more than 35 years of experience in the restaurant industry.

"I'm looking forward to welcoming our first guests and being part of their travelling ritual. This new location will provide an experience tailored to meet the needs of our guests who want to enjoy their favourite McCafe on-site or on the go," said Francois Nolin.

As part of its strategy to develop and strengthen the reputation of McCafe as a leading coffee brand, McDonald's Canada is proud to offer the quality experience guests are looking for in a new standalone destination.

The grand opening of the standalone McCafe is scheduled for the summer of 2023.

About McDonald's Canada

In 1967, Canada welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, serving more than one million guests every day. In both franchised and corporate-owned restaurants, nearly 100,000 people are employed from coast to coast to coast, and more than 90 per cent of McDonald's 1,400 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent franchisees. Of the almost $1 billion spent on food, more than 85 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald's Canada, visit mcdonalds.ca.

ABOUT McCafe

The McCafe brand has established itself as a leading player in the Canadian quick-service coffee landscape with its Premium Roast Coffee, surprising and delighting guests with each cup. Building on its strong coffee credentials, McCafe has expanded into grocery aisles, launched a standalone cafe in Toronto with an expanded menu and is brought on board WestJet flights. For more information on our commitment to brewing the perfect cup every time visit www.mcdonalds.ca/mccafe. Follow the brand on Instagram at @McDonaldsCanada.

SOURCE McDonald's Canada

For further information: Canada Impact Team, McDonald's Canada, [email protected]
www.northpeakresources.com

TSX Venture: NPR

CALGARY, AB, May 23, 2023 /CNW/ - North Peak Resources Ltd. (TSXV: NPR) (the "Company" or "North Peak") has received final acceptance from the TSX Venture Exchange for its acquisition of the Prospect Mountain Mine complex (the "Property") from Solarljos LLC and Gullsil LLC of Nevada (each controlled by the Erickson family of Nevada). This former silver, gold, lead and zinc producing underground mine complex is located in the Battle Mountain Eureka trend in an area known as the Southern Eureka Gold Belt district of Nevada. The Company issued a press release on May 4, 2023 announcing execution of a binding, definitive Agreement (the "Agreement") with the materials terms and conditions of that Agreement described below.

"This final stock exchange approval is well timed for the launch of surface and underground work programs to be described in subsequent news releases," said Brian Hinchcliffe, North Peak CEO. "With Carlin style gold mineralization, CRD polymetallic systems and carbonate hosted Porphyry related Skarn lead, zinc and gold mineralization within its boundaries, the Property's exploration programs will be targeted to advance the identification of these systems both from underground and surface."

"We were very deliberate during the two-year development partner search for our Diamond and Silver-Connor mines at Prospect Mountain, to identify a team that could drive this forward", said Ty Erickson, MD. "We became convinced that North Peak's team  which built Kirkland Lake Gold and Rupert Resource  had the exploration and mine building background we needed to be successful here in Eureka."

Venture Formation

The Company and Solarljos, LLC ("Solarljos") are now working to put in place a Nevada LLC where the Company (through its Nevada subsidiary) will hold initially, an 80% interest (the "Initial Interest") and Solarljos will hold the remaining 20% interest, and the mining claims and rights and related permits that constitute the Property will be transferred into the Nevada LLC (the date on which this is completed is referred to herein as the "Formation Date"). The Company's Nevada subsidiary will act as manager for the Nevada LLC and operator of the Property. Solarljos will not be required to contribute any funds or assume any liabilities for the benefit of the Nevada LLC or in connection with exploration and operations at the Property on account of its 20% interest.

The Company will acquire the Initial Interest by issuing 5,000,000 common shares to Solarljos on the Formation Date. The Company has the right to acquire the remaining 20% interest held by Solarljos (the "Right"), provided it maintains its obligations under the Agreement (which includes annual exploration expenditures on the Property and cash payments to Solarljos) and by issuing an additional 3,000,000 common shares to Solarljos. The Company will have until 90 days after the third anniversary of the Formation Date to exercise the Right. If the Company decides not to exercise the Right within this time period, then the Initial Interest is to be transferred to Solarljos, and Solarljos will in turn return to the Company the 5,000,000 common shares that have been issued to it.

Mr. Mike Sutton, P.Geo., a director of the Company, is the Qualified Person, as defined under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, who reviewed and approved scientific and technical disclosure in this news release. The Qualified Person has not reviewed the mineral tenure, nor independently verified the legal status and ownership of the Property or any underlying property agreements.

The Company will issue additional press release related to completion of the formation of the Nevada LLC and related matters described herein, and other material information as it becomes available.

About North Peak

The Company is a Canadian based gold exploration and development company that is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NPR". The Company is focused on acquiring historic sites, with low cost producing gold and other metals properties, with near term production potential and 8+ year mine life in the northern hemisphere.

The Company can give no assurances at this time that its properties and interests will fulfil the Company's business development goals described herein. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative.

The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the transactions described herein and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the ability of the parties to complete the transactions described herein, the ability of the Company to complete the exploration programs as proposed and on the timelines suggested, estimates of mineralization from drilling and the potential for minerals and/or mineral resources and reserves, and regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs, and current expectations of the Property and the Company that may be described herein. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as "may", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intend", "believe" and "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not occur. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the state of the economy in general and capital markets in particular, accuracy of assay results, geological interpretations from drilling results, timing and amount of capital expenditures; performance of available laboratory and other related services, future operating costs, and the historical basis for current estimates of potential quantities and grades of target zones, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2022, available at www.sedar.com , many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE North Peak Resources Ltd.

For further information: Brian Hinchcliffe, CEO, Phone: +1-647-424-2305, Email: [email protected], Website: www.northpeakresources.com; Chelsea Hayes, Director, Phone: +1-647-424-2305, Email: [email protected]
TORONTO, May 19, 2023 /CNW/ - Tridel, Canada's leading condominium builder, alongside government and industry stakeholders, came together for an event today focused on mental health in the workplace, held at Tridel's Auberge on the Park community in North York.

Members of Tridel, including President Jim Ritchie, alongside the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Ontario's Minister of Education, Andrew Pariser, Vice President of RESCON, Dr. David Gratzer, medical doctor and CAMH psychiatrist, and other industry and Tridel guests, gathered at an event today to raise awareness about workplace mental health and wellness in the construction industry. (CNW Group/Tridel Corporation)

This event aimed to raise awareness about workplace mental health and wellness, focusing on addressing the stigma around mental health in the construction industry. Guests included the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education for the Province of Ontario, Andrew Pariser, Vice President of RESCON, Dr. David Gratzer, medical doctor and Centre for Additional and Mental Health (CAMH) psychiatrist, and other industry and Tridel guests.

This event is a part of Tridel's Built for Respect mandate, first launched in 2020, as a collective effort by industry, union, and government stakeholders to create safe, healthy, and inclusive workplaces.

"Mental health is just as important as physical health. At Tridel, we believe that creating a safe and supportive environment is crucial for the well-being of our employees. We've learned that the pandemic and social isolation have drastically affected people's mental health and well-being. This event and our Built for Respect initiatives continue to raise awareness and expand the topic of safety to include mental health. Standing alongside members of the home-building industry and government officials who share our dedication to safe communities, we are committed to providing the necessary resources to support the mental well-being of our employees." - Jim Ritchie, President, Tridel.

Tridel has invited government officials and industry associations to help amplify the conversation in support of mental wellness, noting that the ability to work collectively and reach a wider audience can bring change to this large-scale issue.

"Raising awareness about workplace mental health and wellness is the right thing to do, as we strengthen access to mental health supports from the skilled trades to Ontario schools," said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. "Our government understands that there is no health without mental health. We know that more than ever before, many people face mental health challenges, which is why we are so encouraged by the actions of industry, government and community coming together to improve the well-being of workers, families, and young people."

Mental health and addiction issues in the workplace are prevalent among workers in construction. An industry-level response was urged to address the severity of the opioid crisis following a report by Public Health Ontario issued in July 2022.

"As a local councillor, I emphasize the critical role of mental health in the construction industry. The well-being of our construction workers is paramount, and we must recognize the unique challenges they face. By prioritizing mental health initiatives, such as the work that Tridel is doing with this event today, and fostering a supportive environment, we can ensure their overall health and productivity. Let us continue to put the spotlight on the value of mental wellness, ultimately enhancing the lives of our dedicated workers and strengthening our community as a whole." - Councillor Jon Burnside, Don Valley East.

Tridel took proactive steps over a year ago to ensure all its active construction sites have naloxone kits and personnel trained to administer the doses if needed  one of the first builders in the industry to do so. Tridel has also implemented several programs to support mental health, including an Employee and Family Assistance Program and self-directed courses through its SiteDocs Safety application and Learning Management System.

"Safety is a core value at Tridel, and introducing new, comprehensive training intended to protect the overall health of our employees will play a critical role in keeping our workplaces safe. Just as we have physical safety training on-site, mental and emotional safety training is just as important. We are looking forward to the information the experts from CAMH will provide our staff, so they will be equipped with the tools and knowledge to support their team members' mental health."  Peter Meneguzzi, Senior Vice President, Construction at Tridel.

Tridel is starting to work with CAMH to educate its people managers to identify signs of crisis, create safe spaces for difficult conversations, and know when to seek additional help.

"Prioritizing and addressing mental health in the workplace is the right thing to do," said CAMH President and CEO, Sarah Downey. "We're thrilled to see Tridel step up to provide their staff with mental health supports. CAMH looks forward to working with them to support their employees, ensuring that no one is left behind."

RESCON, Ontario's leading association of residential builders, recently hosted their fourth Annual Mental Health Summit, citing that work-related stress, depression, and anxiety have surpassed musculoskeletal injuries in the construction industry.

"RESCON is at the forefront of prioritizing mental health in the construction industry. Through pioneering initiatives like our inaugural industry-wide mental health symposium in 2018 and ongoing annual symposiums, RESCON has consistently focused on the well-being of workers in the construction industry. By integrating mental health considerations into industry best practice guides and maintaining a resolute focus on education, awareness, and destigmatization, RESCON is driving positive change. With continued dedication, RESCON ensures that every worker has equitable access to the essential resources for their mental well-being. We applaud Tridel, the founding member of RESCON's Health and Safety Committee, for demonstrating leadership in all areas, especially mental health."  Andrew Pariser, Vice President, RESCON.

Built for Respect is Tridel's mandate to support diversity, equity, and inclusion, creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong and is physically and psychologically safe. Tridel looks to continue its Built for Respect campaign on relevant issues within the industry.

About Tridel

Tridel is one of Canada's leading developers and builders of condominium residences, building homes since 1934. Tridel is a member of the Tridel Group of Companies, which is responsible for delivering over 89,000 homes to date.

Tridel develops socially and environmentally responsible condominium communities. Guided by its 'Built for Life' commitment, the company invests in innovations that promote sustainable design, high performance in construction, social inclusion and cohesion, and community economic development.

Tridel is committed to building high-quality condominiums and has won awards for excellence in design and construction, green building, corporate social responsibility, diversity, equity and inclusion, customer service, and more. Tridel continues its history of award-winning excellence with more than 20 new communities under development in the Greater Toronto Area, representing over 6,500 condominium suites in the marketplace.

The Tridel Group of Companies is one of Canada's largest privately held residential real estate groups. The Group consists of several operating companies focused on diverse areas of real estate, including development, sales, construction, property management and other related real estate services.

Related Links

SOURCE Tridel Corporation

For further information: For interviews and more information, please contact Andreea Aslan, Director, Corporate Communications, [email protected], 647-333-1436
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Debt ceiling talks showed few signs of outward progress Tuesday as negotiators for President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy traded more budget-cutting ideas but Republicans warned of a lack of urgency at the White House to resolve the standoff in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default.

With barely a week to go before a deadline as soon as June 1, the Democratic president and the Republican speaker were staring down a financial crisis. Failure to strike a deal would be unprecedented, and certain to throw U.S. financial markets into turmoil, inflicting economic pain at home and abroad. Markets lowered Tuesday with no deal in sight.

Were not there yet, McCarthy said at the Capitol, reiterating he wont bring any bill forward that doesnt spend less than we spent this year.

Behind closed doors, McCarthy urged his slim House Republican majority to just stick together despite their own factions as he negotiates the strongest deal possible for conservatives, said lawmakers exiting the private session.

But McCarthy did not expect a deal by day's end. He told reporters the teams are eyeing creative ways of rolling back spending that all sides can accept.

I believe we can still get there  and get there before June 1, McCarthy, R-Calif., said.

Dragging into a third week, the negotiations over raising the nation's debt limit, now at $31 trillion, were never supposed to arrive at this point  a crisis in the making.

From the White House, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was ridiculous to suggest Biden wasnt acting with urgency. He wants to see this done as soon as possible, she said.

The White House insisted early on it was unwilling to barter over the need to pay the nation's bills, demanding that Congress simply lift the ceiling as it has done many times before with no strings attached.

But the newly elected speaker urged the president at an Oval Office meeting in February to come to the negotiating table on a budget package that would reduce spending to reduce ballooning deficits in the post-COVID era in exchange for the vote to allow future debt.

Both men said after a crucial meeting late Monday at the White House  after the president returned from the Group of Seven summit in Japan  that talks were productive.

But with time short to strike a deal, frustrations emerged as negotiators labored to come up with a compromise that could be approved quickly by the Republican House and the Democratic Senate and be signed into law.

Negotiations are focused on finding agreement over a 2024 budget year limit. Republicans have set aside their demand to rollback spending to 2022 levels, but say that next years government spending must be less than it is now. But the White House instead is offering to freeze spending at current 2023 numbers.

Agreement on that topline spending level is vital. It would enable McCarthy to deliver spending restraint for conservatives while not being so severe that it would chase off the Democratic votes that would be needed in the divided Congress to pass any bill.

We are holding firm to the speakers red line, said a top Republican negotiator, Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana. Which is that we will not do a deal unless it spends less money than were spending this year.

With talks perhaps done for the day, Graves said there were still significant gaps between his side and the White House.

The Republican team worked late at the Capitol engaging in late night phone conversations with the White House team. But as they left, Graves said those gaps remain.

The White House continues to argue that deficits can be reduced by ending tax breaks for wealthier households and some corporations, but McCarthy said he told the president at their February meeting that raising revenue from tax hikes is off the table.

The negotiators are now also debating the duration of a 1% cap on annual spending growth going forward, with Republicans dropping their demand for a 10-year cap to six years, but the White House offering only one year, for 2025.

Typically, the debt ceiling has been lifted for the duration of a budget deal, and in this negotiation the White House is angling for a two-year agreement that would push past the presidential elections.

Another main Republican negotiator, Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, who joined the speaker at the Oval Office Monday evening, said, What I sense from the White House is a lack of urgency.

But on the Senate side, Republican leader Mitch McConnell said, Look, I think everybody needs to relax.

Traveling in his home state of Kentucky, McConnell said of the back and forth, "This is not that unusual.

However, time is growing short. The House speaker promised lawmakers he will abide by the rule to post any bill for 72 hours before voting, making any action doubtful until the weekend  just days before the potential deadline. The Senate would also have to pass the package before it could go to Biden's desk to be signed.

McCarthy faces a hard-right flank in his own party that is likely to reject any deal, and that has led some Democrats to encourage Biden to resist any compromise with the Republicans and simply invoke the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling on his own, an unprecedented and legally fraught action the president has resisted for now.

On Tuesday, the leader of the conservative House Freedom Caucus Rep. Scott Perry said: We all want to stick together. But again, its sticking together around the right thing.

He and others are skeptical of the June 1 deadline that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said is when it is highly likely the government will be unable to pay all the nations bills.

Treasury said Tuesday it is keeping in close contact with federal agencies on their planned spending as it monitors cashflows.

As the negotiators focus on the $100 billion-plus difference between the 2022 and 2023 spending plans as a place to cut, other priorities Republicans are pushing as part of the deal remain on the table.

Republicans also want to beef up work requirements for government aid to recipients in the Medicaid health care program, though the Biden administration has countered that millions of people could lose coverage.

The GOP additionally wants new cuts to food aid by restricting states ability to waive work requirements in places with high joblessness. But Democrats have said any changes to work requirements are nonstarters.

GOP lawmakers are also seeking cuts in IRS funding and, by sparing defense and veterans accounts from reductions, would shift the bulk of spending reductions to other federal programs.

The White House has countered by keeping defense and nondefense spending flat next year, which would save $90 billion in the 2024 budget year and $1 trillion over 10 years.

All sides have been eyeing the potential for the package to include a framework to ease federal regulations and speed energy project developments. They are all but certain to claw back some $30 billion in unspent COVID-19 funds now that the pandemic emergency has officially lifted.

___

Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Mary Clare Jalonick, Chris Megerian, Darlene Superville and Fatima Hussein contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration has canceled plans to award a $200 million grant to a U.S. battery manufacturer amid criticism from Republican lawmakers over the company's alleged ties to China.

Texas-based Microvast was one of 20 companies to win preliminary grants totaling $2.8 billion to boost domestic manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles. The company is building battery plants in Kentucky and Tennessee and was in talks with the Energy Department for a $200 million grant funded through the 2021 infrastructure law.

A spokeswoman for Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm confirmed Tuesday that negotiations with Microvast were canceled, but did not offer a specific reason.

The Energy Department said in a statement that it "maintains a rigorous review process prior to the release of any awarded funds, and it is not uncommon for entities selected to participate in award negotiations'' to ultimately be denied a federal grant.

The department can confirm that it has elected to cancel negotiations and not to award Microvast funds from this competitive funding opportunity,'' spokeswoman Charisma Troiano said.

Yang Wu, Microvasts founder and CEO, said Wednesday the company was surprised by the DOEs decision to withdraw the grant, which was designed to help build a new facility in Kentucky that would employ hundreds of people.''

Microvast is based near Houston and operations for its global business are centralized in the U.S.,'' Wu said in a statement. Neither the Chinese government nor the Chinese Communist Party has any ownership in the company, nor do they control or influence company operations in any way,'' added Wu, a U.S. citizen.

Microvast is considering all options in response to the government's decision, Wu said.

Republicans and Democrats praised the department's decision.

This is a win for taxpayers and American businesses, House Science Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Oklahoma said in a statement. On no account should our tax dollars be funding a company with substantial ties to the Chinese Communist Party. These funds are intended to strengthen Americas battery production and supply chain, not to tighten Chinas stranglehold on these supplies.''

Lucas and other Republicans said they were frustrated that it took more than six months for the Biden administration "to come to such an obvious conclusion.'' Lucas and other GOP lawmakers have repeatedly complained about what they call Microvast's links to the Chinese Communist Party.

New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the decision to rescind the grant shows that the DOE is taking its stewardship of taxpayer money very seriously.

At a Senate Energy Committee hearing in February, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., questioned whether the planned grant to Microvast would benefit China. Barrasso cited a company filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission in which Microvast said it may not be able to protect its intellectual property rights in China.

China often requires foreign companies to partner with Chinese businesses in order to operate in the country.

In a May 1 letter to Granholm, Barrasso said Microvast's CEO had bragged to Chinese media about Microvasts strong ties to the Peoples Republic of China.''

The 2021 infrastructure law was ostensibly intended to develop robust domestic manufacturing bases and supply chains'' for electric vehicles and other clean energy, Barrasso said. DOEs distribution of $200 million in taxpayer funds to a company joined at the hip with China'' would be "demonstrably antithetical to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Laws intent,'' he added.

Barrasso called the Microvast grant an example of the Solyndra Syndrome, a reference to an Obama-era program that disbursed more than $500 million in loan guarantees to the failed solar company Solyndra. He and other Republicans said both cases demonstrated poor vetting by Democratic administrations.

The loan program largely went dormant under President Donald Trump but has been revived by President Joe Biden. It is separate from infrastructure law funding that was conditionally awarded to Microvast and other companies.

Grants announced in October were intended to help U.S. companies extract and process lithium, graphite and other battery materials. The Biden administration is seeking to boost production and sales of electric vehicles as a key part of Bidens strategy to slow climate change and build up U.S. manufacturing.

This is critically important, because the future of vehicles is electric, Biden said at a White House event last year. The Energy Department grants  along with other spending approved in the 2022 climate law  are a bid to make sure were back in the (battery production) game in a big way, Biden said.
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The North Dakota Department of Agriculture has released the Pride of Dakota showcase and holiday showcase details for this year.

The showcases feature products marketed through the state's Pride of Dakota branding program. More than 500 North Dakota companies are members of the program administered by the Business, Marketing and Information Division of the Agriculture Department.

We are pleased to offer events around the state again this year, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. Last year our showcases were attended by more than 40,700 people and supported 617 local businesses.

The dates, events and times are:

Sept. 8-9 Dickinson Showcase, West River Ice Center  Friday 3-8 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oct. 27-28  Minot Showcase, Magic Place, State Fairgrounds  Friday 3-8 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nov. 3-4  Grand Forks Showcase, Alerus Center  Friday 3-8 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Nov. 17-18  Fargo Holiday Showcase, Scheels Arena  Friday 12-8 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Dec. 1-2  Bismarck Holiday Showcase, Event Center  Friday 12-8 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

North Dakotans are very supportive of products made, manufactured, processed or produced in the state, Goehring said.

For more information go to www.prideofdakota.nd.gov.
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BRIDGEPORT  The worlds largest coffeehouse chain is set to serve up this summer its third store in the Park City.

The owner and developer of the site of the new store, at 1705 Fairfield Ave., on the citys west side, has informed us that he anticipates that Starbucks, his tenant, will open in approximately 75 days. On that basis, we expect an August opening, Bill Coleman, deputy director of Bridgeports Office of Planning & Economic Development, said in an email last week. Aligning with that timeline, the structure of the new store, which will include cafe seating and drive-through service, is now fully enclosed.

The new store will join Starbucks establishment at 255 E. Main St., that opened in 2015 in the Steelpointe development, just east of the downtown, and another Starbucks location, at 4531 Main St., in Brookside Center, in the citys north end, that opened last year.

With the new location, Seattle-headquartered Starbucks is addressing its lack of stores in Bridgeport, the states most-populous city, which had about 148,000 residents last year, according to Census Bureau data. In neighboring Fairfield, whose population is about 63,000, there are four Starbucks locations.

The expansion of Starbucks presence within Bridgeport shows that national brands can thrive in the city, Coleman said. It signals particularly to the real estate development and financing community that the city is a growing market  growing both in population and in buying power  and that national businesses would do well to plant their flag in Bridgeport to capture this market and benefit from this growth.

Starbucks officials were not immediately available to comment on the new store.

In a news release last November, city officials noted that Starbucks new store and an adjacent O'Reilly Auto Parts store, at 115 Mountain Grove St., comprised parts of a $4 million retail development. Developer Richard Korris is continuing his work on the project after finishing the redevelopment and lease of the immensely popular North Park shopping center on Park Avenue.

They see the steady population growth, and the increasing level of investment being made throughout the city, more of the national chains are taking a look at the city, Korris said in a statement in the news release. They see the steady population growth, and the increasing level of investment being made throughout the city, more of the national chains are taking a look at the city. Were pleased to be able to bring this popular brand to Bridgeport.

City officials also cited Starbucks impact on Bridgeports job market.

At the stores at Brookside Center and Steelpointe, the company has done a good job hiring locally, Coleman said. We expect the same on the west side a convenient place of employment, and a site, albeit on a different scale, where folks may come to feel invited to spend some time in the neighborhood, maybe have their cup of coffee in the west side park located next door.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The White House on Tuesday announced new efforts to guide federally backed research on artificial intelligence as the Biden administration looks to get a firmer grip on understanding the risks and opportunities of the rapidly evolving technology.

Among the moves unveiled by the administration was a tweak to the United States' strategic plan on artificial intelligence research, which was last updated in 2019, to add greater emphasis on international collaboration with allies.

White House officials on Tuesday were also hosting a listening session with workers on their firsthand experiences with employers use of automated technologies for surveillance, monitoring, evaluation, and management. And the U.S. Department of Educations Office of Educational Technology issued a report focused on the risks and opportunities related to AI in education.

"The report recognizes that AI can enable new forms of interaction between educators and students, help educators address variability in learning, increase feedback loops, and support educators," the White House said in a statement. It also underscores the risks associated with AI  including algorithmic bias  and the importance of trust, safety, and appropriate guardrails.

The U.S. government and private sector in recent months have begun more publicly weighing the possibilities and perils of artificial intelligence.

Tools like the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT have sparked a surge of commercial investment in other AI tools that can write convincingly human-like text and churn out new images, music and computer code. The ease with which AI technology can be used to mimic humans has also propelled governments around the world to consider how it could take away jobs, trick people and spread disinformation.

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Congress must move quickly to regulate artificial intelligence. He has also convened a bipartisan group of senators to work on legislation.

The latest efforts by the administration come after Vice President Kamala Harris met earlier this month with the heads of Google, Microsoft, ChatGPT-creator OpenAI and Anthropic. The administration also previously announced an investment of $140 million to establish seven new AI research institutes.

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on Tuesday also issued a new request for public input on national priorities for mitigating AI risks, protecting individuals rights and safety, and harnessing AI to improve lives.
KMBC/Hearst Television

GLASTONBURY  Thieves have been stealing checks from the mailboxes outside the towns post offices, prompting a warning from police to avoid using them.

Police suggest residents refrain from using the mailboxes, especially after the last pickup time listed on the box. If the post office is open, police recommend handing mail to a postal worker instead.
Actor Chazz Palminteri got a private taste of Sallys Apizza Monday afternoon.

Sallys employee Shantelle Rosso-Agosto posted a picture with Palminteri on Instagram with the caption, This afternoon @chazzpalminteri came into my restaurant @sallysapizza. I gave them a private dining experience Al Fresco! What a great guy! @bronxtalemusical #abronxtale

Sally's was not immediately available to comment.

Rosso-Agosto is no stranger to greeting celebrities. In November 2022, she posted a picture with actress Gwenyth Paltrow outside the pizzeria along with another employee. Television host and actor Conan OBrien visited the New Haven pizzeria in March as well.

Palminteri is known for his 1993 role as Sonny in A Bronx Tale. The film is based on a play about his life growing up as an Italian-American in the Bronx and some of the hardships that he faced.

In a 2015 interview with Hearst CT Media Group, Palminteri spoke about the story behind the film ahead of his one-man stage show production of "A Bronx Tale" in Ridgefield. He said he was approached by directors and producers who wanted to turn his play into a movie but wanted a big name actor to play his part. Robert De Niro later approached Palminteri and said he should be in the film.

Palminteri is set to perform A Bronx Tale: One Man Show this year at the Ridgefield Playhouse on June 4.

Palminteri is also known for his roles in The Usual Suspects and Bullets Over Broadway," and he hosts the Chazz Palminteri Show, a podcast posted every week talking about life lessons and ways to be successful.
The Fairfield University Art Museum is currently displaying In Their Element(s): Women Artists Across Media, its first-ever exhibit curated by an undergraduate student.

Phoebe Charpentier, the senior student who was given the honor, came up with an exhibit that features more than 50 contemporary pieces by women artists, with an emphasis on works created with unusual techniques or media.

The exhibit will run through July 15 in Fairfield University Art Museums Bellarmine Hall Galleries and is accessible through the museums website as both a video tour and a 3-D virtual tour.

Charpentier started interning for the museum in the fall of 2021. At first, she was just doing basic tasks, like working with databases and researching different objects. Then she learned the museum was going to start doing summer exhibitions and was asked by Michelle DiMarzo, curator of education and academic engagement for the museum, if she was interested in curating one of those herself.

I saw it as a great opportunity to get hands-on experience and be able to say that I worked on such a project, Charpentier said. I agreed immediately. I knew that the exhibition would be primarily based on Fairfield Universitys collection, so I started looking through our databases and finding objects that I liked.

One of the things that quickly caught her eye were a series of photographs by Donna Ferrato.

I loved them so much that I originally thought I wanted to do a show about photography, Charpentier said. But the content of her photographsthe focus on women and women experiencesreally inspired me in the direction that I eventually took.

Courtesy of Phoebe Charpentier

With that in mind, Charpentier started gathering other pieces for her exhibit focusing on women artists. Among those were photographs by Laurie Simmons and Bea Nettles; sculptures by Linda Stein and Elaine Cameron-Weir and prints by Althea-Murphy Price, Maya Freelon and Sonya Clarke.

I was given creative liberty to do what I saw as best and make those curatorial choices on my own, which was great to have that level of independence, Charpentier said. Aside from our own databases, we work closely with the Westport Public Arts Collection, so I looked through theirs as well, and had a lot to choose.

When her original list came in at about 50 items, she was a little nervous because Charpentier didnt want to start tearing it down, but the museum was open to having more pieces on display than they typically exhibit.

This exhibition is a bigger show and theres a lot of art in the galleries, and I think it all really worked out, Charpentier said. It was definitely hard to cut pieces because there are so many amazing works by women artists in our collection.

Putting the exhibit together wasnt easy, considering Charpentier was enrolled in seven classes and applying to graduate school at the same time.

It was really a very precarious balance putting all of that together, she said. But because of my passion for what I was doing and the research I was doing was exciting, I really brought my all to the project.

On May 21, Charpentier graduated from Fairfield University as a triple major in art history, English, and anthropology/sociology, and will be heading off to the University of Arizona for its masters program in art history this fall.

Im really excited to see what kind of work Ill be doing there, she said. My research interest is really in indigenous art and art activism, so being able to work with the Pueblo peoples in Arizona will be exciting.
NEW HAVEN  A student at Cooperative Arts and Humanities High School was found in possession of a knife as cops searched for a reported firearm Tuesday, according to local police.

School staff contacted police at 9 a.m. after receiving information that a student on campus might be armed with a gun, New Haven Capt. Rose Dell said in a news release. The source of the information was a parent, Dell said.

Yale University issued a security alert around 9:45 a.m. stating New Haven police were responding to the high school at 177 College St. for "reports of a possible person with a gun."

The alert asked people to avoid the area for the duration of the investigation.

The high school campus and surrounding area were placed on lockdown for several hours as a precaution while police investigated, according to Dell. The sweep was ongoing as of early Tuesday afternoon, a school spokesperson said.

While no firearms were recovered, Dell said, K9 officers searching students and lockers did manage to recover a knife. The student responsible, a 14-year-old, was immediately arrested, according to Dell. The student was charged with possession of a dangerous weapon, Dell said.

Students were eventually dismissed early, according to police. Parents were directed to pick up their children at the Shubert Theatre on College Street, police and school officials said. Students who were not picked up by their parents were sent home by bus.

Police Chief Karl Jacobson explained the reason for the early dismissal as "the kids have been in lockdown for quite a long time."

Jacobson said the initial report concerned a bag found at the school. However, he said it appeared the bag had been removed by the time police arrived.

When a situation like this happens, the first thing is to make sure its not an immediate threat, an active shooter situation, Jacobson said during a news conference. We had to get inside and get that squared away as quick as possible, then retrieve video and make sure that theres not a potential to have an active shooter situation, so it takes some time.

Police believe the involved bag was moved sometime prior to the lockdown.

I think its easy for people, myself included, to see this and be afraid, because when theres a lockdown like this, its really, really scary, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said.

The flip side is that we acted quickly, the mayor said.

Elicker noted his daughter attends a New Haven public school and has experienced lockdowns.

I think we have to be real. Right now, were seeing incidents around the nation that are tragic, and its because there are too many guns in our community; theres a lot of stress in our community, and we need to be prepared, Elicker added.

The incident remains under investigation.

The police department and school officials will continue to investigate the incident and appropriate charges will be brought against any student involved, Dell said. The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority, and we are grateful for the quick and effective response of the school security officers and law enforcement officials.

Updates in the case will be provided as they become available, Dell said.
HARTLAND  A bear broke into the garage of a local home Sunday night, officials said.

The incident occurred at a home on Walnut Hill Road, a residential neighborhood east of the Barkhamsted Reservoir.

State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials responded to the scene that evening, but the bear escaped the garage on its own before they arrived, according to Paul Copleman, an agency spokesperson.

In 2022, DEEP reported 67 instances when bears broke into homes.

Last month, the agency euthanized a bear after the animal broke into multiple homes in Salisbury. Another bear was killed in Avon after it bit a woman in Avon who was out walking her dog.

The incident in Hartland comes after a driver struck and killed a moose on Route 179 last Wednesday. It was the second time this year a moose was killed in Hartland.

The small town of about 1,900 residents had the most moose sightings last year in Connecticut. The area is a prime spot for moose because the vegetation in managed timber areas provide them with a good food source, officials said.

Locals call it the "Moose Capital of Connecticut."

As for the bear in Hartland, DEEP makes a distinction between the living area of a home and a home garage to determine whether a bear should be put down.

"Were generally referring to situations where the bear has entered the living space of a home," Copleman said.

"It appears that the bear attempted to get to a grill in the garage that had been used earlier in the day," he added.

DEEP officials have generally said homeowners should avoid leaving out any food that might attract bears' attention, including uncleaned grills. Garbage, bird feeders and pet food either left outside or in screened porch areas are all common things that have attracted bears to homes, officials said.

DEEP officials recommend removing bird feeders between late March and November. Grills should be kept clean and garbage should be stored in an airtight container inside a garage or somewhere else that's locked away, officials said.

The risk is that bears that have easy access to food will become habituated to being around people.

"Food-conditioned bears pose a greater risk to public safety and often cause more property damage to houses, cars, pets, and livestock," DEEP said.

If a bear breaks into a home or garage, DEEP said homeowners should call 911.
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP)  A Kentucky sheriffs deputy was shot and killed during a traffic stop by a man who fled and wounded another man during a carjacking before being taken into custody, officials said.

Scott County Sheriffs Deputy Caleb Conley, 35, was shot Monday evening during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 near Georgetown just before 5 p.m., and the shooter fled, Sheriff Tony Hampton said at a news conference.

Someone called in to report that a deputy had been shot, and responders arrived relatively quickly, Hampton said. He did not know why the vehicle was pulled over.

Conley was taken to a hospital, where he later died, Kentucky State Police said in a news release. A state police team is investigating the shooting at the request of the sheriffs office, officials said.

About an hour after Conley was shot, officers in nearby Lexington were dispatched to a shooting on Georgetown Road and found a male victim who said another man shot him and stole his vehicle, according to police.

Police said they used a license plate reader system, traffic cameras and other information to locate the stolen vehicle and then found the suspect, Steven Sheangshang, 45, at a nearby home.

Sheangshang was jailed on Tuesday and charged with assault, robbery, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and tampering with evidence, Lexington Police said. He was already wanted on charges of unlawfully entering and burglarizing a garage and he was also charged with two warrants for second-degree burglary, police said.

Fayette County Detention Center spokesman Maj. Matt Lemonds said Sheangshang was also being held on charges from Scott County, including murder of a police officer, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, burglary, theft of an automobile, wanton endangerment and fleeing/evading police in connection to Conleys death.

This hero made the ultimate sacrifice, and we will be forever grateful, Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement about the deputy.

Conley, who had been with the sheriffs office for four years and served in the U.S. Army for eight years before that, took his job seriously, Hampton said. Survivors include his wife and small children.

He was just a go-getter and he loved his job, and its a shame that it got cut short because he loved this job so much and he was so good at it, Hampton said.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, long seen as Donald Trump's leading rival for the Republican nomination, plans to launch his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday in an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk, according to two people with knowledge of the decision.

DeSantis, an outspoken cultural conservative, will outline his plans in an evening audio event streamed on Twitter Spaces, according to the two people. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the announcement publicly.

The 44-year-old two-term governor would be joining a crowded Republican contest to decide whether the party will move on from Trump in 2024. DeSantis has embraced Trumps combative style and many of his policies, but casts himself as a younger and more electable version of the former president.

In choosing Twitter, DeSantis is taking a page out of the playbook that helped turn businessman-TV celebrity Trump into a political star.

The timing of DeSantis long-expected announcement has been shrouded, with various iterations of plans being leaked over the past few days. Some close to him suspected that he was providing conflicting information about the timing and location to root out leakers. Others believe he changed his initial preparations after news reports came out about them.

Musk, speaking at The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council Summit event in London on Tuesday, seemed to confirm the Wednesday event, saying DeSantis would be making quite an announcement on Twitter. The first time something like this is happening on social media, he said, with live questions and answers.

The news of DeSantis' impending announcement came as Trump was making a video appearance in a New York courtroom as part of his criminal case. A judge tentatively scheduled Trump's trial to begin March 25, which falls in the heart of the presidential primary season. Trump pleaded not guilty last month to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records at his family company, the Trump Organization.

DeSantis was expected to meet with donors Wednesday at the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami before the Twitter Spaces event, which was scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT.

While it is common for campaigns to publicize their announcements in videos shared on social media, it is far more unusual  and perhaps unprecedented  to hold a campaign announcement in a live social media forum.

Big if true ..., DeSantis' wife, Casey, posted Tuesday on Twitter, linking to a Fox News story on the announcement and adding a smiley face.

Earlier Tuesday, the Florida governor gave no hints of his 2024 plans during a short Cabinet meeting in Tallahassee where he discussed state business with agency heads. The media was barred from covering a subsequent bill signing ceremony.

DeSantis has emerged as a national star in Republican politics as an unapologetic leader on controversial issues.

The governor sent dozens of immigrants from Texas  by way of Florida to a small island off the Massachusetts coast to draw attention to the influx of Latin American immigrants trying to cross the Southern border. He signed and then expanded a Parental Rights in Education bill  known by critics as the Dont Say Gay law  which bans instruction or classroom discussion of LGBTQ issues in Florida public schools for all grades.

More recently, he signed a law banning abortions at six weeks, which is before most women realize theyre pregnant. And he removed an elected prosecutor who vowed not to charge people under Floridas new abortion restrictions or doctors who provide gender-affirming care.

Trump's allies lashed out Tuesday at DeSantis' plan.

This is one of the most out-of-touch campaign launches in modern history. The only thing less relatable than a niche campaign launch on Twitter, is DeSantis after party at the uber elite Four Seasons resort in Miami," said Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump's super PAC.

Trump himself frequently dismisses his rival as Ron DeSanctimonious.

In choosing to announce with Musk, DeSantis is linking his presidential announcement to one of the world's richest men, who has emerged as a conservative cult hero of sorts.

Since buying Twitter last October, Musk has reinstated the accounts of prominent Republicans, including Trump and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had been removed. Popular conservative broadcasters have flocked to Twitter, with ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson and the podcast hosts of The Daily Wire announcing they will start streaming on the platform.

Musk himself has promoted far-right conspiracy theories on Twitter, including misleading claims questioning a Texas mall shooters background and a debunked rumor that House Speaker Nancy Pelosis husband had a relationship with an assailant who attacked him.

Earlier this month, Musks tweets likening billionaire philanthropist George Soros to a Jewish supervillain were met with criticism from the Anti-Defamation League, which said they would embolden antisemitic extremists. Musk said he would be more thoughtful in the future.

Twitter was once Trumps most important megaphone  one he used to dominate his rivals in the 2016 primary and to command the news cycle for years. Trump was barred from the platform after a mob of his supporters invaded the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, with Twitter citing the risk of further incitement of violence. Although his access was reinstated shortly after Musk took over, he has yet to tweet.

About 1 in 5 U.S. adults say they use Twitter, the Pew Research Center found last year.

Democrats are somewhat more likely than Republicans to say they have Twitter accounts, according to a Fox News poll from December. Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to say Musk buying Twitter was a good thing and to have a favorable view of him.

___

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin and Ali Swenson in New York, Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco and Emily Swanson in Washington contributed to this report.
On a recent night, when sleep was not to be found, I began scrolling through Twitter. It wasnt doom-scrolling, I promise. Id been away from my phone and figured I would catch up on the news.

And then I noticed that Vice President Kamala Harris had posted something about the dangers of school bus diesel exhaust.

Innocuous, right? That isnt something about which we would expect a heated debate, but then I looked at the comments and boom! Right at the top, the rats had come skittering out of the sewer to graphically ascribe to the vice president certain sex acts that have absolutely nothing to do with schools or buses.

This kind of pivot always gives me pause, when a political conversation is wrenched from its place and thrown into the gutter. Were we, in fact, talking about sex? Was the original conversation in code and I missed it? Or is this just more offerings from a private in the social media army who lives coated in Cheetos dust in Moms basement, and takes ever opportunity to introduce his man-parts to the online public.

Theres a name for that.

So I reported a few of the more egregious comments. I do the same thing when Im out for a walk. I pick up trash and find a receptacle. It makes for a nicer world. I dont expect a reward for my diligence, but on Twitter, I always leave one word after the offensive tweet, Reported. Thats my way of not talking about someone behind their back and if Twitter responds accordingly  puts the person who posted something vile into a corner until they remove the offensive tweet(s)  that person can thank me later.

Im not the church lady. I know all the cuss words, but your freedom of speech must not cross at town line of community standards. In my community, we do not wish upon someone an unwanted sex act, which in real life is rape or sexual assault. And if that rank disappointment Elon Musk wont do his job, well, then, its up to us frequent users to make an effort to pick up the trash. I dont report someone on Twitter every day. I have a life, but it beats doom-scrolling. You log off thinking you just might have had a positive impact on a troubled social media platform.

Youre welcome, world.

The next morning, Id attracted the ire of a nameless, faceless dude who asked if the offensive tweets had hurt my feelings. I replied that they hadnt and I suggested he stand down, as no one had pulled his chain to draw him into this particular conversation.

The vice president is a unique Twitter target for this kind of attention because in the long-ago she dated other politicians and small minds have long memories, but youd be challenged to find any woman who spends even a minute on social media who hasnt gotten a peek at some disgusting online nonsense coming her way. Does that hurt my feelings? No. I grew up with brothers. I know exactly what wilting language to use, but I dont get into long conversations with faceless, nameless dudes on social media. I wise off, and then I mute them. Let them shout their vulgarities (or share their penises) to and with themselves, but had, say, owner-of-a-Twitter-blue-check @TexasTrow  a 2A loving Texan from the Dallas-Fort Worth area  and I met in real life, I would have expanded my answer.

Mainly, Trow, the only feeling I have when a man-boy throws an online conversation into the gutter is rage. I am 64 next birthday, and I have long since grown tired of a man-boy whipping out his penis in the middle of what could be an interesting conversation about electric buses, or homelessness, or mental health. The man-boy bleats, and then the conversation stops while we attend to his little online tantrum. It advances nothing. It makes the man-boy look stupid. And its a waste of time. I have abandoned the lessons of my girlhood, the ones that advised me to ignore bad behavior so that it will go away because it doesnt go away. I figured that out long before the internet.

So, to the privates in and of the online army who think this behavior is acceptable: Look down at your lap. It's not a wand, boys. It isnt nearly as powerful as you imagine. It doesnt make the rest of us having an adult conversation cower or swoon, especially when its attached to a man-boy. So tuck it away, go read a newspaper and maybe even a book and then we can chat. Until then? Reported, as much as I possibly can. And if your feelings get hurt by that, well, talk to the wand.
Why number of US mass shootings has risen sharply https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64377360 By Nadine Yousif BBC News 28 March

The US has woken up to news of another mass shooting, this time at an elementary school in Nashville. Earlier in the year, there were three shootings in California within a week. What do the stats tell us about their frequency?

If it feels like these incidents are becoming more frequent in the US, that is because they are.

Different definitions exist for what constitutes a mass shooting, but non-profit the Gun Violence Archive - which counts shootings where four or more people are killed or injured, excluding the gunman - has tracked 131 such incidents in the US since the start of the year.

It is a higher number of mass shootings than in previous years, according to the organisation that publicly tracks gun-related deaths and injuries in the US.

The years 2020, 2021 and 2022 were also much more deadly than the years before.

The surge in violence has reignited what has now become a familiar and highly political debate in the US over gun ownership rights and legislation.

It also has some people asking: What's driving the rise?

Gun violence of all types is up

Data shows that all types of gun violence - from homicide to suicide to mass shootings - are on a mostly upwards trajectory in the US.

In 2019, the total number of gun-related deaths in the US was 33,599. In 2022, the number of deaths rose to 44,290 - a 31% increase. Most of these deaths are suicides by a firearm, followed by homicides.

While mass shootings often draw alarm, they make up a small fraction of gun-related deaths - in 2020, mass shooting victims made up 1.1% of overall firearm deaths.

Still, active shooter incidents have seen a sharp rise in recent years - nine of the 10 deadliest mass shootings in the US occurred after 2007.

Experts say it's hard to pin down the exact root causes of the rise because mass shootings are often unpredictable in nature. But there are a few factors that could be contributing to the growing frequency.

Gun ownership is on the rise

One is that Americans have more guns now than they did before. US gun sales reached a record 23 million in 2020 - a 65% increase from 2019 - and remained high in 2021.

The FBI conducted significantly more firearm background checks - required by law when someone buys a gun - during times of uncertainty, like the first Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, the unrest following the police killing of George Floyd, and the US Capitol riots in January 2021.

Josh Horwitz, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, said the rise in sales is tied to "the idea that guns keep us safe, especially in uncertain times".

Mr Horwitz added that the rise in violence, especially in public places like petrol stations, dance studios and nightclubs, fuels a cycle of fear that drives some people towards firearms.

"People are afraid, and they want to quell that fear by buying a gun," he said.

Distress, law and societal trends can also factor in

Some experts also point to the rise in life stressors, both in general and as a result of the pandemic, especially hardships related to finances, employment or family and relationships.

These issues can lead some people "to act out or respond violently", said Jaclyn Schildkraut, the interim executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at the non-partisan Rockefeller Institute of Government.

This is reflected in an analysis by the US Secret Service of 173 mass casualty attacks - around three-quarters of which were carried out by a firearm.

The report, published on Tuesday, found that nearly 93% of assailants had dealt with a personal issue prior to their attack, whether it be divorce, health problems, or issues at school or work, and that 10% of assailants behind mass casualty events between 2016 and 2020 died by suicide.

Ms Schildkraut also says "toxic masculinity" could factor in as well: nearly all mass shooters (around 98%) are male.

"If we are trying to understand the root causes of gun violence, we need to start by understanding why people pick up firearms in the first place to inflict harm, regardless of the target of that harm," Ms Schildkraut said.

Laws around who can purchase a gun in the US could also be playing a role, some experts have said - though it is important to note that California has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.

However, Mr Horwitz said federal law currently does not require that background checks be made on private sales of guns, including at gun shows or online.

Laws on safe storage of firearms are also lax in some states, he said, despite research evidence showing that stowing a gun away safely reduces the overall number of firearm deaths.
Drag performer Diamond Hart (Justin Preston) provided some encouragement to children taking part in a craft activity at the Painted Turtle Pottery Studio in Niagara Falls on Saturday. With Diamond are Ophelia Irvine, Aubrie Gretzinger and Liliana Tracey.





While Sue Wilkinson was relieved that a protest of a drag event at her business never materialized, she also thought it was a missed opportunity.

Im a little disappointed, but relieved at the same time, she said, adding that by not turning out, people who were opposed to the event could have learned something.

Wilkinson owns and operates the Painted Turtle Pottery Studio with her husband, Bill. They were concerned after comments on a Facebook post about the event grew nastier by the minute and the studios phone began ringing off the hook with people threatening to protest the event.

I had a very sleepless night, Wilkinson said. I didnt want the kids to be screamed and yelled at.

But all was quiet outside the Queen Street business as a group of children and parents heard drag performer Diamond Hart read The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart and took part in creating a take-home craft.

Hart, a.k.a. antibullying advocate Justin Preston, was concerned as well, entering the studio through its rear entrance. He was worried his bright pink attire would have made him a target of protesters. Like the shop owners, he was on the receiving end of hateful comments.

People were saying I should be ashamed of myself, he said. One person threatened to beat me up.

It was all because he liked a supportive comment on the events Facebook page. He was most distressed, however, by comments from people he considered friends.

They support my antibullying efforts, but not so much this.

Parent Ashley Conte was there with her daughter, Scarlett, and was dismayed by the backlash.

Ive known Justin for 15 years, she said. Were here to support him. Hes such a special individual.

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Hunter Gauthier sinks her teeth into some barbecued beef while her brother, Rycker, enjoys a sweet treat at the Filipino-Canadian Association of Niagara's open house at the Merritton Community Centre on Sunday.







It was an afternoon for food, dancing and learning about Filipino culture as the Filipino-Canadian Association of Niagara (FCAN) hosted its open house on Sunday at the Merritton Community Centre.

The event featured a dance performance by the Igorots in Niagara Region, as well as FCANs own Kayumanggi Dancers, and was a part of the Niagara Folk Arts Festival.

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Andrew and Katherine Dodge have become advocates for brain tumour awareness since Andrews tumour was discovered in 2019.





May is Brain Tumour Awareness Month, and St. Catharines couple Katherine and Andrew Dodge are taking the opportunity to tell their story to spread awareness about what could be going on in your head.

Early in the morning of March 24, 2019, Katherine Dodge awoke suddenly. She doesnt know why she woke up, but she rolled over to check on her now-husband Andrew, and found he was having a seizure.

I didn't believe it because it just seems so surreal, she recalled. Why would he have a seizure?

Andrew said he cant remember anything from that night, but Katherine said he was able to walk to the ambulance himself.

Doctors suspected he was just experiencing dehydration and assured them theyd be good to go soon enough.

After they ran a couple more tests, Katherine said doctors came back and closed the curtains.

He just came in and everything's really quiet and he's just like, I'm really sorry, there's a large mass in your head, Katherine said. That was the moment that changed everything.

The couple spent six high-stress days in the hospital, convinced Andrew would never come out.

He underwent brain surgery in May of the same year.

A biopsy diagnosed Andrews tumour as an oligodendroglioma  a rare form of brain cancer that makes up about 2.5 per cent of all primary brain tumours.

Oligodendrogliomas are considered incurable and have a very high rate of recurrence.

According to the Brain Tumour Registry of Canada, it is estimated that 55,000 Canadians are surviving with a brain tumour, and there will be 27 new primary brain tumours diagnosed every day in Canada.

Romina Ferro, marketing and communications manager for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, said symptoms can vary from one person to another, but common signs are behavioural changes, cognitive changes, dizziness, double or blurred vision, headaches, and seizures.

If someone is experiencing any of these symptoms, Ferro said they should contact their doctor.

If the tumour is detected earlier on, it could be a low-grade tumour, which can be surgically removed, or the patients can have different types of treatments like radiotherapy, which could treat the tumour, she said. It can also prevent other problems that the tumour can cause, which in some cases the person couldn't come back from some of the problems that the tumour can cause.

After his diagnosis, Andrew underwent radiation and 18 months of chemotherapy in the form of pills.

Fortunately for the Dodges, there have been advancements in treatments for cancers like his. Katherine explained that originally, his prognosis would have been seven years, but now its more like 14, and with the slow growth of his tumour, it could be more than 20 or 25.

Moving forward, Andrew will go for MRIs every six months or so to monitor his tumours progression.

His life now, he said, isnt as different as it was before his diagnosis as one may think.

You always want to tell yourself, I'm going to do great things and I'm going to go all the places and I won't sit and watch YouTube or watch movies, he joked. You still do that, but you do (the great things) kind of at a slower pace than you think you would  trying to leave a better impression on people is whats more important now than it was before.

Andrew works as a counsellor with Raft, where hes worked about 12 years. The St. Catharines-based agency focuses on helping youths experiencing homelessness.

His work there is the legacy he hopes to leave behind.

A couple of people I know from when I first started working there have gotten clean, theyve got jobs and live a better life, he said. I am proud of them because it's a difficult thing to do. I've never had to go through all that  They'll say, I really appreciated the help you guys gave me.  It's always nice to hear.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: In honour of Brain Tumour Awareness Month, reporter Abby Green wanted to speak with the Dodges, St. Catharines-based brain tumour advocates, and share their story, and find out how other people can be vigilant in the fight against brain tumours.

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I was one of five children  not seen as a particularly big family in Newfoundland at the time  and there was one year when we allegedly beat Guatemala to have the highest birth rate in the world. (Thats probably not true, but people were proud of it anyway.) Then we joined Canada in 1949, and got access to what Newfoundlanders called the Baby Bonus.

The family allowance, as Canadians called it, was a serious amount of untaxed cash on the table for a great many families, for Newfoundland was then probably the poorest place north of Mexico. In fact, many believe the Baby Bonus was the main reason Newfoundland voted to join Canada.

You would have expected the birth rate to go even higher after that, because children meant cash. But instead the birth rate started to fall, slowly at first, and then faster.

Girls got better educations, women had more choices, and people moved to the bigger towns and the one large city. By now the average woman in Newfoundland has only 1.36 children in a lifetime, and the population is falling steadily.

So I wouldnt hold out much hope for China, Japan and most European countries to stop the steep fall in their populations with cash bribes either. It doesnt work that way.

Leading the way are South Korea, Japan, Spain and Italy, all of which will see their populations fall by more than half in this century. China is just getting started, with a fall of almost one million in its population announced in January, but it will also end up dropping by half by the end of the century: from 1.41 billion now to only 732 million in 2100.

The pro-natality strategies are now far more sophisticated than just a flat-rate Baby Bonus. They include big lump-sum payments for new parents, free education, subsidized daycare programmes for working mothers, tax incentives and expanded parental leave  but nothing works.

In February, Japan declared it will double the countrys child-rearing subsidies to four per cent of GDP $150 billion a year  but even thats unlikely to get the birth rate up. The only way to keep the population stable or even growing in a developed country is mass immigration  which means you have to be attractive and welcoming to potential immigrants.

The English-speaking countries do that best. Canada, with 40 million people, is the world leader in proportional terms, bringing in another half-million a year. Australia is doing almost as well, and the United Kingdom, New Zealand and the United States are all managing around half that rate.

The great benefit they get from doing this is that they keep the ratio of younger people in the workforce to dependent older people high enough to afford a state that takes care of all its people. So why dont all the other industrialized countries, including China, Korea and Japan, do the same?

They will probably have to, in the end, but they have no long experience of multi-ethnic cultures and theyre anxious about losing their identity. Its nonsense: second-generation immigrants almost invariably adopt the language and culture of the country they were born in. But dont expect the average Chinese, Norwegian or Turk to believe that yet.

Where will the mass immigration come from? Mostly from Africa, the one continent whose population will go on growing rapidly until the 2060s  by which time Africans will probably account for about a third of the worlds population.

That high population growth rate will keep a great many Africans poor, but they will be in high demand elsewhere as potential immigrants. Even the East Asian countries will have to swallow their racism and open their doors, or their economies will wither for lack of people to fill the jobs and care for the elderly.

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The reverberating sound of bombs exploding across the city. The dull thud of gunfire penetrating walls. Ricocheting bullets. An entire family sleeping on mattresses in one room, wardrobes lined up to form a makeshift shelter.

This is how Eisham Abdulkarims family, including his mother and pregnant sister-in-law, lived for more than two weeks after violent conflict broke out in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum last month. They thought they were going to die.

They were living those 16 days in horror, the Sudanese Canadian man said at a rally in Hamilton on Saturday. They thought they all were going to die.

Sudanese-Canadian anti-war protesters and their supporters rally at city hall. The Hamilton Spectator

More than a hundred gathered outside city hall calling for peace for Sudan, raising flags, posters and voices on Main Street East. Sudan needs our help, a brightly coloured poster read. Protect civilians in Sudan, read another. And, on a poignant sign covered in red hand prints: Your silence is violence.

Violence erupted in the sweeping east African country in mid-April as state military clashed with the powerful Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group.

We want to rally efforts to help people who are affected by the war in Sudan, Ahmed Ismail, chair of the Sudanese Canadian League of Hamilton, told The Spectator.

Eisham Abdulkarim speaks at the rally. The Hamilton Spectator

The organization is imploring the federal government to pressure the states warring factions to stop the violence and support the countrys ongoing transition to democracy, Ismail said Saturday afternoon.

On the same day and after weeks of violence, factions agreed to a seven-day ceasefire beginning on Monday, The Associated Press reported.

Ahmed Ismail, chair of the Sudanese Canadian League, spoke at the rally. The Hamilton Spectator

The community is calling on Ottawa to support Sudanese refugees seeking asylum, he said. In April, the government evacuated hundreds of Canadian citizens and permanent residents from Sudan.

We expect more, he said.

Since the violence began April 15, hundreds have been killed and thousands injured. An estimated 700,000 people have been forced to flees their homes as a result of the deadly conflict, the United Nations said this month, adding to the millions of Sudanese internally displaced before the most recent conflict.

But its not just bullets and bombs that kill, he said. There is limited food and water  and where available, its unaffordable. Medication is scarce. More than two-thirds of Khartoums hospitals shut down within two weeks of the conflict, World Health Organization reported, leaving citizens without medical care.

A rally participant holds an anti-war message. The Hamilton Spectator

If not stopped, this war will turn into a civil war all over the country, Ismail said.

Two weeks into the fighting, Abdulkarims family embarked on a harrowing journey out of the city, fearing the worst at each military checkpoint. In Shandi, a city about 200 kilometres from the chaos of the capital, they were forced to pay skyrocketing rent  profiteering from conflict, he said.

Ismail, too, has family in Sudan. Some have escaped the capital, living in Bara, a city about 360 kilometres away, but others remain in conflict-ridden Khartoum. Theyre in the war zone, and theyre scared, he said.

I talk to them every day, many times a day, just to make sure that theyre still alive, he said.

The Sudanese Canadian League of Hamilton organized an anti-war rally at city hall Saturday. The Hamilton Spectator

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In March, on a plane designed for passengers just like her, a 1,200-pound traveller took to the skies aboard an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Frankfurt, Germany.

The traveller was Noble, a seven-year-old mare gifted to King Charles by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Noble, a black Hanoverian who stands 16.2 hands (or five foot, six inches at the top of her shoulder), landed in Germany then travelled by land to England, where she took part in the Kings coronation in London this month. She was among the first horse shipment by Air Canada Cargos new equine cargo service.

Canadas largest airline introduced the equine transportation service last November after its research found that 14,000 horses travel internationally by air every year. Its one of only a handful of global carriers with the capability and expertise to transport equines, says Janet Wallace, managing director, Cargo Operations and Transformation at Air Canada Cargo.

We are well-positioned and closely aligned to our customers to accommodate their needs to move equines in and out of all locations our Boeing 767 freighters fly to, Wallace says. As horses are high-touch, high-value and require time-sensitive, temperature-controlled solutions, this fits in well with Air Canada Cargos handling capabilities.

Currently, the Air Canada service operates flights to and from Toronto, Miami, Frankfurt and Liege, Belgium, with more routes to be added as the airline freighter network grows.

Complex operation

Horses fly predominately on cargo airlines due to the space and complexity involved in carrying them, says Wallace.

The bulk (four of six) of the Boeing 767s at Air Canada Cargo are former passenger planes that were converted to freighters. The planes exterior dimensions are the same as passenger planes, but the interiors are more spacious, as there are no passenger cabin seats, luggage bins, etc.

Up to three horses can travel in an air stall, which are made by Unilode, an aviation solutions company, and measure 12.4 feet long, eight feet wide and 7.5 feet tall. The planes can accommodate six air stalls at once, which can each hold three horses.

Extra seating available on the flight deck allows for three attendants who can attend to six animals each, thus a cargo plane can carry as many as 18 horses on a single flight.

A barn at Air Canada Cargo at Pearson Airport built in 2000 was renovated in 2022 to be state of the art to provide the highest standard of safety and care, according to its website. The facility is equipped with two separate HVAC systems for domestic and international animals. In addition to horse stalls, it has dog and cat kennels, and large animal stalls.

Not cheap

Madison Penfound, owner of Elite Equestrian in Bowmanville, Ont., brought a horse with her to England 11 years ago when she attended post-secondary school, and imports several horses a year from Europe to train and sell.

She expects her future imports will travel via Air Canada Cargo and has seen the barn at Pearson. They have a really good set up, and its professional and secure, says Penfound.

Penfound buys most of her performance horse prospects in Europe, as she says even after paying for air cargo, import and other fees (an estimated $16,000 to $18,000 per horse on top of its purchase price), she finds generally you get a nicer quality for the same price as horses in North America.

She likes the way European horses are raised, the European style of riding and training, and wider access to world-class bloodlines for the hunters, jumpers and event horses she sells.

Penfound and other owners, buyers and sellers use services such as Overseas Horse Services to book flights and handle all the logistics and paperwork. The same service handled the transport of King Charles RCMP gift horse.

Pandemic shift

Overseas Horse Services Canadian sales agent Martha Worts says a lot of horse cargo service was lost during the pandemic. KLM, the main airline flying horses out of Toronto prior to that, had planes close to the end of their lifespan. When the pandemic happened, KLM retired the planes and discontinued service out of Toronto.

After KLM ended its service, horses had to be trucked to New York and flown out from there, says Worts. You had to deal with regulations of two different governments.

While some other airlines fly horses into Pearson, they dont offer direct equine cargo flights out.

The big thing is this really opens Toronto up to welcome competition horses again, says Worts. We could get them into Toronto by air, but not out. Its going to make it easier for horses to compete at Woodbine racetrack or at the Royal Winter Fair.

A little bit of everything

Worts business teams with agents in Europe to co-ordinate transport, handle import permits, line up quarantine facilities and supply professionally trained equine attendants.

Air Canada requires attendants to complete specialized training covering in-flight emergency procedures, security and customs awareness and warehouse safety protocols.

Worts says horses competing internationally are the bulk of her business, though she also has dealt with horses owned by people moving to Europe who want to take them with them, Canadian horses that have been sold to Europe and horses purchased from other parts of the globe by North American buyers.

We get a little bit of everything.

After a horses flight is booked, the horses arrive at the airport very close to departure time and are accommodated in the barn, says Wallace, until they are loaded into the air stalls and loaded on a plane. Attendants can check on the animals during the flight.

Good care

They get good care on the flights and they are content as they can eat and drink, Penfound says. When they get off the plane, they tend to be in good condition.

She says shes been able to track her horses flights by app and to greet them at the airport before they go to one of the Ontario facilities set up for equine quarantine, where they stay for a week or longer.

Young animals and geldings must be quarantined in Canada for seven to 10 days; mares around three weeks. Its much more complicated to import stallions two years or older. They have to be tested for contagious equine metritis (CEM), an acute, highly contagious equine venereal disease seen primarily in Europe, for 30 days prior to flying to North America.

Obviously there are risks to flying horses, but they are herd animals and are generally happy as they fly with one or two other horses, says Worts, who says travelling on land by trailer is often more stressful for the animals than flying.

Its exciting for the horse industry to have a Canadian service and be able to fly in and out of Toronto.

Tracy Hanes is a freelance writer and nature photographer living in Cobourg, Ontario.

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Automation is coming, and this time its for the white collar workers.

Artificial intelligence will likely impact every profession, experts tell the Star, and office workers are first in line. But dont go looking for a new area of employment just yet.

The rise of powerful generative AI programs like ChatGPT and Midjourney means robots can now write sonnets, draw portraits, code programs and much more in seconds, far outpacing humans in certain cognitive tasks.

But AI can not fully replace a human, at least not yet  it doesnt have our general intelligence, creativity, morality, judgement and critical thinking skills, experts say. Instead, in the coming years, workers will likely use AI to supercharge their potential.

The way I see it, humans  for now  are not going to be replaced outright, said Joel Blit, an associate professor studying AI and the economics of innovation at the University of Waterloo. He told the Star that, much like the internet, AI will make us supercharged, enhanced.

But because were enhanced, we may not need as many of us to do many of these jobs, he said.

Jobs most impacted by AI

Among the white collar professions, lower-skilled workers like those in entry level positions will likely be most impacted, no matter their field of work, Blit said. The mundane, repetitive tasks left to this group, like data entry or background research, can be performed far cheaper and faster by a robot.

It might make it hard for students that are graduating to earn a job and progress up to a (position) where youre directing the work, he continued.

On the other hand, the skilled trades and manual workers like plumbers or electricians appear safe from AI, at least for now, Blit said. As robotics research improves, however, these too may be affected.

In no particular order, here are the fields experts say are most likely to be impacted by generative AI, and how workers might need to adapt.

Coders/programmers

Large language models like ChatGPT show a remarkable ability to write programs, having been trained on massive repositories of code. Its got many programmers fearing for their jobs, but as long as youre able to adapt, experts say youre likely safe.

Blit says a coder equipped with AI is estimated to be up to twice as productive, which could mean half of programmers are no longer necessary. On the flipside, it also means the price of programming may drop in value, potentially driving up demand.

As each coder becomes more productive through the use of GPT, theyre going to be able to code more in a shorter amount of time. Or in other words, the cost of having a program written for you is going to be half what it was before, he said.

Because the cost is lower, theres going to be increased demand for programming services. So now the question is, is this increased demand going to be enough to make up for the jobs lost?

Writers

Writers of all kinds, including content writers, workers in advertising, journalists and more will likely be affected by ChatGPT, which is capable of generating ideas and reams of text in seconds.

Yet writers, like all other professions, are unlikely to be completely replaced. Anil Verma, a professor emeritus at the University of Torontos Rotman School of Management studying the impact of AI on employment, said humans would still need to review the AIs product and weave its information into a compelling narrative.

For example, as a journalist, ChatGPT can help you a lot, he told the Star. It can do background research or summarize information  but you still need to verify the facts and mold it into a story. Thats a job only a trained journalist can do.

That said, recent studies found ChatGPT can make writing tasks about 60 per cent more efficient, Blit added. Like all other fields, that likely means less need for as many workers.

Finance professionals

A slew of jobs across finance, including financial advisors, accountants, traders and more will likely be augmented by AI, experts say. Many routine tasks, like performing market research, preparing tax returns, analyzing market trends and more can be handled by a robot.

Again, that doesnt mean everyone will be automated: Youre still going to have an accountant organizing the general strategy of how to minimize your taxes, Blit said. But all the bookkeeping, the actual tax filing, the (mundane tasks) done by lower skilled employees  thats going to be in the hands of AI.

Legal workers

Like other fields, much of the daily tasks law industry professionals undergo, like the hours of manual research that goes into every case, can be accomplished in minutes by ChatGPT, Verma said.

In the old days, youd have armies of people reading and summarizing hundreds of pages of legal research, and give it to the chief lawyer who would then present it to the court, he said. Now with AI, AI can very quickly go through hundreds of documents and prepare a summary along the lines that you want.

There still needs to be a lawyer to make sense of the information and present it in a compelling case, but we might not need as many law clerks preparing summaries and other repetitive tasks, Verma continued.

Researchers

With AI programs and self-running laboratories being created capable of automating the scientific process, performing simple experiments and generating research papers, some lab workers are feeling increasingly imperilled.

Not only is AI able to write, its able to do many of the things I do, said Blit. You can basically give it a bunch of data and tell it to analyze the data, come up with a bunch of hypotheses, test them out and then write a research paper, and it can literally do that.

Now, is it good enough to get published in a great journal? Absolutely not, its not there yet, he added, noting there still needs to be a human directing its work. But its really crazy the breadth of things that it can do.

Customer service

Given AIs conversational abilities, its not a stretch to see it replacing customer-facing workers in retail, food services and more, said Samin Aref, an assistant professor focussed on data science and machine learning at U of T, in an email to the Star.

That said, customers may still prefer to interact with a human representative, Verma noted  we still far outpace AI in terms of interpersonal skills. Instead, well likely have human workers augmented by AI  similar to writing tasks, studies show AI can improve customer productivity by around 60 per cent, Blit said.

Data entry and analysis

Aref added that AIs ability to scan through countless files of numbers and text means its ideal for jobs handling and making sense of great swathes of data.

ChatGPT is able to do lots of math tasks and data analysis computations far faster than any human, Blit added. Much of the humans working in this sector could be impacted.

Drivers

While self-driving cars arent here yet, experts say as generative AI advancements speed up, it may hasten all other AI fields as well: Delivery drivers, truck drivers, and taxi drivers could see changes in their roles as automated transportation systems become more prevalent, Aref said.

Blit believes in the next ten years, theres going to be some significant job losses (in the driving sector). If you include bus drivers, driving jobs make up about 2 per cent of all jobs in North America. Thats big.

How can I avoid being replaced by AI?

The experts admit now can be a scary time to be working, especially for those about to enter the workforce. But there is also the opportunity to embrace AI and use it to get ahead of the pack.

Imagine youve got two programmers and one of them embraces this technology and becomes twice as productive while the other one doesnt, Blit said. Well, which of the two do you think is going to disappear first?

Verma added that: We will all be affected by AI. So to be successful is not so much to worry about your job being obsolete or replaced by a bot, but to figure out which AI those tools are relevant to my job, how I can learn to use them and use it to enhance my performance....

My advice to people is, look, if your work involves doing something very mundane and repetitious that can be easily replaced by a bot, then you should be learning new skills.

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If you were to make a wild stab at which books were the most popular, what would you choose? Your personal favourites  say, mysteries, or big sagas, blockbuster reads from writers such as John Irving or Stephen King?

The book industry is having a fine romance: with books about love.

Romance for a new generation

One of the authors who has helped cement the place of romance in the popular imagination  or at least on the bestsellers lists  is Colleen Hoover. Her It Ends With Us was the No. 1 bestselling book in Canada in 2022. According to BookNet Canada, Hoovers books alone drove a 55-per-cent increase in the romance category when compared with 2021, with five of her titles topping the list.

The same trend was seen in the United States. Publishers Weekly reported that unit sales of fiction titles rose 8.5 per cent over 2021, led by a 52.4-per-cent increase in sales of romance books. And those sales were driven in large part by, you guessed it, Colleen Hoover.

The list of bestselling romance titles in 2022 is  led by Colleen Hoover, whose It Starts With Us and It Ends With Us topped the romance charts. Those two books, along with a handful of other Hoover titles, resulted in a banner year for Simon & Schuster 

Hoover is published in Canada by Simon & Schuster, which noted in an email to the Star that the author has sold more than 24 million copies of her English-language books in all formats across the world. It has seen its sales of romance books skyrocket as a result.

Much of this traffic is driven by younger readers. According to BookNet Canada, the hashtag #RomanceRecs has more than 390 million views on TikTok, an undeniable source of influence on book-reading behaviour. Its an observation that Simon & Schuster echoes.

An increasing number of younger, and often more diverse readers have discovered and embraced this genre, much of it fuelled by BookTok, the publisher said in a statement. Where sales have traditionally been driven by retailer merchandising and press coverage, a lot of the original buzz for these books was driven by enthusiastic BookTok readers.

The Harlequin effect

There used to be a saying: that 4.1 Harlequin romances sold around the world every second. That particular publisher was, at one time, the first name that sprang to mind when the words books and romance were mentioned.

And its still going strong. Dianne Moggy, vice-president of editorial for the Harlequin Brand Group, which includes 11 category lines, noted that they publish more than 800 romance titles a year. And theyre not all those paperbacks we remember from our parents bookcases or grocery store shelves: roughly 40 per cent of their books sell digitally.

The genres popularity has driven a deep change in the content of books and an increased focus on giving readers what they want.

Weve really been trying to increase the representation across every series we publish, Moggy said. So were trying to ensure that our readers are actually seeing themselves reflected in the books  whether its race and ethnicity or body image or neurodiversity.

Those concerns have translated into sales in the Canadian market. BookNet Canada recorded that sales in romance featuring LGBTQ characters increased by 10,406 per cent between 2017 and 2022, with sales from 2020 to 21 increasing 301 per cent, and from 21 to 22 by 136 per cent. Fiction romance in the workplace rose by 1,793 per cent during that five-year period, and for African American and Black categories by 1,733 per cent.

The desire for more representative romance is an aspect of the genre that attracts Muslim writer Uzma Jalaluddin, whose latest, Much Ado About Nada, comes out in June.

Im attracted to the subversive aspects of romance, the ways that romance writers (like myself) use the tropes and expectations of this genre to explore other issues, such as identity, immigration or prejudice, she said. And so she writes love stories set in immigrant neighbourhoods with South Asian, Muslim characters.

When I wrote Much Ado About Nada I set it in a massive Muslim conference in Toronto, said Jalaluddin. As much as my book is a swoony second-chance romance, its also about Muslims having fun and inviting the reader into their space.

After all, love is love no matter who you are, how you dress or what you believe. Also, no one else was writing them. (Im glad thats changing now.)

Stomping on the tropes and using them in new ways

HarperCollins, whose parent company News Corp. bought Harlequin from the Toronto Stars parent company, Torstar Corp., for $455 million in 2014, is like many publishers, increasing the number of trade paperback or hardcover romances it offers.

I think the definition of romance has spilled into a number of different areas, said Margaret ONeill Marbury, a VP at HarperCollins, responsible for trade titles at the company that owns Harlequin.

Popular American writer Curtis Sittenfeld, who publishes with Random House, has recently waded into the genre with her latest novel, Romantic Comedy.

It sets up an interesting dynamic, showing at first the typical dorky, not-so-good-looking guy with the gorgeous model. Then she flips that trope on its head by having the dorky, not-so-gorgeous writer develop a crush on a famous pop star who used to date models.

The book becomes an examination of gender relations and the rituals of romance, yes, but it also does something traditional romances do: has an emotional arc, strong characters you can relate to, some drama that keeps them apart and, well, a happy ending.

I thought that it would be fun. That was my main motivation. I started it in the summer of 2021, said Sittenfeld in an interview. So it was the pandemic, I guess it was about 15 months or 16 months in, and it felt like a pretty dark time, I think, globally and personally. I definitely wrote Romantic Comedy for escapist pleasure for myself. And then I hoped, eventually, for readers.

Some people will say that romance is just ChickLit reinvented, said Canadian author Chantel Guertin, whose latest book is Two for the Road.

She argued that romance now is not a 20-something girl whos bumbling through life trying to find a guy. Now the heroines are so strong and they are self-assured, and very successful and have great careers. That romance element is part of it, but as a person they have got it figured out.

And, while in the more traditional romance, the happy ending is a must, commercial or trade fiction stories dont always have to have one, Marbury said, but they do have to be hopeful, and there still has to be a strong relationship or pull between the characters. Think of writers such as Nicholas Sparks, Emily Giffin and Jojo Moyes.

The happily ever after is the point

But the happy ending has a big role to play, and a lot of readers and writers like it that way.

Romance book sales grew throughout the pandemic, a time of uncertainty, as Guertin pointed out. We often felt as if we had no control of our situations and we certainly didnt know what things were going to look like in the next few months.

Once you know the book is going to end happily, you remove that layer of unsettling and uncertainty, and then you actually enjoy the ride of the journey of the story, which actually is often very complex, Guertin said. And you can really delve into the characters and their stories because youre not concerned about how its going to end.

And you can escape from the reality of the everyday.

Jalaluddin, too, is a believer in the happily-ever-after ending. Partly this is because Im a hopeless romantic, wrapped in the outer trappings of a cynic, she said.

But mostly its because Im attracted to optimistic stories that demonstrate the good in humanity; and romance novels, with their focus on love, relationships, problem-solving, a dash of adventure or intrigue, are at their heart heaped with optimism. It is baked into the very DNA of the genre, because no matter what else happens there will be a happy ending for all. Who can resist that?

Certainly not the readers buying those millions of romance books being sold every year and those who, during the pandemic, turned to the genre for an emotional and psychological lift.

Can artificial intelligence write us a love story?

As romance continues to modernize its approach, it seems as if it might be particularly vulnerable to being written, perhaps unknowingly to readers, by artificial intelligence, including ChatGPT and others. With its fairly predictable structure, it would seem a particularly promising genre for AI to target.

Were not looking to AI to generate content at all, said Moggy. But its a big concern in terms of the number of submissions we get and how do we police that?

She noted that they received a submission earlier in the week we spoke and werent sure whether it was AI-generated or not. But it certainly is very similar to another book we have published.

While AI might be helpful in terms of writing marketing copy based on metadata, for example, when it comes to the creative process and content, thats where I get very nervous about things, said Marbury.

Its romance, after all. And doesnt it all come down to love? Can an algorithm capture emotion? Its a question weve been asking since Hal in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

I think youve hit the real point here, said Moggy. Can it bring the emotion, which is what the reader connects to  if that emotion is missed, then I think youd miss what the romance reader is looking for.

Hopefully, for the industry  and writers and readers  this will result in a happy ending.

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Internationally trained engineers will no longer be required to have Canadian experience to be licensed in Ontario, as the province adopts a new law thats meant to remove the barriers keeping skilled immigrants from working in their former professions.

On Tuesday, Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO), which represents the fourth largest regulated profession in the province with 85,649 members, becomes the first professional regulatory body after the law was introduced to remove the requirement from their application criteria.

By no longer requiring proof of Canadian experience when applying for an engineering licence, PEO will effectively ensure that qualified international applicants are licensed fairly and without undue delay so they can actively work as engineers, said Jennifer Quaglietta, the regulators CEO registrar.

Our new application process for professional engineering licences is efficient, transparent and fair, and will provide most applicants with a registration decision within six months of submitting a completed application.

The lack of Canadian work experience has been cited as a key barrier to earning professional designations in Canada by skilled immigrants in returning to their fields of training.

In 2021, amid a labour shortage during the pandemic, the Ontario government introduced new regulations to force some professional regulators to drop Canadian work-experience requirements from their licensing criteria  and to speed up processing times.

This is, quite frankly, a game-changer for newcomers coming here, but also for businesses who are struggling with a huge labour shortage, said Labour Minister Monte McNaughton, whose ministry also oversees training, skills development and immigration.

Only a quarter of internationally trained immigrants in our province are working in the professions they studied for. This is an injustice to these workers, and it doesnt take a math major to figure out the current numbers dont add up.

He said roughly 300,000 jobs continue to go unfilled across the province every day, including thousands in engineering and it costs billions in lost productivity.

The amended Fair Access to Regulated Professions and Compulsory Trades Act covers 36 non-health-related professions and trades, ranging from architecture to teaching, social work, plumbing, electricians work, autobody repair and hairstyling.

McNaughton said the regulatory bodies have until Dec. 2 to remove the Canadian work experience requirement, unless an exemption is granted for public health and safety reasons.

Regulators will be fined up to $100,000 for non-compliance.

Were not going to have any regulatory body stand in our way. We want to help lift immigrants up so they can earn more money for themselves and their families and also fill labour shortages and grow our economy, he told the Star in an interview. Theres going to be a zero tolerance.

Despite the removal of the Canadian experience requirement, licensing applicants to the engineering profession are still subject to a rigorous process that covers their knowledge and competencies in technical communication, project management and professional accountability.

Candidates are still required to have 48-months of professional experience in engineering and pass a national professional practice exam that includes ethics, professional practice, engineering, law and professional liability.

This multi-faceted process will continue to ensure that all professional engineers meet rigorous qualifications for licences and that only properly qualified individuals practise engineering, said Quaglietta, adding that up to 60 per cent of the engineering licence applications each year are from internationally trained engineers.

Clarification  May 25, 2023: Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) is the first professional regulatory body to remove the requirement of Canadian experience in order to be licensed from their application criteria after the provincial government introduced legislation. A previous version of this article said they were first.

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SERIES:LAW & DISORDER After Katrina, New Orleans Police Under Scrutiny

Updated July 24: The New Orleans Police Department and the Department of Justice have reached an agreement for top-to-bottom reforms of the troubled police force. The plan addresses a range of issues, several of which we reported on in our coverage of police shootings in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Since our reporting, federal prosecutors have built a string of criminal cases against 20 current or former officers.

This story was originally published on Aug. 24, 2010 and was co-published with The New Orleans Times-Picayune.

In the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina, an order circulated among New Orleans police authorizing officers to shoot looters, according to present and former members of the department.

It's not clear how broadly the order was communicated. Some officers who heard it say they refused to carry it out. Others say they understood it as a fundamental change in the standards on deadly force, which allow police to fire only to protect themselves or others from what appears to be an imminent physical threat.

The accounts of orders to "shoot looters," "take back the city," or "do what you have to do" are fragmentary. It remains unclear who originated them or whether they were heard by any of the officers involved in shooting 11 civilians in the days after Katrina. Thus far, no officers implicated in shootings have used the order as an explanation for their actions. Only one of the people shot by police  Henry Glover  was allegedly stealing goods at the time he was shot.

Still, current and former officers said the police orders  taken together with tough talk from top public officials broadcast over the airwaves -- contributed to an atmosphere of confusion about how much force could be used to combat looting.

In one instance captured on a grainy videotape shot by a member of the force, a police captain relayed the instructions at morning roll call to cops preparing for the day's patrols.

"We have authority by martial law to shoot looters," Captain James Scott told a few dozen officers in a portion of the tape viewed by reporters. Scott, then the commander of the 1st district, is now captain of the special operations division.

Another police captain, Harry Mendoza, told federal prosecutors last month that he was ordered by Warren Riley, then the department's second-in-command, to "take the city back and shoot looters." A lieutenant who worked for Mendoza, Mike Cahn III, said he remembered the scene similarly and would testify about it under oath if asked.

Mendoza and Cahn said in separate interviews that Riley made the remarks at a meeting at Harrah's casino, where police had established a command post. Mendoza quoted Riley as saying: "If you can sleep with it, do it," according to a document prepared by prosecutors and provided to lawyers defending police officers recently charged with federal offenses.

Riley categorically denied telling officers they could shoot looters. "I didn't say anything like that. I heard rumors that someone else said that. But I certainly didn't say that, no."

"I may have said we need to take control of the city," Riley said. "That may have happened."

Riley also questioned the credibility of Mendoza, whom he fired in 2006 for alleged neglect of duties. Mendoza has since been reinstated; Riley has retired.

Scott declined comment but said through his attorney that a fuller version of the videotape places his remarks in a different context. But he would not disclose what else he said that day or characterize more completely what he meant.

The officer who shot the video, Lt. Sandra Simpson, would not permit reporters to see the complete recording. New Orleans police officials have said that they do not consider the tape a public record and that it is thus up to Simpson whether to allow the tape to be viewed.

Scott's address came at a moment of widespread confusion over whether authorities had imposed martial law, a phrase used by then-Mayor Ray Nagin on the radio. In fact, martial law does not exist under Louisiana's constitution. But experts in police training said the use of those words by politicians and in news reports may have fueled perceptions that the rules had changed.

In recent months, a team of reporters from The Times-Picayune, PBS Frontline, and ProPublica have examined department leaders' conduct as part of a broader look at police shootings after Hurricane Katrina. A documentary drawn from that work airs Wednesday evening on Frontline, which can be seen locally on WYES-TV at 8 p.m.

The confusion over whether martial law had been declared was widely reported at the time. But until now, it was not known that some within the police force interpreted it to authorize shooting of looters who posed no direct threat.

New Orleans police came under unprecedented pressures after the city flooded. Many of the department's police stations were submerged in water. The command structure broke down as the radio system and computerized communications failed. Officers went for days without sleep as they rescued trapped residents from rooftops. Commanders relied on sporadic face-to-face meetings to direct operations.

"During the Katrina days, we weren't living in the real world, we were living in a holocaust," said former police Lt. David Benelli, who was assigned to the Superdome and has since retired. "We were living in a situation that no other police department ever had to endure."

*

A mix of rumor and reality fueled concerns about the breakdown of civil order.

Nagin, the mayor, said in a televised interview days after the storm that there had been rapes and murders among the people taking shelter in the Superdome, a claim that turned out to be untrue. Police Superintendent Eddie Compass made similar statements.

On Aug. 30, 2005, Riley told the mayor he had heard an officer say on the radio, "I need more ammo. We need more ammo."

Sally Forman, the mayor's communications chief at the time, said this report -- which, it later emerged, did not come from NOPD -- had immediate impact.

Nagin, she recalled, directed Riley to "stop search and rescue and bring our force back to controlling the streets."

"The mayor said, Let's stop the looting, let's stop the lawlessness and let's put our police officers on the streets so that our citizens are protected,'" Forman said.

Nagin had one more message for the deputy superintendent, in Forman's recollection: "Let's stop this crap now."

"We will do that," responded Riley, according to Forman.

That same day, Nagin learned that a police officer, Kevin Thomas, had been shot in the head. Forman said "it made the mayor furious.''

"And that's when he said we need to declare martial law.''

Soon after, Nagin gave a radio interview in which he said he had called for martial law, adding to the confusion about the rules of engagement. Nagin declined to be interviewed.

*

Accounts vary of the meeting outside Harrah's at which Riley delivered his remarks. Some recall Riley speaking to a small group of senior officers; others remember it as a larger gathering.

Cahn, who reported to Mendoza during the storm, said the order was delivered on Aug. 31, the day after officer Thomas was wounded. Mendoza thought the instructions were given either Aug. 31 or Sept. 1.

Cahn, who is still a reserve lieutenant, said: "It was in Harrah's parking lot. We were having our morning meeting  the captains and their lieutenants were there. And Riley said, "It's time to take the city back. I'm giving you instructions to tell your men to shoot all looters."

"It was such an almost ridiculous order that Mendoza and I said there was no way that we were going to tell our guys that. You can't just decide arbitrarily that you're going to start shooting people for stealing things.

"For a commanding officer to tell you that I'm giving you this order  it's easy to think that officers would have taken that and run with it."

Mendoza, who is now in charge of the police academy, said he described the meeting at Harrah's to a group of federal prosecutors studying the department's training programs.

In an interview, Mendoza expanded on his statement to prosecutors. He said Riley arrived in the morning and asked all the police operating from Harrah's to gather beneath the casino's canopy. He estimated that 30 to 50 people were present.

Mendoza said he was "shocked" by the order to shoot looters and believed it might have confused less experienced officers. The remarks, he said, "could have easily damaged their understanding and ability to clearly recognize their responsibilities and follow state law."

Two current officers and one former officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, also remember Riley telling officers at Harrah's that they could shoot looters.

All quote Riley as speaking of the need to "take the city back." Like Mendoza and Cahn, they say they decided not to pass on the order.

Riley strongly denied issuing such an edict. "I absolutely deny it; it absolutely never happened," he said. As for Mendoza, he said: "I despise that guy. I fired him. I don't know where he's getting that foolishness from."

Kevin Diel, a former officer, said he saw Riley address a group of 40 to 50 officers at Harrah's on Sept. 2 or Sept. 3. Riley "walked up in a pair of blue jeans, his uniform shirt and a ball cap, and really just starting giving a pep speech, you know, kind of a morale-booster, saying that we were not gonna allow the looters to take the city," Diel recalled. "We were going to more or less protect the borders of it and march through downtown and take the city back."

Diel did not recall Riley explicitly saying that officers could shoot looters. After Riley left, Diel said, cops began analyzing the orders, and some wondered aloud whether the deputy superintendent expected officers to "go through the streets, you know, shooting looters?"

*

Experts said that even instructing officers to "take back the city"  the order Riley acknowledges giving  was dangerously ambiguous.

"Just sending out a general order, general statement about take back the city' with no specific guidelines is an invitation to disaster," said Samuel Walker, professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and author of 13 books on police, civil liberties, and criminal justice. "What do the officers think? We can do anything?"

Under standards set by the U.S. Supreme Court, Louisiana law and police department guidelines, officers are allowed to use deadly force when they have a reasonable belief there is a threat of "great bodily harm" to either the officer or another person.

"A statement, explicit or implied, that you take back the city and do whatever needs to be done is absolutely wrong, [a] complete invitation to disaster," he said.

It remains unclear whether the orders have any direct link to the shootings of civilians.

On Sept 3, 2005, a 1st District officer shot Matt McDonald in the back, killing the man. The officer said McDonald, a 41-year-old drifter, ignored orders to let go of a white plastic bag containing a handgun, which he allegedly brandished at police. McDonald's relatives are skeptical of the account.

Bryant Wininger, the narcotics squad lieutenant who shot McDonald, has since retired. He declined to respond to questions or to address whether he was present for Scott's statements about martial law and the shooting of looters.

*

It's also unclear what role the orders to shoot looters might play in the federal trials against officers accused of shooting unarmed civilians.

The lawyer for David Warren, the police officer who shot Henry Glover, said Warren had not heard the order.

But the lawyer, Michael Ellis, said the order was emblematic of the chaos of that time frame. When Warren fired his .223 rifle at Glover, he had just spent the night standing guard over a man charged with attacking Kevin Thomas, his fellow officer.

"He was guarding the defendant who had shot Kevin,'' Ellis said. "He looked through the window and could see that Oakwood Shopping Center was in flames and being looted by vandals, and all that goes into the equation of his mindset of the moment that he fired his weapon."

Defense attorneys representing two of the officers charged in the shooting of six civilians at the Danziger Bridge said their defenses will largely center on the contention that the shootings were justified -- that officers believed they were under fire.

"They weren't shooting looters. They were shooting at people who they thought were shooting at them," said Lindsay Larson III, one of the attorneys representing former officer Robert Faulcon.

Frank DeSalvo, attorney for Sgt. Kenneth Bowen, also accused of shooting people on the eastern side of the bridge, agreed. "Certainly, no one's defense is that martial law had been declared and we should shoot looters. They did what they did based upon what they were faced with at the time they arrived at the bridge," he said.

But DeSalvo left open the possibility that he would use Mendoza's statement, perhaps as a way to explain the environment in which officers were forced to make decisions.

"That is part of the information that they had with respect to the lawlessness in the city. People being shot and being raped. Supposed armed gangs of people running around shooting people," DeSalvo said. "It is relevant with how the fear was running through the department that a chief would say that. When he says, we have to take our streets back, that is what we are talking about. The streets had been taken away by armed gangs."

ProPublica's Lisa Schwartz, Sheelagh McNeill and Nicholas Kusnetz contributed to this report.
HALIFAX - A Nova Scotia provincial court judge on Tuesday acquitted a man charged in a 2018 sexual assault, setting the stage for a review of whether Halifax police failed to gather key evidence in the case.

Judge Jill Hartlen told the court she found Carrie Lows account of being sexually assaulted by two men on May 18, 2018, to be disturbing and credible.

Drawing from evidence heard at trial, the judge said Low was driven in a car from a Halifax bar to a trailer on the outskirts of the city as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Low awoke the next morning bruised and on a bare mattress, wearing only a bra and tank top.

The last two fragments of memory (of that night) are horrific, Hartlen said. She briefly regained her memory twice to find unknown men having penetrative sex with her. Low had testified that she recalled crying out that she was being hurt and asking for the assault to stop.

However, Hartlen said the flashbacks Low described from that night didnt prove that Brent Alexander Julien was among her attackers, adding that there was no DNA evidence implicating the accused.

The judge concluded that a third man -- seen in video footage from inside the bar where Low was socializing -- had been wearing clothing that more closely fit the victims description of one of her two attackers.

Based on all the evidence, and lack of evidence ... Im not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the second man who had sex with Ms. Low was Mr. Julien and he is acquitted, Hartlen said.

The judge noted that Low had described her second assailant as having either worn a light-coloured shirt or as having a bare top with some form of tattoos, while Julien had been wearing a dark T-shirt.

The sexual assault charge against Julien is the second criminal prosecution in the five-year-old case.

In 2021, Halifax police charged Alexander Thomas of East Preston, N.S., with sexual assault, but before his trial began Thomas was found dead in what police said was a homicide.

The judge said a third man, whom she referred to as T, was seen socializing at the bar with Thomas and Julien but left at approximately the same time as the two others, and was inside the trailer when Low woke up.

Low  who sought and received a court order permitting her name to be made public  has alleged that police mishandled key evidence in her case by not visiting the scene after the sexual assault.

On Tuesday, she said outside court she could now pursue a civil action against the police, as well as a long-delayed case before the Nova Scotia Police Review Board. The review board hearing is set to begin on July 10.

Lows lawyer, Emma Halpern, the director of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Mainland Nova Scotia, said Tuesday that police missed a key opportunity to collect DNA evidence.

They didnt go to the crime scene, Halpern said. They never collected (Lows) underwear. We know there was a DNA issue in this case. There was a second (persons) DNA but it was not enough to be able to match with anybody.

We know there were other people in that trailer. We know (Lowes) shoe was there. We know she was on a mattress. All of that could have provided us with samples of DNA that we dont have, Halpern added.

Low said she was mentally prepared for an acquittal but found it shocking to hear.

When I reported (the sexual assault), if police had taken it seriously and investigated within a matter of hours and days, I dont think we would be standing here with the same conclusion, she said.

Outside court, Crown prosecutor Alicia Kennedy said there was strong DNA evidence against Thomas, adding that the specimen would have assisted in his prosecution had his case gone to trial.

Asked about whether there would be a case against the man referred to as T, Kennedy said police were never able to identify him.

Its for police to continue those efforts, she said.

Halifax police said in an email they would review the case in detail and determine their next steps.

Meanwhile, defence lawyer Jonathan Hughes said his client was relieved by the verdict.

In terms of what came out in evidence, it was absolutely the right decision, he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2023.

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The number of pregnant people who required hospital treatment for cannabis use in Ontario has almost doubled since legalization in 2018, a new study shows.

The findings, published Tuesday in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), show the legalization of cannabis was associated with an increase over time in hospital visits for cannabis use during pregnancy. However, the absolute increase in those needing medical help was small.

The authors note that their conclusion, which is consistent with other research showing a gradual increase in emergency department visits for cannabis use in the general population in Ontario, suggests the need for more targeted public health messaging.

Our findings highlight the potential need for education on cannabis-related harms for pregnant people and their care providers, and for policy interventions aimed at reducing use, the authors write.

The population-level study, which includes data from nearly one million pregnancies, found the average number of pregnant people requiring hospital treatment for cannabis use increased by 82 per cent between January 2015 and July 2021. (The study went back to 2015, three years before legalization, to measure average rates of acute care.)

The researchers stress the absolute increase in those needing hospital care  either in the ER or while hospitalized  over the study period was small, rising from 11 per 100,000 pregnancies to 20 per 100,000 pregnancies.

However, the study found that babies of those who received hospital care for cannabis use were more likely to be born preterm and require admission to the neonatal intensive care unit.

We can say quite confidently that these rare but severe events have gone up, said Dr. Daniel Myran, the studys lead author and a family physician who is a fellow at the Bruyere Research Institute and The Ottawa Hospital.

The concern is: Is this the tip of the iceberg of a much larger trend in general cannabis use during pregnancy?

Previous studies have linked using cannabis while pregnant to a higher risk of stillbirth, preterm birth and having a child born with low birth weight. And there is evidence of an association between cannabis use during pregnancy and some neurologic and developmental disorders later in childhood, says Myran.

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) recommends people avoid cannabis during pregnancy and advises those who use it for medical reasons talk to their health-care provider.

An SOGC fact sheet states: Given what we know about the short- and long-term effects of cannabis on fetuses and babies, it is safest for women to avoid using cannabis while pregnant and while breastfeeding.

Cannabis use during pregnancy is becoming more common in North America, studies show. For example, a 2019 U.S. study, using self-reported data, found an estimated seven per cent of pregnant women used cannabis in 2017  up from 3.4 per cent in 2003.

Myran, a post-doctoral trainee at the non-profit research institute ICES, said the study design tried to account for pandemic health disruptions. For example, the data showed after cannabis legalization there was no change in pregnant people requiring hospital care for non-cannabis substance use, he said.

And while the observed increase in hospital visits could be related to more people being willing to disclose cannabis use after legalization, Myran said substantial changes in self-reporting were unlikely.

The new Ontario research found a strong association between hyperemesis gravidarum, or morning sickness, and people requiring hospital care for cannabis use, Myran said.

It was the strongest risk factor in the study, he said. What we found is if you needed treatment in the (emergency department) or hospital for morning sickness, those people have almost 10 times greater odds of needing acute care for cannabis use during the pregnancy.

And for most people, the morning sickness comes before the cannabis use  we found the strength of that association became stronger after legalization.

Dr. Darine El-Chaar, one of the studys authors and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at The Ottawa Hospital, said patients tell her that cannabis does help with symptoms of morning sickness. She said she counsels patients that while cannabis can work, it has risks and that other, safer medications can treat morning sickness.

I think its really important to have a good discussion with your medical provider, preferably before planning a pregnancy, so that you can understand some of the risks and different options that you have, said El-Chaar, a clinician scientist at The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

When I talk about it to my patients, I say: Yes, (cannabis) is legal, just like alcohol and cigarettes. But we do talk about avoiding those because of the risks during pregnancy, she said, adding its important for patients to not be afraid to talk about their cannabis use.

Dr. Lisa Graves, one of the authors of the SOGC cannabis guidelines and who was not involved in the CMAJ study, said she welcomes ongoing research in this area to help us provide current data that will help guide Canadian health providers in conversations with people who are pregnant or planning pregnancy.

She said there is still too little research on cannabis use during pregnancy, noting the difficulties of conducting studies in jurisdictions where recreational cannabis is still illegal.

Megan Ogilvie is a Toronto-based health reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @megan_ogilvie or reach her via email: mogilvie@thestar.ca

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REGINA - Hundreds of people in Saskatchewan are still unable to return home as crews continue to battle wildfires in the provinces northern region.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says its tackling 23 active wildfires in the north, including five fires that are not contained and three of them requiring crews to protect property.

The agency says its supporting 500 people who were forced to evacuate from various communities, including Buffalo Narrows, Dillon and Patuanak.

Steve Roberts, vice-president of operations at the agency, says theres no update on when people can return home.

He says the fires are extremely aggressive and creating lots of smoke, which has made it difficult for crews to get on the ground.

Roberts says some rain is expected in the coming days, which would help firefighters make headway.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2023.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Bidens decision to allow allies to train Ukrainian forces on how to operate F-16 fighter jets  and eventually to provide the aircraft themselves  seemed like an abrupt change in position but was in fact one that came after months of internal debate and quiet talks with allies.

Biden announced during last weeks Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, that the U.S. would join the F-16 coalition. His green light came after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spent months pressing the West to provide his forces with American-made jets as he tries to repel Russias now 15-month-old grinding invasion.

Long shadowing the administrations calculation were worries that such a move could escalate tensions with Russia. U.S. officials also argued that learning to fly and logistically support the advanced F-16 would be difficult and time consuming.

But over the past three months, administration officials shifted toward the view that it was time to provide Ukraines pilots with the training and aircraft needed for the countrys long-term security needs, according to three officials familiar with the deliberations who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Still, the change in Bidens position seemed rather sudden.

In February, Biden was insistent in an interview with ABCs David Muir that Ukraine doesnt need F-16s now and that I am ruling it out for now. And in March, a top Pentagon policy official, Colin Kahl, told U.S. lawmakers that even if the president approved F-16s for Ukraine, it could take as long as two years to get Ukrainian pilots trained and equipped.

But as the administration was publicly playing down the prospect of F-16s for Ukraine in the near term, an internal debate was heating up.

Quiet White House discussions stepped up in February, around the time that Biden visited Ukraine and Poland, according to the U.S. officials.

Following the trip, discussions that included senior White House National Security Council, Pentagon and State Department officials began on the pros and cons and the details of how such a transfer might work, officials said. Administration officials also got deeper into consultations with allies.

In April, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin heard from defense leaders from allied countries during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group who were looking for U.S. permission to train the Ukrainians on F-16s, according to a Defense Department official who was not authorized to comment publicly. Austin raised the matter during the NSC policy discussions and there was agreement that it was time to start training.

Austin also raised the issue with Biden before the G7 summit with a recommendation to proceed with approving allies to train the Ukrainians and transfer the aircraft, the department official said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also was a strong advocate for pushing forward with the plan during the U.S. policy talks and conveying to Biden increasing European urgency on the issue, officials said.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to London on May 8 for talks with British, French and German allies on Ukraine, and F-16s were high on the agenda. They got into the nitty gritty on how to go about provide training and which countries might be willing to transfer jets to Ukraine. It was agreed that the focus would be on training first, according to one of the officials.

Sullivan, before leaving London, spoke by phone with his counterparts from the Netherlands and Poland, both countries that have F-16s and would be essential to any efforts to provide Ukraine jets for any future use. Denmark also could potentially provide the jets, the official added.

Biden and Sullivan discussed how the upcoming G7 summit in Hiroshima could provide a good opportunity for him to make the case to key allies on the administrations shifting stance on fighter jets.

They also discussed Biden backing allies providing jets to Ukraine  a line he had previously appeared not to want to cross out of concern that it could draw the West into what could be seen as direct confrontation with Moscow.

Biden, in private talks with fellow G7 leaders on Friday, confirmed that the U.S. would get behind a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 and that as things went on, they would work together on who would provide them and how many would be sent.

State, Pentagon and NSC officials are now developing the training plan and when, where and how to deliver F-16s to Ukraine as part of the long-term security effort, the official said.

U.S. officials say it will take several months to iron out details, but the U.S. Air Force has quietly determined that the actual training could realistically be done in about four months. The Air Force based the far shorter estimate on a visit by two Ukrainian pilots to a U.S. air base in March, where they got to learn about the F-16 and fly simulators. The training, officials say, would take place in Europe.

White House officials have bristled at the notion that Bidens decision amounted to a sea change.

The administration had been focused on providing Ukraine with weapons  including air defense systems, armored vehicles, bridging equipment and artillery  that were needed for a coming counteroffensive. There also were concerns that sending F-16s would eat up a significant portion of the money allocated for Ukraine.

What changed, the official added, is that other allies got to a point where they were willing to provide their own jets as part of a U.S.-based coalition.

The Biden administration is still examining whether it will directly provide its own F-16s to Ukraine. Regardless, it needed buy-in from other allies because the U.S. wouldnt be able to provide the full fleet of jets Zelenskyy says is needed.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said the F-16 will give Ukraine a key capability for the long term but it wont be a game changer.

Kendall told a gathering of reporters on Monday there has been an awareness that we needed to go there at some point, but we didnt have a sense of urgency about this. I think were at a reasonable place to make that decision now.

Another potential wrinkle in the F-16 conversation involves Turkey.

Turkey wants to buy 40 new F-16s from the U.S., but some in Congress oppose the sale until Turkey approves NATO membership for Sweden, which applied to join the alliance in the aftermath of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has objected to Swedens perceived support of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, the leftist extremist group DHKP-C and followers of the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara claims was behind a failed military coup attempt in 2016.

Erdogan is facing opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a runoff election on Sunday. If Erdogan wins, as expected, White House officials are increasingly hopeful that the Turkish leader will withdraw his opposition to Swedens membership, according to the U.S. official.

If Erdogan drops opposition to Sweden joining NATO, it could lead to Turkey getting its long desired F-16s and may eventually add to the number of older F-16s in circulation, which could benefit Ukraine.



Associated Press White House correspondent Zeke Miller contributed reporting.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)  Twenty-six people in Tennessee have been recently convicted or face charges for possessing switches, devices that convert semi-automatic firearms into a machine guns, which can be made with 3-D printers and bought on the internet, federal law enforcement officials said during a news conference Monday.

Federal investigators and local law enforcement officers in Memphis and Jackson have been trying to slow down the proliferation of switches as they work to stem a growing wave of gun violence, said Kevin Ritz, the U.S. attorney for the federal district in West Tennessee.

A Memphis native who was nominated by President Joe Biden and sworn in last September, Ritz said communities are reeling from gun violence  a problem worsened by the increased number of switches found in the region.

Switches are illegal and highly dangerous devices that convert semiautomatic firearms into machine guns, Ritz said. These devices threaten public safety and make the gun violence problem even worse.

Seven of the 15 people who have been convicted of machine gun possession or other firearms-related crime have already received prison sentences of up to 8 1/2 years. Nine others have been charged with offenses related to switches, which make guns much harder to control when fired, prosecutors said.

In one case, a man was sentenced in March to more than two years in prison of selling four switches to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents and preparing to sell them 20 more. In another, a convicted felon was sentenced in December to more than eight years in prison for selling a short-barreled rifle and getting caught with a Glock pistol equipped with an extended magazine and a machine-gun conversion device.

The devices are inexpensive and can be bought on the internet, said Marcus Watson, special agent in charge for the Nashville field division of the ATF.

Ritz said the devices can come from other countries such as Russia or China, and they can be made on 3-D printers.

Machine guns have no place in the general public, Watson said.

Many of the arrests came in Memphis, where violent crimes that typically involve guns such as murders and aggravated assaults increased in the first three months of this year by 7 percent, compared with the same time period in 2022, according to statistics released by the Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission.

Authorities reported 81 murders in Memphis from January to March, up from 60 murders in the first quarter of 2022, the commission reported.

Some Memphis shootings have received national attention, such as the killing of rapper Young Dolph at a bakery in November 2001, a daylong shooting rampage in September that was livestreamed by a suspect charged with killing three people and wounding three others, and the slaying of a police officer inside a library in February.

Discussions about gun violence have ramped up this year in Tennessee, where calls for reform stemming from high-profile shootings have contrasted with laws such as one that allows people to carry a handgun without a permit.

The GOP-led Tennessee General Assembly plans to start a special session Aug. 21 to discuss gun-related legislation after lawmakers did not take on gun control during the regular session that ended April 21. Efforts at gun reform gained in volume after three children and three adults were fatally shot at The Covenant School in Nashville in March.

Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced the special session earlier this month. However, its not clear what parameters the governor will set for what can be considered during the session, or what changes lawmakers would be willing to discuss.

During the regular session, Lee pushed for legislation that would keep firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others.

While federal prosecutors and law enforcement dont make laws and only enforce them, they do track carefully developments in state law and federal law concerning firearms, Ritz said.

Sometimes those developments make it harder for us to keep the public safe, Ritz said. But what I will say is, as long as federal prosecutors have tools to tackle the gun violence problem, we will use those tools often and aggressively.

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WASHINGTON (AP) 

President Joe Biden will host Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark at the White House next month for talks on their joint efforts including supporting Ukraine.

The White House announced Frederiksens June 5 visit on Tuesday, a few days after the White House announced Biden was endorsing an international effort to trainand eventually equipUkraine with the F-16 fighter jets that President Volodymyr Zelesnkky has long sought.

Denmark, a member of NATO, has purchased dozens of American-made F-16s since the 1970s and has indicated it is open to the possibility of providing Ukraine with some.

The two leaders will review our efforts as NATO allies and close partners to strengthen transatlantic security and bolster economic prosperity, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. They will discuss our unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russias brutal war of aggression.

White House officials have said providing F-16s is not seen as essential to Ukraines immediate needs as it prepares for an expected counteroffensive to try to take back territory seized by Russian forces. But the U.S. and allies agree that upgrading Ukraines Soviet-era jet fleet is critical for the countrys long-term security needs.

Jean-Pierre said the two leaders would also discuss energy security, climate change, and other global issues.

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CHICAGO (AP)  More than 450 Catholic clergy in Illinois sexually abused nearly 2,000 children since 1950, the states attorney general found in an investigation released Tuesday, revealing that the problem was far worse than the church had let on.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul said at a news conference that investigators found that 451 Catholic clergy abused 1,997 children in Illinois between 1950 and 2019, though he acknowledged that the statute of limitations has expired in many cases and that those abusers will never see justice in a legal sense.

It is my hope that this report will shine light both on those who violated their positions of power and trust to abuse innocent children, and on the men in church leadership who covered up that abuse, Raoul said, crediting the accusers for making the review possible. These perpetrators may never be held accountable in a court of law, but by naming them here, the intention is to provide a public accountability and a measure of healing to survivors who have long suffered in silence.

The review began in 2018 under Raoul's predecessor, Lisa Madigan, who released a blistering report as she prepared to leave office. Raoul continued the investigation, and he said Tuesday that 25 staff members reviewed more than 100,000 pages of diocesan documents and engaged in more than 600 confidential interactions with contacts.

The lengthy report describes Illinois church leaders as woefully slow to acknowledge the extent of the abuse. It also accuses them of frequently dragging their feet to confront accused clergy and of failing to warn parishioners about possible abusers in their midst, sometimes even decades after allegations emerged.

In a joint statement issued Friday ahead of Raouls announcement, the states Catholic dioceses said the attorney generals investigation prompted a yearslong review of their policies and unspecified changes. Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, on Monday called abuse repugnant but said the church in 1992 began overhauling its policies and programs and cooperated fully with the states review.

My hope is that the release of this report will be an occasion for the attorney general to issue a rallying cry to all adults to join in the work of safeguarding children, lest this moment be a lost opportunity, Cupich said. I stand ready to continue to do my part.

Much of the report is dedicated to individual accounts of sexual abuse and lists of clergy and religious brothers in each diocese accused of child sexual abuse. Some of those named have become infamous due to criminal proceedings or lawsuits, including Father Daniel McCormack, who was the subject of more than 100 abuse claims in the decades before his 2006 arrest for abusing five boys in Chicago.

He later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Even after McCormicks first arrest in 2005 for sexual abuse, the Chicago archdiocese did not remove him from the ministry since those charges were dropped for a lack of evidence, the report says. An archdiocese review board recommended McCormicks removal that year, but then-Cardinal Francis George declined.

According to the report, the mother of one of McCormicks victims later said: If Cardinal George (had) done the right thing, these other boys would not have been molested. (Instead), he just opened the door for (McCormack) to take advantage of other Black children.

Many of the accounts contained in the report have remained private for decades. It includes the account of Bob Corcoran, who reported that Father Thomas Considine, who was a teacher at a high school in Elgin, repeatedly sexually abused Corcoran in the 1970s. Considine was removed from ministry in 1980 for undetermined reasons and died in 1988, the report states.

Corcoran told state investigators that he reported the abuse to the Rockford diocese in 2011 and that the church eventually determined his claims couldnt be proven or disproven. He asked that Raouls office include his name in its final report and said the documents release provided a sense of relief.

To see the light at the end of the tunnel, and there is no longer a freight train racing towards me, is freeing, Corcoran said in a statement released by his attorneys. We all need to do our part in bringing resolution to the most vulnerable  children like you and me.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests called the report stunning but emphasized that the numbers of victims and abusers cited by Raoul are likely undercounted. The group also called on state and local officials to conduct similar reviews.

There is no questioning the facts of the report  until 2018 when the investigation began, hierarchs in every Illinois diocese kept known abusers under wraps, declined to include them on their accused lists, and refused to acknowledge the truth that survivors of abuse who came forward to make a report shared with them, the group said.

Similar government-led investigations detailing reports of clergy sexual abuse and church leaders failure to hold perpetrators accountable have rocked archdioceses in other states, including Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The Catholic Conference of Illinois says 3.5 million Catholics make up approximately 27% of Illinois total population, and that the Church maintains 949 parishes and has 2,215 priests, 1,372 deacons, and 260 religious brothers.

Accusers and activists for years have complained that abusers belonging to orders have often been able to avoid the scrutiny other clergy received because of their semi-autonomy from archdioceses. The new report, however, officially names some former clergy tied to such orders.

Among those listed is Bruce Wellems, a former priest with the Claretians missionaries assigned for years to Hispanic neighborhoods in Chicago. His accuser says Wellems sexually abused him more than a dozen times starting in 1973 when they were neighbors in New Mexico. The accuser was in the second grade and Wellems was in high school. Wellems admitted in a 2014 interview with The Associated Press that he had inappropriately touched the boy, but he said he never again abused a child.

___

Find more AP coverage of the church sexual abuse scandal: https://apnews.com/hub/sexual-abuse-by-clergy

___

Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter: @mtarm

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SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs announced plans to run for U.S. Senate next year and challenge first-term Republican Mitt Romney in what could emerge as a competitive primary battle in the deeply conservative state.

Romney, 76, has not yet announced whether he plans to seek reelection, but his transformation from 2012 presidential candidate to a recurring critic of President Donald Trump has led many to believe Trump could be vulnerable in next years Republican primary.

The only thing Ive seen him fight for are the Establishment, wokeness, open borders, impeaching President Trump and putting us even deeper into debt, Staggs says in an announcement video that highlights Romneys votes to impeach Trump.

Staggs, 49, is one of several candidates expected to run to the right of Romney and, in the announcement, brands the incumbent as a Massachusetts millionaire who moved to Utah.

After a career in securities trading, Staggs was elected mayor of Riverton in 2017. He has focused throughout his tenure on typical municipal issues including policing, budgets, managing growth and spurring development.

Thats what I want to take to D.C., he said in an interview. As a mayor, Im on the front lines of pushing back on government overreach.

In the months leading up to his announcement, hes grown increasingly vocal on other issues, spearheading resolutions against  ESG  investing principles and speaking out against library books he called pornographic on Jordan School District shelves last month.

Staggs announcement makes him the first Republican to officially enter the race, though Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson set up an exploratory committee in April, allowing him to raise funds toward a candidacy. Former U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz told The Associated Press in February that he was thinking about running. A representative for state Attorney General Sean Reyes has also said many were pressuring him to run as well.

Though Romney has vocal critics in Utah Republican Party activist circles, his challengers will likely face an uphill battle owing to his widespread popularity as one of the most prominent members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and as a person who helped save the 2002 Winter Olympics after a bribery scandal.

Romney defeated a rightwing challenger by more than 40 percentage points in Utahs June 2018 Republican Senate primary before winning the general election by a margin nearly as large. He raised and spent more than $4 million in campaign contributions that year.

Staggs said he was confident he could overcome Romneys national name recognition, given his early conversations with Utah voters, particularly Republican primary voters.

The question is whether or not Utah has a Senator in Romney whos supporting them. So many have told me they dont feel he represents them. They feel abandoned, he said.

Romney did not immediately respond to request for comment.

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OTTAWA - Special rapporteur David Johnston is expected to release his decision Tuesday on whether the federal Liberals should call a public inquiry on foreign interference.

With allegations that China meddled in the last two federal elections dominating the political conversation for months, experts say an inquiry would allow for a detailed, transparent conversation about what kind of threat Canada is actually facing.

It would also allow the Liberal government to demonstrate that it is doing more to address the issue, they say.

Johnstons recommendation on the inquiry is set to come as part of an initial report about how the government should proceed with the allegations of interference. The former governor general is scheduled to give a news conference at noon on Tuesday upon releasing the report publicly.

In what many saw at the time as too little, too late, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tapped Johnston in March to lead an investigation into the extent and impact of foreign interference in Canada.

The federal government said it gave Johnston access to classified documents and Canadas security agencies to conduct that work.

Though opposition parties had by then been clamouring for a formal public inquiry for weeks, Trudeau said Johnston would have until late May to decide whether it was warranted. He would have until the end of October to produce a final report.

The pressure has not abated since then.

The way that the conversation has evolved over the past few months has really aggravated and made more stark partisan divides in the country, said University of Ottawa professor Artur Wilczynski.

That, in my opinion, has not contributed to an effective defence of Canadian democracy and has not contributed to an effective governmental response to the threats of foreign interference.

Wilczynski, who spent more than 30 years in the public service working on foreign policy, intelligence, security and defence issues, said an inquiry would help bring the conversation back around to the details of the foreign interference threat itself and how Canada should position itself to combat that threat.

The signs that foreign interference was happening  and getting worse  were already in plain sight well before the current controversy began.

Officials in Canada knew the 2016 American election was subject to foreign interference attempts.

And for years, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service has been warning of growing concern in its annual reports.

But a series of reports by the Globe and Mail and Global News beginning last fall, many of which cited unnamed security sources, brought new attention to the issue. The reports alleged that specific influence attempts had taken place in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.

Despite various attempts by officials to talk about foreign interference, the only thing that prompted a real fundamental conversation about foreign interference were the illegal leaks, Wilczynski said.

When a Global News report was published in November that alleged China was funding campaigns through an illegal network of donors, Trudeau and his officials said they had no knowledge of specific candidates receiving backing by Beijing.

But the government began showing signs that it was reframing its approach to China.

A week after the allegations emerged, Trudeaus office said the prime minister raised concerns about interference with Chinese President Xi Jinping face-to-face at the G20 summit.

Later the same month, Canada released an Indo-Pacific strategy that dedicated a slice of its $2.3 billion value to combating foreign interference.

And before November ended, then-RCMP commissioner Brenda Lucki confirmed an ongoing investigation into broad foreign interference allegations.

Still, the calls for further scrutiny were amplified as more reports emerged, including a February story from the Globe and Mail that asserted the Chinese government sought to defeat Conservative politicians in the 2021 election who were considered unfriendly to the regime.

By the time Trudeau announced in early March that a special rapporteur would be named  and that investigations by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians and the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency would begin  the writing was on the wall.

His political opponents already saw any action other than an independent public inquiry as far too little. A parliamentary committee passed a non-binding motion calling on the government to begin one.

Its created a huge political drama for the Liberal government and put it on the defensive, certainly, said Wesley Wark, a senior fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation.

The Liberal government has struggled to come up with a convincing portrait of the actions and policies it has taken to respond forcefully to foreign interference. It clearly has done some things, but it hasnt been enough.

Since Trudeau named Johnston as the special rapporteur in mid-March, the government promised funding to combat foreign interference in its 2023 budget, launched consultations on a foreign agent registry and ordered security agencies to improve their reporting mechanism up to the political level.

But even as the Liberals sought to show they were working on the issue, still more reports emerged that ramped up the pressure.

Days after Johnstons appointment  which itself was controversial, since Conservatives accused him of being too close to Trudeau  MP Han Dong announced he was leaving the Liberal caucus.

Global News had published a story citing unidentified security sources who alleged Dong told a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 that releasing Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor would benefit the Conservatives.

The two Canadian men had been detained in China since December 2018, just over a week after the RCMP arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver on a U.S. extradition warrant.

Global had previously published allegations that Dong benefited from Chinese foreign interference in his successful bid to become the Liberal candidate for his riding in 2019.

Dong has denied the allegations and is suing Global over its reporting.

Early this month, the Globe and Mail reported that Conservative MP Michael Chong and his relatives in Hong Kong had been targeted by the Chinese government via a Toronto-based diplomat.

Chong said he confirmed that allegation was contained in a CSIS intelligence assessment that had reached officials in the Privy Council Office, while Trudeau denied that the information about the alleged threat had ever reached his office.

Canada expelled the accused Chinese official. China responded by expelling a Canadian diplomat. And this week, the public safety minister ordered security agencies to ensure that any future threats against parliamentarians, their families or their staff are communicated at the political level.

For Wilczynski, this latest chapter in the story has brought home the tangible implications of foreign meddling.

It was one thing for people to imagine that an electoral candidate might have received financial support from people linked to a foreign regime. It was another to think about allegations that a parliamentarians family members were being actively threatened.

This crystallized for Canadians in a very robust way what the scope of the threat is, he said.

Its against that backdrop that Johnston is now expected to recommend the governments best course of action.

Formal hearings would give elections officials, political parties, parliamentarians, provinces, communities and other actors a voice, Wilczynski said  and in a thoughtful way talk about what the threat is, and what their experiences are.

Trudeau has said he will abide by Johnstons recommendations, including if he recommends a public inquiry.

Its a big burden to bear, Wark noted.

Johnstons been thrust out in front of this problem. And he will take the heat.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2023.

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OTTAWA  It was a peek behind the scenes of how Canada tracks foreign interference, but only that.

A public inquiry into foreign elections meddling would have been an easy option but would not unlock a full understanding of Chinese foreign interference because classified intelligence must stay secret, says special rapporteur David Johnston in a report that called out security agencies for failing to communicate threats clearly to top political and public service leaders.

Johnston justified his rejection of an inquiry, saying it would delay much needed action to close those gaps, would duplicate what hes already done, and no judicial commission would be able to publicly reveal any more than he could. He will instead undertake a series of public hearings over the summer and fall, to produce another report by October, into what more needs to be done  a step that was not in his terms of reference, but Johnston said is needed to help restore public trust.

Speaking with the Stars editorial board, Johnston and his team suggested a public inquiry at this stage would merely be window dressing.

He passionately defended his recommendations, along with his own impartiality, expertise and integrity against what he said were troubling partisan attacks, noting hed been involved in two to three dozen royal commissions and inquiries over a 55-year legal and academic career.

Johnston said he agreed with the Trudeau government and national security agencies that classified information cannot be publicly disclosed in order to protect the identity of informants, spycraft techniques and Canadas relations with allies.

But Johnston said its clear Parliament and Canadian intelligence agencies must find better ways of declassifying more top secret information in order to build trust in Canadas electoral and democratic processes. I would say it requires serious concern, Johnston said, stopping short of saying CSIS now stamps top secret on too much information.

Full access to all material

In rejecting a public inquiry, Johnston said he had full access to all relevant classified material including cabinet documents, and concluded the outcomes in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections were not affected.

News stories suggesting the Liberal government had deliberately ignored the issue were based on leaks of documents  in some cases early drafts  that lacked important context, and misconstrued the extent and impact of foreign interference, Johnston said.

In his widely anticipated review, Johnston concluded the Trudeau Liberal government didnt turn a blind eye to any information. Rather, he said ministers and the prime minister acted in a reasonable manner, given the sometimes limited information they had.

I have found no examples of ministers, the prime minister or their offices knowingly or negligently failing to act on intelligence, advice or recommendations on the issues I investigated related to the 2019 and 2021 elections, he stated in his 55-page report.

Johnston delivered his report, and a confidential version of a detailed annex to it, to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at 9:10 Tuesday morning, before releasing it publicly three hours later. Trudeau later told reporters he accepted its findings, and would not go beyond Johnstons recommendations  despite the urgings of all political Opposition leaders once again Tuesday that he call an inquiry nonetheless.

Trudeau urged Canadians and Opposition leaders to accept his written invitation Tuesday to accept top secret security clearances in order to collaborate to address the problem in a non-partisan way  another recommendation of Johnstons.

Agencies failed to ensure a clear picture

Johnston had slammed the partisan way the whole debate has unfolded. But the bulk of his report examines in detail how intelligence agencies failed to ensure a clear picture was available to politicians and political parties.

He presented a damning portrait of an intelligence apparatus collecting information, generating and circulating reports, but then not keeping track of who actually reads those analyses.

This is at least in part because foreign interference evolves quickly, and the machinery of government evolves slowly, he wrote.

In some cases, intelligence never made its way to the political level, while in others it did but with no recommendations for action, Johnston said. He stressed the bits of intelligence leaked to the media that spurred on the current political crisis over the issue were just that  bits.

The limited leaked intelligence and subsequent reporting have led to misapprehensions, relating to incidents that are alleged to have occurred in the 2019 and 2021 elections, he said.

Intelligence expert Wesley Wark said in an interview Johnston made important findings about the flow of intelligence within government, but he suggested while there are serious problems with how the intelligence system works, Johnston also has to ask how good is the intelligence.

Thats a different kind of problem. Are Canadian intelligence agencies up to the job of detecting and thwarting foreign interference, Wark said. They may well not be, he added, because they are focused on a wide range of threats, and may not have the right mix of talent, technical capabilities, and connections with allies to be really strong on countering foreign interference.

Johnston interviewed top political and security officials, including the NDP and Bloc leaders, and the prime minister. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre refused to meet with him, he said.

Johnston said he understood the calls for a public inquiry would continue, but insisted it would simply not deliver the level of transparency and urgency Canadians expect. The intelligence I have reviewed is, and must remain, secret. As a result, the reality is any credible public inquiry would not be public all.

Trudeau said he supports Johnstons conclusions, and repeated the laundry list of measures the government has taken since 2017 to combat foreign interference.

Foreign interference is a constantly evolving, increasingly sophisticated set of threats to Canadians, to our institutions, and to our democracy, Trudeau told reporters.

Thats why we are constantly going to have to be iterating and improving in our response.

That idea didnt pass muster with opposition leaders, who repeated their demands for a public inquiry, saying only that will restore the trust of Canadians shaken by the last several months of scrutiny.

Poilievre, who had slammed Johnstons appointment from the get-go, citing his relationship with the Trudeau family, accused Johnston of colluding with Trudeau to cover up for Beijing.

Canadians deserve answers. Trudeau must ignore his fake rapporteur and call a public inquiry now, Poilievre said.

Johnston said what is required is for opposition leaders to get the appropriate level of security clearance to be able to read a classified appendix to his report, which lays out the intelligence he relied upon to reach his conclusions. He took a veiled shot at those politicians who refuse to do so.

While I recognize that in normal political circumstances an opposition leader may not want to be subject to the constraints of the (Security of Information Act), this matter is too important for anyone aspiring to lead the country to intentionally maintain a veil of ignorance on these matters, Johnston said.

While political parties may disagree about policy and priorities, they should do so from a common understanding of the true facts, not as speculated or hypothesized from media reports based on leaks of partial information.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh  who unlike Poilievre said he is willing to get that security clearance  said what concerns him is the fact that even when warnings did make it to the political level, nothing was done.

I accept that they were not told to do anything, but that doesnt mean that the responsibility ended, he said. They could have said why? They could have asked for followups.

In his report, Johnston also unpacked several media reports that had been fuelling the political fire around the issue of state interference in the last two elections.

Layered on top of that was an overt politicization of the issue, which is also not in the national security interest, he said.

There has been too much posturing, and ignoring facts in favour of slogans, from all parties. And many of those slogans turned out to be wrong, he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with reporters on Parliament Hill following the release of David Johnstons first report on foreign interference. The former governor general was appointed to the position of independent special rapporteur on foreign interference in March, following a series of media reports alleging Chinese meddling in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian federal elections.

Tonda MacCharles is Ottawa Bureau Chief and a senior reporter covering federal politics. Follow her on Twitter: @tondamacc

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In 2010, Mary Strand, of Rogers, Minnesota, accidentally flushed her diamond ring down the toilet. Shitty luck. Her husband snaked the drain and even asked municipal worker to check nearby pipes, to no avail. Recently though, workers at a nearby wastewater plant were repairing a piece of equipment when they noticed a few objects in the, er, "muck" they had cleaned out. They found a chisel, a clamp, and, yep, a diamond ring. The Metropolitan Council publicly announced that a treasure had turned up and promised it would be returned to its rightful owner so long as a detailed description could be provided.

From Yahoo! Life:

Hundreds called in, hoping to recover long-lost heirlooms or memorials to once passionate courtships. Some of the stories were "heartbreaking," spokesperson Kai Peterson said in a news release. Among them were "an elderly woman hoping for a miracle for this memory of a deceased husband" and someone "lamenting that they had lost their ring the night of their wedding."

Strand was unaware of the ring's discovery until her daughter, who lives about an hour outside Rogers, found out about it while trawling a neighborhood message board. She called her mother[]

Officials had two jewelers compare the ring to the one from Strand's photos, she said. Both confirmed they were a match[]

Thirteen years in grit, muck and who knows what else had taken its toll. Four of the "itty bitty" diamonds had broken off, and the gold band is "really smudged," Strand said. But, she added, the marquise diamond is "absolutely gorgeous," and the ring as a whole is in remarkably good condition given what it has endured.




The ex-Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Timi Frank, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Board and current management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) without before handing over on May 19, 2023.





This, he said became necessary in view of accusations and counter accusations rocking the agency with a short period of their inauguration.





Frank noted that the revelation of infighting between the Lauretta Onochie-led board members and the management over who controls the account of NDDC when the Act of parliament that set up the NDDC was clear, calls for concern.





In a statement he issued on Monday which was made available to journalists, Frank said, the infighting has brought about the memories of the past, where corruption and infighting ended up in derailing the overall performances of the Commission.





According to him, the drama by the current members of the board and the management team will lead to short-changing the people of the Niger Delta, yet enriching some with personal gains.





He called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Offences, ICPC, to Wade in before it gets late.





Franks statement was at the backdrop of revelations at the ongoing Senate Ad-hoc Committee to probe unapproved expenditure by the NDDC.





The inability to properly defend the 2021, 2022 & 2023 budget, the activist insisted, is testament to the fact that the board lacks the basic prerequisites to oversee the affairs of the NDDC and they should be removed.





He lamented over what he described as fresh dilemma of corruption, noting that accusations and counter accusations by those managing the resources of NDDC showed that the people in the region cannot benefit anything.





The fact that this expose, is coming at a time when all hands are supposed to be on deck in midwifing the rebirth of a new NDDC is very worrisome and embarrassing.
US President Joe Biden has announced a nine-member delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony of Bola Tinubu, president-elect, on May 29.

According to a statement on the White House website, Marcia L. Fudge, US secretary of the department of housing and urban development, will lead the delegation.

Other members of the US delegation to Nigeria are as follows:

David Greene, charge daffaires, a.i., U.S. embassy Abuja.

Sydney Kamlager-Dove, United States Rep (D), California.

Marisa Lago, under secretary of commerce for international trade, US department of commerce.

Michael E. Langley, commander of US Africa command.

Enoh T. Ebong, director, US trade and development agency.

Mary Catherine Phee, assistant secretary of state for the bureau of African Affairs, US department of state.

Judd Devermont, special assistant to the president and senior director for African affairs, national security council.

Monde Muyangwa, assistant administrator for the bureau for Africa, US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Tinubu, 71, was elected Nigerias 16th president on Feb 25, 2023. His victory is being challenged at the election petition tribunal by Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party who polled second and third respectively.




The Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero, has predicted that the incoming government will face several industrial crisis due to the previous governments failed agreements with the various groups they entered into agreements with.





Therefore, Ajaero expressed pity to the incoming Tinubu administration, saying there are several inconclusive industrial challenges left unattended to by the outgoing administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.





In his assessment of Nigerian workers welfare under the Buhari regime, the labour president stated, There will be a spillover effect on the coming administration.





He added that despite the outgoing presidents best efforts, it was not enough to meet the needs of Nigerian workers.





Ajaero made this known when he appeared on Channels TV programme, Politics Today.





According to him, several industrial crisis seem to be looming due to failed agreements with lecturers, doctors and the power sector.





He stressed The Buhari administration tried its best in ensuring there is industrial peace and harmony to the best of its ability and capability but it was not enough as most of the industrial disputes the government treated are unfinished.





You are talking about doctors strike, the agreement signed was not implemented and is waiting for the incoming government. The ASUU issue is pending and waiting for the incoming government. There is hardly any agreement that was conclusively decided and exhausted, and that is why I pity the incoming administration. A lot of industrial crisis seems to be looming.





There is going to be a spillover effect on the incoming government because when you apprehend issues, it is to an end that you resolve the problem.





When asked about possible solutions to avert strike actions, Ajaero explained that proper technocrats must be allowed to handle the sector, insisting that the implementation of agreements seems to be the beating heart of many of todays crises.





The best way to go is to sit down and study the situation. If this is done. They will be able to handle the issues one after the other and it will do them a lot of good if they bring in proper technocrats to handle that sector. Trade unions and their leaders are not unreasonable. If you have a new government that is listening and have the right calibre of people to address those issues, they will be resolved but the major problem is implementation where agreements made five, or ten years ago are not implemented.





The implementability of agreements seems to be the reason for the crises we are having. Check ASUU, resident doctors, the power sector and other sectors. It is not usually too difficult to reach an agreement and strike a balance, but respecting the sanctity of such agreement by the government side has been a problem. Any agreement not forced on the government is expected to be honoured, he pointed out.
Amid encomiums from eminent personalities, including President Muhammadu Buhari and presidents of five other African countries, founder and President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, yesterday expressed optimism that the newly commissioned 650,000pbd refinery would employ over 100,000 Nigerian youths and generate over $21 billion in revenue.

According to him, this will save the country huge forex that would have been spent on fuel importation.





He also disclosed that the first products from the refinery would hit the market towards the end of July this year, adding that the refinery currently has over 33,000 employees.





Speaking at the inauguration of the Refinery by President Buhari at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, Dangote said its products will be in the market before the end of July.

He said: Beyond todays ceremony, our first goal is to ramp up production of the various products to ensure that within this year, were able to fully satisfy our nations demand for higher quality products.





According to him, the accomplishment is to enable Nigeria to eliminate what he described as the tragedy of import dependency and stop once and for all toxic, sub-standard petroleum products from being dumped in Nigerias market.





Beyond this, we intend to ensure that our plants are run at the highest capacity of utilisation and the highest efficiency to enable us to export competitively to other markets, especially in the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS and wider regions in which 53 countries of 55 are dependent on imports to meet their petroleum products demand, he added.





The billionaire businessman said the project was the realisation of a clear opportunity for Nigeria, citing the African Unions commitment to the creation of an African common market through the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA.





The facility is expected to produce Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), diesel (Automotive Gas Oil), aviation jet fuel and Dual-Purpose Kerosene (DPK), among other refined products.





Also speaking on the occasion attended by Presidents of Ghana, Togo, Niger, Senegal and a representative of the President of Chad, President Buhari, who commended Alhaji Dangotes leadership in executing the plant, urged other entrepreneurs to emulate his example in driving economic growth and realizing Nigerias economic potential.





He stressed the need for African countries to come together, integrate their economies, eliminate trade barriers, and rally their populations to achieve Agenda 2063 for the continents prosperity.





He said: I urge and encourage our other great entrepreneurs to emulate this iconic Nigerian industrialist and join the government in accelerating our growth in order to realize our countrys globally recognized economic potential.





When I travel around Africa and meet and engage my brother Heads of State (and I am delighted some of the Excellencies are here) I often sense a quiet expectation that our country is blessed with resources and human capacity to lead Africas rise to economic prosperity and the attainment of Agenda 2063  The Africa We All Want.





But to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063, Africa must come together, we must integrate our economies, eliminate barriers to trade and energize our youthful population to scale up our productive capacity.





We must create necessary conditions for our private sector to grow and partner with the public sector to accelerate economic growth across the continent. We must not allow outside powers to use some of our leaders to destabilize our economic and political trajectory.





President Buhari acknowledged the visionary investments made by the Dangote Group, under the leadership of Alhaji Dangote, in transforming Nigerias economy through its involvement in critical industries such as cement and fertilizer.





He noted that investment in these sectors had played a crucial role in shifting Nigeria from heavy import dependence to becoming a net exporter.





He also acknowledged that Nigerias economy had faced significant challenges over the years, including deficits in economic infrastructure, insurgency, and external crises, such as the global financial crisis, oil price collapses, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine war.





The consequence of these challenges constitutes a severe strain on our economy, limiting the governments ability to provide basic infrastructure without resorting to huge borrowings.





Our government, therefore, took the decision to focus attention on creating an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive and fill the enormous gap in investments not only in infrastructure but also in all critical sectors.





We recognize that without the active participation of the private sector and a strong commitment to a public-private partnership, our economy would continue to remain severely challenged and our economic growth impeded, Buhari said.





In their respective goodwill messages, Presidents of Ghana, Senegal, Niger, Benin Republic and Chad expressed satisfaction that the Dangote Refinery would serve the West African region.





They added that their countries would be beneficiaries, saying the Dangote Refinery is an African company for Africa by an African entrepreneur.





Also speaking, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele, noted that the take-off of the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical factories comes with numerous economic benefits to Nigeria.





He said: Your Excellencies, we have it on good authority that the Dangote Group has paid down some portion of the commercial loans, even before the commissioning of this facility. As of today, the total outstanding stands at $2.7 billion.





This reflects the astute creditworthiness and commercial capability of the Group and its Chairman, Alhaji Aliko Dangote. Your Excellencies, please permit me at this juncture to appreciate all the participating local Nigerian banks, who did not only partner with the project through effective financing but were keenly aware of the importance of the project to our nation.





They provided immense support and exceptional understanding, even when interest payments and principal repayment had fallen due. Mr President, I must thank you for your astute vision to ensure that Nigeria produces what we consume and that we consume what we produce.









This refinery and petrochemical project is a testament to your vision for Nigeria. It shows that, regardless of what the world thinks, Nigeria can be self-sufficient in all products that we consume and at the same time export our excess output to the rest of the world. Please permit me to recall the events leading to Nigerias eviction from the JP Morgan index in 2017, following their pessimism on Nigerias economic outlook and our ability to take charge of our fortunes.





At that time, we had explained the ongoing efforts to diversify our economic base, through import substitution and export promotion strategies, to sustainably attain self-sufficiency. They were very sceptical, saying Nigeria typically crafts brilliant policies that could engender diversification but lacks the ability to fully implement them.





Even when we insisted that, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, ongoing efforts will be actively implemented to diversify the economy and make the country globally competitive, they still doubted us.





Aside from enumerating our strategic efforts in agriculture and other critical sectors, a sterling project that we highlighted to our foreign investor community was this gigantic Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical project.





Your Excellencies, they doubted our willpower to succeed with this project. In hindsight, I could appreciate their scepticism because they do not understand how a single individual could build a refinery capable of serving an entire nation and continent.

To them, projects of this magnitude are usually only undertaken by sovereigns, not individuals. But like Nelson Mandela once famously said, It always seems impossible until it is done.









Today, it is with extreme delight that I say that President Mandelas quote has come true for us. The impossible has today become possible. I am glad that we never doubted ourselves.





Nigeria to cease importing petroleum products





Under President Muhammadu Buharis leadership, this seemingly unattainable project has berthed and, correspondingly, under the incoming administration of President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria will cease importing petroleum products, fertilizer and petrochemicals that drained over US$26 billion in FOREX in 2022.





In the first instance, this refinery will have an enormous impact on job creation by generating thousands of direct jobs and millions of indirect jobs, with over 135,000 permanent jobs.





I understand that so far, there are nearly 4,000 Nigerian personnel on site, excluding employment by the various contractors and sub-contractors at the project site.









I am also proud to state that the project will generate up to 12,000 megawatts, MW of electricity. In addition, the refinery and the other ancillary projects will have significant multiplier effects on other sectors of the economy by supporting a diverse range of sectoral value chains.





For instance, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry noted that the project could spur further growth and development across its value-chain, including cosmetics, plastics, and textiles, while strengthening value addition in agribusiness, including the sugar backward integration projects that plan to create a strong localised supply in the sugar industry, benefiting local suppliers across the sugar value-chain.





More importantly, this project avails Nigeria with significant savings both in terms of foreign exchange and in easing the fiscal burden on the Federal Government.





Available data at the Central Bank of Nigeria as of 2014, shows that at least 30 per cent of the foreign exchange required to meet Nigerias import needs went into the importation of refined petroleum products.





It is instructive to note, distinguished guests, that according to the balance of payments statistics, the cost (including freight) of petroleum products imports into Nigeria doubled over a five-year period from about US$8.4 billion in 2017 to US$16.2 billion (indicating an annual average of US$11.1 billion), before rising further to US$23.3 billion by end-2022.









At this rate, the average annual cost of petroleum products imports to Nigeria could reach US$30 billion by 2027 if we continued to rely on petroleum imports.





These figures suggest that the refinery could engender foreign exchange savings to the country, of between US$25 billion and US$30 billion.





Dignitaries in attendance





Dignitaries at the event included the President of Ghana, Togo, Niger Republic, Senegal and a representative of the President of Chad; President-elect, Bola Tinubu, was represented by Vice President-elect, Kashim Shetima; Ahmed Lawan, Senate President, and Ibrahim Wase, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives.





State governors who attended the commissioning are Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Umar Ganduje of Kano, Babagana Zulum of Bornu, Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna and Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa.





Also present were the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke and his counterpart in Delta State, James Ibori. The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, governor-elect of Enugu State, Peter Mba, his counterpart in Abia State, Alex Otti, and the Ooni of Ife also graced the occasion.





Some captains of industry at the ceremony included the Chairman of Zenith Bank Group, Jim Ovia, Femi Otedola of Geregu Power Plant, Tony Elumelu of UBA, and Wale Tinubu, of Oando, among others.
Mohammed Sani Musa, senator representing Niger east, has distanced himself from an alleged plot that he and some senators-elect are working to return Ahmad Lawan as president of the 10th senate.

In a statement on Monday, Musa, who is vying to be deputy senate president, said the report of the alleged plot is an attempt to cause disaffection between All Progressives Congress (APC) and Bola Tinubu, president-elect.

The senator said the claim is a figment of the imagination of the hatched rumour mongers, adding that he stands by the endorsement of his colleagues from the north-central who want to be deputy senate president.

I will not do anything contrary to the position of my colleagues which had been sanctioned and approved by the north-central governors, he said.

There was no meeting anywhere, where there was an agreement between me and other senators-elect to support the outgoing senate president and senator-elect, Osita Izunaso, to emerge senate president and deputy senate president of the incoming 10th senate presidency.

The ruling party has since nominated Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs, and Barau Jibrin, a senator representing Kano north, as president and deputy of the senate respectively.

However, some of those seeking leadership positions in the 10th assembly have kicked against the arrangement, arguing that they were not consulted.




The Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has said that the leadership tussle in the Senate is all about money.





Ndume has maintained that he opted out of the race for two reasons; the fact that the President told him to consider withdrawing and secondly, the claim that he has no money to share around.





Appearing on Arise TV on Tuesday, the lawmaker, who contested for the Senate President in the ninth assembly and scored 28 votes, said he decided to throw his weight behind Godswill Akpabio this time around for reasons of stability, fairness and equity.





Its unfortunate that everybody has now known that the Senate Presidency and leadership tussle is now a money thing rather than capacity, capability and other qualifications that are supposed to matter most.





Truly Im the one leading the campaign for Akpabio for reasons Ive stated before. It is based on the need to have stability, equity and justice and fairness in the country considering the heightened tension arising from issues especially the zoning, religion and whatever.





When the President spoke to me about stepping down and considering that I dont have the money to go into this battle because money is playing more roles than qualifications, I obliged and decided to work for Akpabio, he said.
Members-elect of the house of representatives from the opposition political parties say they are yet to endorse any hopeful for the speakership position.

The minority caucuses, dubbed Greater Majority, explained that they are still consulting and will come up with a decision before the election of the speaker and deputy scheduled for June 13.

Speaking at a meeting at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel on Monday in Abuja, Fred Agbedi, convener of the group, said as part of the consultation, they met with Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and Rabiu Kwakwanso, standard-bearer of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections.

Last week, Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house, met with the opposition members-elect amid horse-trading by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to woo the caucuses ahead of the inauguration of the 10th assembly.

Agbedi, a ranking member, said the opposition reps-elect needs to be guided by interacting with their leaders in our constituencies.

We need to interact with our party stakeholders and all that in arriving at a decision that will be well for us. Your conveners and other leaders have not either on your behalf or for you adopted anybody for the office of presiding officers. That will only take place when that agreement is reached by all of us. That decision will be our collective decision, he said.

The caucuses also inaugurated coordinators to lead the rep-elects in their states in consultation.

So, I want to assure you that we will lead ourselves to arrive at a collective decision and in doing that, we have also resolved to have state coordinators, who are going to meet at their different state levels  eventually also have zonal coordinators who will also work at the zonal level in collating decision that they will finally come up with after due consultation, Agbedi said.

He said the resolutions from the respective states are expected from their coordinators within one week.

The opposition reps cut across the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Young Peoples Party (YPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The legal team to the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the ongoing Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, has placed a ban on media interviews throughout the defense of their client in the three petitions against him.

The legal team ordered that any lawyer that flouts the ban, no matter his rank or how highly placed, would be kicked out of the defense team.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Adeniyi Akintola, conveyed the decision of the team to the court at the Tuesdays proceedings.

Akintola did not adduce any reason on why the ban was adopted.

He said that the same ban has been extended to Tinubu.

The senior lawyer said that the ban on media interview by the legal team would be strictly observed and enforced.

Chairman of the Court, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, however, did not react to the decision when presented in the open court.




Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State says no fewer than 45 rural electrification projects have been executed by his administration.





According to the Governor, the projects which were executed in different communities across the state, were aimed at boosting socio-economic activities.





Governor Ortom stated this on Monday while commissioning a rural electrification project in Kpengwa community, Kohov, Shangev-Ya in Kwande Local Government Council.





The Governor noted that milestones were achieved by his administration in rural development, particularly in the provision of electricity to enhance economic activities and give the rural dwellers a new lease of life.





He said he had directed his Commissioners from the respective communities to commission the projects before the exit of his administration in a few days.





Governor Ortom said he would continue to execute his mandate for the people of the State until the expiration of his tenure.





He added that the recruitment of more teachers was to fill up the existing vacancies and reinforce the teaching service in the state.





Chairman of Kwande Local Government Council, Hon. Orjiir Gbande and an indigene of the area, Chief Emmanuel Viashima expressed appreciation to the Governor for executing the project, stating that it had made life more comfortable for the people of the area.
When Herrin Fontenette, a Rutgers sophomore from Jersey City, casually asked the ChatGPT online tool for the first Black Rutgers graduate, it named Paul Robeson.

She knew that was way off: James Dickson Carr earned his degree 27 years before Robeson, the actor and global activist.

Fontenette worries that artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT will spread misinformation and rob students of a personal connection to their research.

Since the tool launched in late November, New Jersey colleges and universities have debated its applications and accuracy while finding ways to regulate student use, turn it into a teaching tool, and even benefit from it on an institutional level.

Were still learning it as we go along, said Marybeth Boger, vice president for student affairs and dean of students at New Jersey Institute of Technology. Part of the university is getting it, some of our professors are integrating AI into their coursework, and another contingency is saying, Oh my gosh, its another way to cheat. What do you do? Thats the challenge, finding the happy medium.

ChatGPT, created by OpenAI, an AI research company, is one of many AI content generators in which anyone with a free (for now) account can interview and assign writing tasks. Businesses use various forms of AI for communications, writing code, and creating graphics. Students use it to brainstorm ideas, find and summarize articles, express thoughts, or figure out the best Squish-Mallow stuffed animal. The AI market, estimated at $100 billion globally now, is expected to reach $2 trillion by 2030.

Artificial intelligence is the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, which may have been printed on paper and sold door-to-door, but beats Wikipedia for accuracy.

Think of ChatGPT  for Generative Pre-trained Transformer  as the most prolific student in class, the one who helps kids cheat but who may or may not have done all the online reading assignments, and certainly not anything more recent than 2021, its cutoff. The one who, for now, has a very flat, predictable sentence structure and, according to Montclair State University guidance, a tendency to hallucinate.

A March survey by BestColleges, a college ranking and news site, found that just over half of college students believed using artificial intelligence tools for schoolwork was cheating, while 20% disagreed. Almost a third said their schools prohibited using artificial intelligence tools for academic work.

While no U.S. college or university has banned the use of ChatGPT so far, Clifton public schools have, joining big city districts like New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Milwaukee, Oakland, and Anchorage.

Bian Cabello, 22, a senior at New Jersey Institute of Technology, sits on the schools academic integrity committee, where AI has not yet been an issue. Still, he sees how its use could cause controversy.

Im a firm believer that you work for your grades, and you do it honestly, so you actually understand what youre doing, so it does not become a problem in the future, he said. It inhibits the development of a students ability to communicate if youre relying on a machine model to do it.

Cabello, a chemical engineering major from Paterson, said he had used ChatGPT recently, with the blessing of his professor, for a project on how the 1984 Bhopal chemical explosion in India could have been prevented. The chat didnt give him new ideas, he said, but quickly gave him deeper, helpful information. He also learned to ask one question at a time to get clearer answers.

At NJIT, which is launching two graduate programs in AI, Boger said ChatGPT reminds her of Chegg, an education technology company that provides answers to engineering problems, among other subjects. But it is harder to tell when a student has used ChatGPT, she said. Only professors who know their students work extremely well can determine if theres been a sudden, inexplicable rise in its quality.

The professors are feeling outrage, and they want our office to adjudicate it, she said, but if you dont have evidence, what do you do? You cant say that because they went from a C to an A that they cheated.

She worries more about what students understand than how they reach that understanding.

Im concerned about them not learning, passing everything and having a degree in hand, and they have no skill, she said. Im more concerned about that than trying to catch them for cheating.

Her advice for a hypothetical world where engineers havent really learned engineering thanks to AI?

Dont drive over the next bridge.

It has always been hard to determine if student work was purely original, as it is often shaped by professors and peers advice, spelling and grammar checkers, and plagiarism detectors. With the arrival of AI, experts say it will be quite difficult to tell where the human brain ends and the machine begins.

As Jordan Suchow, an information systems professor at the School of Business at Stevens Institute of Technology, puts it, You have an end product that neither you nor an AI model couldve done alone, and no sentence or phrase in the final version can be solely attributed either to you or to AI, where you cant unscramble the egg.

Some locally-grown help may be in sight. Earlier this month, Edward Tian, a 22-year-old Princeton student, and his team raised $3.5 million in seed money for GPTZero, an AI detection tool he developed over winter break. It already boasts 1.2 million users and is planning a browser plug-in to detect the origin of facts on websites. He did not return requests for comment.

Emily Isaacs, a writing professor and head of Montclair State Universitys Office for Faculty Excellence, said she could tell AI writing by its voice.

I think theres a predictability and boringness to it, she said. I dont think its as good yet.

But Isaacs suggested that academias recent insistence on elegant writing may one day seem as quaint as the olden-days insistence on legible penmanship for scholarly success.

Someday, maybe, well say we cant believe all these smart people never got into graduate school because they wrote in accented English, she said. Hopefully, someday, that will seem insane.

Other professors have recognized that artificial intelligence can be revolutionary in helping first-generation or low-income college students sound more academic when they need to.

Viktoria Popova, Director of Institutional Research and Assessment at Centenary University in Hackettstown, has another equity-related concern. While the 3.0 version of ChatGPT is free, the next, more powerful version may not be.

Are all of our students going to have equal access to the tools were using, or are some using less powerful tools? she asked. We cannot create additional barriers for our students in our excitement for technology.

For now, New Jersey colleges and universities are developing policies about student use of artificial intelligence and mulling over how to assess student progress in a chatbot-proof, cheat-proof way.

Montclair State University has a strict suggestion for professors to put on their course materials: Use of Artificial Intelligence to produce or help content, when an assignment does not explicitly call or allow for it without proper attribution or authorization, is plagiarism.

In its guidance, Princeton University noted that AI would make higher education even more essential, creating a need for the nuanced and sophisticated ways of thinking taught in universities. It suggested two syllabus statements, one prohibiting engaging in unauthorized collaboration with AI software, and one requiring professor permission before doing so, which concludes, Using these tools without my permission puts your academic integrity at risk.

The guidance predicted that Princeton faculty can manage with grace and aplomb, a phrase that displays far more fluency and subtlety than most AI could muster.

Rutgers urges its professors to experiment with AI tools before restricting or incorporating their use in class, and it asks instructors to create assignments that require critical thinking, connect concepts to personal experiences a computer wouldnt know about, discuss readings done in class, and make innovative connections. Professors chose among forbidding its use in any student writing, using it for brainstorming, or using it at will, in which case students must footnote their use of the tool and explain their work.

Boger, at NJIT, advocates for cooperative programs, where students combine study with real-world work. We need more intentional coops, internships, and hands-on type learning, that may inspire them to want to learn the material for real, she said.

Monica Devanas, director of faculty development and assessment programs at the Rutgers Office of Teaching Evaluation and Assessment Research, has heard of teachers generating essays via ChatGPT and critiquing them with students, so they can see how the writing can be superficial, redundant, and flat.

Her colleague, Chris Drue, associate director for teaching evaluation, encourages instructors to have students give presentations about their work and how it was produced, while some professors give in-class final exams to prevent reliance on bots.

The two said the faculty hasnt rebelled against the extra work required in adjusting to AI, in part because it has proven helpful in some administrative tasks, in coming up with questions for readings, and in managing large amounts of data.

Its an amazing tool to use for themselves, Drue said, comparing AI to a teaching assistant.

University administrators are also beginning to use AI on the school-wide level. Centenary consulted ChatGPT-4.0 to see how well it is meeting its goals as it goes through its re-accreditation. The tool suggested the employee attendance policy could be more explicit about accommodations for people with disabilities, lower socioeconomic status, or limited access to the internet for reporting absences. She said the tool could shave years off some assessments, and humans make the final decisions.

But bad news is brewing for one class of educators, who may be going the way of the Blackberry phone -- the tutor. A survey released Monday of more than 3,000 high school and college students found that of those who have used both tutors and ChatGPT, nearly all of them have replaced some tutoring sessions with the chat tool, and 90% prefer studying with the tool over the tutor, and 95% said their grades went up since studying with ChatGPT.

When asked how an article about ChatGPT use in New Jersey universities should conclude, the tool replied:

As students and educators alike adapt to the ever-changing landscape of higher education, its important to remain open-minded and willing to embrace new technologies and approaches. By doing so, we can create a more dynamic and engaging learning environment that fosters creativity, critical thinking, and lifelong learning.

Or one that fosters easy, inaccurate answers. Or, one that has to work overtime to stay human and creative

Isaacs from Montclair State said it would be a while before higher education fully absorbs the impact of tools like ChatGPT in the classroom.

Is this going to be like Wikipedia, just an evolution of something were used to, she said, or radically disruptive as it turns out social media was?

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Tina Kelley may be reached at tkelley@njadvancemedia.com.
The Foo Fighters have a new drummer, and the way they revealed who it is was quite funny.

With an absence left by their drummer Taylor Hawkins' tragic death in 2022, the band revealed the news on Sunday at the beginning of a livestream event. Josh Freese, an accomplished rock veteran known for his work with bands like Devo, Guns N' Roses, Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, Paramore, the Replacements, Sting, and the Vandals, will join the Foo Fighters on tour this summer (and maybe longer).

The livestream first teased viewers with humorous cameos from three legendary rock drummersChad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tommy Lee from Motley Crue, and Danny Carey of Tool. But, ultimately, the camera pans to Freese, who is already seated at the drum kit, Taylor's kit, waiting to play, "Umexcuse me! Can we play a song or something?"

Then, together, they played a track from But Here We Are, their new album dropping June 2.

Variety:
An electric bike and scooter sharing program launched by Newark two years ago notched its millionth ride, city officials said Monday.

Newarkers are riding them, Mayor Ras J. Baraka said after taking a brief spin on one of the programs black-and-teal colored e-scooters by Veo Micrmobility, following a press conference. I saw a guy wearing a McDonalds outfit riding.

Providing an inexpensive, convenient, and environmentally friendly commute is one of the main purposes of the NewarkGo program, launched in July 2021 jointly by the city, Veo, and a second company, Bird Scooters, recognizable by their metal finish with aqua trim.

The program involves about 2,000 bikes and scooters between the two companies. Bird users pay $1 to unlock one of the vehicles using a phone app, plus another 15 cents per minute. Veo users also pay $1 to unlock, then 39 cents a minute for Cosmo seated scooters or 35 cents a minute for Astro standing models.

The scooters are visible around the city every day, leaning against walls, standing on sidewalks, and lying on patches of grass. The companies use GPS technology and pick-up vans to locate the bikes and scooters and replace them in 30 or so docking stations  parking lot-sized boxes painted on the pavement  throughout Newarks five wards.

Veos 2023 rider survey found that 61% of its riders in Newark dont own or have access to a car.

Officials say the city does not pay NewarkGos capital or operating costs, though it does share in the programs revenues. A city spokesperson could not say Monday how much revenue the program generated.

Other New Jersey communities to adopt scooter and bike-sharing programs include Jersey City, Hoboken and Asbury Park, all rabidly developing urban areas looking for ways to relieve the congestion and parking shortages that accompany an influx of newcomers.

Thanks to that history, Baraka acknowledged when Newark launched its program that some viewed the bike or scooter rental fleets as a sign of gentrification. But he and others said the two-wheeled electric vehicles were by nature inclusive.

Jonathan Gordon, Newarks interim sustainability officer, said GoNewark provides access to zero-emission vehicles to people who want to act locally to keep their air clean, slow climate change and preserve the planet but cant afford a Tesla or even the lowest-priced electric car.

A Veo Micromobility electric scooter that's part of the NewarkGo rental program was left outside PSE&G headquarters on Raymond Boulevard Monday afternoon. Veo can track and collect its scooters anywhere using GPS technology.Steve Strunsky | NJ Advance Media For NJ.com

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Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com
Prosecutors in New Mexico have filed paperwork to start the process of extraditing imprisoned killer Sean Lannon from New Jersey to Albuquerque to face a murder charge in that city.

Sean M. Lannon, 49, is accused of killing five people in all between New Mexico and New Jersey two years ago. He was sentenced in December to 35 years in prison for bludgeoning his childhood mentor to death in South Jersey.
New Jerseys premier science museum held its premier event Monday evening  the Liberty Science Centers 11th annual Genius Gala.

The Jersey City center honored three scientists with its highest honor, the Genius Award at the ceremony. Dr. John C. Mather was honored for his work as the senior project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope  the most powerful telescope in the world. Katalin Kariko earned the award for her mRNA research, which helped create the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Uma Valeti was also honored. He is the CEO and co-founder of Upside Foods, the worlds first cultivated-meat company producing meat directly from animal cells and the first and only company to receive the Food and Drug Administrations blessing as safe to eat.

Presenters at this years event included Jersey Mayor Steve Fulop, Virgin Group founder and 2013 Genius Award recipient Richard Branson, Miss New Jersey USA Derby Ozioma Chukwudi and cosmic cartographer Priyamvada Natarajan who won the Genius Award last year.

In its 11th year, the Genius Gala has raised approximately $22 million to benefit Liberty Science Center STEM education programs. This years event also marked the 30th anniversary of Liberty Science Center, the 300,000-square-foot, not-for-profit learning center located in Liberty State Park.

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Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com and followed on Twitter at @J_Schneider and on Instagram at @JeremyIsHungryAgain.
TEDxBayonne 2023 Conference

Bayonnes second annual TEDx conference took place on Friday, May 19, at the Bayonne Family YMCA, 259 Ave E. This years conference explored stories and ideas that give hope to the future. Speakers included Livi Redden; Megs Shah; Brian Nandy; Adrienne Rivera; Alana Lintao; Lindsay ONeill, and Nova Pierre Louis.

TEDx is a grassroots initiative created to research and discover ideas for the betterment of communities. Tickets for the event can be found online at https://bit.ly/45aSA2P.

Jersey City Medical Center announces new Chair of Medicine

Jersey City Medical Center has announced Richard H. Savel, M.D., MBA, CPE, FCCM as the new chair of the Department of Medicine.

With over 100 publications, Savel currently holds an academic appointment as Professor of Clinical Medicine and Neurology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn, NY.

Previously, he achieved the academic rank of Professor of Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y., and has been very involved academically with the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) over the last two decades, being the inaugural podcast editor for SCCM in 2005 and having received the Presidential Citation Award nine times from that society.

He was the co-editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Critical Care from 2010 to 2018 and currently is on the editorial board of three journals: Critical Care Medicine, Journal of Critical Care, and Physician Leadership Journal. He is a Certified Physician Executive and recently received his MBA with a focus in medical management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Savel obtained his undergraduate degree with honors in biochemistry at Yale University. He received his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency at the New York Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. During his residency, Savel served as assistant chief resident at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

He received his training as an academic intensivist (ICU physician) from the University of California San Francisco Medical Center where, in addition to his clinical training, he performed translational research on acute lung injury and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), a serious lung condition that causes low blood oxygen.

HCCC receives 2023 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges National Award

For the second year in a row, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) has received the national 2023 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges Award. The College is one of 20 colleges in the United States to receive this honor from Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD). The award will be presented to the College at NISODs annual meeting in Austin, TX, May 27 to 30.

To select the awardees, the Most Promising Places to Work research team uses a web-based survey to examine areas such as innovative programs, family friendliness, salaries/benefits, and professional development opportunities. The Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges team reviewed HCCCs on-boarding and evaluation, new faculty and staff orientation, professional development, and work-life practices, as well as salaries and benefits.

Leadership workshop with author Melissa Romo

Melissa Romo, author of the bestselling book Your Resource Is Human: How empathetic leadership can help remote teams rise above, hosted a leadership workshop at the Hoboken Public Library on Monday, May 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the 2nd floor program room.

The workshop focused on how teams can thrive working remotely or hybrid, and how to diagnose your emotions and mindsets about remote work.

The Hoboken Public Library is located at 500 Park Ave.

Group meet up with North Jersey real estate investors

The Creative Real Estate Club is hosting networking meet up at 902 Brewing Co. on Tuesday, May 23, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. for those interested in real estate.

The event will feature guest speaker Chuck Kohout, investor and creative finance guru, at 7:30 p.m. Realtor Jordan Zuber and photographer Dan Casey will be hosting the event, which is free to attend.

902 Brewing Co. is located at 101 Pacific Ave., Jersey City,

ABCO Systems plans Automation Innovation 2023

ABCO Systems will host a trade show on Tuesday, July 27, to showcase its innovative systems for warehouse automation and design.

Automation Innovation 2023 will be held at ABCOS headquarters in Carlstadt, N.J. The trade show will help material handling companies learn how effective material handling operations are designed with a unique blend of efficiency, and resilience. You can register online at https://abcosystems.net/upcoming-trade-shows.

ABCO provides racking systems, multi-level pick modules, conveyor, sortation and robotics to help logistics professionals meet needs for the lifetime of their industry. ABCO creates solutions by developing partnerships with the most innovative manufacturers of automation and storage technology.

ABCO is offering free booth space, and sponsorship packages are available. The trade show runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Advance registration is required. More info can be found online at www.abcosystems.net.
Think we had cabin fever in 2022? Were not over it, based on the increased number of people expected to travel this Memorial Day weekend, and the majority are traveling by car.

AAA officials predict more than 1 million New Jersey residents will travel somewhere thats 50 miles or more away from home this Memorial Day weekend and 91% of them will drive, a 6.1% increase over Memorial Day 2022.
A New Jersey man who obtained fraudulent drivers license photos by wearing a curly, orange wig to steal millions in a pair of COVID fraud schemes has been sentenced to nearly seven years in federal prison.

Eric M. Jaklitsch, of Elizabeth, received a six year, nine month sentence after stealing nearly $4.2 million, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California said Tuesday.

Jaklitsch applied for unemployment fraudulently in California after obtaining names, birth dates, and Social Security number from the dark web between October 2020 and November 2021, prosecutors said.
A Toms River man pleaded guilty recently to shoving a police officer during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, court papers show.

Salvatore Vassallo pleaded guilty on May 11 to assaulting, resisting or impeding a police officer. Hed been charged with seven crimes for his actions at the riot when federal authorities arrested him this past September. He was 59 at the time.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Anheuser-Busch is having to buy back unsold cases of Bud Light from its distributors in the wake of the Dylan Mulvaney debacle.

So maybe this is not the best time to have your image on a beer can.

Yet there he is, our former governor, looking out from a can of Private Beach, a summer ale from Icarus Brewing Co. in Lakewood.

The image is a cartoonized copy of the famed photo taken from an airplane by our photographer Andy Mills on July 2, 2017. It showed Chris Christie lounging on a beach chair at the governors summer home when the rest of Island Beach State Park was closed to the public due to a budget crisis.

(Heres Andys explanation after his photo was picked by Time Magazine as one of the 10 best photos of the year.)

That was far from the only Let them eat cake moment for the former governor. In his first year in office, Christie flew the family to Disney World for a week just as the blizzard of the century was approaching. He neglected to tell the Department of Transportation to clear the state highways.

There was no pivotal picture that captured that moment. But last week I saw the Island Beach photo accompanying a report that Christie is planning to announce a run for the presidency.

However, I doubt that beer can will do to his chances what that Dylan Mulvaney beer can did to Bud Light. Once Donald Trump came along, Christies bombast was overshadowed by the most bombastic politician in recent memory.

Unfortunately for the Donald, hes talking himself right out of the race.

On Monday, the Washington Post reported that a leading Republican donor had deserted the Donald for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Post quoted Hal Lambert, who is the CEO of Texas-based Point Bridge Capital, as saying that Trumps remarks at that recent CNN town hall show he is still fighting the last election.

What voters who didnt vote for Trump in 2020 are going to vote for him this time based on his performance? I dont think anyone will, Lambert told The Post. We cant talk about things from four years ago that cant be changed.

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And who among the prospective Republican candidates best knows exactly how Trump blew his re-election bid  and virtually every other race in which he backed losers?

Christie, thats who. He was by Trumps side through the 2020 campaign, so close that he strongly suspects he got COVID from The Donald.

But when Trump refused to accept that hed lost, Christie was among his most powerful critics.

On ABC-TVs This Week three weeks after the election, Christie called Trumps legal team a national embarrassment. He said the lawyers alleged the election was stolen outside the courtroom, but when they go inside the courtroom they dont plead fraud and they dont argue fraud.

That was prophetic.

And The Donald seems determined to talk himself into even more legal problems. His defense lawyer in the investigation into possible misuse of classified documents resigned after Trump boasted that he had every intention of keeping those documents until the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago. Another ex-Trump lawyer, Ty Cobb, said, I think this is a tight obstruction case. Yes, I do think he will go to jail on it.

I dont know about Christies chances in an election, but I like his chances in a debate with the Donald. With his prosecutorial background he could trip Trump up on a number of legal issues.

Thats assuming Trump is still in the running. At the rate hes antagonizing judges and prosecutors, Trump will be lucky to still be on the loose by this time next year.

His fellow Republicans are too polite to point that out. But they smell blood. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who announced his candidacy Monday, is the most prominent Republican so far to enter the race against Trump. But I imagine there will be plenty of others signing up for the first primary, which is scheduled to take place on Jan. 30, 2024, in New Hampshire.

This is shaping up like the 2016 GOP race for the GOP nomination, in which 17 major candidates contended.

I watched Christie campaign in the New Hampshire primary, which is the first one and is crucial for Republicans. He was very impressive in his town halls. Christie may like to take shots at his fellow Jerseyans, but he was on his best behavior in New Hampshire.

Despite a good showing in the debate three nights before that primary, (during which he de-pantsed Marco Rubio) Christie missed making the top five by a mere 9,000 votes. Only the top five were allowed to advance to the debates in South Carolina, so that was the end of his campaign.

He clearly hopes this campaign will be better for him.

I have higher hopes for that beer.

Ill bet every case sells out.

ADD - TASTING PRIVATE BEACH ALE

This summers version isnt out yet, but Andy had a few cans that a friend had given him last year. He let me taste one. It was really on-target for a summer ale. Its low-alcohol at 4.1 percent and the two-row barley and the hops gave it a fresh taste even though it was in the fridge for nine months.

Heres the video we shot in which I gave it a taste test.

Christie may not have a private beach any longer

But you can have one.

More: Recent Paul Mulshine columns.

Paul Mulshine may be reached at pmulshine@starledger.com.

Follow him on Twitter @Mulshine. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook and on Twitter
Jameson Taillon has a history of bouncing back: He has beaten cancer and overcome Tommy John surgery, so the Chicago Cubs arent giving up on him yet. And besides, the former Yankees right-hander signed a four-year, $65 million contract in the offseason with a recent history of providing what every major league pitching staff needs  innings and wins.

BUY YANKEES, METS TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETSMARTER, TICKETMASTER

But hes 0-3 with an 8.10 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP, and hes given up five home runs in 26.2 innings. Those are pretty ugly numbers, especially for a 31-year-old with 51 career victories that includes a 22-11 record the previous two seasons with the Yankees.

Whats wrong? No one seems to know.

Its crappy, Taillon told the Chicago Sun Times. Especially being on a new team and in a new place, I want to prove I deserve to be here and Im a good player. And, so far, I havent had the opportunity to show that.

Taillon  who also has overcome a pulled groin this season  suffered his worst loss of a miserable year in a 12-3 blowout Saturday to the Phillies that included a grand slam by Kyle Schwarber. Taillon was charged with six earned runs in 2.1 innings. The Cubs insist theyre not giving up on him.

Were going to try to help support when a guys struggling, manager David Ross said. And hes going through a tough time right now. ... Hell put the work in, well put the work in to try to be better.

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A similarly poor outing against the Phillies while with the Yankees last season  four runs in one-third of an inning  led to tweaks that saved his year.

Went back to the drawing board, looked at a lot of things, did a deep dive, then ended up turning my season around, Taillon said. So you can definitely find some good from the bad and pick yourself up and hopefully make yourself stronger.

Taillon finished 14-5, and hes hoping he can do it again.

Its not any kind of panic button or anything like that, catcher Yan Gomes said, because we know the track record, we know that hes willing to put in the work and willing to make some adjustments if we need to.

MORE SPORTS:

Why is ex-Mets star  who earned $90M  still playing minor-league ball at 38?

His Yankees career over, Aaron Hicks is free to chase his PGA Tour dream

Why Yankees had Carlos Rodon return to New York

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18-year-old Iam Tongi was crowned the winner in the American Idol music competition after beating out the other two finalists, Megan Danielle and Colin Stough. Tongi, a high school senior originally from Hawai'i, sang "I'll Be Seeing You" for the live finale, in honor of his dad Rodney who passed away.

USA Today:

"My dad, he wasn't a perfect dude," Iam told the Kent Reporter. "He wasn't like a saint, or whatever. But he was the best father that I know. And I want everyone to know that he's a tough guy. He always told me the truth, (and) he always loved me. And I always loved him too."

The first non-country winner in three years, Tongi won the $250,000 prize and a recording contract with Hollywood Records/19 Recordings. Tongi is also the first Hawaiian-born Pacific Islander to win Idol.
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From a table at Emerils Restaurant, diners can catch glimpses of the cavernous, gleaming kitchen at work. Its a choreography of cooks in formal whites moving between steel tables, roaring stoves and racks of hanging pots as plates make their way through a progression of specialized stations.

Before any dish reaches the dining room, it goes to a table called the pass, where the chefs in charge that night give a final assessment.

Often these days, Emeril Lagasse himself is working the pass. On those nights, the celebrity chef is joined in these duties by a new collaborator, one who could not be closer to him but is also challenging him to change his game.

That is his son E.J. Lagasse.
The Louisiana House Education Committee Tuesday approved a bill limiting what libraries can allow children access to on an 8-3 vote, bringing the bill one step closer to becoming law.

Under Senate Bill 7 by Sen. Heather Cloud, a Ville Platte Republican, the state would make all Louisiana public libraries create a library card option that would ban minors from checking out any books deemed by their local library board to be sexually explicit.

A library patron would have to challenge a book they believe to be sexually explicit, and the library board of control would make the official determination.

Libraries would not have to remove books the board determines to be sexually explicit from shelves or move them to a different part of the library, and some libraries already have policies in place. Though for instance, in St. Tammany Parish, where library boards are fielding hundreds of book challenges, libraries have moved challenged materials behind the circulation desk.

However, the bills author and some other Republican lawmakers expressed disappointment the bill didnt go further in restricting children and teenagers access to books.

Rep. Beryl Amedee, a Houma Republican, pointed out that minors with library cards restricting them from checking out sexually explicit materials could technically still sit in a library and read a book they were banned from checking out.

Cloud replied, Unfortunately, right now as we're trying to keep the protections of the First Amendment intact and navigate that, this was the way that we had to go about this issue.

Seems like that would come into play on the next library tax, Committee Chairman Lance Harris, an Alexandria Republican, chimed in.

Attorney General Jeff Landry, who is running for governor, and Assistant Attorney General Emily Andrews presented the bill with Cloud, who routinely cited the Protecting Innocence report from the attorney generals office.

That report includes out-of-context excerpts of often-challenged books like Gender Queer, Maia Kobabes graphic novel about being non-binary, and Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye about a Black girl growing up during the Great Depression. These books, like many challenged around the country, are about Black people and LGBTQ people.

The bill also could play a role in what books libraries add to their collections in the future. It requires that community standards for the population served by the library be considered when acquiring library material that would be accessible to a minor through donation or purchase.

The full House will need to pass the bill before it heads to Gov. John Bel Edwards desk. But based on votes on the bill so far, that appears likely. The governor has not said whether he would veto the bill.

Louisiana House Republicans reject adding rape, incest exceptions to abortion ban A Louisiana House committee Wednesday shot down two bills that would have added exceptions for rape and incest to the states strict abortion ban.
The NAACP, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), and Equality Florida have all issued warnings against visiting Florida. According to the NAACP's advisory released over the weekend, the state is "openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals." Potential visitors, they say, should know that Florida "devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color."

From NPR:

The NAACP's decision comes after the DeSantis' administration in January rejected the College Board's Advanced Placement African American Studies course. DeSantis and Republican lawmakers also have pressed forward with measures that ban state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as critical race theory, and also passed the Stop WOKE Act that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses[]

In its warning for Hispanic travelers considering a visit to Florida, LULAC cited a new law that prohibits local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to people illegally in the country and invalidates out-of-state driver's licenses held by undocumented immigrants, among other things[]

Recent efforts to limit discussion on LGBTQ topics in schools, the removal of books with gay characters from school libraries, a recent ban on gender-affirming care for minors, new restrictions on abortion access and a law allowing Floridians to carry concealed guns without a permit contributed to Equality Florida's warning.
At New College of Florida, students independently organized an alternative graduation ceremony, called "Commencement On Our Terms," to take a stand against a threat to their academic freedom by Governor Ron DeSantis. In this remarkable move, they invited Neil Gaiman, acclaimed author and Professor of the Arts at Bard, to serve as their commencement speaker.

Gaiman's three-minute-long recorded message to the graduating class offered a story about his late cousin, Holocaust survivor and educator Helen N. Fagin, who had a deep connection to the school. He ends with a powerful call to action for New College students to take a stand against the evils of genocide and dehumanization, "You must fight for what you believe to be right while never losing your sense of humor or your sense of proportion."

A New College alum explains the bigger story about what is happening at the school:

New College of Florida is a small liberal arts college in Sarasota. It has around 800 students, and probably less next year. It does not have grades, it instead has narrative evaluations. There are no required classes beyond what is legally required for Common Core. As an Honors College, everyone is required to do an undergraduate thesis and defend it in front of a Baccalaureate Committee. I studied Environmental Science and I was able to create my own major (known as an Area of Concentration). I even designed an Independent Study Project that went in-depth on cholera. As for what is happening now, the simple answer is that Governor DeSantis appointed a bunch of conservatives to the Board of Trustees (or BoT). One of these is Chris Rufo, the guy behind the CRT scare. They have been trying to systematically tear down the college. This has included things like firing the president and trying to change the school's curriculum and entrance requirements, with a conservative evangelical Christian angle.

Read the rest of their statement on Tumblr.

Also see: savenewcollege.com.
Seagulls in the UK have apparently been swooping down to snatch public drug users' stashes of "spice"synthetic cannabinoids that mimic the effects of marijuana. From Leeds to Liverpool, London, Manchester, and Hastings, the fiendish fliers "think they're getting chips, but they're just getting a beakful of spice," one stoner citizen reported. From MSN:

After one such incident in Wrexham, locals reportedly said that one of the birds 'went mad' after taking someone's supply of the drug, dive-bombing pedestrians before eventually coming to collapse on the pavement.

Another added: 'Another day, another zombie seagull.'
A surgeon at the University Medical Center Mainz in Germany was fired after he enlisted a janitor to assist him with a toe amputation. Fortunately, the operation apparently went smoothly even though the physician clearly wasn't following standard operating (room) procedure.

According to the hospital boss, there wasn't anyone qualified available to assist the surgeon who was intent on getting the job done.

From the AP:
Buffalo lawmakers added about $1.5 million in spending to Mayor Byron Browns proposed budget for 2023-24.

But they cut approximately $6.5 million, primarily from overtime for police and fire.

The new budget approved by the Common Council Monday kept intact a 4.47% hike in the residential property tax rate that Brown proposed, but overall spending fell to $576,994,950 from Browns $582 million plan.

Overtime expenses for Buffalo police were slashed from $9.7 million to $7.7 million. Overtime for Buffalo firefighters was cut from $7 million to $5.5 million.

The amendments came with the condition that every two months the Brown administration will submit to the Council in writing a detailed overtime report for police and fire, said Council President Darius Pridgen.

Mayor Brown to seek property tax increase, proposes fund to help pay outstanding bills Mayor Byron W. Brown will call for a 3.8% increase on residential and commercial property taxes and higher fees for sanitation services when he presents his 18th annual State of the City address on Monday.

We recognize, first of all, how important our first responders are, Pridgen said. We had some very significant events last year and hopefully well not have those same events every single year. There has been concern about overtime for a while so that line the administration agreed to reduce.

At least that way we have information up front and are able to adjust together with police, with fire, with the administration and not get this kind of sticker shock that we always get at the end of the year, Pridgen added.

The Council also reduced the projected revenue from the sales of cannabis to about $3.1 million, down from about $8.1 million.

The cannabis revenue we thought was way out of line, considering we have no cannabis shops open in the City of Buffalo, Pridgen said. So to depend on $8 million in tax revenue we thought was a bit much.

Voting no to the final budget amount, including the amendments, were University Council Member Rasheed N.C. Wyatt, Lovejoy Council Member Bryan J. Bollman and North Council Member Joseph Golombek Jr., who said the cuts to overtime were a "bit unrealistic."

I think actually cutting the overtime on paper looks good, but I think the reality is that the overtime is going to come, Golombek said. God forbid we have another emergency  whether its police, a fire or a snowstorm  and were going to have to come up with that money. So I think that cutting overtime is just simply unrealistic.

Golombek said he was in favor of cutting the projected cannabis revenue but because the amendments were a whole package, I didnt feel comfortable with the overtime.

Brown said in a statement, I am pleased that this fiscally sound budget was passed. This budget was designed to strengthen the City of Buffalo for all residents.

The property tax rates proposed by Brown were unchanged as the $5 million reduction in projected cannabis revenue was offset by appropriation adjustments, said Delano Dowell, the city's commissioner of administration, finance, policy and urban affairs.

The homestead tax rate is $10.73, up from $10.27 in the current budget, for every $1,000 in assessed value of a home. The commercial rate is $18.72 per thousand, up from $18.17.

That computes to an additional $46 a year in taxes on a $100,000 home, $92 more for a $200,000 home and an additional $230 on a $500,000 home.

Commercial properties valued at $250,000 will be charged an additional $137.50, with $500,000 properties paying an additional $275 and $1 million properties paying $550 more.

The property tax increases will add $5.8 million to the city's coffers.

Sanitation fees will go up about 8% for residential properties and 11% for commercial properties.

A 65-gallon tote will go up $19.89 a year for homeowners, with a 95-gallon tote increasing to $22.28. A 65-gallon tote for commercial properties will go up to $29.25, with a 95-gallon tote rising to $32.75.

Brown said the sanitation fee increases will still be lower than in neighboring municipalities and other upstate cities.

"The user fee wasn't paying for itself, so the city's general fund had to make up the deficit in the user fee," he said. "The last few years, the deficit has been roughly $15 million dollars. This will make the user fee self-sustaining."
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When Hammond police were notified this year that a man wanted for a shooting in Minnesota was believed to be hanging out in the city, they used their Blue Net license plate recognition system to find his vehicle and take him into custody.

Porter County police used the same type of technology this month to help track down a 62-year-old Valparaiso man, who reportedly drove into fences outside the local animal shelter and then fled without reporting the damage.

It turns out that the small cameras, which are probably not even noticed by most motorists, are becoming pretty plentiful around the Region, keeping quiet watch and tipping off local police to vehicles sought in connection with various offenses.

"The experience with the Flock (Safety) cameras has been very positive," Michigan City police Lt. Steve Westphal said of the 30 cameras positioned around the city as part of an effort that kicked off in late January.

The cameras were a big help in March when numerous gunshots were reported in the area of Hayes Avenue, resulting in damage to a house and to a vehicle parked at a day care center, he said.

"We were able to utilize the Flock system to develop a suspect vehicle," he said. "As a result, two arrests have been made and at least one more is expected to be made."

The system has also proved useful in other offenses, such as auto theft and leaving the scene of a crash, and in warrant arrests.

Not for traffic citations

Portage has had Flock license plate recognition cameras monitoring six intersections in the city since May 2022.

"Our experience using license plate reader technology has been extremely positive," police Lt. Rob Maynard said. "To date, our officers have documented approximately 200 incidents where using the license plate reader technology has resulted in the immediate apprehension of criminal suspects by our patrol division or the identification of suspects/suspect vehicles by our detective bureau using historical LPR data."

An initial concern by residents that the system would be used to issue traffic citations has dissipated as a result of education and the lack of that type of use, Maynard said.

Merrillville police have also been impressed by the six fixed cameras in place in the city and two used by patrol vehicles since early 2021.

License plate recognition systems "have aided law enforcement in locating missing persons, recovering stolen vehicles, generating leads for violent-crime investigations and apprehending fugitives," Chief Konstantinos Nuses said.

Region high school student booked into Porter County Jail in shooting death "Defendant is ordered to appear at all hearings dates," the judge said. "Failure to appear will result in an arrest warrant being issued."

What about concerns of a Big Brother type of overreach by police?

"People might be shocked to know just how much data they inadvertently give up every day," Nuses said. "Think about the apps you have on your phone, the Wi-Fi networks you connect to and the websites you visit. All of those things contribute to a loss of personal privacy."

The LPRs are used for law enforcement only and the information is not shared or sold for other purposes, he said.

"It's also important to understand, these cameras have no way of identifying the driver or occupants of the vehicle they capture."

Tremendous asset to police

For Hobart Police Chief Garrett Ciszewski, "a common misconception is that LPR cameras are used to issue tickets. This is false in Hobart and against Indiana state law."

Indiana lawmakers did just pass a bill allowing a pilot program for state police to use automated traffic enforcement in construction zones, but that has no impact on local use of the LPR cameras, he said.

Hobart has 19 cameras in place around the city, with two more on the way, Ciszewski said.

There have been eight license plate reading cameras in unincorporated areas of LaPorte County since December 2021, Capt. Derek J. Allen said.

"The cameras have been a tremendous asset to the sheriffs office," he said. "The cameras have assisted nearly every division of the sheriffs office."

He said the cameras are used to combat crime "and not at all designed to harass or intimidate the general motoring public."

Jury takes half-hour to find Porter County man not guilty in 6-year-old child molest case "From the first moment he had learned of these allegations from the police during an interrogation until he testified in trial, Agustin Espinoza has always always said the same thing, 'I did not do this,' " his attorney said.

Maynard said officers may not conduct license plate searches without reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.

"Each search must be proceeded by an officer entering the reason for the search, and their search histories are audited. To go a step further, anytime an officer receives a 'hit' from the LPR system the officer must develop independent probable cause prior to stopping a vehicle and may not depend solely on the 'hit' for taking any enforcement actions."

Valparaiso started using license plate readers about a month ago but has already had a great deal success with investigations, Capt. Joe Hall said.

"We have learned a great deal of valuable information that has led to crimes being solved and those responsible being identified," he said. "It has further been useful in traffic enforcement, identifying drivers who are suspended or have active arrest warrants."

When asked about potential for police overreach, Hall compared the system to video surveillance provided by businesses and residents as part of investigations.

"They are further only one part or tool that police use in identifying suspects," he said. "The footage and information are merely a piece of the puzzle, and a great deal of investigation is completed outside of this type of resource alone."

Audits target misuse

Indiana State Police Sgt. Glen Fifield said his department successfully uses the license plate system around the central part of the state to help identify suspects in violent crimes that occur on the interstate.

"The Indiana State Police has developed a thorough policy regulating the use of license plate readers," he said. "Any searches done into the system are required to have documentation of the reasons and are frequently audited for misuse."

The Porter County Sheriff's Department has been using the technology since last summer, with 90 cameras around the unincorporated areas.

"It's been overwhelmingly positive," Sgt. Benjamin McFalls said. "The cameras have assisted us in countless investigations and in locating stolen vehicles, hit-and-run suspects, missing subjects, wanted subjects, and aided us in getting unlicensed drivers off the roads."

He said the information gathered is the same officers have available to them observing vehicles in person. The data are stored for 30 days.

Westphal said Michigan City police believe transparency is key in dispelling false information about the use of license plate reading systems.

The systems do not collect information or photos of anyone inside a vehicle: "Once the motor vehicle passes the camera lens, there is no way to follow or track the vehicle," he said.

Vehicle images are shared with federal, state and local law enforcement databases, which triggers alerts if they are associated with wanted individuals.

"The Flock system will perform in the same manner for other vehicle matches, such as an Amber Alert from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, or a Silver Alert," he said.

Questioning the use of the systems is an important way for the public to educate itself and dispel concerns, Westphal said.

"It is only through learning the facts that concerns about entrapment, privacy violations and Big Brother can be put to rest," he said.

Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail Domynic Yerger Shanna Taylor Damon Wade Nicholas Sanchez John Smith Jr. George Stevens Aaron Rawls Ronald Robinson III Dakota Ruel Juan Salas Michael Murray Alex Marion III Crystal McLain Maria Hoyo Paris Hewlett Joseph Coleman Brandon Dubose Diana Enriquez Jessica Hermosillo Erich Boone Dwayne Smith Javante Toran Michael Williams Jr. Vandana Pagany Matthew Parker Daniel Rosario Obaid Shafiq Paul Newlin Pablito Madera II Anthony Manson Jr. Willie McGee Donna Jackson Jocelyn James Kamika Harrell Angel Bousono Jr. Kenyatta Branch Derrick Daniel Rodney Allen Jr. Cesar Torres Michael Toy Roman Martinez Lori Minyard Jeremy Lewis David Keck Samantha Hellems Darius Herron Michael Flores Nariana Williams Chad Shaw John Vann Ricardo Vela Justin Neely Trendarious Peterson Mosley Keandrea Robinson Bailey Llamas Anthony Hardesty-Berry Hope Horn James Lenoir-Williams Cristina Galka Armando Cartagena-Dhuperoyis Gregory Cormick Jr. Genito Balderas William Betts Benjamin Byers Michael Albanese Joshua Baker Roderick Atkins Mark Abel
A man arrested on gun and drug charges later dropped after a state parole officer was caught tampering with evidence and lying on the witness stand is suing the City of Buffalo, law enforcement officers and New York State.

Parole officer who lied in court pleads guilty to reduced charges, gets probation, resigns Eliezer Rosario II resigned Friday as he pleaded guilty in Buffalo City Court to two misdemeanors after being caught last year tampering with evidence and lying on the witness stand about it.

Anthony S. Davis of Cheektowaga, who spent 18 months behind bars before his case was dismissed in June, claims police violated his constitutional rights because they based his arrest, in part, on falsified evidence.

Former Parole Officer Eliezer Rosario II, who resigned in March and was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to two misdemeanors, was caught on Buffalo police body-worn camera footage putting Davis' prison identification card next to a round of ammunition found on a TV stand in his home during a search.

In a suit filed Thursday in State Supreme Court against Rosario, his former partner and six Buffalo police officers, Davis claims they "permitted and perpetrated" a "malicious prosecution." Davis also filed suit Monday against the state and the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The latter suit, filed in the state Court of Claims, seeks $3.5 million.

Rosario's admissions were first reported by The Buffalo News in July.

Davis' suits claim all of the officers on scene knew or should have known that evidence had been falsified and that the official account of the search was falsified. The suits also accuse the city and state of failing to train or supervise the officers.

Davis' incarceration also delayed treatment of a pre-existing medical condition, his suits contend.

The suits, filed by attorney Brittany L. Penberthy, claim false arrest, abuse of process, unlawful search, malicious prosecution under color of state law, aiding and abetting a tort, gross negligence and conspiracy, among other accusations.

Michael J. DeGeorge, a spokesman for Mayor Byron W. Brown and Buffalo police, declined to comment on the lawsuit. A spokesman for the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision also declined to comment.

The officers named in the Supreme Court suit are Buffalo Police Officers Stephen Schulz, Trevor Sheehan, Christopher Bauer, Patrick Long, David Kimmins and Joseph McCarthy, along with Parole Officer Michael Lombardo, Rosario's former partner.

Gun case with ties to parole officer facing charges ends in plea deal The case against Genile Wilson, 47, became more complicated when a parole officer involved in his case was later charged with planting evidence in a separate case.

Police body-cam footage reviewed by The News shows Rosario and Sheehan looking around Davis' room.

"There's a bullet right here in his room," Sheehan says, shining a flashlight near a remote control and a bottle in front of a television.

"Where's the bullet at?" says Rosario, who was behind the TV stand.

"Right here," the police officer responds.

"I'll take that picture," Rosario tells him.

Parole officer charged with planting evidence in search of parolee's room State police charged Eliezer Rosario II, 43, with first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and two counts of tampering with physical evidence.

Rosario takes out a cellphone and holds it above the TV stand.

A few seconds later, Rosario quietly says, "Wait, wait, wait, wait."

In the corner of the frame, the video shows a gloved hand appearing to reach across the top of the stand near the round of ammunition.

In Rosario's hand was Davis' state-issued Department of Corrections and Community Supervision identification card. Rosario takes another photo.

"How 'bout that, ID with the gun. ID with the bullet," Rosario said, correcting himself about the description.

On witness stand, parole officer admits planting evidence in Buffalo gun case Eliezer Rosario II also admitted on the witness stand that he wouldn't have planted the evidence if he knew he was being recorded by a Buffalo police officer's body-worn camera, according to defense attorneys and a transcript of the court proceedings.

At the time of the November 25, 2020, search of Davis' residence on Northumberland Avenue, Davis had been on parole since 2019 for a felony drug conviction. After a visit by parole officers, police charged Davis, 52, with gun possession after finding a loaded handgun in a common area inside the boarding house where Davis lived.

On June 16, 2022, while Davis was on trial facing seven to 15 years in prison, if convicted, Rosario testified as a prosecution witness. On cross-examination, he admitted planting the evidence and said that he wouldn't have done it if he knew he was being recorded on police body-cam.

Rosario was initially charged with two felonies when he was arrested Nov. 30. He pleaded guilty March 24 to second-degree offering a false instrument for filing and attempted tampering with evidence.
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PORTAGE  Portage police have released a surveillance photo of a suspect in a number of vehicle break-ins that occurred Friday into Saturday.

The break-ins were reported in the area of McCasland, Houston and NewPorte avenues, police said.

"Please check your security cameras, as we are hoping to get a better picture of this suspect from the thefts," according to police.

'Crazed tire' causes damage; Region police release video seeking tips "The driver fails to make contact with anyone inside the establishment and leaves a short time later," according to the department.

Anyone able to identify the suspect in the photo or who has additional images of him is encouraged to contact detective Anthony Dandurand at 219-764-5705.
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CROWN POINT  The investigation continues into a hand grenade explosion last weekend that killed a 47-year-old Lake of the Four Seasons man and left two of his children injured, Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said.

"Investigators are still trying to determine elements of the case including, but not limited to: whether the device may have self detonated due to its age or other factors, whether the pin was pulled or whether any other circumstances may have been involved," he said.

"Any details that have been released are considered preliminary in nature and are subject to change as the investigation continues."

The Lake County Coroner's Office identified the deceased as Bryan Niedert and said he died Saturday at his home in the 3700 block of West Lakeshore Drive.

Martinez said his department was called out around 6 p.m. Saturday to the home in question and initial reports indicate the family had found a hand grenade among a grandfather's belongings and that it detonated.

Niedert was found unresponsive and was later declared dead, Martinez said.

"Two of his children, a 14-year-old male and an 18-year-old female, were injured in the blast and were transported to an area hospital for treatment," according to the sheriff. "The blast appeared to have occurred in a garage area."

The Porter County Bomb Squad, which was on scene, has seen an increase in recent years in calls for service related to people finding explosives, Porter County Sheriff's Sgt. Benjamin McFalls said Monday.

Growing number of license plate cameras keeping eye on Region; cops challenge Big Brother fears The system has also proved useful in other offenses such as auto theft and leaving the scene of a crash, and in warrant arrests.

Anyone finding anything that resembles a military weapon is urged contact police, he said.

"Often veterans bring items home from their service/tour of duty - sometimes they are inert, but some are live explosives," McFalls said. "Items that may be considered family heirlooms could contain hazardous energetic material."

He also warned that many military weapons are waterproof and can detonate even if they are found underwater.

The Porter County Bomb Squad is composed of four technicians and four non-technicians from the Porter County Sheriff's, Lake County Sheriff's and Portage Police departments and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, McFalls said.

The squad handles an average of 30 calls per year and serves Lake, Porter, LaPorte, Starke, Jasper, Newton and Pulaski counties.
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In February 2017, St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer made a shocking announcement: It was closing.

"Despite our best efforts, we were not able to escape the financial challenges that many tuition-dependent smaller universities have faced in the past several years," the university of 1,100 students wrote on its website.

The announcement, which saddened alumni and sent students scrambling to find new schools, marked the first closure of a Northwest Indiana higher education institution in recent history. Today, it exists only in limited programming through partnerships with other institutions and in memory at an offshoot institution in Whiting.

However, experts looking forward are fearful that other institutions may struggle to avoid the same fate.

At the height of the Great Recession in 2008-09, the trauma of economic uncertainty prompted many families to delay or forgo having children. The aftershocks are sending colleges and universities across the U.S. into panic mode.

Experts across the country  including those from the Chronicle of Higher Education and the American Council on Education  have been sounding the alarm about this "enrollment cliff" for years. The idea is that in 2025, the sharp population drop caused by the Great Recession, combined with a U.S. birthrate that was already decreasing, will hit the typical college age, leaving colleges with far fewer students to fill seats.

Many of these experts predict that prominent elite institutions and flagship universities, such as the University of Notre Dame or Indiana University Bloomington, will weather the storm because of recognizable brands and reputations. They might even see enrollment increases.

However, all of Northwest Indiana's universities are either regional campuses or liberal arts colleges, and both types are expected to bear the brunt of this enrollment collapse. Additionally, the Midwest and the Northeast are expected to see more dramatic declines than other parts of the country.

Liberal arts in peril

In 2022, Jill Schur was working at Loyola University Chicago in the admissions and enrollment department. As the assistant vice president for graduate and professional enrollment management, she had access to data and reports that Midwestern private schools share with one another.

Schur, a 2004 Valparaiso University graduate, took particular interest in her alma mater's numbers.

"I could see even before the formal reports go out that they were declining," she said. "And as an interested alum, I was like 'What's going on there?'"

In fall 2015, the university reported a student population of 4,544. By fall 2022, it was 2,964, a figure that saddened the nostalgic alum.

"I truly loved my experience here," she said. "It truly set the stage for where I was."

Schur was a first-generation college graduate. "I didn't know what college looked like and what the experience looked like. And the community here was fantastic."

After Valpo, Schur worked in higher education enrollment management at multiple institutions. In November, Brian O'Rourke announced his resignation as VU's vice president of enrollment, marketing and communications.

"It was like 'all right, put my money where my mouth is'," Schur said. "I learned how they do it really well at some bigger institutions and some smaller institutions. What can we put into practice here?"

Schur decided to accept a role as O'Rourke's successor, beginning in February. She said the main reason she came back was to help the university deal with this enrollment cliff.

The challenge isn't an easy one. Declining enrollment has already forced the university to discontinue several degree programs, including its secondary education major, theater major and minor, Chinese minor, French major, Greek and Roman studies major and minor, and its entire law school.

It's also the impetus behind University President Jose Padilla's controversial decision to sell multimillion-dollar pieces from its on-campus art museum, including a 1950 Georgia O'Keeffe. Padilla hopes to use that money to renovate the freshman dorms, a move he said is aimed at attracting more first-year students.

Schur said it's been a multipronged approach to address the decline:

The College of Nursing and Health Professions is launching an occupational therapy program, which the school says is an effort to target industries with lots of job potential, an appeal to a generation of applicants seemingly more interested in career-focused majors.

The university is trying to attain accreditation as a Hispanic Serving Institution, something it hopes will welcome more students from the fastest-growing ethnic group in the country.

It's opened Access College, which offers two-year degrees and includes opportunities to transition into a four-year program.

Schur's most immediate duties involve attracting potential applicants and admitting students. She's worked to make the school's marketing literature more unique to VU and to implement newer methods of reaching out to potential students, such as text messaging instead of calling.

Schur said the university is also reckoning with what its right size is.

"We're never going to be a gigantic institution. I don't think that's right, based on the mission. I don't think that's right based on the community. And it's probably not in the reality of things."

However, the university absolutely wants to grow. Maybe 3,500 to 4,000 would be a good number, Schur said.

Fateful copter ride

When Mitch Daniels became president of the Purdue University system in 2013, he took a helicopter from one of the satellite campuses, Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, to another satellite campus, Purdue University North Central in Westville.

The ride took 8 minutes. People around him said he couldn't understand why regional campuses were so close together and remarked that it was a waste of resources.

Soon after, the system announced that the two schools, 32 miles apart, would merge into Purdue University Northwest. PNW  which has campuses in Hammond and Westville but is under one leadership, faculty and student body  opened as a unified institution in 2016.

This unification is what leadership says makes PNW poised to endure this enrollment cliff.

"We were able to do it at a time when both institutions were healthy," said Chris Holford, PNW's provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. "I'm pleased with many of the administrative decisions that were made to do this early, before we found ourselves in a position that we had to make changes, and it allows us to approach those changes in a different way."

Holford noted that the merger cut the number of deans and department chairs in half and ended what was an unproductive competition for prospective students.

"We adopted strategies because of the unification seven years ago that many institutions are realizing today," he said. Unification "forced us to really understand our student body more and be responsive."

In fall 2016, the first semester after unification, PNW's enrollment was 15,286. In fall 2022, it was 8,911.

"We've been preparing for this for a number of years," Holford said. "However, it's not just the demographic cliff that concerns me. Actually, there's a bigger thing that concerns me, and that's the college-going rate."

Just 53% of the Class of 2020 in Indiana went straight to post-secondary education, the lowest number in a generation, according to the Indiana Commission on Higher Education.

To address this, Holford said PNW has "doubled down" on enhancing the student experience outside the classroom. He called increasing student retention "our principal focus."

"We use the term belongingness, that they feel they belong at the institution. Belongingness starts from the time you first talk to one of our recruiters."

Holford said what they've been hearing from students is they're seeking "a traditional college experience." He said the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced students to learn online without these things for two years, supercharged this desire. He said two-thirds of PNW's students said in a survey they wanted more in-person interaction with their professors and peers.

That was the goal behind the Nils K. Nelson Bioscience Innovation Building in Hammond, which was completed in 2020.

"That building was designed to provide a high-quality student experience," he said. "There's great internet connectivity in there. Every nook and cranny is carved out in such a way that there are little pods all over the whole building, and if you walk through on most days there are students sitting in all of those spaces."

Holford also noted that historically PNW's predecessor institutions had an average age of 27, but the student population has moved closer to 18 to 22. While Indiana prohibits public regional universities from housing over 10% of its students on campus, he said there's a waiting list for around 700 beds the university does have in dormitories.

Despite their optimism, Holford said they're still concerned and try to closely scrutinize each program, ensuring that it's cost-effective and tailored to the interests of students and the needs of area employers.

For example, PNW offers doctoral degrees in nursing and technology, which he said were created because of those industries' prominence in Northwest Indiana. PNW actually hired an outside firm to do analyses on the types of jobs available in Northwest Indiana and the types of degrees required for those jobs.

He also said PNW uses a decentralized budget, which means funding follows students from program to program and will allow them to respond quickly to rapid changes. Additionally, he hopes PNW, 30 miles from Chicago, can attract students from Illinois, where in-state public university tuition can cost more than PNW's out-of-state tuition.

"One of the things that's been most important for us is stability. Growth in today's market is a real challenge, but I think from a stable enrollment, you can start to really look at investment in growth over time."

Unique approaches

Indiana University Northwest is a regional campus of the Indiana University system in Gary.

In fall 2013, IUN had an enrollment of 6,387. In fall 2022, it was 3,198.

Dorothy Frink, associate vice chancellor for enrollment manager, and Aaron Pigors, director of marketing and communications, said IUN isn't trying to fight the inevitable.

"I don't know that you can slow down the decline when the decline is due to the fact that there's fewer people," Frink said. "We can't, in a sense, make more babies artificially appear in that age group. What we're going to have to do is take the students who are here and available and make sue they're interested in college."

While it is accepting that its enrollment may shrink, IUN is doing everything it can to mitigate that shrinkage.

"I don't think we're worried about it, but we're paying very close attention to it," Pigors said. "We're being very deliberate in the programs and experiences that we're curating."

Frink and Pigors serve on the university's strategic enrollment management team. They said the team, unlike in past years, includes a much broader cross-section of the universities. Deans and other faculty who typically worked separately from enrollment management are now getting involved.

IUN, they explained, is leaning into its strengths, which might be a little more modest than other universities, but nonetheless serve an important role in Northwest Indiana; in IUN's case, it allow them to differentiate themselves and capitalize in unique ways.

For example, Frink said, less than 40% of Lake County residents have a bachelor's degree. While the teenage and early-20s population is declining, she thinks IUN is one of the most adult-learner-friendly institutions in the area. Indeed, 29.5% of its May graduates were older than 30, according to IUN's graduation material.

Additionally, the one demographic of young people that isn't declining is Hispanics. In 2020, IUN became accredited by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic Serving Institution and a Minority Serving Institution  something Valpo and PNW are attempting to imitate. That accreditation has come with $8 million, which, although the federal money can be used only for certain things, helps mitigate lost tuition.

Frink estimated that 75% of this type of planning occurs in Gary, saying being part of the IU system is helpful because IUN can use ideas that have worked really well in places like South Bend or Kokomo.

For example, they replicated a Kokomo program that reaches out to middle school students to plant the idea of college in their heads early. They've done similar programming at the high school level, convening a workshop at Gary's West Side Leadership Academy to help students fill out FAFSA and learn about the college application process.

After that, she said, the applications from West Side increased from around 20 to 60.

Still, while it's looking for unique approaches, IUN is doing a lot of the things its peers are doing, such as finding new ways to reach potential applicants and increasing extracurricular programming. Pigors said there's actually more extracurricular activity on campus than ever before.

Frink said the university hasn't had to cut back. She asserted that the quality of education is increasing, citing IUN's first- to second-year retention rate, 66.5% in 2021  the most recent year available  which is increasing and is the highest among IUN regional campuses.

Additionally, IUN and PNW receive state financial support, unlike VU which is more reliant on tuition.

Frink said they've dealt with population drops before and expects they will again.

"It's cyclical," Pigors added. "Everything comes in waves."

While birthrates aren't expected to rise anytime soon, the data suggest that Pigors may have somewhat of a point. Just like the Great Recession pushed down birthrates in 2008, during the COVID-19 pandemic, births fell 9.41% from January 2020 to January 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That tumble could have higher education leaders equally concerned in the 2030s.

How the pandemic changed enrollment for college students of nontraditional age How the pandemic changed enrollment for college students of nontraditional age College enrollment by age Under 18 enrollment by type of institution Under 18 enrollment at two-year public schools Some schools are seeking to recruit more nontraditional age students
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CROWN POINT  Tom Liubakka's long list of art mediums includes oil paint, pastels, pencils, window paint, digital animation and pottery.

He can add sidewalk chalk.

Liubakka and a crowd of artists and art students filled the Historic Crown Point Square with 3-D chalk masterpieces Saturday during the city's inaugural Chalk the Walk. The drawings were covered in a sealant coating and will be on display all summer.

The 14 pieces are meant to be interactive; visitors to the square can pose on the bright lily pad, navigate the fiery lava pit, brave the whitewater rapids and more.

The city is encouraging people to share any photos they take of the chalk art by using the hashtag #cpchalkwalk2023.

Theyre really going to be a draw for people to come to Crown Point," Councilwoman Dawn Stokes, D-2, said. She hopes the installation will help attract people to local businesses.

Stokes and Liubakka met when the councilwoman happened upon his studio a few months ago. The lifelong artist opened the space, 113 N. Indiana Ave., in September.

Liubakka said he usually arrives at the studio around 5 a.m. That gives him five hours to work on commissioned pieces before he starts teaching back-to-back lessons starting at 10 a.m. This summer, the studio will launch a summer camp and an art market; by fall, Liubakka wants to transform an old storage room into a pottery studio.

None of this would have been possible just over a year ago.

Liubakka's dad used to joke that his son drew his mom in the birthing room.

I drew all my life," said Liubakka, who grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. "My dad used to work at a paper mill and he would fill his lunch box with paper and bring it home and then I would just sketch, sketch, sketch all the time."

When he moved to Northwest Indiana, Liubakka started a window painting business, working nights at Roadway Trucking to support his family of six.

All of this came to an abrupt halt when he broke his back while working on a mural in the Hammond area.

He had seven back surgeries, was in physical therapy for eight years, his feet were reconstructed, and one doctor even told him he would never walk again.

And then there were the migraines.

The trauma of the accident triggered horrible migraines that would cause Liubakka to experience stroke-like symptoms, including losing control of his right hand  his drawing hand.

At first the debilitating migraines would happen every six months, then every four, then every two, then four times a month.

He was diagnosed with a rare form of migraine called hemiplegic migraine. After every attack, Liubakka had to teach his right hand how to draw again.

I was afraid one of these days it wasnt going to come back," he recalled.

He had to shut down his window painting business but continued to teach private art lessons when he could.

A few years ago, his wife saw something on TV about the Reed Procedure, a nerve stimulator device that is implanted in the head. Liubakka traveled to Texas last March to have it installed  he hasn't been hospitalized since.

Liubakka pointed to the thin wires just beneath the skin in his forehead and said the implant is "the best thing that's ever happened to me." Now, when he feels a migraine coming on, he can control it with the nerve stimulator.

After six months with the implant, he was able to realize his lifelong dream of opening an art studio: Im full speed ahead now."

He has plans to expand Chalk the Walk, possibly to a sidewalk outside the Crown Point Library, and he wants to open a gallery that includes a space where local artists can teach classes.

Tattoo artist Juliette Mehok, who works at Liubakka Art Studio, hopes the chalk drawings will make public art more visible in Crown Point.

Crown Point is a very creative town, but if youre not looking for it, youre not going to find it," she said.

More information about Chalk the Walk and Liubakka Studio is available at liubakkastudio.com.

PHOTOS: Crown Point's inaugural chalk walk
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MERRILLVILLE  In an effort to engage the community and strengthen relationships with residents, the Merrillville Police Department is hosting a community night May 25.

It's scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. at the Dean and Barbara White Community Center, 6600 Broadway.

The event provides an opportunity for residents to receive safety tips while learning how the Police Department operates.

The Merrillville Police Department believes that it is extremely important to work with our community and have a good relationship with them, Investigations Cmdr. Matthew Vasel said. Together, we can make Merrillville a better and safer community.

Vasel said the Tactical Team, Detective Bureau and patrol officers are among the units that will be involved in the community night.

Residents can also meet with the school resource officer to learn how the Police Department collaborates with the Merrillville Community School Corp. to help keep schools safe.

The K-9 Unit will be featured, and police administration will host a question-and-answer session that starts at 7 p.m.

We will also be handing out information about our new online reporting system, Vasel said. Please come join us and learn more about your Merrillville Police Department.

The department thanks Strack & Van Til and Chick-fil-A, who are sponsoring the event and providing refreshments.
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After a hiatus of a few years, thousands of people turned out last summer to the lakefront in Michigan City to show their pride or express their support as allies.

Michigan City Pridefest will return this summer to the shoreline as part of Pride Month in June.

The Michigan City Pride Committee will host the gathering from 1 to 8 p.m. June 17 at the Guy Foreman Bicentennial Amphitheater, 115 Lake Shore Drive in Washington Park.

"This year's festival promises to be just as lively and entertaining," organizers say, "with a wide range of activities and performances that are sure to delight everyone in attendance."

"We are thrilled to be able to host this event once again," said Cory Soller, a member of the Pride Committee. "Our goal is to create an inclusive and welcoming space where people from all backgrounds can come together to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community."

It's an annual celebration of Northwest Indiana's LGBTQ+ community that takes place at the stage where the Michigan City Municipal Band performs its concerts. About 4,500 people attended last year.

Michigan City Pridefest started in 2018 and went on hiatus during 2020 and 2021.

"It was great to be back" last year, he said. "As someone who works in health care, I can tell you that, after the pandemic, people wanted something to do and to be back together. There were lots of smiling faces."

Organizers expect at least 5,000 people this year.

"We've gained attendance at least 1,000 every year," Soller said. "We've been getting the word out. We promote it on social media. I just did a podcast. It's the biggest Pride event in Northwest Indiana. There are a few Pride picnics, but it's the biggest event of its kind."

It draws people from across the Calumet Region and surrounding states.

"We have folks from all across Northwest Indiana, as well as Indiana, Illinois and Michigan," he said. "People have even flown in to come to Michigan City Pridefest."

At least 30 vendors will be selling Pride merchandise and referring people to community resources. At least six food trucks will sell cuisine like barbecue, hot dogs, Jamaican fare and snow cones.

A variety of musicians like Blastcap and Dylan Leavitt will take the stage to perform throughout the day.

"It's going to be a big affair," he said.

Everyone is welcome.

"Our event is family-friendly, so it's a little bit different than some," he said. "We have drag shows, but they're family-friendly and everything is G-rated. People can come out and celebrate diversity and inclusion."

The mayor, city council president and other politicians are slated to make appearances. Michigan City Pridefest has many sponsors, including NIPSCO, U.S. Steel, Horizon Bank, Konrady Plastics, Fiddlehead Restaurant and Unsalted No Sharks.

"It's everyone, from large corporations to small businesses," Soller said. "It's amazing. You never know how people will react, and we've had overwhelming support in favor from the community. It's truly been nice to see."

The event is free, but you may have to pay to park at Washington Park if you don't have a pass.

"A lot of people come and stop by while they're at Washington Park. They might also get a bite to eat and go to the beach," he said. "It's going to be a nice day on the lakefront."

For more information, visit MichiganCityPride.com or email info@MichiganCityPride.com.
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The Memorial Day Massacre just outside the gates of the Republic Steel Mill on Chicago's far Southeast Side in 1937 was one of the bloodiest attacks on organized labor in history.

Ten steelworkers, three of whom hailed from East Chicago, were killed while peacefully picketing the mill during a strike. They had come out on Memorial Day to picnic with their families and marched toward the gates in a show of solidarity.

More than 100 were injured by police, often shot while fleeing or beaten while lying on the ground.

Retired steelworkers commemorate the Memorial Day Massacre every year. A new documentary hopes to make more people aware of it nationally.

"Memorial Day Massacre: Workers Die, Film Buried" recently premiered on PBS SoCal and KCET in Los Angeles. It's being aired on PBS stations around the country and can be seen everywhere on pbs.org or the PBS app.

Filmmaker Greg Mitchell, an author and documentarian, made the half-hour-long film featuring archival footage. Actor Josh Charles from "Sports Night" and "Dead Poets Society" narrates the account of how police opened fire on striking steelworkers outside the mill where they were fighting for a contract. Produced by Lyn Goldfarb, it also chronicles the subsequent cover-up of the slaying that only came to light later.

The film features first-hand accounts, historic photos, an introduction by the legendary oral historian Studs Terkel and rarely-seen Paramount News footage that was initially suppressed. The director Oliver Stone said it was "doing an outstanding job in reminding us of these incidents we forget.

"It explores the tragic 1937 incident that's largely forgotten in the rest of the country," Mitchell said. "It's quite startling."

Mitchell has written 12 books and started to make documentaries about some of the subjects he's written about. His first PBS film, "The First Attack Ads: Hollywood vs. Upton Sinclair," came out last year.

"I've always written nonfiction books, many of them histories," he said. "I had served as an advisor to films so I started making my own films using archival footage."

He was startled to learn about the Memorial Day Massacre after talking to someone whose uncle was shot in the leg there.

"It got me thinking it was incredible that people didn't know about this," he said. "It seemed impossible, leading you to wonder how did that happen? The footage is shocking. The film explores the incident itself and the cover-up. People were not allowed to see the film footage, which is far worse than most people imagine."

It was a major moment in labor history, he said.

"It draws attention to workers' struggles in general," he said. "It led to a big surge in workers' activities. That's a current topical trend as more workers are unionizing around the country."

Mitchell also released a companion book, "Memorial Day Massacre: Workers Die, Film Buried," that collects an oral history of the incident, assembling what eyewitnesses and others have said over the decades.

"I thought it was incredible people didn't know about this," he said. "It was initially portrayed by the local media and national media as a riot of strikers that police broke up. The footage was suppressed."

It took a subpoena from a U.S. Senate hearing to release the footage of police firing at fleeing workers and clubbing them over the head.

"A topical connection to modern-day bodycams is that the footage led to the first calls from officials for cameras in police vans," he said. "It was visual evidence of what happened. When you see the footage, it's blatant. Clearly, police are shooting retreating people. Waves of people are hitting the ground and police are going through the crowds. No one's getting medical assistance. They're just picking up the injured they shot or beat up and threw them into the paddy wagon. It's far worse than people imagine. It's hard to see. Some of the marchers were women and kids."

Some accounts say the strikers threw rocks but the footage shows no provocation for the attack, Mitchell said.

"The media coverage made it seem like the strikers were guilty of violence and were all communists and radicals. That played into the public opinion that was against labor," he said. "The strike ended and they went back to work without a contract. They eventually did get a contract and win some concessions."

The Memorial Day Massacre had a major impact on the labor movement.

"It was the last major confrontation of its kind between labor and police with that big a death toll," he said. "After that, they kept the violence under wraps. They try to cool down the violence, which definitely has gone down since. The 10 who died were martyrs who inspire people to this day. The labor movement stands on the work of the people before us and the workers who died. It wouldn't be anywhere today without the predecessors who tried for a union."

For more information, visit https://www.pbs.org/show/memorial-day-massacre-workers-die-film-buried/.
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U.S. Steel closed on $240 million more in financing to bankroll the construction of a second mini mill in Arkansas.

The Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, one of the Calumet Region's largest employers, long focused exclusively on integrated steelmaking like at the mills along the Lake Michigan lakeshore in Northwest Indiana until it acquired mini mill operator Big River Steel for $1.4 billion in 2021.

It's now expanding its mini-mill operating in the south, where it's building Big River 2. The new $3 billion mill is under construction in Osceola, Arkansas.

U. S. Steel lined up $240 million in unsecured Arkansas Development Finance Authority environmental improvement revenue bonds to help finance the project. They have a coupon rate of 5.7% and become mature in 2053.

The steelmaker will have to pay interest on a semiannual basis.

The $240 million Green Bonds transaction that closed today, together with $290 million of Green Bonds issued in 2022 concludes the financing available through the Arkansas Development Finance Authority for Big River 2, U.S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt said.

The bonds will help fund the flat-rolled steel mill that will recycle and process scrap steel into finished steel products. It will have two electric arc furnaces, an advanced casting and rolling line, finishing lines and 3 million tons of steelmaking capability a year. U.S. Steel asserts it will be "the most advanced steelmaking facility in North America."

U.S. Steel said it will help the company meet its sustainability goals as it will release 70% to 80% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a traditional vertically integrated mill

Combined with the original Big River mini mill, it will form a steelmaking complex with 6.3 million tons of annual steelmaking capacity. Gary Works, U.S. Steel's flagship mill, can make up to 7.5 million tons of steel products a year.
Q: Ive heard that tongue scraping is good for your oral health and can prevent bad breath. Is that true? And why?

Tongue scraping involves using a tool to remove a white or yellowish coating that sometimes forms on the tongue. This is the result of buildup from food debris, dead skin cells and bacteria, said Dr. Martinna Bertolini, an assistant professor of dental medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.

The tongue is the only tissue in the entire body that has papillae, Dr. Bertolini said, which are tiny bumps that help your tongue grip food as you eat and that sometimes contain taste buds. These papillae, as well as the grooves some people have in their tongues, create little pockets where buildup can accumulate.

Tongue scrapers are designed to scrape off that discolored, often smelly coating. Typically made of stainless steel, silicone or plastic, they come in a few styles. They usually involve gripping one end of the tool while you press the other end down your tongue as you scrape.
A Georgia school district may have violated its students civil rights by removing certain books from its libraries, creating a hostile environment for students based on race, sex or national origin, said the United States Department of Education.

The departments Office for Civil Rights was investigating whether Forsyth County Schools had violated students rights, and announced a settlement on Friday.

In a letter to the superintendent of Forsyth County Schools, the Education Departments Office for Civil Rights said that in the fall of 2021, the district began receiving complaints from some parents that material in the library was sexually explicit or had L.G.B.T.Q. content. The district eventually responded by removing some books. The debate concerning the books removal left some students feeling targeted, said Catherine E. Lhamon, the education departments Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.

The district took steps to try to adhere to a nondiscriminatory policy, she said, but those steps were not sufficient to address the hostile environment.
Edward M. Kindt, the man who raped and murdered a Salamanca mother 24 years ago, told the New York State Parole Board earlier this year that he had matured and proven he could become a productive member of society.

"I am rehabilitated and I took efforts and time at rehabilitation and understanding myself," he told members of the Parole Board in February.

Six days later, the majority of board members voted to release him from prison, despite a prison disciplinary record that showed lewd behavior and stalking incidents a decade and more ago, and admonishment from the judge who sentenced him to nine years to life in prison, the maximum term allowed at the time because of his age.

"If you ever are released from prison, someone else will pay for that decision with their life," then-Cattaraugus County Judge Larry Himelein told Kindt on May 1, 2000. "I think you are a threat any time you are in society."

Cattaraugus County legislators remain unconvinced Kindt deserves to be free.

They condemned the Parole Board earlier this month and unanimously called for the immediate resignations of the two members who supported his release, maintaining Kindt "remains a sexual predator, a cold-blooded killer, and a threat to society."

Caryne Demosthenes and Carlton S. Mitchell voted in favor of the release, while Joseph Crangle, who lives in Erie County, opposed it.

Legislators also asked the Parole Board to revoke Kindt's release during their meeting May 10 in Little Valley.

Kindt, 39, was 15 on Mother's Day in 1999, when he encountered Penny Brown jogging on a walking trail in Salamanca with her two dogs.

The Parole Board asked him to tell them what happened that day. He said he grabbed her buttocks, she turned around and screamed, and he covered her mouth. He took her off the trail, telling the board the sexual assault lasted 15 or 20 minutes. He eventually strangled her with one of her dog's leashes.

He said she fought for her life.

"My intention was never to, you know, take this lady's life. This was never my intention," Kindt said, according to a transcript from the hearing acquired after The Buffalo News filed a Freedom of Information Law request. "My intention was just to, you know, incapacitate her so that I could, you know, get away without, you know, her seeing where I was going, you know. In doing so, it caused this lady to lose her life."

"You had plenty of time to run away," Demosthenes said. "The woman would have gone home, you know. Who knows if you would have gotten caught, but she probably would still be alive, right?"

"I wish she was still alive. I wish I would have just ran away," Kindt replied.

Kindt pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was charged as an adult because of the seriousness of the crime. But he was sentenced as a juvenile to nine years to life in prison.

Pennys Law, named in memory of his victim, changed the maximum sentence for juveniles convicted of murder to 15 years to life.

The Parole Board decision said that after reviewing the record, interviewing Kindt and deliberating, that at 39 years old, and after serving approximately 23 years of his prison sentence, he had developed the skills to remain at liberty without violating the law.

"Your release at this time is compatible with the welfare of society," its decision stated.

Kindt told the three members of the panel Feb. 15 that it was his 10th appearance before the board seeking his release. The board issued its decision to free him Feb. 21.

I made a horrible, terrible, costly mistake, and you know, it was  just a terrible thing that happened, Kindt said.

He told the Parole Board that the last grade he completed in school was seventh and he received his GED in prison.

Kindt had a number of disciplinary incidents throughout the years, according to state records, particularly in 2013, when he was disciplined five times, including for stalking, harassment and drug use. Other incidents included harassment and stalking in 2010 and lewd conduct in 2005 and 2007, as well as eight drug and alcohol use incidents. There were other incidents, such as having contraband and violating direct orders.

He has not been disciplined since 2019.

Kindt told the Parole Board he was in and out of solitary confinement when he was younger, but not in recent years. He said he will live the rest of his days with the pain and burden that "I took this wonderful lady's life."

He was released March 30 from the Elmira Correctional Facility.

As his release was being prepared, residents and local and state officials opposed returning him to Cattaraugus or Chautauqua counties, and the Seneca Nation of Indians formally banished Kindt, a Seneca, from all Seneca territories for a year.

He ended up in Dutchess County, where he is living in a structured residential contracted program, according to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. He also is required to wear a GPS monitoring device, according to the department.

He was not convicted of rape, and did not have to register as a sex offender. But the Parole Board required him to "comply with all case specific sex offender conditions to be imposed" by his parole officer. He also can't use medications to enhance sexual performance or treat erectile dysfunction without permission.

The board issued other conditions of his parole, including no contact with anyone under 18 without the written permission of his parole officer. He must get a job or enter an academic or vocational program, and not consume alcohol.

Kindt also is not to associate or communicate with Brown's family without the permission of his parole officer.
Theres one woman among the new plaintiffs who recounted terrible mistreatment in a religiously affiliated hospital as she waited to either go into labor or get sick enough to merit an abortion. But in most of these cases, the women described their doctors as struggling to do the right thing. The problem was the law, not the doctors misunderstanding of it.

Elizabeth Weller, for example, was hospitalized after her water broke at 19 weeks. She was given antibiotics and, according to the suit, instructed to pray. Her OB/GYN concluded that, without an abortion, she risked an infection and could lose her uterus or even her life. The hospital administration, however, refused to clear the procedure because the antibiotics made such an infection less likely.

Elizabeth was told that she could either discontinue antibiotics and stay in the hospital to wait to develop an infection and get sicker; or she could go home and look out for signs of infection, said the filing. She went home. With every passing day, I felt the states intentional cruelty, Weller said during a news conference on Monday. My baby would not survive and my life didnt matter. Her doctor, she said, called around trying to find another hospital that would treat her. All of those hospitals told my doctor that they have patients just like me in those situations and they cant touch them, she said.

Two of the women in the original suit, Lauren Miller and Ashley Brandt, had been pregnant with twins. Each discovered that one of her twins had severe abnormalities and wouldnt survive. In both cases, only by aborting the doomed twin could they protect the life of the viable one, as well as their own health.

Texas doctors can do little for women in this excruciating situation. Given a state law that lets people sue anyone who aids or abets an abortion, many are fearful even to counsel their patients about out-of-state options. In every interaction with their medical team in Texas, Lauren M. and her husband felt confused and frustrated and could not get direct answers, says the lawsuit. Both Miller and her doctors were afraid to even utter the word abortion.
Tim Keller was a recliner. Whenever a particular group of my friends would get together, discussing some personal, social or philosophical issue over Zoom during the past few years, you could see Tim just chilling and enjoying it, lounging back in his chair. The conversation would flow, and finally somebody would ask: Tim, what do you think?

Hed start slow, with that wry, friendly smile. Hed mention a relevant John Bunyan poem, then an observation Kierkegaard had made or a pattern the historian David Bebbington had noticed. Then Tim would synthesize it all into the four crucial points that pierced the clouds of confusion and brought you to a new layer of understanding.

I used to think of it as the Keller Clarity Beam. He didnt make these points in a didactic or professorial way. It was more like: Hey, youre thirsty. I happen to have this glass of water. Want a sip?

It was this skill that made Tim Keller, who died on Friday at 72, one of the most important theologians and greatest preachers of our time.
President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed optimism on Monday that they could break the partisan stalemate that has prevented action to avert a default on the nations debt, but remained far apart on a deal to raise the debt limit as Democrats resisted Republicans demands for spending cuts in exchange.

The two met face to face at the White House for the second time in two weeks in a show of good will after a weekend of behind-the-scenes clashes among negotiators, punctuated by a move by Republicans on Friday to halt the talks and accusations by both sides that the other was being unreasonable.

With Mr. Biden back from a summit meeting in Japan, the tenor appeared to have changed considerably.

We dont have an agreement yet, Mr. McCarthy told reporters at the White House after the meeting. But I did feel like the discussion was productive, he said, adding later that he believed the tone of the talks was better than any other time weve had discussions.
Iran on Monday removed its top national security official, one of the most powerful men in the country, after he came under scrutiny over his close ties with a high-ranking British spy.

The security official, Ali Shamkhani, had been secretary of the Supreme National Council, which shapes Iranian security and foreign policy, for a decade, and before that worked at the Defense Ministry. The spy, Alireza Akbari, a dual British citizen, was Mr. Shamkhanis deputy at the ministry and then worked as an adviser to him on the council.

In 2019, as suspicions about Mr. Akbari arose, Mr. Shamkhani lured him back to Iran from Britain, where he had moved, leading to his arrest and execution in January.

Mr. Shamkhani appeared to have not only survived but thrived after the scandal until his sudden ouster on Monday. In March, he spearheaded Irans negotiations to restore ties with Saudi Arabia, with the mediation of China, and he also acted as a diplomat traveling to neighboring Arab countries in the Persian Gulf to strengthen trade and political relations.
A few notes on this playlist, compiled to celebrate Blurs return. Its not quite chronological, but its meant to show the breadth of the bands sprawling career. Only two Blur albums are not represented here, and for different reasons: Modern Life Is Rubbish, the sophomore effort from 1993, because I find most songs from its follow-up, Parklife, to be better examples of what Blur was trying to do in that era; and Think Tank from 2003, for the semi-controversial reason that I dont consider it a Blur album at all, given that almost all of it was recorded without Coxon and I believe the definition of Blur to be a specific alchemical happening between four particular people. (Albarn has even admitted as much in recent years, joking that, if anything, Think Tank was a LUR album.)

Consider this playlist slightly beyond entry level: Blur 201, if you will. I avoided the most obvious songs, presuming that youre already familiar with Song 2 at the very least, and maybe also the bands era-defining mid-90s hits Girls and Boys and Parklife, or its 1999 stadium-size weepie Tender. If youre not, check those out when you get a moment. But for now, lets follow the herd down to Greece and dive in.

Listen along on Spotify as you read.

1. Lot 105 (1994)

To set the mood: a zany interstitial from the bands 1994 masterpiece, Parklife. (Listen on YouTube)

2. Theres No Other Way (1991)

Blur began life as a prettily vacant Britpop group that was often lumped in with late-80s U.K. subgenres like Madchester and baggy; the best-case scenario, at that time, was it would become the next Stone Roses. I am happy the quartet grew out of this sound quickly, but there are several perfect pop songs on its 1991 debut album, Leisure, including the exquisitely bratty single Theres No Other Way. The video for this song is important for several reasons: 1) Damon Albarns haircut 2) The Lynchian aesthetic that foreshadows the way Blur would soon come to write songs about the dark underbelly of polite society and 3) Seriously, behold Damons 1991 bowl cut. (Listen on YouTube)

3. Country House (1995)

Perhaps best known for beating Oasis Roll With It in the epochal battle of Britpop on the U.K. charts, Country House, from the bands fourth album, The Great Escape, is a wickedly catchy sendup of rich people who abandon the urban rat race for lush, secluded digs in the country  and specifically, of Blurs former manager and label head David Balfe. It also boasts the only music video ever directed by the artist Damien Hirst, who went to Goldsmiths College with three-quarters of Blur. (Listen on YouTube)
When it came out 17 years ago, Gene Luen Yangs graphic novel American Born Chinese was singular in several ways: for its focus on everyday Asian American characters; for the way it used Chinese mythology to amplify and deepen its story of immigrant anomie and identity; and for the collagelike, stop-and-start manner in which it told the story. It was, perhaps, more worthy than exciting, but both its novelty and its seriousness made it stand out.

The eight-episode Disney+ series American Born Chinese, very loosely based on Yangs book, premieres on Wednesday in, if not a different world, then in a very different pop-culture environment. Its Asianness is notable but not novel; two members of its cast, Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, won Oscars in March (and a third, Stephanie Hsu, was nominated) for Everything Everywhere All at Once, the latest landmark in the Asian or Asian-themed film-music-television wave. That the list of writers and directors for American Born Chinese is almost entirely Asian is, in 2023, an expectation rather than a surprise.

All of which is a long way of getting to the point that while American Born Chinese offers a number of things you could expect  a textured depiction of first- and second-generation immigrant suburban life, a flashy incorporation of characters from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, a critique of Hollywoods history of racist depictions of Asians  those things no longer define, or delimit, the experience of watching it or thinking about it. The operative word here isnt American or Chinese but Disney. And the fusion that matters the most isnt the one between East and West but the entirely commercial one between high school dramedy and martial-arts-inflected superhero action.

So the somewhat disappointing report is that after 17 years, American Born Chinese is an entirely typical half-hour teenage comic-drama-supernatural adventure series. On the good side, the family at its core  the teenager Jin Wang (Ben Wang) and his parents, Christine and Simon (Yeo Yann Yann and Chin Han)  are sensitively drawn and given excellent performances, and the naturalistic parts of the story that focus on their home life and Jins struggles at school often have humor and a quiet but sure emotional pull.
Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. surgeon general, gave an extraordinary public advisory today, warning of the risks of social media use for young people. He noted that while we dont fully understand the effects of social media, there is evidence that it can have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.

The surgeon general called on policymakers, tech companies, researchers and parents to urgently take action to safeguard against the potential risks.

But the research on the impact of social media use on teen mental health is inconclusive, which Murthy noted in his report. My colleague Matt Richtel, who reports on the effects of technology use on behavior and the brain, said the surgeon generals messaging felt contradictory at points.

He says in the report that the science is conflicting while also raising alarm bells, Matt said.

There are still valid concerns, Matt said. The rise in social media use has coincided with declines in exercise, sleep and other activities considered vital to developing brains. At the same time, social media enables some young people to connect with others, find community and express themselves.
The News

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday that it had awarded more than $100 million to a dozen airports to help prevent accidents after a series of near collisions this year. The money is intended to reduce incursions, in which planes, vehicles and people mistakenly occupy or obstruct runways.

The money will fund changes that include building new paths, or taxiways, for planes to move around airports and the installation of lights to help better guide pilots. Tucson International Airport will receive the largest award, about $33 million, to build a taxiway and rebuild a runway. San Diego International Airport will receive $24 million to build a new taxiway.

Sometimes the best technology is concrete, and thats why some of what youre seeing are the construction of these end-around taxiways that mean one less potential conflict point where a plane lines up, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at a news conference on Tuesday.
One of their most emphatic concerns was job displacement: Who will assume responsibility to protect workers whose jobs might be transformed, or even eliminated, by generative A.I.?

Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, declared that his biggest nightmare in the long term is the job loss that A.I. could cause, before saying to Mr. Altman, Let me ask you what your biggest nightmare is.

There will be an impact on jobs, Mr. Altman replied. And I think it will require partnership between the industry and government, but mostly action by government.

Mr. Altman, like so many other executives unleashing new technologies on the world, has asked the government to assume the bulk of responsibility in supporting workers through the labor market disruptions prompted by A.I. Its not yet clear how government will rise to that task.

Generative A.I. could automate activities equivalent to 300 million full-time jobs globally, according to a recent estimate by Goldman Sachs. Already the chief executive of IBM said he expected A.I. to affect white-collar clerical staffing, eliminating the need for up to 30 percent of certain roles while creating new ones. The White House on Tuesday is hosting workers for a discussion of their experiences with automation and monitoring technologies in the workplace.
BuzzFeed parlayed the rising power of social media into a digital media business worth more than a billion dollars at its peak. But when technology giants behind social platforms moved away from publishing, BuzzFeeds valuation cratered.

To rebound, BuzzFeed is again turning to new technology: artificial intelligence.

The company has tried a variety of experiments since announcing plans to incorporate A.I. a few months ago, embracing the technology more than most publishers. On Tuesday, BuzzFeed introduced its most ambitious offering yet, a free chatbot called Botatouille (no relation to Pixars murine chef), which serves up recipe recommendations from Tasty, BuzzFeeds food brand.

Botatouille is built using the technology that drives OpenAIs popular ChatGPT program, customized with Tasty recipes and user data.

Rainy day? Botatouille recommends winter chili or lentil soup. Feeling lonely? Botatouille suggests chocolate chip cookies or a vegetable curry. Botatouille might also recommend shepherds pie, which it quipped was its mothers recipe.
ALBANY  Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Tuesday that an as-yet-unknown number of asylum-seekers are coming to Western New York at the direction of Gov. Kathy Hochul.

While we do not yet know where they will be housed, I have been assured the costs associated with their housing, food, and other supportive services will be paid for by either New York State or New York City, Poloncarz said in a prepared statement. The asylum seekers coming here are enduring the most difficult situation of their lives, something we should all consider, and are deserving of our respect, compassion and dignity as they work to start a new life in our country.

Poloncarz's statement comes as all of New York finds itself thrust into the national debate about immigration, thanks in large part to the end of a pandemic-era rule and an influx of people crossing the southern border into the United States.

'What we have now is chaos': The politics of immigration land in New York Migrants are entering the United States almost 2,000 miles away, but the issues related to that influx have landed on the doorstep of politicians and organizations across New York.

At a news conference on Monday, Hochul was asked whether available space at State University of New York or City University of New York facilities would be used for housing. Hochul responded that the state had been doing an assessment of that possibility.

Actually, the timing is very good because a lot of the students have left now for the summer, Hochul said. So, there are temporary dorms through August, but we are looking at the long-range situation  what happens in August. We can find a lot of temporary spaces. There will be tents going up in parking lots of state facilities and state directed facilities. That's not ideal. Nobody wants little kids and adults in a tent, but they can't live on a street either. This is where we're at.

On Monday evening, a reporter from the New York City television station NY1 tweeted that the Hochul administration has identified dorms on three SUNY campuses to house migrants, including in Buffalo, totaling 1,500 beds. But Avi Small, a Hochul spokesman, said no final decision has been made about locations for housing.

"Governor Hochul directed her administration to assess all possible state sites that could be used to provide shelter for asylum seekers," Small said. "There are multiple sites under consideration, including SUNY and CUNY campuses, and no final decisions have been made."

In 2021, Hochul had previously used unoccupied dormitory space at SUNY Buffalo State University to temporarily house incoming families.

The University at Buffalo did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether migrants would possibly be housed there.

In his statement, Poloncarz noted that for more than a decade, the Erie County Department of Social Services had worked with the five area resettlement agencies to identify the best ways to house and accommodate asylum-seekers and refugees in the county.

Approximately 12,000 refugees have moved into and through our area as part of the good work that the Refugee Partnership does, all without fanfare and without the ridiculous fears stoked by xenophobic and ill-informed community members, Poloncarz said. Some stay here and some move on but all of these people come here seeking to build their own American dream, provide for themselves and their families, and become productive members of our society.

Contentious Erie County Legislature primary escalates over immigration issue A primary for an Erie County Legislature seat escalated with the Republican and Conservative candidates  as well as County Executive Mark Poloncarz, a Democrat  sparring over the issue of migrants coming to New York from the southern U.S. border.

Some conservative local lawmakers have expressed fears about the influx, including Erie County Legislator Jim Malczewski, who issued a statement on Tuesday criticizing Poloncarz for not opposing the Hochul plan.

There is no plan, just chaos, Malczewski said. The County Executive has communicated nothing to us. He is not being transparent. An influx of migrants will impact our communities in many ways and our residents very real concerns are being ignored. We have a country that is trillions of dollars in debt. We have a community that is one of the poorest in the nation. This is not sustainable. We cant effectively take care of Erie County residents already in need and manage this, as well.

He is calling for Poloncarz to declare a state of emergency opposing efforts by Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams to relocate migrants in other parts of the state.

The influx of migrants in the United States recently became more pronounced with the expiration of Title 42, a federal restriction implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic that had allowed the rapid expulsion of many migrants at the countrys southern border.

Many of the migrants have been forced from their countries due to the threat of violence, including from countries in Central America. A number are Afghan refuges who cooperated with the U.S. government during the 20-year U.S. occupation of Afghanistan but faced threats after the U.S. military departed in 2021 and the country's government was quickly toppled by the Taliban. Afghan refugees have made a perilous trek across South and Central America, but have faced uncertain prospects of entry into the United States, despite the expiration of Title 42.

The impact of the crisis has especially affected New York City. According to Adams, the city has spent more than $1 billion responding. He called on Sunday for the entire state to participate in a decompression strategy."
If a multiday blackout in Phoenix coincided with a heat wave, nearly half the population would require emergency department care for heat stroke or other heat-related illnesses, a new study suggests.

While Phoenix was the most extreme example, the study warned that other cities are also at risk. Since 2015, the number of major blackouts nationwide has more than doubled. At the same time, climate change is helping make heat waves worse and increasing instances of extreme weather around the world.

The study, published Tuesday in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, suggests that the risk to cities would be compounded if a hurricane, cyberattack or wind storm were to knock out power during a heat wave and deprive thousands of air-conditioning.

This summer, two-thirds of North America, including the Southwest, could experience shortfalls in the electrical grid, particularly during periods of extreme heat when demand for air-conditioning spikes, straining resources, according to an analysis released this month. Phoenixs mayor, Kate Gallego, has urged the federal government to add extreme heat to the list of disasters like floods and hurricanes that could prompt a federal disaster declaration.
I would also happily drive up to Tobala, the eight-month-old Mexican restaurant in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx that Pete Wells reviewed last week. The pulpo de puerto with salsa, and the sweet tamales are calling my name. Pete also makes a compelling case for this years drink of the summer: the carajillo. An inky brew under a plush cap of foam, he writes, it is a union of opposites, bitter and sweet, caffeine and alcohol, liquid and froth, darkness and sunshine.

And, if the weather is good, Ill make my way to the Rockaways because, say it with me, New York City is famously a beach town. Try La Cevicheria, a Peruvian food stand at the Rockaway Bazaar at Beach 97th Street and, starting this weekend, at Jacob Riis Park. What could be more refreshing than ice-cold seafood on a sunny day? Not a single alternative comes to mind.

In Other News 

I have two exciting bits of news to share: First, The Times has a new iOS app for audio journalism called New York Times Audio. It features our podcasts, narrated articles and more. Youll also hear from Times journalists (including myself!), Opinion columnists and cultural critics. Download that now.

And second, the Summer in the City newsletter returns on Thursday in a new monthly format that will give you and your loved ones recommendations to use throughout the summer. You can sign up here.

This week Pete Wells reviewed House Brooklyn , a new French-Japanese restaurant in Greenpoint. With a shorter menu and lower prices the cooking would be just as intuitive, fluid and impressionistic, if not more so, he writes.

Openings: Restaurant Yuu is now serving a $250 tasting menu in Greenpoint; Libertine is slinging gougeres and duck breast au poivre in the West Village; and Mitica , a new restaurant from the couple behind Mariscos El Submarino in Jackson Heights, Queens, has moved into the space that was once Anella in Greenpoint.

Is Dallas the new Dubai? A growing number of fine-dining restaurants with national and international footprints certainly seem to think so, reports Priya Krishna.

If you hate QR menus , Amelia Nierenberg has good news for you.

Horses, a popular restaurant in Los Angeles that is a celebrity magnet, is now at the center of a marital dispute between two of its chefs, Julia Moskin reported.

Email us at wheretoeat@nytimes.com. Newsletters will be archived here. Follow NYT Food on TikTok and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.
Headliner

Restaurant Yuu

Multicourse, high-priced omakase counters with limited seating continue to proliferate. Is it because New Yorks intimate sushi counters cant meet the demand? Whatever the reason, the latest example in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, with 18 seats at a black marble counter facing an impressive open kitchen, follows a playbook thats as French as it is Japanese. The chef and owner, Yuu Shimano, graduated from the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan, and Lyon, France. He then worked at Guy Savoy in Paris and moved to New York to become the executive chef at Mifune. Mr. Shimano; his chef de cuisine, Shuji Furukawa; and the pastry chef Masaki Takahashi serve an 18-course tasting menu ($250) starting with a smoked trout tartlet with fennel cream, an octopus fritter, and caviar with sour cream on brioche garnished with a shiso flower. After dishes like smoked mackerel confit, a mushroom flan with surf clam and English peas, and fluke and scallop mousse in cabbage with a vin blanc sauce, the finale is his signature duck pie, like a well-burnished duck Wellington with foie gras. Wine and sake or nonalcoholic pairings are options. The restaurant has a couple of plush lounge areas for after-dinner mignardises and digestifs suggested by Akio Matsumoto, the sommelier. There are seatings at 6 and 8:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays.

55 Nassau Avenue (Guernsey Street), Greenpoint, Brooklyn, 347-422-0270, yuunewyork.com/restaurantyuu.

Opening

Libertine

More evidence that French cooking is alive and well in New York comes from this new West Village bistro. Cody Pruitt, the manager of Anfora, formed a partnership with the chef Max Mackinnon to open this new place and pursue a love of French food. Mr. Mackinnons menu offers gougeres, scallops in the shell with seaweed butter, monkfish a la normande, gnocchi parisienne with asparagus and peas, and duck breast au poivre with duck confit Parmentier; desserts include a chocolate mousse. The 46-seat room with an open kitchen is done with dark burgundy banquettes and bistro tables. French posters and gilded mirrors adorn the walls.

684 Greenwich Street (Christopher Street), no phone, libertinenyc.com.

Mitica

Replacing Anella, a popular neighborhood spot for more than a decade, is this eclectic and ambitious 80-seat Mexican restaurant owned by Alonso Guzman and his wife, Amy Hernandez. Their Mariscos El Submarino in Jackson Heights, Queens, won high praise from Pete Wells in The Times, especially for its aguachile, and they call this new restaurant a cantina. The aguachile is on the menu here, as are some seafood dishes, but there is a tomahawk steak, duck breast and a pork shank adobado, all seasoned from a Mexican perspective but often prepared to showcase techniques from elsewhere. We do Japanese-style grilling, theres a French sauce for the steak and the pork shank is served with mashed potatoes, Ms. Hernandez said.

222 Franklin Street (Green Street), Greenpoint, Brooklyn, 347-384-2422, instagram.com/miticanyc.

Boon Dee

All you can eat, Thai-style is the feature at this sprawling new place in Queens. Moo ka ta, a traditional Thai barbecue-hot pot hybrid, features simple wooden booths. The central grill pan at the table is surrounded by a moat of broth for searing and dipping. There are more than three dozen possible ingredients to select for this treatment from a buffet, and servers to give advice. The process is explained on the website. But there are also some strict regulations. Here all you can eat means all you must eat; though you are free to replenish, a 30 percent surcharge will be imposed for leftovers, which you are forbidden to take away. The same surcharge will apply to those who overstay their 90 minute limit. The price per person is $39.98, less for children under 7. Some additional a la carte appetizer options include gyoza, crab Rangoon, shrimp roll and tom yum soup: 168-11 Union Turnpike (168th Street), Hillcrest, Queens, 917-456-1088, boondeebbq.com.
When the health workers arrived at Upendo Primary School on the edge of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, they instructed girls who would turn 14 this year to line up to get a shot. Quinn Chengo held an urgent, whispered consultation with her friends. What was the injection for, really? Could it be a Covid vaccine? (They had heard rumors about that.) Or was it meant to keep them from having babies?

Ms. Chengo was uneasy, but she remembered that last year her sister got this shot, for the human papillomavirus. So she got in the line. Some girls sneaked away, though, and hid behind the school buildings. When some of Ms. Chengos friends arrived home that evening, they faced questions from their parents, who worried that it might make their children feel more comfortable with the idea of having sex  even if some didnt want to come right out and say so.

The HPV vaccine, which offers near-total protection against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer, has been given to adolescents in the United States and other industrialized countries for almost 20 years. But it is only now starting to be widely introduced in lower-income countries, where 90 percent of cervical cancer deaths occur.

Tanzanias experience  with misinformation, with cultural and religious discomfort, and with supply and logistical obstacles  highlights some of the challenges countries face in implementing what is seen a critical health intervention in the region.
The report could help encourage further research to understand whether these two trends are related. It joins a growing number of calls for action around adolescents and social media. Earlier this month, the American Psychological Association issued its first-ever social media guidance, recommending that parents closely monitor teens usage and that tech companies reconsider features like endless scrolling and the like button.

A large body of research has emerged in recent years on the potential connection between social media use and soaring rates of distress among adolescents. But the results have been consistent only in their nuance and complexity.

An analysis published last year, examining research from 2019 to 2021 on social media use and mental health, found that most reviews interpreted the associations between social media use and mental health as weak or inconsistent, whereas a few qualified the same associations as substantial and deleterious.

At their clearest, the data indicate that social media can have both a positive and negative impact on the well-being of young people, and that heavy use of social media  and screen time generally  appears to displace activities like sleep and exercise that are considered vital to developing brains.

On the positive side, social media can help many young people by giving them a forum to connect with others, find community and express themselves.

At the same time, the surgeon generals advisory noted, social media platforms brim with extreme, inappropriate and harmful content, including content that can normalize self-harm, eating disorders and other self-destructive behavior. Cyberbullying is rampant.

Moreover, social media spaces can be fraught for young people especially, the advisory added: In early adolescence, when identities and sense of self-worth are forming, brain development is especially susceptible to social pressures, peer opinions and peer comparison.
Within hours of the shooting, people descended on Uvalde from all over the country. Camera crews joined the police vans crowded around the school. Strangers drove in to lay flowers where 21 white crosses stood, bearing the names of the victims  19 fourth graders and their two teachers. Days later, the Bidens visited the school and attended Mass nearby. Letters and packages arrived at the school and at city offices addressed to the families  blankets and shirts and posters with the childrens and teachers faces, books about grief. Reporters roamed the area, knocking on doors, asking people what they saw and how they felt when they found out, what kind of change they now wanted to see. The only people the couple did not hear from in those early days were parents of past school-shooting victims, who perhaps understood too well that what these families also needed was space.

Kimberly didnt know what to do with all the attention and generosity, how to appreciate it while wishing none of it was real. After learning that Amerie was gone  My baby, why why why did you have to leave me why, she tweeted  she thanked the thousands of people who replied with condolences and broken-heart emojis. I am grateful for each & every one of you all! she wrote. Later, she would regret not slowing down and being more present, not crying more, not lingering a little longer with Amerie before the pallbearers lifted her away. But in the moment, she feared what would happen if she didnt weigh in as much as she could: that someone else would do it for her, or worse, leave Ameries story behind.

Kimberly and Angel couldnt understand what had happened, how it was possible that they had lost a child, when they agreed to their first media appearances. They didnt know much about Anderson Cooper, but Angels mother said everyone watched him. Angel put on a pair of sunglasses and a backward cap and met the anchorman by the school, clutching a framed photo of Amerie holding the honor-roll certificate she received the morning of the shooting. He told Cooper that she turned 10 just two weeks earlier, that they had surprised her with a cellphone, the same one she used in her final moments to call 911. He told a CBS journalist the same story that morning. They stood in front of the sea foam green house and cried together on camera, as Kimberly wailed inside.

A few weeks after Ameries funeral, Good Morning America came to Angels mothers home, where the couple moved with their son after May 24. Kimberly, already having postponed the interview once, somehow got herself out of bed and into a pair of sweatpants and a white shirt that she didnt remember receiving, with an image of Amerie with angel wings. She sat on a couch in front of the camera, without shoes and with barely any makeup. Each time she tried to say something about how sweet Amerie was, she started thinking about how the memories she tried to recall were the only ones she would ever have. She asked to stop the interview a few times, struggling to collect herself.

Kimberly and Angel pushed their grief into public all summer. They drove to Austin to rally at the Texas Capitol and flew to marches in Washington demanding gun reform. The shifting official narrative about the massacre and the smattering of details that leaked to the press only raised more questions. Because we dont get answers, it makes our minds show us the worst [expletive] imaginable, said Brett Cross, whose child, Uziyah Garcia, was killed in the same classroom as Amerie.

When news broke in July that surveillance footage showed officers waiting in a hallway for 77 minutes before confronting the shooter, the couple flew with Angels mother to CNNs studio in New York. Wearing jeans and Amerie T-shirts, they demanded accountability. We dont know what she did in her last moments, we dont know what she was thinking, Angel said, his voice cracking, as Kimberly wiped her eyes.

That week, the couple met with an F.B.I. agent, who handed them a box of Ameries belongings. Inside, Kimberly found a pair of gold hoop earrings, a jacket and a sunflower backpack that smelled sterile. She wondered what had been cleaned from it and began sobbing. I just received my daughters backpack from the F.B.I. ... with bullet holes on it. No parent should go thru this, she tweeted. She decided against adding a photo, thinking it would be too much.

Kimberly couldnt keep up with all the messages people wrote her, but she tried to respond to the ones from other parents of little kids. She got to know one mother, who also had a 4-year-old son named Zayne and had mailed Kimberly a pair of tiny Crocs with charms memorializing Amerie: an art palette, a Starbucks cup (her favorite drink was vanilla Frappuccino). Occasionally, people came up to Kimberly and other Uvalde mothers at rallies to say that their social media posts had compelled them to protest for the first time. It touched her to know that people out there cared.

In Uvalde, the couple saw signs of mourning everywhere  paper angels and hearts and the phrase Uvalde Strong all along Main Street. But they also felt that the citys sympathy extended only so far; residents were deeply divided when it came to questions about gun reform or holding police officers and other officials accountable. Ive been losing friends and finding peace, Kimberly tweeted.

Thanksgiving landed on the six-month anniversary of the shooting. As the holidays approached, the couple stopped leaving the house even for simple errands. They had their groceries delivered. The only place that brought a measure of comfort was Ameries grave. Kimberly went almost daily to trim the grass and clean the debris, to make sure the wind and rain hadnt knocked over the pinwheels or flowers or decorations, while Zayne ran around picking up petals that had fallen off their stems.

When Dr. Phil invited the couple to Los Angeles to speak before a live audience, with Ameries best friend, Khloie, and her parents, they agreed to one of their last interviews that year. But they told the producers that there were certain things they would not discuss, including the shooter. Kimberly came up with the idea to wear matching button-down shirts in lavender, Ameries favorite color. It was strange how natural these decisions had become.
The City Council in New York is set to approve this week a major expansion of a rental subsidy program to help people move out of homeless shelters and into homes more quickly.

But the effort will run into a formidable opponent: Mayor Eric Adams.

A set of bills that the Council is expected to pass on Thursday would get rid of a rule that requires people to stay in shelters for 90 days before they become eligible for city-funded rental vouchers  a move long sought by housing advocates. The bills would expand the number of people eligible for vouchers to include those who receive written demands from their landlords for rent owed.

Its not clear how many people the measures would affect. But in a statement on Tuesday, Mr. Adams pushed back against the bills, which target a city voucher program known as City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement. He said the changes would add billions onto the backs of New York taxpayers and remove the citys ability to target our limited resources to those most in need.

The rift within city government unfolds as the homeless shelter population has reached record levels, with an influx of migrants arriving from the southern border colliding with the continuing housing crisis.
For years, New York City Department of Sanitation workers ate their lunch in a three-story yellow brick building on West 17th Street in Chelsea without knowing its history: It was once a colored school that served Black Americans during racial segregation in New York City public schools.

On Tuesday, the citys Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the building, which had been known as Colored School No. 4, a protected landmark, and city officials said they would provide $6 million to rehabilitate it.

We stand on the shoulders of the young men and women that attended this school, and while they may be gone, I am honored to ensure they will never be forgotten, Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement.

The schoolhouse, at 128 West 17th Street, was built around 1849, and in 1860 it became one of eight public primary schools for Black students in Manhattan; the schools served a total of 2,377 students. The building also housed an evening school for Black adults.
The trial of Donald J. Trump has been scheduled for March 25, 2024, the judge presiding over his Manhattan criminal case said at a hearing on Tuesday.

Mr. Trump attended the hearing remotely, making his first courtroom appearance since 34 felony charges were unveiled against him last month. He appeared to react angrily when the trial date was announced by Justice Juan Merchan, though his microphone was muted and it was unclear what he was saying to the lawyer seated next to him, Todd Blanche.

The trial is set for three weeks after Super Tuesday, one of the most important days on the Republican presidential primary calendar. And the disclosure of the date came just a day before Mr. Trumps chief rival for the Republican nomination, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, was set to announce his own run, highlighting the way that Mr. Trumps legal entanglements could complicate his third campaign for the White House.

Mr. Trumps appearance on Tuesday was brief, lasting about 20 minutes. Justice Merchan mentioned the restrictions that he had placed on Mr. Trumps use of material from the case, asking Mr. Blanche whether he had reviewed those restrictions with his client. Mr. Blanche said that he had.
For the past four years, I have taught a cybersecurity class at Yale Law School in which I show my students how to break into computers. Having grown up with a user-friendly web, my students generally have no real idea how the internet or computers work. They are surprised to find how easily they learn to hack and how much they enjoy it. (I do, too, and I didnt hack a computer until I was 52.) By the end of the semester, they are cracking passwords, cloning websites and crashing servers.

Why do I teach idealistic young people how to lead a life of cybercrime? Many of my students will pursue careers in government or with law firms whose clients include major technology companies. I want these budding lawyers to understand their clients issues. But my larger aim is to put technical expertise in its place: I want my students to realize that technology alone is not enough to solve the problems we face.

I start my class by explaining the fundamental principle of modern computing: the distinction between code and data. Code is a set of instructions: add, print my resume, shut the door. Data is information. Data is usually represented by numbers (the temperature is 80 degrees), code by words (add). But in 1936, the British mathematician Alan Turing figured out that code could be represented by numbers as well. Indeed, Turing was able to show how to represent both code and data using only ones and zeros  so-called binary strings.

This groundbreaking insight makes modern computers possible. We dont need to rebuild our computers for every new program. We can feed our devices whatever code we like as binary strings and run that program. That zeros and ones can represent both code and data is, however, a blessing and a curse, because it enables hackers to trick computers that are expecting data into accepting and running malicious code instead.

Consider a simple hack I teach my students. An attacker sends an email that has a file attached. Because the file has a .txt extension, we assume it is a plain text file  that is, data  perhaps a grocery list or grades on a final exam. But when we open the file, the operating system will not only send the data to the screen, it will also execute the malicious code that the hacker has secretly embedded, allowing him to seize control of your computer.
Migrants are entering the United States almost 2,000 miles away, but the issues related to that influx have landed on the doorstep of politicians and organizations across New York.

As Gov. Kathy Hochul called for federal help to allow asylum-seekers to work while they are in this country  an idea that received tepid support from the New York Farm Bureau  Rep. Nicholas Langworthy called for swift federal action to deal with the issue.

"What we have now is chaos," Langworthy said of the border situation. "What we need is control and law and order."

Meanwhile, immigration suddenly has become a campaign issue in the race for Erie County executive, where incumbent Mark Poloncarz and challenger Chrissy Casilio staked out opposing positions.

New York City has had more than 60,000 migrants arriving within the past year, forcing city officials to look for housing options outside the city, including busing people to hotels in neighboring Rockland and Orange counties.

Contentious Erie County Legislature primary escalates over immigration issue A primary for an Erie County Legislature seat escalated with the Republican and Conservative candidates  as well as County Executive Mark Poloncarz, a Democrat  sparring over the issue of migrants coming to New York from the southern U.S. border.

On Friday, Hochul said while visiting Buffalo that the state is considering all options, including using SUNY campuses as potential sites to house the ongoing surge of migrants and asylum-seekers in New York City. Then on Monday, she and New York Mayor Eric Adams called for the White House to provide expedited work authorization for asylum-seekers.

"They're eager to work. They want to work," Hochul said. "They came here in search of work and a new future, and they can become part of our economy and part of our communities, and people are ready to start training them right in facilities like we have here today."

New York Farm Bureau president David Fisher said the organization supports Hochul's request but views it as "a temporary Band-Aid for a greater problem that must be solved in Washington, D.C."

Langworthy said he has sympathy for Hochul on the issue but disputed the idea that all of the migrants at the southern border were legal asylum-seekers.

"The notion that everyone is an asylum-seeker from a war-torn country? Thats nonsense," Langworthy said. "We wont know until they actually go through a hearing. Now they can apply for asylum, but theyre getting hearing dates that are in 2028 and, meanwhile, they just go about their business as people who are here with the presumption that they could maybe get asylum."

Langworthy said he had concerns that migrants could spread polio, measles and hepatitis if they came here unvaccinated.

"Many of the migrants dont have a record of the vaccinations," he said. "Meanwhile, we were firing nurses that were so desperately needed because they refused to get a vaccination."

Langworthy said "small, rural schools" in his district, which includes parts of the Southern Tier, could be overwhelmed in the fall if migrants settle there from New York City.

Asked whether those rural communities depend on migrant farm workers to perform the type of hard labor that many Americans don't want to do, Langworthy said he differentiates between current migrants and those who come seasonally on the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Workers visa program.

"The farmers acknowledge to me that its a complicated process but it works out very well for them," he said of the visa program.

Hochul considering using state properties, SUNY campuses to house asylum-seekers Hochul called it a "crisis situation," noting she had met with New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday, which came a day after she went to Washington, D.C., to talk about the state's needs to accommodate the influx of asylum-seekers.

Seven Western New York counties have declared states of emergency to block New York City from sending migrants and asylum-seekers to local hotels. Erie County Republicans have called on Poloncarz to issue a similar order, but Poloncarz on Saturday said he would not issue any order that would "prohibit the housing of legal asylum-seekers in our community."

"Not only is such an order illegal under Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is morally repugnant," Poloncarz said in a statement he posted to Twitter.

Casilio criticized Poloncarz's statement about not declaring a state of emergency regarding possible asylum-seekers being housed in Erie County.

"Mark's approach to this crisis is the same as it is to every crisis he has faced," she said in a news conference outside the Rath County Office Building. "He has no strategy. He has no shown no leadership. He takes no action, and he bullies and belittles anyone who asks him to be accountable. We deserve better."

She described Poloncarz's assertion that calling a state of emergency is illegal and "morally repugnant" as another example of him being out of touch with county taxpayers over common "dinner table issues."

"Whether they are coming tomorrow, or a year from now, a plan needs to be in place," she said.

When Casilio was asked to outline her own response plan, however, she said she didn't have one.

"It's hard to come up with a solution if we don't know in full the situation," she said.
To the Editor:

Re Parents Dont Understand How Far Behind Their Kids Are, by Tom Kane and Sean Reardon (Opinion guest essay, May 14):

Professors Kane and Reardon document how the pandemic produced sharp declines in test scores, which were especially precipitous in low-income and predominantly minority communities. But the writers solution, to significantly extend instruction into weekends, after-school hours and summer vacations, is problematic.

Children already experience much of their academic instruction as mind-numbing  especially that which is designed to raise standardized test scores. To add more of it is likely to further reduce their enthusiasm for learning, as well as the happiness they find in their free time.

At a time of high rates of childhood depression and anxiety, our society must pay far more attention to childrens feelings toward learning and their enjoyment of life.

William Crain

New York

The writer is professor emeritus of psychology at the City College of New York.
The justices of the Supreme Court arent always open about their views, but there are times when they inadvertently reveal just how skewed their perspectives are.

First, a little background. Last year the Biden administration announced it would end its predecessors pandemic-era policy of expelling asylum seekers at the Mexican and Canadian borders based on a federal law that gives the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the power to bar entry into the United States in order to curtail the spread of infectious diseases. Title 42, as the policy came to be known, was supposedly established to protect the public. But by the time it came into effect, Covid-19 was already widespread, and there was no evidence of significant transmission by asylum seekers and other migrants. What was true is that President Donald Trump had devoted much of his time in office to dismantling the nations immigration system and limiting entry as much as possible from the southern border.

Several months after the administration announced its plan to end Title 42, a Federal District Court in Washington ruled that the policy was illegal and ordered the government to end it. A group of states with Republican attorneys general then sued to keep the policy in place, appealing their case to the Supreme Court. The dispute came to an end last week, when the Supreme Court remanded the case to a lower court with instructions to dismiss the motion as moot. The reason, presumably, is that the federal government had already ended the Covid-19 public health emergency. There was nothing to decide.

There was, however, something interesting about the courts order in this case. Not content to let the instruction stand on its own, Justice Neil Gorsuch added a statement. He recounted the story of the Title 42 policy not to criticize the courts decision but to emphasize what, in his view, was the defining aspect of the Covid-19 crisis.
Perhaps the most famous example of the courts responding to public criticism came in 1937. After the 1936 election, in which President Franklin Roosevelt ran as much against the court  which was blocking economic measures meant to respond to the dire conditions of the Depression  as against Gov. Alf Landon of Kansas, Justice Owen Roberts made the switch in time that saved nine, a shift that historians debate was due to Roosevelts proposal to add six seats to the court or, more generally, in response to the broader atmospherics of the presidents re-election. Either way, the courts shift was precipitated by substantial public backlash against its recent behavior, and it opened the door to an era of greater judicial deference to economic regulation and greater judicial protection of civil rights.

To similar effect (albeit in a different direction), the Supreme Court of the mid-1970s responded to public criticism on the issue of the death penalty. When the justices effectively imposed a nationwide moratorium on capital punishment in 1972, the political backlash was extraordinary  at both the state and the federal level. In exchange for adopting a series of procedures designed to make imposition of the death penalty less arbitrary (at least in appearance), dozens of states and Congress aggressively pushed the court to reauthorize capital punishment. On July 2, 1976, the court acquiesced.

In the past 18 months, weve seen a similar  if subtler  shift in the courts behavior that again closely correlates with public criticism and pushback. In this case, it has been related to how the justices issue unsigned and (usually) unexplained orders concerning applications for emergency relief, on what Will Baude, a University of Chicago law professor, first called the shadow docket.

Starting in 2017, there was a great shift in how the conservative majority used unsigned, unexplained orders, especially in the context of applications for emergency relief (to freeze or unfreeze lower-court rulings while a case works its way through the courts). Far more than ever before, the justices started using these orders in ways that had nationwide implications  allowing, for example, President Donald Trump to carry out a series of immigration policies that lower courts had struck down (and no court would ever uphold) and blocking a series of Covid mitigation measures in blue states on novel religious liberty grounds.

By contrast, the court showed nowhere near the same appetite to intervene to protect President Bidens policies or to block controversial laws in red states  like Texas six-week abortion ban, which the court, in September 2021, allowed to go into effect, nearly 10 months before it overruled Roe v. Wade. As Justice Elena Kagan charged in her short dissent on the courts refusal to intervene in the Texas case, the conservative majoritys behavior on the shadow docket had become increasingly unreasoned, inconsistent and impossible to defend.
As Republican candidates enter the 2024 presidential race, Times columnists, Opinion writers and others will assess their strengths and weaknesses with a scorecard. We rate the candidates on a scale of 1 to 10: 1 means the candidate will probably drop out before any caucus or primary voting; 10 means the candidate has a very strong chance of receiving the partys nomination next summer. This entry assesses Tim Scott, the junior senator from South Carolina, who announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination on Monday.

How seriously should we take Tim Scotts candidacy?

Jamelle Bouie The odds that Tim Scott leaves the single digits, much less overtakes Donald Trump, are extremely slim, but I still think we should take Scotts candidacy seriously for what it might say about the Republican Party after Trump.

Jane Coaston We should take it far more seriously than we ultimately will.

Michelle Cottle Maybe divide Ron DeSantiss chances by Nikki Haleys, then multiply by the square root of Vivek Ramaswamys.

Ross Douthat The only reason to take Scott more seriously than his fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley is that he has less of a national identity and brand, so theres a little more room for him to surprise us on the campaign trail. For now, though, he occupies roughly the same terrain that she does: the donor-friendly, telegenic candidate of the multiracial future who just doesnt have the populist edge required to satisfy the typical conservative voters far grimmer and more combative mood.
GOOSE LAKE, Iowa  Were like a bunch of blind bats. We human beings are, we millennials are, we Americans are, Vivek Ramaswamy riffed. We cant see where we are.

Bats send sonar signals, which bounce off objects and allow the mammals to navigate. So we do that, we send out our signals, and it bounces off something that is true, something that is real, like family. The two parents who brought me into this world, my mother and father. The two children who I brought into this world, he went on. That is real. That is true. That means something to me.

In person, his presentation is a lot more intense; it is also about a bleaker landscape of American life than the bright version of Trumpism hes trying to project.

Were hungry for a cause, Mr. Ramaswamy, who is 37, said of millennials when he spoke on a recent Friday night in Iowa, in a navy suit and white dress shirt, walking the stage and not pausing too often for applause. Were hungry for purpose and meaning. And identity. At a point in our national history when the things that used to fill that void  things like faith, patriotism, hard work, family  these things have disappeared. Instead, he said, poison and secular cults had taken their place.
Jose Echeverria spends restless days in a metal chair reinforced with boards and padded with a piece of foam that his mother, Nohora Vasquez, adjusts constantly for his comfort. The chair is coming loose and will soon fall apart. Huntingtons disease, which causes Jose to move his head and limbs uncontrollably, has already left one bed frame destroyed. At 42, he is still strong.

Joses sister Nohora Esther Echeverria, 37, lives with her mother and brother. Just two years into her illness, her symptoms are milder than his, but she is afraid to walk around her towns steep streets, knowing she could fall. A sign on the front door advertises rum for sale that does not exist. The familys scarce resources now go to food  Jose and Nohora Esther must eat frequently or they will rapidly lose weight  and medical supplies, like a costly cream for Joses skin.

Huntingtons is a hereditary neurodegenerative disease caused by excess repetitions of three building blocks of DNA  cytosine, adenine, and guanine  on a gene called huntingtin. The mutation results in a toxic version of a key brain protein, and a persons age at the onset of symptoms relates, roughly, to the number of repetitions the person carries. Early symptoms can include mood disturbances  Ms. Vasquez remembers how her late husband had chased the children out of their beds, forcing her to sleep with them in the woods  and subtle involuntary movements, like the rotations of Nohora Esthers delicate wrists.
In a recent online presentation, editors and researchers working on a first-of-its-kind dictionary of African American English gave a status update on the project. As academics explained their various methodologies, slides displayed behind them showed words that are more often associated with Twitter than Oxford: Bussin, virtual attendees were told, means impressive or tasty, while a boo is a lover.

Those were two of the first 100 words that the Oxford University Press said it had prepared to include in the Oxford Dictionary of African American English, the hopeful result of the three-year research project announced last spring.

The researchers say they aim to publish a first batch of 1,000 definitions  some words and phrases will have more than one  by March 2025. But the more important goal of the project, which will be edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr., a scholar of African American history at Harvard University, is to underscore the significance of African American English and to create a resource for future research into Black speech, history and culture. Among his other bona fides, Professor Gates is something of a dictionary nerd.

When I was in the third grade, we studied the dictionary, he said in a recent interview. We had a unit on how to use the Websters dictionary, and even then  third grade, that means I was 8 years old  I thought the dictionary was magical.
Snippets of computer code. More than six million pages of emails, Slack messages and other digital records. And a small black notebook, filled with handwritten observations.

For months, federal prosecutors building the criminal case against the fallen cryptocurrency executive Sam Bankman-Fried have assembled a vast and unusually varied array of evidence. The documents include crypto transaction logs and encrypted group chats from Mr. Bankman-Frieds collapsed exchange, FTX, as well as strikingly personal reflections recorded by a key witness in the case.

The mountain of evidence ranks among the largest ever collected in a white-collar securities fraud case prosecuted by the federal authorities in Manhattan, according to data provided by a person with knowledge of the matter. In the 2004 securities fraud prosecution of Martha Stewart, for example, prosecutors produced 525,000 pages of evidence to the defense team, but the numbers have increased significantly in recent years.

The diversity and growing volume of materials in the FTX case underscore the legal challenges facing Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, who is charged with 13 criminal counts, including accusations that he misappropriated billions of dollars in customer money, defrauded investors and violated campaign finance laws. He has pleaded not guilty.
The actor Arian Moayed has an old passport photo that he usually keeps in his wallet: a black-and-white image of a small, darling boy with big dark eyes, wearing a whimsical sweater.

We had been talking for nearly 90 minutes when he mentioned it. Id asked if he remembered anything from his earliest childhood, in Iran in the 1980s.

The thing that I remember the most is fear, he said. The feeling of fear. Everywhere.

Then he told me about the picture. Its him at 5 or so, shortly before his family immigrated to the United States in 1986. He described the look on his face  real angry  and his memory of sitting for the photo: how his mother, her hijab slipping, kept urging him in vain to smile.

And on the car ride back, he said, I told my mom that I thought that the camera was a gun and I was at a firing range. Because in Iran, on television, they would be showing public executions in the news.
In musicals, the marriage of elements is everything. A story thats too thin will dissolve when mixed with the songs. A story thats too heavy wont let the songs lift off. To get the right fizzy blend, the balance must be perfect.

That is not yet the case with Mira Nairs Monsoon Wedding, which opened Monday in an always busy, sometimes touching, but strangely mild production at St. Anns Warehouse in Brooklyn. Its shambolic plot lines (drawn from Nairs 2001 film of the same name) and Indian-pop-meets-marching-band songs, though full of interest individually, fail to build on themselves or one another, leaving the intertwined tale of love and obligation to unravel as fast as it spins.

Not that the movie was a landmark of pith. The arranged marriage of the rich South Delhi girl Aditi Verma (played here by Salena Qureshi) and the U.S.-raised Hemant Rai (Deven Kolluri) was but one strand of a multifamily, multigenerational tale arranged in a riotous collage of small, colorful scenes. It didnt matter how many went nowhere; the editing was all.

The musical tries to maintain that quick-cut effect while also squeezing the material into a traditional musical theater format. Nair told The New York Times shed been inspired by the example of Fiddler on the Roof, a classic that, like Monsoon Wedding, encompasses one familys marital chaos as part of a communitys encounter with tradition and change.
Buffalo would pay its mayor significantly more than mayors in six comparable cities, if salary hikes recommended by a city commission are adopted by the Buffalo Common Council.

Byron W. Brown would earn $178,519 a year, about $61,000 more than the mayor of Pittsburgh and nearly $38,000 more than the mayor of Cleveland, both of which are larger cities, according to the Citizen Salary Review Commission, which recommended raises for Buffalo's elected officials.

Brown, the mayor of New York's second-largest city, would also be paid more than the mayors of four smaller New York cities  Yonkers, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany.

Buffalo Common Council approves 2023-24 budget, cuts $5 million from mayor's plan The new budget approved by the Common Council Monday kept intact a 4.47% hike in the residential property tax rate that Brown proposed, but overall spending fell to $576,994,950 from Browns $582 million plan.

Buffalo Common Council members also stand to earn more than council members in the six comparable cities if they approve salary hikes the commission recommended.

The commission has suggested a salary of $84,472 for each of Buffalos nine Council members, which is thousands of dollars more than council members in Cleveland and Pittsburgh make currently. Clevelands 17 council members earn about $80,133. Pittsburghs nine council members make $76,544.

If the Buffalo Common Council approves the salary hikes, the new annual salaries would be:

Mayor: $178,519, up from $158,500

Council members: $84,472, up from $75,000

Comptroller: $134,593, up from $119,500

Board of Education members: $16,984, up from $15,000

The new salaries would take effect Jan. 1.

But the Buffalo proposal is attracting criticism from some citizen watchdogs.

The problem is the process was flawed and the commission should be null and void, said attorney Paul Wolf, president of the New York Coalition for Open Government, a nonprofit, non-partisan organization advocating for transparency in government.

We dont take any position regarding pay raises or the amount of pay raises. Our concern is the process that was used, said Wolf. We think the process was flawed. We encourage you not to act on the recommendations because if you go forward with moving on the recommendations I think there will be a legal challenge.

But the Council says it did follow the correct process according to the citys Law Department.

We take our lead from the corporation counsel, and corporation counsel said that we did what we were supposed to do, said University Council Member Rasheed Wyatt, chairman of the Councils Finance Committee. People bring those accusations all the time, and the only thing that we can do is go through our corporation counsel, and they said that we were well within our guidelines to do what we did.

A citizen's complaint

The first problem with the process occurred when the Council voted to re-constitute the Citizens Salary Review Commission, Wolf said.

During an April 18 Council meeting, a late filed item was presented to the Council for a vote for the Council to re-establish the commission, and the mayor, Council president and city comptroller to jointly appoint nine individuals to serve on the commission.

A late file item requires unanimous consent of the Council to be considered, per Council Rules of Order, Wolf said.

North Council Member Joseph Golombek Jr. objected to the late filed item being considered.

At the end of the meeting, Wyatt spoke and questioned the procedure for objecting to the late file.

Commission recommends pay hikes for Buffalo's elected officials Buffalos Citizens Salary Review Commission has recommended 12.63% hikes in salaries for the citys elected officials: the mayor, comptroller, nine Common Council members and nine Board of Education members.

But under the City Charter, only a member who voted in the majority on an item can request the item be brought back for reconsideration, Wolf said.

The Council ultimately voted on the item anyway at the end of the meeting, which was a violation of the Council Rules of Order, Wolf said.

Wolf also asserted the Council did not initially comply with the portion of the City Charter that requires no more than six members of the commission be registered in the same political party.

Of the nine initial appointments made by the council, eight were registered Democrats. Some of them were later replaced.

Another flaw in the process was a lack of transparency regarding the public meetings the commission held, Wolf said.

The commission violated the New York State Open Meetings Law by holding an illegal executive session, he said. The public was left in the dark by how quickly the commission acted in holding three meetings over five days with very little public notice.

And at a public forum held by the commission which was scheduled on a Friday evening and occurred on the following Monday, not a single member of the public attended but three Council members showed up to make their pitch for a raise, Wolf said.

With all of these errors the Council should not act on the commission's recommendations. The commission should be disbanded, and the Council should revisit this issue in the future, Wolf concluded.

Vote could come soon

Council members could vote on the raises in two weeks.

Some of the members have made cases for raises.

We give out raises to union members and exempt employees during the course of the years, and sometimes during those periods of time we cant give ourselves raises, Council Member David A. Rivera of the Niagara District has said. In addition, The Council job is a full-time job.

Were constantly on call, sometimes seven days a week and into the evenings, he said. Were the elected body thats closest to the residents. They normally call us before they call their state legislators or county legislators for that matter. And if youre going to  encourage other folks to run for elected office, youre probably going to have to be competitive in terms of pay.

The proposed salary hikes would result in Buffalo elected officials earning more than mayors and council members in other U.S. cities with populations close to Buffalo's.

The population of St. Louis is 293,310, and the mayor there gets paid $141,953, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Earlier this month a five-person compensation committee recommended raising council pay for the citys seven members from $20,000 a year to $40,000.

Madison, Wis. has a population of 269,196. The mayor there makes $162,699, according to the citys adopted 2023 budget. The 20 Council members make $20,604 each.

Toledo, Ohios population is 268,508. Its mayor makes $136,000, according to the Toledo Blade. Its 12 Council members make $27,500 each.

The population of Fort Wayne, Ind., is 265,974. The mayors salary is $141,881, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and the nine Council members earn $24,581.
The parents of a Colorado man who was fatally shot by a sheriffs deputy last June during a mental health crisis will receive $19 million as part of a settlement announced Tuesday.

The man, Christian Glass, 22, was killed after he called 911 when the vehicle he was driving became stuck on an embankment on a mountain road near Silver Plume, about 45 miles west of Denver.

About a half-dozen officers, from multiple agencies including Colorado State Patrol, responded after Mr. Glass told a 911 dispatcher that he was coming out of a depression and that he needed help.

They negotiated with Mr. Glass for more than an hour before the situation escalated, and one officer broke the window on the drivers side, ordering him to drop a knife.
The Latest

More than 450 credibly accused child sex abusers have ministered in the Catholic Church in Illinois over almost seven decades, the office of the states attorney general, Kwame Raoul, said Tuesday in an investigative report. That is more than four times the number that the church had publicly disclosed before 2018, when the state began its investigation.

The 696-page report found that clergy members and lay religious brothers had abused at least 1,997 children since 1950 in the states six dioceses, including the prominent Archdiocese of Chicago.

The report adds 149 names to lists of child sex abusers whom the dioceses themselves had publicly identified before or during the investigation. That brings the total number of identified abusers to 451, the report says. None of them are known to be in active ministry, and at least 330 are believed to have died.

The 149 new names are mostly religious brothers, who are accountable primarily to independent religious orders rather than to local dioceses and bishops.

Investigators interviewed hundreds of victims, and matched their accounts with diocesan records and other interviews to substantiate their accounts. Investigators also reviewed more than 100,000 pages of files held by the dioceses, and interviewed church leaders and their representatives.

One case among many documented in the report involves Thomas Francis Kelly, a priest who abused more than 15 boys ranging in age from 11 to 17 in several parishes in the 1960s and 1970s. Three victims contacted the attorney generals investigators, including one who described being singled out by Father Kelly as an 11-year-old altar server. The priest invited the boy to drive-in movies and to spend the night in the rectory, where the priest offered him beer. The boy awoke in the night to find Father Kelly performing oral sex on him, the report says.

The archdiocese moved the priest from parish to parish, the attorney generals report notes. The priest died in 1990.
The White House is seeking to preserve funding for key components of the federal coronavirus response in debt limit negotiations with House Republicans, according to senior Biden administration officials familiar with the talks.

Administration officials are trying to protect roughly $5 billion in funding for a program to develop the next generation of coronavirus vaccines and treatments. They are also looking to preserve more than $1 billion in funding for an initiative to offer free coronavirus shots to uninsured Americans, according to the officials.

The funds that the administration is using for the two programs have already been approved by Congress, but they are now potentially in jeopardy because Republicans are seeking to extract spending cuts from the Biden administration as a condition for raising the nations borrowing cap.

As one component of a debt limit deal, House Republicans want to reclaim tens of billions of dollars in unspent funds from Covid-19 relief legislation. It was unclear which funds might be clawed back as part of a deal, though the administration and congressional negotiators have found some agreement on the topic. President Biden said this month that rescinding unspent coronavirus funds was on the table.
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is planning to announce the start of his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday in a live audio conversation on Twitter with Elon Musk, the platforms polarizing owner, according to people with knowledge of his plans.

Mr. DeSantiss entry into the Republican primary race against former President Donald J. Trump has been widely expected, but the decision to do so with Mr. Musk adds a surprising element and gives Mr. DeSantis access to a large audience online. NBC News first reported the plans.

The event on Twitter Spaces, which is planned for 6 p.m. Eastern, injects a level of risk into a rollout that is expected to be carefully scripted and ensures that Mr. DeSantiss first impression as a presidential candidate will be aligning himself with Mr. Musk, an eccentric businessman who has ranked at times as the worlds richest man.

One challenge for Mr. DeSantis as he enters the 2024 race will be competing for attention with Mr. Trump, who for decades has shown a knack for commandeering the limelight. Mr. Trumps aides have signaled for months that he plans to return to Twitter sooner rather than later. Mr. Musk already lifted the ban on the former president that was imposed when Twitter was a public company.
I think if you look over, you know, the next two presidential terms, there is a good chance that you could be called upon to seek replacements for Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito, Mr. DeSantis said, referring to two of the courts most staunchly conservative members. And the issue with that is you cant really do better than those two. They are the gold standard for jurisprudence.

The governor also seemed to criticize Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005 but has sometimes voted with the courts liberal wing. Mr. DeSantis warned that replacing a justice like Justice Thomas with a jurist in the mold of Chief Justice Roberts would actually see the court move to the left. He also indicated that the next president could have an opportunity to replace Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a liberal who has been on the court since 2009.

In Florida, Mr. DeSantis has reshaped the State Supreme Court with conservative justices, removing a potential roadblock to enacting his agenda.

While Mr. DeSantis has not talked much about his faith on a national tour ahead of his presidential run, he told the audience of Christian conservatives in Orlando about bringing home water from the Sea of Galilee in Israel to baptize his children. He also praised the nation of Israel, calling it the cradle of our Judeo-Christian civilization.

Those are the values that undergird our Constitution and our republic here in America, Mr. DeSantis added.
An Arizona judge threw out a lawsuit filed by Kari Lake over her defeat in last years race for governor, ruling that she had failed to prove that the states most populous county, Maricopa, had neglected to review voters signatures on mail-in ballot envelopes.

The decision, issued late Monday, is the latest legal setback for Ms. Lake, a Republican who was backed by former President Donald J. Trump in one of the nations most prominent governors races in 2022.

During a three-day bench trial last week in state Superior Court in Maricopa County, Ms. Lakes lawyers argued that election workers worked too quickly to properly review 300,000 signatures that accompanied mail-in ballots.

But in a six-page decision, Judge Peter A. Thompson wrote that the process had complied with state law, which requires signatures to be compared to ones in public voter files, but does not include specific guidelines for how much time a worker must spend on each ballot.
A 19-year-old man who is facing multiple charges after crashing a box truck into security barriers near the White House on Monday night told the authorities he would kill the president and expressed a personal admiration for Hitler.

The man, identified as Sai Varshith Kandula, of Chesterfield, Mo., said he had been planning this operation for six months, according to an affidavit filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Mr. Kandula told investigators his goal was to get to the White House, seize power and be put in charge of the nation. Asked how he would seize power, Mr. Kandula said he would kill the president, if thats what I have to do, adding that he would hurt anyone in my way.

No weapons or ammunition were found in the truck, and no one was hurt as a result of the incident, officials said.
U.S. Navy warships stationed in the Persian Gulf region have increased their patrols through the Strait of Hormuz, the busy merchant ship passageway, in response to recent moves by Iran to seize two oil tankers, the latest sign of rising tensions between Iran and the United States.

Irans actions are unacceptable, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. naval forces in the region, said in an interview on Monday at the Navy base here in Bahrain. He was speaking several days after he rode a Navy guided-missile destroyer through the strait of Hormuz, along with leaders from the French and British navies, in an effort to send a unified message to Iran.

Iran has harassed, attacked or interfered with 15 internationally flagged merchant ships since 2021, Pentagon and White House officials said this month, as they announced the move to increase patrols by U.S. Navy ships, drones and planes, as well as those of United States allies in the region.

Most recently, Irans Navy flew a helicopter over the deck of an oil tanker named Advantage Sweet in late April. The Marshall Islands-flagged ship had been chartered by Chevron, on its way to Houston from Kuwait, and according to Lloyds List, which tracks shipping, was carrying 750,000 barrels of crude oil.
The Latest

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled on Tuesday in favor of a new admissions process at one of the most prestigious public high schools in the country, and found that it had not discriminated against Asian American students in its admissions policies.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, in Alexandria, Va., had replaced the admissions exam with an essay and began admitting students from a cross-section of schools, with weight given to poorer students and those learning English.

The appellate court, in a 2 to 1 ruling, found that there was not sufficient evidence that the changes were adopted with discriminatory intent.

Writing for the majority, Judge Robert B. King, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, said that the school, widely known as T.J., had a legitimate interest in expanding the array of student backgrounds.

The decision reversed a 2022 decision by Judge Claude M. Hilton of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, who found that the changes made by the high school had disproportionately burdened Asian American students.

The case is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
A Washington State woman who has refused to receive treatment for tuberculosis for more than a year remains at large three months after a civil warrant was issued for her arrest, officials said this week.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said on Monday that the woman, identified as V.N. in court documents, was still refusing treatment and that a judge on Friday extended the civil warrant he had issued in February authorizing law enforcement to detain her.

Sometime after that, the woman was seen leaving her home and taking a city bus to a local casino, according to a court filing in April. A lawyer for V.N. did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

The Health Department said this was only the third time in the past 20 years that it had had to seek a court order to detain a patient refusing treatment for TB, the second-leading infectious killer worldwide after Covid-19. TB, a disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which spreads from infected people through the air, killed 1.6 million people in 2021, according to the World Health Organization.
When Kamryn Yanchick graduated, she hoped to decorate her cap with a beaded pattern in honor of her Native American heritage. Whether she could was up to her Oklahoma high school. Administrators told her no.

Yanchick settled for wearing beaded earrings to her 2018 graduation.

A bill vetoed this month by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, would have allowed public school students to wear feathers, beaded caps, stoles or other objects of cultural and religious significance. Yanchick, a citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and descendent of the Muscogee Nation, said she hopes the legislature tries again.

Being able to "unapologetically express yourself and take pride in your culture at a celebration without having to ask a non-Native person for permission to do so is really significant," said Yanchick, a Native American policy advocate and a former intern with the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma.

For Native American students, tribal regalia is often passed down through generations and worn at graduations to signify connection with the community. Disputes over such attire have spurred laws making it illegal to prevent Native American students from wearing regalia in nearly a dozen states including Arizona, Oregon, South Dakota, North Dakota and Washington.

High schools, which often favor uniformity at commencement ceremonies, take a range of approaches toward policing sashes, flower leis and other forms of self-expression. Advocates argue the laws are needed to avoid leaving it up to individual administrators.

Groups like the Native American Rights Fund hear regularly from students blocked from wearing eagle feathers or other regalia. This week in Oklahoma, a Native American high school graduate sued a school district, claiming she was forced her to remove a feather from her cap at a ceremony last spring.

When Jade Roberson graduated from Edmond Santa Fe High School, the same school attended by Yanchick, she would have liked to wear a beaded cap and a large turquoise necklace above her gown. But it didn't seem worth asking. She said a friend was only able to wear an eagle feather because he spoke with several counselors, consulted the principal and received a letter from the Cherokee Nation on the feather's significance.

"It was such a hassle for him that my friends and I decided to just wear things under our gown," said Roberson, who is of Navajo descent. "I think it is such a metaphor for what it is like to be Native."

When Adriana Redbird graduates this week from Sovereign Community School, a charter school in Oklahoma City that allows regalia, she plans to wear a beaded cap and feather given by her father to signify her achievements.

"To pay tribute and take a small part of our culture and bring that with us on graduation day is meaningful," she said.

In his veto message, Stitt said allowing students to wear tribal regalia should be up to individual districts. He said the proposal could also lead other groups to "demand special favor to wear whatever they please" at graduations.

The bill's author, Republican state Rep. Trey Caldwell, represents a district in southwest Oklahoma that includes ancestral land of Kiowa, Apache and Comanche.

"It's just the right thing to do, especially with so much of Native American culture so centered around right of passage, becoming a man, becoming an adult," he said.

Several tribal nations have called for an override of the veto.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said the bill would have helped foster a sense of pride among Native American students. Muscogee Nation Principal Chief David Hill said students who "choose to express the culture and heritage of their respective Nations" are honoring their identity.

It means a lot that the bill was able to garner support and make it to the governor, Yanchick said, but she wishes it wasn't so controversial.

"Native American students shouldn't have to be forced to be activists to express themselves or feel celebrated," she said.

Influential Indigenous Americans you might not know about A closer look at Indigenous history Tecumseh Red Cloud Edmonia Lewis Susan La Flesche Picotte Allan Houser Charlie Parker Maria Tallchief Mildred Loving Ben Nighthorse Campbell Wilma Mankiller Joy Harjo Charlene Teters Louise Erdrich John Herrington Deb Haaland Kent Monkman Lila Downs Sharice Davids Tommy Orange
The nations top health official issued an extraordinary public warning on Tuesday about the risks of social media to young people, urging a push to fully understand the possible harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.

In a 19-page advisory, the United States surgeon general, Dr. Vivek Murthy, noted that the effects of social media on adolescent mental health were not fully understood, and that social media can be beneficial to some users. Nonetheless, he wrote, There are ample indicators that social media can also have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.

The report included practical recommendations to help families guide childrens social media use. It recommended that families keep mealtimes and in-person gatherings free of devices to help build social bonds and promote conversation. It suggested creating a family media plan to set expectations for social media use, including boundaries around content and keeping personal information private.
Days after fighting erupted in Sudan, Amna Al-Ahmad received an urgent call for help from a pregnant woman who told her she was preparing to die.

Ms. Ahmad, a 42-year-old midwife, said she sprinted through gunfire that had swept through her neighborhood in Omdurman, just north of the capital, Khartoum, to reach the womans home. Arriving at midnight, she quickly realized that the baby was stuck in the mothers birth canal. But there were no ambulances or taxis to take them to a hospital.

We were deciding between death on the floor or death in the streets, she said in a phone interview, recalling how the sounds of shelling punctuated the womans moans. She told me the pain had forced her soul from her body.

After several hours, Ms. Ahmad helped the woman onto a motorcycle and sped to a nearby clinic, where she was able to deliver her daughter.
Mr. Encinas was targeted repeatedly by the spyware known as Pegasus as recently as last year, according to four people who spoke with him about the spying and by an independent forensic analysis that confirmed it.

Pegasus can infiltrate cellphones without leaving any trace of an intrusion and extract every piece of data from them: every text message, every email, every photo. The system can even watch people through the phones camera and listen to them through its microphone.

The people who spoke with Mr. Encinas said he learned the details of the hacks after they were confirmed by Citizen Lab, a watchdog group based out of the University of Toronto.

Citizen Lab declined to comment.

The Israeli-made spy tool has infected thousands of cellphones across the world and is licensed to be sold only to government agencies.

There is no definitive proof of who was behind the hacks of Mr. Encinass phone, but in Mexico, the only entity that has access to Pegasus is the military, according to five people familiar with the contracts for the spyware.
When one of Australias most high-profile journalists announced he would step away from his television hosting duties because of racist abuse, it sent shock waves through the countrys media industry.

The journalist, Stan Grant, said on Friday in an opinion piece for his employers website that he and his family had suffered relentless racial abuse after he talked, during the Australian Broadcasting Corporations coverage of the coronation of King Charles III, about colonial-era violence unleashed on Australias Indigenous people.

Mr. Grant has been a journalist for more than 30 years and is a familiar presence on TV screens as the host of the national broadcasters popular current affairs talk show Q+A. On Monday, in his final appearance on the show for now, he said that the attacks from social media and other outlets had distorted his words and had taken a toll.

To those who have abused me and my family, I would just say  if your aim was to hurt me, well, youve succeeded, he said, adding that his time away would be temporary. Im down right now, I am. But I will get back up. And you can come at me again, and I will meet you with the love of my people.
When Russian troops poured into Ukraine over a year ago, many experts foresaw a strategic windfall for China, with the United States distracted again by a war far from Asia. Now, Beijing is increasingly alarmed that the Western bloc backing Ukraine is entrenching itself in Chinas neighborhood.

The leaders of the Group of 7 nations last weekend pledged more support for Kyiv and angered Beijing by challenging its claims to the South China Sea, vowing to resist economic coercion, and pressing China on human rights abuses in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. Days after, Moscow and Beijing are reinforcing their relationship by holding security and trade talks, with Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin of Russia leading a delegation of business tycoons on a visit to China.

The contrast between President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine receiving more arms guarantees from President Biden at the G7 and Mr. Mishustin seeking more economic support for Russia from Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping, underscores how the deepening geopolitical divisions have been exacerbated by the war.

China is ready to double down on its relationship with Russia following the G7 summit because the central theme of that summit comprised not only Russias invasion of Ukraine but also China and how the West should deal with it, said Alexander Korolev, a senior lecturer at the University of New South Wales in Australia, who studies Chinese-Russian relations.
Even for those who witnessed the battle for Bakhmut, the longest and likely the deadliest clash of the war in Ukraine, words often failed.

Soldiers who fought in the shell-racked city strained to articulate the carnage. The reek of the trenches around the city and the unceasing howl of shellfire, they said, recalled the Battle of Verdun in 1916, which lasted 300 days and was one of the bloodiest of World War I.

By the time the Russians declared victory on Saturday, relentless bombardment had turned former shops and homes to charred ruins. As Ukraine shifted focus to the fighting on the outskirts, President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that the city was gone, saying Bakhmut is only in our hearts.

It was an arc of destruction captured by photographers from The New York Times over the past year.

A First Strike

The loss of Bakhmut started in earnest with a Russian missile strike in May 2022. The front was still some 10 miles away and artillery thundered in the distance. There were already few cars on the streets except for military vehicles; shops and banks were boarded up. Only one or two cafes and supermarkets were still open.
When the Belarusian dictator Aleksandr G. Lukashenko sent a MIG fighter jet to intercept a Ryanair passenger plane carrying an exiled antigovernment activist and his girlfriend two years ago, he turned the young dissident into a martyr of the struggle for democracy.

The plane, flying from Greece to Lithuania, was forced to land in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, after the authorities there claimed falsely that there was a bomb on board. The episode stirred international outrage and put an admiring spotlight on the Belarusian activist, Roman Protasevich, now 28, and his Russian girlfriend, Sofia Sapega, 25.

This week, Mr. Lukashenko rewrote the script, turning what had been a story of democratic ardor and young love thwarted by tyranny into a dark tale of political and romantic betrayal.

Arrested along with Ms. Sapega in May 2021 at Minsk airport, Mr. Protasevich received a rare pardon on Monday from a government not known for its mercy. A video released by the state media showed him standing in a leafy park as he expressed thanks for the great news and declared himself insanely grateful to Mr. Lukashenko, whom he once compared to Hitler.
Boris Johnson, the former prime minister of Britain, has again been referred to the police by a government office to assess claims that he may have further violated coronavirus regulations, the Cabinet Office said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr. Johnson, who is currently visiting Texas to lobby for Republican support for Ukraine, was fined last year while still in office for breaking Covid rules in 2020, one of a series of scandals during his tumultuous term that eventually led to his resignation last summer.

He had faced a barrage of criticism over gatherings held at his residence and government offices during strict coronavirus lockdowns, which his government implemented in 2020 and 2021 while the country was suffering through the worst of the pandemic.

The scandal soon came to be known as partygate. An investigation into a number of the gatherings found that members of his staff had held parties that violated pandemic restrictions, and the police fined Mr. Johnson this spring for having broken lockdown rules at Downing Street.
The fighters who have claimed responsibility for a rare assault just over the Ukrainian border in Russias Belgorod region are members of a volunteer unit made up of Russian citizens who have been fighting with Ukraines forces against their own country.

The Free Russia Legion, as the volunteer unit is called, was created last August to provide a way for Russians opposed to the Kremlins war in Ukraine to take up arms and fight alongside Ukrainians. Fighting by these anti-Kremlin Russian volunteers has been confined mostly to the front lines in Ukraine, largely in and around Bakhmut.

That changed this week, when the group announced that its fighters, together with Russians from another group called the Russian Volunteer Corps, had crossed the border and liberated several settlements inside Russia. On Tuesday, the Free Russia Legion said that the fighting in the Belgorod region was continuing, although Russias Ministry of Defense said all the fighters who had not been killed had been pushed back into Ukraine.
The assessment, which was first reported by Yahoo News, and verified on Monday by an Air Force spokesperson, was based on a 12-day evaluation of two Ukrainian Air Force officers who underwent flight simulations at the Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Ariz., over the winter.

The report found that the two pilots still needed certain technical skills, including understanding the Western cockpits instruments and becoming comfortable flying in American-standard formation with other aircraft.

Under one projection, which included time for specialized English language lessons, around four pilots would be in each class, with between 12 to 14 pilots completing the training in a 12-month period. The assessment was shared with seven NATO states, including Poland, that have flown F-16s. It was also given to Bulgaria and Britain.

But it did not specify whether the pilots would graduate combat ready  a term that Philip M. Breedlove, a retired U.S. Air Force general who is a former NATO commander and F-16 trainer, said was a necessary baseline for determining how long the training would take.

If the pilots had been recently and regularly flying over Ukraine, they would most likely need four to six months of training, General Breedlove said. On Sunday, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he would put forward some of his most experienced pilots in order to shorten the training process.
May 23, 2023

Hochul's approval rating dips

More voters (45%) view Gov. Kathy Hochul unfavorably than view her favorably (40%), according to a Siena College poll of registered New York State voters released May 16. In March, the governor's favorable/unfavorable rating was tied at 43%. Hochul's job approval rating of 50% also went down slightly from March, when it was at 52%, pollsters stated.

But it wasn't all bad news for the governor.

Siena reports that "a strong majority" (58%) thinks Hochul is hardworking and "a plurality" of voters say she is honest and not corrupt. Voters are evenly divided, 39% to 39%, on whether Hochul is effective, and evenly divided, 40% to 40%, on whether she is a strong leader.

Her budget priorities were also popular among most voters who were polled, pollster Steven Greenberg said in a written statement.

Majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents all agree that three proposals in the recently passed state budget will be good for New York: increasing funding for mental health services, giving judges more discretion on setting bail for serious crimes, and authorizing the state to crack down on unlicensed cannabis businesses, Greenberg said.

 Charlie Specht

Judicial conflict: Members of a secretive, 12-person commission play a major role in deciding which judges are selected to serve on New York's highest court. At the same time, a number of those commissioners are prominent attorneys who argue high-profile cases before the Court of Appeals judges they help vet.

A state law, meanwhile, discourages commissioners from recusing themselves in instances where a potential conflict of interest arises. READ MORE

 Chris Bragg

Tensions flare in Erie County politics

The anniversary of May 14 and actions taken by Erie County Legislature Republicans to denounce allegations of racial bias in a housing policy by Clover Group apparently brought forth a lot of suppressed anger by Legislature Chairwoman April Baskin. She stunned Republican Legislator Chris Greene by yelling accusations at him, and by extension his GOP caucus colleagues, across the Legislature chamber floor following committee meetings held last week.

The outburst followed a question by a Buffalo News reporter about why a Democratic counter resolution regarding Clover, which passed unanimously, didnt include the name of CEO Michael Joseph, unlike Greenes resolution. Baskin accused Greene of not caring about racism, over his vehement objections. READ MORE

 Sandra Tan

The already-contentious primary for an Erie County Legislature seat escalated this weekend with the Republican and Conservative candidates  as well as County Executive Mark Poloncarz, a Democrat  sparring over the issue of migrants coming to New York from the southern U.S. border.

Former Elma Councilman James Malczewski, the endorsed Republican for the 10th District seat, and former Legislature staffer Lindsay Bratek-Lorigo, the Conservative whose husband, Joseph Lorigo, held the seat until November, traded barbs about who was more concerned about the migrant issue. On Monday, Republican county executive candidate Chrissy Casilio spoke about the issue, criticizing Poloncarz. READ MORE

 Charlie Specht

News & Notes

Gov. Kathy Hochul, in a recent meeting with The Buffalo News editorial board, said she is not giving up on her proposal to build 800,000 units of housing over the next decade. The plan was dropped from the state budget but Hochul last week told Albany reporters she is exploring the use of executive orders to build more housing if nothing happens before the legislative session ends in June.

Western Regional Off Track Betting, which has employed or been overseen by multiple members of the GOP political machine in Niagara County (including former GOP chair Henry Wojtaszek) appears to be pushing back at State Sen. Tim Kennedy. The South Buffalo Democrat recently pushed for budget language that fired every commissioner of the public benefit corporation and outlined a new voting process that gives Buffalo and Erie County new strength at the expense of smaller, rural counties like Genesee. Writing a "My View" column in The News in defense of WROTB, former TV reporter Tony Farina called the agency a "valuable asset" to Western New York, despite scandals and critical audits. It will be interesting to see if this is the start of a larger effort by Republicans like Wojtaszek to hold on to power despite what Farina described as Kennedy's "political coup."

John A. Catsimatidis, a New York City billionaire who owns the Kwik Fill gas chain and who hosts a political talk show in New York, will hold a book signing from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on June 17 to benefit the Amherst Republican Committee. Catsimatidis has been in a feud with Amherst Supervisor Brian Kulpa, a Democrat, over a former gas station property he owns on Niagara Falls Boulevard. The town used eminent domain to take control of the property in the hopes of developing it into a pocket park. Tickets for the fundraiser and book signing at Giancarlo's, 5111 Main St., are $99 per person, according to town GOP chair Brian Rusk. Call 716-689-1464 for more information.

What we're reading

Inside the Biden split with NY Mayor Eric Adams," by Alex Thompson of Axios.

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Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III began initiating the Biden administrations turnaround on providing Ukrainian fighter pilots with training on F-16 jets last month, after European allies told him that they wanted to go ahead with the training, a U.S. defense official said on Monday.

Mr. Austin led a meeting on April 21 of top defense officials from about 50 nations  a collective known as the Ukraine Contact Group  at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on April 21.

On his return to Washington, Mr. Austin told senior Biden administration officials that the time had come to alter the stance against the training, and to, at the very least, move toward letting other countries give the planes to Ukraine, according to the official, who spoke on grounds of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss internal deliberations. F-16s would represent a major upgrade of the Ukrainian air forces assets and capabilities.

After Russia invaded Ukraine almost exactly 15 months ago, officials in Kyiv pleaded for advanced warplanes to overcome Russian air superiority. But the White House, acting on advice from senior Pentagon officials, had resisted. The concern was that the jets could be used to hit targets deep inside Russia, potentially prompting the Kremlin to escalate its assault on Ukraine. Pentagon officials also said that other weapons, especially those used for air defense, were needed more urgently, and that the high cost of the F-16s  up to $63 million each, depending on the model  could mean that other weapons and supplies would be squeezed out.
Leidar, a Geneva-based firm, expands into the US with the opening of offices in New York and Washington. Leidar USA is being led by executives from LEVICK Strategic Communications, and Leidar founder and CEO Rolf Olsen says that the entire LEVICK team has accepted positions at Leidar. John Lovallo will lead the New York office as managing director, corporate affairs & financial; Max Marcucci will work out of the DC office as managing director, risk & reputation; and Phil Armstrong has been engaged as managing director for public affairs in addition to serving as interim COO for Leidar USA. The two agencies partnered on engagements internationally for nearly a decade prior to the recent death of LEVICK founder Richard Levick. Leidar will seek to carry on the extraordinary legacy of Richard Levick as we serve our clients around the world.

Ben Merritt,

Kira Rose Wojack

Merritt & Rose Communications, which specializes in working with startups, is launched by a group of agency veterans including Merritt Group founder Ben Merritt and Kira Rose Wojack. Merritt and Wojack have worked together since 2020 with a range of technology, B2B, music and film clients including Neosec (recently acquired by Akamai), Galen Robotics (raised a $15m Series A last year), Zebrium (acquired by ScienceLogic) and Strikedeck (acquired by Medallia). Merritt & Rose is partnering with Strass Collins & Co., an agency branding and social media services. The early-stage ecosystem is a brutal place, and even with a unique answer to a pervasive problem, companies still have to carve out a compelling position and rise above the noise in an often-crowded market. Thats where we come in, said Merritt.

The Global Situation Rooms podcast division, Situation Room Studios, enters the fray of the Republican 2024 primary race with the release of the first four episodes of Press Advance with Johanna Maska, hosted by GSR chief executive officer Joanna Maska. The podcast will talk to leaders in the Republican party including former Maryland governor Larry Hogan, who addresses what he wants to see out of the candidates from his party today, as well as Kristin Davis, COO for the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down and Alyssa Farah Griffin, who was vice president Mike Pences spokesperson. So many are tired of a media environment that divides, said Maska. What we strive to do with Press Advance is the opposite, bring people together with facts, humor and grace. The podcast is available on platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

The Davos Communications Awards for 2023, organized by the World Communications Forum Association (WCFA), are open for entries. Organizations, in-house teams, professionals, institutions and students from all over the world can submit their work until June 30, on the official website. Participants get the benefits of the annual WCFA Individual Membership for free by participating at the Awards with three or more applications. This year, the awards have expanded their categories to encompass a wider range of communication disciplines, including public relations, marketing, branding, social media, leadership, and AI. Entries are accepted in 41 categories. The winners and finalists will be celebrated during an awards ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, where they will have the opportunity to network with industry leaders and experts at a gala dinner.
A student who caused 19,000 in damage when he crashed his mothers car and left the scene was left with a three month sentence hanging over him.

Silviu Junca, 19, of 12 Gandon Close, Fairgreen, Portlaoise is accused of hit and run, failing to remain at the scene of an accident, having no insurance or licence at Carmody Way, Fairgreen on July 6 last year.

Garda McCabe told a sitting of Portlaoise District Court that the defendant hit a car and drove away from the scene at Carmody Way on the date in question.

The damage done to the vehicle was 19,000, said Garda McCabe.

Gardai identified the vehicle and the defendant was questioned and asked to produce insurance and a licence.

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said her client had been cooperative.

There is no prospect of him dealing with that level of compensation, she said.

Ms Fitzpatrick said her client was a student who just completed a QQI Level 5 course in business.

She said he took his mothers car and was uninsured. She said she was only recently instructed by the defendant who earns 80 a week as a part time sales assistant in a shop.

Judge Andrew Cody said if the defendant was taking the case seriously he would have instructed a solicitor weeks ago. He asked again about the compensation.

Garda McCabe said she understood an insurance company had compensated the injured party.

Judge Cody sentenced the man to three months in prison and imposed fines totalling 1,200.

Ms Fitzpatrick argued that he shouldnt receive an immediate custodial sentence as he had no previous and entered a guilty plea.

What does he expect, a slap on the wrist, Judge Cody asked. He said the man cant go around smashing into other peoples cars.

On listening to Ms Fitzpatrick, Judge Cody didnt impose the sentence and said he would give the man some time.

One month to allow him to put a proposal to the court, said Judge Cody.

He adjourned the case back to Portlaoise District Court on June 15 for a proposal from the defendant.
Two Offaly shops were among the winners at the annual XL Awards Nights.

Martin Grogans XL, Cloghan and Enda Scullys XL, Danigean, were among an elite group of retailers from around the country who have been honoured for their outstanding commitment to their local communities at the annual XL Retailer Awards celebration, held in The Hodson Bay Hotel in Athlone recently.

Hosted by BWG Foods, owners and operators of the XL Retail brand in Ireland, the XL Retail Awards are presented to XL stores that demonstrated outstanding industry excellence following a comprehensive programme of inspections and audits carried out by Irelands leading Retail Audit company, SMA Retail Specialists

Martin Grogans XL Cloghan was presented with two awards on the night for Best Use of Social Media and and Best Forecourt Newcomer while Enda Scullys XL Danigean went home with the award for Best Off Licence presentation on the night.

Pictured after receiving their prestigious XL Retail Group Award were: Erin Keating, Grainne Keating, Enda Scully, Mary Scully and Barry Egerton (XL Retail Operations Advisor)

Paul Bealin, Cash and Carry Sales Director, BWG Foods, said: XL retailers strive for excellence in every aspect of their service to their shoppers and the local communities in which they are embedded. In meeting the exacting standards of the independent SMA Audit, our retailers have illustrated their commitment to being industry leaders in the retail sector and their focus on exceeding customer expectations. I congratulate Martin and Enda and their respective staff on their outstanding achievements.
Coming soon a Midland Festival like no other Litha is a Midlands Cultural and Musical Festival supported by Offaly County Council.

Organised by local community groups, the festival will be centred in Clara, the centre of the peatland community, on June 24 from 2pm to 8pm.

Litha The Festival of Summer Light will be held on Claras majestic Fair Green, where Shane Lowry and Brian Cowen were welcomed home.

Litha will be a family fun day, with lots of nature activities for the children, a kids disco, and a childrens carnival.

There will be an exhibition of the bog through the ages, food & craft markets, to name just a few of the family activities.

The Scouting Community, accompanied by the Town Band, will commence the Summer Solstice Lighting Ceremony at 5pm.

There is a great music lineup scheduled to play, including Rahan Comhaltas, Simon Casey, Alex Roe, Ruaile Buaile, and many more.

No booking and no payment required. This is a free family festival. Just come and enjoy the fun in the centre of Clara.

A big thank you to Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council Cllr. Frank Moran for securing funding and to Offaly County Council for their ongoing support to the peatland communities and to Clara.

For those who wish to stay the weekend, the Bog Trotters Weekend runs simultaneously in Clara House & Domain, supported by The Community Wetland Forum. Tickets and schedules for the Bog Trotters Weekend are available on Eventbrite.

For travel to and from the event please dont forget that Clara has a well serviced train station, town link bus route and public bus transport which will bring you straight to the event, so for those who wish to leave the car behind there are plenty of ways that will take you right there.

Litha is a Midlands Festival for all age groups, celebrating our unique peatland landscape with family fun activities, food, crafts, and music!

If you wear your quirky wellies, you might even win a quirky prize.

Dont miss this free event, Litha Clara Saturday June 24th.

If you wish to take a market-stall please contact claraheretiagesociety@email.com or Clara Chamber of Commerce asap as places are filling up. Any peatland community wishing to exhibit at the festival please contact Clara Heritage Society.
Theres no industry more important to New York State than agriculture. Agriculture is an economic driver, paying close to a billion dollars in wages in recent years, but the reality is much more basic than that. Farmers feed us and our families. They sustain us, and, as a crop consultant, I have the privilege of assisting them in that pursuit. That is why legislation on the table in Albany is so worrisome to those of us who work to support agricultural interests in the state.

S.1856(Hoylman-Sigal)/A.3226 (Glick) will prohibit the sale or use of any neonicotinoid products (neonics), including treated corn, soybean or wheat seed in New York. Advocates for this legislation incorrectly believe that neonics are negatively impacting the environment and causing population declines in pollinators. If studies truly showed a direct negative correlation, regulating agencies would ban their use. We need to allow science instead of sensationalism dictate policy.

Seed treatments play a critical role in agriculture and the production of healthy crops. Coating seeds with a small amount of pesticides prior to planting protects them when they are most vulnerable to insect damage. New agricultural technologies, like treated seeds, have greatly improved farmers ability to directly target pests and reduce the need for additional spraying of pesticides. Because seed treatments are applied directly to the seed, rather than sprayed, the exposure to nontarget plants, animals and humans is minimized.

Additionally, neonicotinoids, particularly neonic-based seed coatings, play a large part in not only farmers pest management strategies, but in their soil health management plans. Following best management practices for soil health is important for sequestering carbon, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, storing water and helping make land more resilient to climate change. Having this tool available allows farmers to keep a growing crop on the land year-round to reduce the chance of soil erosion and encourage beneficial subsurface animals, such as earthworms, to inhabit the fields.

This creates a healthy soil environment for crop production. Without the seed treatments, farmers would be forced to till the soil more aggressively to break the pest cycles, and, in turn, reduce soil health.

Successful farmers understand the importance of soil health. Its a foundation for growing good crops. Our organization works with more than 400 growers across Western and Central New York. I walk the fields with these farming families, many of whom have been tending the earth for generations. They love the work they do and the land that lets them do it. To allege that these farmers would use products that harm the earth or the pollinators that help their crops grow is absurd and insulting.

Through the use of neonicotinoids and their precise application, the implementation of other soil-friendly practices is increasing across the state. This is good news, and something that legislators should continue to encourage.

If farmers are robbed of this technological advancement, they will be forced to revert to less environmentally friendly soil practices. This will reduce crop production, requiring more land for the same amount of produce; increase erosion potential, fuel usage and the carbon footprint; and force the use of additional chemical spray applications.

What I hear from the field is tremendous concern that farms will continue to lose access to crop protection tools such as neonicotinoids. This is a barrier to farmers continued and further adoption of soil health practices. Such restrictions or bans, not based upon a science and risk-based regulatory review, would have numerous negative consequences.

I urge members of the New York Legislature to reject this proposal, listen to the science and protect our farms and the environment.

David DeGolyer is executive managing consultant for Western New York Crop Management Association Cooperative.
Fact Check: Did Members Of The Bajrang Dal Burn The Indian Flag In Manipur?

Fact Check: Does This Video Show Siddaramaiah Shaking His Leg To A Popular Kannada Song?

Fact Check: Can Banks Verify If You Have Spent Less Than Rs 7 Lakh A Year?

Fact Check: Man Objecting to Hindu Priest Performing Rituals Is Not From Karnataka

Fact Check: This Video Is Of A Black Man Hitting A Lady In The US

Fact Check: Have NATO Troops Entered Ukraine To Fight The Russians?

Fact Check

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Amidst the Russia-Ukraine war several posts and videos have gone viral with misleading claims. The war began in February 2022.

Now a video has gone viral with the claim that NATO soldiers are reaching Ukraine to fight the Russians. The video shows a huge crowd gathered around what seems like a runway of an airport. The video features a text that reads, " "Startin it like a dream" and "Nato soldiers now in Ukraine."

"In case you missed it, NATO soldiers are now in Ukraine," said the user while sharing the video.

Fact Check: Does This Video Show Siddaramaiah Shaking His Leg To A Popular Kannada Song?

OneIndia has learnt that this is not a video from Ukraine. In fact the video is that of the US troops withdrawing from Afghanistan nearly two years back.

A reverse search of the viral image led us to a YouTube video titled, "US Soldier Films Chaos From MRAP Gunner Turret In Kabul."

"The footage is filmed by a turret gunner in a mine-resistant ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicle, and it shows the use of AH-64 Apache gunships to clear the runway for C-17 aircraft. It also gives scope of the massive crowd of desperate Afghans that are hoping to hitch a ride out of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan," the description of the video read.

Another military blog titled Task&Purpose too carried a report of the US troops withdrawing from Afghanistan. The report said that the video was short from an MRAP vehicle and showed scenes at the Hamid Karzai International Airport.

Fact Check: Did Members Of The Bajrang Dal Burn The Indian Flag In Manipur?

To be sure, Ukraine has still not joined NATO. The member countries are divided and are still discussing on how to ensure security guarantees to Ukraine.

Hence it is clear that the video being shared with the claim that the NATO forces have reached Ukraine to fight the Russians is not correct. It is in fact a video from Afghanistan which shows the US forces withdrawing.

Fact Check Claim NATO forces have entered Ukraine to fight against Russia. Conclusion The video in circulation is from Afghanistan, which shows US forces withdrawing. Rating False Raise your request for FACT CHECKING. Mail us at [email protected]
OPINION: Keeping Generals Off Politics In Pakistan

Feature

lekhaka-Jagdish N Singh

Democracy is in peril in Pakistan. The Sharif, Bhutto and allies must fight it out with former Prime Minister Imran Khan politically. In no situation should they gang up with the Generals to target him. The US must adhere to its values of democracy and checkmate the Pakistan Army's designs against it.

For democracy to prevail in a given State, a consensus across the political spectrum to play by its rules and keep non-political elements off the business of statecraft is indispensable. Regrettably, this seems to have been missing in Pakistan ever since its separation from India over 75 years ago. The result: Pakistan has mostly be under Army rule since the days of General Ayub Khan.

Observers say that democracy did not take roots in Pakistan and the country came under military rule from time to time, mainly because the Generals were able to use divergent civilian political groups in the country to create such anarchy as would justify their takeover of power. Presently, the Pakistan Army, under its chief General Syed Asim Munir, is at the same old game.

General Munir is using the secret army channels of communication with the current civilian government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) to arm twist it into targeting Imran Khan, his predecessor and the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), who happens to be the most popular democratic leader in the country today.

OPINION: Pak is balancing between US, China

With the Army's covert support to it, the Sharif government and its coalition partners - Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Maulana Fazlur Rehman of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) - have hatched a conspiracy to defame Khan and create some justification to ban his party.

The other day, the Sharif regime got Khan arrested by the National Accountability Bureau under some fake charges. When the Supreme Court of Pakistan came to Khan's legal rescue, the current ruling coalition parties in Pakistan held a protest demonstration outside the court. They called on the country's Chief Justice to resign. Some of the coalition leaders even threatened that there would be "dire consequences" if the court took any action against Prime Minister Sharif.

The observers suggest that for the sake of democracy in the country today, Sharif, Bhutto and allies must fight it out with Khan politically only. In no situation should they gang up with the country's Army to target Khan. They should go in for general elections in the country at the earliest. A course of political dialogue and election will be the best way to extricate Pakistan from the possibility of yet another Army rule.

The observers say the United States, the leader of the free world, must adhere to its cherished values of democracy and checkmate the Pakistan Army's current designs against it. The United States can prevail over the Pakistan Army as the two countries have had special defence relationship.

During the Cold War, Pakistan happened to be the US' "most trusteed ally in Asia." Pakistan was part of the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM). The US had military bases in Pakistan. Pakistan's Army, air force and navy regularly conducted joint exercises with their US counterparts. The US military personnel served in the Pakistani military as military advisers and Pakistani military cadets attended the US military academies and war colleges.

The Donald J Trump administration in Washington stopped Pakistan from availing of the US' International Military Education and Training (IMET) plan. It cancelled military aid to Pakistan. However, US-Pakistan defence ties are still strong. Today, some military bases in Pakistan are accessible to the United States for logistic purposes.

Most significantly, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has been in touch with Pakistan Army Chief General Munir. Soon after Munir took over in Rawalpindi, Austin spoke to him by phone and congratulated him. They discussed areas of mutual interest as well as recent regional developments. US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley also held a telephonic conversation with Gen. Munir.

OPINION: Pak media is handcuffed

Pertinently, the United States has had a great influence over Pakistan in general. According to an authentic estimate, the United States has been Pakistan's largest export market. It imported more than $5 billion in Pakistani goods in 2021. The United States has been one of the largest sources of foreign direct investment in Pakistan. Its major investments are concentrated in consumer goods, chemicals, energy, agriculture, business process out-sourcing, transportation and communication.

During the recent pandemic, the United States committed more than 77 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Pakistan. That included over 16 million paediatric vaccines. The United States also partnered with Pakistani institutions to build detection and treatment capacities throughout the pandemic.

(Jagdish N. Singh is a senior journalist based in New Delhi. He is also Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, New York)

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of OneIndia and OneIndia does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 11:10 [IST]
BJP Mocks Kejriwal-Mamata Meet, Says Dreams Of PM Aspirants Will Remain Unfulfilled

India

pti-PTI

The BJP on Tuesday called the meeting between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Delhi counterpart and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in Kolkata as 'political tourism' of Prime Ministerial aspirants ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The saffron party also asserted that the dreams of these PM aspirants would remain unfulfilled as the BJP will return to power for the third consecutive time next year under the leadership of Narendra Modi.

While the West Bengal Congress claimed that the AAP and TMC have the same goal of weakening the grand old party, the CP(M) asserted that the Mamata Banerjee-led party has never voted against bills brought by the BJP-led NDA government.

The political tourism of several Prime Ministerial aspirants from the opposition camp has started ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. But this political tourism at the cost of public money will not yield any result, as there is no vacancy for the Prime Minister's post in 2024," BJP national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said.

BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said the meeting between the two senior leaders to forge unity is a "futile exercise" as efforts to form such an alliance in 2014 and 2019 had failed.

The people of this country would never vote for an unstable and opportunistic alliance over a stable government offered by the BJP," Majumdar said.

Reacting to the AAP-TMC leadership meeting, state Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "The AAP and the TMC follow the same policy of trying to weaken the Congress and increase their strength, thus helping the BJP. The electoral battle of the two parties in Goa, Gujarat, Mizoram and Tripura only helped the BJP, claimed Chowdhury, the leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha.

Congress Launches Scathing Attack On Kejriwal For Opposing Centre's Ordinance

CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty alleged that the TMC has avoided voting against bills brought by the Modi government.

Questioning the TMC supremo's "credibility" in this regard, Chakraborty said that it will have to be seen whether she will stand by what she is saying concerning the Kejriwal government in Delhi.

As part of a nationwide tour to garner support for his fight against the Central ordinance to control appointments and transfer of bureaucrats in Delhi, Kejriwal, along with his party's CM for Punjab Bhagwant Mann, met Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday.
BJPs Counter to Opposition On Why President Is Not Inaugurating New Parliament Building

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The Congress has lashed out at the BJP after it was reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building.

The Congress has been questioning why the President of India will not be inaugurating the new building.

Hitting out at the Congress, Union Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri said, "Congress has a habit of raking controversies where none exist. While President is the Head of State, PM is the Head of Govt and leads the Parliament on behalf of the Govt, whose Policies are effected in form of Laws. The President is not a Member of either House, whereas PM is."

Opposition Parties Up In Arms Against BJP Over PM Inaugurating New Parl Building

Congress leader, Manish Tewari cited Article 79 of the Indian Constitution and said, "there shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses to be known respectively as the council of States and the House of the People. Ministers of the Union must read the Constitution of India very carefully."

The new Parliament building will be inaugurated by PM Modi on May 28. Incidentally the building is being inaugurated on the birth anniversary of V D Savarkar. The Congress leaders and others from the opposition have been questioning why the PM is inaugurating the building and not the president.

"The Office of the President of India is reduced to tokenism under the BJP-RSS government,"Congress chief, Mallikarjun Kharge said.

President alone represents the government, opposition and every citizen aline, Kharge also said.

"Articles 60 and 111 of the Constitution of India make it clear that the President is the head of parliament. It was bizarre enough that the PM performed the ground-breaking ceremony & puja when construction began, but totally incomprehensible (& arguably unconstitutional) for him and not the President to inaugurate the building," Congress MP, Shashi Tharoor said.

President Should Inaugurate Parliament House, Not PM: Rahul Gandhi Echoes Opposition Leaders

"First, the permanent house the Rajya Sabha, the Council of States and then the House of the People, the Lok Sabha. Why the Council of States? Because India is a union of states. And the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is the number 2 in the warrant of precedence, the honourable Vice President of India," Congress leader Anand Sharma said.

"First, the permanent house the Rajya Sabha, the Council of States and then the House of the People, the Lok Sabha. Why the Council of States? Because India is a union of states. And the Chairman of Rajya Sabha is the number 2 in the warrant of precedence, the honourable Vice President of India," Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, Priyanka Chaturvedi said in a tweet.
Congress Launches Scathing Attack On Kejriwal For Opposing Centre's Ordinance

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The Congress party has intensified its criticism of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over their opposition to the services ordinance introduced by the central government.

Congress leader Ajay Maken accused Kejriwal of disregarding the nation's interests and engaging with Khalistani supporters. The Congress leader also highlighted instances where Kejriwal aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on various issues, questioning his commitment to the country.

''How are they asking for Congress' support? He (Arvind Kejriwal) with support of BJP passed a motion to take back Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna. He supported the BJP in the J&K Article 370 issue. He supported BJP during the impeachment of Justice Deepak Mishra. A person who doesn't think about the nation, talks to Khalistani supporters...,'' Maken said.

#WATCH | How are they asking for Congress support? He (Arvind Kejriwal) with support of BJP passed a motion to take back Rajiv Gandhis Bharat Ratna. He supported the BJP in the J&K Article 370 issue. He supported BJP during the impeachment of Justice Deepak Mishra. A person who pic.twitter.com/7gJzCn2bTx  ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

Echoing the sentiment, another Congress leader, Sandeep Dikshit, strongly condemned Kejriwal's governance in Delhi, labeling it as "atrocious, thoroughly dishonest, and corrupt." Dikshit emphasized that supporting the AAP would require compromising the Congress party's principles and constitutional understanding. He urged his party to refrain from extending any support to the AAP for the sake of the people of Delhi.

The recent controversy stems from the Centre's introduction of an ordinance to establish the National Capital Civil Service Authority, granting it the power to recommend transfers and postings of Group A officers and officers from various services. These services include those serving in Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil Services). The ordinance was brought forth shortly after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Kejriwal-led administration on the matter.

Congress vs BJP Over New Parliament Building Inauguration

Previously, the Congress party criticized Kejriwal, suggesting that he should follow the approach of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who engaged with officers respectfully and prioritized dialogue instead of mistreatment, thereby motivating them to work for the city's progress.

In response to the ordinance, Kejriwal has been reaching out to opposition leaders to garner support in the Rajya Sabha. He recently met with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who announced Trinamool Congress' support against the ordinance. Kejriwal has scheduled meetings with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, and has already received backing from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar during their recent meeting.

The political clash between the Congress party and Kejriwal's AAP over the opposition to the services ordinance continues to escalate, with the fate of the ordinance now hinging on the support and stance of various opposition parties.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 18:57 [IST]
Coronavirus Only Affects Human Body, Communal Virus Affects Body Politic: Sibal on Manipur Violence

India

oi-PTI

In the wake of fresh violence in Manipur, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Tuesday said coronavirus only affects the human body while the communal virus affects the body politic and its political dividends are temporary but scars permanent. Two houses were torched by a mob in Imphal East district after four armed men, including a former MLA, forced people to shut their shops on Monday, police officials said.

In a tweet, Sibal said, "Manipur burning again. Earlier clashes led to: 70 dead, 200 injured. 'Coronavirus' only affects the human body, 'communal virus' affects the body politic."

"If it (communal virus) spreads, the consequences are unimaginable. Its political dividends are temporary, its scars are permanent!" said Sibal, who was a Union minister during UPA 1 and 2 and had quit the Congress in May last year. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support.

Sibal recently floated a non-electoral platform 'Insaaf' aimed at fighting injustice. The Opposition has been hitting out at the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state for the violence in Manipur. In fresh violence in Manipur, no casualty was reported due to the arson. Around 10,000 Army and Assam Rifles jawans are currently deployed in the state.

Manipur: Curfew Reimposed In Imphal After Fresh Clashes; Army called in

Earlier, clashes had broken out in Manipur after a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organized in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The violence in Manipur was 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.

The ethnic clashes claimed over 70 lives and some 10,000 army and paramilitary personnel had to be deployed to restore normalcy in the northeastern state.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 12:24 [IST]
Will The Withdrawal Of The Rs 2,000 Notes Have An Impact On The Fake Currency Industry?

Dedicated Counters In Place As Banks Gear Up to Exchange Rs 2,000 Notes

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Dedicated counters have been set up at banks, anticipating a rush to swap Rs 2,000 notes for smaller denominations.

The Reserve Bank of India said that the process of swapping the Rs 2,000 notes, which will remain legal tender will begin Tuesday, May 23. The process will continue till the end of September.

The high-value note can be exchanged without a requisition slip or identity proof, the RBI said. However, officials of some banks said that they would allow deposits or exchange of Rs 2,000 notes only if a person shows identification proof.

In many states, the banks have sought the help of the local police to regulate queues in case of a heavy rush. Banks have also cautioned against trying to deposit or exchange fake notes. The banks warned that in such cases, police cases would be registered.

In Uttar Pradesh, 12,000 bank branches have decided to set up separate counters for depositing the notes. Banks are not expecting a huge rush as only 10 per cent of the Rs 2,000 notes are in circulation said Anil Tiwari, spokesperson of the United Forum of Bank Unions.

Tiwari also added that account holders whose KYC has been done can deposit any number of Rs 2,000 notes in their accounts and only words worth Rs 10,000 will be allowed.

"We would request the general public to ensure that they do not have any fake notes as FIR will be lodged against them for trying to deposit fake notes," Tiwari said.

"Banks have made complete arrangements for checking fake notes," he also added.

On Monday, Rs 2,000 banknotes worth around Rs 90 were deposited in banks and cash deposit machines in Lucknow.

In Bhatinda, Punjab, lead bank manager Manju Galhotra said that the lenders are fully geared up to accept the notes starting Tuesday. People need not panic and banks have been given instructions to accept the highest value currency notes, he added.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 8:18 [IST]
When did Americans become so fearful? Putative leaders in seven Western New York counties, including Niagara County, have declared phony states of emergency in a despicable effort to prevent asylum-seekers arriving in New York City from being housed there. Its cowardly and unbefitting a nation of immigrants whose ancestors also arrived uninvited and without warning.

The shining exception in this part of the state is Erie County, where County Executive Mark Poloncarz flatly rejected that cold-hearted manipulation as both illegal and immoral. Hes right on both counts. These are human beings were talking about, not stray dogs.

During the past decade we have successfully assimilated thousands of immigrants into our community, many refugees from despotic lands, Poloncarz said in a statement over the weekend. This is one reason for the great rebirth of many previously downtrodden neighborhoods in Buffalo. It is also a principal reason that, after decades of decline, both Buffalo and Erie County saw their populations grow between 2010 and 2020.

Yet, in other counties, including Western New York, elected officials have defaulted to no, pulling in the welcome mat and locking the doors. It is happening within Erie County, too. In the Legislatures 10th District, two candidates in the June primary, incumbent James Malczewski and challenger Lindsay Bratek-Lorigo, demanded that Poloncarz channel their heartlessness and bar the door. If residents of that district are hoping for courage in leadership, theyre going to have to look elsewhere.

These are not people who are here illegally. Asylum-seekers are allowed to ask. Some may be abusing the system, its true, but the system is designed to identify them. In the meantime, people of good hearts  surely its not just Buffalo that is a place of good neighbors  can do their best to welcome and help people whose lives of desperation few of us can comprehend: What does it take for a person to leave everything behind and set out for a place where residents react with fear bordering on hatred?

Weve seen how good people respond to this kind of challenge. Last year, Floridas sullen governor, Ron DeSantis, sent planeloads of immigrants  from Texas, no less  to Marthas Vineyard, a wealthy island off Cape Cod. Were not sure what he was expecting, but what he saw  what the world saw  was inspiring, as residents rallied to help as best they could.

Thats the approach Erie County should take, not only to assist the refugees who may arrive here, but as a lesson to other counties, where officeholders reject our common humanity without even giving a thought to a more thoughtful and welcoming response.

It may not be easy. Logistical and cultural stresses are all but inevitable. The test will be in the creativity and determination that leaders of Erie County bring to this challenge. Those leaders include officials at all levels of government, but also business leaders, church leaders, nonprofit agencies and others. As on Marthas Vineyard, residents should look for ways to contribute.

In a visit to Buffalo on Friday, Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is considering all options. Among them is using SUNY campuses to house the surge of migrants and asylum-seekers arriving in New York City. Its a smart idea, at least in the short run, with graduations just completed.

No decisions have been made, she said but I wanted to find out whats available at everything from DOT facilities to our DEC offices to literally every place we have space, because in the City of New York, they are bursting at the seams.

Hochul acknowledged the predictable  and normal  nervousness over the issue, but she is approaching a human problem in a way that can make New Yorkers proud  one that DeSantis seems unable to imagine.  theres a lot of anxiety around this, she said, but to me, we have a large state. We need to do it in a right way, a way that we work closely with the local officials.

A big part of the problem is in Congress unwillingness to find a way forward on both immigration and border security. Democrats and Republicans both shoulder blame for that and, sadly, they show little interest in doing better.

In the meantime, local officials are on notice. Erie County has an opportunity to show the rest of the state  and the country  how best to respond when confronted with a challenge that puts lives at risk. Keep an open heart. Think it through. Do it in a right way.

  

Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing.
Delhi Cops Clarify As Kejriwal Alleges Manhandling Of Sisodia

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The Delhi Police on Tuesday clarified that there was no manhandling of misbehaviour with former Delhi minister, Manish Sisodia at the Rouse Avenue Court.

The clarification came after Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal shred a video showing cops surrounding Sisodia when media persons were asking him questions on the Delhi Ordinance. The police said that it is against the law to issue statements to the media by accused persons in judicial custody, the Delhi Police said.

Sharing the video, which was originally posted by Delhi minister Atishi, Kejriwal said, " do Delhi Police have the rigts to misbehave with Manish ji like this? Have the cops been instructed to do this by powers above?"

"This is how Delhi Police controlled by the BJP-led centre, treats India's best education minister. Strongly condemn this manhandling. The nation is watching," AAP MP Raghav Chadha said.

             ?            ? https://t.co/izPacU6SHI  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 23, 2023

"The talk of police misbehaviour with Mr Manish Sisodia at the time of production in Rouse Avenue Court is propaganda. The police response as seen in the video was imperative from a security point of view. It is against the law to issue statements to the media by the accused in judicial custody," the Delhi Police said in its reply.

Sisodia was brought to court on Tuesday, from where his judicial custody was extended till June 1. The judge also directed the jail authorities to consider providing Sisodia with a chair and table along with books inside the jail.

When he was brought to the court, media people asked him to comment on the ordinance which the Centre brought about on May 19 empowering the LG over the elected government.

As soon as he was asked the question, the cops gestured to the media to make way. Modi ji has become very arrogant, does not respect democracy, Sisodia had said.
With founders Roys divesting more of their shares, Adani Group now has 65 per cent stake in NDTV

Delhi HC Permits Prannoy, Radhika Roy To Travel Abroad, Says Theres No Flight Risk

India

pti-PTI

The Delhi High Court Tuesday granted permission to NDTV founders Prannoy Roy and his wife Radhika Roy to travel abroad for three weeks for business purpose and personal reasons.

Justice Prathiba M Singh said owing to the professional standing of the petitioners, they do not pose a flight risk and are permitted to travel abroad from July 25 to August 15.

The high court allowed them to visit the United Kingdom after fulfilling necessary conditions imposed by the court before the registrar.

It also asked them to provide details of their itinerary to the registrar of the high court.

Fact Check: NDTV opinion poll giving Congress majority in Karnataka is viral

The Roys filed the application in a pending petition in which they have challenged the look out circular opened against them at the behest of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) pursuant to lodging of two FIRs over alleged corruption. Their counsel submitted they wish to travel abroad for business and personal reasons, including a visit to Prannoy Roys brother.

The plea was opposed by the counsel for the authorities on the ground that investigation was pending against both the petitioners. Justice Singh noted that the Roys were also permitted to travel abroad last year by a coordinate bench of the high court.
TMC Will Support AAP In Fight Against Central Ordinance: Mamata Banerjee

India

oi-Deepika S

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) will support the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in its fight against the Centre's ordinance on control of services in Delhi.

Banerjee was addressing a joint press conference with Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal and his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann after their meeting in Kolkata.

"TMC will oppose the ordinance brought by the Centre against the Delhi government, will urge opposition parties to come together," Mamata Banerjee said addressing a joint press conference with Arvind Kejriwal.

"This government has become a government of the agency, by the agency and for the agency. We fear the Central govt might change the Constitution, they might change the name of the country... They don't even respect the Supreme Court verdicts," Banerjee said.

"I request all opposition parties that if you are willing to work together, don't let a single vote go to the BJP," she added.

Kejriwal said the defeat of the ordinance in Parliament would be like the semifinal for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"I thank Didi Mamata Banerjee for assuring us that she will support us in the Rajya Sabha against the Centre's ordinance to create an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi. I believe if this Bill is stopped in Rajya Sabha, then this will be a semi-final for 2024 Lok Sabha elections," Kejriwal said.

Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee have always had good relations. AAP leaders Raghav Chadha, Atishi Singh were also present at the Kejriwal-Mann meeting with Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, which is in power in Delhi, has been seeking the support of Opposition parties, urging them to defeat the ordinance brought by the Modi government over the transfer and posting of officials in Delhi.

Centre's Ordinance Will Not Stand In The Court For 5 Minutes, Says Kejriwal

On Sunday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav met Kejriwal at his residence here and assured their complete support to him on the issue.

The Centre promulgated an ordinance on Friday to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and disciplinary proceedings against them.

The centre's move came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order, and land, to the elected government in Delhi.

An ordinance has to be ratified by Parliament within six months. For this, the Centre will have to bring a bill for its passage in both Houses of Parliament.

Kejriwal will also seek support from former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Wednesday and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on May 25.
I Am On A Nation-Wide Tour Declares Kejriwal To Oppose Centres Ordinance

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal announced that he will be travelling across the country to fight for the rights of the people of Delhi, seeking support against the ordinance which was brought in by the Union Government to scuttle the powers of the Delhi government.

Kejriwal made an appeal on Twitter and wrote, " after years, the Supreme Court gave a verdict in favour of the people of Delhi. But it was overturned by the Centre through the ordinance. When this law comes in the Rajya Sabha, it should not be allowed to pass under any circumstances. I will meet the presidents of all political parties and seek their support."

"This fight is not only for the people of Delhi. This fight is a fight to save Indian democracy, a fight to save the constitution given by Baba Sahib, a fight to save the judiciary. This fight is a fight to save the country. I expect everyone's support in this," he also said.

Kejriwal's first destination would be West Bengal, where he and Punjab Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann are scheduled to meet with West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee.

Administrative Services Row: Kejriwal To Meet Mamata, Pawar, Uddhav To Seek Support

On Tuesday evening, Kejriwal and Mann will leave Kolkata and fly to Mumbai where they will meet with Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar on Wednesday.

On Sunday, Kejriwal met with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and said that the Ordinance can be rejected in the Upper House if all Opposition parties come together.

The Opposition is putting up a united front on the Ordinance. K C Venugopal of the Congress said in a tweet, the Congress Party has not taken any decision on the issue of the Ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the Government of NCT of Delhi with respect to appointment of officers. It will consult its state units & other like-minded parties on the same. The Party believes in the Rule of Law and at the same time does not condone unnecessary confrontation, political witch-hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party."

What is the controversy about?

On May 11, the Supreme Court held that the elected government in the National Capital Territory will have administrative powers except for law and order and land. It however ruled that the Delhi government will have the powers to transfer IAS officers working in Delhi.

Congress Likely To Oppose Bill To Replace Centre's Ordinance On Delhi Services

On May 19, the Union Government bought an ordinance giving special powers to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. It also created a separate service for the Delhi officers.

The AAP has said that the ordinance is unconstitutional and is in contempt of the Supreme Court. The BJP has however maintained that the Ordinance is important to maintain the dignity of Delhi.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 12:34 [IST]
India Steps Up Presence In South Pacific As China Looms Large

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a 12-point action to up India's engagement on a day when the US signed a landmark defence agreement with Papua New Guinea (PNG) to limit China's influence in the South Pacific.

Indian officials said that the action plan was to fulfil the developmental aspirations of the people of the Pacific Island Countries (PIC).

China remained the elephant in the room as PM Modi told the PIC leaders that they could count on India as a reliable partner which supported a free, open and inclusive India-Pacific and also respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.

After Fiji, Papua New Guinea Confers Highest Award On PM Modi

While speaking about the issues faced by the Global South like fuel, fertiliser and medicine shortage, PM Modi said, "those whom we considered trustworthy, it turned out that they are not standing by our side in the times of need."

"A friend in need is a friend indeed. I am glad that India stood with its Pacific Island friends during this challenging time. Whether it was vaccines or essential medicines, wheat or sugar, India, in line with its capabilities, has been assisting all partner countries," PM Modi said.

The visit by the PM to PNG, the first by any Indian Prime Minister was significant as it came in the midst of the geopolitical rivalry spurred by China's growing presence in the region that is resource-rich. The US on its part responded with its own defence pact that Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed with James Marape. The pact is aimed at deepening security ties with the Pacific Islands. China last week had warned the US against introducing geopolitical games in the region.

You Are Leader of the Global South: Papua New Guinea Leader Hails PM Modi

PM Modi's 12-point action plan, included a cardiology super-speciality hospital in Fiji that India will build with assistance and a an IT and cyber security hub in PNG.

"We are ready to share our capabilities and experiences with you without any hesitation. Whether it is digital technology or space technology, whether it is health or food security, whether it is climate change or environmental conservation, we are with you in every way," PM Modi also said.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 9:57 [IST]
No Heat Wave Likely Over Northwest India For Next 7 Days: IMD

April Heatwave in India Were 30 Times More Likely Due To Climate Change: Study

Intense Rainfall, Thunderstorms Expected as IMD Issues Orange Alert for Northwestern States

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

As the scorching summer heat persists, a significant shift in weather patterns is on the horizon. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning for a potent spell of thunderstorms, rain, and hailstorms over northwestern states, accompanied by an orange alert for the next two days.

According to the IMD, an active western disturbance is projected to traverse the northern region from May 23 to 26. This weather system is expected to gain momentum, drawing moisture from both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, thereby intensifying the upcoming rain activity. Additionally, the IMD forecasts a notable decrease in daytime temperatures by four to six degrees Celsius over northwest India in the next three days.

The convergence of these meteorological factors sets the stage for a significant weather event that could bring relief from the scorching heat while posing potential challenges due to the expected intensity of rainfall, thunderstorms, and hailstorms. Residents and authorities in the affected northwestern states are urged to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions in light of the impending weather conditions.

Over the next four days, rainfall is expected at many places over northwest India with thunderstorm, lightning and occasional gusty winds from the evening of May 23 to May 26, with maximum intensity on May 24 and 25.

Strong gusty winds reaching 50-60 kmph are likely over Uttarakhand, on 24th & 25th and over Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi on 24th; and over West Uttar Pradesh on 25th May.

Weather Update: Southwest Monsoon Likely To Arrive In Kerala On June 4

Heavy rainfall very likely at isolated places over Himachal Pradesh on 23rd & 24th May; Jammu Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Uttarakhand, Punjab, south Haryana on 24th May.

The forecast suggests a probability of hailstorm over Himachal Pradesh on 23rd & 24th; Uttarakhand during 23rd to 25th; over Punjab & Haryana on 24th and West Uttar Pradesh and north Rajasthan on 24th & 25th May.

Duststorm/Thunderstorm with gusty winds (40-50 kmph) is also likely over Rajasthan during 23rd-25th May, 2023.

The strong winds and hailstorm could damage vulnerable structures, as the weather department has urged local administration officials to prepare accordingly.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 18:31 [IST]
Jammu will emerge as new model of sustainable development: LG

In J&K, first multiplex to open on Sep 20 after 32 years; Laal Singh Chaddha, RRR likely to be screened

Kashmir edition of Kumaon Literary Festival to begin in Srinagar next week

Rajouri terror attacks: J&K LG Sinha says in-depth probe will be conducted into security lapses

J&K Soon To Be Among Top 50 Global Destinations: Manoj Sinha

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said that Jammu And Kashmir will soon find its place among the top 50 destinations.

In his address to a tourism group meeting of the G20 grouping of the world's largest economies, Sinha said that it will be on the travel bucket list of global travellers.

The ongoing meet is one of the biggest that is being held in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370, which had stripped the region of its semi-autonomous status in August 2019.

Sinha said that tourism cannot grow in isolation. Tourism needs good infrastructure, sound policies, effective and responsive administration. He also added that only peace and happiness can bring warmth to hospitality.

He also referred to the region's majestic peaks, clear lakes and serene green landscape. He added that Jammu and Kashmir is more than a tourism destination. Last year a record 18 million tourists visited J&K and the tourism sector contributed to 7 per cent of its GDP, Sinha added.

G20 Delegates Enjoy Shikara Ride In Dal Lake

He further added that the tourism sector has been accorded the status of an industry. The government has identified 300 new destinations to promote green tourism, micro, small and medium enterprises, he added.

He also spoke about the 300 movies that had been filmed in the region last year.

"Such enthusiasm is bringing about a qualitative change in the lives of people. Our aim is to make the countryside and popular destinations more sustainable and preserve the beauty of fascinating heritage sites."

He also reminded the delegates that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's schemes had empowered the masses and effective administration had isolated the terror ecosystem. "Now even foreign investments are also coming into J&K," he said.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 17:30 [IST]
Mumbai To Pune in 90 Minutes: Know All About India's Longest Sea Bridge MTHL

India

oi-Prakash KL

The MTHL is a 21.8 km (6-lane) access-controlled expressway grade road bridge, which will connect Mumbai with Navi Mumbai. It will consist of 5.5 kilometres of underground tunnels on land, located on both sides and a 16.5-kilometre bridge that stretches across the sea.

The works on the 16.5 km long deck of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Sea Link (MTHL) will be completed on May 24. It is credited as the longest sea bridge in India and the 12th longest in the world.

The bridge will begin in Sewri, South Mumbai, will cross Thane Creek north of Elephanta Island, and will terminate at Chirle near Nhava Sheva. The road will be linked to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in the east and to the under-construction Coastal Road in the west.

"Work on structures is almost complete. Tomorrow evening, at an event, we are going to connect the bridge to the mainland. The remaining work -- road laying, electrical, intelligent transport system (electronic tolling) -- will be done after the event. It is possible to achieve the target we set two years ago, to finish by December end this year," NDTV quoted SVR Srinivas, the commissioner of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, as saying.

Billed as the 'engineering marvel', the bridge will reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune and also to the under-construction Navi Mumbai international airport. On a daily basis, it will have the capacity to handle over 70,000 vehicles.

This bridge will reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 90 minutes. Also, it is expected to cut down travel time between Lonavala, Khandala and Mumbai.

In addition, the construction of this bridge will enhance connectivity between Mumbai and other destinations such as Goa and Nagpur.

This bridge will be the first to have an Open Road Tolling (ORT) system. It means people can drive their vehicles without slowing down to pay the toll fees.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 17:27 [IST]
NIA Nets Jaish-e-Mohammad Operative Who Passed Sensitive Information To Pakistan

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

In a major success for the agencies, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a member of the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Jammu And Kashmir.

Sources tell OneIndia that the arrested operative Mohammad Ubaid Malik was arrested from Kupwara as he was found to be passing on information to his Pakistan based handlers.

The source cited above also said that Malik had been passing on sensitive security information, especially on the movement of troops in Jammu And Kashmir.

Fugitive For 20 Years With 102 Cases Pending, NIA Nets Chief Of Banned PLFI

Post his arrest, the NIA found incriminating material on him which reinforced his involvement in acts of terror. An NIA official said that it was found that he was in touch with two Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives in Pakistan and would constantly pass on information to them.

The arrest is part of NIA's crackdown against conspiracies hatched by proscribed terrorist organisations across the border to destabilise India through attacks in J&K," the NIA said.

Malik was arrested in a case relating to June 2022 when the NIA had carried out raids at over a dozen locations in Jammu And Kashmir. The NIA said that this case is part of the drive to dismantle the terror network in J&K.

Raids were also carried out at Srinagar, Pulwama, Budgam, Awantipora, Shopian, Anantnag, Handwara and Poonch.

Official sources say that the raids are aimed at busting the terror networks that are hatching conspiracies to carry out attacks on the security forces. If one looks at the recent attacks, they have been aimed at the security forces only. This is because the over ground operatives are active and the informants continue to pass on information to the Pakistan handlers.

JeM Terrorist Arrested From Kashmir By NIA

The recent raids pertain to the conspiracies, which are hatched physically as well as on the internet. They also pertain to the attacks carried out using sticky and magnetic bombs as well as with improvised explosive devices and small arms, officials said.

NIA officials also pointed out that the explosives are delivered by using drones. These explosives are primarily being used to strike at the minorities in Jammu and Kashmir and the security forces.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 10:54 [IST]
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy both said they had a productive debt ceiling discussion late Monday at the White House, but there was no agreement as negotiators strained to raise the nation's borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default.

It's a crucial moment for the Democratic president and the Republican speaker, just 10 days before a looming deadline to raise the debt limit.

As soon as June 1, Treasury Secretary Janel Yellen said in a letter to Congress, it is highly likely the government will be unable to pay all the nation's bills. Such an unprecedented default would be financially damaging for many Americans and others around the world relying on U.S. stability, sending shockwaves through the global economy.

Each side praised the other's seriousness, but basic differences remained. They are at odds over how to trim annual budget deficits. Republicans are determined to cut spending while Biden's team offered to hold spending levels flat. Biden wants to increase some taxes on the wealthiest Americans and some big companies, but McCarthy said early on that that is out of the question.

The time of spending, just spending more money in America and government is wrong, McCarthy said after the Oval Office meeting.

In a brief post-meeting statement, Biden called the session productive but merely added that he, McCarthy and their lead negotiators will continue to discuss the path forward. Upbeat, McCarthy said their teams would work through the night.

Biden said all agreed that "default is not really on the table."

Though there is no agreement on basic issues, the contours of a deal seem within reach. A budget deal would unlock a separate vote to lift the debt ceiling, now $31 trillion, to allow more borrowing.

Negotiations are focused on finding compromise over a 2024 budget year cap that would be key to resolving the standoff. Republicans insisted next years spending be less than it is now, but the White House instead offered to hold spending flat at current 2023 numbers.

Republicans initially sought to roll back next years spending to 2022 levels, and impose 1% caps on spending growth for 10 years, though a later proposal narrowed that to about six years. The White House wants a two-year budget deal, keeping 2024 spending flat. They proposed a 1% cap on spending growth for 2025, according to a person familiar with the talks and granted anonymity to discuss them.

A compromise on those topline spending levels would enable McCarthy to deliver for conservatives, while not being so severe that it would chase off the Democratic votes that would be needed in the divided Congress to pass any bill.

"Were going to find a baseline that we agree to that will be less than what we spent this year," McCarthy said back at the Capitol.

Time is growing short. The House speaker promised lawmakers he will abide by the rule to post any bill for 72 hours before voting, making any action doubtful until the end of the week  just days before the potential deadline. The Senate would also have to pass the package before it could go to Biden's desk to be signed into law.

After a weekend of start-stop talks, both Biden and McCarthy have declared a need to close out a compromise deal. U.S. financial markets turned down last week after negotiations paused amid a jittery economy.

Biden and McCarthy spoke by phone Sunday while the president was returning home on Air Force One after the Group of Seven summit in Japan.

Biden used his concluding news conference in Hiroshima, Japan, to say he had done his part by agreeing to spending cuts and to warn, Its time for Republicans to accept that there is no deal to be made solely, solely, on their partisan terms.

Now its time for the other side to move from their extreme position, he said.

The call between the two revived talks, and negotiators met for 2 1/2 hours at the Capitol late Sunday evening. Negotiators were back at it again for nearly three hours Monday morning ahead of the session at the White House. The White House team returned late Monday night for nearly two hours at the Capitol, leaving before midnight upbeat but with little comment.

But McCarthy continued to blame Biden for having refused to engage earlier on the debt ceiling, an issue that is often linked to the federal budget.

GOP lawmakers have been holding tight to demands for sharper spending cuts with caps on future spending, rejecting the alternatives proposed by the White House that call for reducing deficits in part with new revenue from taxes.

McCarthy has insisted personally in his conversations with Biden that tax hikes are off the table.

Republicans also want work requirements on the Medicaid health care program, though the Biden administration has countered that millions of people could lose coverage. The GOP additionally introduced new cuts to food aid by restricting states ability to waive work requirements in places with high joblessness. But Democrats have said any changes to work requirements for government aid recipients are nonstarters.

GOP lawmakers are also seeking cuts in IRS funding and, by sparing defense and veterans accounts from reductions, would shift the bulk of spending reductions to other federal programs.

The White House has countered by keeping defense and nondefense spending flat next year, which would save $90 billion in the 2024 budget year and $1 trillion over 10 years.

All sides have been eyeing the potential for the package to include a framework to ease federal regulations and speed energy project developments. They are all but certain to claw back some $30 billion in unspent COVID-19 funds now that the pandemic emergency has officially lifted.

For months, Biden had refused to engage in talks over the debt limit, contending that Republicans in Congress were trying to use the borrowing limit vote as leverage to extract administration concessions on other policy priorities.

But with June nearing and Republicans putting their own spending legislation on the table, the White House launched talks on a budget deal that could accompany an increase in the debt limit.

McCarthy faces a hard-right flank that is likely to reject any deal, which has led some Democrats encouraging Biden to resist any compromise with the Republicans and simply raise the debt ceiling on his own to avoid default.

The president, though, said he was ruling out the possibility, for now, of invoking the 14th Amendment as a solution, saying it's an unresolved legal question that would become tied up in the courts.
Opposition Parties Up In Arms Against BJP Over PM Inaugurating New Parl Building

India

oi-Prakash KL

A controversy has erupted over Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the newly-constructed Parliament building as the Congress and other Opposition parties have raised objections to it.

They want President Draupadi Murmu instead of PM Modi to inaugurate the new building.

The Congress has up the ante after Rahul Gandhi, on Twitter, demanded that the President of India should inaugurate the Parliament building.

Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday slammed the Centre over the issue and accused the BJP government of disrespecting the President of India by not inviting her to the event.

Congress vs BJP Over New Parliament Building Inauguration

"It looks like the Modi government ensured the election of President of India from Dalit and Tribal communities for electoral reasons. It has repeatedly disrespected propriety . Office of the President of India is reduced to tokenism under the BJP-RSS government," Kharge tweeted.

President Draupadi Murmu, as the highest constitutional authority of India's supreme legislative body should inaugurate the new building that will symbolise the Indian government's commitment to democratic values and constitutional propriety, Kharge urged.

"She alone represents government, opposition, and every citizen alike. She is the First Citizen of India. Inauguration of the new Parliament building by her will symbolise Government's commitment to Democratic values and Constitutional propriety," he added.

"While former president Ramnath Kovind was not invited for the new Parliament foundation-laying ceremony... president of India Draupadi Murmu is not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament building," he said in a tweet.

Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma has said that it will not be constitutionally correct for a Prime Minister to inaugurate the new building of Parliament. He said that "no democracy has done this."

"Parliament is the custodian and pride of India's Constitutional democracy. Its glory must not be undermined. The sovereignty of the people is vested in it. Article 79 of the Constitution is unambiguous. President is the head of Parliament which comprises of the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. PM is the leader of Lok Sabha. It is the President who alone can summon the Parliament - Article 85.

Rashtrapati addresses the joint session only flanked by Rajya Sabha Chairman - Vice President and Lok sabha speaker. PM and leader of Raya Sabha are seated in Central Hall. Constitution must be respected in letter and spirit and President should inaugurate," he said on Twitter.

There are also reports that the Congress might boycott the event.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi asked why Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman won't inaugurate it. "Why should PM inaugurate Parliament? He is head of the executive, not legislature. We have separation of powers and honourable Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chair could have inaugurated. It's made with public money, why is PM behaving like his "friends" have sponsored it from their private funds?" Owaisi tweeted.

"Obsession with self-image and cameras trumps decency and norms when it comes to Modi Ji," CPI's D Raja said.

On the other hand, the BJP has slammed the Congress for trying to create controversy over the inauguration of the new Parliament building. "Whenever a good thing happens, Congress leaders resort to cheap politics which has become its hallmark under Rahul Gandhi. When the nation is feeling proud on the construction of new Parliament building, its leaders have again stooped to a new low," BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni said.

Insult to Prez Murmu: AAP On PM Modi Being Invited To Inaugurate New Parliament Building

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the new building on May 28.

A senior BJP leader told the PTI that the President too wanted the Prime Minister to inaugurate the new building. The Prime Minister is set to inaugurate it on May 28. Hitting out at the Congress, Baluni said, "Its perverse mindset has become more entrenched because of Rahul Gandhi's anarchist politics and is on full display as the country excitedly awaits the inauguration of the new building of Parliament, which will stand as a symbol of the Indian democracy."

Also, the inauguration date coincides with the birth anniversary of Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar. This has also not gone well with several parties.

"A complete insult to all our Founding Fathers and Mothers. A total rejection of Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Bose, et al. A blatant repudiation of Dr Ambedkar," . Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

With only a few days left for the inauguration, more drama is expected over the issue, say political observers.

According to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the new Parliament building can comfortably seat 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber and 300 in the Rajya Sabha chamber.
Rs 2,000 Notes Withdrawn To Divert Attention From BJP's Karnataka Defeat: Ram Gopal Yadav

India

oi-PTI

Samajwadi Party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav on Tuesday alleged the move to withdraw Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation has been taken to divert attention from the ruling BJP's defeat in the Karnataka assembly elections.

Yadav was referring to the Reserve Bank of India's announcement last week to withdraw the Rs 2,000 currency notes from circulation. The RBI gave the public time till September 30 to either deposit such notes in accounts or exchange them at banks.

Responding to queries on the move, Yadav said, ''They (BJP) do not understand what should be done and what should not be done. They have become disoriented. This has been done because they lost badly in the Karnataka elections. This new trick is to divert the attention of the people.''

Chaos, Confusion On First Day Of Rs 2,000 Note Exchange In Delhi

Dubbing the move as a ''Tughlaqi farmaan (diktat)'', the SP leader said, ''During our student days, we studied in our history class that Muhammad bin Tughlaq first shifted his capital from Delhi to Daulatabad and then back to Delhi saying that there was no water to drink. The ban on the Rs 2,000 note is like that Tughlaqi farmaan.''

''After banning the earlier Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes (during demonetisation), the new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes were printed. Rs 1,500 crores were spent only for printing Rs 2,000 notes and now all that will go in vain,'' he said, adding that the government was only wasting thousands of crores of rupees.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 17:48 [IST]
TMC, CPI, AAP to Boycott Inauguration of New Parliament

India

pti-PTI

The TMC, the CPI and the AAP on Tuesday announced they will skip the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building on May 28 and more opposition parties including the Congress are likely to join them.

Amid demands from the opposition that the president should inaugurate the new building, leaders of like-minded opposition parties deliberated on the issue and a joint statement by the floor leaders on a united boycott of the event may be issued soon, sources said.

Announcing the party's decision, TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien wrote on Twitter, ''Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules -- it is the foundation of Indian democracy. Prime Minister Modi doesn't get that. For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out.'' CPI general secretary D Raja also said his party will not attend the ceremony.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh tweeted, ''Not inviting President Droupadi Murmu to the inauguration of the new Parliament building is a great insult to her. This is also an insult to the tribals. The Aam Aadmi party will boycott the inauguration function in protest of Modi ji not inviting the President.''

The CPI-M also accused Modi of ''bypassing'' the President for not just laying the foundation stone for the new parliament building but also by inaugurating it himself ''Modi bypassed the President when the foundation stone for the new Parliament building was laid. Now too at the inauguration. Unacceptable. Constitution Art 79: 'There shall be a Parliament for the Union which shall consist of the President and two Houses... ''Only when the President of India summons the Parliament can it meet.

The President begins, annually, Parliamentary functioning by addressing the joint session. The first business Parliament transacts each year is the 'Motion of Thanks' to President's Address,'' party general secretary Sitaram Yechury said in a tweet.

What Is The Construction Cost Of The New Parliament Building?

Soon after the MPs started receiving soft copies of the invitation, they got into a huddle to discuss the issue.

The opposition sources indicated that most of the parties are of the view that they should unitedly skip the ceremony, and a final decision on the issue will be announced soon.

Sources said a joint statement by all the floor leaders of like minded parties will be issued soon to announce a united boycott of the event.

Meanwhile, political slugfest over the inauguration issue continued with Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri slamming the Congress for lacking ''national spirit and sense of pride'' in India's progress and the opposition party accusing him of trying to ''obfuscate and dissimulate''.

Addressing reporters, Puri said the then prime minister Indira Gandhi had inaugurated the Parliament Annexe building on October 24, 1975 and successor Rajiv Gandhi had laid the foundation of the parliament library on August 15, 1987.

''If your head of government can inaugurate Parliament annexe and library then why can't the head of the government of this time do? It's as simple as that,'' he said.

Puri's remarks came a day after the Congress accused the government of disrespecting constitutional propriety and demanded that President Droupadi Murmu inaugurate the new Parliament building, instead of Modi.

AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, ''SUV-Self-Usurped Vishwaguru-has already annexe-d the Parliament for self-aggrandisement. But surely, there is a fundamental difference between inaugurating an Annexe where officials work and a library which is hardly used on the one hand, and inaugurating not just the Temple of Democracy but its sanctum sanctorum itself.'' Hitting back at Puri, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari alleged that the minister is trying to ''obfuscate and dissimulate''.

''Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, I am afraid, is trying to obfuscate and dissimulate. There is a difference between an annexe to the Parliament, library and a new Parliament building,'' he said in a tweet.

''By the way, Chairperson of the Council of States Vice President of India is also conspicuous by his absence on the invitation card,'' he added.

Congress' head of media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said on Twitter, ''Hon'ble Minister needs to be told there's a difference between Parliament Annexe and the Parliament. I hope he has been attending sessions in the right building and not the library or the Annexe.'' ''Is this the level of intellect in Modi Ji's cabinet or this is Bhakti Ki Shakti,'' he asked.

Talking to reporters, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said, ''One question for the government -- why are you insulting the president who happens to be a woman from a humble background? Is it because she comes from a humble background? The president is the first citizen of the country and why are you not getting the new building of Parliament, which is called the pillar of democracy, inaugurated by her? ''This is because you want your name to be etched on its stones. You want to insult a woman and a tribal because there is no election in the state she comes from.'' ''Whether we will boycott or attend, we will take a decision at the right time,'' he added.

Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 following an invitation by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

On Monday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had raised objection to President Murmu not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament Building, saying the Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India, and the President of India is its highest Constitutional authority.

''It looks like the Modi government has ensured the election of President of India from the dalit and the tribal communities only for electoral reasons,'' he had also charged.

On Kharge's remark, Congress leader Shahi Tharoor then tweeted, ''Articles 60 and 111 of the Constitution make it clear that the President is the head of Parliament. It was bizarre enough that the PM performed the ground-breaking ceremony and puja when construction began, but totally incomprehensible and arguably unconstitutional for him and not the President to inaugurate the building.'' Puri earlier in the day also issued a series of tweets, alleging, ''From criticising the new Parliament building and questioning its very necessity despite many of them advocating for it before but not executing it, Congress president and other worthies are now shifting the goalpost by generously misquoting an article a day from the Constitution.'' ''After uncharitable comments about Hon'ble President in the past by its leaders, Congress president now makes uncalled for and gratuitous comments on her election. Tragic that Congress claiming to be a national party lacks any national spirit and sense of pride in India's progress,'' he added.

The minister further said, ''They should feel better if they remember Oct 24, 1975 the day when Smt Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe. Or, August 15, 1987 when Sh Rajiv Gandhi laid the foundation of the Parliament Library.

''So, instead of now finding articles to justify their hypocrisy, why can't they just smile and join India on this momentous achievement & her march to greatness.'' NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto wondered if it was not the right of President Murmu to inaugurate the new Parliament building for her being the head of the country.

''Our Parliament is our temple of democracy and the Constitutional head of our country is our President,'' he said, adding ''Therefore is it not the right of our President to inaugurate the new Parliament House?'' The opposition parties had boycotted the ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the building by Modi in December 2020, citing concerns about its timing amid farmer protests, the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic distress due to a lockdown.

The grand opening of the new building, it is learnt, will be marked by the chanting of hymns, a ''havan'' and a ''puja''. The rituals will start in the morning and the main programme is scheduled to be held in the afternoon.

Besides Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will be present at the opening ceremony.

The invitation card for the event states the ceremony will start at noon and requests the invitees to take their seats by 11.30 am.
Will The Withdrawal Of The Rs 2,000 Notes Have An Impact On The Fake Currency Industry?

What Happens If You Fail To Deposit, Exchange Rs 2,000 Note By September 30

India

oi-Deepika S

The government on Friday announced that it will withdraw the Rs 2,000 denomination banknote from circulation but it will continue as legal tender.

"The 2,000 denomination banknote was introduced in November 2016 primarily to meet the currency requirements of the economy in an expeditious manner after the withdrawal of the legal tender status of all 500 and 1,000 banknotes in circulation at that time," the RBI said in a statement.

With RBI's new announcement, everyone is curious to know what happens to Rs 2,000 notes after September 30. The RBI has said that Rs 2,000 note continues to be a legal tender. This means customers can use the Rs 2,000 note for buying goods and services, in everyday life transactions till September 30. However, the central bank did not specifically mention anything about what will happen to Rs 2,000 note, if not exchanged or deposited in banks by the September 30 deadline.

The central bank can provide customers an opportunity to exchange their Rs 2,000 notes, at specified RBI offices, even after September 30, via a new circular, if it deems fit, as it was done in the case of withdrawal of pre-2005 notes done in 2013-14. That window is open for all, in case you miss depositing or exchanging at the bank.

No Reason To Rush To Banks To Exchange Rs 2000 Notes: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das

The FAQs issued by the RBI on Indian Currency, dated 19 December 2017 states that the facility for exchange notes is available in specified offices of RBI.

"Tenders of SBNs in excess of Rs 5,000 into a bank account will be received for credit only once during the remaining period till December 30, 2016. The credit in such cases shall be afforded only after questioning tenderer, on record, in the presence of at least two officials of the bank, as to why this could not be deposited earlier and receiving a satisfactory explanation. The explanation should be kept on record to facilitate an audit trail at a later stage. An appropriate flag also should be raised in CBS to that effect so that no more tenders are allowed," the RBI said in a press release dated December 19, 2016.

2,000 Rupee Note Withdrawal: Facts And Myths

Myth: Rs 2,000 notes will not be valid after September 30, 2023

Fact: Rs 2,000 notes will continue to be legal tender even after September 30, 2023.

Myth: Only your account holding bank is authorised to exchange Rs 2,000 currency notes for smaller denominations.

Fact: Any bank, regardless of account ownership, is authorised to exchange Rs 2,000 currency notes for smaller denominations.

Myth: There is a fee to be paid for the exchange facility

Fact: The exchange of notes shall be provided free of cost!

Myth: It is demonetisation again

Fact: The exchange of Rs 2,000 notes into smaller denominations is simply a step to facilitate smoother transactions and meet evolving needs.
Why Pakistan Will Continue To Boil And There Is No Solution Around The Corner

Imran Khan Suffers First Major Blow As Close Aide Quits Party And Active Politics After Her Arrest

International

pti-PTI

In the first major blow for Imran Khan, Shireen Mazari, a former minister and his close aide on Tuesday quit the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party and condemned the actions of the former prime minister's supporters who attacked and torched sensitive defence installations across Pakistan on May 9.

Mazari, 72, announced her resignation and retirement from active politics after she was released following her arrest for the fourth time since May 12 when she was picked from her residence by police and sent to jail in connection with the violence on May 9. She served as the minister for human rights from 2018 to 2022, under Khan's regime.

Addressing a press conference here, she condemned the violence after the arrest of Khan, also the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on May 9, adding that she had given a similar undertaking in the Islamabad High Court.

"Not only the May 9 and 10 violence, but Ive always condemned every kind of violence especially against state institutions and symbols like the General Headquarters, Supreme Court and Parliament, she said.- She then announced her decision to quit Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party as well as active politics, saying the arrest had adversely affected her health and family.

"From today, Im not part of PTI or any active party because first [for me are] my family, my mother and kids, she said. Following the unprecedented protests, at least 13 PTI leaders, including Mazari, were arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance.

She was granted bail by courts on multiple occasions but was re-arrested immediately every time. Feeling the heat of legal processes, several PTI leaders have quit the party but none of them had enjoyed the stature of the liberal-minded Mazari. Her decision to part ways with Khan is considered a big political loss to the party.

The aftermath of the May 9 arson incident has led to an increasing number of PTI leaders parting ways with the party, with the total now reaching 24, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. Joining Mazari in parting ways with PTI is Abdul Razaq Khan Niazi, a former PTI Member of the Provincial Assembly from Khanewal.

Imran Khan Receives Luxury Tax Notice Of PKR 14 lakhs For Lahore Residence

At a press conference, Niazi condemned the attacks on military installations and suggested that such actions could not have occurred without the support of the party leadership. Khan has strongly condemned Mazari's arrest from outside Adiala after her release orders were issued by the court.

"This regime is sinking to new lows. Her health is fragile and subjecting her to this ordeal by rearresting her despite courts giving her bail is simply trying to break her spirit," Khan tweeted. "Shireen wont break as she has more courage than most people I have come across in my life. However, the country is rapidly descending towards becoming a Banana republic where might is right," he wrote, criticising the government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Meanwhile, civil society including journalists expressed dismay at Mazari's decision and Geo News anchor Hamid Mir termed her retirement a "huge loss" for democracy and human rights activism. Political analyst Mosharraf Zaidi said the development was an absolute disgrace for the government, the military and the country at large.

Mazari was arrested for the fourth time on Monday after the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court had directed authorities to set her free if she was not required under any other case. Her daughter Imaan Mazari-Hazir talking to the media after the court orders had said that the government should think and not destroy homes like this. Mazari-Hazir had also lambasted Khan, saying that "it is a pity that party chief Imran Khan has forgotten the workers and leadership".

Mazari was first arrested on May 12 from her residence in Islamabad as part of a crackdown launched by the federal government on PTI supporters following the May 9 attacks. On May 9, violent protests erupted after the arrest of Khan by paramilitary Rangers. His party workers vandalised a dozen military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander's House, the Mianwali airbase and the ISI building in Faisalabad. The Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was also stormed by the mob for the first time. Police put the death toll in violent clashes to 10 while Khan's party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the firing by security personnel.

Thousands of Khans supporters were arrested following the violence that the powerful Army described as a dark day in the history of the country. Mazari has been a vocal critic of Pakistan's military and the government of Prime Minister Sharif. Mazari's arrest came after a series of arrests of several other PTI leaders, including Asad Umar, Fawad Chaudhry, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Omer Cheema, Ali Mohammad Khan, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and others.

Prime Minister Sharif said on Sunday that those involved in attacks on military installations would be tried in the military courts while those charged with attacks on civilian targets would be prosecuted under civilian laws.
'Beautifully Expressed': PM Modi After SRK Congratulates Him On New Parliament House

On 'Modi Airways', 91-Year-Old Woman Among 177 Overseas Indians Arrives in Sydney for PM Event

International

oi-Prakash KL

A 91-year-old woman was one among 170 Indian-origin people who took a chartered flight from Melbourne to Sydney to attend an event of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

91-year-old Dr Navamani Chandra Bose came from Melbourne to meet the Indian Prime Minister in Sydney, The Australia Today reported. "Very happy today and it's going to be a great event," she is quoted as saying by ANI. Dr Navamani Chandra Bose was accompanied by her daughter.

A chartered Qantas flight was rebranded as 'Modi Airways' and it brought his fans from Melbourne and 'Modi Express' buses are being chartered from Queensland, according to a report in ABC News. About 20,000 supporters are expected to attend the Indian PM's event at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park.

It is one of the biggest indoor stadiums in Sydney which had earlier hosted international stars like Bruce Springsteen and the Backstreet Boys. The PM's event is organised by the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation to celebrate the country's dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora.

The 91-year-old is the wife of NS Chandra Bose who was the President of the Indian Medical Association from 1991 to 1992. Her husband had also served as the President of the Tamil Nadu State BJP from 1995 to 1997.

PM Modi Meets Leading Australian Business Leaders In Sydney

"I'm the daughter and this is the wife of Dr Chandra Bose who was the state President of Tamil Nadu's BJP from 1995-1997," she said.

Reports claim that there were 177 people in 'Modi Airways'.

Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese will also attend the special community event.

"The Indian Australian community is excited to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi after nine years. He visited Australia in 2014 and was greeted by a large crowd at Sydney's community reception," Jay Shah, one of IADF's directors, told the Special Broadcasting Service.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 12:56 [IST]
'Beautifully Expressed': PM Modi After SRK Congratulates Him On New Parliament House

PM Modi Is Boss Says Australian PM Albanese

International

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese attended a special community event in Sydney on Tuesday. PM Modi was welcomed at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney in a traditional manner.

The PM addressed the members of the Indian diaspora at a community event to celebrate the country's dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora amidst a lot of enthusiasm among the members of the community.

The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss," PM Albanese said.

#WATCH | "The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss," says Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the community event in Sydney pic.twitter.com/3nwrmjvDaR  ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

PM Modi is visiting Australia as a guest of the Australian government. He addressed the members of the community during the event.

The event's organisers, the Indian Australia Diaspora Foundation said that they were expecting a crowd of over 20,000. The programme began with a cultural performance.

The supporters of PM Modi had organised buses from Brisbane and Canberra. He said that he will meet with the Indian community in Australia before leaving to Japan to attend the G7 Summit.

On Wednesday Modi and Albanese will hold a bi-lateral.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics, according to a 2016 census said that 619,164 people in Australia declared that they were of ethnic Indian ancestry. This comprises 2.8 per cent of Australia's population.
See How New Parliament Building Looks From Inside

'Sengol' Was Kept As A 'Walking Stick' In Anand Bhawan, Says PM Modi

PM Modi Meets Leading Australian Business Leaders In Sydney

International

oi-Prakash KL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met several top business leaders of Australian companies and called for enhancing cooperation with the Indian industry in areas such as technology, skilling, and clean energy.

He had bilateral meetings with Hancock Prospecting Executive Chairman Gina Rinehart, Fortescue Future Industry Executive Chairman Andrew Forrest, and AustralianSuper CEO Paul Schroder.

The PM, in a meeting with Rinehart, highlighted the reforms and initiatives being undertaken in India and invited her to partner in technology, investment and skilling in the mining and minerals sector, a statement from his office said.

PM Modi, during a meeting with Schroder, said that India is one of the most preferred major economies for foreign investments in the world and invited AustralianSuper to partner with India.

AustralianSuper is an Australian superannuation fund headquartered in Melbourne.

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PM Modi lands in Australia; meets top businessmen; to hold talks with PM Albanese | Oneindia News

Also, during his meeting with Forrest, he welcomed the Group's plans to work with Indian companies in the field of Green Hydrogen.

"Emphasising India's ambitious renewable energy plans, the Prime Minister highlighted the transformative reforms and initiatives being taken by India, such as the Green Hydrogen Mission," it added.

PM Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday for the third and final leg of his three-nation tour during which he will hold talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and attend a community event to celebrate the country's dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora.

Rinehart, after the meeting with PM Modi, said that the potential for the two countries is "huge." "It was very interesting, it was actually exciting. The potential for our two countries is huge...In the last less than 5 years under Modi, your economy has grown to 3.5 trillion (USD) and the plan for the next 25 years is to grow to 32 trillion (USD). So, the growth recently is huge. The growth in future is going to be huge. Australia really needs to work harder to develop its relations with India..," ANI quoted her in a tweet.

Schroder said that PM Modi talked about his dreams for India in the meeting. "Ours was a most impressive meeting, the PM is a very impressive person who understands business which is very encouraging as well. The PM talked about his dreams for India and his ethic which was a really powerful message..," the CEO of AustralianSuper said in Sydney.
Kerala Plus Two Result 2023 Date: DHSE Kerala +2 Result By May 25 On keralaresults.nic.in; Details Inside

Kochi

oi-Deepika S

The Directorate of General Education, Kerala is likely to release DHSE Plus Two Result 2023 on May 25, 2023. The Kerala Class 12 board exam results are expected to be out on Thursday at 3 pm. Students, who appeared for their exam can check their Kerala DHSE Plus 2 examinations results at keralaresults.nic.in.

Kerala DHSE Plus 2 exams were held from March 10 and ended on March 30, 2023, at various exam centres, across the state.

Nearly 9 lakh students have registered for the Kerala DHSE Plus 2 public examination, held in a single shift from 9.30 am onwards.

How To Check Kerala DHSE Plus Two Result 2023

Go to the official site of keralaresults.nic.in .

. On the homepage, click on Kerala DHSE Plus Two Result 2023 link.

Login by entering the required details and click on submit.

Your Kerala DHSE Plus 2 result can be viewed on the screen.

Check the result and save a copy for future reference.

Candidates are advised to check the official site of Kerala DHSE for the latest details.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 13:28 [IST]
Weather Update: IMD Issues Rain Alert In These States Till May 26; Check Details Here

No Heatwave In Delhi For Next Five Days: IMD

MHT CET 2023 Answer Key To Be Released Soon: Check Details

26-Year-Old Convict Hangs Self At Delhi's Tihar Jail

New Delhi

oi-Deepika S

A 26-year-old convict lodged in Tihar jail reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself inside the washroom of his barrack in the wee hours on Tuesday.

The deceased was identified as Javed. He was convicted by the Court of Additional Sessions Judge in a robbery case in Delhi's Malviya Nagar in 2016.

He was lodged in jail number 8-9 and allegedly took his life by hanging om the the common toilet area of the enclosure for inmates.

A judicial probe is going on in his case.

The incident comes amid an ongoing investigation into the death of jailed gangster Tillu Tajpuriya.

Tajpuriya, whose real name was Sunil Balyan, leader of Delhi's Tillu gang, was killed on May 2, allegedly by four members of the rival Gogi gang inside a high-security ward of Tihar prison.

Student Kills Classmate In Greater Noida, Dies By Suicide Later

He was a prime accused in the infamous Rohini court shoot-out of September 2021, where two men gunned down Tajpuriya's arch-rival Jitender Mann alias Gogi, the then leader of the Gogi gang.

The CCTV footage of the incident, which went viral on social media, showed several jailed inmates brutally assaulting the gangster to death with multiple stabbings in front of uniformed personnel, who did not intervene.

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.

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Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 12:41 [IST]
Police divers working on the Madeleine McCann investigation today entered the water at a remote Portuguese reservoir as the hunt for evidence about her fate reached a potentially decisive new phase.

A motorboat was also being used in the search of the Barragem do Arade reservoir as officers from Portugal, Germany and Britain were seen next to large blue tents at a site overlooking a promontory on the western side of the water. Briefings were being held while other officers patrolled the area, which was sealed off overnight.

It has been claimed that the prime suspect in Madeleines disappearance used to visit the lake regularly and would call it his little paradise. The police operation was taking place about 30 miles from the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz where three-year-old Madeleine vanished in 2007.

Shortly after the start of the searches, German prosecutors confirmed that they had requested them.

German police arrived last night to begin the search today for Madeleine McCanns body with Portuguese Police at the Barragem reservoir on the Algarve (Nick Edwards)

A statement issued by the prosecutors office in the state of Braunschweig, which has named jailed sex offender Christian Brueckner as its prime suspect, said: The measures are being implemented... by the Portuguese law enforcement authorities with the support of officers of the [German] Federal Criminal Police Office.

Portuguese officials had earlier said that officers from Britain, where the Met has been leading the inquiry into Madeleines disappearance, were also taking part in todays operation.

(AFP via Getty Images)

It comes almost three years after German police and the Met announced that Brueckner had been identified as the prime suspect. He is serving a prison sentence in Germany for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in the Algarve two years before Madeleine vanished. He lived in the area between 2000 and 2017.

Police have said that a yellow and white VW Westfalia camper van that he drove was seen in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, the day that Madeleine disappeared. Phone records have also placed him in the area at the time.

(REUTERS)

Brueckner has denied any involvement, claiming he was with a German woman miles away when Madeleine vanished, but was made a formal suspect in the case by the Portuguese authorities last year.

German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has said that police there believe that Madeleine was abducted and killed in Portugal, without disclosing the reasons why, and that Brueckner, who also has convictions for child sex offending, was being investigated over her murder.

He told Sky News: We are investigating in Portugal on the basis of certain tips (tip-offs). I cant disclose the background at the moment, like why we are searching there and what we hope to find there. That shall remain our secret for the moment.

Todays search of the reservoir is not the first time that divers have entered it looking for evidence about Madeleines disappearance from the holiday apartment rented by her parents Kate and Gerry for a family holiday.

A Portuguese lawyer, Marcos Aragao Correia, paid for divers to search it in 2008 after saying that he had been tipped off by underworld contacts that Madeleine had been murdered and her body thrown into the reservoir within 48 hours of her disappearance.

Nothing conclusive was found but former senior British officer Jim Gamble, an expert in child sex abuse investigations, told the BBC today that German police were likely to have more information than theyre sharing with the public about Brueckner.

Given that they are pursuing these lines of inquiry in such a positive and direct way, I would make the assumption that this is going to be a very deliberate, direct and focused search, Mr Gamble said.

Christian Brueckner (AFP PHOTO/ ITALIAN CARABINIERI)

The reservoir is near the town of Silves where a lorry driver says he saw a woman handing a child looking like Madeleine McCann over to a man two days after she went missing,

The search is the first major operation of its kind since June 2014 when British police were given permission to carry out digs in Praia da Luz that involved sniffer dogs trained in detecting bodies and ground-penetrating radar.

The Scotland Yard digs were linked to the leading UK police theory at the time that Madeleine died during a break-in and burglars dumped her body nearby.

The Met has continued to class its investigation into Madeleines fate as a missing person inquiry.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, leading the Mets Operation Grange, said: The Met continues to work with and support colleagues in Portugal and Germany, with their investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.Met officers will be in Portugal and I am grateful to the Policia Judiciaria and Bundeskriminalamt for allowing us to be present whilst their work is ongoing, so that we can inform Madeleines family of any developments.
Weather Update: IMD Issues Rain Alert In These States Till May 26; Check Details Here

No Heatwave In Delhi For Next Five Days: IMD

Meghalaya Board 10th, 12th Arts Result 2023 Date: MBOSE SSLC, HSSLC Result Soon On megresults.nic.in; Details

New Delhi

oi-Deepika S

Meghalaya Board of School Education is likely to release MBOSE class 10 and class 12 results soon. Once declared, candidates who appeared for the Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate (HSSLC) arts results 2023 as well as the MBOSE secondary school leaving certificate (SSLC) 2023 results on the official website, megresults.nic.in.

The MBOSE has already released Commerce and Science results on the official website. The overall pass rate of science students stood at 78.84 per cent, while commerce students passed with an overall pass percentage of 79.31 per cent.

Students who wish to check their MBOSE HSSLC and SSLC results are advised to keep their roll number and date of birth ready.

MBOSE conducted class 10 exams from March 3 and March 17. MBOSE HSSLC exams were conducted from March 2 and ended on March 30.

MBOSE HSSLC 2023: How to check

Go to the official website- mbose.in or megresults.nic.in .

or . On the homepage, 'Higher Secondary School Leaving Certificate 2023'.

Select your stream and click submit.

Provide required credentials like enrollment number, name and submit.

Your MBOSE HSSLC and 2023 results can then be downloaded.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, May 23, 2023, 13:05 [IST]
Weather Update: IMD Issues Rain Alert In These States Till May 26; Check Details Here

No Heatwave In Delhi For Next Five Days: IMD

MHT CET 2023 Answer Key To Be Released Soon: Check Details

UPSC Civil Services Exam Result 2022 Out At upsc.gov.in; Ishita Kishore tops

New Delhi

oi-Deepika S

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Tuesday declared the final result of the Civil Services Examination, 2022. Ishita Kishore, Garima Lohia, Uma Harathi N and Smriti Mishra have secured the top ranks respectively, in the examinations.

Candidates who appeared for the UPSC CSE main interview can now check their results at the official website - upsc.gov.in.

Ishita Kishore UPSE topper

Ishita Kishore, the topper, has graduated in Economics (Hons.) from Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi. She secured the top position in the Civil Services Examination with Political Science and International Relations as her optional subject.

Garima Lohia, a graduate in Commerce from Kirorimal College, University of Delhi, secured second rank with Commerce and Accountancy as her optional subject.

Uma Harathi N, a graduate (B Tech.) in Civil Engineering from IIT, Hyderabad stood third in the rank with Anthropology as her optional subject.

Smriti Mishra, a graduate (B Sc.) from Miranda House College, University of Delhi stood fourth in the rank with Zoology as her optional subject.

The list of top 25 candidates comprise 14 women and 11 men.

Ishita Kishore

Garima Lohia

Uma Harathin N

Smriti Mishra

Mayur Hazarika

Gahana Navya James

Waseem Ahmad Bhat

Anirudh Yadav

Kanika Goyal

Rahul Shrivastava

The toppers qualification range from graduation in Engineering; Humanities; Science; Commerce and Medical Science from premier Institutions of the country such as IIT, NIT, DTU, Gauhati Medical College, University of Health Science, University of Delhi, Gujarat National Law University, Jadavpur University, Jiwaji University etc.

The civil services preliminary exam was held on on June 5, 2022. The UPSC also conducted the personality test or interview round for 582 candidates in three phases between April 24 to May 18, 2023.

UPSC CSE final results 2022: How to check

Go to the official website upsc.gov.in

On the homepage click on UPSC CSE Main result 2022 (Final) result link

A new PDF file will open on screen, which will have the UPSC Civil services main final results 2022.

Check your merit list

Download and keep a copy for future reference
The killing of Christian Glass occurred on June 11, 2022, in Clear Creek County, Colorado, near the town of Silver Plume, at approximately 12:30 am. Glass, aged 22, was driving alone in a vehicle in the evening of June 10 when the vehicle went off the road. Unable to get it back on the road, he called 911 for help at approximately 11:20 pm, June 10. When the police arrived, Glass may have had some form of mental distress, and refused to get out of the vehicle. When a police officer, with weapon drawn, asked him why not, he replied "Sir, I'm terrified."
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Russian news agencies are reporting that a court has extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months. The reports Tuesday said that Gershkovich, an American citizen, was ordered held until Aug. 30. He had been arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges. Gershkovich is the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges, and his arrest rattled journalists in the country and drew outrage in the West. The U.S. government has declared Gershkovich to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release. Hes being held in Moscows Lefortovo prison.
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In the first formal development in the case in years, Portuguese police will search a remote dam as they probe the 2007 disappearance of UK toddler Madeleine McCann.
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Madeleine McCann would now be 19 years old (PA Media)

Police in Portugal, along with British officers, will examine a reservoir in Algarve as part of their investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

The Arade dam, 50 kilometres from Praia da Luz, where the toddler vanished in 2007, will be searched from today.

Prosecutors in Portugal officially declared Christian Brueckner, 45, an arguido in 2022. It is thought he visited the area around the time Madeleine went missing.

Madeleine was three years old when she disappeared from the familys holiday apartment in Portugals Praia da Luz back in 2007. Amelie and her twin brother Sean were sleeping in the same room the night Madeleine was allegedly kidnapped.

Despite the British Government dedicating millions of pounds to police investigations, Madeleine has never been found.

Here is a comprehensive look at the timeline of Madeleine McCanns disappearance.

2007

On May 3, Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry left their three kids asleep in their holiday apartment in Praia da Luz as they met up with friends for dinner.

At 9 pm, Gerry walked back to the apartment, which was 100 yards away, to check on the little ones.

At 10 pm, Kate made the same journey for another check. However, this time, Madeleine was gone.

Hotel staff and guests searched the hotel complex while the police started the investigations that night. The next few days saw hundreds of volunteers and officials join the search.

The Portuguese police revealed that they believed the little girl had been abducted but remained alive and in Portugal.

A family friend of Kate and Gerrys, who was dining with them on the night of the disappearance, revealed that shed seen a man carrying a child on the night Maddie disappeared.

On May 14, an Anglo-Portuguese property developer was arrested. He lived just 100 yards from the holiday apartment Maddie was sleeping in.

Later, in June of that year, the Portuguese officials confessed that they may have lost vital evidence. In July, the British police decided to send sniffer dogs.

On August 11, for the first time, Portuguese forces said that Madeleine might be dead.

Weeks later, in September, after talking to her parents, they also made them official suspects in their daughters disappearance. In a matter of days after becoming suspects, the McCanns decided to fly back to the UK with their children.

2008

In July 2008, the Portuguese police removed the McCanns and the property developer from the suspect list, while investigations continued.

The reservoir area is first checked. Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia reportedly paid for specialist divers to check the Arade dam after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleines body was in the reservoir.

2009

In May 2009, the McCanns announced they would be taking the Portuguese detective in charge of the original investigation, Goncalo Amaral, to court, after he published a book that claimed Maddie died in her familys holiday apartment and wasnt abducted.

In November, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre in Britain released a video message in seven languages that showcased what Maddie would look like two years after her disappearance.

2010

Madeleines parents launched a petition that asked for the Portugal and UK investigations to be reviewed after the two countries shelved their search efforts.

2011

Gerry McCann published a book about Maddies disappearance on what would have been her eighth birthday on May 12.

Meanwhile, following the request of the then home secretary Theresa May, which was backed by then prime minister David Cameron, Scotland Yard launched an official review of the Madeleine McCann case.

2012

In April, Scotland Yard officials revealed they believed Maddie could still be alive.

They released images of what she would look like as a nine-year-old and urged Portuguese forces to reopen the case. Portuguese officials, however, declined the request, citing a lack of fresh evidence.

Kate and Gerry McCann with an updated poster of what police believed Madeleine would look like at age 9 (John Stilwell / PA Archive)

2013

In July, Scotland Yard officially launched its own investigation into Maddies disappearance, called Operation Grange.

They revealed that they had identified 38 people of interest, including 12 Britons.

In October, the Portuguese police shared that they had reviewed their original investigation and found new lines of inquiry, too, and would be reopening the case.

2014

British detectives travelled to Portugal at the start of the year, with many believing they were about to make arrests. However, this didnt happen.

In June, the authorities used specialist teams and sniffer dogs to search an area close to where Maddie was staying, but nothing of interest was discovered.

In December, the detectives started questioning 11 new people.

2015

In September, the Government revealed that the investigation into the disappearance of Maddie had cost the taxpayers more than 10 million. A month after the announcement, Operation Granges team was slashed from 29 officers to four.

2017

In April, Kate and Gerry McCann marked a decade since their daughters disappearance by doing an interview with the BBC. They vowed that they will do whatever it takes as long as it takes.

2018

The Government dedicated another 150,000 to the investigation, pushing the overall cost of the search to an estimated 11.75 million.

2019

In March, Netflix released an eight-part docuseries about Madeleines disappearance.

In May, the Portuguese media revealed that the police were investigating a foreign paedophile as a suspect.

2020

In June, Scotland Yard revealed they had identified a 43-year-old German prisoner by the name of Christian Brueckner as a suspect in Maddies disappearance.

The man was in the Praia de Luz resort on the night Maddie vanished. He completed a half-hour phone call shortly before she went missing on May 3, 2007, and re-registered his 1993 Jaguar vehicle the next day.

The German police revealed their investigations suggested Maddie was no longer alive.

Meanwhile, in 2020, Scotland Yard said they had now spent 12.3 million of taxpayers money on the case and had no definitive evidence whether Madeleine is alive or dead.

2021

In May, Kate and Gerry share a statement on the official Find Madeleine website saying they still hope to see their daughter again one day.

Official suspect Christian Brueckner (Italian Carabinieri / AFP Photo)

2022

In April, Portuguese authorities also made Brueckner one of their formal suspects.

In May, the McCann family said its essential for them to find out what happened to their daughter.

On October 11, Brueckner was charged with three counts of rape and two charges of child sex abuse, unrelated to Maddies disappearance.

2023

German Police arrived last night to begin the search today for Madeleine McCanns body with Portuguese Police at the Barragem reservoir on the Algarve (Nick Edwards)

In February, an Instagrammer claimed she was Madeleine. By April, her claims had been universally dismissed and her account suspended, and a DNA test put an end to the saga once and for all, though she controversially gained more than one million followers.

In March, an additional 302,470 of funding for Operation Grange was approved for 2022/2023, and a Home Office spokesperson confirmed that another application had been made, although they did not disclose for how much.

Last month, Brueckner had the unrelated charges of rape and sexual assault thrown out by a German court because he lived in a different region of the country at the time of the alleged offences.

This means legal authorities in Braunschweig have no jurisdiction over Madeleines case, although he remains an official suspect.

In May, Portuguese police along with British officers are searching a reservoir 30 minutes away from where McCann vanished.

The search has been requested by German authorities as Brueckner reportedly visited the area around the time Madeleine disappeared.

Brueckner is currently in prison for the September 2005 rape of a 72-year-old woman in the resort where Madeleine vanished,

He has never been charged over Madeleines disappearance and has denied any involvement.
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BURLINGTON  The community is grappling with a painful loss as police investigate the death of a Burlington High School student who was struck by a train while riding his bicycle.

Jack Meyers, 16, of Burlington died after police say he rode his bicycle in front of an oncoming train about 12:30 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Adams Street and Bridge Street.

Community members Monday built a makeshift memorial of flowers at the crash scene, and passersby voiced deep sadness for the Burlington High School student and his family.

My heart goes out to them, neighbor Sharon Twist said. This is something that should never happen.

Counselors at Burlington High School, where Meyers was in his junior year, were meeting with students and anyone else who needed assistance in coping with the tragedy.

School district spokeswoman Julie Thomas said the high school staff also was reaching out to Meyers family to offer support.

Our hearts go out to everyone in the community impacted by this tragic accident, especially to Jacks family and friends, Thomas said.

Police said they believe Meyers pedaled his bicycle around the emergency warning system on the Canadian National Railway tracks and tried to cross in front of the approaching train. The train crossing is equipped with both flashing lights and drop-down gates.

Police said the teen was heading eastbound when he was struck by a northbound train.

Responding to 911 calls that began at 12:38 p.m., police officers and firefighters found Meyers beneath the train.

Tim Otto of Burlington said he arrived at the scene a short time after the accident, and he recalled breaking down in tears, along with other spectators and passersby.

It was terrible, he said.

The incident remains under investigation with assistance from the Canadian National Railway police department, Wisconsin State Patrol and the Racine County Sheriffs Office.

Burlington Mayor Jeannie Hefty issued a statement Monday calling Meyers a son and friend to so many, and saying that the community was responding with an outpouring of support for the family.

No words can express what this family is going through, Hefty said. We want to let Jacks family know, we as a community are here for you.

The police said that Meyers family wanted the public to know that the teenager was a dedicated family member who had a big heart.

The mayor also expressed support for the train conductor, the emergency responders and others who may have witnessed the tragedy unfold on a busy street near Downtown Burlington on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

On Monday, the railroad crossing became the site of an impromptu memorial, with many people leaving flowers, candles and others gestures of mourning.

Otto, who arrived on a bicycle, said he sometimes pedals around the same railroad crossing gates when he is certain he can cross safely before the train arrives.

But acknowledging the danger of such actions, he said he may reconsider that approach.

It should be an eye-opener for those that try to beat the train, he said.

Twist, who lives down the street, walked her dog to the railroad crossing Monday to observe and reflect.

She said people do not realize the danger of railroad crossings, including the fact that fast-moving trains simply cannot stop quickly.

Twist said schools should teach children about the dangers of ignoring railroad crossing safety guidelines.

I think we need more education on how to handle the tracks, she said. I dont want to see another accident happen.

IN PHOTOS: Local fire departments practice firefighter safety and survival in Caledonia Firefighters at the house Breaking it down The perfect pose Ready to train Planning it out Plenty of crews Keeping warm Corner Bar & Grill A smoky selfie The size of it It's like a waterpark Putting it out The fire Another view
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Ransomware incidents are unfolding faster than ever, posing a significant threat to various sectors, including education. Part of it the ease of initiating an attack. In 2019, the average time to launch a ransomware attack was more than two months. Just a year later in 2020, it had dropped to 9.5 days, and in 2020, that figure dropped again, to less than 4 days.

Alarmingly, cyber security incidents in the education sector more than doubled in 2022 compared to the previous year, including attacks against some of the largest school systems in the country, like New York and Los Angeles. Several attacks have shut down school systems for several days and, in some cases, schools were hit by multiple attacks and had to cut off access to digital resources and revert to traditional learning and communication methods.

While attack types vary, malware volume, in particular, increased significantly in the education sector in 2022, especially those targeting K-12 institutions, which grew by an astounding 323 percent.

Time and time again attackers go after the education sector, yet many of these institutions remain constrained in their security resources," said Andy Piazza, Global Head of Threat Intelligence, IBM (News - Alert) Security X-Force.

In response to the escalating threat of ransomware and other cyber security incidents within the education sector, IBM has made an ongoing commitment to bolstering cyber resiliency in schools. The tech giant has pledged to provide in-kind grants valued at $5 million aimed at enhancing cyber security and AI skills in schools around the world.

The grant includes various elements such as:

Incident response plans and ransomware playbooks,

Programs to address the need for updating operating systems,

Strategic communication plans to use in response to cyber incidents, and

Training and digital credentials through IBM SkillsBuild on AI and cyber security topics.

The program also includes enhanced access to IBM mentors, teacher training and toolkits, and customized learning pathways. Since the program's inception in 2021, IBM has received hundreds of applications from school districts seeking to strengthen their security postures.

The Importance of Cyber Security Education in Schools

The cyber security landscape is evolving rapidly, and it's essential that the upcoming generation is adequately prepared to navigate it. A key element of this preparation is education. Cyber security education in schools is not just about protecting the school's digital infrastructure, but also about equipping students with the skills and knowledge they need to protect themselves online.

Schools are being targeted by cybercriminals due to their often less mature security frameworks, making them easy targets. As Robert Losinski, Manager of Information Security at Denver Public Schools, which has benefited from IBM's initiative, pointed out, Getting professional assistance in expanding your cyber security program will really help you identify the most critical areas to protect.

Another element that makes education systems vulnerable is the huge number of young students without an understanding of cyber threats. The need to introduce cyber security at an early age has never been more apparent. The digital world is an integral part of childrens lives  with that comes exposure to various online threats. From personal and system-wide data breaches to cyber bullying, children are at risk if they do not understand the fundamentals of online safety.

Instilling cyber awareness at an early age can help build safer digital environments for them, their families, and their school systems. It helps foster a culture of security, promotes safe online habits, and makes students less likely to fall victim to online scams or to unwittingly share sensitive information that can be exploited by bad actors.

This kind of early cyber education also opens up a pathway to a potential career in cyber security, an industry that is experiencing a significant skills gap and is in need of a new generation of experts.

Cyber Security Skills: A Necessity for the Future

The global skills gap in cyber security and AI is a pressing issue. IBM's grant also includes access to IBM SkillsBuild training on topics like AI and cyber security. This not only arms students with critical skills but also provides them with digital credentials, providing them a head start on career pathways, for those who are interested in getting into the IT sector.

The evolution of cyber crime in the United States mirrors the rapid expansion of digital technologies and internet connectivity. As the digital landscape has evolved, so too have the nature and scope of cyber threats. The early days of cyber crime were marked by relatively isolated incidents, often perpetrated by individuals or small groups for personal gain or to demonstrate technical prowess. However, the past decade has seen a significant shift, with cyber crime becoming increasingly sophisticated, organized, and widespread.

Naturally, this has been followed by a surge in demand for cyber security professionals. Unfortunately, global cyber security job openings have grown faster than its workforce, leaving a growing cyber security talent gap, which was up to 3.4 million last year (almost 450,000 in North America).

The global skills gap across cyber security and AI is a growing challenge that demands immediate attention, said Justina Nixon-Saintil, IBM Chief Impact Officer. To address this challenge, IBM awards Education Security Preparedness Grants to drive impact with schools worldwide. This year, we're excited to expand the program to bring the benefits of IBM SkillsBuild training on topics like AI and cyber security for students and teachers.

How to Apply

The increasing threat of cyber attacks underscores the need for robust cyber security measures and education. Initiatives like IBM's Education Security Preparedness Grants play a crucial role in addressing these challenges, providing schools with the resources they need to protect their digital infrastructures and teaching students and staff critical cyber security skills. This not only secures schools in the present, but also prepares them and their students for a safer digital future.

In an era where technology plays an integral part in our lives, cyber security is no longer an optional skill, but a necessary one. By introducing cyber security education in schools, IBM is helping equip the next generation with the knowledge they need to navigate the global digital landscape safely and responsibly.

K-12 public schools and educational institutions/organizations interested in applying for IBM's education cyber security grant can apply via IBM's official website. The application deadline is June 23. The program will award six school districts in the US and four more internationally set to receive grants worth $500,000 each.

Edited by Erik Linask
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New Delhi: Months after Indian-made cough syrups came under the scanner for the deaths of dozens of children in Gambia and Uzbekistan, the Indian government has decided that no cough syrups will be cleared for export without a certificate of analysis after sample testing. The new rule will come into force from June 1, the government said in a notice dated May 22 and shared by the health ministry on Tuesday.



India's $41 billion pharmaceutical industry is one of the biggest in the world but its reputation was shaken after the World Health Organization (WHO) found toxins in cough syrups made by three Indian companies. Syrups made by two of these companies were linked to the deaths of 70 children in Gambia and 19 in Uzbekistan last year.

"Cough syrup shall be permitted to be exported subject to the export sample being tested and production of certificate of analysis," said the notice issued by the trade ministry.

The health ministry did not immediately respond to a query on whether testing would be required for cough syrups sold in the domestic market. The notice identified seven federal government laboratories where samples could be sent for testing, in addition to other state laboratories certified by a national accreditation body.

Indian tests of cough syrups made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd, linked to the deaths of children in Gambia, found no toxins but contaminants were detected in many drugs made by Marion Biotech, whose syrups were linked to deaths in Uzbekistan.

Reuters reported last week that India was considering a change to its pharmaceutical industry policy, including increased testing of cough syrups as well as of raw materials for drugs. The companies deny any wrongdoing.

The health minister and federal and state regulators also held a brainstorming session in the southern city of Hyderabad earlier this year "to find a solution to exported cough syrups that killed children," a document from the prime minister's office dated May 15 showed.

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Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was met at the airport by Prince Badr bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz on May 18 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia ahead of the Arab League summit.

Prince Badr, who is the Deputy Emir of Makkah Province, walked with al-Assad into the reception room, where they sat and exchanged pleasantries. This marks the first Arab League summit attended by al-Assad since 2011, when Syria was suspended after the US-NATO attack on Syria for regime change began.

On May 19, Assad was warmly embraced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as they shook hands prior to the summit commencement. The Crown Prince was the host of the meeting, and had worked toward bringing Assad back into the brotherly league of Arab countries. After the summit, in which leaders spoke including al-Assad, the two met brieflt together.

Saudi Arabia would "not allow our region to turn into a field of conflicts", the Crown Prince said, saying the page had been turned on "painful years of struggle".

A consensus had been building across the Middle East for the need to engage Syria to end the conflict, and not turn a blind eye to suffering. Leaders began to form the opinion that the Syrian conflict was an Arab problem, and should be solved by the Arab world.

The Middle East has long suffered from Western intervention and US-led regime change adventures, such as in Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen, and Syria. The result has been catastrophic and left those countries devastated, most notably in Iraq, which has never recovered from the US invasion and occupation. Syria needs billions, and perhaps decades to recover.

The Arab League is just a meeting place to be used as networking tool bringing those with money to help Syria together, such as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Syria's economy has collapsed and needs cash influx to rebuild infrastructure damaged and ruined from years of fighting against armed terrorists supported by the US and its allies.

The Obama-Biden regime change project in Syria depended on massive participation of Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Emirates. Once the Crown Prince came into a leadership position in the Kingdom, he changed course and withdrew funding of terrorists following Radical Islam, a political ideology.

US-EU sanctions on Syria are an obstacle to helping Syria to rebuild and end the suffering of the people, including bringing home refugees from abroad. The UAE and Saudi Arabia hope to work toward lifting or easing the sanctions in order to help the Syrian people recover.

The Crown Prince is an independent leader and making decisions in the best interest of his country, which is not always aligned with US directives from the Oval Office. He has taken several steps to let Washington know that the Kingdom comes first, such as when he declined to increase oil output after US President Biden requested he pump more oil to bring down the price of gasoline for American consumers.

The current Saudi administration is at the height of its power, reminiscent of the days of King Faisal who shut off the oil supplies to the US following President Nixon's $2.2 billion support to Israel during the October 1973 war.

King Faisal's son, Prince Turki Al Faisal Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the former Saudi intelligence chief often is seen standing at the right hand of the Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. Prince Turki gave an interview in which he said the kingdom took a strict stance towards Israel decades ago, and it will not normalize ties with Israel before a solution is reached to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Saudi Arabia was once heavily influenced by the US, and this led to its involvement in the regime change attack on Syria. That influence has waned as the US has left the Middle East, instead focused on weakening Russia through the US-sponsored war in Ukraine.

With the US focused elsewhere, China stepped in as a peacemaker and brokered a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which may end the war in Yemen, and paved the way toward inviting Syria back to the Arab League and the restoring of relations with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Vision 2030 is a strategic framework to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil, diversify its economy, and develop public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism.

This has been the brain-child of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and to pull it off he needs peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

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Over 65 Members of the United States Congress expressed concerns about the current situation in Pakistan and urged State Secretary Anthony Blinken to pressurize the Pakistani government to improve the human rights situation in the country.

The US Congressmen sent a letter to the State Secretary where it stated, "As proponents of a strong US-Pakistan relationship, we write to express our concerns about the current situation in Pakistan and urge you to use all diplomatic tools at your disposal to pressure the Government of Pakistan towards a greater commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law."

"This should include a commitment to investigate any infringement upon freedom of speech and freedom of assembly in Pakistan," the letter further read.

This comes amid ongoing political crisis situation in the cash-strapped country, which last week witnessed the "illegal" arrest of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, who was deposed as prime minister through a no-confidence move in April last year.

Khan was arrested on May 9 amid deadly protests across the country.

"As proponents of a strong US-Pakistan relationship, we write to express our concerns about the current situation in Pakistan and urge you to use all diplomatic tools at your disposal to pressure the Government of Pakistan towards a greater commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. This should include a commitment to investigate any infringement upon freedom of speech and freedom of assembly in Pakistan," read the letter sent to Antony Blinken.

It added, "Over the past several months, we have become increasingly concerned by the blanket bans on demonstrations and deaths of several prominent critics of the government. We ask for your help pressuring the Government of Pakistan to ensure protestors can assert their demands in a peaceful and non-violent way, free from harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary detention. As both Democrats and Republicans who care about the bilateral relationship, we are concerned that violence and increased political tension could spiral into a deteriorating security situation in Pakistan."

It added, "Over the past several months, we have become increasingly concerned by the blanket bans on demonstrations and deaths of several prominent critics of the government. We ask for your help pressuring the Government of Pakistan to ensure protestors can assert their demands in a peaceful and non-violent way, free from harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary detention. As both Democrats and Republicans who care about the bilateral relationship, we are concerned that violence and increased political tension could spiral into a deteriorating security situation in Pakistan."

"Supporting democracy in Pakistan is in the national interest of the United States. In this critical moment, US diplomatic leadership is necessary to prevent further erosion of democratic protections. We thank you for your work and again urge you to do all you can to address this situation. We look forward to supporting you in this effort," the letter read.

The letter was written after the efforts of the Pakistani-American Political Action Committee (PAKPAC).

Trying civilians in military courts a violation of int'l law: Amnesty

In another development, Amnesty International on Friday raised concerns over Pakistan's decision to try May 9 rioters under the Army Act, saying "using military courts to try civilians is a clear violation of international law".

In a tweet, the NGO stated that "there are several provisions under ordinary criminal laws that can be used to prosecute vandalism and destruction of public property". "The right to a fair trial, guaranteed by Pakistan's Constitution, is severely undermined by this move and cannot be justified. It must be struck down immediately," the statement added.

The statement by the human rights NGO comes as the top military brass resolved earlier this week that those involved in attacks on military installations and personnel following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan would be brought to justice through trials under the relevant laws of the country, including the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secret Act.

Military trials in Pakistan are usually held behind closed doors, depriving civilians of some of their basic rights, including contracting a lawyer of their choice.
Decades of changing demographics have left public schools and charters competing for a share of the shrinking school-age population. This shift was predicted by the LAUSD years before it occurred and should have resulted in dramatic changes to how many new facilities the District planned to build. Instead, Monica Garcia led efforts to greatly expand the number of classrooms available in Los Angeles.

Perhaps by design, Garcia's building spree has left charter schools with an opportunity to claim "empty "space on District campuses using PROP-39. At one school I visited during my 2017 campaign in BD2, the campus appeared to be built with a separate entrance for a charter school. The waste of taxpayer money was not an accident.

Over 15 years into the demographic shift, the use of scarce education funding to build more capacity has not stopped. A tour of a neighborhood near the intersection of North Vermont and West 1st Street near Korea Town provides an example.

Before charter schools, this small area had two campuses: Virgil Middle School, which was built in 1914, and Frank del Amo Elementary School. Despite the decades-long reduction in the number of school-age children, the Value chain of charters built a brand new building for the Everest Value School. Across the street, the Central City Value Charter High School was opened in what appears to be a converted commercial space. While enrollment declines are continuing in both public and charter schools, the Bright Star charter school chain is building the Rise Kohyang High School across the street from Virgil.



Rise Kohyang High School under construction

(Image by Tracy Cook) Details DMCA



In addition to these five school campuses that will be located within blocks of each other, the Virgil campus hosts two other separate schools. The Sammy Lee Medical and Health Services Magnet is an elementary school operated by the LAUSD. The Citizens of the World charter chain has also forced one of its franchises onto the campus using PROP-39.



(Image by LAUSD) Details DMCA



Over the years, Citizens of the World has consistently enrolled fewer students than specified in its charters. In the 2022-23 school year, the Silver Lake franchise enrollment went down by 79 students and had only 60% of its predicted enrollment.



(Image by LAUSD) Details DMCA



Because the Citizens of the World chain could not accurately predict its enrollment it has taken more space from LAUSD schools under PROP-39 than it was entitled to resulting in overallocation penalties. As of the LAUSD's last public update on December 31, 2022, this campus alone still owes the District's students $124,243 for unpaid overallocation fees. This does not include the $355,306 that the Charter School Division credited the campus in 2022 without any explanation. This was part of a $7,678,022 gift to the charter school industry that appears to be contradictory to the California State Education Code.

Comparing the demographics of the Citizens of the World Silver Lake franchise to its immediate neighbors also seems to confirm the accusation that this chain is a "White Flight Charter." While the percentage of white students in every other school in the area is in the low single digits (ranging from 0% at both of the Value charter schools to just 2.6% at Sammy Lee), the Citizens of the World school has a student body where 30.6% of the students are white.

There are also vast differences in other demographic categories between Citizens and the other five schools. In every other school, at least 91.6% of the children are "Socioeconomically Disadvantaged," while this is only true for 46.3% of Citizens of the World Silver Lake's students. It also has the fewest percentage of "English Learners" and students that identify as "Hispanic or Latino:"

The pending addition of the Rise Kohyang High School campus also raises questions about the financial stability of the Bright Star chain of charter schools. Last week Bright Star had an agenda item before the LAUSD Board that would have granted the organization permission to build a middle school. The agenda item was pulled at the last moment. The chain is also seeking to build another school in the Valley on the site where neighbors are trying to preserve green space for a museum and neighborhood park. This building boom seems ill-advised for a charter school that is also having trouble meeting its enrollment projections at several of its schools, including the ones slated to get new campuses:

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Celebrating memories of the Greatest Generation and Silent Generation formulating Americans both through, the Great War and the Great Depression, lessons most didn't learn until experiencing 21st century Food Deserts, over population or suddenly, violently rendered, parentless.

Legacies of America's imbalanced balancing act between our presumptive domestic demands and shrinking global supply, however, didn't make the cut when descendants of the Greatest & Silent Generations learned the wrong lessons: Father Knows Best, believing everything you read in the papers and sex exists for men and women only - to increase and multiply.

I'd like to believe we've matured beyond such POVs, but have we - not when continually celebrating myths, whitewashing memories and building patriotic psychology on the shallow graves of crooked contingencies.

Realizing post-Civil War generations were programmed with competing propaganda, we must confront the fallacy of personal historical comfort zones and unite to modernize our collective sense of balance between all life on earth, deviating from our home turf mirage.

Unlike our 19th & 20th century national roots, we must wake up and smell the coffee before all the beans leave our mornings, mourning over resume embellishing overcaffeinated politicians' betraying the votes of, We the People for more cream and sugar.

Perhaps we need to emulate salesman Willy Loman less and imitate his wife Linda more, sharing her character's raison detre: Attention must be paid.

Our 2023 gun-violence v. real (rather than self-righteous Pro-Life rhetoric deserting children after birth), love of life requiring an American legacy that both questions leaders we empower and why Pro-Life freedom is more freedom-worthy than the liberty of Pro Choice.

This Gauntlet is not just for MAGA Conservative Republicans and Evangelical Christians imposing their beliefs, some violently, against abortions, while turning the other cheek, away from, Aging Out. It's those who profit from AR-15 sales, which in a trigger-happy moment exposes NRA's mockery of Second Amendment militia.

Not all lies, violence and mayhem started with #45. Indeed, some financial institutions, Corporations and even some levels of government sensed the future predicting glow of ATMs long before 9/2/69 - with the 1870 dawn's early light of the Second Industrial Revolution - arguably replacing Blue Collar workers unable to transform rapidly into White Collar positions, while producing more children to fill near slave positions for Corporate elites.

Thus, a post Lincoln America, full of self-importance damning international reality stumbled into WWI. Then Nazi emulators Dulles brothers twisted the Marshall Plan into the legacy of America's, Military Industrial Complex.

Here's where we started really ignoring ourselves to death: bystanders watching the earth being raped repeatedly for coal, oil and gas as if rehearsing 1945 Germans' alibi, we didn't know.

Celebrating being deaf, dumb and blind to the reality of 1/6th's Congressional and judicial accomplices excuses the men behind the men who rent the men who shoot the guns to man-up our gun violence memories.

Into what legacy are MAGA MEGA donors remodeling GOP - and Why?

How are 35% of America's civilians and military convinced that destroying American democracy is the only way to fulfill America's Dream?

Why is the default position of Conservative patriotism: domestic violence?

Why is The Right fire wall, burning books, fear mongering indoctrination and, stand back and standby supremacists?

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This article originally appeared at TomDispatch.com. To receive TomDispatch in your inbox three times a week, click here.

Let me offer a small prediction: between this moment when I'm writing the introduction to Priti Gulati and Stan Cox's new piece and the moment, a few days from now, when it's actually posted at TomDispatch, the question isn't whether there will be another mass shooting in America, but how many of them there will be. In a country where an estimated one of every 20 people, or some 13 million of us, owns not just a gun but an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, it goes without saying that carnage lies ahead. After all, 2023 is already proving a record year for both mass shootings (in which at least four people other than the gunman "" and yes, they are almost always men or boys "" are killed or wounded) and mass killings (in which four or more people other than the gunman are slaughtered).

By early May, there had already been more than 200 mass shootings in this country and we're on target (so to speak) for at least 60 mass killings by year's end. (There were "only" 36 in 2022.) It's long been the case that ours is the sole country on planet Earth where there are more privately owned guns than people. With just 4% of the world's population, we possess something like 40% of the globe's guns. Imagine that!

In a country where gun "control" remains essentially a fantasy, given the Trumpublican Party (and the present Supreme Court), the AR-15 has become the slaughter weapon of choice, whether of the young man who entered a Buffalo supermarket and killed 10 Black customers or of Kyle Rittenhouse, the young man who killed two Black Lives Matter protestors at a Wisconsin rally and was later invited to Mar-a-Lago by Donald Trump. And keep in mind that, while a few states have tried to impose restrictions or bans on assault rifles and President Biden has indeed supported a national ban, some Republican members of Congress now proudly sport AR-15 pins on their lapels as a sign of their commitment to the "right to bear arms" in America.

With that in mind, let TomDispatch regulars Priti Gulati and Stan Cox tell you something about where our all-too-well-armed country and Priti's homeland, India, could both be heading, politically speaking, in this all-too-murderous moment of ours. Tom

Between a Yoga Mat and a Hard Place

The Violent Urge for Supremacy in the World's Two Largest Democracies

By Priti Gulati Cox and Stan Cox

Are you worried about the rising political power of violent white nationalists in America? Well, you've got plenty of company, including U.S. national security and counterterrorism officials. And we're worried, too "" worried enough, in fact, to feel that it's time to take a look at the experience of India, where Hindu supremacist dogma has increasingly been enforced through violent means. While there are striking parallels between both countries, India appears to have ventured further down the road of far-right violence. Its experience could potentially offer Americans some valuable, if grim, lessons.

As a start, let's look at two recent incidents, one in India and the other in the United States.

Laws passed in most Indian states against the killing of cattle have served as a common pretext for the violent enforcement of Hindu beliefs. Recently, for example, three men were arrested on charges of abducting and murdering Junaid and Nasir, two Muslim men transporting cattle through the northern state of Haryana. They first beat Junaid to death, then strangled Nasir. Both bodies were incinerated in a car left at the side of the road. That attack was linked to paramilitary gangs known as gao rakshaks (cow protectors) who, in these last years, have been on a rampage of violence in northern India, though similar horrors have recently been recorded further south in Maharashtra, home to India's largest city, Mumbai.

In the United States, too, violent hatred is both on the rise and being all too perversely celebrated on the right. Within three days of being charged with involuntary manslaughter, Daniel Penny, the U.S. Marine veteran who made national news by choking to death Jordan Neely, a homeless, mentally ill Black man on a New York City subway car, raised a whopping $2.7 million from the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo. Charged with manslaughter, he's already been dubbed a "subway Superman" by Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz, while his fellow Floridian, Governor Ron DeSantis, tweeted that to "stop the Left's pro-criminal agenda" we all must "stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny."

Sadly enough, those episodes, occurring half a globe apart, are just two data points in surges of violent extremism sweeping both India and the United States. That trend first took off in India in 2014 with the election victory of Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), making him prime minister. In the United States, it hit big time with the 2016 election of Donald Trump as president. But such mayhem "" and the broad approval of political violence by Hindu supremacists there and white supremacists here "" has only grown in the years since.

Those incidents also illustrate one crucial difference between far-right violence in India and the United States. Whereas the surge of Hindu-supremacist violence has become a nationally organized collective effort, most American white-supremacist violence is still being committed by individuals acting alone.

In the U.S., we've experienced a growing outbreak of hate shootings in which the victims simply find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time (and all too often of the wrong color), even as a longer-term trend of mass killings committed by racially motivated and ever better armed "lone wolves" rises. Notably, among those solo actors, Kyle Rittenhouse, who shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protesters in 2020, and a host of others have reaped lavish praise from leading Trumpublican politicians, including that MAGA kingpin The Donald himself. (He, in fact, invited Rittenhouse to Mar-a-Lago in 2021.) And 2023 is already on track to set a record for mass shootings, while hate crimes in general rose to more than 200 per week in 2021, the last year for which the FBI has complete data. The vast majority of those crimes were committed by unaffiliated individuals.

In India, by contrast, hate violence is often highly organized. The cattle vigilantes recently arrested in Haryana, for example, were affiliated with Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of Vishnu Hindu Parishad (the World Hindu Council), which, in turn, is an offshoot of a vast Hindu nationalist paramilitary organization, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

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We live in a world surrounded by technology and we know that whatever field children choose to go into as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly depend on understanding not just how to use technology but also how it works. Over the last week, British School Manila (BSM) students from Year 3 to Year 13 participated in the global Hour of Code event with millions of other students worldwide 
Dear Annie: I suspect my son may be gay. He is a gorgeous, smart, successful young man in his mid-20s, who has really never shown interest in girls. I am perfectly fine with him being gay, and I hope he would realize that. I wish he would just tell me if that was the case. Im really not sure if he is because he seems very masculine. But so did Rock Hudson.

I would love your gay readers opinions. Do they wish their parents would have brought up the subject or just let them come out when they were ready? Is there a good way to ease into the topic? I would hate for him to feel the need to hide it from me for whatever reason. Maybe Ive said stupid gay remarks in the past? (Oh, thats so gay, or whatever.) I might have, but I cant remember specifically. I am very ashamed of myself if I did.

Is that the reason he feels he cant open up to me? Or maybe Im just totally wrong about everything? Is it normal for a man in his mid-20s to show no interest in girls and not be gay? I feel like I have a lot to learn! -- Loving Mom

Dear Loving Mom: As more people have come out of the closet as gay, you should know that you are not alone in asking these questions. I welcome my readers to write in with suggestions for this mother and answers to her questions.

Dear Annie: I own a seafood retail business, and we have a customer every Sunday who is hearing impaired and a little slow at the same time. She is very nice and spends a good amount of money every week. Our issue is that we are very busy on Sundays with long lines, and she will take up 15 to 20 minutes of one of my workers time while other people are in line behind her.

After she finally chooses what she wants, she will then stand and start talking about other topics. We have tried asking the next customer in line what we can help them with, but she will still stand there and continue to talk while being in the way. We dont want to hurt her feelings, but other customers behind her get agitated waiting for her and dont understand that she is a little slow.

Our employees have tried telling her that they have to help the next customer, but that doesnt work either. Any suggestions on how to possibly rectify the situation? -- Confused on What to Do

Dear Confused: This is a tough one. Since this happens every week, you have time to experiment and come up with a game plan. For starters, you might think about assigning one employee to come around from behind the counter and gently lead her away from the line. The employee can have a short conversation, make her feel special and thank her for buying the seafood.

If that doesnt work, you might consider having a coffee with her and explaining the problem from your perspective, all the while telling her how much you like her and appreciate her business. She is lonely and will look to you as a friend, and, hopefully, be more sensitive of the other customers. Another approach would be to put up balloons and a welcome sign one week, letting her know how important she is, and giving you permission to be firm in moving her out of the other customers way.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CREATORS.COM
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Motorcycles could be heard rumbling through Columbus on May 19 but not for the typical traveling reasons  the Pony Express Ride continued its tradition of riding across the state to advocate for childrens mental health.

From May 17 through May 20, volunteer motorcyclists reenacted the mail-delivery service of the historic Pony Express by picking up letters  written by youths, their families and other supporters  about the importance of the mental health of children to be delivered to state officials.

The event kicked off in Scottsbluff on May 17, and the momentum continued the following day with stops in Sidney, Ogallala, North Platte and other cities. Holly Stevens, program and site coordinator for Pony Express Ride, noted the resource fairs held in Gothenburg and Kearney that day had been great.

On May 19, the group visited Grand Island and York before making its way to Columbus.

As in previous years, the bikers visited Youth and Families for Christ (YFFC), 2809 13th St. in Columbus, where they pick up letters and drawings from local teens involved at YFFC. Due to scheduling issues, there werent kids available at the nonprofit this year, but Pony Express riders still stopped by to show their support.

YFFC is an independent, faith-based nonprofit that serves more than 500 kids a week.

Over the course of a year, we see over 2,000 (kids) so in our community resources sometimes, especially since COVID, has been a challenge to maintain, YFFC Youth Services Director Corenna Iverson said.  But our community is so amazing. When we call out to them and let them know what our needs are, they are always just running to the door.

Iverson noted one gentleman bicycles to the nonprofit each week to bring a special treat, which can be homemade donut holes, cake, brownies and even chicken nuggets. This person comes even in the winter and when its raining, Iverson added.

The community supports these kids and they feel that love through that, Iverson said. We're a nonprofit, and so we lean on others.

YFFC offers alternative school services, available through school placement.

Iverson said they try to help youths who are no longer in a traditional school setting, which could be for a variety of reasons. The nonprofit has had multiple kids there because they experienced anxiety in a school setting, she added.

Our environment is smaller, less activity, less distraction. And so therefore we can help to keep the kids in school so that they are able to graduate and feel that success and continue on, Iverson said.

With school out for the summer, YFFC will be starting its summer activities next month, including its youth summer camp. The nonprofits 4-H group will be taking part in the Platte County Fair again.

YFFC also offers cooking classes and exercise classes, and games like the popular Nerf battles.

We go to war and then after that's over, we talk to them about, what is it like to be a warrior for Christ? Iverson said. We are always tying things back and applying biblical principles in life so that kids can see it not just as a story, but as a life living.

At YFFC, though, Pony Express Ride volunteers heard about more than YFFCs activities.

While chatting, Stevens received a surprise email  Pony Express Ride had been named the recipient of the Citizen of the Year Award by the Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations.

The award is given to those who work to increase public knowledge on substance abuse and mental illness, supports the work of behavioral health providers and demonstrate leadership qualities and advocate to promote and support a strange behavioral health system of care, according to the organizations website.

It's going to take a bit for it to soak in because I didn't even know we were ever nominated, Stevens said.

After taking a rest at the Columbus Eagles Club, the motorcyclists then continued onto Norfolk and Fremont.

Other than the wind today and the smoke from the fires coming down from Canada yesterday, we've had great weather, Stevens said on May 19.

Stevens added the group has had old and new faces and bikers joining in for small segments.

We've got some more meeting up with us here at Columbus, and we'll meet up with some at Madison that will ride into Norfolk, she said.

They had planned to arrive in Omaha and then at the Nebraska State Capitol at 1:30 p.m. on May 20 to deliver the collected letters to officials with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Weve picked up more letters this year because everything kind of took a lull with the whole COVID thing, Stevens said. Everything's just really picking up and moving forward.

Iverson had a departing message for the group, We pray for you guys. We pray for your mission. We are just so thankful for all that you're doing.

The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached via call, text or chat at 988.
TriMets board is set to vote Wednesday on a fare increase that would take effect in January.

The 30-cent increase for a regular adult fare, bringing the cost of a ride to $2.80, is expected to bring in $5.1 million to $6.2 million per year, said Nancy Young-Oliver, TriMets chief financial officer. The agency hopes the increase will help stabilize a budget slammed by a drop in ridership.

Fares for youth, elderly, disabled or registered low-income riders would also rise by 15 cents, to $1.40.

If the board approved the increase, it would be TriMets first baseline fare hike in a decade, although it increased its Honored Citizen fare in 2015.

Transit activists who say a fare hike will hurt low-income riders plan to protest the fare increase at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Japanese American Historical Plaza at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, calling instead for the agency to drop fares altogether.

Two days before the vote, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler also sent TriMet board members a letter urging them to vote against the proposed fare increase - part of a campaign against fee and rate increases.

I look forward to working with TriMet to develop creative solutions to the funding shortfalls. There must be a way forward that does not further burden Portlanders, Wheeler wrote.

Nearly two-thirds of the agencys $817 million operating budget for the fiscal year beginning in July is funded through a payroll tax, $516 million paid by employers within TriMets service area. The smallest significant chunk, $56.2 million, is expected to come from passenger fares, accounting for the proposed increase.

The agency has relied on pandemic-era federal grants to shore up its budget since its 2021 fiscal year, when it received $303 million in grants. It expects only $157 million in its 2024 budget.

TriMets ridership dropped nearly 70% in a matter of weeks in 2020. Despite a slow rebound, ridership remains about 38% below pre-pandemic levels.

The TriMet Board of Directors meets Wednesday at 9 a.m. at the University of Oregons Old Town Campus, 70 N.W. Couch St. in Portland. The board will also hear public comments at 9 a.m. about the proposed fare hike before they vote. Those who want to speak can sign up online until noon Tuesday or starting at 8:30 a.m. in person Wednesday.

-- Jayati Ramakrishnan; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com
The family of Aron Christensen, a Portland musician who was shot to death along with his puppy Buzzo while hiking on a remote Washington trail last August, is planning to sue the sheriffs office that investigated the homicide. The family alleges investigators maliciously damaged the puppys body in order to sabotage a criminal investigation.

Christensen, on an annual camping trip with friends, set out on a solo hike Aug. 19 with his four-month-old cattle dog up the Walupt Lake Trail in Washingtons Cascade Mountains. The 49-year-old avid outdoorsman, who grew up in Klamath Falls, was expected to return to the campground the next afternoon.
Jennifer Hicks, a physical education and health teacher at Mountainside High School in Beaverton, has taught more lessons on the dangers of fentanyl and opioids than she can count.

It never gets easier.
The models no longer walk a runway of overturned dumpsters, nor is the show hosted at the Tillamook County landfill, but the mission of the Trashion Show remains true. As its been from the beginning, its all about celebrating trash and its endless potential.

The Heart of Cartm (cart-um) held the show Saturday evening, drawing an estimated 200 people to the Nehalem Bay Winery. And yet, it was only four years ago it seemed the nonprofit focused on repair, reuse, re-imagining of waste would be history after the county ended their contract to operate the Manzanita Transfer Station.
These are challenging times for arts organizations, many of which saw attendance and revenue decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. But Reuben Roqueni sees his new position as executive director of the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) in a much more favorable light.

Its a dream come true, Roqueni says. Founded in 1995, PICA is, he says, absolutely solid right now. Im walking into a very established organization. Hes excited, as he says, to showcase challenging, innovative, experimental work coming from both the U.S., and from around the world.

The PICA executive director job is also a natural-seeming progression for Roqueni, whose background includes work in organizations that focus on contemporary art, supporting artists and awareness of the place of art in society.

My family is from southeast Arizona, along the border on either side, Roqueni, 59, says. He grew up on Californias central coast, in Santa Maria, and studied fine art and ethnic studies before graduating from The Evergreen State College, in Olympia.

Roqueni moved to Portland in 2010 to take a position as program director at the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, a Portland-based, national philanthropic organization that focuses on promoting and perpetuating American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian arts and cultures.

After moving to the San Francisco Bay area in 2014 to work at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as a program officer in the Performing Arts Program, Roqueni returned to Portland and the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation in 2018. Prior to assuming his new role at PICA, Roqueni has been director of transformative change programs at the foundation. He is also board president of the MAP Fund, a New York City-based private funding source for new performance works.

I had never imagined that I would be in this position when I showed up in 2010, and started volunteering at PICA, Roqueni says. From that modest introduction, Roqueni went on to serve a 2012-2014 term as a member of the PICA board of directors.

I couldnt think of a better place for me to land, says Roqueni, whose tenure, which officially begins June 12, follows that of Victoria Frey, who led PICA for 20 years.

Roqueni says hes ready to think about PICAs future and how that might look as the organization continues to evolve. PICAs value system, Roqueni says, is largely built around asking challenging questions. Moving forward, he says, the organization will engage with the community in thinking about how PICA as an institution can reduce the barriers for marginalized communities in our space. Its important, he says, to really embed inclusion and understanding in creating a safe space for artists to do their practice, and a safe space for the community.

As he begins his work as executive director, Roqueni says, I think my job initially is to come in, and be a good listener, to invite the community into our space, and let us know what kind of space is going to work for them.

Rather than coming in with preconceived notions about what PICA is, Roqueni says, his intention is to allow people to participate in their own curation. My job is to facilitate that kind of change and dialogue, not to forefront PICAs work as a wear-our-equity-on-our-sleeve enterprise, but instead to put our money where our mouth is, and demonstrate that by the actions that were taking, and the way we do our work.

Roqueni does say that one of PICAs signature events isnt going anywhere, though it may also change and evolve. The Time-Based Art Festival, known as TBA, has traditionally been in September and offers a mixture of programming, including performances, exhibitions, parties, and more.

I remember prior to me moving up here, when I would get my hands on one of the small catalogs that showed what was happening at the festival, I wished I could find my way up to Portland to attend, Roqueni says.

Will TBA always look like a two-week festival thats contiguous, and happens only in September? Maybe. Does it need to happen every year? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe the festival might spread out, or be a multi-seasonal offering, Roqueni says. All of the structure around it is less important than really being able to sit down and consider other ways that we might be able to present the festival. Well always be in a space of asking.

In recent years, established arts and cultural organizations across the country have been trying to deal with perceptions that such groups arent keeping up with social change, that theyre patronized mainly by older, white people, and theyre failing to adapt to the interests of more diverse audiences.

Its a situation some say played a role in the recently announced departure of Nataki Garrett, artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. In addition to challenges including financial difficulties related to pandemic shutdowns and wildfire-related cancellations, the festival also reportedly heard from some longtime attendees who found Garretts programming choices overly focused on diversity and inclusion.

Though Roqueni says he doesnt know enough about what happened in Ashland to comment on the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he suggests this is a time when we stand on the shoulders of our predecessors, of our ancestors. Native communities and Black communities have long been pushing back on these systems of oppression, but in the current moment, with all the ethnic and cultural divisions in the United States, our cultural institutions are starting to navigate what equity looks like.

That may look a little bit awkward, and its going to be challenging for leadership, Roqueni says. Awkwardness is OK. We have to learn how to sit with that discomfort. PICA, he says, is a space for risk-taking, and its part of the organizations DNA to bring experimental, innovative practices to Portland. PICA is in a really exciting time right now.

 Kristi Turnquist

503-221-8227; kturnquist@oregonian.com; @Kristiturnquist

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State and federal health officials are investigating after four people in Oregon were infected with identical strains of Salmonella bacteria after eating raw Papa Murphys cookie dough in April.

No one has been hospitalized or died as a result of the outbreak, the Oregon Health Authority said in a statement Tuesday.

Several matching cases were also reported in Washington, the health agency said.

The four people in Oregon, ages 20 to 57, reported having symptoms of Salmonella poisoning between April 1 and April 21, health officials said.

Eating raw chocolate chip cookie dough and Smores Bar dough sold by Papa Murphys  which is headquartered in Vancouver  was significantly associated with the strain of Salmonella bacteria reported in Oregon, health officials said.

Upon learning of the outbreak, Papa Murphys ordered its stores to stop selling their chocolate chip cookie dough and raw Smore Bars products and started removing the products from its stores, according to a statement published Monday on the companys website.

The take-and-bake pizza chain also urged customers who bought the dough to throw it away immediately.

We did this proactively out of an abundance of caution and concern for the safety of our guests, the companys statement said.

The Oregon Health Authority urged anyone experiencing symptoms of Salmonella poisoning  diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramping  after eating raw cookie dough to contact a healthcare provider. Health officials also are reminding people who come in contact with the products to wash their hands.

State epidemiologists are investigating the outbreak with the Washington health department, the Oregon Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, health officials said.

Oregon sees an average of 459 reported cases of Salmonella poisoning annually, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Most people infected become sick between four and seven days after exposure and are usually ill for up to seven days, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

Most people recover from Salmonella poisoning without needing antibiotics or medical care, but infants, elderly people and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to become severely ill, health officials said.

-- Catalina Gaitan, cgaitan@oregonian.com, @catalingaitan_

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The Supreme Court said Monday it wont get involved in a dispute over a California animal cruelty law that bars foie gras from being sold in the state, leaving in place a lower court ruling dismissing the case.

Foie gras is made from the enlarged livers of force-fed ducks and geese, and animal welfare groups had supported the law. As is typical, the court did not comment in declining to hear the case, and it was among many the court said Monday it would not hear.
SALAMANCA, N.Y. (AP)  Leaders of the Seneca Indian Nation will allow a public school district located on their land to continue using its Warrior nickname and logo despite New Yorks ban on schools use of Indigenous imagery, officials said Wednesday.

In giving approval, Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong Sr. said the Salamanca school district represented the most unique of circumstances because of its location on the nations Allegany Territory, and large percentages of Native American students and staff.
On the first day of 2023, detectives began the routine task of auditing evidence in the Coos County Sheriffs Office.

The job, which takes place whenever a new commander assumes office, involves employees examining more than 10,000 pieces of evidence that fill rooms in two locations.

Every item  from a gun to a small battery to a pocketknife  must be checked. The case number on the item must be accurate and properly recorded so it can easily be retrieved, if necessary, for a trial or an appeal.

The recent audit, launched after Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio was sworn into office, was going smoothly until a few weeks ago when a detective came across a strange and puzzling piece of evidence.

Call it the case of the scrapbook.

***

Pages filled with memories and history.

Back in the day, a scrapbook was a commonplace heirloom, a family time capsule.

These big books with heavy covers were the place for grandmas famous pumpkin pie recipe, birthday and holiday cards received in the mail, family photographs, important clippings cut from the newspaper.

These days, nothing seems so permanent, certainly nothing that will be passed from generation to generation.

Oh, we have hundreds of photos on our smart phones, but we rarely sit down with family members to go through them, and we certainly dont leave our phones out on the coffee table for everyone to flip through during the holidays.

In the Coos County Sheriffs evidence room that recent day, Detective Sergeant Aaron Whittenberg stumbled over such a relic, a leather-bound scrapbook that had no case number attached.

He couldnt figure out why it was in the room. He flipped through the pages, looking for clues.

He read interesting newspaper pieces  one reported the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt  and handwritten birthday cards. Dates on the cards told him this scrapbook was more than 100 years old.

By all rights, he could have thrown it out.

Instead, he asked the departments public-information officer, Sgt. Adam Slater, for help in getting the scrapbook returned to its rightful owner.

Slater crafted a Facebook post mentioning two names he found in the scrapbook  Mabel and Rutten  and the location where some of the cards had been sent in Florida.

He hoped for the best.

***

To keep up on crime news, Windy Gardiner, the medical-records director at the Myrtle Point Care Center, reads the county sheriffs Facebook page.

Two names in this newest post made her think of a resident at the center.

Im in charge of a residents history, she explained. I get to know them better, their family members and their lives.

Doretta Rutten, soon to be 91, was one of the centers residents, and Gardiner remembered reading in her file that her mother-in-law was named Mabel.

She checked with Rutten to confirm the information, learning that Ruttens deceased husband, Bill, had been born and raised in Florida before moving to Coos Bay, where he met Doretta in the early 1960s. They fell in love and got married.

Gardiner told her about the scrapbook.

She had no idea what I was talking about, Gardiner said. I called the sheriffs office, and they made arrangements to bring the scrapbook to Doretta.

***

Windy Gardiner, holding the scrapbook, recognized a name in a sheriff's office Facebook post, and connected it with Doretta Rutten, a Myrtle Point Care Center resident. Last week, the 100-year-old book was returned to Rutten.

Sheriff Fabrizio arrived last Thursday, scrapbook in hand, to meet Rutten.

Most of us get into this job to help people and be a positive influence, he told The Oregonian/OregonLive. When you get a chance to do that, its a reminder of why we do this.

He said detectives later learned from Ruttens daughter that someone broke into Bill and Dorettas home more than 20 years ago, and she theorized that maybe the scrapbook had been taken.

Fabrizio figures that somewhere along the line deputies found the scrapbook in connection with another case. Not knowing where it came from, deputies put it in the evidence room, where it was forgotten.

Thats all guessing, he said. But the best guess is all I got.

At the care center, Fabrizio watched Rutten flip through the scrapbook. Rutten paused at newspaper stories detailing the end of World War II, studied the greeting cards. She told the sheriff that a photo of a beautiful young woman in a wedding dress was her husbands aunt.

Rutten, the memories flooding in, began crying.

It was definitely pretty emotional, said Fabrizio. Ill be honest, I teared up a bit, too. It was a great bright spot in some otherwise troubling times.

Rutten realized some of the items predate the birth of her husband. His parents probably had passed the scrapbook down to him.

Its hard to explain what it was like to hold that book and touch those cards, she said. I know my husband would be tickled by all this.

Rutten said she plans to make sure her youngest son gets the scrapbook after she dies.

Until then, she said, she will keep it in her room.

It was part of Bill, she said. Having it with me brings Bill back to me.

 Tom Hallman Jr

503-221-8224; thallman@oregonian.com; @thallmanjr

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Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, a Democrat, has recused herself from a criminal investigation into the cryptocurrency executive who gave the Democratic Party of Oregon $500,000 under a false name.

Rosenblums communications director, Roy Kaufmann, told the Capital Chronicle in an email that Deputy Attorney General Lisa Udland will oversee the departments investigation into Nishad Singh, the former director of engineering at the disgraced cryptocurrency firm FTX.
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Farmington High School senior Diep H. Phan is among 161 American high school students named to the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars list.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recently announced the 59th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars. He recognized Phan and her fellow 160 high school seniors for their accomplishments in academics, the arts, and career and technical education fields.

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.

Of the 3.7 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,000 candidates qualified for the 2023 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT or ACT exams or through nominations made by chief state school officers, other partner recognition organizations and YoungArts, the National Foundation for the Advancement of Artists.

As directed by Presidential Executive Order, the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars are 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.

Created in 1964, the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program has honored over 8,000 of the nations top-performing students. The program was expanded in 1979 to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, literary and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.

The Presidential Scholars Class of 2023 will be recognized for their outstanding achievement this summer with an online recognition program.
Gov. Tina Kotek spent about two hours listening to Republican and Democratic senators in separate closed-door meetings in the Capitol building Monday as the GOP-led walkout that started May 3 continued to stall the Senate.

Kotek entered the Senate majority office to visit with Democrats at noon, on the heels of a meeting she had with Senate Republicans shortly after 11 a.m. Applause rang out from inside the room.

But Republican senators were less enthusiastic about meeting the Democratic governor. Just one, Dick Anderson of Lincoln City, turned up in person while the the others joined through Zoom, a choice that clearly rankled Kotek.

I think that says a lot about whos interested in resolving the crisis, Kotek later told the Capital Chronicle and another reporter.  Its very difficult when the Senate Republicans dont show up in a room.

She called their refusal to attend the meeting in person very disrespectful.

She said she didnt talk to the Republicans about whether theyd return Tuesday, and didnt indicate whether she was trying to strike a deal.

We were just listening today, Kotek said. We were not negotiating.

Ten senators are now ineligible to serve for another term because they have 10 or more unexcused absences. The only Republican senators on the floor Monday morning were Anderson and Sen. David Brock Smith of Port Orford. The chamber needs 20 senators to do business and 18 were present.

Its unclear how fruitful any negotiations might be. Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, declined to comment after the Senate floor session ended.

Wagner and Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, were unavailable for comment after their meetings with Kotek.

Deputy Minority Leader Daniel Bonham of The Dalles told the Capitol Chronicle he doesnt trust Kotek because of his experiences with her when she was House speaker. As one example, he said, she backed out of a deal to give Republicans an equal voice in the 2020 redistricting plans. That move is partly why he joined the meeting via Zoom instead of in person, he said.

She has burned me one too many times, Bonham said. Im not going to let the governor have the potential to change her mind on utilizing the state troopers or whatever to pull us back into the building. Kotek has said she doesnt want to use state troopers to round up absentee senators. But she hasnt entirely ruled it out, either.

Bonham also noted that the timing of the meeting  shortly after 11 a.m.  would have put senators in the Capitol building around the same time as the Senate floor session. The proximity of those two events necessitated an abundance of caution for senators, Bonham said.

Republicans started the walkout initially over the failure of the Legislature to pass bills with summaries that comply with a state law that requires them to be written at an eighth-grade reading level. Republicans also have criticized and identified bills they want to see set aside, including House Bill 2002, which would expand abortion rights and shore up transgender health care.

Bonham said he got the impression from the meeting that Kotek isnt willing to kill House Bill 2002 to get the Senate back in session, but said he was speaking only for himself.

The session is required to end by June 25. If the Senate Republicans dont return, bills that impact a range of issues including housing, long-term care and public education will die.

I will say loud and clear Republicans have an interest in passing bipartisan bills and bipartisan budgets, Bonham said.

-- Ben Botkin, Oregon Capital Chronicle

The Oregon Capital Chronicle, founded in 2021, is a nonprofit news organization that focuses on Oregon state government, politics and policy.
Gov. Tina Kotek is asking a state legislative panel to change a Senate bill that proposes a fix to the constitutional crisis that has left thousands of people accused of crimes without attorneys.

Koteks letter comes after lawmakers and policy experts spent more than a year crafting the legislation, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. Some public defense leaders say Koteks request for the changes would force them to oppose a bill they otherwise support.

As currently written, Senate Bill 337 would fundamentally change how Oregon provides lawyers to people who cant afford them. It would create a system with public defenders who are state employees and eventually end the use of contracted for-profit defense firms.

One provision would move the Office of Public Defense Services, the state agency responsible for public defense, out of the judiciary department. Legal experts recommend that be done to keep public defense independent of the courts.

The bill now says the public defense agency would move to the executive branch, but it would not allow one person or entity to hire and fire the people in charge of it.

Kotek does not want the agency moved to her control. But if it is, she wrote, the governor must have the authority to hire and fire the agencys head and to remove its commissioners to achieve true accountability.

Based on her letter, Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, drafted amendments that lawmakers are planning to discuss in committee Tuesday. Evans amendment, dated May 18, would move the Office of Public Defenders to the executive branch but give the governor the power to appoint commissioners who would serve at the pleasure of the governor.

We have been ... talking about it for far too long, and we need to have structural, systemic change, Evans told OPB Saturday.

Koteks request for unbridled power to nominate and dismiss public defense commissioners goes against national recommendations as well as a 2019 report she took credit for getting funded, which listed structural changes necessary to make the public defense system independent of both judges and politicians.

Oregons system for providing lawyers to criminal defendants who cant afford them has shown cracks for years, but case backlogs significantly worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. The public defender shortage has overwhelmed the courts, frustrated defendants and affected crime victims, who experts say experience added trauma when cases are dismissed or take longer to be resolved.

In her May 11 letter to lawmakers, Kotek said she shared their urgency to address the crisis, but she said moving the agency would distract from the core mission of trying to provide adequate criminal defense.

If lawmakers are determined to move the agency, Kotek stated, It will be important to add changes to the bill to treat public defense higher ups like other agency leaders who serve at the governors discretion.

In 2019, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Sixth Amendment Center completed a report funded by the Legislature. It found Oregons public defense system, housed within the states judicial branch, was unconstitutional and structurally flawed.

The public defense community opposes the governors recommended changes, saying they would corrode independence that is fundamental to their work. On Friday, the Public Defense Services Commission leaders said in a letter to lawmakers that theyd formally oppose Senate Bill 337 if the Rules Committee adopted the changes Kotek is seeking.

Oregon must not move backward and erode the core tenet that public defense remain independent from political pressures, the commissions letter stated, so that it is empowered to appropriately and zealously advocate against the government.

Some of those closest to the bill are conflicted over the governors sudden interest in the legislation.

Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, co-chaired the work group that wrote the bill and chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee. Prozanski on Friday said he planned to support the amendments Evans drafted at the governors behest, despite concerns.

Its got to be something that the governor is going to accept, Prozanski said.

But on Saturday Prozanski said in an email that after reading the public defense commissions opposition letter and reflecting on the matter, he no longer supported Koteks amendments. Prozanski said he believes there should be a higher threshold for removing the states head of public defense than the will of the governor.

Evans, who co-chaired the public defense work group with Prozanski, said he introduced the latest amendments because, even before her letter, the governors staff was clear with him and other lawmakers that Kotek did not want to add public defense to her offices responsibilities.

The governor has enough messes that shes trying to work on, and she didnt want this in the executive branch, Evans said. Because it has been such a challenge, she wants a little additional capacity to be able to push people to do their jobs.

Evans acknowledged that the legislation was a late departure from national recommendations. He said the compromise was a political reality.

Lawmakers and advocates for public defense have been trying to reform the system for years. In 2019, they failed to pass a bill that contained many elements of Senate Bill 337. This year, passing the bill also hinges on Senate Republicans ending a walkout that has stalled work in the Oregon Senate since early May.
Senate Republicans on Tuesday pledged to return to the Capitol on the final day of the legislative session June 25 solely to pass bipartisan bills and budgets. Democratic leaders have said they wont allow Republicans to choose which bills come to the floor.

Work in the Senate has been stalled since May 3 when conservative lawmakers began boycotting floor sessions, alleging that bills were too difficult to read and violated a 1979 law requiring bill summaries be written in plain English. Since then, Senate Republicans have criticized Democratic priority bills they say they want tabled, including House Bill 2002, which would protect and expand rights to receive reproductive and gender-affirming health care.
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Kevin Foster, executive director of Genesis School, waves to a classroom of students on May 16 in Kansas City. The K-8 charter school wont reopen in the fall unless a court intervenes in its sponsors decision to shut it down (Zach Bauman/The Beacon).

Teachers and staff at Genesis School in Kansas City have tried to maintain a normal school year despite an unusual situation: They dont know whether students will return in the fall.

Thats because the K-8 charter schools sponsor, the Missouri Charter Public School Commission, wants to shut it down over its academic performance. The State Board of Education backed that decision after Genesis appealed.

Genesis argues that recent data shows it has improved. School leaders also say the commission didnt follow the process outlined in its contract with Genesis when it moved to close the school.

Genesis has asked a court to overrule its sponsor and the state board, Executive Director Kevin Foster said, and expects it might receive a decision about a week after its June 9 trial date.

While Foster believes the schools case is strong, hes still preparing for both outcomes.

Officials have informed families about other schools their students could attend. School leaders are learning about what it would take to wind down a school, Foster said, and discussing how Genesis could serve the neighborhood in another format. The organization existed as a nonprofit before it became a charter school.

Other Kansas City schools, and the communities they serve, are also making plans for school closures as the 2022-23 academic year wraps up. In January, the Kansas City Public Schools board voted to close two neighborhood elementary schools, Longfellow and Troost, at the end of the school year, citing declining enrollment districtwide that has left KCPS budget spread thin on too many aging school buildings. A private school, Urban Christian Academy, also plans to close its doors after a show of support for LGBTQ+ students caused funders to withdraw.

A school closure may mark the end of an era, but it leaves a gap with lasting impacts. Where do students go? What happens to the building? How does a neighborhood recover from the loss?

The impact of a school closure on students and families

With Longfellow Elementary closing, Beth Colemans son and daughter will attend a new school this fall. For Colemans son, who will start fourth grade at Primitivo Garcia Elementary, it will be his third school in three years. Thats particularly sad, Coleman said, because her son and her younger daughter, who will start first grade, have had positive experiences at Longfellow. She told The Beacon in January that her son was happier after he transferred from a Kansas City charter school that wasnt meeting his academic needs.

This was their first year at Longfellow, and they really loved it there, she said recently. And so for it to only be a year, its actually pretty upsetting to them.

To support families like Colemans, Kansas City Public Schools has been offering school tours, enrollment nights and an informational webpage, district spokesperson Shain Bergan said in a statement. He declined an interview with The Beacon.

In addition to newly assigned neighborhood schools, the district waived the standard transfer application process for several nearby schools if families enrolled before mid-March, and encouraged families to consider its signature schools, which have a specific focus area such as college prep or arts and are open to families throughout the district.

A side effect of those extra choices is that groups of friends may not stay together as families select different schools.

Enrolling at a different school than his friends has been hard on her son, Coleman said. To help children acclimate, she suggested Primitivo Garcia could host events, facilitate icebreaker activities or build extra time into the school day for kids to socialize and make new friends.

At Genesis, Foster is also thinking about what families will do if the school closes.

Genesis, which is attached to the Thornberry Unit of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, offers free before- and after-school care as well as embedded mental health services. Genesis specializes in helping students who struggled at other schools.

Kevin Foster, executive director of Genesis School (Zach Bauman/The Beacon)

Foster said he was sure to distribute information about the charter school lottery process in time for families to have a chance at entering the most competitive schools. Families can enroll in charter schools with open seats or KCPS neighborhood schools at any time, but Foster worries that some families will struggle to find a good fit at another school if Genesis closes.

The leader of Urban Christian Academy also emphasized its tight-knit and comprehensive approach to supporting families. The school is particularly grieving the loss of community, Executive Director Kalie Callaway-George said earlier this year.

UCA really has existed as a support system for many of our scholars and their families, she said. Resources to help with bills, clothing or food likely exist in other schools, but because were a small community, were just able to do that in a really personalized way.

The impact on neighborhoods

School closures in Kansas City arent new.

Judith Boyd has seen dozens of KCPS schools close since she began her more than 40-year teaching career in the district. Every neighborhood has suffered the loss of a school. Some neighborhoods like ours have suffered more than one, she said.

Boyd, now a member of the Blue Hills Neighborhood Association board, said she used to stop by a house after school or during lunch if she needed to talk to a family. You get to know other people in your neighborhood, other parents, you subscribe to a common culture of success and focus and vision, she said. But some of the schools that built that sense of community no longer exist.

Charter schools, which can draw students from all over the district, and the remaining more scattered neighborhood schools also have a sense of community and culture, Boyd said. But she isnt sure how that shared culture extends outside the building when families dont live nearby.

From her home, longtime Blue Hills resident Linda Brown can see children walking to Troost Elementary. Its funny because when you see them cutting up, I step out into the yard and will say stuff to them, she said. If the children talk back, shell remind them that she knows where their mother lives.

Those are the things that you miss with the neighborhood school and kids walking to and from school, she said.

The physical vacancy a closed school leaves can also harm a neighborhood if it isnt filled, said Brown, who is president of the Blue Hills Neighborhood Association. Empty buildings can attract crime and be dangerous for curious children, she said.

KCPS typically attempts to repurpose vacant buildings or sell them. Some sites have been turned into apartment complexes or co-working spaces. But other closed schools such as Pershing School in Blue Hills have been vacant for a long time.

It lends to the blight in the neighborhood, Boyd said. It also makes people wonder, are they important? Is anything ever going to happen here? You know, are we going to benefit from what happens here?

Thats why Boyd and Brown are relieved that the district plans to continue using the Troost site. It may be used for professional development or as a temporary school site for students whose buildings are being renovated.

Not only is the spirit of the neighborhood not as broken as it could have been, but the real estate in the neighborhood its not going to get worse, Boyd said. There is some loss and some sadness, but it could have been so much worse than it is.

Boyd taught at Troost Elementary for 20 years until her retirement in 2013, then returned as a reading interventionist and volunteer. She said she hopes the district works to preserve the schools history.

She remembers children proudly singing a song about school namesake Dr. Benoist Troost at assemblies, though she acknowledges Troost, who enslaved people, is controversial.

Some of the most powerful and best teachers in the district at one time at the elementary level went right through Troost Elementary, Boyd said.

Foster said the Genesis building wont remain vacant if the school closes.

We have a facility, and theres a deep commitment to serve at-risk kids, he said. We might serve as a nonprofit educational service provider.

But the schools closure will still leave a void, he said, referring to a map that shows many Genesis students homes are clustered around the school and not near other charter schools. Genesis is open to students districtwide, but 84% of those enrolled live within three miles of the school, and 75% live within two miles of it.

People who cared about the ecosystem of available schools would ask, How do we get that building, and how do we get those kids? Foster said. But no ones calling.

This article first appeared on The Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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More than 100 Midland residents, workers and business owners gathered at Dow Diamond on Monday to receive an update on flood prevention infrastructure plans from the Midland Business Alliance Advisory Committee on Infrastructure.

In addition to the committee, the group received an update from Four Lakes Task Force and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District and heard from speakers, including regional environmental groups.

MBA flood reduction plan

Co-chairs of the Advisory Committee on Infrastructure Lee Ann Keller and J.W. Fisher presented the work of the committee so far and its Midland flood reduction plan.

The committee raised $877,500 after its formation in 2021 and used those funds for the 50% cost-share for the first Army Corps of Engineers study and for communication, planning, engineering services and advocacy.

Those efforts, in turn, have resulted in $16.4 million for flood reduction projects and studies - including $5.4 million of federal funding, $3 million in FEMA cost-share change, $3 million in state appropriations for flood reduction planning, and $5 million in Michigan Public Acts funding for MyMichigan Medical Center Midland.

Fisher said major milestones for the committee include the hydrologic/hydraulic study being done by the Army Corps of Engineers that is set to be completed in 2024 and the Geographical Information Systems mapping done by Spicer Group.

While the committee waits for the Army Corps of Engineers studies to be completed, it is focusing on its flood reduction plan consisting of short-term, feasible projects identified by Spicer Group.

The plan focuses on Sturgeon and Snake creeks and the Inman Drain and would prevent the Tittabawassee River from backing up into these areas. It would utilize flood walls, berms, gates and pump stations.

Fisher asked the audience to think of Main Street and the Rail Trail as a berm or wall tall enough to prevent the river from flowing over it. Areas of Main Street would need to be raised to make this work, and flood gates and pump stations would be used to carry flow from both creeks into the river.

Fisher said the committees plans will include big projects that could cost $10 million to 200 million and take decades to complete. However, he noted that the work needs to be done sometime and that it could have started after the 1986 flood if it hadn't been considered a once-in-a-lifetime event.

If we had started in 1986, we wouldnt be talking about this now, he said.

The committee is also considering nature-based solutions, such as retention ponds, that could also be used for recreation. Keller noted the RiverWalk in San Antonio, Texas - a pedestrian walkway that also serves as a flood control system.

Army Corps of Engineers partnership and update

Nick Zager, planning chief from Army Corps of Engineers Detroit, presented about the work that organization has done in Midland.

He explained that the process of an Army Corps of Engineers study begins with an authorization from Congress under the Water Resources Development Act. After that, it would need an appropriation, typically from the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act.

Zager said the largest study that would be done in Midland is the General Investigation study that will create big projects to help the region. The smaller study would be the H&H study or Planning Assistance to States investigation. This gathers data and creates modeling, but cannot be used to create construction plans. This is the study being done in Midland now.

Results from this study will be used in the General Investigation study and will help move the process along faster. Zager said models from this study could be done by this fall.

The GI study received authorization from Congress in December 2022 and was prioritized in President Joe Bidens budget in March 2023. Zager said those two aspects of the process usually take years to complete. The rest of the timeline is as follows:

 Energy and Water appropriation: Fall 2023/Winter 2024

 Kickoff feasibility study: Fall 2023/Winter 2024

 Complete the study: Fall 2026/Winter 2027

 Construction authorization from WRDA: 2027/2028

 Design: 2027 to 2029

 Construction: 2030 or beyond

Four Lakes Task Force Update

Four Lakes Task Force President Dave Kepler presented an update on the four dams and their corresponding lakes: Sanford, Secord, Smallwood and Edenville (Wixom Lake).

Three years after the flood, Smallwood and Secord dams are under construction and Sanford and Edenville dams will begin work this summer. Stabilization of the dams as well as design, debris removal and erosion prevention have already been completed.

Kepler said the dams should be completed by 2025 and that the lakes can be filled by 2024 to 2025.

He said the task force has run into some issues, such as permitting for the snuffbox mussel - an endangered species - wetland monitoring, managing the transition between the lakes and recreating recreational areas.

You dont put hundreds of thousands of fish back in a week, he said. Its going to be a 10- or 20-year program that it will take to heal this system back to where it was.

Green infrastructure

A panel consisting of Elan Lipschitz from Little Forks Conservancy, Dennis Pilaske from Chippewa Nature Center, Mike Kelly from the Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network, Kyle Rorah from Ducks Unlimited and Helen Taylor from the Nature Conservancy answered questions about the environmental impact of new infrastructure and possible alternatives.

The panel discussed at length green infrastructure, such as marshlands.

We all know what gray infrastructure is - the use of cement, concrete, pipes, those types of systems that weve used historically, Kelly said. Were finding that theyre just no longer adequatethis idea of pairing green infrastructure with gray infrastructure is really important.

Kelly discussed the Maankiki Marsh in the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge that was designed as a place for waterfowl. After the dam breaks, the marsh flooded with about 10 feet of water, which Kelly said would equate to 85% of the water from Sanford Lake.

That doesn't mean a whole lot to Midland and communities upstream of where that happened, he said. What it did mean a lot to are the communities of Bay City and Saginaw that are downstream. It was an amazing example of what green infrastructure can do and provides a great example of what nature-based solutions can do.

Taylor said the Nature Conservancy is working on a study to be completed next spring that would show the optimal places for green infrastructure and nature-based solutions in the region.

Pilaske also discussed the human connection to nature and the appreciation of green spaces that have developed throughout the pandemic. He said the potential of green solutions is not only in flood prevention, but it also doubles as recreational opportunities that benefit mental health by getting people outdoors.

Lipschitz said the important thing is to work together, not just between the environmental groups, but with the city and county organizations as well.

Thinking about the Tittabawassee River Watershed, it is humongous, he said. So as big as it is, its going to take folks in Midland, folks in our outlying counties, everybody working together to help get things done.
MILLBROOK TOWNSHIP  Law enforcement personnel from multiple agencies worked together Monday to arrest a male suspected of stealing a moped.

According to a news release from the Mecosta County Sheriff's Office, deputies received a tip Monday which led them to look for a male driving a possible stolen moped and carrying drugs. When deputies attempted a traffic stop, the male driver took off and went into a field near 30th Avenue and Monroe Road in Blanchard.

The driver then fled on foot.

Personnel from the Mecosta County and Montcalm County sheriffs offices, the Mecosta County K-9 team and the Michigan State Police worked together to locate the suspect, according to police reports. Mecosta County K-9 Zeke found a handgun, and a few feet away, he found the suspect.

The moped was identified as being stolen out of East Lansing, deputies arrested the driver.
The following list includes recent reports from the Midland County Sheriffs Office and the Midland Police Department. Compiled by reporter Tereasa Nims.

Monday, May 22

8:56 p.m. A deputy was dispatched to a Mount Haley Township residence regarding a found debit card. The deputy returned the card to an 18-year-old Mount Haley Township woman.

8:33 p.m. - A 58-year-old Lincoln Township man was arrested on an outstanding bench warrant from the Midland County courts. The man was transported and lodged at the Midland County Jail without incident.

8:47 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Hope Township residence regarding a 41-year-old woman reporting a suspicious situation involving a 39-year-old male neighbor driving by her residence multiple times. The woman advised she only wanted the incident documented for future reference. No further assistance was needed from the sheriffs office.

8:22 p.m. - A 78-year-old Lincoln Township man reported that a dog belonging to his 58-year-old neighbor continuously comes onto his property chasing his cat. The incident was turned over to the prosecutor for review.

8:04 p.m. - Police made a warrant arrest at E. Nickels and Louanna streets.

7:25 p.m. - Deputies were dispatched to a Jerome Township residence for a report of a missing juvenile. The juvenile was found in the residence. Deputies discovered another crime occurred at a different location, and the case was turned over Michigan State Police.

More Information Deputies received a tip of a Larkin Township business not being licensed. Deputies turned complaint into state licensing agency for investigation. See More Collapse

6:11 p.m. - A deputy, EMS, and the Lincoln Township Fire Department responded to a Lincoln Township neighborhood for a drug overdose of a 27-year-old Lee Township woman. The woman was treated and released at the scene and was provided with drug treatment resources.

6:11 p.m. - Deputies arrested a 51-year-old man at his Jerome Township residence on four Midland County warrants. The man was lodged at the Midland County Jail.

5:26 p.m. - A 48-year-old woman had a verbal dispute with her 49-year-old boyfriend. The dispute was over the woman breaking up with the boyfriend and moving out. No assault occurred.

2:58 p.m. - Midland County Sheriff's Office detectives received a tip that a Midland County man was operating an unlicensed business. Although no crimes had been reported in terms of individuals being defrauded, the tip was turned over to State of Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to investigate allegations of no licensure for the business.

2:30 p.m. - A citizen found a license plate in Ingersoll Township and turned it into the law enforcement center records bureau. A deputy was able to return the license plate to the Midland business that the owned it.

2:33 p.m. - A deputy was dispatched to a Midland Township residence to speak with a 75-year-old man regarding a scam that he had fallen victim to. A report was taken, and the man and his son were advised of actions to take.

1:22 p.m. - A 60-year-old Clare man asked for a wellbeing check on his 6-year-old son at a Warren Township school. The child was found to be doing fine.

12:42 p.m. - A deputy was dispatched to a Lincoln Township residence for damaged property. The 53-year-old female caller believed it was damaged by her 16-year-old granddaughter.

12:04 p.m. - Police were called to the 300 block of East Ashman Street for a verbal domestic dispute.

9:39 a.m. - Police responded to a property damage crash at Waldo and Salzburg roads.

7:46 a.m. - A deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a motor vehicle code violation. A 42-year-old Bay City man who was the passenger was arrested on two Midland County warrants. He was lodged in the Midland County Jail.

1:26 a.m. - A deputy responded to the Saginaw County Jail to transport a 29-year-old inmate to the Midland County Jail as the man had an active Midland County warrant. The man was transported without incident.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Jack Sweeney, the 20-year-old college student who was once banned from Twitter for posting the real-time movements of Elon Musks jet, has a new aircraft in his sights: that of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

On Monday, Sweeney posted his first tweet on the account @DeSantisJet, which follows the movements of the official Florida jet DeSantis uses for state business. The tracker, like the one he created to follow Musk's private jet, uses public flight information required by aviation authorities.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Sweeney said he also plans to track DeSantis flights on other private aircraft once he can identify them.

Like Sweeneys revamped version of his Musk tracker @elonjet, the DeSantis Twitter tracker reports movements with a 24-hour delay. That delay complies with a Twitter rule change imposed shortly after the company suspended Sweeney's original Musk tracking account in December. That came not long after the Tesla CEO bought the social media platform for $44 billion. Sweeney's Twitter account was later restored.

By relying on public data, Sweeney's tracker also sidesteps a Florida law signed by DeSantis on May 11 that requires state law enforcement agencies to keep the governor's travel records secret.

Sweeney, who is a student at the University of Central Florida, tracks a variety of other private jets used by politicians, technology tycoons and celebrities. That list includes former President Donald Trump; Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg; and Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian.

Like his other tracking accounts, Sweeney's DeSantis tracker appears on a variety of social platforms ranging from Facebook and Instagram to smaller sites such as Telegram, Mastodon, and Nostr. His Musk tracker also uses accounts on BlueSky, a nascent Twitter alternative, and Truth, a Trump-founded social network. Only the Twitter-based trackers feature the 24-hour delay.

Sweeney said DeSantis is just becoming someone that people want to know about. The Florida Republican has long given signs of gearing up to run for president in the 2024 election, where he would contend with Trump and several other announced candidates.

The AP reported Tuesday that DeSantis plans to kick off his presidential campaign in a Twitter Spaces chat with Musk on Wednesday, citing two people with knowledge of the decision.
BERLIN (AP)  Germany's federal prosecutor's office said Tuesday that criminal police have detained three more suspected far-right extremists who are linked to an alleged plot by the Reichsbuerger, or Reich Citizens, movement to topple the country's government.

The three suspects, who were only identified as Johanna F.-J., Hans-Joachim H. and Steffen W. in line with German privacy rules, were detained Monday evening in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

The defendants are suspected of membership in a terrorist organization, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.

In December, German police detained 25 people including a self-styled prince, a retired paratrooper and a former judge who are accused of plotting the violent overthrow of the government.

Adherents of the Reich Citizens movement reject Germanys postwar constitution and have called for bringing down the government.

Authorities say the three people who were arrested Monday evening were linked in different ways to the suspects of the alleged coup attempt.

Johanna F.J. is suspected of having been active in the association since May 2022, participating in several meetings with members of the leadership, during which the goals and organization of the group were discussed. In addition, she allegedly sought contact with a Russian consul general and subsequently met with him twice. The talks were intended to obtain support for the associations actions, prosecutors say.

Hans-Joachim H. is suspected of having been active for the group from the very beginning, providing it with financial contributions totaling more than 140,000 euros ($151,000). In addition, he allegedly actively participated in conspiratorial meetings, in events to recruit new members and in so-called sponsor meetings.

Steffen W. is suspected of having joined the association no later than July 2022, and to have assumed a leading role in a so-called homeland security company, in which he assumed the function of a military officer. The defendant allegedly participated in several coordination meetings. His task was to recruit personnel for his area of responsibility and to train them militarily, prosecutors said.

German security agencies have disrupted several plots in recent years by small groups linked to the Reich Citizens movement accused of planning attacks on critical infrastructure, government officials and even the national parliament. While it is unclear how far advanced such plans were, authorities have expressed alarm that the alleged plotters had acquired weapons and included people who arent usually on the radar of security agencies, such as judges and police officers.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Monday, the head of Germany's domestic intelligence agency warned of a rise in anti-government extremism.

Thomas Haldenwang told the AP that coup plots such as those disrupted last year likely wont be the last as some are again talking about a Day X when certain things are meant to happen.

We are monitoring such efforts very intensively, very carefully, and Im certain that we will be able to intervene in time together with other security agencies, he said. But I cant completely rule out that groups will forms under the radar of the security agencies.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The European Union (EU) ambassador to Libya, Jose Sabadell, has expressed his gratitude to the Presidential Council for hosting and sponsoring the meeting of the Berlin Process Working Group on International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, which was held on Monday in Tripoli
Ndjamena, Chad (PANA)  The Assistant High Commissioner for Operations of the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR), Raouf Mazou, has urged increased international support and attention for displaced people from Sudan  including refugees, refugee returnees and host communities
New York, US (PANA) - The world is failing to live up to its commitment to protect civilians during wartime, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the UN Security Council on Tuesday, urging greater respect for international humanitarian law
Geopost and local logistics company TASA Logistica have created DPD Argentina to undertake last-mile logistics operations in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.

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The companies plan to improve B2B activity and provide customers with the renowned and best-selling DPD services for business, such as Return My Parcel. Customers will also be able to access Geoposts digital services, starting with myDPD for business, a business portal that helps shippers manage and monitor their shipments. End consumers will also benefit from myDPD for consumers, an app designed to track parcels online.

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DPD Argentina reportedly upholds Geoposts commitment to sustainable delivery. Its sustainability roadmap combines technology and local knowledge to provide a flexible, easy-to-use service for sellers and buyers with a strong focus on sustainability for every delivery. With a 14% CO 2 emissions reduction per delivery in 2019 compared with 2013, TASA Logistica intends to accelerate the reduction with DPD Argentina via the acquisition of an electric fleet. The roadmap also relies on infrastructure, as the distribution center is to be fully equipped with charging stations and solar panels.

Javier Mazzarella, country manager of DPD Argentina, commented, Our goal is to be a top last-mile player in Argentina in the next five years. Online sales channels continue to develop and the momentum of e-commerce in Argentina is very strong. The 2020 pandemic has profoundly changed the sector and installed new uses, anchoring the importance of e-commerce. Home delivery continues to gain ground. This is one of the main segments we want to cover with DPD Argentina, providing an excellent service.

We have planned a progressive national rollout to complete the value chain with last-mile delivery. Home services are clearly a first step for 2023 as we know it is the preferred delivery method (67% of total). Customers demand real-time info on delivery, multiple delivery options and, of course, reliable deliveries, and this is where DPDs experience will make the difference, especially for tight time deliveries. But we also plan on developing our service offers to reach global standards based on DPDs recognized business services such as out-of-home deliveries or everywhere in Argentina. A cooperative approach is set up to benefit from the groups innovative approach to sustainability in all domains, from low-emissions delivery to employees and via relations with communities.

We are relying on a successful journey in LatAm, which started with Jadlog in Brazil in 2017, said Olivier Establet, executive vice president of Geopost, in charge of Americas. With our DPD Argentina journey, more particularly, we are looking forward to experiencing our Jadlog success story of constant growth within e-commerce in Brazil, a sector that is becoming more strategic every day, and that confirmed our expectations when we started there.

Yves Delmas, CEO of Geopost, said, Within this new joint venture, we are bringing our experience as the leading parcel operator in Europe to the recognized logistics expertise of TASA Logistica. We today aim to seize the great opportunities of the last-mile delivery sector of Argentina, which is pulled by the very dynamic growth of e-commerce, to offer robust solutions to the customers of the region. As a second step, we anticipate pursuing our business development in the region.

Facundo Casillas, executive director of TASA Logistica, concluded, We are happy to be able to share this major announcement regarding our alliance with the Geopost team. Our new company benefits from the best last-mile logistics expertise in Europe and our knowledge of the local market, offering the best delivery service for e-commerce. Our logistics group now operates one of the highest investment dynamics in the country, and we continue on the path of growth by developing at the regional level. In addition, we share the same values of sustainability and social inclusion, which are among our main objectives.

To keep up with the latest DPDgroup/Geopost developments, click here.
Photo: (Photo : Pexel/Karolina Grabowska)

In a heartbreaking display of courage and determination, the mothers of five survivors from Room 112 of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, gathered to watch the harrowing footage captured by body cameras during the tragic school massacre that took place almost a year ago.

The mothers, determined to understand the trauma their children endured and seeking answers to their lingering questions, reached out to CNN to view the graphic videos, which depicted their children's escape from the clutches of a murderous gunman.

Kassandra Chavez, one of the mothers, expressed the urgent need to witness the footage, acknowledging CNN's involvement in investigating the botched law enforcement response to the shooting. With the investigative materials in their possession, obtained through an exclusive channel, CNN found itself faced with the exceptional decision of allowing the families to watch the footage.

The release of such graphic and horrific scenes is usually the responsibility of the law enforcement agency involved; however, District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbee secured all investigative materials until her inquiry was complete.

Mothers Seek Closure from the Robb Elementary Massacre

The mothers felt a void in their knowledge and understanding of the trauma their children continued to endure. Mayor Don McLaughlin's release of videos from the Uvalde Police Department, which only showcased events preceding the breach, failed to address their concerns adequately. Left with unanswered questions about the rescue operation and the suffering their children endured, the mothers resolved to see the footage themselves.

The mothers gathered on a recent spring evening with a trauma counselor by their side as they got ready to watch the upsetting videos. Prior warnings of the graphic nature of the content did not deter their resolve.

According to Time Magazine, Miguel Cerrillo, father of Miah, joined them, expressing his need to witness the reality his daughter had faced during the incident. As the footage played, officers could be seen entering the classrooms amid the sound of gunshots. The gunman, emerging from a closet, engaged in a firefight with the officers, ultimately leading to his demise.

Throughout the footage, armed officers lined the hallways, urging victims to exit the classrooms with their hands up. The officers valiantly rescued the children, carrying some and ushering others away from the scene of horror. Jaydien Canizales, one of the survivors, could be heard howling as he left the classroom, having hidden under a table to shield himself from the gunshots.

As the mothers watched intently, their focus remained on their sons and daughters, taking note of their children's presence in the video. The sight of responders and their weapons drew Miguel Cerrillo's attention, igniting his rage. He questioned why officers debated their course of action for 77 minutes, without attempting to open the locked classroom door. The grief-stricken father demanded accountability, declaring that every officer present at the scene should relinquish their badges.

Another poignant moment unfolded as the footage transitioned to the survivors being transported on a school bus to the hospital. Kassandra Chavez, Kristina Olivares, and Abigale Veloz broke down as they witnessed their children's pain and suffering. Some children were barely conscious, bouncing around on the bus's bench seats as EMTs treated the severely wounded. The mothers sought answers, wanting to understand the extent of their children's conditions during the chaotic journey.

Although Jamie Torres, the mother of a survivor, expressed her intention to watch every aspect of the footage, she reached her limit when she witnessed her daughter's wailing and the traumatic experiences she had endured. Jamie Torres made the difficult decision to stop the video after becoming overwhelmed by the images of her daughter acting dead and covered in blood.

Read Also: Uvalde Shooting: Family Says More Could Have Been Done to Save Lives

Footage Shows Children's Trauma in Uvalde Massacre

Despite the emotional toll, the mothers asserted that watching the footage provided them with a deeper understanding. Kassandra Chavez, whose son AJ was shot through the thigh, expressed mixed emotions of relief that her child survived and anger at the lasting memories of the tragedy. The mothers believed that sharing the images of their injured and traumatized children was essential for people to comprehend the severity of the attack and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

State Senator Roland Gutierrez, a vocal advocate for commonsense gun law reform, stood in support of the mothers' choices. Drawing a parallel to the Civil Rights movement, Gutierrez emphasized the power of visual imagery in igniting societal change. While Gutierrez contemplated sharing a particularly disturbing image with senators opposing gun control measures, he ultimately refrained, recognizing that the decision should rest with the affected families.

According to ABC News, the pain and anguish experienced by the survivors and their families remains palpable. Jamie Torres poignantly conveyed the depth of her heartache, saying, "My heart hurts, seeing what she went through, seeing what she's seen."

As the Uvalde community continues to heal and seek justice, the mothers' bravery in watching the footage serves as a poignant reminder of the lasting impact of such acts of violence and the urgent need for measures to prevent their recurrence.

Related Article: Pike County Massacre: Jury Trial To Begin for Brother Who Killed 8 Family Members in Child Custody Claim
Photo: (Photo : Justin Sullivan/ Getty Images)

Montana passed a new bill defining sex, sparking backlash for the lack of inclusivity of the LGBTQ+.

Montana's Governor, Greg Gianforte, has signed a bill into law that defines "sex" in the state as strictly binary-male or female-and unchangeable, making Montana the fourth state to enact such legislation.

The move has ignited a firestorm of debate, with supporters asserting it reinforces common sense, while critics argue it is an attempt to erase the LGBTQ+ community.

The bill's signing follows the governor's recent authorization of a separate bill banning gender-affirming treatments for transgender minors.

Montana's Controversial Bill Defining 'Sex'

The recently enacted Senate Bill 458 is scheduled to take effect on October 1.

According to the Daily Mail, the bill establishes a definition of "sex" based on biological factors such as the presence of XY or XX chromosomes and the ability to produce sperm or eggs through typical development processes.

It explicitly differentiates between sex and gender, stating that individuals are free to identify with whatever gender they choose while emphasizing that sex remains fixed and immutable.

The legislation also includes an amendment addressing intersex individuals, stating that the definitions of male and female encompass those who would fall within these categories if not for a biological or genetic condition.

However, critics argue that this phrasing falls short of acknowledging the full spectrum of intersex traits and may not sufficiently protect the rights of intersex individuals.

Medical experts hold varying opinions on the prevalence of intersex individuals within the population.

Some assert that the figure is as high as 1.7 percent, a number referenced by the United Nations, while others estimate it as low as 0.018 percent.

While the legislation acknowledges intersex individuals, critics argue that it fails to adequately consider the diverse range of intersex characteristics and the implications of the law on their rights and recognition.

As reported by KEYT, several states, including Kansas and Tennessee, are following Montana's lead by considering or implementing legislation that defines "sex" in a way that restricts residents from modifying the gender markers on their birth certificates and driver's licenses.

The laws in Kansas and Tennessee are set to become effective on July 1, further limiting the options for individuals seeking to update their official identification documents.

Read Also: OB-GYN Shortage Looms: Abortion Laws Discourage Medical Students from Training in Certain States

LGBTQ+ Advocates Protest, Claiming Legal Misdefinition

The signing of the bill has sparked strong opposition from LGBTQ+ advocates, who argue that the law misdefines and excludes transgender and nonbinary individuals.

According to the Associated Press, the president of the Montana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians, Lauren Wilson, contested the accuracy of the bill's claim that there are only two sexes from a medical perspective.

Wilson argued that the bill's assertion does not align with the nuanced understanding of sex that exists within the medical community, highlighting the complexities and variations that exist beyond a strict binary classification.

Critics, including transgender lawmakers SJ Howell and Zooey Zephyr, both Democrats from Missoula, contend that the legislation effectively erases their legal recognition and diminishes their rights under state law.

Protests against the bill have erupted across Montana, with activists emphasizing the importance of acknowledging and respecting the full spectrum of gender identities.

LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, such as the Human Rights Campaign and the ACLU of Montana, have been at the forefront of the opposition, voicing concerns about the potential marginalization of transgender and nonbinary communities.

The governor's press secretary, Kaitlin Price, defended the law, stating that it upholds a biologically-based understanding of sex while preserving the ability of transgender individuals to identify with their chosen gender.

However, critics argue that the bill's narrow definition of sex undermines the complexity and diversity of human biology and disregards the experiences and identities of individuals who do not fit within traditional binary categories.

The controversy surrounding the bill highlights the ongoing battle between those advocating for strict binary definitions and those advocating for inclusivity and recognition of diverse gender identities.

As the law takes effect later this year, its repercussions and legal challenges are likely to continue shaping the discourse surrounding LGBTQ+ rights and equality in Montana and beyond.

Related Article: Mississippi Transgender Girl Barred from Graduation; Judge Rules School Can Ban Gender-Identity Clothes
Photo: (Photo : Lisa Maree Williams / Getty Images)

The closure of Elmhurst Primary School has raised concerns about the state of rural education in Australia.

Situated in the Pyrenees region of Victoria, the school's abandonment highlights a troubling trend of rural school closures across the country.

As small communities struggle to maintain adequate infrastructure and attract families, the impact on children's education and the fabric of these towns becomes evident.

Elmhurst Primary School is just one example of the challenges faced by rural communities, further underscoring the need for attention and support to preserve educational opportunities in these areas.

Impact of Declining Infrastructure on Australia's Rural Education

According to The Guardian, the closure of Elmhurst Primary School has left the town grappling with the consequences of a shrinking rural population and limited infrastructure.

Located approximately an hour's drive northwest of Ballarat, with the nearest primary school 14 kilometers away, Elmhurst found itself unable to sustain its school due to low enrollment and inadequate resources.

A lack of local amenities, including child care and educational facilities, further deters families from settling in these rural areas, exacerbating the problem.

As the closure of Elmhurst Primary School highlights, the absence of a vibrant educational institution can be a significant blow to the social fabric of a small community.

Rural schools, such as Elmhurst Primary School, often serve as the glue that binds small communities together.

They act as more than just educational institutions; they foster a sense of belonging and provide vital resources for families.

The closure of these schools can lead to a loss of community cohesion, volunteer support, and fundraising efforts.

Cathy McCallum, who experienced the closure of Baringhup Primary School in central Victoria, emphasizes the role of rural schools in attracting parent and community volunteers to support learning and raise funds.

The absence of these schools not only limits educational opportunities for children but also weakens social connections within the community.

According to ABC, a recent study conducted by Victoria University highlighted a concerning issue: approximately 1.1 million individuals residing in regional and remote areas of Australia lack access to childcare services.

The study further revealed that while smaller towns in regional areas often have schools, they frequently lack early childhood education and care centers.

Sam Page, the chief executive of Early Childhood Australia, emphasized the importance of a national partnership agreement aimed at ensuring every child has the opportunity to attend preschool.

However, Page also acknowledged that certain areas face a high demand for childcare services yet struggle with a limited supply, making it challenging for parents to access early childhood services and preschools.

Read Also: Iowa Faces Federal Scrutiny Over New Law on Youth Employment, Potentially Violating Child Labor Protections

Government Support and Challenges of Rural Education

The closure of Elmhurst Primary School raises questions about government support for rural education.

While the Victorian Department of Education plans to open 75 schools between 2019 and 2024, only a small fraction of these are located in regional Victoria.

According to The Educator, the lack of funding and resources allocated to rural areas hinders their ability to provide comprehensive education opportunities.

Additionally, attracting and retaining qualified teachers in rural schools remains a persistent challenge.

Recent research conducted by Professors John Buchanan and Paul Burke from the University of Technology Sydney highlights the need for diverse strategies and incentives to address staffing shortages in rural and remote areas.

The closure of Elmhurst Primary School serves as a stark reminder of the struggles faced by rural communities across Australia.

The decline in infrastructure, lack of educational resources, and challenges in attracting qualified teachers all contribute to the precarious state of rural education.

The impact on children and families in these areas cannot be understated, as they face the prospect of traveling long distances or being deprived of educational opportunities altogether.

To ensure a brighter future for rural education, it is crucial for governments to invest in these communities, provide adequate resources, and implement strategies to attract and retain qualified teachers.

Preserving rural schools like Elmhurst Primary School is not only essential for the education of children but also for the sustainability and vitality of these rural communities that are at risk of fading away.

Related Article: Abandoned 'Baby India' Case Sees Breakthrough, Mother Arrested Four Years Later
Photo: (Photo : Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

In a bold move, the popular short-form video app TikTok has filed a lawsuit against the state of Montana, challenging a recently enacted ban on the platform.

TikTok asserts that the prohibition imposed on the app violates various provisions of the US Constitution, including the First Amendment, as well as other federal legislation.

The company contends that the ban infringes upon constitutionally protected rights such as freedom of speech and raises concerns regarding the legality of the state's actions in restricting access to the platform.



TikTok's complaint, filed in Montana District Court, seeks to invalidate and permanently halt the enforcement of the ban.

TikTok Ban Raises Concern To Citizens

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed the bill into law last week, which would effectively ban TikTok in the state starting in January 2024.

As per BBC, under the law, a hefty fine of $10,000 per day would be imposed on TikTok or app stores that make the platform available on personal devices within Montana. The ban stems from growing concerns over TikTok's ties to China through its parent company, ByteDance.

Numerous US officials have voiced concerns that TikTok could potentially serve as a means for the Chinese government to access and exploit American data for espionage activities, despite the absence of substantial evidence substantiating these allegations.

This has prompted some federal lawmakers to call for a ban on the app. While other states have restricted TikTok's use on government devices, Montana's ban goes a step further.

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has consistently refuted claims of being under the control of the Chinese government. The lawsuit filed against Montana further contends that the state has exceeded its jurisdiction by involving itself in matters related to user data and national security, which fall within the purview of the federal government.

TikTok's Allegations and Legal Battle Ahead

TikTok, in its complaint, asserts that the ban violates the constitutional right to free speech protected by the First Amendment. The company also disputes the claims that the Chinese government can access user data, deeming them unfounded.

According to TechCrunch, a TikTok spokesperson, Brooke Oberwetter, emphasized that the legal challenge is intended to protect the business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana.

Emily Flower, a spokesperson for Montana's Attorney General, responded to the lawsuit, stating that they were prepared to defend the law and safeguard the privacy and security of Montanans.

However, legal and technology experts point out that enforcing such a ban presents significant challenges, considering the practicalities of the internet and the app's widespread usage.

Read Also: New York City Public Schools Reverses ChatGPT Ban, Recognizing Potential Benefits of AI in Education

Hurdles and Potential Ramifications

Despite Montana's attempt to ban TikTok, it remains uncertain whether the law will hold up in court. The legal challenge initiated by TikTok underscores the obstacles that Montana and other lawmakers may encounter when attempting to restrict the platform in the United States, according to CNN.

Last week, a group of TikTok creators also sued Montana, asserting that the ban infringes upon their First Amendment rights. With a population of just over one million, Montana initially banned TikTok on government devices in December.

However, the ban set to take effect in January 2024 goes further, making it illegal for app stores to offer TikTok but allowing existing users to continue using the platform. It remains to be seen how the court will navigate the complex intersection of constitutional rights, cybersecurity concerns, and state regulations.

As TikTok takes a stand against Montana's app ban, the legal battle ahead will shed light on the delicate balance between security and freedom of expression in the digital age.

The outcome of this lawsuit will not only impact TikTok but also establish precedents that could affect the regulation of other social media platforms in the United States.

Related Article: Abandoned 'Baby India' Case Sees Breakthrough, Mother Arrested Four Years Later
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Last week, leaders at the University of Virginia said they would continue their efforts to increase diversity at the school even though the results of two federal court cases may soon prohibit them from using traditional race-conscious admissions practices.

By this June, the highest court in the nation is expected to decide whether affirmative action, also known as race-conscious admissions policies, still has a place in American universities 50 years after it was established to regulate diversity on newly integrated campuses.

We will continue to do everything within our legal authority to recruit a student body that is both extraordinarily talented and richly diverse across every imaginable dimension, including race, UVa President Jim Ryan and Provost and Executive Vice President Ian Baucom wrote in a statement to the university community on May 15. Those efforts reflect our commitment to serve the Commonwealth and beyond by making a UVA education as accessible as possible for all, including historically underrepresented students.

In October 2022, the Supreme Court heard two cases from student organizations at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Both cases  Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard, and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina  argue that all colleges and universities should limit or eliminate race-conscious admissions practices.

The Jefferson Council, a conservative alumni association, says it would welcome the change to admission policies.

We believe the higher rate at which African-Americans drop out compared to other groups is an indication that they are more likely to struggle when admitted to UVa, James Bacon, Jefferson Council executive director, told The Daily Progress. One can argue whether that struggle stems from financial stress or academic preparedness, or both, but its a reality that must be acknowledged.

UVa does not use quotas for admissions by race or any other category or characteristic, but UVa spokesman Brian Coy said the university considers race as an admissions factor because race is often an important part of the life experience of our applicants and may be considered among many other dimensions of who they are.

Black students are not the demographic with the lowest one-year retention rates for first-year undergraduate students at UVa; Black students who entered UVa in the fall of 2021 maintained a 96% retention rate, according to the most recent university data available. It is international students that had the lowest retention rate, of 92%.

In the fall of 2019, Virginia Magazine, a quarterly run by UVa alumni, reported that, while UVa is test-optional, the average SAT score for the class of 2023 was 1409. That same year, the national average SAT score among high school students was 1059, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Black students made up 6.8% of the alumni class from that year, which included 3,971 students who joined the university in the fall of 2019.

Nothing is commendable about being the third best public university when this illusion of success is established in the reality of Black subjugation, a group that calls itself Black U.Va. wrote in a letter published on the student-run Cavalier Daily news site. The peak 12 percent Black enrollment rate has continued to decline since the 1990s. In order to reflect a representative body of the state of Virginia, the University should boast a Black student body of at least 20 percent. The disparate amount of Black students yielded into the University continues to compound the racial inequities that are foundational to this institution.

The Students for Fair Admissions are led by Edward Blum, a 70-year-old conservative legal strategist known for his activism against affirmative action based on race and ethnicity. Prior to the cases involving Harvard and UNC, Blum, who is not a lawyer, presented six other cases to the Supreme Court based on his belief that considering race and ethnicity is unconstitutional  even when it is to correct the inequities created by discrimination.

In 2016, Blum recruited Abigail Fisher, a white woman who was rejected by the University of Texas at Austin, to dispute the schools practice of factoring race into undergraduate admissions decisions. That same year, the high court ruled that the schools policy should stand in a 4-3 decision.

Blum co-founded Students for Fair Admissions with Fisher in 2014.

Now, with a six-justice conservative majority and the recent decision to strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion decision, the court has already proven its readiness to overturn decades of precedent.

If you are an in-state African-American applicant whose parent is an alumnus, your odds of getting accepted are roughly four times that of an out-of-state White applicant with no family connections, Bacon wrote in a blog post on the Jefferson Council website. The preference shown to in-state students is non-controversial. UVa is a legal entity of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and it is financially supported by state tax dollars to benefit the citizens of Virginia.

Bacon told The Daily Progress that fellow Jefferson Council member Walter Smith submitted Freedom of Information Act requests for UVa to provide an explanation of UVas admissions criteria and the inner workings of its race-conscious admissions policies, but said he has not heard back.

Smith did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Progress.

Once the opinion is made public, we will share more information about the Universitys response, Ryan and Baucom wrote. For now, we want to emphasize what we hope you already know: Every member of this community belongs and deserves to be here, and together you make this University the remarkable and vibrant community it is.
Artists concerned about others passing off AI-generated art as their own will now be able to breathe a bit easier: Microsoft has agreed to sign all AI art that its apps generate with a cryptographic watermark indicating it was made with an algorithm.

The Coalition for Content Provenance and Authority (C2PA) began work in 2021 to develop an open standard for indicating the origin of digital images, and whether they were authentic or AI-generated. The issue was thrust into the spotlight in March, when AI-generated images of the Pope in a stylish puffy jacket went viral, and AI-art generator Midjourney clamped down to prevent even more.

Microsoft, a founding member of the C2PA, will announce at its Microsoft Build developer conference this week that it will cryptographically sign AI-generated images from Bing Image Creator and Microsoft Designer.

Images made with Bing Image Creator already include a small b for the Bing logo in the bottom right-hand corner. Images generated by Microsoft Designers visual design tool do not, however. Now, Microsoft will sign images generated by both tools according to the C2PA standard, with the origin clearly disclosed in the images metadata.

One of the best available AI image generators, Adobe Firefly, already does this with a feature called Content Credentialsalthough its only supported within Adobes apps and doesnt carry over to the metadata thats visible in other apps such as Windows 11 Photos.

While images created with Adobe Fireflys AI art generator download with a small watermark in the lower left, their provenance as an AI image isnt preserved in the image metadata, yet. Mark Hachman / IDG

According to the C2PA specification, consumers will see a small indicator either hovering over or next to the generated image, in addition to the metadata.

Interestingly, Microsoft is saying that it will support major image and video formats in both tools. Microsoft only supports image creation in both Image Creator and Designer, though companies like Runway have already launched the ability to generate AI video in short clips.

The C2PA specification provides rules for informing readers which art is AI-generated, and which isnt, via icons or popups. C2PA

Establishing digital ownership of AI art

Who exactly creates AI artand thus who owns it, and who can profit off of ithas become a major concern in the creative world. Stock imagery giant Getty has sued Stable Diffusion in both the U.S. and the United Kingdom, arguing that AI art algorithms have no right to train themselves on copyrighted images. The U.S. Copyright Office has taken a middle ground, arguing that AI-generated art is not subject to copyright unless it can be proven that the original AI generation has been substantially modified by a person.

Microsoft is also addressing another angle: AI art as disinformation. At Build, Microsoft is also announcing Azure AI Content Safety, a service that will allow AI to either assist or replace content moderators. The AI assigns a content score to images scanned by the AI, and flags human moderators. The service will launch in June, for $1.50 per 1,000 scanned images, Microsoft said. Watermarking its own AI-generated content, and encouraging others to do so, will simplify the process.

The concern over AI content has become so critical that camera makers Leica and Nikon are building the C2PA standard directly into cameras to authenticate images as real, and not AI-generated, according to Adobe.
Facebook's owner, Meta, has been fined 1.2bn (1bn) for mishandling people's data when transferring it between Europe and the United States.



Issued by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC), it is the largest fine imposed under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation privacy law.



GDPR sets out rules companies must follow to transfer user data outside of the EU.



Meta says it will appeal against the "unjustified and unnecessary" ruling.



At the crux of this decision is the use of standard contractual clauses (SCCs) to move European Union data to the US.



These legal contracts, prepared by the European Commission, contain safeguards to ensure personal data continues to be protected when transferred outside Europe.



But there are concerns these data flows still expose Europeans to the US's weaker privacy laws - and US intelligence could access the data.



This decision does not affect Facebook in the UK. The Information Commissioner's Office told the BBC that the decision "does not apply in the UK" but said it had "noted the decision and will review the details in due course".



'Dangerous precedent'



Most large companies have complex webs of data transfers - which can include email addresses, phone numbers and financial information - to overseas recipients, many of which depend on SCCs.



And Meta says their broad use makes the fine unfair.



Facebook president Nick Clegg said: "We are therefore disappointed to have been singled out when using the same legal mechanism as thousands of other companies looking to provide services in Europe.



"This decision is flawed, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the EU and US."

Source: BBC









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A former Director-General of the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Wing Commander Andy Mensah (retd), has called on the government to introduce a national airline to boost the aviation sector.



The absence of a national airline, he said, had contributed to capital flight from the country, saying it was one of the main factors derailing the economy.



Aviation is an anchor to every nations economy.



We need an airline so that we keep all the investments in the country.



Without it, we will continue to experience capital flight since the foreign airlines will repatriate their earnings. It doesnt help in promoting businesses, he said.

Wg Cdr Mensah was speaking in Accra on May 16 during the 37th anniversary celebration of the GCAA.



The event, which was also to honour retired staff of the authority, was on the theme: 37 Years of Providing World Class Regulation and Air Navigation Services in the Aviation Industry.



Ghana Airlines

Wg Cdr Mensahs proposal is in line with a revelation by the Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, in March, this year that a new national airline would begin operation in June.



Ghana Airlines, as it will be called, is expected to fly to the UK and USA.



Mr Asiamah said the airline had satisfied all the requirements.



It is well grounded and all the requirements have been satisfied.



They are going to launch their logo; my information is that by the end of April or May, they will start selling their tickets.



And by June-July, you will see a national airline, Ghana Airlines, flying in the air, the Transport Minister stated.



The Director-General of the GCAA, Charles Kraikue, said for the past 37 years, the authority had provided world-class regulation and air navigation services within the aviation industry, connecting people and cultures from all world regions.



Due to International Civil Aviation Organisation compliance and industry best practice, he said, the GCAA had secured governments support for the passage in Parliament of an Air Navigation Services Agency Bill.



He noted that under the Bill, an air navigation services provider would be established to take over the provision of air navigation services within Accra, a role which is currently being performed by the GCAA, to pave the way for the authority to specifically focus on its regulatory mandate.



The GCAA Director-General said the GCAA was also constructing a new air navigation services complex that would deliver air traffic management services, communications, navigation and surveillance systems, and meteorological service for air navigation and aeronautical information management, among others.



Mr Kraikue stated that a new air traffic management system had been installed, while older equipment around the country, including those located in Sao Tome and Principe, had upgraded to improve service delivery.



He added that the authority would soon commence the construction of another ultra-modern air traffic control tower building as the current one had outlived its purpose.



Collaboration

The Managing Director of the Ghana Airport Company Limited (GACL), Pamela Djamson-Tettey, congratulated the board, management and staff of GCAA on their 37th anniversary celebration.



The GACL was decoupled from the GCAA in 2006 and commenced operations in 2007 with core staff who had been trained by the authority.



Following the decoupling there had been an excellent professional and industry collaboration between the two organisations, said the GACL Managing Director an effective collaboration between the regulator and the operator was a positive force in propelling the aviation industry in Ghana to greater heights.



She said such collaboration had led to the certification of the Kotoka International Airport and the commencement of certification processes for the other airports in the country.

Source: graphiconline.com









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The Ghana Immigration Service has promoted Assistant Immigration Control Officer ll (AICO ll), Nurideen Abdul-Ganiu Takra to the rank of AlCO I for his outstanding act of professionalism, bravery, valour and selflessness demonstrated to save the lives of two police officers and members of the public from being attacked by a mentally retarded person at Sefwi Wiawso, the Western North Regional Capital a couple of weeks ago.



The ceremony which was held at the Immigration National Headquarters in Accra was led by Comptroller General of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Lawyer Kwame Asuah Takyi.



His promotion comes after a UTV News and Peacefmonline.com publication of his swift intervention in saving the lives of two police officers who were under attack by a mentally retarded man near the Anglican Church at Sefwi Wiawso.



AlCO l Ganiu-Nuredeen, the officer stationed at Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North Region, received a commendation for his brave and swift intervention to save lives.



On behalf of the National Immigration Management Committee, Lawyer Kwame Asuah Takyi who promoted the brave officer, expressed his gratitude to the Western North Regional Police Command for recognizing and appreciating the effort of AICO I Takra during a visit to the Officer's post at Sefwi Wiawso.



Looking at the sensitive nature of the law enforcement work, particularly in protecting lives and property, the Comptroller General of the Immigration Service was of the view that AICO I Takra's promotion and awards were well deserved .



He thanked the hero on behalf of the GIS, all the security agencies and the General public as a whole and encouraged him to continue to serve selflessly and professionally.



Representative of the the IGP at the ceremony, Director General of the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD), Commissioner of Police (COP) Francis Ebenezer Doku expressed appreciation on behalf the entire police service to AICO I Takra for the brave and heroic act.



COP Doku called on other security agencies, especially the GIS and the Ghana police service to strengthen partnership and develop a better sense of solidarity since they shared a common goal of maintaining peace and order.



Speaking on behalf of the Interior Minister Ambrose Dery, Mr Dominic Afriyie Agyemang, the Director of the Immigration Unit at the Ministry of the Interior described the act of overcoming fear to save the lives of two police officers and the public as brave and praiseworthy.



He said AICO I Takra's intervention prevented a bloodbath that would have killed both the officers and the onlookers at the scene.



He described his intervention as a display of bravery, valour and selflessness towards the state.



Some top security person's who joined the GIS to honour AICO I Takra were the Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Mr. Julius A. Kunuor, the Director General of Prisons, Mr. Isaac Kofi Egyir, the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Madam Faustina Agyeiwaa, and a representative of the Commissioner of Customs, Assistant Commissioner Eric Bonney.



AICO I Takra I, who was honored and promoted was also awarded a plaque, certificate and a citation of his heroism.



The heroic officer in his appreciation of the honour done him, pledge his continues dedication to the core values of the GIS, which includes professionalism, integrity among others.



He express thanks to Allah for giving him the courage to save the day from bloodbath .

Source: Kwabena Dickson/ UTV Western Regional Correspondent









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Sudan's latest ceasefire now appears to be holding despite early breaches of the deal.



It is the first truce to have been formally agreed and signed by both sides, but there were reports of airstrikes and clashes in the capital, Khartoum, as it came into force on Monday evening.



In the cities of Omdurman and Bahri which adjoin the capital, people said they had heard gunfire.



The ceasefire will enable the delivery of badly needed humanitarian aid.



Hours before the latest truce was due to begin, the head of the paramilitary RSF, General Hamdan Dagalo, issued a belligerent statement urging his troops to defeat the national army and win the war.

Source: BBC









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A tech worker in England tried to sue her former boss after believing email abbreviations he used, such as xx and ???, were codes asking for a sexual relationship.



Karina Gasparova, an IT worker at paperless global trade management, filed a sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit against her boss Alexander Goulandris outlining alleged misbehavior dating back to 2019, according to a report by the Independent.



A judge threw the case out after an employment tribunal at London Central Court heard Gasparovas claims.



She claimed that Goulandris use of xx in emails to her were attempts to kiss her, yy was code for sexual contact and ??? was coded language inquiring when she would be ready to engage in a sexual relationship.



Gasparova, who represented herself in court, pointed to an email as evidence of her claims, arguing it showed Goulandris alleged desire to engage in sexual acts.



Can you please complete the following: The solution is currently used by xx Agris companies and yy Barge lines in corn cargoes in south-north flows in the ???? waterways, Goulandris wrote in the email to Gasparova, citing evidence that was heard in court.



Also, can you remind me of what the balance of the rollout will be and the approx. timing. Thanks.



The tribunal said the email was a genuine request for information and did not insinuate Goulandris wanted a sexual relationship.



Gasparova additionally claimed that when Goulandris changed a file name to his initials AJG, the acronym actually stood for A Jumbo Genital and that he touched her hand one day while reaching for a computer mouse. She also argued that Goulandris used an alluring voice to tell her to have a nice evening, and that he stared at her and allegedly touched her leg under a table during an incident in November 2019.



The tribunal ruled that the 2019 incident involving his hand and leg was innocuous and accidental.



The judge threw the case out and ruled Gasparova skewed perception of everyday events and demonstrated a tendency to make extraordinary allegations without evidence".



Gasparova told the tribunal that she told senior executives at the company that Goulandris treated her poorly because she rejected his advances.



Gasparova, who was hired at the company in 2019, filed a formal grievance letter in April 2021 against Goulandris over the alleged incidents. She resigned after the complaint was rejected, according to the outlet.



After the ruling, Gasparova was ordered to pay 5,000,, to the company to cover legal costs.













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Kerrville, TX (78028)

Today

Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 80F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially before midnight. Low 64F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has told party faithful that he will hand over power to a successor from his party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) when his tenure expires in January 2025.



The president is reported to have made the comments during the NPPs final rally ahead of the highly-anticipated by-election in the Kumawu Constituency of the Ashanti Region.



The pro-government Daily Guide led their May 22 edition with the banner headline Ill hand over power to NPP  Nana.



Akufo-Addo is by his comment suggesting that the NPP will win the 2024 election and by that break the 8  a terminology that the party has coined as it aims to win a historic third consecutive term in office under the current constitution.



The last time the president spoke about handing over, he expressed the wish to hand over to an NPP successor at a prayer and thanksgiving service at the National Mosque in Accra after the partys National Leadership elections.



In the recent past, agric minister Bryan Acheampong hogged news headlines when he claimed that the NPP was never going to hand over power to the NDC warning that the party will match the main opposition if they try any foolishness.



The Kumawu by-election



Voters will choose a replacement for their Member of Parliament, Philip Atta Basoah, who died on 27th March this year while still serving his 3rd consecutive term.



The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is represented by Ernest Yaw Anim, whiles Kwasi Amankwaa is the NDC candidate. There are two independent candidates with the name Kwaku Duah also in the race.







Source: ghanaweb.com









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Yaw Buaben Asamoa, former Member of Parliament for Adentan Constituency, has leveled allegations against President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, accusing him of being ungrateful towards Alan Kyerematen, a former Minister of Trade and Industry and a flagbearer hopeful for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).



Buaben Asamoa claims that Alan Kyerematen sacrificed his own presidential ambitions to support Akufo-Addo, with the understanding that Akufo-Addo would subsequently hand over the leadership of the party to him after his tenure.



Speaking in an interview with Wontumi TV on May 19, 2023, Buaben Asamoa revealed that during the 2007 and 2008 NPP primaries, which featured seventeen strong candidates, including twelve cabinet members, Alan Kyerematen emerged as the runner-up, with then-Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama placing third.



However, Alan Kyerematen selflessly sacrificed his opportunity to contest in a runoff against Akufo-Addo, expressing his support for Akufo-Addo's bid to promote unity within the party and enhance their chances of winning the general elections.



2007 and 2008, Alan really prepared and that particular primaries I am not sure we will witness its kind in Ghana ever again because it comprises seventeen strong candidates and about twelve of them were all cabinet members, there were a lot of big names who were contesting at that time.



So, after Kufuors tenure, what happened? People accused Kufour of supporting Alan and opposed him that they wont agree because they wanted Nana Addo, and Kufuor agreed. So, we went to Legon for the primaries and Alan became second among all the big men in the contest.



That time vice president Alhaji Aliu Mahama, may his soul rest in peace, was third and Alan was second, so they were supposed to go into a run-off but Alan sacrificed it for Akufo-Addo saying, my senior brother Nana Addo, I have given you the go-ahead. So, go and contest for the presidency so that the unity among us and the party will be stronger and for us to win the elections as well so I am sacrificing for you, he said.



Asamoa alleged that president Akufo-Addo is now supporting a different candidate to succeed him, going against the party's traditional practice of supporting the runner-up from the previous election.



In addition, Buaben Asamoa pointed out the irony of the situation, recalling that Akufo-Addo himself once criticized former President Kufour for allegedly supporting Alan Kyerematen instead of him during his own bid for the presidency in the 2007, and 2008 primaries.



But if you check now, his senior brothers (Akufo-Addo) time is up and he is about to leave, we have heard that he has mounted behind a different candidate to come and contest, and the party is saying that as tradition demands like we used to do in the olden days as we did for you president, and in your own words, you said after Alan sacrificed for you, he has done well, in his own words, so in future when you complete your tenure you will allow Alan to continue because it will be his time .and we left everything and supported you. But now that it is time for you to act according to the norms, the same thing that you complained about Kufour doing to you, today you are. he lamented.



Buaben Asamoa highlighted the promise Akufo-Addo made to Kyerematen, where he acknowledged the sacrifice and indicated that when his own tenure came to an end, he would support Kyerematen to lead the party. He then expressed disappointment that Akufo-Addo seemingly reneged on his promise, contrary to the norms and principles of the party.





Source: ghanaweb.com









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Kwaku Duah, a former District Chief Executive of Kumawu and independent candidate in the May 23 by-election in Kumawu has vowed to resist aligning himself to any side of the lawmaking chamber if he wins the seat.



As a former New Partriotic Party (NPP) member who broke away to contest as an independent in 2020 but lost to the late Philip Basoah, Kwaku Duah has rejected all overtures by the NPP to step down for the party's preferred candidate Ernest Anim.



In an interview with the media as reported by gbcghanaonline.com, the aspirant who is third on the ballot paper reiterated that he has rejected financial overtures to step down but that his belief in the youth is what spurs him on.



Asked about which caucus he will align with on issues if he wins, he said his caucus will be the national cause unlike the independent MP in the current parliament, MP for Fomena, who has chosen to work with the NPP, his mother party.



Kwaku Duah in parliament, no matter where my seat is doesnt matter to me. The issue at stake, the first question Ill ask is, how is it going to benefit mother Ghana so that my Constituency can also benefit from it and that is how Im going to cast my votes. So Kwaku Duah will look beyond colours and vote on issues, he is quoted to have said.



Voters will choose a replacement for their Member of Parliament, Philip Atta Basoah, who died on 27th March this year while still serving his 3rd consecutive term.



The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is represented by Ernest Yaw Anim, whiles Kwasi Amankwaa is the NDC candidate. There are two independent candidates with the name Kwaku Duah also in the race.



Kumawu has been a beehive of political activity in the last week with big wigs from the NDC and NPP holding rallies in the constituency to canvass for votes for the vacant seat.



The EC has issued a notice that it is ready for the vote on Tuesday.







Source: ghanaweb.com









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Former secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party, John Boadu has expressed optimism of the NPP's victory in the ongoing by-election at Kumawu.



According to him, the NDC has been down spirited after realising that they have lost the elections battle already. He said the victory is surely going to be a one-touch victory for the NPP.



"I know that even the NDC, they're aware that this is a no-go area for them and you can see their spirit is down already and all that. So it's not news at all. We only want to maximize our votes and bring back the Kumawu seat in our basket," he said.



Mr. John Boadu who stormed Kumawu to observe the electoral process in the various polling stations revealed that he was satisfied with the peaceful nature of the process.



He also expressed hope that the election was going to remain peaceful devoid of violence since Ghana was noted for such good records in our previous elections.



He, however, commended the police, the Electoral Commission and other stakeholders for organising such a wonderful election.



Commenting on the slow pace of the process, Mr. John Boadu disclosed that he was very optimistic that people were going to turn out in their numbers to cast votes.













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A Maryland man killed a coworker and injured another person in a Sunday shooting outside a York County home, court documents said.

Zachary T. Piccolo, 26, of Nottingham, Maryland, drove about 45 minutes to Shrewsbury Township to confront a co-worker at her home in York County. Its unclear exactly why he wanted to confront her, but text messages included in court documents show Piccolo asked her to send him $40.

In all, police say Piccolo sent 11 text messages on Sunday, starting at 4:43 p.m. Other text messages indicated possible jealousy and threats:
A Delaware County man has been sentenced for the murder of an ex-girlfriend and dismemberment of her corpse in an attempt to dispose of the body.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Nicholas Scurria, 33, of Clifton Heights pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, third-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and related crimes connected to the death of Deborah Sager, 58, in February of 2022.

Sager reportedly had few living relatives and relied on Scurria for support. According to prosecutors, Scurria attacked Sager after she insulted him.

Police were called after a neighbor reported hearing screaming, banging and sawing-like sounds, according to an affidavit. According to the same affidavit, upon their arrival, police were unable to enter the apartment, but saw through a window that Scurria was sitting beside a decapitated body, and was attempting to cut off a leg.

After forcing their way into the apartment, Scurria told police he had repeatedly punched Sager, knocked her unconscious, and then tried to use a machete to cut up her body and dispose of the evidence.

Scurria has been sentenced to between 35 and 70 years in state prison.
Shaurn Thomas was a millionaire, but prosecutors say he killed a man over a $1,200 drug debt.

Thomas was paid more than $4 million three years ago after spending 24 years behind bars for a murder conviction that was later overturned.

And yet, a witness said in court Monday, he fatally shot a man on a North Philadelphia street corner earlier this year over the comparatively paltry sum.

He said it was the principle, Ketra Veasy, accused of being Thomas getaway driver in the new crime, testified through tears on the witness stand. She said Thomas confessed to the killing as she drove them both back to her house afterward.

Thomas stands accused of killing of 38-year-old Akeem Edwards, who was fatally shot on the 3500 block of Germantown Avenue on Jan. 3. On Monday, Municipal Court Judge Wendy Pew held Thomas for trial on charges of first-degree murder and related crimes.

Prosecutors also added a new charge of witness intimidation, saying Thomas sought to have Veasy killed earlier this spring because he thought she may have spoken to authorities. Veasy pleaded guilty on Friday to counts including conspiracy and aggravated assault, prosecutors said.

The news of Thomas arrest earlier this spring  and its connections to Veasy  stunned many in the criminal justice system. His case was overturned just months before District Attorney Larry Krasner was sworn into office and dramatically expanded the offices focus on reviewing old convictions. And the settlement of his lawsuit came as prosecutors had begun helping to overturn dozens of other old cases, nearly all of them murders.

Many of the men who have whove been released from prison as a result have gone on to form friendships and stayed in touch with one another.

Veasy testified Monday that she met Thomas through that close-knit network: Both were connected to the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, which helped free Thomas, and which also supported Veasys brother Willie, whose murder case was overturned in 2019.

A few years before her brothers release, Veasy said, she and Thomas developed an on-again-off-again romantic relationship. Last fall, she said, when she and Thomas were seeing one another, she told him shed bought some bad weed from her friend, Edwards. According to Veasy, that caused Thomas to ask her if Edwards might agree to sell some cocaine on his behalf.

Late last year, Veasy said, Edwards and Thomas met to discuss the deal. She said Edwards took the drugs and told Thomas hed pay him $1,200 from the proceeds. But Edwards never paid, Veasy said, and Thomas grew impatient. He regularly asked her if shed seen Edwards, or whether shed heard him say anything about paying Thomas his money.

Then, on Jan. 3, Veasy said, Thomas came to her Delaware home and drove with her into Philadelphia, where she was heading to pick up a rent check. After stopping at her mothers old house to use the bathroom, Veasy said, Thomas said they should drive through the neighborhood looking for Edwards.

Thomas spotted him on Germantown Avenue, Veasy said, then asked her to park and he got out of the car. Veasy said she didnt know Thomas had a gun, and didnt want Edwards to be shot; shed been friends with him since she was 16, she said.

Video played at Mondays hearing showed a man in a hoodie and jeans walking up and down the block for a few minutes. The man, who prosecutors say is Thomas, can then be seen shooting Edwards while concealing his hands with a pizza box.

After the crime, Veasy said, Thomas came running back into her car and said: Hes hit, hes down, just drive, while moving to put his gun back in his waistband.

Veasy said she was scared, and did what he told me to do. She said as she drove back to Delaware with Thomas, he made a mysterious allusion to his past.

He said its his third homicide and he said he cant go back to jail, she said.

It was not clear from the testimony what other killings Thomas may have been referring to, but Veasy said she felt intimidated by him. She followed his advice and got rid of her car and her phone. She said Thomas repeatedly warned her not to tell anyone about the crime.

He said he knew where everybody lived, she said. Keep my mouth quiet or else.

In February, as detectives were investigating Thomas potential role in the killing, they searched his house in Chester County and arrested him after they found a stolen gun inside. He was released on bail.

Several weeks later, in March, Veasy was arrested and charged with murder. A few days after that, Thomas was charged in the killing as well.

Assistant District Attorney Cydney Pope said Monday that in between Thomas gun arrest in Chester County and Veasys apprehension for the killing, Thomas put a hit out on Veasy, suspecting she played a role in the raid on his house. He also later sent her letters in jail, Pope said, writing in one of them: You make it through this and you wont be alone.

Veasy said she took the messages as a threat.

Veasy choked up often on the stand Monday, and at one point said shed tried to tell Thomas she could have paid him if the $1,200 was so important to him. Still, she acknowledged that she continued seeing Thomas after the murder, and text messages displayed during the hearing showed them talking intimately the day before Veasy was arrested.

It was not immediately clear what might happen next in Veasys case; all of the court records connected to it were sealed Monday, and Pope said in court she had significant concerns about Veasys safety.

Thomas was jailed without bail to await trial. His attorney, Michael Wiseman, declined to comment after the hearing.

Edwards relatives, meanwhile, said they were grateful for the investigation that led to Thomas arrest.

Edwards daughter, Zynajah, said of her father: He was a great man.

Zynajahs mother, Sharondah King, said: Im just glad that we are able to get some justice.

Chris Palmer of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote this story.

(c)2023 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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In the excitement over the start of summer, many forget Memorial Day as a holiday that honors those who served to defend this country.

If youre in this Pennsylvania city, however, youre in the third best in the country to observe the core of the day.

SIXT  an international mobility provider sent out a study via press release that found The Top 10 Monumental Memorial Day Destinations in the U.S. Researchers analyzed the number of war memorials and veteran-owned businesses in each of the cities assessed to come to final rankings.

Philadelphia placed third overall, boasting a total of 12 war memorials total as well as 5,483 veteran-owned businesses.

Commemorate Memorial Day in the City of Brotherly Love  whether you want to visit museum exhibitions, or discover hidden gems across the city, reads the release. Visit the Tomb of the Unknown Solder in Washington Square or head to the All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors to pay your respects.

No trip to Philadelphia would be complete without taking a trip to the outdoor oasis on the Delaware River waterfront. Consisting of 12 war memorials and 5,483 veteran-owned businesses, head to this destination for the perfect backdrop for your Memorial Day.

Memorial Day can be recognized as the unofficial start of the summer period in the U.S., but it is also a federal holiday in the United States where many people visit cemeteries and memorials to honor and mourn those who died while serving their country, adds David Woody, Country Development and travel expert at SIXT.

The cities in first and second were Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va., respectively.
By Bill Lukitsch, The Kansas City Star (TNS)

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  The defense attorney representing Andrew Lester, the Kansas City resident charged in the shooting of 16-year-old Ralph Yarl on his doorstep in April, asked a Clay County judge to grant a protective order Monday as the 84-year-old continues to face harassment and fears for his well-being.

The attorney, Stephen Salmon, appeared in court on Lesters behalf to argue an earlier motion that case information should be sealed. He said there has been a firestorm of inaccurate information and mass speculation about Lester, saying his clients right to a fair trial could be compromised otherwise.

Lester did not appear in court Monday. Salmon said Lester has faced health concerns, including a substantial loss of weight  about 40 pounds  since he was charged by prosecutors with two felonies in April.

Salmon contends the news media and some politicians have distorted the facts of the case, casting Lester as racist without evidence. He noted prosecutors did not charge Lester with a crime alleging racial motivation in the shooting of Yarl.

The case has caught international attention in recent weeks as Yarl, who is Black, was shot in the head and arm while trying to pick up his younger siblings.

Andrew Lester, right, appears in court to answer charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 in Liberty, Missouri. (KMBC via AP, Pool, file)AP

The 16-year-old was shot twice outside Lesters home after mistakenly ringing his doorbell. He later told police he was shot immediately after Lester opened the door, and he overheard the 84-year-old say: Dont come around here.

During his interview with police, Lester accused Yarl of pulling his door handle  an account that is disputed by Yarl and his family  and said he shot him because he was scared to death of the tall, Black stranger at his door.

Activists, politicians and family of the 16-year-old have pointed to the case as one of ringing a doorbell while Black. It has sparked conversations about racism, both explicit and implicit, and gun rights in the U.S. Civil rights attorneys hired by Yarls family have, along with others, called for Lester to be charged with a hate crime.

Outlining his argument Monday, Salmon said the scant amount of public information has already led to widespread speculation about Lester that is incorrect. He noted celebrities and politicians, including President Joe Biden, have offered input on the shooting in the public space.

Because of the high level of attention, Salmon says Lester has been subjected to threats and intimidation.

Examples of that include Lester being forced to relocate three times out of safety concern, Salmon said, and Lesters wife needing to change nursing homes. His home was also defaced with graffiti.

Meanwhile, Clay County Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said in court that the public should be given an explanation of any decision to limit the amount of information disclosed. Prosecutors have not objected outright to a protective order, though Thompson said Monday: Justice should not only be done but be shown to be done.

Should the court decide to seal the case, Thompson requested a court order that outlines the reasoning behind the decision.

Clay County Judge Louis Angles, who is overseeing the criminal case, did not issue a ruling on the matter Monday. He said he would consider the arguments, along with four exhibits submitted by the defense, before reaching a decision.
By FILIPE BENTO, The Associated Press

ARADE DAM, Portugal (AP)  Portuguese police aided by German and British colleagues on Tuesday resumed their search for Madeleine McCann, the British child who disappeared in the countrys southern Algarve region 16 years ago.

Between 20 and 30 officers, some in uniform, could be seen in the area by the Arade dam, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Praia da Luz, where the 3-year-old was last seen alive in 2007.

Portuguese police had set up a blue base tent and cordoned off the area to the media and public. Eyewitnesses said police began searching shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday in an area some kilometers (miles) away from the tent. More than a dozen cars and police vans could be seen arriving in the area.

On Monday, Portuguese detectives issued a statement saying the search was being resumed at the request of German authorities and with help from British officials.

German prosecutors in Braunschweig said in a written statement Tuesday that criminal procedural measures are currently taking place in Portugal as part of the investigation into the Madeleine McCann case.

They added that the measures are being implemented by way of mutual legal assistance by the Portuguese prosecution authorities with the support of officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office.

More detailed information on the background is not being released at this time for investigative tactical reasons, the statement said.

In mid-2020, German officials said a 45-year-old German citizen, identified by media as Christian Brueckner, who was in the Algarve in 2007, was a suspect in the case. Brueckner has denied any involvement.

Brueckner is serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for a rape he committed in Portugal in 2005.

Madeleine McCann was 3 when she disappeared during a family vacation in southern Portugal in May 2007. (AP Photo/File)

He is under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasnt been charged. He spent many years in Portugal, including in Praia da Luz, around the time of Madeleines disappearance.

The case stirred worldwide interest for several years, with reports of sightings of her stretching as far away as Australia, along with a slew of books and television documentaries about the case.

Rewards for finding Madeleine, who would be 20, reached several million dollars.

British, Portuguese and German police are still piecing together what happened on the night when the toddler disappeared from her bed in the southern Portuguese resort on May 3, 2007. She was in the same room as her twin brother and sister, who were 2 at the time, while her parents had dinner with friends at a nearby restaurant.
Hospitals and medical offices across central Pennsylvania increasingly are mirroring major medical institutions nationwide that are rolling back most mask requirements, except in settings where there are vulnerable patients.

The neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in almost all hospitals, for instance, still require masking, as do organ transplant wards and intensive care units at almost all hospitals.
The family of a Pennsylvania man who went missing during a fishing trip nearly a week ago is asking for the publics help in finding him.

Shane Phillips, 65, reportedly went missing after fishing at Wisecarver Reservoir in Greene County last week.

According to WPXI 11, Phillips wife went to the reservoir when night fell and found his red F-15o parked at the landing. The report said all of his belongings, including his wallet, were found there, and his yellow kayak was found in the water.

But thus far, the family said, state police searches have come up empty.

Its disheartening, his daughter, Rebecca Phillips said. I cant thank those who searched enough, from the bottom of our hearts, anyone that has through of us or even brought out their boats, we know the guys that were searching personally.

Per WPXI 11, no other official searches are planned, so the family is organizing its own.

Rebecca Phillips told the station they are not ruling anything out.

We are just pleading with the community, if you saw something that you may not have thought was important at the time, please let us know and contact local troopers, she said. We just want to find my dad.

If anyone believes they have information, WPXI said they are asked to contact state police at 724-627-6151.
A major New York City hospital ignored a star physicians rampant sexual abuse of patients, turning a blind eye to what he was doing to them behind closed exam-doom doors because his thriving pain practice was generating so much money, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.

Officials at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in Manhattan knew Dr. Ricardo Cruciani was a serial abuser but failed to report him to law enforcement or licensing authorities for more than a decade, nor did they warn future employers about the threat he posed, 19 former patients allege in court documents.

By pursuing this lawsuit, these brave survivors seek accountability for the devastation that they and others have suffered and continue to endure, said John Pumphrey, an attorney for the plaintiffs.

Mount Sinai Beth Israel had no immediate comment on the allegations. The 799-bed teaching hospital, on Manhattans Lower East Side, employed Cruciani between 2001 and 2014.

The pain doctor killed himself at New Yorks notorious Rikers Island jail complex last August after a jury convicted him of 12 criminal counts, including rape. All six women who testified against Cruciani at his criminal trial are plaintiffs in the civil suit brought against the hospital, its parent health system and Crucianis estate.

The claim was filed under New Yorks Adult Survivors Act, a recent state law that opened a one-year window for adult survivors to sue over sexual abuse that took place years or even decades ago.

Cruciani was a renowned, Ivy League-trained neurologist who specialized in rare, debilitating syndromes. He exploited patients who were desperate for relief from chronic pain, overprescribing powerful painkillers to control his patients, facilitate his sexual assaults, and trap them, the suit said.

The abuse was an open secret among Crucianis colleagues, the suit said, with a nurse practitioner once telling a patient that Cruciani can get very handsy, so watch yourself, and Crucianis direct supervisor admitting the neurologist had an impulse control problem and couldnt control himself. A nurse even walked in on Cruciani while he was exposing himself to a patient but did not report it, the lawsuit said.

Over the years, at least 13 patients reported Crucianis misconduct to various staff members and officials at the hospital, but the hospital concealed and covered up multiple complaints about Crucianis misconduct within its organization to continue to reap substantial revenue from Crucianis patients and their insurers, the suit said.

Tanisha Johnson, one of the plaintiffs, said in a statement released by her lawyer that the hospital did nothing to protect us, help us or even acknowledge us.

Crucianis misconduct first came to the publics attention in 2017, in Philadelphia, where he was chief neurologist at Drexel Universitys medical school and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor groping counts involving seven patients.

At the time of his death, Cruciani had also been scheduled to go on trial on federal charges that he attacked patients at offices in New York, Philadelphia and Hopewell Township, New Jersey. He also was facing state charges in New Jersey.

The hospitals that employed Cruciani have as much blood on their hands as he did, said Hillary Tullin, another plaintiff and former patient of Cruciani.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are survivors of sexual assault unless they grant permission, which Tullin and Johnson have done.

Michael Rubinkam of The Associated Press wrote this story.

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Two Pennsylvania school officials are facing violations by the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission after they used their district positions to help each others children find jobs, according to news sources.

In a unanimous vote Monday, the Moon Area School District board in Allegheny County censured member Mark Scappe and condemned his actions for violating state ethics.

What he did was very deliberate, school board member James Bogatay said to KDKA. What he did was very calculated. What he did was meant to benefit his family and no one else.

Scappe and Blackhawk School District Superintendent Robert Postupac agreed to help each others children get hired in the districts they represent, according to reports from the Post-Gazette and KDKA.

In this tradeoff, Postupacs daughter got a job as a full-time elementary school teacher at Moon, while Scappes son received a full-time job as a gym teacher at Blackhawk.

The report says the Blackhawk School District posted a physical education/health teacher position at Highland Middle School, and Scappes son applied for the job. He didnt make it past the first round of interviews, but Postupac intervened and made sure he got the job.

Also, the report shows that Scappe ordered Moon Acting Superintendent Dr. Donna Milanovich to hire Postupacs daughter for a full-time teaching job that didnt exist. Even though Milanovich had someone else in mind for a position, she felt she had no choice but to find a job for the daughter.

As a result, she was soon hired as a permanent teacher at McCormick Elementary School, according to reports.

Interestingly enough, Postupacs directive to hire Scappes son happened one day after he ordered the hiring of Postupacs daughter.

Both admitted to trading jobs, and the duo was found guilty of violating ethics laws and ordered to pay a $750 fine, according to reports.

In addition to ethics charges, Scappe is accused of filing deficient Statements of Financial Interest. He told the board he decided not to fight charges due to large legal bills, KDKA reported.

I made the decision to end the matter in the interest of my family, the district, and many people that would have been called to testify, he said.

Read more via KDKA and the Post-Gazette.

Read More:
Two bills out of a package of four regarding gun reform passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday with all but one of the chambers Democrats  as well as a smattering of Republicans  in support.

A third bill in the package was voted down on its final consideration by a one-vote margin, and the fourth measure, although it was included on the House calendar, ultimately was not brought up.

One of the two bills passed Monday would require background checks for all gun sales  including the sale of long guns between parties who are not licensed dealers, where background checks are currently not mandated.

The second bill that cleared the House would establish extreme risk protection orders or ERPOs, often called red flag laws, which allow judges to order the temporary confiscation of a persons firearms if they are found to be a danger to themselves or others.

Democrats have a single-vote majority in the House. The background check bill saw nine Republicans vote in favor; the ERPO bill garnered two.

A third bill in the package  which would have mandated gun owners to report lost or stolen firearms within 72 hours of discovering the gun missing  was also called to vote Monday, but failed on a 100-101 vote.

A spokesperson for Majority Leader Matt Bradford, D-Montgomery, said Monday that a motion to reconsider the bill was expected.

Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria, was the only Democrat to vote against the three bills. Burns told PennLive Monday evening that he voted with his district, which is closely-divided politically.

The fourth bill in the package, which would require firearms to be kept locked when not in use, was added to the House calendar Monday but not called up.

I fundamentally believe that if an ERPO existed on Feb. 2, 2003, my dad could still be alive today, said Rep. Jennifer OMara, D-Delaware, the prime sponsor of the reg flag bill, speaking about her own fathers gun suicide.

In committee sessions on the bills earlier this year, Democrats have pointed to the success of red flag laws elsewhere; 19 states currently have such measures, according to tracking by Everytown for Gun Safety.

Studies from two of the states with the oldest ERPO laws, Indiana and Connecticut, suggest they had an impact in reducing suicides  although the laws are sometimes used so sparingly that robust data is limited. The federal Bipartisan Safer Communities Act provides incentives for states to implement such laws, Bradford noted Monday.

Pennsylvanias lack of universal background checks is an absurd loophole, Bradford said during floor remarks Monday. Advocates have pointed to cases of mass shooters using such legal gaps to buy guns after they failed a background check, with a recent example being the St. Louis school shooter this past October.

Republicans objected that the risk factors that judges are to use when determining whether or not to issue an ERPO are vague, and could be misused  even though a Republican amendment to the bill earlier this month, passed with some Democratic support, added stiffer penalties for the reckless filing of ERPO petitions.

The law would be an aberration of our judicial system, said Rep. David Rowe, R-Snyder, in requiring those who would be subject to an ERPO to defend themselves against ambiguous risk factors such as a recent attempt to purchase a gun.

Many Republicans also voiced concerns over the constitutionality of the bills discussed Monday, often citing a broad interpretation of the U.S. Supreme Courts decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which found that New Yorks gun permitting law lacked historical precedent.

If you have conduct that was occurring 200 years ago and you didnt regulate it then, you cannot regulate it now, said Rep. Tim Bonner, R-Mercer, describing the Bruen decision.

Gov. Josh Shapiro praised the passage of the two bills in a Twitter post Monday evening, saying Im ready to sign them and make our communities safer.

The bills fate in the Republican-controlled Senate is less certain. In a written statement Monday, Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman, R-Indiana, said that advancing measures to increase safety and security is of chief importance to his caucus, including support for law enforcement, school safety initiatives, and mental and behavioral health support.

Pennsylvania currently has robust laws in place pertaining to guns, which must be enforced in every corner of our commonwealth, Pittman concluded.

Mondays votes mark the furthest that gun legislation has gotten in Harrisburg since 2018, when the state passed a law requiring the surrender of guns in certain domestic violence cases.

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A Pennsylvania surfer who survived a shark bite in Stone Harbor, New Jersey, over the weekend down is now telling her story.

Maggie Drozdowski, the 15-year-old who was hospitalized Sunday after finding off a shark attack while surfing along the Jersey Shore, said it was a scary experience for her, according to reports from 6ABC and CBS News.

I was in shock and I didnt even realize what was going on until I was out of the water. But it scared me. I screamed under the water. It was scary, Drozdowski said to CBS News.

It all began when Drozdowski was with her family and a friend, Sarah ODonnell, for a planned weekend of surfing.

We were about 50 feet in. I couldnt touch the ground, Drozdowski said to 6ABC.

Drozdowski, ODonnell, and ODonnells younger brother were in the ocean, and Drozdowski was halfway off of her surfboard with her body in the water when something brushed against her leg. According to Drozdowski, she lost her board and thats when the shark grabbed her foot and pulled her underwater.

It was at that moment Drozdowski fought for her life.

I thought it was just a crab pinching my foot, but it felt bigger than that. My whole foot was in its mouth. I was shaking my foot as hard as I could. It was hard. It was like really heavy, Drozdowski said to 6ABC.

But after a couple of seconds, it let go.

Drozdowski then came up and began screaming, claiming that something bit her. ODonnell witnessed the whole thing unfold and told Drozdowski to paddle away. Drozdowski then climbed onto her board and headed back to shore.

When Drozdowski tried to walk on land, the realization set in that something was wrong.

I immediately felt the pain in my foot. I looked at the back of my leg and there was a big chunk of skin missing from the back of my leg! she said to 6ABC.

A 911 call was made as Drozdowski was bleeding pretty badly after the incident.

It was hard and I didnt catch one wave on my way out either. It took me three or four minutes to fully get out of the water, and then I had to limp with the board in my hand all the way up across the sand to the beach to get across to her family, Drozdowski said to CBS News.

As previously reported, Drozdowski was transported to the hospital where she received six stitches in her foot and leg. Though she didnt see the shark that bit her, marine wildlife experts have said her injuries are consistent with a shark bite.

According to Stephen Nagiewicz, an adjunct professor of Marine Science from Stockton University, Drozdowski did the right thing by shaking off the shark.

It could have gotten much worse. I mean, a shark bites something to eat then it will use its head and jaws to shake it, so it could break a piece free. So yes, by kicking and screaming and moving she saved her own life, Nagiewicz said to CBS News.

Read more via CBS News and 6ABC.

Read More:
Officials have identified a body that had been found in the woods near an off-ramp of I-80 earlier this month.

A construction worker originally discovered the body on May 2, while he was traveling along Hoopup Road, near an off-ramp to I-80 westbound in Clearfield County.

On Tuesday the Pennsylvania State Police Crime Unit said they were able to identify the Jane Doe as Ivana Meandzija from Utah according to reports from WTAJ and WJAC.

Meandzijas death is still under investigation. State police in Clearfield County are asking anyone who might have driven through that area between April 29 and May 2 to call them at 814-857-3800.
Colorados state mental health hospital has forcibly given the man suspected of killing 10 people in Boulders King Soopers massacre two years ago antipsychotic medications, and his treatment to restore his mental fitness for trial appears to have progressed as a result, a new court filing indicates.

The revelation comes after prosecutors questioned for months whether the suspect has purposely refused to participate in treatment.

State doctors conducted four neuropsychological exams on him since April, according to a May 16 filing, which came after a battle between prosecutors and the suspects defense attorneys over whether such an exam would actually help parse his mental fitness for trial. A two-and-a-half day hearing on the accused shooters mental competence originally set to start Tuesday this week has been tentatively rescheduled for late August based on new information from his evaluations and treatment.

The most recent reports from (Colorado Mental Health Institute of Pueblo) indicate CMHIP has utilized injections to administer Defendants antipsychotic medication and confirmed the levels of that medication through blood work.  A review of the records pertaining to the treatment sessions indicates a level of engagement by defendant previously unseen, prosecutors wrote in last weeks motion to reschedule the hearing. The suspect began involuntary medication and individual restoration therapy in March, and has attended every session offered.

Ahmad Alissa, now 24, is accused of killing 10 people on March 22, 2021, in the King Soopers on Table Mesa Drive on Boulders south side. He faces 115 charges and sentence enhancers, including 10 charges of first-degree murder, 47 counts of attempted murder, one count of first-degree assault, 10 counts related to possessing banned high-capacity magazines and 47 sentence enhancers.

Judge Ingrid Bakke declared Alissa mentally unfit for trial in 2021 based on the opinions of several experts. To be considered competent for trial, an accused person must have a rational understanding of the case against them and the ability to participate in their own defense. Alissa has undergone mental health treatment from experts at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo intended to restore his competence since the evaluations.

Revelations in last weeks filing about his mental health treatment mark a seeming about-face to indications by prosecutors his progress had stagnated. Prosecutors, led by Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty, have suggested in past court documents they doubt the alleged shooters refusal participate in mental health treatment intended to restore his competence to face trial is a manifestation of his mental illness.

They asked Bakke for a neuropsychological evaluation early in February, citing a need to determine whether the accused shooter has actively chosen not to participate in treatment. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, antisocial personality disorder and depressive disorder, court filings have revealed.

The prosecutors previously wrote in their request for a competence hearing that negative symptoms of schizophrenia are also associated with depression and other antisocial disorders. They pointed to factors such as his refusals of meals and medication and to meet with a behavioral health nurse one-on-one as evidence that he has consciously chosen not to participate in treatment.

Alissas defense attorneys originally objected to prosecutors request for a hearing on his competence, calling it an attempt to relitigate its dissatisfaction with CMHIPs restoration efforts. They wrote prosecutors havent made any claims Alissa is actually competent, and believe prosecutors have not shown what evidence they have that he is competent.

Bakke granted the request for a hearing over the objections of his defense attorneys. A new hearing date has not yet been confirmed, but Bakke asked the two sides to choose dates during the week of Aug. 21 or 28, she wrote in an order last Wednesday.
BIKE CHECK

Lal Bikes'

Nicolai Nucleon

16 Supre

Words & Photos by Brian Park The first Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre in North America.





Lal Bikes' Supre Drive, developed by Cedric, made a huge splash when it was



A year and a half later though, it's almost available for purchase. Germany's Nicolai Bicycles, known for their love of unconventional drivetrains, is the first company to bring a Supre-equipped bike to the market with the Nucleon 16 Supre. Read

A few weeks back I stopped in at Lal Bikes' new headquarters on the Sunshine Coast, BC, to catch up with Cedric Eveleigh and shoot photos of this, the only Nicolai Nucleon 16 in North America (so far). Cedric recently went to Germany to drop off drivetrain parts and pick up this pre-production frame Nucleon 16 frame to serve as a test sled. Since then, a few final tweaks have been made, such as adding a port in the dropout for routing the derailleur housing, and Nicolai is building production frames right now.Lal Bikes' Supre Drive, developed by Cedric, made a huge splash when it was announced in late 2021 . The drivetrain system separates the gear-selection and chain-tensioning components, keeping the derailleur out of harm's way and protecting it from rocks, sticks, or in my case, poor line choice. It is designed for high-pivot bike frames and requires the frame to be built specifically to accommodate the drivetrain's requirements, so despite how promising the design is, it's got a difficult path to mass adoption.A year and a half later though, it's almost available for purchase. Germany's Nicolai Bicycles, known for their love of unconventional drivetrains, is the first company to bring a Supre-equipped bike to the market with the Nucleon 16 Supre. Read Seb Stott's coverage of the Nucleon for a deep dive into its geometry and kinematics. Alex (left) joined Cedric (right) at Lal in early 2023.

Cedric Eveleigh

Age: 28

Hometown: Chelsea, Quebec, Canada

Height: 183 cm

Weight: 74 kg

Instagram: @cedriceveleigh



Alex Ham

Age: 29

Hometown: Stellenbosch, South Africa

Height: 186 cm

Weight: 72 kg

Instagram: @alex_ham_

28Chelsea, Quebec, Canada183 cm74 kg29Stellenbosch, South Africa186 cm72 kg

Nicolai used this bike as the guinea pig for a new green/purple paint and it looks amazing. Apologies for not being able to fully capture it in photos.

The 2002 Nicolai Nucleon ST (left) and the 2023 Nicolai Nucleon 16 (right). Back during Nicolai's "wild monster bikes" phase they had a bike called the Nucleon with a gearbox and high pivot suspension. Nice to see it resurrected and evolved.

Simpler than it looks.

The pedal kickback is actually lower than many non-high-pivot bikes, even though the anti-squat is really high. Basically, it achieves a level of pedalling efficiency that suspension engineers wish they could achieve, but can't when their design doesn't have an idler pulley. The Kavenz guys also figured this out that it's nice to have really high anti squat and you can do that with an idler without creating excessive pedal kickback.



It's got nice suspension progression for handling big hits, the suspension stays supple when braking (compared to other single pivot bikes), and the weight is nicely centralized. It's very quiet in terms of chain slap and it pedals very well, both in terms of not bobbing and in terms of drivetrain efficiency. Overall, it's a fun, versatile bike that can be pedalled and still go fast on the downs.  Cedric Eveleigh, Lal Bikes

Made by Nicolai in Germany.

This suspension system is single pivot with the shock driven by a linkage at the bottom. The upper shock mount is fixed. Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre Details



Frame: Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre, 170mm travel, mullet mode

Fork: RockShox Zeb Ultimate, 170mm travel

Shock: Fox Float X Factory, 165x60mm

Derailleur: Lal Supre

Chain tensioner: Lal Supre

Idler pulley: Lal Supre

Cassette: Shimano XT, 12-speed, 10-51t

Chain: Shimano, half XT and half XTR (comparing their durability)

Shifter: Shimano XTR, 12-speed

Shift housing: Jagwire LEX-SL

Shift cable: Jagwire Ultra-Slick

Cranks: Raceface Era, 165mm (but we will try 160mm shortly)

Chainring: NS Billet Cinch HG12, 30t

Bottom bracket: Wheels Manufacturing T47, 30mm

Pedals: Time Speciale 12

Headset: Acros, integrated cable routing

Dropper post and remote: OneUp V2

Seat: ISM PM 2.0

Seatpost collar: frame-integrated

Hubs: Onyx Vesper, centerlock, superboost rear

Spokes: Sapim Race

Nipples: Sapim Polyax Aluminum

Rims: We Are One Triad Convergence, 32h, 29 front, 27.5 rear

Front tire: Schwalbe Magic Mary, Super Trail, Soft, 62-622 (29x2.40in)

Rear tire: Schwalbe Hans Dampf, Super Trail, Soft, 60-584 (27.5x2.35in)

Tire inserts: Cushcore Pro

Handlebar and stem: We Are One Da Package

Grips: Wolf Tooth Karv

Fender: Mudhugger Shorty Evo

Bash guard: frame-integrated + OneUp Bash Plate

Brakes: SRAM Code RSC

Rotors: SRAM HS2, centerlock, 220mm front and rear

Weight: 17.7 kg / 39 lb (without pedals and with Cushcore Pro front and rear)



More info:

Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre, 170mm travel, mullet modeRockShox Zeb Ultimate, 170mm travelFox Float X Factory, 165x60mmLal SupreLal SupreLal SupreShimano XT, 12-speed, 10-51tShimano, half XT and half XTR (comparing their durability)Shimano XTR, 12-speedJagwire LEX-SLJagwire Ultra-SlickRaceface Era, 165mm (but we will try 160mm shortly)NS Billet Cinch HG12, 30tWheels Manufacturing T47, 30mmTime Speciale 12Acros, integrated cable routingOneUp V2ISM PM 2.0frame-integratedOnyx Vesper, centerlock, superboost rearSapim RaceSapim Polyax AluminumWe Are One Triad Convergence, 32h, 29 front, 27.5 rearSchwalbe Magic Mary, Super Trail, Soft, 62-622 (29x2.40in)Schwalbe Hans Dampf, Super Trail, Soft, 60-584 (27.5x2.35in)Cushcore ProWe Are One Da PackageWolf Tooth KarvMudhugger Shorty Evoframe-integrated + OneUp Bash PlateSRAM Code RSCSRAM HS2, centerlock, 220mm front and rear17.7 kg / 39 lb (without pedals and with Cushcore Pro front and rear) lalbikes.com and nicolai-bicycles.com

Lal makes big claims about their system being incredibly strong, and providing the ground clearance of a gearbox bike with less drag and weight.





With the help of Alex Ham, who joined me at the beginning of 2023, we made improvements to the drivetrain, including a refined hydraulic damper in the chain tensioner (analogous to the sliding friction clutch in derailleurs, but better), and a derailleur with composite parts that we 3D print on the Sunshine Coast and aluminum links that NS Billet machines in Whistler. We're proud to make the Supre Drive in Canada. We're currently working on a production batch of Supre Drive parts, and we're excited for more people to start riding the Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre. I first showed the Supre Drive in November 2021 with a frame that I built and with an 11-speed version. I have since developed a 12-speed version (10-51t) on a hardtail bike that Mike Levy test rode at Crankworx Whistler 2022 With the help of Alex Ham, who joined me at the beginning of 2023, we made improvements to the drivetrain, including a refined hydraulic damper in the chain tensioner (analogous to the sliding friction clutch in derailleurs, but better), and a derailleur with composite parts that we 3D print on the Sunshine Coast and aluminum links that NS Billet machines in Whistler. We're proud to make the Supre Drive in Canada. We're currently working on a production batch of Supre Drive parts, and we're excited for more people to start riding the Nicolai Nucleon 16 Supre.  Cedric Eveleigh, Lal Bikes

The unassuming Supre "derailleur" tucked up into the frame, made by Lal on the Sunshine Coast. They're testing out a water bottle mounting plate that's gone through some improvements since this. I'll probably never get on board with the Chris-Porter-inspired idea that frames shouldn't have bottle cage mounts.

I'm assuming Nicolai did this just to liven up the comment section. The ISM PM 2.0... works for him.

About the seat, since you probably asked: the way I see it our pipes down there run along the middle, and it's best not to squish them. This seat puts pressure on bones even when I'm leaning forward on steep uphills. I ride without a chamois and wouldn't do that with a regular seat. ISM does a lot of triathlon stuff, but this is their mountain bike model, the PM 2.0.



Some people say I need this seat for the big balls it takes to challenge the industry, but it can be done with normal sized balls when there's awesome support in the community like we've been getting from people who want a better drivetrain.  Cedric Eveleigh, Lal Bikes

The aluminum derailleur links are machined by NS Billet in Whistler.

The dropouts can be swapped out for a different rear-center. More Made-in-Canada stuff with We Are One's Triad Convergence rims.

In April 2022, Cedric moved to the Sunshine Coast and set up a space for Lal HQ.

A Harrison lathe, made in 1964. Cedric's added a digital readout.

The base and knuckle parts of the Supre Drive are printed from carbon-filled nylon. Getting the part off the support structure used to be a wrestling match, but now a different material is printed at the interface between the support and the part, so that the part comes off easily.

A growing Bambu farm. Good boy Dante looking (momentarily) elegant.

There are a few workstations in the loft. Cedric has the well-deserved 2021 Pinkbike Innovation of the Year award on his desk.

Hung up near the mechanic's area is the first bike frame Cedric ever built, with the first prototype Supre Drive on it. This gives an idea of the chainline of a downhill version of the Supre Drive. He currently doesn't have the bandwidth for a DH version but would be open to licensing the tech if others want to give it a shot.

Lal HQ is moments away from some great trails.

Cedric stressed that many of the parts, like a Zeb Ultimate and Raceface Era cranks were chosen simply because he feels they're great parts, but others had more specific purposes on the build. They want this bike to be easily tested by others so they opted for an air shock, as well as the easily-reversible SRAM brake levers. The lightweight Schwalbe SuperTrail casings were chosen for quicker rolling, but paired with Cushcores for durability and ride feel. They paired Made-in-Canada We Are One rims with Onyx hubs, partly because of the low vibration sprag clutch in the hub. The quiet hub really highlights how quiet the Supre Drive system is, and was apparently useful for testing things like different seatstay protectors. The hub is quite heavy though, so they're curious to try the new Tairin silent hubs as well.A note on the weight: the frame has no published weight, so you know it isn't light. BUT, the 39lb figure probably isn't representative of this bike's trail weight either. Using lighter but still sensible components it shouldn't be too hard to lose ~900g (2lb) off this thing, getting it slightly more reasonable. Nicolai also previously stated that the production version of this frame would be losing some weight.Alex and Cedric were kind enough to show me around their shop. They've got a bunch of 3D printers working away, CNC machines, a lathe, a bike mechanic's area, a design area with workstations, and a well organized assembly area. It's a far cry from the fancy offices and prototype shops of some brands, but it's functional and everything they need to turn ideas into reality.They've got a huge hill to climb, but I'm a big fan of what Lal is trying to do and looking forward to seeing their progress. And yes, before you ask, we have a long-term test Nucleon in the works.Thoughts? Is their system viable for mass adoption? Are the frame-side requirements too big a hurdle? Is the Nucleon's 39lb weight too much to swallow? Is a private military contractor's Predator drone on the way to the Sunshine Coast as we speak?
Spencer McKee is OutThere Colorado's Director of Content and Operations. In his spare time, Spencer loves to hike, rock climb, and trail run. He's on a mission to summit all 58 of Colorado's fourteeners and has already climbed more than half.
Eric Althaus Promoted to General Manager of Rivers Philadelphia

May 23, 2023 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S.

Last week, PokerNews own Jesse Fullen and Matt Hansen traveled from Las Vegas to the other side of the country for our weeklong East Coast Road Trip. While there, they visited Rivers Philadelphia, formerly known as Sugar House Casino.

Their 28-table enclosed poker room in Pennsylvania hosted the $1,100 buy-in, $200K GTD Ultra Rush Event this past weekend, a tournament that attracted 622 entrants and awarded $51,000 to the winner. The successful poker event came on the heels of an organizational change at the property.

Eric Althaus Promoted to General Manager

Earlier this month, Rush Street Gaming announced today that casino industry veteran Eric Althaus was promoted from assistant general manager to general manager at Rivers Casino Philadelphia.

Prior to being named assistant general manager in 2022, Althaus served as vice president of gaming at Rivers Casino Philadelphia, overseeing all gaming operations, including the recent first-in-Philly launch of Pulse Arena.

Eric Althaus

"Erics leadership and familiarity with Rivers Casino Philadelphia will allow for a seamless transition and continuity with key initiatives," said Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming. "Our entire Rivers Casino Philly team has been doing a terrific job. Were looking forward to the upcoming unveiling of the much-anticipated Martoranos Prime, along with other exciting projects in 2023."

Before coming to Rivers Philly, Althaus was President and General Manager of Mardi Gras Casino & Resort in West Virginia; and earlier served as Vice President General Manager of Gun Lake Casino in Michigan. He began his casino career as a table games dealer and supervisor at several Midwestern casinos.

"We have amazing talent here in Philly, and were continuing the strong forward momentum weve gained over the past year," said Althaus. "Our success is the direct result of the teams hard work and dedication."

Check out highlights from the East Coast Road Trip here!

About Rush Street Gaming

Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates have developed and operate Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Des Plaines, Illinois (Chicago area); Schenectady, New York; and Portsmouth, Virginia. By emphasizing superior design and outstanding customer service, Rush Street Gaming has become one of the leading casino developers in the United States.

Rush Streets casinos employ approximately 5,000 Team Members, generating more than $1.5 billion in annual gaming revenue. All Rush Street Gaming casinos have been voted a "Best Place to Work" or "Top Workplace" by their Team Members. For more information, visit RushStreetGaming.com.

Sharelines Eric Althaus was recently named the General Manager of @riverscasinophl.
Tero Laurila Wins the 1,100 888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event (64,000)

May 23, 2023 Lewis Powell Live Reporter

Tero Laurila capitalized on his start-of-day chip lead to win the 1,100 888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event for 64,000. The Finn, who has over $70,000 in tournament cashes according to the Hendon Mob, defeated online qualifier Nils Lechner heads up to win the prestigious trophy at the beautiful Barcelona Casino.

Lechner qualified for this event from an $11 online step satellite on 888poker.com to win a package to the 1,100 buy-in Main Event. Lechner spoke to PokerNews yesterday on making the final table. "So it was like already, like, pretty big to come here. Just getting the accommodations paid and just enjoying. And I had no expectations going into this." With no expectations, Lechner turned his $11 into a 46,000 payday. Lechner said he'd only played live once before, but at just 23 years old, it is unlikely this will be his last appearance on the live circuit.

1,100 888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Tero Laurila Finland 64,000* 2 Nils Lechner Germany 46,000* 3 Albert Grane Spain 33,000 4 Tullio Bertoli Venezuela 26,000 5 Pekka Ikonen Finland 20,000 6 Juri Mereu Italy 15,000 7 Lin Xia Italy 12,000 8 Nuno Duarte Portugal 9,300 9 Sergi Alonso Spain 7,120

*reflects a heads-up deal

Final Table Action

The final table started in electric fashion, and Nils Lechner was lucky to not be the first out when he four-bet his ace-king against Nuno Duarte. Duarte had pocket queens but decided Lechner was too strong, and made the hero fold.

However, Duarte wasn't folding his pocket tens when he cold four-bet all in over Sergi Alonso's three-bet. Alonso had ace-king, but headed for an early exit when Duarte hit a set on the turn which left Alonso drawing dead.

Despite eliminating Alonso, Duarte himself was next to be eliminated when he moved all in with pocket kings over Laurila's bet on the ace of spades turn. Chip leader Laurila had donked on the seven-high board with ace-jack but turned top pair. Duarte was a non-believer when he raised all in, which sent him home in eighth place for 9,300.

Nuno Duarte

Lin Xia was gone soon after when he three-bet shoved ace-ten. Laurila looked Xia up with his pocket three, and Xia was eliminated (12,000) when he couldn't win the flip against the Finn. Six-handed play lasted a while before Juri Mereu ran cold against Catalan local Albert Grane. Grane, dressed as Rambo, had raised jacks from late position and called Mereu's three-bet jam with queens. Luck would be on Grane's side when a jack came on the turn to eliminate Mereu in sixth (15,000).

just setting up my twttr  jack (@jack)

Pekka Ikonen got his money in good when Tullio Bertoli shoved ace-six from the small blind into Ikonen's ace-queen but the flop fell with two sixes which ensured Ikonen's elimination for 20,000 in fifth. Four-handed play lasted a while before Bertoli himself was eliminated after the dinner break at the hands of Lechner. Lechner had already hero-folded ace-queen when Bertoli shoved on him with ace-jack but Lechner didn't feel like folding twice when he called a three bet shove with pocket sevens against Bertoli's ace-queen.The flip went Lechner's way to move the contest into three-handed play.

Three-handed play was almost a heads-up match as Grane and Lechner went head to head in many pots while Laurila avoided confrontation with tight preflop play. Grane held the chip lead for several hours before Lechner took Grane for three streets with a better top pair. Grane eventually moved all in with jack-nine only to run into Laurila's ace-king to bring the final table to heads-up play.

Albert Grane

Heads-up play lasted almost three hours

Heads-up play was a gruelling battle between the two, with lots of small ball poker being played with stacks equal for much of the battle. The players agreed on a deal early in the match, but Laurila eventually took control, leaving Lechner short. Lechner eventually three-bet shoved all in with nine-eight only to run into Laurila's kings. Lechner picked up a flush draw on the flopbut couldn't hit which gave the trophy to Laurila.

just setting up my twttr  jack (@jack)

Sharelines Here's how the final table action of the 888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event went down.
Tero Laurila capitalized on his start-of-day chip lead to win the 1,100 888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event for 64,000. The Finn, who has over $70,000 in tournament cashes according to the Hendon Mob, defeated online qualifier Nils Lechner heads up to win the prestigious trophy at the beautiful BarcelonaCasino.

Lechner qualified for this event from an $11 online step satellite on 888poker.com to win a package to the 1,100 buy-in Main Event. Lechner spoke to PokerNews yesterday on making the final table. "So it was like already, like, pretty big to come here. Just getting the accommodations paid and just enjoying. And I had no expectations going into this." With no expectations, Lechner turned his $11 into a 46,000 payday. Lechner said he'd only played live once before, but at just 23 years old, it is unlikely this will be his last appearance on the live circuit.

1,100 888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event Final Table Results

Place Player Country Prize 1 Tero Laurila Finland 64,000* 2 Nils Lechner Germany 46,000* 3 Albert Grane Spain 33,000 4 Tullio Bertoli Venezuela 26,000 5 Pekka Ikonen Finland 20,000 6 Juri Mereu Italy 15,000 7 Lin Xia Italy 12,000 8 Nuno Duarte Portugal 9,300 9 Sergi Alonso Spain 7,120

*Denotes Heads-Up Deal

Final Table Action

The final table started in electric fashion, and Nils Lechner was lucky to not be the first out when he four-bet his ace-king against Nuno Duarte. Duarte had pocket queens but decided Lechner was too strong and made the hero fold.

However, Duarte wasn't folding his pocket tens when he cold four-bet all in over Sergi Alonso's three-bet. Alonso had ace-king but headed for an early exit when Duarte hit a set on the turn which left Alonso drawing dead.

Despite eliminating Alonso, Duarte himself was next to be eliminated when he moved all in with pocket kings over Laurila's bet on the ace of spades turn. Chip leader Tero Laurila had donked on the seven-high board with ace-jack but turned top pair. Duarte was a non-believer when he raised all in which sent him home in eighth place for 9,300.

It Wasn't Duarte's Day

Lin Xia was gone soon after when he three-bet shoved ace-ten. Laurila looked Xia up with his pocket three, and Xia was eliminated (12,000) when he couldn't win the flip against the Finn. Six-handed play lasted a while before Juri Mereu ran cold against Catalan local Albert Grane. Grane, dressed as Rambo, had raised jacks from late position and called Mereu's three-bet jam with queens. Luck would be on Grane's side when a jack came on the turn to eliminate Mereu in sixth (15,000).

just setting up my twttr  jack (@jack)

Pekka Ikonen got his money in good when Tullio Bertoli shoved ace-six from the small blind into Ikonen's ace-queen, but the flop came down with two sixes which ensured Ikonen's elimination for 20,000 in fifth. Four-handed play lasted a while before Bertoli himself was eliminated after the dinner break at the hands of Lechner. Lechner had already hero-folded ace-queen when Bertoli shoved on him with ace-jack but Lechner didn't feel like folding twice when he called a three-bet shove with pocket sevens against Bertoli's ace-queen. The flip went Lechner's way to move the contest into three-handed play.

Three-handed play was almost a heads-up match as Grane and Lechner went head to head in many pots while Laurila avoided confrontation with tight preflop play. Grane held the chip lead for several hours before Lechner took Grane for three streets with a better top pair. Grane eventually moved all in with jack-nine only to run into Laurila's ace-king to bring the final table to heads-up play.

Albert Grane Couldn't Close Out

Heads Up Play Lasted Almost Three Hours

Heads-up play was a gruelling battle between the two, with lots of small ball poker being played with stacks equal for much of the battle. The players agreed on a deal early in the match but Laurila eventually took control, leaving Lechner short. Lechner eventually three-bet shoved all in with nine eight only to run into Laurila's kings. Lechner picked up a flush draw on the flopbut couldn't hit which gave the trophy to Laurila.
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If theres a Black man in Democratic politics, Fox News will come for him. This is their prime red meat to feed their audience of rabid, angry white men. Sometimes, though, it can be hard to find the right people to criticize a Black man without looking racist, especially when the network is renown for amplifying white supremacy.

Thats when finding two Black men to stage for an interview can come in handy. And thats exactly what Fox and Friends is accused of doing in order to attack Chicagos new mayor, Brandon Johnson. On May 15th (the deception only came to light on May 21 and then only locally), they aired a live segment from a local diner in Naperville, Illinois featuring two Black men, whom Foxs correspondent said happened to be from Chicago. The correspondent, Gianno Caldwell, presented the segment as a spontaneous interview about Johnson being sworn in as mayor, the TRiiBE reported.

After smearing the Black mayor with the Obama most progressive ever blah blah smear, the Fox and Friends host asked, So, what do the people think of this, the people of Chicago?

Cut to a diner 30 miles from Chicago, per The TRiiBE, because nothing says actual city dweller like 30 miles out from the city. The authenticity burns. But its okay because the host said Were talking to folks here who happen to be from Chicago. Were right outside of Chicago.

Both of these men told The TRiiBE they didnt just happen to be at this diner, contrary to how it was presented, and furthermore, they say they were misled regarding the purpose of the interview. Both men told The TRiiBE they were invited to appear on the segment by Caldwell, but that Caldwell told them the interview would be about violence, not Johnson.

OK, but with Fox News budget, they could have just gone to Chicago and interviewed people for real. But that wouldnt tell the story their viewers need to hear, which is that they are not racists for being super uncomfortable that a Black man got elected to an office of power somewhere (!) while being a Democrat. For a Fox News viewer, the only acceptable power for a Black man is as a Republican, because nothing cheers racists up like being able to display what they see as evidence of their utter lack of racism by supporting ONE Black person (whose policies just so happen to support the suppression of all other Black people). Trying to hold on to colonialist power is the real fight, yall.

Johnson won the mayoral race on April 5th, 2023 against his then opponent Paul Vallas, and the two Black men Fox News chose to present as random people at a diner who just so happen to have issues with the new Black mayor have some connections to Vallas, one of which is tenuous but the second of which should have been disclosed for sure, because it involves Vallas campaign committee paying him $10,000.00.

One of the men, Lavondale Big Dale Glass, is an assistant director of violence prevention for Project H.O.O.D., a nonprofit whose founder endorsed Vallas. The other man, Andre Smith, was paid more than $10,000 by Vallass campaign committee, and told The TRiiBE he ran field operations for the campaign. Glass told The TRiiBE that he didnt work for Vallass campaign and was not aware Smith had been a paid Vallas operative.

In case youre wondering why Fox News seems so invested in this mayoral race aside from their smearing of city names (Detroit! Philadelphia! Atlanta! Chicago! Los Angeles! So dirty) as a dog whistle against minorities, Paul Vallas is a white man whose Democratic party credentials were questioned, partly due to his own words in 2009 when he said Im more of a Republican than a Democrat now. Yes, if I ran for public office, then I would be running as a Republican. In that same ad, Vallas said he was fundamentally against abortion rights for religious reasons (does anyone ever ask these folks to point to the part in the Bible where abortion is condemned?) and in his 2023 campaign, he did run against crime  which is a real problem in Chicago, as it is all around the country, but is also an issue Fox News told Republicans to run on in 2022, for whatever thats worth.

If youre pretty aghast right now, hold Foxs beer because it gets worse. First, they didnt name Glass other than calling him Big Dale and noting his son had been murdered in a 2021 shooting. Smith, the guy who was paid by the opponents campaign and says he did field operations for Vallas, was not named at all.

But wait.

The guy they tricked into the interview by saying it would be about violence, the guy who lost his son to gun violence, Fox News segued from sorry about your loss to what do you think of the election of Brandon Johnson. Glass was devastated over the murder of his son, and quite clearly motivated to speak about violence which was what he says he was told was the purpose of the interview, and Glass even told The TRiiBE he was upset by the question.

Glass has a Youtube video of what they say is their drive to be on Fox and Friends at this diner and the interview itself:

Glass, like most of us, doesnt think any politician will do anything to fix the issues kids face in our country right now, but also wanted to be clear that he didnt want to be construed as against the new mayor, telling The TRiiBE, Dont take me up to be like Im against Brandon Johnson. Hes a Black man; I hope he does well. Make sure you put that in this story. Were gonna wait and give him a chance.'

So Fox News used the Black father of a murdered child to attack a new Black mayor by tricking him into thinking the interview was about violence, and Fox News just so happens to be the propaganda arm of the NRA predominantly Republican Party legislation that is killing our children with guns.

Sadly, the Fox and Friends host lost his own brother to gun violence in Chicago, so of all people, he shouldnt have used that issue to hook his target.

It violates journalistic integrity to plant people to say what you want to be said while passing them off as people you just came across. It violates journalistic integrity to not disclose their relationships to the opposition and it violates journalistic and basic human integrity to mislead the parent of a gun violence victim to get sound bites attacking your networks party opposition (the network shouldnt have an undisclosed party preference, let alone an undisclosed party affiliation).

Fox News remains the mainstream standard bearer for how to lie, deceive, and mislead under the false label of news.
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Jon Hamm cut a campaign ad for Democratic Senate candidate Lucas Kunce, who is running against expert runaway Republican Josh Hawley in Missouri. The ad ever so carefully destroys Josh Hawleys claim to manhood, which to be fair, isnt hard to do, but nonetheless is still rather enjoyable to watch.

Hamm: In Missouri, you cant fake courage. Were the Show Me state, courage is something you have to show us.

Apparently, courage doesnt involve fleeing from a fight one started.

Video:

Jon Hamms got a message for Missouri: If you want to be told about Manhood, Josh Hawley wrote a book about it. But if you want a Marine veteran fighting for you and everyday Missourians in the U.S. Senate, then join us: https://t.co/1QADgv2AAw pic.twitter.com/2QWD4oHg2g  Lucas Kunce (@LucasKunceMO) May 22, 2023

Hamm: If you want to be told about manhood, some guy wrote a book about it. (Image of Hawleys poorly received lecture on manhood.) If you want someone to show you courage, send Lucas Kunce to the Senate.

Sure, its all well and good for his Marine opponent and a Hollywood actor to mock Josh Hawley, who identifies as an expert on manhood, but what about Real Men (TM)?

Rod Miller, a columnist for Cowboy State Daily, writes, Josh Hawley is the last person qualified to preach to Wyoming men about what it means to have a pair. The first glaring difference between Hawley and a real Wyoming man is that we dont run away from a fight, regardless who started it, as he comically did.

You remember Hawley, dont you? Hes the skinny little dude who was caught on video running away from the January 6 insurrection that he helped foment. Running like his ass is on fire, Miller continued.

Ouch.

Kunce might not be an actual cowboy, but he is a Marine who was exposed to burn pits and after 80 percent of Senate Republicans voted to block a bill to help veterans exposed to burn pits, Kunce took his argument to the source, that is to Fox News. The 13-year Marine wrote, Im a Marine who was exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq. Republicans have turned their backs on veterans like me.

Back to the cowboys, though. Miller addressed the real issue of Hawleys book on manhood as being a political tool to score points about people objecting to toxic masculinity and historical patriarchy, writing, The men whose names I mentioned wouldnt give a rats ass about that stuff. They were too busy fulfilling their responsibilities as men to the people around them. If someone got offended by how they went about doing that, well thats just too damn bad.

Millers take distills down to a man who was actually fulfilling his responsibilities wouldnt care enough about criticisms of cultural patriarchy to write a book whining about it. This brings up the real question: What is Hawley actually doing with himself and his manhood? Hes denying veterans help, hes against womens human rights, and hes cheering what turned into a domestic terrorist attack on his own country, from which he later fled. Other than causing harm and undermining national security while enriching himself with culture war childishness, Hawley is not actually doing anything of use.

Speaking of which, the National Republican Senatorial Committee tried to mock Kunce for wearing a rainbow shirt and suggested he was the first male cheerleader at Yale. In reality, cheerleaders were male before they were female, and Yale had male cheerleaders as far back as 1925, which is around the timeline Republicans are trying to recreate apparently so that men dont have to feel so bad about other men actually caring about their communities.

At any rate, Kunce was at Yale on a Pell grant and several scholarships, he was also a runner while at Yale, which is sort of like running away from a riot you incited but not:

Kunce replied:

In 2018, Hawley won his seat with just 51% of the vote. But since then, his approval has dropped to 42%. And in MOs last senate race during a presidential election, the margin was only 2.7%. So I wont tell you itll be easybut we can win. And even the @NRSC seems to agree pic.twitter.com/rl3mr7xvRW  Lucas Kunce (@LucasKunceMO) May 22, 2023

Ultimately, Josh Hawleys real problem is that he desperately wants to stand for something, but he hasnt the courage to actually stand for anything. So instead, Hawley writes lectures on manhood and he runs away from fights he started. The question is, do Missouri voters want someone who seems willing to take a tough stand for them or are they happy with a Senator who writes books about things he doesnt understand.
The plan to construct an apartment complex near the intersection of Sundy Avenue and Jake Place received final approval from the Aiken City Council on Monday evening.

The council voted 5-0  Mayor Pro Tempore Ed Woltz and Andrea Gregory were not at the meeting  to approve the second and final reading of an ordinance rezoning a 16.82 acre property and approving a concept plan for the apartment complex.

S.C. Rep. Bill Clyburn, D-Aiken, and his wife, Beverly, a former member of the city council, own the property and would sell it to facilitate development.

The property was zoned RS-10 (single-family home with a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet) and will be rezoned to planned residential.

City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh, also not at the meeting, said in a memorandum provided to the council prior to the meeting that the developer, ACMS Development, plans to construct 90 apartments across four buildings on the site.

AMCS Development is a Charleston-area real estate management company and developer with apartment complexes in Charleston (including Goose Creek, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Summerville and West Ashley), Greenville, Columbia, Myrtle Beach and Florida.

Bedenbaugh said the plan calls for 15 one-bedroom, 40 two-bedroom and 25 three-bedroom units ranging in size from 750 square feet to 1,100 square feet. He added the building heights would be 30 feet, 6 inches and they would be constructed out of brick and vinyl lap, and board and batten siding. He said access would be provided via an improved Jake Place and there would be 141 parking spaces.

Ed Girardeau made the motion to approve the ordinance. Gail Diggs seconded his motion.

The council approved first reading of the ordinance Feb. 27 but also asked that a traffic study be reviewed prior to the ordinance returning for second and final reading.

Jennifer Bihl, the city's on-call traffic consultant, presented the results of the study in a memorandum to the council. She said the study recommended the installation of a stop bar on the westbound lane of Kershaw Street as it approaches Sundy Avenue and the clearing of vegetation along Sundy Avenue as it approaches Jake Place.

Yvonne James, a resident of Edrie Street (Edrie is located to the east of Jake Place along Sundy Avenue) asked the council to postpone the consideration of second reading to allow three concerned residents to meet with the developer. She said the residents are concerned that the apartments will become run down and a source of crime, noise and traffic to the residents of her community.

Diggs and ACMS Vice President Randy Clack Jr. addressed her concerns.

Clack said the apartments, though constructed with federal funding, would not be Section 8 housing. He said the target market for the apartments would be people making between $35,000-$45,000 with rents ranging between $750 for the one-bedroom apartments, $940 for the two-bedroom apartments and $1,040 for the three-bedroom apartments.

He added ACMS plans to construct an 8-foot high privacy fence around the apartment complex and leave a tree buffer between the fence and the apartments.

Diggs added the apartments would give people, like she was at one time, the opportunity to find affordable housing as they worked to establish themselves and their careers.

She said the apartment complex would also include a playground area for children and a computer area. She would make sure the developers followed through on their promises for the apartment complex because she lives nearby, too.

Clack added the developer plans to continue to work with nearby residents while final plans are developed. He said it could take until 2026 for the funding for the project to be obtained and construction to be completed.

The council also approved the second and final readings of ordinances:

 setting the city's water and sewer rates for the 2023-24 fiscal year; and

 amending the city's budget to include funding for an underground utilities project.

The council approved first readings of an ordinance annexing and zoning a property on Derby Street.

Mayor Rick Osbon asked the council postpone consideration of an ordinance establishing an overlay district for Silver Bluff Road to allow for public meetings and input.

William Molnar, executive director of the Lower Savannah Council of Governments, presented information on the Lower Savannah council's activities and programs.

The city council also met at 5:30 p.m. for a worksession to discuss a tiny homes project with George Clare of Aiken County Homeless Housing and for an executive session to discuss the city's information technology security system.
ORANGEBURG  In 2019, Michael Bartley applied for a part-time job as a county deputy coroner. He seemed well-qualified, with previous mortuary experience and having served as police chief at South Carolina State University.

When asked on a hiring questionnaire whether he had ever stolen anything from his employers, Bartley wrote no.

Left unmentioned was his guilty plea in 2013 to federal charges that he used his public law enforcement job for personal gain, records obtained by The Post and Courier show. The charges involved a kickback scheme that prosecutors said would have netted Bartley $30,000 and an all-terrain vehicle had it not been exposed. At the time of his court appearance, then-U.S. Attorney Bill Nettles said Bartley "used his position and relationships in an effort to line his pockets at the universitys expense."

Bartleys hiring in the coroner's office comes amid lingering questions in the death this year of a South Carolina State student  a case Bartley worked on, according to the students family. The 2013 federal conviction could make it difficult for him to testify in court as it goes directly to his credibility, one legal expert said.

Adding to the uncertainty, his boss, Orangeburg County Coroner Samuetta Marshall, ignored public records requests about the case for weeks. What's more, Marshall owes the S.C. Ethics Commission $12,430 over violations of open government rules, as revealed in a new investigation through The Post and Courier-led Uncovered project  a collaboration of local newspapers across South Carolina that explores questionable government conduct.

The Post and Courier asked Marshall and Bartley to discuss these issues. Bartley did not respond. Marshall declined to comment.

Marshall's personal attorney, Maya Grace Slaughter of Orangeburg, said the coroner strives to be timely in her response to public records requests and apologized for the delays. She said Marshall plans to pay her Ethics Commission debts.

Marshall grew up in Holly Hill, attended SC State and is owner-funeral directress and embalmer of Shuler-Marshall Funeral Home, according to the companys website. She was elected county coroner in 1992, becoming the first Black woman to hold such an office in South Carolina.

But during her decadeslong career as coroner, she also racked up a reputation for blowing off state ethics rules, a previous Uncovered report found.

Last year, the state Ethics Commission fined Marshall $22,600 for a chronic failure to file her required financial disclosures. These disclosures include information about campaign fundraising and spending, as well as details about her sources of income. Such disclosures bolster government accountability, revealing potential conflicts of interest. Marshall repeatedly ignored the commissions efforts to reach her about those disclosures and her growing tab of late fees, ethics investigators testified in a June 2021 hearing.

The commission ultimately reduced her $22,600 fine to $17,000  if she paid five monthly installments of $3,400. Marshall paid the first three. The fourth payment wasnt honored by the bank, the commission said. The agency has filed a legal judgment over the remaining debt. Slaughter said a "personal family expense" triggered her client's failure to pay on time.

"Ms. Marshall has every intent to satisfy her debt," her attorney said.

Marshall also slow-walked public records requests after her office handled the death of Amya Carr.

Carr, 21, was co-captain of the Champagne Dancers, SC State's dance team. She had been having breathing problems that seemed to worsen when she was in her dorm, her mother told The Post and Courier this year. Students in the dorm complex had reported problems with mold, a known cause of asthma flareups.

SC State records show the school logged dozens of complaints about mold in recent years, with most involving Hugine Suites  the dorm complex where Carr lived. The university, however, said no one in Carr's suite had reported mold problems.

One night in April, students rushed her to a local hospital. She died there. A campus police report said Carr died from an asthma attack, but questions about what might have triggered the attack lingered long after her death.

Under South Carolina law, death investigations are required when a person dies in any suspicious or unusual manner, or when in apparent good health. Experts interviewed by The Post and Courier in the wake of Carrs death said an autopsy normally would be done.

No such postmortem examination was conducted.

Marshall defended her decision not to do an autopsy with a brief statement earlier this year: The answer is simple. After careful review and investigation of her medical history, an autopsy was not deemed necessary. The State Law Enforcement Division is now investigating Carr's death.

Given Bartley's past connections to SC State, The Post and Courier in June asked for the coroner's final report. The newspaper asked again in early October. The newspaper also sought documents in his personnel file from the coroner's office and Orangeburg County. Under state law, public bodies must respond to a Freedom of Information Act request in 10 business days if records are less than 2 years old. The agency then has 30 calendar days to gather the materials.

Marshall failed to meet those public record deadlines. In a brief email in late July, Marshall brushed aside the request, saying merely that "reports housed in the coroner's office are protected" from public release by a federal privacy law and the state Freedom of Information Act.

Taylor Smith, an attorney for the South Carolina Press Association, said that when ignored public records requests are "brought to the attention of the public body and silence persists then two questions are reasonable to ask: Why? And what are they hiding?"

County staff eventually supplied redacted documents in Bartleys personnel file, which raised new questions about his hiring.

A letter Feb. 27, 2019, from the countys human resources department offered Bartley a part-time job as deputy coroner, paying $85 per call. On March 18, 2019, a new hire checklist said he had passed his background and reference checks.

Another form asked three questions about whether he had stolen money, items or filed a false expense report. "No" was checked for all three questions.

The form didnt ask whether new hires had been convicted of any crimes. The files also didn't document his previous work for the coroner in early 2013.

Marshall fired him then when he told her he was about to be indicted in a corruption scheme, The (Orangeburg) Times and Democrat reported at the time. The Orangeburg County Coroners Office has and will continue to be an office of utmost integrity, professionalism and ethical standards for the citizens of Orangeburg County, she told the local newspaper.

Bartley's personnel files also contained job references, including one in 2019 from an SC State employee. An administrative assistant in the university police department gave him excellent marks. In the space set aside to explain why he left the job, a county intern who completed the reference check wrote "N/A" on the form. An SC State spokesman said the university doesn't comment on personnel matters.

Orangeburg County's publicly available files didn't mention Bartley's federal conviction. Neither did ones from the state Criminal Justice Academy.

One of the academy's roles is to keep track of law enforcement misconduct.

But when SC State fired Bartley in 2012 amid a SLED investigation, the university's interim police chief wrote to the academy that Bartley lost his job for "violating agency policy NOT involving misconduct," academy records show.

Following his sentencing in 2015, when he received three years of probation and was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service, federal prosecutors noted that his conviction was for conspiring to use his influence as SC State police chief in exchange for a gratuity.

It could be problematic for a coroner to hire people with criminal records, said Miller Shealy, a professor at the Charleston School of Law and a former prosecutor. If those employees had to testify during a criminal proceeding, attorneys could attack their credibility by focusing on their criminal pasts. Thats why the FBI and other law enforcement agencies dont hire convicted felons.

Unlike his county personnel files and state law enforcement records, Bartley's conviction was well-chronicled in the courts and news stories after an FBI investigation exposed corruption in the highest tiers of SC States leadership.

Bartley, then SC State's police chief, was accused of working with the universitys board chairman, Jonathan Pinson, to have the school buy a plot of land known as "the Sportsman Retreat." In exchange, Bartley was to receive $30,000 and an ATV, prosecutors said at the time.

At his sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge David Norton said to Bartley: "It's amazing you sold your integrity so cheaply.
A satellite image shows a huge clothing dump in the Atacama Desert in Chile. The discarded clothes are located near the municipality of Alto Hospicio in the north of the country. Photo: SkyFi

By Aristos Georgiou

22 May 2023

(Newsweek)  A satellite image has revealed an enormous pile of discarded clothing that is so big its visible from space.

The clothing pile, which contains everything from Christmas sweaters to ski boots, is located in the Atacama Desertthe driest non-polar desert in the worldnear the municipality of Alto Hospicio in northern Chile.

The pile is spread out across a clearing in the desert terrain. One side of the pile measures more than 1,000 feet across.

Texas-based satellite imagery company SkyFi recently shared an image of the pile, revealing the true scale of the pollution problem created by the fashion industry.

Chile has long served as a hub for secondhand and unsold clothingoften manufactured in China or Bangladeshthat is imported into the country from Europe, Asia or the United States before being resold around Latin America, Agence France-Presse reported.

By purchasing a $44 Existing Image at 50 cm resolution, we can confirm the giant clothes pile in the desert of Chile exists and is growing. https://t.co/47SssKPdtI pic.twitter.com/RlfUSBWbu9  SkyFi (@SkyfiApp) May 10, 2023

It is estimated that around 59,000 metric tons of clothing arrive at the port of Iquique, which is next to Alto Hospicio, every year. The port is part of the Iquique Free Trade Zonea duty-free area that was established in an attempt to encourage economic activity.

Some of the clothing arriving at the port are bought up by merchants in the Chilean capital of Santiago, while large quantities are smuggled out of the country to other parts of Latin America. But at least 39,000 metric tons that cannot be sold end up at clandestine dumps in the desert, such as the one near Alto Hospicio.

SkyFi first found out about the huge clothing pile from an article in 2021 and was curious to verify whether it was true.

There is a lot of misinformation out there, and we often use satellite imagery as a primary data point, a source of verification, SkyFi Growth Marketing Manager Tom Babb told Newsweek. In the Earth observation community, this is referred to as ground truth.' [more]

Vast pile of discarded clothes in desert is so big its visible from space

Women search for clothing items in a huge clothing dump in the Atacama Desert. Photo: Martin Bernetti / AFP / Getty Image

Fast fashion has spawned a mountain of leftover clothes in the Chilean desert thats so massive it can now be seen clearly from space

By Matthew Loh

22 May 2023

(Insider)  A giant dump of unused fast fashion clothing in Chiles Atacama Desert is now clearly visible to satellites.

The still-growing mountain of discarded or unworn clothes  manufactured in Bangladesh or China and sent to retail stores in the US, Europe, and Asia  are brought to Chile when they arent sold, according to Agence France-Presse.

At least 39,000 tons of those clothes accumulate in landfills in the Atacama Desert, the outlet found in 2021.

On May 10, a high-resolution satellite photo of the discarded clothes was posted in a blog by SkyFi, the developers of a satellite photo and video app.

The 50 cm resolution image, which is classified as Very High Resolution, was taken using satellite imagery, and it shows how big the pile is compared to the city in the bottom of the picture, the developers wrote.

The clothes cant be sent to municipal landfills because they arent biodegradable and often contain chemical products, Franklin Zepeda, the founder of EcoFibra, a company that tries to reuse the textiles by making insulation panels, told the AFP.

So the unused garments sit next to Chiles Iquique port, about a mile from some of the citys poorer neighborhoods.

The landfill sometimes attracts migrants and local women, who search the dump for items they can wear or sell, per AFP. [more]

Fast fashion has spawned a mountain of leftover clothes in the Chilean desert thats so massive it can now be seen clearly from space
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Showers in the morning, then cloudy in the afternoon. High 67F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later at night. Low around 55F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
COLUMBIA  Richland County is one of the historically richest in South Carolina, hosting the capital that's been around since 1786 and boasting the second-most nationally registered historic sites in the state, behind Charleston.

Glenice Pearson sees a large part of the county's story missing: its African American history.

"These sites are the ones that are most at risk at this time," she said about Black history.

Pearson, who has been working in historic preservation in South Carolina for decades, announced the launch of a new organization designed to get the community involved with preserving its own history.

That untapped wealth is behind the name of the Rich Land Historic Preservation Consortium, which will focus on educating the public about conservation and identifying historical Black sites for preservation. In a May 19 press conference launching the organization at Hyatt Park, some 30 consortium members and attendees spoke about the stories they thought were being overlooked.

"This go-between organization really was created to get more out of the people's voices heard and aired, and then possibly get the people more involved in some of the work," Pearson said.

Barry Elmore, the consortium's president, has seen his family history fall to the wayside. His great grandfather George Elmore's 1946 lawsuit won Black men the right to vote in South Carolina's Democratic primary.

His civil rights activism opened the door for voting rights, but it cost his family their safety and livelihood. Racist attacks in the wake of the lawsuit forced Elmore's family to move out of South Carolina and for him to lose his general store in Columbia's Waverly neighborhood.

Barry would like to see his family history honored in the city. His great grandfather's store was demolished in 2012, despite the city recognizing it with a historical marker.
EASTOVER  Eastover Mayor Phillip Gunter resigned May 22, three days after he was arrested on charges of assault and battery.

Mayor Pro Tem Leroy Faber will serve as acting mayor until a special election can be held, Faber confirmed May 22. He declined to comment further.

Gunter stepped down from the post leading the small town about 25 miles southeast of Columbia after his arrest May 19 for a fight that happened May 5.

Dozens of people gathered on lawn chairs at Eastover Park the evening of May 5 for the small town's Jam Fest. People danced to live music or just sat and ate BBQ at an event the town had spent weeks promoting.

Just before midnight  five hours or so after the performances began  Richland County deputies were called to an intersection a short distance from the park in response to a fight, leading to Gunter's arrest in the town where he's served as mayor since his election in 2020.

After two weeks spent interviewing Gunter and a person injured in the incident, along with witnesses, deputies arrested Gunter on May 19 on charges of assault and battery. The Sheriff's Department issued a warrant for Gunter's arrest, but he turned himself in.

The fight was "a personal dispute," according to the Sheriff's Department, and it took place during a gathering following what the department described only as "a community event" the same evening as the Jam Fest, which was the precursor to the town's 44th BBQ Festival and Parade on May 6.

By the time deputies arrived, no one was left at the intersection of Main Street and Joyner Street, a side road that separates Holy Revelation Tabernacle Church and a graveyard with a handful of headstones.

The unnamed other person in the incident called 911 from another location and said he had had a fight with Gunter. Deputies found the caller's head "swollen and bleeding with open scrapes," according to a report of the incident. He requested an ambulance and was transported to a hospital.
GEORGETOWN  Businesses could pay a fee or be required to have a license to operate in unincorporated Georgetown County in the near future.

Talks about registering or licensing businesses in unincorporated Georgetown County have resurfaced as a potential way to keep track of what business is being done in the county and what kinds of businesses could be targeted for recruitment, though licensing could also help police fighting to stop illegal bars.

More than 53,500 residents live in the unincorporated portion of the county, accounting for 83 percent of the county's total population. An estimated 2,500 businesses operate in the unincorporated area, which covers over 800 square miles on land outside the limits of Georgetown, Andrews and Pawleys Island.

Questions from County Council remain over how a fee would be enforced, and if licenses that can be confiscated by law enforcement are preferable. Georgetown County Sheriff Carter Weaver said he has asked the council in previous years to license businesses so that his office can more easily close those operating outside the law.

Revenue is not so much the goal of a registration fee, County Finance Director Karis Langston said.

Im leaning more towards the registration fee because were looking at it just to know whos doing business in Georgetown County as opposed to actually generating revenue, which was more what a business license would be, Langston said.

Langston said a flat registration fee, if the county moved forward with it, would have to be approved with a county ordinance. Therefore, it could be done mid-year as well as during the next county budgeting cycle.

Business licensing, on the other hand, is based on a graduating scale in South Carolina, increasing with the revenue a business generates.

But any revenue from licensing would come with costs. Instituting business licensing would require one or two staff to be hired, Langston said.

Even though the county's unincorporated area has seen significant population growth in recent years, Langston said a registration fee in her mind represents more of an opportunity for the county to know what it has and needs rather than one to raise revenue.

"Who's here, what types of businesses are here, what's going on from an economic point of view because we're trying to get new businesses in, so what does that look like?" Langston said. "And without knowing who's here, we don't know what we need."

Langston forecast Georgetown Countys budget at $98 million in the coming fiscal year, up only slightly from last year but about 12 percent higher than three years ago.

At an April budget work session, she said a property tax increase would be necessary in the coming year to pay for a new detention center while stopping short of the countys limits to pay off bonds.

Its unclear how much money the county would make from registering or licensing businesses. No dollar amount for either procedure has been mentioned yet.

Though a registration fee may end up being the route council takes, licensing businesses would certainly give the county sheriff's office a resource to close illegal businesses, Weaver said.

Weaver said that unlicensed nightclubs selling alcohol have sprung up, especially in the Dunbar and Choppee communities in the central part of the county, that have been sources of violent crime. Knowing who is or isnt licensed to do business on private property would give him an important tool.

"With a business license at the county level that sets certain standards for being able to operate, obviously it would knock these type businesses in the head and allow me to shut them down immediately," Weaver said of punishing the illegal sale of alcohol.

Weaver said he is adamant that he is not seeking extra revenue for the county through licensing nor to try "to be Big Brother" over legally operating businesses, only to be able to shut down those operating illegally.

Prior talks of business licensing among previous councils have been "squashed right off the bat," Langston said. The present council seems more serious about the idea, she added.

Councilman Bob Anderson asked during a May budget meeting that the advantages of business licensing for law enforcement be kept in mind.

I can tell you our sheriff, hes always discussed with me, Bob, if we had the business license and I had the ability to jerk it, it would be a big help to me with some of these fly-by-night saloons and things like that, Anderson said.

Councilwoman Stella Mercado said her talks with Weaver and fire departments indicated a need for business regulations.

I think we do need a method to be able to remove someone thats not in compliance, Mercado said, requesting that Langston research both licensing and a registration fee.
ANDERSON  The Townville Elementary School shooter who was just 14 when he killed a first-grader on the school playground in 2016 is asking a judge to reduce his life sentence  a request that appears to be an uphill battle.

Circuit Judge Lawton McIntosh delayed a decision on Jesse Osborne's request but said during a May 22 hearing that the 20-year-old's defense had offered no new information to overturn the sentence the judged handed down in 2019.

McIntosh delayed a ruling so that defense attorney Frank Eppes could formally file information from a psychologist who evaluated Osborne's current mental state, which Eppes said had improved.

The psychologist is currently out of the country. McIntosh imposed a deadline of 30 days.

In 2016, Osborne shot and killed his father before driving to the school and shooting at the playground where 6-year-old Jacob Hall was fatally struck. The shooting spree also wounded a teacher and another student.

After pleading guilty to the murders, Osborne was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 30 years for related attempted murder charges.

Prosecutors had described Osborne as someone who meticulously plotted the shooting, while his family described him as an isolated child who suffered abuse at the hands of his father.

During the hearing on the motion to reconsider, Eppes said Osborne had benefited from the structure of incarceration and was no longer depressed but still needed therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, which he sustained as a result of the abuse.

Eppes said the sentence should be reduced to between 40 to 55 years so Osborne could receive access to educational and vocational programs designed to rehabilitate inmates.

Eppes said he was not opposed to any order that would keep Osborne on lifetime GPS monitoring, if he were to be released after his sentence. If that sentence were to be put in place, Osborne would be between 54 and 69 years old when released.

Osborne gave a brief statement during the hearing, during which he said he was "sorry" to his family, to the family of Jacob Hall and to all of the children and teachers at the playground and the school that day.

Eppes said the crime was horrific, but Osborne, who had turned 14 just days before the shooting, was not capable of understanding what he was doing.

Tenth Circuit Solicitor David Wagner said Osborne should stay in prison, arguing its the only way to ensure he never does what he did again. Wagner said he would have sought the death penalty in the case if Osborne were old enough for it.

Five people spoke at the hearing in support of the original sentence, including Meghan Hollingsworth, the teacher Osborne shot. She was Hall's teacher.

The tragedy shook the Upstate, which collectively grieved as a superhero-themed funeral was held for him.

Hollingsworth described the panic and anxiety she felt during typical school activities after the attack, such as taking her students out to recess. She said she glanced at the road for cars because Osborne had driven his fathers truck to the school playground before he opened fire.

Acts that were once carefree arent anymore, she said.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control reported less than 1,200 new cases of COVID-19 for the week that ended May 20, and 10 new deaths.

The death toll has surpassed 20,000 since the pandemic began.

After the Public Health Emergency related to the pandemic ended May 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stopped reporting its COVID-19 Community Levels for every county. DHEC will continue its weekly public reports on COVID data until the end of the fiscal year on June 30 and after that will just publicly report vaccination data.

The agency will still monitor the virus and will bring back its dashboard if levels rise to the point of concern.

Statewide numbers

New cases reported: 1,185

Total cases in S.C.: 1,854,367

New deaths reported: 10

Total deaths in S.C.: 20,059

Percent of ICU beds filled (with COVID-19 and other patients): 62.78 percent

Percent positive: 8.7 percent

S.C. residents vaccinated

As of May 20 in South Carolina, 62.3 percent of people who are eligible for the vaccine have received at least one dose, and 54.1 percent of eligible residents are considered fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

These numbers reflect all eligible residents in South Carolina, including young children. The latest data from DHEC shows 23.7 percent of children ages 5-11 have at least one vaccine dose and 5.5 percent among those under age 5.

Hospitalizations

Of the 83 COVID-19 patients hospitalized as of May 21, 6 were in the ICU. DHEC no longer reports ventilator usage among hospital patients as of Dec. 20.

What do experts say?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will still update its COVID Data Tracker with some measures on a weekly basis. As of May 16, there were 9,186 patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the last week, a 4.9 percent decrease since since April 19, an 11.8 percent decrease in new deaths compared to the prior week, and 17 percent of the population had received an updated booster shot.
Kingstree, SC (29556)

Today

Showers in the morning, then cloudy in the afternoon. High 67F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable.
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Rain showers early with overcast skies later in the day. High near 70F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low 58F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.
CONWAY  A former Horry County Schools math teacher pleaded guilty to a two-vehicle crash that killed a Carolina Forest woman, who was studying to be a teacher.

Michael Norman Oerther, 54, pleaded guilty to reckless homicide during a May 23 hearing after reaching an agreement with state prosecutors.

The Carolina Forest man was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Bentley Price to eight years in prison after he was originally charged with felony driving under the influence resulting in death for the October 2021 crash. He faced up to 25 years if convicted on the felony DUI charge.

Im incredibly worn out from the entire process and Im thankful that we can move forward and actually have some level of closure, Cody Morris told the court. Morris was the other driver in the crash nearly two years ago that claimed the life of his fiancee, Leza Watts.

The plea agreement stems from an Oct. 25, 2021, multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of Carolina Forest Boulevard and Stafford Drive, which is near a Horry County library branch and the Carolina Forest recreation center.

Oerther was traveling north on Carolina Forest Boulevard in a Jeep Wrangler when he crashed into the rear end of a Honda Civic with three occupants at a stoplight. Watts, who was on track to be a middle school math and English teacher, was killed in the crash. She was 27 and attending Horry-Georgetown Technical College at the time.

The very next day she was supposed to start teaching solo, her mother, Leta Watts, told the court. The school had called the college to find out why she didnt show up.

The month after the collision Oerther resigned as a math teacher at Ocean Bay Middle School when the S.C. State Board of Education temporarily suspended his education certificate.

Prior to his resignation, Horry County Schools placed Oerther on administrative leave a day after the crash.

Oerther, who worked for HCS since 1999, had three previous DUI charges in the past 20 years, according to a State Law Enforcement Division background check.

In 2005, Oerther was charged with driving under the influence and was found guilty in traffic court. In 2009, he was charged again with driving under the influence and plead guilty in traffic court.

Then in 2011, Oerther was arrested for driving under the influence as a second offense but the case was dismissed.

During the 23-minute hearing on May 23, Oerthers attorney said his client has been in rehab in a Florida facility for 111 days since he posted bond 19 months ago, and does not want to put the victims family through a trial.

George Krebs, the victims father, said he would hope that South Carolina could pass tougher DUI laws. He pointed to the fact that a person convicted of DUI can get out of prison and still drive.

Really what I want is for this to never happen again and to be assured that the person who did this wont have it happen again, Krebs said.
In the recently announced Knight Frank SEA-5 Data Centre Opportunity Index Malaysia was identified as a top destination for data centre investment. As if to support this argument, two major data centre announcements relating to the country have been made in the past week.

Asian data centre provider Princeton Digital Group (PDG) has entered into a definitive agreement with JLand Group (JLG), the real estate and infrastructure arm of development institution Johor Corporation, for the acquisition of 31 acres of land in Sedenak Tech Park (STeP), Johor, to build a 150 MW hyperscale campus.

With an investment of RM 2 billion (about US$450 Million), the first phase of 60 MW is planned to be ready for service by Q2 2024.

The project marks PDGs entry into Malaysia, its sixth country after Singapore, China, Indonesia, India and Japan. Named JH1, the data centre will be one of the largest data centre campuses in Southeast Asia to serve the infrastructure needs of customers across the region.

JLG meanwhile, has announced the expansion of its 640-acre data centre park, STeP 2, which is projected to be ready in September 2024. As part of the larger Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC) development, STeP 2 will be powered by a solar photovoltaic farm, in line with the Low Carbon Cities Framework (LCCF).

Less than a week before this news Vantage Data Centres, a leading global provider of hyperscale data centre campuses, announced the development of a second data centre campus (KUL2) in Cyberjaya with an additional planned US$3billion investment. Upon completion, the KUL2 campus will deliver 256MW of IT capacity to meet the growing customer demand for hyperscale data centre services.

Located adjacent to Vantages existing campus (KUL1) in Cyberjaya, the campus will be sited on nearly 35 acres and will include ten facilities across 256,000 square metres.

In addition, Vantage is expanding its KUL1 campus with a fourth 16MW facility that is currently under development. Combined, both campuses will deliver a total of 287MW of IT capacity to meet the demands of hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises.
I was covering my second state budget debate when I got my first look at a USC-Clemson rivalry that was deeper and far more expensive than the one that plays out on a football field: the never-ending battle over legislative largesse. Read moreScoppe: The worrisome re-emergence of the Clemson-USC rivalry. No, not that rivalry.
After putting in a 25-hour legislative day that stretched over 33 hours Tuesday and Wednesday, the S.C. House reconvened for a 26-minute session Wednesday night during which lawmakers sent a six-week abortion bill back to the Senate  and sent what they call their transparency and integrity in education bill to a conference committee.

House Education Chairwoman Shannon Erickson told the body there were some technical issues that negotiators needed to work out.

We remain unconvinced that theres any need to pass H.3728, which critics call the anti-critical race theory bill even though it doesnt contain the words critical race theory. But if lawmakers insist on passing it  and it clearly is a priority for a large number of Republican lawmakers playing to a base of supporters who are unconcerned about the absence of a problem that needs fixing  at the very least they need to adopt in whole or large part the version passed by the Senate.

And to be clear: By absence of a problem that needs fixing, were not saying the problems the bills supporters claim they want to fix wouldnt need fixing, if they actually existed. Were saying there's no evidence that they exist.

The closest lawmakers came to demonstrating otherwise was during Senate debate the previous week, when Sen. Scott Talley said his sons high school English teacher handed out reading material about the International Bear Brotherhood, a society of gay men, which encouraged students to click on an adult website to learn more.

That indeed does sound outrageous. But as with the handful of other cases that have come to light over the past year, the school district took corrective action on its own, without the need of a state law to require it to do so: The teacher was fired for handing out "inappropriate and unapproved content."

Like an existing temporary law, the House and Senate versions of the bill would require schools to teach fact-based history and place equally reasonable restrictions on teaching and teacher training: You cant teach that one race, sex, ethnicity, color or national origin is inherently superior to another, for example, or that individuals should be blamed for actions of others because of their race or other inherent traits. You also have to teach age-appropriate material, which a sexually oriented website is not.

We dont object to the list of things schools cant teach; the problem is that the people who are itching to file lawsuits are, well, itching to file lawsuits, and even the less problematic Senate version of the bill could invite them to do so regardless of the facts.

And while we lack evidence that our schools are allowing teachers to take these sorts of inappropriate actions, we have plenty of evidence of a national teacher shortage thats making it increasingly difficult for South Carolina districts to recruit and retain teachers. We also have plenty of evidence of current teachers who are freaked out over the legislation, because they are convinced that they could lose their jobs if a parent complains about their teaching  even if they clearly didnt cross the lines.

Teachers are also freaked out about the sorts of questions Democrats raised during the Senate debate earlier this month. Sen. Dick Harpootlian suggested, for instance, that some parents would challenge lessons that say the Civil War was fought over slavery. Sen. Ronnie Sabb asked what would happen to teachers who discussed the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection if parents who consider it an act of patriotism challenge lessons that accurately call it an attempt to thwart democracy.

Those arent mere academic questions, as the bills main function is to establish an administrative process, with appeals up to the State Board of Education, through which parents could file complaints if they believe a school official has violated that law.

Its an extensive process that we dont believe schools should be required to spend money establishing, given that its taken two years for anybody to present an example of anything close to a problem that needs to be remedied.

But the House version of the bill tells parents they dont even need to go through that process and instead may head straight to court. Worse, it opens the door to lawsuits from any parent  not just those living in the school district where the supposedly illegal material is taught, and not even just parents in South Carolina. Any parent, it says, without qualification, has standing to file a lawsuit that our courts would be barred from throwing out for lack of standing. Which means the House version of the bill is essentially a full-employment act for plaintiff's attorneys. That provision needs to be stripped from the bill, as the Senate appropriately did.

The House bill also contains a provision that could make it logistically impossible to discuss current events, by requiring teachers to post any changes to their lesson plans three days before they deliver them. That reflects the belief of a fringe of voters, endorsed by the House, that teachers simply cannot be trusted. The Senate wisely stripped that from the bill as well; it needs to stay out of whatever version House and Senate negotiators ultimately pass.

Click here for more opinion content from The Post and Courier.
COLUMBIA  With state budget negotiations in a standoff involving money to South Carolina's rival universities, legislators have approved a fallback plan that keeps state government running beyond July 1.

Senators gave final approval May 23 to a measure that would extend current spending into the 2023-24 fiscal year if the House and Senate can't reach agreement on a new budget.

A continued impasse threatens more than $1 billion in proposed additional spending. That includes planned raises for state employees and aid to school districts to increase teachers' salaries.

Also, public colleges may need to increase in-state tuition rates, and projects across the state would be put on hold.

Senate Finance Chairman Harvey Peeler said he remains hopeful budget negotiators won't let that happen.

"I'm a hope-for-the-best, prepare-for-the-worst kind of guy," the Gaffney Republican told his colleagues on the Senate floor May 23 in explaining why they needed to vote "yes."

"We're hoping we'll come to an agreement," he said. But if not, the so-called continuing resolution would keep the 2022-23 budget in place to ensure agencies keep running and workers continue getting paid.

He did not give any specifics on the holdup, saying he didn't want to publicly negotiate from the podium.

But he added "the tension is at a fevered pitch over in the House."

The House's chief budget writer, Ways and Means Chairman Bruce Bannister, R-Greenville, has declined to comment. House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, was out of the state and declined to comment.

House and Senate leaders have already reached agreement on the bulk of their chambers' separate $13 billion packages.

That includes raising state employees' pay by at least $2,500, covering their rising health insurance premiums and raising K-12 teachers' minimum salaries by $2,500.

Their budget plans also send money to every public college and university to freeze in-state tuition for the fourth consecutive year.

Key differences include how much money to send Clemson University and the University of South Carolina for their initiatives.

Clemson's College of Veterinary Medicine is a priority for Peeler, a Clemson graduate. The Senate plan he oversaw provides $87.5 million, while the House plan sends just $7.5 million.

As for USC's main Columbia campus, funding differences include $20 million the House sends in recurring money for programs in science, technology, engineering and math, as well as $5 million to the USC Medical School.

The Senate plan gives nothing in ongoing aid to those. It does send $10 million in one-time money for a science and technology center.

Both Bannister and Smith are graduates of USC's Law School.

Budget mediators were close to an agreement late last week when negotiations fell apart. The House had intended to return May 24 to pass a budget compromise, but after that collapsed, Smith canceled bringing the chamber back this week.

It's common for the Legislature to pass a continuing resolution as a just-in-case for budget negotiations.

The six-member negotiating committee, led by Peeler and Bannister, have more than a month to work out their differences before the continuing resolution would be needed to keep government running.

Gov. Henry McMaster called legislators back into a special session that started last week, primarily to finish work on the state budget. But he can't control what they do. It's up to legislative leaders to decide when the chambers meet and when they go home for the year.
COLUMBIA  A six-week abortion ban is poised to become law again in South Carolina after Republican senators defeated an attempt to keep the option legal through the first trimester.

A 27-19 vote May 23 sent the bill to Gov. Henry McMaster, who will likely quickly sign it.

The chamber's three Republican women stood firm in opposing the bill, a month after joining with Democrats to defeat a near-total ban.

Whether or how long the so-called "fetal heartbeat" law would take effect is questionable. Another lawsuit is coming from Planned Parenthood, which successfully challenged a similar law the state Supreme Court threw out in January.

Its argument to have the latest version tossed, along with a request to put the ban on hold pending a final verdict, will be filed soon after the bill is signed into law, said Vicki Ringer, a regional director with Planned Parenthood.

Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey said he's confident changes made in the legislation will result in a different verdict.

"I feel good about where we are," the Edgefield Republican told reporters.

The bill makes abortions illegal once an ultrasound detects cardiac activity, which can happen roughly six weeks into a pregnancy.

It provides exceptions for rape or incest victims, though only through 12 weeks. It also allows abortions to prevent the mother's death or lifelong health problems, or when doctors diagnose fatal fetal anomalies.

The final vote came after senators rejected an attempt by Sen. Katrina Shealy to replace the bill with a 12-week ban that extended the rape-or-incest exception to 20 weeks.

Shealy, of Lexington, is among Republican senators who have consistently voted for a six-week ban, most recently in February.

But she said House leadership's months-long refusal to accept anything less than a ban from conception gave her lots of time to research and listen to her constituents about the real-life consequences of what she previously supported.

She offered a 12-week ban as a "real compromise."

For starters, it gives the woman time to know she's pregnant, she said, noting her mother's doctor initially thought she was a tumor.

"Dont force women to make a decision in six weeks for something they dont even know is happening," she said. "We are not the morality police, and you cannot be someone elses conscience."

It also stands a better chance of getting cleared by the courts, she said. Her proposal failed 21-25.

The six-week ban McMaster signed in 2021 took effect temporarily last summer after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out Roe v. Wade, ending a half-century of precedent and leaving the legality of abortions to state lawmakers.

But the state Supreme Court suspended it in August amid the court challenge, then tossed it out completely in January, ruling the law violated privacy protections guaranteed by the state constitution.

The ruling left South Carolina the "abortion capital of the Southeast," Massey said in arguing for passing a new version he believes addresses justices' concerns.

Abortions remain legal in South Carolina through 22 weeks, the second-least restrictive state in the Southeast behind Virginia. Data from the state's public health agency confirms abortions have risen sharply in recent months, with half of the women coming from other states.

Massey countered the suggested 12-week ban wouldn't change that. He noted that while the North Carolina Legislature passed a 12-week ban last week, it would still go further than South Carolina by requiring women to wait 72 hours after an in-person doctor's visit.

The vast majority of abortions in South Carolina occur in the first trimester anyway. The three clinics in the state don't offer them past 13 weeks. Later abortions are performed in hospitals, generally for wanted pregnancies that go unexpectedly wrong.

Sen. Mike Reichenbach, R-Florence, offered the debate's most personal, heartfelt explanation for supporting the ban.

His mother was 14 in 1971 when she became pregnant by her 15-year-old boyfriend, he said, adding he's here because she put him up for adoption.

"She was scared out of her mind" and facing ultimatums from her family, Reichenbach said she told him when they met 18 years later.

"I simply also want to put a face on that child thats not just a sesame seed or a raisin or a grape," he said about the compared size of an embryo in the early stages. "Can we also consider the opportunity were snuffing out?"

A month ago, six Republican senators helped defeat a near-total ban.

But moving the ban back to six weeks brought three of those Republicans  all male  back to a "yes" vote. Republicans also picked up a vote from April with the return of Sen. Stephen Goldfinch, R-Murrells Inlet, from National Guard training.

Following the debate, abortion rights activists cheered as each of the five females who call themselves sister senators  three Republicans, one Democrat and one independent  walked out of the chamber. All five wore buttons that read "elect more women."
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Gov. Kay Ivey has invited Alabama students to join her for her Summer Reading Challenge to encourage children to include reading in his or her summer activities.

Each of you worked hard this school year, and I couldnt be prouder of your efforts in the classroom. Summer is a time to break from school but not from learning. To continue the growth and progress you made, we must keep our minds sharp by reading all summer long, said Ivey.

Iveys Summer Reading Challenge, which began May 19 and concludes July 31 is open to all Alabama students, whether receiving public, private or home school instruction, grades K through eighth for the 2023-24 school year are invited to join.

To participate, grade-eligible students may write a letter to the governor sharing what their preferred summer reading book was and why it was their favorite. Assigned summer reading novels will also be accepted topics.

In addition to the written portion of the letter, students must include their name, grade and school he or she attends.

All letters to should be addressed and mailed to:

Governor Kay Ivey

Attn: Governor Iveys Summer Reading Challenge

600 Dexter Avenue

Montgomery, AL 36130

At launch of the challenge, Ivey offered her encouragement to students. As the school year wraps up, and we look ahead to our summer plans, I encourage each of you to set aside dedicated time for reading. This summer, I am inviting all Alabama students to join me in reading. Together, we will participate in my Summer Reading Challenge, she said. I look forward to hearing from each and every one of you about your summer literary adventure.

Teachers and parents can get in on the action by showing Ivey what Alabamas young learners are reading by tweeting the governor at @GovernorKayIvey and using the hashtag #GovernorIveysReadingChallenge and #AlabamaReads.
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BOWLING GREEN, OH / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / A-Gas has signed an agreement with The Chemours Company to license FM fire test data for HFC-227ea. With this data, A-Gas aims to bring the first UL-listed, FM-approved recycled HFC-227ea to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) fire suppression system market. A-Gas will market the product as FM-200R starting in the summer of 2023.Marketed under The Chemours Company's trademark, FM-200, HFC-227ea is a widely accepted replacement for Halon 1301. Since the production of CFCs and bromine-containing compounds has ceased, HFC-227ea has been an acceptable alternative. HFC-227ea leaves no residue on valuable equipment after discharge and can be used to protect a wide range of applications. It contains no bromine or chlorine and does not contribute to the destruction of the ozone.With the introduction of recycled, UL-listed, and FM-approved HFC-227ea as an available clean agent, A-Gas and Chemours are enabling the industry to utilize a recycled and circular option for their "first fill" needs. This is especially important now that the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act has been enacted. The AIM Act phases down the importation and production of HFCs in the US and will phase down an additional 30% from baseline levels in 2024."We're thrilled to build on our longstanding partnership and collaboration with Chemours in order to bring more recycled and certified Fire Suppression products to market," said Mike Armstrong, Managing Director and President, Americas, at A-Gas. "This is just another example of how A-Gas works with stakeholders across the industry to increase lifecycle management and participation in the circular economy." "A-Gas can continue to provide our customers with the critical products they need to keep critical systems, property, and people safe," stated Tyler Roberts, Vice President of Fire Protection and Environmental Services at A-Gas. "As a leader in the fire protection industry, we're proud that we can serve our customers while protecting the environment." "Chemours is committed to creating a better world through the power of our chemistry, and that requires partnering across the value chain," said Joseph Martinko, Americas Senior Director of Thermal & Specialized Solutions at Chemours. "Given our shared focus on sustainability, A-Gas was the ideal choice for the OEM Fire Suppression market. We're proud that this agreement not only helps advance the objectives of the EPA AIM Act, it also helps advance circularity and safety in this critical industry." About A-GasA-Gas (US), headquartered in Bowling Green, Ohio, is a trading subsidiary of A-Gas International (headquartered in Bristol, UK) and is the world's largest refrigerant recovery and reclamation company. The company's core business offers environmental solutions and lifecycle management services for ozone depleting substances and global warming agents including CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, and Halons in the HVAC/Refrigeration and Fire Suppression Industries. For more information about A-Gas, please visit agas.com/us About The Chemours CompanyThe Chemours Company is a global leader in Titanium Technologies, Thermal & Specialized Solutions, and Advanced Performance Materials providing its customers with solutions in a wide range of industries with market-defining products, application expertise and chemistry-based innovations. We deliver customized solutions with a wide range of industrial and specialty chemicals products for markets, including coatings, plastics, refrigeration and air conditioning, transportation, semiconductor and consumer electronics, general industrial, and oil and gas. Our flagship products are sold under prominent brands such as Ti-Pure, Opteon, Freon, Teflon, Viton, Nafion, and Krytox. The company has approximately 6,600 employees and 29 manufacturing sites serving approximately 3,200 customers in approximately 120 countries. Chemours is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware.For more information, we invite you to visit chemours.com or follow us on Twitter @Chemours or LinkedIn.Contact InformationKristin Nugent617-367-0100 Ext. 148Related Files2023_A-Gas_ Chemours Agreement_Press Release_FINAL CHEMOURS APPROVED.docx SOURCE: A-Gas
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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / South Pole2,000 electric buses (e-buses) in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area - a move that will help avoid around 500,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2030The pace and scale of our response to the climate crisis is mission-critical, as underscored by the most recent call to action by leading climate scientists. Climate action can and must become a powerful unifier on the international stage. But this requires governments, businesses and investors to forge new partnerships and agreements collaboratively, invest intentionally in testing innovative approaches in order to drive finance towards activities that deliver the highest level of emission reductions possible.IETA estimates that carbon markets could halve the costs of countries reaching their emissions reductions targets by 2030. The new carbon market under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement has a central role to play here.Article 6 is a clause in the Paris Agreement that sets the rules for international cooperation between countries to meet their emission reduction targets. Following the approval of this rulebook at COP26 in Glasgow, the Thai and Swiss governments have come together to authorise the first Article 6 programme in Asia: the Bangkok E-Bus Programme.This trailblazing programme is one of the first under Article 6 and will introduce around 2,000 electric buses (e-buses) in the Bangkok Metropolitan Area - a move that will help avoid around 500,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2030 and significantly improve air quality in a congested megacity like Bangkok. It provides, in effect, a blueprint for what the effective implementation of Article 6 could look like both for countries and the global climate, and it highlights the benefits of international cooperation between governments and the private sector.The potential of Article 6The authorisation of the Bangkok E-Bus Programme is the latest step forward following the signature of the cooperation agreement by the Ministers of Environment of both Thailand and Switzerland in June 2022. It represents the culmination of years of work from both Thai and Swiss governments, KliK Foundation, Energy Absolute, and South Pole - a true example of the transformational capacity of carbon markets to bring together a full ecosystem of partners and reduce carbon emissions cost-effectively.Central to this agreement are Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes, or ITMOs. ITMOs are the units of trade or international carbon credits under Article 6. Article 6 provides a framework whereby one country (Thailand, in this example) which requires financing for climate solutions is able to credibly and transparently cooperate with another country (here, Switzerland) which is seeking to achieve more cost-effective emission reductions.Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) facilitate credible and transparent climate cooperation between governments and the private sector.The transformational potential of this new mechanism is hard to overstate. In some parts of the world, financing emission reductions is more expensive than in others. Under Article 6, countries can enter into an agreement and finance emission reductions in other countries where the same amount of finance is able to achieve greater emission reductions. The bottom line is that, for countries acquiring ITMOs, more carbon emissions are reduced or captured compared to the reductions that would be achieved domestically with the same investment. For countries transferring ITMOs, new low-carbon solutions receive financing they would otherwise not have been able to access. In turn, these financed solutions provide invaluable benefits to the 'host country', well beyond carbon. In Thailand's case, the new low-carbon transport infrastructure and cleaner air will improve quality of life and the quality of public transport for Bangkok residents who experience unhealthy levels of air pollution.Transforming the Thai e-mobility sectorThe Thai-Swiss bilateral agreement shows Article 6 in action. Alongside regulation and investment in domestic emission reductions, Switzerland has signalled its intention to make use of Article 6 more broadly.On the other side of the world, Thailand is working hard to decarbonise its transport sector by promoting electric vehicles to displace petrol and diesel vehicles. In coming together under Article 6, Thailand and Switzerland are forging partnerships in both countries, among government agencies and in the private sector to unlock the benefits of low-carbon transport in Bangkok.This creates a carbon emissions trading arrangement whereby KliK Foundation in Switzerland will purchase the carbon reductions generated by Energy Absolute in Thailand from the Bangkok E-Bus Programme. In agreeing to relinquish use of the emission reductions towards its national emission reduction targets (Nationally Determined Contributions, or Thailand's climate commitments to the UN) as per Article 6 rules, the Thai government can unlock significant climate finance in order to replace around 2,000 diesel buses with e-buses, finance a city-wide network of electric charging infrastructure, and encourage passengers to shift their mode of transportation from private vehicles to e-buses. Together, these actions offer important building blocks to realise the vision of a low-carbon city.It's a win-win. Switzerland is able to finance emissions reductions more cost-effectively than it would be able to domestically. And Thailand is able to attract finance to transform its e-mobility sector - all the while improving its ambient air quality, protecting public health and improving the daily lives of Bangkok residents.Ensuring environmental integrityTo avoid the risk of double counting, Article 6 established a mechanism known as a "corresponding adjustment". This means, in the Thai-Swiss agreement example, that the ITMOs transferred from Thailand to Switzerland go towards reducing Switzerland's emissions balance and help to meet Switzerland's emission reduction target under the Paris Agreement. Thailand, correspondingly, has to increase its emissions balance by the same quantity, thereby avoiding double counting.There is a need to ensure additionality, i.e. that the Bangkok E-Bus Programme could not have been implemented without the revenue from ITMOs. The definition of this, plus the definition of the baseline scenario, are a critical premise which needed thorough consideration and robust justification.Emerging carbon marketsThailand looks set to benefit from a very active and effective carbon market. South Pole is honoured to have played a part, alongside our partners, in creating the conditions for this trailblazing cooperation and laying th
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 20:45:24

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HOUSTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Houston, Texas attorney Paul Sternberg has spent decades helping local clients overcome their legal battles. His specialty is helping those threatened or harmed by online defamation attacks.Many people may think of media as media, no matter the format. However, attorney Paul Sternberg, stresses that the internet is not treated the same way that print or broadcast media are treated-at least from a legal standpoint.The primary difference is that internet companies do not bear liability for third-party content. If an individual makes a defamatory statement about another person on an online platform, the internet company is not held liable. This isn't true of other forms of media. For example, if someone writes a letter to the editor at a newspaper, wrongly accusing someone of a crime, the newspaper can be sued, along with whoever wrote the letter.Radio and television stations can also be held liable for carrying an ad or promoting defamatory claims, as we've recently seen with Fox News and lawsuits by Dominion and Smartmatic voting systems. But again, this isn't true when it comes to online advertising on sites such as Facebook. Why? The answer lies in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.Section 230 Protects Online CompaniesEnacted in 1996, Section 230 has two main parts: the first provides protection against liability for third-party speech allowed on a website, and the second protects against liability for content. Section 230 is what allows internet companies such as Facebook to circulate material that otherwise might lead to a defamation suit against another form of media.The original intent of Section 230 was to protect internet companies from liability as well as to allow the general public to post content online and participate in a global conversation. Section 230 has done just that and has, in fact, has allowed internet companies to flourish under its protection.However, the internet has changed dramatically since Section 230 became law. Over the last two decades, there has been a shift from mostly decentralized, interest-based message boards and online forums on smaller websites to a more centralized model, controlled by large commercial providers. Today, the online economy is booming and is predominately platform-mediated. The problem is that the consumer safeguards and civil rights protections that apply to other forms of media simply don't exist on the internet.Section 230 was meant to encourage internet service providers to screen and filter objectionable content posted on their sites, but instead, it has allowed these companies almost total immunity with little to no recourse.Section 230 ReformSternberg, along with a number of other attorneys, is in favor of amending Section 230 in order to hold internet companies liable for defamation in a similar way that other forms of media are held liable.While it may not be reasonable to expect a social media platform like Facebook or Twitter to monitor billions of daily posts, it is possible to change the law so that theses companies are responsible for defamatory content they choose not to remove after it has been called to their attention. They can also be held accountable for paid ads which are defamatory in nature.In 2021, a bill known as the SAFE TECH Act was proposed. This amendment would remove Section 230 immunity regarding online advertisements and other paid services, and while the act (which has yet to become law) has its flaws, it is, at least, a step in the right direction.According to Sternberg, an individual who has been defamed online should be able to pursue legal action against all parties responsible for their harm, including both the individual making the defamatory statement and the internet company allowing it to be broadcast to the world.Paul M. Sternberg owns a private practice law firm in Houston, Texas. He concentrates his practice in the areas of internet defamation law as well as business law. Mr. Sternberg is a graduate from the A.B.Freeman School of Business at Tulane University in 1987, and a 1996 graduate from South Texas College of Law in Houston. Mr. Sternberg, a seasoned entrepreneur, is the author of THE GUIDE TO INTERNET DEFAMATION AND WEBSITE REMOVAL and THE GUIDE TO INVESTING IN COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE. He has 10 years of experience on representing clients who have been the victims of defamatory cyber-attacks. Mr. Sternberg has developed a reliable blueprint in securing positive solutions in most cases. He has shared his professional knowledge with FOX NEWS and many other media outlets to discuss internet defamation. He is a frequent speaker to attorneys and community groups. He may be reached at www.TheDefamationAttorney.com or his office at 713-789-8120.THIS ARTICLE SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON AS LEGAL ADVICEAttorney Paul Sternberg, of Houston, Texas, states and declares that the above text is not offered as legal advice, but is provided as general information. The information contained within may not be suitable for all individuals or situations. No attorney-client relationship is created or implied by the provision of this information, nor does the aforementioned make any warranties, whether expressed or implied, of any kind. To discuss a particular situation in more detail, please contact attorney Paul Sternberg for a consultation by calling 713-392-4322.SOURCE: Sternberg Law Firm
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Highest Grade Assays so far Confirm Significant Resource Expansion Potential Likely at Basin Project in ArizonaBRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Bradda Head Lithium Ltd (AIM:BHL)(TSX-V:BHLI)(OTCQB:BHLIF), the North America-focused lithium development group, is pleased to announce the assay results from the first five drill holes of the Basin East Extension ("BEE") 2023 drill programme; delivering the highest grade assays in all four drill programmes to date and confirming that lithium bearing clay continues and thickens to the west, northwest and north into its BEE lease. These significant indicators are expected to lead to significant resource expansion for the Company in H2 2023.Highlights:The first assays received back from the 2023 drill programme at Basin are very encouraging, with the highest grade and thickest high-grade upper clay unit sections seen to date, including 63.12m @ 954ppm Li in BES-23-03, 66.92m @ 1,077ppm Li in BES-23-04, and 63.71m @ 944ppm Li in BES-23-05.Notable high-grade intervals are: 24.32m @ 1,327ppm Li in BES-23-03, 18.30m @ 1,602ppm Li in BES-23-04, and 32.93m @ 1,029ppm Li in BES-23-05. The highest-grade assay received to date of 2,676ppm Li over 1.8m was recorded in hole BES-23-05 at a depth of 109.32m.Drilling commenced in March at BEE, and of the 25 holes planned, the first six drill holes have now been completed (see Figure 1) and hole 7 is midway through.The first four holes (south of the creek) located in BEE and Basin East (BE) (see Figure 1) have continued to demonstrate that the upper clay unit, is significantly higher grade that the lower clay unit, and thickens to the North and North-west direction into BEE.Holes 05, 06 and 07 (the first on the north side of the Creek) confirm this, have a similar upper clay thickness to holes 03 and 04, and also demonstrate the upper clay thickens to the north, northwest, and west as well towards Basin West.Hole 07, on the western border of BEE and BW confirms the upper clay unit continues to thicken to the west, which is very positive for resource expansion potential into BW, see Figure 2. Hole 07 is not complete but so far has the thickest upper clay unit encountered to date and is still in upper clay.The total upper clay unit is 78m, 67m, 69m, and 79m, thick for an average of 73m, in holes 03, 04, 05, and 06 respectively. To put that in context the average thickness of the upper clay unit is 34m in all the previous 34 holes that intercepted upper clay in the last 3 drill programmes (2018, 2021 and 2022). See Figures 3 and 4.BHL expects to drill up to a further 18 holes at BEE, BE and BN - BEE is adjacent to BE, and BN joins with BEE's northern border (see map in Figure 1). Prior to this programme, c. 1.4km2 of the area has been drilled, leading to a Mineral Resource of 371kt of LCE.During this programme the Company will continue to focus on ensuring work is carried out with as little disturbance as possible.The Company expects to provide the geological results of the remaining drill holes and assays when received and a revised resource estimate will follow after all assays are received.Charles FitzRoy, CEO of Bradda Head, commented:"These assay results are very encouraging and are showing higher grade and greater upper clay zone thickness than previously encountered at Basin; We expect a significant resource upgrade from this programme in H2 of this year."The analysis of holes 5, 6 and 7 which are the first holes Bradda has ever drilled to the north of the creek, is particularly exciting as it indicates the presence of a completely intact clay sequence which has been preserved by a basalt layer; meaning that the lithium bearing clays at Basin East extend across the creek and open up significant resource expansion potential. The assays for hole 5 support our blue-sky model for what we forecast at BEE and on to Basin West."These assays further strengthen our thesis at Basin and we believe our 2023 drill programme will generate material catalysts for the Company which will lead to a further significant resource upgrade in H2 of this year. We look forward to providing further updates as the results from our drilling programme become available." Figure 1: Map of Basin East Extension, Basin East, southern portion of Basin North, and eastern portion of Basin WestFigure 2: Map of the Basin ProjectFigure 3: Cross-section A-B North-West from Basin East to Basin East Extension through BES-23-03 to BES-23-05 showing clay thickening.Figure 4: Cross-section C-D North-West from Basin East to Basin East Extension through BES-23-04 to BES-23-05 showing clay thickening.BackgroundFollowing on from the success of the 2022 drilling at Basin East ("BE"), BHL mobilised a sonic drill rig, to drill up to 25 holes in the Company's Basin Project (see press release dated 16 March 2023).Following the 2022 sonic drilling at Basin, we drilled on c.1.4km2 of our c.46km2 of sedimentary lithium claims in Arizona, comprising the Basin and Wikieup Projects. The 2023 plan at Basin is to increase exploration drilling coverage over as much of our c.46km2 of lithium-bearing sediments as possible and, by completing this, BHL anticipates further resource growth in 2023 across this project.Initial results at Basin demonstrate the presence across the creek of a complete clay sequence as seen in BES-23-05, 06, and likely in 07 which has not been recorded to date at BE due to varying levels of erosion and basin margin thinning, thus demonstrating the potential for significant resource expansion within the 2.5km2 BEE MEP (Mineral Exploration Permit) and southern portion of the 2.6km2 BN claim. Bradda's existing compliant Resource is located primarily in the 1.5km2 BE state MEP.The Upper Clay sequence, now confirmed to thicken to the west, northwest, and north extent of the previously drilled area towards and into Bradda's BEE claim, could potentially form part of a phased mining operation. This could be mined early in the mine plan as a High-Grade zone sits in the upper part of the current resource.Hole BES-23-05, 06, and 07 (the first drill holes ever drilled by BHL to the north of the creek, see figure 1), encountered what the Company has interpreted as a completely intact upper and lower clay sequence which has been preserved by a basalt layer, signifying the continuation of lithium bearing clays across to BEE from BE and potentially into Basin North (BN). See Figure 3 and 4 for cross-sections.The assays from hole 05 are consistent with previous results, showing the upper clay unit is higher grade than the lower, and that there is a high-grade unit within the upper
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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, reminds investors of a class action lawsuit against Trinseo PLC ("Trinseo" or "the Company") (NYSE:TSE) for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.Investors who purchased the Company's securities between May 3, 2021 and March 27, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the firm before June 20, 2023.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at bschall@ schallfirm.com The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. Trinseo's plant in Bristol, Pennsylvania, suffered from a troubled history of safety problems under its previous ownership, which continued to be plagued with safety problems after it was acquired. The Company failed to disclose the specific risks involved in this plant's normal operations. The Company was at risk of chemical spills and other problems due to its operation of an unsafe plant. Based on these facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about Trinseo, investors suffered damages.Join the case to recover your losses.The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT:The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq.Office: 310-301-3335info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 14:17:24

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COLORADO SPRINGS, CO / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / The bioanalytical CRO companies formerly known as Pyxant Labs Inc. and ImaBiotech Group, which joined forces in 2021, are pleased to announce their new identity as Aliri. The integrated company's goal is to provide pharma and biotech companies a seamless experience across a unique range of decisive and innovative services, including mass spectrometry and imaging techniques for bioanalysis, spatial bioanalysis, and spatial biology. Aliri's team of seasoned scientists, project managers, and technical and regulatory experts remains dedicated to partnering with visionary drug developers and adding value to their workflow.Aliri Logo "Aliri is committed to providing a high level of service and attentiveness across a unique combination of bioanalytical and imaging services with the goal to help our customers select the right drug candidates and accelerate their drug discovery and development programs," said Jonathan Stauber, Aliri CEO. "We will continue to invest in our personnel, systems, technology platforms and facilities to meet and exceed the needs of our customers and the demands of the market." Aliri's continued investments are driven by its commitment to help customers advance their drug development programs with speed and agility:Lille, France: Aliri has increased its total facility footprint by 50% with additional space to support current and future growth to meet the regional demand. The company plans to build out additional laboratory and office space targeted for Q3 2023 completion.Colorado Springs, Colorado: Aliri has completed the buildout of a new dedicated instrumentation laboratory, which has increased its laboratory footprint by 25%. This expansion provides the necessary space to increase instrument capacity by 50%.Salt Lake City, Utah: Aliri has acquired additional facility space to increase its laboratory footprint by 25%. The company plans to build a new dedicated instrumentation laboratory to increase its instrument capacity by 30%, with a targeted Q2 2023 completion date.Aliri builds on 25 years of foundational enterprise experience and successful FDA submissions, carrying on the legacy of Pyxant Labs Inc., ImaBiotech Group, and Tandem Labs. The Aliri team is excited about the opportunity to further meet the growing demands of the industry and continue delivering exceptional results that drive success for its customers. Leading the teams are Jonathan Stauber, CEO; Maurice Gaubatz, Chief Business Officer; Jim Wilfahrt, Chief Operating Officer; Sylvain Chabanier, Chief Financial Officer; and Zach Farley, Director of Human Resources. Aliri is backed by ArchiMed SAS ("Archimed"), a leading private equity fund focused on the healthcare sector.Contact InformationJonathan StauberCEOSOURCE: Aliri
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 14:08:59

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NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESUS$ 4.75 Million Private PlacementLONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Gabriel Resources Ltd. (TSXV:GBU) ("Gabriel" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into definitive subscription agreements with certain investors in connection with a non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") of up to 24,782,212 common shares of the Company ("Common Share") at a price of $0.26 per Common Share ("Purchase Price") for gross proceeds of up to US$4.75 million (approximate $6.4 million), subject to stock exchange and other approvals as applicable.The Purchase Price has been fixed at the closing price of the Common Shares on the trading day immediately preceding this announcement. The number of Common Shares to be issued pursuant to the Private Placement represents approximately 2.5% of the Common Shares currently issued and outstanding on a non-diluted basis.Insiders of the Company have subscribed for 17,489,111 Common Shares for gross proceeds of US$3.35 million under the Private Placement. The issuance of Common Shares to insiders pursuant to the Private Placement will constitute a related party transaction' within the meaning of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company intends to rely on certain exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61101 contained in sections 5.5(a), 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61101 in respect of related party participation in the Private Placement, as the Company is not listed on specified markets and neither the fair market value (as determined under MI 61-101) of the subject matter of, nor the fair market value of the consideration for, the transaction, insofar as it involves the related parties, exceeds 25% of the Company's market capitalization (as determined under MI 61-101).The closing of the Private Placement is subject to certain conditions, including, but not limited to, the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("Exchange") and the receipt of all other applicable approvals. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the Company will be successful in completing the Private Placement. On receipt of approvals, it is anticipated that the Private Placement will close on or about June 8, 2023 or such earlier or later date as may be determined by the Company, subject to satisfaction or waiver by the relevant party of the conditions of closing. The Common Shares to be issued on closing of the Private Placement are subject to a statutory 4-month hold period.The Company is progressing with its arbitration case against Romania before the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes ("ICSID Arbitration") and intends to use the proceeds of the Private Placement to finance the costs of the ongoing ICSID Arbitration and for general working capital requirements.The Company expects to file a material change report in respect of the related party transaction less than 21 days prior to the closing of the Private Placement, which the Company deems reasonable in the circumstances so as to be able to avail itself of the proceeds of the Private Placement in an expeditious manner.The Company will not pay any finder's fee in respect of the procurement of arm's length subscribers in connection with the Private Placement.The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and accordingly may not be offered or sold within the United States or to "U.S. persons", as such term is defined in Regulation S promulgated under the U.S. Securities Act ("U.S. Persons"), except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities requirements or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Company's securities to, or for the account of benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. Persons.For information on this press release, please contact:Dragos TanasePresident & CEOPhone: +40 730 399 019dt@ gabrielresources.com Richard BrownChief Financial OfficerMobile: +44 7748 760276Neither 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.Further InformationAbout GabrielGabriel is a Canadian resource company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's principal business had been the exploration and development of the Rosia Montana gold and silver project in Romania. The Rosia Montana Project, one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in Europe, is situated in the South Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, Romania, an historic and prolific mining district that since pre-Roman times has been mined intermittently for over 2,000 years. The exploitation license for the Rosia Montana Project is held by Rosia Montana Gold Corporation S.A., a Romanian company in which Gabriel owns an 80.69% equity interest, with the 19.31% balance held by Minvest Rosia Montana S.A., a Romanian state-owned mining company.Upon obtaining the License in June 1999, the Group focused substantially all of their management and financial resources on the exploration, feasibility and subsequent development of the Rosia Montana Project. Despite the Company's fulfilment of its legal obligations and its development of the Rosia Montana Project as a high-quality, sustainable and environmentally-responsible mining project, using best available techniques, Romania has unlawfully blocked and prevented implementation of the Rosia Montana Project without due process and without compensation. Accordingly, the Company's current core focus is the ICSID Arbitration. For more information please visit the Company's website at www.gabrielresources.com Forward-looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking information" (also referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowin
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 18:00:40

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Dentists can now attend this comprehensive, nine-module implant education program at Glidewell's state-of-the-art clinical education facility.NEWPORT BEACH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / The American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) MaxiCourse program - a comprehensive training program in oral implantology hosted throughout the United States and internationally - will now be offered at the Glidewell Clinical Education Center in Southern California. This facility, which is located on the Glidewell campus, is a premier location for hands-on dental training.Glidewell to Host AAID MaxiCourse Program in Newport Beach, CaliforniaDentists can now attend this comprehensive nine-module, implant education program at Glidewell's state-of-the-art clinical education facility.Dentists worldwide take the MaxiCourse program to become proficient in all aspects of implant dentistry, including biomedical sciences, diagnostic procedures, surgical and prosthetic protocols, and practice management. "The MaxiCourse is the most sought-after implant training in the world, and now it's here in California," adds Dr. Shankar Iyer, instructor and assistant director for the Newport Beach MaxiCourse. "After teaching this program for over 20 years all over the world, we are now ready to kickstart the program here with a stellar lineup of faculty." Participants will attend comprehensive lectures from over 15 distinguished speakers in the field of implantology, including Drs. Timothy Kosinski, Paresh Patel, Taylor Manalili, Shankar Iyer and Ali Mostafavi, who also serves as the program's director. These instructors will provide expert guidance in a curriculum that includes topics like atraumatic extraction and bone grafting, digital workflows, immediate loading, and avoiding implant complications. In addition, participants will experience live demonstrations and clinical sessions with step-by-step instruction for skills such as CBCT planning and hands-on placement of implants in cadavers, which they can easily replicate in their practice.The 2023-24 program will be presented in nine parts from September to May, with classes offered once a month in three-day weekend blocks. This schedule is designed to give dentists the flexibility to attend the live components of the course while still having enough time to study, complete coursework and fulfill their daily job responsibilities."Glidewell is proud to be associated with this comprehensive, high-quality implant educational program," says Dr. Neil Park, vice president of clinical affairs at Glidewell. "Not only will this program prepare doctors for clinical success, it also confers eligibility for certification by the American Board of Oral Implantology, which is the most recognized credential in implant dentistry." These courses also provide over 300 hours of continuing education, which are necessary to fulfill the minimum educational requirement for Associate Fellowship in the AAID.MaxiCourse Newport Beach is open to dentists of all levels, from entry-level practitioners who want to add implant surgery to their practice, to seasoned implant practitioners who can glean valuable new knowledge and get the additional required accredited continuum hours for board certification with the American Bord of Oral Implantology. Tuition will cost $16,000 for dentists and just $12,500 for recent dental school graduates (within two years). To learn more about the AAID MaxiCourse in Newport Beach, dentists can visit the course website at maxicourseca.com . Additionally, dentists can also reach out directly by email at info@ maxicourseca.com or by phone at 866-791-9539.Contact InformationEldon ThompsonSr. Director of Marketingmail@ glidewell.com SOURCE: Glidewell
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The Dothan Police Department is seeking the communitys help in solving a year-old murder case.

According to Dothan Police, in the early morning hours of Sunday, May 22, 2022, Jacques Adarius McCleod-Roberts, 21, of Dothan, was murdered outside of a cafe in the 200 block of East Powell Street after an unknown individual walked up and shot him once. McLeod-Roberts was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials say after following up on several leads, no suspect or motive has been determined and theyve been unable to successfully resolve the case.

Investigators believe due to the number of patrons who are at the establishment at the time of the murder, someone out there may know who is responsible for the crime.

Anyone with information, no matter how big or small, is asked to contact the Dothan Police Department at 334-615-3000. One can also call Crime Stoppers at 334-793-7000 if they wish to remain anonymous.

Up to $1000 may be paid for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a suspect.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 14:10:47

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Event to take place under the High Patronage of Mr. Emmanuel Macron,President of the French RepublicCampaign calls for strong presence and commitments from incoming World Bank President Ajay Banga, the US' Janet Yellen, and G20 Nations at the Summit for a New Financial Pact, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on June 22 and 23Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' is hosted in partnership with the City of Paris, and produced by Live NationPARIS, FRANCE and NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Today Global Citizen, the world's leading international advocacy organization on a mission to end extreme poverty NOW, announced its return to the iconic Champ de Mars in Paris on Thursday, June 22 with Power Our Planet: Live in Paris'. A free, ticketed event, Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' will feature performances from Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Jon Batiste and special guests Ben Harper, FINNEAS, and Mosimann to drive commitments from world leaders and the private sector to confront the climate crisis head on.Under the high patronage of Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' will rally global leaders attending the New Financial Pact Summit, chaired by President Macron. The Power Our Planet campaign, which is co-chaired by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, is calling for a seismic shift in the way the world's financial systems work to give the world's poor and developing nations access to the financing they urgently need to quicken their transition to clean energy, strengthen their resilience against natural disasters, and address their most urgent needs.Global Citizen's Power Our Planet campaign is galvanizing millions of people around the world to take action, raise their voices and demand urgent changes from governments, Multilateral Development Banks, and major corporations, including:Keep Promises Already Made: Deliver the outstanding $16.7 billion of the committed $100 billion in climate financing for lower-income countries; transfer $100 billion in IMF Special Drawing Rights from wealthy countries to poor countries; increase foreign aid budgets; and enact global carbon emissions taxes.Free Up Funding: Make up to $1 trillion in financing available to countries in need through policy reforms at the World Bank and other multilateral development banks; and include natural disaster and pandemic clauses in loans to poorer nations.Transition to Clean Energy: Corporations should commit to join the United Nations' Race-to-Zero by setting science-based targets; publish time-bound action plans for climate transitions; and make transformative investments for a lower-carbon transition in emerging economies.Increased access to financing would help bolster governments' ability to resist climate change by, for example: helping 1.5 million farmers in Zambia withstand climate disasters like droughts and floods; protecting 1.8 million hectares of land in Ghana by 2030; ending deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon by 2030; and strengthening the resilience of national electric grids in island nations like Antigua and Barbuda to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' will pave the way for this urgent funding to be delivered throughout the year, including at the G20 summit in New Delhi, India in September; the Global Citizen Festival held during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, USA in September; the IMF and World Bank meetings in October; and culminating at COP28 in Dubai, UAE in November."Our world needs urgent change. Outdated global financial systems are perpetuating the conditions that keep vulnerable countries and their citizens trapped in the cycle of extreme poverty," said Hugh Evans, Co-founder and CEO, Global Citizen. "We congratulate Ajay Banga on his appointment as President of the World Bank, and there is an urgent and immediate opportunity for him to show leadership the world truly needs." "We need a world with more solidarity. Crises are multiplying and the number of those who place their hope in peace and multilateralism will only grow if we, as a global community, demonstrate that we are there to help the most vulnerable," said Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic. "Because inequality and poverty are the grounds of today's and tomorrow's wars. Because there will be no climate transition worldwide if we don't fight for more justice and equity. Halfway to the sustainable development objectives, we need a new financial pact between all countries, so that the world of tomorrow is more united." "This year - and this summit - are critical for the restoration of justice and equity within the global financial systems that continue to abandon and overlook poor and climate-vulnerable countries," said Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. "We need the presence and commitments of world leaders at the New Financial Pact Summit in Paris. I call on leaders of the G7, G20 and wealthy nations across the globe to step up, and let us act together in the interest of our planet and humanity. Join us in Paris." "The next generation are inheriting a planet that's being devastated by climate change," said Lenny Kravitz. "We have the power to change things with our voices and our actions. Join me on June 22, from wherever you are, and act today to save tomorrow." An alliance of world leaders representing both Global North and Global South countries has joined the Power Our Planet campaign alongside Global Citizen and Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, including supporters Emmanuel Macron, President of France; Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone; Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Jose Ramos-Horta, President of Timor Leste; Biman Prasad, Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, the Government of Ghana, the Government of Namibia, the Government of Zambia, and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).Power Our Planet's coalition of supporters also includes leading activists, philanthropic foundations, nonprofit organizations, and private sector leaders, including Dr. Rajiv Shah, President, Rockefeller Foundation; Mark Malloch Brown, President, Open Society Foundations; Benedict Oramah, President of AfreximBank; Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization; Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi; Kate Higgins, CEO, Cooperation Canada; Jennifer Jones, President of Rotary International; Ban Ki-Moon, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations; Eloise Todd, Executive Director & Co
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 04:40:32

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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 22, 2023 / The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, reminds investors of a class action lawsuit against Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. ("Charles River" or "the Company") (NYSE:CRL) for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.Investors who purchased the Company's securities between May 5, 2020 and February 21, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the firm before July 18, 2023.If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate.We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 2049 Century Park East, Suite 2460, Los Angeles, CA 90067, at 310-301-3335, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com , or by email at bschall@ schallfirm.com The class, in this case, has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member.According to the Complaint, the Company made false and misleading statements to the market. Charles River illegally imported non-human primates for research purposes. The Company was at risk of investigations by the DOJ among other agencies. The Company was forced to suspend importation of primates from Cambodia. Based on these facts, the Company's public statements were false and materially misleading throughout the class period. When the market learned the truth about Charles River, investors suffered damages.Join the case to recover your losses.The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation.This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics.CONTACT:The Schall Law FirmBrian Schall, Esq.310-301-3335info@ schallfirm.com SOURCE: The Schall Law Firm
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Toronto-Dominion Bank ("TD Bank") and several of its officers on behalf of all persons or entities that purchased or otherwise acquired securities of First Horizon Corporation ("First Horizon") (NYSE:FHN) between February 28, 2022 and May 3, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/fhn This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws.The Complaint alleges that Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and failed to disclose material adverse facts about TD Bank's operations, the risks associated with the timing for the closing of the First Horizon acquisition, and TD Bank's ability to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not false and misleading. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that Defendants misrepresented and/or failed to disclose to the market that: (1) TD Bank had deficient controls over AML and suspicious transaction reporting; (2) that the lack of controls posed a significant risk to the closing of the First Horizon acquisition; and (3) that the deficient AML controls actually caused a delay in obtaining the regulatory approvals for the First Horizon acquisition. As a result, Defendants' positive statements about TD Bank's risk culture and its ability to timely close the First Horizon transaction were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/fhn or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Law Clerk and Client Relations Manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in First Horizon, you have until July 21, 2023 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.Contact:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson212-697-6484 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC
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COLLINGWOOD, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / The You Power Project, a leader in empowerment education, proudly announces its inclusion among the distinguished recipients of the Education 2.0 Conference Outstanding Leadership Award. This prestigious accolade recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of education. Notable past recipients of this esteemed award include the Global Curriculum Manager, Sales Transformation & Enablement at Google and the Program Director for Boston Arts Academy.The Education 2.0 Conference is an internationally recognized gathering that celebrates accomplished professionals in the education industry, providing them with a platform for networking and knowledge sharing. Each year, the conference receives an abundance of exceptional applications, making the selection process for the Outstanding Leadership Award a highly competitive undertaking.Jessica Flynn is honored to have been selected as a recipient of this award, which serves as a testament to her unwavering commitment to educational excellence and innovation. The You Power Project's dedication to fostering positive change within the education landscape has been acknowledged by the Education 2.0 Conference, solidifying its position among the industry's foremost leaders."The Education 2.0 Conference Outstanding Leadership Award celebrates leaders who have demonstrated outstanding achievements and embody the core principles that drive success in education. By bestowing this award upon Ms. Flynn, the Education 2.0 Conference recognizes her organization's commitment to advancing the field and its notable impact on the lives of students and educators" (Education 2.0)."We are deeply honored to receive Education 2.0's Outstanding Leadership Award. Bringing 12+ years of dedicated service in the field of education, it is incredibly validating to be recognized for the work we are doing in our newly founded You Power Project. This award affirms that our efforts to drive positive and powerful learning and growth opportunities are aligned with the global need for transformative change. We remain committed to our mission of empowering students worldwide, and this recognition fuels our passion to continue making a lasting impact on the future of education" (Award Recipient, Jessica Flynn).The Education 2.0 Conference Outstanding Leadership Award will be formally presented at the upcoming Education 2.0 Conference USA, to be held from July 10th-12th at Caesar's Forum in Las Vegas, USA. This international gathering will provide an exceptional opportunity for The You Power Project to showcase its accomplishments and connect with influential peers in the education community.Education 2.0 occurs in the USA and Dubai, with a vision of "Starting a ripple effect of overwhelmingly positive and systematic changes in the global education sector through the exchange of ideas and fueling frequent collaborations between stakeholders". Their Mission of the conference series is to, "To create a stimulating space for a gathering of intellectuals who are dedicated to creating a better, brighter world by improving the education space".Jessica is humbled and honored to receive this esteemed recognition. The Education 2.0 Conference Outstanding Leadership Award reaffirms The You Power Project's commitment to excellence and underscores the organization's dedication to shaping the future of education.The You Power ProjectThe You Power Project is a social enterprise committed to nurturing confidence, resilience, and transferable skills in youth through their exploration of entrepreneurship. Our mission is to empower students as young as 12 years old to discover their unique YOU power by activating their passion projects and small business ideas. By connecting youth with mentors nationwide and promoting the triple bottom line philosophy, we exemplify that all businesses should prioritize people, planet, and profit. Our programs are co-created and vetted by students, ensuring that they are designed with the student's perspectives and relevancy in mind. For more information about The You Power Project and its outstanding contributions to the education industry, please visit www.theyoupowerproject.com Media Contact:Jessica FlynnFounder, CEOThe You Power Project905-517-4217info@ theyoupowerproject.com SOURCE: The You Power Project
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Successfully demonstrates patented lithium metal production process at Ontario pilot facilityCritical development milestone for commercial scale lithium metal production accomplishedTORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Li-Metal Corp. (CSE:LIM)(OTCQB:LIMFF)(FSE:5ZO) ("Li-Metal" or the "Company"), a developer of lithium metal and lithium metal anode technologies critical for next-generation batteries, today announced it has successfully produced its first lithium metal at the Company's lithium metal piloting facility in Markham, Ontario.Domestic lithium metal production capacity is essential for the development of a sustainable supply chain for next-generation batteries. Conventional lithium-ion battery anodes do not contain lithium metal and the supply chain depends heavily on materials such as graphite, which presents energy density and sustainability challenges. Li-Metal's successful demonstration of lithium metal production from carbonate further advances the Company's vision to establish North American based lithium metal production capacity that next-generation battery developers can leverage. Additionally, this milestone will allow the Company to secure its own supply of lithium metal for its anode production, in order to implement its vertically integrated business model."We are thrilled to have successfully produced lithium metal demonstrating that our patented technology can produce this highly valuable and strategic material," said Maciej Jastrzebski, co-founder and CTO of Li-Metal. "This marks a major milestone for Li-Metal as we work toward scaling our vertically integrated anode production operations. This is an important precursor to establishing commercial scale metal production and we believe it is the foundation for cost-effective and more sustainable lithium metal production in North America." Mr. Jastrzebski continued, "We believe we are one of the first internationally to produce lithium metal directly from lithium carbonate at this scale. The ability to produce metal from carbonate is a metallurgical process breakthrough and we are pleased to have accomplished this in Canada." The production of lithium metal directly from lithium carbonate removes the need for corrosive lithium chloride feedstock material which consequently eliminates the production of chlorine gas encountered in conventional lithium metal production processes. This reduces the environmental impact of Li-Metal's lithium metal production and minimizes the need for costly treatment equipment, enhancing the cost-effectiveness of the Company's technology. Li-Metal was recently granted a patent for the production of lithium metal from carbonate (patent CA3179470 issued by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office), which further supports its growth strategy for its sustainable lithium metal business.The ability to produce lithium metal is a significant step towards the Company's goal to demonstrate continuous lithium metal production as it builds on its piloting program in Markham, Ontario. Li-Metal plans to continue running piloting campaigns on the Company's pilot scale process to refine the product quality and process economics in preparation for commercial deployment. This is in parallel to advancing work on the engineering study for a commercial-scale lithium metal facility and exploring opportunities for sale of lithium metal into the next-generation battery industry and conventional lithium metal markets to build a healthy order book for the Company's businesses.Lithium-ion battery (LIB) adoption has grown exponentially due to its use in a wide variety of applications, including consumer electronics, energy storage facilities, and electric vehicles (EVs). However, conventional LIB chemistry has many limitations and is unable to meet the increasing range and energy density demands of EVs and advanced battery powered applications, such as electric aviation. Several aspiring and established battery manufacturers and automotive OEMs are rushing to scale up and deploy alternate LIB technologies, including solid-state batteries. A key component of these next generation batteries are the lithium metal anodes, which offer substantial energy density improvements compared to conventional LIBs. Currently, more than 90% of the lithium metal produced globally is concentrated in China, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, and Li-Metal continues to progress its plans to commercialize its patented lithium metal production technology to meet the accelerating domestic demand for this material.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARDSrini GodavarthyCEOTel: 647-494-4887Email: ir@ li-metal.com About Li-Metal Corp.Li-Metal (CSE:LIM)(OTCQB:LIMFF)(FSE:5ZO) is a Canadian-based vertically integrated battery materials company and innovator commercializing technologies to enable next-generation batteries for electric vehicles and other applications. We believe our patented lithium metal technology, next-generation battery anode technology and production methods are significantly more sustainable than existing solutions and offer lighter, more energy-dense and safer batteries. Li-Metal's battery materials support battery developers' ability to power more cost-effective electric vehicles that go farther and unlock the future of transportation. For more information, visit: www.li-metal.com Forward-Looking InformationThis news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the Company. Any such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "projects", "plans" and similar expressions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Statements about, among other things, the Company's strategic plans are forward-looking information. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that the development of the business of the Company will be completed as described above. The Company assumes no responsibility to update or revise forward-looking information to reflect new events or circumstances unless required by applicable law.Li-Metal Investor Contact:Salisha Ilyasir@ li-metal.com Tel: +1 647 795 1653Li-Metal Media Contact:Harry NicholasLi-MetalPR@ icrinc.com SOURCE: Li-Metal Corp.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 11:00:35

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The new signature of senior living is coming to Somerset County, New Jersey. Pre-construction development work has begun on Arbor Terrace Montgomery, a luxury-style senior living community offering seniors a lifestyle focused on wellness, healthy activity, and friendships.PRINCETON, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / The new signature of senior living is coming to Somerset County, New Jersey. Pre-construction development work has begun on Arbor Terrace Montgomery, a luxury-style senior living community offering seniors a lifestyle focused on wellness, healthy activity, and friendships.Arbor Terrace Montgomery LogoThe community, which is located within the Montgomery Crossing development, has a projected opening date of late 2025.The Arbor Terrace Montgomery information center is set to open in early 2025, giving local residents a first look at the development and the opportunities that the community will bring.Arbor Terrace Montgomery is a development of Braemar Partners and will be operated by The Arbor Company, which operates nine other senior living communities in New Jersey.The new community will feature 27 assisted living apartments; 24 Bridges program apartments with added cognitive support for seniors experiencing early stages of dementia; and 29 memory care apartments for seniors living with dementia.All options will include resort-style amenities and services such as regular housekeeping, personal linen and laundry services, and upscale dining. Pet-friendly accommodations are also available.Designed with both comfort and functionality in mind, Arbor Terrace Montgomery's amenities include gathering spaces, a beauty salon and nail spa, as well as on-site therapy and rehabilitation. Residents can choose from a variety of dining experiences, as well as specialized dining through Arbor's exclusive Dining with Dignity program. Concierge and scheduled transportation services will also be available for off-site activities and appointments.The architect is Studio Architects and the Faulkner Design Group will provide the interior design."We are thrilled to bring another community to New Jersey, offering the seniors of Somerset County the engaged living and upscale amenities that The Arbor Company is known for," said Arbor Company president Judd Harper. "We're already hearing from a lot of interested seniors, and it is encouraging to see them as excited as we are for Arbor Terrace Montgomery to come to life." Arbor Terrace Montgomery is expected to open in mid-2025.About Braemar PartnersBraemar Partners is a development company founded by a diversified team of real estate and construction professionals with experience in all facets of the development process. Our company's foundation is set on the principle that no challenge is too great and every challenge creates opportunities for positive change, resulting in amazing communities for Seniors. Our experiences are an inspiration to challenge us to improve the quality of life for our residents.About The Arbor CompanyThe Arbor Company is an Atlanta-based operator of more than 45 independent living, assisted living, and dementia care communities, serving seniors in 11 states. With more than 35 years of dedication and experience, The Arbor Company strives to deliver the highest quality care and service to residents and their families. The Arbor Company has been designated a Great Place to Work and is listed on the Fortune Best Workplaces for Aging Services list. More than 30 Arbor communities have the coveted designation as Best Senior Living communities with U.S. News & World Report. More information about The Arbor Company is available at www.ArborCompany.com Contact InformationChris Harpermedia@ arborcompany.com 678-725-1955SOURCE: The Arbor Company
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 18:30:29

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Cadence is thrilled to congratulate the recipients of the Latinx Students in Technology program by showcasing their outstanding achievements and inspirational stories with this fifth and final installment of the Diversity in Technology Scholarship blog series: https://www.3blmedia.com/news/campaign/cadence-diversity-technology-scholarships These highly accomplished awardees are pursuing technical degrees and were selected to receive a scholarship based on their impressive academic records, work in the community, leadership potential, and recommendations from professors. Get to know these spectacular students by hearing from them directly as they dive into their personal experiences, post-graduation goals, and what drives them to shape the future of technology.Watch this short video to hear directly from some of these scholarship recipients.Amelia Churchill, Case Western Reserve University"I was inspired to study computer science after I created my first website with HTML, CSS, and Javascript when I was about nine years old. I loved that I was able to have full creative freedom over my website. Ever since then, I've always known I would pursue technology! My greatest piece of advice is to truly believe in yourself, and know that you have control over your future." Ana Luisa Veroneze Solorzano, Northeastern University"I have always liked to challenge myself by learning new things. Computer science and engineering allow me to work on real-world problems to develop new skills and techniques that will be used for scientific advancement. I believe that the moment I understood that my soft skills give me a unique comprehension to solve technical problems, I recognized I could make a great impact in the world." Cristhian Alexis Roman Vicharra, Texas A&M University"As a recipient of the Latinx Students in Technology Scholarship, my motivation to share my experience with young students in my home country has increased. Also, my commitment to research and contribution to the technology field has gotten even stronger. Thus, I am committed to participating in conferences around South America and sharing my current research and experience." Davi Valerio de Queiroz Rodrigues, Texas Tech University"I developed a great interest in researching RF and microwave sensing technologies and their various applications because I have always had a lot curiosity about how wireless technologies work. After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in either academia or industry as a researcher, and I am grateful for the Cadence Diversity in Technology Scholarship, which will help me to continue to work on my PhD dissertation." Jorge Quesada, Georgia Institute of Technology"After I graduate, I want to become a research scientist who can contribute to the development of neurotechnologies. I am very interested in how learning and intelligence arose in humans and the way we can implement it artificially." Nubia Correa, Stanford University"Given that there are not a lot of people of color pursuing engineering-related degrees, I want to encourage students to teach what they learn to their communities, whether it's STEM-related concepts or general life lessons that the field has given you. It's a service for the passion you want to leave for the next generation to expand further and develop." Omar Barrera, University of Texas at Austin"My advice to future students is to become involved in student organizations, professors' office or coffee hours, and other similar department-run events. Always be willing to share knowledge and lend a hand first on matters where you have something to offer. Good things and opportunities have a way of finding those who give back." Patricia Garcia, University of Southern California"I am aware that my goals will remain dreams if I do not continue to persevere. Therefore, I am committed to working hard in school and searching for ways to make my dream of obtaining a STEM degree a reality. The Cadence Diversity in Technology Scholarship has offered just that! I've been able to work on my startup and create a meaningful impact in my college community as I don't have to worry about my graduate finances." Cadence is proud to support students from underrepresented communities in technology and thanks everyone who submitted applications this year. We hope to continue reaching STEM students from underrepresented groups with our upcoming scholarships. Congratulations to the talented individuals who were selected for everything they have accomplished thus far. We appreciate them sharing how these programs have impacted their studies and are excited to see where their passions take them next.Learn more about the Diversity in Technology Scholarship and say hello to other recipients from 2022.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Cadence Design Systems on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Cadence Design SystemsWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/cadence-design-systems Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Cadence Design Systems
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 18:30:24

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Americans want Congress and the president to step in if CMS doesn't change its restrictive coverage policy.WASHINGTON, DC / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Nearly nine in ten voters favor (87% favor, 77% strongly favor) requiring Medicare to cover the cost of FDA-approved drugs that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new poll conducted by Lake Research Partners and Public Opinion Strategies. Almost two-thirds of those polled (63%) are concerned that they, a friend, or family member could develop Alzheimer's disease."Voters hold as a core value that Medicare beneficiaries should have access to FDA-approved medicines for Alzheimer's, just as they do for other diseases," said Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners. "They do not understand why Medicare would restrict access to Alzheimer's therapies when it covers every other FDA-approved drug for every other disease." "Alzheimer's is personal for most Americans -- more than half say they know someone who has had the disease, and they are deeply concerned about whether they'll develop it," said Neil Newhouse, partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies. "As a result, Americans strongly support requiring Medicare to cover FDA-approved treatments for the disease." The poll was commissioned by four Alzheimer's patient advocacy groups: the LEAD Coalition, the Alliance for Aging Research, the Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation, and UsAgainstAlzheimer's.In April 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it would refuse to cover an entire class of FDA-approved therapies for early Alzheimer'sexcept for treatments provided through a very narrowly constructed clinical study. CMS's requirements for such a study are so stringent that in the year since the decision, one has not even been proposed, much less launched."CMS's decision effectively cut off access for the vast majority of beneficiaries living with early Alzheimer's except those wealthy seniors who could choose to pay entirely out-of-pocket," said Ian Kremer, executive director of the LEAD Coalition. "This new polling data shows that voters vehemently disagree with CMS's policy -- and want Congress and President Biden to ensure that all Medicare beneficiaries have access to FDA-approved Alzheimer's drugs." The data show that most voters do not agree with CMS's policy:74% of voters strongly agree that Congress should step in and require Medicare to cover FDA-approved drugs and therapies that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Eight in 10 agree overall.63% of voters strongly agree that President Biden should step in and require Medicare to cover FDA-approved drugs and therapies that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease; 74% agree overall.84% of voters strongly agree that Medicare should provide all beneficiaries access to Alzheimer's medications the same way that they provide access to FDA-approved medications for all other diseases.80% of voters strongly agree that Medicare should be required to cover drugs that are FDA-approved.Democrats , Republicans, and Independents strongly agree that Congress and President Biden should step in to change Medicare's policy."A stunning four in ten voters say that a family member has had Alzheimer's, and one-quarter say that they've cared for someone with the disease," said George Vradenburg, chairman and co-founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer's. "That is more than the margin of victory in any swing state. As this new poll makes clear, voters are looking to lawmakers to ensure that everyone who can benefit from FDA-approved treatments for Alzheimer's has access to them." "Lawmakers should heed the wishes of their constituents and require Medicare to make these groundbreaking therapies available to all its beneficiaries. Without them, hope is denied," said John Dwyer, president of the Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation."It's completely inappropriate for CMS to insert itself between patients with early Alzheimer's and their doctors, but that's exactly what they are doing," said Sue Peschin, president and CEO of the Alliance for Aging Research. "The American people --across party lines and demographics --get it, and they want this to change." ###For more information or to schedule an interview with a representative from any of the organizations named above, please contact IV Hendrix at iv@ keybridge.biz or (202) 980-4966 ext. 122.About the SurveyLake Research Partners and Public Opinion Strategies designed and administered a phone survey of likely 2024 voters that was conducted May 1-7, 2023, using professional telephone interviewers. A portion was also completed online, after part of the sample received a text to their cell phone with a link to complete the survey online. The survey reached a total of 1,275 likely 2024 voters nationwide which includes a base sample of 1,000 likely 2024 voters with oversamples of 100 Black voters, 100 Latinx voters, and 75 voters across Arizona, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. The oversamples were weighted down into the base sample to their proper proportions of the universe for a total sample size of 1,000. The margin of error is +/- 2.7%.About the LEAD CoalitionLeaders Engaged on Alzheimer's Disease (LEAD Coalition) is a national coalition whose mission is to mobilize an engaged network of collaborating organizations to focus the nation's attention on Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia and to accelerate transformational progress in:Care and support to enrich the quality of life of individuals with dementia and their caregivers;Detection and diagnosis; andResearch leading to the prevention, effective treatment, and eventual cures.The LEAD Coalition believes that the growing threat from dementia presents a moral imperative for urgent action. For more information, visit leadcoalition.org About UsAgainstAlzheimer'sUsAgainstAlzheimer's is engaged in a relentless pursuit to end Alzheimer's, the sixth leading killer in America. Our work centers on prevention, early detection and diagnosis, and access to treatments -- all regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity. To achieve our mission, we give voice to patients and caregivers while partnering with government, scientists, the private sector, and allied organizations -- the people who put the "Us" in UsAgainstAlzheimer's. For more information, visit UsAgainstAlzheimers.org About the Global Alzheimer's Platform FoundationThe Global Alzheimer's Platform Foundation (GAP) is a patient-centric%2
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 14:59:11

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / One of the most significant business challenges we face is hiring the next generation of workers and retaining our top talent. The manufacturing industry in the United States now relies on a mature workforce from the baby boomer generation, and a significant number of employees will be retiring in the next few years. During 2022, the loss of these skilled workers coincided with one of the tightest US job markets in decades.Compounding the labor shortage was the "Great Resignation" that followed the onset of the COVID pandemic, together with fierce competition for a smaller pool of candidates. All these factors have made it increasingly difficult for employers in our industry to find and hire good workers. Sappi is therefore being more creative and aggressive in our efforts to recruit employees, elevate our brand awareness, increase our visibility on social media, and educate the public on the premium and sustainable products we create.To improve our recruiting efforts, we have added a number of new recruiting tools to our toolbox, including hiring a dedicated internal recruiter from Gen Z who can speak the language of that younger age group.We have also increased our participation in job fairs and enhanced our presence on recruiting sites such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor and Indeed. We have increased the financial incentives for employees to better identify successful candidates for open positions. Sappi employees across the company are recruiting at high schools, trade schools, colleges and universities, using newly printed collateral targeted to both the hourly and salaried workforce. We have significantly expanded our presence on social media to showcase the Sappi culture and the benefits of working at Sappi, spotlighting employees and demonstrating the advantages of sustainability in our industry, including our ability to provide renewable, recyclable, woodfiber-based products that can replace plastics.We have invested in radio and television ad campaigns, and we continue to advertise in the specials sections of daily papers that highlight the forest products industry and careers in engineering. To promote employee retention and pride, we have revamped our employee newsletter, which we will publish at least three times a year, distribute throughout our facilities and mail to every employee at their homes.By far the most significant investment we have made is creating an extensive video campaign that highlights our people in various positions throughout the company. These videos showcase our world-class manufacturing and research-and-development facilities and demonstrate the impact of the sustainable and environmentally friendly work we do at Sappi. Our career-specific videos are used for recruiting in positions for research and development, forestry, sales and engineering.This is a new world for recruiting. We are taking our message to potential employees wherever they are, whether it is online, in print, or on social media or TV and radio. As the labor market continues to shrink, these efforts will become even more vital.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Sappi North America on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info:Spokesperson: Sappi North AmericaWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/sappi-north-america Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Sappi North America
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 20:16:06

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Tupperware Brands Corporation ("Tupperware" or the "Company") (NYSE:TUP). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@ pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.The investigation concerns whether Tupperware 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 1, 2023, Tupperware announced that it had identified misstatements in prior annual and unaudited interim periods, specifically relating to the Company's historical accounting for income taxes and expected to report at least one material weakness.On this news, Tupperware's stock price fell $0.61 per share, or 14.88%, to close at $3.49 per share on March 1, 2023.Then, on March 16, 2023, Tupperware filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a late filing notice on Form NT 10-K (the "Late Filing Notice"), reporting that it was unable to file its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 "by the prescribed due date, without unreasonable effort or expense because it requires additional time to complete the Form 10-K, including the restatement of certain of its previously issued financial statements[.]" Tupperware specified that it "will restate its consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 26, 2020 and December 25, 2021" and that "misstatements that originated in periods prior to 2020 are expected to result in a $23-28 million reduction to the previously reported 2020 beginning retained earnings, with such reduction primarily resulting from misstatements related to income taxes." On this news, Tupperware's stock price fell $0.19 per share, or 7.72%, to close at $2.27 per share on March 17, 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 SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
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The Friends of the Dothan-Houston County Library System is hosting the Books and Brews event with author Mike Bunn on Thursday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m. at Circle City Brewing.

Bunn, the director of the Historic Blakeley State Park in Spanish Fort, Alabama, is the author of Fourteenth Colony: The Forgotten Story of the Gulf South during Americas Revolutionary Era.

The book goes into detail about the British colony of West Florida, which stretched from the Mississippi to Apalachicola and through portions of modern-day Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. This forgotten colony included settlements at places such as Pensacola, Campbelltown, Mobile, Baton Rouge, Manchac, and Natchez.

West Florida didnt rebel against the British government and the colony was considered to be an inconsequential fringe outpost. The colonys history showcases tumultuous politics, a host of bold and colorful characters, a compelling saga of struggle, a perseverance in the pursuit of financial stability, and a dramatic series of land and sea battles that ended its days under the Union Jack.

Bunn offers an examination of the colony, introduces readers to the Gulf Coasts remarkable British period, and restores West Florida to its rightful place in the lore of Colonial America.

Copies of Bunns book can be purchased at Downtown Books in Dothan or at Circle City Brewing on the day of the event.

Food and drinks will also be available during the event.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at all Dothan-Houston County Library locations, Downtown Books, or online at www.dhcls.org/MikeBunn. Seating is limited to 40.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 08:05:23

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THE INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS DEEMED BY THE COMPANY TO CONSTITUTE INSIDE INFORMATION AS STIPULATED UNDER THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (REGULATION 596/2014/EU) AS IT FORMS PART OF UK DOMESTIC LAW PURSUANT TO THE EUROPEAN UNION (WITHDRAWAL) ACT 2018, AS AMENDED. UPON PUBLICATION OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT VIA A REGULATORY INFORMATION SERVICE THIS INSIDE INFORMATION IS NOW CONSIDERED TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Southern Energy Corp. ("Southern" or the "Company") (TSXV:SOU)(AIM:SOUC)(OTCQX:SOUTF) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a definitive agreement with PetroTX Energy, LLC ("PetroTX") to acquire the remaining producing acreage in the Gwinville Field not already owned by the Company (the "Assets"), in Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi for a cash purchase price of $3.2 million (the "Transaction").The Assets are currently producing approximately 400 boe/d (99% natural gas) of high working interest production at less than 8% projected annual decline from over 8,500 acres of held-by-production acreage and include significant redevelopment opportunities in the Selma Chalk formation. The Company recently initiated a field redevelopment program in Gwinville by employing modern horizontal drilling and multi-stage stimulation techniques on 10 operated wells drilled to date. The Assets are expected to increase well inventory in Gwinville by as much as 20%. The Transaction will allow Southern to design the surface and bottomhole field development plan more efficiently and cost-effectively.The operational synergies that are expected to be realized by integrating the Assets with the Company's existing operations are alone significant enough for the Company to achieve strong financial returns on the Transaction, before any incremental cash flow from the Assets. The Company anticipates that the Asset's operating cost savings of more than 30% are expected to be realized almost immediately after completing the Transaction, primarily driven by the consolidation of infrastructure, staff and services in the Gwinville Field. The Transaction is consistent with the Company's strategy to consolidate stable, low decline, cash flowing assets that have been historically under-capitalized at highly attractive and accretive metrics.Transaction Highlights [1]:PDP PV10 value of $7.7 million, including operations synergies, representing a PDP PV34 valuation or a nearly 60% discount to PDP PV10This includes expected operational synergies with a PV10 value of more than $5 millionNext twelve months cash flow of $0.9 million, representing a 3.6x cash flow multiple; 2022 cash flow of $3.7 million, representing a 0.9x cash flow multipleFlowing Production (WI) addition per boe/d acquired of $7,800 ($1,300/Mcfe/d), on an annual basis1.8 MMboe PDP Reserves (WI) addition at implied price of $1.76/boePotential 2P Reserves (WI) addition of 14.5 MMboe; 20+ net Selma Chalk drilling locations identifiedProjected 7% increase to sales gas volumes through fuel gas reductionEstimated operating cost savings of more than 30% expected to be achieved through synergies with our current Gwinville acreage239 total / 204 producing (net) wells with low future plugging liability associated with the assetsPDP reserves, 2P reserves and PV10 in respect of the Assets have been internally estimated by the Company's Internal Qualified Reserve Evaluator ("QRE") and prepared in accordance with National Instrument 51-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities ("NI 51-101") and the most recent publication of the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook ("COGEH"). "Internally estimated" means an estimate that is derived by the Company's internal QRE and prepared in accordance with NI 51-101. All internal estimates contained in this press release have been prepared effective as of June 1, 2023. Reserves values are based on working interest reserves of the Assets before deduction of royalties and without including any of royalty interest reserves.The cash consideration payable under the Transaction of $3.2 million will be funded through existing capacity from the senior secured term loan (the "Credit Facility") with Southern's current lender, who is highly supportive of the Transaction. The effective date and proposed closing date of the Transaction is June 1, 2023. The Transaction is highly accretive to Southern from an operating and financial perspective as it will be funded through the current Credit Facility while still maintaining healthy debt to cash flow levels. Southern expects to have approximately $14.5 million of capacity remaining on the Credit Facility after closing the Transaction, which provides ample funds to complete the four drilled but uncompleted wells from the Gwinville drilling program when natural gas prices are supportive.Pursuant to the terms of the Agreement, the Company has also agreed to grant PetroTX minor overriding royalties over two of the Asset's wells, which currently are not producing and would require remedial work to re-commence production, but were each previously producing approximately 400 Mcf/d.Hannam & Partners acting as financial advisor to the Company in relation to the Transaction.Ian Atkinson, President and CEO of Southern, commented:"We are very excited to consolidate the Gwinville Field under one operator at an accretive price for our shareholders. This will be the first time this has been done in over 30 years since Selma Chalk and City Bank early exploration and development started in the 1990s. Our team will seek to incorporate these operations with our own, achieving substantial synergies and cost savings that will help drive a very quick return of capital even at current natural gas pricing. The Finding, Development and Acquisition (FD&A) metrics of the Assets are outstanding and will add over 20 Selma Chalk drilling locations to our already deep inventory in the Gwinville Field. The Transaction demonstrates our ability to execute our high value inorganic growth strategy at low cost during periods of weaker natural gas pricing to add accretive, high quality assets to the portfolio that we will eventually grow organically when commodity prices are more supportive." Corporate PresentationA new corporate presentation dated May 2023 is now available on the Company website at www.southernenergycorp.com Qualified Person's StatementGary McMurren, COO, who has over 22 years of relevant experience in the oil industry and has approved the technical information contained in this announcement. Mr. McMurren is registered as a Professional Engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 16:15:49

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Edison InternationalEdison Scholar Janna Lee volunteering as a junior docent for the Los Serenos de Point Vicente Interpretive Center in Rancho Palos Verdes. PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of Janna LeeEnergized by EdisonShulie Tornel ENERGIZED by Edison WriterFrom a young age, Janna Lee often visited Morro Bay with her family. She was captivated by the sleepy fishing village's serene waters and spent hours on the shore exploring and picking out her favorite rocks. Family trips to state and national parks planted a seed in Lee that has bloomed into a deep fondness for the environment.Today, Lee devotes as much time as she can to community outreach and volunteering. She serves as the Aquarium of the Pacific's Teen Science Cafe Leader and is co-president of Palos Verdes High School's Science National Honor Society."Instead of just focusing on getting good grades, she got involved with the Point Vicente Interpretive Center as a Junior Docent and the Aquarium of the Pacific. She wanted to broaden her opportunities," said Jennifer Lee, Janna's mother. "It took up every weekend. I would always ask, Janna, don't you need downtime to do other things?'"Her answer would always be the same, "Mom, my downtime is for the Aquarium of the Pacific and volunteering." Lee plans to attend the University of California, Berkeley this fall. "I hope to study environmental science and policy, how humans interact with nature and how we can protect it," Lee said. "I live by the ocean and I've visited every national park. I want to do something to give back to our planet." Lee is among 30 high school seniors across Southern California Edison's service area selected as 2023 Edison Scholars. The annual Edison International program recognizes students who are committed to working toward positive change in the world. Each Edison Scholar receives $50,000 to help them pursue a college degree in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM). The program is fully funded by shareholders.Steven Powell, SCE president and CEO, surprised Lee and her family during a recent lunch period to deliver the good news."For Southern California students, this scholarship can help close the gap in their financial ability to pursue the education they need to fulfill their dreams," Powell said. "We are proud to help these students as they make their impact on the world and look forward to them joining us in building a clean energy future." Scholars who meet the minimum requirements and complete the required screening are also eligible for a paid summer internship with SCE upon completing their first year of college.When classes at Palos Verdes High School moved to a virtual environment, Julie Maemoto, science teacher and advisor of the Science National Honor Society, fondly recalls meeting Lee in her anatomy and physiology honors class."She stood out in a COVID year where students were behind the screen," Maemoto said. "Her engagement in great discussions, in small groups and as a sophomore in a senior class made her a leader for me that year." Loraine Loh-Norris, a math teacher and Palos Verdes High School engineering department chair, expects Lee to embrace policy and law and find like-minded students in college."This scholarship is going to allow her to take advantage of more opportunities in college. Hopefully, she's going to help our world with our current climate and global issues and make a huge impact," Loh-Norris said.Lee plans to do exactly that in college and beyond. "Plants can't speak for themselves and I hope to advocate for them and the planet. I hope my future education and career will make a difference on our planet." Learn more about the scholarship program at edison.com/edisonscholars CONTRIBUTORSPHOTO CREDIT: ERNESTO SANCHEZVIDEO CREDIT: ERNESTO SANCHEZ AND JOSEPH FOULKView 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
PR-Inside.com: 2023-05-23 00:27:57

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LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / May 22, 2023 / The Coalition of Black Men Physicians (CBMP) held a successful financial literacy and networking event titled "Securing the Bag" on April 20th, 2023, at the PVCC Members Only Club in Los Angeles, CA. The event featured a star-studded panel of presenters, including Celebrity Financial Planning Advisor Eszylfie Taylor, Dr. Clarence Lee Jr., and Dr. Carl Truesdale, and moderated by CBMP President Lauren Senkbeil. This revolutionary event aimed to gather healthcare professionals, sponsors, and community stakeholders to discuss financial literacy, entrepreneurship in medicine, loan repayment strategies, investor and angel financing, and executive skill set capitalization.Eszylfie Taylor, president and founder of Taylor Insurance and Financial Services, kicked off the event by outlining financial services available for high-net-worth healthcare professionals, business owners, and families. The panel continued with strategic discussions on executive skill set capitalization and securing investor financing with facial plastics and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Carl M. Truesdale and Dr. Clarence Lee, President and CEO of Exhort Health. The event was sponsored by Prospect Capital, Taylor Insurance and Financial Services, the Black Excellence Society (formerly For(bes) the Culture), and Young, Bold, and Regal Media. It also raised capital for CBMP's scholarship campaign, aimed at increasing the number of Black males entering and completing medical education. CBMP has been unyielding in their mission to expose health inequities in society and medicine, and this event provided a platform for community and brotherhood amongst Black males at every stage of medical training."Overall, the Securing the Bag' event was a huge success in bringing together healthcare professionals, sponsors, and community stakeholders to discuss important topics and raise funds for a worthy cause'" stated a spokesperson for CBMP. "The CBMP is determined to continue this work and increase the number of Black men in medicine, addressing the need for more diverse representation in the healthcare workforce. "CBMP is dedicated to cultivating a platform for Black male medical trainees to access support from those who share a like-minded goal that recognizes the importance of direct intervention. With over 40 years of attempts to mitigate health disparities in Black communities, the issue of training culturally competent Black male physicians capable of transforming health in medically underserved communities has intensified. Many organizations have identified the underlying causes underpinning the phenomenon of the under-representation of Black men in medicine and concluded that direct intervention is needed. CBMP is committed to this cause and is taking proactive steps to address this issue.For more information about the Coalition of Black Men Physicians, visit www.blackmenphysicians.org Media DetailsWebsite URL: www.blackmenphysicians.org Company Name: Coalition of Black Men PhysiciansEmail address: blackmenphysicians@ gmail.com SOURCE: Coalition of Black Men Physicians
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with ION Energy, Hank Payments and Heritage Mining 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.ION Energy Acquires New Lithium Pegmatite Project Located in the Yellowknife Pegmatite ProvinceION Energy Limited 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. Bliss Lake Lithium Project is 5,798 hectares in area and totals five contiguous licences.For the full interview with Ali Haji and to learn about ION Energy, click here.Hank Payments Inks First Contract for Its Newly Launched Education Product PlatformHank Payments Corp., is a North American leader in consumer Fintech Software-as-a-Service ("SaaS") in the Banking-as-a-Service ("BaaS") market segment. Hank platforms manage consumer cash flow and budgets on an automated basis using proprietary algorithms that collect, store and disburse cash as required to discharge obligations in a timely fashion.For the full interview with Mike Hilmer and to learn about Hank Payments, click here.Heritage Mining Announces Corporate and Exploration UpdateHeritage Mining Ltd. is pleased announce significant advancements in the first few weeks of its fully permitted Phase 1 exploration drilling program at the flagship Drayton - Black Lake project, located near Sioux Lookout, Ontario. The Project is located within Eagle-Wabigoon-Manitou greenstone belt of the Wabigoon Subprovince, which also hosts the Treasury Metals Inc. Goliath-Goldlund deposits.For the full interview with Peter Schloo and to learn about Heritage Mining, 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, 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 Heraldmarketing@ themarketherald.ca SOURCE: The Market Herald
The United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc said it is set to celebrate this years Africa Day in commemoration of African unity with the fifth edition of the annual UBA Africa Conversations.

The event will be held at the Tony Elumelu Amphitheater, UBA House, on Wednesday, 24 May.

A statement seen by PREMIUM TIMES said this is coming at a time Africans are achieving great feats on the global front.

According to the statement, UBA Conversation 2023 allows the African and global audience to hear and connect with diverse panellists on their African journeys and how they have waded through various challenges to attain international successes in their own rights.

It said this years theme is: Innovating for Growth in Africa, and interestingly, this edition involves an all-female panel who are certified professionals in their own right from various fields.

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They include the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, UBA Africa, Abiola Bawuah; President, Transnational Corporation (Transcorp) Plc, Owen Omogiafo; award-winning and trendsetting Foodpreneur/Chef, Hilda Baci; Renowned Fashion Designer, Banke Lawson-Kuku and Business & Technology Executive; Folusho Gbadamosi.

These intelligent women will speak on how they have succeeded at their craft overtime and the place of innovation in business.

They will also speak on their personal journeys and how women have aptly taken their pride of place against all odds to emerge as business leaders while supporting change on this continent, the statement said.

The session will be moderated by UBA Ghanas Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Henry Dottey.

Also expected at this all-important event is the Chairman, UBA Group, Tony Elumelu; the Group Managing Director, Oliver Alawuba; other key management staff, business leaders and key players in the economic, financial and business landscape in Africa, it said.

The statement noted that the UBA Africa Conversations, which will begin at 12 p.m.WAT is open to all and will be aired online on the banks social media pages, including Instagram and Facebook.

Since 1963, Africa Day has been celebrated every year on May 25th across the African continent and worldwide. The day was inaugurated by the Organisation of African Unity in celebration of the unity, diversity and beauty of Africa and its people.

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In recent months, several non-African actors have expressed their wish to see the African Union (AU) represented in the Group of 20 (G20), a forum for international economic cooperation among industrialised countries. This is a laudable recognition of the strategic importance of Africa and the AU in particular.

At the AUs February summit, African leaders decided that the body would represent the continent in the G20 alongside South Africa, which is a member in its own right.

The momentum for Africas representation in formal and informal global governance forums has never been higher. Most United Nations (UN) Security Council permanent members also claim to favour permanent African representation on the council.

But are the AU and its member states ready to meaningfully participate in the G20, where collective solutions to the worlds economic and development challenges, and not just Africas problems, are discussed?

African countries have often justified their quest for representation in global governance bodies from the perspective of equity, inclusivity and alleged historical injustice. Rightly so, but with a collective GDP comparable to Frances, hard power in Africa is in short supply. Meaningful participation would require substantial changes in how the AU operates, particularly the division of labour between the AU Commission and member states.

Being part of a global forum like the G20 would require the AU to have clear positions on world issues it has not focused on before because they dont directly relate to Africa. For example, what is the AUs stance on North Koreas nuclear programme? Where does it stand on problems emanating from the dislocation of the Soviet empire? And how will it mediate an African position on issues that its 54 members disagree on, such as Israels accreditation to the AU?

Becoming a G20 member would be a political, cultural and technical challenge for an organisation that has been relatively inward-looking. The AU would need to put in place working methods that allow  or force  its members to acknowledge the positions they agree on at summits. This has not always happened. For example, the AU includes a state (Western Sahara) that is recognised by only a third of its membership.

Many political challenges face the AUs G20 membership. It would be the first time an inter-governmental organisation was invited to join a global forum like the G20. The privilege has never been extended to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Arab League or Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. So far, only the European Union (EU) has been approached, and unlike the others, it is a supra-national organisation.

Because EU member states have agreed to transfer some of their sovereign rights to the union, it has developed what is often referred to as acquis communautaire  an aggregated body of laws and obligations. This outlines the modes of collective decision-making, which sometimes require a vote.

As an inter-governmental organisation whose member states are sometimes suspicious of the Commission chair, the AU would need to develop procedures enabling the Commission to take initiatives on global matters. This would eventually contribute to changing the political culture of the AU and allow the Commission and its chair more room to manoeuvre.

The AU would also have to break with the non-written, but deeply entrenched principle of consensus that bans voting from decision-making. Polls are a valuable way to create majorities while taking on board the views of minorities. The process forces actors to negotiate, build alliances and compromise on workable consensus. Resorting to qualified majority votes often protects smaller and medium-sized countries, and regional powers, who fear being outvoted.

To fully participate in the G20, the AU chairpersons office would probably need a team of experts  led by a sherpa  to study and develop African positions on global economic and development issues. The sherpa track is one of the key operating modes within the G20 and would be the most important for the AU.

Meaningful African participation in global governance bodies depends on the resources African countries are ready to channel towards those forums. But beyond the perennial question of AU funding, the AU Commission needs the human resources capacity for strategic planning.

To support the AU chairperson at the G20, the Commissions recruitment practices would have to be guided less by geographic representation and more by a strategic view of what the AU aims to achieve. As the chairpersons G20 team would operate on the global stage, filling those unelected high-level positions should reflect the highest standards of professionalism.

The AUs current preparations for joining the G20 call for deep reflection about the type of international actor it wants to be. African states need to define their shared interests and the principles and values they wish to project.

The war in Ukraine has tested the continents consistency on key principles enshrined in the AU Constitutive Act and the UN Charter. There is a risk that opportunities for more responsibility at the global level wouldnt benefit Africa.

Paul-Simon Handy, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Regional Director East Africa and Representative to the AU and Felicite Djilo, Independent Analyst

(This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish).

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As the curtains are drawn on the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, PREMIUM TIMESs Chiamaka Okafor had an exclusive interview with Nigerias longest-serving Minister of Foreign Affairs since 1975. Geoffrey Onyeama talks about his time as minister, his achievements and handover notes. He also talks about the ongoing crisis in Sudan, coups in West Africa and the controversial English proficiency tests Nigerians take despite English being their countrys official language, amongst other issues.

Mr Onyeama was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs by Mr Buhari in 2015 and reappointed in 2019. Before the appointment, he worked at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) from 1985 to 2014, serving as the Deputy Director General of the organisation from 2009 to 2014.

Excerpt:

PT: Is Nigeria concerned about the fallouts of the crisis in Sudan?

Mr Onyeama: Yes. We have to be absolutely very concerned because we saw that the crisis in Libya led to the insecurity we have in this country, and clearly, what is going on in Sudan can exacerbate that. So we have to be vigilant, on our toes, and yes, absolutely take whatever preemptive measures we can take to ensure that we do not have a crisis worsened by what is happening in Sudan.

PT: There have been not-so-quiet comments around the Wagner Groups involvement in the crisis and how it is another proxy war between Russia and the West in Africa. What is Nigerias position?

Mr Onyeama: You say we know that Wagner is involved in Sudan? We do not know that officially. We have not been presented with any concrete evidence or hard facts that they are there. I am not saying they are not, but we do not have any proof.

But, yes, they are operating in countries nearby, and you are right that one of the concerns that we all have is that Africa should not be, again, a battleground for another Cold War. So, this is something we are very concerned about to ensure that it does not happen. And how are we doing that? Obviously, through the ECOWAS. Wagner started getting involved in Mali, and it seems in Guinea Bissau, so ECOWAS is very concerned about that and trying as a collective to address that. But clearly, our position is that we do not want the Cold War repeated on African territory again. So we would certainly act.

You talked about Nigeria as a big brother, but we also are very reticent about acting unilaterally on African conflicts. We believe in using the existing multilateral structures  ECOWAS for West Africa, the African Union for the rest of Africa, and even the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), which groups the East African and North Horn of Africa.

There is an IGAD Plus, and Nigeria is that plus. Although we are not part of IGAD, we are part of the IGAD+ because of our, maybe, Big Brother role, so we will use all those fora, all those multilateral frameworks to hopefully be able to stop the move towards Africa becoming another battleground for East-West conflict.

PT: There is the question about BRICS and the non-alignment movement in Africa. How BRICS is disrupting or affecting the global political landscape. What does this mean for the continent in terms of non-alignment?

Mr Onyeama: I do not think BRICS is in any way really disrupting global politics, as it were, you know. Because they are disparate countries, if you look at the countries of BRICS, you will not see any East-West alignment possibilities.

I am not sure that any other country, even the Western countries, necessarily sees it as representing anything more than an economic grouping. These naval manoeuvres were recently between the Russian and South African Navy. But again, we do not believe that really is a cause for alarm or concern. We see BRICS there are different groupings globally around the world. You will see that all over, some of them are with countries within the same region or sub-region, and some are with countries that have similar interests, so I think BRICS is just another one.

PT: Is Nigeria interested in becoming a member of BRICS?

Mr Onyeama: At the moment, it is not apparent what added value being a member of BRICS would bring. But clearly, if we saw that it would benefit Nigeria, then yes, maybe. But as things stand, it is not obvious what the value addition would be, and I think joining alliances or groupings just for the sake of joining alliances and groups really does not make sense.

PT: West Africa has seen many coups in recent years. Are we (Nigeria) worried that this is happening here?

Mr Onyeama: No. We have gone over 24 years changing governments democratically. One does not see a coup coming in Nigeria. I think we have gone beyond that; well, touch wood. I believe, and I would like to think, that we have gone beyond the stage of coups. As a country, we have evolved beyond that. The institutions are stronger, the democratic institutions are stronger, and the country is vast and a bit more complicated, so it would not be easy to have a coup in todays Nigeria.

PT: Todays Nigeria is witnessing a lot of pressure from the past election, and people are angry for several reasons. Do you think we are strong enough to go through this phase?

Mr Onyeama: Well, we will have to wait and see. But I still think that there is a certain resilience that we have developed in the country that will equip us to come through this. We have had all kinds of challenges in the recent past as well, the militancy, the IPOB, the Boko Haram, the bandits, and the herders. The country is resilient, and I think it can weather all that storms and will be able to respond and reshape those stresses to its unity and peace.

PT: In the last eight years, not until the Presidents Chief of Staff Ibrahim Gambari made clear what the countrys foreign policy direction is, a lot of us were in the dark. How would you accept that Nigerias foreign policy has been defined by stasis?

Mr Onyeama: I do not think that (Gambaris definition of Nigerias foreign policy) is correct. I think our foreign policy is clear; we have been saying all the time from day one that a foreign policy is an extension of the interests of a country, your national interests. So you leverage your relations with foreign countries to promote those national interests. There is no magic word citizens diplomacy, economic development that defines your foreign policy because your foreign policy can evolve. We are developing policies about Sudan, as you asked, so foreign policies are always evolving. You cannot just say our foreign policy is this, and that is the end of it or that our foreign policy starts with our near neighbours. Our trade with Europe is 100 times more than our trade with Cameroon, Benin or Niger, so we cannot talk about that our foreign policy is with our near neighbours you know as such.

But when the president came on as president, he identified the countrys core interests, so our foreign policy will be leveraging, promoting or trying to achieve those core interests through leveraging our relations with other countries. He made it clear  good governance, anti-corruption, security and the economy. So yes, economic diplomacy we have been promoting with countries around the world. On security, with our near neighbours, we have been fighting the Boko Haram war, but also we have been in alliance and cooperation with countries afar to support us in our security challenges on terrorism and even anti-corruption; we have been going around trying to have loot returned to the country and promoting good governance in Africa through the African Union with Mr President as the African Union champion you know, our anti-corruption champion. So your foreign policy is a lot more, I would not say complicated but nuanced, depending on the circumstances involved.

So what this government has probably done most is to seek to have good relations with all countries. I would call that a positive engagement with countries, and if you have that positive engagement with countries, you can leverage those good relations to get support in your fight against terrorism, anti-corruption and trade with you. I do not think we can talk of capturing Nigerias foreign policy in two words.

PT: How would you rate this administrations security performance?

Onyeama: Regarding Boko Haram, they are giving up in droves. Life is returning to normal in the Northeast, Maiduguri and many places. You can see that we are winning, and I would say almost have won as far as Boko Haram is concerned. I think we have made progress and gains in the fight against Boko Haram. I think that is clear for everybody to see and that eight years ago, when Mr President came in, Boko Haram was a hot topic, and the talk was that it was the most, in terms of killings, a destructive terrorist organisation in the world. But today, it is no longer about Boko Haram. There are other security challenges, too, but as far as Boko Haram is concerned, I think the government has done very well in really diminishing that threat.

PT: If Nigerias foreign policy direction is to promote Nigerias interests, I would imagine it also includes the interests of its citizens. This is to ask about the English proficiency test Nigerians are made to take. What is your office doing to see that Nigerians are excluded from taking this test?

Mr Onyeama: I am not sure that there is anything we can do in that regard. I suspect that possibly the reason certain countries or maybe educational institutions might have put that as a requirement might be because of experience from past students who have been coming into those educational institutions. One thing we have to remember and be clear about, if we are honest with ourselves, is that we have an uneven standard and quality of education in the country and that we still need to invest a lot more in terms of quality education. I think that this could be a reflection of that, that maybe we are getting a lot of students who, on the face of it, are at a certain level, but when put to the test, we find that they are really below that level.

I think that we should be looking at ourselves and our educational system and how we can improve them so that Nigerian students are worth the certificates that they have. I would say 30 to 40 years ago, there would not be any question about that, but I think if we are honest with ourselves, our standard of education probably is not where we would all like it to be.

PT: What is the strength of Nigerias diplomatic service, and how would you rate the gender balance in the representation of active missions abroad?

Mr Onyeama: We have representation in 104 countries across the world, and for female representation, I cannot give you exact figures, but I think that there is pretty high representation. I would say that maybe 30 to 35 per cent female representation.

PT: Looking back on the last eight years as Nigerias foreign minister, what are your key achievements?

Mr Onyeama: I would say the strengthening of bilateral relations with countries. So creating that engagement and respect with the countries that we deal with for Nigeria has provided, in my opinion, an enabling environment for us to push our interests.

PT: Just one?

Mr Onyeama: Yea, because then you have a lot of benefits from that. But I think the first thing is to elevate the level and the nature of the relationship with other countries to facilitate, to gain respect for Nigeria. We have seen Nigerians being elected into various positions, we have been able to get countries to support our candidates and so forth. Also, administratively within the ministry and the one or two big initiatives that we hope to launch very soon, a help desk so that Nigerians everywhere in the world, citizens diplomacy, can call in wherever they are if they have any problems. And there is an all week 24 hours help desk to respond and assist Nigerians. This is something that was clearly missing that we have been able also to bring and deliver. And also a platform that we have also developed to make it easier for Nigerian businesses to access foreign markets. A business matching platform that opens up the world for Nigerian businesses to access the global market and also to promote foreign direct investment into Nigeria. I think that is another concrete deliverable we have been able to deliver in the time we have been here.

PT: I am concerned about how soon you can deliver that, given your little time in the office.

Mr Onyeama: On the help desk, it will be launched or inaugurated before we leave. It is ready and running, so it is just a formal inauguration before we leave.

PT: Why does NiDCOM appear to be playing the foreign ministry role?

Mr Onyeama: Well, on NiDCOM, it is an agency within the foreign affairs ministry, so it is not an entity separate as such from the orbit of the foreign ministry. For us, it is not about competition; it is about what is beneficial for Nigerians, so if there is something of benefit to Nigerians, whether it is done by NiDCOM or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the important thing is that it benefits Nigeria.

PT: Categorically, you say NiDCOM is not taking away your job?

Mr Onyeama: But we are doing our job. I do not know in what way they would be taking over our job. They do not have contact with governments or foreign ministries of other countries; they do not have that connection with them. They are not supervising our embassies around the world. And as I said, foreign affairs is the primary interlocutor and speaker with other countries. NiDCOM cannot do that because they do not have that access to the Ministry of foreign affairs of other countries.

PT: What would be in your handover notes to your successor on areas where we need to improve?

Mr Onyeama: I would say mainly administrative. It will have to be us being able to resolve the funding issue of the ministry; I think that is really cardinal. And probably the automation of work procedures of the ministry, the computerisation of work procedures, and contact with our embassies.

PT: Speak to me more about funding.

Mr Onyeama: We are grossly underfunded, so you have a perpetual crisis due to the underfunding. And we need a mechanism. It is not just the ministry, but of course, I think the parliament and what is appropriated to the ministry and the government at large (budget), we have to give more to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs if we are going to maintain 104 missions around the world and also if we are going to reorganise the headquarters by giving it modern means of communication.

PT: What climate concerns have formed a major part of Nigerias foreign policy under your leadership?

Mr Onyeama: We are fully engaged in the various Conferences of the Parties (COP) on climate issues. We have the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that we will make as part of our climate action. But of course, I think the big challenge for us as a fossil fuel-producing country, oil and gas, is the move to net zero emission. We are putting it at 2060 at the moment. But clearly, that is one thing we have to really think about; the transition to clean energy as an energy-producing country. How we manage that because we need the resources from those fossil fuels, and so those are going to be, for a long time, the mainstay of our economy. But as we are plugged into climate action and reduction of fossil fuel consumption, we have to tread carefully going forward.

PT: Do you think that 2060 is feasible for Nigeria?

Mr Onyeama: We will have to see; because that is the issue, that Western countries have developed on the back of carbon emissions, coal, oil and so forth, and it is almost like you climb up a ladder, and you get to the top, and others want to climb up the same ladder, and you now want to put the ladder away because of one reason or the other. That is something we have to see.

We saw with the issue of gas that, for a time, there was a concerted effort on the part of Western financial institutions and several Western countries not to fund any more gas projects, for instance. You know our gas is coming more and more on stream, and we were arguing that gas should be seen as a transition fuel over this time as we transition away from oil to give us time to transition. Suddenly we saw with the Ukraine crisis how dependent the same Western world is on gas and not talking so much any longer about defunding gas. These are some of those issues where we talk about double standards. So we have to look at our own interests, and that has to be preeminent and what we have to go by. The fact of the matter remains that, as I pointed out to John Kerry, the US climate envoy, as things are now, we are at net zero, more or less, in terms of emissions that we are contributing to the global carbon emissions. But their argument is that it will get more and more if you keep investing in it. But still, we are not the ones that have caused the climate crisis and the carbon emissions. However, we are committed as a government to net zero emissions and will try to get there.

PT: If I hear you clearly, you do not know how feasible 2060 is?

Mr Onyeama: It is feasible, of course, if you have the political will and you are prepared to make all the investments that are required and tighten your belt where you need to. So it is a question of the commitments of future governments. I am not in a position to say what the incoming administrations commitment and others will continue to be.

PT: Last October, there was a security alert about an impending terrorist attack in Nigeria. We have seen several occasions where foreign missions issued travel advisories to their citizens  correct me if I am wrong  but Nigeria does not have such practice. The principle of reciprocity, you know, allows us to do the same. Why has Nigeria not tapped into that?

Mr Onyeama: It is not a question of reciprocity. This is just advice that you give to your citizens; so if the Americans give such advice to their citizens, it is not an act of reciprocity as such for us to now give it to Nigerian citizens in the US because the US did that in Nigeria. I think that would be the wrong approach.

I think where there is a real issue  because do not forget that these are alerts given by embassies in a particular country  it is not foreign affairs or the foreign ministry; it is a local issue. For instance, in the situation in Khartoum, Sudan and also Ukraine, we gave an alert to Nigerians there. We will do that in any other country where there is a real issue in terms of avoiding certain places, but it is for each embassy to decide because they are living in that country and they know best, and the decision is completely up to them.

PT: The National Assembly a few weeks back proposed a bill to stop medical professionals from leaving the country. Are there any diplomatic responses to these issues?

It is a Nigerian domestic affair, not a foreign affairs issue. But I do not think it can be done regarding human rights, everybody has a right to free movement, to leave the country as they wish. If you have a bond agreement like the government pays for your medical education, they could put into that conditions for the scholarship that you will work for the government for five years or something like that, in which case they can insist on that.

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Governors of the south-east region of Nigeria have named the Second Niger Bridge after President Muhammadu Buhari, an official has said.

The bridge was commissioned on Tuesday by Mr Buhari who participated in the event virtually.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the governors took the decision ahead of the commissioning of the project to appreciate Mr Buhari for completing the project after successive administrations failed to do so.

Following consultations, the governors of the South-east have agreed that the second Niger Bridge shall be named after the Muhammadu Buhari Second Niger Bridge, Tolu Ogunlesi, a media aide to Mr Buhari posted on his verified Twitter handle on Tuesday.

Bashir Ahmad, a special assistant to the president on digital communications, also announced that the bridge has been named after Mr Buhari.

The Second Niger Bridge is to be officially called/known as Muhammadu Buhari Second Niger Bridge, Mr Ahmad wrote on his Twitter handle, Tuesday.

Ejimofor Opara, a media aide to Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, told PREMIUM TIMES that Nigerias Minister of Power, Babatunde Fashola, announced the bridges new name during the commissioning of the project.

Mr Fashola also participated in the event virtually.

The minister, Mr Opara said, noted that the decision to rename the bridge after Mr Buhari was taken by the governors from the South-east.

The five governors include Mr Soludo (Anambra), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi Enugu), Hope Uzodinma (Imo) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia).

The bridge

The construction of the new bridge began on 1st September 2018.

The bridge spans from Asaba in Delta State, south-south Nigeria to Ozubulu, Ogbaru and other communities in Anambra State, South-east Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Nigeria enrols 3 million girls in secondary schools through AGILE project Official

The first Niger Bridge, linking Onitsha and Asaba, was completed in 1965 and built by the French construction company, Dumez.

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A senator, Sani Musa, has denied reports of his involvement in an alliance to return Ahmad Lawan as the Senate President with a senator-elect, Osita Izunaso, as his deputy.

Mr Musa, who has been reelected from the Niger East District, said the reports were false and an attempt to cause confusion in the All Progressives Congress.

The senator initially announced his ambition to run for the Senate President seat but has been endorsed by the North-central leaders of the APC for election as deputy Senate President.

The national leadership of the APC has nominated a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio,for the top seat and the senator representing Kano North District, Barau Jibrin, as his deputy.

However, some of the other aspirants have accused their party of being unfair with the zoning arrangement adopted for the nominations.

Mr Musa, in a statement Monday night, said he did not have any agreement with any group to return Mr Lawan as the presiding officer for the 10th Assembly.

He stated that he is committed to the resolution of his colleagues from the North-central.

He urged senators-elect to disregard the rumor that he is working to help Mr Lawan retain the seat.

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The National Assembly is considering transforming its Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies to the University of Legislative Studies.

The Director-General of National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Abubakar Sulaiman, made this known on Monday while inspecting the construction of the institutes radio station in Abuja.

Mr Sulaiman, a professor, claimed that the institute has every requirement to transform its operation from an institute to a full fledged university.

What is needed for university is already available at the Institute. What is required now is the political will for the transformation into University for Legislative Studies, he said.

Radio station

The Institutes radio station is proposed to be called Democracy Radio and Legislative Centre for Security Analysis.

The Director-General said the radio station, after commissioning, will transmit issues relating to the National Assembly and democracy to listeners.

Democracy Radio as envisioned is to serve as a nexus between parliament and the people and practically serve as a disseminating unit to Nigerians about democracy, he said.

When fully operational after commissioning, it will have more information than any other radio station in Nigeria going by the resources and facilities that will be at the disposal of management and staff, one of which is the standardized website already provided for it.

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PIKE COUNTY  A Pike County woman was arrested Tuesday after she gave birth to a stillborn baby who had drugs in his system, according to Coffee and Pike County DA James Tarbox.

Chelsey Redmon-Zellers is charged with chemical endangerment of a child resulting in death, a Class A felony offense under state laws. She taken into custody at the Pike County Jail and her bond was set at $200,000.

According to Tarbox, Redmon-Zellers was referred from Troy Regional Medical Center to Medical Center Enterprise and gave birth to a stillborn baby boy after a full-term pregnancy.

Around the time of birth and throughout her pregnancy, Redmon-Zellers tested positive for a variety of illegal substances. After the stillborn baby was born, he was taken to an Alabama Department of Forensics lab, and toxicology reports confirmed he had high levels of methamphetamine and fentanyl in his system.

Due to continued exposure to these substances, the baby boy suffered an intrauterine fetal demise.

"This is a tragic situation where one of the most vulnerable among us died due to the actions of the one who should have cared the most, the baby's mother," Tarbox said in a press release. "It is this office's hope that pregnant woman who intend to use drugs and other harmful substances will seek the help and assistance they need rather than follow a path that leads to the death of their baby."

The Pike County Sheriff's Office, Enterprise Police Department, Coffee County Coroner's Office, Pike County Coroner's Office, and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, all assisted the 12th Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office in this investigation.
Nigerian tertiary institutions have been urged to absorb students who returned from war-ravaged Sudan to continue their academic activities.

The House of Representatives reached this resolution on Tuesday following a motion of urgent public importance moved by Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) during plenary.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how fighting started on 15 April between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group, RSF. Over 500 people have been killed in the violence and many counties including the US and Saudi Arabia have evacuated their citizens.

The Nigerian government also evacuated thousands of Nigerian students studying in the country.

Moving his motion, Mr Sada said the war has caused disruption of the academic activities of many of the students, who now face uncertainty as to when they would be able to return to the troubled North African country.

He stated that Nigerian universities must give the returnees the opportunity to continue their education in Nigeria.

There is a need for swift intervention by the Federal Government through absorbing the students into tertiary institutions in the country in order to enable them to continue with their various educational programmes.

Some tertiary institutions have shown willingness to absorb the affected students, however, the approval of the Federal Government would be required, he said.

Mr Soli added relevant authorities should expand the quota system of schools to admit medical and law students.

He said a similar exemption was granted to students that returned from Ukraine.

Federal Government should consider the quota systems imposed on certain courses such as law and medicine and waive them for the students concerned in order to enable them to continue with their programs pending the resolution of the Sudan crisis.

In the face of the Ukraine/Russia war, there was a similar intervention whereby Nigerian students who fled from those countries were absorbed into tertiary institutions in Nigeria to continue their various educational programmes., he said.

The motion was taken without debate, and the Committee on Tertiary Education and Services was mandated to ensure compliance and report back within one (1) week for further legislative action.

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The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, said Monday that the President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has started repaying some commercial loans used in financing the Dangote Refinery before commissioning the plant.

Mr Emefiele disclosed this while delivering his speech during the official commissioning of the refinery.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday commissioned the refinery amid high expectations that it will impact the nations oil and gas sector and the larger economy.

The pipeline infrastructure at the refinery is said to be the largest in the world, with 1,100 kilometres and will handle 3 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day.

Mr Emefiele said Today, our history is being rewritten, and Nigerias trajectory for greater growth and prosperity is enhanced as we inaugurate Africas largest refinery, the Dangote Refinery, alongside its Petrochemical plant.

The CBN partnered with the Dangote Group in ensuring the successful completion of the Dangote refinery project by providing about N125 billion, to cover domestic currency requirements for the venture.

The CBN chief explained that the banks intervention in the refinery project is part of the CBNs effort to support President Muhammadu Buharis drive to diversify the economy.

Mr Emefiele also lauded Nigerian banks for providing financing support to the Dangote Group for its refinery project.

What you may not be fully aware of, Your Excellencies, is that the Dangote Group has started repaying some of the commercial loans even before the commissioning of this facility.

This reflects the commercial capability of the Group and its Chairman. I am pleased to inform everyone today that, following extensive repayments, outstanding debt has dropped appreciably from over US$9 billion to US$2.7 billion, Mr Emefiele said.

I must at this juncture appreciate all the participating local Nigerian banks, who did not only partner with the project through effective financing but were keenly aware of the importance of the project for our nation.

They provided immense support and exceptional understanding, even when interest payments and principal repayment had fallen due, he said.

Self-sufficiency

Mr Emefiele restated the need for the nation to produce what Nigerians consume.

Regardless of what the world thinks, Nigeria can be self-sufficient in all products that we consume and at the same time export our excess output to the rest of the world, he said.

The apex bank governor expressed optimism that the country, under the incoming administration, will cease importing petroleum products, fertilizers and petrochemicals and save the country over US$26 billion.

The refinery could spare Nigeria about N5 to N7 trillion annually in the fiscal expenditure of the federal government over the next five years, he said.

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As Presidents across some African countries joined Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday to commission the worlds largest single-train 650,000 barrels per day refinery in Lagos, parliamentarians from different nations on the continent have raised fundamental questions on issues of climate change and pollution.

While they acknowledged the refinery will reposition Nigerias economy for good they raised concerns over the possible impacts of the emissions from the plant.

The event, which coincided with the inauguration of the refinery in the same city of Lagos on Monday, was the West African Parliament Conference on Climate Change convened by the African Group of Negotiators Expert Support (AGNES) in collaboration with Nigerias National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) and the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC).

Climate change versus refinery

According to AGNES Director of Climate Policy and Research, David Awolala, Nigeria in its efforts to become an industrialised nation must keep on the path of development, and be able to manage its externalities  the negative impacts of industrialisation.

He suggested that Dangote Group needs to focus more on renewable energy, especially those that have cooling effects on their production processes.

So once they invest money into their renewable energy it is definitely what we call green energy. It will definitely reduce impact on the society, he said

Similarly, a consultant to NILDS, Emmanuel Oladipo, said the company should manage its resources to start looking for alternative energy sources, particularly, the renewable energy sources.

That will now mean once you have the source of the power, source of electricity from other sources, then including the use of electric cars, that will now reduce the dependency on Dangote refinery for fuel, he said.

Less pollution, more devastation

Speaking on Monday at the conference, the Director-General of NILDS, Abubakar Sulaiman, emphasised the need for African countries to collaborate with other continents to adopt policies on climate change adaption and mitigation.

He said Africa contributes less than 4 per cent to global emissions but suffers more than any other part of the world in terms of the consequences of climate change.

Mr Sulaiman said unless countries act collectively, the world might not be able to attain the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees -a legally binding international treaty signed by more than 190 countries.

The NILDS boss noted that while other countries entrench measures to de-risk their consumption and production system to deliver on greenhouse emission targets, African countries especially those in the West African region, have continued to grapple with multidimensional poverty.

According to the US Centre for Climate and Energy Solutions, a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions target is a state-level goal to reduce emissions by a specific amount by a pre-determined date.

READ ALSO:

The targets can cover all greenhouse gas emissions or specific gases (e.g. carbon dioxide only).

According to Mr Sulaimon, Africa can only achieve the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 if countries act together to ensure that choices in resource allocation, reward sustainable consumption and production.

He added that if deliberate measures are not taken to pursue green growth and sustainable development, the positive results that have been recorded in other sectors would be rolled back by the adverse impact of climate change through flooding, increased warming, desertification, and deforestation.

According to the WHO African Region, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress between 2030 and 2050.

About conference

The conference had parliamentarians from more than 10 African countries to map out strategies to fight the climate change menace.

The countries are Burkina Faso, Benin Republic, Cote Divoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

In his remarks, the Director of AGNES, Raymond Kasei, a Kenyan, said the aim of the conference and workshop is to sensitise members of parliaments in the area of climate change and strengthen them in their legislation oversight activities within their various parliaments.

We also seek to share ideas because some countries are further ahead in legislation in the areas of climate change and environmental development, as opposed to others who are probably about to start, he said.

Mr Kasei added that the deliberations at the conference will prepare African countries ahead of the Conference of Parties (COP 28) that is coming up in December in Dubai to deliberate more on the area of implementation of strategies.

Addressing journalists on the sideline of the conference, the Director-General of NCC, Salisu Dahiru, said bringing together parliamentarians and technocrats in the climate change discourse is one surest way of closing that gap.

He said: One missing factor that is common in most African countries is the absence of a law or legislation that will back the policies that the governments are formulating.

And without this law, you cannot hold government, individuals or the private sector accountable for the implementation of those steps that are needed to help us control or manage the situation that we find ourselves in with respect to climate change.

Legislative support, funding

Meanwhile, the NILDS boss noted that parliamentarians must ensure that laws passed in Africa and the allocation of resources in national budgets are conducted in a manner that enables commitment to zero net emissions.

He said the climate change Act passed by Kenya and Nigeria in 2016 and 2021 respectively, require further legislative engagement, saying to address the challenge of global climate change, countries require local actions that would complement global efforts.

On funding, Mr Sulaimon added that the Global Climate Fund (GCF) provides an opportunity for developed countries to support developing countries in national climate actions on adaptation, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction.

He noted that the funding arrangement requires countries to mobilise domestic resources as well.

As legislators, therefore you are to use the opportunity you have through the budget defence to ask MDAs to respond to questions on how they are contributing to attain net zero in the sectors they oversight, he added.

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I am honored, tweeted Judd Devermont, on Monday evening. Mr Devermont is the special assistant to US President Joseph Biden and senior director for African Affairs in the National Security Council, as he expressed his sentiments on being a part of the Presidential Delegation that will travel to Nigeria in the coming days.

On Monday 22 May, Mr Biden announced a 9-person Presidential Delegation to represent him and America, to the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 29 May 2023, in Abuja, Nigeria, led by the Marcia Fudge, who is the 18th U.S. Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Her leading the delegation is noteworthy because she is a past Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. She served as a legislator in the U.S. Congress110th117th (20072021), a period of fourteen yearsrepresenting the Democratic Party.

From the US Department of States foreign mission, the US Embassy in Nigeria, David Greene, Charge dAffaires, will, as the top diplomat of an embassy that was established in the host country in 1960, justifiably be a part of the delegation. Mr Biden pledged to accelerate high-level visits by senior administration officials to Africa at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit he convened last December.

Another nominee is Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a Congresswoman whose constituency is the 37th District in the State of California. She is also a member of Mr Bidens Democratic Party.

Appointed on 28 December 2021, is an attorney who Mr Biden appointed, in her current position, to lead the [US] federal governments efforts to assist American businesses entering or expanding into international markets, enforce fair trade policies, promote travel and tourism to the United States and U.S. products and services overseas, provide in-depth trade analyses, develop strategies that will shape the future of international trade, and engage in commercial diplomacy across the globe. This is why Marisa Lago, U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, US Department of Commerce is a laudable pick for Mr Biden.

READ ALSO:

US Marine Corps General Michael Langley is the sixth commanding general of the combatant command, US Africa Command, commonly referred to as AFRICOM. He started this position last August. He has the responsibility for all U.S. military operations in Africa and in the maritime waters that surround the continent. Since starting his tenure, he has focused his attention on face-to-face engagement, said AFRICOMs public affairs. They emphasize that, We will support African-led efforts to work toward political solutions to costly conflicts, increasing terrorist activity, and humanitarian crises, such as those in Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia, and the Sahel, and invest in local and international peacebuilding and peacekeeping to prevent new conflicts from emerging.

For Enoh Ebong, Director, US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), this will not be her first visit to Nigeria. She was there in October 2022 when she was promoting Mr Bidens new approachthe US Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africaand the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), and Nigerias Energy Transition Plan.

The US Department of States Africa Bureaus Assistant Secretary of State, Mary Phee, will also join the delegation.

Monde Muyangwa, who was appointed by Mr Biden to be the assistant administrator for the Bureau for Africa at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and has decades-long experience in US-Africa relations, will be a valuable complement to the delegation.

The U.S. is the largest foreign investor in Nigeria, with U.S. foreign direct investment concentrated largely in the petroleum/mining and wholesale trade sectors. At $2.2 billion in 2017, Nigeria is the second largest U.S. export destination in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the State Department.

Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based foreign correspondent, and media commentator with expertise on U.S. foreign policy and international security. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe

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At the recently concluded Africa Land Forces Summit (ALFS) 2023, Christopher Musa, a major general and Infantry Corps commander, Nigerian Armed Forces, summarized the significance of why it is important for Nigeria and African military leaders to come together and conference. The whole domain approach, all original approach; thats why its important for us to meet, said Mr Musa adding that, We look at all the challenges were facing and the best way to approach them. The domain Mr Musa referred to is the capability of an armed force to manoeuvre, gain access to a threat area, and succeed in both control and in the militarys mission; to have superiority over the threat area.

While the activities of terrorist organizations in Nigeria  Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa  decreased by 15 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019, according to data from the Global Terrorism Trends and Analysis Center (GTTAC), Nigeria still made up 8 per cent of the worlds total fatalities from a terrorist incident, in 2020. Nigeria is not the only country with Boko Haram  Cameroon, Chad, and Niger face the challenges too  making it crucial for countries to meet and seek ways to best diminish threats.

Defence leaders attending the ALFS 23, heard from, and exchanged knowledge with, renowned academics and non-governmental experts, as well as military members, throughout the week during five plenary sessions and five breakout sessions addressing a variety of topics, said the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF) public affairs office.

High-ranking military chiefs from African countries and the United States gathered to build relationships, exchange information on current topics of mutual interest and encourage cooperation in addressing challenges, from 8 to 12 May, in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, confirmed the SETAF-AFs public affairs office. The ALFS 2023 was held at the Sofitel Hotel in Abidjan.

Included on the conference agenda was a Plenary Session titled CounterViolent Extremist Organizations (VEO) Best Practices in Africa. The speakers leading this session were Lassina Diarra, researcher and consultant at the Centre for Strategies and Security for the Sahel Sahara, and Geoffrey Jackson, professor in the Department of Humanities at Mount Royal University.

During the ALFS 2023  co-hosted by SETAF-AF along with the Armed Forces of Cote dIvoire  Mr Musa actively participated, posing important questions to the panel, including during a plenary session on the drivers of stability. Speakers on this panel were Jean-Jacques Konadje, who is the chief of staff of the Grand Chancellery in Cote dIvoire, as well as Hany Nakhleh of the Regional Security and Armed Forces Delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

ALFS2023 was attended by 39 African army commanders, along with army commanders from Brazil, the US, and other European countries  in all, 46 countries attended.

READ ALSO:

SETAF-AF said, The goal was to solidify relationships, exchange information on current topics of mutual interest and encourage cooperation in addressing challenges. This years theme was Addressing security challenges through civil-military partnerships.

Once again, ALFS has demonstrated the power of partnershipbetween the United States and Africa, with our Allies and partners across the globe, throughout the different regions of this diverse continent, and between military and civilian leaders in and out of government, said Todd Wasmund, a major general and US commanding general of SETAF-AF.

The ALFS 2023 is supported by the US Army through SETAF-AF. In turn, SETAF-AF enables the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) to strengthen partnerships, deepen engagement with, and support African militaries as they collaborate on ways to increase, improve, and respond to terrorism in Nigeria and West Africa.

In other security assistance provided to Nigeria, since US President Joseph Biden came into office, there has been a historic $500 million U.S. foreign military sale[s] to Nigeria, which also included the delivery of 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft, precision munitions, and world-class training, including in air-to-ground integration to make airstrikes more accurate and thereby mitigate the risk of civilian harm, confirmed AFRICOM.

Earlier this month, high-ranking US Department of State officials along with US Department of Defense officials met with Nigerias Air Force air vice marshal IG Lubo, who was representing Nigerias Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao, and other Nigerian partners to celebrate the completion of $38 million of improvements to the Kainji Air Force Base. The base underwent construction of improvements vital for the operation and maintenance of the A-29 Super Tucano wing, and associated munitions, stationed said AFRICOM.

Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based foreign correspondent, and media commentator with expertise on U.S. foreign policy and international security. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe

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The American University of Nigeria (AUN) has announced the President of the African Export-Import Bank, Benedict Oramah, a professor, as Keynote Speaker at its 14th Commencement Ceremony on 27 May.

A statement by the universitys spokesperson, Daniel Okereke, said Mr Oramah will join a list of the private institutions commencement keynote speakers that included the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth, and the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Mr Oramah will also on the eve of the commencement ceremony, commission two new buildings- the School of Law and School of Engineering Complexes.

He said the new buildings are expected to expand and further modernise facilities for law and engineering education at the university.

Mr Okereke quoted the interim President of AUN, Attahir Yusuf, also a professor, as describing Mr Oramah as a leading expert in his field with over three decades of experience in international trade and finance.

Professor Oramah has written over 30 articles on various African economic and trade-related topics, many of which have been published in leading international journals, he said.

About Oramah

Mr Oramah, who holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics, is a Professor of International Trade and Finance.

In October 2008, he was appointed Executive Vice President of the Bank, a position he held until he was appointed President of Afreximbank at the 22nd Annual General Meeting in Lusaka, Zambia, in June 2015.

READ ALSO:

The African Export-Import Bank was established in 1993 under the auspices of the African Development Bank (AfDB) by African Governments, African private and institutional investors, and non-African financial institutions and private sectors. It is headquartered in Cairo and operates branches from Abuja, Abidjan, Harare, Kampala, and Yaounde.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe

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A mild drama ensued at the gate of the Ogun State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, as a former deputy speaker of the House, Dare Kadiri, blocked the gate of the complex with his car.

Mr Kadiri had been impeached and suspended in March 2022 by his colleague lawmakers but was reinstated by the state high court in Abeokuta.

He represents Ijebu North State Constituency 2 at the Assembly. He was impeached as deputy speaker after the House passed a petition for his removal.

The petitioners had accused him of many wrongdoings, including insubordination to the Office of the Speaker through un-authorised approval of expenditure, involving an external body in the affairs of the House without exploring internal mechanism for resolution of issues, abuse of office, threat to lives and properties, conduct likely to cause breach of peace and attempted murder allegedly in his constituency.

But on 1st April, the high court held that the suspension was an abuse of power and abuse of office by the Speaker of the Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, the House of Assembly and the Clerk of the House.

Despite the judgement, Mr Kadiri has not been allowed back to his office by the assembly authorities.

To the surprise of legislative staff and lawmakers, the embattled former deputy speaker blocked the gate to the assembly complex.

PREMIUM TIMES reporter at the scene overhead Mr Kadiri telling one of the police officers pacifying him that  If I am not allowed back to my office today no one is going into this compound with a car.

The embattled deputy speaker sat in his car and was pressing his phone.

He blocked the gate from 8:40 a.m. until a police van arrived the scene at 9:14 a.m. and two other officers on motorcycle at 9:28am.

As of the time of filing this report, a deputy commissioner of police who also arrived the gate around 9:50 a.m. was seen speaking to Mr Kadiri through the window of his car.

Assembly workers were forced to trek through a foot path gate into the complex.

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A 27-year old man, Mima Chinecherem, has been arrested by the police in Ondo State for allegedly kidnapping, raping and killing an 80-year old woman, Felicia Aderibigbe. five days ago.

Mrs Aderibigbe was reported missing on 17 May, after she failed to return from her farm in Ore, Odigbo LGA.

The matter was reported at the Otu police divisional headquarters the following day.

Mrs Aderibigbes body was later found at the edge of her farm after several days of search by the community.

Many in the community believed she was raped and strangled to death.

Reports of rape of elderly women have been rife in the area in recent weeks, scaring women from going to their farms without an escort.

Police spokesperson in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, told journalists in Akure that Mr Chinecherem was later arrested after a palm frond was found planted in front of Mrs Aderibigbes house.

Mr Chinecherem was linked to the murder, being a palm wine tapper.

After his house was searched, the mobile phone of the old woman was recovered from him.

During interrogation at the police headquarters, Mr Chinecherem said he picked the cutlass, bucket and mask recovered from him at the boundary of the deceaseds farm.

When asked the reason for the palm frond, he said it was the deceased children who cut and dropped it on their mothers farmland, so he decided to take it to their house around 10 p.m. and told them they would understand the meaning the next day.

Mrs Odunlami-Omisanya said the suspect would be charged to court after further investigations.

Meanwhile, the police also paraded Gbege Mustapha, aged 29, a Togolese who allegedly murdered a 58-year old woman, Adijat Olaoye, while attempting to rape her.

READ ALSO: Bishop remanded for alleged rape of two church members

He had broken into the womans room with the intent to rape her.

While struggling with the woman, he hit her head hard on the floor, and that attracted the attention of neighbours.

She was found bleeding and was immediately taken to a hospital. She later died in the hospital as a result of the injuries.

Mrs Odunlami-Omisanya said the suspect was apprehended and handed over to the police.

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President Muhammadu Buhari will on Tuesday flag off an oil drilling campaign at the Lake Chad Basin (Wadi-B Well) in Tuba community, Jere Local Government Area, Borno State.

The event, which will be attended by oil experts and government officials in Borno, is in continuation of the efforts by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to drill oil in the frontier basins.

In November 2022, the NNPC announced that it discovered oil in the Kolmani River (upper Benue trough) between Gombe and Bauchi states after months of drilling.

In March, the company did a spud-in at the Ebenyi A well in Obi LGA of Nasarawa State.

For the spud-in of the Wadi-B Well on Tuesday, Mr Buhari is expected to join in virtually while the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, will perform the physical spud-in.

Wadi-B

The Wadi-B wells are located in Jere LGA of Borno state, about 50 kilometre away from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

The wells are estimated to have a total depth of 14 thousand feet.

Officials noted that seismic acquisition started in 1995 but in recent years, it was stalled midway due to insurgency.

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The Senate has confirmed the re-appointment of Abike Dabiri-Erewa as chairperson of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM).

The confirmation on Tuesday was sequel to the presentation of the report of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs at the plenary.

President Muhammadu Buhari had recently requested the upper legislative chamber to confirm a second term for Mrs Dabiri-Erewa as chairperson of the NiDCOM.

After the confirmation, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, congratulated Mrs Dabiri-Erewa for the appointment.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa is the pioneer chairperson of NiDCOM, an agency under the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She was a former member of the House of Representatives where she represented the Ikorodu federal constituency of Lagos State.

She had also served as senior special assistant to the president on foreign affairs and diaspora.

The Senate also confirmed the appointment of a member of the House of Representatives, Patrick Aisowieren, as a member of the governing board of the Nigeria Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The Senate also confirmed the appointments of Bernard Okumagba (Delta) and Kyrian Uchegbu (Imo) as members of the board.

The confirmation was sequel to the adoption of the report of the Senate committee on NDDC at the plenary on Tuesday.

Mr Aisowieren has represented the Oriowo/Uhumwonde federal constituency of Edo State in the House of Representatives since 2015 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

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OZARK-Dale County Circuit Judge Kimberly Crawford gave the mayors of Midland City, Pinckard and Napier Field 48 hours Monday to come to an agreement about where two power stretchers will be temporarily housed pending a final hearing to determine who owns them July 24.

At issue are two power stretchers used for medical transport that are now being used by the city of Ozark EMS after they were taken from the town of Midland Citys possession after a court order issued by Crawford.

Crawford issued the seizure order after a May 1 lawsuit was filed against Midland City, which was in physical possession of the stretchers originally purchased by the towns of Pinckard and Napier Field using Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security funds.

According to court documents, Napier Field and Pinckard each purchased a power stretcher and accompanying equipment at a cost of $15,545.51 and $15,143.30, respectively, on Jan. 30, 2021.

The two power stretchers were then loaned to South Dale EMS for the purpose of serving their residents. South Dale EMS ceased operations on Jan. 14 of this year at 7 p.m. and, despite the shutdown, did not return the stretchers to the purchasing cities but instead left in the ambulances that they sold to Midland City on or about Feb. 7.

In the lawsuit filed on behalf of Napier Field and Pinckard, Ozark attorney Ray Kennington noted items purchased with CARES Act funds cannot be sold to other entities.

Despite letters dated March 6 from Pinckard Mayor Bobby Borland and dated March 14 from Napier Field Mayor Thomas Skeen requesting return of the stretchers, the Town of Midland City and William Bill Pruett with the now-defunct South Dale EMS have failed to make arrangements with either town to return of the equipment, according to the court documents.

According to the lawsuit, both Napier Field and Pinckard continue to suffer damages without the use of the stretchers, and Napier Field and Pinckard are asking the court to provide relief through an order allowing them to reclaim and seize their property, damages for the detention of the property, and costs and attorneys fees.

If the property cannot be returned, the mayors of Napier Field and Pinckard are asking for a final judgment from the court in the amount of $30,688.81 plus cost and attorneys fees.

Crawford had issued a seizure order May 12 authorizing the Dale County Sheriff to take possession of the stretchers.

It is my understanding that my order was not followed, Crawford said Monday morning, after confirmation from Kennington and Midland Citys attorney John White that the stretchers are being used by the city of Ozark EMS. That is not what I ordered. I issued that the stretchers be removed and put up in climate controlled storage until such time as we determine who the owner of them is, Crawford said.

The judge set July 24 as a final hearing date to determine who the legal owner is but gave the towns 48 hours to decide on a temporary location for the power stretchers. She offered conference rooms in the courthouse to the attorneys to meet immediately with their respective clients in order to come to an agreement. This is being put on fast track, Crawford said, noting that it is unfair to the citizens of the respective communities to have the stretchers out of service. If were going to fight over it, were going to take care of it until July 24, she said. If you cannot put aside egos and hurt feelings, I will order the stretchers placed in climate-controlled storage and they will not be used by anybody.

My job is not to win popularity contests and the only thing I know to do it to give you an opportunity to work it out, Crawford said. But if you cannot, Im going to take the toy away and nobody is going to play with the ball until we determine whose ball it is.
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of blackmailing him with a petition that he induced voters during the 2023 governorship election.

Mr Adebutu was reacting to a PREMIUM TIMES publication of a police investigative report on the petition.

In a statement on Tuesday through his media aide, Afolabi Orekoya, Mr Adebutu denied engaging in vote buying during the election.

Mr Orekoya described the claim as unsubstantiated, saying the APC and its candidate have decided to go for cheap blackmail after realising that our candidate and PDPs petition before the tribunal is unequivocally tight.

He said the APC resorted to blackmail after failing in its efforts to coerce, intimidate and harass Mr Adebutu to withdraw the petition.

He said the party resorted to blackmail, media trial, depravity and malfeasance in an attempt to buy public sentiment and confuse the judiciary.

According to Mr Orekoya, Tunde Oladunjoye, the Ogun APC Publicity Secretary, had earlie claimed on a television show that one of the many humanitarian gestures of the Adebutu family was for other purposes and intent.

For clarity sake, the fact of the burial of the Adebutu matriarch, Late Dame Caroline Adebutu, on February 11th, 2023 is in the public domain and it will be unreasonable and unconscionable for anyone under the guise of paid reporting to attempt to twist the details, he added.

Mr Adebutus aide also called on the police to investigate how explicit details of one of its interim report of an uncompleted investigation was leaked to the press, even though the petition leading to this investigation is laced with political undertone.

The statement read in part: The PDP and Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu hereby assure the good people of Ogun that every attempt by the APC and its candidate to continue to rubbish the commitments shown by the good people of Ogun State evident through the over 260,000 votes cast for PDP and its gubernatorial candidate in the March 18th elections will be resisted because those votes are clear indicators that Ogun people are determined to change the trajectory of our dear State for good under a prospective Ladi Adebutu led administration.

The Ogun APC and their social media warlords should note that the Election Petition Tribunal, as constituted, is clear on its mandate, which is to hear all petitions emanating from the 2023 February and March elections. Therefore, any ploy to influence the outcome of the tribunal by circulating incoherent, illogical, and baseless claims like this one will definitely continue to expose APC known ridicule.

The PDP and its candidate are open to cooperating with the relevant authorities within the ambit of the law. The issues before the Election Petition Tribunal are substantiated documentary evidence of over-voting, suppression of voters, noncompliance with the Electoral Act, and the Constitution. And no distractive tendencies to buy public sympathy will destroy the truth of solid facts. Ogun people are very intelligent people, they cannot be cajoled further.

Our focus is crystal clear, to present incontrovertible evidence and prove our claims before the Election Petition Tribunal. We hereby advise the Ogun APC and Mr Dapo Abiodun that, rather than employing this cheap tactic of intimidation, blackmail and misinforming the public, they should reserve their energy to prove their innocence against the allegations in the petitions at the tribunal.

While we are confident of the Judiciarys commitment to upholding the tenets of rule of law and ensuring fair hearing on the issues raised at the tribunal, we are urging members of the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal not to be swayed by the antics of Mr Abiodun to influence the process of the hearing through preempting of the Judiciary through media propaganda.

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A police inspector was, on Monday night, killed when gunmen attacked a checkpoint in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday.

Ms Onovwakpoyeya, a superintendent of police, said the police in the state were aware of the incident and that she would issue a press statement about the attack.

I am making a press statement now, and I will make it available to the media when I am done, Ms Onovwakpoyeya said.

A witness, Philip Onwe, told NAN that the gunmen opened fire on the police officers at the checkpoint, killing the inspector, while two other officers sustained bullet wounds.

Increased attacks

Like other states in Nigerias South-east, security has deteriorated in Ebonyi State with frequent attacks by armed persons.

The attacks often target security agencies, government officials and facilities.

The latest attack occurred about two months after gunmen killed Ogbonnaya Ugwu, the councillor representing Echara Ward 2 in Okposi Community in Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state.

Gunmen, in late January, attacked security operatives at a checkpoint along the Enugu/Abakaliki expressway, killing at least three police officers and injuring others.

In early January, gunmen shot dead the wife of the Commander of Ebubeagu Security Outfit in Afikpo-South Local Government Area of the state.

READ ALSO:One shot as security agencies foil bank robbery by suspected IPOB members

The Nigerian government has accused the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the region. But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra which it wants carved out from the South-east and some parts of the South-south Nigeria.

(NAN)

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Less than one month to the end of the current Assembly, a member of the House of Representatives, Jerry Alagbaoso, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party and defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Alagbaoso, the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Petition, announced his resignation on the floor of the House Tuesday.

Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila granted Mr Alagbaoso the privilege to read his letter of defection as against the usual practice of the presiding officer reading the letter.

Reading the letter, Mr Alagbaoso said all is not well with the PDP in Imo State.

All is not well in Imo state PDP. This explains why three of our colleagues from Imo state and PDP extraction in the House of Representatives defected to APC a few weeks ago, he said.

I will not be an exception considering the man-made confusion and headaches of PDP in Imo.

What is happening in Imo PDP is not satisfactory to those people (members) and my colleagues who crossed over and it is also not satisfactory to me.

The time for me to leave PDP and join my colleague and join my brothers in APC is now, he said.

Mr Alagbaoso said he was joining the ruling party to work with Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State.

I am leaving PDP because of the positive achievement of the performing governor of Imo who is of APC extraction. His achievement so far is worthy of commendation.

I, therefore, wish to join him (Uzodimma) to move Imo state further to the centre just as Imo state elders have advised all politicians in Imo state origin to allow the governor to complete his second term because of his great achievement in Imo.

The minority leader, Ndudi Elumelu (PDP, Delta) made an attempt to raise a point of order to challenge Mr Alagbaosos defection, but he was not recognised by Mr Gbajabiamila, who later described the defection as an earthquake moment.

It is indeed an earthquake moment. That is why I allowed him to read the letter so that you can hear from the horses mouth, Mr Gbajabiamila said.

Mr Alagbaoso represents Orlu/Orlu/ Oru East Federal Constituency in Imo State. In 2022, he emerged third in the PDP primary won by Jones Onyerere. However, the primary was nullified by the Supreme Court.

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One of the aspirants for the House of Representatives Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, has asked the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdulahi Adamu, to intervene in the ongoing battle for the control of the 10th House.

Mr Abbas, who is the endorsed candidate of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and the National Working Committee of the APC, visited Mr Abbas on Tuesday at the APC secretariat in Abuja.

Mr Abbas met with the NWC members alongside his running mate, Ben Kalu, and the Joint Task group.

The party endorsed Messrs Abbas and Kalu as speaker and deputy speaker respectively. However, the endorsement has been met with pushback from some aspirants that recently formed a coalition.

The aspirants, all members of the APC, formed a group called the Coalition of Progressive Speakership Aspirants (COPSA) to challenge Mr Abbas.

The members of COPSA include Deputy Speaker Idris Wase, Muktar Betara, Sada Soli, Aminu Jaji, Yusuf Gagdi and Miriam Onuoha.

In his speech, Mr Abbas said the party should speak with other aspirants in the race to pacify them. In exchange, he promised to do anything possible to protect the interest of the party.

I want to urge you to add something to your resume, which is to deliver the leadership of the 10th National Assembly. You have done everything, including delivering the party during the last election. This is the only task left for you to achieve.

You have done one leg. The next thing is to call on all those that will vote to come and vote for your candidates.

We urge you to call all our co-contestants. We are more than willing to work together on a mutual basis to move the country forward, Mr Abbas.

Stop calling him speaker Adamu chides lawmakers

In his speech, Mr Adamu cautioned the lawmakers to stop calling Mr Abbas speaker, noting that they must wait until after the election on 13 June.

He said the party is committed to consultation with all parties involved to avoid division.

I want to correct something that was said here. A lot of you referred to Hon. Abbas as the Speaker, but he is only one of the aspirants.

By the proclamation of the President, the Clerk of the National Assembly is going to conduct the election. Theres no other way about it. There will be an election. Once hes elected, hell be sworn in by the CNA.

We had discussions with the President-elect, the people from the VP-elect, the Senate President and the Speaker, we arrived at a decision. We said clearly in our statement that there is a need for further consultations so that we go to the labour room well-prepared. We should calm nerves and massage political egos, he said.

Mr Abbas is a third-term lawmaker from Kaduna State and currently serves as Chairman of Committee on Land Transport.

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Former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, says he will support the incoming administration of Bola Tinubu to succeed in office as Nigerias President

Mr Blair gave the commitment on Tuesday when he visited the president-elect at the Defence House, Abuja.

A statement from the office of the President-elect signed by Abdulaziz Abdulaziz quoted the ex-prime minister as saying that the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, which he founded, would be a willing partner of the Tinubu administration, especially in prioritising its goals and delivery.

He said since leaving office as the UK prime minister, he had been working with governments worldwide to help them deliver on their mandates.

He said Blair Institute had a project in place in Nigeria and felt it was incumbent upon him to meet the countrys incoming president to understand the administrations priorities.

We would like to help in any way with your administration. We only need to know what the leadership priorities are and help in how to actualise them, Mr Blair told President-elect Tinubu.

He commended Mr Tinubus campaign focus on key areas of security, economy, agriculture and power, describing the intertwined nature of the areas as critical to the development of any society.

He expressed optimism that with the appetite shown by investors to invest in Nigeria, the Tinubu administration could get the support it needs to spur economic development in the country.

Mr Blair, however, acknowledged the difficult task before Mr Tinubu and other leaders at a time of global turmoil.

Being in government today anywhere in the world, is tough. You have things happening around the world which affect you and for which you cant do anything much, he said.

President-elect Tinubu, in his response, expressed appreciation to Mr Blair for the visit and his offer to work with his administration.

He spoke of the shared vision between him and Tony Blair Institute in their priority areas but underlined the importance of tackling investment challenges and the need for social investment to fight poverty.

Yes, we are challenged. But where is our courage? We can eliminate ignorance, diseases and poverty in Africa. We must work hard to ensure democracy works for our people, Tinubu said.

We have to invest more, put technology in place and keep terrorists at bay because, without effective security, there is no guarantee investors will come, he added.

The president-elect promised a conducive environment to encourage investors and open opportunities for the people.

The statement said that Mr Tinubu was accompanied to the meeting by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima; member of Tinubu Transition Team, Wale Edun; former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu; Senator representing Lagos East Senatorial District, Adetokunbo Abiru and Executive Secretary, National Sugar Development Council, Zacch Adedeji.

Mr Tinubu, a former two-term governor of Lagos State, will be sworn into office on 29 May.

Activities lined up for the inauguration ceremonies, which will take place in Abuja, the nations capital, have already begun.

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd on Tuesday commenced an oil drilling campaign at the Wadi-B well located in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, said the company was optimistic that the drilling exercise would help in its efforts to bring prosperity to the people by eliminating energy poverty which is threatening Africas biggest economy.

Mr Kyari made the commitment at the Presidential Flag-off of the Wadi-B Drilling Campaign by President Muhammadu Buhari in Borno State.

The NNPC stopped drilling in Wadi-B in 1995 because successes were weak and findings made during the period were not in commercial quantity.

The fresh drilling is part of the scramble for oil and gas deposits in Nigerias frontier basins.

We understood very clearly that we need to understand the basin very well. We need to have a different approach to exploration activities in this very basin, and that is why NNPC and our partners, the Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the current Upstream Regulatory Commission, decided to embark on massive revaluation of all the frontier basins in the country, Mr Kyari said at the event.

And of course, our findings have been useful. The understanding of the rift system in Nigeria enables us to have successful outcomes in the Kolmani Area. It also enabled us to mobilise to Nasarawa State. Now a drilling activity is going on. It also helped us to understand the geological basin of the Chad Basin, which is why we are back here.

Now we are much more confident, we believe that this campaign will be successful and that this campaign will take us to the ultimate objective, which is to increase the reserves of our country and also create opportunities around us. We believe the time for oil and gas to vanish is still far away.

We believe that oil and gas will continue to be principal in determination of the prosperity of our country of course, more especially, providing energy security for our country. And this cant happen unless we have access to the resources and we are able to convert them into value and of course, a new approach to doing this that is practical, which is what we are doing in the Kolmani area.

Combating deforestation

The GCEO said the company and its partners would deploy the necessary technology and best approach that will enable it to create value for Nigerians in the quickest possible time.

According to Mr Kyari, NNPC Ltd, through the drilling exercise, would combat deforestation as most Nigerians who do not have access to cooking gas fell trees as an alternative for cooking.

He believes that making available cooking gas as a cleaner transition fuel would play a huge role in curbing desert encroachment in the country.

The Sahara Desert moves at least a kilometre towards the Southwards area, and this cant be arrested if we dint find alternative sources of energy for the communities, and this is what the oil and gas will do, he said.

These are activities going on concurrently to produce new oil, to produce new reserves, and ultimately at the end of the day, we will find out that prosperity will come closer to the people and create the energy security that is required around the country.

Mr Kyari also expressed confidence in the team assembled by the NNPC Ltd.

He said: They have done well. They have found oil where others practically ran away, and today, they led this regime of the knowledge of the basins in our country and of course, in Africa. I am very proud of them.

Regulatory Focus

In his speech, Gbenga Komolafe, who heads the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), said that a key regulatory focus of the commission is to grow Nigerias national reserves from the current 37 billion barrels of oil to 40 billion barrels of oil by 2030.

The official added that the outcome of this appraisal would significantly contribute to growth in the nations oil reserves and facilitate sustainable domestic energy security.

ALSO READ: NNPCL commissions natural gas city gate in Ogun

Considering the positive prospectivity results recorded so far, in OPL 732 from previous exploratory activities, we are optimistic that through this appraisal drilling the huge case prospective hydrocarbon resource estimated at about 9403 million barrels of oil, initial oil in place will be matured and migrated into proven reserves, Mr Komolafe said.

Job Prospects

On his part, Babagana Zulum, Governor of Borno, noted that the commencement of oil drilling in the region is the right step in creating more job opportunities in the state.

Oil prospecting, possible discovery and exploration in this part of the country, and exploration in this part of the country will no doubt create opportunities for thousands of our youth, the governor said.

The Wadi-B wells are located in Jere LGA of Borno State, about 50 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.

The wells are estimated to have a total depth of 14 thousand feet.

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The Federal High Court in Abuja has slated Friday for ruling on a suit seeking the disqualification of Nigerias president-elect, Bola Tinubu, as a candidate in the 25 February presidential election.

The suit, by implication, also seeks to stop Mr Tinubu from taking the oath of office on 29 May.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court had on Monday fixed Friday for judgement in a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party challenging Mr Tinubus victory on account of the alleged double nomination of Kashim Shettima as his vice-presidential pick and as a senatorial candidate for the 2023 general elections.

The case at the Supreme Court is different from PDPs petition challenging Mr Tinubus victory at the 25 February presidential election. In total, there are three petitions against Mr Tinubus election pending at the election petition court, where the alleged inappropriate nomination of Mr Shettima is part of the issues raised.

The petitioners are Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, the Labour Partys Peter Obi and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

The applicants in the case before the Federal High Court  Praise Isaiah, Paul Audu and Anongu Moses  urged the judge, James Omotosho, to stop Mr Tinubus inauguration pending the conclusion of proceedings at the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja.

But the Presidential Election Petition Court has a statutory 180-day period to hear and determine all pending petitions before it.

The court has only concluded its pre-hearing session of the three petitions on Tuesday, setting the stage for the trial of the substantive petitions, which commences on 30 May.

Fresh suit to scuttle Mr Tinubus inauguration

In the fresh suit, which came up before the judge, Mr Omotosho, on Tuesday, the court asked the applicants lawyer, Oliver Eya, to address it on three key issues on Friday, 26 May.

Specifically, Mr Omotosho asked Mr Eya to address the court on whether it has the requisite jurisdiction to hear and determine the case.

The judge also ordered the lawyer to explain to the court whether the plaintiffs have the right to file the suit and whether they have any legal right they seek to protect with the case.

Prayers

In their requests, they urged the court to issue an order of interim injunction restraining Mr Tinubu from being sworn-in as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice already filed.

The plaintiffs are praying for an order compelling the AGF, the IGP and the DG, SSS to arrest and prosecute Mr Tinubu for the alleged offences.

In the substantive suit, they claimed that Mr Tinubu had false information about his citizenship status and date of birth.

In their court filings, the plaintiffs named the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr Tinubu, All Progressives Congress (APC), the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Director-General of the State Security Services (SSS), Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In an affidavit filed supporting the request, one of the plaintiffs, Mr Isaiah, urged the court to accede because Mr Tinubu is scheduled to be inaugurated president of Nigeria on 29 May  in less than one week.

Allegations

The plaintiffs alleged that Mr Tinubu, contrary to the affidavit he deposed to in FORM EC9 of INEC claiming to hold the citizenship of only Nigerian, is also a citizen of Guinea Republic. The alleged failure by Mr Tinubu to fully disclose the countries he holds citizenship amounts to perjury.

The act of perjury is not a minor case in Nigerian Law, as it is a deliberate and willful act of deceiving the court or the judges by telling lies and stating facts on oath contrary to what the deponent knows to be the truth the plaintiffs argued in their filings.

Citing Section 117 of the Nigerian Criminal Code, the offence of perjury attracts a punishment of 14 years imprisonment.

Furthermore, the plaintiffs argued that if Mr Tinubu is sworn in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he will be clothed with immunity from prosecution.

The plaintiffs arguing as Nigerian elections said, Irreparable damage will be caused to both the plaintiffs and Nigerians if the 2nd defendant/respondent is not restrained from presenting himself to be sworn in as President of Nigeria.

In another document, obtained under subpoena from Chicago State University, tagged Academic Record, it was reliably discovered that the Tinubu in question was born in 1954. Meanwhile, Mr Tinubu had claimed in his official documents that he was born in 1952.

The real and original Bola Tinubu, who enrolled in the Chicago State University, was actually a female, and not a male, the plaintiffs alleged.

An order nullifying the candidacy of the 2nd defendant as fielded by the 3rd defendant (APC) as its political party flag bearer for the presidential election of the 25th of February, 2023.

An order directing the 4th, 5th and 6th defendants to ensure that the 2nd defendant is detained and prevented from being sworn in as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, pending the determination of the presidential election petition before the Court of Appeal to determine the rightful winner of the 25th February 2023 election conducted by the 7th defendant.

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The police in Adamawa State have re-arrested two inmates who escaped from Kuje correctional facility last year in Abuja while committing another criminal offence.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how terrorists in July used explosives to breach the correctional facility in Kuje, leading to the escape of over 800 of the 994 inmates.

Several of the escapees were reportedly re-arrested. Also, an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and four inmates were killed during the attack.

The police spokesperson for Adamawa State, Suleiman Nguroje, in a statement on Monday, said two of the escapees were re-arrested for cattle rustling and other nefarious activities by the security operatives attached to Crack Squad.

The police identified the suspects as Atiku Ibrahim, 37 and Adamu Ibrahim, 40, who have been on the security agents wanted persons list following their escape from the facility that freed over 500 last year July.

ALSO READ: Police arrest another Kuje jail escapee in Nasarawa

During interrogation, they confessed to having been in Kuje Correctional custody since 2021, following allegations of Arms dealing against them. They also confessed to having escaped into Adamawa state until their arrest.

They further stated that they were awaiting trial in a case of Arms dealing and Unlawful possession of firearms.

The Commissioner of Police, Afolabi Babatola, directed for the immediate handing over of the escapees to the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), Adamawa state, for further necessary action, Mr Nguroje said

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General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau turned 80 last week on 18 May, and for those who know him, or have worked closely with him and been impacted by his humanism and generosity of spirit, he is a man to be celebrated, a strong pillar of the Nigerian estate, a living memory bank, and an asset to his country. I first met him sometime in 1998. General Olusegun Obasanjo, as he was then addressed, had just been released from prison by the Abdusalami Abubakar administration, following the trumped-up charge of coup-plotting against him (Obasanjo) and others. General Obasanjo himself has told his own story. But his release, some would say escape, from Abachas trap was a special moment for many. At the time, I was a regular participant at the Farm House Dialogues, founded by General Obasanjo, under the auspices of the Africa Leadership Forum, headed by our very able boss, Ayodele Aderinwale (OFR), now Chairman of JustRite. I wrote many of the Farm House Dialogue Reports and communiques. To cut a long story short: after his release, General Obasanjo went straight home. His house in Ita-Eko, Abeokuta was filled with so many people who thronged the place to see him and congratulate him. The moment I entered the house, the first man who I saw was General Gusau. I didnt know who he was but as it is customary, the right thing to do is to greet an elderly person. I was however taken aback when he called out my name, as if he had known me from somewhere. I wasnt a regular face on television at the time, so I used to enjoy the serenity that anonymity offers. Not anymore. But I wondered why the elderly man would call out my name with such certainty. Out of curiousity, I later asked people around: Who is that man?

You dont know General Gusau?, three persons asked in quick succession. They made it look as if not knowing General Gusau was the equivalent to failing an important examination.

You dont know General Gusau and you call yourself a journalist?, one person quipped. I threw a sour look in his direction. Why should that be a test of my professional ability as a journalist?

General Gusau is one of the most powerful men in this country. Nobody can run this country successfully without him. You are surprised he knows you? It is his duty to know you. He knows everything that goes on in this country. He has his boys and eyes everywhere.

Even at that time, I already had an idea that Nigerians are capable of writing stories, blending facts with myths. But the main story of the moment was the widespread excitement over Obasanjos return. Those were truly crazy days in Nigeria. The military under Abacha had imposed a regime of terror on the country, such that even babies were not spared. The catalyst for Nigerias descent to the lower depths, was the annulment of the 12 June, 1993 presidential election won by late Bashorun MKO Abiola. General Ibrahim Babangida left behind in office an Interim National Government (ING) headed by another Egba man, Chief Ernest Shonekan. IBB had said he was stepping aside. Eventually, General Sani Abacha, who had been left behind as Minister of Defence, hijacked the government, drove away the Interim arrangement, and imposed himself on Nigeria in a most brutal manner that did neither the people nor the country any good. Obasanjo was one of Abachas victims, although destiny soon played out. Obasanjo would later emerge as Nigerias civilian President in 1999, in an arrangement that was meant to correct the tragedy of the Abacha years and the pain that the military inflicted on the country.

The military do not always want to accept all the blames that the civilian population heaps on them. They do not agree that they mismanaged Nigeria, while at the helm of affairs for the better part of the last 63 years. In many accounts, Nigerian military chiefs project themselves as men who saved Nigeria, and provided such quality leadership that the civilians seem incapable of. This is probably the reason why since the return to civilian rule in 1999, the military have continued to cast their shadow over the politics of Nigeria. It is further not surprising that Nigerian public affairs commentators talk about those they call the owners of Nigeria. On that day in Abeokuta, all I heard about General Gusau was his reputation as one of the owners of Nigeria, a kingmaker, a power behind the throne. In fact, one fellow boasted that nobody could lead Nigeria without General Gusaus hand in it. I took another look at the man. He looked quiet. His demeanour was calm. I guess you can never judge people by merely looking at them. But to be serious it is certainly not a compliment to refer to any group as owners of Nigeria- that is totalitarianism: We are not in Hitlers Germany. We are not in Vladimir Putins Russia.

Born Aliyu Mohammed, on 18 May 1943, the Gusau that is attached to his name is his place of birth in present-day Zamfara State of Nigeria. He graduated from the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1967, and fought in the civil war as a second lieutenant. He has since then remained a prominent figure, occupying one leadership position after another as Brigade Commander, Director of Personnel at Army Headquarters and as Director of Military Intelligence, Head of the National Security Organization (NSO) or as National Security Adviser. General is credited with having set up Nigerias intelligence infrastructure. In 1989, he broke up the NSO into three different organisations the State Security Services (SSS), the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). It is a measure of the mans capacity and influence that he is even in retirement regarded as Nigerias Number one Intelligence Officer and a major force in the determination of Nigerian affairs. He is one Nigerian who has been here and there, and has been on duty at every critical moment in Nigerias post-independence trajectory: He fought in the civil war. He served in Abeokuta as Commander of the 9 Infantry Brigade. He was General Officer Commanding (GOC) at the 2 Mechanised Division in Ibadan, Commandant of the Nigeria Defence Academy, and Chief of Army Staff. He was said to have been involved in the coup that brought General Muhammdu Buhari in 1983, and also in the coup that removed him in 1985. Nor was he popular with General Sani Abacha who removed him as Chief of Army Staff. But whatever travail he may have suffered in the course of his career, has not stopped him. He was Obasanjos National Security Adviser when he returned to power in 1999. He was later President Goodluck Jonathans National Security Adviser and Minister of Defence.

Twice, in 2006 and 2010, he had sought to be President of Nigeria but the story behind his back was that it would have been a lot too much to hand over Nigeria to the countrys top spy. It was said that nobody would be safe. Nonetheless, General Mohammed as he prefers to be known, has remained even at 80, a major power behind the throne. His influence goes beyond the military where he made a career. Over the years, he has built bridges across the country and constituencies. It is not for nothing that he is regarded as a powerful man.

I was privileged to observe him at close quarters when he served as President Jonathans Minister of Defence. He was always quiet, almost self-effacing, yet everyone deferred to him. General Gusau is a major lesson in how to wield power and influence without brandishing it. I would later discover that many top journalists are his friends. Journalists deal with information. They look for sources, in pursuit of the stories behind the stories. The countrys top most intelligence operative was bound to be a friend of the media. When I ran as a Deputy Governorship candidate in Ogun State in 2019, General Mohammed told me our team would not win, if we didnt make certain choices in Ogun PDP. He was proven right. Ahead of the 2023 general elections, he had done an analysis of the political terrain and predicted what would happen. Again, he has been proven right. Many of us in this country just sleep and wake up, hustle and try to look for ways to pay our ever-increasing bills, but there are others whose day work is entirely devoted to looking into the deeper end of things.

What I admire about him is his love of knowledge, his generosity and his attention to details. I once visited The Gusau Institute  a research centre that he has set up in Kaduna. This Centre is probably the richest personal library in Nigeria today. It is a fully digitalised library, with a collection of books, documents and resource materials on military history and general subjects. I was taken round the library, and I was amazed at what I saw, including a Reuben Abati file containing letters to the editor that I wrote in the Nigerian Chronicle, as an undergraduate at the University of Calabar, opinion articles I wrote as an NYSC teaching assistant at the University of Benin, published in the Nigerian Observer, and my writings over the years that I cant even trace. I saw publications and writings by just about anybody, including copies of examination papers ever written at the Nigeria Defence Academy. Researchers are allowed access to the Centre. Within the premises, there is yet another building, where General Mohammed has done an excellent job of documenting his own career, with pictures, documents and correspondences. I doubt if there is any other General today in Nigeria who has paid as much attention to detail. The only thing missing is that I have not yet seen a written memoir by the General. He has a story to tell, and this is perhaps the right time to tell that story. I have heard people say that he knows too much, and that a man like him should not tell stories. I disagree. While spy chiefs and military leaders trade in secrecy, the truth is that some remarkable books have been written by intelligence chiefs and military leaders. Sun Tzu was a Chinese military General. His book, The Art of War, is regarded as a major text on military strategy and warfare. What makes an intelligence officer? How do intelligence officers operate? What roles do intelligence officers play in the making of foreign policy, international affairs and national security? How secretive and accountable should they be? These are aspects of the making of Nigeria that require interrogation and I cannot think of any better person to tell such stories than General Mohammed.

I must not end this tribute however without noting General Mohammeds example necessarily throws up afresh questions about the role of the military in Nigerias political space. It may have been fashionable in the 70s and 80s to hail Nigerian soldiers as strong men. It was the age of the strong man as a messiah in African politics. But with the wave of democratisation that gripped the heartbeat of politics in the 90s, the military involvement in governance and politics began to attract heavy criticisms, By 1993, most people were clamouring for the exit of the military. Never again, we all chorused. There seemed to have been a consensus that the period the military ruled Nigeria could best be described as the years eaten by the locust, the title of two well-received collections of writings by Fr. George Ehusani. To those who have any faint recollection of that season, it may sound ironic that a top soldier is the subject of a tribute. But have the civilians fared any better in terms of personal example? Every man will be judged on his own account. It is also interesting what has become of the intelligence establishment. The DMI at some point became a place of torture and nightmare. One of the soldiers who headed the place, as things turned worse, reportedly used to boast that he would waste people. Similarly, the Department of State Security (DSS) has had mixed fortunes over the years. How many officers can still come across as officers and gentlemen? The best tribute that the younger generation can pay to General Gusau is to toe the path of professionalism, honour and loyalty. Happy birthday sir.

Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, writes from Lagos.

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The race for the position of Senate President appears to be reaching a crescendo. Pockmarked by webs of intrigue, horse trading, claims and counter-claims, it has engagingly gripped the Nigerian political system on the eve of the transition to a new political dispensation.

While the ruling and triumphant All Progressives Congress (APC) has chosen its preferred candidates for both the Senate and House of Representatives leadership, it is not yet Uhuru for the party, amid staunch and swelling opposition from other factions in the fold.

There still seems to be no clear presumptive Senate President, especially as political party caucuses in the National Assembly seek to join the fray and rally their members-elect for a possible repeat of the 2011 and 2015 scenarios.

In this analysis, APC NewsOnline looks at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and potential threats to the aspirations of the declared candidates for the position of Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.

GOODWILL AKPABIO

Strengths:

The former Governor of Akwa Ibom State is a former Minority Leader in the Senate as a then-member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before defecting to the APC in 2018 and subsequently emerging as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

One of Akpabios selling points for the office of Senate President is hinged on the fact that he is a Christian, particularly against the backdrop of lingering reservations over the Tinubu/Shettima Muslim-Muslim ticket.

The Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket fielded by the APC at the 2023 general election had generated, and is still generating, controversy, so as expected in the necessary politics of delicate balancing, a Christian mounting the number three position will, no doubt, douse tension.

Whats more, Akpabio is also from the South-South, a region that is seemingly marginalised in the scheme of things, since the ascendancy of the APC to power in 2015.

There is a great and growing clamor for greater participation of the zone and the contiguous Southeast in the next government especially as the APC has retained power with the shifting performance of the party there.

Weaknesses:

Akpabio has no doubt had a remarkable run since joining the APC in 2018, becoming a Minister and even gunning for the office of the countrys President at the convention that produced Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the partys flag bearer.

But his running battle with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which some people suspected might have prompted him to join the ruling APC, remains a major baggage that has continued to haunt him. He has been on the radar of the EFCC for a long time for allegations dating back to his time as governor.

In 2015, he was arrested and an investigation began into the alleged theft of N108.1 billion of Akwa Ibom funds.

In 2020, Akpabio and top officials of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) were invited to appear before the National Assembly for allegedly squandering N40 billion funds of the commission. The NDDC is a key parastatal under the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs which was headed by Akpabio for three years. The allegation was however debunked by both Akpabio and the NDDCs IMC which claimed that N22 billion was spent on salaries, services and debts.

There were also allegations of more N86 billion shady contract deals involving the senator-elect and a former Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Mr Kemebradikumo Pondei plus others which they are denying.

Again, in March and April 2023, the EFCC twice asked Akpabio to turn himself in at the Commissions headquarters over corruption investigation against him. Akpabio was initially invited to appear in March but his lawyer, Mr Kalu in a letter to the EFCC dated 27 March, 2023 said his client would not be able to honour the invitation due to a scheduled medical appointment overseas. According to Kalus letter, the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs was suffering from pneumonia and cardiac arrhythmia (a disease that causes irregular heartbeat) and was advised to seek medical treatment abroad.

Recently, a civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), said Akpabio has an oversized alleged corruption baggage and declared him unfit to be the next Senate President.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, said APC should not act in any way that would portray it as endorsing graft.

The group added that Akpabio should be immediately probed just like the EFCC is already investigating the outgoing Zamfara State Governor, Mr Muhammed Bello Matawalle, over alleged N70billion fraud.

Akpabio comes from the South-South region, a region where APC tentacles are struggling to take root and consequently has relatively fewer APC lawmakers in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

Opportunities:

The APC also made a comparable significant showing in the South South, particularly in the presidential election, in which analysts had predicted a landslide for the Peter Obi-led resurgent Labour Party (L.P).

Not only did the APC win a Senatorial seat in Akwa Ibom, but it also won in Cross Rivers and Edo states and Akpabio, who was a Senate Minority Leader before crossing over to the APC, has political relationships and a network that transcends party lines.

And in the APC, he has continued to solidify his position, even winning the approval of the President-elect, culminating in his endorsement for the highly coveted office of Senate President.

Threats:

Akpabio faces challenges for this position from other juggernauts in the party. The likes of Orji Uzor Kalu, Abdulazeez Yari, Senator Mohammed Musa Sani, and Senator Osita Izunaso are also in the race.

These senators also have the networks, alliances and clout to tilt the applecart and sway the votes away from him.

While Kalu is the current Senate Chief Whip, Izunaso has been a powerful political actor in the nations legislative space since the advent of the Fourth Republic, and Yari, referred to by admirers as the strong man of Zamfara politics, also has the network and war chest to prosecute his ambition.

ORJI UZOR KALU

Strengths:

The former Abia State Governor is also a force to reckon with in the APC. Since joining the party in 2016, he has been a visible face in the party from a region initially antagonistic to the APC. He went on to build strong relationships in the party, becoming a close ally of the outgoing Senate President, Ahmed Lawan.

Before the partys zoning formula was unveiled, Kalus name was largely associated with the clamor for greater inclusion and representation of the Southeast in the business of governance.

Weaknesses:

While Orji Kalu has strong influence in the party, particularly in the legislature being the Chief Whip, like Akpabio he is bogged down by the weight of corruption cases and allegations.

Kalu was released from jail in 2020 by a Federal High Court in Lagos, months after a Federal High Court on 5 December, 2019, jailed him for 12 years.

He was convicted of N7.1billion fraud alongside a former Director of Finance in Abia State Government House, Jones Udeogu, in charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/56/2007 between the Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Orji Uzor Kalu & 2 Ors on 5 December, 2020.

However, following the defendants appeals against the judgment in which they argued that since the trial Judge, Justice Idris was already elevated to the Court of Appeal, he could not be granted a fiat to conclude the case as it was done in the case, the Supreme Court nullified their trial and conviction.

In nullifying their trial and conviction, the Supreme Court held that Justice Idris no longer had jurisdiction to try the case after being elevated to the Court of Appeal. Consequently, the court ordered that the case be re-assigned to another Judge for trial de novo.

The defendants (Kalu and his company, Slok Limited), filed applications before the Federal High Court, Lagos relying on the judgment of the Supreme Court for them to be released from the sentence and the conviction since the Supreme Court had held that the trial was a nullity. The applications were granted and Kalu was released from Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.

In line with the judgment, the case was later re-assigned to Justice I. E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja. But the case was re-assigned to be tried in Abuja despite the Court of Appeals earlier judgment that held that Lagos and not Abuja has jurisdiction to hear the case.

However, at the re-trial, Kalu, who is the 1st respondent in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/73/2021 Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Orji Uzor Kalu & 2 Ors, filed an application before Justice I. E. Ekwo in which he sought, among others, an order of the court prohibiting the Federal Republic of Nigeria through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission from prosecuting him again on the allegations in Charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/56/2007 between the Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Orji Uzor Kalu & 2 Ors on the ground that he had earlier been tried, convicted and sentenced on the charge.

EFCC also filed a counter-affidavit and written address opposing the application. However, ruling on the suit, the court held that the applicant (EFCC) cannot re-try the respondents.

The court also held that the plea of autrefois acquit and autrefois convict and the principle of double jeopardy availed the 1st respondent (Orji Uzor Kalu) and that the re-trial of the 1st respondent would amount to the violation of the provisions of Section 36 (9) and (10) of Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, and Section 238 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.

Opportunities:

Kalu has been a prominent name in the nations political firmament even before the return of democracy in 1999, being an influential actor in the aborted Third Republic and during the Obasanjo presidency when he served as Abia State Governor between 1999 and 2007. Before then he had served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1992 to 1993.

The insistence on a Christian from the South, and especially from the perceived marginalised Southeast, may play into his hands given his clout and sympathies in the National Assembly.

Threats:

While being a Christian from Southeast should ordinarily be a good sell in the light of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket amid the protest of marginalisation from some sections of the country, Kalu is contending against others with similar claim, the likes of Godswill Akpabio and Osita Izunaso, both of whom are Christians from the South-South and Southeast respectively with requisite political clouts and networks.

The endorsement of Akpabio by the partys hierarchy is also no surprise, as Kalu is considered not to have participated vigorously in the partys presidential election campaign against the threatening tides of the Labour Party in his native geopolitical zone.

ABDULAZEEZ YARI

Strengths:

Senator Yari is a former Governor of Zamfara State and is among those who were instrumental to the formation of the APC.

In 2015, he became the Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum. Yari has been a big player in APC even gunning for the partys Chairmanship position during the last special convention.

Weaknesses:

Yari is largely considered a controversial fellow within the APC, particularly with the disqualification of the party from governance in the Zamfara State in 2019 largely blamed on the crisis between him and Senator Kabiru Marafa, another strongman of the state politics.

Yari, like Akpabio and Kalu, is also not free from the radar of EFCC. In May last year, he was arrested at his Abuja residence in connection with the commissions investigation of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, for alleged N80 billion fraud.

He is also one of the key actors in the persistent crises rocking the APC in Zamfara State that even cost the party the governorship in 2019 and 2023.

Speaking recently, an APC chieftain, Dr Garus Gololo, warned the party against giving Yari the Senate presidency.

Gololo said: l pray that this time, the party is quick, up and doing to prevent this type of person from infiltrating our ranks. He has shown what he is capable of doing, and we must not allow him to succeed at it.

Gololo further alleged that Yaris inordinate ambition is capable of causing a rift within the party, especially seeing that the party has chosen where to move as far as the senate presidency matter is concerned.

Opportunities:

Yari is from Zamfara State in the Northwest, a region that has been the traditional base of APC and has maintained significant electoral showings for the party.

Yari, who also was once the Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum, has a strong political network across board and with ploys and plots by the opposition to subvert the endorsement by the ruling party, Yaris connections and war chest may come in handy.

Speaking in that regard recently, Yari said: The election has come, gone and the same zone (North-west) demonstrated what they are doing and took the lead in terms of producing votes for our President-elect and the party.

Even though some people were thinking about how to subvert it, we have done our best despite the challenges.

Now, we have a President-elect (Tinubu) from the South-West, we have the Vice-president-elect from the Northeast and the Northwest is waiting.

Threats:

Yari has found himself contending against an array of powerful contenders, such as a one-time Minority Leader, a one-time Chief whip, a long-time National Assembly power broker, and an influential senator from Niger State.

Yari still has forces in the party who are blaming him for his role in the 2019 fiasco and may see all these forces join the coalition against him.

Yari is from the North-west, a region considered to possess too much influence in APC, especially with the purported zoning of the Deputy Senate Presidency and Speakership by the party to the geo-political zone.

OSITA IZUNASO

Strengths:

Senator Osita Izunaso, like Akpabio and Kalu, is also a Christian. He is from the Southeast, a region fiercely agitating for inclusion in the government after a perceived long stretch of marginalisation.

Senator Izunaso also has the requisite experience and political dexterity to steer the affairs of the Senate. And unlike Akpabio, Kalu and Yari, he comes with a clean record, without any fraud or criminal case attached to his name. Beside he is an urbane and gentlemanly political chess player who diligently does quietly more without making noise. He may turn out to be the ultimate trump card of APC and the President-elect for the crucial post.

This Imo West Senator-elect has paid his dues in APC as a core party man. He was strong and active in the merger committee that midwived the APC in 2013 and became the founding National Organising Secretary of the new party, a position he held for about five years during which he built a formidable political network.

Izunaso perhaps, has the best and most robust understanding of the National Assembly having served as an aide to both the presiding officers of the assembly before being elected into both the green and red chambers.

Again, the fact that his home State, Imo is one of the two APC-controlled states in the Southeast zone is a major advantage for him and the APC. This is an evident edge over Akpabio, Yari and Kalu whose states are under the grips of the opposition PDP and the Labour Party respectively.

Weaknesses:

He has not been in the federal legislature since 2011 when he was replaced as the Senator for Imo-West by Hope Uzodinma. he notably defeated the late juggernaut, Arthur Nzeribe in the 2007 senatorial contest for Imo-West (Orlu) District. He had previously served as a member of the House of Representatives. Unlike others, Senator Izunaso is not a money bag.

Opportunities:

While on paper, the leading contenders for the Senate Presidency are no doubt Godswill Akpabio and Orji Uzor Kalu from the South-South and Southeast respectively, it will be costly gambit to dismiss Osita Izunaso with a wave of the hand. It is an irrefutable fact that both Akpabio and Kalu cannot be certain to scale the integrity test of the ruling party and all the other distinguished senators as well as the menacing court of public opinion. This is because antecedents are necessary and inevitable factors for consideration especially for an incoming administration pledging a new chapter anchored on the renewed hope mantra and trust.

Izunaso is also an ardent party man with a strong network and philosophy of people-oriented politics, a fresh face that the APC can comfortably fall back on for a breath of fresh air, purposefulness and integrity.

Threats:

Izunaso is contesting against big but controversial names that have been dominant in the nations political and legislative landscape in the past four years. These include Akpabio and Kalu, with one being a one-time Minority Leader before becoming Minister of Niger Delta Affairs and the other being a one-time Chief Whip of the Senate, who are believed to have amassed so much along the way.

Yari is another powerful figure that has the strings and power tentacles to checkmate any contenders influence and ambition.

SENATOR SANI MUSA

Strengths:

He is a two-term Senator from the North- Central, a zone that is also accusing the APC of marginalising it in the purported zoning formula.

Weaknesses:

Like the President-elect and the Vice President-elect, Senator Musa is also a Muslim. His North Central zone has been subsumed by its recently too close alliance with the far North.

Opportunities:

The North-central seems to have been forgotten in the scheme of things and Sani Musa, who has enjoyed a good stay in the National Assembly as the current Chairman of the Senate Services Committee, has built a sizable influence. Last year, he vied for the position of party chairman before stepping down for the incumbent National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, in compliance with the partys directive.

Threats:

He seems the man with the slimmest chance in this clash of the titans, particularly with the Muslim-Muslim controversy and the clamour by the Southeast and even the South-South for greater representation in central government and party administration.

From the foregoing analysis, it is hard to place a bet on this or that contender. The situation is no doubt dicey. With the return of the President-elect to the country amid intense politicking, both overtly and covertly and the APC National Chairman, Senator Adamu hinting of a revisit of the partys declared zoning formula for the National Assembly leadership, anything can happen.

As the clock ticks towards the inauguration of the 10th Senate, Akpabio and Kalus positions in the Senate Presidency race are increasingly becoming precarious as a result of the growing support for Senator Izunaso and even former Governor Yari. The Imo-West senator may just hold the ace being a Christian from the Southeast, the candidate without baggage and an unwavering loyal party man.

For now, everything hangs in the balance as the behind-the-scenes political scheming and intriguing horse trading continue a few days to the May 29 Inauguration Day and the take off of the 10th National Assembly that would follow.

The APC and the incoming administration are in the global eye, coming in on the plank of anti-corruption, accountability, and transparency, which will inevitably affect the ultimate choice of the new leadership of the National Assembly. This will inevitably affect the ultimate direction of the incoming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government.

*Dr Tom Ohikere is CEO of APC NewsOnline.

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The government is implementing measures to make payroll taxes more equitable for businesses.

The payroll taxfree threshold currently stands at $700,000, which is deemed insufficient. In an effort to better support small businesses throughout the state, starting from July 1, 2024, the taxfree threshold will be raised to $900,000. Moreover, a subsequent increase to $1 million will be from July 1, 2025.

These reforms are expected to benefit approximately 26,000 businesses in Victoria, potentially saving them up to $14,550 per year. Notably, around 6,000 of these businesses will no longer be required to pay payroll tax at all. These advantages will gradually phase out for larger businesses to ensure that the assistance is effectively targeted.

Goodbye to insurance duty

The government aims to reduce the financial burden on businesses by abolishing business insurance duty, making Victoria the first state in Australia to do so. The rate of insurance duty on various types of insurance, including fire and industrial special risks, public and product liability, professional indemnity, employers liability, and marine and aviation insurance, will be gradually reduced by one percentage point each year, beginning on July 1, 2024.

These reforms have the potential to save businesses approximately $3,200 on professional indemnity insurance and $2,400 on fire and other special risk insurance over a cumulative period of 10 years.

In addition to these measures, the government is actively working on making it easier to establish and operate small businesses in Victoria through its regulatory reform agenda.

Overhauls stamp duty

Another significant change lies in the transformation of stamp duty on commercial and industrial properties. The State Budget proposes shifting from the current stamp duty system to an annual property tax, which would be applicable ten years after the propertys purchase. This modification aims to streamline taxation and provide businesses with a more predictable financial landscape.

Furthermore, the benefit of the tax-free threshold is set to phase out for larger businesses gradually. This measure seeks to ensure that support is effectively targeted, benefiting smaller enterprises that may require greater assistance.

Mixed bag budget

The Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has expressed its support for the proposed measures to strengthen small businesses in Victoria. But, the association has also voiced concerns regarding the potential economic consequences resulting from the newly introduced COVID Debt Levy. The ARA cautions that this levy could make Victorias business landscape increasingly expensive, thereby raising concerns about the overall economic environment.

In addition to the COVID Debt Levy, the State Budget introduces additional payroll tax burdens for larger businesses. Those with national payrolls exceeding $10 million per year will face an additional 0.5 per cent payroll tax for the next ten years. Moreover, businesses with payrolls surpassing $100 million annually will be subject to an extra 0.5 per cent increase, resulting in a total 1.0 per cent increment for these larger entities.

While the aim behind these changes is to ensure fair taxation, concerns have been raised about the potential impact on the economic climate. Todays Budget contains some positives for small business, but the wider economic implications are concerning, ARA CEO Paul Zahra noted.

While we understand the Governments desire to repay debts accrued during the protracted pandemic lockdowns, were very concerned about the ramifications of payroll tax hikes on businesses.

In effect, the payroll tax is a tax on jobs.

The cost of doing business is at a crisis point for many retailers  from the costs of goods and services to supply chain costs, higher wages, higher rents and costs associated with retail crime. These new and increased taxes are likely to manifest in job losses and increased customer prices, which further contribute to the cost of living crisis.

Last week, the Government announced increases to WorkCover premiums and today significant increases to payroll tax  Victoria is one of the most expensive Australian states to do business.

Mr Zahra welcomed the Governments decision to raise the payroll tax-free threshold for small businesses up to $1 million by 2025.

This new $1 million threshold better serves small businesses. Wage growth has remained strong over recent years, so its great that the payroll tax-free threshold will reflect this, Mr Zahra added. This is especially valuable for new small businesses, to have a wider net of tax relief while theyre first getting off the ground.

The ARA also welcomed funding to support the delivery of an expanded state nomination visa program  streamlining access to skilled labour and praised the Governments plan to abolish business insurance duties  reducing 1 per cent each year from 2024.

An investment of $30 million in the Business Acceleration Fund will support regulators to make it easier for small businesses to innovate and grow. Mr Zahra said he looks forward to engaging with the states first Economic Growth Commissioner, who will investigate productivity opportunities and make recommendations on growth impediments that need to be addressed.

More here.

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The police in Delta State, South-south Nigeria said they have arrested a notorious cultist and gun-runner while on his way to supply arms for N250, 000.

The police spokesperson in the state, Bright Edafe who disclosed this in a statement he sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday said the suspect, Bibi Asengbe, 38, has been in the commands wanted list.

Mr Edafe, a deputy police superintendent said, the suspect was arrested on Monday after operatives trailed him to his hideout at Okwukoko community.

When the search was conducted on him, a locally made English Beretta pistol was recovered from him, Mr Edafe said.

Besides the suspected gun-runner, the police in the state have also arrested three other suspects with guns at different locations within the last four days.

Two of the suspects, Edafe Ajari, 29 and Wallis Louis, 24, both of Otefe Community in Oghara were arrested on Monday following a tip-off from members of the public.

The police spokesperson listed items recovered from them to include one pump action gun, two double barrel cut-to-size gun, one battle axe and three live cartridges.

Similarly, two suspects identified as Bright Akpomuje, 24 and Michael Ogheneruese, 24 were arrested on Saturday in Ughelli South Local Government Area with a locally made cut-to-size pistol and seven rounds of live cartridges recovered from them.

on Thursday at about 9:3 a.m., acting on a tip-off that some secret cult members were holding a meeting at their hideout in Owhelogbo Community Isoko North LGA, police operatives attached to Otor-Owhe Division, stormed their hideout, and cordoned the area.

The suspected cultists on noticing the presence of the policemen, took to their heels but were given a heated chase. During the chase, Precious Moses, 30 of Owhelogbo was arrested and a locally made cut-to-size single barrel gun, and three live cartridges were recovered from him.

Investigation revealed that the suspect is a member of Viking Confraternity and part of the syndicate terrorising the said community, the state police spokesperson said.

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The Nigeria Police Force has submitted a report to the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), indicting a top politician, Ladi Adebutu, for money laundering and vote-buying, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

Mr Adebutu, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, is indicted for deploying two billion naira to induce voters across the state to vote for him and his party during the 18 March election, the police said.

We have written our report and submitted it, said Oladimeji Yomi, Ogun State Commissioner of Police. The next step is for INEC and the Attorney General of the Federation to look into the report and determine how to proceed against the suspect, Mr Yomi told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday.

The investigator said Mr Adebutu had yet to honour their invitation to respond to the allegation. Obviously, we have written to invite him (Adebutu), he does not appear to be in a hurry to honour our invitation, Mr Yomi said.

On 14 May, this medium published a report in which Mr Adebutu claimed he fled Nigeria over threats to his life. However, a police interim report stated that he had told police investigators, through his lawyers, following his invitation over the petition, that he was receiving medical treatment abroad.

According to our earlier report, Mr Adebutu ran into trouble on 18 March for allegedly using Verve ATM credit cards branded in the name of his late mother, Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Endowment Scheme, to buy votes in all polling booths.

Mr Adebutu is a household name in Ogun State, where he lost the governorship election in March after polling 262, 383 votes to return second behind Governor Dapo Abiodun of the APC, who polled 276, 298 votes. He has, however, filed a petition before the election petition tribunal to challenge Mr Abioduns return.

Police investigators said they had done their job covering all the necessary grounds against Mr Adebutu.

We have done our investigative job and our report is already with the Attorney-General of the Federation and INEC, Mr Yomi, the Police Commissioner, said, adding, It is an election matter so it is INEC and the Attorney-General who will take the matter forward, he said. Whatever they come up with, we will know the next line of action.

We have covered all the necessary grounds we need to cover. We interrogated necessary suspects involved and the bank Interswitch. Only Adebutu is left for us to interview. So to that extent, the case remains open, Mr Yomi added.

We are now expecting the legal advice from the Federal Director of Prosecutions, who also has our investigative report. If Adebutu shows up, we will speak to him and update our report, the police officer said.

Mr Adebutus spokesperson Afolabi Orekoya denied all allegations against his principal.

Nigerian politicians are notorious for vote-buying. But shortly before the general election, a cash redesign policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria led to a severe cash shortage across the country, leaving politicians to design other ingenious ways of compromising voters, most of whom have been impoverished by poor service delivery and corruption by elected and appointed officials.

Government officials confirmed that one of the aims of the CBN naira redesign policy was to prevent vote-buying at the general elections, a phenomenon that had blighted off-season governorship elections in Anambra, Kogi, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo and Osun States.

To address the widespread vote-buying menace, penalties were stipulated in the amended Electoral Act 2022.

Section 121 of the Act states:

1. Any person who does any of the following-

(a) directly or indirectly, by his or herself or by any other person on his or her behalf, corruptly makes any gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement to or for any person, to induce such person to procure or to endeavour to procure the return of any person as a member of a legislative house or to an elective office or the vote of any voter at any election;

(b) upon or in consequence of any gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement corruptly procures, or engages or promises or endeavours to procure, the return of any person as a member of a legislative house or to an elective office or the vote of any voter at any election;

(c) advances or pays or causes to be paid any money to or for the use of any other person, with the intent that such money or any part thereof shall be expended in bribery at any election, or who knowingly pays or causes to be paid any money to any person in discharge or repayment of any money wholly or in part expended in bribery at any election;

(d) after any election directly, or indirectly, by his or herself, or by any other person on his or her behalf receives any money or valuable consideration on account of any person having voted or refrained from voting, or having induced any other person to vote or refrain from voting or having induced any candidate to refrain from canvassing for votes for his or herself at any such election, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both.

(2) A voter commits an offence of bribery where before or during an election directly or indirectly by his or herself or by any other person on his or her behalf, receives, agrees or contracts for any money, gift, loan, or valuable consideration, office, place or employment, for his or herself, or any other person, for voting or agreeing to vote or for refraining or agreeing to refrain from voting at any such election.

Many persons  including politicians, party agents and voters  were arrested in parts of the country before and during the 2023 general elections for vote buying and related offences. The electoral and security agencies have the responsibility for prosecuting them in court.

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The two Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni and mission team crew have arrived at the International Space Station today at 13:24 GMT / 14:24 BST after their spacecraft Dragon 2 successfully docked.

Today, NASA has announced the successful docking of Dragon 2 after 16 hours of the rocket launch yesterday from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni arrive at the International Space Station.

The docking of the "Dragon 2" spacecraft with the ISS is a historic moment for the Saudi astronaut, Rayyanah Barnawi who becomes the first ever Arab woman to fly into space to the ISS. A historic moment also for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which is, as of now, the first Arabic country to send a woman on a space scientific mission just as it is also one of the few countries that has two astronauts on board the ISS simultaneously.

The mission crew that consists of four astronauts, Rayyanah Barnawi, Ali AlQarni, Peggy Whiston and John Shoffner, were welcomed and greeted by the International Space Station team that whished them success in their endeavor.

Upon arrival, the mission crew of AX-2 changed their space suits and joined the ISS team preparing to carry out their mission in space, where they will conduct 14 pioneering research experiments in microgravity that are set to have important scientific impact. The studies that will take place in space by the two Saudi astronauts range from human research and cell science to artificial rain in microgravity in order to develop space science and progress in sending more manned spacecrafts to the moon and to Mars. In addition, the Saudi astronauts will also conduct three educational awareness experiments. This space program has placed the Kingdom as an important player in the global community of space science research, and as a main investor in the service of humanity and its future.

The Saudi Space Commission confirmed that the astronauts, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni, are fully trained and prepared to carry out their mission in space. SSC is also confident that they will accomplish the mission planned successfully and return safely to earth.

The efforts by the SSC are designed to prepare future astronauts and engineers, through quality educational and training programs, participation in scientific experiments, international research and future space-related missions  all of which will contribute to raising the status of the Kingdom and to achieving the goals of Vision 2030.

Notes to Editors

About The Saudi Space Commission (SSC):

The Saudi Space Commission was established by the royal order in December of 2018 (Rabi II 1440). This bold step serves a future that is innovative and looks forward to the latest technologies and opportunities in the Saudi Space Industry.

With the Kingdom moving towards a progressive quality of life, SSC demonstrates the aligned vision of creating better, secure environments for its citizens while actively enabling prospects of lucrative economic and monetary inventions.

The SSC has strategized to create primary objectives that serve national security interests against space related risks and encourage cumulative growth and advancement.

https://saudispace.gov.sa/en/about-us/

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Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2036414/4047783/SSC_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Saudi Space Commission (SSC)
Cision's 2023 State of the Media Report spotlights challenges and opportunities in rapidly changing media landscape

LONDON, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "Accuracy" and "maintaining credibility as a trusted news source" are leading concerns for journalists, particularly in the wake of the meteoric rise of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence-driven applications. They are seeing the impact this emerging technology is having on their industry and are concerned it will make authentic journalism even more challenging for the future.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9160151-cision-2023-state-of-the-media-report/

Cision surveyed 3,100+ journalists worldwide for its 14th annual State of the Media Report What were the biggest challenges for journalism in the last 12 months? What were the big industry challenges of the last 12 months? A look at journalists' activity on social media.

Cision, a comprehensive consumer and media intelligence and communications platform enabling public relations, marketing and communications professionals around the world to understand, influence and amplify their stories, released these findings as part of its 14th annual State of the Media Report.

The report, featuring responses from more than 3,100 journalists from 17 global markets, brings forward journalists' concerns about news and content accuracy, and their daily challenge to battle misinformation. "Ensuring content is accurate" was named the top priority by journalists (58%) and was what they perceive as the top priority for their organisation (43%). More than a quarter of journalists (27%) responded that their biggest challenge was maintaining credibility as a trusted news source. Further, when asked about future generations of journalists, many responses focused on reducing "bias" and separating "fact from opinion."

These findings reinforce the opportunity for journalists and communications professionals to build authentic, trust-based partnerships, advancing a mutual objective of honest, accurate storytelling amidst the changing media landscape.

"Now more than ever, journalists are seeking credible data and trustworthy, unbiased sources. Communications professionals can and should come to their aid. Working together, at this critical moment of disruption, journalists and communicators can protect and even elevate journalism," said Putney Cloos, Cision Chief Marketing Officer.

The Future of the State of the Media

In a first for the State of the Media Report, respondents were asked to share forward-looking perspectives on the discipline of journalism. Key themes include maintaining accuracy, reducing bias, and adapting to an increasingly tech and data-reliant industry. Many journalists also spoke about the opportunities and pitfalls of AI:

"Innovations like ChatGPT won't stop, but the journalists who hide from them are at a disadvantage."

"As AI does more of the actual writing, the journalists who succeed will be the ones who can do the human kinds of things like telling personal stories and finding original conclusions in data sets and data trends well."

" Able to use Generative AI to enhance their work and remain relevant."

Data and Social Media Evolution

Data is becoming a key driver in journalism, as 40% of journalists say they are relying more on data this year and 66% say providing data and expert sources is one way communicators can make their job easier.

Social media platforms provide places for journalists and communications professionals to gather data, as well as connect and promote their own work. Journalists aim to increase their audience on LinkedIn and Instagram in the next year, while reducing their reliance on Twitter citing changes to the platform made by new leadership. Their expectation of increased usage of Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube is due to increased popularity and going where their audiences are.

"Communications are, and will continue to be, a critical driver of progress for brands, companies, organisations, and communities. The stories we tell and how we tell them matter. Working together, journalists and PR and Comms professionals can navigate the future, preserve the art of journalism, and maintain the trust of the audiences we serve," said Cloos.

Download the 2023 State of the Media Report

Methodology

Cision conducted its 2023 State of the Media survey in February and March 2023. Surveys were emailed to Cision Media Database members, who are vetted by the company's media research team to verify their positions as media professionals, influencers and bloggers. We also surveyed members of our HARO (Help a Reporter Out) database, and made the survey available to media professionals in the PR Newswire for Journalists database. This year's survey collected responses from 3,132 respondents in 17 markets across the globe: UK, U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Portugal, China, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The survey language was translated and localised for each market and the results were tallied together to form this global report.

About Cision

Cision is a comprehensive consumer and media intelligence and communications platform enabling public relations, marketing and communications professionals around the world to understand, influence and amplify their stories. As the market leader, Cision enables the next generation of leaders to strategically operate in the modern media landscape where company success is directly impacted by public opinion. Cision has offices in 24 countries through EMEA, the Americas and APAC, and offers a suite of best-in-class solutions, including PR Newswire, Brandwatch, Cision Communications Cloud and Cision Insights. To learn more, visit www.cision.co.uk and follow @CisionUK on Twitter.

Contact Information:

For media inquiries, please contact:

Cision Public Relations

cision@kcsa.com

marketinguk@prnewswire.co.uk

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2082599/Cover.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2082600/Journalism.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2082601/Social_Media.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2082602/Journalist.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2082603/Logo.jpg

SOURCE Cision
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- From vintage longboards to art inspired by Bruce Brown Films' classic, Endless Summer, and 1960's surf music, the stage was perfectly set for the 28th edition of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Annual Business Awards on May 18, featuring the theme, "Waves of Excellence." The program that followed, emceed by CNBC special correspondent Jane Wells, lived up to those heights.

Over 500 business leaders came together to pay tribute to the highest performing middle market companies in Orange County and the Inland Empire, as determined by an independent panel of judges  all of whom were past winners of the event. Following is a list of the companies who captured top honors in this year's competition (by category):

Corporate Responsibility

Profit Recovery Partners

Emerging Growth

Harvest Landscape Enterprises

Founders

Boudreau Pipeline Corporation

Global

MP Biomedicals

Green/Sustainability

IHI Power Services Corp. (IPSC)

Innovation

TrafFix Devices

Reinventing

Spec Formliners

Spotlight

Zone 4

Start-Up

Global Telecom

Sustained Growth

Technologent

An estimated 120 nominees were submitted for the competition, which kicked off last fall. From that group, 30 finalists emerged after meeting with representatives from the Awards committee. Then it was on to interviews with the independent panel of judges, a group comprised of CEOs and leaders of companies that earned top honors in previous years. The rigorous vetting process makes the ACG Award one of the most prestigious a Southern California company can win.

Awards Co-Chair Joseph H. Hirsch, Vice President of Valuation Research Corporation (VRC), said, "In recognizing these amazing companies and the 'Waves of Excellence' they symbolize, we pay homage to their culture, their strategy, and the connection and importance to the communities they serve. Their success is also a reflection of the professionalism of ACG's members  many of whom guide, support and advise them."

Co-Chair Mike Paleo, Senior Vice President of Hughes Marino, added, "When a company achieves Finalist status, they have already won. It's a recognition of their many accomplishments, and something to proudly share with employees and customers alike. They belong among the visionaries, leaders and major employers in Orange County and the Inland Empire."

For more information on the ACG Business Awards or other programs offered through ACG Orange County, please contact Executive Director Richard Meyers at [email protected].

About ACG Orange County

The Association for Corporate Growth - Orange County chapter is part of a global organization that includes 60 chapters involved in corporate growth, corporate development, and mergers and acquisitions. ACG's nearly 15,000 members include professionals from private equity firms, corporations and lenders that invest in middle-market companies, as well as law, accounting, investment banking and other firms that provide advisory services.

CONTACT: Michael Shepherd

(760)861-9596

[email protected]

SOURCE ACG Orange County
A Bamboo Airways aircraft at Con Dao Airport in Ba Ria  Vung Tau Province. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Bamboo Airways has appointed Nguyen Minh Hai as CEO to replace Nguyen Manh Quan with effect from May 24.

The carrier said Quan had asked to step down from the position he had held since July 2022.

Under his leadership, Bamboo earned record revenues in the second half of 2022 through innovative business initiatives.

As of the end of the first quarter this year its fleet utilization rate had risen close to 100%.

Hai, 51, has a bachelors degree in tourism business management from the National Economics University and 25 years experience in the airline industry.

He was deputy general director of Vietnam Airlines between April 2015 and January 2019.

Bamboo Airways had said last week there will be some changes in the board of directors and management.

Hideki Oshima, a former director of international relations and airline alliance at Japan Airlines, is set to join the board of directors and executive board, while Masaru Onishi, a former president of Japan Airlines, will become senior advisor to the board of directors.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chorus Intelligence welcomes AJ Singh as the Head of Sales for North America (NA). Singh's 20-year history within law enforcement and cybersecurity is a great match for this newly created role. The growing NA team has been focused on building relationships with law enforcement at the Local, State, and Federal level in order to understand their needs and to ensure that the Chorus Intelligence Suite (CIS) delivers investigative value.

Neil Chivers, CEO of Chorus Intelligence said: "The appointment of AJ Singh to the Head of Sales role in North America is an important milestone and enabler for our team and mission. With a growing number of clients from the Federal, State and Local law enforcement sectors now using the Chorus Intelligence Suite (CIS) it was important to hire the right person with the correct qualities and experience to underpin and drive our onward exponential growth."

With agencies from Florida to Alaska onboarded, the need for additional and strategic staff was an important action item Tweet this

Chivers continues: "AJ reports directly to me and is a key member of the Chorus global Senior Management Team, I am delighted that he has accepted my offer to join the team."

Chorus Intelligence began their search for the right candidate to fill the Head of Sales position, when interest in their digital intelligence and analytics platform began sweeping across the U.S.

With agencies from Florida to Alaska onboarded, the need for additional and strategic staff was an important action item for Chivers and the Senior Management Team.

AJ Singh said: "I was immediately drawn to Chorus Intelligence's mission, creating solutions that help support analysts and law enforcement with complex data challenges."

Singh brings 10 years of experience as an FBI Agent working on cyber investigations in Dallas, Texas; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Head Quarters; and Kyiv, Ukraine. In addition to his cyber investigative work with the FBI, Singh was a Firearms Instructor.

After his 10 years with the FBI, he navigated to the private sector where he has spent the last 10 years in sales leadership, including technical, value-based selling experience in startups iSIGHT Partners and Root9B, which were acquired by FireEye and Deloitte, respectively.

In his free time, Singh spends time with his family, travels as much as possible, and volunteers with a non-profit combatting human trafficking.

About Chorus Intelligence

Chorus Intelligence is a trusted supplier of data cleansing, analysis, search and entity enrichment software for law enforcement, government agencies, financial and corporate institutions across the globe. Made up of one platform and a single user interface, the Chorus Intelligence Suite (CIS) can be used by all, no matter your role, to get answers from your data. Founded in 2011, Chorus is used by most agencies in the UK and many North American agencies. Be empowered at every stage of an investigation to confidently turn data into intelligence and evidence. chorusintel.com

SOURCE Chorus Intelligence - North America
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Allos Pharma Inc. ("Allos"), a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the development of treatments for rare neurological disorders, announced today that it has held a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to optimize the design of their Phase 3 trial. This trial is designed to support a New Drug Application (NDA) to address Fragile X Syndrome, for which there is no approved medicine today.

Allos' investigational drug, arbaclofen, targets the molecular pathophysiology of Fragile X Syndrome and has demonstrated considerable efficacy in an FDA-compliant Phase 3 trial. The robust efficacy observed in children provides clarity on effective dosage, inclusion criteria, trial duration, safety, and endpoints, increasing confidence that the pivotal Phase 3 trial will yield positive results.

During the FDA meeting, Allos received invaluable and constructive feedback that is being leveraged with input from the Clinical Trial Committee of the National Fragile X Foundation (NFXF) and will be incorporated into the design of the Phase 3 trial.

Hilary Rosselot, Executive Director of the National Fragile X Foundation (NFXF) comments that "the Allos team has made significant progress in developing arbaclofen. The expert clinician members of our Clinical Trial Committee have provided input and guidance to optimize the design of the clinical trial and enthusiastically support performing this study. NFXF looks forward to working in partnership with Allos to better the lives of individuals with Fragile X Syndrome and their families."

"We support the dedicated work of Drs. Bear and Carpenter and the rest of the Allos team to move ahead with arbaclofen to treat core symptoms in children with Fragile X. Many, many families are waiting eagerly to have access to arbaclofen again!" says Katie Clapp, President and co-founder of FRAXA Research Foundation.

"We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the meeting with the FDA and grateful for their engagement, guidance and support as we advance our Phase 3 trial for Fragile X Syndrome," said Dr. Randall Carpenter, MD, co-founder of Allos Pharma Inc. "We remain committed to providing a new treatment option for patients and families affected by this debilitating disorder, and believe that arbaclofen has the potential to make a significant, positive impact on their lives."

Additional data analyses suggested by the FDA bolster confidence that the statistically significant improvements observed in the Phase 3 trial are clinically meaningful. Specifically, anchor-based, within-patient responder analyses were performed on data collected in the Phase 3 studies previously conducted by Seaside Therapeutics. Significantly more children treated with arbaclofen had a clinically meaningful magnitude of improvement (P=0.015) than the placebo control group. These results were presented at 18th NFXF International Fragile X Conference July 14-17th 2022 (provide hotlink to the poster on our website). The robust dose-response observed on the clinical outcome assessments in this trial further support the likelihood that efficacy will be replicated in the confirmatory trial.

About Allos Pharma Inc.

Allos Pharma Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of treatments for rare neurological disorders. Allos' investigational drug, arbaclofen, is currently in Phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of Fragile X Syndrome.

For more information, please visit Allos Pharma Inc.'s website at www.allospharma.com

Contact:

[email protected]

SOURCE Allos Pharma Inc.
CINCINNATI, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amify (goamify.com), a leading provider of technology-enabled Amazon optimization and advertising solutions, has closed its Series B funding round with a total of $10 million in investment. This round of fundraising was led by strategic, growth-oriented investors including Mercury Fund, Cincy Tech, and SAAS Ventures along with participation from several undisclosed angel investors.

This partnership enables Amify to fast-track its strategic advantage across the e-commerce marketing and media landscape by enhancing the company's proprietary marketplace optimization platform and to further increase investment in their team, allowing them to cater to the growing demand of e-commerce marketplaces.

"We are delighted to have closed our Series B funding round and are excited about the opportunities it presents for our company and our clients," said Amify's CEO, Chris Mehrabi. "With this funding, we will continue to invest in our technology and team, so we can better serve growing brands and deliver business success on Amazon."

Today's announcement comes on the heels of continued growth on e-commerce marketplaces. With Amazon becoming increasingly dominant, businesses are continually searching for ways to optimize their presence and remain ahead of the competition. Amify has been at the forefront of this trend, leveraging its innovative technology and an experienced team to assist companies of all sizes to maximize their e-commerce potential Amify excels in leveraging its deep understanding of Amazon to deliver tactical excellence through real-time monitoring of pricing, advertising performance, and competitor activities. With advanced software tools and meticulous processes, Amify provides unparalleled visibility into Amazon operations. Their real-time monitoring capabilities optimize pricing strategies and enhance advertising performance. Through deep analytics, Amify uncovers valuable insights, guiding informed decisions for inventory management, product positioning, and marketing tactics. This comprehensive approach enables businesses to harness Amazon's full potential, ensuring success in the competitive marketplace.

As part of their commitment to building a world-class team, Amify is also pleased to announce the appointment of two key executives. Chris Mehrabi, who has served as Amify's Chief Product Officer, will take on the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Christine McCambridge, formerly Senior Vice President of Delivery, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO). Ethan McAfee, Amify's founder and former CEO, has been named Executive Chairman and will continue to serve on the Board of Directors.

"Chris Mehrabi and Christine McCambridge have been instrumental in Amify's growth and success to date, and we are excited to see them take on expanded leadership roles," said Ethan McAfee. "Their expertise and strategic vision will be critical as we continue to grow and evolve our services to better serve growing brands on Amazon."

As CEO, Chris Mehrabi will oversee the overall direction of the company, including its product development and strategic initiatives. His experience in building and scaling successful high growth companies and products will be key to Amify's future growth.

"I am honored to take on the role of CEO and lead Amify through our next phase of growth," said Chris Mehrabi. "I look forward to continuing to work with our talented team to provide innovative solutions that continue to push brands further."

As COO, Christine McCambridge will be responsible for overseeing the company's operational functions, including delivery, customer success, and support. Her deep knowledge of Amify's services and commitment to client satisfaction will ensure that the company continues to provide the highest level of service to their clients.

"I am thrilled to be taking on the role of COO and working alongside Chris and the rest of the team to drive Amify's continued success," said Christine McCambridge. "I am committed to ensuring that our clients receive the best possible service and support, and I look forward to helping them achieve their goals on Amazon."

About Amify

Amify, a venture-backed and two-time Inc. 500 award winner, offers a turnkey solution that allows brands to maximize their potential on the Amazon marketplace. At the core of their approach is a proprietary marketplace optimization platform using the latest data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence technologies that provide their clients with unparalleled insights into their Amazon performance, as well as automated optimization and advertising solutions that are tailored to their unique needs and goals. Using a customized end-to-end strategy, Amify has partnered with hundreds of brands on Amazon helping them adapt to the ever-changing e-commerce landscape.

SOURCE Amify
DUBLIN, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Analysis Report on Auto Shanghai 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Analysis on 75 Trends at Auto Shanghai 2023: Unprecedented Prosperity of Intelligent Cockpits and Intelligent Driving Ecology

After analyzing the intelligent innovation trends at the Auto Shanghai 2023, the publisher summarized 75 trends, including 14 trends about OEMs, 24 trends about cockpits, 24 trends about intelligent driving, 7 trends about intelligent chassis and 6 trends about electrification. This report illustrates 10 trends with examples.



Emerging brands compete with each other fiercely in the arena of city NOA, conventional Chinese independent brands give domestic Tier 1 suppliers scope for growth, while joint venture brands are striving to catch up with them.



The 'involution' of emerging brands in vehicle display intensifies. They tend more to create all-scenario interaction experience through integrated display, large display, rear screens and AR-HUD. The multi-screen and large-screen trend becomes clearer. By keeping improving their self-developed IVI systems, emerging carmakers offer intelligent differentiated experience in terms of multi-modal interaction, ecosystem services and scenario engines. Regarding intelligent driving, Xpeng, NIO and AITO will apply the city NOA function on large scale in 2023.



Conventional Chinese independent brands are keen on innovation as well, but they generally achieve intelligent upgrades on car models by way cooperating with domestic Tier 1 suppliers. The foreign decision-makers of joint venture automakers who have learned lessons at the Auto Shanghai are expected to increase investment in intelligence and electrification, thereby bringing more opportunities to domestic Tier 1 suppliers.



Trend 1: Cockpit-driving integration has become a R&D priority, and is expected to be available to vehicles during 2024-2025.



Since 2022, NVIDIA and Qualcomm among others have taken the lead in mass-producing cockpit-driving integrated chips. Bosch, ZF, Desay SV, Hangsheng Electronics and SAIC Z-ONE have also released cockpit-driving integrated domain controllers and solutions. At the Auto Shanghai 2023, ZongMu Technology also announced a transformation from driving-parking integration to cockpit-driving integration amid the "involution". Meanwhile, NavInfo, ECARX, Black Sesame Technologies, HoloMatic Technology and Banma Zhixing also race to work hard on cockpit-driving integration. In addition, Baidu and iMotion are deploying cockpit-driving integration and expected to apply it to vehicles between 2024 and 2025.



Trend 2: Webasto introduced a smart roof that integrates solar energy and dimming technologies, and exhibited a rooftop cinema system with a large display.



As a global roof system leader, Webasto has developed a roof sensor module (RSM) for autonomous vehicles. This module integrates sensors such as LiDAR and camera into the roof line and combines functions like intelligent cleaning and thermal management. So far, Webasto's smart roof technology has been applied to production cars of Lotus. The LiDAR integrated into the roof can be turn on or off as needed. To cater to consumers better, Webasto continues to develop a range of new roof functions, such as rooftop cinema system, and dimmable and tiltable canopy.



Trend 3: Cockpit chip platforms enter the 3nm era, and the MTK cockpit platform is released.



At the Auto Shanghai 2023, MediaTek launched Dimensity Auto, a brand-new automotive platform which includes Dimensity Auto Cockpit, Dimensity Auto Connect, Dimensity Auto Drive, and Dimensity Auto Components. Utilizing the 3nm process and the AI Processing Units (APU) with flexible AI architecture and high scalability and supporting up to 16 cameras, the cockpit platform can meet the development needs of cabin-parking integration and cabin-driving integration.



Trend 4: UWB has functioned as a technical solution for detecting children left-behind inside the vehicle.



At the Auto Shanghai 2023, Continental introduced the expansion of its digital access system CoSmA by a Child-Presence-Detection function (CPD) using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology. Based on unique respiration rates and micro-body-movements, the CPD with UWB system can classify passengers as infants, children or adults. If children are left behind in the vehicle, the CPD system can send an audible, visual or haptic alert to the driver after ten seconds at the latest. The UWB-based CPD is also able to detect infants and children in any seating position, no matter if they are covered by a blanket or stay hidden in the cabin-footwell.



In March 2023, CEVA announced the Child Presence Detection (CPD) as specified by Euro-NCAP and similar specifications in other regions.



Trend 5: Large games will gradually get on vehicles.



At the Auto Shanghai 2023, ECARX exhibited "Makalu", its next-generation intelligent cockpit computing platform just released in March 2023. This platform adopts AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 processors, 7nm process, 6-core and 12-thread APU, GPU consisting of 28 compute units, and 1,792 stream processors.



In March 2023, ECARX announced an ecosystem strategic partnership with Unreal Engine to create an immersive user experience through desktop-level 3D visual effects, which also support large AAA games and the extensive gaming ecosystem of the Epic Games Store, including Tomb Raider.



Desay SV's Smart Solution 2.0 released at the Auto Shanghai 2023 adds the gaming cockpit concept based on Aurora, an intelligent central computing platform (ICP) with computing power of 4000TOPS. The Smart Solution 2.0 has designed two different gaming systems for rear seat users: one using X86 architecture aims to let users enjoy the desktop-level AAA game experience in vehicles; the other combined with smart surfaces provides children-oriented services such as playing the piano and painting.



Trend 6: AI foundation models are available to cockpits, and multiple brands unveil AI assistants.



Banma Co-Pilot, the third-generation automotive AI capability system of Banma Zhixing, was officially unveiled at the Auto Shanghai 2023. The related technologies will be first seen in SAIC IM cars. Based on the Tongyi Qianwen, a foundation model independently developed by Alibaba based on natural language understanding and generation, Banma Co-Pilot designed for automotive scenarios builds full-stack cloud-terminal integrated AI capabilities and boasts such core capabilities as scenario customization, multi-source data, expertise, service access and behavior prediction.



Trend 7: Dual-chip driving-parking integrated solutions get upgraded to single-SoC ones, and the competition in the industry intensifies



Driving-parking integration is a key solution to intelligent driving at present. Dual-chip driving-parking integrated solutions are being upgraded to single-SoC ones. For example, Baidun has upgraded Apollo Highway Driving Pro, a driving-parking integrated product where the computing platform gets upgraded to a single TDA4-VH. Yihang.AI has also upgraded its previous dual-chip solution to the Lite, a single-SoC driving-parking integrated solution with optimized algorithms and fewer chip, helping to cut down the domain controller cost to around RMB1,000.



Hong Jing Drive's driving-parking integrated domain controller packs a single Journey 3 SoC that supports both driving and parking scenarios and time-division multiplexing algorithms. In driving scenarios, this domain controller with the 5R5V sensor configuration enables highway Navigate on Autopilot (NOA).



Trend 8: Horizon Journey 5 is selected by international Tier 1 giants as the main control chip of intelligent driving platforms.



At the Auto Shanghai 2023, Continental announced a consensus with Horizon Robotics to build the Driving-parking Integrated Domain Controller Solution 3.0 that supports L2+ NOA and integrates higher-level parking functions to enable end-to-end ADAS. Continental Xinzhijia, a joint venture between Continental and Horizon Robotics, will create Driving-parking Integrated Domain Controller 3.0 based on Horizon's next-generation high-performance chips.



On April 20, 2023, ZF announced a close strategic partership with Horizon Robotics to develop high-performance platform solutions based on Horizon's Journey series chips so as to empower ZF coPILOT. The first Journey 5-based computing platform will be delivered in Q3 2024.



Trend 9: Many domain controller vendors choose chips from Black Sesame Technologies.



Black Sesame Technologies has main offerings of A1000, A1000L and A1000 Pro. JICA Intelligent Robot, Fusionride, Baolong Automotive, Lan-You Technology, Yixing Zhilian, and Anhui Domain Compute have developed driving-parking integrated domain controllers based on A1000/A1000L chips.



Trend 10: 4D imaging radar vendors realize a more accurate target classification by using innovative imaging technology and perception algorithms.



Beijing Autoroad Technology Co., Ltd. released ALRR 300, a brand-new 77Ghz automotive 4D radar. Based on dual-chip cascaded hardware and sparse signal imaging technology, the product delivers horizontal and pitch resolution of less than 1, which facilitates more accurate target classification, and provides better performance through compressed perception algorithms. ALRR300 can precisely recognize six kinds of targets: motor vehicles, non-motor vehicles, people, high places, grounds and ground targets (not limited to lamp poles, road signs and bridges). It not only ensures the reliability of the AEB function, but also supports dense point cloud output, about 1024 points per frame. In addition, ALRR300 can penetrate the rain, snow and fog to detect targets.





Key Topics Covered:



Introduction to the Auto Shanghai 2023



1 OEMs' Innovation Trends at the Auto Shanghai 2023



2 Intelligent Cockpit Trends at the Auto Shanghai 2023



3 Intelligent Driving Trends at the Auto Shanghai 2023



4 Chassis Intelligence Trends at the Auto Shanghai 2023



5 Electrification Trends at the Auto Shanghai 2023



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jzipfx

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Two icons of Italian excellence join forces in the name of quality and flavor

TRIESTE, Italy, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Andrea Berton and illycaffe, the global leader in high-quality sustainable coffee, announce the addition of the Michelin-starred chef to the roster of the illy Chef Ambassador project, the initiative dedicated to lovers of coffee and fine dining for which Berton will become an international ambassador starting in May 2023.

Andrea Berton is illycaffes new Chef Ambassador

Thanks to the invention of the Personal Blender (the machine patented by illy whose prototype was introduced at the 2015 Milan Exposition's Coffee Pavilion) and the support of the University of Coffee, Chef Berton will have the opportunity to combine the ingredients that make up the illy blend - 9 of the best single-origin Arabica variety  to create his own personal brew, a unique blend that reflects illy's values of sustainability and the utmost quality.

Each one of the Michelin-starred chefs involved in the project will create their own "custom-made" coffee. Following in the footsteps of Niko Romito, Viki Geunes, Antonia Klugmann, Ciccio Sultano, Rupert Blease, Massimo Bottura and other leading lights of international fine dining, Andrea Berton will take his turn at combining these ingredients in different quantities and proportions, achieving a balance that best reflects his own style and personal sensorial, taste, and aroma preferences.

If every great Chef has a great menu, thanks to illy they also now have their own bespoke coffee best adapted to their personal style of cooking: the final product will be made available as a unique experience closing out the tasting menu for patrons of "Ristorante Berton", in Milan's futuristic Porta Nuova Varesine district.

A double thread unites Andrea Berton's cuisine and illycaffe: their regional origins on one hand, and their search for excellence, starting with ingredients, on the other. These values are part of the DNA of the Trieste-based coffee company, whose mission of delighting lovers of the good and the beautiful with the best sustainable coffee nature can offer begins with a deep knowledge and respect for raw materials.

"We are thrilled to announce our collaboration with Andrea Berton, an innovative chef that has brought new perspectives and intuitions to the forefront, and with whom we share a constant search for perfection" commented Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffe. "This partnership is born out of our shared values of excellence, which we aim to offer to our customers, both when they are enjoying a great coffee and when they sit down at the table, for a flawless experience that strives for absolute quality".

"I am honored to start this important collaboration with illycaffe" says Chef Andrea Berton "as a company that is an ambassador of coffee quality in the world and with a great attention paid to the sustainability of the production chain. To make me even more enthusiastic is then the possibility to create my own coffee blend building it with the tastes and flavors in line with my idea of cuisine."

The illy Chef Ambassador project, launched in 2017, has recently undergone a strategic overhaul. It aims to involve fine dining professionals with whom illycaffe shares the values of sustainability and the utmost quality: sustainable chefs, awarded with the Green Star by the Michelin Guide, and illy's Masters of Excellence, the great Michelin-starred chefs.

For more information on the illy Chef Ambassador project, see: https://www.illy.com/chefambassador

illycaffe is an Italian family-owned company, founded in Trieste in 1933 which has always set itself the mission of offering the best coffee to the world. It produces a unique 100% Arabica blend composed of 9 different ingredients. The company selects only 1% of the best Arabica beans in the world. Every day 8 million cups of illy coffee are served in over 140 countries around the globe, in the cafes, restaurants and hotels, in single-brand cafes and shops, at home and in the office, in which the company is present through subsidiaries and distributors.

Since its foundation, illycaffe has oriented its strategies towards a sustainable business model, commitment that it strengthened in 2019 by adopting the status of Benefit Company and in 2021 becoming the first Italian coffee company to obtain the international B Corp certification. Since 2013 the company is also one of the World Most Ethical Companies. Everything that is "made in illy" is about beauty and art, the founding principles of the brand, starting from its logo, designed by artist James Rosenquist, up to illy Art Collection cups, decorated by over 125 international artists, or coffee machines designed by internationally renowned designers. With the aim of spreading the culture of quality to growers, baristas and coffee lovers, the company has developed its Universita del Caffe which today holds courses in 25 countries around the world. In 2021, Rhone Capital became a minority shareholder of illycaffe with the aim of contributing to the company's international growth plans.

In 2022, the company had 1230 employees and a turnover of 567,7 million. The illy single-brand network has 190 points of sale in 34 countries.

SOURCE illycaffe
New book by Dr. Michael Soon Lee explores advantages Asians are given over other minorities

SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In his upcoming book, "Beyond the Bamboo Curtain" Michael Lee explains why Asians in the U.S. enjoy more privileges than other minorities.

For example, Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill requiring Florida to join other states that require Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history to be taught as part of school curricula. At the same, Florida and 23 other states have banned the teaching of Black history. In fact, in early 2023, DeSantis rejected a new AP African American history class, claiming it "lacks educational value."

Dr. Michael Soon Lee Book Cover: Beyond the Bamboo Curtain

So why is AAPI history now being promoted while Black history is being banned? Dr. Lee explains how Asians in America have been granted something called "Yellow Privilege" which is almost as good as "White Privilege", but not quite.

Lee says that when many Chinese started arriving in America in the late 1840s, they were described as "heathen Chinaman" and by 1853, a California newspaper said about the Chinese, "They are not of our people and never will be..." In 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act became the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States.

Yet, by the 1960s, the media was calling Asians in the U.S. the "Model Minority" who were quiet and hard-working and whom other minorities should emulate rather than protesting for civil rights in the streets. At the time, Asians were less than one percent of the American population, so it was easy to give them a public relations makeover. As a result, between 1940 and 1970, Asians went from segregated neighborhoods and schools to surpassing African Americans in average household earnings and closed the wage gap with Whites. This transformation has been so complete that today, many believe that discrimination no longer exists against Asian Americans.

In Michael's book, he explains many of the facts surrounding Yellow Privilege including:

The public relations campaign that created Yellow Privilege.

Specific ways that Asians are granted more privileges than other minorities.

How Yellow Privilege is used to take the spotlight off inequalities that Blacks and other groups in America have suffered.

Why many AAPIs are embarrassed by Yellow Privilege but won't talk about it.

How Yellow Privilege has led to increased violence against AAPIs.

Discrimination that continues to negatively affect Asians in America.

How Yellow privilege is still being used to oppress other minorities today.

Take a quiz to see how much you know about Asian Americans at: www.BeyondTheBambooCurtain.com

About Michael Soon Lee

Dr. Lee is a professional speaker on diversity, equity, and inclusion and the author of nine books including "Cross-Cultural Selling for Dummies" and "Black Belt Negotiating". He has spoken over 1,000 times around the world to companies like Coca-Cola, Chevron, Boeing, and General Motors. His career includes being a motion picture producer and actor, dean of a university business school, chairman of the board of a credit union, award-winning real estate broker, and more. Email: [email protected] Phone: (925) 864-8848 Website: www.BeyondTheBambooCurtain.com.

SOURCE Dr. Michael Soon Lee
RALEIGH, N.C., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Following their 2022 Frontline Behavioral Health Workforce report in 2022, APNC published a paper expanding on national and local data on the current workforce crisis in behavioral health.

"The behavioral health workforce is far past its tipping point with no significant relief in sight," says APNC CEO, Sara Howe. "North Carolina's data aligns with national trends that show a dismal outlook for the field if we don't find ways to support the current workforce and recruit young professionals into substance use and mental health professions."

"The behavioral health workforce shows up day after day to help people in crisis, and they are tired, overwhelmed, and discouraged. We have a responsibility to our communities to address this workforce crisis so they can continue to get the excellent care they need to experience the fullness of a life in recovery," says Senator Jim Burgin.

The paper outlines four recommendations for addressing the workforce crisis:

Establish financing systems for equitable wages

Pass legislation and fund reimbursement of student loans

Expand the concept of workforce to include peer support specialists and community health workers

Establish a career ladder for the field

These recommendations will not change the situation overnight, but implementing them will signal to the workforce that they are essential to the health and wellbeing of North Carolina and serve as a reminder that they are valued and supported. After three years of dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a message the workforce needs to hear.

"The healthcare workforce needs support. They have been fighting against the opioid crisis for more than a decade and continued that work throughout the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. To create a healthcare system that improves health outcomes for all citizens, we must invest in the people providing care and ensure that they stay in the field," says Representative Timothy Reeder.

As the voice for addiction professionals in North Carolina, APNC asks policymakers and state leaders to make workforce development and investment a priority.

About APNC:

APNC's mission is to unify the voice of North Carolina's addiction professionals through advocacy, technical assistance, and educational opportunities while providing innovative programs to advance the field.

Media Contact

Morgan Coyner

[email protected]

804-317-8107

SOURCE Addiction Professionals of North Carolina
Partnership Features New Imaging Contest for MR Imaging Professionals using Elucirem (Gadopiclenol) Injection, a Novel New Macrocyclic GBCA for Use in Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

Winning Images to Be Featured on Applied Radiology Website and First Place

"Image of the Year" Winner to be Announced at Annual RSNA Conference in November

PRINCETON, N.J., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Guerbet, a global leader in medical imaging with more than 30 years of experience in MRI, announced today a partnership with Applied Radiology, the leading peer reviewed radiology publication in the United States, where they will introduce "Elucirem | The Reveal Image Challenge." The program provides MR imaging professionals with an opportunity to reveal their MR imaging potential and to share their MRI images using Elucirem (gadopiclenol) injection. MRI imaging using Elucirem and supporting case information can be submitted on a secure image portal at appliedradiology.com/reveal and will be accepted starting in May-Dec 2023.

A winning image will be selected each month by a review committee, including MRI thought leaders and educators, Applied Radiology board members and Guerbet associates. Throughout the challenge, winning images will be featured on the Applied Radiology website and social media platforms. The program will culminate at the Guerbet booth at the annual RSNA (Radiology Society of North America) Annual Conference from November 26-30, 2023, where the Image of the Year will be revealed. In order to participate in the "Elucirem | The Reveal Image Challenge, MRI professionals are encouraged to consider the following criteria when submitting their images: the MRI images should be taken only for the FDA-approved indications for Elucirem and using approved dosing for Elucirem as well as Image Assessment (Contrast Resolution, Contrast to Noise Ratio, Spatial Resolution, Artifacts, MR Contrast Protocol, etc.)

"This partnership with Applied Radiology was conceived as we began to see some extraordinary images coming from the radiology community with the use of Elucirem," said David Hale, Chief Executive Officer at Guerbet. "We are excited to share the Elucirem difference by showcasing these images which tell the story about the future of the industry."

About Elucirem

This next generation GBCA from Guerbet, highly stable macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA), gadopiclenol has the highest relaxivity in its class for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and is indicated for use in adults and children aged 2 years and older.1,2 Elucirem requires only half the gadolinium dose of conventional non-specific GBCAs, addressing practitioners' concerns about gadolinium exposure.3,4 Elucirem (Gadopiclenol) injection is used to detect and visualize lesions with abnormal vascularity in the central nervous system (brain, spine, and associated tissues) and the body (head and neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, and musculoskeletal system).1 Guerbet received FDA approval of Elucirem (NDA 216986) on September 21, 2022 after priority review, a designation assigned to applications for drugs that provide significant improvements in the safety or effectiveness of the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of serious conditions compared to available therapies.5

GBCAs improve the contrast between lesions and surrounding tissues by accelerating the relaxation of protons thanks to interaction with gadolinium atoms. Gadopiclenol, the active drug substance of Elucirem, has been designed to enable twice as much interaction, resulting in the highest relaxivity among all non-specific GBCAs.2 This allows use at half the conventional gadolinium dose to reveal high quality images.

Elucirem is manufactured by Liebel-Flarsheim Company LLC, a Guerbet Group company, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

About Guerbet

At Guerbet, we build lasting relationships so that we enable people to live better. That is our purpose. We are a global leader in medical imaging, offering a comprehensive range of pharmaceutical products, medical devices, and digital and AI solutions for diagnostic and interventional imaging. As pioneers in contrast products for over 95 years, with more than 2,600 employees worldwide, we continuously innovate and devote 8%-10% of our revenue to research and development in five centers in France, Israel, and the United States. Guerbet (GBT) is listed on Euronext Paris (segment B  mid caps) and generated 732 million in revenue in 2021. For more information, please visit www.guerbet.com.

About Gadopiclenol

Gadopiclenol, initially invented by Guerbet with subsequent contribution of Bracco intellectual property, is a new macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) with high relaxivity. The efficacy and safety of Gadopiclenol have been evaluated in MRI of the central nervous system (brain, spine, and associated tissues) and the body (head and neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, and musculoskeletal system) in adult and pediatric patients aged 2 years and older. (refer to the approved USPI for full information). Details on Phase III clinical trials are available on www.ClinicalTrials.gov:

Efficacy and Safety of Gadopiclenol for Central Nervous System (CNS) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov

Efficacy and Safety of Gadopiclenol for Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov

Gadopiclenol is currently in the process of examination by the European Medicines Agency.

Forward-looking statements

This press release may contain statements of a forward-looking nature, based on assumptions and predictions made by the management of Guerbet group. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to marked differences between the future results, financial situation, development and performances of the company, and the estimates made here. These factors include those mentioned in the public reports of Guerbet, available on its website www.guerbet.com. The company assumes no responsibility whatsoever in relation to the updating of these forward-looking statements, or how they correspond to future events or developments.

ELUCIREM (gadopiclenol) injection Important Safety Information

WARNING: NEPHROGENIC SYSTEMIC FIBROSIS (NSF) See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning



Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) increase the risk for NSF among patients with impaired elimination of the drugs. Avoid use of GBCAs in these patients unless the diagnostic information is essential and not available with non-contrasted MRI or other modalities. The risk for NSF appears highest among patients with: Chronic, severe kidney disease (GFR <30 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ), or Acute kidney injury.

Screen patients for acute kidney injury and other conditions that may reduce renal function. For patients at risk for chronically reduced renal function (for example, age >60 years, hypertension or diabetes), estimate the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) through laboratory testing.

Indications and Usage

ELUCIREM (gadopiclenol) injection is indicated in adult and pediatric patients aged 2 years and older for use with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect and visualize lesions with abnormal vascularity in the central nervous system (brain, spine, and associated tissues), and the body (head and neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, and musculoskeletal system).

Contraindications

History of hypersensitivity reactions to ELUCIREM

Warnings and Precautions

Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis: GBCAs increase the risk for NSF among patients with impaired elimination of the drugs. Avoid use of GBCAs among these patients unless the diagnostic information is essential and not available with non-contrast MRI or other modalities. The GBCA-associated NSF risk appears highest for patients with chronic, severe kidney disease as well as patients with acute kidney injury.

GBCAs increase the risk for NSF among patients with impaired elimination of the drugs. Avoid use of GBCAs among these patients unless the diagnostic information is essential and not available with non-contrast MRI or other modalities. The GBCA-associated NSF risk appears highest for patients with chronic, severe kidney disease as well as patients with acute kidney injury. Hypersensitivity Reactions: With GBCAs, serious hypersensitivity reactions have occurred. In most cases, initial symptoms occurred within minutes of GBCA administration and resolved with prompt emergency treatment. Before ELUCIREM administration, assess all patients for any history of a reaction to contrast media, bronchial asthma and/or allergic disorders. These patients may have an increased risk for a hypersensitivity reaction to ELUCIREM.

With GBCAs, serious hypersensitivity reactions have occurred. In most cases, initial symptoms occurred within minutes of GBCA administration and resolved with prompt emergency treatment. Before ELUCIREM administration, assess all patients for any history of a reaction to contrast media, bronchial asthma and/or allergic disorders. These patients may have an increased risk for a hypersensitivity reaction to ELUCIREM. Gadolinium Retention: Gadolinium is retained for months or years in several organs. Linear GBCAs cause more retention than macrocyclic GBCAs. Consequences of gadolinium retention in the brain have not been established. Pathologic and clinical consequences of GBCA administration and retention in skin and other organs have been established in patients with impaired renal function. While clinical consequences of gadolinium retention have not been established in patients with normal renal function, certain patients might be at higher risk. These include patients requiring multiple lifetime doses, pregnant and pediatric patients, and patients with inflammatory conditions. Consider the retention characteristics of the agent when choosing a GBCA for these patients. Minimize repetitive GBCA imaging studies, particularly closely spaced studies when possible

Gadolinium is retained for months or years in several organs. Linear GBCAs cause more retention than macrocyclic GBCAs. Consequences of gadolinium retention in the brain have not been established. Pathologic and clinical consequences of GBCA administration and retention in skin and other organs have been established in patients with impaired renal function. While clinical consequences of gadolinium retention have not been established in patients with normal renal function, certain patients might be at higher risk. These include patients requiring multiple lifetime doses, pregnant and pediatric patients, and patients with inflammatory conditions. Consider the retention characteristics of the agent when choosing a GBCA for these patients. Minimize repetitive GBCA imaging studies, particularly closely spaced studies when possible Acute Kidney Injury: In patients with chronically reduced renal function, acute kidney injury requiring dialysis has occurred with the use of GBCAs. The risk of acute kidney injury may increase with increasing dose of the contrast agent. Do not exceed the recommended dose.

In patients with chronically reduced renal function, acute kidney injury requiring dialysis has occurred with the use of GBCAs. The risk of acute kidney injury may increase with increasing dose of the contrast agent. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Extravasation and Injection Site Reactions: Injection site reactions such as injection site pain have been reported in the clinical studies with ELUCIREM. Extravasation during ELUCIREM administration may result in tissue irritation. Ensure catheter and venous patency before the injection of ELUCIREM.

Injection site reactions such as injection site pain have been reported in the clinical studies with ELUCIREM. Extravasation during ELUCIREM administration may result in tissue irritation. Ensure catheter and venous patency before the injection of ELUCIREM. Interference with Visualization of Lesions Visible with Non-Contrast MRI: As with any GBCA, ELUCIREM may impair the visualization of lesions seen on non-contrast MRI. Therefore, caution should be exercised when Gadopiclenol MRI scans are interpreted without a companion non-contrast MRI scan.

Adverse Reactions:

In clinical trials, the most frequent adverse reactions that occurred in > 0.2% of patients who received ELUCIREM included: injection site pain, headache, nausea, injection site warmth, injection site coldness, dizziness, and localized swelling. Adverse reactions that occurred with a frequency  0.2% in patients who received 0.05 mmol/kg BW.

ELUCIREM included: maculopapular rash, vomiting, worsened renal impairment, feeling hot, pyrexia, oral paresthesia, dysgeusia, diarrhea, pruritus, allergic dermatitis, erythema, injection site paresthesia, Cystatin C increase, and blood creatinine increase.

Use in Specific Populations

Pregnancy: GBCAs cross the human placenta and result in fetal exposure and gadolinium retention. There are no available data on ELUCIREM use in pregnant women to evaluate for a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or other adverse maternal or fetal outcomes.

GBCAs cross the human placenta and result in fetal exposure and gadolinium retention. There are no available data on ELUCIREM use in pregnant women to evaluate for a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or other adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. Lactation: There are no data on the presence of ELUCIREM in human milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects on milk production. However, published lactation data on other GBCAs indicate that 0.01 to 0.04% of the maternal gadolinium dose is excreted in breast milk.

There are no data on the presence of ELUCIREM in human milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects on milk production. However, published lactation data on other GBCAs indicate that 0.01 to 0.04% of the maternal gadolinium dose is excreted in breast milk. Pediatric Use: The safety and effectiveness of ELUCIREM have not been established in pediatric patients younger than 2 years of age.

The safety and effectiveness of ELUCIREM have not been established in pediatric patients younger than 2 years of age. Geriatric Use: This drug is known to be substantially excreted by the kidney, and the risk of adverse reactions to this drug may be greater in patients with impaired renal function.

This drug is known to be substantially excreted by the kidney, and the risk of adverse reactions to this drug may be greater in patients with impaired renal function. Renal Impairment: In patients with renal impairment, the exposure of gadopiclenol is increased compared to patients with normal renal function. This may increase the risk of adverse reactions such as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). Avoid use of GBCAs among these patients unless the diagnostic information is essential and not available with non-contrast MRI or other modalities. No dose adjustment of ELUCIREM is recommended for patients with renal impairment. ELUCIREM can be removed from the body by hemodialysis.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.

Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see the full Prescribing Information, including the Medication Guide, for additional important safety information.

1 Elucirem [package insert]. Princeton, NJ: Guerbet LLC; 2022

2 Robic, C., Port, M., Rousseaux, O., Louguet, S., Fretellier, N., Catoen, S., Factor, C., Le Greneur, S., Medina, C., Bourrinet, P., Raynal, I., Idee, J. M., & Corot, C. (2019). Physicochemical and Pharmacokinetic Profiles of Gadopiclenol: A New Macrocyclic Gadolinium Chelate With High T1 Relaxivity. Investigative radiology, 54(8), 475484. https://doi.org/10.1097/RLI.0000000000000563

3Loevner LA, Kolumban B, Hutoczki G, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Gadopiclenol for Contrast-Enhanced MRI of the Central Nervous System: The PICTURE Randomized Clinical Trial. Investigative Radiology ():10.1097/RLI.0000000000000944, December 19, 2022. | DOI: 10.1097/RLI.0000000000000944

4 Data on file (PROMISE trial. GDX-44-011)

5 US FDA. Priority Review. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/patients/fast-track-breakthrough-therapy-accelerated-approval-priority-review/priority-review. Accessed August 22, 2022

Contacts:

Guerbet

Leeann Essai, Head of Marketing, North America 609-480-9850/ [email protected]

Syneos Health

Edie Elkinson, Media Relations 310-430-6838/ [email protected]

GU04230046

SOURCE Guerbet
TRUMBULL, Conn., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquilance, a leading provider of financial administration services for high-net-worth families, individuals, and family offices, has been selected as a winner in the 'Bill Pay' category at the Tenth Annual Family Wealth Report Awards 2023 program.

The annual Family Wealth Report Awards recognizes the most innovative and exceptional firms, teams and individuals serving the family office, private wealth, and trusted advisor communities in North America. Aquilance was selected for this category based on the success of its proprietary software, BillFlow Systems, which is integral to the firm's bill payment services. BillFlow Systems is the core technology engine enabling the team to centralize hundreds of data points unique to each family, and collect, track, and execute bill payments on behalf of families with great rigor and accuracy - saving thousands of hours and ensuring that nothing is missed.

"We are honored to have won the award for Best Bill Pay solution and see this acknowledgement as a reflection of the hard work our tenured team has put in over many years," noted Ken Eyler, CEO of Aquilance. "This firm was started more than three decades ago with an emphasis on white-glove service and deep family office experience. Since then, we have developed new and proprietary software that is a key enabler for our team to execute and maintain excellence in delivery of the financial clarity our clients expect. We are thrilled to be recognized for the impact this technology has had."

Stephen Harris, ClearView Financial Media's CEO, and publisher of Family Wealth Report was first to extend his congratulations to all winners and highly commended companies: "every category winner and highly commended firm has been subjected to a rigorous and independent judging process and should be rightly proud of the success they have achieved. We have seen a marked increase in entrants and interest in all our global awards programmes and Family Wealth Report is no exception. These awards are so beneficial as they give organizations and individuals the opportunity to clarify their strategic thinking, have it independently validated, be recognized internally and externally and to celebrate in style with their peers."

Winners and highly commended companies were announced on May 4th at the Gala Ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan, New York.

For more information about Aquilance, please visit www.aquilance.com.

About Aquilance

Aquilance was founded in 1987 to address the complex financial administration needs of families and individuals of wealth. Currently serving hundreds of families, Aquilance provides a diverse suite of services which includes personal bookkeeping and billpay, consolidated accounting across multi-entity family structures and complex investment partnerships, performance reporting, ILIT administration and much more. The firm's mission of over thirty years continues to be enriching quality of life for families by eliminating time spent on managing complex finances, and empowering effective decision making and legacy planning by delivering timely and accurate reports to clients and their advisors.

About ClearView Financial Media Ltd ("ClearView")

ClearView Financial Media was founded by Chief Executive, Stephen Harris in 2004, to provide high quality 'need to know' information for the discerning private client community. London-based, but with a truly global focus, ClearView publishes the WealthBriefing group of newswires, along with research reports and newsletters, while also running a pan-global thought-leadership events and awards programme.

Media Contact:

Ryan Walker

R.J. Walker & Co.

[email protected]

SOURCE Aquilance
DUBLIN, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Architectural Coatings Market by Resin Type (Acrylic, Alkyd, vinyl, Polyurethane), Technology (Waterborne, Solventborne), Coating Type (Interior and Exterior), User Type (DIY and Professional), Application, and Region - Global Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global architectural coatings market size is projected to grow from USD 85.0 billion in 2023 to USD 102.7 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 3.9%, between 2023 and 2028. The residential construction application of architectural coatings is dominated by the repainting segment. Exterior paints and coatings fade as a result of weather and pollution, necessitating renovation and repair.

This is raising the need for architectural coatings in the residential repainting market. In the United States, it has been found that the growth in demand for home remodeling is mostly due to the fact that 65% of current houses were built before the 1990s. People nowadays dwell in their houses for longer periods of time than previous generations, resulting in increased expenditure on home remodeling.

The polyurethane resin type segment is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Polyurethane resins are created by combining polyalcohol with organic di-isocyanate. Polyurethane resin paints have exceptional durability, hardness, and gloss, and they are easy to clean. Because of these qualities, polyurethane resin paints are employed in a variety of applications across the world. Polyurethane resin is a kind of polymer that is commonly used in architectural coatings. This resin has a number of advantages, including durability, abrasion resistance, and scratch resistance. It may also preserve the surface from fading by providing UV protection. Polyurethane resin is frequently utilized in both exterior and interior coatings due to these advantages. Polyurethane resin is commonly used in architectural coatings for deck flooring, window frames, and wall panels. Polyurethane resin may also be used in a wide range of colorants to produce a wide range of colors and textures.

Powder coatings segment in technology is expected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The powder-based method coats substrates with thermoplastic or thermoset films using dry resin powders. The coating is created after a layer of powder is put to the substrate with a powder spray cannon or fluidized bed tank and then heated, melting the powder. Increasingly strict environmental rules for zero or non-VOC coatings are a major driving force in the expansion of the powder-based category. Powder-based technology is environmentally benign and is predicted to increase rapidly because to its unique characteristics such as good corrosion resistance, chipping, high-quality finish, and abrasion. It also protects against moisture, heat, and chemicals. These power coatings produce very little VOCs.

Middle East & Africa architectural coatings market is estimated to register one of the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the rest of the Middle East and Africa are the countries under consideration. This region has 20% of the world's population, necessitating massive residential building. This demand, together with the growing middle-class population, is likely to contribute to modest growth in the coatings business. Middle Eastern economic growth is a critical component in developing commercial prospects in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The majority of Middle Eastern and African countries have made significant investments in the building sector. This is done in order to diversify their economy away from oil and oil-related businesses and towards other industrial sectors. However, fluctuating oil prices and geopolitical tensions are expected to have a minor impact on the growth rate.

Key Topics Covered:





1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

5 Market Overview

6 Architectural Coatings Market, by Technology - Forecast Till 2028

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Waterborne Coatings

6.3 Solventborne Coatings

6.4 Powder Coatings

7 Architectural Coatings Market, by Resin Type - Forecast Till 2028

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Acrylic Resin

7.3 Alkyd Resin

7.4 Polyurethane Resin

7.5 Vinyl Resin

7.6 Other Resins

8 Architectural Coatings Market, by User Type - Forecast Till 2028

8.1 Introduction

8.2 DIY

8.3 Professional

9 Architectural Coatings Market, by Coating Type - Forecast Till 2028

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Interior

9.3 Exterior

10 Architectural Coatings Market, by Application - Forecast Till 2028

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Residential

10.2.1 New Construction

10.2.2 Remodel and Repaint

10.3 Non-Residential

10.3.1 Commercial

10.3.2 Industrial

10.3.3 Infrastructure

11 Architectural Coatings Market, by Region - Forecast Till 2028

12 Competitive Landscape

13 Company Profile

14 Appendix

Companies Mentioned

Akzonobel N.V.

Asian Paints Limited

BASF SE

Benjamin Moore & Co.

& Co. Berger Paints India Limited

Brillux GmbH & Co. KG

Carpoly Chemical Group Co. Ltd.

Cloverdale Paint Inc.

Daw SE

Diamond-Vogel Paint Company

Fujikura Kasei Co. Ltd.

Guangdong Maydos Building Materials Co. Ltd.

H-I-S Coatings & Paint Manufacturing Co.

Hempel A/S

Indigo Paints Pvt Ltd.

Jotun A/S

Kansai Paint Co. Ltd.

Kelly-Moore Paints

Lanco Paints

Masco Corporation

Nippon Paint Holdings Co. Ltd.

Ppg Industries Inc.

Rpm International Inc.

Sto Corp

The Sherwin-Williams Company

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/jfca5g

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Will Vietnam's tourism see a boost soon? Industry insiders are optimistic about future prospects as the government weighs up a 90-day e-visa to gain a competitive edge as a leading tourism destination.

Travel companies are anticipating that if the decision is finalized in the ongoing National Assemblys meeting, which started on Monday, the sector could take advantage of the change right from the traveling season starting in September and achieve the goal of eight million foreign tourists for this year.

As of the end of April, Vietnam has welcomed nearly 3.7 million international arrivals, reaching nearly half of the goal it has set for 2023.

However, these figures hint that Vietnam's tourism rebound is still underway - the 2023 goal is modest compared to the country's record 18 million international arrivals in 2019.

Pham Ha, CEO of travel business Lux Group, told Vietnam News: "Open policies like this will be a driving force for tourism. I believe that with other comprehensive policies, Vietnam can receive eight million foreign visitors within the year 2023."

The visa validity extension has been a long-awaited decision for many travel agencies, as it allows easier, longer stay in Vietnam and, therefore, more economic revenue, Ha added.

Le Hong Thai, CEO of Hanoitourist, said: "Statistics revealed that international tourists' spending is around 11 times more than that of domestic.

"It means that even if we have 100 million local tourists, it still will not bring in as much as the goal we have set out for this year, which is eight million."

While these numbers are only comparative, the difference is evident, he said.

"This is why more favorable conditions are needed and why we have to attract international tourists to Vietnam now," said Thai.

The 90-day visa, however, is expected to go beyond catering to foreigners looking for an extended tropical getaway.

Thai believed that Vietnam can position itself as a main transit point to its advantage, especially when tourists plan to visit multiple countries in the region.

This is where the extended visa - single or multiple-entry - plays an important role.

He said: "Korean tourists, for example, will arrive here [in Hanoi] for a few days, then they go to Da Nang, and then they fly to Siem Reap (Cambodia). After two or three days in Siem Reap, they will return to Vietnam to fly back to the Republic of Korea."

"In this case, if their visa is single-entry then it is not possible. But if we issue multiple-entry visas, they can arrive and return to Vietnam multiple times within 90 days, which is a major advantage."

The same could also be said for European tourists, Thai added.

"For instance, French or U.K. tourists come here and also want to visit Laos and Cambodia, but theres no direct flight back home from those locations, so they will return to Vietnam," he said.

However, many concerns have been raised about whether people will take advantage of this visa policy for purposes other than traveling.

"Many experts have posed this question, and I believe that the answer lies in the registration form that international arrivals have to fill in when they want to apply for a visa to Vietnam."

The document requires stating the purpose of the visit, whether its tourism, business, visiting relatives or other.

This is what state management agencies and officers can base on for review and monitoring.

"I think that when state management agencies strengthen their inspection and supervision, this [visa] policy is definitely possible," said Thai.

"The result we want to achieve is to promote the development of our tourism sector compared with other countries in the Southeast Asian region."

In a report addressing these concerns on May 16, Minister of Public Security To Lam said that e-visa issuance is conducted through pre-approval of personnel.

Therefore, the policy responds to management demands by helping immigration offices screen people who do not meet the requirements for entry.

While the 90-day visa proposal is collectively viewed as a boost for the sector, industry experts believe that the policy alone will not be able to transform the entire tourism landscape.

Phung Quang Thang, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents (VISTA), said: "How each country's destination recovers [post-Covid] depends on its existing conditions."

"During their trip, tourists will need a lot of public services," Thang said. "But obviously, the infrastructure is in different levels of development in each country."

The number of arrivals will increase with favorable visa policies, but achieving the set goal for tourism concerns many other factors, such as new and unique tourism products and easier access to locations, he said.

"Tourists must have a great experience during their extended stay in Vietnam, and the goal we aim at is that when they return home, they will introduce Vietnam to their families and friends and especially feel the need to travel to Vietnam again."
Artivion to Receive $18.75 Million Milestone Payment Under Previously Announced Agreement

Artivion to Begin Supplying Product to Baxter Under Transitional Manufacturing and Supply Agreement

ATLANTA, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Artivion, Inc. (NYSE: AORT), a leading cardiac and vascular surgery company focused on aortic disease, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted premarket application (PMA) approval of PERCLOT Absorbable Hemostatic System ("PerClot") for use to control bleeding in certain open and laparoscopic surgical procedures. Artivion sold the PerClot product line to Baxter International Inc. ("Baxter"), (NYSE: BAX), in July 2021. Pursuant to the terms of its previously announced agreements with Baxter, Artivion will transfer ownership of the PMA to Baxter following approval. Shipment of PerClot product to Baxter will commence upon receipt of a milestone payment of $18.75 million in cash, $4.5 million of which will be paid to Artivion's former partner Starch Medical, Inc. ("SMI").

Under the terms of its agreements with Baxter, Artivion will supply Baxter with PerClot for a minimum of twenty-one (21) months, until manufacturing operations are transferred in full to Baxter or its designee.

"We are excited to receive FDA approval of PerClot, which represents a significant step forward in optimizing patient care by addressing intraoperative bleeding" said Pat Mackin, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Artivion. "We continue to see Baxter as the perfect partner to commercialize PerClot due to its expertise in blood management and its strong hemostat portfolio, with corresponding customer relationships. The sale of PerClot to Baxter and the recent FDA approval mark the culmination of years of hard work and collaboration across many dedicated teams, and we are proud to have played a part in bringing this product to market."

Steve Wallace, President of Baxter's Advanced Surgery business added, "I would like to thank the team at Artivion for their partnership throughout the FDA review and approval process. The addition of PerClot to Baxter's portfolio further enhances our ability to optimize patient care by addressing a broad range of intraoperative bleeding with both active and passive hemostatic solutions."

With this latest milestone payment following FDA PMA approval for PerClot, Baxter will have paid approximately $44 million in cash to Artivion, of which $10.5 million was paid to SMI. Under the agreements, Baxter may make future payments as outlined below:

Up to $10 million upon Baxter's achievement of certain cumulative worldwide net sales of PerClot prior to December 31, 2026 , and December 31, 2027 , of which up to $3 million is payable to SMI; and

upon Baxter's achievement of certain cumulative worldwide net sales of PerClot prior to , and , of which up to is payable to SMI; and Approximately $800,000 upon transfer to Baxter of Artivion's PerClot manufacturing equipment at the conclusion of Artivion's manufacturing and supply services for Baxter.

Artivion intends to use the net proceeds from the transaction for general corporate purposes, contingent consideration obligations, and potential debt repayment.

About Artivion, Inc.

Headquartered in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, Artivion, Inc. is a medical device company focused on developing simple, elegant solutions that address cardiac and vascular surgeons' most difficult challenges in treating patients with aortic diseases. Artivion's four major groups of products include: aortic stent grafts, surgical sealants, On-X mechanical heart valves, and implantable cardiac and vascular human tissues. Artivion markets and sells products in more than 100 countries worldwide. For additional information about Artivion, visit our website, www.artivion.com.

About Baxter

Every day, millions of patients, caregivers and healthcare providers rely on Baxter's leading portfolio of diagnostic, critical care, kidney care, nutrition, hospital and surgical products used across patient homes, hospitals, physician offices and other sites of care. For 90 years, we've been operating at the critical intersection where innovations that save and sustain lives meet the healthcare providers who make it happen. With products, digital health solutions and therapies available in more than 100 countries, Baxter's employees worldwide are now building upon the company's rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of transformative healthcare innovations. To learn more, visit www.baxter.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Statements made in this press release that look forward in time or that express management's beliefs, expectations, or hopes are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect the views of management at the time such statements are made. These statements include our beliefs that FDA approval of PerClot represents a significant step forward in optimizing patient care by addressing intraoperative bleeding and that we continue to see Baxter as the perfect partner to commercialize PerClot due to its expertise in blood management and its strong hemostat portfolio, with corresponding customer relationships. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, estimates, and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations These risks and uncertainties include the risk factors detailed in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and our subsequent filings with the SEC. Artivion assumes no obligation, and expressly disclaims any duty, to update publicly any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contacts:





Artivion D. Ashley Lee Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Phone: 770-419-3355 Gilmartin Group LLC Brian Johnston / Lynn Lewis Phone: 332-895-3222 [email protected]

SOURCE Artivion, Inc.
Information intended to educate families, schools and businesses as wildfire smoke evolves into a year-round, worldwide health concern

BUFFALO, N.Y., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Austin Air Systems, North America's premier manufacturer of clinically tested HEPA air purifiers, has published a comprehensive toolkit that delivers crucial public information on wildfire smoke.

Due to the growing severity and prolonged nature of wildfires across the world, Austin Airwho's worked with the U.S. government, FEMA, and the American Red Cross in response to the country's most challenging environmental emergenciescompiled the toolkit to educate residents, school administrators and business leaders about wildfire smoke, specifically:

types of harmful particles often present in wildfires;

potential effects on human health; and

key actions people can take to ensure they're breathing safe indoor air.

"Wildfire smoke contains hazards that can't be seen, but are just as catastrophic, leading to long-term, life-altering health issues," said Lauren McMillan, president of Austin Air. "As advocates and experts on clean air, we have a responsibility to educate people about the dangers of wildfire smoke and the remedies available."

In addition to igniting a toxic mix of organic matter and manmade materials, resulting pollutants can travel far beyond their wildfire of origin. In previous West Coast fires, air quality advisories were extended to cities along the East Coast, and smoke was traced as far away as Russia and western Europe.

This exposes a much wider global population to severe health risks, including changes in respiratory, immune, and neurological health. A recent study from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, found that smoke from wildfires can be up to 10 times more dangerous than other types of pollution, including traffic emissions.

"The good news is that we have technology to mitigate the dangers of wildfire smoke. Our toolkit tells consumers exactly what to look for in an air purifier that can effectively remove these contaminants and bring peace of mind," McMillan said.

For more information on Austin Air's toolkit, visit www.wildfiretoolkit.com.

ABOUT AUSTIN AIR SYSTEMS

For over 30 years, Austin Air has delivered state-of-the-art air filtration products to improve indoor air quality for consumers worldwide. Austin Air is driven by an unwavering commitment to the distribution of high-performing products making indoor air clean, safe, and free from contaminants. Learn more: www.austinair.com.

Media Contact:

Kate Measer

[email protected]

716-997-6576

SOURCE Austin Air Systems
Single-chip trusted control/compute unit (TCU) provides the industry's most robust, hardware-anchored solution for detecting cyberattacks on next-generation servers in data centers, 5G infrastructure, and network switches

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- COMPUTEX 2023  Axiado Corporation, an AI-enhanced hardware cybersecurity company, today introduced the AX3000 and AX2000 trusted control/compute units (TCUs), the world's first fully integrated AI-driven hardware security platform solutions designed to help detect cybersecurity and ransomware attacks on next-generation servers and infrastructure elements in cloud datacenters, 5G networks, and network switches. Samples of AX3000/AX2000 TCUs are available now.

Axiado will demonstrate AX3000/AX2000 TCUs leveraging its AI-driven hardware security platform at Computex 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan from May 30-June 2, 2023.

Axiado's TCU comes to market at a time when cybercrime and ransomware attacks are skyrocketing. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, it's expected that cybercrime will cost the world economy around $10.5 trillion annually. Estimates suggest in 2022 a ransomware attack took place successfully every 40 seconds, with an attempt nearly every 11 seconds, according to DataProt.

Residing in the lowest layer of the hardware stack and integrating all security functions within a single SoC or module, the Axiado TCU effectively acts as a "last line of defense," even when all other network functions have been compromised. The TCU detects and stops ongoing attacks and recovers the system from an attack by isolating it from the network.

The Axiado AX3000/AX2000 TCUs represent a new category of forensic-enabled cybersecurity processors that are designed to enhance existing Zero-Trust models. TCUs combine silicon, AI and data collection, and software into a compact, power-efficient SoC with unique AI functionality explicitly designed for security. The single-chip solution is rooted in real-time and proactive AI with pre-emptive threat detection and comprehensive protection, provided by a dedicated coprocessor that allows manufacturers to build safe, secure, and resilient solutions by design and default.

The TCU platform has capabilities never available before. Housed in a 23 x 23 BGA SoC and drawing under 5W, the TCU features a distributed hardware security manager with anti-tamper and anti-counterfeit hardware, and a control/management plane SmartNIC network interface controller that includes platform and tenant virtualization. It also offers protection from ransomware and side-channel attacks, such as differential power analysis, voltage glitching and clock manipulation that are used to extract cryptographic keys.

The TCU relies extensively on AI-based real-time threat mitigation with forensic-enabled hardware fingerprints as well as platform monitoring and optimization (clocks/voltages/temp) using AI and machine learning. The SoC includes Root of Trust (RoT), a baseboard management controller (BMC), a trusted platform module (TPM), a hardware security module, SmartNIC, firewall, and AI and machine learning.

"This is a major step forward in our vision to provide comprehensive, AI-driven platform security in a single-chip SoC," said Gopi Sirineni, President and CEO, Axiado. "Our TCU is a game changer that delivers a lower cost of ownership than any other alternative in the market. We look forward to collaborating with ODMs/OEMs, cloud service providers, and the entire security ecosystem to help make the world's digital infrastructure safer and more secure."

"There are multiple market pressure points we are grappling with when it comes to cloud computing," said Patrick Moorhead, Founder, CEO, and Chief Analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. "Finding ways to protect against the endemic ransomware trend, the move towards modular server systems as driven by OCP and the natural integration of functions in silicon SOCs sets us up for a new wave of innovation in silicon and systems. I believe, Axiado is well positioned to shine in the new world that takes zero trust security to the next level."

"We are very pleased to have Axiado actively participate in the Open Compute Project (OCP) Community by taking the OCP approved Datacenter Secure Control Module Specification (DC-SCM) and build a product compliant with this specification," said George Tchaparian, CEO, OCP. "Axiado's innovative security platform is a perfect example of how OCP's open specifications make hyperscale DC operator-led innovation available to all. Similarly, adopters from all corners of the market can now easily deploy OCP's DC-SCM standard."

DEMO AT COMPUTEX 2023

Axiado will demonstrate AX3000/AX2000 TCUs leveraging its AI-driven hardware security platform on a DC-SCM 2.0 server. This demonstration will be at Computex 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan from May 30-June 2, 2023.

AVAILABILITY

Axiado is currently sampling its AX3000/AX2000 TCUs to early-access partners in servers, wireless base stations, wired security appliances, centralized, and distributed infrastructure, and next-generation smart edge gateways. The AX2000 TCU provides a cost-effective advanced platform security option, while the AX3000 adds runtime protection and AI-based automation.

Axiado also offers AX3000/AX2000 TCUs in a Smart-SCM security module that is compliant with the Open Compute Project (OCP) datacenter-ready secure control module (DC-SCM) standard.

Samples of AX3000 and AX2000 are available now. Contact Axiado or register for a development kit today.

SUPPORTING QUOTES

Jas Tremblay, Vice president and General Manager, Data Center Solutions Group, Broadcom

"We are pleased to see Axiado bring its new TCU security processors to market, where it's critical to provide data centers with the most advanced cybersecurity tools available. Security and AI-intensive technology is important to the data center, where security threats are a great concern for companies. The Axiado TCU platform is the next step to delivering the cybersecurity tools the market needs."

Michael Lee, SVP of Engineering, Accton Technology Corporation

"Networking applications are required to have stringent security requirements. A compact integrated platform security solution with open-source software is needed to enable next generation ToR switching for both enterprise and data center applications. Working with a disruptive technology such as the one from Axiado will make our end solution more compelling to our end customers."

Richard Liu, General Manager of Enterprise Solutions BU, ASUSTek Computer Inc.

"The prevalence of cloud and edge services has led to a rise in network attacks and fraud incidents. Our focus is on enhancing the server hardware security of our customers' data center infrastructure. We are confident that by teaming up with Axiado, we can accomplish this objective."

Magesh Ethirajan, Director General, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)

"Advanced research in high-performance computing (HPC) and building exascale computing infrastructure are imperative to solving large societal problems. We are a leading R&D institute involved in HPC, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Microprocessor & Strategic Electronics, and actively engaging with premier institutions and leading innovators, such as Axiado, to find solutions for significant societal problems like ransomware and side-channel attacks in data centers."

Mike Yang, SVP & GM, Quanta Computer

"As we design platforms for the workload of tomorrow, an integrated solution such as Axiado TCU is a welcome development that will improve system resilience and scalability."

Bou Lin, President, Senao Networks Inc.

"The wide networking application set where Senao plays is rapidly demanding a higher level of future proofing in all areas, including security. Working with Axiado's hardware-anchored and AI-driven platform security establishes a solid basis for our portfolio to effectively compete and lead in the market."

Joseph Byrne, Microprocessor Report, Editor-in-Chief, TechInsights

"Securing and managing computing infrastructure is critical for cloud service providers, telcos, and others employing large server fleets to deliver services. At the same time, ransomware and other malware threatens these companies' businesses. A single chip integrating server management, platform trust functions, and AI hardware to protect, monitor, and control systems delivers more capabilities in a smaller form factor than cobbling together legacy technologies."

Danny Hsu, President, Tyan Computer Corporation

"We have collaborated with Axiado on their DC-SCM project for cloud service providers. DC-SCM 2.0 server is a product that very few manufacturers in the OCP community can develop and bring to the market. Tyan is excited to partner with Axiado for its TCU product design. Axiado's Smart-SCM provides our DC-SCM 2.0 servers with the cutting-edge security that puts us at the forefront of next-generation multi-node servers."

Puneet Agarwal, Founder and CEO, VVDN Technologies

"Axiado and VVDN have been collaborating on multiple projects, where Axiado's domain knowledge in SoC and security is a great complement to VVDN's manufacturing and system capabilities. I look forward to continuing our partnership with a major milestone demonstrating our respective technologies at the OCP Global Summit in San Jose, California in the upcoming October."

Steven Lu, Senior Vice President, Wiwynn Corporation

"As an active contributor to OCP Server Design Project, we're always evaluating innovative solutions such as the Axiado TCU. Our partnership with Axiado is a testament to our commitment to delivering the best server solutions to hyperscale datacenter customers."

ABOUT AXIADO

Axiado is a cybersecurity semiconductor company deploying a novel, AI-driven approach to platform security against ransomware, supply chain, side-channel and other cyberattacks in the growing ecosystem of cloud data centers, 5G networks and other disaggregated compute networks. The company is developing new class of processors called the trusted control/compute unit (TCU) that redefines security from the ground-up: its hardware-anchored and AI-driven security technologies include Secure Vault root-of-trust/cryptography core and per-platform Secure AI pre-emptive threat detection engine. Axiado was founded in San Jose, Calif. in 2017 with a mission to protect the users of everyday technologies from digital threats. For more information, go to axiado.com or follow us on Linkedin.

Green Flash Media

Jeremy Hyatt

[email protected]

SOURCE Axiado
MIAMI, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Azamara  the upmarket cruise line and pioneer in Destination Immersion experiences  is making European travel dreams come true with a special limited time offer, giving travelers three free nights, 50 percent savings on one guest, and a $750 onboard credit. The three free nights alone, valued at $3,300 in a Club Continent Suite, add exceptional value to this remarkable offer. Three Nights Free will provide more value to current and future guests of Azamara, with more time to wander and explore a destination on a traveler's own terms.

Azamara in Monte Carlo

"We wanted to share our cherished relationships and express our gratitude to our valued guests and trade partners with a special offer that allows them to experience more," said Carol Cabezas, President at Azamara. "More immersive events, more cultural connections, and more time in port through longer stays and plenty of overnights  these are the exceptional advantages our small ship fleet offers guests to truly appreciate a destination."

Available exclusively on select 2023 European voyages booked between May 23, 2023, through June 2, 2023, this promotion allows guests to discover small ship cruising as Azamara sails to the heart of incredible hidden gem destinations throughout Europe. Travelers sailing with Azamara will also be able to spend more time in port with late nights and overnights, allowing for more flexibility and access to immersive exploration and cultural experiences.

Azamara recently introduced the all-new AzAmazing Celebrations, enriching its culturally immersive events offered onboard and ashore. Guests can step back in time to explore the fascinating history of the Ottoman Empire's Cimenlik Castle in Canakkale, Turkey, admire the views of the Dardanelles Strait, or enjoy a beautiful sunset during a late-night stay in Greece.

For more information, please visit www.azamara.com/threefreenights.

About Azamara:

Azamara is an upmarket cruise line and leader in Destination Immersion experiences. With a fleet of four intimate-style ships, Azamara Journey, Azamara Quest, Azamara Pursuit, and its latest ship, Azamara Onward, the cruise line allows travelers to reach marquee ports around the world and dock in smaller, hidden gem destinations. Azamara aims to Change the Way You Sea, through its commitment to creating immersive experiences for guests through longer stays, more overnights and night touring for a deeper and more meaningful travel experience. Guests can experience an intimate hotel at sea with inclusive amenities such as gratuities, select beverages, cultural events and can take advantage of exclusive loyalty membership benefits through the Azamara Circle Program. For more information visit www.azamara.com.

SOURCE Azamara
Berger Montague is now powered by 89 attorneys across seven offices in the United States and Canada, having experienced considerable growth in 2023.

PHILADELPHIA, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Adding to its premier capabilities, Berger Montague, a complex litigation powerhouse, is pleased to announce the addition of eight new trial lawyers to the firm. Berger Montague is now 89-lawyers strong across seven offices and expects to reach the 100-lawyer threshold before year-end. Driving the firm's growth-plan is the high demand for the firm's services in its many practice areas and the desire of lawyers across the country to join an organization that truly values excellence in client service, high ethical standards, aggressive pursuit of client-interests, top-level performance, and camaraderie. The formula is straightforward, says firm Chairman Eric Cramer , "We hire the best people, provide them the resources necessary to succeed, coordinate around a common mission of seeking justice on behalf of consumers, workers, businesses, and citizens, and foster a culture of teamwork in the service of winning on behalf of our clients. So long as we keep these principles top of mind, we will continue to grow and thrive as an institution."

Highlighting the new additions to the firm are Janet Varnell and Brian Warwick, award-winning trial lawyers located in Tampa, Florida, who have worked alongside Berger Montague lawyers on numerous matters in the past. The firm has also added other top-notch legal talent, including Mark B. DeSanto, Mariyam Hussain, Zachary M. Vaughan, William A. Walsh, Olivia Lanctot, and Sonjay Singh. In all, the eight new attorneys, whose backgrounds are described below, will help drive the continued success of Berger Montague and its ability to achieve groundbreaking results for its clients.

Janet Varnell has spent her career fighting on behalf of consumers, workers, and businesses. Janet is the current Vice President and future President of Public Justice Foundation, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring equal access to justice for all. Ms. Varnell is also on the Partners Council of the National Consumer Law Center in Washington, D.C., one of the nation's leading consumer advocacy organizations. She has earned a national reputation as a champion and defender of consumer rights, having been recognized as the 2019 Consumer Protection Lawyer of the Year from the Florida Bar, the 2018 Trial Lawyer of the Year from the Public Justice Foundation, and the 2009 "Consumer Advocate of the Year" by Consumer National Association of Consumer Advocates. For the past 25 years, Ms. Varnell has focused on appellate work as well as consumer protection, wage and hour, product liability, antitrust, civil rights, securities fraud, and environmental litigation. She has been appointed as lead or co-lead counsel in more than sixty class actions certified in federal or state courts across the nation that have, collectively, resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars for her clients and the class members they have represented. Ms. Varnell will be joining Berger Montague as Of Counsel.

Brian W. Warwick is nationally recognized as one of the nation's top consumer rights lawyers, having secured victories before the U.S. Supreme Court, including protecting the right of consumers to file class actions in state courts. In 2018, he was named Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Public Justice Foundation alongside Ms. Varnell, in recognition of the team's work in protecting consumers from the payday loan industry in the class action Inetianbor v. CashCall, a case that resulted in one of the largest consumer recoveries in Florida's history. He has also been a member and speaker of the National Association of Consumer Advocates since 2001 and a member of the Public Justice Foundation since 2009. Mr. Warwick will be joining Berger Montague as Of Counsel.

Mark B. DeSanto is joining Berger Montague as Senior Counsel in the Consumer Protection Department and comes to the firm with nine years of class action experience, including in consumer protection, securities fraud, ERISA, employment, automotive defect, data breach, privacy, and various types of defective product matters. Mr. DeSanto has helped recover more than $305 million for consumers, pension participants, investors, and employees. In 2023, Mr. DeSanto was named to the Legal Intelligencer's "Lawyers on the Fast Track" list, and in every year since 2018 he has been selected by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers as a Rising Star.

Mariyam Hussain is joining Berger Montague as Senior Counsel in the Employment Law Department and will focus primarily on wage-and-hour class and collective actions arising under state and federal law. Ms. Hussain has represented thousands of workers nationwide in public, non-profit, and private sector capacities for over a decade, having received her JD and BA from DePaul University College and her MA from the University of London.

Zachary M. Vaughan is joining Berger Montague as Senior Counsel in the Consumer Protection Department where he will focus on litigation matters involving financial and credit reporting practices. He has represented corporate and individual clients in a wide variety of matters, including consumer class actions, securities class actions, RMBS lawsuits, contract disputes, bankruptcy litigation, and partnership disputes. Mr. Vaughan formerly worked as a litigation associate at a large national law firm and an international plaintiffs' firm.

William A. Walsh is joining Berger Montague as Senior Counsel in the Environmental & Public Health Department and brings over 30 years of litigation and trial experience to the firm. Mr. Walsh is a seasoned environmental litigator, having acted on behalf of states and municipal water providers in actions against polluters for groundwater contamination, particularly MTBE and PCE-related lawsuits. He also represented a community impacted by PFOA contamination in its aquifer and represented thousands of individuals in toxic tort cases, including those involving PFOA and Roundup. Prior to joining Berger Montague, he was part of the environmental team at a major plaintiffs' law firm in Manhattan for 16 years.

Olivia Lanctot is joining Berger Montague as an Associate in the Employment Law Department. Ms. Lanctot was formerly an associate at a well-known New Jersey law firm where she focused on employment and education law. She received her law degree from William & Mary Law School, during which time she also worked as a law clerk, assisting employees in matters before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Sonjay Singh is joining Berger Montague as an Associate in the Consumer Protection Department. Mr. Singh graduated from Temple University's Beasley School of Law where he was named the Eisenberg Scholar, a scholarship given yearly to the outstanding student in civil litigation, and he received the Trial Program Award for excellence in advocacy. Prior to joining Berger Montague, Mr. Singh gained trial experience at a well-known Washington D.C. personal injury law firm, where he worked on medical malpractice, defective premises, and other tort cases. He also worked for a Pennsylvania class action firm where he represented clients harmed by defective products, institutional abuse, data privacy failures, and other corporate misconduct.

Berger Montague PC is a national, full-spectrum plaintiffs' law firm that litigates complex civil cases and class actions in federal and state courts throughout the United States. For 53 years, Berger Montague has played lead roles in consequential, precedent-setting cases and has recovered more than $36 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. A pioneer in the use of class actions in antitrust and securities litigation, the firm has since expanded into consumer, employment, environmental, and insurance litigation. Today, Berger Montague has more than 85 lawyers across seven offices, including its headquarters in Philadelphia, as well as offices in Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Chicago, and Toronto.

Media Contacts:

Caroline Cornell

[email protected]

Melania Stepanenko

[email protected]

SOURCE Berger Montague
Key additions to leadership team help BeyondID deliver on the next phase of its strategic goals

SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BeyondID , a leading managed identity services provider, today announced that the company has grown its revenue by more than 50% over the previous year. It also added and served hundreds of enterprise customers in the healthcare, financial services and retail industries including 23andMe, Mayo Clinic, Old Republic and Sequoia Capital.

The company also nearly doubled its headcount and added new talent to the executive management team. Rana Kahl joined as Vice President of Alliances and will oversee all business relationships and alliances. Josh Ashton was appointed Vice President of People and is responsible for scaling the BeyondID team to account for rapid business growth while maintaining a high level of engagement and strong corporate culture. Beki Scarbrough was named Vice President of Marketing and will create corporate and brand strategies for revenue acquisition across the BeyondID service portfolio.

"The strong demand for consulting, implementation and service management for identity platforms led to another incredible year of hyper growth for BeyondID," said Arun Shrestha, CEO and co-founder of BeyondID. "We achieved many significant milestones and added several major global brands to our roster due to the efforts of our employees. I'm thankful to our customers, partners, employees and investors for their support and confident that our new executive team will continue to lead us through the next wave of growth."

BeyondID was also named one of Okta's first Diamond partners, now Apex partner, and was recognized as the Americas Service Delivery Partner of the Year.

"At TDECU, we want to ensure that every customer has the best experience possible while ensuring safe and secure access to their financial information," said John Gallo, Vice President of Infrastructure and Security & Information Technology at Texas Dow Employee Credit Union. "BeyondID is a true partner that's committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience and helping guide our long-term digital identity strategy."

About BeyondID

BeyondID is a leading managed identity services provider that the most successful brands trust to bring their digital identity strategies to life. BeyondID helps organizations streamline their adoption process and ensure their implementations are secure, agile, and future proof. A few of the valued customers that trust BeyondID to keep their organizations secure include ATN International, Discount Tire, FedEx, Johnson Financial Group, Major League Baseball, Mayo Clinic, Northern Trust, TDECU, and VF Corp. More information about BeyondID can be found at www.BeyondID.com .

SOURCE BeyondID
Colesante brings over 30 years of business and security technology experience to help Bigleaf Networks advance its cloud-first SD-WAN solutions.

BEAVERTON, Ore., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bigleaf Networks , a leading provider of network optimization solutions, today announced the appointment of Dave Colesante as the newest member of its board of directors. Dave brings to the table an impressive background of over 30 years of experience in managing and growing businesses, with a particular focus on security technology.

Prior to joining Bigleaf Networks, Dave served as Chief Operations Officer (COO) for cloud SIEM security company Securonix, where he helped grow the company's SaaS business from just over $1 million in annual revenue to nearly $100 million in his 4.5 years with the company. He also served as COO for cloud 'security as a service' company Alert Logic, where he led operations, customer success, engineering, product management, security research, security content development, and other vital areas of the business. Dave's career has also included roles such as General Manager of Managed Services for SunGard Availability Services, where he owned the profit and loss (P&L) for a revenue stream of over $400 million.

"Dave is a fantastic addition to our board, and we are thrilled to add him to our expert team of advisors," said Greg Davis, CEO of Bigleaf Networks. "His extensive experience in the security technology and managed services industries will be invaluable as we continue to grow and innovate in the cloud-first SD-WAN space."

Dave's track record of co-founding multiple companies and buying and selling over 25 businesses, combined with his deep expertise in all business operations, makes him an ideal fit for Bigleaf Networks. In addition, his unique blend of security technology and business experience will enable him to help the company continually improve critical systems and processes.

"I am excited to join the Bigleaf Networks team and help drive the company's continued success in the cloud-first SD-WAN space," said Dave Colesante. "I look forward to working with the board and leadership team to help the company achieve its strategic goals and grow its business."

About Bigleaf:

Bigleaf Networks provides internet connectivity without complexity, making it easy for IT pros and their organizations to conduct business on the internet with confidence. Bigleaf's unique network optimization solution adapts traffic to circuit conditions in real-time to preserve application performance and optimize user productivity despite circuit degradations or outages. The Bigleaf solution integrates seamlessly with established firewalls, ISPs, and applications, takes only minutes to install, and works unattended to provide immediate relief and value. Founded in 2012 in Portland, Oregon, Bigleaf Networks is investor-backed and provides service across North America and Europe. To learn more, visit www.bigleaf.net .

Press Contact:

Society 22

Kymberlee Bolden

929-367-8993

[email protected]

SOURCE Bigleaf Networks
NEW YORK, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --The blood viscometer market size is set to grow by USD 13,049.76 thousand from 2023 to 2027 progressing at a CAGR of 7.22% 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 increasing vascular diseases. Blood viscometers play a key role in determining the viscosity of blood by providing valuable information about the risk of vascular disorders. -Here is an Exclusive report talking about Market scenarios with a historical period (2017-2021) and forecast period (2023-2027). Download Sample Report in minutes!

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Blood Viscometer Market 2023-2027

The report on the blood viscometer market provides a holistic update, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis.

Blood Viscometer Market 2023-2027 - Market Dynamics

Market Driver

Increasing vascular diseases

Growing healthcare expenditure

Growing demand for viscometers to determine fluid dynamics of blood flow

Market Trend

Technological advances

Increasing growth opportunities in emerging economies

Increasing demand from diagnostic laboratories

Market Challenges

High cost of blood viscometers

Entry barriers

Intense competition leading to increased pricing pressure on vendors

Blood Viscometer Market 2023-2027: Market Segmentation

The blood viscometer market is segmented by product (rotational viscometers and capillary viscometers), end-user (hospitals, diagnostics, and others), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW)).

The market share growth by the rotational viscometers segment will be significant during the forecast period. Rotational viscometers measure viscosity by analyzing the torque required to rotate a spindle immersed in a fluid at a constant speed. The rotational viscometers segment was valued at USD 18,240.03 thousand in 2017 and continued to grow till 2021.

By geography, North America is estimated to contribute 41% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The presence of major vendors and the rising demand for testing blood viscosity are driving the growth of the market in North America.

For insights on global, regional, and country-level parameters with growth opportunities from 2017 to 2027 View Sample Report

The blood viscometer market covers the following areas:

Blood Viscometer Market Sizing

Blood Viscometer Market Forecast

Blood Viscometer Market Analysis

Companies Mentioned

A and D Co. Ltd.

AMETEK Inc.

Analytical Technology and Control Ltd.

Anton Paar GmbH

ATAGO Co. Ltd.

Benson Viscometers Ltd.

BioFluid Technology Inc.

Cambridge Viscosity Inc.

Cannon Instrument Co.

China BeiJing Steellex Scientific Instrument Co.

Fann Instrument Co.

Health Onvector

KYOTO ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CO. LTD.

ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CO. LTD. Labtron Equipment Ltd.

LAUDA Scientific GmbH

PCE Holding GmbH

Rheonics GmbH

RheoSense Inc.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Lamy Rheology

aandd.jp- The company offers blood viscometers such as SV-A Series.

atacgroup.com- The company offers blood viscometers such as NLine Cone and Plate viscometer.

anton-paar.com- The company offers blood viscometers such as Lovis 2000 ME and DMA 4500 M.

Related Reports:

Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices Market - The blood glucose monitoring devices market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.88% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 7,488.81 million.

Intravenous (IV) Solutions Market- The intravenous IV solutions market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.11% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 4,011.34 million.

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Blood Viscometer Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7.22% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 13,049.76 thousand Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023(%) 6.25 Regional analysis North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW) Performing market contribution North America at 41% Key countries US, Germany, UK, France, and China Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled A and D Co. Ltd., AMETEK Inc., Analytical Technology and Control Ltd., Anton Paar GmbH, ATAGO Co. Ltd., Benson Viscometers Ltd., BioFluid Technology Inc., Cambridge Viscosity Inc., Cannon Instrument Co., China BeiJing Steellex Scientific Instrument Co., Fann Instrument Co., Health Onvector, KYOTO ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., Labtron Equipment Ltd., LAUDA Scientific GmbH, PCE Holding GmbH, Rheonics GmbH, RheoSense Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and Lamy Rheology 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.

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 Product



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



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 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 15: Data Table on Global - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



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 blood viscometer market 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Global blood viscometer market 2017 - 2021 ($ thousand)

4.2 Product Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Product Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ thousand)

4.3 End-user Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  End-user Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ thousand)

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ thousand)

4.5 Country Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 22: Historic Market Size  Country Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ thousand)

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 Product

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 30: Chart on Product - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 31: Data Table on Product - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Product

Exhibit 32: Chart on Comparison by Product



Exhibit 33: Data Table on Comparison by Product

6.3 Rotational viscometers - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 34: Chart on Rotational viscometers - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 35: Data Table on Rotational viscometers - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 36: Chart on Rotational viscometers - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 37: Data Table on Rotational viscometers - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Capillary viscometers - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 38: Chart on Capillary viscometers - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 39: Data Table on Capillary viscometers - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 40: Chart on Capillary viscometers - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 41: Data Table on Capillary viscometers - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 42: Market opportunity by Product ($ thousand)



Exhibit 43: Data Table on Market opportunity by Product ($ thousand)

7 Market Segmentation by End-user

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 44: Chart on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 45: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 46: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 47: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

7.3 Hospitals - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 48: Chart on Hospitals - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 49: Data Table on Hospitals - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 50: Chart on Hospitals - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 51: Data Table on Hospitals - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 Diagnostics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 52: Chart on Diagnostics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 53: Data Table on Diagnostics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 54: Chart on Diagnostics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 55: Data Table on Diagnostics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 56: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 57: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 58: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 59: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.6 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 60: Market opportunity by End-user ($ thousand)



Exhibit 61: Data Table on Market opportunity by End-user ($ thousand)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 62: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 63: Chart on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 64: Data Table on Market share by geography 2022-2027 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 65: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 66: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 67: Chart on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 68: Data Table on North America - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 69: Chart on North America - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 70: 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 71: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 72: Data Table on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 73: Chart on Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 74: 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 75: Chart on Asia - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 76: Data Table on Asia - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 77: Chart on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 78: Data Table on Asia - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.6 Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 79: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 80: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 81: Chart on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 82: Data Table on Rest of World (ROW) - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.7 US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 83: Chart on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 84: Data Table on US - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 85: Chart on US - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 86: 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 87: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 88: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 89: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 90: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.9 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 91: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 92: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)



Exhibit 93: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 94: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.10 China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 95: Chart on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 96: Data Table on China - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 97: Chart on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 98: Data Table on China - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.11 France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 99: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 100: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ thousand)

Exhibit 101: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 102: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.12 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 103: Market opportunity by geography ($ thousand)



Exhibit 104: Data Tables on Market opportunity by geography ($ thousand)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 105: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 106: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 107: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 108: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 109: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 110: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 A and D Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 111: A and D Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 112: A and D Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 113: A and D Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 114: A and D Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

12.4 Analytical Technology and Control Ltd.

Exhibit 115: Analytical Technology and Control Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 116: Analytical Technology and Control Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 117: Analytical Technology and Control Ltd. - Key offerings

12.5 Anton Paar GmbH

Exhibit 118: Anton Paar GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 119: Anton Paar GmbH - Product / Service



Exhibit 120: Anton Paar GmbH - Key offerings

12.6 ATAGO Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 121: ATAGO Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 122: ATAGO Co. Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 123: ATAGO Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

12.7 Benson Viscometers Ltd.

Exhibit 124: Benson Viscometers Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 125: Benson Viscometers Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 126: Benson Viscometers Ltd. - Key offerings

12.8 BioFluid Technology Inc.

Exhibit 127: BioFluid Technology Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 128: BioFluid Technology Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 129: BioFluid Technology Inc. - Key offerings

12.9 Cambridge Viscosity Inc.

Exhibit 130: Cambridge Viscosity Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 131: Cambridge Viscosity Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 132: Cambridge Viscosity Inc. - Key offerings

12.10 Cannon Instrument Co.

Exhibit 133: Cannon Instrument Co. - Overview



Exhibit 134: Cannon Instrument Co. - Product / Service



Exhibit 135: Cannon Instrument Co. - Key offerings

12.11 China BeiJing Steellex Scientific Instrument Co.

Exhibit 136: China BeiJing Steellex Scientific Instrument Co. - Overview



Exhibit 137: China BeiJing Steellex Scientific Instrument Co. - Product / Service



Exhibit 138: China BeiJing Steellex Scientific Instrument Co. - Key offerings

12.12 KYOTO ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CO. LTD.

ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CO. LTD. Exhibit 139: KYOTO ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CO. LTD. - Overview

ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CO. LTD. - Overview

Exhibit 140: KYOTO ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CO. LTD. - Product / Service

ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CO. LTD. - Product / Service

Exhibit 141: KYOTO ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CO. LTD. - Key offerings

12.13 Labtron Equipment Ltd.

Exhibit 142: Labtron Equipment Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 143: Labtron Equipment Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 144: Labtron Equipment Ltd. - Key offerings

12.14 PCE Holding GmbH

Exhibit 145: PCE Holding GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 146: PCE Holding GmbH - Product / Service



Exhibit 147: PCE Holding GmbH - Key offerings

12.15 Rheonics GmbH

Exhibit 148: Rheonics GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 149: Rheonics GmbH - Product / Service



Exhibit 150: Rheonics GmbH - Key offerings

12.16 RheoSense Inc.

Exhibit 151: RheoSense Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 152: RheoSense Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 153: RheoSense Inc. - Key offerings

12.17 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Exhibit 154: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 155: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 156: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 157: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 158: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. - Segment focus

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 159: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 160: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 161: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 162: Research methodology



Exhibit 163: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 164: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 165: 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

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Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/

Newsroom:

SOURCE Technavio
Second time in three years that Civic 50 honors the nonprofit health plan's commitment to Stand For What's Right

OAKLAND, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California has been named a 2023 honoree of The Civic 50 by Points of Light, the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating people-powered change.

Now in its 11th year, The Civic 50 is a national standard for corporate citizenship and showcases how companies are moving social impact, civic engagement, and community to the core of their business. Blue Shield was also recognized in 2021.

"Investing in the health and wellbeing of the communities where we live and work is foundational to who we are at Blue Shield of California," said Paul Markovich, President and CEO, Blue Shield of California. "This award reflects our nonprofit commitment and we're honored to receive it."

The Civic 50 honorees are companies with annual U.S. revenues of at least $1 billion. They were selected based on the strengths of their citizenship and social impact program in four areas: investment of resources and volunteerism, integration across business functions, institutionalization through policies and systems, and impact measurement. Blue Shield was recognized for its programs and initiatives that include:

Investing in youth mental health

Blue Shield of California's signature initiative BlueSky continues to advance social justice by investing in best-in-class youth mental health programs. Launched in 2019, the program strives to incorporate student voices to bridge the gap between stigma and empowerment, especially among youth of color. BlueSky has supported more than 13,000 counseling sessions over three years. In addition, we helped expand participation in youth-led, on-campus clubs at California high schools, raising mental health awareness and reducing stigma.

Engaging California communities

Blue Shield has supported dozens of nonprofit groups across California in 2022, focused on driving positive change to address social inequities and injustices. In addition, employees set an all-time record for the Shield Cares Giving Campaign, donating $1.6 million (including company match) and volunteering more than 38,000 hours last year.

Encouraging climate action

Blue Shield of California, a formally certified CarbonNeutral company, continues to take additional steps to reduce our emissions including the launch of our Supplier Sustainability Program that surveyed 41 of our vendors who account for 72% of the company's supply chain emissions. Of those, 29 disclosed their environmental impact to CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), an essential first step for decarbonization action.

Read more about Blue Shield of California's citizenship efforts in our 2022 Mission Report.

"Companies play a critical role in creating thriving, participatory communities," said Diane Quest, interim President and CEO, Points of Light. "The Civic 50 2023 honorees, including Blue Shield of California, really set a model for others and are showing just how to best use employee talent, business assets and integration to create meaningful impact."

The Civic 50 survey is administered by True Impact, and the results are analyzed by VeraWorks. The survey instrument consists of quantitative and multiple-choice questions that inform the scoring process. The Civic 50 is the only survey and ranking system that exclusively measures corporate community engagement.

About Blue Shield of California

Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with more than 4.8 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $24 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $97 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities.

For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com.

Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.

About Points of Light

Points of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world. We envision a world in which every individual discovers the power to make a difference, creating healthy communities in vibrant, participatory societies. Through 145 affiliates across 39 countries, and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, Points of Light engages 3.7 million people in 16.7 million hours of service each year. We bring the power of people to bear where it's needed most. For more information, visit pointsoflight.org.

CONTACT: Mark Seelig

Blue Shield of California

510-607-2359

[email protected]

SOURCE Blue Shield of California
Additionally, Bonusly highlights other significant milestones  including new funding, Best Workplace recognition from Inc., and leadership in G2 rankings  from the first quarter of 2023

BOULDER, Colo., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bonusly , an engaging recognition and rewards platform that connects teams and enriches company culture, today announced that its platform has been used by customers to facilitate more than 40 million recognitions of great work between employees.

The Bonusly platform empowers real-time employee recognition and rewards to highlight accomplishments big and small in a very positive and public way, which fosters stronger cultures and builds resilient companies. While other employee engagement companies offer little more than gift card programs, Bonusly's recognition platform captures and analyzes real-time data on how organizations really work, communicate and connect, informing HR teams and managers so they can make more informed, faster business decisions.

Employees at the thousands of companies that use Bonusly  including well-known brands such as Chobani, ZipRecruiter, and Momentive  receive an average of two meaningful, timely, detailed recognitions from peers and managers every week. After deploying Bonusly, more than nine in ten (93%) Bonusly customers see improved employee engagement.

Additional notable milestones in the first quarter of 2023 include:

$19.5 million in Series B financing : Bonusly expects this will be the last round of funding the company will need to raise, especially given the company's roots as a bootstrapped organization with a capital-efficient culture. The company is using the funds to enhance its recognition platform and analytics capabilities.

Bonusly expects this will be the last round of funding the company will need to raise, especially given the company's roots as a bootstrapped organization with a capital-efficient culture. The company is using the funds to enhance its recognition platform and analytics capabilities. Bonusly Named a Best Workplace on Inc. Magazine's 2022 Annual List: Bonusly's mission is to increase employee recognition and engagement, so it stands to reason the company would be a great place to work. Inc. considered management effectiveness, perks, employee growth, and company culture when choosing honorees.

Bonusly's mission is to increase employee recognition and engagement, so it stands to reason the company would be a great place to work. Inc. considered management effectiveness, perks, employee growth, and company culture when choosing honorees. Employees at Bonusly customers have donated more than $2 million to charity: Bonusly users don't simply get a gift card when recognized for excellent work by their peers  they get to choose their own reward, and many choose to donate their reward to a favorite charity.

Bonusly users don't simply get a gift card when recognized for excellent work by their peers  they get to choose their own reward, and many choose to donate their reward to a favorite charity. Leads G2's Employee Recognition Group: For the fifth season in a row, G2 named Bonusly leader, employee recognition, in its Spring 2023 report

"Leading companies are increasingly using Bonusly to significantly increase engagement and retention by harnessing the power of regular, specific and timely recognition by peers and managers," Raphael Crawford-Marks, CEO and founder of Bonusly, said. "Our accomplishments in the first quarter of 2023 speak for themselves. And we're just getting started."

Bonusly will provide demos of the upcoming release of the platform at the SHRM Conference, taking place in Las Vegas June 11-14, 2023 . Find us at Booth #4519

About Bonusly

Thousands of companies worldwide rely on Bonusly to cultivate high-performing and motivated teams, regardless of their location, work setting, or industry. Bonusly serves as a crucial tool for investing in, and driving positive business outcomes from a company's most critical asset  their people.

Bonusly's engagement software is easy to use and enables companies to build stronger connections among and between teams, leading to increased collaboration and innovation among your workforce. Additionally, Bonusly provides exclusive insights at the individual, team, and company levels, empowering managers to make informed decisions regarding culture, professional growth, performance management, and employee retention. To learn more, please visit http://bonus.ly

Press contact

Jeff Miller

Nonfiction Agency

[email protected]

541-207-6413

SOURCE Bonusly
A view of the Tuas Second Link that connects Singapore and Johor State in Malaysia. Photo by Calvin Teo

A Singaporean couple claim they have been banned from entering Malaysia for six months after questioning the way an immigration officer stamped their passports.

Sharing his ordeal on social media, Abdul Qayyum Rahim said he and his wife were heading to Johor Baru via the Tuas checkpoint on May 20.

They had to wait for an hour at the checkpoint because only two counters were open. When the couple reached the counter, an officer asked them to remove their passport covers.

After verifying their particulars, the officer proceeded to stamp the passports.

"Upon checking the passports, I noticed that the officer had purposely left a blank page on my passport. As for my wife's passport, the officer stamped on page 27 before scribbling on it and re-stamped on page 28 for no good reason," he said.

Feeling dissatisfied, he went to the office where he asked a male officer the procedure on how to lodge a complaint against the officer at the counter. However, he claimed that the male officer raised his voice and told them to lodge the complaint online.

"After my wife asked him a few times on how to do it on the website, he was irritated and took our passports from us. We were taken to another office where we were issued with a 'refusal of entry' letter by a female officer," he wrote on a Facebook post that has received over 2,000 comments and 2,900 shares.

Images show the Singaporean couple are banned from entering Malaysia for six months. Photos courtesy of Abdul Qayyum Rahim's Facebook page

He said when they asked for an explanation as to why they were issued with the letter, the female officer refused to answer.

"Instead, she raised her voice and sarcastically gave us a choice of being banned from Malaysia for either six months or a year. After which, she told us we were banned for six months from entering Malaysia for no valid reason."

Malaysian immigration authorities have yet to comment on the official reason behind the ban.
Bradford White Water Heaters pocket catalogs now use QR technology to ensure quick access to most up-to-date product specs, manuals, and other documents

AMBLER, Pa., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bradford White Water Heaters, an industry-leading manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, introduces new printed and digital pocket catalogs that use QR codes to ensure contractors and distributors have quick access to the most recent product specifications and documents.

The new catalogs were designed based on customer input and reflect Bradford White's continuing commitment to meeting the needs of customers and business partners who are rapidly increasing their adoption of digital assets and information-sharing.

Traditional pocket catalogs, like other printed assets, can become quickly outdated as product specs are updated, new products are introduced, or older products are taken out of production. Bradford White's new pocket catalogs equipped with QR codes allow users to immediately retrieve and view the most recent and up-to-date spec sheets, manuals and other product documents available.

"An overwhelming number of contractors have informed us that pocket catalogs remain a critical cross-reference guide," said Carl Pinto, Jr., senior director of marketing communications for Bradford White. "Many of our customers and business partners have also adopted one or more apps or other digital assets to manage their businesses. Our new pocket catalogs ensure that they have quick, reliable access to the latest and most accurate product information, regardless of their preference for the print or digital version."

Besides providing customers with quick access to the most up-to-date product information, each edition of the new printed pocket catalogs will be roughly 50% leaner than previous editions.

"With the new printed catalogs requiring significantly less paper, there's an environmental component to this new design," Pinto said. "Ultimately, we're looking to drive 100% adoption of the online versions to eliminate paper waste altogether."

The digital pocket catalog will ultimately be integrated into the Bradford White For the Pro app, which is currently being field tested for release later this year.

For more information about Bradford White Water Heaters, visit https://www.bradfordwhite.com .

About Bradford White Water Heaters

Bradford White Water Heaters is a full-line manufacturer of residential, commercial and industrial water heating, space heating, combination heating and storage products. The company maintains headquarters in Ambler, Pennsylvania, and has manufacturing facilities in Middleville, Michigan; Niles, Michigan; and Rochester, New Hampshire; and distribution and training centers in Halton Hills, Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit www.bradfordwhite.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Heather Ripley

Ripley PR

(865) 977-1973

[email protected]

SOURCE Bradford White Corporation
Grand Rapids, Michigan Teacher Honored for Excellence In Braille Instruction

LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Braille Institute has named April Makley as its 2023 "Teacher of the Year" for excellence in braille instruction. The award is part of Braille Institute's annual Braille Challenge competition, the only academic competition of its kind in North America and the U.K. for students who are blind or visually impaired. Makley will be recognized at Braille Challenge Finals which will be held June 24 on the USC campus.

Makley has been a Teacher Consultant of the Visually Impaired (TCVI) for more than 20 years. She works with students across all grade levels who have visual impairments. "It is an honor and privilege to work with April who demonstrates an exceptional commitment to her students and families," said Elizabeth Svanda, a colleague and fellow TCVI at Kent Intermediate Schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan and who was recruited into the field by Makley.

Makley works with students teaching braille from infant preliteracy through college level classes. "My passion is working with children and teaching them the skills they need to thrive". In 2008 she was recognized as Teacher of the Year by Michigan Parents of the Visually Impaired, highlighting her outstanding contributions to the field. And recently, her school district honored her with the "Leading Learning" award.

"April epitomizes excellence and dedication," said Jim (Dimitri) Kales, CEO, Braille Institute. "She goes beyond the classroom and works with the entire family to ensure her students master braille. April's students thrive under her expertise and guidance. In fact, it was one of her high school students, who was accepted to Harvard, that nominated her for this award."

TCVIs make an indelible contribution on students who are blind or have severe vision loss. They have a unique and special relationship with their students, teaching life skills in addition to academics. "I want to thank Braille Institute for this honor, and it is a privilege to be recognized for something I love doing," said Makley.

In 2018, 63,501 students met the definition of blindness, while only 5,011 (7.9 percent) of them were primary braille readers according to the nonprofit American Printing House for the Blind. Braille literacy plays an important role in an individual's long-term future and professional opportunities. In fact, an article by Braille Works states, 90% of employed people with blindness can read and write braille."

SOURCE Braille Institute of America
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Bright Pattern, a leading provider of cloud-based omnichannel contact center software for innovative companies, continues its European expansion in France with its partnership with CX Factory. As a partner, CX Factory is recognized as an official reseller which uses Bright Pattern solutions throughout France. Originally a consulting firm, CX Factory transitioned to a company which now focuses on the CX journey.

CX Factory decided to partner with Bright Pattern because of its vast and dynamic solutions within the contact center industry. At the time, CX Factory was seeking a replacement and alternative as its current solutions did not match the ever-growing market requirements within France and other French territories including Morocco. It identified four key mission statements that would align with its belief system: Implementation, Training, Consulting, and Support. With these four key ideas set as the foundation of its business, CX Factory would partner with Bright Pattern to deliver and distribute powerful solutions in CX.

Bright Pattern partners with CX Factory to continue bringing improved CX capabilities to French market. Tweet this

CX Factory, despite being a company of less than 10 people, has countrywide reach throughout France. It uses the Bright Pattern Mobile App and Omni-Enterprise solutions to help its customers provide state-of-the-art solutions to everyone interacting with its business, regardless of company size.

"We are delighted to announce our distribution agreement with Bright Pattern in the French market," said Frederic Questroy, CEO of CX Factory. "This collaboration will allow us to deliver one of the most innovative solutions in the contact center industry, offering best-in-class omnichannel management, native integrations with the largest ecosystem on the market, breakthrough features including a mobile app that offers unprecedented flexibility for agents and mobile workers. Thanks to this extension of our Customer eXperience Client, we offer an omnichannel alternative of choice in a market where the options are often limited between solutions-oriented small configurations or expensive deployments in professional services. "

Bright Pattern is incredibly proud and fortunate to work together with CX Factory as an official partner to provide exceptional products and solutions for the people of France to meet and exceed their goals.

"Customers expect to interact with real people over the channel of their choice without waiting, repeating themselves, or being transferred from one person to another. At Bright Pattern, we believe technology is available to enable such experiences but it has failed to penetrate contact centers because of the complexity of deployment, configuration, and change," declared Luc Cavelier, Head of Business Development EMEA. "The combination of our Enterprise Customer Experience Platform and CX Factory expertise in digital transformations opens new perspectives to the French market.

About Bright Pattern

Bright Pattern provides the simplest yet most powerful all-in-one omnichannel contact center solution with over 500 customers in 26 countries including Bank of America, Bell24, Cable and Wireless, City of Brampton, Community Medical, Detroit Water, Enercare, EY, First Bank, Hairclub, Hurtigruten, Mediterranean Shipping Company, Naver, Officeworks, Pepsi, Randstad,

SEIU, Southern Cross Health Insurance, Sun Country Airlines, Sylvan Learning, United Power, VW Bentley, YMCA, and Zillow. Bright Pattern is the highest rated omnichannel platform by customers and analysts with the fastest ROI and time to deploy in the industry.

SOURCE Bright Pattern
LONDON, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Castleton Commodities International LLC (CCI) announced today it has sold Camden BV group companies, including two gas-fired power plants (CCGTs) in Rotterdam, Netherlands, to a subsidiary of Energeticky a prumyslovy holding, a.s. (EPH), a Czech energy utility company.

CCI acquired MaasStroom Energie B.V. in 2017 and a 50% interest in Enecogen V.O.F. in 2018 and subsequently has invested in upgrading both plants to become the most efficient, clean and flexible power generation portfolio of its kind in Europe.

"We are proud of the contribution the CCGTs have made to providing reliable and flexible electricity supply to the Netherlands," said CCI's Global Head of Principal Investments Arie Pilo. "CCI's investment in these plants reflects our commitment to maintaining the stability and reliability of the power grid in Europe."

"EPH is the right partner, with experience operating similar assets across Europe, to continue maximizing the operations and reliability of these plants," he said.

Pilo also said CCI will continue investing in Europe and exploring opportunities in the energy security and energy transition domains. One area of strategic focus is developing and operating energy storage solutions through our investment in S4 Energy BV, which will help the grid support the growth of renewable energy sources.

About Castleton Commodities International LLC



CCI is a global energy commodity merchant with integrated businesses focused on marketing, merchandising, and trading commodities, and the ownership, operation and development of commodities-related infrastructure assets. Please visit our website for more information: www.cci.com.

SOURCE Castleton Commodities International LLC
NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Catchafire , the world's leading virtual volunteering platform, is thrilled to celebrate 12 years of partnering with companies to elevate their corporate purpose programs. Since its founding, Catchafire has worked with Fortune 500 companies across retail, pharmaceuticals, banking, and media to rally their employees, shareholders, and customers to give back to causes they care about.

"Over the past 12 years, we've seen the transformative power of connecting talented professionals with meaningful volunteer opportunities," said Katherine Brady, COO, Catchafire. "We're proud to have worked with so many companies to create impactful Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs that not only benefit their communities but also boost employee engagement and development."

One such partner, Boehringer Ingelheim, brought in Catchafire to add virtual volunteering to their employee giving program. "At Boehringer Ingelheim, we believe it is our corporate responsibility to care for ourselves, each other, our communities, and our world. That is why Boehringer Ingelheim Cares Foundation has partnered with Catchafire to launch Skills2Give to provide our employees with the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the communities where we live and work," says Jean-Michel Boers, President and Chief Executive Officer, BI USA, US Country Managing Director.

Over 240 volunteer and nonprofits matches have been made through Boehringer Ingelheim's Skills2Give program, with employees having donated more than 1,140 hours in support.

As CSR software companies expand their virtual volunteering options, Catchafire has been leading the movement for over a decade. Their approach gives employees meaningful opportunities to put their skills to use. Catchafire's expertise helps companies integrate social impact into their culture and increase workplace satisfaction.

MassMutual deeply values the impact they're making through Catchafire, "Making a difference in the community means more than providing financial assistance through corporate philanthropy. The intellectual capital resident within MassMutual and companies across the country represents a valuable asset that can help nonprofits in significant ways," says Dennis Duquette, President, MassMutual Foundation.

Catchafire partners with over 130 foundations and corporations, and 10,000+ nonprofits to offer volunteer opportunities that align with employees' interests and skills. Their extensive nonprofit network consists of organizations with diverse causes who are in need of skills-based volunteers. Engaging in social impact initiatives helps their corporate partners attract and retain purpose-driven employees, build positive company culture, strengthen community relationships, and enhance their company's reputationcreating mutual benefits for corporations, employees, and communities.

For information on creating a custom social impact program, visit catchafire.org/howitworks/companies.

SOURCE Catchafire
UK aerospace & defence manufacturer selects Infor to streamline and scale for growth

LONDON, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Infor, the industry cloud company, today announced that antennas, avionics and land equipment manufacturer for the aerospace and defence industry, Chelton, has selected Infor CloudSuite Aerospace & Defence as its ERP platform. Supporting Chelton following a restructure and rebrand, the cloud solution, powered by AWS (Amazon Web Services), will facilitate a standardised, scalable platform from which to streamline operations, and support greater visibility and risk management.

Following a divestment from global defence leader Cobham, Chelton selected Infor CloudSuite Aerospace & Defence to replace a heavily customised, unsupported legacy system that was beginning to present challenges. The decision was made based on Infor's experience and credentials in the sector, combined with the out-of-the-box industry capabilities the system provides.

"As we adapt to a new organisational structure in the wake of ownership changes, we needed a best-in-class, scalable platform to enable us to drive efficiency, mitigate risk, optimise reporting, simplify processes and enable data-driven decisions," comments James Burke, Chelton VP of operations. "We were impressed by the in-depth industry-focused functionality of the system, crucially without the need for customisations, and with regular updates via the cloud to ensure we're always on the latest release and fully supported. This also means we get immediate benefit from new capability and innovation, helping us to scale, flex and grow as our markets and customers demand."

"We are delighted to be partnering with Infor on this strategic project to transform our ERP system and are excited about its potential," comments Jason Abbott, president of Chelton. "Infor's approach is enabling our teams to identify a range of business improvements, best practices and areas for development. A modernised ERP platform will allow us to effectively manage our supply chain, swiftly adapt to industry changes and continue to deliver exceptional service and support to our customers for many years to come."

Learn more about Infor CloudSuite Aerospace & Defence: https://www.infor.com/products/cloudsuite-aerospace

About Chelton

Chelton specialises in the design and manufacture of highly reliable antennas, avionics and land equipment for some of the world's leading military and commercial platforms. Securing success in some of the world's most demanding environments isn't just down to Chelton's failsafe, pioneering technology. From aerospace and defence communications through to navigation and electronic warfare, it's all driven by the people behind it. Top-level talent pushing boundaries from the moment we first explore your requirements. Always looking for new ways to meet tough challenges. And asking the right questions to find answers that redefine your capabilities. Bringing together smart thinking, technological excellence and future vision  whatever your system ambitions. Visit https://www.chelton.com/

About Infor

Infor is a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry. We develop complete solutions for our focus industries. Infor's mission-critical enterprise applications and services are designed to deliver sustainable operational advantages with security and faster time to value. Over 60,000 organizations in more than 175 countries rely on Infor's 17,000 employees to help achieve their business goals. As a Koch company, our financial strength, ownership structure, and long-term view empower us to foster enduring, mutually beneficial relationships with our customers. Visit www.infor.com.

Media contact

Richard Moore

+447976111243

[email protected]

Copyright 2023 Infor. All rights reserved. The word and design marks set forth herein are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Infor and/or related affiliates and subsidiaries. All other trademarks listed herein are the property of their respective owners. www.infor.com

SOURCE Infor
JIANGMEN, China, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 Overseas Chinese Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference (OCBC) was recently held in Jiangmen, "the city of overseas Chinese" in southern China's Guangdong province.

Organized by the People's Government of Jiangmen Municipality, over 700 representatives of overseas Chinese from 90 countries and regions, including more than 100 overseas Chinese youth, gathered here to observe the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and tap the opportunities for business, investment, employment, and education.

Top: The 2023 Overseas Chinese Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference (OCBC) was recently held in Jiangmen, Guangdong, China. Bottom: The 2023 China (Jiangmen) Overseas Chinese Carnival was held in Chikan, Jiangmen.

The conference saw one in-person main venue in Jiangmen and 12 online branch venues in 11 countries and regions on five continents.

The OCBC also witnessed the signing ceremony of hiring overseas Chinese advisors to contribute to Guangdong's high-quality development, donation project of seedings for green and beautiful Guangdong, and cooperation projects of Chinese-language education. Besides, a promotion of the 11 GBA cities, field studies, and four parallel sessions were held, which revolve around establishing overseas Chinese organizations, developing overseas Chinese youth, Chinese-language education, and Chinese-language media.

More than 100 overseas Chinese youth representatives were invited to share their future outlook and aspirations as well as cultivate local traditions and culture, for the sustainable development of the overseas Chinese community.

Jiangmen, undertaking the conference, also launched the 2023 China (Jiangmen) Overseas Chinese Carnival in the ancient town of Chikan, Kaiping, showcasing intangible cultural heritage such as Pancun Lantern Festival, Lion Dance, Wing Chun, etc., as well as cuisine, coffee and tea here.

Jiangmen, the home to 5.3 million overseas Chinese, is an important window for them to observe Guangdong and even China. In recent years, Jiangmen has accelerated the construction of platforms to enhance its four major functions of "cultural exchange, economic and trade cooperation, protection of rights and interests, and think tank of overseas Chinese affairs".

Jiangmen built in last year the first service center and platform to facilitate overseas Chinese investment and taxation, offshore public legal service center and online notarization service for overseas Chinese, etc. The Jiangmen Center of Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration was also established to provide efficient and convenient international arbitration services for overseas Chinese.

Image Attachments Links:

Link: https://iop.asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=440861

Caption: Top: The 2023 Overseas Chinese Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Conference (OCBC) was recently held in Jiangmen, Guangdong, China. Bottom: The 2023 China (Jiangmen) Overseas Chinese Carnival was held in Chikan, Jiangmen.

SOURCE The People's Government of Jiangmen Municipality
Citrus Traveler's Intelligence tool curates robust visitor profiles using 30-plus data points

SAN ANTONIO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Citrus Advertising, a woman-owned and operated full-service advertising, creative and public relations agency in Texas, is excited to introduce its Citrus Traveler's Intelligence tool at the US Travel Association's IPW 2023 this week in San Antonio. Citrus TI combines search data and technology to analyze how many people visit destinations and how travelers connect with the industry. Citrus is featuring a real-time Citrus TI demo for all IPW 2023 conference attendees. Citrus will establish how the tool can be resourceful to tourism companies seeking real-time sentiment from vacation goers.

Citrus and its tech partners developed Citrus TI to use more than 30 data points to support the agency's data-driven client strategies. It provides data beyond simple demographics by curating robust.

Visitors to booth 2261 can try Citrus TI and enter to win a $250 Visa gift card drawing. The Citrus team is also hosting its webinar, Winning Search Marketing Through AI Innovation and Intelligence, on Wednesday, May 24, at 10:40 a.m. in the Brand USA Marketplace Hall at MTP Theater A. Anyone interested in the tool who couldn't make it to IPW 2023 can try it online through June 12.

"We are so excited about Citrus TI. It is changing the way we build strategy using data  it tells us who is traveling, how often they visit, how long they stay, everywhere they travel, how to reach them and how to get them to return," says Citrus owner and CEO Sheila Lemon. "Truly understanding the customer journey and mapping and utilizing real-time data to target the travel decision-makers is how we are utilizing data to drive results for our clients."

Citrus and its tech partners developed Citrus TI to use more than 30 data points to support the agency's data-driven client strategies. It provides data beyond simple demographics by curating robust visitor profiles across thousands of psychographic and behavioral segments.

Citrus is a WBENC-certified company highly experienced in top Fortune 500 brand and consumer retail marketing with client experience in multi-unit food, automotive, eyewear, retail, childcare and recruiting. Citrus is bringing its modern, proven marketing approaches to the travel industry. Citrus provides a unique way to engage the consumer, focusing on women travelers who make 85% of all travel decisions.

"Citrus is grounded in the customer experience. The real secret is that we understand how business can connect, maximize and meet the needs of female travelers," said Lemon. "After all, women are making the majority of decisions about where, when and how much is spent on travel."

About Citrus

Citrus Advertising is an independent, certified woman-owned, full-service agency headquartered in Dallas, with offices in Houston, was established in 2018. We are a team of experts grounded in the customer experience, specializing in the retail mindset, offering best-in-class, fully integrated marketing and public relations strategies. We are built for speed, quality and integration to meet the demands of the ever-evolving world. We have a successful track record of brand launches, brand building and brand repositioning with a focus on multi-unit retail for brands such as Caliber, Greater Houston Partnership, P.F. Chang's, Houston Back on Track, and Childcare Network.

SOURCE Citrus Advertising
commercetools deploys its commerce solutions to mainland China , with AWS China (Ningxia) Region

New and existing multi-region customers can now scale global digital commerce experiences inclusive of mainland China , and streamline commerce solutions adoption

MUNICH, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- commercetools , a leader in building critical composable commerce innovation at scale, today announced the availability of commercetools Composable Commerce for China . commercetools is scaling the availability of its tools in mainland China, and enabling enterprises to defragment their global infrastructure and streamline the creation of digital commerce experiences to their customers.

"commercetools' availability through the AWS China Region will mark our first use of domestic data centers in the region, and the first-ever cloud-native commerce solution to expand into China. This entry will help global enterprises optimize for the evolving and unique opportunities in this surging market," said commercetools CEO and co-founder, Dirk Hoerig. "Mainland China's vibrant digital commerce economy, and its rapidly growing consumer class makes it essential for enterprises to quickly adapt to shifts in demand and buying behavior."

This new offering streamlines businesses' commerce infrastructure across all regions, eliminates redundant maintenance, delivers unrestricted feature parity across all regions, and complies to local tech, data security, and personal information standards. Customers with access to commercetools Composable Commerce for China will have the same exceptional performance, agility, and competitive advantages that commercetools provides in other operating markets.

With China being the largest single eCommerce market worldwide, and demand for composable commerce surging in recent yearsthe expansion is the natural next step for commercetools.

"Demand for commercetools on AWS is soaring, so we're thrilled that commercetools is now available in China. As a fellow member of the MACH Alliance and a new addition to the AWS Retail Competency partner program, commercetools shares our mission of helping retailers better serve their customers with modern architecture and composable commerce," said Ravi Bagal, General Manager Solutions and Business Development Retail & CPG, AWS.

commercetools' strong partner community includes a broad selection of system integrators (SI) with expansive expertise in the Chinese technology ecosystem, enabling a smooth re-platforming as well as a new total commerce setup. Due to commercetools' modern, flexible architecture, the new extension is both ideal for hosting a Chinese website and connecting to relevant regional channels such as WeChat, Tmall, Taobao, and JD.

"Building on AWS as a leader in cloud services with the local AWS Region, we are thrilled to extend the value of commercetools Composable Commerce. This moveparticularly in times of global market instabilityempowers customers with operations in China to have a single global commerce backbone. This helps our customers save on operating costs and resources, and eliminates the need for a parallel architecture to run in China," said Dirk Weckerlei, commercetools Vice President of Business Development, China and Japan.

Retailers and consumer brands modernizing their commerce using MACH-based architecture with commercetools on AWS can implement modern technologies faster, while concentrating on their core businesses. This is because they can move away from legacy infrastructures that can prevent brands from scaling online capacity at speed and instantly benefit from auto-scaling, improved online performance, and lower IT total costs of ownership.

"We work with commercetools and AWS because they are excellent at what they do  commercetools being the best composable commerce on the market, and AWS's value-added services including AWS Lambda and Amazon API Gateway to build architecture capabilities," said Franck Schmidlin, Senior Solutions Architect at The Very Group.

commercetools Composable Commerce for China is available to both new and existing commercetools customers, and can be added to any commercetools purchase contract. To learn more, please visit https://commercetools.com/features/commercetools-for-china , or contact your commercetools representative.

About commercetools

commercetools founded the headless commerce concept, and is the industry-leading composable commerce platform enabling brands to adapt and lead evolutions in digital commerce. commercetools provides its customers with the agility and tools needed to innovate and iterate on the fly, merge on and off-line channels, take advantage of new markets, drive new and higher revenue generating opportunities, and future-proof their eCommerce business  without incurring technical and operational risks.

Today, commercetools is trusted by some of the world's most iconic brands including Audi, Danone, Eurorail, NBCUniversal, Sephora and Volkswagen Group, and many more. To learn more, visit www.commercetools.com.

SOURCE commercetools
OSLO, Norway, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Crayon reported its first-quarter results today with a gross profit growth of 31%, driven by a high demand for software and cloud services.

Growth was reported worldwide but was particularly strong across Europe and in the Nordics.

"While the global tech market continues to be impacted by the challenging macroeconomic climate, our focus on our core business model supports our resiliency," said Crayon CEO Melissa Mulholland.

Adjusted EBITDA increased 50% to NOK 185m reflecting a margin of 14.7%, an improvement of 1.9 bps compared to last year. Operating profit increased to NOK 55m from NOK 47m in the same quarter the previous year.

"We see a strong demand for optimization and innovation across all our markets, and our customer centricity ensures we can deliver on those demands," Mulholland said.

Across Europe, YOY gross profit growth increased by 53%, for the Nordics it was 26%, the US was up by 25% and Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa was 21%.

The financial report and presentation for Q1 2023 are available at https://www.crayon.com/investor-relations/

CONTACT:

Melanie Coffee

VP of PR and Communications

[email protected]

+47 46 74 86 48

SOURCE Crayon
On February 15, 2011, the Libyan Civil War began with anti-government demonstrations in Benghazi. Due to the violent response of the Libyan government against the protestors, little more than two weeks later, the United Nations Security Council referred the situation there to the International Criminal Court in the Hague. As a result, the ICC can exercise its jurisdiction over crimes against humanity and war crimes committed on the territory of Libya, or by its nationals, from 15 February 2011 onwards.

There is no doubt that in the ensuing 12 years, Libya has seen little peace. The war ended in October 2011, but another followed just three years later. In the chaos, terrorists attempted to gain a foothold there while warlords split the country, fighting over territory and oil fields. Caught in the middle of the violence was the civilian population. And in the meantime, opportunists of every stripe preyed on refugees from neighboring countries heading for Libyas ports on the Mediterranean Sea, in hopes of a chance to cross into Europe.

It is therefore no surprise that a recent March visit by the UN Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya found a wide array of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Libyans and migrants, including repression of civic groups, arbitrary detention, murder, rape, enslavement, extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearance.

With this information in hand, the ICC was finally able to issue several new arrest warrants and file for additional ones.

The work of the ICC in Libya plays a critical role in support of our collective pursuit of accountability, peace, and security, said Mark Simonoff, United States Legal Adviser at the UN.

The investigative and cooperative activities undertaken by the Office of the Prosecutor  have laid the foundations for accountability in the face of ongoing challenges in Libya and a difficult operating environment, he said.

Resolving political uncertainty and promoting accountability in Libya will go a long way towards addressing the chronic instability Libya continues to face, said Mr. Simonoff.

Human rights violations and abuses will continue unless meaningful steps are taken to address the chronic instability in Libya. A critical step towards peace and stability is the withdrawal of all armed groups and mercenaries from Libya without further delay.

The people of Libya deserve stability and justice, said Mr. Simonoff, and we support the International Criminal Courts effort to help bring justice to the people of Libya.
New additions to the Crestron Digital Workplace Portfolio bring workflow, collaboration, and productivity with new desk scheduling, scalable audio, and an all-in-one collaboration bar.

MADRID, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Crestron Electronics , a global leader in workplace collaboration technology, today announces the largest expansion of the Crestron Digital Workplace portfolio to date. With a complete range of hybrid meeting solutions across the enterprise, Crestron introduces Crestron Desk Q and Crestron Desk Touch for desk scheduling, Crestron Flex Pods, a scalable tabletop wireless microphone and speaker platform, and the Crestron Videobar 70, an all-in-one collaboration bar for Microsoft Teams Rooms, Zoom Rooms, and BYOD meeting spaces.

Crestron Flex Pods, Crestron Desk Q (Top) and Crestron Desk Touch (Bottom), Crestron Videobar 70

Crestron is revolutionizing the modern workplace with solutions catering to every enterprise customer's needs. "We aim to be the ultimate partner for organizations seeking complete room solutions, company-wide workplace platforms, or both," stated Brad Hintze, Crestron EVP Global Marketing. "Our goal is to provide a seamless and consistent experience across every room in the workplace, regardless of its size or function. We strive to be the driving force behind workplace technology solutions that make a tangible difference in how people work. The new products in the Crestron portfolio make this happen."

Hybrid meetings have become essential for businesses to operate. Crestron provides enterprises with the tools to enable effective audio and video collaboration in every space, utilizing a broad product catalog and powerful management tools. In contrast, other solutions may require cobbling together multiple vendors to achieve the same level of reach and functionality across the enterprise. With Crestron, organizations have access to a comprehensive suite of hybrid meeting solutions that can be easily and seamlessly integrated to meet their unique needs without relying on multiple vendors or products.

"At Microsoft, we understand the vital role of hybrid meetings in supporting effective collaboration in today's workplace. It's essential to have hardware solutions that are certified to integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Teams and meet the needs of small, medium, and large meeting spaces. We are pleased to see Crestron's continued commitment to innovation in this area. Their dedication to empowering customers with comprehensive hybrid meeting solutions makes them an invaluable partner," said Ilya Bukshteyn, Vice President, Microsoft Teams Calling and Devices at Microsoft.

Crestron Desk Q and Crestron Desk Touch are new additions to the existing Crestron line of scheduling solutions. Crestron delivers the most comprehensive scheduling hardware portfolio on the market and, with the introduction of desk scheduling solutions, extends that experience to the desk. A simple and seamless desk scheduling experience facilitates higher adoption and utilization of the tool, resulting in a more welcoming and productive office environment for workers. The compact form factor of the Desk Q with QR-code-based reservations is ideal for community workstations, hot desks, and hoteling, while the elegant touch interface of Desk Touch is ideal for semi-private offices, cubicles, and even stand-up spaces.

Crestron Flex Pods tabletop wireless audio solutions are a new addition to the Crestron Flex line, providing organizations with more choice in the microphone and speaker category. Audio is a critical component of hybrid meetings; in-person participants must be able to hear remote participants clearly, while also ensuring their own audio is captured reliably. Today's hybrid meetings require audio technology that is scalable and flexible with minimal setup time. Crestron Flex Pods provide a simplified approach for adding high-quality tabletop audio to meeting spaces, transforming a room to work as needed for each meeting, without being confined to fixed in-ceiling microphones or speakers. The Crestron Flex Pods Hub is a wireless receiver that is connected to the room UC device and communicates wirelessly with multiple (up to four) Crestron Flex Pods that can be placed throughout the room. Crestron Flex Pods can be deployed as part of a Crestron Flex or AirMedia Wireless Collaboration Kit or standalone to seamlessly integrate with existing Crestron Flex C-Kits, AirMedia Receivers, or other BYOD solutions.

Crestron Videobar 70 is a powerful all-in-one collaboration bar that delivers a stellar meeting experience for Microsoft Teams, Zoom Rooms, and any BYOD service and is designed to provide a premium audiovisual experience for medium to large meeting rooms. The simple-to-deploy form factor includes built-in UC computing and intelligent features that capture participants vividly Four high-quality cameras work together to intelligently crop for the best image, ensuring the video captured is always a clear, well-framed view of the person speaking, even at 30 feet. The Crestron Videobar 70 gives customers an elegant interface for meeting control in a refined form factor, while the Android OS makes it an easy plug-and-play deployment.

Every hybrid meeting space has the same fundamental needs  high-quality audio and video and an easy-to-use meeting interface. However, each space needs the right product to deliver an excellent experience. Huddle spaces, boardrooms, training facilities, or auditoriums need specific solutions optimized for certain types of meetings or events. No matter the room size, conferencing platform, or supporting devices, Crestron Flex affords multiple products and form factors to deliver the best experience for the space with access to video conferencing, presentation, and intelligent room control.

"As the only hybrid meeting vendor with a product selection to support every space in an organization, we aim to empower our customers to maximize their productivity and collaboration while enhancing their overall experience," Hintze said, "At Crestron, our passion lies in being the driving force behind innovative workplace technology solutions that make a tangible difference in the way people work and interact with technology. These solutions lean into our vision of a workplace where technology enhances how people work, collaborate, and connect. Our news today is just another leap forward in equipping organizations with the tools to deliver the experience their employees deserve."

Crestron can uniquely deliver complete room solutions from UC to control, scheduling panels, shades, and end-to-end enterprise technology devices, platforms, and systems for any workplace. Crestron is the only hybrid meeting vendor with the product selection to support any size room within an organization providing customers consistency and a seamless experience across every room in the workplace. For more information on these or other Crestron solutions, visit www.Crestron.com.

Availability

Desk Touch will ship in July. Desk Q will ship in Q4 2023.

Crestron Flex Pods will ship in Q3 2023.

Crestron Videobar 70 will ship in Q4 2023.

About Crestron

At Crestron, we build technology for every way people work, everywhere in the world  from desktop to boardrooms, offices to multi-nationals. Technology that adapts to what you have and prepares you for what you will need. Platforms, devices, and systems designed to improve communication and collaboration. All managed by a cloud-based system for easy deployment, monitoring and upgrading. At Crestron, we create simpler solutions so people can work faster, better, and more productively. Discover Crestron at www.crestron.com.

All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Crestron is not responsible for errors in typography or photography. 2023 Crestron Electronics, Inc.

Crestron Press Contact

Caster Communications

O: 401-792-7080

[email protected]

SOURCE Crestron Electronics
Watchdog expects total reductions recommended by consumer advocates to eclipse $1 billion

CHICAGO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Commonwealth Edison's proposed four-year electric rate hike should be cut by at least $914.5 million, or more than 60 percent, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) said Tuesday, citing expert testimony it filed in the rate case.

CUB Executive Director David Kolata said the watchdog expects to support additional reductions uncovered by the Illinois Attorney General's Office and other parties to recommend that ComEd's proposed increase get slashed by a total of more than $1 billion.

"It's immediately apparent that the company is pushing for an excessive profit rate for its shareholders," CUB Executive Director David Kolata said. "ComEd has to maintain its system, but it never deserves a blank check. We urge state regulators to make deep cuts in ComEd's rate-hike proposal."

Kolata asked ComEd customers to visit CUBHelpCenter.com to sign a petition to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) against the proposed increase.

On Jan. 17, ComEd filed for a four-year, $1.5 billion rate hike. The hike would increase ComEd delivery rates by an average of $4.25 a month each year, for a cumulative increase of about $17 a month by 2027.

In 2020, ComEd became embroiled in a corruption scandal involving the passage of legislation that led to close to $1 billion in rate hikes over the last decade, including $45.8 million in 2022 and $199 million in 2023. Since 2020, ComEd's parent company has made about $5.6 billion in profits.

The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) implemented reforms, creating a more transparent rate-setting system that gives state regulators more authority to oppose rate hikes and challenge the company's push for a higher profit rate for its shareholders.

ComEd and other major Illinois gas and electric utilities are pushing for a record six rate hikes totaling $3.7 billion in 2023. In response to this unprecedented barrage, several parties are challenging increases, including the Illinois Attorney General's Office, Environmental Defense Fund, Illinois PIRG and CUB.

In the ComEd case, CUB, the Illinois Industrial Energy Consumers (IIEC) group, Environmental Defense Fund, Community Development Corporation of Pembroke-Hopkins Park and People for Community Recovery partnered to commission expert testimony. The analysis, filed late Monday, came from Brubaker & Associates, Inc., a Missouri-based consulting firm that specializes in utility regulation, and the environmental sustainability consulting firm Energy Futures Group out of Vermont. The testimony makes several recommendations to slash the rate hike by nearly a billion dollars.

Return on Equity. ComEd has proposed an excessive jump in its "return on equity" (ROE)or profit rate for shareholdersfrom about 7.85 percent to 10.5 percent, and then rising to 10.65 percent by 2027.

That's the highest of any electric utility in Illinois. CUB argues for a more reasonable 9.4 percent ROE, which would reduce the rate hike by $570.4 million.

In the rate-setting process, ROE is the most important component of a utility's "rate of return," which is the rate at which the utility recovers the cost of financing physical assets, such as electric meters, substations and wires.

Capital Structure. CUB's expert testimony also found problems with another key component of rate of return: "capital structure"basically how it finances infrastructure projects. ComEd's proposed "common equity ratio"how much of the utility's financing comes from issuing stockswas too high, CUB argued. The more reasonable equity ratio CUB recommends would reduce the rate hike by another $65 million.

Residential Sales Forecast. ComEd calculated its rate increase proposal based on a forecast of its usage per residential customer that is unrealistically low, thereby overstating ComEd's revenue requirement. The expert witnesses recommended a reasonable forecast based on the most recent available ComEd customer data. This change would save ratepayers an additional $194.7 million.

Other adjustments amounted to about $84.4 million, for a total recommended reduction of at least $914.5 million. As the case proceeds, CUB expects the total amount of reductions proposed by consumer advocates to go beyond $1 billion.

The ICC will rule on the rate-hike request around November, after an 11-month rate case. The proposed increase would take effect on Jan. 1, 2024 and impact delivery rateswhat the utility charges to cover the costs of delivering electricity to customer homes, plus a profit. Those rates take up about a third to a half of electric bills.

Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) provides service to more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population.

Citizens Utility Board (CUB) is Illinois' leading nonprofit utility watchdog group. Created by the Illinois Legislature, CUB opened its doors in 1984 to represent the interests of residential and small-business utility customers. Since then, CUB has saved consumers more than $20 billion by helping to block rate hikes and secure refunds. For more information, call CUB's Consumer Hotline at 1-800-669-5556 or visit CUB's award-winning website, www.CitizensUtilityBoard.org.

SOURCE Citizens Utility Board
Nine months after listing his cryprto commodity CUC on the crypto exchange WhiteBIT, Cuprum coin sllc has decided to enter into a strategic partnership with the renowned manufacturer of the extremely rare high purity nano copper powder.

DUBROVNIK, Croatia, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cuprum Coin sllc and Meteor Minerals Group signed a strategic partnership agreemeent with a goal to offer together an excpetional commodity crypto asset  Cuprum Coin (ticker: CUC). Each issued Cuprum Coin will be backed with the all-time secured extremely rare high purity nano copper powder, and in addition purchased Cuprum coins are used as the medium of exchange for Meteor`s nano copper powder. According to the agreement a significant portion of the funds obtained from coin sales will be re-invested into the new Meteor Minerals mines, nano copper powder production, and R&D capabilities.

Cuprum Coin & Meteor Minerals

Dubrovnik, Croatia, based company Cuprum Coin launched its cryptocurrency in 2021 using an underlying asset in the form of ultrafine copper powder, a rare and valuable chemical element, not used in the crypto eco-system before. In April this year company decided to change its underlying asset in favor of more prominent nano copper powder. Copper nano-size particles in the form of powder are at present of great interest in the upcoming industry like aerospace industry, medicine, chemical and material science.

A Chilean/US/UK Meteor Minerals Group has proven record in creating revolutionary solution in the field of material science. One of such solution is environmentally safe processing of copper into a high purity nano copper powder. Chile is the world's top copper producer, with a market share of almost 30%, so it is natural that the largest corporations are located there. Cuprum Coin CEO is honored and proud to have achieved this collaboration.

We were aware, to gain trust and confidence from major investors and the largest crypto exchanges, we had to move from our previous asset  ultrafine copper powder from a private owner. This material, although not sufficiently known outside of the copper powder industry, is offered on the market with different sizes, qualities, and purities, and as such has created uncertainties about how we are really backing our cryptocurrency.

This partnership with an extraordinary nano copper powder producer, with its own mines, with cooperative world best laboratories working even for NASA, and in cooperation with the world's most recognized nanotechnology scientists in the team, brings us to the next level as we will be backing our coin with nano sized asset which is highly demanded in the upcoming industries. That`s why our slogan has changed to The Nano Commodity of the Future..", stated the founder and CEO of Cuprum Coin, Mario Urlic.

The founder and CEO of Meteor Minerals Group also cannot hide his satisfaction with the signed collaboration.

"We are really thrilled and excited about entering into this partnership, not just because of possibilities to offer our products on the new, blockchain enabled, marketplace but also because of the new opportunities when it comes to further investing and strengthening our mining, laboratory, scientific team and and R&D capabilities", said Mr. Fernando Gallardo Morgan, the CEO of Meteor Minerals Group.

Earlier this month Cuprum Coin announced that they will migrate its native (forked Tezos) blockchain to the Binance Smart Chain network (BEP20 token). From today, a completely new whitepaper will be available on the official website, while other documents will be compiled in the next 3-4 weeks.

Visit Cuprum Coin news page for more information.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2083296/Cuprum_Coin_Meteor_Minerals.jpg

SOURCE Cuprum Coin
CHICAGO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Arizton's latest research report, the cutting tools market will grow at a CAGR of 5.72% from 2022 to 2028.

To Know More, Download the Free Sample Report: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3803

Cutting Tools Market

Browse In-Depth TOC on the Cutting Tools Market

128  Tables

142  Charts

338  Pages

Globally, new construction and remodeling in the residential sector are on the rise among customers. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a few emerging characteristics and disordering for the new-age construction and remodeling era across the expanding industry. Post-pandemic, people focus on working remotely to sell and buy new homes or renovate their flats or residential homes. Furthermore, the demand for specialty constructions such as flooring, interior design, and aesthetic constructions is expected to increase by over 12% throughout the projection period. As a result, the power & hand tool market is anticipated to grow, thereby supporting the cutting tools market.

Cutting Tools Market Report Scope

Report Attributes Details Market Size (2028) USD 13.26 Billion Market Size (2022) USD 9.50 Billion CAGR (2022-2028) 5.72 % Base Year 2022 Forecast Year 2023-2028 Market Segmentation Tool Type, Product, End-User, Distribution Channel, and Geography Geographic Analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa Countries Covered China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, the US, Canada, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the UAE, Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina Market Dynamics Rising Home Improvements & Do-It-Yourself Activities

Rising Usage of Cutting Tools in General Manufacturing Industries

Developing Prominence of Asian Manufacturing

Looking for More Information? Download the Free Sample Report: https://www.arizton.com/request-sample/3803

Over the last few decades, rising urbanization and population growth have propelled the global construction sector. Due to enormous prospects in residential, commercial, and infrastructure building, the construction sector is expected to increase. Due to rising urbanization in large cities, most emerging countries have expanded housing building and infrastructure spending. Mergers and acquisitions, in which large and well-established organizations purchase companies and join the construction sector, have also been increasingly common in recent years. In the construction business, over 100 cross-border agreements were registered in 2019, nearly 45% being mergers and acquisitions among worldwide enterprises. In the construction business, APAC had the biggest mergers and acquisitions.

Vendors Insights

A fundamental shift in competition is anticipated in the market due to several upcoming construction projects in the residential and commercial areas. Many vendors are looking to expand their product portfolios using the latest technologies to widen their footprint in the market and cater to a growing customer base. Furthermore, vendors in the market must devote significant efforts and resources to launch innovative and upgraded cutting tools with better performance that cater to consumer demands. Vendors must continuously analyze market trends to design, develop, and manufacture new products with distinctive features like better lifespan, additional oil injection, and improved heat resistance.

The market competition is expected to intensify further with an increase in product expansions, technological innovation growth, and mergers and acquisitions activities, which broaden the scope for consuming a wide range of cutting tools in the market. Arizton believes that global players will grow inorganically by acquiring regional or local players in the future. Furthermore, companies with better technical and financial resources can develop innovative products with required accessories, threatening competitors' products and making them non-competitive and even obsolete before recovering R&D and commercialization costs.

Buy the Report Now: https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/cutting-tools-market

Post-Purchase Benefit

1hr of free analyst discussion

10% of customization

Rising Demand for Luxury Vinyl Tiles Creating Market Opportunities

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) is becoming increasingly popular in the market. LVTs are mainly polished and better-looking versions of typical vinyl floors. Thus, they are more durable, gorgeous, and high quality with low maintenance at excellent prices. These tiles appeal to customers through various colors and styles, from traditional to modern shapes and forms. In addition, with LVT, hardness in finishing or tears & gauges can be avoided. Nowadays, luxury vinyl is available in wooden look form with a soft underfoot feeling and in tile and plank form. LVT is mainly preferred for bedrooms, fancy areas, and living rooms for a perfect finish and classy look. Hence, the residential sector is expected to create considerable demand for LVT, supporting the market demand for cutting tools in the upcoming years.

Nowadays, major companies are inclining toward manufacturing and production of LVTs in the market. Victoria, Beaulieu International Group, Interface, Forbo Management, MOHAWK INDUSTRIES, and others are some of the well-known LVT manufacturing firms in the market. These organizations have different business segments of luxury vinyl tiles. According to the annual report of MOHAWK INDUSTRIES, in 2021, LVTs were the fastest-growing flooring product in the North American market. The company will start a new LVT operation to support more than $160 million sales.

Rising Home Improvements & Do-It-Yourself Activities Latest Trends in the Market

In developed economies such as the U.S. and Europe, many adults engage in purposeful and creative leisure activities, with some investing in home improvement and maintenance based on personal interests. Consumers in countries like France, Germany, Italy, and the UK consider DIY activities a significant hobby. The concept is also gaining popularity in developing economies such as India, Brazil, and South Africa. The growing interest among consumers in undertaking their projects and maintaining a sustainable environment has increased the demand for D.I.Y products such as cutting tools. During the pandemic, many people turned to DIY activities to relieve stress and take care of tasks to reduce costs while staying indoors. The concept of D.I.Y is well-adopted in Western countries, with most American regions contributing to nearly 81% of the market share in the D.I.Y industry. This trend is expected to continue during the forecast period. The surge in the D.I.Y industry is projected to grow due to the high penetration of media presence, including television, social media, and videos, which have helped recreate home improvement projects. Western countries like North America and Canada actively engage in D.I.Y activities. Additionally, many retail stores like supermarkets and hypermarkets have enabled significant growth for many vendors in the D.I.Y segment.

Key Company Profiles

Kennametal Inc.

OSG Corporation

Iscar Ltd

Mapal

Makita Corporation

Robert Bosch

Stanley Black & Decker

& Decker Kelin Tools

ICS Cutting Tools Inc

Snap-on Incorporated

OTTO BAIER GmbH

Hilti Corporation

Sandvik AG

Ingersoll Cutting Tools

FRASIA SA

KYOCERA

J SCHNEEBERGER Maschinen AG

VOLLMER

CERATIZIT Group

HIKOKI

Market Segmentation

Tool Type

Indexable

Solid Round

Product

Groovers

Reamers

Milling Cutters

Drills

Others

Material Type

Cemented Carbide

High-Speed Steel

Ceramics

CBN

Others

End-User

Automotive

General Manufacturing

Oil & Gas

Aerospace & Defense

Electronic & Electricals

Medical

Others

Distribution Channel

Offline

Online

Geography

APAC

China



Japan



India



Australia



South Korea

North America

The U.S.



Canada

Europe

Germany



France



The UK



Italy



Spain

Middle East & Africa

& Saudi Arabia



South Africa



The UAE

Latin America

Brazil



Mexico



Argentina

Check Out Some of the Top Selling Research Reports:

Powder-Actuated Tools Market  The global powder-actuated tools market is expected to reach $646.98 million by 2027. The key driving factors in the powder-actuated tools market are the growing demand for prefabricated buildings, increasing opportunity in insulating fastening, and increasing prominence of Asian manufacturing.

Hand File Tools Market  The global hand file tools market is expected to reach USD 436.12 million by 2027. Demand for precision parts, interior development & renovation, and handicrafts across the globe are the latest trends in the market.

Cordless Power Tools Market  The global cordless power tools market to reach $35.62 billion by 2027. North America dominates the Global Cordless Power Tools Market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period.

Hand Tools Market  The hand tools market to reach USD 28.74 billion by 2027. The key trends in the hand tools market are rising wood construction, mass township projects, rising infrastructure projects, and increasing wind and solar energy installations.

Table of Content

1 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

3 RESEARCH PROCESS

4 SCOPE & COVERAGE

4.1 MARKET DEFINITION

4.1.1 INCLUSIONS

4.1.2 EXCLUSIONS

4.1.3 MARKET ESTIMATION CAVEATS

4.2 BASE YEAR

4.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

4.3.1 MARKET SEGMENTATION BY TOOL TYPE

4.3.2 MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT

4.3.3 MARKET SEGMENTATION BY MATERIAL

4.3.4 MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER

4.3.5 MARKET SEGMENTATION BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

4.3.6 MARKET SEGMENTATION BY GEOGRAPHY

5 REPORT ASSUMPTIONS & CAVEATS

5.1 KEY CAVEATS

5.2 CURRENCY CONVERSION

5.3 MARKET DERIVATION

6 PREMIUM INSIGHTS

6.1 FUTURE MARKET ANALYSIS

6.1.1 RISING HOME IMPROVEMENTS & DIY ACTIVITIES

6.1.2 RISING USAGE OF CUTTING TOOLS IN GENERAL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES

6.2 SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

6.2.1 TOOL TYPE

6.2.2 PRODUCT

6.2.3 MATERIAL

6.3 GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

7 MARKET AT A GLANCE

8 INTRODUCTION

8.1 OVERVIEW

8.2 CLASSIFICATION OF CUTTING TOOLS

8.2.1 SINGLE POINT

8.2.2 DOUBLE POINT

8.2.3 MULTI POINT

8.3 RISING METAL WORK

9 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES & TRENDS

9.1 EMERGING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

9.2 RISING DEMAND FOR LUXURY VINYL TILES

9.3 ROBUST INCREASE IN NEW CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELING IN RESIDENTIAL SECTOR

10 MARKET GROWTH ENABLERS

10.1 RISING HOME IMPROVEMENTS & DIY ACTIVITIES

10.2 RISING USAGE OF CUTTING TOOLS IN GENERAL MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES

10.3 DEVELOPING PROMINENCE OF ASIAN MANUFACTURING

11 MARKET RESTRAINTS

11.1 LOW-COST LABOR

11.2 OSCILLATION IN COST OF RAW MATERIALS

12 MARKET LANDSCAPE

12.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

12.1.1 VALUE & VOLUME

12.2 FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS

12.2.1 THREAT OF NEW ENTRANTS

12.2.2 BARGAINING POWER OF SUPPLIERS

12.2.3 BARGAINING POWER OF BUYERS

12.2.4 THREAT OF SUBSTITUTES

12.2.5 COMPETITIVE RIVALRY

13 TOOL TYPE

13.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VALUE)

13.2 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VOLUME)

13.3 MARKET OVERVIEW

13.4 INDEXABLE

13.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

13.4.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

13.5 SOLID ROUND

13.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

13.5.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

14 PRODUCT

14.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VALUE)

14.2 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VOLUME)

14.3 MARKET OVERVIEW

14.4 GROOVERS

14.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

14.4.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

14.5 REAMERS

14.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

14.5.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

14.6 MILLING CUTTERS

14.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

14.6.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

14.7 DRILLS

14.7.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

14.7.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

14.8 OTHERS

14.8.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

14.8.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

15 MATERIAL

15.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VALUE)

15.2 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VOLUME)

15.3 MARKET OVERVIEW

15.4 CEMENTED CARBIDE

15.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

15.4.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

15.5 HIGH-SPEED STEEL

15.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

15.5.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

15.6 CERAMICS

15.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

15.6.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

15.7 CBN

15.7.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

15.7.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

15.8 OTHERS

15.8.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

15.8.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

16 END-USER

16.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VALUE)

16.2 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VOLUME)

16.3 MARKET OVERVIEW

16.4 AUTOMOTIVE

16.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.4.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.5 GENERAL MANUFACTURING

16.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.5.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.6 OIL & GAS

16.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.6.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.7 AEROSPACE & DEFENSE

16.7.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.7.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.8 ELECTRONIC

16.8.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.8.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.9 MEDICAL

16.9.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.9.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.10 OTHERS

16.10.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

16.10.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

17 DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

17.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VALUE)

17.2 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VOLUME)

17.3 MARKET OVERVIEW

17.4 OFFLINE

17.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

17.4.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

17.5 ONLINE

17.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

17.5.2 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY (VALUE & VOLUME)

18 GEOGRAPHY

18.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VALUE)

18.2 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VOLUME)

18.3 GEOGRAPHIC OVERVIEW

19 APAC

19.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

19.1.1 VALUE & VOLUME

19.2 TOOL TYPE

19.2.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

19.3 PRODUCT

19.3.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

19.4 MATERIAL

19.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

19.5 END-USER

19.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

19.6 DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

19.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

19.7 KEY COUNTRIES

19.7.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VALUE)

19.7.2 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VOLUME)

19.7.3 CHINA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

19.7.4 JAPAN: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

19.7.5 INDIA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

19.7.6 AUSTRALIA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

19.7.7 SOUTH KOREA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

20 NORTH AMERICA

20.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

20.1.1 VALUE & VOLUME

20.2 TOOL TYPE

20.2.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

20.3 PRODUCT

20.3.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

20.4 MATERIAL

20.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

20.5 END-USER

20.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

20.6 DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

20.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

20.7 KEY COUNTRIES

20.7.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VALUE)

20.7.2 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VOLUME)

20.7.3 US: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

20.7.4 CANADA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

21 EUROPE

21.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

21.1.1 VALUE & VOLUME

21.2 TOOL TYPE

21.2.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

21.3 PRODUCT

21.3.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

21.4 MATERIAL

21.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

21.5 END-USER

21.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

21.6 DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

21.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

21.7 KEY COUNTRIES

21.7.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VALUE)

21.7.2 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VOLUME)

21.7.3 GERMANY: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

21.7.4 FRANCE: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

21.7.5 UK: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

21.7.6 ITALY: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

21.7.7 SPAIN: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

22 MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

22.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

22.1.1 VALUE & VOLUME

22.2 TOOL TYPE

22.2.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

22.3 PRODUCT

22.3.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

22.4 MATERIAL

22.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

22.5 END-USER

22.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

22.6 DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

22.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

22.7 KEY COUNTRIES

22.7.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VALUE)

22.7.2 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VOLUME)

22.7.3 SAUDI ARABIA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

22.7.4 SOUTH AFRICA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

22.7.5 UAE: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

23 LATIN AMERICA

23.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST

23.1.1 VALUE & VOLUME

23.2 TOOL TYPE

23.2.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

23.3 PRODUCT

23.3.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

23.4 MATERIAL

23.4.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

23.5 END-USER

23.5.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

23.6 DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

23.6.1 MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

23.7 KEY COUNTRIES

23.7.1 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VALUE)

23.7.2 MARKET SNAPSHOT & GROWTH ENGINE (VOLUME)

23.7.3 BRAZIL: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

23.7.4 MEXICO: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

23.7.5 ARGENTINA: MARKET SIZE & FORECAST (VALUE & VOLUME)

24 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

24.1 COMPETITION OVERVIEW

25 KEY COMPANY PROFILES

25.1 KENNAMETAL INC

25.1.1 BUSINESS OVERVIEW

25.1.2 PRODUCT OFFERINGS

25.1.3 KEY STRATEGIES

25.1.4 KEY STRENGTHS

25.1.5 KEY OPPORTUNITIES

25.2 OGS CORPORATION

25.3 ISCAR LTD

26 OTHER PROMINENT VENDORS

26.1 MAPAL DR. KRESS KG

26.1.1 BUSINESS OVERVIEW

26.1.2 PRODUCT OFFERINGS

26.2 MAKITA CORPORATION

26.3 ROBERT BOSCH

26.4 STANLEY BLACK & DECKER

26.5 KELIN TOOLS

26.6 ICS CUTTING TOOLS INC

26.7 SNAP-ON INCORPORATED

26.8 OTTO BAIER GMBH

26.9 HILTI CORPORATION

26.10 SANDVIK AG

26.11 INGERSOLL CUTTING TOOLS

26.12 FRAISA SA

26.13 KYOCERA

26.14 J SCHNEEBERGER MASCHINEN AG

26.15 VOLLMER

26.16 CERATIZIT GROUP

26.17 HIKOKI

27 REPORT SUMMARY

27.1 KEY TAKEAWAYS

27.2 STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS

28 QUANTITATIVE SUMMARY

28.1 MARKET BY GEOGRAPHY

28.2 MARKET BY TOOL TYPE

28.3 MARKET BY PRODUCT

28.4 MARKER BY MATERIAL

28.5 MARKET BY END-USER

28.6 MARKET BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL

29 APPENDIX

29.1 ABBREVIATIONS

About Us:

Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovative and quality-driven firm that offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients worldwide. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.

We offer comprehensive market research reports on consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, materials, I.T. and media, logistics, and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts.

Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.

Contact Us

Call: +1-312-235-2040

+1 302 469 0707

Mail: [email protected]

Contact Us: https://www.arizton.com/contact-us

Blog: https://www.arizton.com/blog

Website: https://www.arizton.com/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/818553/Arizton_Logo.jpg

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2083303/Cutting_Tools_Market.jpg

SOURCE Arizton Advisory & Intelligence
DALLAS, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dallas plaintiffs' injury and wrongful death law firm Hamilton Wingo has promoted experienced trial attorney Grant Boston to partner.

Mr. Boston arrived at Hamilton Wingo a few years ago with extensive experience handling civil and criminal cases in state and federal courts. Today, he represents people in lawsuits involving first- and third-party insurance coverage, serious personal injuries, wrongful death, transportation accidents, dangerous products, and property/casualty matters.

"Grant is one of the top young lawyers in Dallas or anywhere else," says Hamilton Wingo founder Chris Hamilton. "His work is always top-notch, and his dedication to our clients is evident in every case we handle. He is a true trial lawyer. I could not be happier to call him my law partner."

Last fall, Mr. Boston was recognized on the 2023 Best Lawyers in America Ones to Watch list based on his courtroom expertise in personal injury lawsuits. The annual list from the publishers of The Best Lawyers in America includes a select group of the country's top lawyers who have demonstrated "outstanding professional excellence" in their work for clients.

Mr. Boston was a key member of the team from Hamilton Wingo that won a $7.37 billion verdict last year for the surviving family of an 83-year-old woman from Irving, Texas, who was stabbed to death by a cable TV repairman less than two weeks before Christmas in 2019. The verdict is the largest in Texas and the U.S. during 2022.

Hamilton Wingo is one of Dallas' premier trial law firms, having won billions of dollars in verdicts and settlements in the past decade alone. The firm's skilled attorneys represent people from all walks of life in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases involving automobile, airline, and other transportation incidents, workplace safety issues, dram shop liability, dangerous products, industrial catastrophes, medical malpractice, premises liability, utility accidents, and water contamination in addition to high-stakes business litigation. To learn more about the firm, visit www.hamiltonwingo.com.

For more information, please contact Bruce Vincent at 214-763-6226 or [email protected].

SOURCE Hamilton Wingo, LLP
DALLAS, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DealerBuilt, a leading provider of dealer management system (DMS) software, acquires Oplogic, a comprehensive CRM solution provider for dealerships. The acquisition enhances DealerBuilt's suite of solutions to include Oplogic's intuitive tools for desking and digital retailing, lead management, call recording, equity mining, and compliance services.

"DealerBuilt is excited to partner with the Oplogic team to expand our comprehensive dealer solutions, taking us one step closer to our vision of a single integrated platform," said Max Longin, CEO of DealerBuilt. "By integrating Oplogic CRM's innovative technology, we empower customers with an unmatched suite of tools to optimize operations, elevate customer experiences, and drive business growth. This acquisition demonstrates DealerBuilt's dedication to innovation and relentless pursuit of delivering excellence in dealership management software."

DealerBuilt Expands Suite of Solutions with Oplogic CRM Acquisition Tweet this

Oplogic has a proven track record of success for delivering comprehensive solutions for many years, becoming a trusted partner with its intuitive tools, extensive technical support, and compliance services for dealerships across the country.

"We are thrilled to be joining forces with DealerBuilt," said John Parent, CEO of Oplogic. "We believe that our comprehensive solutions, when combined with DealerBuilt's DMS software, will provide a powerful and unique offering for dealerships. We are excited to continue working with our customers and to help them to be more successful in their businesses."

With this acquisition, DealerBuilt is well-positioned to continue its growth and provide dealerships with the most comprehensive suite of solutions in the industry. The company remains committed to investing in its products and services, ensuring that its customers have access to the latest and greatest technology that empowers their businesses to thrive and prosper.

About DealerBuilt:

DealerBuilt is a leading provider of dealer management system (DMS) software for the automotive industry, best known as a strong dealer advocate. DealerBuilt's DMS software helps dealerships to streamline their operations and increase efficiency while providing a powerful platform for managing every aspect of their business. For more information about DealerBuilt, visit https://dealerbuilt.com/.

About Oplogic:

Oplogic is a comprehensive solution provider for dealerships, providing intuitive tools for desking and digital retailing, lead management, call recording, equity mining, and compliance services. Oplogic's tools standardize and streamline processes to enhance efficiency while building revenue and increasing profit margins for some of the largest dealer groups in the country. Learn more about Oplogic at https://oplogic.com/.

SOURCE DealerBuilt
Former Juicy Couture and Bench executive to drive global growth

NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Canadian performance apparel brand DU/ER, announced today the appointment of Burt Damsky as VP of Global Sales. Based out of the brand's New York City showroom, Damsky will oversee the strategic growth of DU/ER's global wholesale network.

After consecutive years of growth upwards of 50%, the omnichannel business is investing in Damsky's expertise to grow its wholesale network in the U.S. while further expanding its global footprint with plans to establish a European distribution center. DU/ER's wholesale network currently services premier retailers including Holt Renfrew and Sporting Life in Canada to REI and Nordstrom in the U.S.

"Burt's vast experience selling functional fashion brands as well as outdoor apparel ensures we are well poised for growth across both sectors," said Gary Lenett, Founder and CEO of DU/ER. "I'm confident his expertise and approach to building vertically integrated, multichannel apparel brands will accelerate our growth both in existing and new markets."

Damsky joins DU/ER from NYC Alliance, where, as President of Sales, he was responsible for relaunching Juicy Couture and leading the company's branded division. Previous roles include executive positions at apparel brands Blanc Noir, Bench clothing, Antik Denim and Southpole.

"DU/ER's adventure ethos aligns perfectly with my own values as an avid runner and healthy lifestyle advocate," said Damsky. "The brand's comfort-first approach and commitment to sustainability, particularly the use of natural fibers, speaks strongly to the current consumer demand and affords the brand endless opportunities for growth."

For more information on DU/ER, please visit: shopduer.com

About DU/ER

Developed for 'doers', those that seek adventure in the everyday. Natural fiber-rich fabrics offer ultimate comfort, sophisticated style, and all-day performance in any environment. Vancouver born, the omnichannel business has dedicated storefronts in Canada and the U.S., a North American ecommerce channel, and a global network of wholesale partners. From REI to Nordstrom, DU/ER effectively bridges the gap between fashion and function with performance apparel for both men and women.

Media enquiries:

Canada: [email protected]

U.S: [email protected]

SOURCE DUER
PHILADELPHIA, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Easterseals of Southeastern Pennsylvania will be hosting the annual Walk With Me Event on Saturday, June 3rd, at the Elmwood Park Zoo. The family friendly event will begin outside the zoo with a DJ and fun activities. Participants will also be able to learn how Easterseals programs and services are making a difference as the Walk highlights several students as Honorary Ambassadors.

A local drum line will then lead participants into the zoo. The Elmwood Park Zoo provides an inclusive environment by being both accessible and Autism Certified. Once inside, participants can enjoy they Zoo however they like. The Walk has raised more the $1.5 million over 20 years. Those funds stay local to support Easterseals mission to provide exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities.

Walk With Me is sponsored by Century 21 Advantage Gold, IBX, Optum, Wawa and Deacon. Registration can be done online at www.walkwithme.org/Philadelphia prior to the event, or in person at the zoo beginning at 8 a.m.

Locally, Easterseals of Southeastern Pennsylvania serves Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties in an effort to maximize the independence of children and adults with disabilities. Program and services include, but are not limited to, Approved Private School, Early Intervention, physical, occupational and speech therapies and assistive technology. Last year Easterseals served over 8,000 local individuals by providing direct quality services for individuals with disabilities. For more information visit www.easterseals-sepa.org.

SOURCE Easterseals of Southeastern Pennsylvania
VANCOUVER, BC, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Eat Well Investment Group Inc. (CSE: EWG) (US: EWGFF) (FSE: 6BC0) ("Eat Well" or the "Company"), a leading plant-based food ingredient and CPG company, is pleased to provide a detailed update on the Company's progress and outlook.

Belle Pulses Ltd. (" Belle Pulses "), a wholly-owned subsidiary of EWG, achieved a record for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2022 , with audited revenue of $64,572,157 and EBITDA of $7,015,435 . This represents a notable 10.01% year-over-year increase in revenue compared to $58,661,758 in the prior fiscal year, as well as an impressive 61% increase in EBITDA.

"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of EWG, achieved a record for the fiscal year ending , with audited revenue of and EBITDA of . This represents a notable 10.01% year-over-year increase in revenue compared to in the prior fiscal year, as well as an impressive 61% increase in EBITDA. Amara Organic Foods (" Amara ") demonstrated significant growth, exiting Q1, 2023 with strong 584% year-over-year revenue growth.

") demonstrated significant growth, exiting Q1, 2023 with strong 584% year-over-year revenue growth. Eat Well is finalizing its debt refinancing, which is being led by the Business Development Bank of Canada . This refinancing is projected to result in annual interest savings of over $2,000,000 .

. This refinancing is projected to result in annual interest savings of over . The Company is diligently working towards finalizing its audited financial statements, on a consolidated basis, for the year ended December 31, 2022 .

. Eat Well is actively exploring the possibility of up-listing to the TSX, Canada's premier stock exchange, to enhance visibility, liquidity, and access to capital.

"We are excited to announce a series of significant milestones that represent a pivotal moment for our Company. The stellar performance of Belle Pulses and Amara has fueled strong growth, leading to record revenue and profitability across our enterprise. We are diligently working towards the finalization and release of our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, and our unaudited financial statements for the first fiscal quarter of 2023. We expect this disclosure will offer a comprehensive overview of our strong performance. I am proud of our team's dedication and hard work in driving this success, and I am confident that we will continue to build on this momentum as we move forward," commented Marc Aneed, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer.

Pat Dunn, the Company's Chief Financial Officer, added "We are in the process of preparing our financial statements on a consolidated operating company basis. This change not only enables consolidated reporting but also allows for greater integration of our subsidiaries' operations and significant cost savings. We expect this change in financial reporting will enhance our visibility and expand our access to capital. Concurrently, we are evaluating an up-listing to the TSX, Canada's premier stock exchange, which would further increase our visibility and access to capital, thereby bolstering our growth prospects. Additionally, our diligent efforts to refinance our debt with the BDC are nearing completion, and expected to save Eat Well approximately $2 million annually in interest expenses. These initiatives underscore our commitment to financial prudence and optimizing our capital structure, aligning us for sustained success while delivering value to our shareholders."

It is anticipated that the changes described above will take several months to complete and will require the completion of consolidated financial statements, completion of the bank refinancing and approval from applicable stock exchanges. Once complete, Eat Well Group would be positioned to operate more efficiently and effectively, which management believes will lead to higher profitability and long-term success. The Company believes that as it strengthens its capital structure and pursues greater liquidity on the TSX, Eat Well will become a stronger, more sustainable business over time.

Potential TSX Uplisting

Eat Well Group is exploring an up-list to the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) in a move that the Company's Board of Directors believes will increase Eat Well's investor visibility, liquidity and allow the Company to access a larger pool of investor capital. The Board views the move to the TSX as a strong value creator that will better position the Company for global success and increase credibility. The Board is confident that the move to the TSX will provide greater exposure to investors, increased liquidity, and enhanced growth opportunities. If completed, the uplisting would be a significant milestone for EWG and would demonstrate the Company's continued commitment to delivering value to its shareholders.

Debt Refinance

The Company is in the final stages of its previously announced debt refinancing led by the Business Development Bank of Canada, a process that is expected to yield annual interest savings of over $2,000,000. Recognizing the inherent seasonality of the farming industry, Eat Well is actively pursuing the expansion of its existing Revolving Line of Credit's borrowing base. This expansion will encompass additional assets, strategically aligning the Company to accommodate future growth and enhance its overall resilience. Closing of the debt refinancing remains subject to agreement on certain outstanding commercial terms, and the satisfaction of a number of customary conditions precedent.

General Update

Belle Pulses

Belle Pulses, a leading supplier of premium pulses to the human and pet food industries worldwide, has reported impressive growth and record performance for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2022. Under the leadership of Tony and Francis Gaudet, the management team has made significant upgrades to its Canadian operations, enhancing safety, quality, and performance, and establishing a reliable supply chain and logistics network with disciplined pricing strategies. Belle's strong business model has positioned the company as a preferred supplier to leading food distributors across North America, generating strategic customer opportunities, and driving margin enhancement for food manufacturers utilizing cutting-edge processing IP.

Belle is well-positioned to capitalize on market tailwinds with its diversified product mix that includes emerging pulses, while spearheading the development of next-generation plant-based food products that deliver optimized taste and texture. The company's focus on production and facility expansion is prioritizing utilization to meet long-term demand while evaluating new opportunities to optimize its footprint across Canada.

In the most recent fiscal year spanning from July 2021 to July 2022, Belle Pulses delivered exceptional financial performance, generating an impressive $64,572,157 in revenue, and $7,015,435 in EBITDA. This represents a notable 10.01% year-over-year increase in revenue compared to $58,661,758 in Fiscal 2021, as well as an impressive 61% increase in EBITDA.

"We are pleased to announce that our wholly-owned subsidiary, Belle Pulses, has achieved record revenue. This accomplishment reflects our commitment to providing value to our shareholders and driving sustainable growth," commented Mr. Aneed. "These milestones underscore our dedication to delivering strong results, and we are confident that our strategic initiatives will ensure continued success and create lasting value for our shareholders."

This success is a testament to Belle's decades-long commitment to excellence and to providing customers with the highest quality products and services. The company's continued growth trajectory, strong global demand for its high-quality pulses, and exceptional service position Belle Pulses as a leader in the plant-based food industry and a valuable partner for its customers.

Amara

Amara ended Q1, 2023 with 584% year over year sales growth. Amara's impressive growth trajectory is continuing with selective scaling across omnichannel platforms. The brand has seen significant product assortment additions in Walmart Canada and has gained traction in the Club channel via the largest club retailer (the "LCR"). The success of Amara's initial launch in the Los Angeles region has led to several geographic expansions, with over 100 LCR locations now stocking the brand's toddler melts. Amara's strong sell-through performance against benchmarks has created interest across North American retail and consumer channels. The expansion of business is underpinned by category-leading gross margins due to a selective channel strategy, strong ingredient and cost of good controls, and a lean operating strategy.

In addition to expanding its retail presence, Amara has grown its production capacity by 4x through manufacturing partners, allowing the team to evaluate several new innovations that will launch later this year. Amara's eCommerce program has also seen success, with double-digit month-over-month growth in velocities and sustained margins. The team continues to refine its social media and ad targeting efforts, leveraging new capabilities brought on board over the last quarter.

The brand's success has not gone unnoticed, with Amara recently awarded "Top 10 Product" at Expo West, the leading food and beverage show in Anaheim, California in March 2023. Overall, Amara continues to win with consumers and industry leaders alike, positioning the brand for continued growth and success in the coming years.

Sapientia

Sapientia, an innovative product developed by Eat Well, has consistently ranked among the top new products in Federated Co-Op stores across Canada. While Amara has experienced remarkable success and has become the focus of Eat Well's resources, Sapientia's potential and market demand have not gone unnoticed. As a result, Eat Well is now committed to providing additional resources to further develop and promote Sapientia in the second half of 2023. With the management team's successful track record in founding, scaling, and exiting consumer packaged goods brands, the company is confident in Sapientia's potential for success.

Eat Well is dedicated to delivering innovative, high-quality products to the market, and is excited about the growth potential of its brands, including Belle Pulses, Amara, and Sapientia. As the business expands, Eat Well is focused on promoting food security, improving climate conditions, and scaling operations for future success.

About Eat Well

Eat Well is a publicly-traded company primarily focused on the agribusiness, food tech, plant-based and ESG (environmental, social and governance) sectors. Eat Well's management team has an extensive record of sourcing, financing and building successful companies across a broad range of industries and maintains a current focus on the health/wellness industry. The team has financed and invested in early-stage venture companies for greater than 25 years, resulting in unparalleled access to deal flow and the ability to construct a portfolio of opportunistic investments intended to generate superior risk-adjusted returns.

To learn more, join Eat Well's mailing list for important updates.

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking information are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "likely" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may," "will," "should," "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to the completion of and the timing for filing the Company's financial statements, the Company's contemplated uplisting to the TSX, the debt refinancing transaction, future developments and the business and operations of the Company and its investee companies. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. Forward-looking information is based on assumptions that may prove to be inaccurate. The Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable in the circumstances. However, forward-looking information is subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking information, including the business, financial, credit and other market risks. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law. For more information on the Company, its investee companies and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

Non-IFRS Measures

This press release includes reference to "EBITDA" which is a non-International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") financial measures. Non-IFRS measures are not recognized measures under IFRS, do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS, and are therefore unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. The Company defines EBITDA as earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA has no direct, comparable IFRS financial measure. The Company has used or included EBITDA solely to provide investors with added insight into the Company's and the potential financial performance. Readers are cautioned that such non-IFRS measures may not be appropriate for any other purpose. Non-IFRS measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the information contained herein and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE Eat Well Investment Group Inc.
BOGOTA, Colombia, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) informs that on May 22nd, 2023, it reached an agreement with the Union Sindical Obrera (USO) for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement will be retroactively effective from January 1st, 2023, and will be valid for a four-year term. In addition, agreements were also reached with the following labor unions: Asintrahc, Asopetrogas, Asteco, Sintramen, SUP and Utipec.

In relation to wages, the parties agreed: for 2023, an annual wage increase of Colombian CPI + 1.5%, and, for 2024-2026, annual wage increases of Colombian CPI + 1.6%.

The agreements also include a commitment to continue promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion with a gender focus in the workplace, and to improve the well-being of workers, while also complying with criteria based on reasonableness, austerity and efficiency. The parties also agreed to allocate resources for social investment projects and energy transition forums.

Ecopetrol acknowledges the commitment and professionalism of the negotiating teams, all of whom contributed to the success of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will improve the Company's sustainability standards and the welfare of its workforce and contribute to the development of the Country.

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Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy companies in the American continent, with more than 18,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA's shares, the company participates in energy transmission, the management of real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla - Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in the United States (Permian basin and the Gulf of Mexico) and Brazil, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission business in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector. This press release contains business prospect statements, operating and financial result estimates, and statements related to Ecopetrol's growth prospects. These are all projections and, as such, they are based solely on the expectations of the managers regarding the future of the company and their continued access to capital to finance the company's business plan. The realization of said estimates in the future depends on the behavior of market conditions, regulations, competition, and the performance of the Colombian economy and the industry, among other factors, and are consequently subject to change without prior notice.

This release contains statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements, whether made in this release or in future filings or press releases, or orally, address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, including in respect of the Company's prospects for growth and its ongoing access to capital to fund the Company's business plan, among others. Consequently, changes in the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements: market prices of oil & gas, our exploration, and production activities, reserves, market conditions, applicable regulations, the exchange rate, the Company's competitiveness and the performance of Colombia's economy and industry, to mention a few. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

For more information, please contact:

Head of Capital Markets (a)

Carolina Tovar Aragon

Email: [email protected]

Head of Corporate Communications (a)

Juan Guillermo Londono

Correo electronico: [email protected]

SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A.
We are facing terrorism threats that are more ideologically diverse and geographically diffuse than ever before, said Greg LoGerfo, the State Departments Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism. He spoke at a briefing marking the 40th anniversary of the State Departments Antiterrorism Assistance program, or ATA, whose mission is to build foreign partners civilian counterterrorism capacity.

Among the dozens of partner countries participating in the ATA program, a significant number are in Africa. Deputy Coordinator LoGerfo said that al-Qaida and ISIS affiliates are increasing their activities in the Sahel and Lake Chad region, and are now expanding into coastal West Africa. He recently took a trip to countries there to reaffirm U.S. commitment to strengthen regional security.

ATA will be a key effort in this effort, as we plan new train-and-equip programs to support civilian security units in Benin, Cote dIvoire, and Togo, focused on border management and countering IEDs, he said.

Several states across East and Southern Africa, he noted, also continue to face both entrenched, well-resourced terrorist groups and nascent terrorist activity.

With partners such as Kenya, ATA has positioned law enforcement to identify and interdict terrorists before an attack or mitigate the impact of one through enhanced capabilities of tactical force responders, elite border security units, and interagency leadership, he said. ATA implements a significant portion of the roughly $200 million of assistance the [State Departments] counterterrorism Bureau has obligated for civilian counterterrorism actors across East Africa for the last 40 years.

Countries in East Asia have also been enduring terrorism partners against al-Qaida and ISIS-affiliated groups. Deputy Coordinator LoGerfo noted that attacks in Indonesia and the Philippines have declined as a result of improved domestic law enforcement, largely supported by the ATA, which keeps pressure on terrorists. He pointed out that the State Departments Counterterrorism Bureau has invested more than $105 million in the region, and, he said, We will continue to focus on building partner capacity in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.

Looking ahead, declared Deputy Coordinator LoGerfo, well continue to work closely with ATA, providing policy guidance and funding that will assist ATAs outstanding delivery of training, equipment and mentorship to prevent, disrupt, respond and prosecute terrorists and terrorist attacks in areas of concern to the United States and our partners.
Final Pre-Specified Overall Survival Analysis from the Pivotal Phase 3 CLEAR Trial in Patients with Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma Will Be Featured in an Oral Presentation

NUTLEY, N.J., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai announced today the presentation of research across various types of cancer from its oncology portfolio and pipeline during the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting (#ASCO23), which is taking place virtually and in-person in Chicago, Illinois from June 2 to 6.

Notable research includes an oral presentation of results from the final pre-specified overall survival analysis of the pivotal Phase 3 CLEAR (Study 307)/KEYNOTE-581 trial, which evaluated lenvatinib (LENVIMA) plus pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA) versus sunitinib for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (Abstract #4502). A post-hoc analysis from the REFLECT trial evaluating lenvatinib monotherapy versus sorafenib in the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) will also be shared in a poster presentation (Abstract #4078).

"The outlook for advanced renal cell carcinoma has evolved in recent years, and the final analysis from the pivotal CLEAR trial to be presented at ASCO represents another step forward for patients and an opportunity to provide their physicians with long-term data," said Dr. Takashi Owa, Chief Scientific Officer, Senior Vice President, Eisai Co., Ltd. "New data for lenvatinib and from our oncology pipeline showcase Eisai's continued commitment to driving innovation and exploring novel therapeutic modalities in our ambition to live out our human health care concept, our corporate mission to meet the needs of more people who face a cancer diagnosis."

Additional data from Eisai's pipeline include a poster presentation of findings from a Phase 1b study of E7386, a CREB-binding protein (CBP) / -catenin interaction inhibitor, in combination with lenvatinib in patients with advanced HCC (Abstract #4075), and the small cell lung cancer cohort of a Phase 1b/2 trial evaluating E7389-LF, a new liposomal formulation of eribulin, in combination with nivolumab (Abstract #8593). Insights from preclinical testing of farletuzumab ecteribulin (FZEC), formerly known as MORAb-202, and MORAb-109, antibody drug conjugates (ADC), in rare gynecologic cancers will also be published online (Abstract # e17634).

Furthermore, Bliss Biopharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (BlissBio) will present a poster at the conference with results from the first-in-human study of BB-1701, a HER2-targeting ADC (Abstract #3029). Eisai entered into a joint development agreement with BlissBio for BB-1701 with option rights for a strategic collaboration in April 2023. A Phase 1/2 clinical study of BB-1701 in the U.S. and China for HER2-expressing solid tumors is currently underway.

This release discusses investigational compounds and investigational uses for FDA-approved products. It is not intended to convey conclusions about efficacy and safety. There is no guarantee that any investigational compounds or investigational uses of FDA-approved products will successfully complete clinical development or gain FDA approval.

The full list of presentations is included below. These abstracts will be made available on Thursday, May 25, 2023 at 5:00 PM EDT.

Cancer Type Study/Compound Abstract Title Abstract Type & Details Lenvatinib Plus Pembrolizumab Genitourinary Cancer CLEAR Final prespecified overall survival (OS) analysis of CLEAR: 4-year follow-up of lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab (L+P) vs sunitinib (S) in patients (pts) with advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) Oral Abstract Session Abstract #4502 June 5, 2023 12:54 PM EDT /

11:54 AM CDT Lenvatinib Gastrointestinal Cancer REFLECT Efficacy of lenvatinib (LEN) vs sorafenib (SOR) in the first-line (1L) treatment of patients (pts) with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC): A post hoc analysis of patients with nonviral etiology from REFLECT Poster Session Abstract #4078 June 5, 2023 9:00 AM EDT / 8:00 AM CDT Pipeline Lung Cancer E7389-LF Phase 2 small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cohort of a phase 1b/2 trial of a liposomal formulation of eribulin in combination with nivolumab Poster Session Abstract #8593 June 4, 2023 9:00 AM EDT / 8:00 AM CDT Gastrointestinal Cancers E7386 (plus lenvatinib) A phase 1b study of E7386, a CREB-binding protein (CBP)/-catenin interaction inhibitor, in combination with lenvatinib in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma Poster Session Abstract #4075 June 5, 2023 9:00 AM EDT / 8:00 AM CDT Gynecologic Cancer Farletuzumab Ecteribulin (FZEC) Preclinical testing of farletuzumab ecteribulin (FZEC [MORAb-202]) and MORAb-109, folate receptor  and mesothelin targeting antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), in rare gynecologic cancers Online Publication Abstract #e17634 May 25, 2023 5:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM CDT Solid tumors BB-1701 (Presented by BlissBio) A first-in-human, open label, multiple dose, dose escalation, and cohort expansion phase 1 study to investigate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and antitumor activity of BB-1701 in patients with locally advanced/metastatic HER2-expressing solid tumors Poster Session Abstract #3029 June 3, 2023 9:00 AM EDT / 8:00 AM CDT Additional Research Pan-tumor Systematic review Anti-drug antibodies related to CTLA-4, PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors across tumour types: A systematic review Online Publication Abstract #e14600 May 25, 2023 5:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM CDT

In March 2018, Eisai and Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), through an affiliate, entered into a strategic collaboration for the worldwide co-development and co-commercialization of lenvatinib, both as monotherapy and in combination with Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, pembrolizumab. Eisai and Merck are studying the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA combination through the LEAP (LEnvatinib And Pembrolizumab) clinical program in various tumor types across multiple clinical trials.

In June 2021, Eisai and Bristol Myers Squibb entered into an exclusive global strategic collaboration agreement for the co-development and co-commercialization of farletuzumab ecteribulin (FZEC, formerly known as MORAb-202), a folate receptor alpha (FR)-targeting ADC. Eisai and Bristol Myers Squibb are currently investigating FZEC in multiple studies including: a Phase 1/2 clinical study in the United States and Europe for solid tumors including endometrial cancer, a Phase 2 clinical study in the United States and Europe for non-small cell lung cancer, and a Phase 2 clinical study in the United States, Europe and Japan for ovarian cancer, peritoneal cancer and fallopian tube cancer.

About E7386

E7386 is a selective inhibitor of the interaction between the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) binding protein (CBP) / -catenin and a modulator of the Wnt / -catenin signaling pathway. E7386 is thought to block the protein-protein interaction between a transcriptional co-activator, CBP and -catenin, resulting in the inhibition of Wnt / -catenin pathway-dependent gene expression. Since E7386 acts on the CBP / -catenin transcription complex located at the most downstream of the Wnt signaling, it is expected to inhibit not only ligand-dependent activation but also activation caused by gene mutations in Wnt signaling factors such as adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and -catenin. E7386 is created through collaboration research between Eisai and PRISM BioLab Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kanagawa)

About E7389-LF

E7389-LF is a new formulation designed for more efficient delivery of the halichondrin-class microtubule dynamics inhibitor, HALAVEN (eribulin mesylate), into cancer cells by liposome envelopment. A Phase 1 clinical study is currently being conducted on select solid tumors in Japan. Additionally, a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial on the combination therapy of E7389-LF and nivolumab targeting select solid tumors is currently being conducted in Japan in collaboration with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

About Farletuzumab Ecteribulin

Farletuzumab ecteribulin (FZEC), formerly known as MORAb-202, is Eisai and Bristol Myers Squibb's first antibody drug conjugate (ADC) that is composed of Eisai's in-house developed anticancer agent farletuzumab, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that is thought to bind to the folate receptor alpha (FR), and Eisai's in-house developed anticancer agent eribulin, using an enzyme cleavable linker. Eisai and Bristol Myers Squibb are currently conducting a Phase 1 clinical study in Japan and a Phase 1/2 clinical study in the United States, respectively, for FZEC targeting FR-positive solid tumors. After FZEC enters the target FR-positive cancer cells, it is thought that the linker is enzymatically cleaved, releasing eribulin from the antibody leading to its antitumor activity. Furthermore, in non-clinical studies, FZEC demonstrated a bystander effect, with antitumor activity on the FR-negative cancer cells surrounding the FR-positive cancer cells.

The payload eribulin (product name: Halaven) was the first in the halichondrin class of microtubule dynamics inhibitors. Structurally eribulin is a simplified and synthetically produced version of halichondrin B, a natural product isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria okadai, and functions by inhibiting the growth phase of microtubule dynamics which prevents cell division.

About BB-1701

BB-1701 is an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) that is composed of Eisai's in-house developed anticancer agent eribulin, and an anti-HER2 antibody using a linker, and is expected to have anti-tumor effects on breast, lung and other solid tumors that express HER2 through direct cytotoxicity (including immunogenic cell death), a bystander effect* and immune response-induced cell death. BlissBio is currently conducting Phase 1/2 clinical trials in the U.S. and China for HER2-expressing solid tumors.

*Bystander effect: When the anticancer agent and antibody parts of an ADC are separated inside a targeted antigen-positive cancer cell, the released anticancer agent also affects neighboring antigen-negative cancer cells and the component cells of the cancer microenvironment.

About LENVIMA (lenvatinib) Capsules

LENVIMA is indicated:

For the treatment of patients with locally recurrent or metastatic, progressive, radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC)

In combination with pembrolizumab, for the first line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC)

In combination with everolimus for the treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following one prior anti-angiogenic therapy

For the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

In combination with pembrolizumab, for the treatment of patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma (EC) that is mismatch repair proficient (pMMR), as determined by an FDA-approved test, or not microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H), who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy in any setting and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation.

LENVIMA, discovered and developed by Eisai, is a multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits the kinase activities of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors VEGFR1 (FLT1), VEGFR2 (KDR), and VEGFR3 (FLT4). LENVIMA inhibits other kinases that have been implicated in pathogenic angiogenesis, tumor growth, and cancer progression in addition to their normal cellular functions, including fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors FGFR1-4, the platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFR), KIT, and RET. Lenvatinib also exhibited antiproliferative activity in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines dependent on activated FGFR signaling with a concurrent inhibition of FGF-receptor substrate 2 (FRS2) phosphorylation. In syngeneic mouse tumor models, the combination of lenvatinib with an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody decreased tumor-associated macrophages, increased activated cytotoxic T cells, and demonstrated greater antitumor activity compared to either treatment alone. The combination of LENVIMA and everolimus showed increased anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor activity as demonstrated by decreased human endothelial cell proliferation, tube formation, and VEGF signaling in vitro and tumor volume in mouse xenograft models of human renal cell cancer greater than each drug alone.

Important Safety Information

Warnings and Precautions

Hypertension. In DTC (differentiated thyroid cancer), hypertension occurred in 73% of patients on LENVIMA (44% grade 3-4). In RCC (renal cell carcinoma), hypertension occurred in 42% of patients on LENVIMA + everolimus (13% grade 3). Systolic blood pressure 160 mmHg occurred in 29% of patients, and 21% had diastolic blood pressure 100 mmHg. In HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma), hypertension occurred in 45% of LENVIMA-treated patients (24% grade 3). Grade 4 hypertension was not reported in HCC.

Serious complications of poorly controlled hypertension have been reported. Control blood pressure prior to initiation. Monitor blood pressure after 1 week, then every 2 weeks for the first 2 months, and then at least monthly thereafter during treatment. Withhold and resume at reduced dose when hypertension is controlled or permanently discontinue based on severity.

Cardiac Dysfunction. Serious and fatal cardiac dysfunction can occur with LENVIMA. Across clinical trials in 799 patients with DTC, RCC, and HCC, grade 3 or higher cardiac dysfunction occurred in 3% of LENVIMA-treated patients. Monitor for clinical symptoms or signs of cardiac dysfunction. Withhold and resume at reduced dose upon recovery or permanently discontinue based on severity.

Arterial Thromboembolic Events. Among patients receiving LENVIMA or LENVIMA + everolimus, arterial thromboembolic events of any severity occurred in 2% of patients in RCC and HCC and 5% in DTC. Grade 3-5 arterial thromboembolic events ranged from 2% to 3% across all clinical trials.

Among patients receiving LENVIMA with pembrolizumab, arterial thrombotic events of any severity occurred in 5% of patients in CLEAR, including myocardial infarction (3.4%) and cerebrovascular accident (2.3%).

Permanently discontinue following an arterial thrombotic event. The safety of resuming after an arterial thromboembolic event has not been established, and LENVIMA has not been studied in patients who have had an arterial thromboembolic event within the previous 6 months.

Hepatotoxicity. Across clinical studies enrolling 1327 LENVIMA-treated patients with malignancies other than HCC, serious hepatic adverse reactions occurred in 1.4% of patients. Fatal events, including hepatic failure, acute hepatitis, and hepatorenal syndrome, occurred in 0.5% of patients. In HCC, hepatic encephalopathy occurred in 8% of LENVIMA-treated patients (5% grade 3-5). Grade 3-5 hepatic failure occurred in 3% of LENVIMA-treated patients; 2% of patients discontinued LENVIMA due to hepatic encephalopathy, and 1% discontinued due to hepatic failure.

Monitor liver function prior to initiation, then every 2 weeks for the first 2 months, and at least monthly thereafter during treatment. Monitor patients with HCC closely for signs of hepatic failure, including hepatic encephalopathy. Withhold and resume at reduced dose upon recovery or permanently discontinue based on severity.

Renal Failure or Impairment. Serious including fatal renal failure or impairment can occur with LENVIMA. Renal impairment was reported in 14% and 7% of LENVIMA-treated patients in DTC and HCC, respectively. Grade 3-5 renal failure or impairment occurred in 3% of patients with DTC and 2% of patients with HCC, including 1 fatal event in each study. In RCC, renal impairment or renal failure was reported in 18% of LENVIMA + everolimustreated patients (10% grade 3).

Initiate prompt management of diarrhea or dehydration/hypovolemia. Withhold and resume at reduced dose upon recovery or permanently discontinue for renal failure or impairment based on severity.

Proteinuria. In DTC and HCC, proteinuria was reported in 34% and 26% of LENVIMA-treated patients, respectively. Grade 3 proteinuria occurred in 11% and 6% in DTC and HCC, respectively. In RCC, proteinuria occurred in 31% of patients receiving LENVIMA + everolimus (8% grade 3). Monitor for proteinuria prior to initiation and periodically during treatment. If urine dipstick proteinuria 2+ is detected, obtain a 24-hour urine protein. Withhold and resume at reduced dose upon recovery or permanently discontinue based on severity.

Diarrhea. Of the 737 LENVIMA-treated patients in DTC and HCC, diarrhea occurred in 49% (6% grade 3). In RCC, diarrhea occurred in 81% of LENVIMA + everolimustreated patients (19% grade 3). Diarrhea was the most frequent cause of dose interruption/reduction, and diarrhea recurred despite dose reduction. Promptly initiate management of diarrhea. Withhold and resume at reduced dose upon recovery or permanently discontinue based on severity.

Fistula Formation and Gastrointestinal Perforation. Of the 799 patients treated with LENVIMA or LENVIMA + everolimus in DTC, RCC, and HCC, fistula or gastrointestinal perforation occurred in 2%. Permanently discontinue in patients who develop gastrointestinal perforation of any severity or grade 3-4 fistula.

QT Interval Prolongation. In DTC, QT/QTc interval prolongation occurred in 9% of LENVIMA-treated patients and QT interval prolongation of >500 ms occurred in 2%. In RCC, QTc interval increases of >60 ms occurred in 11% of patients receiving LENVIMA + everolimus and QTc interval >500 ms occurred in 6%. In HCC, QTc interval increases of >60 ms occurred in 8% of LENVIMA-treated patients and QTc interval >500 ms occurred in 2%.

Monitor and correct electrolyte abnormalities at baseline and periodically during treatment. Monitor electrocardiograms in patients with congenital long QT syndrome, congestive heart failure, bradyarrhythmias, or those who are taking drugs known to prolong the QT interval, including Class Ia and III antiarrhythmics. Withhold and resume at reduced dose upon recovery based on severity.

Hypocalcemia. In DTC, grade 3-4 hypocalcemia occurred in 9% of LENVIMA-treated patients. In 65% of cases, hypocalcemia improved or resolved following calcium supplementation with or without dose interruption or dose reduction. In RCC, grade 3-4 hypocalcemia occurred in 6% of LENVIMA + everolimustreated patients. In HCC, grade 3 hypocalcemia occurred in 0.8% of LENVIMA-treated patients. Monitor blood calcium levels at least monthly and replace calcium as necessary during treatment. Withhold and resume at reduced dose upon recovery or permanently discontinue depending on severity.

Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome (RPLS). Across clinical studies of 1823 patients who received LENVIMA as a single agent, RPLS occurred in 0.3%. Confirm diagnosis of RPLS with MRI. Withhold and resume at reduced dose upon recovery or permanently discontinue depending on severity and persistence of neurologic symptoms.

Hemorrhagic Events. Serious including fatal hemorrhagic events can occur with LENVIMA. In DTC, RCC, and HCC clinical trials, hemorrhagic events, of any grade, occurred in 29% of the 799 patients treated with LENVIMA as a single agent or in combination with everolimus. The most frequently reported hemorrhagic events (all grades and occurring in at least 5% of patients) were epistaxis and hematuria. In DTC, grade 3-5 hemorrhage occurred in 2% of LENVIMA-treated patients, including 1 fatal intracranial hemorrhage among 16 patients who received LENVIMA and had CNS metastases at baseline. In RCC, grade 3-5 hemorrhage occurred in 8% of LENVIMA + everolimustreated patients, including 1 fatal cerebral hemorrhage. In HCC, grade 3-5 hemorrhage occurred in 5% of LENVIMA-treated patients, including 7 fatal hemorrhagic events. Serious tumor-related bleeds, including fatal hemorrhagic events, occurred in LENVIMA-treated patients in clinical trials and in the postmarketing setting. In postmarketing surveillance, serious and fatal carotid artery hemorrhages were seen more frequently in patients with anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) than other tumors. Safety and effectiveness of LENVIMA in patients with ATC have not been demonstrated in clinical trials.

Consider the risk of severe or fatal hemorrhage associated with tumor invasion or infiltration of major blood vessels (eg, carotid artery). Withhold and resume at reduced dose upon recovery or permanently discontinue based on severity.

Impairment of Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Suppression/Thyroid Dysfunction. LENVIMA impairs exogenous thyroid suppression. In DTC, 88% of patients had baseline thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level 0.5 mU/L. In patients with normal TSH at baseline, elevation of TSH level >0.5 mU/L was observed post baseline in 57% of LENVIMA-treated patients. In RCC and HCC, grade 1 or 2 hypothyroidism occurred in 24% of LENVIMA + everolimustreated patients and 21% of LENVIMA-treated patients, respectively. In patients with normal or low TSH at baseline, elevation of TSH was observed post baseline in 70% of LENVIMA-treated patients in HCC and 60% of LENVIMA + everolimustreated patients in RCC.

Monitor thyroid function prior to initiation and at least monthly during treatment. Treat hypothyroidism according to standard medical practice.

Impaired Wound Healing. Impaired wound healing has been reported in patients who received LENVIMA. Withhold LENVIMA for at least 1 week prior to elective surgery. Do not administer for at least 2 weeks following major surgery and until adequate wound healing. The safety of resumption of LENVIMA after resolution of wound healing complications has not been established.

Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ). ONJ has been reported in patients receiving LENVIMA. Concomitant exposure to other risk factors, such as bisphosphonates, denosumab, dental disease, or invasive dental procedures, may increase the risk of ONJ.

Perform an oral examination prior to treatment with LENVIMA and periodically during LENVIMA treatment. Advise patients regarding good oral hygiene practices and to consider having preventive dentistry performed prior to treatment with LENVIMA and throughout treatment with LENVIMA.

Avoid invasive dental procedures, if possible, while on LENVIMA treatment, particularly in patients at higher risk. Withhold LENVIMA for at least 1 week prior to scheduled dental surgery or invasive dental procedures, if possible. For patients requiring invasive dental procedures, discontinuation of bisphosphonate treatment may reduce the risk of ONJ.

Withhold LENVIMA if ONJ develops and restart based on clinical judgement of adequate resolution.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity. Based on its mechanism of action and data from animal reproduction studies, LENVIMA can cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant women. In animal reproduction studies, oral administration of lenvatinib during organogenesis at doses below the recommended clinical doses resulted in embryotoxicity, fetotoxicity, and teratogenicity in rats and rabbits. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus and advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with LENVIMA and for 30 days after the last dose.

Adverse Reactions

In DTC, the most common adverse reactions (30%) observed in LENVIMA-treated patients were hypertension (73%), fatigue (67%), diarrhea (67%), arthralgia/myalgia (62%), decreased appetite (54%), decreased weight (51%), nausea (47%), stomatitis (41%), headache (38%), vomiting (36%), proteinuria (34%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (32%), abdominal pain (31%), and dysphonia (31%). The most common serious adverse reactions (2%) were pneumonia (4%), hypertension (3%), and dehydration (3%). Adverse reactions led to dose reductions in 68% of LENVIMA-treated patients; 18% discontinued LENVIMA. The most common adverse reactions (10%) resulting in dose reductions were hypertension (13%), proteinuria (11%), decreased appetite (10%), and diarrhea (10%); the most common adverse reactions (1%) resulting in discontinuation of LENVIMA were hypertension (1%) and asthenia (1%).

In RCC, the most common adverse reactions (20%) observed in LENVIMA + pembrolizumab-treated patients were fatigue (63%), diarrhea (62%), musculoskeletal pain (58%), hypothyroidism (57%), hypertension (56%), stomatitis (43%), decreased appetite (41%), rash (37%), nausea (36%), decreased weight (30%), dysphonia (30%), proteinuria (30%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (29%), abdominal pain (27%), hemorrhagic events (27%), vomiting (26%), constipation (25%), hepatotoxicity (25%), headache (23%), and acute kidney injury (21%). The most common serious adverse reactions (2%) were hemorrhagic events (5%), diarrhea (4%), hypertension (3%), myocardial infarction (3%), pneumonitis (3%), vomiting (3%), acute kidney injury (2%), adrenal insufficiency (2%), dyspnea (2%), and pneumonia (2%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 4.3% of patients receiving LENVIMA in combination with pembrolizumab, including cardio-respiratory arrest (0.9%), sepsis (0.9%), and one case (0.3%) each of arrhythmia, autoimmune hepatitis, dyspnea, hypertensive crisis, increased blood creatinine, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, myasthenic syndrome, myocarditis, nephritis, pneumonitis, ruptured aneurysm and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 51% of patients receiving LENVIMA and pembrolizumab. Serious adverse reactions in 2% of patients were hemorrhagic events (5%), diarrhea (4%), hypertension (3%), myocardial infarction (3%), pneumonitis (3%), vomiting (3%), acute kidney injury (2%), adrenal insufficiency (2%), dyspnea (2%), and pneumonia (2%). Permanent discontinuation of LENVIMA, pembrolizumab, or both due to an adverse reaction occurred in 37% of patients; 26% LENVIMA only, 29% pembrolizumab only, and 13% both drugs. The most common adverse reactions (2%) leading to permanent discontinuation of LENVIMA, pembrolizumab, or both were pneumonitis (3%), myocardial infarction (3%), hepatotoxicity (3%), acute kidney injury (3%), rash (3%), and diarrhea (2%). Dose interruptions of LENVIMA, pembrolizumab, or both due to an adverse reaction occurred in 78% of patients receiving LENVIMA in combination with pembrolizumab. LENVIMA was interrupted in 73% of patients and both drugs were interrupted in 39% of patients. LENVIMA was dose reduced in 69% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (5%) resulting in dose reduction or interruption of LENVIMA were diarrhea (26%), fatigue (18%), hypertension (17%), proteinuria (13%), decreased appetite (12%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (11%), nausea (9%), stomatitis (9%), musculoskeletal pain (8%), rash (8%), increased lipase (7%), abdominal pain (6%), and vomiting (6%), increased ALT (5%), and increased amylase (5%).

In RCC, the most common adverse reactions (30%) observed in LENVIMA + everolimustreated patients were diarrhea (81%), fatigue (73%), arthralgia/myalgia (55%), decreased appetite (53%), vomiting (48%), nausea (45%), stomatitis (44%), hypertension (42%), peripheral edema (42%), cough (37%), abdominal pain (37%), dyspnea (35%), rash (35%), decreased weight (34%), hemorrhagic events (32%), and proteinuria (31%). The most common serious adverse reactions (5%) were renal failure (11%), dehydration (10%), anemia (6%), thrombocytopenia (5%), diarrhea (5%), vomiting (5%), and dyspnea (5%). Adverse reactions led to dose reductions or interruption in 89% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (5%) resulting in dose reductions were diarrhea (21%), fatigue (8%), thrombocytopenia (6%), vomiting (6%), nausea (5%), and proteinuria (5%). Treatment discontinuation due to an adverse reaction occurred in 29% of patients.

In HCC, the most common adverse reactions (20%) observed in LENVIMA-treated patients were hypertension (45%), fatigue (44%), diarrhea (39%), decreased appetite (34%), arthralgia/myalgia (31%), decreased weight (31%), abdominal pain (30%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (27%), proteinuria (26%), dysphonia (24%), hemorrhagic events (23%), hypothyroidism (21%), and nausea (20%). The most common serious adverse reactions (2%) were hepatic encephalopathy (5%), hepatic failure (3%), ascites (3%), and decreased appetite (2%). Adverse reactions led to dose reductions or interruption in 62% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (5%) resulting in dose reductions were fatigue (9%), decreased appetite (8%), diarrhea (8%), proteinuria (7%), hypertension (6%), and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (5%). Treatment discontinuation due to an adverse reaction occurred in 20% of patients. The most common adverse reactions (1%) resulting in discontinuation of LENVIMA were fatigue (1%), hepatic encephalopathy (2%), hyperbilirubinemia (1%), and hepatic failure (1%).

In EC, the most common adverse reactions (20%) observed in LENVIMA and pembrolizumabtreated patients were hypothyroidism (67%), hypertension (67%), fatigue (58%), diarrhea (55%), musculoskeletal disorders (53%), nausea (49%), decreased appetite (44%), vomiting (37%), stomatitis (35%), decreased weight (34%), abdominal pain (34%), urinary tract infection (31%), proteinuria (29%), constipation (27%), headache (26%), hemorrhagic events (25%), palmarplantar erythrodysesthesia (23%), dysphonia (22%), and rash (20%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 4.7% of those treated with LENVIMA and pembrolizumab, including 2 cases of pneumonia, and 1 case of the following: acute kidney injury, acute myocardial infarction, colitis, decreased appetite, intestinal perforation, lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage, malignant gastrointestinal obstruction, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, myelodysplastic syndrome, pulmonary embolism, and right ventricular dysfunction. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 50% of patients receiving LENVIMA and pembrolizumab. Serious adverse reactions with frequency 3% were hypertension (4.4%), and urinary tract infection (3.2%). Discontinuation of LENVIMA due to an adverse reaction occurred in 26% of patients. The most common (1%) adverse reactions leading to discontinuation of LENVIMA were hypertension (2%), asthenia (1.8%), diarrhea (1.2%), decreased appetite (1.2%), proteinuria (1.2%), and vomiting (1.2%). Dose reductions of LENVIMA due to adverse reactions occurred in 67% of patients. The most common (5%) adverse reactions resulting in dose reduction of LENVIMA were hypertension (18%), diarrhea (11%), palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (9%), proteinuria (7%), fatigue (7%), decreased appetite (6%), asthenia (5%), and weight decreased (5%). Dose interruptions of LENVIMA due to an adverse reaction occurred in 58% of these patients. The most common (2%) adverse reactions leading to interruption of LENVIMA were hypertension (11%), diarrhea (11%), proteinuria (6%), decreased appetite (5%), vomiting (5%), increased alanine aminotransferase (3.5%), fatigue (3.5%), nausea (3.5%), abdominal pain (2.9%), weight decreased (2.6%), urinary tract infection (2.6%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (2.3%), asthenia (2.3%), and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (2%).

Use in Specific Populations

Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in breastfed children, advise women to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment and for 1 week after the last dose. LENVIMA may impair fertility in males and females of reproductive potential.

No dose adjustment is recommended for patients with mild (CLcr 60-89 mL/min) or moderate (CLcr 30-59 mL/min) renal impairment. LENVIMA concentrations may increase in patients with DTC, RCC, or EC and severe (CLcr 15-29 mL/min) renal impairment. Reduce the dose for patients with DTC, RCC, or EC and severe renal impairment. There is no recommended dose for patients with HCC and severe renal impairment. LENVIMA has not been studied in patients with end-stage renal disease.

No dose adjustment is recommended for patients with HCC and mild hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh A). There is no recommended dose for patients with HCC with moderate (Child-Pugh B) or severe (Child-Pugh C) hepatic impairment. No dose adjustment is recommended for patients with DTC, RCC, or EC and mild or moderate hepatic impairment. LENVIMA concentrations may increase in patients with DTC, RCC, or EC and severe hepatic impairment. Reduce the dose for patients with DTC, RCC, or EC and severe hepatic impairment.

LENVIMA (lenvatinib) is available as 10 mg and 4 mg capsules.

Please see Prescribing Information for LENVIMA (lenvatinib) at http://www.lenvima.com/pdfs/prescribing-information.pdf.

About the Eisai and Merck Strategic Collaboration

In March 2018, Eisai and Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, through an affiliate, entered into a strategic collaboration for the worldwide co-development and co-commercialization of LENVIMA. Under the agreement, the companies will jointly develop, manufacture and commercialize LENVIMA, both as monotherapy and in combination with Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA.

In addition to ongoing clinical studies evaluating the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA combination across several different tumor types, the companies have jointly initiated new clinical studies through the LEAP (LEnvatinib And Pembrolizumab) clinical program and are evaluating the combination in various tumor types across multiple clinical trials.

About Eisai

Eisai's Corporate Concept is "to give first thought to patients and people in the daily living domain, and to increase the benefits that health care provides." Under this Concept [also known as our human health care (hhc) Concept], we aim to effectively achieve social good in the form of relieving anxiety over health and reducing health disparities. With a global network of R&D facilities, manufacturing sites and marketing subsidiaries, we strive to create and deliver innovative products to target diseases with high unmet medical needs, with a particular focus in our strategic areas of Neurology and Oncology.

In addition, our continued commitment to the elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which is a target (3.3) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is demonstrated by our work on various activities together with global partners.

For more information about Eisai, please visit www.eisai.com (for global headquarters: Eisai Co., Ltd.), us.eisai.com (for U.S. headquarters: Eisai Inc.) or www.eisai.eu (for Europe, Middle East, Africa, Russia, Australia, and New Zealand headquarters: Eisai Europe Ltd.), and connect with us on Twitter (U.S . and global) and LinkedIn (for U.S. and EMEA).

LENVIMA is a registered trademark used by Eisai Inc. under license from Eisai R&D Management Co., Ltd.

KEYTRUDA is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., U.S.A.

SOURCE Eisai Inc.
NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of Eqonex Limited f/k/a Diginex Limited (OTC: EQOSQ) securities between March 7, 2022 and November 29, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period") and/or unregistered securities between April 8, 2021 and April 20, 2023 (the "Unregistered Securities Class Period") (collectively, the "Classes"), of the important June 20, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased EQONEX securities during the Class Period and/or unregistered securities (including EQO Tokens) between April 8, 2021 and April 20, 2023 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 EQONEX class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=15304 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 20, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) defendants were not interested in leveraging the EQONEX Exchange or deploying resources to strengthen that technology; (2) EQONEX had no way of paying Bifinity, a payments technology company affiliated with Binance, back pursuant to the loan agreement; (3) defendants had no intention of consummating a merger between EQONEX and Bifinity or Binance; and (4) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects, were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the EQONEX class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=15304 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
The Charlotte Region continues to emerge as an EV industry hub as leading manufacturer alpitronic announces HQ, tech center, 300 jobs and $18.3 million investment in the City of Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Charlotte Regional Business Alliance championed a key investment in a booming sector of the region's economy Tuesday, as a company in the electric vehicle industry announced plans to bring its U.S. headquarters and 300 new jobs to the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

Leading EV charging unit manufacturer alpitronic America, Inc. is establishing its U.S. headquarters and tech service center in West Charlotte, investing $18.3 million.

Charlotte Region emerging as EV industry hub as leading manufacturer alpitronic announces HQ, tech center, 300 new jobs. Tweet this EV charger company alpitronic picks Charlotte for HQ, tech center, as region continues its emergence as an EV hub

"We are ecstatic to have worked with alpitronic to locate its North American headquarters in Charlotte," CLT Alliance Chief Business Recruitment Officer Danny Chavez said. "As EVs become increasingly prevalent globally, innovative, future-creating companies like alpitronic are a critical component to a dynamic ecosystem. A win like this bolsters the region's position as a magnet for the EV industry and its infrastructure."

The Charlotte Region is emerging as a hub for EV manufacturing, headquarters and research and development. The region is home to the largest lithium deposit in the Southeast and a strategic East Coast location. Couple that with its strong workforce development programs, robust talent pool, and existing industry capabilities, and the region is well-positioned for future investment opportunities to support electric vehicle production throughout the supply chain.

Other cities in consideration for the project were Greenville, South Carolina, and Phoenix.

"We're excited to start our operations for the U.S. in Charlotte," Philipp Senoner, CEO of alpitronic srl, said. "Our decision to come to North Carolina, a state which is developing towards an e-mobility cluster, was consciously made based on the economic conditions. Within the next few years, we expect a strong growth of our business based on our reliable high-performance charging solution, which is contributing to the transition towards e-mobility for passenger vehicles and trucks."

The Charlotte Region has seen more than $1.85 billion investment and approximately 950 announced jobs from companies in the electric vehicle industry since the start of 2022.

alpitronic is the second Italian company to locate to the region in the past 12 months. Foreign direct investment has contributed nearly $1 billion to the region's economy since the start of last year.

This project was a collaborative effort with the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, the North Carolina Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, and Central Piedmont Community College.

About the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance:

Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance is the leading voice of business for the City of Charlotte and the 14-county, bi-state region. Formed in 2018 through the merger of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and the Charlotte Regional Partnership, today's CLT Alliance is the only regional economic development organization that grows the economy, advocates for businesses, and convenes diverse stakeholders. Our mission is to enthusiastically collaborate to promote and advance the Charlotte Region, creating opportunity, economic growth, and prosperity for all. To learn more, visit charlotteregion.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE Charlotte Regional Business Alliance
Keynote Session To Feature Fernish, Grabango and Mansueto Ventures Discussing Solutions for the Seamless Shopping Experience

EWING, N.J., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GS1 Connect 2023, the conference and exhibition hosted by GS1 US, has added a keynote panel discussion to the agenda titled, "The Future Is Frictionless: Building the New Ecosystem of Commerce." Hosted by Fast Company and GS1 US, the panel with take place during GS1 Connect, being held June 5-7, 2023, at the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.

In this 45-minute chat moderated by Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures (parent company of Fast Company and Inc.), attendees will be privy to an in-depth debate about whether frictionless commerce is an overambitious dream or a soon-to-be seen "phygital" ecosystem. Panel participants include:

Kristin Toth , president, CEO and board member, Fernish

, president, CEO and board member, Fernish John Chin , senior director, marketing, Grabango

, senior director, marketing, Grabango Melanie Nuce-Hilton , senior vice president, innovation & partnerships, GS1 US

"The last three years have seen an increase in consumer demand for more-convenient and seamless shopping experiences," said Nuce-Hilton. "This live discussion at GS1 Connect will tap into how cutting-edge innovation, technology and unique identification all factor into the frictionless marketplace of tomorrow."

GS1 Connect 2023 will feature more than 400 attending companies coming together to share strategies for leveraging GS1 Standards to enable end-to-end supply chain visibility; an inspirational keynote speech from co-founder and first CEO of Netflix, Marc Randolph; Trading Partner Roundtable discussions and "How to Do Business With" Sessions; the Startup Lab Pitch Competition; and more. To view the agenda, visit www.gs1us.org/gs1connect.

For more information about GS1 US, visit www.gs1us.org .

About GS1 US

GS1 US , a member of GS1global, is a not-for-profit information standards organization that facilitates industry collaboration to help improve supply chain visibility and efficiency through the use of GS1 Standards, the most widely used supply chain standards system in the world. Nearly 300,000 businesses in 25 industries rely on GS1 US for trading partner collaboration that optimizes their supply chains, drives cost performance and revenue growth, while also enabling regulatory compliance. They achieve these benefits through solutions based on GS1 global unique numbering and identification systems, barcodes, Electronic Product Code (EPC)-based RFID, data synchronization, and electronic information exchange. GS1 US also manages the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC).

About Fast Company

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at www.fastcompany.com.

SOURCE GS1 US
Top Banking Executives Benson Porter and Howard Levine to join the Foundation Advisory Board of Directors

MIAMI, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Louis Hernandez Jr.'s For a Bright Future Foundation ("For A Bright Future," "FABF"), a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the needs of underrepresented and underprivileged children through education, healthcare, the arts, and youth leadership development, has announced the appointment of Benson Porter and Howard Levine as board members of its Fintech Innovation Lab Committee.

For A Bright Future's Fintech Innovation Lab program is at the forefront of providing high school students with access to advanced technologies in the banking industry. To further strengthen the committee's endeavors, For A Bright Future has recently welcomed two prominent figures - Benson Porter, the former President and CEO of BECU Credit Union, and Howard Levine, the Senior Executive Vice President of Consumer Banking at Amerant Bank. Porter and Levine's extensive experience and leadership in the field will undoubtedly reinforce the committee's efforts.

"We are honored to welcome Benson Porter and Howard Levine to the Fintech Innovation Lab Committee," said Louis Hernandez Jr., Founder and Chairman of the Board, For A Bright Future Foundation. "Their leadership, expertise, and dedication to advancing education and opportunity for underrepresented children will be invaluable in advancing our mission and providing an exceptional learning experience for students."

Benson Porter brings over three decades of financial services and credit union expertise. Under his leadership as the President and CEO of BECU, he successfully steered the credit union toward becoming one of the largest in the country. Benson's extensive experience and leadership will be invaluable in advancing the Fintech Innovation Lab. He will co-chair the program committee alongside Sarina Tamagna, who has over 30 years of experience supporting financial institutions' strategic and technology goals.

"I have always admired Louis' commitment to giving back to the community. His dedication to changing lives through education and the work he and his team have put into For A Bright Future has been an inspiration. It is an honor to be able to leverage my expertise in supporting a cause close to my heart through For A Bright Future's Fintech Innovation Committee," said Benson Porter, Co-Chair of the Fintech Innovation Lab Committee, For A Bright Future Foundation.

Howard Levine brings over 25 years of experience in banking, including serving as Head of Consumer Banking at Amerant Bank. His expertise in real estate finance and banking will be instrumental in helping to shape the Fintech Innovation Lab program and provide an exceptional learning experience for students.

"For A Bright Future's story and growth has been inspiring to witness. I am excited to be part of this journey as a member of the Fintech Innovation Committee. I look forward to helping in any way I can to strengthen the program and make sure that its students are able to have impactful and meaningful learning experiences," said Howard Levine, Member of the Fintech Innovation Lab Committee, For A Bright Future Foundation.

The Fintech Innovation Lab is a product of the joint efforts between For A Bright Future, multiple US high schools, and partners from the banking industry. It has the main vision of being able to provide a unique learning experience for students through access to advanced technologies in the banking industry. Benson Porter and Howard Levine's addition to the Fintech Innovation Lab Committee will bring new perspectives and ideas to help advance the program and provide even greater opportunities for underrepresented students.

To support For A Bright Future educational programs, please visit our donation page at www.forabrightfuturefoundation.org/donate-today.

Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Contact info:

Gina Rogoto

For A Bright Future Foundation

[email protected]

Louis Hernandez Jr.'s Foundation For A Bright Future is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the needs of underrepresented and underprivileged children through education, healthcare, the arts, and youth leadership development. Our initiatives provide equal opportunity for all children to have the tools and opportunities to fulfill their life goals and become constructive members of our global community.

SOURCE Louis Hernandez Jr.'s Foundation For A Bright Future
IRVINE, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury known to work closely with the criminal investigation division of the IRS. Their goal is to prevent and punish criminals who participate in money laundering and other financial crimes. FinCEN regularly tracks suspicious individuals and their activity by investigating mandatory disclosures made by financial institutions.

Why you should use an Attorney to represent you in an audit

In April of 2023, FinCEN announced the renewal and expansion of its Geographic Targeting Orders (GTOs). GTOs are authorized by the Banking Secrecy Act. They require U.S. title insurance companies to identify the natural persons behind shell companies used in non-financed purchases of residential real estate. In turn, this data helps FinCEN detect money laundering and other illegal activity that is performed through the purchase of real estate.

If suspect or know for a fact you are being investigated by FinCEN or the IRS for tax crimes including money laundering, seek help from our Dual-Licensed Tax Attorneys & CPAs at the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing by dialing (800) 681-1295.

Renewal and Expansion of Geographic Targeting Orders

GTOs require U.S. title insurance companies to name the individuals behind shell companies that are used for non-financed purchases or residential real estate. In April 2023, these orders were renewed and expanded to cover new parts of the country.

GTOs provide valuable data that helps FinCEN detect money laundering and other financial crimes. As an example, someone who acquires a large sum of money through illegal means may seek to make their funds appear legitimate by using a shell company to purchase real estate. Once a certain amount of time has passed, they will sell the real estate, and their newly acquired funds will seem legitimate. By allowing FinCEN to access the name of the person behind the shell company, the money laundering scheme may be disrupted.

Residential real estate transactions that are covered by the GTOs include purchases made with traveler's checks, cashier's checks, personal checks, certified checks, business checks, money orders, virtual currency, and funds transfers. The threshold for purchases that require GTOs can vary in different metropolitan areas.

New York City and Miami were the original targets when GTOs were first established in 2016. Since then, they have been continually expanded to cover metropolitan areas across the country. The latest expansion has included Litchfield County in Connecticut and several of the more populated counties in Colorado including Denver County, Jefferson County, Adams County, and Summit County.

What Are the Requirements for Geographic Targeting Orders?

GTOs require title insurance companies to file a FinCEN Form 8300 within 30 days of any covered transaction. This form will ask for a range of information related to the transaction at issue and the individual behind it. For example, the purchase price and date of the transaction must be provided. Furthermore, the address of the residential property being purchased must be listed.

Also, the FinCEN form will ask for the identity of the person primarily responsible for representing the purchaser. This individual must verify their identity by providing a copy of their driver's license, passport, or other identifying documents.

Lastly, the identity of any beneficial owners of the purchaser must be provided along with documentation verifying their identities. Significant civil penalties can be imposed on companies who willfully fail to comply with any of the aforementioned requirements.

There are several reasons someone may not want to attach their identity to a real estate purchase. You can address your concerns regarding GTOs by consulting with our Dual-Licensed Tax Attorneys & CPAs.

Potential Criticisms of Geographic Targeting Orders

There are multiple potential criticisms of GTOs. For instance, they may place an undue burden on businesses that must comply. GTOs require businesses to gather and report additional information on specific transactions, which can substantially increase their administrative duties and the cost of doing business.

Also, GTOs may deter legitimate transactions. Some purchasers may be reluctant to engage in certain real estate purchases because of the additional reporting requirements and scrutiny created by GTOs.

Another criticism of GTOs has to do with their effectiveness. These orders may be insufficient to deter financial crimes because criminals can simply find other ways to transfer their money outside of regulated industries.

GTOs can also be criticized for their lack of transparency. They are issued by FinCEN without public notice or comment. Accordingly, criticisms have arisen regarding the lack of transparency in this process.

Finally, GTOs may disproportionally impact certain groups of people, such as immigrants and individuals from other countries. These groups may be targeted because they are more likely to engage in the types of transactions covered by GTOs.

Federal Money Laundering Penalties

Federal money laundering penalties can be significant. Perpetrators can face between 10 to 20 years in prison. Furthermore, they may have to pay expensive fines. Fines for money laundering can reach up to $500,000 or two times the value of the laundered funds.

If the court has determined that a defendant has engaged in money laundering as part of a long-term criminal enterprise or terrorist activity, then the government may be able to impose additional penalties.

Lastly, the U.S. government considers money laundering in excess of $100,000 to be an aggravated felony. Therefore, noncitizens (green card holders) who are accused of this crime can be detained and may be subject to deportation proceedings if convicted.

Other Examples of Money Laundering Schemes

In addition to purchasing and reselling real estate to conceal illicit funds, there are several other examples of money laundering schemes. For instance, many people attempt to launder money through purchases of cryptocurrency. Virtual currencies such as Bitcoin are not regulated in a uniform way, making them a preferred vehicle to launder illegally-obtained funds.

Furthermore, criminals may attempt to launder money by "round tripping." This practice involves sending funds on a trip to various financial accounts, shell companies, individuals, and countries with low regulatory enforcement before being sent back to their original owner. After the "trip," the funds may appear to be legitimate.

If You Fear Being Accused of Money Laundering / Tax Crimes, You Can Call Our Dual Licensed Attorneys & CPAs for Help

If you have made large purchases of real estate without utilizing financing, get help reducing your criminal exposure for income tax evasion and money laundering from our Dual-Licensed Tax Attorneys & CPAs by calling the Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing at (800) 681-1295.

More Commonly Asked Tax Audit Questions

Questions and Answers for Criminal Tax Representation

Here is a link to our YouTube channel: click here!

Public Contact: Dave Klasing Esq. M.S.-Tax CPA, [email protected]

SOURCE Tax Law Offices of David W. Klasing, PC
"Lunchtime doesn't have to be mundane," said Jeremy Kross, Galileo senior brand manager. "'Panini Possibilities' encourages experimentation in the kitchen using Galileo authentic Italian salame and pepperoni, which are the perfect ingredients to spice up various sandwich creations, no matter your flavor preferences. Our cookbook alleviates this lunchtime rut through inventive, easy-to-make sandwich recipes that satisfy consumers' craving."

Whether your lunchtime routine is at home, in the office, or on the go, this unique collection of Galileo brand recipes helps break the monotony and make mealtime more delicious.

Other top findings from the Galileo Sandwich Report include:

The majority (72%) of Americans enjoy sandwiches

Nearly a third (32%) of Americans say that salame is one of their favorite types of lunch meat

Almost a third (32%) of Americans want more variety in their homemade sandwiches

The brand tapped sandwich experts and beloved content creators @Owen.Han, @RedLeafRanch, @ReadyCedCook, @SheWillEvolve, and @BrittneeCiara to develop sandwich recipes exclusively for the cookbook. Fans can expect unique combinations like Galileo Salame paired with crisp apple, as well as recipes showcasing a variety of flavors and textures ranging from sweet to spicy and creamy to crunchy.

A limited number of free "Panini Possibilities" cookbooks are available via a giveaway through June 15, 2023 and hosted on each influencer's TikTok page. To enter for a chance to win, consumers should go to one of the creator's profiles, locate the sweepstakes post, and comment on the post using #PaniniPossibilities and listing their favorite sandwich recipe. See the official rules here.

For those unable to get their hands on the cookbook, a sampling of recipes can be found on the influencers' TikTok pages and the brand's website.

To learn more about #PaniniPossibilities or Galileo Brand, visit GalileoSalame.com or follow the brand @GalileoSalame on Instagram and Facebook.

###

About Galileo Brand

Started in 1945 by Frank Sorba in the San Francisco Bay Area, Galileo Salame was founded on tradition. More than 75 years later, Galileo Brand has stayed true to the taste and quality that made it a success. We still craft our Italian meats in the Bay Area, where the temperate climate, like that of northern Italy, makes the location ideal to cure salame and develop its deliciously tangy flavor profile. Galileo Salame including Italian Dry Salame, Light Italian Dry Salame, All Natural Italian Dry Salame, Italian Dry Salame Chub, Pepperoni, All-Natural Pepperoni, and Pepperoni Medallions offerings are all crafted with lean hand-trimmed, high-quality pork, giving it mouth-watering flavor and a unique texture. The timeless recipe based on Italian tradition uses a robust herb and spice blend that excites with every bite. For more information on Galileo Brand, including product offerings and delicious recipe ideas, visit GalileoSalame.com.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS SWEEPSTAKES OR TO CLAIM A PRIZE. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

The Panini Possibilities with Galileo Salame TikTok Giveaway (the "Sweepstakes") begins at 8 a.m. PST on May 23, 2023, and ends at 11:59 p.m. PST on June 15, 2023 (herein after referred to as the "Sweepstakes Period").

____________________ 1 This CARAVAN survey was conducted by Big Village among a sample of 1,010 adults 18 years of age and older. The online omnibus study is conducted three times a week among a demographically representative U.S. sample of 1,000 adults 18 years of age and older. This survey was live on April 3-5, 2023.

SOURCE Galileo Brand
"A Game Changer for the Future of Underwater Warfare"

OTTAWA, ON, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - General Dynamics Mission SystemsCanada has officially launched its most advanced suite of distributed acoustics processing solutions, including the UYS-506 Sonobuoy Processor, at Combined Naval Event 2023 in Farnborough, United Kingdom.

This launch positions General Dynamics among the first globally to offer and field a distributed acoustics processing system that can be hosted on autonomous vehicles enabling real-time data relay with other airborne or shipborne platforms and ground stations. With this improved interoperability, operators and decision makers can achieve extended range performance without sacrificing exceptional target detection and identification capabilities.

General Dynamics has recently fielded this new technology suite. The company was subcontracted earlier this year to support General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI), developer of MQ-9B SeaGuardian. General Dynamics is now providing the acoustics processing technology necessary for GA-ASI's SeaGuardian to conduct various tests to review adaptability for crewed-uncrewed teaming missions.

"At General Dynamics, we're passionate about providing capabilities that find submarines and adapting our world leading solutions to unmanned platforms for our customers. We're exceptionally proud to see our distributed acoustics processing technology lead the market in this important space. This is a game changer for the future of Underwater Warfare," said Matt Young, Senior Director, International Air and Naval Programs.

Using advanced processing techniques, General Dynamics UYS-506 Sonobuoy Processor minimizes the bandwidth required to transmit data from the aircraft to the ground station without decreasing system performance. The full suite being fielded includes small form factor on-board processing, distributed acoustics technology, quality of service data management, and field-proven intelligence exploitation software. All of this is supported by crew training and post mission analysis and exploitation capabilities.

This new suite, including the UYS-506, will be on display at Combined Naval Event 2023 in Farnborough from May 23-25, 2023. Chris Wardman, Business Development Manager, will be presenting on Integrating Beyond Traditional ASW Platforms as part of the Underwater Defence & Security Stream on Wednesday, May 24.

To learn more, visit: https://gdmissionsystems.ca/airborne-anti-submarine-warfare.

General Dynamics Mission SystemsCanada delivers advanced system solutions to Canadian and international customers. Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, it is one of the largest defence and security companies in Canada and is a world-class prime contractor and systems integrator for sea, air, land and cyber solutions. For more information, visit www.gdmissionsystems.ca.

SOURCE General Dynamics Mission SystemsCanada
A free, ticketed event featuring performances from Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Jon Batiste, with special guests Ben Harper, FINNEAS, and Mosimann on June 22, 2023

Event to take place under the High Patronage of Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic

Campaign calls for strong presence and commitments from incoming World Bank President Ajay Banga, the US' Janet Yellen, and G20 Nations at the Summit for a New Financial Pact, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, in Paris on June 22 and 23

'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' is hosted in partnership with the City of Paris, and produced by Live Nation

PARIS and NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Global Citizen, the world's leading international advocacy organization on a mission to end extreme poverty NOW, announced its return to the iconic Champ de Mars in Paris on Thursday, June 22 with 'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris'. A free, ticketed event, 'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' will feature performances from Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Jon Batiste and special guests Ben Harper, FINNEAS, and Mosimann to drive commitments from world leaders and the private sector to confront the climate crisis head on.

Under the high patronage of Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, 'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' will rally global leaders attending the New Financial Pact Summit, chaired by President Macron. The Power Our Planet campaign, which is co-chaired by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, is calling for a seismic shift in the way the world's financial systems work to give the world's poor and developing nations access to the financing they urgently need to quicken their transition to clean energy, strengthen their resilience against natural disasters, and address their most urgent needs.

Global Citizen's Power Our Planet campaign is galvanizing millions of people around the world to take action, raise their voices and demand urgent changes from governments, Multilateral Development Banks, and major corporations, including:

Keep Promises Already Made: Deliver the outstanding $16.7 billion of the committed $100 billion in climate financing for lower-income countries; transfer $100 billion in IMF Special Drawing Rights from wealthy countries to poor countries; increase foreign aid budgets; and enact global carbon emissions taxes.

Deliver the outstanding of the committed in climate financing for lower-income countries; transfer in IMF Special Drawing Rights from wealthy countries to poor countries; increase foreign aid budgets; and enact global carbon emissions taxes. Free Up Funding: Make up to $1 trillion in financing available to countries in need through policy reforms at the World Bank and other multilateral development banks; and include natural disaster and pandemic clauses in loans to poorer nations.

Make up to in financing available to countries in need through policy reforms at the World Bank and other multilateral development banks; and include natural disaster and pandemic clauses in loans to poorer nations. Transition to Clean Energy: Corporations should commit to join the United Nations' Race-to-Zero by setting science-based targets; publish time-bound action plans for climate transitions; and make transformative investments for a lower-carbon transition in emerging economies.

Increased access to financing would help bolster governments' ability to resist climate change by, for example: helping 1.5 million farmers in Zambia withstand climate disasters like droughts and floods; protecting 1.8 million hectares of land in Ghana by 2030; ending deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon by 2030; and strengthening the resilience of national electric grids in island nations like Antigua and Barbuda to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.

'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' will pave the way for this urgent funding to be delivered throughout the year, including at the G20 summit in New Delhi, India in September; the Global Citizen Festival held during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, USA in September; the IMF and World Bank meetings in October; and culminating at COP28 in Dubai, UAE in November.

"Our world needs urgent change. Outdated global financial systems are perpetuating the conditions that keep vulnerable countries and their citizens trapped in the cycle of extreme poverty," said Hugh Evans, Co-founder and CEO, Global Citizen. "We congratulate Ajay Banga on his appointment as President of the World Bank, and there is an urgent and immediate opportunity for him to show leadership the world truly needs."

"We need a world with more solidarity. Crises are multiplying and the number of those who place their hope in peace and multilateralism will only grow if we, as a global community, demonstrate that we are there to help the most vulnerable," said Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic. "Because inequality and poverty are the grounds of today's and tomorrow's wars. Because there will be no climate transition worldwide if we don't fight for more justice and equity. Halfway to the sustainable development objectives, we need a new financial pact between all countries, so that the world of tomorrow is more united."

"This year  and this summit  are critical for the restoration of justice and equity within the global financial systems that continue to abandon and overlook poor and climate-vulnerable countries," said Mia Mottley, Prime Minister of Barbados. "We need the presence and commitments of world leaders at the New Financial Pact Summit in Paris. I call on leaders of the G7, G20 and wealthy nations across the globe to step up, and let us act together in the interest of our planet and humanity. Join us in Paris."

"The next generation are inheriting a planet that's being devastated by climate change," said Lenny Kravitz. "We have the power to change things with our voices and our actions. Join me on June 22, from wherever you are, and act today to save tomorrow."

An alliance of world leaders representing both Global North and Global South countries has joined the Power Our Planet campaign alongside Global Citizen and Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, including supporters Emmanuel Macron, President of France; Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone; Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Jose Ramos-Horta, President of Timor Leste; Biman Prasad, Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, the Government of Ghana, the Government of Namibia, the Government of Zambia, and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

Power Our Planet's coalition of supporters also includes leading activists, philanthropic foundations, nonprofit organizations, and private sector leaders, including Dr. Rajiv Shah, President, Rockefeller Foundation; Mark Malloch Brown, President, Open Society Foundations; Benedict Oramah, President of AfreximBank; Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization; Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi; Kate Higgins, CEO, Cooperation Canada; Jennifer Jones, President of Rotary International; Ban Ki-Moon, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations; Eloise Todd, Executive Director & Co-Founder, Pandemic Action Network; and Ineza Umuhoza Grace, Co-Founder of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition and 2023 Global Citizen Prize winner.

The Power Our Planet campaign is supported by: Aspire Artemis Foundation Inc.; Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens; BASICS International; Beyond Bretton Woods; the Center for Environmental Peacebuilding; Climate Finance Group for Latin America and the Caribbean; Common Good Marketplace; Connected Development; Don't Gas Africa; E3G; Education Cannot Wait: Focus 2030; Germanwatch; Glasgow Actions Team; Global Alliance for a Green New Deal; The Global Fund; The UN Global Fund for Education in Emergencies; Green Republic Farms; Hungry for Action; International Climate Change Development Initiative; International Climate Financing WG; International Fund for Agricultural Development; Jane Goodall Institute France; Malala Fund; The ONE Campaign; OWIT Brussels  Organization of Women in Trade; Oxfam; Plastic Punch; Power to Girls Foundation; Primavera Zur; Project Everyone; Re:Wild, SDG2 Advocacy Hub; Sustainable Development Solutions Network; Shamba Centre for Food and Climate; She Leads Climate Action; Stage For Change; Strategic Youth Network for Development; Sungulo Comm NPC; Support Humanity Cameroon (SUHUCAM); United Nations Foundation.

The Power Our Planet campaign and the 'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' event is hosted in partnership with the City of Paris, is produced by Live Nation, and supported by Cisco and Citi as well as Afrexim Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Open Society Foundations, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Seadream Family Foundation. A series of thought leadership events focused on driving action from the private sector is being supported by Cisco and Citi. The 'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' broadcast will be produced by Done and Dusted.

'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' will be livestreamed globally across Global Citizen's platforms on Thursday, June 22. Global Citizen is grateful for the support of leading media companies across the world including: AIM Group, Arena Holdings, Bella Naija, Brut. Media, EIB Network, Vanguard Media, Zikoko, and Amazon Music who will host the livestream on their Twitch channel "Amazon Music on Twitch," with more streaming and broadcast platforms to be announced.

For more information visit globalcitizen.org/powerourplanet , download the Global Citizen app , and follow Global Citizen on TikTok , Instagram , YouTube , Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn .

SOURCE Global Citizen
DUBLIN, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Deodorants Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2023-2028)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global deodorant market is projected to register a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period.

Companies Mentioned

Unilever PLC

Procter & Gamble Company

Revlon, Inc.

L'Oreal S.A.

Colgate-Palmolive Company

Church & Dwight Co., Inc.

The Estee Lauder Companies Inc.

Maxingvest AG (Beiersdorf AG)

L'Occitane Groupe S.A.

Natura & Co

Deodorants Market Trends

Growing Concern About Hygiene and Freshness

Increasing consumer inclination towards being presentable, sweat-free, and odor-free for 24 hours leads the key players to manufacture products that are clinically proven to stay for more than 24 hours on the body. As such most of the leading players in the deodorant market have introduced a product line that can keep up to 24 hours.

For instance, in March 2022 , the P&G's Secret brand launched a new weightless dry spray collection in the United States that includes antiperspirant and aluminum-free options. The antiperspirant provides lasting sweat and odor protection for up to 48 hours, and the aluminium-free deodorant provides long-lasting odor protection for up to 24 hours. Furthermore, the market also witnesses increasing concerns about hygiene, especially among women.

, the P&G's Secret brand launched a new weightless dry spray collection in that includes antiperspirant and aluminum-free options. The antiperspirant provides lasting sweat and odor protection for up to 48 hours, and the aluminium-free deodorant provides long-lasting odor protection for up to 24 hours. Furthermore, the market also witnesses increasing concerns about hygiene, especially among women. Deodorant sprays that ensure the hygiene of females are being launched across the region by leading companies like Unilever, P&G, etc. Thus, product innovation has been continuously driving the growth of the market. Moreover, special deodorants are manufactured for athletes and those who do extensive workouts, which can result in irritation and bad odor.

To maintain their hygiene, athletes often use aluminum-free deodorants with odor-block formula. Thus, deodorants are increasingly being used among consumers of various income levels and ethnic groups in the region to maintain body hygiene. This is expected to drive market growth in the forecast period.

The Demand for Sustainable and Natural Deodorants in Europe

Across Europe , consumers are demanding more natural, organic, and sustainable formulations. On the other hand, consumers seek products that can be used anytime, such as that roll-ons and sprays, and are finding the balance in terms of novel fragrances. Leading European deodorant/antiperspirant brands to promote highly effective formulations, which are essential for daily personal care routines.

, consumers are demanding more natural, organic, and sustainable formulations. On the other hand, consumers seek products that can be used anytime, such as that roll-ons and sprays, and are finding the balance in terms of novel fragrances. Leading European deodorant/antiperspirant brands to promote highly effective formulations, which are essential for daily personal care routines. Furthermore, consumers are open to new concepts. The natural and organic deodorant market has come a long way, and new product launches by significant companies have been more creative. Market participants are also establishing new collaborations with retailers as part of their efforts to broaden their market reach.

For instance, in November 2021 , Wild, a United Kingdom -based eco-friendly deodorant brand, announced new partnerships with some of the United Kingdom's leading supermarkets, retailers, and department stores to expand their market reach in the region. Growing awareness among consumers about sustainable consumption and eco-friendly purchases has led Wild to develop a brand that is dedicated to sustainability. Furthermore, the emergence of younger consumers led to more selective purchasing.

Key Topics Covered:

1 INTRODUCTION



2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



4 MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1 Market Drivers

4.2 Market Restraints

4.3 Porter's Five Forces Analysis



5 MARKET SEGMENTATION

5.1 Product Type

5.1.1 Spray

5.1.2 Creams

5.1.3 Roll-on

5.1.4 Other Product Types (Wipes, Gel, Sticks, etc.)

5.2 Distribution Channel

5.2.1 Supermarkets/Hypermarkets

5.2.2 Convenience Stores

5.2.3 Pharmacies & Drug Stores

5.2.4 Online Retail Stores

5.2.5 Other Distribution Channel

5.3 Geography



6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

6.1 Most Adopted Strategies

6.2 Market Share Analysis

6.3 Company Profiles



7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/frnz1t

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

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SOURCE Research and Markets
In two actions aimed at ensuring California has the necessary infrastructure to meet its reliability and clean-energy goals, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) Board of Governors has approved the organization's 2022-2023 Transmission Plan and a proposal that sets the stage for transformative changes to the process for connecting new resources to the grid.



This year's transmission plan, developed in coordination with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission and reflecting input from load-serving entities and other key stakeholders, identifies 45 projects for system expansion and upgrades.



By the time the projects are completed over the next decade or so, the total estimated cost is $7.3 billion. An earlier draft of the plan included 46 projects costing an estimated $9.3 billion, but in response to stakeholder input, additional analysis is being conducted on one of the transmission upgrades.



"This 2022-2023 transmission plan represents the next major installment of infrastructure investment required to meet California's long-term clean energy goals," said Elliot Mainzer, the ISO's president and CEO. "In close coordination with regulatory agencies, load-serving entities and other key stakeholders, we endeavored to address the state's reliability and policy needs in the most cost-effective and efficient way possible."



The vast majority of the transmission projects will be built in California, supporting more than 40 gigawatts (GW) of new resource development identified by the CPUC as cost- effective and needed to meet the state's clean-energy goals over the next 10 years. With electrification increasing in other sectors of the economy, most notably transportation and the building industry, even more new power will be required in the years ahead. Next year's transmission plan is anticipated to identify the need to add 70 GW by 2033, eventually growing to 120 GW to align the state with its goal of a carbon- free power system by 2045.

This year's plan is also noteworthy for the new, more proactive approach it takes to better synchronize power and transmission planning, interconnection queuing and resource procurement. Among other things, the plan identifies additional transmission and resource capacity associated with designated geographic zones that make the most economic and operational sense for such development.



The CPUC will in turn provide clear direction to load-serving entities to focus energy procurement in those key transmission zones in alignment with the transmission plan. To bring this more coordinated approach full circle, the ISO will also give priority to interconnection requests located within those same zones in its generation interconnection process.



Projects identified in the plan will enable critical resource development, including:

Over 17 GW of solar generation distributed across the state in solar development regions that include the Westlands area in the Central Valley, Tehachapi, the Kramer area in San Bernardino County, Riverside County, and also in southern Nevada and western Arizona;

Over 3.5 GW of in-state wind generation in existing wind development regions, including Tehachapi;

Over 1 GW of geothermal development, primarily in California's Imperial Valley and in southern Nevada;

Access for battery storage projects co-located across the state with renewable generation projects, as well as stand-alone storage located closer to major load centers in the LA Basin, greater Bay Area, and San Diego;

The import of over 4.5 GW of out-of-state wind generation from Idaho, Wyoming and New Mexico by enhancing corridors from the ISO border in southeastern Nevada and from western Arizona into California load centers; and

Estimated costs for specific transmission projects range from $4 million to $2.3 billion, for a total infrastructure investment of an estimated $7.3 billion.



Most notably, these include:

A new 500 kV transmission line running west from the Arizona border into southern Imperial County, new 500 kV transmission lines angling up from southern Imperial County to northern San Diego and extending into the southern LA Basin, and upgrades to the existing 500 kV and 230 kV lines along the Interstate 10 (I-10) corridor. Together, these upgrades provide access to east Riverside County, Imperial County and Arizona solar generation, Imperial Valley geothermal, and New Mexico wind generation;

Upgrades to the Lugo-Victor-Kramer 230 kV transmission system to access north of Lugo solar resources; and

A host of smaller upgrades improving access to other smaller resource zones.

The ISO also found a need for a new 500 kV transmission line from southeastern Nevada to the eastern edge of the LA Basin and rebuilding of existing southeastern Nevada 230 kV transmission inside the ISO to 500 kV, providing access for Eldorado and Pisgah area solar generation, southeastern Nevada solar and geothermal generation, and Wyoming and Idaho wind generation. In response to stakeholder input and comments, the ISO is evaluating a new alternative - the conversion of the existing Mead-Adelanto 500 kV transmission line from AC to DC operation - before making a final recommendation. Once the ISO has completed its analysis, a recommendation will be brought to the Board of Governors either as an extension of this year's plan or in the next planning cycle.

The transmission projects represent significant investments that would be phased in over lead times of up to eight to 10 years, which are reasonable estimates for how long it will take to complete some of the infrastructure work. These costs translate to less than 0.5 cents per kWh over the life of the projects, phased in as the new facilities come online. Costs for consumers are determined as part of the rate design process between utilities and their regulatory authorities.



Now that it has been approved, the transmission plan will guide collaborative activities for implementation of the new projects, including initiating a competitive solicitation process for three of the higher voltage ones.



On the related issue of interconnections, the Board approved track one of an initiative designed to improve how applications to connect to the grid are evaluated and processed.



Improvements are needed because the ISO has been receiving hundreds of interconnection requests annually from potential resource developers, with many of these requests located in areas that are not a priority in the state's resource planning. During the Cluster 15 interconnection request application window that was open from April 3-16, for example, the ISO received 546 applications totaling 354,000 MW of new resources.



Track one of the 2023 Interconnection Process Enhancements Initiative addresses an immediate need to manage the schedule for those Cluster 15 applications. The Board voted to approve tariff changes that will allow the schedule to be adjusted, which is critical to ensure that the process reforms are in place when the ISO addresses the Cluster 15 applications. The altered schedule will also allow the ISO's planning and engineering staff and utilities to focus on the Cluster 14 projects that have moved into the detailed Phase II study process.



Track 2 of the interconnection process enhancements focuses on substantive, longer- term process changes and broader reforms to align interconnection protocols with procurement activities. The ISO is planning to post a straw proposal on Track 2 by the end of this month.



On another issue, the CAISO Board of Governors and the Western Energy Imbalance Market Governing Body approved a day-ahead market enhancements initiative at their joint meeting May 17. The proposal provides critical design enhancements to ensure the day-ahead market efficiently schedules resources to account for increasing levels of net load forecast uncertainty between day-ahead and real-time markets.



Net load uncertainty continues to increase as the generation fleet evolves towards a cleaner, but more variable, resource mix. The proposed enhancements are also important elements of the ISO's extended day-ahead market (EDAM), as they unlock significant diversity benefits across the expanded EDAM footprint.

The California Independent System Operator (ISO) is a nonprofit public benefit corporation dedicated, with its partners, to continuous improvement and secure operation of a reliable grid operated for the benefit of consumers. It provides comprehensive grid planning, open and nondiscriminatory access to one of the largest networks of high- voltage transmission power lines in the world, and operates a $9 billion competitive electricity market. Recognizing the importance of the global climate challenge, the ISO is at the forefront of integrating renewable power and advanced technologies that will help provide a sustainable energy future efficiently and cleanly.



The Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM) is a real-time wholesale energy trading market that enables participants anywhere in the West to buy and sell energy when needed. The WEIM Governing Body is the governing authority designed by regional stakeholders and has shared authority with the ISO Board of Governors to resolve rules specific to participation in the WEIM.
DUBLIN, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Postal Services Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The postal services market is estimated to register a CAGR of approximately 1% during the forecast period.

Companies Mentioned

United States Postal Services

Deutsche Post DHL

Le Groupe La Poste

Royal Mail Group

Japan Post

Swiss Post

Post NL

Poczta Polska

The Singapore Post

The Australian Post AG

China Post

Postal Services Market Trends

E-commerce Opens Opportunities for Postal Services



E-commerce represents a tremendous opportunity for postal services as consumers become increasingly comfortable ordering items online from emerging e-commerce platforms, and traditional brick-and-mortar outlets are also transitioning to digital environments.

As the volume of online sales increases, e-commerce providers are seeking cost-effective channels for the delivery and collection of purchased items. Postal services, with their long-established national networks and experience in last-mile delivery, are emerging as effective partners in this regard. In Kenya, for example, a partnership between online marketplace Jumia and the Postal Corporation of Kenya enables online shoppers to collect items they purchase on Jumia from their nearest post office.



However, many global postal services organizations are not equipped to take advantage of this growth in e-commerce. While B2C eCommerce is growing at a global rate of 17%, parcel volumes among postal services organizations have been growing at less than 5%.

Part of the issue is the low adoption of digital technologies as core business and innovation drivers among low-performing postal services organizations. Where digital adoption is high, innovations inevitably emerge. The launch of mPost by Kenya's postal services, for example, has turned every mobile phone into a formal postal address, enabling people to access letters and parcels from anywhere in the country.



United Kingdom Boost the Postal Delivery Service by Drones



The COVID-19 epidemic is redefining how much the post and parcel sector needs autonomous delivery systems.



United Kindom: In the coming three years, Royal Mail will establish 50 new "postal drone routes" as part of its increased usage of drones for delivery. The move, which is subject to Civil Aviation Authority permission, would give rural communities speedier and more practical services thanks to cooperation with the logistics drone business Windracers. The Isles of Scilly, Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands, and the Hebrides are among the initial destinations for the new service.

For the next three years, Royal Mail said it plans to utilize up to 200 drones, and eventually more than 500, to service every part of the UK. Four drone tests have been carried out by Royal Mail over the past 18 months, including flights over the Scottish Isle of Mull, the Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall, and the Orkney Islands' Kirkwall and North Ronaldsay.

Between Tingwall Airport in Lerwick and Unst, a 50-mile journey each way, test flights for the new service have been conducted. Letters and packages are subsequently carried by the neighborhood postman or lady using the drones employed in the study, which can carry up to 100kg of mail for two daily return trips between the islands.



Key Topics Covered:



1 INTRODUCTION



2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY



3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY



4 MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1 Current Market Scenario

4.2 Market Drivers

4.3 Market Restraints

4.4 Market Opportunities

4.5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

4.5.1 Threat of New Entrants



5 MARKET SEGMENTATION

5.1 By Type

5.1.1 Express Postal Services

5.1.2 Standard Postal Services

5.2 By Item

5.2.1 Letter

5.2.2 Parcel

5.3 By Destination

5.3.1 Domestic

5.3.2 International

5.4 By Geography



6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

6.1 Market Concentration Overview

6.2 Company Profiles

6.2.1 United States Post



7 FUTURE OF THE MARKET



8 APPENDIX



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ybm6ho

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

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For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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SOURCE Research and Markets
Brand on track to open over 20 new swim schools in 2023

TROY, Mich., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Fast-growing Goldfish Swim School , the leading swim school franchise in North America, continued its rapid expansion in Q1 2023 by signing five agreements for 8 schools and opening six schools, with another approximately 20 schools to be opened this year.

All except one of the new location deals were developed through existing multiunit franchisees who continue to expand their portfolio of locations. Additionally, the franchise brand "o-fish-ally" opened six new swim schools in five states, which are expected to offer more than 300 team member employment opportunities.

"We've started the year out strong, and we're committed to maintaining our momentum throughout the year and beyond," said Goldfish Swim School Franchising, LLC CEO and co-founder Chris McCuiston. "Our goal is to open 25 schools in 2023, and we're confident that we can achieve that with our existing franchisees who continue to help grow the brand by sharing our mission to provide swim lessons and water safety sessions across North America."

At the beginning of 2023, the brand launched its " Their Golden Years Are Here" campaign . This initiative celebrates the development and life skills children gain during their time at Goldfish, and champions the goals and accomplishments of little swimmers across North America. Through the support of this campaign, the brand increased its enrollment by nearly 20% and saw a double-digit revenue increase.

Goldfish Swim School continues to lead the way in franchising for children's swim schools. In 2022, the brand continued a seven-year run as the No. 1 swimming lessons franchise ranked by Entrepreneur and ranked No. 69 overall on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500. It was also included in Franchise Business Review's Top 200 Franchises.

With more than 147 locations open and more than 150 additional schools in development, the brand remains focused on its strategic expansion across North America.

Franchise opportunities remain available in Dallas, California and throughout Canada. For more information on Goldfish Swim School and its franchising opportunities, please visit https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/franchise-opportunities/ or call 248-801-1850.

About Goldfish Swim School:

Founded in 2006 by husband-and-wife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Troy, Michigan-based Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children aged four months to 12 years. Classes are led by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly environment using a research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay. Since opening its first franchised location in 2009, the brand has grown to more than 140 schools in over 30 states, with an additional 150+ in development. Goldfish is ranked No. 69 overall in Entrepreneur's 2023 Franchise 500 and has been recognized as the No. 1 children's fitness franchise for seven consecutive years, was named to Franchise Times' Top 500 for 2022 and is rated as a Top Franchise by Franchise Business Review for 2023. Goldfish Swim School is currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout North America. For information on franchising, go to www.goldfishswimschool.com/franchising-opportunities .

SOURCE Goldfish Swim School
SANTA MARIA, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hardy Diagnostics (contract holder 47QSWA22D0077) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a (MAS) Multiple Award Schedule by the United States General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA Department of the Unites States is the procurement arm of the Federal Government. Federal, state, and local government buyers now have direct access to Hardy Diagnostics' manual microbiology solutions through GSA Advantage!. According to GSA, the MAS offers regulatory compliance, fair and reasonable pricing, fast order placement, and full product and broad service offerings. The MAS contract award comes after GSA conducted an extensive review of Hardy Diagnostics' performance, abilities, and history to ensure that Hardy Diagnostics provides effective and high quality, reliable products to the government.

GSA Advantage

Hardy Diagnostics is a 100% employee owned microbiology manufacturer and has been serving laboratories since 1980. Hardy Diagnostics is the only culture media manufacturer with bi-coastal manufacturing sites and maintains nine distribution centers strategically positioned throughout the U.S. to provide fast, reliable, and low cost delivery to its laboratory customers.

Having a "GSA Schedule" means customers have a long-term, pre-negotiated contract with the federal government with an upfront set of mutually agreed-upon terms and conditions. The five-year contract provides federal, state and local government agencies with the ability to cost effectively and efficiently acquire Hardy Diagnostics solutions and services.

"We are grateful for this award because it provides another avenue for agencies to access our services, allowing us to connect with federal buyers quickly and easily," said Hardy Diagnostics President and CEO Jay Hardy. "This is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and quality service our employee-owners provide to support our laboratory partners' missions, and we look forward to continuing this work."

Federal, State, and local agencies can obtain information about Hardy Diagnostics GSA Schedule as well as order directly from the GSA eLibrary (contract number 47QSWA22D0077) on the GSA Advantage web site. Media questions can be directed to Megan Maloney Roesner at [email protected].

ABOUT HARDY DIAGNOSTICS

Hardy Diagnostics is an FDA-licensed manufacturer of medical devices for microbiological testing with an ISO 13485 certified Quality Management System. Hardy Diagnostics manufactures 2,700 products, distributes more than 13,000 products, offers services to more than 10,000 laboratories, exports products to over 80 foreign distributors, and maintains a network of nine distribution centers throughout the United States. Hardy Diagnostics supports the microbiology needs of clinical, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and personal care, as well as the food and beverage industries. The company is 100% owned by the employees who work there. Serving laboratory scientists since 1980, Hardy Diagnostics' mission is to "produce and distribute the finest products for the detection of microorganisms and partner with its laboratory customers to diagnose and prevent disease."

Contact: Megan Maloney Roesner

(805) 346-2766 x. 5845

SOURCE Hardy Diagnostics
BEIJING, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn:

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world's largest free trade agreement, will boost intraregional trade integration through lower tariffs and will accelerate the recovery and long-term growth and prosperity of the global economy, officials and experts said on Sunday.

Experts listen to a keynote speech on regional cooperation during a plenary meeting of the third annual RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum in Haikou, Hainan province, on Sunday. ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY

As the world grapples with rising geopolitical tensions, increasing protectionism and unilateralism, and disruptions to industrial and supply chains, the trade pact  an open and inclusive cooperation system  will serve as a solid path toward mutual benefits, they added.

They made the remarks on Sunday in Haikou, Hainan province, at the third annual RCEP Media &Think Tank Forum, whose theme this year was "Jointly Build the World's Largest Free Trade Area".The forum was held by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Hainan Provincial Committee, China Daily and the China Institute for Reform and Development.

The trade pact, signed by 15 Asia-Pacific countries in November 2020, will be fully implemented among all member economies on June 2. The signatories are China, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea, as well as the 10 states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Wang Bin, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and head of the provincial Party committee's Publicity Department, said that the Hainan Free Trade Port will better take advantage of the RCEP and align with international economic and trade rules, in order to foster an institutional environment with global competitiveness and to open up wider and at higher levels.

Hainan is well positioned to serve as an important hub for comprehensive strategic cooperation between China and ASEAN countries due to its geographic proximity, Wang said. Furthermore, Hainan will make ASEAN a high priority in its cooperation agenda to promote bilateral trade and two-way investment and to push forward the new round of upgrade of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, he added.

The province will also make good use of the RCEP's institutional advantages and Hainan's immense marine resources to scale up cooperation with RCEP member countries in such fields as marine ecosystem conservation and marine science-technology innovation, in order to promote sustainable marine development, Wang said.

In addition, efforts will be made to forge Hainan into a vital intersection between China and the RCEP member economies, to further tap into policy effects and advance regional integrated development, he said.

Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said that peace and development  the themes of the times  are now facing severe challenges due to deepening geopolitical tensions, rising protectionism and other risk factors.

Solidarity and cooperation are the answer to help contend with uncertainty and instability and to stand against bullying and zero-sum games, Qu said. The RCEP, which pursues mutually beneficial cooperation, will facilitate the steady recovery and growth of the regional economy and inject new impetus into global development and prosperity, he added.

Qu noted that the RCEP is not only the world's largest and most dynamic free trade area with the greatest growth potential, but also boasts the biggest population of young people, who are the backbone in fueling regional development.

Building on the good momentum, all parties concerned should provide broader platforms for the younger generation to showcase their talents and attract more of them to participate in the high-quality implementation of the RCEP, Qu said. Such efforts will enable them to contribute their part and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, he added.

Chi Fulin, president of the China Institute for Reform and Development, said that the RCEP places a high premium on shared development, which will promote inclusive regional development and global economic growth.

The trade pact has established a mutually beneficial economic partnership that will facilitate the expansion of regional trade and investment, Chi said. Its progress proves that market- and rules-based regional economic cooperation is dynamic and has great vitality, and it will deliver long-term, sustainable growth to the region, he added.

High-standard opening-up is a key goal of the RCEP, and the openness pledged in the agreement should be fulfilled without delay, Chi said.

Moreover, he said, the alignment and integration of the RCEP with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership will be advanced when appropriate, and efforts will be made to lay the groundwork for expediting the establishment of the Asia-Pacific free trade area.

The ASEAN countries and China provide the vitality and center of gravity for the RCEP region, and advancing the new round of upgrade of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area is key to promoting the RCEP's high-level opening-up, he added.

Ong Tee Keat, chairman of the Centre for New Inclusive Asia and former Malaysian minister of transportation, said it is no easy task to integrate the 15 RCEP economies, which stretch across the Asia-Pacific region and are of diverse sizes and cultures as well as quality and levels of development, creating a huge single market of 2.2 billion people.

The RCEP is a game changer and has transformed the economic landscape worldwide by positioning the Asia-Pacific region as a new center of gravity for global trade, he said.

It brings vast investment opportunities and greater market access to business communities in most of the emerging economies in the region, he added.

SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn
NEW YORK and LONDON, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HiBob, the company behind Bob, the modern HR platform that powers productivity, engagement and retention, today is proud to announce its Chief People Officer, Nirit Peled Muntz has been named to Mogul's Top 100 list of People Leaders and CHROs.

Mogul is a talent acquisition and executive search platform that acknowledges, through these awards, individuals making an impact on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in their workplace.

HiBob CPO makes Mogul Top 100 CHROs list (PRNewsfoto/HiBob)

HiBob is proud to have a CPO who exemplifies commitment to these values and practices, creating an inclusive workplace where all employees feel appreciated, respected, supported and empowered.

Under Nirit's leadership, HiBob achieved a gender-balanced staff with equal representation of men and women across all levels. The company offers inclusive benefits that support individuals in various life and career stages. For instance, HiBob's HiBaby policy provides extra paid time off for parents. They also have a flexible hybrid work model, allowing employees to work from anywhere, and offer 4 Bob Balance days per year when the entire company disconnects for a long weekend, prioritizing employee well-being. Additionally, a Culture Committee regularly convenes to ensure workplace values are upheld.

Nirit remarked: "I'm thrilled to have made this list and indebted to our employees - the 'Bobbers' who work as a village to deliver excellence for our customers day in and day out. They deserve to work in an inclusive, welcoming and equitable environment where they are encouraged and enabled to reach their full potential. From something as simple as being able to display pronouns on the Bob platform, which we ourselves use at HiBob, to ensuring the platform is available in many languages, when it comes to DEI&B, our work is never done. But we do what we say and we stand by our values. This can be seen in our accomplishments."

Additionally, cultural values of inclusivity are seen in the company's marketing and advertising, which uses messaging and imagery that depicts the diversity of its customer base, the wider community, together with the use of inclusive language. HiBob also believes that equity in hiring starts with the job description. Using inclusive and empathetic language in job postings and putting each candidate through the same process enables the company to reduce bias and ensure it attracts the broadest, most diverse pool of candidates possible.

"We are proud to have a CPO who is leading the charge and making a difference in the lives of our employees and the broader community. We're intentional about how we craft DEI&B strategies and empower our leaders to connect a good strategy to the right accountability because DEI&B is not only the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense," concluded Ronni Zehavi, CEO at HiBob.

About HiBob

HiBob is on a mission to transform how organizations operate in the modern world of work with its HR platform 'Bob.' Leading the way for the future workplace, Bob offers resilient, agile technology that wraps all the complexities of HR processes into a game changing, user-friendly tool that touches every employee across the business.

More than 3,000 global companies, including Cazoo, Extreme Reach, Fiverr, Happy Socks, Monzo, The&Partnership, and VaynerMedia, trust Bob to streamline their processes, make data-driven decisions, and create exceptional employee experiences. For more information about HiBob, visit www.hibob.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2083229/Nirit_Peled.jpg

Media contact:

Natalie Homer

[email protected]

+44 (0)7718 188591

SOURCE HiBob
Plans to expand into multiple U.S. states over the next several years

NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Hudson Dental Partners , a growing dental support organization (DSO) in the Northeastern U.S. backed by Hudson Yards Capital, announces a partnership with its first dental practice in the state of New York. As a DSO, Hudson Dental provides business support to alleviate the management concerns of dental practice owners by streamlining their operations and allowing for growth.

Mr. Haim Haviv, Founder and CEO of Hudson Dental, said:

We don't simply invest in practices or services  we first and foremost partner with great people and build champions Tweet this

"We are thrilled to enter the Northeast market and welcome the first dental practice to our growing portfolio. The team is dedicated to building upon its success by leveraging our scale, connections, and expertise. We believe this partnership will create long-term value for everyone involved: dentists, staff, patients, and the local community.

At Hudson, we don't simply invest in practices or services  we first and foremost partner with great people and build champions. Furthermore, we don't change our dentists' clinical standards, processes, or branding. Rather, we handle all the back-end business operations so that dentists can focus on treating patients with kindness, professionalism, and respect. We are always looking for great doctors to join Hudson and offer them a compensation package plus an equity stake."

The DSO model is becoming increasingly popular for dental practices nationwide as it provides more affordable care to a larger patient population. Grouping dental practices allows DSOs to minimize their costs and pass the savings along to patients.

Dr. David, DDS, the lead dentist at Hudson's newly acquired practice said:

"The Hudson team simply knows what it's doing. Over the past few months of working with them, I've had a lot of questions about marketing, billing, recruiting, and more. They are always available to me and understand my specific situation very quickly. I am excited to keep growing my practice with them."

Hudson Dental brings substantial experience operating, growing, and financing dental practices. Collectively, the team holds over 100 years of dental experience. The organization expects 5-7% organic growth and USD 15-20m in acquisition revenue annually. It is first focusing its M&A strategy on the US Northeast, after which it will expand nationally.

To learn more about or be part of Hudson Dental visit www.joinhudson.com . For press requests contact Mr. Ari Gold [email protected] .

SOURCE Hudson Dental Partners
SAN FRANCISCO, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- IEQ Capital, an independent wealth management firm with over $20 billion in AUM1, is proud to announce the expansion of its Family Office team with the hiring of Terence "Terry" Condren, CFP. Condren will join the firm's Boston office as a Managing Director and Senior Wealth Strategist.

Condren will serve alongside Christie Olsson, Managing Director and Senior Wealth Strategist. Olsson joined IEQ Capital in 2021 to enhance its Family Office offering, and she continues to serve clients from the firm's San Francisco Bay Area office.

Olsson and Condren have over four decades of combined experience in providing estate and financial planning services to ultra-high-net-worth clients. Both are former practicing attorneys with experience at multiple financial institutions (most recently UBS and Wells Fargo Private Bank for Olsson; First Republic Bank and UBS for Condren), and the duo brings a deep understanding of the unique challenges facing ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. By leveraging their extensive experience in estate planning, family dynamics, risk management, and tax optimization, the team provides clients with enhanced bespoke planning solutions while also strengthening the firm's Family Office offering across the United States.

Alan Zafran, Co-CEO and Founder, said "We are delighted to welcome Terry to IEQ Capital. His depth of experience, reputation in the industry, and collaborative process make him a great addition to our team and an important resource for our clients."

"I admire IEQ's commitment to planning solutions along with its values-driven culture. This partnership not only enables me to establish new relationships but also provides a platform to offer my services to a wider network of ultra-high-net-worth clients," said Condren.

The addition of Olsson and Condren to IEQ Capital reflects the firm's ongoing commitment to attract top industry talent and offer an unparalleled level of expertise and service to its ultra-high-net-worth clients through its Family Office services. IEQ Capital Family Office strives to go beyond investments to identify and manage the unique needs of its clients with a holistic, integrated approach.

About IEQ

IEQ Capital was founded in 2019 as an independent advisory firm by a team of advisors and entrepreneurs who wanted to take the next step forward with a focus on clients and investment excellence, without the distractions and limitations of working in a larger organization. IEQ provides a combination of high-touch wealth advisory and family office services to ultra-high-net-worth clients throughout the country. Leveraging a broad understanding of each asset class, deep institutional relationships, and a network that provides access to exclusive private investment opportunities, IEQ focuses on sourcing, negotiating, and structuring a range of public and private investment solutions designed to meet clients' needs.

1. As of 3/31/23; RAUM as of 12/31/2022 as reported in IEQ Capital's Form ADV filed in March 2023 totaled $18.5 billion.

SOURCE IEQ Capital
In the 12-month period ending in December 2022, over 79,000 people in the U.S. were reported to have died of an opioid overdose, of which 90%  approximately 72,000  were linked to illicit synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl1

Approval based on data from a pharmacodynamic study demonstrating that OPVEE provides fast onset of reversal of respiratory depression induced by the synthetic opioid remifentanil2

RICHMOND, Va., May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Indivior PLC (LSE: INDV) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved OPVEE (nalmefene) nasal spray for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose induced by natural or synthetic opioids in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older, as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression.2 OPVEE contains nalmefene, an opioid receptor antagonist that provides fast onset and long duration reversal of opioid-induced respiratory depression, which is the primary cause of opioid overdose injury and death.2,3,4 OPVEE was designed to address the challenges of today's opioid crisis.

"OPVEE's FDA approval represents a significant achievement in the development of new treatment options to address today's era of opioid overdoses that are driven by powerful synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl," said Mark Crossley, CEO, Indivior. "OPVEE is an emergency treatment for the fast reversal of respiratory depression triggered by natural or synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, 2,3,4 and we are committed to making this novel rescue medication widely available to those who need it most to help save lives."

OPVEE was approved via the 505(b)(2) pathway. In a first of its kind pharmacodynamic study (NCT04828005) in 61 opioid-experienced, non-dependent subjects, the effect of 2.7 mg OPVEE was assessed on remifentanil-induced respiratory depression. Following OPVEE administration, the time to onset of reversal of respiratory depression was observed between 2.5 to 5 minutes and full recovery of respiratory drive was manifested as early as 5 minutes after OPVEE administration. The duration of action of nalmefene is as long as most opioids, including fentanyl. These attributes are well-suited to address the challenges of today's opioid overdose crisis.

"Despite our collective effort to stem opioid abuse in America, addiction can happen to anyone, and millions of people are at risk for not only opioid overdose, but also poisoning from illicit synthetic opioids such as fentanyl," said Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Health Equity Initiatives, Purdue University. "With OPVEE, first responders will have a fast and long-acting rescue medication option to combat the current opioid epidemic and save lives."

The speed of action, long duration, and high potency of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are driving unprecedented overdose deaths across a broader range of ages, and they are now a leading cause of death for people ages 18 to 45.5 For each opioid-induced fatality, it has been estimated that there are an additional 6.4-8.4 non-fatal overdoses that can lead to long-term physical and mental disability.6

"I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on college campuses and in emergency rooms," said Madeline Hilliard, Founder, Team Awareness Combating Overdose (TACO) and DopaGE. "The FDA approval of OPVEE is good news for everyone impacted by the overdose crisis. In fact, it uses the same device as currently available nasal overdose reversal agents on the market."

A federally funded contract from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the US Department of Health and Human Services, for up to $10.8 million, combined with a $7.4 million U01 "grand opportunities in medications development" grant received from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), supported the development of OPVEE. The contract (number HHSO100201800029C) with BARDA was intended to develop OPVEE for reversal of opioid overdoses in the community and as a medical countermeasure and reversal agent in the event of a chemical attack using synthetic opioids.

OPVEE is expected to be in the market in Q4 of 2023.

Indivior added OPVEE to its portfolio with the acquisition of Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which closed March 2, 2023. As previously indicated, Indivior believes the clinical profile of OPVEE supports the potential for this treatment to deliver annual net revenue of $150 million to $250 million, with expected earnings accretion from the Opiant acquisition after the second full year of launch of OPVEE.

About OPVEE (nalmefene) Nasal Spray

OPVEE (nalmefene) nasal spray is an opioid receptor antagonist approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reverse opioid overdose. OPVEE nasal spray is indicated for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose induced by natural or synthetic opioids in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older, as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression.2

OPVEE contains the opioid receptor antagonist nalmefene, which works quickly by blocking the brain opioid receptors. In a clinical model of opioid-induced respiratory depression in opioid-experienced, non-dependent subjects, OPVEE had an onset of action of 2.5 to 5 minutes and fully reversed respiratory depression as early as 5 minutes after OPVEE administration.2 Other clinical data include a terminal plasma half-life of approximately 11 hours.2 While the duration of action of nalmefene is as long as most opioids, a recurrence of respiratory depression is possible.2 Most common adverse reactions (incidence at least 2%) are nasal discomfort, headache, nausea, dizziness, hot flush, vomiting, anxiety, fatigue, nasal congestion, throat irritation, rhinalgia, decreased appetite, dysgeusia, erythema, and hyperhidrosis.

HIGHLIGHTED SAFETY INFORMATION

INDICATION

OPVEE nasal spray is an opioid antagonist indicated for the emergency treatment of known or suspected overdose induced by natural or synthetic opioids in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older, as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression.

OPVEE nasal spray is intended for immediate administration as emergency therapy in settings where opioids may be present.

OPVEE nasal spray is not a substitute for emergency medical care.

HIGHLIGHTED SAFETY INFORMATION

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Hypersensitivity to nalmefene or to any of the other ingredients.

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Risk of Recurrent Respiratory and Central Nervous System Depression : While the duration of action of nalmefene is as long as most opioids, a recurrence of respiratory depression is possible, therefore, keep patient under continued surveillance and administer repeat doses of OPVEE using a new nasal spray with each dose, as necessary, while awaiting emergency medical assistance.

Limited Efficacy with Partial Agonists or Mixed Agonist/Antagonists : Reversal of respiratory depression caused by partial agonists or mixed agonists/antagonists, such as buprenorphine and pentazocine, may be incomplete. Larger or repeat doses may be required.

Precipitation of Severe Opioid Withdrawal : Use in patients who are opioid dependent may precipitate opioid withdrawal. In neonates, opioid withdrawal may be life-threatening if not recognized and properly treated. Monitor for the development of opioid withdrawal.

Risk of Cardiovascular (CV) Effects : Abrupt postoperative reversal of opioid depression may result in adverse CV effects. These events have primarily occurred in patients who had preexisting CV disorders or received other drugs that may have similar adverse CV effects. Monitor these patients closely in an appropriate healthcare setting after use of nalmefene hydrochloride.

Risk of Opioid Overdose from Attempts to Overcome the Blockade : Attempts to overcome opioid withdrawal symptoms caused by opioid antagonists with high or repeated doses of exogenous opioids may lead to opioid intoxication and death.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

Most common adverse reactions (incidence at least 2%) are nasal discomfort, headache, nausea, dizziness, hot flush, vomiting, anxiety, fatigue, nasal congestion, throat irritation, rhinalgia, decreased appetite, dysgeusia, erythema, and hyperhidrosis.

For more information about OPVEE and the full Prescribing Information visit Indivior | Products.

About Indivior

Indivior is a global pharmaceutical company working to help change patients' lives by developing medicines to treat substance use disorders (SUD) and serious mental illnesses. Our vision is that all patients around the world will have access to evidence-based treatment for the chronic conditions and co-occurring disorders of SUD. Indivior is dedicated to transforming SUD from a global human crisis to a recognized and treated chronic disease. Building on its global portfolio of OUD treatments, Indivior has a pipeline of product candidates designed to both expand on its heritage in this category and potentially address other chronic conditions and co-occurring disorders of SUD, including alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder. In March 2023, Indivior acquired Opiant Pharmaceuticals, Inc., gaining access to a pipeline focused on opioid overdose rescue (OPVEE) and other potential SUD treatments. Opiant Pharmaceuticals entered into the contract with BARDA prior to the acquisition. Headquartered in the United States in Richmond, VA, Indivior employs more than 900 individuals globally and its portfolio of products is available in 39 countries worldwide. Visit www.indivior.com to learn more. Connect with Indivior on LinkedIn by visiting www.linkedin.com/company/indivior.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Important Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains certain statements that are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements regarding the expected safety and efficacy of OPVEE and the timing of our planned commercial launch of OPVEE, the potential annual revenue of OPVEE and other statements containing the words "believe", "anticipate", "plan", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "forecast," "strategy," "target," "guidance," "outlook," "potential", "project", "priority," "may", "will", "should", "would", "could", "can", "outlook," "guidance", the negatives thereof, and variations thereon and similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties as they relate to events or circumstances that may or may not occur in the future.

Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements because they relate to future events. Various factors may cause differences between Indivior's expectations and actual results, including, among others, the material risks described in the most recent Indivior PLC Annual Report and in subsequent releases; our ability to commercialize and market acceptance of new products; the substantial litigation and ongoing investigations to which we are or may become a party; our reliance on third parties to manufacture commercial supplies of most of our products, conduct our clinical trials and at times to collaborate on products in our pipeline; our ability to comply with legal and regulatory settlements, healthcare laws and regulations, requirements imposed by regulatory agencies and payment and reporting obligations under government pricing programs; risks related to the manufacture and distribution of our products, some of which are controlled substances; market acceptance of our products as well as our ability to commercialize our products and compete with other market participants; the uncertainties related to the development of new products, including through acquisitions, and the related regulatory approval process; our dependence on a small number of significant customers; our ability to retain key personnel or attract new personnel; our dependence on third-party payors for the reimbursement of our products and the increasing focus on pricing and competition in our industry; unintended side effects caused by the clinical study or commercial use of our products; our use of hazardous materials in our manufacturing facilities; our import, manufacturing and distribution of controlled substances; our ability to successfully execute acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures, dispositions or other strategic acquisitions; our ability to protect our intellectual property rights and the substantial cost of litigation or other proceedings related to intellectual property rights; the risks related to product liability claims or product recalls; the significant amount of laws and regulations that we are subject to, including due to the international nature of our business; macroeconomic trends and other global developments such as the COVID-19 pandemic; the terms of our debt instruments, changes in our credit ratings and our ability to service our indebtedness and other obligations as they come due; changes in applicable tax rate or tax rules, regulations or interpretations; and our ability to realize our deferred tax assets.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date that they are made and should be regarded solely as our current plans, estimates and beliefs. Except as required by law, we do not undertake and specifically decline any obligation to update, republish or revise forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrences of unanticipated events.

References and Notes:



Ahmad FB, Cisewski JA, Rossen LM, Sutton P. Provisional drug overdose death counts. National Center for Health Statistics. 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm. OPVEE Prescribing Information. Opiant Pharmaceuticals; 2023. Boom M, Niesters M, Sarton E, Aarts L, Smith TW, Dahan A. Non-analgesic effects of opioids: opioid-induced respiratory depression. Curr Pharm Des. 2012;18(37):5994-6004. doi: 10.2174/138161212803582469. PMID: 22747535. Britch, S.C., Walsh, S.L. Treatment of opioid overdose: current approaches and recent advances. Psychopharmacology 239, 20632081 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-022-06125-5 "TOP 10 Leading Causes of Death for People Ages 18 to 45 in the US." Families against Fentanyl, www.familiesagainstfentanyl.org/. Accessed Oct. 4AD. Skolnick P. (2022). Treatment of overdose in the synthetic opioid era. Pharmacology and Therapeutics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.108019

Note: Madeline Hilliard has been engaged by Indivior to consult for the purposes of the approval of OPVEE.

Note: Jerome Adams, MD, MPH, has been engaged by Indivior to consult for the purposes of the approval of OPVEE.

SOURCE Indivior PLC
PITTSBURGH, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- "I wanted to create a new toy that would provide the comfort and support of hugging a lifelike puppy," said an inventor, from Petersburg, Va., "so I invented the CUDDLE PUPPY. My design would provide a wonderful gift for a child to snuggle at bedtime or anytime they needed a friend."

The patent-pending invention provides a realistic plush toy puppy for children. In doing so, it offers an alternative to traditional teddy bears or blankies. As a result, it could provide a source of comfort and it could allow a child to self-soothe. The invention features a soft and cuddly design that is easy to use so it is ideal for children. Additionally, it is producible in design variations.

The original design was submitted to the Richmond sales office of InventHelp. It is currently available for licensing or sale to manufacturers or marketers. For more information, write Dept. 21-RKH-503, InventHelp, 217 Ninth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222, or call (412) 288-1300 ext. 1368. Learn more about InventHelp's Invention Submission Services at http://www.InventHelp.com.

SOURCE InventHelp
Jason Yin has been appointed VP of Front-End Engineering Effective May 2023

CHESTERBROOK, Pa., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Industry leading consumer financial services company JG Wentworth announces it has appointed Jason Yin as Vice President of Front-End Engineering. Yin will report directly to JG Wentworth's Chief Technology Officer Priyank Singh. In this new role, Yin will be responsible for spearheading JGW's digital evolution, taking its technology to scale, and creating seamless experiences for its customers.

Jason Yin as Vice President of Front-End Engineering

He will also be responsible for influencing the strategy and execution of enterprise-wide technology, client experience, and quality assurance initiatives, as well as building value-driven relationships with outside vendors and advisors. This new direction will help JG Wentworth take their trusted services to even more consumers and help grow the company by building state-of-the-art technology.

Yin's hiring comes as JG Wentworth continues its strategic multi-year expansion and evolution into digital services and new offerings. It began with the acquisition of Stilt Inc.'s proprietary apps, tech, and its engineering team in 2022 and will continue with JG Wentworth offering personal loans later this year. In his new role, Yin will work with the company's expanding engineering team to deliver a high-quality Web and Mobile app by leveraging Stilt tech for the consumer lending platform. His first priority will be leading the development of a robust front-end interface, and Quality Assurance within the organization.

Yin joins JG Wentworth with a decade of experience working for top software service companies in Canada. He previously worked for the multinational e-commerce giant Shopify, building and leading Revenue & Enterprise engineering teams from the ground up. Before Shopify, he worked at various game studios publishing multiple titles on iOS and Android. Yin holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Waterloo, Canada.

"I am delighted to have Jason join the team. He brings leading-edge expertise in the space with a strong background and experience in building to support rapid growth. As VP of Front-End Engineering, he will play a key role as we expand into consumer lending and offer more digital services and experiences for our customers," said Priyank Singh, Chief Technology Officer at JG Wentworth.

About JG Wentworth

JG Wentworth is a consumer financial services company that focuses on helping Americans achieve their financial goals. Its services include Structured Settlement Payment Purchasing, Debt Resolution Services and Personal Lending (launching 2023). JG Wentworth was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania. In 2023, JG Wentworth was the recipient of the Philadelphia Top Workplaces Award.

Follow JG Wentworth on social media to stay updated on the latest news from the company: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

SOURCE The JG Wentworth Company
On 17 May WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson opened the Energy Day of the CEE (Central and Eastern Europe) Sustainable Finance Summit in Prague and highlighted the wind energy potential in the region. The share of wind in the region's electricity mix is below the 17% average for Europe. But there is a clear increase in political support and the number of new wind farms under development in different countries.

Central and Eastern Europe has only 7% of the EU's total wind energy capacity, and Government targets and support have been less than the EU average. But there are signs of increasing political ambition on renewables across the region. And there is a lot of activity on project development, led local and regional developers, with many willing to go merchant or with PPA if necessary.

Romania and Serbia plan to start CfD auctions for onshore wind this year. Romania also plan to introduce a legal framework for offshore wind and start offshore auctions asap. Slovakia and Czechia have legislated for CfD auctions. Lithuania is building lots of new onshore wind, and a number of onshore projects are under development in Estonia and Latvia. All 3 Baltic States have major ambitions on offshore wind, for domestic use and for export - and Lithuania have started their first auction.

Poland disappointed by reducing its 10h distance rule to only 700m not the 500m the Government had promised. But it was a move in the right direction, onshore projects are being developed, and we hope that 700m will not be the end of the story. And offshore wind in Poland is powering ahead: we expect the first projects to be built in 2026-27 with final investment decisions this year.

In Bulgaria at least two large regional developers are pursuing onshore projects. The Government is ready to support once grid capacity - and with auctions once there's a coalition with a parliamentary majority.

Projects are being developed even in Slovenia, which has only 3 MW and the strongest restrictions on where wind farms can be built.

All these countries now see that wind is cheap and is good for energy security. The think-tank Ember have said more wind capacity will reduce electricity prices in the region by almost a third. Many of these countries see benefits from developing local wind supply chains. And public opinion is on their side. Three-quarter of Poles now support the expansion of onshore wind close to their home.

This year's revision of the EU's National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP) is likely to see an increase in wind targets for 2030 across Central and Eastern Europe: e.g. the Romanian Government intend to raise their 2030 RES electricity target from 30.7% in their current NECP to between 34% and 38%.

Hungary and Czechia are focusing strongly on nuclear. But Poland and Romania see a role for both nuclear and wind.

All the countries in the region still have work to do on the simplification of permitting, notably to implement the new EU rule on this. But then this is outstanding homework still for nearly every other Government in Europe.

Grid expansion is also a major challenge in the region, as it is elsewhere. And TSOs need to take a more flexible approach to the award of grid connection permits.

And key issue will be to reassure Governments and project developers in Central and Eastern Europe that the European supply chain can deliver the increased number of wind farms they want. Chinese manufacturers have now won orders in Croatia, Romania, Serbia and Bosnia and are targeting the Balkans as an entry point to the European market.

We have long talked about the potential of Central and Eastern European markets. The growing Government support and increasing level of project development in the region show the potential is now starting to be realised - which presents major opportunities for the European wind industry.
DALLAS, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- John Stankey, chief executive officer, AT&T* Inc., (NYSE:T) spoke today at the J.P. Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom Conference where he provided an update to shareholders. Stankey made the following points:

Stankey reiterated his confidence in the company's ability to deliver free cash flow of $16 billion or better for full-year 2023. His confidence reflects expectations for continued adjusted EBITDA growth of 3%+ for the year, driven by steady operational execution and ongoing benefits from the company's cost reduction initiatives. Similarly, Stankey said he has high visibility into key factors that disproportionately impacted free cash flow conversion in the first quarter, including annual incentive compensation that is paid in the first quarter. Two primary factors will drive improved free cash flow conversion in the remainder of 2023. First, Stankey expects that handset payments peaked in the first quarter and will be lower for full-year 2023 compared to 2022. Additionally, he expects capital investment to be broadly in line with guidance for the remainder of 2023, following a year-over-year increase in the first quarter.





or better for full-year 2023. His confidence reflects expectations for continued adjusted EBITDA growth of 3%+ for the year, driven by steady operational execution and ongoing benefits from the company's cost reduction initiatives. Similarly, Stankey said he has high visibility into key factors that disproportionately impacted free cash flow conversion in the first quarter, including annual incentive compensation that is paid in the first quarter. Two primary factors will drive improved free cash flow conversion in the remainder of 2023. First, Stankey expects that handset payments peaked in the first quarter and will be lower for full-year 2023 compared to 2022. Additionally, he expects capital investment to be broadly in line with guidance for the remainder of 2023, following a year-over-year increase in the first quarter. AT&T continues to prioritize adding high-quality durable customer relationships that will drive sustainable, profitable long-term growth. In wireless, Stankey said he expects second-quarter postpaid net additions to be influenced by three factors:

A continued normalization of industry growth;



Temporary impacts from competitor rate plan launches; and



The one-time reduction of about 75,000 customers from a government contract AT&T opted not to pursue given its uneconomic return profile.



Absent these impacts, the company has not seen a material shift in share across the wireless industry, including to new cable MVNO offerings.





Absent these impacts, the company has not seen a material shift in share across the wireless industry, including to new cable MVNO offerings. The company remains on track with its network expansion commitments and expects to deploy midband spectrum to 200 million people by year-end 2023 and to pass 30 million+ customer and business locations in its traditional service area with fiber by the end of 2025. Stankey believes AT&T's position as the largest-scale domestic fiber builder gives it an advantage in managing costs, despite build and labor costs that have moderately impacted the company's fiber build. In addition, AT&T is already seeing lower maintenance and repair costs where fiber has been deployed. The combination of better initial penetration rates and higher ARPU levels have improved the return case on AT&T's fiber investments. These improved returns are offsetting any increase in deployment costs. With the recent close of the Gigapower joint venture with BlackRock, AT&T remains committed in its mission to bring more Americans access to super-fast, reliable, high-capacity fiber.

*About AT&T

We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and neighbors, plus nearly 2.5 million businesses, connect to greater possibility. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), please visit us at about.att.com. Investors can learn more at investors.att.com.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results might differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update and revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise.

This news release may contain certain non-GAAP financial measures. Reconciliations between the non-GAAP financial measures and the GAAP financial measures are available on the company's website at https://investors.att.com.

 2023 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the Globe logo are registered trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property.

SOURCE AT&T
FAIRFAX, Va., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Knowesis Inc. (Knowesis) is pleased to announce its selection as an awardee of the Artificial Intelligence Talent (AIT) 2.0 Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. This prestigious contract, issued under the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), establishes Knowesis as a trusted partner in supporting the Department of Defense's (DoD) future-state mission of responsible artificial intelligence technology adoption.

The AIT 2.0 IDIQ contract provides the Chief Digital and AI Officer (CDAO) with a vehicle through which industry experts can be contracted to support the DoD's efforts in integrating and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies. Leveraging its extensive expertise and deep understanding of AI and ML applications, Knowesis aims to assist the government in overcoming existing and anticipated obstacles in AI adoption and utilization.

Sheilah O'Brien, Managing Principal of Knowesis Inc., stated, "Knowesis is committed to helping the government achieve its future state mission of implementing AI and ML technologies by offering specialized expertise and innovative solutions in these areas. By providing cutting-edge AI and ML technologies, consulting services, and training programs, Knowesis will empower government decision-makers with data-driven insights. We will collaborate closely with government agencies to develop tailored solutions that address specific challenges and contribute to the overall advancement of AI and ML adoption in the public sector."

Under this five-year contract, Knowesis will provide personal and technical support services and products to DoD programs, the defense cyber community, and customers. These services will encompass a wide range of areas, including agile development, cyber analytics, cybersecurity and risk management, integration, Security / Development / Operations (SecDevOps), systems engineering, systems maintenance and sustainment, systems security engineering, ML model development, ML operations, applied data science, testing, graphic design, logistics, and training.

Knowesis, Inc., founded in 2007, offers services in analytics and information management, planning and operations, as well as communication and engagement from its offices in Fairfax, VA with 200+ employees. Knowesis is a Center for Veterans Enterprise (CVE)-certified Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and SBA-certified Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB). Knowesis maintains ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2013 certifications, ensuring the highest standards of quality and information systems security. More information about the company can be found at www.knowesis-inc.com as well as Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Knowesis Inc.
PITTSBURGH, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Koppers Holdings Inc. (NYSE: KOP) today announced that the company will host meetings with the investment community as part of its participation in B. Riley Securities Institutional Investor Conference, which will be in-person on May 25, 2023, in Beverly Hills, California.

Koppers management will be represented by Jimmi Sue Smith, Chief Financial Officer, and Quynh McGuire, Vice President of Investor Relations. The presentation materials will be available on www.koppers.com in the Investor Relations section of the company's website.

About Koppers

Koppers, with corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is an integrated global provider of treated wood products, wood treatment chemicals, and carbon compounds. Our products and services are used in a variety of niche applications in a diverse range of end markets, including the railroad, specialty chemical, utility, residential lumber, agriculture, aluminum, steel, rubber, and construction industries. We serve our customers through a comprehensive global manufacturing and distribution network, with facilities located in North America, South America, Australasia, and Europe. The stock of Koppers Holdings Inc. is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "KOP."

For more information, visit: www.koppers.com. Inquiries from the media should be directed to Ms. Jessica Franklin Black at [email protected] or 412-227-2025. Inquiries from the investment community should be directed to Ms. Quynh McGuire at [email protected] or 412-227-2049.







For Information:

Quynh McGuire, Vice President, Investor Relations



412 227 2049



[email protected]

SOURCE Koppers
Kyndi once again recognized for delivering high-value human-centered AI solutions to accelerate digital transformations.

SAN MATEO, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kyndi , the leading natural language processing (NLP) company, announced that it has been awarded the 2023 North American Competitive Strategy Leadership Award in Natural Language Processing by leading research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. For the third consecutive year, the Kyndi Platform and the applications built on top of it, including Kyndi Clarity and Kyndi Natural Language Search , were acknowledged for bridging the information gap by providing precise and relevant answers from trusted enterprise content in just one click, boosting employee productivity and customer experience.

The full, complimentary report is available here .

Core to Kyndi's solutions is its answer engine, which delivers relevant answers from enterprises' content repositories or knowledge bases, using several breakthrough technologies such as large language models, natural language processing, generative AI, and other novel AI techniques. Kyndi's answer engine provides comprehensive user insights and a user-friendly environment for the content and product teams to easily create tailored responses to address users' specific questions based on those insights. Leveraging generative AI, Kyndi's answer engine generates accurate answers sourced only from trusted enterprise content. Its unique AI explainability tells users where and how the results are generated, and its no-code environment makes tuning and optimizing for domain-specific content simple for business users.

"As customers continue to become more digitally savvy, they expect businesses to provide them with the ability to quickly find valid information across all digital channels," said Hemangi Patel, Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "Kyndi leverages and expands on the same underlying technologies and approaches as some other prominent platforms such as ChatGPT, but it differentiates by consistently delivering accurate and complete answers from trusted enterprise content. By deploying Kyndi's answer engine, organizations can deliver an enhanced self-service experience for customers, employees, and content management teams, resulting in higher customer and employee satisfaction. We are thrilled to recognize them for delivering high-value AI-powered and human-driven solutions across a wide range of business processes."

According to a Frost & Sullivan survey, 87% of enterprises believe that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are key pillars in achieving business goals centered around growing revenue, increasing operational efficiency, and boosting customer and employee experience. To support companies' digital transformation efforts, technology vendors have started focusing on self-learning solutions that use AI and ML techniques to monitor and analyze unstructured data to gain business insights. By using AI to automate customer conversations, businesses facilitate quicker and more accurate customer query turnaround and gain additional insight from customer conversations to drive greater customer satisfaction.

The Kyndi Natural Language Platform and the solutions built on top of it, including the recently announced natural language-enabled self-service solution Kyndi Clarity, provide unmatched accuracy and speed in finding answers in unstructured data. As a result, Kyndi enables customers and employees to locate precise, complete, and trustworthy information on their own without having to wait on the helpline or rely on their colleagues for answers. By providing end users with the right information immediately, companies can improve first contact resolution (FCR) rate, reduce average handling time (AHT), and boost customer and employee experiences.

The Frost & Sullivan's Competitive Strategy Leadership Award recognizes the company with a stand-out approach to achieving top-line growth and delivering superior customer experience. Frost & Sullivan analysts independently evaluated the company on its innovation which included strategy effectiveness, execution, competitive differentiation, executive team alignment, and stakeholder integration. Recipients of this award also excel in providing demonstrable customer impact as a result of price/performance value, customer purchase, ownership and service experience, and positive brand loyalty among users.

"This recognition is significant, as organizations have long attempted to reduce friction in customer experience by deploying the latest technology. The trouble is that these efforts often fall short due to limitations in the technologies' capabilities," said Ryan Welsh, founder and CEO of Kyndi. "Customers and employees alike are tired of ineffective solutions like Chatbots and virtual assistants because these tools fail to find the right answers for them and often cause customer churn. Kyndi's answer engine now makes those same technologies usable in the enterprise by providing accurate answers from trusted enterprise content in a simple, self-service manner to optimize customer and employee experience, while increasing employee productivity."

In addition to this latest recognition, Kyndi was also named 2023 CUSTOMER magazine Product of the Year Award winner by global integrated media company TMC; Top Trend-Setting Product of 2022 , KMWorld AI 50 by KMWorld; 2022 Customer Experience Innovation Award winner by TMC's CUSTOMER Magazine; the 2022 North America Entrepreneurial Company of the Year for Excellence in Natural Language Processing by research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, and was a recipient of the Technology Pioneer Award 2021 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) for innovation in the field of Neuro-Symbolic Artificial Intelligence (AI), and for how its Natural Language Technology platform is transforming enterprise productivity.

About Kyndi

Kyndi is a global provider of the Kyndi Platform for the Natural-Language-Enabled Enterprise, an AI-powered platform designed to help individuals find the right answers in unstructured, text-based data effectively. Trusted by the world's most innovative organizations, Kyndi's solutions deliver highly relevant and context-driven information at unprecedented speed, keeping humans at the heart of critical problem-solving. Backed by prominent venture investors, including Intel Capital and PivotNorth, Kyndi was recently awarded a Competitive Strategy Leader in Natural Language Processing by leading research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan and was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. Customers include government agencies and enterprises across financial services, life science, manufacturing, media, and high-tech industries. Learn more at: https://kyndi.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter .

Media Contacts

Chris McCoin or Richard Smith

McCoin & Smith Communications Inc.

508-429-5988 (Chris) or 978-618-4492 (Rick)

[email protected] or [email protected]

SOURCE Kyndi
Los Angeles County expected to allocate part of its $43 billion overall budget to settle 3000+ sexual abuse cases brought against the state's juvenile programs and facilities.

LOS ANGELES, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Legal-Bay, The Pre Settlement Funding Company, announced today that Los Angeles County is preparing to spend a sizable chunk of their proposed annual budget to resolve the thousands of sexual abuse claims that plaintiffs say they suffered within the walls of state-run institutions. The county's juvenile halls have been the focus for many of the allegations, where a multitude of plaintiffs claim they were verbally, physically, and sexually abused while living within the facilities as minors.

The bulk of the cases are due to a recently-enacted state law that extended the statute of limitations for victims of childhood sexual assault to file claims against their abusers. It resulted in a slew of new lawsuits, many from abuses incurred at the MacLaren Children's Center, which Legal-Bay has written about extensively in the past.

Los Angeles County has one of the largest budgets in the country, but with upwards of 3000 claims, the state may be looking at anywhere from $1.5 Billion to $3 Billion in order to cover the estimated settlement payouts. The financial repercussions from past crises arrive as the county faces a new wave of problems in its juvenile halls. Conditions in the juvenile halls have become so deplorable that state regulators are considering shutting them down.

Chris Janish, CEO of Legal-Bay, said, "

If you require an immediate cash advance from your anticipated sexual abuse lawsuit settlement, please visit the company's website HERE or call 877.571.0405.

Legal-Bay is an advocate for sexual abuse survivors. They also assist plaintiffs in other types of lawsuits including personal injury, medical malpractice, dog bites, police brutality, commercial litigation, motor vehicle accidents, and more.

Their lawsuit funding programs are designed to provide immediate cash in advance of a plaintiff's anticipated monetary award. The non-recourse law suit loanssometimes referred to as loans for lawsuit or loans on settlementare risk-free, as the money doesn't need to be repaid should the recipient lose their case. Therefore, the lawsuit loan isn't really a loan, but rather a cash advance.

To apply, please visit the company's website HERE or call toll-free at: 877.571.0405 where agents are standing by.

Source: Legal-Bay, LLC

SOURCE Legal-Bay, LLC
FREMONT, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leopard Imaging Inc. (Leopard Imaging), a global leader in intelligent embedded camera design and manufacturing, is going to showcase its latest state-of-the-art camera LI-ADL-ADP-IMX415-MIPI-081H . The camera is powered by Intel Atom processors x7000E Series, Intel Core i3 processors, and Intel Processors N-Series, providing cutting-edge performance.

Leopard Imaging is going to showcase its latest state-of-the-art camera LI-ADL-ADP-IMX415-MIPI-081H. Tweet this Leopard Imaging and Intel to Showcase Intelligent Embedded Solutions at Embedded Vision Summit 2023

Leopard Imaging has been providing advanced imaging solutions since its establishment in 2008. With its experienced engineering teams, high-quality manufacturing capabilities in both the US and overseas, and quality management certifications such as IATF16949 for the automotive industry and AS9100D for the aerospace industry, Leopard Imaging has supported thousands of well-known companies.

The company has designed and manufactured cameras, developed camera driver software, and provided image tuning for global customers in robotics, edge AI, industrial machine vision, and autonomous machines applications, all powered by Intel processors.

Intel Atom processors x7000E Series, Intel Core i3 processors, and Intel Processors N-Series are groundbreaking in the 6W to 15W base processor power range. They are equipped with Efficient-cores and Intel UHD Graphics, and support Intel Advanced Vector Extensions 2 (Intel AVX2) and Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost) for accelerated deep learning inference and media processing.

"We are thrilled to showcase our latest camera with Intel," said Bill Pu, the president and co-founder of Leopard Imaging. "It is a great opportunity for us to show the demo to our partners and customers who are seeking advanced image solutions at the Embedded Vision Summit 2023."

Leopard Imaging will be showcasing its imaging solutions at Embedded Vision Summit, Booth 1003, Santa Clara Convention Center, May 23rd - 24th. To set up a meeting with Leopard Imaging at the event, please email [email protected].

Intel, the Intel logo, and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.

About Leopard Imaging Inc.

Leopard Imaging is a global leader providing high-definition embedded cameras and AI-based imaging solutionsfocusing on core technologies that improve image processing in automotive vehicles, aerospace vehicles, drones, IoT, and robotics. A partner of Intel, an elite member of the NVIDIA Partner Network, and a member of the AWS Partner Network, Leopard Imaging works closely with the most established sensor companies in producing advanced camera solutions for global customers. With original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and original design manufacturer (ODM) services, Leopard Imaging provides camera solutions for the most established organizations. Company Mission: Intelligent Vision for a Better World. Company Vision: To Be the World Leader in Intelligent Vision.

Press Contact

Cathy Zhao

[email protected]

SOURCE Leopard Imaging Inc.
VANCOUVER, BC, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lodestar Battery Metals ("Lodestar" or the "Company") (TSXV: LSTR) (OTCQB: SVTNF) is pleased to announce it has approved an exploration budget and has commenced work at its Peny Property in Snow Lake Manitoba. The staged project development will be completed with its partners at Longford Exploration to complete propriety remote sensing analysis and targeting, a focused magnetics and radiometric survey over select targets, concurrent with fieldwork. Fieldwork includes a preliminary reconnaissance of initially identified targets and verification of reported pegmatite intersections in 86 historic drill holes on the property. Additionally, there will be focused ground truthing and systematic mapping and sampling program, which will be completed in the late summer to coincide with conceptual winter drilling plans.

Figure 1: Location of the Peny property and surrounding claims holders within the Greater Snow Lake district.

"We have planned a comprehensive development program, and we're thrilled to have Longford guide us as we further our exploration initiatives at our flagship Peny Property in Snow Lake Manitoba," said Lowell Kamin, President, CEO & Chairman of the Board of Lodestar. "Longford, with their embedded partnerships, offers a diverse array of technical services that will help us understand the potential at the property, bringing expertise in exploration, geophysics, geomatics, ESG and energy services. Lodestar is looking forward to sharing our highlights for this campaign in the coming months."

2023 Work Program

The 2023 field program will be advanced in stages during the coming months. The project development will focus on interpreting the results of the geochemical sampling, remote sensing, and magnetic, radiometric and structural interpretations before delineating targets for channel sampling and potential drilling in the fall of 2023.

A review of historical data on the project has been completed, and ongoing regional geophysics and structural evaluation are being conducted to determine controls on pegmatite emplacement in the district.

Remote Sensing has been commissioned across the district to determine prospectivity and define priority targets. As a result, the Company has accepted a proposal for the acquisition, processing, and analysis of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Sentinel & Aster Multispectral data.

Combining modern remote sensing techniques using multispectral imaging and synthetic aperture radar to analyze vegetation, structure, alteration, and ground movement, complex anomalies can be quickly and effectively identified.



This multivariate exploration approach combines existing geological, geochemical, and geophysical data with multiple satellite analyses to identify new potential mineral targets.

Initial site reconnaissance, ground-truthing of initial targets, and review and sampling of historical core from 83 drill holes completed on the property are contemplated in June; numerous pegmatite intersections are reported from historical information.

An Airborne Tri-Axial Gradiometer magnetics, radiometric, and lidar survey will be completed over selected target areas identified from the previous high-value systematic targeting studies.

A manned helicopter equipped with specially designed GEM Systems GSMP 35A Airborne Potassium Vapour high-resolution magnetometers mounted on a non-magnetic stinger in a tri-axial array will be utilized.

The combination of techniques outlined above and existing data (knowledge of known mineral occurrences, soil and stream sampling, geophysics, regional geology, etc.) can be applied to mineral exploration using a weight-of-evidence approach in an area of interest to outline targets for advanced mineral exploration.

A focused field exploration program, including systematic channel sampling, is to be completed in the SummerFall of 2023 and is intended to understand better local pegmatite zonation, geochemical fractionation vectoring, and mineral speciation to assess the tenor and conceptualize a potential volume prior to future drilling.

An initial budget of CAD$400,000 has been approved for the property.

Initial reports from the property in 2022 describe numerous previously unsampled pegmatites across the property.

In order to preserve capital for its prospective Penny Property, Lodestar is in the process of carrying out a comprehensive review of its financial commitments for the silver-focused Penasco Quemado and La Frazada properties, in Mexico. The objective will be to reduce required expenditures for non-core areas of the projects.

About the Peny Property

The Peny Property is located approximately 25 kilometres northeast of the town of Snow Lake, Manitoba. The Peny Property is prospective for Lithium Pegmatite and Volcanic Massive Sulphide (VMS) style mineralization which is known to occur in the local area.

The Property encompasses rocks belonging to the Churchill Province and comprises metamorphic and metasedimentary rocks, predominantly Felsic and Arkosic Gniess's, including arkose, arenite, and quartzite-derived gneiss and migmatite belonging to the Missi Group, and Burntwood groups, and encompasses parts of the Crowduck pluton. The Property is located along the Crowduck Bay Fault, which is interpreted as a regional controlling structure associated with pegmatite occurrences and lithium mineralization to the south at the Zorro and Jean Lake prospective areas. The property is also adjacent to the formally producing Osborne Lake VMS Mine, previously operated by the Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Co. Historical worker's reports covering the property describe local host rocks intruded by coarse-grained, sheared pegmatites. The Company intends to refocus the asset on lithium exploration, which has proven successful at neighbouring sites.

Qualified Person

Luke van der Meer (P.Geo) is a consultant to the Company and is a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101 guidelines  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed the technical information of this news release. Historical information contained in this news release is derived from previous workers' Assessment Reports and has not been field verified.

References

1. A mineral resource estimate from 43-101 technical report titled "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Zoro Lithium Project, Snow Lake, Manitoba," dated July 6th, 2018, was authored by Fedikow et al. The resource quoted is within Table 1.1  Base Case Inferred Resource estimate: Inferred 1,074,567 tons at 0.91% Li2O (Cut-off grade of 0.30% Li2O).

2. Mineral Resources in S-K 1300 technical report titled "Technical Report Summary and Resource Estimate, Thompson Brothers Lithium Project, Snow Lake Area, Herb Lake Mining Division, Manitoba, Canada." dated June 9th, 2021, Prepared by Canmine Consultants. The resource quoted is within Table 11.1 Project Mineral Resource Estimate. Indicated  9,082,600 tons at 1.00% Li2O, and Inferred  1,967,900 tons at 0.98% Li2O (Cut-off grade of 0.30% Li2O).

About Lodestar Battery Metals Corp.

Lodestar Battery Metals Corp. is a Canadian mining exploration company focused on the battery metals space. The Company's 100% owned flagship Peny Property comprises 47 mineral claims totalling 11,191 hectares in the Snow Lake District, Manitoba, with access to tier-1 existing infrastructure: railway, roads, airstrip, and power. The Company also owns 100% interest in two significant silver assets in Mexico. The Company intends to build a strong portfolio of battery metals projects to drive future growth through exploration success and from later-stage projects with production potential. The Lodestar business plan calls for a dynamic combination of developing its existing properties, acquisitions, and partnerships to achieve this growth. For more information, visit https://lodestarbatterymetals.ca/.

Contact

Lodestar Battery Metals Corp.

Lowell Kamin, President, CEO & Chairman of the Board

(416) 272-1241 [email protected]

Investor Relations

Alyssa Barry, IR Labs Inc.

1-833-947-5227

[email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

The information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions, and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Lodestar cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by several material factors, many of which are beyond Lodestar's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Lodestar's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates.

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.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2079902/Lodestar_Project.jpg

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2079901/Lodestar_Battery_Metals_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Lodestar Battery Metals Corp
WASHINGTON, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumen Advisers, formerly known as P3 Capital, a trailblazing investment advisory firm, has signed a licensing agreement with Sparo, a Microsoft for Startups company, to offer innovative financial products focused on verifiable ESG investing on the Betterment platform.

The launch of the platform is set to coincide with Microsoft's Entrepreneurship for Positive Impact "ChangeNow" event to be hosted in Paris on May 25th.

Sparo Circular Impact Investing offers investment options that take into account the philanthropic wishes of investors. Tweet this Lumen Advisers

This game-changing collaboration combines Sparo's cutting-edge charity technology with Lumen Advisers' investment management expertise, led by James Barchiesi, a thought-leader in the financial services industry and CEO of Lumen Advisers, and Rob Sobhani, Ph.D., entrepreneur, author, and CEO of Sparo. The partnership is backed by Betterment's state-of-the-art financial technology and support, revolutionizing the investment landscape for socially conscious investors.

James Barchiesi, CEO of Lumen Advisers, commented, "Our partnership with Sparo will allow us to offer customers of financial platforms such as Betterment the option to tailor-make their portfolios towards impactful outcomes with reasonable returns."

Rob Sobhani, Ph.D., CEO of Sparo, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, "This will allow customers of Betterment the option to select portfolios that speak to both their financial needs and their charitable goals."

The partnership will enable the creation of investment products to be deployed on Betterment for the benefit of its 700,000 existing customers. These products, branded as "Sparo Circular Impact Investing," will offer investment options designed to take into account the philanthropic wishes of investors. Lumen Advisers will build portfolios for the Sparo Circular Impact Investing fund with an initial focus on five broad themes: Climate, Innovation, Food Security, Job Training, and Health-Care.

Andrea McNaughton, Sparo's Chief Charity Officer, highlighted the significance of the collaboration, saying, "Through this collaboration between Betterment, Lumen, and Sparo, we aim to offer services that go to the heart of practicing capitalism with a conscience."

Kiel Green, President and Chief Counsel for Lumen Advisers, added, "We are proud to be a part of this groundbreaking partnership that empowers individuals to make a tangible impact on the world through their investment choices."

Shish Shridhar, Global Head of Microsoft for Startups, praised the partnership, saying, "We are delighted that Sparo will be able to offer its services on Betterment to create meaningful outcomes for the investment community. This fits with Sparo's mission of leveraging technology for the common good."

About Lumen Advisers

Lumen Advisers, formerly known as P3 Capital, is a dynamic, technology-enhanced financial consulting firm specializing in investment management, tax planning, and high-impact financial advice. Dedicated to guiding a diverse clientele towards their financial aspirations, Lumen Advisers crafts personalized, innovative solutions by embracing a holistic approach and championing transparency.

About Sparo

Sparo is a Microsoft for Startups company, focused on building products that monetize the intersection of commerce and charity, offering philanthropy as a service for individual and business clients. Sparo operates globally and is based in the Washington, DC metro area.

About Betterment

Betterment LLC ("Betterment') is the largest independent digital investment advisor, offering investing and retirement solutions alongside their everyday services for spending and saving. Since 2010, Betterment has had one mission: to make people's lives better with easy-to-use, personalized investment solutions.

Media Contacts:

Rob Sobhani

CEO, Sparo

[email protected]

+1 (240) 401-8930

James Barchiesi

Lumen Advisers (formerly P3 Capital)

[email protected]

+1 (202) 505-1049

SOURCE Sparo Corporation
Pet Food Industry Executives Join Premium Cat Food Brand Co-Founded by Chef Bobby Flay to Further Growth and Raise the Standard for Cat Food Industry

NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Made by Nacho, the premium cat food brand co-founded by celebrity chef Bobby Flay and Whole Foods Market veteran Elly Truesdell, announced appointments to two new senior leadership positions effective May 1, 2023. Tom Morton has been appointed CEO, and Oliver Fickes as COO of the now three-year-old cat food business.

As Made by Nacho CEO, Morton will oversee company-wide operations, commercial and retail strategy, omnichannel execution, and marketing for the brand. Morton brings over 20 years of broad executive experience to Made by Nacho, with expertise in driving growth and running meaningful businesses recognized for disrupting highly competitive categories.

Morton is a business leader with a proven track record across multiple leading brands in the consumer goods industry. As an Officer and Vice President for General Mills' $2B Blue Buffalo Pet Segment, he was a key business leader during its transition from founder-led to business-led. At GMI, he delivered a 360 brand purpose and consumer experience strategy to accelerate household penetration, acquisition, and loyalty, enabling the pet business to double in size post-acquisition.

Before its $8.1B acquisition by General Mills in 2018, Morton led Brand Marketing and Product Development for Blue Buffalo from its founding in 2002, through its rise as the fastest-growing major pet food company in the U.S., and post its 2015 IPO to become the #1 natural pet food brand in the U.S. In addition, Morton worked at large multinational companies, including Nestle Waters, as well as start-ups including SoBe Beverage Company.

Fickes joins Made by Nacho after eleven years at Blue Buffalo overseeing Demand Planning, Customer Operations and serving other supply chain leadership roles during periods of rapid expansion. He played an integral role in the transformation and evolution of key functions within the brand through creative and innovative problem solving and process implementation. Most recently, Fickes was COO for Nulo Pet Food tasked with the maturation of the supply chain while directing other key initiatives. As COO of Made by Nacho, he will lead all operational functions to build and scale the business while unlocking supply chain efficiencies and customer opportunities along the way. Additionally, he will provide cross-functional experience and guidance while serving on the senior leadership team.

Made by Nacho Co-Founder, Elly Truesdell, said, "We could not be more delighted to bring in such industry talent by welcoming Tom and Oliver to the brand's executive team. Both were critical players in building Blue Buffalo, one of the pet industry's most revered brands and product lines. We're thrilled to lean on Tom and Oliver's expertise through this next phase of Made by Nacho's growth."

Morton was drawn to the Made by Nacho founders' mission to set a new culinary standard in cat food, giving cats exactly what they need to live full, nourished lives. Morton will uphold the brand's "cat-first" ethos, inspired by the incredible bond between Bobby Flay and his Maine Coon, Nacho.

Morton is committed to accelerating the Made by Nacho business and making the brand a household name for cat owners everywhere. "I'm excited to join the Made by Nacho family, and to help elevate the cat food category, by pairing Bobby's culinary expertise with his inspiration for the brand, Nacho, to deliver a better kind of cat food."

ABOUT MADE BY NACHO:

Founded by lifelong cat dad, Chef Bobby Flay, and inspired by his Maine Coon, Nacho, Made by Nacho is premium cat food that meets a chef's exacting standards. Frustrated by the lack of high-quality cat food on the market, Bobby harnessed his 30 years of culinary expertise to build a better cat food brand. The best chefs know ingredients can make or break a dish, so Made by Nacho uses responsibly-sourced proteins that meet their stringent quality standards transforming them into recipes with flavors (and textures) cats can't resist. Yes, Made by Nacho's cat food is mind-bogglingly tasty, but it's also formulated with the help of leading pet nutritionists to deliver the cat-specific nutrition cats need to thrive. Better still? Nacho taste-tests every recipe before it leaves the kitchen to ensure it meets his exacting standards as well. For more information, visit www.MadebyNacho.com or follow @MadebyNacho .

SOURCE Made by Nacho
C$ unless otherwise stated TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945

TORONTO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife Financial Corporation ("Manulife") today announced the applicable dividend rates for its Non-cumulative Rate Reset Class 1 Shares Series 25 (the "Series 25 Preferred Shares") (TSX: MFC.PR.Q) and Non-cumulative Floating Rate Class 1 Shares Series 26 (the "Series 26 Preferred Shares").

With respect to any Series 25 Preferred Shares that remain outstanding after June 19, 2023, holders thereof will be entitled to receive fixed rate non-cumulative preferential cash dividends on a quarterly basis, as and when declared by the Board of Directors of Manulife and subject to the provisions of the Insurance Companies Act (Canada). The dividend rate for the five-year period commencing on June 20, 2023, and ending on June 19, 2028, will be 5.94200% per annum or $0.371375 per share per quarter, being equal to the sum of the five-year Government of Canada bond yield as at May 23, 2023, plus 2.55%, as determined in accordance with the terms of the Series 25 Preferred Shares.

With respect to any Series 26 Preferred Shares that may be issued on June 20, 2023 in connection with the conversion of the Series 25 Preferred Shares into the Series 26 Preferred Shares, holders thereof will be entitled to receive floating rate non-cumulative preferential cash dividends on a quarterly basis, calculated on the basis of the actual number of days elapsed in each quarterly floating rate period divided by 365, as and when declared by the Board of Directors of Manulife and subject to the provisions of the Insurance Companies Act (Canada). The dividend rate for the three-month period commencing on June 20, 2023, and ending on September 19, 2023, will be 1.76665% (7.00900% on an annualized basis) or $0.441663 per share, being equal to the sum of the three-month Government of Canada Treasury bill yield as at May 23, 2023, plus 2.55%, as determined in accordance with the terms of the Series 26 Preferred Shares.

Beneficial owners of Series 25 Preferred Shares who wish to exercise their right of conversion should instruct their broker or other nominee to exercise such right before 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on June 5, 2023. The news release announcing such conversion right was issued on April 25, 2023 and can be viewed on SEDAR or Manulife's website. Conversion inquiries should be directed to Manulife's Registrar and Transfer Agent, TSX Trust Company, at 18007839495.

The Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") has conditionally approved the listing of the Series 26 Preferred Shares effective upon conversion. Listing of the Series 26 Preferred Shares is subject to Manulife fulfilling all the listing requirements of the TSX and, upon approval, the Series 26 Preferred Shares will be listed on the TSX under the trading symbol "MFC.PR.S".

The Series 25 Preferred Shares and the Series 26 Preferred Shares have not been and will not be registered in the United States under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered, sold or delivered, directly or indirectly in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, a "U.S. person" (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy securities in the United States and any public offering of the securities in the United States must be made by means of a prospectus.

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2022, we had more than 40,000 employees, over 116,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 34 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.

Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.

SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation
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ELKO  Police recovered a vast amount of stolen items during a surveillance operation that resulted in two arrests.

On May 17, members of the Elko Police Departments Crime Suppression Unit were surveilling a residence in the 2300 block of Virginia Way where police said the residents were known to have outstanding arrest warrants. Additionally, there had been information that stolen items and illicit narcotics had been moving in and out of the residence regularly, according to an EPD press release.

The investigators were able to locate both residents outside of the house and they were taken into custody on warrants. During the arrest warrant service, a trailer that had been stolen in Colorado was located in the driveway. This gave further credence to the information that officers had that the occupants of the residence had been trafficking in stolen goods, stated the EPD.

The residents were identified as Tamara Reese-Tomten, 60, and Graydon Jolliff, 45.

Based on the information that the officers had, they applied for a search warrant for the residence and it was granted. Members from the Elko Police Departments Detective Division, the Elko County Sheriffs Office Detective Division, and the Elko Combined Narcotics Unit participated in the search of the residence. The Elko County District Attorneys Office assisted in providing legal oversight.

During the course of their search they uncovered a vast amount of stolen merchandise as well as illicit narcotics and paraphernalia, stated EPD. The stolen items were linked to multiple thefts, not only in the Elko area, but in other areas of the state and surrounding states.

Both suspects were booked on multiple felony charges and are being held in Elko County Jail for violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence from previous arrests.

Jollif was arrested in September 2021 on an attempted burglary charge. He pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit burglary and was given a suspended sentence by District Judge Mason Simons. He was also arrested in April 2022 on felony drug charges and in February 2022 on stolen property, firearm and drug charges.

Reese was arrested in January 2022 for attempted burglary of a structure, felony possession of a controlled substance, and possession of a controlled substance by a prisoner; and in September 2019 for violation of probation or condition of suspended sentence, resisting a public officer, two counts of use or possession of drug paraphernalia, destroying or concealing evidence, battery by a prisoner, and on a warrant for failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime.

Police said the current investigation is ongoing, and anyone who may believe they have relevant information can contact Investigator Taylor or Investigator Gowan at 775-777-7310.
Nation's Fastest-Growing Pizza Brand* Receives High Praise for Historical Growth and Ongoing Aggressive Development

TOLEDO, Ohio, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Marco's Pizza, the nation's fastest-growing pizza brand*, was named to Entrepreneur's first-ever Franchise 500 Hall of Fame list. This prestigious list honors the elite franchise brands that have ranked in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 ranking for 25 or more years, consecutively. Alongside this prestigious honor, Marco's was named among Entrepreneur's 2023 fastest-growing brands, showing the franchisor's commitment to ongoing aggressive new store development.

"As a franchise brand, our success is rooted in the success of the franchisees. We are proud to be recognized by Entrepreneur magazine for our longstanding growth and strong performance, and for being named a fastest-growing brand in 2023," said Tony Libardi, Co-CEO & President of Marco's Pizza. "It validates our nearly 45-year history of proven success with our aggressive vision for continued expansion. This recognition serves as a testament to the power of collaboration and the endless possibilities that come with a shared vision and a steadfast commitment to growth."

Today, Marco's boasts more than 1,100 stores while achieving strong performance - surpassing $1B in annual systemwide sales. Franchise expansion continues to surge, with more than 200 stores in various stages of development, and hundreds of agreements signed. In 2022, Marco's opened 90-plus stores and awarded 140 franchises. In the last six years, the fast-growing brand has doubled its store footprint. At the crux of Marco's ongoing growth is its renowned high-quality pizza, which has provided the basic foundation to scale. With prime territories across the country, company leadership has identified 4,200 potential U.S. locations.

"We're honoring these A-list brands who have shown through and through their commitment to growth, to their franchisees, and to their communities," said Entrepreneur Senior Vice President of Franchising Liane Caruso. "Ranking in the Franchise 500 is highly competitive, and achieving that distinction year after year is quite an accomplishment."

Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 has been evaluating and ranking franchise opportunities for 44 years. The company's proprietary ranking formula analyzes brands based on more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. The ranking grows more competitive each year1,321 companies applied for a chance at a spot in the top 500 in 2023and only 49 franchise brands have managed to rank every year for the last 25 years or more, and thus earn a spot in the 2023 Hall of Fame.

The Fastest-Growing Franchises ranking is based on information submitted to the Franchise 500. Franchise companies are ranked based on their net U.S. and Canada franchise unit growth from July 31, 2021 to July 31, 2022.

To view Marco's Pizza in the Franchise 500 Hall of Fame list & Fastest-Growing Franchises list, visit https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchise/introducing-the-franchise-500-hall-of-fame/444749 and https://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/directory/fastest-growing-ranking.

For more information on Marco's Pizza franchise opportunities, visit https://www.marcos.com/franchising/ or call 866-731-8209 to speak with Shannon Iverson, Vice President of Franchise Sales.

ABOUT MARCO'S PIZZA

Marco's Pizza is one of America's Top 10 Favorite QSR Brands according to the 2022 Market Force Information Study. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza brand in the United States*. Marco's was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale ("Pat") Giammarco and delivers a high-quality pizza experience, known for its dough made from scratch and its three fresh signature cheeses. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,100 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 51 on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2023 "Franchise 500" ranking. Other recent accolades include a high ranking on Newsweek's 2023 "America's Best Customer Service" in pizza chains list, ranked No. 40 on QSR's Top 50 and has been featured six consecutive years on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious "Top 500" ranking.

*Marco's Pizza is the fastest-growing pizza brand based on year-over-year unit growth, according to 2022 NRN Top 500 U.S. Restaurant Ranking LSR Pizza Segment.

SOURCE Marco's Pizza
Comparable Sales Increased 8.6%;

Gross Margin Increased 240 Basis Points to 41.4%;

Net income (attributable to shareholders) increased 50.0% to ILS 20.9 million;

Adjusted EBITDA Increased 15.5% to ILS 36.7 million

CAESAREA, Israel, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Max Stock Limited (TASE: MAXO) (the "Company") today reported financial results for first quarter ended March 31, 2023.

First Quarter 2023 Summary

Revenue increased 11.5% to ILS 279.6 million.

Gross profit increased 18.4% to ILS 115.8 million.

Comparable store sales increased 8.6%.

Net income (attributable to shareholders) increased 50.0% to ILS 20.9 million.

Adjusted EPS1 (attributable to shareholders) increased 20.4% to ILS 0.15.

Adjusted EBITDA2 increased 15.5% to ILS 36.7 million.

Ori Max, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are pleased with our strong start to 2023 with top line growing 11.5% and net income (attributable to shareholders) up 50.0%. Our ongoing expansion efforts in Israel, along with our first steps to expand beyond our home country into Portugal this month, with the opening of our first max10 store in the country, offer an incredible platform for further growth as we continue to offer value and help consumers Dream Big and Pay Small."

1As used throughout this release, adjusted EPS (attributable to shareholders) defined as Net Income + Share-based payment, multiplied by the portion attributable to shareholders and divided by the number of shares.

2As used throughout this release, adjusted EBITDA Pre IFRS 16 defined as Net Income + Income Tax Expenses + Net Interest Expenses + D&A + Other Expenses  the impact of IFRS 16 + Share-based payment  IFRS 16.

First Quarter 2023 Results

Revenue increased 11.5% to ILS 279.6 million in the first quarter 2023 as compared with revenue of ILS 250.9 million in the first quarter 2022. The increase in revenue was driven by an 8.6% increase in same store sales, and the addition of 3 new owned stores as well as 2 franchised stores opened over the last twelve months. First quarter 2023 same store sales benefitted from the timing of the Passover festival, higher store traffic and an increase in Purim sales. Comparable store sales increased 2.5% for the period January  April 2024 (no holiday timing impact).

Gross profit increased 18.4% to ILS 115.8 million in the first quarter 2023 from ILS 97.8 million in the first quarter 2022. Gross margin was ~41.4% as compared to ~39.0% in the prior year period. The 240-basis point improvement in gross margin year-over-year was driven primarily by a decline in global shipping costs and a decrease in logistical expenses as a result of more efficient inventory management.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased to ILS 78.7 million in the first quarter 2023 from ILS 70.1 million in the first quarter 2022, primarily driven by increased marketing and store maintenance expenses along with depreciation of right of use assets under IFRS 16, due to the opening of new branches. Additionally, the launch of operating activities in Portugal in the first quarter increased general and administrative expenses by approximately ILS 1.0 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net sales in Q1 2023 were 28.2% compared with 27.9% in Q1 2022.

Adjusted net income increased 15.4% to ILS 24.1 million.

Adjusted EPS (attributable to shareholders) increased 20.4% to ILS 0.15, in the first quarter of 2023 as compared with adjusted EPS (attributable to shareholders) of ILS 0.13 per share, in the first quarter of 2022.

Adjusted EBITDA increased 15.5% to ILS 36.7 million in the first quarter fiscal 2023 from ILS 31.8 million in the first quarter 2022.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Highlights

The Company's cash and cash equivalents balance at March 31, 2023 was ILS 116.9 million compared with ILS 80.5 million at December 31, 2022 and ILS 60.9 million at March 31, 2022. The Company ended the first quarter of 2023 with total debt of ILS 46.0 million compared with total debt of ILS 47.6 million at the end of fiscal 2022.

Inventories at March 31, 2023 were ILS 163.5 million, up 2.6% compared with ILS 159.4 million at December 31, 2022 and down 25.4% compared with ILS 219.1 million at March 31, 2022.

Conference Call Information

The Company will host a conference call on May 23, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time to discuss first quarter fiscal 2023 results (link). The conference call will also be accessible at https://ir.maxstock.co.il/en/event-en/.There will be a slide presentation that accompanies the call. The slides will be accessible at https://ir.maxstock.co.il/en/presentation-en/. An archived webcast of the conference call will be available at https://ir.maxstock.co.il/en/presentation-en/.

About Max Stock

Max Stock is Israel's leading extreme value retailer, currently present in 59 locations throughout Israel and 1 location in Portugal that opened in May 2023. We offer a broad assortment of quality products for customers' everyday needs at affordable prices, helping customers "Dream Big, Pay Small". For more information, please visit https://ir.maxstock.co.il

Forward-Looking Statements

It should be emphasized that this report includes forward-looking information as defined under the Securities Law, 5728-1968. Forward-looking information is uncertain information regarding the future, including forecasts, projections, estimates or other information which refer to a future event or matter, the eventuation of which is uncertain and/or not within the Company's control. The forward-looking information included in this report is based on the current information held by the Company or its current assessments, as of the publication date of this report.

Company Contacts:

Talia Sessler,

Chief Corporate Development and IR Officer

[email protected]

SOURCE Max Stock Limited
DALLAS, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MassChallenge is excited to announce the launch of MC | INNOVATE, the premier event for early-stage startups, founders, entrepreneurs, and corporate partners passionate about driving innovation and entrepreneurship in Texas and beyond. The event will take place at Pegasus Park, the mixed-use campus designed to bolster local biotech, social impact, and corporate innovation in Dallas, TX, from July 11, 2023, to July 13, 2023. It will bring together founders from across the globe to convene for three days of activities.

MassChallenge and Lyda Hill Philanthropies brings MC | INNOVATE to North Texas.

"Lyda Hill Philanthropies is pleased to participate in the MC | Innovate experience as entrepreneurial leaders from various locations and industries convene to help solve some of our world's most critical challenges. MassChallenge's expansion to North Texas has helped fuel the region's burgeoning innovation economy, and we look forward to having attendees connect in Dallas to drive innovation and entrepreneurship in the region," said Tom Luce, CEO of Biotech Initiatives for Lyda Hill Philanthropies.

MC | INNOVATE will feature a series of speakers, including keynotes from Ash Maurya, founder of LEANSTACK; Fahad Khawaja, Founder, and CEO, of Hue; Kirk Barnes, author, entrepreneur, speaker, Co-Founder, and CEO of TransPharMed; and Joshua Boger, founder of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc.; who will share their insights and expertise on innovation and entrepreneurship. Attendees will have the opportunity to pitch their startups to top-tier corporate partners and investors, connect with mentors and industry experts, and join the MassChallenge global community.

"The MC | INNOVATE event is an exciting opportunity for entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate partners to come together and drive innovation and entrepreneurship, including in Texas," said Cait Brumme, CEO of MassChallenge. "We're thrilled to have Ash Maurya and other leading entrepreneurs join us to share their experience with our 2023 founders not only from Texas but from around the world."

The MC | INNOVATE event will also kickstart the 2023 MassChallenge U.S. Early Stage cohorts providing participating startups with access to the MassChallenge global community, expert mentorship, and opportunities for funding and growth.

"We're excited to convene startups from around the world who have been selected to participate in the 2023 MassChallenge U.S. Early Stage cohorts," said Hope Hopkins, Head of Acceleration at MassChallenge "This in-person gathering is a unique opportunity for the startups to experience firsthand the global network that sets MassChallenge apart. Over the course of three days, they will connect with mentors, corporate partners, investors, government agencies, thought leaders, and one another. We could not be more excited to use this fly-in as an opportunity to showcase the commitment our community has to the success of each and every one of these founders on a path to solving the most critical challenges of our time."

The MC | INNOVATE event marks the beginning of Pegasus Park serving as the home for the Health Tech Track within the MassChallenge US Early Stage Program. This state-of-the-art hub is poised to become a catalyst for health tech innovation in North Texas and beyond, attracting top talent, fostering collaboration, and driving cutting-edge solutions to some of the world's most pressing healthcare challenges. The collaboration between Lyda Hill Philanthropies and MassChallenge will transform the landscape of healthcare technology, supporting early-stage startups with the resources they need to flourish.

"This partnership not only strengthens ongoing efforts by investors, entrepreneurs, and academic partners to grow the health teach ecosystem in North Texas but also aligns with the values and vision of other esteemed partners committed to advancing the health tech sector more broadly. By joining forces, Lyda Hill Philanthropies and MassChallenge are building a robust ecosystem that nurtures innovation and accelerates the development of transformative health tech solutions in the heart of North Texas at Pegasus Park," stated Jon Nordby, Head of Community and Ecosystems, "This new venture will undoubtedly serve as a beacon of hope for millions of people globally, creating a healthier and more vibrant future for all."

To learn more about the MC | INNOVATE event, visit https://hubs.li/Q01Mk9S-0. For more information about MassChallenge and the MassChallenge global community, visit masschallenge.org.

About MassChallenge:

MassChallenge is the global network for innovators. Headquartered in the United States with eight locations worldwide, it is the non-profit's mission to help bold entrepreneurs disrupt the status quo and create sustainable change. Since launching in 2009, MassChallenge has run programs in 24 countries, supported more than 4,000 startups from around the world, and awarded over $18M in equity-free cash and prizes. Learn more about MassChallenge at masschallenge.org.

About Pegasus Park:

Pegasus Park is a 26-acre mixed-use office campus consisting of more than 750,000 square feet of office and amenities space across multiple buildings, including an 18-story office tower. The campus features four components - a biotech and life sciences hub, a social impact hub, commercial tenants, and entertainment/dining venues. Strategically located in the heart of the rapidly expanding Innovation District between the Dallas Design Center and the Southwestern Medical District in Dallas, the campus is positioned to be a premier hub of innovation.

SOURCE MassChallenge
NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE: MPW) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.

Class Period: July 15, 2019 to February 22, 2023

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 12, 2023

No obligation or cost to you.

Learn more about your recoverable losses in MPW:

https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/medical-properties-trust-lawsuit-loss-submission-form?id=39715&from=4

Medical Properties Trust, Inc. NEWS - MPW NEWS

CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that Medical Properties Trust, Inc. made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) the Company masked the distressed state of its tenants through sale-leaseback arrangements which were essentially round-robin transactions in that they allowed debt-saddled tenants to meet their obligations in the short-term; (ii) the Company fraudulently transferred hundreds of millions of dollars in what amounted to a bailout of financially distressed tenants; (iii) the Company concealed its fraudulent transfers with fake construction projects with purportedly high capital expenses, despite the fact that the Company entered into "triple-net leases," which meant that its tenants were obligated to pay a significant portion of expenses, such as real estate taxes, insurance, and maintenance; and (iv) as a result, the Company's public statements, including those with respect to the Pennsylvania Properties, were materially false and misleading at the time they were made.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Medical Properties Trust you have until June 12, 2023 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased Medical Properties Trust securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the MPW lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/medical-properties-trust-lawsuit-loss-submission-form?id=39715&from=4.

ABOUT KLEIN LAW FIRM

J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

J. Klein, Esq.

535 Fifth Avenue

4th Floor

New York City, NY 10017

[email protected]

Telephone: (212) 616-4899

www.kleinstocklaw.com

SOURCE The Klein Law Firm
DUBAI, UAE, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global mRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market was valued at USD 34.7 billion in 2022 and is expected to exceed USD 68.1 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of around 8.8% between 2023 and 2030. Over the forecast period, the rising prevalence of chronic and infectious diseases will increase global demand for mRNA vaccines and RNAi therapies.

mRNA-based therapies have received significant attention in recent years for their potential to treat chronic diseases, and RNA vaccines have emerged as a promising approach for vaccine development. RNA vaccines have advantages over DNA vaccines in terms of production, distribution, and safety, and have shown promise in human clinical trials, driving demand for mRNA vaccines and drugs.

Get a Sample PDF of the Report: https://www.extrapolate.com/sample/healthcare-medical-devices-biotechnology/mRNA-vaccine-and-therapeutics-market/87464

The field of mRNA therapy and mRNA vaccines has witnessed steady growth, with significant investments and technological advancements leading to the development of various drugs targeting various diseases.

Growing Expansion Globally by Prominent Players to Secure Market Positioning

Given the existence of several companies globally, the market for mRNA vaccines and therapeutics is fragmented. Key players are implementing various strategies such as partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, geographic expansion, and strategic collaborations to strengthen their market presence.

Prominent players in the market include

Moderna, Inc.

Pfizer Inc.

Benchling

Orna Therapeutics

Merck KGaA

Sanofi

BioNTech SE

Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd

GSK plc

Sangamo Therapeutics

AstraZeneca

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Trending Now: Moderna Finalizes Location for its Innovation and Technology Centre (MITC) in the UK

The Moderna Innovation and Technology Centre will be located at Harwell, the UK's leading science and innovation campus in Oxfordshire (MITC). This achievement comes after the completion of Moderna's ten-year strategic partnership with the UK government, which was announced in December 2022.

Moderna is the most recent company to join Harwell's Health Tech cluster. The Oxfordshire campus houses Europe's largest publicly funded open-access scientific facility collection. A clinical biomarker laboratory will also be part of the MITC. The facility is part of a larger investment in which Moderna will collaborate with academic and NHS partners across the UK to bring research, clinical trials, and skill development to many parts of the country.

Growing Utility of Preventive Vaccines to Gain Traction in Forthcoming Years

The preventive segment is anticipated to lead the global mRNA vaccine and therapeutics market. The growth of the segment is attributable to the ability to prevent diseases such as polio, rabies, human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza (flu), and hepatitis B. Since the dermis is highly vascular and contains many immune cells, including many dendritic cells, it is a preferred site for injection, particularly vaccination.

Download a Sample PDF of this Report - (Including Full TOC, List of Tables & Figures, and Chart)

Growing Cases of Infectious Diseases to Augment Demand for mRNA-Based Vaccines

The infectious diseases segment is expected to dominate due to an increase in the patient population and public awareness of infectious diseases. The increasing use of mRNA-based vaccines and the presence of many potential candidates in clinical trials for various infectious diseases support segmental growth.

Rising Interest of Pharmaceutical Giants in mRNA to Create Investment Opportunities

The growing interest among major pharmaceutical and healthcare companies in understanding the structure of mRNA and utilizing its primary functionality to treat a variety of medical conditions for which there is currently no treatment is expected to lead to the expansion of the global market for mRNA vaccines and therapeutics.

The most recent example of extensive research and studies on mRNA-based vaccines to combat the Covid-19 virus appeared to be successful. The global market could benefit further from the pharmaceutical industry's giants' increasing strategic measures such as collaborations, joint ventures, acquisitions, and mergers to contribute more to this segment.

For instance, Pfizer, a leading pharmaceutical company and a pioneer in the development of vaccines against Covid-19, announced in July 2022 that it will invest approximately USD 470 million to expand its research and developmental activities on mRNA vaccines. The company intends to maintain its position in the mRNA sector with this initiative. Pfizer will build a new facility and renovate all of its existing units on the New York campus, which is currently the company's main research facility to achieve its goals.

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North America to Globally Dominate with Increased Availability of Research Funding

The global mRNA vaccine and therapeutics market is dominated by North America. This substantial growth is primarily attributable to increased research funding, the expansion of federal programs for RNA-based drugs, and the growing number of clinical trials. The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and respiratory diseases, the well-established healthcare infrastructure, and the presence of significant market participants in the region are some of the factors influencing the market growth.

Rising Cases of Rare Genetic Diseases in Europe to Garner Product Demand

Several factors have contributed to the rapid growth of the European mRNA vaccines and therapeutics market. One of the main drivers is the growing number of patients in the region with rare genetic diseases, as well as increased awareness of these rare genetic conditions. This has prompted major pharmaceutical companies to focus on developing transformative therapies based on mRNA technology.

For more information on the report, visit: https://www.extrapolate.com/healthcare-medical-devices-biotechnology/mRNA-vaccine-and-therapeutics-market/87464

Key Points from TOC:

Chapter 1. Executive Summary

Chapter 2. Research Methodology

2.1. Research Approach

2.2. Scope, definition, and assumptions

2.3. Data sources

2.3.1. Secondary sources

2.3.1.1. Preliminary data mining

2.3.2. Primary sources

2.3.2.1. Statistical Model

2.3.2.2. Data Triangulation

2.3.2.3. Research Objective

Chapter 3. Market Outlook

3.1. Introduction

3.2. Key trends

3.2.1. Soaring Demand for New Vaccines and Therapeutics Drives the Market Growth

3.3. Market drivers

3.3.1. Growing Research on mRNA Vaccines Propels the Market Growth

3.4. Market restraints

3.4.1. High Cost Associated with mRNA-based Vaccines and Therapeutics Hampers the Market Growth

3.5. Market opportunities

3.5.1. Rapid Innovation and Application of Cloud-Based Solutions Provides Lucrative Opportunities for the Growth of the Market

3.6. Market Challenges

3.6.1. Strict Legal Regulatory Approval and Potential Side Effects Pose a Challenge for the Market

3.7. Porter's Five Forces Analysis

3.7.1. Bargaining Power of Suppliers

3.7.2. Bargaining Power of Buyers

3.7.3. Threat of New Entrant

3.7.4. Threat of Substitutes

3.7.5. High Competitive Rivalry

3.8. Value chain analysis

Chapter 4. COVID-19 Impact on Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market

Chapter 5. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Overview, By Product, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

5.1. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Share, By Product, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

5.1.1. Prophylactic Vaccines

5.1.1.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

5.1.1.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

5.1.2. Therapeutic Vaccines

5.1.2.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

5.1.2.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

5.1.3. Therapeutic Drugs

5.1.3.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

5.1.3.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

5.1.4. Others

5.1.4.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

5.1.4.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

Chapter 6. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Overview, By Disease Type, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

6.1. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Share, By Disease Type, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

6.1.1. Acute Hepatic Porphyria

6.1.1.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

6.1.1.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

6.1.2. Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1

6.1.2.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

6.1.2.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

6.1.3. Hereditary Transthyretin-mediated Amyloidosis Genetic

6.1.3.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

6.1.3.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

6.1.4. Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

6.1.4.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

6.1.4.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

6.1.5. Others

6.1.5.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

6.1.5.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

Chapter 7. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Overview, By Treatment Type, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

7.1. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Share, By Treatment Type, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

7.1.1. Monoclonal Antibody

7.1.1.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

7.1.1.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

7.1.2. Gene Therapy

7.1.2.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

7.1.2.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

7.1.3. Cell Therapy

7.1.3.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

7.1.3.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

7.1.4. Others

7.1.4.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

7.1.4.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

Chapter 8. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Overview, By Route of Delivery, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

8.1. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Share, By Route of Delivery, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

8.1.1. Intradermal

8.1.1.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

8.1.1.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

8.1.2. Subcutaneous

8.1.2.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

8.1.2.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

8.1.3. Intramuscular

8.1.3.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

8.1.3.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

8.1.4. Intravenous

8.1.4.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

8.1.4.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

8.1.5. Intranodal

8.1.5.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

8.1.5.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

Chapter 9. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Overview, By Application, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

9.1. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Share, By Application, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

9.1.1. Rare Genetic Diseases

9.1.1.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

9.1.1.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

9.1.2. Oncology

9.1.2.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

9.1.2.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

9.1.3. Respiratory Diseases

9.1.3.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

9.1.3.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

9.1.4. Infectious Diseases

9.1.4.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

9.1.4.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

9.1.5. Others

9.1.5.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

9.1.5.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

Chapter 10. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Overview, By End-use, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

10.1. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Share, By End-use, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

10.1.1. Hospitals & Clinics

10.1.1.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

10.1.1.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

10.1.2. Research Laboratories & Organizations

10.1.2.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

10.1.2.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

10.1.3. Others

10.1.3.1. Market Size and Projections, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

10.1.3.2. Market Size and Projections, by Region, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

Chapter 11. Global MRNA Vaccine and Therapeutics Market Overview, By Geography, 2018 - 2032 (USD Million)

Continued.

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Partnership to Provide Free Access to Tele-Mental Health Platform 24/7/365 and Diverse Team of Providers for Students at 44 Institutions of Higher Education

TRENTON, N.J., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the Murphy Administration's ongoing efforts to address the growing youth mental health crisis, Governor Phil Murphy and Secretary of Higher Education Dr. Brian Bridges today announced a partnership with Uwill  a mental health and wellness platform that will support students at 44 institutions of higher education throughout New Jersey. Beginning this month, this first-in-the-nation partnership will provide 24/7 access to free mental health support throughout the entire year for students enrolled in one of the eligible institutions that have opted into this program.

While most institutions of higher education previously offered some level of mental health support to students, a rapidly growing need for these services has strained the capacity of many campuses to continue providing care to every student in need of mental health support in recent years. By partnering directly with Uwill, New Jersey is the first state in the nation to offer comprehensive mental health and wellness support to college students through a statewide approach that spans both public and private institutions of higher education.

"With the challenges these past few years have presented, young people around New Jersey and the nation are facing a mental health crisis like never before. It is incumbent upon us to do everything in our power to provide young people with access to the support they need, which is something my Administration will continue to prioritize," said Governor Murphy. "Making teletherapy services available to countless college students on campuses throughout our state is a key component of our ongoing efforts to address the mental health needs of our young people and promote safe and inclusive learning environments in New Jersey."

A core focus of the partnership with Uwill is to provide students with access to a diverse network of licensed and qualified mental health providers to ensure the needs of underrepresented students will be met. Mental health and wellness support will be available from Uwill's team of providers all hours of the day, 365 days a year, at no cost to students or the institution of higher education itself.

"Our higher education institutions have been doing their very best to assess, prioritize, and expand the services necessary to address the mental health and wellness needs of their diverse student populations following the pandemic, but the reality of this mental health crisis leaves current initiatives and on-site services stretched beyond their capacities," said Secretary Bridges. "This partnership will provide highly accessible, free, and equitable support to all students, regardless of their circumstances, where they need it most. We appreciate the Governor's fervent efforts on behalf of young people across New Jersey."

In a Fall 2021 questionnaire conducted by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE), over 70 percent of New Jersey students rated their stress and anxiety levels as higher or much higher than the previous year, with 40 percent of students indicating they were concerned about their mental health in light of the pandemic.

These numbers reflect a national trend of rising mental health challenges among young people that were only exacerbated by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why Governor Murphy has made youth mental health the focus of his Chair's Initiative as head of the National Governors Association and has instructed his Administration to work to address the mental health needs of New Jersey residents.

"Our mission is to expand mental health care so that every student has access to quality mental health support. We're committed to removing obstacles to therapy while also complementing existing campus offerings so every student has the resources and support they need to thrive," said Michael London, Uwill Founder and CEO. "I commend Governor Murphy and Secretary Bridges for making such a commitment to the mental health of New Jersey college students."

The services offered through this partnership are made possible by $10 million in American Rescue Plan funds that were allocated to OSHE in the State's Fiscal Year 2023 budget for tele-mental health support. The funding complements the State's $16 million investment for institutions of higher education to develop community provider partnerships and build multicultural competency among faculty and staff through professional development opportunities.

All public and independent institutions with a public mission that receive State operating aid are eligible. Of these, 96 percent have chosen to participate in the partnership, including: Atlantic Cape Community College, Bergen County Community College, Bloomfield College, Brookdale Community College, Caldwell University, Camden County College, Centenary University, County College of Morris, Drew University, Essex County College, Farleigh Dickinson University, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Hudson County Community College, Kean University, Mercer County Community College, Middlesex College, Monmouth University, Montclair State University, New Jersey City University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Ocean County College, Passaic County Community College, Princeton University, Ramapo College, Raritan Valley Community College, Rider University, Rowan College at Burlington County, Rowan College of South Jersey, Rowan University, Rutgers University (Camden, Newark, New Brunswick), Saint Elizabeth University, Saint Peter's University, Salem County Community College, Seton Hall University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Stockton University, Sussex County Community College, The College of New Jersey, Union College of Union County, New Jersey, Warren County Community College, and William Paterson University of New Jersey.

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 Babson College, University of Michigan, Dartmouth College, and Columbus State Community College. Uwill is also the teletherapy education partner for NASPA. For more information, visit uwill.com

Contact:

Brett Silk

[email protected]

SOURCE Uwill, Inc
BCG's 2023 Most Innovative Companies Report Reveals What Innovation Leaders Are Doing to Pull Ahead and How Innovation is Building Their Resilience to Economic Uncertainty

BOSTON, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite global economic uncertainty, innovation rose as a top corporate priority for 2023. According to a new report released today by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), 79% of companies around the world see innovation as a top-three priority for this year and 66% plan to increase spending42% by more than 10%. This is in stark contrast to the last downturn in 2009 when fewer than two-thirds of companies ranked innovation as a top-three priority and only 58% planned to increase spending.

The 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2023

For its 17th Most Innovative Companies report titled, Reaching New Heights in Uncertain Times, BCG examines how leading companies are raising their commitment to innovation, and how innovation is building their resilience to economic uncertainty. The report draws on the firm's annual survey of more than 1,000 global executives on innovation trends and its global innovation performance database of more than 1,000 companies.

"The connection between innovation, growth, and advantage is stronger than ever," said Justin Manly, a BCG managing director and partner and a coauthor of the report. "The companies that both prioritize innovation and make sure that they are ready to act will continue to widen their lead and deliver outsized returns."

The 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2023

Despite the market headwinds that they experienced in 2022, tech companies continue to dominate the top 50, including five of the top ten slots. For the third consecutive year, Apple holds the top spot on the list. Tesla climbs three positions to second place, and Amazon remains at third. Nine new companies join the top 50. In addition, international energy companies hold five spots, possibly reflecting survey respondents' concerns over climate change and the fact that they're looking to the energy industry to be a creative part of the solution.

The 50 most innovative companies for 2023 are a geographically diverse group, roughly evenly split between North America and the rest of the world. Europe and Asia are well represented, and the Middle East joins the list for the first time.

BCG's report also underscores the role innovation plays in driving performance. Since 2005, BCG's portfolio of the 50 most innovative companies has outpaced the broader market in shareholder returns by a significant marginan average of 3.3 percentage points per year.

Companies Are Investing in AI More Than Any Other Technology

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly expanding innovation possibilities, and companies' investment priorities reflect this: 61% of companies are investing in AI and machine learning this year. This is 15 percentage points higher than robotics and process automation, which survey respondents selected as the second most attractive technology for investment.

However, while 83% of these firms have systematically implemented AI to support innovation in one or more use cases, only 45% have managed to translate this into business impact.

Those select companies that ultimately realize impact from AI become idea-generation powerhouses. They generate more than five times as many ideas than others and incubate more than twice as many minimum viable products.

"The best innovators develop a self-reinforcing, virtuous cycle. AI is a great example of thismore ideas means greater likelihood of finding the best use cases for AI, and implementing AI helps generate more ideas," said Michael Ringel, a BCG managing director and senior partner and a coauthor of the report. "Once the innovation cycle starts, it creates its own momentum and produces transformative competitive advantage."

Download the publication here:

https://www.bcg.com/publications/2023/advantages-through-innovation-in-uncertain-times

Media Contact:

Eric Gregoire

+1 617 850 3783

[email protected]

About Boston Consulting Group

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholdersempowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

SOURCE Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
VANCOUVER, BC, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Nevada King Gold Corp. (TSXV: NKG) (OTCQX: NKGFF) ("Nevada King" or the "Company") is pleased to announce assay results from one vertical, reverse circulation ("RC") hole recently completed at its at its 5,166 hectare (51.6km2), 100% owned Atlanta Gold Mine Project, located in the prolific Battle Mountain Trend 264km northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Highlights:

Figure 1. Location map for the hole reported in this news release along drill Section22-5N(2) relative to the perimeter of the historical Atlanta Pit. Shallow drillholes on the mine dumps have been removed from the plot for clarity. (CNW Group/Nevada King Gold Corp.) Figure 2. Section 22-5N(2) looking north across the southern portion of the Atlanta Mine Fault Zone and West Atlanta Graben. The South Fault dips steeply north and cuts the section at a low angle. (CNW Group/Nevada King Gold Corp.)

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AT23HG-21 149.4 219.5 70.1 3.18 20.8 Includes 198.2 213.4 15.2 6.63 68.6

Table 1: Interval released today. True width estimated at 90-95%.

AT23HG-21 plotted on section 22-5N(2) intercepted 70.1m of 3.18 g/t Au, including 15.2m of 6.63 g/t Au , and was collared 25m west of previously released AT22HG-13 which averaged 82.3m of 3.60 g/t Au, including 12.2m of 17.59 g/t Au , (see January 12, 2023 , release). These two holes add to the rapidly growing, high-grade, sub-horizontal silica replacement zone that developed within strongly decalcified dolomite and overlying volcanics along and adjacent to the northerly trending West Atlanta Fault (" WAF "). This "core" zone of higher grade mineralization ranges from 30m to 70m wide and 50m to 100m true vertical thickness and is currently identified in widely-spaced drill holes over a 400m north-south strike length. The Company is actively tracking it northward along the WAF with a series of drill fences designed to fill a 200m gap in drill coverage between Section 22-8N (released February 1, 2023 ) and Section 22-15N (released April 27, 2023 , see Figure 1).





, and was collared west of previously released AT22HG-13 which averaged , (see , release). These two holes add to the rapidly growing, high-grade, sub-horizontal silica replacement zone that developed within strongly decalcified dolomite and overlying volcanics along and adjacent to the northerly trending West Atlanta Fault (" "). This "core" zone of higher grade mineralization ranges from to wide and to true vertical thickness and is currently identified in widely-spaced drill holes over a north-south strike length. The Company is actively tracking it northward along the WAF with a series of drill fences designed to fill a gap in drill coverage between Section 22-8N (released ) and Section 22-15N (released , see Figure 1). Section 22-5N(2) is the longest drill section released to date by the Company. Running 400m east-west, this section starts at the bottom of the East Ridge Target, completely crosses the Atlanta Mine Fault Zone (" AMFZ ") and then transits most of the West Atlanta Graben. The same structural and mineralization patterns are repeated along drill fences for at least 400m northward. Mineralization remains open at both ends of Section 22-5N(2) and the Company will soon initiate drilling to track the mineralization hit in AT22-RC12 and RC13 eastward up into the East Ridge Target and westward from AT22HG-8T later this summer to test mineralization beyond the West Atlanta Graben's western margin.





this section starts at the bottom of the East Ridge Target, completely crosses the Atlanta Mine Fault Zone (" ") and then transits most of the West Atlanta Graben. The same structural and mineralization patterns are repeated along drill fences for at least northward. and the Company will soon initiate drilling to track the mineralization hit in AT22-RC12 and RC13 eastward up into the East Ridge Target and westward from AT22HG-8T later this summer to test mineralization beyond the West Atlanta Graben's western margin. Looking immediately south of Section 22-5N(2) is the east-west trending South Fault, which previous explorers perceived to cut off mineralization at Atlanta . However, holes drilled by Nevada King indicate gold mineralization is in fact present south of the South Fault, which implies that the AMFZ could well extend further south into the South Extension Target. If this area proves to host gold mineralization, a significant area currently categorized as strip material could instead contribute to a future resource, while opening up mineralization further south along the WAF in an area with no historical drilling. Given the strong mineralization seen along Section 22-5N(2) the Company will now target the extension of this high-grade gold southward from this section.

Cal Herron, Exploration Manager of Nevada King, commented, "We continue to interserct higher-grade results as our drills step westward across the WAF from the AMFZ into the West Atlanta Graben. The WAF is a major control over gold/silver mineralization and proximity to this structure is the key to finding higher-grades within the adjacent AMFZ and West Atlanta Graben. The Company will continue drilling more fences east-west across the WAF in order to expand the northerly-trending high-grade core zone and test the thick, volcanic-hosted mineralization occurring within the adjacent West Atlanta Graben. The Company will also test for mineralization southward along the AMFZ, moving into an area with no historical drilling that is looking more like a major blue sky target at Atlanta."

Hole No. From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) AT22HG-8T^ 135.7 185.4 49.7 3.50 3.3 Includes 170.4 183.8 13.4 7.65 6.6 And 239.0 278.7 39.6 1.54 2.6 Aggregate 135.7 278.7 89.3 2.74 3.0 AT22SE-42 122.0 201.2 79.3 1.50 1.4 And 234.8 318.6 83.8 0.48 3.6 Aggregate 122.0 318.6 163.1 0.98 2.5 AT22HG-9 201.2 205.8 4.6 2.1 6.3 AT22HG-16* 163.1 170.7 7.6 2.98 7.5 And* 196.6 292.7 96.0 1.38 3.1 Includes* 289.6 292.7 3.0 9.16 39.2 AT22HG-13 109.8 192.1 82.3 3.60 11.0 Includes 147.8 175.3 27.4 9.92 30.9 Includes 161.6 173.8 12.2 17.59 33.0 Includes 167.6 173.8 4.6 32.47 50.0 AT22NS-82 102.1 128.0 25.9 2.90 8.1 Includes 120.4 126.5 6.1 8.16 17.1 AT22NS-69 89.9 135.7 45.7 1.57 8.5 AT22NS-80 80.8 129.6 48.8 1.37 6.6 AT21-41B* 38.1 73.2 35.0 1.17 11.3 AT21-43A* 19.8 33.5 13.7 1.9 18.6 AT22RC-12 0 57.9 57.9 1.38 14.0 AT22RC-13 0 19.8 19.8 0.99 7.4 AR-18 221.0 257.6 36.6 0.53 1.9 ARC-5 (U) 131.1 202.7 71.6 2.97 11.1 includes 173.2 199.7 26.5 6.35 12.6 ARC-5 (L)* 259.1 282.0 22.9 2.23 1.9 ARC-2 155.5 184.5 29.0 3.93 27.5 ARC-1 176.5 289.9 113.4 2.11 10.8 KR98-1 186.0 239.3 53.4 3.05 1.1 KR98-3 266.8 288.1 21.3 0.83 0.9



Table2. Other holes used in Section22-5N(2). The AT21/22 series holes were drilled by Nevada King. ARC series of holes were drilled by Goldfields in 1990. KR series of holes drilled by Kinross in 1998. *Denotes hole that bottomed in mineralization.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Calvin R. Herron, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101").

About Nevada King Gold Corp.

Nevada King is the third largest mineral claim holder in the State of Nevada, behind Nevada Gold Mines (Barrick/Newmont) and Kinross Gold. Starting in 2016, the Company has staked large project areas hosting significant historical exploration work along the Battle Mountain trend located close to current or former producing gold mines. These project areas were initially targeted based on their potential for hosting multi-million-ounce gold deposits and were subsequently staked following a detailed geological evaluation. District-scale projects in Nevada King's portfolio include (1) the 100% owned Atlanta Mine, located 100km southeast of Ely, (2) the Lewis and Horse Mountain-Mill Creek projects, both located between Nevada Gold Mines' large Phoenix and Pipeline mines, and (3) the Iron Point project, located 35km east of Winnemucca, Nevada.

The Company is well funded with cash of approximately $10 million as of May 2023.

The Atlanta Mine is a historical gold-silver producer with a NI 43-101 compliant pit-constrained resource of 460,000 oz Au in the measured and indicated category (11.0M tonnes at 1.3 g/t) plus an inferred resource of 142,000 oz Au (5.3M tonnes at 0.83 g/t). See the NI 43-101 Technical Report on Resources titled "Atlanta Property, Lincoln County, NV" with an effective date of October 6, 2020, and a report date of December 22, 2020, as prepared by Gustavson Associates and filed under the Company's profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

NI 43-101 Mineral Resources at the Atlanta Mine

Resource Category Tonnes (000s) Au Grade (ppm) Contained Au

Oz Ag Grade (ppm) Contained Ag

Oz Measured 4,130 1.51 200,000 14.0 1,860,000 Indicated 6,910 1.17 260,000 10.6 2,360,000 Measured + Indicated 11,000 1.30 460,000 11.9 4,220,000 Inferred 5,310 0.83 142,000 7.3 1,240,000

Please see the Company's website at www.nevadaking.ca.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operations and activities of Nevada King, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the Company's exploration plans and the Company's ability to potentially expand mineral resources and the impact thereon. 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. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Nevada King, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Nevada King does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Nevada King Gold Corp.
The Santa Barbara & San Luis Obispo wine regions boast over 150 producers of local sparkling wine.

ATASCADERO, Calif., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- California's Central Coast now has over 150 Sparkling Wine producers located within the Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Ynez Valley, and Santa Barbara areas. Liz Dodder, creator of CaliCoastWineCountry.com and CentralCoastBubbles.com, first created the Central Coast Sparkling Wine Maps in 2014. Since then, sparkling wine production on the Central Coast has exploded, and she has compiled these 150+ producers on new 2023 maps, so bubbly lovers can see all the wineries, producers, and online sites where one can sip or purchase local sparkling wine!

San Luis Obispo County Sparkling Wine Map Santa Barbara County Sparkling Wine Map

California Sparkling Wine can't be called Champagneit's not from the Champagne region of Francebut many of these Bubbles are made in the same Methode Champenoise. Many fun sparklers are also Pet-Nats (short for petillant naturel) which are made in the Methode Ancestrale of sparkling wine, and a few are even imported from France and Italy.

The Santa Barbara County Sparkling Wine Map (https://tinyurl.com/SBbubbles) showcases more than 75 California sparkling wine producers in the Santa Maria, Los Alamos and Santa Ynez Valleys, as well as Sta. Rita Hills and Lompoc, Los Olivos and the Santa Barbara (and Funk Zone) area. It's perfect for sparkling wine since Santa Barbara County is one of the world's premier growing regions for Chardonnay & Pinot Noir2 of the main grapes in traditional Champagne. There are also many winemakers experimenting with different grape varieties like sparkling Shiraz and Grenache.

The San Luis Obispo County Sparkling Wine Map (https://tinyurl.com/SLObubbles) showcases over 85 California sparkling wine producers in Paso Robles (and Tin City), Templeton, Atascadero, San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Avila Beach, and Pismo Beach. San Luis Obispo County has a large range of sparkling wine producers specializing in French classic-style sparklers (including cool-climate grapes from the SLO Coast AVA), as well as Italian Proseccos, and unique grape varieties like sparkling Viognier, Albarino. and Grewurtraminer.

Each map is divided into local wine trails, so folks can enjoy a trip to the Central Coast sparkling wine country, and drink local bubbles!

About Cali Coast Wine Country & Central Coast Bubbles

Cali Coast Wine Country and Central Coast Bubbles were created by Liz Dodder, a food and wine writer, photographer, recipe developer, web designer, social media maven and Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). Dodder spent 18 years creating content for corporations in Texas, California and Switzerland, and eventually found herself on the Central Coast. Since then, Dodder has been marketing and creating content for local companies for over 12 years, including Edible SLO, Edible SB and wine country magazines in addition to sharing her love of Bubbles with her followers online.

Media Contact:

Liz Dodder

818-468-1971

[email protected]

SOURCE CentralCoastBubbles.com
Survey Shows Asian Language Media is the Most Trusted Source of Information for Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese Americans

NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, and the Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF), the leading resource in Asian advertising, Asian marketing and the power of the Asian American consumer, today released the results of their first-ever Asian Language Media Consumption study. The research focused on media perceptions and content preferences for the top three Asian languages in the United States: Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean.

In-language media is the most trusted source of information for Asian Americans. Tweet this Nielsen-3AF report: Asian Language Media Consumption And Preferences: A Study Of Chinese, Korean And Vietnamese Audiences

The study found that in-language media is the most trusted source of information for Asian Americans. More than 40% of total respondents 'strongly agreed/agreed' that Asian media offers programs and perspectives they trust. Furthermore, the study shows that more than 50% of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese respondents prefer to buy brands that advertise on programs reflecting their culture.

"These findings confirm that in-language media continues to be a major influence for Asian American consumers," said Patricia Ratulangi, Vice President of Global Communications - DE&I at Nielsen. "Brands and advertisers have the opportunity to include in-language media and culturally inclusive content to build trust with Asian American consumers, and influence purchase decisions."

"We are thrilled to collaborate with Nielsen on our first in-language study and see the positive impact that our Asian language media partners can continue to make in our community," said Genny Hom-Franzen, Executive Director at 3AF. "We know that there is still a lot of work to be done to help increase authentic representation in media and advertising, but with partners like Nielsen, we can continue to make the industry more inclusive with these important insights."

This study is based on a 2022 survey of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese language speakers in the U.S.representing about 40% of the Asian American population and three of the Asian languages most spoken at home*.

Other key highlights in the 2023 Asian Language Media Consumption include:

Streaming TV is the most-watched in-language platform (compared to broadcast and cable).





Radio is still an important in-language platform. 34% of Chinese respondents, 31% of Vietnamese and 21% of Koreans listen to 7 or more hours per week.





Vietnamese respondents reported the highest social media use at 59%, with Korean and Chinese respondents at 38% and 45%.





67% of Korean respondents, 60% of Chinese respondents and 72% of Vietnamese respondents report paying attention to ads in their preferred language.





50% of those who responded to the survey in English state that in-language media helps them to stay connected to their cultural roots.

Download the 2023 Asian Language Media Consumption for more details and insights. Join the discussion on Facebook (Nielsen Community) and follow us on Twitter (@Nielsen_DEI).

* 2020 U.S. Census ; Language Use in the U.S. 2019 - American Community Survey

###

ABOUT NIELSEN

Nielsen shapes the world's media and content as a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their audiencesnow and into the future. Nielsen operates around the world in more than 55 countries. Learn more at www.nielsen.com and connect with us on social media.

ABOUT ASIAN AMERICAN ADVERTISING FEDERATION (3AF)

The Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF) is a national trade organization of Asian American advertising agencies, Asian market advertisers, Asian media companies and other industry specialists. Its mission is to advance the Asian American marketing and advertising industry for Asian American consumers through education, advocacy, promotion, and increased collaboration of all industry stakeholders, including, but not limited to, marketers, agencies, research partners and media. Additionally, 3AF seeks to promote and encourage high standards of conduct and ethics among our members and industry. The 3AF Asian Marketing Summit is held annually. More information about the 3AF is available at www.3af.org .

SOURCE Nielsen
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Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro speaks outside the Legislative Building on March 23, hours before a hearing for Senate Joint Resolution 7, which would enshrine abortion and other reproductive rights into the Nevada Constitution (Photo courtesy NReal Media Strategies)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

People traveling to Nevada for abortions may soon have an added layer of protection against any draconian attempts to prosecute them for that choice, if a bill passed Monday by the legislature is signed by Gov. Joe Lombardo.

The first-term Republican governor now has five days to sign or veto Senate Bill 131, which would prohibit the State of Nevada from assisting in the arrest or extradition of someone charged in another state for a crime related to reproductive health care services such as abortion, unless that crime is also a crime in Nevada. Abortion is legal in Nevada up to 24 weeks in pregnancy and beyond if the life of the mother is in jeopardy.

If Lombardo takes no action, the bill will automatically become law.

The bill also bars occupational boards from disciplining or disqualifying a medical provider because they have provided abortions or other reproductive health care services. SB 131 was spearheaded by Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, who on Saturday gave birth to her second child.

Shortly after the overturning of Roe v. Wade last June, Nevada abortion providers began reporting seeing more out-of-state patients, and anti-abortion rights advocates began pushing to expand abortion bans to include criminalizing traveling out of state for an abortion.

Lombardo in a February interview with KNPR said any changes in totality of the abortion question needs to be a vote of the people but said of not cooperating with other states in their efforts to prosecute Nevada patients that this particular item involving abortions, I could support if it stands on its own.

SB 131 also instructs boards to consider the feasibility of reciprocal licensing for reproductive health providers from other states.

Lombardo on the gubernatorial campaign trail floundered on the issue of abortion rights, at one point saying he would rescind a Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak executive order that did what SB 131 would, then later saying he would keep that executive order in place until the legislature took action.

That legislative action happened Monday, when the Assembly joined the Senate and passed SB 131. The 27-14 Assembly vote fell along party lines, with all Republicans opposing and one Democrat excused.

In the Senate, which passed the bill on April 19, Republican state Sens. Heidi Seevers Gansert and Carrie Buck voted with Democrats to pass the bill 15-6.

Abortion rights groups like NARAL Pro Choice America and Planned Parenthood have already released statements urging Lombardo to make good on his statement of support.

Protections for our abortion providers and the patients who come to our state seeking care are a vitally important step in acknowledging the present national abortion access landscape and Nevadas role as a safe haven state, said Lindsey Harmon, executive director of Planned Parenthood Votes Nevada, in a statement.

As of Monday, Lombardo has signed just nine bills and vetoed three. The trio of vetoed bills related to gun control. Each passed the legislature on party lines. One of the three bills, Senate Bill 171, which would bar people convicted of hate crimes from owning a firearm, has been reintroduced by the legislature and flagged for special order of business on May 29.

Proposed constitutional amendment

Democrats this legislative session also passed Senate Joint Resolution 7, a proposal to amend the state constitution to establish a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, which is described as encompassing not just abortion but also prenatal and postnatal care, birth control, and infertility care, among others.

The resolution passed the Senate 13-8 on April 17 and the Assembly 28-14 on May 10. Both votes were on strict party lines. Resolutions are not subject to gubernatorial vetoes.

SJR 7 will return to the legislature in 2025 for a second approval. If lawmakers pass it again, it will appear before voters to decide during the 2026 general election.

Nevadans in 1990 through a referendum established the right to an abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy and beyond that if necessary to preserve the life of the mother. That right is largely protected from legislative action because the referendum was written so that it could only be changed through a direct vote of the people. But Democrats argue the constitutional amendment would provide the highest level of legal protections and expand protections beyond abortion into areas like birth control that are also under attack in conservative states.
KYOTO, Japan, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OMRON Healthcare Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as the Company) based in Muko City, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, is proud to announce the celebration of its 50th anniversary in blood pressure monitor production this year. Since the introduction of its first manual and manometer-type blood pressure monitor in 1973, the Company has continuously improved and produced accurate and user-friendly blood pressure monitors. To date, the Company has sold over 350 million units in more than 110 countries worldwide.

Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202305165636-O5-THg59uEz

The Company has always believed in the importance of home blood pressure monitoring, even when blood pressure readings could only be obtained at medical facilities. In 1991, the Company launched the world's first automated blood pressure monitor with fuzzy logic technology (*) for greater accuracy and ease of use than manual monitors. In parallel with the advancement of blood pressure monitors, the Company worked continuously to improve and developed the pre-formed cuff that the user can wrap around his/her arm securely and easily. Moreover, the Company has been focusing on enhancing usability and measurement accuracy by expanding the range of support functions to ensure that the user maintains the correct measurement posture.

(*) Automatic pressure-setting function

Image1: The first blood pressure monitor: HEP-1

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202305165636-O1-9z3sXW19

Image2: The world's first fuzzy logic automatic blood pressure monitor: HEM-706

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202305165636-O6-uDd2KOhG

In addition, the Company has worked to raise awareness of the importance of home blood pressure monitoring among medical professionals by developing and distributing the accurate and clinically validated devices. The Company supported the Ohasama Study, which was started in 1986 in Ohasama, Iwate Prefecture, by providing around 300 units of OMRON blood pressure monitors for use in the research. Ohasama was notable for high and increasing incidence rates of cardiovascular diseases due to the area's cold climate. To counter this problem, public health nurses worked to improve the community's health by having its residents measure their blood pressure at home and advising them based on their self-measured day-to-day blood pressure data. This study continued for more than 35 years and its findings, which confirmed the benefits of home blood pressure monitoring, have been incorporated into hypertension management guidelines issued in various countries.

The Company has continued to pursue the challenge of adopting digital technology for blood pressure management. In 2010, the Company launched a health management service, WellnessLINK, on the Japanese market. The smartphone app for health management, OMRON connect, is now available in more than 140 countries. Moreover, in 2020, the Company launched a remote patient monitoring service in the U.S. This service enables users to share their blood pressure readings at home with physicians, promoting cardiovascular disease management before it worsens. The Company has expanded its business scope by manufacturing and distributing a range of products and services that support hypertension treatments.

The Company is also committed to developing innovative devices. These developments include the world's first clinically accurate wearable blood pressure monitor, HeartGuide, and an upper-arm blood pressure monitor with built-in electrocardiogram (ECG) technology to facilitate the early detection of atrial fibrillation, a known risk factor for cardiogenic brain embolism.

Image3: Wearable blood pressure monitor: HCR-6900T-M

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202305165636-O3-gUNRLxNb

Image4: Upper-arm blood pressure monitor with ECG: HCR-7800T

https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/img/202305165636-O4-Bu8sRho7

"This year, we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the launch of OMRON blood pressure monitors," said Ayumu Okada, President and CEO of OMRON Healthcare Co., Ltd. "On this occasion, I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to all our valued customers for their continuing support of our blood pressure monitors. Cerebro-cardiovascular diseases are known to be the leading cause of death globally, and as populations in many countries continue to age, the number of patients suffering from these diseases is expected to increase even more. We remain committed to fulfilling the vision of 'Going for ZERO' (achieving zero cerebro-cardiovascular events). Going forward, we will continue contributing to extending healthy life expectancy for people around the world by introducing devices and services tailored to solving health-related issues."

History of blood pressure monitor development

For the detailed information of the Company's achievements and the future vision for realizing the vision of zero cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events, please visit here:

https://healthcare.omron.com/healthcare-solutions/cardiovascular-health/300-million/our-journey/history-of-home-bpm

SOURCE OMRON Healthcare Co., Ltd.
Orangebox to become first-to-market with "Do-Better" carbon reduced office furniture made with climate positive thermoplastic UBQ

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UBQ Materials, climate tech developer of advanced materials made from waste, today announced that leading UK-based furniture solutions company, Orangebox, will incorporate UBQ into its Do office chair. Orangebox will launch the reformulated product as "Do-Better," a new carbon-reduced version of its top seller at the leading UK design event, Clerkenwell Design Week, taking place May 23-25 in London.

The "Do-Better" chair uses UBQ, a 100% bio-based material made entirely from household waste, to reduce the carbon footprint of the seat pan. UBQ replaces the mineral talc that is normally added to the polypropylene (PP), resulting in approximately 80% PP and 20% UBQ. The PP contains 75% recycled content, of which 90% comes from post-consumer waste.

"Businesses across industries are looking for easy material swaps when it comes to sustainable transformation. Orangebox's Do-Better chair is first-to-market within its space and plays an important role in establishing a new standard for strategic implementation of innovative raw materials across product categories," said Patricia Mishic O'Brien, chief commercial officer of UBQ Materials.

The seat of The Orangebox chair will be produced with a new material mix prepared by compounding partner, Group MAIP, based in Italy. Utilizing UBQ within this component, in combination with changing other parts' materials to more conventional recycled feedstocks, Orangebox is helping tackle the waste crisis, preventing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and ultimately contributing to the establishment of a more circular economy.

Orangebox will exhibit its partnership with UBQ at this year's Clerkenwell Design Week under its "No Green Bull" campaign, setting an example for a new standard in office furniture sustainability and transparency. The company will delve into three focus areas: Materiality, Circularity and Locality, providing a platform to its partners to showcase environmentally conscious solutions across these areas. Gareth Banks, Head of Sustainability for Orangebox, will present UBQ Materials as one of three 'No Green Bull' allies to Clerkenwell Design Week attendees from the Orangebox booth on Thursday, May 25th at 11:00 am BST.

"We are specifically not creating a separate eco-conscious office furniture line," said Banks. "Instead, we are leading our industry on a sustainable path for the future, reformulating the Do, our best-selling office chair, to 'Do-Better. We are demonstrating that you don't have to change your best-sellers. This is the same product that our customers know and love, with a lighter environmental footprint."

According to Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) 1.2 million ofce desks and 1.8 million ofce chairs end up in UK landlls each year. Across Europe, 80-90% of all furniture ends its life this way, with the average task chair alone generating 72 kilos of CO over its lifespan. Every ton of UBQ diverts roughly 1.3 tons of waste from landfills or incineration, while also preventing up to 11.7 tons of CO2eq (GWP20) into the atmosphere.

"We cannot separate eco-consciousness. It must be integrated into everything we do and every product we design moving forward," emphasized Banks.

UBQ is a novel material with thermoplastic properties that can integrate with minimal adaptations to existing manufacturing processes and materials. Made entirely from unsorted household waste that has been diverted from landfills, incorporating UBQ in products increases recycled content, reduces or offsets carbon footprints, and is recyclable for further use.

About UBQ Materials Ltd.

UBQ Materials Ltd. closes the loop between the ecosystems of waste and materials. Through its advanced conversion technology, UBQ Materials Ltd. has created the world's first bio-based thermoplastic, UBQ, made entirely from organic and unrecyclable household waste. An easy material swap for plastic, UBQ preserves finite resources, prevents methane emissions in landfills and provides a climate positive solution for a circular economy. A certified B Corp, UBQ Materials is a globally expanding company providing the world's largest businesses, municipalities and consumers the ability to create a truly circular economy where human consumption lives in harmony with the planet.

Learn more by visiting www.ubqmaterials.com

Media Contact

Nicole Kaufman Grubner

929-588-2011

[email protected]

SOURCE UBQ Materials Ltd.
Night of Heroes Gala Honors Dr. Mark Esper, Kathy Warden and Lisa Hallett for Extraordinary Support of Military Heroes

TYSONS, Va., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The PenFed Foundation, a national 501(c)3 founded by PenFed Credit Union, today announced it raised over $1.3 million at its 19th Annual Night of Heroes Gala. This is the eighth consecutive year the event raised over $1 million.

PenFed Credit Union President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO James Schenck, PenFed Credit Union Senior EVP/President Affiliated Business and PenFed Foundation President Shashi Vohra, 27th Secretary of Defense and PenFed Military Hero Award Honoree Dr. Mark Esper and PenFed Foundation Chairwoman Deborah James. Lisa Hallett, executive director and co-founder wear blue: run to remember [right] leads a remembrance circle honoring the fallen. Lisa is recognized by the PenFed Foundation as the National Impact Hero.

"The PenFed Foundation is proud to celebrate over 20 years of serving the brave men and women who defend our nation and the generosity and patriotism of our donors for supporting our military community," said PenFed Credit Union President/CEO and PenFed Foundation CEO James Schenck. "As a result of our generous donors, the PenFed Foundation is empowering military service members, veterans, and their communities with the skills and resources to realize financial stability and opportunity."

The PenFed Foundation honored:

Dr. Mark Esper , 27 th Secretary of Defense, with the Military Hero Award for leading at the highest levels of the U.S. Department of Defense and providing our nation with exemplary vision and leadership during vital times.

for leading at the highest levels of the U.S. Department of Defense and providing our nation with exemplary vision and leadership during vital times. Kathy Warden , chair, CEO and president of Northrop Grumman with the Corporate Hero Award. Northrop Grumman employs a significant number of veterans and shares the Foundation's mission of gratitude and support for our nation's military community. Northrop Grumman recently rolled out the B21 Raider, which provides our warfighters with an advanced aircraft featuring cutting edge range, payload, and survivability.

Northrop Grumman employs a significant number of veterans and shares the Foundation's mission of gratitude and support for our nation's military community. Northrop Grumman recently rolled out the B21 Raider, which provides our warfighters with an advanced aircraft featuring cutting edge range, payload, and survivability. Lisa Hallett , executive director and co-founder of wear blue: run to remember, with the National Impact Hero Award. Lisa is an American hero who has made it her life's work to provide healing and connection to families of the fallen and to honor the service and sacrifice of those they loved. She is a military advocate, Gold Star Wife, endurance athlete and executive leader of wear blue: run to remember  a now global organization that honors all members of the military who pass away while in service.

Schenck also recognized PenFed Foundation Board Director Emeritus Ed Dauksz for a lifetime of service to his country and his outstanding dedication to the PenFed Foundation.

"The PenFed Foundation is grateful to our supporters for sharing our commitment to our nation's veterans, their caregivers, and their families," said PenFed Foundation President and PenFed Credit Union Senior EVP/President of Affiliated Businesses Shashi Vohra. "Our programs are making a positive impact on thousands of military community members each year."

Jonathan Elias, award-winning journalist and ABC7/WJLA-TV evening news anchor, served as master of ceremonies for the Washington Region's premier fundraising event for our nation's defenders. Special guests included National Credit Union Administration Board Member and Former Chairman Rodney Hood, Professional Racing Driver Sabre Cook, and Pilot/Aerobatic Performer, Michael Goulian.

The PenFed Foundation, a national 501(c)3 founded by PenFed Credit Union, was created in 2001 and, since then, has provided more than $40 million in financial support to veterans, active-duty service members, families, and caregivers. Those interested in supporting the PenFed Foundation's mission to help the military community and their support network are encouraged to visit penfedfoundation.org.

About PenFed Foundation:

Founded in 2001, the PenFed Foundation is a national nonprofit organization committed to empowering military service members, veterans, and their communities with the skills and resources they need to build a strong financial future. Through its programs, the PenFed Foundation provides financial assistance, housing support, and mentorship opportunities to those who have served our country. For more information, visit penfedfoundation.org.

SOURCE PenFed Foundation
The Diocese will host a News Conference at 10 a.m. EST that will be live streamed at www.diokzoo.org.

KALAMAZOO, Mich., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Paul J. Bradley, 77, and appointed Msgr. Edward M. Lohse, 61, as the fifth Bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo. The resignation and appointment were announced today by the Holy See in Rome.

Bishop-elect Lohse is currently the Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Erie and Pastor of St. Julia Parish, Erie. Ordination of the new Bishop has been scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, at St. Augustine Cathedral, Kalamazoo.

Pope Francis Names Msgr. Edward M. Lohse, fifth Bishop for the Diocese of Kalamazoo Tweet this

Bishop-elect Lohse is the sixth of seven children born to his parents, the late Edward and Ida Lohse, who raised their family in their hometown of McKean, Pa. He graduated from Cathedral Preparatory School and continued his education at Gannon University, Erie, Pa., where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He continued his seminary studies at St. Vincent Seminary, Latrobe, Pa., graduating with a Master of Divinity in 1987 and completing his requirements for ordination in 1988. More recently, Bishop-elect Lohse furthered his studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University earning both a License (2002) and Doctorate in Canon Law (2016). He was ordained a priest by the late Bishop Michael J. Murphy on April 21, 1989, at St. Peter Cathedral, Erie, Pa.

"I am both humbled and honored to be asked by the Holy Father to become the fifth Bishop of Kalamazoo, and I am grateful to Bishop Bradley for his support," said Bishop-elect Lohse. "The task ahead is a daunting one, but none of us walks the path of faith alone. I know that I will need to count on the prayers of Bishop Bradley, the priests, religious and laity of the diocese, and I pledge my prayers for them in return. Together, we will go forward to proclaim Christ, and to meet him in the hearts of all God's people in the Diocese of Kalamazoo."

Visit www.diokzoo.org for additional biographical information.

Contact: Vicki Cessna

[email protected]

269.349.8714 ext. 1350

269.929.8298 (cell)

www.diokzoo.org

SOURCE Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo
In collaboration with leading cancer centers, research results to be presented from 42 studies across more than 30 solid tumor types demonstrating Caris' impact on precision medicine

IRVING, Texas, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Caris Life Sciences(Caris), the leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize healthcare, today announced that the company and collaborators within the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance (POA) will collectively present 42 studies across more than 30 solid tumor types at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting from June 2-6, 2023 (Booth #13081). The findings demonstrate the power of Caris' comprehensive clinico-genomic database that enable novel insights into cancer that could have profound effects on a patient's diagnosis, prognosis, care plan, and response to treatment.

"The quantity and quality of research being presented at this year's ASCO illustrates Caris' commitment to data-driven molecular innovation and large-scale collaboration with investigators across the nation to address some of the biggest challenges in precision oncology today," said Chadi Nabhan, M.D., MBA, FACP, Chairman of the Caris Precision Oncology Alliance. "The findings of these studies illustrate the power of comprehensive molecular profiling to identify molecular changes that may affect tumor behavior and patient outcomes. The research further illustrates the emerging role of artificial intelligence in informing patient care. Armed with these tools, and alongside our POA partners, we pioneer new approaches to help deliver the right treatment to the right patient at the right time."

Findings demonstrate the power of Caris' comprehensive clinico-genomic database that enable novel insights into cancer Tweet this

"With the most comprehensive clinico-genomic database in the industry, Caris is on the leading edge of enabling clinicians to make the best treatment choices for patients with cancer," said George W. Sledge, Jr., M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Caris. "Powered by data from more than 390,000 patients  comprising more than 1 million data points per patient  we are also helping to uncover the molecular drivers of a wide range of cancers, from rare to common treatment-resistant tumors. Insights from our unrivaled database could vastly improve clinical decision-making in the years to come."

The Caris POA includes 83 cancer centers and academic institutions in the United States and beyond. These institutions have early access to the extensive database and artificial intelligence platform within Caris to establish evidence-based standards for cancer profiling and molecular testing in oncology. By leveraging the comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic data available through Caris molecular profiling, Caris seeks to provide this network with the ability to prioritize therapeutic options and determine which clinical trial opportunities may benefit their patients.

Caris' data, which includes one oral abstract and three poster discussions, focuses on rare, aggressive, and difficult to treat tumors:

Oral Presentation:

The genomic and transcriptomic landscapes of chemotherapy naive vs post-chemotherapy germ cell tumors (Abstract Number: 5007)

June 4, 2023 , 8:00 AM  11:00 AM CDT

Poster Discussions:

Multi-omic characterization of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) in a large real-world patient cohort (Abstract Number: 11522; Poster Board Number: 456)

June 3, 2023 , 4:30 PM  6:00 PM CDT





,  Large-scale transcriptomic profiling of the tumor immune microenvironment in ALK + lung cancer (Abstract Number: 9020; Poster Board Number: 8)

June 4, 2023 , 4:30 PM  6:00 PM CDT





,  Not all treated KRAS-mutant pancreatic adenocarcinomas are equal: KRAS G12D and survival outcome (Abstract Number: 4020; Poster Board Number: 341)

June 5, 2023 , 11:30 AM  1:00 PM CDT

Other notable studies focus on emerging tools such as real-world evidence and artificial intelligence and key topics including mechanisms of treatment resistance, rare biomarkers and predictors of therapeutic response:

Multimodal machine learning analysis of more than 220,000 tumor profiles to diagnose molecular and morphological subtypes of cancer. (Abstract: 3978; Poster Board: 276)

June 3, 2023 , 8:00  11:00 AM CDT





, 8:00  Genomic landscapes to characterize mismatch-repair deficiency (dMMR)/microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) gastrointestinal (GI) cancers stratified by tumor mutation burden (TMB). (Abstract: 2618; Poster Board: 460)

June 3, 2023 , 8:00  11:00 AM CDT





, 8:00  Multi-cancer brain metastasis risk score development and validation using 220,246 whole transcriptomes and machine learning. (Abstract: 2039; Poster Board: 396)

June 3, 2023 , 1:15  4:15 PM CDT





, 1:15  Real-world evidence to inform clinical insights on tissue-agnostic approvals of therapies. (Abstract: 6589; Poster Board: 81)

June 3, 2023 , 1:15  4:15 PM CDT





, 1:15  Vulnerability to immune therapy in BRAF- and MYB-altered pediatric gliomas. (Abstract: 2066; Poster Board: 423)

June 3, 2023 , 1:15  4:15 PM CDT





, 1:15  Stimulator of interferon gene (STING) expression as a biomarker for overall survival in PDL1-negative, TMB-low non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). (Abstract: 9120; Poster Board: 108)

June 4, 2023 , 8:00  11:00 AM CDT





, 8:00  Molecular and clinical correlates of DSCR1 expression in pancreatic cancer (PDAC). (Abstract: 4151; Poster Board: 472)

June 5, 2023 , 8:00  11:00 AM CDT





, 8:00  Consensus molecular subtyping of colorectal cancer to demonstrate cetuximab benefit in right-sided CMS2 tumors, and pembrolizumab benefit in MSS CMS1 tumors. (Abstract: 3535; Poster Board: 235)

June 5, 2023 , 8:00  11:00 AM CDT

Poster and abstract summaries highlighting this research will be available onsite at Caris' booth 13081. The full abstracts will be available on May 25, 2023, at 5 PM EDT through the ASCO website.

About Caris Life Sciences

Caris Life Sciences (Caris) is the pioneer in precision medicine and leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize healthcare and improve patient outcomes. Through comprehensive molecular profiling (Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing) and the application of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms, Caris has created the large-scale clinico-genomic database and cognitive computing needed to analyze and unravel the molecular complexity of disease. This convergence of data and machine learning provides an unmatched resource and the ideal path forward to conduct the basic, fundamental research to accelerate discovery for detection, diagnosis, monitoring, therapy selection and drug development to improve the human condition.

With a primary focus on cancer, Caris' suite of market-leading molecular profiling offerings assesses DNA, RNA and proteins to reveal a molecular blueprint that helps patients, physicians and researchers better detect, diagnose and treat patients. The company's latest advancement, Caris Assure, is a blood-based, circulating nucleic acids sequencing (cNAS) assay that combines comprehensive molecular analysis (Whole Exome and Whole Transcriptome Sequencing from blood) and serial monitoring  making it the most powerful liquid biopsy assay ever developed.

Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Caris has offices in Phoenix, New York, Tokyo, Japan and Basel, Switzerland. Caris or its distributors provide services in the U.S., Europe, Asia and other international markets. To learn more, please visit CarisLifeSciences.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Caris Life Sciences Media Contact:

Lisa Burgner

[email protected]

214.294.5606

SOURCE Caris Life Sciences
GENEVA, Switzerland, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Technologies' (NYSE: RTX) Collins Aerospace business has launched a new cost-effective, cabin connectivity solution, allowing business jet operators - of all cabin sizes - to keep their passengers connected while in the air.

Copyright Collins Aerospace Cabin Connectivity for Business Aviation

The Collins Aerospace IRT NX Satellite Communication (SATCOM) system for Iridium Certus 700 is among the first certified connected cabin hardware and service solutions that can be installed and operated globally on a variety of aircraft platforms. Operators will enjoy an affordable, swift installation, as well as a reduction in overall connectivity costs by up-to 50%.

"Applications range from complementing existing KU/KA Band service in large cabins, to introducing cabin internet to small and medium size aircraft," said Clotilde Enel Rehel, Executive Director of Programs Connected Aviation Solutions at Collins Aerospace. "This new cabin connectivity solution provides a cost-effective level of connectivity that makes it an attractive option for all business jet operators."

As one of the first to market service providers for the Iridium Certus 700 product, the Collins solution will tap into the truly global Iridium satellite network, providing business aviation passengers with a best-in-class broadband offering, enabling real-time access to news, productivity and voice calls over IP, matching passengers' demand for seamless connectivity.

Bombardier, the world leading manufacturer of business jets, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, is the launch customer for installation during production and for upgrading existing customer aircraft, starting 2nd half of 2023.

"This is a game changing solution for the business aviation market, and we are proud to see our long history of collaboration on connectivity services continuing with Bombardier," said Nate Boelkins, Vice President and General Manager Business and Regional Avionics at Collins Aerospace. "By working hand-in-hand with SATCOM provider Iridium, the only player today offering pole-to-pole coverage capabilities, we are broadening the reach of connectivity solutions for all our business aviation customers around the world."

"Collins Aerospace continues to be an industry leader in providing cutting-edge connectivity solutions to the business aviation market, and the Iridium Certus Connected IRT NX SATCOM system turbocharges their offerings," said Bryan Hartin, executive vice president, Iridium. "The light weight, low-cost, truly global IRT NX is going to be incredibly beneficial to aviators no matter where they fly."

Collins Aerospace designs and manufactures the entire IRT NX SATCOM system  including the SATCOM data unit, SATCOM configuration module and HIGH GAIN antenna  to provide a cohesive, seamless experience for its customers. Additional benefits associated with Collins' IRT NX SATCOM system for Iridium include lower weight and smaller antenna footprint than legacy SATCOM systems, allowing for minimum drag and lower power usage for operators.

About Collins Aerospace

Collins Aerospace is a business of Raytheon Technologies, the largest aerospace and defense company in the world. Our global team of 73,000 employees dreams, designs and delivers smarter, more connected solutions for passenger safety and comfort, mission success, space exploration, and operational efficiency and sustainability. We make the most powerful concepts in aerospace a reality. For more information, visit CollinsAerospace.com.

About Raytheon Technologies

Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) is the world's largest aerospace and defense company. Our global team of 180,000 employees pushes the limits of known science and redefines how we connect and protect our world. We are advancing aviation, building smarter defense systems and creating innovations to take us deeper into space. The company, with 2022 sales of $67 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

Media Contact

Lois Derrick

+33 (0)6 22 71 64 39 | [email protected]

Follow us on Twitter: @CollinsAero

SOURCE Raytheon Technologies; Collins Aerospace
The Science-Forward Skincare Brand Leans into Expertise and Community

NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ReVive is expanding its ever-evolving roster of brand partners across the US and UK markets. This curated group consists of industry professionals, all highly sought after for their individual expertise and point-of-view. Each offers a like-minded approach to skin and lifestyle that speaks to the overall brand ethos.

Revive logo

New additions to the brand include Medical & Cosmetic Doctor and Founder of SknDoctor, Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe, and Content Creator, Leila Kashanipour, both based in the UK. Brand Consultant and former Editor in Chief of Allure, Michelle Lee, and Photographer, Sophie Elgort, round out the new ambassadors in the US. These new authorities will join long-term brand partner, Stylist Micaela Erlanger.

"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe and Leila Kashanipour to our curated community of brand collaborators. Each brings a new voice and new community to our evolving brand awareness. ReVive is a beloved brand known amongst insiders for its product integrity, efficacy, and results, without overpromising. We look to partners who align with the brand's high standard of performance, concern about overall skin health and authenticity to share their experience with and knowledge of the brand with others. Our Founder, Dr. Gregory Bays Brown, has always fostered a focus on science and lifestyle in the brand - being one of the first surgeon-founded brand's in the luxury sector and we look for those qualities in all talents and voices who speak for the brand." Elana Drell Szyfer, CEO ReVive.

Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe is a medical and cosmetic doctor, and clinical expert in skincare and non-surgical enhancement. She developed a passion for art and design from a young age, a passion that she shares with the ReVive team and its founder Dr. Gregory Bays Brown. One of the most innovative and exciting names on the beauty and cosmetics scene, she combines her extensive medical knowledge with a refreshingly contemporary take on beautification. In addition to social media content, she'll lend her expertise to in-person events throughout the year.

Leila Kashanipour, is American-born, Iranian content creator, brand strategist, and founder of jewelry brand Leviankash. Leila uses her engaged community to partner with fine jewelry maisons, cult and designer fashion brands as well as skincare brands on creating digital content and organizing and hosting events. Together with ReVive, she'll host a series of events with her well-connected network and create social content around key upcoming launches.

Michelle Lee is one of the most sought-after experts in skincare, most recently having served as the Vice President of editorial and publishing at Netflix and prior, as Editor in Chief of Allure. Lee will lend her expertise to ReVive's social platforms, including TikTok  a new frontier for the brand, in addition to bimonthly blog posts, events and mailers.

Sophie Elgort is a photographer and director born in New York City. With a deep-seated passion for storytelling as it intersects with art and photography, Sophie will work with ReVive on content to reach her engaged personal network.

Micaela Erlanger is a renowned celebrity stylist, fashion icon, author and skincare enthusiast. Based in New York City, her work has been seen on the biggest red carpets around the globe and in the pages of top fashion publications. As one of the most sought-after celebrity stylists in the industry, Micaela's unprecedented ascent to power stylist has been profiled by Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar and numerous other publications. Micaela is known for saying, "good skin is the best accessory" and ReVive is excited to continue their partnership, one accessory at a time.

ABOUT REVIVE

GIVE NEW LIFE TO SKIN

Founded in 1997, ReVive is a science-forward, luxury skincare line developed by Dr. Gregory Bays Brown, a Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. ReVive formulas unlock the power of Bio-Renewal Technology, a cutting-edge science, which visibly transforms & renews, restoring skin to a younger, healthier, more supple version of itself. ReBuild your skin, from the inside, out.

ReVive can be found at reviveskincare.com, select specialty stores, and luxury online retailers in the US and UK and other global markets such as Spain, Italy, China and more.

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1761454/Revive.jpg

SOURCE ReVive
Pioneering platform to generate novel therapies with potential to treat a wide range of diseases

Financing led by Science Creates Ventures and Meltwind to fund development of the platform and initial product candidates

BRISTOL, England, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Scarlet Therapeutics ("Scarlet"), a leader in red blood cell-based therapeutics, announces today that it has raised seed funding from Science Creates Ventures and Meltwind to enable it to advance development of its pioneering platform and build a pipeline of novel therapies to treat rare diseases.

Therapeutic red blood cells (tRBCs) are very similar to standard red blood cells but carry additional proteins within them to provide a therapeutic benefit. Red blood cells have pervasive reach throughout the body and a long life of up to 120 days, and expressing therapeutic proteins inside the tRBCs keeps them hidden from the immune system. Previous attempts to develop therapeutic red blood cells have been hindered by the level of therapeutic proteins contained in the red blood cells, thus impacting efficacy, and the technical constraints around manufacturing these therapies. Scarlet's technologies aim to address these issues by ensuring a high level of therapeutic proteins inside the tRBCs, enabling more efficacious and thus effective therapies and improving the manufacturing by being able to generate the tRBCs from cell lines rather than from donated stem cells.

Scarlet was founded by world renowned blood scientists Professor Ash Toye and Professor Jan Frayne, at the University of Bristol, UK, following their decades of research in this field. This includes their work on the ground-breaking RESTORE studyi run by NHS Blood and Transplant, with the Universities of Bristol and Cambridge and other partners, which is investigating transfusion of lab-grown blood into patients. Chief Executive Officer, Alistair Irvine, is a scientist and experienced biotech and medtech executive who has worked in the industry for almost three decades.

Scarlet is initially targeting two rare metabolic diseases hyperammonemia and hyperoxaluria. Hyperammonemia is where patients can't remove toxic ammonia from their system, leading to a range of neurological symptoms and, in severe cases, life-threatening complications. Urea cycle disorders, one of the causes of hyperammonemia, occur in one in 250,000 live births in the US and one in 440,000 live births internationally. For people in the US with urea cycle disorders, there is an 11-year survival rate of around 35% for those who develop hyperammonemia early in life.ii

Hyperoxaluria is a condition where there is too much oxalate in the urine and is either caused by a rare inherited disorder of the liver (primary hyperoxaluria) or where excess oxalate is absorbed into the gastrointestinal tract and then excreted in the urine (secondary hyperoxaluria). It can also be caused by severe liver diseases such as cirrhosis.

The platform also has the potential to treat other metabolic diseases requiring enzyme replacement therapy, as well as cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Alistair Irvine, Chief Executive Officer of Scarlet Therapeutics, said: "Our game-changing therapeutic red blood cell-based technology is a new modality to treat targets of high value and unmet need. tRBCs have unique qualities; not only are they able to reach all parts of the body, delivering therapeutic benefit to where it is needed, but they are enduring  as their predicted 120 day long life will allow dosing every 2-3 months. Because the proteins are hidden inside the therapeutic red blood cell, they are also shielded from the immune system. Our approach allows the cells to be maximally loaded with therapeutic proteins without damaging the properties of the cells and so should be more effective. This funding enables us to further develop our technology to offer patients with debilitating health conditions more effective, longer-lasting treatments."

Harry Destecroix, Managing Partner of Science Creates Ventures, said: "We are passionate about creating and backing great companies and are proud to invest in Scarlet Therapeutics. The technology platform is based on revelatory scientific research from Prof. Toye, Prof. Frayne, and their team. It is truly ground breaking with the potential to revolutionise how we treat disease."

Jonathan Milner, CEO and Executive Director of Meltwind, said: "This new therapy modality could make a real difference to patients with a wide range of diseases, particularly metabolic disorders. Millions of people are affected by these life-threatening conditions caused by the build-up of toxic by-products in the body."

About Scarlet Therapeutics

Scarlet Therapeutics is developing a unique platform that generates novel red blood cell-based therapeutics to potentially treat a wide range of diseases. Initially targeted at the rare metabolic diseases, hyperammonemia and hyperoxaluria, this approach could also be used more broadly to target other metabolic diseases, cancer and autoimmune diseases. These therapeutic red blood cells (tRBCs) are very similar to standard red blood cells, having many unique qualities compared to systemic administration of therapeutic protein, including pervasive reach throughout the body, a long life and the ability to carry the active proteins within the tRBC, thereby shielding them from the immune system. Born out of more than a decade of research at the University of Bristol and its learnings from the RESTORE clinical study, Scarlet also has an exclusive commercial licence for the widely used BEL-A cell line, which provides an alternative platform technology for production of red blood cells.

i https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2023/march/restore-trial.html#:~:text=(1)%20RESTORE%20is%20a%20clinical,in%20Red%20Blood%20Cell%20Products.

ii https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24065-hyperammonemia#:~:text=For%20people%20who%20have%20severe,%25%20and%2023%25%2C%20respectively.

SOURCE Scarlet Therapeutics
The group shows growth in revenues and improvement in profitability in the first quarter compared to the corresponding quarter last year

An increase of approximately 6.3% in revenues in the first quarter which totalled approximately NIS 3.7 billion compared to approximately NIS 3.5 billion in the corresponding quarter last year

An improvement in the operating profit which totalled approximately NIS 151 million, which is approximately 4.1% of the revenues compared to approximately NIS 102 million in the corresponding quarter last year, which is approximately 2.9% of the group's revenues

An increase in net profit in the first quarter that jumped by approximately 144% to approximately NIS 66 million compared to approximately NIS 27 million in the corresponding quarter last year

Growth in private label sales associated with the retail sector in the first quarter to a record of approximately 28.4% of total food retail sales compared to approximately 27.6% in the corresponding quarter last year

The automatic shipping center in Modi'in with a total area of approximately 43 thousand square meters will begin initial commercial activity in March 2023

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Shufersal (TASE: SAE), Israel's leading retailer, announced today financial results for the first quarter of 2023.

Itzik Abercohen, Chairman of the Shufersal Board of Directors and Uri Waterman, CEO of the Shufersal Group, said today:

"We are proud to conclude a successful quarter in which the group presented growth and improvement in all operational parameters following the business moves we implemented at the end of last year. The improvement in results is reflected in an increase in revenues while streamlining expenses compared to the corresponding quarter last year. The results of the quarter were affected by an improvement in the core activity in food retailing, an increase in the business market activity (B2B), the consolidation of the stock company and timing of Passover.

"The group is now ready to leap forward after a difficult year during which we have prepared for future market challenges. Shufersal continues to establish the growth engines alongside the core activity in the chain's branches while focusing on improving profitability, accelerating the development of the private label which has become one of the strongest and most popular brands in Israel, in its leadership in the fields of online trade through Shufersal Online, and continuing to improve service and strengthening customer loyalty in the club.

"The company continues operating in its various areas of growth, including the Shufersal business which is experiencing significant growth, the Be Stock Network, and the real estate activity which is gaining momentum.

"The new management strengthens the group as a market leader, and we will continue operating and establishing our position as the largest and leading food retail company in Israel."

The group's revenues in the first quarter totalled approximately NIS 3.7 billion compared to approximately NIS 3.5 billion in the corresponding quarter last year. The increase of approximately 6.3% is due to an increase in business market activity (B2B), the consolidation of the stock company that was purchased in August 2022 and among other things, the effect of seasonality (in 2023, the Passover eve falls on April 5 compared to the year 2022, when the Passover eve fell on April 15). Same branch sales in the group increased by approximately 3.8% and by approximately 4.7% in the retail sector compared to the corresponding quarter last year.

The gross profit in the first quarter totalled approximately NIS 1 billion, which is approximately 27.0% of revenues, compared to approximately 925 million in the corresponding quarter last year, which was approximately 26.4% of revenues. The increase is mainly due to the increase in the retail sector sales and the introduction of stock activity, which was acquired in August 2022.

EBITDA for the quarter totalled approximately NIS 373 million compared to approximately NIS 316 million in the corresponding quarter last year and constitutes approximately 10% of the group's total revenues compared to approximately 9% of revenues in the corresponding quarter last year. The increase is mainly due to an increase in operating profit.

The operating profit in the first quarter totalled approximately NIS 151 million, which is approximately 4.1% of the group's revenues, compared to approximately NIS 102 million, which was approximately 2.9% of the group's revenues in the corresponding quarter last year. The increase in the operating profit is reflected in the three sectors of the group's activity.

In 2022, the company implemented an efficiency plan in order to face future competition and improve the company's financial results.

The net profit in the first quarter grew by approximately 144% and totalled approximately NIS 66 million, which is approximately 1.8% of the revenues, compared to approximately NIS 27 million, which was approximately 0.8% of revenues in the corresponding quarter last year.

The revenues of the retail sector in the first quarter totalled approximately NIS 3.45 billion compared to approximately NIS 3.2 billion in the corresponding quarter last year, an increase of 7.1% which was mainly due to an increase in business market activity (B2B), the consolidation of stock activity and among other things, the effect of timing of the holiday. Sales at shipping centers and Shufersal branches in the first quarter of this year increased by 5.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sales in the same stores increased by 4.7% compared to the corresponding quarter last year, as mentioned.

The revenues of the Be chain in the first quarter totalled approximately NIS 250 million, compared to approximately NIS 269 million in the corresponding quarter last year, a decrease of 7.1% which was mainly due to a decrease in sales of corona products compared to the corresponding quarter last year. Neutralizing the effect of sales of corona products, the sector's revenues in the first quarter of this year increased by approximately 9.7% compared to the corresponding quarter last year.

Sales in the Be same stores decreased by 7.2% compared to last year. Neutralizing the effect of sales of corona products, sales in the Be same stores increased by 10.3% compared to the corresponding quarter last year.

The operating profit of the Be chain in the first quarter of 2023 totalled approximately NIS 2 million compared to approximately NIS 1 million in the corresponding quarter last year.

At the beginning of the year, a CEO was appointed to the Be chain to lead the chain's continued growth strategy, improve profitability and promote it as a significant player in the pharma market in Israel, while at the same time focusing on the synergy of the pharma sector in the Shufersal Group.

The real estate sector revenues in the first quarter totalled NIS 61 million compared to NIS 47 million in the corresponding quarter last year. The increase is due to the effect of the purchase of "Lev HaMifratz" company as well as to the rise of the consumer price index.

As of March 31, 2023, the group has real estate for investment totalling approximately NIS 1,381 million, compared to approximately NIS 879 million in the corresponding quarter last year. An increase of approximately NIS 392 million results from the purchase of additional shares in the "Lev HaMifratz" company and the balance resulting from an increase in the fair value as well as from additions and current investments.

As part of the company's strategy, according to which the real estate sector will serve as a growth engine alongside the retail activity, starting from January 1, 2023, Shufersal Real Estate, led by Oren Hod, is focused on the yielding real estate sector, where the company's retail real estate (that is, the branches that the company rents from third parties) are managed separately within the company's property department.

The sales of the retail sector through Shufersal Online in the first quarter constitute approximately 19.3% of the total retail sales, compared to approximately 21.9% in the corresponding quarter last year. The decrease is due to the weakening of the effect of the corona crisis.

The automatic shipping center in Modi'in with a total area of approximately 43 thousand square meters, began initial commercial activity during March 2023.

The share of private label sales associated with the retail sector in the first quarter was approximately 28.4% of total food retail sales in shipping centers and Shufersal branches and is approximately NIS 1 billion of total food retail sales, compared to approximately 27.6% in the corresponding quarter last year.

SOURCE Shufersal
NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPR) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.

Class Period: April 8, 2020 to April 13, 2023

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: July 5, 2023

No obligation or cost to you.

Learn more about your recoverable losses in SPR:

https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/spirit-lawsuit-loss-submission-form?id=39724&from=4

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. NEWS - SPR NEWS

CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Spirit lacked effective production quality controls; (2) as a result, Spirit incorrectly installed fittings designed to join the aft fuselage to the vertical tail for some Boeing 737 Max airplanes that Spirit sent to Boeing; (3) as a result, Spirit would have to develop an inspection and repair procedure for the affected fuselages; (4) the foregoing would negatively impact Spirit's financial results; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendant's positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Spirit you have until July 5, 2023 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased Spirit securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the SPR lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/spirit-lawsuit-loss-submission-form?id=39724&from=4.

ABOUT KLEIN LAW FIRM

J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

J. Klein, Esq.

535 Fifth Avenue

4th Floor

New York City, NY 10017

[email protected]

Telephone: (212) 616-4899

www.kleinstocklaw.com

SOURCE The Klein Law Firm
The just-concluded China-Central Asia Summit, held in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, has elevated China-Central Asian cooperation to new heights. In the 10th year of the Belt and Road Initiative, China and the Central Asian countries have cast their decisive vote to expand cooperation, especially in areas such as new energy and infrastructure development amid the fast-changing geopolitical landscape.

The Central Asia region, comprising upper-middle- and low-income economies, holds significant strategic importance due to its geographical position and natural resource reserves. Recognizing its vital importance, President Xi Jinping, in his keynote speech at the summit, said China is ready to align its development policies and plans with those of the five Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) and deepen cooperation to facilitate modernization and achieve common prosperity.

But despite the positive developments, many Western media outlets have been trying to politicize the summit. Even before the summit began, some Western media outlets tried to spark controversy by splashing headlines such as "Chinese-Russian competition in Central Asia", "China filling Russia's position in Central Asia", and "Russian-Central Asian relations deteriorating", implying that relations between China and Russia, and among China and Russia and the five Central Asian countries were deteriorating.

Needless to say, these are desperate attempts by the Western media to sow the seed of discord between China, Russia on the one side and the Central Asian countries on the other.

Given their narrow political goals, the Western media overlook the fact that China and Russia share a common interest in fostering regional stability and development. Cooperation between China, Russia and the Central Asian nations is mutually beneficial, not hegemonic.

Based on their economic interests, the Central Asian countries have ample reasons to pursue a comprehensive, diversified foreign policy, maintaining friendly relations with both China and Russia. The strong trade relations between the five Central Asian countries, and China and Russia prove that instead of deteriorating, overall relations among the seven countries are strengthening. The Central Asian countries import dozens of agricultural products including wheat, soybean, fruits and beef from China, with their trade volume reaching a record $70 billion last year.

Pursuing close cooperation with China and maintaining friendly relations with Russia are not contradictory, especially when China and Russia have become comprehensive strategic partners in the new era. According to National Bureau of Statistics data for 2022, the trade volume between China and Russia reached a historic high of $190.27 billion, with an annual growth rate of 29.3 percent.

Given these facts, relations between China, Russia and the Central Asian countries will not be shaken easily by Western propaganda.

Western media also argue that the fact that China hosted the China-Central Asia Summit around the same time as the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, shows it wants to compete with the developed economies on the diplomatic front.

The fact is that China's foreign diplomacy is based on the principle of "building a community with a shared future", which was first officially proposed at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012. The principle is aimed at fostering economic integration, cultural exchanges, and mutual growth and understanding. That explains why many are saying the decisions made at the Xi'an summit will help improve global connectivity and industrial cooperation.

The Xi'an summit could do so because, unlike the G7 Summit, it was not obsessed with political issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, although the United States' efforts to maintain its global hegemony have been affecting the Central Asian region and the rest of the world.

The G7 Summit is nothing but a political theatre staged by a small clique which excels in smearing China and Russia. A Chinese proverb, "never gauge the heart of a man with your own measure", best describes the G7 summit. The proverb cautions people against judging others based on one's narrow yardstick, and reminds them to refrain from projecting their own biases onto others, especially those with a higher moral character.

The China-Central Asia Summit is a platform for promoting regional cooperation and development in various fields, from infrastructure and energy to trade and cultural exchanges. As China continues to deepen its ties with the Central Asian countries, the Belt and Road Initiative plays a crucial role in enhancing regional development and economic integration.

The initiative has brought tangible benefits to the people of Central Asia. And the many infrastructure projects underway, including railways, highways and power plants, will bring more benefits to the region, especially because China has committed to providing the Central Asian countries with 26 billion yuan ($3.71 billion) in financing support and grants to bolster regional cooperation and development.

As for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, it can tap the Central Asian market by leveraging its strength as the world's largest offshore renminbi financial hub, and by offering the most diverse range of renminbi investment, financing, and risk management products. As such, Hong Kong should take measures to deepen its economic and trade engagement with the Central Asian countries.

In conclusion, the China-Central Asia Summit serves as a testament to China's commitment to regional cooperation and development. The summit will help maintain regional stability and promote common prosperity amid the changing global political landscape. In the face of Western media's divisive narratives that attempt to make the China-Central Asia Summit a political issue and create discord among the participating countries, China's actions to achieve common prosperity speak louder than words.
BOSTON, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Stark Raving LLC, a branding and marketing agency specializing in climatetech and renewable energy, announced the launch of a public awareness campaign for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. The campaign, which focuses on encouraging residents to make the transition to a clean energy home, recently made its state-wide television broadcast debut. This initiative builds upon the success of a two-year campaign aimed at educating residents about residential clean energy technologies. The goal is to accelerate the adoption of clean energy and support the Commonwealth's objective of net-zero emissions by 2050.

"As we face an unprecedented climate crisis, it's clear that we need to take drastic measures to mitigate its impact," said Matthew Stumm, President, Stark Raving LLC. "We believe in the power of marketing to promote a more sustainable future for us all. By inspiring collective action, we can create a groundswell of support for the technologies that will make a real difference."

The campaign is anchored by a comprehensive website featuring information, resources, and interactive tools to guide residents as they incorporate clean energy into their homes. www.CleanEnergyLivesHere.com

"Public education campaigns like this are vital for Massachusetts to achieve its climate goals and encourage residents to embrace sustainable energy solutions," said Susan Mlodozeniec, Director of Marketing at MassCEC. "With a focus on empowering residents, the campaign fosters a sense of active participation in addressing the pressing challenge of climate change. Our valued partnership with Stark Raving LLC drives this effort forward, and we are enthusiastic about continuing to work together on the campaign."

About Stark Raving LLC

Stark Raving LLC is an award-winning agency specializing in climatetech and renewable energy. Stark Raving LLC has built an impressive roster of clients using an approach that incorporates branding, content creation, creative services, marketing, and website development. www.starkravingboston.com

About MassCEC

MassCEC is a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy sector across the Commonwealth to spur job creation, deliver statewide environmental benefits and to secure long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts. MassCEC works to increase the adoption of clean energy while driving down costs and delivering financial, environmental, and economic development benefits to energy users and utility customers across the state.

www.masscec.com

SOURCE Stark Raving LLC
ATLANTA, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- StopHIVATL , an Atlanta-based non-profit organization promoting sexual health and harm reduction services, partnered with investigators from Emory University conducting a research study to develop and pilot a groundbreaking sexual health navigation program. This first-of-its-kind navigation program directs Latino individuals toward quality and culturally competent sexual health resources. The project, entitled "CREEMOS," aims to use a health navigator to demystify the process of identifying local resources for Hispanics and Latinos seeking sexual health services.

StopHIVATL Partners With Emory University's Center for AIDS Research's Navigation Research Project To Guide Latino Groups to Atlanta-Based Sexual Health Resources

"We are seeing increases in diagnoses of HIV among Hispanic and Latino sexual minority adolescent and young adult males in Metro Atlanta, while rates in other races and ethnicities are going down," says Dr. Carlos Saldana from Emory University Division of Infectious Diseases "We have identified at least five networks in which HIV is spreading rapidly, and we need to act quickly in these circumstances," he continues.

If the pilot is found to be feasible and effective, the Navigator Project potentially represents an impactful and readily-available source for people living in the Atlanta area who are in search of advice, guidance, or direction about local sexual health services.

Individuals who decide to participate in this project will speak with a trained bilingual team member who will guide them through their service and testing options. There will be no costs to participants. Additionally, participants may be eligible to receive a $50 gift card as compensation. All conversations with the advisor are confidential and discreet. Below are some additional details about the Navigator Project:

The navigator offers confidential counsel over the phone to those seeking assistance. This counsel includes answering questions, assessing service needs, and directing people to information relevant to their concerns on the StopHIVATL website.

The navigator will facilitate linking interested individuals to requested sexual health services at specific locations able to meet their needs throughout the metro Atlanta area.

area. StopHIVATL services and information include HIV testing , pre-exposure preventative treatment (including PrEP ), post-exposure care, HIV treatment, and other sexual health services. The advisor can also facilitate the free testing kits application process, including Testing My Way ATL STI/STD self-collection testing kits .

The Navigator Project serves as a critical liaison between StopHIVATL, researchers at Emory University, and the Latino community in Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, and Cobb counties.

"We are thrilled to have obtained federal funding through the Emory Centers for AIDS Research to fill this important gap in Navigation services for the Hispanic/Latino community of Metro Atlanta, who often don't even know where to start in order to get services," says Dr. Saldana.

About StopHIVATL: StopHIVATL is an organization based on promoting harm reduction, sexual health, sex positivity, and health engagement. They provide inclusive, zero-judgment information and resources on sexual health, drug user safety, Mpox, community events and more. The testing , prevention (PrEP) , and treatment resources StopHIVATL refer to interested parties are always confidential, secure and accessible to those living in Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, and Cobb Counties.

Want to learn more about StopHIVATL's mission and services? Visit www.stophivatl.org

For media inquiries -

StopHIVATL Contact

Dr. Carlos Saldana

CREEMOS Project Lead

Atlanta, GA 30303

Office: (216) 978-8936

Email: [email protected]

Digital Marketing Agency Contact

Stacey Urrutia

Bearpaw Partners

[email protected]

Office: (404) 590-0516

SOURCE StopHIVATL
CHICAGO, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sweets & Snacks Expo  kicking off this week in Chicago  announced today the winners of its annual Most Innovative New Product Awards. The awards recognize the year's most innovative confectionery and snack products and honor the companies that make them.

"Recognizing and celebrating innovation in the confectionery and snack categories is a vital part of our show, because innovation is the key driver of the industry in terms of setting trends and appealing to consumers," John Downs, president and CEO of the National Confectioners Association  host organization of the Sweets & Snacks Expo, said. "These new products, brand collaborations, and flavors enhance consumers' celebrations, holidays, and daily routines and they ensure that candy and snacks continue to play an important role in the lives of people around the world."

Retail leaders representing 85% of the buying power for the confectionery and snack categories served as judges across the 13 categories that comprise the Most Innovative New Product Awards. More than 300 candy and snack products were submitted for judging and the winners will be displayed beginning on May 23rd in the Featured Product Showcase at the Sweets & Snacks Expo. The products submitted for the awards were developed over the last year and will be available to consumers in the coming months.

The Most Innovative New Product Award Winners are as follows:

Best in Show: Chunk Nibbles - Apple Cinnamon Chunk Nibbles

Chunk Nibbles - Apple Cinnamon Chunk Nibbles Small Business Innovator: Jackson's Chips - Farmhouse Ranch Sweet Potato Chips made with Avocado Oil

Jackson's Chips - Farmhouse Ranch Sweet Potato Chips made with Avocado Oil Chocolate: Nuts.com/Kopper's Chocolate - Mexican Hot Cocoa Bites

Nuts.com/Kopper's Chocolate - Mexican Hot Cocoa Bites Non-Chocolate Candy: Shenzhen Amos Sweets & Foods Co., LTD - 4D Fruit Gummy Juicy Burst Strawberry

Shenzhen Amos Sweets & Foods Co., LTD - 4D Fruit Gummy Juicy Burst Strawberry Gum & Mints: Perfetti Van Melle USA , Inc. - Mentos Fruit Mints with Vitamins - Cool Fruity Mix

Perfetti Van Melle , Inc. - Mentos Fruit Mints with Vitamins - Cool Fruity Mix Salty Snacks: Big Dipper Food Company - Peanut Butter Caramel Coated PopCrunch

Big Dipper Food Company - Peanut Butter Caramel Coated PopCrunch Sweet Snacks: Tru Fru LLC - Parfait Poppers: Nature's Raspberries Frozen Fresh in Greek Yogurt & Granola

Tru Fru LLC - Parfait Poppers: Nature's Raspberries Frozen Fresh in Greek Yogurt & Granola Meat Snacks: PepsiCo Foods - Jack Link's Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Flavored Beef Jerky

PepsiCo Foods - Doritos Spicy Sweet Chili Flavored Beef Jerky Savory Snacks: Truly Good Foods - Henrietta Said Ancho Kimchi Flavored Peanuts

Truly Good Foods - Henrietta Said Ancho Kimchi Flavored Peanuts Novelty/Licensed: Shenzhen Amos Sweets & Foods Co., LTD - TastySounds RecordableLollipop  Peach Nectar

Shenzhen Amos Sweets & Foods Co., LTD - TastySounds RecordableLollipop  Peach Nectar Seasonal: Hawaiian Host LLC - Strawberries & Cream White Chocolate Macadamias

Hawaiian Host LLC - Strawberries & Cream White Chocolate Macadamias Gourmet/Premium | Candy: Tru Fru LLC - Nature's Strawberries Hyper-Dried Fresh in White & Dark Chocolate

Tru Fru LLC - Nature's Strawberries Hyper-Dried Fresh in White & Dark Chocolate Gourmet/Premium | Snack: Oh Snap! Pickling Co. - Cranberry Sweeties

To set up an interview with a Sweets & Snacks Expo spokesperson, please email [email protected]. Visit the official Sweets & Snacks Expo Media Kit for more information on the show and media resources.

About Sweets & Snacks Expo

The Sweets & Snacks Expo is the premier event for the confectionery and snack industries. Featuring new product launches, business-building solutions and merchandising innovations, this annual trade show brings together qualified candy and snack retail professionals and company representatives who showcase the latest in candy and snack products. The event is sponsored by the National Confectioners Association. Learn more at SweetsAndSnacks.com.

About the National Confectioners Association (NCA)

The National Confectioners Association is the leading trade organization for the U.S. confectionery industry, which generates $42 billion in retail sales each year. NCA advocates for an environment that enables candy makers to thrive and works to ensure that chocolate, candy, gum and mints are celebrated for their contributions to culture, society, the economy and everyday moments of joy. The industry employs nearly 58,000 workers in more than 1,600 manufacturing facilities across all 50 states and supports an additional 635,000 jobs in related fields. The U.S. confectionery industry has made a commitment to increasing transparency, providing more portion guidance options and educating consumers about the role of confectionery in a happy, balanced lifestyle. Learn more at CandyUSA.com or follow NCA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Contact:

Lauren Boland

[email protected]

Director of Communications

330-571-3693

Carly Schildhaus

[email protected]

Senior Manager of Public Affairs

516-776-8082

SOURCE Sweets & Snacks Expo
TAOYUAN, Taiwan, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chang Industrial (CI) is proud to announce that we've been selected by Swire Coca-Cola Taiwan (SCCT) to serve as Technical Adviser as it continues final development of design and kick-off the new design implementation of the existing facility in Taoyuan, Taiwan, transforming it into a beverage factory of the future.

Kate McAfoose, President of Chang Industrial, is enthusiastic about the opportunity: "We are honored to serve as advisor and engineer support for Swire Coca-Cola in Taiwan. Their focus on innovation and transformation of the business will revolutionize the beverage industry in Asia."

SCCT had previously engaged CI to develop a multi-level, multi-functional and multi-phased design to upgrade the existing facility to meet the needs of SCCT's production forecast for the future. After the completion of the design, SCCT worked to develop a strategy for the execution of the project. Timing for the start of construction is yet to be determined.

About Swire Coca-Cola (Taiwan)

Swire Coca-Cola (Taiwan), one of Taiwan's leading soft drink manufacturers, is wholly owned by Swire Coca-Cola. The company's bottling plant in Taoyuan has a total of five (5) production lines. It has over 900 staff and serves more than 23 million consumers. Key products include Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Real Leaf, Fuze tea, Schweppes, KOCHAKADEN, GEORGIA, OOHA, bonaqua and Aquarius.

For more information, please visit: https://www.swirecocacola.com/en/index.html

About Chang Industrial

Chang Industrial is an engineering firm that specializes in advanced manufacturing and disruptive technologies. Chang Industrial seeks to modernize supply chain and improve workforce through creating technology road maps for companies to advance their technology initiatives. Chang Industrial has experienced rapid growth since its founding in 2017. Learn more at www.changindustrial.com and follow Chang Industrial on LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE Chang Industrial
CHICAGO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The tangential flow filtration (TFF) industry is poised for significant growth and innovation in the near future. With advancements in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and bioprocessing, TFF has emerged as a vital technique for separation and purification processes. In the coming years, we can expect to see the development of more efficient TFF systems, improved membranes, and enhanced process monitoring and control capabilities. The industry will likely witness a surge in demand for TFF solutions as the biopharmaceutical sector continues to expand, driven by the rising need for biologics and personalized medicine. Furthermore, the adoption of TFF in other industries, such as food and beverage, water treatment, and chemical processing, is expected to increase, fueling further growth. As TFF becomes increasingly integral to various applications, we can anticipate the emergence of novel TFF technologies, automation, and digitalization to optimize process efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure product quality and safety. Overall, the future of the tangential flow filtration industry appears promising, driven by technological advancements and the growing demand for reliable and scalable separation solutions.

Tangential Flow Filtration Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $1.9 billion in 2023 and is poised to reach $3.6 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 13.5% from 2023 to 2028 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The TFF market is expected to have a growth rate of 13.5% during 2023-2028. Increasing benefits over normal flow filtration, the introduction of single-use technologies, adoption of gamp guidelines, increasing investment by pharmaceutical companies, growing biopharmaceutical industries are some of the factors that will accelerate the growth of the Tangential Flow Filtration Market in the forecast period.

Download an Illustrative overview: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=72081607

Browse in-depth TOC on "Tangential Flow Filtration Market"

410 - Tables

43 - Figures

359 - Pages

Tangential Flow Filtration Market Scope:

Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2023 $1.9 billion Estimated Value by 2028 $3.6 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 13.5% Market Size Available for 20212028 Forecast Period 20232028 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Product, Membrane Material, Technique, Application, End user and Region Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America (LATAM) and Middle East and Africa (MEA) Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Increasing demand for biologics Key Market Drivers Technological advancements in TFF systems

In 2022, the systems segment accounted for the largest share of the product segment in the Tangential Flow filtration market.

On the basis of products, the tangential flow filtration market is segmented into systems, membrane filters, and other tff products. In 2022, the systems segment accounted for the largest share of the market and is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during 2023-2028. Tangential filtration systems consist of automated and mechanical filtration systems. These systems provide maximum operational reliability. Some of the benefits associated with these systems include a high retention rate, less consumption of energy, low cost, and reduced cross-contamination risk. With the help of such systems, pharmaceutical companies can achieve the highest quality products. The systems segment is further segmented into single-use and reusable systems. Single-use systems are gaining importance in separation and purification applications. Developments in research techniques and increased demand for more specificity in the filtration process are increasing the adoption of single-use technologies in many small-scale biopharmaceutical processes.

In 2022, the microfiltration segment accounted for the largest share of the technique segment in the Tangential Flow filtration market.

On the basis of technique, the tangential flow filtration market is segmented into microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and other techniques. In 2022, the microfiltration segment accounted for the largest market share. The filters used in this technique can be in a submerged configuration or a pressure vessel configuration; they can be hollow fibers, flat, sheet, tubular, or spiral. Membrane filtration technique can be used for removing suspended matter (>99%), harmful microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, protozoa, algae, and fungi) (>99%), and PAHs. Also, MF can be implemented to break down emulsions. Microfiltration with hollow-fiber filters finds applications in processes such as clarification, purification of cell broths, separation of cell debris, and separation of macromolecules. This technique is also used for harvesting cells in upstream bioprocessing and for the recovery & purification of biomass during the production of antibiotics. In biotechnology, microfiltration is used for the retention of biomass from fermentation broths. This technique is also used for the removal of natural and synthetic organic matter to reduce the fouling potential.

In 2022, the Asia Pacific region is the fastest-growing region of the Tangential Flow filtration market.

The tangential flow filtration market is divided into five regions including, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. The Asia Pacific market is expected to register the highest CAGR during 2023-2028. Factors responsiblr for the growth includes, unique industry dynamics accompanied by a highly competitive landscape owing to its complex and diverse regulatory landscape and varying pharma industry infrastructures across each country, impacting innovation in each country.

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Tangential Flow Filtration Market Dynamics:

Drivers:

Growing advantages of tangential flow filtration over normal flow filtration Rising R&D spending in pharmaceutical & biotechnology industries Increasing adoption of single-use technologies Increased adoption of Good Automated Manufacturing Practice (GAMP)

Restraints:

High capital investments for new production facilities to limit the entry of small players

Opportunities:

Emerging economies offer lucrative growth opportunities Rising therapeutic applications of recombinant proteins

Challenges:

Increased complexities introduced by the interaction of charged excipients and proteins to restrict the market growth Difficulty in the survival of small players and new entrants

Key Market Players:

Key players in the Market include Merck KGaA (Germany), Danaher Corporation (US), Sartorius AG (Germany), Parker Hannifin Corporation (US), Repligen Corporation (US), Alfa Laval Corporate AB (Sweden), ANDRITZ (Austria), Meissner Filtration Products, Inc. (US), Cole-Parmer Instrument Company, LLC (US), Solaris Biotechnology Srl (Italy), Koch Separation Solutions (US), Sterlitech Corporation US), Synder Filtration, Inc. (US), PendoTECH (US), ARTeSYN Biosolutions (Ireland), Microfilt India Pvt. Ltd. (India), Bionet (Spain), SYSBIOTECH GmbH (Austria), Cobetter Filtration Equipment Co., Ltd. (China), Biotree (India), FORMULATRIX (US), Mantec Technical Ceramics Ltd. (UK), Smartflow Technologies (US), TAMI Industries (France), and SPF Technologies LLC (US).

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Recent Developments:

In May 2022 , Merck KGaA invested over USD 476.7 million to expand its membrane and filtration manufacturing in Ireland .

, Merck KGaA invested over to expand its membrane and filtration manufacturing in . In December 2021 , Repligen Corporation acquired Bioflex Solutions, which offers single-use fluid management products.

, Repligen Corporation acquired Bioflex Solutions, which offers single-use fluid management products. In June 2021 , Repligen Corporation signed an agreement to acquire Polymem, which offers hollow-fiber membranes and modules.

, Repligen Corporation signed an agreement to acquire Polymem, which offers hollow-fiber membranes and modules. In March 2021 , Pall Corporation acquired Austar Lifesciences Limited. The acquisition aimed to expand the company's capacity to support single-use technology.

Tangential Flow Filtration Market Advantages:

Continuous Processing: TFF allows for continuous filtration, leading to higher productivity and efficiency compared to batch filtration methods.

Gentle Processing: TFF handles complex fluids without causing significant shear or damage to the target molecules, ensuring product integrity and bioactivity.

Scalability: TFF can be easily scaled up or down to accommodate different process volumes, making it suitable for both laboratory-scale research and large-scale production.

Customizability: TFF systems offer modular designs that can be customized and integrated into existing processes, providing operational flexibility.

Precise Separation: TFF enables precise separation based on molecule size through the use of different membrane types, pore sizes, and operating parameters.

Versatility: TFF can handle a wide range of particle sizes, from large cells to small proteins, making it versatile for various applications.

Established Market: TFF is a well-established technology with a mature market, offering a wide range of suppliers, equipment, consumables, and technical expertise.

Tangential flow filtration market - Report Highlights:

Market sizes are updated for the base year 2022 and forecasted from 2023 to 2028.

The new edition of the report provides updated financial information till 2022 for each listed company based on the availability of data. This will help in the easy analysis of the present status of profiled companies in terms of their financial strength, profitability, key revenue-generating region/country, and business segment focus in terms of the highest revenue-generating segment.

The updated study includes additional market dynamics, technological analysis, indicative pricing, key conferences & events from 2022 to 2023, ecosystem analysis, key stakeholders & buying criteria, supply chain analysis, regulatory information, value chain analysis, patent analysis, the recession impact, and Porter's five forces analysis of the tangential flow filtration market in the market overview chapter.

The revised research study includes the impact of the recession on the tangential flow filtration market.

Competitive landscape chapter of the report is updated with the market evaluation framework, market share analysis, revenue share analysis, company evaluation matrix and competitive benchmarking of top players and emerging companies.

The new edition of the report provides an updated product portfolio of the companies profiled in the report. Tracking product portfolios of prominent market players helps to analyze the major products in the tangential flow filtration market.

The new study includes updated market developments of profiled players from January 2020 to April 2023 . Recent developments are helpful to understand market trends and growth strategies adopted by players in the market.

Related Reports:

Pharmaceutical Filtration Market - Global Forecasts to 2028

Sterile Filtration Market - Global Forecasts to 2028

Single Use Bioreactors Market - Global Forecasts to 20278

Biologics Safety Testing Market - Global Forecasts to 2027

Laboratory Filtration Market - Global Forecasts to 2026

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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.

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Step into the fields of one of Mexico's most beloved tequila brands through the lens of the globally celebrated fine-art photographer

NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gray Malin traveled to the highlands in Jalisco, Mexico to capture once-in-a-lifetime aerial images over Tequila Don Julio's iconic agave fields. Merging Gray's love of aerial photography with brand founder Don Julio Gonzalez's love of his land, Gray designed custom umbrellas and placed them amongst traditionally dressed jimadors representative of the legacy of one of Mexico's most beloved tequila brands. The aerial photos are available now to bring the world of Tequila Don Julio into your home by Gray Malin.

TEQUILA DON JULIO AND GRAY MALIN INTRODUCE THE AGAVE SERIES, STUNNING AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF AGAVE FIELDS IN JALISCO, MEXICO

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9171451-tequila-don-julio-gray-malin/

"I've loved Tequila Don Julio for a long time so it was an honor to capture their stunning agave fields where the tequila-making process all begins," shares Gray Malin. "This was my first time shooting work above this type of landscape and I was mesmerized by the geometric rows of the teal agave contrasted against the red soil. Experiencing the fields from this perspective, and the care that goes into each plant to produce every bottle, is immensely impressive, it's an art in itself."

Enjoy a Margarita for a truly plant to table experience while you take in the 11 different pieces of art at www.GrayMalin.com , which are available now as prints or framed in sizes small to oversized. The images will also be brought to life through an immersive pop-up event in the Hamptons in August that will offer guests the opportunity to experience the worlds of Gray Malin and Tequila Don Julio. More information to be released in the coming weeks.

"In the same way that Tequila Don Julio revolutionized the tequila category, Gray Malin has paved the way in photography with his signature aerial style and celebration of beautiful destinations all over the world," shares Stacey Cunningham, Director of Tequila Don Julio. "Gray creates for the love of it, just as Don Julio Gonzalez did, and this partnership is a celebration of just that - creating Por Amor."

You can also mix up the official 'Malin Margarita' and enjoy the beauty of your own surroundings all summer long:

Ingredients

1.5 oz Tequila Don Julio Blanco

.75 oz Fresh Pineapple Juice

.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice

.5 oz Agave Syrup

4 Sage Leaves

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and enjoy!

Tequila Don Julio encourages consumers of legal drinking age to celebrate responsibly. For more information please visit www.DonJulio.com .

ABOUT TEQUILA DON JULIO

Founded on the pioneering agricultural principles of Don Julio Gonzalez and his personal pursuit of perfection, Tequila Don Julio revolutionized the tequila industry and set the standard for ultra-premium tequila. The original luxury tequila of choice in Mexico, Tequila Don Julio uses only the highest caliber, fully matured and ripened Blue Agave that has been hand-selected from the rich, clay soils of the Los Altos region of the state of Jalisco. The Tequila Don Julio portfolio includes Tequila Don Julio Blanco, Tequila Don Julio Reposado, Tequila Don Julio Anejo, Tequila Don Julio 70, Tequila Don Julio Rosado,Tequila Don Julio 1942, and Tequila Don Julio Ultima Reserva. For more information on Tequila Don Julio, please visit www.DonJulio.com .

ABOUT DIAGEO

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas, Casamigos, DeLeon and Don Juliotequilas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness. Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO ) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and their products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, their people, brands, and performance, visit www.diageo.com . Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com , for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Follow at Twitter and Instagram for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA

ABOUT GRAY MALIN + THE GRAY MALIN BRAND

Gray Malin is a celebrated fine-art photographer and New York Times bestselling author and CEO of his eponymous lifestyle brand.

From the shores of Capri to the top of Aspen Mountain, Gray has received commercial recognition for his ability to transport his audience to some of the most breathtaking destinations around the world with his distinct visual style. Shooting from doorless helicopters, Gray has been a trailblazer in aerial beach, ski and park photography, and has photographed conceptual collections at historic properties including The Beverly Hills Hotel, The Plaza Hotel and The Breakers Palm Beach.

Forging his work into a larger lifestyle with the philosophy to Make Every Day a Getaway, Gray's photography has since expanded into a line of luxury products for home and travel. Gray has collaborated with global brands including Disney, Google and Tequila Don Julio, engaging diverse audiences to experience his work in new and exciting ways.

Learn more at www.graymalin.com where his bold photographic works forge the synergy between wanderlust and adventure, inviting the viewer to share in his explorative spirit.

SOURCE Tequila Don Julio
NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Klein Law Firm announces that a class action complaint has been filed on behalf of shareholders of Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) alleging that the Company violated federal securities laws.

Class Period: August 18, 2021 to May 17, 2022

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: May 30, 2023

No obligation or cost to you.

Learn more about your recoverable losses in TGT:

https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/target-corporation-lawsuit-loss-submission-form?id=39710&from=4

Target Corporation NEWS - TGT NEWS

CLASS ACTION CASE DETAILS: The filed complaint alleges that Target Corporation made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Target's difficulty maintaining a balanced inventory of in-demand goods was far worse than the Company had represented; (ii) Target was severely impacted by changing consumer preferences; (iii) Target's inventory mix was significantly more sensitive to changing consumer preferences due to Target's practice of buying larger quantities ahead of season, and was therefore at significant risk of having to use markdowns to sell out-of-demand goods; and (iv) as a direct result of these changing preferences, Target's inventory increasingly became out-of-balance and overweight in bulky and unsellable goods throughout the Class Period forcing Target to markdown its out-of-demand goods, thereby negatively impacting revenue.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU AS A SHAREHOLDER: If you have suffered a loss in Target you have until May 30, 2023 to petition the court for lead plaintiff status. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

NO COST TO YOU: If you purchased Target securities during the relevant period, you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out-of-pocket fees.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FINANCIAL INTERESTS: For additional information about the TGT lawsuit, please contact J. Klein, Esq. by telephone at 212-616-4899 or click this link: https://www.kleinstocklaw.com/pslra-1/target-corporation-lawsuit-loss-submission-form?id=39710&from=4.

ABOUT KLEIN LAW FIRM

J. Klein, Esq. represents investors and participates in securities litigations involving financial fraud throughout the nation. The Klein Law Firm is a boutique litigation firm with experience in a wide range of areas including securities law, corporate finance and commercial litigation. Since 2011, our experienced attorneys have achieved superior results for our clients with a personalized focus. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

CONTACT:

J. Klein, Esq.

535 Fifth Avenue

4th Floor

New York City, NY 10017

[email protected]

Telephone: (212) 616-4899

www.kleinstocklaw.com

SOURCE The Klein Law Firm
DETROIT, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW) today announced a new program for Michigan residents: MiWATER. The program, W ater A ssistance T hrough E fficiency and R epairs, supports healthy housing for financially insecure Michigan residents by maintaining water services.

The program is funded by a Michigan State Housing Development Authority grant using funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury American Rescue Plan to assist those adversely affected by COVID.

"THAW has worked for 38 years to help keep families safe and warm through utility assistance," said Saunteel Jenkins, THAW CEO. "Water is essential to keep people healthy and we want to make sure no one is left in a home without it. This program will help stabilize and empower Michiganders through bill payment assistance, and by providing services that increase water conservation, energy efficiency and reduces the cost for families. We are so grateful to Governor Whitmer, Speaker Tate and the State Legislature for their generous support that made this program possible."

"MiWATER ensures that low-income families will continue to have access to the most basic resource: fresh and clean water," said Speaker Joe Tate. "I commend MSHDA and THAW for using these funds for this important program."

The statewide program has four components:

Water bill payments for residential customers in Michigan who have a past due water bill, up to $2500 per household;

who have a past due water bill, up to per household; Water conservation including a home water conservation audit, conservation education and training, and water efficiency supplies;

Remediation, including minor plumbing repairs designed to reduce water consumption (in Wayne , Oakland and Macomb Counties only); and

, and Counties only); and Supportive services, including case management services and internal and external linkages to resources.

To qualify, Michigan residents must have an income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, proof that they are responsible for paying the water bill, and a past-due water bill.

For details about MiWATER, visit www.thawfund.org or telephone THAW at 1-800-866-8429.

About The Heat and Warmth Fund

The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW) is stabilizing and empowering Michigan families, keeping them healthy, safe and warm. THAW, an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, provides utility assistance to low-income residents throughout Michigan, including natural gas, deliverable fuels, electricity and water. THAW also provides energy efficiency and supportive services. Since its inception in 1985, THAW has distributed over $230 million in assistance to more than 308,000 Michigan households. For more information, visit thawfund.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Colleen Robar, 313-207-5960, [email protected]

SOURCE THAW
CHICAGO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 Sweets & Snacks Expo opened this morning, kicking off its 26th year as the premier showcase for innovation in the confectionery and snack industries. Over four days, attendees will have the opportunity to discover cutting-edge confectionery and snack innovation, gain actionable insights through education sessions led by the top minds in the industry, and make meaningful industry connections with the thousands of professionals in attendance.

2023 marks the final time the show will take place at McCormick Place in Chicago before moving to new host cities. Beginning in 2024, the Sweets & Snacks Expo will cycle through a rotation of two years in Indianapolis followed by one year in Las Vegas until 2032.

"This year is an important inflection point for the Sweets & Snacks Expo, as it is the show's final year in Chicago," John Downs, president and CEO of the National Confectioners Association and Sweets & Snacks Expo host organization, said. "For more than 25 years, we have worked in collaboration with the city of Chicago to build and host the world's premier candy and snack show. The value that the Sweets & Snacks Expo brings to confectionery and snack companies is incredibly important and it contributes in a major way to the success of these two great categories."

This year's Sweets & Snacks Expo highlights:

Nearly 250 new exhibitors.

More than 210,000 square feet of sweet, salty and sour products.

More than 800 exhibitors.

16,000 people are expected to attend.

The Sweets & Snacks Expo brings about $21 million to the city of Chicago .

Additionally, attendees will get a first look at the latest candy and snack products, including those driving these key trends:

Brand Collaborations: Your favorite treats/brands working together to create something new and exciting.

Your favorite treats/brands working together to create something new and exciting. Flavor Mashups: Flavor combos that will delight you. Salty, sweet, sour, spicy or savory  there is something for everyone!

Flavor combos that will delight you. Salty, sweet, sour, spicy or savory  there is something for everyone! Social Media Friendly Interactive Treats: These treats give you permission to play with your food and share with your friends on social media!

These treats give you permission to play with your food and share with your friends on social media! All About Options: Everyone treats and snacks a little differently, which is why confectionery and snack companies are offering a range of package sizes and product types that fit every occasion.

To set up an interview with a Sweets & Snacks Expo spokesperson, please email [email protected].

Please visit the official Sweets & Snacks Expo Media Kit for more information on the show and media resources.

About Sweets & Snacks Expo

The Sweets & Snacks Expo is the premier event for the confectionery and snack industries. Featuring new product launches, business-building solutions and merchandising innovations, this annual trade show brings together qualified candy and snack retail professionals and company representatives who showcase the latest in candy and snack products. The event is sponsored by the National Confectioners Association. Learn more at SweetsAndSnacks.com.

About the National Confectioners Association (NCA):

The National Confectioners Association is the leading trade organization for the U.S. confectionery industry, which generates $42 billion in retail sales each year. NCA advocates for an environment that enables candy makers to thrive and works to ensure that chocolate, candy, gum and mints are celebrated for their contributions to culture, society, the economy and everyday moments of joy. The industry employs nearly 58,000 workers in more than 1,600 manufacturing facilities across all 50 states and supports an additional 635,000 jobs in related fields. The U.S. confectionery industry has made a commitment to increasing transparency, providing more portion guidance options and educating consumers about the role of confectionery in a happy, balanced lifestyle. Learn more at CandyUSA.com or follow NCA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Contact:

Lauren Boland

[email protected]

Director of Communications

330-571-3693

Carly Schildhaus

[email protected]

Senior Manager of Public Affairs

516-776-8082

SOURCE Sweets & Snacks Expo
BROOKLYN, N.Y., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Junior R. King, DPM, is acknowledged as a Most Trusted Healthcare Professional for his contributions to the Medical Field.

Dr. King began his medical education journey at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine where he earned a medical degree from the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. He completed a residency at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Dr Junior King

With more than 14 years in the field, Dr. King has been in private practice for 2 years and is board certified in Podiatric Medicine by the American Board of Podiatric Medicine. He is licensed to provide online and in-person care to patients in New York and serves patients in his private practice location at 596 Pennsylvania Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11207.

Dr. King was inspired to enter the medical profession while growing up in the Caribbean Islands where he saw a need for healthcare for minorities and underserved communities, especially those who have amputations. Motivated by a desire to reduce those statistics, the doctor is in the process of making his practice multi-disciplinary so that patients can get all of their healthcare needs met at one location.

Known for his compassion and excellent care, Dr. King has volunteered in other countries needing medical help for many years. He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic put a temporary pause on his international volunteer work, but he hopes that he will be able to continue those efforts soon.

Aside from his professional pursuits, Dr. King enjoys traveling in his spare time and recently returned from a trip to Europe.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE The Inner Circle
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) and Chairman of the United Russia Party (URP) and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev (Photo: VNA)

It is his first Vietnam visit in the capacity as leader of the ruling URP.

Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong outlined the key tasks set by the CPV for socio-economic and cultural development. On Party building which is a crucial task, he highlighted the positive changes in Party building and rectification, with concerted efforts to combat corruption and negative phenomena. He expressed his appreciation for achievements made by Russia under the leadership of President Vladimir Putin and the URP.

In its foreign policy, Vietnam values the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia, he said, adding that the CPV attaches importance to developing relations with political parties in Russia, including the URP, as a political foundation for long-term and sustainable relations between the two countries.

He also took the occasion to ask Medvedev to convey his regards to Putin and Russian leaders.

The two leaders discussed current international affairs, major orientations to promoting positive developments worldwide, and their views on issues of mutual concern.

They agreed to continue raising mutual understanding and political trust via high-level visits and exchanges in flexible forms; improving the efficiency of and expanding cooperation in economy, science and technology, culture, education, and other areas under bilateral agreements. They also agreed to pay attention to young generations and facilitate exchanges among mass organizations and young people of the two Parties, along with upholding bilateral and multilateral trade and investment frameworks and mechanisms and working closely together at multilateral forums.

Before the talks, the Russian delegation laid a wreath at the Monument to Heroic Martyrs, paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum, and held a meeting with the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association.

On the occasion, both sides issued a joint statement on the outcomes of Medvedevs official visit to Vietnam, which aims to reinforce cooperation on regional and global issues to strengthen peace and security for the benefits of the two peoples and protect and enhance principles of international law and the UN Charter.

They also pledged to continue pushing forward bilateral ties in accordance with documents and agreements signed between leaders of the two Parties and countries./.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vincent E. Voci, MD, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Most Trusted Plastic Surgeon 2023 for his contributions to the field of Plastic Surgery.

Vincent E. Voci, MD

Dr. Voci began his educational journey at Massachusetts at Amherst and the University of Louisville School of Medicine where he graduated Cum Laude and was elected to the AOA Honor Society. He them completed his internship and residency in general surgery at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. Receiving an Outstanding Resident Award, Dr. Voci was Chief Resident and served on the University of Washington Faculty in General Surgery while awaiting a competitive spot at Duke University School of Medicine for his residency in plastic surgery. He also undertook a fellowship in hand surgery at the University of Louisville led by world-renowned hand surgeons Dr. Harold Kleinert and Dr. Joseph Kutz.

Board-certified in plastic surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS), Dr. Voci specializes in all types of cosmetic surgery and surgical procedures related to aesthetics. In private practice, the doctor has 37 years of experience working at Voci Plastic Surgery in Charlotte, NC. Dr. Voci notes that he feels honored and privileged to help patients look and feel their best through various face, body, skin, and breast procedures.

Credited with opening the first medical spa in North Caroline, Dr. Voci was the first to offer medical spa and skin care services in Charlotte; the first doctor to use Botox for cosmetic purposes; and perform laser skin resurfacing in the area. He also performed the first cleft lip and palate surgery; breast cancer reconstruction; cosmetic breast surgery; and facelift in Gaston County. He was also the first microvascular plastic surgeon in Charlotte and performed the first microvascular scalp replantation in the region.

Dr. Voci asserts that he focuses his practice on state-of-the-art cosmetic surgery and minimally and non-invasive procedures on the face, breast, body, and also the most advanced skincare. He notes that he continually adds to his repertoire to meet all patients' needs, making him one of Charlotte's best cosmetic plastic surgeons and his colleagues regularly refer their facial cosmetic cases to him.

Dedicated to providing the latest advancements in his field, the doctor is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons; a member of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons; the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery; the North Carolina Medical Society; and the Lipoplasty Society of North America. He is the former Chief of Plastic Surgery at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center and served as the first Head of Plastic Surgery at the Mason Clinic and the Virginia Mason Medical Center and Research Center.

A leader in his field, Dr. Voci has been recognized as a Top Doctor by Charlotte Magazine in 2009 and has twice received the On-Time Doctor Award (2015, 2014) and Compassionate Doctor Recognition (2012, 2011).

In his spare time, the doctor mentors medical students and his two daughters who are also doctors. Aside from his professional pursuits, Dr. Voci enjoys cooking and opera. Giving the proceeds to children with special needs, the doctor also started Festa Italiana 17 years ago, where he touts that there is good food and music.

For more information, visit vocicenter.com and festaitalianacharlotte.org.

Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected]

SOURCE The Inner Circle
The largest and fastest-growing Asian restaurant company in the world, Jollibee Group brands and subsidiaries, including Smashburger, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Red Ribbon, Greenwich, Mang Inasal, and Chowking, use a staggering estimated 586,505,945 eggs annually

NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Open Wing Alliance (OWA), an international coalition working to end the abuse of chickens worldwide, is calling on Jollibee Foods Corporation to make a global 100% cage-free egg commitment that includes its sub-brands Jollibee, Smashburger, Coffee Bean, and Tea Leaf, Red Ribbon, Greenwich, Chowking, and Mang Inasal.

Jollibee Foods Corp is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world, with locations in Asia, Europe, and North America. The company uses an estimated 586,505,945 eggs annually produced by millions of hens confined to cages.

"Jollibee Foods Corporation claims it acknowledges its duty and potential to positively impact sustainability concerns in the fast food industry. However, the conditions under which it sources eggs are appalling and inhumane," said Caitlin Campbell, Global Campaigns Coordinator at the Open Wing Alliance. "Pushing Jollibee for cage-free egg progress globally, especially in Asia, is a critical step towards creating a sustainable and ethical food system, ensuring consumers have access to eggs that are produced humanely and responsibly."

Almost 70% of the laying egg hens in the world are located in Asia, but only 10.8% of these flocks are cage-free. The Open Wing Alliance has seen a lot of cage-free progress in the U.S. and Europe. Still, Asia is behind when confining hens in tiny, barren cages where they cannot engage in natural behaviors like spreading wings or nesting. This cruel treatment is unacceptable.

For more information about The Open Wing Alliance, visit OpenWingAlliance.org . Follow along with the cage-free movement on Twitter @GlobalCageFree .

MEDIA CONTACT:

Karen Hirsch

1 (678) 469-8675

[email protected]

www.openwingalliance.org

SOURCE Open Wing Alliance
Chicago Author Toya Wolfe to receive the $25,000 Pattis Book Award for her debut novel, Last Summer on State Street

CHICAGO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Newberry Library and The Pattis Family Foundation are pleased to announce the winner of the second annual $25,000 Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award. Toya Wolfe, author of Last Summer on State Street, will receive the award, which celebrates works that transform public understanding of Chicago, its history, and its people.

Toya Wolfe, Pattis Award Winner for Last Summer on State Street

"Toya Wolfe's debut novel is an endearing, memorable, and page-turning work with broad appeal and deep 'Chicago heart,'" said Daniel Greene, former President and Librarian of the Newberry and Pattis Award jury member. "Set during an important turning point in the history of public housing in Chicago, Last Summer on State Street is a compelling story of friendship, community, and home."

"It is such an incredible blessing to receive the Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award," said Toya Wolfe. "Last Summer on State Street is my debut novel, and to win a prestigious award for my first literary endeavor is wildly affirming and will support me as I begin writing a new novel and TV pilots. I am so grateful to The Pattis Family Foundation and the Newberry Library for establishing this award; on behalf of Chicago writers, thank you for all the ways in which you lift us up and cheer us on!"

The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award is open to writers working in a variety of genres, including history, biography, social sciences, poetry, drama, graphic novels, and fictionall relating to Chicago. Dawn Turner received the inaugural Pattis Award in 2022 for Three Girls from Bronzeville.

In addition to awarding Toya Wolfe, the juried panel also recognizes Heather Hendershot as the shortlist award recipient for authoring When the News Broke: Chicago 1968 and the Polarizing of America. Hendershot will receive an award of $2,500.

Mark and Lisa Pattis of The Pattis Family Foundation commented: "The purpose of our series of book awards is to shine a spotlight on exemplary books and to enhance public understanding of various subject matters. We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Newberry Library in order to engage Chicagoans with authors and works that transform understanding of our city, its history, and its people. The selection of Toya Wolfe's poignant debut novel, Last Summer on State Street, is a terrific fit with the prize's goal. Our congratulations to Toya and our gratitude to the Newberry and the committee members."

The presentation of the 2023 Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award takes place at a free, public event at the Newberry Library on Saturday, July 15, 2023. Toya Wolfe will receive the award and discuss Last Summer on State Street with Gail Kern Paster, Interim President and Librarian at the Newberry. The event will also serve as a celebration of the power of storytelling and Chicago, featuring a roster of speakers whose work in the city strives to change our communities for the better.

About Last Summer on State Street

Felicia "Fe Fe" Stevens lives with her loving mother and older brother in Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes. It's the summer of 1999, and her high-rise is to be torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. She and two other girls from the housing project form a tentative trio and carve out for themselves a simple life of double Dutch and innocence. As their beloved neighborhood falls down around them, so too do their friendships and the structures of their families. Decades later, as she remembers that fateful summer  just before her home was demolished, her life uprooted, and community forever changedFe Fe tries to make sense of the grief and fraught bonds that still haunt her and attempts to reclaim the love that never left.

Profound, reverent, and uplifting, Last Summer on State Street explores the risk of connection against the backdrop of racist institutions, the restorative power of knowing and claiming one's own past, and those defining relationships which form the heartbeat of our lives. Interweaving moments of reckoning and sustaining grace, debut author Toya Wolfe has crafted an era-defining story of finding a homeboth in one's history and in one's self.

About the Newberry Library

The Newberry Libraryfree and open to the publicfosters a deeper understanding of our world by inspiring research and learning in the humanities and encouraging conversations about ideas that matter to diverse audiences. The Newberry's extensive collection includes maps, city directories, printed histories, newspapers and periodicals, and archival materials documenting business, journalism, publishing, activism, and the arts across Chicago and the Midwest. Every year, thousands of writers, artists, scholars, teachers, and students visit the Newberry, contributing to its diverse community of learning.

About The Pattis Family Foundation

With a history originating from book and magazine publishing, The Pattis Family Foundation actively supports programs that elevate the value of the written word and intellectual inquiry. In addition, The Pattis Family Foundation supports various health, educational, and cultural initiatives as well as programs that help bridge the opportunity gap for talented students with limited financial resources.

Media Contact:

Vanessa Walilko

[email protected]

(312) 702-1342, ext 5

SOURCE The Newberry Library
In SoftwareReviews' latest Data Quadrant report, the firm highlights the top-performing Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) software solutions. Users have identified these CCaaS providers as the best at streamlining their support operations and scaling to accommodate increasing customer volumes.

TORONTO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - The new 2023 Contact Center as a Service Data Quadrant report from SoftwareReviews, a leading source for insights on the software provider landscape, reveals the top eight customer experience management solutions in the enterprise and midmarket spaces for the year.

In SoftwareReviews latest Data Quadrant report, the firm highlights the top-performing Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) software solutions. Users have identified these CCaaS providers as the best at streamlining their support operations and scaling to accommodate increasing customer volumes. (Enterprise) (CNW Group/SoftwareReviews) In SoftwareReviews latest Data Quadrant report, the firm highlights the top-performing Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) software solutions. Users have identified these CCaaS providers as the best at streamlining their support operations and scaling to accommodate increasing customer volumes. (Midmarket) (CNW Group/SoftwareReviews)

Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) is a cutting-edge cloud-based solution that empowers IT leaders to revolutionize customer experience. By leveraging a provider's robust software suite through a flexible hosted subscription model, organizations can seamlessly manage incoming support and efficiently respond to consumer inquiries. With CCaaS, IT leaders can embed powerful communication features into core business processes, which can help transform customer service operations and drive enhanced efficiency for both employees and customers.

Without CCaaS, organizations may face challenges such as disjointed customer support processes, inefficient resource allocation, and limited scalability. Manual handling of support requests across multiple channels can lead to inconsistent service quality and frustrated customers. Resource allocation becomes complex and time consuming, resulting in inefficiencies and increased costs. Without the scalability offered by CCaaS, organizations may also struggle to meet growing customer demands, leading to missed business opportunities.

SoftwareReviews' survey data from 697 end-user reviews was used to identify the top CCaaS software providers for 2023. These insights are intended to support organizations seeking to streamline their customer experience strategies. The top enterprise and midmarket providers in the firm's Data Quadrant have been identified as Gold Medalists for their excellence in the space and high scores based on user feedback.

The 2023 Enterprise Contact Center as a Service Software Gold Medalists are as follows:

Five9 Intelligent Cloud, 8.5 CS, ranked high for knowledge management.

NICE CXone, 8.4 CS, ranked high for skill-based routing.

The 2023 Midmarket Contact Center as a Service Software Gold Medalists are as follows:

User assessments of software categories on SoftwareReviews provide an accurate and detailed view of the constantly changing market. SoftwareReviews' reports are informed by data from users and IT professionals who have intimate experience with the software throughout the procurement, implementation, and maintenance phases.

The full report is now ready to access on the firm's website, which is updated in real time to reflect new reviews and ratings.

For more information about SoftwareReviews, the Data Quadrant, or the Emotional Footprint, or to access resources to support the software selection process, visit softwarereviews.com.

About SoftwareReviews

SoftwareReviews empowers organizations with the best data, insights, and advice to improve the software buying and selling experience.

For buyers, SoftwareReviews' proven software selection methodologies, customer insights, and technology advisors help maximize success with technology decisions. For providers, the firm helps build more effective marketing, product, and sales processes with expert analysts, how-to research, customer-centric marketing content, and comprehensive analysis of the buyer landscape.

SoftwareReviews is a division of Info-Tech Research Group, a world-class technology research and advisory firm.

SOURCE SoftwareReviews
DALLAS, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Smoothie King, the world's largest smoothie chain, announced today the return of its X-Treme Watermelon smoothie and a NEW X-Treme Watermelon Lemonade smoothie, with a surprising campaign twist. Just in time for the heat of summer, the X-Treme Watermelon smoothie has inspired a new steamy romance novel entitled, "A Summer Fling to the X-Treme" co-authored with ChatGPT.

Intrigued? Smoothie King is publishing a limited run of 300 paperback copies for free at www.asummerflingtothextreme.com for brand fans and new readers alike!

"Smoothie King guests have been asking for the return of our X-Treme Watermelon smoothie for some time, and we wanted to do something special to celebrate," said Marianne Radley, CMO of Smoothie King. "These smoothies are fun, and bursting with extreme summer flavors, so it only made sense to pair them with an extremely playful campaign. X-Treme Watermelon and X-Treme Watermelon Lemonade smoothies are officially back, and we're excited to offer our guests a delicious way to treat themselves during the hot summer months."

Smoothie King guests can now cool off with the brand's newest limited-time smoothies. Capitalizing on summer's favorite flavors, watermelon and lemonade, X-Treme Watermelon and X-Treme Watermelon Lemonade are an easy way to pack more power and flavor into your summer treat.

X-Treme Watermelon includes:

Watermelon juice blend, strawberries, coconut water, dairy whey blend

X-Treme Watermelon Lemonade includes:

Watermelon juice blend, strawberries, white grape lemon juice blend, turbinado

The smoothies are available through August 28 or while supplies last, at all locations nationwide for purchase in-store or on the Smoothie King app.

Additionally, Smoothie King fans have an opportunity to win a free 20oz smoothie if they crack a secret code! A series of codes is hidden within each copy of "A Summer Fling to the X-Treme" and the first 300 readers that solve the code (and download the app!) will receive a free smoothie offer in the app. See official rules here: www.asummerflingtothextreme.com/legal-stuff.

To claim your free paperback copy of "A Summer Fling to the X-Treme", visit www.asummerflingtothextreme.com.

For more information about X-Treme Watermelon and X-Treme Watermelon Lemonade, please visit www.smoothieking.com.

About Smoothie King Franchises, Inc.

Smoothie King Franchises, Inc., the original U.S. smoothie franchise, is a privately held, Dallas-based franchise company with more than 1,350 locations worldwide. It was founded in 1973 with the mission to help others achieve better health in a delicious way through smoothies. Today, it continues its mission to inspire a healthy and active lifestyle through its Clean Blends initiative, which focuses on great-tasting smoothies with more whole fruits and vegetables while removing artificial flavors, colors and preservatives and added sugars in many of its blends. To learn more about Smoothie King, visit our website or check us out on Facebook and Instagram.

Contact:

Matt Ritter

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected]

SOURCE Smoothie King
BENSALEM, Pa., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces that investors with substantial losses have opportunity to lead the securities fraud class action lawsuit against Teleperformance SE ("Teleperformance" or the "Company") (OTC: TLPFY).

Class Period: July 29, 2020  November 9, 2022

Lead Plaintiff Deadline: June 20, 2023

Investors suffering losses on their Teleperformance investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to [email protected].

On August 4, 2022, Forbes published an article alleging that Teleperformance had subjected its workers to poor working conditions, using real, graphic images and videos of child sexual abuse to train its TikTok content moderators, while "conversations with former employees reveal[ed] the extent to which moderators were both under-trained and overworked." On this news, Teleperformance's stock price fell $7.75, or 4.6%, to close at $160.94 per ADR on August 5, 2022, thereby injuring investors.

Then, on November 9, 2022, Time reported that "Colombia's Ministry of Labor has launched an investigation into TikTok subcontractor Teleperformance, relating to alleged union-busting, traumatic working conditions and low pay." On this news, Teleperformance's stock price fell $24.55, or 18.6%, to close at $107.77 per ADR on November 10, 2022.

Then, on March 22, 2023, four months after the Company "unanimously" decided to exit the "highly egregious" content moderation business, Teleperformance announced that it would be reentering the field. Market analysts observed that the move was an indication of the Company's overall business and growth prospects. One HSBC Global Research analyst report stated that the "U-turn on content moderation raises concerns about communication, governance and broad fundamentals."

On this news, Teleperformance's stock price fell $6.87, or 5.7%, over three days to close at $112.82 per ADR on March 24, 2023, thereby injuring investors further.

The complaint filed alleges that, throughout the Class Period, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Teleperformance's growth in Core Services had been achieved, in part, by requiring its content moderators to engage in inappropriate, traumatic, abusive, and potentially criminal activities; (2) that certain Teleperformance social content moderators had been trained with materials which included illicit images of child sexual exploitation; (3) that contraband images had been included in Teleperformance Daily Required Reading reports for its content moderation staff; (4) that Teleperformance had failed to safeguard child sexual abuse material and had potentially violated strict rules governing the handling of such materials, including rules relating to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; (5) that Teleperformance had failed to provide adequate training or emotional and psychological support to content moderators exposed to egregious materials, including those exposed to extreme graphic violence and sexual images; (6) that Teleperformance had imposed unreasonable time and performance targets that compounded the occupational trauma suffered by its content moderators; (7) that Teleperformance had failed to implement or maintain the working conditions represented to investors, including by subjecting the Company's content moderation workers to widespread occupational trauma without psychological support, and with paltry pay, punitive salary deductions, extensive surveillance, and aggressive union-busting tactics; (8) that, as a result, Teleperformance was subject to a material, undisclosed risk of legal, regulatory, business, and reputational harm if the truth regarding the Company's content moderation services, treatment of its content moderation workers, and handling of contraband materials was ever publicly revealed; 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.

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 Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020, by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com.

This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.

Contacts

Law Offices of Howard G. Smith

Howard G. Smith, Esquire

215-638-4847

888-638-4847

[email protected]

www.howardsmithlaw.com

SOURCE Law Offices of Howard G. Smith
Toledo Spirits Company

TOLEDO, Ohio, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Toledo Spirits Company is proud to announce that our carefully curated range of craft spirits, renowned for their exceptional quality, are now debuting in New York and New Jersey through City Moonlight Wine & Liquors.

"We are delighted to introduce Toledo Spirits to the discerning craft cocktail enthusiasts of New York and New Jersey," expresses Andrew Newby, CEO and co-founder of Toledo Spirits Company. "New York is globally recognized as a vanguard in cocktail culture, and we are eager to contribute our distinctive and bold spirits to the region's cocktail creators and aficionados."

Diego Barco, CEO of City Moonlight, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "Toledo Spirits has garnered a well-deserved reputation for its exceptional craftsmanship and dedication to producing high-quality spirits and ready-to-drink cocktails. This collaboration signifies City Moonlight's commitment to curating an unparalleled selection of premium craft spirits for their customers. With the inclusion of Toledo Spirits' products, City Moonlight reinforces its position as a leading destination for those seeking exquisite and diverse spirits that embody the artistry and passion of the craft distilling industry."

Starting June 1, City Moonlight in New York and New Jersey will showcase Toledo Spirits' Heart of Gold Vodka, Heart of Glass Strawberry Vodka, Heart of Stone Peach & Apricot Vodka, Orange Tiger Bourbon Barrel Aged Orange Liqueur, Lowertown Ninety-Nine Bourbon, and ready-to-drink Heart of Glass Strawberry Lemonade flasks. This marks a pivotal step in our continuous endeavor to share our meticulously crafted spirits with a wider audience.

As Toledo Spirits Company ventures into new markets, we remain passionately dedicated to our craft, ensuring the exceptional quality of our spirits that our customers have come to expect.

Left: Born from our eternal pursuit of superior craft, the Heart of Vodka series represents our highest manifestation of pure flavor. Using only the finest ingredients from the American heartland, we carefully conjure every batch in communion with the spirits for a taste experience you won't soon forget.

Right: Heart of Glass Strawberry Vodka Lemonades are the perfect union of great taste and convenience. The 200ml flasks are packaged to provide a delicious and refreshing cocktail option for any occasion.

OUR GREAT SPIRITS, YOUR GREAT COCKTAILS

Toledo Spirits Company approaches artisan distilling with passion and fierce ingenuity. From handpicking the best in meaningfully sourced ingredients to utilizing creative distillation processes, nothing matters more than creating fine spirits for you to enjoy.

CONTACT

Eric Strayer

Toledo Spirits Company.

419-704-7796

[email protected]

www.toledospirits.com

SOURCE Toledo Spirits Company
PORT CLINTON, Ohio, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A new U-Haul retail, moving and self-storage facility is coming to an undeveloped site on W. State Route 163 between Dianna's Deli & Restaurant and the Sleep Hollows Family Campground.

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Port Clinton is scheduled for completion in 2025.

Preliminary plans call for the creation of a three-story self-storage building including at least 650 indoor, ADA-accessible units with climate-control options and high-tech security features at affordable price points. U-Haul also plans to build a separate warehouse for portable moving containers.

"Port Clinton is an attractive destination for DIY movers because it's a quaint waterfront community located between Cleveland and Toledo," said Logan Minnich, U-Haul Company of NW Ohio president. "As people continue to pack up their U-Haul trucks and head to Port Clinton, there is an increased demand for quality storage."

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Port Clinton will feature a sprawling retail showroom and mobility services like trailer and moving van rentals, boxes and moving supplies, towing equipment and more. Professional hitch installation and propane will also be available on-site.

Minnich intends to hire at least 12 Team Members to staff the new store. U-Haul will look to hire locally to promote job growth within the Port Clinton community. U-Haul, honored as a Best for Vets leading veteran-friendly employer by The Military Times, actively recruits veterans and gives them preference in the hiring process. Find U-Haul careers at uhauljobs.com.

"This will be our first company-owned and -operated facility in Port Clinton and we're thankful for this opportunity to be part of the city's development and long-term future," Minnich added.

Reserve equipment on the U-Haul app or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

U-Haul dealers in and around Port Clinton continue to be available to serve DIY movers. U-Haul has partnered with independent dealers to provide communities with accessible mobility since 1945. During these challenging times, more than 21,000 small businesses across the U.S. and Canada are generating supplemental income by partnering with U-Haul. When customers rent from their local U-Haul dealers, they are directly supporting small businesses in their community. Because there is no financial investment from dealers, they are not U-Haul franchises. They are simply small businesses with enough lot space to park U-Haul equipment and enough time to welcome more customers while meeting the mobility needs of their neighbors. Learn how to partner with U-Haul at uhaul.com/dealer.

About U-HAUL

Founded in 1945, U-Haul is the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 186,000 trucks, 128,000 trailers and 46,000 towing devices. U-Haul is the third largest self-storage operator in North America and offers 913,000 rentable storage units and 78.1 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities. U-Haul is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S., and continues to be the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul has been recognized repeatedly as a leading "Best for Vets" employer and was recently named one of the 15 Healthiest Workplaces in America.

Contact:

Andrea Batchelor

Jeff Lockridge

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 602-263-6194

Website: uhaul.com

SOURCE U-Haul
NYSE American: UEC

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Uranium Energy Corp (NYSE American: UEC) (the "Company" or "UEC") is pleased to announce that it has selected SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. ("SLR") and Wood (Canada) Ltd. ("Wood") to conduct an S-K 1300 Initial Assessment Economic Study ("S-K 1300 IAES") for the Company's 100% owned Roughrider Project (the "Project or "Roughrider"). Additionally, the Company has selected Canada North Environmental Services ("CanNorth") to conduct environmental baseline work for the Roughrider Project.

The planned development work at the Roughrider Project will benefit from the prior work of former owner Rio Tinto including a thorough technical, community engagement and an environmental assessment and review process, albeit no longer current, with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment. (1)

SLR has been selected to lead the Company's S-K 1300 IAES for the Project due to their experience in successfully advancing top tier uranium projects in the prolific Athabasca Basin.

Basin. The S-K 1300 IAES will focus on the capital and operating costs, construction and production schedule of the Roughrider Project through identified options and opportunities.

Wood has been selected to design a uranium processing facility and to compare against potential UEC toll milling options with third parties  see Figures 1 and 2 below.

CanNorth has started the baseline studies at the Roughrider Project. Previously, CanNorth was retained by Rio Tinto to conduct comprehensive environmental and heritage baseline investigations to thoroughly assess the environmental impact of the Roughrider Project and to prepare for future licensing and regulatory requirements. (1)

CanNorth is one of the largest environmental service providers in Western Canada and is 100% owned by Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership, the business arm of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band.

and is 100% owned by Kitsaki Management Limited Partnership, the business arm of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band. Helicopter support is being provided by Aberdeen Helicopters Ltd., which is 100% owned and operated by a member of Tri-River Metis Association and is in partnership with Athabasca Catering Ltd.

The Project has access to all-weather roads and power infrastructure. There is an airport accessible to the public at Points North Landing six kilometres from the deposit area.

Low carbon intensity design options will be utilized. There are high-voltage transmission lines, which brings hydro-electric generated power within 20 km of the Roughrider Project site, which will enable comparably low carbon production of uranium.

Total Project resources are 27.8 million lbs. U 3 O 8 in 389,000 tonnes grading 3.25% U 3 O 8 in the Indicated category and 36.0 million lbs. U 3 O 8 in 359,000 tonnes grading 4.55% U 3 O 8 in the Inferred category. (2)

Amir Adnani, President and CEO, stated: "Prior owners of Roughrider, Hathor and Rio Tinto, did not have the benefit of the regional scale and portfolio that UEC has created by acquiring UEX and the exciting growth-oriented and resource-stage projects in Christie Lake, Horseshoe Raven and Hidden Bay. This allows us to evaluate and explore both the potential at Roughrider in addition to regional synergies for a hub-and-spoke model. As a result, UEC will be evaluating all uranium processing options, along with a build versus potential toll processing options given the close proximity to two existing mills."

James Hatley, VP Production, Canada, stated: "UEC has several operational configurations to consider during this project assessment stage. In addition to the S-K 1300 IAES and environmental studies, our exploration team is planning further resource delineation to upgrade the mineral resources, complete geotechnical drilling and brownfields exploration of existing trends. In parallel with the drill program, our team will establish a site presence and conduct additional community engagement. UEC is assessing the historical work completed at Roughrider by Rio Tinto which substantially reduces our development timeline and costs."

(1) Rio Tinto  Roughrider Advanced Exploration Program, 2013-2014, https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/#/categories/115

(2) Item 1302 of Regulation S-K1300 Technical Resource Summary Report (the "TRS") prepared in accordance with S-K 1300 and was filed on May 2, 2023 with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") through EDGAR on Form 8-K and is also available on SEDAR as a "Material Document" filed on May 2, 2023. The TRS was prepared on behalf of the Company by SRK Consulting (UK) Ltd.

About the Roughrider Uranium Project

The Roughrider Project is a conventional uranium project located in the eastern Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan, Canada; one of the world's premier uranium mining jurisdictions; see Figure 1. The Project is located approximately 13 kilometres west of Orano's McClean Lake Mill, in close proximity to UEC's existing Athabasca Basin properties; see Figure 2. The depth to mineralization at the Project is approximately 200 metres and hosted primarily in the basement rocks below the unconformity.

www.uraniumenergy.com

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, the availability of any toll milling options or licenses for the Roughrider Project with third parties on terms acceptable to the Company, or at all, 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 SEC. 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, except as required by law. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities.

SOURCE Uranium Energy Corp
645,000 poppy flowers serve as remembrance: especially poignant on 50th anniversary of U.S. exit from Vietnam War

SAN ANTONIO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The USAA Poppy Wall of Honor  a temporary installation honoring the more than 645,000 American servicemembers who gave their lives in service to our nation since World War I  will return to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for Memorial Day weekend. New this year, the Poppy Wall of Honor will feature a special panel to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S.'s exit from the Vietnam War, and a digital panel that will display individual remembrances that have been aggregated with #PoppyInMemory.

Visitors gather at the USAA Poppy Wall of Honor on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in May 2019.

Since its appearance publicly on the National Mall in 2018, nearly 40,000 visitors have visited the Poppy Wall of Honor, paying their respects to fallen military and learning more about the holiday.

"Memorial Day weekend has long served as the unofficial start to summer with many Americans getting together and enjoying the long weekend. However, it's important to pause and reflect on the true meaning of the holiday  to honor and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country," said VADM (ret) John Bird, senior vice president of Military Affairs at USAA. "As we mark fifty years since the end of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, USAA's Poppy Wall of Honor will pay special tribute to the heroes of that war who didn't make it home, while allowing visitors to pay tribute to all the heroes, the more than 645,000 service members, who have died in service to our nation since World War I."

The Poppy Wall of Honor will be on display from May 26 through May 28 on the National Mall at the base of the Lincoln Memorial between the Reflecting Pool and Korean War Memorial. Visitors can expect to see:

The Poppy Wall of Honor is 133 feet long and stands 8-1/2 feet tall and contains a two-sided exhibit experience. Visitors will learn more about the true meaning of Memorial Day, the poppy flower and conflicts since WWI.

More than 645,000 poppy flowers provided by Veterans of Foreign Wars' Buddy Poppies and The American Legion's Memorial Poppies fill one side of the wall, representing the lives lost since WWI.

The Poppy Wall will feature a special panel to honor and commemorate the lives lost in the Vietnam War, with 2023 marking 50 years since the U.S.'s exit from Vietnam .

. Visitors may view the Poppy Wall of Honor starting at 12 p.m. EST on Friday , May 26. Full hours of operation will be: Friday, May 26 : 10 a.m.  9 p.m. EST Saturday, May 27 : 9 a.m.  9 p.m. EST Sunday, May 28 : 9 a.m.  6 p.m. EST

, May 26. Full hours of operation will be:

In addition to the Poppy Wall of Honor on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., USAA is bringing two smaller poppy exhibits to additional U.S cities. The USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas and the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Va. will host the two exhibits and will offer a similar educational and remembrance experience to the Poppy Wall of Honor on the National Mall. More details and hours can be found at usaa.com/memorialday.

For those not able to view the exhibits in person, you can contribute to the Memorial Day conversation by honoring a loved one or sharing a remembrance using #PoppyInMemory in your social channels. Viewing of the dedications can be found at www.usaadigitalpoppywall.com.

About USAA

Founded in 1922 by a group of military officers, USAA is among the leading providers of insurance, banking and investment and retirement solutions to 13 million members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served and their families. Headquartered in San Antonio, TX, USAA has offices in seven U.S. cities and three overseas locations and employs more than 37,000 people worldwide. Each year, the company contributes to national and local nonprofits in support of military families and communities where employees live and work. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@USAA), or visit usaa.com.

Media Contacts:

Laura Propp

USAA Corporate Communications

[email protected]

573.424.3550

Mitch Marier

160over90 (for USAA)

[email protected]

704.493.9975

SOURCE USAA
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (L) and URP Chairman Dmitry Medvedev (Photo: VNA)

PM Pham Minh Chinh said Medvedevs visit from May 21-23 provides an opportunity for both sides to discuss cooperation between the two Parties and countries, thus raising mutual understanding and agreeing on measures to further improve the effectiveness of bilateral coordination for the benefit of the two peoples and the development of both nations.

Medvedev, for his part, described Vietnam as one of the important partners of Russia in Asia-Pacific, especially in Southeast Asia.

He affirmed that Russia wishes to further develop bilateral cooperation with Vietnam in areas of their strength and need, in order to meet the expectation of both peoples and development requirements of each nation.

The URP always supports the development of comprehensive strategic partnership with Vietnam, while maintaining and strengthening traditional cooperation areas, expanding collaboration in economy and trade, investment, culture, tourism, locality-to-locality and people-to-people exchanges, among others.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the recent achievements in bilateral cooperation, including the successful organisation of the 24th session of the Vietnam-Russia Inter-Governmental Committee on Economic, Trade and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, during which they reached consensus on measures to further improve the effectiveness of bilateral coordination, particularly in economy, trade and investment.

They shared the view that amid difficulties and challenges faced by the global economy, it is necessary to adopt measures to strengthen the effectiveness of bilateral cooperation, in the spirit of harmonising interests and sharing risks. They also vowed to deepen joint work in such areas as energy, oil and gas, science-technology, education and training.

On the occasion, PM Pham Minh Chinh thanked leaders and authorities of Russia for offering support to Vietnamese citizens in the country over the past years. He wished that Medvedev and his party would continue contributing their voice and supporting the improvement of legal foundations for the Vietnamese community to keep living, studying, and doing business in Russia for a long term./.
VANCOUVER, BC, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. ("West Fraser" or the "Company") (TSX andNYSE: WFG) today announced the appointment of Eric L. Butler to its Board of Directors.

Eric Butler is an accomplished executive and leader. Following his retirement from a 32-year career with Union Pacific, one of the largest freight rail providers in North America, he is a corporate director and President and CEO of Aswani-Butler Investment Associates, a private equity firm. Currently, he is a member of the Board of Directors of NiSource Inc., and the Eastman Chemicals Company and has served in the past in a number of appointments, including as the former Chair of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City  Omaha Branch.

"I am pleased to announce that Eric Butler has been appointed to the Board of Directors and welcome him to West Fraser," said Hank Ketcham, Board Chair, West Fraser. "He is a well-respected director, bringing a rare blend of operations and commercial perspectives to the boardroom  uniquely important skills given West Fraser's large and growing presence in the southeastern United States."

Eric Butler retired from Union Pacific in 2017 as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer, after a career which saw him lead a wide variety of company functions and initiatives, including marketing and sales, purchasing and supply chain, financial planning and analysis, strategic planning, human resources, industrial engineering and transportation.

Having studied at the Carnegie Mellon University, Eric Butler holds both a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science degree in Industrial Administration from the university.

About West Fraser

West Fraser is a diversified wood products company with more than 60 facilities in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. From responsibly sourced and sustainably managed forest resources, the Company produces lumber, engineered wood products (OSB, LVL, MDF, plywood, and particleboard), pulp, newsprint, wood chips, other residuals, and renewable energy. West Fraser's products are used in home construction, repair and remodelling, industrial applications, papers, tissue, and box materials. For more information about West Fraser, visit www.westfraser.com.

For More Information

Media Contact

Joyce Wagenaar

Director, Communications

Tel. (604) 817-5539

[email protected]

Investor Contact

Robert B. Winslow, CFA

Director, Investor Relations & Corporate Development

Tel. (416) 777-4426

[email protected]

SOURCE West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.
SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WorkWhile, the worker-first labor marketplace connecting businesses with a reliable hourly workforce, today announced the expansion of its offerings to the hospitality and events services sectors. WorkWhile is now ready to fill in-demand open roles in concessions, event services, food services, and other hospitality industries.

WorkWhile expands its offering to include hospitality and events services.

WorkWhile is a labor technology platform that matches workers to shifts that fit their skills, schedule, and location. WorkWhile utilizes cutting-edge AI and machine learning to identify the most reliable hourly workers and connect them with the right jobs in their area. Workers are supported with perks rarely available at traditional hourly wage jobssuch as next-day pay and free virtual healthcare services. Businesses use WorkWhile for a high-quality workforce that they can scale up or down, as needed.

The hospitality industry employs over 15 million workers in the United States alone, with 1.5m open positions as of March 2023. However, since COVID-19, soaring turnover rates and inconsistent schedules have made it even more difficult to hire and retain for key roles in events and hospitality. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , during the first quarter of 2023, hospitality workers reported working only an average of 25.5 hours per week. For many hourly wage employees, part-time work alone is not enough. The flexible shifts available on WorkWhile give hospitality and event workers the power to take control of their hours and receive a consistent paycheck.

"Our worker-first mindset drives everything we do at WorkWhile. By expanding into the hospitality industry, we are responding to the strong demand from our workers who have experience in these jobs. Hospitality and events face chronic staffing shortagesmaking these industries the natural next steps in our evolution" said Jarah Euston, CEO and Co-founder of WorkWhile.

To better support the complexities of hospitality and events work, WorkWhile also launched an AI-powered shift onboarding process that screens and prepares workers for their shiftsresulting in higher fill rates and quality for business partners. Workers, in turn, receive additional information to ensure that they have what they need to be successful. This new process captures all the critical details required for shifts in hospitality, such as certifications, permits, or even dress codes, and prepares workers before clocking in. It's a win-win for businesses and workers alike.

One of WorkWhile's early partnerships with a premier event services provider has yielded remarkable success. Previous experience with contingent labor providers led the customer to request more workers than needed due to expected no-shows. When WorkWhile quickly achieved 100% fill rates with minimal no-shows, the customer was happily overstaffed. At the event, WorkWhile workers provided outstanding, high-quality service that was indistinguishable from the customer's own staff.

Jarah Euston added, "Our expansion into the hospitality and events sectors represents an exciting new chapter for WorkWhile and for our workers."

About WorkWhile:

WorkWhile is a labor technology platform that matches workers to shifts that fit their skills, schedule, and location. WorkWhile utilizes AI and cutting-edge machine learning to help identify the most reliable hourly workers and connect them with the right jobs in their area. Employers use WorkWhile for a high-quality workforce that they can scale up or down, as needed, and workers turn to WorkWhile to let them choose when, where, and how they want to work.

As a full-stack labor platform, WorkWhile sources and screens workers, schedules shifts, processes payments, and retains workers with added benefits and features.

WorkWhile serves warehousing, light industrial, last-mile delivery, event services, food production, hospitality, and general labor. WorkWhile operates across the United States in major cities in 20 states and counting. Learn more at www.workwhilejobs.com.

Media contact:

Jarah Euston

[email protected]

9499297729

SOURCE WorkWhile
Three patients successfully underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) while using F 2 embolic filter device from EnCompass Technologies

CARSON CITY, Nev., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- EnCompass Technologies, Inc., a privately held medical device company focused on protecting patients from brain injury during cardiovascular procedures, announced its novel F 2 cerebral embolic filter was used successfully in three transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures on April 29th and 30th at the Israeli-Georgian Medical Research Clinic, Tbilisi, Georgia.

TAVR is a less invasive cardiac procedure that treats patients with severe aortic stenosis without open heart surgery. While TAVR represents a major advance for patients, it carries a small but significant risk of brain injury, including stroke. Brain injury after cardiac procedures, including TAVR, afflicts nearly one million patients globally each year1. The primary cause is particulate debris released during instrumentation that blocks blood flow to the brain.

World's First Use of EnCompass Medical Device to Protect Against Brain Injury Achieved Tweet this

EnCompass Technologies, a US-based medical device company, has developed a novel filter device to deflect debris away from the brain, thereby reducing the risk of brain injury. The F 2 filter offers important advantages over previous embolic protection devices, such as best-in-class micropore filtration that further reduces the size and volume of embolic debris reaching the brain, full coverage of all three great vessels supplying the brain, and stability throughout the TAVR procedure.

Prior to the pilot clinical trial, a study was conducted at the University of California Los Angeles led by Naoki Kaneko, MD. The F 2 filter was shown to dramatically reduce the burden of cerebral microemboli in a benchtop simulation compared to the market leading filter.

"The EnCompass F 2 filter was designed with pores small enough to trap most harmful debris while preserving blood flow to the brain, and the UCLA study results show it is doing precisely what it was designed for," said George Wallace, CEO of EnCompass.

In the pilot clinical trial, Irakli Gogorishvili, MD, Ph.D., head of interventional cardiology at the Israeli-Georgian Medical Research Clinic, partnered with Tamim Nazif, MD and Isaac George, MD, both of Columbia University in New York City. All three patients received the F 2 filter percutaneously before TAVR. No complications were observed and all recovered without clinical evidence of brain injury. Further, on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) performed within the first 48 hours of the procedure, the efficacy of the EnCompass F 2 filter to reduce particulate debris to the brain was strongly suggested.

"The F 2 filter was relatively easy to insert, deploy, and retrieve. Its position remained stable throughout the procedure, despite passage of wires and large catheters. Clearly, the early results are encouraging," said Isaac George, MD.

EnCompass plans for the F 2 filter to undergo further clinical testing before becoming available for widespread use, however, the strong positive signal from the world's first use demonstrates promise for all patients who undergo TAVR globally each year.

About EnCompass Technologies

EnCompass Technologies, Inc. is a privately held medical device company based in Carson City, Nevada. The company is focused on the development of embolic filtration devices that protect patients from brain injury during cardiovascular procedures. F 2 is not commercially available and is intended for investigational use only.

Press Inquiries

[email protected]

References

Wolman, R. L., Nussmeier, N. A., Aggarwal, A., et al. Cerebral injury after Cardiac Surgery. Stroke, 30(3), 514522. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.str.30.3.514

SOURCE EnCompass Technologies
This aerial photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows a comprehensive inspection train running along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia. The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project. (Photo by China Railway International Co., Ltd./Xinhua)

JAKARTA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project.

The joint commissioning and testing is conducted prior to the opening of the high-speed railway to ensure safe and smooth operation of the trainsets.

By conducting dynamic testing using a comprehensive inspection train on the newly constructed high-speed railway, the performance of various systems such as tracks, power supply, overhead catenary system, communication, signaling, and early warning monitoring is tested and verified.

Currently, all civil engineering works such as roadbeds, bridges, culverts, and tunnels have been completed. Preparations for operation are being carried out in an orderly manner.

After the completion of the joint commissioning and testing, further running trials and safety assessments will be conducted before the official commencement of operation.

The high-speed line, a landmark project under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, connects Indonesia's capital Jakarta and another major city Bandung.

With a design speed of 350 km per hour, the railway spanning 142.3 km will cut the journey between Jakarta and Bandung from over three hours to around 40 minutes.

Staff members and journalists take a comprehensive inspection train during the joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia, May 22, 2023. The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project. (Photo by Ren Weiyun/Xinhua)

Engineers conduct catenary testing on the comprehensive inspection train during the joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia, May 22, 2023. The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

This aerial photo taken on May 22, 2023 shows a comprehensive inspection train running along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia. The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project. (Photo by China Railway International Co., Ltd./Xinhua)

This photo taken with a mobile phone shows the EMU drivers driving a comprehensive inspection train along the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway in Indonesia, May 22, 2023. The joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on Monday, marking a milestone in the construction of the railway project. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

Editor: WJH
United Nations, May 23 : The imminent implementation of a vital ceasefire in Sudan, holds the potential to "pave the way" for peace talks and bring an end to the month-long conflict, according to the top UN official in Sudan.

"Lives and infrastructure are being destroyed, and the security situation is impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid," said Volker Perthes, the UN secretary-general's special representative for Sudan, briefing the Security Council on Monday about recent developments.

Despite repeated declarations of ceasefire by both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces since the eruption of fighting on April 15, the conflict in Sudan has continued unabated for five weeks, with no signs of slowing down, according to Perthes, the head of the UN mission in Sudan (UNITAMS).

If honoured, the pending week-long renewable ceasefire should ease aid deliveries to millions in need and "pave the way for peace talks," he told the council.

However, Perthes expressed numerous grave concerns regarding serious human rights violations, widespread looting, and the proliferation of weapons across the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

He warned that the escalating ethnicisation of the conflict could lead to a protracted and widespread crisis with ramifications for the entire region. In light of this, Perthes urged both parties to prioritise dialogue and engage in peaceful negotiations, emphasising the importance of acting in the best interests of Sudan and its people.

Civilians have paid a heavy price for this "senseless violence," he said, noting the more than 700 reported deaths, including 190 children, another 6,000 injured, and many more missing. The violence displaced more than one million people; more than 8,40,000 fled to safer areas while another 2,50,000 have crossed the borders, and nearly 8,000 of the displaced population are pregnant women.

The ongoing fighting across the country has led to "serious human rights abuses and violations" of international humanitarian law, severely undermining the protection and well-being of civilians.

"These violations must be investigated, and the perpetrators brought to justice," he said.

"The UN family continues to monitor and advocate for an end to all violations." In areas such as Khartoum, Darfur, and other locations, the conflicting parties persist in engaging in combat without adhering to the laws and norms of warfare. And the health sector is in a state of collapse, with over two-thirds of hospitals shut down, a significant number of healthcare professionals losing their lives, and dwindling supplies of essential medical resources.

Expressing deep concern over reports of sexual violence targeting women and girls, Perthes said the UN is actively investigating these cases to ascertain the facts. He also raised alarm at the widespread occurrences of looting and enforced disappearances, highlighting the vulnerability of children to recruitment as soldiers, sexual violence, and abduction.

Criminality is compounded by the release of thousands of prisoners and the increasing spread of small arms, he warned.

In El Geneina, located in West Darfur, the clashes between the parties escalated into ethnic violence on April 24. Tribal militias joined the conflict, and civilians took up arms in self-defence, exacerbating the situation, as stated by the UN official.

During the violence, homes, markets, and hospitals were looted and set on fire, and UN premises were also targeted. Reports indicate that more than 450 civilians lost their lives, with another 700 sustaining injuries. The violence continued on May 12, resulting in at least 280 additional deaths and tens of thousands of people being displaced to Chad.

Perthes further expressed concerns about the alarming signs of tribal mobilisation in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile region.

UNITAMS has been actively supporting the UN country team and humanitarian partners in their efforts to restore the flow of aid supplies into and within Sudan, according to the official.

He emphasised the urgent need for additional funding. The revised humanitarian response plan, launched on May 17, seeks $2.6 billion to aid 18 million people, a substantial increase from the initial $15 million requested before the outbreak of the conflict.

As the peace talks progress, Perthes stressed the importance of involving a diverse range of civil and political stakeholders in the process, noting that ultimately, a credible civilian-led transition is essential for achieving lasting peace in Sudan.
United Nations, May 23 : Detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mali injured four UN peacekeepers from Sri Lanka, a UN spokesman said.

The injuries are not serious, and the peacekeepers from the UN mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, are receiving medical treatment, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, on Monday.

The incident occurred on Sunday about 12 km northwest of their camp in Tessalit, in the Kidal region, Dujarric added. When the blast occurred, they were in an armoured vehicle providing security for a logistics convoy, Xinhua news agency reported.

"About 40 minutes after the incident, a search of the surrounding area discovered a second IED which was successfully detonated," he said.

"Earlier in the day, the mission had detonated another IED discovered some 23 km northwest of the Tessalit camp." The spokesman added the attack on the peacekeepers was indicative of the continuing violence in Mali.

The UN staff union reported earlier this year that the MINUSMA mission was the most deadly of any world body assignment for the ninth year, with 14 personnel killed in 2022.
Athens, May 23 : Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has decided to return the exploratory mandate he had received from President Katerina Sakellaropoulou to form a government following this weekend's inconclusive elections.

During their meeting, he called for a second ballot to be held as early as June 25 if possible, according to an e-mailed press statement on Monday.

In Sunday's general elections, the ruling conservative New Democracy (ND) party scored a landslide victory winning 40.79 per cent of the votes and thus 146 seats in parliament. The main opposition party, SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance, garnered 20.7 per cent of the votes with 71 seats.

However, the ND failed to secure an outright majority in the 300-member parliament, Xinhua news agency reported.

After the Speaker of parliament formally delivered the results to Sakellaropoulou, she launched the procedure foreseen by the country's Constitution, granting the first three-day mandate to the leader of the winning party.

"I think that essentially the conditions for the formation of a government from the present parliament do not exist," Mitsotakis told Sakellaropoulou.

Hours later, he called the President and told her that he wanted to return the mandate, according to a press statement.

Sakellaropoulou will now grant three-day mandate to the leaders of the second and third-placed parties, the SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance and the socialist PASOK-KINAL, which received 11.46 per cent of the votes with 41 seats.

She will receive SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Alexis Tsipras on Tuesday, according to a press statement.

If the overall process proves unsuccessful, a caretaker government will lead Greece to new elections.

In the runoff elections, a revised electoral system will be used. This provides a bonus of up to 50 extra seats for the winning party, facilitating the formation of a single-party government.

The frontrunner could gain an absolute majority in parliament with about 38 per cent of the votes under this system, according to political analysts.
From lithium ore to an electric vehicle. Why lithium extraction in Ukraine is just the first step towards Tesla production

Denys Aloshyn, Chief Strategy Officer UkrLithiumMining LLC

In August of last year, Chinese company CATL announced the construction of the largest battery factory in Europe in Hungary, with investments totaling 7.3 billion. In May of this year, Taiwanese company Prologium also planned to establish a similar production facility in France, with investments amounting to 5.2 billion.

Following such news, Ukraine often recalls its vast lithium deposits and seems destined for success in this field, even to the extent of creating its own Tesla. However, despite the bold statements, billions of dollars in Western investments are not flowing into our country. The reasons go beyond the full-scale war. To attract international investors, Ukrainian businesses must independently address problematic issues and overcome obstacles.

According to most estimates, the demand for lithium will exceed supply for at least the next 5-10 years. During this time, dozens of new gigafactories for battery production will begin operating in Europe, becoming significant consumers of lithium materials. How can Ukraine seize this opportunity?

Since 2019, we have been professionally engaged in the development of a lithium deposit in Kirovohrad region. Therefore, based on our own experience, we know that access to mineral resources does not guarantee instant billion-dollar profits or a queue of investors, especially in such a high-tech industry with specific requirements for each production stage, from ore and concentrate to finished batteries. Hundreds of millions of dollars in investments, immense international experience, and years of patience are needed, even without wars and quarantine restrictions.

There are four known lithium deposits in our country: "Shevchenkivske" in Donetsk region, "Polokhivske" and "Dobra" in Kirovohrad region, and "Kruta Balka" in Zaporizhia region. Most of them have only undergone preliminary geological surveys dating back to the Soviet era, and mining is not taking place. The reasons for this vary. The Donetsk region deposit is under occupation, and Zaporizhia region is in a front-line area. Work in these areas will resume only after the de-occupation of Ukrainian territory. The "Dobra" deposit in Kirovohrad region is subject to legal disputes. Only at the "Polokhivske" deposit, despite the ongoing war, preparatory work and the search for a strategic international investor are still ongoing.

We believe that Ukraine should export products with added value. This can be petalite concentrate, lithium carbonate, or lithium hydroxide, which are already used to produce battery components. However, no Ukrainian company can independently navigate the process to successfully integrate into global manufacturing chains. To attract international partners and investors at each stage of lithium production development, preparatory work worth tens of millions of dollars is required. Ukrainian businesses are doing just that.

The first mandatory step to initiate negotiations with foreign investors is to confirm the surveyed reserves. Ukrainian or Soviet approaches do not work. After the crisis of the 1990s, the country was left with virtually no samples (cores) taken during geological exploration. It is impossible to match documentary records with physical core samples taken at the deposits. This is why a reassessment of the geological resources according to one of the internationally recognized standards was necessary. We chose JORC.

To confirm the reserves of the "Polokhivske" lithium deposit according to this standard, we conducted additional exploration, including over 5,000 meters of new drilling and laboratory and chemical analysis of the extracted core samples. All of these activities were carried out in collaboration with several reputable international companies. These endeavors cost millions of dollars and lasted for over 2.5 years, demonstrating the seriousness of our intentions.

However, our objective is not to sell the deposit but to create a value-added product. Therefore, the next step is the construction of a mine and an ore processing plant. The completed Scoping Study has already indicated a viable economic feasibility of mining and processing the mineral from Ukrainian deposits.

By the end of 2023, we will conduct a Pre-Feasibility Study, followed by a Definitive Feasibility Study by the end of 2024. These studies will provide us with key financial indicators of the project with a high level of accuracy, with a margin of error of only 10-15%. This will serve as a crucial argument for potential international investors, especially considering the ongoing full-scale war in Ukraine. Currently (before the completion of these studies), we estimate the investment required for the mine and ore processing plant to be in the range of $200-300 million USD.

The third step involves integration into global production chains. Here, we face a question concerning the raw material. While most players in the lithium market extract and process spodumene from ore, the "Polokhivske" deposit contains a different mineral known as petalite. In collaboration with the German laboratory Anzaplan Dorfner, we have already obtained a concentrate that meets the technical specifications for both the battery market (Battery Grade) and the ceramics and glass ceramics market (Technical Grade). This implies a potential global demand for lithium from Ukrainian deposits. However, producing is not the same as selling. Globally, petalite concentrate is already being produced or planned for production by only a few companies in Zimbabwe, Canada, and Portugal.

Currently, we are exploring the possibility of constructing our own plant, which would not only produce petalite concentrate but also convert it into carbonate or hydroxide. These are more versatile products with a stable demand. We estimate the cost of such a plant to be up to USD 400 mln.

Can Ukraine become a producer of lithium anodes, cathodes, and finished batteries? In our opinion, in the near future, such high-tech products will be manufactured in close proximity to the major consumers, namely countries with developed automotive industies. Nevertheless, even producing concentrate for refining would create new jobs, increase export revenue, and have a positive impact on the country's economy.

What about a national electric vehicle in partnership with global automakers that utilizes Ukrainian lithium? This should be a dream or goal for the post-war transformation of the Ukrainian economy.
Damascus, May 23 : The massive earthquakes that jolted Syria and Turkey in February have affected 1,75,512 families in Syria's northwestern coastal province of Latakia, a report revealed.

The report by the Latakia Operation Room, which was established to look into the aftermath of the tremors, revealed on Monday that the quakes affected 8,07,355 people from 1,75,512 families.

According to the report, among the 97,777 buildings that have been checked following the quakes, 54,004 were found to be safe, 17,396 needed fix, 1,554 needed to be rebuilt, 105 were already destroyed, and 15 were demolished in order to be rebuilt later, Xinhua news agency reported.

Of the 850 schools that have been examined, 213 were safe, 14 were safe but their surroundings were unsafe, and 388 schools were safe but needed some maintenance work, it said, adding 61 schools had already been rehabilitated after the quakes.

A total of 12 temporary shelters were set up in Latakia to house the displaced families, the report said, noting that 616 families have been sheltered while 684 others have moved into rented apartments.
Rampur : , May 23 (IANS) The Rampur police finds 'doubtful' the report of alleged robbery and gang-rape lodged by a man in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur, police said.

The man has lodged a complaint alleging three men raped his wife and their 14-year-old daughter and also stole cash and a mobile phone from their home in Saifni.

The police have cast doubts over the allegations but have registered a case and detained a person.

Sanjay Kumar, a Sub-Inspector posted at Saifni police station, said a gang-rape case has been registered against three men and an investigation launched.

The victim, a man, on Sunday lodged a complaint that his mobile phone and Rs 5,000 were stolen from his home. He returned to the police station sometime later and alleged that alongside the cash and the phone being stolen, his wife and minor daughter were gang-raped late on Saturday.

Superintendent of Police (SP), Ashok Kumar Shukla, said the man first lodged a complaint of theft and then alleged that his wife and minor daughter were gang-raped.

"The incident seems to be a bit doubtful. We will verify the incident and collect evidence. The mother and daughter have been sent for medical examination," he added.

Citing the complainant, Shukla said the man informed the police that three thieves broke into their home, tied him up and took his mobile phone and Rs 5,000. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case and the matter was being investigated.

"Later, the same person said the three people allegedly gang-raped his wife and daughter. The incident seems to be doubtful as one of the accused allegedly had an argument with the complainant a few days back. The police have registered a case of loot and gang-rape," the SP added.

One of the accused has been identified as Kaif.

"Kaif has been detained and is being questioned. A few days ago, Kaif had an argument with the complainant," he said.

Meanwhile Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav said the incident sparked panic in the entire state.

He said in a tweet in Hindi, "The heinous incident of robbery and gang-rape of the wife and minor daughter of a local businessman at his house in Rampur in Uttar Pradesh has created panic in the entire state. Such crimes expose the hollowness of BJP's claims of law and order in Uttar Pradesh."
Ankara, May 23 : Turkish presidential candidate Sinan Ogan, who won third place by receiving 5.17 per cent of the votes in the first round, endorsed incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the runoff elections slated for May 28.

"Following our internal consultations, I want to announce that I will support the presidential candidate of the People's Alliance, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the second round. I also call on my electors to endorse Mr. Erdogan," Ogan said at a press conference on Monday.

Ogan, a hardline nationalist who pledged to take a tougher stance against terrorism and send all migrants back to their home country, said Erdogan's alliance has the parliamentary majority and Erdogan's continued presidency is essential for maintaining the country's stability, Xinhua news agency reported.

Erdogan received 49.52 per cent of the votes in the first round on May 14 and will race against Nation Alliance's presidential candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who had secured 44.88 per cent of the votes.
Lucknow, May 23 : Throwing away empty beer cans, can sometimes help in unravelling a murder mystery.

Discarded beer cans at some distance from a crime scene, helped police in Uttar Pradesh's Kakori, probing the murder of a 35-year-old man, nail the accused.

Amit Raidas, a moneylender by profession, had left home on May 19 saying that he was going to recover loans from a few people.

"The following day, his body was recovered from Sakra village on the Lucknow-Kakori highway. Six police teams were made to crack the case," said DCP (West Zone) Rahul Raj.

"From near the crime scene, three beer cans and a few snuffed beedis were recovered. We took the beer cans and scanned the codes on the cans. It emerged that the cans were brought from the same shop," the police official said.

The beer shop was located 2 km from the crime scene. In between, there were two villages, Sakra and Dona, where Raidas had customers who used to regularly take money on interest.

"We scanned the CCTV footage from the shop for two days preceding the murder and showed them to the victim's family members," Raj said.

The family identified one Birju Sharma, 28, who had stood surety for a few debtors.

The police team interrogated him while his phone records showed his presence at the crime scene on the fateful day.

"Birju spilled the beans and told us that his friend Sumit, who had taken a loan of Rs 30,000 from Raidas in January, died in an accident later," said the officer.

He was scared since he had stood surety for Sumit and Raidas was forcing him to arrange the money from Sumit's family.

Birju had a verbal spat with the victim on May 18. Raidas had then threatened to go to the police.

After this, Birju with his friends Satendra Kumar, 21, and Nasimuddin Ali, 43, plotted to kill Raidas. They called him to the spot on the pretext of returning the money and bludgeoned him to death.

All the three have now been arrested.
New Delhi, May 23 : Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi took a truck ride in Haryana from Murthal to Ambala to speak to the drivers to understand their issues and problems, party sources said on Tuesday.

Gandhi, who has been meeting people from different walks of life, took the ride on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.

According to Congress sources, he arrived in Haryana's Murthal around 11 p.m.

From Murthal, he took a truck ride around 12 in the midnight and reached Ambala.

During his journey from Murthal to Ambala, the Congress leader spoke to the truck drivers about the issues and problems they face.

He also spoke to them about other issues bothering them most and how they can be sorted out.

After reaching Ambala, Rahul Gandhi then proceeded towards Himachal Pradesh's Shimla via road route.

However, party leadership remained tight-lipped on the late night journey of Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi since last month had visited Bengali Market, Jama Masjid area and enjoyed the local food among the public.

He then also visited North Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar area to interact with the UPSC aspirants and then a few days later he had lunch with the Delhi University students at PG Men's Hostel.

The Congress had also visited the Shakur Basti area in Delhi and spoke to the slum dwellers about the fear in which they live.

The women residents of Shakur Basti area had pointed out to Rahul Gandhi about the fear of bulldozers razing their homes and also other issues like no proper water supply, prices of essential items skyrocketing and how they are unable to buy LPG cylinders.
San Francisco, May 23 : Chinese short-video making app TikTok on Tuesday hit back at the US state of Montana with a lawsuit, after Montana Governor Greg Gianforte banned TikTok in the state last week.

TikTok said in its complaint that Montana's ban violates the Constitution by "limiting the company's right to host and distribute user-created content".

"We are challenging Montana's unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana," the platform said in a tweet.

"We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts," it added.

TikTok has been facing immense pressure in the US in recent months, amid cries for a nationwide ban.

Last week, in an effort to protect residents from alleged Chinese intelligence gathering, Gianforte signed a bill banning TikTok in the US state.

It was the first US state to ban this popular short video app.

"To protect Montanans' personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party, I have banned TikTok in Montana," Gianforte tweeted.

The bill prevents TikTok from operating "within the territorial jurisdiction of Montana" and requires that its app be removed from Montana mobile app stores.

We are challenging Montanas unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana. We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.  TikTokComms (@TikTokComms) May 22, 2023

Not just TikTok, the Governor also banned Telegram Messenger, Chinese app WeChat, Temu, CapCut and Lemon8.

Montana's new policy will come into effect on June 1.

-- Syndicated from IANS
Mexico City, May 23 : Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has announced his administration's plan to launch a program to provide temporary work visas to Central Americans.

Mexico needs extra "manpower" for large-scale infrastructure projects such as a train route through the southeast Mayan region, the President said a press conference.

"We lack manpower for the projects," Xinhua news agency quoted Lopez Obrador as saying to reporters at the National Palace in Mexico City.

"This week I am going to present a program for our Central American brothers so they can have temporary visas to work on public projects in Mexico, so they can stay in our country legally with temporary work visas," he said.

Mexico is in particular need of welders and engineers, he added.

Lopez Obrador's administration, which came to power in December 2018, has sought to reduce the flow of undocumented migrants, mainly from Central America, who intend to traverse Mexico to reach the US.

As the US tightens immigration policy, many migrants find themselves languishing in Mexico.
Mumbai, May 23 : Nationalist Congress Party state President Jayant Patil will call on the party supremo Sharad Pawar a day after he was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money-laundering case linked with the IL&FS scam, here on Tuesday.

Party officials say that Patil is likely to apprise the party chief on the ED's grilling session that lasted a whopping nine-and-half hours on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Shiv Sena (UBT) President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called up Patil, though what transpired between them is not known.

It may be recalled that late Monday evening (May 22), Pawar had slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre for hounding opposition political leaders and the blatant misuse of central investigations agencies to pressurise them.

"Ten leaders of the NCP are currently facing action from the ED and other agencies... On the other hand, there were so many complaints against Param Bir Singh (ex-Mumbai Commissioner of Police)... That should also be considered," said Pawar.

Citing the example of his senior party colleague and former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, he said nothing emerged out of Singh's complaints of alleged corruption, but he (Deshmukh) had to unnecessarily spend 13 months in jail.

The Maratha strongman said that maybe the BJP has 'certain expectations' from the NCP (for such harassments), "but we are not going to satisfy them", even as Patil was being quizzed by the ED sleuths.
Chennai, May 23 : The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has detained a Sri Lankan boat with five crew members on board for crossing the Indian Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) near Kanniyakumari.

An ICG boat 'Vajra' detained the Sri Lankan boat, 'Amul Putha' late Monday night for fishing in Indian waters.

The boat will be brought to the Tharuvilakam marine police station on Tuesday and handed over to the marine police.

In recent months, the Sri Lankan Navy has taken into custody several fishermen from Tamil Nadu and confiscated their mechanical boats.

A fisherman from Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu while speaking to IANS said: "The fishermen from Sri Lanka have crossed our marine boundary line and if we had crossed their border, we would have even faced thrashings and confiscation of boats." Fishermen unions have appealed to the state and Central governments for the early release of the boats as this is their only source of income.
Patna, May 23 : A team of Sri Krishna Puri police station raided a multi-storey residential complex in Patna's upscale Boring road and arrested two persons in connection with running a fake currency and liquor smuggling racket.

The raid took place late Monday night.

The local police learnt that a liquor consignment was stored in a residential apartment named Raja Ram in the Boring road area. Accordingly, a team was constituted and raided one of the flats of Raja Ram apartment.

"There were six people present at the flat. When they saw the police, they tried to flee from the flat. One of the accused tried to break the window and jumped from there. He sustained a fracture in a leg and was arrested. We have also arrested another person from the spot while four others managed to escape," said Vidhan Chandra, SHO of Sri Krishna Puri police station, Patna.

"During the search operation, we have Rs 1.77 lakh fake notes in a denomination of Rs 500 and Rs 200. Besides, a large number of semi printed currency notes in a denomination of Rs 500, Rs 200 and Rs 100, a printer, a large number of currency papers and colours were also recovered from the flat," he said.

"Besides fake currencies, we have also seized a large number of liquor bottles as well," Chandra said.
The mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday begins work on the first review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with Ukraine, IMF Resident Representative in Ukraine Vahram Stepanyan said.

The IMF mission led by Gavin Gray is beginning discussions today with Ukrainian authorities on measures in the context of the first review of the Extended Financing Facility, he said without giving other details.

The day before, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal discussed with Director of the European Department of the IMF Alfred Kammer the forthcoming work of the mission and specified that it would take place in Vienna.

It was previously indicated that the mission is expected to run until the end of May.
Dharamsala, May 23 : Leaders of the Group of Seven nations say that the human rights situation in Tibet is a "major concern to us" and that they will continue voicing their concerns about it.

In a communique following the group's just-concluded annual summit, the G7 leaders said: "We will keep voicing our concerns about the human rights situation in China, including in Tibet and Xinjiang where forced labour is of major concern to us." Responding to communique, the International Campaign for Tibet, an advocacy group that promotes human rights and democratic freedoms for the Tibetan people, on Tuesday said, "This communique by G7 leaders shows that China's abuses in Tibet have not escaped the attention of some of the most influential leaders on the planet." "Rather than try to hide its oppression of Tibetans or lash out at criticism from foreign governments, the government in Beijing should get back to the negotiating table and respond positively to the initiative of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan leadership in exile to peacefully resolve the longstanding conflict in Tibet." The G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US, with the high representative of the European Union acting as an observer.

G7 leaders met for their annual summit May 19-21 in Hiroshima.

China has illegally occupied Tibet for over 60 years, forcing the Dalai Lama into exile in 1959.

Today, under Chinese rule, Tibet is the least-free country on the earth alongside South Sudan and Syria, according to global rankings from the watchdog group Freedom House.

A recent US State Department report chronicles allegations of "forced disappearances, arrests, physical abuse, and prolonged detentions without trial of monks, nuns, and other persons due to their religious practices" in Tibet last year.

In addition, the Chinese government has reportedly separated nearly one million Tibetan children from their families and sent them to colonial-style boarding schools, where they are forced to learn Mandarin Chinese in a curriculum built around Chinese culture.

Since 2009, nearly 160 Tibetans have self-immolated in Tibet and China in a desperate attempt to draw attention to their people's plight.

The Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in 1959. The Tibetan exile administration is based in this hill town.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Washington, May 23 : The US Department of Transportation announced that it has fined the Chile-based LATAM Airlines for $1 million over delayed ticket refunds to passengers on cancelled flights to and from America.

The Department's move on Monday came after it received more than 750 complaints since the beginning of March 2020, alleging that the airline -- the biggest carrier in Latin America -- has not provided timely refunds to passengers that have had their flights cancelled, reports Simple Flying, the world's largest aviation news website.

In a statement, the Department said that it took the airline more than 100 days to process thousands of refund requests for the cancelled flights.

In response, LATAM Airlines said it has agreed to pay the penalty and added that the carrier "always acted in good faith, and that it believes a large penalty is inappropriate given the dire circumstances facing LATAM during the pandemic".

According to Simple Flying, the airline was forced to cancel more than 1,000 flights per day at its peak.

During Covid, the number of refund requests quadrupled, which led to the airline issuing more than $62 million in refunds to US-bound passengers since the outbreak in early 2020.

As a result of the cancelled flights and forced refunds, the carrier filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and laid off thousands of employees.

Monday's development is part of the Department's decision announced in January this year that it would begin seeking larger penalties against airlines that violate consumer protection rules, Simple Flying reported.

These laws were made to protect consumers from fraudulent business practices, defective products, and dangerous goods or services.
London, May 23 : The city of Preston in the UK has elected Gujarat-born Yakub Patel as its first Indian-origin Muslim Mayor for 2023-24 following the completion of Councillor Neil Darby's term in office.

In his new role, Patel will chair council meetings, and act as ceremonial head representing the city at engagements throughout their year in office.

"I am honoured and delighted to become the Mayor of Preston, a city I am proud to call my home. I hope to make positive differences to the communities that I serve and also provide additional support through my Mayoral charities for the coming year," Patel said.

Prior to his new role, Patel has been serving as the city's Deputy Mayor since May 2022.

The long serving councillor has been undertaking civic duties and hosted the visit of the Royal Family in summer alongside the then Mayor.

"...It gives me great pleasure to be handing over the chains of office to the Mayor-elect, Councillor Yakub Patel. The last year has been the most outstanding experience of my life and it has been a huge honour to have been the Mayor of our fabulous city," Preston's outgoing Mayor Darby wrote in a tweet.

Born in Bharuch, Gujarat, Patel graduated from M S University of Baroda with a degree in BA and MA in English Literature. He came to the UK in June 1976 and started his career in 1979 with Preston Corporation.

Patel also held roles as a Revenue Inspector, Traffic Inspector, Assistant Chief, Chief Inspector and Operations Manager before he retired on July 4, 2009.

He has been involved in politics since the age of 10 when he started canvassing and delivering leaflets for his late father, who was a strong supporter and a member of the Congress party.

He was first elected as a Labour Party councillor for Avenham Ward in 1995 and was the first Muslim councillor in the history of Preston City Council.

In addition, Patel was also elected as a Lancashire County Councillor for Preston West Division during 2001-2009.

The new Mayor is also an active member of the local community and serves as a co-opted member for Preston Jamea Mosque and Preston Muslim Burial Society.

He is a school governor for Frenchwood Community Primary School. Rosemere Cancer, Preston Domestic Violence Services and Emmaus will be Patel's Mayoral Charities for 2023-24.
Chennai, May 23 : Nurses in Madurai are on an agitation path against the action by a Deputy Director of Health Services (DDHS) to compulsorily enlist 12 new pregnancy cases and 12 delivery cases from each 10,000 population cluster in the city every month.

The nurses' association is planning an agitation and a demonstration before the DDHS office on June 2 if the order is not withdrawn.

A nurse told IANS that there is an undue pressure on them to achieve both monthly and weekly targets. Unable to cope up with the pressure, one Supervisory Health Nurse (SHN) and two Urban Health Nurses (UHN) have resigned from the department recently, the nurse said.

President of Madurai City Nurses Association, M. Pannjavarnam told media persons that the DDHS were sending messages to the Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) where they work. She added that those nurses who don't achieve the targets were questioned by the DDHS during review meetings.

The nurse also said that they will be petitioning the Madurai Corporation Commissioner, Simranjeet Singh Kahlon.

The DDHS of Madurai was not available for comments.
Los Angeles, May 23 : Actress Jennifer Lawrence made a statement with her choice of footwear at the Cannes Film Festival. Attending the premiere of 'Anatomie d'une Chute (Anatomy of a Fall)' , she broke the festival's unofficial dress code by wearing flip flops.

The actress turned heads in a cherry red, crepe silk gown by Dior Haute Couture which featured spaghetti straps and a soft ruffle at the bustline along with a matching red wrap. She wore an Archi Dior necklace made of white gold and diamonds as her accessory, reports aceshowbiz.com.

As she walked down the stairs at the Palais des Festivals, the 32-year-old lifted up her skirt, revealing a pair of black flip flops underneath her elegant dress. It was a bold move since Cannes famously encourages women to wear heels on its red carpet. Back in 2015, a number of women were reportedly turned away from attending a premiere of 'Carol' because they were wearing flats.

Lawrence was joined by producers Daniel Angeles and Justine Ciarrocchi when posing photographers. She also received their help as she navigated the stairs.

Although Lawrence opted for the comfy sandals for the special screening of 'Anatomy of a Fall', she changed into a more formal footwear for another premiere on the same day. The 'X-Men' star wore the same gown but paired it with red satin heels when attending the premiere for 'Bread and Roses', a documentary she produces, at Cannes. The project follows the lives of women living in Afghanistan after the Taliban's resurgence.

At another premiere held during the film festival in France, Natalie Portman wowed in a dazzling recreation of a 1949 Christian Dior gown. She wore a sparkling strapless gown that featured a voluminous, scalloped skirt with layers of ornate blue beading when attending the premiere of 'May December' on Saturday.

The 'Thor: Love and Thunder' actress' custom Christian Dior piece was inspired by the 'Junon' dress from the designer's 1949-1950 fall/winter collection. The original dress is part of The Costume Institute's collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, although it's not currently available to view.

Portman was joined by her co-stars Charles Melton, Julianne Moore and Cory Michael Smith at the special screening.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 23 : The much-delayed Kerala's flagship project- Vizhinjam Port finally appears to be nearing completion.

According to the state government, the first mother ship from China having 40 cranes will arrive in September and berth at the Port.

Port authorities also point out that the port is expected to be fully operational by 2024 September. Upon its completion, the port will prove to be a game changer not just for Kerala but for the entire country as 80 per cent of transshipments to India which currently takes place at Colombo, Singapore and Dubai, will arrive at Vizhinjam.

During the commencement of the port by Adani on December 5, 2015, Gautam Adani had announced that the first ship will berth there on September 1, 2018, in a record time of less than 1,000 days.

Inked during the Congress-led UDF government under Chief Minister Oommen Chandy (2011-16), the work for the port began at the fag end of Chandy's tenure, but after the Pinarayi Vijayan government took over, due to numerous reasons, the pace could not be followed.

After cyclone Ockhi hit the construction site in 2017, a portion of the constructed breakwater was washed away and since then the shortage of limestone, the most important raw material for the project, caused yet another delay.

The total cost of the port project is Rs 7,525 crore for which the state government has contributed 500 acres of land.

Even though the authorities now say that the first mother ship will berth in September, last year the State Ports Minister Ahamed Devarkovil had said that the first ship will berth in March 2023 and the first phase of the port would be commissioned in 2023 September.

According to the agreement, Adani will operate the port for 40 years, extendable by 20 more years, while the state government will get a portion of the revenue from the port after 15 years.

According to the project, a record one lakh jobs which includes direct and indirect ones will be created and hence the arrival of the first mother ship in September is eagerly awaited.
Washington, May 23 : US President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have called their latest talks on the debt ceiling productive, but no deal has yet been reached.

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday morning, Biden said: "I just concluded a productive meeting with Speaker McCarthy about the need to prevent default and avoid a catastrophe for our economy.

"We reiterated once again that default is off the table and the only way to move forward is in good faith toward a bipartisan agreement.

"While there are areas of disagreement, the Speaker and I, and his lead negotiators Chairman McHenry and Congressman Graves, and our staffs will continue to discuss the path forward." On his party, McCarthy told reporters late Monday night that "President Biden and I just had a productive meeting in our negotiation to responsibly raise the debt limit".

"It should have happened months ago, but there is a path for him to avoid defaulting on the debt," the California Republican added.

The debt ceiling is a spending limit set by Congress which determines how much money the government can borrow, the BBC reported.

Failure to raise it beyond the current cap of roughly $31.4 trillion by June could result in the US defaulting on its debt.

That would mean the government could not borrow any more money or pay all of its bills.

It would also threaten to wreak havoc on the global economy, affecting prices and mortgage rates in other countries, BBC reported.

The President ended his trip to Japan for the G7 summit early and returned to the US on Sunday to address the deadlock over US debt.

The latest development comes after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had reiterated that the US will likely default on its debt as early as June 1.
Hyderabad, May 23 : Kaleshwaram, the world's largest multi-stage lift irrigation project built in Telangana and Mission Bhagiratha -- the ambitious drinking water project, have earned laurels at the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress held in the US.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) which organised the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress at Nevada, lauded the Kaleshwaram project as an enduring symbol of engineering progress and partnership.

Maria C, Lehman, ASCE President, presented the proclamation to IT and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao at the event.

Rama Rao was invited to give a detailed presentation on the topic 'Many Benefits and Social Equity from Lifting a River: Story of the World's Largest Multi-stage Lift Irrigation Project' at the conference attended by over 1000 delegates from across the world.

ASCE represents more than 1,50,000 members of the civil engineering profession in 177 countries. Founded in 1852, ASCE is America's oldest engineering society.

The Minister had participated in this prestigious annual event held in Sacramento, California, on May 22, 2017. Back then, he explained the various water related initiatives taken up by the Telangana Government such as Kaleshwaram Project, Mission Bhageeratha and Mission Kakatiya taken up under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.

Earlier this year, a delegation from the ASCE had visited Telangana and toured the Kaleshwaram Project and they were impressed by the sheer scale and speed with which the project was executed.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister KTR recounted the remarkable transformation of Telangana in the last nine years.

"Telangana has successfully built the world's largest multi-stage lift irrigation project, Kaleshwaram, and completed the ambitious Mission Bhagiratha, providing piped drinking water to every home in the state. These remarkable projects were not only completed in record time but also with utmost efficiency and cost-effectiveness," he said.

The Minister established how once an arid Telangana region -- in severe distress due to lack of irrigation water, insufficient drinking water, rampant migration, and farmer suicides -- has transformed under the visionary leadership of the Chief Minister.

KTR presented the scale of the Kaleshwaram project, the amazing speed at which the various components of the project were built, the social equity and enormous benefits of the project.

"This colossal engineering marvel was completed in a record span of just four years with an investment of $11 billion. The amount of earth moved during its construction would fill 101 Pyramids of Giza. The steel used in the project would be enough to build 66 Eiffel Towers, and the concrete poured would erect 53 Burj Khalifas." KTR said that planned investments in new irrigation projects and revitalization of existing systems contributed to the expansion of cultivated land and have led to the ushering of five revolutions in agriculture and allied sectors.

"The Kaleshwaram Project has transformed Telangana into the new rice bowl of India, irrigating lakhs of acres with two cropping cycles. The gross irrigated land has increased by an impressive 119%, and paddy production has multiplied fourfold, from 3 million tons in 2015-16 to 15 million tons in 2022-23," he added.
Kolkata, May 23 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee here on Tuesday and seek her support against the Centre's ordinance to negate Supreme Court's order handing over the control of administrative services in the national capital to the AAP government.

The two chief ministers are scheduled to meet at the state secretariat of Nabanna here this afternoon. As per sources from the state unit of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Kerjriwal is expected to seek Trinamool Congress's support to block the Centre's ordinance in the Rajya Sabha.

After the meeting, the two leaders are scheduled to hold a joint press conference. Kejriwal has already approached the leaders of the different opposition parties and the chief ministers of different non-BJP ruled states seeking support on this count and Tuesday's meeting with Mamata Banerjee is a part of that exercise, the AAP sources said.

BJP's national vice-president and party Lok Sabha member Dilip Ghosh has, however, ridiculed the meeting. He called it a futile exercise by the Opposition parties to project a credible face against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"In 2019, Mamata Banerjee herself tried to be the face and hence she arranged an assembly of opposition party leaders in Kolkata. But after that her party lost in many constituencies in West Bengal in 2019. This time she is scared to project herself as the face of opposition and hence is desperately holding meetings with the leaders of other opposition parties," Ghosh said.

Recently, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Deputy Tejashwi Yadav visited Kolkata and held a meeting with Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat.

Following the meeting, both Banerjee and Kumar emphasised that all anti-BJP forces should work together with open minds and shed their ego to establish a grand-opposition alliance in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Before that, Samajwadi Party leader and the Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Akhilesh Yadav also met the chief minister at the latter's residence in South Kolkata.

Both Banerjee and Yadav stressed on the consolidation of unity of the regional parties to take on BJP in 2024.
New Delhi, May 23 : A Delhi court on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of jailed AAP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia till June 1 in connection with the excise policy case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The jail authorities were also directed to consider his request to provide him a chair and table for study purposes.

A copy of the detailed order is awaited.

The same court had, on May 12, extended Sisodia's judicial custody till June 2, in the case being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The ED had arrested Sisodia on March 9, after the CBI arrested him on February 26 this year.

The ED has alleged that Sisodia was the mastermind behind the entire excise policy case and that he had deliberately leaked the policy to the co-accused to generate financial kickbacks.

Last month, Special Judge M.K. Nagpal had denied bail to the AAP leader holding that that the evidence, prima facie, "speaks volumes" of his involvement in commission of the offence.
Exports of Ukrainian agricultural products through the seaports of the Odesa region from May 15 to May 21 (the 42nd week of the grain corridor operation) fell by 78% compared to a week earlier, to 118,300 tonnes, while only four vessels were loaded but not inspected, the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) has reported.

"The number of vessels loaded this week was only four units, nine ships less than the previous week. These vessels are loaded but they have not yet passed the necessary inspection to continue moving to customers and are waiting for it. It is the lowest figure this year," UCAB said on its website on Tuesday.

At the same time, in the structure of exports of Ukrainian agricultural products for this reporting period, the largest shares fell on corn (78%), sunflower cake (17%), and wheat (6%). Ukrainian products went to Asia (Saudi Arabia, Turkey)  91,000 tonnes, Africa (Morocco)  20,000 tonnes, and Europe (Italy)  7,000 tonnes.

According to the report, in the six days since the resumption of the grain corridor was agreed upon, only 11 inbound vessels passed inspection, which is very few, given the significant queue of inbound vessels.

In total, from the beginning of the work of the grain corridor from August 1, 2022 to May 21, 2023, it was possible to export 30.3 million tonnes of agricultural products, bringing the average weekly shipment volume to 721,400 tonnes.
New Delhi, May 23 : "Legal literacy of women in India is a stepping stone for ensuring access to justice and this underpins the inauguration of Jindal Global University International Academy and Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer Centre for Clinical Legal Education," said Justice Surya Kant, Judge, Supreme Court of India.

Justice Surya Kant further added that, "Another commendable initiative of O.P. Jindal Global University is in creating awareness among children about protection against sexual offences and to sensitize them about their rights and remedies in case they fall victims of harassment.

"The university, with the support of its distinguished faculty, has extended its activities into the real world as well. It runs an active Legal Aid Cell which has initiated society oriented litigations which have benefited the ones who most desperately require legal assistance. I appreciate the sincere efforts of this clinic in attaining a significant ruling from the High Court of Allahabad which guaranteed around six lakh seats for the children belonging to economically underprivileged sections of society. These activities undertaken by Jindal Global Law School are of utmost importance in building a well-informed society.

"The advocacy manual on abortion titled, 'Legal Regulation of Abortion in India: Complexities and Challenges', is really an important initiative and is likely to invite discussion and deliberation on this issue. I hope more centres of this kind will proliferate across the country, as they are vital in increasing legal awareness and access to legal aid for the poor. Clinical legal education of this nature focuses on the practical application of law at the grassroots level and investigates its actual impact on society. Such an approach to legal education and the university's efforts in this regard are creditable." The event witnessed the presence of India's legal luminaries of the legal fraternity in New Delhi. It had the august presence of Justice Sanjay Karol, Judge Supreme Court of India; Lavu Nageswara Rao former Judge, Supreme Court of India (Rtd.), Gita Mittal, former Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, R. Venkataramani, the Attorney General of India; Tushar Mehta, the Solicitor General of India; Vijay Vardhan, Chief Information Commissioner of Haryana, Vijay Dev, Delhi State Election Commissioner, Naveen Jindal, Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University and Shalu Jindal, Chairperson, JSPL Foundation with Savitri Jindal, Chairperson O.P. Jindal Group; and many distinguished parliamentarians, members of the legal profession, industry and academia.

The event paid homage to Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer, who epitomized humanism through his thoughts and actions in his various roles as an eminent judge, a self-motivated minister, a socially-oriented lawyer, a prolific author, and last but not the least, as the earliest voice of "access to justice" to all. Justice Krishna Iyer had the vision to make legal aid a public good and the naming of the Jindal Global Law School's Centre for Clinical Legal Education after Justice Krishna Iyer is a step towards fulfilling his vision and is quite opportune.

R. Venkataramani, Attorney General for India in the Guest of Honour's address observed, "Legal education must be transformed into justice education. This means, moving as quickly as possible from the ills of the adversarial justice system into a system where justice is not merely affordable but makes you feel at home and brings you comfort and solace. The feeling of being an alien or feeling alienated in an institution or a system is not good for a country.

"When I talk about Indian jurisprudence, I would not talk from a hegemonic point of view. Not that India would become another colonial centre of the world in thought and power but if it moves away from colonialism of all kinds-of space and mind, I think they will be able to open a space of equality." Founding Chancellor and Benefactor of O.P. Jindal Global University, Naveen Jindal in his recollections stated that, "The story of JGU started in 2006 when I spoke to the Vice Chancellor for the very first time. The idea came through for an institution of law and at a time when I was exploring the possibilities of law to obtain the right to fly the Indian National Flag for the citizens of India. The judiciary, lawyers and the law strongly supported and strengthened me.

Jindal further added, "Teachers are the backbone of every institution, and teachers at O.P. Jindal Global University are very passionate about the future of students, which speaks volumes about the commitment to our students, of our faculty and the staff at the university." In his welcome address, Professor Dr. C. Raj Kumar Founding Vice Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University said, "The establishment of the JGU International Academy coincides with the establishment of the Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer Centre for Clinical Legal Education. It reflects the wider commitment and dedication that our Chancellor Mr. Naveen Jindal has demonstrated towards the promotion of higher education.

"The Academy will give an opportunity to connect the university to the wider society in India and it will be an intellectual forum for holding conferences, lectures, workshops and seminars. Through the Centre for Clinical Legal Education, we want to pay tribute to an outstanding legal luminary who inspired generations of judges, lawyers and academics. O.P. Jindal University represents an extraordinary idea for building something new which has the potential of impacting the life of young people.

"The vision of the university was to connect with the world and the next part is to have a strong interdisciplinary focus which even the new national education policy also focuses on. We are one of the youngest but more importantly the only non-stem, non-medicine university that has been given the status of an Institution of Eminence which is a stellar honour for JGU." Ruminating on the richness of Indian jurisprudence, Tushar Mehta, Solicitor General of India said, "The present trend is that Indian students go and study in other countries to learn the laws, especially the constitution, of those countries. Why can't there be a shift such that students from across the world come to India to study Indian jurisprudence and develop perspectives based on it for comparative studies? This is particularly relevant given that judgments of Indian courts, especially on the Constitution of India, are cited by the courts in other jurisdictions of the world." Professor (Dr.) S.G. Sreejith Executive Dean, Jindal Global Law School explained the vision of JGU International Academy: "This space, which was born with for the purpose of becoming a 'private space for fostering public good', will be a site for socializing in ideas and action. This space will an agora for all public conversations This will be a site for willing and acting: a site for remembrances, thanksgivings, ideating, contestation, dissent, and debates. All conversations will be held in the spirt of discursive democracy and deliberative justice. The space guarantees constructive speech and fair representation to everyone".

Prof. Dipika Jain, Vice Dean, Clinical Legal Education, JGLS reflected on the achievements of the Centre for Clinical Legal Education of JGLS and mapped its future course of action. She said, "The experience of studying at Clinics has been transformative and immersive for students, subverting the traditional norms of the law school classroom.

"There is no 'one size fits all' approach for legal empowerment or access to justice for communities that invariably experience intersectional discrimination based on various aspects of their identities. The clinics are reimagined beyond the 'sensitization' of students, to make it reflective in nature for students and therefore, sustainable for communities. The clinics are focused on systemic and structural change-making by centering communities and learning and unlearning from them." Prof. Dabiru Sridhar Patnaik, Registrar of the University gave the concluding remarks and the vote of thanks.
New Delhi, May 23: Fierce clashes are reported to have erupted in Bolan district of Balochistan after the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) killed scores of Pakistani soldiers in different attacks over the weekend. The Pakistani army is reported to have launched a retaliatory operation with ground forces, helicopter gunships, surveillance drones and unmanned aerial vehicles in different areas of Bolan, close to Quetta - the Balochistan capital.

Pakistan launched the offensive against the BLA after the Baloch rebel group killed nine Pakistani military personnel on Friday. The BLA targeted an outpost of the Pakistani military in Zarghoon near Quetta, which was allegedly providing security to coal miners in the region.

In a separate attack on Saturday, the BLA killed three commandos from the Pakistani army's Special Services Group (SSG). Acknowledging the attack, the military's public relations agency said that terrorists attacked a post that had been set-up to check extortion targeting coal mines in the area.

The BLA said in a press release that its fighters also ambushed the Pakistani military near Margat inflicting heavy casualties. The BLA has earlier also inflicted heavy damage on the army.

In a press statement, BLA spokesperson Jeeyand Baloch said: "In Zarghoon, Bolan and adjoining areas, few coal contractors and miners are working directly as collaborators of Pakistani forces. The military is building outposts in the area for the security of these collaborators, the outpost targeted yesterday was built for the same reasons." It was only last week, May 16, that the Pakistani government headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif officially announced the deployment of the army in Balochistan, indicating that the situation is out of control in the province. This was the first time that the government publicly acknowledged the existence of the army in Balochistan - a vast mineral-rich region out of bounds for the international and local media.

Pakistani security forces in the sensitive province, which shares a volatile border with Iran and Afghanistan, have been losing huge numbers of personnel in regular but intense fighting with Baloch separatists.

The Baloch fighters have even blasted their way into Pakistani paramilitary camps and held reinforcements at bay for days, causing heavy casualties among the Pakistani forces. Poverty-ridden Baloch seek independence from Pakistan and have been waging a war for over seven decades after the Pakistani security forces forcibly seized their independent country on March 27, 1948.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
New Delhi, May 23: Iranian border guard commander Ahmad Ali Goudarzi advised Pakistan to observe "good neighbourliness and not allow terror activities to be carried out from within their country". Goudarzi issued the warning to its eastern neighbour on Monday in a television interview, adding that "we have limited patience".

Though the Iranian commander did not call out Pakistan by name, Goudarzi said that Iran's neighbours should not allow terror groups "to carry out anti-security activities from inside their country". The commander was referring to the killing of five Iranian border guards on Sunday by an armed group that reportedly crossed the border from Pakistan and escaped back after the attack.

The killings took place in Saravan, near Iran's border with Pakistan, in the south-eastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan. The funeral for the five slain army and border security men took place in Zahedan - the capital of Sistan-Baluchistan province, on Monday with priests from both the Shia and Sunni communities attending the funeral.

The Iranian border guard, also called Faraja Border Guard, protects the Iranian land border as well as provides coast guard duties for the country's maritime border.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry had reacted to the audacious cross-border attack on Sunday itself.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said that Pakistan, from which the terrorists had tried to illegally enter Iran, is expected to fulfil mutual agreements on countering terrorist groups. The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that Kanaani urged Pakistan to do more to provide security along the border.

Kanaani said: "Iran believes that the terrorist attack on border guards was an attempt to damage cooperation and friendly relations between Tehran and Islamabad, especially after a May 18 visit by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province". He urged Islamabad to implement bilateral agreements on action against terrorist groups operating from Pakistan.

On Thursday, just days before the attack, Sharif and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi had inaugurated border projects to boost economic cooperation and trade between the two nations. The two leaders also signed an agreement over the transfer of electricity from Iran to Pakistan.

The inauguration ceremony included opening up of the Mand-Pishin border market, and was attended by Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Information Minister Maryam Aurangzeb and Power Minister Khurram Dastagir.

The Iran-Pakistan border which is called the Goldsmith Line has not been accepted by the Baloch masses on both sides of the border.

The Iran-Pakistan border is a hyper-volatile border that thrives on the smuggling of weapons, drugs, petroleum products and food items. Clashes on the border are common also due to sectarian clashes between the Shias and the Sunnis, ethnic groups and the frequent movement of armed outfits.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
New Delhi, May 23: The arrest of Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan by Rangers on May 9 triggered unprecedented and horrific attacks on the Army. Imran's supporters attacked key symbols of the Army's power and authority, including the Genera Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi, Corps Commanders House aka Jinnah House, Lahore, Peshawar Radio station, ISI office Faisalabad, Pakistan Air Force base at Mianwali, Rangers post Karachi and numerous other military and security forces installations. The mayhem that started on May 9 petered out two days later.

In Pakistani military circles and it's supporters, the vandalism is being perceived as the 9/11 of the state, in terms of its psychological impact. Pakistani army which has consistently projected itself through its propaganda machine including the ISPR as impregnable and agency of last resort, is in a state of shock. It wonders how a few thousand rioters could dare attack its symbols of might and honour.

Unsurprisingly, faced with the unprecedented situation, the Pakistan Army has decided to hold trials of all those PTI leaders and cadres who were directly involved in the attacks as well as its masterminds, under the draconian Army Act and the Official Secrets Act. The court martial of ex-corps commander Lahore Salman Fayyaz Ghani, who is accused of allowing the rioters to enter the Corps Commander House in Lahore because of his and his wife's leaning towards PTI and Imran Khan, is already underway. His wife is said to be cousin sister of the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, who has come out in support of the ex-PM by granting him bail. It is said that Imran Khan, the main conspirator can also face court martial.

Nevertheless, the May 9 incident has restored unity in the Pak army at all levels. Earlier, there were speculations of some sort of a mutiny within. In fact, pro-Imran elements including Vloggers abroad were daily predicting the ouster of Gen Asim Munir by Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee Sahir Shamshad Mirza. All ranks and file of the army are highly grieved and simultaneously enraged that PTI rioters set ablaze the dummy of the Saber jet outside the Mianwali Airbase and desecrated and destroyed the statue of Captain Carnal Sher Khan at Punjab Regiment Centre Mardan, which they have considered metaphors of valor and gallantry.

The May 9 blunder is being deemed as an unforgivable sin even by the people including mid-ranking officers in Pak army, who had had been previously inclined to sympathise with Imran. They see the Pakistan's People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) as parties that gave Pakistan the constitution, nuclear programme, motorway and CPEC. But the "historical credit" of mounting direct attacks on the army goes only to the PTI. By committing this act, the PTI has committed treason against the state and it does not deserve any mercy or concession.

It is evident that Imran Khan miscalculated the psyche of the people of Punjab. He had the wrong notion that youth including girls and women from elite families of serving and retired judges, generals, bureaucrats and business class together with other participants, mostly hired people from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Gilgit Baltistan (GB) will stir up a revolution and bring the army to its knees. But he forgot that this could trigger a blowback marshalled by youth from the Punjabi elite families.

The military establishment which actively launched the "Project Imran" in 2011 to cut to size, the then mainstream political parties-PPP and PML (N), has now embarked upon a project to dismantle PTI and isolate Imran Khan. Several PTI leaders close to Imran and holding senior positions in the parties have either left PTI or are about to do so in coming the days as they confront new realities on the ground. Leaders such as Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Asad Umar are believed to have been kept in detention deliberately, and they can also part ways with Imran Khan at any moment.

The Pak establishment's plans as yet are to divide PTI into various factions, minus Imran. Jahangir Tareen has been activated to form a strong faction comprising majority of electable Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) and Members of the Provincial Assemblies (MPAs) who can play a major role in any future set up. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry and Pervez Elahi will also be assigned a major role in Punjab. Pervez Khattak and Asad Qaiser will be major players in the new arrangement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Faisal Wavda who had left PTI several months ago will play similar role in Sindh together with Ali Zaidi.

Imran Khan's Zaman Park residence spreading over several acres continues to be under the siege of Punjab police since May 18 for the arrest of around 40 terrorists taking asylum there as per the Punjab caretaker government. Imran Khan so far, has not allowed police and administration access to the main residential area. The government wants to carry out a search operation at his residence and nearby houses with the help of 400 policemen. Police claimed to have arrested 14 PTI miscreants while fleeing Zaman Park in last couple of days. Once a no-go area for non-PTI people, which always remained crowded with PTI activists till May 16, is now bearing a deserted look.

PTI alleges that over 7000 of its workers including leaders have been arrested in the ongoing massive crackdown, while the government puts the figure around 3600-4000. It is said that a list of 2200 people involved in the violence has been prepared by the agencies.

The true face of so-called PTI tigers apprehended by Pak security agencies and police in connection with May 9 violence and vandalism has been exposed. They appear coerced into submission and seen chanting Pak Fauj Zindabad and Punjab police Zindabad slogan.

Imran himself looks confused and petrified though trying to put up a brave face. He, astoundingly continues to dismiss PTI's involvement, and is putting the onus of the violence on Pak agencies despite presence of audios and videos exposing its leaders and cadres including Yasmeen Rashid, Murad Saeed, Sheharyar Afridi, Hassan Niazi, Aleema Khan and Ijaz Syed. Imran Khan has started playing the "victimhood card" with emphasis on alleged brutal state repression against party's female cadres. He is also desperately trying to evoke international sentiments particularly that of American congressmen. Ironically, for the last one year, he has relentlessly sold the narrative of American conspiracy aimed at dethroning him and popularising the slogan "Kya Hum Ghulam Hain".

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Mumbai, May 23 : Nationalist Congress Party state President Jayant Patil said that he got calls of support from all the top leaders of the Opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) a day after he was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged money-laundering case linked with the IL&FS scam, here on Tuesday.

To a specific query, Patil said that Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar has not called him up - "but for the reasons I have already stated yesterday (Monday)".

"All the top leaders of NCP and our alliance partners have called me...last night and even today. I am not taking any individual names. But they comprise all the main leaders of our friendly parties," said Patil.

He is scheduled to meet NCP President Sharad Pawar to apprise him of the ED's grilling session that went on for nine-and-half hours.

On May 22, Patil had appealed to all the party leaders and workers not to drop their pending works or rush to Mumbai to express solidarity with him when he went to the ED office.

Responding to Patil's observations, Ajit Pawar said that as a rule, he never comments on any probes/investigations on anybody.

"Earlier, there were probes against Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal, Anil Deshmukh and others... Show me one statement where I have spoken about those investigations," retorted Ajit Pawar.

He pointed out that last year, even when his close family members were investigated with raids on 22 locations by the Income Tax Department (ITD), "I never expressed any opinion." Earlier in the day, MVA ally Shiv Sena (UBT) President and ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray called up Patil and gave his full support, though what exactly transpired between them is not known.

It may be recalled that late Monday evening (May 22), Pawar had slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre for hounding opposition political leaders and the blatant misuse of central investigations agencies to pressurise them.

"Ten leaders of the NCP are currently facing action from the ED and other agencies... On the other hand, there were so many complaints against Param Bir Singh (ex-Mumbai Commissioner of Police)... That should also be considered," said Pawar.

Citing the example of his senior party colleague and former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, he said nothing emerged out of Singh's complaints of alleged corruption, but he (Deshmukh) had to unnecessarily spend 13 months in jail.

The Maratha strongman said that maybe the BJP has 'certain expectations' from the NCP (for such harassments), "but we are not going to satisfy them," even as Patil was being quizzed by the ED sleuths.

The Congress and Sena (UBT) leaders like Nana Patole and Sanjay Raut have also attacked the Centre for misusing the central investigating agencies to harass leaders of various Opposition parties.
Chennai, May 23 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday embarked on a one-week visit to Singapore and Japan in an effort to woo investors ahead of the Global Investors Meet in Chennai slated to be held in January 2024 A delegation accompanying the Chief Minister includes state Industries Minister T.R.B. Raaja and senior officials.

They will return home on May 31.

Stalin will first visit Singapore for two days during which he will meet Transport Minister S. Iswaran and Minister for Home Affairs and Law Shanmugham SC.

The Chief Minister and his delegation will also meet key industrial bodies in Singapore including Sembcorp, Capital Land investment and Temasek.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore India Partnership office and Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce.

They will also participate in a cultural evening of the Tamil diaspora.

In Japan, where he will reach on May 25, Stalin will participate in a conference with the Japanese industries and invite them to invest in Tamil Nadu.

Stalin will also visit Osaka, the commercial city of Japan, and hold talks with CEOs of many industries.

He will have meetings with Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan in Tokyo. MoUs will be signed with two renowned industrial houses in Japan.

This is Stalin's second foreign visit after he assumed office in May 2021.

He had earlier visited the United Arab Emirates.
New York, May 23 : An Indian-American woman has been charged for driving while intoxicated, which led to a crash injuring five people, including herself, in New York City, police said.

Dilmeet Kaur, the 21-year-old resident of Floral Park area, was driving a 2019 BMW X3 northbound on Lakeville Road when she collided with an SUV driven by a 34-year-old woman last week, Nassau County Police Department said.

Police found two women "trapped" inside the SUV when they arrived at the scene.

Officers were able to safely remove the occupants and transport them to local area hospitals for treatment of their injuries.

Kaur suffered injuries in her arm and a broken hand.

A passenger in her car was treated for a lower left leg compound fracture and a fractured femur in the right leg, police said.

All the three BMW occupants were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment of minor injuries, police said.

Kaur was arrested and charged with second-degree vehicular assault, second-degree assault, third-degree assault, and driving while intoxicated.

Her arraignment was held last week at First District Court in Hempstead.
New York, May 23 : American private space habitat company Axiom Space's latest mission to the International Space Station (ISS) also carried several experiments on human stem cell ageing, inflammation and cancer to the low Earth orbit lab.

Increasing evidence shows that microgravity conditions can accelerate ageing, inflammation and immune dysfunction in human stem cells.

Understanding this process is not only helpful for keeping astronauts healthy -- it could also teach us how to better treat cancer on Earth.

The Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) lifted off at 5:37 p.m. EDT on Sunday (3:07a-am Monday IST) on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with a multinational crew including the first woman from Saudi Arabia.

The Ax-2 mission will now determine if two inhibitory drugs can reverse the regeneration in an organoid model of breast cancer.

Another line of experiments will track the health of astronauts' blood stem cells before, during and after spaceflight to evaluate the effects of the space environment on stem cell ageing, immune function and cancer stem cell generation.

These projects are part of the NASA-funded Integrated Space Stem Cell Orbital Research (ISSCOR) Center, a collaboration between University of California-San Diego Sanford Stem Cell Institute, JM Foundation and Axiom Space.

The experiments will take place over 10 days in orbit, with subsequent data collection and analysis performed at UC San Diego.

"Space is a uniquely stressful environment," said Catriona Jamieson, Professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine.

"By conducting these experiments in low Earth orbit, we are able to understand mechanisms of cancer evolution in a compressed time frame and inform the development of new cancer stem cell inhibitory strategies," Jamieson added.

The findings will inform the development of predictive models for cancer and immune dysfunction-related diseases and could lead to the development of new drugs to prevent or treat these conditions during space exploration and here on Earth.

"We are pleased to have the opportunity with our private astronaut missions to advance this important work, aligned with the White House Cancer Moonshot initiatives," said Christian Maender, executive vice president of in-space solutions at Axiom Space.

"Our mission is to improve life on Earth and foster the possibilities beyond by building and operating the world's first commercial space station," she added.

Axiom Space astronauts are expected to depart the space station May 30, pending weather, for a return to Earth and splashdown at a landing site off the coast of Florida.
Lucknow, May 23 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to strengthen the Special Task Force (STF) by establishing its units in four more districts and filling up vacant posts.

According to a state government spokesperson, the chief minister has given approval to the budget for the acquisition of land and construction of buildings for the STF units in Agra, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj and Bareilly.

A transit hostel will also be constructed for the STF's Noida unit while the construction of other buildings has started, he said.

The government has approved an amount of Rs 2046.29 lakh for all the units.

The officers had informed the chief minister that the STF units in Agra, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, and Bareilly were working from the police lines, which makes their task more challenging.

The chief minister, thereafter, ordered the release of funds for the construction of STF's dedicated buildings in the four districts.

The state government has sanctioned Rs 284.22 lakh for the Agra unit, Rs 253.62 lakh for Gorakhpur, Rs 258.86 lakh for Prayagraj unit and Rs 228.22 lakh for Bareilly unit of the STF for the construction of the buildings.

For construction of transit hostel in Noida, Rs 962.193 lakh has been released, the spokesman said.

The state government also approved the formation of STF unit in Ayodhya, where land acquisition process has also been completed.

An order was issued to create 13 posts in the unit. The recruitment process for the posts, including one deputy superintendent of police, one inspector, four sub-inspectors, four computer operators, and three class IV posts has been completed.

The Uttar Pradesh police department has written to the state government for the creation of 23 extra posts in the STF.

The recruitment of the four head constables, 16 constables, and three constable drivers, will start after the state government's approval.

The state government has also released Rs 59.18 lakh for the purchase of new vehicles, added the spokesperson.
Hyderabad, May 23 : Tollywood actress Dimple Hayathi and her friend were booked by Hyderabad police on Tuesday for allegedly damaging the car of a top police officer.

They allegedly drove their car into the official vehicle of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Rahul Hegde on Monday night.

The Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and the actress and her friend David live in the same building in Journalists Colony in posh Jubilee Hills.

The DCP's driver Chetan Kumar lodged a complaint with the Jubilee Hills Station against the actress and her friend for damaging the vehicle which was parked in the allotted parking place in the cellar. The complainant alleged that the duo intentionally damaged the car.

Based on the complaint, police registered a case against Dimple Hayathi and her friend under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Both were summoned to the police station and were issued a notice under section 41 A of Criminal Procedure Code.

The DCP told reporters that when the driver had parked the car last night, they deliberately dashed their vehicle resulting in damage to the car. "This is clear from CCTV footage. The driver has lodged a complaint and the law and order police are investigating," he said.

The IPS officer said they had earlier blocked the way for his car with wrong parking of their vehicle and had arguments with watchmen, staff and neighbours.

He, however, said he had nothing personal against them. "I don't know who they are and they also don't know who I am. I am new to this place," he said, adding that he had once personally requested them to cooperate by not blocking the way.

He denied that the traffic challans issued against the actress' vehicle have anything to do with this issue. The challans were issued for rash driving and wrong number plate. The DCP said traffic police keep issuing challans for violation of traffic rules and this was not done only in her case.

Dimple Hayathi made her film debut with 'Gulf' in 2019 and has acted in movies like 'Khiladi' and 'Ramabanam'. She also worked in the 2021 Hindi film 'Atrangi Re' and acted in a couple of Tamil movies.
Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal had a conversation with Director of the European Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Alfred Kammer discussing the IMF assistance in Ukraine's European integration, as well as the Fund's role in reconstruction, the government portal said on Monday.

"We are working on the creation of an International Compensation Mechanism so that the seized Russian assets can be used for the restoration of Ukraine. We count on the support of the IMF in this direction, as well as on further assistance in consolidating financial support from partners worldwide," the prime minister said.

The Extended Fund Facility with a total volume of $15.6 billion was approved at the end of March 2023 and is designed for four years. It is part of a large $115 billion support package from the G7 countries over the course of the program.
Mumbai, May 23 : Former Lok Sabha Speaker and ex-Chief Minister of Maharashtra Manohar G. Joshi has been admitted to a private hospital for certain age-related health issues, party sources said here on Tuesday.

Joshi, 86, was taken to the Hinduja Hospital in Mahim and is said to be in the ICU under the care of a team of senior doctors.

Former CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi and other family members and party leaders rushed to the hospital to enquire after Joshi's health.

Joshi was the first Shiv Sena CM for four years (1995-1999) when the party bagged power in alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party.

Later, he served as Lok Sabha Speaker (2002-2004) during the tenure of the late Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, becoming only the second from the state after the Congress' Shivraj Patil (1991-1996) to occupy the august office.
Kochi, May 23 : Popular upcoming actor Unni Mukundan on Tuesday suffered yet another setback when the Kerala High Court directed the trial against him in a sexual assault case.

In February, the High Court had lifted the stay granted by it previously on the trial proceedings against him in the same case.

The court had expressed its displeasure after the counsel for the complainant claimed that a forged affidavit was filed by the actor which says a settlement had been reached between him and the woman.

Initially, the court had granted the stay on being informed about the settlement.

The affidavit that was supposedly signed by the woman was submitted by Mukundan, through advocate Saiby Jose Kidangoor, presently caught in a case where he is alleged to have taken huge sums of money from clients to give as bribes to judges.

Later the complainant said that there was no settlement arrived at all and the court on Tuesday pointed out this.

The trial court proceeding against Mukundan was initiated after the woman lodged a complaint in 2017 accusing the actor of sexual harassment. The alleged incident is said to have taken place in Kochi when the woman visited the actor for a film project.
Mumbai, May 23 : From teleserial actor Sheezan Khan, who was arrested for alleged involvement in the suicide case of his co-actress Tunisha Sharma, to names such as Daisy Shah, Shiv Thakare and Archana Gautam, many more will be seen in the upcoming stunt-based reality show 'Khatron Ke Khiladi 13'.

Hosted by Rohit Shetty, this edition features a line-up of 14 daredevil contestants ready to face their fears in the jungles of South Africa.

Rohit said: "Hosting Khatron Ke Khiladi each year is something that I absolutely enjoy. With season 13, we are going into the wild with a jungle theme and the ultimate rule of the jungle is - the survival of the fittest and the bravest.

"It will be exciting to witness the wilderness of South Africa as the stakes are going to rise and the magnitude of action will be greater than the previous seasons." Others who will be a part of the show include, Rohit Bose Roy, Anjali Anand, Nyrraa M Banerji, Anjum Fakih, Ruhi Chaturvedi, Aishwarya Sharma, Arjit Taneja, Dino James and Rashmeet Kaur and Soundous Moufakir.

Pavithra KR, Revenue Head, COLORS, Viacom18 said, "We are glad to have a stellar line-up of contestants and wish them the best as they challenge themselves under the guidance of our host, Rohit Shetty." Shital Iyer, Head, Non-Fiction, COLORS, said,"Khatron Ke Khiladi has etched a remarkable place in the hearts of millions of viewers over the years, owing to its unparalleled fandom. The previous seasons garnered immense success with exceptional ratings, and it will be exciting to witness the upcoming edition scale up the danger quotient." Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Director, Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, "It brings us immense pride to associate with 'Khatron Ke Khiladi' for the fifth time in a row." The show will air on Colors.
Chennai, May 23 : Madras High Court Acting Chief Justice, Justice T. Raja on Tuesday administered the oath of office to four new judges.

R. Sakthivel, P. Dhanabal, C. Kumarappan and K. Rajashekhar were elevated to the post of Additional Judges of the court for a period of two years.

Of the four judges, Justices Sakthivel, Dhanabal and Kumarappan had served as the Registrars General of the Madras High Court, while Justice Rajashekar was the member secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Legal Service Authority (TNSLSA).

Advocate General R. Shanmugasundaram welcomed the four new judges and introduced them to law officers, advocates and staff of the high court.

All the four became judicial officers in 2011.

State public prosecutor Hasan Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Additional Advocate General, State Government Pleader, Bar Council of India Vice Chairman, S. Prabhakar, office bearers of various bar associations and lawyers participated in the oath of administration ceremony.
Agra : , May 23 (IANS) An FIR for rape and criminal intimidation has been registered against former SP MLA Rameshwar Yadav, who is currently lodged in jail.

The FIR has been lodged on the complaint by a 25-year-old Dalit woman, who was allegedly raped by former SP MLA, four years ago, on the pretext of giving her a job.

ASP Dhananjay Singh Kushwaha, said, "The victim claimed that Rameshwar raped her while his younger brother Jogendra Yadav assaulted her. The latter has also been named in the FIR registered under IPC sections 376 (rape), 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) and sections of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act." In her complaint filed at Jaithra police station in Etah district, the woman claimed that she had met Rameshwar at his residence on February 2, 2019 and requested for a job.

"He had promised me a position as a fourth-grade employee in the education department. Initially, I was asked to work as a domestic help at his house. I agreed in the hope of getting a regular job. A day later, Rameshwar attacked me while I was working and dragged me to his room. He raped me and then threatened to kill me and my family members, in case I disclosed the matter to anyone," the victim said.

"Four days later, I narrated the entire incident to Rameshwar's brother Jogendra. Instead of helping, he brutally assaulted me and stripped me. I somehow managed to save my life and gathered the courage to file a police complaint against the former MLA and his brother now after I came to know that he is lodged in jail and local authorities do not support them," she added.

Rameshwar and Jogendra have over 70 cases pending against them. A majority of these were registered in the last five years.
Bengaluru, May 23 : Karnataka BJP on Tuesday took potshots at the newly-formed government over the statements by Congress party leaders on power-sharing.

"Shivakumar will never become CM. Siddaramaiah will never allow him to become the CM," the BJP commented on Twitter.

"M.B. Patil through his statement (Siddaramaiah will be CM for full tenure) has sent a direct warning to D.K. Shivakumar. However, even after the Congress has obtained a majority, there are no signs that this government is going to be stable after seeing all the developments in this regard," the party remarked.

The BJP has dubbed the Congress government as 'ATM sarkar'. "It is a tragedy for the state that this government is formed with only the condition of supplying funds to the high command and it is going to be the priority," the saffron party claimed.

The BJP has also tagged the video of cabinet minister M.B. Patil in which he announced that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is going to complete the five-year tenure and there is no power-sharing.

The statements of M.B. Patil has triggered a row in the state. Reacting to the row, Shivakumar on Tuesday curtly stated that he should not be disturbed. Shivakumar looked disturbed and maintained distance from media persons.

When his statements triggered a row and raised speculation in political corridors, M.B. Patil on Tuesday said that he has not made any personal comments over the issue. "I have reiterated what senior leaders announced in the press conference," he said.

Sources said that Shivakumar is upset over the remarks and his media statement 'don't disturb me' was aimed at M.B. Patil.

Priyank Kharge, a cabinet minister, reacting over the statement, explained that the statements on power-sharing by M.B. Patil was irrelevant. "No one knows the details of the discussion between them. It is known only to CM Siddaramaiah, DyCM D.K. Shivakumar, Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal.

"The legislature meeting did not discuss power sharing. I don't know what information M.B. Patil has it. I can tell what I know," he maintained.

Siddaramaiah got miffed at the questions of the media about power-sharing at the Delhi airport last week and asked the media on who gave them the information on this? Siddaramaiah is known for bulldozing feudal, majoritarian decisions and fully stands with Dalits and OBCs. However, it is going to be difficult for him to take unilateral decisions this time as Shivakumar, representing the dominant Vokkaliga community, is the Deputy Chief Minister and state party chief.
Ahmedabad, May 23 : After Gujarat's first census of wolves, that was conducted on May 8, the Forest department came up with the data that only 150 wolves exist in the state.

Currently, there are 10 wolves in the Little Rann of Kutch, 30 in the Velavadar sanctuary, Bhavnagar, and 30 in the Gir sanctuary.

IANS contacted Gujarat Forest Minister Mulubhai Bera but he was not available for a quote. There was only one wolf sighted in the wild ass habitats of the Little Rann of Kutch and Greater Rann of Kutch in 2020. This was the first time a wolf sighting was documented.

According to the first comprehensive pan-India survey of wolves, in 2018-19, the population of wolves in India was estimated to be 3,100 - Gujarat's wolf population was estimated to be 494, the third highest after Madhya Pradesh (772) and Rajasthan (532).

The study underlined Saurashtra, Kutch and north Gujarat regions as prime wolf habitats. One of the main factors contributing to the decreasing wolf population is the loss of their natural habitat due to human activities, such as deforestation and urbanisation.

A paper on The Status and Conservation of the Wolf in Gujarat and Rajasthan, India by Yadvendradev Jhala and Robert Giles recommended things for a wolf conservation strategy, it includes: encouraging public support and education, enforcing legal protection, paying compensation for wolf-killed livestock, conducting surveys of wolf populations and research on the dynamics of select populations, protecting breeding habitats, and eradicating feral dogs from wolf conservation areas.
Kolkata, May 23 : Two people were killed in a fire that broke out at an illegal fire-cracker warehouse at English Bazar in West Bengal's Malda district early on Tuesday.

Two others are battling for life at a local hospital in an "extremely" critical condition.

According to state fire services department sources, over nine hours have passed since the fire broke out at the illegal warehouse but the firemen are yet to douse it completely. Narrow approach-way made the fire-tenders reaching the spot tough.

Secondly, officials said, because of adjacent shops with inflammable items, including some fire-cracker shops in that congested area, the fire had spread and there were several hidden fire-pockets. "Unless each and every hidden fire-pocket is identified and extinguished totally, the cooling process cannot start," a fire official present at the spot said.

This is the third major case of explosion at illegal fire-cracker units in the state during the last seven days. The total number of deaths so far in these three mishaps combined so far is 17.

A total of 12 persons died in an explosion at an illegal -fire- crackers factory Egra in East Midnapore on May 16. On May 21 night, a similar explosion took place at an illegal fire-cracker warehouse at Maheshtala in South 24 Parganas district killing three persons, including a minor girl. Now with already two deaths being reported from Malda, the total death figure on this count has touched 17 in the last seven days.

Meanwhile, as usual, a political slugfest has erupted over the mishap at Malda.

According to BJP's spokesperson in the state Samik Bhattacharya, West Bengal is virtually standing on a volcano because of these mushrooming illegal fire-cracker manufacturing and storing entities which is happening because of the indulgence of the ruling Trinamool Congress and the local administration. "In many such factories besides fire- crackers, crude bombs too are being manufactured," he said.

Veteran Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member, Saugata Roy said that often because of the excessive heat because of the rising temperature level, raw material used for manufacturing fire- crackers like potassium chlorate and arsenic trisulphide explodes automatically and because of the cause of fire. "BJP is unnecessarily resorting to politics over the mishap," he said.
Panaji, May 23 : Stating that children are pillars of future, Goa Forward President and MLA Vijai Sardesai has asked the government not to implement National Education Policy hastily, when the stakeholders are not prepared for it.

"If NEP is implemented hastily, then we are playing with the future of students. They are pillars of the future. We should not make mockery of it. Government should implement it when all things are in place. It should take all in confidence," Fatorda MLA Sardesai said, while speaking to reporters in South Goa.

He said that the opposition had opined that if the infrastructure is not ready and if the government is not prepared, then NEP implementation should be postponed. "It has been done in other states. Why hastily implement it here, when nobody is prepared for it," he questioned.

"Parents, teachers and students are the stakeholders of NEP. There will be no exam till standard fifth, only assessment of students will be done. Hence, we need to see if parents and students are prepared for it," he said.

Sardesai said that the education secretary has said that they want some breathing space and school reopening could be postponed to July 1. "What does this mean that the government is not prepared to implement NEP. So they want to train teachers for one month (in June)," he said.

He said that the 'Samant committee', which has been entrusted with work to add Goa's history in the syllabus, has demanded a six months extension to prepare it.

"Committee has demanded a six month extension. This means the syllabus is not ready, and even students and teachers are not ready. Then, why are you implementing it?," he questioned.

He said that general consensus is that NEP should have been postponed if the government is not prepared for it.

"Under the National Curriculum framework for the foundation stage, the syllabus has to be translated into Konkani and Marathi. Even this is not done," Sardesai said.
Chennai, May 23 : Tamil Nadu Police are probing whether someone had mixed cyanide in the bottle to kill taxi driver Vivek, who died after consuming liquor bought from a licensed outlet of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac).

Another person Kuppuswamy, 65, had also died after consuming liquor bought from the same shop but police suspect that he had consumed the liquor left by Vivek.

A senior Thanjavur police officer who is investigating the case told IANS that the Vivek, 35, had offered liquor to another person who refused to accept it. This is the reason of police thinking that Vivek would have been deliberately given a poisoned drink and ruling out the theory of suicide.

Sources in the police told IANS that Vivek was in a relationship with a woman and police are probing whether she was in any way involved in his death.

Police are probing the role of any goldsmith in lacing the alcohol given to Vivek with cyanide as this chemical is available with goldsmiths. Police are checking the list of persons who visited the bar on Sunday - the day when Vivek and Kuppuswamy consumed the liquor and died. The police team is also scanning footage from the surveillance cameras situated near the Tasmac outlet.

However, another senior police officer told IANS that the suicide cannot be ruled out and added that a final report will be prepared in a couple of days' time after investigating the case from all angles.

In wake of the death of 22 persons in the twin hooch tragedy at Villupuram and Chengalpattu, the Tamil Nadu Police and Prohibition and Excise wing are in the dock and the death of two persons after drinking liquor from Tasmac outlet has caused a stir.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi after another complete shutdown of the Zaporizhia NPP from the power grid called for intensified efforts to restore the plant's backup power lines and confirmed the need for the IAEA team at the NPP to gain access to the nearby Zaporizhia Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP), also occupied by Russian troops.

"[Access] has yet to be granted despite assurances by Russian state nuclear company Rosatom. The ZTPP operates its 330 kV open switchyard, through which back-up power has in the past been provided to the ZNPP," according to Grossi's statement on the IAEA website.

The ZNPP's only remaining external 750 kilovolt (kV) power line was cut around 05:30 local time and re-connected after more than five hours, according to IAEA experts present at the plant. This morning's loss of all off-site power demonstrates the highly vulnerable nuclear safety and security situation at the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant.

The IAEA recalled that ZNPP is today connected to the power system by a single 750 kV external power line, since on March 1, the last operating backup power line of 330 kV was damaged on the right bank of the Dnipro River, which has not yet been repaired.

"For more than two and a half months, this major nuclear power plant has only had one functioning external power line. This is an unprecedented and uniquely risky situation. Defence-in-depth  which is fundamental to nuclear safety  has been severely undermined at the ZNPP," Grossi said.

Initially after this off-site power cut, all the ZNPP's 20 diesel generators started operating, but 12 of them were later switched off. This left eight running, which is sufficient to operate all systems safely. The IAEA experts at the site were informed that there is enough diesel fuel for 23 days. After the 750 kV line was restored, the diesel generators were gradually turned off.

Five of the ZNPP's six reactors were already in a cold shutdown state before today's power outage, and preparations were under way to transfer also Unit 5 from hot to cold shutdown. Following the restoration of off-site power, Unit 5 is being returned to hot shutdown.

Elsewhere in the country today, a team of IAEA experts at the South Ukraine NPP said an emergency shutdown had occurred at one of its three reactor units. "Plant management informed the IAEA team that the automatic shutdown took place due to grid disturbance or instability. The SUNPP still has off-site power available," the report notes.
Chennai, May 23 : The Tamil Nadu unit of the BJP is in the process of promoting toddy tapping in the state with an eye on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP state president, K. Annamalai in a recent statement said that the party at Villupuram district conference would support toddy tapping. The BJP president said that in all other districts also the party would take a stand to promote it.

This, according to sources in the BJP, is a realistic move as the party had been vouching for total prohibition in Tamil Nadu during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

It may be recalled that during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, both the DMK and the AIADMK had promised prohibition in a phased manner while BJP was for total prohibition.

However, the party has now taken a stand on regulating Tasmac shops and on how responsible drinkers were not posing any problems for the society.

The BJP state president has said that he would meet Chief Minister M.K Stalin personally and hand over to him a white paper on how toddy can eventually be an alternative to Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). The BJP president has also said that toddy tapping and jaggery produced from it could generate Rs 1 lakh crore in the next five years.

It may be recalled that the former leader of BJP, L. Ganesan who is presently the Governor of Nagaland had in 2009 promoted toddy tapping and making of toddy during a conclave of toddy tappers.

The state BJP is eyeing the support of the powerful coconut growers in Erode, Salem, Thenkasi, and other western and southern areas of Tamil Nadu to get handful gains in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Los Angeles, May 23 : Italian auteur Marco Bellocchio is returning to Cannes with 'Kidnapped', a drama that reconstructs the true tale of Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish boy who was kidnapped and forcibly raised as a Christian in 19th century Italy.

It's a story that Steven Spielberg had his eye on, having announced in 2016 that he would make a drama about Mortara for which he began scouting locations in Italy, reports 'Variety'.

Earlier this month, it also scored a slew of statuettes, including best director, at Italy's David Awards, the country's top film prizes.

Talking about how his approach to the story is different, Bellocchio told 'Variety', "Working with writer-director Susanna Nicchiarelli, who directed historical films 'Nico, 1988', 'Miss Marx' and 'Chiara', we used several books as sources, but also plenty of documents. Since it's about an Italy that no longer exists, we did lots of digital effects work to reconstruct that world. But we also wanted to give the audience a real sense of what took place. Lots of work was put into the set design and the costumes. We tried to reconstruct the world of the Italian provinces." He further mentioned, "We were very careful in making sure the types of vernacular Italian that the characters speak were very accurate. The accuracy of the linguistic aspect was crucial to me to make it real. It's likely that Spielbergs's project would have been completely different. He would have done it in English. For us, we really wanted to stand up for the fact that this Jewish family was living on Italian soil."
Sydney, May 23 : Visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that a new consulate will be opened soon in Brisbane and thanked his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese for renaming Harris Park in Sydney as 'Little India'.

"Friends, now that I am here with you, I want to make an announcement. The long-standing demand of the Indian community in Brisbane will now be fulfilled by opening up a new Indian consulate soon," Modi said addressing the 20,000-plus strong Indian community gathered at the Qudos Bank Arena Stadium.

He also thanked his Albanese for renaming Harris Park in Sydney as 'Little India'. "Thank you my friend Anthony," Modi told Albanese as the latter made the announcement to declare Harris Park as 'Little India' at the community event.

"I had the opportunity to welcome the Prime Minister @AlboMP ji on the Indian soil in Ahmedabad. Today he joined me in unveiling the foundation stone of 'Little India' here: PM @narendramodi," Prime Minister Modi tweeted earlier.

Home to many popular Indian eateries and retailers, Harris Park is informally referred to as 'Little India' with 45 per cent of its 5,043 residents tracing their roots to India.

The diaspora community in the western Sydney suburb had renewed calls to officially declare their area as 'Little India'.

The Indian business owners had first proposed officially naming the area Little India in 2015, believing that the title would benefit them.

As per the Australian government's website, Harris Park has a significant population of Indians and is widely known as an exceptional spot for Indian gastronomy and Indian-run small and mid-sized enterprises.
Dharamsala, May 23 : Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Tuesday welcomed the recent statement from the G7 Leaders' summit in Hiroshima, calling for a "world without nuclear weapons".

"This joint statement reflects the reality that we live in an increasingly interdependent world, and represents an opportunity to make this 21st century an era of peace and cooperation.

"As an avowed campaigner for demilitarization throughout the world and the elimination of all nuclear weapons, I firmly believe this to be a positive initiative. In January 2022, when the five nuclear-weapon states made a joint pledge affirming that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, I warmly commended their action," the spiritual leader said in a statement.

"In these times of uncertainty and upheaval across many parts of the globe, it is vitally important that all of us make earnest and concerted efforts to resolve problems through dialogue and diplomacy. Therefore, commitments like the one by the G7 countries represent a powerful message and recognition of the urgency of putting an end to the threat that these weapons pose to humanity.

"A world without nuclear weapons is necessary and possible. In our interconnected world, violence brings suffering even to those far from the conflict. I sincerely hope that we can all remember the oneness of humanity, and recall that harming anyone with violence, including the use of nuclear weapons harms us all," the Dalai Lama said.

"I pray that this 21st century becomes a more compassionate, peaceful and harmonious world," he added.
Chandigarh, May 23 : Proclaimed offender of the highly sensitive 2015 Bargari sacrilege cases in Punjab, Sandeep Bareta, was arrested from the Bengaluru airport on Tuesday, police said.

A lookout notice issued against him by Punjab Police.

The police said in a tweet that a police party has been sent for getting the accused for his production before a court and seeking police remand for custodial interrogation.

Following incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in 2015 and subsequent violence in the state, the police force was accused of excesses which had left two people dead.
Chennai, May 23 : Well-known industrialist and owner of Thiagaraja mills, Karumuttu T. Kannan passed away at his residence in Madurai on Tuesday. He was 70.

Kannan was associated with several industrial bodies of South India, including the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Southern Indian Mills association.

He was also the 'Thakkar' of the famous Madurai Sri Meenakshi Sundareswar temple.

Kannan was the President of Thiagarajar Colleges and a member of the state planning commission and was involved in the activities of Anna University.

He was presented with the Perunthalivar Kamarajar award instituted by the Tamil Nadu government for promoting education and social service.

The state government had appointed him as a member of the High-Level Advisory committee of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department in 2022.

He leaves behind his wife Uma Kannan and children Visalakshi, Radha, and Hari Thiagarajan.

Family sources told IANS that the last rites will be performed on Wednesday.

Venu Srinivasan, Chairman Emeritus, TVS Motor Company in a condolence message said: "I'm deeply saddened by this loss. To me he was more than a trusted colleague. He was a dear and loyal friend, who was a deep thinker and always there with his wise counsel. He helped steer us through difficult times to now becoming an international player." "Kannan had a rare prescience and sharp business acumen, but above all he was a man with tremendous social conscience who gave so much to society. Thiagarajar college is a testament to that as is his invaluable contribution to the Meenakshi Temple. He bore his responsibilities with grace, dignity, and a sense of purpose," he added.
Hangu : , May 23 (IANS) At least four Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel and two private security guards were martyred when a gas plant in Tall tehsil of Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan came under terrorist attack, media reports said.

Tall's Deputy Superintendent of Police said that heavily-armed militants struck the private gas extraction plant in the mountainous region, Geo News reported.

He also said that the militants have also damaged a solar power plant at the affected plant before fleeing to the adjoining North Waziristan area, where they had come from. He said that a joint search operation was underway in the area, The News reported.

The security personnel fought bravely for two hours and repulsed the attack, the police official added.

A large number of police are standing guard at the gas plant after the terror attack.

Various militant factions, including the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have operated out of remote mountains in the northwest for years, launching attacks on the security forces and infrastructure in their campaign against the state, The News reported.
Bengaluru, May 23 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday gave clear-cut instructions to the state police to initiate "ruthless action" against provocative posts on social media in the state.

Chairing the meeting of top police officers at Vidhana Soudha, he underlined that they should be more careful about maintaining peace and co-existence in the society. "Ruthless action must be initiated against those who disturb the peace and co-existence in the society. The police must also prevent the menace of drugs," Siddaramaiah reiterated.

He also asked the police to look into finding solutions to traffic problems in Bengaluru and reining cyber crimes in the state.

"The people have elected the government for a change with hope and the officers must respond to the problems of the people," he said.

Siddaramaiah asked senior officers to visit the police stations and conduct inspections. The people who come to lodge complaints should not be treated as accused persons and police officers should behave cordially with them. Their woes would be addressed, he said.

"Our government will not tolerate goondagiri, unofficial club activities and drug mafia in the state. If these are encouraged, strict action would be initiated against the officers. We will compliment good workers and if there is dereliction of duty, we will initiate action without any hesitation," he warned.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, cabinet ministers K.J. George, K.H. Muniyappa, B.Z. Zameer Ahmad Khan, M.B. Patil, and Satish Jarkiholi were also present.
Chandigarh, May 23 : With Punjab increasing river water supply to Rajasthan by 500 cusecs, the Shiromani Akali Dal said it would stage a protest in Abohar on Wednesday against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's "surrender on river waters".

Party President Sukhbir Badal will lead the protest that will begin at 11 a.m.

Badal made this announcement at the party headquarters here on Tuesday. He was reacting to questions by mediapersons on reports that the Chief Minister had committed to increase river water supply from Punjab to Rajasthan from the present 700 cusecs to 1,200 cusecs.

The reports quoted Rajasthan leader Hanuman Beniwal claiming that a commitment to this effect had been made by Mann during their meeting at Bathinda on Sunday.

Badal said that the Akali Dal, as the guardian of the interests of Punjab, would not remain a mute witness to AAP government's surrender and loot of Punjab's river waters through "a secret and arbitrary sell out" to Rajasthan.

"We asked the Punjab CM to clarify his position on the reports but although more than a day has passed since the reports appeared, he still chooses to hide behind silence in order to quietly go ahead with the surrender. We won't allow this to happen," he said.

Badal said this latest "surrender" by the AAP government was merely a continuation of a long history of betrayals of Punjab's and Panth's vital interests on every religious, economic, territorial and river waters issues.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejrival has always led in this loot of Punjab's river waters to both Haryana and Delhi and Mann has always quietly and meekly acquiesced in this loot, he alleged.

"Clearly under instructions from his boss Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann has now agreed to sign away more river water to Rajasthan, dealing a death blow to the already beleaguered farmers of Punjab and to the overall economy of the state.

"Mann had earlier virtually surrendered Punjab's legitimate claim on Chandigarh by begging for space in its own capital to set up a separate legislative assembly instead of asking Haryana to shift out of here, Badal added.
Mumbai, May 23 : Former Lok Sabha Speaker and ex-Chief Minister of Maharashtra Manohar G. Joshi has been admitted to a private hospital for certain complications arising out of a brain tumour, official sources said here on Tuesday.

Joshi, 86, was rushed to the P.D. Hinduja Hospital in Mahim and was taken to the ICU under the care of a team of senior doctors and neurosurgeons.

A hospital medical bulletin said this afternoon that he was brought there in an emergency semicoma condition, but breathing on his own, and not on a ventilator.

His condition was described as 'stable, but continues to need critical management', as per the statement.

Former CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi and other family members and party leaders rushed to the hospital to enquire after Joshi's health.

Joshi was the first Shiv Sena CM for four years (1995-1999) when the party bagged power in alliance with Bharatiya Janata Party.

Later, he served as the Speaker of Lok Sabha (2002-2004) during the tenure of the late Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, becoming only the second from the state after the Congress' Shivraj Patil (1991-1996) to occupy the august office.
On Tuesday night, the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) eliminated six enemy attack UAVs Shahed and two reconnaissance drones, according to the Air Force.

"On the night of May 23, 2023, six enemy attack UAVs Shahed-136/131 and two reconnaissance UAVs Merlin-BP were destroyed in different directions," the Telegram channel says.
Agartala, May 23 : Tipra Motha Party (TMP) chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barman, who had held a series of meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on appointment of an interlocutor and constitutional solutions to the problems of the tribals in Tripura, on Tuesday announced that his party would launch agitation in support of their demand.

In a video message, Deb Barman, a former royal scion of Tripura, said that he is not a beggar, and he and his party's fight is for a constitutional solution to the tribal issues and problems.

"I have sold my royal properties in Kolkata to organise agitations for the interest of the tribals. Personally I do not want to get any government post. My only aim is to secure the future of the backward tribals," he said.

Noting that some of his party leaders are keen to join the BJP for their personal interest, he said: "I told them, you may join the BJP, but never complain about your deprivations." He said that Union Home Minister Shah and Assam Chief Minister Sarma assured them on a several occasions that an interlocutor would be appointed and greater autonomy would be provided to the tribals, but several months had passed and nothing was done.

Criticising Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha and other BJP leaders, Deb Barman said that the state government has been depriving the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) by not providing adequate funds to the constitutional body.

According to a Tripura government notification, the Centre's advisor on northeast affairs Akshay Kumar Mishra was supposed to visit Tripura on May 12 to discuss the issues raised by the TMP, but he did not turn up.

In the last week of March, Deb Barman had announced an indefinite hunger strike unless the Centre met the party's demands by March 27 and on March 29, the TMP leaders led by him held a meeting with Sarma in Guwahati.

Sarma while talking to the media in Guwahati on Tuesday, refused to comment about Deb Barman's announcement to launch a stir in support of their demands.

The TMP, after capturing the politically important TTAADC in April 2021, has been demanding elevation of the areas of the autonomous body by granting a 'Greater Tipraland State' or a separate state status under Articles 2 and 3 of the Constitution.

The ruling BJP, CPI-M led Left parties, Congress and the Trinamool Congress have been strongly opposing the demands of TMP.

The tribal based party in its maiden electoral battle fielded 42 candidates, including 20 on tribal reserved seats in the Tripura assembly polls in February and bagged 13 seats and 19.69 per cent votes become the second single largest party after the BJP, which got 32 seats and returned to the power for the second consecutive term.

Just before the March 24 election to the Tripura Assembly Speaker, Deb Barman had said that the Union Home Minister had informed him that the Centre would appoint an interlocutor by March 27 to study the "constitutional solutions" to the TMP's demands for providing more autonomy and socio-economic development of the tribals, who constitute one-third of Tripura's 4 million population.

After attending the BJP-IPFT ministers' swearing in ceremony on March 8, the Union Home Minister, BJP President J.P. Nadda, Assam and Tripura chief ministers held a meeting with Deb Barman and the TMP chief later claimed that Shah has assured him that like in the case of Nagaland, an interlocutor will be appointed to study and resolve the demands of the TMP within three months.

The BJP keeping in mind the tribal votes also requested the TMP leaders to join the BJP led ministry and kept three ministerial berths vacant for the tribal party.
Mumbai, May 23 : A Mumbai Sessions Court has recently ruled that sex work can be termed an "offence" when its done in a public place causing nuisance to others, as it set free a 34-year-old commercial sex worker who was shunted to a shelter home against her wishes.

Following a raid on a brothel by the Mumbai Police in suburban Mulund in February, the CSW, along with two others, was arrested and produced before the Mazagaon Magistrate Court on February 19.

The Magistrate had gone through her medical report which proved she was a major, and sent her to the Navjeevan Mahila Vastigruh in Deonar suburb for a year's rehabilitation on March 15, though the other two women nabbed were released.

Challenging the order in the Sessions Court, the woman with two minor children, also denied indulging in any immoral activities as alleged by the police.

Hearing her plea, Additional Sessions Judge C. V. Patil said that the lower court had detained the victim only on the ground of antecedent of indulging in a similar kind of offence, which she has challenged.

Judge Patil ruled that the victim is a major and had the right to work, and there were no allegations that she was indulging in sex work in public.

"As per the rule, to involve in sex work is not itself an offence, but to do sex work in public place so as to cause annoyance to others can be called as offence," he held.

He noted that the woman had two kids who needed her and if she was being detained against her wishes, then it curtailed her fundamental rights, including the freedom to move freely all over India, and quashed the Magistrate's order to set her free from the shelter home.

In mid-February, the Mumbai police had carried out the raids on a nearby shady hotel with decoy customers where the owner and manager were reportedly keeping women for purposes of prostitution for the customers.
Gurugram, May 23 : A 30-year-old Delhi woman has accused a 42-year-old man, she befriended over the phone, of making her drunk and raping her in Gurugram, police said on Tuesday.

An FIR has been registered at DLF Phase-1 Police Station and the accused is still at large, they said.

According to the complaint filed by the woman, she befriended the man over the phone about five months ago. The woman had been looking for a job for a long time. When she told about this, the accused, Amit assured to get her a job.

The victim alleged that on May 21, the accused picked her up from Dhaula Kuan in Delhi to Gurugram in his car at the DLF Phase-1 area on the pretext of showing her the office and getting a job for her.

The accused offered a cold drink to the woman while showing her his office. It is alleged that the accused offered her a soft drink laced with an intoxicant, after consuming her health started deteriorating and the accused raped her and made an objectional video of her.

"He threatened me that he will upload the video on social media if I disclose the incident to anyone," the woman said in her complaint.

The accused was booked under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code.

A senior police officer said that they are verifying the claims, and conducting raids to nab the accused.
Kolkata, May 23 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday assured her counterpart in Delhi and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of full support of the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha against the Union government's ordinance to negate the Supreme Court's order handing over administrative services in the national capital to the elected government there.

While the BJP is poised to get the ordinance passed in the Lok Sabha owing to its numerical superiority, the situation might turn tricky in the Upper House where the Trinamool Congress has 12 MPs.

Banerjee made this announcement after an hour-long meeting with Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here. Delhi Education Minister Atishi and AAP's Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha were also present at the meeting.

"If all the opposition parties unite against the BJP on this ordinance issue, the saffron party can be surely defeated. If that happens, it will be a moral defeat for the BJP before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. And if any miracle happens, the fate of the current Union government will be uncertain," Banerjee said.

Kejriwal, on his part, alleged that after any Assembly election, if the BJP does not get the requisite majority, it first tries to capture power through the backdoor by twisting or pressurising the opposition MLAs.

"Even if that tactic is not successful, it tries to take control over the state administration through Governors. This practice of using Governors against any non-BJP ruled state government has become rampant in West Bengal, Punjab and Telangana," Kejriwal said.

He also said that the Union government tactfully brought the ordinance on the day the Supreme Court was going on vacation.

"They were aware that had the Supreme Court been in session, the matter would have stayed on the very next day," he said.

Expressing gratitude towards Banerjee for extending support on the ordinance issue, Mann said that he is aware as to how the Governor is being used in West Bengal to disturb the functioning of the elected state government.

Mann was also vocal about the use of central investigating agencies against the leaders of the opposition parties.

"I congratulate Mamata Banerjee for the manner in which she is fighting against the pressure of the central agencies," the Punjab Chief Minister said.

All the three Chief Ministers also agreed on a united move by all non-BJP parties against the saffron acmp in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Quetta, May 23 : Ex-leader of the Baloch National Army (BNA), Gulzar Imam alias Shambay, said on Tuesday that Balochistan's problems can be resolved peacefully, as he urged the nation not to waste its time in fighting, media reports said.

"For the past 15 years, I had been an active part of the militancy in Balochistan," Shambay, the founder of the banned outfit BNA, told a press conference in Quetta alongside government officials, Geo News reported.

Shmbay, a hardcore militant, was apprehended in April during a high-profile and successful intelligence operation, the Inter-Services Public Relations had said, the report said.

BNA -- responsible for dozens of violent terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including attacks on law enforcement agencies in Panjgur and Noshki -- was formed after the amalgamation of the Baloch Republican Army (BRA) and United Baloch Army (UBA).

At the presser, the ex-BNA leader said he has "faced all circumstances" during his time as a militant, but his foremost priority "was to safeguard his people".

"I was arrested recently and during my detention, I got time to think about my past from a new perspective," Shambay said, Geo News reported.

The former BNA commander, who has written several booklets for militants, said after meeting Baloch leaders who lead peaceful movements, he has concluded that his province's issues can only be resolved through legal and political means.

"I want to say something... We went into this war without understanding the state. I have lost several loved ones, but after these painful experiences, I learnt that the path I was on was wrong," he said.
San Francisco, May 23 : Hackers stole over $400 million from crypto projects in 40 attacks in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023 in the US, a new report has shown.

According to blockchain intelligence firm TRM Labs, the amount of funds lost in the first quarter was 70 per cent, down from the same period in 2022.

However, the amount lost was actually less than in any other quarter of 2022.

Moreover, the report showed that the average hack size fell to $10.5 million in Q1 2023, down from nearly $30 million in the same quarter of 2022, despite a similar number of incidents (around 40).

To date, in Q1 2023, hacking victims recovered more than half of all stolen funds.

According to the report, hackers are increasingly returning stolen funds in exchange for a "white hat" reward from the affected projects. In 2023, hackers recovered more than half of the stolen funds.

Notably, a hacker who stole $1.5 million from Tender.fi in March returned the funds after receiving a $8,50,000 bounty.

The report also looked into the possible causes of the decrease in crypto attacks.

Crypto hacking is receiving increased regulatory scrutiny, as evidenced by a number of high-profile enforcement cases.

Crypto exchanges are tightening KYC/AML requirements, making it more difficult to cash out stolen coins.

In addition, the report said that the industry had seen the continued implementation of anti-money laundering standards by virtual asset service providers (VASPs), increased efforts by law enforcement and regulators to go after bad actors and the increasing sophistication of blockchain intelligence tools.
Shimla, May 23 : In a first-of-its-kind, the renovated 143-year-old Bantony Castle, once the summer palace of the erstwhile ruler of Sirmaur province, on Tuesday saw the first light and sound show, a captivating event that combines the rich history of the grand castle and Shimla city with a mesmerising audiovisual experience.

It is likely to be released for ticketed viewing of the visitors from June 1 when the sun goes down, Secretary, Language, Art and Culture Rakesh Kanwar told IANS.

Bollywood actor Anupam Kher, who has a deep emotional bond with the 'Queen of Hills', where he spent his formative years, narrates the light and sound show that will be showcased to the public in English and Hindi with a seating arrangement of 70 for a one-time watch.

The two-storey Bantony Castle, located near Scandal Point on the famous Ridge, is reconstructed in the mock Tudor style, part chalet and crowned with a sloping roof with mini towers.

The building is said to have been designed by TEG Cooper under the watchful eye of Raja Surender Bikram Prakash and before its construction began in 1880 the site had a cottage belonging to Captain A. Gordon which housed army officers.

During the two World Wars, the rulers of Sirmaur allowed the colonial government to use the premises for military purposes.

During the Second World War, it lays the Prisoner of War section attached to All India Radio for handling messages of mostly Italian prisoners interred at Yol near Dharamsala town, some 250 km from here.

Just after Independence, leading English daily The Tribune, which had been based in Lahore, began functioning at Bantony Castle till it shifted to Chandigarh.

Just before the Independence, Bantony passed into the hands of the Maharaja of Darbhanga. In 1957-58, Maharaja Sir Kameshwar Singh of Darbhanga gave the property on rent to the Punjab government, and various wings of initially Punjab and later Himachal Police were based in it for several years.

The Police Officers' mess was also located on its premises.

While still with the police in 1968, the Bantony estate was purchased by the prominent local business family of Ram Krishan and Sons. The state acquired this 19,000 sq m estate and structures in 2017 to create the elaborate complex that Bantony now houses.

The Bantony Castle has now been restored at a cost of about approximately Rs 29 crore and houses a heritage museum, a multipurpose hall and an art and craft centre, all to be opened soon for the public.

In the main building of the castle, a digital museum will be opening shortly which is expected to be innovative, people-oriented and immersive.

The mesmerising 30-minute light and sound show (in separate Hindi and English versions) will captivate the senses from start to finish and describe the journey of various facets of this historical town.

This show is a dramatic retelling of Shimla's story from its foundation to the modern day.

The light and sound show will be the first production to use digital art technology to depict the magnificent history of Shimla through the eye of Bantony Castle right from its foundation at a historical site.

This show, a first for the hilly town, will serve as a major attraction for locals and tourists alike in days to come, adds the government.

Tourism Department officials told IANS, Bantony along with the newly restored British-era Town Hall and Gaiety Theatre, which all lie on the historic Ridge -- an open space just above the Mall -- extending to Grand Hotel in the west and the Lakkar Bazaar in the east, will be a favourite haunt of those out for a stroll to see the Shimla's legacy.

Shimla was the summer capital of the British rulers between 1864 and 1939.

Shimla's history goes beyond British India.

Mahatma Gandhi visited Shimla several times in the days leading to the country's Independence in 1947. On some occasions, leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru, Madan Mohan Malaviya and Lala Lajpat Rai accompanied him.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com)
Chennai, May 23 : The CB-CID, which is investigating the hooch tragedy at Marakkanam in Villupuram district and Mathuranthakam in Chengalpattu district, has sought custody of the 11 accused in Marakkanam incident.

The CB-CID on Tuesday filed a plea in a court in Villupuram. The elite police unit of Tamil Nadu has sought the custody of the 11 accused for three days to inquire about the death of 14 persons in Marakkanam after drinking spurious liquor.

Sources in CB-CID told IANS that the case will come up for hearing on Wednesday.

Additional Deputy Superintendent of CB-CID Gomathi is heading the special CB-CID team appointed for probing the hooch tragedy at Marakkanam in which 14 people died. The Marakkanam police, that conducted the preliminary investigation, handed over the case file to the CB-CID after the government transferred the case to the elite police unit.

The Tamil Nadu Police had altered the case related to the death of 22 persons by drinking spurious liquor at Marakkanam in Villupuram district and Maruthanthakam in Chengalpattu district to that of murder.

It may be noted that 11 people were taken into custody including the chemical engineer Ilaya Nambi who had acted as an agent to sell Methyl alcohol used for industrial purposes to some people in Puducherry who sold this in retail to many local agents in Marakkanam leading to the hooch tragedy.
Kolkata, May 23 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on Tuesday that the CBI officers, who went to the residence of her nephew and Trinamool Congress' national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee last Friday to serve a summon notice for questioning, misbehaved and threatened the members of the family.

"Abhishek was in Bankura then. The officers who went to his house to serve the notice had said that if the same was accepted, the results could be felt the next day," Banerjee said at a joint press conference with her counterparts in Delhi and Punjab, Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann, respectively.

She levelled this accusation against the CBI soon after Kejriwal expressed his anguish over the manner in which the Delhi Police personnel allegedly manhandled former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia at a court in the national capital.

Banerjee also said that the Union government has virtually unleashed an 'agency Raj' throughout the country.

"The BJP is running the Union government just by depending on the central investigating agencies. We will all have to get united against the BJP. We will have to defeat the BJP at any cost," she said.

To recall, Abhishek Banerjee was questioned by the CBI for over nine hours on Saturday in connection with a case related to the alleged recruitment scam in state-run schools. However, after coming out of the CBI office, Abhishek Banerjee had termed the outcome of the lengthy CBI grilling as 'Big Zero'.
Kolkata, May 23 : Concerned over three consecutive blasts in illegal fire- cracker outlets in three different places of the state killing 17 persons in the last seven days, the West Bengal government has decided to put a blanket ban on manufacturing at the state's biggest fire-cracker hub, Champahati in South 24 Parganas district for two months.

A notice from Baruipur district police has been sent to the office of the local fire- crackers manufacturers' association on Tuesday asking them to honour and follow the ban imposed for the next two months.

District police sources said the two months ban has been imposed to totally clean up the area on this count during the period.

"First we will conduct constant raids and search operations to identify, seize, and destroy illegal fire-crackers from this area. Secondly, we will identify the illegal manufacturing hubs in the area, where manufacturing of illegal fire-crackers has almost become a cottage industry with even domestic houses running such manufacturing and storing outlets in the backyards," a senior district police official said.

After the cleaning- up exercise is completed, he added, then only those with valid licenses will be allowed to start their respective businesses.

"However, henceforth the police will be strictly monitoring the entire process of manufacturing and storing of fire- crackers here," he added.

Meanwhile, a high-level meeting chaired by the state DGP Manoj Malviya was conducted at the state secretariat Nabanna on Tuesday afternoon, which was attended by all the districts' Superintendents of Police.

In the meeting, some SPs, sources said, faced the ire of the DGP for intelligence failures about the illegal manufacturing and storing of fire-crackers in their respective districts.

"The DGP directed the district police Superintendents to activate their respective district intelligence units on this count. He also asked figures of the quantities of illegal fire-crackers seized from each district," said a state government official aware of the proceedings of the meeting.
Almost $500,000 more was seized in the case on suspicion of former Chairman of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Kniazev, convicted of bribery, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) reports.

"NABU and SAPO (Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) during the search seized a large amount of cash in almost $500,000, hidden by the participants of the crime in the case on suspicion of the Chairman of the Supreme Court. Now NABU and SAPO are investigating the source of origin and ownership of these funds," NABU said on the Telegram channel on Tuesday.

It is reported that the search was conducted on May 22 as part of a pretrial investigation into the receipt of $2.7 million of illegal benefits by the Supremes Court Chairman and the lawyer. The money was transferred to the Chairman of the Supreme Court in exchange for a decision in favor of one of the Ukrainian businessmen.
New Delhi, May 23 : A 30-year-old man from Punjab has been arrested for allegedly harassing a woman and uploading her objectionable photos on social media platform with her mobile number, a Delhi Police official said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Amandeep Kumar, a permanent resident of Kapurthala in Punjab.

The official said that Kumar is habitual of surfing sexual content online and is unemployed. He randomly did this "act for fun".

According to police, a 24-year-old woman had given a complaint that someone had created a fake ID on Instagram and had uploaded her objectionable photo with her original mobile number following which a case was registered and investigation was initiated.

During investigation, the police team tasked with the probe, collected the IP addresses of the alleged Instagram profile and conducted the detailed analysis of Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR) which led to the mobile number of the accused.

"On May 19, with the help of technical surveillance and specific inputs, Amandeep was arrested from his native village near Kapurthala in Punjab," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdara, Rohit Meena said.
Nagpur, May 23 : At least six persons were killed and another 12 were injured when a container truck and an state transport bus with 38 passengers collided on the old Mumbai-Nagpur Highway in Buldhana, police said here on Tuesday.

The accident took place near the Sindhkhed Raja town around 7.15 a.m. when the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation bus was proceeding from Pune to Mehkar in Buldhana, around 370 kms from here.

As per preliminary information, the vehicle may have lost control and rammed into the other one leading to the tragedy.

The injured have been rushed to hospitals in Buldhana and the condition of two has been described as 'critical'.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed grief over the tragedy and directed the MSRTC to give an ex-gratia of Rs 10-lakhs to the kin of each deceased victim and full treatment of all the injured at government expenses.

Arrangements are being made to hand over the bodies of the victims to their families, many from Pune, for the last rites.
Thiruvananthapuram, May 23 : Attacking the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government, the Bishop of the Syrian Catholic Church's Kanjirapally Diocese Mar Jose Pullikkel on Tuesday warned it not to treat the killing of two elderly persons in Kottayam district by a wild gaur lightly.

On Friday last, three people were killed after being attacked by wild gaur.

While two were knocked down by the same wild gaur at Erumeli in Kottayam district, another life was taken at Kollam.

"Please note that wild gaurs don't have voting rights and the Forest Department appears to be seeing this as a one off incident. This is not a one off episode. Wish to know what will be done when a wild gaur enters the party offices or the Assembly. Will you just be an onlooker," asked a peeved Bishop Pullikkel.

Pullikkel had conducted the last rites of the dead at Erumeli and for long he has been demanding appropriate laws to end the man-animal conflict.
London, May 23 : In a move that could hit Indians, the UK government on Tuesday announced that international students will no longer be able to bring family members with them except under specific circumstances.

The new changes to the student visa route will not apply to international students on post-graduate research routes such as PhDs and will come into effect starting January next year, according to the Home Office.

The restrictions will also ban people from using a student visa as a backdoor route to work in the UK, thus cutting net migration while protecting the economic benefits students bring to the UK.

"We have seen an unprecedented rise in the number of student dependents being brought into the country with visas. It is time for us to tighten up this route to ensure we can cut migration numbers and meet the government's pledge to the British people to cut net migration," Home Secretary Suella Braverman said.

"This is the fair thing to do to allow us to better protect our public services, while supporting the economy by allowing the students who contribute the most to keep coming here," she added.

The move comes after an Office for National Statistics data, due to be out later this week, is expected to show that net migration was over 500,000 from June 2021 to June 2022.

Last year almost half a million student visas were issued while the number of dependents of overseas students has increased by 750 per cent since 2019, to 136,000 people.

According to Home Office estimates, there has been an eightfold increase in the number of visas granted to dependents of international students, rising from 16,000 to 136,000 in 2019.

Further, to prevent misuse of the visa system, overseas students will be stopped from switching from the student visa route into work routes until their studies have been completed.

The government will also clamp down on unscrupulous international student agents who may be supporting inappropriate applications.

International students, including Indians, contribute nearly 10 times more to the UK economy than they take out, according to a report by UK higher education institutions.

As per the 2020-21 data, Indians represent the second largest cohort of international students coming to study at UK universities -- with 87,045 first-year enrolments behind China's 99,965 enrolments and ahead of Nigeria's 32,945.

"Attracting the top students from around the world isn't just good for our universities -- it's essential for our economy and building vital global relationships," Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said. However, she added that the number of family members being brought to the UK by students has risen significantly.

The Home Office added that the changes to the student visa route do not detract from the success of the government's International Education Strategy, including meeting the target to host 600,000 international higher education students studying in the UK each year by 2030.
Aizawl/Imphal, May 23 : Tribals from the ethnic violence-hit Manipur continue to move into Mizoram with over 7,700 people having taken shelter in the states (Mizoram) eight districts, officials said on Tuesday.

Officials in Aizawl apprehend that as the situation in many of the tribal-dominated districts in Manipur still remains tense with sporadic incidents of violence getting reported, more displaced people belonging to ethnic Zos, known as Kukis, may take shelter in Mizoram.

According to the officials, the highest number of around 2,690 people took shelter in Kolasib district, bordering Assam, followed by 2,386 and 2,153 people in Aizawl and Saitual districts, respectively, while the remaining took shelter in five other districts.

Officials said that a large number of people took shelter at the homes of their relatives and friends in Mizoram, while many of the hapless people have been lodged in community halls, schools and vacant buildings.

Meanwhile, various organisations involving a large number of women have been organising sit-in-demonstrations in the valley districts of Manipur for the past few days demanding that the Suspension of Operation (SoO) with Kuki militants be abrogated and action be taken against them.

They also demanded that "illegal Myanmarese immigrants" be deported, and poppy cultivation be stopped in the hilly areas.

These organisations also strongly protested against the demand of 10 tribal MLAs to create a separate state for the tribals by dividing Manipur.

Shops, markets and business establishments remained closed on Tuesday in the New Chekon area of Imphal East district, where some miscreants torched two houses after four armed people, including a former MLA, forced people to shut their shops on Monday.

The district administration and the security forces have asked the people to remain indoors.

Sporadic incidents of violence, including burning of houses, were reported from different districts.

The Army, Assam Rifles along with the Manipur police and the Rapid Action Force have been maintaining a strict vigil in the 11 districts with a mixed population where curfew is still in place.

A total of 71 people have been killed, while 300 others were injured, including police personnel, in the recent violence in Manipur.

Out of the 16 districts in the state, 11 were affected out of which six were badly impacted.

Over 25,000 people have been displaced, nearly 1,700 houses were burnt, and more than 200 vehicles have been destroyed.
Jaipur, May 23 : When 17-year-old Shyamli (name changed) from Cooch Behar, West Bengal, was promised by her family that she would only be engaged to someone but not married till she wished for it, the innocent minor girl believed every word that was said.

But she soon found out that none of this was to come true. The underage girl was sold off and forcibly married to a 33-year-old man in Jaipur, who continued to sexually assault her every night for the next three days. Traumatised by her ordeal, she ran away from her house and spent a night at a park.

With nowhere to go, Shyamli approached the child helpline office the next morning where an official of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) was also present.

Bachpan Bachao Andolan was founded by Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi and has been on a mission to make India child marriage free.

When the girl shared what she was going through, the BBA team sprang into action and accompanied her to the police station to lodge a complaint.

An FIR was registered under various sections of The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 as well as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The traumatised girl was also counselled by the BBA team.

The girl said that the man would physically and sexually assault her every night, while the family would force her to do daily house chores in the day.

"Meanwhile, my sister-in-law posted my videos and pictures on social media announcing the marriage. I was troubled by all these so I decided to leave the house," the girl said in the FIR.

She mustered all the courage she could and stepped out. The girl has now been safely shifted to a childcare home.

"Our mission is to make every child free, safe and educated. Child marriage is an evil that cannot be tolerated at any cost, and we will leave no stone unturned in making this dream a reality," said Dhananjay Tingal, Executive Director, BBA.

The case has been registered at the Jawahar Circle police station and further investigation is underway.
New Delhi, May 23 : A plea has been moved in the Supreme Court challenging the Tamil Nadu government's decision to construct the 134 feet tall 'pen' statue on the Marina beach, as a memorial to DMK patriarch and former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

The plea, filed by K K Ramesh, a resident of the state's Madurai, said: "The expert opinions suggest that the devastating floods faced in recent years Tamil Nadu this year are the immediate result of uncontrolled construction activities on sea shores and unscrupulous trespass into the natural path of backwaters." The plea said the area in which the respondents have carried out construction activities is part of the tidally influenced sea and the construction activities in those areas are strictly restricted under the provisions of the CRZ Notifications.

"Uncontrolled construction activities in these areas would have devastating effects on the natural water flow that may ultimately result in severe natural calamities," said the plea drawn by advocate C.R. Jaya Sukin.

The plea sought direction from the apex court to prohibit the burial of any mortal remains in all coastal areas of all states in India and also cancel the Tamil Nadu government's decision to construct the 134 feet tall 'pen' statue on the Marina beach.

"The state government did not approach Madras High Court to construct the 134 feet tall 'Pen' statue inside the Marina beach near the Kalaignar Karunanidhi memorial. That all departments of State Government gave clearance certificates in a quick manner and violated laws and court orders", said the plea.

The plea said Chennai has enough land to build the memorial across the city but erecting a monument, estimated to be built at a cost of Rs 80 crore, on the beach will impact the marina ecosystem and marine life. "That monument is also objected to by fishermen associations and communities who have written to the state government as well as the Central Government. The pen-shaped monument will be reachable via a 360-metre- long bridge over the sea and it will impact the sea, is harmful for the ecosystem, environment and will cause long-term damages," said the plea.

The plea also sought a direction to prohibit any construction work or alternative work or any development work in the coastal regions of all states.
New Delhi, May 23 : In a bizarre case, an American multi-millionaire in his 40s is attempting to reverse ageing using blood plasma transfusions from his teenage son, media reports said.

With the plasma transfusions from his 17-year old son, Bryan Johnson, 45, claims to have the skin of a 28-year-old and the lung capacity of an 18-year-old, the Sun reported.

Previously, he received blood transfusions from healthy, anonymous donors who were carefully screened to ensure they had an ideal body mass index and were free of diseases.

In the process, one litre of blood from each participant is removed and converted into liquid plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets via a high-tech machine.

It is then injected into Johnson's veins which he believes will rejuvenate and repair his old blood and keep him looking and feeling young, the report said.

The American tech mogul also recruited his dad Richard, 70, to join him in the tri-generational blood product exchange.

"My son, father and I completed the world's first multi-generational plasma exchange," Johnson wrote on Instagram.

On the social media app, he also documented the bizarre process of transfusion, undertaken last month at a medical spa in Texas, US.

The image shows Johnson, and his son Talmage topless, while holding a vial of blood.

Talmage had a litre of blood removed - around one-fifth of the blood in his body, the report said.

Johnson donated a litre of his blood to Richard, while Talmage didn't take any blood from his dad or grandfather, it added.

"One divided by the mind, now united by biology," he wrote on Instagram.

Johnson is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, writer and author. He is also the founder and CEO of Kernel, a company that can monitor and record brain activity hasA --IANS

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Kolkata, May 23 : A fresh tussle seems to be brewing between the Raj Bhavan and the state secretariat over the appointment of the new state election commissioner (SEC) in West Bengal.

Sources in the state government said that although the name of former West Bengal Chief Secretary and retired IAS officer Rajiva Sinha has been forwarded to the office of Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, the latter is yet to clear the file.

"Sinha's name was forwarded on May 18. However, instead of clearing the file, the Governor's House has sent some queries about the service period of the retired Chief Secretary," a senior state government official said on condition of anonymity.

The term of the current state election commissioner ends on May 29. In such a situation, state government sources said that the appointment of his replacement is necessary considering the panchayat elections in West Bengal scheduled this year.

Political observers feel that another round of tussle between the state government and the Raj Bhavan is inevitable unless the Governor sends back the with his consent.

On Monday, after taking objection to the reluctance on the part of the vice-chancellors of different state universities in submitting weekly reports to the Raj Bhavan despite clear instructions from the Governor's House, the Special Secretary to the Governor had forwarded a letter to the VCs of all state universities to do the needful.

State Education Minister Bratya Basu had objected to the letter, saying that he will discuss the matter with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before chalking out the next course of legal action.
Amaravati, May 23 : The Andhra Pradesh government has in no way interfered with the investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in former minister Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy's murder case, government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said on Tuesday.

He made it clear that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government has nothing to do with the ongoing CBI investigation into the allegations against Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy.

Ramakrishna Reddy told reporters that Avinash Reddy has been acting as a responsible person as he appeared before the CBI for 6-7 times. He said this time Avinash Reddy expressed his inability to appear due to his mother's ill-health and has sought time for the same.

Stating that Avinash Reddy is not running away, the YSRCP General Secretary condemned the reports that he was doing a drama to avoid appearing before the CBI. He dismissed as speculation reports in a section of the media that Kurnool Superintendent of Police is not cooperating with the CBI in arresting Avinash Reddy.

Ramakrishna Reddy questioned how others would know if the CBI had sought cooperation from the state police for Avinash Reddy's arrest. "This is a matter between two departments. How will we know," he asked.

He also slammed a section of the media for circulating fake news that central forces were being rushed to Kurnool. He also found fault with the debates on some TV channels where one of the participants called for imposing President's rule in the state.

He said that fake news circulated by some media organisations which are friendly to the opposition TDP caused concern among Avinash Reddy's supporters and they came to Kurnool. He remarked that some of them may have gotten angry over channels for saying that the MP is enacting drama. "This can't be called an attack on the media. Why should we behave in a manner to provoke others," he asked.

Meanwhile, Avinash Reddy, who skipped appearing before the CBI, continued to stay put at a hospital in Kurnool where his mother was undergoing treatment.

The MP's supporters remained outside Viswabharathi Hospital amid reports that he may be arrested by the CBI.

Avinash Reddy's mother Y.S. Lakshmi is beingAtreated for cardiac ailment at Viswbharathi Hospital and he remained at the hospital with his mother for the fifth day.

The Kadapa MP, who is the cousin of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has written to the CBI seeking exemption from appearance time till May 27 in view of his mother's condition.

In a letter to the CBI, the MP wrote that his father Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy is in judicial custody and being the only son, he is responsible for taking care of her during this critical time.

Meanwhile, in a setback to Avinash Reddy, the Supreme Court refused to pass interim orders to restrain CBI from arresting him. It directed Telangana High Court to conduct a hearing on May 25 on the MP's petition for anticipatory bail.

The MP had not appeared before the CBI on May 16 and May 19 in Hyderabad. On May 16, he cited prior fixed official engagements in Pulivendula as the reason and sought four days' time. On May 19, he conveyed to the CBI that he would not be able to appear before it as his mother took ill.

The central agency had issued a fresh notice on May 19, directing him to appear before it at its Hyderabad office on May 22.

However, the MP once again expressed his inability to appear due to his mother's poor health.

Vivekananda Reddy, brother of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, and uncle of Jagan Mohan Reddy, was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections.

Last month, the CBI arrested Avinash Reddy's father Bhaskar Reddy, a cousin of Rajasekhara Reddy.
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has called on the foreign ministers of the member states of the European Union to accelerate the supply of ammunition and weapons, as well as work on approving a new tranche of military assistance for Ukraine.

He said this in Brussels on Monday at the end of the meeting of the EU Council on Foreign Affairs, speaking about the discussion of the Ukrainian issue.

Borrell stressed that the success and extent of Ukraines defence depends not only on the bravery of their soldiers and their people, but also on the pace of ammunition and weapons, in this regard, our military support has to continue, has to increase, has to be extended [with] more air defence systems. This will make a real difference in the battlefield.

This is crucial for Ukrainians to be able to defend their territory and their sovereignty. I stressed that every day of delay in our deliveries has to be measured in human lives. It is not a matter of money. It is a matter of people being killed, of soldiers being killed or wounded. I urge all the Ministers to speed up the delivery and to participate in the joint procurement of ammunition for Ukraine and to finalise the work for the next tranche of the European Peace Facility (EPF), the head of the EU diplomacy said.

Borrell also said that the ministers discussed the situation on the battlefield, but also how to end this war. Everybody wants the war to finish. The only one that looks willing to continue the war is Putin. No one wishes peace more than Ukraine, and that is why we support the Ukrainians initiative, President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyys initiative, for a just peace, he said.

No one who is really interested in peace can put the victim and the aggressor at the same level. I have to address this message to all leaders around the world who, yes, they are very interested in peace, but they continue to put the victim and the aggressor at the same level. And this brings a peace which is not a fair and just peace that could ensure the rights of the Ukrainian people, Borrell is convinced.

In addition, according to the head of European diplomacy, during the meeting, the ministers discussed the 11th package of sanctions, which is aimed at stopping the possibility of circumventing existing ones. We have to cut the circuits of circumventing sanctions because otherwise the sanctions are being weakened, he said.

Borrell also said that by now the auxiliary mission had already trained 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers, and another 15,000 would be trained by the end of the year.

When asked about the situation with Hungary blocking a new tranche from the European Peace Fund, he said: We have to do everything we can in order to make the next package of military support to Ukraine being approved. If one Member State has a difficulty, let us discuss about it  that is what we are going to do. And my role is to talk with everybody in order to try to look for solutions. Until now, we have been able to find solutions for everyone, for every tranche of military support, and I am sure we will be able to continue doing the same thing, Borrell added.
New Delhi, May 23 : A man, who posted a video showing him with a weapon on social media to become famous and to establish his identity among criminals, has been arrested, a Delhi Police official said on Tuesday.

The accused was identified as Shahzad, 25, a resident of Sangam Vihar area and he is also found previously involved in four criminal cases registered in Saket, Ambedkar Nagar and Sangam Vihar police stations.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, South, Chandan Chowdhary said that on Monday specific inputs were received that a criminal had circulated his video on social media possessing an illegal weapon.

"The information was further developed and local enquiry of the area was conducted. As per input, the team laid a strategic trap near Khatta, Bandh Road, Neb Sarai and Shahzad was apprehended," she said.

Police also recovered one country made pistol of .315 bore along with one bullet from the possession of the accused.

On interrogation, Shahzad disclosed that he is a fan of an infamous actor and inspired by one of his movie character.

"He had just shot a video one week ago to become famous and to establish his identity among the criminals," the DCP said.
New Delhi, May 23 : A day after the Congress said that it has not taken any decision over the ordinance brought against the Supreme Court judgment on the powers of the government of NCT of Delhi with respect to the appointment of officers, clamour grew in the party on Tuesday to not support the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on this count.

On Tuesday, Delhi Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit and Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa met in the national capital to discuss the issue.

Earlier on Monday night, clearing the party's stand, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal had said, "The Congress has not taken any decision on the issue of the ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the government of NCT of Delhi with respect to appointment of officers.

"The Congress will consult its state units and other like-minded parties on the same. The party believes in the rule of law and at the same time, it does not condone unnecessary confrontation, political witch-hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party." Speaking to IANS, Dikshit said on Tuesday, "Me and Bajwa met today and discussed the issue on supporting AAP on the ordinance issue. The party has said that it will speak to the state leaderships. So when they ask us, we will share our views with them." He also said that they are opposed to supporting AAP.

"This is AAP's personal issue and it doesn't have anything to do with opposition unity. The AAP had fielded its candidates in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka against us... its leaders also target our party daily," Dikshit said.

"Had they (AAP) thought about opposition unity, they would not have done that. Now, AAP is feeling threatened that if the vigilance department does not come under it, the party will get exposed and even (Arvind) Kejriwal might go to jail," Dikshit said.

When asked about AAP targeting the previous Sheila Dikshit government in Delhi, Sandeep Dikshit, who is also the son of the late former Chief Minister, said, "It is up to the Congress if it wants to give respect to its leaders, or wants to end us. Today when the people of Delhi are coming to know the reality that AAP is corrupt, how can we support them," Dikshit asked.

Earlier on Tuesday, former Union minister and senior Congress leader Ajay Maken had also opposed any move to support the Kejriwal-led government citing several reasons.

He had cited how AAP has targeted the Congress and even passed a resolution in the Assembly requesting the Union government to withdraw the Bharat Ratna conferred on late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal on Tuesday met West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata, where the latter assured the AAP of her party's full support to oppose the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha.

Earlier, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar and his deputy and Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav had met Kejriwal on Sunday and extended their support to the AAP over the ordinance issue.

The Central government has brought an ordinance to set up a permanent authority known as the National Capital Civil Service Authority whose chairperson will be the Delhi Chief Minister, with the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Home) as part of the team, to make recommendations to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor regarding matters concerning transfer postings, vigilance and other incidental matters.

However, in case of a difference of opinion, the decision of the L-G shall be deemed final.

On May 11, a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court had ruled that it is ideal to hold that a democratically-elected Delhi government should have control over its officers and the L-G is bound by the advice of the elected government in everything other than public order, police, and land.
Patna, May 23 : Five persons were killed after being hit by lightning in Bihar's Begusarai and Darbhanga districts on Tuesday, officials said.

In Begusarai, the incident occurred at around 8 a.m. when Uma Mahto, Arun Ram, and Shambhu Shah, were working at an under-construction building in Ward number 20 of Bihat Chakbal area.

Suddenly, rain, with thunder and lightning, started in the region. By the time they could go in and take shelter, they were hit by lightning falling on the building.

Mahto and Ram died on the spot while Shah sustained severe burn injuries and was taken to a nearby private hospital where his condition is said to be critical.

In Darbhanga, three persons were killed and three others injured at different places.

The first incident occurred at Jagdishpur village under Biraul police station when two teenagers - Anand Sahani, 14, and Nitish Kumar Ram, 13 - were killed and two other persons were badly injured.

Another incident occurred at Ahiyari South Panchayat when Jagdish Rai was returning home and was hit by lightning. He also died on the spot while one person was injured.
Patna May 23 : A two-years-old girl was abducted, raped, and murdered in Bihar's Jamui district, and the accused has been arrested, police said on Tuesday.

Rishi Kumari was missing since Sunday and her body was found from a solid waste dump yard on Tuesday morning.

During investigation, it appeared that accused Ranjit Manjhi who came to the house kidnapped her. The victim was playing outside her house located at Khairma locality under city police station and Manjhi picked her up and put into a jute bag.

He took the toddler to a deserted place and brutalised her. After the sexual assault, the accused strangled her and dumped on the garbage.

The family members of the victim had suspected that Manjhi could be the accused and the local police scanned the CCTV footage of the area and found him holding a bag on his shoulder.

"When we forcibly interrogated him, he broke down and confessed the crime. We have arrested him under the POCSO Act and for murder. We have also requested senior officers of the district for speedy trial in this matter," said an officer of the city police station.
Islamabad, May 23 : Pakistan Punjab's anti-corruption department in Layyah has accelerated the investigation into 5,261 kanals of land against Imran Khans sister Uzma Khan, media reports said.

The department has decided to issue three notices phase-wise to Imran Khan's sister and her husband in the land case, Samaa TV reported.

The department said unilateral action will be taken if Uzma Khan and her husband fail to comply with the notices, the report said.

The first notice will be issued this week, while on failing to appear, three phase-wise notices will be sent. On their appearance, Uzma Khan and husband will be handed over a questionnaire.

The anti-corruption team raided the revenue office in Chobara and took the records into its custody.

Uzma Khan, a sister of Imran Khan, bought land in her own name and that of her husband Ahad Majeed Khan during the tenure of former Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar through two different transfer deeds, Samaa TV reported.

According to the official records, 5,261 kanals of agricultural land were purchased for only Rs 131.5 million. But only a few lakhs of rupees were deposited in the national treasury through two challans, causing a loss to the government kitty, Samaa TV reported.

The anti-corruption department took notice of the issue, and in a late night raid at the revenue office, the anti-corruption director general, along with the assistant commissioner, additional deputy collector (revenue), tehsildar and other officers, seized the record and transferred it to Lahore.
Srinagar, May 23 : The Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Council, which met under Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday, has given approval to the absorption of 145 employees of Hotel Corporation of India Limited (HCIL) working at Centaur Lake View Hotel in Srinagar in different corporations under the Tourism Department, an official statement said on Tuesday.

"The decision was taken on the recommendations of the committee that the existing staff of the Hotel Corporation of India Limited will be absorbed by the UT of J&K on the existing terms and conditions while the payment of retirement gratuity and other benefits of the employees for the period they worked with HCIL will be borne by the latter," the statement said.

"The Hotel Corporation of India had 145 permanent employees of Centaur Lake View Hotel as on 01.05.2023, who will be absorbed on existing terms and conditions in Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (JKTDC), Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation Ltd (JKCCC), and Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Srinagar, as per their requirement and absorptive capacity to be determined by the Tourism Department," it added.
Aizawl, May 23 : The Assam Riflesm along with other agencies, on Tuesday seized one lakh highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, also known as 'Yaba' tablets, valued at Rs 33.33 crore and arrested a drug peddler, defence officials said.

A defence spokesman said that acting on a tip-off, the para-military troopers, accompanied by the personnel of special narcotics police station and Mizoram Police CID (Crime) recovered the drugs from Chhunga bus terminal in Aizawl district and apprehended the drug peddler.

The detainee was carrying the methamphetamine tablets in several cement bags.

The seized drugs and apprehended person was handed over to special narcotics police station for further legal proceedings under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The methamphetamine tablets have been seized in less than 24 hours after Mizoram Police on Monday seized heroin valued at Rs 12 crore and arrested a person in this connection in Aizawl district.

Meanwhile, the Tripura police earlier this month have seized 60,000 methamphetamine tablets, valued at Rs 6 crore and arrested three drug peddlers in northern Tripura. The security personnel quoting the arrested drug peddlers said that the drugs were brought from Myanmar and were intended to be smuggled into Bangladesh.
Kolkata, May 23 : Trinamool Congress's leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien on Tuesday announced that his party will be boycotting the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

O'Brien announced this in a tweet just hours after party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met her counterparts of the AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab. Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann respectively. O'Brien also made it clear that the reason for the boycott is because the inauguration of the new Parliament building was a programme to project an individual.

"Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn't get that. For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out," his tweet read.

The Trinamool has already raised objections about the choice of date of the inauguration of the new Parliament building. According to the leadership, the occasion of inauguration of the new building should be on the occasion of the Independence Day on August 15, instead of May 28 which is the occasion of the birth anniversary of RSS patriarch V.D. Savarkar.

According to the Trinamool leadership, the Union government has also kept the opposition in the dark over the fate of the old Parliament building.
Amaravati, May 23 : In the biggest grant to Andhra Pradesh since the state's bifurcation, the Centre on Tuesday disbursed Rs 10,460.87 crore as compensation towards revenue deficit.

The funds were released as part of dues under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, and come after a series of meetings between Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi this year where the Chief Minister had repeatedly pitched for the release of funds which were promised to the state at the time of bifurcation.

Mahendra Chandelia, Assistant Director at the Ministry of Finance, directed that the release of Rs 10,460.87 crore be done "immediately" under the 'Special General Financial Assistance' category,A as part of revenue deficit in the financial year 2014-15.

The Centre usually releases funds in installments but for the first time that such a huge grant has been released in one go.

The state government said that these funds will be used to finance a variety of development projects, including infrastructure development on one hand and welfare including education, housing, healthcare schemes on the other.

Expressing happiness over the grant of funds, Advisor to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy stated that this compensation had been given only due to CM Jagan's persistence, determination and his credibility. He added that these funds were not only the right of the State government but also the responsibility of the Central government.

Slamming TDP President Chandrababu Naidu, Ramakrishna Reddy said that the current development was a slap on the face of all those who questioned CM Jagan's frequent trips to Delhi. He reiterated that all of the CM's efforts were always to work for the people and improve their standard of living and the Prime Minister paid heed to his sincerity and persistence.

Calling out the "failures" of the TDP regime, Ramakrishna Reddy said: "Naidu during his regime had utterly failed to convince the Centre to release the rightful dues to the state. Today, he and his aides are unable to digest the fact that funds are flowing into the state effectively. So now, instead of rejoicing for the people, they will spend all their energies in spreading poison and fake news. There is absolutely no cure to their jealousy." "In fact, the lack of cordial ties with the Centre during the TDP government and the lack of any inflow of funds from the Centre from 2014-2019 was proof of Chandrababu's absolute incompetence. Despite being an alliance partner, Chandrababu held the state hostage for his personal interests and failed at getting funds for the state. Today, People's CM has won. CM Jagan has done what no one else ever could manage," he added.
New York, May 23 : An Indian-origin teen has been charged with threatening to kill President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in order to "seize power", according to media reports quoting officials.

Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, allegedly rammed a rented truck into White House House barriers on Monday night.

ABC News said that according to police he was charged with "threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on a President, Vice President or their families".

The network reported that three law enforcement sources confirmed that Kandula told law enforcement that "he wanted to seize power, take over the government and kill the president".

Officials were also looking into the "mental health component" of the attack, it added.

Kandula may have neo-Nazi sympathies, according to media reports.

WUSA9 TV station reported that a Nazi flag was removed from the vehicle.

NBC News said that the charges of threatening to kill, kidnap or harm the President, Vice President or a relative stemmed from his statements to the Secret Service, the agency that protects the President and other VIPs.

Secret Service Spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said that shortly before 10.00 p.m., officers "detained the driver of a box truck after the vehicle collided with security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square at 16th Street".

NBC News reported that a robot was used to examine the truck for explosives but none were found.

There were no injuries to anyone in the incident and it was not known if Biden or Harris were at the White House at that time.

Biden had held talks with Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the White House on averting a financial crisis by raising the borrowing limits for the US government to avoid a default.

Kandula, who is from Chesterfield in Missouri state, flew to Washington and rested the truck at the airport.
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valeriy Zaluzhny congratulated the marines on their professional holiday.

"Thank you to the Ukrainian marines for their professionalism, fortitude and endurance. You are courageously defending our state from the Russian invaders, performing the most difficult tasks on land, at sea and in the air. Always layal! Happy Ukrainian Marine Corps Day!" he wrote on the Telegram channel.

In Ukraine, on May 23, the professional holiday of the servicemen of the Marine Corps of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is celebrated.
New Delhi, May 23 : A Delhi court on Tuesday allowed Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez, who is one of the accused in the Rs 200 crore money extortion case involving conman Sukesh Chandrasekhar, to fly abroad from May 25 to June 12.

An application was moved by Jacqueline claiming she needed to travel to Abu Dhabi from May 25 to May 27 to attend IIFA Awards and to travel Milan from May 28 to June 12 for a movie shoot.

Special Judge Shailendra Malik of Patiala House Courts granted her permission to fly abroad.

On November 15, the court had granted pre-arrest bail to Jacqueline.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had recently filed its second supplementary charge sheet naming Jacqueline as an accused. On September 26, the court had granted interim protection from arrest to her.

Jacqueline and another Bollywood personality, Nora Fatehi, have recorded their statements as witnesses in the case. Earlier, assets and fixed deposits worth Rs 7.2 crore belonging to Jacqueline were attached by the ED, which termed these gifts and properties as "proceeds" of crime received by the actor.

In February, the ED had filed its first supplementary charge sheet against Pinky Irani, an alleged aide of Chandrashekhar, who introduced him to Bollywood actors.

It had been alleged in the charge sheet that Pinky used to choose expensive gifts for Jacqueline and drop them at her residence after Chandrashekhar made the payments. In December 2021, the probe agency had filed the first charge sheet in this matter.

As per official sources, Chandrashekhar has spent around Rs 20 crore on different models and Bollywood celebrities. A few had refused to accept gifts from him.
New Delhi, May 23 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday announced that it will boycott the inauguration of new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28 as not inviting President Droupadi Murmu is an insult to her.

In a tweet, AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh said: "Not inviting her Excellency President Droupadi Murmu for inauguration of Parliament House is a gross insult to her. This is also an insult to Dalit, tribal and derived class of the society. AAP will boycott the inauguration orogramme in protest of (Prime Minister) Modi not inviting the President".

Earlier in the day, the Trinamool Congress announced a boycott of the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

In a tweet, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien said: "Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules - it is the foundation of Indian democracy. PM Modi doesn't get that. For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, me, myself. So count us out".

The Trinamool has already raised objections about the choice of date of the inauguration of the new Parliament building. According to the leadership, the occasion of inauguration of the new building should be on the occasion of the Independence Day on August 15, instead of May 28 which is the occasion of the birth anniversary of RSS patriarch V.D. Savarkar.

According to the Trinamool leadership, the Union government has also kept the opposition in the dark over the fate of the old Parliament building.

Even Congress is likely to boycott the inauguration of the new building.

Party sources said that a decision is likely to be taken on Wednesday or Thursday.

On Tuesday, Congress General secretary communication in-charge Jairam Ramesh also responded to Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and said, "SUV - Self-Usurped Vishwaguru - has already annexe-d the Parliament for self-aggrandisement. But surely, there is a fundamental difference between inaugurating an Annexe where officials work and a library which is hardly used on the one hand, and inaugurating not just the Temple of Democracy but its sanctorum itself." He was responding to Puri's remarks that in August 1975, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe, and later in 1987 Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Library.

A row has erupted on the inauguration of new Parliament building after former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi demanded that President Murmu should inaugurate the new Parliament House instead of PM Modi.

A war of words has erupted between Congress and the BJP over the inauguration of New Parliament House by PM Modi on May 28.
Moscow, May 24 : "A Ukrainian nationalist formation" that broke into Russia's Belgorod region has been defeated, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

"During a counter-terrorist operation, the nationalist formation was blocked and destroyed due to air strikes, artillery fire and active action by the units of the Western Military District that covers the state border," the Ministry said on Tuesday in a statement.

The "remaining nationalists" were pushed back into Ukraine, where they continued to be hit until wholly eliminated, the statement added. They lost more than 70 people, four armoured fighting vehicles and five pickup trucks, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Ukrainian side has denied involvement in the incursion. Two anti-government paramilitary groups in Russia were behind the operation in the Belgorod region, which aimed to create a "security strip" to protect Ukrainian civilians, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said.

The Belgorod region, located next to Ukraine's Kharkiv region, has recently been a centre of hostilities. On Tuesday, the region's governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported several drone attacks that caused damage to local private residential buildings.
Beirut, May 24 : The German Public Prosecutor has informed the Lebanese judiciary of issuing an arrest warrant against Lebanon's central bank governor Riad Salameh, media reported.

The move came after Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said on Friday that the country had received an arrest warrant from the Interpol against Salameh, and the judiciary authorities had been discussing "attentively" on whether they would grant its execution, Beirut-based al-Jadeed TV network reported on Tuesday.

On May 16, Salameh failed to appear before French prosecutors in Paris to be questioned on corruption charges, prompting French investigative judge Aude Buresi to issue an arrest warrant against him.

Salameh is among the top Lebanese officials blamed for the unprecedented financial crisis in Lebanon, and he is being investigated, along with his brother Raja, in Lebanon and abroad over the alleged embezzlement of more than $330 million from the Lebanese central bank, Xinhua news agency reported.

Salameh denied the accusations, insisting that his wealth comes from his previous job as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch, inherited properties, and investments.

Lebanon is reeling under the worst financial crisis in its history amid the loss of billions of dollars in bank deposits, plunging more than 80 per cent of the population into poverty.
Jerusalem, May 24 : The Israeli military chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, has said that "negative developments on the horizon" could prompt Israel to take action against Iran.

At a security conference held at the Reichman University in Herzliya outside Tel Aviv, Halevi added on Tuesday that Iran, which Israel views as its arch-foe, "has progressed in recent years with enriching uranium more than ever before." "There are negative potential trends on the horizon which could lead to actions -- we have the capabilities," he said, without specifying the trends.

Halevi accused Iran of being connected to "everyone" who is against Israel, providing them with strategic and intelligence support, as well as funding, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israel "has the capability to strike Iran," he added.

Halevi's remarks come a day after Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant told the same conference that the number of airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria "has doubled" since December last year. He did not elaborate on the exact number of strikes.

"As part of this campaign, we are working methodically to strike the Iranian intelligence capabilities in Syria," he said.

"These strikes inflict significant damage to the attempts by the Revolutionary Guards to establish a foothold a few kilometre from the Israeli border," he added.

Israel has been a vocal opponent of the efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, saying the move will only enable Iran to develop nuclear weapons without the burden of the sanctions.

Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful.
Moscow, May 24 : Drones were shot down by the air defence system over Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, the region's governor said.

According to preliminary data, there are no victims and the consequences on the ground are being clarified, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Tuesday in a Telegram post, without disclosing if the drones were launched by Ukraine.

He added that the Grayvoron district and the Borisov district of the Belgorod region suffered drone attacks, which caused damage to several private residential buildings, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Belgorod region, located next to Ukraine's Kharkiv region, has recently been a centre of hostilities.

A Ukrainian Armed Forces "sabotage and reconnaissance group" broke into the Belgorod region on Monday, according to the Russian side. But Kiev said that two Russian paramilitary groups were behind the operation in the region.

The Belgorod region has been under a counter-terrorist operation regime since Monday, which provides for special measures and temporary restrictions to ensure security.
In the wake of their successful merger of Mediliant SA, CTE Solutions, and MDI LLC, medical device contract manufacturing leaders, the Mediliant Group, has announced its rebrand to SpiTrex Orthopedics. The new brand reflects its mission and vision to positively impact peoples lives by developing life-enhancing medical technologies.

Representing speed, precision, and industry-best lead times, SpiTrex Orthopedics' capabilities instill trust in customers within the medical device industry.

Were extremely excited about the platform that were building. Relaunching our brand is just the first step in what we expect to be an exciting journey of growth. It serves as notice to our customers and employees that we are one company, ready and able to serve with a complete portfolio of capabilities and locations. The values of precision, speed, and unparalleled lead times that epitomize our brand are a testament to our unwavering dedication to providing exceptional customer service. We want to build lean and robust supply chains that offer unquestionable reliability; to help our customers be first to market with rapid prototyping and new product launches; and we want to be the first to respond when our customers call with a need. - Matt Burba, CEO of SpiTrex Orthopedics.

"SpiTrex Orthopedics represents the next step in our growth and development. With exciting acquisitions poised to join us, adding even more capacity and new capabilities, we're making big strides in our desire to be the premier CMO in Spine, Trauma and Extremities. The rebrand has been an exciting journey, made even better since our new name came from one of our valued employees." added Rob Debney, Senior Vice-President of Sales and Marketing

Driven by the commitment to enhance the customer experience with a relentless dedication to perfection, SpiTex Orthopedics aims to positively impact patient lives through its production quality, speed, and manufacturing expertise.

The international contract manufacturer specifically focuses on complex orthopedic implants for the Spine, Extremity, and Trauma markets. Their multi-site footprint currently consists of three manufacturing locations in Plymouth, IN, Lancaster, PA, and Le Locle, Switzerland, though new sites and capabilities will be added this year.

The organizations unique philosophy is reflected through its core purpose, Improving Lives, Together, clarifying its dedication to unity and collaboration between customers, partners, and its experts as they continue their expansion worldwide.

SpiTrex Orthopedics will showcase its new brand at this years OMTEC conference in Chicago from June 13th to 15th at booth #250.

To learn more, visit their new website, spitrexorthopedics.com

About SpiTrex Orthopedics

SpiTrex Orthopedics is dedicated to being a partner in manufacturing medical devices with a focus on Improving Lives, Together. They believe that together they can positively impact lives, that success comes from integrity, serving others, and a relentless quest for perfection, and that all problems can be solved with dedication, creative thinking, and personal care.
To reach a more equitable future and a healthier planet, keeping girls in school is a critical first step. I am thrilled that we are bringing more attention  and funding  to this issue." Asha Mweru

Community Carbon today announced the creation of its Climate Resilience Impact Fund as part of a clean cooking and safe water initiative launched in 2022 to reduce emissions and improve livelihoods across sub-Saharan Africa. The new fund, structured as a nonprofit foundation, will fulfill the pledge of Community Carbon, and its partner in the fund, Carbon Streaming Corporation, to invest a portion of carbon reduction revenue toward additional community benefits across the regions in which it operates.

The Climate Resilience Impact Fund has selected as its first grantees two high-impact charities focused on the education and empowerment of women and girls, who are disproportionately impacted by the effects of climate change. The two charities, Street Child Uganda and AGE Africa, both operate within communities involved in Community Carbons clean cooking and safe water initiative. Each of the two organizations will be funded a total of USD $150,000 over the course of three years.

About Street Child Uganda

Street Child Uganda is an international NGO that works with local organizations to ensure every child has access to an education, even in the worlds hardest-to-reach communities. The organization has operated in Uganda since 2018 and has helped more than 40,000 children in the country access education so far.

Through its work with the impact fund, Street Child will deliver a comprehensive program of support for primary-age girls in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Uganda, and a smaller package of support for boys, to advance their learning outcomes. Street Childs program, Breaking Barriers, is a three-pronged approach to galvanize education attainment for 4,860 children in Kyangwali refugee settlement.

About AGE Africa

Advancing Girls Education in Africa (AGE Africa) gives Malawis poorest young women the tools they need to confront the many obstacles to education, from high costs to child marriage and early pregnancy. Its mission is to provide life-changing opportunities to young women in Malawi through targeted initiatives in education, mentoring, and leadership development.

With the support of the fund, AGE will deliver a program to increase girls knowledge of emergency response preparedness, improve girls' retention and achievement in secondary schools, and empower girls to become leaders in climate change response at local and national levels.

In order to select its first two grant recipients, the Climate Resilience Impact Fund established an independent selection committee made up of experts specializing in fields that reflect the goals of Community Carbon and Carbon Streaming, many of whom are Africa-based leaders. The committee invited 11 charities whose activities directly focus on girls education and skills development to participate in a rigorous selection process. The charities were scored based on criteria in areas such as impact, cost-effectiveness, focus on climate justice, and more. Out of this process, the committee unanimously selected Street Child Uganda and AGE Africa. The two organizations will provide interim reporting on progress and outcomes at regular intervals over the course of the three years of funding, in addition to a final impact evaluation at the three-year mark.

Committee members for the Climate Resilience Impact Fund include:



Joyce Kinyanjui: managing director of ziziAfrique, an education-focused business which uses evidence-based interventions, strategic communication, and advocacy for community and policy actions. ziziAfrique envisions an Africa in which each child has an equal opportunity to grow, learn, think and thrive.

Judith-Ann Walker: a development practitioner with more than two decades of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating social sector development interventions targeting women and girls in Nigeria

Asha Mweru: an entrepreneur and business mentor passionate about developing the future leaders of Africa, and the founder of WomenWork Kenya

Maurice Swan: board chair and chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of Carbon Streaming

Matt Evans: co-founder and board chair for UpEnergy, and director of investments at Environmental Commodity Partners, a California-based investor in environmental markets and decarbonization projects

Women and girls experience the greatest impacts of climate change because it increases existing gender inequalities and poses unique threats to their livelihoods, health, and safety, said Kinyanjui. Research shows that girls education is a great predictor of climate resilience, not only for the girl herself, but for her community. I am confident that the two organizations being supported by the impact fund have what it takes to equip girls with the necessary skills to improve their own lives and, in turn, the lives of others.

"Every day in my work with female leaders and entrepreneurs across Africa, I am reminded of the importance of providing a strong educational foundation for women and girls from all walks of life. Not only does a good education make a successful career possible, it empowers women to decide how to shape their lives, their communities, and the world, said Mweru. To reach a more equitable future and a healthier planet, keeping girls in school is a critical first step. I am thrilled that we are bringing more attention  and funding  to this issue."

Community Carbon was created by Uganda-based social enterprise UpEnergy and Carbon Streaming, which leverages stream financing to scale high-integrity carbon credit projects to accelerate global climate action and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals . Through its clean cooking and safe water initiative, Community Carbon expects to deliver 50 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions reductions over the next 15 years, while saving households and schools money on annual fuel expenditures. The projects portfolio of seven energy-saving projects across eastern and southern Africa has already begun, with the goal of delivering a total of 3.5 million fuel-efficient, cleaner cookstoves and water purification systems to communities across five countries. Community Carbons approach aims to stimulate additional social and economic benefits such as local job creation, local upskilling and protection of local forests.

The projects are made possible with a $20 million stream investment from Carbon Streaming. The impact fund, too, is initially funded by Carbon Streaming  a reflection of the companys commitment to accelerate impact prior to credit issuance which is expected within the next year. Future Community Carbon credit buyers will have the opportunity to co-invest in the Climate Resilience Impact Fund to further support additional positive outcomes beyond the direct co-benefits achieved by the projects.

Community Carbon chose to initially channel impact fund support toward the education of women and girls, who are often the most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis, yet also the group with the highest potential to fight it. The Malala Fund estimates that climate-related events, from natural disasters to severe droughts, prevented at least four million girls in low- and lower-middle-income countries from completing their education in 2021.

In addition to limiting access to a quality education, climate and extreme weather events destroy livelihoods and worsen poverty, and girls and women often bear the brunt of these challenges. Girls in vulnerable households are more likely to leave school to get married in times of climate-related crises to help ease the burden of scarce household resources.

But improved education has an important role to play; a global analysis of 130 countries shows that education  particularly female education  is the single most important socioeconomic factor associated with a reduction in vulnerability to natural disasters. Studies have also shown that investing in education can have direct benefits for the planet and global greenhouse gas emissions levels. Education also acts as an important tool to improve health, inform choices around lifestyle and economic empowerment, and improve overall quality of life.

For more information, visit https://communityco2.org/.

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ABOUT COMMUNITY CARBON

Community Carbon develops energy-saving solutions in southern and eastern Africa  starting with cleaner cookstoves and safe water filters  that avoid emissions, improve community outcomes, and preserve local environments. Our approach goes further, stimulating additional social and economic benefits by focusing on local manufacturing, reinvesting project revenue to build and deploy more devices in the community, supporting local tree-planting programs, and supporting the education and empowerment of women and girls. Community Carbon combats energy poverty by tapping into carbon markets and the global communitys drive to reduce emissions  because together, we can do more. Community Carbon was established in 2022 by UpEnergy. Learn more at https://www.communityco2.org.

ABOUT UPENERGY

UpEnergy delivers high-impact, emission reducing projects that accelerate decarbonization and benefit low income communities most at risk from climate change. UpEnergy projects offer access to life-improving clean technologies and protect landscapes in low-income communities worldwide. With an international team based in Kampala, Uganda, UpEnergy invests in developing strong local teams that work closely with the communities we serve to ensure impact and rigorously monitored emissions reductions. Learn more here: http://www.upenergygroup.com.

ABOUT CARBON STREAMING

Carbon Streaming aims to accelerate a net-zero future. We pioneered the use of streaming transactions, a proven and flexible funding model, to scale high-integrity carbon credit projects to advance global climate action and additional United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This approach aligns our strategic interests with those of project partners to create long-term relationships built on a shared commitment to sustainability and accountability and positions us as a trusted source for buyers seeking high-quality carbon credits.

The Companys focus is on projects that have a positive impact on the environment, local communities, and biodiversity, in addition to their carbon reduction or removal potential. The Company has carbon credit streams and royalties related to over 20 projects around the world, including high-integrity removal, reduction and avoidance projects from nature-based, agricultural, engineered and community-based methodologies. Learn more at https://carbonstreaming.com/.
Veteran-led humanitarian organization, Team Rubicon, is welcoming home the last family from the Hurricane Laura Rebuild project. Team Rubicon, supported by PXG and the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation, completed 27 homes serving over 50 survivors in Texas and Louisiana. CEO Bob Parsons, a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam War Veteran, committed to challenging donations dollar-for-dollar, totaling $2 million to support this effort.

Hurricane Laura ravaged the Gulf Coast. I saw the damage first-hand in the quiet following the storm, PXG Founder & CEO Bob Parsons shared. I also witnessed Team Rubicon, and the many veterans who make up its ranks, fall in to resurrect the devastated community. We are proud to support their work through PXG and The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. And knowing that the last family is finally headed home, well, that means the world to me.

Within hours of Hurricane Laura making landfall, Team Rubicon had volunteers, known as Greyshirts, on the ground working to clear roadways to help first responders. In the hours and days following, Team Rubicon deployed hundreds of Greyshirts to the impacted communities. Proceeds from the Two Million Dollar Challenge allowed Team Rubicon to continue serving the people of Louisiana and Texas with long-term recovery.

We are thankful for the years of support from Bob and Renee Parsons, which has enabled Team Rubicon to assist survivors long after the storm has impacted their communities, said Art delaCruz, CEO of Team Rubicon. This partnership allowed us to welcome dozens of families back home and return to their everyday lives.

To put money back into the local economy, Team Rubicon hires contractors from the community, with resilient home repair in mind. Depending on the damage, repairs may include roof and floor replacement to a total home rebuild including interior and exterior improvements. Team Rubicon takes an all-hazards approach to its Rebuild program, incorporating resilient building materials and methods wherever feasible to mitigate the adverse effects of future hazards while addressing the communitys current recovery needs. This approach prioritizes building to Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) Fortified standards, where possible.

Of the over two dozen homes, 17 were built with Fortified Roof standards designed to prevent damage that occurs during high winds, hurricanes, hailstorms, and severe thunderstorms, according to the IBHS. An additional home was built to an even higher, Fortified Silver standard, which reinforces the roof and other areas of the home. The organization has continued to make investments in its approach to reducing potential damage from future disasters and increasing the resiliency of these homes. The goal of these innovations is not only to get people back into their homes more quickly following the storm but also to enable them to better weather the next storm, and age in place.

Additionally, Team Rubicon delivers services to clients and their households to minimize their inconvenience and expense during the construction of their homes, including temporary housing and moving and storage assistance. Team Rubicon's Rebuild program began with Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and has expanded its work in communities throughout the United States. Team Rubicon currently has five Rebuild programs in progress, including Houston, TX, following Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Selma, AL, after Hurricane Zeta in 2020 and the March 2021 tornadoes, Louisiana after Hurricane Ida, and Kentucky after the December 2021 tornadoes.

In addition, the organization has repaired hundreds of roofs in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. To date, Team Rubicon has rebuilt or repaired over 650 homes across the nation.

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About Team Rubicon

Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. Founded following the Haiti earthquake in 2010, the organization has grown to more than 160,000 volunteers across the United States and has launched over 1,100 operations domestically and internationally. To drive equity across disaster and humanitarian services, Team Rubicon focuses on three areas of impact: disaster services- from mitigation to immediate response to recovery; rebuild services- maintaining the fabric of communities through resilient building methods; and international services- providing emergent and surge medical services, WASH, and disaster risk reduction. Visit http://www.teamrubiconusa.org for more information.
Vitreoretinal Consultants of NY (VRC) is pleased to announce that Dr. Jeffrey C. Paccione, an award-winning retina specialist and surgeon, has joined their retina practice, making it possible for even more patients across the Tri-State Area to access advanced vision care. Dr. Paccione will continue to provide care for his existing patients from VRCs newly opened offices in Manhattan and New Rochelle, and he will also begin seeing patients at VRCs existing locations in Elmhurst and Rockland.

As a physician who is passionate about preserving and protecting vision against retinal diseases, Dr. Paccione is excited to join forces with the VRC team. Its an honor to help patients who are at risk of losing their vision or who have already lost it, said Dr. Paccione. Vitreoretinal Consultants of NY have long established themselves as leaders in the retinal community, and Im immensely proud to work alongside their team of elite doctors.

Michael Wiley, practice administrator at VRC, said: Dr. Paccione has been providing exceptional care to patients in New York for over 25 years, and we couldnt be happier to have him be part of our team. Together, we will be able to provide even more patients in New York with the vision care they need.

Dr. Paccione is specially trained to treat the full spectrum of conditions affecting the retina, macula, and vitreous. He earned his medical degree with Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) medical honors from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He then completed his medical internship at the University of California in Los Angeles.

His ophthalmic residency took place at the Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, followed by an intensive two-year vitreoretinal fellowship at Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he is an Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology. He also serves as a clinical attending physician at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, and is affiliated with several other hospitals in the area, including North Shore University Hospital and Lenox Hill Hospital.

Throughout his career, Dr. Paccione has been recognized several times as an exceptional doctor by both peers and patients. He was named by Castle Connolly as one of Americas Top Ophthalmologists, and was featured in their prestigious Top 1% list. He is also a multi-year recipient of the New York Super Doctor award and has been awarded the Patient's Choice honor three times.

In addition to his impressive background and training, Dr. Paccione also dedicates time to serving on medical missions in the Philippines and is a past President of the Angeles University Development Foundation. He has also co-authored several articles and studies in major medical publications.

From VRCs retina centers in Manhattan, New Rochelle, Elmhurst, and Rockland, Dr. Paccione uses the latest equipment to diagnose and treat retinal disorders, including, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein and artery occlusions, retinal tears and detachments, and more. Patients can schedule appointments Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment with Dr. Paccione, call (914) 793-6900.

About Vitreoretinal Consultants of New York

Vitreoretinal Consultants of NY is the premier retinal care destination for patients across Long Island, Queens, NYC, and beyond. Founded in 1981, their team of nationally-recognized retina specialists and surgeons have established themselves as distinguished physicians, compassionate providers, and key thought leaders in the retina care community.Individuals looking to learn more about VRCs state-of-the-art retina services and/or the participation requirements for various clinical trials are invited to call Christin Cifuentes at (718) 793-6430 or email ccifuentes@vrcny.com.
On Tuesday, May 23, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the front and met with servicemen.

Our defenders. Frontline. Today I am here to congratulate our warriors on the Day of the Ukrainian Marines. Glory to everyone who defends Ukraine! Zelenskyy said on the Telegram channel.

According to the press service of the head of state, Zelenskyy visited the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Vuhledar Maryinka defense zone in Donetsk region.

"Every day on the battlefield, the Ukrainian Navy proves that it is a powerful force that destroys the enemy, liberates Ukrainian lands, and performs the most difficult tasks in the most difficult conditions. And we need more of this force. That is why from today we are significantly increasing the potential of the Navy and creating the Navy Corps," the President said.

According to Zelenskyy, new brigades will be formed and provided with modern equipment and weapons.

The President also presented state awards. The Head of State awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine and presented the Order of the Gold Star to Colonel Yuriy Andriyenko and Colonel Mykola Palas for personal courage and heroism in the defense of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, selfless service to the Ukrainian people.

For personal courage and selfless actions in the defense of Ukraine, Zelenskyy awarded the warriors with the Orders of Bohdan Khmelnytsky of the I, II and III degrees, the Orders For Courage of the II and III degrees, the Orders of Princess Olga of the III degree and the Order of Danylo Halytsky.

In addition, in order to recognize the high professionalism, combat merit, courage and bravery of the personnel of military units, the Head of State presented the Presidential Award For Courage and Bravery to the Navy Command of the Military-Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the 35th separate naval brigade named after Rear Admiral Mykhailo Ostrohradsky and its units: the 18th separate naval battalion and the 137th separate naval battalion, as well as the 406th separate artillery brigade named after Lieutenant General Oleksiy Almazov and the 140th separate reconnaissance battalion.

Zelenskyy also conferred the rank of Brigadier General to Colonel Oleksiy Androsov, Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Navy of the Military-Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
we introduced our concept to Greenside Venues earlier this year and they were thrilled to include our show in their 2023 festival lineup.

Colorado composer, April Alsup, announced today the dates for the debut of Eigg the Musical at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Denver area theatre troupe will head to Scotland this Summer to pay tribute to Scottish traditions, highland tales and celebrate the 25th anniversary of the community buyout of the Isle of Eigg.

The show is the brainchild of April Alsup (music & lyrics) and Mark Sbani (book) and was a perfect fit for everyone on both sides of the pond. "You never really know how well your show will resonate with the creative programming vision of a theatre company said April Alsup, we introduced our concept to Greenside Venues earlier this year and they were thrilled to include our show in their 2023 festival lineup.

It was inevitable that the show would be part of the festival this year. The Scottish-inspired musical examines the fascinating history of sovereignty on the Isle of Eigg. Its been said that the transfer to community ownership hatched on Eigg is the most captivating example of Scottish land reform and a catalyst for Scotlands Land Reform Act of 2003.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 different shows in 322 venues. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place in Edinburgh every August.

Eigg the Musical will be directed by Kelly McAllister and staged in Colorado using local talent. The Denver based team will travel to Scotland and perform alongside other theatre troupes from around the world. The show is scheduled to debut at Greenside @ Riddles Court; Willow Studio on the Royal Mile near the Edinburgh Castle on August 4th and runs through August 12th 2023.

"Undoubtedly one of the most charming venues at the Fringe" - The Guardian

Some famous faces have graced the halls at Riddles Court; including King James VI, who in 1598 attended a state banquet there and in 1751 it became the residence of David Hume. It should come as no surprise that the building has a rich Fringe history and will become the venue for the new musicals debut. Tickets are available on the Edinburgh festival fringe website.

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Please see these websites for more information:

http://www.alsup.org | http://www.eigg.show | http://www.greensidevenue.co.uk | http://www.edfringe.com
An 800 bar (11,600 psi) fluid cell press from Quintus Technologies will increase production capacity, reduce manual rework, and improve competitiveness for aerospace supplier LAUAK Group. The forming press is undoubtedly at the heart of sheet metal production.--Mikel Charritton, LAUAK Group Managing Director.

Quintus Technologies will supply a high pressure fluid cell press to Frances LAUAK Group, a Tier 1 supplier to the aerospace industry. The press will be installed at the LAUAK Aerostructures factory in Grandola, Portugal, in September 2023.

Reaffirming its continued commitment to productivity enhancement, LAUAK selected the Quintus model QFC 0.7x1.8-800 press with high pressure technology to bolster its manufacturing efficiency.

The forming press is undoubtedly at the heart of sheet metal production, says Mikel Charritton, LAUAK Group Managing Director. Especially in the context of the current aerospace ramp-up, in particular the A320, A350, and B737 programs, LAUAKs capital equipment investments are strongly influenced by the imperatives of competitiveness. This press significantly increases and secures our production capacity.

Quintuss proprietary hydroforming process requires only one rigid tool half, an innovation that not only generates significant tool cost savings but also eliminates several forming operations, intermediate heat treatments, and operator dependencies.

The Quintus press will operate at a high forming pressure of 800 bar (11,600 psi) over a work area of 700 mm x 1800 mm (27.6 x 73 inches) in the Grandola facility.

Moving to a new, more powerful press will reduce manual rework times, thus improving our competitiveness, especially given the current challenges recruiting personnel experienced in sheet metal forming, Mr. Charritton observes.

The equipment purchase was also influenced by LAUAKs previous experience with the press manufacturer. We own a three-meter Quintus Flexform press in France, and we are very satisfied with it, he adds.

LAUAK is complementing its press investment with the Quintus Care Program, a rigorous agreement that ensures flawless press operation and equipment maintenance. The program provides for application support, high availability of spare and wear parts, and guaranteed and prioritized technical support. It also includes annual press inspections, training, and recertification of LAUAK personnel to maintain and elevate their skills.

We are pleased that LAUAK has chosen to reinforce its cooperation with Quintus since the purchase of its first fluid cell press, comments Jan Soderstrom, CEO of Quintus Technologies. We appreciate the opportunity to once again work with them to help strengthen their competitiveness.

About Quintus Technologies

Quintus Technologies is the global leader in high pressure technology. The company designs, manufactures, installs, and supports high pressure systems in three principal areas: densification of advanced materials; sheet metal forming; and high pressure processing for food and beverage innovation, safety, and shelf life. Quintus has delivered over 1,900 systems to customers within industries such as energy, medical implants, space, aerospace, automotive, and food processing. The company is headquartered in Vasteras, Sweden, with a presence in 45 countries worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.quintustechnologies.com

About LAUAK Group

From its origins supplying sheet metal components to Dassault Aviation in 1975, the LAUAK Group has grown to become a major manufacturer of primary parts, sub-assemblies, assemblies for aerostructures and aero engines for the global aeronautics industry. A Tier 1 supplier to Airbus, Bombardier, Embraer, and Dassault and a Tier 2 supplier to Spirit, Liebherr, and Safran, LAUAK is active in technology niches such as cold and hot sheet metal forming, welding, surface treatments, NDT, assembly, and piping. A tailored fleet of equipment extends its manufacturing capabilities to all types of materials, from aluminum alloys to hard metals, including stainless steel, Inconel, and titanium. LAUAK factories are located in France, Portugal, Canada, Mexico, and India. To find out more, go to http://www.groupe-lauak.com/en
AUO Digitech with K&S and Leyu provides one-stop service solutions that target the issues faced by the semiconductor assembly and packaging field.

In recent years, the semiconductor assembly and packaging industry, which has been known for its labor-intensive nature, has been facing talent shortages due to the issue of declining birth rates. To address the labor shortage challenge faced by semiconductor assembly and packaging field, AUO Digitech, a subsidiary of AUO specializing in providing smart industrial services, has independently developed the Intelligent Automated Material Handling System (iAMHS). By combining the world-leading ball bonder from Kulicke & Soffa Industries, Inc. (K&S) and the rail guided vehicle (RGV) system from Leyu Precision Co., Ltd. (Leyu), AUO Digitech has created a comprehensive solution that has been successfully implemented at multiple semiconductor production sites. This solution not only helps client achieve full automation of their production lines, but also increases production capacity by at least 10%.



AUO Digitech Collaborates with K&S and Leyu to Create a Comprehensive Solution, Reducing the Risk of Material Mishandling and Alleviating Labor Shortages Problems

AUO Digitech has paid close attention to the needs of the smart manufacturing industry, and together with K&S and Leyu, AUO Digitech provides one-stop service solutions that target the issues faced by the semiconductor assembly and packaging field. The iAMHS solution incorporates autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that are specifically designed for semiconductor factories and advanced manufacturing industries. The AMR feature omnidirectional drives and utilize AI algorithms, 2D LiDAR, 3D cameras, and other technologies to enable precise movement and obstacle avoidance even in the limited spaces of factories. They serve as invaluable assistants to production line personnel. By automating material transportation, the solution improves coordination and streamlines the manufacturing process, eliminating the communication issues and interruptions that can arise from manual handling.

Furthermore, the integrated intelligent automated material handling system utilizes computerized equipment and robotic arms, combined with intelligent scheduling, to optimize the efficient transport of magazines, carriers, and production equipment within the material area of the production line, resulting in zero material mishandling risk. The highly automated ball bonder production line is controlled by a material control system (MCS) with smart scheduling. This system complies with the semiconductor equipment and materials standard SECS/GEM (SEMI Equipment Communication Standard/Generic Equipment Model) enabling direct integration with customers' existing manufacturing execution system (MES).

By implementing the iAMHS solution, the worker-to-machine ratio of the ball bonder production line has been significantly improved by two to eight-fold from 1:30 before, effectively alleviating labor problems and accelerating line changeovers. The result of the implementation is greater flexibility in production scheduling. By managing the ball bonder production line with the smart scheduling of the material control system (MCS), the production capacity can be further improved by approximately 15%.

Daniel Yang, General Manager of the Intelligent Service BG of AUO Group, stated, AUO's Longtan Fab was the first to adopt the iAMHS solution, AUO Digitechs Intelligent Automated Material Handling System has been extensively validated within the AUO Fab, achieving a remarkable increase in unmanned handling efficiency. It is an honor to witness AUO Digitech's further integration of K&S ball bonder and Leyu RGV system. They are actively advancing in the semiconductor field to address customer pain points. The collaboration of these three leading companies aims to create a complete automated solution for ball bonding, with the hope of accelerating the digital transformation of semiconductor packaging production lines.

Chan-Pin Chong, Executive Vice President and General Manager of K&Ss Products and Solutions, stated, We are delighted to collaborate with AUO and AUO Digitech to develop this unique automation and digital transformation solution. This partnership demonstrates our commitment to providing cutting-edge solutions to accelerate our customers' smart manufacturing processes.

AUO Digitech Aims to Transfer Successful Cases to Other Sites and Drive Painless Transformations for Manufacturing

AUO has long been promoting digital transformation and smart manufacturing, actively implementing the concept of sustainable production. Furthermore, AUO has also received international accolades such as being named a "Global Lighthouse Factory" by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the "Manufacturing Leadership Award" (MLA) by the American Manufacturing Association, and the "Smart Automation" award of the ROI-EFESO Industry 4.0 Awards in Germany. AUOs smart manufacturing capabilities are being seen and recognized throughout the world.

Building upon the companys past successes, AUO Digitech aims to continue its knowledge sharing and technological collaboration, maintaining strong partnerships and integration with ecosystem partners like K&S and Leyu. This will drive the manufacturing industry to accelerate the timeline of smart transformation, reducing the process from years to months. AUO Digitech is committed to both assisting customers in optimizing product quality and production capacity and to transferring successful cases in the field. The company plays a leading role in the global manufacturing industry's smart transformation and aims to achieve a vision of smart sustainability with its industry partners.

AUO Digitech, in collaboration with K&S, is advancing into the semiconductor assembly and packaging field to provide smart manufacturing solutions. In the latter half of the year, the companies will jointly participate in three major international semiconductor exhibitions: SEMICON Southeast Asia in Penang, Malaysia, from May 23 to 25 (Booth #C1613); SEMICON China in Shanghai New International Expo Center, China, from June 29 to July 1; and SEMICON Taiwan in Taipei Nangang Exhibition Hall, Taiwan, from September 6 to 8. They cordially invite industry pioneers to visit their booths and personally experience the brand-new solutions brought by AUO Digitech and K&S in the field of smart manufacturing.
"Where Microsoft falls short on features (like SMS, faxing, analog and paging), UniVoIP steps in and provides an integrated solution that makes Teams a more unified and competitive solution." - Eric Beller, SVP, Sales & Complex Solutions, Sandler Partners

UniVoIP, a leading telecommunications service provider, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Sandler Partners, the largest independent technology solutions distributor of connectivity and cloud services.

As part of this collaboration, UniVoIP will gain access to the nationwide Sandler Partners community and leverage their extensive network of partners in the channel, industry relationships, market knowledge, and expertise in connectivity and cloud services. This partnership will allow UniVoIP to expand its reach into new markets and enhance its ability to deliver comprehensive, tailored solutions to clients across various industries.

"We are excited to join forces with Sandler Partners," said Michael Bacich, UniVoIPs Executive Vice President. "Their deep industry experience and established relationships will greatly complement our capabilities and accelerate our growth. Together, we will be able to offer customers a fully automated Cloud Voice for Teams solution, with the ability to onboard any number of users in 30 minutes or less."

UniVoIP offers a purpose-built, cloud-native solution for Microsoft Teams with a very easy to use admin portal that integrates with Azure Active Directory, stated Eric Beller, SVP, Sales & Complex Solutions at Sandler Partners. Setup takes minutes, versus days or weeks with other providers. Where Microsoft falls short on features (like SMS, faxing, analog and paging), UniVoIP steps in and provides an integrated solution that makes Teams a more unified and competitive solution. Partners should strongly consider UniVoIP. Theyre very appealing and competitive.

Sandler Partners is recognized as a trusted advisor in the connectivity and cloud services space, with partners serving organizations of all sizes and industries across the United States and Canada. With a vast portfolio of fully vetted providers and long-term relationships, Sandler Partners is uniquely positioned to negotiate the best solutions for customers, driving cost savings and operational efficiencies.

This partnership represents a significant milestone for both UniVoIP and Sandler Partners. By leveraging each other's strengths and expertise, the companies aim to create synergies that will drive innovation, enhance service offerings, and deliver exceptional value to their respective clients.

About UniVoIP

UniVoIP is a forerunner in cloud communications and a leading provider of managed voice services. Our engineer-focused team has decades of experience delivering the industrys most forward-thinking business communications technology  and their passion and dedication are embodied in the superior performance and reliability of our cloud-native infrastructure. We build meaningful relationships with our partners and customers and offer a white-glove approach to every interaction, which is evident by an industry-high customer retention rate of over 99%. Learn more by visiting univoip.com.

About Sandler Partners

Sandler Partners is Americas fastest-growing independent technology solutions distributor of connectivity and cloud services  earning a place on the Inc. 5000 list of Americas Fastest-Growing Private Companies for 12 straight years. Vendor agnostic with a 200+ strong supplier portfolio, their experts (sales agents, VARs, and MSPs) can provide organizations of all size and industry with solutions to address business problems and advance their organizational goals, while offering insights into which providers are performing best by price, service, and feature set. The partner community also benefits from industry-leading support (sales, marketing, engineering support), the Sandler Portal, the Marketing Center, and productivity tools. Sandler Partners also have the industrys strongest agreements and a proven track record of ensuring all commissions are found, tracked, and paid. Learn more by visiting sandlerpartners.com.
Wunderkind, a leading digital marketing solution for performance marketing and advertising - announced today the launch of WunderKIND Ads in order to help publishers and advertising partners deliver an unparalleled user-first ad experience.

The launch of WunderKIND Ads  delivering user-first ad experiences across a curated list of over 200 top-tier publishers  builds upon the companys Post Content Ads solution that first launched in 2017. WunderKIND Ads leverages the companys proprietary technology that recognizes real-time consumer behavior to give brands the ability to serve ads to potential customers only after they have finished an online session. The result is a highly effective ad experience that delivers both a brand safe environment and drives higher engagement and ROI.

The WunderKIND Ads product now offers additional ways to measure media performance with advanced analytics partners. Adelaide Attention Metrics drive efficient investment, by increasing the visibility of media quality and going beyond viewability with their proprietary Attention Unit metric. A partnership with SmartCommerce also allows clients to benefit from crucial Add-to-Cart tracking. WunderKIND Ads is available in both the U.S. and, with this launch, expanding to the U.K and Canada.

Brands such as Coca-Cola, Apple, KFC, IBM, Dell, Paramount, and many others are already using WunderKIND ads with impressive results. Company data shows that WunderKIND Ads drives 30% higher attention quality for advertisers, resulting in an industry leading gross CPM for publishers of $10 - $15.

WunderKIND Ads delivered on a wide range of objectives for us; everything from upper funnel awareness and engagement down to lower funnel on-site actions, registrations and purchases. Having one partner that can deliver up and down the funnel has been critical to our brands' success, said Tito Flores III, Client Investment Lead, MediaCom.

While working across our Meta account, specifically focusing on our Facebook Gaming campaigns, we were facing a challenge of increasing mid-funnel engagements. Wunderkind immediately came to mind based on the success Ive experienced with their units and inventory in the past. Ultimately, we ended up seeing great success with our mid-funnel campaign  driving high CTRs/VCRs (all above benchmarks) and ultimately a large percent increase in Facebook Gaming account signups, which was the clients main KPI, said Cody Crawford, Associate Director, Programmatic, Dentsu.

"It's super hard to find a partner that can drive full-funnel performance. But Wunderkind has been able to do all of that, like drive performance for a mid-funnel campaign, which high impact partners usually can't do, Celina Jaggi, Associate Director, Programmatic, EssenceMediacom.

This is a monumental step forward for publishers, brands and consumers themselves, said Bill Ingram, CEO, Wunderkind. Traditional ads on publisher sites often disrupt the user experience, regularly causing them to exit out of an ad immediately and leave. WunderKIND Ads  available in a true programmatic fashion through any DSP in a biddable and unreserved manner  will not render on page load. Instead, were leaning in on our tech to recognize real-time behaviors to find and serve visitors at the best time available, giving advertisers more true qualified ad engagement and a better overall brand and publisher experience.

WunderKIND Ads was developed in response to a growing need for more elegant advertising solutions designed to address many of todays advertising challenges. According to the recently released Kindness In Advertising Report examining consumer attitudes towards the online advertising experience 95% of users find ads interruptive. Another 92% feel digital ads have become more intrusive over the last few years.

However advertising with more empathy towards the user experience results in better reception. According to the report, 68% of consumers said they are most likely to engage with an ad when completely disengaged from content while 60% said they preferred to see ads only when theyve finished engaging with the publisher content.

Clearly, how ads are presented to viewers online is just as important (or more) than the content of the ad itself. WunderKIND Ads address this reality by serving relevant ads to online visitors only after they have finished their browsing experience.

Kind advertising is effective advertising. Thats the WunderKIND Ads promise.
High Star Traffic The new brand represents our collective experience and our commitment to quality, service, and safety

Traffic Control & Protection, a leading mid-west traffic services business, announced today that it will be known as High Star Traffic.

The decision to rebrand was driven by the companys desire to reflect a new era of growth, while preserving the rich heritage and legacy of the three founder-led businesses. With a new brand, High Star Traffic will continue to provide the same high-quality traffic services that customers have come to rely on.

High Star Traffic, formerly Traffic Control & Protection, is the combination of three founder-led traffic services businesses: Traffic Control & Protection (TCP), Trafic Services (TSI), and Traffic Control Specialists (TCS). The combination of these companies has expanded operations to include all areas of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.

While TCP, TSI, and TCS each have a unique history and rich legacy, it was time to bring these cultures and companies under one brand and into the next phase of growth. High Star Traffic is the natural evolution of these brands. said Jon Smith, CEO of High Star Traffic. The new brand represents our collective experience and our commitment to quality, service, and safety.

In addition to the name, the rebrand features a sleek modern logo that encompasses the full range of traffic services that the company provides. High Star Traffic has also updated its website and LinkedIn page to reflect the change.

Visit htps://highstartraffic.com to explore the new website and brand.

High Star Traffic LinkedIn:htps://http://www.linkedin.com/company/high-star-traffic/

About High Star Traffic:

High Star Traffic provides a full range of traffic control solutions to support road maintenance work for public and private customers. Headquartered in Bartlet, IL and with facilities across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, High Star Traffic offers traffic control, equipment rental, temporary and permanent line striping, signage, and flagging to general contractors, state departments of transportation, municipalities, tollways, and utilities.
Anthony Santilli MD speaking with Conference Director Leonard Perlmutter Ten years ago I was ready to leave medicine, but by practicing what I learned at the AMI Physicians Conference, I was again able to say its the best job in the world. -- Anthony Santilli MD

Anthony Santilli, MD will share My Burnout Story with medical colleagues at the American Meditation Institutes 12th annual Heart and Science of Yoga CME Conference October 17-21, 2023 at the Equinox Resort and Spa in Manchester, Vermont. This proprietary, comprehensive training in Yoga Science as Holistic Mind/Body Medicine, which was recently found in a peer-reviewed clinical study to reduce Burnout and Stress, is accredited by the American Medical Association for 34 CME credit hours, and will be offered simultaneously in-person and virtually on Zoom.

During his conference presentation, Dr. Santilli will recount the conditions that led to his burnout, and the specific Yoga Science tools he learned and employed that enabled him to transform the debilitating consequences of burnout into an increase in energy, creativity and a renewed love for his medical practice. According to Dr. Santilli, From this conference Ive gained knowledge to help myself, which in turn, has helped my patients dramatically. Each year I attend the AMI conference, I feel a renewed sense of empowerment, and feeling empowered is important in the practice of my entire lifepersonal and professional.

Speaking directly to the challenges facing todays healthcare professionals, curriculum developer and faculty director Leonard Perlmutter says, You became a doctor because you care about people. You work hard and truly want to serve your patients and profession. But as a physician you are subject to many stressors: overwork, cumbersome regulations, EMR and coding requirements, medical liability, on-call issues, lack of sleep, hospital politics, and frustrations with the reimbursement structure. But regardless of how challenging your circumstances might feel today, the 12th annual Heart and Science of Yoga CME Conference will provide you a set of practical tools that can enable you to improve your job satisfaction and work-life balance, while reducing burnout and feelings of anger, depression, stress and exhaustion.

Dr. Santilli is a Board Certified Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician. He graduated from the University of Buffalo School of Medicine, and attended Brown University where he completed his training in Internal Medicine. After practicing as a hospitalist at Albany Medical Center, he completed his fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. Currently, Dr. Santilli practices with Schenectady Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates, where he serves as Vice President. He joined the Ellis Hospital Medical Staff in July 2014, and has recently served as its Chief of Staff. Anthony is a board member of the Innovative Health Alliance of New York (IHANY), and serves as co-chair of AMIs Department of Medical Education.

The dedication, enthusiasm, and teaching methodology of the entire AMI faculty create a dynamic and interactive course for attending medical providers. All faculty members are graduates of previous AMI medical conferences. In addition to Dr. Santilli, other presenters will include AMI founder Leonard Perlmutter; Mark Pettus MD, board certified internist and nephrologist and Director of Medical Education and Population Health of Berkshire Health Systems; Kristin Kaelber MD, PhD, board certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics; Renee Rodriguez-Goodemote, MD, Medical Director of the Saratoga Hospital Community Health Center; Jesse Ritvo MD, Assistant Medical Director, Inpatient Psychiatry, University of Vermont Health Center; Joshua Zamer, MD, Medical Director for Addiction Medicine at Saratoga Hospital Community Health Center and Chairman of the Department of Family Practice; Jenness Cortez Perlmutter, co-founder and faculty member of The American Meditation Institute; Anita Burock-Stotts, MD, board certified in Internal Medicine; Janine Pardo MD, board certified in Internal Medicine, and Gustavo Grodnitzky PhD, Chair of the AMI Psychological Education Committee.

The conference core curriculum has been endorsed by medical pioneers Dean Ornish MD, Larry Dossey MD, and Bernie Siegel MD. According to Psychiatry physician and past participant Pamela Shervanick MD, This conference is life changing! Everyone in every facet of life should experience this teaching. Im so grateful to AMI for bringing truth to doctors with love and compassion. This is a light the world needs to see.

About the American Meditation Institute

The American Meditation Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization devoted to the teaching and practice of Yoga Science, AMI Meditation and its allied disciplines as Mind/Body Medicine. In its holistic approach to wellness, AMI combines the healing arts, philosophy and spirituality of the East with the practicality of modern Western medical science. The American Meditation Institute offers a wide variety of courses, conferences and webinars. AMI also publishes Transformation a bi-monthly journal of meditation as Holistic Mind/Body Medicine.

Call 518.674.8714 for interviews and a snail mail or email subscription.

Media Contact:

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Fax: 518-674-8714
Evan Nierman This is a textbook example of why it is so dangerous to jump on the cancel culture train. Cancel culture is the biggest threat to regular citizens who, unlike celebrities, do not enjoy huge public platform through which they respond, can be devastating and permanent, Evan Nierman said.

Evan Nierman, top cancel culture expert and author of The Cancel Culture Curse, is calling out the cancel vultures in the case of Sarah Comrie, the New York healthcare worker now known as Citi Bike Karen. She recently made headlines after being shown on camera arguing over a rented commuter bike.

Defining cancel vultures as those who thrive on picking apart the remains of cancel culture victims, Nierman says those attacking Comrie are making the mistake of jumping on the cancelation bandwagon and rushing to judgement, before considering all the facts or the severity of their actions.

Comries life devolved into chaos before the facts were out.

This is the latest in a series of nearly identical cancel culture scenarios that have torn apart the lives of regular citizens, said Nierman, CEO of crisis PR firm Red Banyan. In this case, the media and observers online immediately latched onto the narrative circulating on social media and amplified the outrage around perceived racism, without bothering to dig deeper and uncover the facts, including asking about any receipts for the bike rental. Cancel culture deprives its victims of due process with online mobs serving as judge, jury and executioner before the person can muster a defense or receive a fair hearing.

Nierman points out that what has made Comries case different from many is that she proactively employed some of the recommended strategies for people who find themselves unfairly under assault by a cancel culture mob. These recommendations are one of the focuses of his latest book, The Cancel Culture Curse, which Nierman penned by drawing on his firsthand experiencing counseling clients.

This is a textbook example of why it is so dangerous to jump on the cancel culture train. Cancel culture is the biggest threat to regular citizens who, unlike celebrities, do not enjoy huge public platform through which they respond, can be devastating and permanent.

About Evan Nierman

Evan Nierman is a crisis management expert and sought-after media commentator, public speaker and author of The Cancel Culture Curse: From Rage to Redemption in a World Gone Mad and Crisis Averted. He serves as the Founder and CEO of Red Banyan, a globally renowned public relations firm. In his previous highly acclaimed book Crisis Averted: PR Strategies to Protect Your Reputation and the Bottom Line, Nierman offered readers a peek-behind-the-curtain into the unpredictable world of crisis management and the tough decisions that leaders make at a moments notice that can make or break an organizations future. Follow him on Twitter @EvanNierman.
The Fourth Estate has shined a bright light on some of the dark corners of his part of the world, exposing bad governance, corruption and misappropriation of funds, said Eisenhower Fellowships President George de Lama.

Braimah Sulemana, Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, today was named recipient of the 2023 James and Carol Hovey Eisenhower Fellowships Impact Award for his groundbreaking investigative journalism of accountability in Ghana. Sulemana, an Eisenhower Fellow from Ghana in 2019, was selected for EFs new Annual Impact Award to recognize an Eisenhower Fellow or group of Fellows for outstanding project achievement in generating positive impact. His winning project was the establishment of a regional independent nonprofit journalism organization, The Fourth Estate.

The Fourth Estate has shined a bright light on some of the dark corners of his part of the world, exposing bad governance, corruption and misappropriation of funds, said Eisenhower Fellowships President George de Lama. In the two short years since its founding, The Fourth Estates incisive reporting has led to impressive results.

Sulemanas news organizations richly documented stories have forced scores of public officials to comply with new asset declaration laws, led to the return of illegally secured state lands back to the government from the family of a late politician, uncovered and halted the illicit distribution fake covid-19 negative test certificates and led to the prosecution of a medical practitioner who was using his facility to sexually exploit female patients, de Lama said.

None of these things ever would have happened if not for Braimah and his reporters. His project exemplifies EFs mission to create a world more peaceful, prosperous and just, de Lama said.

Sulemanas innovative journalism startup was selected as the winner in a highly competitive field of more than two dozen project submissions from around the world by a distinguished panel of Eisenhower Fellowships Trustees, Fellows, outside experts and senior staff.

The panel noted that The Fourth Estate project is directly tied to Sulemanas fellowship program and has produced wide-ranging impact that includes promoting transparency and good governance, protecting public health and prosecuting criminals. The panel also recognized that his work comes at significant personal risk and has proven to be sustainable.

Sulemana will receive a $10,000 USD prize to support the work of The Fourth Estate. EF Chairman, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, will present Sulemana the James and Carol Hovey EF Impact Award at the 70th Anniversary World Forum on October 13 at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, site of the signing of the United Nations Charter in 1945.

Founded as a birthday present to President Eisenhower his first year in the White House, Eisenhower Fellowships brings together diverse, innovative leaders from all fields from around the globe who tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time to better the world around them. Since its founding in 1953, more than 2,500 mid-career leaders from 119 countries have benefited from the unique, customized experience of an Eisenhower Fellowship.

The organization will mark the 70th anniversary of its founding with a World Forum that will bring together hundreds of Eisenhower Fellows and other thought leaders from across the globe in San Francisco October 12-14, 2023 to address pressing transnational problems. The conference, Leaders Confronting Global Challenges: What Works? will focus on emerging solutions in some parts of the world that can be applied in other countries and regions.

You can read more about EF and about its upcoming 70th Anniversary World Forum on its website here and see its recently published program impact report here.

For more information, contact Erin Hillman at ehillman@efworld.org or 215-546-1738.


ServiceNow is playing a key role in many legal firms digital transformation initiatives.

Crossfuze, a ServiceNow Elite Partner, today announced the release of its Legal Secretarial Services app on the Now Platform. The application streamlines how law firms handle critical back-office services and enables them to leverage the Now Platform to overcome modern challenges.

Developed by Crossfuze consultants with deep industry experience, the Legal Secretarial Services app replaces email and spreadsheets as the primary means of orchestrating secretarial, paralegal and administrative support to the firms fee earners. The app streamlines critical back-office services in law firms, offering efficiency, transparency and automation to fee earners globally.

Inefficient, manual provision of secretarial services to fee earners puts increased strain on the profitability of law firms. The ServiceNow Legal Secretarial Services app addresses these needs by enabling firms to do the following:



Improve fee-earner satisfaction.

Eliminate manual, inefficient intake and routing processes.

Identify bottlenecks and potential automation opportunities.

ServiceNow is playing a key role in many legal firms digital transformation initiatives, said Terry Pritchard, Crossfuze senior vice president of portfolio management. We help thought leaders within legal firms apply the platform to drive real impact across their operations, including functions such as paralegal and admin support to fee earners. We are applying these successes to create cost-effective, rapidly implemented solutions for law firms.

Crossfuze is an International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) Business Partner and will be attending ILTACon on August 2124. ILTACon is a four-day conference for members of the legal community and industry experts in Orlando, Florida.

For more information about Crossfuze or the Legal Secretarial Services offering, please visit crossfuze.com.

About Crossfuze

Crossfuze is a leading ServiceNow Elite Partner, providing digital transformation solutions to companies of all sizes across industries. The company helps clients achieve business outcomes through technology-enabled transformation, delivering value quickly with a focus on the end-user experience. To learn more, visit crossfuze.com.
Speaking about the statements of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban about the alleged inability of Ukrainians to defeat Russian aggression, Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko said that Ukrainians will continue to fight until the complete liberation of their territories.

"Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, commenting on Russia's aggression against Ukraine, said that it does not matter who invaded whom. He is sure that Ukraine will not be able to win the war. The Kremlin should rejoice: the head of the Hungarian government removed Russia's responsibility for its aggression against Ukraine. The same European politicians argued last year that Ukraine has no chance to hold out for more than 72 hours. They were wrong then, they are wrong now," Nikolenko said on Facebook.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman said Ukrainians will continue to fight until their territories are completely liberated from Russian occupation.

"This is the only way not only to restore peace in Ukraine, but also to ensure the security of all of Europe. Therefore, it is now critical to join forces so that Ukraine has everything necessary to accelerate the defeat of Russia," he said.
As Vermonts Medicaid Enterprise IV&V partner, CSG has supported the federal certification for five system modules, says Robin Dufresne, Director of CSGs Healthcare and Human Services practice.

CSG Government Solutions, a national leader in government program modernization, today announced that it has been selected by the Department of Vermont Health Access to provide Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) services for the design, development, and implementation of Vermonts Medicaid Enterprise System Modernization Project, which includes the Medicaid Management Information System, Integrated Eligibility and Enrollment system, and Health Information Exchange.

CSG began its engagement with Vermont on this project in 2015. Under the new contract, CSG will continue to provide assessment and monitoring of Medicaid program operations, procurements, implementation activities, and adherence to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services system certification requirements for federal funding.

As Vermonts Medicaid Enterprise IV&V partner, CSG has supported the federal certification for five system modules, says Robin Dufresne, Director of CSGs Healthcare and Human Services practice. As we continue to leverage our expertise across the enterprise, we are well positioned to help assure the State achieves its goal of providing next generation health and human services capabilities.


Huma.AI facilitates scientific exchange in a way that wasnt previously possible

Based on the recently released White Paper from Huma.AI, Generative AI has become more than merely an option: Its the way that Life Science professionals prefer to consume the deluge of data available throughout the day. Huma.AI, the premiere company revolutionizing generative AI, is on a mission to equip Life Science professionals with powerful decision-making data, insights, and analysis using everyday language.

A recent survey showed that a Life Sciences professional is expected to navigate a minimum of ten platforms to gain insights from data, spanning significant details from clinical sites to exceptionally complex real-world evidence. Moreover, the tumultuous trajectory has swiftly shifted from when do you need a response to its a day late. With the blink of eye, Generative AI entered the arena, and there is no looking back.

The rapid development in generative AI makes the build vs Buy decision more urgent and mission critical. It is widely known that healthcare and life science organizations, in conjunction with seasoned subject matter experts, are innovative, dynamic, nimble, and ground-breaking when it comes to creating life-saving medicines. With that said, their core competency, and corresponding focus, is development of medicine not AI technology.

Regarding adoption of generative AI for such organizations, there are many considerations: cost, time, training, implementation, restructuring and potential lack of daily diligence on technology trends, is an in-house build for manipulating multiple metrics the most valuable utilization of time? During the pandemic, the world has witnessed the phenomenal way Life Sciences has contributed to human health and society. It is more critical now than ever that Life Sciences work with all stakeholders including technology providers to improve health holistically. Huma.AI is perfectly poised to leverage its generative AI platform to automate obtaining insights across multiple platforms and data sources.

Huma.AIs in-depth analysis has demonstrated:

-- 80% to 90% of life science intelligence is buried in unstructured data, trapped in countless silos across entire organizations.

-- Manual curation of Life Science data may only yield up to 75% accuracy.

-- In contrast, Huma.AI has been independently validated by multiple global pharma clients, achieving up to 97% accuracy rates.

-- Delaying the launch of a drug costs $1M/day.

-- Generative AI can have a dramatic impact saving time on drug development and launches, driving value on the bottom line.

-- Outsourcing does not easily scale, misses key insights, and can be error-prone in other ways.

Utilizing generative AI, Huma.AI has developed a comprehensive platform that automates the extensive process of insight generation across complex data sources. Huma.ai began its collaboration with OpenAI in early 2022. Since then, Huma.AI has leveraged the large language models behind ChatGPT for life sciences providing highly accurate, generated intelligence overcoming many of the weakness inherent in LLMs. Huma.AIs Life Science insights are referenced and cited, and based on unbiased, data-driven discourse. Such referencing capability is the first in the AI industry.

Unlike other alternatives, Huma.AIs generative AI platform has been independently validated and deployed by multiple life science companies. It is a significant step up because it offers verifiable answers sourced from current internal and external data, and in a private and secure manner via its single tenant architecture. Such capability allows for Life Science organizations to have complete confidence in the accuracy of the overall exchange.

Huma.AI facilitates scientific exchange in a way that wasnt previously possible, said Huma.AI CEO and Co-founder Lana Feng, PhD. Huma.AIs adaptable insights engine can easily integrate new versions of LLMs, ensuring Life Science teams have access to the most current AI models as they become available.

With Huma.AI, the ability to transform generative AI into a customized and domain-specific AI solutions in support of Life Sciences is merely the first step. Its expert-in-the-loop approach to AI ensures high accuracy. Every aspect of information presented by Huma.AI references supporting papers or internal content, ensuring transparency and validity. The Huma.AI environment is so incredibly impressive that even OpenAI commented on Huma.AIs commitment to accuracy and transparency.

Trust is critical for the AI industry especially in the area of life sciences and healthcare, said Greg Kostello, CTO and Co-founder of Huma.AI. Huma.AI's proven track record of accuracy, reliability and transparency perfectly aligns to secure such trust.

Huma.AI connects with and keeps private data confidential, while concurrently explaining the why behind exactly which intelligence created which signal - something that is not possible with ChatGPT today. Furthermore, Huma.AI realizes that good will never be good enough. As such, the pace at which Huma.AI expands and develops their platform environment moves at the speed of AI itself.

Huma.AI knows that in our on-demand world, generative AI is the urgency needed for Life Sciences professionals to act in real-time and accelerate the development of life-saving drugs.

Huma.AI is increasingly recognized as a leader in how to do AI right for highly complex domains. Organizations who are making the build vs. buy decision should consider the breakneck speed of generative AI development and ask the question How do I do Huma.AI?

Copies of the Huma.AI whitepaper are available upon request.

About Huma.AI

Co-founded by Lana Feng Ph.D. and Greg Kostello, Huma.AI is a leading generative AI company offering a powerful and user-friendly NLP platform that turns Life Science domain experts into their own data scientists. The name Huma means human plus machine where humans always come first. Its transformative, human-centric AI platform has garnered tremendous industry recognition, and Huma.AI currently works with many pharmaceutical and medical device and IVD companies across the globe. Learn more at https://huma.ai/survey.

Huma.AI is a pioneer in applied generative AI in life sciences. Huma.AI begins where ChatGPT ends: The platform provides privacy and security for enterprises data. It analyzes across disparate sources, including internal data and external data; provides references and explanations for experts verification and validation; its expert-in-the-loop approach leads to the highest accuracy possible. Huma.AIs mission is to empower life science professionals with mission critical decision-making data, insights, and analysis using everyday language.

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We couldnt be more excited to welcome Jose Andres and hear about the life-changing work he has done around the world...He, along with our roster of higher education change makers, will set the tone for an inspiring, forward-looking conference."

Encoura, an educational data science and research organization, announced today the lineup of industry luminaries slated to address Eduventures Summit 2023 in Boston. The annual event, hosted by Encouras Eduventures research division, will feature chef, restaurateur, and humanitarian Jose Andres, who recently announced the launch of his Global Food Institute at George Washington University. Other confirmed keynote speakers include DEI expert Trabian Shorters, Gallup CEO Jon Clifton, Southern New Hampshire University President Paul LeBlanc, and ChatGPT expert Nita Farahany. Eduventures Summit will take place at the InterContinental Boston Waterfront Hotel, June 14  16, 2023.

The mission of Eduventures Summit is to inform, educate, and inspire higher education leadersfrom both public and private non-profit institutionsby equipping them with tangible ideas and best practices so they can improve in a wide array of areas spanning recruitment, program innovation, and student success. The evergreen program theme, Higher Ed Remastered, captures both the timeless qualities of higher education and the need for innovative models.

The annual event, which will sell out, is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for college and university leaders and the partners who serve them to come together to network with one another, share best practices, and engage in a discussion about the future of higher education.

Special Guest Jose Andres

This year, Jose Andres, chef, restauranteur and humanitarian, will headline Eduventures Summit. Andres has received the James Beard Foundations Outstanding Chef and "Humanitarian of the Year" awards and is a committed advocate of food and hunger issues, known for championing the role of chefs in the national debate on food policy. He recently announced a partnership with George Washington University to launch a premier Global Food Institute at GW, a transformative and unprecedented collaboration that will be the world leader in food system solution delivery.

Additional confirmed headliners include:



Jon Clifton  CEO of Gallup

Nita Farahany  ChatGPT expert and the Robinson O. Everett Distinguished Professor of Law & Philosophy and Founding Director of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society

Paul LeBlanc  President of SNHU

Joy Moore - Vice President and executive director of Boston Colleges Pine Manor Institute for Student Success

Trabian Shorters  DEI expert and CEO/Founder BMe Community

In addition to keynote sessions, Eduventures principal analysts will present new research and proprietary market data on key higher education trends. The Eduventures research team will showcase Annual Innovation Award program winners, honoring higher education institutions, companies and other organizations that share Eduventures vision for a responsive, innovative higher education sector.

We couldnt be more excited to welcome Jose Andres and hear about the life-changing work he has done around the world, said Dennis Syracuse, Division President of Encoura. He, along with our roster of higher education change makers, will set the tone for an inspiring, forward-looking conference that will leave attendees with new energy and inspiration to meet the challenges facing higher ed today. Our lineup will initiate meaningful conversations and inspire industry-wide action as attendees explore issues that include enrollment drivers, student access, affirmative action, new learning models, and the rise of AI.

To view the preliminary conference program, visit: https://encoura.org/resources/eduventures-summit/

About Encoura, LLC

Encoura, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of ACT, is an educational data science and research organization serving over 2,000 member institutions comprised of public and private colleges and universities across the nation. Since 1972, Encoura has been a leading provider of data science, technology, and programs serving students, high school educators, colleges, and universities from its offices in Austin, TX and Boston, MA. These solutions represent the link between students making important life decisions and those providing the resources and information they need to succeed in their post-secondary educations and careers. For more information, visit http://encoura.org.

Members of the press community who would like to request press credentials for Eduventures Summit 2023 can contact Ellen Slaby at eslaby@eduventures.com.
Lerner and Rowe's 4th TV commercial parody contest offers BIG cash prizes! Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe once again invite others to make fun of their whimsical TV ads by creating an original Lerner and Rowe style TV commercial.

Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe once again invite others to make fun of their whimsical TV ads by creating an original Lerner and Rowe style TV commercial during their 4th commercial parody contest. Submissions for the contest can be entered May 22, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. PST thru June 23, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. PST. Voting will occur from June 24, 2023 at 12:01 a.m. PST thru June 28, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. PST and is subject to complete official rules. The top three entrants who make Kevin Rowe and Glen Lerner laugh will be awarded a 1st ($2,500), 2nd ($1,500), or 3rd ($1,000) place cash prize, bragging rights, and the chance to have their commercial shown on local TV.

Kevin Rowe expressed his appreciation for humor and shared how he and Glen find immense joy in participating in commercial parody contests, Glen and I both love a good laugh and these commercial parody contests never let us down. The remarkable creativity and cleverness displayed by participants of all ages in their video entries never cease to amaze us.

Kevin Rowe further emphasized that even though the law firm's commercials present a more relatable and humorous side to potentially life-altering events, their team has an unwavering commitment to fight for accident injury victims when they need it most. That includes weekends, holidays, and outside normal business hours.

The official rules and regulations for the Lerner and Rowe Commercial Parody Contest may be viewed online at LernerAndRowe.com.

About Lerner & Rowe Injury Attorneys

Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is a powerhouse law firm in representing personal injury clients. Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe have grown their law firm into one of the largest personal injury firms in the country, with over 400 legal professionals around the country ready to help you 24/7, anywhere in the US. The law firms continuous exalted levels of success can be attributed to the high levels of respect and dignity shown to victims and family members hurt in an accident.

For those injured outside of Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Nevada, California, New Mexico, and Tennessee, Lerner and Rowe has an established network of attorneys across the country, ready to help. The firm takes pride in nourishing these relationships as they know a personal injury attorney can make all the difference in obtaining fair compensation for the pain and suffering inflicted upon the victims of tortious conduct.

For more information about Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys, please call 844-977-1900.

To connect with the law firm socially, follow Lerner and Rowe on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram, or like their Facebook page.

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Attorney Willie D. Powells, renowned Houston-based Personal Injury Lawyer, making a difference in local communities through generous contributions to educational initiatives.

In a significant move to promote empathy, compassion, and charity within the local community, Lamar High School, in partnership with the Houston Random Acts of Kindness organization, proudly announces the inauguration of a new RAK Room. This initiative was made possible through a generous donation from Personal Injury Lawyer, Willie D. Powells is supported by the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and is aimed at nurturing an environment of kindness within the school system.

The RAK Room is a unique, incentive-based school store that provides students with essential materials and rewards for positive behaviors. This initiative, conceived and initiated by the Houston Random Acts of Kindness organization, is successfully operating in various school districts throughout Houston, including Booker T. Washington High School, thanks to generous donations like the one from Personal Injury Lawyer Willie Powells III.

Willie D. Powells, a highly respected personal injury lawyer based in Houston, Texas, has shown immense commitment to supporting the local community, as evidenced by his various philanthropic contributions. His donation will be instrumental in developing the RAK Room at Lamar High School.

The new RAK Room at Lamar High School will offer students the opportunity to earn points for their positive actions, which they can later exchange for essential items and incentives at the school store. This initiative is designed to encourage students to act kindly, empathetically, and responsibly, thus fostering a supportive and positive school culture.

"We are excited to open our 'RAK Room' at Lamar High School," said Principal, Rita Graves. "This initiative will not only provide essential resources for our students but also instill a culture of kindness and empathy, which is crucial in today's world."

Powells, an alumnus of Booker T. Washington High School, has previously donated to support the opening of a similar RAK Room at his alma mater. His dedication to the local community has been recognized by the City of Houston and Mayor Sylvester Turner, who issued a City of Houston Community Outreach Proclamation to his law firm in recognition of its charitable contributions and community outreach accomplishments.

More information about Powells community involvement can be found on his website at http://www.williewins.com .

The opening of the RAK Room at Lamar High School is another important step towards creating more supportive and empathetic school environments in Houston. Houston Random Acts of Kindness, HISD, and Lamar High School are committed to making a positive impact on students' lives and fostering a culture of kindness and compassion in the local community.

For more information about the RAK Room initiative, please visit the Houston Random Acts of Kindness website.

About Houston Random Acts of Kindness

Houston Random Acts of Kindness is a nonprofit organization that promotes empathy and compassion in the local community through random acts of kindness and charity. The organization's RAK Rooms initiative is a key part of its efforts to create more compassionate and supportive environments in Houston schools.

About Willie D. Powells III

Willie Powells shows a personal commitment to the clients it serves, handling personal injury cases that include but are not limited to car and motorcycle accidents, catastrophic injury cases such as head, spine, and burn injuries, alcohol-related injuries and accidents, and wrongful death claims. The Law Offices of Willie Powells III has won millions of dollars in settlements for its clients.

Houston families who have been impacted by an injury or accident can call the law office at (281) 881-2457 for a free consultation 24/7, or visit https://www.williepowellslawfirm.com/.


North Georgia Key Works Logo We take great pride in our work and strive to exceed our customers' expectations every day. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, and we are grateful for the support of our loyal customers in Dawson County and beyond.

North Georgia Key Works has been voted Best of Dawson County 2023 for locksmith services! This marks the 4th year in a row North Georgia key Works has been recognized as the best local locksmith in North Georgia. Each year, the acclaimed competition organized by Dawson County News celebrates local companies that are devoted to providing exemplary service, products, and community outreach. North Georgia Key Works is proud to be a part of this esteemed recognition.

North Georgia Key Works has been serving the Dawson County community for over 10 years, providing a wide range of locksmith services, including lock repairs, replacements, and installations, key duplications, emergency lockout services, and more. The company has built a solid reputation for its fast and reliable service, competitive pricing, and exceptional customer support.

We are honored to have been chosen as the Best of Dawson County 2023 for locksmith services, says Nick Duran, owner of North Georgia Key Works. We take great pride in our work and strive to exceed our customers' expectations every day. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team, and we are grateful for the support of our loyal customers in Dawson County and beyond.

The Best of Dawson County award is a highly coveted honor among local businesses, and winners are selected based on a rigorous selection process that involves nominations, public voting, and a final evaluation by a panel of judges. North Georgia Key Works was selected as the winner in the locksmith services category from a pool of highly competitive nominees.

North Georgia Key Works is located at 54 Sadie Ct. Dawsonville, GA 30534. For more information about their services, visit their website at https://ngkey.com/ or call 706-974-8858.
Brandon Michaels, President & CEO of OneAZ Credit Union Brandon embodies OneAZs mission, vision and values. At OneAZ, our mission is to improve the lives of our members, our associates and the communities we serve.

OneAZ Credit Union is proud to announce that Brandon Michaels has been named President & CEO following the retirement of Kim Reedy, President & CEO.

Brandon arrives at OneAZ with nearly 20 years of executive leadership experience in the credit union industry. Hes previously served as President & CEO at two credit unions. His visionary leadership elevated those institutions into industry leaders by focusing on member experience, innovation and growth. As a third-generation credit union CEO, Brandon understands the member-focused mission of OneAZ and the credit union movement.

Brandon embodies OneAZs mission, vision and values, said Jon Borge, Chairman OneAZ Board of Directors. At OneAZ, our mission is to improve the lives of our members, our associates and the communities we serve. Brandons entire career has been dedicated to these principles. He's passionate about bridging the gap between the member-focused mission of credit unions and innovative technologies that members expect. He understands that this requires a dedication to growth, innovation and collaboration  all of which are already present in OneAZs Culture of Collective Influence.

Michaels said: I am excited to join OneAZ Credit Union and grateful to the Board of Directors for their confidence. OneAZ has a reputation for outstanding member experience, innovative products and services, and an internal culture that exemplifies the credit union movement. As we look toward the future, I aim to build on the strong foundation that Kim and the leadership team have in place. Together, we will work tirelessly to ensure that all Arizonans have access to equitable banking, advanced financial wellness technologies and resources and the security provided by one of Arizonas strongest financial institutions.

I also want to thank my wife, Danielle, for her constant support, patience, and resilience as we start a new chapter of our lives in Arizona. We are both very excited for this awesome opportunity to build a new community of friends and colleagues in this great state.

Most recently, Brandon served as Head of Corporate Development with Allied Solutions LLC, one of North Americas largest providers of innovative financial services products for financial institutions and automotive dealerships. Previously, he served as President & CEO of Wellby Financial in Houston, TX, and President & CEO of Mazuma Credit Union in Kansas City.

Borge said: Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kim Reedy for his service as President & CEO. During his four years as chief executive, OneAZ experienced unprecedented growth in both membership and asset size. Furthermore, he advanced OneAZs culture of inclusivity that has helped drive innovation and excellence. We wish him the best in his retirement.

About OneAZ Credit Union

OneAZ Credit Union is a member-owned financial institution serving over 160,000 members with 20 branch locations across Arizona. As a credit union with over $3.3 billion in assets, OneAZ is owned by its members, who benefit from better rates, lower fees for service and improved technology. Since 1951, OneAZ has strived to help Arizonans meet their financial needs through a full suite of personal and business banking solutions. OneAZs mission is to truly improve the lives of its members, its associates, and the communities it serves. To learn more, visit OneAZcu.com. Insured by NCUA.
Images from DEAR IKE, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and UNIDAD. Courtesy of PBS SoCal and KCET.

PBS SoCal and KCET, Southern Californias flagship PBS stations, proudly honor Pride Month with a robust programming slate of LGBTQ+ content in June. Both stations will showcase a lineup of enlightening programs to celebrate the rainbow of visionaries, advocates and unsung heroes who have inspired the world to see love without labels by premiering new documentaries starting with DEAR IKE: LOST LETTERS TO A TEEN IDOL, an animated documentary from filmmaker Dion Labriola who recounts his childhood quest to contact his teen idol Ike Eisenmann. The film airs Thurs., June 1 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., June 3 at 9 p.m. on KCET.

Later that night, PBS SoCal will host the world broadcast premiere of UNIDAD: GAY & LESBIAN LATINOS UNIDOS, the story of the Los Angeles areas first major Queer Latin@ organization. The film chronicles events at a pivotal time in the history of LGBTQ equality, womens rights and civil rights movements. UNIDAD: GAY & LESBIAN LATINOS UNIDOS airs Thurs., June 1 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 14 at 9 p.m. on KCET. A local premiere event will be held on Tues., June 13 at 6 p.m. at the Los Angeles Film School that is open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, please visit the Eventbrite link here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/unidad-documentary-pbs-premiere-at-the-los-angeles-film-school-tickets-636033432117

Additional content from PBS includes AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Casa Susanna, the story of an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men in the 50s and 60s who found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York. A preview screening and discussion will be held on Wed., June 14 at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Los Angeles that is open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, please visit the Eventbrite link here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/casa-susanna-film-preview-discussion-tickets-638912593767

PBS SoCal and KCETs month-long lineup also includes AMERICAN MASTERS Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll debuting Fri., June 2 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 7 at 9 p.m. on KCET which follows the meteoric rise and enduring legacy of an American icon. Viewers can also watch the new INDEPENDENT LENS documentary Mama Bears on Tues., June 20 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., June 24 at 11 p.m. on KCET featuring mothers who were previously fundamentalist, evangelical Christians praying for the souls of LGBTQ+ people, that are now willing to risk losing friends, family and faith communities to champion their kids.

Select content slated to air during Pride Month is listed as follows (*schedule subject to change):

DEAR IKE: LOST LETTERS TO A TEEN IDOL  Thurs., June 1 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., June 3 at 9 p.m. on KCET - All New!

In the feature-length animated documentary, Los Angeles filmmaker Dion Labriola recounts his all-consuming childhood quest to contact his teen idol, Ike Eisenmann (of Walt Disney's Escape to Witch Mountain fame). The goal of his mission: to ask Ike to star in an animated science-fiction epic that he was forever developing in an overstuffed three-ring binder. After an exhaustive string of failed attempts, a magical turn of events points Dion directly toward his goal in the most unexpected of ways... some 40 years later.

UNIDAD: GAY & LESBIAN LATINOS UNIDOS  Thurs., June 1 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 14 at 9 p.m. on KCET - All New!

Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos is a documentary film about the Los Angeles organization Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos (GLLU). Founded in 1981, GLLU is one of the first major queer Latin@ organizations in the country. The film follows the group's history and activism, from its early days fighting for AIDS awareness and LGBTQ rights. The film features interviews with GLLU members, activists, and community leaders, as well as archival footage of the group's work. Unidad is a powerful and inspiring story of community, resilience, and the power of love and activism.

L.A.: A QUEER HISTORY Culture & Criminalization - Thurs., June 1 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 14 at 10 p.m. on KCET

Early Hollywood becomes a Queer destination for people wanting a new life. Early LGBTQ culture and community begins to take shape just as the post WW2 era sparks widespread criminalization.

L.A.: A QUEER HISTORY Protests & Parades - Thurs., June 1 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 21 at 10 p.m. on KCET

Despite adversity, gay and lesbian organizing begins. Publications, protests and uprisings spring up, leading to the countrys first Pride Parade, LGBTQ Social Services, the first "Gay City" and an eventual national Civil Rights Movement.

AMERICAN MASTERS Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll  Fri., June 2 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 7 at 9 p.m. on KCET - All New!

Experience the meteoric rise and enduring legacy of Little Richard. This portrait of the King and Queen of Rock and Roll explores his far-reaching influence as well as his advocacy for the rights of Black artists in the music industry.

MIRIAM AND ALAN: LOST IN SCOTLAND  Mon., June 5 at 10 p.m. on KCET- All New!

Miriam Margolyes and Alan Cumming begin a journey from their once mutual home of Glasgow moving up the West coast, across the far Highlands, and back down the East side, as the duo meet a host of fascinating characters.

INDEPENDENT LENS Mama Bears  Tues., June 20 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Sat., June 24 at 11 p.m. on KCET - All New!

Although the films subjects grew up as fundamentalist, evangelical Christians praying for the souls of LGTBQ+ people, these mothers are now willing to risk losing friends, family and faith communities to champion their kidseven if it challenges their belief systems and rips apart their worlds. They call one another mama bears because of the ferocity with which they fight for their childrens rights.

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Casa Susanna  Tues., June 27 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal and Wed., June 28 at 9 p.m. on KCET - All New!

In the 1950s and 60s, an underground network of transgender women and cross-dressing men found refuge at a modest house in the Catskills region of New York. Known as Casa Susanna, the house provided a safe place to express their true selves and live for a few days as they had always dreameddressed as and living as women without fear of being incarcerated or institutionalized for their self-expression. Told through the memories of those who visited the house, the film provides a look back at a secret world where the persecuted and frightened found freedom, acceptance and, often, the courage to live out of the shadows.

KCET and PBS SoCals commitment to sharing diverse and inclusive stories will continue in additional digital content exploring the impacts made by the LGBTQ community in Southern California and beyond at kcet.org/Pride and pbssocal.org/Pride.

Join the conversation on social media by tagging #PrideMonth

About PBS SOCAL and KCET

PBS SoCal and KCET are both part of the donor-supported community institution, the Public Media Group of Southern California. PBS SoCal is the flagship PBS station for diverse people across California and delivers content and experiences that inspire, inform and educate. PBS SoCal offers the full slate of beloved PBS programs including MASTERPIECE, NOVA, PBS NewsHour, FRONTLINE, and a broad library of documentary films with works from Ken Burns; as well as educational content including PBS KIDS programs like DANIEL TIGERS NEIGHBORHOOD and CURIOUS GEORGE. KCET showcases the best of PBS and is a leading source for arts, culture, and news in Southern California. Through innovative storytelling, KCET explores and expresses our dynamic local communities helping residents understand and connect with the region's diverse communities and ideas. For additional information about both KCET and PBS SoCal productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org and pbssocal.org. KCET Originals and PBS programming are available to stream on the FREE PBS App on iOS and Android devices, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Chromecast. KCET is also available to watch live on YouTube TV.
PIVOT2023, Building Bridges "PIVOT2023 will kick off with an opening event in The Hague, Netherlands, the week of September 4th, 2023, then travel around the world to host and spotlight events during the following weeks."

Project InnerSpace, host of the annual PIVOT: From Hydrocarbons to Heat conference series, is excited to announce PIVOT2023, taking place virtually and in person at venues across the globe. PIVOT2023 is a month-long event this year that will connect, highlight, and broadcast from more than a dozen geothermal events taking place around the world, while integrating the bleeding-edge virtual content that has defined the PIVOT conference series in prior years.

The month-long PIVOT2023, spotlighting and amplifying events around the world, reflects this years PIVOT theme of Building Bridges, and furthers our mission of bringing together industries, entities, thought leaders, and change-makers from around the world to explore and build the future of geothermal energy together.

To bring this theme to life, Project InnerSpace is excited to announce strategic partnerships with the International Geothermal Association and Geothermal Rising to co-host PIVOT2023 with both the World Geothermal Congress, in Beijing, China, and the Geothermal Rising Conference, in Reno, Nevada. These partnerships, along with additional co-hosted events in partnership with the Society of Petroleum Engineers, will make the excitement and momentum of the global geothermal ecosystem freely accessible to participants across six continents through a month of both in-person and live-streamed virtual events.

Attendees of PIVOT2023 can look forward to a diverse range of programming, including panel discussions, technical roundtables, watch parties, and networking events, all focusing on whats next in the geothermal anywhere movement. Popular features from prior years, including the PIVOT geothermal startup pitch competition, the geothermal datathon, and the PIVOT Five on Fire awards, will return with surprising twists. PIVOT2023 will kick off with an opening event in The Hague, Netherlands, the week of September 4th, 2023, then travel around the world to host and spotlight events during the following weeks, culminating in events held at the Geothermal Rising Conference in Reno, Nevada, and a closing celebration in Houston, Texas the week of October 2nd, 2023.

Since its launch in 2020, PIVOT has grown into the leading global event of the geothermal anywhere movement, with the mission of bringing together innovative geothermal startups and the oil and gas industry to build the future of geothermal energy. Attracting thousands of participants from 120 countries globally, the conference has featured international leaders in innovation, social impact, entrepreneurship, energy, and finance. With this year's "Building Bridges" partnerships and a few surprises in store, PIVOT2023 promises to be the most exciting, forward-looking iteration of the conference yet.

Stay tuned for details, venues and updates, and mark your calendars for PIVOT2023. As always, PIVOT2023 is free to attend, and all are welcome globally.

Register to attend PIVOT2023 and receive programming updates at https://www.projectinnerspace.org/pivot-2023

About Project InnerSpace

Project InnerSpace is the leading independent organization dedicated to the global development of geothermal energy. Our mission is to remove the barriers to the exponential growth and development of geothermal energy worldwide by 2030. To learn more about Project InnerSpace and PIVOT, please visit https://www.projectinnerspace.org/
I am thrilled to be a part of Riverwood Dental and truly committed to giving patients an exceptional experience with personalized, comprehensive and compassionate care, says Dr. Kimi Patel.

Riverwood Dental, located at 3350 Riverwood Parkway, Suite 2120 in Atlanta, GA. is a modern, state-of-the-art clinic that offers cutting-edge, quality dental care for all ages in a comfortable atmosphere. Dr. Kimi Patel recently joined the well-respected team and is committed to delivering dentistry at its best, providing every patient with a pathway toward achieving functional and aesthetic smiles. Dr. Kimi Patel was raised in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She attended the University of Michigan, earning her bachelors degree and also graduated with her dental degree from the University of Michigan College of Dentistry. After finishing her doctorate, Dr. Patel completed an AEGD residency (Advanced Education in General Dentistry) at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Dr. Kimi Patel stays at the forefront of her field, attending continuing education courses and is up to date on recent research and current dental technology. Riverwood Dental offers the unique ability to address all aspects of dental health in one convenient place. Their extensive menu of modern dental care services includes general and restorative dentistry, as well as cosmetic dentistry, orthodontics (OrthoFX) and more. Regardless of whether they are protecting, repairing or enhancing smiles, their team delivers superior, patient-centered care at every step.

I am thrilled to be a part of Riverwood Dental and truly committed to giving patients an exceptional experience with personalized, comprehensive and compassionate care, says Dr. Kimi Patel.

More About Riverwood Dental and Dr. Nisha Patel:

Riverwood Dental was designed with comfort and care in mind, and patients can expect a friendly, helpful staff to make visits enjoyable. The team utilizes the latest in dental technology while offering comprehensive services, ranging from routine cleanings and chipped tooth repair to teeth whitening, veneers and dentures. Dr. Nisha Patel grew up in Alabama where she graduated from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry. Dr. Patel entered the dental field because of her compassion, creativity and desire to serve the community. She stays up-to-date on innovative, advanced techniques and equipment to provide patients with the very best in dentistry. Dr. Patel believes in building a trusting relationship and treating each patient with dignity and respect. For additional information about Riverwood Dental please visit http://www.riverwooddental.com or call (770) 955-2505.


The Polish Embassy in Ukraine has handed over 26 out of 40 ambulances from the Polish government to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, according to the embassy's Facebook page on Tuesday.

"At the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Polish government of Mateusz Morawiecki handed over 40 ambulances with equipment to support Ukrainian units during the counter-offensive. On May 22, we handed over the first 26 ambulances to the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the embassy said.

The embassy also said that a training mission for almost 200 Ukrainian paramedics from the newly created brigades ended last week. The exercises are conducted by rescue instructors of the Humanitarian Medical Aid Group, appointed by the Office of the Polish Prime Minister.

"Poland has been supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian aggression, among other things, in the medical care. To date, a large number of medicines, dressings and medical equipment have been transferred. Poland also delivers medical equipment for combat units  personal first-aid kits or emergency backpacks," according to the statement.
Infants and neonates with suspected congenital heart defects are a technically challenging group of patients for any imaging method, including CT. There is a substantial clinical need to improve cardiac CT of this vulnerable group.

A new advanced form of CT imaging called photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) offers better cardiovascular imaging quality at a similar radiation dose compared to dual-source CT (DSCT) in infants with suspected cardiac heart defects, according to a study published today, May 23, in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Congenital heart defects are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the neonatal period, occurring in up to one percent of live births. Of those, approximately 25% are critical defects requiring surgical intervention within the first month after birth. A comprehensive assessment, including ultrasound, MRI and CT exams, is typically needed to plan for surgery and to create virtual and printed 3D reconstructions of the heart.

Infants and neonates with suspected congenital heart defects are a technically challenging group of patients for any imaging method, including CT, said Timm Dirrichs, M.D., senior physician and specialist in cardiothoracic radiology in the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at RWTH Aachen University Hospital in Aachen, Germany. There is a substantial clinical need to improve cardiac CT of this vulnerable group. Its essential to carefully map the individual cardiac anatomy and possible routes of surgical intervention using the highest possible diagnostic standards.

PCCT is an emerging imaging technique that counts the exact number and measures the energy of incoming x-ray photons. Compared with DSCT technology, PCCT offers higher image resolution and/or reduced radiation doses, which is of particular interest when imaging children. The PCCT technique has already been shown to improve cardiovascular CT imaging in adults. However, data on neonates and small children are lacking.

Our aim was to evaluate the image quality of first-generation photon-counting CT for cardiac imaging in children with suspected cardiac heart defects compared with third-generation dual-source CT (DSCT) and to compare the respective radiation exposure, Dr. Dirrichs said.

The research team analyzed existing clinical CT exams of 113 children who underwent contrast enhanced PCCT (30 infants), DSCT (83 infants) or both PCCT and DSCT (one infant) of the heart and thoracic aorta between January 2019 and October 2022. The study group consisted of 55 girls/58 boys (median age 66 days).

The researchers found that the PCCT images were sharper, with less image noise and greater contrast than DSCT images. The mean overall visual image quality ratings were higher for PCCT versus DSCT at a similar radiation dose. More than 97% of the PCCT images were at least diagnostic quality, compared to 77% of the DSCT images.

In our study, none of the PCCT examinations exhibited a poor image quality, and only a few were of limited or moderate quality, Dr. Dirrichs said.

He noted that of the DSCT images, almost one-quarter were of limited or non-diagnostic quality, and 40% were of moderate quality.

PCCT is a promising method that may improve diagnostic image quality and efficiency compared to DSCT imaging, Dr. Dirrichs said. This higher efficiency can be used to reduce the radiation dose at a given image quality level or to improve image quality at a given radiation level.

###

Photon-counting versus Dual-Source CT of Congenital Heart Defects in Neonates and Infants: Initial Experience. Collaborating with Dr. Dirrichs were Eric Tietz, M.D., Andre Ruffer, M.D., Jens Hanten, M.D., Thai Duy Nguyen, M.D., Ebba Dethlefsen, M.D., and Christiane K. Kuhl, M.D.

In 2023, Radiology is celebrating its 100th anniversary with 12 centennial issues, highlighting Radiologys legacy of publishing exceptional and practical science to improve patient care.

Radiology is edited by Linda Moy, M.D., New York University, New York, N.Y., and owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc. (https://pubs.rsna.org/journal/radiology)

RSNA is an association of radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Illinois. (RSNA.org)

For patient-friendly information on CT and pediatric imaging, visit RadiologyInfo.org.


Sierra College graduates throw their caps in the air following 2023 Commencement in Rocklin, California. You have all taken different paths to get here, and your experiences are uniquely your own, but what you have in common is the value you place on your education, said Sierra College Superintendent/President Willy Duncan.

Sierra College celebrated the achievement of more than 3,200 graduates. The in-person ceremonies at the Rocklin, Nevada County and Tahoe-Truckee- campuses on May 18th and 19th included more than 500 graduates who walked the ceremonies.

Among the more than 3,200 graduates, the average age is 26 with 20% of graduates aged 30 or older  ranging in age from the youngest graduate at 15 to the oldest at 75. This included 65 veterans and 26 former foster youth.

The top five majors for graduates this year:

Allied Health

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Natural Science

Psychology for Transfer

Business Administration for Transfer

The top five high schools for graduates this year:

Whitney High School

Woodcreek High School

Rocklin High School

Oakmont High School

Roseville High School

In remarks to graduates, Sierra College Superintendent/President Willy Duncan noted, You have all taken different paths to get here, and your experiences are uniquely your own, but what you have in common is the value you place on your education.

Also speaking at Sierra Colleges 2023 Commencement celebrations:

Student Speakers: Patrick Forbes (Tahoe-Truckee), Olivia Terhorst-Steele (NCC), Maya Mosely (Rocklin)

Commencement Address: Trish Rodriguez, Senior Vice President, Clinical Services for Northern California, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospital

Faculty Speakers: Allie Aguilar, Counselor (NCC), Michael Waterson, Professor of Mathematics (Rocklin)

Registration at Sierra College is open for Fall 2023. More information on affordable, convenient, and relevant education is available at http://www.SierraCollege.edu/YouCan.

About Sierra College

Sierra College District is rising to the needs of our community. Sierra College serves 3,200 square miles of Northern California with campuses in Roseville, Rocklin, Grass Valley, and Truckee. With approximately 125 degree and certificate programs, Sierra College is ranked first in Northern California (Sacramento north) for transfers to four-year universities, offers career/technical training, and classes for upgrading job skills. Sierra graduates can be found in businesses and industries throughout the region. More information is at http://www.sierracollege.edu.
Meet the Rabbis Sim Shalom, a non profit 501  (3) tax-exempt organization, nurtures a Jewish connection through its mission of innovative services, creative education and dynamic outreach to the global community.

Sim Shalom Online Synagogue continues to grow and soars into Summer with ongoing nightly services. Sim Shalom offers Friday night Shabbat and weeknight services Monday through Thursday. These evening services are led by a cadre of unique Rabbis from across the country who were trained at the Jewish Spiritual Leaders' Institute.

Monday nights are led by Rabbi Deborah McKenzie from Maryland, a chemist by day, Rabbi Deborah brings her passion of interconnectedness of all things to her well attended services.

Rabbi Karen Becker-Marcelo (FL) leads on Tuesday nights. Rabbi Karen is a retired teacher who loves to educate the congregation and is continually honing her skills in technology and Jewish history. She teaches the J-LEaP Program for the Jewish Spiritual Leaders' Institute (JSLI) and trains potential Rabbinic students in Hebrew.

Rabbis Nancy Tunick (TN) and Elias Zwang (CA) share Wednesday evenings. Nancy hails from Tennessee and has led beautiful musical services for Sim Shalom for years. She is also a founding rabbi of the Union of Jewish Universalist Communities, a professional association of Jewish clergy. Elias is a Californian and alternates Wednesday nights with Nancy. Elias is also heading up Friday night services for Sim Shalom and brings his enthusiasm and joy to everything he does.

Rabbis Shoshana "Shush" Carson (TN) and RuthE Levy (GA) share Thursdays. Both were recently installed as Sim Shalom Associate Rabbis. Shush brings her lovely cantorial skills and warm spirit to services. RuthE is a wealth of knowledge from her world travels in the military and being the owner of Jewish bookstore in Atlanta.

ABOUT JSLI AND SIM SHALOM

Sim Shalom is an interactive online Jewish Universalist synagogue which is liberal in thought and traditional in liturgy. Created in 2009 by Rabbi Steven Blane on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Sim Shalom offers a means of connecting the unconnected. Rabbi Blane leads accessible Shabbat services every Friday night using a virtual interface and additionally Sim Shalom provides online education programs, Jazz concerts, conversion and life-cycle ceremonies along with weeknight services at 7:00PM EST led by Rabbis of this online community.

Rabbi Blane is the founder and director of the Jewish Spiritual Leaders' Institute, the online professional rabbinical program, https://jsli.net and of the Union of Jewish Universalist Communities, https://ujuc.org.

Sim Shalom, a non profit 501  (3) tax-exempt organization, nurtures a Jewish connection through its mission of innovative services, creative education and dynamic outreach to the global community. For more information visit the website.
SPS brings the Power of Possibility to our customers and the people they serve through transformative end-to-end solutions utilizing process optimization and intelligent automation. SPS is proud to support this years Document Strategy Forum by demonstrating the benefits of our innovative portfolio of Intelligent Document Processing Services.

SPS North America, a leading outsourcing provider for intelligent document processing solutions and innovative data management services is sponsoring the 2023 Document Strategy Forum (DSF). SPS will share thought leadership on industry trends and best practices for transforming business workflows with intelligent document processing, specifically on services such as claims process automation, digital mail processing, accounts payable and receivable automation, and invoice and check processing.

Since 2008, Document Strategy Forum (DSF) has been the industrys preeminent collaborative workshop for professionals responsible for creating and managing content, communications, and strategies to network, learn and share emerging solutions. DSF 2023 features 50+ industry panels and case studies, 11 dedicated learning pods, creative networking events, and a robust exhibition hall.

As a major provider of Digital Transformation and Intelligent Document Processing Solutions, SPS is exhibiting at DSF to share expertise on how companies can gain competitive advantage, improve end-to-end processing, and heighten productivity with SPS growing portfolio of innovative document solutions.

Janet Tarzia, Head of Marketing and Communications, said of SPS participation in the conference, SPS is proud to support this years Document Strategy Forum by demonstrating the benefits of our innovative portfolio of Intelligent Document Processing Services. This event will give us the opportunity to share our expertise and our client successes with Digital Transformation Solutions.

At SPS, we believe that there is always a better solution, and peer-to-peer environments like Document Strategy Forum foster the types of industrywide conversations that unlock possibilities for our clients and the people they serve.To learn more about SPS Intelligent Document Processing Solutions, visit SPSGlobal.com.

About SPS

SPS is a leading outsourcing provider of innovative services in business processing and data management. Building on our Swiss foundations and global footprint, we are the trusted partner for process optimization and intelligent automation. With transformative end-to-end solutions, we create new possibilities for our clients. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, SPS operates in more than 20 countries and focuses on clients in banking, insurance, health and legal. SPS has more than 8,500 employees and is recognized with a world-class NPS by its global client base.

Learn more how SPSs people make an impact that matters at http://www.spsglobal.com.
Our expertise and commitment to providing the very best in temporary staffing and professional recruiting services enable us to create unique and remarkable experiences for our customers and job seekers," said Adam Roth, CEO of Roth Staffing Companies.

Ultimate Staffing, a business line of Roth Staffing Companies, has been awarded on the Forbes list of Americas Best Recruiting and Temporary Staffing Firms 2023. Ultimate Staffing ranked in two categories: America's Best Temp Staffing Firms and Best Professional Recruiting Firms.

This prestigious award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The awards list was announced on May 3, 2023, and can currently be viewed on the Forbes website.

The list is divided into three major categories:

Executive Search - Recruiting firms that place managers in permanent positions with an annual gross income of more than $100,000

Professional and Specialist Search - Recruiting firms that place professionals in permanent positions with an annual gross income up to $100,000

Temp Staffing - Providers of temporary workers and contract positions, excluding interim management positions

The award ranking is based on an independent survey of peers and clients. In total, more than 36,400 external recruiters and 9,200 HR managers/hiring managers and candidates were invited to participate in this years survey.

Based on the results of the study, Ultimate Staffing is thrilled to be recognized on the Forbes list of Americas Best Recruiting and Temporary Staffing Firms 2023.

Im so proud of our Ultimate Staffing coworkers for being recognized for excellence in these two categories, said Adam Roth, CEO of Roth Staffing Companies. Our expertise and commitment to providing the very best in temporary staffing and professional recruiting services enable us to create unique and remarkable experiences for our customers and job seekers. We are so grateful to our customers and Ambassadors/candidates, as well as Forbes, for this honor. And, congratulations to our coworkers!

About Roth Staffing Companies

Roth Staffing Companies is one of the largest privately held staffing firms in the United States, with specialized lines of business operating from more than 100 locations throughout 20 states and the District of Columbia. Roth Staffings specialized lines of business assist customers with staffing and recruiting services, and includes: Ultimate Staffing, specializing in administrative and office staffing; Ledgent for finance & accounting; Ledgent Technology for technology; and Adams & Martin Group for legal staffing and attorney search. The organization has also been ranked on Fortunes Best Workplaces list for Diversity, Medium Workplaces, Millennials, PEOPLE Companies that Care, Professional Services and Women. In 2023, Roth Staffing was ranked #1 of the Best Staffing Firms to Work For by Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) as well as Best of Staffing Client Satisfaction and Best of Staffing Talent Satisfaction by ClearlyRated.
Today Validity, the leading provider of data quality and email deliverability solutions, announced the launch of DemandTools File edition to improve data quality across the entire organization and manage duplicates within spreadsheets in minutes. With this launch, even more businesses can add efficiency and accuracy to their processes that rely on clean data.

Not only does poor data quality cost businesses time and money, it also jeopardizes the customer experience. In fact, according to a survey performed by Validity, 44% of respondents say they lose over 10% in annual revenue due to low-quality CRM data. In our ever-changing economic climate, it is critical that companies are empowered to market, sell, and support more effectively. For over twenty years, Validity has served this goal and met critical industry deduplication needs within the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) ecosystem with its pillar product, DemandTools.

Now, Validity is bringing the power of DemandTools to a broader range of businesses and applications with DemandTools File edition. Anyone who uses spreadsheets to track information or analyze data will work more efficiently, knowing they are working with unique data. For example, marketing teams can now deduplicate their external lists in real time before moving the data into their CRM system or Marketing Automation Platform, and business analysts can conduct their own data quality assurance and trust they are running analytics on unique datasets.

When deduplicating data, there are core pieces of functionality required to get the job done. To help save time, DemandTools File edition merges duplicate rows in spreadsheets to ensure users are working with unique data without losing valuable information. Users can define the matching and merging criteria to ensure accuracy and unlike existing tools, it has the ability to match on more than one column using exact and fuzzy matching logic and to combine values in columns when merging duplicate rows. DemandTools File will also export the found duplicates to a new sheet to show what was identified, export the merged data set to a new sheet to display the cleaned information, and keep the original data intact, all in one time-saving process.

DemandTools File edition will provide even more businesses with the tools they need to take their data quality to the next level, said Chris Hyde, SVP Global Head of Data Solutions at Validity. If anyone manages data in spreadsheets, regardless of their specific role in an organization, this product will ensure their data represents unique rows of information. Given the economic turbulence we are experiencing globally, this tool is more important than ever.

DemandTools File edition can be accessed for free and all users receive 50 free credits upon signing up. To learn more please click here.

ABOUT VALIDITY

For over 20 years, tens of thousands of organizations throughout the world have relied on Validity solutions to target, contact, engage, and keep customers  using trustworthy data as a key advantage. The Validity flagship products  DemandTools, BriteVerify, Everest, GridBuddy Connect, and MailCharts  are all highly rated solutions for CRM data management, email address verification, inbox deliverability and avoiding the spam folder, and grid CRM applications. These solutions deliver smarter campaigns, more qualified leads, more productive sales, and ultimately faster growth. For more information, visit Validity.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
We hope these awards, in addition to our other academic programs, help propel their career so they can continue to bring their visions to life.

As a continued supporter of student designers, global design and BIM software provider Vectorworks, Inc. honors the winners of this years Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) regional awards. KCACTF is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities across the United States.

KCACTF held eight in-person regional festivals this year, providing students across the U.S. the chance to not only showcase their outstanding productions but also participate in a wide range of professional development opportunities in all areas of theater.

Since its inception, KCACTF has given over 400,000 college theater students the opportunity to have their work critiqued, improve their dramatic skills and receive national recognition for excellence. Vectorworks continued its partnership with KCACTF for another year to help encourage and support students in the Design, Technology and Management (DTM) industry by providing each student winner with a free professional annual subscription of Vectorworks Spotlight 2023.

"The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival celebrates accomplishments and achievements for theatrical works produced on university campuses. We are extremely grateful that Vectorworks provides an opportunity to support outstanding student designers and technicians with the chance to enhance communication, effectiveness, innovation and industry standards in craftsmanship for these emerging artists," said Val Winkelman, KCACTF National Chair for Design, Technology, and Management

Winners were chosen for their design quality, effectiveness, originality, innovation and visual presentation techniques.

Congratulations to this years winners for their outstanding work in sound, scenic and lighting design:

Region 1

Isaac Roussak, Wellesley College, for Cabaret

Region 2

Cierra Miller, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, for Measure for Measure

Region 3

Keyla Marie Soto Pabon, Illinois State University, for Bonnie and Clyde

Region 4

Mari Davis, North Carolina Central University, for Long Time Since Yesterday

Region 5

Olivia Palmer, Grand View University, for The Cherry Orchard

Region 6

Halcyon Piper, Oklahoma City University, for Machinal

Region 7

Michelle Ludlow, Idaho State University, for The Spitfire Grill

Region 8

Paige Mills, Glendale Community College, for Youre a Good Man Charlie Brown

These students are the industrys future, and we are honored to celebrate their achievements and help them excel in their future endeavors, said Vectorworks Academic Marketing Program Specialist Jennifer Hart. We hope these awards, in addition to our other academic programs, help propel their career so they can continue to bring their visions to life.

Students looking for an additional way to showcase their designs can do so by applying to the Vectorworks Design Scholarship. Submissions are now open until July 31 for a chance to win up to $10,000 USD.

For more information and to apply, visit vectorworks.net/scholarship.
Kerrie Kelly is a nationally recognized interior designer and will serve as a Design Partner for Eldorado Stone, Cultured Stone and Kindred Outdoors + Surrounds. Not only does [Kerrie Kelly] design the most incredible spaces, but she also has worked tirelessly to move the design community forward. This is an amazing opportunity to collaborate with Kerrie to elevate every aspect of our brands stories, and were going to have a lot of fun along the way.

Eldorado Stone, Cultured Stone and Kindred Outdoors + Surrounds announce an official partnership with nationally-recognized interior design expert, Kerrie Kelly. Throughout the partnership, Kelly will serve as a Design Partner to the trio of brands and will highlight and support new product launches and existing products via custom video, social media content, case studies and in-person event appearances.

When Im curating beautiful spaces, these are the brands I look to for a timeless aesthetic and textural touches that will bring people together, said Kelly. I am so excited to take on this new role as Design Partner for Eldorado Stone, Cultured Stone and Kindred Outdoors + Surrounds and share how these brands inspire me to create uniquely designed indoor and outdoor spaces for my clients.

Click to Tweet: Industry leading brands @eldoradostone, @Cultured_Stone and Kindred Outdoors + Surrounds partner with nationally recognized interior designer @KerrieKelly to promote the portfolio of products represented across the trio of brands. https://elevatewithstone.com/kerrie-kelly/

As Design Partner, Kelly will tap into her personal experiences, having specified products from Eldorado Stone, Cultured Stone and Kindred Outdoors + Surrounds in numerous residential projects over the course of her 27-year career. Shell produce custom content, including behind-the-scenes videos, design dialogues and blog posts that dive deeper into her design process and influences. Consumers and trade professionals alike will enjoy a closer look at recent projects where Kelly has incorporated stone and brick veneer from Eldorado Stone and Cultured Stone. Kelly will also participate in Instagram takeovers and giveaways via the brands social media platforms.

We are excited to partner with an industry influencer of Kerries caliber, said Sarah Lograsso, Director of Marketing and Product Design for Westlake Royal Stone Solutions. Not only does she design the most incredible spaces, but she also has worked tirelessly to move the design community forward. This is an amazing opportunity to collaborate with Kerrie to elevate every aspect of our brands stories, and were going to have a lot of fun along the way.

More About Kerrie Kelly

Kelly founded the Kerrie Kelly Design Lab in 1995 with the goal of making great design more accessible. As CEO and Creative Director, she leads a team of passionate, innovative designers and has built long-term partnerships with several leading industry brands, including Cosentino, Sherwin Williams and Hestan.

Kelly is a Fellow, Design Luminary Award recipient and Past-Chair to the National Board for American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and a Global Connect Advisor for the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). She also sits on the NKBA Board of Directors. Her insights on the latest design trends and new products have been featured in The Washington Post, Real Simple, Houzz, and other national and regional publications.

Her nationally recognized interior design work has also led her to be interviewed and featured by media outlets such as Forbes, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today.

To learn more about the partnership, visit https://elevatewithstone.com/kerrie-kelly/.

For more information on Eldorado Stone and its products, visit EldoradoStone.com. For more information on Cultured Stone and its products, visit CulturedStone.com. For more information on Kindred Outdoors + Surrounds, visit MyKindredLiving.com.

About Eldorado Stone

For more than 50 years, Eldorado Stone has pushed the boundaries of possibilities, harnessing natures power and creativity to design a collection of premium architectural stone and brick veneer profiles. Handcrafted with artistic colors and expressive textures that verge from traditional to contemporary, Eldorado Stone products offer the ideal backdrop for curating spaces that lead to a lifetime of new moments to enjoy. To see how Eldorado Stone can be the start of something beautiful, visit EldoradoStone.com.

About Cultured Stone

Driven by a pioneering spirit, Cultured Stone introduced the worlds first architectural stone veneer, making it possible to feature authentic hues and natural textures of stone and brick in any environment. Nearly 60 years later, Cultured Stone continues to lead the industry by creating the finest stone products for empowering the artist within and bringing incomparable designs to reality. For more information on Cultured Stones catalog of products, visit CulturedStone.com.

About Kindred Outdoors and Surrounds

Distinguished by craftsmanship, accentuated by firelight, and designed to gather round, Kindred Outdoors & Surrounds creates memorable spaces that bring people together through thoughtful composition and functionality. With hand-forged fire bowls, fireplace surrounds, and outdoor kitchens, friends and family can commune, converse and unwind in comfort, both inside and outside of the home. Launched in 2020, Kindred Outdoors & Surrounds provides outdoor living and fireplace products that can be specified to feature any manufactured stone including Eldorado Stone, Cultured Stone, Dutch Quality, StoneCraft and ProStone. For more information, visit MyKindredLiving.com.
PEGASUS represents our ideal for creating a powerful and reliable PSU that can fly high and soar above all other rivals. The PSU is designed to be quiet, stable, and user-friendly for flawless, hassle-free operation.

A leading global designer and manufacturer of innovative pre-built gaming PCs, peripherals, and computer components, is thrilled to announce their new PEGASUS ATX 3.0-certified power supplies, designed to meet the power needs of high-performance gaming desktops and professional PCs. These 80 PLUS Gold and Platinum certified power supplies deliver reliable and efficient power with wattages ranging from 850W and 1000W, ensuring optimal performance and minimal energy waste. The PEGASUS PSUs are built using top-quality Japanese capacitors and are equipped with a 140mm hydraulic bearing fan for long-lasting durability and quiet operation. The PSU features a unique, fully modular design with low-profile flat cables, making cable management a breeze and making them the ultimate choice for gamers who demand the best.

Our new 80+ Platinum 1000W and Gold 850W PEGASUS power supply is the result of our continuous innovation and commitment to deliver quality to our gamers and is inspired by PEGASUS, the winged war horse from Greek mythology. PEGASUS represents our ideal for creating a powerful and reliable PSU that can fly high and soar above all other rivals. The PSU is designed to be quiet, stable, and user-friendly for flawless, hassle-free operation. said Frank Lee, the VP of YEYIAN GAMING.

The PEGASUS PSU features ATX 3.0 certification and PCIe 5.0 compliance, ensuring excellent compatibility with the latest and most advanced systems. Whether you need to power a gaming rig with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics cards or a workstation with multiple drives and devices, the PEGASUS has you covered. Each model comes with a high-quality 600W PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR GPU cable for optimal power delivery and stability. Unlike traditional power supplies with rear-facing connectors, PEGASUS PSU has placed modular power connections along the side, giving users and system builders more room to run cables while offering tidier cable management.

The PEGASUS PSUs come with a 140 mm fluid dynamic bearing cooling fan with unparalleled serenity and long-lasting stability. The fan supports Zero RPM mode, which will turn off the fan at the lowest system loads for near-silent operation. The PEGASUS is also 80 PLUS Gold and Platinum-certified, delivering up to 90% efficiency at typical loads. To ensure long-lasting performance and durability, the PEGASUS is built with 100% high-quality Japanese electrolytic capacitors. It features multiple safety protections, including OVP, UVP, SCP, OPP, NLO, SIP, OCP, OTP. The PEGASUS is fully compatible with all current YEYIAN GAMING cases and the most popular cases in the market.

The PEGASUS 850W/1000W PSU is backed by 10-Year Limited Warranty and is now available in major US e-tailers and retailers. PEGASUS PSU is crafted for system-demanding gaming desktop PC builds and implements excellent durability and performance.

Product Features



850W/1000W 80 PLUS Gold and Platinum certified

ATX 12V Ver 3.0 Form Factor

PCIe Gen 5.0 Ready

High-quality Japanese capacitors

Heavy-duty protection, including OVP, UVP, SCP, OPP, NLO, SIP, OCP, OTP

Equipped with 140mm Fluid Dynamic Fan delivers extremely quiet and long-lasting fan performance

Fully Modular Low-Profile Flat Cable

PSU Dimension: 150 x 160 x 85mm

Availability

YEYIAN Webstore: https://us.yeyiangaming.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=pegasus

AMAZON:

YFP-1K031-01 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3NYT7P8

YFG-85031-01 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3NTXQ3R

Newegg:

YFP-1K031-01 https://www.newegg.com/yeyian-80-plus-1000w-1000-w/p/1HU-0215-00024?item=9SIAZRBJVJ9642

YFG-85031-01 https://www.newegg.com/yeyian-80-plus-850-w/p/1HU-0215-00025?item=9SIAZRBJVK0397

Learn more about YEYIAN GAMING: https://us.yeyiangaming.com/

Marketing Assets Download: https://bit.ly/3Ln5AsT

About YEYIAN GAMING

YEYIAN GAMING is a leading manufacturer of cutting-edge technology solutions for gamers, creators, and PC enthusiasts. Its innovative technology delivers award-winning solutions to the community worldwide through creator PCs, gaming PCs, monitors, computer components, gaming furniture, and peripherals. YEYIAN Gaming has perfect solutions to meet everyones needs, from pre-built PCs to complete custom rigs and from high-performance gaming monitors to next-generation PCIe Gen 5 power supplies.

YEYIAN GAMING was founded in 2017 in San Diego, California. Its philosophy is to develop innovative technology products with high reliability and high performance. The goal is to provide its customers with unrivaled user experiences and exceptional customer service and remain at the forefront of the gaming community.

For more information, please visit https://us.YEYIANgaming.com/

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High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell says the EU member states have already delivered 220,000 shells of various calibers and 1,300 missiles.

He announced such data on Tuesday in Brussels at a press conference after the meeting of the Council at the level of defense ministers. The High Representative said that due to the first track, Member States have already provided 220,000 ammunition of various calibers and 1,300 missiles. According to him, this first track will be open by May 31 and we will reach our goal of EUR 1 billion and 800 million has already been compensated to Member States," said.

Speaking about the second track, which provides for joint purchases of ammunition for both Ukraine and to replenish its own stocks in the amount of EUR 1 billion, Borrell said 24 countries have already shown interest in this track. In addition, there are two other projects - one is headed by France, the second - by Germany. At the same time, he did not provide the details of these projects to Borrell.

Regarding the third track, which provides for the increase in the production capacity of the EU and Norwegian defense industries, the High Representative referred to the explanations of the European Commissioner Thierry Breton, who clarified that the European industry has the capacity to produce ammunition in the required quantity. Borrell said the EU officials hope that in this way they will reach the goal of 1 million ammunition for Ukraine in the next 12 months.
Training of Ukrainian pilots on F-16 multirole fighters has not yet begun, Spokesman for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yuriy Ihnat said.

"There is a process of preparation... There are advanced groups that have left for countries that can provide us with sites for exercises. It is being studied how this process will go. There are no pilots themselves, as such, in these countries yet," Ihnat said on the air of the telethon on Tuesday.

He said "we will not report how many pilots will be trained and a large number cannot be sent to master the F-16, because someone needs to fight."
PJ Library, the non-profit organization that distributes more than 245,000 free books each month to families with connections to Judaism, has relaunched a program that brings 20 authors and illustrators to tour Israel with creativity and imagination in mind. And, following a two-year Covid pause, the Author Israel Adventure (AIA) program is expanding the model it offered in 2018 and 2019, whikch featured an eight-day trip intended to spark fresh book ideas. Now, in addition to the tour, they have added a series of eight intensive online workshops on craft, Jewish content, and Israel, supported by the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies.

Catriella Freedman, director of author and illustrator stewardship for PJ Library, said the program's goal is to create networks and relationships among authors and illustrators who make books with Jewish content, and to broaden diverse depictions of Israel in childrens literature. So far 23 books created by participants have been distributed as PJ Library titles since the initial trips.

This years group, chosen from 150 applicants, made their Israel visit in early May, midway through the program. The participants, who are not necessarily Jewish, toured historical, archaeological, and natural sites, and interacted with people who have diverse cultural and religious connections to Israel. And in October, the group, along with the 2018 and 2019 participants, are invited to a celebratory reunion at a Pennsylvania retreat center.

Israel is the unique setting where the Jewish story was born, said Simon Klarfeld, PJ Librarys director of content. My hope is that being on the land, encountering Israelis from all walks of life, exploring past and present will inspire each and every member of the cohort to connect themselves as individuals and as authors to the almost infinite paths that they can follow moving forward.

Author Alice McGinty calls the AIA a rich experience that sparked multiple book ideas. She wrote the first draft of her 2021 title, My Israel and Me, (Kalaniot Books) on the plane ride home from her 2018 AIA.

I saw incredible diversity, all living together in a very small country, said Leslie Kimmelman, a 2019 AIA participant. She described meeting secular and observant Jews including people from Ethiopia and Sephardi Jews whose roots trace back to Spain and North Africa. In the aftermath of her trip, Kimmelman wrote, How to Be a Mensch by A. Monster (Apples & Honey Press, 2022), featuring diverse monsters who demonstrate ways to live with respect for others, like a five-eyed-character who teaches not to stare.

For some, the visual details of Jewish life in Israel impacted their work. I didnt grow up in a house with mezuzahs, said illustrator Sean Rubin, referring to the piece of parchment that is inscribed with a prayer and housed in a decorative case that Jews affix to the doorposts of their homes. So, when he illustrated author Susan Kusels 2021 book The Passover Guest (Neal Porter Books), Rubin said, I went through all the final art to make sure there were mezuzahs in the right spot on the doorways of any Jewish residence in the story.

Other authors were inspired by walking in ancient footsteps. Stuart Gibbs knew he wanted to set part of his middle-grade adventure book, Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation (Simon & Schuster, 2020) in Jerusalem before he went on the 2019 AIA. The trip had a tremendous influence on what happened in the book, he said. He set a scene in an ancient Roman water tunnel that runs beneath the Old City. That scene, he said, "would never have existed if PJ Library hadnt arranged for us to tour the tunnel.

Jamie Kiffel-Alcheh said her board book Rah! Rah! Mujadara (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2021), with young children enjoying a wide range of tastes such as mujadara, a lentil and rice dish, was inspired by her 2018 trip when she was struck by the variety of cuisines, ingredients, and flavors she tasted there. "Here in America, I often say that Israel feels like an abstract concept, even a totem of Judaism. But food makes it real. I love that Israel hosts so many cultures cuisines. It shows its inclusiveness and diversity, she said.

Several authors and illustrators who are veterans of the Israel Adventure program told PW it led to new friendships and professional networks. Some have collaborated on creative projects; 2019 alumni Alan Silberberg and Erica Perl are working on a Jewish comic novel. Freedman says that another layer of success is that authors have become ambassadors for PJ Library, recommending their close colleagues to apply for opportunities, submit manuscripts, and encouraging students to learn more about our programs and craft books that will work for our curated lists.

Holly Lebowitz Rossi is a freelance writer and coauthor of The Yoga Effect: A Proven Program for Depression and Anxiety.
A new look at a Buddhist classic, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, a biography of the powerful 18th-Century theologian Jonathan Edwards, and a witchcraft compendium are among the titles publishing in June.

Nonfiction

June 1

3 Minutes with Jesus: 180 Devotions for Men by Tracy M. Sumner (Barbour, $12.99, ISBN 978-1-63609-576-9) condenses the readings to include scripture, a devotional reading, and a prayer intended to jump-start one's day.

June 6

Searching for Agabus: Embracing Authenticity and Finding Your Way to You by Michael Walrond (Broadleaf, $22.99, ISBN 978-1-5064-8529-4) highlights a minor prophet in Paul's epistles who, Walrond says, exemplifies how a little-known life of service can still matter greatly.

Parenting Gen Z: Guiding Your Child Through a Hostile Culture by Jason Jimenez (Focus on the Family, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64607-007-7) is a motivational guidebook intended to help parents talk with their children about faith, sex, porn, LGBTQI issues, abortion, and depression.

Where Do I Go From Here? Lifemapping Your Way from Personal Chaos to Purposeful Calm by John Trent and Kari Trent Stageberg (Focus on the Family, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64607-063-3) has a father and daughter build on John's 1998 book, LifeMapping, by offering biblical truths as the route toward a positive future despite detours and distractions.

Ask a Catholic Parent by Julianne Stanz (Loyola, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8294-5517-5) is a spiritual guidebook by a mother, catechist and lay leader, designed to help parents steer their children toward faith-based living.

Refuge in the Storm: Buddhist Approaches to Compassionate Crisis Care, edited by Nathan Jishin Michon (North Atlantic Books, $18.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-62317-809-3) features Buddhist contemplative practices and spiritual principles to help and support individuals, families, caregivers, and communities in crisis

Extraordinary Hearing: Preparing Your Soul to Hear from God by Greg Pruett (Tyndale Momentum, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-4964-6685-3) teaches how to discern God's guidance in everyday life and be led by the Holy Spirit.

Pray and Go: Your Invitation to Become a Great Commission Christian by Thom S. Rainer (Tyndale Momentum, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-4964-4905-4) is a 30-day program for church members that shows how to gather in prayer for their community and then take their prayer out into the streets.

The King Is in the Field: Essays in Modern Jewish Political Thought, edited by Julie Cooper and Samuel Hayim Brody (Univ. of Pennsylvania, $69.95, ISBN 978-1-5128-2409-4) offers 13 scholars looking back in history to see how Jewish people in the diaspora behaved politically in lands where they lived before they had a state of their own.

June 7

Stumbling: Picking up the Pieces after Coming Out of the Closet and Evangelicalism by Brandon Flanery (Lake Drive, $18.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-957687-12-4) is a candid, often humorous, story of the former youth pastor's many question and some answers in his search for the holy in the mess that is life.

Ordinary Splendor: Living in Gods Creation by Lydia Jaeger (Lexham, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-68359-699-8) examines the wisdom for life found in the Bible's creation passages by engaging the views of theologians, Greek mythology, philosophers, and other creation stories from the ancient Near East.

June 13

In Trembling Boldness: Wisdom for Today from Ancient Jesus People by Natalie R Perkins and Hal Taussig (Broadleaf, $21.99, ISBN 978-1-5064-8574-4) applies the spiritual concepts found in the writings of Jesus' first followers to the most challenging contemporary social and political issues today.

What Would Jesus See: Ways of Looking at a Disorienting World by scholar of art and religion Aaron Rosen (Broadleaf, $26.99, ISBN 978-1-5064-7865-4) looks at the Gospels and applies Jesuss radical empathy for the disadvantaged to key challenges facing society today.

The Hardest Problem: God, Evil and Suffering by Rupert Shortt (Hodder Faith, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-399-80271-0) takes on the perennial question of human suffering in a reflection on the origin and nature of evil and how different faiths reconcile it with ideas of divine power.

Woman Remembered: Jesus Female Disciples by Helen Bond and Joan Taylor (Hodder Faith, $21.99, ISBN 978-1-5293-7259-5) explores the representation of these women in art, archeology and biblical text, and offers a new appreciation of them as disciples, apostles, teachers, messengers, and church-founders.

June 20

The Spacious Path: Practicing the Restful Way of Jesus in a Fragmented World by Tamara Hill Murphy (Herald, $18.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5138-1191-8) is a primer on the ancient spiritual practices of taking time daily for meaningful reflection and prayer.

All Gods Children: How Confronting Buried History Can Build Racial Solidarity by Terence Lester (IVP, $18 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5140-0595-8) tells stories of courage, injustice, pain, and triumph in a portrait of what its like to be Black in America.

The Resilience Factor: A Step-by-Step Guide to Catalyze an Unbreakable Team by Warren Bird, Leonce B. Crump Jr., and Ryan T. Hartwig (IVP Praxis, $18 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5140-0568-2) is a practical handbook, written by veterans of team-leaders in Christian organizations, offering advice on how to revitalize floundering teams.

Incurable Faith: 120 Devotions of Hope That Lasts for Health Issues That Linger by Andrea Herzer (Multnomah, $20, ISBN 978-0-593-44439-9) draws on her own experience of chronic pain and offers doorways to recognizing and finding solaceand joyin God's love.

A Life of Psalms in Jewish Late Antiquity by Aj Berkovitz (Univ. of Pennsylvania, $59.95, ISBN 978-1-5128-2418-6) shows how ancient Jews found resonance in reading, interpreting, singing, and praying from this cherished text.

June 21

Witchcraft and Magic, an Illustrated History and Practical Guide: The History and Practice of Magic Through the Ages  its Origins, Ancient Traditions, Ways and Rituals, and a Guide to Spellweaving Today by Susan Greenwood, Helen Cornish, and Raje Airey (Lorenz, $35, ISBN 978-0-7548-3552-3) is a compendium of the traditions and practices of witchcraft including over 60 spells, charms, rituals, and invocations.

June 27

Luke by New Testament scholar Mary H Schertz (Herald, $34.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5138-0427-9). In the 36th volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series, Schertz shows how Luke foreshadows the joyand the costsof following Jesus.

An Infinite Fountain of Light: Jonathan Edwards for the Twenty-First Century by George M. Marsden (IVP Academic, $26, ISBN 978-1-5140-0662-7) is the noted historian's look at the impact of the eighteenth-century theologian and religion philosopher's life and writings.

The Tibetan Book of the Dead for Beginners: A Guide to Living and Dying by Lama Lhanang Rinpoche and meditation teacher Mordy Levine (Sounds True, $18.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64963-132-9) presents the Buddhist classic text on karma, the end of life, and what happens after death, with an emphasis on cultivating compassion and welcoming the unknown.

Fiction

June 6

Indigo Isle by T.I. Lowe (Tyndale Fiction, $25.99, ISBN 978-1-4964-6559-7) features two damaged souls a Hollywood film location scout forced to ride out a hurricane on an isolated coastal farm with the farm's reclusive owner  who find reconciliation with the past.
Mazin Lateef Ali, founder of Baghdad's Dar Mesopotamia for Printing, Publishing, and Distribution, was awarded the 2023 International Publishers Associations Prix Voltaire laureate at the award ceremony at the World Expression Forum in Lillehammer, Norway. Ali published books about the Jewish community in Iraq, among other topics.

Ali has been missing since he was abducted at gunpoint in January 2020. The annual Prix Voltaire is the IPA's primary award to put a spotlight on freedom of speech and expression challenges, and often honors those around the world who have been censored, oppressed, disappeared, or murdered while conducting their work.

The IPA also announced a Prix Voltaire Special Award for Ukrainian childrens book author and poet Volodymyr Vakulenko, who was killed during the fighting in Ukraine this past year. On an episode of the Copyright Clearance Center's Velocity of Content podcast released yesterday, Ukrainian novelist Victoria Amelina, who accepted the award on Vakulenko's behalf, spoke to CCC's Chris Kenneally about Vakulenko's significance in his home country and the importance of literature during the ongoing Russian war against Ukraine. Below is an excerpt of that interview:

Copyright Clearance Center: Volodymyr Vakulenko had many roles in Ukrainian publishing. Can you describe his reputation among other Ukrainian writers, like yourself?

Victoria Amelina: First of all, Volodymyr Vakulenko was very honest and very passionate, exactly the kind of person who wouldnt be able perhaps to survive the Russian occupation without being arrested, without being questioned, and perhaps, as we can see, without being killed, because he was always honest, and it was important for him to have his freedom of speech, freedom of expression. It was very difficult for him to hide his views anywhere, and it was particularly difficult for him during the time of occupation of his native village, Kapitolivka.

I have to say that we all call him Volodymyr Vakulenko, but his pen name was Volodymyr Vakulenko-K., and this K stood exactly for the name of his native village, Kapitolivka. So he was not only a patriot of Ukraine, but also he had very warm feelings about his village, and other writers also knew that. He grew up in the east of Ukraine, in the Kharkiv region, but since 2015, it was also very important for him to go to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and support those who had to live in the war zone. Little did he know that soon he himself will end up living in the war zone.

Vakulenko was also a political activist apart from being an author and a publisher. He took part in protests against former president Viktor Yanukovych in 2014 and volunteered to fight, as you say, in the Donbas region after the Russian annexation that year. What did it mean to him to be a Ukrainian patriot?

He really took an active part in the Revolution of Dignity in 2015, and he was severely injured at the time. He had an injury of his head that he received in Mariinsky Park. This was very important for Vakulenko to be in the middle of history. He wanted to make history, I think. And it was impossible for him to watch how freedom has been taken away from Ukrainians, and he couldnt stay aside.

He didnt fight, in a sense. He had never had weapons, neither in Kyiv in 2015 nor later. He didnt volunteer to join the army as a soldier. But he volunteered to help the army. He brought help to the Ukrainian soldiers on the front line, and he kept doing so in the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022 as well. This is a tradition among Ukrainian writers. Since 2015, many of us, including myself, helped the soldiers on the front line on different levels, and Volodymyr Vakulenko kept doing this even after February 24th, 2022. Some small thingshe kept buying cigarettes for the soldiers or some foodwhatever they asked. He just wanted to support them. He didnt have a health that would allow him to serve himself, but he wanted to make sure he does everything in his power to support those who can fight.

U.S. intelligence agencies revealed before the Russian invasion in 2022 that the Putin government had prepared an extensive hit list of prominent Ukrainians who were to be rounded up, imprisoned, or killed after a military takeover of Ukraine. What does it mean to you as a Ukrainian writer yourself that the Russians have made your countrys culture a target for destruction?

It means to me that Im fully aware that I am alive thanks to the Ukrainian army and thanks to our allies who supported us with weapons. And althoughI mean, Ukraine is a very peaceful country. We are all about culture, music, artmostly these things. But at the same time, every second of my life, I have to be fully aware that I have to be thankful to the army. And I havedespite the fact that I am a human rights activist, but the most important thing for us right now is getting weapons to defend ourselves.

I have to say that before the full-scale invasion, I had been rereading one of the history books, and I had been trying to imagine what it would mean for me if the Executed Renaissance would have to repeat, because perhaps 90% of my friends are writers, artists, or civil activists, and this would mean that 90% of my friends would be executed by the regime. This is quite an appalling thing to even think about.

This is perhaps the reason why we fight so fiercely, why we cannot understand what the question is when we are asked if we would agree to give up some part of Ukraines territory. We cannot have any compromise. We cannot give up neither Donetsk, Luhansk, nor Crimea, because we know whats going on there in the occupation, and occupation is in fact something even worse than war. This is where people like Volodymyr Vakulenko become helpless and can be tortured and can be executed. To me, it is very important that the world hears us and understands this.
Publishers Weekly crowned its 31st annual bookstore and 25th annual sales rep of the year at U.S. Book Show on May 22. In a virtual awards ceremony, PW editorial director Jim Milliot named Midtown Scholar in Harrisburg, Pa., PWs Bookstore of the Year. Emily Bates, senior manager for in-house sales of Penguin Random House adult titles, earned the distinction of being named PWs Sales Rep of the Year.

In addition to Midtown Scholar, 2023 bookstore finalists included the Edmonds Bookshop (Edmonds, Wash.), Harvey's Tales (Geneva, Ill.), Interabang Books (Dallas, Tex.), and Main Street Books (Lafayette, Ind.). Along with Bates, nominees for sales rep of the year included Mark Fleeman (Fujii Associates), Julie Isgrigg (Hachette Book Group), Tom Leigh (Macmillan), and Ty Wilson (Publishers Group West). PW solicits nominations from authors, distributors, booksellers, publishers, and other literary partners for the two awards each February, and profiles five finalists each May. A new call for nominees will go out in 2024.

Milliot welcomed the audience to the announcement, noting that it is the fourth year that PW has presented its Bookstore of the Year and Rep of the Year virtually. "Maybe next year, we'll able to do this in person, which will make everybody happy," he said, before announcing Bates as this year's rep of the year.

"Thank you, PW, for this incredible honor," Bates said, laughing at the memory of her mother persuading her to apply for a position in PRH's telemarketing department 14 years ago when she was a bookseller, and having to be convinced that it would not entail her calling booksellers during their lunch breaks to talk up the latest John Grisham release.

After thanking her parents and her husband for their support, Bates thanked her colleagues at PRH for their hard work, especially the customer service department, "the unsung heroes" of the publishing industry. Bates concluded by thanking indie booksellers for building community, "finding just the right books" to put into customer hands, and for providing "a safe space for people just looking for understanding."

Noting that "we are truly lucky to be in the publishing industry," Milliot then announced PW's Bookstore of the Year.

Midtown Scholar co-owners Catherine Lawrence and Eric Papenfuse accepted Milliot's congratulations. We are so honored, said Lawrence, who thanked the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association for helping us grow and transition from being a small walkup used bookstore and online ecommerce [site] into a massive new and used bookstore with author talks. Wed like especially to thank our customers for being supportive of us through the difficult times of Covid and into the future. We are looking forward to what comes next.

It all began with a pile of books in our dining room and grew to a renovated movie theater space, Papenfuse added, panning the camera around the spacious downstairs level as a crowd of bookstore staffers cheered the award.

Midtown Scholar

Midtown Scholar Bookstore, a general-interest store that occupies two substantial storefronts across from a historic farmers market in Harrisburg, celebrates its 20th anniversary as a bricks and mortar location this year. Owners Lawrence and Papenfuse grew their business from a used-book online portal to 15,000 square feet of retail space with a staff of 50. Theyve helped revitalize their neighborhood, gradually renovating a former post office and an old theater next door, demonstrating a commitment to Harrisburg as a destination for literary culture and political debate.

Midtown Scholar encourages leisure and family time in the Counter Culture Coffee cafe, expansive childrens section, and rare book and collectibles annex. Throughout the year, the store brings award-winning authors to town, hosting them on a main-floor stage. Papenfuse, who served two terms as mayor of Harrisburg, touts the citys location as a crossroads among other major East Coast destinations.

In 2009, he and Lawrence launched the annual Harrisburg Book Festival, and as the event grew, they named Alex Brubaker as its director. This years festival takes place Oct. 18-22, and includes featured authors, a full day of childrens programming, a used-book tent sale, and writing workshops. Midtown Scholar has grown from a startup to a community keystone, encouraging restaurants and other small businesses to put down roots in Pennsylvanias diverse capital city.

Emily Bates

Bates, who is based in Westminster, Md., describes herself as a jack-of-all-trades rep: she sells to and services remotely a variety of indie bookstore accounts across the country, although she does makes in-person calls upon two western Maryland indies: Curious Iguana in Frederick and A Likely Story in Sykesville.

Bates calls her far-flung accounts a wonderful mix of both new and established stores. In an email nominating Bates as rep of the year, Barbara Peters, the owner of the Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, Ariz., praised Bates and her team for their heroic efforts in helping indie bookstores navigate the challenging terrain of post-pandemic bookselling. But their greatest accomplishment, Peters wrote, was facilitating the launch of Diana Gabaldons latest Outlander novel, Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone  which involved transporting 30,000 books to Scottsdale.

It was quite a feat, Bates admits. Everybody had to fire on all cylinders for that one. Im proud to have been part of that.

While Bates must be nimble in dealing with such a variety of accounts in all four mainland U.S. time zones, she ascribes her success to one constant: whether she is making an in-person call upon a store in Maryland, telephoning a store in rural Minnesota, or having 30,000 books shipped to Arizona, Bates makes sure that she completely understands the formula that each store uses to curate its inventory and how she can assist them to maximize their profits. "After all, she says, I know that with all the bookstores Im calling, their time is money. Its very fulfilling work, she adds. Theres something new every day.
Freedom to read advocates are applauding a final report and resolution agreement from the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights that could help blunt the surge of book bans in schools.

In a May 19 letter and resolution agreement, DOE officials concluded that the Forsyth County (Georgia) School districts removal of books largely featuring Black and LGBTQ characters created a potentially hostile environment for students, in violation of their civil rights. And in a potentially landmark resolution agreement, the district agreed to work with the DOE to address student discrimination issues arising from the book bans.

OCR [The Office for Civil Rights] has a concern the District received notice that its media center book screening process may have created a hostile environment for students, yet the Districts responsive steps related to the book screening process were not designed to, and were insufficient to, ameliorate any resultant racially and sexually hostile environment, DOE officials wrote in delivering the findings of an investigation stemming from student complaints. And while the investigation suggested that Forsyth County officials somewhat attempted to address student concerns in evaluating the book challenges in question, communications at board meetings conveyed the impression that books were being screened to exclude diverse authors and characters, including people who are LGBTQI+ and authors who are not white, leading to increased fears and possibly harassment.

To resolve the OCRs concerns, the district agreed to a resolution in which school official have committed to:

Issue a statement to students in the district explaining the library book removal process and offering supportive measures to students who may have been impacted by the process.

Carrying out a student climate survey to assess whether additional steps need to be taken.

And, ongoing monitoring until OCR is satisfied that the federal laws at issue are satisfied.

In a statement, assistant secretary for Civil Rights Catherine E. Lhamon thanked Forsyth County School officials agreeing to the resolution, for responding to the needs of the students who may have felt subjected to a hostile environment as a result of the library book screening process, and for ensuring that, going forward, it will take appropriate action regarding acts of harassment that create a hostile environment based on sex, race, color or national origin."

 communications at board meetings conveyed the impression that books were being screened to exclude diverse authors and characters...leading to increased fears and possibly harassment. 

In a press statement, a Forsyth schools spokesperson said the districts agreement with to OCR would further our mission to provide an unparalleled education for all to succeed.

The OCR initiated the investigation in Forsyth county in March 2022, after receiving complaints regarding the schools removal of books that were allegedly inappropriate, and it comes in the midst of nationwide, politically driven surge in book challenges and legislation threatening the freedom to read. Currently, the OCR is also probing a similar complaint in Texas, spearheaded by the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas in July, 2022, alleging that Granbury ISD officials told librarians to remove books that included the LGBTQ community and people who are transgender.

In a post on its website, officials at EveryLibrary called the OCR decision "an important milestone" in the ongoing fight against book bans.

"When a school fails to safeguard students from discrimination appropriatelyor when the school administration is itself the originator of discriminationthe Office for Civil Rights intervenes by investigating the issue and enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws that protect minority students," the post explains. "In a case like the Forsyth County School District, the combined impact of removing library books with BiPOC and LGBTQ+ characters and themes, along with the egregious on-the-record rhetoric and actions by board members and administrators, created a hostile environment for minority students."

EveryLibrary officials say such investigations should be seen as "a deterrent to banning books and removing materials" from other schools and libraries. "EveryLibrary applauds the Office for Civil Rights for enforcing anti-discrimination policies and statutes, especially in the emerging issues around book bans and censorship."
Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neyizhpapa, personally congratulated the marines in the mission areas on the Day of the Marine Corps, the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said.

"Everyone knows and respects the Marine Corps  it makes a great contribution to Ukraine's victory over the enemy," Neyizhpapa addressed the servicemen of the 35th Separate Marine Brigade.

The commander of the Navy awarded the Marines with valuable gifts.

"I congratulate all of you on the holiday. But we still have a lot of work ahead of us  we need to completely liberate Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, Kherson regions from occupation. And most importantly, the marines must return and vacate our permanent place of deployment  the . Only after that we can consider that we have put an end to this war," the commander said.
Haymarket Books has established the Writing Freedom Fellowship, a program designed for writers working in poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction who are incarcerated or otherwise impacted by the criminal legal system through a family member or loved ones incarceration.

Twenty writers will be selected this fall, from a pool of candidates nominated by writers and advocates invited into the process, to receive Writing Freedom Fellowships. The significant cash allotment is unrestrictedwinners can use the funding however they like, rather than specifically on writing-related expensesand will be given annually, based on each writers existing body of work. Each recipient will also be provided with one year of support through mentorship, professional development, and interaction with the other writers in their cohort.

In a release, Haymarket said that the Writing Freedom Fellowship seeks to foster writers creative practices and build community against the backdrop of a system that is premised on punishment and designed to isolate and often silence personal expression. Writing Freedom Fellows need not have written on themes related to the criminal legal system. The publisher added, in a statement, that "out of concern for the privacy for future awardees, particularly any who may be incarcerated, Haymarket is not disclosing the award amount at this time."

An advisory board of nine writers and advocates will assist Haymarket and its fundersthe Art for Justice Fund and the Mellon Foundationin administering the fellowship: Hanif Abdurraqib, Lawrence Bartley, Mahogany L. Browne, Natalie Diaz, Tayari Jones, Rachel Kushner, Romarilyn Ralston, Andrea Ritchie, and Christopher Soto.

"Writing is one of the most ancient art formsand everyone has a story to tell, noted Ralston, the executive director of Project Rebound, a program at California State University that works with formerly incarcerated individuals who want to enroll at CSU. However, many writers, poets, and truth tellers are silenced, incapacitated, and unsupportedwarehoused in prisons like old books on dusty library shelves. The Writing Freedom Fellowship offers people with an incarceration experience and system-impacted individuals the social and financial capital needed to transform their words into masterpieces."
Broadleaf Adds A Transgender Perspective

Trinity McFadden of The Bindery Agency brokered a world rights deal with Lil Copan, acquiring editor at Broadleaf Books, for theologian Shannon T.L. Kearns No One Taught Me How to Be a Man: A Transgender Perspective on Non-Toxic Masculinity, with publication set for spring 2025. Kearnsauthor of In the Margins: A Transgender Mans Journey with Scripture and cofounder of QueerTheology.comprovides insights on how readers can become better men, better feminists, and work in solidarity with all people.

Derwin Gray Sends New Title to NavPress

NavPress senior editor Caitlyn Carlson acquired world rights to Derwin L. Grays Sent from Alex Field of The Bindery Agency. Gray, a pastor and the author of bestselling books The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches about Finding True Happiness (2020) and How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, and the First Christians Knew, about Racial Reconciliation (2022), will highlight a vision for discipleship in Sent. Publication is planned for 2025.

IVP to Launch Multi-Lingual Bible Studies

Kristel Acevedo, a spiritual formation director, has signed a two-book, world rights agreement with IVPs executive editor Elissa Schauer for two Bible studies that will include English and Spanish translations of each. The tentatively titled first book, Walking in the Wilderness, will be released in spring 2025. It encourages readers to think of tough or trying periods in life as times to grow closer to God. Jenaye Merida at WTA Media brokered the deal, with details of the second book currently undecided.

Penguin Takes a Liking to Jewish Board Books

I Like Your Chutzpah & Other Likable Yiddish Words will be the first in a series of four Jewish-themed board books from author, illustrator, and product designer Suzy Ultman that were acquired by Cecily Kaiser, director of preschool publishing at RISE X Penguin Workshop. The series, launching in fall 2024, will feature future titles on Shabbat, Passover, and more. Kathleen Brady at The Current Company negotiated the world rights deal.

Jesus Goes to School in Multnomah Title

Kimberly Von Fange, associate editor at WaterBrook Multnomah, has acquired world and all language rights to April Graneys picture book If Jesus Came to My School for readers ages 3-8. Blythe Daniel of The Blythe Daniel Agency brokered the deal for the summer 2025 release. The rhyming tale encourages children to make a difference at school through compassion, kindness, and inclusion. The illustrator is still to be chosen.

Izard Signs with Baker Books

Padnacia Goodman, acquisitions editor at Baker Books, signed a world rights deal via Blythe Daniel of The Blythe Daniel Agency with Kathy Izard (The Hundred Story Home) for the tentatively titled Trust the Whisper: Finding Your Life by Listening to Your Soul. Izard, who works on issues of homelessness, housing, and mental health in Charlotte, encourages women at crossroads to create faith connections that lead to a more fulfilling life. Expected publication is summer 2024.

Abuse Survivor's Memoir to Lake Drive Books

Lake Drive Books publisher David Morris acquired world and audio rights to Christa Brown's tentatively titled Baptistland: A Memoir of Abuse, Betrayal, and Beyond. In the memoir, Brown will assert that women, like herself, who were betrayed by what she calls a patriarchal Southern culture, can achieve a better life by opening up about the abuse they suffered. Brown represented herself in the deal and the book is set for a May 2024 publication.
Qatar Airways has opened ticket booking for direct flights to Bahrain, after the two Gulf countries announced that they will resume direct flights from May 25th.

Read More: Bahrain and Qatar to Resume Direct Flights as of May 25th



For the flight route, the airline will fly the Airbus A320, which will depart from Doha at 8 p.m. every day, starting May 25th. An economy ticket will cost QAR 1,210, while a first elite ticket will cost QAR 4,780.

The airline has also opened the booking for a return flight (QR1109) on the same day, and the flight will depart from Bahrain at 10:20 p.m. and it will arrive in Doha at 11:15 p.m.

Other than Qatar Airways, Bahrain's Gulf Air will also operate a daily flight service on this route to increase its capacity.
Amtrak has announced that from Monday, 5th June, two extra Northeast Regional trains will provide direct access from Springfield, Massachusetts to New York City with connections to the Northeast Corridor for onward travel to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, and elsewhere.

The additional trains are a result of an agreement between Amtrak, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT).

Travel time from Springfield Union Station to New York's Penn Station will take 3 hours, stopping en route at Hartford Union Station. Departures from Springfield are at 4.45 am and 7.50 am, and Hartford at 5.26 am and 8.35. Arrival times in New York are 8.10 am and 11.21 am.

Return journeys depart from New York at 6.59 pm and 8.50 pm, with arrival in Hartford at 9.51 pm and 11.41 pm, and Springfield at 10.40 pm and 12.26 am.

Amenities on the Northeast Regional trains are the same as on most Amtrak trains, with free Wi-Fi, no restrictions on the use of phones or other electronic devices, and no requirement to switch on airplane mode. The carriages have large spacious seats with plenty of legroom and no middle seat, and small pets can be carried..

Some service changes have been made to the existing Springfield to Hartford service to accommodate the extra services. Further information can be obtained via Amtrak.com, the Amtrak app, Amtrak ticket desks and kiosks, or by telephone at 1-800-USA-RAIL.

Amtrak President Roger Harris said Adding two new Northeast Regional trains between Springfield and New York City meets the growing demand of train travel and allows more people to experience the benefits of passenger rail.

Thanks to our collaboration with MassDOT and CTDOT, and with support from MTA Metro North, we can offer more service, reduce travel times and provide greater travel flexibility for our customers, including arriving in New York from Springfield and Hartford before 9 a.m.

Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said Bringing additional train service and more options for riders along the Hartford and New Haven Lines is the result of a strong collaboration between CTDOT and our partners. We worked closely with Amtrak, MTA Metro-North Railroad, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to make this happen.

Governor Lamont has charged us to improve rail travel in the state and give people more sustainable travel options. We delivered on the Super Express trains, which get riders from New Haven to New York in as little as 99 minutes, and now we are bringing this service to riders through funding provided in the Governor's budget last year.

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this possible. I look forward to future collaborations with our regional partners so we can continue to provide additional environmentally friendly commuting options for riders.

Massachusetts Transportation Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca said We appreciate the partnership with the Connecticut Department of Transportation, MTA Metro-North Railroad, and Amtrak which is leading to additional train service from Springfield.

These additional trips providing direct service between Western Massachusetts and New York City enhance the rail network and will make passenger train service an even more attractive travel option for visitors and residents. Additional travel by train will have many benefits, including taking vehicles off the roads, lessening traffic congestion, and helping to reduce greenhouse gases.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education released the latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress' social studies assessments. Eighth graders' U.S. history scores continued a previous pattern of decline, reaching the lowest levels since the mid-1990s. And civics scores declined for the first time ever.

Although policymakers and education experts expressed concern about this downturn, they were also not shocked. And there is good reason for their lack of surprise. As our own RAND research has documented, there are no consistent federal or state accountability mechanisms for social studies, meaning schools are not incentivized to focus on improvement in this subject like they are for reading and math.

Scholars have argued we need to integrate more discussion of civics and history into reading instruction. While we agree this could be useful, we are skeptical this will lead to sustained improvement in social studies scores unless we attend to more systemic barriers that stand in the way of boosting students' social studies knowledge and skills. Here are the four main barriers, as we see it:

Schools are not incentivized to focus on improvement in social studies like they are for reading and math. Share on Twitter

Parentsalong with teachers and schoolsdon't have a sense of alarm about their own child's social studies knowledge.This isn't their fault. Parents don't know what their children don't know about social studies, because there aren't systems in place to assess students and inform parents of their progress. Yes, NAEP scores can provide some insight. But NAEP social studies assessments are infrequent, cover few students, and cannot provide data for individual students or schools. For other subjects, like reading and math, students are assessed regularly, through high-stakes annual state assessments and low-stakes interim assessmentssuch as i-Ready or MAP Growthwhich help schools monitor student progress. These data points provide parents with critical, real-time glimpses into their child's reading and math performance. But these data points aren't available for social studiesleaving parents in the dark, and leaving educators with no information about what knowledge and skills students are missing.

Dedicated infrastructure to support social studies instruction is lacking. By infrastructure, we mean the supports that are consistently in place to facilitate student learning in math and reading. These supports include: rigorous academic standards; high-quality, standards-aligned curriculum materials; frequent professional development for teachers; and regular feedback to teachers on their instruction. According to our national surveys of thousands of educators, these supports are largely missing for social studies. At best, state academic standards for social studies are scattered, and, at worst, provide students in some states with inadequate instruction about their government and their history. The consequences of this missing and inconsistent guidance are clear, too: Teachers end up having to make their own decisions about what to teach in their social studies classrooms. This autonomy is likely what is leading to such a large difference in quality from classroom to classroom, raising concerns that students aren't receiving equitable opportunities to learn social studies.

The politicization of this subject area discourages educators from broaching the complexities of governance and our history in the classroomdepriving students of critical opportunities to develop their civic skills. Since 2021, 18 states have banned discussions relating to race or gendersubjects that are likely to arise in the context of social studies instructionin the classroom. One in four teachers has said that they changed their choice of curriculum materials or instructional practices because of state or district restrictions on discussions related to race or gender. Avoiding certain topics in the classroom not only prevents students from learning basic facts about our history, but it also deprives them of the opportunity to learn how to engage in conversations about politically and culturally contentious topicsa known necessary skill ( PDF ) for students' civic development. Unsurprisingly, roughly half of district leaders feel polarization over race and gender topics is getting in the way of educating students.

Reversing current trends will require concerted effort and increased investments at all levels of the U.S. education system Share on Twitter

Social studies has largely been excluded from discussions about pandemic learning loss and recovery efforts. Much attention has (rightly) been focused on the large declines in students' reading and math achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the interventions schools are implementing to try and bring students back up to grade level after such declines. Yet, there has been little to no discussion about how schools are using their unprecedented federal funds to focus on remediating social studies performance as well. Researchers expect it will take 2 to 5 years to recover students' learning in math and reading. We cannot expect social studies performance to improve in the coming years if we continue to exclude it from recovery efforts.

Despite these barriers, we are optimistic social studies scores can be raised. However, reversing current trends will require concerted effort and increased investments at all levels of the U.S. education system. For example, the federal government should incentivize states to embrace evidence-based, rigorous frameworksone such is the Educating for Democracy Roadmapto guide standards and approval of high-quality social studies instructional materials. The federal government can also catalyze the development and testing of high-quality instructional materials and professional learning supports aligned with such frameworks. Meanwhile, parents, teachers, and schools should demand more from state governance in terms of setting more-rigorous requirements and accountability mechanisms for social studies.

Together, we can recenter civics as a central mission of schools.

Julia Kaufman is a senior policy researcher at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. Melissa Kay Diliberti is an assistant policy researcher at RAND.

Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
TLC / Reality TV World

By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 05/22/2023



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NICOLE CRIES AND MAHMOUD STORMS OFF

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DANIELE AND YOHAN REMAIN AT ODDS

GABRIEL AND ISABEL CHALLENGE EACH OTHER

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JEN AND RISHI ARE STILL TOGETHER

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OUSSAMA STICKS WITH HIS STORY

KRIS AND JEYMI GO HEAD TO HEAD

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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

: The Other Way -- Tell All Part 2 featured Kris and Jeymi throwing out startling accusations about cheating and finances, Jen revealing she and Rishi had hooked up and reconnected, Gabriel and Isabel's trust being put to the test, and Daniele being accused of emasculating Yohan during the episode that aired Sunday night on TLC.The show's returning couple, Daniele, a 42-year-old from New York, NY, and Yohan, a 32-year-old from the Dominican Republic, first appeared on Season 2 of : Love in Paradise.In addition to Daniele and Yohan, Season 4 of : The Other Way stars Jen, a 46-year-old from Stilwell, OK, and Rishi, a 32-year-old from Jaipur, India as well as Kris, a 40-year-old from Haleyville, AL, and Jeymi, a 30-year-old from Venezuela who currently resides in Bogota, Colombia.The TLC series aalso stars Gabriel, a 32-year-old from Margate, FL, and Isabel from Colombia; Nicole, a 38-year-old food delivery driver from Los Angeles, CA, and Mahmoud, a 26-year-old from Cairo, Egypt; and Debbie, a 67-year-old from Sugar Hill, GA, and Oussama, a 24-year-old from Khemisset, Morocco.: The Other Way's fourth season followed American citizens moving to or living in foreign countries for the sake of love and their future spouses and experiencing culture shock.Below is what happened on Part 2 of : The Other Way's Season 4 Tell-All reunion, which was hosted by Shaun Robinson Mahmoud, upset at Gabriel's insults from Part 1 of the Tell-All, had taken off his microphone and stormed off from his videochat, leaving Nicole worried and in tears.Gabriel criticized Mahmoud for not wanting to be challenged, and Nicole agreed it was very difficult living with Mahmoud's rules and expectations, although she loved and respected him a lot.Shaun asked Nicole to check on Mahmoud and try to get him to rejoin the reunion.Mahmoud was then shown talking to Nicole on the phone from Cairo, Egypt. Mahmoud vented about how no one had the right to talk to him about his children and how they should be raised.Mahmoud put his hand over a camera lens and shouted about how he was going home. Mahmoud was angry at Gabriel for making him look bad, but Nicole asked her husband to help the others understand his position and beliefs."I'm not sorry to anybody. He can decide his religion. I never said anything about his f-cking religion or what his kids are going to be. It's not my business and it's not his business to tell me how my kids shall be," Mahmoud complained to Nicole.Nicole claimed the cast was just asking him questions, but Mahmoud disagreed and thought Gabriel had crossed a boundary.Nicole asked Mahmoud to be strong, but Mahmoud said he wasn't going to stand any more attacks.Nicole convinced Mahmoud to get back on-camera, but he wasn't happy about it. Mahmoud called Gabriel "a f-cking assh-le," but Gabriel said he had just asked him a simple question."I just want people to be nice to each other," Nicole cried. "I'm asking both of you to try to understand each other."Gabriel -- whose father and stepmother are Muslim -- apologized to Nicole for sparking drama and making her upset, and Nicole vented about how she just wanted everyone to get along and not "perpetuate nonsense."Mahmoud then apologized to everyone for leaving the Tell-All, and he explained to Gabriel how talking about someone's future child was inappropriate. Mahmoud said he'd never ask Gabriel if his children are going to be Christian, Jewish or any other religion -- and if Gabriel is going to force the kid into it.Debbie hugged Nicole onstage and assured her that no one was judging her or Mahmoud.Daniele admitted she was triggered by Nicole and Mahmoud's problems because she had similar issues -- and cultural differences -- from her husband Yohan.Daniele said one thing that makes a relationship successful is the ability to have hard conversations and when a wife feels oppressed or silenced, it's toxic and unhealthy."[He claimed] he'll let his kid choose [his or her religion], but you don't let your wife choose," Daniele noted.Gabriel agreed that if Mahmoud let his child choose their faith, "of course" they'd be Muslim.Jen's friend Myra told Daniele that she had emasculated Yohan and "carried his balls" in her purse. Myra said Daniele just wanted to control her husband, but Daniele disagreed.Yohan accused Daniele of bossing him around, but then Daniele said if Yohan wanted to pay all the bills, she'd be fine staying home and taking on the housewife role."But I can't do that and pay all the bills. He has to pick one," Daniele said.On the topic of their sex life, Daniele said she's very flexible and Yohan is very strong and so their difference in height wasn't a problem.Debbie joked about how Yohan is always going to be known as the guy "with a big ding-dong."Gabriel shared how his underwear business has been doing well, both for transgender men and cisgender men who want their "bulge" to look bigger.Gabriel admitted Isabel is "the boss," but Isabel insisted she views the business as a partnership.Gabriel's friend Trey then joined the reunion via Zoom, and Trey revealed that Isabel had affected the men's friendship."We can only hang out at his house when she's around. We can't be together, going out and stuff like that," Trey told Shaun. "And Gabe is like, 'Leave her alone.' Happy wife, happy life. I don't want to get him in trouble."Isabel admitted she didn't like Gabriel and Trey's friendship due to Trey's "loose" lifestyle. She apparently didn't want Trey to be a bad influence on her husband.Since Trey was single and enjoyed going to clubs, Gabriel said that Isabel didn't want them going out together. Because of Isabel's past, she was afraid Gabriel was going to leave her and find another woman."I'm going to be honest with you right now: when we go out, Gabe does pull a lot of women," Trey announced.: The Other Way footage then played of Gabriel saying he wanted to be free."If being free is going out with lots of women," Isabel countered, "then maybe we can both be free."Gabriel insisted that he just wanted to Isabel to trust him because he believes she's the most beautiful woman in Colombia. Gabriel said he wasn't looking for other women and he could stare at his gorgeous wife all day.Trey suggested Isabel -- who had called him a "dog" and "womanizer" -- could just "lighten up the leash" a little bit, but Isabel clarified how she didn't forbid Gabriel to do anything; she just gave him her opinion and perspective on things.Gabriel argued Trey is a single guy looking for love, not a womanizer.Isabel concluded the segment by saying she didn't think she was bringing baggage from her past relationships into her marriage.Gabriel later shared how he feels erotic sensation post-surgery and can feel hot and cold because all of the nerves in his penis are intact. Gabriel said he had a custom penis made and got to pick his size.It took three months for Gabriel to recover from his surgery, and he had to wait nine months to pee normally due to a complication."People think I'm crazy and that trans is a choice. Do you think I would choose to do this?! That sucks," Gabriel shouted.Jen and Rishi had broken up in India on the show, but Jen revealed at the Tell-All the exes were still speaking.When asked what happened since viewers last saw them on TV, Jen explained, "I was actually invited to a mutual friend's wedding, and Rishi was also there. And there was something else, I think, in store for us. And we reconnected while I was there."Rishi shared how love is endless, and then Jen said she and Rishi began spending a lot of time together after the wedding.Jen stayed in a hotel in India while Rishi stayed at his parents' house. Jen said the pair had never spent the night together."I'm not saying that we weren't intimate," Jen announced. "[It was] the first time in a long time... It was pretty amazing."Both Jen and Rishi were smiling big, which their fellow cast members noticed. Rishi went as far as to call their sexual encounter "salvation," which Daniele called "impressive."Jen confirmed that she and Rishi loved each other but he's "a mama's boy" who is deeply connected to his family. Jen said she wasn't going to make Rishi choose between their relationship and his family, but Debbie called Rishi "a coward" and said he should've stood up to his mother on Jen's behalf.Gabriel and Jen accused Rishi of talking in circles without really saying anything."Who comes first -- your partner or your family?" Daniele asked for clarification."Umm, basically, I can't choose... Both are special, but if I need to [make] any decision, yes, I go with my family first," Rishi confessed.When asked how Jen fit into that picture, Rishi explained how Jen was close to his heart -- and how she shared that space in his chest with his relatives.Jen declared, however, that she and Rishi were not engaged and she wasn't confident an engagement was ever going to happen again for them."I think she's my fiancee still," Rishi admitted, adding how his mother knew that he and Jen were spending time together.Gabriel then asked Rishi if his family knew that he and Jen were engaged, and Rishi replied, "Yes. We already discussed it, when Randi told everyone that we got engaged two years before."But Jen pressed for a more recent update, to which Rishi responded, "Yeah."Jen said she and Rishi still loved each other and were in touch but "a lot of things would have to happen" for them to be engaged again -- including Rishi being willing to leave his mother's house.Rishi claimed he was trying to make that happen and figure out a way to support his family and give them money without him living in the same household.Jen's close friends Myra and Randi were then welcomed into the conversation. The women admitted Jen and Rishi's reunion was "news" to them. The ladies thought Jen was "done" with Rishi and said the couple's relationship was never going to work.Debbie pointed out how Rishi wanted the best of both worlds, and Gabriel argued how Rishi had "no balls" and wasn't willing to grow up. Nicole, on the other hand, reasoned how it's so hard to break with one's traditions."She's moving to a whole new country for you, and you're not even supporting her," Gabriel said.When Rishi and Jen were apart for six months, Rishi explained that he didn't get involved with another woman. Rishi said he received a lot of DMs on Instagram but that's it.But Randi reminded viewers how Rishi had flirted with her via DMs and asked her to call him.Randi noted Rishi had also said something "inappropriate" to her that didn't air on the show. Rishi claimed Randi was the one who had been "inappropriate," and Randi admitted she had asked Rishi to send her "a special part" of him in a photo.Jen insisted that Rishi doesn't have game, and her friends accused her of making excuses for her man. Randi had a feeling Rishi was seeing other women, but Rishi countered, "That's not true."Rishi's uncle Gajendra and mother Shimla then joined the conversation via Zoom.Shimla said she had no problem with Rishi and Jen talking to each other as friends again, but Jen was clearly more than just Rishi's friend.When Shaun announced that Jen and Rishi were engaged again, Shimla didn't seem aware of the update. She said they did not agree with Jen and Rishi being engaged to marry.Gabriel called Rishi out on a lie, saying Rishi's parents clearly didn't know about his reinstated engagement, and then Rishi told his mother that he was thinking about marrying Jen.Rishi clarified to viewers how he and Jen were "thinking about the future" but she was still "free," in his opinion. Rishi said he'd like to marry Jen but the problem was Jen's desire to live separately from his parents' home.Rishi said he had to make sure that he could afford to live with Jen and still financially support his parents. But Gabriel and Mahmoud accused him of making excuses and not telling the truth.Rishi yelled about how he didn't care about what anyone else thought or the pressures they were trying to put on him to marry Jen.: The Other Way footage then aired of Rishi saying he would choose his family over Jen, and Jen admitted she felt "annoyed" by that and wasn't sure her romance was going anywhere.Rishi's mother admitted that she was upset by Jen and Rishi's large age difference, but Jen thought that was "absurd." Shimla said Jen's age was her only flaw and nothing more than a friendship could happen between her son and Jen, who felt "age-shamed."Rishi then told his mother that he loved her but he loved Jen as well.Jen wanted Rishi to tell his mother that they planned to marry in a year or so, but Rishi wouldn't follow through. Jen called the situation super frustrating.Rishi therefore told his mom and uncle, "I am saying that whether you give me permission or not, I am going to marry her, maybe within six months or one year.""He cannot marry her," Shimla responded."We cannot accept it," Gajendra replied."Aww thanks," Jen said with attitude, adding how there was a lot of talk but no action.Once the cast gathered backstage for a break and a snack, Gabriel warned Jen that Rishi's behavior was sketchy, especially in regards to his DMs.Oussama claimed he never used Debbie or lied to her because their plan all along had been to eventually move to America together.Debbie claimed she's not attracted to younger men at all and she'd prefer "a seasoned gentleman" around her age. She said it was actually a bummer to have fallen in love with a 24-year-old but it just happened."Nights in Casablanca is wishful thinking on Oussama's part," Debbie said.Debbie shared how her last intimate relationship was 12-14 years ago because sex is a gift that should be valued and treasured between two individuals.After : The Other Way footage aired of Kris and Jeymi's explosive breakup, Kris admitted she must leave and be left alone when she's angry -- and then she'll come back and have a peaceful conversation."If you try to stop me, I black out. It's just a defense mechanism," Kris explained of having physically shoved Jeymi away from her.Jeymi then announced, "I feel that I fell in love with a scam. I fell in love with someone who didn't exist. And it's absurd."Kris argued it's absurd to be told to her face that she had caused Jeymi to financially struggle when she was the one who wasn't working. Kris claimed she had worked day and night to pay Jeymi's bills.But then Jeymi claimed she had never received one rent payment from Kris -- and that she supposedly had proof of that.Kris said she had sent Jeymi only one payment for her bank, but Kris' mother sent Jeymi money another time.When asked how much money, altogether, she had sent Jeymi, Kris said "about 10 grand." Kris included what she and Jeymi had bought and spent while they were together.Jeymi said she never personally received any of that money. When Shaun asked Jeymi flat out how much money Kris had given her, Jeymi said, "$1,150 more or less."Kris rolled her eyes and laughed, and Kris said she had spent more than that just on clothing for Jeymi while she was in Jeymi's country.Kris didn't think Jeymi used her for her money, but she accused Jeymi of taking advantage of her hard work.Jeymi then showed a screenshot of a $746 pay order Kris had sent her, and there was only one of them. Jeymi said she was only interested in receiving rent money. Jeymi said she had to borrow money and she's still paying off debts because of that apartment.Kris claimed that she never wanted that expensive apartment, and then she announced that Jeymi had allegedly cheated on her twice. Kris said she was so mad about Jeymi's second affair that she flipped her car and could've flared up her health injuries."To lie and say you didn't know about my health injuries is f-cking bullsh-t. Keep playing the victim because that's what you're good at," Kris yelled.Jeymi called Kris a liar, and Kris insisted Jeymi had "no debt" unless she stayed in the apartment for months and accrued debt. Kris said she'd sponsor Jeymi and have no problem financially supporting her in America.Jeymi explained how she was in debt from having to move to a less-expensive apartment.When asked to reveal the status of their marriage, Kris replied, "There is no marriage," and Jeymi agreed that she's currently single.Kris later said the first time Jeymi had cheated on her with a woman from Texas, Jeymi begged for her back. That woman allegedly contacted Kris, asking if Kris and Jeymi were still talking.This woman texted Kris, "I have a question. I met Jeymi in a dating app, we started talking the end of June. She asked me to be her girlfriend. I looked her up on Facebook and I see she just posted she was in a relationship with you. Just wondering what's the deal with that? I do have proof to back up what I'm saying."Kris asked to see the evidence, and the woman allegedly told Kris that Jeymi was using Kris for money. When Kris confronted Jeymi about it, Jeymi lied."She had the same relationship with [the Texas woman] that she had with me," Kris alleged. "We had never met either but we were talking about marriage and businesses and loving each other... If you're telling somebody else the same thing, you're a piece of sh-t."Kris went on to read text messages between Jeymi and this other woman, with the help of a translator.Jeymi apparently told the woman that she loved her face, her hair, her body and more. Jeymi admitted to having sent those text messages, but she said it wasn't technically cheating because Kris had disappeared for a month and so she thought their relationship was over.Kris said Jeymi had blown up Kris' phone while she was at work and so Kris' phone was taken away. Kris said she wasn't going to lose her job for anyone, but Jeymi said she felt "bad and alone" and Kris had ignored her on her birthday and when there was a death in her family."Jeymi, did you cheat on Kris twice when she thought you were in a relationship?" Shaun asked."Three times," Kris interjected."No, only once," Jeymi claimed.Kris said one of the times, Jeymi was flirting with another woman on Instagram. Kris also argued that she had only disappeared on Jeymi for five days.Debbie called Jeymi "a predator" and said she had taken advantage of Kris, who broke down into tears. Kris said she still loved Jeymi and would do anything for her, and so it killed her that they were having this fight and were in this bad state.Jeymi felt everyone was judging her when nobody knew the truth. Jeymi also said Kris never apologized for her actions, which Kris called "a straight-up lie." Kris accused Jeymi of being "awful" during their relationship."At the same time this woman appears in Kris' life, her ex-boyfriend was sending me photos of her naked, having sex, etc. Nobody talks about that!" Jeymi shouted."It's all a lie," Kris said.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
REACH OUT AND TOUCH SOMETHING WITH MORE POWER?

When it comes to rifle cartridges, there are numerous options available, each designed to excel in specific scenarios. Two popular choices among firearm enthusiasts are 6.5 Grendel and 5.56 NATO.

In this guide, well explore the history, dimensions, ballistic performance, real-world uses, and more of these two excellent cartridges. By the time were through, you should have a clear understanding of their similarities and differences, as well as which one should suit you better.

So lets get to it.

Some Important Background

Lets kick things off with a quick history lesson. 5.56 NATO has a longer history, so lets start there.

5.56 NATO got its start back in the 1960s when it was adopted by the United States military as the standard round for the M16 rifle. The goal was to create a smaller, lighter, and faster round that would provide soldiers with increased ammunition capacity and controllability in combat situations.

Its small size and high velocity allowed soldiers to carry more ammunition while still maintaining sufficient lethality. The 5.56 NATO quickly gained popularity and became one of the most widely used rifle cartridges worldwide.

6.5 Grendel, on the other hand, is a more recent development. It was designed by Bill Alexander of Alexander Arms in the early 2000s. The goal was to create a cartridge that offered superior long-range accuracy and energy retention compared to 5.56 NATO, without sacrificing magazine capacity or requiring extensive modifications to the AR-15 platform.

Alexander Arms 6.5 Grendel Integrally Suppressed

Alexander achieved this goal by using a larger case with a wider base and a greater bullet diameter. His design focused on optimizing long-range ballistics, allowing shooters to engage targets effectively at extended distances. While 5.56 NATO was developed primarily for military applications, the 6.5 Grendel was designed with a specific emphasis on precision shooting and hunting.

6.5 GRENDEL AND 5.56 NATO TODAY

While 5.56 NATO remains the go-to choice for military applications around the world, 6.5 Grendel has gained its own level of popularity among civilian shooters, hunters, and precision rifle enthusiasts.

5.56 NATOs lightweight nature, high velocity, and effective terminal performance make it ideal for combat scenarios. It offers excellent penetration and fragmentation, ensuring the ability to incapacitate targets while minimizing the risk of over-penetration.

Plus, the widespread availability of 5.56 NATO ammunition and the vast range of rifles chambered in this caliber make it a convenient choice for military and law enforcement agencies.

On the other hand, the 6.5 Grendel has carved out a niche in precision shooting and hunting. The cartridge's larger bullet diameter, higher muzzle energy, and exceptional long-range ballistics make it well-suited for engaging targets at extended distances.

Precision shooters appreciate the 6.5 Grendel for its inherent accuracy, flat trajectory, and superb energy retention, allowing them to consistently hit targets with precision at long ranges.

Hunters, particularly those pursuing medium-sized game, value the 6.5 Grendel's ability to deliver significant energy and terminal performance at ranges where the 5.56 NATO may fall short.

In recent years, the popularity of the 6.5 Grendel has led to an increasing number of rifles being chambered in this caliber. Many firearm manufacturers now offer rifles specifically designed for the 6.5 Grendel, catering to the growing demand in the market.

This availability, combined with the availability of purpose-built ammunition, has made the 6.5 Grendel a viable option for shooters seeking long-range precision or hunting capabilities.

6.5 GRENDEL VS 5.56 DIMENSIONS

6.5 Grendel 5.56 NATO Parent Case .220 Russian .223 Remington Bullet Diameter .264 (6.71mm) .224 (5.7mm) Neck Diameter .293 (7.44mm) .253 (6.43mm) Base Diameter .439 (11.15mm) .377 (9.58mm) Case Length 1.52 (38.7mm) 1.76 (44.7mm) Overall Length 2.26 (57.5mm) 2.26 (57.4mm) Case Capacity 35gr H2O (2.3cm3) 28.5gr H2O (1.85cm3) Max Pressure 52,000 psi 62,366 psi

As you can see, 6.5 Grendel has a larger case capacity, a wider base, and a greater bullet diameter than 5.56 NATO. The larger bullet of 6.5 Grendel contributes to its improved ballistic performance, especially at longer distances, despite the lower maximum pressure.

BY THE NUMBERS: BALLISTIC COMPARISON

6.5 Grendel, 123gr 5.56 NATO, 55gr Velocity Energy Trajectory Velocity Energy Trajectory Muzzle 2580 FPS 1818 ft-lbs -1.5 3240 FPS 1282 ft-lbs -1.5 100 Yards 2374 FPS 1540 ft-lbs 0 2837 FPS 983 ft-lbs 1.4 200 Yards 2178 FPS 1296 ft-lbs -4.7 2468 FPS 744 ft-lbs 0 300 Yards 1991 FPS 1083 ft-lbs -16.7 2128 FPS 553 ft-lbs -7.2 400 Yards 1815 FPS 900 ft-lbs -37.6 1817 FPS 403 ft-lbs -22.1 500 Yards 1650 FPS 743 ft-lbs -69 1540 FPS 290 ft-lbs -47.7

*Data is the manufacturers advertised ballistics for Hornady Frontier FMJ

6.5 Grendel generally outperforms 5.56 NATO. 6.5 Grendel delivers higher muzzle energy and retains energy better at extended ranges. It offers increased accuracy and stopping power, making it a compelling choice for precision shooting and hunting applications.

COMPATIBILITY

Both 6.5 Grendel and 5.56 NATO come in a huge range of rifles. From AK patterns to bolt actions to even a few lever actions, youd be surprised at how widespread both cartridges have become.

But the biggest and arguably best platform for both is the AR-15. Since both were designed for the AR-15, it makes sense that most people choose it.

A standard AR-15 can be chambered in 6.5 Grendel or 5.56 NATO with only 3 changes: Bolt, barrel, and magazines. And yes, I really mean just the bolt. The carrier is interchangeable, so you only need a new bolt.

The bolt and barrel are wildly different sizes. But the magazine is a little different. 5.56 NATO mags dont work well with 6.5 Grendel, but in a pinch, they can work, but you take a major hit to capacity and reliability. Basically, if you go to the range and only bring your 5.56 mags, you should be fine for the day. Beyond that, get mags built for 6.5 Grendel.

25-round 6.5 Grendel magazines (like this one from ASC) are the same size as 30-round 5.56 NATO mags.

All other parts are interchangeable between the two platforms. You might want a heavier buffer in the 6.5 Grendel if you use normal or light springs/weights in your AR. But if you normally run something like an H2, youre fine.

REAL-WORLD USES

Now lets talk about what those numbers mean in real life.

Hunting

For hunting purposes, 6.5 Grendel is often preferred due to its superior energy retention. It provides excellent accuracy, sufficient power, and the ability to take down medium-sized game at extended distances.

Lehigh Defense Controlled Chaos Bullets 6.5 Grendel

5.56 NATO, although suitable for smaller game, is generally less ideal for hunting larger animals. You should also check local laws before using .223/5.56 for hunting since it is too small in several states.

Target Shooting

When it comes to target shooting, both cartridges can be effective, but 6.5 Grendel's ballistic performance shines through. It's superior accuracy and energy retention make it highly desirable for long-range target shooting.

While 5.56 NATO does have a flatter trajectory at closer ranges, 6.5 Grendel is able to maintain its trajectory better past a few hundred yards. However, 5.56 NATO's lower cost and greater availability of ammunition can also make it a more practical choice for casual target shooters.

Self-Defense

When considering self-defense applications, 5.56 NATO has long been the standard choice due to its widespread military and law enforcement use. It offers balanced penetration and terminal performance, making it effective in close-quarters engagements.

Each has their purpose, and each has their place.

6.5 Grendel, although capable of delivering more energy, is often less ideal for self-defense due to its potential for over-penetration and limited availability of defensive ammunition options.

Available Rifles and Ammo

5.56 NATO has a significant advantage here. Its compatible with a wide range of rifles, including the popular AR-15 platform, and enjoys widespread availability of ammunition from various manufacturers.

6.5 Grendel, while gaining popularity, has a more limited selection of rifles and ammunition options.

As mentioned above, 5.56 NATO tends to be a good bit cheaper, too, with ammo often running about half the price of an equivalent box of 6.5 Grendel.

PARTING SHOTS

6.5 Grendel and 5.56 NATO are both capable cartridges, each with its own strengths and areas of expertise. 6.5 Grendel offers superior long-range performance, making it a great choice for precision shooting and hunting at extended distances.

On the other hand, 5.56 NATO is widely recognized for its effectiveness in military and self-defense applications, with abundant rifle and ammunition options available.

Ultimately, the choice between 6.5 Grendel and 5.56 NATO depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you prioritize long-range accuracy, energy retention, and hunting capabilities, 6.5 Grendel may be the better choice for you. Conversely, if you value versatility, affordability, and widespread availability, 5.56 NATO is a solid option.
Germany has handed over a new military aid package to Ukraine, which includes the TRML-4D air surveillance radar system and 54 VECTOR reconnaissance drones, the press service of the German government said.

According to a post on the website, the package also includes two BIBER armored bridgelayers, three mobile and protected demining devices, eight anti-drone systems, six border vehicles, one frequency scanner/frequency suppressor, two swap body trucks with 20 retractable platforms, five heavy articulated trucks and 12 trailers, eight cars, 34 pickups, some 17 Zetros trucks.
'India has a lot of potential, not just in commercial aspects, but also in hiring of people and sourcing of products.'

Photograph: Daniel Becerril/Reuters

In an indication that Walmart's aspiration for multi-brand retail is a thing of the past, the chief executive of the biggest retail company of the world, Doug McMillon, lists out his India focus as Flipkart, PhonePe, sourcing and technology.

There's something else that he counts as part of Walmart's past in India: the lows.

During a short visit to New Delhi, he spoke to Nivedita Mookerji & A K Bhattacharya/Business Standard on issues ranging from Flipkart and PhonePe's IPO to India growing faster than the China market and more.

You are the second American CEO coming to India within a month after Apple's Tim Cook. How has India changed in the 15 years that Walmart has been here?

I'm very encouraged and enthusiastic. I made my first trip to India in 2004 and I have been coming here for a while since then and it seems to me that that the country is in a real good position.

Real progress is being made here across areas like financial services and infrastructure.

One of our objectives is to increase the exports coming out of India.

We set a goal in 2020 of exporting worth $10 billion from India per year by 2027.

At that time, we were a fifth of that number, so it was a big objective.

But it's possible. When we started our relationship with manufacturers, the product category was pretty narrow.

Home textiles was the big opportunity.

But today the opportunities are much wider, not just in home textiles but in apparel, shoes, toys, bicycles, supplements.... We even found a fish supplier for the US and other places.

You've reiterated the sourcing target. How are you planning it?

I reiterated that we believe we can do it, but there's a lot of stuff to do between here and there.

We set the target to motivate our team and let people here in India know that we are really serious about growing our business.

The breadth of categories that are now available and the other improvements such as the highway system, the deep water ports make it achievable, but there's a lot of work to get there.

The regulatory environment in retail may have been clouded and confusing for you at times in India....

Particularly talking about retail, in every country that we operate in, rules change.

What we ask for is fairness, transparency, being a part of the process, and consistency is helpful.

But that's true in the United States, Mexico and everywhere else.

You have faced regulatory challenges in India like nobody else. Do you still have big-box retail plans here?

Things are working out really well. As years have gone by, the whole world has changed in terms of e-commerce.

We are very comfortable with e-commerce, Flipkart and PhonePe business.

We are in a good spot. Our focus is on those investments and supporting the local teams there to help them achieve their potential.

How would you describe the India face of Walmart at this point?

Maybe you can describe that better than I can. But, when I think about it, there are many dimensions to it.

There's Flipkart, which is a marketplace business, there's PhonePe, a financial services business.

Then we have sourcing relationships and we employ around 10,000 technologists in the country.

So we have quite a few faces.

What is the face that you would like Walmart to have in India?

It's important to know how our customers view us. That reputation is driven by our brands such as Flipkart and PhonePe....

Does Walmart still have the aspiration to be a multi-brand retail player in India?

What really excites us are Flipkart and Phone Pe, and that's our focus.

After your $16 billion deal to acquire Flipkart, what's Walmart's investment plan here?

We'll invest what is necessary. The initial investment in Flipkart and PhonePe was $16 billion and then there have been subsequent rounds of investments. Others too have participated.

We have said eventually there will be an IPO and at that time more investors will be able to participate.

We want to be here for long-term and want Flipkart and PhonePe to be well supported by a breadth of investors.

Even retail investors should participate in the upside of the business.

Can you tell us a bit more about Flipkart and PhonePe IPO?

Eventually both will go for IPOs. I'm pleased that PhonePe is domiciled in India, which means its IPO will happen from here.

But those decisions will be made by the independent boards and the timing will be made by them.

We'll see that both are timed in the right moment.

There was much shareholders' concern when you acquired Flipkart. Has that settled down and looking back, was it an expensive deal?

It's gone very well and we are very pleased that we made this investment.

Yes, initially because of the investment cycle, Walmart shareholders had questions.

As the years have gone by, the Walmart community has come to realise these are great businesses and that our investment was well-placed and well-timed.

They are seeing the benefits of Flipkart and PhonePe beyond India.

Flipkart is helping launch the e-commerce business in South Africa and PhonePe has been helping with fraud detection service.

We are a global business operating in 20 countries and we exchange information and help build common tech these days.

Flipkart and PhonePe are part of that process.

The Walmart CFO had recently said that India will surpass China and be the biggest international market this year. Can you elaborate?

India is growing at a much faster rate, but it's a different type of business.

It's a GMV number in India as opposed to a real revenue number in China.

So there can be some apples and oranges comparison.

The point is that India has a lot of potential, not just in commercial aspects, but also in hiring of people and sourcing of products.

Flipkart was last valued at $38 billion during a fund round. What's the valuation at which Flipkart's IPO is expected?

It will be exciting to see!

Do you have any manufacturing plans in India?

We don't typically directly invest in manufacturing. We partner with companies like Trident and Welspun through commercial agreements. That's how we will keep it.

What's the Walmart perspective on artificial intelligence?

It's such an exciting time. Some of the things we dreamt about over the years are now possible with today's technology.

I've been doing this for 32 years now and I'm so struck by how technology has made things possible.

We are making investments in artificial intelligence and automation to make jobs better.

Ultimately we try to do something simple -- provide value for money, a wide assortment and enjoyable experience.

If those are the outcomes we want, how can technology help us do that? Generative AI helps us be more personalised with customers, more relevant in connecting with buyers, make our jobs more enjoyable and associates more knowledgeable.

What about job losses because of AI?

History has shown that new jobs get created. In our business in the US for example, the composition of work has changed a lot.

We have a same number of people, but a large number is participating in e-commerce.

There are efficiencies and new ideas to grow.

I think things will change but there always will be new ideas and those ideas will require resource and that will take the form of jobs.

How do you view the latest disruption in e-commerce through open network for digital commerce (ONDC)?

It's important to digitise industries. It's a good thing to have competition and it's good to be able to connect with sellers....It's early days, let's see how it plays out.

Every country has its own path. In India, UPI has been transformative, maybe India can do it again in e-commerce.

Can Walmart play a role there?

Flipkart and PhonePe can figure that out.

Do you expect M&A deals in the PhonePe domain?

We have made quite a few acquisitions in that space. The leadership team here has made those decisions.

History will say that there will be more because we have done them before.

In the backdrop of the global economic slowdown, Walmart has cut many jobs. What's the road ahead like?

I think our employment around the world will be fairly consistent, but there will be additions and subtractions and structural changes.

In the early years, there were huge concerns over Walmart coming to India and taking away jobs in the retail business, especially in the mom and pop stores. Have you been able to bring down that fear?

We have our core values and our focus is on being system thinkers and think about all stakeholders, not just one.

...If we do over time, people will say that they are glad that this company exists...

Walmart has exited many geographies. But despite the hurdles, you stayed on in India. Why?

That's because of the opportunities here and great people. We are optimistic and are long-term oriented business.

At Walmart board meetings, how much does India figure?

We talk about India in every board meeting.

What are some of the highs and the lows for Walmart in India?

I'm really encouraged by what's happening on the infrastructure side here.

It's getting easier to do the export business.

I'm really excited about the tech team. And Flipkart and PhonePe have been terrific investments.

And the lows?

The lows are all in the past...
In a bid to give a fillip to diverse and sustainable sourcing, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and Genpact have launched Be.Seen  a program to help scale businesses owned by minority and under-represented groups in India.

Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters

HUL and Genpact aim to enable these businesses to eventually get absorbed into the supply chains of large consumer companies, including that of HUL.

In 2021, the maker of Sunsilk shampoos committed to spending Rs 2,000 crore annually with diverse businesses by 2025, Ansu Archana, procurement director, beauty & wellbeing, HUL, told Business Standard.

Archana added that the program aligns with Unilevers wide-ranging set of commitments and actions to help build a more equitable and inclusive society.

This is by raising living standards across its value chain, creating opportunities through inclusivity, and preparing people for the future of work.

When you look at an economy like India, the last statistics that I saw was that less than 15 per cent of businesses were owned by women.

"This is broader than women; there are many communities that need more inclusion, Katie Stein, chief strategy officer and global business leader, enterprise services and analytics, Genpact, said.

Stein added, I think incrementally it could take us decades to ship this metric.

"When you think about Unilever, or potentially in the future, other partners on this platform, they bring massive scale and global supply chains.

"Here, we can elevate the presence of these minority-owned businesses into global supply chains to accelerate their progress and profitable growth.

The program is implemented by Sattva, a social impact research and advisory firm.

And in the pilot phase, the program will help shortlisted business owners to develop behavioral and technical skills over a period of six months.

These include advancing business and growth plans, pitching to investors, as well as fundraising activities.

HUL and Genpact top leaders will also train the selected businesses.
The BSE Realty index on Monday soared 4.3 per centmost among the 19-sectoral sub-indicesbuoyed by the proposal to formalise fractional ownership of real estate in the country.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) on Friday issued a discussion paper proposing to regulate online platforms offering fractional ownership in real estate, a model already popular in countries such as the United States and UAE.

The market regulator has stated that such fractional ownership of real estate assets was proposed to be brought as MSM (micro, small, medium) REITs under Sebi (Real Estate Investment Trusts) Regulations.

This model would allow investors to own a fraction or a small share in a real estate asset like buildings and office spaces, which could include warehouses, shopping centres, conference centres.

Sobha Developers gained the most at 11.5 per cent, followed by DLF and Mahindra Lifespace, which added more than 7 per cent each.

Analysts said if implemented well the proposal will give a fillip to the countrys real estate sector as it will allow realty developers to monetise assets worth as little as Rs 25 crore.

The BSE Realty index is one of the best-performing index over the past one year, with gains of 24 per cent.

Strong operational performance in FY23 has mainly aided these gains.

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.
'If they harp on it again, they will begin to lose votes.'

'They have not lost this time, but they will lose next time.'

'Your committed votes will never be enough to guarantee victory for you.'

IMAGE: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Amit A Shah holds a road show in the Ranebennur assembly constituency in Haveri district ahead of Karnataka assembly elections, May 2, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

What lessons can be learnt from the Karnataka state elections in which the Congress scored a very decisive victory?

This is also the election where the losing party, the Bharatiya Janata Party, had exactly the same vote share as in the 2018 election where they had won 104 seats.

So, what made the difference this time? How did the Congress vote share increase this time?

Analysing the Karnataka state election results is Prakash Belawadi, the well-known activist and media personality from Karnataka.

"If you feed a hen a lot of food with nutrition, you get better and better eggs, but there is an optimum. If you give more than that, their eggs will become sickly. After a point, return on investment will diminish. That point has long been breached by the BJP," Belwadi tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier.

What came to your mind when the results of the Karnataka state assembly elections were out?

Everybody seems to be attributing the BJP's loss to these key reasons, broadly:

First, that Yediyurappa is not there, and so the BJP lost a lot of Lingayat votes.

Second, the places where Rahul Gandhi walked his Bharat Jodo Yatra, especially in the Dalit and tribal seats, many of the ST communities' votes went from the BJP to the Congress.

Third, that the Hindutva issues did not work well with the people, and so many non-Lingayat Hindus too voted against the BJP.

Four, that there were big charges of corruption against the Bommai government, and so the BJP lost a lot of support all across.

Finally, the freebies offered by the Congress won over women voters. So, the BJP lost a lot of women votes as well.

Yes, the BJP lost seats, but the vote share remained the same...

That's exactly what I am coming to. What does it mean?

Let us say, the BJP lost 8% of the vote share overall, including the assumed lost votes of Lingayats, women, tribal belts and even non-Lingayat Hindus.

If so, where did the party get new votes to make up enough to get the vote share as the previous election? That is the question.

Basically, I would say then that those who voted for the BJP last time, voted for them again, give or take one or two percent.

It means anti-incumbency and corruption did not matter to the committed BJP voters.

I don't think any voter in Karnataka thinks corruption will go away when the Congress comes to rule the state.

Though corruption is a major issue here, people do not blame any single party for it.

So, if the vote share remained the same, this was largely an issue-less election.

IMAGE: Women voters queue to cast their votes for the Karnataka assembly elections in Bengaluru, May 10, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Then, what about the Muslim population? There were many issues that bothered them to consolidate their votes behind the Congress....

Let me put it this way. It was an issue-less election, except for the Muslims and Vokkaligas.

Halal, hijab etc were major issues for the Muslims. Then, taking away the Muslim quota just before the elections was like adding insult to the injury.

The result, 9 out of 10 Muslims voted for the Congress. In the earlier elections, their strategy was to support the candidate who could defeat the BJP.

But this time, they voted for the Congress, en masse.

If Muslims are 14% of the voters, nearly all of them voted for the Congress and, unlike the Hindus, almost all the Muslims voted.

I want to arrive at this logically. If only 72 cast their votes out of 100, this is what happens.

100 voters comprising of Hindus (all castes) -- 84; Muslims -- 14 and Others -- 2.

If 90% of the Muslims voted, then the Hindus + Others are 72 - 13, that is 59.

If the BJP got 36% of 72 votes, then: (36x72/100) is just 25.92 votes or 26. It means, 26 of 57 Hindu votes went to the BJP which is less than 50%. It also means 27 Hindus didn't even vote.

Among the remaining 31 Hindu votes, JD-S with 13.5% share would get 13.5 x 72/100, which is 9.72 votes or 10 votes.

So, the Congress got the remaining 20 Hindu votes + others + all Muslim votes which adds up to 20+2+13 = 35 votes

So, my conclusion is, only 26 people voted for the BJP out of 100 voters, which is one in four.

The 35 votes for Congress means a little more than 1 in 3.

And the 10 votes for the JD-S out of 100, means 1 in 10.

You should also remember that the bulk of 28 out of 100 that didn't vote, almost all of them were Hindus, who didn't care so much for either the Congress or the BJP.

IMAGE: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addresses a public meeting for the Karnataka assembly elections at Chittapur, in Kalaburagi, May 8, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The BJP talks about 80-20 and say, they only need 80. But when the consolidation of Muslim votes happens, this is the result....

This has been happening ever since India got Independence. If you get above 35% of the votes, you can make the government.

No party in a national government has ever got 50% of the votes.

From Nehru's time, what the Congress has relied on was all of the Muslim votes. Always.

Historically, the Congress used to get all of the Muslim votes, and all of the Dalit votes.

It changed after 1979 when regional parties, like the SP and BSP, grabbed shares of the Muslim votes.

Generally, in an election, only 60%-65% voted, and of which 14% population of Muslims and 20%-25% population of Dalits voted for the Congress, and thus they crossed the 40% mark.

In the case of Karnataka's regional party, the JD-S lost 5% out of last year's 18% vote share. All to the Congress.

In the coming Lok Sabha elections, it will go down below 8% or 7% and they will dwindle further from there on.

IMAGE: Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot administers the oath of office to Siddaramaiah as the state's chief minister at the Kanteerava stadium in Bengaluru, Saturday, May 20, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo

Can we look at the Karnataka elections as the beginning of a new chapter in Indian politics where we will see consolidation of Muslim and Dalit votes once again?

Yes, the Muslims will come back to the Congress. They will not squander their votes with regional parties. This will happen all across India in the coming elections because of the Karnataka results.

Anyway, the BJP would never have got the Muslim votes. So, it is the regional parties that will suffer the most.

If they have any sense, the BJP should realise that consolidating their votes based on Hindutva will work only up to a point.

For example, in Karnataka, it worked up to this 36% vote share. Remember, they get this 36% from 72 and not 100.

They got only 25 votes out of 100 for Hindutva, and something else too.

If you are prejudiced, you can call every BJP voter communal, but I don't think every BJP voter is communal.

IMAGE: Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra Gandhi being received by D K Shivakumar in Bengaluru, May 20, 2023. Photograph: Kind courtesy INC/Twitter

What are the lessons to be learnt for the BJP and the Congress from the Karnataka election results?

The lesson for the Congress is that if they get all the Muslim votes, they are back in business.

But they have to understand that just Muslim votes too are not enough.

They have to do more. By doing more, I mean, they have to do real work, governance. This applies to both the parties.

Voters are not voting like before.

In India, all the parties have had committed votes. But this is changing.

The major disruption that happened in Karnataka was that Vokkaligas are breaking up between the Congress and JD-S.

When the JD-S vanishes, Vokkaligas have to break up between the BJP and the Congress. All the Vokkaligas will never vote for the Congress.

So, the BJP will have to cultivate a much larger base of communities to support the party.

In this, their worst election, they have 36% vote share and if they work more, they are back in business.

But in a bipolar election, you need more than 40% vote share.

Development can get you that 5% swing vote when there is an uncommitted vote of 10-12%, which could go any which way.

IMAGE: Prakash Belawadi IMAGE: Prakash Belawadi

You mean, Jai Bajrang Bali slogans alone will not work?

It is like the law of diminishing marginal utility. If you feed a hen a lot of food with nutrition, you get better and better eggs, but there is an optimum.

If you give more than that, their eggs will become sickly.

After a point, return on investment will diminish. That point has long been breached by the BJP.

They have reached a stage where Hindutva will not give them a single additional vote.

The BJP's committed 36% has kept their commitment again this time.

But remember what is happening to parties like the BSP, JD-S, etc... You can't just rely on one community forever.

When they get irritated, the votes will get split. That's the lesson the BJP should learn.

And the truth for the Congress is, they didn't get a positive vote in this election. The Muslim votes they got is not pro-Congress but anti-BJP.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
A Delhi court on Tuesday extended till June 1 the judicial custody of Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam.

IMAGE: Aam Aadmi Party leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia arrives to appear before the Rouse Avenue Court in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photograph: ANI Photo

The judge also directed the jail authorities to consider providing the politician a chair and a table along with books inside the prison.

While Sisodia was being brought out of the courtroom, he told the media in reference to a bill to replace the Centre's Ordinance on Delhi's Services matter that Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'does not believe in democracy'.

"Modi has become very arrogant," the former deputy chief minister charged.

The Delhi government implemented the excise policy on November 17, 2021 but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

Sisodia is an accused in the cases lodged by both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the matter.

Meanwhile, the AAP alleged that a policeman misbehaved with Sisodia at the Rouse Avenue court in New Delhi.

The Delhi Police has dismissed the charge as propaganda.

AAP leader Atishi posted a video of the alleged incident on Twitter and wrote: 'Shocking misbehaviour by this policeman with Manish in Rouse Avenue Court. Delhi Police should suspend him immediately.'

Slamming the police, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, 'Do the police have the right to misbehave with Manish Sisodia like this? Have the police been instructed to do this?'

The Delhi Police dismissed the charge as 'propaganda' and said it is 'against the law' for an accused in judicial custody to issue statements to the media.

'The matter of policeman misbehaving with Manish Sisodia in the Rouse Avenue court is propaganda. The policeman's reaction as seen in the video was natural from the security point of view. It is against the law for an accused to issue statements to the media,' the police said in a tweet.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh alleged that the police 'misbehaved' with Sisodia in order to 'please their boss'.

He further said the court should take cognisance of the incident.

'Police hooliganism at its peak. This police officer was pulling Manish Sisodia by his neck in order to please his boss. Hon'ble court should take cognisance of this incident. Modiji, the entire country is watching your dictatorship,' he said in a tweet in Hindi.

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said the country will 'never forget such misbehaviour' with the former education minister of Delhi.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Bharadwaj alleged that the policemen accompanying Sisodia to the Rouse Avenue court were instructed to humiliate him.

"We always doubted that officials had been misbehaving with Manish Sisodia in the jail but unfortunately, we do not have any evidence to prove it. The policemen have been instructed to demean and humiliate Sisodia in the court. We do not care if they do not suspend the policeman, because he did what he was instructed to do. It is the duty of the court to ensure that an accused is not mistreated at its premises," he said.

Reacting to the police statement on the incident, the senior AAP leader said con man Sukesh Chandrashekhar was allowed by the Delhi Police to interact with the media despite being in police custody.

Showing videos of Chandrashekhar during the presser, Bharadwaj said, "They cannot allow Manish Sisodia to speak to the media while in judicial custody, but they can allow con man Sukesh Chandrashekhar to do the same. The Delhi Police allowed him to interact with the media despite being in police custody. The Delhi police is lying with confidence about the matter."
The chief ministers of Assam and Meghalaya will meet in Guwahati on Wednesday to take forward discussions on resolving border disputes in the remaining six areas.

IMAGE: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarmah and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma (left). Photograph: ANI Photo

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said he and his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad Sangma will also visit the disputed areas later as a goodwill gesture.

The Meghalaya CM will come here tomorrow and discussion will be held on finding solutions for the remaining six areas, he said.

It will be the first meeting of the second round of talks between the two states, a Meghalaya CMO official told PTI in Shillong.

The first round of border talks concluded in March last year when both chief ministers signed an MoU in Delhi to end the border disputes in six areas. The MoU was inked in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Assam and Meghalaya have a longstanding dispute in 12 areas along the 884.9-km-long interstate border.

The two Northeastern states had signed a memorandum of understanding in March 2022 in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi towards ending the disputes in six areas.

Meghalaya was carved out of Assam in 1972 and had since then challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1971, which is recognised by Assam as its border.

On the progress of talks with Nagaland over oil exploration along the disputed boundary between the two states, Sarma said, We have sent our proposal to the Nagaland government and we are now waiting for their response.

We have not pursued the matter much as it was Nagaland who had sought our views. Now it is up to them.

Sarma and his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio had on April 20 agreed in principle to go ahead with oil exploration in areas along their disputed boundary for the economic benefit of both states.

Assam and Nagaland are exploring all options to bring an end to the decades-old border imbroglio in an amicable manner, an Assam government statement said in New Delhi after the meeting between the two chief ministers.

Rio told reporters later that Assam and Nagaland have in principle decided to go for an MoU on oil exploration in the disputed areas so that oil can be extracted and royalties can be shared between the neighbouring states.

Assam shares a 512.1-km border with Nagaland, with the dispute since the creation of the neighbouring state in 1963 and the matter is now pending before the Supreme Court for a resolution.
A street in Sydney, Australia, was on Tuesday officially renamed as "Little India" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese during a special community event.

Harris Park is a hub in Western Sydney where the Indian community celebrates festivals and events such as Diwali and Australia Day.

"I had the opportunity to welcome the Prime Minister @AlboMP ji on the Indian soil in Ahmedabad. Today he joined me in unveiling the foundation stone of 'Little India' here: PM @narendramodi," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

Harris Park is a thriving, dynamic, multicultural hub known for its blend of cultures and large Indian population, the city of Parramatta said on its website.

Sometimes referred to as Little India', Wigram, Marion and Station Streets in Harris Park are home to more than 20 eateries, a variety of shops selling colourful saris, glittering arm bangles and Indian spices that will transport you straight to Mumbai, it said.

The announcement to declare Harris Park as 'Little India' was made by Australian Prime Minister Albanese as he welcomed Modi at the community event.

Modi thanked Albanese for this special gesture.

"Thank you my friend Anthony," Modi said during the community event.

He said this is the recognition of the Indian community to Australian society.

"I thank the premier of New South Wales, the mayor and deputy mayor of the city of Parramatta and councillors for this special honour," he said.

The first proposal for officially naming the area 'Little India' was made in 2015.

Earlier attempts to formally declare the suburb as 'Little India' was stalled after the Geographic Names Board told Parramatta Council to stop using the term in marketing material because it "creates confusion".

Parramatta Council has said it is continuing discussions with the Geographic Names Board and is yet to receive a formal application to assign the name 'Little India'.

Harris Park, a small suburb next to Parramatta, is home to migrants from Lebanon, Italy, Greece, and China.

In the last 10 to 15 years it has become the go-to spot for Indian migrants, local media reports said.

A 2021 census revealed that 45 per cent of the 5,043 Harris Park residents have Indian roots, the report said.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday recognised the copyright held by Indian cinema legend Satyajit Ray to the screenplay written by him for his film Nayak.

IMAGE: Artists give the final touches to the wall mural of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray on the metro station building, in Kolkata, March 5, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo

Justice C Hari Shankar rejected an assertion by the family of film's producer RD Bansal that the copyright to the film as well as the screenplay belonged to them, and said they have no right to injunct the "novelisation of the screenplay" by third parties on the basis of a licence granted by Satyajit Ray's son Sandip Ray and the Society for Preservation of Satyajit Ray Archives.

The plaintiff family, in its lawsuit, said Satyajit Ray was commissioned by RD Bansal to write the screenplay of and to direct the film Nayak and the "novelisation of the screenplay" by Bhaskar Chattopadhyay and its publication by the defendant HarperCollins Publishers India was contrary to the Copyrights Act.

The court said being the author, Ray was the first owner of the copyright to the screenplay and the right to novelise it is also vested in him and the later conferment of this right by his son and SPSRA on the third party was "wholly in order".

"Inexorably, the conclusion is that under Section 17 of the Copyright Act, Satyajit Ray, as the author of the screenplay of the film Nayak, was the first owner of the copyright.. The contention that plaintiff is the owner of the copyright in the screenplay in the film Nayak, therefore, cannot be accepted and is accordingly, rejected," said the court.

"Copyright in the screenplay of the film Nayak vested, therefore, consequent on the demise of Satyajit Ray, on his son Sandip Ray and the SPSRA. The conferment of the right to novelize the screenplay, by Sandip Ray and the SPSRA on the defendant, therefore, is wholly in order," ruled the court.

The court observed there is no dispute that the screenplay of the film was "entirely the work of Satyajit Ray" and the producer "has contributed no part".

It said the Copyright Act clearly envisages that a copyright in a cinematograph film is distinct and different from copyright in any literary work which may be a part of the film.

"The assignment of the right to novelise the screenplay of the film Nayak by Sandip Ray and the SPSRA, in favour of the defendant is, therefore, wholly in order and in accordance with the provisions of the Act. On the other hand, the assertion, by the plaintiff, of the copyright in the screenplay of the film 'Nayak' is unsupported by any provision in the Act," stated the court.

"For the aforesaid discussion, the plaintiff has no right whatsoever, in law, to injunct the defendant from novelising the screenplay of the film Nayak. Accordingly, prayer (a) in para 34 of the plaint (to injunct the novelisation) cannot be granted. It is accordingly, dismissed," the court ordered.
Deputy Head of the President's of Ukraine Yulia Sokolovska met with Advisor, Peace and Human Rights Programs at the Embassy of Switzerland Gaetan Vannay, and Project Coordinator for Peace and Human Rights at the Embassy of Switzerland Natalia Sorokina.

"The participants of the meeting discussed assistance to Ukraine in the creation and development of registers and the exchange of information about the injured and deported Ukrainian children," according to the statement published on the website of the Ukrainian head of state on Tuesday.

Activities to create relevant registries and information exchange tools are being implemented as part of the E-Governance for Accountability and Participation Program (EGAP) project, funded by Switzerland and implemented by the East Europe Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Innovabridge Foundation.

The meeting participants agreed on further cooperation. The priority is to create a transparent mechanism that will be focused on the needs of victims or victims and understandable algorithms for them.
A court in Kochi on Tuesday granted the Narcotics Control Bureau custody of a Pakistan national, arrested in connection with the seizure of over 2,500 kilograms of methamphetamine from a vessel in Indian waters, till May 27.

IMAGE: Drugs seized in a special operation by the NCB and Indian Navy in Indian waters being shifted by authorities. Photograph: ANI Photo

The NCB had sought custody of Zubair Derakshshandeh for five days from May 22, said advocate B A Aloor who is representing the accused in the case.

In the remand report filed by the agency on May 16, it had said that a drug trafficker from Pakistan had offered the accused, "good money" after the work was completed.

The agency had on May 15 said that the actual commercial value of the contraband after its latest evaluation was close to Rs 25,000 crore, because of the high purity of the seized methamphetamine.

NCB had said that the contraband was kept in 2,525 plastic boxes and placed in 132 sacks. "The net weight of methamphetamine came out to be 2,525.675 kg," the agency had said.

It had also said that it was the largest seizure of methamphetamine in the country. The drugs were seized in a joint operation by the Navy and NCB.

The agency had claimed that the consignment was meant for India, Sri Lanka and Maldives from Afghanistan.

The seized drugs, the intercepted boat and some other items salvaged from the vessel along with the Pakistani national were brought to Mattancherry Wharf and handed over by the Navy to the NCB, it said.
A 32-year-old fireman died while attempting to douse a massive fire that broke out at a state-run drug warehouse in Thiruvananthapuram in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.

IMAGE: Fire fighters try to douse a fire which broke out at the Medical Services Corporation building at Kirfra Park in Thiruvananthapuram, Tuesday, May 23, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo

Ranjith, the deceased, was attached to the Chakka unit of the state Fire and Rescue Services.

According to police, the tragedy happened when a portion of the fire-hit building collapsed over him, crushing the hapless man while he was busy dousing the raging flames.

He and his fellow firemen rushed to the Kinfra Industrial Park nearby Thumba after learning that a major fire erupted in a warehouse there.

The drug warehouse, owned by the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited (KMSCL), was gutted in the fire by 1.30 am.

The security guard of the warehouse first saw the fire and informed the fire services, a police officer said.

"A beam of the building suddenly fell upon the fireman, crushing him. He was rushed to the hospital but he succumbed to the injuries," he told PTI.

Several units of fire service personnel rushed to the spot to douse the flames and the blaze was extinguished, he added.

Condolences poured in from various quarters in the untimely death of the young fireman who lost his life while delivering duty.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, General Education and Labour Minister V Sivankutty and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan expressed grief in light of the tragedy.

In a message, the Chief Minister said he conveyed his condolence to Ranjith's family members.

Minister Sivankutty, in a Facebook post, said the fire in the building was 'unfortunate' and the government would carry out a probe into the incident.

Last week, another warehouse of KMSCL was gutted in fire in Kollam district following which Health Minister Veena George ordered a probe into the incident.
Last updated on: May 23, 2023 13:43 IST

On a two-day visit to Kerala, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar traveled to the Panniyannur gram panchayat in Kannur, north Kerala, on Monday, May 22, 2023.

Accompanied by his wife Dr Sudesh Dhankar, the Veep wanted to thank Ratna Nair who taught him when he was a student at the Sainik School Chittorgarh boarding school in Rajasthan.

'A proud student pays gratitude to his favourite teacher!' Dhankar tweeted.

'He was a very active, well disciplined and obedient boy who excelled in all activities inside and outside the class,' Teacher Nair recalled of student Jagdeep.

'He was a good debater, a good sportsperson and good at academics too,' she added.

IMAGE: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar visits his school teacher Ms Ratna Nair at her residence in Panniannur village in Kannur. Photograph: Press Information Bureau

Photograph: ANI Photo

Photograph: ANI Photo

Photograph: Press Information Bureau

Photograph: ANI Photo

Photograph: PIB

Photograph: PIB

Photograph: ANI Photo

IMAGE: Photograph: ANI Photo

Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
India is working on new technologies such as the small modular reactors that can be factory-built and help make clean energy transition, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said in New Delhi.

IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: Reuters

Singh, in an interview to PTI, also said the government had opened up the nuclear power sector for joint ventures with public sector undertakings but not for the private sector.

Small Modular Reactors (SMR), with up to 300 MW capacity, are flexible in design and require a smaller footprint. Being mobile and agile technology, SMR can be factory-built unlike the conventional nuclear reactors that are built onsite.

A recent NITI Aayog report said, as many SMR designs were under various stages of research, development and licensing in different countries, global regulatory harmonisation, developing the manufacturing ecosystem and bringing in public as well as private capital would be the key for growth of the SMR industry.

"We are already working on it. I think as the time comes, we have to move with the global world. SMR may become the order of the day. We are open to these new technologies and we are also adapting to them very fast," Singh said.

The minister said for the first time, the Modi government had approved a proposal to build 10 nuclear reactors under "fleet mode".

The State-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) builds and operates almost all of the atomic power plants in the country.

In 2015, the government amended the Atomic Energy Act to enable joint ventures between the NPCIL and public sector companies to build nuclear power projects.

"Earlier, they were not partnering with anybody. So, we naturally had constraints on resources, finances. Now, we already have two important partnerships with Indian Oil Corporation and NTPC. We have moved in that direction, though not yet with the private sector," said Singh.

Earlier this month, the NPCIL signed a supplementary joint venture agreement with National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to develop two 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors at Chutka in Madhya Pradesh and four 700 MW PHWRs at Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan.

The NPCIL has also formed joint ventures with Indian Oil Nuclear Energy and Nalco Power Company Limited for expansion of the nuclear power sector.

India's current installed nuclear power capacity is 6780 MW and it plans to add 21 more atomic power generating units with a total installed capacity of 15,700 MW by 2031.
As part of a nationwide tour to garner support for his fight against the Centre's ordinance on control of services in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be meeting his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday afternoon, an official said.

IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Photograph: ANI Photo

Kejriwal, who will be accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is taking on the central ordinance setting up a National Capital Civil Service Authority which essentially overturns a Supreme Court order last week giving control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in Delhi.

"Today, I am starting my journey around the country for the rights of the people of Delhi. The Supreme Court had passed a judgement giving justice to the people of Delhi. The Centre snatched away those rights by bringing the ordinance," Kejriwal said.

"When this comes in the Rajya Sabha, it has to be ensured that it not passed. I will meet the leaders of all political parties and ask for support," he added.

The National Capital Civil Service Authority, where the chief minister will be the sole representative of the elected government, will handle the transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and also matters of disciplinary proceedings against them.

The AAP has announced that it will hold a 'maha rally' at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi on June 11 against the 'black ordinance'.

It has already sought support of all non-BJP parties on the issue saying this is a 'time for 'agni pariksha' (trial by fire)' for opposition parties, and that they should come together if they want to save the country's democracy and Constitution.

Kejriwal and Mann, who are flying in to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, will first hold a brief meeting with Aam Aadmi Party's West Bengal leadership before visiting the state secretariat Nabanna to meet the Trinamool Congress chief.

AAP's Bengal unit will also brief the media ahead of the scheduled meeting of chief ministers.

"They (chief ministers) are scheduled to have a closed-door meeting at the state secretariat. They may also hold a discussion on probable strategies for next year's general elections," a senior Trinamool Congress leader said.

Mann, while speaking to reporters after flagging off 98 emergency response vehicles for Punjab Police in Chandigarh, hit out at the Union government for bringing a 'tanashahi' (dictatorial) ordinance and accused it of allegedly interfering in the rights of states.

He said the AAP will travel throughout the country to seek support from political parties on the matter.

"Today, we are going to (West) Bengal and tomorrow we will visit Maharashtra," Mann said, adding they are seeking support from the parties to stall the ordinance in the upper house of parliament.

Both Kejriwal and Mann will leave Kolkata on Tuesday evening.

Kejriwal has earlier met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the ordinance issue and the latter has extended full support to AAP in its tussle with the Centre on the matter.

The AAP chief is also likely to meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday in Mumbai.

The central ordinance has to be ratified by Parliament within six months. For which, the Centre will have to bring a bill for its passage in both Houses of Parliament.
Sandeep Bareta, one of the main conspirators in the 2015 sacrilege cases in Punjab, has been held at the Bengaluru airport, the police said on Tuesday.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo

Bareta, who was one of the accused in the incidents related to the desecration of a religious text in Faridkot in 2015, was declared a proclaimed offender.

A lookout notice was also issued against him by the Punjab Police.

A Punjab police team has been sent to bring Bareta to the state for questioning.

The incidents -- the theft of a bir (copy) of the Guru Ganth Sahib, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters and torn pages of the holy book found scattered at Bargari -- took place in Faridkot in 2015.

The incidents had led to anti-sacrilege protests in Faridkot.

In the police firing at the protesters in October 2015, two people were killed in Behbal Kalan while some people were injured at Kotkapura in Faridkot.

"Proclaimed Offender in #Bargari Sacrilege cases 'Sandeep Bareta' has been arrested at #Bangalore airport today in pursuance of lookout notice issued by the Punjab police," the police wrote on Twitter.

"Police party sent for getting the accused for his production before learned court and seeking police remand for custodial interrogation," it added.

An investigation report of the Punjab Police on the 2015 sacrilege cases had pinned the blame on the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda sect for the incidents of desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib.

A Special Investigation Team led by additional director general of Police SPS Parmar was probing the sacrilege incidents.

Among the other accused, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was also named in the three sacrilege incidents.

Along with Bareta, two other accused -- Harsh Dhuri and Pardeep Kler -- were declared proclaimed offenders.

The other accused in the three cases included Sukhjinder Singh alias Sunny, Shakti Singh, Baljit Singh, Randeep Singh alias Neela, Ranjit Singh alias Bhola and Nishan Singh.

Dera Sacha Sauda follower Mohinder Pal Bittu, who was a key accused in the sacrilege cases, was killed in the Nabha prison in Patiala by two inmates in 2019.

In 2015, the then SAD-BJP government handed over the three cases -- the theft of a "bir" of the Guru Granth Sahib from a Burj Jawahar Singh Wala gurdwara, putting up handwritten sacrilegious posters in Bargari and Burj Jawahar Singh Wala, and torn pages of the holy book found at Bargari -- to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The Congress-led Punjab government, however, handed over the probe to an SIT of the state police in September 2018 after the Assembly passed a resolution, withdrawing consent to the CBI to investigate these cases, noting a lack of progress in the investigation.
'It is not just about numbers. Sometimes coalitions and alliances have symbolic value.'

IMAGE: November 2004: Then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with then deputy prime minister Lal Kishenchand Advani and then Gujarat chief minister Narendra D Modi at a meeting in Ahmedabad. Photograph: PTI Photo

This month, the Narendra Modi government will celebrate its ninth anniversary with customary fanfare, but the National Democratic Alliance completing 25 years is one anniversary at the risk of going unnoticed.

The NDA was formally launched on May 15, 1998, and was crucial to the Bharatiya Janata Party ruling at the Centre from 1998-2004. However, the initial enthusiasm of the BJP leadership towards allies in the aftermath of the 2014 win has diminished.

The Karnataka assembly and bypolls results are a reminder to the BJP of the NDA's relevance, feel some in the BJP. For hours after the party's Karnataka loss, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said southern India was now 'BJP mukt'.

On Sunday, March 15, BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao criticised the ruling YSR Congress Party for the 'anarchy' in Andhra Pradesh. Addressing reporters in Visakhapatnam, Rao acknowledged Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan's call not to allow the anti-YSRCP votes to split in next year's assembly elections.

The BJP and JSP are allies, as are the JSP and Telugu Desam Party. The TDP had stormed out of the NDA ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but has lately tried to mend bridges.

Rao said his party's central leadership would decide on other alliances, a reference to the TDP.

RSS ideologue and former head of BJP intellectual cell R Balashankar told Business Standard that while a decision on allies is for the top leadership to take, the TDP or even the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, if they so want, should be welcomed to the fold.

"Many more parties are closer to the NDA than to the UPA, such as the Biju Janata Dal, until recently even the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the YSRCP," he said.

Balashankar conceded that some of the allies -- the Akalis, Janata Dal-United and a faction of the Shiv Sena -- were no longer with the NDA. Still, the NDA has added more partners over the last quarter century.

"The NDA is a spectacular success, with a government at the Centre for over 16 of 25 years and winning four of the six Lok Sabha elections since 1998," Balashankar said.

The Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-poll result reminded the BJP that it would struggle in Punjab without its former ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal, despite such leaders as former Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal and former Congress state unit chief Sunil Jakhar joining its ranks over the last 12 months.

The BJP candidate secured 134,000 votes, and the SAD's 154,000 votes, against the winning Aam Aadmi Party candidate's 302,000 votes. A source said the difference between a united SAD-BJP vote share and AAP's was an eminently surmountable one per cent.

However, SAD leader Naresh Gujral said his party is wary of the BJP.

"The BJP needs to rebuild the trust deficit between itself and its former allies. They did not follow the coalition dharma, broke its tenets, and tried to usurp the political space or legislators of allies, like the Sena, JD-U and SAD," Gujral, who represented his party in the now-defunct NDA coordination committee, said.

However, the Uttar Pradesh bypolls highlighted another facet of the NDA's relevance. The Apna Dal-Soneylal contested and won the two by-polls -- Chhanbey in Mirzapur and Suar in Rampur -- defeating Samajwadi Party candidates.

In Suar, the Union Minister Anupriya Patel-led party fielded Shafeek Ahmed Ansari, who defeated the SP's Anuradha Chauhan in a seat considered a bastion of SP leader Azam Khan and a constituency the BJP, or its allies, had not won in over two decades.

Patel credited the win to the people's continued trust in the NDA.

A source said since the BJP did not field a single Muslim candidate in UP in 2022, it can use its allies to show the community that its patronage reaches them and presents an inclusive image.

"It is not just about numbers. Sometimes coalitions and alliances have symbolic value," said a leader of a party that severed its ties with the BJP in 2020.
The Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and the Communist Party of India on Tuesday said they will skip the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building even as the war of words over the prime minister and not the President scheduled to do the honours on May 28 continued between the government and the Congress.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Amid demands from the opposition that the President should inaugurate the new building, leaders of like-minded opposition parties deliberated on the issue and a joint statement by the floor leaders announcing a united boycott of the event may be issued soon, sources said.

They added a final decision will be taken on Wednesday, once the formal invitation is received by the parties.

The Congress, which has been targetting the government over the issue, said any decision on whether the party will boycott or attend will be taken at the right time.

Announcing the party's decision, TMC's leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien wrote on Twitter, "Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules -- it is the foundation of Indian democracy. Prime Minister Modi doesn't get that. For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out."

CPI general secretary D Raja also said his party will not attend the ceremony.

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh tweeted, "Not inviting President Droupadi Murmu to the inauguration of the new Parliament building is a great insult to her. This is also an insult to the tribals. The Aam Aadmi party will boycott the inauguration function in protest of Modi ji not inviting the President."

Soon after the MPs started receiving soft copies of the invitation, they got into a huddle to discuss the issue.

The opposition sources indicated that most of the parties are of the view that they should unitedly skip the ceremony, but a final decision on the issue will be taken on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the political slugfest over the inauguration issue continued with Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri slamming the Congress for lacking "national spirit and sense of pride" in India's progress and the opposition party accusing him of trying to "obfuscate and dissimulate".

Addressing reporters, Puri said the then prime minister Indira Gandhi had inaugurated the Parliament Annexe building on October 24, 1975, and successor Rajiv Gandhi had laid the foundation of the Parliament library on August 15, 1987.

"If your head of government can inaugurate Parliament annexe and library, then why can't the head of the government of this time do? It's as simple as that," he said.

Puri's remarks came a day after the Congress accused the government of disrespecting constitutional propriety and demanded that President Droupadi Murmu inaugurate the new Parliament building, instead of Modi.

Hitting back at Puri, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari alleged that the minister is trying to "obfuscate and dissimulate".

"Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, I am afraid, is trying to obfuscate and dissimulate. There is a difference between an annexe to the Parliament, library and a new Parliament building," he said in a tweet.

"By the way, chairperson of the Council of States Vice President of India is also conspicuous by his absence on the invitation card," he added.

Congress's head of media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said on Twitter, "Hon'ble Minister needs to be told there's a difference between Parliament Annexe and the Parliament. I hope he has been attending sessions in the right building and not the library or the Annexe."

"Is this the level of intellect in Modi Ji's cabinet or this is Bhakti Ki Shakti," he asked.

Talking to reporters, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said, "One question for the government -- why are you insulting the President who happens to be a woman from a humble background? Is it because she comes from a humble background? The President is the first citizen of the country and why are you not getting the new building of Parliament, which is called the pillar of democracy, inaugurated by her?

"This is because you want your name to be etched on its stones. You want to insult a woman and a tribal because there is no election in the state she comes from."

"Whether we will boycott or attend, we will take a decision at the right time," he added.

Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 following an invitation by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

On Monday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had raised objection to President Murmu not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament building, saying the Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India, and the President of India is its highest constitutional authority.

"It looks like the Modi government has ensured the election of President of India from the Dalit and the tribal communities only for electoral reasons," he had also charged.

On Kharge's remark, Congress leader Shahi Tharoor then tweeted, "Articles 60 and 111 of the Constitution make it clear that the President is the head of Parliament. It was bizarre enough that the PM performed the ground-breaking ceremony and puja when construction began, but totally incomprehensible and arguably unconstitutional for him and not the President to inaugurate the building."

Puri earlier in the day also issued a series of tweets, alleging, "From criticising the new Parliament building and questioning its very necessity despite many of them advocating for it before but not executing it, Congress president and other worthies are now shifting the goalpost by generously misquoting an article a day from the Constitution."

"After uncharitable comments about Hon'ble President in the past by its leaders, Congress president now makes uncalled for and gratuitous comments on her election. Tragic that Congress claiming to be a national party lacks any national spirit and sense of pride in India's progress," he added.

The minister further said, "They should feel better if they remember Oct 24, 1975 the day when Smt Indira Gandhi inaugurated the Parliament Annexe. Or, August 15, 1987 when Sh Rajiv Gandhi laid the foundation of the Parliament Library.

"So, instead of now finding articles to justify their hypocrisy, why can't they just smile and join India on this momentous achievement & her march to greatness."

NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto wondered if it was not the right of President Murmu to inaugurate the new Parliament building for her being the head of the country.

"Our Parliament is our temple of democracy and the constitutional head of our country is our President," he said, adding "Therefore is it not the right of our President to inaugurate the new Parliament House?"

The opposition parties had boycotted the ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the building by Modi in December 2020, citing concerns about its timing amid farmer protests, the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic distress due to a lockdown.

The grand opening of the new building, it is learnt, will be marked by the chanting of hymns, a havan and a puja. The rituals will start in the morning and the main programme is scheduled to be held in the afternoon.

Besides Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will be present at the opening ceremony.

The invitation card for the event states the ceremony will start at noon and requests the invitees to take their seats by 11.30 am.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has said he is not in the race to become prime minister and asserted the Opposition wants a leadership that would work for the betterment of the country.

IMAGE: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar. Photograph: ANI Photo

Speaking on Monday at a condolence meet for Ram Takawale, the Pune University's vice chancellor who passed away recently, Pawar said opposition parties might face a little task of projecting one person as the prime ministerial candidate if they come together.

"I am putting efforts to get the Opposition together. I am not in the race to become the prime minister as I am not contesting the next (Lok Sabha) election," he told reporters.

On seat-sharing with the Congress and the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, which are part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Pawar said, "Recently, a meeting was held at my residence. Leaders from the Maha Vikas Aghadi will decide on it."

"Uddhav Thackeray, Sonia Gandhi or Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, and I will sit together to discuss more about it," he said on seat-sharing.

The tenure of several civic bodies in Maharashtra got over early 2022, but polls were not held due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Lok Sabha elections are due in 2024, and the Maharashtra Assembly polls are also due in the later part of next year.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. The religious situation in Azerbaijan is stable, and freedom of religion is ensured at a high level, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee on Religious Associations (SCRA) of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sayavush Heydarov said in an interview with Trend.

- How do you assess the religious situation in Azerbaijan?

- The religious situation in Azerbaijan is steady, however, we must not forget that recently the factor of religion has become sharply politicized in the world, especially in some Muslim countries, going beyond spiritual and moral values, and no one is immune from this process.

Let me remind you that in the early 1990s, during the period after the restoration of Azerbaijan's state independence, external forces, which took advantage of the ideological vacuum and chaos to ensure their geopolitical interests, managed, albeit to a small extent, to introduce alien religious-political and sectarian ideologies into Azerbaijan.

Practice shows that countries that ensure national and religious security are successfully moving forward. Azerbaijan, despite the difficult international situation, and threats existing in the region, various kinds of pressure, and attempts to import alien religious ideologies, has ensured religious security thanks to strong political will, and the fact that this policy continues is extremely important.

At the present time, preventive steps are being taken towards ensuring the religious and ideological security of our country, taking into account real-time conditions for timely prevention of external influences on the religious environment, and ensuring a healthy religious environment.

Together with the relevant state bodies, preventive measures are being taken to prevent religious radicalism and extremism, as well as the causes that give rise to it. Moreover, law enforcement agencies are taking measures to neutralize criminal groups operating under the guise of religion, planning to undermine socio-political stability in the country, and planning sabotage, as well as terrorist acts.

Within the competence of the SCRA, large-scale educational activities are being carried out in this context. These events cover religious communities, schools in remote villages of the country, as well as social networks through videos and films.

For example, last year alone, the SCRA organized more than 920 educational events. It should be also emphasized that religious figures must be at the forefront of the fight against religious radicalism and work for the integrity, solidarity, and enlightenment of the democratic society of which they are citizens.

With the establishment of the Theology Institute of Azerbaijan under the SCRA, in accordance with the decree of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated February 9, 2018, higher religious education in the country has entered a new stage.

In a short time, the Institute has passed a long way in its development and successfully continues its activities for the training of professional personnel in the field of religious activity.

By decree of President Ilham Aliyev in February last year, in order to resolve issues arising from amendments to the law "On Freedom of Religion", the committee developed and approved "Rules for the appointment, certification and dismissal of clerics from their posts in places of worship and sanctuaries of the Islamic religion."

On the basis of this, the SCRA developed a program for conducting interviews and created a certification commission and an interview commission. In order to ensure transparency, conditions are created for the participation of representatives of the press and the public at the exams. Also, according to the rules, it is possible to consider complaints based on the results of exams in an administrative manner.

Moreover, over the past period, the committee has announced three competitions for vacant places in mosques.

Two of them have already been completed, 197 people have successfully passed the exams, and 160 of them have been appointed to various positions in mosques. Some 146 people who made shortcomings in their activities, as well as those who do not have an education in the field of theology, were suspended from work. These new rules can be regarded as a reform in the religious sphere.

- You touched upon the importance of the process of training national personnel. What are the priorities of religious education?

- As I have already said, it is an indisputable fact that in a number of Islamic countries religion has become an instrument of political power. Naturally, this trend has not spared the education sector of these countries. Here we should pay attention to an important point - the attitude and policy of these countries regarding Azerbaijan.

The analysis shows that some people who have received religious education abroad, come back with the harmful ideology of these countries. They are trying to import religious ideology that serves the political interests of these countries into Azerbaijan, becoming propagandists of this religious ideology.

These nuances are constantly the focus of attention of the SCRA. Seminars and training programs are organized for religious figures. Furthermore, individual meetings are also held with them, and their suggestions are listened to.

At the same time, I would like to note that the Fund for Propagation of Spiritual Values operating under the committee provides monthly financial support to religious figures.

The establishment of the Theology Institute plays an important role in the context of these issues. Teaching at the institute is carried out by scientists who strive to teach students not only from the aspect of theology but also from philosophical, historical, and socio-psychological aspects, striving to prepare specialists who are able to convey religion to people in a secular society, as well as committed to our national and spiritual values associated with our national roots.

This educational institution successfully fulfills the tasks of training personnel with deep religious and secular knowledge, and the positive effects of this are already being manifested in society.

Among the graduates of the institute who have achieved significant success over the past period, there are those who successfully passed the exam conducted by the committee in accordance with the "Rules for the appointment, certification and dismissal of clerics in places of worship and sanctuaries of the Islamic religion" and became a cleric.

- You spoke about a number of reforms and measures being taken. Does the committee have enough human resources to implement these processes?

- I would like to note that by mobilizing our entire team to implement the strategic line defined by the head of state in this area, we strive to adequately fulfill the tasks assigned to us.

Employees of the SCRA are civil servants who are hired after passing an exam conducted by the State Examination Center. In addition to theologians, they include specialists in religious and pedagogical education, religious expertise and legal issues.

Here, in particular, it is important to note the youth and the policy of returning to our national and spiritual values, the foundations of which were laid by the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev. As President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in his speech to the people on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the National Leader, attachment to national and spiritual values is at the heart of all our work.

"Today, different trends are observed worldwide, and new values are emerging in different parts of the world. We build our future on a solid national and spiritual foundation by remaining attached to traditional values. This is how the younger generation should be brought up, and this is how we are bringing up the younger generation. The young generation should be attached to national and spiritual values, it should be attached to their literature, music, and art, and we see this. This is how we educate young people," President Ilham Aliyev said.

The committee, within its responsibilities, carries out consistent activities to fulfill these tasks set by the President of Azerbaijan, taking as a priority the preservation of our national and spiritual values, their inculcation to the younger generation.

- The presentation of the "Religion and Global Security" book was recently held. What issues are covered in the book?

- The book examines and comprehends the issues of religious security in national and global contexts in the era of globalization, ways to eliminate threats to global security, the causes of the crisis of spirituality in the world and its consequences, as well as the essence of state policy in Azerbaijan in the field of religious and ideological security.

The model of state-religion relations formed in Azerbaijan on the basis of the existing policy of tolerance, multicultural values and traditions of coexistence is presented as a road map.

I hope that this book will attract the interest of readers with its scientific and political-ideological content, and will become a valuable resource, especially for specialists studying issues of global security and religion in the relationship.

In addition, I would like to note that, taking into account the international significance, the book has been translated into Russian and English and will be published in the coming days.
In this week's Vermontitude podcast, host Peter "Fish" Case chats up Bob Audette, a longtime reporter with the Brattleboro Reformer. Vermontitude Episode 28: Maple Valley concerts and a tale of two Starks
Plans are being considered to restore the exterior of 3 to 5 East Main St.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. The information spread by the Armenian side about the alleged shelling of units of the Armenian armed forces by units of the Azerbaijani army from various-caliber small arms in the direction of the village of Gunashli in Basarkechyar district on May 23 is not true, we categorically refute this information, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said, Trend reports.
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.
HARTFORD  A city man faces a murder charge in the death of a woman last month, police said.

Angel Roman, who turned 41 on Monday, is at the Hartford Correctional Center on $1 million bail, prison records show. He was arrested April 26, the day Stephanie Hawes-Brown, 37, was found dead at his Marshall Street home, Hartford Police Lt. Aaron Boisvert said Monday.

Police considered the death suspicious and learned of information that pointed to Roman, Boisvert said. Detectives obtained a warrant for his arrest and took him into custody later that day on charges of murder and tampering with evidence.

Boisvert said he didnt release information about the homicide or arrest at the time because, although police had probable cause to charge Roman, the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner had not officially concluded that the manner of Hawes-Browns death was a homicide.

The cause of Hawes-Browns death has since been determined to be a homicide due to neck compression, a spokesperson with the medical examiners office said Monday.

Roman is next due in state Superior Court in Hartford on July 13, court records show.
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TOLLAND  The town manager wants a review of how the state police handled a street takeover last weekend when officials say as many as 200 people drove recklessly, blocked an ambulance and surrounded, kicked and jumped on a woman's car.

Connecticut State Police troopers were aware of at least three takeovers that occurred Sunday night and watched as the car stunts were pulled off in Vernon, Manchester and Tolland, according to a report obtained Tuesday by Hearst Connecticut Media Group.

There were no reports of injuries, but Tolland Town Manager Brian Foley is calling for a review of how the troopers handled the situation.

I was informed today that the Connecticut State Police made a decision to stand down and not respond directly to the street takeover, Foley, a former Hartford deputy police chief who was also a spokesperson for the state police, wrote in a Facebook post. I completely understand how hard these decisions are for police commanders. Our citizens need to know that when they call 911 for help, help is on the way. ... I am hoping for a review of how this incident was handled."

Foley said the police response was inadequate. Tolland does not have its own police force, so it relies on a resident state trooper and state police at the Troop C barracks in town for protection.

Sgt. Christine Jeltema from the state police media relations office said troopers responded to the takeover in Tolland, but there weren't enough of them to shut it down.

"There were uniformed troopers in close proximity," she said. It takes time to get enough troopers to deal with such a large number of people, she added.

Foley also acknowledged on Monday there is not much a few troopers can do when faced with hundreds of people and cars.

In the arrest report for one of the suspected ringleaders, state police noted that at previous street takeovers, their patrol cars have been boxed in and vandalized and a rioter armed with a gun once jumped on the hood of a cruiser.

According to the report for the arrest of Norwalk resident Jefferson Duron, who faces rioting and other charges, troopers were conducting undercover surveillance as they watched up to 200 reckless drivers block streets in at least three towns.

State police said they knew about the planned street takeovers from social media posts. Members of the Troop H barracks in Hartford worked with the Bureau of Special Investigations of the Connecticut State Police to conduct the operation.

The first car meetup was planned for 8 p.m. Sunday. About 8:30 p.m., Troop H received calls from motorists reporting 100 to 200 cars speeding eastbound on Interstate 84.

Troopers and detectives from the bureau followed them to a commuter lot at Exit 67 in Vernon, where they drove recklessly, performing burn outs, donuts and shooting illegal fireworks off, according to the report.

The trooper who wrote the report said he saw a gray, 2005 Ford Mustang GT being driven recklessly inside a circle of spectators, skidding sideways and performing other stunts, the report stated.

The Mustang, whose driver state police later identified as Duron, left the Vernon lot and headed farther east to Route 195, or Merrow Road, in front of the Tolland shopping plaza, Fieldstone Commons, the report said. The other cars followed and blocked the plaza entrance and, according to Foley, also blocked the ramps leading to and from I-84 East.

Police witnessed the cars blocking the path of an ambulance headed to a call with its lights and sirens on, the report stated.

The ambulance turned around and left in the opposite direction, the report stated.

We then observed vehicles doing burn outs and donuts with people hanging out the windows of the vehicles while the vehicles are being operated in a reckless manner, the trooper wrote in the report, adding that the 100 to 200 cars were there for several minutes. Foley said Monday the incident lasted a half-hour.

The report does not refer to the mob of people who surrounded a womans car, and were seen on video kicking and jumping on the vehicle. The woman was not injured, but the car was damaged, according to Foley, who talked to a witness.

The witness was terrified, Foley said Monday, and when he got home, he was shaking.

Foley also posted photos of the damaged ambulance on Facebook.

When the mob left Tolland, the drivers drove west on I-84 to the commuter lot on Buckland Street in Manchester, where two people were fatally shot during a similar car meetup in 2020. The undercover state troopers followed, watching 100-200-plus vehicles gathering and performing stunts using their cars. The cars included the gray Mustang, which was doing donuts and burn outs around light poles and nearly striking the spectators, according to the report.

The undercover troopers noticed the Mustang was the first to leave a meetup spot and the first to arrive at a new location, indicating the driver was organizing the illegal events, the report stated.

Later that night, the undercover troopers followed the Mustang as it was traveling on Interstate 91 with four other cars. A uniformed trooper pulled over the vehicle and arrested Duron.

Duron was charged with inciting to riot, first-degree riot, first-degree reckless endangerment, reckless driving and other traffic offenses, all misdemeanors.

During his arraignment Monday in state Superior Court in Manchester, a judge ordered Duron to be fitted with electronic monitoring and not to drive a car without the courts permission, according to judicial records.

The judge did not find probable cause for the charge of inciting to riot, the court records show.

State police said they continue to investigate.

As far as Foley is concerned, he hopes the situation will be handled differently if it happens again.

Moving forward, we're hoping there are some lessons learned on the response Sunday night, but also more importantly ... let's start looking at a plan to prevent them from happening in the first place.

Anyone with information about anyone involved in the street takeovers may call the Troop H barracks at 860-534-1000.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. The delegation led by First Deputy Minister of Defense, Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev left for an official visit to Pakistan at the invitation of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Army General Syed Asim Munir, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense.

As part of the visit, Colonel General Valiyev is scheduled to meet with the military leadership of Pakistan, and to visit a number of military institutions.
HARTFORD  Bitcoin of America will be winding down its operations in Connecticut after a settlement with the state, and tighter regulations may be coming for virtual assets, officials say.

In a release, the Connecticut Department of Banking said it has reached a settlement with Bitcoin of America through a consent order agreed to by both parties.

"Bitcoin of America had been operating virtual currency kiosks in Connecticut without obtaining the proper license," it said. "Virtual currency kiosks allow consumers to purchase virtual currency with cash. Four Connecticut consumers who patronized these kiosks fell victim to scams, losing tens of thousands of dollars."

Scams involving cryptocurrency and other virtual assets have been the subject of concerns from state officials and law enforcement. Officials say the alternate form of money is ripe for scams that have resulted in Connecticut residents losing millions of dollars.

In fact, legislation making its way through the state capital aims to put more regulations and consumer protections in place.

The bill would result in virtual kiosks  sometimes called crypto ATMs  located at gas stations and convenience stores throughout the state, being required to display in capital letters and prominent typeface the potential risks involved in the volatile market: "Warning: Losses due to fraudulent or accidental transactions may not be recoverable and transactions in virtual currency are irreversible."

As a result of the consent order, the Department of Banking said, Bitcoin of America made restitution to the consumers totaling $86,000. Following a criminal indictment, it said, Bitcoin of America is winding down operations in Connecticut.

"This case highlights the need to be cautious when using virtual currency kiosks," Commissioner Jorge Perez said in the release. "Scammers are preying upon consumers vulnerabilities and tricking them into depositing cash into kiosks, which can be found throughout the state. The Department is taking steps to be sure that the owners and operators of these kiosk are properly licensed and adhere to the law."

In this case, the Department of Banking said, it became aware of four Connecticut consumers who lost money to scammers through kiosks operated by Bitcoin of America. As the kiosks transferred the consumers funds to third parties, it said, Bitcoin of America was required to be licensed as a money transmitter.

The Department of Banking said the consumers fell victim to scammers who convinced them they were from legitimate companies such as banks, electrical and internet supply companies. It said the scammers directed the consumers to deposit cash into these the kiosks with a QR code, provided by the scammer, to supposedly safeguard their money.

"Unbeknownst to the consumer, they were depositing the cash into the kiosk, purchasing virtual currency which was then transmitted to the scammers virtual wallet," it said. "This resulted in the consumer losing their funds."

Speaking to the legislation, the Department of Banking said it and the Connecticut State Police have submitted the legislation. It said the bill, if passed, would allow the banking commissioner to adopt regulations around virtual currency and other digital assets.

"In addition, it would explicitly require that virtual currency kiosks be licensed as money transmitters in the state, giving the commissioner jurisdiction over these machines and its operators," it said. "The bill would require a clear set of consumer disclosures to be given on screen, which the consumer must affirmatively agree to. It also would provide additional protections for first-time virtual currency kiosk users."

In a separate release, CSP, the Department of Banking, the Connecticut Attorney General's Office and the Department of Consumer Protection said scammers often convince unwitting consumers to send payments via gift cards and money transfers, and are now using cryptocurrency. They said tend to criminals create a false sense of urgency and trick victims into withdrawing cash from their bank account.

"The scammer then directs the consumer to deposit the cash into a virtual currency kiosk," they said. "The consumer purchases the virtual currency which is then sent to the scammers crypto wallet."

The departments said the types of scams can vary from criminals posing as utility companies and asking for money to scammers finding people online and developing a faux-relationship with them overtime. They said it is important for consumers to keep in mind that only scammers demand advance payment in cryptocurrency, gift cards or money transfers.

"No legitimate business will request advance payment in cryptocurrency, including through a virtual currency kiosk," they said. "Cryptocurrency payments made to scammers via virtual currency kiosks are typically not reversible. Once sent, the money is gone."
HARTFORD  The state Senate voted Tuesday to establish a police task force in the Capitol Region to investigate and crack down on a string of street takeovers that have alarmed residents with screeching cars, reckless driving and violence.

While the idea for the new task force dates back several months, the vote on Tuesday came just days after the release of a viral video depicting a woman whose car was kicked and damaged by a mob of attendees at a street takeover last weekend in Tolland.

Several lawmakers expressed alarm at the apparent hostility of the crowd, adding that they had been made aware of similar disturbances occurring throughout the Hartford suburbs, as well as in other areas of the state.

It seems to be spreading, said state Sen. Henri Martin, R-Bristol. What used to be maybe isolated to Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven, is now going through many, many communities, and its organized.

The Senate voted 35-0 in favor of the legislation, with one senator absent. The bill now heads to the House for further consideration.

The legislation would create a task force comprised of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies operating in the Greater Hartford region to investigate the organizing efforts that lead to groups of ATVs, motorcycles and cars descending on city streets and partaking in illegal activity, such as burnouts, drag racing and donuts.

In addition to coming up with recommendations for thwarting future takeovers, the task force will also have law enforcement powers to go after drivers who are actively engaged in illegal activity, according to state Sen. Herron Gaston, D-Bridgeport, who co-chairs the Public Safety Committee.

What this task force is going to be able to do is to identify who these folks are, and to begin to address it, and enforce it and hold these individuals accountable, Gaston said.

The estimated $330,000 cost of hiring a new crime analyst for the task force and paying for police overtime will be initially split between Hartford and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, according to a fiscal analysis of the bill, with other towns committing additional resources on a volunteer basis.

After the latest takeover in Tolland on Sunday, several lawmakers said Tuesday that they would seek to address the issue through additional language inserted into a transportation bill before the end of the current session, though they did not provide any details.

Tolland Town Manager Brian Foley said that he also planned to meet on Wednesday with two local lawmakers, state Rep. Tammy Nuccio, R-Tolland, and state Sen. Jeff Gordon, R- Woodstock, to discuss ideas for deterring participation in future takeovers.

"I want to know why there was a stand down order and I want to know what we do if this happens again," said Nuccio, who called for the meeting on Wednesday with Connecticut State Police and local leaders. She said she has heard from many disgruntled constituents about the issue.

In other areas of the country dealing with similar events  also called sideshows  officials have responded with massive crackdowns that have resulted in hundreds of citations and dozens of cars being seized by police, particularly in Los Angeles and the Bay Area of California.

While Gaston said police in Connecticut currently have the power to confiscate cars and arrest people engaged in blocking streets and performing reckless stunts, he added that in many cases the accused are quickly released and end up back in the same or similar vehicles.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has sent an official response to the Western Azerbaijan Community's appeal in regard with the facts of extensive destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage in the territory of the present-day Armenia, Trend reports.

"As reported earlier, the Western Azerbaijan Community sent an appeal to the UNESCO on March 27, 2023, drawing attention to the facts of extensive destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage in the territory of the present-day Armenia and requesting the sending of a fact-finding mission to Armenia to assess the situation in this area.

The community has thereafter been in constant contact with relevant foreign countries, international and regional organizations to attract attention to this issue and ensure that UNESCO begins to deal with it.

In this context, UNESCO has finally sent an official response to the Community's appeal. The letter signed by the high-level official of the organization states that the issue raised by the Community regarding the state of Azerbaijani cultural heritage in the territory of Armenia is directly related to the mandate of UNESCO and that the Organisation was dealing with the issue using relevant mechanisms in this field.

This letter sent by UNESCO to the Community is an important development in bringing the issue of Azerbaijani cultural heritage in the territory of Armenia to the international agenda, taking practical steps in this field, international recognition the Community as an authoritative counterpart, as well as in establishment of dialogue between UNESCO and the Community.

The Community will continue the dialogue and interaction with UNESCO within the framework of international legal norms and mechanisms to achieve halting the ongoing destruction of Azerbaijani cultural heritage in the present-day Armenia and restoration of the already destroyed heritage sites," the Community's statement said.
PM Modi, who is on a three nation trip to Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia, attended an Indian community event at Sydney, Australia on Tuesday. He was accompanied by the Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. At the event, he said that he "dreams of making India a developed nation". "Today IMF considers India a bright spot in the global economy. World Bank believes that if anyone is challenging global headwinds, it is India. Banking system in several countries are in trouble today but on the other hand, the strength of India's banks are being appreciated everywhere," PM Modi said.

An absolute delight connecting with the Indian diaspora at the community programme in Sydney! https://t.co/OC4P3VWRhi May 23, 2023

"Amid the once-in-a-100-years crisis, India made record exports last year. Today, our Forex reserve is scaling new heights. Example of how India is working for global good lies in our digital stake. You are well aware of India's FinTech revolution," he added.

What are the steps PM Modi has taken to make India a developed nation?

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several initiatives and policies have been implemented to drive India's development. Here are some key steps taken by PM Modi to make India a developed nation:

Make in India: Launched in 2014, the Make in India initiative aims to transform India into a global manufacturing hub. It focuses on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), promoting domestic manufacturing, improving ease of doing business, and creating employment opportunities.

Digital India: The Digital India campaign, launched in 2015, aims to harness the power of technology for inclusive growth and digital empowerment. It focuses on expanding digital infrastructure, promoting digital literacy, and delivering government services digitally to citizens.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) was launched in 2014 with the objective of achieving a clean and open-defecation-free India. It emphasizes improving sanitation and cleanliness practices, constructing toilets, and promoting behavioral changes towards cleanliness.

Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana: This financial inclusion program, launched in 2014, aims to provide universal access to banking services, including savings accounts, insurance, and pension schemes. It has helped millions of previously unbanked individuals gain access to formal financial services.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana: The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), launched in 2015, aims to provide affordable housing for all by 2022. It offers financial assistance and subsidies to eligible beneficiaries, including economically weaker sections and lower-income groups.

Goods and Services Tax (GST): Implemented in 2017, the GST is a comprehensive indirect tax reform that replaced multiple indirect taxes with a unified tax system. It aims to streamline the tax structure, promote ease of doing business, and create a common national market.

Ayushman Bharat: Launched in 2018, Ayushman Bharat is a national health protection scheme that aims to provide health insurance coverage to over 500 million economically vulnerable individuals. It aims to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses and increase access to quality healthcare.

Atal Innovation Mission: This initiative promotes entrepreneurship and innovation among students and provides a platform for nurturing innovative ideas and startups. It aims to foster a culture of innovation and create a conducive environment for young entrepreneurs.

These initiatives, among others, reflect Prime Minister Modi's vision for inclusive and sustainable development in India. They address various sectors, including manufacturing, infrastructure, technology, health, education, and finance, with the goal of transforming India into a developed nation.
A European delegation led by former Netherlands' Member of Parliament, Harry van Bommel, will embark on a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh to investigate the genocide committed by Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971. The initiative, organised by the European Bangladesh Forum (EBF), seeks to gather first-hand information about the atrocities and shed light on the historical events that took place over five decades ago, as per a report from Bangladesh's RTV news.

Joining Harry van Bommel on this crucial mission are prominent figures such as Anthonie Holslag (VU), political analyst Chris Blackburn, British EBF chairman Ansar Ahmed Ullah, and Dutch EBF chairman Bikash Chowdhury Barua. The delegation aims to meet with victims, witnesses, genocide researchers, academics, policymakers, and government representatives in Bangladesh. They will also visit significant locations such as killing fields and war museums in Dhaka and Chittagong.

Delegation's visit comes on the heels of recent resolution in US Congress

The timing of this mission is significant as global attention is once again focused on the genocide in Bangladesh. Recently, two members of the U.S. Congress submitted a resolution urging President Joe Biden to recognise the crimes against humanity committed by the Pakistani military during that time. Likewise, in the United Kingdom, the recognition of the 1971 genocide has been a topic of discussion in parliament.

For delegation leader Harry van Bommel, the Dutch recognition of this genocide holds particular relevance due to the Netherlands' early acknowledgment of Bangladesh's independence in 1972. As the delegation gathers evidence and testimonies, their findings will be communicated to the Dutch government and the House of Representatives.

The European Bangladesh Forum, in collaboration with the delegation, plans to organize a conference to share the mission's findings with a wider audience and generate awareness about the historical events that transpired during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The goal is to contribute to a greater understanding of the genocide and pave the way for international recognition of the crimes committed by the Pakistani military. As the delegation embarks on this critical journey to uncover the truth and honor the memory of the victims, their efforts mark an important step towards justice, remembrance, and acknowledgement of the 1971 genocide in Bangladesh.
PR Restaurants/Panera Bread & Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Teams

PR Restaurants, LLC/Panera Bread, the leading franchisee of Panera Bread in New England, opened its newest bakery-cafe yesterday at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston. Located at 330 Brookline Avenue in the lobby of the Carl J. Shapiro Clinical Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, this location is the company's 45th bakery-cafe in Massachusetts and 60th across New England, and its first site within a hospital or medical center.

The 2,000 square-foot BIDMC Panera Bread will serve food made with responsibly raised proteins and freshly prepared with Clean ingredients - food that does not contain the artificial preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, and colors from artificial sources set forth on our No-No list served in U.S. bakery-cafes. From crave-worthy soups, salads and sandwiches to flatbread pizza and sweets, Panera Bread will offer all medical center guests more than just great food.

"We are thrilled to open our newest Panera Bread bakery-cafe in the Carl J. Shapiro Clinical Center Lobby of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center," said Mitchell Roberts, CEO of PR Restaurants. "We're proud to provide the warmth of Panera's menu and all of our many healthy food items to BIDMC patients and their families, in addition to all of the doctors, staff, and caregivers who support the medical center's vital mission each and every day."

"We are excited to offer a new nourishing food option for the BIDMC community," said Christopher Minette, Vice President of Support Services at BIDMC. "Having Panera on our East Campus will provide patients, their families, and staff a space to take a break from their day and enjoy a meal."

Panera Bread's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center bakery-cafe hours of operation will be:
Authorities also step up pressure on lawyers who might represent the couple, their friends say.

Chinese authorities have notified the family of veteran rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his wife Xu Yan of their formal arrest on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," a charge frequently used to target peaceful critics of the Communist Party, friends of the couple told Radio Free Asia.

Yu and Xu were detained last month en route to a meeting with European Union officials in Beijing, prompting calls for their release from Brussels.

U.S.-based rights lawyer Wang Qingpeng said there are now fears that Yu and Xu may be tortured in order to elicit a "confession," given the amount of international attention generated by their arrests.

"The authorities will be concerned about how this case looks ... and about international attention," Wang said. "A lot of lawyers have been warned off representing Yu Wensheng and his wife."

"Many lawyers have been tortured already, including Xie Yang, Wang Quanzhang, Chang Weiping and Zhou Shifeng," he said. "We have reason to believe that Yu Wensheng and Xu Yan could also be tortured, so as to avoid further outside attention and attempts at rescue."

"There could be further [and more serious charges] to come, for example, 'incitement to subvert state power,' which is impossible to predict right now," Wang said.

Chinese courts almost never acquit political prisoners, and the charge Yu and Xu currently face generally leads to jail terms of up to five years.

Lawyers warned

A friend of the couple who asked to remain anonymous said Yu's brother received notification of his formal arrest on May 21.

"According to what I have learned, Yu Wensheng has put up a great deal of resistance to the authorities since his detention," the friend said. "His brother has also said [their detention] is unacceptable."

Police informed Yu's brother of the change of status on Sunday, but had refused to give the family anything in writing, the brother said.

"His brother tried to get a photo of the notification of arrest, but the police stopped him," they said. "Now Yu Wensheng's family need to find a lawyer to help him, but a lot of lawyers have been warned off doing this by the authorities."

They said police had also told the family not to try to find their own lawyer to represent the couple.

Another person familiar with the case, who gave only the surname Shi, confirmed the friend's account.

"They wouldn't let their [18-year-old] kid instruct a lawyer, and the police were also telling people that Yu Wensheng didn't want a lawyer, and that Xu Yan had already hired two lawyers," Shi said.

"Then the police visited the law firms [that might potentially represent Yu and Xu] and put pressure on them -- the Beijing municipal judicial affairs bureau also stepped up the pressure, threatening the law firms that they would fail their annual license review," he said.

"I don't know whether they actually revoked any licenses or not -- we won't know until early June," Shi said.

Son alone

A friend of the couple who gave only the surname Qin said he is worried about their situation, and also about their son, who is living alone in the family home under strict police surveillance, with no contact with the outside world.

"It has destroyed this family, and their kid is still so young with nobody around to take care of them -- it's wrong to arrest both husband and wife together," Qin said.

The European Union lodged a protest with China after police detained veteran rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and his activist wife Xu Yan ahead of a meeting with its diplomats during a scheduled EU-China human rights dialogue on April 13.

We have already been taken away, Yu tweeted shortly before falling silent on April 13, while the EU delegation to China tweeted on April 14: @yuwensheng9 and @xuyan709 detained by CN authorities on their way to EU Delegation.

We demand their immediate, unconditional release. We have lodged a protest with MFA against this unacceptable treatment, the tweet from the EUs embassy in China said, referring to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
Move appears driven by concern about plan to integrate the system with mainland China

"I have asked the police to investigate whether there has been any violation of the rules, says Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee.

Hong Kong's leader John Lee ordered a police probe into a large number of withdrawals from the city's organ donor register following government plans to share organs with facilities in mainland China.

"I have noticed that there has been an unusual number of cancellations of organ donor status," Lee told journalists on Tuesday. "More than half of those who cancel are no longer registered as donors for any organs at all."

Authorities in Hong Kong are currently discussing setting up a common computer matching system for organs and donors in mainland China, integrating Hong Kong's existing system with the China Organ Transplant Response System.

Thats prompted concerns that organs harvested from executed prisoners could wind up in Hong Kong, or that donors in Hong Kong might not want their organs to leave the city.

Lee said there had also been large numbers of repeat cancellations, which he termed "highly suspicious" and disruptive to the entire organ donation system.

"I strongly condemn any attempt to sabotage [our] organ donation system, which is there to save lives," Lee said. "I have asked the police to investigate whether there has been any violation of the rules, and whether any illegal actions have taken place."

Lee's comments came after the department of health counted 5,785 applications for withdrawal from the donor register between December 2022 and the end of April, out of a total of more than 357,000 registered donors, adding that 2,905 were invalid because they came from people who hadn't been previously registered.

"The 2,880 valid applications for deregistration during the same period was also a far higher number than previously," the government said in a statement on Monday.

The statement came after users shared links to the city's donor register on LIHKG, a Reddit-like forum that was highly active during the 2019 pro-democracy movement, Reuters reported.

Trust of system

The biggest reason behind the cancellations is concern over plans to integrate organ donations with mainland China, said Johnny Lam of the advocacy group Hong Kong Patients' Voices.

"They don't know what the mechanism will be, and some people are reluctant to donate organs to mainland China, because it wasn't what they originally intended, so they have withdrawn," Lam told Radio Free Asia. "It's a shame, because those people who withdraw ... could have helped Hong Kongers or other people."

He said the matching plan meant that organs with no recipients in Hong Kong could be sent to mainland China rather than going to waste.

"But how does the government get the people of Hong Kong to trust that this system won't be abused or used unfairly, depriving donors of their right to decide?" Lam said.

Thicker than water

The government on Monday hit out at "a small number of people on the internet" who have called on others to cancel their registrations as organ donors now that their organs could be sent to recipients in mainland China.

"They actually despise the fact that the blood of compatriots ... is thicker than water," a government spokesman said in a statement.

"The government appeals to the public to continue to support the life-saving act of organ donation, and not to be provoked by a few people with ulterior motives to destroy the hard-won positive climate for organ donation atmosphere that has been established for many years now in Hong Kong," the statement said.

Hong Kong's Hospital Authority chief Paul Ko led a delegation to neighboring Guangdong province on May 20 to continue talks on the organ exchange mechanism, the government said in a statement.

Ko said the trip had "laid a good foundation" for future cooperation.

The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission at the U.S. House of Representatives heard in May 2022 that while China claims to only source organs from voluntary donors, there are doubts as to the veracity of the claim.

Chinese hospitals have performed many times more transplants than the highest estimates of ethically available donors can account for, according to data collected by the commission.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.
More than 20 people were accused of being Peoples Defense Force members or funding guerilla groups.

A state-controlled newspapers image of 10 people arrested in Yangon on May 12, 2023 and accused of being members of, or supporting, the Yangon Revolution Force Peoples Defense Force.

A new weapons law introduced by Myanmars military has led to a junta roundup of people accused of belonging to, or financing, anti-junta Peoples Defense Forces, according to Saya Kyaung, an official of Yangon Underground Association Peoples Defense Force.

His comments come after junta-controlled newspapers reported Monday on the arrests of eight alleged members of the Royal Phoenix Guerrilla Force in Mandalay, along with five people accused of funding them.

The arrested include the leader of the guerrilla force, Pyae Nyein Chan, and his second-in-command, Chan Myae Oo, the papers said.

Chan Myae Oo was arrested in Mandalay on April 6 and the rest were arrested over several days from May 18, reports said.

A member of the Royal Phoenix Guerrilla Force, who did not want to be named for security reasons, confirmed to RFA Tuesday that some members had been arrested but said civilians unconnected to the group had also been picked up by junta authorities.

Khing Khing Aung, who was among the arrested, was a civilian. She had already been arrested under Section 505 (a) and recently released from prison, he said, referring to a section of the Penal Code that was amended after the February 2021 coup to criminalize the spreading of fake news and incitement against a junta employee.

Now she has been accused of giving financial support [to the guerrilla force] and arrested on the night of May 18.

He said the military closely watches people freed after allegedly committing political crimes and often rearrests them when something happens in their neighborhoods.

Newspapers reported that the three women and two men arrested along with guerrilla members had been charged with financing Peoples Defense Forces and keeping hand-made mines.

They said the eight alleged guerrilla force members had detonated nine mines in Mandalay and Sagaing regions, killing a policeman and two civilians.

New weapons law

The junta-controlled newspapers also reported Sunday on the May 12 arrests of 10 people, including four alleged members of the Yangon Revolution Force.

Five people were accused of giving information to the Peoples Defense Force and one of funding it.

They were all charged in connection with the murders of Sai Kyaw Thu, the deputy director general of the junta-appointed Union Election Commission, and his wife.

The weapons law enacted on May 11 allows junta courts to impose the death penalty on members of any armed opposition group.

It states that anyone armed with intent to rebel against the state, or stealing and selling state-owned arms and ammunition belonging to a person authorized to bear arms, faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of life in prison or the death penalty.

Saya Kyaung, an official of Yangon Underground Association, which fights junta forces in Myanmars commercial capital, told RFA the law is intended to weaken any attempts at an armed peoples revolution and to instill fear in the population.

More than 3,500 civilians have been killed and over 22,600 pro-democracy campaigners have been arrested since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. As many as 1,480 Azerbaijanis were released from captivity and hostages during the First Karabakh War, and 26 Azerbaijanis - after the Second Karabakh War, Head of the Working Group of Azerbaijans State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons Ismayil Akhundov said, Trend reports.

According to him, more than 500 Armenians were transferred to the Armenian side during the First Karabakh War and 181 Armenians - after the Second Karabakh War.

"The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) participated in the mutual transfer by the parties of the bodies of those killed on the contact line and in battles, as well as those who died in captivity, during the conflict. In general, during the period of cooperation that began in 1992, about 700 humanitarian processes were carried out with the direct participation of the ICRC," Akhundov said.

The first international "Forensic Archaeology and Forensic Anthropology: Humanitarian Applications" conference is being held in Baku.

The conference was organized jointly by the State Commission for Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons of Azerbaijan, the Institute of Archaeology, Ethnography, and Anthropology of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (ANAS), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
When the junta cant arrest someone it seizes the properties of family members.

Myanmar police and junta officials in Magways Pakokku township sealed off the home of a local National League for Democracy member of parliament, Nov. 11, 2021.

It was December 2022 when junta troops under the leadership of Major Aye Chan Aung raided the homes of deposed National League for Democracy lawmaker Hla Hla Win and her son, making off with valuables and the deed to her sons property.

Four months later, she told RFA Burmese, she learned that her sons home in Bago regions Shwe Kyin township had been sold, leaving the family with little recourse to recover it.

The junta forces raided my house and took away furniture, including my wardrobe, she said. Since my important documents were in that wardrobe, they took [the deed to] my sons house and pawned it and then, when they could not afford to get it back, they sold it for 12 million kyats (US$ 5,700).

Hla Hla Win said that following the April 3 sale, she contacted the seller over the phone, but received no response.

The seizure is just one of nearly 1,000 carried out by the junta on homes and private buildings in the slightly more than two years since the Feb. 1, 2021 coup, the NLD said Tuesday, in what observers call a coordinated attack on the party.

Based on the NLDs findings, the junta has confiscated at least 971 buildings belonging to 849 party members, including NLD representatives and democracy activists, since the takeover. Most have been accused of spreading fake news and incitement against a junta employee under Article 505 (a) and (b), as well as violating anti-terrorism laws.

The buildings include places of business, restaurants, religious buildings, hospitals and clinics, schools, guesthouses and hotels, the NLD said.

The party said its list was compiled based on interviews with victims of the seizures, as well as area residents and civil society organizations, and suggested that the actual number of confiscated properties may be much higher.

Nay Zin Latt, a lawmaker for Sagaing regions Kanbalu township under the democratically elected NLD government who is wanted by the junta for alleged acts of terrorism and violating Article 505 (a) and (b), told RFA that the junta seized the homes of both his parents and in-laws in late 2021.

The junta sealed off my parents house and compound in Kanbalus Htan Kone village, he said, speaking from an undisclosed location to avoid arrest. But since they are such brutes who commit the most inhumane crimes against the people, the act of confiscating civilian properties is nothing to them.

Targeting the party-affiliated

While more than half of the properties seized are owned by NLD lawmakers and supporters, the rest belong to people who are affiliated with the party but are not politically active, said an official with Thailands Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) who declined to be named, citing security concerns.

When the junta cant arrest someone, it seizes the properties of his or her family members, said the official. Thats how the junta tries to punish not only anti-junta activists, but his or her relatives, too.

Myanmar junta authorities placed a notice after sealing off the home of a National League for Democracy member of parliament in Taze, Sagaing region in this undated photo. Credit: Citizen journalist

Such seizures are unlawful, a lawyer who spoke on condition of anonymity told RFA.

The military seals off peoples properties whenever it wants  [but] there are limitations that law enforcement must follow in taking such actions, the lawyer said. The court has to issue warrants to seal off private properties under certain laws.

Properties sealed by court order may not be used by other citizens or foreign nationals for their personal interests, he said.

Such properties must be kept under the custody of the court as evidence in the case against the owner and can neither be repurposed or sold, the lawyer noted.

Confiscated properties can only be transferred to state ownership once a defendant receives a final court order, he said, at which point they may be sold through the countrys Investment Commission.

Bid to dissolve NLD

Kyaw Htwe, a member of the NLDs central working committee, said the seizures are part of a bid by the junta to dissolve the NLD and harass its members.

Although the junta seized power on the pretext of voter fraud, it aims to dissolve the party chosen by the people to lead the country  in effect, ignoring the will of the people, he said. There are many people who have lost their houses and properties, just as NLD party members have ... We are working to secure a victory so that we can make the best of their sacrifices.

According to Kyaw Htwe, the junta has sealed off at least 115 NLD party offices across the country since the coup.

Junta security forces have arrested hundreds of NLD members over the same period, including leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former President Win Myint.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Matt Reed.
Wai Hin Aung said last week that international assistance will be needed in Cyclone Mocha recovery effort.

Writer Wai Hin Aung delivers cash assistance to cyclone victim families in Shwe Mingan village in Sittwe township, Rakhine state, Myanmar, on May 23, 2023, a few hours before his arrest.

A well-known writer and social activist was arrested at a military junta checkpoint on Tuesday while attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to victims of the recent cyclone that devastated the region.

Wai Hin Aung was arrested in western Myanmars Rakhine state just after passing through the checkpoint in Sittwe township on his way to villages affected by the May 14 storm known as Cyclone Mocha, according to a person close to the writer who refused to be named for security reasons.

He was traveling with a group of five people, including his daughter, the person told Radio Free Asia.

He was going to Ponnagyun to deliver aid to cyclone victims there, the person said. We havent got any contact with them so far. Nor do we know why they have been arrested.

Earlier on Tuesday, Wai Hin Aung reported on his Facebook page that he had given 100,000 kyats (US$50) each to 16 families sheltering at a school in Sittwe township.

RFA interviewed him on Friday, asking whether rice bags and other supplies were beginning to make it through to affected areas.

What I know for sure is that the help from the junta alone will not suffice the need because the damage is too large, he said. About 3 million people have been affected by the storm and about 120,000 households have been damaged, too.

International assistance needed

People in Pauk Taw and Rathedaung townships urgently need drinking water and shelters, he said. In Pauk Taw, sea water has mixed in with most of the drinking water reservoirs from the flooding that followed the storm, and even cattle cant drink the water and are beginning to die, he said.

With the rainy season set to begin soon, rebuilding adequate shelters for villages throughout the state should be the top priority, he said. Food and medical supplies are also urgently needed but are second and third priorities, he said.

In my opinion, the help from the junta and local communities will not meet the needs of victims, he said. Thats why I want the junta to cooperate and get help from international organizations to effectively help the victims.

Wai Hin Aung was previously arrested in 2018 along with Rakhine nationalist lawmaker Aye Maung after they delivered speeches at a public event in Rathedaung township calling for revolt against Myanmars ethnic majority Bamar-led government.

He was sentenced the following year to 20 years in prison for high treason and to two years for incitement. He was freed in February 2021, weeks after the military junta overthrew the civilian government.

RFA called Rakhine state Attorney General Hla Thein to ask about the arrest, but his phone rang unanswered on Tuesday.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Matt Reed and Josh Lipes.
Tourists pose for souvenir photos in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, in 2019.

China has put in place stricter visa rules and conditions for foreign tourists who want to visit Tibet via neighboring Nepal, according to two travel agencies operating in the Nepalese capital.

The Chinese government routinely blocks access to Tibet for foreign journalists, NGO workers, diplomats and foreign citizens of Tibetan heritage. International tourists must obtain a Tibet Entry Permit to enter Tibet, though obtaining one is not usually a complex process.

Many foreign visitors obtain travel permits in Nepal, a common starting point for those planning to visit Tibet.

Those who want to enter Tibet from Nepal must form a group before obtaining a Chinese Group Visa issued by the Chinese Embassy in Nepals capital, Kathmandu. When they have the group visa, they can then obtain the Tibet Travel Permit issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau for travel according to the preset itinerary.

Under the new procedures, foreign tourists who plan to enter Tibet from Nepal must arrive in Nepal one week prior to completing a visa application, and visas will be issued only to groups with a minimum of four people, the travel agencies said. Another report on the new procedures by the Tibetan Review, an independent monthly publication, said a minimum of five people was necessary.

Visa applicants must go in-person to the Chinese Embassy in Nepal in Kathmandu for interviews and provide fingerprints, they said. Chinese Group Visas for approved tourists are issued after five days after background checks.

Foreigners who already have a visa to travel to different cities in China now must apply for a special visa to enter Tibet, they said.

Individual tourists must provide more detailed personal information, such as schools they attended, and specify the places they intend to visit in Tibet, according to Thamel Tours and Travels, a tour agency based in Kathmandu.

Another travel agency in Kathmandu told Radio Free Asia that only one foreign applicant who applied for a visa through the agency has been turned down under the new procedures.

Previously, foreign tourists did not have to appear in-person at the Chinese Embassy in Nepal to obtain a visa to enter Tibet, and travel agencies arranged for group visas which were issued within two days of application. Visas issued could cover as few as one foreign traveler going to Tibet, because applicants on the list were not individually verified, the Tibetan Review said.

Chinese authorities reopened the Tibet Autonomous Region to foreign visitors this April, after the region was closed for three years amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On Jan. 8, officials lifted border restrictions imposed during the outbreak in early 2020.

On March 31, Chinas Cultural and Tourism Ministry issued an announcement to urge Chinese tour operators to abide by the new rules and strictly oversee the tourist activities through group supervision to boost the countrys tourism industry following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Translated by Rigdhen Dolma for RFA Tibetan. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Matt Reed.
Nguyen Van Duc, a former member of the Coalition for National Self-Determination of the Vietnamese People and vice president of the Vietnam Labor Movement Do, reads a human rights handbook in an undated photo.

A political prisoner serving an 11-year sentence at a jail in southern Vietnams Dong Nai province has accused staffers of contaminating the drinking water in the prison canteen after he fell ill with abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Nguyen Van Duc Do, 47, said he got sick after drinking water he purchased at the canteen at the Xuan Loc Z30A Prison, more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Ho Chi Minh City, his younger brother, Nguyen Duc Hai, told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday.

Do is serving the seventh year of his jail term for carrying out activities to overthrow the government.

Do said he and his prison roommate, Vuong Thanh Thuan, recently bought 17 20-liter jugs of drinking water for drinking and cooking, and that he started having stomach aches and diarrhea while using the fourth jug.

In Vietnamese prisons, inmates can buy water and ready-made foods, such as instant noodles, to cook for themselves.

After leaving the water there for a few days, it smelled like pesticide, Hai said. When he drank the water again, he got an unbearable stomach flu and then diarrhea.

Do suspected guards tried to poison him because he and his cellmate fell ill after using the water, while other inmates bought similar water jugs but did not have any problems, his brother said.

As a result, he now must buy more expensive bottled water to drink, though he will not be able to afford it for long, Hai said.

Do, a former member of the Coalition for National Self-Determination of the Vietnamese People and vice president of the Vietnam Labor Movement, asked a guard to let him see the prison warden to complain about the drinking water issue, but the prison guard did not respond to his request, his brother said.

The health and well-being of political prisoners has been a long-standing concern of human rights groups and inmates families whose relatives have become seriously ill or even died while in jail due to lack of safe food and water and access to outside medical care when needed.

RFA could not reach officials at Xuan Loc Prison to verify the information.

A former political prisoner who was released from Xuan Loc Prison last year but wanted to remain anonymous for safety reasons, told RFA that the detention center provided inmates with water from drilled wells for drinking and washing.

Do was arrested in November 2016 along with four other members of the Coalition for National Self-Determination of the Vietnamese People. They all were charged with carrying out activities to overthrow the government and given sentences ranging from eight to 15 years imprisonment at a 2018 trial.

Do, who has constantly maintained his innocence, told his family that he refused a guards offer for a reduced sentence if he admitted guilt.

He has been held in solitary confinement at times without access to fresh air and exercise, causing his health to decline, and was threatened by guards with a dog when he banged on his cell door for help while experiencing chest pain and difficulty breathing, according to the 88 Project, a human rights group that advocates for persecuted Vietnamese political activists.

Translated by Anna Vu for RFA Vietnamese. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.
The European Unions former high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton, has defended the blocs initial response after Russia occupied Crimea in 2014, but acknowledged we did not know then what we know now and said subsequent policy did not sufficiently prioritize what was happening in Ukraine.

She also urged Balkan neighbors Serbia and Kosovo to get round the table and find answers to lingering differences preventing normalized relations between Belgrade and Pristina, a full decade after the so-called Brussels agreement that she helped forge.

In an exclusive interview with RFE/RLs Balkan Service, Ashton underscored the Western Balkan countries eventual suitability for EU membership and the added challenge of Russian engagement in the region.

We were always aware of Russias influence and engagement in the Western Balkans, she said. The events in Ukraine have brought that more into view.

Ashton was the EUs first-ever high representative, serving as the blocs chief foreign and security policy coordinator and envoy from 2009-14.

Russia covertly occupied the Crimean Peninsula and annexed it in 2014 in a move overwhelmingly rejected by the United Nations, and a simmering conflict waged by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine escalated into a full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.

The European Union and the United States led a sanctions push particularly after the downing of a Malaysian airliner over eastern Ukraine in July 2014 to punish Russia, the ruble, and perceived proxy fighters in Ukraine.

But critics have accused the West of underestimating the threat to international order and UN-recognized borders for years from Russian President Vladimir Putin, particularly in what Moscow regards as its near abroad.

We did react at the time, imposing sanctions on Russia and trying to get negotiations moving, Ashton said. Hindsight is always difficult. We did not know then what we know now; however, in the intervening years, what was happening in Ukraine was not as high on the agenda as it should have been, in my opinion.

Ashton published her memoirs -- titled And Then What? Inside Stories Of 21st-Century Diplomacy -- in February.

Speaking to RFE/RL, she drew a sharp distinction between the challenge of China, which has grown considerably for European policymakers, and the situation with Russia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping asserted a no-limits partnership with Russia weeks before Russias all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and Beijing has urged peace but declined to directly criticize Moscow publicly.

I hope that we will see more effort put into developing a strategic approach to China that recognizes the connections and the concerns, Ashton said. I recall that China played a role with the rest of the P5+1 in the Iran [nuclear] negotiations, and my hope would be that China would seek to play a positive role in the multilateral system we need to take care of.

In the former Yugoslavia, Ashton was essential to an apparent breakthrough in Brussels in 2013 that provided a road map toward normalized relations between Serbia and its majority ethnic Albanian former province, Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008.

A decade later, Belgrade still refuses to recognize Kosovar sovereignty while blocking its membership in international institutions.

Serbias populist President Aleksandar Vucic has leveraged regional might to pursue closer relations with Moscow and Beijing, and outsiders accuse him of increasingly authoritarian leadership that damages Serbians desire for EU membership.

Kosovos prime minister, Albin Kurti, has toughened Pristinas stance on a number of bilateral issues since taking over in 2020, pledging reciprocity, and is frequently critical of Western attempts at mediation.

Ashton played down a question about Washington and Brussels vying for influence in the Balkans, saying that its not about who has more power, its about the power of working together.

She conceded that there is concern across the [Balkan] region that the EU is not as enthusiastic as it was once for enlargement. Yet there is no question that the countries of the Western Balkans belong inside the EU.

But there is a lot to be done by those countries who want to be part of the EU, and some of the lack of enthusiasm is because of the lack of progress being made by those who want to be members, she said. It is not an easy journey, but a journey well worth making.

Ashton stressed democracy, human rights, and rule of law as central guiding principles and part of the ongoing dialogue.

Among the lessons of her diplomatic years, Ashton stressed to RFE/RL the need for compromise and good negotiators whose drip, drip efforts enable solutions.

It is not just the role of the EU to push forward with the Western Balkans, it is also down to each country to determine that it will make the changes necessary to deal with all the issues that are necessary to become a member of the EU, she said. So I hope we will see more done by everyone to address these challenges.
Hayato Matsumoto, a Japanese-Kazakh photographer, recalls life in the Soviet Union and serving as a policeman investigating violent crime, before finding a calmer life in Japan. It would be easy to write a film script from the biography of Hayato Matsumoto: The grandson of a Japanese prisoner of war, he was born in Almaty in Soviet Kazakhstan and worked for the police in the 1990s. He eventually headed the department investigating serious crimes in newly independent Kazakhstan, and then in 2000 he moved to Japan. Today he gives tours for photographers, and travels abroad for documentary work. Here, in his own words, is how the former Kazakh policeman came to make his living as a photographer in Japan. (The interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

My grandmother was a trans-Baikal Cossack, she married a Japanese man in the early 1930s. Such an explosive mixture -- Cossacks and samurai. After Stalin's death, relations between China and the Soviet Union soured and all non-Chinese began to be evicted from Manchuria, where my mother was born. Our family went to the Soviet Union. At that time, settlers were considered politically "unreliable" and were forbidden from settling in the big Soviet cities, so our family ended up in today's city of Taiynsha, northern Kazakhstan.

In our family, the topic of Japanese origin was taboo: it was better not to mention it or acknowledge it in any questionnaires. In 1982, my uncle, who was living in Kurgan, Soviet Russia, at the time, was at an art exhibition where he met a group of Japanese tourists. The guide of the group approached my uncle and said that the tourists took him for a Japanese man. The guide asked him to explain that he was not Japanese, but a Kazakh. The uncle replied that he was indeed Japanese. When they met and talked, one of the tourists volunteered to help search for his relatives. He advertised on Japanese television and in newspapers and managed to find my grandfather, a former Japanese soldier who had been captured by the Soviets in World War II. My grandfather had searched for his family in Manchuria for a long time but was told that all the Japanese there had been shot. At the same time, my grandmother and mother had also looked for my grandfather, but the Soviet authorities replied that they had not found anyone. I think that no one really looked.

As soon as my grandfather found out that the family was alive, he came to the Soviet Union to see us. Grandfather suggested we move to Japan, but the year was 1985, no one even thought about moving. In Soviet times, I had many problems with work and study, and when the U.S.S.R. collapsed, there was more freedom. I got a job in the police, in the state Investigative Committee. I worked there until the end of the 1990s. My final position was the head of the department for especially serious crimes.

We were naive then, we really fought against crime. Despite the fact that the '90s were very difficult and crime was growing, there were no resources. There wasn't enough ammunition, we even stopped shooting practice. There was so much work that we spent the night in the offices. Nevertheless, we somehow worked, searched for criminals, detained them, took risks. There was such youthful enthusiasm. I remember early on I was having a smoke with some colleagues when one employee passed by, I was immediately warned: "Don't communicate with him, he's corrupt, he takes bribes." Can you imagine? The whole department was pointing fingers at him. But then, in the late '90s, it all started: nepotism and bribes. The job became more and more difficult.

In terms of my decision to move to Japan, I just realized that I had burned out. I'm a sensitive person and have never been able to separate personal life from work. So every tragedy connected with a crime felt like something personal. But at some point, it suddenly became clear that my comrades and I were turning into robots. Our mental protection worked, we stopped feeling. You arrive, look at the corpse, and see not someone's tragedy, but simply a work object.

I've been taking photographs since I was a child, but the serious passion for photography came to me only later. In Japan, I was finally able to buy myself an SLR camera that I had always dreamed of. My two sons were still at school, I began to photograph them, and at the same time I shot landscapes. At first, I took my friends around Japan, showed them the country, and they suggested the idea of holding photo tours for photographers. Since I have many friends around the world, they began to tell their friends about me, and through word of mouth, tourists began to come from all over. I've always been fond of the history of Japan, so it is interesting for me to share my thoughts, considerations, and my view of Japan with others.

To be honest, at one time we thought that someday we would return to Kazakhstan. But four years after my departure, I came to stay in Almaty and realized that the country had already changed a lot, and I was already used to Japan. Of course, there are also many disadvantages here, many problems of their own, but at the same time it is very comfortable, convenient, and calm here.
First version published at 12:32

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has responded to the unfounded statements of Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, Trend reports.

"We strongly condemn the biased opinions once again voiced by Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia during a press conference with Leo Docherty, Europe Minister of the UK dated May 22, 2023. Repeated unfounded allegations by Armenia that establishment of the Lachin border checkpoint by Azerbaijan allegedly blocked the road, caused humanitarian problems in the region, created obstacles for the activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as well as the allegations that this is an integral part of the alleged policy of ethnic cleansing are attempts to falsify the reality," said the ministry.

It was noted that Armenian residents, the ICRC, and the Russian peacekeeping contingent pass through the checkpoint in a transparent and regulated manner in both directions. The UK, a permanent member of the UN Security Council is well aware of the almost 30-year-long occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan, the massacres and ethnic cleansing policy pursued by Armenia, as well as the fact that, contrary to the 4 UN Security Council resolutions, Armenia did not end the occupation and refused to withdraw its armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan.

"Armenia must abandon its efforts to mislead the international community with its narratives. At the same time, Armenias encouragement of the sending of international missions to the territory of Azerbaijan and hindrance of the dialogue of the government of Azerbaijan with Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan is regarded as interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan," the ministry said.

It was noted that if Armenia stands for peace and tranquility in the region, it must end such interferences. Regarding the claim of the presence of Armenian prisoners of war on the territory of Azerbaijan, the country in many cases unilaterally returned prisoners of war captured during the war, to Armenia.

"Coming to the group of Armenian servicemen sent by Armenia to commit military provocations on the territory of Azerbaijan after the war, it is known to the Armenian leadership that they are not prisoners of war. Despite the fact that Azerbaijan, in a show of goodwill returned almost half of this group to Armenia, Armenia refused to return two Azerbaijani servicemen who lost their way and passed into Armenia through a fabricated trial process, thereby undermining confidence-building efforts," said the ministry.

"We call on Armenia to refrain from dangerous rhetoric that undermines the establishment of peace and security in the region and to fulfill its obligations instead of continuing to unreasonably accuse Azerbaijan and try to mislead the international community," the ministry concluded.
More than 100,000 Romanian public-school teachers went on strike on May 22, citing stagnant wages and crumbling facilities. Parents and students worry they will be affected by indefinite school shutdowns but many say they sympathize on the wage issue. Average Romanian primary and secondary teachers' starting pay is around half the national average of $988 monthly.
Never one to mince words, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the brash founder of the notorious Russian mercenary company Wagner Group, offered the latest in a series of often profane criticism of Russian military commanders in a video published on May 9.

Prigzohin complained about supplies of ammunition to his fighters, who have played a key role in the 10-month assault on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. And then he lit into another target, a private security company funded by the state-owned gas giant Gazprom, complaining that its fighters were refusing to take up positions in the fight near Bakhmut.

"Why are you spending public money, gathering people, and sending them to the meat grinder?" he said in the video. "Their mothers are going to come and give you a good [expletive]. Stop doing this nonsense, this is war!"

Wagner, with its yearslong rise to prominence in places like Mali, Sudan, and the Central African Republic, has become a household name for followers of Russian military tactics. But Prigozhin's company is far from the only one of its sort.

Here's a quick look at some of the other, lesser-known players in Russia's growing private security complex: some have fielded soldiers to fight in Ukraine, others have gained notoriety in their own unique ways.

Redut

Soldiers from a company known as Redut were among the first to enter Ukraine, according to the news site Meduza, when Russia launched its large-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. Redut is the Russian word for "redoubt," a defensive military fortification or stronghold.

But its origins go back several years: to Syria, according to the Russian-language newspaper Novaya gazeta, where its soldiers were reportedly involved in guarding facilities set up there by Stroitransgaz, an engineering and construction company originally established by Gazprom but later acquired by Kremlin-connected billionaire Gennady Timchenko.

According to Novaya gazeta, Redut's headquarters are located in Kubinka, a Moscow region town that is close to the home base of the 45th Special Forces Brigade of Russia's Airborne Forces.

The company has actively recruited soldiers on Russian social networks, stipulating that interested candidates must be at least 25 and must have some sort of military specialty or experience in law enforcement agencies.

A copy of a Redut contract recently obtained by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities shows no mention of Ukraine or any ongoing military operations, and states that the company is a construction company registered in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, not far from the Russian-occupied parts of the Donbas in Ukraine. Russian corporate registries, however, show no details for any such corporations.

The contract also identifies itself by the abbreviation "RLSPI" or Regional Laboratory of Social and Psychological Research. The laboratory in fact is a unit of Russia's military intelligence agency, known as the GRU, and is officially called military unit 35555.

One man who joined Redut told Idel.Realities that prior to the invasion, contractors were being sent to Ukraine -- Russia has backed local forces in the Donbas since 2014 -- and they were being paid in cash, in U.S. dollars. Since the invasion, however, wages have been paid in rubles.

Expectations and responsibilities for contractors include "execution of any special tasks at any time in any place at the employer's discretion," the contract says.

Another former contractor told Idel.Realities that the soldiers do some of their training at a military-intelligence training facility near the southwestern Russian city of Tambov.

Torch, Flow, And Flame

In addition to Wagner, which, despite its notoriety and fame, remains technically illegal under Russian law as a private military company, there are other armed security companies that are also present on the Ukraine battlefield, that are not illegal.

The existence of one or more private military companies backed by Gazprom was widely suspected prior to Prigozhin's comments. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin earlier this year authorized the Gazprom oil subsidiary Gazpromneft to create such an entity under the classification "private security company," which is legal under Russian law.

According to the BBC's Russian service, Gazprom's private entity was initially established in the Siberian city of Omsk under the title Gazpromneft Okhrana -- or Gazpromneft Security -- and was headed by Stanislav Bauman, the acting head of the Arkhangelsk regional Interior Ministry.

Based on Prigozhin's remarks and other reporting, there are multiple private security entities that exist under Gazprom's umbrella.

One, known as Potok, or "flow," came to public attention in April, when a group of its contractors released a video complaining about battlefield supplies. They also complained that they had been told they would receive formal contracts via the Defense Ministry but instead were deployed under the authority of the Redut company.

Don And The Union Of Donbas Volunteers

The Don Brigade, which has links to Redut, is made up of volunteers, many of whom are Cossacks. The brigade is listed in the national ready-reserve system known as BARS and is formally connected with the Defense Ministry.

A top official in a Cossack social organization called the Union of Cossack Warriors of Russia and Abroad has recruited volunteers on social media. Another top official with the group is Aleksandr Borodai, a Russian who was formerly a leader of separatists in the Donbas. He is now a member of Russia's parliament.

One Don soldier, who gave his name only as Maksim, told RFE/RL that he joined because of the age requirement imposed by Redut. But he said wages for contractors with Don and the Union of Donbas Volunteers were paid by Redut.

The soldier said that some of the contractors are sent to join Redut, where special Don units are created. But they are still formally considered members the Union of Donbas Volunteers.

And, like other fighters with Redut, Don mercenaries are not included in the formal BARS registry system.

According to the Union's page on the social network formerly known as VKontake, the group has three battalions who train at the Kadamovsky training ground in the Rostov region.

Moran Security Group, Slavonic Corps, E.N.O.T. Corps

Other Russian military and security companies are better known for earlier endeavors, or their activities off the Ukrainian battlefields, or espousing extremist ideologies.

There are conflicting dates as to when Moran Security first emerged. Corporate documents detailed in a 2019 report by the New America Foundation say the company was incorporated in Belize in 2011, followed by Moscow that same year. Its marketing materials say its work providing security from pirates for Russian ships dates back to the 1990s. Among Moran's biggest clients were state-owned Sovcomflot, Russia's largest shipping company.

According to the St. Petersburg news outlet Fontanka, PMC Wagner took root from the Slavonic Corps, a private military company that recruited fighters back in 2013.

Another company, the Slavonic Corps, first appeared in corporate records in Hong Kong in 2013; its two principals were former employees of Moran, Vadim Gusev and Yevgeny Sidorov. That same year, in 2013, Slavonic Corps fighters appeared in Syria at the request of the Syrian government, which was already facing a growing threat from groups including Islamic State that had captured several oil facilities.

After a battle in which several Slavonic Corps fighters were wounded, Gusev and Sidorov returned to Russia, and they were detained by the Federal Security Service. A year later, they were found guilty of running an illegal mercenary company and sentenced to prison by a Moscow court.

One of the Wagner Group's first heads, meanwhile, was Dmitry Utkin, a Russian military intelligence veteran who worked for Moran Security and later the Slavonic Corps.

Another private company that Ukrainian researchers have identified as taking part in Russia's 2014 occupation of Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula was E.N.O.T. Corp, founded by a nationalist activist named Igor Mangushev.

E.N.O.T. soldiers have also been spotted in Syria, according to a 2018 report by the Polish Institute for International Affairs, as well as engaging in paramilitary operations in Tajikistan and Nagorno-Karabakh. The group also ran "patriotic" summer camps for young people, in countries including Serbia, Montenegro, Belarus, and others.

In 2018, the group was targeted by Russian law enforcement in the Krasnodar region, and several of its members, some who were federal security or intelligence officers, were accused of robbery and extortion. Last year, Roman Telenkevich, who had headed the group since 2016, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for extortion, criminal threatening, and other charges.

Written by Mike Eckel based on reporting by Mark Krutov and Sergei Dobrynin of RFE/RL's Russian Service and by RFE/RL's Idel.Realities
A reserve colonel in the Ukrainian armed forces says that fighting in Russia's Belgorod region was a "combat reconnaissance mission" launched by units of Russian citizens that have been fighting on Kyiv's side since 2014. The Ukrainian government has said it has nothing to do with the incident. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on May 23 that the attack was launched by "Ukrainian fighters." A similar armed incursion took place in March in Russia's Bryansk region.
Giving birth is a life or death struggle for women in Afghanistan, where roughly one mother is believed to die every two hours from preventable pregnancy and childbirth complications.

Even mothers who survive face the stark reality that their newborns may not, with the Taliban's Health Ministry estimating 22 children die for every 1,000 live births.



"Why would a woman need to go to the hospital?" 31-year-old Zia Gul, a resident of the northern Parwan Province, recalled her husband saying during her difficult pregnancies. "There are only men at the hospital; there are no female doctors."



Gul told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that her husband's refusal to let her see a doctor contributed to the loss of two of her newborn children.



Gul's experience is in line with those of many Afghan women, particularly in conservative rural areas, who are bound by the Islamic custom of mahram. The practice prohibits women from leaving their home without a male relative, bars them from being treated by male doctors, and gives them little say in their own health decisions.

But the traditional customs enforced by Gul's in-laws, who allowed no discussion on the matter, are just one of the many factors that contribute to high maternal mortality in Afghanistan's deeply patriarchal society.



Years of political upheaval, economic woes, the exodus of medical professionals, low literacy and public awareness on health issues, poor infrastructure, and the lack of access to medical care in remote areas all add up to astonishingly high maternal mortality rates.



Among The World's Worst



According to statistics compiled by the World Bank, the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA), and other UN agencies, 1,450 mothers were dying for every 100,000 live births by 2000, shortly before the Taliban was ousted from power.



Over the course of the next 20 years, due to increased funding and attention paid to maternal health care and awareness by the UNPFA, international aid agencies such as Doctors Without Borders (MSF), and the Afghan government, that number was cut by more than half to 620 deaths by 2020.



The Taliban's seizure of power in August 2021 raised fears that the extremist group would reimpose the draconian policies of its first stint in power from 1996-2001, including the banning of female education and employment as it enforced mahram.

Many of those fears have been realized. Girls above the sixth grade have been barred from attending school, women are banned from pursuing university education, and women are no longer allowed to work for international aid agencies. Marham is also more prevalent, with women officially required to wear the all-encompassing burqa and remain at home unless accompanied by a male relative.



Once again, according to Aleksandar Sasha Bodiroza, the UNFPA's representative in Afghanistan, women's ability to freely access health facilities to seek maternal and newborn care has been restricted.



No outside nationwide statistics have been made available since 2020, but the Afghan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, citing recent figures from the Taliban-led government's Health Ministry, told Radio Azadi that the maternal mortality ratio has risen only slightly under Taliban rule.



While the figure, 638 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, is the same number recorded by the international community in 2017, it is still high enough to rank Afghanistan among the world's 10 worst in terms of maternal mortality.



That the situation has remained relatively stable is also difficult to fathom, considering the vast numbers of doctors who fled the country as the Taliban regained power, the country's dire economic situation and multiple humanitarian crises, and the increased pressures on aid workers and on Afghan women.



The state health-care system, propped up by foreign aid for two decades, has also suffered from a dramatic drop in international funding since the Taliban takeover.



Health workers and outside agencies say the damage done to the health sector is undeniable.



"The system has changed in our country. Naturally, it had an impact on the country's economy and the services that the government provides to the people," Hamid Jabari, an Afghan physician who was expelled from the country by the Taliban, told Radio Azadi. "The negative effects are being felt, including the lack of professionals in government, especially the health sector."

Some of the losses are offset by the continued involvement of outside organizations, including private hospitals, the UNFPA, and MSF, which have been able to continue to employ women despite the Taliban's ban on women aid workers due to an exemption for health workers.



But tremendous obstacles remain. Bodiroza said in written comments that "despite the exemption of the health sector from the ban on female humanitarian workers, the sector is also suffering from the ban as there are NGOs that indirectly support efficient delivery of health services -- not as frontline health workers but as back office staff, for example."



Afghan women health-care workers, in turn, told Radio Azadi they are being prevented from carrying out their work or expanding their expertise, even as the contributing factors to maternal mortality become more severe. The result is that newborns or pregnant women are now at greater risk of preventable deaths during pregnancy, childbirth, and in the first few weeks after childbirth.



"Many pregnant women can't access antenatal or postnatal care, and the health system struggles to treat women who experience complications in pregnancy," Tomas Bendl, field communications manager for MSF in Afghanistan, told RFE/RL in written comments. "A shortage of qualified female health-care staff also affects access to health care, as maternity and sometimes pediatric wards are women-only spaces."



Dangers At Home



Hussain Sayer, a doctor from Parwan Province, told Radio Azadi that childbirth should ideally take place at a maternity hospital under the care of an obstetrician.



He said it was a "bad custom" for women to be denied access to health facilities during their pregnancies and warned that the only available option for many women -- home birth -- carries great risk.



In the event of births taking place at home, he said, they should be supervised by a trained midwife.

But while great emphasis was made over the past two decades to increase the number of professional midwives in Afghanistan capable of providing medical assistance during pregnancies, deliveries, and postnatal care, many Afghan women who entered the profession say they are unable to help.



Nadia, a midwife who spoke to Radio Azadi on condition that only her first name be used, said many of her colleagues who specialized in gynecology and obstetrics are "unemployed and stay at home" since the Taliban takeover.



Another midwife, who declined to give her name due to security concerns, said fear prevents many of her colleagues from working.



"Midwives don't go from place to place to assist with births -- that's why the problems have increased," she told Radio Azadi. "Every midwife is afraid for her life."



Restrictions on women's mobility have had a harmful effect on efforts to educate communities on women's health in remote areas of the country, according to the UNFPA's Bodiroza.



Even when male family members do allow women to visit health-care facilities, the difficulties in reaching them in rural areas limits the number of visits and can mean help is often administered too late.

"I took my wife to the clinic by motorcycle," Abdul Samad, a resident of the southeastern Ghazni Province told Radio Azadi, explaining he lived far from the nearest village with maternity facilities.



While Samad managed to get his wife to a doctor, shortly after he left to retrieve her mother, he received bad news. "Half an hour later, I received a call saying my wife was in agony," he said. "When I returned, I saw they were right" -- both his wife and their newborn child had died.



Continuing Efforts



It is difficult to assess where Afghanistan truly stands in terms of maternal mortality, but the benefits of continued outreach efforts and on-the-ground medical aid are obvious.



Bendl said MSF operates two projects in Afghanistan that focus on maternal health care, among other things, and employ more than 1,700 medical professionals in Afghanistan, of whom more than half are women.



Last year, MSF assisted in more than 42,700 deliveries, more than 8,000 of which were marked by obstetric complications. In Lashkar Gah, capital of the southern Helmand Province, MSF's support for a hospital resulted in an average maternal mortality rate of 0.1 percent. In the southeastern Khost Province, where MSF operates a maternity hospital, the mortality rate was 0.02 percent.



Bodiroza of the UNFPA said the agency continues "to deliver a full range of maternal health services in Afghanistan" and supports facilities and delivers essential reproductive health supplies in 32 out of the country's 34 provinces.



Despite the positives, those involved in providing health services in Afghanistan say much more needs to be done.

Bodiroza said the UNFPA estimates that without immediate and sustained support for reproductive health services, the situation could lead to an additional 51,000 maternal deaths by 2025.

Adding that "reproductive health services are therefore more critical than ever," Bodiroza said the UN agency is aiming to reach 10.6 million people -- including 6.8 million women and girls -- in remote areas with reproductive health support.



Bendl said that "there is no doubt that a dysfunctional health system, widespread poverty, and increased restrictions placed on women are at the heart of the current humanitarian crisis."



"If we want the situation to improve," he said, "policymakers, donors, and local authorities must urgently focus on strengthening primary medical care." And women, he said, "must be allowed to pursue further education and employment opportunities, to raise income for their families and to ensure there are sufficient female health workers in the country to meet the needs."

Written and reported by Michael Scollon, with additional reporting by Radio Azadi correspondents Ahmad Hanayish and Sahar Lewal
MARY, Turkmenistan -- Teachers in Turkmenistan are being accused of demanding free lunches, money, and favors from students ahead of crucial graduation exams, leaving university hopefuls fearful they might not make the grade if they refuse.

Teachers at multiple high schools in the southern city of Mary have threatened senior students with low grades "that would ruin their school diplomas" if they don't comply, one parent told RFE/RL's Turkmen Service on condition of anonymity.

Other parents echoed the claims of what they called "extortion," adding that some teachers were delegating their own tasks to senior students by making them check homework.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, some Mary teachers confirmed the allegations to RFE/RL. City education officials did not respond to requests for comment.

The students were allegedly told that any money they provided would be used for school renovations and to pay for teachers' lunches during the monthlong exam season.

"The students were given an option to pay for teachers' lunches or to bring cooked food for them during the graduation exams," one Mary resident with two school-age children said.

"Parents agreed, because they fear that if their children got a lower grade, it would effectively prevent them from being accepted to university," the man said. "Obviously, not all teachers are involved in these wrongdoings. But quite a lot of them are doing this."

RFE/RL sources say similar incidents have taken place in many other towns across the tightly controlled Central Asian country, which is notorious for corruption and bribery.

Some Mary teachers, meanwhile, accused "wealthy parents" of offering bribes to teachers in return for high exam grades.

Several teachers who spoke to RFE/RL on condition of anonymity say that affluent families often invite teachers to their homes for dinner and offer pricey gifts or cash in $50 or $100 banknotes. The teachers say the attempts to influence them are often made in front of the students.

The allegations come a year after many schools in Turkmenistan abruptly stopped the widespread practice of bribe-taking and illicit money collection after independent media, including RFE/RL's Turkmen Service, locally known as Azatlyk, exposed the practice.

"After the reports by Azatlyk, representatives of the Education Ministry and prosecutors began visiting schools in Ashgabat to check [the claims]," an Ashgabat resident said last year.

Turkmen authorities, who generally refrain from speaking to nonstate media, have made no public comments on the situation.

Forced Donations

Schools across Turkmenistan have long faced allegations of illegally demanding that parents pay for school refurbishments, New Year's decorations and parties, and portraits of and books by the country's president.

By law, all public schools and their services must be funded from the state budget.

RFE/RL has previously reported about high schoolers in Turkmenistan who didn't want to go to school because they feared the teachers would "punish" them with low grades because their parents couldn't afford to pay bribes or favors.

State entities in Turkmenistan are often said to engage in bribery and extortion, including direct cash payments, donations, and mandatory subscriptions to state publications.

Public-sector workers have frequently complained that their paychecks are significantly reduced by various deductions, including payments to state-backed charities or office upgrades.

Turkmenistan has also come under criticism from rights watchdogs for requiring that workers volunteer their time to take part in mass street cleanings, parades, and government-organized events.

In February, two local state employees in the western Balkan Province, speaking on condition of anonymity, said officials demanded that they donate half of their $430 monthly salaries to the charity fund run by former President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov.

The vast majority of Turkmenistan's citizens live in poverty despite the country's abundant resources of natural gas. According to RFE/RL sources in the country, some people say that the money demanded by their children's schools or their own employers forces them to borrow money or cut back on food and essentials in order to get by. However, they say they opt not to lodge official complaints because the government in Ashgabat doesn't tolerate criticism.

Written by Farangis Najibullah based on reporting by RFE/RL's Turkmen Service correspondents in Mary and Balkan provinces
9 A Ukrainian soldier fires an RPG toward enemy positions from his trench.



Moscow says capturing Bakhmut opens the way to further advances in the eastern industrial Donbas region bordering Russia. Kyiv says its advance on the Russian forces' flanks is more meaningful than its withdrawal inside Bakhmut itself, and Russia will have to weaken its lines elsewhere to send reinforcements to hold the shattered city.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Azerbaijan, based on the basis of five principles it presented, supports the signing of a peace agreement with Armenia, and in particular mutual recognition of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of states, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said on May 23, receiving Chairwoman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Margareta Soderfelt, Trend reports.

The Azerbaijani President noted that it was Azerbaijan, which had come forward with an initiative to normalize relations with Armenia and sign a peace agreement in the wake of the 44-day Patriotic War. The head of state mentioned recent Washington discussions on the text of the peace treaty held at the level of foreign ministers of the two countries as well as his meeting with the Prime Minister of Armenia in Brussels with the support of President of the European Council Charles Michel, adding there will be more meetings in the future on the sidelines of international events.

President Ilham Aliyev underlined the country favors the signing of a peace treaty on the basis of Azerbaijan-initiated 5 principles, in particular, the mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Elmira Akhundova has been recalled from the post of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Ukraine, as well as the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development  GUAM, Trend reports.

The corresponding decree was signed by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Chair of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA) Margarita Soderfelt together with the delegation will visit the Zangilan district, where they will get acquainted with the process of restoration of Azerbaijani territories, Trend reports.

She made the remark at the meeting with President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President underlined that she, together with the delegation, would visit Zangilan district and familiarize herself with the reconstruction processes in Azerbaijani territories.

Noting that there are positive statements circulated in the media regarding the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Margareta Cederfelt enquired about the peace agenda.
Manish Sisodia

Modi ji has become arrogant, he does not believe in democracy: Manish Sisodia

NEW-DELHI: Delhi's Rouse Avenue court has extended the judicial custody of 'AAP' leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia till June 1. Along with this, the jail authorities have been instructed to consider Sisodia's demand of a table and a chair for studies.

Manish Sisodia, who reached the court, hit out at the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the case of the central government's ordinance. He said, "Modi ji has become arrogant, he does not believe in democracy".

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Earlier, the court had dismissed Sisodia's bail application on March 31, saying that Sisodia was the main conspirator of the criminal conspiracy in the case and that he had allegedly given around Rs 90-100 crore to himself and his colleagues in the Delhi government. Notably, The CBI had arrested Sisodia after several rounds of questioning in connection with alleged corruption in the now-cancelled Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22.




Harjinder Singh Dhami

A sub-committee has been formed in this matter: SGPC President

AMRITSAR: The dispute over the rights to broadcast Gurbani from Sri Darbar Sahib is sparking day by day. After Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's announcement to bear the entire cost of Gurbani broadcasting, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) also reacted on the issue. The President of the SGPC, Harjinder Singh Dhami, held a press conference and said that now the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee will call for open tenders for Gurbani broadcasting.

Harjinder Dhami said that they have formed a sub-committee for this, which will decide its conditions and further action will be taken. He said that any channel can apply for it but the channel has to follow the issued instructions. He said that whatever channel will broadcast Gurbani will have to spread the message of Gurbani to the country and the world.

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Dhami also made a statement about Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and said that CM Mann is speaking at the behest of the Centre. He has said that CM Mann should control his words and not use words like selling 'Gurbani'.
Deaths due to Bad Weather Conditions

Early Warning Systems have helped reduce deaths associated with Climate: Report

In the last 50 years, nearly 12,000 severe weather-related disasters have occurred worldwide, resulting in over 2 million deaths and economic losses of $4.3 trillion. The United Nations meteorological agency World Meteorological Organization (WMO) gave this information on Monday.

The World Meteorological Organization has released these figures at a time when the congress meeting of its member countries, held once in four years, has been commenced. It was emphasized in the meeting that further efforts are needed to improve the warning system for adverse weather conditions by 2027.

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WMO says early warning systems have helped reduce deaths associated with climate and other weather-related disasters. According to the WMO, between 1970 and 2021, the Americas caused the most economic losses due to adverse weather conditions. These conditions caused a total of $1700 billion damage in the United States, while 9 out of 10 deaths worldwide occurred in developing countries.

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said Cyclone 'Mocha', which hit Myanmar and Bangladesh this month, showed how "the most vulnerable people face weather, climate and water-related hazards".

"Hundreds and thousands of people have died in Myanmar and Bangladesh due to severe weather disasters in the past. Thanks to early warnings and disaster management, these dire statistics are now history. Early warning systems save lives,"said Petteri Taalas.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree approving the list of foundations established for public and social purposes, Trend reports.

According to the decree, the "List of foundations established for public and social purposes" was approved.

This list includes:

1. Heydar Aliyev Foundation

2. Karabakh Revival Foundation

3. Foundation to support disabled military servicemen and families of martyrs who protected the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan (YASHAT Foundation).
JPMorgan Chase (JPM) revised its net interest income projection to $84 billion, up by $3 billion after acquiring the majority of First Republic.

Despite the turmoil in the banking industry and the potential for a recession, the bank aims to grow in size and increase its revenue further this year, as stated by top executives during the bank's annual investor day on Monday morning.

The bank announced that the acquisition of First Republic is anticipated to have a slightly positive effect on its overall net income, contributing an annual amount of $500 million. This projection is made prior to factoring in any restructuring expenses within the next two years.

On Monday morning, JPMorgan's stock initially increased by 1.2% before stabilizing at around the same level. Since the start of the year, the stock has shown a 3% increase, distinguishing it as one of the few US bank stocks to demonstrate year-to-date growth.

According to Jennifer Roberts, the CEO of consumer banking at JPMorgan, the bank has plans to expand its physical presence by adding more brick-and-mortar bank buildings throughout the United States. The goal is to increase the bank's coverage to reach 70% of the US population within a 10-minute drive of its branches, up from the current 60%. JPMorgan currently operates over 4,800 retail locations.

The acquisition of First Republic has contributed to JPMorgan's expansion and increased its size. The deal resulted in the addition of 200 advisers and $200 billion in client assets to JPMorgan's wealth management operations. The number of financial advisers also rose by 5.3% to reach 4,950.

The bank announced plans to close certain First Republic branches that have overlapping locations with existing brick-and-mortar banks. However, it intends to maintain branches in prime locations such as San Francisco and New York City, which will aid in advancing its strategy with affluent clients.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Oil prices held steady on Tuesday after settling higher in the previous session on hopes that U.S. lawmakers will reach a debt ceiling deal soon to avert a debt default.

Both Brent crude futures and WTI crude futures were marginally higher at $76 a barrel and $72.06 a barrel, respectively.

Concerns around China's economic recovery and a firmer dollar in the wake of hawkish comments from Federal Reserve officials kept oil price gains in check.

There is no U.S. debt deal yet, though U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called their latest round of negotiations on the debt ceiling "productive".

Meanwhile, OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al Ghais reportedly said on Monday that under-investing in the oil and gas sector could cause market volatility in the long term and imperil growth.

OPEC estimates that the world needs $12.1 trillion in investments to meet rising oil demand in the long term.

In economic releases, a survey showed earlier today that the Eurozone manufacturing sector contraction deepened in May to hit a 36-month low due to weak demand and a fall in selling prices.

Elsewhere, British manufacturing and services PMIs for May surprised to the downside.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG), an insurance and risk consulting company, announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Florida-based insurance firm Insurance by Ken Brown, Inc. or IBKB. The financial terms of the deal have not been divulged.

IBKB is a retail insurance broker for construction and swimming pool industries and serves clients throughout Florida and Southeast US.

"IBKB has a strong reputation and family culture, and their market expertise will enhance our opportunities in the region," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., President and CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Currently, shares of Arthur J. Gallagher are trading at $211.78 down 1.31% or $2.81 on the New York Stock Exchange.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Azerbaijan is creating a legal entity of public law - "Labor Protection Center" - on the basis of the central laboratory of State Labor Inspection Service under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

In this regard, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a corresponding decree.

The Labor Protection Center is a legal entity under public law providing services to employers in the field of labor protection and workplace certification, as well as providing training, consulting and methodological support in these areas.

The powers of the center's founder, specified in Article 8.2 of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan, regarding the approval of the charter of the center, determining the size of the authorized fund and amending it, creating management bodies, determining the structure, wage fund, the number of employees and the amount of their wages (official salary, salary allowances, bonuses and other payments), as well as the reorganization and liquidation of the center are carried out by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. The Nakhchivan Regional Migration Directorate of the State Migration Service of Azerbaijan, has been established, Trend reports.

The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a corresponding decree.

Meanwhile, the document signed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev abolished the State Migration Service of Azerbaijans Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) Margareta Cederfelt, President of the Parliament of Montenegro Danijela Durovic, Secretary General of the OSCE PA Roberto Montella, Deputy Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Jonas Jarutis, representatives of OSCE PA member states and international organizations have visited Azerbaijans Zangilan district, Trend reports.

Previously, they took part in conference on "Role of national parliaments in promoting security and stability through the green economy, transport coordination and sustainable development", organized by the Parliament of Azerbaijan and the OSCE PA, held in Baku.

The guests were accompanied by Azerbaijani MP, head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the OSCE PA, Chairman of the OSCE PA General Committee on Economic Affairs, Science, Technology and Environment Azay Guliyev, MP Igbal Mammadov and Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the OSCE Rovshan Sadigbayli.

As part of the visit, the guests arrived at Zangilan International Airport, where they were informed about the airports technical capabilities. Then the guests arrived in the districts Jahangirbayli village.

There, the special representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the Jabrayil, Gubadli and Zangilan districts of the Eastern Zangazur economic region Vahid Hajiyev informed the guests about the restoration of Zangilan and other territories liberated from the Armenian occupation, the ongoing construction work, including restoration work in Jahangirbayli village, and the villages development plan.

Then, Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action Samir Poladov informed about the mines massively planted by Armenian armed forces during the period of occupation and the mine clearing process.

The mine clearing process was also demonstrated.

Besides, the guests saw the consequences of the destruction caused by Armenia during the occupation and it was brought to the guests attention that during the occupation, Armenia destroyed Azerbaijani forests and nature reserves, illegally used Azerbaijani natural resources, polluted the soil and rivers, including trans-boundary rivers.

The guests were informed that during the occupation, cities and towns of Azerbaijan, monuments of culture and religion, libraries were destroyed by Armenia.

Further, a trip to the smart Aghali village of the Zangilan district took place. Extensive information was provided on the work done within the smart village and green energy projects.

In Aghali village, the conference participants got acquainted with the Dove monument-fountain complex, symbolizing the eternal peace in Azerbaijani ancestral lands, which were occupied for about 30 years, as well as with the ASAN (Azerbaijan Service and Assessment Network) Service Center and others newly built facilities. The guests talked to the village residents and took photos with them.

Zangilan district was liberated from Armenian occupation in the 2020 second Karabakh war.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. On May 23, the rector of the National Defense University of the Ministry of Defense, Lieutenant General Heydar Piriyev met with the rector of the National Defense University of the Republic of Bulgaria, Major General Ivan Malamov, who is on a visit to Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

The delegation signed the "Book of Remembrance" of the university.

Lieutenant General H. Piriyev welcomed the guests and expressed his satisfaction with seeing them in Azerbaijan. He noted that relations between Azerbaijan and Bulgaria are based on friendship and effective cooperation.

The delegation was presented a briefing on the history, activities, structure and upcoming tasks of the National Defense University and its military educational institutions.

Major General I. Malamov expressed his gratitude for the hospitality and emphasized that such meetings are of great importance in terms of mutual exchange of experience.

The meeting exchanged views on the current state and development prospects of cooperation in the field of military education between the two countries, as well as other issues of mutual interest. Afterwards a photo was taken.

Then the Bulgarian guests visited the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev of the National Defense University.

The Monument of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the Memorial Complex in memory of the Shehids (Martyrs) of the Patriotic War were visited, flowers were laid and their memory was honored.

The guests got acquainted with a photo board depicting the life and political activity of the Great Leader in the museum of the military institute.

Rector of the Military Institute named after Heydar Aliyev, Major General Fizuli Salahov discussed with the guests a number of issues of mutual interest in the field of military education.

A briefing on the history and activities of the institute was presented.

Then the delegation got acquainted with the territory of the institute, educational buildings, material and technical base, as well as the conditions created for the cadets and watched the educational process.

In the end, the sides exchanged presents and a photo was taken.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. King of Spain Felipe VI sent a letter to President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 - Independence Day, Trend reports.

"Mr. President,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the Spanish government and people, I extend my sincerest congratulations to Your Excellency on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Azerbaijan  the Independence Day.

Mr President, I wish you the best of health, and the beloved people of Azerbaijan peace and prosperity.

I express my deep respect and esteem to you," the letter says.

President of the Republic of Peru Dina Ercilia Boluarte Zegarra sent a letter to President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 - Independence Day.

"Excellency, Mr President,

I am pleased to extend my sincerest congratulations to you on the occasion of the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

On this auspicious day, Your Excellency, I would like to reiterate that Peruvian government is interested in continuing expanding and strengthening the relations both in bilateral and multilateral formats for the benefit of our countries.

I wish the beloved people of the Republic of Azerbaijan prosperity and progress. I avail myself of this opportunity to once again express my deep respect and consideration to you," the letter says.

President of the Republic of Nicaragua Daniel Ortega Saavedra, Vice President of the Republic of Nicaragua Rosario Murillo sent a letter to President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 - Independence Day.

"Your Excellency, Dear brother,

On the Independence Day that Azerbaijan celebrates, we join You and your people, conveying our respect, affection and brotherly solidarity, with the confidence of working together for a better world to which all the peoples of the world have the right to aspire and build.

Much affection to You, and all the recognition of the spiritual strength of your people, to which we are united by historical ties of efforts for the common good," the letter says.

President of the Republic of Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba sent a letter to President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 - Independence Day.

"Mr. President,

It gives me great pleasure to extend my sincere congratulations to you on behalf of the people, the government of Gabon, and on my own behalf on the occasion of 28 May - the Independence Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

I wish you good health and happiness, and prosperity to the friendly people of Azerbaijan.

Taking this pleasant opportunity, I would like to reiterate my commitment to elevate the ties of friendship between Gabon and Azerbaijan to a higher level in line with the interests of our peoples.

Please accept, Mr. President, the assurances of my highest consideration," the letter says.

King of Morocco Mohammed VI sent a congratulatory letter to President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 - Independence Day.

"Excellency, dear brother.

At a time when the Republic of Azerbaijan is celebrating the Independence Day, I am very pleased to extend our sincerest congratulations, as well as wishes for the strong health and happiness on behalf of the people of Morocco and on my own behalf. Also, under your wise leadership, I wish the people of Azerbaijan great progress and prosperity.

Excellency, I am confident that, you are just as interested as I am in strengthening close fraternal relations between our countries, progressing our cooperation in all the fields for the benefits of the mutual prosperity of our peoples," the letter says.
Tunnels deep underground in North Yorkshire are providing a unique opportunity to study how humans might be able to live and operate on the Moon or on Mars.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have launched the Bio-SPHERE project in a unique research facility located 1.1 km below the surface, in one of the deepest mine sites in the UK. The project investigates how scientific and medical operations would take place in the challenging environments of the Moon and Mars.

It is the first of a series of new laboratory facilities planned to study how humans might work -- and stay healthy -- during long space missions, a key requirement for ensuring mission continuity on other planets.

The team is working in partnership with the Boulby Underground Laboratory, a 4,000m3 deep underground facility focused on particle physics, Earth sciences and astrobiology research, run by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (part of UK Research and Innovation) with the support of the Boulby Mine operators, ICL-UK.

The Bio-SPHERE project is based in a 3,000m3 tunnel network adjacent to the Boulby Laboratory, which go through 250-million-year-old rock salt deposits, consisting of Permian evaporite layers left over from the Zechstein Sea. This geological environment, together with the deep subsurface location, have enabled researchers to recreate the operational conditions humans would experience working in similar caverns on the Moon and Mars. This includes remoteness, limited access to new materials and challenges in moving heavy equipment around.

At the same time, thanks to the ultra-low radiation environment provided by that depth, the location will enable scientists to investigate how effective underground habitats might be in protecting space crews from deep-space radiation, which is a significant risk in space exploration, as well as other hazards, such as falling debris from meteorites, which risks damaging the life-support infrastructure.

The first facility to be opened as part of Bio-SPHERE (Biomedical Sub-surface Pod for Habitability and Extreme-environments Research in Expeditions), is based in a 3-metre-wide simulation module and is designed specifically to test biomedical procedures needed to prepare materials for treating tissue damage. These include complex fluids, polymers and hydrogels for regenerative medicine that could be used, for example, in wound dressings, or fillers for damage mitigation.

A paper describing the concept and design of such a habitat was recently published in Nature (NPJ) Microgravity.

Bio-SPHERE, which includes a range of capabilities for sterile work and material processing, combines these simulation facilities and useful geological environment with access to the adjacent physics and chemistry laboratory facilities.

This environment provides the opportunity to simulate various mission scenarios and to conduct cutting edge, interdisciplinary science, ranging from the effects of extreme environments on biological and physicochemical parameters and on medical infrastructure, all the way to investigating how available 'in-situ' resources such as ambient pressure, temperature and geology can be used for habitat construction.

Lead researcher Dr Alexandra Iordachescu, in the University of Birmingham's School of Chemical Engineering, said: "We are excited to be partnering with the fantastic science team at the Boulby Underground Laboratory. This new capability will help to gather information that can advise on the life support systems, devices and biomaterials which could be used in medical emergencies and tissue repair following damage in deep-space missions.

"These types of metrics can guide system design and help to assess the scientific needs and acceptable timeframes in bioengineering operations under the constraints of isolated environments, such as space habitats. The data is likely to bring numerous benefits for Earth-based applications as well, such as delivering biomedical interventions in remote areas or in hazardous environments and more generally, understanding biomedical workflows in these non-ideal environments."

Professor Sean Paling, Director and Senior Scientist at the Boulby Underground laboratory said: "We are very pleased to be working with Dr Iordachescu and the team from the University of Birmingham on this exciting work. The challenges ahead for humankind in exploring habitats beyond Earth are clearly many and significant. The Bio-SPHERE project promises to help answer some key logistical questions in establishing sustainable living conditions in remote, subterranean environments and in doing so will significantly contribute to the essential preparations for our collective long, difficult and exciting journey ahead. It is also a great example of the diverse range of science studies that can be carried out in a deep underground science facility, and we are very happy to be hosting it."
Chronic pain is a condition that is always associated with unpleasant sensory and emotional experiences due to tissue damage. According to the National Library of Medicine, this condition is not only devastating for patients but also one of the most complex clinical problems faced by doctors. For this reason, experts are looking for better strategies for understanding the nature of chronic pain.

A Better View of Chronic Pain

In a study published in Nature Neuroscience, researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, developed a treatment approach to understanding chronic pain by implanting intracranial electrodes in two brain regions of four volunteers.

Due to the complex nature of chronic pain, this condition seems invisible to persons other than the patient, and it is also very difficult to treat. The approach used by the researchers is stimulating the brain with electricity. This was done by inserting four electrode wires to individuals with refractory neuropathic pain. The electrodes have the ability to monitor and stimulate nerve cells in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of the brain.

In the initial stage of the study, the researchers need to understand how chronic pain affects the brain. Within 3 to 6 months of wearing the electrodes, the volunteers rated their pain 2 to 8 times daily. Then the individuals' pain ratings were connected to their brains' activity patterns.

After measuring the pain signals for several months, the electrodes could pick up the specific signs of their persistent condition. It was found that brain activity in the OFC tracked the chronic pain levels of the volunteers.

According to neuroscientist Chelsea Kaplan of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, these monitored brain signals represent a reliable biomarker of chronic pain. Brain activities also help doctors track treatment responses and act as new targets for treatment.

Among the four volunteers used as participants in the study, three suffered from a stroke, and the other underwent leg amputation. Researchers will still need to find out if the result of their research can be generalized to other patients with different pain conditions. If they prove that brain activity patterns are common across individuals with chronic pains, then this approach can be used to measure pain in people with no communication ability.

Identifying reliable biomarkers of chronic pain is more than just finding out whether an individual is in pain. Instead, its goal is to serve as a treatment guide and make the patient feel more seen.

READ ALSO: New Research Reveals Compound That Eliminates Chronic Pain in Mice; Promising Development for Medicine





What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain refers to persistent pain that occurs for longer than 12 weeks despite drug medication or other forms of treatment. It can always be present, or it may come and go. It can also happen in any part of the body. It differs from acute pain, which occurs when a person gets hurt, such as a cut in the skin or broken bone.

According to Cleveland Clinic, chronic pain can be caused by a long-lasting illness or as a response to psychogenic pain. People with this condition describe their pain in various ways, such as aching, throbbing, and stiffness. It can also lead to other diseases like anxiety, fatigue, and depression.

RELATED ARTICLE: Chronic Pain 101: Should I Exercise Instead of Taking Analgesics?

Check out more news and information on Chronic Pain in Science Times.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. The first international "Forensic Archaeology and Forensic Anthropology: Humanitarian Applications" conference is being held in Baku, Trend reports.

The conference was organized jointly by the State Commission for Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons of Azerbaijan, the Institute of Archaeology, Ethnography, and Anthropology of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (ANAS), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The main topic of discussion at the conference is related to the missing in the First Karabakh War.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
KALBAJAR, Azerbaijan, May 23. Leaders and members of the Christian and Jewish communities of Azerbaijan visited the Khudavang monastery complex, Trend's Karabakh bureau reports.

According to the bureau, on the initiative of the Alban-Udi Christian Religious Community and with the organizational support of the State Committee on Religious Associations of the country, a delegation of 50 people, which included leaders and members of the Russian Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches, and a group of representatives of the Jewish community living in Azerbaijan, visited the Khudavang monastery complex in Kalbajar district.

Representatives of the communities performed divine service in the temple of the complex, offered prayers, and lit candles.
KALBAJAR, Azerbaijan, May 23. The Khudaveng monastery complex has a special significance, Tural Aghayev, Spokesman for the Apostolic Prefecture of the Catholic Church in Azerbaijan, who visited the monastery complex in Kalbajar district, told journalists, Trend's Karabakh Bureau reports.

The spokesman noted that on May 23, together with all the main representatives, and leaders of non-Muslim religious communities of Azerbaijan, a trip to this monastery, first of all, to pray for peace, took place.

"This holy monastery has an ancient history and belongs to such an ancient Christianity that for every Christian, regardless of his confessional affiliation, this place is blessed and has a special meaning. We are grateful to the State Committee on Religious Associations of Azerbaijan that such trips are constantly organized, and religious communities, both Muslim and Christian, get to know each other better. With each time, we are getting closer to each other," he said.

On the initiative of the Alban-Udi Christian Religious Community and with the organizational support of the State Committee on Religious Associations of the country, a delegation of 50 people, which included leaders and members of the Russian Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches, and a group of representatives of the Jewish community living in Azerbaijan, visited the Khudavang monastery complex in Kalbajar district.

Representatives of the communities performed divine service in the temple of the complex, offered prayers, and lit candles.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Some plant species from the previous editions of the Red Book [an official state document about the status of rare and endangered wild animals and wild plant species] were not included in the new edition, Academician Irada Huseynova, Vice-President of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (ANAS), told reporters at the presentation of the third edition of the Red Book, Trend reports.

Huseynova noted that when species of flora and fauna are listed in the Red Book, their number and distribution area are taken into account.

"If the number and range are greatly reduced, we put this species in the Red Book. On the other hand, some species from the first and second editions of the book were excluded from the Book's red list and were included in its pink list, since the restoration process is taking place in terms of their abundance and distribution area," Huseynova said.

According to the vice-president, despite the fact that the species included in the first two editions, have not been found anywhere for 50-60 years, the ANAS has not included them in the third edition.

In addition to the above, the next edition will be published in 2033.

Huseynova also noted that the new edition in Azerbaijani and English also contains the conclusions of international experts.

"We tried to have as many original pictures as possible. During the preparation of the new edition of the Red Book, we used the experience of Turkiye, Russia, and European countries. In Azerbaijan, scientists of the International Union for Conservation of Nature conducted workshops. They have also been very helpful in determining standards and categories," the ANAS vice-president said.
OnPoint staff and community leaders cut the ribbon to the organization's new facility.

OnPoint executive director Mark Witte in one of the larger integrated consultation rooms

OnPoint executive director Mark Witte in one of the larger integrated consultation rooms

The new OnPoint facility includes a lab.

The MI Mental Health series highlights the opportunities that Michigan's children, teens, and adults of all ages have to find the mental health help they need, when and where they need it. It is made possible with funding from the

Community Mental Health Association of Michigan

,

Center for Health and Research Transformation

,

Genesee Health System

,

Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan

,

North Country CMH

,

Northern Lakes CMH Authority

,

OnPoint

,

Sanilac County CMH

,

St. Clair County CMH

,

Summit Pointe

, and

Washtenaw County CMH

.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Azerbaijani delegation headed by the Health Minister Teymur Musayev is holding bilateral meetings with the health ministers of the World Health Organizations member countries and other working events within the 76th World Health Assembly, Trend reports.

One of the meetings was held with a delegation headed by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport of the Netherlands Ernst Kuipers.

Speaking about successful cooperation in many areas, including health and medical science, Musayev noted great potential for the exchange of experience between national public health institutions.

"The Dutch healthcare system, owing to the combination of high quality medical care and accessible medical services for all population categories, is rightfully considered one of the best in Europe. Moreover, the Netherlands is one of the leading countries in the development, production and sale of medical equipment," the Azerbaijani minister said.

He also expressed hope for the successful establishment of cooperation between the health ministries of the two countries.

Kuipers stressed that in order to improve the efficiency of the healthcare system in the countries, there are all the necessary tools for interaction in the field of medical education.

At the meeting, an exchange of views took place on expanding cooperation in the field of healthcare and medical science, the application of academic practices in the field of transplantation, the implementation of joint projects and other issues of mutual interest.

The Azerbaijani delegation also met with Vice President, Global Head of Government and Public Affairs of Royal Philips (a world leader in the development and production of medical equipment) Jan-Willem Scheijgrond.

During the meeting, prospects for the development of bilateral cooperation were discussed.

A wide exchange of views also took place on the introduction of high-tech equipment manufactured by Royal Philips in the healthcare of Azerbaijan and the use of the achievements of the know-how of the Dutch company in the course of medical research in the country.

Besides, a bilateral meeting was held with the Executive Director of the Medicines Patent Pool (a UN-supported public health organization whose mission is to expand access to life-saving medicines and promote their development) Charles Gore.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the organization of production and sale of a wider range of medicines with international patents and high quality certificates in Azerbaijan.

Previously, within the assembly, Azerbaijani delegation held meeting with the head of the WHO European Bureau Hans Kluge, and with the Global Fund (GB) led by Head of the Grant Management Division of the GB Mark Edington.

The 76th World Health Assembly is being held in Geneva on May 2130.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Another 23 Russian enterprises for the production and storage of livestock products, as well as feed and feed additives, have been granted the right to export to Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

According to the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance of the Russian Federation (Rosselkhoznadzor), the Food Safety Agency of Azerbaijan granted the right to export animal products to Russian enterprises on the basis of guarantees of compliance of companies with the veterinary and sanitary requirements of Azerbaijan.

More than 1,100 Russian enterprises have the right to export their products to Azerbaijan.

The Rosselkhoznadzor continues to expand the list of organizations from Russia that have the right to export to Azerbaijan.
Hong Kong: Sun Dong meets Singapore officials

Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong today called on Singapores Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat on the second day of his visit to Singapore.

He briefed Mr Heng on Hong Kong's latest innovation and technology (I&T) developments since the promulgation of the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint last December.

While the city was keen to foster closer collaboration on the I&T front with other economies, including Singapore, Prof Sun said he looked forward to creating a powerful synergy that drives economic growth and innovation in the region.

The Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office in Singapore and Invest Hong Kong organised a business luncheon which was attended by around 100 leaders and executives from the Singaporean I&T community.

The tech chief delivered a thematic speech "Hong Kong: The innovation powerhouse of Greater Bay Area (GBA) - Propelling the I&T development of the Region" at the luncheon.

Sharing the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's vision and efforts to develop Hong Kong into an international I&T centre, Prof Sun highlighted that Hong Kong and Singapore, both renowned as leading financial and business hubs in Asia, have immense potential to collaborate in the field of I&T development.

He pointed out that while Hong Kong is the primary gateway to Mainland China and a central city in the GBA powering its regional development, Singapore is one of the leading players and I&T powerhouses in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

By working together, both cities can become dual engines propelling the growth of I&T in the region, benefitting not only the two places but also the entire Asia-Pacific region, Prof Sun noted.

He added that Hong Kong can serve as a springboard for Singapore startups and enterprises to venture into the GBA and Mainland China markets. In contrast, Hong Kong tech companies can make full use of Singapore as a gateway to expand their businesses in the ASEAN region.

In the afternoon, Prof Sun called on Minister for Communications & Information Josephine Teo to exchange views on data, artificial intelligence and Singapore's Smart Nation initiatives. Mrs Teo also shared Singapore's experience in drafting Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act.

This story has been published on: 2023-05-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Azerbaijani companies have started exporting cotton fiber to Turkmenistan, Trend reports.

According to the Economic Zones Development Agency of the country, these cotton producers operating in Azerbaijan are "MKT IK" LLC, "Azercotton AIC" LLC and "P-Agro" LLC.

At the initial stage, cotton fiber in the amount of 30,000 tons will be sent from Azerbaijan's Port of Baku to Turkmenistan.

Furthermore, in the Mingachevir Industrial Park, together with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, work is underway to create new production areas in the textile industry.

In general, Azerbaijan's cooperation with Central Asian countries in the field of cotton production development is entering a new stage.

Thus, within the framework of cooperation with Uzbekistan, work has begun on the creation of cotton-producing clusters.

In the future, along with cotton fiber, it is planned to export other products of processed cotton to Turkmenistan, which will contribute to the development of economic cooperation between the country and Azerbaijan, including logistics and trade ties.
First version published at 15:16

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Azerbaijani companies have started exporting cotton fiber to Turkmenistan, Trend reports.

According to the Economic Zones Development Agency of the country, these cotton producers operating in Azerbaijan are "MKT IK" LLC, "Azercotton AIC" LLC and "P-Agro" LLC.

At the initial stage, cotton fiber in the amount of 30,000 tons will be sent from Azerbaijan's Port of Baku to Turkmenistan.

Furthermore, in the Mingachevir Industrial Park, together with Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, work is underway to create new production areas in the textile industry.

In general, Azerbaijan's cooperation with Central Asian countries in the field of cotton production development is entering a new stage.

Thus, within the framework of cooperation with Uzbekistan, work has begun on the creation of cotton-producing clusters.

In the future, along with cotton fiber, it is planned to export other products of processed cotton to Turkmenistan, which will contribute to the development of economic cooperation between the country and Azerbaijan, including logistics and trade ties.
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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. The GSM Association (GSMA) with mobile operators in Azerbaijan continues to introduce new technologies, such as eSIM, and provides them with recommendations on roaming, GSMAs Vice President, Policy and Regulation & Head of Europe, Russia and CIS, Daniel Pataki, told Trend.

According to him, the parties have been cooperating in the field of fraud prevention with devices for a long time.

"We thank the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan and Azercell for hosting us in Baku at the M360 Eurasia 2023 conference. We need to work together across the ecosystem to overcome the digital divide. Cooperation will help us to eliminate barriers related to the availability of devices, digital literacy and skills, as well as to create appropriate content in the Azerbaijani language so that everyone can safely access the mobile Internet," he said.

According to Ismailov, a total of 95 percent of the world's population is covered by mobile Internet today.

"We are now entering a new era, while Web 3.0, artificial intelligence and intelligent connectivity dominate in global discussions. At the origins of all this is interconnectedness. Our industry is again ready for a strategic shift towards transformation into future-oriented technological communication companies, where everything and everyone is connected through our platforms," he said.

GSMA Open Gateway is a common API platform that will provide universal access to operator networks, allowing developers and cloud service providers to improve and create new digital services and accelerate the development of immersive technologies.

Ismailov noted that frequency distribution is important for the deployment of fifth-generation networks.

"We need to provide low frequencies to narrow the gap in the use and harmonization of 5G mobile communications," he added.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Turkmenistan and Georgia discuss the current state and prospects of bilateral partnership, Trend reports.

According to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry, these issues were discussed on May 22 between the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Myahri Byashimova, and the Chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group Georgia-Turkmenistan Davit Matikashvili.

During the meeting, the sides noted the importance of continuing the practice of organizing contacts between the leaders of the two countries on a bilateral basis and multilateral platforms.

They also stressed that inter-parliamentary cooperation plays a significant role in bilateral relations. In this regard, it was noted that Inter-parliamentary friendship groups operate in the parliaments of Turkmenistan and Georgia.

The Turkmen diplomat stressed the importance of existing cooperation mechanisms for the further development of bilateral cooperation, such as the Intergovernmental Turkmen-Georgian Commission on economic cooperation, as well as inter-ministerial consultations.

In this context, it was added that the basis for effective cooperation between the foreign ministries of the two countries is the cooperation program for 2023-2024 signed last year.

At the end of the conversation, the sides stressed that Turkmenistan and Georgia actively cooperate within the framework of international organizations, in particular, the UN.
Industrial products company RS Group reported a 17% rise in revenue in its final results on Tuesday, to reach 2.98bn, though it warned of a slowdown in trading in the first weeks of the new fiscal period.

The FTSE 100 company put the growth down to a combination of factors, including a 10% like-for-like revenue increase, a 2% contribution from acquisitions, and a 5% currency benefit.

Adjusted operating profit jumped 26% to reach 402.2m for the 12 months ended 31 March, which the firm attributed to strong sales performance, effective cost management, and operational efficiency.

RS Group experienced a one percentage point expansion in its adjusted operating profit margin to 13.5%.

Its adjusted profit before tax saw a substantial increase of 25% to 390.7m, while it recorded growth of 24% in adjusted earnings per share, reaching 63.5p.

The companys operating profit was 383m, representing growth of 24% year-on-year, while its profit before tax expanded 23% to reach 371.5m.

RS Group achieved 24% growth in earnings per share as well, reaching 60.4p.

The board announced a 16% increase in the full-year dividend, amounting to 20.9p per share, after proposing a final dividend of 13.7p.

Looking ahead, RS Group acknowledged the presence of a more uncertain economic environment and aggressive competition in the electronics sector.

However, it said it was confident in its ability to perform well in the industrial market, particularly in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

While the first seven weeks of the current fiscal year showed a slowdown in industrial growth, RS said it was comfortable with the current consensus profit expectations for 2024.

The firm said it expected performance to be more heavily weighted toward the second half of the year.

RS delivered a strong performance in 2023 despite a more challenging macroeconomic backdrop in the second half, said chief executive officer Simon Pryce.

This reflected our on-going operational excellence initiatives, geographical, industry and product mix, inventory availability and strong pricing.

Together with the efforts of our people this resulted in good financial results.

Pryce noted that the firm also acquired Domnick Hunter and Risoul and, after the year end, agreed to acquire Distrelec.

After 30 days in the role, I am excited about the opportunity I see for RS going forward.

We have a solid business, a sound strategy and great people. We are transitioning to an omni-channel operator in a large and fragmented market.

We are supplier and increasingly customer focused, who see the value we bring as we move from being a product distributor to a solutions provider.

The company was continuing to invest in operational improvement, customer experience and digital and technical capabilities, Simon Pryce added, and was extending its relevant product offer and value-added service solutions.

While we are mindful of near-term external challenges, we remain comfortable with current consensus profit expectations for 2024 and have the tools, proposition, financial capacity and roadmap to deliver significant outperformance over time and capitalise on further strategic opportunities to accelerate growth and value creation.

At 0953 BST, shares in RS Group were down 4.5% at 814p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Chinese President Xi Jinping called for accelerating the construction of the 4th line of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline, which will also be laid on the territory of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Trend reports.

In his speech at the first face-to-face summit "Central Asia - China", which is being held in Xi'an, Xi Jinping paid special attention to energy cooperation between the countries.

Thus, he stated the need to increase the oil and gas trade and expand cooperation in the field of energy throughout the production chain, including in the issue of alternative energy sources.

Meanwhile, the 4th line of the Turkmen gas pipeline will not only bring the planned supply capacity to China to 65 billion cubic meters of gas per year but also partially cover the needs of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in this energy resource in winter.
Ladies and gentlemen, astronauts and alien enthusiasts prepare to embark on the scientific expedition of a lifetime! Picture this: as we venture into the vastness of space, we're armed with more advanced technology than a spaceship piloted by Tony Stark himself. From cutting-edge propulsion systems to revolutionary scientific instruments, these advancements propel us further into the cosmos, unlocking secrets and expanding our understanding of the universe. This article delves into the remarkable ways advanced technology revolutionizes space exploration and paves the path for extraordinary discoveries. Neil Armstrong may have taken one small step for man, but we'll take one giant leap for intergalactic technology. So fasten your seatbelts, folks, and prepare for a cosmic adventure.

Electric Propulsion: Harnessing the Power of Ions

A new star has emerged in space exploration's vast and zany realm, where traditional rocketry was so last millennium. Enter the electric propulsion, a game-changing technology that utilizes the acceleration of charged particles, or ions, to propel spacecraft. By ionizing a fuel and then using electric fields to accelerate the ions, these engines provide a gentle, continuous thrust that can be sustained over extended periods. These spacecraft engines achieve remarkable efficiency and speed. It's like having a cosmic jetpack strapped to our spaceships! With electric propulsion, we're no longer confined to the limitations of chemical rockets. We can explore the celestial wonders, observe distant galaxies, study cosmic phenomena, and unravel the universe's secrets. So, let's charge up those ions, buckle up for the ride, and prepare to witness the mind-blowing power of electric propulsion, propelling us to new frontiers of space exploration.

Observing the Cosmos: Next-Generation Telescopes

The exploration of space begins with observing celestial bodies from Earth. Advanced telescopes have revolutionized our understanding of the universe. From the Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990 to the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope, these instruments capture stunning images, revealing secrets of the cosmos. And Ground-based telescopes like The Atacama Large Millimeter /submillimeter Array (ALMA), a radio telescope system in Chile which contributed to our knowledge of star formation, planets, and life's origins. Equipped with advanced optics and detectors, they unravel cosmic mysteries with precision. With these advanced marvels of technology, we can now zoom in on celestial bodies with such precision that we might catch an alien sneezing on a distant moon.

Spacecraft and Planetary Exploration

Advanced Technology has propelled our spacecraft beyond the boundaries of our planet, enabling us to explore distant worlds. The Mars rovers, such as Curiosity and Perseverance, equipped with state-of-the-art instruments and cameras, have ventured to the Red Planet provides valuable data about its geology, climate, and potential for sustaining life. These rovers have transformed our understanding of Mars and paved the way for future human missions. Moreover, space probes like Voyager 1 and 2 has embarked on extraordinary journeys, becoming the first human-made objects to reach interstellar space. These brave spacecraft decked out with more gadgets than your local superhero convention, set out on their interplanetary adventures with a mission to uncover the secrets of the universe and, of course, to take the best space selfies ever. These probes have also provided invaluable insights into the outer reaches of our solar system, revealing new information about the planets, moons, and other celestial bodies they encountered along their remarkable trajectories.

Artificial Intelligence: Enhancing Mission Efficiency

In space exploration, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly important. AI enables robotic devices and rovers to autonomously navigate unknown terrains, identify and classify items, and make wise decisions. AI has been effectively applied by NASA's Mars rovers, including Curiosity and Perseverance, analyze photos, identify rocks and exciting features, and choose the best courses for exploration. This autonomous decision-making capability dramatically improves the effectiveness and productivity of these missions, enabling us to solve the riddles of far-off planets and moons. AI also transforms how we manage the enormous amounts of data produced during space research missions. Researchers may now find trends, discover novel phenomena, and unearth hidden knowledge that would have otherwise been challenging or time-consuming. Additionally, AI assists in spacecraft operations, optimizing mission planning and execution. It occasionally injects some entertaining proposals. "Captain, I suggest we take a detour to pick up some intergalactic pizza. After all, space exploration is best enjoyed on a full stomach!"

The Future of Space Exploration

The Future of space exploration will continue to be fueled by advanced technologies. The construction of next-generation observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), promise to reveal fresh perspectives on the early cosmos, exoplanets, and the hunt for extraterrestrial life. The JWST will transform our knowledge of the cosmos and alter our vision of the universe thanks to its improved capabilities and cutting-edge imaging equipment. Furthermore, the likelihood of crewed expeditions to Mars is growing. Humans can now go farther into the solar system thanks to developments in propulsion systems, life support systems, and habitat architecture. These innovations represent a significant advancement in our drive for space travel because they offer the possibility of establishing long-term human settlements on distant planets.

In Summary, as we strive for space exploration, advanced technology has been our trusted companion, propelling us further than ever. From humble telescopes to awe-inspiring spacecraft, our journey has been fueled by curiosity and determination. Advanced technology has liberated us from Earth's gravity, enabling us to reach distant planets and beyond. Looking ahead, advanced technology will drive us deeper into space's mysteries. With innovative propulsion, telescopes, and robots, our toolkit expands, broadening our horizons. Ultimately, it's not just about breakthroughs or advancements, but about the human spirit to explore, dream, and soar among the stars. So, let us remember that the sky is just the beginning, not the limit.
Visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that a new consulate will be opened soon in Brisbane and thanked his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese for renaming Harris Park in Sydney as 'Little India'.

"Friends, now that I am here with you, I want to make an announcement. The long-standing demand of the Indian community in Brisbane will now be fulfilled by opening up a new Indian consulate soon," Modi said addressing the 20,000-plus strong Indian community gathered at the Qudos Bank Arena Stadium.

He also thanked his Albanese for renaming Harris Park in Sydney as 'Little India'. "Thank you my friend Anthony," Modi told Albanese as the latter made the announcement to declare Harris Park as 'Little India' at the community event.

"I had the opportunity to welcome the Prime Minister @AlboMP ji on the Indian soil in Ahmedabad. Today he joined me in unveiling the foundation stone of 'Little India' here: PM @narendramodi," Prime Minister Modi tweeted earlier.

Home to many popular Indian eateries and retailers, Harris Park is informally referred to as 'Little India' with 45 per cent of its 5,043 residents tracing their roots to India. The diaspora community in the western Sydney suburb had renewed calls to officially declare their area as 'Little India'.

The Indian business owners had first proposed officially naming the area Little India in 2015, believing that the title would benefit them. As per the Australian government's website, Harris Park has a significant population of Indians and is widely known as an exceptional spot for Indian gastronomy and Indian-run small and mid-sized enterprises.
Persistent Systems (BSE and NSE: Persistent), a global Digital Engineering leader, recently inaugurated its first office in Poland to expand its nearshore capabilities in Europe. Situated in Krakow, this new office will be the latest addition to the Companys growing global delivery network. This delivery center will play a crucial role in driving digital transformation for clients across industries and provide local IT professionals ample opportunities to advance their careers by building cutting-edge software products and digital solutions.

Poland is a leading technology innovation hub that offers multiple benefits, including an expansive talent pool, a vibrant ecosystem, access to key markets, and ease of doing business. The technology industry in the country is thriving, given its central location in Europe, economic growth, start-up ecosystem, and growing interest from hyperscalers who are establishing their operations in Poland.

Persistent plans to expand the Engineering center with a wide variety of skills such as cloud and product engineering, data and analytics, as well as customer experience experts. The Company aims to leverage these skills and build on its Digital Engineering expertise by recruiting skilled personnel in various roles from the country.

Rajasekar Sukumar, Senior Vice President  Europe at Persistent, welcomed the new team in the presence of other leaders and team members.

Sandeep Kalra, CEO and Executive Director, Persistent. We are proud to open our office in Poland, as it marks a continuation of our expanded presence in Europe. Embracing innovation and geographic diversity will not only help us augment our current capabilities but also enable us to create new opportunities for our clients and team members. As we chart our journey to the next phase of growth, we remain committed to enhancing our expertise and providing bespoke experiences that enable our clients to thrive in todays software-driven world.
In the ever-evolving landscape of financial services, Hello Money India P Ltd has emerged as a prominent player, offering credit card sourcing and credit line products. With over five years of industry experience, this East Delhi-based startup has established itself as a trusted partner, collaborating with 17+ leading banks and major Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). As the company enters an exciting phase of growth, it aims to expand its reach by venturing into other banking products, leveraging its unique brand name and identity.

Hello Money India P Ltd stands out as a priority partner for several banks, playing a crucial role in credit card sourcing. Through a network of almost 100+ connectors, loyal partners, and a dedicated team of over 500 professionals, the company's go-getter attitude shines through in its commitment to exceptional customer service. Their core business model revolves around providing credit cards that cater to customers' specific needs and lifestyles, leveraging the wide range of offerings from multiple banks.

With a strong presence in Delhi, NCR, and other locations, Hello Money India P Ltd operates through approximately 15 branches. The visionary founder, Dev Ashish, leads the company, driving the team towards its goals. Deepak Arora, a key member of the leadership team, focuses on the digital front, continuously working on technology and development to achieve rapid growth aligned with India's digitalization objectives.

The company has made significant post-COVID-19 investments in its business, with a particular emphasis on transforming its sourcing model into a fully digitalized platform for retail asset products. Furthermore, in adherence to the Reserve Bank of India's mandate to activate credit cards within a short duration of one month, Hello Money India P Ltd is committed to meeting all banking regulations, ensuring a profitable portfolio for partner banks and the company itself. Their dedication and high ethical standards set them apart from other players in the banking startup and channel partner industry.

The leadership team strongly believes that a robust business model is the key to sustaining and growing in the market, setting a benchmark for others to follow in the country. As Hello Money India P Ltd paves its way towards diversifying its offerings, its aggressive growth plans and unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction indicate a promising future. With a focus on innovation, digitalization, and adherence to regulatory norms, the company is poised to make a lasting impact in the financial services sector, raising the bar for competitors across the country.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan discussed the development of bilateral trade and economic relations, in particular, increasing the export opportunities of the states, Trend reports.

According to the official source of Turkmenistan, these issues were discussed between the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan Dovletgeldi Rejepov and the Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan to Turkmenistan Azizbek Madmarov.

The Kyrgyz Ambassador, noting the growth of trade turnover between the two countries, outlined the need to expand the commodity nomenclature and formats of bilateral cooperation, to intensify the activities of the intergovernmental Turkmen-Kyrgyz Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Humanitarian cooperation.

At the same time, he focused on the planned business mission to Turkmenistan for Kyrgyz entrepreneurs in the near future. In this context, the diplomat suggested active joint work to prepare for this important event.

Confirming his interest in intensifying joint work, Dovletgeldi Rejepov expressed readiness to expand partnership in this direction, as well as to provide the necessary support in holding meetings of the business circles of Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan within the framework of the planned business mission.
STATEN ISLAND,N.Y.  Police are investigating a report of a stabbing in New Brighton on Tuesday morning.

A person was taken to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton from the incident called at 10:15 a.m. on the 300 block of Westervelt Avenue near Winter Avenue, according to a spokesman for the FDNY/EMS.

The person was conscious when taken to the hospital and is expected to recover from the minor injury, according to police.

More information will be posted when it becomes available.

MORE STATEN ISLAND NEWS:

>> NYPD identifies boy, 13, who was fatally shot at Staten Island playground

>> Cops seek tips in reported groping on MTA bus on Staten Island

>> FDNY: 1 person injured in fire at Stapleton Houses early on Tuesday morning; probe underway of possible arson, according to source

>> Its bad: New details emerge in shooting of 13-year-old at Staten Island playground

>> Woman, 21, dumped newborn baby in trash can inside Staten Island University Hospital, police say

>> New details emerge in death of boy, 15, atop train car at Staten Island Railway station

>> NYPD makes dramatic rescue of man who threatened to jump from Staten Island Ferry
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  On Saturday, the West Brighton Starbucks shut down at 3:30 p.m., prompting Advance/SILive.com readers to reach out in alarm.

Jonesing for my soy milk iced matcha tea latte...omg what to do with this Starbucks closed? lamented one teetotaler.

Is this a permanent thing? Not fair. #SaveOurForestAvenueStarbucks, semi-joked another.

Starbucks changes hours at West Brighton shop. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

No, that was a temporary matter, a one-off for the Forest Avenue store that a worker attributed to staff scheduling issues. An official Starbucks spokesperson assured the hours have not changed. The operation remains open Tuesday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Monday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

There are 13 Starbucks locations on Staten Island, although concern for the 480 Forest Avenue address was real. With its union status, the location is a unique one in the chain.

According to an Advance/SILive.com report in 2022, In early September, West Brighton Starbucks workers banded together, voting unanimously to form the coffee chains first borough-based union. Alleging a frequent turnover in management and inconsistent scheduling, the shops 15 employees joined a national surge in Starbucks worker-organization efforts, successfully bargaining for better working conditions and fair wages.

When it shut seemingly suddenly on Oct. 20, suspicion aroused over the timing and motivation. But the shop reopened about a month later after indeed renovating, as the corporate spokesperson had maintained.

Starbucks on the corner of Forest and Bard avenues. (Staten Island Advance)

On that note, coincidentally, former life-long Staten Islander Anthony Paonita, now a resident of Umbria, Italy, randomly shot a question to the Advance/SILive.coms food department in the midst of the hullaballoo over the shops recent hiatus.

Of this very North Shore operation he wondered why the renovation included no tables and chairs. He asked, Do you have any idea why the Starbucks there has no seating? I thought the whole deal with Starbucks was the free Wi-Fi and being able to hang out.

Regarding the new layout, a Starbucks spokesperson explained: As a standard course of business, we continually evaluate our store portfolio, using various criteria to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers and our partners (employees).

Paonita remarked about Starbucks presence around him in Italy. He observed the difference between a traditional Italian coffee bar and Starbucks. He said, What does Starbucks have to offer? Free wifi  its more of a hang-out-y experience.Theyve made a fetish of offering a single origin coffees and such. Theyve upped their game to open some here.

Indeed, there are 20 Starbucks so far in Italy. When Verona earned one in September, 2022, as per Starbucks.com, the city was one of three Italian cities, including Milan and Rome, where Howard Schultz, Starbucks founder and interim chief executive officer, became first acquainted with Italian coffee culture in 1983. His intuition to bring the tradition of Italian coffee shops to the United States contributed to a worldwide expansion of the global coffee business.

Pamela Silvestri is Advance Food Editor. She can be reached at silvestri@siadvance.com.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Applications opened Tuesday for a state scholarship program that offers free tuition to City University of New York (CUNY) and State University of New York (SUNY) students, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.

The Excelsior Scholarship program applications are now open for the academic school year starting in the fall, and are available to first-time students and those who never received the scholarship from households that make less that $125,000 a year.

The Excelsior Scholarship is one of the most promising programs in New York State, providing access to an affordable college education for thousands of middle and lower-income New Yorkers, Hochul said. At a time when economic disparities are widening, it is more important than ever that every student has access to the resources they need to succeed. I encourage all who are interested to apply to this critical program that will help countless New Yorkers climb the ladder of success.

Applications will be open Aug. 31, and are open to students who plan to attend a CUNY or SUNY school like the College of Staten Island or Stony Brook University.

In addition to the household income requirements, first-time students also need to plan to attend a SUNY or CUNY two or four-year college completing an associate or bachelor degree while reaching 30 credits per year toward their program of study.

New York states college finance programs led to more than 263,000 students receiving state financial aid in the 2021-2022 academic year, including approximately 30,000 students who attended a SUNY or CUNY college tuition-free because of the Excelsior Scholarship.

The Excelsior Scholarship program has opened the doors of education and opportunity for thousands of CUNY students, CUNY Chancellor Felix V. Matos Rodriguez said. By enabling qualifying students to attend college tuition-free, Excelsior has become an important part of CUNYs mission of providing pathways to career success and ultimately to upward economic and social mobility. We thank Governor Hochul for her continued recognition of the unmatched value and importance of higher education for all New Yorkers.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  As part of PrideFest 2023, a series of 13 events throughout May celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community, the Pride Center of Staten Island will host three writers on Wednesday, May 24, at 66 Willow Ave., Suite 202, in Clifton.

The free event, titled Lets Talk About Writing: No Banned Books Here, welcomes poet Emanuel Xavier, memoirist Felice Cohen and author Gerard Cabrera for an evening in which they will discuss their works and the inspirations behind their creations. Each author will then read from their respective works and hold an open discussion. Following the chat, guests will be invited to meet and greet the diverse panel.

With hate legislature growing and more and more books being banned, it is imperative to keep the discussion of banned books in the forefront, said Michele Karlsberg, event planner and publicist. Banning books is an attack on our freedom to read, teach and learn. Gerard, Felice and Emanuel will discuss the importance of reading their books and banned books. Along with The Diary of Anne Frank and Charlottes Web, many LGBTQ books have been banned. PRIDE is a reminder of why we need to keep them visible and available. Books save lives.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Gerard Cabrera is a writer and attorney who lives and works in New York City. His work has been featured in numerous literary journals. Cabrera attended Bread Loaf Writers Conference and was awarded a Bread Loaf Camargo Foundation Residency in Cassis, France. There, he completed the manuscript for his debut novel, Homo Novus, published by Rattling Good Yarns Press.

Felice Cohen is the author of Half In: A Coming-of-Age Memoir of Forbidden Love. The story chronicles the happiness and heartbreak of an age-gap love affair. Among Cohens other works are 90 Lessons for Living Large in 90 Square Feet (...or More), inspired by the viral YouTube video of her 90-square-foot New York City studio with over 25 million views, and What Papa Told Me, the story about her grandfathers life before, during and after the Holocaust.

Emanuel Xavier, a current Staten Island resident, is an openly gay spoken word poet. Since living as a homeless teen, Xavier has written numerous poetry books, including Selected Poems of Emanuel Xavier, Pier Queen and Americano. Xaviers work has garnered recognition, earning him a New York City Council Citation Award and a Gay City Impact Award.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- With spring in full bloom, city agencies are partnering with local community groups to provide free bicycles to members of underserved Staten Island communities.

On Tuesday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and NYPD, alongside the Staten Island FerryHawks, Bike New York and Project Hospitality, will distribute locally donated and refurbished bicycles to children and adults from underserved communities throughout the borough, selected through a partnership with Staten Islands police precincts.

Some of the refurbished bikes will be distributed to El Centro del Inmigrante, an immigrant advocacy organization that is aiding asylum seekers on Staten Island.

The recipients of the refurbished bikes have already been identified by the precincts, meaning residents who have not been selected cant just show up and receive a bike.

The event will take place outside Staten Island University Hospital Community Park, 75 Richmond Terrace, St. George, at 5:30 p.m., one hour before the Staten Island FerryHawks take on the Long Island Ducks.

ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION NEWS

MTA fares, tolls expected to increase by Labor Day: Here are the proposed NYC price hikes

NYC congestion pricing: How much more might Staten Islanders pay under controversial program?

First new Staten Island Railway cars arrive in NYC: Heres what riders can expect

Verrazzano speed cameras proposal nixed, not included in final NY budget

Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge Staten Island resident discount maintained in state budget; heres what to know

As ferryboat Dorothy Day begins passenger service, S.I. Ferry union raises crew training concerns

Staten Island bus route S76 detoured until Memorial Day, due to delayed $77M infrastructure project

What is the penalty for passing a stopped school bus in New York?

MTA now allowing e-bikes on buses, subways, commuter rails

NYC parking meters: How much does it cost to park across the city?
A teen girl was likely bitten by a shark while surfing at the Jersey Shore over the weekend, according to recent media reports.

Maggie Drozdowski, 15, was surfing in the waters off of Stone Harbor, N.J., and reportedly sustained injuries from a shark attack, according to NBC. Officials said the incident occurred at about 3 p.m. on Sunday when first responders showed up to a call along the beach at 109th Street.

Drozdowski told ABC she was in the ocean about 50 feet in and couldnt touch the ground. She was dangling from her surfboard with her body in the water and felt something on her left foot. She told the media outlet she first thought it was a crab pinching her foot.

My whole foot was in its mouth. I was shaking my foot as hard as I could. It was hard. It was like really heavy, she told ABC.

According to the media outlets, police officials said she sustained several lacerations to her left foot and calf. She received onsite treatment and went to a nearby hospital to treat her wounds and receive six stitches.

On Monday, officials said Drozdowskis injuries were consistent with those associated with a shark attack. Its unclear what type of shark or its size, though an investigation between police and local marine life experts is underway.

There are currently no restrictions on beach activities. However, officials in Stone Harbor are warning beachgoers to be cautious, according to the media outlets.

Earlier this month, a kayaker survived a scary encounter with one of the oceans most dangerous predators  a tiger shark  while fishing in Hawaii.

Scott Haraguchi was on his kayak fishing over a mile offshore from Jualoa in Windward Oahu, Hawaii, when a tiger shark suddenly appeared from underwater and headed toward the kayak, according to KITV. He captured the incident with his GoPro when he heard what he described as a whooshing sound that sounded like a boat heading toward him.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The loud music and vibrations from boom parties arent just bothering Brooklyn residents across the Narrows  its a quality of life issue for many Staten Islanders too.

Like Front Street in Clifton, where boom parties are said to be taking place more frequently as the weather gets warmer, Meredith Avenue in Travis is another area where these loud gatherings appear to be an issue.

One Travis resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said for more than two years he and his neighbors have been suffering because of noise emanating from the West Shore Shopping Plaza near the intersection of Meredith and South avenues. Here, passersby often see people in cars congregating for the boom parties, the resident said.

According to online 311 records, there have been at least 13 noise complaints made in the last two years for 364 Meredith Ave.; the Travis resident said that address is the closest building to the area where hes observed the parties happening in real-time.

Ive actually gone over to [the group of people] to talk with them and go about it the nice way by saying, Hey, listen, I dont know if you realize but we can hear you on the other side of the overpass and theres houses there and our houses are shaking from the noise, the resident said.

They just say it wasnt them, but they have these huge five- or six-foot speakers hooked up to their cars, he added.

Adding to the aggravation  and noise  is drag racing and constant engine revving, the resident said.

Despite the numerous complaints made to law enforcement and even trying to reason with the individuals, noise on Meredith Avenue continues, he said.

The NYPD didnt immediately respond to a request for comment as to whether any summons have been issued for noise in the area.

Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brennan, whose constituents have complained about Staten Islands boom parties along Front Street, said the only way to stop the parties is to be pro-active instead of reactive.

The Travis resident agreed.

10 SUMMONSES ISSUED ALONG FRONT STREET

A spokesman for the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information (DCPI) told the Advance/SILive.com that the commanding officer of the 120th Precinct is aware of the noise condition on Front Street and is working to address it.

Initially, officers provided warnings and conducted education involving noise violations, the DCPI spokesman said.

However, in the past few weeks, officers began conducting enforcement and have issued 10 summonses. Precinct officers will continue to conduct patrols and enforcement in the area, the spokesman continued.

Brennan said he hopes working with the 120th Precinct and its continued enforcement will help stop the boom parties because as soon as it starts, I get like 15 text messages and 25 emails. He said the only way to stop the boom parties is for police officers to be pro-active instead of reactive.

Its loud. Its really wild how sound travels like that, he said.

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State approves new regulations for NY weed dispensary owners; heres what you should know

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Iran should not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, Matthew Miller, Spokesperson for the US Department of State, said at a briefing, while answering a question about Iran's further steps in regard with its nuclear program, Trend reports.

"It continues to be a first principle for this administration that Iran should not  that Iran not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. We have always believed, we continue to believe that diplomacy is the best way to reach that solution, but we have seen no progress in terms of actions from the Iranian Government in the region," he said.

Meanwhile, yesterday, Nasser Kanaani, Spokesperson for the Iranian MFA, said that Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear program was seriously damaged when the US withdrew from it.

In January 2016, JCPOA was launched between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany) in connection with Iran's nuclear program. In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. The occurrence of various incidents at Iran's nuclear facilities prompted the country to resort to other ways, in terms of making sure its nuclear program stays secured.

Recent satellite images have revealed that Iran is building a nuclear facility (in central Iran), which is so deep undeground that it may be beyond the range of weapons designed to destroy such sites.

After the withdrawal of the United States from the Comprehensive Joint Plan of Action, it led Iran to gradually abandon the provisions of the plan.

So now, Iran is taking advantage of the opportunity to build facilities outside of the nuclear facilities known to the International Atomic Energy Agency and to enrich uranium to the desired volume at those facilities.

Meanwhile, an Israeli national security adviser said Israel was not surprised by reports on a new underground Iranian nuclear facility. He declined to clarify whether Israel could reach such a site, or whether only the US has the capability of bombing tunnels dug deep into mountains. He said that Israel prefers that Iran be stopped through an agreement, and not by military action.

Recently Tehran has expressed its desire to restore the Comprehensive Joint Plan of Action at the highest political level.

This shows that Iran has the opportunity to act from a superior position in the upcoming nuclear negotiations.

In January 2016, JCPOA was launched between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, the UK, France, and Germany) in connection with Iran's nuclear program.

In May 2018, the US announced its withdrawal from the deal and imposed sanctions on Iran in November of the same year.

Over the past period, the sanctions affected Iranian oil exports, more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions have resulted in the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.
Sydney Airport boss Geoff Culbert will step down after six years at the helm at the end of this year, unlocking a global search for his replacement.

During his tenure, Culbert oversaw the restructure of the airport during the COVID-19 pandemic, managed one of the biggest privatisations of a public company in Australian history, and led the business through its passenger recovery after the end of pandemic restrictions.

Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert will leave at the end of the year. Credit: Brook Mitchell

Culbert said he felt it was time to step down at the end of 2023, now that the airport was close to fully recovered from the COVID-19-induced grounding two years ago. The airports traffic figures currently hover just below 85 per cent of its pre-pandemic averages, with 3 million passengers last month.

Its been a privilege to have led Australias premier domestic and international airport since 2018, and to work with such a wonderful team through a unique and challenging period in the airports history, Culbert said.
Your guide to succeeding in the 2023 HSC examinations.

Three years ago, Charlotte Brown was enrolled at an Anglican school. The then year 9 student didnt like how the teachers seemed more concerned with the uniform than with learning. There was a lot of homework. And she certainly didnt think much of the mandatory chapel lessons.

I am an atheist, I dont believe in that  I had to attend chapel two times a week and I was thinking, man, I could be studying for science right now, she said.

Year 12 students from St Marys Senior High School Sara Shaw, Kayla Buen, Charlotte Brown and Koray Vasfi. Credit: James Brickwood

Charlotte left her private school to start year 11 at St Marys Senior High School in Sydneys west, where homework is a choice and students call teachers by first names. While there is a dress code, there is no official uniform.

The public comprehensive school, which is modelled on a university style education, caters to year 11 and 12 students and is bucking the bigger trend of NSW parents increasingly sending their children to private schools. Australian Bureau of Statistics data released earlier this year showed that 63.7 per cent of NSW students attended public schools in 2022  a fall from 65.5 per cent five years ago.
In a statement read to court, his victim said the abuse had made her feel dirty, grubby and disgusting. She said: As a young girl, I had aspirations to have a career, settle down and have a family. However, as a direct result of his actions, this has never materialised. The knowledge of what he had done to me haunted me. I started drinking at the age of 14 to 15 years old. This was to block out the effects of what he was doing to me. The presiding judge said he had no doubt that Harris had caused this victim severe psychological harm and that his crimes against her were partly responsible for her becoming an alcoholic. Rolf Harris leaves Southwark Crown Court in London during his 2014 trial. Credit: Paul Hackett The other victims said they were groped by Harris, sometimes at his public appearances, with one saying that he had destroyed her childhood innocence. The judge concluded: You have shown no remorse for your crimes at all. Your reputation now lies in ruins, you have been stripped of your honours, but you have no one to blame but yourself.

In 2015, the Mail on Sunday published a letter allegedly written by the imprisoned Harris that contained lyrics blaming and mocking his victims. More women came forward after the 2014 trial and in January 2017 Harris went on trial again, charged with six indecent assaults and one sexual assault against seven women and girls aged between 12 and 42. He was cleared of three of the charges and the jury was discharged after failing to reach verdicts on the other four counts. Later that year, one of his 12 indecent assault convictions was overturned by the Court of Appeal, but the judges rejected attempts to challenge the 11 other convictions. Harris in 1966. Credit: Fairfax Media Harris served three years of his sentence and was released in May 2017.

Born in Perth on March 30, 1930, Rolf Harris was the second child of Welsh migrants Cromwell, a power-station turbine driver, and Agnes Margaret (nee Robbins). Older brother Bruce had arrived in 1924. There were more Harris migrants in Sydney, including Rolfs aunt Rhona, better known as childrens author and illustrator Pixie OHarris. Art ran in the family as his grandfather, George Frederick Harris, was a portraitist whose subjects included George V. Rolf shared with his brother the enclosed verandah of the home their father built from recycled materials, and swam in the Swan River at the propertys edge. An excellent swimmer, he also had a gift for drawing, painting and piano. At age 16, Harris became Australian junior backstroke champion, was an Archibald Prize finalist, and sold every painting in his first solo exhibition. Rolf Harris with didgeridoo prepares to go on stage at St George Leagues Club in 1996. Credit: Fairfax Harris later told a friend that he was sexually abused as a child, although he never spoke about this publicly. When asked by his friend if he had received counselling, he replied: No, Im good. After graduating from Perth Modern School (a year behind Bob Hawke), he attended the University of Western Australia. In the limited structure of the university, and with the distractions of playing in a band and painting, Harris drifted aimlessly until asked to leave.

Reviving his fortunes with the discipline of teachers college, he landed a job: teaching children to swim. This ended abruptly when he was paralysed by a virus. Lying in bed ... I made a decision, Harris later wrote. If I managed to walk out of that hospital, I wanted to be a painter. Rolf Harris as Jake the Peg performing in 1970 on the Tommy Leonetti show. Credit: Fairfax He arrived in London in 1952 and enrolled at art school, but the course encompassed disciplines he had no interest in and aspects of painting and drawing he found difficult. By the time Harris dropped out, he had stumbled into a showbusiness career. There was a steady Down Under Club gig and a regular slot on a childrens series for which Harris played piano, sang, drew pictures and told stories  the prototype for his long television career. He had not abandoned painting, though. With guidance from expat Australian artist Bill Veal, Harris had two paintings accepted for the Royal Academys 1956 summer exhibition. He met former classmate Alwen Hughes at this exhibition. Harris had admired her at art school, but their personalities clashed: She thought I was mad ... I thought she was incredibly stuck up, he later recalled. They exchanged phone numbers, however, and on their second date he proposed and she accepted. They married in 1958 and in 1964 had a daughter, Bindi, who became an artist known by her married name, Nicholls.

Harris relationships with his wife and daughter were sometimes strained, but they remained notably loyal to him throughout his trial and time in prison. A workaholic who admitted in his autobiography, Can You Tell What It Is Yet?, to being hooked on the buzz of public approval, he rarely had family time. In the same book, he described the shock of discovering decades after the fact that his neglected wife had contemplated suicide and his daughter felt spurned because Harris always had time for fans, but little for her. Shortly after marrying, Harris presented his own childrens television show in Perth. During that year in Australia, he recorded Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport, which introduced the world to his signature instrument, the wobbleboard (he was also renowned for playing didgeridoo). According to Harris, who had been self-conscious about his unrefined manner in Britain: It proved to me ... that I could be myself ... I could be unashamedly Australian and succeed. It changed my life. Rolf Harris painting Her Majesty the Queen, during the first sitting in the Yellow Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace, 2005. Credit: Publicity On the way home to London in 1960, Harris began a decade of success as a touring performer and television personality in Canada, where he developed his famous three-legged Jake the Peg routine. Back in Britain, brushes with celebrity included sharing stages and airwaves with The Beatles  perhaps most memorably when they joined Harris in singing Kangaroo on BBC Radio. Increasingly, however, Harris was becoming a star in his own right. By 1967 he had an eponymous prime-time television variety show. Other major television successes included the long-running Animal Hospital reality series and its spin-offs, and Rolf on Art, which featured a special episode about his 2005 portrait of Elizabeth II.

Further recording triumphs included Two Little Boys and a cover of Stairway to Heaven  a song Harris claimed ignorance of when asked to perform it on Andrew Dentons The Money or the Gun in 1990. According to Harris biography, The Most Talented Man in the World, this television appearance led to the relaunch of Rolfs career on a trajectory not even the canniest of managers could have predicted. It became a hit single that put him in the ARIA Hall of Fame and before enthusiastic crowds at the Glastonbury and Edinburgh festivals. Harris at the unveiling of his portrait of the Queen in 2005. Credit: AP. Other notable live performances on Harris relentless touring schedule included the Sydney Opera House opening concert in 1973. He was forced to slow down in 1994 when hospitalised by a debilitating virus probably triggered by overwork. When the medication that kept him wide awake on a constant high was withdrawn, Harris briefly suffered from depression. After his release from Stafford prison in 2017, he returned home to care for Alwen, who had Alzheimers disease. He was rarely seen in public, but in 2019 the BBC reported that he had been asked by a teacher to leave the grounds of a primary school near his home in Berkshire. Harris had been talking to a sculptor who was working in a part of the school. There were brief attempts to rehabilitate his public image by Bindi, who tried to write a book and produce a supportive documentary about his experiences. These attempts came to nothing and Harris remained a pariah for the rest of his life.
A serial conwoman is facing fresh allegations over her involvement in a $520,000 loan that was never repaid, and secured by property owned by an 86-year-old woman suffering from dementia.

Athena Razos, 59, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in the County Court last year to 16 counts of misappropriating more than $1.5 million from clients of Melbourne law firm Moray and Agnew.

Athena Razos is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty. Credit: Facebook

Over the past 30 years, Razos used more than a dozen aliases to defraud, embezzle and steal from several prestigious law firms, along with major banks, credit card companies and her former husband.

Now, an elderly associate of Razos, who cannot be named after she was placed into guardianship in April due to dementia and other medical conditions, faces eviction from a Hawthorn home she purchased in 1973.
Two highway patrol officers are fighting allegations they used excessive force when capsicum spray and a police baton were used during the arrest of a deaf and autistic man outside his home.

Melbourne Magistrates Court heard police officers Trevor Harty and Steven Sota were patrolling Melbourne streets when Peter Alamaras  who also lives with a cognitive impairment  allegedly sped past them on February 4 last year.

Two police officers are fighting allegations they used excessive force during the arrest of a deaf and autistic man. Credit: Paul Rovere

Crown prosecutor Ben Kerlin said the officers told investigators they activated their lights and sirens, but the man continued to drive. Body-worn camera footage shows the motorist pulling into his driveway in Melbournes south-east.

Once there, its alleged Alamaras got out of his car with his hands raised and keys in one hand, and the two officers arrested him.
John Fisher was 28 years old when he voted in 1967, in Australias most successful referendum to include Aboriginal people in the census and allow the Commonwealth to create laws for them.

Fisher, 86, recalls the moment largely as a non-issue. He says he was not active in the campaign in the lead-up to the referendum, which attracted a 90.77 per cent Yes vote, simply believing it was obviously, the sensible thing to do, and the right thing to do.

But this year, the octogenarian is on the front foot when it comes to supporting an enshrined Indigenous Voice to parliament.

Fisher will add his own voice - a bass in the Victorian Trade Union Choir - to the Voices For Generations project.
While already well-established in the United Kingdom and United States, the build-to-rent property development model is in its infancy in Western Australia.

But the concept is expected to gain traction following the announcement of state and federal tax sweeteners for the private sector to commit to new projects.

Industry lobby groups say build to rent is a proven model that can deliver quality projects, at scale, across a range of price points. Credit: Bloomberg

Limnios Property Group managing director James Liminos said while embracing the model could help Perths dire rental shortage, a deeper analysis revealed myriad potential downsides.

Build-to-rent projects are large-scale residential developments, often high-rise blocks of apartments, where all the properties are owned and managed by a single entity to be rented out over mid to long-term periods.
The head of the Australian Border Force says the governments plan to abolish retail vape sales is a work in progress with no funding attached to the crackdown in this months federal budget.

Commissioner Michael Outram warned that banning vapes at the border wont be enough to stamp out a rampant black market, as his organisation was already only managing to detect a quarter of illicit drugs making their way into Australia.

Commissioner of the Australian Border Force Michael Outram during a Senate estimates hearing. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The level of criminal infiltration at our border is concerning, Outram told a senate estimates hearing on Tuesday. Prohibition [of] goods at the border, in itself, is unlikely to solve a problem.

His comments indicate the scale of the task facing the government as it attempts to make Australia the first country to successfully regulate vapes as prescription-only products sold in pharmacies, in response to concern that a new generation is becoming addicted to nicotine.
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 Well said, Stuart Littlemore and David Salter (ABCs self-inflicted woes not just a matter of opinion, May 22). In futilely chasing a younger audience, the ABC is dishing up material that looks like losing this once rusted-on supporter. Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls ABC logo including a painting showing Captain James Cook taking possession of NSW. Credit: Illustration: Matt Davidson I just read the article from Littlemore and Salter. Fabulous! I am so relieved that this has been put to paper and I hope you get a great response. The ABC has not been impartial for years and the quality of its journalism has slipped to appalling levels. Many no longer even trust the news content. Pamela Shepherd, Balgowlah I have the highest regard for Salter and Littlemore, both titans of television. However, they speak to a different time. Gone are the days when the focus of a newsroom was a prime-time bulletin. The relentless news cycle has eroded opportunity for those joining the ranks today; they are expected to do more with less. I have no doubt they long for the luxury of a lengthy cadetship being mentored by admired elders. Authority and excellence on the ABC has not disappeared  think 4 Corners, 7.30, Australian Story  but sadly the volume of daily coverage dilutes its potency. Janet Argall, Dulwich Hill Littlemore and Salter are spot on: why has the ABC allowed a high-profile presenter to also be an activist on its outlets? Other prominent public broadcasters, such as the BBC or the US PBS/NPR would never allow one of their high-profile, prime-time presenters to vent their anger on their outlets. For instance, Fiona Bruce and David Dimbleby  present and past presenters of the BBCs Question Time (on which the ABCs Q&A is modelled)  have never aired their opinions on any political issues at the BBC. Nor did past prominent ABC presenters; from Andrew Olle and Mark Colvin and Tony Jones, undermine their journalistic authority by campaigning for political causes.

Im not even a high-profile ABC staff presenter of a prime-time program. But if I used my platform to prosecute the no side in the Voice debate, management would (rightly) subject me to intense scrutiny. Yet more high-profile presenters get away with being both presenters and activists. Why cant the ABC be more like the BBC and strive for genuine objectivity? Tom Switzer, Cammeray Hooray for Littlemore. A fine analysis of the present sorry state of the national broadcaster. Michael Kozlowski, Cowra What a mixed bag from Littlemore and Salter. A good dose of succinct analysis, but also a fair swathe of bitter, out-of-date nostalgia; eliciting the response OK Boomer. Phil Bradshaw, Naremburn

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Well said, Littlemore and Salter. Frankly, Im tired of having slant and perspective pushed into what should be the presentation of fact in news broadcasts or the televised unfolding of events as they happen. The prolonged on-air discussion during the recent coronation broadcast was as unnecessary as it was out of place. It was like watching a bunch of people openly discussing clerical abuse during a baptism. Save it for the opinion segments. Adrian Connelly, Springwood As one of the older segments of the population dedicated to the ABC over several decades, the opinion piece of Littlemore and Salter so clearly articulates my view of where the ABC now stands. I do hope that the ABC management can read their words and if squirming, listen and act as there is a very strong argument for improvement to our national broadcaster. Kristin Dawson, Kanahooka Littlemore and Salter have nailed it. Where can I go to hear news and issues of the day reported without slant or sensationalism? It once was the ABC, but that has long disappeared. I want a media organisation where journalists provide details with objectivity, where presenters present without bias or favour and where egos are left at the front door. I want a media organisation that upholds the highest standards in spoken English with elevated standards of grammar, punctuation, vocabulary and pronunciation. The ABC needs to stick to its knitting and provide the service for which it was created. James Laukka, Epping Any police brutality is intolerable I am amazed at the reaction of some people to the Taser attack on a very old lady, saying Lets wait for an inquiry (Letters, May 22). Police brutality in any form should not be tolerated. For once, I hope we follow the lead of the US. The police involved should be charged. Michael Walsh, Croydon NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb and grandmother Clare Nowland. Credit: Flavio Brancaleone, Supplied The police commissioner may not want to view the footage of the Tasering of Clare Nowland, but it is her duty to watch it. Following this she must act decisively to ensure people with their finger on the Taser trigger are better able to make rational decisions about its use. Ninety-five years old, 1.55 metres tall, 43 kilograms and clutching a walking frame? Maybe not. David Baird, Burradoo

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I work in mental health, and the sector is proud of its reduction in the number of restraints. Not so in aged care, where restraints, either physical, chemical or by Taser, appear to be exercised without due care. In psycho-geriatric units, where there are many elderly people with dementia as well as mental illness, and who exhibit challenging behaviours, staff, including security, are trained in de-escalation and violence prevention management. It is time that police and aged care workers are trained in these measures and techniques. Patricia Farrar, Concord It is a lame excuse to hide behind a statutory body to review the internal police investigation for the seemingly cruel use of a Taser. In the end, the police and the government are accountable to the community; surely a more open and passionate approach would be for the police minister to exercise good sense and keep the public informed. Forget the double-talk and provide answers as quickly as possible. Justice demands it. Michael Blissenden, Dural We need not wait for the completed inquiry. We already know what it will say. If this incident does not require an independent inquiry, then we might as well accept that there will never be a case where the police do not investigate themselves. Don Firth, Wooli Other correspondents comments on this reference professional training. It seems neither the aged care staff nor the police had a plan B. When Mrs Nowland refused to relinquish her weapon she was treated like any other potentially violent offender. How long did the police or staff engage with her and how much time was given to de-escalate the situation? How well trained are staff and police in such skills; especially when the subject is old, frail and suffering from dementia? Adrienne Berkman, Northbridge Foam tragedy far from first Todays front page (Paradise poisoned, May 22) should come as no real surprise to those interested in Defence-related safety/environmental issues. This department has a long history of suboptimal outcomes relating to chemical exposures. Many of these have been subjected to various reviews, boards of inquiry, studies and even consultants. Unfortunately, no one has ever been held accountable  until, like the PFAS debacle, it becomes unmanageable from a PR perspective and forces action. Defence, like wider users, has known about PFAS in fire-fighting foam for years. Why has it been so poorly managed? Why is no one held ultimately accountable? Where are the regulators? Its not the first time its happened. Bernard Stever, Richmond

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Trans: it takes time In my 50 years as a clinical psychologist I have never encountered a time when expressing concern about a health policy could lead to a health professional being subject to a complaint that could end their career (Notorious speaker threatens to bring Oxfords famed debating club to its knees, May 22). I have worked with sexuality and gender-questioning people throughout my career, and my approach is always the same: lets take time to work out what is right for you. This has meant I have clients who I supported to transition to their preferred gender, and I am proud to see them living happy and fulfilling lives. However, the gender-affirming policy that says if someone says they are trans, that must be accepted, is in my view having some disturbing consequences. It disturbs me to hear of health professionals using emotional blackmail with parents to pressure them to agree to hormone treatment for their child, based on the false claim that their child will die by suicide if they dont. It worries me to learn that there are an increasing number of young people regretting their decision to go on hormone therapy, which despite claims are not always reversible. And that school students were allowed to socially transition at school without the parents knowledge and consent. It disturbs me to know of the backlash I will receive for expressing my concerns. But not talking about all these things is doing more harm to the trans community than anything I might say, because more people are becoming aware of these issues, and without a respectful discussion are forming views often not supportive of the trans community. Sandra Pertot, Diamond Beach

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Grant let down Yes, Sean Kelly, we have all failed Stan Grant (Stan Grants monarchy truth bombs were perfectly timed. If not now, when? May 22). Grant, and all Indigenous people, really, have been failed by small-target, election-cycle leaders. And they have been failed by our media; the vacuum is swiftly filled by the most ignorant with the loudest voices, together with anonymous social media warriors. Kellys column may have come too late for Stan Grant, but it should not be too late for the rest of us. Mark Paskal, Austinmer Stan Grant Credit: ABC Thank you, Sean Kelly, for your support of Grant as someone whose job it was, as a journalist and ABC TV commentator, to report the truth to readers and listeners. Please come back, Stan  your truth-telling is invaluable for understanding the history of our country; you teach us the facts the powerful still choose not to publicise. Valerie Little, Tathra. Kelly is right on the money about the vitriol and racism targeted at Grant. Many of his critics had thought it inappropriate for him to make negative comments about the monarchy on the day of the coronation because this is not the right time. Its a phrase wheeled out every time that others want to stonewall a discussion.

Con Vaitsas, Ashbury The timing of Stan Grants comments can be argued. What cant be argued is that sometimes we need to hear truth from the traumatised. Mark Porter, New Lambton

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Press Release

May 22, 2023 CO-SPONSORSHIP SPEECH

Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers

(Committee Report No. 69, Senate Bill No. 2221)

May 22, 2023 Mr. President, it is with deep pride that I rise to co-sponsor Senate Bill No. 2221, under Committee Report number 69, of the Committee on Migrant Workers, joint with the Committees on Foreign Relations and Finance. Along with my co-authors and colleagues in this esteemed Congress, I warmly commend the Chairperson of the Committee on Migrant Workers, Senator Raffy Tulfo. Lubos akong nagpapasalamat kay Senator Tulfo, Mr. President, dahil sa kanyang walang sawang pagsuporta sa ating mga mandaragat. A month from now, Mr. President, we are set to celebrate the Annual Day of the Seafarer, which will be on June 25. According to its stated purpose, this Day of the Seafarer was established "to recognize the unique contribution made by seafarers from all over the world to international seaborne trade, the world economy, and civil society as a whole."[1] Ang ganda po ng pagkasabi: to recognize the unique contribution of seafarers all over the world. And yet, according to a 2023 report of the Mission to Seafarers, there was a reported decline in the happiness levels of seafarers.[2] From 7.69 noong last quarter ng 2022, bumaba ito sa 7.1 para sa first quarter ng 2023. Seafarers across the globe are showing a sense of dissatisfaction, Mr. President. Dissatisfaction with inadequate food, bureaucratic demands and endless paperwork, connectivity problems, lack of health and wellness programs, and of course, the sense of social isolation. This is why I believe that the sponsorship and shepherding of this important measure today is proof of two things: number one, this Senate's [commitment] to the well-being of our seafarers, and number two, this Senate's sense of good timing. A month ahead of the Annual Day of the Seafarer, here we are, Mr. President, pushing for the passage of a bill that institutionalizes the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers. With the passage of this measure, we will be safeguarding our seafarers' basic rights and their welfare. We shall be protecting them in their employment, in their repatriation, and in their reintegration. We shall also ensure proper coordination of the DMW, the DFA, the OWWA, and other relevant government agencies for the full implementation of this measure. Alam niyo po, Mr. President, marami po sa aking mga kababata ay mga marino. May iba sa kanila na tuluyan nang naging kapitan ng barko. We started out as young boys, who grew up to be men, carving out our own paths. They chose to chart the path of the sea. Mr. President, alam ko po ang hirap ng buhay marino. Matagal kang mahihiwalay sa iyong pamilya, nasa gitna ka ng karagatan, minsan yung mga alon mas malalaki pa kaysa sa sinasakyan niyong barko. Tapos dito sa Pilipinas, ang bayan na iyong pinagsisilbihan, hindi man lang nakasaad kung ano ang iyong mga karapatan. This is precisely why there is a need for this measure, Mr. President. It is high time for us to recognize the contribution of our seafarers, above and beyond merely assigning a day of every year to remember them. For an industry that accounts for 80% of international trade, our marine industry, along with the hundreds of thousands of Filipino seafarers, certainly deserves institutional and legislative attention. Let us not wait for them to drown in the ocean of our inaction. Let us provide them with the rights and protection that they need, so that even when they are at sea, they may rest, knowing they shall be confidently coming back to a country they can truly call home. Ipasa na natin itong Magna Carta para sa kanila, Mr. President. Maraming salamat po. _______________________________ [1] Retrieved from: https://www.imo.org/en/About/Events/Pages/Day-of-the-Seafarer-2023.aspx, retrieved on 22 May 2023. [2] Retrieved from: https://www.missiontoseafarers.org/news/seafarers-happiness-index-q1-2023-reveals-a-decline-in-overall-satisfaction-levels-among-seafarers, retrieved on 22 May 2023.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 23. Iran has appointed new Ambassador to Saudi Arabia as part of the implementation of agreements on the restoration of diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Trend reports.

According to an official source, Alireza Enayat will become the new diplomatic representative of Iran in Riyadh. It is not yet known who will take the post of Head of the Consulate General of Iran in Jeddah.

Enayat previously served as the representative of the Islamic Republic in Kuwait, as well as Assistant to the Foreign Minister and Director General for Persian Gulf Affairs in the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations and reopen embassies within two months on March 10. Representatives of the two countries held talks in Beijing for several days, following which a trilateral statement was prepared. On April 6, the two countries announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with immediate effect.

Saudi Arabia severed ties with Iran in 2016 following an attack by pro-regime protesters on Saudi Arabias embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad.
The state government will end native forest logging early in Victoria, bringing forward its 2030 deadline in a move that will have a widespread impact on jobs.

The government confirmed it would provide $200 million to support workers and their families as part of the package in Tuesdays budget to phase out native timber logging by January 1 next year.

The state government will end native forest logging early in Victoria. Credit: Steven Siewert

Environmentalists hailed the decision, saying it was long overdue.

Environmental groups have fought for decades to end native timber logging in Victoria, with some launching several legal challenges in a bid to force the governments hand.
You can put money into different funds and call it different things, but its still fungible. The COVID Debt Repayment Plan is just a way of describing the tax increases that are in the budget to pay for expenditure commitments. The government will also capture 380,000 new taxpayers by lowering the threshold at which land tax kicks in from $300,000 to $50,000 for Victorians who own more than one property. Under the property tax changes, people who own more than one property will face a new annual fee on their land tax bills starting at $500 for a piece of land worth between $50,000 and $100,000. Owners of land worth between $100,000 and $300,000 will have to pay a temporary fixed charge of $975. Those with property worth more than $300,000 will pay a $975 fixed charge plus 0.1 percentage point of the land value. The Urban Development Institute of Australia warned the tax changes would hurt housing affordability by driving up rents and disincentivising development.

We understand the need to address the structural issues with the states finances, but raiding the pockets of landowners is not the way to do it, president Tom Trevaskis said. Loading Pallas denied the land tax increase would lead to another rent hike, claiming the cost was relatively small on landlords in the grand scheme of things. These higher rents are driven effectively by the laws of supply and demand at play, and they are delivering a windfall to landlords, he said. We think that its fair that Victorians with multiple properties make a modest contribution to repaying COVID debt. Elinor Kasapidis, senior tax policy manager at accounting body CPA Australia, said Victoria was the nations least attractive state to buy an investment property and the government was failing to read the room.

We are appalled by this decision, she said. We encourage the government to reconsider. Kasapidis said many landlords would be unable to afford the additional cost of the COVID debt levy. Loading On top of wall-to-wall rate hikes for nearly a year, this additional cost will push some mum-and- dad landlords into the red, she said. To foot this bill, they will be forced to increase rents at a time when there is a national housing affordability crisis. Make no mistake, renters will end up footing the bill. This will exacerbate Victorias rental stress. The state government will bank an extra $2.1 billion from savings and efficiencies in the public service, on top of the $500 million in savings it pledged ahead of Novembers state election.

Pallas promised to restore the public sector back to pre-pandemic levels by targeting back-office staff and consultants. However, the cuts will do little to rein in the states mounting public sector wage bill which is expected to hit $38.3 billion by 2026-27, up from $33.9 billion this financial year. More than 1000 logging workers from regional communities will also lose their jobs with the state government bringing forward the end of native forest logging to the end of the year. A $200 million support package will be put in place to help affected communities. Loading As part of its tax reform agenda, the Andrews government will also abolish stamp duty for commercial and industrial properties, replacing it with an annual property tax in a move that Pallas said would remove growth barriers for business. The government claimed the change, which comes into effect on July 1, 2024, would provide a $50 billion economic boost and the move was welcomed by the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which worked with the government on the package. Chief executive Paul Guerra said it would accelerate building upgrades and stimulate investment.

But the chamber warned the government against introducing any barriers that would increase costs to Victorian businesses or make the state less competitive. These additional taxes on medium to large businesses in particular will be difficult to absorb given they are already operating in a tough economic climate with increased costs in energy and supply chain, Guerra said. Under the changes to payroll taxes, more than 6000 large employers will pay more tax, with businesses with more than $10 million in wages hit with a 0.5 per cent levy from July. Larger businesses with a payroll bill above $100 million will cop an additional 0.5 per cent levy paid on the Victorian share of wages, although the measure is scheduled to expire in a decade. Pallas said there was a profit spike during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were there when those industries needed us, he said. The payroll tax changes will hit the same businesses that were impacted by a tax hike introduced in 2022 to cover the cost of the states ballooning mental health services as well as a foreshadowed lift in WorkCover premiums.

Hospitals, charities and local councils are among those exempt. CPA Australia senior tax policy manager Elinor Kasapidis said while Victorians had largely accepted the government had to make tough decisions during COVID-19, she warned against paying back the debt too soon. Victoria is rushing to pay back its debt far too soon and this time its Victorians financial well-being thats at risk, Kasapidis said. This budget threatens to make a bad situation worse. Victoria used to be the place to be, now its the place not to be.
Wander around any city in Mexico and very soon you will smell something delicious: charring meat, roasting vegetables, salsas being pounded and stirred, juices being extracted. Some of the best food in Mexico is served at the smallest, hole-in-the-wall taquerias, by street stands making traditional snacks, by just one guy standing at a grill roasting big cobs of corn. Mexican cuisine varies wildly from region to region, so you will always find something different on the streets, always something tasty, and always something cheap. Spain Credit: Alamy What is street food? Some will say it has to be cooked on the street, served at small carts, eaten at tables that disappear when the night is over. For us, however, street food is simply food that is eaten on the street. It doesnt matter where it came from  as long as its cheap, casual, and eaten while sitting or standing outside, you have street food.

Thats how Spain qualifies. Because while you wont find many classic street-food vendors, what you will discover is a whole swathe of tapas and pintxos bars that often spill out onto the street. Particularly in the Basque Country, diners will grab a few small bites of food and then stand outside in packed alleys to consume. And that food is so, so good. Thailand Credit: iStock Theres a good argument to be made that Thai street food is the real street food  and the best street food. Thai markets usually appear out of nothing. During the day its just a normal pavement, but at night all of these incredible cooks arrive with their pushcart kitchens and their plastic chairs and away they go. Whether youre in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Chiang Rai, or anywhere really, you will find street-food markets where you can buy some of the best food youve ever eaten, washed down with a cold beer, for a few dollars.

USA Tacos from Kogi Korean BBQ Taco truck, Los Angeles. Credit: Alamy The USA has street food. It might be more of a restaurant scene here, but food truck culture is also huge in the US, and you can get some cracking cuisine. The food served at trucks and caravans is often inventive and experimental, though sometimes traditional, and always hugely interesting: Korean tacos in LA, Hainanese chicken rice in Portland, Texas barbecue in Austin, African-American-Mexican fusion in Atlanta. China Credit: Alamy

This is a huge, huge country that really knows how to do street food. Find a market in China and you are likely to find purveyors of jiaozi (dumplings), baozi (steamed buns), chuanr (char-grilled skewers), jianbing (fried pancakes), and many more tasty delights. To walk a street-food market in China is to gaze directly into a culture and a people, to see what they love, what they desire, and the full breadth of their cuisine. India Credit: Alamy Here is another huge country with a wildly diverse food scene, and a passion for eating the best of these dishes from vendors on the street. Mumbai is probably the most famous city for street food, and fair enough when you have the likes of vada pav  a bread roll filled with a fried potato patty and chutney  as well as biryani, samosas, roasted meats, traditional sweets and more.

Every city and town in India has its own street-food scene, and all are worth investigating with an empty stomach and an adventurous soul. Malaysia Credit: Alamy To understand the joy of Malaysian street food, consider some of the vast range of dishes on offer: char kway teow (stir-fried noodles), lok lok (food on skewers), laksa (noodle soup), chicken rice, nasi lemak (rice with peanuts, dried fish and sambal), and cendol (shaved ice with creamy toppings). Like its neighbours, Thailand and Singapore, Malaysia has a deeply ingrained street-food culture that is a pleasure to discover. Turkey

A balik-ekmek  a fish sandwich. Credit: Getty As soon as you arrive in Istanbul, head down to the northern end of Galata Bridge and breath in deeply. No doubt you will smell charring, beautifully cooked fish, and you will see where its coming from, too: the vendors peddling balik-ekmek, simple fish sandwiches that are so deservedly popular in this fine city. Theres plenty of variety to Turkish street food too, from traditional simit, or sesame-crusted bread, to kebabs, flatbreads, stuffed breads and plenty more. Morocco Credit: Alamy
SABA/THE HAGUE:--- The Executive Council started its working visit to the Netherlands on Monday, May 23. The delegation will meet with various ministries, members of the Dutch Parliament, and several organizations.

The Saba delegation consists of Island Governor Jonathan Johnson, Commissioners Bruce Zagers and Eviton Heyliger, Head of Finance Maureen Hassell-van der Kaap, Senior Policy Advisor Nicole Johnson, Head of the Planning Bureau Zoubeir Elatmani, Program Manager Nature and Environment Policy Plan Sarah van der Horn and Project Manager of Black Rocks Harbor Project Mario Prak. The delegation attends the meetings in various compositions, depending on the type and subject of the meetings. For Commissioner Heyliger, this is his first official work visit to the Netherlands since his appointment.

On Monday, May 22, the delegation presented two important projects. At the Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations (BZK) the project to expand the existing Administration Building was presented, while the presentation of the school building project took place at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW).

Commissioners Zagers and Heyliger on Monday paid a visit to Member of the Second Chamber Attje Kuiken of the Labor Party (PvdA) to talk about the various developments and challenges that Saba faces. Also present at that meeting was Member of the First Chamber Jeroen Recourt of the PvdA party.

For the remainder of the week, the delegation has meetings at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (SZW), the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK), the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), the Ministry of Public Health, Wellbeing and Sport (VWS), the Ministry of BZK, the Ministry of OCW, Bazalt Women and the Cadaster.

Important topics to be discussed in The Hague include healthcare, education, culture, the Black Rocks harbor project, social security, poverty alleviation, energy, telecom, housing, land registry, water, agriculture, connectivity, spatial planning, and waste management.

Next week Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the delegation will pay a visit to the education organization Yuverta in Houten and the World Horti Center in Naaldwijk. There will also be separate meetings with State Secretary for Kingdom Relations and Digitization Alexandra van Huffelen and Minister for Poverty, Participation and Pensions Carola Schouten. The delegation returns to Saba on Friday, June 2.
Microreactors on the rise

Whether in the UK or Alaska, the topic of microreactors could stand for green energy supply.

By 2027, a microreactor will be in service at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. It will supply heat and electricity. The military is a not insignificant energy consumer. The U.S. has more than 400 sites, and here, too, CO-2 emissions and energy are to be saved. Energy from wind and sun is not enough, because in the military sector outages are to be avoided and security of supply is to be guaranteed. The issue of energy security is thus also important in this area. The Navy has so-called pressurized water reactors. Eielson Air Force Base is located in a barren area where it can sometimes be -60 degrees Celsius. But if the project is successful, it would be possible to use the fourth-generation reactors for industrial purposes.

In the UK, Rolls Royce is looking at building mini reactors. The \minis\ score with advantages; they can supply remote areas and can be installed quickly. There is also a floating nuclear power plant, the Akademik Lomonosov. It took ten years to build. It was to supply heat and electricity, and it was to be located in the far east of Russia. The nuclear giant responsible for it, Rosatom, uses technology that already provides energy in nuclear-powered submarines and ships. Today, the floating power plant supplies the city of Pewek. The microreactors are still stationary.

So there is a kind of race to see who will be the first to have a mobile reactor. In any case, nuclear energy is an important building block in the energy mix and will be for a very long time. Therefore, uranium and uranium companies will not go out of fashion anytime soon. Among uranium companies, IsoEnergy and Consolidated Uranium are appealing.

IsoEnergy  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/isoenergy-ltd/  has three uranium projects in the Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, in one of the best uranium areas. The summer exploration program is now underway.

Consolidated Uranium  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/consolidated-uranium-inc/  is one of the companies ready to start in the short term. The projects are located in Canada, Australia, Argentina and the USA.

Up-to-date corporate information and press releases from Consolidated Energy (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/consolidated-uranium-inc/ -) and IsoEnergy (- https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/companies/iso-energy-ltd/ -).

In accordance with A34 WpHG I would like to point out that partners, authors and employees may hold shares in the respective companies addressed and thus a possible conflict of interest exists. No guarantee for the translation into English. Only the German version of this news is valid.

Disclaimer: The information provided does not represent any form of recommendation or advice. Express reference is made to the risks in securities trading. No liability can be accepted for any damage arising from the use of this blog. I would like to point out that shares and especially warrant investments are always associated with risk. The total loss of the invested capital cannot be excluded. All information and sources are carefully researched. However, no guarantee is given for the correctness of all contents. Despite the greatest care, I expressly reserve the right to make errors, especially with regard to figures and prices. The information contained herein is taken from sources believed to be reliable, but in no way claims to be accurate or complete. Due to court decisions, the contents of linked external sites are also co-responsible (e.g. Landgericht Hamburg, in the decision of 12.05.1998  312 O 85/98), as long as there is no explicit dissociation from them. Despite careful control of the content, I do not assume liability for the content of linked external pages. The respective operators are exclusively responsible for their content. The disclaimer of Swiss Resource Capital AG also applies: https://www.resource-capital.ch/en/disclaimer/
Alpha Lithium Comments on Unsolicited and Non-Binding Acquisition Proposal

Alpha Lithium Corporation (NEO: ALLI) (OTC: APHLF) (German WKN: A3CUW1) (aAlphaa or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/alpha-lithium-corp/ ), wishes to comment on the announcement by Tecpetrol Investments S.L. (aTecpetrola) of its unsolicited and non-binding offer to acquire the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company for cash consideration of $1.24 per share (the aOffera). Tecpetrol is a company incorporated in Spain, and is a part of the Techint Group of Companies.

In consultation with its financial and legal advisors, Alphaa?s board of directors has conducted a review and assessment of the Offer and determined it to be opportunistic, and not in the best interests of Alpha or its shareholders. In addition to a low and declining premium to the trading price of the Companya?s common shares on the NEO Exchange (13% on receipt of the Offer, 7.8% as of the date hereof), the Offer, which was non-binding and subject to due diligence, included a request for Alpha to enter into a binding 30 day exclusivity agreement with Tecpetrol, which would preclude Alpha from engaging with interested third parties who appropriately value the Companya?s unique and compelling assets.

Advisors

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC is serving as the Companya?s financial advisor, Cozen Oa?Connor LLP is serving as the Companya?s legal advisor and Longview Communications & Public Affairs is serving as government and public relations advisor.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF ALPHA LITHIUM CORPORATION

aBrad Nichola

Brad Nichol

President, CEO and Director

For more information:

Alpha Lithium Investor Relations

Tel: +1 844 592 6337

relations@alphalithium.com

www.alphalithium.com

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger & Marc Ollinger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

About Alpha Lithium (NEO: ALLI) (OTC: APHLF) (German WKN: A3CUW1)

Alpha Lithium is a team of industry professionals and experienced stakeholders focused on the development of the Tolillar and Hombre Muerto Salars. In Tolillar, we have assembled 100% ownership of what may be one of Argentinaa?s last undeveloped lithium salars, encompassing 27,500 hectares (67,954 acres), neighboring multi-billion-dollar lithium players in the heart of the renowned aLithium Trianglea. In Hombre Muerto, we continue to expand our 5,000+ hectare (12,570 acres) foothold in one of the worlda?s highest quality, longest producing, lithium salars. Other companies in the area exploring for lithium brines or currently in production include Orocobre Limited, Galaxy Lithium, Allkem Ltd., Livent Corporation, and POSCO in Salar del Hombre Muerto; Orocobre in Salar Olaroz; Eramine SudAmerica S.A. in Salar de Centenario; and Gangfeng and Lithium Americas in Salar de Cauchari.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as awilla, amaya, ashoulda, aanticipatea, aexpectsa 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 results of further brine process testing and exploration and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. 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 will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law.

No securities regulatory authority has reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.
Founded in 2011, Co-op Cincy is a local, Greater Cincinnati organization whose mission is to nurture a resilient, interconnected network of worker-owned businesses in Greater Cincinnati. Since their incorporation, the organization has loaned more than $1 million to co-op businesses and employees. In addition, the organization has trained over 1,300 individuals about worker ownership. Currently there are a total of sixteen businesses in their cooperative network.

What has inspired their mission throughout the years is the Mondragon Corporation, an association of cooperatives that has transformed the Basque region of Spain by reducing inequality and poverty. Going strong since 1956, Mondragon's network of cooperatives has been an engine for economic growth in Spains Basque regions lowest levels of poverty providing a path for economic equality.

In 2022, in an article published by the New Yorker Magazine, the Mondragon Corporation was quoted as being the worlds largest co-op.

Today Mondragon Corporation employs 70,000 people in an association of eighty cooperatives, which range from a grocery chain to engineering and logistics firms. It's the tenth largest corporation in Spain, with sales in 150 countries.

Just last month, Co-op Cincy was able to tour the association in Spain with a

diverse delegation that included business, philanthropic, and faith leaders plus worker-owners from Co-op Cincys network of cooperatives; and representatives from Co-op Cincys sister organization in Dayton, Co-op Dayton.



Among the participants are:

Barbara Bell, district director for Congressman Greg Landsman

Jeanne Golliher, retired president and CEO of the Cincinnati Development Fund

Pastor Damon Lynch III of the New Prospect Baptist Church

Bill Tucker, former executive director of Flywheel Social Enterprise Hub

Robert Killins Jr., director of special initiatives at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Denisha Porter, director of All-in-Cincinnati

George Molinsky, partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP

Tim Rettig, founder & CEO of IntrustIT





1. Tell us a little about your trip to Mondragon



We just recently got back from our delegation to Mondragon, one of the most successful groups of worker-owned businesses in the world. We took forty people from Southwest Ohio; from the philanthropic sector, the civic sector, the business sector, from government and community. These are the people who we have been working with to lay the groundwork for a thriving economy here in Cincinnati asking ourselves, Where do we really want to go with this?



Cooking paella for dinner at the Cachi Bachi gastronomical club in Zarautz Soapbox Cincinnati was able to speak with Co-op Cincys co-director and co-founder, Ellen Vera, who accompanied the group to Spain.We just recently got back from our delegation to Mondragon, one of the most successful groups of worker-owned businesses in the world. We took forty people from Southwest Ohio; from the philanthropic sector, the civic sector, the business sector, from government and community. These are the people who we have been working with to lay the groundwork for a thriving economy here in Cincinnati asking ourselves, Where do we really want to go with this?Mondragon has always been our North Star; we have always had really deep connections with them since the beginning and they have been able to tangibly turn the dial on inequality. They have one of the lowest rates of poverty and unemployment because they have been able to create a really resilient regional economy through this business model in their region.
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To perfect the rainbow colouring on its dial, HYT called upon one of the most exacting of modern artisanal techniques, known as Techno Art. A new challenge combining exceptional skills and vision for the future of Haute Horlogerie.

The radiant watches in the Rainbow collection measure the passage of time in colour. To create its own modern, high-tech interpretation of this on-trend look, contemporary independent Swiss fine watchmaking brand HYT chose to incorporate the full range of rainbow colours in the display of this model.

HYT has made the focal point of this piece the outer edge of the dial and the heart of the exclusive fluid module with its retrograde hours display. The colouring is the focus and this serves two purposes: firstly, it creates a stunning decorative effect; secondly, it takes on a technical dimension by enhancing the legibility of the display.

Hastroid Rainbow  HYT

HYT's mecafluid technology is taken to the next level with Techno Art

By nature, each of the 15 Hastroid Rainbow timepieces will be unique and exclusive, as they are the fruit of meticulous work by artisans skilled in an art technique which requires inordinate dexterity. In addition to the precision required in this work carried out by hand, there is also the technical expertise involved in cutting entirely using a laser. The grille onto which the colours are applied is coloured using tinted Zapon lacquer.

Zapon is a premium single-component lacquer mainly used to provide long-term protection for dials which have undergone galvanic treatment. Applying the lacquer using a pressurised process requires great skill.

Consequently, the dial on each of the 15 pieces in the Hastroid Rainbow Limited Edition collection is worked on individually by hand by Yan Patriarca, lacquering expert at MDArt SA. In the words of this specialist in the art: "Depending on the desired final effect, it is possible to change this product by giving it a satin-finished or a mat look, tinting it translucently using dyes, pigments or even with flakes of metal or mother of pearl."

In the specific case of the Rainbow grille, a white base varnish was needed to obtain the required brightness. Only then could the pure dyes be sprayed on, by hand, in several very thin layers, each no more than 2 to 3 microns thick.

Hastroid Rainbow  HYT

"It takes great precision and lots of patience to create the colour gradient effect. The aim is to create some visual magic, so that the colour change is imperceptible; so the eye can't detect where one shade ends and the next begins" Yan Patriarca explains, and the next step is to apply a layer of clear Zapon over the entire grille to protect the finished work and to protect it in the long term."

It should be noted that the fluid contained in the capillary tube is black and, when it moves around the coloured dial, it gives the impression that it is tinted in the shade assigned to each time slot. The effect is therefore constantly changing and serves as a modern poetic reminder of the ephemeral nature of the phenomenon of rainbows which are created, scientifically speaking, when the mechanics of water meets the Sun as the source of light energy.

The minute track, with its graduated scale to follow the progress of the fluidic retrograde hours indicator, is also coloured in a special bright shade of violet.

As on other versions of the Hastroid model, a great deal of work has gone into the dial to enhance its legibility; it therefore features a large central hand with a refined design to enable the minutes to be read at a glance. This hand is also coloured violet to match perfectly. Further key information is given on the two flight instrument-inspired sub-dials: a small second on the one hand and the power reserve on the other. Coated in Lumicast, these hands are black and red for improved legibility.

The relief hour numerals are also luminescent, thanks to their Lumicast coating which enables them to continue their rainbow magic in the dark. Watchmaking expertise is therefore able to create a phenomenon not possible in nature.

Hastroid Rainbow  HYT

HYT Hastroid, the epitome of watchmaking art in the 21st century

The Hastroid is an iconic model featuring all the brand's technical and aesthetic DNA. Made from multi-layer carbon fibre with a profile in mat black DLC-coated titanium, its case measures 48 mm in diameter, 52.3 mm in length and is 17.20 mm thick.

The remarkable construction of the case achieved by superimposing adjusted and assembled elements was a feat of great precision. The crown is also made from black-coated titanium. The assembly is waterproof to 30 metres and the mechanical movement is protected by a central titanium case.

Retrograde hours and large minute hand: the mechanical movement shows its power in the dark

To let the dial reveal the full measure of its sophistication, the centrepiece of the mecafluid system with its two central "bellows" reservoirs is intentionally in the dark, featuring a special black treatment accentuated by satin-finished and sand-blasted finishes.

The fluid contained in the borosilicate capillary tube serves to indicate the retrograde hours, while a purple-tinted central hand coated with Lumicast points to the minutes.

The power required to guarantee the precision of this exceptional timepiece is supplied by the hand wound mechanical movement 501-CM (with 41 jewels) beating at 28,800 vib/hour (4 Hertz) and offering a 72-hour power reserve.
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After four months of racing at sea  starting in Alicante (Spain) in January and stopping off at Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Cape Town (South Africa) and Itajai (Brazil)  The Ocean Race crews docked in Newport, RI (USA).

Ulysse Nardin chose this capital of competitive sailing to reveal its latest creation, The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph, a new watch created to celebrate the historic races jubilee. Originally known as the Whitbread Round the World Race, then The Volvo Ocean Race, and now being renamed The Ocean Race for the 2022-2023 edition, this legendary race is a unique human endeavour and the most formidable test for racing crews on the high seas.

This limited-edition timepiece, launched in collaboration with The Ocean Race, is a tribute to both partners passion for the sea, their shared sense of adventure, and their joint commitment to protecting the oceans.

The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph  Ulysse Nardin

As the Official Timekeeper of the race, Ulysse Nardin is responsible for the official timings of the various legs and the start countdowns, but it is also a partner of the 24-Hour Speed Challenge, in which the crew that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours wins.

In addition to this role, Ulysse Nardin is also a partner of Time to Act, a program that aims to reduce the devastating impact of pollution, climate change, and industrial overfishing on our oceans. Time is at the heart of the race; not only in terms of the competition and records, but also in relation to the urgency of taking environmental action.

As part of this program, the Racing with Purpose initiative developed alongside 11th Hour Racing  the main partner of The Ocean Race and the founding partner of the races sustainability program  relies on three major projects to achieve this goal, including a scientific scheme that aims to collect and analyze essential data on the health of the water. As they chart a 60,000 km course across some of the planets most isolated regions, which are only rarely visited by research vessels, the teams have a unique opportunity to gather vital data and make up for a lack of information on two of the greatest threats to the health of the ocean: the impact of climate change and plastic pollution. It is thought to be the most data ever collected as part of a sporting event, and The Ocean Race is proud to be playing a key role in deepening our understanding of the marine world.

It is against this backdrop of sport and environmental commitment that the Manufacture is presenting The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph, a new timepiece celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Ocean Race, which first set off in 1973 from the coastal town of Portsmouth in England.

The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph  Ulysse Nardin

Water-resistant to 300 meters, its 44mm sandblasted black DLC titanium case houses the Ulysse Nardin Manufacture chronograph calibre UN-150 and its 318 components. This movement is visible through the sapphire crystal case back and bears the number 50 in tribute to this anniversary. The Ocean Race logo is affixed to the ceramic part adorning the rubber strap and its pin buckle. The unidirectional bezel has a Carbonium finish, which contains fibers upcycled from aeroplane fuselage offcuts, offering a 40% lower environmental impact than other carbon composites. Ulysse Nardin became the first watchmaker to use this innovative material on a timepiece in 2019. It offers incomparable resistance for its light weight, and its superb marbled effect makes this watch a truly unique creation.

The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph is being released as a limited edition of just 100 timepieces.

The new Diver celebrates this legendary sailing race, its commitment to protecting the ocean environment, and the research and marine conservation projects that Ulysse Nardin is proud to support, says Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Ulysse Nardin.

The Ocean Race crews will set sail again from Newport on Sunday, May 21st to continue the competition, which will take them to Europe and pass through Aarhus (Denmark), the Kiel Fly-By (Germany) and The Hague (Netherlands) before the grand finale, which is set to take place in Genoa (Italy) at the end of June.
French short-haul flight ban comes into force



Paris, May 23 (AFP) May 23, 2023



France has banned domestic flights for journeys possible in less than two-and-a-half hours by train, under a government decree published Tuesday.

Although the move was included in a 2021 climate law and already applied in practice, some airlines had asked the European Commission to investigate whether it was legal.

The change will mostly rule out air trips between Paris and regional hubs such as Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux, with connecting flights unaffected.

Critics have noted that the cutoff point for comparable train journeys is shy of the roughly three hours it takes to travel from Paris to Mediterranean port city Marseille by high-speed rail.

The law does specify that train services on the same route must be frequent, timely and well-connected enough to meet the needs of passengers who would otherwise travel by air -- and able to absorb the increase in passenger numbers.

People making such trips should be able to make outbound and return train journeys on the same day, having spent eight hours at their destination.

The government had already secured Air France's compliance with the plan in exchange for a 2020 coronavirus financial support package.

Competitors were banned from simply filling the gap.

The step comes as French politicians have also been debating how to reduce emissions from private jets.

While Green MPs have called for banning small private flights altogether, Transport Minister Clement Beaune last month trailed a higher climate charge for users from next year.

mra/tgb/adp/rl

Twitter
Climate activists briefly disrupt air traffic in Geneva: airport



Geneva, May 23 (AFP) May 23, 2023



Protesters on the tarmac at Geneva airport briefly disrupted air traffic Tuesday before operations were gradually resumed, the airport said, as dozens of climate activists blocked a nearby business jet convention.

"Due to the incursion of people on the tarmac, the air traffic was momentarily disrupted. It has been gradually resuming since 12:40 pm (1040 GMT)," Geneva airport's official Twitter account said.

The notice came as environmental groups said around 100 climate activists from 17 countries had disrupted the next-door European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) -- Europe's biggest sales fair for private jets.

In a joint statement, Greenpeace, Stay Grounded, Scientist Rebellion and Extinction Rebellion said the activists were peacefully occupying jets exhibited for the event by Geneva airport.

Around a dozen police officers had rapidly intervened to remove the activists, including some that had attached themselves to planes, the ATS news agency said.

Geneva police spokeswoman Tiffany Cudre-Mauroux told AFP that around 80 people had been detained.



- 'Toxic' -



Images published on Twitter showed the activists camped out around shiny jets, brandishing colourful banners with the words "ban private jets" and "private jets burn our future".

They also plastered some planes with messages resembling warning labels on cigarette packages, identifying them as "toxic objects", according to the joint statement.

"Geneva is home to one of the airports with the most private jet traffic in Europe," Joel Perret, spokesman for Extinction Rebellion Geneva, said in the statement.

"This is where change must begin: we need to drastically reduce aviation to halt climate catastrophe and the destruction of life. The first step is to ban private jets now!"

Klara Maria Schenk of Greenpeace said: "Sales of private jets are skyrocketing, and with them the one percent's hugely unfair contribution to the climate crisis -- while the most vulnerable people deal with the damage."

Geneva airport will file a complaint over the incident, spokesman Ignace Jeannerat told AFP.

He said dozens of activists had poured onto the tarmac shortly after 11:30 am Tuesday, after illegally sneaking in through the freight area, and had begun handcuffing themselves to jets on display.

Air traffic had been disrupted for an hour, he said, adding that seven planes had been unable to land at the airport during that time, and were forced to divert to Zurich and Lyon.

Major delays and possible cancellations were expected throughout the day.

Geneva's Cointrin airport is the second largest in Switzerland, after Zurich.

In 2022, more than 14 million passengers travelled through the airport, according to official figures.
A Palestinian man was shot and killed on Friday in the occupied West Bank, amidst growing condemnation of Israeli demolitions and settler violence in the occupied territories.
Qatar Airways boss 'sceptical' on 2050 net zero target



Doha, May 23 (AFP) May 23, 2023



Qatar Airways' chief executive on Tuesday doused hopes that the aviation industry can become carbon neutral by 2050, saying he was "very sceptical" about the target.

Not enough sustainable aviation fuel is being produced, and technological hurdles remain to using hydrogen as a replacement, Akbar Al Baker told the Qatar Economic Forum.

In 2021, the International Air Transport Association's member airlines committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions in their operations by 2050.

But Baker said: "I don't think that we will be able to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Everybody's talking about it but let us be realistic."

Baker's comments come just a few weeks after Emirates airline's president Tim Clark also cast doubt on global aviation's ability to quickly move away from traditional jet fuel.

Baker said: "There is not enough production of sustainable aviation fuel. The hydrogen project is in its infancy."

"The hydrogen technology will mature in the second half of the century, which means after 2050, which means we will not achieve what everybody's been promised will happen.

"I'm very sceptical about this (goal)."

His remarks echo Clark, who said there was no prospect of producing enough sustainable aviation fuel -- made from biomass, recycled food oil and synthetic fuel from captured CO2 or green hydrogen -- in the near future.

"You will not fly an A380 to Los Angeles, with 500 passengers on board burning 200 tonnes of fuel, on anything other than fossil fuel for the time being," Clark told reporters in Dubai.

Emirates later announced a $200 million research and development fund to find "better solutions" to reducing emissions.

However, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said sustainable aviation fuel remained the best hope for achieving net zero by 2050.

"Really the only significant contributor by the way of changing technology is sustainable aviation fuel. That's the only thing that moves the needle between now and then," he told the forum in Doha.

"Every new airplane that we or our competitors sell today, if it displaces an older aeroplane in their fleet, is usually 20 to 30 percent better on emissions... but the only thing that achieves net zero is sustainable aviation fuel," Calhoun added.

The aviation industry produced more than two percent of global carbon dioxide emissions in 2021, according to the International Energy Agency.

th/noc/dv

AIRBUS GROUP
The Benban solar power park, which is located in the "Jewel of the Nile" Aswan in Upper Egypt, is one of the largest solar power parks in the world.

The Benban solar power park benefits from the countrys unique geographic location between latitudes 22 and 31.5 north.

It puts Egypt at the heart of the global solar belt and makes it one of the richest countries in terms of solar power, according to a report by the African Development Bank (AfDB) released in line with the COP27 climate conference that is currently in session in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.

Benban, located near the village by the same name, extends over an area of 8,843 acres on the Aswan-Cairo desert road.

Egypt built Benban as a mega national project within the strategy developed by the country's New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) that targets producing 22 percent of the countrys electricity from clean resources in 2022 while eyeing raising its share of renewable energy in the countrys electricity mix to reach 42 percent by 2035.

First time I came here, there was nothing, but sand. Yet, we saw an opportunity in the citys sun turning it into clean energy. Benban is one of the largest solar parks in the world that has millions of solar panels that provide clean energy for more than one million Egyptian homes, said Mostafa Abdel-Fattah, the project manager.

Benban Solar Park produces 3.8 TWh of power per year.

The site includes 34 solar power plants under construction with a capacity of 50 MW for each, while the total energy generated by the sun is equivalent to 90 percent of the electric power generated by the High Dam.

The project provides 20,000 job opportunities during the two years construction period, with 6,000 permanent jobs in companies that are engaged in its operations.

Engineer Hadeer Khalifa, the site performance and monitoring analyst, has worked on the project since its start in 2018.

At the beginning, my colleagues warned me that the work conditions in the site are very challenging because it is located in the desert and its high temperatures. But, I said to them that it's Okay. I wanted to try. And I have developed myself over the past four years," Khalifa said.

I have learnt a lot and gained massive experience from the sites engineers, workers, and the companies that I have been working with. It is really amazing, Khalifa said.

Nearly 40 specialised companies in renewable energy production were selected by the NREA authority under the POT investment model with a usufruct right maturity of 25 years.

The Benban site also includes a Gas Insulated Stations (GIS), the first of its kind to be established in Egypt.

Benban Solar Park is set to play a significant role in the power map in Africa as a role model of generating clean power, which is one of the core objectives of the UNs global sustainable development goals (SDGs).

AfDB contributed to funding three projects in Benban Solar Park - namely Alcazar 1, Alcazar Delta, Shapoorji.

Each project entails the design, construction, and operation of a 50MW solar PV power project implemented under the Egyptian Solar Photovoltaic Feed-in Tariff Program Round-2.

The project cost for each is estimated at $73 million, which was financed by 72 percent senior debt and 28 percent equity.

IFC is the mandated lead arranger of the transaction.

AFDB provide funding of approximately $12 million in each project jointly with other DFIs.

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The African Development Bank (AfDB) is working with Egypt to alleviate the impacts of the war in Ukraine on the countrys food security and agriculture, including by funding water projects, said the President of the AfDB Akinwumi Adesina.

Adesinas statements came in response to a question from Ahram Online about how the commitments and pledges made during the Dakar 2 Summit could benefit Egypt, the largest wheat importer globally

The three-day summit that took place in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, concluded on Friday.

Adesina said that Egypt is in a very sensitive spot on the global food market map given that the increase in the cost of importing food since the onset of the war in Ukraine impacted the country and, at the same time, climate change continues to affect its agricultural production capacity.

Egypt, the largest wheat importer in the world, imported $8 billion worth of the strategic grain in 2022 alone, he noted.

Tackling threats to food security is imperative for Egypt and the whole continent alike, he stressed

The Country Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts we worked on during the summit regarding ensuring the food security in the continent will mean regional initiatives to meet the needs of all the African countries including Egypt, Adesina noted.

The AfDB's president revealed that the bank has doubled its financing of the water pillar under Egypts Nexus of Water, Food and Energy (NWFE) Programme from $1.6 billion to $3.6 billion.

The bank is integrating these efforts with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to tackle food and agriculture issues in Egypt, he added.

Within the NWFE programme, the AfDB is the key catalyst of the water pillar while IFAD is the main catalyst of the food pillar.

Adesina said that the bank is also working with the Egyptian government to enable Egypt to plant enough wheat to be self-sufficient.

The Dakar 2 Summit concluded with the announcement of Dakar Declaration on Food Sovereignty and Resilience.

According to this declaration, the participants, including Egypt, pledged to finalise the development of the compacts endorsed at the summit in collaboration with country stakeholders, development partners and the private sector to achieve food security and self-sufficiency, as well as establishing presidential delivery councils to oversee the implementation of the compacts.

The participants also committed to supporting the implementation of the compacts with time-bound and clearly measurable indicators for success, including concrete national policies, incentives and regulations to establish an enabling environment for wider and accelerated investments across the agriculture sector.

Moreover, the participants pledged to mobilise internal and external financing for the compacts from a broad range of bilateral and multilateral partners and the private sector, besides increasing financing from national budgets.

The declaration also included a commitment to requesting the African Union Commission and the AfDB follow up with various development partners to finalise their planned financial support to complement the $30 billion of financing announced at this summit, to report on the overall investment of development partners and ensure that the summits declaration is submitted to the February 2023 African Union Summit for consideration.

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A fraudster who ran a 70 million Ponzi-style investment scam has been found guilty after a seven-week trial.

Anthony Constantinou, 41, was found guilty of one count of fraud, two counts of fraudulent trading and four counts of money laundering at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, City of London Police said.

He absconded during the trial and an international arrest warrant has been issued to trace him.

Constantinou, of no fixed address, ran Capital World Markets (CWM) which offered investors returns of 60% per year on allegedly risk-free foreign exchange (FX) markets, and hundreds of investments were made to a total of around 70 million.

Detective Inspector Nichola Meghji, from City of London Police, said: This has been a long-running and complex investigation.

Anthony Constantinou is a career criminal who is out to make as much money for himself as possible, with no regard for anyone else.

Throughout this lengthy investigation, Constantinou has continued to try to deceive officers and deny any wrongdoing. In a further move to deny any involvement in this case, he decided to stop attending his trial.

We are glad that the jury has seen through his lies and unanimously found him guilty.

CWM operated from late 2013 to early 2015, and Constantinou told investors they would receive returns of 5% per month and those who introduced investors to CWM also received a cut.

In the early stages of the scam, investors were told there was an initial minimum investment of 50,000, but this increased to 100,000 in the later stages.

Despite significant funds from more than 250 known victims, the money was not being invested in foreign exchange and the purported returns were being paid back to the investors from their own and others invested capital, the force said.

Investors were told similar stories about what would happen to their money and how the scheme worked: only 10% of capital was risked and the remaining 90% was held safely in a segregated account in Germany.

Investors were reassured the risk was further reduced, with the 10% being protected by matching funds in CWM and a guarantee from Constantinou himself.

Evidence suggested that despite others having key roles in the scam, Constantinou was the only person who knew what was really going on with the company, City of London Police added.

Others in the business were led to believe the scheme was unregulated, returns were from genuine investment and that Constantinou was a very wealthy man.

The investigation into Constantinou and CWM began in 2014.

After an initial investigation, police officers made the decision to stop the scheme before it collapsed to preserve as much money as possible from investors and to stop further people falling victim to the scam.

Officers searched the Heron Tower offices of CWM in the City in March 2015 and arrested Constantinou.

Following the search, an investigation of CWMs finances showed extravagant spending from clients funds, including 3 million spent by Constantinou on lifestyle events, including his wedding and a CWM launch party.

During his police interview, Constantinou used a prepared statement denying knowledge of fraud and replied no comment to all further questions by officers.

Emma Beazley, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: This was a callous scam targeting members of the public. Many people lost their hard-earned money because of Constantinous greed and false promises in this fake investment scheme.

He is due to be sentenced in his absence on June 9.
A round 1,650 North Sea offshore contractors will begin two new rounds of 48-hour strike action in what a trade union said is the biggest walkout in the sector so far.

The workers are striking in an increasingly bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions in the offshore sector, Unite said.

The union says BP and Shell recorded historic profits of a combined 11.7 billion in the first quarter of 2023.

Offshore workers also walked out in April and May.

The latest strike will hit oil giants including BP, Shell and Repsol.

Contractors across five companies, including Bilfinger UK Limited, Stork Technical Services and Sparrows Offshore Services will walk out from 6.30am on June 1 until 6.29am on June 3 and then from 6.30am on June 8 until 6.29am on June 10.

Around 600 Bilfinger contractors on the Ithaca, CNRI and Taqa rigs rejected new pay offers, Unite said.

Two hundred Bilfinger contractors working on BP and Repsol assets will also join the strike and around 650 Stork offshore members will join the stoppages in June, along with 200 offshore workers employed by Sparrows.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: With the support of their union Unite, an army of 1,650 offshore workers are taking the fight to multibillion oil and gas corporations.

Unite has one simple message for the contractors and operators: we will stand up for our members, we hold you to account, and in the end we will win

The latest rounds of strike action in June will see the biggest group of offshore workers to date taking strike action.

Unfettered corporate profiteering at the expense of our members will not go unchallenged. Unite is determined to deliver better jobs, pay and conditions in the offshore sector, and deliver we will.

John Boland, Unites industrial officer, said: Unites members deserve a much bigger share of the bonanza profits being recorded by oil and gas operators than the real-terms pay cuts currently being offered.

Around 1,650 members across the companies we are in dispute with remain determined, and fully focused on securing a better deal.

Whether it is over delivering improved pay, fairer and safer working rotas or holidays, Unite has one simple message for the contractors and operators: we will stand up for our members, we hold you to account, and in the end we will win.

A spokesperson for Bilfinger UK said: As an Energy Services Agreement (ESA) signatory, we align with the industry base rates of pay that are agreed annually with the unions.

This most recent offer of 6% follows a 4% increase that was awarded in January 2023 and combined with the additional increases in June and November 2022 respectively, amount to a greater than inflation pay increase.

Bilfinger met with Unite immediately following the outcome of the consultative ballot to understand the reasons for rejection and have already concluded a round of meetings with our customers in this regard.

We remain optimistic that an acceptable solution for all stakeholders can be sought in the near future.

We respect the right for peaceful and planned strike action and will continue to engage with the unions, our clients and our colleagues to come to a positive resolution.

Operational safety remains our top priority and we have procedures in place to minimise any potential disruption.
P ayments orchestration business Paydock has become the latest London fintech to attract an eight-figure funding round, the Standard can reveal.

The Southwark-based business, which manages payment providers on behalf of clients, has secured a 25 million series A round led by venture capital firm Silverstripe. Paydock declined to confirm the companys new valuation after the round.

Founder and CEO Rob Lincolne told the Standard: Payments have got very complicated very quickly.

When we see data leaks a lot of that has to do with merchants wiring together all these different systems and forgetting to close back doors. Merchants dont want that complexity.

Maybe it doesnt have the sex appeal of a PayPal or a Klarna but orchestration is actually the backbone of the payments industry.

The company was launched in Australia in 2015 before moving to London in 2018. Lincolne said it had become more difficult to secure funding amid a fall in fintech valuations but that investors are continuing to back tech firms with a strong business case.

Were seeing the capital markets drift towards B2B and infrastructure investment  that is a message to the market that orchestration is here to stay, he said.

We feel really pleased about the choice we made to be in London. Its still a great hub for fintech.

The firm, which has over 100 staff, plans to use the funding to recruit new employees, grow its client base and expand its technology offering.

Lincolne said a recent spate of fintech collapses had made it harder for merchants to manage their payment providers. In February, Australian buy now, pay later firm OpenPay entered administration, while in March, London-based embedded finance business Railsr was saved from failing in a last-minute rescue deal.

The cradle to grave lifecycle of fintech has been really frothy and that has created a sense of risk, he said.

Its a spaghetti mess out there [but] we can strip out inefficiency.
T he average person will wait until they are nearly 8,000 in debt before seeking help, research has suggested.

Credit information company Experian found that 7,835 worth of debt would typically be the trigger point at which people would look for help.

One in six (15%) people said they had been taught to keep money matters to themselves and just over one in five (21%) would fear being judged if they discussed their finances.

A fifth (20%) of people surveyed said they would not look for any support at all if they owed money.

Nearly the same proportion (19%) said money conversations made them feel anxious while more than a third (36%) of people said they worry about their personal finances every day.

Whilst money is often a taboo subject, being in over 7,000 worth of debt could be a significant burden

Nearly two-fifths (37%) of people said they have had to dip into their savings over the past year while 29% said they did not have any savings to fall back on, the survey of 2,000 people across the UK by Opinium in April found.

Experian said it has partnered with Citizens Advice to encourage people to open up about their money worries sooner and seek support.

On Tuesday, it is launching the Credit Paws Cafe, in partnership with Citizens Advice Nottingham and District.

The one-day pop-up event will allow people to get help with their money concerns as well as being able to spend some time relaxing in the presence of puppies.

James Jones, head of consumer affairs at Experian, said: The economic landscape means that more people are finding themselves in increasingly challenging financial situations.

Whilst money is often a taboo subject, being in over 7,000 worth of debt could be a significant burden, so its more important than ever that people feel they can have honest conversations about it and get the support they need.

This can be daunting, so were launching the Credit Paws Cafe to provide a helping paw for those taking that first step in speaking about their money concerns and regaining control over their finances.

Donna Cumberlidge, chief officer, Citizens Advice Nottingham and district, said: Its vital that people seek help with their finances if they have challenges they cant solve alone, so its great to see the Credit Paws Cafe helping people feel comfortable enough to start those conversations.

While it can seem daunting, Id urge anyone who is worried about money to open up to an expert so they can take the first step toward feeling more in control of their finances.

If youre looking to make more informed financial decisions reach out to your local Citizens Advice for free, confidential services all year round.

Support with money matters can be found by visiting citizensadvice.org.uk.

Other help and support is also available, for example through charities such as StepChange, Christians Against Poverty and the National Debtline, which is run by the Money Advice Trust. The Government-backed MoneyHelper service can also help with money tools and tips.

People who are struggling should also contact their bank or credit provider, to discuss what options are available to them.

If people are struggling with their energy bills, regulator Ofgem provides information about the support available at ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/getting-help-if-you-cant-afford-your-energy-bills.

People can also find out more about the Government support available to households at helpforhouseholds.campaign.gov.uk.
U pper Crust owner SSP will bring Brewdogs pubs to railway stations and airports across the UK, starting with Gatwick this year, through a new tie-up.

SSP said the Gatwick bar will include Brewdogs signature design elements like Zoom pods and a game space, alongside a menu tailored for the airport location.

Kari Daniels, SSP UK & Ireland CEO, said: BrewDog is a globally renowned brand with an incredible back-story and huge potential to do well in the travel space.

BrewDog CEO James Watt said the pubs and breweries chain aimed to bring fun to the airport.

Were always looking to reach new customers, and working with SSP gives us a great opportunity to bring BrewDog to travellers across the world, he said.

Today SSP also revealed profit for the six months to 31 March grew sixfold to 90.5 million. It said growth was driven by domestic and leisure travel at airports and train stations, while business travel was slower to recover.

SSP now expects full-year profits to be close to 280 million, the upper end of its previous guidance.

Patrick Coveney, CEO of SSP Group, said: This has been a strong first half for SSP, and the ongoing revenue momentum across the business means that we are now expecting our performance for 2023 to be at the upper end of our previous assumptions. We are continuing to deliver against our strategic priorities.

Shares in SSP are up 9.2, or 3.5%, to 273.4p. They are now up 16% so far this year, but still well bellow pre-pandemic levels.
Review at a glance









I ts a decade since Tate Britain rehung all its galleries. In a 126-year-old museum that houses a collection of 500 years of British art that is, of course, a relative drop in the ocean. But in terms of attitudes to art and its history, and how museums display it, I cant imagine there has ever been a 10-year period that has witnessed a more seismic shift.

The historic canon is being exploded, meaning more women and artists of colour are gaining due prominence. And the sitters, landscapes and patrons behind the art are also being newly explored. Its not enough anymore to look at paintings of the rich and powerful of the past without examining the context that supported them, or to see a country house and its estate and not ponder why and how they were built. Art always emerges from particular social and cultural conditions, to ignore that seems more absurd than ever.

So these are the driving principles of Tate Britains new displays. Officially, there are three themes: Britain and the World, Art and Society, History and the Present. Theyve long been at the core of the gallerys programming. But never so wholly, or explicitly. Its done with apposite thoroughness, with a broad overall chronology encompassing thematic rooms. It tells its stories in two ways: through excellent and illuminating texts, and through what the director of Tate Britain Alex Farquharson calls stealthy interruptions from artists.

So in a room looking at the 18th-century city, where you see the economic benefits to Britain of the slave trade, is Chair No.35, by Sonia E Barrett, an artist with Jamaican heritage. Smashed, and splayed like a broken body adrift on the sea, its a poignant and jarring response to the works nearby. In the same room, between Canaletto and Hogarth, Pablo Bronstein imagines a Molly House, where queer men would socialise and have sex, as if it were able to celebrate its purpose, bedecked with nods to historic gay men, homoerotic art and even emoji innuendos.

Texts about historic works enrich rather than distract from the paintings by informing us about who the sitters were, why they commissioned works, how they could afford them and, often, who they exploited on the way. The power of Gainsboroughs portrait of the Baillie family is in no way diminished by the knowledge that the finery Gainsborough so beautifully describes in this image of familial harmony was underpinned by James Baillies wealth from the Grenadan and British Guianan plantations he owned and passed on to his charming children.

Richard Smith, Gift Wrap, 1963 / Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd

Visually, the collection is palpably revivified. Thats partly because 70 of the 800 works in the hang  historic works as well as contemporary  have been acquired in the past five years. But the curators have also looked deeper into the collection, finding long-held objects that havent seen the light of day for decades.

Yes, most of the most famous works  from Hogarth to Hockney  are here. The Clore Gallery still houses masses of JMW Turners paintings, and a John Constable room. There are fantastic displays dedicated to William Blake, Henry Moore and Richard Hamilton. But I was also surprised and delighted in pretty much every room, and I learnt a huge amount.

Women artists are present right from the start: Joan Carlile and Mary Beale in the Stuart period, Angelica Kaufmann in the 18th-century, Henrietta Rae and Dorothy Stanley in the Victorian era, Marlow Moss and Winifred Nicholson next to each other in a space dedicated to International Modernism, and onwards, growing steadily more prominent through the displays until theres parity in the later 20th and 21st centuries. A solo space given to Annie Swynnerton, campaigner for womens suffrage and pioneering member of the Royal Academy, would have been unthinkable not long ago. I would celebrate it if could abide her saccharine style.

Damien Hurst, Away from the flock, 1994 / Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd

The modern and contemporary spaces are equally unexpected, shaking up standard histories of recent periods. In No Such Thing as Society, the 1980s room, Black Arts linchpins like Ingrid Pollard and Donald Rodney are rightfully as prominent as New British Sculpture artists like Antony Gormley and Tony Cragg. A mini-display of the Young British Artists of the 1990s shows how caricatured that period has already become; great pieces by Mona Hatoum, Sutapa Biswas and Chris Ofili deepen the sense of the art of this periods political rigour.

The final rooms include marvellous paintings by Mohammed Sami, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye and Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, a superb sculpture by Veronica Ryan and a Zineb Sedira film. Perhaps reflecting the brilliant diversity of the contemporary British scene was the easiest of Farquharson and his teams tasks. That theyve reflected a greater richness across the rest of the collection, and tell its story so rigorously, is some achievement.

Tate Britain, now open; tate.org.uk
Review at a glance









W ith a filmography boasting such modern classics as Grand Budapest Hotel and The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Andersons cinematic universe is so instantly recognisable that he recently became the subject of a viral sensation, with users across TikTok creating videos of their daily lives in the style of his films, complete with rapid pans, symmetrical shots and that vivid colour palette.

By the time Isle of Dogs and The French Dispatch were released it was all starting to look a little tired: A-listers making mini-cameos  check; W. Heath Robinson-esque inventions  check; quirky characters  check. But with Asteroid City, Anderson has rekindled his old magic, offering something new without renouncing any of his distinguishing features. This film has a different energy and  despite retaining the usual charming whimsy we are so accustomed to  feels more solid and tangible.

This is a film within a film (or a play within a play). It opens in black and white, the Host, Bryan Cranston, standing on a small theatre stage and setting the scene. He introduces the audience to the playwright Conrad Earp (Edward Norton) and his two leading actors, Jones Hall (Jason Schwartzman) and Mercedes Ford (Scarlett Johansson). Then the New York theatre disappears, and the colour credits come up for Asteroid City.

And wow, what colours! There is no cue card or button too small to escape Andersons attention, the screen saturated with heightened hues. As the credits fade, Mercedes becomes Midge, a Hollywood star with her talented teen daughter in tow; Jones is Augie Steenbeck, a widower travelling with his son Woodrow (alias Brainiac, played by Jake Ryan) and daughters, Cassiopeia, Pandora and Andromeda, an engaging trio with some of the best lines in the film.

Their wealthy and distant grandfather Stanley Zak (Tom Hanks) comes to meet them at the Stargazers Convention in the desert. Listing the rest of the cast would take up too much space, but it includes old Anderson-hands Adrien Brody as a theatre director, Tilda Swinton as Dr Hickenlooper and Willem Dafoe as an acting teacher, as well as new recruit Maya Hawke, as science teacher June alongside Rupert Friend as Montana, a handsome cowboy. June and Montana are just one romantic story of many that intertwine in that Anderson-esque way weve come to know so well.

handout

Set in 1955, the film references the Cold War, with atom bomb testing taking place just kilometres from the convention. Anderson taps into the paranoia of the time, with the government and military involved in the reliably madcap proceedings. Yet he also captures the nations aspirations and inventiveness through the teenagers at the convention. Flipping back to black-and-white New York, Anderson references the Lee Strasbergs theatre school and the talent that emerged from it. There is also a sci-fi twist, the Nevada desert being a popular UFO-sighting spot investigated by the US military.

Music plays a big role as ever, with Last Train to San Fernando and Freight Train bookending the film. Other musical treats include Montana and his pals performing a song by one of Junes charges, sitting on haybales and twanging their banjos.

Anderson co-wrote the screenplay with Roman Coppola, and they are quite a team. They flit between the two parts of the story, cleverly intertwining the east coast action with the desert tale, and the script thrums with great lines and speeches, with one delivered by Jeffrey Wright (another Anderson alum) as General Gibson a particular standout.

There is so much fun to be had and such delight be taken from this film. Though it seems as light as a souffle, this is more substantial fare than Anderson has been dishing out recently. It merits second, and possibly third, helpings.

104 mins, cert PG

Asteroid City screened at the 76th Cannes Film Festival
T om Hanks and Scarlett Johansson were among the stars attending the premiere of Wes Andersons latest film.

Two-time Oscar-winning actor Hanks, 66, appeared on Tuesday at the 76th Cannes Film Festival alongside his wife of 35 years, actress and producer Rita Wilson as she wore a black dress and cape.

Forrest Gump actor Hanks is starring in the latest project from director Anderson  who is behind the films Rushmore, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Fantastic Mr Fox  called Asteroid City.

The sci-fi homage is described as taking place in a fictional American desert town in 1955 where a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention becomes spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

Black Widow actress Johansson  who was at Cannes with her husband Colin Jost, a comedian who appears on Saturday Night Live  wore a pink dress with white straps.

Also on the red carpet was Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston and his wife, actress Robin Dearden  who was dressed in V-neck chic white gown.

Other stars also appearing included The Pianist actor Adrien Brody, Westworld star Jeffrey Wright and Inventing Anna actress Julia Garner, Theres Something About Marys Matt Dillon, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing, model Maye Musk and The Office star Steve Carell.

Homeland actor Rupert Friend, pictured in a white jacket and black bowtie, also attended alongside his athlete wife Aimee Mullins  who was wearing a red shimmery dress.

Asteroid City is in select cinemas from June 16 and in more places from June 23.
Succession seasons 1-4 spoilers below

Succession fans have become used to being spoilt by the show. Every episode is jammed full of drama, cackle-worthy lines, and ever-winding storylines that are impossibly hilarious and captivating.

The penultimate episode of the show, which aired on Monday morning, did not disappoint. Nearly all of the central cast gathered in a cathedral to bid adieu to patriarch Logan Roy (Brian Cox) and, of course, emotions ran high.

One of the most thrilling moments of the funeral was when Logans ex-wife Lady Caroline Collingwood (Harriet Walker)  Shiv, Kendall and Romans mum  collects Logans girlfriend Kerry, and someone called Sally-Anne, and then walks them both to the front of the church to sit alongside Marcia, Logans current wife.

Sally-Anne was my Kerry, so to speak. So, its all water under the bridge now, says Caroline.

Its a fabulous moment that launched a hundred memes: Sally-Anne was my Kerry so to speak gagged me a little said one fan.

Sally-Anne has been brought up in previous episodes of Succession: in season two, when Logan was having a very brief affair with ex-Waystar CEO Rhea Jarrell, the younger Roys referred back to Logans old infatuation, calling her Sally-Anne with the harp and Sally-Anne and the Summer of Horses .

Then in season three, Frank is talking about some of Waystar Roycos biggest challenges. There were the tabloid suicides. When we nearly went kablooey because of Argentina, he says. The Tiananmen accommodations. The black cloud after Sally-Anne.

So it was thrilling for hardcore fans to finally get a glimpse of the woman who had caused Logan so much anguish decades earlier.

But the writers hadnt stopped having fun, as Brian Coxs real-life wife, Nicole Ansari-Cox, was cast as Sally-Anne.

Brian cox real life wife playing sally anne had me screaming, said one fan on Twitter. I am actually obsessed that they got Nicole Ansari (Brian Coxs wife) to play Sally-Anne, said another.

The cameo is indeed a delicious Easter egg for Succession fans. German-born Nicole Ansari-Cox is an actor who has had roles in Law & Order, FBI and Apple TV+s Little Voice. She married Cox in 2002, when she was in her mid-thirties.

Although it wasnt necessary for Brian Cox to turn up to the funeral filming scenes for obvious reasons, he still made an appearance to stop paparazzi from working out the plot.

On my funeral day, they were going to do a scene with me, a fake scene with me at the church, so, just to throw people off the scent... then they called me and said, you dont need to come in now, Cox explained. I said, look, Im coming in, because I know theres going to be a whole lot of paparazzi there, and theyre going to be wondering what that funeral is. I am coming in.

Succession season four is currently streaming on Sky and NOW
Review at a glance









A s any woman fortunate enough to be blessed with a sister will tell you, no one can argue with you like that bitch can.

When estranged sisters Rosaline and Beccas brewing tension finally overflows into an all-out, spittle-flecked shouting match in the second episode of Maryland, its hard not wince in recognition as they tear chunks out of each other in that special way that only sisters can.

It is also true, that no one knows you like your sister, and it is this dynamic that the three-part ITV drama explores.

The brainchild of BAFTA-winning Suranne Jones and Anne-Marie OConnor, the series meets sisters Becca (Jones) and Rosaline (Eve Best), whose lives are straying ever further apart. That is until the shocking discovery of their septuagenarian mothers body on the Isle of Man forces them to reunite.

Suranne Jones and Andrew Knott in Maryland / ITV

Ros is high-powered, career-focused and childfree  we first meet her sitting in a hospital bed on a work Zoom call, from which she then flits to a rendez-vous with a younger co-worker with whom shes having an affair.

Becca, on the other hand, is consumed by the stresses of managing two teenage children and a husband Jim (Andrew Knott) who seems to be the Final Boss of weaponised incompetence.

Arriving on an island theyve never visited, and no idea why their mother was there, the pair begin to uncover the long-held and convoluted secrets their mother was hiding. Like many children, they never thought to question whether their parents were happily married, or ask about the regular caravan holidays to Wales their mother apparently took with her friend Maureen.

Wales, it soon becomes clear, was a cover for their mothers double-life on the rugged coast of the Isle of Man. There, she was a writer, a friend and a lover  much to the sisters shock. Who the f*** was she?, murmurs a bewildered Becca as the pair rummage through their mothers secret island home.

While Maryland manages to juggle themes of grief, motherhood, suicide and illness in its three short hours, it is the exploration of the deep wounds of sisterhood that takes centre stage. Becca and Ross almost acquaintance-like relationship in the first episode gives way as old scars, resentment and secrets resurface, as does a profound and forgotten love between them.

Stockard Channing in Maryland / ITV

As they learn more about their mother, so too do they learn about each other  Beccas fear of falling into the same trap and becoming invisible, locked in a stagnating marriage, Ross secret health scares, and the sacrifices they have both silently made for one another.

But it is here that the show falters slightly. As soon as any questions arise surrounding their mothers death, they are answered almost immediately  sometimes literally seconds later  leaving an unsatisfying absence of tension or prolonged question marks over the characters motivations. Why was she on the island, was she having an affair, the integrity of her friends  all are teased as tantalising mysteries, but quickly become open and shut cases.

Where Maryland does excel is in the ease and accuracy with which it explores the underbelly of family relationships. Jones and Best excel in toeing the nuances of the dysfunctional tightrope of sisterhood  their chemistry is easy, and their bickering and rage feel comfortingly familiar.

Another standout performance comes from Stockard Channing (Cathy), best known for playing Rizzo in Grease. Perhaps an unexpected face in the long puffer coats and windswept cliff face aesthetics of a British drama, she manages to sustain a level of ambiguity to Cathy, never tempted to over-act the more high-octane moments, adding a layer of intrigue to the proceedings.

Maryland might not be Agatha Christie, but youd be hard pressed to find a more sensitive and honest portrayal of sisterhood, grief and family. So, while it doesnt quite chill the blood, it certainly warms the heart.

Maryland is on ITVX and ITV1 from Monday 22 May
Actions by Egypt to increase the private sectors role in the countrys economy are critical for its economic growth and job creation, the Secretary General of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group Vincent O. Nmehielle told Ahram Online.

Ahram Online interviewed Nmehielle during his visit to Egypt last week as the head of AfDBs 58th annual meetings preparatory mission.

This years meetings are slated to be hosted by Egypt in Sharm El-Sheikh on 22-26 May.

Egypt is one of the largest countries that has benefitted from private sector related loans the bank extends, he added.

As of 27 April 2022, AfDBs active commitments in Egypt amount to $834.9 million, comprising 24 operations.

This includes 17 sovereign operations, accounting for nearly 73 percent of the active commitments, while the remaining seven operations are non-sovereign operations accounting for about 27 percent.

The portfolio covers sovereign and non-sovereign power (54.5 percent), water and sanitation (23.6 percent), transport (13.7 percent), agriculture and irrigation (4.9 percent), finance (1.9 percent), social protection (0.5 percent) and multi-sector (capacity-building grants) (0.9 percent).

AfDBs annual meetings bring together finance ministers from the bank groups eighty-one regional and non-regional member countries, and it is attended by central bank governors, key private sector leaders, academics and development partners to discuss the most recent challenges the continent is facing and explore the best solutions to deal with.

Up to 4,000 participants are expected to attend the 2023 annual meetings that are set to be held at the Sharm El Sheikh International Conference Centre.

We have no doubt that 2023s annual meetings will be a successful round based on the significant progress made during the preparation process. I am happy with the speed with which the beautification works of the city of Sharm El-Sheikh have been accomplished since the bank groups first preparatory mission in September 2022, Nmehielle told Ahram Online.

During the interview, Nmehielle said that the AfDBs country strategy for Egypt, which extends through 2026, mainly aims at strengthening Egypts competitiveness to support a robust private sector as a key engine of the countrys economic growth, besides building resilience to achieve food and water security and energy efficiency.

Under Egypts State Ownership Policy document, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly revealed last week the list of 32 state-owned companies that represent investment opportunities for the private sector, either through establishing partnerships with government or through offering minor stakes in the Egyptian Exchange.

The document came into effect earlier in February.

The document lays out Egypts plan to raise the private sector share in the national economic activity to 65 percent, up from the current 30 percent, over the coming three years.

Moreover, Egypt has pledged to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), under the new $3 billion loan deal, to boost the role of the private sector in growth in parallel with reducing the size of the states footprint in the economy, levelling the playing field between public and private institutions, and strengthening governance and the business climate to support export-driven and private sector-led growth.

Through this pledge, Egypt seeks to close the financing gap estimated at $17 billion over the programmes four years.

The harsh economic challenges the continent, including Egypt, is facing due to several factors starting with climate change threats, down to the COVID-19 pandemics existing implications and recently the Russian war on Ukraine will be on the meetings discussions table in May. The bank group and the stakeholders will also explore how they can engage in order to address these challenges in the member states. This round will focus chiefly on the role the private sector can play amid the ongoing challenging time and also its role in climate financing. Mobilising private sector financing for climate and green growth in Africa is one of the key themes that will be touched upon during the anticipated meetings. Loans cannot do that alone, Nmehielle explained.

According to the AfDB, Egypt is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its mostly arid climate. In addition, most climate projections point to a worsening of this vulnerability during this century due to a forecast increase in climate risks and impacts, such as extreme weather (heat, floods), lower average yearly rainfall, and increased sea level and salt water intrusion, including in parts of the Nile Delta, which is the breadbasket of the country.

The most sensitive sectors in terms of climate change are health, water and agriculture, and that is where adaptation and mitigation efforts should concentrate, according to the bank.

During the interview, Nmehielle stressed that the upcoming meetings are a significant chance for Egypt to showcase the investments opportunities that could be tapped by the private sector representatives and investors who are planning to attend.

He also added that the event is a platform for Egypt, as well as other African countries, to demonstrate the challenges they are facing in a bid to figure out the most appropriate solutions and avenues to cope with them.

Since the onset of the war in Ukraine in March, about $25 billion of indirect investments have fled the local market; the financing gap has increased to $17 billion; the Egyptian pound has lost over 100 percent of its value and the countrys economic growth is expected to recede to three percent, down from over six percent, by end of the current FY2022/2023.

Ahram Online also discussed with Nmehielle the role the AfDB will play in bridging the financing gap over the upcoming four years.

According to the IMF, Egypt pledged to secure $300 million from the AfDB out of the total financing gap.

In this respect, Vincent affirmed the AfDBs support to the Egyptian economy, yet, he said that bank has not received any requests from Egypt in this regard.

Once the government files its request, the matter will be submitted to the banks board of directors to make up its decision, he explained.

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H ow would you celebrate turning the big 250? Legendary champagne house Veuve Clicquot is doing so by bringing its fizz to London with a larger-than-life art exhibition titled Solaire Culture and the return of the Sunny Side Cafe, where flutes of bubbles will once again be paired with dishes mas- terminded by chef Andi Oliver.

As well as showcasing artefacts from the brands rich history, in the spirit of its late, pioneering owner Madame Clicquot, Camille Morineau of the Musee National dArt Moderne, Centre Pompidou, in Paris will bring together 10 unique works by 10 tremendously different female artists.

Each commissioned for the brand and inspired by the bold inventiveness of Madame Clicquot herself, the artists on show will include the iconic Japanese nona- genarian Yayoi Kusama, Parisian Ines Longevial and London beau Cece Philips. Looking to swat up on your art knowledge before taking a peek? Weve got an invaluable cheat sheet.

YAYOI KUSAMA

Youd be dotty not to know Kusama. Famed for her multicoloured spots, sell-out Infinity Mirror Rooms and more recently, an XL robot of herself outside Harrods to mark her collaboration with Louis Vuitton, the 94-year-old Japanese contemporary artist (who lives in a psychiatric hospital opposite her studio, FYI) is an icon, a legend and forever the moment.

Yayoi Kusama / Yayoi Kusama

MOYOCO ANNO

Another Japanese maverick with a vastly different style, 52-year-old Anno is a manga artist, fashion writer and author based in Kamakura, near Tokyo. Well respected for her fashion-inspired works such as Happy Mania and Hataraki Man, designed for adult women, shes also a hit among tweens for a series called Sugar Sugar Rune.

MOYOCO ANNO / MOYOCO ANNO

INES LONGEVIAL

At only 32, Paris-based French artist Longevials soft, large-scale, colour-pop portraits have already made a substantial mark on the art world. Capturing the movement and landscape of the female face and body in intimate, off-guard moments, she makes it easy to spot yourself or your loved ones in her deeply personal work.

ROSIE MCGUINNESS

A pro when it comes to portraits, still lifes and close-up snapshots of body parts, style-conscious Londoner McGuinness has a unique way of expressing the delicate intricacies of movement and texture in her line drawings and paintings, which bring the beauty of the everday to life.

Rosie McGuinness / Rosie McGuinness

CECE PHILIPS

Sometimes seen in high-impact, contrasting colours and often found in more subtle, muted tones, this 27-year-old Londoner and self-taught painters gentle, highly atmospheric, large-scale figurative works capture the smallest hints of human emotion and the way light moves across the body in a truly magical, spellbinding way.

OLIMPIA ZAGNOLI

Youve probably spotted eccentric Italian artist Zagnolis bold, graphic and often surreal colour-block work on the cover of The New Yorker, inside The Guardian and in campaigns with Dior, Prada and Uniqlo. Shes a master at portraying the human form via silhouette alone  once youve seen her playful work once, youll recognise it until the end of time.

SHEILA HICKS

The OG of the modern weaving and sculptural textile movement, 88-year-old American artist Hicks has immersed herself in communities all over the globe to perfect her art. Known far and wide for her wall hangings and larger-than-life immersive installations, her tactile use of colour, texture and pattern is as comforting as art gets.

Sheila Hicks / Sheila Hicks

MONIQUE FRYDMAN

The French doyen of contemporary colour, Frydmans abstract art weaves together a multitude of varying hues with the utmost skill. Mainly working with paint and pigments, the 80-year-olds abstract canvases promise to draw onlookers in with their subtle texture, created with layers and clusters of colour that sometimes hide repetitive patterns.

Monique Frydman / Monique Frydman

PENELOPE BAGIEU

A comic artist, illustrator and author who made her name in the UK with the acclaimed book Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World, the French 41 year old who studied at Central Saint Martins has become a household name with her likeable, mischievous, humorous characters who are all too easy to relate to  particularly those in the French version of Roald Dahls The Witches.

Penelope Bagieu / Penelope Bagieu

Marking Veuve Clicquots 250th anniversary, SOLAIRE CULTURE debuts in London at Piccadilly Circus on 12th May 2023 and will run until 6th June 2023. Free tickets for the exhibition and reservations for the Sunny Side Up Cafe are available to book at https://solaireculture.veuveclicquot.com
A Napoleonic fort off the coast of Portsmouth almost a private island could be yours for 3 million.

Located offshore, above the waves of the Solent, the circular Spitbank Fort is accessible only by boat, and features a roof terrace, hot pool, sauna and eight luxury guest suites.

Built in the 1860s, Spitbank is one of three offshore forts in the Solent, which were designed to defend Portsmouth from naval attack by the French. Flanking Spitbank are the larger No Mans fort now also a luxury hotel and event space and Horse Sands fort.

With 15-foot-thick granite walls and armour plating, construction of the three forts took 15 years to complete  by which time the threat of French invasion had passed.

Still, they were put to use during the First and Second World Wars, after which point they were decommissioned and eventually put up for sale. According to the forts website, Spitbank was purchased in the 1980s and converted into a museum.

The Comms Room, one of Spitbanks event spaces / Knight Frank

In 2009, Spitbank sold for 1 million to its current owner, businessman Mike Clare, who transformed it into a luxury island retreat in 2012, at a cost of 4 million.

Clare also bought No Mans and Horse Sands forts in 2012, having sold his bed company, Dreams, for 200 million in 2008. According to Knight Frank agent Toby Turnage, he purchased the forts in an attempt to bring them back to public life.

Today, Spitbank is less a military fort and more a private island. Approached by boat, there is a private landing stage with a davit and hoist to raise smaller vessels and supplies out of the water.

Covering 33,000 sq ft, Spitbank is spread over three floors. On the first, at sea level, is the staff accommodation and facilities for guests: a wine tasting room, TV room, games rooms; the historic kitchens.

A bedroom suite with some of its original features / Knight Frank

The two upper floors are set around the same central courtyard, from which a corridor leads to the eight luxury suites, each with a sea view and an ensuite. Some also contain original features from the forts time as a military defence, including the metal tracking for the cannons and iron hooks for hammocks.

There are four function rooms at Spitbank, the largest of which, Crows Nest Bar, is on the top deck. Here, with panoramic views over the Solent, there are also sun decks, a fire pit, hot pool, sauna and roof terrace.

The size of the forts is amazing, says Turnage. The brick walls are about four or five feet thick. They are massive  incredibly well-built and engineered, especially given that theyve been sitting in the middle of the Solent for the last 160 years.

And, as an agent, its not often Turnage encounters properties like these. I havent seen anything else quite so unique.

Spitbank enjoys panoramic views over the Solent / Knight Frank

Over the past few years, Clare has been trying to sell his forts. He listed all three for sale in 2019, with Horse Sands eventually selling for 715,000 in 2021.

Spitbank and No Mans have been closed to guests since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

Both forts have been relisted a handful of times since, with Spitbank now 1 million less than its original 4 million price tag. Both are still for sale, and available to buy individually or as a pair.

No Mans, which covers 99,000 sq ft, has 23 bedrooms, a helipad and its own pub. It is listed on its own website for 4.25 million. Spitbank is listed for 3 million with Knight Frank.

Turnage said that they have had a mix of interest in Spitbank, both in using it as a business and in keeping it as a private residence.

I think having it as a private residence would be the coolest thing. Put a flag on it; claim independence and have your own little island, says Turnage. That or an experiential offering  a place for people to go and stay. Youre not going to find anything else like it.
A n sportscar driver has admitted killing a woman as she walked her dogs along Chelsea Embankment when he was driving drunk and high on drugs.

Laszlo Dancs, 27, struck 41-year-old Olivia Riley with his Audi TT in a crash about 6.20am on May 14 last year.

Ms Riley, the stepdaughter of best-selling author Lucinda Riley, died at the scene of the collision, which happened on the Embankment close to Cheyne Walk in Chelsea.

Her familys two golden labradors and a golden retriever also died in the Saturday morning crash.

Dancs, from Heathfield Road in Ealing, west London, appeared at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, pleading guilty to causing death by dangerous driving, driving while on drugs, and driving with excess alcohol in his system.

He had 128mg of Benzoylecgonine in his system  indicating suspected cocaine use  and he is also accused of having 137 milligrams of alcohol in a sample of blood, above the legal limit of 80 milligrams.

Dancs denied a further charge of failing to co-operate with a breath test at the roadside following the collision.

He was set free again on bail by Judge Philip Katz KC, and faces a possible prison term when he is sentenced on July 28.

In the wake of her death, Ms Rileys uncle Mark Riley paid tribute to a beautiful, fun-loving woman who just lit up the room for everybody.

He revealed she had been mouring the loss of her stepmother, who she worked for as a literary assistant, following her death last year from cancer.

Certainly the tributes that have been pouring in, they are all saying the same thing, that she was one in a million and nobody can come to terms with this tragedy, this loss. She saw the best in everyone and lived life to the full."

In the aftermath of the fatal crash, the Metropolitan Police appealed for dashcam footage and said a silver-grey Mercedes CLA had also been damaged.
A man has been jailed after being caught secretly filming a female lodgers bathtub at her home in east London.

Oliver Charles Fay, 45, was investigated after being linked to the upload of horrific indecent images of children.

Officers from Scotland Yards Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation unit raided Fays home address in Bethnal Green.

There police found Fay had been subletting one of the rooms in his council flat to a woman after he advertised it online.

On investigation it was found Fay had been covertly recording his lodger in intimate circumstances whilst she was sleeping and in the bathroom.

Images revealed he had hidden his mobile phone in a small black vanity drawer at the end of the bath.

Fay was arrested at the address for voyeurism and indecent images offences.

Several electronic devices belonging to Fay were seized from his bedroom and were examined whilst he was in custody. There were a total of 9,831 indecent images of children present, including 1,200 of which were the most serious category.

Jailing Fay for 2 years and 10 months Judge C English said: Anyone involved in such imagery, whether in the production, distribution or simple download is quite literally plummeting into the depths of depravity...make no mistake, anyone who downloads or views such imagery is complicit in the abuse of those children because you provide and perpetuate a marked for such material.

You should be thoroughly ashamed.

PC Lindsey England, investigating officer added: Oliver Fay used his mobile phone to take images of his lodger over a period of at least three years.

This was the grossest violation of her privacy and it cannot be overstated how horrific it must have been to learn that her home had not been the safe place she thought it was. I would like to commend her bravery and I hope that she can now begin to find a degree of closure and move forward with her life.

Fays sexual interests and predatory behaviour is deeply concerning and he paid no regard to the distress and humiliation that this would cause.

I would like to encourage anyone who has concerns that they have been secretly recorded to please contact the Police and they will be supported.

Fay, of Bishops Way, E2, appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 19 May where he was sentenced for six counts of voyeurism between September 2019 and August 2022; and three counts of making indecent images of children of category A, B and C.

He also received an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will be required to sign the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
T he former deputy head at the first school attended by Prince George and Princess Charlotte appeared in court on Tuesday to face a series of child sexual abuse charges.

Matthew Smith, 34, was previously the deputy head of pastoral care at Thomass prep school in Battersea.

On Tuesday, he appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court charged with 17 counts, including encouraging the rape of a child under 13, causing a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, and arranging the sexual abuse of a child.

The charges relate to the alleged commissioning of the sexual abuse of children in India via the internet between 2017-2022.

It is said the online abuse involved children as young as seven years old.

Smith was living in Nepal and working at a school for the majority of this time before moving back to the UK, said the National Crime Agency.

Officers said the alleged offences did not relate to children based in the UK or Nepal.

Smith also faces six counts of making and distributing over 120,000 child sexual abuse images, including 10,944 in the most serious category, which were found on a laptop, SD card, and iPhone.

He was remanded in custody on Tuesday and is due to appear at Southwark crown court on June 20.

Helen Dore, Senior Officer at the National Crime Agency, said: Child sexual abuse committed online and across borders is a substantial threat to the UK, and its one the NCA is committed to tackling.

We are dedicated to pursuing the most dangerous offenders and to protecting any child who may be at risk, in the UK and across the globe.

In a previous statement, Thomass prep school said: The safety and wellbeing of our pupils is, and always will be, our top priority.

As there are ongoing criminal proceedings, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time other than to say that there is no suggestion that the offences relate to Mr Smiths employment at Thomass or to any current or former pupils of the school.

The children of the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the school, where fees are up to 25,000 a year, until July 2021 before switching to Lambrook School near Ascot.

Smith is accused of five counts of intentionally encouraging or assisting child rape, three charges of inciting a boy under 13 to engage in sexual activity, arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, three counts of making indecent images of children, posession of an extreme pornographic image, possession of a prohibited image of a child, and three counts of distributing an indecent image of a child.
S tudents bringing a 500 million compensation case because their education was wrecked by the Covid pandemic are set to face off this week in the High Court against one of Londons top universities.

More than 100,000 students have signed up to a group legal action, claiming universities across the UK should pay out damages for cancelled teaching days, tuition being moved online, and the shutdown of key facilities including libraries.

Many paid 9,250 a year in tuition fees and say they feel cheated out of the full university experience.

University College London students who are part of the mass legal action are set for a preliminary High Court hearing in their case on Wednesday.

Maiah Thompson is one of the students involved in the UCL legal action, having signed up to a three-year undergraduate sociology course in 2020.

Almost from the first moment I started, I was unable to realise the full potential of the course that was offered to me, she said.

I feel completely disregarded and that my rights have not been respected.

Ms Thompson, a Canadian, said she and her fellow students were told classes would be moving online due to the pandemic a week into the term.

I was in London but had to go back home to Canada where I did my classes at 2am to 4am, saddened by the fact that the in-person and social aspect of university, an element so fundamental, was taken away from me and many others, she said.

For two years at UCL, I completed an online course, something I was not promised or advertised.

Professors hardly provided any one-to-one teaching and re-used pre-recorded lectures.

I met hardly any friends and not receive the teaching and assessment that was promised.

I have not received what I was paying for and there has been little communication from the university.

Students involved in the claim, being brought through solicitors at Asserson Law Offices and Harcus Parker, say lecturer strikes as well as Covid affected their studies between 2017 and 2022.

Amber Rogers, 26, said she missed the equivalent of a terms worth of teaching due to strikes at the Courtauld Institute of Art.

She said: I think the main reason I got a 2:1 instead of a First was because of these strikes.

Academically its a brilliant place. Before the strikes, the tuition I got was top notch and the library was amazing. It was the best place to go, but when the strikes began it was quite difficult.

The issue with lecturers pay is a difficult one, but it is not the fault of students, and they are bearing the brunt of it.

Shimon Goldwater, a partner at Asserson, said: Students at UCL and across the country simply did not receive the service they paid for, and, like any other consumer, they deserve fair compensation for the loss they have suffered. The law firm estimates that each student could win 5,000 in damages, with bigger potential payouts for international students who faced significantly higher fees.

Tia ODonnell, a fine art student at Central St Martins, staged a protest at her graduation ceremony, wearing a board over her gown emblazoned with the words I want a refund.

Tia ODonnell protested about her university education during graduation / Supplied

Towards the end of her four-year course, she struggled to access a studio in Green Park due to Covid, and was dismayed when the traditional end-of-year show  an important springboard into an arts career  was moved to online only. Ms ODonnell says she had sympathy with striking lecturers but students bore the brunt of the disruption, and by the time of leaving she felt very empty about her time at university.

Covid was the thing that really broke me and ruined my experience, she said.

The whole concept of uni was to come out a much more confident and assertive person in who you are, and what your practice is, and Ive walked away feeling like Ive got hold of a fraudulent degree.

Ryan Dunleavy, solicitor to the Student Group Claim, said during the pandemic students were given cobbled together and sub-par regurgitated zoom lectures, that were of far less value than a distance learning course, say through the Open University.

He added: Universities have pushed the entire financial impact of Covid onto their students and made hay by signing up more students.

They feel like they have just been commoditised and treated in an appalling fashion, and overcharged for something that was way under-delivered.

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At Wednesdays court hearing, Senior Master Fontaine is expected to hear UCLs argument that the legal claims should be paused.

The university argues complaints are more properly brought through internal processes and via an ombudsman.

Professor Kathleen Armour, Vice-President (Education & Student Experience) said: We recognise that for many students, the last few years have been a disruptive and unsettling time.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, we followed UK Government guidance and prioritised the health and safety of our community. Our lecturers and support staff worked tirelessly to make our campus and all UCL premises as safe as possible and ensured that a high-quality academic experience was provided to students. We have also been fully committed to minimising the impact of industrial action, to ensure students are not academically disadvantaged.

We respect the right of our students to complain and seek redress if they feel that they have not received the support they expected from us. That is why we have a well-established and free complaints procedure. We believe the Group Litigation Order is unnecessary and premature as our easily accessible process is the most efficient and swiftest way for our students to resolve any issues with us.

This gives students the option of complaining to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, if they are not satisfied with our response. This is the appointed Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service for dealing with student complaints, with powers to recommend that UCL make awards of compensation to affected students where appropriate, and this is also free to use.
C limate change protesters have again clashed with drivers as they staged marches on three bridges in central London.

Forty-five Just Stop Oil (JSO) activists blocked the roads on Blackfriars, London and Tower bridges on Tuesday morning by walking slowly in the road.

One man was handcuffed by police after he appeared to push two JSO supporters in a bid to clear the road.

He was detained on suspicion of common assault but not arrested, the Metropolitan Police said.

A motorcyclist also tried to drive through the group of demonstrators, while there were several clashes at the other protest sites, with members of the public snatching banners, according to JSO.

Later the group staged further marches in Bayswater, Islington and West Brompton, with a further incident that saw a van collide with bus stop as the driver tried to get round protesters, JSO said.

The group posted footage of the Blackfriars Bridge confrontation on Twitter, saying: This is an impossible situation.

Thats where our government has left us. More and more people are realising taking action is the right thing to do.

Do we disrupt other ordinary people, like this man, arrested for lashing out today, or just sit back and watch everything burn?

Tuesdays clashes came after footage of another confrontation in the City of London was posted on social media on Friday.

A man approached JSO protesters as they marched slowly in front of traffic on Mansell Street, near the Tower of London, before snatching their banners and pushing a woman to the ground.

He also grabbed a phone from one of the campaigners and threw it away, before trying to push other activists out of the road.

Police now have powers under the Public Order Act to force protesters out of the road and onto the pavement.

These orders were used at all three bridges on Tuesday by 8.55am, JSO said.

The Metropolitan Police urged the public not to intervene in protest action.

A spokesman said: At around 8.25am, Met police officers detained a male member of the public for common assault after an altercation between him and two Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge.

There have been no arrests and police are investigating the matter.

We completely understand the frustration and anger of Londons communities when protesters walk slowly in the roads.

We urge people not to intervene and to let police deal with the situation who, if not already there, will arrive promptly.
L ondon boroughs should be able to charge limitless extra council tax on empty properties to combat the scandal of homes across London lying vacant in the midst of a housing crisis, Sadiq Khan has said.

The Mayors plea to the Government comes as a City Hall analysis revealed Londons empty homes have a total estimated value of more than 20 billion.

Mr Khan believes higher financial penalties would help deter the worlds super-rich from buying up the capitals properties and leaving them vacant.

The Mayor was joined in his call by Westminster City Council leader Adam Hug, who warned of a property market with stratospheric prices, caused in part by homes bought simply as investments rather than to live in.

According to the latest data, some 34,327 homes across the capital are long-term vacant, meaning that they have been unlived in for at least six months and are substantially unfurnished.

City Hall has found that the total estimated value of those homes is some 20,351,011,000 - with the highest values found in Kensington and Chelsea (2,189,600,000), Southwark (1,313,935,000) and Westminster (1,166,140,000).

Local authorities are currently able to impose council tax surcharges on those properties, but the increases are limited and can only be imposed after years of sitting vacant.

If a home has been empty for two years, authorities can charge an additional 100 per cent on the propertys council tax - which the Government is currently looking to reduce to one year.

The permitted increase currently rises to 200 per cent after five years of emptiness, and 300 per cent only after a decade of being vacant.

Mr Khan said empowering councils to set their own increases would not only deter absentee international investment, but would free up housing stock across the capital for Londoners.

We are also urging Ministers to make it easier to allow the temporary take-over of empty homes using Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs), which have been restricted in recent years.

Over the last few years weve started building a record number of homes for Londoners, but theres still a long way to go to fix the housing crisis and it will require much greater national investment.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan / PA

Ministers should start by making it easier for councils to bring long-term empty homes back into use.

Councillor Hug said the rise in declared vacant homes is alarming, but that the real numbers are likely to be even higher.

He added: It cannot be right that large homes in Westminster sit empty - in some cases falling into decay - while thousands of people face years on waiting lists.

Substantial parts of the City become effectively hollowed out by property speculation.

Adam Hug, Labour leader of Westminster City Council / PA

He said the council has launched an online tool for people to report empty properties, to help his authority understand the true scale of the issue, but that stronger powers were needed.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities responded: Councils already have a raft of powers to bring empty properties back into use and we are clear they should be using them to deliver new homes for communities."

She added that since 2010, the Government has reduced the number of long-term empty homes by more than 50,000.

Boroughs with the highest values of empty homes:
L ondon primary schools will be left out of pocket due to Sadiq Khans blanket free school meals plan, the leader of a schools group has claimed.

Neil Miller, Deputy CEO of London South East Academies Trust, which runs nine schools in the capital, raised fears that schools will be left to pick up the inevitable shortfalls in funding for the scheme.

It comes after Mr Khan launched a 130million scheme to pay for every primary school child in London to receive free school meals next academic year.

Mr Miller said increasing numbers of London families are going hungry, and he is hugely supportive of expanding free school meals to more children. But he said this should instead be done by raising the current income threshold for families to qualify, rather than the Mayors blanket primary school approach which will see wealthier families benefiting from the scheme, and some secondary pupils missing out.

He warned that schools will be left with extra costs because they will need more staff, facilities and space to provide every child with a meal, adding: We are all operating on incredibly tight budgets, given the dramatic increase in the cost of living, staff wages and energy prices. There will simply be no money left to meet the inevitable shortfall of the funding, with schools being left to subsidise every single meal.

Currently children are prevented from getting free school meals if their families earn more than 7,400 a year, excluding benefits. But from September, because of the Mayors scheme, all London primary school children will receive the food. The policy does not extend outside the capital.

The Evening Standards School Hunger Special Investigation highlighted the plight of the 210,000 primary and secondary pupils in London who live in households on universal credit but missed out on free school meals because their household income was over this threshold.

Mr Miller said: Raising the income threshold for free school meals to ensure more families qualify would support wider access to those who really need it. This is where I believe the focus should be, rather than a blanket primary school approach.

He added: What about the millions of young people in secondary schools who are also facing serious food poverty but are not included in these proposals? Whether they are six or 16, this should be about providing a meal for every child who needs one  rather than a universal primary school policy that ends up funding meals for children whose families can afford them.

It will also make it harder for schools to claim pupil premium funding for students from lower income families, Mr Miller said.

Under current rules schools apply for the pupil premium for each student who is eligible for free meals, but if all students receive the meals it is feared it will be more difficult to know who is eligible.

Mr Miller said: It is hugely encouraging that the food poverty plight of so many families and children across London is being recognised and acted on. We all have the same ambition to ensure that no child, of any age, is going hungry - so I would urge the Mayor to consult widely with schools and work with us to achieve this.

A spokesman for Mr Khan said: Sadiq is working with local authorities to roll out this unprecedented funding, explore any potential challenges around capacity and ensure that the scheme does not cause any school to miss out on the pupil premium. He continues to urge Government to ensure that this provision is made universal for all primary school children in the long-term and to do more to help low-income families.
P olice appeared to handcuff a furious motorist as Just Stop Oil brought three major London bridges to a standstill on Tuesday morning.

The man, in orange overalls, is seen in video postsed by the protest group approaching activists on Blackfriars Bridge. He grabs the first protesters he sees hurling him onto the pavement where the victim rolls into a police officer.

The officer looks up and with a colleague tackles the irate worker.

In the footage he is pushed up against a waste management truck by police with another furious driver barking at officers: You shut up, get off my truck.

Police shout at the suspect to put your arms behind your back as they detain him on suspicion of common assault.

During the struggle, the officer says: You are f***ing assaulting people.

Another passer-by tells the officers to give the guy a break, hes just trying to get to work.

He was not arrested, the force later said.

Just Stop Oil said in a statement: Tensions have been high this morning as the marches cause major delays for commuters.

One man threw a supporter onto the ground and was subsequently arrested on Blackfriars Bridge.

A motorcyclist attempted to drive through the same procession, before police intervened.

Elsewhere there were a number of altercations as members of the public snatched banners and confronted Just Stop Oil supporters.

Just Stop Oil

One of the activists on the slow march Barry Farrent, 66, said: Society needs to wake up to the ongoing destruction of our home.

These criminal politicians have us on the highway to climate hell with their foot on the accelerator. The UK has a proud history of civil resistance and bringing about world-wide change.

Scotland Yard said: At around 8.25am officers detained a male member of the public for common assault after an altercation between him and two Just Stop Oil protesters on Blackfriars Bridge this morning.

There have been no arrests.

Police are investigating the matter.

PA

It came amid large-scale protests on Tuesday morning with 45 activists slow-marching across London, Tower and Blackfriars Bridges.

Tensions boiled over again on Friday as a man got out of his car and threw a female activist to the ground in Mansell Street - a stones throw from the Tower of London.

The woman picks herself up and goes to sit on the pavement as the motorist continues to square up to others.
The Egyptian gold market is starting to stabilize following weeks of fluctuation due to a surge in demand amid uncertainty about the Egyptian pounds exchange rate.

By early May, Egyptian gold prices had risen by over 50 percent since the beginning of the year. But the market took a downturn recently after the government approved a decree exempting Egyptian travellers who bring gold from customs duties and approved a new gold investment fund.

The Egyptian Exchange (EGX) has started featuring per-gram prices of 24-karat gold on its website. The price updates are provided by Gold Net Trading, a subsidiary of Evolve Holding.

The EGX's Charman Rami El-Dokany stressed in a statement on the Egyptian bourse website that these prices are just indicative and have been prepared by Gold Net Trading Company under its full responsibility.

Egypt's first gold investment fund

"Subscription in the first gold investment fund in Egypt has started following relevant approvals from the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA)," El-Dokany announced.

"The establishment of precious metals investment funds will help control the market, increase transparency and rationalize demand for gold ingots and coins," El-Dokany commented.

He noted that these funds will provide investors with an alternative to investing in gold without resorting to buying and holding gold from the market, incurring processing costs, which will mitigate risks and maximize returns in the long run.

Moreover, El-Dokany revealed that the EGX is developing a special trading programme for purchase and recovery orders on securities of the gold investment fund through brokerage companies registered on the market.

"That move will create an active secondary trading market for these securities in full coordination with the FRA," he said.

"The launching of gold investment funds is a good move. However, there is a need to educate investors and the public about the mechanism of trading in these funds and what are the opportunities they offer," Hani Milad, head of the Gold Division at the Cairo Chamber of Commerce explained to Ahram Online.

The EGX is required to establish a locally and internationally accredited processing plant to launch a precious metals investment fund.

Gold funds are investment vehicles which often take the form of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ETFs can be bought directly on the stock exchange.

Travellers exempted from gold tax

On Wednesday, the Egyptian government approved a draft decree exempting travellers who bring gold into the country from customs duties and other fees, except value-added tax (VAT), for a period of six months.

As the decision takes effect, gold prices plummeted by over EGP 200. On Sunday, the per-gram purchase prices of 24-karat, 21-karat, and 18-karat gold amounted to EGP 2,742, EGP 2,400, and EGP 2,057, respectively according to Al-Ahram.

"Such decline will not continue for long, as prices are about to reach a fair level equal to global prices," Milad concluded.

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A social entrepreneur running to be the Tory London mayoral candidate has said she would consider breaking up the Met Police if elected.

Natalie Campbell, a CEO and university chancellor, said that if elected, she would take an honest view of whether the Met Police can be turned around.

Asked whether she would contemplate breaking the force up and replacing it with a new body, she said: Nothings off the table. I can categorically say I will transform any organisation that is not fit for purpose.

She added that the trust compact between the Met and society is broken, and that creating a new police force would not, on its own, necessarily restore that trust.

But she said she would also take an empathetic approach to the issue: Police are people and the things they have to see and deal with on a daily basis must be harrowing. So we cant just say: youre wrong.

Actually, as people, [we need to ask] what are we doing to support them so that they can be the best force in the world.

Baroness Casey, author of a damning report into the forces culture, has called for a complete overhaul of the Met, but stopped short of explicitly calling for it to be broken up and replaced.

Ms Campbell, who is co-CEO of bottled water company Belu, and chancellor of the University of Westminster, is going up against eight other Conservatives for the partys mayoral candidacy.

The entrepreneur said her experience at the coalface of the capitals business world will give her the edge over her rivals, most of whom hold elected office in some form.

She said that unlike her political competitors, she was not pointing at other people saying Why have you not done this? or waiting for somebody to give me a policy idea.

She added: I think politicians do a really important, credible job, but just because theyre politicians, it doesnt mean theyve got the right experience to run London.

Actually the people who have the experience to run London, are the people who are at the coalface.

Ms Campbell said she joined the party two months ago, explicitly so that she could stand to be its mayoral candidate. She was previously a member for around 18 months in 2014-15, during which time she prepared a bid for the London Assembly.

Speaking to the Standard on Monday, Ms Campbell said she did not yet have any endorsements from currently-elected Conservatives. While she admitted endorsements are important, she said that she hadnt yet asked for any, because she wanted to make sure they really know what I stand for before they endorse me.

Her political awakening was during David Camerons tenure as party leader, having been inspired by his vision for a Big Society centred around volunteerism and community empowerment.

She said: I talk about myself as a One Nation Tory When I think about what Cameron said about environmental stewardship and the idea of personal responsibility, I am absolutely a Conservative.

On air quality, Ms Campbell said she would scrap Sadiq Khans planned expansion of the Ultra low emission zone (Ulez), arguing that the 12.50 daily charge penalises those who are most vulnerable and that the expansion would not make a marked difference to pollution levels.

Instead, she said she would look to boost the citys biodiversity, while also focusing on reducing carbon emissions from the construction of buildings.

On housing, she said: You cant just just throw up more homes. The answer to the problems is not more, more, more. Its the right homes in the right places.

She said there was existing housing which is ripe for retro-fitting, though she would look to increase the numbers of certain kinds of homes - such as high-density student accommodation, and more family homes in outer London.

Looking at transport, Ms Campbell said she would keep Crossrail 2 and the Bakerloo Line extension under review, until Transport for Londons finances are in a healthier state - though she would prioritise the completion of HS2 from Old Oak Common to Euston.

Natalie Campbell is one of nine people running for the Conservative London mayoral candidacy / Kasia Bobula

Giving her views on Brexit in relation to Londons economy, Ms Campbell said: I am worried about the impact of Brexit If you speak to any business right now, theyre struggling to recruit. Ive struggled to recruit in my own business.

Asked whether Brexit was a mistake, she said: I voted to remain. I think theres time to not make it a mistake. We still have time. There are still deals that are being worked on

So Im not fatalistic about it, I dont think its too late. But has it had an impact? Yes it has had an impact.

The supply of goods - Ive got businesses that I know have struggled to get goods in from Europe, I have businesses where the cost of goods has just exponentially gone up as a result. People cannot deny those things are facts.

Ms Campbell insisted her bid for the Conservative candidacy came from a genuine desire to be Mayor of London, rather than seeking to raise her profile.

My life would be much easier to not run, she said.

I have a great career, Im doing a job where I get to make a difference to peoples lives

The reason I believe the time is right to step into the ring is because I do not see politics doing what I believe it should do, and that is [being] focused on people. I dont need to raise my profile any more.
P rotesters have been carried out of Shells annual general meeting (AGM) for shareholders in east London after loud chanting and singing left the oil giants chairman rattled.

Climate groups including Extinction Rebellion, Greenpeace and Fossil Free London disrupted the meeting on Tuesday morning inside the Excel Centre while others held a rally outside.

It is being reported that the meeting was disrupted for more than an hour.

A number of protesters were carried from or escorted out of the auditorium by security after chanting Go to hell Shell and we will stop you.

The oil giants chairman Sir Andrew Mackenzie appeared rattled after calling the protest an interesting start to the meeting. He repeatedly asked the group to be quiet before eventually threatening to call security.

Please can I ask you to be quiet, he said.

In time I will answer your questions. I must now ask security to remove you from the meeting.

I think now it has become too disruptive...Ive listened to your protests.

I now ask you either sit down and be quietor Ill ask you to be ushered to leave the meeting.

Mr Mackenzie apologised to shareholders for the disruption after protesters left.

Meanwhile outside protesters held a rally with drums, banners and speeches.

Rebecca Speare-Cole/PA Wire

Nuri Syed Corser, 27, an organiser for Fossil Fuel London, told PA: We are protesting because we need to shut down Shell.

We are facing a climate crisis. Shell are one of the companies driving it and are making record profits even as people are facing devastating floods and wildfires.

People in the UK are struggling to pay their energy bills. Shell are sacrificing the wellbeing of millions to protect their obscene profits.

Last year Shell recorded a record profit of $84.3 billion (68 billion), the highest in its 115-year history.

Rebecca Speare-Cole/PA Wire

It comes after the war in Ukraine caused global energy prices, but specifically European gas prices, to soar as Europe and the Kremlin started sanctioning each other.

This meant that the supply of Russian gas to Europe dried up, meaning that other suppliers, such as Shell and its rival BP, could profit.

Shell will likely see conflicting pressures at the meeting as investors look to capitalise on record oil and gas profits while shareholder activists push for faster action on climate change issues.

Investors will vote on pay packages for 2022, including that of outgoing chief executive Ben van Beurden, who took home 9.7 million, including a 7.5 million bonus  a jump of more than 50 per cent from the previous year.

Shareholder activist group Follow This has filed a resolution calling for Shell to tighten its 2030 reductions targets for emissions on the products it sells.
L ondon Underground workers have voted in favour of extending their mandate to continue taking strike action for another six months, the RMT union has announced.

RMT members on the Tube are locked in a bitter dispute with Transport for London over pay, jobs and pensions.

In a statement on Tuesday, the union said continuing strike action was backed by 96% of members who voted. The turnout of 56.5%.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: I congratulate every single one of our London Underground members for giving us continued industrial leverage at the negotiating table.

TfL cannot continue to simply wish this dispute away and the government which has drastically cut the funding to London transport budgets, shares a great deal of responsibility for this continuing impasse.

London Underground workers want a negotiated settlement and are quite prepared to take more strike action over the next six months to make that a reality.

No new dates have been set yet but could be announced shortly. This would see the RMTs 10,000 Tube members walk out and force much of the Underground to close.

The union is in a long-running dispute with Transport for London over the perceived threat to TfL staff pensions.

London Underground Budget Day Tube Strike | Wednesday 15th March 2023 1 / 17 London Underground Budget Day Tube Strike | Wednesday 15th March 2023 Gareth Richman/Evening Standard @R_LONDON_H Gareth Richman/Evening Standard Gareth Richman/Evening Standard PA ES/Gareth Richman ES/Gareth Richman @goodkingpativ ES/Ross Lydall ES/Ross Lydall Jeremy Selwyn RMT Gareth Richman/Evening Standard

This has already resulted in six RMT strikes last year and the shutdown of the Tube on March 15 Budget Day this year, when Tube drivers belonging to Aslef also walked out.

Glynn Barton, Transport for Londons Chief Operating Officer, said: We were notified today that RMT members have voted to renew their mandate for industrial action over jobs, pensions and conditions.

This is despite the fact that no proposals have been tabled on pensions following a Government mandated review into the TfL pension scheme. If any proposal is made in the future, this would require appropriate consultation and extensive further work.

The RMT has also been angered by the removal of up to 600 station staff posts, which it says leaves some stations unmanned at times or staff working in isolation.

TfL insists that no proposals to change the staff pension scheme have been tabled.

It is deadlocked in a row with the Department for Transport over Government wishes for savings to be made to the pension scheme.

TfL say the demands for cuts  a condition of TfLs covid bailouts  are no longer relevant as the pension scheme is now in profit.

The RMT claims that some workers could lose more than 30 per cent of their pension.

TfL wrote to the Government in March to say it was not possible to progress any changes to the pension scheme. The transport body says that no changes to the TfL pension are currently being proposed.

It came after members of the TSSA union cancelled a planned 24-hour walkout on the Elizabeth line on Wednesday that would have brought its central section, between Paddington and Abbey Wood, to a standstill.

Some 80 per cent of line managers belonging to the TSSA voted to accept an improved pay offer. The action had been threatened in a bid to secure pay parity with workers in similar jobs employed by other TfL contractors.

TSSA interim organising director Mel Taylor said, Elizabeth Lines new offer recognizes the uniquely multi-skilled nature of our members, who operate the worlds only fully digital railway.

Our members were being paid thousands of pounds less than colleagues performing similar roles on other parts of the Transport for London network. This offer goes some way towards bringing their pay more in line with the rest of TfL. The revised offer from Elizabeth Line rewards the multi-skilled role and offers staff an opportunity for career progression.

In January the dispute saw a one-day stoppage  the first on the Elizabeth line - by dozens of TSSA members, which closed the central section of the line.

Meanwhile National Rail strikes will resume at the end of the month, with drivers union Aslef walking out on Wednesday, May 31, and Saturday, June 3, and RMT members striking on Friday, June 2.

It means travel will be significantly disrupted on FA Cup Final weekend, when Manchester City and Manchester United are set to meet at Wembley.

The Government is pressing ahead with legislation aimed at providing minimum levels of service during strikes.

There was a protest outside Parliament on Monday evening when the Bill was voted through by MPs.

It will be debated in the Lords again before becoming law in the next few weeks.

More follows.
A Chinese company selling pregnancy tests in the UK must be investigated over the potential risk that expectant mothers genetic data may be shared with the Chinese government, a cross-party group of parliamentarians have warned.

MPs and peers have called for the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) to launch a probe into BGI Group, Chinas leading genomics company, over concerns that data gathered from its NIFTY non-invasive pre-natal tests may be shared with the government in Beijing.

The politicians have shared their concerns about the company after it was blacklisted by the US government, and following the ICOs recent decision to fine Chinese-owned social media company TikTok over its misuse of data.

Conservative former minister Lord Bethell, Tory MP Henry Smith, Labour MPs Siobhain McDonagh, Taiwo Owatemi and Charlotte Nichols, and Lib Dem former minister Alistair Carmichael wrote to the ICO to call for the investigation.

It is vital consumers have full transparency in order to carefully assess the risks associated with sharing such data with state-linked Chinese companies

They raised 2021 reporting by Reuters that suggested BGI was using the genetic information collected from pregnancy testing around the world to collect genetic data from millions of women for sweeping research on the traits of populations.

The also raised the alarm about Chinas national intelligence law, which requires private companies to share information with the state if requested for security purposes.

The letter said: It is vital consumers have full transparency in order to carefully assess the risks associated with sharing such data with state-linked Chinese companies.

We must also ensure patients are told about the importance and far-reaching implications of their genetic information  and the risks associated with turning it over.

Most importantly, we must ensure companies like BGI are completely transparent about their data collection and usage, and what Chinese laws they are subject to.

According to BGIs website, the NIFTY test is used to analyse blood samples from pregnant women to screen for genetic abnormalities, including Downs Syndrome.

Tory former health minister Lord Bethell said: BGI is a remarkable genomics and diagnostics company. It has phenomenal technology which I admire, but we just dont know for sure what it does with that data.

I would love to think it is respectful of privacy and security and individual rights, but we know from the practices of the government in China that it is using genomic data for surveillance.

He added: We have got to ask ourselves can we really trust BGI to be doing genomic testing here in the UK.

This is a national security failing of the highest order. The Government must act

Lib Dem MP Mr Carmichael, who has previously raised concerns about the company in Parliament, described BGI as the next Huawei, claiming it was a question of when rather than if it is banned in the UK.

With that in mind, the Government should simply get on with it, he added.

He went on: This is a company with proven links to the Chinese military, working in a field that is Beijings strategic priority and enables the repression of human rights.

In March, the science minister George Freeman told Parliament that BGI is a danger point. Why then is BGI being allowed to open a new centre in London whilst continuing to build partnerships with UK universities?

This is a national security failing of the highest order. The Government must act.

A BGI Group spokesman said: First and foremost, BGI Group will be fully transparent and welcomes any opportunity to provide information on our work in the UK.

We believe in transparent, collaborative research and openly sharing results, a principle that is crucial to providing the greatest benefits for all of humanity. We will continue to advocate for open and inclusive global scientific collaboration with the aim of fighting diseases more effectively and improving the health of mankind.

The company has denied being linked to the Chinese state, and said it had previously refuted allegations made by the politicians in their letter to the ICO.

BGI emphasised that its labs meet stringent standards in information security, adding: Our data standards globally include the UKs BS10012 standard, compliance with the EUs General Data Protection Regulation, and the ISO27001 standard on information security.

The company added it does not engage in unethical practices and does not provide gene technology for the surveillance of Uighurs. BGI Group does not condone and would never be involved in any human-rights abuses.
C limate chaos will spread from across the entire planet and the world may already be past five irreversible tipping points, John Kerry has said.

Speaking to the defence and climate change parliamentary select committee, the US special presidential envoy for climate warned of coral reef die-off, melting permafrost as well as melting sea ice in the Barents Sea and the Arctic and Antarctic.

Tipping points are when the climate permanently changes the state of global phenomena, which then create a feedback loop that further exacerbates global heating.

Melting permafrost for example releases large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas thought to be around 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, while melting sea ice means more of the suns energy is absorbed by the dark surface of the water rather than reflecting off the bright white sheets of ice.

Mr Kerry said of the Arctic ice: Vast amounts of it have been breaking off and going out to sea and melting.

I saw one fjord where about 86 million metric tonnes of ice falls each day, calving into the ocean and then going out to melt. We are seeing a higher rate of sea level rise than was predicted earlier.

You can see levels of disruption that are coming at us, we have no ability to do anything except adapt or build resilience.

The UN has said climate change has been exacerbating conflict in Sudan for years, with factions and tribes competing for increasingly scant natural resources.

Last month the fighting forced an evacuation of Westerners from the capital Khartoum, with the UK flying out more than 2,000 people.

Asked to what countries he expects climate change effects to spread to in the next 50 years, Mr Kerry said: Its going to expand to the entire planet. Its happening right now.

Sudan, South Sudan, Egypt, that entire area, the Horn of Africa is going, as a whole, to be enormously impacted, but also the Sahel.

There are 10 million people a year who die of extreme heat and were witnessing in the last few days in India, millions of people sleeping outdoors in hope of getting through the heat because its 30C at night time, and were seeing unheard of temperatures during the day.

This is happening faster than a lot of people anticipated and I think thats something we really need to take note of.

Mr Kerry said he believes the UK military, like the US, is responsible for around 50% of the UK Governments emissions and described climate change as a threat multiplier that will create more instability and conflict throughout the world.

Despite the warnings, the US diplomat said he is still optimistic and that limiting the global temperature to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels is still possible but very hard.

He said: We are, as a species, really good at innovation and when really pressed, we tend to be pretty good at finding solutions to major problems  sometimes late and later than it should be and with greater consequences than there had to be.

We

We have the technology necessary to achieve our 2030 goal, we're just not deploying it rapidly

But I see unbelievable amounts of activity taking place in venture capital, amazing amounts of research, certainly in Britain, in the United States and Europe, our best universities and colleges and laboratories are working overtime, trying to find solutions.

If you have five tipping points, and two of them involve the potential of metres, literally multiple metres, double digits of sea level rise, thats as good a definition of catastrophe as you can achieve.

And the reality is that that is where we are headed unless we do more about it. Now, why do I have this measure of optimism and of our capacity? Because it is within our capacity.

We have the technology necessary to achieve our 2030 goal, were just not deploying it rapidly.

Were not building the supply chain rapidly enough to deploy, but the fact is that if we did do that, we could meet the goal.
N early two thirds of adults in Britain expect Labour to win the next General Election, a new poll revealed on Tuesday.

The Ipsos survey for The Standard also found that eight in ten people believe the country needs a fresh team of leaders.

However, the findings are not all good news for Sir Keir Starmer as Labours Westminster headline voting intention lead over the Tories is closing.

Labour is still 16 points ahead, but this is down from 23 points in March.

There is also little sign that Sir Keir is sealing the deal with the electorate, as his personal ratings are unchanged, if not slightly down.

His net satisfaction has risen among Labour supporters, with the opposite happening for Rishi Sunak among Tory backers, but overall the Conservative leader still does better among his own voters.

The key results are:

Sixty-three per cent expect Labour to be the biggest party after the next General Election, but most believe it will be a hung Parliament (43 per cent) with Sir Keir having the most MPs, rather than a Labour majority (20 per cent). These figures are almost a reverse of September 2019, shortly before Boris Johnson won the December election, when 58 per cent expected a victory for him, only 12 per cent a Tory majority, with 46 per cent a hung Parliament with the Conservatives the largest party.

Only 25 per cent think the Conservatives will get the most MPs at the next election, and only eight per cent that they will win a majority. Just 45 per cent of current Tory voters believe their party will win the election.

On overall voting intentions, Labour is on 44 per cent, down five points on March, the Conservatives 28 per cent, up two points, the Liberal Democrats 13 per cent, up two points, and the Greens unchanged on six per cent.

Mr Sunak and Sir Keir are neck and neck on the most capable Prime Minister question, with 34 per cent naming the former, and 33 per cent the latter, little changed from March when it was 37 per cent to 36 per cent respectively.

Only 23 per cent say the Conservative Government deserves to be re-elected, though up slightly from 19 per cent in December.

But 80 per cent agree Britain needs a fresh team of leaders. In March 2010, before Gordon Browns Labour lost the election, 76 per cent held this view.

Sixty-eight per cent of Tory supporters are satisfied with Mr Sunak, down from 75 per cent in March, while half of Labour backers are content with Sir Keir, up two points.

Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos UK, said: Keir Starmers Labour is in a very different position to 2019, with most Britons now expecting that they will emerge the biggest party at the next election, and having overcome quite a lot of the doubts about them.

 The next step is whether they can turn that into stronger levels of enthusiasm for a Labour majority government.

While Rishi Sunak does show signs of steadying the ship he will want to deliver better news on the economy and other public priorities to persuade more people that the Conservatives deserve to be re-elected.

Amid the cost-of-living crisis, three quarters of adults are dissatisfied with the Government, unchanged from March.

Economic pessimism has nudged down, with 54 per cent expecting the general economic conditions in Britain to get worse, compared to 58 per cent in March, with those believing it will improve on 24 per cent, up from 22 per cent.

Four in ten (41 per cent) say Labour is ready to form the next Government, down from recent highs of 47 per cent at the end of last year, but above the figure for most of the time since 2010.

One in three (33 per cent) do not think Labour has the knowledge to run the economy properly, but 43 per cent disagree.

Thirty-six per cent say Sir Keir is ready to be PM, down three points on March, with 40 per cent disagreeing, no change.

Three in ten say they are satisfied with Mr Sunak, down two points on two months ago, with 55 per cent dissatisfied, with Sir Keir having similar figures.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has seen a five point jump in his satisfaction rating to 25 per cent after his partys local election successes, with dissatisfied down four points to 32 per cent, but dont knows still on 42 per cent.

Ipsos interviewed 1,006 adults in Britain by phone between May 10 and 16. Data are weighted.
L ondon university chiefs have slammed Suella Bravermans new student immigration rules as a blow to equality and inclusion.

The Home Secretary on Tuesday announced plans to ban most foreign students from bringing their families to the UK.

Those studying for a masters and many post graduate courses will no longer be able to bring their partners and children with them to Britain under the new rules. The ban will not apply to PHD students.

But academics warned the legislation could be a slippery slope for further curbs on international scholars coming to the country from abroad.

London Higher, which represents almost 50 universities and colleges in the capital, branded the proposals an own goal for the Government if it is striving for growth.

A spokesman for the organisation said: The Home Office decision to prevent international applicants to one-year Masters courses in the UK from bringing dependants with them represents a blow to equality and inclusion, and a loss in competitiveness against our counterparts in Europe, North America and Australasia who continue to welcome these students and their families with open arms.

London Higher said last year the net economic impact of the cohort of international students in London on the UK economy was 9.59billion.

Preventing international postgraduate students from bringing their families with them will likely lower this figure and undo the honourable ambitions set out by the Government in its own International Education Strategy, a spokesman added.

Londons appeal to international students is as yet unrivalled and acts as a gateway for international talent across the UK.

We fear todays announcement could dent Londons international pulling power to the detriment of the whole country and we hope this is not the start of a slippery slope which opens the door to further restrictions on international students in the longer term.

The number of visas issued to dependents coming to Britain with international students has increased eight-fold - up from up from 16,000 in 2019 to 136,000 last year, according to Government figures.

Ms Braverman said: The UK is a top destination for the brightest students to learn at some of the worlds best universities. But we have seen an unprecedented rise in the number of student dependents being brought into the country with visas.

It is time for us to tighten up this route to ensure we can cut migration numbers and meet the governments pledge to the British people to cut net migration. This is the fair thing to do to allow us to better protect our public services, while supporting the economy by allowing the students who contribute the most to keep coming here.

It comes as data due to be released on Thursday is expected to show net migration has rocketed to more than 700,000, despite Government promises to reduce numbers.

The Tory manifesto that Boris Johnson stood on at the 2019 election pledged to lower net migration from the then level of less than 230,000.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last week said immigration was too high, but he refused to commit to lowering levels significantly before the next election.
H ealth workers are to stage fresh strikes in the continuing dispute over pay.

Members of Unite at Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust in London and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust will walk out next month.

The union said the strikes form part of its targeted approach to industrial action amid plans to escalate the dispute to try to pressure the Government to reopen pay negotiations.

Unite members from across the Guys and St Thomas workforce, including nurses and other frontline workers, will stage a 24-hour strike on June 1.

Workers have suffered real-terms pay cuts for over a decade and can no longer afford to make ends meet, resulting in experienced staff leaving the NHS in droves

This will be followed by a strike by Unite members employed at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, including paramedics and call handlers.

They will be striking on June 2 for up to seven hours from 2pm.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: Our members are returning to the picket lines in targeted industrial action to place further pressure on the Government to reopen pay negotiations.

The current pay deal does not address the fundamental problems undermining the NHS.

Workers have suffered real-terms pay cuts for over a decade and can no longer afford to make ends meet, resulting in experienced staff leaving the NHS in droves.

Unite members and those in the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) rejected the Governments offer.

Most health unions in England have accepted a 5% pay rise for this year and a cash payment for last year.

RCN members started voting on Tuesday on whether to continue taking strike action.

Almost 300,000 members of the RCN in England are being asked to renew their mandate for industrial action until the end of the year.

The RCN is urging members to vote Yes to strike action, saying it would pressure ministers to improve the pay award for nursing staff and boost staffing levels to keep patients safe.

It comes as the hospital doctors union HCSA announced its junior doctors would be joining the 72-hour walkout planned by the British Medical Association in June.

Junior doctors in England will walk out from 7am on June 14.
B uckingham Palace has rejected a request to unearth the bones of a 19th Century Ethiopian Prince buried at Windsor Castle.

Prince Alemayehu, died an orphan in London, aged 18, after being taken back to the United Kingdom by Victorian explorer Captain Tristram Speedy in a journey that killed his mother.

His descendants had demanded Queen Elizabeth II return the body from Windsor Chapel and were hoping for fresh talks under King Charles III.

We want his remains back as a family and as Ethiopians because that is not the country he was born in, one of the royal descendants Fasil Minas told the BBC.

But a Palace spokesperson, moved to deny the request, saying: It is very unlikely that it would be possible to exhume the remains without disturbing the resting place of a substantial number of others in the vicinity.

They added that Windsor wanted to celebrate Prince Alemayehus memory, but that they also had the responsibility to preserve the dignity of the departed.

The statement claimed the Royal Household had accommodated requests from Ethiopian delegations to visit his final resting place in the chapel.

His father, Emperor Tewodros II, committed suicide rather than be captured by the British at the Battle of Magdala in 1868.

This last defiant act has immortalised him as a national hero for many Ethiopians.

It is believed that his infant son Alemayehu was kidnapped as British forces ransacked the Ethiopian royal treasures including fine silks, gold regalia and jewellery, which needed 15 elephants and 200 mules to move.

Then Prime Minister William Gladstone criticised the plundering of Maqdala as a reprehensible and lamentable episode but some of the treasures are still on display at the British Museum today.

The young Prince was taken to Britain and sent to boarding school and officers training school at Sandhurst, but died at the age of 18 from a lung condition.

He was buried at Windsor Castle, with Queen Victoria describing his short life as too sad.

Very grieved and shocked to hear by telegram, that good Alemayehu had passed away this morning. It is too sad! All alone, in a strange country, without a single person or relative, belonging to him, she wrote in her diary.

His was no happy life, full of difficulties of every kind, and was so sensitive, thinking that people stared at him on account of his colour... Everyone is very sorry.

Mulugeta Aserate, second cousin of Ethiopias last emperor Haile Selassie said it was time the wrongs of the last millennium were put right.

The prince was a prisoner of war, he told Reuters in 2007.

His return would ease the minds of lots of Ethiopians who believe his rightful resting place should be here with his father.

A brass plaque reading I was a stranger and ye took me in commemorates Alemayehus resting place in the catacombs of St Georges Chapel.
Egyptian asset manager Azimut and investment company Evolve Holding launched Sunday the first gold investment fund in Egypt, according to an official statement from the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA).

The new fund will invest in 24-carat gold bars and issue investment certificates starting from EGP 10 that will be on sale at post offices.

The fund allows investors to redeem their certificates in cash or grams of gold.

The new fund is managed by Evolve Azimut, a joint venture between the two private companies Evolve Holding and Azimut Egypt.

"The establishment of investment funds for precious metals will help control the market, increase transparency, and ration demand for gold ingots and coins," Chairman of the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) Rami El-Dokany said earlier.

He noted that these funds will provide investors with an alternative to investing in gold without resorting to buying and holding gold from the market and incurring processing costs, which will mitigate risks and maximize returns in the long run.

Gold funds are investment vehicles which often take the form of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs). ETFs can be bought directly on the stock exchange.

The Egyptian gold market is stabilizing following weeks of fluctuation due to a surge in demand amid uncertainty about the Egyptian pounds exchange rate.

On Monday, the per-gram purchase prices of 24-carat, 21-carat, and 18-carat gold edged lower to EGP 2,657, EGP 2,325, and EGP 1,993, respectively, compared to Sunday's levels.

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T he police watchdog has announced it will send investigators to assess whether it will carry out an independent probe into a crash in Cardiff which killed two teenagers and sparked a riot.

Kyrees Sullivan, 16, and Harvey Evans, 15, were killed in the Ely area on Monday while riding an electric bike.

Chief Superintendent of South Wales Police Martyn Stone told a press conference in Cardiff on Tuesday that a mandatory referral had been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) following the disorder to ensure the matter receives independent scrutiny.

A spokesperson from the watchdog said: We have been contacted this afternoon by South Wales Police to make a referral regarding the circumstances leading up to the fatal collision in Ely yesterday (Monday).

We will be sending investigators to a police post incident procedure to begin gathering information and to assess whether the IOPC will carry out an independent investigation.

Mr Stone said the force had received CCTV footage that shows a police vehicle following a bike ahead of the collision, but insisted that there were no police vehicles on Snowden Road when the crash occurred.

His statement followed the footage emerging online after South Wales Police said the crash happened before officers attended the scene.

Alun Michael, South Wales police and crime commissioner, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme earlier on Tuesday that police had not chased the pair.

He said: It would appear that there were rumours, and those rumours became rife, of a police chase, which wasnt the case.

Dozens of young people were gathered near hundreds of floral tributes on Snowden Road on Tuesday night.

The mood in the area was calm.

But on Monday, tensions reached breaking point after officers were called to the scene shortly after 6pm.

Some residents in the district claimed the two boys, who were named locally, were being pursued by South Wales Police  an allegation that was earlier denied by the force.

Police said the collision had already occurred when officers arrived, and they remained on the scene to manage large-scale disorder until the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Mr Stone confirmed while speaking to the press that 15 police officers had required medical attention following the disorder  11 went to hospital and four were treated at the scene.

The chief superintendent said arrests had been made and more would follow.

I would like to acknowledge the impact last nights disorder had on local residents, who are understandably very frightened, he told the press conference.

They have our assurances that we will be doing our best to arrest all of those responsible. A number of arrests have already been made and more will follow.

At around midnight, Belinda Sullivan, Kyreess mother, pleaded on Facebook with the rioters to stop because her sons body remained at the scene of the collision.

Friends of the two boys, who were from the Ely area, said they were riding a Sur-Ron electric bike without helmets when they died.

Tributes were paid to the two teenagers, with one local resident, Bridy Bool, calling Harvey a sociable boy with loads of friends who loved motorbikes and football.

She added that he was best friends with Kyrees, who was into the same things.

Specially-trained public order officers were deployed, including officers from neighbouring police forces, as several vehicles were set alight, property was damaged and officers were injured.

Scenes being livestreamed on YouTube showed young people throwing fireworks and other missiles at a line of police officers with riot shields who were blocking one end of the street.

Shortly before midnight a car was set on fire and burned fiercely while a second vehicle was overturned and also torched.

One person was attacked because rioters thought they were an undercover officer, according to a senior officer at the scene.
H eathrow Airports long-standing Chief Executive Officer, John Holland-Kaye recently revealed that he will be leaving his role in the coming months after nine years.

Over the selection and handover periods, Holland-Kaye will remain as CEO to make sure the transition is smooth, but he has made it clear that his successor will likely focus on delivering the expansion project.

He told The Independent: We are still committed to expansion. Weve already started some of the preliminary work on expansion, now that we have started to have the bandwidth to do that. Well be saying more about our plans with that later this year.

Plans to expand Heathrow Airport had been put on ice after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. But, the outgoing CEO believes that the pandemic showed just how important it is for a third runway to be built to increase the facilitys capacity and strength.

If youve been wondering what the expansion project is all about and what the biggest issues with it are, here is everything we know.

What is the Heathrow expansion?

Back in 2015, an Airports Commission that studied Londons airport capacity problems suggested that Heathrow was given a new runway. The suggestion was approved under Theresa Mays leadership.

In 2020, the Court of Appeal ruled that the decision to allow the expansion to go ahead was unlawful because it didnt take into account the countrys climate commitments. But the Supreme Court concluded that the strategy was based on the climate targets at the time, which were less stringent.

The expansion plan for Heathrow Airport involves building a third runway to the northwest of the existing two runways, which Heathrow says will create tens of thousands of jobs and billions in economic benefits to the UK.

It would also allow for an additional 260,000 flights per year to be created.

The plan would also see several new facilities get constructed both on and off the airfield. For instance, a new terminal to the west of Terminal 5 would be built.

The expansion proposal is currently paused but before that, Heathrow was consulting with the Government, investors, airline customers and regulators to decide on the next steps.

What are the aims of the Heathrow expansion?

The main goal of the expansion is to increase the number of flights the airport can facilitate. This, in turn, would create new jobs and boost the British economy.

Heathrow also says that the expansion will allow Britain as a sovereign nation to compete more effectively by helping the Governments ambitions for Global Britain to become reality.

What are the biggest issues?

The biggest complaints about the Heathrow Airport expansion proposals have been from environmental and local groups.

Environmental groups have shared that the new runway will bring about immense air pollution and add to the UKs carbon emissions by introducing hundreds of new flights per year.

Talking to the BBC, Green MP Caroline Lucas has previously said the proposal made a mockery out of the governments 2050 carbon-neutral strategy, while Labour MP Rupa Huq pointed out that Heathrow is the biggest emitter of carbon dioxide in Europe.

Locals are also against the plans. They have shared that they dont want the noise pollution to increase and are concerned about what the expansion will do to their neighbourhoods. The proposal would see hundreds of homes being demolished to make space for the new runway and facilities.

Heathrow has committed to paying the full market value plus 25 per cent for the properties in its compulsory purchase zone, but not everyone is on board with the plan.
The ban follows increasing reports of e-scooters catching fire on National Rail services.

South Western Railway (SWR) is the latest train operator to ban e-scooters from their trains, joining a host of other companies including CrossCountry to make the move.

Southeastern and Thameslink are also banning them from June 1.

A SWR spokesman said: Reports of incidents involving e-scooters catching fire on National Rail services or infrastructure are increasing.

In response to these incidents, from June 1, 2023 customers in possession of e-scooters will not be permitted to enter our stations or travel on our services.

E-scooters pose a fire risk due to the potential of their lithium-ion batteries overheating.

While the chances of a fire are small, the consequences are very serious.

E-unicycles, e-skateboards and hoverboards are also banned in the changes, but e-bikes are permitted.

Jane Lupson, SWRs head of safety, said: After some consideration, and in line with other partners in the rail industry, we will be banning e-scooters on our trains and at our stations from Thursday 1 June.

We understand that these devices are popular, but the safety of our customers and staff is our number one priority, so until greater regulation and testing can be brought in to ensure the safety of those travelling on trains, e-scooters will remain banned.

It came after it was revealed firefighters have been called to more than 130 fires involving the type of batteries used in e-bikes and e-scooters in London in little over a year.

Figures obtained by the Standard from the London Fire Brigade (LFB) show it was called to 104 fires involving lithium batteries last year  44 from e-bikes, 28 from e-scooters and 32 other incidents, including mobile phones, laptops and cases where the e-scooter or e-bike was not identified.

This was four times as many as the 26 recorded in 2020.

There have been a further 29 lithium battery fires this year, including 17 e-bikes.

E-scooter bursts into flames and explodes while charging

Dramatic footage of an e-scooter explosion in a kitchen has been released to highlight the risks around charging batteries.

LFB published the video showing the moment an e-scooter catches fire while plugged in at a house in Brent, north-west London on Saturday.
B uckingham Palace has formally declined Ethiopias request to have Prince Alemayehus remains sent back to his home country.

The request had been made by his descendants. Talking about it, one of his family members said: We want his remains back as a family and as Ethiopians, because that is not the country he was born in.

The princes remains are buried within the catacombs of St Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle and, in a statement sent to the BBC, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said removing them would affect others.

They explained: It is very unlikely that it would be possible to exhume the remains without disturbing the resting place of a substantial number of others in the vicinity.

They added that, while they wanted to honour Prince Alemayehus memory, they also had the responsibility to preserve the dignity of the departed.

This isnt the first time his remains have been requested. Back in 2007, the countrys then-president had formally reached out to Queen Elizabeth II, but his requests werent fulfilled.

But who exactly was Prince Alemayehu? Here is everything we know.

Who was Prince Alemayehu?

Prince Alemayehu of Ethiopia, then known as Abyssinia, was the son of Emperor Tewodros II (known as Theodore) and Empress Tiruwork Wube.

His father, the emperor, wanted to strengthen his empire, so in 1862, he started reaching out to Queen Victoria in hopes of building an alliance with the UK. But his letters were never answered.

To retaliate, the emperor took some European missionaries, the head of the Ethiopian church, and the British consul hostage. This triggered a rescue mission involving more than 13,000 British and Indian troops.

European missionaries who were imprisoned by King Theodore II of Ethiopia (then Abyssinia) / Hulton Archive / Getty Images

In April 1868, the troops were successful in overwhelming the emperors defences in northern Abyssinia and freeing the hostages.

The emperor, not wanting to be a prisoner of the British, decided to take his own life, becoming a heroic figure among Ethiopians.

In the aftermath of the battle, the British collected thousands of cultural and religious artefacts from the empire, including manuscripts, necklaces, dresses, and crowns.

After his mother died, his guardian, Captain Tristram Charles Sawyer Speedy, took him to his home on the Isle of Wight. Queen Victoria agreed to support the prince financially, having been touched by the story.

For a while, the prince and his guardian lived on the Isle of Wight together. But, later on, they started to travel to other parts of the world, including India. However, the young prince always expressed a desire to return to his homeland.

Eventually, it was decided that the prince needed a formal education and he attended various schools, including Rugby. After he dropped out of officer training at Sandhurst, Prince Alemayehu went to live with his former tutor, Cyril Ransome (father of famous author of Swallow of Amazons, Arthur). However, very soon afterward, the prince caught pleurisy and died, in 1879. He was just 18 years old.

In her diary, Queen Victoria spoke of how saddened she was by his passing, saying: Very grieved and shocked to hear by telegram, that good Alemayehu had passed away this morning. It is too sad! All alone, in a strange country, without a single person or relative, belonging to him.

His was no happy life, full of difficulties of every kind, and was so sensitive, thinking that people stared at him on account of his colour... Everyone is very sorry.
D onald Trump made a video appearance at a New York court on Tuesday in a criminal case which made him the first former US president to be charged.

The case centres around allegations the former US president authorised hush money payments to bury allegations of an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election campaign.

The judge in the case set the date for trial as March 25, which would fall during next years presidential primary season. The 76-year-old has already announced his intention to seek the presidency in 2024.

Mr Trump, the only US president to be impeached twice, denied wrongdoing last month.

At Tuesdays hearing, Manhattan Judge Juan Merchan reviewed an order barring Trump from publicly disseminating certain evidence turned over by prosecutors.

He was spared a personal appearance at the courthouse, avoiding the mammoth security and logistical challenges that accompanied his arraignment last month.

Trump appeared by video conference at the courtroom / via REUTERS

Instead, the Republican was connected by video conference, with his face beamed onto courtroom TV monitors.

The judges order allows Mr Trump to speak publicly about the criminal case.

However, he risks being held in contempt if he uses evidence turned over by prosecutors to target witnesses or others involved in the case.

He pleaded not guilty on April 4 to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to payments his company made to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Prosecutors claim 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.

Mr Trump denies having had extramarital flings and says the prosecution is politically motivated.

File: Trump at the courthouse as he was charged in April / AFP via Getty Images

The judges order bars Mr Trump and his lawyers from disseminating evidence to third parties or posting it to social media.

It also requires that certain, sensitive material shared by prosecutors be kept only by Mr Trumps lawyers, not Mr Trump himself.

Prosecutors sought the order soon after Mr Trumps arrest, citing what they say is his history of making harassing, embarrassing, and threatening statements" about people with whom he is involved in legal disputes.

Judge Merchan, noting Trumps special" status as a former president and current candidate, has made clear that the protective order shouldnt be construed as a gag order and that Mr Trump has a right to publicly defend himself.

Mr Trumps lawyers are seeking to have his criminal case moved to federal court. It will continue in state court while that plays out.
E Jean Carroll has filed a fresh lawsuit over comments Donald Trump made about her on TV a day after she won a sexual abuse and defamation case against him.

The columnist, 79, was awarded $5 million (4.02 million) on May 10 and is seeking at least a further $10 million (8.04 million) for comments made by the former US president at a CNN town hall meeting.

Her lawyers, who filed the amended lawsuit in Manhattan, said the former president had doubled down on derogatory remarks about her.

It is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill will, or spite, they wrote of his remarks on CNN.

This conduct supports a very substantial punitive damages award in Carrolls favor both to punish Trump, to deter him from engaging in further defamation, and to deter others from doing the same.

A nine-person jury in the earlier civil suit decided Mr Trump had sexually abused Ms Carroll - but not raped her - at an upscale Manhattan department store in early spring 1996.

It also found that Mr Trump had made false statements that damaged her reputation after she went public with her allegations in a 2019 book.

Ms Carroll said she felt fantastic a day after the jury verdict.

Yesterday was probably the happiest day of my life, Carroll told ABCs Good Morning America.

He said terrible things about me, Ms Carroll said, referring to Mr Trump, dragged me through the mud, ground my face in the dirt.

Joe Tacopina, a lawyer for Mr Trump who has filed an appeal against the original verdict, declined to comment on the new legal claim which has been added to an existing lawsuit dealing with derogatory remarks made in 2019.

Ms Carrolls lawyers asked for a speedy resolution while she remains in good health and before Donald Trumps time and attention are consumed entirely by his presidential campaign.

In the new claim, her lawyers said Mr Trump, undeterred by the jurys verdict, persisted in maliciously defaming Carroll yet again at the CNN event.

He doubled down on his prior defamatory statements, asserting to an audience all too ready to cheer him on that I never met this woman. I never saw this woman, that he did not sexually assault Carroll, and that her account - which had just been validated by a jury of Trumps peers one day before - was a fake, made up story invented by a whack job.

They added: Trump used a national platform to demean and mock Carroll. He egged on a laughing audience as he made light of his violent sexual assault, called Carroll names, implied that Carroll was asking to be assaulted, and dismissed the jurys verdict vindicating Carroll.
F rance has banned short-haul domestic flights between cities where there is an existing rail connection that takes less than two and a half hours.

The move will put an end to flights between Paris Orly airport and the cities of Nantes, Bordeaux and Lyon.

The final number of axed flights stops short of the eight routes French MPs had proposed to cut under its 2021 climate law. If rail services improve more routes could join the list.

The move has been implemented in a bid to reduce CO2 emissions in Europe.

But Laurent Donceel, interim head of industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E), told AFP governments should support real and significant solutions to airline emissions, rather than "symbolic bans".

Brussels had found that banning these trips will only have minimal effects on CO2 output, he added.

Some European MPs hope the law will expand to routes across the continent as new high-speed rail lines are constructed.

While the current rail journey between Paris and Milan, for example, takes more than seven hours, the opening of the new 36-mile Mont Cenis base tunnel will cut the travelling time in half.

It comes as French politicians have also been debating how to reduce emissions from private jets.

While Green MPs have called for banning small private flights altogether, Transport Minister Clement Beaune last month trailed a higher climate charge for users from next year.
P olice divers working on the Madeleine McCann investigation today entered the water at a remote Portuguese reservoir as the hunt for evidence about her fate reached a potentially decisive new phase.

A motorboat was also being used in the search of the Barragem do Arade reservoir as officers from Portugal, Germany and Britain were seen next to large blue tents at a site overlooking a promontory on the western side of the water. Briefings were being held while other officers patrolled the area, which was sealed off overnight.

It has been claimed that the prime suspect in Madeleines disappearance used to visit the lake regularly and would call it his little paradise. The police operation was taking place about 30 miles from the Algarve resort of Praia da Luz where three-year-old Madeleine vanished in 2007.

Shortly after the start of the searches, German prosecutors confirmed that they had requested them.

German police arrived last night to begin the search today for Madeleine McCanns body with Portuguese Police at the Barragem reservoir on the Algarve / Nick Edwards

A statement issued by the prosecutors office in the state of Braunschweig, which has named jailed sex offender Christian Brueckner as its prime suspect, said: The measures are being implemented... by the Portuguese law enforcement authorities with the support of officers of the [German] Federal Criminal Police Office.

Portuguese officials had earlier said that officers from Britain, where the Met has been leading the inquiry into Madeleines disappearance, were also taking part in todays operation.

AFP via Getty Images

It comes almost three years after German police and the Met announced that Brueckner had been identified as the prime suspect. He is serving a prison sentence in Germany for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in the Algarve two years before Madeleine vanished. He lived in the area between 2000 and 2017.

Police have said that a yellow and white VW Westfalia camper van that he drove was seen in Praia da Luz on May 3, 2007, the day that Madeleine disappeared. Phone records have also placed him in the area at the time.

REUTERS

Brueckner has denied any involvement, claiming he was with a German woman miles away when Madeleine vanished, but was made a formal suspect in the case by the Portuguese authorities last year.

German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has said that police there believe that Madeleine was abducted and killed in Portugal, without disclosing the reasons why, and that Brueckner, who also has convictions for child sex offending, was being investigated over her murder.

He told Sky News: We are investigating in Portugal on the basis of certain tips (tip-offs). I cant disclose the background at the moment, like why we are searching there and what we hope to find there. That shall remain our secret for the moment.

Todays search of the reservoir is not the first time that divers have entered it looking for evidence about Madeleines disappearance from the holiday apartment rented by her parents Kate and Gerry for a family holiday.

The search for missing Madeleine McCann - In pictures 1 / 36 The search for missing Madeleine McCann - In pictures PA Media Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter Madeleine disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal ten years ago, during an interview with the BBC's Fiona Bruce at Prestwold Hall in Loughborough PA Vehicles and tents of Portugals investigative Judicial Police are seen at the site of a remote reservoir where a new search for the body of Madeleine McCann is set to take place, in Silves, Portugal REUTERS Screen grabbed image taken from the Official Find Madeleine Campaign Facebook page of a message from Madeleine McCann's parents, Gerry and Kate, who has described the tenth anniversary of her daughter's disappearance as a "horrible marker of time, stolen time" PA Ocean Club in Praia Da Luz The Ocean Club in Praia Da Luz where Madeleine McCann disappeared Kate and Gerry McCann Kate and Gerry McCann with a computer image of how their missing daughter Madeleine might look Reuters Maddie disappeared in 2007 Madeleine McCann: Disappeared in 2007 aged three PA Madeleine McCann Maddie disappeared in 2007 PA Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, who has revealed that British detectives working on the Madeleine McCann case are still pursuing "critical" leads as the 10th anniversary of her disappearance approaches PA Kate and Gerry McCann Kate and Gerry McCann before a charity run in London AFP/Getty Images The Ocean Club which is next to Apartment 5A in Praia Da Luz in Portugal, where Madeline McCann went missing PA Kate and Gerry McCann, whose daughter Madeleine disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal ten years ago, during an interview with the BBC's Fiona Bruce at Prestwold Hall in Loughborough PA Kate McCann Kate McCann speaks to press at a Lisbon court last year AFP/Getty Images Kate and Gerry McCann with their children Kate and Gerry return home from Portugal in 2007 AFP/Getty Images A general view of the coastline in Praia Da Luz in Portugal, where Madeline McCann went missing PA Portugal police Police in Portugal comb the Algarve resort after Madeleine disappeared in 2007 AFP/Getty Images Kate and Gerry McCann Kate and Gerry McCann pictured shortly after Maddie went missing AFP/Getty Images Kate McCann Kate McCann cries during a 2008 TV appearance Madeleine McCann Maddie in an Everton shirt Everton FC/PA A general view of Church of Nossa Senhora da Luz in Praia Da Luz, Portugal, close to where Madeline McCann went missing PA Members of Scotland Yard dig at an area during the search for missing British girl Madeleine McCann in Praia da Luz, near Lagos on 07 June 2014 Reuters Kate and Gerry McCann Kate McCann and Gerry McCann speak to press after being cleared of being formal suspects Getty Images A poster is shown whilst Kate and Gerry McCann give a press conference in 2012 about their missing daughter Madeline McCann Daily Mail Kate and Gerry pictured five years after Maddie went missing Getty Images The Ocean Club which is next to Apartment 5A in Praia Da Luz in Portugal, where Madeline McCann went missing PA Maddie's parents in an interview with Crimewatch A scene from a Crimewatch reconstruction BBC

A Portuguese lawyer, Marcos Aragao Correia, paid for divers to search it in 2008 after saying that he had been tipped off by underworld contacts that Madeleine had been murdered and her body thrown into the reservoir within 48 hours of her disappearance.

Nothing conclusive was found but former senior British officer Jim Gamble, an expert in child sex abuse investigations, told the BBC today that German police were likely to have more information than theyre sharing with the public about Brueckner.

Given that they are pursuing these lines of inquiry in such a positive and direct way, I would make the assumption that this is going to be a very deliberate, direct and focused search, Mr Gamble said.

Christian Brueckner / AFP PHOTO/ ITALIAN CARABINIERI

The reservoir is near the town of Silves where a lorry driver says he saw a woman handing a child looking like Madeleine McCann over to a man two days after she went missing,

The search is the first major operation of its kind since June 2014 when British police were given permission to carry out digs in Praia da Luz that involved sniffer dogs trained in detecting bodies and ground-penetrating radar.

The Scotland Yard digs were linked to the leading UK police theory at the time that Madeleine died during a break-in and burglars dumped her body nearby.

The Met has continued to class its investigation into Madeleines fate as a missing person inquiry.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, leading the Mets Operation Grange, said: The Met continues to work with and support colleagues in Portugal and Germany, with their investigations into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.Met officers will be in Portugal and I am grateful to the Policia Judiciaria and Bundeskriminalamt for allowing us to be present whilst their work is ongoing, so that we can inform Madeleines family of any developments.
V ladimir Putins security forces came under attack in at least three locations within Russia by anti-regime groups, British defence chiefs said on Tuesday.

The clashes close to the border with Ukraine involved small-arms fire and drone attacks, they added, and led to some villages being evacuated.

Russia was now facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions, they stressed.

In its latest intelligence update, the Ministry of Defence in London said: Between 19 and 22 May 2023, Russian security forces highly likely clashed with partisans in at least three locations within Russias Belgorod Oblast, near the Ukrainian border.

The identity of the partisans remains unconfirmed, but Russian anti-regime groups claimed responsibility.

The most serious incident took place near the town of Grayvoran. As well as small-arms fire fights, there was an uptick in drone or indirect fire attacks near the incidents.

Russia has evacuated several villages and has deployed extra security forces to the area.

The briefing added: Russia is facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions, with losses of combat aircraft, improvised explosive device attacks on rail lines, and now direct partisan action.

Russia will almost certainly use these incidents to support the official narrative that it is the victim in the war.

Russian forces pressed on with a "counter-terrorism operation" in a border district on Tuesday, a regional governor said, a day after what appeared to be one of the biggest cross-border incursions from Ukraine since the war began 15 months ago.

Russia said on Monday it was battling an incursion by Ukrainian saboteurs who crossed into the Belgorod region. A Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Twitter the Kyiv government was watching the situation but "has nothing to do with it".

The Ukrainian outlet Hromadske cited Ukrainian military intelligence as saying two armed Russian opposition groups, the Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, both consisting of Russian citizens, were responsible for the attack.

The Russian regional governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on the Telegram messaging service a "counter-terrorism operation" was still going on.

"The cleaning of the territory by the Ministry of Defence together with law enforcement agencies continues," Gladkov said.

On Monday, Gladkov said at least eight people had been wounded, several buildings damaged and many residents had left. He said he had restricted movements and communications.

Gladkov said two buildings were attacked by drones overnight and people could not return to their homes.

"I now appeal to the residents of the Graivoron district, who ... temporarily left their homes, it is not possible to return yet," he said.

Gladkov said one woman died during the evacuation on Monday and there were reports of two people wounded. The "number one" task on Tuesday was to reach them, he said.

The Russia Volunteer Corps published video footage late on Monday showing what it said was a fighter inspecting a captured armoured vehicle. Another video showed what it said were fighters operating an armoured vehicle on a country road.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Mr Putin had been informed and that work was under way to drive out the "saboteurs", the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

The Telegram channel Baza, which has links to Russia's security services, said there were indications of fighting in three settlements along the main road into Russia. The "Open Belgorod" Telegram channel said power and water had been cut off to several villages.

The Liberty of Russia Legion said on Twitter it had "completely liberated" the border town of Kozinka. It said forward units had reached the district centre of Graivoron, further east.

"Moving on. Russia will be free!" it wrote.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

The Kremlin said the incursion by a "Ukrainian sabotage and reconnaissance group" was aimed at distracting attention from the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, which Russian forces say they captured in its entirety after more than nine months of fighting.

Russia says capturing Bakhmut opens the way to further advances in the eastern industrial region known as the Donbas. Ukraine says its advance on the Russian forces' flanks is more meaningful than its withdrawal from Bakhmut itself, and Russia would have to weaken its lines elsewhere to send reinforcements to hold the shattered city.

There were more than 30 clashes in the main sectors of the frontline with the epicentre of fighting remaining Bakhmut and Maryinka further south, the Ukrainian military said early on Tuesday.

"Battles for the city of Bakhmut continue, it said, with a more widespread counter offensive expected to be launched within weeks.
C hefs Alain Ducasse and Wolfgang Puck will are set to forces to cook a special six-course dinner at Pucks Park Lane restaurant, CUT.

Ducasse and Puck will marry contemporary French and American cuisine at the dinner, taking guests on a culinary journey with exceptional wine pairings, an announcement said.

Both chefs will be accompanied by their leading kitchen teams  including Jean-Philippe Blondet, chef patron at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester, and Elliott Grover, executive chef at CUT  and will cook some of the memorable dishes that have helped propel them to stardom.

Ducasse, 66, who holds 20 Michelin stars at restaurants around the world, said the dinner marks an incredible opportunity for Blondet and Grover to exchange ideas and bring together our unique perspectives on cuisine.

He added: We are looking forward to partnering with Wolfgang Puck for an extraordinary dinner at his CUT restaurant.

We are looking forward to creating an unforgettable dining experience for our guests."

Puck, meanwhile, who has three Michelin stars  two at Spago in Beverly Hills, and one at CUT in Singapore  and is famous for catering the post-Oscars party, will play host at his restaurant, which was his first in Europe when it launched in 2011. It is famous too for its artwork, which includes Damien Hirst pieces on the walls.

Both Ducasse and Puck will present a course at the dinner, which The Dorchester group promised will be a memorable feast.

The dinner will be served from 6-10pm on Wednesday June 7. Tickets are 633, with a 230 wine pairing available. For more information, visit dorchestercollection.com
Egypt's National Dialogues second session of the political axis kicked off on Sunday, with the Political Parties Committee addressing how to develop parties' activities and remove the hurdles facing them.





The Political Parties Committee, which is holding two sessions on Sunday, discussed the financial and administrative governance within the parties, rules for the promotion and support of party activities, and the formation of the parties' committee.

During the session, Khaled Dawoud, assistant rapporteur of the committee, gave an opening speech in which he welcomed the National Dialogue as an opportunity to express opinions and thoughts.

We call for a fair election law that guarantees integrity, freedom of opinion and expression, and freedom of the media, Dawoud said.

Dawoud also praised the recent pardons President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi offered prisoners of conscience and aspired to see more releases.

For his part, representative of the Republican People's Party Mohammed Abu Hemaylah announced his partys vision to merge many political parties into a single entity, noting that though the country currently has 100 parties, only 13 of them are represented in parliament.

Furthermore, Abu Hemaylah said that his party looks forward to applying principles of financial and administrative governance through implementing internal democracy, away from recommendation, appointment and the requirement for an internal election mechanism.

Susan Nada, the representative of the Bread and Freedom Party, said that the current law governing party formation hampers political parties and their members.

Furthermore, she called for allowing parties to establish themselves through the party committee's official pages, instead of advertising themselves through two official newspapers.

We hope the state financially supports political parties and implement tax deduction for party donors, Nada concluded.

For his part, Rapporteur of the National Dialogue Political Axis Alieddin Hilal stressed that the Egyptian constitution supports partisan pluralism.

We aim to strengthen the role of all parties, Hilal affirmed.

On the other hand, Hassan Badrawi, former Deputy Justice Minister, stressed that countries should not interfere in party affairs under the pretext of governance.

Political parties that are not established based on democracy are not parties, Badrawi affirmed, adding that internal democracy within parties is a sine qua non for establishing political parties.

The first two sessions of the National Dialogues political axis kicked off last week.

During the first session, the Committee on Exercising Political Rights and Parliamentary Representation discussed the electoral system for the House of Representatives, whereas the Committee on Human Rights and Public Freedoms discussed eliminating all forms of discrimination.

The National Dialogue holds its sessions on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday, with each day allocated to discussing one of the dialogue's three axes.

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E d Sheeran left a Florida high school class stunned after he surprised them with free guitars and concert tickets.

The Shape of You hitmaker visited a group of Middleton and Blake high school pupils during their band rehearsal last week as they played his single Eyes Closed to promote his new guitar line.

In footage shared on Instagram, the 32-year-old is seen casually entering the classroom with his guitar as he interrupts the bands practise.

Standing alongside a teacher, Sheeran thanked the class for welcoming him and told them he had come to play some songs for them.

Not only that, but he announced an exciting surprise for the students  free tickets to his sold-out show at Raymond James Stadium and guitars for the music department.

He said in the video: Ive also brought some guitars to give to you guys and the music department, and Im playing a sold-out stadium tomorrow, but Ive got tickets for all of you guys to come.

But tomorrows to like 72,000 people, and right here, Im going to play a tiny piece of it now, if thats OK.

Following his announcement, he went on to play an acoustic version of his 2017 track Perfect for the class and later sang a duet of Photograph with a smaller group of guitar-playing students.

After his impromptu performances, Sheeran was seen signing autographs, taking selfies and speaking with the pupils.

Speaking of the experience, one student told local news station WFTS Tampa Bay: I couldnt really think too much about whats happening because we had to focus on the song we were playing.

But then once we finished, I was like, Thats Ed Sheeran in our band room.

Another added: Ive followed Ed Sheeran for like a while. And Ive always had like high hopes that he would be like, an amazing person, like in person.

And its just like, really nice to actually see him coming to a community and like giving, its just like, it really gives me hope about stars and stuff.

Sheerans surprise school visit comes a week after he won a second Marvin Gaye copyright lawsuit following his trial victory earlier this month.
A n AI-generated image of an explosion at the Pentagon in the United States has been widely circulated on Twitter after being shared by verified accounts.

The Twitter account, @BloombergFeed, which shared the fake image, was verified, but unaffiliated with Bloomberg News. It has reportedly been banned since the tweet went viral.

The account tweeted: Large explosion near the Pentagon complex in Washington D.C.  initial report, with the attached picture showing a large cloud of smoke.

Although the building in the picture did not look like the Pentagon, it appeared that it was enough to deceive Twitter users at first glance.

The Pentagon is the common name for the headquarters of the United States Department of Defence. It is located in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac river from Washington, D.C. The Pentagon is a large, five-sided building and serves as the command centre for the US military.

Russian state-media Twitter account RT, which has three million followers, and Twitter account OSINTdefender, which has more than 300,000 followers, were among the verified accounts that shared the image.

Arlington Fire and Emergency Medical Services later confirmed that there hadnt been an explosion near the Pentagon.

The department tweeted that it was aware of a social media report circulating online about an explosion near the Pentagon.

It added: There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public.

The viral tweet has highlighted concerns about both AI-generated images and Twitters new Blue subscription service, and the consequences of these issues occurring in conjunction.

The fake tweet had a real-life impact, with CNN reporting that it had resulted in a dip in the stock market.

AI-generated images have circulated online in recent months.

In March, fake AI-generated images of former US president Donald Trump being arrested were shared on social media.

Twitters additional context box that appears under misleading tweets clarified: Images of Donald Trumps arrest circulating on Twitter are fake. They are AI-generated and have no factual basis. For more information, see Ars Technica and Forbes.

Earlier this month, Amnesty backtracked after sharing photos from a protest in Colombia that had been edited using AI.

The human rights watchdog said it had artificially edited the images to protect the identities of activists who sometimes face retaliation from authoritarian regimes.

Amid the rise of AI, Google has announced two features to help people establish which pictures are real and which are artificially generated.

Google will soon inform users about when it first indexed an image and similar pictures, where a picture first appeared online, and where else its been published.

In April, Twitter began removing legacy verified checkmarks from hundreds of thousands of accounts.

The only way to remain or become verified was to sign up for Elon Musks Twitter Blue subscription service.

Soon after the subscription service was launched, accounts impersonating celebrities and companies which boasted the blue tick that implies an account is legitimate  began appearing.

Accounts with blue check marks impersonating former politicians Tony Blair and George Bush went viral for their parody tweets. The issue also sparked concerns that scammers could take advantage of the blue checks to pose as customer service accounts.

The virality of the fake Pentagon image is the latest instance to raise concerns about the current blue check system.
T hieves are reportedly using a variety of hi-tech methods to steal vehicles, with thefts having increased by more than a quarter last year.

Experts at AA Insurance Services say that thieves are using relay boxes to extend the fob signal from the house to the car to unlock the door, The Times reported.

AA Insurance previously explained how thieves used technology to target keyless cars : Usually two thieves will work together. One holds a transmitter and stands next to the car while the other stands close to the property holding an amplifier.

The amplifier can boost the signal from the key and send it to the transmitter. The transmitter essentially becomes a ghost key and tricks the car into thinking the real key is nearby. This then opens the car and allows it to be driven away without causing any damage.

Thieves are also said to be using Bluetooth speakers to disguise hardware that can be used to steal cars.

Whats more, criminals are able to access some cars computers from outside by removing components that reveal wires giving them access to the locks.

New Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed that there were 130,389 vehicle thefts last year, an increase of 25 per cent compared with 2021.

It was reported in November that a gang stole around 72 cars , including Range Rovers, BMWs and Mercedes, from places in London and the South East between December 2019 and October 2020.

The gang used keyless technology to allow them to program a new digital key in seconds, giving them access to the car. They targeted cars on residential streets, driveways and dealership forecourts.

Although four men were jailed in that instance, it was reported last May that nearly nine in 10 car thefts go unsolved in London.

Analysis by the Liberal Democrats found that only 2.4 per cent of vehicle thefts resulted in someone being charged.

A report published in August last year revealed which London boroughs faced the most car thefts .

Between June 2021 and 2022, Enfield had the highest number (1,862), closely followed by Newham (1,761) and Barnet (1,501).
Marshall Ramsey talks with members of the Starkville Rotary Club after his presentation on Monday.
Press Release

May 23, 2023 SEN. LOREN LEGARDA'S STATEMENT ON THE MANILA CENTRAL POST OFFICE FIRE INCIDENT

May 23, 2023 I vow to give my full and wholehearted support to the Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) after the devastating aftermath of a fire that razed the Manila Central Post Office building. We should not take down the building but consider adopting the concept of adaptive reuse, that instead of destroying our heritage structures, we can restore them and use them for a new purpose. This is already being done in Intramuros, and there is no reason why it cannot be done in other parts of the country. Moreover, investigations taking into account how the fire started must seriously and immediately be conducted. Preserving built heritage hinges on our ability to be ever-mindful of conservation strategies. The immediate allotment of funds for a conservation management plan, structural integrity studies, and restoration and retrofitting must be diligently made. As one of the heritage partners of PhilPost, the purchase, and transfer of the ownership of the building to the National Museum or other cultural government agencies must be highly considered. If necessary, emergency shoring may be had to prevent the walls and foundational structures from collapsing. We could also initiate the establishment of the Philippine Museum of Philatelic History in one part of the building and complete the collection of Philippine stamps. The area can also be developed into an arts and culture hub, a proposal that was previously put forth by Architect Paulo Alcazaren, which puts together the Post Office, Liwasang Bonifacio, Metropolitan Theater, Manila City Hall, National Museum Complex, Rizal Park, Arroceros Park and other historic structures. With this tragedy comes new opportunities for scaling up our efforts in the conservation, preservation, retrofitting, and protection of our built heritage. I will file a resolution urging the legislators to join me in initiating a legislative action on the issues surrounding our heritage and national patrimony.
Political forces participating in Sunday's session of the National Dialogue's political track agreed on the urgency of holding the long-awaited local council elections soon.

During the session, the General Coordinator of the National Dialogue, Diaa Rashwan, said that the Egyptian Presidency will be informed of the political parties' call for expediting measures to hold municipal elections.

The agreement of the political parties, which hold different views and ideologies, on the necessity of holding the municipal elections will be reported to the political leadership, Rashwan stressed.

New municipal elections law

The participants in the session stressed the urgency of passing the amended local council law  which is instrumental in holding local council elections. Egypt has had no local councils for more than a decade.

Although the Egyptian parliament began discussing the new municipal elections law in 2019, it was never passed, which led to the absence of civic supervisory authority and the failure of the efforts to achieve decentralization.

The dialogue session focused on some axes regarding local councils, including the tools that these councils use in questioning heads of the local units.

The session discussed, too, the amendments to the current local councils' law and the conditions for dissolving such councils by the executive authority.

Local councils, assigned with implementing the states development plans and monitoring executive authorities, were dissolved in 2011 in the wake of the 25th of January revolution as per a ruling by an administrative court.

The last local council elections were held in Egypt in 2008.

Rashwan called for the Senate and House of Representatives to address the new local councils law in light of its urgent necessity.

Holding municipal elections

There is consensus by everyone to hold municipal elections and to have a law that meets the needs of all, said Talaat Abdel-Kawy, a member of the National Dialogues board of trustees, during the dialogue session.

The rapporteur of the National Dialogues municipalities' subcommittee, Sameer Abdel-Wahab, stressed, ahead of the session, that the National Dialogue is essential for municipal administration.

If the National Dialogue is important, it is even more so for municipal administration, as it provides an opportunity for a serious and objective discussion of issues about municipal administration, Abdel-Wahab stated.

Article 180

The session discussed, too, the appropriate electoral system in light of Article 180 of the Constitution, and the procedures regulating the nomination of candidates for the municipal council.

Article 180 of the 2014 Constitution stipulates that each local unit shall elect a local council by direct secret ballot for four years. The article also maintains that the candidates for the local councils must be at least 21.

The article mandates that 25 percent of the seats of the local councils should go to youth under 35 and that another 25 percent of seats go to women. It also prescribes that workers and farmers must occupy at least 50 percent of seats and that these seats should include representatives of Christians and persons with disabilities.

Rady Shamekh, a former local council member, said that Article 180 does not apply to the individual or proportional list election systems for local councils and that it does not consider the geographical, social and ethnic nature of localities.

He suggested that the groups represented in the councils should reflect the nature of each governorate.

Shamekh also proposed adding an article to the constitution that defines the exact meaning of the terms "workers" and "peasants" as some candidates used to run in elections while incorrectly identifying themselves as peasants.

Electoral system

Furthermore, the session discussed the electoral system for the local council elections. Senate MP, Ahmed Fawzy, suggested using both the closed list system and the individual system equally during the local council elections.

Egypt used to follow the individual election system in forming local councils. The 2014 constitution left it up to the legislator to adopt the individual system, the list system, or a combination of both.

Decentralisation

The main goal for discussing municipalities' issues is to confront corruption, eliminate bureaucracy, and achieve decentralization to see positive results on the ground, said MP Alaa Essam, an assistant rapporteur for the dialogues municipals' subcommittee.

The national dialogue is one of the pillars of the new republic and an opportunity to discuss municipalities, local councils, and the ways to develop and reach proposals and recommendations that can be implemented and executed, " Essam added.

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Lynn Baxter did everything she could to keep her son home. She begged and pleaded  even tried a bribe  fearful and unhappy about his decision to join the fight in Ukraine.

But Cole Zelenco didnt waver. He held his mom in his arms, gave her a great big hug, told me he loved me and he needed me to believe in him and believe in this cause.

And to let him go.

Baxter recalled a conversation with a retired navy SEAL who told her when a person like Cole is called to serve, it is their mission; their calling in life. As the mother of a soldier, it was her job to support him, whatever that might entail.

Even if it meant saying goodbye.

On April 26, while defending a major supply route into the city of Bakhmut, 21-year-old Zelenco, as well as Kyle Porter, 27, of Calgary and at least three Ukrainian soldiers were killed by Russian artillery fire while taking shelter in a bunker.

Baxter said she was told her son and his fellow soldiers had been informed of the gravity of the situation in Bakhmut, the site of the longest-running and bloodiest battle of Russias invasion of Ukraine, but chose to honour their commitment.

Even after the worst happened, it is her sons conviction he was doing the right thing that she holds on to.

It does give me consolation, it does give me peace, because in his 21 years Im amazed at what this young man has accomplished. He went forward and he never looked back.

He knew what he was getting into, he accepted it. He knew the risks and he knew that he had to follow what his beliefs were  to protect humans, protect humanity  and thats pretty special.

Im grateful I got him for 21 years

With military service in their background, both Zelenco and his sister Elena joined the Canadian Armed Forces out of a Grade 12 co-op program. Elena left to pursue her PhD in chemistry but he saw a future in service, either within the military or policing.

He was a very deep introspective thinker who was very interested in philosophy  he had an incredibly infectious laugh, you always knew it was him, his mom said. He loved to laugh and he made all of his family and friends laugh.

Very kind individual. He always saw the best in everybody.

Zelenco was in his third year at Brock University studying political science when Russia launched its attack on Ukraine. Almost immediately, he knew what he wanted  he received his release from the military, took leave from school and joined the fight.

Although his great-grandfather was born in Odessa, Baxter said the family doesnt have any ties to the country. Zelenco saw how Ukrainians were being treated and wanted to help  even when countries are fighting, he said citizens need to be treated with dignity and respect, and he wanted to do his part to protect their human rights.

That finely tuned sense of justice was evident to Baxter even when he was a little boy, describing him as very stubborn, when he wanted to do something he would do it.

And this time, he wanted to protect Ukrainians.

As part of Ukraines International Legions 92nd Mechanised Brigade, Zelenco served from April to July 2022. He returned to Ukraine for a second tour in October, and he would stay until his death.

Baxter said she spoke with her son often on a secure line, but he was secretive with information to protect me from worrying.

He would tell me that he was leading missions on his own and he had a group of soldiers that served underneath him and he was very proud  of his soldiers, he was proud of what they were doing, she said.

He kept conversations light, teasing his mom. Baxter recalled one video call that started with, Mom, I have a child and before her heart stopped completely, he moved the camera to show her an eight-week-old puppy he had rescued.

Before leaving for Bakhmut, the puppy was given to another unit and Zelenco told his mom, turns out I wasnt very good at puppy training.

Since his death, Baxter said it has been almost surreal. But within the pain, there has been love and humility, and a deeper understanding of who her son was. She knew he was a good man, but as a single mother, she was often busy focusing on the parenting part, making sure he cleaned up after himself and ensuring he was happy.

Now, listening to stories of support, Im humbled.

One soldier told her, while at the lowest point of his life, it was her son who saw them through. When in Niagara, Zelenco would stop by St. John Ukrainian Catholic Church and sit in the back pew and have coffee with the older parishioners.

Its amazing. You dont realize really how many lives somebody has touched until theyre no longer here, and he certainly touched many, many, many lives in a positive way, said Baxter. If he could see this, it would just be confirmation that he did the right thing for him and for humanity.

On Friday, Zelenco returned to Niagara. For his family, it was heartwarming to see the community lining St. Catharines streets and overpasses to welcome him home.

We were really overwhelmed with the support, said Baxter.

Now, as she prepares to say goodbye, with a memorial and celebration of life Thursday at Club Roma, she takes a moment to think about how she wants Cole to be remembered.

Even though his life was short, he lived by his convictions at such a young age and we are very proud of him for being that kind of human being. We are grateful to have had him in our lives.

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A Niagara hero

With tears running down my face, I read the above story that started with these lines: As the hearse drove through St. Catharines, the Ukrainian community bowed their heads and knelt. It was a show of respect and gratitude. And love. Lining the streets along the QEW overpass, it felt like the very least they could do to welcome home Cole Zelenco, who lost his life fighting for Ukraine.

This boy went over there on his own, no ties, gave his life for whats right  it takes a truly special person to do that, said Laryssa Doig, who spearheaded St. John Ukrainian Catholic Churchs Ukraine fundraising efforts.

Truly spoken words.

In his book Courage Is Calling, Ryan Holiday writes, Courage is the management of and the triumph over fear. Theres courage and then there is heroism, the highest form of courage. The kind embodied in those who are willing to give, perhaps give everything, for someone else.

Zelenco is a hero. By risking everything, including his life, Cole Zelenco did what was right. Not many countries have done what this one man did. Not Canada. Not NATO. Not United Nations.

Mike Cherwonogrodzky

Welland

Costly change

Re: Niagara Region considered for dissolution, May 18

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I remember when all these municipalities were first amalgamated. Now the province could separate them again. Coming and going, the taxpayer will pay for this, again, just wait and see.

Jennifer A. Temple

Welland

Wasting tax dollars

How could this not have been predicted when city councillors supported installation of these self-cleaning washrooms? What a waste of taxpayer money and an example of why St. Catharines has high property taxes.

The current taxation rate in Niagara is not sustainable. Upper- and lower-tier municipalities need to streamline services and remember there is only one taxpayer. Why are we not trying to come up with solutions to homelessness, a provincial issue, that benefits the entire region versus spending $500,000 on a washroom that will service only homeless in St. Catharines?

Lower-tier municipalities continue to work in silos and spend on Band-Aid solutions.

Im curious, as the washrooms have not been open for very long, how many more tax dollars will now be spent to keep this facility operational?

Allen McKay

St. Catharines

Letters welcome

We welcome letters from our readers. Send them to letters@niagaradailies.com or mail to PO Box 5031 Stn Main, St. Catharines, Ont., L2R 7T4. Letters should be 250 words or less, and may be edited for length and clarity. Please include your name, address and phone number for verification purposes.

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VICTORIA All his life, Christopher Schwede was inspired by superheroes. But his death may be a symbol of something else: A new form of evil on the streets.

When Schwede was a baby he was almost cast to play the young Superman alongside Christopher Reeve in the 1978 blockbuster movie. His sister told the Star that from the beginning he was absolutely fearless.

As an adult, Schwede, a 50-year-old former electrician, became known as a street hero who helped keep homeless drug-users safe on the north side of Victorias notorious Pandora Street. He was a crack cocaine user and dealer who worked to keep drug supplies clean. He shared test kits. He carried naloxone to reverse drug doses and brought many overdose victims back to life.

He was a nice guy in a place where there arent many nice guys, Anton, Swedes friend of 15 years, said through tears. I cant count how many lives he saved, said another friend who lived on the street alongside Schwede. The Star is keeping some names confidential for safety.

But Schwedes courage may have been a threat to powerful drug dealers, friend Millie Modeste told the Star. On Aug. 18, 2022, Schwede died from an accidental overdose, according to the B.C. coroners report. But nine of Schwedes friends and family told the Star they believe his death was a form of hidden murder known as a hot shot.

A hot shot is a recreational drug dose intentionally laced with a lethal substance, often fentanyl, to cause an overdose death. It is becoming the murder weapon of choice in the crime world, according to three drug dealers, from B.C., Alberta and Ontario, who spoke with the Star.

Gang bosses use fentanyl as a weapon to keep employees in line or punish rivals, said a 58-year-old former dealer.

Some law enforcement leaders are acknowledging what the drug dealers are saying.

(A hot shot) is a pretty easy way to kill somebody, Tim Farquharson, co-chair of the Ontario Chiefs of Police substance advisory committee, told the Star.

But opioid deaths are hard to investigate.

It is difficult to prove death is intentional, and there are no provincial standard operating procedures directing when to investigate an overdose, Farquharson said.

In Thunder Bay, two families are asking police to investigate the overdose deaths of their loved ones as possible murders, the Star reported.

On the west side of the country, where overdose deaths have more than doubled in the past three years, Schwedes Victoria death is raising questions too.

Instantly I thought Chriss death was suspicious, said 54-year-old Modeste, who is called the Angel of Pandora for her homeless advocacy. Schwede, she told the Star, was extremely careful and made his own safe supply. There was no way he would have taken the fentanyl apparently found in his blood stream, she said.

They killed him, I know they did, said another of Schwedes friends, sitting steps from Chris Schwedes tree, which was adorned with a dried rose and a naloxone kit in his memory.

A crack addict for more than 30 years, Schwede had long stretches of being healthy, but his addiction became unshakable. By last summer he was spending $600 a day on drugs and living on the streets, his sister, Candice Csaky, told the Star.

Schwede dealt crack to support his habit and had recently changed suppliers to ensure his supply was safe, Modeste and other friends said. This was a big risk, but Schwede was passionate about selling only safe drugs, they said, adding that Schwede encouraged his clients to change to the safe supply by offering lower prices than other dealers.

Heroin, benzodiazepines and fentanyl are more addictive than crack and many dealers add them to crack to get users more addicted.

The night Schwede died, his friend Marc Thibault told the Star, he had gone to ask Schwede for drugs and saw two women in Schwedes tent.

One was a tall blond woman who had recently started spending time with Schwede, Thibault said, and had ranted, I am going to kill you at Schwede several times earlier that week.

But the three looked like they were having a good time, Thibault said, so he told Schwede to stay safe and said goodnight.

Another friend told Modeste that a tall blond woman left the tent sometime later which was not seen as unusual until Schwede was found dead.

She could have called for help, Csaky said. And she didnt. Instead, she got out of the tent, calmly zipped it shut, walked away and disappeared.

Nobody else in the community using Schwedes drugs died that week, according to Modeste. If Schwedes drugs were tainted, wouldnt one of his clients have had problems too?

Thibault said he and another friend were the only people to enter Schwedes tent after his body was removed and they noticed that there was no money or drugs. Victoria Police also told Schwedes family that no money or drugs were found.

It had to be a hot shot because Chris always had drugs and five to ten thousand dollars in the tent, Thibault said. Whoever gave him the suspected hot shot, robbed him too, he believes.

While its hard to know what transpired that night, friends feel further investigation is warranted.

Six months before he died, Schwede talked with the Star while he huddled with friends smoking crack under an umbrella on the Pandora Street sidewalk. At the time he spoke of a sense of doom that had enveloped his community. He had just recovered from third-degree burns suffered when someone set fire to his tent. He was shivering, because his tent and blankets had just been confiscated by bylaw officers upholding the citys no camping rules.

Its really dark in the city now, said Schwede, a long-time Victoria resident. The city has changed.

He wanted to keep himself and other crack users safe, he said. But he worried he was not a good role model for his family, especially his daughter Olivia and his nieces and nephews. So he kept his distance from them.

I want them to still think I am awesome Uncle Chris, Schwede said.

But he maintained a close connection with his sister, who checked on him every day.

On the morning Schwedes body was found unresponsive in his tent, Csaky said Victoria Police Constable Scott Eddy told her the death seemed suspicious but that an investigation would be futile.

He said that without a confession there would be nothing that they could do to prove that this was murder, Csaky said.

No mercy is shown even after the bell, Schwede wrote of life as an unhoused addict, in a diary excerpt read at his funeral.

Human beings full of despair. Does anyone care?

Constable Eddy and Victoria Police spokespeople would not comment on Schwedes death. The B.C. Coroners Service detected a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl in Schwedes bloodstream. A drug his friends say he would never take.

Other media reported that Schwede was likely another victim of xylazine, a veterinary sedative being added to Victorias illicit drug supply. But xylazine was not found in Schwedes system, according to the coroners report.

Speaking for the B.C. RCMP, Sgt. Chris Manseau said he was not aware of hot shot murders in British Columbia. But he acknowledged it is possible these incidents are occurring and police view them as part of the current opioid crisis.

If the Prime Minister of Canada had died, do you think they would investigate? Thibault said.

Well, Chris was more important to me than any prime minister  And he helped a lot of people.

His life matters too.

Katharine Lake Berz is a writer who lives on Vancouver Island and in Toronto.

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HALIFAX - Lobster populations around the Maritimes remain in good shape, though climate change may be to blame for a recent downward trend, the federal Fisheries Department says.

Adam Cook, a research scientist with the department based in Halifax, said Tuesday that populations started rising around 2010 and peaked a few years ago amid strong demand for the crustaceans. As the populations rose, so did lobster landings, making for a lucrative industry.

Even though most populations appear to be shrinking in recent years, Cook said the numbers remain strong and sustainable when compared to levels recorded before 2010.

The latest numbers are contained in a series of stock status reports released in late March.

We still think theres enough lobster for there to be a sustainable lobster population, Cook said in an interview. Over the last number of years, the conditions have been favourable to lobster ... Were still in what we consider the healthy zone. One of the key factors contributing to the healthy numbers has been a lack of predators, the scientist said.

As a result, the department does not have any conservation concerns about lobster. That is welcome news to an industry that exported $3.26 billion worth of product in 2021, beating the previous record of $2.59 billion set in 2019.

Outside the Maritimes, lobster are fished in Newfoundland and parts of Quebec. But the three Maritime provinces dominate the Canadian industry.

Almost all coastal communities in the Maritimes are involved in the inshore lobster fishery, which now has 3,000 licence-holders employing about 7,500 fishers.

In Lobster Fishing Area 34, which stretches from southwestern Nova Scotia to the Bay of Fundy, lobster landings account for 20 per cent of Canadian totals, making it the countrys largest lobster fishery. The annual haul there averaged 21,844 tonnes over the past five years.

But the past six seasons have seen total landings decreasing from the record high in 2016.

There are a number of restrictions on the fishery that help with conservation, including a limited number of licences and traps, strictly enforced fishing seasons and restrictions on catching small lobsters and egg-bearing females.

Still, the latest numbers show populations sliding downward in most areas across the Maritimes, except along Nova Scotias eastern shore and Cape Breton.

You cant always be setting new highs, Cook said. At some point populations become self-regulating and youll see declines, even in an undisturbed, natural population.

Cook said the warming of the Atlantic Ocean caused by climate change could be to blame, but more research needs to be done.

There are ecosystem changes going on, he said. We have heard reports about the Gulf of Maine warming considerably faster than a lot of other places. These are things were thinking about. But from a biological perspective, we still feel there is ample lobster to be contributing to the population.

Unlike some ocean-dwelling creatures, lobsters are fairly resilient when it comes to fluctuations in water temperature, but even they have a limit. Still, it remains unclear if that limit has been reached in some areas.

These are major research questions we are working on now, Cook said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2023.

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HALIFAX - Parks Canada says an urban wilderness area on the edge of Halifax has met a key requirement in the process to become a national urban park.

The agency says a pre-feasibility report on the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes area has determined the candidate site can move on to the planning stage.

Parks Canada also announced it will provide $2.1 million to help the province work with the Nova Scotia Nature Trust and the Halifax Regional Municipality.

The planning stage will also look into how the park will be run, where the boundaries will be placed and what trails and infrastructure will be needed for public access.

As well, there will be ongoing collaboration with local Indigenous communities as the project includes lands and waters that are culturally significant to the Mikmaq in Nova Scotia.

The federal and Nova Scotia governments committed to establishing the provinces first national urban park last August.

Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said at the time Ottawa had already committed to investing in land acquisition and infrastructure by the end of 2023.

The existing Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes Provincial Wilderness Area is close to Kearney Lake and the Bayers Lake Business Park in Halifax.

Local advocacy group Friends of the Blue Mountain-Birch Cove Lakes has been calling for a park designation since 2018.

Every Canadian deserves access to green and protected areas close to home, Guilbeault said in a statement. We want more Canadians to be able to connect with nature and to foster a deeper appreciation for the natural environment.

The potential national park includes 2,304 hectares of forests, barrens, wetlands and lakes. The area is also home to 23 species at risk.

Parks Canada has also started exploratory talks for other potential national urban parks in Montreal, Victoria, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Windsor, Ont.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2023.

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SYDNEY (AP)  Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by around 20,000 cheering fans, many chanting Modi, at a Sydney stadium on Tuesday during his second visit to Australia as his countrys leader.

Modi shared the stage with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who compared the reception by the primarily Indian crowd at Qudos Bank Arena to a concert by U.S. rock star Bruce Springsteen at the same venue.

The last time I saw someone on the stage here was Bruce Springsteen and he didnt get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got, Albanese told the capacity crowd.

Prime Minister Modi is the Boss, Albanese added, using Springsteens nickname.

Modi told the audience he expected trade between the two countries will double in the next five years.

Our positive cooperation is growing in areas like climate action, disaster management, strategic technologies, reliable supply chain, education and health security, Modi said.

It hasnt grown through diplomacy. The real strength is the Indians living in Australia, he added.

A skywriter had earlier emblazoned the sky over Sydney with the message Welcome Modi in an indication of the citys enthusiasm about the 72-year-old Indian leaders visit.

The Indian diaspora accounts for only 3% of Australias population but is the nations fastest growing ethnic minority.

Modi is the only leader of the so-called Quad nations to continue with his scheduled visit to Australia after U.S. President Joe Biden pulled out of a planned meeting of the group in Sydney to return to Washington to focus on debt limit talks. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hosted a Group of Seven summit last week, later canceled his Australia trip as well.

Modi told The Australian newspaper that he wants to take Indias relationship with Australia to the next level, including closer defense and security ties to help ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

As two democracies, India and Australia have shared interests in a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. There is alignment of our strategic viewpoint, Modi told the newspaper.

The high degree of mutual trust between us has naturally translated into greater cooperation on defense and security matters. Our navies are participating in joint naval exercises. I am confident that there is merit in working together to realize the true potential in closer defense and security cooperation, Modi added.

Albanese told Parliament that Australia will host naval exercises involving India, the United States and Japan called Malabar for the first time this year in another sign of a deepening commitment to the Quad.

India is a key strategic partner, Albanese told Parliament. We are both part of a growing and dynamic region and Prime Minister Modi is a very welcome visitor to our shores.

Albanese said he and Modi expect to complete negotiations on a free trade deal before the end of the year.

That will create Australian jobs, helping our industries prosper, sparking growth in innovation, Albanese said.

Negotiations on the deal began in 2011. The Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement would increase the scope of a bilateral trade pact that came into force last December.

India is Australias sixth largest trading partner, with the two-way exchange of goods and services valued at 46.5 billion Australian dollars ($31 billion) last year.

Australia is eager to increase trade with India as a means of diversifying from China, Australias biggest trading partner. Australian efforts to improve trade relations with India have gained urgency in recent years as Beijing has imposed restrictions on certain Australian products.

Modi last visited Australia in November 2014, just months after his government was first elected.

Australia pulled out of the original Quad security dialogue with India, the United States and Japan in 2008, fearing the grouping would provoke a Chinese military buildup. Since China took that course anyway, the Quad reformed in 2017 and Australia returned to joint Quad military exercises in 2020.

With the Quad summit in Sydney canceled, a substitute Quad meeting was convened on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan.

Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday night from Papua New Guinea, where he hosted a meeting with Pacific Island leaders to discuss ways to better cooperate.

Asked if Australia would raise the issue of Muslim and minority rights in India with the Hindu leader, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said he expected Albanese and Modi would have a full conversation.

We have never had a greater strategic alignment with India than we do right now. Both countries are deeply invested in the collective security of the Indo-Pacific region, Marles said.

Sydney doctor Vani Arjunamani, one of the organizers of a rally near the stadium where Modi appeared, said the Indian leader was drawing bigger crowds than he did when he visited Australia in 2014.

Its very interesting, isnt it? Is there another head of state that can pull this crowd? It is very unusual, Arjunamani said.

___

McGuirk contributed from Canberra, Australia.

Associated Press writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.

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Witnesses in the Sudanese capital reported clashes and air strikes minutes after a one-week ceasefire was to have come into force to let through life-saving humanitarian assistance.

They reported combat in north Khartoum, and air strikes in the east of the capital shortly after 9:45 pm (1945 GMT) Monday night when the truce was to take effect, with the smell of smoke still lingering after gunfire and explosions rocked the city throughout the day.

The ongoing fighting dampened hopes for a pause to allow in humanitarian aid or let residents flee.

A series of previous truce deals were all violated.

"Beyond official announcements, Sudan is still pounded and bombarded, with millions of civilian lives at risk," Karl Schembri of the Norwegian Refugee Council wrote on Twitter.

"We've had over a month of broken promises and empty words while humanitarian colleagues were killed, together with children and others and hospitals destroyed."

Since April 15, fighting between the army, led by Sudan's leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces commanded by Burhan's former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has left about 1,000 people dead and forced more than a million to flee their homes.

Earlier on Monday, residents of the capital -- anxious for a reprieve to enable them to reach stranded relatives, flee to safety or get access to humanitarian assistance -- said there was little to show fighters were preparing to pause, reporting air strikes and anti-aircraft fire for the 37th consecutive day.

"Fighter jets are bombing our neighbourhood," Khartoum resident Mahmoud Salah el-Din told AFP, in the hours before the truce was to take effect.

While no previous truce has held, the United States and Saudi Arabia -- which brokered the deal -- said this one was different because it was "signed by the parties" and would be supported by a "ceasefire monitoring mechanism".

Air strikes and gunfire have usually quietened down overnight during the war, which has now lasted more than five weeks.

According to the seven-page agreement released by the United States, warring sides were to use the two days before it took effect Monday night to "inform their respective forces" about it and "instruct them to comply".

But Volker Perthes, the UN's envoy to Sudan, told the United Nations Security Council that "fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite a commitment by both sides not to pursue military advantage before the ceasefire takes effect".

While government forces control the skies, they have few men on the ground in the centre of Khartoum, where RSF are on the streets.

"We have seen no sign that the Rapid Support Forces are preparing to withdraw from the streets," said Salah el-Din, the Khartoum resident.

'We are all hungry'

Hours before the truce was to start, Daglo released a voice message on social media addressing reported violations by his forces -- including rampant looting, targeting of civilians and attacks on churches -- all of which he blamed on "coup plotters" in the army.

To his fighters, he said: "It is either victory or martyrdom, and victory will be ours".

At the Security Council, Sudan's representative blamed the RSF for similar violations.

Despite the previous breached truces, civilians clung to hope that the new ceasefire would hold, allowing desperately needed aid to bolster dwindling supplies of food, medicine and other essentials.

"We are all hungry, the children, the elderly, everyone is suffering from this war. We have no more water," Khartoum resident Souad al-Fateh told AFP, pleading for both sides to "find an agreement".

The violence has plunged the already poverty-stricken country deeper into crisis, with more than half the population, 25 million people, in need of humanitarian aid, according to the UN.

For Thuraya Mohammed in southern Khartoum, the truce would be a chance to escape, because "Khartoum is no longer a place fit for life. Everything has been destroyed."

Late Monday, the doctors' union announced the closure of "the only hospital that had remained servicing" two districts east of the capital, after days of RSF troops "assaulting and intimidating patients, families and medical staff" inside the hospital.

While medics have repeatedly warned that the health care system -- already fragile before the war -- is on the verge of collapse in Khartoum and elsewhere, particularly the western region of Darfur.

Doubts

The UN has reported hundreds of civilians killed in the West Darfur capital El Geneina, and in his Security Council address, Perthes warned "the growing ethnicisation of the conflict risks to expand and prolong it with implications for the region."

Intense fighting in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, killed 28 people last week, according to the doctors' union.

Othman al-Zein, a shop owner in a Nyala market that has been repeatedly attacked and looted, told AFP that "if the truce holds" he will leave the city.

"Although I doubt it will be implemented across Sudan," he said.

Burhan and Daglo in October 2021 jointly staged a coup that derailed a fragile transition to civilian rule put in place after the 2019 overthrow of former autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

They later fell out in a power struggle, including over the integration of the RSF into the regular army.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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About 82K persons enter Romania on Thursday, including almost 9K Ukrainians.

The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPR) informs that on Thursday 81,619 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, including 9,523 Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres.

According to a press release sent on Friday to AGERPRES, about 168,200 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with more than 43,420 means of transport, have gone through the control formalities at the border points throughout the country, both on the way in and on the way out.

As of February 10, 2022 (pre-conflict period), 4,304,030 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania.

In the areas of jurisdiction, crossing points and "green border," the police found 61 illegal acts (34 offences and 27 contraventions) committed by both Romanian and foreign citizens, and the value of the fines imposed amounted to over 11,660 lei.

Goods worth approximately 133,000 lei were seized for confiscation.

On Monday, 36 foreign citizens were not allowed to enter the country because they did not meet the conditions provided by the law and 22 Romanian citizens were not allowed to leave the country for various legal reasons.
Romania continues to be part of the solution for strengthening EU security, by protecting the external borders of the European Union, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, said on Tuesday during the launch of the Trilateral Romania - Spain - Poland.

In this context, the minister thanked his Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Albares, who confirmed to him that Romania's accession to the Schengen area "will be a priority" for the Spanish presidency of the EU Council, which begins in the middle of this year.

"I discussed with my friends and colleagues related to Romania's priority objective of joining the Schengen area, in the shortest possible time. And I thanked Poland and Spain - including the future presidency of the EU Council - for their support so far and for the fact that they are ready to support Romania's accession efforts, recognizing, at the same time, the significant contribution of my country to the security of the European Union", said the head of Romanian diplomacy.

The three ministers signed a joint statement, according to which the "strong, multidimensional support for Ukraine, as a response to Russia's war of aggression, will continue for as long as necessary".

In the same document, the "conviction in a strong, united and prosperous Schengen space, as a free movement area without internal border controls" is highlighted.

"We reiterate our firm support for the extension of the Schengen area", the signatories show. Also, Romania, Poland and Spain are committed to supporting NATO's "open door policy" and to intensify the support given to neighboring partners in the field of security and capacity building, including Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia.

The document is signed by the Romanian, Polish and Spanish Foreign Ministers - Bogdan Aurescu, Zbigniew Rau, and Jose Manuel Albares, respectively. AGERPRES
DefMin Tilvar attends FAC meeting in Brussels.

National Defence Minister Angel Tilvar is participating on Tuesday in the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels in the format of defence ministers from the EU member states and in the meeting of the Steering Board of the European Defence Agency (EDA), told Agerpres.

According to a release of the National Defence Ministry (MApN), the FAC agenda's main discussion item will be the EU support to Ukraine, as well as recent initiatives regarding the joint purchases in the defence area and aimed at revitalizing the industrial capabilities of the member states.

Moreover, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell will present the latest developments regarding EU's operational commitments, the progress of the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) initiatives, as well as the lessons learned from the experience in Sudan.

"Within a working lunch, which will be attended by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, there will be tackled aspects of the EU-NATO cooperation on various levels, in particular from the perspective of ensuring a common response to the challenges of the current security environment. The EDA Steering Board meeting will provide an opportunity for an exchange of views in order to capitalize on the lessons identified as a result of the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine," the release shows.
EduMin Deca: Higher Education Law stipulates greater autonomy in determining career profile of university personnel.

Education Minister Ligia Deca stated on Tuesday, at the Government, that the new Higher Education Law which passed Parliament stipulates a greater autonomy in terms of determining the career profile of the university personnel, told Agerpres.

The minister participated in the signing ceremony of the funding contracts intended to support the national research-development system by attracting highly specialized human resource from abroad, including from the scientific diaspora.

"Through this programme we provide resources so that universities can bring even closer Romanian and foreign researchers who already have well consolidated connections with the academia and the research environment in Romania," Deca argued.

Research, Innovation and Digitization Minister Sebastian Burduja brought to mind that the budget earmarked to research increased by 70pct, and the Romanian Research Law is currently in the making.

According to Presidential Adviser Diana Paun, Romania can become a technological hub and an innovation centre with a start-up ecosystem of research-development and international collaborations.

"In the current global context in which technology is developing so rapidly, we must make sure that we are prepared to manage the changes, to capitalize the advantages that they bring. Romania can become a technological hub and an innovation center with a start-up ecosystem of research and development and international collaborations. (...) This programme to attract highly specialized human resources doesn't aim only to bring the best experience and knowledge, but also to stimulate collaboration, exchange of ideas between internationally renowned professionals and local community," Diana Paun stated.
Romania will observe the commitments made to reduce the budget deficit, but a balanced strategy is needed at the level of the European Union, which takes into account the continuation of the measures taken by the Government to accelerate investments, stated the minister of Finance, Adrian Caciu, in a meeting with the European commissioner for budget and administration, Johannes Hahn.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Finance, Adrian Caciu discussed, on Tuesday, with the delegation led by Johannes Hahn, about the main measures taken by Romania in terms of accelerating the drawing of European funds and the implementation of reforms related to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), in the context of the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework.

"Romania is stable from a macroeconomic point of view, which was also confirmed by the European Commission, in the Spring Economic Forecast Report, for the year 2023, where our country appears with the highest economic growth in the region. This is mainly due to the premises created by the good absorption of European funds together with the implementation of the PNRR reforms. Another advantage is the positive evolution of the labor market, a trend also registered on the goods and services side," said the minister of Finance.

Another topic of interest was the revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework, a context in which Adrian Caciu emphasized that it must be a targeted one, covering the most urgent problems of the European Union, without affecting the allocations of the main policies, that of cohesion and common agricultural policy, as well as the ceiling of own resources.

On the other hand, the minister of Finance appreciated the flexibility of the rules on the Fiscal Pact, stating that Romania is in a good position, at the European level, in terms of the level of public debt, which is on the decline and estimated to reach 47% of GDP.AGERPRES
ForMin Aurescu and his counterparts to inaugurate Romania-Spain-Poland Trilateral meeting, in Valencia.

Foreign Affairs Minister Bogran Aurescu is inaugurating on Tuesday Romania-Spain-Poland trilateral format, within a meeting which takes place in Valencia, the Kingdom of Spain, told Agerpres.

The inaugural meeting will be hosted by Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, and Poland will be represented by Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau.

According to a release of the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE), "the initiation of this trilateral dialogue represents a materialization of the close cooperation between the three countries at the EU and NATO level, based on similar and interconnected strategic interests, even if they are at different ends of the European continent."

In addition, each of the three states is exercising special responsibilities at the external border of the EU and NATO with the two Neighbors - Eastern and Southern, the quoted source mentions.

This trilateral format will thus facilitate "a better mutual understanding at the EU and NATO level between the three states, with the goal of bringing positions closer together for coordination and advancing priorities and actions of common interest, taking into account each state's own perceptions and assessments of the risks and challenges which the European and Euro-Atlantic area of security and values are confronted with at the moment."

The agenda of the inaugural meeting will include the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the next two Summits of the European Political Community in Chisinau on 1 June and in Granada on 5 October, the strategic resilience of the European Union, the EU enlargement, migration issues, strengthening the Schengen area, cooperation on energy security.

In terms of security and cooperation within NATO, there will be tackled issues such as managing the consequences of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, support for Ukraine and for the other partners most affected by Russia's conduct, especially the Republic of Moldova, the priorities of this year's NATO Summit in Vilnius, the challenges facing the Eastern and Southern Neighborhood at the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, respectively.

Within the inaugural meeting of the trilateral format, minister Bogdan Aurescu will reiterate "the firm and multidimensional support for Ukraine and will exchange views with his counterparts regarding the ways to coordinate and provide a strengthened support to Ukraine and to mobilize international support for the Peace Formula proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the solutions to hold Russia accountable, reconstruction and the country's European and Euro-Atlantic outlooks."

Minister Aurescu will also mention the importance of maintaining the stability and security of the Republic of Moldova and will highlight the importance of opening Moldova's accession negotiations to the EU, at the same time with Ukraine, in view of the year-end. The Romanian minister will also thank for the strong support of Spain and Poland and reiterate the importance of maintaining a strong and active support from Spain and Poland in order to complete Romania's accession to the Schengen area.
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez will come to Bucharest at the beginning of June, announced, on Tuesday, the minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, during the meeting with the representatives of the Romanian community in Valencia.

"Soon we will have another important meeting in Bucharest: at the beginning of June, prime minister Sanchez will pay another visit to Romania. Today's moment is indeed a very important one, because this Trilateral with Spain and Poland strengthens our coordination both at the level of the European Union, regarding the priorities on the European agenda, which are not few, but also at the level of NATO, because both states, both Spain, but also Poland, as strategic partners of Romania, have an important contribution to the securing of the Eastern Flank of the Alliance, in this security context," the head of Romanian diplomacy conveyed.

He also addressed a problem that is on the agenda of those from the diaspora in Spain: that of dual citizenship - Romanian and Spanish. According to the law, a Spanish citizen can only have dual citizenship in exceptional cases, mentioned in agreements of this country with partner states.

In this sense, Aurescu said that the creation of a bilateral working group was established.

"Very soon we will receive the draft agreement from the Spanish Government and I hope that by the beginning of the summer we will be able to finalize this text. This means that somewhere before the end of the year the agreement could enter into force, if all the procedures are fulfilled within the normal parameters, which belong to the legislation of each state," Bogdan Aurescu said.

The minister added that he wants them (the Romanians there, ed. n.) to return to the country or to pass on their experience.

"If we have more Romanians elected in local structures, I think it is an element that increases the level of influence of the Romanian community in Spanish society. This means that we can better defend the rights and interests of the representatives of the Romanian community," emphasized Bogdan Aurescu.AGERPRES
General strike in education continues.

The Education Unions are continuing the general strike on Tuesday and threaten to massively take it to the streets if the Executive doesn't come up with proposals which can solve the issues they are confronted with, told Agerpres.

"We are warning Romania's Government that, if in the coming period it doesn't get seriously involved in solving the issues that are the subject of the general strike in education and does not come up with proposals to be accepted by union members, the educational employees are determined that, in parallel with the general strike, to massively take it to the streets," members of the Federation of Education Free Trade Unions (FSLI), the "Spiru Haret" Trade Unions Federation in Education and the "Alma Mater" National Trade Union Federation conveyed on Monday.

The three federations, on behalf of the employees in education whose rights and interest they represent, rejected on Sunday the "so-called offer of Romania's Government."

"We don't need social welfare! We are not caseworkers! We need decent wages!," the trade unionists said.

Government representatives proposed, at the meeting with trade union leaders on Sunday, financial incentives for new teachers and tenured teachers in educational units located in disadvantaged areas.

The Executive also kept its commitment to increase salaries up to the maximum of the non-teaching staff scale included in Annex 8, in addition to the application of Salary Law No. 153. This measure which is aimed at increasing incomes shall also be extended for the other categories of employees in Annex 8.

In the same context, Labour Minister Marius Budai said on Monday that coalition leaders are willing to meet "anytime, now and immediately" with teachers who are on strike in order to solve the problems and resume classes, noting that the emergency ordinance that puts into practice what the Government announced on Sunday in negotiations with education leaders is completed and shall be made publicly transparent on Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

In his turn, Executive Spokesperson Dan Carbunaru mentioned that the Ciuca Government has allocated a 2 billion RON higher budget for Education in 2022, compared to the one in 2021, and the one in 2023, "is the highest budget earmarked to Education in the past 30 years."

In respect to the Unified Wages Law, the Labour minister said that it is related to the fourth payment request of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), however, the coalition leaders decided to complete the analysis with the World Bank by 15 June 2023, the draft law to also be completed, respectively. Debates with all trade unions on the law will take place from 15 July to 31 August, after which it will be submitted to Parliament on 1 September.

The general strike in education was launched on Monday 22 May, when more than 150,000 teaching staff and about 70,000 auxiliary and non-teaching staff resorted to this form of protest.
German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier will conduct a state visit to Romania, between May 24 - 26, at the invitation of president Klaus Iohannis.

The federal president will be received on Wednesday by president Klaus Iohannis at the Cotroceni Palace. The two will have one-to-one and official talks, followed by joint press statements.

The Presidential Administration said that the talks of the two heads of state will focus on the development and deepening of Romanian-German cooperation in all topical political, security and economic areas. The two presidents will convey a message of solidarity and support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in the face of brutal aggression of the Russian Federation. The talks will also address the strong support and backing of both countries for the Republic of Moldova.

The two heads of state will also exchange views on the evolution of the security situation and the further strengthening of the advanced defence posture on NATO's Eastern flank, in preparation for the Vilnius Summit.

In Bucharest, the German president will also meet with prime minister Nicolae Ciuca, the acting president of the Senate, Alina Gorghiu, and the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Marcel Ciolacu. President Steinmeier is also scheduled to meet with representatives of the business community.

On Thursday, presidents Klaus Iohannis and Frank-Walter Steinmeier will be in Sibiu, for talks at the City Hall, as well as with representatives of the German community in Romania and they will visit the Samuel von Brukenthal National College in Sibiu and the fortified church in Cristian

The German president will end his visit in western Timisoara on Friday. He will host a concert at the Timisoara Philharmonic, as part of the city's 2023 European Capital of Culture programme, and will visit the city centre alongside mayor Dominic Fritz. The German official will also visit the Nikolaus Lenau Theoretical High School and meet representatives of the German and Jewish minorities.

According to the German Embassy in Bucharest, the federal president will be accompanied on his visit to Romania by minister of State for Europe and Climate in Germany's Federal Foreign Office Anna Luhrmann, as well as a delegation of parliamentarians, business representatives and cultural figures.AGERPRES
I know from my own political experience, both in Bucharest and in Brussels, that change is discussed, negotiated and happens when there is consensus. Real reform is not done with hot temper and excesses. It's calculated and rational when we want to get more than a piece of paper with a text on it," MEP Dacian Ciolos wrote on his Facebook page.

According to REPER MEP, "even if the regret at seeing the drama of the PNL and the one felt at the disintegration of the rest of the opposition are considerable, we must understand that the PSD remains a real danger for Romania's development".

"To the ballet of Marcel Ciolacu [Social Democratic Party's leader, ed. n.] add the rhetorical swagger, for the moment, of George Simion [Alliance for the Union of Romanians' head, ed. n.] and you will see that, if we do not wake up, we will pay dearly, including those who let themselves be enchanted by Simion's coat of arms. Personally, I regret that I ended up here. For the country, it's a disaster," argued Ciolos.

Dacian Ciolos expressed his regret at the current political situation, adding that "to this political failure" he also contributed, as a former leader of USR.

"I can't hide my astonishment in front of the prank that the president of the PSD, Marcel Ciolacu, is playing with the PNL (National Liberal Party, ed. n.). I understand that Ciolacu wants to be appointed as prime minister first and only then to discuss the government, ministries and government program. So, goodbye stability, goodbye political agreement. I'm starting over with the distribution of functions and money for parties once Ciolacu is in power, but with the country in full crisis, with holes in the budget, without PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan, ed. n.), with war on the borders, with teachers on strike, with those from the sanitary system preparing to go out on the street. Everything was dust in the eyes," said Ciolos.

"I look at what is happening now with PNL, at former colleagues from USR, at colleagues from REPER and it is very clear to me that, if we want Romania to have another chance, we must change this model. People do not need politics of operetta and emotions, of declaiming victories. They want seriousness, stability and people who keep their word, able to take an active part in society as a partner and not as a maneuvering table", Dacian Ciolos also said.AGERPRES
Egypt and Oman signed Monday an agreement to prevent double taxation and a MoU to foster bilateral cooperation in financial policies and developments, during Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariqs first visit to Egypt.

The MoU on financial policies seeks to reduce the repercussions of external shocks on social groups and activities most affected by successive global crises, the Egyptian ministry of finance said in a statement.

The signed deals contribute to strengthening economic relations and tax cooperation between the two countries in order to make optimal use of the available development opportunities and boost joint investments, the ministry added.

We look forward to a strong push to the economic, commercial and investment relations in line with the aspirations of the two peoples, Minister of Finance Mohamed Maait said during the Omani-Egyptian Business Council held in Egypt Monday.

Trade exchange between Egypt and Oman increased by 80.8 percent in 2022 compared to the previous year, Maait said, adding that Egypt seeks to boost Omani investments in Egypt.

Maait stressed the necessity of promoting Arab cooperation and integration in order to enhance the Arab states ability to contain sharp international fluctuations.

During the council, Egyptian Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir said the volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Oman has increased to $1.08 billion in 2022 compared to $651 million in the previous year.

Omani investments in Egypt have totaled $80.5 million in 110 projects in the fields of industry; agriculture; tourism; services; construction; financing; communications, and information technology, Samir said.

Meanwhile, Egyptian investments in Oman have amounted to $860 million in 142 projects in the fields of road construction, infrastructure, sanitation, real estate, and tourism, Samir added.

The trade minister called for the Omani business community to invest in the megaprojects implemented in Egypt, which offer promising investment opportunities in various fields, including clean energy.

He also shed light on the investment opportunities available in the Suez Canal Economic Zone.

The Egyptian state looks forward to boosting trade and joint investments between Cairo and Muscat in a manner that reflects the historic bonds between the two countries through the activation of their bilateral and multilateral agreements.

Oman's ambassador to Egypt Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Rahbi said on Saturday that Sultan bin Tariks visit to Egypt will witness the signing of six MoUs for cooperation with Egypt in education, the judiciary, archives, heritage, transportation, aviation, and taxation.

In a meeting in Cairo on Sunday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and bin Tarik stressed their keenness to continue enhancing the ongoing efforts between the Egyptian and Omani governments in light of the continuous growth of trade exchange between the two sides.

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MEP Siegfried Muresan, appointed EP chief negotiator for 2024 EU budget.

MEP Siegfried Muresan, Vice-President of the European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament, was appointed on Tuesday as Parliament's general rapporteur (chief negotiator) for the European Union budget for 2024, following a decision by the Committee on Budgets (BUDG), according to a press release his press office sent to AGERPRES.

"As Parliament's chief negotiator, I will have two major objectives: firstly, to adopt a strong budget covering all the financing needs for 2024, and secondly, to adopt it on time. I will work with all pro-European forces in the EP to ensure broad support among MEPs for the future European budget," said MEP Siegfried Muresan, quoted in the press release, told Agerpres.

"I want to make sure that in the EU budget for 2024 we will allocate sufficient funds to reimburse the costs of absorbing European funds. This is very important especially for Romania. I expect that next year we will accelerate the investments from the European funds related to the current multiannual financial year in our country. That is why it is important to secure the money needed to pay the bills for these investments," added the National Liberal Party (PNL) MEP.

He said that among his priorities will be the continuation of support for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.

"We can ensure peace and security in the European Union only if we quickly and adequately support the two countries to face threats of any kind from the Russian Federation. I will negotiate that support for Ukraine and Moldova should come from clear, predictable sources, without wasting time from month to month negotiating allocations and without affecting the European Union's traditional priorities, such as cohesion, economic development, support for entrepreneurs and farmers," Muresan assured.

He also said that, as negotiator for the 2024 EU budget, he will ensure that "we have sufficient funds available under the Common Agricultural Policy, including the Agricultural Emergency Fund, to quickly support farmers in Romania and the European Union faced with the current crises."

MEP Siegfried Muresan is appointed for the second time as the EP's chief negotiator for the EU budget, being the only Romanian MEP to hold this position twice. Siegfried Muresan has also negotiated the 2018 EU budget.

The European Commission is due to present a budget proposal for 2024 in early June. On the basis of this budget proposal, negotiations between the EP and EU Council negotiating teams will follow. The objective is to reach to reach an agreement so that the budget can be adopted before the end of 2023.
The touring exhibition Noi, Poporul/We the People, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between the United States of America and Romania, was inaugurated on Tuesday in Unirii Square of central-western Cluj-Napoca, in the presence of the US ambassador to Romania , Kathleen Kavalec, representatives of the local administration and a large audience.

We are honored to participate in the opening in Cluj of the We the People exhibition, which celebrates the close relationship between the United States and Romania, as well as the enduring ties of friendship between us. Tonight we celebrate a quarter of a century of Strategic Partnership between our countries and the road traveled together during all this time. This history belongs to each of us, Romanians and Americans alike. (...) The exhibition tells the story of a friendship that we told and we continue to bring to an audience of hundreds of thousands of Romanians. We are very happy that prime minister Ciuca, Foreign minister Aurescu, former president Constantinescu, American secretary of state Blinken and numerous other leaders had the opportunity to visit it. The arrival of the We the People exhibition in Cluj has a special meaning for me. In 2006, I had the honor of inaugurating the American Corner in Cluj. During my mandate as a cultural attache at the United States Embassy, I returned to Cluj many times and participated in various cultural events. The American Corner in Cluj has become one of our most important cultural and educational exchange centers in Romania," said ambassador Kathleen Kavalec.

The American diplomat said that in the 25 years since this historic moment, Romania has made remarkable progress in consolidating democracy, has become a pillar of regional peace and security, and developed economically for the prosperity of all; Romania today is an exemplary NATO ally.

Romania kept all its promises, the decision to strengthen democracy for the benefit of all its citizens. Likewise, the United States kept its promises to support our friend and ally. The exhibition we will see today, We the People, is a photographic essay that celebrates and explores the diplomatic, economic, cultural and security relationships between Romania and America. The images tell the story of our cooperation and friendship and show what two great nations can achieve together. The title of the exhibition We the People /Noi, Poporul are inspired by the preamble of the revered American Constitution. We use it to celebrate the human element, which made possible everything we have achieved together, the US ambassador to Romania emphasized.

For her part, the managing director of AGERPRES, Claudia Nicolae, stated that the press also played an important role in the partnership between the two countries.

"As you can see here, each and every part of the Strategic Partnership is represented and involved. We have diplomacy, we have the administration and we also have the press. Because, let's finally recognize all these efforts and all these achievements in the 25 years exist as well with the support of the press. The press, when needed, was and is with the Romanian state," Claudia Nicolae assessed.

The photographic exhibition was presented in Craiova, Timisoara, Bucharest, Sibiu, Iasi, Cluj-Napoca and will be opened in Constanta, between June 22 and July 20.

According to an information from the US Embassy in Bucharest, the exhibition We, the People: 25 Years of Strategic Partnership is a thematic photographic essay that explores the diplomatic, security, economic and cultural relationship between the Romanian and American people.

The AGERPRES National News Agency contributed 20 photos from the photo stream and from the AGERPRES Photographic Archive.

Also, the Diplomatic Archives Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contributed 13 photos to this exhibition, the press release states.

The event is organized by the US Embassy, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania - Diplomatic Archives Unit, with the AGERPRES National News Agency and in collaboration with the University of Craiova.
President of the National Federation of Pre-University Education Parents' Associations, Iulian Cristache, declared on Tuesday at the government premises that he doesn't consider the continuation of the education workers' strike to be useful and that there is a risk that national exams are postponed

"There is definitely a conflicting situation we need to solve through dialogue between the government of Romania and trade union representatives. If we delay this more than a week, it would be quite dangerous for the future of these children, because we know perfectly well that we have agreed on a certain school year calendar, a calendar that must ultimately lead to holding the two national exams. We don't consider it useful for this strike to continue with the implicit possibility of postponing the exams. No one is allowed to play with a year of these students' life, it is their right to take these exams and this is why we wanted to meet with government representatives," said Cristache.

He mentioned that he would also agree with the variant of the teachers putting the strike on hold during the national exams.

"We accept whatever benefits the student. And this option would be good, as it would allow the students to take the national exams," Cristache explained.

Regarding the recovery of classes, he stated that in case of a two-to-three-week strike, this could be done at the beginning of the next school year. AGERPRES
PM Ciuca: We'll continue dialogue with Education unions, problems not solved by blocking school year.

The dialogue with the education unions will continue, as education remains a national priority for the governing coalition, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said on Tuesday, stressing however that some of the measures requested cannot be implemented at this time without the risk of exceeding the budget deficit target Romania assumed, told Agerpres.

He participated, at the Victoria Palace, in the signing ceremony of funding contracts to support the national research and development system by attracting highly specialised human resources from abroad, including from the scientific diaspora.

"At the moment, we have a strike called by the education unions and I would like to underline a few points that must be known and understood by all of us. We have discussed with the representatives of the unions, at the level of the Ministry of Education, as a team at the level of the Government, with the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, at the level of the Legislature and, of course, with the representatives of the coalition, in order to have as honest a dialogue as possible and to make it clear that these are not just words, but that we have undertaken that education is the number one national priority, and this will happen, both through the government programme and through the way it will be reflected in the measures we have taken, we will take, so as to ensure the future of our children, the future of our country," said Ciuca.

He pointed out that the problems in education cannot be solved by blocking the school year.

He brought to mind that the new Education Laws had been voted in Parliament and were meant to be implemented as soon as possible.

According to him, however, there are measures that are very difficult to implement at the moment.

"But the other issues that we discussed at the meeting with the trade union leaders are absolutely very, very difficult to achieve at the moment, given that - and once again I appeal - we must understand that Romania must continue to benefit from European funds (...) we have a deficit target that we must meet. We cannot increase spending at this time, because absolutely any such spending has an effect on the deficit and, once we have lost control over the deficit, it is clear that we are no longer meeting our objectives and we are entering a new paradigm, which I do not know who will control," explained the PM.
Public Health Institute: 139 people vaccinated in the past week.

A number of 139 people were vaccinated against COVID in the week of May 15 - 21, of which 105 with Pfizer Omicron adapted to the new strains of coronavirus, the administration of which began on November 28, 2022, told Agerpres.

According to the National Centre for Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases within the National Institute of Public Health, 34 doses of the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson&Johnson vaccine were administered.

Since the start of the vaccination campaign on December 27, 2020, 16,922,695 doses of the anti-COVID vaccine have been administered.

A number of 8,131,067 people received the complete scheme, and 2,668,542 were immunized with the third dose.

In total, since the start of the vaccination campaign, there have been 20,103 side effects to the anti-COVID vaccines recorded, 2,247 of local type and 17,856 systemic.
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Thirty-five states have fewer children than they did five years ago, a situation caused by declining birth rates nationwide, but also by young families migrating across state borders in search of cheaper housing.

Even in the 15 states that gained children, all but North Dakota experienced greater growth in the adult population, meaning children now make up a lower percentage of residents.

In states where the number of children has declined, school officials are facing the possibility of teacher layoffs or even school closures when pandemic aid expires next year. A decline in school enrollment could provide short-term cost savings and might be a benefit to children if there are more resources to go around, but it bodes poorly for future state workforces.

In states where the drop in the number of children is part of a broader population decline, there will be additional fiscal, economic and political ramifications, such as diminished representation in Congress.

The states with the largest drops were California, Illinois and New Mexico, where the child population declined by 6% between 2017 and 2022, according to a Stateline analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. Idaho and North Dakota saw the largest increases, at 4%.

The declines mostly are a reflection of historically low fertility rates, which have been below the replacement rate of two children per woman since 2010. Births increased in only a handful of states in 2021.

But in the 35 states that experienced declines, high housing prices also are a factor. In California, jobs pay well but the state's housing shortage has sent prices beyond the means of young families, said Hans Johnson, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonpartisan think tank.

"People want to buy a house and have children, but they realize they can't do it here so they look in the vicinity, states close by, and work remotely so they can keep their California paychecks," Johnson said.

Slow population growth cost California a seat in Congress after the 2020 census. The number of adults in California grew in the past five years, according to the Stateline analysis, but the decline in the number of children led to a lower overall population.

California also has experienced a phenomenon shared by other Western states: The children of Hispanic immigrants have lower birth rates than their parents. California's total fertility rate dropped from 2.15 per woman in 2008 to a historic low of 1.52 in 2020, the lowest since records have been kept, Johnson wrote in a January report.

California, Illinois and New Mexico all have seen lower school enrollment in recent years, even as they've tried to rekindle interest in public education after pandemic upheavals.

In New Mexico, enrollment has dropped particularly sharply in the northwestern part of the state, where there are many Indigenous students, according to a January state report. Between 2012 and 2022, enrollment declined by 22% in the majority-Native Central Consolidated Schools in San Juan County, compared with a statewide decline of 7%, according to the report. Indigenous and other children in the mostly rural area struggle to stay in school because of long bus commutes and lack of internet access at home.

The recent closure of a coal mine and the power generating station it fueled forced many families with children to move away from San Juan County to find jobs, according to Central Consolidated school board President Christina Aspaas.

"A lot of Navajo workers who were employed had to relocate to Phoenix or elsewhere out of state to earn the same wages," Aspaas said. "It affected the local tribes, Hopi and Navajo, Dine. Seeing the impacts makes my heart break. These are all my children, and they deserve the best in education and in life."

In Idaho and North Dakota, annual school enrollment has increased over the past five years, except for temporary drops early in the pandemic. But Idaho is bracing for a decline starting in 2025, when children from a historic 2007 baby boom in the state start turning 18.

Idaho has become known as a picturesque and affordable place to raise children, said Jaap Vos, a planning professor at the University of Idaho in Boise. He moved from Florida with his 3-year-old son in 2012, "when it was still the middle of nowhere," he said. The number of adults in the state grew by 16% during the same period.

Boise is getting a lot of new residents from California, and northern Idaho is seeing more movers from Northern California, Washington and Utah. "It might be for ideological reasons, people looking for a more conservative lifestyle," Vos said. He added that some people have left Boise as it has grown more crowded.

Even in northern Idaho, housing prices have risen rapidly. Writer Leah Hampton is moving from North Carolina to Moscow in northern Idaho to teach at the University of Idaho. But she said she is having trouble finding an affordable house  even without children. Her husband is working remotely.

"Moscow is definitely a great place to raise kids. It's like a 1950s movie up here but more diverse and left-wing," Hampton said. "All of my friends' children seem really happy and well adjusted. But cost of living is much higher than we expected. We have money and we literally can't find anything to buy."
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WEST WENDOVER, Nev.  In April, Mark Lee Dickson arrived in this 4,500-person city that hugs the Utah-Nevada border to pitch an ordinance banning abortion.

Dickson is the director of the anti-abortion group Right to Life of East Texas and founder of another organization that has spent the past few years traveling the United States trying to persuade local governments to pass abortion bans.

Sixty-five cities and two counties across the United States have passed similar restrictions, he told members of the West Wendover City Council during a mid-April meeting. The majority are in Texas, but recent successes in other states have buoyed Dickson and his group.

Were doing this in Virginia and Illinois and Montana and other places as well, he said.

The quest to enact local bans has become particularly acute in small towns, like West Wendover and Hobbs, New Mexico, which are situated by borders between states that have restricted abortion and states where laws preserve access. They are crossroads where abortion advocates and providers have looked to establish clinics to serve people traveling from the large swaths of the U.S. where states have banned or severely restricted abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned nearly 50-year-old nationwide abortion protections established by the courts decision in Roe v. Wade.

Residents and leaders in West Wendover and many other towns and cities are grappling with the arrival of outside advocates, including Dickson, who now claim a stake in the governance of their small and otherwise quiet communities.

Dicksons proposal to the West Wendover City Council came after council members voted against issuing a building permit to California-based Planned Parenthood Mar Monte in March. Officials from the Planned Parenthood affiliate told the local board the facility would offer primary care services in addition to abortion and other reproductive care. The vote followed hours of heated debate during public comment. Then, Mayor Jasie Holm vetoed the councils decision, leaving the request for the permit in limbo.

Located in northeastern Nevada, West Wendover is more than 100 miles by car from Elko, the county seat, 120 miles west from Salt Lake City, and 170 miles south from Twin Falls, Idaho. The city has been a strategic location for casinos and a marijuana dispensary, which are legal in Nevada but restricted in Utah and Idaho. Similarly, its proximity to states that moved to restrict abortion access following the Dobbs decision overturning Roe has put a spotlight on the city.

Dicksons anti-abortion proposal has drawn support from the towns more conservative residents. But brothers Fernando and Marcos Cerros have challenged the anti-abortion efforts. In addition to wanting to protect and expand access to abortion, they both saw the primary care clinic that Planned Parenthood Mar Monte was seeking to establish as a potential victory in their rural community, which is designated a medically underserved area by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration.

Fernando Cerros, 22, said Planned Parenthood offered a solution to the areas health care shortage on a silver platter.

And it was denied. I need to do what I can do to get it here, he said.

The Cerros brothers have tried to organize a group to support abortion access and establish the Planned Parenthood clinic in West Wendover, but have found it difficult to sustain. They said they feel outnumbered by residents who support Dickson. Marcos Cerros, 18, said he attends Catholic Mass every Sunday in West Wendover and that parishioners there are regularly exposed to inflammatory anti-abortion language.

Abortion up to 24 weeks is protected in Nevada law, and the state legislature recently approved a bill to enshrine the law in the state constitution. To become law, the measure will need to pass once more during Nevadas next legislative session, in 2025, and be approved by voters in 2026.

Last year, following the Dobbs decision, then-Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, issued an executive order similar to ones in other states protecting patients who seek abortion care from facing prosecution by states where it is not legal.

Across Nevadas eastern border, in Utah, abortion is legal up to 18 weeks while challenges to a trigger ban and a move to clamp down on abortion clinic licensure continue through the courts.

Idahos laws against abortion are among the most restrictive in the country. Currently, the state allows abortion only in certain cases of rape and incest or to save the mothers life. In April, the state made headlines after lawmakers there passed an abortion trafficking law that criminalizes helping minors cross state borders to receive an abortion or obtain abortion pills without parental consent.

Extreme variations in abortion policy from state to state are the new normal, and local challenges are what were in for, said Rachel Rebouche, dean of the Beasley School of Law at Temple University and co-author of a recent research paper examining the post-Dobbs legal reality. The theaters of conflict are multiplying, and this is the complex legal landscape that we live in.

Dicksons strategy in creating what he calls sanctuary cities for the unborn involves invoking a 150-year-old federal law that restricts the mailing of abortion pills. But Dickson argues the law goes further, banning any paraphernalia, including anything that could be used to perform an abortion, such as certain medical devices and tools.

Federal officials contend that although the abortion provision in the law has not been amended, previous court decisions have limited the reach of the Comstock Act. The Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel issued an opinion in December concluding that the law does not prohibit the mailing of abortion medication.

Dickson argues that the Comstock Act should supersede any state law or state constitutional protection. Rebouche said shes unsure how it will shake out in the courts.

Theres a number of jumps a court would have to take, the most significant of which would be that Comstock is still good law and it preempts abortion law, she said. Thats a controversial holding because Comstock has not been enforced or applied for decades.

A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte declined to comment on whether the organization would continue to pursue the clinic in West Wendover, citing legal issues.

Dicksons proposal now sits in the hands of the West Wendover City Council. He assured local leaders that, should they proceed with implementing the ordinance, his attorney will represent them at no cost. That attorney, Jonathan Mitchell, is a former solicitor general of Texas and is credited with helping shape the law that allows civil lawsuits against people and providers aiding and abetting pregnant women terminating a pregnancy.

An anti-abortion ordinance was walked back in at least one Ohio city, and other local bodies have voted against such ordinances or chosen not to put them to a vote, according to Dicksons website.

Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, said theres an irony in Dicksons multistate effort to stop people from crossing state lines for reproductive health care, including abortion.

It would be laughable if it were not so tragic, Miller said. Its an incredibly cynical, politically motivated effort largely aimed at sowing confusion and stigmatizing abortion care.

Miller also pointed to other municipalities in the U.S.  urban centers like New York, Seattle, Philadelphia, and more  that have approved local ordinances protecting and expanding access to abortion care.

The West Wendover city manager, mayor, or council members would need to request that consideration of the proposal be added to a meeting agenda for it to move forward. Holm, the mayor, said she would not include the ordinance for consideration at any time. City Council member Gabriela Soriano, the only woman on the council, said in late April that she was unsure whether other council members would pursue the ordinance.

Holm said she was unaware of any outreach to the city from Planned Parenthood Mar Monte about moving forward with the clinic.

If the anti-abortion ordinance in West Wendover were instituted and prevented the opening of a clinic in the city, it would have far-reaching implications for residents. Currently, they face more than an hour drive in either direction to the nearest hospital.

For some community members, the decision isnt so clear-cut.

The Cerros brothers said their mother, who is Catholic and Hispanic, is against abortion but in support of the Planned Parenthood clinic opening in West Wendover. Years ago, she had a miscarriage after driving an hour and a half to Salt Lake City for emergency care.

Theres a big divide between people who think youre killing babies versus people who think pregnancy is not black and white. Things come up, Fernando Cerros said. Sometimes you need emergency care. And a clinic like that would help.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFFan independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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For the second time in consecutive elections, STLs No. 1 celeb has thrown support and star power in the direction of U.S. Senate hopeful Lucas Kunce.

Former Mad Men star Jon Hamm is now playing the lead role in a new social media spot for Kunce, a Democrat who has filed to run against the GOPs Josh Hawley, Missouris senior senator.

Hamm, who is billed as being born and raised in Missouri, does not appear in the 60-second ad.

But his dulcet tones are easily recognizable as he narrates the piece, which specifically takes Hawley to task for running from the Senate chambers during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The spot also takes shots at Manhood, Hawleys book that was released earlier this month to predictably positive and negative reviews.

Courage isnt something you can give speeches or write a book about, Hamm intones. Were the Show Me State. Courage is something you have to show us.

Hamm also came down on Kunces side in the 2022 elections, supporting Kunce in his run against eventual Democrat winner Trudy Busch Valentine, who went on to lose to Eric Schmitt in the general election.

In that primary race, Hamm appeared in a video chat to raise money for Kunce, a Jefferson City-area native who now lives in Independence.

Kunce showed a solid ability in 2022 for raising money, especially through social media posts that garnered many small donations from numerous contributors.

On that point, the Missouri Scout, a private newsletter that covers state politics, said in its Tuesday edition:

The trick is converting those small dollar donations into Missouri votes. Its a trick we havent seen a (Missouri Democrat) pull off in the last decade, the newsletter said.

As for Hamm, he stated years ago that he considers himself a Democrat and was a vocal supporter of President Barack Obama.

Also, Hamm is not Kunces first celebrity endorsement for the 2024 election. Andy Cohen, a 1986 Clayton High grad and host of Bravo TVs Watch What Happens Live, quickly endorsed Kunce on social media back in January.

Set to oppose Kunce in the Democratic primary is December Harmon, an activist in Columbia, Missouri, who also filed as a Democrat.
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UPDATED at 8 p.m. with person in custody

ST. PETERS  Police took one person into custody Monday in the triple shooting that killed a St. Peters man and injured his wife and teenage daughter.

St. Peters police Sgt. Melissa Doss said the victims were found about 1:40 a.m. Monday at their home in the 1600 block of Country Acres Drive, off of Thoele Road. The dead man is identified as 57-year-old Darin Gosejohan.

Gosejohans 45-year-old wife and 13-year-old daughter were also shot inside the home. They were being treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.

Police did not provide a possible motive for the shooting.

On Monday night, Doss confirmed that detectives took a person of interest into custody but said no charges had been filed. She declined to say anything more about the person.

St. Peters police asked the Major Case Squad to help with the homicide investigation. With that move, 18 investigators were working on the case, including St. Peters own detectives.

Doss said police havent been called to that house for any other incidents. The subdivision is north of Highway 94.

Evidence technicians placed evidence markers in the yard by a corner of the house and were looking inside a trash can on the curb and another by the house. They also were photographing the doorframe at the homes front door.

Country Acres Drive is a few hundred feet from Fairmount Elementary School on Thoele Road, and the homicide investigation altered the schools schedule Monday.

Jennifer Jolls, a spokeswoman for the Francis Howell School District, said school was in session Monday at Fairmount but under a heightened awareness, meaning that students will be kept indoors with no outside recess or other activities outside, Jolls said.

Field Day was canceled Monday and rescheduled for Thursday. No visitors were allowed for lunch Monday, and the elementary school asked for an increased police presence on campus.
Eritrea, which is widely considered to be one of the world's most repressive states, marks three decades of independence on Wednesday.

Here are five things to know about the impoverished Horn of Africa nation which has only ever been ruled by one man -- Isaias Afwerki.

Rights catastrophe

There have been no elections in Eritrea since the country formally declared independence on May 24, 1993, two years after it was liberated from Ethiopia.

Under Isaias, the authorities crack down on any political opposition and stand accused of arbitrary arrests and detention without trial.

It is a "one-man dictatorship" with no legislature, no independent civil society organisations and no independent judiciary, says Human Rights Watch.

Independent media has been banned since 2001 and religious freedom is curtailed.

The regime's oppression as well as lengthy compulsory national service, which rights activists say amounts to slave labour for the state, have pushed hundreds of thousands to flee.

30-year war for independence

An Italian colony from 1890 to 1941, the Red Sea nation became a British protectorate after Italy's defeat in World War II.

In 1952 it was joined in a federation with Ethiopia, which 10 years later annexed the smaller territory as a province.

Eritrea launched a war for independence that lasted nearly 30 years.

In 1991 Eritrean rebels, who helped overthrow the Marxist regime of Ethiopian Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam, seized the Eritrean capital Asmara.

They installed a government and achieved full statehood in May 1993 after an independence referendum, with the blessing of the Ethiopian authorities.

But the move deprived Ethiopia of its only outlet to the Red Sea, and five years later, border disputes blew up into a war between the two nations.

The 1998-2000 conflict left about 80,000 people dead and 1.3 million displaced.

Milestone peace deal

In 2018, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed shocked the world by accepting the demarcation of his country's border with Eritrea set by an independent international commission in 2002.

The rapprochement allowed the reopening of embassies in Asmara and Addis Ababa as well as the re-establishment of air links and telephone lines.

It also won Abiy the Nobel Peace Prize.

War in Tigray

In November 2020, Abiy sent troops into Tigray in northern Ethiopia, in response to what he said were attacks on federal army camps by the Tigray People's Liberation Front, the regional ruling party which dominated Ethiopia's government until 2018.

Eritrean troops supported Ethiopian forces during the two-year war against the TPLF, a longstanding enemy of Asmara.

Eritrean soldiers were accused of brutal atrocities against civilians during the war, including massacring hundreds of people, and were sanctioned by the United States in 2021.

But at a rare press conference during a visit to Kenya in February 2023, Isaias dismissed the allegations as "a fantasy".

Abiy's government signed a peace deal with the TPLF in November 2022 to end the two-year war, but Eritrea was not a party to the agreement.

The US said in January that Eritrean forces were engaged in an "ongoing withdrawal" from Tigray, but a UN report presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva in March said the withdrawal remained "very slow and largely incomplete".

Access to Tigray is restricted, and it is impossible to verify independently whether Eritrean troops have indeed left the region.

Corruption and poverty

Eritrea is classified by the United Nations as one of the world's least developed countries. It ranks 176th out of 191 countries on the UN's human development index (2021).

It is also one of the most corrupt countries in the world, ranked 162nd out of 180 in 2022 by Transparency International.

The country has never conducted a census, but various estimates place the population between three million and six million.

Its main sources of wealth include gold, copper and zinc mines.

There are nine ethnic groups and a roughly even spread between Christians and Muslims. There is no official language but Tigrinya, Arabic and English are used most frequently.

Asmara, a quiet city of sidewalk cafes and picturesque villas, was in 2017 designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its colonial Italian modernist architecture.

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UPDATED with name of victim

ST. LOUIS  The man was shot to death Tuesday in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis has been identified as 39-year-old Nichalaus Kaznoch.

Kaznoch was shot about 12:20 a.m. Tuesday at the Toronto Apartments, 4398 West Pine Boulevard. He lived at that address.

Kaznoch was shot in the chest and taken to a hospital, where he died.

Police arrested a 23-year-old man in the killing.

The scene on West Pine is west of North Boyle Avenue and between Forest Park Avenue and Lindell Boulevard.

St. Louis has already had 61 homicides this year, as of Monday.

Learn about homicide victims and regional trends with this database Learn about homicide victims and regional trends with this database from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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Court records filed before July 1 will no longer be available online remotely to the general public after the Missouri Supreme Court changed its operating rules Tuesday, in the hopes of preventing the accidental release of Social Security numbers.

The Supreme Courts order, signed by Chief Justice Paul C. Wilson, comes after the Post-Dispatch notified state and local court officials in April of two different ways thousands of documents containing sensitive private information could be seen on the Casenet website by anyone on any computer.

Acting on a recommendation made by the State Judicial Records Committee last Wednesday, the Supreme Court repealed and replaced parts of Court Operating Rule 2.04, which had allowed the public to view three types of documents on its Casenet website from home for more than a decade: liens on real estate, final civil judgments and some probate orders and decrees. To see most other types of documents, like criminal complaints or divorces, has required an in-person visit to a courthouse, since they often contain sensitive private information such as Social Security numbers or names of children.

The rule change means that, until this summer, no court documents at all will be available for the public to see from home using the Casenet website.

It wasnt immediately clear how long it would take the Office of the State Courts Administrator, or OSCA, to make the programming changes necessary to hide the documents as required by the Supreme Courts rule change.

Court officials began moving toward restricting remote access to the old records last month after the Post-Dispatch found that thousands of civil judgments filed over a four-year period by the states Division of Employment Security contained unredacted Social Security numbers. Because they were civil judgments  filed against workers who had been overpaid benefits or against employers who owed contributions, interest or penalties to the state  they were available to see on Casenet from any computer without any special access.

After the newspapers story, the State Judicial Records Committee directed OSCA to identify thousands of unredacted judgments filed by the Division of Employment Security and elevate their security levels so that they could no longer be seen on Casenet from home or at the courthouse.

A court official told the Post-Dispatch on Tuesday that OSCA had completed the process. The newspaper checked several problematic cases and found that judgment links had been replaced by a message reading Document security level raised. See Court Operating Rule 2.05.

OSCA already patched a technical vulnerability in Casenet to address the newspapers other finding: that remote users could see documents with elevated security levels by changing the web address.
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A bill requiring public school districts in Illinois to establish full-day kindergarten within the next four years passed the state legislature Friday and awaits Gov. J.B. Pritzkers approval.

Democratic Rep. Mary Beth Canty of Arlington Heights introduced the bill that would mandate schools to create a full-day kindergarten program by the 2027-28 school year.

Full-day kindergarten benefits all parties, giving children more time to learn, teachers more time to educate, and working parents more accessible and affordable sources of child care, Canty said Monday.

Not long ago, Canty and her husband experienced firsthand the struggle of balancing an outside job while also figuring out a pickup schedule for her two children from their half-day kindergarten program in Arlington Heights District 25.

Canty said sometimes her kids, now in sixth and third grades, would hop on a bus after half-day kindergarten and go to the elementary school for an after-school program to be picked up later.

It was a really long day for them, and my kids had been in full-day day care with no issues because you got to rest, you got a little bit of free time for your brain, she said. Most of what Ive been hearing from parents is thank you because they desperately need this option.

Currently, most school districts provide either half-day or full-day kindergarten and because children in Illinois are not required to attend school until age 6, parents can opt out regardless of the format.

But there is an overwhelming demand for full-day kindergarten in the districts that already offer it, Canty said.

Besides it being beneficial for parents and students, full-day kindergarten loosens the curriculum for teachers as well, Canty said.

Full day doesnt mean youre adding to the curriculum. It just means youre getting more opportunities for the teachers to go through the material in a developmentally appropriate way, which will allow time for rest, for playing for all of those things while still getting through the material they need to get through, she said.

Canty said one of the first orders of business, if the bill is signed by Pritzker, is to establish a full-day kindergarten task force to inform the planning and implementation, and to dive deep into data about whats offered and where.

Right now the numbers are just not clearly defined, Canty said. What we understand from ISBE is that its a handful of districts that dont offer full-day kindergarten, and what were having a little bit of trouble fully understanding is how many offer one option but not the other.

In District 25, for example, plans to start offering full-day kindergarten in the 2024-25 school year are underway and include getting construction plans approved to create additional classrooms at every school to accommodate a full-day kindergarten program.

That may be right for some districts and it may not be right for others, Canty said. So thats why in the bill, we dont dictate how you accomplish the full-day kindergarten. Its just that you do have to provide it.

Emily Warnecke, director of public relations and deputy director of governmental relations for the Illinois Association of School Administrators, said that although the idea of full-day kindergarten is widely favored among lawmakers and parents, implementation isnt so simple.

You cannot just double the number of kindergarten students that are being served in these districts without making sure that theres space for them, because therell either need to be an addition built on to current buildings, or potentially even stand-alone buildings built for this purpose, Warnecke said. And right now, construction costs are pretty, pretty steep so districts are probably going to have to ask their taxpayers for a referendum approval to be able to get the bonding capacity to be able to build these structures.

Warnecke said she spoke to a district last week that said it was looking into temporary trailers to house the number of students for whom theyre going to have to provide full-day kindergarten. If districts cant get taxpayers to agree to a hike, Warnecke said temporary structures might end up being a viable option for several schools, as well as the not-so-ideal increase in class sizes.

Warnecke said the IASA, which acts as a united voice for school district superintendents in the Illinois General Assembly, fully supports the idea of full-day kindergarten but is concerned about how districts will tackle operational costs.

Right now, typically, what the employment structure looks like is theres one teacher whos teaching a half-day morning classroom and an afternoon classroom. So that teacher might be responsible for lets say, 40 students  20 in the morning, 20 in the afternoon, Warnecke explained. So now theyre going to need to employ two teachers for those 40 students, because you want 20 in each classroom full day, so they are going to have to double the number of teachers that they hire.

The measure also allows struggling schools to get an extension for full-day kindergarten implementation. Canty said schools are still allowed to establish a half-day program if the district sees a desire and need for it, but must offer full-day kindergarten. And elementary districts that dont have kindergarten would be required to create a full-day option if the bill is signed.
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JEFFERSON CITY  A former speaker of the Missouri House who resigned amid scandal eight years ago must now pay a big fine to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Former House Speaker John Diehl, R-Des Peres, signed a consent order with the commission this month, acknowledging there was probable cause that Diehls campaign violated state campaign finance laws.

The commission on Tuesday detailed four counts against Diehl, including a $6,730 credit card payment for non-campaign expenses as well as various failures to report accurate information to the commission.

Diehls campaign was fined $47,392, but he will owe $9,762 if he pays within 45 days and there isnt probable cause that he has committed additional violations within the next two years.

Diehls ethics fine is one of the largest in recent memory: the state ethics regulator fined former Gov. Eric Greitens $178,000 three years ago. Former state Rep. Courtney Curtis owes the ethics commission $191,550.

Diehl resigned at the end of the 2015 legislative session as he was enveloped in a scandal involving sexually charged texts with a Capitol intern.

The commission began auditing the campaign in April 2022.

In a report published Tuesday, the ethics commission said Diehls committee in 2015 closed one bank account and opened another on July 7, 2015.

But the campaign didnt disclose the new account number in a timely manner, and the account has been unregistered with officials, the report said.

The report said that on or about Jan. 13, 2020, the campaign spent $6,763 on credit card purchases not related to Diehls candidacy for office.

The commission said that during the audit, after the credit card payment was discovered, Diehl returned the $6,763 to the commission.

The commission also said Diehls campaign had $53,000 less than what it had reported to the commission in its April 2019 filing.

He was also dinged for failing to timely and accurately file campaign finance reports. The state said Diehls campaign failed to file 11 quarterly reports in a timely manner, and that there was probable cause this violated the law.

After the April 2019 filing, Diehls campaign filed another report in July that year noting limited activity with the campaign.

The report said Diehls campaign filed no additional reports until after the audit began in 2022.

The commission also said Diehl failed to report nearly $35,000 in spending in a timely manner, another possible violation.

Among the spending, $25,000 went to the Chaminade Fund and $3,700 went to John Burroughs School.

The commission said $5,000 was sent to the Committee to Elect Jay C. Hoffman, and that another $920 went to the ethics commission in 2019 but was not reported until three years later.
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KYIV, Ukraine  Russia's military said Tuesday it quashed what appeared to be one of the most serious cross-border attacks from Ukraine since the war began, claiming to have killed more than 70 attackers in a battle that lasted around 24 hours.

Moscow blamed the raid that began Monday on Ukrainian military saboteurs. Kyiv portrayed it as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans. It was impossible to reconcile the two versions, to say with certainty who was behind the attack or to ascertain its aims.

The battle  which took place in southwest Russia's Belgorod region, about 45 miles north of the city of Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine  was a fresh reminder of how Russia itself remains vulnerable to attack, along with Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine.

The region is a Russian military hub holding fuel and ammunition depots and was included in Russian President Vladimir Putin's order last year to increase the state of readiness for attacks and improve defenses.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to say how many attackers were involved in the assault or comment on why efforts to put down the attackers took so long.

Such cross-border attacks embarrass the Kremlin and highlight the struggles it faces in its bogged-down invasion of Ukraine.

The Belgorod region, like the neighboring Bryansk region and other border areas, has witnessed sporadic spillover from the war, which Russia started by invading Ukraine in February 2022.

Far from the 932-mile front line in southern and eastern Ukraine, Russian border towns and villages regularly come under shelling and drone attacks, but this week's attack is the second in recent months that also appears to have involved an incursion by ground forces. Another difference from earlier cross-border attacks is that Russia's effort to repel it continued into a second day for the first time.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed local troops, air strikes and artillery routed the attackers.

The remnants of the nationalists were driven back to the territory of Ukraine, where they continued to be hit by fire until they were completely eliminated, Konashenkov said, without providing evidence. He did not mention Russian casualties.

Russian forces destroyed four armored combat vehicles and five pickup trucks the attackers used, he said. Local officials alleged the invaders also used drones and artillery.

The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said the raid targeted the rural area around Graivoron, a town about 3 miles from the border. Twelve civilians were wounded in the attack, he said, and an older woman died during an evacuation.

The Russian news portal RBK, quoting unidentified sources in the regional interior ministry and territorial police, said Graivoron came under heavy shelling that lasted about five hours early Monday. After that, tanks fired at the Graivoron border checkpoint while the adjacent village of Kozinka came under mortar and rocket fire, RBK said, citing the same sources. Gladkov later reported that a Koznika villager had been killed.

The attacking force was made up of 10 armored vehicles and an unspecified number of troops, RBK said.

Earlier Tuesday, the regional governor urged residents who had evacuated not to return home until they received official instructions to do so. He said a counterterrorism operation was completed by early Tuesday evening.

Gladkov also said fire from the Ukrainian side of the border on Tuesday hit the Borisovka area, about 12 miles northeast of Graivoron. No casualties were reported, he said, without elaborating on the incident.

The regional governor complained in a video late Tuesday that federal authorities' claims for the past year that everything is under control do not ring true in light of this attack and prior assaults. He appealed again to the Kremlin to strengthen defenses.

Since the war began, drones, explosions and missiles have hit fuel and ammunition depots, railroad equipment, bridges and air bases on Russian territory and Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine. Assassinations of Russian-appointed government officials and other public figures have also taken place in those areas.

Ukraine said Russian citizens belonging to murky groups called the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion were behind the assault.

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said the attackers were Russian dissidents unhappy about Putins policies.

These are Russian patriots, as we understand it. People who actually rebelled against the Putin regime, she said.

The Freedom of Russia Legion said on Telegram the goal was to liberate the region.

The Russian Volunteer Corps implied on Telegram that the attack was over, adding: One day, well come to stay. The post went up at around the same time as the Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have quashed the assault.

The U.K. Defense Ministry said it was highly likely that Russian security forces were fighting partisans in at least three locations in Belgorod.

Russia is facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions, with losses of combat aircraft, improvised explosive device attacks on rail lines and now direct partisan action, it said Tuesday.
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St. Louis Alderwoman Cara Spencer has presented a bold challenge to Republicans in Jefferson City. She wants to ban the open-carry display of firearms in St. Louis unless the person has a state concealed-carry permit, a move she took right after a video surfaced of a hooded man strolling defiantly on a downtown street carrying a rifle. If the Board of Aldermen approves Spencers bill, it would force Missouris governor, attorney general and gun-rights lawmakers to take a stand: either defend the right of gun carriers to terrorize tourists and residents, or defend the citys efforts to restore law and order.

The challenge is not just theoretical. State Sen. Nick Schroer, a gun-rights fanatic, reacted with shock in early May after the downtown video surfaced. More people were murdered over the weekend and the Wild West literally in the streets, he wrote. Blood on your hands if no action taken! The action he proposed was a state takeover of St. Louis police, but unless police have legal authority to disarm menacing gun-wielders, a takeover would be meaningless.

So if Schroer and, presumably, other hard-line Republicans are outraged at gunmen terrorizing others on the streets, then he should be among the first to support Spencers local bill. Spencer maintains that the law conforms with a nine-year-old provision in state law and that Kansas City already enforces such a law.

But Republican state lawmakers have been adamant that state law guaranteeing Second Amendment gun rights supersedes local law and that the right to carry firearms is paramount  even to the point where they would punish police officers for enforcing any federal gun law that doesnt have an equivalent under state law.

So Spencers bill effectively puts them on the spot: Do they want gun-free security on the streets of St. Louis, or do they really think gun carriers rights trump all else?

It matters because St. Louis, the states economic engine, is suffering mightily amid rising insecurity. The population dropped 5% from 2020 to 2022. Tourists are increasingly victimized by lawlessness. St. Louis is known nationally as a crime haven.

Spencer could strengthen her bill even further  and put Republican lawmakers even more on the spot  by adding a phrase banning the open-carry possession of guns in the presence of law enforcement. Lets face it, people tend to put their guns away whenever police are present, and gun laws cant be enforced unless cops are there.

Current state law endangers police officers by allowing people to openly carry firearms, severely restricting officers authority to stop them. Putting that wording into Spencers bill would emphasize the right of police to intervene if a firearm is openly present.

It also would, again, force state lawmakers to take a stand: Are they pro-police, or are they on the side of gun terrorists? Force them to choose.
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Budget deficit needs long-term solutions, not debt-ceiling fight

Regarding the letter to the editor Politicians have failed to do the job at every level of government (May 19): The writer makes some interesting suggestions  cut spending programs, reduce handouts and get people back to work  but Im not sure the fixes he espouses address the issue of raising the debt ceiling. And perhaps the idea that government spending is too high is just plain wrong. I dont know of any senior citizens who would readily accept a reduced Social Security check or a big increase in Medicare premiums. Nor can most afford either option. Maybe the problem is that our taxes are too low for the spending approved by both Democrats and Republicans.

In any case, money has already been spent, and current tax revenues are insufficient for paying all those bills, so reducing spending in future years has no bearing on total government indebtedness. Borrowing more is the only way to pay the current bills. Spending less in the future can only reduce indebtedness if future tax revenues exceed reduced future spending.

That said, perhaps its time to require income-tax surcharges in any year when legislators budget for deficit spending. Forcing the House and Senate to raise taxes to cut deficits will make them think twice about spending too much.

Klaus Illian  Manchester

Any plan to fight gun violence has to address the guns themselvesRegarding Tony Messengers column Itll take help across boundaries to solve the homicide problem in St. Louis (May 18): I agree with Messengers conclusion that the homicide problems in the city require help across boundaries of political differences. But his endorsement of focused deterrence to identify the key drivers of gun violence misses the real problem: the guns.

Public officials should try to put themselves in the shoes of a 16-year-old who has been shunned by his family, the school system and society in general, and then is able to so easily obtain a gun. He feels like a god who finally has the ultimate power over everyone who has been against him. How are well-meaning officials going to convince him to change his ways and go straight? Not without taking that gun away from him.

The elephant in the room of focused deterrence or any other strategy to control crime is the lack of gun control in this country, where anyone can obtain a gun and walk freely down the street with it. No deterrence plan will be effective without a strong state and local gun control plan. The two must go hand in hand.

Marcy Soda  St. Louis

Use National Guard to confront St. Louis regions crime problemWhile in theory Tony Messengers suggestion to address violence  combining more law enforcement with anti-violence, and anti-poverty and social justice programs  sounds like a practical solution, I would propose an alternative: Incorporate the Missouri and Illinois National Guard to patrol on a permanent basis the areas that have the most homicides and highest violent crime rates. Making the guard a visible presence would no doubt mitigate the crime problem.

Coddling criminals with social programs hasnt worked in the past and never will. Its time to get tough on crime by using the very harshest of methods. The criminal mind is not amenable to being treated delicately. It only understands force. Give the criminals a dose of their own medicine by using any means necessary.

Most police departments are too understaffed to deal with the ever-rising problems of homicides and other violent crimes on our streets. In my opinion, the National Guard is our best option. Why not give this proposal a chance?

Gene Carton  Clayton

McDermott will take editorial page even further to the left

Regarding Tod Robberson, Post-Dispatch editorial chief, to retire. Kevin McDermott to take over (May 10): What I regard as the doctrinaire, unfailingly liberal Post-Dispatch editorial page is about to take a turn even further to the political left. I can think of no Post-Dispatch pundit more firmly in the grip of Trump derangement syndrome and full of contempt for the millions of Trump voters than McDermott. After years worth of repetitive, vitriolic columns about all things MAGA, Ive stopped reading him. I figured I could skip the middleman and go directly to the Democratic Party website.

I did read a McDermott column not long ago in which he timidly suggested that just maybe Joe Bidens age and mental fogginess should deter him from a second presidential run. (Does Biden maybe have a little too much  experience? Feb 4.) Talk about a courageous stance.

Its hard for me to understand how the Post-Dispatch thinks the unswerving lefty viewpoint of its editorial page (columnist Lynn Schmidt excepted) will build readership. But I guess thats not the point. What a strange business model.

Larry ONeill  Kirkwood

Read letters online at STLTODAY.com
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DUBAI,United Arab Emirates As tensions with Iran have escalated over its nuclear program,the U.S. military this month posted pictures of a powerful bomb designed to penetrate deep into the earth and destroy underground facilities that could be used to enrich uranium.

The U.S. Air Force on May 2 released rare images of the weapon, the GBU-57, known as the "Massive Ordnance Penetrator." Then it took the photos downapparently because the photographs revealed sensitive details about the weapon's composition and punch.

The publication of the photographs comes as The Associated Press reported that Iran is making steady progress in constructing a nuclear facility that is likely beyond the range of the GBU-57, which is considered the U.S. military's last-ditch weapon to take out underground bunkers.

What do we know about America's massive ordnance penetrator?

The U.S. developed the Massive Ordnance Penetrator in the2000s as concerns grew over Iran hardening its nuclear sites by building them underground.

The Air Force posted images of the bombs on the Facebook page for Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. The base is home to the fleet of B-2 stealth bombers, the only aircraft that can deploy the bomb.

In a caption, the base said it had received two Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs so a munitions squadron there could "test their performance."

It is not the first time the Air Force has published photos and videos of the bomb that coincided with rising acrimony with Tehran over its nuclear program. In 2019, the U.S. military released a video of a B-2 bomber dropping two of the bombs. The Air Force did not respond to requests for comment on why it posted  and removed  the most recent set of photos.

What did we learn from the photos?

The latest photos revealed stenciling on the bombs that listed their weight as 27,125 pounds. It also described the bomb as carrying a mix of AFX-757 a standard explosive  and PBXN-114, a relatively new explosive compound, said Rahul Udoshi, a senior weapons analyst at Janes, an open-source intelligence firm.

The weight of the bomb, judging from the stenciling, shows the majority of it comes from its thick steel frame, which allows it to chew through concrete and soil before exploding. However, it remains unclear what the exact effectiveness of the weapon would be.

The Warzone, an internet news site,first reported on the publication of the photographs. The AP contacted Whiteman Air Force Base and the Air Force's Global Strike Command with questions about the images. Within a day, the Facebook post vanished.

Udoshi said the Air Force likely took them down because they revealed too much data about the bombs.

"Immediate removal from the internet without comment (or) justification means there is a potential lapse,"Udoshi said.

What role would this bomb play in potentially targeting Iran's nuclear program?

The AP reported on Monday that satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC reveals Tehran has been digging tunnels in the mountain near the Natanz nuclear site in central Iran. Excavation mounds at the site suggest the facility couldbebetween260 feet and328 feet under the ground, according to the experts and AP's analysis.

Experts say the size of the construction project indicates Iran likely would be able to use the underground facility to enrich uranium as wellnot just to build centrifuges. Those tube-shaped centrifuges, arranged in large cascades of dozens of machines, rapidly spin uranium gas to enrich it. Additional machines would allow Iran to quickly enrich uranium under the mountain's protection.

That could be a problem for the GBU-57: In previously describing the bomb's capabilities, the Air Force has said it could tear through 200 feet of ground and cement before detonating.

Could the United States still try to drop the bomb?

U.S. officials have discussed using two such bombs in succession to ensure a site is destroyed. But even then, the new depth of the Natanz tunnels likely presents a serious challenge.

Further complicating any possible U.S. military strike is that the B-2 has been grounded since December when one caught fire after an emergency landing. The U.S. still could fly the aircraft "if there's an operational need," said Col. Brus E. Vidal, a spokesperson for the Air Force's Global Strike Command.

The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corp. of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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(East Saint Louis, IL, May 15, 2023)  The Macedonia Development Corporation of East St. Louis (MDC) is proud to announce its inaugural graduation from its technical training program. The program is designed to help individuals who face barriers to employment or lack education the opportunity to overcome those obstacles and build a successful career in solar energy. In addition, the program provides students with hands-on experience and practical skills in today's high-demand job market. During the five-week course, students will earn college credit through Lewis & Clark Community College and assistants in preparing to take the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) Certification. The graduation ceremony will occur on May 21st at 1:00 pm at Macedonia Baptist Church of East St Louis at 10 N E Owens Place, East Saint Louis, IL 62201.

The MDC has collaborated with the Urban League of St. Louis Metropolitan save our brothers and sisters to present its graduation ceremony. The event will feature speeches from MDC, education professionals, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO), graduates, guest appearances by State Senator Christopher Belts, Olympic Medalist Jack Joyner-Kersee, and more. There will also be a short film highlighting the graduate's skills they acquired during the training.

On average, 40% of the benefits and investments in solar power, electric vehicles, and the grid must go to equity investment-eligible communities and persons. To help achieve this, individuals who stand to benefit the most from clean energy investment are trained and connected to the jobs that are being created by the growing clean energy economy in Illinois.

Despite East Saint Louis rich history, the city suffers from economic starvation, a struggling educational system, and a declining population. The current median household income of Illinois is $72,205/yr, whereas, in East Saint Louis, it is less than 35% of that at $24,009/yr.

Legislation like the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) leads the charge for programs like this to exist. IL has the goal to be carbon neutral by 2045. That requires power plants to transition from coal to solar, buses to be electric, homes and buildings to be energy efficient, and use renewable energy sources.

Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) promotes equitable access to solar energy through incentives that help make solar more affordable for income-eligible and environmental justice communities. A key component of the program is to ensure that income-eligible populations benefit not only through energy savings but also through job creation.

"We are thrilled to celebrate the graduation of our students who have worked hard to complete the East Saint Louis portion of the Solar Energy Bootcamp," said Jackie, Co-Interim Executive Director at Macedonia Development Corporation.

"Our program provides a pathway to success for job seekers and skills enthusiasts alike that desire to be a part of the shift to the green economy, through Solar. We are proud of our graduates and look forward to continuing to work with them as they shift into thriving careers," says Kyle Barber, Solar Instructor.

Media Invite

Members of the media are invited to attend the graduation ceremony and learn more about MDC's technical training program. Interviews with graduates, employers, and officials from the organization will be available upon request.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Jackie at 618-515-5718 or by email at administrator@mdcnfp.org.

About Macedonia Development Corporation, NFP (MDC)

Macedonia Development Corporation is a 501(c) 3 whose mission is to improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable residents in the East St. Louis & St. Louis Greater Metropolitan area through major renewable energy projects, job creation, and community and economic development.

Media contact:

Teresa Fuller

Media Relations Specialist

A Divine Intervention Production
The Russian air force has ordered that most of its SU-25 ground attack aircraft be upgraded to the Su-25SM3 standard that was developed in 2012 in an effort to match the capabilities of the American A-10C. a recent (2005) upgrade to the 1970s A-10 design that added the ability to use guided bombs and missiles. The Americans went ahead and upgraded most of their A-10s while Russia dropped plans to upgrade all the Su-25s because the money was not available. The few aircraft upgraded to Su-25SM3a were tested and found quite effective and popular with pilots. Su-25s have been heavily used in Ukraine by Russia and the Ukrainians, who inherited many Su-25s when the Cold War ended and kept them in service.

The A-10 ground attack aircraft was designed to destroy Russian tanks in Europe for a war that never happened. The 20-ton A-10 entered service in 1977. Four years later the 19-ton Russian Su-25 entered service. Both aircraft were designed to provide close air support for ground combat forces and survive fire from ground troops. Both aircraft were equipped with armor around the cockpit and key components. The A-10 had a distinctive design with its two jet engines mounted above the rear fuselage, to make it less vulnerable to ground fire. The competing A-9 had a design similar to the Su-25. Both the Su-25 and A-9 used what was considered a conventional design and both aircraft added similar special features like lightweight armor for the engines and pilot.

The Su-25, which began development a little before the A-10 did not enter service until 1981. While the A-10 was upgraded to handle guided weapons in 2005, the Su-25 did not get similar upgrades until 2012 and these upgrades were not ordered for all Su-25s until 2023. Over a thousand Su-25s have been built and most are used by the Russian Air Force.

While Ukraine has its own Si-25s it has asked for American A-10s because the A-10 has the upgrades to handle guided missiles and smart bombs. A-10s also come with a 30mm autocannon firing armor piercing shells designed to penetrate the top armor on Russian tanks. The 30mm rotary cannon and supporting equipment weigh nearly two tons and fire thee armor piercing rounds at the rate of up to 65 a second. When tanks are not present the A-10 carries explosive rounds that are more effective against ground troops.

The Soviet Union self-destructed in 1991, but that was the year the A-10 first saw combat, destroying Russian made tanks in Kuwait and Iraq. There were 132 A-10s in that war, they were available 95 percent of the time and flew 8,100 sorties. Four A-10s were shot down by SAMs (Surface to Air Missiles) and eleven were hit by anti-aircraft artillery. The A-10 proved to be as rugged as it was designed to be with those hit by ground fire making it back to base. Several were so badly damaged they never flew again. In that operation A-10s scored their first air-to-air victories, downing two Iraqi helicopters. A-10s used 90 percent of the Maverick guided missiles expended in that conflict and when it was all over the air force decided it needed the A-10 and gave up plans to replace it with a ground attack version of the F-16. This was a remarkable comeback for an aircraft that first flew in 1972 and entered service in 1977. Only 716 were produced between 1972 and 1984, but 39 percent (282) are still in service as the much-upgraded A-10C. The air force kept trying to set a retirement date for the A-10 but new uses were constantly found and, even before Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the air force had decided to indefinitely put off retiring the A-10. This was partially because there was no viable replacement and the A-10 had a remarkable ability to keep reinventing itself to remain useful. For example, the A-10 had become a key component of CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue) for pilots down in hostile territory. Some designs, like the B-52 heavy bomber, are irreplaceable and the A-10 has become another one of them.

Spare parts from AMARC (Aerospace Maintenance and Recovery Center) have kept the ancient A-10 ground attack aircraft flying. The A-10 was not able to demonstrate its effectiveness until the 1990s and ever since the army and marines have been able to block air force efforts to retire all A-10s. Instead, the A-10 was upgraded and received new wings to replace the ones weakened by decades of flying, often in combat. The most useful A-10 weapon is its built-in 30mm autocannon. Originally designed to use armor piercing shells, these were replaced with high-explosive shells for ground support. Just the sound of the low-flying A-10 firing its 30mm autocannon was considered a useful weapon by the ground troops as it would demoralize the enemy troops who survived the firepower.

Recent upgrades included the ability to use smart bombs. The latest upgrade involved new bomb racks that enable each A-10C to carry sixteen GBU-39 smart bombs that are laser guided and the most popular weapon used to support ground troops. The A-10 can carry seven tons of bombs and the sixteen GBU-39 SDBs (Small Diameter Bombs), with their new bomb racks, weigh less than five tons.

The Su-25SM3 carries upgraded, encrypted communications as well as missile and enemy aircraft detection systems and countermeasures. There are systems to handle GPS (GLONASS) guided bombs or laser guided missiles. Two air-to-air missiles can be carried for use against enemy jets or helicopters. The upgraded Su-25 still carries the single barrel 30mm cannon and 250 rounds of armor piercing or high-explosive shells. The Ukrainians have not upgraded any of their Su-25s but are considering it, using Ukrainian and NATO nation accessories.
The United Arab Emirates extended a long-sought invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attend the U.N climate conference, known as COP28, in November.

President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also invited Israel's figurehead President Isaac Herzog and dozens of other leaders including Syrian President Bashar Assad to COP28, in Dubai.

The Israelis did not immediately accept the invitation, but Netanyahu thanked the Emiratis for the gesture.

The invitation falls short of the high-profile bilateral visit Netanyahu has sought. But a trip to the Gulf Arab country would nonetheless give an important boost to the Israeli leader who has established official ties with the UAE as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords, normalizing relations between the two countries. Netanyahu has repeatedly called for closer ties with Arab countries across the region, but has yet to pay the UAE an official visit since the accords were signed.

Netanyahu, Israels longest-serving leader, has sought to return to the world stage. Since returning to office late last year, he has made official visits to Italy, Germany and Britain.

He had hoped to visit the UAE shortly after his right-wing government took office, but the plan was postponed after national security minister and ultranationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir last January stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a move widely viewed as a provocation that could lead to new clashes between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The UAE condemned Ben-Gvir's actions at the time. He visited the site again on Sunday, declaring Israel in charge and drawing renewed criticism from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and the United States.

Netanyahu's alliance with far-right figures like Ben-Gvir has drawn repeated criticism from close allies. He remains uninvited to visit U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, which some interpret as a White House snub. The U.S. administration has criticized Israel's settlement policies in the occupied West Bank, Ben-Gvir's visits to the disputed compound and the government's push to overhaul Israel's judiciary system.

The administration has said he's likely to receive an invitation at some point.

Syrian President Bashar Assad, who was shunned by the international community, has also been invited after returning to the Arab League following a 12-year suspension.

The annual U.N. climate talks are designed to keep countries accountable to their pledges to cut down on carbon emissions.

In November, the talks in Dubai will be hosted by Sultan al-Jaber, the chief executive officer of the Emirates state oil company. Choosing the oil-rich emirate as well as al-Jaber to host the climate conference has drawn criticism from various environmental groups and activists.

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BOWLING GREEN, OH / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / A-Gas has signed an agreement with The Chemours Company to license FM fire test data for HFC-227ea. With this data, A-Gas aims to bring the first UL-listed, FM-approved recycled HFC-227ea to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) fire suppression system market. A-Gas will market the product as FM-200R" starting in the summer of 2023.

Marketed under The Chemours Company's trademark, FM-200", HFC-227ea is a widely accepted replacement for Halon 1301. Since the production of CFCs and bromine-containing compounds has ceased, HFC-227ea has been an acceptable alternative. HFC-227ea leaves no residue on valuable equipment after discharge and can be used to protect a wide range of applications. It contains no bromine or chlorine and does not contribute to the destruction of the ozone.

With the introduction of recycled, UL-listed, and FM-approved HFC-227ea as an available clean agent, A-Gas and Chemours are enabling the industry to utilize a recycled and circular option for their "first fill" needs. This is especially important now that the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act has been enacted. The AIM Act phases down the importation and production of HFCs in the US and will phase down an additional 30% from baseline levels in 2024.

"We're thrilled to build on our longstanding partnership and collaboration with Chemours in order to bring more recycled and certified Fire Suppression products to market," said Mike Armstrong, Managing Director and President, Americas, at A-Gas. "This is just another example of how A-Gas works with stakeholders across the industry to increase lifecycle management and participation in the circular economy."

"A-Gas can continue to provide our customers with the critical products they need to keep critical systems, property, and people safe," stated Tyler Roberts, Vice President of Fire Protection and Environmental Services at A-Gas. "As a leader in the fire protection industry, we're proud that we can serve our customers while protecting the environment."

"Chemours is committed to creating a better world through the power of our chemistry, and that requires partnering across the value chain," said Joseph Martinko, Americas Senior Director of Thermal & Specialized Solutions at Chemours. "Given our shared focus on sustainability, A-Gas was the ideal choice for the OEM Fire Suppression market. We're proud that this agreement not only helps advance the objectives of the EPA AIM Act, it also helps advance circularity and safety in this critical industry."

About A-Gas

A-Gas (US), headquartered in Bowling Green, Ohio, is a trading subsidiary of A-Gas International (headquartered in Bristol, UK) and is the world's largest refrigerant recovery and reclamation company. The company's core business offers environmental solutions and lifecycle management services for ozone depleting substances and global warming agents including CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, and Halons in the HVAC/Refrigeration and Fire Suppression Industries. For more information about A-Gas, please visit agas.com/us.

About The Chemours Company

The Chemours Company is a global leader in Titanium Technologies, Thermal & Specialized Solutions, and Advanced Performance Materials providing its customers with solutions in a wide range of industries with market-defining products, application expertise and chemistry-based innovations. We deliver customized solutions with a wide range of industrial and specialty chemicals products for markets, including coatings, plastics, refrigeration and air conditioning, transportation, semiconductor and consumer electronics, general industrial, and oil and gas. Our flagship products are sold under prominent brands such as Ti-Pure", Opteon", Freon", Teflon", Viton", Nafion", and Krytox". The company has approximately 6,600 employees and 29 manufacturing sites serving approximately 3,200 customers in approximately 120 countries. Chemours is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware.

For more information, we invite you to visit chemours.com or follow us on Twitter @Chemours or LinkedIn.

Contact Information

Kristin Nugent

[email protected]

617-367-0100 Ext. 148

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Atomic Minerals Corporation ("ATOMIC MINERALS" or the "Company") (TSXV:ATOM) is pleased to announce the execution of a definitive option agreement (the "Option Agreement" or the "Agreement") with Kraken Energy Corp. (CSE:UUSA) ("Kraken"). Kraken may acquire up to a 75% interest in the Harts Point Uranium Property (Figures 1 & 2) in San Juan County, southeast Utah ("Harts Point" or the "Property"). The Property is located in the center of the Colorado Plateau, referred to by some as "the Athabasca Basin of the US" and is 64 kilometers ("km") (40 miles) north of the White Mesa Uranium Mill, the only fully licensed and operating conventional uranium mill in the United States.

The Property consists of 324 lode mining claims on Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") ground that covers an area of 2,622 hectares ("ha") (6,480 acres) and drill permits are in place for up to 25 exploration drill holes upon payment of the US$58,000 bond to the BLM.

Atomic Minerals President & CEO Clive Massey commented, "We have begun to see the fruits of our research efforts with the execution of the Kraken agreement. Kraken's top notch technical team will work diligently to validate our geological model for Harts Point as a Lisbon Valley analog, as we eagerly await the pending drilling campaign. Concurrently, we plan to initiate the permitting process at our 10 Mile property, another Lisbon Valley analog, 80 kilometres to the northwest or we plan to initiate the permitting process at our Dolores property, another Lisbon Valley analog, 52 kilometres to the east."

Harts Point Property Highlights:

World class uranium jurisdiction: located in the center of the Colorado Plateau, which has produced over 328 million ("M") pounds ("lbs") U 3 O 8 at 0.2 to 0.4% U 3 O 8 since the 1950s 1 .

located in the center of the Colorado Plateau, which has produced since the 1950s . Harts Point Anticline is Analogous to the Lisbon Valley Anticline: where the Lisbon Valley Uranium District (Figure 1) hosted 17 large uranium mines which produced approximately 80M lbs U 3 O 8 at 0.34% U 3 O 8 from 1948 to 1988 2 . The dimensions of these tabular sandstone-hosted uranium deposits range from 2 to 13 meters ("m") (7 to 43 feet) thick, 100 to 3,048 m (328 to 10,000 feet) long, and 31 to 427 m (100 to 1,400 feet) wide 3 .

where the Lisbon Valley Uranium District (Figure 1) hosted from 1948 to 1988 . Significant Historic Uranium Production: Several historic mines located 11 km (7 miles) west of the Harts Point Property produced approximately 280,000 lbs U 3 O 8 at 0.3% U 3 O 8 from the favorable Chinle Formation host rock 4 . The Lisbon Valley Anticline is located 31 km (19 miles) to the east of the Harts Point Property (Figure 1) produced approximately 80M lbs U 3 O 8 0.34% U 3 O 8 2 .

Historic Exploration: Three wide-spaced historic oil and gas wells on the Property (Figure 2) along the east flank of the Harts Point Anticline show off-scale' radioactivity within the favorable Chinle Formation host rock.

(Figure 2) along the east flank of the Harts Point Anticline Excellent Infrastructure: located approximately 64 km (40 miles) north of the White Mesa uranium processing facility. There is excellent access throughout the Property, which is situated 45 km (28 miles) from the town of Monticello, Utah.

located approximately

Atomic Minerals' technical team identified Harts Point after spending the last number of years reviewing the gamma logs and geology logs from the Utah and Colorado historic oil and gas drill holes throughout the Plateau, looking for gamma kicks near the base of the favourable Chinle formation in areas of increased thickness, ideally located along the nose of the salt anticlines. Their thorough search identified Harts Point where three historic drill holes spaced approximately 4.5 km (2.8 miles) apart carried basal Chinle gamma spikes.

Three historic holes located approximately 4.5 km (2.8 miles) apart carried basal Chinle Formation gamma spikes between 1,200 feet to 1,400 feet below surface. Gamma ray logs from each of the three holes showed spikes within the Moss Back Member which forms the basal section of the Chinle and is the primary location for uranium mineralization in this formation throughout the area. The Upper Indian District located 11 km (7 miles) west of the Harts Point Property (Figure 2) produced approximately 280,000 pounds U3O8 at 0.3% U3O8 from the favourable Chinle Formation host rock4, indicating the Chinle is prospective for uranium both to the northeast and west of Harts Point.

Terms of the Agreement:

Under the terms of the Agreement, the parties have entered into a definitive option agreement (the "Option Agreement"), pursuant to which the Kraken may acquire up to 75% of the Harts Point Property by meeting the following requirements:

Kraken will be the operator and must incur US$1.5 million of eligible expenditures within 18 months from the date of the Option Agreement to earn a 65% interest.

Kraken has the option to increase interest in the Property from 65% to 75% by incurring an additional US$2.0 million of eligible expenditures within 30 months from the date of the Option Agreement and issuing Atomic 2.0 million common shares of Kraken.

Kraken will grant Atomic a 2.0% net smelter royalty (subject to a buy down to 1.0% for US$5.0 million).

After the initial option (Kraken 65%: Atomic 35%) or the extended option (Kraken 75%: Atomic 25%), a definitive Joint Venture Agreement will be formed.

Figure 1 : Harts Point Location Map within Colorado Plateau

Figure 2 : Harts Point Property with Regional Uranium Occurrences

References

1 Holger Albrethsen, Jr. and Frank E. McGinley (1982). Summary History of Domestic Procurement Under U.S. Atomic Energy Commission Contracts, September 1982.

2 Chenoweth, W.L. (1990). Lisbon Valley, Utah's Premier Uranium Area, a Summary of Exploration and Ore Production. Utah Geological Survey Open File Report 188, July 1990.

3 Gordon W. Weir and Willard P. Puffett (1981). Incomplete manuscript on stratigraphy and structural geology and uranium-vanadium and copper deposits of the Lisbon Valley area, Utah-Colorado. Open-File Report 81-39. Pages 153 to 163. United States Department of the Interior

Geological Survey.

4 Chenoweth, W.L. (1993): The geology and Production History of the Uranium deposits in the White Canyon Mining District, San Juan County, Utah, Utah Geological Survey Miscellaneous Publication 93-3.

The data disclosed in this news release is related to historical drilling results. Kraken has not undertaken any independent investigation of the sampling, nor has it independently analyzed the results of the historical exploration work in order to verify the results. Kraken considers these historical drill results relevant as the Company is using this data as a guide to plan exploration programs. The Company's current and future exploration work includes verification of the historical data through drilling.

About the Company

Atomic Minerals is a Vancouver based publicly listed uranium exploration company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange, with current assets in Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin and the Four Corners region of the southwest United States. The Company is led by a highly skilled management and technical team with numerous previous successes in the junior mining sector.

For additional information, please visit the Company's website at www.atomicminerals.ca

Qualified Persons

Mr. R. Tim Henneberry, P.Geo. (BC), is the "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and is responsible for the technical contents of this news release and has approved the disclosure of the technical information contained herein.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"Clive Massey"

Clive H. Massey

President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Dave Langlais

(778) 316-5105

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor their Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Atomic Minerals Corporation believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Atomic Minerals Corporation management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Atomic Minerals Corporation undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

SOURCE: Atomic Minerals Corporation

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Covia

Fredericia, Denmark, is known for its vast forests and many beautiful stretches of coastline, and it is home to Covia's only operation in Europe. Covia Europe's core business is high-end resin coated ceramics, in the form of custom coatings, including resin coated ceramics for the oil and gas market and polymer coated sand for use as infill for artificial turf.

Operating in a country that is considered a hub for sustainable innovation, our Team Members in Denmark are leveraging cutting edge technologies to reduce our carbon footprint. In fact, the facility in Fredericia is targeting a 70% absolute reduction in GHG emissions by 2030.

Ongoing emissions-reducing initiatives aimed at achieving this target include:

Using high-efficiency blowers in production processes;

Sourcing at least 40% of electricity from wind turbines;

Phasing out all existing forklifts in favor of electric-powered units; and

Procuring required materials locally to decrease transportation emissions.

Importantly, these ambitious initiatives by our Team Members in Denmark will also help identify and test solutions that could be applied more broadly across our operations.

For more information about Covia's energy efficiency and emissions reduction efforts, visit https://www.coviacorp.com/esg/environmental-stewardship/.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Covia on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: Covia

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/covia

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Covia

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Firechain, the next-generation smart contract platform, has announced a successful $3 million pre-seed funding round. The round was led by a leading investor group and includes a consortium of investors. This investment will fuel Firechain's mission to revolutionize the blockchain landscape by expanding its team and accelerating its development roadmap.

Firechain is pioneering a unique approach to blockchain technology, with its asynchronous, event-driven architecture and innovative "Heat" system. These features promise a future of no-fee transactions, instant finality, and provably secure on-chain randomness, setting a new standard for the next generation of decentralized applications.

"We're incredibly excited to have the backing of such visionary investors," said the Firechain team. "This funding will enable us to grow our team, accelerate our development efforts, and bring us closer to realizing our vision of a more efficient, scalable, and user-friendly blockchain network."

With this new injection of funding, Firechain is poised to expand its team and continue its groundbreaking work in the blockchain space. The company is currently in a pre-release stage, with its entire platform set to be open-source, reflecting the spirit of transparency and community collaboration that is at the heart of the blockchain industry.

About Firechain

Firechain is a cutting-edge decentralized application platform that is redefining the blockchain landscape. With its unique hybrid ledger model, innovative "Heat" system, and advanced functionalities, Firechain is poised to become a leading platform for the next generation of decentralized applications. For more information, visit https://www.firechain.io/

Media Contact:

Organization: Firechain

Contact Person: Chelsea Potter (Public Relations Manager)

Website: https://www.firechain.io/

Email: [email protected]

City: New York

State: NY

Country: United States

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Gen

Gen Blog

By Kim Allman | Head of Corporate Responsibility and Government Affairs

Today, Gen" has been named to The Civic 50, an annual list of the most community-minded companies in the United States. The nonprofit Points of Light has compiled The Civic 50 for more than 10 years, celebrating companies that use their time, talent, and resources to drive social impact in their businesses and communities.

At Gen, we are committed to implementing a well-rounded social impact strategy that makes a tangible, authentic difference in the places where our team members live and work.

Creating a culture of giving has long been one of our priorities and we offer our team members year-round opportunities to give in the ways that work best for them. This includes putting their time, skills, and monetary donations to use to support the causes they care most about through Paid Time Off to volunteer, matching employee donations, Dollars for Doers grants, and both in-person and virtual service opportunities.

Most recently, Gen hosted our first-ever Global Volunteer Day, which positively impacted more than 2,400 people including students and jobseekers in California through career events, schools and teachers in Texas through supply drives, and people in need in Arizona through a food donation program, among other activities.

At Gen, we are uniquely positioned to increase digital safety and online privacy literacy, especially for vulnerable people. More than half of our philanthropic giving in FY22 was directed to programs that enable youth, women, families, and underrepresented communities to live their digital lives safely.

We offer a wide array of Cyber Safety education and training programs and partner with leading nonprofit organizations working on the ground in critical impact areas. For example, in 2022, we expanded our longtime support of the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV).

Our three-year grants of $100,000 each support NNEDV's Safety Net Program, providing engaging, interactive safety and privacy trainings and product donations to survivors, advocates, those working with survivors, and the public. Gen employee volunteers also hosted two webinars as part of this support, training the staff of organizations working to stop domestic violence and providing privacy best practices for survivors.

We are thrilled that The Civic 50 has honored these initiatives and more, and we congratulate our fellow honorees. This is the second consecutive year the company was recognized (Gen is formerly NortonLifeLock and Avast which merged in late 2022).

See the full Civic 50 List here.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Gen on 3blmedia.com.

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Spokesperson: Gen

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Email: [email protected]

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Cadence is thrilled to congratulate the recipients of the Latinx Students in Technology program by showcasing their outstanding achievements and inspirational stories with this fifth and final installment of the Diversity in Technology Scholarship blog series: https://www.3blmedia.com/news/campaign/cadence-diversity-technology-scholarships

These highly accomplished awardees are pursuing technical degrees and were selected to receive a scholarship based on their impressive academic records, work in the community, leadership potential, and recommendations from professors. Get to know these spectacular students by hearing from them directly as they dive into their personal experiences, post-graduation goals, and what drives them to shape the future of technology.

Watch this short video to hear directly from some of these scholarship recipients.

Amelia Churchill, Case Western Reserve University

"I was inspired to study computer science after I created my first website with HTML, CSS, and Javascript when I was about nine years old. I loved that I was able to have full creative freedom over my website. Ever since then, I've always known I would pursue technology! My greatest piece of advice is to truly believe in yourself, and know that you have control over your future."

Ana Luisa Veroneze Solorzano, Northeastern University

"I have always liked to challenge myself by learning new things. Computer science and engineering allow me to work on real-world problems to develop new skills and techniques that will be used for scientific advancement. I believe that the moment I understood that my soft skills give me a unique comprehension to solve technical problems, I recognized I could make a great impact in the world."

Cristhian Alexis Roman Vicharra, Texas A&M University

"As a recipient of the Latinx Students in Technology Scholarship, my motivation to share my experience with young students in my home country has increased. Also, my commitment to research and contribution to the technology field has gotten even stronger. Thus, I am committed to participating in conferences around South America and sharing my current research and experience."

Davi Valerio de Queiroz Rodrigues, Texas Tech University

"I developed a great interest in researching RF and microwave sensing technologies and their various applications because I have always had a lot curiosity about how wireless technologies work. After graduation, I plan to pursue a career in either academia or industry as a researcher, and I am grateful for the Cadence Diversity in Technology Scholarship, which will help me to continue to work on my PhD dissertation."

Jorge Quesada, Georgia Institute of Technology

"After I graduate, I want to become a research scientist who can contribute to the development of neurotechnologies. I am very interested in how learning and intelligence arose in humans and the way we can implement it artificially."

Nubia Correa, Stanford University

"Given that there are not a lot of people of color pursuing engineering-related degrees, I want to encourage students to teach what they learn to their communities, whether it's STEM-related concepts or general life lessons that the field has given you. It's a service for the passion you want to leave for the next generation to expand further and develop."

Omar Barrera, University of Texas at Austin

"My advice to future students is to become involved in student organizations, professors' office or coffee hours, and other similar department-run events. Always be willing to share knowledge and lend a hand first on matters where you have something to offer. Good things and opportunities have a way of finding those who give back."

Patricia Garcia, University of Southern California

"I am aware that my goals will remain dreams if I do not continue to persevere. Therefore, I am committed to working hard in school and searching for ways to make my dream of obtaining a STEM degree a reality. The Cadence Diversity in Technology Scholarship has offered just that! I've been able to work on my startup and create a meaningful impact in my college community as I don't have to worry about my graduate finances."

Cadence is proud to support students from underrepresented communities in technology and thanks everyone who submitted applications this year. We hope to continue reaching STEM students from underrepresented groups with our upcoming scholarships. Congratulations to the talented individuals who were selected for everything they have accomplished thus far. We appreciate them sharing how these programs have impacted their studies and are excited to see where their passions take them next.

Learn more about the Diversity in Technology Scholarship and say hello to other recipients from 2022.

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Spokesperson: Cadence Design Systems

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Email: [email protected]

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Quest Diagnostics is proud to support Americares in their efforts to improve health for people affected by poverty or disaster with a grant from Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE).

Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization and one of the world's leading nonprofit providers of donated medicine and medical supplies. Each year, Americares reaches 85 countries on average, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine, medical supplies and emergency aid.

With a grant from the Quest Diagnostics Foundation, Americares will build capacity, strengthen health systems, and advance health equity in the national free and charitable clinic sector. Specifically, Q4HE will support funding for telehealth support, chronic disease management and wellness, and donated testing to support 10 safety net clinics across the United States.

During a special week for the laboratory company-Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, an annual celebration of essential frontline laboratory staff-Quest hosted senior leaders from Americares at its Wood Dale, Illinois facility. Groups of employees could be seen wearing fun matching attire while the smell of freshly popped popcorn wafted throughout the building. After a private tour of the lab led by Barbara Heredia, Laboratory Manager at Quest, the Americares team enjoyed a conversation with Matt Hamlin, Vice President and General Manager of Quest's Great Midwest Region, and Michael Floyd, Senior Director & Leader, Quest for Health Equity, about the impactful collaboration between both organizations.

"Quest had the honor of hosting the Americares team, sharing an inside look at our complex laboratory operations at Quest," said Floyd. "Learning more about the Americares mission and their collaborations across the Midwest geography was inspirational. I am proud Quest is playing an important role in ensuring all people have access to quality healthcare."

"At Americares, we support nearly 1,000 health facilities nationwide with the resources they need to provide accessible health services and support equitable health outcomes," said Americares Senior Vice President of Programs and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Julie Varughese. "Quest's support and genuine interest in our efforts means a great deal to us, and we're excited about the possibility of future collaborations with Quest to help even more people affected by poverty or disaster."

To learn more about Quest for Health Equity, visit our website at www.QuestForHealthEquity.com.

L to R: Jessica Orndorff, Associate Director, Strategic Partnerships, Americares; Renee Hervieux, Chicago and Midwest Regional Director, Americares; Michael Floyd, Senior Director, Quest for Health Equity; Julie Varughese, MD, SVP of Programs and Chief Medical Officer, Americares; Matt Hamlin, Vice President and General Manager - Great Midwest Region, Quest Diagnostics; Barbara Heredia, Laboratory Manager, Quest Diagnostics

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Quest Diagnostics on 3blmedia.com.

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Spokesperson: Quest Diagnostics

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Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: Quest Diagnostics

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WEST VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / Surge Battery Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Surge") (TSXV:NILI)(OTC PINK:NILIF)(FRA:DJ5C) is pleased to announce signing a contract with BGC Engineering of Calgary, Alberta, to further delineate the potential resource at the Nevada North Lithium Project (NNLP). BGC Engineering (BGC) is an international consulting firm that provides professional services in applied earth sciences.

Surge Battery Metals has been conducting exploration activities at the NNLP with promising results. The Company is moving to further delineate the lithium clays using geophysics to better understand the resource. BGC has been retained to perform the following scope of work this week:

Towed Transient Electromagnetic (tTEM) survey. tTEM is a mobile ground-based transient system used for rapidly mapping subsurface electrical conductivities over large areas. BGC, on behalf of Surge, will use this method in road accessible areas of the NNLP to collect as much as 40 line-kms of data.

Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) surveys. ERT is a geoelectric technique which can be used to profile subsurface resistivity. This will allow Surge to target, with upcoming drilling, the thickness of the primary lithium-enriched clay, and the additional deeper clay-altered tuff layers identified in the 2022 drilling campaign.

With this data, Surge will refine and expand the potential mineralization footprint for targeting the upcoming drill program core holes.

Mr. Greg Reimer, Chief Executive Officer, and Director commented "Spring has arrived in northern Nevada and our team is excited to start the exploration season following our lithium discovery. This week's geophysical surveying campaign will provide indications of both the lateral and vertical dimensions of the lithium-bearing clay horizons identified from our previous surface sampling and 2022 drill campaign. Our team will use this data to target locations for the 2023 campaigns in order to advance to a maiden resource, which we anticipate reporting on later this year. I am personally thrilled with the speed and efficiency at which we have advanced this discovery, and I look forward to reporting our ongoing results."

Qualified Person as Defined Under National Instrument 43-101

Alan J. Morris, MSc, CPG of Spring Creek, Nevada, a Qualified Person as defined under Nation Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical aspects of this news release.

About Surge Battery Metals Inc.

The Company is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company active in the exploration for lithium in Nevada and for nickel in British Columbia. Our primary listing is on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's maintains a focus on exploration for high value battery metals required for the electric vehicle (EV) market.

About the Nevada North Lithium Project

The Company owns a 100% interest, without any royalties, in the Nevada North Lithium Project, consisting of 243 mineral claims, located in the Granite Range southeast of Jackpot, about 73 km north-northeast of Wells, Elko County, Nevada. The first round of drilling, completed in October 2022, identified a strongly mineralized zone of lithium-bearing clays occupying a strike length of almost 1,620 meters from drillhole NN2205 in the north to drill hole NN2208 in the south. The full thickness of the mineralized horizons are not well determined since the holes were mostly sited along strike on a north-south alignment. However, the apparent thickness is at least 400 metres, supported by highly anomalous soil values indicating potential for the clay horizons to be much thicker. The potential for a significant lithium deposit are illustrated by the results of drillhole NN2207 which intersected the thickest intervals of lithium-rich claystone encountered to date; a total of 120.4 metres (395 feet) averaging 3,943 ppm lithium in four zones. Additionally, drillhole NN2208 had the strongest downhole individual sample of 5,950 ppm lithium at between 45 and 50 feet (13.72 and 15.24 metres) depth. The average lithium content within all near surface clay zones intersected in 2022 drilling, applying a 1000 ppm cut-off, was 3254 ppm. (Press release March 29,2023)

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Greg Reimer"

Greg Reimer,

President & CEO

Contact Information

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 778-945-2656

Website: surgebatterymetals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This document may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan" or "planned", "possible", "potential", "forecast", "intend", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to future prices of commodities including lithium and nickel, the accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals including approvals of title and mining rights or licenses and environmental, local community or indigenous community approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure or water, changes in laws, rules and regulations including in the United States, Nevada or California or any other jurisdiction which may impact upon the Company or its properties or the commercial exploitation of those properties, currency risks including the exchange rate of USD$ for Cdn$ or other currencies, fluctuations in the market for lithium related products, changes in exploration costs and government royalties, export policies or taxes in the United States or any other jurisdiction and other factors or information. The Company's current plans, expectations, and intentions with respect to development of its business and of its Nevada properties may be impacted by economic uncertainties arising out of any pandemic or by the impact of current financial and other market conditions (including US government subsidies or incentives) on its ability to secure further financing or funding of its Nevada properties. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon several assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political, environmental (including endangered species, habitat preservation and water related risks) and social risks, contingencies, and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

SOURCE: Surge Battery Metals Inc.

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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of new interviews with ION Energy, Hank Payments and Heritage Mining 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.

ION Energy Acquires New Lithium Pegmatite Project Located in the Yellowknife Pegmatite Province

ION Energy Limited 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. Bliss Lake Lithium Project is 5,798 hectares in area and totals five contiguous licences.

For the full interview with Ali Haji and to learn about ION Energy, click here.

Hank Payments Inks First Contract for Its Newly Launched Education Product Platform

Hank Payments Corp., is a North American leader in consumer Fintech Software-as-a-Service ("SaaS") in the Banking-as-a-Service ("BaaS") market segment. Hank platforms manage consumer cash flow and budgets on an automated basis using proprietary algorithms that collect, store and disburse cash as required to discharge obligations in a timely fashion.

For the full interview with Mike Hilmer and to learn about Hank Payments, click here.

Heritage Mining Announces Corporate and Exploration Update

Heritage Mining Ltd. is pleased announce significant advancements in the first few weeks of its fully permitted Phase 1 exploration drilling program at the flagship Drayton - Black Lake project, located near Sioux Lookout, Ontario. The Project is located within Eagle-Wabigoon-Manitou greenstone belt of the Wabigoon Subprovince, which also hosts the Treasury Metals Inc. Goliath-Goldlund deposits.

For the full interview with Peter Schloo and to learn about Heritage Mining, 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.

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Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on Tuesday during a two-day trip aiming to strengthen economic ties between the Muslim-majority nations amid heightened global geopolitical tensions.

Widodo hosted Raisi at a ceremony in the presidential palace in Bogor, just outside the capital, Jakarta. Raisi was visiting at Widodos invitation as Indonesia aims to speed up its post-pandemic recovery by increasing its exports.

The visit was expected to deepen Iran's ties with Indonesia as Tehran seeks alternatives to the United States-led Western domination of international affairs and looks to garner further cooperation after the two nations concluded negotiations this month on the Indonesia-Iran Preferential Trade Agreement worth $20 billion.

The two leaders witnessed the signing of the PTA and 10 other agreements Tuesday.

In a joint news conference after meeting with Raisi, Widodo said he and Raisi also discussed expanding export opportunities in the Middle East and Persia and offering opportunities for Iranian businesses to invest in the development of Indonesias new capital on Borneo island.

The ministrys data showed that trade between Indonesia and Iran amounted to $54.1 million between January and March, while the bilateral trade value last year increased by more than 23 pecrent to $257.2 million.

Southeast Asias largest economy is seeking new markets to diversify its export options and to reduce its reliance on traditional trade partners, many of which have been affected by a weakened global economy and geopolitical risks. Iran was a nontraditional trade partner for Indonesia, the archipelago nation of over 270 million people.

The numerous documents that we signed today showed the will of the two countries to develop relations in all situations despite of threats and sanctions by the enemies, Raisi said.

He said his country has attained remarkable development in the economy, science and technology despite decades of U.S. government sanctions following the seizure of its embassy in Tehran in 1979.

We believe that sanctions and threats cannot stop us in any way from cooperation and communication with neighboring countries, Muslim nations and countries that are aligned with us," Raisi said.

The two leaders said they also discussed heightened geopolitical tensions in many parts of the world, and agreed to continue their support for Palestinians, and education for women and humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.

In February, Raisi met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to seek further cooperation following their September meeting in Uzbekistan, when Xi underscored Chinas support for Iran.

Both countries have had tense relations with the U.S. and have sought to project themselves as a counterweight to American power alongside Russia.

While in Indonesia, Raisi is scheduled to lay a wreath at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta to honor Indonesias war dead. Before leaving Jakarta on Wednesday, Raisi will also meet with Indonesias House Speaker Puan Maharani, religious figures and business people. He'll visit Jakartas Istiqlal Grand Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, and give public lectures in an Islamic university.

Widodos last trip to Iran was in 2016, while the last official state visit from Iran was in 2015 when Hassan Rouhani attended the 50th commemoration of the Asia-Africa Conference in West Java's Bandung city.

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / U.S. Bank



Photo: Scott Ford, left, Greg Cunningham and Sekou Kaalund participated in the LinkedIn Live discussion.

Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog

For many Black Americans, historic discriminatory policies and lack of access to credit have prevented them from building wealth and from passing that wealth on to future generations.

In early May, U.S. Bank held a LinkedIn Live discussion on this important topic with three of its top leaders: Scott Ford, Head of Affluent Wealth Management, Sekou Kaalund, Head of Branch and Small Business Banking, and Greg Cunningham, Chief Diversity Officer. The leaders discussed some of the barriers that have prevented Black Americans from building intergenerational wealth and the progress that has been made in recent decades to help decrease the racial wealth gap.

The leaders began by discussing the U.S. Bank Building Black Wealth Insights Study , which revealed that 79% of Black Americans felt there were institutional roadblocks keeping them from accumulating wealth and that 69% of Black Americans felt a deep sense of responsibility to help their communities financially and are committed to leaving a financial legacy for the next generation. The study is part of Access Commitment , a series of initiatives across U.S. Bank to increase wealth-building opportunities, starting with the Black community.

"The study revealed an eight-to-one wealth disparity between white households and Black households in terms of overall wealth," Cunningham said. "Forty-five percent of Black households own their own home vs. 74% of white households. We all know how important homeownership is. It's the No. 1 way that wealth gets transferred in this country. These are big and important problems."

Ford agreed. "In most cases, a home is the most valuable asset families have," he said. "Lack of access to homeownership is one of the things that precipitated the wealth gap to begin with. But homeownership rates among Black Americans are about the same now as when redlining and housing discrimination were legal."

The leaders also discussed Black American small business owners and their historic lack of access to capital.

"The vast majority of all job creation is in companies with less than 100 employees," Ford said. "The median net worth for Black business owners is 12 times higher than for the rest of the general Black population. Small businesses are key contributors to the stability of our communities and the ability to create intergenerational wealth."

To help address the needs of small businesses, U.S. Bank recently introduced a Business Diversity Lending program.

"Too many diverse and underinvested businesses have been starved of capital," Kaalund said. "Our diversity lending program can provide access, consulting, advisory services, capital and lending to help these businesses scale. Because when they are scaling, they are hiring people. Job and business growth strengthens communities and contributes to wealth creation and a stronger economy."

Despite the challenges facing Black Americans, many are optimistic about the future and their finances. Both Ford and Kaalund offered advice to help them build wealth.

"Start where you are," Ford said. "Be more deliberate about saving and paying yourself first - that will help you pass more wealth on to the next generation. It's incumbent upon all of us to take it to the next level. My hope is, in the next 25 years we will absolutely see a significant increase as people educate themselves and become more aware of the tools and ways they can pass on wealth to their families and children."

Kaalund said he is optimistic about the progress that has been made.

"Our starting point is different than previous generations," he said. "If you're able to save sooner, invest sooner, purchase a home sooner or inherit a home, over time this will create opportunity and shorten the duration upon which people can build and grow wealth."

The event - like the study - supports U.S. Bank Access Commitment", the bank's long-term framework to help build wealth while redefining how it serves diverse communities, starting with the Black community. Among its progress in 2022, the bank deployed $321 million in capital to Black-owned or -led businesses and organizations through U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance and spent $487 million with diverse suppliers in 2022, including $276 million spent with Black suppliers. U.S. Bank continues to partner with the Urban Institute to identify social impact measures and is committed to continuing this work to help close the wealth gap.

Learn more about how the bank is working to close the racial wealth gap through its Access Commitment

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from U.S. Bank on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: U.S. Bank

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/us-bank

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: U.S. Bank

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NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / May 23, 2023 / SAP



by Ashwin Rama Chandran

We are at a time when companies are publicly making sustainability commitments. Companies have jumped onto the net-zero and carbon-neutral bandwagon regardless of size or industry. According to the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), 4,632 companies are taking action to reduce emissions, of which over 1,700 companies have made net-zero commitments.

While these are encouraging signs from a sustainability perspective, the primary step these companies must take to act on these commitments is to record and report on their carbon footprints, directly attributable to their operations and upstream and downstream supply chains. Understanding Scope 1, 2, and 3 carbon footprints with increased confidence helps take action to prioritize decarbonization initiatives and report improvements. This improves regulatory compliance and signals to customers and other stakeholders that companies are authentically walking the talk.

The European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) imposes a carbon tax on importers to prevent carbon leakage and support the decarbonization of the EU industry. Companies that are importing products must buy carbon certificates equivalent to the carbon price they would have paid if these products were otherwise produced in compliance with EU carbon pricing rules. Importers will thus be required to determine each product's total carbon dioxide emissions to calculate the equivalent carbon certificates they need to purchase or to choose the right supplier to meet their sustainable goals.

Companies are on the quest to track carbon emissions in various categories such as purchased goods and services, upstream and downstream transportation and distribution, use of sold products, processing of sold products, and end-of-life treatment of sold products. Tracking and accounting for emissions in some of these categories are complex.

SAP Sustainability Footprint Management, a cloud-native solution built on SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), enables enterprises to calculate and analyze their carbon footprint, using master data from their existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, product, value chain, and at a corporate level following the Greenhouse Gas Protocol's Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions. The solution helps companies meet their sustainability commitments by working to improve the speed, accuracy, and efficiency of emissions calculations and management. It can also integrate with SAP S/4HANA, connect an ERP system via public APIs available in SAP Business Accelerator Hub, and import data from an external source by uploading a file. The calculated footprints can be embedded into SAP S/4HANA to extend end-to-end business processes with sustainability data.

Most companies currently use estimated data to calculate their carbon emissions. SAP Sustainability Footprint Management provides a holistic assessment of emissions by using a hybrid approach where average or secondary emission data from life cycle assessment (LCA) databases and actual or primary data from suppliers and verified business data are combined and managed in an integrated environment while allowing for greater actual data input over time. This helps companies to track and manage product-specific emissions and choose product- and value chain-specific elements.

While Scope 1 and 2 emissions are traceable, transparency around Scope 3 emissions presents a difficult challenge for companies. For many companies, Scope 3 emissions account for 90% of overall emissions. In addition to Scope 1 and 2 emissions, SAP Sustainability Footprint Management can also measure Scope 3 emissions from purchased materials as well as upstream and downstream transport. SAP aims to enhance the solution to count all 15 Scope 3 emissions in the coming releases. Analyzing the carbon footprints of purchased materials and goods helps identify and prioritize sustainable suppliers, and companies can also explore alternative materials to reduce carbon emissions.

Salzgitter AG, one of the largest steel producers in Europe, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Volkswagen group to start production of low carbon dioxide steel from the end of 2025. Salzgitter AG is using sustainability solutions from SAP to assess CO2 footprints in the new production process.

Fifty years ago, SAP revolutionized financial accounting with ERP software. Today, SAP is reinventing the "R" in ERP by extending the definition of resources beyond financial and goods flows, offering a precision approach to sustainability by enabling transactional carbon accounting through a green ledger. This enables combined financial and environmental decision-making at different points across the business process. The green ledger offers deep insights by being embedded into RISE with SAP S/4HANA Cloud and the GROW with SAP solution, with additional capabilities added with every release.

Climate change is a collective problem that requires collective efforts. While SAP is committed to achieving net zero along our value chain by 2030, SAP is also enabling businesses with the data visibility and analytic insights needed to act on decarbonization initiatives across value chains. Together, we can enable a future with zero emissions.

Watch this video to learn more.

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from SAP on 3blmedia.com.

Contact Info:

Spokesperson: SAP

Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/sap

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE: SAP

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DULUTH, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AGCO Corporation (NYSE: AGCO), a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology, held its annual North America Supplier Event at Lanier Islands, GA, on April 18-20. Company leaders and critical suppliers conferred on process improvements and recognized one supplier for Partner-Level* distinction and presented eight Supplier of the Year awards.

AGCO is pleased to recognize our suppliers, who have helped us proactively meet farmers needs across North America, said Tim Millwood, AGCO SVP and Chief Supply Chain Officer. Our suppliers are essential to AGCOs ability to deliver farmer-focused solutions to sustainably feed our world.

The gathering was held in Lanier Islands, Georgia, less than 20 miles from AGCOs corporate headquarters, and it attracted participants from throughout the company, suppliers from around the world, and farmer-customers from as far as Finland. The event was filled with networking opportunities, educational sessions, and roundtables that encouraged participants to share experiences and brainstorm solutions to issues encountered at all levels of the supply chain and manufacturing process. Highlights included interactive hands-on experiences with products from the companys Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Grain & Protein, and Fuse / Precision Ag brands, as well as an Executive Panel in which participants discussed pressing concerns that stretch beyond traditional supply chain topics.

Mike Clem, AGCO's VP of Purchasing for North America, expressed his gratitude to AGCO's suppliers, highlighting their role in fulfilling the company's farmer-first purpose. He emphasized the efforts and dedication of the top-performing suppliers who contributed to making AGCO a trusted partner for smart farming solutions.

Suppliers recognized during the event included the following companies:

Promoted to Partner-Level* Distinction:

Nucor of Charlotte, NC, is the largest steel producer and "mini-mill" steelmaker in the US, as well as the largest recycler of scrap in North America. Nucor is recognized for its close collaboration with AGCOs engineering, logistics, and purchasing teams that provides value and high-quality solutions for AGCO and our customers.

AGCO 2021 Supplier of the Year winners (by award):

Supplier of the Year: Ferroloy, Inc. is an iron foundry in Wichita KS, with machining capabilities, manufacturing ductile iron castings, and gray iron castings for a variety of OEMs, including agricultural machinery. As a strategic and innovative supplier for AGCO, Ferroloy has shown agility and resilience with the flexibility to adapt to AGCOs changing environment.

Indirect Supplier Award: Palo Alto Networks, Inc. of Santa Clara, CA, is a multinational cybersecurity company that has provided AGCO with strategic collaborative solutions to increase network security and meet the secure cloud-based needs of the hybrid workforce.

Logistics Outbound Service Provider Award: R.E. West Transportation of Ashland City, TN, is a for-hire contract freight hauling operation that has provided AGCO with strategic collaborative logistics services for over 12 years and transported over 8600 loads to dealers across the US and Canada. Outstanding reliability and customer service make R.E. West Transportation an effective supplier of innovation and collaboration.

Logistics Inbound Service Provider Award: Flat World Global Solutions of St. Louis, MO, provides collaborative and innovative shipping and delivery solutions to AGCO. The company streamlines supply chain processes for AGCO, with technology that integrates and organizes shipping, logistics, and storage without interruption for a simplified shipping solution.

Aftersales Supplier Award: Ag Express Electronics of Sulphur Springs, IN, is a 100% employee-owned company that leads the agricultural industry in service, sales, and support of electronic instrumentation and controls. With order flexibility, quality parts, and outstanding customer service, Ag Express Electronics provides adaptive and strategic collaboration to meet the needs of AGCOs farmers, manufacturing sites, and dealers.

Sustainability Award: Headquartered in Turkiye, Jantsa has a long history of social and community stewardship that was again demonstrated in February 2023 when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkiye and Syria. The company and employees donated containers of toiletries, healthcare items, food, water, tents, and a container house to serve as a residence for a family in need. Jantsa is committed to community restoration and pledged to continue providing support to those who survived the massive earthquake.

Quality & Delivery Performance Award: McNeilus Steel Inc. of Morristown, TN, is a full-line steel distributor and processor dedicated to providing AGCOs customers with the best in material quality, responsive customer service, and on-time delivery. The company is recognized for its close collaboration with AGCOs engineering, logistics, and purchasing teams that provides value and high-quality solutions for AGCO and our farmers.

Collaboration & Innovation Award: American Castings, LLC, located in Pryor, OK, is a world leader in quality ferrous castings. The company has been a high-performing supplier for many years for Jacksons Fendt IDEAL combine track systems and has continually produced quality components that meet AGCOs standards and on-time demand.

Fendt, Fuse, IDEAL, and Massey Ferguson are registered trademarks of AGCO.

* NOTE: The use of partner throughout this announcement in no way implies nor suggests a relationship beyond Component Supply or Services and Performance as outlined in the ASPIRE Supplier Management Guideline. Please see www.agcocorp.com/suppliers for more details.

About AGCO

AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology. AGCO delivers customer value through its differentiated brand portfolio including core brands like Fendt, GSI, Massey Ferguson, Precision Planting, and Valtra. Powered by Fuse smart farming solutions, AGCOs full line of equipment and services help farmers sustainably feed our world. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, USA, AGCO had net sales of $12.7 billion in 2022. For more information, visit www.AGCOcorp.com. For company news, information, and events, please follow us on Twitter: @AGCOCorp. For financial news on Twitter, please follow the hashtag #AGCOIR.

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Bob Blakely, AGCO | [email protected] | 770-232-8018

Source: AGCO Corporation
OLDWICK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AM Best will participate in a panel discussion at the 2023 International Congress of Actuaries, which will be held in Sydney, Australia, from 28 May to 1 June 2023.

Tony Silverman, director, credit rating criteria, research and analytics, AM Best, will participate in a session, titled, IFRS17  Now the Rubber Hits the Road," which is scheduled for 2.00 p.m.-3.30 p.m. (AEST) on Wednesday, 31 May 2023. The discussion will focus on the progress of data collection for IFRS 17, the upcoming first issue of IFRS 17 results and the implications the new standard has for actuaries working in a multitude of areas, including investment management, product development and regulation. Silverman will focus on data and reporting from the point of view of AM Bests position as a user of insurers financial reporting.

Silverman has been with AM Best since 2013, and is responsible for the generation, maintenance and implementation of industry-leading and globally consistent credit rating criteria. He also has authored numerous commentaries related to IFRS 17, in addition to other insurance industry-wide issues. The panel discussion will be moderated by Anne Driver, partner, global IFRS 17 insurance leader, Deloitte, and include Dr Andreas Barckow, chairman, International Accounting Standards Board, and Marika Guralnik, head of actuarial and insurance technical services, Compensa Life Vienna Insurance Group SE.

The event is hosted by International Actuarial Association and the Actuaries Institute Australia and will take place at the International Convention Centre in Sydney. This years event is themed as Bridge to Tomorrow, and has been designed to help actuaries stay ahead of the latest trends and prepare for the future. For more information, please visit the International Congress of Actuaries event page.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

Copyright  2023 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Christopher Sharkey

Associate Director, Public Relations

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159

[email protected]

Al Slavin

Senior Public Relations Specialist

+1 908 439 2200, ext. 5098

[email protected]

Source: AM Best
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The American Fair Credit Council (AFCC) today announced that the debt resolution industry contributed $75,000 to the Council for Economic Education (CEE) to honor Financial Literacy Month and the work of CEE. The contribution will help the organization in its mission to equip K-12 students with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics so that they can make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities. This donation is the first of its kind led by the AFCC, made possible through the help of its member companies that raised $50,000 for CEE, matched by $25,000 directly from the AFCC.

Today's youth are tomorrow's leaders & consumers, and we want to do our part to ensure they have the skills needed to make educated financial decisions, said AFCC Chairman of the Board, Dan Frazer. The AFCC is proud to partner with CEE to expand this vital work to more locations across the country to benefit countless consumers and families.

"We are thrilled to have the support of the AFCC during Financial Literacy Month and look forward to building a long-term partnership, said Nan Morrison, CEEs President and CEO. The AFCCs commitment to helping us educate the next generation of financially literate young people will ensure financial stability and economic mobility for them, their families, and their communities.

Financial and economic literacy is a growing problem in the United States. According to CEE, only half of U.S. states require economics for graduation, and legislation to remove economics requirements has been proposed in several states. But there is progress being made by CEE and aligned entities  in 2000, only seven states required students to take personal finance, yet today, that number is up to 27.

Consumers without the benefit of some financial education are often left vulnerable and are likely to fall into debt. As illustrated by research on financial literacy programs, individuals who receive financial education are shown to have better credit scores and less outstanding debt.

The AFCC is examining the potential for expanding this work to ensure more Americans have the advantage of this knowledge to help them sidestep debt later in life and live financially stable lives.

About the American Fair Credit Council

The American Fair Credit Council (AFCC) is the national association of professional debt resolution companies. The AFCC and its member companies work on behalf of consumers struggling with the overwhelming burdens of unsecured debt to resolve those debts for less than their full balance. The AFCC has developed a strict Code of Conduct centered on "best practices" designed to protect the rights of consumers and requires member companies to follow stringent regulatory guidelines for operation. All AFCC members operate on a "No Advance Fee Model" and never charge a fee for services until a consumer's debt has been successfully negotiated.

About the Council on Economic Education

The Council for Economic Educations (CEEs) mission is to equip K-12 students with the tools and knowledge of personal finance and economics so that they can make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities. We work to ensure financial and economic education is required for K-12 students throughout the U.S., connecting them to and ultimately strengthening the broader economy. Through CEEs array of programs, resources, and trained educators, we bring this vital knowledge to over 4,000,000 K-12 students each year. In partnership with our 200 affiliates nationwide, we provide training and tools to more than 40,000 teachers annually who in turn bring the highest quality economics and personal finance instruction to students. Additionally, we deeply engage students through our competitions and career programs helping them build critical career capabilities  communication, collaboration, presentation and critical thinking skills.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005930/en/

Denise Dunckel, CEO, AFCC

[email protected]

Source: American Fair Credit Council
The record fine the Irish privacy regulator DPC imposed on Facebook is proof that the net is closing around the popular networking site. So say the Consumentenbond and Data Privacy Stichting, which are pleased with the amount of the fine.

AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On Monday, May 22, the DPC announced that it is fining Facebook 1.2 billion for sending users' data to locations outside Europe. According to the regulator, Facebook thereby violates the privacy of European consumers because Facebook does not adequately protect the data from surveillance by U.S. intelligence agencies. The regulator also ordered Facebook to comply with privacy rules.

Backing up

Sandra Molenaar, director of Consumentenbond: "After the resounding victory in our own lawsuit against Facebook, this is another important blow for consumers. It is also an important support for consumers who participate in our claim against Facebook. It makes their case a lot stronger. Slowly but surely, the net is closing around Facebook. Consumers can still join our action and I urge everyone to do so. Together we must make a fist against Facebook."

Fine

Molenaar is also satisfied with the amount of the fine: "The amount does justice to the violation Facebook committed. The rights of millions of consumers have been trampled on. That requires a deterrent amount. And that is this fine."

Called to order

Dick Bouma, president of Data Privacy Stichting: "Facebook is not above the law and must follow the rules just like everyone else. The highest European court ruled twice that Facebook may not send consumer data to servers outside Europe without proper safeguards. And yet the company just goes ahead with this. It is high time that Facebook is called to order, stops violating consumer rights and starts compensating consumers."

Sign up

Consumers in the Netherlands may be eligible for compensation for Facebook's privacy violations. Consumers who have or had a Facebook or Instagram account can apply.

Already, more than 230,000 consumers have signed up with Consumentenbond.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230522005714/en/

Gerard Spierenburg

Consumentenbond

Email: [email protected]

Tel. +31 6 21528743

Source: Consumentenbond
 Company Achieves Key Milestones in Development of Its 240,000 Square-Foot, 34-Megawatt Data Center in Santa Clara

 Downtown Denver Facility to Offer Additional 3,420 Square Feet and 500 Kilowatts

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- CoreSite, a leading hybrid IT solutions provider and subsidiary of American Tower Corporation (NYSE: AMT) (American Tower), today announced the continued expansion of its Silicon Valley and Denver data center campuses to meet the dynamic digital infrastructure requirements of public and private cloud providers, enterprises, network and service providers. As a leading interconnection provider, CoreSite is adding its ninth data center in Santa Clara, California. With the addition of the new 240,000-square-foot, purpose-built data center  known as SV9  the companys newest Silicon Valley data center campus will have 1.179 million total square feet of data center space. Located at 2915 Stender Way, SV9 will offer 34 megawatts of IT load with a new utility substation onsite. CoreSite has also completed the design and permitting process to add 3,420 square feet and 500 kilowatts of IT load to its downtown Denver (DE1) data center at 910 15th Street, one of the most interconnected data centers in the Denver metro region.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005451/en/

CoreSites SV9 240,000-square-foot data center, located at 2915 Stender Way, is under construction at the Santa Clara campus. The structural steel and concrete pours are now complete. (Photo: Business Wire)

Silicon Valley Market Expansion

The CoreSite Silicon Valley footprint  spanning Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara  is currently comprised of eight operational data centers and offers one of the largest retail and wholesale campuses in the Bay Area with a natively dense network and robust cloud ecosystem.

The massive scale of the Santa Clara campus is coupled with the availability of native cloud onramps in the heart of some of the largest concentrations of internet and technology companies in the world. These qualities uniquely enable CoreSite to support a broad range of colocation use cases from enterprises and digital platforms. Through the Open Cloud Exchange (OCX), CoreSites leading software-defined networking platform, customers utilize the superior interconnection needed to reach new markets, rapidly scale on-demand, reduce total cost of operation and accelerate IT modernization. The OCX is uniquely suited to meet the most demanding compute needs of digital platforms with a rich ecosystem of 205 cloud, network and IT service providers available.

SV9 Construction Milestones Achieved

Construction of SV9 has progressed since securing building permits in 2022. CoreSite has completed building the structural steel and concrete pours for the facility. Despite experiencing historically rainy and windy weather conditions in the Santa Clara area, the company remains on schedule for completion of SV9 in 2024 with its first phase ready for occupancy in Q1 2024.

Denver Market

Strategically located in downtown Denver, CoreSites DE1 and DE2 data center facilities deliver two network-rich data centers and the regions largest peering exchange. CoreSite sits at the nexus of where the networks meet in the Rocky Mountain region and is home to a rich interconnected ecosystem of nearly 150 organizations comprised of cloud, network and IT service providers.

CoreSites DE1 facility is an ideal destination for any performance-sensitive requirements and is a marketing-leading network-dense asset for connectivity needs, including native cloud onramps, i.e., direct connection, to the top cloud providers. The expansion at DE1 will increase the total square footage in CoreSites Denver campus to 37,420.

With expansions in both our Silicon Valley and Denver markets, CoreSite is delivering on our long-term strategy to meet the ever-increasing data center capacity demands and interconnection requirements of our valued customers, said Juan Font, President and CEO, CoreSite and SVP of U.S. Tower. Our strong financial backing by Fortune 375 wireless infrastructure leader, American Tower, and private equity partner, Stonepeak, means we have the direct access to capital required to grow with our customers to anticipate and build solutions for their future needs.

Construction of SV9 is expected to be complete in 2024, preleasing is available now. CoreSite is pre-leasing the DE1 expansion, which will be available for customers in 2H 2023.

Additional Resources

About CoreSite

CoreSite, an American Tower company (NYSE: AMT), provides hybrid IT solutions that empower enterprises, cloud, network, and IT service providers to monetize and future-proof their digital business. Our highly interconnected data center campuses offer a native digital supply chain featuring direct cloud onramps to enable our customers to build customized hybrid IT infrastructure and accelerate digital transformation. For more than 20 years, CoreSites team of technical experts have partnered with customers to optimize operations, elevate customer experience, dynamically scale, and leverage data to gain competitive edge. For more information, visit CoreSite.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains statements about future events and expectations, or forward-looking statements, all of which are inherently uncertain. We have based those forward-looking statements on managements current expectations and assumptions and not on historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties. For important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in our forward-looking statements, we refer you to the information contained in Item 1A of American Towers Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, under the caption Risk Factors and in other filings American Tower makes with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Neither we nor American Tower undertake any obligation to update the information contained in this press release to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005451/en/

Megan Ruszkowski

Vice President of Marketing and Sales Development

720-446-2014

[email protected]

Source: CoreSite
Organizations can unlock the power of generative AI for proprietary enterprise data, today

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Elastic (NYSE: ESTC) (Elastic), the company behind Elasticsearch, today announced the launch of the Elasticsearch Relevance Engine (ESRE), powered by built-in vector search and transformer models, which is designed to bring the power of AI innovation to proprietary enterprise data. ESRE enables companies to achieve breakthrough results by helping organizations create secure deployments to take advantage of all their proprietary structured and unstructured data while optimizing infrastructure and using talent resources more efficiently.

Generative AI is a revolutionary moment in technology and the companies that get it right, fast, are tomorrows leaders, said Ash Kulkarni, CEO of Elastic. The Elasticsearch Relevance Engine is available today, and weve already done the hard work of making it easier for companies to do generative AI right.

The expertise of Elastic in enterprise search is evident in the way the company thinks about how to incorporate generative AI into it, said Julia Liuson, President of Microsofts Developer Division. Were working closely together to help companies leverage the power of Azure OpenAI and ChatGPT over all of an organizations' proprietary data in Elasticsearch to help our joint customers deliver a richer and more seamless experience.

Elastic has made substantial investments in foundational AI capabilities to democratize AI and machine learning for developers. Unified APIs for vector search, BM25f search and hybrid search, plus a new transformer model small enough to fit on a laptops memory mean businesses and teams are now able to optimize infrastructure and talent resources more efficiently. Using a relevance engine, like ESRE, allows companies to take advantage of all of their structured and unstructured data to build custom generative AI (GAI) apps, without having to worry about the size and cost of running large language models. The ability to bring your own transformer model and integrate with third-party transformer models allows organizations to create secure deployments that leverage all the cutting-edge innovations of GAI on their specific business data. With ESRE, the thousands of companies and vast community of users that have invested in Elastic solutions can advance AI initiatives right now without a lot of additional resources.

Enterprises are excited about the potential for generative AI in their applications and workflows, but are all also swamped by the pace of innovation in the field, said James Governor, co-founder of RedMonk. ESRE is designed to ease adoption of transformers, homemade and third-party LLM models, building on the original core strengths of Elastic in search.

The product of more than two years of research and development, ESRE is already being utilized by several prominent Elastic customers to augment their own AI-powered applications. In addition, Relativity, a global legal technology company and an Elastic OEM partner, is experimenting with ESRE in conjunction with the Azure OpenAI Service to understand and demonstrate how it might improve the relevance of results within their eDiscovery product, RelativityOne.

"Ensuring our customers and partners have industry-leading search capabilities is vital to our mission to help them organize data, discover the truth and act on it. To that end, Im thrilled about the benefits we can bring to customers through our investments to harness Elasticsearch within RelativityOne, said Chris Brown, Chief Product Officer at Relativity. "We're experimenting with ESRE right now and are excited about its potential to deliver powerful, AI-augmented search results to our customers."

Elasticsearch Relevance Engine (ESRE) includes:

Industry leading advanced relevance ranking features, including BM25f, a critical component of hybrid search

A vector database for storing and querying embeddings in high-dimensions

A new proprietary transformer model that delivers out-of-the-box semantic search

Bring your own transformer models

Integration with third-party transformer models, such as OpenAI GPT 3/4 via APIs

With more innovation on the way.

About Elastic:

Elastic (NYSE: ESTC) is a leading platform for search-powered solutions. Elastic understands its the answers, not just the data. The Elasticsearch platform enables anyone to find the answers they need in real-time using all their data, at scale. Elastic delivers complete, cloud-based, AI-powered solutions for enterprise security, observability and search built on the Elasticsearch platform, the development platform used by thousands of companies, including more than 50% of the Fortune 500. Learn more at elastic.co.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005378/en/

Madge Miller

Elastic Public Relations

[email protected]

Source: Elastic N.V.
Social media may be an ideal way to gauge Sudanese sentiment about the conflict in the country.

Since the fall of former Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir in 2019, political and civilian circles in Sudan have been supporting either the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) or its opponents the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Divisions have been present on the Sudanese political scene since at least the countrys independence in the 1950s, but they have never been as glaring as they have been during the past five weeks since fighting broke out between the SAF and the RSF.

Both parties are fighting for their existence, said Osman Mirghani, a professor of modern history in Khartoum. The defeated party will simply cease to exist, which is why neither side approved a ceasefire during the recent talks in Jeddah.

This is also why there is so much political and social polarisation in Sudan, because each party is fighting for its existence.

Twitter, a favourite social media platform for many Sudanese, has seen many users change their pictures to the emblem of Sudan: a secretary bird bearing a shield and two scrolls, with the upper one reading Victory is ours and the lower one The Republic of Sudan.

I changed the pictures on my WhatsApp, Twitter, Spock, and Instagram accounts to the SAF emblem, said Hatem Idriss, an IT specialist at a mobile services company in Khartoum.

We do not accept being ruled by a militia led by a camel thief, he added, a reference to Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, the leader of the RSF.

However, not all SAF supporters have changed their social media accounts. Yassin Ahmed has kept his profile intact on Twitter even as he expressed his support for the SAF, ending his tweets with the words one army. The Janjaweed are ribata [bandits].

SAF loyalists often refer to the RSF militia, whose origin lies in the Janjaweed militia made notorious by their actions in Darfur during the Al-Bashir regime, as bandits, seeing them as camel thieves, as their political opponents claim.

Al-Ahram Weekly was not able to verify this from a neutral source.

Many people say may God help the army to emerge victorious when I post about the SAF and its victories, Idriss said. Ahmed could not be reached for comment.

The war has reached its peak. The two sides cannot co-exist; one of them has to leave the political equation, Idriss said.

Not all Sudanese support the SAF, however. Mohamed Nagati Al-Talib commented on his social media that the RSF will be triumphant, God willing. He often posts news of the RSF taking control of a neighbourhood or facility in Sudan.

Some social media users do not state who they support directly, but instead refer to the flaws of their opponents, Idriss said.

One user posted a video about complaints made by regular army soldiers to the effect that the military should be reformed, adding that some army personnel are traitors or receive bribes.

Focusing on the opponents flaws can shake the support of some people. This is war, and it is being seen as such in Khartoum, Mirghani said.

On the other hand, many Sudanese who support the army refer to the RSF militia by writing that they are thieves, ignoramuses, mercenaries and changing their name to the Rapid Looting Forces.

The conflict broke out in Sudan on 15 April, and it sees the SAF, established in 1925 and one of the strongest in Africa, pitched against the RSF founded by Al-Bashir in 2013 for use in Darfur and directly answerable to him.

The SAF has 250,000 soldiers in addition to reserve forces, while the RSF is composed of the Janjaweed militias who hail from rural Arab tribes. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has accused the Janjaweed of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Sudanese civil society figures such as Khaled Omar Youssef, minister of Cabinet Affairs in prime minister Abdallah Hamdoks government, and lawyer Wagdi Saleh, of Baathist orientation and a member of the Commission for the Liquidation of the Al-Bashir regime, have announced the establishment of a Stop the War Coalition to halt the conflict in Sudan.

But this is an entity that exists only on Twitter, said Mirghani. Its members do not have power, nor are they elected. They are ineffective.

The conflict has become a military one, and the coalition lacks political support on the ground. In addition, the majority of the Sudanese middle classes believe the coalition is siding with the RSF.

The Western media often refers to those in Sudan who are against the SAF as democracy supporters, claiming it promotes tyranny. The result has been that they are sometimes seen as supporting the RSF.

If the army is responsible for tyranny, can the RSF militia bring about a democratic transition? The answer is that this is impossible, commented Mirghani.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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WATSONVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Granite (NYSE: GVA) was awarded an approximately $29 million contract by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to widen a section of Highway 1 in Santa Cruz, California. The project is funded by the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (SCCRTC), with Local Measure D-Highway Corridor funds, Senate Bill 1 grants, as well as other SCCRTC discretionary funds used to complete the work necessary to ready the project for construction. The project was included in Granites 2022 fourth-quarter CAP.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005076/en/

Granite is proud to contribute to the development of Santa Cruz Countys infrastructure. We have a long-standing commitment to safety and excellence and will bring this dedication to every aspect of the project. (Photo: Business Wire)

The project will involve the construction of four retaining walls, one soldier pile retaining wall, and a 650 ft. long box girder pedestrian bridge over Hwy 1 at Chanticleer Avenue. The freeway widening will involve both directions of Hwy 1 from Soquel Avenue to 41st Avenue in Capitola, with an additional lane of travel in each direction being added to the existing earth median. Granite aims to utilize 27,000 tons of subbase & base from its nearby plants and 18,600 tons of hot mix asphalt (HMA) from its Salinas Hot Plant.

We are committed to minimizing the impact on the local community and will work closely with Caltrans to ensure that any necessary lane closures or detours are clearly communicated to the public in advance, and that all construction activities are carried out with the utmost care and attention to safety, said Granite Vice President of Regional Operations, Brent Fogg. Granite is proud to contribute to the development of Santa Cruz Countys infrastructure. We have a long-standing commitment to safety and excellence and will bring this dedication to every aspect of the project.

The project is planned to begin in May 2023 and is expected to be completed in December 2024.

About Granite

Granite is Americas Infrastructure Company. Incorporated since 1922, Granite (NYSE: GVA) is one of the largest diversified construction and construction materials companies in the United States as well as a full-suite civil construction provider. Granites Code of Conduct and strong Core Values guide the Company and its employees to uphold the highest ethical standards. Granite is an industry leader in safety and an award-winning firm in quality and sustainability. For more information, visit the Granite website, graniteconstruction.com, and connect with Granite on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005076/en/

Media

Erin Kuhlman 831-768-4111

Investors

Wenjun Xu - 831-761-7861

Source: Granite Construction Incorporated
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ooma, Inc. (NYSE: OOMA), a smart communications platform for businesses and consumers, today released financial results for the fiscal first quarter ended April 30, 2023.

Fiscal First Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights:

Revenue : Total revenue was $56.9 million, up 13% year-over-year. Subscription and services revenue increased to $53.0 million from $46.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2023, and was 93% of total revenue, primarily driven by the growth of Ooma Business and the acquisition of OnSIP.

: Total revenue was $56.9 million, up 13% year-over-year. Subscription and services revenue increased to $53.0 million from $46.7 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2023, and was 93% of total revenue, primarily driven by the growth of Ooma Business and the acquisition of OnSIP. Net Income/Loss : GAAP net loss was $0.3 million, or $0.01 per basic and diluted share, compared to GAAP net loss of $0.8 million, or $0.03 per basic and diluted share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. Non-GAAP net income was $4.0 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net income of $3.0 million, or $0.12 per diluted share in the prior year period.

: GAAP net loss was $0.3 million, or $0.01 per basic and diluted share, compared to GAAP net loss of $0.8 million, or $0.03 per basic and diluted share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. Non-GAAP net income was $4.0 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, compared to non-GAAP net income of $3.0 million, or $0.12 per diluted share in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA was $4.8 million, compared to $3.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2023.

For more information about non-GAAP net income and Adjusted EBITDA, see the section below titled "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and the reconciliation provided in this release.

Ooma achieved a solid start to its fiscal 2024 with Q1 revenue increasing to $56.9 million and non-GAAP net income of $4.0 million, said Eric Stang, chief executive officer of Ooma. Q1 revenue growth of 13%, year-over-year, was driven by 27% year-over-year growth in business services revenue, which now makes up 56% of total services revenue. As planned, we made progress in Q1 introducing new Office Pro+ features, growing our user base in Europe, expanding our vertical markets and partnerships, and broadening the capabilities and customer adoption of our AirDial POTS replacement solution. Looking forward, we intend to continue to invest in our key strategic initiatives and the development of new partnerships to drive profitable growth.

Business Outlook:

For the second quarter of fiscal 2024, Ooma expects:

Total revenue in the range of $57.4 million to $57.9 million.

GAAP net loss in the range of $0.6 million to $0.9 million and GAAP net loss per share in the range of $0.02 to $0.04.

Non-GAAP net income in the range of $3.5 million to $3.8 million and non-GAAP net income per share in the range of $0.13 to $0.15.

For the full fiscal year 2024, Ooma expects:

Total revenue in the range of $235.5 million to $238.5 million.

GAAP net loss in the range of $0.9 million to $2.9 million, and GAAP net loss per share in the range of $0.04 to $0.12.

Non-GAAP net income in the range of $14.5 million to $16.5 million, and non-GAAP net income per share in the range of $0.55 to $0.63.

The following is a reconciliation of GAAP net loss to non-GAAP net income and GAAP basic and diluted net loss per share to non-GAAP diluted net income per share guidance for the second fiscal quarter ending July 31, 2023 and the fiscal year ending January 31, 2024 (in millions, except per share data):

Projected range Three Months Ending Fiscal Year Ending July 31, 2023 January 31, 2024 (unaudited) GAAP net loss ($0.6)-($0.9) ($0.9)-($2.9) Stock-based compensation and related taxes 3.7 14.6 Amortization of intangible assets 0.7 2.8 Non-GAAP net income $3.5-$3.8 $14.5-$16.5 GAAP net loss per share ($0.02)-($0.04) ($0.04)-($0.12) Stock-based compensation and related taxes 0.14 0.56 Amortization of intangible assets 0.03 0.11 Non-GAAP net income per share $0.13-$0.15 $0.55-$0.63 Weighted-average number of shares used in per share amounts: Basic 25.2 25.6 Diluted 26.0 26.3

Conference Call Information:

Ooma will host a conference call and live webcast for analysts and investors today at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. The news release with the financial results will be accessible from the company's website prior to the conference call.

Parties in the United States and Canada can access the call by dialing +1 (888) 550-5744, using conference ID 4726540. International parties can access the call by dialing +1 (646) 960-0223, using conference ID 4726540.

The webcast will be accessible on the Events and Presentations page of Oomas investor relations website, https://investors.ooma.com, for a period of at least one year. A telephonic replay of the conference call will be available from approximately two hours after the call is completed or about 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on May 23, 2023 until 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday, May 30, 2023. To access the replay, parties in the United States and Canada should call +1 (800) 770-2030. International parties should call +1 (647) 362-9199.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to disclosing financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), this press release and the accompanying tables contain certain non-GAAP financial measures, including: non-GAAP net income, non-GAAP net income per share, non-GAAP gross profit and gross margin, non-GAAP operating income, and Adjusted EBITDA. Adjusted EBITDA represents the net income before interest and other income, income tax provision, depreciation and amortization of capital expenditures, amortization of intangible assets, and stock-based compensation expense and related taxes.

Other non-GAAP financial measures exclude stock-based compensation expense and related taxes, and amortization of intangible assets. Non-GAAP weighted-average diluted shares include the effect of potentially dilutive securities from the companys stock-based benefit plans.

These non-GAAP financial measures are presented to provide investors with additional information regarding our financial results and core business operations. Ooma considers these non-GAAP financial measures to be useful measures of the operating performance of the company, because they contain adjustments for unusual events or factors that do not directly affect what management considers to be Ooma's core operating performance and are used by the company's management for that purpose. Management also believes that these non-GAAP financial measures allow for a better evaluation of the company's performance by facilitating a meaningful comparison of the company's core operating results in a given period to those in prior and future periods. In addition, investors often use similar measures to evaluate the operating performance of a company.

Non-GAAP financial measures are presented for supplemental informational purposes only to aid an understanding of the company's operating results. The non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP and may be different from non-GAAP financial measures presented by other companies. A limitation of the non-GAAP financial measures presented is that the adjustments relate to items that the company generally expects to continue to recognize. The adjustment of these items should not be construed as an inference that the adjusted gains or expenses are unusual, infrequent or non-recurring. Therefore, both GAAP financial measures of Ooma's financial performance and the respective non-GAAP measures should be considered together. Please see the reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure in the tables below.

Disclosure Information

Ooma uses the investor relations section on its website as a means of complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor Ooma's investor relations website in addition to following Ooma's press releases, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, and public conference calls and webcasts.

Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, the financial projections under Business Outlook and the statements contained in the quotations of our Chief Executive Officer with respect to expectations regarding the Companys growth initiatives may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical facts and generally contain words such as "believes, "expects, "may, "will, "should, "seeks, "approximately, "intends, "plans, "estimates, "anticipates, and other expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon information available at the time the statements are made and reflect management's good faith beliefs, forward-looking statements inherently involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from anticipated future results. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, among others: our inability to attract new customers on a cost-effective basis; our inability to retain customers; our inability to realize expected returns from our investments made in connection with our international expansion efforts and development of new product features; failure to realize AirDial opportunities; intense competition; loss of key retailers and reseller partnerships; our reliance on vendors to manufacture the on-premise appliances and end-point devices we sell; our reliance on third parties for our network connectivity and co-location facilities; our reliance on third parties for some of our software development, quality assurance and operations; our reliance on third parties to provide the majority of our customer service and support representatives; and interruptions to our service. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We do not undertake to update or revise any forward-looking statements after they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to other risks and uncertainties, including those more fully described in our filings which we make with the SEC from time to time, including the risk factors contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on April 7, 2023. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Ooma as of the date hereof, and Ooma disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

About Ooma, Inc.

Ooma (NYSE: OOMA) creates powerful connected experiences for businesses and consumers, delivered from its smart cloud-based SaaS platform. For businesses of all sizes, Ooma provides advanced voice and collaboration features including messaging, intelligent virtual attendants, and video conferencing to help them run more efficiently. For consumers, Oomas residential phone service provides PureVoice HD voice quality, advanced functionality and integration with mobile devices. Learn more at www.ooma.com or www.ooma.ca in Canada.

OOMA, INC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited, amounts in thousands) April 30, January 31, 2023 2023 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 27,390 $ 24,137 Short-term investments 987 2,723 Accounts receivable, net 8,734 7,131 Inventories 25,320 26,246 Other current assets 13,620 14,368 Total current assets 76,051 74,605 Property and equipment, net 8,448 7,996 Operating lease right-of-use assets 16,887 12,702 Intangible assets, net 9,722 10,463 Goodwill 8,655 8,655 Other assets 17,972 16,584 Total assets $ 137,735 $ 131,005 Liabilities and stockholders' equity Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 18,872 $ 13,462 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 20,600 26,726 Deferred revenue 16,630 17,216 Total current liabilities 56,102 57,404 Long-term operating lease liabilities 13,987 10,426 Other liabilities 23 31 Total liabilities 70,112 67,861 Stockholders' equity: Common stock 5 5 Additional paid-in capital 200,398 195,605 Accumulated other comprehensive loss (11 ) (23 ) Accumulated deficit (132,769 ) (132,443 ) Total stockholders' equity 67,623 63,144 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 137,735 $ 131,005

OOMA, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited, amounts in thousands, except share and per share data) Three Months Ended April 30,

2023 April 30,

2022 Revenue: Subscription and services $ 53,049 $ 46,723 Product and other 3,803 3,614 Total revenue 56,852 50,337 Cost of revenue: Subscription and services 14,725 13,209 Product and other 6,175 5,176 Total cost of revenue 20,900 18,385 Gross profit 35,952 31,952 Operating expenses: Sales and marketing 17,990 16,151 Research and development 11,953 10,498 General and administrative 6,617 6,062 Total operating expenses 36,560 32,711 Loss from operations (608 ) (759 ) Interest and other income, net 415 33 Loss before income taxes (193 ) (726 ) Income tax provision (133 ) (40 ) Net loss $ (326 ) $ (766 ) Net loss per share of common stock: Basic and diluted $ (0.01 ) $ (0.03 ) Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding: Basic and diluted 25,178,008 24,116,144

OOMA, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited, amounts in thousands) Three Months Ended April 30,

2023 April 30,

2022 Cash flows from operating activities: Net loss $ (326 ) $ (766 ) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities: Stock-based compensation expense 3,500 3,336 Depreciation and amortization of capital expenditures 1,063 850 Amortization of intangible assets 741 326 Amortization of operating lease right-of-use assets 647 717 Other (2 ) 15 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable, net (1,603 ) 1,688 Inventories and deferred inventory costs 965 (493 ) Prepaid expenses and other assets (755 ) (2,681 ) Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other liabilities (2,352 ) (1,950 ) Deferred revenue (594 ) (223 ) Net cash provided by operating activities 1,284 819 Cash flows from investing activities: Proceeds from maturities and sales of short-term investments 1,750 4,800 Purchases of short-term investments  (3,380 ) Capital expenditures (1,374 ) (1,459 ) Business acquisition, working capital adjustments 300  Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 676 (39 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from issuance of common stock 1,724 1,554 Shares repurchased for tax withholdings on vesting of restricted stock units (431 ) (348 ) Net cash provided by financing activities 1,293 1,206 Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 3,253 1,986 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 24,137 19,667 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 27,390 $ 21,653

OOMA, INC. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures (Unaudited, amounts in thousands, except percentages, shares and per share data) Three Months Ended April 30,

2023 April 30,

2022 Revenue $ 56,852 $ 50,337 GAAP gross profit $ 35,952 $ 31,952 Stock-based compensation and related taxes 260 248 Amortization of intangible assets 110 73 Non-GAAP gross profit $ 36,322 $ 32,273 Gross margin on a GAAP basis 63 % 63 % Gross margin on a Non-GAAP basis 64 % 64 % GAAP operating loss $ (608 ) $ (759 ) Stock-based compensation and related taxes 3,595 3,440 Amortization of intangible assets 741 326 Non-GAAP operating income $ 3,728 $ 3,007 GAAP net loss $ (326 ) $ (766 ) Stock-based compensation and related taxes 3,595 3,440 Amortization of intangible assets 741 326 Non-GAAP net income $ 4,010 $ 3,000 GAAP basic and diluted net loss per share $ (0.01 ) $ (0.03 ) Stock-based compensation and related taxes 0.14 0.14 Amortization of intangible assets 0.03 0.01 Non-GAAP net income per basic share $ 0.16 $ 0.12 Non-GAAP net income per diluted share $ 0.16 $ 0.12 GAAP weighted-average basic and diluted shares 25,178,008 24,116,144 Non-GAAP weighted-average diluted shares 25,665,906 24,909,140 GAAP net loss $ (326 ) $ (766 ) Reconciling items: Interest and other income, net (415 ) (33 ) Income tax provision 133 40 Depreciation and amortization of capital expenditures 1,063 850 Amortization of intangible assets 741 326 Stock-based compensation and related taxes 3,595 3,440 Adjusted EBITDA $ 4,791 $ 3,857

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INVESTOR CONTACT:

Matthew S. Robison

Director of IR and Corporate Development

Ooma, Inc.

[email protected]

(650) 300-1480

MEDIA CONTACT:

Mike Langberg

Director of Corporate Communications

Ooma, Inc.

[email protected]

(650) 566-6693

Source: Ooma, Inc.
Credit union implements digital platform to offer enhanced banking services, enable member self-service functionality

TROY, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Mahalo Banking, a CUSO that provides online and mobile banking solutions for credit unions, today announced that Harrisonburg, Va.-based Park View Federal Credit Union (Park View  $350M in assets) is live on its enhanced thoughtful banking platform. The Mahalo platform enables the credit union to offer several new money management tools to modernize its member experience and enable more self-service options.

Serving 13,000 members globally, Park View is leveraging the Mahalo digital banking platform to provide features that streamline member processes for managing and moving money. Among the capabilities being implemented are real-time remote deposits with the ability to add custom memos, ACH origination through the core that creates a seamless money transfer experience and direct deposit allocations that enable members to easily schedule payments and transfers.

In searching for a new digital banking provider, we wanted an innovative partner that could grow with us over the next decade and would integrate well with our core solution, Corelation Keystone, said Tanya Holland, Director of Digital Operations with Park View. It was essential that our partner could keep pace with rapidly evolving technology and deliver new features and functionality in a timely manner. We want to empower member self-service through our digital banking platform to mirror our branch services, and working with Mahalo enables us to do so seamlessly by acting as a strong extension of our core. 

In addition, the credit union is offering real-time text and email alerts to better communicate important updates to members. To serve its philanthropic mission, Park View has also implemented a donation tool that enables members to make charitable contributions through the platform that are directly distributed to local nonprofits within the membership base.

Holland said, Throughout the entire process, Mahalo has kept us abreast of all the implementation nuances, which is paramount to a successful product launch. We discovered that our teams are culturally aligned and have established a truly collaborative partnership. Their hands-on approach has led them to meet and exceed all of our deliverable deadlines, as well as achieve an excellent implementation.

The Mahalo platform is intuitively designed by credit union industry veterans with first-hand experience addressing the challenges credit unions experience. Mahalo Banking is feature-rich and price competitive to help all credit unions achieve a technological advantage. Dedicated to a member-centric focus, Mahalos platform provides the industrys first online banking solution to fully integrate comprehensive neurodiverse functionality. Mahalos technology leverages deep integrations into credit union cores, making both the credit union and member experience seamless.

Working with Park View has been delightful  our teams have collaborated on all facets of the implementation process, and our joint vision to give their members the tools to effectively address todays banking needs are aligned, said Denny Howell, co-founder and COO of Mahalo. The Mahalo team strives to cultivate strong working relationships with our credit union partners, which is vital for delivering fantastic digital banking experiences and innovating efficiently. Having a credit union background enables us to know and understand the challenges credit unions and their members face. This truly differentiates our team and positions us to intuitively serve customers and ensure they have a voice throughout our work together.

About Park View Federal Credit Union

Established in 1969, Park View Federal Credit Union (PVFCU) is a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative empowering individuals, businesses and partner organizations to cultivate financial stability and growth. PVFCU provides a full range of financial services from five branch locations in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County areas. For more information, visit pvfcu.org.

About Mahalo

Mahalo Banking provides online and mobile banking solutions for credit unions. Based in Troy, Mich., the Mahalo platform is designed and built on superior architecture with deep integration to core processing, providing security and a robust feature set across all delivery channels for a true omni experience. Mahalo offers the industrys first and only online banking solution to fully integrate comprehensive neurodiverse functionality directly into its platform. This inclusive approach allows credit unions to support and embrace all members and accommodate their unique needs.

For more information about Mahalo Banking, please visit us at mahalobanking.com, follow us on Twitter or connect via LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005244/en/

Angelo D. Jones II // Gabriela Lumpkin

[email protected] // [email protected]

678.781.7230 // 678.781.7211

Source: Mahalo Banking
TORONTO & SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- POSaBIT Systems Corporation (CSE: PBIT, OTC: POSAF) (the  Company  or  POSaBIT ), a leading provider of payments infrastructure in the cannabis industry, will host a conference call and live webcast on May 31, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. eastern time to discuss the results of the first quarter ended March 31, 2023.

Conference Call Information

Date: May 31, 2023

Time: 4:30 PM Eastern Time

Toll Free: 888-506-0062

International: 973-528-0011

Participant Access Code: 478379

Webcast URL: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2708/48472

Conference Call Replay Information:

Toll Free: 877-481-4010

International: 919-882-2331

Replay Passcode: 48472

Webcast Replay URL: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2708/48472

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our business strategy, product development, timing of product development, events and courses of action. Statements which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, outlook, expectations or intentions regarding the future including words or phrases such as anticipate, objective, may, will, might, should, could, can, intend, expect, believe, estimate, predict, potential, plan, is designed to or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes or the negative thereof or similar variations, including the Companys ability to continue to execute on its commercial agreements with MJ Freeway merchants and the expected synergies related to the Companys recently announced acquisition of Hypur. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including business, economic and capital market conditions; the ability to manage our operating expenses, which may adversely affect our financial condition; our ability to remain competitive as other better financed competitors develop and release competitive products; regulatory uncertainties; market conditions and the demand and pricing for our products; and our relationships with our customers, distributors and business partners.

Neither we nor any of our representatives make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, sufficiency or completeness of the information in this news release. Neither we nor any of our representatives shall have any liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise resulting from the use of the information in this news release or for omissions from the information in this news release.

About POSaBIT

POSaBIT (CSE: PBIT, OTC: POSAF) is a FinTech, working exclusively within the cannabis industry. We provide a best-in-class Point-of-Sale solution and are the leading cashless payment provider for cannabis retailers. We work tirelessly to build better financial services and transaction methods for merchants. We bring cutting edge software and technology to the cannabis industry so that all merchants can have a safe and compliant set of services to solve the problems of a cash-only industry. For additional information, visit www.posabit.com .

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005187/en/

Investor Relations:

Hayden IR

James Carbonara

(646) 755-7412

[email protected]

[email protected]



Media Relations:

Oscar Dahl

855-767-2248

[email protected]



Management:

Ryan Hamlin

Co-founder and CEO of POSaBIT

855-767-2248

[email protected]

Source: POSaBIT Systems Corporation
La Jolla Vein & Vascular Offers Geniculate Artery Embolization to Treat Knee Arthritis

LA JOLLA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- La Jolla Vein & Vascular offers novel treatment for chronic knee pain due to osteoarthritis (OA). The treatment, called geniculate artery embolization (GAE), is a minimally-invasive procedure for patients with knee pain who have failed conservative therapy, such as medications, knee injections and are either not eligible or do not wish to undergo knee replacement surgery. GAE works by targeting vascular causes of inflammation in the knee joint.

Osteoarthritis is the leading cause of chronic pain and disability in the United States. It is estimated that 13% of women and 10% of men aged 60 years and older have symptomatic knee OA. Until recently, the only options for pain management were medications, steroid injections and surgery. The GAE procedure is performed by an Interventional Radiologist, who injects tiny microscopic beads into the blood vessels that supply the knee joint. By shutting down these blood vessels, inflammation and cartilage destruction may be inhibited. Dr. Elliot DeYoung, head Interventional Radiologist at La Jolla Vein & Vascular explains that while using embolization to treat arthritis is new, this method has been used for years in other areas of medicine. Dr. DeYoung explains, We use the same particles, the same materials and the same practices, but instead of treating vascular tumors, were treating inflammation, with excellent results.

Maria Espinoza, who underwent the GAE procedure with Dr. DeYoung at La Jolla Vein & Vascular earlier this year, describes the effect it had on her health: Before, I couldnt walk due to my knee pain. After [GAE] treatment, the pain went away and I can walk much better now. In an article published in the Society of Interventional Radiology in March 2021, average pain scores decreased from eight out of ten before GAE to three out of ten within the first week. The procedure takes one to two hours to complete. Patients go home the same day and, in most cases, can resume normal activities by the same evening. Dr. DeYoung encourages anyone who is considering GAE treatment to discuss it with their doctor.

About La Jolla Vein & Vascular:

La Jolla Vein & Vascular has two locations in San Diego County, California and is a leader in comprehensive vascular care. Other vascular disorders treated include peripheral arterial disease, varicose veins, leg ulcers, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pelvic congestion, labial varicose veins, varicocele, and uterine fibroids. Learn more about LJVVs approach to the treatment of osteoarthritis with geniculate artery embolization (GAE) at www.LJVascular.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005565/en/

MEDIA CONTACT: Taylor Brune, La Jolla Vein & Vascular

[email protected] | 858-550-0330

Source: La Jolla Vein & Vascular
PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Vagaro, the leading comprehensive business management platform for the beauty, fitness, and wellness industries, announced the companys 2nd annual user conference, iconic.23.

The event will feature returning guest speaker Tabatha Coffey, celebrity hairstylist and television personality, as well as Jeannie Mai Jenkins, Emmy Award-winning television host, and Kendra Scott, Founder of Kendra Scott Lifestyle & Jewelry Company.

All three of our keynote speakers have unique and inspiring entrepreneurial journeys to share with our audience. From building their careers from the ground up, juggling multiple roles, and overcoming adversity to achieve success  we look forward to learning a lot from them, whether personal or professional, said Vagaro Founder and CEO, Fred Helou.

The conference brings together professionals from beauty, fitness, and wellness to share industry perspectives and grow their networks over two days of educational panels, breakout sessions, and complimentary wellness classes.

More than 400 service professionals from around the world attended Vagaro's inaugural event, where discussions led by renowned industry experts offered actionable insights and effective strategies for business and personal growth.

We received amazing feedback from attendees last year, so we were able to learn as much from them as they gained from our event. Meeting our users and prospects face-to-face is an invaluable experience, and were both honored and excited to be able to do that again, said Vagaros VP of Marketing, Charity Hudnall.

iconic.23 will be held on September 24-25 in San Diego, California in the historic Gaslamp Quarter.

The event will also include giveaways and other special offers to be announced at the conference.

Additional speakers include Paula Peralta, celebrity hairstylist and Paul Mitchell Artistic Director; Luka Hocevar, former professional athlete and founder of Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance, and more.

Early bird priced tickets are available now! The event will also be livestreamed. To register or learn more, click here.

Sponsorship opportunities for iconic.23 are still available. Please contact [email protected]

About Vagaro

Vagaro, Inc. is a leading business management and payment processing platform, and online marketplace for the beauty, fitness, and wellness industries. Service professionals in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia use Vagaro to manage, market and grow their business. Consumers choose Vagaro to search for and book wellness services on any device. To learn more, visit Vagaro.com and vagaro.com/pro

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523006004/en/

[email protected]

Source: Vagaro
Twelve percent decrease pales in comparison to success rates of most other industrialized nations in getting people living with HIV on treatment and virally suppressed

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is warning that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report showing United States HIV infection rates declined by 12 percent from 2017 to 2021 belies the bigger picture. While the United States boasts world class clinicians and pharmaceutical innovators, America ranks near the bottom of advanced industrialized nations in terms of preventing new HIV cases and achieving viral suppression for its HIV population.

The statistics are unacceptable. Thirty-two thousand new cases per year represents a failure in epidemic control. Despite tens of billions of dollars spent, only 58% of Americans with HIV are virally suppressed which lags behind several poor countries in Africa, said Michael Weinstein, AHF founder and president. Furthermore, people of color continue to lack the assistance they need to prevent and treat HIV while our fragmented healthcare system creates obstacles to care and the lack of primary prevention aids the spread of the virus. Ten years ago, the main issue was all the people who didn't know they were living with HIV and, therefore, werent getting treatment. Today, the problem is too many people dont get care or dont stay in care. Lawmakers, health officials, and non-government actors must demand more from our public health investments focused on HIV prevention.

About AHF

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the worlds largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, provides cutting-edge medicine and advocacy to more than 1.7 million individuals in 45 countries in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region, and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, visit us online at AIDShealth.org, find us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to our Ahfter Hours podcast.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523006052/en/

Ged Kenslea, AHF Senior Communications Dir.

cell: (323) 791-5526

[email protected]

Source: AIDS Healthcare Foundation
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- UBS Investment Bank today announced coupon payments for the ETRACS Alerian MLP Index ETN Series B (NYSE Arca: AMUB), traded on the NYSE Arca.

NYSE

Ticker ETN Name and Prospectus Supplement* Coupon

Valuation

Date Ex-

Date Record Date Payment

Date Coupon

Amount Payment

Schedule Current Yield

(annualized)** AMUB ETRACS Alerian MLP Index ETN Series B 05/15/23 05/25/23 05/26/23 06/06/23 $0.2643 Quarterly 7.36%

* The table above provides a hyperlink to the relevant prospectus and supplements thereto. For more information on each ETRACS ETN, see "List of ETNs".

**"Current Yield (annualized)" equals the current Coupon Amount, multiplied by four (to annualize such coupon), divided by the Closing Indicative Value of the ETN on its current Coupon Valuation Date rounded to two decimal places for ease of analysis. The Current Yield is not indicative of future coupon payments, if any, on the ETN. You are not guaranteed any coupon or distribution amount under the ETN.

About ETRACS

ETRACS ETNs are senior unsecured notes issued by UBS AG, are traded on NYSE Arca, and can be bought and sold through a broker or financial advisor. An investment in ETRACS ETNs is subject to a number of risks, including the risk of loss of some or all of the investors principal, and is subject to the creditworthiness of UBS AG. Investors are not guaranteed any coupon or distribution amount under the ETNs. We urge you to read the more detailed explanation of risks described under Risk Factors in the applicable prospectus supplement for the ETRACS ETN.

UBS AG has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus and supplements thereto) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, for the offerings of securities to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus, along with the applicable prospectus supplement to understand fully the terms of the securities and other considerations that are important in making a decision about investing in the ETRACS. The applicable offering document for each ETRACS may be obtained by clicking on the name of each ETRACS identified above. You may also get these documents without cost by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. The securities related to the offerings are not deposit liabilities and are not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other governmental agency of the United States, Switzerland or any other jurisdiction.

About UBS

UBS convenes the global ecosystem for investing, where people and ideas are connected and opportunities brought to life, and provides financial advice and solutions to wealthy, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as to private clients in Switzerland. UBS offers investment solutions, products and impactful thought leadership, is the leading global wealth manager, provides large-scale and diversified asset management, focused investment banking capabilities, and personal and corporate banking services in Switzerland. The firm focuses on businesses that have a strong competitive position in their target markets, are capital efficient and have an attractive long-term structural growth or profitability outlook.

UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. It has offices in more than 50 regions and locations, with about 30% of its employees working in the Americas, 30% in Switzerland, 19% in the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 21% in Asia Pacific. UBS Group AG employs more than 72,000 people around the world. Its shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

This material is issued by UBS AG and/or any of its subsidiaries and/or any of its affiliates ("UBS"). Products and services mentioned in this material may not be available for residents of certain jurisdictions. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Please consult the restrictions relating to the product or service in question for further information. Activities with respect to US securities are conducted through UBS Securities LLC, a US broker/dealer. Member of SIPC (http://www.sipc.org/).

ETRACS ETNs are sold only in conjunction with the relevant offering materials. UBS has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus, as supplemented by the applicable prospectus supplement for the offering of the ETRACS ETNs) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read these documents and any other documents that UBS has filed with the SEC for more complete information about UBS and the offering to which this communication relates. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. Alternatively, you can request the applicable prospectus and prospectus supplement by calling toll-free (+1-877-387 2275). In the US, securities underwriting, trading and brokerage activities and M&A advisor activities are provided by UBS Securities LLC, a registered broker/dealer that is a wholly owned subsidiary of UBS AG, a member of the New York Stock Exchange and other principal exchanges, and a member of SIPC. UBS Financial Services Inc. is a registered broker/dealer and affiliate of UBS Securities LLC.

UBS specifically prohibits the redistribution or reproduction of this communication in whole or in part without the prior written permission of UBS and UBS accepts no liability whatsoever for the actions of third parties in this respect.

Alerian MLP Index, Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index, Alerian Natural Gas MLP Index, AMZ, AMZI, and ANGI are trademarks of Alerian and their use is granted under a license from Alerian.

 UBS 2023. The key symbol, UBS and ETRACS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. Other marks may be trademarks of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

1 Individual investors should instruct their broker/advisor/custodian to call us or should call together with their broker/advisor/custodian.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005857/en/

Media

Alison Keunen

+1 212 713 2296

[email protected]



Institutional Investor contact1

+1-877-387 2275

Source: UBS Investment Bank
PROVIDENCE, R.I.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE: UNFI) will release financial results for its fiscal 2023 third quarter, ended April 29, 2023, the morning of Wednesday June 7, 2023. Management will host a conference call that morning at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss results.

To access the conference call, please dial (888) 660-6768 (U.S. toll-free) and reference conference ID number 1099581. An audio webcast of the conference call, and materials that will be referenced during the call, will be available via the Investors section of the Company's website www.unfi.com. An online archive of the webcast will be available for 120 days.

About United Natural Foods, Inc.

UNFI is North America's premier grocery wholesaler delivering the widest variety of fresh, branded, and owned brand products to more than 30,000 locations throughout North America, including natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional supermarket chains, ecommerce providers, and food service customers. UNFI also provides a broad range of value-added services and segmented marketing expertise, including proprietary technology, data, market insights, and shelf management to help customers and suppliers build their businesses and brands. As the largest full-service grocery partner in North America, UNFI is committed to building a food system that is better for all and is uniquely positioned to deliver great food, more choices, and fresh thinking to customers. To learn more about how UNFI is Fueling the Future of Food, visit www.unfi.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523006044/en/

Investor Contacts

Kristyn Farahmand

401-213-2160

[email protected]

- or -

Steve Bloomquist

952-828-4144

[email protected]

Media Contact

Jeff Swanson

952-903-1645

[email protected]

Source: United Natural Foods, Inc.
Veracode Also Recognized as a 2022 Customers Choice for Application Security Testing in Gartner Peer Insights, as 97 Percent of Customers Share Willingness to Recommend

BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Veracode, a leading provider of intelligent software security solutions, has been positioned as a 10-time Leader in the 2023 Gartner Inc. Magic Quadrant for Application Security Testingan in-depth evaluation of the markets competitors. The company has been recognized as a Leader in the report every single time since it was first published.

With independent feedback and ratings from customer reviews culminating in a 97 percent willingness to recommend (based on 61 reviews, as of 31 July 2022), Veracode was also positioned as a Gartner Peer Insights Customers Choice for Application Security Testing.

Sam King, Chief Executive Officer at Veracode, said, For more than 17 years, we have had an unrelenting commitment to making secure software a competitive advantage for our customers. Our continued position as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant, combined with our recognition as a Customers Choice, we feel demonstrates the trust placed in us every day by developers, security teams, and business leaders worldwide. We are proud to say that Veracode was one of the pioneers of application security and now we are propelling the category into the future: intelligent software security.

The Head of Application Security at a banking company reviewing Veracode in Gartner Peer Insights said, Of all the companies that carry out POCs (Proof of Concepts)...only Veracode proves to be a solid and senior company or enough to put in our financial institution." A security analyst at another firm commented, In order for a product to be successful, it needs to do two things right, product performance and support. Veracode gives you the best of both worlds, a great product with great support.

Protecting the Software Supply Chain

Veracode offers EU and UK Support through its dedicated European Region, an EU instance that allows European organizations to address data residency concerns. The company has also achieved the US Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), which makes multiple tools available to US federal agencies that want to find and fix software supply chain vulnerabilities in accordance with compliance mandates. Veracode is the only software composition analysis vendor listed in the FedRAMP marketplace.

King said, Increased reliance on third-party code, along with emerging regulations for software security and data compliance, are some of our customers greatest challenges. To alleviate the pressure on organizations, our proprietary database tracks open-source risk and our platform provides continuous scanning through multiple tools, including container security, infrastructure-as-code (IaC) scanning, and Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) capabilities.

Veracodes recent addition of Peer Benchmarkinga new self-service capability that allows organizations to measure their flaw and remediation performance against industry peersalso enables security leaders to assess the impact of their investments and demonstrate value to the business.

Strength of Vision: Delivering Capabilities Against Customer Needs

In the past year, Veracode has also made two significant acquisitions, to which the company credits its position in the report. Firstly, the acquisition of the Germany-based Crashtest Security tool enhanced Veracodes existing dynamic analysis and penetration testing capabilities for web apps and application programming interfaces (APIs), as well as broadening customer access globally. More recently, the acquisition of auto-remediation technology from Jaroona, a 2021 Gartner Cool Vendor for DevSecOps, enabled the launch of Veracode Fix. The new AI-powered product automatically suggests remediations for security flaws found in code and open-source dependencies.

Brian Roche, Chief Product Officer at Veracode, said, One of the biggest pain points our customers express is mitigating intensifying threat against an expanding attack surface, while accelerating development velocity and minimizing costs. Weve invested heavily in our platform over the past year to develop automated solutions that remove friction for developers and provide security teams with a comprehensive view of risk. The launch of Veracode Fix addresses the need to broaden our focus from application security testing to intelligent software security.

To download a complimentary copy of the full 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant Report, visit the Veracode website.

To learn more about intelligent software security from Veracode, please visit: https://www.veracode.com/products

1Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Application Security Testing, Mark Horvath, Dale Gardner, Manjunath Bhat, Ravisha Chugh, Angela Zhao, 17 May 2023.

2Gartner, Peer Insights Voice of the Customer: Application Security Testing by Peer Contributors, September 30, 2022.

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About Veracode

Veracode is intelligent software security. The Veracode Software Security Platform continuously finds flaws and vulnerabilities at every stage of the modern software development lifecycle. Prompted by powerful AI trained by trillions of lines of code, Veracode customers fix flaws faster with high accuracy. Trusted by security teams, developers, and business leaders from thousands of the worlds leading organizations, Veracode is the pioneer, continuing to redefine what intelligent software security means.

Copyright  2023 Veracode, Inc. All rights reserved. Veracode is a registered trademark of Veracode, Inc. in the United States and may be registered in certain other jurisdictions. All other product names, brands or logos belong to their respective holders. All other trademarks cited herein are property of their respective owners.

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Katy Gwilliam

[email protected]

Source: Veracode
A major Iranian official is now tasked with stabilising the improvement in relations between Tehran and its Arab neighbours, and confronting the US attempts to hinder the Arab-Iranian rapprochement.

Ali Akbar Ahmadian, who replaced Ali Shamkhani as the secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council following the latters resignation after ten years, might be seen as the architect of Arab-Iranian relations.

Shamkhani, an ethnic Arab, is a veteran military commander who served as a naval commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and as a defence minister under former President Mohammad Khatami.

He gave no reasons for his departure, but his position was in doubt after the Iranian authorities executed Alireza Akbari, a prominent Defence Ministry official close to Shamkhani, who was convicted of spying for the British intelligence services.

Ahamadian served as the head of the Strategic Centre of the IRGC for 16 years and as commander of the IRGC Navy where he championed the doctrine of asymmetric defence. He is also a member of the Expediency Council.

Ahmadians job description was clear after this weeks speech by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the annual conference of members of the diplomatic corps, entitled Transformation in the Current World Order.

In his speech, Khamenei urged the foreign policy establishment to work hard to improve ties with regional countries, emphasising the need for wise dealing and flexibility while preserving principles, and highlighting the need to locate Iran in the new world order and to take personal initiatives with appropriate timing.

He also warned against what he called beggar diplomacy, a remark some interpreted as criticism of former president Hassan Rouhani and his foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, whose conservative rivals have been accusing them of softness and pursuing smile diplomacy with the West in a misinterpretation to Khameneis principal heroic flexibility.

There is no stable regional system without Iran playing a major role in it as one of the major regional powers. In this sense, the choice for Iran has always been between a turbulent and unstable regional regime in which Tehran is excluded and in which America is the regions policeman, or a stable regional order in which Iran plays a key role alongside regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Iraq, a former Iranian diplomat based in London told Al-Ahram Weekly.

No wonder hardliners in Iran are arguing that recent political breakthroughs such as the return of diplomatic relations between Riyadh and Tehran, the return of Syria to the Arab League after 12 years, and peace talks in Yemen that led to the longest period of ceasefire since the outbreak of the civil war, all this is due to the No stability without Iran doctrine.

But this self-congratulatory approach lacks subtlety, as some reformists argue. It is true that generating regional disorder and using proxy wars played a role in the current rearrangement of regional relations, but Tehran also owes thanks to America.

America has helped us a lot in the past years without even realising, first by overthrowing Saddam Husseins regime in Iraq, then by trying to overthrow the Syrian regime using popular protests, and by giving up its interest in the Middle East crises to focus on East Asia and face the threat of growing Chinese influence.

Ultimately, our neighbours realised that there must be security, economic and political cooperation with Iran for the sake of a stable regional order from which the countries and the peoples of the region can benefit, the Iranian diplomat argued.

Iranian officials do not hide their joy after recent developments, emphasising that the rapprochement with Saudi Arabia and Syrias return to the Arab League is a triumph for the hardliners approach.

Many Iranian diplomats believe that the rush of Arab countries towards Syria is driven by fear of the success of Iran and Russias efforts to normalise relations between the Syrian regime and Turkey, which could leave the major Arab powers marginalised and without influence in Syria, an important country for Arab regional security, despite its weakness due to its long civil war.

The expectations in Iran are that the Syrian crisis will witness major changes in the next few months. Ankara is recalculating its priorities in Syria. Regardless of the winner in the second round of the Turkish presidential elections later this month, it is likely that the elected Turkish president will want to limit Ankaras involvement in the Syrian crisis which is now a major influence in Turkeys domestic politics.

There are about four million Syrian refugees in Turkey, who are putting pressure on the infrastructure, jobs, housing services, health care, and education, as many Turks complain. The Turkish military presence in northern Syria also complicated relations with Iran, Russia, Europe, and America. Moreover, there are no major strategic gains for Ankara from direct involvement in Syrian territory.

No wonder both Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his rival Kemal Klcdaroglu promised to return millions of Syrian refugees to their country after guarantees that they will not be subjected to persecution.

They also hinted that they are willing to discuss normalisation with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assads regime and the withdrawal of Turkish forces from northern Syria in exchange for guarantees that those border areas will not be exploited by Kurdish separatists to launch attacks inside Turkish territory or establish Kurdish autonomous areas on the border. This Turkish approach corresponds with the Iranian and Russian positions and contradicts Washingtons stance.

The US is adamant that Syrian Kurds should establish a share of Syrian oil and gas resources along the lines of the federal model in Iraq. America also has a military presence in Syria to guarantee its interests and protect the Kurds allied with it. Washington has made it clear to its Arab partners that it does not support normalisation with Damascus or its return to the Arab League.

All this puts the Arab powers and Ankara in strategic divergence with Washington, which will reinforce Tehrans argument that US policies are the root of all the Middle East turmoil.

The rapprochement with Saudi Arabia and the return of diplomatic relations and Arab normalisation with the Syrian regime open the door to Iran reaping more strategic fruits, which is the return of ambassadors between Tehran and Cairo.

Fada-Hossein Maleki, Iranian lawmaker and member of the parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said in an interview with Tasnim news agency last week, Restoring relations between Iran and Egypt is very important... Shortly, bilateral relations will be restored, and we will witness the opening of embassies in both countries.

Nonetheless, Irans hope for a new regional security architecture is a long way off. America, which for several years now has been saying that it no longer considers the Middle East a region vital to its interests, is now rushing to prevent the establishment of security and political arrangements in isolation from its influence and views.

In the last few days, Washington announced that it will be boosting its military presence in the Gulf, arguing that Tehran has deepened its defence cooperation with Russia which poses a threat to Irans neighbours in the Middle East. From Irans viewpoint, Washington will not stand still watching the most significant shift in the Middle East dynamics since the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

But US efforts to impede attempts to build a stable regional system may not yield the desired results. After decades of a disorderly system that led to the disintegration of the central state in many Arab countries, there is fatigue from the chaos which could open the door to an order-based regional system.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Internship Program in Second Year Will Include Students from Ukraine and Czech Republic

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Westinghouse Electric Company is pleased to announce the hiring of university students from Poland, the Czech Republic and Ukraine for its second Central and Eastern European summer internship program. This program provides a unique learning experience with industry-recognized professionals in the design and support of operating reactors worldwide.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523006092/en/

The representatives of Westinghouse with the Rector of the Czech Technical University in Prague. L to R: Jing Zhang, Julie Gogemans, Vojtech Petracek, Petr Brzezina (Westinghouse President for Czech Republic and Slovakia) (Photo: Business Wire)

Westinghouse worked with engineering universities in all three countries to provide these internship opportunities. Fifteen students from Poland, five from the Czech Republic and four from Ukraine will travel to the U.S. for positions at engineering hub locations in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Last year, Westinghouse offered full-time positions in Poland to all students who were finished or close to finishing their degrees.

Westinghouse is very invested in developing the next generation of nuclear energy professionals and we do that by providing hands-on opportunities, side-by-side with our world-class team, said David Durham, President, Westinghouse Energy Systems. This growing internship program builds the future pipeline of talent to deploy and support these important clean energy initiatives in the region and globally.

In November, Poland selected Westinghouse for its first-ever nuclear energy program as the country seeks to decarbonize its electricity grid and enhance its energy security. Westinghouse has a firm commitment from Ukraine for nine AP1000 reactors, the most advanced Gen III+ technology available, and the company is pursuing additional opportunities for new reactors in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in the region.

Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear and other clean power technologies and services globally. Westinghouse supplied the worlds first commercial pressurized water reactor in 1957 and the companys technology is the basis for nearly one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants. Over 135 years of innovation makes Westinghouse the preferred partner for advanced technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For more information, visit www.westinghousenuclear.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523006092/en/

[email protected]

Source: Westinghouse Electric Company
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- WestRock Company (NYSE: WRK), a leading provider of sustainable paper and packaging solutions, today announced its participation in Deutsche Banks 14th Annual Global Industrials, Materials & Building Products Conference on June 8, 2023. David Sewell, president and chief executive officer, will present information about the Company at 8:30 am ET. This event will be webcast and available for replay on WestRocks website, ir.westrock.com.

About WestRock

WestRock (NYSE: WRK) partners with our customers to provide sustainable paper and packaging solutions that help them win in the marketplace. WestRocks team members support customers around the world from locations spanning North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Learn more at www.westrock.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523006041/en/

Investors:

Robert Quartaro, 470-328-6979

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations

[email protected]

Media:

Robby Johnson, 470-328-6397

Senior Manager, Corporate Communications

[email protected]

Source: WestRock Company
MILAN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ermenegildo Zegna N.V. (NYSE: ZGN) (Zegna) today announced the publication of the convocation notice for its Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will be held on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 2 p.m. CEST at the Steigenberger Airport Hotel Amsterdam, Stationsplein ZW 951, 1117 CE Schiphol-Oost, the Netherlands.

The convocation notice, explanatory notes, and other AGM materials, which include Zegnas 2022 statutory audited financial statements, are available under the relevant section of Zegnas corporate website at https://www.zegnagroup.com/en/corporate-governance/general-meetings/. Shareholders may request a physical copy of Zegnas 2022 statutory audited financial statements, free of charge, through the contacts below.

In addition, Zegnas Board of Directors intends to recommend to shareholders a distribution from retained earnings with respect to the financial year 2022 of EUR 0.10 per ordinary share, resulting in a total distribution of approximately EUR 25 million. The distribution will be paid in US dollars based on an exchange rate that will be published on Zegnas website (https://www.zegnagroup.com/en/corporate-governance/general-meetings/) the day following the AGM. The distribution will be subject to approval by shareholders at the AGM to be held on June 27, 2023.

If the shareholders approve the proposed dividend distribution, the ex-date will be July 5, 2023, the record date July 6, 2023 and the payment date July 28, 2023.

Key dividend information and important notice on dividend taxation will be available from the beginning of June under the Stock Info section of Zegna Groups corporate website at https://ir.zegnagroup.com.

ABOUT ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA GROUP

Founded in 1910 in Trivero, Italy, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group (NYSE: ZGN) is a leading global luxury group. The Group is the owner of the world-renowned ZEGNA and Thom Browne brands, and operates TOM FORD FASHION through a long-term license agreement with The Estee Lauder Companies Inc. The Group also manufactures and distributes the highest quality fabrics and textiles through its Luxury Textile Laboratory Platform. At the Groups core is a uniquely vertically integrated supply chain that brings together the best of Italian fine craftsmanship. Responsibility towards people, community and the natural world has been at the heart of the Ermenegildo Zegna Groups belief since its founding by the Zegna family over 100 years ago. Ensuring the highest quality of products without compromising the quality of life for future generations is a commitment carried from the Groups home in Italy to its operations around the world. Today the Group operates in approximately 80 countries around the world through 500 ZEGNA and Thom Browne stores, of which 304 are directly operated by the Group as of March 31, 2023 (242 ZEGNA stores and 62 Thom Browne stores). At the end of 2022, Ermenegildo Zegna Group had more than 6,000 employees and revenues of approximately 1.5 billion.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005908/en/

Investor Relations/Group Communications/Media

Francesca Di Pasquantonio

[email protected]

+39 335 5837669

Clementina Tito

[email protected]

Media

Brunswick Group

Brendan Riley / Daria Danelli / Marie Jensen

[email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]

+1 (917) 755-1454 / +39 348 635 1149 / +33 (0) 6 49 09 39 54

Community

Marco Rubino

+39 335 6509552

Source: Zegna Group
FILE PHOTO: The sun is seen behind a crude oil pump jack in the Permian Basin in Loving County, Texas, U.S., November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Angus Mordant

By Shariq Khan

BENGALURU (Reuters) -Oil prices rose on Tuesday on forecasts for a tighter gasoline market and a warning from the Saudi energy minister to speculators that raised the prospect of further OPEC+ output cuts.

Brent crude futures rose 85 cents, or 1.1%, to settle at $76.84 a barrel, while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) ended at $72.91 a barrel, up 86 cents, or 1.2%.

Both benchmarks extended gains to about 2% in post-settlement trade, after figures from the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed a large draw in crude and gasoline last week, according to market sources. [API/S]

If official inventories data from the Energy Information Administration, due on Wednesday, confirm the industry body's figures, U.S. gasoline inventories would have declined for the third straight week to their lowest pre-Memorial Day levels since 2014.

The Memorial day holiday, this year on May 29, traditionally marks the beginning of U.S. peak summer travel. U.S. gasoline futures rose 2% on Tuesday after the API data.

Production cuts by some OPEC+ members take effect this month. Fears of a supply squeeze mounted after Saudi Arabia's energy minister said he would keep short sellers - those betting that prices will fall - "ouching" and told them to "watch out".

The comments could mean the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies including Russia will consider further output cuts at a meeting on June 4, said OANDA analyst Craig Erlam.

Erlam added Brent crude prices need to rise above $77.50 a barrel to signal a sentiment shift.

"Of course, actions speak louder than words and traders haven't been overly deterred by his words, despite the group having announced two sizeable cuts in the last year that briefly shook the markets," Erlam said.

Some felt oil's upside was limited by U.S. debt ceiling jitters. Another round of debt ceiling talks ended on Tuesday with no signs of progress as the deadline to raise the government's $31.4 trillion borrowing limit or risk default ticked closer.

"(Oil) prices are likely to remain within their broad year to date trading range as the economy continues to slow while the refill of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and OPEC manages prices relative to global demand needs," said Rob Haworth,, senior investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management.

(Additional reporting by Alex Lawler, Yuka Obayashi in Tokyo and Andrew Hayley in Beijing; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) today announced the acquisition of Altamonte Springs, Florida -based Insurance by Ken Brown, Inc. (IBKB). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

IBKB is a retail insurance broker specializing in the construction and swimming pool industries, serving clients throughout Florida and the Southeast US. Ken Brown, Derek Brown and their team will remain in their current location under the direction of Peter Doyle , head of Gallagher's Southeast retail property/casualty brokerage operations.

"IBKB has a strong reputation and family culture, and their market expertise will enhance our opportunities in the region," said J. Patrick Gallagher , Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am very pleased to welcome Ken, Derek and their associates to Gallagher."

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois . Gallagher provides these services in approximately 130 countries around the world through its owned operations and a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Investors: Ray Iardella , VP - Investor Relations Media: Paul Day , Communications Manager 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-5946/ [email protected]

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/arthur-j-gallagher--co-acquires-insurance-by-ken-brown-inc-301829251.html

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Construction of a Stellantis (NYSE: STLA) battery plant in Windsor, Ontario remains at a standstill after the automotive giant, and its partner LG Energy Solution, halted progress on May 15 when the companies alleged the federal government wasnt holding up its end of a deal potentially worth billions in incentives.

In a letter dated April 19, the heads of Stellantis and LG Energy Solution told Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the project was in jeopardy if he did not honor what the company says was a promise in writing to close the competitive gap posed by the U.S. legislation, according to reports.

The letter, signed by Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and LG Energy Solution CEO Young Soo Kwon, asked the prime minister to urgently sign off on an agreement reached at the end of February to match U.S. production subsidies for green energy and manufacturing projects offered by the Biden administration.

The federal government promptly shifted blame to the Ontario government, asking it to pay their fair share, without elaborating.

Ontario Premier, Doug Ford said May 19 that his government would offer more support.

I will confirm we're putting more money on the table, he said after an unrelated announcement in St. Catharines, Ont. This is all about saving jobs and giving people the quality of life they deserve in southwestern Ontario.

However, Construction remains stopped for the module building.

Shares of STLA are down 1.6% in afternoon trading on Tuesday.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]
Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc. (NYSE: HASI), a leading investor in climate solutions, today announced that it is commencing a public offering of $300 million of shares of common stock. The Company expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to $45 million of additional shares of common stock. The Company intends to utilize the net proceeds of this offering for general corporate purposes.

J.P. Morgan, BofA Securities, and Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and has become effective. The offering will be made by means of a preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus. A copy of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus related to the offering can be obtained by contacting J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at (866) 803-9204 or by email at [email protected], BofA Securities, NC1-022-02-25, 201 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001, Attn: Prospectus Department, Email: [email protected] or Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, New York 10282, telephone: 1-866-471-2526, facsimile: 1-212-902-9316, or by emailing [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the offered shares, nor shall there be any sale of such shares in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

About HASI

HASI (NYSE: HASI) is a leading climate positive public company that actively partners with clients to deploy real assets that facilitate the energy transition. With more than $10 billion in managed assets, our vision is that every investment improves our climate future.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the information in 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. When used in this press release, words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "continue," "intend," "should," "may," "target," or similar expressions, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on such statements. Forward-looking statements are not predictions of future events. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements include those discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K (as supplemented by our Form 10-K/A) for the Company's fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the SEC, as well as in other reports that the Company files with the SEC.

Forward-looking statements are based on beliefs, assumptions and expectations as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements reflecting new estimates, events or circumstances after the date of this press release.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523006068/en/

INVESTOR RELATIONS INQUIRIES



Neha Gaddam



[email protected]



410-571-6189

Source: Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital, Inc.
TCS Capital Management, LLC (together with its affiliates, TCS), one of the largest shareholders of Yelp, Inc. (Yelp or the Company) (NYSE: YELP) with beneficial ownership of more than 4% of the outstanding common stock of the Company, today announced that it has delivered a letter to the Companys Board of Directors.

The full text of the letter follows:

TCS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC

142 WEST 57TH STREET, 11TH FLOOR

NEW YORK, NY 10019

(212) 621-8771

May 23, 2023

Yelp Inc.

350 Mission Street, 10th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94105

Attn: Diane Irvine, Chairperson of Board of Directors

cc: Board of Directors

Dear Diane,

TCS Capital Management, LLC and myself (TCS, we or us) beneficially own more than 4% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Yelp Inc. (Yelp or the Company), making us one of the Companys five largest stockholders. The purpose of this public letter is to express our serious concern and disappointment with the abysmal performance of Yelps stock price and to demand that the Board immediately explore strategic alternatives. We believe that Yelp is shockingly undervalued and could be sold to either a strategic or private equity buyer for at least $70 per share  or more than a 120% premium to Yelps current stock price based on reasonable valuation assumptions. Alternatively, we believe Yelp should explore a tax-free merger with Angi Inc. (ANGI, formerly known as Angies List) to form a powerhouse in the $500 billion home services market. As a former board member and longtime investor in ANGI, I believe that a Yelp and ANGI combination would yield enormous revenue synergies and cost savings that could ultimately double the value of Yelps shares.

We have owned shares of Yelp for most of the last five years. Over that time period, Yelp shares have declined 30% and underperformed the S&P 500 by 98%. Over the last 10 years, Yelps share price has been flat, underperforming the S&P 500 by a staggering 208%.

Amid this horrific underperformance, Yelp has become one of the most undervalued stocks that we have encountered in our 22 years as an investment firm. Despite having one of the most recognized digital brands, 73 million users, and 265 million reviews, the Company trades at only 4.8x forward estimated EBITDA and 8.5x forward estimated cash earnings, with a 12% free cash flow yield. This depressed valuation is even more remarkable given that Yelp has reported annual revenue growth rates in the high teens over the last eight quarters. In fact, its strongest and largest business segment  home services  has reported 20-25% annual revenue growth rates over the last four quarters. Moreover, the Company generates significant free cash flow  even though it is not maximizing profitability  and has a pristine balance sheet with nearly $300 million of net cash. Furthermore, Yelp stands to benefit greatly from increased integration of AI and machine learning, especially with regard to improving the quality and value of Yelp reviews and recommendations.

Well capitalized companies with consistently high revenue growth and profitability rarely, if ever, trade as low as 4.8x EBITDA and 8.5x cash earnings.

So whats wrong with Yelp?

We believe that Yelps tragic stock performance is attributable to several factors: 1) the complacency of its co-founder and longstanding CEO; 2) the laxity of its puppet Board; 3) the outrageously high stock-based compensation that has enriched senior management at the expense of unaffiliated stockholders; and 4) a long history of poor execution that has left the Company in a perpetual penalty box.

We believe that Yelps main obstacle to improved share price performance is Company CEO and co-founder, Jeremy Stoppelman. Despite the stocks poor performance, Mr. Stoppelman has remained CEO of the Company for nearly 20 years. We believe he inappropriately runs the Company as his private fiefdom  even though he beneficially owns only 5% of the shares outstanding (only slightly more than do we) and has no special voting rights.

So how has Mr. Stoppelman managed to remain CEO in the face of such value destruction? We believe that the answer is the support he receives from a rubber stamp Board mostly full of long tenured directors with minimal relevant experience or investment in the Company.

And why would Mr. Stoppelman want to remain at Yelp for so many years as his own stock languishes? This is easy to understand when viewed through the lens of his unconscionable compensation packages. He has received $41 million over the last five years (including $10.8 million in 2022), even though Yelp shares have declined 30% over that same period. Similarly, senior executives under Mr. Stoppelman have been grotesquely enriched as well. In 2022, for example, the Company paid its CFO, CTO, COO and CPO an average of $5.7 million each. After examining these exorbitant executive compensation packages, it becomes clear why Mr. Stoppelman and his team would fiercely resist a change of control or a value-enhancing combination with the likes of an ANGI. While such a transaction would, undoubtedly, massively benefit all of the unaffiliated stockholders, it would threaten Mr. Stoppelmans cushy compensation and lifestyle as Yelp CEO.

To add further insult to injury, our research indicates that Yelp insiders have collectively sold nearly $120 million of stock since 2018 and none have purchased shares during that same period (except to exercise options). Mr. Stoppelman himself has led the way with approximately $83 million of stock sales since 2018, including $19 million in January of this year alone. In essence, over the past five years an unfortunate theme has emerged involving Mr. Stoppelman and his team cashing out their stock positions while unaffiliated stockholders suffer painful losses.

Amidst these insider stock sales have come allegations of insider trading and suspiciously timed stock sales by members of the C-suite, including Mr. Stoppelman. In fact, in just the last year alone, Yelp has been forced to pay over $40 million to settle securities class action lawsuits alleging that Mr. Stoppelman, among other members of the C-suite, made materially false and misleading statements concerning the Company and benefited from those statements by selling their shares at artificially inflated prices. Tellingly, one of these settlements also included a commitment from the Company to implement a plan of comprehensive corporate governance reform.

Accordingly, we believe Mr. Stoppelman and his entrenched Board lack the incentive and skills to drive significant stock appreciation and have fostered a culture of complacency at the highest levels of the Company. For this reason, we believe that unaffiliated stockholders urgently deserve strategic action that would lead to a sale of the Company or a merger, such as with ANGI. Remaining independent only benefits Yelps egregiously overpaid senior executives.

Another troubling aspect of Yelps story is that Wall Street appears to have given up on its narrative. During the Companys first quarter earnings call earlier this month, only two sell-side analysts asked questions on the call, whereas most of Yelps peers receive at least twice as many questions on their earnings calls. Yelps solid first quarter results were virtually ignored by analysts covering the stock and the research reports commenting on the results were relatively downbeat. Among the 10 analysts with ratings on Yelp, only one has a buy recommendation, three have a sell and six have a hold. We believe this negativity is largely attributable to Yelps checkered history of missing market expectations. We believe that many investors and analysts refuse to embrace the stock now because they have been burned by it for so many years. Of course, this has all happened under Mr. Stoppelmans watch.

Nevertheless, we are confident that Yelp would attract robust interest from many potential strategic and private equity suitors were the Board to put the Company up for sale. Such a sale would likely garner a high premium for all Yelp stockholders. We believe there is a large universe of potential acquirors, including private equity buyers that would be attracted to Yelps strong brand, pristine balance sheet, solid growth, predictable cash flow and opportunity to optimize margins.

For strategic buyers, Yelp has scarcity value as one of the only independently owned digital assets with scale. We believe that its 73 million users, 265 million reviews, 6.3 million businesses and massive organic traffic would be highly desirable to many digitally oriented companies. We would gladly share with you our long list of potential strategic buyers. We conservatively assume that a buyer would need to pay at least 12x 2024 estimated EBITDA to acquire Yelp (although we believe 15x 2024 estimated EBITDA is more realistic given its scarcity value). At 12x 2024 estimated EBITDA, Yelp would be valued at approximately $70 per share  offering more than 120% upside to its current stock price.

However, Mr. Stoppelman appears to be a major obstacle to a transaction. It has been widely reported over the years that he has rejected credible takeover offers from multiple suitors. We believe that he has continued to rebuff strategic overtures from third parties without consideration for the best interests of all stockholders.

As part of its review of strategic alternatives, the Board should also seriously consider a combination with ANGI, which we believe would unite two of the best brands in the $500 billion home services market. We also believe that the transaction could be structured in a tax-free manner and Yelp could remain publicly traded, which would enable current stockholders to participate in the upside of a merger with ANGI  a much stronger entity with accelerating growth and profitability. As a former board member and long-time investor in ANGI, I know the home services space well. We believe that ANGI is an obvious partner for Yelp, especially as ANGI has recently shown signs of turning the corner. We believe that a Yelp/ANGI merger would create a compelling multi-brand powerhouse that would benefit from substantial cost savings, improved traffic monetization and sales force efficiencies. We estimate that the combined company would generate $600 million of EBITDA and offer significant upside for Yelp stockholders.

Given Yelps many years of poor stock performance, we believe it is imperative for the Board to finally take action to maximize value for unaffiliated stockholders. We have been patient and long-term oriented for several years. But our patience has run out. If necessary, we are willing to make a bid ourselves to acquire Yelp. Our group includes a major operating executive with many years of experience as the CEO of a public company in the same business as Yelp.

In conclusion, we demand that the Board act to advance stockholder interests by immediately commencing a rigorous exploration of strategic alternatives. We look forward to hearing from you but, regardless, we will remain relentlessly focused on ensuring that these necessary steps are taken to build and maximize value for all stockholders.

Sincerely,

Eric Semler

President

TCS Capital Management, LLC
Twelve years after Syria was suspended from the Arab League, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad attended the Arab Summit in Jeddah where he took his turn to speak just like any other Arab head-of-state. The summit ended relatively quickly with the reading of the closing statement drafted in the Arab foreign ministers meeting two days before. There were none of the usual closed-door sessions or any open discussion of the closing statement.

Arab leaders varied in the warmth with which they welcomed back Al-Assad. For the most part, the greetings seemed tepid, performed to follow protocol or behave consistently with their unexpected agreement on Syrias return to the Arab League. This return, it should be stressed, is conditional. The agreement calls for the creation of a committee made up of delegates from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iraq, charged with monitoring the solution to the Syrian question. According to the third point in the summits resolution, reintegration would involve a reciprocal step-by-step process contingent on the positive measures Damascus must take to resolve the various aspects of the Syrian crisis.

Syrias readmission to the Arab League, conditional or otherwise, was not welcomed in the West. Members of the US Congress on both sides of the aisle were furious, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers rushed to draft a bill to prevent Washington from normalising relations with Damascus and to enhance Washingtons powers to impose sanctions. The bill is meant as a warning to all other governments that might contemplate normalising relations with Al-Assad.

The European Commission issued a statement rejecting normalisation with Al-Assad without a political solution in accordance with UN resolutions. The German Foreign Ministry said that it saw no changes on the ground in Syria to justify normalisation with Al-Assad, while the British Foreign Office issued a statement stressing British opposition to dealing with the Al-Assad regime which continues to arrest, torture and kill innocent Syrians without showing any sign of change in behaviour towards his people.

But there is nothing in the Arab Summits resolutions that obliges member states to normalise relations with Syria. The resolutions have merely readmitted Syria to the Arab League, and left the matter of restoring bilateral relations with Damascus to individual states to decide as they see fit.

Many Arabs anticipate that the Syrian regime will take concrete steps in response to being welcomed back into the Arab fold, especially in light of its long and painful regional and international isolation.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has been among the most optimistic in this regard. Nevertheless, in his speech in Jeddah, he stressed that Egypt continues to support the application of UN Resolution 2254 on Syria. He was the only Arab leader at the summit to refer to the resolution, which the international community sees as the sole acceptable avenue to resolving the Syrian question.

Qatar, by contrast, was particularly reluctant to approve Syrias return to the league for free. Before the summit, Doha stated that it had only agreed in order not to break with the Arab consensus.

According to the agreement drafted by Arab foreign ministers, Syrias readmission into the League is based on its implementation of a roadmap involving the start of a political process that includes stakeholders in Syria, an end to foreign interventions, and a halt to captagon smuggling to neighbouring countries. Damascus will be expected to make progress on such matters in accordance with specified steps and mechanisms, within specific timeframes and under the supervision of the Arab League committee on Syria.

One of the first issues Syria must address in this framework is the safe return of Syrian refugees. But this is clearly a process that can not be accomplished easily. Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Ayman Sousan insisted that Arab countries had to start helping Syria with reconstruction first and this, in turn, necessitated the lifting of sanctions. There are requirements for the return of refugees, he said, the most important being the need to provide essential services in the areas they are to return to. It is important to appreciate the correlation between their return and the reconstruction needed to provide a dignified return for them. How is it possible for reconstruction to take place under the conditions of sanctions and economic blockade?

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad added, we are looking forward to an effective Arab role in helping Syrian refugees return home. Certainly, the reconstruction process will facilitate their return.

Judging by the statements Syrian officials made during the summit, Syria wants an end to the sanctions and it wants financial assistance before it turns its mind to the return of the refugees, Syrian political analyst Said Muqbil told Al-Ahram Weekly. In other words, the regime insists on financial support as a precondition for undertaking any of the measures it agreed on with the Arabs. This is not exactly what the Arabs were talking about when they discussed Syrias return to the Arab League.

Regarding the Syrian-Iranian dimension, it appears that Arab states understand that this relationship is too strong and deep to be abruptly ended or curtailed. In fact, only days before the summit, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Syria. It was the first visit by an Iranian president to Syria since the uprising began in 2011 and it was intended to signal to the summit participants that Iran was in Syria to stay. This was underscored by a number of agreements signed between Raisi and Al-Assad on long-term cooperation in oil, trade and investment.

The Arabs also expect progress towards a political solution to take place in accordance with UN Resolution 2254, which is the only frame of reference that promises to meet the requirements for a lasting solution. However, Damascus has stated on numerous occasions that it regards that resolution as an unwarranted intervention in Syrias domestic affairs. The past 12 years have also shown that Al-Assad has been able to manoeuvre around the resolution and void it of substance. As it so far appears unlikely that the summit resolutions will lead to an effective Arab role in pressuring the Syrian regime to work towards a political solution in this framework, the Arabs must be expecting Al-Assad to take other significant steps towards a political solution in the hope seeing the restoration of stability and security and the beginning of reconstruction and sustainable development.

What might dampen Arab hope in what is desired in exchange for Syrias return to the Arab League is that the Arabs have only received oral promises from Damascus in the foreign ministers meetings that were held ahead of the summit in Jeddah and Amman. Syria merely agreed to discuss and address the Arabs central concerns in detail in the future; it did not sign onto an explicit time-bound roadmap.

As Muqbil observed: That Syria had not responded to Arab demands ahead of the summit is clear from the Syrian foreign ministers refusal to accept any dictates regarding domestic reform and his insistence that the political process should take place at the depth and pace set by Damascus. Muqbil also cited some examples of the discourse in the official Syrian media, such as: The system of government in Syria is a domestic concern and no one has the right to impose their theories on this matter; Tehran has the ability to fill the void left by the Arabs, in general, and Saudi Arabia, in particular; and The Arab League is sick and needs to reform itself.

After the revolution erupted in Syria about 12 years ago, the Arab League stepped forward with many reasonable initiatives to stop the violence and end the conflict in Syria. However, the Syrian regime rejected them or voided those it was forced to accept of all substance. This is what drove the Arab League to suspend Syrias membership. Will we see a repeat of this after all these years? Will the Arab League discover that Syria has not come through on any of the promises it made in exchange for getting its seat back? Can Syria turn a blind eye to Syrian domestic matters, as though nothing had happened in the country for over a decade?

Now that the summit is over, attention will turn to Damascus. The Arabs will be testing the extent to which it is serious about restarting Arab relations on a proper footing in which they reach out to help Syria with reconstruction in exchange for progress towards an international solution to the Syrian conflict, inclusive of dialogue with the opposition, release of detainees and the safe return of millions of refugees. Damascus, for its part, has its hopes set on an end to Western sanctions and an influx of billions of dollars in aid so that it can prevent the production and smuggling of illegal drugs, support the return of refugees and engage in nationwide reconstruction.

Whatever might be said, the Arabs have not and will not overstep Washingtons red lines. They remain committed to the UN resolutions, for the Syrian question is an international one before it is an Arab one. Damascus will continue to manoeuvre to secure the best possible outcomes for it, so it is wise to keep expectations low. Still, what does it matter if Damascus manoeuvres so long as it does not violate international resolutions? What is important is that the Arabs should not come away empty handed and that the Syrians finally have some hope to hold onto after 12 years of incessant tragedy.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Thomson Reuters (TSX/NYSE: TRI), a global content and technology company, today brings forward its vision to redefine the future of professionals through generative artificial intelligence (AI). At a time of rapid global innovation, Thomson Reuters is at the forefront, helping its customers unlock the potential to automate workflows, provide powerful insights, and drive efficiencies with content-driven AI technology.

Following Thomson Reuters announcement that it intends to invest more than $100 million annually on AI capabilities at its Q1 FY23 results, the company also today announces a new plugin with Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft's advanced AI experiences across its productivity suite. This integration will bolster efforts for redefined professional work starting with legal research, drafting, and client collaboration.

"Generative AI empowers professionals to redefine their work and discover innovative approaches," said Steve Hasker , president and CEO, Thomson Reuters. "With our customers in the driver's seat, Thomson Reuters AI technology augments knowledge, helping professionals work smarter, giving them time back to focus on what matters. We are very proud to partner with Microsoft, leading the legal profession towards unlocking the value from Microsoft 365 Copilot for our customers, and their clients."

Redefining work with Generative AI

Today's announcements further cements Thomson Reuters as a leader in leveraging new technologies, including AI and machine learning (ML). For over 30 years Thomson Reuters has leveraged increasingly sophisticated AI and ML capabilities to improve search and expand advanced analytics for its customers. In addition to integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot, Thomson Reuters today shares plans to incorporate new generative AI capabilities across its product suite including:

Westlaw Precision - With generative AI, customers can find answers to complex legal questions in seconds, based on proprietary, expert content.

Practical Law - Smarter, faster access to the expertise of more than 650 attorney editors combined with the power of generative AI.

Checkpoint Edge - Providing fast, reliable answers to complex tax and accounting questions.

Legal Document Review and Summary - With generative AI reading through hundreds or even thousands of relevant documents in just seconds, customers can spot key risks, resolve questions, execute tasks, and generate powerful work product. Powered by HighQ , Practical Law, and Document Intelligence.

, Practical Law, and Document Intelligence. Legal Drafting - Bringing together Thomson Reuters trusted content and intelligence from across Westlaw, Practical Law, and Document Intelligence to surface key insights, legal knowledge, and answers to complex questions.

Find out more here .

Thomson Reuters plugin with Microsoft 365 Copilot

Working with Microsoft, Thomson Reuters has developed a contract drafting solution, powered by its legal products and content, and Copilot for Word. Delivering users with a draft working document and access to trusted content right where work happens  in Microsoft Word, professionals can use their expertise to edit, validate, and build the final document with integrated access to Thomson Reuters knowledge, content, and AI technology.

A demonstration of the integration between Thomson Reuters Legal Drafting, powered by its legal products and content, and Microsoft 365 Copilot for Word will be shown during this week's Microsoft Build event in Seattle . In the demo, Copilot creates a draft contract with help from a Thomson Reuters plugin that surfaces intelligence and content from Westlaw, Practical Law, and Document Intelligence - delivering in minutes work that used to take hours directly into Microsoft Word.

"Microsoft 365 Copilot is reinventing productivity for people and organizations, and we are thrilled to collaborate with Thomson Reuters to extend Copilot with new AI-powered experiences that will support legal professionals by saving them time and helping them drive value for the clients and businesses they serve," said Andrew Lindsay , Corporate Vice President of Industry, Apps & Data, Business Development at Microsoft.

Watch the demonstration here

Investing in Trust

Investing more than $100 million annually, Thomson Reuters is focused on integrating generative AI into its solutions through a build, buy and partnership strategy  providing customers with the very best and trusted solutions at speed.

Hasker adds, "At Thomson Reuters we remain committed to augmenting professional knowledge and workflows with AI. Continuing to support our customers on this journey will enable them to first trust and then harness this new technology as we build on the opportunities ahead in Legal, with solutions for Tax, Risk, and the News profession to follow."

Thomson Reuters has recently shared its updated AI and Data Principles , reflecting the rapid innovation and reinforcing its strong commitment to building trustworthy, practical, and beneficial AI for customers. The update reflects recognition of the evolving AI technology landscape and the need to demonstrate its commitment to unlocking AI in secure, transparent, and accountable ways.

Product availability

Thomson Reuters will be releasing generative AI capabilities into its native platforms Westlaw, Practical Law and Drafting in the second half of 2023.

Legal drafting, integrated with Copilot for Microsoft 365 will be available for legal professionals in beta alongside the Microsoft Copilot release schedule.

Tax and Compliance, Risk and Fraud generative AI solutions to follow in 2024.
(Updated - May 23, 2023 8:15 AM EDT)

Investing.com -- Lowes (NYSE: LOW) has reported a decline in first-quarter sales and lowered its full-year financial outlook, as the home improvement chain was hit by a slowdown in discretionary spending by shoppers and softening lumber prices.

Comparable sales for the three months ended on May 5 slipped by 4.3%, while total sales during the period fell to $22.35 billion from $23.66B in the corresponding timeframe last year.

In a statement, Lowe's chairman Marvin Ellison said the decrease in the top-line result was driven by "record lumber deflation and unfavorable spring weather." Demand for the high-priced items like grills and patio furniture sold by the company was also weaker than anticipated, in the latest sign that recent cost-of-living pressures are leading customers to rein in spending on non-essential items.

Ellison said this trend convinced the business to bring down its 2023 guidance. Lowe's now expects comparable sales to slide by 2% to 4% compared to the prior year, down from its initial estimate that the figure would either stay flat or drop by as much as 2%.

Total sales, meanwhile, are now seen at $87B to $89B. Lowe's had previously expected the number to come in at $88B to $90B.

However, Lowe's did get a boost in its most recent quarter from the 2022 sale of its Canadian retail business, which helped lift diluted earnings per share by $0.10. But excluding this benefit, the company still posted a 5% year-on-year increase in adjusted diluted EPS to $3.67.

Shares edged marginally lower in premarket trade on Tuesday.

TD Cowen analyst Max Rakhlenko said the company slashed its annual sales outlook to reflect softening U.S. consumer.

"We're unsure if guide is de-risked," the analyst said in a note commenting on earnings.

Goldman Sachs analyst Kate McShane added:

"The lowered guidance was not unexpected, in our view, given the recent guide down from HD."

Additional reporting by Senad Karaahmetovic
ST. LOUIS, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stereotaxis (NYSE: STXS), the global leader in robotic technologies for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias, today announced the first treatment of patients with a newly launched Genesis Robotic Magnetic Navigation (RMN) system at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Advocate Christ Medical Center, a part of Advocate Health, is the leading provider of robotic heart rhythm care in the Midwest. Electrophysiologists at the hospital have treated over 2,000 patients using advanced robotic technology. The hospital is now among the first in the world, and the first in Chicago, to offer the Genesis RMN system to patients.

"At Advocate Christ, we take pride in providing the highest quality care," said Dr. Jeffrey Neiger, Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Advocate Christ Medical Center. "For more than a decade, our electrophysiology team has leveraged the precision and safety of robotics when treating our cardiac patients. With the adoption of Genesis, we are extending our commitment to that technological and clinical leadership."

Robotic Magnetic Navigation introduces the benefits of robotic precision and safety to cardiac ablation, a common minimally invasive procedure to treat arrhythmias. Tens of millions of individuals worldwide suffer from arrhythmias  abnormal heart rhythms that result when the heart beats too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular pattern. When left untreated, arrhythmias may significantly increase the risk of stroke, heart failure, and sudden cardiac arrest.

"We are excited to continue our partnership with Advocate Christ in advancing the frontiers of patient care and clinical science in cardiology," said David Fischel, Chairman and CEO of Stereotaxis. "We look forward to working with them in ensuring the best possible heart care is available to the Chicago community."

About StereotaxisStereotaxis (NYSE: STXS) is a pioneer and global leader in innovative surgical robotics for minimally invasive endovascular intervention. Its mission is the discovery, development and delivery of robotic systems, instruments, and information solutions for the interventional laboratory. These innovations help physicians provide unsurpassed patient care with robotic precision and safety, expand access to minimally invasive therapy, and enhance the productivity, connectivity, and intelligence in the operating room. Stereotaxis technology has been used to treat over 100,000 patients across the United States, Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. For more information, please visit www.stereotaxis.com

This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe, "estimate, "project, "expect" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to manage expenses at sustainable levels, acceptance of the Company's products in the marketplace, the effect of global economic conditions on the ability and willingness of customers to purchase its technology, competitive factors, changes resulting from healthcare policy, dependence upon third-party vendors, timing of regulatory approvals, the impact of pandemics or other disasters, and other risks discussed in the Company's periodic and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward-looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release. There can be no assurance that the Company will recognize revenue related to its purchase orders and other commitments because some of these purchase orders and other commitments are subject to contingencies that are outside of the Company's control and may be revised, modified, delayed, or canceled.

Stereotaxis Contacts: David L. Fischel Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kimberly Peery Chief Financial Officer 314-678-6100 [email protected]

Source: Stereotaxis, Inc.
Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This May, Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group, releases The Weight of Everything by Pura Belpre Young Adult Honor Author Marcia Argueta Mickelson. This contemporary YA novel follows a teen girl of Mexican and Guatemalan descent as she navigates the depths of grief with warmth and self-discovery.

Six months ago, Sarah's beloved mother died in a car accident. Her dad fell apart, and Sarah had to leave her fine arts boarding school to take care of him and her little brother. Now, her dad's drinking and spending have gotten out of control, and Sarah is trying to hold everything together at home while adjusting to the local public high school. She's sure she doesn't have the time or emotional energy for a relationship with her sweet, handsome classmate, David Garza. But when a school project leads her to delve into her mother's Mexican and Guatemalan roots and rediscover her love of art, she stumbles upon a long-buried piece of history that mattered deeply to her mom. Sarah realizes she cant carry her pain silently anymore and she must find a way to balance her role as a caretaker with her own needs.

The Weight of Everything gracefully weaves together moments of pain, joy, and love with sensitive prose. Readers will cheer for Sarah as she finds her voice with the help of her new community.

Advance Praise for The Weight of Everything:

[L]ovingly conveys the pivotal role older siblings can play after a parent's death and weaves in Sarah's new interest in Guatemalan history and social activism in an organic manner. A thoughtful and substantive story about loss, cultural discovery, and first love.Kirkus Reviews

Through Sarahs tentative steps toward healing, Mickelson (Where I Belong) attentively showcases the mending power of tenderness, patience, and love in this moving read.Publishers Weekly

About the AuthorMarcia Argueta Mickelson was born in Guatemala and immigrated to the United States as an infant. She attended high school in New Jersey and then graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in American Studies. She is the author of five novels including Star Shining Brightly, The Huaca, and Where I Belong, and she is a winner of the Pura Belpre Young Adult Author Honor. She lives in Texas with her husband and three sons.

About the PublisherCarolrhoda Lab is dedicated to distinctive, provocative, boundary-pushing fiction for teens. From Michael L. Printz Award Honorees to a National Book Award Finalist, Carolrhoda Lab novels probe and examine the young-adult condition one novel at a time, affording YA authors and readers an opportunity to explore and experiment with thoughts, ideas, and paradigms in the human condition. For more information, visit www.lernerbooks.com or call 800-328-4929.

Follow us online:Blog: lernerbooks.blogTwitter: @LernerBooksFacebook: Lerner Publishing GroupInstagram: @LernerBooksTiktok: @LernerBooksPinterest: @LernerBooks

Look inside at lernerbooks.com.

The Weight of EverythingMay 2023$19.99 Hardcover, JacketedeBook Also AvailableAges 12 - 18HC: 978-1-7284-7535-6240 Pages  5 1/2 x 8 1/4

Media contacts:Lindsay MatvickPublicity Director 800-328-4929, x385[email protected]

Megan CiskowskiAssociate Publicist800-328-4929, x347[email protected]

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Lindsay Matvick Lerner Publishing Group 6123323344 [email protected]

Source: Lerner Publishing Group
CCM sneak peek photos: https://www.flickr.com/gp/[email protected]/a937702ZtYCCM video b-roll: https://youtu.be/xSDExWICQkU

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Chinese Canadian Museum has received $5,179,000 from the Government of Canada in support of its building and space renewal at its new permanent location. The museum, located at the historic Wing Sang Building in Vancouver Chinatown, is preparing to open its doors to the public on July 1st.

We thank the Government of Canada for this funding at a pivotal juncture in the Chinese Canadian Museums development, said Dr. Melissa Karmen Lee, CEO of the Chinese Canadian Museum. The funds will assist the museum with finishing its first renovation phase and exhibition preparations. We are thrilled to open this summer to present historic exhibitions and significant public programs that honour the diverse Chinese Canadian communities across the country.

The federal funding is provided through the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan) and will go a long way to the realization of the Chinese Canadian Museum as a world-class museum. These include the development of insightful and compelling exhibitions, public education programs, special events and community engagement initiatives.

The Museums renewal is a three-phase multi-year project focused on revitalizing and upgrading more than 21,000 square feet of building space including expanding the amount of exhibition and programming space to house future permanent and temporary exhibitions. The renewed Wing Sang Building will feature bright, contemporary interior spaces that will contribute to cultural learning and experiences. The buildings own storied connections to Chinese Canadian history will provide Canadians with meaningful insight into the incredible journeys of many Chinese Canadians and how they relate to modern-day perspectives.

As Canadas first Chinese Canadian Museum, the Museum will provide a meaningful and transformative experience for all, connecting Canadians to the diverse and eclectic stories and contributions of generations of Chinese Canadians, past and present - with an eye to the future. The Museums goal is to foster respect, understanding, inclusion and collaboration, and serve as a place where people can gather to bridge cultures, communities and generations.

The Museums grand opening national exhibition, The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, curated by Catherine Clement, opens July 1st, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923. The exhibition documents the challenging times and resilience of early Chinese migrants including the vulnerable and the forgotten, in a period of excessive red tape and discrimination, as well as the legacies and lessons learned from their sacrifices.

The exhibition is a powerful reminder of this chapter of Canadian history - a history that many Canadians are unaware of - while honouring the many Chinese Canadians who helped build this country.

This funding provided by the Government of Canada comes at an important time in our collective history, said Grace Wong, Board Chair of the Chinese Canadian Museum. It enables us to continue building a provincial museum with national scope that is dedicated to showcasing the history, heritage, contributions, and resilience of generations of Chinese Canadians across B.C. and Canada. We look forward to becoming a vital cultural asset that adds vitality to Vancouvers Chinatown, stimulating tourism, and fostering cultural inclusion.

The modern, contemporary, renewed Chinese Canadian Museum will feature:

A special introduction gallery space that will feature  Odysseys and Migration , an exhibition exploring the Chinese diaspora from 1788 to present day.

, an exhibition exploring the Chinese diaspora from 1788 to present day. A period living room with interactive antique objects that bring visitors back in time to the 1930s when the original owners of the Wing Sang Building, the Yip Sang family lived in Chinatown.

Chinatowns oldest school room (est. 1901) with many original elements kept intact  it initially served as a classroom for Yip Sangs children and children from the community.

An interactive immigration map on which visitors can draw and share the origins and immigration journeys of their families.

A painted mural by Chinese Canadian artist Marlene Yuen, highlighting Chinese Canadian journeys and experiences past to present.

A commissioned Indigenous mural art piece by Musqueam artist Susan Point and her son Thomas Cannell to honour the strong connection and the historical ties of the Indigenous peoples and early Chinese workers in Canadian history.

The Chinese Canadian Museum is a not-for-profit charitable organization established in 2020. Since its founding, the museum has presented five featured exhibitions at its two temporary sites in Vancouver and Victoria and offered numerous in-person and online programs to communities across B.C. The Museum is governed by an 18-member Board representing a diverse cross-section of professional and community experience.

More details about the Chinese Canadian Museums public grand opening exhibit and event will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Additional quotes:

 The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage Our support for the Chinese Canadian Museum reaffirms the importance of investing in projects that enhance our cultural and civic life by fostering an environment where Canadians can experience dynamic cultural expressions, celebrate Canadas history and heritage, and build strong communities. This funding assists more than just bricks and mortar and exhibits on display; it creates a gathering space for us to come together to learn about and honour the Chinese community in Canada. We are proud to be a partner in the success of this important project.

 The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for PacifiCan Our government knows that tourism does not exist without culture. By investing in the Chinese Canadian Museum, we are supporting the creation of an important cultural asset that celebrates the legacy of Chinese Canadians and creates a best-in-class heritage experience that will draw visitors from across the country and around the world. The Museum is the realization of many years of hard work and dedication by the Museum Society, its staff, volunteers, partners, and community supporters. Congratulations on this incredible achievement.

 The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic DevelopmentIm so happy to be in Vancouver, in the heart of Chinatown, to announce this funding on behalf of the Government of Canada. Being inside the historic Wing Sang Building is not only a portal to the past, but a beacon for the future. The Chinese Canadian Museum is a living testament to the contributions made by our community in building this country, and captures the stories that are symbolic of and resonant with so many families, including my own. Our histories and heritage now have a permanent home  today, tomorrow and in years to come.

 The Honourable Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport for British ColumbiaB.C. is proud of the commitment it made in 2018 to establish Canadas first Chinese Canadian Museum. Our government has provided $48.5 million in direct funding towards establishing this important institution. Im thrilled to see it will soon be open to the public and recognized as an important part of our provincial cultural landscape. This federal support further emphasizes how the history and significant contributions of Chinese Canadians are not just a vital part of the story of our province, but also our nation.

About the Chinese Canadian Museum | chinesecanadianmuseum.ca The Chinese Canadian Museum Society of British Columbia was founded in March 2020 to establish and operate a public museum in British Columbia honouring Chinese Canadian history, contributions, and living heritage. Guided by its mission statement Connecting to the Chinese Canadian story  addressing inclusion for all, the Chinese Canadian Museum aspires to provide an invigorating and transformative experience for present and future generations through its exhibitions and programming throughout B.C. and Canada.

The first of its kind in Canada, the Chinese Canadian Museum is located in Vancouvers Chinatown, and will open to the public on July 1, 2023.

Instagram: @ccmuseumbc Facebook: @ChineseCanadianMuseum Twitter: @ccmuseumbc

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Monica Cheng778-929-2559[email protected]

Yvonne Chiang604-880-5090[email protected]

Source: Chinese Canadian Museum Society of BC
CALGARY, Alberta, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Condor Energies Inc. (Condor or the Company) (TSX: CDR), a Canadian based energy transition company is pleased to announce that it has signed a Heads of Agreement (HoA) with the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology and the national hydrocarbon energy company JSC Uzbekneftegaz (UNG) of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

The HoA establishes the detailed framework for the final negotiations and approval of the definitive legal documents for an investment project to assume full operations of eight existing gas-condensate fields along with two additional exploration blocks in the surrounding area with the objective of increasing production rates and recoverable reserves.

If the definitive agreements are executed, Condor will implement a comprehensive field refurbishment, infill drilling and an emissions-intensity reduction plan. The produced gas will be processed under long-term agreements with UNG using fixed tariffs and sold domestically under long-term contracts with the state gas marketing company.

Don Streu, President and CEO of Condor commented: Condor is honored to be selected as a strategic partner of UNG and to be given the opportunity to materially contribute to increasing Uzbekistans natural gas production rates and recoverable reserves. The Companys plan will introduce proven technologies and operating practices and take advantage of Condors regional experience. This investment project will also allow UNG to benefit by deploying their capital and the new technologies introduced by Condor to UNGs larger projects. The Uzbekistan government will benefit from increased taxes and royalties derived from the increased gas production and the local communities will benefit from increased employment and skills-training. We also believe that the adjoining 1,070 square kilometers of exploration territory is prospective and that future exploration efforts could lead to the discovery of satellite fields and thereby further increase future production.

Condor is very excited about this investment opportunity in Uzbekistan. The country has been undergoing significant economic, legal, tax and social reforms under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, which has further enhanced the countrys investment climate.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities legislation. Such statements are generally identifiable by the terminology used, such as anticipate, appear, believe'', intend, expect, envision, plan, estimate, budget'', outlook'', scheduled, may, will, should, could, would, in the process of or other similar wording. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, information concerning: the timing and ability to negotiate and sign the definitive legal documents under favorable terms, or at all, the areas to be included, and the fiscal and operating terms and conditions; the timing and ability to assume full operations of the eight existing fields and two exploration blocks; the timing and ability to increase production rates and recoverable reserves; the timing and ability to implement a comprehensive field refurbishment, infill drilling and an emissions-intensity reduction plan; the timing and ability to execute long-term processing and sales agreements under favorable terms, or at all; the timing and ability to introduce proven technologies and operating practices and take advantage of Condors regional experience; the potential benefits of the project to the Uzbekistan government; the timing and ability to make economic discoveries on the exploration territories; the timing and ability to obtain funding for the planned activities under favorable terms, or at all; and the timing and ability to obtain the various approvals and conduct the Companys planned activities.

Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, assumptions regarding the availability (including on terms acceptable to the Company) of drilling, testing and optimization equipment and personnel that can be deployed to the fields, the ability of the Company and its personnel to effectively employ proven technologies and operating practices, near-term commodity prices, financial market conditions and other economic factors. Although the assumptions made by the Company 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 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 Companys plans or expectations include the actual production and reserves, the failure of the Company to utilize new technologies and operating practices, the field production rate at the time the Company assumes operations and the timeliness and receipt of any required regulatory approvals. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The forwardlooking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forwardlooking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law.

The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

For further information, please contact Don Streu, President and CEO or Sandy Quilty, Vice President of Finance and CFO at 403-201-9694.

Source: Condor Energies Inc.
Former IAB CEO, CMO and thought leader, Randall Rothenberg and Compulse Managing Director Martin Kristiseter bring extensive expertise to help guide and accelerate Digital Remedys growth and transformation

NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Digital Remedy, a performance media partner for brands and agencies, today announced the appointments of Randall Rothenberg and Martin Kristiseter to its Board of Directors. Rothenberg spent 16 years as CEO and Executive Chair of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Kristiseter is the founder and Managing Director of Compulse, a marketing technology and managed services company for local media and agencies.



Digital Remedy has established itself as a leading performance media partner for brands and agencies, and its an honor to be joining their board and working with their impressive and growing team, said Rothenberg. If weve learned anything during the first quarter-century of the digital economy, its that brands must perform, and performance must contribute to brand equity. Im thrilled at the opportunity to help Digital Remedy drive innovative solutions that meet the needs of brand clients and their industry partners.

Rothenberg has been a prominent leader in marketing, media, and advertising for 40 years. Most recently, he led the transformation of the IAB into one of the largest and most potent media and marketing trade bodies in the world, helping to develop technical standards, self-regulation, government regulation, market and consumer research, global digital content marketplaces, and professional development programs. Under his leadership, IAB opened the industrys first major public policy office in Washington, D.C., launched the IAB Tech Lab to oversee digital marketing technical standards, started an industry-leading training program that has certified more than 14,000 digital media sales professionals, created the IAB Digital Newfronts and Podcast Upfronts (the worlds largest marketplaces for original digital content), and published comprehensive research on brand disruption, the evolution of video, and the economic impact of the ad-supported Internet ecosystem. During Rothenbergs 14 years as CEO, IAB quadrupled its association membership and quintupled revenue.

Prior to IAB, Rothenberg was the Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Director of Intellectual Capital at Booz Allen Hamilton , where he ran the quarterly management publication strategy+business and its books and online division. He also oversaw the consulting firms annual study on the causes and consequences of CEO turnover at the worlds largest public companies, and helped launch consulting practices in enterprise resilience and organizational DNA. Earlier in his career, he served as a politics, technology, and media editor and reporter, and daily advertising columnist, for The New York Times, and as a weekly columnist for Advertising Age.

I am thrilled to join Digital Remedys board, and work with the talented team to leverage our combined knowledge to create even more value for clients, added Kristiseter. As a board member, I look forward to bringing my experience and leadership to support their long-term strategic initiatives and ensure ongoing development and growth.

With over 18 years of experience in digital media, ad technology, and programmatic solutions, Kristiseter brings his expertise as an entrepreneur and digital executive to the space. Prior to Compulse, Kristiseter led innovative digital media initiatives at a number of companies, including Marketron , where he developed a reputation as a leader who can take a vision and turn it into a reality.

Between Rothenbergs proven track record of success and Kristiseters accomplished entrepreneurial expertise, I am confident they will bring fresh perspectives and valuable insights to help us navigate the ever-changing digital landscape, said Mike Seiman of Digital Remedy. As a performance media partner for brands and agencies, we are committed to providing innovative solutions that drive business outcomes for our clients. I look forward to their guidance and contribution to the team, as we continue to build on our strengths and pursue our many opportunities for company growth.

About Digital Remedy

Digital Remedy is a leader in providing data-driven technology and services that drive measurable outcomes for marketers. Digital Remedy delivers advertisers, agencies, and brands the innovation, technology, and customer service they need to make the most of their online advertising endeavors. From media planning and execution to campaign management and full-funnel attribution, Digital Remedy provides customizable cross-channel efficiencies to solve any digital marketing challenge. Learn more at www.digitalremedy.com.

Media:

Chris Harihar

[email protected]
CALGARY, Alberta, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Direct Energy and Direct Energy Regulated Services are committed to supporting the many Albertans affected by recent wildfires in the province. The energy providers are offering assistance to impacted customers and contributing to disaster relief efforts.

Direct Energy donated $10,000 to the Canadian Red Cross 2023 Alberta Fires Appeal, which was matched by the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta, for a total donation of $30,000. This donation will support the Canadian Red Cross's work to provide immediate and ongoing relief, recovery, and resilience efforts in response to fires, and community preparedness and risk reduction for future all-hazard disaster events within Alberta.

Were greatly saddened by the devastation caused by these wildfires, and we want to reassure our customers and the communities we serve that were here to help during this difficult time, said Tanis Kozak, vice president, Direct Energy Alberta. We extend our deepest sympathies to those impacted and our gratitude to Albertas brave emergency services personnel who have stepped up to help.

Direct Energy will continue to match (U.S.-based) and double-match (Canada-based) employee donations to the Canadian Red Cross relief efforts in Alberta.

In addition, during this difficult time, Direct Energy has temporarily suspended disconnection and collection activity, has added interest locks, and is offering extended payment plans for impacted customers. Albertans affected by the wildfires can defer their bill payment by up to two weeks by logging into their online account and selecting Payment Extension under Account Summary.

The Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta will continue to match every dollar donated to the Canadian Red Cross 2023 Alberta Fires Appeal until June 3, tripling their impact.

Customers who need bill payment support should contact our customer care representatives by calling Direct Energy at 1-866-374-6299 or Direct Energy Regulated Services at 1-866-420-3174. For more information, customers can also visit directenergy.ca/alberta-wildfires or directenergyregulatedservices.com/alberta-wildfire-support.

To provide additional support to the relief efforts, donate to the Canadian Red Cross online at redcross.ca or by calling 1-800-418-1111.

###

About Direct Energy

Direct Energy is one of North Americas largest retail providers of electricity, natural gas, and energy-related services to over three million homes and business. It is part of NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG), a leading integrated energy company working to bring the power of energy to people and organizations across North America. Direct Energy, its subsidiaries and/or affiliates, operate in 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 8 provinces in Canada.

Estefania Joy Direct Energy 832-588-3634 [email protected]

Source: Direct Energy Regulated Services
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dominion Lending Centres Inc. (TSX: DLCG) (DLCG or the Corporation) acknowledges receipt of a court order to produce certain documents, records and data in connection with an inquiry by the Competition Bureau. As noted in the Competition Bureaus press release dated May 19, 2023: The order, granted by the Federal Court of Canada on May 16, 2023, requires DLC to produce records and written information that are relevant to the Bureaus investigation. There is no conclusion of wrongdoing at this time.

Gary Mauris, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented: We will co-operate with the Bureau and will fully comply with the order. DLC competes with many other franchisors and providers of technology solutions and support services to mortgage brokers in Canada. DLC does not believe it is dominant in any market and does not believe it has engaged in any anti-competitive conduct. As noted by the Bureau, they are conducting an investigation and they have not reached any conclusions at this time.

About Dominion Lending Centres Inc.

The DLC Group is Canadas leading network of mortgage professionals. The DLC Group operates through Dominion Lending Centres and its three main subsidiaries, MCC Mortgage Centre Canada Inc., MA Mortgage Architects Inc. and Newton Connectivity Systems Inc., and has operations across Canada. The DLC Groups extensive network includes ~8,000 agents and ~544 locations. Headquartered in British Columbia, the DLC Group was founded in 2006 by Gary Mauris and Chris Kayat.

Contact information for the Corporation is as follows:

James BellCo-President403-560-0821[email protected]

Robin BurpeeCo-Chief Financial Officer403-455-9670[email protected]

NEITHER THE TSX EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Source: Dominion Lending Centres Inc.
Paris, 23 May 2023, 5:45 pm

PRESS RELEASE

Eramet: Approval of resolutions proposed to the Ordinary Shareholders General Meeting of 23 May 2023

Eramets Ordinary Shareholders General meeting was held on 23 May 2023 in Paris, chaired by Ms. Christel Bories, Chair and CEO of Eramet, in accordance with all applicable legal and regulatory provisions, as well as the recommendations of the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers, AMF).

Resolutions

Eramets shareholders approved all the proposed resolutions. The result of the General Meetings votes for each resolution is available on Eramets website ( Shareholders' General Meeting 2023 | Eramet ).

Dividend

The General Meeting approved the distribution of a 3.50 dividend per share in respect of the 2022 financial year. The ex-dividend date will be on 26 May 2023 and payment as of 30 May 2023.

Composition of the Board of Directors

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Ms. Christel Bories warmly thanked Mr. Cyrille Duval and Mr. Claude Tendil, for their commitment and their contributions to the Boards works over the past years.

At its meeting of 23 May 2023, the Board of Directors acknowledged the appointment by the Ordinary General Shareholders Meeting of Ms. Heloise Duval and Mr. Ghislain Lescuyer, as new members of the Board, for a term of four years each.

The Board of Directors also acknowledged the renewal, by the Ordinary Shareholders General Meeting, of Mr. Francois Corbins Director mandate and SORAMEs Director mandate, now represented by Mr. Jerome Duval. The board renewed Mr. Francois Corbin as Lead Director.

After the Shareholders General Meeting, Eramets Board of Directors includes 18 members of whom two Directors representing employees. It includes 7 independent members and 8 women, i.e., 44% and 50% of the Board members respectively, excluding Directors representing employees for both indicators.

All information on the composition of the Board of Directors and its Committees as well as the

description of the Lead Directors assignments are available on the Companys website, in the Governance section: Eramet | Group | Governance .

Calendar

26.07.2023: Publication of 2023 half-year results

26.10.2023: Publication of 2023 Group third-quarter turnover

ABOUT ERAMET

Eramet transforms the Earths mineral resources to provide sustainable and responsible solutions to the growth of the industry and to the challenges of the energy transition.

Its employees are committed to this through their civic and contributory approach in all the countries where the mining and metallurgical group is present.

Manganese, nickel, mineral sands, lithium, and cobalt: Eramet recovers and develops metals that are essential to the construction of a more sustainable world.

As a privileged partner of its industrial clients, the Group contributes to making robust and resistant infrastructures and constructions, more efficient means of mobility, safer health tools and more efficient telecommunications devices.

Fully committed to the era of metals, Eramets ambition is to become a reference for the responsible transformation of the Earths mineral resources for living well together.

www. eramet .com

INVESTOR CONTACT



Director of Investor Relations



Sandrine Nourry-Dabi



T. +33 1 45 38 37 02



[email protected]











PRESS CONTACT



Media relations manager



Fanny Mounier



[email protected]



T. +33 7 65 26 46 83



Image 7



Marie Artzner



T. +33 1 53 70 74 31 | M. +33 6 75 74 31 73



[email protected]

Attachment
The National Dialogue Committee on Public Freedoms and Human Rights has focused on measures to eliminate all forms of discrimination since it started its work last week.

Egypts National Dialogue commenced its proceedings last week by discussing some of the issues to be dealt with by the five committees on its political axis. In the topic addressed by the Committee on Public Freedoms and Human Rights, the focus was on eliminating all forms of discrimination.

The major question posed to the participants was how discrimination in society can be eliminated. The aim was to generate specific proposals that could be raised with the authorities, leading to a transition from diagnosing the phenomenon to treating it.

Discrimination is the deprivation of an individual or a group of equal treatment due to religious, gender, linguistic, racial, class, geographic, or political reasons, or due to physical disabilities. Such discrimination erodes the foundations of society, gives rise to the causes of conflict, and weakens not only the sense of citizenship but also the sense of humanity itself.

In response to the question of how discrimination can be eliminated, the participants on the committee suggested action on two fundamental levels. The first is the activation or amendment of the legislative texts required to eliminate discrimination, and the second is close attention to the level of the cultural environment that supports the implementation of these texts. Despite some debate about which level to start with, the general trend of the discussion was that both directions must be pursued together.

Starting with legislation, the participants agreed on the necessity of implementing Article 53 of the 2014 Constitution, which establishes a commission to combat all forms of discrimination. However, there were different views on whether this commission should have its own separate law governing it or whether the provision establishing the commission should be part of a comprehensive equality law that defines all forms of discrimination and links violations to clear penalties.

Both proposals have their merits, as those calling for a law specific to the commission might rely on the existence of numerous ready-made drafts, including the one referred by the House of Representatives, the lower house of Egypts Parliament, to the Constitutional and Legislative Committee and the Committee on Human Rights for study and consultation in February 2023 before its being presented to a general session for voting.

It should be noted that the technical secretariat of the National Dialogue received at least ten different drafts after the session submitted by entities including the Egyptian Feminist Union, General Union of Egyptian Women, Coordination of Parties, Youth and Politicians, Al-Adl (Justice) Party, Tagamoa (Unionist) Party, Homat Al-Watan (Homeland Defenders) Party, and Al-Shaab Al-Gumhuri (Republican peoples) Party, in addition to various individual proposals.

These drafts shared an emphasis on ensuring the independence of the commission from the executive and on granting it full powers to monitor manifestations of discrimination, investigate complaints, and show solidarity with victims. The drafts also stressed the need for an adequate budget. However, they differed on whether the commission should be established within the National Council for Human Rights or whether it should be established in addition to it, considering that both could coexist in practical terms.

On the other hand, those advocating for a comprehensive equality law that would include a section on the commission argued that the commission was just one mechanism among many for achieving equality. Thus, its natural place would be within a broader law on equality.

In this regard, it is worth mentioning a draft law previously submitted by the National Council for Human Rights in 2008 to ensure equal opportunities and prohibit discrimination that included a provision on a committee or commission to monitor the implementation of the law.

The Evangelical Coptic Organisation for Social Services also prepared a draft law to criminalise hate speech, which was further developed by the National Council for Human Rights. Additionally, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights proposed a comprehensive equality law, considering that the commission should have the authority to issue binding judgements without compromising the rights of victims of discrimination on appeal.

In addition to focusing on the issue of the commission, there was also an emphasis in the committees discussions on monitoring discrimination in certain existing laws and the non-implementation of certain legal provisions.

Regarding discrimination based on religion, there was a demand to amend Law 80 of 2016, which deals with the construction and renovation of churches and their annexes, as it does not set out single standards for building places of worship and limits the practice of religious rituals to churches, despite the constitution guaranteeing the freedom to practise such rituals. Additionally, the term Christian sect used within the law might be thought to carry negative connotations.

Concerning discrimination based on disability, the committee raised criticisms regarding the failure to establish the board of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities in accordance with Law 11 of 2019 and the non-formation of a dedicated fund for them, as stipulated by Law 200 of 2020 and its subsequent amendment in 2022.

When discussing the cultural environment that nurtures anti-discrimination legislation, the committee members highlighted that some individuals unknowingly engage in discriminatory behaviour in their daily lives. It is crucial to raise awareness about the value of equality and to reject discrimination through all educational institutions, starting from families and extending to schools, religious institutions, and even political parties and the media, they said.

Furthermore, it is necessary to train individuals within these institutions, as well as those working in law-enforcement agencies, to combat discrimination. One suggestion called for a strategy to combat discrimination similar to the National Strategy for Human Rights, which would involve the collaboration of all institutions to promote the value of equality, rather than each operating in isolated silos.

Regarding the topic of combating discrimination, it can be confidently said that the overall sentiment in the room was supportive of rejecting discrimination. However, it should also be acknowledged that some individuals had concerns to the effect that rejecting discrimination could lead to areas that do not align with the societal values of Egypt and that criminalising hate speech could lead to restricting freedom of expression, potentially resulting in a form of positive discrimination that might lead to discrimination against others.

The writer is a professor of political science at Cairo University and the head of the National Dialogues Subcommittee on Human Rights.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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TORONTO, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Since 2007, national writing contest the Meaning of Home shares what home means to students in Grades 4, 5 and 6. This year, three grand prize winners and nine runners-up have joined over 12,000 students across Canada to raise $302,000 for Habitat for Humanity organizations across Canada through their entries. Three grand prize winners won a $30,000 grant to their local Habitat for Humanity organization. Runners-up have won a $10,000 grant for their local Habitat. Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who entered and earned a $10 donation to their local Habitat for Humanity with their submission.

The Grade 4 grand prize winner is Daphne U. (Toronto) for her entry: No Place Like Home. Her $30,000 grant will benefit Habitat for Humanity GTA.

The Grade 5 grand prize winner is Harleen S. (Winnipeg), for her entry: Home, a Place for Love and Laughter. Harleens grant will benefit Habitat for Humanity Manitoba.

The Grade 6 grand prize winner is Leah C. (Cote Saint-Luc), for her entry: What Home Means to Me, and whose grant will benefit Habitat for Humanity Quebec.

Runners-Up

Grade 4

Grade 5

Grade 6

Armeen A. Winnipeg, Manitoba In My Babas Arms Habitat for Humanity Manitoba Ellyot W. Peterborough, Ontario What home means to me Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region Dominique E. Cambridge Bay, Nunavut Home Habitat for Humanity Iqaluit

Safety, security, a place of love, a place to grow, play, learn and make memories  these are the things that children say matter most when asked what home means to them, says Julia Deans, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada. Housing provides a foundation for all these things, and we continue to build and advocate so more families can benefit from affordable homeownership.

Since the Meaning of Home contest began in 2007, over 100,000 students have shared what home means to them. With the support of Sagen as founding sponsor, these students have raised $2.3 million to help more families in need of homes build stronger lives through housing, said Stuart Levings, President and CEO of Sagen.

The Meaning of Home contest would not be possible without the generous support of Founding Sponsor, Sagen, and Award Sponsors Urban Systems Foundation, Face to Face Games, and Home Trust.

To read all the winning entries, please visit www.meaningofhome.ca/page/winners2023.

About Sagen As a sponsor since 2000, Sagen has donated over $6.8 million in support of Habitat Canada and has helped thousands of Canadian families realize their dreams of affordable homeownership. While Sagens financial support provides crucial funding for their homeownership program, its support of Habitat Canada extends far beyond financial support. Throughout the sponsorship, Sagen employees from all levels of the organization, including President and CEO Stuart Levings and his executive team, have lent their leadership experience, industry knowledge and time to help launch many of Habitats signature programs, including the Sagen Homebuilding Grants, Global Village Volunteer Program in Canada and the Meaning of Home Contest. These programs, along with Sagens support and involvement in them has significantly increased their ability to raise funds, recruit volunteers and ultimately, support more families and build stronger communities. Find out more at www.sagen.ca

About Habitat for Humanity CanadaFounded in 1985, Habitat for Humanity Canada is a national charitable organization working toward a world where everyone has a decent and affordable place to call home. Habitat for Humanity brings communities together to help families build strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership. With the help of volunteers, Habitat homeowners and 46 local Habitats working in every province and territory, we provide a solid foundation for better, healthier lives in Canada and around the world. Habitat for Humanity Canada is a member of Habitat for Humanity International, which was established in 1976 and has grown to become a leading global non-profit working in more than 70 countries. For more information, please visit www.habitat.ca.

For more information:Sarah Anderson Austin Director, CommunicationsHabitat for Humanity Canada[email protected]C: 437-241-6974

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/45576943-8062-4eaa-9a55-42a575cd7952

Home, A Place of Love and Laughter Illustrated book of grade 5 grand prize winner Harleens entry: www.habitat.ca/2023MOHBook

Source: Habitat for Humanity Canada
Lake City, Colo., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

As the world went back to business in 2022, our readers went back to generating and providing services for the construction industry. Our annual survey reveals what products were on the publics mind the most, from the best energy-saving appliances to the cars they like to drive on the job.

Results here evaluated brands using three distinct tools: our traditional survey data, market visibility or mentions, and public sentiment. These are averaged to create a Brand Index Score and derive a companys final ranking among its peers.

Many of the big-name players are back within the familiar surroundings of the top five within their category, while others were bumped out of this years top 10, says Green Builder Editor-in-Chief Matt Power. A few lesser-known companies are on the way to becoming household names. Overall, our survey shows where a company is doing well, and which improvements could round out category excellence.

Click here to read the full list of winners.

Some standout brands this year include:

LG-SKS: Coming in at No. 1 in the appliance category, LG topped all three survey components, largely due to its popular Signature Kitchen Suite brand.

Panasonic: Panasonic earned the No. 1 spot in the ventilation category. The company also placed on the HVAC and PV lists.

Premier Building Systems: The No. 1 brand for structural systems, Premier Building Systems manufacturers SIPs, ICFs, and rigid insulation.

Rheem: Rheem garnered the No. 1 spot for hot water systems. Its 120V ProTerra plug-in water heater also earned a Green Builder top sustainable product award this year.

Trane: The No. 1 winner for HVAC, Tranes consistent innovation and good service record continue to deliver.

Check out the full list of brand leaders here! Or download a free copy of the March/April Green Builder issue featuring this coverage as well as Green Builders Sustainable Products of the Year.

For more information about the products chosen for this years list, interviews, and reprint requests, contact Cati OKeefe at 513-532-0185 [email protected]

About Green Builder Media

Green Builder Media is North Americas leading media company focused on green building and sustainable living content. With a comprehensive suite of content marketing, digital, social, and print media options, high-profile demonstration projects, market intelligence, data services, and live events, Green Builder Media offers a blend of visionary and practical information covering a broad spectrum of topics, including decarbonization, electrification, smart home technologies, energy efficiency, intelligent water, indoor air quality, resilient housing, renewables, and clean transportation.

Attachment

Cati O'Keefe Green Builder Media 513-532-0185 [email protected]

Source: Green Builder Media
CALGARY, Alberta, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Helium Evolution Incorporated (TSXV: HEVI) ("HEVI" or the "Company"), a Canadian-based helium exploration company focused on developing assets in southern Saskatchewan, today announced the filing of the Companys interim condensed financial statements and associated managements discussion and analysis (MD&A) for the three month period ended March 31, 2023 (the Quarterly Report).

Complete details of the Quarterly Report are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and on HEVIs website.

Three Month Period Ended March 31, 2023 Highlights:

Three months ended Tabular amounts in thousands ofCanadian Dollars, except share and per share amounts March 31, 2023 March 31, 2022 Financial Net loss 311 1,654 Net loss per share, basic and diluted 0.00 0.04 Cash 8,229 10,119 Working capital 9,226 9,918 Total assets 13,094 12,038 Total liabilities 356 497 Weighted average shares outstanding Basic and diluted1 96,033,974 41,609,979

1The weighted average number of common shares outstanding is not increased for outstanding stock options and warrants when the effect is anti-dilutive.

During the first quarter of 2023, HEVI continued to execute on its focused strategy of developing the Companys 5.6 million acres of helium rights in southern Saskatchewan and advancing its ultimate goal of producing and selling helium, generating cash flow and driving positive returns for shareholders. In the first quarter of 2023, the Company acquired approximately 600 kilometers of 2D seismic, further enhancing our geophysical database, which is essential for the identification and de-risking of HEVIs Q4/23 and Q1/24 drilling targets. Consistent with prior quarters, the Company maintained ongoing financial flexibility, demonstrated by a positive working capital position of $9.2 million at March 31, 2023.

Outlook

HEVI remains optimistic about the prospect of a commercial helium development on its expansive land holdings and looks forward to benefitting from the near-term exploration of the Companys asset base by North American Helium (NAH). Aligning with NAH as a partner through various farmout arrangements has afforded HEVI the ability to conserve capital, while also securing the right to participate in future development wells drilled on the Companys lands, providing a truly differentiated position to support HEVIs path towards commercial helium production.

Numerous meaningful operational milestones are ahead of HEVI in the near term, including a third test well at 12-11-05-10W3 (Test Well #3), which is expected to be spud by NAH on or before July 14, 2023. While NAH is responsible for 100% of the drilling costs for Test Well #3, HEVI retains a 20% working interest in the well, along with all further associated development wells as per the enhanced farm-out agreement (the Amended Farmout Agreement) announced on October 21, 2022. In addition, there are several other key milestones under the Amended Farmout Agreement which are expected to take place throughout the second and third quarters of 2023. These include the selection of two further test wells at Fox and Gravelbourg (Test Well #4 and Test Well #5) and the option for NAH to select up to three additional drilling locations under two separate seismic agreements (collectively, the Seismic Agreements), also announced on October 21, 2022.

Upon confirmation of the drilling location selections by NAH under the terms of the Agreements, HEVIs remaining lands will be fully released, allowing the Company to pursue its own development program designed to support organic growth. Using the seismic data HEVI has accumulated to date, which totals approximately 2,000 kilometers, the HEVI team is intently working on developing prospective helium targets and internally generated drilling opportunities that can be pursued over and above activities under the Amended Farmout Agreement. The Company expects to identify 10 to 12 prospective drilling targets by the end of 2023 and looks forward to providing stakeholders with further updates on its plans through the second half of 2023.

Stay Connected to Helium Evolution

Shareholders and other parties interested in learning more about the Helium Evolution opportunity are encouraged to visit the Companys website, which includes an updated corporate presentation, and are invited to follow the Company on LinkedIn and Twitter for ongoing corporate updates and helium industry information. Helium Evolution also provides an extensive, commissioned deep-dive research report prepared by a third party whose background includes serving as a research analyst for several bank-owned and independent investment dealers. In addition to recent media articles, HEVI maintains a profile on the Investing News Network platform, where further information, editorial pieces and industry reviews are available.

About Helium Evolution Incorporated

Helium Evolution is a Canadian-based helium exploration company holding the largest helium land rights position in North America among publicly traded companies, focused on developing assets in southern Saskatchewan. The Company has 5.6 million acres of land under permit near proven discoveries of economic helium concentrations which will support scaling the exploration and development efforts across its land base. HEVIs management and board are executing a differentiated strategy to become a leading supplier of sustainably-produced helium for the growing global helium market.

For further information, please contact:

Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

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 actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Forward-looking statements in this document include statements regarding the Company's expectations regarding the Companys and NAHs exploration and drilling plans, the Companys ability to identify future exploration and drilling targets, activities related to the Amended Farmout Agreement and Seismic Agreements, increasing shareholder value, the Companys ability to preserve capital, spud date of Test Well #3 and the drilling timeline for any future NAH and/or HEVI drills, the timeline for the selection of Test Well #4, Test Well #5 and locations under the Seismic Agreements, timing of ongoing updates to shareholders, participation in future NAH wells, success of NAH and/or HEVI wells 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 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: NAH may be unsuccessful in drilling commercially productive wells, NAH may defer the drilling of the Test Well #3 and or the selection and drilling of Test Well #4, Test Well #5, HEVI may defer the drilling of wells on its 100% lands, any wells under the Seismic Agreements and subsequent wells; the Company may choose to defer, accelerate or abandon its drilling plans; new laws or regulations and/or unforeseen events could adversely affect the Companys business and results of operations; stock markets have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the performance of companies and such volatility may adversely affect the price of the Company's securities regardless of its operating performance; risks generally associated with the exploration for and production of resources; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to expenses; constraint in the availability of services; commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations; the current COVID-19 pandemic; adverse weather or break-up conditions; and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures.

When relying on forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and risks, other uncertainties and potential events. The Company has assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraphs will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. 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 press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Source: Helium Evolution Incorporated
Phoenix, Arizona, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ivy Brain Tumor Center and Barrow Neurological Institute are pleased to announce the addition of Yoshie Umemura, MD, as the new Chief Medical Officer of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center and Chief of Neuro-Oncology and the William and Joan Shapiro Chair of Neuro-Oncology at Barrow Neurological Institute.

Dr. Umemura plans to build on the Ivy Centers robust clinical trials program and translate those findings directly into patient care.

Im looking forward to combining clinical care and research care and making that bridge more seamless, because that is whats going to expedite clinical research that translates to improving the standard of care for brain tumor patients, she says.

As a leading neuro-oncologist with research interests in experimental therapies for brain cancer patients, Dr. Umemura is uniquely suited for the Ivy Centers cutting-edge clinical trials program. In addition to her research endeavors, Dr. Umemura is dedicated to personalized, precision medicine that advances the care of patients with brain tumors.

Dr. Umemura is an expert in Phase 0 clinical trials, says Nader Sanai, MD, Director of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center and Director of Neurosurgical Oncology at Barrow Neurological Institute. She comes to us as one of the few neuro-oncologists with prior experience undertaking the full scope of these protocols, and she is part of a new generation of neuro-oncologists focused on drug development using the operating room as an accelerator.

In the clinic, Dr. Umemura sees patients with brain tumors, cancers of the central nervous system and neurological complications of cancer. Dr. Umemura comes to the Ivy Center from Michigan Medicine, where she served as the Director of Neuro-Oncology.

Our Neuro-Oncology Program and the Ivy Brain Tumor Center are important parts of what make Barrow so special, and I am delighted to welcome a luminary in the field to our team, says Michael T. Lawton, MD, President and CEO of Barrow Neurological Institute. We have been eagerly anticipating Dr. Umemuras arrival because we think she will be an important part of finding that elusive cure for glioblastoma and brain cancer. She will bring energy, smarts and tremendous care to our clinicians and patients alike.

Dr. Umemura is the author and co-author of numerous peer-reviewed journal publications and textbook chapters. She has also delivered many national and international lectures at leading neuro-oncology and neuroscience conferences. She is board certified in neurology and neuro-oncology.

Dr. Umemura completed her clinical fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. She earned her medical degree from St. Georges University, a masters degree in clinical research design and statistical analysis from the University of Michigan, and a bachelors degree from the University of California, Riverside.

###

About Ivy Brain Tumor Center

Ivy Brain Tumor Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ, is a tertiary care and nonprofit translational research program that employs bold, early-phase clinical trial strategies to identify new treatments for aggressive brain tumors, including glioblastoma. Our leading experts in neurosurgical oncology, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, neuroradiology, neuropathology and neuroscience nursing treat more patients annually than any other brain tumor center in the United States. The Ivy Centers Phase 0 clinical trials program is the largest in the world and enables personalized care in a fraction of the time and cost associated with traditional drug development. In addition, unlike conventional clinical trials focusing on single drugs, the Ivy Centers accelerated program tests therapeutic combinations matched to individual patients. We leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of hope and healing. Learn more at IvyBrainTumorCenter.org. Follow the Ivy Brain Tumor Center on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Barrow Neurological Institute

Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix is internationally recognized as a leader in neurosurgery, neurology, neurological research and patient care. Consistently voted among the top facilities in the United States for neurological and neurosurgical care, Barrow treats patients with a wide range of neurological conditions, including brain and spinal tumors, cerebrovascular conditions, and neuromuscular disorders. Its surgeons perform more neurosurgeries annually than any hospital in the nation. For more information, please visit BarrowNeuro.org.

Attachment

Jennifer Keeler Ivy Brain Tumor Center 602-670-4400 [email protected] Carmelle Malkovich Barrow Neurological Institute [email protected]

Source: Ivy Brain Tumor Center
GUADALAJARA, Mexico, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V., (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) (the Company or GAP) announces the following resolutions adopted at the General Ordinary Shareholders Meeting held yesterday, with a quorum of 80.78%:

GENERAL ORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS MEETING

I. It was INFORMED of the four members of the Board of Directors and their respective alternates appointed by the Series BB shareholders as follows:

Proprietary members Alternate members Laura Diez Barroso Azcarraga Claudia Laviada Diez Barroso Ignacio Castejon Hernandez Carlos Manuel Porron Suarez Juan Gallardo Thurlow Eduardo Sanchez Navarro Redo Emilio Rotondo Inclan Carlos Alberto Rohm Campos

II. RATIFICATION of Mr. Carlos Cardenas Guzman, Mr. Angel Losada Moreno, Mr. Joaquin Vargas Guajardo, Mr. Juan Diez-Canedo Ruiz, Mr. Luis Tellez Kuenzler and Ms. Alejandra Palacios Prieto, as members of the Board of Directors, designated by the Series B shareholders.

In addition, APPROVAL of Ms. Alejandra Yazmin Soto Ayech designation.

As of this date, the Board of Directors will be comprised as follows:

Proprietary members Alternate members Laura Diez Barroso Azcarraga Claudia Laviada Diez Barroso Ignacio Castejon Hernandez Carlos Manuel Porron Suarez Juan Gallardo Thurlow Eduardo Sanchez Navarro Redo Emilio Rotondo Inclan Carlos Alberto Rohm Campos Carlos Cardenas Guzman Not applicable Angel Losada Moreno Not applicable Joaquin Vargas Guajardo Not applicable Juan Diez-Canedo Ruiz Not applicable Luis Tellez Kuenzler Not applicable Alejandra Palacios Prieto Not applicable Alejandra Yazmin Soto Ayech Not applicable

III. DESIGNATION of Mr. Luis Tellez Kuenzler, as member of our Board of Directors designated by the Series B shareholders to serve as a member of the Companys Nominations and Compensation Committee, in accordance with Article 28 of the Companys bylaws.

IV. APPROVAL of special delegates that can appear before a notary public to formalize the resolutions adopted at this meeting.

Company Description

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexico s Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAPs shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PAC and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GAP. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concessioner Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the operation of the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica and took control of the operation in October 2019.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts and are based on managements current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, plans and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and article 42 of the Ley del Mercado de Valores, GAP has implemented a whistleblower program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that June involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party that is in charge of collecting these complaints, is 01 800 563 00 47. The web site is www.lineadedenuncia.com/gap. GAPs Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation.

Alejandra Soto, Investor Relations and Social Responsibility Officer [email protected] Gisela Murillo, Investor Relations [email protected] /+52 33 3880 1100 ext. 20294

Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V.
To lead the overall vision and strategy of the cyber practice

BOSTON, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Risk Strategies, a leading national specialty insurance brokerage and risk management firm, today announced that Allen Blounts role has been expanded to National Cyber and Technology Product Leader. Since joining Risk Strategies, Blount has worked in close partnership with Rob Rosenzweig, the Cyber Practice leader, who recently assumed a new leadership role at Risk Strategies. Blount will seamlessly take over full responsibility for the practice and will be responsible for the overall vision and strategy of the cyber practice, day-to-day operations, revenue growth initiatives, the client experience and leading an expanding team of cyber professionals.



I am excited to have an experienced and innovative professional like Allen who has proven that he can step in and continue to build upon our cyber and technology products and solutions that help our clients protect what matters most, said Donovan Nowell, Management Liability Practice Group Leader at Risk Strategies.

Blount has extensive risk management experience with a background in cyber, management liability, loss mitigation and complex claims. He joined Risk Strategies as the Cyber Team Leader and has been working closely with Rob Rosenzweig to lead the day-to-day operation of the cyber team including CyberResolute, Risk Strategies proprietary market-leading coverage solution for clients under $250M in revenue. Blount is an industry thought leader and he and the Risk Strategies Cyber team have been nominated for the prestigious Zywave Cyber 2023 Retail Broking Team of the Year award, which recognizes innovation and expansion of cyber risk insurance in the marketplace. Blount is also an expert speaker at the upcoming NetDiligence Cyber Risk Summit.

Prior to joining Risk Strategies, Blount spent more than a decade at Zurich serving in a variety of cyber roles including Underwriting Manager, Team Lead and Claims Counsel. He also worked for S&P Global as the Global Risk and Insurance Manager. In addition, Blount served as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the New York City Law Department.

I am excited for the opportunity to continue building on the national cyber and technology strengths at Risk Strategies, said Blount. We have an extremely talented team of specialists who are collaborative, knowledgeable and dedicated to helping clients manage todays rapidly evolving cyber risks and liabilities. Im honored to work alongside them and excited for the future as we bring best-in-class solutions to clients.

In addition to his professional experience, Blount holds a JD from the University at Buffalo Law School and a bachelors degree in criminal justice from the University at Albany, SUNY.

To learn more about Risk Strategies, please visit www.riskstrategies.com.

About Risk Strategies

Risk Strategies is the 9th largest privately held US brokerage firm offering comprehensive risk management advice, insurance and reinsurance placement for property & casualty, employee benefits, private client services, as well as consulting services and financial & wealth solutions. With more than 30 specialty practices, Risk Strategies serves commercial companies, nonprofits, public entities, and individuals, and has access to all major insurance markets. Risk Strategies has over 100 offices including Boston, New York City, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Grand Cayman, Miami, Atlanta, Dallas, Nashville, Washington DC, Los Angeles and San Francisco. RiskStrategies.com.

Media Contact

Kelly Youngs

Account Coordinator

[email protected]

817-781-2359
AHOSKIE, N.C., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A $40,000 grant from SECU Foundation will help the Choanoke Area Development Association (CADA) expand its capacity to address affordable housing needs in Northampton, Bertie, Halifax, Hertford, and Martin counties. CADA supports the work of local governments in the region to develop quality affordable housing for low-income households, helping qualifying residents achieve self-sufficiency and a better quality of life.

On behalf of the CADA board of directors, staff, and families within the communities that CADA serves, we want to say thank you to the SECU Foundation for your generous grant. This funding will assist the Choanoke Area Home Consortium with conducting a comprehensive housing community needs assessment. We are in the process of establishing an advisory committee to assist with the assessment and develop an annual action plan to address identified housing needs, said Christopher Moody, CADA executive director. This is the beginning of something great  thank you, SECU Foundation, for your positive impact on our communities!

We are seeing the tremendous impact that the Foundations Rural Opportunity Grant program is making in the growth and sustainability of non-profits in rural and underserved areas that have received the grants, said James Eure, SECU district senior vice president, Northeast Region. Affordable housing is a growing concern and can be tackled with the help of community leaders and organizations working together. We look forward to the housing opportunities CADA will create for residents in the region through SECU Foundations grant.

About SECU and SECU Foundation

A not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members, and federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for over 85 years. SECU is the second largest credit union in the United States with $50 billion in assets. It serves over 2.7 million members through 274 branch offices, over 1,100 ATMs, Member Services Support via phone, www.ncsecu.org, and a Mobile App. The SECU Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded by the contributions of SECU members, promotes local community development in North Carolina primarily through high-impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare, and human services. Since 2004, SECU Foundation has made a collective financial commitment of over $235 million for initiatives to benefit North Carolinians statewide.

Contact: Jama Campbell, Executive DirectorOffice: 919-839-5562 | [email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c06235ca-6e64-4eb1-8c7d-12f36a3b3226

Check Presentation Holding check left to right is SECU president and CEO Jim Hayes; CADA officials Catherine Moody, board president; Jamie Woods, board member; Brenda Greene, home ownership manager; Christopher Moody, executive director; with representatives from CADA, East Carolina University, SECU, and SECU Foundation.

Source: State Employees' Credit Union (SECU)
New York City MSA, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SecureSpace Self Storage today announced the grand opening of SecureSpace Elmsford in Westchester County, representing its most recent acquisition in the New York City area.

Located at 33 West Main Street in Elmsford, the newly-built Class-A facility straddles the westbound entrance and eastbound exit of the Cross Westchester Expressway, on which over 135,000 vehicles pass by each day. The store is situated between Tarrytown to the west, and White Plains to the east, and serves the affluent neighborhoods of East Irvington, Worthington, and Fairview. Median income within three miles of SecureSpace Elmsford is $126,000.

We love this spot on busy Main Street, immediately between the freeway access points, said SecureSpace Managing Director Nathan McElmurry. It is located directly in the middle of a mile and a half stretch of what, from above, looks like an octopus of high-traffic roads coming together. We're at the busy nexus of a wealthy local resident base.

SecureSpace Elmsford is six stories of all climate-controlled units. The leasing office features a modern lobby equipped with free WiFi, supplies for sale such as locks and boxes, and friendly staff to assist with all storage needs. As with all SecureSpace locations, this store features a state-of-the-art security system monitored by in-store staff and our offsite security team for maximum visibility.

Customers are invited to visit SecureSpace.com to calculate their storage size needs, view pictures of the space, rent a unit online without stepping foot inside, or you can call (877) 399-0319 to talk to a friendly SecureSpace agent.About SecureSpace Self StorageSecureSpace Self Storage, based in Torrance, CA, is one of the fastest growing self storage platforms in the US, with assets located primarily in high-density, urban markets. With a focus on exceptional customer service and upgraded security features, SecureSpace provides a high-quality experience that its customers can count on in any store they visit.

Relax. Its safe at SecureSpace.

Nathan McElmurry SecureSpace Self Storage (866) 521-8292 [email protected]

Source: SecureSpace Self Storage
FILE PHOTO: Signage is seen at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 29, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) -Citizens Bank, one of the largest U.S. regional banks, will pay a $9 million civil penalty to resolve charges it mismanaged customers' credit card disputes and fraud claims, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said on Tuesday.

The regulator had accused the Citizens Financial Group Inc unit of violating the federal Truth in Lending Act by making customers "jump through unnecessary and burdensome hoops" to resolve billing errors and claims of unauthorized card use.

Citizens Bank was also accused of failing to acknowledge when billing error notices were received and in some cases denied, or disclose required credit counseling information to customers on a toll-free number.

The bank neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

Tuesday's settlement resolves a CFPB lawsuit filed in January 2020, and requires approval by a federal judge in Providence, Rhode Island, where Citizens is based.

The bank agreed to improve its credit card practices, including by providing refunds on valid claims, and not requiring customers with complaints to sign fraud affidavits.

Citizens ended March with $222.3 billion of assets. It operates about 1,100 branches and 3,400 ATMs in 14 U.S. states and Washington, D.C.

In a statement, the bank said it had in 2015 identified errors that affected "a very small subset" of card customers, who have been made whole.

"While Citizens continues to disagree with the CFPB's stance," General Counsel Polly Klane said, "we are pleased to put this matter behind us."

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York, Editing by Nick Zieminski)
Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Cannara Biotech Inc (TSXV: LOVE) announced today that it will be presenting at the 13th Annual LD Micro Invitational at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel, California on June 6th-8th, 2023. The event is expected to feature 150+ companies, presenting in half-hour increments, as well as private 1:1 meetings.

Cannara Biotech Inc is scheduled to present on June 7th at 3:00 PM PT. Nicholas Sosiak, Chief Financial Officer, will be leading the presentation.

We invited interested parties to register for the event here: https://ldinv13.sequireevents.com/

About Cannara Biotech Inc

Cannara Biotech Inc. (TSXV: LOVE) (OTCQB: LOVFF)(FSE: 8CB0) is a vertically integrated producer of affordable premium-grade cannabis and cannabis-derivative products for the Qubec 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.

About LD Micro

LD Micro, a wholly owned subsidiary of Freedom US Markets, was founded in 2006 with the sole purpose of being an independent resource in the micro-cap space. Whether it is the Index, comprehensive data, or hosting the most significant events annually, LD's sole mission is to serve as an invaluable asset for all those interested in finding the next generation of great companies. For more information on LD Micro, visit www.ldmicro.com.

To present or register, please get in touch with [email protected]

To learn more about Freedom US Markets, visit www.freedomusmkts.com

For further information on Cannara Biotech Inc:

Nicholas Sosiak

Chief Financial Officer

5146880007

[email protected]

www.Cannara.ca
Press Release

May 23, 2023 TRANSCRIPT OF SEN. GRACE POE'S OPENING STATEMENT

COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC SERVICES HEARING Good morning. This public hearing is now called to order. Trapik pero walang masakyan. May masasakyan man, minsan colorum naman. Ito na ata ang kinatandaan na sistema ng mga commuter sa Pilipinas. Ayon sa datos ng Land Transportation Office, mayroong humigit kumulang 19.2 milyong motorsiklo sa bansa. This is roughly 87 percent of all registered motor vehicles as of 2022. Imagine, 87 percent ito. One out of three Filipino households own a motorcycle and 51 percent of them use it for livelihood. As early as 2018, the senators have already called the Department of Transportation to consider the legalization of motorcycles-for-hire in the same way it recognized new forms of transport services under Department Order No. 2015-11. This is to promote mobility. While they did not take this track, we appreciate that our transport agencies kept an open mind on the possibility of motorcycle-for-hire in the country and for spearheading a pilot testing. A Technical Working Group which conducted the pilot implementation on motorcycles-for-hire, more commonly known as motorcycle or MC taxis, was deemed as the best option for the government to determine, if indeed, the Philippines is ready for a motorcycle taxi regime. Kumbaga, "trial period" para malaman kung swak nga sa pangangailangan natin before we fully commit to it. After more than four years of continuous studies by the TWG, it now appears, without a doubt, that commuters are overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing motorcycles taxis. The latest TWG survey reports a whopping 96 percent of the motorcycle taxi passengers surveyed believed that the government should allow motorcycles as a mode of public transportation. Commuters favor MC taxis' affordability and quicker conveyance time in our clogged streets of urban centers where MC taxis were allowed to operate. Riders, even habals, lobby for a legal regime as it stands to give them a viable source of income and livelihood. Interestingly enough, as regards the question of who should regulate this new specie, the TWG study proposes to give the jurisdiction over MC taxis to LTFRB for operations within Metropolitan areas, and to the LGUs for all other areas, not much different to the current regulation of tricycles. This is something that we can discuss as policymakers. To me, this pilot study is the strength of this policy. Maaga pa lamang ay nakita na natin ang mga gap sa implementation so the regulators have enough time to come up with solutions or interventions to improve its regulation once legalized. Now that we are convinced of the need for MC taxis, new questions crop up: Are we now ready to welcome more players? Is it time for the TWG to conclude its pilot study and submit its final recommendations to Congress? The biggest issue from then until now is the safety aspect. The most recent Global Status Report for Road Safety of the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 30 percent of all road crash deaths involve powered two- and three-wheeled vehicles, such as motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and electrical bikes (e-bikes), and the numbers are rising. This is even higher in Southeast Asia where 43 percent of all road traffic deaths involve two and three wheelers. The established vulnerability of motorcycle as a mode of transportation calls for the government to step in. We need to legalize to reflect the reality on the ground but we also need the highest safety standards to make this a true mobility alternative. Today's hearing is the first part of the two-pronged vision to not only legalize but also create a regulatory and safety framework on the Transport Network Vehicle System. Four years and a global pandemic later, we believe it is now time for Congress to use the data points from the ground to craft a policy that is responsive to the needs of the commuting public and all the stakeholders of the ever growing MC Taxi industry.
Egyptian diplomat Mona Omar argues for the need to boost Egypts relations with the African continent on every level in an interview with Al-Ahram Weekly.

Military confrontations in any place in the world leading to the deterioration of living standards and the deaths of civilians are a major concern for any country, Mona Omar, former assistant foreign minister for African affairs and African Union affairs and former presidential envoy to the African Union (AU) told Al-Ahram Weekly in an interview this week.

During her visit to Sudan less than a year ago, she saw that much of the countrys infrastructure was in a bad state. After the recent fighting, she added, it is now dilapidated. Main services are not available, and there is no water and no electricity, and there is a shortage of food.

Omar was referring to the conflict that started in April between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) loyal to Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who follow Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti.

Local people have been forced to leave to neighbouring countries including Egypt, she said. Over one million people have been displaced within Sudan and to neighbouring countries according to UNHCR. Some Sudanese have been forced to leave for Chad, a country that is already suffering from pressing economic problems as well as previous border disputes with Sudan and fighting among tribes from both states.

Hemedti was at some point accused of attempting a coup against the present Chadian president. Thus, there are also vendetta feelings between the two countries, Omar said.

Chad has sent the refugees to a remote area out of fears that they may interfere in the domestic affairs of the country. Thus, Omar added, Sudanese refugees in Chad are not only suffering from leaving their own country, but also from going to a place where they are not welcome.

As for South Sudan, another neighbouring country forced to receive Sudanese refugees, Omar said it is also suffering from pressing economic problems and in no need of further burdens.

In Ethiopia, she elaborated, the fighting has provided an opportunity for the country to consider claiming part of the border areas that were the subject of disputes with Sudan less than three years ago.

In Egypt, there are between four and five million Sudanese refugees, a sizeable number considering that Egypt is already densely populated. Any more refugees are likely to present further burdens on Egypt, either on food supplies, services, education or job opportunities, Omar said. Almost 110,000 Sudanese refugees entered Egypt, said UNHCR spokesperson on May 19.

Sudan has long been suffering from divisions and the presence of militias in various areas in the country including Darfur and Kordofan, Omar said. If the present conflict is extended to involve other militia, this could ignite a war across the country, she added.

Omar said that there are signs that the Wagner Group of Kremlin-backed mercenary forces that are already in control in the Central African Republic are involved behind the scenes in the latest fighting in Sudan.

She warned that the presence of external parties is very likely to widen the circle of the internal conflict, a fact that poses a real danger for Sudan.

The situation in Sudan will also impact on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which is not only a complicated but also a suspended issue. There are no negotiations and no developments on the ground to give us a glimmer of hope of a breakthrough on this matter, Omar said.

The statements issued now and then by Egyptian and Sudanese officials on rejecting Ethiopias unilateral acts in building the GERD have not stopped Ethiopia and will not stop it, she added.

Omar said that the issue started in January 2011 when the Egyptian government was only able to focus on internal problems. Addis Ababa then took the opportunity to initiate the GERD project.

The post-Omar Al-Bashir regime in Sudan has showed some understanding of the dangers that building the GERD presents to Khartoum. Sudans stand has undergone some changes, but at least it has been mostly unbiased if not supportive of Egypt, she said.

If Sudans stand remains neutral, Egypt will be capable of dealing with the issue, she said, pointing to Cairos efforts in the last three years to raise the issue on the bilateral, regional, and international levels and referring it more than once to the UN Security Council.

However, after the latest fighting in Sudan, Omar expressed her expectation that there will be indifference in Sudan to the issue as the priority now is internal affairs. This will have an impact on Egypts stand on the GERD, she added.

When Egypt senses that its water security is jeopardised or the Egyptian citizens are facing danger from the GERD, it will not hesitate to act, she said.

DIALOGUE

Omar is also taking part in Egypts National Dialogue, launched by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi in 2022. The aim is to bring together stakeholders to discuss the priorities of national action, and the sessions of the dialogue began this month.

Omar said she was happy that the dialogue is underway because it gives room for discussing issues that had been taboo in the past, like governance and how to activate the role of political parties. It provides room for various parties to express themselves, she said.

However, she said that for the National Dialogue to achieve its promise, there must be proper skills among those who run it. It could be hollow talk that achieves nothing, or it could be run in a systematic way through which every issue is highlighted, discussed, conclusions reached and submitted to the government, she said.

Omar regarded the fact that issues like Egypts foreign policy and national security will not be included in the dialogue as a negative point. The government needs to listen to the viewpoints of the participants in the dialogue, who are influential figures in their fields, she said.

During her career as a diplomat, Omar focused on Africa because she is convinced that the most important continent to Egypt are the African countries.

President Al-Sisi is interested in improving Egypts relations with Africa, she said, and he has paid special attention to the African countries, especially during Egypts chairmanship of the AU in 2019.

Under former president Gamal Abdel-Nasser, Egypt played a historical role in supporting the African liberation movements in their struggle against colonisation. Late president Hosni Mubarak was interested in the African continent at the beginning of his rule, until the assassination attempt against him in 1995, she said.

During the 1980s, Egypt managed through the Egyptian Fund for Technical Support in Africa (EFTCA), established in 1980, to dispatch some 7,000 to 8,000 Egyptian experts in various disciplines to different place throughout the continent. Their mission was to transfer their expertise to the African countries,

However, Egyptians should know more and belong more to the continent, Omar said.

Various African countries have taken sizeable leaps in various fields including education, economy and democracy, she elaborated. Rwanda is one of the best examples, she added, saying that she had worked there after the massacres in the 1990s.

Today, thanks to the vision of the countrys people and rulers, Rwanda is the first state in representing women in parliament in the world, with participation reaching 66 per cent.

Egyptians should also know that Africa is part of Egypts national security and food security and that Egypt relies on the support of the African states whenever it applies for an international post or membership in an international organisation, she said.

Omar pointed to the importance of Egypts cultural presence in Africa. There should be continuous communication on the cultural and popular level, among political parties, young people, women, civil society organisations and the like, she said.

She remembers the incident when Egypts membership of the AU was suspended in 2013 and she was dispatched to correct the misinterpretations in Africa about Egypts 30 June Revolution.

Had we had an active media that was present in the African states, we would not have had to explain to the AU and African presidents the truth about what happened, she said.

We are exerting great efforts on the political and diplomatic levels, but unless these are accompanied by similar efforts on the other levels they will not be useful.

WOMEN

As a member of the board of the National Council of Women (NCW), Omar said that this has taken huge leaps to advance the status of women over the last few years, starting from the number of articles in the constitution that support womens rights to dedicating a year for women in 2017 to the strategies prepared to empower women and the capacity-building programmes that are present in all the governorates.

The NCW has issued laws further punishing female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual harassment. However, more important is the appreciation that the President has given to women whose role is acknowledged on every occasion, she said.

Egypt is the first Arab country to have prepared a strategy to combat violence against women, she noted.

Omars mission to empower women is not only through the NCW, but also through her role in various NGOs, including Women of the Nile, an NGO that she established in Egypt and that aims to include women from the different Nile Basin countries to establish cultural links and act as a pressure group on decision-makers.

The January 2011 Revolution hampered the project, but there are plans to revive it with Minister of Planning Hala Al-Said, Omar said. She is also a member of Salema, another NGO that aims to combat violence against women.

Omar is also a member of organisations that work to improve the conditions of African citizens, including the UN Permanent Forum of People of African Descent.

She heads to New York late this month where she will attend a second meeting. Traditionally, they used to focus on black people who live in the Caribbean and Latin America. However, I believe that that the issue of discrimination should be extended to our continent, she said.

As an Egyptian of African descent, I may be subjected to discrimination because of my nationality, colour, or beliefs, Omar said, arguing strongly for the issuing of a declaration protesting against this.

Finally, Omar is also a member of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), a group of experts that follows the development of policies in African countries in terms of democracy, human rights, and good governance, and produces a report to be discussed with the leader of each state.

The group casts light on best practices in each country and urges others to follow suit.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Couloir Capital is pleased to announce the opening of its Toronto office in First Canadian Place. Couloir Capital is a research-driven investment dealer focused on emerging companies in the natural resources sector.

Peter Schloo, CPA, CA, CFA will head up the Toronto office's capital raising and research expansion efforts as Executive VP, Toronto. Mr. Schloo brings over 10 years of capital markets, operations, and assurance experience at KPMG Canada, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and Sun Life Financial. In more recent years, Mr. Schloo was the interim CFO and VP of Corporate and Business Development at Ion Energy Ltd. (TSXV: ION). Mr. Schloo is currently the President, CEO, and Director of Heritage Mining Ltd. (CSE: HML) (FSE: Y66) and also holds Board positions on multiple private and public companies with a focus on the natural resource sector. Mr. Schloo will maintain his current roles and devote time to contributing value to Couloir Capital and Couloir Securities with $85 million in associated capital-raising opportunities to date. Mr. Schloo holds the Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant, and Chartered Financial Analyst designations. He is a licensed prospector in the province of Ontario and registered as a Dealing Representative (broker) at Couloir Securities. We are very excited to have Mr. Schloo be a part of the Couloir Capital team and Toronto expansion.

In addition, the firm added Ron Wortel, MBA, P.Eng. as a Senior Mining Analyst. Ron will be providing equity research on select issuers as well as providing overall guidance to the research offering. Ron brings over 30 years of engineering and investment industry experience at numerous firms including Dundee Capital, Pathway Asset Management, and Marquest Asset Management. He holds an MBA from Western and a degree in geological engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Our affiliated firm, Couloir Securities, is approved by the Ontario Securities Commission to serve clients as a private placement dealer (Exempt Market Dealer) in the province. Investment opportunities include non-brokered private placements primarily in the resource sector. Tax-advantaged flow-through share offerings are frequently available.

About Couloir Capital Ltd.

Couloir Capital Ltd. is an investment research firm comprised of a team of experienced investment professionals dedicated to providing opportunities in the natural resource exploration and development sectors. Our research reports are disseminated through Bloomberg, FactSet, Capital IQ, Reuters, and many more, as well as through our social media and large email distribution list. To subscribe please visit: https://www.couloircapital.com/research-portal.

Resource companies are invited to contact us to discuss your financing and equity research plans. Investors in the sector can also contact us for current opportunities available through our offerings. We look forward to working with you to advance your company's goals.

Peter Schloo, EVP

(905) 505-0918

[email protected]

Ron Wortel, Senior Mining Analyst

(416) 460-2960

[email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167167
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Leon's Furniture Limited (TSX: LNF) ("LFL" or the "Company"), today announced that all of the nominee directors listed in the Management Information Circular dated February 22, 2023, were elected as directors of Leon's Furniture Limited. The vote was conducted at the Company's Annual Meeting of Common Shareholders, which took place on May 11, 2023, in Toronto. The results of the vote are set out at the bottom of this press release.

Name of Nominee Votes For Votes Withheld Mark J. Leon 51,456,854 92.02% 4,462,598 7.98% Terrence T. Leon 51,427,578 91.97% 4,491,874 8.03% Edward F. Leon 52,848,037 94.54% 3,071,415 5.49% Joseph M. Leon 55,776,485 99.74% 142,967 0.26% Alan Lenczner 52,376,518 93.66% 3,542,934 6.34% Mary Ann Leon 54,155,653 96.85% 1,763,799 3.15% Frank Gagliano 55,758,888 99.71% 160,564 0.29% The Hon. Lisa Raitt 55,860,371 99.89% 59,081 0.11%

Final results on all matters voted at the Annual Meeting held on May 11, 2023, will be filed with the Canadian securities regulators.

About Leon's Furniture Limited

Leon's Furniture Limited is the largest retailer of furniture, appliances and electronics in Canada. Our retail banners include: Leon's; The Brick; Brick Outlet; and The Brick Mattress Store. Finally, with The Brick's Midnorthern Appliance banner alongside with Leon's Appliance Canada banner, this makes the Company the country's largest commercial retailer of appliances to builders, developers, hotels and property management companies. The Company has 303 retail stores from coast to coast in Canada under various banners. The Company operates six websites: leons.ca, thebrick.com, furniture.ca, midnorthern.com, transglobalservice.com and appliancecanada.com.

For further information, please contact:

Constantine Pefanis, CFO

Leon's Furniture Limited

Tel: (416) 243-4074

Investor contact:

Jonathan Ross

LodeRock Advisors, Leon's Investor Relations

[email protected]

Tel: (416) 283-0178

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/166858
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Skyline Wealth Management Inc. - Skyline Retail REIT has been able to offer a return of approximately 13%* since inception in 2013, thanks to its portfolio of everyday essential tenants. With 80%+* of its assets comprising of essential tenants such as grocery stores, pharmacies, and banks, Skyline Retail REIT has maintained a strong and resilient performance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and challenging economic periods. Despite the challenges of the retail industry, Skyline Retail REIT has demonstrated its ability to perform well in the ever-changing retail landscape.

*as at December 31, 2022.





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Skyline Wealth Management Inc.

https://skylinewealth.ca/

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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/165576
Chicago, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - TheCustomBoxes, a leading provider of custom packaging solutions in USA, is proud to announce the launch of its innovative services, opening new avenues for businesses to create personalized packaging. With over ten years of experience in the industry, TheCustomBoxes.com is committed to delivering superb quality packaging that meets the unique requirements of its clients.

In the first week of May 2023, TheCustomBoxes.com unveiled its 4 color digital and offset printing services, offering customers the ability to design and print custom boxes with exceptional precision and quality.

TheCustomBoxes Revolutionizes Custom Packaging with Affordable 4 Color Printing and Sustainable Solutions

TheCustomBoxes is committed to environmentally sustainable packaging practices and is proud to be an ardent supporter of green initiatives. All their boxes are made from 100% recyclable materials, ensuring a greener and more eco-friendly solution for packaging needs.

"Our goal is to assist businesses in providing inspirational custom packaging," said the TheCustomBoxes team. "We understand the importance of standing out in today's competitive market, and that's why we offer an array of add-on and finishing options to make our custom boxes truly worth noticing."

As a one-stop shop for all packaging needs, TheCustomBoxes offers a wide range of options, ensuring customers find the perfect custom boxes for their products. From food packaging to shipping heavier items, the company provides versatile solutions tailored to meet diverse requirements. With an array of shapes, sizes, and finishes available, customers have the freedom to customize their packaging boxes to reflect their brand identity.

"At TheCustomBoxes, we believe that custom box packaging should be tailored to meet the unique needs of each customer," the TheCustomBoxes team stated. "We strive to revolutionize the industry by offering versatile, eco-friendly, and efficient solutions that exceed our customers' expectations."

To ensure a seamless experience, TheCustomBoxes has established a dedicated team of Customer Support Representatives, available round the clock, seven days a week. These knowledgeable representatives possess a deep understanding of the industry and products, providing timely and effective solutions to any queries or concerns that customers may have.

About TheCustomBoxes

TheCustomBoxes is a leading custom packaging solution provider based in the USA. With a commitment to excellence, the company offers a wide range of custom boxes for various industries, providing exceptional quality, eco-friendly options, and efficient services. TheCustomBoxes.com is the preferred packaging partner for leading brands, offering premium wholesale box printing services.

Media Contact

Company Name: The Custom Boxes

Contact Person: Alex Jones

Website: https://www.thecustomboxes.com/

Business Email: [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/166943
Top Apps AI has released a new tutorial on TinyWow's writing features. This tutorial unlocks content magic and demonstrates the benefits of ai enhanced content creation. Content creators, copywriters, and other interested parties can find the guide online at https://topapps.ai/tinywow-ultimate-tutorial/.

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - AI App Directory, Top Apps AI, has published a new tutorial dedicated to helping content creators and copywriters enhance their writing process. The step-by-step tutorial will also have information useful to anybody facing the challenge of efficiently utilizing AI-powered writing tools for content creation and content improvement.

Interested parties are invited to review the step-by-step tutorial in full on their website: https://topapps.ai/tinywow-ultimate-tutorial/.

Top Apps AI Releases Step-by-Step Tutorial for Optimal AI Content Creation



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This most recent tutorial from Top Apps AI contains precise and detailed steps and instructions, designed to be used by anyone who needs assistance in enhancing their writing process, helping them as quickly, easily and with as little stress as possible.

Top Apps AI states that this accessible, easy to follow tutorial provides all of the information necessary to fully understand the topic, to get the results they want.

The Full Step-by-Step Tutorial Covers: How to generate AI-written essays based on a requested topic. It guides users to become better essay writers, generating AI-written essays.

The tutorial explains how to create paragraphs in different tones for various purposes, including entering the topic, selecting the tone, and generating the output. The tutorial helps anyone to be a content Improver and provides information on refining pre-written content with the AI tool. It offers insights on refining pre-written content with the AI tool by inserting text and evaluating the improvements made.

When asked about the tutorial, the reasons behind creating a guide on TinyWow's Writing Features and what they hope to accomplish with it, the team at Top Apps AI said: "We wrote this tutorial to share our valuable insights and experiences with TinyWow's writing features, aiming to help fellow content creators and copywriters harness the full potential of these AI-powered tools. By providing step-by-step instructions and practical tips, we wanted to make it easier for others to enhance their writing process and create high-quality content more efficiently."

Content creators, copywriters, and anybody interested in TinyWow's Writing Features are invited to review the how-to guide online: https://topapps.ai/tinywow-ultimate-tutorial/.

More information about the online ai directory Top Apps AI itself can be found at https://www.topapps.ai.

Contact Info:

Name: Top Apps AI

Email: [email protected]

Organization: Top Apps AI

Address: 5307 Victoria Drive, Vancouver, BC V5P 3V6, Canada

Website: https://www.topapps.ai

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167073
Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - Last week, leaders from the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples urged Canadian Senators to exercise common sense and include CAP and the voices of urban Indigenous Peoples in the proposed Reconciliation Council. The oversight body is a "Call to Action" from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 2015 report.

"Senators now have the opportunity to make reconciliation inclusive for all Indigenous Peoples," says CAP National Chief Elmer St. Pierre. "Despite being one of five recognized National Indigenous Organizations, the government is attempting to play divisive politics and leave out the voices of urban Indigenous peoples."

The Reconciliation Council is a product of Bill C-29 which the Liberals introduced last year. Under the proposed legislation, the Council would be considered a not-for-profit corporation comprised of nine to 13 directors. Earlier this year, opposition members put forward an amendment to include CAP and our voices in the council, but Liberal MP's heartlessly voted against the change. CAP is encouraging all Senators to use practical sense and ensure CAP has a permanent seat on the board of directors.

"In 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada made it clear that the federal government is indeed responsible for off-reserve, non-status Indigenous Peoples," says CAP National Vice Chief Kim Beaudin. "Genuine reconciliation will only happen when the government stops cherry picking who is Indigenous and allows all voices to be a part of the discussion."

After centuries of colonialism, racism and exclusion, CAP is calling on Senators to change direction and make reconciliation inclusive for all Indigenous Peoples.

Media Contact:

Nigel Newlove

Director of Media Relations

[email protected]

613-286-9828

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples is the national voice representing the interests of Mtis, status and non-status Indians, and Southern Inuit Indigenous People living off-reserve. Today, over 80% of Indigenous people live off-reserve.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167103
FILE PHOTO: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during the Florida Family Policy Council Annual Dinner Gala, in Orlando, Florida, U.S., May 20, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Bello

By James Oliphant

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suffered a chaotic start to his 2024 presidential election race on Wednesday when glitches marred an online forum hosted by Twitter owner Elon Musk that was meant to showcase DeSantis' fitness for the job.

The Twitter broadcast of the hour-long interview , which had been intended as the formal launch for the DeSantis campaign, lost sound for extended stretches and thousands of users were either unable to join or were dropped.

It was an inauspicious start for a campaign predicated on the governor's executive competence.

"We must end the culture of losing that has infected the Republican Party in recent years," DeSantis said in the event with Musk once the problems were largely resolved. The hashtag #DeSaster was trending on Twitter.

DeSantis' entrance in the Republican contest sets up a showdown with his one-time ally, former President Donald Trump, who lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.

The Florida governor framed himself as a get-it-done executive who stood up to the federal government over COVID policies and who has put an indelibly conservative stamp on his home state.

He defended his efforts in Florida to prohibit the teaching of concepts such as gender identity and systemic racism as protecting young children and pushing back against progressive ideology.

With a rising national profile and what are expected to be deep financial resources, DeSantis, 44, immediately became Trump's biggest rival for the Republican nomination.

"Government is not about entertainment, not about building a brand," DeSantis said, taking a veiled swipe at Trump. Notably he never mentioned Trump by name during the event.

Trump, 76, didn't hesitate to mock DeSantis on his social media platform, Truth Social, over the stumbling start to his campaign.

"My Red Button is bigger, better, stronger, and is working (TRUTH!)" Trump posted, "Yours does not."

Musk conceded there had been "technical issues because of the sheer scale" of the event, but added that "it's just really great for the people to hear directly from presidential candidates."

At one point, the Twitter event drew more than 600,000 listeners. By its conclusion, there were fewer than 300,000.

DeSantis' campaign spokesman Bryan Griffin said on Twitter that enthusiasm for DeSantis had "literally busted up the internet."

The campaign raised $1 million in an hour, Griffin said.

TRUMP AHEAD IN POLLS

Polls show Trump with more than a 2-to-1 edge over the Florida governor, who has long been considered a Republican rising star and the herald of a new generation of leaders in the party. Trump, who announced in November, also has a head start in organizing his campaign in key early voting states.

DeSantis central argument for his candidacy likely will be that he is the only Republican who can defeat Biden.

"Our president, while he lacks vigor, flounders in the face of our nation's challenges and he takes cues from the woke mob," DeSantis said.

Mainstream Republicans will be watching DeSantis carefully to see if he can recover from his missteps on foreign policy, such as his initial reluctance to express support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

In the weeks leading up to his presidential bid, DeSantis toured the country, visiting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire that will hold early nominating contests. He has boasted of his record as Floridas governor, including his battles with the federal government over pandemic policies.

DeSantis and his advisers were determined to wait to enter the race until the Florida Legislature could hand him a series of policy victories  and lawmakers have done just that.

He signed measures that severely restricted abortions in the state, made it easier for residents to carry concealed weapons, expanded a voucher program to allow students to attend private schools and eliminated funding for diversity programs at public universities, among other things.

DeSantis remains in a pitched battle with Walt Disney Co over the companys criticism of laws prohibiting the teaching of gender identity concepts in public schools. The company has filed a federal lawsuit accusing DeSantis of weaponizing state government to punish its operations.

Other declared Republican candidates include Nikki Haley, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Tim Scott, a U.S. senator from South Carolina.

(Reporting by James Oliphant. Additional reporting by Jason Lange, Tim Reid, Tyler Clifford, Alexandra Ulmer, Costas Pitas, Jasper Ward, Steve Holland; Editing by Ross Colvin and Cynthia Osterman)
NEW YORK (PRWEB) May 23, 2023

Walgenia George Morgan announces her entry to the publishing scene with the release of "Jesus is Coming Back. Get Ready!" (published by Archway Publishing). This book offers a host of supporting scriptural evidence that foretells the return of Jesus to earth.

In this guide, Morgan reviews the coming of Jesus, his death and resurrection, his relationship with the disciples, and his promise to return. She then appeals to all to make Jesus their Lord and Savior because he is coming back and encourages everyone to get ready for his return.

"It has been said time and again that Jesus will return to earth and by presenting a tract-like summary of these truths in book form, people will be encouraged to learn more of end time Bible teachings. It will serve as a reminder that God who created the universe is still God and that He is in control of it all," Morgan says.

When asked what she wants readers to take way from the book, Morgan answered, "God loves us so that He sent Jesus to die for our sins, that Jesus will return to earth and that people must be prepared to meet Him. Life is short. Everyone will die eventually. Eternity is long and that Jesus said that those who make Him their Lord and Savior would surely live for eternity. This book is a call to help people to choose everlasting life and escape the terror of hell." For more details about the book, please visit https://www.archwaypublishing.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/846196-jesus-is-coming-back-get-ready

"Jesus is Coming Back. Get Ready!"

By Walgenia George Morgan

Hardcover | 8.5 x 8.5in | 28 pages | ISBN 9781665735629

Softcover | 8.5 x 8.5in | 28 pages | ISBN 9781665735612

E-Book | 28 pages | ISBN 9781665735605

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Walgenia George Morgan is a born-again believer in Jesus and has experienced God's miraculous intervention in her life. She came to know more of Jesus after arriving in the United States from her beloved Grenada. Morgan wants people to know of God's love and his forgiveness that was bought with his son Jesus' blood. She is eternally grateful for this blessed country America.

Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit archwaypublishing.com or call 844-669-3957.

Read the full story at https://www.prweb.com/releases/walgenia_george_morgan_releases_jesus_is_coming_back_get_ready/prweb19350111.htm
Festival with a Purpose with Proceeds Funding Culinary Scholarships

SAN ANTONIO , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- After a successful 2022 festival, the annual Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival returns October 26-29, 2023 . This four-day epicurean experience allows food and wine lovers to explore the unique flavors of Texas . Guests will enjoy delicious bites from Texas chefs and restaurants, mingle with beverage makers, and learn from industry experts in educational panels, in one of San Antonio's popular open-air venues, historic Travis Park . The best part of the Culinaria-produced Tasting Texas is that it is a party with a purpose and the beneficiary is the James Beard Foundation with $250,000 committed to support culinary students in Texas .

Highlights of the schedule of events include:

The Dinners  Tasting Texas offers an array of delicious dinners featuring the amazing culinary talents of chefs from around San Antonio and beyond. Each dinner is a unique experience that showcases the creativity of the Festival's talented local and guest chefs.

 Tasting Texas offers an array of delicious dinners featuring the amazing culinary talents of chefs from around and beyond. Each dinner is a unique experience that showcases the creativity of the Festival's talented local and guest chefs. Southern Hospitality at Pearl  An unforgettable evening of tasty nibbles, warm conversation, and delightful drinks. The event is held reception-style with tables filled with only the most delicious Southern cuisine  making it easy to move around the room and mingling while dining.

at Pearl  An unforgettable evening of tasty nibbles, warm conversation, and delightful drinks. The event is held reception-style with tables filled with only the most delicious Southern cuisine  making it easy to move around the room and mingling while dining. The Grand Tasting at Travis Park  The ultimate exploration of all things wine, food and cocktails. Take a culinary journey through an innovative walk-around experience, sampling delicious food and beverages while connecting with experience-makers and learning more about their products. At The Grand Tasting, nothing is off limits. Festivalgoers will enjoy an array of menu items from the best restaurants throughout the great state of Texas and sip on specialty drinks crafted right in front of them. Guests also can take part in tasty educational seminars led by experienced chefs and beverage experts that will sharpen cooking skills and teach how to pair the perfect dish with the perfect wine.

at  The ultimate exploration of all things wine, food and cocktails. Take a culinary journey through an innovative walk-around experience, sampling delicious food and beverages while connecting with experience-makers and learning more about their products. At The Grand Tasting, nothing is off limits. Festivalgoers will enjoy an array of menu items from the best restaurants throughout the great state of and sip on specialty drinks crafted right in front of them. Guests also can take part in tasty educational seminars led by experienced chefs and beverage experts that will sharpen cooking skills and teach how to pair the perfect dish with the perfect wine. Sippin' Sunday Brunch at Meadow  With some of the South's top-rated foods and live, soulful music, guests will be able to feed the mind, body, and spirit. Every delicious dish is crafted with love and ready to indulge.

at Meadow  With some of the South's top-rated foods and live, soulful music, guests will be able to feed the mind, body, and spirit. Every delicious dish is crafted with love and ready to indulge. Champagne Brunch on the San Antonio River Walk  Step onto a river barge as Tasting Texas provides guests with a floating curated chef experience. Guests to this extremely limited event will enjoy plentiful food and drink while taking in the historical sites along the banks of the San Antonio River .

on the San Antonio River Walk  Step onto a river barge as Tasting Texas provides guests with a floating curated chef experience. Guests to this extremely limited event will enjoy plentiful food and drink while taking in the historical sites along the banks of the . Burgers, Bourbon & Beer at Travis Park  This Festival hallmark celebrates an array of delectable burgers, aged bourbons and craft beer from around the world. The event will be replete with fun activities including product vendors serving up goodies and educational sessions that just might make guests experts on their next night out.

Available ticket packages:

The Alamo  Includes one dinner, Becker Luncheon, Southern Hospitality, HalloWine, The Grand Tasting, Sippin' Sunday Brunch and Burgers, Bourbon and Beer. Price : $520

 Includes one dinner, Becker Luncheon, Southern Hospitality, HalloWine, The Grand Tasting, Sippin' Sunday Brunch and Burgers, Bourbon and Beer. : San Juan  Includes Southern Hospitality, HalloWine, The Grand Tasting, Sippin' Sunday Brunch and Burgers, Bourbon and Beer. Price : $440

 Includes Southern Hospitality, HalloWine, The Grand Tasting, Sippin' Sunday Brunch and Burgers, Bourbon and Beer. : River Walk  Includes HalloWine, The Grand Tasting, Sippin' Sunday Brunch and Burgers, Bourbon & Beer. Price : $320

 Includes HalloWine, The Grand Tasting, Sippin' Sunday Brunch and Burgers, Bourbon & Beer. : Downtown  Includes The Grand Tasting and Burgers, Bourbon & Beer. Price : $240

 Includes The Grand Tasting and Burgers, Bourbon & Beer. : Individual event tickets  starting from $60

For more information including full listing of events, visit CulinariaSA.org/Tasting-Texas.

For media information on San Antonio , go to VisitSanAntonio.com/Media-Room/

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SOURCE Visit San Antonio
Artivion to Receive $18.75 Million Milestone Payment Under Previously Announced Agreement

Artivion to Begin Supplying Product to Baxter Under Transitional Manufacturing and Supply Agreement

ATLANTA , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Artivion, Inc. (NYSE: AORT), a leading cardiac and vascular surgery company focused on aortic disease, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted premarket application (PMA) approval of PERCLOT Absorbable Hemostatic System ("PerClot") for use to control bleeding in certain open and laparoscopic surgical procedures. Artivion sold the PerClot product line to Baxter International Inc. ("Baxter"), (NYSE: BAX), in July 2021 . Pursuant to the terms of its previously announced agreements with Baxter, Artivion will transfer ownership of the PMA to Baxter following approval. Shipment of PerClot product to Baxter will commence upon receipt of a milestone payment of $18.75 million in cash, $4.5 million of which will be paid to Artivion's former partner Starch Medical, Inc. ("SMI").

Under the terms of its agreements with Baxter, Artivion will supply Baxter with PerClot for a minimum of twenty-one (21) months, until manufacturing operations are transferred in full to Baxter or its designee.

"We are excited to receive FDA approval of PerClot, which represents a significant step forward in optimizing patient care by addressing intraoperative bleeding" said Pat Mackin , Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Artivion. "We continue to see Baxter as the perfect partner to commercialize PerClot due to its expertise in blood management and its strong hemostat portfolio, with corresponding customer relationships. The sale of PerClot to Baxter and the recent FDA approval mark the culmination of years of hard work and collaboration across many dedicated teams, and we are proud to have played a part in bringing this product to market."

Steve Wallace , President of Baxter's Advanced Surgery business added, "I would like to thank the team at Artivion for their partnership throughout the FDA review and approval process. The addition of PerClot to Baxter's portfolio further enhances our ability to optimize patient care by addressing a broad range of intraoperative bleeding with both active and passive hemostatic solutions."

With this latest milestone payment following FDA PMA approval for PerClot, Baxter will have paid approximately $44 million in cash to Artivion, of which $10.5 million was paid to SMI. Under the agreements, Baxter may make future payments as outlined below:

Up to $10 million upon Baxter's achievement of certain cumulative worldwide net sales of PerClot prior to December 31, 2026 , and December 31, 2027 , of which up to $3 million is payable to SMI; and

upon Baxter's achievement of certain cumulative worldwide net sales of PerClot prior to , and , of which up to is payable to SMI; and Approximately $800,000 upon transfer to Baxter of Artivion's PerClot manufacturing equipment at the conclusion of Artivion's manufacturing and supply services for Baxter.

Artivion intends to use the net proceeds from the transaction for general corporate purposes, contingent consideration obligations, and potential debt repayment.

About Artivion, Inc.

Headquartered in suburban Atlanta, Georgia , Artivion, Inc. is a medical device company focused on developing simple, elegant solutions that address cardiac and vascular surgeons' most difficult challenges in treating patients with aortic diseases. Artivion's four major groups of products include: aortic stent grafts, surgical sealants, On-X mechanical heart valves, and implantable cardiac and vascular human tissues. Artivion markets and sells products in more than 100 countries worldwide. For additional information about Artivion, visit our website, www.artivion.com.

About Baxter

Every day, millions of patients, caregivers and healthcare providers rely on Baxter's leading portfolio of diagnostic, critical care, kidney care, nutrition, hospital and surgical products used across patient homes, hospitals, physician offices and other sites of care. For 90 years, we've been operating at the critical intersection where innovations that save and sustain lives meet the healthcare providers who make it happen. With products, digital health solutions and therapies available in more than 100 countries, Baxter's employees worldwide are now building upon the company's rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of transformative healthcare innovations. To learn more, visit www.baxter.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Statements made in this press release that look forward in time or that express management's beliefs, expectations, or hopes are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements reflect the views of management at the time such statements are made. These statements include our beliefs that FDA approval of PerClot represents a significant step forward in optimizing patient care by addressing intraoperative bleeding and that we continue to see Baxter as the perfect partner to commercialize PerClot due to its expertise in blood management and its strong hemostat portfolio, with corresponding customer relationships. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, estimates, and assumptions that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations These risks and uncertainties include the risk factors detailed in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and our subsequent filings with the SEC. Artivion assumes no obligation, and expressly disclaims any duty, to update publicly any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Contacts:





Artivion D. Ashley Lee Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Phone: 770-419-3355 Gilmartin Group LLC Brian Johnston / Lynn Lewis Phone: 332-895-3222 [email protected]

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SOURCE Artivion, Inc.
On Sunday, Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tarik paid his first official visit to Egypt, reports Doaa El-Bey

During his two-day visit to Cairo, the first since assuming power in 2020, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik met with President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi. Discussions between the two leaders addressed a range of regional crises, with both leaders agreeing that regional conflicts must be settled in a way that maintains the interests of Arab peoples and preserves their resources.

The talks involved an exchange of views on regional and international issues in the framework of regular coordination and consultation between Egypt and Oman, and their endeavours to realise regional stability and security, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian presidency.

Sultan bin Tariks visit coincided with the beginnings of a fragile ceasefire in Sudan and came in the wake of an Arab League (AL) summit which witnessed the end of Syrias suspension from the pan-Arab organisation. Arab states are now expected to reintegrate Syria, and work together to resolve the crisis there. Bi- and multilateral cooperation between Arab states is also needed to help resolve ongoing crises in Libya and Yemen, and Muscats long-term relations with Tehran are regarded as an asset in any future negotiations between Cairo and Tehran to normalise relations.

During the long reign of Sultan Qaboos bin Said Oman adopted a policy of neutrality when it came to inter-Arab problems. During the rift between Qatar on the one hand, and Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE on the other, Muscat pointedly refrained from supporting either side. Even more notably, Muscat was one of the few Arab capitals not to sever diplomatic ties with Cairo when Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979.

President Al-Sisi praised the history of friendly relations between the two states, saying they have always been based on solidarity and cooperation in the face of crises and challenges. For his part, Sultan Bin Tarik underscored Egypts strategic and cultural depth for the Arab world and praised its role in preserving regional security and stability.

The two-day visit witnessed the signing of six MoUs enhancing cooperation in the fields of education, the judiciary, heritage and archive preservation, transportation, aviation and taxation. They built on the set of MoUs signed during President Al-Sisis own visit to Muscat in June 2022, his first to Oman since Sultan bin Tarik ascended the throne in 2020.

The Omani-Egyptian Business Forum, held during Sultan Bin Tariks visit, aimed to showcase the investment potential available in the Sultanate and the regulations and basic structures that will help attract investors in many areas, including renewable energy and green hydrogen, said Abdullah Nassir Al-Rahbi, Omans ambassador to Cairo.

Egypt looks forward to increasing trade and joint investments between Cairo and Muscat... through activating bilateral and multilateral agreements, a ministerial statement quoted Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir as saying.

The forum was attended by the finance and trade ministers of both countries, Egyptian businessmen and the head of Oman Investment Authority (OIA).

The OIA is currently looking at investment opportunities in Egypt, especially in the field of wind power. Its target is to invest $5 billion over the next three years, a third of which is being earmarked for wind power projects.

Trade exchange between the two countries increased by 64 per cent in 2022, up to $1.1 billion from $650 million in 2021, according to CAPMAS.

In a statement issued the day before the Sultans visit, CAPMAS said Egypts exports to Oman rose by 23.7 per cent to reach $202 million in 2022, up from $163 million in 2021. Egypts imports from Oman rose by 78.3 percent to reach $869 million in the same period.

Egypt and Muscat marked 50 years of diplomatic relations last November. The occasion was celebrated at an event held in the Egyptian Museum of Civilisation.



* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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National Survey Finds Passengers Who Speak Up Can Make a Huge Difference

ERIE, Pa. , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A national survey commissioned by Erie Insurance shows that passengers can dramatically help reduce texting while driving by asking the driver to stop. Almost half of drivers who were asked or told to stop texting (43%) said they stopped doing it at once and never did it again. And yet, 10% of passengers don't speak up when a driver starts texting. Why? The majority say it's because they wouldn't want to offend the driver or feel it would be uncomfortable to say something.

Because speaking up can make such a big difference in stopping the dangerous behavior of texting while driving, Erie Insurance reached out to a psychology professor for tips for how passengers can overcome their discomfort with making "the ask."

Dr. Stanislaw Kolek is a visiting assistant professor at Allegheny College whose areas of study include vulnerable road users, driver training, driving styles and hazard perception in driving. He offers four different approaches for asking a driver to stop texting while driving.

Negotiation  This method involves acknowledging the situation and providing a solution. "If you are in a car and the driver starts texting, you could say, 'It looks like you really need to be texting someone right now so why don't you let me drive? I can drive and you can text, and once we get to our destination, you can get back into the driver's seat,'" said Kolek. "It's a way to get them to realize that the behavior is not wanted and that you've already come up with a solution. Asking them if you can be the driver in that situation is usually a very non-antagonistic way of getting yourself out of a dangerous situation."





 This method involves acknowledging the situation and providing a solution. "If you are in a car and the driver starts texting, you could say, 'It looks like you really need to be texting someone right now so why don't you let me drive? I can drive and you can text, and once we get to our destination, you can get back into the driver's seat,'" said Kolek. "It's a way to get them to realize that the behavior is not wanted and that you've already come up with a solution. Asking them if you can be the driver in that situation is usually a very non-antagonistic way of getting yourself out of a dangerous situation." Positive Reinforcement  Another tactic is to let the driver know how putting down their phone can benefit them. For example, Erie Insurance has a program called YourTurn, a smartphone app that enables safe drivers to earn rewards that can be used for gift cards or donated to charity. Within the first 30 days of using YourTurn, drivers have seen an average reduction of 35% in phone distractions, 20% in hard braking and 20% reduction in at-risk speeding. "Letting the driver know about a rewards program is a good approach, especially if they don't already know about it. You can say 'Hey, there is this app you can download and be rewarded if you just don't use your phone while driving,'" said Kolek.





 Another tactic is to let the driver know how putting down their phone can benefit them. For example, has a program called YourTurn, a smartphone app that enables safe drivers to earn rewards that can be used for gift cards or donated to charity. Within the first 30 days of using YourTurn, drivers have seen an average reduction of 35% in phone distractions, 20% in hard braking and 20% reduction in at-risk speeding. "Letting the driver know about a rewards program is a good approach, especially if they don't already know about it. You can say 'Hey, there is this app you can download and be rewarded if you just don't use your phone while driving,'" said Kolek. Partnership and Mutual Accountability  This approach is like a buddy system in which two people both agree to do or not do something and hold each other accountable. It's often used when people are trying to, for example, increase how much they exercise or change their eating habits. It can also apply to breaking the bad habit of texting while driving. "You can say, 'If I don't text while driving, you can also not do it, and then we can both kind of keep each other accountable,'" said Kolek. The impact of this approach can be amplified if there are also mutually beneficial rewards attached. For example, if a married couple is on the same car insurance policy, both have to drive safely in order to get the best rate.





 This approach is like a buddy system in which two people both agree to do or not do something and hold each other accountable. It's often used when people are trying to, for example, increase how much they exercise or change their eating habits. It can also apply to breaking the bad habit of texting while driving. "You can say, 'If I don't text while driving, you can also not do it, and then we can both kind of keep each other accountable,'" said Kolek. The impact of this approach can be amplified if there are also mutually beneficial rewards attached. For example, if a married couple is on the same car insurance policy, both have to drive safely in order to get the best rate. Negative Consequences  Creating negative consequences for the driver is another tactic, but often is used only as a last resort if other, more positive approaches fail. One negative consequence, Kolek says, is social isolation with a group. "You can say, 'You're the driver and I am your passenger and we're a team right now. I really don't want to be in the car with you while you are texting.' That would probably be effective if the person is reasonable and wants you to continue riding with them," said Kolek.

You can watch a video of Dr. Kolek sharing tips for how to ask a driver to stop texting while driving here.

The data about the impact of speaking up is from a survey Erie Insurance commissioned to explore the notion that for society at large to stop a negative behavior, it has to become socially unacceptable. The survey asked people not for their personal opinions, but rather how they think society as a whole views texting while driving. Almost three-quarters (73%) think it's considered socially unacceptable  but that leaves 27% who think it's considered socially acceptable, indicating that more progress needs to be made in terms of changing society's views on the topic. To see more survey results and infographic, visit erieinsurance.com/distracted-driving.

About the Survey:

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Erie Insurance from January 31 - February 2, 2023 , among 2,060 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.8 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact [email protected].

About Erie Insurance

According to A.M. Best Company, Erie Insurance Group, based in Erie, Pennsylvania , is the 11th largest homeowners insurer, 13th largest automobile insurer and 13th largest commercial lines insurer in the United States based on direct premiums written. Founded in 1925, Erie Insurance is a Fortune 500 company and the 19th largest property/casualty insurer in the United States based on total lines net premium written. Rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best, ERIE has more than 6 million policies in force and operates in 12 states and the District of Columbia . News releases and more information are available on ERIE's website at www.erieinsurance.com.

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SOURCE Erie Insurance Group
BOSTON, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM), today announced that it has hired Philip A. Hodges as its Chief Supply Chain Officer . Mr. Hodges will report to Chief Executive Officer David A. Burwick and will have primary responsibility for overseeing the Company's integrated supply chain, including brewery management, procurement, customer service, engineering, safety, quality and planning.

Hodges, with over 30 years of senior operations experience in the consumer-packaged goods industry, has been an advisor for the Company in supply chain management since May 2022 . During this time, he has helped Boston Beer begin to improve its brewery performance by reducing freight and warehousing costs, implementing systems to improve forecasting and inventory management, and enabling the company to be more reactive to changing demand.

Prior to his work with Boston Beer, Hodges served as the Executive Vice President of Group Supply Chain at the Carlsberg, an international brewing company based in Copenhagen , from 2017 to 2022. Before that, he was appointed Group Director and Chief Supply Chain Officer for SABMiller. From 2011 to 2015, he served as Senior Vice President of Integrated Supply Chain Europe for Mondelez International, a multinational beverage and snack food company, with his office in Zurich . Before that, Hodges held various senior operations roles with Kraft Foods Group from 1991 to 2011.

"Phil has influenced our Supply Chain approach since he first started consulting with us last year," said Burwick. "The Supply Chain team has been working hard to modernize our supply chain through investments in equipment and process and by implementing thoughtful, gross margin savings plans. We're looking forward to the significant impact Phil will now make in his new leadership position as our CSCO as we seek to generate substantial gross margin expansion from our supply chain over the next few years."

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 , Truly Vodka Soda, Twisted Tea, Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Dogfish Head, Hard Mountain Dew, and Jim Beam Kentucky Coolers, as well as other craft beer brands from Angel City Brewery and Coney Island Brewing. For more information, please visit our website at www.bostonbeer.com, which includes links to our respective brand websites.

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SOURCE The Boston Beer Company, Inc.
Award to be presented to Stevie recipients on June 13 in New York

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CD2 Learning and client partner, BERNINA, were named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award in the Customer Education Learning Management System (LMS) category in the 21st Annual American Business Awards (ABAs).

"We are honored to be recognized as the technology platform for BERNINA, particularly amongst so many impressive entries," said Jay Breeden , president of CD2 Learning, a Nelnet company. "I think one of the judges truly summed up the success of this effort:

'The use of the interactive modules, gamification and tailored subscriptions to train sales staff, technicians and store owners is impressive. The success of the platform during the pandemic and its extension to a consumer learning center shows its versatility and effectiveness.



The partnership with BERNINA instructors and subject matter experts to develop a rich library of mastery courses that can be revisited as often as the user needs is also commendable.'"

Breeden continued, "Congratulations to all the impressive entries and winners in this year's competition."

The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.'s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. 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 . Tickets are now on sale.

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. BERNINA was nominated in the Customer Learning LMS category.

More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year's Stevie Award winners.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2023 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

About CD2 Learning

CD2 Learning, a Nelnet company, is changing the way people learn and grow through award-winning Software as a Service (SaaS) technology designed for the modern workforce. Since 2008, CD2 Learning has worked with organizations of all sizes to support digital learning and development needs.

The company continually creates new capabilities to meet the rapidly evolving needs of the learning and development professional and the individual learner. This top-down/bottom-up approach allows CD2 Learning's clients to develop a culture that has real impact on the overall success of the organization.

Discover more at www.cd2learning.com

About Bernina

Founded in Switzerland more than 100 years ago, BERNINA is the world's premier manufacturer with a proven reputation for offering quality state-of-the-art sewing, quilting and embroidery machines, overlockers and embroidery software. The BERNINA leadership is marked by an impressive number of ambassadors, industry leaders, influencers and bloggers who chose to partner with the company.



BERNINA products are sold in the United States through a network of over 400 fully trained independent dealerships that also offer support and education. Select BERNINA and bernette machines and BERNINA software can also be purchased online. BERNINA products are designed for beginning to advanced sewists and priced to meet a variety of budgets, with new products being introduced every year. To learn more about BERNINA and to find a store, visit www.bernina.com.

Sponsors of The 2023 American Business Awards include HCL America, Melissa Sones Consulting, and SoftPro.

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SOURCE CD2 Learning
SAN FRANCISCO , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- San Francisco -based fine jewelry brand Cast is excited to announce an emboldened new collection in collaboration with artist Windy Chien, Knot Life. Grace meets strength in a woven collection that celebrates the art of the knot, and one woman's ability to bend metal to her will.

Windy became fluent in knots in 2016. She embraced the challenge to learn how to make a new knot every day for a year and documented her journey along the way. The Year of Knots went viral and ever since, the San Francisco artist has been celebrated and sought after for her mesmerizing, hand-tied knot sculptures and large-scale installations. Now for the first time, the queen of knots swaps her rope for silver and goldweaving together a chic, effortless fine jewelry collection reflecting her artistry.

With the introduction of the Knot Life collection, Cast Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Rachel Skelly partnered with an artist outside of fine jewelry for the first time to bring Windy's macro works into the micro world of jewelry with pieces created using timeless fine materials. The collection launch supports Cast's mission to invite everyone to experience the joy of fine jewelry.

Rachel Skelly explains, "I have followed Windy's knot journey since the beginning and have always been so inspired and enamored with her work and eye. I knew that translating her artistic perspective into the medium of fine jewelry would create something magical."

"I make art depicting knots at a massive scale in order to elevate the practice to the level of fine art," says Chien. "Cast's Knot Life has a similar goalto elevate the humble knot to an object of awe and beauty, this time by using precious stones and metals."

Knot Life comes together in satin silver and 14 karat gold, woven over high polished rings of rich metal and charcoal jade, a tribute to Chien's love of knotting and her Chinese culture. There's a creative energy radiating off every silhouette.

Knot Life ranges in price from $500 to $3,900 and is currently available for purchase on www.castjewelry.com and in store at the Cast boutique in Marin, CA.

ABOUT CAST

Cast is a place to discover unexpected wonder-filled fine jewelry. Founded in San Francisco and launched in 2021, Cast was created by two friends who wanted to make the experience of shopping for fine jewelry as joyful as wearing it. With Co-Founder Rachel Skelly at the design helm as Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder and CEO Eric Ryan guiding the path forward, Cast brings to life a new vision for fine jewelry with exclusive pieces designed in partnership with artists from around the world. Together, Skelly and Ryan are on a mission to cast wonder and invite everyone to experience the joy of fine jewelry. Welcome to Cast. Let your treasure hunt begin.

ABOUT WINDY

Following long careers at Apple and as owner of legendary San Francisco music shop Aquarius Records, Windy Chien entered the next phase of her artistic journey with the launch of her art studio in 2015. She now creates bold and yet human, tactile pieces for museums and collectors from around the world. Her art became broadly known with the publication of her 2016 work, The Year of Knots, in which she learned a new knot every day for a year. Each of her ensuing bodies of work explore a single, exquisite knot in search of its ultimate expressive potential. The finished works are minimalist rope sculptures that utilize pattern, repetition, and monumental scale to emphasize the journey of the line. Her work ranges in size from a knot that can fit in the palm of a child's hand to room-sized installations that are sought after by institutions, museums and private collectors alike. Clients include the National Geographic Society, the De Young Museum, the San Francisco MOMA, Nobu Hotels, Google, and the Kering Group, and her work has been covered by Wired, The New York Times and Martha Stewart . Windy lives in San Francisco with her rescued greyhound.

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SOURCE Cast Jewelry
NASHVILLE, Tenn. , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CereCorehas been selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the 2023 Best Places to Work in Healthcare and has earned this workplace award for four consecutive years. The complete alphabetical list of this year's winners is available at ModernHealthcare.com/bestplaceslist. Modern Healthcare will publish a special supplement featuring a ranked list of all the winners along with the October 2, 2023 , issue of MH magazine.

"CereCore is honored to earn this award for the past four years, because it showcases the talent and dedication of the people who make up our company," said Curtis Watkins , president and CEO of CereCore. "We strive to foster a positive culture at CereCore and empower our workforce to make a difference in the lives of our clients and others. Developing strong relationships and skill sets are important to us, and we intentionally work toward that in several waysfrom volunteering in our community, to training up the next generation of EHR experts, to collaborating across teams on projects. Healthcare organizations are modernizing their EHR technology, and our company is growing and offering a wide variety of career opportunities. Winning this award reaffirms that now is a great time to join CereCore."

This award program identifies and recognizes outstanding employers in the healthcare industry nationwide. Modern Healthcare partners with Workforce Research Group on the assessment process, which includes an extensive employee survey.

"An uncertain economy, staffing shortages and increasing demands for flexibility and remote work opportunities are forcing every business in the industry to focus on attracting and retaining talent in unprecedented ways," said Dan Peres , president of Modern Healthcare. "The 2023 Best Places to Work winners proved the value of understanding what employees want  and need  today. The healthcare industry is going through a period of extraordinary change. Having the right people in place is more critical than ever, and the winning workplaces understand that taking care of employees is central to business success."

CereCore will find out their ranking on the Best Places list at the 2023 Best Places to Work in Healthcare Awards Gala taking place Sept. 28 at the Renaissance Chicago.

About CereCore

CereCore provides IT services that make it easier for hospital operators to focus on transforming healthcare through technology. With a heritage rooted in our nation's top-performing hospitals, we provide IT and application support, technical professional and managed services, IT advisory services, and EHR consulting to hospitals and health systems. Find more information at https://cerecore.net and https://cerecoreinternational.net/.

CereCore Media Contact

Laura Liles

Email: [email protected]

About Modern Healthcare

Modern Healthcare is the most trusted business news and information brand in the healthcare industry. Modern Healthcare empowers healthcare leaders and influencers to make timely and informed business decisions. To learn more or subscribe, go to www.modernhealthcare.com/subscriptions.

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SOURCE CereCore
CINCINNATI , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cincinnati Children's has again been named one of America's Best Employers for New Grads by Forbes, and this year ranks among the Top 10 health systems in the nation.

Cincinnati Children's ranked highest of any Ohio health system on Forbes' list of America's Best Employers for New Grads

Of the 300 companies recognized by Forbes for 2023, Cincinnati Children's ranked No. 34 among the Best Employers for New Grads  the highest of any health system in Ohio and among the Top 10 in the United States . That was up 55 spots from No. 89 in 2022. This is the fourth year Cincinnati Children's has made the list since Forbes began the recognition in 2018.

Forbes compiled the ranking based on a survey of young professionals at companies with at least 1,000 employees. The recent graduates indicated the likelihood they would recommend their employer to family and friends, and they evaluated their company in areas such as reputation, salary and benefits, education and career advancement opportunities, working hours and atmosphere, quality of work, DEI initiatives, and whether good performance is recognized. Those surveyed also were asked to evaluate other employers in their industry.

Cincinnati Children's has more than 18,000 employees, and 10% are young professionals with a bachelor's degree. The largest segment of young college graduates at Cincinnati Children's, defined by Forbes as having less than 10 years of experience, work in Patient Services.

"At Cincinnati Children's, we embrace an unwavering dedication to caring for children and their families  and that culture of compassion extends to all of our employees," said Barb Tofani, RN , senior vice president for Patient Services and chief nursing officer. "Our skilled young professionals bring a nurturing spirit and enthusiasm, which can energize the entire workforce. Their contributions demonstrate the power of youth  and, working in collaboration with our veteran medical providers, they can have a profound impact on the future of healthcare."

Nerissa Morris , senior vice president and chief human resources and diversity officer for Cincinnati Children's, added: "We invest in mentorship opportunities, continuing education and training programs to ensure that young professionals receive the guidance needed to thrive. By providing resources for learning and skill enhancement, Cincinnati Children's positions our team members for long-term success."

Tina Cheng , MD, who is chief medical officer, chair of the Department of Pediatrics, and director of the Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation, noted that the health system is renowned for its culture of innovation, and that many young professionals make meaningful contributions in that regard. "Nearly one-third of our employees at Cincinnati Children's are engaged in research, and we encourage our scientists and our clinicians to think creatively and contribute to groundbreaking advancements in pediatric health," Cheng said. "This emphasis on research creates an atmosphere of intellectual stimulation, empowering employees to make a meaningful impact on the lives of children and the adults they will become."

About Cincinnati Children's

Cincinnati Children's ranks among the top three in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 listing of Best Children's Hospitals. In addition, Cincinnati Children's was recognized as one of America's Most Innovative Companies by Fortune in 2023. Cincinnati Children's also was recognized by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers for Diversity for 2023  and ranked the highest of any health system. Established in 1883, Cincinnati Children's is a nonprofit academic medical center that is internationally recognized for improving child health and transforming delivery of care through research, education, and innovation. Additional information may be found at CincinnatiChildrens.org.

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SOURCE Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Contract modification exercises the option for previously awarded contract for the construction of T-AO 213

SAN DIEGO , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- General Dynamics NASSCO, a subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), announced today that it has been awarded a $736 million modification to the existing T-AO contract for construction of a ninth ship (T-AO 213) in the John Lewis-class fleet oiler program. The exercised option comes in addition to the earlier awarded eight ships, bringing the total contract value to approximately $5.5 billion for construction of nine ships.

"NASSCO is proud of our ongoing dedication to deliver these ships to the fleet," said Dave Carver , President of General Dynamics NASSCO. "We are committed to working with our Navy partners to ensure the continued success of the John Lewis-class fleet oiler program."

Construction of T-AO 213 is scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025.

In 2016, the Navy awarded NASSCO with a contract to design and build the first six ships in the next generation of fleet oilers, the John Lewis-class (T-AO 205), previously known as the TAO(X). Designed to transfer fuel to U.S. Navy carrier strike group ships operating at sea, the 742-feet vessels have a full load displacement of 49,850 tons, with the capacity to carry 157,000 barrels of oil, a significant dry cargo capacity, aviation capability and up to a speed of 20 knots. The first ship, the future USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), was delivered to the Navy last year. The future USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), the future USNS Earl Warren (T-AO 207), the future USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208), the future USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209), and the future USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210) are currently under construction.

General Dynamics NASSCO specializes in the design and construction of Navy and commercial ships and is a major provider of repair services for the U.S. Navy, with capabilities in San Diego ; Norfolk, Virginia ; Mayport, Florida ; and Bremerton, Washington . More information about General Dynamics NASSCO is available at www.nassco.com.

General Dynamics is a global aerospace and defense company that offers a broad portfolio of products and services in business aviation; ship construction and repair; land combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions; and technology products and services. General Dynamics employs more than 100,000 people worldwide and generated $39.4 billion in revenue in 2022. More information about General Dynamics is available at www.gd.com.

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SOURCE General Dynamics
Kevin Herron to Retire as President, U.S. Automotive Group

Randy Breaux Promoted to Group President, GPC North America

ATLANTA , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC) announced that Kevin Herron , President, U.S. Automotive Group (USAG) will retire at the end of 2023 after a distinguished 34-year career with the company. The company also announced Randy Breaux's promotion from President, Motion to the newly created role of Group President, GPC North America, effective July 1, 2023. Mr. Herron will serve in an advisory role until his retirement to assist in an orderly and seamless transition.

"Kevin has been an invaluable asset to GPC throughout his 34 years of dedicated service to the company, including the last five years as President of USAG," said Paul Donahue , Chairman and CEO. "He embodies GPC's values. He is a caring leader who always puts customers and people first, and his work ethic and automotive industry knowledge are unmatched. We extend our deepest gratitude for his commitment and wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement."

Mr. Breaux joined Motion in 2011 as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Distribution, Purchasing and Strategic Planning. He was promoted to Executive Vice President in January 2018 and then President in January 2019 . Over the past five years, Mr. Breaux has led the impressive transformation of Motion, including the strategic acquisition of Kaman Distribution Group (KDG). He established a strategic vision, developed a high-performing team and culture, and delivered consistent and exceptional performance each year.

In the new role, Mr. Breaux will oversee both the automotive and industrial businesses across North America , while assuming day-to-day responsibility as President of USAG. He will continue to report to Will Stengel, President and Chief Operating Officer.

"We are thrilled to announce the promotion of Randy to the new role of Group President, GPC North America," Mr. Donahue continued. "He has consistently demonstrated an ability to lead high-performing teams and deliver outstanding results. Randy's leadership and relevant expertise make him the ideal candidate for this role. This transition also represents the depth of our leadership team and our talent initiatives as we continue to foster the power of One GPC."

About Genuine Parts Company

Founded in 1928, Genuine Parts Company is a global service organization engaged in the distribution of automotive and industrial replacement parts. The company's Automotive Parts Group distributes automotive replacement parts in the U.S. , Canada , Mexico , Australasia , France , the U.K. , Ireland , Germany , Poland , the Netherlands , Belgium , Spain and Portugal . The company's Industrial Parts Group distributes industrial replacement parts in the U.S. , Canada , Mexico and Australasia . In total, the company serves its global customers from an extensive network of more than 10,000 locations in 17 countries and has approximately 58,000 employees. Further information is available at www.genpt.com.

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SOURCE Genuine Parts Company
A free, ticketed event featuring performances from Lenny Kravitz , Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Jon Batiste , with special guests Ben Harper , FINNEAS, and Mosimann on June 22, 2023

Event to take place under the High Patronage of Mr. Emmanuel Macron , President of the French Republic

Campaign calls for strong presence and commitments from incoming World Bank President Ajay Banga , the US' Janet Yellen , and G20 Nations at the Summit for a New Financial Pact, hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron , in Paris on June 22 and 23

'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' is hosted in partnership with the City of Paris , and produced by Live Nation

PARIS and NEW YORK , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Global Citizen, the world's leading international advocacy organization on a mission to end extreme poverty NOW, announced its return to the iconic Champ de Mars in Paris on Thursday, June 22 with 'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' . A free, ticketed event, 'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' will feature performances from Lenny Kravitz , Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Jon Batiste and special guests Ben Harper , FINNEAS, and Mosimann to drive commitments from world leaders and the private sector to confront the climate crisis head on.

Under the high patronage of Mr. Emmanuel Macron , President of the French Republic, 'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' will rally global leaders attending the New Financial Pact Summit, chaired by President Macron. The Power Our Planet campaign, which is co-chaired by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados , is calling for a seismic shift in the way the world's financial systems work to give the world's poor and developing nations access to the financing they urgently need to quicken their transition to clean energy, strengthen their resilience against natural disasters, and address their most urgent needs.

Global Citizen's Power Our Planet campaign is galvanizing millions of people around the world to take action, raise their voices and demand urgent changes from governments, Multilateral Development Banks, and major corporations, including:

Keep Promises Already Made: Deliver the outstanding $16.7 billion of the committed $100 billion in climate financing for lower-income countries; transfer $100 billion in IMF Special Drawing Rights from wealthy countries to poor countries; increase foreign aid budgets; and enact global carbon emissions taxes.

Deliver the outstanding of the committed in climate financing for lower-income countries; transfer in IMF Special Drawing Rights from wealthy countries to poor countries; increase foreign aid budgets; and enact global carbon emissions taxes. Free Up Funding: Make up to $1 trillion in financing available to countries in need through policy reforms at the World Bank and other multilateral development banks; and include natural disaster and pandemic clauses in loans to poorer nations.

Make up to in financing available to countries in need through policy reforms at the and other multilateral development banks; and include natural disaster and pandemic clauses in loans to poorer nations. Transition to Clean Energy: Corporations should commit to join the United Nations' Race-to-Zero by setting science-based targets; publish time-bound action plans for climate transitions; and make transformative investments for a lower-carbon transition in emerging economies.

Increased access to financing would help bolster governments' ability to resist climate change by, for example: helping 1.5 million farmers in Zambia withstand climate disasters like droughts and floods; protecting 1.8 million hectares of land in Ghana by 2030; ending deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon by 2030; and strengthening the resilience of national electric grids in island nations like Antigua and Barbuda to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.

'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' will pave the way for this urgent funding to be delivered throughout the year, including at the G20 summit in New Delhi, India in September; the Global Citizen Festival held during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, USA in September; the IMF and World Bank meetings in October; and culminating at COP28 in Dubai, UAE in November.

"Our world needs urgent change. Outdated global financial systems are perpetuating the conditions that keep vulnerable countries and their citizens trapped in the cycle of extreme poverty," said Hugh Evans , Co-founder and CEO, Global Citizen. "We congratulate Ajay Banga on his appointment as President of the World Bank, and there is an urgent and immediate opportunity for him to show leadership the world truly needs."

"We need a world with more solidarity. Crises are multiplying and the number of those who place their hope in peace and multilateralism will only grow if we, as a global community, demonstrate that we are there to help the most vulnerable," said Emmanuel Macron , President of the French Republic. "Because inequality and poverty are the grounds of today's and tomorrow's wars. Because there will be no climate transition worldwide if we don't fight for more justice and equity. Halfway to the sustainable development objectives, we need a new financial pact between all countries, so that the world of tomorrow is more united."

"This year  and this summit  are critical for the restoration of justice and equity within the global financial systems that continue to abandon and overlook poor and climate-vulnerable countries," said Mia Mottley , Prime Minister of Barbados . "We need the presence and commitments of world leaders at the New Financial Pact Summit in Paris . I call on leaders of the G7, G20 and wealthy nations across the globe to step up, and let us act together in the interest of our planet and humanity. Join us in Paris ."

"The next generation are inheriting a planet that's being devastated by climate change," said Lenny Kravitz . "We have the power to change things with our voices and our actions. Join me on June 22 , from wherever you are, and act today to save tomorrow."

An alliance of world leaders representing both Global North and Global South countries has joined the Power Our Planet campaign alongside Global Citizen and Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley , including supporters Emmanuel Macron , President of France ; Julius Maada Bio , President of Sierra Leone ; Pedro Sanchez , Prime Minister of Spain ; Jose Ramos-Horta , President of Timor Leste; Biman Prasad , Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji , the Government of Ghana , the Government of Namibia , the Government of Zambia , and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS).

Power Our Planet's coalition of supporters also includes leading activists, philanthropic foundations, nonprofit organizations, and private sector leaders, including Dr. Rajiv Shah , President, Rockefeller Foundation; Mark Malloch Brown , President, Open Society Foundations; Benedict Oramah, President of AfreximBank; Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus , Director-General of the World Health Organization; Seth Berkley , CEO of Gavi; Kate Higgins , CEO, Cooperation Canada; Jennifer Jones , President of Rotary International; Ban Ki-Moon , Former Secretary-General of the United Nations; Eloise Todd , Executive Director & Co-Founder, Pandemic Action Network; and Ineza Umuhoza Grace , Co-Founder of the Loss and Damage Youth Coalition and 2023 Global Citizen Prize winner.

The Power Our Planet campaign is supported by: Aspire Artemis Foundation Inc.; Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens; BASICS International; Beyond Bretton Woods ; the Center for Environmental Peacebuilding; Climate Finance Group for Latin America and the Caribbean ; Common Good Marketplace ; Connected Development; Don't Gas Africa; E3G; Education Cannot Wait: Focus 2030; Germanwatch; Glasgow Actions Team; Global Alliance for a Green New Deal; The Global Fund; The UN Global Fund for Education in Emergencies; Green Republic Farms; Hungry for Action; International Climate Change Development Initiative; International Climate Financing WG; International Fund for Agricultural Development; Jane Goodall Institute France; Malala Fund; The ONE Campaign; OWIT Brussels  Organization of Women in Trade; Oxfam; Plastic Punch ; Power to Girls Foundation; Primavera Zur ; Project Everyone; Re:Wild, SDG2 Advocacy Hub; Sustainable Development Solutions Network; Shamba Centre for Food and Climate; She Leads Climate Action; Stage For Change; Strategic Youth Network for Development; Sungulo Comm NPC; Support Humanity Cameroon (SUHUCAM); United Nations Foundation.

The Power Our Planet campaign and the 'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' event is hosted in partnership with the City of Paris , is produced by Live Nation, and supported by Cisco and Citi as well as Afrexim Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Open Society Foundations, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Seadream Family Foundation. A series of thought leadership events focused on driving action from the private sector is being supported by Cisco and Citi. The 'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' broadcast will be produced by Done and Dusted.

'Power Our Planet: Live in Paris' will be livestreamed globally across Global Citizen's platforms on Thursday, June 22 . Global Citizen is grateful for the support of leading media companies across the world including: AIM Group, Arena Holdings, Bella Naija, Brut. Media, EIB Network, Vanguard Media, Zikoko, and Amazon Music who will host the livestream on their Twitch channel "Amazon Music on Twitch," with more streaming and broadcast platforms to be announced.

For more information visit globalcitizen.org/powerourplanet , download the Global Citizen app , and follow Global Citizen on TikTok , Instagram , YouTube , Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn .

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SOURCE Global Citizen
HONOLULU , May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA), the state agency responsible for holistically managing tourism in the Hawaiian Islands, awarded three contracts today to advance Hawaii's progress toward regenerative tourism through destination management and visitor education.

Support Services for Destination Stewardship (RFP 23-08)

RFP 23-08 was issued on February 13, 2023 , seeking a suite of services including post-arrival visitor education; administrative support for HTA community programs like Aloha Aina, Kukulu Ola, and Community Enrichment; technical assistance and capacity building for community organizations and local businesses; and technology-enabled solutions to manage tourism hotspots.

The award was made to the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. The new contract, worth $27,141 ,457 for the initial 2.5 year term with an option for two one-year extensions, is scheduled to begin on June 20, 2023 .

Destination Brand Management & Marketing Services: United States (RFP 23-03)

RFP 23-03 was issued on February 13, 2023 , seeking brand management and marketing services in the United States , Hawai'i's largest visitor source market. The solicitation calls for a pre-arrival communications program to educate visitors with specific information about safe, respectful, and mindful travel. In 2022, visitors from the United States spent $16.2 billion in Hawaii, an average $231 per visitor per day.

The award was made to the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, which will continue its work on HTA's behalf as Hawaii Tourism United States. The new contract, worth $38,350,000 for the initial 2.5 year term with an option for one two-year extension, is scheduled to begin on June 22, 2023 .

Destination Brand Management & Marketing Services: Canada (RFP 23-02)

RFP 23-02 was issued on March 14, 2023 , seeking a contractor to educate Canadian visitors about traveling mindfully and respectfully while supporting Hawai'i's communities. Focus will also be placed on driving visitor spending into Hawai'i-based businesses as a means to support a healthy economy, and promoting festivals and events, agritourism programs, and voluntourism activities. In 2022, visitors from Canada spent $928.2 million in Hawaii, an average $188 per visitor per day.

The award was made to VoX International, which will continue its work on HTA's behalf as Hawaii Tourism Canada. The new contract, worth $2,400,000 million for the initial 2.5 year term with an option for one two-year extension, is scheduled to begin on June 30, 2023 .

In alignment with HTA's guiding principle of Malama Ku'u Home (caring for our beloved home), its 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, and the community-driven Destination Management Action Plans being implemented on each island, the contractors' work will advance a regenerative model of tourism for Hawai'i. Work performance will be measured against HTA's Key Performance Indicators with an emphasis on strengthening resident sentiment.

"HTA would like to thank all offerors for submitting their proposals, and to the respective evaluation committees whose members brought a high level of professionalism and expertise to this review process. Additionally, my gratitude is extended to our HTA staff for their dedication and commitment in advancing the best interests of the Hawaii visitor industry and the wellbeing of our local communities statewide," said John De Fries , HTA's president & chief executive officer.

"These three awards are made possible by a collaborative effort between the state Administration and the Legislature to secure funding for HTA, which we deeply appreciate. For now, it is appropriate to reserve further comment until we have completed these active procurement processes."

Contract terms, conditions, and amounts are subject to final negotiations with HTA and the availability of funds. The state procurement process allows for a period of protest that will expire no later than June 14 , after which contracts may be finalized.

About the Hawai'i Tourism Authority

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is the state agency responsible for representing The Hawaiian Islands around the world, and for holistically managing tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with community desires, economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, and visitor industry needs. For more information about HTA, visit hawaiitourismauthority.org or follow @HawaiiHTA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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SOURCE Hawaii Tourism Authority
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed relations with Comorian President Azali Assoumani and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on the sidelines of the African Development Bank meetings, announced Spokesperson for the Presidency Ahmed Abu-Zeid on Tuesday.





Assoumani, who is also the current Chairman of the African Union, appreciated Egypt's leadership and pioneering role in the African continent, the spokesperson stated.

Comoros intends to benefit from Egypts vision, experience, and efforts as it leads joint African action and the African Union (AU), the Comorian president stated.

For his part, El-Sisi affirmed Egypts willingness to transmit its experience, as a former president of the AU, to Comoros and to deepen cooperation between the two countries.

Furthermore, the Egyptian president also confirmed to the Zimbabwean President Egypt's eagerness to strengthen ties with Zimbabwe in trade exchange, investment, capacity building, and infrastructure.

Egypt also hopes to increase cooperation with African countries to achieve growth and stability in Africa, he added.

For his part, Mnangagwa expressed Zimbabwes desire to strengthen its relations with Egypt in the economic and commercial fields.

Furthermore, he said that Zimbabwe wishes to foster relations with Egypt to bolster joint African action, particularly at the level of the AU, in order to face the challenges confronting the continent.

El-Sisi also met with Prime Minister of Burundi Gervais Ndirakobuca.

Ndirakobuca lauded Egypts consistent support of his country in development and capacity building and its assistance to Burundi at regional and global forums.

He also praised Egypt for representing a model of cooperation and coordination between brotherly African countries.

For his part, El-Sisi expressed satisfaction with the tangible progress of economic cooperation between the two countries.

The president had one on one meetings with some African leaders following both the 58th Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the 49th Meetings of the Board of Governors of the African Development Fund that took place in the Egyptian Red Sea City of Sharm El-Sheikh.

The sessions will be held Tuesday through Friday under the theme Mobilizing Private Sector Financing for Climate and Green Growth in Africa.

The president also convened with other relevant officials, including the Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Chileshe Kapwepwe; African Union Development Agencys New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD) Chief Executive Officer Nardos Bekele-Thomas; and Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Fakih.

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The next chair icon is both ergonomic and upholstered, for home and office.

ZEELAND, Mich. , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Herman Miller and Tokyo -based designer Naoto Fukasawa introduce Asari Chair by Herman Miller (Asari)a new chair that provides sophisticated ergonomic performance in a soft formand a design that is as comfortable as it is beautiful.

Asari was inspired by organic forms found in nature. Its name means "clam" in Japanese and is an anthropomorphic metaphor for the shape of the chair's back, which is available in high- and mid-back height. Eight color flood options accentuate the sculptural form by featuring one hue across the base, arms, and chair body. Bespoke blended options are also available, with over 180 color combinations available to contract customers.

Asari is Herman Miller's latest demonstration of problem solving through modern design. As professionals have established remote and hybrid work arrangements that include dedicated offices or multi-purpose living spaces, there is a need for seating that combines ergonomics and refined aesthetics. At the same time, organizations returning to physical spaces are considering a more residential environment that makes the office a destination with the comforts of home.

"The evolution of work means the needs for spaces both at home and the office have transformed," says Ben Watson , President, Herman Miller . "Asari, created with visionary designer Naoto Fukasawa , delivers what today's workers need through intuitive adjustment, new leather and fabric offerings, clean aesthetic, and ergonomic performance."

"My goal was to inspire joy and create a new form, ultimately becoming the next upholstered icon," says Fukasawa. "A core part of my design ethos is to simplify the way we live, imbuing each creation with an attraction that makes people feel dear to it, a timelessness and longevity that enhances a human process."

Hard-Working Soft Seating:

Asari provides the initial instant comfort desired in an upholstered chair with the long-term benefits expected from work chair. Tailored for the user, a synchronous self-adjusting tilt provides natural movement while PostureFit adjusts to fill the void that exists between the lower back and the back of the chair, providing natural alignment of the spine. The contoured seat pad minimizes pressure points and provides the ultimate support.

Artfully Curated Textiles and Leather:

Herman Miller collaborated with leading interiors textile creator Maharam, a brand within the MillerKnoll collective, to introduce new materials to the office seating portfolio. Guided by the Maharam Design Studio's expertise, two textiles and a leather have been curated to suit the character of the chair: Meld, Luce , and Stow. Maharam's Meld and Luce woven textiles are constructed with wool and polyester sustainably sourced throughout Europe . Maharam's Stow leather is sourced from a boutique tannery in Northern Italy and reflects the brand's carefully honed techniques passed down over generations as one of the oldest leather producers in the world.

Asari can be purchased in stores and online at both Herman Miller and Design Within Reach and through MillerKnoll dealers for contract customers. Availability may vary. Visit the Herman Miller website for details.

Retail pricing begins at $1395 USD .

About Herman Miller

Over the last century, Herman Miller has been guided by a commitment to problem-solving designs that inspire the best in people. Along the way, Herman Miller has forged critical relationships with the most visionary designers of the day, from mid-century greats like George Nelson , the Eames Office, and Isamu Noguchi , to research-oriented visionaries like Robert Propst and Bill Stumpfand with today's groundbreaking studios like Industrial Facility and Studio 7.5. From the birth of ergonomic furniture to manufacturing some of the twentieth century's most iconic pieces, Herman Miller has pioneered original, timeless design that makes an enduring impact, while building a lasting legacy of design, innovation, and social good. Herman Miller is a part of MillerKnoll, a collective of dynamic brands that comes together to design the world we live in. For more information, visit hermanmiller.com/about

Resources

Asari Chair by Herman Miller photos

For further information: [email protected]

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WEST HILLS, Calif. , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ImmPACT Bio USA, Inc. ("ImmPACT BIO"), a clinical-stage company developing transformative logic-gate-based chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies for treating cancer and autoimmune diseases, today announced that it will participate at the 2023 Jefferies Healthcare Conference, to be held from June 7-9, 2023 , in New York, NY .

Sumant Ramachandra , M.D., Ph.D., ImmPACT Bio's president and chief executive officer, will provide a corporate update and participate in a live Q&A session on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 , at 2:00 PM ET . A live webcast of the presentation can be accessed at https://bit.ly/3Mhkkdv.

About ImmPACT Bio

ImmPACT Bio USA, Inc., is a clinical-stage company dedicated to the discovery of transformative chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies for patients with cancer or autoimmune disease. The company's logic-gate-based CAR T-cell platforms, licensed from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Technology Development Group, address key biological challenges in treating cancer. ImmPACT Bio's technologies are specifically designed to prevent antigen escape, and to overcome the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. The Company's technology is based on the work of pioneering scientists Yvonne Chen , Ph.D., and Antoni Ribas , M.D., Ph.D., both from UCLA. In addition, another logic-gate-based CAR T-cell technology is based on the work of Gideon Gross , Ph.D., from the MIGAL-Galilee Research Institute, to address the prevention of 'on-target  off-tumor' toxicities. For more information, visit www.immpact-bio.com.

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SOURCE ImmPACT Bio
Jason Yin has been appointed VP of Front-End Engineering Effective May 2023

CHESTERBROOK, Pa. , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Industry leading consumer financial services company JG Wentworth announces it has appointed Jason Yin as Vice President of Front-End Engineering. Yin will report directly to JG Wentworth's Chief Technology Officer Priyank Singh . In this new role, Yin will be responsible for spearheading JGW's digital evolution, taking its technology to scale, and creating seamless experiences for its customers.

He will also be responsible for influencing the strategy and execution of enterprise-wide technology, client experience, and quality assurance initiatives, as well as building value-driven relationships with outside vendors and advisors. This new direction will help JG Wentworth take their trusted services to even more consumers and help grow the company by building state-of-the-art technology.

Yin's hiring comes as JG Wentworth continues its strategic multi-year expansion and evolution into digital services and new offerings. It began with the acquisition of Stilt Inc.'s proprietary apps, tech, and its engineering team in 2022 and will continue with JG Wentworth offering personal loans later this year. In his new role, Yin will work with the company's expanding engineering team to deliver a high-quality Web and Mobile app by leveraging Stilt tech for the consumer lending platform. His first priority will be leading the development of a robust front-end interface, and Quality Assurance within the organization.

Yin joins JG Wentworth with a decade of experience working for top software service companies in Canada . He previously worked for the multinational e-commerce giant Shopify, building and leading Revenue & Enterprise engineering teams from the ground up. Before Shopify, he worked at various game studios publishing multiple titles on iOS and Android. Yin holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Waterloo, Canada .

"I am delighted to have Jason join the team. He brings leading-edge expertise in the space with a strong background and experience in building to support rapid growth. As VP of Front-End Engineering, he will play a key role as we expand into consumer lending and offer more digital services and experiences for our customers," said Priyank Singh , Chief Technology Officer at JG Wentworth.

About JG Wentworth

JG Wentworth is a consumer financial services company that focuses on helping Americans achieve their financial goals. Its services include Structured Settlement Payment Purchasing, Debt Resolution Services and Personal Lending (launching 2023). JG Wentworth was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania . In 2023, JG Wentworth was the recipient of the Philadelphia Top Workplaces Award.

Follow JG Wentworth on social media to stay updated on the latest news from the company: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

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SOURCE The JG Wentworth Company
ARLINGTON, Va. , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Memorial Day holiday nears, new Eagle Hill Consulting research finds a large share of U.S. government employees aren't taking vacation, often due to the expense and self-imposed pressure to perform. More than one-third (36 percent) of U.S. government workers report that they have not taken a vacation during the last 12 months, higher among younger and lower income employees.

These findings come as burnout across the government workforce remains high. Fifty-two percent of government employees say that they feel burnt out, which is higher than burnout levels (46 percent) across the U.S. workforce.

"When half your workforce reports burnout, it's so important to an agency's mission that employees fully disconnect from work, rest, and recharge. But that's not an easy task given the large numbers of government jobs that remain unfilled and rising demands for government services," said Melissa Jezior , president and chief executive officer of Eagle Hill Consulting.

"Part of the solution is establishing a culture that disconnecting from work is not just accepted, but is expected and encouraged. Public service employees are mission driven, and they self-impose pressure to stay on top of their job. That means leaders must set the example by taking time off and not constantly checking email and joining virtual meetings during vacation," Jezior said.

The survey also finds:

While 36 percent of government employees say they haven't taken a vacation in the past year, the rates were higher among younger (45 percent) and lower income (51 percent) employees.

Government workers say the impediments to taking a fully unplugged vacation include the expense of taking a vacation (48 percent), self-imposed pressure to stay on top of work (35 percent), a heavy workload (24 percent), no colleagues available to cover their workload (22 percent), and no paid time off (17 percent).

Many government employees are not fully unplugging during time off. While more than half (56 percent) say they fully disconnect from work during vacation, more than a quarter (27 percent) say they check work email and messages.

These findings are based upon the 2023 Eagle Hill Consulting Workforce Burnout Survey conducted by Ipsos from February 9-13, 2023 . The survey included 1001 respondents from a random sample of employees across the U.S. including 475 federal, state, and local government workers. Respondents were polled about burnout and vacation.

Eagle Hill Consulting LLC is a woman-owned business that provides unconventional management consulting services in the areas of Strategy, Performance, Talent, and Change. The company's expertise in delivering innovative solutions to unique challenges spans across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. A leading authority on employee sentiment, Eagle Hill is headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, with employees across the U.S. and offices in Boston and Seattle . More information is available at www.eaglehillconsulting.com.

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SOURCE Eagle Hill Consulting
WASHINGTON , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumen Advisers, formerly known as P3 Capital, a trailblazing investment advisory firm, has signed a licensing agreement with Sparo, a Microsoft for Startups company, to offer innovative financial products focused on verifiable ESG investing on the Betterment platform.

Sparo Circular Impact Investing offers investment options that take into account the philanthropic wishes of investors.

The launch of the platform is set to coincide with Microsoft's Entrepreneurship for Positive Impact "ChangeNow" event to be hosted in Paris on May 25th .

This game-changing collaboration combines Sparo's cutting-edge charity technology with Lumen Advisers' investment management expertise, led by James Barchiesi , a thought-leader in the financial services industry and CEO of Lumen Advisers, and Rob Sobhani , Ph.D., entrepreneur, author, and CEO of Sparo. The partnership is backed by Betterment's state-of-the-art financial technology and support, revolutionizing the investment landscape for socially conscious investors.

James Barchiesi , CEO of Lumen Advisers, commented, "Our partnership with Sparo will allow us to offer customers of financial platforms such as Betterment the option to tailor-make their portfolios towards impactful outcomes with reasonable returns."

Rob Sobhani , Ph.D., CEO of Sparo, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, "This will allow customers of Betterment the option to select portfolios that speak to both their financial needs and their charitable goals."

The partnership will enable the creation of investment products to be deployed on Betterment for the benefit of its 700,000 existing customers. These products, branded as "Sparo Circular Impact Investing," will offer investment options designed to take into account the philanthropic wishes of investors. Lumen Advisers will build portfolios for the Sparo Circular Impact Investing fund with an initial focus on five broad themes: Climate, Innovation, Food Security, Job Training, and Health-Care.

Andrea McNaughton , Sparo's Chief Charity Officer , highlighted the significance of the collaboration, saying, "Through this collaboration between Betterment, Lumen, and Sparo, we aim to offer services that go to the heart of practicing capitalism with a conscience."

Kiel Green , President and Chief Counsel for Lumen Advisers, added, "We are proud to be a part of this groundbreaking partnership that empowers individuals to make a tangible impact on the world through their investment choices."

Shish Shridhar , Global Head of Microsoft for Startups, praised the partnership, saying, "We are delighted that Sparo will be able to offer its services on Betterment to create meaningful outcomes for the investment community. This fits with Sparo's mission of leveraging technology for the common good."

About Lumen Advisers

Lumen Advisers, formerly known as P3 Capital, is a dynamic, technology-enhanced financial consulting firm specializing in investment management, tax planning, and high-impact financial advice. Dedicated to guiding a diverse clientele towards their financial aspirations, Lumen Advisers crafts personalized, innovative solutions by embracing a holistic approach and championing transparency.

About Sparo

Sparo is a Microsoft for Startups company, focused on building products that monetize the intersection of commerce and charity, offering philanthropy as a service for individual and business clients. Sparo operates globally and is based in the Washington, DC metro area.

About Betterment

Betterment LLC ("Betterment') is the largest independent digital investment advisor, offering investing and retirement solutions alongside their everyday services for spending and saving. Since 2010, Betterment has had one mission: to make people's lives better with easy-to-use, personalized investment solutions.

Media Contacts:

Rob Sobhani

CEO, Sparo

[email protected]

+1 (240) 401-8930

James Barchiesi

Lumen Advisers (formerly P3 Capital)

[email protected]

+1 (202) 505-1049

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SOURCE Sparo Corporation
Partnership to Provide Free Access to Tele-Mental Health Platform 24/7/365 and Diverse Team of Providers for Students at 44 Institutions of Higher Education

TRENTON, N.J. , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the Murphy Administration's ongoing efforts to address the growing youth mental health crisis, Governor Phil Murphy and Secretary of Higher Education Dr. Brian Bridges today announced a partnership with Uwill  a mental health and wellness platform that will support students at 44 institutions of higher education throughout New Jersey . Beginning this month, this first-in-the-nation partnership will provide 24/7 access to free mental health support throughout the entire year for students enrolled in one of the eligible institutions that have opted into this program.

While most institutions of higher education previously offered some level of mental health support to students, a rapidly growing need for these services has strained the capacity of many campuses to continue providing care to every student in need of mental health support in recent years. By partnering directly with Uwill, New Jersey is the first state in the nation to offer comprehensive mental health and wellness support to college students through a statewide approach that spans both public and private institutions of higher education.

"With the challenges these past few years have presented, young people around New Jersey and the nation are facing a mental health crisis like never before. It is incumbent upon us to do everything in our power to provide young people with access to the support they need, which is something my Administration will continue to prioritize," said Governor Murphy . "Making teletherapy services available to countless college students on campuses throughout our state is a key component of our ongoing efforts to address the mental health needs of our young people and promote safe and inclusive learning environments in New Jersey ."

A core focus of the partnership with Uwill is to provide students with access to a diverse network of licensed and qualified mental health providers to ensure the needs of underrepresented students will be met. Mental health and wellness support will be available from Uwill's team of providers all hours of the day, 365 days a year, at no cost to students or the institution of higher education itself.

"Our higher education institutions have been doing their very best to assess, prioritize, and expand the services necessary to address the mental health and wellness needs of their diverse student populations following the pandemic, but the reality of this mental health crisis leaves current initiatives and on-site services stretched beyond their capacities," said Secretary Bridges. "This partnership will provide highly accessible, free, and equitable support to all students, regardless of their circumstances, where they need it most. We appreciate the Governor's fervent efforts on behalf of young people across New Jersey ."

In a Fall 2021 questionnaire conducted by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE), over 70 percent of New Jersey students rated their stress and anxiety levels as higher or much higher than the previous year, with 40 percent of students indicating they were concerned about their mental health in light of the pandemic.

These numbers reflect a national trend of rising mental health challenges among young people that were only exacerbated by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why Governor Murphy has made youth mental health the focus of his Chair's Initiative as head of the National Governors Association and has instructed his Administration to work to address the mental health needs of New Jersey residents.

"Our mission is to expand mental health care so that every student has access to quality mental health support. We're committed to removing obstacles to therapy while also complementing existing campus offerings so every student has the resources and support they need to thrive," said Michael London , Uwill Founder and CEO. "I commend Governor Murphy and Secretary Bridges for making such a commitment to the mental health of New Jersey college students."

The services offered through this partnership are made possible by $10 million in American Rescue Plan funds that were allocated to OSHE in the State's Fiscal Year 2023 budget for tele-mental health support. The funding complements the State's $16 million investment for institutions of higher education to develop community provider partnerships and build multicultural competency among faculty and staff through professional development opportunities.

All public and independent institutions with a public mission that receive State operating aid are eligible. Of these, 96 percent have chosen to participate in the partnership, including: Atlantic Cape Community College, Bergen County Community College, Bloomfield College, Brookdale Community College, Caldwell University, Camden County College, Centenary University, County College of Morris, Drew University, Essex County College, Farleigh Dickinson University, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Hudson County Community College, Kean University, Mercer County Community College, Middlesex College, Monmouth University, Montclair State University, New Jersey City University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Ocean County College, Passaic County Community College, Princeton University, Ramapo College, Raritan Valley Community College, Rider University, Rowan College at Burlington County, Rowan College of South Jersey, Rowan University, Rutgers University ( Camden , Newark , New Brunswick ), Saint Elizabeth University, Saint Peter's University, Salem County Community College, Seton Hall University, Stevens Institute of Technology, Stockton University, Sussex County Community College, The College of New Jersey, Union College of Union County, New Jersey, Warren County Community College, and William Paterson University of New Jersey.

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 Babson College, University of Michigan, Dartmouth College, and Columbus State Community College. Uwill is also the teletherapy education partner for NASPA. For more information, visit uwill.com

Contact:

Brett Silk

[email protected]

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SOURCE Uwill, Inc
Living donation will expand access to lifesaving liver transplantation for patients with end-stage liver disease and liver cancer.

TAMPA, Fla. , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH), one of the nation's top 10 transplant centers, wrote a new chapter in its history earlier this month with its first living donor liver transplant, which also is the first such surgery on Florida's west coast.

Previous liver transplants at the hospital have utilized livers from deceased donors. In living donor liver transplantation, a healthy person donates a portion of their liver to an individual with a poorly functioning liver. After the portion is removed, the donor's remaining liver regrows to near its full size and capacity within a couple of months after surgery. The transplanted liver portion grows and restores normal liver function in the recipient.

"Our living donor liver transplant program is a prime example of Tampa General continuing to drive innovation to deliver world-class health care," said John Couris , president and CEO of Tampa General. "This program opens up additional access to patients in need of a liver transplant and has the potential to transform the lives of patients and their families in the Tampa Bay region, Florida and across the United States ."

Dr. Kiran Dhanireddy , vice president and chief of the TGH Transplant Institute and surgical director of the Comprehensive Liver Disease and Transplant Center at the TGH Transplant Institute, performed the recipient operation. "Living donor liver transplant is another avenue to save more lives of patients with liver disease in our community," Dhanireddy said. "The profound generosity of living donors circumvents the need for extended periods of time to gain access to lifesaving transplantation."

Live-donor transplantation has many benefits. Most notably, a person who decides to donate a portion of their liver can reduce the waiting time for a recipient to receive a transplant. In addition, a closer match is more likely to occur with a live donor, and surgery can be scheduled more quickly and easily. Research also has shown that recipients of organs from living donors have better outcomes than those who receive organs from deceased donors.

"It's a win-win for everyone," said Dr. Ashish Singhal , director, Living Donor Liver Transplant, who performed the donor surgery for Tampa General's first living donor liver transplant. "This can drastically reduce the time and costs of waiting for a donor organ," Singhal added. "Donor safety is always a priority. At the same time, it most definitely can give very sick people an opportunity to experience improved health."

An entire team of health care professionals participated in the transplant operation, including Dr. Diego Reino , an experienced Tampa General transplant surgeon who assisted Dhanireddy and Dr. Vijay Subramanian , a liver transplant surgeon at Tampa General who assisted Singhal.

The operation itself is complex. During the donor operation for an adult recipient, the right lobe of the liver is removed. The technique can preserve the blood supply from the hepatic artery, the portal vein, the bile duct and the right hepatic vein. As part of the procedure, the recipient's diseased liver is completely removed and the donor's right lobe is put in its place. Blood vessels and bile ducts are then connected to their appropriate counterparts.

The Tampa General Comprehensive Liver Disease and Transplant Center began in 1987 and is now one of the busiest such transplant centers in the country, with a record of more than 2,200 operations. The high patient volumes reflect the uncommon and challenging hepatic diseases the TGH Transplant Institute treats compared to other hospitals. In addition, the time required for a transplant is historically shorter than national averages, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data.

For nearly 50 years, Tampa General has been a national leader in lifesaving organ transplantation. In 2022, the hospital performed 682 transplants, a 20% increase in the number of procedures over the previous year. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the national rate of transplants grew by 3.7% in 2022 over 2021.

"Tampa General had another record year for transplant volume due to the commitment of our team to the health of the sickest patients in our community," Dhanireddy said. Living donor liver transplant along with other innovative and lifesaving techniques allow the academic health system to continue to have a place amongst the top transplant hospitals in the country.

Visit https://www.tgh.org/services/transplant to learn more about the Tampa General Transplant Institute.

Link to additional photos and b-roll:

https://mediashare.tgh.org/living-liver-transplant

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL

Tampa General Hospital, a 1,040-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2022-23 Best Hospitals, and is tied as the third highest-ranked hospital in Florida , with seven specialties ranking among the best programs in the United States . Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by two prestigious Forbes magazine rankings  first nationally in the 2022 America's Best Employers for Women and sixth out of 100 Florida companies in the 2022 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit worth more than $224.5 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay . It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida . It also is home to the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Brandon Healthplex, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging powered by Tower outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough , Pasco , Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

Media Contact: Beth Hardy , APR

Senior Communications Specialist

(813) 844-7322 (direct)

(813) 510-6363 (cell)

[email protected]

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SOURCE Tampa General Hospital
Thomson Reuters plugin with Microsoft 365 Copilot helps unlock the value of generative AI for legal professionals

TORONTO , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomson Reuters (TSX/NYSE: TRI), a global content and technology company, today brings forward its vision to redefine the future of professionals through generative artificial intelligence (AI). At a time of rapid global innovation, Thomson Reuters is at the forefront, helping its customers unlock the potential to automate workflows, provide powerful insights, and drive efficiencies with content-driven AI technology.

Following Thomson Reuters announcement that it intends to invest more than $100 million annually on AI capabilities at its Q1 FY23 results, the company also today announces a new plugin with Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft's advanced AI experiences across its productivity suite. This integration will bolster efforts for redefined professional work starting with legal research, drafting, and client collaboration.

"Generative AI empowers professionals to redefine their work and discover innovative approaches," said Steve Hasker , president and CEO, Thomson Reuters. "With our customers in the driver's seat, Thomson Reuters AI technology augments knowledge, helping professionals work smarter, giving them time back to focus on what matters. We are very proud to partner with Microsoft, leading the legal profession towards unlocking the value from Microsoft 365 Copilot for our customers, and their clients."

Redefining work with Generative AI

Today's announcements further cements Thomson Reuters as a leader in leveraging new technologies, including AI and machine learning (ML). For over 30 years Thomson Reuters has leveraged increasingly sophisticated AI and ML capabilities to improve search and expand advanced analytics for its customers. In addition to integrating Microsoft 365 Copilot, Thomson Reuters today shares plans to incorporate new generative AI capabilities across its product suite including:

Westlaw Precision - With generative AI, customers can find answers to complex legal questions in seconds, based on proprietary, expert content.

- With generative AI, customers can find answers to complex legal questions in seconds, based on proprietary, expert content. Practical Law - Smarter, faster access to the expertise of more than 650 attorney editors combined with the power of generative AI.

- Smarter, faster access to the expertise of more than 650 attorney editors combined with the power of generative AI. Checkpoint Edge - Providing fast, reliable answers to complex tax and accounting questions.

- Providing fast, reliable answers to complex tax and accounting questions. Legal Document Review and Summary - With generative AI reading through hundreds or even thousands of relevant documents in just seconds, customers can spot key risks, resolve questions, execute tasks, and generate powerful work product. Powered by HighQ , Practical Law, and Document Intelligence.

With generative AI reading through hundreds or even thousands of relevant documents in just seconds, customers can spot key risks, resolve questions, execute tasks, and generate powerful work product. Powered by , Practical Law, and Document Intelligence. Legal Drafting - Bringing together Thomson Reuters trusted content and intelligence from across Westlaw, Practical Law, and Document Intelligence to surface key insights, legal knowledge, and answers to complex questions.

Find out more here .

Thomson Reuters plugin with Microsoft 365 Copilot

Working with Microsoft, Thomson Reuters has developed a contract drafting solution, powered by its legal products and content, and Copilot for Word. Delivering users with a draft working document and access to trusted content right where work happens  in Microsoft Word, professionals can use their expertise to edit, validate, and build the final document with integrated access to Thomson Reuters knowledge, content, and AI technology.

A demonstration of the integration between Thomson Reuters Legal Drafting, powered by its legal products and content, and Microsoft 365 Copilot for Word will be shown during this week's Microsoft Build event in Seattle . In the demo, Copilot creates a draft contract with help from a Thomson Reuters plugin that surfaces intelligence and content from Westlaw, Practical Law, and Document Intelligence - delivering in minutes work that used to take hours directly into Microsoft Word.

"Microsoft 365 Copilot is reinventing productivity for people and organizations, and we are thrilled to collaborate with Thomson Reuters to extend Copilot with new AI-powered experiences that will support legal professionals by saving them time and helping them drive value for the clients and businesses they serve," said Andrew Lindsay , Corporate Vice President of Industry, Apps & Data, Business Development at Microsoft.

Watch the demonstration here

Investing in Trust

Investing more than $100 million annually, Thomson Reuters is focused on integrating generative AI into its solutions through a build, buy and partnership strategy  providing customers with the very best and trusted solutions at speed.

Hasker adds, "At Thomson Reuters we remain committed to augmenting professional knowledge and workflows with AI. Continuing to support our customers on this journey will enable them to first trust and then harness this new technology as we build on the opportunities ahead in Legal, with solutions for Tax, Risk, and the News profession to follow."

Thomson Reuters has recently shared its updated AI and Data Principles , reflecting the rapid innovation and reinforcing its strong commitment to building trustworthy, practical, and beneficial AI for customers. The update reflects recognition of the evolving AI technology landscape and the need to demonstrate its commitment to unlocking AI in secure, transparent, and accountable ways.

Product availability

Thomson Reuters will be releasing generative AI capabilities into its native platforms Westlaw, Practical Law and Drafting in the second half of 2023.

Legal drafting, integrated with Copilot for Microsoft 365 will be available for legal professionals in beta alongside the Microsoft Copilot release schedule.

Tax and Compliance, Risk and Fraud generative AI solutions to follow in 2024.

For more information please click here

About Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters (NYSE / TSX: TRI) ("TR") informs the way forward by bringing together the trusted content and technology that people and organizations need to make the right decisions. The company serves professionals across legal, tax, accounting, compliance, government, and media. Its products combine highly specialized software and insights to empower professionals with the data, intelligence, and solutions needed to make informed decisions, and to help institutions in their pursuit of justice, truth, and transparency. Reuters, part of Thomson Reuters, is the world's leading provider of trusted journalism and news. For more information, visit tr.com .

CONTACT

MEDIA

Julia Commons

Vice President, Product and Customer Communications

[email protected]

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SOURCE Thomson Reuters
645,000 poppy flowers serve as remembrance: especially poignant on 50th anniversary of U.S. exit from Vietnam War

SAN ANTONIO , May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The USAA Poppy Wall of Honor  a temporary installation honoring the more than 645,000 American servicemembers who gave their lives in service to our nation since World War I  will return to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for Memorial Day weekend. New this year, the Poppy Wall of Honor will feature a special panel to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S.'s exit from the Vietnam War, and a digital panel that will display individual remembrances that have been aggregated with #PoppyInMemory.

Since its appearance publicly on the National Mall in 2017, nearly 40,000 visitors have visited the Poppy Wall of Honor, paying their respects to fallen military and learning more about the holiday.

" Memorial Day weekend has long served as the unofficial start to summer with many Americans getting together and enjoying the long weekend. However, it's important to pause and reflect on the true meaning of the holiday  to honor and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country," said VADM (ret) John Bird , senior vice president of Military Affairs at USAA. "As we mark fifty years since the end of the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, USAA's Poppy Wall of Honor will pay special tribute to the heroes of that war who didn't make it home, while allowing visitors to pay tribute to all the heroes, the more than 645,000 service members, who have died in service to our nation since World War I."

The Poppy Wall of Honor will be on display from May 26 through May 28 on the National Mall at the base of the Lincoln Memorial between the Reflecting Pool and Korean War Memorial. Visitors can expect to see:

The Poppy Wall of Honor is 133 feet long and stands 8-1/2 feet tall and contains a two-sided exhibit experience. Visitors will learn more about the true meaning of Memorial Day , the poppy flower and conflicts since WWI.

of Honor is 133 feet long and stands 8-1/2 feet tall and contains a two-sided exhibit experience. Visitors will learn more about the true meaning of , the poppy flower and conflicts since WWI. More than 645,000 poppy flowers provided by Veterans of Foreign Wars' Buddy Poppies and The American Legion's Memorial Poppies fill one side of the wall, representing the lives lost since WWI.

Memorial Poppies fill one side of the wall, representing the lives lost since WWI. The Poppy Wall will feature a special panel to honor and commemorate the lives lost in the Vietnam War, with 2023 marking 50 years since the U.S.'s exit from Vietnam .

will feature a special panel to honor and commemorate the lives lost in the Vietnam War, with 2023 marking 50 years since the exit from . Visitors may view the Poppy Wall of Honor starting at 12 p.m. EST on Friday, May 26 . Full hours of operation will be:

on . Full hours of operation will be: Friday, May 26 : 12 p.m.  9 p.m. EST

: 

Saturday, May 27 : 9 a.m.  9 p.m. EST

: 

Sunday, May 28 : 9 a.m.  6 p.m. EST

In addition to the Poppy Wall of Honor on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. , USAA is bringing two smaller poppy exhibits to additional U.S cities. The USS Lexington Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas and the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, Va. will host the two exhibits and will offer a similar educational and remembrance experience to the Poppy Wall of Honor on the National Mall . More details and hours can be found at usaa.com/memorialday.

For those not able to view the exhibits in person, you can contribute to the Memorial Day conversation by honoring a loved one or sharing a remembrance using #PoppyInMemory in your social channels. Viewing of the dedications can be found at www.usaadigitalpoppywall.com.

About USAA

Founded in 1922 by a group of military officers, USAA is among the leading providers of insurance, banking and investment and retirement solutions to 13 million members of the U.S. military, veterans who have honorably served and their families. Headquartered in San Antonio, TX , USAA has offices in seven U.S. cities and three overseas locations and employs more than 37,000 people worldwide. Each year, the company contributes to national and local nonprofits in support of military families and communities where employees live and work. For more information about USAA, follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@USAA), or visit usaa.com.

Media Contacts:

Laura Propp

USAA Corporate Communications

[email protected]

573.424.3550

Mitch Marier

160over90 (for USAA)

[email protected]

704.493.9975

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SOURCE USAA
FILE PHOTO: Brine pools used to extract lithium are seen next to a lithium mining camp at the Salar del Rincon salt flat, in Salta, Argentina August 12, 2021. Picture taken August 12, 2021. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo

By Lucila Sigal

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Australian-based lithium miner Allkem Ltd, set for a $10.6 billion merger with U.S.-based Livent Corp, sees "enormous" opportunity in Argentina, a top executive said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a mining event in Buenos Aires, Chief Sustainability and External Affairs Officer Karen Vizental said Argentina's strong pipeline of lithium projects could lure billion of dollars in investment by the end of the decade, while the country's lithium exports could rise to $10 billion.

"The size of the opportunity, if we look forward to 2030, is enormous," Vizental said.

"We have a range of projects that are in different stages, of feasibility or exploration. If these projects end up being completed, we are talking about investment over $7 billion."

Argentina, the No. 4 lithium producer globally, sits within the so-called "lithium triangle" and has been luring investment. Allkem and Livent run the two projects currently in production, but a pipeline of others is set to come online.

The two firms announced a planned merger this month, a deal which would create the world's third-largest producer of the metal used to make electric vehicle batteries needed by carmakers from Tesla Inc to BMW.

Vizental said the merger, which she hoped would be completed by the end of November, would bring benefits of "scale", more exchange of technology and innovation, and speed up investment.

"It is extremely positive for the projects we have here in Argentina," she said.

Argentina has benefited, analysts say, from a decentralized and market-led model, even as others in the region including Bolivia, Mexico and recently Chile, have touted more state-led development and even the idea of an OPEC-style lithium cartel.

"I don't agree with the idea of an OPEC for lithium," Gerardo Morales, the governor of northern mining province Jujuy, said at the Arminera mining conference. Other governors from key lithium regions Catamarca and Salta said the same.

Argentina, Bolivia and Chile together sit atop of half the world's lithium riches, under salt flats in the high Andean plains. Chile, the world's No. 2 producer, unveiled plans for a state-led public-private lithium strategy last month.

"They are going backwards," Morales said of Chile. "And Bolivia too. That means more investment for us."

(Reporting by Lucila Sigal; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Marguerita Choy)
Industrial experts and officials at the National Dialogue discussed Tuesday formulating a clear manufacturing policy and eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy to reverse the decline in the role of industry in the economy.

During the second meeting within the dialogue's economic axis, the participants discussed reviving the industrial sector.

They stressed the need to achieve the localization of industry by removing obstacles facing investors.

The participants also held a session to discuss the opportunities available to local and foreign investors and the challenges facing the investment climate in Egypt in light of the international indicators.

Eliminating bureaucracy

The cost of bureaucracy in Egypt is higher than the cost of taxes, and investors add what they incur as a result of bureaucracy to the price of the goods, Alaa El-Saqty, head of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) federation, said during the National Dialogue session.

El-Saqty urged the state to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy to increase the competitiveness of industrial products.

The participants in Tuesday's session discussed, too, increasing the level of industry's contribution to the economy.

Bahaa Dimitri, the rapporteur of the Industry Committee in the National Dialogue, highlighted that, in Egypt, the industry contributes to only 16 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP)  a meagre contribution compared to several countries.

Dimitri added that the industry's contribution to the GDP should be around 33-35 percent.

He noted that achieving such a goal requires a sincere political and economic will to establish a sound investment environment that encourages investors to add to the national economy.

During the session, the participants called for a clear policy and vision that outlines the state's industrial priorities.

They also called for a quick implementation of the State Ownership Policy Document, in which the state has pledged to withdraw from many industrial sectors.

There must be a clear plan for the state to focus on specific industries, El-Saqty said during the session, adding that the absence of such a plan baffles the investors.

Localizing industry

Localizing industry ranked highly on the agenda of the session.

Hossam El-Khosht, a member of the Justice Party, affirmed that the programmes and plans set by the government to localize industries overlook the requirements to do so.

Therefore, El-Khosht called for reviewing and activating several laws and decisions to promote local industries, including decision 3265/2021 on localizing industries.

Several participants have also called for integrating raw materials into local industries instead of exporting them unprocessed.

Mohamed Khalil, a member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, stressed the importance of limiting the exportation of raw and intermediate materials.

We should export raw materials only after they undergo a manufacturing process, and we should provide opportunities to exploit them, Khalil stated.

He also affirmed that intermediate materials should be exported only after meeting the local demand.

Moataz Mahmoud, head of the House of Representatives Industrial Committee, said that using the country's raw materials in manufacturing rather than exporting them should relieve the import bill.

Implementing State Ownership Policy Document

Ahmed Fikry Abdel-Wahab, an industry expert and member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), noted that the State Ownership Policy Document contains neither a specific timeframe nor a list of the investments that the state will withdraw from.

Abdel-Wahab added that investors need to see these parts of the document.

Obstacles facing investors

He also stated that one of the major obstacles facing investors is the unpredictability of the exchange rate, which makes investors uncertain about the future of their investments in the Egyptian market.

Moreover, Abdel-Wahab maintained that though the state has a clear policy on the automotive industry, the means of implementing such a policy still needs to be clarified.

Mahmoud Essam, a Reform and Development Party representative, called for the state to quickly and efficiently provide lands for industrial investors and ensure a fair price for these lands.

On the other hand, Mohamed Khalil of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party called for developing a mechanism to allocate lands for industrial sectors.

For his part, El-Saqty described the issue of allocating the industrial lands as thorny.

He added that the state needs around EGP 10 trillion to increase industrial lands  and industrial production  twofold.

El-Saqty noted that Egypt currently needed more resources to achieve such an increase.

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FILE PHOTO: An Amgen sign is seen at the company's office in South San Francisco, California October 21, 2013. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith/File Photo

By Blake Brittain

(Reuters) -Johnson & Johnson has settled its lawsuit over Amgen Inc's proposed biosimilar version of J&J's top-selling treatment Stelara for psoriasis and other autoimmune conditions, according to a filing in Delaware federal court.

Amgen said in a statement on Tuesday that the settlement terms are confidential, but it will allow the company to sell its biosimilar of Stelara "no later than January 1st, 2025."

A J&J spokesperson said the company will "continue to defend the intellectual property associated with our medicines to protect our ability to innovate and develop life-changing therapies for patients."

Stelara, which is also approved to treat ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease and other conditions, had sales of more than $9.7 billion last year.

Stelara is a biologic drug, meaning it is derived from living cells and cannot be exactly duplicated. A 2009 law allows companies to make biosimilar versions of complex biologic drugs that can be substituted for them, much like cheaper generic versions of conventional drugs, which are exact copies of the branded medicines.

J&J told the court in its lawsuit last year that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could approve Amgen's biosimilar in the second or third quarter of 2023.

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington; Editing by David Bario and Bill Berkrot)
FILE PHOTO: The Apple Inc logo is seen at the entrance to the Apple store in Brussels, Belgium November 28, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman/

By Stephen Nellis

(Reuters) -Apple Inc on Tuesday said it has entered a multi-billion-dollar deal with chipmaker Broadcom Inc to use chips made in the United States.

Under the multi-year deal, Broadcom will develop 5G radio frequency components with Apple that will be designed and built in several U.S. facilities, including Fort Collins, Colorado, where Broadcom has a major factory, Apple said.

Broadcom were up 2.2% after the announcement, hitting a record high. The chipmaker is already a major supplier of wireless components to Apple, with about one fifth of its revenue coming from the iPhone maker in its two most recent fiscal year.

Apple has been steadily diversifying its supply chains, building more products in India and Vietnam and saying that it will source chips from a new Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co plant under construction in Arizona.

The two companies did not disclose the size of the deal, with Broadcom saying only that the new agreements require it to allocate Apple "sufficient manufacturing capacity and other resources to make these products."

Broadcom and Apple previously had a three-year, $15 billion agreement that Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon said was set to expire in June. He said the development was positive for Broadcom, despite the fact that the two firms did not give a time frame for how long the work will last.

"It's good that it removes that overhang," Rasgon said. "Broadcom has existed over the years with a number of these long-term agreements with Apple. Sometimes they have them and sometimes they don't."

Apple said it will tap Broadcom for what are known as film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) chips. The FBAR chips are part of a radio-frequency system that helps iPhones and other Apple devices connect to mobile data networks.

All of Apples products depend on technology engineered and built here in the United States, and well continue to deepen our investments in the U.S. economy because we have an unshakable belief in Americas future," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.

Apple said it currently supports more than 1,100 jobs in Broadcoms Fort Collins FBAR filter manufacturing facility.

(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Nick Zieminski)
By Chris Taylor

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As any fan of spy thrillers knows, there is only one place to put your really valuable stuff: A safe deposit box.

But even if you are not Jason Bourne  who needs somewhere to store his multiple passports, guns, and stacks of foreign cash  safe deposit boxes can be a useful spot for your family heirlooms and critical documents.

One problem: Some of them are going away.

Banking giant Chase has discontinued offering safe deposit boxes for new customers, although it is maintaining them for existing clients. Other institutions have also pulled back on offering safe deposit boxes, such as Capital One, HSBC and Barclays.

The hottest story right now is that banks are eliminating this service, says Dave McGuinn, president of industry consultancy Safe Deposit Specialists in Houston. There is both the significant physical expense of offering secure storage for valuables along with the potential legal liability if something goes amok, McGuinn notes.

Combine that with the macro trend towards online banks and away from brick-and-mortar locations, and safe deposit boxes have become more challenging to find.

But apparently some consumers still like and use them  judging from the waiting lists that in high-demand locations can extend up to five years, according to McGuinn.

It is not just valuables, but also important documents like birth certificates and passports that are advisable to store off-site to safeguard against theft or fire, says Peter Palion, a financial planner with Master Plan Advisory in East Norwich, New York.

So if safe deposit boxes become endangered, what exactly should people do with objects and documents that are too important to be just lying around the house? A few thoughts from financial experts:

SHOP AROUND

Even if one major bank is not offering safe deposit boxes to new customers, that does not mean others are not. Wells Fargo has them available for rent at most locations, according to a spokesperson. You do have to bank at Wells Fargo, with annual pricing typically around $45 for the year.

Meanwhile, Bank of America still has them in 80% of its financial centers, with two million clients using the service.

GO DIGITAL

You will not have to worry quite so much about physical documents, if you have them filed away in digital form. If safe deposit boxes are becoming scarcer, this could nudge you in that direction.

Tools such as Everplans or DocuBank can be used by advisors and estate attorneys to assist clients in having a electronic document storage system, says Aaron Clarke, a financial planner in Gainesville, Virginia. This will help organize documents and guidance while giving heirs access to this information electronically, and uniformly.

IMPROVE YOUR HOME STORAGE AND SECURITY

There is no law saying that you must keep your most critical stuff off-site. But if you are keeping treasured items at home, you should make sure to keep good care of them.

That could mean a modest safe, along the lines of those you see in hotel rooms, which can be had online from brands like Honeywell for $100-$150. Just remember that home security is nowhere near that of a bank, with its vault doors, closed-circuit surveillance, restricted access and sophisticated alarm systems. McGuinn himself found that out, when his home was burglarized and his home safe smashed to pieces.

For grant strategist and fundraiser Allison Markin, her favored option is to keep her must-have documents in a fireproof bag.

Im in a fire and flood zone in British Columbias Okanagan Valley, and it is part of my bug out emergency evacuation plan, says Markin, who keeps a list of important items to grab and go on her phone.

GET INSURANCE

You might think that if your stuff is stored safely in a bank vault, there is no real need for insurance. Not so. Bad things can happen at the most secure facilities  fires, floods, theft, or just plain old human mistakes and poor record-keeping.

One method is to get a personal articles floater as a rider on your homeowners policy. Or you could get a dedicated policy, through specialty firms like Safe Deposit Box Insurance Coverage (https://safedepositboxinsurance.com/).

You should absolutely get insurance on the items in your safe deposit box, just as if those items were at your own house, McGuinn said.

(Editing by Lauren Young and Aurora Ellis; Follow us @ReutersMoney)
FILE PHOTO: British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly attends a meeting with teams coordinating the evacuation of British nationals from Sudan at the FCDO Crisis Centre in London, Britain, April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/Pool

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Britain on Tuesday announced new funding for a landmark scientific experiment deep in Brazil's Amazon rainforest that will measure the impact of rising carbon dioxide levels on trees, the British embassy said.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverley visited the project north of the city of Manaus where scientists are erecting dozens of towers that will inject carbon dioxide into the forest canopy and monitor how the plants absorb it.

The experiment, called AmazonFACE or Free-Air CO2 Enrichment, will help scientists better understand how the tropical forest might respond to more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the greenhouse gas driving climate change.

In addition to pushing temperatures higher, the gas can also fertilize plants, with potential impacts on the water cycle. This could dictate how resilient the rainforest will be to climate change in the coming decades.

Results obtained starting in 2024 will be made available to the scientific community worldwide and improve understanding of how the world's largest tropical forest may help sequester some carbon, while also revealing the Amazon's vulnerability to climate change, an embassy statement said.

The project is the work of scientists from the National Institute for Amazonian Research, the University of Campinas in Brazil, and the British Met Office.

Britain is contributing 7.3 million pounds ($9.2 million), or 45 million reais, adding to 32 million reais in Brazilian funds.

Cleverly will launch a climate partnership with Brazil on Wednesday afternoon in Brasilia, before returning home from a tour that included Jamaica, Colombia and Chile.

This month, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged 80 million pounds to the Amazon Fund, a major initiative funded by donors Norway and Germany to fight deforestation and back sustainability projects in the rainforest.

Brazil is home to around 60% of the Amazon, whose rainforest is vital to curbing the impact of climate change because of the vast amount of greenhouse gas it absorbs.

($1 = 0.7923 pounds)

(Reporting by Anthony Boadle, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with a displayed Micron logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Chinese government's recent ban on U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology over security concerns is "not based in fact," the White House said on Tuesday.

The Biden administration is troubled by Beijing's recent actions and by raids targeting American firms, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters. The White House is communicating its view to Beijing through the Commerce Department, she said.

"These actions are inconsistent with the PRCs assertions that it is opening its markets and committed to a transparent regulator framework," Jean-Pierre said.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Heather Timmons; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Bill Berkrot)
Activists supporting Greenpeace, Stay Grounded, Extinction Rebellion, Scientist Rebellion and other climate movement groups hold banners during a demonstration against Private jets at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) in Genev

By Cecile Mantovani and Joanna Plucinska

GENEVA (Reuters) -Around 100 climate protesters demanding a ban on private jets disrupted flights at Geneva Airport on Tuesday and blocked entry to an aircraft exhibition at Europe's flagship business jet event.

The protest took place on the tarmac where business jets from companies like Airbus and Gulfstream were on display, with activists carrying signs saying "#BanPrivateJets" and "WARNING: Private jets drown our hope."

They sat below the jets in bright yellow vests and blocked entry to prevent potential buyers from getting on the aircraft as security scrambled to clear them from the area.

Four people were treated for injuries, including demonstrators and security, Geneva Airport said in a statement. It said all flights were suspended for an hour, with delays expected throughout the day.

The protest took place as the industry conference near the airport marked the first sale of the worlds largest twin-engined jetliner as a private plane.

Boeing's future 777-9 is designed to carry around 400 passengers as a commercial airliner. Boeing did not disclose the buyer nor the value of the deal.

Climate activists have long taken issue with the high carbon emissions per person associated with private jets as estimates show the use of private jets has almost doubled globally in the last two decades.

"In one hour alone, a private jet can emit up to one tonne of CO2 - that is double the average yearly consumption of one human being living in Africa," said Klara Maria Schenk, a transport campaigner for environmental group Greenpeace.

The industry says it is doing everything it can to boost its use of sustainable aviation fuel, which produces fewer carbon emissions than traditional jet fuel, and to bring in innovations to make flying more efficient.

IMAGE PROBLEM

The sector acknowledges that it has an image problem when it comes to its climate impact, but executives at the conference repeatedly pointed to their commitment to decarbonise.

"We need to work a little bit more here in Europe, because European bodies are not totally convincedit is really a little bit against business aviation," said Eric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, at a pre-conference panel on sustainability on Monday.

"We need to collectively try to explain to them the use of the business and the importance of it in the resurgence of the economy."

On Tuesday, the Palexpo hall where the conference is taking place displayed a number of green innovations, including an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL).

Another three dozen protesters on bicycles, led by environmental group, actif-trafiC, stood in front of the venue carrying banners in French saying "Private aviation kills."

(Writing by Joanna Plucinska; Editing by Emelia Sithole and Conor Humphries)
FILE PHOTO: A United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) armoured personnel carrier (APC) drives through a road in Rhoe camp for the internally displaced people (IDPs) in Djugu's territory, Ituri's

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday made another formal referral to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to ensure the court will focus on what it calls the systematic pillaging of its natural resources in eastern Congo by the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) and the M23 rebel group.

The ICC already has an ongoing investigation into eastern Congo since 2004 and it is not clear if the new referral would shift the court's focus.

"The government of the DRC remains deeply concerned about the suffering of the populations in the part of its territory affected by the acts referred to in this case," Congo's Justice Ministry said in a statement.

The referral's goal would be to investigate and prosecute any person involved in human rights violations between 2022 and 2023, it added.

The Tutsi-led M23 rebel group launched a fresh offensive in eastern Congo in March last year, seizing towns and villages in the area that borders with Uganda. The fighting forced more than 1 million people to flee.

Congo has accused neighbouring Rwanda of backing the M23. The government of Rwanda has denied any involvement.

The ICC office of the prosecutor has given no details other than that the focus is on alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since July 2002 in the Ituri region and the North and South Kivu provinces.

To date the ICC has convicted three different Congolese militia leaders, one of war crimes, the others of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their roles in atrocities committed in the eastern DRC.

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan is expected to visit Kinshasa and Congo's provinces affected by rebel groups from May 28 to May 31.

(Reporting by Ange Kasongo in Kinshasa and Stephanie Van Den Berg in the Hague; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Credit Suisse is pictured on a building in Zurich, Switzerland, April 4, 2023. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy/File Photo

ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse senior managers will have their outstanding bonus payments for 2022 either cancelled or reduced following an order issued on Tuesday by the Swiss Finance Ministry.

The order affects the top three levels of Credit Suisse management and follows the multi-billion franc state rescue of Switzerland's second biggest bank.

Governments rarely impose a complete halt to bonus payouts, but in Switzerland there has been public backlash against them at Credit Suisse, whose rescue earlier this year was backed by roughly 260 billion Swiss francs of state funding and guarantees.

The ruling will affect around 1,000 employees, who will be deprived of payments of approximately 50 million Swiss francs ($56.25 million) to 60 million Swiss francs ($67.50 million) in variable remuneration accrued up to the end of 2022.

The executive board will have its outstanding bonus payments up to the end of 2022 cancelled, while managers one level below will have their the payments cut by 50%.

Managers two levels below will see their outstanding variable payments reduced by 25%, the ministry said.

"This takes account of the most senior managers' responsibility for the situation at Credit Suisse in a differentiated manner," the ministry said in a statement.

"Moreover, variable remuneration for these management levels due in 2023 will be cancelled or reduced on a pro rata basis until the takeover is completed."

The ministry also said Credit Suisse should look into potentially recovering remuneration already paid out to members of group management since 2019.

The order follows temporary measures on suspending variable payments from the Swiss government in March shortly after the emergency takeover by UBS was agreed.

In a package orchestrated by Swiss authorities in March, UBS will pay 3 billion Swiss francs for Credit Suisse and assume up to 5 billion francs in losses.

In return, the Swiss government has agreed to shoulder up to 9 billion in potential losses from the deal, as well as guarantee liquidity assistance of up to 100 billion francs.

The Finance Ministry also said on Tuesday it had ordered UBS to design a pay scheme to incentivise staff responsible for selling off Credit Suisse assets to make the smallest possible losses on the sales.

"This is intended to provide an incentive to achieve the lowest possible losses, in order to avoid, wherever possible, the utilisation of the federal guarantee," the ministry said.

($1 = 0.8889 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by John Revill, editing by Ed Osmond and Jane Merriman)
People stand inside the remains of a burnt secondary school dormitory after several children, most of them from indigenous communities, died after a fire gutted the building overnight, in Mahdia, Guyana in this handout image obtained by Reuters on 22 May,

By Kiana Wilburg

GEORGETOWN (Reuters) -A fire in a school dormitory in Guyana that killed 19 children was lit by a student after school authorities confiscated her cell phone, police said on Tuesday.

The children, mostly Indigenous girls, died around midnight on Monday, most at the scene.

"A female student is suspected of having set the devastating fire because her cellular phone was taken away by the dorm's mother and a teacher," police said in a statement.

David Adams, the mayor of Mahdia, the town where the school is located, earlier confirmed the student's alleged involvement to Reuters and said she was not injured in the fire.

He added he could not confirm whether the student was in government custody. The police statement did not mention an arrest.

Some students told investigators they were awakened by screams and saw fire and smoke in the dorm's bathroom area, police said.

The government pathologist who conducted post-mortems on six bodies late on Monday listed their cause of death as smoke inhalation and burns, police added.

Thirteen sets of remains had been moved to the capital Georgetown for DNA identification. Nearly 30 other children were hospitalised.

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand earlier declined to discuss the student's alleged involvement.

Asked about allegations that the dormitory was not outfitted with a modern fire alarm system and that students were not trained in fire drills, Manickchand told Reuters "all of that is under investigation and a report will be issued once that is done. What must come of this is improvement across the sector."

Burn specialists, psychiatrists and other medical staff were attending to injured children and their families, she added.

The youngest of the fatalities was the five-year-old son of the dormitory's caretaker. All other victims were girls, and included several siblings and at least one set of twins.

President Irfaan Ali met with some parents of the dead on Monday after visiting Mahdia's hospital, and declared three days of national mourning.

(Reporting by Kiana Wilburg in Georgetown; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb and David Gregorio; Editing by Stephen Coates)
FILE PHOTO: Riad Salameh, Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, attends the UAE-Lebanon Investment Forum in Abu Dhabi, UAE, October 7, 2019. REUTERS/Satish Kumar

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon has been verbally informed of a German arrest warrant against Lebanese central bank governor Riad Salameh, who is being investigated for money laundering and embezzlement in his home country and abroad but denies any wrongdoing.

The move by Germany comes one week after France issued its own arrest warrant and just days after Interpol issued a red notice for the 72-year-old governor.

Here's what you need to know about the cases:

EUROPE INVESTIGATES

Investigations began with a Swiss probe into whether Salameh and his brother Raja illegally took more than $300 million from the central bank between 2002 and 2015.

Since then, European countries including France, Germany, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein have initiated their own investigations into whether tens of millions of dollars of the funds allegedly embezzled from the central bank were laundered in Europe.

In March 2022, the European Union's criminal justice cooperation organization announced the freezing of some 120 million euros($130 million) of Lebanese assets in France, Germany, Luxembourg, Monaco and Belgium, in a case in which Munich prosecutors said Salameh was a suspect.

Lebanon has hosted European investigators three times: first in January to interrogate witnesses and obtain additional evidence, then in March to question Salameh and in May to interrogate his brother Raja and an assistant, Marianne Hoayek.

France issued an arrest warrant on May 16 after Salameh failed to appear at a hearing in Paris. He pledged to challenge the warrant. Interpol issued its red notice the same week.

France has also summoned Raja and Hoayek for hearings on May 31 and June 13 respectively.

LEBANESE PROBE LIMPS ALONG

Lebanese authorities said they opened their own probe after receiving a Swiss judicial cooperation request.

Critics doubted whether the Lebanese judiciary, where appointments largely depend on political backing, would seriously investigate a figure with the stature of Salameh, given his top-level political backing.

The judiciary do not deny the difficulties. In November, Lebanon's most senior judge said, in a general comment, that political meddling in judicial work had led to a chaotic situation that required a "revolution in approaches" to resolve.

Jean Tannous, the judge appointed to lead the preliminary investigation, faced hurdles including, according to reports, an intervention by Prime Minister Najib Mikati to prevent him accessing data from banks. Mikati denied the reports.

Top prosecutor Ghassan Oueidat stopped Tannous from attending a Paris meeting last year with European prosecutors investigating Salameh, Reuters reported.

In June 2022, Oueidat ordered a prosecutor to formally charge Salameh, but the prosecutor refused and sought to be recused from the case before being blocked by legal challenges from the governor.

In February, Salameh, Raja and assistant Marianne Hoayek were charged with money laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment in that case.

A separate probe by Mount Lebanon Public Prosecutor Ghada Aoun led to Salameh being charged in March 2022 with illicit enrichment in a case related to the purchase and rental of Paris apartments, including some by the central bank.

Salameh has denied the allegations and has said the prosecution is politically motivated.

SALAMEH CONTINUES

Salameh has been a cornerstone of a financial system that served the vested interests of Lebanon's main factions after the 1975-90 civil war, and many observers say these groups fear his downfall would have repercussions for them.

He has enjoyed support from powerful figures including Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Mikati, but top officials have increasingly called for his resignation as foreign pressure on him grows.

Salameh's latest six-year term ends in July. He has refused to step down early unless a verdict is reached against him.

A political crisis that has left Lebanon without a president and a fully empowered cabinet is expected to complicate any attempt to replace him.

(Reporting by Beirut bureau; Editing by William Maclean)
Separatists in Cameroon's restive anglophone region, scene of six years of fighting between the state and insurgents, have kidnapped around 30 women who were protesting against violence, officials said on Tuesday.

"Over 30 women were severely tortured and kidnapped by heavily-armed terrorists" on Saturday in the village of Kedjom Keku in the northwest region, where armed separatist groups frequently kidnap civilians, mostly for ransom, local officials said.

The government typically uses the phrase "terrorists" in connection with armed insurgents from the majority-francophone country's English-speaking minority who are fighting to establish an independent homeland.

"Around 30 women were kidnapped by separatists (on Saturday morning) We have not found them yet," an army colonel told AFP Tuesday, on condition of anonymity.

The Ministry of Territorial Administration confirmed to AFP that there was "no news of the hostages" late Tuesday.

The day before, the "elderly" women had organised a "peaceful march to protest... criminal activities of the terrorists," the local authorities said.

Fighting broke out in October 2017 when militants declared an independent state in the Northwest region and Southwest region, home to most of the anglophone minority in a country that is 80 percent French-speaking.

Both the separatists and government forces have been accused of atrocities in the fighting.

Armed groups are regularly accused of abducting, killing or injuring civilians whom they accuse of "collaborating" with Cameroonian authorities.

NGOs and the UN accuse the government of repressing dissent in the English-speaking areas as well as clamping down hard on political opponents.

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FILE PHOTO: Ford logo is pictured at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany September 10, 2019. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo/File Photo

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Ford Motor Co will not remove AM broadcast radio as a feature in new vehicles after lawmakers introduced legislation to require them, the company's chief executive said Tuesday.

Ford CEO Jim Farley said on Twitter Ford will include it on all 2024 Ford vehicles, and for existing Ford EVs "without AM broadcast capability, we'll offer a software update. ... Thanks to our product development and manufacturing teams for their quick response to make this change for our customers."

Last week, a group of bipartisan U.S. lawmakers introduced legislation to bar automakers from eliminating AM broadcast radio in their new vehicles, citing safety concerns about emergency alerts.

Senator Ed Markey, one of the sponsors of the bill, said last week at least eight automakers had opted to remove AM broadcast radio from their electric vehicles, including Tesla Inc, BMW, Ford and Volkswagen AG.

Markey on Tuesday praised "Ford for tuning into the concerns of millions of listeners, thousands of broadcasters and countless emergency management officials who have called for automakers to keep AM radio in their vehicles."

The bill would direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to issue regulations to mandate AM radio in new vehicles without additional charge. "Carmakers shouldn't tune out AM radio in new vehicles or put it behind a costly digital paywall," Markey said.

Lawmakers say losing AM radio undermines a federal system for delivering key public safety information to the public.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group representing major automakers, said "mandating AM radios in all vehicles is unnecessary. Congress has never mandated radio features in vehicles ever before."

Automakers pointed to an existing system that distributes warnings across AM, FM, internet-based or satellite radio and over cellular networks.

"This is simply a bill to prop up and give preference to a particular technology that's now competing with other communications options and adapting to changing listenership," the automaker group said.

(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Franklin Paul and Richard Chang)
By Jibran Ahmad and Ariba Shahid

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) -Islamist militants stormed natural gas and oil production facilities in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing four police and two private guards, police and the operator said.

The attack by up to 50 militants took place at facilities run by MOL Pakistan Oil and Gas Company, a unit of Hungary's MOL, in Hangu district near the Afghan border, police official Irfan Khan said.

Police said the militants targeted two wells, known as M-8 and M-10, with heavy weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades.

The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) - also known as the Pakistani Taliban - claimed responsibility for the attack.

The TTP have operated for years from remote mountains in the northwest, launching attacks on security forces and infrastructure in their campaign against the state.

"No MOL employee was present at the scene of the attack, six members of the security forces guarding the area were killed," MOL said, saying the members of the security forces included Pakistani soldiers and third party contractors.

The company also said in its statement to Reuters that production from the wells had been temporarily shut down by remote access and they were now secured, pending completion of an on-site regulatory investigation.

It said production from other wells continued and the incident had not affected MOL's production in Pakistan.

"The security guards at M-8 repulsed the terrorists attack but the casualties took place at M-10," police official Khan said, adding that they also damaged a solar power plant at the gas power plant.

He said the militants then fled to adjoining North Waziristan, from they had originally come.

Fahad Rauf, head of research at Ismail Iqbal Securities, said oil and gas output in Pakistan had been falling in part because there had been no major discoveries, amid poor security, rising debt problems and a lack of local technical expertise.

He said oil output had dropped 18% in 2022 compared to 2019, while gas production was down 14% in the same period.

"The country has exploited much of the existing producing areas but is not able to explore belts near the Afghan border due to the security situation," he said.

He said foreign investment and exploration activity had picked up in the Waziristan belt but the situation had worsened since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

With foreign firms exiting, he said that "Pakistan lacks the expertise and funds to tap unconventional reserves despite having one of the highest shale reserves in the world."

(Reporting by Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar and Ariba Shahid in Karachi; writing by Asif Shahzad; Editing by Bernadette Baum, Edmund Blair and Ed Osmond)
FILE PHOTO: Associate Justice Clarence Thomas poses during a group photo of the Justices at the Supreme Court in Washington, U.S., April 23, 2021. Erin Schaff/Pool via REUTERS

By Jacqueline Thomsen

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Texas billionaire Harlan Crow has rejected a Senate committee's request to detail gifts he or his companies have made to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

"We do not believe the committee has the authority to investigate Mr. Crow's personal friendship with Justice Clarence Thomas," read the letter from Crow's lawyers.

"Most importantly, Congress does not have the constitutional power to impose ethics rules and standards on the Supreme Court."

The committee's chairman, Senator Dick Durbin, said Crow's lawyers did not provide credible justification for refusing to respond to the panel's questions.

He said the committee will respond to the letter and continue to seek answers to members' questions.

"Mr. Crows letter relies on a separation of powers defense when Mr. Crow does not work, and has never worked, for the Supreme Court," Durbin said in a statement.

"Harlan Crow believes the secrecy of his lavish gifts to Justice Thomas is more important than the reputation of the highest court of law in this land. He is wrong."

Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 9 asked Crow to detail gifts to Thomas. They said reporting has identified multiple instances in which Crow or entities he owns or controls have made payments, bought real estate, or provided gifts, travel, or other items of value to Thomas.

"Many of these gifts, transactions, and items of value had not been previously disclosed by Justice Thomas," the Democrats' letter said.

A representative for the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Democratic-led Senate panel has explored the possibility of pursuing legislation to impose ethical standards on the Supreme Court amid revelations about luxury trips and real estate transactions by conservative justices, but Republican members voiced stern opposition.

The news outlet ProPublica has detailed ties between Thomas, a conservative who is the court's longest-tenured member, and wealthy Republican donor Crow, including real estate purchases and luxury travel paid for by the Dallas businessman.

(Reporting by Jacqueline Thomsen in Washington; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
FILE PHOTO: A Patek Philippe Reference 96 Quantieme Lune formerly from the collection of China's last emperor of the Qing Dynasty Aisin-Gioro Puyi is seen during a preview at Phillips, in Hong Kong, China, May 19, 2023. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

By Joyce Zhou and Jessie Pang

HONG KONG (Reuters) - A watch that was once owned by the last emperor of China's Qing Dynasty, whose life formed the basis of the Oscar-winning film "The Last Emperor," sold for a record HK$49 million ($6.2 million) at a Hong Kong auction on Tuesday.

An Asian collector residing in Hong Kong calling on the phone bought the rare Patek Philippe watch that had belonged to Aisin-Gioro Puyi, according to the auction house.

The hammer price, which excludes the buyer's premium fee, was HK$40 million ($5.1 million).

Thomas Perazzi, head of watches at auction house Phillips Asia, told Reuters that it is "the highest result" for any wristwatch that once belonged to an emperor.

It was one of only eight known Patek Philippe Reference 96 Quantieme Lune timepieces and was gifted by Puyi to his Russian interpreter when he was imprisoned by the Soviet Union, the auction house said. It easily beat a pre-sale estimate of $3 million.

Other watches owned by emperors and sold at auction include a Patek Philippe timepiece that belonged to the last Ethiopian emperor, Haile Selassie, which sold for $2.9 million in 2017.

A Rolex watch that belonged to the last emperor of Vietnam, Bao Dai, fetched $5 million at an auction in 2017.

Born in 1906, Puyi was the last emperor of China's Qing dynasty, who began his reign at two years old.

After Japans defeat in World War II in 1945, Puyi was captured at China's Shenyang Airport by the Soviet Red Army. He was detained as a war prisoner and incarcerated in a detention camp in Khabarovsk, Russia, for five years.

The auction house said it spent three years collaborating with watch specialists, historians, journalists, and scientists to research the watch's history and verify its provenance.

Perazzi told Reuters that the watch was the finest Patek made at the time.

Journalist Russell Working, who interviewed Puyi's interpreter Georgy Permyakov in 2001, said he gave the watch to Permyakov on his last day in the Soviet Union, shortly before he was extradited back to China.

These were the kind of things he sometimes did to people that were very special to him, Working said.

(Reporting by Joyce Zhou and Jessie Pang; Editing by Farah Master, Anne Marie Roantree, Sharon Singleton, Mark Porter and Marguerita Choy)
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's administration is studying the possibility of buying a majority of shares in Citigroup's local retail unit known as Banamex, according to a government statement published on Tuesday.

Buying it would be "good business," Lopez Obrador said in a press conference earlier, when asked about rumors that one of the bidders, Grupo Mexico's owner German Larrea, was dropping out of the process amid a dispute with the government.

Lopez Obrador said he thought about the possibility of creating a public-private association with U.S.-based Citigroup to operate the bank after hearing about Larrea's alleged withdrawal.

Citigroup declined to comment on the matter.

Speculation that Larrea might bow out spread on Monday after a Mexican columnist tweeted he was dropping the bid, citing concerns over the government's power to take it over.

Grupo Mexico told Reuters on Tuesday that a quote in a tweet seemingly from Larrea was false and that it could not comment on the process with Banamex.

Mexican authorities and Grupo Mexico are currently negotiating a way out of a government decree establishing the temporary takeover of part of a railway in Southern Mexico operated by a unit of the company - a move widely seen as an expropriation.

Lopez Obrador said the government wants to take away Grupo Mexico's concession as it considers the railway to be part of a key infrastructure project.

Calling the move "surprising," the firm's transport unit Grupo Mexico Transportes, said it was weighing its options, following what it called the Mexican Navy's temporary occupation of its facilities last Friday morning.

Lopez Obrador said he is willing to reach an agreement with Grupo Mexico over the railway during the press conference.

The president said on Monday that Grupo Mexico has proposed a government payment of more than $534 million for the railway. Grupo Mexico would not confirm the figure.

Earlier in May, the president said the government has no problem with Grupo Mexico buying Citigroup's unit.

(Reporting by Mexico City Newsroom; Additional reporting by Tatiana Bautzer in New York; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
By Ngouda Dione and Bate Felix

DAKAR (Reuters) -The delayed rape trial of Senegal's opposition leader Ousmane Sonko resumed in his absence in the capital Dakar on Tuesday as defence lawyers withdrew from the case and his party called for public protest.

Security forces patrolled crossroads and enforced a temporary ban on motorcycles as authorities feared another round of protests that have flared sporadically since Sonko was first detained over the case in 2021.

Sonko, 48, is accused of sexually assaulting and making death threats to a woman who worked in a massage parlour.

A conviction could quash his intentions to run again for president in elections next year. That bid is already threatened by a recent suspended prison sentence in a separate libel case that he has appealed.

Sonko denies all wrongdoing and says the trials are politically motivated. The government has rejected the accusation.

The rape case opened on May 16 but was immediately postponed by a week after defence lawyers said they needed more time.

Sonko was not in court on Tuesday. He said earlier this month that he would no longer cooperate with the justice authorities unless his security was guaranteed.

The woman accusing Sonko and the massage parlour's former owner Khady Ndiaye, accused of complicity in the alleged rape, were both present.

Sonko's lawyers requested another adjournment, and Ndiaye's lawyers asked for more preparation time. But the prosecutor dismissed their demands, prompting both parties to withdraw from the case.

"The aim here is an immediate condemnation of Sonko so as to deny him his civil rights," defence lawyer Cire Cledor Ly said.

Sonko's absence prevents lawyers from speaking on his behalf and means he will not be able to appeal if convicted.

Dakar was calm and rush hour traffic lighter than usual as many stayed home to avoid potential unrest.

Sonko and his party have encouraged supporters to take to the streets on trial days. Some crowds have become rowdy in the past, attacking supermarkets and petrol stations and clashing with riot police, who used tear gas.

The former tax inspector has become the face of growing frustration against President Macky Sall, accused of becoming increasingly repressive and failing to improve livelihoods since he took power in 2012. His government denies this.

Anger has flared over rumours Sall would use a new constitution, adopted in 2016, to bypass presidential limits and run for a third term in the upcoming February poll. He has neither confirmed nor denied this.

(Reporting by Ngouda Dione, Diadie Ba and Bate Felix;Writing by Sofia Christensen; Editing by George Obulutsa and Alexandra Hudson)
FILE PHOTO: Protesters gather inside the South Carolina House as members debate a new near-total ban on abortion with no exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest at the state legislature in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. August 30, 2022. REUTE

By Sharon Bernstein and Julia Harte

(Reuters) - South Carolina lawmakers on Tuesday passed a ban on most abortions after fetal cardiac activity begins, around six weeks.

The hotly contested bill, which Republican Governor Henry McMaster is expected to sign, passed mostly along party lines, with the notable exception of the state senate's five women members, who opposed it.

The Republican-backed bill, which bans most abortions before many women know they are pregnant, is a revised version of an earlier measure that the state Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional earlier this year. It allows abortions up to 12 weeks in cases of rape and incest, and also provides an exception for medical emergencies.

"We'll see you in court," Planned Parenthood South Atlantic posted on Twitter moments after Tuesday's vote by the South Carolina state senate.

But it was not immediately clear whether the new ban would be overturned like the prior one, because the state Supreme Court now has a new member who is more conservative.

Abortions are currently allowed in South Carolina through the first 22 weeks of pregnancy, one of the most permissive abortion laws in the region.

Out-of-state abortion seekers have sought care in South Carolina since a number of other states across the U.S. South greatly restricted abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022 eliminated a nearly 50-year-old federal right to abortion by overturning the Roe v. Wade decision.

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein and Julia Harte; Editing by Leslie Adler and Chris Reese)
FILE PHOTO: A sign for a Target store is seen in the Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, February 10, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Young

(This May 23 story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Carnell's first name to Erik, from Eric, in paragraph 8)

By Siddharth Cavale

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Target, which rolled out its Pride Collection at the start of May, is pulling some products from its stores after facing customer backlash, saying it was acting to protect employee safety, the company told Reuters on Tuesday.

Target Corp is offering more than 2,000 products, including clothing, books, music and home furnishings as part of its Pride Collection. The items include "gender fluid" mugs, "queer all year" calendars and books for children aged 2-8 titled "Bye Bye, Binary," "Pride 1,2,3" and "I'm not a girl."

"Since introducing this year's collection, we've experienced threats impacting our team members' sense of safety and wellbeing while at work," Target said in a statement.

"Given these volatile circumstances, we are making adjustments to our plans, including removing items that have been at the center of the most significant confrontational behavior," the Minneapolis-based retailer said.

Target has been celebrating Pride Month for more than a decade. But this year's collection has led to an increase in confrontations between customers and employees and incidents of Pride merchandise being thrown on the floor, Target spokesperson Kayla Castaneda said.

Target's action comes on the heels of a conservative backlash against Bud Light, after brewer Anheuser-Busch promoted the beer on social media last month with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

The products Target is withdrawing are being removed from all its U.S. stores and from its website, Castaneda said.

While various Pride Collection products are under review, the only ones now being removed are the LGBTQ brand Abprallen, which has come under scrutiny for its association with British designer Erik Carnell.

Carnell has faced social media backlash for designing merchandise with images of pentagrams, horned skulls and other Satanic products.

A search for Abprallen merchandise on Target.com on Tuesday showed "0" results.

Screenshots and posts on social media show that Target previously sold a $25 slogan sweater with the words "cure transphobia not trans people" and an $18 "too queer for here" tote bag.

Target is also reviewing certain transgender swimsuits and children's merchandise, Castaneda said, but no decision on those products has yet been made.

For example, a swimsuit sold in the women's section has come under scrutiny for the way its fit was described, as "tuck friendly," highlighted its ability to supposedly tuck male genitalia.

A Fox News report earlier on Tuesday said that some Target stores in Southern states were shifting Pride-related merchandise away from the front of stores. An employee at a Target store in Arkansas told Reuters that they had shifted Pride-related swimsuits deeper into the store.

"We had swimsuits in the front.... but now they are in a random area in the back now," the employee, who did not wish to be named, said. "We started shifting the merchandise on Sunday."

(Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)
By Mike Scarcella

(Reuters) - A U.S. jury on Monday awarded nearly $268 million in damages to electronic components distributor Avnet Inc in its lawsuit accusing a leading technology manufacturer of artificially inflating prices as part of a global price-fixing conspiracy.

The jury verdict in San Francisco federal court against defendants Nippon Chemi-Con Corp and its Illinois-based subsidiary United Chemi-Con Inc came after two days of deliberation at the end of a two-week antitrust trial.

Phoenix-based Avnet, among the country's largest distributors of connectors and semiconductors, had alleged that from 2001 to 2014 it was overcharged for capacitor components widely found in electronic devices including household appliances, mobile phones and personal computers. Capacitors store electrical energy and help regulate current movement.

Antitrust litigation over capacitor price-fixing claims has sprawled for nearly a decade, and private civil and U.S. government criminal cases have led to hundreds of millions of dollars in class-action settlements and other penalties.

Avnet opted out of class action settlements involving other direct purchasers of capacitors.

Lawyers for Nippon Chemi-Con and United Chemi-Con at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison on Monday did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. A representative from United Chemi-Con did not immediately respond to a similar request.

A spokesperson for Avnet in a statement thanked the jury and judge but declined to comment further.

Avnet recorded $24.3 billion in revenue last year.

The jury awarded $89,244,000 in damages, which will be trebled under U.S. antitrust law to $267.7 million, said Scott Wagner, an attorney for Avnet at the law firm Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod. In a pretrial brief, Avnet said it was seeking $274 million.

Attorneys for Avnet said in court filings that "the capacitors price-fixing conspiracy is one of the most coordinated, well documented, and long-running conspiracies in recent history."

Defense lawyers for Nippon Chemi-Con and United Chemi-Con disputed liability. The defendants and others argued that out of Avnet's claimed damages, "only $1.5 million" was tied to capacitor purchases from the defendants.

"The conspiracy Avnet alleges  both in membership and scope  simply did not exist," the defense lawyers said in a filing late last year.

The case is Avnet Inc v Hitachi Chemical Co Ltd et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 3:17-cv-07046-JD.

For Avnet: Robert Turken and Scott Wagner of Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod

For Nippon Chemi-Con: Joseph Bial of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

(Reporting by Mike Scarcellal; editing by Leigh Jones)
FILE PHOTO: Twitter, X Corp., and Tesla CEO Elon Musk poses prior to his talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, Monday, May 15, 2023 at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France. Michel Euler/Pool via REUTERS

(Reuters) -Tesla Inc Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Tuesday the automaker would probably pick a location for a new factory by the end of this year.

When the Wall Street Journal's Thorold Barker asked Musk at an event if India was interesting, he said, "Absolutely".

Tesla is "serious" about its plans to establish a manufacturing base in India, the country's deputy minister for technology told Reuters in an interview last week.

Tesla announced earlier this year that it would open a gigafactory in Mexico as the world's most valuable automaker pushes to expand its global output.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter and founder of several other firms, on Tuesday floated the idea of creating an educational institution that controls most of his votes, without giving details.

He said he has identified a successor to the board so that the person can run the company in "a worst case scenario". "I've told the board 'Look, if something happens to me unexpectedly, this is my recommendation for taking over,'" he said.

James Murdoch, a Tesla board director, testified in court last year that Musk has identified someone as a potential successor to head the electric carmaker at a time when investors were concerned about his distraction with Twitter. Musk recently announced a new CEO for Twitter, and said he would focus more on Tesla.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Hyunjoo Jin in San Francisco; Editing by Anil D'Silva and David Gregorio)
Russia said Tuesday that its armed forces had beaten back and then wiped out a group of militants and military hardware that were dispatched to its southern Belgorod region from Ukraine.

The incursion was the most serious attack on Russian soil since the beginning of Moscow's offensive in Ukraine, prompting Russian authorities to declare an "anti-terror regime" and evacuate nine border villages.

"In the course of the counter-terrorist operation, the nationalist formations were blocked and destroyed by air strikes and artillery fire," the Russian defence ministry said.

"The remaining (fighters) were driven back to the territory of Ukraine, where they continued to be hit by fire until they were completely eliminated," the ministry said in a statement.

The statement said Russian forces killed more than 70 Ukrainian fighters and destroyed four armoured vehicles.

AFP was unable to independently verify those claims.

The defence ministry blamed Ukrainian authorities for the incursion, saying that "having suffered a defeat in Artemovsk, the Kyiv regime switched to implementing terror attacks against the civilian population."

Moscow used the Soviet-era name for the city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces claimed to have seized over the weekend.

Ukraine has denied involvement in the attack, but members of the anti-Kremlin Freedom of Russia Legion have claimed responsibility for the incursion.

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FILE PHOTO: The State Department Building is pictured in Washington, U.S., January 26, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said it signed agreements with Micronesia on Tuesday concluding negotiations to extend economic assistance to the island state under a strategic pact key to U.S. efforts to push back against China in the Pacific.

The State Department said additional negotiations were underway with Micronesia (FSM) to continue federal programs and services currently provided under a Federal Programs and Services Agreement.

Three agreements related to Micronesia's Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the United States were signed by the charge d'affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Pohnpei and Micronesian negotiator Leo Falcam Jr.

This marked "the successful conclusion of negotiations with FSM regarding the extension of Compact- related economic assistance" and was "a major milestone" in relations, the State Department said in a statement.

Washington first reached COFA accords with three Pacific island states - FSM, Palau and the Marshall Islands - in the 1980s under which it retains responsibility for their defense and provides economic assistance while gaining exclusive access to huge strategic swathes of the Pacific in return.

Under memorandums of understanding reached on renewing the pacts, the U.S. will commit a total of $7.1 billion over 20 years to the three nations, subject to U.S. Congressional approval.

The U.S. statement called the relationship with FSM "special and historic" and said continuation of COFA-related assistance at "significant" levels reflected this and would support development and help tackle challenges such as climate change.

Renewing the COFAs has become a key part of U.S. efforts to push back against China's bid to expand its influence in the Pacific. Chinese diplomats have been courting the region and China's construction and mining companies have expanded their business in many Pacific island nations.

On Monday the U.S. signed a renewed COFA with Palau and chief COFA negotiator Joseph Yun told Reuters on Saturday he hoped to finalize a deal with the Marshall Islands in the coming weeks.

The Marshall Islands' COFA is due to expire this year.

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Don Durfee and Stephen Coates)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Uber is seen at a temporary showroom at the Promenade road during the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2023, in the Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland, January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc will offer driverless cars on its ride-hailing and food delivery platform later this year through a partnership with Alphabet Inc's Waymo, the companies said.

Uber customers will be able to use a set number of Waymo's driverless vehicles for rides and deliveries within a 180 square mile area in Phoenix, Arizona, they said in a blog on Tuesday.

Commercializing fully autonomous vehicles, especially robotaxis, has been harder than expected with tough regulations, complicated technology and heavy investments forcing some to cut jobs and even shut shop.

Uber's wide network will give Waymo, which also operates in San Francisco and is looking to expand to Los Angeles, "an opportunity to reach even more people," Waymo's co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana said.

For Uber, this provides a fillip to its long-held self-driving ambitions just as its ride-hailing service reaches pre-pandemic levels. "Fully autonomous driving is quickly becoming part of everyday life, and we're excited to bring Waymo's incredible technology to the Uber platform," Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said.

The deal also brings two bitter rivals together. Uber and Waymo locked horns in a bruising public feud over trade secrets in 2017, after Waymo filed a lawsuit claiming one of its former engineers who became chief of Uber's self-driving car project took with him thousands of confidential documents.

Uber eventually agreed to pay Waymo $245 million in stock and settled the case.

Last year, Waymo and Uber's freight unit partnered to help customers deploy autonomous trucks more efficiently.

(Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Editing by Chris Reese)
FILE PHOTO: A man walks past the logo of Vedanta outside its headquarters in Mumbai, India January 31, 2018. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui/File Photo

(Reuters) - Vedanta Group, the promoter of metals-to-oil conglomerate Vedanta Ltd, has signed a five-year loan for about $850 million with JPMorgan and Oaktree, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The billionaire Anil Agarwal-led group is relying on money from its units to tackle its debt burden, after its efforts to sell some zinc assets to Hindustan Zinc Ltd for $3 billion failed.

Earlier this month, Vedanta reported an 8% slump in its fourth-quarter profit as prices of metals declined.

JPMorgan and Oaktree declined to comment, while Vedanta did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.

(Reporting by Anusha S in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
May 23, 2023

Office of Registration and Reports

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

Judiciary Plaza

100 F Street, NE

Washington, DC 20549

RE: 1290 Funds (Trust) File No. 811-22959/333-195390

To the Staff of the Commission:

Enclosed for filing on behalf of the Trust are the following documents:

1 a copy of the original Fidelity Bond, Policy No. 02634223B (the Bond) which reflects the Trusts aggregate coverage under the Bond of $1,250,000 effective as of 12:01 a.m. April 27, 2023 through 12:01 a.m. on April 27, 2024. (Exhibit A)

2 a copy of the resolutions adopted at a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Trust held on March 15-16, 2023 at which a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the Trust as defined by Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, approved the Fidelity Bond for the Trust and Equitable Investment Management, LLC, effective as of April 27, 2023 and payment of the premium for the insurance coverage. (Exhibit B)

3 A copy of the Fidelity Bond Sharing Agreement with amendments. (Exhibit C)

The Trust is maintaining a joint insured bond in the amount of $1,250,000, which is sufficient coverage as required under paragraph (d) of Rule 17g-1 and the premium for this policy has been paid for the period of April 27, 2023 through April 27, 2024. If the Trust had not entered into a joint insured bond, it would have maintained a single insured bond in the same amount of $1,250,000, which is sufficient coverage as required under paragraph (d) of Rule 17g-1.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected] if you should have any questions.

Sincerely, /s/ Helen Espaillat Helen Espaillat Assistant Secretary

Exhibit A

ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

a Risk Retention Group

1401 H St. NW

Washington, DC 20005

INVESTMENT COMPANY BLANKET BOND

Bond (6/18)

ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

a Risk Retention Group

1401 H St. NW

Washington, DC 20005

DECLARATIONS

NOTICE

This policy is issued by your risk retention group. Your risk retention group may not be subject to all of the insurance laws and regulations of your state. State insurance insolvency guaranty funds are not available for your risk retention group.

Item 1. Name of Insured (the Insured) Bond Number 1290 Funds 02634223B Principal Office: Mailing Address: Equitable Investment Management Group, LLC Equitable Investment Management Group, LLC 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 16th Floor New York, NY 10104 New York, NY 10104

Item 2. Bond Period: from 12:01 a.m. on April 27, 2023 , to 12:01 a.m. on April 27, 2024 , or the earlier effective date of the termination of this Bond, standard time at the Principal Address as to each of said dates.

Item 3. Limit of Liability

Subject to Sections 9, 10 and 12 hereof:

LIMIT OF LIABILITY DEDUCTIBLE AMOUNT Insuring Agreement A- FIDELITY $1,250,000 $25,000 Insuring Agreement B- AUDIT EXPENSE $50,000 $10,000 Insuring Agreement C- ON PREMISES $1,250,000 $25,000 Insuring Agreement D- IN TRANSIT $1,250,000 $25,000 Insuring Agreement E- FORGERY OR ALTERATION $1,250,000 $25,000 Insuring Agreement F- SECURITIES $1,250,000 $25,000 Insuring Agreement G- COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY $1,250,000 $25,000 Insuring Agreement H- UNCOLLECTIBLE ITEMS OF DEPOSIT $25,000 $5,000 Insuring Agreement I- PHONE/ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS Not Covered Not Covered If Not Covered is inserted opposite any Insuring Agreement above, such Insuring Agreement and any reference thereto shall be deemed to be deleted from this Bond. OPTIONAL INSURING AGREEMENTS ADDED BY RIDER: Insuring Agreement J- COMPUTER SECURITY $1,250,000 $25,000 Insuring Agreement M- SOCIAL ENGINEERING FRAUD $1,000,000 $25,000

Item 4. Offices or Premises Covered--All the Insureds offices or other premises in existence at the time this Bond becomes effective are covered under this Bond, except the offices or other premises excluded by Rider. Offices or other premises acquired or established after the effective date of this Bond are covered subject to the terms of General Agreement A.

Item 5. The liability of ICI Mutual Insurance Company, a Risk Retention Group (the Underwriter) is subject to the terms of the following Riders attached hereto:

Riders: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8

and of all Riders applicable to this Bond issued during the Bond Period.

By: /S/ Swenitha Nalli By: /S/ Catherine Dalton Authorized Representative Authorized Representative

Bond (6/18)

INVESTMENT COMPANY BLANKET BOND

NOTICE

This policy is issued by your risk retention group. Your risk retention group may not be subject to all of the insurance laws and regulations of your state. State insurance insolvency guaranty funds are not available for your risk retention group.

ICI Mutual Insurance Company, a Risk Retention Group (the Underwriter), in consideration of an agreed premium, and in reliance upon the Application and all other information furnished to the Underwriter by the Insured, and subject to and in accordance with the Declarations, General Agreements, Provisions, Conditions and Limitations and other terms of this bond (including all riders hereto) (Bond), to the extent of the Limit of Liability and subject to the Deductible Amount, agrees to indemnify the Insured for the loss, as described in the Insuring Agreements, sustained by the Insured at any time but discovered during the Bond Period.

INSURING AGREEMENTS

A. FIDELITY

Loss resulting directly from any Dishonest or Fraudulent Act committed by an Employee, committed anywhere and whether committed alone or in collusion with other persons (whether or not Employees), during the time such Employee has the status of an Employee as defined herein, and even if such loss is not discovered until after he or she ceases to be an Employee; and EXCLUDING loss covered under Insuring Agreement B.

B. AUDIT EXPENSE

Expense incurred by the Insured for that part of the costs of audits or examinations required by any governmental regulatory authority or Self-Regulatory Organization to be conducted by such authority or Organization or by an independent accountant or other person, by reason of the discovery of loss sustained by the Insured and covered by this Bond.

C. ON PREMISES

Loss of Property resulting directly from any Mysterious Disappearance, or any Dishonest or Fraudulent Act committed by a person physically present in an office or on the premises of the Insured at the time the Property is surrendered, while the Property is (or reasonably supposed or believed by the Insured to be) lodged or deposited within the Insureds offices or premises located anywhere, except those offices excluded by Rider; and EXCLUDING loss covered under Insuring Agreement A.

D. IN TRANSIT

Loss of Property resulting directly from any Mysterious Disappearance or Dishonest or Fraudulent Act while the Property is physically (not electronically) in transit anywhere in the custody of any person authorized by an Insured to act as a messenger, except while in the mail or with a carrier for hire (other than a Security Company); and EXCLUDING loss covered under Insuring Agreement A. Property is in transit beginning immediately upon receipt of such Property by the transporting person and ending immediately upon delivery to the designated recipient or its agent, but only while the Property is being conveyed.

2 Bond (6/18)

E. FORGERY OR ALTERATION

Loss resulting directly from the Insured having, in good faith, paid or transferred any Property in reliance upon any Written, Original:

(1) bills of exchange, checks, drafts, or other written orders or directions to pay sums certain in money, acceptances, certificates of deposit, due bills, money orders, warrants, orders upon public treasuries, or letters of credit; or

(2) instructions, requests or applications directed to the Insured, authorizing or acknowledging the transfer, payment, redemption, delivery or receipt of money or Property, or giving notice of any bank account (provided such instructions or requests or applications purport to have been signed or endorsed by (a) any customer of the Insured, or (b) any shareholder of or subscriber to shares issued by any Investment Company, or (c) any financial or banking institution or stockbroker, and further provided such instructions, requests, or applications either bear the forged signature or endorsement or have been altered without the knowledge and consent of such customer, such shareholder or subscriber to shares issued by an Investment Company, or such financial or banking institution or stockbroker); or

(3) withdrawal orders or receipts for the withdrawal of Property, or receipts or certificates of deposit for Property and bearing the name of the Insured as issuer or of another Investment Company for which the Insured acts as agent;

which bear (a) a Forgery, or (b) an Alteration, but only to the extent that the Forgery or Alteration directly causes the loss.

Actual physical possession by the Insured or its authorized representative of the items listed in (1) through (3) above is a condition precedent to the Insured having relied upon the items.

This Insuring Agreement E does not cover loss caused by Forgery or Alteration of Securities or loss covered under Insuring Agreement A.

F. SECURITIES

Loss resulting directly from the Insured, in good faith, in the ordinary course of business, and in any capacity whatsoever, whether for its own account or for the account of others, having acquired, accepted or received, or sold or delivered, or given any value, extended any credit or assumed any liability in reliance on any Written, Original Securities, where such loss results from the fact that such Securities prove to:

(1) be Counterfeit, but only to the extent that the Counterfeit directly causes the loss, or

(2) be lost or stolen, or

(3) contain a Forgery or Alteration, but only to the extent the Forgery or Alteration directly causes the loss,

and notwithstanding whether or not the act of the Insured causing such loss violated the constitution, by-laws, rules, or regulations of any Self-Regulatory Organization, whether or not the Insured was a member thereof.

3 Bond (6/18)

This Insuring Agreement F does not cover loss covered under Insuring Agreement A.

Actual physical possession by the Insured or its authorized representative of the Securities is a condition precedent to the Insured having relied upon the Securities.

G. COUNTERFEIT CURRENCY

Loss resulting directly from the receipt by the Insured, in good faith of any Counterfeit Currency.

This Insuring Agreement G does not cover loss covered under Insuring Agreement A.

H. UNCOLLECTIBLE ITEMS OF DEPOSIT

Loss resulting directly from the payment of dividends, issuance of Fund shares or redemptions or exchanges permitted from an account with the Fund as a consequence of

(1) uncollectible Items of Deposit of a Funds customer, shareholder or subscriber credited by the Insured or its agent to such persons Fund account, or

(2) any Item of Deposit processed through an automated clearing house which is reversed by a Funds customer, shareholder or subscriber and is deemed uncollectible by the Insured;

PROVIDED, that (a) Items of Deposit shall not be deemed uncollectible until the Insureds collection procedures have failed, (b) exchanges of shares between Funds with exchange privileges shall be covered hereunder only if all such Funds are insured by the Underwriter for uncollectible Items of Deposit, and (c) the Insured Fund shall have implemented and maintained a policy to hold Items of Deposit for the minimum number of days stated in its Application (as amended from time to time) before paying any dividend or permitting any withdrawal with respect to such Items of Deposit (other than exchanges between Funds). Regardless of the number of transactions between Funds in an exchange program, the minimum number of days an Item of Deposit must be held shall begin from the date the Item of Deposit was first credited to any Insured Fund.

This Insuring Agreement H does not cover loss covered under Insuring Agreement A.

I. PHONE/ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS

Loss resulting directly from a Phone/Electronic Transaction, where the request for such Phone/Electronic Transaction:

(1) is transmitted to the Insured or its agents by voice over the telephone or by Electronic Transmission; and

(2) is made by an individual purporting to be a Fund shareholder or subscriber or an authorized agent of a Fund shareholder or subscriber; and

(3) is unauthorized or fraudulent and is made with the manifest intent to deceive;

PROVIDED, that the entity receiving such request generally maintains and follows during the Bond Period all Phone/Electronic Transaction Security Procedures with respect to all Phone/Electronic Transactions; and

4 Bond (6/18)

EXCLUDING loss resulting from:

(1) the failure to pay for shares attempted to be purchased; or

(2) any redemption of Investment Company shares which had been improperly credited to a shareholders account where such shareholder (a) did not cause, directly or indirectly, such shares to be credited to such account, and (b) directly or indirectly received any proceeds or other benefit from such redemption; or

(3) any redemption of shares issued by an Investment Company where the proceeds of such redemption were requested (i) to be paid or made payable to other than an Authorized Recipient or an Authorized Bank Account or (ii) to be sent to other than an Authorized Address;

(4) the intentional failure to adhere to one or more Phone/Electronic Transaction Security Procedures; or

(5) a Phone/Electronic Transaction request transmitted by electronic mail or transmitted by any method not subject to the Phone/Electronic Transaction Security Procedures; or

(6) the failure or circumvention of any physical or electronic protection device, including any firewall, that imposes restrictions on the flow of electronic traffic in or out of any Computer System.

This Insuring Agreement I does not cover loss covered under Insuring Agreement A, Fidelity or Insuring Agreement J, Computer Security.

GENERAL AGREEMENTS

A. ADDITIONAL OFFICES OR EMPLOYEESCONSOLIDATION OR MERGERNOTICE

1. Except as provided in paragraph 2 below, this Bond shall apply to any additional office(s) established by the Insured during the Bond Period and to all Employees during the Bond Period, without the need to give notice thereof or pay additional premiums to the Underwriter for the Bond Period.

2. If during the Bond Period an Insured Investment Company shall merge or consolidate with an institution in which such Insured is the surviving entity, or purchase substantially all the assets or capital stock of another institution, or acquire or create a separate investment portfolio, and shall within sixty (60) days notify the Underwriter thereof, then this Bond shall automatically apply to the Property and Employees resulting from such merger, consolidation, acquisition or creation from the date thereof; provided, that the Underwriter may make such coverage contingent upon the payment of an additional premium.

B. WARRANTY

No statement made by or on behalf of the Insured, whether contained in the Application or otherwise, shall be deemed to be an absolute warranty, but only a warranty that such statement is true to the best of the knowledge of the person responsible for such statement.

5 Bond (6/18)

C. COURT COSTS AND ATTORNEYS FEES

The Underwriter will indemnify the Insured against court costs and reasonable attorneys fees incurred and paid by the Insured in defense of any legal proceeding brought against the Insured seeking recovery for any loss which, if established against the Insured, would constitute a loss covered under the terms of this Bond; provided, however, that with respect to Insuring Agreement A this indemnity shall apply only in the event that:

1. an Employee admits to having committed or is adjudicated to have committed a Dishonest or Fraudulent Act which caused the loss; or

2. in the absence of such an admission or adjudication, an arbitrator or arbitrators acceptable to the Insured and the Underwriter concludes, after a review of an agreed statement of facts, that an Employee has committed a Dishonest or Fraudulent Act which caused the loss.

The Insured shall promptly give notice to the Underwriter of any such legal proceeding and upon request shall furnish the Underwriter with copies of all pleadings and other papers therein. At the Underwriters election the Insured shall permit the Underwriter to conduct the defense of such legal proceeding in the Insureds name, through attorneys of the Underwriters selection. In such event, the Insured shall give all reasonable information and assistance which the Underwriter shall deem necessary to the proper defense of such legal proceeding.

If the amount of the Insureds liability or alleged liability in any such legal proceeding is greater than the amount which the Insured would be entitled to recover under this Bond (other than pursuant to this General Agreement C), or if a Deductible Amount is applicable, or both, the indemnity liability of the Underwriter under this General Agreement C is limited to the proportion of court costs and attorneys fees incurred and paid by the Insured or by the Underwriter that the amount which the Insured would be entitled to recover under this Bond (other than pursuant to this General Agreement C) bears to the sum of such amount plus the amount which the Insured is not entitled to recover. Such indemnity shall be in addition to the Limit of Liability for the applicable Insuring Agreement.

D. INTERPRETATION

This Bond shall be interpreted with due regard to the purpose of fidelity bonding under Rule 17g-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (i.e., to protect innocent third parties from harm) and to the structure of the investment management industry (in which a loss of Property resulting from a cause described in any Insuring Agreement ordinarily gives rise to a potential legal liability on the part of the Insured), such that the term loss as used herein shall include an Insureds legal liability for direct compensatory damages resulting directly from a misappropriation, or measurable diminution in value, of Property.

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THIS BOND, INCLUDING THE FOREGOING INSURING AGREEMENTS

AND GENERAL AGREEMENTS, IS SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING

PROVISIONS, CONDITIONS AND LIMITATIONS:

SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS

The following terms used in this Bond shall have the meanings stated in this Section:

A. Alteration means the marking, changing or altering in a material way of the terms, meaning or legal effect of a document with the intent to deceive.

B. Application means the Insureds application (and any attachments and materials submitted in connection therewith) furnished to the Underwriter for this Bond.

C. Authorized Address means (1) any Officially Designated address to which redemption proceeds may be sent, (2) any address designated in writing (not to include Electronic Transmission) by the Shareholder of Record and received by the Insured at least one (1) day prior to the effective date of such designation, or (3) any address designated by voice over the telephone or by Electronic Transmission by the Shareholder of Record at least 15 days prior to the effective date of such designation.

D. Authorized Bank Account means any Officially Designated bank account to which redemption proceeds may be sent.

E. Authorized Recipient means (1) the Shareholder of Record, or (2) any other Officially Designated person to whom redemption proceeds may be sent.

F. Computer System means (1) computers with related peripheral components, including storage components, (2) systems and applications software, (3) terminal devices, (4) related communications networks or customer communication systems, and (5) related electronic funds transfer systems; by which data or monies are electronically collected, transmitted, processed, stored or retrieved.

G. Counterfeit means a Written imitation of an actual valid Original which is intended to deceive and to be taken as the Original.

H. Cryptocurrency means a digital or electronic medium of exchange, operating independently of a central bank, in which encryption techniques are used to regulate generation of units and to verify transfer of units from one person to another.

I. Currency means a medium of exchange in current use authorized or adopted by a domestic or foreign government as part of its official currency.

J. Deductible Amount means, with respect to any Insuring Agreement, the amount set forth under the heading Deductible Amount in Item 3 of the Declarations or in any Rider for such Insuring Agreement, applicable to each Single Loss covered by such Insuring Agreement.

K. Depository means any securities depository (other than any foreign securities depository) in which an Investment Company may deposit its Securities in accordance with Rule 17f-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

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L. Dishonest or Fraudulent Act means any dishonest or fraudulent act, including larceny and embezzlement as defined in Section 37 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, committed with the conscious manifest intent (1) to cause the Insured to sustain a loss and (2) to obtain an improper financial benefit for the perpetrator or any other person or entity. A Dishonest or Fraudulent Act does not mean or include a reckless act, a negligent act, or a grossly negligent act. As used in this definition, improper financial benefit does not include any employee benefits received in the course of employment, including salaries, commissions, fees, bonuses, promotions, awards, profit sharing or pensions.

M. Electronic Transmission means any transmission effected by electronic means, including but not limited to a transmission effected by telephone tones, Telefacsimile, wireless device, or over the Internet.

N. Employee means:

(1) each officer, director, trustee, partner or employee of the Insured, and

(2) each officer, director, trustee, partner or employee of any predecessor of the Insured whose principal assets are acquired by the Insured by consolidation or merger with, or purchase of assets or capital stock of, such predecessor, and

(3) each attorney performing legal services for the Insured and each employee of such attorney or of the law firm of such attorney while performing services for the Insured, and

(4) each student who is an authorized intern of the Insured, while in any of the Insureds offices, and

(5) each officer, director, trustee, partner or employee of

(a) an investment adviser,

(b) an underwriter (distributor),

(c) a transfer agent or shareholder accounting recordkeeper, or

(d) an administrator authorized by written agreement to keep financial and/or other required records,

for an Investment Company named as an Insured, BUT ONLY while (i) such officer, partner or employee is performing acts coming within the scope of the usual duties of an officer or employee of an Insured, or (ii) such officer, director, trustee, partner or employee is acting as a member of any committee duly elected or appointed to examine or audit or have custody of or access to the Property of the Insured, or (iii) such director or trustee (or anyone acting in a similar capacity) is acting outside the scope of the usual duties of a director or trustee; PROVIDED, that the term Employee shall not include any officer, director, trustee, partner or employee of a transfer agent, shareholder accounting recordkeeper or administrator (x) which is not an affiliated person (as defined in Section 2(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940) of an Investment Company named as an Insured or of the adviser or underwriter of such Investment Company, or (y) which is a Bank (as defined in Section 2(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940), and

(6) each individual assigned, by contract or by any agency furnishing temporary personnel, in either case on a contingent or part-time basis, to perform the usual duties of an employee in any office of the Insured, and

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(7) each individual assigned to perform the usual duties of an employee or officer of any entity authorized by written agreement with the Insured to perform services as electronic data processor of checks or other accounting records of the Insured, but excluding a processor which acts as transfer agent or in any other agency capacity for the Insured in issuing checks, drafts or securities, unless included under subsection (5) hereof, and

(8) each officer, partner or employee of

(a) any Depository or Exchange,

(b) any nominee in whose name is registered any Security included in the systems for the central handling of securities established and maintained by any Depository, and

(c) any recognized service company which provides clerks or other personnel to any Depository or Exchange on a contract basis,

while such officer, partner or employee is performing services for any Depository in the operation of systems for the central handling of securities, and

(9) in the case of an Insured which is an employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)) for officers, directors or employees of another Insured (In-House Plan), any fiduciary or other plan official (within the meaning of Section 412 of ERISA) of such In-House Plan, provided that such fiduciary or other plan official is a director, partner, officer, trustee or employee of an Insured (other than an In-House Plan).

Each employer of temporary personnel and each entity referred to in subsections (6) and (7) and their respective partners, officers and employees shall collectively be deemed to be one person for all the purposes of this Bond.

Brokers, agents, independent contractors, or representatives of the same general character shall not be considered Employees, except as provided in subsections (3), (6), and (7).

O. Exchange means any national securities exchange registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

P. Forgery means the physical signing on a document of the name of another person with the intent to deceive. A Forgery may be by means of mechanically reproduced facsimile signatures as well as handwritten signatures. Forgery does not include the signing of an individuals own name, regardless of such individuals authority, capacity or purpose.

Q. Items of Deposit means one or more checks or drafts.

R. Investment Company or Fund means an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

S. Limit of Liability means, with respect to any Insuring Agreement, the limit of liability of the Underwriter for any Single Loss covered by such Insuring Agreement as set forth under the heading Limit of Liability in Item 3 of the Declarations or in any Rider for such Insuring Agreement.

T. Mysterious Disappearance means any disappearance of Property which, after a reasonable investigation has been conducted, cannot be explained.

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U. Non-Fund means any corporation, business trust, partnership, trust or other entity which is not an Investment Company.

V. Officially Designated means designated by the Shareholder of Record:

(1) in the initial account application,

(2) in writing accompanied by a signature guarantee, or

(3) in writing or by Electronic Transmission, where such designation is verified via a callback to the Shareholder of Record by the Insured at a predetermined telephone number provided by the Shareholder of Record to the Insured in writing at least 30 days prior to such callback.

W. Original means the first rendering or archetype and does not include photocopies or electronic transmissions even if received and printed.

X. Phone/Electronic Transaction means any (1) redemption of shares issued by an Investment Company, (2) election concerning dividend options available to Fund shareholders, (3) exchange of shares in a registered account of one Fund into shares in an identically registered account of another Fund in the same complex pursuant to exchange privileges of the two Funds, or (4) purchase of shares issued by an Investment Company, which redemption, election, exchange or purchase is requested by voice over the telephone or through an Electronic Transmission.

Y. Phone/Electronic Transaction Security Procedures means security procedures for Phone/Electronic Transactions as set forth in the Application and/or as otherwise provided in writing to the Underwriter.

Z. Property means the following tangible items: money, postage and revenue stamps, precious metals, Securities, bills of exchange, acceptances, checks, drafts, or other written orders or directions to pay sums certain in money, certificates of deposit, due bills, money orders, letters of credit, financial futures contracts, conditional sales contracts, abstracts of title, insurance policies, deeds, mortgages, and assignments of any of the foregoing, and other valuable papers, including books of account and other records used by the Insured in the conduct of its business, and all other instruments similar to or in the nature of the foregoing (but excluding all data processing records), (1) in which the Insured has a legally cognizable interest, (2) in which the Insured acquired or should have acquired such an interest by reason of a predecessors declared financial condition at the time of the Insureds consolidation or merger with, or purchase of the principal assets of, such predecessor or (3) which are held by the Insured for any purpose or in any capacity.

AA. Securities means original negotiable or non-negotiable agreements or instruments which represent an equitable or legal interest, ownership or debt (including stock certificates, bonds, promissory notes, and assignments thereof), which are in the ordinary course of business transferable by physical delivery with appropriate endorsement or assignment. Securities does not include bills of exchange, acceptances, certificates of deposit, checks, drafts, or other written orders or directions to pay sums certain in money, due bills, money orders, or letters of credit.

BB. Security Company means an entity which provides or purports to provide the transport of Property by secure means, including, without limitation, by use of armored vehicles or guards.

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CC. Self-Regulatory Organization means any association of investment advisers or securities dealers registered under the federal securities laws, or any Exchange.

DD. Shareholder of Record means the record owner of shares issued by an Investment Company or, in the case of joint ownership of such shares, all record owners, as designated (1) in the initial account application, or (2) in writing accompanied by a signature guarantee, or (3) pursuant to procedures as set forth in the Application and/or as otherwise provided in writing to the Underwriter.

EE. Single Loss means:

(1) all loss caused by any one act (other than a Dishonest or Fraudulent Act) committed by one person, or

(2) all loss caused by Dishonest or Fraudulent Acts committed by one person, or

(3) all expenses incurred with respect to any one audit or examination, or

(4) all loss caused by any one occurrence or event other than those specified in subsections (1) through (3) above.

All acts or omissions of one or more persons which directly or indirectly aid or, by failure to report or otherwise, permit the continuation of an act referred to in subsections (1) and (2) above of any other person shall be deemed to be the acts of such other person for purposes of this subsection.

All acts or occurrences or events which have as a common nexus any fact, circumstance, situation, transaction or series of facts, circumstances, situations, or transactions shall be deemed to be one act, one occurrence, or one event.

FF. Telefacsimile means a system of transmitting and reproducing fixed graphic material (as, for example, printing) by means of signals transmitted over telephone lines or over the Internet.

GG. Written means expressed through letters or marks placed upon paper and visible to the eye.

SECTION 2. EXCLUSIONS

THIS BOND DOES NOT COVER:

A. Loss resulting from (1) riot or civil commotion outside the United States of America and Canada, or (2) war, revolution, insurrection, action by armed forces, or usurped power, wherever occurring; except if such loss occurs while the Property is in transit, is otherwise covered under Insuring Agreement D, and when such transit was initiated, the Insured or any person initiating such transit on the Insureds behalf had no knowledge of such riot, civil commotion, war, revolution, insurrection, action by armed forces, or usurped power.

B. Loss in time of peace or war resulting from nuclear fission or fusion or radioactivity, or biological or chemical agents or hazards, or fire, smoke, or explosion, or the effects of any of the foregoing.

C. Loss resulting from any Dishonest or Fraudulent Act committed by any person while acting in the capacity of a member of the Board of Directors or any equivalent body of the Insured or of any other entity.

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D. Loss resulting from any nonpayment or other default of any loan or similar transaction made by the Insured or any of its partners, directors, officers or employees, whether or not authorized and whether procured in good faith or through a Dishonest or Fraudulent Act, unless such loss is otherwise covered under Insuring Agreement A, E, or F.

E. Loss resulting from any violation by the Insured or by any Employee of any law, or any rule or regulation pursuant thereto or adopted by a Self-Regulatory Organization, regulating the issuance, purchase or sale of securities, securities transactions upon security exchanges or over the counter markets, Investment Companies, or investment advisers, unless such loss, in the absence of such law, rule or regulation, would be covered under Insuring Agreement A, E, or F.

F. Loss resulting from Property that is the object of a Dishonest or Fraudulent Act or Mysterious Disappearance while in the custody of any Security Company, unless such loss is covered under this Bond and is in excess of the amount recovered or received by the Insured under (1) the Insureds contract with such Security Company, and (2) insurance or indemnity of any kind carried by such Security Company for the benefit of, or otherwise available to, users of its service, in which case this Bond shall cover only such excess, subject to the applicable Limit of Liability and Deductible Amount.

G. Potential income, including but not limited to interest and dividends, not realized by the Insured because of a loss covered under this Bond, except when covered under Insuring Agreement H.

H. Loss in the form of (1) damages of any type for which the Insured is legally liable, except direct compensatory damages, or (2) taxes, fines, or penalties, including without limitation two-thirds of treble damage awards pursuant to judgments under any statute or regulation.

I. Loss resulting from the surrender of Property away from an office of the Insured as a result of kidnap, ransom, or extortion, or a threat

(1) to do bodily harm to any person, except where the Property is in transit in the custody of any person acting as messenger as a result of a threat to do bodily harm to such person, if the Insured had no knowledge of such threat at the time such transit was initiated, or

(2) to do damage to the premises or Property of the Insured,

unless such loss is otherwise covered under Insuring Agreement A.

J. All costs, fees, and other expenses incurred by the Insured in establishing the existence of or amount of loss covered under this Bond, except to the extent certain audit expenses are covered under Insuring Agreement B.

K. Loss resulting from payments made to or withdrawals from any account, involving funds erroneously credited to such account, unless such loss is otherwise covered under Insuring Agreement A.

L. Loss resulting from uncollectible Items of Deposit which are drawn upon a financial institution outside the United States of America, its territories and possessions, or Canada.

M. Loss resulting from the Dishonest or Fraudulent Acts or other acts or omissions of an Employee primarily engaged in the sale of shares issued by an Investment Company to persons other than (1) a person registered as a broker under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or (2) an accredited investor as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, which is not an individual.

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N. Loss resulting from the use of credit, debit, charge, access, convenience, identification, cash management or other cards, whether such cards were issued or purport to have been issued by the Insured or by anyone else, unless such loss is otherwise covered under Insuring Agreement A.

O. Loss resulting from any purchase, redemption or exchange of securities issued by an Investment Company or other Insured, or any other instruction, request, acknowledgement, notice or transaction involving securities issued by an Investment Company or other Insured or the dividends in respect thereof, when any of the foregoing is requested, authorized or directed or purported to be requested, authorized or directed by voice over the telephone or by Electronic Transmission, unless such loss is otherwise covered under Insuring Agreement A or Insuring Agreement I.

P. Loss resulting from any Dishonest or Fraudulent Act or committed by an Employee as defined in Section 1.N(2), unless such loss (1) could not have been reasonably discovered by the due diligence of the Insured at or prior to the time of acquisition by the Insured of the assets acquired from a predecessor, and (2) arose out of a lawsuit or valid claim brought against the Insured by a person unaffiliated with the Insured or with any person affiliated with the Insured.

Q. Loss resulting from the unauthorized entry of data into, or the deletion or destruction of data in, or the change of data elements or programs within, any Computer System, unless such loss is otherwise covered under Insuring Agreement A.

R. Loss resulting from the theft, disappearance, destruction, disclosure, or unauthorized use of confidential or personal information (including, but not limited to, trade secrets, personal shareholder or client information, shareholder or client lists, personally identifiable financial or medical information, intellectual property, or any other type of non-public information), whether such information is owned by the Insured or held by the Insured in any capacity (including concurrently with another person); provided, however, this exclusion shall not apply to loss arising out of the use of such information to support or facilitate the commission of an act otherwise covered by this Bond.

S. All costs, fees, and other expenses arising from a data security breach or incident, including, but not limited to, forensic audit expenses, fines, penalties, expenses to comply with federal and state laws and expenses related to notifying affected individuals.

T. Loss resulting from vandalism or malicious mischief.

U. Loss resulting from the theft, disappearance, or destruction of Cryptocurrency or from the change in value of Cryptocurrency, unless such loss (1) is sustained by any investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 that is named as an Insured and (2) is otherwise covered under Insuring Agreement A.

SECTION 3. ASSIGNMENT OF RIGHTS

Upon payment to the Insured hereunder for any loss, the Underwriter shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the Insureds rights and claims in connection with such loss; provided, however, that the Underwriter shall not be subrogated to any such rights or claims one named Insured under this Bond may have against another named Insured under this Bond. At the request of the Underwriter, the Insured shall execute all assignments or other documents and take such action as the Underwriter may deem necessary or desirable to secure and perfect such rights and claims, including the execution of documents necessary to enable the Underwriter to bring suit in the name of the Insured.

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Assignment of any rights or claims under this Bond shall not bind the Underwriter without the Underwriters written consent.

SECTION 4. LOSSNOTICEPROOFLEGAL PROCEEDINGS

This Bond is for the use and benefit only of the Insured and the Underwriter shall not be liable hereunder to anyone other than the Insured. As soon as practicable and not more than sixty (60) days after discovery of any loss covered hereunder, the Insured shall give the Underwriter written notice thereof and, as soon as practicable and within one year after such discovery, shall also furnish to the Underwriter affirmative proof of loss with full particulars. The Underwriter may extend the sixty-day notice period or the one-year proof of loss period if the Insured requests an extension and shows good cause therefor.

The Insured shall provide the Underwriter with such information, assistance, and cooperation as the Underwriter may reasonably request.

See also General Agreement C (Court Costs and Attorneys Fees).

The Underwriter shall not be liable hereunder for loss of Securities unless each of the Securities is identified in such proof of loss by a certificate or bond number or by such identification means as the Underwriter may require. The Underwriter shall have a reasonable period after receipt of a proper affirmative proof of loss within which to investigate the claim, but where the Property is Securities and the loss is clear and undisputed, settlement shall be made within forty-eight (48) hours even if the loss involves Securities of which duplicates may be obtained.

The Insured shall not bring legal proceedings against the Underwriter to recover any loss hereunder prior to sixty (60) days after filing such proof of loss or subsequent to twenty-four (24) months after the discovery of such loss or, in the case of a legal proceeding to recover hereunder on account of any judgment against the Insured in or settlement of any suit mentioned in General Agreement C or to recover court costs or attorneys fees paid in any such suit, twenty-four (24) months after the date of the final judgment in or settlement of such suit. If any limitation in this Bond is prohibited by any applicable law, such limitation shall be deemed to be amended to be equal to the minimum period of limitation permitted by such law.

Notice hereunder shall be given to Manager, Professional Liability Claims, ICI Mutual Insurance Company, RRG, 1401 H St. NW, Washington, DC 20005, with an electronic copy to [email protected]

SECTION 5. DISCOVERY

For all purposes under this Bond, a loss is discovered, and discovery of a loss occurs, when the Insured

(1) becomes aware of facts, or

(2) receives notice of an actual or potential claim by a third party which alleges that the Insured is liable under circumstances,

which would cause a reasonable person to assume that a loss of a type covered by this Bond has been or is likely to be incurred, regardless of when the act or acts causing or contributing to such loss occurred, even though the exact amount or details of the loss may not be known.

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SECTION 6. VALUATION OF PROPERTY

For the purpose of determining the amount of any loss hereunder, the value of any Property shall be the market value of such Property at the close of business on the first business day before the discovery of such loss; except that

(1) the value of any Property replaced by the Insured prior to the payment of a claim therefor shall be the actual market value of such Property at the time of replacement, but not in excess of the market value of such Property on the first business day before the discovery of the loss of such Property;

(2) the value of Securities which must be produced to exercise subscription, conversion, redemption or deposit privileges shall be the market value of such privileges immediately preceding the expiration thereof if the loss of such Securities is not discovered until after such expiration, but if there is no quoted or other ascertainable market price for such Property or privileges referred to in clauses (1) and (2), their value shall be fixed by agreement between the parties or by arbitration before an arbitrator or arbitrators acceptable to the parties; and

(3) the value of books of accounts or other records used by the Insured in the conduct of its business shall be limited to the actual cost of blank books, blank pages or other materials if the books or records are reproduced plus the cost of labor for the transcription or copying of data furnished by the Insured for reproduction.

SECTION 7. LOST SECURITIES

The maximum liability of the Underwriter hereunder for lost Securities shall be the payment for, or replacement of, such Securities having an aggregate value not to exceed the applicable Limit of Liability. If the Underwriter shall make payment to the Insured for any loss of Securities, the Insured shall assign to the Underwriter all of the Insureds right, title and interest in and to such Securities. In lieu of such payment, the Underwriter may, at its option, replace such lost Securities, and in such case the Insured shall cooperate to effect such replacement. To effect the replacement of lost Securities, the Underwriter may issue or arrange for the issuance of a lost instrument bond. If the value of such Securities does not exceed the applicable Deductible Amount (at the time of the discovery of the loss), the Insured will pay the usual premium charged for the lost instrument bond and will indemnify the issuer of such bond against all loss and expense that it may sustain because of the issuance of such bond.

If the value of such Securities exceeds the applicable Deductible Amount (at the time of discovery of the loss), the Insured will pay a proportion of the usual premium charged for the lost instrument bond, equal to the percentage that the applicable Deductible Amount bears to the value of such Securities upon discovery of the loss, and will indemnify the issuer of such bond against all loss and expense that is not recovered from the Underwriter under the terms and conditions of this Bond, subject to the applicable Limit of Liability.

SECTION 8. SALVAGE

If any recovery is made, whether by the Insured or the Underwriter, on account of any loss within the applicable Limit of Liability hereunder, the Underwriter shall be entitled to the full amount of such recovery to reimburse the Underwriter for all amounts paid hereunder with respect to such loss. If any recovery is made, whether by the Insured or the Underwriter, on account of any loss in excess of the applicable Limit of Liability hereunder plus the Deductible Amount applicable to such loss from any source other than suretyship, insurance, reinsurance, security or indemnity taken by or for the benefit of the Underwriter, the amount of such recovery, net of the actual costs and expenses of recovery, shall

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be applied to reimburse the Insured in full for the portion of such loss in excess of such Limit of Liability, and the remainder, if any, shall be paid first to reimburse the Underwriter for all amounts paid hereunder with respect to such loss and then to the Insured to the extent of the portion of such loss within the Deductible Amount. The Insured shall execute all documents which the Underwriter deems necessary or desirable to secure to the Underwriter the rights provided for herein.

SECTION 9. NON-REDUCTION AND NON-ACCUMULATION OF LIABILITY AND TOTAL LIABILITY

Prior to its termination, this Bond shall continue in force up to the Limit of Liability for each Insuring Agreement for each Single Loss, notwithstanding any previous loss (other than such Single Loss) for which the Underwriter may have paid or be liable to pay hereunder; PROVIDED, however, that regardless of the number of years this Bond shall continue in force and the number of premiums which shall be payable or paid, the liability of the Underwriter under this Bond with respect to any Single Loss shall be limited to the applicable Limit of Liability irrespective of the total amount of such Single Loss and shall not be cumulative in amounts from year to year or from period to period.

SECTION 10. MAXIMUM LIABILITY OF UNDERWRITER; OTHER BONDS OR POLICIES

The maximum liability of the Underwriter for any Single Loss covered by any Insuring Agreement under this Bond shall be the Limit of Liability applicable to such Insuring Agreement, subject to the applicable Deductible Amount and the other provisions of this Bond. Recovery for any Single Loss may not be made under more than one Insuring Agreement. If any Single Loss covered under this Bond is recoverable or recovered in whole or in part because of an unexpired discovery period under any other bonds or policies issued by the Underwriter to the Insured or to any predecessor in interest of the Insured, the maximum liability of the Underwriter shall be the greater of either (1) the applicable Limit of Liability under this Bond, or (2) the maximum liability of the Underwriter under such other bonds or policies.

SECTION 11. OTHER INSURANCE

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, if any loss covered by this Bond shall also be covered by other insurance or suretyship for the benefit of the Insured, the Underwriter shall be liable hereunder only for the portion of such loss in excess of the amount recoverable under such other insurance or suretyship, but not exceeding the applicable Limit of Liability of this Bond.

SECTION 12. DEDUCTIBLE AMOUNT

The Underwriter shall not be liable under any Insuring Agreement unless the amount of the loss covered thereunder, after deducting the net amount of all reimbursement and/or recovery received by the Insured with respect to such loss (other than from any other bond, suretyship or insurance policy or as an advance by the Underwriter hereunder) shall exceed the applicable Deductible Amount; in such case the Underwriter shall be liable only for such excess, subject to the applicable Limit of Liability and the other terms of this Bond.

No Deductible Amount shall apply to any loss covered under Insuring Agreement A sustained by any Investment Company named as an Insured.

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SECTION 13. TERMINATION

The Underwriter may terminate this Bond as to any Insured or all Insureds only by written notice to such Insured or Insureds and, if this Bond is terminated as to any Investment Company, to each such Investment Company terminated thereby and to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C., in all cases not less than sixty (60) days prior to the effective date of termination specified in such notice.

The Insured may terminate this Bond only by written notice to the Underwriter not less than sixty (60) days prior to the effective date of the termination specified in such notice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, when the Insured terminates this Bond as to any Investment Company, the effective date of termination shall be not less than sixty (60) days from the date the Underwriter provides written notice of the termination to each such Investment Company terminated thereby and to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C.

This Bond will terminate as to any Insured that is a Non-Fund immediately and without notice upon (1) the takeover of such Insureds business by any State or Federal official or agency, or by any receiver or liquidator, or (2) the filing of a petition under any State or Federal statute relative to bankruptcy or reorganization of the Insured, or assignment for the benefit of creditors of the Insured.

Premiums are earned until the effective date of termination. The Underwriter shall refund the unearned premium computed at short rates in accordance with the Underwriters standard short rate cancellation tables if this Bond is terminated by the Insured or pro rata if this Bond is terminated by the Underwriter.

Upon the detection by any Insured that an Employee has committed any Dishonest or Fraudulent Act(s), the Insured shall immediately remove such Employee from a position that may enable such Employee to cause the Insured to suffer a loss by any subsequent Dishonest or Fraudulent Act(s). The Insured, within two (2) business days of such detection, shall notify the Underwriter with full and complete particulars of the detected Dishonest or Fraudulent Act(s).

For purposes of this section, detection occurs when any partner, officer, or supervisory employee of any Insured, who is not in collusion with such Employee, becomes aware that the Employee has committed any Dishonest or Fraudulent Act(s).

This Bond shall terminate as to any Employee by written notice from the Underwriter to each Insured and, if such Employee is an Employee of an Insured Investment Company, to the Securities and Exchange Commission, in all cases not less than sixty (60) days prior to the effective date of termination specified in such notice.

SECTION 14. RIGHTS AFTER TERMINATION

At any time prior to the effective date of termination of this Bond as to any Insured, such Insured may, by written notice to the Underwriter, elect to purchase the right under this Bond to an additional period of twelve (12) months within which to discover loss sustained by such Insured prior to the effective date of such termination and shall pay an additional premium therefor as the Underwriter may require.

Such additional discovery period shall terminate immediately and without notice upon the takeover of such Insureds business by any State or Federal official or agency, or by any receiver or liquidator. Promptly after such termination the Underwriter shall refund to the Insured any unearned premium.

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The right to purchase such additional discovery period may not be exercised by any State or Federal official or agency, or by any receiver or liquidator, acting or appointed to take over the Insureds business.

SECTION 15. CENTRAL HANDLING OF SECURITIES

The Underwriter shall not be liable for loss in connection with the central handling of securities within the systems established and maintained by any Depository (Systems), unless the amount of such loss exceeds the amount recoverable or recovered under any bond or policy or participants fund insuring the Depository against such loss (the Depositorys Recovery); in such case the Underwriter shall be liable hereunder only for the Insureds share of such excess loss, subject to the applicable Limit of Liability, the Deductible Amount and the other terms of this Bond.

For determining the Insureds share of such excess loss, (1) the Insured shall be deemed to have an interest in any certificate representing any security included within the Systems equivalent to the interest the Insured then has in all certificates representing the same security included within the Systems; (2) the Depository shall have reasonably and fairly apportioned the Depositorys Recovery among all those having an interest as recorded by appropriate entries in the books and records of the Depository in Property involved in such loss, so that each such interest shall share in the Depositorys Recovery in the ratio that the value of each such interest bears to the total value of all such interests; and (3) the Insureds share of such excess loss shall be the amount of the Insureds interest in such Property in excess of the amount(s) so apportioned to the Insured by the Depository.

This Bond does not afford coverage in favor of any Depository or Exchange or any nominee in whose name is registered any security included within the Systems.

SECTION 16. ADDITIONAL COMPANIES INCLUDED AS INSURED

If more than one entity is named as the Insured:

A. the total liability of the Underwriter hereunder for each Single Loss shall not exceed the Limit of Liability which would be applicable if there were only one named Insured, regardless of the number of Insured entities which sustain loss as a result of such Single Loss,

B. the Insured first named in Item 1 of the Declarations shall be deemed authorized to make, adjust, and settle, and receive and enforce payment of, all claims hereunder as the agent of each other Insured for such purposes and for the giving or receiving of any notice required or permitted to be given hereunder; provided, that the Underwriter shall promptly furnish each named Insured Investment Company with (1) a copy of this Bond and any amendments thereto, (2) a copy of each formal filing of a claim hereunder by any other Insured, and (3) notification of the terms of the settlement of each such claim prior to the execution of such settlement,

C. the Underwriter shall not be responsible or have any liability for the proper application by the Insured first named in Item 1 of the Declarations of any payment made hereunder to the first named Insured,

D. for the purposes of Sections 4 and 13, knowledge possessed or discovery made by any partner, officer or supervisory Employee of any Insured shall constitute knowledge or discovery by every named Insured,

18 Bond (6/18)

E. if the first named Insured ceases for any reason to be covered under this Bond, then the Insured next named shall thereafter be considered as the first named Insured for the purposes of this Bond, and

F. each named Insured shall constitute the Insured for all purposes of this Bond.

SECTION 17. NOTICE AND CHANGE OF CONTROL

Within thirty (30) days after learning that there has been a change in control of an Insured by transfer of its outstanding voting securities the Insured shall give written notice to the Underwriter of:

A. the names of the transferors and transferees (or the names of the beneficial owners if the voting securities are registered in another name), and

B. the total number of voting securities owned by the transferors and the transferees (or the beneficial owners), both immediately before and after the transfer, and

C. the total number of outstanding voting securities.

As used in this Section, control means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of the Insured.

SECTION 18. CHANGE OR MODIFICATION

This Bond may only be modified by written Rider forming a part hereof over the signature of the Underwriters authorized representative. Any Rider which modifies the coverage provided by Insuring Agreement A, Fidelity, in a manner which adversely affects the rights of an Insured Investment Company shall not become effective until at least sixty (60) days after the Underwriter has given written notice thereof to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Washington, D.C., and to each Insured Investment Company affected thereby.

SECTION 19. COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE TRADE AND ECONOMIC SANCTIONS

This Bond shall not be deemed to provide any coverage, and the Underwriter shall not be required to pay any loss or provide any benefit hereunder, to the extent that the provision of such coverage, payment of such loss or provision of such benefit would cause the Underwriter to be in violation of any applicable trade or economic sanctions, laws or regulations, including, but not limited to, any sanctions, laws or regulations administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

SECTION 20. ANTI-BUNDLING

If any Insuring Agreement requires that an enumerated type of document be Counterfeit, or contain a Forgery or Alteration, the Counterfeit, Forgery, or Alteration must be on or of the enumerated document itself, not on or of some other document submitted with, accompanying or incorporated by reference into the enumerated document.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Underwriter has caused this Bond to be executed on the Declarations Page.

19 Bond (6/18)

ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

a Risk Retention Group

INVESTMENT COMPANY BLANKET BOND

RIDER NO. 1

INSURED BOND NUMBER 1290 Funds 02634223B EFFECTIVE DATE BOND PERIOD AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE April 27, 2023 April 27, 2023 to April 27, 2024 /S/ Catherine Dalton

In consideration of the premium charged for this Bond, it is hereby understood and agreed that Item 1 of the Declarations, Name of Insured, shall include the following:

Equitable Investment Management, LLC

1290 Funds, a series fund consisting of:

 1290 Diversified Bond

 1290 Essex Small Cap Growth

 1290 GAMCO Small/Mid Cap Value

 1290 High Yield Bond

 1290 Loomis Sayles Multi-Asset Income

 1290 Multi-Alternative Strategies

 1290 Retirement 2020

 1290 Retirement 2025

 1290 Retirement 2030

 1290 Retirement 2035

 1290 Retirement 2040

 1290 Retirement 2045

 1290 Retirement 2050

 1290 Retirement 2055

 1290 Retirement 2060

 1290 SmartBeta Equity

Except as above stated, nothing herein shall be held to alter, waive or extend any of the terms of this Bond.

RN0001.0-00 (01/02)

ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

a Risk Retention Group

INVESTMENT COMPANY BLANKET BOND

RIDER NO. 2

INSURED BOND NUMBER 1290 Funds 02634223B EFFECTIVE DATE BOND PERIOD AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE April 27, 2023 April 27, 2023 to April 27, 2024 /S/ Catherine Dalton

In consideration of the premium charged for this Bond, it is hereby understood and agreed that this Bond (other than Insuring Agreements C and D) does not cover loss resulting from or in connection with any business, activities, or acts or omissions of (including services rendered by) any Insured which is not an Insured Fund (Non-Fund Insured) or any Employee of a Non-Fund Insured, except loss, otherwise covered by the terms of this Bond, resulting from or in connection with (1) services rendered by a Non-Fund Insured to an Insured Fund, or to shareholders of such Fund in connection with the issuance, transfer, or redemption of their Fund shares, or (2) in the case of a Non-Fund Insured substantially all of whose business is rendering the services described in (1) above, the general business, activities or operations of such Non-Fund Insured, excluding (a) the rendering of services (other than those described in (1) above) to any person, or (b) the sale of goods or property of any kind.

It is further understood and agreed that with respect to any Non-Fund Insured, Insuring Agreements C and D only cover loss of Property which a Non-Fund Insured uses or holds, or in which a Non-Fund Insured has an interest, in each case wholly or partially in connection with the rendering of services by a Non-Fund Insured to an Insured Fund, or to shareholders of such Fund in connection with the issuance, transfer, or redemption of their Fund shares.

Except as above stated, nothing herein shall be held to alter, waive or extend any of the terms of this Bond.

RN0003.0-02 (07/20)

ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

a Risk Retention Group

INVESTMENT COMPANY BLANKET BOND

RIDER NO. 3

INSURED BOND NUMBER 1290 Funds 02634223B EFFECTIVE DATE BOND PERIOD AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE April 27, 2023 April 27, 2023 to April 27, 2024 /S/ Catherine Dalton

In consideration of the premium charged for this Bond, it is hereby understood and agreed that the Deductible Amount for Insuring Agreement E, Forgery or Alteration, and Insuring Agreement F, Securities, shall not apply with respect to loss through Forgery of a signature on the following documents:

(1) letter requesting redemption of $25,000 or less payable by check to the Shareholder of Record and sent to an Authorized Address; or

(2) letter requesting redemption of $25,000 or less by wire transfer to the Shareholder of Record of an Authorized Bank Account; or

(3) written request to a trustee or custodian for a Designated Retirement Account (DRA) which holds shares of an Insured Fund, where such request (a) purports to be from or at the instruction of the Owner of such DRA, and (b) directs such trustee or custodian to transfer $25,000 or less from such DRA to a trustee or custodian for another DRA established for the benefit of such Owner;

provided , that the Limit of Liability for a Single Loss as described above shall be $25,000 and that the Insured shall bear 20% of each such loss. This Rider shall not apply in the case of any such Single Loss which exceeds $25,000; in such case the Deductible Amounts and Limits of Liability set forth in Item 3 of the Declarations shall control.

For purposes of this Rider:

(A) Designated Retirement Account means any retirement plan or account described or qualified under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or a subaccount thereof.

(B) Owner means the individual for whose benefit the DRA, or a subaccount thereof, is established.

Except as above stated, nothing herein shall be held to alter, waive or extend any of the terms of this Bond.

RN0027.0-02 (07/18)

ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

a Risk Retention Group

INVESTMENT COMPANY BLANKET BOND

RIDER NO. 4

INSURED BOND NUMBER 1290 Funds 02634223B EFFECTIVE DATE BOND PERIOD AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE April 27, 2023 April 27, 2023 to April 27, 2024 /S/ Catherine Dalton

In consideration of the premium charged for this Bond, it is hereby understood and agreed that this Bond does not cover any loss resulting from or in connection with the acceptance of any Third Party Check, unless

(1) such Third Party Check is used to open or increase an account which is registered in the name of one or more of the payees on such Third Party Check, and

(2) reasonable efforts are made by the Insured, or by the entity receiving Third Party Checks on behalf of the Insured, to verify all endorsements on all Third Party Checks made payable in amounts greater than $100,000 (provided, however, that the isolated failure to make such efforts in a particular instance will not preclude coverage, subject to the exclusions herein and in the Bond),

and then only to the extent such loss is otherwise covered under this Bond.

For purposes of this Rider, Third Party Check means a check made payable to one or more parties and offered as payment to one or more other parties.

It is further understood and agreed that notwithstanding anything to the contrary above or elsewhere in the Bond, this Bond does not cover any loss resulting from or in connection with the acceptance of a Third Party Check where:

(1) any payee on such Third Party Check reasonably appears to be a corporation or other entity; or

(2) such Third Party Check is made payable in an amount greater than $100,000 and does not include the purported endorsements of all payees on such Third Party Check.

It is further understood and agreed that this Rider shall not apply with respect to any coverage that may be available under Insuring Agreement A, Fidelity.

Except as above stated, nothing herein shall be held to alter, waive or extend any of the terms of this Bond.

RN0030.0-01 (01/02)

ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

a Risk Retention Group

INVESTMENT COMPANY BLANKET BOND

RIDER NO. 5

INSURED BOND NUMBER 1290 Funds 02634223B EFFECTIVE DATE BOND PERIOD AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE April 27, 2023 April 27, 2023 to April 27, 2024 /S/ Catherine Dalton

NEWLY CREATED INVESTMENT COMPANIES

In consideration of the premium charged for this Bond, it is hereby understood and agreed that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in General Agreement A of this Bond, Item 1 of the Declarations shall include any Newly Created Investment Company, provided that the Underwriter receives, at least annually, a report that lists (1) all Newly Created Investment Companies created over the preceding twelve months, and (2) the estimated net assets of each Newly Created Investment Company as of the date of the report.

For purposes of this Rider, Newly Created Investment Company shall mean any Investment Company or series thereof (notwithstanding that such Investment Companys or series registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 may not yet be effective), which Investment Company or series (1) was not yet created as of the inception of the Bond Period, and (2) has (or upon registration will have) directors who are identical to the directors of another Insured Fund (other than another Newly Created Investment Company).

It is further understood and agreed that the title in this Rider is included solely for convenience and shall not itself be deemed to be a term or condition of coverage, or a description or interpretation thereof.

Except as above stated, nothing herein shall be held to alter, waive or extend any of the terms of this Bond.

RN0033.1-01 (07/21)

ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

a Risk Retention Group

INVESTMENT COMPANY BLANKET BOND

RIDER NO. 6

INSURED BOND NUMBER 1290 Funds 02634223B EFFECTIVE DATE BOND PERIOD AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE April 27, 2023 April 27, 2023 to April 27, 2024 /S/ Catherine Dalton

Most property and casualty insurers, including ICI Mutual Insurance Company, a Risk Retention Group (ICI Mutual), are subject to the requirements of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, as amended (the Act). The Act establishes a federal insurance backstop under which ICI Mutual and these other insurers may be partially reimbursed by the United States Government for future insured losses resulting from certified acts of terrorism. (Each of these bolded terms is defined by the Act.) The Act also places certain disclosure and other obligations on ICI Mutual and these other insurers.

Pursuant to the Act, any future losses to ICI Mutual caused by certified acts of terrorism may be partially reimbursed by the United Sates government under a formula established by the Act. Under this formula, the United States government would generally reimburse ICI Mutual for the Federal Share of Compensation of ICI Mutuals insured losses in excess of ICI Mutuals insurer deductible until total insured losses of all participating insurers reach $100 billion (the Cap on Annual Liability). If total insured losses of all property and casualty insurers reach the Cap on Annual Liability in any one calendar year, the Act limits U.S. Government reimbursement and provides that the insurers will not be liable under their policies for their portions of such losses that exceed such amount. Amounts otherwise payable under this Bond may be reduced as a result.

This Bond has no express exclusion for acts of terrorism. However, coverage under this Bond remains subject to all applicable terms, conditions, and limitations of the Bond (including exclusions) that are permissible under the Act.

The portion of the premium that is attributable to any coverage potentially available under the Bond for acts of terrorism is one percent (1%) and does not include any charges for the portion of loss that may be covered by the U.S. Government under the Act

As used herein, Federal Share of Compensation shall mean 80% beginning on January 1, 2020.

Except as above stated, nothing herein shall be held to alter, waive or extend any of the terms of this Bond.

RN0053.1-01 (05/21)

ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

a Risk Retention Group

INVESTMENT COMPANY BLANKET BOND

RIDER NO. 7

INSURED BOND NUMBER 1290 Funds 02634223B EFFECTIVE DATE BOND PERIOD AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE April 27, 2023 April 27, 2023 to April 27, 2024 /S/ Catherine Dalton

In consideration of the premium charged for this Bond, it is hereby understood and agreed that notwithstanding Section 2.Q of this Bond, this Bond is amended by adding an additional Insuring Agreement J as follows:

J. COMPUTER SECURITY

Loss (including loss of Property) resulting directly from Computer Fraud; provided , that the Insured has adopted in writing and generally maintains and follows during the Bond Period all Computer Security Procedures. The isolated failure of the Insured to maintain and follow a particular Computer Security Procedure in a particular instance will not preclude coverage under this Insuring Agreement, subject to the specific exclusions herein and in the Bond.

1. Definitions . The following terms used in this Insuring Agreement shall have the following meanings:

a. Authorized User means any person or entity designated by the Insured (through contract, assignment of User Identification, or otherwise) as authorized to use a Covered Computer System, or any part thereof. An individual who invests in an Insured Fund shall not be considered to be an Authorized User solely by virtue of being an investor.

b. Computer Fraud means the unauthorized entry of data into, or the deletion or destruction of data in, or change of data elements or programs within, a Covered Computer System which:

(1) is committed by any Unauthorized Third Party anywhere, alone or in collusion with other Unauthorized Third Parties; and

(2) is committed with the conscious manifest intent (a) to cause the Insured to sustain a loss, and (b) to obtain financial benefit for the perpetrator or any other person; and

(3) causes (x) Property to be transferred, paid or delivered; or (y) an account of the Insured, or of its customer, to be added, deleted, debited or credited; or (z) an unauthorized or fictitious account to be debited or credited.

c. Computer Security Procedures means procedures for prevention of unauthorized computer access and use and administration of computer access and use as provided in writing to the Underwriter.

d. Covered Computer System means any Computer System as to which the Insured has possession, custody and control.

e. Unauthorized Third Party means any person or entity that, at the time of the Computer Fraud, is not an Authorized User.

f. User Identification means any unique user name (i.e., a series of characters) that is assigned to a person or entity by the Insured.

2. Exclusions . It is further understood and agreed that this Insuring Agreement J shall not cover:

a. Any loss covered under Insuring Agreement A, Fidelity, of this Bond; and

b. Any loss resulting from the intentional failure to adhere to one or more Computer Security Procedures; and

c. Any loss resulting from a Computer Fraud committed by or in collusion with:

(1) any Authorized User (whether a natural person or an entity); or

(2) in the case of any Authorized User which is an entity, (a) any director, officer, partner, employee or agent of such Authorized User, or (b) any entity which controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such Authorized User (Related Entity), or (c) any director, officer, partner, employee or agent of such Related Entity; or

(3) in the case of any Authorized User who is a natural person, (a) any entity for which such Authorized User is a director, officer, partner, employee or agent (Employer Entity), or (b) any director, officer, partner, employee or agent of such Employer Entity, or (c) any entity which controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with such Employer Entity (Employer-Related Entity), or (d) any director, officer, partner, employee or agent of such Employer-Related Entity;

and

d. Any loss resulting from physical damage to or destruction of any Covered Computer System, or any part thereof, or any data, data elements or media associated therewith; and

e. Any loss resulting from Computer Fraud committed by means of wireless access to any Covered Computer System, or any part thereof, or any data, data elements or media associated therewith; and

f. Any loss not directly and proximately caused by Computer Fraud (including, without limitation, disruption of business and extra expense); and

g. Payments made to any person(s) who has threatened to deny or has denied authorized access to a Covered Computer System or otherwise has threatened to disrupt the business of the Insured.

For purposes of this Insuring Agreement, Single Loss, as defined in Section 1.EE of this Bond, shall also include all loss caused by Computer Fraud(s) committed by one person, or in which one person is implicated, whether or not that person is specifically identified. A series of losses involving unidentified individuals, but arising from the same method of operation, may be deemed by the Underwriter to involve the same individual and in that event shall be treated as a Single Loss.

It is further understood and agreed that nothing in this Rider shall affect the exclusion set forth in Section 2.O of this Bond.

Coverage under this Insuring Agreement shall terminate upon termination of this Bond. Coverage under this Insuring Agreement may also be terminated without terminating this Bond as an entirety:

(a) by written notice from the Underwriter not less than sixty (60) days prior to the effective date of termination specified in such notice; or

(b) immediately by written notice from the Insured to the Underwriter.

Except as above stated, nothing herein shall be held to alter, waive or extend any of the terms of this Bond.

RN0019.0-04 (07/18)

ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY,

a Risk Retention Group

INVESTMENT COMPANY BLANKET BOND

RIDER NO. 8

INSURED BOND NUMBER 1290 Funds 02634223B EFFECTIVE DATE BOND PERIOD AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE April 27, 2023 April 27, 2023 to April 27, 2024 /S/ Catherine Dalton

SOCIAL ENGINEERING FRAUD

In consideration of the premium charged for this Bond, it is hereby understood and agreed that this Bond is amended by adding an additional Insuring Agreement M, as follows:

M. Social Engineering Fraud

Loss resulting directly from the Insured, in good faith, transferring, paying, or delivering money from its own account as a direct result of a Social Engineering Fraud;

PROVIDED, that the entity receiving such request generally maintains and follows during the Bond Period all Social Engineering Security Procedures.

The Limit of Liability for a Single Loss under this Insuring Agreement M shall be the lesser of (a) 50% of the amount by which such Single Loss exceeds the Deductible Amount or (b) $1,000,000 (One Million Dollars), and the Insured shall bear the remainder of any such Single Loss. The Deductible Amount for this Insuring Agreement M is $25,000 (Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars).

Notwithstanding any other provision of this Bond, the aggregate Limit of Liability under this Bond with respect to any and all loss or losses under this Insuring Agreement M shall be $1,000,000 (One Million Dollars) for the Bond Period, irrespective of the total amount of such loss or losses.

This Insuring Agreement M does not cover loss covered under any other Insuring Agreement of this Bond.

It is further understood and agreed that for purposes of this rider:

1. Communication means an instruction that (a) directs an Employee to transfer, pay, or deliver money from the Insureds own account, (b) contains a material misrepresentation of fact, and (c) is relied upon by the Employee, believing it to be true.

2. Social Engineering Fraud means the intentional misleading of an Employee through the use of a Communication, where such Communication:

(a) is transmitted to the Employee in writing, by voice over the telephone, or by Electronic Transmission;

(b) is made by an individual who purports to be (i) an Employee who is duly authorized by the Insured to instruct another Employee to transfer, pay, or deliver money, or (ii) an officer or employee of a Vendor who is duly authorized by the Insured to instruct an Employee to transfer, pay, or deliver money; and

(c) is unauthorized, dishonest or fraudulent and is made with the manifest intent to deceive.

3. Social Engineering Security Procedures means security procedures intended to prevent Social Engineering Fraud as set forth in the Application and/or as otherwise provided in writing to the Underwriter.

4. Vendor means any entity or individual that provides goods or services to the Insured under a pre-existing, written agreement.

Except as above stated, nothing herein shall be held to alter, waive, or extend any of the terms of this Bond.

RN0054.0-00 (07/18)

Exhibit B

SECRETARYS CERTIFICATE

I, Shane Daly, Secretary of 1290 Funds (Trust) hereby certify that the following resolutions were adopted at a Meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Trust held March 15-16, 2023, and that said resolutions remain in full force and effect:

VOTED, that the Investment Company Blanket Bond (Fidelity Bond) issued by ICI Mutual Insurance Company for 1290 Funds, with respect to each series of the 1290 Funds and Equitable Investment Management, LLC, be, and it hereby is, approved effective as of April 27, 2023; and further

VOTED, after giving due consideration to all factors deemed relevant by the Board, including, among other things: the value of the aggregate assets of 1290 Funds to which any covered person may have access, the arrangements for custody and safekeeping of such assets, and the nature of the securities held by each series of the 1290 Funds, that the Fidelity Bond, be, and it hereby is, found to be reasonable in form and amount; and further

VOTED, that the premium for the Fidelity Bond to be allocated to 1290 Funds based upon consideration of all relevant factors, including the number of other parties named as insureds, the nature of the business activities of such other parties, the amount of the Fidelity Bond and the amount of the premium for such bond, the ratable allocation of the premium among all parties named as insureds and the extent to which the share of the premium allocated to 1290 Funds is less than the premium 1290 Funds would have had to pay if it had provided and maintained a single insured bond, be, and it hereby is, approved; and further

VOTED, that the appropriate officers of 1290 Funds be, and each hereby is, authorized to take such actions as may be required to amend the Fidelity Bond to include in the coverage new Funds advised, sub-advised or administered by Equitable Investment Management, LLC or its affiliates, as of the date each is declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission; and further

VOTED, that the appropriate officers of the Trust be, and each of them hereby is, authorized and directed to take such actions and execute and deliver such documents, and to make changes to such documents, as such officers may determine, with advice of counsel, to be necessary or appropriate to carry out the intent of the foregoing resolutions.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand as Secretary of the Trust this 23rd day of May 2023.

/s/ Shane Daly Shane Daly

Exhibit C

AMENDMENT NO. 10

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

AMENDMENT NO. 10, effective as of August 19, 2022 (Amendment No. 10), to the Fidelity Bond Sharing Agreement dated September 1, 2014 (the Agreement), between 1290 Funds, an open-end management investment company (Trust), on behalf of each of its series specified in Appendix A (Funds), Equitable Investment Management, LLC, the administrator for the Trust (Administrator) and Equitable Investment Management Group, LLC, the investment adviser for the Trust (Adviser).

The Trust, the Administrator and the Adviser hereby agree to modify and amend the Agreement as follows:

1. Name Change . Effective August 19, 2022, the name of the 1290 DoubleLine Dynamic Allocation Fund is changed to 1290 Loomis Sayles Multi-Asset Income Fund.

2. Appendix A . Appendix A to the Agreement, setting forth the Funds of the Trust on behalf of which the Trust is entering into the Agreement, is hereby replaced in its entirety by Appendix A attached hereto.

Except as modified and amended hereby, the Agreement is hereby ratified and confirmed in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Amendment No. 10 as of the date first above set forth.

1290 FUNDS On behalf of each of its Funds EQUITABLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC By: /s/ Brian Walsh By: /s/ Michal Levy Brian Walsh Chief Financial Officer Date: August 17, 2022 Michal Levy Director, President and Chief Operating Officer Date: August 17, 2022 EQUITABLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC By: /s/ Kenneth Kozlowski Kenneth Kozlowski Executive Vice President Date: August 17, 2022

APPENDIX A

AMENDMENT NO. 10

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

1290 Diversified Bond Fund

1290 Loomis Sayles Multi-Asset Income Fund (fka, 1290 DoubleLine Dynamic Allocation Fund)

1290 Essex Small Cap Growth Fund

1290 GAMCO Small/Mid Cap Value Fund

1290 High Yield Bond Fund

1290 Multi-Alternative Strategies Fund

1290 SmartBeta Equity Fund

1290 Retirement 2020 Fund

1290 Retirement 2025 Fund

1290 Retirement 2030 Fund

1290 Retirement 2035 Fund

1290 Retirement 2040 Fund

1290 Retirement 2045 Fund

1290 Retirement 2050 Fund

1290 Retirement 2055 Fund

1290 Retirement 2060 Fund

AMENDMENT NO. 9

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

AMENDMENT NO. 9, effective as of July 11, 2022 (Amendment No. 9), to the Fidelity Bond Sharing Agreement dated September 1, 2014 (the Agreement), between 1290 Funds, an open-end management investment company (Trust), on behalf of each of its series specified in Appendix A (Funds), Equitable Investment Management, LLC, the administrator for the Trust (Administrator) and Equitable Investment Management Group, LLC, the investment adviser for the Trust (Adviser).

The Trust, the Administrator and the Adviser hereby agree to modify and amend the Agreement as follows:

3. New Fund . Effective July 11, 2022, the 1290 Essex Small Cap Growth Fund is hereby added to the Agreement on the terms and conditions contained in the Agreement.

4. Appendix A . Appendix A to the Agreement, setting forth the Funds of the Trust on behalf of which the Trust is entering into the Agreement, is hereby replaced in its entirety by Appendix A attached hereto.

Except as modified and amended hereby, the Agreement is hereby ratified and confirmed in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Amendment No. 9 as of the date first above set forth.

1290 FUNDS On behalf of each of its Funds EQUITABLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC By: /s/ Brian Walsh By: /s/ Michal Levy Brian Walsh Chief Financial Officer Date: Michal Levy Director, President and Chief Operating Officer Date: EQUITABLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC By: /s/ Kenneth Kozlowski Kenneth Kozlowski Executive Vice President Date:

APPENDIX A

AMENDMENT NO. 9

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

1290 Diversified Bond Fund

1290 DoubleLine Dynamic Allocation Fund

1290 Essex Small Cap Growth Fund

1290 GAMCO Small/Mid Cap Value Fund

1290 High Yield Bond Fund

1290 Multi-Alternative Strategies Fund

1290 SmartBeta Equity Fund

1290 Retirement 2020 Fund

1290 Retirement 2025 Fund

1290 Retirement 2030 Fund

1290 Retirement 2035 Fund

1290 Retirement 2040 Fund

1290 Retirement 2045 Fund

1290 Retirement 2050 Fund

1290 Retirement 2055 Fund

1290 Retirement 2060 Fund

AMENDMENT NO. 8

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

AMENDMENT NO. 8, effective as of August 19, 2021 (Amendment No. 8), to the Fidelity Bond Sharing Agreement dated September 1, 2014 (the Agreement), between 1290 Funds, an open-end management investment company (Trust), on behalf of each of its series specified in Appendix A (Funds), and Equitable Investment Management Group, LLC, the investment adviser for the Trust (Adviser).

The Trust and the Adviser hereby agree to modify and amend the Agreement as follows:

5. Additional Parties . Effective August 1, 2021, Equitable Investment Management, LLC (Administrator), a limited liability company organized in the State of Delaware, is hereby added to the Agreement on the terms and conditions contained in the Agreement;

Except as modified and amended hereby, the Agreement is hereby ratified and confirmed in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Amendment No. 8 as of the date first above set forth.

1290 FUNDS On behalf of each of its Funds EQUITABLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC By: /s/ Brian Walsh By: /s/ Michal Levy Brian Walsh Chief Financial Officer Date: 8/19/21 Michal Levy Director, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Date: 8/19/21 EQUITABLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, LLC By: /s/ Kenneth Kozlowski Kenneth Kozlowski Executive Vice President Date: 8/19/21

APPENDIX A

AMENDMENT NO. 8

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

1290 DoubleLine Dynamic Allocation Fund

1290 GAMCO Small/Mid Cap Value Fund

1290 High Yield Bond Fund

1290 Multi-Alternative Strategies Fund

1290 SmartBeta Equity Fund

1290 Diversified Bond Fund

1290 Retirement 2020 Fund

1290 Retirement 2025 Fund

1290 Retirement 2030 Fund

1290 Retirement 2035 Fund

1290 Retirement 2040 Fund

1290 Retirement 2045 Fund

1290 Retirement 2050 Fund

1290 Retirement 2055 Fund

1290 Retirement 2060 Fund

AMENDMENT NO. 7

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

AMENDMENT NO. 7, effective as of July 16, 2020 (Amendment No. 7), to the Fidelity Bond Sharing Agreement dated September 1, 2014 (the Agreement), between 1290 Funds, an open-end management investment company (Trust), on behalf of each of its series specified in Appendix A (Funds), and AXA Equitable Funds Management Group, LLC doing business as 1290 Asset Managers, the investment manager for the Trust (Adviser).

The Trust and the Adviser hereby agree to modify and amend the Agreement as follows:

6. Adviser Name Change . All references to AXA Equitable Funds Management Group, LLC doing business as 1290 Asset Managers is changed to Equitable Investment Management Group, LLC.

7. Removed Funds . Pursuant to a Plan of Liquidation and Termination, all references to the 1290 Convertible Securities Fund, 1290 Global Talents Fund and 1290 Low Volatility Global Equity Fund are hereby removed from the Agreement

8. Appendix A . Appendix A to the Agreement, setting forth the Funds of the Trust participating on behalf of which the Trust is entering into the Agreement, is hereby replaced in its entirety by Appendix A attached hereto.

Except as modified and amended hereby, the Agreement is hereby ratified and confirmed in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Amendment No. 7 as of the date first above set forth.

1290 FUNDS On behalf of each of its Funds EQUITABLE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC By: /s/ Brian Walsh By: /s/ Michal Levy Brian Walsh Chief Financial Officer Michal Levy Director, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

APPENDIX A

AMENDMENT NO. 7

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

1290 DoubleLine Dynamic Allocation Fund

1290 GAMCO Small/Mid Cap Value Fund

1290 High Yield Bond Fund

1290 Multi-Alternative Strategies Fund

1290 SmartBeta Equity Fund

1290 Diversified Bond Fund

1290 Retirement 2020 Fund

1290 Retirement 2025 Fund

1290 Retirement 2030 Fund

1290 Retirement 2035 Fund

1290 Retirement 2040 Fund

1290 Retirement 2045 Fund

1290 Retirement 2050 Fund

1290 Retirement 2055 Fund

1290 Retirement 2060 Fund

AMENDMENT NO. 6

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

AMENDMENT NO. 6, effective as of June 15, 2018 (Amendment No. 6), to the Fidelity Bond Sharing Agreement dated September 1, 2014 (the Agreement), between 1290 Funds, an open-end management investment company (Trust), on behalf of each of its series specified in Appendix A (Funds), and AXA Equitable Funds Management Group, LLC doing business as 1290 Asset Managers, the investment manager for the Trust (Adviser).

The Trust and the Adviser hereby agree to modify and amend the Agreement as follows:

1. Name Change . The name of 1290 Unconstrained Bond Managers Fund is changed to 1290 Diversified Bond Fund.

2. Appendix A . Appendix A to the Agreement, setting forth the Funds of the Trust participating on behalf of which the Trust is entering into the Agreement, is hereby replaced in its entirety by Appendix A attached hereto.

Except as modified and amended hereby, the Agreement is hereby ratified and confirmed in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Amendment No. 6 as of the date first above set forth.

1290 FUNDS On behalf of each of its Funds AXA EQUITABLE FUNDS MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC doing business as 1290 Asset Managers By: /s/ Brian Walsh By: /s/ Kenneth Kozlowski Brian Walsh Chief Financial Officer Kenneth Kozlowski Director, Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer

APPENDIX A

AMENDMENT NO. 6

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

1290 Convertible Securities Fund

1290 DoubleLine Dynamic Allocation Fund

1290 GAMCO Small/Mid Cap Value Fund

1290 Low Volatility Global Equity Fund

1290 Global Talents Fund

1290 High Yield Bond Fund

1290 Multi-Alternative Strategies Fund

1290 SmartBeta Equity Fund

1290 Diversified Bond Fund

(fka, 1290 Unconstrained Bond Managers Fund)

1290 Retirement 2020 Fund

1290 Retirement 2025 Fund

1290 Retirement 2030 Fund

1290 Retirement 2035 Fund

1290 Retirement 2040 Fund

1290 Retirement 2045 Fund

1290 Retirement 2050 Fund

1290 Retirement 2055 Fund

1290 Retirement 2060 Fund

AMENDMENT NO. 5

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

AMENDMENT NO. 5, effective as of February 27, 2017 (Amendment No. 5), to the Fidelity Bond Sharing Agreement dated September 1, 2014 (the Agreement), between 1290 Funds, an open-end management investment company (Trust), on behalf of each of its series specified in Appendix A (Funds), and AXA Equitable Funds Management Group, LLC doing business as 1290 Asset Managers, the investment manager for the Trust (Adviser).

The Trust and the Adviser hereby agree to modify and amend the Agreement as follows:

3. Name Change . The name of 1290 Global Allocation Fund is changed to 1290 Low Volatility Global Equity Fund.

4. Appendix A . Appendix A to the Agreement, setting forth the Funds of the Trust participating on behalf of which the Trust is entering into the Agreement, is hereby replaced in its entirety by Appendix A attached hereto.

Except as modified and amended hereby, the Agreement is hereby ratified and confirmed in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Amendment No. 5 as of the date first above set forth.

1290 FUNDS On behalf of each of its Funds AXA EQUITABLE FUNDS MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC doing business as 1290 Asset Managers By: /s/ Brian Walsh By: /s/ Steven M. Joenk Brian Walsh Chief Financial Officer Steven M. Joenk Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

APPENDIX A

AMENDMENT NO. 5

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

1290 Convertible Securities Fund

1290 DoubleLine Dynamic Allocation Fund

1290 GAMCO Small/Mid Cap Value Fund

1290 Low Volatility Global Equity Fund

(fka, 1290 Global Allocation Fund)

1290 Global Talents Fund

1290 High Yield Bond Fund

1290 Multi-Alternative Strategies Fund

1290 SmartBeta Equity Fund

1290 Unconstrained Bond Managers Fund

1290 Retirement 2020 Fund

1290 Retirement 2025 Fund

1290 Retirement 2030 Fund

1290 Retirement 2035 Fund

1290 Retirement 2040 Fund

1290 Retirement 2045 Fund

1290 Retirement 2050 Fund

1290 Retirement 2055 Fund

1290 Retirement 2060 Fund

AMENDMENT NO. 4

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

AMENDMENT NO. 4, effective as of November 1, 2016 (Amendment No. 4), to the Fidelity Bond Sharing Agreement dated September 1, 2014 (the Agreement), between 1290 Funds, an open-end management investment company (Trust), on behalf of each of its series specified in Appendix A (Funds), and AXA Equitable Funds Management Group, LLC doing business as 1290 Asset Managers, the investment manager for the Trust (Adviser).

The Trust and the Adviser hereby agree to modify and amend the Agreement as follows:

1. New Fund . 1290 Global Allocation Fund is hereby added to the Agreement on the terms and conditions contained in the Agreement.

2. Removed Fund . All references to the 1290 Global Equity Managers Fund are hereby removed from the Agreement.

3. Appendix A . Appendix A to the Agreement, setting forth the Funds of the Trust participating on behalf of which the Trust is entering into the Agreement, is hereby replaced in its entirety by Appendix A attached hereto.

Except as modified and amended hereby, the Agreement is hereby ratified and confirmed in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Amendment No. 4 as of the date first above set forth.

1290 FUNDS On behalf of each of its Funds AXA EQUITABLE FUNDS MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC doing business as 1290 Asset Managers By: /s/ Brian Walsh By: /s/ Steven M. Joenk Brian Walsh Chief Financial Officer Steven M. Joenk Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

APPENDIX A

AMENDMENT NO. 4

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

1290 Convertible Securities Fund

1290 DoubleLine Dynamic Allocation Fund

1290 GAMCO Small/Mid Cap Value Fund

1290 Global Allocation Fund

1290 Global Talents Fund

1290 High Yield Bond Fund

1290 Multi-Alternative Strategies Fund

1290 SmartBeta Equity Fund

1290 Unconstrained Bond Managers Fund

1290 Retirement 2020 Fund

1290 Retirement 2025 Fund

1290 Retirement 2030 Fund

1290 Retirement 2035 Fund

1290 Retirement 2040 Fund

1290 Retirement 2045 Fund

1290 Retirement 2050 Fund

1290 Retirement 2055 Fund

1290 Retirement 2060 Fund

AMENDMENT NO. 3

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

AMENDMENT NO. 3, effective as of March 30, 2016 (Amendment No. 3), to the Fidelity Bond Sharing Agreement dated September 1, 2014 (the Agreement), between 1290 Funds, an open-end management investment company (Trust), on behalf of each of its series specified in Appendix A (Funds), and AXA Equitable Funds Management Group, LLC doing business as 1290 Asset Managers, the investment manager for the Trust (Adviser).

The Trust and the Adviser hereby agree to modify and amend the Agreement as follows:

1. New Fund . 1290 Global Talents Fund is hereby added to the Agreement on the terms and conditions contained in the Agreement.

2. Appendix A . Appendix A to the Agreement, setting forth the Funds of the Trust participating on behalf of which the Trust is entering into the Agreement, is hereby replaced in its entirety by Appendix A attached hereto.

Except as modified and amended hereby, the Agreement is hereby ratified and confirmed in full force and effect in accordance with its terms.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed and delivered this Amendment No. 3 as of the date first above set forth.

1290 FUNDS On behalf of each of its Funds AXA EQUITABLE FUNDS MANAGEMENT GROUP, LLC doing business as 1290 Asset Managers By: /s/ Brian Walsh By: /s/ Steven M. Joenk Brian Walsh Chief Financial Officer Steven M. Joenk Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

APPENDIX A

AMENDMENT NO. 3

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

1290 Convertible Securities Fund

1290 DoubleLine Dynamic Allocation Fund

1290 GAMCO Small/Mid Cap Value Fund

1290 Global Equity Managers Fund

1290 Global Talents Fund

1290 High Yield Bond Fund

1290 Multi-Alternative Strategies Fund

1290 Retirement 2020 Fund

1290 Retirement 2025 Fund

1290 Retirement 2030 Fund

1290 Retirement 2035 Fund

1290 Retirement 2040 Fund

1290 Retirement 2045 Fund

1290 Retirement 2050 Fund

1290 Retirement 2055 Fund

1290 Retirement 2060 Fund

1290 SmartBeta Equity Fund

1290 Unconstrained Bond Managers Fund

AMENDMENT NO. 2

FIDELITY BOND SHARING AGREEMENT

AMENDMENT NO. 2, effective as of February 29, 2016 (Amendment No. 2), to t
Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 23, 2023.

REGISTRATION NO. 333-229238

REGISTRATION NO. 811-22886

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM N-6

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933  POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 8  and/or REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940  AMENDMENT NO. 55 

EQUITABLE AMERICA VARIABLE ACCOUNT K

(EXACT NAME OF TRUST)

EQUITABLE FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA

(NAME OF DEPOSITOR)

525 Washington Boulevard

Jersey City, New Jersey 07310

(Address of Depositors Principal Executive Offices)

Depositors Telephone Number, including Area Code: 212-554-1234

Shane Daly

Vice President and Associate General Counsel

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America

525 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07310

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

APPROXIMATE DATE OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING: Continuous

It is proposed that this filing will become effective: (check appropriate box)

 immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

 on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(l) of Rule 485

 on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(l) of rule 485

 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

 on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

If appropriate, check the following box:

 this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

TITLE OF SECURITIES BEING Units of interest in Equitable America Variable REGISTERED: Account K

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The prospectus included in the Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to the Registration Statement on Form N-6 (File Nos. 333-229238 and 811-22886) filed on April 20, 2023 pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485 and any additional supplements to the Registration Statement filed thereafter are incorporated herein by reference. This filing amends the Statement of Additional Information to provide recast financial statements for Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America filed on Form N-VPFS/A.

EQUITABLE FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA

Life Operations

8501 IBM Drive, Suite 150

Charlotte, NC 28262-4333

Statement of Additional Information

dated May 1, 2023, as amended May 23, 2023

 Equitable AdvantageSM  Incentive Life Legacy   Incentive Life Legacy  II  IncentiveLife Legacy  III

 IncentiveLife Optimizer  III  VUL Legacy   VUL Optimizer 

Flexible premium variable life insurance policies issued by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (the Company) with variable investment options offered under Equitable America Variable Account K.

This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the related prospectus, dated May 1, 2023. Each prospectus provides detailed information concerning the policy and the variable investment options, as well as the guaranteed interest option, that fund the policy. Each variable investment option is a subaccount of Equitable America Variable Account K (Variable Account K). We established Variable Account K under Arizona Law in 2013. The guaranteed interest option is part of the Companys general account. Definitions of special terms used in the SAI are found in the prospectuses. A copy of the prospectuses are available free of charge by writing the Administrative Office (P.O. Box 1047, Charlotte, North Carolina 28201-1047), by calling toll free 1-800-777-6510, (for U.S. residents) or 1-704-341-7000 (outside of the U.S.) or by contacting your financial professional. The Company We are Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (the Company, we, our and us) (until 2020, known as MONY Life Insurance Company of America), an Arizona stock life insurance corporation organized in 1969. The Company is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Equitable Holdings, Inc. No other company has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that the Company owes under the policies. The Company is solely responsible for paying all amounts owed to you under your policy. Equitable Advisors and Equitable Distributors serve as the principal underwriters of the Variable Account and distributor of the Policies. We are subject to regulation by the state of Arizona and regulation by the Commissioner of Insurance in Arizona. We file an annual statement with the state of Arizona, and periodically, the Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Arizona assesses our liabilities and reserves and those of the Variable Account and assesses their adequacy. We are also subject to the insurance laws and regulation of other states in which we are licensed to operate.

Equitable America Variable Account K The Variable Account is registered with the SEC as a unit investment trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act), and meets the definition of a separate account under the federal securities laws. Registration with the SEC does not involve supervision of the management of investment practices or policies by the SEC. Ways we pay policy proceeds The payee for death benefit or other policy proceeds (e.g., upon surrenders) may name a successor to receive any amounts that we still owe following the payees death. Otherwise, we will pay any such amounts to the payees estate. We must approve any payment arrangements that involve a payee who is not a natural person (for example, a corporation) or a payee who is a fiduciary. Also, the details of all payment arrangements will be subject to our rules at the time the arrangements are selected and take effect. Distribution of the policies Equitable Advisors distributes these policies pursuant to a selling agreement between Equitable Advisors and the Company. The Company paid Equitable Advisors as the distributor of these policies and as the principal underwriter of Equitable America Variable Account K, $128,020,090 in 2022, $ 108,766,165 in 2021 and $32,342,276 in 2020. Of these amounts, for each of these three years, Equitable Advisors retained $53,750,680, $46,654,267 and $6,005,044, respectively. Under a distribution agreement between Equitable Distributors and the Company and certain of the Companys separate accounts, including Variable Account K, the Company paid Equitable Distributors distribution fees of $41,028,502 in 2022, $ 32,861,179 in 2021 and $37,110,594 in 2020 as the distributor of certain policies, including these policies, and as the principal underwriter of several Company separate accounts, including Variable Account K. Of these amounts, for each of these three years, Equitable Distributors retained $6,094, $ 2,207,749 and $6,897,915, respectively.

#314816

Underwriting a policy The underwriting of a policy determines: (1) whether the policy application will be approved or disapproved; and (2) into what premium class the insured should be placed. Risk factors that are considered for these determinations are: (i) the insureds age; (ii) whether the insured uses tobacco or not; and (iii) the admitted medical history of the insured. Many other factors make up the overall evaluation of an individuals assessment for insurance, but all of these items are determined through the questions asked during the application process. For Incentive Life Legacy  , Incentive Life Legacy  II, IncentiveLife Legacy  III and IncentiveLife Optimizer  III policies We base guaranteed cost of insurance rates under the policy on the 2001 Commissioners Standard Ordinary Mortality Tables. For Equitable AdvantageSM, VUL Legacy  and VUL Optimizer  policies We base guaranteed cost of insurance rates under the policy on the 2017 Commissioners Standard Ordinary Mortality Tables. Insurance regulation that applies to the Company We are regulated and supervised by the Arizona State Insurance Department. In addition, we are subject to the insurance laws and regulations in every state where we sell policies. We submit annual reports on our operations and finances to insurance officials in all of these states. The officials are responsible for reviewing our reports to see that we are financially sound. Such regulation, however, does not guarantee or provide absolute assurance of our soundness. Custodian Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company is the custodian for shares of the Trusts owned by Variable Account K. Equitable Financial Life Insurance Companys principal offices are located at 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104. Independent registered public accounting firm The (i) financial statements of each of the variable investment options of Equitable America Variable Account K as of December 31, 2022 and for each of the periods indicated therein and the (ii) financial statements and financial statement schedules of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022 incorporated in this Statement of Additional Information by reference to the filed Form N-VPFS (for Equitable America Variable Account K) and Form N-VPFS/A (for Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America) have been so incorporated in reliance on the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP provides independent audit services and certain other non-audit services to Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America as permitted by the applicable SEC independence rules, and as disclosed in Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of Americas Form 10-K. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPs address is 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Financial statements The financial statements and financial statement schedules of the Company incorporated by reference should be considered only as bearing upon the ability of the Company to meet its obligations under the policies.

2

PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

Item 30. Exhibits

(a) Board of Directors Resolutions.

(b) Custodian Agreements. Not applicable.

(c) Underwriting Contracts.

(d) Contracts.

(e) Applications.

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(f) Depositors Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws.

(g) Reinsurance Contracts.

(h) Participation Agreements.

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(iv) Amendment No. 5, effective June 6, 2022 to the Participation Agreement dated October 21, 1998, as amended (the Agreement) among Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America, T. Rowe Price Equity Series Inc., T. Rowe Price Fixed Income Series, Inc., T. Rowe Price International Series, Inc. and T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., filed with this Registration Statement on Form N-6 on July 27, 2022.

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(i) Administrative Contracts.

(j) Other Material Contracts. Not applicable.

(k) Legal Opinion.

(l) Actuarial Opinion.

(m) Calculation.

(n) Other Opinions.

(o) Omitted Financial Statements. No financial statements are omitted from Item 24.

(p) Initial Capital Agreements. Not applicable.

(q) Redeemability Exemption.

(r) Form of Initial Summary Prospectuses.

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ITEM 31. DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF THE DEPOSITOR

* The business address for all officers and directors of the Depositor is 525 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07310.

NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ADDRESS POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH THE DEPOSITOR DIRECTORS Francis Hondal Director 10050 Suburban Drive Pinecrest, FL 33156 Arlene Isaacs-Lowe Director 830 South Ocean Drive, #1411 Hallandale, FL 33009 Daniel G. Kaye Director 767 Quail Run Inverness, IL 60067 Joan Lamm-Tennant Director 135 Ridge Common Fairfield, CT 06824 Craig MacKay Director England & Company 1133 Avenue of the Americas Suite 2719 New York, NY 10036 Kristi A. Matus Director 47-C Dana Road Boxford, MA 02116 Bertram L. Scott Director 3601 Hampton Manor Drive Charlotte, NC 28226 George Stansfield Director AXA 25, Avenue Matignon 75008 Paris, France Charles G.T. Stonehill Director Founding Partner Green & Blue Advisors 20 East End Avenue, Apt 5C New York, New York 10028 OFFICER-DIRECTOR *Mark Pearson Director and Chief Executive Officer OTHER OFFICERS *Nicholas B. Lane President *Jose Ramon Gonzalez Chief Legal Officer and Secretary *Jeffrey J. Hurd Chief Operating Officer *Robin M. Raju Chief Financial Officer *Michael B. Healy Chief Information Officer *Nicholas Huth Chief Compliance Officer *William Eckert Chief Accounting Officer *Darryl Gibbs Chief Diversity Officer

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*David W. Karr Signatory Officer *Jessica Baehr Signatory Officer *Mary Jean Bonadonna Signatory Officer *Eric Colby Signatory Officer *Steven M. Joenk Chief Investment Officer *Kenneth Kozlowski Signatory Officer *Carol Macaluso Signatory Officer *Hector Martinez Signatory Officer *James McCravy Signatory Officer *James Mellin Signatory Officer *Hillary Menard Signatory Officer *Kurt Meyers Deputy General Counsel and Signatory Officer *Maryanne (Masha) Mousserie Signatory Officer *Prabha (Mary) Ng Chief Information Security Officer *Anthony Perez Signatory Officer *Antonio Di Caro Signatory Officer *Glen Gardner Deputy Chief Investment Officer *Shelby Holllister-Share Signatory Officer *Manuel Prendes Signatory Officer *Meredith Ratajczak Chief Actuary *Aaron Sarfatti Chief Risk Officer and Chief Strategy Officer *Stephen Scanlon Signatory Officer *Samuel Schwartz Signatory Officer *Stephanie Shields Signatory Officer *Joseph M. Spagnuolo Signatory Officer *Gina Tyler Chief Communications Officer *Constance Weaver Chief Marketing Officer *Stephanie Withers Chief Auditor *Yun (Julia) Zhang Treasurer

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ITEM 32. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control With the Depositor or Registrant

No person is directly or indirectly controlled by the Registrant. The Registrant is a separate account of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Equitable Holdings, Inc.

Set forth below is the subsidiary chart for the Holding Company:

(a) Equitable Holdings, Inc.  Subsidiary Organization Chart: Q1-2023 is filed herewith.

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Item 33. Indemnification

The By-Laws of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America provide, in Article VI as follows:

SECTION 1. NATURE OF INDEMNITY. The Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, and shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to such an action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as an employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful; except that in the case of an action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor (1) such indemnification shall be limited to expenses (including attorneys fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in the defense or settlement of such action or suit, and (2) no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought or other court of competent jurisdiction shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity.

The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of no contest or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

SECTION 6. SURVIVAL; PRESERVATION OF OTHER RIGHTS. The foregoing indemnification provisions shall be deemed to be a contract between the Corporation and each director, officer, employee and agent who serves in any such capacity at any time while these provisions as well as the relevant provisions of Title 10, Arizona Revised Statutes are in effect and any repeal or modification thereof shall not affect any right or obligation then existing with respect to any state of facts then or previously existing or any action, suit or proceeding previously or thereafter brought or threatened based in whole or in part upon any such state of facts. Such a contract right may not be modified retroactively without the consent of such director, officer, employee or agent.

The indemnification provided by this Article shall not be deemed exclusive of any other right to which those indemnified may be entitled under any by-law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

SECTION 7. INSURANCE. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this By-Law.

The directors and officers of the Company are insured under policies issued by X. L. Insurance Company, Arch Insurance Company, Endurance Specialty Insurance Company, U.S. Specialty Insurance, ACE, Chubb Insurance Company, AXIS Insurance Company, Zurich Insurance Company, AWAC (Allied World Assurance Company, Ltd.), Aspen Bermuda XS, CNA, AIG, One Beacon, Nationwide, Berkley, Berkshire, SOMPO, Chubb, Markel and ARGO RE Ltd. The annual limit on such policies is $300 million, and the policies insure the officers and directors against certain liabilities arising out of their conduct in such capacities.

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Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification for such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expense incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will (unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent) submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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Item 34. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITES

(a) Equitable Advisors, LLC and Equitable Distributors, LLC are the principal underwriters for Separate Accounts 49, 70, A, FP, I and 45 of Equitable Financial, EQ Advisors Trust and of Equitable America Variable Accounts A, K, L and 70A. In addition, Equitable Advisors is the principal underwriter of Equitable Financials Separate Account 301.

(b) Set forth below is certain information regarding the directors and principal officers of Equitable Advisors, LLC and Equitable Distributors, LLC.

(i) EQUITABLE ADVISORS, LLC

NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ADDRESS POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH UNDERWRITER *David Karr Director, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer *Nicholas B. Lane Director *Frank Massa Director and President *Aaron Sarfatti Director *Jessica Baehr Director *Ralph E. Browning, II Chief Privacy Officer *Mary Jean Bonadonna Chief Risk Officer *Patricia Boylan Broker Dealer Chief Compliance Officer *Yun (Julia) Zhang Director, Senior Vice President and Treasurer *Nia Dalley Vice President and Chief Conflicts Officer *Brett Esselburn Vice President, Investment Sales and Financial Planning *Gina Jones Vice President and Financial Crime Officer *Dusten Long Vice President *Page Pennell Vice President *Sean Donovan Assistant Vice President *Alan Gradzki Assistant Vice President *Janie Smith Assistant Vice President *James Mellin Chief Sales Officer *Candace Scappator Assistant Vice President, Controller and Principal Financial Officer *Prabha (Mary) Ng Chief Information Security Officer *Alfred Ayensu-Ghartey Vice President *Joshua Katz Vice President *Christopher LaRussa Investment Advisor Chief Compliance Officer *Christian Cannon Vice President and General Counsel *Samuel Schwartz Vice President *Dennis Sullivan Vice President * Michael Cole Vice President and Assistant Treasurer *Constance (Connie) Weaver Vice President *Tony Richardson Principal Operations Officer *Michael Brudoley Secretary *Christine Medy Assistant Secretary *Francesca Divone Assistant Secretary

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(ii) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTORS, LLC

NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ADDRESS POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH UNDERWRITER *Nicholas B. Lane Director, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer *Jessica Baehr Director, Executive Vice President and Head of Group Retirement *Hector Martinez Director, Executive Vice President and Head of Life Business *Eric Brown Senior Vice President *James Crimmins Senior Vice President *James Daniello Senior Vice President *Michael B. Healy Senior Vice President *Patrick Ferris Senior Vice President *Brett Ford Senior Vice President *Bernard Heffernon Senior Vice President *David Kahal Senior Vice President *Fred Makonnen Senior Vice President *Matthew Schirripa Senior Vice President *David Veale Senior Vice President *Alfred Ayensu-Ghartey Vice President and General Counsel *Alfred DUrso Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer *Mark Teitelbaum Senior Vice President *Candace Scappator Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Operations Officer *Gina Jones Vice President and Financial Crime Officer *Yun (Julia) Zhang Senior Vice President and Treasurer *Francesca Divone Secretary *Richard Frink Senior Vice President *Michael J. Gass Vice President *Kathi Gopie Vice President *Timothy Jaeger Vice President *Jeremy Kachejian Vice President *Laird Johnson Vice President *Enrico Mossa Assistant Vice President *James C. Pazareskis Assistant Vice President *Caitlin Schirripa Assistant Vice President *Samuel Schwartz Vice President *Greg Seavey Vice President * Michael Cole Assistant Treasurer *Jonathan Zales Senior Vice President *Stephen Scanlon Director, Executive Vice President and Head of Individual Retirement *Prabha (Mary) Ng Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer *Michael Brudoley Assistant Secretary *Christine Medy Assistant Secretary * Principal Business Address: 1290 Avenue of the Americas NY, NY 10140

(c)

Name of Principal Underwriter Net Underwriting

Discounts Compensation on

Redemption Brokerage

Commission Other

Compensation Equitable Advisors, LLC N/A $0 $0 $0 Equitable Distributors, LLC N/A $0 $0 $0

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Item 35. Location of Accounts and Records

This information is omitted as it is provided in the Registrants most recent report on Form N-CEN.

Item 36. Management Services

All management contracts are discussed in Part A or Part B.

Item 37. Fee Representation

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America hereby represents that the fees and charges deducted under the Policy, in the aggregate, are reasonable in relation to the services rendered, the expenses expected to be incurred, and the risks assumed by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City and State of New York, on the 23rd day of May, 2023.

Equitable America Variable Account K (Registrant) Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (Depositor) By: /s/ Shane Daly Shane Daly Vice President and Associate General Counsel

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:

PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER: *Mark Pearson Chief Executive Officer and Director PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER: *Robin Raju Chief Financial Officer PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING OFFICER: *William Eckert Chief Accounting Officer

*DIRECTORS: Joan Lamm-Tennant Daniel G. Kaye Arlene Isaacs-Lowe Craig MacKay Mark Pearson Bertram Scott George Stansfield Charles G.T. Stonehill Kristi Matus Frances Hondal

*By: /s/ Shane Daly Shane Daly Attorney-in-Fact May 23, 2023

ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS

OPINION AND CONSENT OF SHANE DALY

CONSENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP

POWERS OF ATTORNEY

EQUITABLE HOLDINGS, INC. - SUBSIDIARY ORGANIZATION CHART: Q1-2023
Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 23, 2023.

REGISTRATION NO. 333-256256

REGISTRATION NO. 811-22886

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM N-6

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933  POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 4  and/or REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940  AMENDMENT NO. 56 

EQUITABLE AMERICA VARIABLE ACCOUNT K

(EXACT NAME OF TRUST)

EQUITABLE FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA

(NAME OF DEPOSITOR)

525 Washington Boulevard

Jersey City, New Jersey 07310

(Address of Depositors Principal Executive Offices)

Depositors Telephone Number, including Area Code: 212-554-1234

Shane Daly

Vice President and Associate General Counsel

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America

525 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07310

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

APPROXIMATE DATE OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING: Continuous

It is proposed that this filing will become effective: (check appropriate box)

 immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

 on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(l) of Rule 485

 on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(l) of rule 485

If appropriate, check the following box:

 This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for previously filed post-effective amendment.

Title of Securities Being Registered:

Units of interest in Separate Account FP.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

The prospectus included in the Post-Effective Amendment No. 3 to the Registration Statement on Form N-6 (File Nos. 333-256256 and 811-22886) filed on April 20, 2023 pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485 and any additional supplements to the Registration Statement filed thereafter are incorporated herein by reference. This filing amends the Statement of Additional Information to provide recast financial statements for Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America filed on Form N-VPFS/A.

EQUITABLE FINANCIAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA

Life Operations

8501 IBM Drive, Suite 150

Charlotte, NC 28262-4333

Statement of Additional Information

dated May 1, 2023, as amended May 23, 2023

 Equitable AdvantageSM  Incentive Life Legacy   Incentive Life Legacy  II  IncentiveLife Legacy  III

 IncentiveLife Optimizer  III  VUL Legacy   VUL Optimizer 

Flexible premium variable life insurance policies issued by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (the Company) with variable investment options offered under Equitable America Variable Account K.

This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the related prospectus, dated May 1, 2023. Each prospectus provides detailed information concerning the policy and the variable investment options, as well as the guaranteed interest option, that fund the policy. Each variable investment option is a subaccount of Equitable America Variable Account K (Variable Account K). We established Variable Account K under Arizona Law in 2013. The guaranteed interest option is part of the Companys general account. Definitions of special terms used in the SAI are found in the prospectuses. A copy of the prospectuses are available free of charge by writing the Administrative Office (P.O. Box 1047, Charlotte, North Carolina 28201-1047), by calling toll free 1-800-777-6510, (for U.S. residents) or 1-704-341-7000 (outside of the U.S.) or by contacting your financial professional. The Company We are Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (the Company, we, our and us) (until 2020, known as MONY Life Insurance Company of America), an Arizona stock life insurance corporation organized in 1969. The Company is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Equitable Holdings, Inc. No other company has any legal responsibility to pay amounts that the Company owes under the policies. The Company is solely responsible for paying all amounts owed to you under your policy. Equitable Advisors and Equitable Distributors serve as the principal underwriters of the Variable Account and distributor of the Policies. We are subject to regulation by the state of Arizona and regulation by the Commissioner of Insurance in Arizona. We file an annual statement with the state of Arizona, and periodically, the Commissioner of Insurance for the State of Arizona assesses our liabilities and reserves and those of the Variable Account and assesses their adequacy. We are also subject to the insurance laws and regulation of other states in which we are licensed to operate.

Equitable America Variable Account K The Variable Account is registered with the SEC as a unit investment trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act), and meets the definition of a separate account under the federal securities laws. Registration with the SEC does not involve supervision of the management of investment practices or policies by the SEC. Ways we pay policy proceeds The payee for death benefit or other policy proceeds (e.g., upon surrenders) may name a successor to receive any amounts that we still owe following the payees death. Otherwise, we will pay any such amounts to the payees estate. We must approve any payment arrangements that involve a payee who is not a natural person (for example, a corporation) or a payee who is a fiduciary. Also, the details of all payment arrangements will be subject to our rules at the time the arrangements are selected and take effect. Distribution of the policies Equitable Advisors distributes these policies pursuant to a selling agreement between Equitable Advisors and the Company. The Company paid Equitable Advisors as the distributor of these policies and as the principal underwriter of Equitable America Variable Account K, $128,020,090 in 2022, $ 108,766,165 in 2021 and $32,342,276 in 2020. Of these amounts, for each of these three years, Equitable Advisors retained $53,750,680, $46,654,267 and $6,005,044, respectively. Under a distribution agreement between Equitable Distributors and the Company and certain of the Companys separate accounts, including Variable Account K, the Company paid Equitable Distributors distribution fees of $41,028,502 in 2022, $ 32,861,179 in 2021 and $37,110,594 in 2020 as the distributor of certain policies, including these policies, and as the principal underwriter of several Company separate accounts, including Variable Account K. Of these amounts, for each of these three years, Equitable Distributors retained $6,094, $ 2,207,749 and $6,897,915, respectively.

#314816

Underwriting a policy The underwriting of a policy determines: (1) whether the policy application will be approved or disapproved; and (2) into what premium class the insured should be placed. Risk factors that are considered for these determinations are: (i) the insureds age; (ii) whether the insured uses tobacco or not; and (iii) the admitted medical history of the insured. Many other factors make up the overall evaluation of an individuals assessment for insurance, but all of these items are determined through the questions asked during the application process. For Incentive Life Legacy  , Incentive Life Legacy  II, IncentiveLife Legacy  III and IncentiveLife Optimizer  III policies We base guaranteed cost of insurance rates under the policy on the 2001 Commissioners Standard Ordinary Mortality Tables. For Equitable AdvantageSM, VUL Legacy  and VUL Optimizer  policies We base guaranteed cost of insurance rates under the policy on the 2017 Commissioners Standard Ordinary Mortality Tables. Insurance regulation that applies to the Company We are regulated and supervised by the Arizona State Insurance Department. In addition, we are subject to the insurance laws and regulations in every state where we sell policies. We submit annual reports on our operations and finances to insurance officials in all of these states. The officials are responsible for reviewing our reports to see that we are financially sound. Such regulation, however, does not guarantee or provide absolute assurance of our soundness. Custodian Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company is the custodian for shares of the Trusts owned by Variable Account K. Equitable Financial Life Insurance Companys principal offices are located at 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104. Independent registered public accounting firm The (i) financial statements of each of the variable investment options of Equitable America Variable Account K as of December 31, 2022 and for each of the periods indicated therein and the (ii) financial statements and financial statement schedules of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022 incorporated in this Statement of Additional Information by reference to the filed Form N-VPFS (for Equitable America Variable Account K) and Form N-VPFS/A (for Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America) have been so incorporated in reliance on the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, given on the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP provides independent audit services and certain other non-audit services to Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America as permitted by the applicable SEC independence rules, and as disclosed in Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of Americas Form 10-K. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLPs address is 300 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Financial statements The financial statements and financial statement schedules of the Company incorporated by reference should be considered only as bearing upon the ability of the Company to meet its obligations under the policies.

2

PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

Item 30. Exhibits

(a) Board of Directors Resolutions.

(b) Custodian Agreements. Not applicable.

(c) Underwriting Contracts.

(d) Contracts.

(e) Applications.

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(f) Depositors Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws.

(g) Reinsurance Contracts.

(h) Participation Agreements.

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(i) Administrative Contracts.

(j) Other Material Contracts. Not applicable.

(k) Legal Opinion.

(l) Actuarial Opinion.

(m) Calculation.

(n) Other Opinions.

(o) Omitted Financial Statements. No financial statements are omitted from Item 24.

(p) Initial Capital Agreements. Not applicable.

(q) Redeemability Exemption.

(r) Form of Initial Summary Prospectuses.

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ITEM 31. DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS OF THE DEPOSITOR

* The business address for all officers and directors of the Depositor is 525 Washington Boulevard, Jersey City, NJ 07310.

NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ADDRESS POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH THE DEPOSITOR DIRECTORS Francis Hondal Director 10050 Suburban Drive Pinecrest, FL 33156 Arlene Isaacs-Lowe Director 1830 South Ocean Drive, #1411 Hallandale, FL 33009 Daniel G. Kaye Director 767 Quail Run Inverness, IL 60067 Joan Lamm-Tennant Director 135 Ridge Common Fairfield, CT 06824 Craig MacKay Director England & Company 1133 Avenue of the Americas Suite 2719 New York, NY 10036 Kristi A. Matus Director 47-C Dana Road Boxford, MA 02116 Bertram L. Scott Director 3601 Hampton Manor Drive Charlotte, NC 28226 George Stansfield Director AXA 25, Avenue Matignon 75008 Paris, France Charles G.T. Stonehill Director Founding Partner Green & Blue Advisors 20 East End Avenue, Apt 5C New York, New York 10028 OFFICER-DIRECTOR *Mark Pearson Director and Chief Executive Officer OTHER OFFICERS *Nicholas B. Lane President *Jose Ramon Gonzalez Chief Legal Officer and Secretary *Jeffrey J. Hurd Chief Operating Officer

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*Robin M. Raju Chief Financial Officer *Michael B. Healy Chief Information Officer *Nicholas Huth Chief Compliance Officer *William Eckert Chief Accounting Officer *Darryl Gibbs Chief Diversity Officer *David W. Karr Signatory Officer *Jessica Baehr Signatory Officer *Mary Jean Bonadonna Signatory Officer *Eric Colby Signatory Officer *Steven M. Joenk Chief Investment Officer *Kenneth Kozlowski Signatory Officer *Carol Macaluso Signatory Officer *Hector Martinez Signatory Officer *James McCravy Signatory Officer *James Mellin Signatory Officer *Hillary Menard Signatory Officer *Kurt Meyers Deputy General Counsel and Signatory Officer *Maryanne (Masha) Mousserie Signatory Officer *Prabha (Mary) Ng Chief Information Security Officer *Anthony Perez Signatory Officer *Antonio Di Caro Signatory Officer *Glen Gardner Deputy Chief Investment Officer *Shelby Holllister-Share Signatory Officer *Manuel Prendes Signatory Officer *Meredith Ratajczak Chief Actuary *Aaron Sarfatti Chief Risk Officer and Chief Strategy Officer *Stephen Scanlon Signatory Officer *Samuel Schwartz Signatory Officer *Stephanie Shields Signatory Officer *Joseph M. Spagnuolo Signatory Officer *Gina Tyler Chief Communications Officer *Constance Weaver Chief Marketing Officer *Stephanie Withers Chief Auditor *Yun (Julia) Zhang Treasurer

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ITEM 32. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control With the Depositor or Registrant

No person is directly or indirectly controlled by the Registrant. The Registrant is a separate account of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Equitable Holdings, Inc.

Set forth below is the subsidiary chart for the Holding Company:

(a) Equitable Holdings, Inc.  Subsidiary Organization Chart: Q1-2023 is filed herewith.

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Item 33. Indemnification

The By-Laws of Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America provide, in Article VI as follows:

SECTION 1. NATURE OF INDEMNITY. The Corporation shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative, by reason of the fact that he or she is or was or has agreed to become a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director or officer of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, and shall indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to such an action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that he or she is or was or has agreed to become an employee or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving or has agreed to serve at the request of the Corporation as an employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses (including attorneys fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by him or her or on his or her behalf in connection with such action, suit or proceeding and any appeal therefrom, if he or she acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful; except that in the case of an action or suit by or in the right of the Corporation to procure a judgment in its favor (1) such indemnification shall be limited to expenses (including attorneys fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in the defense or settlement of such action or suit, and (2) no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the court in which such action or suit was brought or other court of competent jurisdiction shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity.

The termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of no contest or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

SECTION 6. SURVIVAL; PRESERVATION OF OTHER RIGHTS. The foregoing indemnification provisions shall be deemed to be a contract between the Corporation and each director, officer, employee and agent who serves in any such capacity at any time while these provisions as well as the relevant provisions of Title 10, Arizona Revised Statutes are in effect and any repeal or modification thereof shall not affect any right or obligation then existing with respect to any state of facts then or previously existing or any action, suit or proceeding previously or thereafter brought or threatened based in whole or in part upon any such state of facts. Such a contract right may not be modified retroactively without the consent of such director, officer, employee or agent.

The indemnification provided by this Article shall not be deemed exclusive of any other right to which those indemnified may be entitled under any by-law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his or her official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee or agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

SECTION 7. INSURANCE. The Corporation may purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise against any liability asserted against such person and incurred by such person in any such capacity or arising out of his or her status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of this By-Law.

The directors and officers of the Company are insured under policies issued by X. L. Insurance Company, Arch Insurance Company, Endurance Specialty Insurance Company, U.S. Specialty Insurance, ACE, Chubb Insurance Company, AXIS Insurance Company, Zurich Insurance Company, AWAC (Allied World Assurance Company, Ltd.), Aspen Bermuda XS, CNA, AIG, One Beacon, Nationwide, Berkley, Berkshire, SOMPO, Chubb, Markel and ARGO RE Ltd. The annual limit on such policies is $300 million, and the policies insure the officers and directors against certain liabilities arising out of their conduct in such capacities.

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Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification for such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expense incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will (unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent) submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

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Item 34. PRINCIPAL UNDERWRITERS

(a) Equitable Advisors, LLC and Equitable Distributors, LLC are the principal underwriters for Separate Accounts 49, 70, A, FP, I and 45 of Equitable Financial, EQ Advisors Trust and of Equitable America Variable Accounts A, K, L and 70A. In addition, Equitable Advisors is the principal underwriter of Equitable Financials Separate Account 301.

(b) Set forth below is certain information regarding the directors and principal officers of Equitable Advisors, LLC and Equitable Distributors, LLC.

(i) EQUITABLE ADVISORS, LLC

NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ADDRESS POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH UNDERWRITER *David Karr Director, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer *Nicholas B. Lane Director *Frank Massa Director and President *Aaron Sarfatti Director *Jessica Baehr Director *Ralph E. Browning, II Chief Privacy Officer *Mary Jean Bonadonna Chief Risk Officer *Patricia Boylan Broker Dealer Chief Compliance Officer *Yun (Julia) Zhang Director, Senior Vice President and Treasurer *Nia Dalley Vice President and Chief Conflicts Officer *Brett Esselburn Vice President, Investment Sales and Financial Planning *Gina Jones Vice President and Financial Crime Officer *Dusten Long Vice President *Page Pennell Vice President *Sean Donovan Assistant Vice President *Alan Gradzki Assistant Vice President *Janie Smith Assistant Vice President *James Mellin Chief Sales Officer *Candace Scappator Assistant Vice President, Controller and Principal Financial Officer *Prabha (Mary) Ng Chief Information Security Officer *Alfred Ayensu-Ghartey Vice President *Joshua Katz Vice President *Christopher LaRussa Investment Advisor Chief Compliance Officer *Christian Cannon Vice President and General Counsel *Samuel Schwartz Vice President *Dennis Sullivan Vice President * Michael Cole Vice President and Assistant Treasurer *Constance (Connie) Weaver Vice President *Tony Richardson Principal Operations Officer *Michael Brudoley Secretary *Christine Medy Assistant Secretary *Francesca Divone Assistant Secretary

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(ii) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTORS, LLC

NAME AND PRINCIPAL BUSINESS ADDRESS POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH UNDERWRITER *Nicholas B. Lane Director, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer *Jessica Baehr Director, Executive Vice President and Head of Group Retirement *Hector Martinez Director, Executive Vice President and Head of Life Business *Eric Brown Senior Vice President *James Crimmins Senior Vice President *James Daniello Senior Vice President *Michael B. Healy Senior Vice President *Patrick Ferris Senior Vice President *Brett Ford Senior Vice President *Bernard Heffernon Senior Vice President *David Kahal Senior Vice President *Fred Makonnen Senior Vice President *Matthew Schirripa Senior Vice President *David Veale Senior Vice President *Alfred Ayensu-Ghartey Vice President and General Counsel *Alfred DUrso Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer *Mark Teitelbaum Senior Vice President *Candace Scappator Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Principal Financial Officer and Principal Operations Officer *Gina Jones Vice President and Financial Crime Officer *Yun (Julia) Zhang Senior Vice President and Treasurer *Francesca Divone Secretary *Richard Frink Senior Vice President *Michael J. Gass Vice President *Kathi Gopie Vice President *Timothy Jaeger Vice President *Jeremy Kachejian Vice President *Laird Johnson Vice President *Enrico Mossa Assistant Vice President *James C. Pazareskis Assistant Vice President *Caitlin Schirripa Assistant Vice President *Samuel Schwartz Vice President *Greg Seavey Vice President * Michael Cole Assistant Treasurer *Jonathan Zales Senior Vice President *Stephen Scanlon Director, Executive Vice President and Head of Individual Retirement *Prabha (Mary) Ng Senior Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer Michael Brudoley Assistant Secretary *Christine Medy Assistant Secretary * Principal Business Address: 1290 Avenue of the Americas NY, NY 10140

(c)

Name of Principal Underwriter Net Underwriting

Discounts Compensation on

Redemption Brokerage

Commission Other

Compensation Equitable Advisors, LLC N/A $0 $0 $0 Equitable Distributors, LLC N/A $0 $0 $0

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Item 35. Location of Accounts and Records

This information is omitted as it is provided in the Registrants most recent report on Form N-CEN.

Item 36. Management Services

All management contracts are discussed in Part A or Part B.

Item 37. Fee Representation

Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America hereby represents that the fees and charges deducted under the Policy, in the aggregate, are reasonable in relation to the services rendered, the expenses expected to be incurred, and the risks assumed by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City and State of New York, on the 23rd day of May, 2023.

Equitable America Variable Account K (Registrant) Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (Depositor) By: /s/ Shane Daly Shane Daly Vice President and Associate General Counsel

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:

PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER: *Mark Pearson Chief Executive Officer and Director PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER: *Robin Raju Chief Financial Officer PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING OFFICER: *William Eckert Chief Accounting Officer

*DIRECTORS: Joan Lamm-Tennant Daniel G. Kaye Arlene Isaacs-Lowe Craig MacKay Mark Pearson Bertram Scott George Stansfield Charles G.T. Stonehill Kristi Matus Francis Hondal

*By: /s/ Shane Daly Shane Daly Attorney-in-Fact May 23, 2023

ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS

OPINION AND CONSENT OF SHANE DALY, VICE PRESIDENT AND ASSOCIATE GENERAL COUNSEL

CONSENT OF PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP

POWERS OF ATTORNEY

EX-99.32(A)
20202 Highway 59 North, Suite 190

Humble, Texas 77338

(281) 446-7000

May 23, 2023

SUPPLEMENT TO DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT RELATING TO

2023 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

This Proxy Statement Supplement, dated May 23, 2023 (this Supplement), supplements the Definitive Proxy Statement of Third Coast Bancshares, Inc. (the Company) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 20, 2023 (the Proxy Statement), relating to the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Company (the Annual Meeting) to be held on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time at the office of Third Coast Bank, SSB, located at 20202 Highway 59 North, Suite 190, Humble, Texas 77338.

The purpose of this Supplement is to correct an error regarding the participation of our directors in the meetings of the board of directors and the committees on which our directors serve appearing on page 28 of the Proxy Statement under the heading Board and Committee MattersBoard Meetings, which inadvertently reported that during fiscal year 2022, each of our directors participated in at least 72%, rather than 75%, or more of the aggregate of (i) the total number of meetings of the board of directors (held during the period for which he or she was a director) and (ii) the total number of meetings of all committees of the board of directors on which he or she served (during the period that he or she served).

Accordingly, the Proxy Statement disclosure under the heading Board and Committee MattersBoard Meetings on page 28 is amended and restated in its entirety with the following disclosure:

Board Meetings

Our board of directors met 12 times during the 2022 fiscal year (including regularly scheduled and special meetings). During fiscal year 2022, each director participated in at least 72% 75% or more of the aggregate of (i) the total number of meetings of the board of directors (held during the period for which he or she was a director) and (ii) the total number of meetings of all committees of the board of directors on which he or she served (during the period that he or she served).

This Supplement should be read in conjunction with the Proxy Statement. Except as specifically set forth in this Supplement, all information set forth in the Proxy Statement remains unchanged. In addition, this Supplement does not reflect events occurring after the date of the Proxy Statement or modify or update disclosures that may have been affected by subsequent events. Except as supplemented by the information contained herein, all information set forth in the Proxy Statement continues to apply and should be considered in voting your shares.

If you have already returned your proxy or voting instruction card or provided voting instructions, you do not need to take any action unless you wish to change your vote. This Supplement does not change the proposals to be acted upon at the Annual Meeting, which are described in the Proxy Statement.
Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Under the Washington Business Corporation Act, a corporation may indemnify directors against reasonable expenses for liability incurred in the defense of any proceeding to which such individuals were a party because of their position with the corporation. The director must have acted in good faith and reasonably believed that the conduct in the individuals official capacity was in the best interests of the corporation and in all other cases that the conduct at least was not opposed to the corporations best interests. Indemnity is available for criminal proceedings if the individual had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct was unlawful. The Washington Business Corporation Act prohibits indemnification, however, in connection with any proceeding by or in the right of the corporation in which the individual is adjudged liable to the corporation or in connection with any other proceeding in which the individual was charged with and found liable for receiving an improper personal benefit. Washington law also provides for discretionary indemnification of officers. Under no circumstances, however, may any director or officer be indemnified for:

 acts or omissions finally adjudged to be intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of the law;

 conduct of a director or officer finally adjudged to be an unlawful distribution; or

 any transaction with respect to which it was finally adjudged that the director or officer personally received a benefit in money, property, or services to which the director or officer was not legally entitled.

Section 10 of Itrons amended and restated bylaws provide this indemnification to directors and officers to the full extent of the law. This right to indemnification includes the right to advancement of expenses upon an undertaking by the director or officer to repay the expenses if it is later determined that such indemnitee was not entitled to indemnification. Under Itrons amended and restated bylaws, this right to indemnification is a contract right. Itrons amended and restated bylaws provide that it may maintain insurance to protect any director or officer against any loss, liability or expense whether or not Itron would have the power to indemnify such person against such loss, liability or expense under the Washington Business Corporation Act.

Itrons amended and restated bylaws also authorize Itron to enter into contracts with any director or officer in furtherance of the provisions of the restated bylaws regarding indemnification and to create a trust fund, grant a security interest or use other means to ensure the payment of amounts necessary to effect this indemnification.

Unless limited by the corporations articles of incorporation, Washington law requires indemnification if the director or officer is wholly successful on the merits of the action or otherwise. Any indemnification of a director in a derivative action must be reported to the shareholders in writing with or before notice of the next shareholders meeting. Article 9 of Itrons amended and restated articles of incorporation provides that a director will not be liable to Itron or its shareholders for monetary damages for conduct as a director to the full extent of Washington law.

Item 7. Exemption from Registration Claimed.

Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Item 9. Undertakings.

Incorporated by reference to the Registration Statements.
WASHINGTON  The Air Forces nearly two dozen B-2 Spirit bombers are no longer grounded after one of the planes made a fiery landing that led to a five-month investigation of the fleet, the service said Monday.

The Air Force ordered all 20 of its B-2 bombers grounded in December so the service could look into the emergency landing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri that damaged one of the planes. The grounding allowed the service to determine whether there were any safety issues that could affect the entire fleet.

The Air Force said no issues were found and the B-2 bombers returned to the skies on Monday.

Throughout the fleet safety pause, our ability to execute our mission was never at risk, said Col. Brus Vidal, spokesman at Air Force Global Strike Command. The B-2 fleet could still fly missions on the orders of the president of the United States or in support of the National Command Authority.

The service grounded all the planes as a safety measure after one of the B-2s experienced an in-flight emergency on Dec. 10 and was forced to quickly get back on the ground at Whiteman. The pilots made a successful landing, the Air Force said, but the plane caught fire on the runway and was damaged. It is now being repaired.

The Air Force has not yet said what the malfunction was or what its investigation has uncovered. The decision to return the planes to the sky was made by the commander of Global Strike Command.

We erred on the side of prudence and caution to assess any possible safety of flight issues, deliberately and methodically, within the fleet, Vidal said. We successfully accomplished all necessary actions to safely return to full flight operations with the B-2 fleet.

Manufactured by Northrop Grumman, the B-2 Spirit is one of the Air Forces most recognizable planes. The aircraft is a heavy stealth bomber that can evade anti-aircraft defenses, such as radar, and deliver a range of munitions, including conventional and thermonuclear weapons.

The B-2 Spirit entered service in 1997 and 21 of the planes were produced. To date, only one has been destroyed  the Spirit of Kansas, which crashed during takeoff at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam in 2008. Both pilots were injured, but survived. The cause of the crash was weather-related.

The remaining B-2s are all based at Whiteman and they are scheduled to remain in service until at least 2032, when the B-21 Raider will begin to replace them.
A U.S. attack aircraft known for close air support in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is seeing action in maritime patrols amid recent tensions between the U.S. and Iran, according to the Navy.

A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthog jets are part of an increased rotation of U.S. aircraft and ships in the Strait of Hormuz, off Irans coast, U.S. 5th Fleet said this week.

Navy destroyers, Coast Guard fast response cutters, P-8 maritime patrol aircraft and unmanned systems are also part of the patrols, 5th Fleet spokesman Cmdr. Tim Hawkins said Monday.

Our ramped-up defensive posture is in response to Irans unwarranted and unlawful behavior of late, Hawkins said.

The U.S. accuses Iran of seizing a commercial oil tanker in late April and another one in early May, as part of a series of 15 incidents in which the U.S. says Iran interfered with ships in the Middle East. The Iranian government says its recent seizures of oil tankers were due to ship violations or legal disputes.

The A-10s are part of a detachment sent in late March to Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. Since their arrival, they have trained on firing on targets at sea.

In late April, the A-10s simulated a live-fire attack on sea targets during training that included the Air Force, the Marines and the Coast Guard, a statement by the Marines on May 2 said.

The goal of the exercise was to train on coordinating aircraft and ships against surface threats, a video posted on Twitter by the Air Force after the exercise states.

The A-10, which was designed to destroy Soviet tanks during the Cold War, has seen combat mostly in land wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But it occasionally has been used in a maritime role. A-10s attacked small boats in Libya in 2011 and patrolled over the South China Sea in 2016, according to the military blog War is Boring.

And an exercise in 2017 saw the plane flying mock attack runs against small boats that looked very much like the type of fast vessels used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps navy, the online publication The Drive reported at the time.

The jets may be used in other experimental roles, U.S. military officials have said.

For example, the Air Force may try to shoot down aerial drones with them, as the Warthogs slower flight speed could be an advantage there, Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, 9th Air Force commander, told Defense One in April.

The service has tried for a long time to retire the A-10 over concerns that it didnt have a role in modern combat and that it was vulnerable to Russian air defenses. Congress has blocked those attempts.

But in early April, the Air Force announced it had sent an A-10 to the boneyard. That plane was the first of 21 slated to be decommissioned by the end of September.

The service intends to mothball the rest of the fleet by 2029, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. said in March.
Russian interior minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev met with Saudi interior minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud early Tuesday and held talks with his counterpart in the kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The visit to Riyadh came just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed an Arab League summit held in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port city of Jeddah on Friday. The visits underline how the kingdom and Gulf Arab states, traditionally the security clients of the United States, have been maintaining their relations with Moscow amid the Ukraine war.

During the session, they discussed ways to enhance security cooperation paths between the two countries ministries of interior, in addition to discussing a number of issues of common interest, the report said.

Russian media did not immediately report on the visit.

Since the war in Ukraine began, oil giant Saudi Arabia has been purchasing Russian diesel fuel at steep discounts, given Western sanctions on Moscow, AP reported. That diesel has been cheaper for the kingdom to use while it exports its own crude oil products abroad to take advantage of global prices.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the king's powerful 37-year-old son, also has tried to position the kingdom as a potential negotiator between Kyiv and Moscow to end the war.

The kingdom is ready to continue mediating between Russia and Ukraine and to support all international efforts to end the crisis politically toward peace, the prince told the Arab League summit on Friday.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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WASHINGTON  The Pentagon isnt keeping track of tens of thousands of spare parts for F-35 fighter jets worth millions of dollars because it was unclear who is responsible for doing it, according to a congressional audit released Tuesday.

The U.S. military and many nations such as Israel and Japan have been flying the F-35 Lightning II for several years, which creates a need for various parts to be kept at locations in many countries around the globe. The Pentagon maintains a global pool of spare parts that ally countries can tap into when needed. However, there is no Defense Department system to monitor those inventories and keep track of the parts, according to the Government Accountability Office report.

The main reason that no accountability system exists for spare parts in the global pool is because it was never expected the U.S. military would own parts for F-35s purchased by other countries.

[Defense Department] initially did not intend to own the F-35 assets, which include the global spares pool and support equipment, special tooling and special test equipment, the 35-page GAO report states. Because DOD did not develop a plan to address this  the prime contractors continued to maintain accountability.

The prime contractors are the F-35s manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, and the company that produces its engines, Pratt & Whitney.

Over time, the inventory process became murkier because the spare parts in the global pool ended up in different inventory systems at Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney  and were stored at dozens of locations that were not owned by the U.S. government or either company, according to the report.

The result is a cloudy picture of how many spare parts are in the pool, how many have been lost or misplaced, what was paid for them and how much theyre worth, the report states.

The F-35 Joint Program Office was unable to provide the cost, total quantity and locations of spare parts in the global spares pool, and continues to rely on the prime contractors records for this information, according to the GAO report.

The Joint Program Office, which manages all aspects of the F-35 program, has been working on the problem. It has spent $12 million in the past three years on efforts to inventory the global pool. That effort was still ongoing in December.

The report includes four recommendations that could help the Pentagon keep better track of the parts in the global pool  create a single contract to track and categorize all the parts, allow contractors to report losses in the interim, make certain Pentagon part-tracking guidance is clear and unambiguous, and specify what should be done with extra, obsolete and unusable spare parts in the pool.

The Defense Department agreed with all four recommendations, but noted one of the contractors is being uncooperative. The vendor was not identified.

The [F-35] JPO is currently assessing next steps to address spares pool accountability, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The Defense Department estimates the F-35 will cost $1.7 trillion to operate, maintain and support through the end of its life cycle in the late 2080s. Its the most expensive weapon in U.S. military history and variants of the fighter are being flown by the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.

Lockheed Martin has so far produced and delivered more than 900 of the fifth-generation fighter jets to the U.S. military and allied governments, including Italy, Australia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea and Britain. Turkey and the United Arab Emirates initially ordered dozens of the planes, but the sales ultimately fell through for different reasons.
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, Calif. (Tribune News Service)  Marlo Fleck might be the worlds most highly trained gas station attendant.

Thats how Fleck, a 37-year-old U.S Air Force Reserve major, jokingly describes her job flying Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers assigned to the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March Air Reserve Base near Riverside.

The tankers, which Fleck called airborne Shell station(s), refuel military aircraft in midair, extending their range and how long they can stay airborne.

In service for six decades, the Air Forces 396 KC-135s  March has 12 of them  are being phased out and replaced by the newer, more advanced Boeing KC-46A Pegasus . The U.S. military has ordered 179 KC-46As to be delivered between now and 2029.

Twelve KC-46As, each costing $176 million, will start arriving at March as soon as late 2024 to replace KC-135s that have been at the base 29 years, said Jamil Dada, a longtime community liaison with March.

Its a big deal for a base that dates to World War I and shed thousands of jobs during a 1990s downsizing. Getting the new planes shields March from closure for 30 to 40 years, Dada said.

March already injects $800 million into the local economy through everything from gas purchases and hotel stays to hiring civilian contractors, Dada said. The KC-46As represent another $3 billion investment, he said.

While technically a reserve base, March, which is sandwiched between Riverside, Moreno Valley and Perris in western Riverside County, is as busy as many active-duty bases, Dada said.

Besides the tankers, March also is home to F-15 fighter jets, C-17 cargo planes, Predator drones, the 4th Air Forces headquarters and Defense Media Activity, which runs the Armed Forces Network.

With looming threats from North Korea and China, the Pentagon is starting to pay more attention to March and the base could become valuable in the event of a Pacific conflict, Dada said.

Marchs KC-135s can be sent anywhere in the world. Fleck, whos been flying KC-135s for 13 years  almost five of them at March  said shes been deployed to refuel aircraft in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts several times.

I dont think that theres anything that can be refueled that I havent refueled, she said.

The list includes C-5 cargo planes, B-1 bombers, F-22 fighters and foreign warplanes like European-built Tornadoes and French Mirages.

Planes easier to fly, harder to ride

The first thing one notices on board a KC-135 is that its not built for comfort. Cushionless jump seats line both sides of a spartan interior with slick gray floors.

Its not much better in the cockpit.

Im not sure that the word or concept of ergonomics existed in the fifties when the KC-135 entered service, Fleck said.

Youre kind of always uncomfortable. And so the longer the flight, the more your back and stuff hurts. You have to get up a lot and go do some pushups or whatever just to get your body moving again.

On the plus side, flying the KC-135 is pretty systematically straightforward because it was designed and built in the late (1940s) and the early (1950s), Fleck said. So if you imagine where we were technologically at that point in time, things were a lot simpler.

A tube runs the length of the planes left side to the rear, where the boom operator  the person responsible for connecting the planes refueling boom, or extendable refueling pipe, to other airplanes  lies down stomach-first.

Literally they lay down on the job, Fleck said. We like to kind of make fun of them (for that). But in all fairness, theres a lot of technical knowledge with what they do  the boom operators really take over and they get on the radio because theyre the ones that actually have the visual on the (refueling plane).

While the boom operator uses a joystick to connect the 48-foot-long boom with a plane needing a fill-up, Fleck and a co-pilot keep the KC-135 steady, avoiding any jerking movements or airspeed changes as the tanker and its customer try to hook up.

Its a very choreographed standardized process, Fleck said. There are certain procedures and certain airspeeds and certain emergency protocols that we have if things dont go quite as we expected them to go.

Refueling relies on everyone being on the same page to avoid midair collisions.

Everyone knows exactly (what to do) if they hear break away, break away, break away, Fleck said.

Fighters are easier to refuel than slower and less maneuverable cargo planes, said Fleck, who spent about 20 months learning to fly the KC-135 after graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Flying brings long, odd hours

Every phase of the KC-135s flight has a checklist, Fleck said.

Thats basically why the military is good at what we do, she said. You could fly with somebody different every single day. But what goes on in the aircraft should be exactly the same because everything is very checklist oriented.

Flying the KC-135 means committing to an unconventional schedule.

Flecks recent mission in Germany started with a flight from March to an East Coast base before a flight that took off the following night at midnight East Coast time.

(We) flew all night, got to Germany, spent about a day on the ground  It was night for our normal body clocks, she said. Just in the span of like four days we flew (during the) day, then we flew two nights, then we woke up and flew (in the) morning.

Fleck, who has been in the air as long as 17 hours straight, added: Its not easy flip-flopping back and forth like that. But its really kind of what we signed up for  So we try to do our due diligence just to make sure were staying safe and getting enough rest.

Finding things to talk about during long flights can be challenging, Fleck said. But as a flight instructor, she has a secret weapon.

I like to get my crew engaged, she said. Well  go back through the books and I might ask them some questions on what we call general knowledge of the aircraft. And if they dont know the answer, Ill say Well, lets get the book out and lets look it up.

New planes are bigger and bulletproof

Modeled after the Boeing 767 airliner, the new KC-46A has a larger wingspan and two fewer engines than the KC-135.

It carries more fuel than its predecessor and can refuel up to three planes at once  the KC-135 can only refuel one plane at a time. Compared to the KC-135, the KC-46A can carry more cargo, passengers and patients needing to be medevaced.

The KC-46A also has defensive measures the KC-135 lacks, such as lasers that can ward off heat-seeking missiles.

To handle the KC-46As, March will need new equipment and new infrastructure, Dada said. New on-base housing must be built for pilots on alert status who need to be airborne in three minutes, he added.

Last year, the Air Force announced March was the preferred destination for 12 KC-46As.

I cant guarantee it on paper but  Im 90% certain that were on track, Dada said.

March is still the preferred destination for the KC-46s as far as we know, Wendy Day, the bases chief of media engagement, said via email.

As for Fleck, shell learn to fly the KC-46As in the next couple years.

Certainly (the new planes will have) all the creature comforts and certainly upgraded engines and avionics and cockpit, she said. Its probably night and day, light years different.

She added: Im excited. I think its time for just an update.

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Visit The Press-Enterprise (Riverside, Calif.) at pe.com .
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden has chosen a new leader for the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, a joint position that oversees much of America's cyber warfare and defense.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, the current deputy commander of Cyber Command, would replace Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, who has led both organizations since May 2018 and was expected to step down this year, according to a notice sent by the Air Force this week and confirmed by a person familiar with the announcement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters not yet made public.

If confirmed, Haugh will take charge of highly influential U.S. efforts to bolster Ukraine's cybersecurity and share information with Ukrainian forces fighting Russia's invasion. He will also oversee programs to detect and stop foreign influence and interference in American elections, as well as those targeting criminals behind ransomware attacks that have shut down hospital systems and at one point a key U.S. fuel pipeline.

Politico first reported that Haugh was picked.

It's unclear whether Haugh will be affected by a Republican senator's blockade of all military nominations. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama has for months objected to the Pentagon's policy of providing travel money and support to troops seeking abortions but based in states with abortion bans.

Haugh's nomination to lead both the NSA and Cyber Command reflects the White House's intention to keep one person in charge of both organizations. That arrangement is known as a "dual-hat" posting.

Some key Republicans have long wanted to split the leadership, saying each organization is important enough to require a full-time leader. Nakasone has long advocated for keeping the dual hat, saying it gives him and future leaders access to more powers more efficiently.

The Biden administration established a small study group last year to review the leadership structure. The review signaled support for keeping the position as is.

An official familiar with the matter said the group's review found that having a single head in charge of both agencies better mirrored how U.S. allies' cyber and intelligence operations were structured and made it easier to act quickly on information  a critical aspect of countering cyberwarfare. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to be able to discuss sensitive matters.

The group also found that within the U.S., having a single head also streamlined decisions and enabled the U.S. to more quickly act on intelligence, rather than have the information move through the leadership of both structures before recommendations could be made on a response.

The group reviewed case studies of intelligence and cyber operations to determine whether the dual hat structure was necessary and briefed the defense secretary, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and relevant congressional committees on its findings, the official said.

According to a service biography, Haugh is a career signals intelligence officer and recipient of the Bronze Star, given to service members for heroism or outstanding achievement in a combat theater. He has been deputy commander at U.S. Cyber Command since August.
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan  The commander of a destroyer that only recently arrived in Japan has been relieved due to a loss of confidence, according to the Navy.

The head of the U.S. 7th Fleet, Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, removed Cmdr. Angela Gonzales from her job aboard the USS John Finn due to a loss of confidence in her ability to fulfill her responsibilities in leading the ship, 7th Fleet said in a news release.

Thomas made the decision following an investigation, 7th Fleet spokeswoman Cmdr. Hayley Sims told Stars and Stripes by email Tuesday. She declined to comment further on the investigation.

The U.S. Navy holds its leaders to very high standards and will hold leaders accountable when those standards are not met, Simms wrote.

Thomas administratively reassigned Gonzales to U.S. Pacific Fleets Naval Surface Force and named Cmdr. Matthew Hays as John Finns interim commander, according to the release.

These leaders are entrusted with significant responsibilities to their Sailors and their ships. They are expected to maintain the Navys high standards for leadership, demonstrating competence in their duties at all times, the release states.

The John Finn is one of the newest additions to Destroyer Squadron 15 and Task Force 71. It arrived at Yokosuka on March 4 from Naval Base San Diego, its former homeport, which it departed Feb. 16.

The John Finn will replace the guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh, which is due to be decommissioned at Naval Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Task Force 70 spokesman. Lt. Cmdr. Joe Keiley said in March. Keiley, citing operational security, declined to comment on the schedule for the Shilohs retirement.

Gonzales is at least the third ship commander fired over loss of confidence this year. Cmdr. Alexa Jenkins of the Florida-based destroyer USS Carney and Capt. Michael Nordeen of the Virginia-based amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde were relieved in January.
(Tribune News Service)  Three active-duty U.S. Navy ships and one U.S. Coast Guard ship will be available for public tours during LA Fleet Week, which runs through Memorial Day weekend.

Tours will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday to Monday, May 26-29.

The Navy ships will be berthed in San Pedros Outer Harbor at the southern-most coastline, Berth 46, at the end of Miner Street and beyond the S.S. Lane Victory. The Coast Guard ship  the Terrell Horne  will be located in the Downtown Harbor just south of the main LA Fleet Week Expo area, between the fire station and the Los Angeles Maritime Museum.

The only way to get onboard the Navy ships will be to take a shuttle bus from the main LA Fleet Week Expo  alongside the Battleship Iowa, 250 S. Harbor Blvd.  and then get in line. Heading out there earlier in the day is best, organizers said, and they suggest visitors be in line no later than 3 p.m.

The visiting ships are:

 USS Cincinnati (LCS-20): Designed to provide the Navy with modern and networked sea-based platforms, the 418-foot independence-class littoral combat ship, built in Mobile, Ala., was commissioned on Oct. 5, 2019, and has been deployed at various international ports, including in Costa Rica, Mexico and Panama. The crew includes eight officers, 32 enlisted personnel and up to 35 mission crew. The ship is equipped with Rolling Airframe Missile protection from air threats, features improved nuclear blast and fragmentation protection, and a shock-hardened structure. The fiber-optic shipboard-wide area network allows plug in and fight configuration, updating and replacing hardware more easily when newer technology becomes available.

 USS Princeton (CG-59): Home-ported in San Diego, this is the 13th Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser and the sixth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name of Princeton. The 567 foot-long ship, with 24 officers and 340 enlisted on board, has completed three deployments to the Arabian Gulf and won two consecutive Battle Efficiency Awards in 1992-93. Princeton was the first Ticonderoga-class cruiser to carry the upgraded AN/SPY-1B radar system. Built in Pascagoula, Miss., the ship was commissioned on Feb. 11, 1989, and carries, among an array of armament, anti-submarine missiles, harpoon missiles, quad-canister launchers, torpedoes, and a machine gun system.

 USS Ashland (LSD-48): Based in San Diego, the 610-foot vessel is the eighth Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship and the second U.S. Navy ship to be named for Ashland, the home of Henry Clay, in Lexington, Ky. Commissioned on May 9, 1992, in New Orleans, its past port calls and visits include Japan, the Middle East, Philippines, South America and West Africa. The crew includes 20 officers and 302 enlisted.

 US Coast Guard Fast Response Cutter Terrell Horne (WPC-1131): Based in San Pedro, the Terrell Horne is the third of four planned FRCs to be stationed in the Port of Los Angeles. FRCs are replacing the 1980s-era Island-class 110-foot patrol boats and ae designed for multiple missions, including drug and migrant interdictions; ports, waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense. The cutters feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment. Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III, the cutters namesake, served as executive petty officer of Coast Guard Cutter Halibut. He was killed while conducting maritime law enforcement operations near Santa Cruz Island on Dec. 2, 2012.

There are several requirements and restrictions for those who wish to tour the ships. Those are:

Visitors must be at least 5 years of age.

 No strollers permitted on the ships.

 Visitors must be able to walk unassisted without the aid of supporting devices for access to the vessels.

 Visitors must be able to walk through tight spaces and up and down steep ladders.

 An equivalency experience will be offered if desired.

 No public restrooms are available aboard the ships, but will be on the dock.

 Wear closed-toed shoes. For your safety, flip flops and high heels are strongly discouraged.

 No pets allowed.

For more information, visit lafleetweek.com/events_schedule/ships/

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Visit the Orange County (Calif.) Register at ocregister.com .
MINERAL WELLS, Texas (Tribune News Service)  An airfield the Army built to support its Camp Wolters marked its 80th year by inviting the public to watch the planes fly in and enjoy refreshments on the tarmac.

I like the choppers, Lester Woodruff said of the helicopters that joined the party.

The Mineral Wells resident brought his son, Aaron to enjoy the event.

Eighty years old, he said, recalling the specialty craft that landed and took off here during last summers wildfires. For a little bitty town, this airport holds some big, big planes. Theyd land in here and load up, and theyd take off and go down to Possum Kingdom and put it out.

Airport Manager Haley Cuevas recalled the airfield was built in 1943 by the U.S. Army to support its training camp in Mineral Wells.

The base was really densely populated, with training and families, so everything that comes with that, she said. When Camp Wolters slowed down after the war, the government gave the airport to the city. Thats why its so sturdy and big. Thats why the runways are so long.

Runway 13/31 was shorter then than todays 6,000 feet, and runway 17/35, at 4,100 feet, remains a ready backup.

Haley, who marks her own first anniversary in the terminal Tuesday, expressed pride with the job the city has done since accepting the facility.

People think its a gift, but its a big undertaking to take on something this large, she said. So, I applaud the city for keeping it open and not letting it go derelict.

Operating at roughly 70 percent small-piston propellor and 30 percent jet aircraft, both commercial and private, the airport is on a mission to play an economic development role for Mineral Wells.

Cuevas shared she recently met with the Parker County Economic Development Corp. The 500-acre airport, like the city that owns it, straddles Parker and Palo Pinto counties.

Cuevas said Mineral Wells Economic Development Corp. Executive Director David Hawes also sends connections and business prospects her way.

We have a lot of flight schools, she added. Its interesting to see all the different companies that come out here to talk to us, to have, here in this area, companies that are very nontraditional for a small, general aviation airport.

She indicated the skys the limit for the coming years.

People are hearing about us, she said. They know that theres land available, they want to have these conversations. and its exciting to see that. It seems itll bring more jobs.

(c)2023 Weatherford Democrat (Weatherford, Texas)

Visit at weatherforddemocrat.com
Frankfurt, Germany, Jan. 21, 1981: Hostages emerge to cheers as they step out of one of the two C-9 planes that ferried them from Tehran, Iran, to Rhein Main Air Base. The 52 Americans had been held captive in Iran since Nov. 4, 1979, when some 300 militant Iranians seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Thousands of well-wishers came to the air base to welcome the returnees home.

Read Stars and Stripes coverage of the Iran hostages homecoming here.

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CAIRO  U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday warned Sudan's rival generals to abide by the latest cease-fire or face possible sanctions, as residents reported sporadic fighting between the sides in the capital of Khartoum and a northern city.

Sudan descended into chaos after fighting erupted in mid-April between the country's military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The fighting has killed at least 863 civilians, including at least 190 children, and wounded more than 3,530 others, according to the Doctors' Syndicate, which tracks civilian casualties. The toll could be much higher, the medical group said. The conflict has also turned Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields. Early on, foreign governments raced to evacuate their diplomats and nationals as thousands of foreign residents scrambled to get out of Sudan.

More than a million Sudanese have been forced from their homes by the fighting, including over 840,000 who have sought shelter in safer parts of the country, and another 250,000 crossed into neighboring countries, according to the U.N. figures.

Over the past weeks, the United States and Saudi Arabia have been mediating in talks between the warring sides, held in the kingdom. A new truce was announced over the weekend  the seventh attempt so far to stop the deadly violence in the East African nation. It went into effect on Monday night. All previous cease-fires have been violated.

In a video message posted by the U.S. Embassy on social media early Tuesday, Blinken said the fighting has been "tragic, senseless and devastating."

The truce, he said, is meant to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance and restore essential services and infrastructure destroyed in the clashes.

A remote mechanism, backed by the U.S., has been established to monitor the truce, Blinken added  a 12-member monitoring committee consisting of three representatives from the warring sides, three from the U.S., and three from Saudi Arabia.

"If the cease-fire is violated, we'll know and we will hold violators accountable through sanctions and other means," he said. "We facilitated the cease-fire, but it's the responsibility of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to implement it."

Both sides agreed to stop hostilities and the looting of civilian properties and humanitarian supplies, as well as seizing civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, power plants, water pumps, and fuel stations.

Aid workers and civilians have reported widespread looting in Khartoum and elsewhere across the country, along with dire lack of basic services, medical care, food, and water. The Doctors' Syndicate has also said that the RSF has seized hospitals. Allegations of sexual violence against women, including rape and gang rape in Khartoum and the restive western Darfur region, have also been reported.

Doctors Without Borders said Tuesday in a statement its staff has been harassed, and its medical premises and other facilities have been repeatedly looted and occupied since the fighting began. The charity, known by its French acronym MSF, runs medical projects in 10 of Sudan's 18 provinces, including the capital.

"We are shaken and appalled by these deplorable attacks," said Jean-Nicolas Armstrong Dangelser, MSF emergency coordinator in Sudan. "We are experiencing a violation of humanitarian principles, and the space for humanitarians to work is shrinking on a scale I've rarely seen before."

Residents, meanwhile, said they heard gunfire and explosions Tuesday in parts of Omdurman, a city next to Khartoum, with military aircraft flying overhead. They also reported sporadic clashes around the military's headquarters in Khartoum.

"Sounds of firefight are very close," said Babakr Abdel-Rahman, an Omdurman resident, speaking over the phone, with loud sounds of gunfire and aircraft heard in the background. "They don't respect people's lives."

Fighting also was reported in the northern city of Obeid, where RSF was said to have attacked the military headquarters and other parts of the city.

Radhouane Nouicer, the U.N. expert on human rights in Sudan, slammed the warring parties for taking the country "hostage," and described the civilian suffering as "dehumanizing."

"This is the destruction of a country in a way that is dehumanizing to its people," he said in a statement Tuesday. "People feel alone and abandoned amid a chronic shortage of food, drinking water, homes destroyed, indiscriminate attacks in residential areas and widespread looting; the whole country is taken hostage."

The weekslong conflict has exacerbated the already dire humanitarian disaster in Sudan, prompting the U.N. to update its humanitarian response for 2023.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said last week that the number of people who would need assistance this year increased by 57%, to 24.7 million people, or more than a half the country's population. That requires $2.6 billion, an increase of 47% compared to prewar estimates, it said.

The U.S. said it would allocate $245 million in additional support to Sudan and neighboring countries impacted by the conflict. That brings the total U.S. humanitarian assistance commitment for Sudan and neighbors Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and the Central African Republic to nearly $880 million in 2023, according to the State Department.
WASHINGTON  On President Joe Biden 's first day in office, he handed Congress a legislative plan to modernize the nation's immigration system.

It went nowhere, just like so many past overhaul attempts.

Meanwhile, the number of migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border climbed to record highs and so did the backlog of cases in the nation's immigration court system. Title 42 emergency health powers that allowed border officials to turn away many migrants were sure to end as the coronavirus pandemic eased. And Congress couldn't agree on even simple questions like whether the U.S. should let in more people, or fewer.

So administration officials went looking outside the U.S. for solutions, seeking to portray immigration not as one of America's most intractable problems, but as an issue for the entire Western hemisphere to address.

It was a shift in focus that plays to Biden's faith in the power of global diplomacy, and one that also may hold more promise for making progress, particularly as smuggling networks increasingly steer migrant families from around the world up through the dangerous and often deadly Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama.

"No nation should bear this responsibility alone." Biden said last year as he summoned the leaders of 23 nations attending a Summit of the Americas to come up with a shared plan on migration and security. "The economic futures depend on one another. Each of our futures depend on one another. And our security is linked in ways that I don't think most people in my country fully understand."

If the solutions for Biden are international, the politics are still domestic.

He's running for reelection, and the border is a top issue for Republicans who portray him as soft on security. His involvement in immigration policy before he became president was relatively light. Prior to this year's visit, he'd only been down to the 1,951-mile U.S.-Mexico border for a few hours during a 2008 campaign stop, and he played no significant role in past reform efforts in the Senate when he served there.

His foreign policy experience, though, stretches back decades from his years on the Hill and through his two terms as vice president, and that carries weight internationally.

"No other president who has sat in the Oval Office has the mileage, the understanding, the engagement that Joe Biden has had in the region. It's just a fact," said Arturo Sarukhan, the Mexican ambassador to the U.S. from 2007 to 2013. "That is an important add that Biden brings to the table."

Sarukhan said Biden's approach has focused on engagement and negotiation, by sending top leaders to the region for discussions, and through invitations to Washington. "Biden hasn't put the gun to anyone's forehead," he said.

But immigrant advocates worry there's a cost to the new approach that will likely be paid by migrants who are fleeing persecution and poverty in their homelands.

"I do think they are trying to manage migration, rather than end migration," said Yael Schacher, director for the Americas and Europe at Refugees International. "But managing migration can also have human rights, terrible human rights, consequences. There's a moral distancing -- the possibility for wiping your hands of a problem if it isn't at your door anymore."

The makeup of those migrating has changed dramatically over the past two decades, bringing new challenges as well.

Those crossing the border used to be mostly Mexican men who were coming for work and could be easily sent back. Now, families are increasingly arriving from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti, fleeing drought brought on by climate change as well as oppressive regimes.

It reflects a larger trend. UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, estimates 103 million people are displaced globally -- more than 1% of the world's population.

"We are finding ourselves in a unique moment and we do have to understand it's not a domestic issue, but a regional and global one," said Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, head of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, which helps migrants and refugees in the U.S.

The number of illegal U.S.-Mexico border crossings has been declining since new rules were put into place by the Biden administration on May 11, but it's not clear yet whether the administration's approach will be effective in the long term or whether it can survive legal challenges and a possible administration change in 2024.

Under the new rules, migrants are barred from asking for asylum if they cross through another country on their way to the U.S. without seeking protection there or fail to make an appointment to come to the U.S. through a new government app. If caught crossing illegally, they are barred from returning for five years and face criminal charges if they do.

But up to 30,000 Venezuela, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans per month will be allowed into the U.S. to work legally if they come with sponsors. And as many as 100,000 immigrants from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia will be allowed in if they have family members who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

The leaders of Mexico and several other nations had boycotted the June summit in Los Angeles over a decision to exclude authoritarian leaders. Still, it ended with a signed pact and set of principles that included legal pathways to enter countries, aid to communities most affected by migration, more humane border management and coordinated emergency responses.

Administration officials then set to work on new immigration rules that would take effect once Title 42 ended, with new directives that aim to expand legal pathways for entry while cracking down on illegal crossings, intertwined with actions by Guatemala, Ecuador and Colombia. They negotiated with Mexico. Canada and Spain to take in migrants who would otherwise be bound for the U.S.

Guatemala and Colombia will open regional hubs where people can go to make claims, with as many as 100 opening regionally. But Colombia and Guatemala fear the hubs might draw millions to their shores, and other nations are reluctant to sign on to host hubs for that reason.

Meanwhile, many migrants remain in limbo. Last week, advocates said the new migrant app was having major problems and that people were unable to get the OK to cross - some who desperately needed to get into the U.S., who were sexually assaulted and beaten by their captors over the border.

"Understand that what the people who are terrified to return to their home countries who are seeking asylum, they want to do this the right way so badly that they wait for an app that does not work," said Priscilla Orta, an immigration attorney at Project Corazon. "And that is a lottery for their lives."
SYDNEY  Narendra Modi has arrived in Sydney for his second Australian visit as India's prime minister and told local media he wants closer bilateral defense and security ties as China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region grows.

Modi is the only one of the Quad nations' leaders to continue with his Australian visit plans after President Joe Biden pulled out last week to return to Washington to focus on debt limit talks. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who hosted a Group of Seven meeting last week, later canceled his Australia trip as well.

Modi is giving an address to the Indian diaspora at a sold-out 20,000-seat Sydney stadium Tuesday. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend the stadium event and has a bilateral meeting scheduled with his Indian counterpart on Wednesday.

Modi told Tuesday's edition of The Australian newspaper he wanted to take India's relationship with Australia to the "next level," including closer defense and security ties to help ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

"As two democracies, India and Australia have shared interests in a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. There is alignment of our strategic viewpoint," Modi told the newspaper.

"The high degree of mutual trust between us has naturally translated into greater cooperation on defense and security matters. Our navies are participating in joint naval exercises. I am confident that there is merit in working together to realise the true potential in closer defense and security cooperation," Modi added.

Modi last visited Australia in November 2014 only months after his government was first elected.

Australia had pulled out of the original Quad security dialogue with India, the United States and Japan in 2008, fearing the grouping would provoke a Chinese military buildup. Since China took that course anyway, the Quad reformed in 2017 and Australia returned to joint Quad military exercises in 2020.

With the Sydney leaders' summit cancelled, a substitute Quad meeting was convened on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday night from Papua New Guinea, where he had hosted a meeting with Pacific Island leaders to discuss ways to better cooperate.

Asked if Australian would raise Muslim and minority rights in India with the Hindu leader, Richard Marles, Australia's deputy prime minister, said he expected Albanese and Modi would have a "full conversation."

"We have never had a greater strategic alignment with India than we do right now. Both countries are deeply invested in the collective security of the Indo-Pacific region," Marles told reporters in the Australian capital Canberra.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold Wednesday an emergency meeting at its headquarters in Jeddah to discuss the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, the OIC said Tuesday.

The meeting is to be convened at the request of Palestine and Jordan following the continuous Israeli incursions and assaults on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, including the storming of the mosque by the extremist Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben Gvir.

On Sunday, Ben-Gvir stormed the mosque compound, from the Mughrabi Gate, and provocatively roamed its courtyards, for the second time since he took office in Israel's most-right wing government ever, sparking global condemnation.

Secretary-General of the OIC, Hissein Brahim Taha, said in the statement that the meeting will address the "dangerous developments" in Jerusalem and the perpetual Israeli aggressions across the Occupied Territories.

Early on Tuesday, the Israeli occupation army detained at least 10 Palestinians, one of them 62-years-old, in a series of raids across the occupied West Bank, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

Two Palestinian youths were injured after Israeli forces shot at them while they were in their vehicle. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli forces attacks sparked confrontations with Palestinians in the area and the forces fired bullets, sound bombs, and gas bombs, WAFA added.

The violence comes only a day after Israeli forces on Monday killed three Palestinian in an army raid on Balata camp in Nablus.

Israel occupied the West Bank since the 1967 War, and its forces regularly launch incursions into Palestinian cities, which are nominally under the control of Abbas's Palestinian Authority.

Since the start of the year, at least 156 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, according to an AFP tally.

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SEOUL, South Korea  Leaders of South Korea and the European Union agreed Monday to increase pressure on Russia over its war against Ukraine and condemn North Korea's ballistic missile tests.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met with European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Seoul, after the three leaders attended the weekend summit of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations in Hiroshima, Japan.

"We agree to maintain and increase the collective pressure on Russia, particularly through effective implementation of the respective restrictive measures," they said in a joint statement. "We are committed to support Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction and remain resolved to support Ukraine for as long as it takes."

Michel said Russia's continued attacks against Ukraine show that deeper cooperation between the EU and South Korea is "not a luxury. It's a vital necessity."

The three leaders called on North Korea to cease actions that raise military tensions and return to nuclear disarmament talks.

"The European Union will never accept (North Korea's) possession of nuclear weapons as the normal state of affairs, just like we do not accept Russia's military aggression against Ukraine," von der Leyen said at a joint news conference.

Yoon said the three leaders recognized that North Korea's nuclear and missile programs pose a threat beyond the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea has launched about 100 missiles since the start of 2022, many of them nuclear-capable weapons that place the U.S. mainland and South Korea within striking distance. Experts say North Korea believes its expanded weapons arsenal will help it wrest concessions from its rivals.

At the G7 summit, the leaders of Japan, the U.S., the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy as well as the European Union condemned Russia's invasion and reiterated their support for Ukraine. They demanded that North Korea refrain from any destabilizing or escalatory actions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with some of his biggest backers as the G7 summit closed on Sunday, building momentum for his country's war effort even as Russia claimed a battlefield victory that was quickly disputed by Ukraine. Even before Zelenskyy landed Saturday, the G7 nations had unveiled new sanctions and other measures meant to punish Moscow over its invasion that began in February last year.

Yoon also met with Zelenskyy on the margins of the G7 summit and promised to send demining equipment, ambulances and other items. South Korea has provided humanitarian and other support to Ukraine while joining U.S.-led economic sanctions against Russia, but it hasn't directly provided arms to Ukraine in line with its longstanding policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict.
The governor of Guam ordered residents in low-lying areas to evacuate Tuesday as Super Typhoon Mawar barreled toward the island.

Islanders were advised by emergency authorities to seek immediate shelter, with damages expected overnight Tuesday and peak typhoon winds expected Wednesday.

Super Typhoon Mawar is expected to make a direct hit or very near passage for Guam, the islands Joint Information Center said in a 6:30 p.m. bulletin. There is a potential of a catastrophic and devastating event for Guam. Typhoon force winds are expected Wednesday morning, with peak conditions around midday.

Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Joint Region Marianas, the military installation management command on Guam, set Condition of Readiness 1 around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Current forecasts are not favorable to our island  which we have been carefully tracking and preparing for, Leon Guerrero told residents in a video message.

The storm is predicted to pass almost directly over the capital, Hagatna, and Naval Base Guam, 15 miles southwest of Andersen Air Force Base, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday.

This is a very serious situation with steadily deteriorating conditions, the bulletin said.

Mawar was upgraded to a super typhoon around 5 p.m. Tuesday with sustained winds of 155 mph and 195 mph gusts, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning System. The island is braced for 161 mph sustained winds with 196 mph gusts early Wednesday morning.

Leon Guerrero ordered anyone in low-lying, flood-prone and coast areas to evacuate and mobilized the Guam National Guard to assist with the efforts. She urged people to stay calm, remain informed and act immediately.

My greatest concern and worry is your safety, she said in the video posted on her offices YouTube channel. We must act now to ensure the protection of our people and your safety.

The naval base, Andersen and the Marine Corps Camp Blaz urged U.S. service members to seek shelter throughout the day on Tuesday.

Navy ships were sent away from the island as a standard precautionary measure, according to naval base spokeswoman Valerie Maigue, who said the installation has been preparing for Mawar for several days.

Weve been tracking this storm since late last week, and weve notified our families well in advance, she told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday.

The base notified service members Tuesday afternoon that anyone affected by the evacuation order could contact the command duty officer for shelter and temporary housing by calling (671) 488-7147.

Personnel who intend to evacuate to [Naval Base Guam] temporary housing or any other private residence, should contact their immediate supervisor or their respective Command Duty Officers to provide their whereabouts and contact information, states a post on the bases official Facebook page.

All aircraft at Andersen have either departed or are sheltered in hangars, base spokeswoman Capt. Katie Mueller told Stars and Stripes by text message Tuesday evening. The base advised everyone to follow the governors order and remain indoors.

Mawar could potentially be the strongest storm to lash Guam since Super Typhoon Pongsona passed the island in December 2002 with gusts of 173 mph.

A Category 5 storm brings catastrophic damage and may collapse walls and roofs, cause long-lasting power outages and render much of the affected area uninhabitable for weeks or months, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Check Stars and Stripes Pacific Storm Tracker for frequent updates on Mawar.
NAHA, Okinawa  A Japanese court sentenced a U.S. Marine to a 20-month suspended sentence Monday after he admitted driving recklessly prior to a crash that killed a Japanese pedestrian last year.

Cpl. Joshua David Siegel, 21, pleaded guilty May 11 in Naha District Court to a charge of negligent driving resulting in injury or death following the May 8, 2022, crash on Route 58 outside Camp Foster.

Siegel was traveling upwards of 55 mph, about 20 mph over the speed limit, on the main thoroughfare in slick conditions when his car jumped the curb and struck Katsuya Ishikawa, 61, of Ginowan.

Judge Takashi Kato sentenced Siegel to 20 months in prison but suspended the sentence for three years, citing Siegels remorse and lack of a criminal record. Siegels insurance company will pay Ishikawas family an undisclosed amount of compensation, Kato said in court.

You are guilty, the judge told Siegel. I advise you to be especially careful for the next three years.

Siegel was southbound in his white, four-door sedan at approximately 7:30 a.m. when he lost control and struck Ishikawa, and then a guard rail between the sidewalk and Fosters perimeter fence, Okinawa police said at the time.

Ishikawa was pronounced dead several hours later at Chubu Tokushukai Hospital, Kato said.

The Marine was not on duty at the time, nor had he been drinking, according to police. He was not arrested before being charged.

Prosecutors asked for a maximum 20-month sentence. Siegels attorneys asked for a suspended sentence and argued that Siegel, an aviation intelligence specialist with Marine Wing Headquarters Squadron 1, was remorseful.

Siegel entered the courtroom Monday afternoon in a black suit and tie and black mask, flanked by his attorney and several Americans. He stood calmly before Kato, who admonished him for accelerating suddenly in slick conditions prior to the crash.

The Marine was also previously ticketed for speeding on base, Kato said.

Repeating the same act is unacceptable, Kato said prior to handing down the sentence. Your degree of negligence is very big, he said.

Siegel appeared relieved as he left the courtroom, accompanied by his attorney.
VIENNA  The United Nations nuclear watchdog is pushing for a last-minute agreement to secure Ukraines huge atomic power plant in Zaporizhzhia ahead of a counteroffensive that could see Kyivs forces drive directly through the potentially hazardous facility.

After nearly nine months of failed efforts to forge an agreement between Ukraine and Russia to establish a protection zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP), Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, is now pushing for a new proposal to reduce the possibility of a catastrophic nuclear disaster. He plans to present a list of five principles for the U.N. Security Council to endorse later this month, U.S. and European diplomats told The Washington Post.

Finding consensus among the councils permanent members, however, remains a tall order given the acidic relations between Moscow and Washington coupled with Kyivs reluctance to let world powers broker any deal other than Russias complete withdrawal from Enerhodar, the city where the power station is located, and surrender of the plant.

Ukrainian skepticism about Grossis efforts is not a new development, according to previously unreported classified U.S. intelligence documents leaked on the Discord messaging platform and obtained by The Post.

In mid-February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insisted government officials prevent IAEA Director General Grossi from forcing Kyiv to demilitarize [the plant] judging this would not be in Kyivs interests, one document said. The document cites a signals intelligence report, suggesting the information was gleaned from electronic eavesdropping. In the document, Zelensky also orders his aides to assure Grossi that Ukraine was committed to the safety of IAEA personnel at the plant.

During a speech to the Arab League in Saudi Arabia on Friday, Zelensky said he was sure that no nation would admit the military occupation of a nuclear plant to use it to blackmail the world with nuke disaster.

On Sunday, he told Group of Seven leaders in Japan that Russias reckless takeover of the plant could have consequences for people beyond Ukraines borders. Some see that in the event of a disaster at a nuclear power plant occupied by Russia, radiation will reach their land, carried by the wind, he said in the southwestern Japanese city of Hiroshima, which was largely destroyed by an atomic bomb dropped by the United States during World War II.

According to two diplomats familiar with the negotiations, Grossis plan includes five principles: a ban on stationing heavy military equipment and military personnel at the plant; a ban on firing from and toward the plant, including a ban on attacking the personnel at the site; protection of all safety and security systems at the plant; protection of all external power lines; and monitoring of compliance of the above-mentioned principles.

The plan is less ambitious than Grossis original effort to establish a fully fledged protection zone around the plant, but nuclear experts said it could still improve the precarious situation.

The six-reactor nuclear complex is located near the front line and has been occupied by Russia since March 2022. The plant is run by Ukrainian technicians  alongside nuclear experts from Russias state atomic energy corporation Rosatom as well as Russian armed forces. Kyiv and Moscow have traded blame for the shelling close to the site that has risked a disaster at the facility, which is Europes largest nuclear power plant.

In a sign that military presence and activity is increasing in the area, Russia has started the partial evacuation of residents from Enerhodar, where most of the facilitys workers live. Last week, Ukraines nuclear energy company said the number of Russian forces at the plant increased significantly and now number more than 2,500.

A spokesperson for the IAEA said that Grossi remains engaged in intense negotiations with all the involved parties to secure the protection of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. In this context, the Director General is also in close contact with members of the U.N. Security Council.

Grossi has argued that the perilous situation on the ground should galvanize the international community into action. Diplomats say he wants to present the set of five principles to the U.N. Security Council on May 30, outlining conditions that Russia and Ukraine should uphold to avert a nuclear disaster.

The steps to prevent any attacks on or from the facility and to ensure the safety of the operators inside the plant are particularly important, since either of those could lead to a significant release of radiation due to core meltdown or loss of cooling in the spent fuel ponds, said Scott Roecker, a vice president at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit organization focused on reducing the threat posed by nuclear weapons.

Some aspects of the plan were first reported by Reuters.

Striking an agreement at the U.N. is likely to be difficult, but Grossi has already won the support of Moscow, according to a Russian diplomatic official briefed on the plan and who, like other officials, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.

We have no objection against them, the Russian diplomatic official said, noting that Moscow has been in touch with Grossi since last September. The IAEA director general and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in St. Petersburg in October. We hope that the implementation of these principles will prevent any attack against ZNPP in the future, the diplomatic official added.

How Ukraine will respond to Grossis presentation at the U.N.  should it go forward  is less clear. A spokesman for Zelensky did not respond to requests for comment.

Diplomats at the U.N. and analysts said that if Ukraine is planning to retake the plant in an upcoming counteroffensive, Grossis plan may be less appealing. I could imagine that it might be more difficult for the Ukrainian side to accept, as it would prevent Ukraine from regaining control of the Zaporizhzhia plant by use of military force, Roecker said.

While Ukraine does not have a permanent seat on the Security Council, a U.S. official said Washington is unlikely to support any initiative opposed by Kyiv.

A State Department official said that the United States continues to fully support efforts of the IAEA to manage nuclear safety and security in Ukraine. We are following with interest DG Grossis recent efforts to obtain commitment to a set of principles for nuclear safety and security at ZNPP that respect Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Negotiations on Grossis plan are ongoing. A senior European diplomat told The Post the chances for an agreement and the briefing to go ahead are 50-50.

Ecuador and France have asked the current Swiss presidency of the U.N. Security Council to hold the briefing by Grossi on May 30 but the date is not set, diplomats familiar with the matter said.

The safety and security of civil nuclear power facilities in conflict regions is a key issue for Switzerland, said Pierre Gobet, head of communications at the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations in New York. The exchanges between Switzerland and the IAEA have indeed intensified about the safety of nuclear power plants in Ukraine since Switzerland became a member of the Security Council.

The IAEA has managed to station a small team of nuclear safety experts at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant since last August, when Grossi first visited the site. The IAEA rotates the teams on a regular basis. But they are nuclear inspectors and have no specific military background in keeping with the IAEAs narrow mandate.

While the plants six reactors have been in cold shutdown since September, there are still tens of thousands of kilograms of radioactive material at the site. Making matters worse, the plant has lost access to external power multiple times due to shelling in the area, prompting staff at the facility to frantically fire up diesel generators to ensure the continuous cooling of the sites reactors and spent fuel pools. Currently the plant relies on only one external power line; before the war, it had four.

The original idea of a safety and security protection zone would have included a ban on heavy weapons at the plant and a cease-fire zone within a specifically defined radius. Initially, Grossi was hoping to receive a formal written agreement on this proposal. But a year of war has diminished Grossis ambition.

It was clear way back in 2022 that there was no way Russia and Ukraine would sign anything in writing, a senior Western diplomat said. The idea of a safety and security protection zone has been off the table for months, the person added.

Hudson reported from Washington.
WASHINGTON  Training Ukrainians to fly F-16 fighter jets and more military aid to help a planned counterattack against Russian forces will be part of the discussions this week of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

The group of defense officials from about 54 countries that support Ukraines war effort against invading Russian forces is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting Thursday, said Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the top Pentagon spokesman.

Though the meeting will include discussions about F-16 training, Ryder said it could be weeks or months before the training could begin  not soon enough to assist the Ukrainians in their much-anticipated counteroffensive.

F-16s for Ukraine are about the long-term. These F-16s will not be relevant to the upcoming counteroffensive, he said.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pleaded with Western allies for some time to send fighter jets, but the U.S. has repeatedly denied those requests. The U.S. has given nearly $37 billion to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February 2022. The aid provided has consisted of weapons, millions of munition and ammunition rounds, trucks, sensors, radars and other equipment.

After the April meeting with the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin received several requests from countries seeking U.S. permission to train Ukrainians to fly the F-16, Ryder said Tuesday. Austin raised the matter during National Security Council policy discussions where there was unanimous agreement to start the training.

President Joe Biden on Friday informed leaders from the worlds seven largest industrial nations, known as the G-7, during the groups meeting in Japan that the U.S. would support a joint international effort to train Ukrainian pilots on modern fighter aircrafts, including F-16s.

Ryder said training likely will take place somewhere in Europe outside of Ukraine. He said more information about the F-16 training could be available in the coming days.

Austin also participated in a phone call Tuesday with Ukraine Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov to provide an update on U.S. military assistance efforts and discuss the latest developments in the fighting in Ukraine, Ryder said. This was a lead up to the meeting Thursday of the defense group.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden's decision to allow allies to train Ukrainian forces on how to operate F-16 fighter jets  and eventually to provide the aircraft themselves  seemed like an abrupt change in position but was in fact one that came after months of internal debate and quiet talks with allies.

Biden announced during last week's Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, that the U.S. would join the F-16 coalition. His green light came after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spent months pressing the West to provide his forces with American-made jets as he tries to repel Russia's now 15-month-old grinding invasion.

Long shadowing the administration's calculation were worries that such a move could escalate tensions with Russia. U.S. officials also argued that learning to fly and logistically support the advanced F-16 would be difficult and time consuming.

But over the past three months, administration officials shifted toward the view that it was time to provide Ukraine's pilots with the training and aircraft needed for the country's long-term security needs, according to three officials familiar with the deliberations who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Still, the change in Biden's position seemed rather sudden.

In February, Biden was insistent in an interview with ABC's David Muir that Ukraine "doesn't need F-16s now" and that "I am ruling it out for now." And in March, a top Pentagon policy official, Colin Kahl, told U.S. lawmakers that even if the president approved F-16s for Ukraine, it could take as long as two years to get Ukrainian pilots trained and equipped.

But as the administration was publicly playing down the prospect of F-16s for Ukraine in the near term, an internal debate was heating up.

Quiet White House discussions stepped up in February, around the time that Biden visited Ukraine and Poland, according to the U.S. officials.

Following the trip, discussions that included senior White House National Security Council, Pentagon and State Department officials began on the pros and cons and the details of how such a transfer might work, officials said. Administration officials also got deeper into consultations with allies.

In April, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin heard from defense leaders from allied countries during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group who were looking for U.S. permission to train the Ukrainians on F-16s, according to a Defense Department official who was not authorized to comment publicly. Austin raised the matter during the NSC policy discussions and there was agreement that it was time to start training.

Austin also raised the issue with Biden before the G7 summit with a recommendation "to proceed with approving allies" to train the Ukrainians and transfer the aircraft, the department official said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also was a strong advocate for pushing forward with the plan during the U.S. policy talks and conveying to Biden increasing European urgency on the issue, officials said.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to London on May 8 for talks with British, French and German allies on Ukraine, and F-16s were high on the agenda. They got into the nitty gritty on how to go about provide training and which countries might be willing to transfer jets to Ukraine. It was agreed that the focus would be on training first, according to one of the officials.

Sullivan, before leaving London, spoke by phone with his counterparts from the Netherlands and Poland, both countries that have F-16s and "would be essential to any efforts to provide Ukraine jets for any future use." Denmark also could potentially provide the jets, the official added.

Biden and Sullivan discussed how the upcoming G7 summit in Hiroshima could provide a good opportunity for him to make the case to key allies on the administration's shifting stance on fighter jets.

They also discussed Biden backing allies providing jets to Ukraine  a line he had previously appeared not to want to cross out of concern that it could draw the West into what could be seen as direct confrontation with Moscow.

Biden, in private talks with fellow G7 leaders on Friday, confirmed that the U.S. would get behind a joint effort to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 and that as things went on, they would work together on who would provide them and how many would be sent.

State, Pentagon and NSC officials are now developing the training plan and "when, where and how to deliver F-16s" to Ukraine as part of the long-term security effort, the official said.

U.S. officials say it will take several months to iron out details, but the U.S. Air Force has quietly determined that the actual training could realistically be done in about four months. The Air Force based the far shorter estimate on a visit by two Ukrainian pilots to a U.S. air base in March, where they got to learn about the F-16 and fly simulators. The training, officials say, would take place in Europe.

White House officials have bristled at the notion that Biden's decision amounted to a sea change.

The administration had been focused on providing Ukraine with weapons  including air defense systems, armored vehicles, bridging equipment and artillery  that were needed for a coming counteroffensive. There also were concerns that sending F-16s would eat up a significant portion of the money allocated for Ukraine.

What changed, the official added, is that other allies got to a point where they were willing to provide their own jets as part of a U.S.-based coalition.

The Biden administration is still examining whether it will directly provide its own F-16s to Ukraine. Regardless, it needed buy-in from other allies because the U.S. wouldn't be able to provide the full fleet of jets Zelenskyy says is needed.

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said the F-16 will give Ukraine a key capability for the long term but it won't be a "game changer."

Kendall told a gathering of reporters on Monday there has been an awareness that "we needed to go there at some point, but we didn't have a sense of urgency about this. I think we're at a reasonable place to make that decision now."

Another potential wrinkle in the F-16 conversation involves Turkey.

Turkey wants to buy 40 new F-16s from the U.S., but some in Congress oppose the sale until Turkey approves NATO membership for Sweden, which applied to join the alliance in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has objected to Sweden's perceived support of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, the leftist extremist group DHKP-C and followers of the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara claims was behind a failed military coup attempt in 2016.

Erdogan is facing opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a runoff election on Sunday. If Erdogan wins, as expected, White House officials are increasingly hopeful that the Turkish leader will withdraw his opposition to Sweden's membership, according to the U.S. official.

If Erdogan drops opposition to Sweden joining NATO, it could lead to Turkey getting its long desired F-16s and may eventually add to the number of older F-16s in circulation, which could benefit Ukraine.

Associated Press White House correspondent Zeke Miller contributed reporting.
ROME  Pope Francis' peace envoy for Ukraine, a veteran of the Catholic Church's conflict-mediation efforts, blasted war as a "pandemic" on Tuesday and said all Christians are called to be peacemakers.

In his first public comments since being named Ukraine envoy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi called for the creation of a culture of peace to respond to the "deep anxiety, sometimes unexpressed, often unheard, of peoples who need peace."

The Vatican on Saturday confirmed that Francis had tasked Zuppi with a mission "to help ease tensions in the conflict in Ukraine, in the never-ending hope by the Holy Father, that this can initiate paths of peace." No further details were released, with the Vatican saying that they were still under study.

Zuppi, 67, is the archbishop of Bologna, president of the Italian bishops' conference and a veteran of the Catholic Church's peace mediation initiatives through his longtime affiliation with the Sant'Egidio Community. Through the Rome-based charity, Zuppi helped mediate the 1990s peace deals ending civil wars in Guatemala and Mozambique and headed the commission negotiating a cease-fire in Burundi in 2000, according to Sant'Egidio.

A pastor in Francis' style and considered "papabile"  having the qualities of a future pope  Zuppi was named last year to head the Italian bishops conference, and in that role opened the conference's spring meeting Tuesday with a wide-ranging speech about the Italian church that also dwelled on Ukraine.

Quoting Francis, Zuppi recalled the pontiff's frequent, emotional expressions of solidarity with the "martyred" Ukrainian people, and appeared to address the frequent criticism of the Vatican's diplomatic tradition of neutrality and Francis' unwillingness to publicly call out the Kremlin.

Zuppi suggested Francis was by no means neutral in demanding peace.

"We are grateful today for his prophecy, so rare today when talking about peace seems to avoid taking sides or fail to acknowledge responsibility," he said.

Saying all Christians are called to do their part to bring peace, he said: "War is a pandemic. It involves all of us."

"The church and Christians believe in peace, we are all called to be peacemakers, even more so in the terrible storm of conflicts," he said.

Francis announced the existence of a peace mission while en route home last month from Hungary, where he met with an envoy of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has strongly supported the war. In the weeks since, Francis has met at the Vatican with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who made clear he would not accept territorial concessions and rejected Francis' reference to victims on both sides of the conflict, saying there can be no equivalence between victim and aggressor.
BOGOR, Indonesia  Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will meet his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on Tuesday during a two-day trip aiming to strengthen economic ties between the Muslim-majority nations amid heightened global geopolitical tensions.

Indonesias Foreign Affairs Ministry said Raisi is visiting at Widodos invitation as Indonesia aims to speed up its post-pandemic recovery by increasing its exports.

The visit is expected to deepen Iran's ties with Indonesia as Tehran seeks alternatives to the United States-led Western domination of international affairs and seeks further cooperation after the two nations concluded negotiations on the Indonesia-Iran Preferential Trade Agreement this month, Indonesias Trade Ministry said.

The ministrys data showed that trade between Indonesia and Iran amounted to $54.1 million between January and March, while the bilateral trade value last year increased by more than 23% to $257.2 million.

Iran was a nontraditional trade partner for Indonesia, said Johni Martha, the director of bilateral negotiations at Indonesias Trade Ministry. With this PTA, we hope to widen our market reach and export opportunities in the Middle East and Persia, he said.

Southeast Asias largest economy is seeking new markets to diversify its export options and to reduce its reliance on traditional trade partners, many of which have been affected by a weakened global economy and geopolitical risks.

In February, Raisi met with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to seek further cooperation following their meeting last September in Uzbekistan, when Xi underscored Chinas support for Iran.

Both countries have had tense relations with the U.S. and have sought to project themselves as a counterweight to American power alongside Russia.

Washington has accused Iran of selling hundreds of attack drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine and has sanctioned executives of an Iranian drone manufacturer. At that same time, ties between Moscow and Beijing have grown stronger.

While in Indonesia, Raisi is scheduled to lay a wreath at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta to honor Indonesias war dead before he meets with Widodo in the presidential palace in Bogor. They will witness the signing of the PTA and other agreements.

Before leaving Jakarta on Wednesday, Raisi will also meet with Indonesias House Speaker Puan Maharani, religious figures and business people. He'll visit Jakartas Istiqlal Grand Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, and give public lectures in an Islamic university.

Widodos last trip to Iran was in 2016 while the last official state visit from Iran was in 2015 when Hassan Rouhani attended the 50th commemoration of the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung.
A $49 million American humanitarian program to aid Afghan war victims will close after five years, amid difficulties that arose after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.

The Conflict Mitigation Assistance for Civilians program will end June 30, Nitin Madhav, director of the office of Afghanistan affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development, said Friday.

Experts say the program highlights contradictions in American policy toward Afghanistan, where the U.S. remains the largest donor but also does not want to be seen as legitimizing the militant group that ousted the U.S.-backed government.

The Taliban attempted to interfere with the selection of where aid went, but the end of the program is not tied to that, as it had been scheduled from the outset to close in 2023, Madhav said.

The 35 remaining staff members have completed final aid deliveries and requested a 14-week extension of the program for closing offices and disposing of equipment, Madhav said.

The program was established in 2018 to aid Afghan civilians affected by insurgent attacks and military operations.

The Taliban takeover in the summer of 2021 paused the program for several months but, after some recalibrating, it resumed in December of that year.

The program, administered by the USAID, continued to send aid after the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan while trying not to run afoul of both the Taliban and U.S. policy.

It used to provide training to Afghan government ministries but stopped after the Taliban takeover, an April report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said.

Though American forces withdrew from Afghanistan, the U.S. continued to authorize humanitarian aid to the country amid concerns that such aid may legitimize the Taliban as they grow increasingly oppressive, especially regarding the rights of women.

U.S. aid to Afghanistan  may inadvertently confer legitimacy onto the Taliban, both internationally and domestically, according to a February SIGAR report.

The program ran into numerous disputes with the new Taliban government, the report added. For example, Taliban authorities accused staff members of being corrupt and pressured the program to assist recipients the government selected.

Female staffers were told to work from home starting in December 2022 as a result of a Taliban ban on womens employment, the April SIGAR report said.

In Parwan province, an official requested that 10% of the assistance go to Taliban personnel. In three provinces, staff members were accused of distributing aid without government approval.

Abdul Qahar Balkhi, a spokesman for the Afghan foreign affairs ministry, said Monday the office had not received any complaints about these incidents.

The U.S. and the Taliban have inherent trust issues, said Graeme Smith, senior consultant on Afghanistan for the Brussels-based International Crisis Group.

Its reasonable to assume that the Taliban are not comfortable with their old enemies picking and choosing who gets assistance, Smith said. Fair to assume some lack of trust between the Taliban and the Americans about how to define victimhood.

The U.S. is faced with a dilemma in regard to aid to Afghanistan, Smith said.

Nothing gets solved in Afghanistan while the relationship between the Taliban and the outside world remains this dysfunctional, he said.

USAID said it continues to explore options to extend support to Afghan victims of the conflict beyond June.

In December, a Gallup survey found that life in Afghanistan is worse than anywhere in the world. On a scale of one to 10, 98% of Afghan women and 97% of Afghan men rated the quality of their lives as four or lower, which is classified as suffering.

Also, 86% of survey respondents said they couldnt afford food.

In the five years of its existence, the USAID program assisted more than 40,000 Afghans, Madhav said, adding that it doesnt provide assistance to the Taliban.
ByteDance's TikTok is "on track" with its undertaking to have all U.S. user data hosted and overseen by Oracle, as the Chinese tech behemoth struggles to win over critics worried about the national security implications of its hit video app.

TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew said the American software company has begun a review of TikTok's source code and is now the default destination for U.S. user data. His team is also developing a European version of this local-hosting initiative, designed to allay fears of sensitive information reaching the Chinese government, with data centers in Ireland and Norway.

"The Chinese government has actually never asked us for U.S. user data, and we will not provide it even if asked," the executive, who goes by Shou Chew in the U.S., told Bloomberg Television at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Tuesday. "We will continue to invest to make sure that our data is as safe as possible."

TikTok has come under fire as American lawmakers rekindled concerns over how the Chinese-owned platform handles user data. ByteDance, the world's most valuable start-up, now faces an intensive national security review and legislation that could ban its signature service in its biggest international market. To address those concerns, TikTok is developing its U.S. and E.U. projects to have user information stored locally, by a local company, and overseen by local staff.

In March, Chew sat through a grueling five-hour hearing at Capitol Hill, where lawmakers repeatedly questioned him about TikTok's Chinese ownership and Beijing's ability to access the data of millions of Americans. TikTok executives had internally discussed splitting from ByteDance, but Chinese officials said they would oppose a forced sale.

On Tuesday, the TikTok chief reiterated that his team is working with Oracle and the U.S. government and making progress.

TikTok's 150 million American users appear to be its biggest ally. Last week, Montana's Republican governor, Greg Gianforte, signed a measure that will prohibit the app's download beginning next year. Local TikTok creators and viewers protested against the first statewide ban of the app in the U.S., including by suing their government on First Amendment grounds.

"We believe that the Montana bill that was recently passed is simply unconstitutional," Chew said. TikTok filed a lawsuit to challenge it in the court, and he's confident the company will prevail.

Despite the political tension, TikTok hasn't eased its push on monetization. Having already snatched a big portion of advertising from the likes of Meta Platforms and Alphabet's Google, TikTok is now venturing into live-streaming commerce in places like Southeast Asia and the U.S., following the tried-and-true model of its Chinese sibling Douyin.

ByteDance's revenue surged more than 30% to surpass $80 billion for 2022, matching the tally at rival Tencent. The double-digit growth also topped that of most of the global internet leaders, including Meta and Amazon.com.

Back home, ByteDance joined the likes of Alibaba and Tencent to implement unprecedented cost curbs during a year of endless regulatory crackdowns and Covid restrictions. The Beijing company founded about a decade ago curtailed some of its riskier projects  including in gaming and venture investment. Douyin remains its cash cow as the video forum evolved to become an all-in-one app with built-in purchases, online meal delivery and grocery features.

The TikTok owner was valued at around $220 billion in a recent private-market investment by Abu Dhabi AI firm G42, down from the $300 billion that ByteDance set during a September share buyback program.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin arrived in China on Tuesday for a visit in which he will meet with President Xi Jinping and ink a series of deals on infrastructure and trade, Russia's foreign ministry said.

In the current situation, Russia will continue fostering relations with China and other countries who are ready for cooperation, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at the Russia-China Business Forum in Shanghai on Tuesday, Russian state media TASS reported.

According to him, Russias foreign trade grew by more than 8 percent to $850 billion last year, with exports rising by about 20 percent.

Mishustin arrived late Monday in Shanghai where he was greeted at the airport by Moscow's ambassador to China Igor Morgulov and Beijing's top diplomat to Russia Zhang Hanhui, the ministry said.

The Russian head of government will also visit a petrochemical research institute in Shanghai, the Kremlin said, as well as hold talks with "representatives of Russian business circles".

China last year became the top energy customer for Russia, whose gas exports had otherwise plummeted after a flurry of Western sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.

On Tuesday there was an increased police presence around Shanghai's Russian consulate and the nearby conference halls where the forum was taking place.

Mishustin will next travel to Beijing, where he will meet with Xi and Premier Li Qiang, Russian state media TASS has said.

China and Russia have in recent years ramped up economic cooperation and diplomatic contacts, with their strategic partnership having grown closer as China maintains a neutral position toward the war in Ukraine.

In February, Beijing released a paper calling for a "political settlement" to the conflict. Western countries have said the settlement could enable Russia to hold much of the territory it has seized in Ukraine.

During a March summit in Moscow, Xi invited President Vladimir Putin to visit Beijing.

Analysts say China holds the upper hand in the relationship with Russia, and that its sway is growing as Moscow's international isolation deepens.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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GEORGETOWN, Ky.  A Kentucky sheriff's deputy was shot and killed during a traffic stop by a man who fled and wounded another man during a carjacking before being taken into custody, officials said.

Scott County Sheriff's Deputy Caleb Conley, 35, was shot Monday evening during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 near Georgetown just before 5 p.m., and the shooter fled, Sheriff Tony Hampton said at a news conference.

Someone called in to report that a deputy had been shot, and responders arrived relatively quickly, Hampton said. He did not know why the vehicle was pulled over.

Conley was taken to a hospital, where he later died, Kentucky State Police said in a news release. A state police team is investigating the shooting at the request of the sheriff's office, officials said.

About an hour after Conley was shot, officers in nearby Lexington were dispatched to a shooting on Georgetown Road and found a male victim who said another man shot him and stole his vehicle, according to police.

Police said they used a license plate reader system, traffic cameras and other information to locate the stolen vehicle and then found the suspect, Steven Sheangshang, 45, at a nearby home.

Sheangshang was jailed on Tuesday and charged with assault, robbery, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon and tampering with evidence, Lexington Police said. He was already wanted on charges of unlawfully entering and burglarizing a garage and he was also charged with two warrants for second-degree burglary, police said.

Fayette County Detention Center spokesman Maj. Matt Lemonds said Sheangshang was also being held on charges from Scott County, including murder of a police officer, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, burglary, theft of an automobile, wanton endangerment and fleeing/evading police in connection to Conley's death.

"This hero made the ultimate sacrifice, and we will be forever grateful," Gov. Andy Beshear said in a statement about the deputy.

Conley, who had been with the sheriff's office for four years and served in the U.S. Army for eight years before that, took his job seriously, Hampton said. Survivors include his wife and small children.

"He was just a go-getter and he loved his job, and it's a shame that it got cut short because he loved this job so much and he was so good at it," Hampton said.
(Tribune News Service)  Just two months ago, retired Master Sgt. Brian Clark, a 20-year Air Force veteran, was living under a tarp in Lompoc and referring to himself as 23.

That number was a reference to the 22 veterans on average who commit suicide every day in the United States. Two months ago, after more than two years of homelessness, Clark though he would be the 23rd.

Clark, 50, was suicidal but said in February he decided he couldnt put a knife in his own chest.

Instead, he went to veterans treatment court to try to resolve some legal issues he was facing related to public intoxication and trespassing charges.

There, Clark met David Doc Oliver, a Marine medic who served eight years in the U.S. Navy and now works for Legacy Village Wellness Center, a Nipomo recovery center for veterans suffering from mental and behavioral health care issues, including substance abuse.

From there, Oliver was arranged for Clark to be placed in Legacy Villages care, where Clark said he was able to begin working toward recovery.

Had it not not been for (Oliver) coming to me with that opportunity, Id be right back out there, living under the same tarp, Clark said. Luckily, they pulled me in here, got me clean, got me sober and got me working towards real things in life and actually taking advantages of the opportunities that are afforded as being a vet.

Now, however, thanks to a dispute with the Veterans Affairs Office, the services Clark received at Legacy Village may not be as readily available to other needy vets.

Veterans Affairs no longer referring people to Legacy Village

Legacy Village CEO Dennis Farmer said the recovery center operates as a private veteran treatment center, one of the only facilities of its kind in the country.

Located in the rural countryside of Nipomo, Legacy Village offers highly individualized care to its dozen clients, using a range of experiential, recreational and environmental therapeutic practices, Farmer said.

Most of Legacy Villages clients rely on the VAs health insurance benefits to pay for the program, Farmer said.

Success rates are higher than most other treatment programs, Farmer said. Where the national average success rate for treatment is around two in 10, Farmer said his program averages a success rate of around 67%.

Farmer said Legacy Villages future is in jeopardy, however, following an apparent disagreement over how the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Office authorizes referrals to the program. Farmer said the VA has effectively cut off incoming clients as of April 28 and has forced Legacy Village to stop treating the veterans currently in its care, under threat of the VA pulling its contract with the organization.

Since Farmer said Legacy Village stopped receiving referrals from the VA on April 28, hes had to lay off half of his staff while the organization tries to keep our arms wrapped around (the veterans).

Im doing what I can to keep the doors open, Farmer said. Its a giant question mark at the moment. Im hoping that we can increase the amount of referrals and authorizations that come in at least to get us to a point where we can keep the lights on and survive until this gets fixed.

In an email statement to The Tribune, however, the VA Greater Los Angeles denied it had cut off referrals.

Legacy Village is a member of the VA Community Care Network, the statement read. The VA has not cut off referrals to Legacy Village and has sent four referrals to the facility since April 28, 2023.

Farmer said the VAs issue stems from Legacy Village taking in clients without authorization and referral from its Domiciliary Care Program, which which normally handles all intakes, provides housing and health care, and refers clients to community care centers such as Legacy Village when their facility is at full capacity.

However, this referral process can lead to significant delays that dont account for the immediate care many veterans need, Farmer said.

The most critical thing in our particular sphere of the world in dealing with addiction treatment is time to care, Farmer said. Were not ever going to be perfect, but we can sure be better than weeks or months before (veterans) get help.

Legacy Village forced to cut staff, suspend care

Legacy Village is just one step in the network of care that aims to move veterans through acute treatment to stability.

When a veteran applies to use their health care benefits, they must go through a screening at the Domiciliary, Farmer said.

Under the VA MISSION Act of 2018, once a screening is complete, if the veteran has to wait more than 28 days or drive more than 40 miles to receive treatment, they can be referred to a community care center such as Legacy Village, Farmer said.

All of those things went out the window when the Greater Los Angeles VA took the position that the MISSION Act doesnt apply to residential substance use disorder treatment, Farmer said. That was an abrupt shift. We still dont know why they did it.

Joe Franceschi, who served in the U.S. Navy as a Marine medic corpsman, said he was discharged from the Legacy Village program after only 12 days in the programs care.

Franceschi, 45, said part of the reason he came to Legacy Village was to get better services than those found at the Domiciliary, where he received treatment before shifting to the Nipomo care center.

He felt the addiction treatment he was receiving at the Domiciliary was inadequate, and the Domiciliarys location near his ex-fiancees home and constant presence of drug dealing and consumption near the facility was hindering his ability to move forward.

During a 30-day stay at the Domiciliary in 2017, Franceschi said aside from having a roof over his head, the program was only able to offer him one meeting with a therapist, a physical examination from a doctor and daily Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

That was a far cry from what Legacy Village was able to provide, which included equine therapy, environmental therapy, surfing, mindfulness and meditation programs, 12-step programs and staffing ratios of one therapist for every five veterans, he said.

Legacy Village also emphasizes reintegrating its veteran clients back into their community with sober group activities such as bowling or going to the movies, which Farmer said help break the link between drug and alcohol use and positive emotions.

Franceschi said that after his stay at the Domiciliary, he would later relapse into drug use and spent time living on the streets before entering Legacy Villages care April 15.

But because Franceschi did not complete an initial intake screening with the Domiciliary, his 28-day period in which his health care coverage could be referred to Legacy Village still hasnt started, Farmer said.

Franceschi is currently living in a temporary housing situation provided by veteran support group Band of Brothers Echo Group while Legacy Village and the VA work to address his care needs, Farmer said.

Weve had a contract to do business with the VA for going on six years, Farmer said. I have never seen a scenario where Ive gone three weeks without a single authorization ever.

Gap in care is dangerous for recovering clients

Only two of Legacy Villages 12 active patients at the time of the VAs April 28 cutoff were authorized to receive care, Farmer said. The rest were never able to obtain authorization to use their VA benefits at the facility.

Farmer said since April 28, when the VA required Legacy Village to discharge its clients, two of the 10 who were not authorized to receive care in the program have relapsed. The program also lost contact with a third client and is currently unaware of the that persons status.

Farmer also said the VA told him that if the remaining clients could get authorization, they could opt back into Legacy Villages care.

I can treat anybody for free that I want to, Farmer said. I dont bill for those days anyways  I dont violate my license, I dont violate my accreditation or any of that by providing treatment for free. Obviously, that doesnt keep the lights on.

On a good day, the referral-to-authorization process can take between five and seven days, Farmer said.

If a client is actively struggling with addiction or suicidal thoughts, though, that wait can be life-threatening as the risk of overdose or suicide attempts increases, Farmer said.

Farmer, who himself is a recovering alcoholic, said in his own experience, the window of sobriety and intention to change self-destructive behaviors can be very narrow.

That moment of desperation that you have to reach out doesnt last for days  sometimes it doesnt last an hour, Farmer said. If you meet enough roadblocks in a short amount of time, youre done, and you have no idea when its going to come back again.

Veterans scramble to find housing after VA decision

In the weeks since the VAs decision, several local support agencies have stepped in to find housing for the displaced veterans.

Farmer said Legacy Village worked with Band of Brothers and the Good Samaritan Shelter in Santa Maria to house the unauthorized veterans in temporary shelter until they can get authorization from their providers for care.

Clark is currently living in a home provided by Supportive Services for Veterans and Families in Oceano for the time being, Farmer said.

San Luis Obispo County Veterans Service Officer Morgan Boyd said Legacy Villages program is unlike anything (he has) ever seen, and said a shutdown means depriving the county of its only residential veteran treatment resource.

We are not the enemy of the VA  the VA are integral partners in our community, Boyd told The Tribune. I dont come from a place of anger with the VA, although it really disheartens me to see what has been happening.

Boyd said the countys Veterans Services Office can only do so much for its clients, such as filing benefits, obtaining licenses, working through education benefits and arranging burial allotments.

When one link in the chain of services starts to buckle, the resulting gap in services leaves both veterans and local service providers significantly challenged for the foreseeable future, Boyd said.

The VA also said it does not have the authority to require community care providers to discharge patients, which Farmer said was not true.

Farmer said one of the four referrals was received May 10 for a client who had been discharged on April 28.

However, that referral authorized Legacy Village to treat the client for 30 days, starting April 17 and ending May 17, essentially leaving just a week of valid, authorized care time.

If Im gonna get an authorization until the 10th of May that was valid three weeks prior to that, what was I supposed to have done with the veteran? Farmer asked.

The other three referrals Legacy Village has received since April 28 were all for new clients, which Farmer said still leaves most of the 10 discharged veterans  including Clark and Franceschi  without authorization to finish their residential treatment programs or proceed to outpatient care.

With a handful of referrals starting to come in, Farmer said he is cautiously optimistic that more clients will be authorized in coming weeks, but he said the referral and authorization process must be faster.

This cant get drowned out, Farmer said. Im just hoping that enough noise can be made, and that enough people will call their congressperson, legislators and senators, and they wont stop until this thing gets fixed.

(c)2023 The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)

Visit at www.sanluisobispo.com
Registered firearms dealer Damien Graham (53) made a "serious and grave error", a judge has heard

A registered firearms dealer made a "serious and grave error" bringing back an "essential component" for a prohibited submachine gun after attending a weapons show in the United States, a judge has heard.

Damien Graham, 53, of Ballynagall, Ballickmoyler, Carlow, and Patrick O'Mahony Jr, 53, of Ballyrameen, Castlemaine, Co. Kerry appeared at Dublin District Court today, having been charged earlier with Firearms Act offences.

Mr Graham has two charges for possessing a conversion kit for an AR15 assault rifle, including a bolt and chamber, at Terminal 2, Dublin Airporton November 28, 2021.

He is also accused of unlawfully having a bolt from a Sterling submachine gun at the same date and location.

Co-defendant Mr O'Mahony has a single charge for possessing a bolt from a Browning machine gun at Terminal 2 on November 28, 2021.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed summary disposal of the case at the district court level.

Damien Graham

Outlining the allegations, Garda Sharon Breen told Judge Treasa Kelly that customs officers searched Mr Graham's check-in luggage and found suspected firearms parts, which were sent for ballistic examination.

She explained that the conversion kit was to make the rifle calibre smaller because larger calibre ammunition was much more expensive, and it was a common practice. However, the registered firearms dealer had not obtained an importation licence for those parts.

She agreed with defence solicitor Matthew Kenny that gardai did not suspect anything suspicious.

The judge heard that the Sterling submachine gun bolt was an essential part, not a firearm in its entirety.

Garda Breen said the accused was a registered firearms dealer allowing him certain semi-automatic or handguns, however, not machine guns.

Mr Kenny said his client was offering a guilty plea and added that it was an oversight.

He had also met gardai by appointment and answered all questions.

The garda accepted the guilty plea was of assistance.

Mr Graham had an automotive tool firm and a second business as a restricted firearms dealer. The solicitor said his client ought to have known better but made a "serious and grave error" while returning from a gun show in Florida.

The prosecution had brought him considerable anxiety and embarrassment.

The offences can carry a 5,000 fine or up to twelve months imprisonment at the district court level. Mr Kenny implored the court to leave Mr Graham without a recorded conviction and added that his client was in a position to make a donation.

After a recess, the judge questioned the garda further about the submachine gun component and was told that although Mr Graham was a registered firearm dealer, he still could not have a licence for that type of weapon.

The garda reiterated, however, that the accused had an essential component but not the firearm in its entirety.

Judge Kelly said Mr Graham's restricted firearm licence "did not include anything as serious as a submachine gun", which she thought was used just by the army.

She refused jurisdiction for the case to be heard at district court level and granted an adjournment until July 7 for directions from the DPP.

Co-defendant Mr O'Mahony has a single charge for possessing a bolt from a Browning machine gun at Terminal 2 on November 28, 2021. He is yet to indicate a plea.

His case was adjourned until July 4 to consider the disclosure of prosecution evidence with his solicitor.
Judge Nolan said Brendan Doolin (41) is an unusual personality who lives an unusual life

A judge has warned a man previously jailed for harassing six journalists that prison time is inevitable if he breaches the conditions of a suspended sentence.

Brendan Doolin (41) of Leighlin Road, Crumlin, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in 2019 to five years in prison, with the final two years suspended.

Doolin, described by his lawyers as an internet troll, had admitted harassing Sarah Griffin, Kate McEvoy, Sinead O'Carroll, Christine Bohan, Roe McDermott and Aoife Barry by sending them hundreds of abusive online messages on dates between May 2012 and February 2018.

Today Judge Martin Nolan handed Doolin a three year sentence, which he suspended for three years on strict conditions. He ordered the sentence to run consecutively to the suspended portion of Doolin's previous sentence. The new sentence will come into effect in December.

Judge Nolan said if all matters had been dealt with at the same time, he would have given Doolin a longer sentence.

Noting Doolin had served his sentence, Judge Nolan said: At this stage in life, he is bothering no one we know of at least. I assume a good eye is being kept on him.

He said Doolin is an unusual personality who lives an unusual life. He said the court considered that it probably would not be just to imprison him at this stage.

Judge Nolan warned Doolin that if he breaches court orders not to contact the injured parties or the terms of this suspended sentence, he would be brought back before the court again and prison time is inevitable.

At a hearing yesterday, the court heard Doolin was released from custody in December 2021 and has not reoffended since.

Eoghan Cole BL, representing the State, said that after Doolin had been charged with the harassment offences and facing trial, he committed multiple breaches of his bail condition not to be in any contact whatsoever with any of the injured parties, either directly or indirectly.

Doolin pleaded guilty to one count of harassment on dates between August 8, 2018 and August 6, 2019.

A prosecuting garda told Mr Cole that in April and May 2019, Kate McEvoy and Sarah Griffin contacted gardai to report that posts were being made about them online in language similar to that used previously by Doolin.

Gardai got a warrant to search Doolin's house and seized his laptop. He told gardai he didn't own a phone.

The laptop was analysed and found to contain photos of Kate McEvoy and Roe McDermott taken in the atrium of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, linked to a particular model of smartphone.

A second search was carried out of Doolin's home and the smartphone in question was found concealed under his floor boards containing the photos. Doolin admitted the phone was his.

Mr Cole said that separately, Doolin had made up email addresses very similar to the names of some of the injured parties and then used these emails to post obnoxious or upsetting messages online.

Ms McDermott, Ms Griffin and Ms McEvoy reported that they were contacted by others at various times in 2019 asking why they were posting such messages.

Ms Griffin said people including fellow writers would get negative comments from her from an email similar to her name, in what she felt was an attack on her livelihood.

One comment made to look like it had been posted by Ms Griffin said: You're going to be ripped into tiny pieces all in good time.

Ms Griffin cancelled certain public engagements, the court heard, due to a fear that Doolin would be monitoring her.

Counsel told the court that Doolin also responded to several legitimate tweets posted by the injured parties by using uncomplimentary, unflattering or abusive language, describing them as dull, cowardly, classist, white feminist.

Doolin also responded to a social media post by Ms Griffin's husband by commenting: We know where you are, all in good time.

Aoife Barry, Sarah Griffin and Kate McEvoy also reported that they received multiple password reset requests after Doolin tried to enter their emails, knowing that this meant they would receive messages asking them to change their passwords.

None of the six injured parties were present in court although all submitted victim impact statements which were not read aloud.

Mr Cole said a theme of all the victim impact statements was a wish shared by the women that Doolin would receive whatever help he needs to overcome his problems.

Keith Spencer BL, defending Doolin, said his client's bail breaches were of a lower order than his original offending, describing it as more nuisance behaviour.

Mr Spencer said that Doolin had been suffering from profound mental health difficulties at the time but has since corrected his behaviour and expressed remorse.

He doesn't even operate computers now, he doesn't go near them because he's afraid and he knows that there are orders in place, said Mr Spencer, pointing out that Doolin continues to cooperate with the Probation Service.

The court heard previously that all the cases shared similar features in that each of the women Doolin targeted either worked as journalists or had a strong social media presence, particularly on Twitter.

Sentencing Doolin in 2019, Judge Nolan said that the court had heard about what was the dark side of the internet, which allows a man sitting in his house to inflict huge amounts of trauma on six women.

He said the defendant felt like he was untouchable.

Judge Nolan said that most of us could put up with one, two, three or even a dozen insulting and abusive responses, but that there had been literally hundreds of responses to what the women said. He said the women were literally stalked on the internet by the defendant.

He said that all of the complainants asked Doolin to stop, but he persisted. He said he behaved in a very vindictive way.

Judge Nolan said the mitigating factors in the case were Doolin's guilty plea, his cooperation, his admissions, his expression of remorse, his own difficulties and his unlikelihood of offending in the future.

He said that he had no doubt that Doolin knew the difference between right and wrong and that nothing in the psychiatric report disputed this. He said Doolin offended grievously and he persisted in harassing and intimidating and attempting to frighten the victims.
Patrick Flanagan (43) was fined 300 and banned from driving for two years

Patrick Flanagan (43) was fined 300 and banned from driving for two years

A motorist seen swerving at speed in and out of a bus lane while rushing home in a family emergency has been convicted of dangerous driving.

Patrick Flanagan (43) was fined 300 and banned from driving for two years after a court heard gardai pursued him with flashing lights and siren and he only stopped when traffic came to a halt.

Flanagan, of Oliver Bond House in Dublins south inner city, had pleaded not guilty at Dublin District Court.

A garda told Judge Bryan Smyth he saw the accused driving a Mercedes at North Strand Road toward the city at 8.50pm on October 14, 2021.

The accused was driving at speed, swerving between the main traffic lane and the bus lane. He activated the patrol cars blue lights and siren and tried to stop Flanagan, but the accused gathered speed.

The garda was 200 metres behind, driving at 130kph to follow Flanagan, who continued swerving between lanes.

He was unable to catch up until the accused was stopped by a blockage in the heavy traffic when a bus stopped at lights.

Flanagan said he had been driving home in response to a family emergency. In evidence, he admitted he was speeding, at probably 80 to 90kph but no way was he doing 130 and traffic was light.

He said he did not see the garda at first but when I realised the siren was for me, I pulled in.

Judge Smyth said even by the accuseds own admission, he was keen to get home and going as quickly as he could.
Trevor Richardson (49) of Church Road, Ballybrack was found guilty of 56 counts, which included oral rape and sexual assault

A man has been sentenced to ten years in prison for the sexual abuse of his partners daughters and a family friend when the girls were children.

The Central Criminal Court heard that Trevor Richardson (49) of Church Road, Ballybrack, Dublin, was found guilty of 56 counts, which included one oral rape and the remainder sexual assault, by a jury in March of this year. The offences occurred between January 1, 2000 and August 31, 2014.

Aoife O'Leary, BL, prosecuting, told the court that the three victims, in this case, wished to have Richardson named and have waived their anonymity.

Passing sentence Mr Justice Paul Burns said Richardson was in a relationship with the mother of two of the girls, who considered him a father figure.

Mr Justice Burns paid tribute to the three victims for their courage in coming forward and seeing the trial through. He said there was a protracted level of abuse and a breach of trust.

The judge said Richardson has no significant previous convictions, a good work history and that alcohol abuse had been a significant part of his life which he would consider as mitigating factors in the case.

Mr Justice Burns sentenced him to twelve years in prison and suspended the final two years under strict conditions including that he place himself under the supervision of the Probation Services for three years post-release.

The court heard that Richardson was in a relationship with the mother of two of the complainants. The third complainant was known to the family and was abused by Richardson when she visited the home.

The court heard that the abuse took the form of touching the genital areas of the girls and digital penetration of the vagina.

On one occasion, Richardson put his penis into the mouth of his partners child. The woman later told gardai that she believed she was between seven or eight years old at the time. She recalled scrubbing her mouth clean afterwards.

On a separate occasion, one of the girls woke in the middle of the night to find Richardson on top of her, rubbing himself off her. He would also place his hand under the duvet while they were on the couch watching TV and touch the girls in the genital area.

Victim impact statements were handed into the court. The woman who was forced to perform oral sex on Richardson, said her life had been a rollercoaster since the abuse started, with more downs than ups.

She said she never felt beautiful just dirty and described incidences of self harm when she was younger. She described getting aggressive when she was drunk and hoping she would get arrested because I knew I would be safer.

She said she would bang her head off the road so she would be hospitalised because again she would be safe there.

The woman said when she thinks of her own two children, she wonders why she could not have had a life like them. Why me? What did I do that was so bad that God put me here to feel all this pain - a pain a child should never feel.

She described how later when she got pregnant, she worried about keeping her child safe. She said Richardson asked if he could feel her bump and later watched her while she was breast feeding, he made me feel like it was a sexual thing.

The woman described again incidences of self harm because I needed someone to take the pain away.

She said after she made her garda statement she struggled to say the word abuse out loud and she drank herself to sleep most nights. She described a sadness that the family had fallen apart.

This womans sister said she looked up to Richardson as a father figure. My home should have been a place of home and security but she said it was sadness, anxiety and trauma, memories that I lived every day.

She described staying out drinking rather than going home. She described Richardson as being aggressive towards her and how her friends would feel uncomfortable around him. They said they didnt like the way he looked at them.

The woman said she felt uncomfortable around men and boys. I genuinely felt all I was good for was sex. I thought I was no good, ugly and I had no confidence in myself.

The third woman said that since the assault she suffered with anxiety and she would be anxious that every drunk man she met had the same mindset as Richardson. She said she had a fear of leaving her daughter with men.
Six security personnel were killed in an overnight siege by dozens of Pakistan Taliban militants on a Hungarian-owned oil and gas exploration site, police and the energy firm said Tuesday.

Pakistan has seen an increase in militancy since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, with the Pakistani chapter of the movement carrying out attacks mostly targeting security forces and foreign interests accused of exploitation.

About 50 fighters attacked a site owned by the Budapest-headquartered MOL Group around midnight in the Hangu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, district police chief Asif Bahadur told AFP.

"They were armed with light and heavy weapons and fired mortar shells, killing six security personnel at the main entrance" to the remote site near the Afghan border, said Bahadur.

Police said the dead included four members of the Frontier Constabulary, a paramilitary police assistance force, and two Pakistani security guards.

In a brief statement the Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility and said its fighters had "attacked a Frontier Constabulary check post".

"The exchange of fire continued for more than an hour. Police forced the militants to flee," Bahadur said, also blaming the Pakistan Taliban.

The MOL Group confirmed the death toll but said none of its employees were killed.

Two wells near the attack site have "been temporarily shut down by remote access and the wells are now secured", it said in a statement.

Noor Wali Khan, a second district police official, also confirmed the attack and the death toll.

The MOL Group has operated a Pakistan subsidiary since 1999 and employs 400 people there, according to its website.

"We are assessing the information," a spokesman for the Hungarian embassy in Islamabad said, adding that no diplomatic action was planned.

Bahadur said the attackers came from the nearby North Waziristan district, which borders Afghanistan and has historically been a hive of militancy.

The area was heavily targeted by drone strikes and an Islamabad military offensive to rout Islamist fighters during the US-led post-9/11 war in Afghanistan.

The Pakistan Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), was formed in 2007 by militants who splintered off from the Afghan Taliban to focus their fight on Islamabad for supporting America's invasion.

Since the Taliban returned to Kabul, Islamabad has said TTP fighters are using Afghan soil to plot their attacks.

On Monday, officials said two empty girls' schools in North Waziristan were attacked overnight by militants, leaving nine classrooms destroyed but no casualties. The attack has not been claimed by any group.

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Dominik Gorny (43) is charged with possession of the drug with intent to sell or supply

A man accused of possession of more than 2.8m worth of cannabis after he was stopped in Dublin Port told gardai it was just a job Im just a driver.

Dominik Gorny (43) appeared in Dublin District Court on drugs charges yesterday after he was arrested over the seizure of cannabis herb by customs officers on Sunday.

Mr Gorny, with an address in Poland, is charged with possession of the drug with intent to sell or supply. He is also charged with a related count of simple possession.

Judge Gerard Jones remanded him in custody after no bail application was made on his behalf.

Garda Lianne Byrne of Store Street station said she arrested the accused at Dublin Port yesterday afternoon. When charged and cautioned, he replied: I have nothing to say, it was just a job. I was transporting. Im just a driver.

Gda Byrne said she would be objecting to bail.

However, the accuseds solicitor Darren Gray said he was not making a bail application.

Judge Jones asked the garda what the alleged value of the drugs was and she replied that it was 2.84m.

The judge granted free legal aid following an application by Mr Gray, who said his client was earning very little per week.

The court also heard he would require a Polish interpreter.

The accused was not required to address the court during the brief hearing and has not yet entered pleas to the charges, which are under Sections 3 and 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

He was remanded in custody to Cloverhill District Court on May 25.
Mark Pierce (41) also stole cash from charity boxes in supermarkets, the court heard.

A thief who used a metal wire and glue to fish envelopes out of a church donation box has been jailed for a year.

Serial offender Mark Pierce (41), who had 111 previous convictions, also stole cash from charity boxes in supermarkets.

He was sentenced by Judge Bryan Smyth at Dublin District Court.

Pierce, a father-of-four with an address at a city homeless hostel, pleaded guilty to theft and use of an implement in the course of a theft.

Garda Sergeant Michelle Lynch said that on February 6, 2021 Pierce stole from the donation box at Ballyroan Church, Rathfarnham.

On CCTV, the accused was seen fishing out envelopes from the donation box with a metal wire and glue, Sgt Lynch said. Three sealed envelopes of undetermined value were taken in that theft.

A garda saw him acting suspiciously at Dominick Street Upper in the city centre on February 4 this year. He threw away a metal wire with a sticky substance and tried to flee. He resisted arrest when gardai caught him after a chase.

Pierce was abusive to gardai when he was seen coming out of St Saviours Church on Dominick Street drinking a can of beer on May 8 this year.

Churchgoers were entering and leaving and he would not desist from his behaviour.

Pierce took 58 in coins from a Temple Street charity box at Tesco, The Square Shopping Centre, Tallaght on February 1, 2021.

On October 22 last year, Pierce went to a charity box at Tesco, Upper Rathmines Road and emptied the money into his hat before leaving.

When arrested, he had 20 taken from the poor box and two Canadian $50 notes. The 20 was returned but he could provide no explanation for having the Canadian money.

The accused was arrested for trespassing at an apartment complex car park on Parnell Street on October 18, 2022.

He was seen with drug paraphernalia and appeared to be smoking drugs.

Pierce had 111 previous convictions for offences including theft.

The accused had a drug issue for most of his adult life, his solicitor Holly Laher said.

He was in a desperate situation, sleeping rough and stealing to feed his drug habit.

He had dealt with his issues head on, was now drug-free and on a methadone programme, Ms Laher said.

Judge Smyth said a prison sentence was warranted. He jailed Pierce for six months for use of an implement in a theft, with a consecutive six months for failing to appear in court.
Abdirashid Alasaw Mohamed (33), who has no address in Ireland, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court today

The district judge was told Tahir Rashid boarded a flight to Dublin and hasn't returned

A Belgium-based taxi driver has been remanded in custody after his arrest at Dublin Airport on people smuggling charges.

Abdirashid Alasaw Mohamed (33), who has no address in Ireland, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court today.

Mr Mohamed, who has not indicated a plea, listened to the proceedings with the assistance from a Somalian interpreter and did not address the court.

He faces charges under the Smuggling of People Act for assisting the unlawful entry of three males into the State and providing fraudulent travel or identity document to assist entry into the country.

The offences allegedly happened on May 21 at Dublin Airports Terminal One.

Following his arrest, gardai brought him to Ballymun garda station.

Garda Sharon Breen told the court that the accused made no reply to the charges.

She confirmed that there would be an objection to bail; however, defence solicitor Brian Keenan informed Judge Kelly his client was not making an application at this stage.

Judge Kelly remanded the accused in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on May 30. She also directed that an interpreter attend his next hearing.

The judge granted legal aid after noting from Mr Keenan that the accused worked in Belgium as a taxi driver.

Directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions have to be obtained.
The Dublin criminal fires off a salvo aimed at McGregor in a short TikTok video where he dismisses the UFC star as a wannabe gangster.

Gangland criminal Ian Mad Dog Maloney has shared a bizarre poetry rap on TikTok where he takes aim at Conor McGregor and calls him a wannabe gangster.

Dublin criminal Maloney, who earned his nickname through a series of violent crimes, has remerged as a writer of poetry who sells his books online after saying he has turned his life around.

He took aim at McGregor in a short TikTok video where he dismisses the UFC star as a fake gangster.

He starts the clip by sneering at the Notorious before launching into his little shoutout to ya.

Conor McGregor couldn't beat Mayweather,  Maloney raps. The fight was staged to go 10 rounds for the excitement for the crowds. I have to say I was a fanboy before but with the bad press. you lost my respect.

Conor McGregor

Youre far from that gorilla on your chest. I remember ya before all the money and fame, stop with this fake gangster s**t, it's lame.

He then reminds McGregor about his row with radio DJ PJ Gallagher and Paul McGrath when the fighter was criticised for calling the former Naked Camera star a "sad pox of a thing", adding that he was "crying in the paper bout depression".

Slagging PJ about mental health and calling the Irish legend Paul McGrath out, Mad Dog continues.

But you tap out like a little bitch, why did you punch that granddad for not drinking that Proper 12 whisky shot, he adds, referring to when McGregor was caught on CCTV hitting a man in the face in a Dublin pub in 2019.

Just as he ends Maloney suggest hes joking as he adds, You know Im messing with ya, McGregor, you know I love ya.

A Facebook post on what appears to be a Conor McGregor fan page has retorted with an entertaining put down to Scrawny Maloney, still talking pony.

Ya couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag, it begins. How's Wexford? Nice and lonely. Talking about fighting lol you're three stone wet, I wouldn't even break a sweat.

It also declares: I'm not gangster, Im a politician. A hard working man on a mission cruising towards 10 billion.

The McGregor page then tells Maloney to Go outside and have a whiff lad, its daffodil season right now. Fresh air will do ye good... Anyways thanks for the love at the end of the video I appreciate that, good boy.

Maloney, a convicted armed robber who was once an enforcer for Fat Freddie Thompson, has turned over a new leaf and is writing books of poetry to raise money for charity.

Maloney (35) who was once jailed for his role in the armed robbery of some 1.2m from a Dublin jewellers has penned a book of poems called Wrong Doings  the proceeds from which are going to the Children's Health Ireland hospital.
Nicola also speaks to journalist Chris Summers in London about the passport scam that have landed three senior cartel figures behind bars

Irelands most secure prison is a melting pot of some of the most dangerous, notorious and difficult inmates where each landing is ruled by a top dog and where official and underworld rules apply.

But troublemakers in the real world dont change behind bars as killer Fat Freddie Thompson has proved in recent weeks with his volatile behaviour and ability to fall out with family and friends.

But who else is a prominent figure at Portlaoise Prison and what is their role on the various wings?

Nicola's joined by Niall Donald to talk about the Turkish heroin dealer whose risen through the ranks of influential prisoners, of the television seizures that have pitted Thompson against his fellow lags and about the punishment wing.

We will also talk with journalist Chris Summers in London about the passport scam that have landed three senior cartel figures behind bars.

Crime World Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud.

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He was taken to a padded cell after he again flew into a rage, smashing a phone and kicking over a food trolley, with hot food landing on a staff member

Mobster Fat Freddie Thompson is running out of time on the Kinahan wing at Portlaoise Prison after blaming other inmates for being caught with a mobile phone.

Thompson, who is serving a life sentence for the murder for Daithi Douglas, was caught red-handed as he left an exercise yard with his cousin Liam Brannigan.

After a detector went off, Thompson smashed the phone off the ground and swallowed the SIM card, according to Sunday World sources.

It emerged a phone had been hidden in the back of a cell TV, which led to a full search of his landing on the A-Block with all TVs being taken out of the cells.

Freddie with gang boss Daniel Kinahan   Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Inmates including Thomas Nicky OConnell, awaiting trial at the Special Criminal Court for the murder of Gareth Hutch, are not happy with Fat Freddies antics.

He was later taken to a padded cell after he again flew into a rage, smashing a phone and kicking over a food trolley, with hot food landing on a staff member, sources added.

Thug Thompson has not been doing his time quietly since he got a life sentence in August 2018 at the Special Criminal Court.

Last month he went on vandalism rampage on hearing of the sudden death of his mother Lisa smashing up a TV, a toaster and microwave oven.

He was later brought under tight security to the funeral home in Dublin to pay his last respects ahead of the funeral.

A letter to his mother was read out at the funeral as he watched via webcam from prison today.

He had been refused temporary release to attend in person.

Portlaoise Prison

Hello ma, your best son here, the letter began, to laughter from mourners.

I love you so much. Youre the best mother in the world. When our time comes to meet again, I will be right beside you and we can talk more then.

He previously got in trouble after he assaulted two prison officers in November after they went to search him for contraband.

The Sunday World reported how Thompson threw his head forward, striking an officer near his eye socket with his forehead and then caused another to suffer a shoulder injury as he intervened.

Following that incident he was temporarily transferred to Limerick Prison.

In 2021, he took a High Court case against the Irish Prison Service alleging they had failed to respond to questions about the conditions of his then detention in Limerick Prison.

He claimed that, as soon as he arrived in Limerick Prison, he was confined to a padded cell, without his clothing or personal items and isolated from other prisoners.

Two years previously he took another action complaining about the oppressive regime in Portlaoise Prison; this was eventually withdrawn.

Last month, he launched his appeal against his conviction for the murder Daithi Douglas in 2016 as part of the Hutch-Kinahan feud

His team argued the conviction should be overturned due to the lack of records on how he was identified by gardai from CCTV footage.

The barrister said that the trial had allowed into evidence the four CCTV excerpts that had been objected to by the defence on grounds of procedure and the quality of the images.

It was argued that no record or notes of the procedure around the Garda identification had been taken and therefore it was not possible to test the validity of the identification, which the barrister said was a very important part of the States case.

There was no record kept, of anything, said his barrister, who added that one identifying garda knew Thompson was a suspect in the murder before he viewed the CCTV clips.

There were no procedures in place and no training in how to show footage to Garda witnesses.

Daithi Douglas was murdered

Judgement has yet to be made on the appeal.

Thompsons star has fallen since he was seen at senior lieutenant in the Kinahan Cartel in Ireland before the Hutch-Kinahan feud broke out in 2016.

As a cousin of the Liam and David Byrne he was at the heart of the network that also included Thomas Bomber Kavanagh, another major gangland figure now serving a long prison sentence in the UK.

He was a leading figure in the infamous Crumlin-Drimnagh feud which has claimed the lives of 16 people after a split in the gang.

The other faction was led by convicted killer and drug dealer Brian Rattigan, whose brother Joseph Rattigan was killed in a 2002 murder in which Fat Freddie is suspected of having played a part.

When Rattigan walked free from Portlaoise prison in 2021, after serving 18 years behind bars, he wore a locket with a photo of his murdered brother around his neck.
Vile beast Richard OBrien (61), who denied all the offences, was jailed for life on Monday

This is the first picture of the evil monster who was jailed for life this week for the rape and sexual abuse of his sisters, niece and later his own daughters during four decades of horrific offending.

Richard OBrien (61), who denied all the offences, was jailed for life on Monday after he was convicted unanimously by a jury following a trial earlier this year.

After the landmark sentence handed down by Judge Mary Ellen Ring, one of OBriens victims said on Facebook: This is the face of the man that was supposed to be our father, brother and uncle.

Instead, he was the man that abused us throughout our childhoods.

He destroyed our lives.

He took our innocence away from us.

But from today, we took control back.

We put you in that corner and showed you what we are made of.

Five strong women.

You are a monster.

I hope you rot in hell and get everything you deserve.

Referring to the sentence itself, she said: Today was the happiest day of my life.

Justice has been served well and truly. Im so relieved that today was the last day we ever had to look at that monsters face. Onto bigger and better things for us girls. Its been a long time coming.

At Mondays sentencing in the Central Criminal Court, all five of OBriens victims waived their right to anonymity so he could be named.

The Central Criminal Court heard that the abuse of his two sisters and his niece occurred at his family home at OMoore Road, Ballyfermot, and continued until each of the three women ran away as teenagers.

The women described growing up in a dysfunctional home where there was neglect, physical abuse and little point in disclosing the abuse they were suffering at the hands of their brother.

They outlined how terrified they were of OBrien, who also physically assaulted them.

His sisters told how he had wrung the necks of a puppy and a kitten belonging to them during their childhood.

OBrien went to sexually abuse and rape his own two daughters until they were taken into care.

One of his daughters later told her foster mother that she had been sexually abused by her father, and the Gardai were alerted.

Her younger sister, aunts and cousin also came forward.

OBrien of Cremona Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 11, was convicted by a jury of 63 counts of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault against the five victims on dates between 1975 and 2011.

Passing sentence, Judge Mary Ellen Ring noted the harrowing evidence heard during the trial and the immense damage caused to each of the victims.

She told them that they had nothing to be ashamed of and had done nothing wrong.

The only person in this court room who should be ashamed is Richard OBrien.

She told them that they should not worry what others have to say and reminded them that the 12 men and women on the jury had believed their evidence.

She told the older women that despite what had happened to them as children and without parental role models, they had become wonderful mothers and grandmothers and this was a terrific achievement.

Stop giving time and headspace to Richard O Brien, she told them.

She told them that they had achieved so much against the odds, the time is now to let those achievements in and their brother out. She wished them well into the future.

Turning to OBrien, she noted he had abused a position of trust as an older brother, an uncle and a father. She noted he was facing the remaining years of life and had medical issues.

She took into account medical reports and letters from family members handed into court.

Ms Justice Ring noted OBrien had shown no remorse and no acceptance of his offending. She said the offending against his two daughters had been at the very apex of the serious offence of rape.

She said that by the time he began abusing his own daughters he was an adult, perhaps damaged by neglect but now building his own family, and that he had made a conscious decision to rape and sexually assault his own flesh and blood until social services intervened.

She said that there was continued failure on his part to recognise the damage done.

Ms Justice Ring imposed a life sentence in relation to the rape offences committed by OBrien on his two daughters.

She imposed concurrent sentences totalling 11 years in relation to the other offending.

The sentences will commence from when OBrien went into custody in March.

Its understood OBriens victims hope that the sentence handed down to OBrien will encourage other victims of abuse to come forward.

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.
Mark Brown (36) was jailed for two months in 2019 for a vile racially motivated assault on a taxi driver

A former leader of the National Front in Northern Ireland has been arrested during a protest against asylum seekers in Portrush.

Mark Brown (36) was arrested by police on Sunday after he began to approach a group of counter-protesters.

Protestors held a Union flag during the demonstration alongside a banner displaying the slogans Keep our children safe and Close the migrant hotels now.

A National Front flag was also erected on the fence surrounding a war memorial on Kerr Street during the protest.

The PSNI confirmed Brown had been given a penalty notice for disorder (PND).

A 36 year old man was arrested on suspicion of disorderly behaviour during protests in the Kerr Street area of Portrush on Sunday afternoon, said a spokesperson.

He was subsequently given a Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND).

Officers were present in the area to ensure the safety of those participating in protest and counter-protest.

Earlier this month, this newspaper revealed Brown was behind the protest as well as being the administrator of organising Facebook group North Coast Concerned Collective.

The group had organised the protest against the use of hotels in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area as accommodation for asylum seekers.

It followed comments from newly-elected TUV councillor Allister Kyle voicing concern that the former Magherabuoy House Hotel was to be used under new ownership to provide accommodation for asylum seekers.

"Naturally, nearby residents have many worries and concerns, he said last month.

"Has the Council signed up to the government funding scheme to facilitate the housing of asylum seekers? If so, what thought was given to the concerns of local residents?

A number of posts on the groups page from an account operated by Brown under an assumed name contain racist, misogynistic and transphobic language.

Brown was jailed for two months in 2019 for a vile racially motivated assault on a taxi driver in Co Antrim.

A judge said Brown had gone beyond the criminal pale during the incident, for which he was handed a two-month prison sentence.

He punched the taxi driver, originally from the Middle East, on the head, got out without paying the 18.40 fare and then chased the mans car as he tried to phone the police.

A court was told Brown had been convicted of offences against the taxi driver around a decade beforehand.

The victim said he received a call under a different name and at first was not aware who his passenger was. After he was arrested, Brown made remarks including Muslim c*** and low-rent Jihadi b******.

Deputy District Judge Peter Magill said a suspended sentence dating back to 2015 had only expired when Brown committed the latest crime.

He added: This was a racially aggravated offence. You did admit that you expressed quite abhorrent racist views in respect of this man while denying any assault and making off.

There is no place in our society for this type of behaviour, no place in this society for racism.
They said they are "making enquiries" into the incident after the pensioner was admitted to University Hospital Limerick for injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.

Gardai have confirmed that they are investigating an alleged assault on a man in his 70s in Corofin, Co Clare on Sunday night.

They said they are "making enquiries" into the incident after the pensioner was admitted to University Hospital Limerick for injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.

It has been reported that the man was attacked after he stopped his car and spoke to a group of people in the town near a property which is rumoured may soon be used to house international protection applicants.

Gardai are waiting to interview the victim but a formal complaint has not been made.

Theresa O'Donohoe, a member of Clare Solidarity Network, told RTE: "We believe most people in Clare are compassionate and want to help those fleeing persecution and war.

"Unfortunately, their voices have been drowned out and intimidated by those seeking to block asylum seekers from coming to the area."
An NCA financial investigation had revealed that Maher and his wife lived like millionaires despite being on less than minimum wage for tax purposes

Rogue haulier Thomas Maher from Clara in Co Offaly, who is serving a 14-year jail sentence in the UK for money laundering and drug trafficking, has been hit with a demand for 630,000 (724,000).

The feared gangster who worked with other criminal groups including the Kinahan cartel was involved in organised crime for over two decades.

He lived a luxurious lifestyle and blew hundreds of thousands of pounds on cars, holidays and jewellery before he was jailed for 14 years and eight months at Liverpool Crown Court in December 2020, after admitting importing class A drugs into the UK and two charges of money laundering.

A National Crime Agency (NCA) financial investigation had revealed that Maher and his wife lived like millionaires despite being on less than minimum wage for tax purposes.

He has now been returned to Liverpool Crown Court for a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing where he was ordered to pay back 629,159.

High-end motors were seized

The assets included his detached home in Woolston, Cheshire, cars, lorries, jewellery, a number of high value watches, artwork and gold ingots bought in Dubai.

Judge David Potter ordered Maher pay the sum back within three months or face an extra six years in jail.

Maher came onto the National Crime Agency (NCA) radar when he was arrested in connection with the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in the back of a lorry in Purfleet, Essex in October 2019.

The tractor unit involved had at one point been owned by Maher and was still registered in his wifes name even after it was sold.

Maher was not charged in relation to that case, but he has been described by the NCA as the logistics man for a number of crime groups, moving drugs and profits across Europe.

During a seven month surveillance operation NCA officers watched Maher meet with criminal associates at hotels and in public spaces in the North West to organise the trafficking of cocaine from the Netherlands to the UK and Ireland.

As well as drugs, Maher also helped to facilitate the movement of large sums of cash, charging a commission for his involvement

NCA officers arrested Maher on 13 June 2020 at his home after receiving intelligence that he planned to leave the country.

Luxury watches were also confiscated

His lucrative operation was taken down through evidence obtained by the National Crime Agency as part of Operation Venetic  the UK law enforcement response to the takedown of EncroChat.

The NCAs Head of Asset Denial, Rob Burgess, said: This significant result demonstrates the agencys ability to recover criminal assets, and prevent criminals from benefitting from their wrongdoing.

Thomas Maher was a career criminal who was trusted by some of Europes biggest crime groups to move their drugs and money.

The confiscation order will ensure money he made will be returned to the public purse to fund further efforts to protect the public from organised crime.
Press Release

May 23, 2023 Poe: Time to have a motorcycles-for-hire law Sen. Grace Poe said it is high time motorcycles are legalized as a safe and convenient mode of public transportation in the country. Presiding over a hearing of the Senate committee on public services, which she heads, Poe said the results of the Department of Transportation pilot study on the viability of motorcycle taxis which started in 2019 can be used as a basis for legislation. "After more than four years of continuous studies by the technical working group (TWG), it now appears, without a doubt, that commuters are overwhelmingly in favor of legalizing motorcycles taxis," Poe said, adding that the TWG survey reports 96 percent of motorcycle taxi passengers believed that government should allow motorcycle taxis. The study also showed that commuters favor motorcycle taxis' affordability and quicker conveyance time in the clogged streets of urban centers where motorcycle taxis were allowed to operate. "To me, this pilot study is the strength of this policy. Maaga pa lamang ay nakita na natin ang implementation gaps so the regulators have enough time to come up with solutions or interventions to improve its regulation once legalized," said Poe, author of Senate Bill No. 104 seeking to allow and regulate the use of motorcycles as public utility vehicles. "Four years and a global pandemic later, we believe it is now high time for Congress to use the data points from the ground to craft a policy that is responsive to the needs of the commuting public and all the stakeholders of the ever growing motorcycle taxi industry," she added. The pilot run allowed motorcycle transport network companies (TNC) - Angkas, JoyRide and Move It - to have a combined total cap of 45,000 riders in Metro Manila. Poe said Land Transportation Office data showed that there are around 19.2 million motorcycles in the country. This is roughly 87 percent of all registered motor vehicles as of 2022. One out of three Filipino households owns a motorcycle and 51 percent of them use it for livelihood. The senator said commuters continue to seek for alternative mode of transportation to deal with the daily metro gridlock and the rising demand for mobility. "Trapik pero walang masakyan. May masasakyan man, colorum naman. Ito na ata ang kinatandaan na sistema ng mga commuter sa Pilipinas," she said. But Poe stressed motorcycle taxis must adhere to the highest standards of road safety. The most recent Global Status Report for Road Safety of the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 30% of all road crash deaths involve powered two- and three-wheeled vehicles, such as motorcycles, mopeds, scooters and electrical bikes (e-bikes), and the numbers are rising, according to the senator. She added this is even higher in Southeast Asia where 43% of all road traffic deaths involve two and three wheelers. "The established vulnerability of motorcycle as a mode of transportation calls for the government to step in. We need to legalize to reflect the reality on the ground but we also need the highest safety standards to make this a true mobility alternative," Poe said. "Our motorcycles-for-hire bill has been through the long and winding road to passage. Our commuters need a safe and convenient alternative right now," Poe added.
Russia said Tuesday it had scrambled an Su-27 fighter jet to "prevent violations of the state border" by two US Air Force strategic bombers flying over the Baltic Sea.

"After removing the foreign military aircraft from the Russian state border, the Russian fighter went back to its air base," the Russian defense ministry said.

The army prevented the violation of the border, the statement said, adding that "the flight of the Russian fighter was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace."

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder confirmed that US aircraft were intercepted by Russia, saying the B-1 bombers were taking part in a "long-planned exercise in Europe."

It is the latest in a series of similar incidents.

Just over a week ago, Russia said two aircraft, one German and one French, were intercepted attempting to "violate" its airspace.

Mid-April, Russia dispatched a fighter jet to escort a German naval aircraft over the Baltic Sea.

In March, an American drone crashed after colliding with a Russian jet over the Black Sea.

Russia's defense ministry said it had scrambled jets after detecting a US drone over the Black Sea, but denied causing the crash, saying the aircraft had lost control.

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We should remember we still live in a country where there is huge support for the gardai

Jail sentences for people who assault gardai and those who ram their vehicles will be increased to a maximum of 12 years under new legislation.

Justice Minister Simon Harris is to introduce longer jail terms in new proposals being brought to Cabinet.

The extension of the penalty for assault causing harm will be part of the Criminal Justice Bill, which is currently making its way through the Oireachtas.

The measure would also apply to other emergency service staff - including hospital staff, prison workers, members of the Defence Forces, fire brigade or ambulance staff.

Minister Harris said laws need to be updated.

"We should remember we still live in a country where there is huge support for the gardai," he said.

"We live in a country where confidence levels in our police force are above that of most other European countries.

"We also need to live in a country where we don't, as politicians, wring our hands and condemn - though condemning is important.

"We actually need to update the laws to support the gardai," he added.

Minister Harris will also bring a measure to Cabinet to again extend the licence for alcohol to be sold outdoors.

The measure was brought in during the COVID-19 pandemic, and will be extended until November until longer-term legislation is looked at.

Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney will also ask the Cabinet to approve extending business fuel supports to companies which use Kerosene - while also bringing a memo to provide more secure contract terms for seasonal workers in Ireland.
Kevin Coyle was a prominent presence at the Sandwith Street immigrant camp protestand also protested against the introduction of LGBTQ literature in schools

A far-right agitator has described as a joke a chilling image he posted online showing him masked and holding what appears to be an Airsoft rifle.

Kevin Coyle  who played a prominent role in last weeks protest at Sandwith Street  accompanied the image with the words: Lets go take all them out. (Wait and see how long it is before police come to me over this)

But they can say/do whatever they want but we say/do anything, we are racist!!!! Go f**k yourselves.

The image was widely shared on social media this week after People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy posted it on his social media account as he expressed concerns about increasing activity levels of far-right activity in the country.

Kevin Coyle at the Sandwith Street protest

For the people who keep saying theres no far right, just concerned parents  This is Kevin Coyle who was a key leader of the protest at Sandwith St on Friday night, protested outside my house and disrupted a PBP (People Before Profit) meeting in Jobstown last night.

Coyle responded to Murphys message describing the image as a joke, adding it had been originally posted in response to another video shared by Britain First.

Right, above that picture I posted, this was posted and that picture I put up was in response to this, he said.

I was joking. Good to see yes cant understand humour.

Coyle was a prominent presence at the Sandwith Street immigrant camp protest on Friday night of last week and also protested against the introduction of LGBTQ literature in schools outside Norma Foleys office in Tralee during the week.

He is aligned with the Ireland First political movement.

Ireland First was founded by Corkman Derek Blighe who has become one of the most prominent ant-immigration campaigners in the country.

Over the past year, Blighe has been moving throughout the Republic organising protests against asylum seekers and refugee accommodation while also making videos that are later widely shared online.

On its website, Ireland First promotes what has been described as conservative rather than extremist policies around immigration  which it says should be capped at 10 per cent  and LGBT issues which it says should not be pushed on under 18s in Irelands schools.

However, overtly racist and homophobic messages as well as messages calling for violence, are regularly shared on the groups invite-only Telegram site.

Videos recorded at Sandwith Street immigrant encampment protest on Friday night of last week showed how Coyle appeared to take a leading role in verbal hostilities with a group who gathered to support the immigrants.

The video shows him shouting You are f**ked at members of the rival group through a line of dividing gardai.

In the hours after the face-off between the pro Refugee and anti-immigrant demonstrators, the makeshift camp for homeless refugees was attacked and their tents torched.
The Australian-born TV presenter was a family favourite for decades before being convicted of a string of indecent assaults in June 2014.

Disgraced entertainer and convicted sex offender Rolf Harris has died at the age of 93 (PA)

Disgraced entertainer and convicted sex offender Rolf Harris has died aged 93, a registrar at Maidenhead Town Hall has confirmed to the PA news agency.

The Australian-born TV presenter was a family favourite for decades before being convicted of a string of indecent assaults in June 2014.

These included one on an eight-year-old autograph hunter, two on girls in their early teens and a catalogue of abuse against his daughters friend over 16 years.

Once a much-loved artist and musician, Harris was jailed for five years and nine months after being convicted of 12 assaults which took place between 1968 and 1986.

In May 2017, he was formally cleared of four unconnected historical sex offences, which he had denied.

Later the same year, one of the 12 indecent assault convictions was overturned by the Court of Appeal.

Harris was released on licence from HMP Stafford on May 19 2017, less than three years after his sentence began.

Harris with the most popular factual programme award he received for Animal Hospital at the National Television Awards in 2000 (PA)

At the time, his was the biggest celebrity scalp to be claimed by detectives from high-profile sex crime investigation Operation Yewtree.

He was the second person convicted under the national inquiry, set up in the wake of abuse claims against late DJ and entertainer Jimmy Savile.

In light of his conviction, Harris had his 2012 Bafta fellowship removed and was stripped of his CBE. He also had Australian honours taken away.

Harris poses next to his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (PA)

He was made an MBE in the 1960s, OBE a decade later and CBE in 2006  the year after he painted the late British queens 80th birthday portrait.

The decision to revoke an honour, which can be recommended by the Honours and Appointments Secretariat to the Forfeiture Committee, must be approved by the sovereign.
Its a statue that people passing by would constantly stop and pray. And they have been robbed of that again

The damaged statue in the grounds of the church

A local community in has rallied around St Mark's Parish in Dublin after a much-loved Virgin Mary statue was decapitated earlier this month.

In pictures posted on Facebook by the church in Springfield, Tallaght, the head of the statue is seen lying on the ground shattered in pieces.

The damage to the statue comes almost exactly a year after it was attacked in another mindless act of vandalism.

On that occasion the community had worked hard to have the statue rebuilt and the parish thanked people for their donations and support.

The damaged statue in the grounds of the church

Fresh donations have since been pouring in once again following the most recent attack that occurred on May 10, just one week after it had been given a fresh coat of paint.

Taking to Facebook, the local parish priest Fr Bill O'Shaughnessy said it was with deep regret to let you know that the Statue of the Blessed Mother outside the Church in Springfield has again been vandalised.

It is heart breaking for a number of obvious reasons, but this being the month of May when we not only pay closer attention to the Blessed Mother but many children would have taken their photo after their first Holy Communion, he wrote. 

Its a statue that people passing by would constantly stop and pray. And they have been robbed of that again.

On top of it all, its a little prayer oasis that Christy Connelly and Christy Osborne have put massive work, money and energy to get it to where it is today. The statue itself having just last week, been re-painted, and the new seat installed using the money donated after the statue was destroyed last time.

I was due to bless the little grotto this coming Sunday after the 12:30pm mass in St Marks and had hoped that some of the children receiving their first Holy Communion would join him, and I plan to still do it.

He added: Let us all say a Hail Mary prayer today for the conversion of those who may have taken delight in such cruel vandalism.

In an updated post on Facebook, the priest added that they had been greeted with a huge amount of interest from concerned people near and afar.

An Garda Siochana were notified of the vandalism, he added. We have also captured on CCTV, footage of three youths walking down Maplewood Road at 1.05am last night. From the footage it is clear that it was a very deliberate act.

As a grouping of parishes we would also like to thank everyone for the tremendous support of phone calls, texts and donations. Much appreciated.

The priest revealed that they are currently trying to repair the broken parts of the statue and using the funds raised to acquire a sturdy outdoor statue for the future.

As its very obvious that this small area is used by a huge amount of people for a quiet moment of prayer every day. And again we would like to thank everyone for your generosity and kind wishes, he added.

Pieces of the statue on the ground

It is an interesting coincidence to note, that this week last year the statue was also broken.

Friends, an act like this can strike at the heart of what we are about as a parish and can be very painful. However, it is important to remember that no matter how cruel acts like this may seem, Our Lady has already crushed the head of the ancient serpent.

So no amount of damage to statues can ever take away the power of the Christian faith and the victory of Christ over evil. God bless you all.

A garda spokesperson said they were investigating an incident of criminal damage that occurred on the May 10 in a church in Springfield, Dublin 24. No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.
I used to refer to this as being bullied but it was more than that, it was a torture

RTE star Brendan Courtney has offered his support to the teen who was attacked in Navan and shared his own personal experience of bullying and abuse in a powerful message posted online.

The presenter urged the teen attacked in Navan to use channel anger "for good and for tolerance" in the Instagram post in which he reads out a letter.

Starting it with Dear hero, the fashion designer then promises, things will get better, thats what they say.

They might, if you learn to hide in clear sight. If you learn to hide who you truly are, if you learn to conform and live under the veil of their hate.

I don't know your story. But after hearing what has happened to you I feel compelled to write this letter.

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Five boys who were arrested on Friday, May 19, were later released without charge after they were questioned by specialist officers about their roles in the attack last week.

It was videoed, went viral online and ended up making international news headlines.

The video of the assault, which caused political outrage and shocked the nation, shows the 14-year-old boy walking out of school grounds at Beaufort College in Navan pursued by a group of other students.

One student punches the boy in the head, which emboldens others to attack him from behind. The boy tries to get away but falls to the ground where he is repeatedly kicked, punched and stamped on by up to five other students as he tries to crawl to safety.

The incident is being investigated as a hate crime.

In his video message to the teen, Brendan added "Sadly I understand your pain. I have been where you are. I had nowhere to hide.

He explains that as an obviously gay kid, he simply couldn't hide who I was because of who I am.

"And truly believe me, I tried, I tried with all my heart to hide for all of my early years.

I would have given anything to just fit in but you see, some of us just can't hide who we truly are.

"It's simply impossible. I was a camp, fey little kid who, until I was nine, was often mistaken for a girl which was sickeningly upsetting for one so young to feel so othered.

He says he tried everything to cover but all attempts failed and I paid the price.

I used to refer to this as being bullied but it was more than that, it was a torture.

"I was beaten and punched at school. I regularly had my head held down a toilet and flushed while onlookers jeered and laughed. I was humiliated daily.

"I was riddled with shame and I was 14, the same age as you, and my heart breaks for you.

So what did I do?

"Well, I took matters into my own hands and I just stopped going to school. I would pretend to leave for school in the morning and then hide out in various locations for the school day.

I often think back and actually feel enormous pride in myself for finding the strength to do that and to not let them break me.

"I realised I had to run for my own safety eventually, on day 20, the school contacted my mother and it all came out. I was taken out of that school and life improved but I had to reinvent myself.

He says he only ever think of those bullies, when I write these kind of letters.

They hold nothing over me, I feel sorry for them. And so off I went into my adult life and I became a TV presenter and a fashion designer, look at me go.

"I started working on TV in 1999 and held the impossible to confirm yet unprecedented title of Irelands first openly gay TV presenter.

Brendan recalls how on one Friday night in 2014 walking down Georges Street in Dublin 2 with a group of friends, a group of youths ran into the middle of our group and shouted f*ggot and punched me hard in the face, knocking me to the ground.

"But this time I wasn't humiliated. I didn't feel shame. I was fu**cking angry.

"I took that anger and channeled it into the 2015 referendum on marriage equality and along with all the other people who spoke their truths we won. Love won.

I have never met you but I want you to know on this battlefield, I love you, Brendan declares.

I am so desperately sorry this hideous attack has happened to you. This will change your life but it will not define you, it defines them. It's up to you now, how you deal with this.

"Be angry for now. You will feel afraid for a while but then take that anger and that fear and channel it for good.

" Tell your story everywhere and often because your story is now a huge part of how things change for good.

I am so sorry your young life has now become a part of this awful battle but know you are loved and supported. This too will pass but things are not OK.
Sources close to the investigation said they had evidence the clearing in the trees was the spot Brueckner used to spend time at after parking up his camper van nearby.

Police put a remote Algarve reservoir on lockdown this morning as they got ready to comb scrubland near the water in the first major search for Madeleine McCann in nine years.

Roads leading into the Arade Dam, the little paradise of sole suspect Christian Brueckner a 40-minute drive from Praia da Luz where the youngster vanished 16 years ago, were sealed off yesterday as part of a preparation day.

And overnight a no-fly zone covering the whole of the man-made dam was put in place, leaving the airspace above the water and land near the waters edge where todays search will focus open to police drones only.

The ring of steel meant journalists and curious onlookers were kept more than a mile back from two white tents put up yesterday by a secluded hilltop area on a peninsula jutting into the reservoir Portuguese police are planning to comb until nightfall following a scheduled 9am local time start.

Sources close to the investigation said they had evidence the clearing in the trees was the spot Brueckner used to spend time at after parking up his camper van nearby.

A local who asked not to be named, but knows the area well, said: Its pretty well-hidden by the trees and you dont realise its there until youre almost upon it.

People wild camp there overnight from time to time which is why youll find the remains of fires inside small walls of stone.

Its got old sun loungers in it and makeshift benches that visitors use to rest on.

Its very out-of-the-way and very peaceful but at the same time its got a slightly eerie feel about it.

Police investigating disappearance of Madeleine McCann to search reservoir in Portugal

A well-placed police source said: Portuguese police are going to carry out a thorough and very careful search of the area today.

Policia Judiciaria officers are going to be divided into four teams who will focus on a land search. It will be very meticulous and exhaustive.

Forget the idea of big trucks and large machinery. A lot of the work thats going to be done here today will be done by hand with backup technology.

The insider said there was no plan to bring in sniffer dogs today and did not comment on local reports boats with sonar equipment would comb certain stretches of the water. High-tech equipment used to detect human remains buried under the earth, as well as underwater if required, is expected to be used.

No heavy machinery was taken to the area yesterday and council officials were spotted carrying a lorryload of wheelbarrows to the zone by the hidden leisure area clearing, suggesting police will rake and dig it by hand using the likes of pickaxes rather than excavate earth with diggers in an attempt to preserve any evidence they find.

Local Portuguese reports, partly confirmed by police sources, claimed the searches were requested and authorised after German police obtained videos and photos of Brueckner by the planned dig site.

They are thought to have been found buried in the paedophiles secret lair in a dilapidated factory site in the German village of Neuwegersleben 65 miles south-east of Hanover.

Christian Brueckner. Picture: Getty

Police raided the site in February 2016 in search of the body of missing five-year-old Inga Gehricke, who vanished while on a family outing in Saxony-Anhalt in May 2015 and has been dubbed the German Maddie.

Reports at the time said German detectives had discovered more than 8,000 images and videos on USB sticks and hard drives filled with child abuse images.

They were said to have been buried under the body of Brueckners dead dog.

Portugals Policia Judiciaria force, whose officers are doing most of the dig work today, has confirmed the searches were requested by their German counterparts the BKA.

The request was made via an international letter of request sent to Portugals Attorney Generals office and passed on to prosecutors in Portimao.

Portuguese officials have not yet said when it was received but it is believed to have been about two months ago.

Although this weeks operation has been initiated by German police, Portuguese detectives are showing with the manpower and logistical support they are providing that they are fully on board.

Carlos Farinha, the PJs deputy director, travelled from Lisbon yesterday to the reservoir to view the preparation work ahead of the start of the searches and meet German counterparts.

He is believed to have attended a briefing meeting with German police, who arrived at the scene around 6.30pm local time in four vehicles including three VW people carriers and left two hours later.

Today Algarve PJ chief Fernando Jordao who is normally based in Faro and Helena Monteiro, tasked with an ongoing Portuguese police cold case review from the northern city of Porto, are due to spend time at the search area in another show of the importance attached to this weeks operation by the Portuguese forces upper hierarchy.

Operational coordination will be in the hands of a chief inspector who has not yet been named.

Scotland Yard representatives will be in the area for what has been described as a watching brief.

Searches are expected to begin on Tuesday as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, police in Portugal have confirmed.   PA

Respected Portuguese broadcaster SIC has said the searches, due to last for at least two days and longer if anything of relevance is found, will be 80 per cent land-based and 20 per cent water-based.

In a lunchtime broadcast yesterday it said: Investigators know suspect Christian Brueckner used to come to this dam regularly.

He would call it his little paradise and would often spend the night here. He was seen here often.

The German authorities considered this reservoir to be an area of interest and ended up sending an international letter of request or letter rogatory.

No police divers have yet been spotted and there are conflicting reports about whether underwater searches will take place or if they will occur in shallows near the edge of the reservoir where water levels are currently much lower than normal because of the ongoing drought.

In a statement issued yesterday evening, the first so far by authorities in Portugal, Germany or UK after news of the new operation broke, the PJ said: In view of the news made public, the Judiciary Police confirms that, regarding the investigation into the disappearance of an English child, which occurred in the Algarve in 2007, steps are still being taken to fully clarify the situation.

Within the scope of international cooperation, in the next few days in the Algarve region, new searches will be carried out, coordinated by the Judiciary Police, at the request of the German Authorities (BKA) and with the presence of the British Authorities.

Information will be provided in due course on the outcome of the proceedings.

The force made its statement shortly before German police arrived at the reservoir for a briefing meeting.

They were travelling in three Volkswagen vans, two black and one dark-blue, and a Ford Ranger with a Portuguese police escort in front.

The meeting took place in one of two blue tents put up yesterday lunchtime just under a mile from the land set to be examined today, one for the police and one for civil protection workers.

It was the first time all day any German officials had been seen at the reservoir, which was searched by divers hired by a Portuguese lawyer in February and March 2008.

Marcos Aragao Correia organised the privately-funded operation after claiming he had been tipped off by underworld contacts that Madeleine had been murdered and her body thrown into the reservoir within 48 hours of her disappearance.

Two bags containing small bones were found during the second search after divers had earlier recovered several lengths of cord, some plastic tape and a single white cotton sock.

Portuguese police were alerted following the discovery but subsequently ruled out the possibility the bones were human because of their size.

Madeleines parents Gerry and Kate McCann had previously dismissed Mr Correia as a self-publicist and said there was no evidence suggesting any link between their daughter and the reservoir.

The dam, near the town of Silves where a lorry driver says he saw a woman handing a child like Madeleine McCann over to a man two days after she went missing from her Praia da Luz holiday apartment on May 3 2007, is not thought to have been searched since March 2008 as part of the ongoing investigation into her disappearance.

The search is the first major operation of its kind since June 2014 when British police were given permission to do digs in Praia da Luz that involved sniffer dogs trained in detecting bodies and ground-penetrating radar.

The Scotland Yard digs nearly nine years ago in Praia da Luz were linked to the leading UK police theory at the time Madeleine died during a break-in and burglars dumped her body nearby.

The searches failed to find any trace of the missing youngster.

In a smaller operation in July 2020 Portuguese police and firefighters searched three wells for Madeleines body but failed to find any trace of her.

The abandoned wells are a 15 minute drive from a cottage Brueckner rented on the outskirts of Praia de Luz, on a narrow road leading down to a beach where the paedophile used to park his VW camper van.

German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters has consistently said he is convinced Madeleine is dead and caged paedophile Brueckner, 45, has been named as the sole suspect.

The deviant, currently serving time for the September 2005 rape of an American OPA in the resort where Madeleine vanished, has yet to face any formal accusation over the youngsters disappearance.

Last April he was made an official suspect or arguido in Portugal over Madeleines disappearance, although his defence lawyer Friedrich Fulscher labelled it a procedural trick linked to statute of limitations legislation at the time.

Last autumn Bruecker was charged in Germany with several sex crimes on the Algarve against women and children including the rape of an Irish holiday rep in 2004 and the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl on a beach near Praia da Luz in 2007.

Brueckners lawyer revealed in April those charges had been dropped against him in a bombshell development after successfully arguing prosecutors had no jurisdiction over him in Braunschweig where the Madeleine case was being brought.

The case could end up with prosecutors in Saxony-Anhalt instead but an appeal lodged by the Braunschweig public prosecutors office has yet to be decided.

Braunschweig prosecutor Mr Wolters has insisted they are still in control of the Madeleine McCann investigation and Brueckner, who denies any involvement in Madeleines disappearance, remains in custody.

Kate and Gerry are expected to be kept informed of any developments as a result of the new search through Scotland Yard liaison officers.

The Arade Dam, the Barragem do Arade in Portuguese, is fed by the watercourse of the Arade River whose source lies to the southwest of the Serrra do Caldeirao mountain range and runs through the municipalities of Silves, Lagoa and Portimao before reaching the ocean.

Construction was concluded in 1955 and it began operating the following year.
In July, the marking of 60 years since New Zealand's worst domestic air accident will be commemorated in Tauranga and Te Aroha.

On that fateful day of July 3, 1963, 23 people lost their lives when the NAC DC-3 they were aboard crashed into the Kaimai Range.

Flight 441 was on a scheduled New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC) flight from Auckland to Tauranga and then to Gisborne, Napier and Wellington.

The passengers onboard DC-3 Skyliner ZK-AYZ Hastings represented a cross section of New Zealand society at the time; men and women, Maori and Pakeha, young and old. They were travelling on business, on holiday, or to attend family events.

In shocking weather conditions, the DC-3 plunged into a rock ravine near the top of the Kaimai Range, close to Mount Ngatamahinerua, with the death of all three crew and 20 passengers.

After a big search that included many volunteers, the wreckage was finally discovered 24 hours later.

It was the first time helicopters were used in a major aviation search and recovery operation in New Zealand.

The remains of the port wing of DC-3 ZK-AYZ at the Kaimai Range crash site. Photo: via Richard Waugh.

The tragic accident was a profound shock to the prosperity and optimism of a growing post-war nation and the crash was front page news for days.

The 60th anniversary of the tragic Kaimai air accident will likely be the final time for relatives of those lost, and others with direct involvement by way of search and recovery efforts, to gather together to pay their respects," says aviation historian and chaplain, Rev. Dr Richard Waugh.

Dr Waugh, of Howick Auckland, has initiated past anniversary events and is the author of the authoritative book, Kaimai Crash  New Zealands Worst Internal Air Disaster.

"Already many family members have confirmed their attendance, including the support of 86-year-old Mrs Sandy Saussey, who 60 years ago was the young wife of Captain Len Enchmarch.

"Pastoral support for family members will be paramount and our organising group is grateful to have support from Air New Zealand, the Matamata-Piako District Council, and from many others for this special anniversary time.

An outdoor public service is planned at the national memorial plaque on Old Te Aroha Road, near Gordon, at 9am on Monday July 3, which will be led by Rev. Dr Waugh and involving both iwi and local civic involvement.

There will be a fly-past tribute by the Auckland based Fly-DC-3, the aircraft being the same as the ill-fated DC-3.

The Matamata-Piako District Council is pleased to be supporting the 60th anniversary memorial service on Old Te Aroha Road," says Mayor Adrienne Wilcock.

"The awful accident of six decades ago involved many of our Te Aroha, Matamata and district residents who volunteered in the search and assisted in other ways.

"The memorial on Old Te Aroha Road is a special place in our district to remember a national tragedy and I look forward to having a role in the service and welcoming many of the families and other visitors to our district.

At 1.30pm on Monday July 3 a permanent memorial display to the air accident will be dedicated at the Classic Flyers Museum at Tauranga Airport.

It is very appropriate that the museum be the venue for a much-needed display about the accident, and in tribute to those who died, and those who did all they could to assist the disaster," says Classic Flyers Museum trustee Andrew Gormlie.

"Design work is now well advanced and we invite the public to attend and to reflect and remember the air accident. From such accidents there have come many helpful lessons that make our flying so reliable and safe today.
A blur of nappies, burping, feeding, and sleeping, motherhood can be an overwhelming journey to embark on. Looking after a new baby is a full-time job with no days off and no instruction manual.

Local charity Mums4Mums is working to ensure new mums dont have to navigate these challenges alone.

A maternal mental health initiative, Mums4Mums provides practical, emotional, and social support for new mums in their homes through a network of volunteers across the Western Bay of Plenty  from Katikati to Pongakawa.

Support, while freely available to all, is prioritised for mums of multiples, babies living with disabilities or significant health challenges, and mums at risk of negative mental health outcomes due to exhaustion or social isolation.

Founder of Mums4Mums, CJ Dafoe, says maternal mental health is a huge issue in New Zealand.

We are facing a maternal mental health crisis. New Zealands suicide rate for pregnant and post-birth mums is seven times higher than the UK  thats a staggering statistic.

Mums4Mums isnt about a group of women deciding it would be nice to cuddle babies. This is women responding to a crisis.

Every mums needs are unique and support is tailored to the individual. Volunteer activities can be as simple as having a chat over a cup of coffee or providing respite so mum can have a break.

Many mums are overwhelmed, exhausted, and dealing with loneliness, says CJ.

When a volunteer goes in, they go in as a woman or a fellow mum, bringing friendship, conversation, and assurance theyre doing a good job. Its important for new mums to be able to share and talk about their experiences; if theyre living in isolation, they dont get that chance.

The practical support is wide-ranging.

We provide linguistic support to our migrant mums for attending social events or specialist appointments; support teen mums in developing their parenting confidence; and liaise with other community organisations to offer wrap-around support, CJ explains.

Mums4Mums was inspired after a social worker approached CJ to support a migrant mum with premature twins. Rallying some friends, together they supported the family for five months, during which time more requests for help started rolling in. The need became clear.

Now, two and a half years later, Mums4Mums has supported nearly 200 families across the Western Bay of Plenty.

Its bittersweet because its awful to know mums are suffering, CJ says. But its beautiful to see how many women are willing to put their hand up to help. That shows the care in our community. Thats the passion that drives me.

Mums4Mums relies on sponsorship and grants from funders to continue its work supporting mums and babies. The charitable trust recently received $10,000 in funding from TECT towards its operating costs.

TECT trustee Rachael Gemming says Mums4Mums is addressing a clear need in our region.

Good support and extra helping hands are well documented as factors in positive maternal mental health and the service provided by Mums4Mums fits this niche space.

We all know it takes a village to raise a child. Were grateful that Mums4Mums is helping to build that village for mums in our community, particularly those that might not have support otherwise.

To learn more about Mums4Mums, visit: https://www.mums4mums.org.nz/
President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said Africa needs unconventional ideas and financing solutions to address pressing issues such as climate change and sustainable development.

El-Sisi made his remarks on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the 58th Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the 49th Meetings of the Board of Governors of the African Development Fund.

This years meetings take place in Sharm El-Sheikh from 22-26 May, under the theme "Mobilizing Private Sector Financing for Climate and Green Growth in Africa."

During his address, the president emphasized the urgent global challenges and their profound impact on the African continent, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

"Africa requires $200 billion annually to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), $144 billion annually to address the repercussions of COVID-19 and $108 billion annually to fund infrastructure development projects."

Additionally, he pointed out that the African continent needs nearly $3 trillion through 2030 to tackle the impacts of climate change, including drought, desertification and declining agricultural yield.

"The drought-related threats on the continent countries have resulted in losses estimated at $70 billion and led to a decrease in agricultural production growth by about 34 percent, El-Sisi explained.

The president underscored the crucial role of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in providing appropriate financing for African development while also mitigating its financial risk.

El-Sisi highlighted the importance of revising multilateral financial institutions lending criteria and conditions to enable countries to access soft loans (loans with little or no interest) that suit their economic realities.

Furthermore, the Egyptian president emphasized the necessity of stimulating the private sector's involvement in financing eco-friendly projects while maximizing clean energy sources.

Egypts central bank head also speaks

Hassan Abdalla, governor of the Central Bank of Egypt and chairperson of the AfDBs Boards of Governors, also spoke at the opening ceremony about Africas funding shortfall.

"Africa has been promised $30 billion in climate financing. However, the [African] continent has received only 12 percent of that amount."

"International financing organizations should also support Africa's abilities to fund infrastructure projects," he stated.

He further added that "it is crucial to mobilize the private sector to direct more investments towards environmentally friendly projects, shift from debt-based investments to actual capital investments and enhance the partnership between the public and private sectors."

Africa: Dearth of climate finance

In his speech, the AfDB Group President Akinwumi Adesina said that developed countries should fulfill their climate pledge to provide $100 billion per year to finance climate action in developing countries.

The AfDB is spearheading climate adaptation efforts across the continent and has devoted 63 percent of its climate finance to adaptation, the highest among all multilateral development banks, he said.

"Just to be clear, Africa is being shortchanged by climate finance. The continent will need $2.7 trillion by 2030 to finance climate change needs as per the nationally determined contributions of Africa," he further added.

"We made a commitment to provide 40 percent of our total financing for climate finance; we have exceeded that today," he stated, noting that the actual number has reached 45 percent.

According to him, private sector financing for climate in Africa would have to grow by 36 percent annually to reach $213 billion per year.

The Bank and the Global Centre for Adaptation have launched the African Adaptation Acceleration Programme (AAAP) to mobilize $25 billion to support Africa's adaptation to climate change. It has also established Alliance for Green Infrastructure (AGIA), in partnership with other institutions, to mobilize $10 billion in private investment for green infrastructure in Africa.

The bank is planning to launch on Wednesday its annual African Economic Outlook report, a flagship publication on the state of African economies.

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Another win for Barry Gardiner's boys and it was a strong weekend for the Links Ave club across the board in senior football.

Tauranga City closed the gap on the NRFL Championship promotion places once again this weekend with another convincing win, this time over Northern Rovers.

Goals from Adam Davidson, Eamon ODonoghue, Nathan Rostron and Jonty Bidois did the damage in a 4-1 win at McFetridge Park.

The win was made even sweeter by results elsewhere, with both East Coast Bays and Hibiscus Coast losing, meaning City are just one point off the promotion places.

The mens teams success was replicated by the women in the NRFL Womens Championship. They also won 4-1, Briana Osborne scoring a brace, jumping to fourth in the process, one point off top spot.

They also leapfrogged Otumoetai in the ladder, following their 3-2 loss at Onehunga. Late goals from Taryn Holloway and Grace Duncan could not prove enough for an impressive comeback.

Tauranga Citys club success continued in WaiBOP League One. Cameron Stewart and Thomas Crane helped themselves to a brace apiece in a 6-1 drubbing of Hamilton Wanderers Reserves. Unbeaten City are now just two points behind Otorohanga at the top of the table.

Both Otumoetai and Ngongotaha Lakes drew 1-1 in their NRFL Southern Conference fixtures with Taupo and Cambridge respectively this weekend. Papamoa were on the wrong end of an impressive Waikato Unicol performance, going down 6-0 at John Kerkhof Park.

Tauranga Blue Rovers put their Kate Sheppard Cup disappointment behind them by overcoming Otumoetai in the WaiBOP W-League this week. Paige Rickards late goal proved the difference in a 2-1 win.

Elsewhere, both Lakes drew 1-1 with Waikato Unicol while Tauranga City Reseves suffered a 7-0 loss to Melville.

Across Baywide football, Whakatane continue to lead the way in Womens Bay 1 while in mens football Tauranga City Relics are back at the top of Bay 1, Papamoa United bounced back in Bay 2 and Ngongotaha Lakes won a crucial Bay 3/O-35s clash with Waipuna Rangers.

Article originally published by Mathew Nash/Match of the Bay.
A locally owned Tauranga vape store is being repeatedly targeted for burglaries  and managers believe an underage vaping crisis is to blame.

Jordan Pulley is the wholesale manager of the vape shop, located on Maungaui Road.

She says the store was broken into overnight, before they even had the chance to fix the damages from the last time it had happened.

According to Jordan, youths first broke into the shop by using an "electric hacksaw" on the door at about 2am.

She says CCTV footage has been sent to police.

"We firmly believe that these break-ins are a result of the concerning youth vaping epidemic."

"EasyPuff takes every possible step to deter underage vaping, including refusing sales to minors and those buying on their behalf.

Jordan says the store was broken into with an electric hacksaw. Photo: Supplied.

"It's disheartening to see that these break-ins may be the youth's way of evading our preventative measures."

EasyPuff managing director Robert Reid says "about $2000 to $3000" worth of items were stolen.

He says his shop is designed to help people quit smoking, but the youth vaping problem is causing those who are too young to become addicted and commit crimes.

We all have kids, and dont want them to be exposed to these kinds of products. Thats why we have frosted windows, to prevent kids passing by from looking in. We believe this is the responsible approach to take.

Robert says he often denies kids who come in with obvious fake IDs, and believes parents and older siblings of youths wanting vapes come in to buy vapes for them.

This along with easily accessible disposable vapes is why he believes more youth are getting their hands on them. Police say they were advised at 2.50am there had been an alarm activation at the vape store. Photo: Supplied.

When youve got a school confiscating a bucket load of vapes every month asking where students are getting them from, a lot of parents blame the shops and dont take any responsibility.

Jordan says EasyPuff takes "every possible step" to deter underage vaping, including refusing sales to minors and those buying on their behalf.

"It's disheartening to see that these break-ins may be the youth's way of evading our preventative measures."

"We stand fully committed to ending the youth vaping crisis," they affirmed. In addition to educating our customers about the risks and consequences of underage vaping, we will continue to support any efforts that aim to curb this harmful trend."

Police say they were advised at 2.50am there had been an alarm activation at the vape store at 1.45am on Tuesday, May 23.

Enquiries are on the way to identify and locate the offender, says a police spokesperson.

Anyone who has information which could assist our enquiries is asked to contact Police via our 105 phone service or online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105, using Update My Report.

Please reference file number 230523/2415.

Information can also be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Enquiries on the earlier ram-raid at the same location on March 28/29 are ongoing. The file number for the first burglary is 230329/0515.
Bioparc Fuengirola offers rare opportunity to see the five endangered Komodo dragons born in March Due to popular demand Juanito, Fenix, Embum, Drakaris and Saya will be on show to the public in a temporary outdoor terrarium for two days only in June. The Costa del Sol conservation park was the first in Spain to successfully breed Komodo dragons in the last 10 years and only the fifth in Europe

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The five youngters were born in March at Bioparc Fuengirola, making the conservation park on the Costa del Sol the first in Spain to successfully breed Komodo dragons in the last 10 years and only the fifth in Europe.

Now, due to the numerous requests received, the park is going to exhibit the five hatchlings in a temporary outdoor terrarium for two days only: 10 and 11 June.

People who visit Bioparc Fuengirola on these dates will be the only ones who will be able to see Juanito, Fenix, Embum, Drakaris and Saya, as they will then return to their indoor enclosures to ensure their correct development and guarantee their wellbeing during their first months of life, under the supervision of the park's herpetology and veterinary team. The five hatchlings can be seen in the Indo-Pacific area, next to Reo's enclosure, the male Komodo dragon.

On both days, there will also be talks by the herpetology and education teams, where curiosities about the reproduction of the largest Komodo dragons in the world, their behaviour, habits and all the work carried out to achieve these births, considered by Bioparc Fuengirola as one of the most important milestones in its conservation work within the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), will be revealed.

Komodo dragons are in danger of extinction. Currently, there are only about 1,500 of them left in the world, 220 in conservation centres belonging to the EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquariums). The rest are in the wild and can be found on the islands of Flores, Komodo, Rinca, Padar, Nusa Kode and Gili Motang.

In the last 15 years, the dragon population has been reduced by 25% due to the burning of much of the forest where they live and poaching. This is now compounded by the huge accumulation of debris carried by ocean currents, which ends up on the islands where these primitive and large monitor lizards live.

Bioparc Fuengirola is one of the 30 zoos that are part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), coordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).
Huge disparity in ITV vehicle roadworthiness inspection test rates across Spain The latest data has revealed the regions that are cheapest - and most expensive - for the compulsory safety test for all vehicles that travel on Spanish roads

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The latest ITV technical vehicle inspection test prices for this year have been released and they show a large disparity by region prices across the Spain.

The AECA-ITV trade body published the rates which also revealed only Andalucia, Aragon, Cantabria, Castile and Leon, Galicia, the Basque Country and Navarre have specific regulated rates for electric cars.

Both in Madrid and in the region of Murcia, the regulation of tariffs is outside the control of the regional government itself. In the case of Madrid, the management of ITV centres is private, meaning that the service is liberalised, while in Murcia the prices are also freely competitive. This causes, according to a study carried out by the Facua consumer association, that the difference in prices can be up to 167% in petrol engines and almost 100% in diesel engines.

In Madrid, the price of the ITV for a petrol car can cost around 49.95 euros, while for a diesel car it can cost 59.95 euros or 49.95 euros for an electric car, according to the Applus website. But as it is the stations that set the prices, and each of them can also offer special deals.

In Ceuta, it costs 42.87 euros for petrol-engined cars followed by the Basque Country (39.21); Cantabria (36.07); Melilla (34.50) and Castilla y Leon (32.96 euros).

For diesel cars, Ceuta again tops the list with 50.85 euros followed by Valencia (42.95); the Basque Country (40.94); Cantabria (40.83); Aragon (40.12) and Castilla y Leon (39.51 euros).

Only five regions have special pricing for electric vehicles. The Basque Country is the most expensive region, with 37.64  followed by Navarre with 31.09 .

ITV roadworthiness inspection

Data reveals that at least three out of every ten vehicles driving on Spanish roads do so without an up-to-date ITV roadworthiness inspection, which means that they may not be complying with the minimum safety and environmental conditions.

According to data published by the Ministry of Industry, most faults are detected for lighting and signalling systems and axles, wheels, tyres and suspension.

All vehicles registered or to be registered in Spain must undergo periodic roadworthiness tests. The frequency of the ITV test for each type of vehicle depends on its category and classification.
The European Union and French Development Agency (AFD) are set to provide Egypt with a 60 million ($66 million) credit facility to build more silos for grain storage.

According to Reuters, the loan will help Egypt to add at least 420,000 tons of grain storage capacity.

The additional storage capacity will be dedicated mainly to wheat, in addition to other cereals and grains.

The loan is part of a 225 million initiative to improve food security in North Africa, of which 100 million has been allocated for Egypt to help meet its wheat and grain needs.

Egypt's current capacity

Egypt's wheat storage capacity currently stands at 4.5 million tons, according to Ministry of Agriculture Spokesperson Mohamed Al-Kersh.

Egyptians consume up to 18 million tons of wheat annually, of which 12 million tons is imported, according to 2022 figures.

Cairo has been encouraging farmers to supply more wheat to the government in light of disruptions in global food supply chains and rising commodity prices. The government aims to purchase four million tons of local wheat during the current harvest season, which started in April and runs through the fall.

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Lawton, OK (73501)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. High 76F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Syracuse, N.Y.  A 16-year-old fatally stabbed in Syracuse Sunday night has been identified and an 18-year-old has been charged.

Shamek Bernard Bonner died early Monday morning, family members told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard Monday.

Bonner was at his girlfriends home Sunday night on West Newell Street when his girlfriends brother, Richard Olschewske, started arguing with Bonner, Onondaga County Assistant District Attorney Alphonse Williams said. The argument turned physical when Olschewske allegedly stabbed Bonner in the upper body, he said.

Bonner was rushed to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse in critical condition after the stabbing in the 400 block of West Newell Street, Syracuse police said. About an hour later, the teen was pronounced dead.

Olschewske was charged Monday with first-degree manslaughter, a felony, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor. He was then taken to the Onondaga County Justice Center and remains in jail Monday night.

Bonner was a student at Corcoran High School, his family said.

***

Editors note: Syracuse.com staff writer Anne Hayes contributed to this report.

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
Owego, N.Y.  An Upstate New York man wanted on 400 counts of child sex crimes was found hiding in a hotel attic, troopers said.

Matthew J. Casterline, 47, was found hiding in the attic of a Best Western on Hickories Park Road in Owego in Tioga County on May 5, state police said in a news release on Tuesday.

Casterline worked at the Best Western, troopers said.

He was wanted for first-degree sexual abuse by New York Troopers. In Sayre Pennsylvania he was wanted for 400 counts of sexually related offenses against a child, troopers said. Sayre is on the border with New York and is 18 miles from Elmira and 30 miles from Binghamton.

He was arrested and taken to the Tioga County Jail where he will be arraigned, troopers said.

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.
Facebook owner Meta has sold animated graphics firm Giphy at a significant loss after the UK competition regulator ordered it to divest the startup over competition concerns.

Stock photography giant Shutterstock on Tuesday said it paid $53 million in cash for Giphy in a deal that came months after the divestment order by Britain's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

Meta's purchase of Giphy in May 2020 was announced for $315 million.

Giphy is a platform and search engine for "stickers" and other products using the graphics interchange format, or GIFs.

Since the UK left the European Union in 2020, the CMA has proven to be one of the toughest antitrust regulators of big tech companies.

The CMA last month blocked Microsoft's $69-billion takeover bid for US video game giant Activision Blizzard over concerns it could kill competition in the fast-growing cloud gaming market.

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Salina, N.Y. -- Mike Brown and Nikki Henry were awoken May 18 by a knock on their door at the Candlewood Suites hotel.

It was management with a message: The couple had a little over a week to clear out of the hotel room theyd been living in for months while they work overnights at Amazon.

The company that owns the hotel made a deal to house migrants from New York City, according to lawsuits. Residents said the hotel management was clearing them out to make room for new ones.

Hotel management went through most of the building that day, guests said, knocking on doors of people who had called the home for months, and even years. Residents interviewed by Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard said they were paying rates that ranged from $700 a month to $2,100 a month to stay in one- and two-room suites with kitchenettes.

Some have children, many have pets. In all, hotel management rented 79 rooms to people who were there for more than a month. Then the hotel gave people less than a week to figure out where to go. A nurse who had been living there for two years said the hotel corporate management gave her a few days to pack up her life and get out.

Asaf Fligelman, a developer with the company that owns the Candlewood Suites, has declined repeated requests for comment about what his company is doing with the hotel.

Its unclear how much the company will make off the deal to house at least one busload of asylum seekers from New York City. New York City will pay that hotel bill.

Fligelman is with Churchwick Partners, a New York City real estate investment firm. Churchwick and Rockledge, another investment firm, bought the Salina hotel in May 2022 along with eight other extended-stay hotels in six states.

Many of the residents said they were not told by the regular hotel staff theyd been dealing with for months, but by other corporate staff that have been onsite for about a month.

Two days after the hotel management told residents they had to leave, the Salina town supervisor got a call informing him that New York City was planning to transfer a busload of migrants from the city to the Candlewood Suites. The call came from Chris Ellis, who works for New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Hotel residents said they asked management why they had to leave but were not given any clear answers. A few said the corporate hotel management offered them help to get out, but most said they are on their own to find a new place. Several said they are facing homelessness.

Its possible the hotel is violating the law by forcing long-term residents out. A hotel guest who stays 30 days or more is considered a tenant, and must be evicted through the courts just as if they were a tenant in an apartment, said Susan Griffith, managing attorney for Legal Services of Central New York.

For more than a year, the hotel management has been marketing the Salina property to people who need a place to stay, but are having trouble finding an apartment. It worked. Before residents were told to leave, 79 of the 123 rooms were rented to people who had been there a month or more.

Eddie Lenton is paying $1,200 a month for a room with two double beds and a kitchenette. He and his partner have been there since December. Lenton said he was lured in with an offer for $800 a month, but then the hotel raised the rate without telling him.

Lenton said he and his partner are supposed to be out today, but they have nowhere else to go.

I told them I was paid through the end of the month, Lenton said. He said they offered him his money back, but told him he had to go.

Nicole Sinda said she was paying $1,200 a month for a one-bedroom suite where she has been living with her partner, her three children, her two dogs and three cats.

We will be homeless, Sinda said.

Hotel management gave most residents no reason why they were being moved out. A worker there said they, too, have been kept in the dark about the specific plans.

Onondaga County and the town of Salina have both filed court motions to stop the hotel management from taking migrants. In its court papers, the county raised additional concerns that the hotel company was leaving its current residents homeless.

It would be inequitable to allow the Candlewood to evict current residents to make room for those being transported to Onondaga County by New York City, the lawsuit reads.

Those who have a place to go have left. Some are digging in, hiding out in their rooms so they cant get locked out when they leave.

Hotel staff said they have been told to stop reissuing keys for any current guests. The hotel is no longer accepting reservations until late October.

A few residents said the hotel management has offered to help them find new places, but most said they have not been offered any help.

Tension is rising at the hotel. There are now two security guards stationed in the lobby.

The town of Salina has a code enforcement officer posted there day and night, waiting for the bus. Hotel management threatened a reporter and photographer from Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard with arrest. Someone clipped a cardboard sign to a telephone pole near the hotel: Future home of illegals. Lock your doors and hide your daughters.

Reporter Mark Weiner contributed to this report.

Marnie Eisenstadt writes about people and public affairs in Central New York. Contact her anytime email | Twitter| Facebook | 315-470-2246.
Best-selling author Alice Sebold is still struggling to come to terms with her role in the wrongful conviction of a Syracuse man who was accused of raping Sebold and imprisoned for more than 16 years.

Sebold spoke with The New Yorker in an article published Monday, her first interview since Anthony Broadwater was exonerated in the 1981 rape of Sebold, a Syracuse University student who went on to publish the novel The Lovely Bones and chronicled her own sexual assault in Thornden Park in the memoir Lucky. A New York state Supreme Court Judge overturned the conviction in 2021, citing flawed evidence.

Sebold, who was 18 at the time of the attack, initially identified a different Black man in a police lineup and her description of the attacker didnt mention a scar or chipped tooth like Broadwater, 20, had. Prosecutors also used faulty hair analysis to pin the crime on Broadwater, who always maintained his innocence.

In 2017, Sebold admitted racial inequities helped convict Broadwater, but said she still believed he had been rightfully found guilty. When he was exonerated four years later, Sebold said she was truly sorry for what he went through.

I am sorry most of all for the fact that the life you could have led was unjustly robbed from you, and I know that no apology can change what happened to you and never will, Sebold wrote in a statement. I am grateful that Mr. Broadwater has finally been vindicated, but the fact remains that 40 years ago, he became another young Black man brutalized by our flawed legal system. I will forever be sorry for what was done to him.

Lucky has since been pulled by Sebolds publisher and plans for a movie based on the book were scrapped. Sebold stayed silent, telling The New Yorker that she stopped reading and writing, plus recently started experiencing vertigo.

I still dont know where to go with this but to grief and to silence and to shame, Sebold told the publication.

In 2021, Broadwater told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that he believed Sebolds words were genuine and that he accepted her apology.

But 18 months later, he told The New Yorker that hes disappointed Sebold still hasnt met with him in person. Sebold said she is working on sending him a letter first, to directly confront the enormity of his trauma, and worries she wouldnt be able to find the words to talk to him face-to-face.

Anthony Broadwater, 61, wipes tears away as he describes the obstacles in his life since being convicted in the 1981 rape of Alice Sebold, then a freshman at Syracuse University who later went on to become a best-selling author. Broadwater's conviction was overturned in 2021.

We both went through the fire, Broadwater told The New Yorker. You see movies about rape and the young lady is scrubbing herself in the shower, over and over. And Im saying to myself, Damn, I feel the same way. Will it ever be gone from my memory, my mind, my thoughts? No. And its not going to be gone for her, either.

In February, New York State agreed to pay $5.5 million to Broadwater for his wrongful conviction. He has a second federal civil rights lawsuit against Syracuse police and the county district attorneys office, who together arrested and prosecuted him on evidence that has since been ruled faulty.
Salina, N.Y.  A judge in Syracuse Tuesday afternoon approved two temporary orders blocking a Salina hotel from housing migrants and blocking New York City from transporting them to Onondaga County.

Onondaga County Supreme Court Judge Robert Antonacci approved a request from the Town of Salina to prevent the Candlewood Suites Syracuse Airport Hotel from receiving any migrants that New York City wanted to relocate to Onondaga County.

The judge also issued a temporary restraining order requested by the county that prevents New York City from sending any migrants to the hotel or anywhere in the county.

Antonacci issued the order after a closed-door remote meeting this afternoon with lawyers for New York City and Onondaga County, which filed its own suit to block the attempt to house the asylum seekers, according to a clerk in Antonaccis office.

Antonacci signed the towns temporary restraining order without holding a hearing, said Salina Supervisor Nick Paro. Paro said the towns lawyers didnt have to appear before the judge because the hotels lawyers did not respond to the lawsuit.

Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard obtained copies of both orders.

The lawsuit filed by the county argues that New York City has the authority to create temporary shelters for homeless adults only within the citys five boroughs. New York City cannot set up shelters in Onondaga County at the Candlewood Suites in Salina, the lawsuit argues.

The lawsuit filed by Salina argues the hotel is not zoned to house people for long periods of time.

The town alleges in the lawsuit that the owners of the hotel have agreed to house about 200 people for up to four months.

Paro told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that the hotel is in a C-3 zoning district that allows for temporary housing such as hotels and motels. If the hotel wishes to house the migrants long-term, they would need to apply for a zone change, Paro said.

The judge ordered the parties in the county lawsuit to appear before the court on May 26.

The judge ordered the parties in the town lawsuit to appear before the court on May 31.

Several other Upstate counties have also gone to court to try to stop New York City from moving migrants into those counties.

The restraining orders come less than a week after County Executive Ryan McMahon issued an emergency order banning the transfer of migrants to the county.

Related articles

NYC to send first bus of migrants to Onondaga County, town official says

Central NY hotel expecting busload of migrants has been kicking out long-term residents

Ryan McMahon issues emergency order banning migrant transfer to Onondaga County
Syracuse, N.Y.  Its official. The U.S. Supreme Court today overturned the 2018 convictions of Syracuse-area business executives Steven Aiello and Joseph Gerardi, who were accused of bid-rigging and other crimes related to state development projects.

The ruling was expected in light of the high courts decisions earlier this month in two related cases. The court did not elaborate today, but simply granted the petitions of Aiello and Gerardi to have their convictions vacated in light of the previous decisions.

Alain Kaloyeros, a former economic development honcho in the administration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also had his conviction formally set aside today.

Aiello and Gerardi, executives at Cor Development Co., were convicted after a 2018 trial in federal court of conspiring with Kaloyeros, the former president of SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

The three men were accused of tailoring a request for proposals from a state-affiliated development corporation to ensure that Cor Development would win work in the Syracuse area. Cor was later chosen to build a film studio and a high-tech factory at its business park in DeWitt, contracts that totaled more than $100 million.

Another defendant, Buffalo builder Louis Ciminelli, was convicted of a similar charge related to the Buffalo Billion' state development project.

In each case, the contracts were awarded by Fort Schuyler Management Corp., a nonprofit affiliated with the State University of New York

The Supreme Court ruled earlier this month in Ciminellis case that there was no fraud committed because the state suffered no loss.

Lawyers for the defendants had argued that Fort Schuyler suffered no harm  that it got what it paid for. Prosecutors had built their case on the assertion that the scheme had deprived the agency of the right to control its assets.

The Supreme Court ruled in Ciminellis case that the right to control is not property, which is what federal fraud statutes are intended to protect. In light of that ruling, the court today also set aside the convictions of Aiello, Gerardi and Kaloyeros.

Aiello also had been convicted during a separate trial of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud based on allegations that he funneled $35,000 in bribes to a top Cuomo aide, Joseph Percoco.

But the Supreme Court this month also set aside Percocos bribery conviction, making it all but certain that Aiello would be exonerated on that charge, too.

Percoco, formerly Cuomos executive deputy secretary, 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.

But Percoco had resigned from state government before the alleged bribes were paid. Percoco was working at the time as Cuomos campaign manager instead. 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.

The Supreme Courts decisions were unanimous in both cases.

Aiello, Gerardi and seven others were prosecuted in two trials following a sweeping investigation of alleged corruption led by then-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

Three of the defendants eventually pleaded guilty, including Todd Howe, a Washington lobbyist with ties to Cuomo. All of the convictions obtained at trial have been overturned.

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.

Alexandra Shapiro, an attorney for Aiello and Gerardi, issued the following statement after the Percoco and Ciminelli decisions came down March 11:

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.

Do you have a news tip or a story idea? Contact reporter Tim Knauss: email | Twitter | | 315-470-3023.
Syracuse has relatively cheap home prices, but that doesnt make it easier to provide quality affordable housing. In some ways, it makes it harder, according to a new study to be released today by City Hall.

Syracuse home prices  depressed by decades of population loss, poverty and job cuts  are so low they discourage new construction and major renovations unless they are heavily subsidized, according to the study by czb LLC, a Maine consulting firm.

And the city needs lots of building and renovation. Syracuses housing stock has suffered from decades of disinvestment. According to the study, one-third of all city homes are visibly in decline, and only 27% are in good or excellent condition.

The Syracuse housing study provides a new perspective that will guide City Halls efforts to create more affordable housing, said Sharon Owens, deputy mayor. City officials will host open houses tonight and Wednesday to discuss the findings with residents and gather feedback.

The study prescribes no specific solutions. But one key takeaway is that the city should broaden its housing strategy to focus on more than the construction of new homes for low-income residents.

Spending limited government subsidies every year to construct a few new homes for low-income families  that is, business as usual  wont be enough. Syracuse leaders also will have to find better ways to encourage middle- and upper-income people who want to buy and fix up houses in the city.

To spur investment, city officials say they hope to identify new funding sources that could help property owners who dont now qualify for income-based subsidies. But its not clear where that money would come from.

That is the challenge, Owens said. I mean, I dont know how we do it without the private market. So thats a challenge for us.

It will be a difficult balancing act to boost Syracuse property values without making rents even less affordable for the poorest residents, the study acknowledges. Nearly half of all city households get by on incomes of $35,000 or less, and most of them pay more than 30% of that for rent  often for dilapidated housing.

Only one out of every three low-income families who need help paying the rent gets any housing assistance, according to czb.

The Syracuse housing study argues for an all-boats-must-rise strategy to support investment in the stronger neighborhoods as well as the weaker.

The part of it that definitely hits you is the magnitude of resources thats needed, in either direction, in order for us to really be able to move forward, said Michelle Sczpanski, deputy commissioner of neighborhood development.

The study also points out reasons for optimism.

Central New York expects thousands of new jobs and new residents when Micron Technology builds its promised chip fabs in suburban Clay. The Interstate 81 viaduct through downtown is scheduled to come down in a couple of years, sparking new housing development and jobs.

And there is strong demand for city dwellings among upper-income residents, as evidenced by hundreds of high-end apartments that have been created in empty downtown commercial buildings.

Rick DeStito, a Syracuse landlord who has renovated commercial and residential property on the once-desolate Near West Side, said he sees a glass half-full. People want to move into the city, he said. Homeowners and investors should think of this moment as a chance to get in on the ground floor of a long-term investment.

Only 27% of Syracuse residential properties are in good or excellent condition, according to a housing study by crb LLC, a consulting firm. The majority of the city's houses are "highly vulnerable'' to further decline, the study found. (Graphic by crb LLC.)

For all those young professionals and those young investors that want to get into the real estate market early and let it grow over the next 20 years, 30 years, Syracuse is your place, he said.

City officials will hold two open houses this week to discuss the study, which cost $261,000, paid for with federal stimulus money.

The first meeting is 5:30 to 7 p.m. today at the North Side Learning Center, 501 Park St. The second is 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the South Side Innovation Center, 2610 S. Salina St.

Suburbs eat the citys lunch

It isnt just Syracuse where property values lag. All of Onondaga County is underpriced, making real estate in CNY a generally bad investment, czb reports.

Three decades ago, median home prices in Onondaga County were on par with the rest of the nation. But since then, national prices have soared while local real estate values have stagnated. Although CNY prices increased during the housing boom of the past couple of years, they are still significantly below average.

That is not a trifling matter, the report says, because it discourages private investment.

A dollar invested in hundreds of alternative ways, whether in housing in another location, or the stock market, or something else entirely, would have greatly outperformed a dollar spent on housing in Onondaga County, effectively losing county property owners and the county itself substantial sums.

The problem is not evenly distributed.

Within Onondaga County, suburban towns have enjoyed much more housing investment than Syracuse. From 1980 to 2020, the number of occupied housing units in Syracuse decreased 16%, from 67,000 to 56,000. During the same time, housing units in the suburbs grew 33%, from 99,000 to 131,000.

The average home price in Syracuse was $129,000 between 2020 and 2022, compared with $224,000 in the suburbs, czb reported. (Nationally, the average home price during that time was $459,000.)

By leveraging the same structural advantages enjoyed by most American suburbs, Onondaga Countys suburbs have been able to eat the citys lunch for half a century, the study concludes.

Home HeadQuarters is building these homes for income-qualified buyers near the corner of Otisco and Ontario streets on Syracuse's Near West Side. Home HeadQuarters will sell the homes for less than half of what they cost to build, a sign of Syracuse's low home values. (Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com)

Without housing policies aimed at reversing that trend, including heavily subsidized redevelopment in the city, the gap between Syracuse and the suburbs could grow, the report says.

Houses visibly in decline

Syracuse has a different kind of housing crisis from a place like New York or San Francisco, where sky-high housing costs can price median-level wage earners out of the market. Rising real estate equity in those markets keeps investors money flowing.

In Syracuse, its hard to encourage private investment in housing development without financial incentives.

Theres a happy medium where housing prices are high enough to sustain investment but still low enough for average people to afford homes, czb says. Onondaga County home values are too low to achieve that balance, the report says.

Housing prices are lowest in Syracuses most distressed neighborhoods. Those areas also have the highest concentration of residents who struggle to pay the rent. Nevertheless, those rents often are not high enough to encourage private investment to improve the properties, czb says.

As for new construction, houses cost more than twice as much to build as they can be sold for in low-income Syracuse neighborhoods.

It costs nonprofit housing agency Home HeadQuarters about $400,000 to build a three-bedroom starter home, about the same amount it would cost any builder in the suburbs, said Kerry Quaglia, executive director.

The nonprofit builds a smattering of houses each year that it sells to income-qualified first-time buyers. That requires a lot of government subsidy. Even if Home HeadQuarters werent trying to keep the homes affordable, it couldnt sell them for what they cost.

Home HeadQuarters sold several new houses last year on Baker and Woodlawn Avenues for about $150,000 each. The city assessed them lower, at about $116,000 at full-market value.

The same disparity between building costs and home values can be seen in a lack of upkeep afflicting many city homes, czb says. The consultants eyeballed every house in the city and rated one-third of them as visibly in decline. Only 27% were in excellent or good condition.

The housing study estimated the cost of resolving all the deferred maintenance on Syracuse residential properties at $3 billion. On average, thats about $85,000 per house.

We havent had (enough) growth of incomes and population in this area, probably for some 60 or 70 years, Quaglia said. So, it took a very long time to get into this position. And I dont think its anything that is going to be quickly resolved unless we really take some super bold action.

Avoiding past mistakes

As they work to develop a long-term strategy, city officials are determined to avoid mistakes of the past, including policies that concentrate poverty in certain neighborhoods. One of the measures of success, according to the housing study, will be whether the city can reduce the percentage of residents who live in Census tracts with poverty rates of 40% or more.

Even within buildings, city officials are committed to housing that accommodates a mix of incomes. The city council is expected to vote soon on a new zoning code that would require any new apartment building of 20 units or more to include income-restricted affordable housing.

Suburban towns have not adopted similar rules, but Onondaga Countys new comprehensive plan stresses the importance of affordable housing. Owens, the deputy mayor, said city officials hope to coordinate efforts with county planners, who also are revising their strategy in anticipation of Micron-fueled growth.

Owens said Syracuse officials are open to all ideas as they try to spur a new generation of housing.

Who are our future city dwellers? And what does housing mean to them? I suspect, and we will learn, that it may not be traditional development as weve known it, she said.

Do you have a news tip or a story idea? Contact reporter Tim Knauss: email | Twitter | | 315-470-3023.
Editors note: Here are some opinions on the controversy over housing asylum seekers in Central New York. Were seeking a variety of views on this issue. Whats your opinion? Send us a brief letter (250 words or so) to letters@syracuse.com. Include your name, address and phone number, for verification. If we publish your letter, well only use your name and community of residence.

Untie hands of agencies willing to help

To the Editor:

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon issued an emergency order that essentially prohibits anyone from helping to house migrants from New York City who are trying to build new lives against tremendous odds. To tie the hands of those of us who are seeking solutions to housing and basic needs is beyond deplorable. He is playing with peoples lives in a manner that is cruel and heartless. If he lacks the compassion to love our neighbor, at least allow those of us who do love our neighbor to work towards creating solutions. Shame on him.

Further, McMahon states that it is not our responsibility to deal with the migrant crisis in New York City. But isnt our moral responsibility to help address this crisis as members of a community that has been built on immigrants dreams?

I am part of an interfaith group that is willing to assist and support these migrants. It is beyond disheartening to have a county executive who does not recognize we have a responsibility as citizens to attend to these people in need.

While he has a right to speak for the countys budget and resources, he has no right to speak for agencies and coalitions that are willing to help.

Mr. McMahon, a basic tenet of humanity is to do onto others as you would have them do onto you. Untie our hands and rescind your emergency order.

Dale Avers

Syracuse

Use surplus federal funds to care for migrants

To the Editor:

Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon is preventing any entity from accepting migrants without the explicit consent of his office. He is quoted as alleging: We are preparing for the fact that we have an economic downturn and our safety net service programs for our residents are under pressure.

A suggestion: Use the $25 million which has been left over from the American Rescue Plan funds sent by the federal government to Onondaga County. These funds were provided by Congress when the local government faced shortages during the crises of the pandemic. And now the county executive intends to use the funds to support the high cost associated with the building of an aquarium where the relatively well-to-do would be able to view captive fish.

Use the funds (for which not a single Congressional Republican voted in favor) to assist captive people who are fleeing horrors. Such a decision would be a legacy for the county executive and the county legislature.

Tom McKeown

Skaneateles

Dont shut the door on vulnerable people

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Syracuse Immigrant and Refugee Defense Network (SIRDN), I would like to tell County Executive Ryan McMahon and other officials who support the emergency ban on new migrants entering Onondaga County that this ban is a travesty for our community.

Mr. McMahon, we tell you: Let them come! Let us welcome new migrants and provide them with the support our community offers. We understand that InterFaith Works and Catholic Charities are stretched thinly; so are we. But in emergencies, people and organizations find new and unexpected ways to stretch a little more. Dont underestimate us! We will step up to support migrants.

Onondaga County proclaims to be a safe haven for refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants. Is this merely a symbolic designation? It is easy to take in refugees when there is abundant support. The true strength of a communitys character comes to light based on their actions when times are tough.

Mr. McMahon, you have the power

 to motivate the citizens of our county to rally support for their brothers and sisters seeking refuge;

 to access additional resources from New York state;

 to lead a dignified, respectful response to a humanitarian crisis here in our home county.

The ultimate question is: How do we want history to remember us? Did we shut the door to vulnerable, desperate people? Or do we have the strength of character to say, In your most desperate hour, when so many other communities have turned their backs, we stand with you!?

Annegret Schubert

Volunteer

Syracuse Immigrant and Refugee Defense Network

Syracuse

MORE COVERAGE

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Onondaga County filed a lawsuit Monday night against New York City in a last-ditch attempt to stop the transfer of migrants to a hotel near Syracuses airport.

The lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court in Onondaga County seeks a temporary restraining order against New York City and the owner of the Candlewood Suites Syracuse Airport Hotel in the town of Salina.

Salina Supervisor Nick Paro said he was informed by a New York City official over the weekend that at least one busload of asylum-seekers would be sent to the local hotel this week for temporary housing.

New York City would pick up the bill for housing, food, security and social services for the asylum-seekers for at least four months.

The city says the move to Upstate locations is necessary because it is running out of shelter space for more than 65,000 migrants who have arrived since last year, many after being bused from Texas and other border states.

Onondaga Countys lawsuit claims that New York City has the legal authority only to operate and create temporary shelters for adults within the five boroughs of New York City, not at the Candlewood Suites in Salina.

The lawsuit said that the owner of the extended-stay hotel is clearing out long-term guests to make room for the migrants.

County Executive Ryan McMahon issued an emergency order last week banning such transfers. McMahon said he fears the migrants would eventually become a burden on local taxpayers and social service organizations.

Paro said the town of Salina will file a separate lawsuit Tuesday morning seeking a temporary restraining order against both the hotel and New York City.

READ MORE

Central NY hotel expecting busload of migrants has been kicking out long-term residents

NYC to send first bus of migrants to Onondaga County, town official says

Sheriff wont enforce order to stop migrants coming to Onondaga County

Ryan McMahon issues emergency order banning migrant transfer to Onondaga County

McMahon: Onondaga County needs to prepare for national migrant crisis

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
The town of Salina sued the owners of the Candlewood Suites Syracuse Airport Hotel today, claiming its zoning laws prohibit the hotels plan to house migrants transferred from shelters in New York City.

The lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court in Onondaga County said the hotel would have to obtain a zone change.

The town wants a judge to issue a temporary restraining order that would prevent the hotel from accepting overflow housing from New York City.

The town said in the lawsuit that the owners of the hotel on South Bay Road have agreed to house about 200 people for up to four months.

Their intentions for the use of the building do not comply with what the property was zoned for, Salina Supervisor Nick Paro told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. It was intended to be a hotel for short-term stays, not to be used like an apartment building.

He said the Candlewood Suites is in a C-3 zoning district that allows only for hotels and motels. Paro said the owners would need to apply for a zone change and a new certificate of occupancy if it wants to house people for months at a time.

Town officials learned after an inspection Monday that some people who are being displaced from the hotel had been living there for months or more, Paro said.

We were pretty shocked to see people were living there for up to two years, Paro said. Thats not what the hotel was zoned for.

The town issued the hotel owner an order Monday requiring the company to stop allowing long-term guests to stay in its rooms, Paro said. But he said Salina officials would not have forced existing guests out, as the hotel began to do last week.

We probably would have done it in a different way because we want to be sympathetic to people who were in the building, Paro said. We would not have put these individuals out on the street. We want to make sure they have the housing and resources they need.

The towns zoning code does not specify how long a guest can stay at a hotel or motel, but town officials consider 30 days to be the maximum.

Paro said he doesnt know what will happen to the long-term guests who are being evicted from the hotel. Hes asking the county to help move them to other locations.

Paro said a town inspector who entered the Candlewood Suites on Monday saw preparations to convert the hotel to a shelter for migrants, including a table in the laundry room that was set up with more than 100 key packets to hand to incoming guests.

He said a hotel employee told the inspector that the Candlewood Suites was expecting about 200 migrants to arrive this week.

The Candlewood Suites was sold in May 2022 to two New York City real estate investment firms, Churchwick Partners and Rockledge.

Asaf Fligelman, a developer with Churchwick Partners, has declined repeated requests for comment about the hotel and any plans to house migrants transferred from New York City.

A representative of New York Mayor Eric Adams informed the town this weekend that it intends to transfer migrants to the hotel by Wednesday. The city is running out of shelter space for more than 65,000 asylum-seekers who have arrived in the past year.

Salinas lawsuit comes a day after Onondaga County filed a separate lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order against New York City and the hotel.

Onondaga Countys lawsuit claims that New York City has the legal authority to operate and create temporary shelters for adults only within the five boroughs of New York City, not at the Candlewood Suites in Salina.

County Executive Ryan McMahon issued an emergency order last week to ban migrants transfer to hotels, apartments or shelters in the county. McMahon said he fears the migrants would eventually become a burden on local taxpayers and social service organizations.

READ MORE

Onondaga County sues New York City to keep migrants out of Salina hotel

Central NY hotel expecting busload of migrants has been kicking out long-term residents

NYC to send first bus of migrants to Onondaga County, town official says

Sheriff wont enforce order to stop migrants coming to Onondaga County

Ryan McMahon issues emergency order banning migrant transfer to Onondaga County

Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
Stockholm, N.Y.  A woman was killed after her husband drunkenly crashed a UTV last weekend in the North Country, troopers said.

Kristie Jo Dow was riding in a 2021 Honda Talon UTV around 5 p.m. Saturday in Stockholm, St. Lawrence County when Steven F. Dow  the driver  lost control of the vehicle, the New York State Police said. The UTV rolled over on Skinnerville Road.

Kristie Dow, of Potsdam, died at the scene, troopers said. She was 34 years old.

Kristie was a loving friend, mother, sister, wife, and teacher. She leaves behind her two daughters and loving husband, Steve, according to a GoFundMe created for the family. In respect for the family, no further details will be shared.

Steven Dow, the driver, was Kristie Dows husband, according to WWNY and the GoFundMe.

Investigators smelled alcohol on Steven Dows breath at the scene of the crash, troopers said. He failed sobriety tests, troopers said, and was arrested.

Steven Dow, 36, of Potsdam, was charged with second-degree vehicular manslaughter and driving while intoxicated. He was arraigned in Stockholm Town Court and released.

The investigation remains open, troopers said.

READ MORE

After guilty verdict, families of Schoharie limo crash victims still have questions

Teen drowns while swimming in Upstate NY lake; underwater drone used to find body

Plane crashes at Upstate NY airport; three people hospitalized
The Egyptian Exchange (EGX) announced on Tuesday the sale of 22.3 million shares in the Housing and Development Bank for EGP 412.6 million ($13.3 million), which accounts for nearly 7.8 percent of the bank's total issued and paid-up capital.

The bourse did not disclose any details regarding the buyer of the bank's shares.

Around 59.45 percent of the bank is owned by the Egyptian government through multiple entities, while 19.75 percent of the bank is held by Emirati and Saudi Investors.

According to the disclosure of ownership structure filed to the EGX in December 2022, the number of the bank's shares traded on the stock market amounts to 281.3 million at a par value of EGP 10 per share.

Egypt's privatization programme

Egypt is implementing a broad privatization program to offer 32 state-owned companies operating in 18 sectors to strategic investors within a year under an economic reform program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Housing and Development Bank was not included on the announced list of companies to be offered, which was the case with Telecom Egypt that witnessed the sale of a 10 percent share to undisclosed investor(s).

Last week, Mohamed Metwally, CEO of NI Capital, the Egyptian government financial adviser announced that Egypt is preparing two state-owned companies to be offered as investments before the end of the current fiscal year.

Egypt is currently engaged in an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme with the IMF that sets the stage for Egypt to receive $3 billion over four years.

The programme's first review is pushed to June as the country ramps up its efforts to fulfil its commitments under the deal.

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Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman told market speculators to watch out, during Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday ahead of OPEC+ meeting.

Speculators, like in any market, are there to stay but I would just tell them, watch out, bin Salman said during an energy-focused panel of the forum in Doha.

The Saudi minister has previously struck out against price speculators looking to profit off of predicting the output decisions of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, known as OPEC+, which meets on 4 June.

On 2 April, OPEC announced that several member countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, would implement voluntary production cuts.

These cuts took effect as of May 2023 and are expected to last until the end of the year. These cuts aim to counter the effects of a scheduled shrinkage in demand.

According to Bloomberg, the per barrel prices of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent Crude amounted to $73.36 and $77.21 by 7:10am GMT.

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Earlier finishing reduces GHG Emissions in Newford Beef Herd

Farmers attending a successful Newford Suckler beef demonstration farm open day in Athenry today, Tuesday, 23 May learned of the changes and lessons learned since the project was initially set up in 2015. The stakeholders involved in the Newford Farm are Dawn Meats, Teagasc, Irish Farmers Journal and McDonalds.

Pictured (L to R): Liam Herlihy, Teagasc Chairman; Niall Browne, CEO, Dawn Meats; Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine; AnneMarie Butler, Head of Education, Teagasc and Professor Frank O Mara, Director Teagasc at the Newford Suckler beef demonstration farm Open Day in Athenry today, Tuesday 23 May, 2023

Earlier finishing reduces GHG Emissions in Newford Beef Herd

The suckler calf-to-beef demonstration farm has highlighted many positive features of the production system, with the herd excelling in breeding and calving performance with dramatic reductions in the ages that animals are finished. The suckler herd operates using 100% Artificial insemination (AI) to maximise genetic gain. Increases in variable costs, experienced by all farmers, have hampered the farms financial performance.

Earlier Finishing

The herd now consists of 85 suckler cows on 58 hectares across three blocks of land. Changes to the finishing blueprint has resulted in heifers being finished at just under 18 months of age and steers being finished under 21 months. By extending the grazing season, the 2021 born beef heifers were finished under 18 months of age, which lead to a significant saving in concentrate and silage requirements, and reduces their lifetime emissions.

Better use of genetics

One of the biggest changes to come about during the project, has been the move to 100% artificial insemination. This change has allowed better use of genetics, through matching good terminal beef sires with suitable cows to improve the beef characteristics of progeny while still retaining calving ease. This is facilitated by investing in technology around heat detection.

Good Grassland Management

Grassland management has been a major focus in terms of production efficiency. The farm has 38 paddocks across the three land blocks and all of these can be subdivided. Animals graze covers of 1200-1500 kg dry matter per hectare. Paddocks with covers greater than 1500 kgs DM/ha are removed as surplus bales producing silage testing at greater than 75% dry matter digestibility. These high quality bales are fed back to finishing steers and weanlings during the winter and this also helps reduce the need to feed.

Improved Sustainability

Irish agriculture is obliged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 25% by 2030 relative to 2018, as set out in the Climate Action Plan. One of the many strategies being targeted to achieve this is the reduction in the age of slaughter of animals on beef farms. Modelling work has shown that a three month reduction in the slaughter age will generate a reduction in the quantity of emissions from the national beef herd, delivering up to 0.7 million tonnes of GHG emissions reductions. This can be achieved by ensuring animal performance levels are optimised from grazed pasture and high quality silage at farm level, something which Newford farm has been working on since 2015. The improvements in animal performance witnessed at farm level have led to a reduced age of slaughter whilst still meeting market specifications.

Dan Browne, Chairman of the Newford Stakeholders said; The Newford farm is demonstrating best practice by adopting a number of technologies to become more sustainable through its involvement in the Signpost programme. I hope that visitors to the open day have taken something from todays visit that will improve their own family farm business and partake in the discussion in order that we all learn from each other.

Professor Frank O Mara, Teagasc Director, commended all involved in organising the open day; There are clear take home messages from the Newford suckler demonstration farm that can be applied on suckler and beef farms across the country.

Future Plans

In the weeks leading up to the open day, the IDA announced that Dexcom, Inc., plan to build its newest global manufacturing facility in Athenry, Galway. This is a positive announcement for the Athenry area and the West of Ireland. The land identified for this new initiative is owned by the IDA and has been leased by Teagasc for over ten years. In light of the announcement, Teagasc will discuss with the IDA, the transition process for the land lease and in particular the anticipated timeframe. As part of these discussions, Teagasc will seek to maintain the Newford suckler beef demonstration herd in the Newford farm for as long as is feasible during the transition process. Teagasc are also in discussions with its partners Dawn Meats in the Newford demonstration farm on future plans for the project.

Newford Suckler Open Day booklet: click on this link https://www.teagasc.ie/publications/2023/newford-suckler-open-day-2023.php
Minister McConalogue attends the launch of The Energy & Farm Diversification Show

The launch of the Energy and Farm Diversification Show (formerly the Energy in Agriculture Show) took place in Dublin, today, Tuesday 23 May, 2023. In attendance was the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, as well as representatives from the shows organising committee and main sponsors.

Minister McConalogue attends the launch of The Energy & Farm Diversification Show. Pictured from (L to R): Marion Carey, Tipperary County Council; Paul OBrien, IFA; Emer OByrne and Donal Riordan, FBD; Nicola Kearney, Tipperary Energy Agency; Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine; Cllr, Noel Coonan, Leas  Cathaoirleach, Tipperary County Council; Barry Caslin, Teagasc; Marie Ryan, Tipperary County Council; Christy Doherty, AXA and Padraic OReilly, TUS

The 2023 show will take place at Gurteen College on Thursday, the 20th of July 2023 and promises once again to be a highly informative, interactive and practical day for farmers and stakeholders interested in exploring energy production, alternative land use and other farm business options.

Minister McConalogue said I am delighted to be involved in this hugely important event again and it comes just a few months since I launched the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) which has the strongest ever focus on renewables and solar. Grants of 60% with an investment ceiling of 90,000 are available under TAMS for farmers interested in solar panels and storage. We are also stepping up our ambitions around on-farm anaerobic digestion.

Minister McConalogue further added We are entering a new phase of energy generation for the country and farm-level energy will play a massive role in that. I know farmers will be very interested in that space. Be that on-farm or nationally, self-sufficiency in terms of energy generation is what we need to move towards.

This innovative event is a collaboration between Teagasc, Tipperary County Council, Irish Farmers Association, Tipperary Energy Agency, Macra Na Feirme, Gurteen College and TUS Midlands Midwest. Barry Caslin, Teagasc Energy and Rural Development Specialist said: If the ambitions of the Governments Climate Action Plan are to be delivered, farm-scale and community-based renewables must be the central part of future energy policy in Ireland. The next few years will see a dramatic uptake in renewable energy generation on farms. There is a huge appetite for information from farmers who are planning to set up or expand diversification enterprises. This energy and diversification event will provide guidance and ideas for the agricultural and rural communities on the generation of renewable energy, effective energy and carbon management, business development through diversification and low-carbon farming options.

Paul O Brien IFA National Environmental Chair said IFA are pleased to be involved in what is now known as the Energy and Farm Diversification Show. At a time of much uncertainty in farming and the need to make agriculture more sustainable such an event is very important. It will be good to see what practical options may be available for farmers who wish to future proof their business from ever fluctuating energy costs and also assess what diversification options may be available if this is a route they are considering.

The one day show incorporates a large trade exhibitor showcase, outdoor practical demonstrations, networking opportunities with industry experts and an extensive talks programme. The talks, which include several first-hand accounts from farmers, are split into three distinct streams: Energy in Agriculture, Smart Climate Land Use and Farm Business Diversification.

The show is sponsored by AXA Farm Insurance as show title sponsor, The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine and FBD. Christy Doherty of AXA said AXA are delighted to put our name to the Energy & Farm Diversification Show which has quickly become the must attend annual event for farmers and landowners interested in exploring energy, food and tourism options for their enterprise.

More information on the show can be found at: www.energyandfarmdiversificationshow.com

Point of Contact for Further Information:

Michael Nolan michael@agriinsider.ie | 087-2382640
anjan_c2007 Distinguished - BHPian



Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 7,585 Thanked: 16,562 Times

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Re: Sweden is building an e-highway to dynamically charge EVs while driving



Quote:

A Utah State University electric bus outfitted for dynamic wireless charging passes over coils embedded in the pavement at the school's Electric Vehicle and Roadway test track in Logan, Utah, in May 2016. Some states are planning pilot programs that will test wireless electric vehicle charging networks embedded in public roads.





The link at the base further reveals facts about the dynamic, electromagnetic charging scenario in the U.S. The proponents justify its superiority over the currently mushrooming EV static charging stations with several contentions that may appear premature, but are nevertheless very logical and practical.



Quote:

This is a great solution to a problem we have today of how to get to zero emissions, said Tallis Blalack, managing director of the ASPIRE engineering research center headquartered at Utah State University, which focuses on electric vehicle infrastructure. If we do this correctly, we can decrease the costs of transportation for everyone.



Electromagnetic inductive charging is common in everyday life  setting a mobile phone on a wireless charger uses similar technology. On roadways, coils embedded in the pavement transfer magnetic energy to a receiver mounted beneath an electric vehicle to wirelessly charge its battery.



Eventually, wireless road systems could extend electric vehicles battery range, reduce the idle time required to recharge batteries and allow freight trucks to transition to electric by making it possible for them to use smaller, less expensive batteries, say proponents of the technology. They envision inductive charging along sections of highway across the country.



Drivers would use a phone app or vehicle control to choose whether to accept a charge from a roads coils. Users would pay for kilowatts the same way they do at an EV charging station, though the system would be free to drivers during test pilots.



Blalack said the biggest challenge in getting to zero emissions nationally is figuring out how to move the 70% of freight that is now transported by truck.



Without an inductive charging system, it would cost an estimated $150,000 to put EV batteries into each long-haul electric semi, he said. Those batteries would weigh 20,000 pounds, a quarter of a trucks payload. Charging truck batteries that large would require megawatt chargers to fast charge them, he added.



Inductive charging would eliminate the need for such heavy long-range batteries, Blalack said. Smaller truck batteries would require fewer natural resources to manufacture and would cost only about $15,000.



We can reduce the cost of transportation for everybody if we have the infrastructure in place, he said.



Blalack said his center estimates that it would require about $30 billion a year to develop induction road-charging networks in some regions across the country by 2035, primarily on interstate highways.



It seems like a lot of money, but youre talking trillions of dollars to buy batteries for long-range vehicles, he said. Its significantly cheaper for us to invest money in infrastructure than build out all these vehicles with long-range batteries.



If you can use inductive and static charging, then once you get home, you wont have those peaks of everyone charging their EVs at once, so you wont get spikes on the grid, she said. This will level off demand throughout the day.





https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/researc...charge-your-ev The idea is being experimented since 2016 in the U.S.. Many states in the U.S. are planning to develop inductively charged e-highways. The infrastructure costs involved are huge, but experts counter this contention saying the benefits that accrue include lightweight batteries for EV's at a lesser cost (saving of natural resources in battery manufacture), time saving due to less or no halts or crowding at charging stations, overall reduction in EV costs, reduction of electrical load and spikes on the grid in respective locations during evenings, when most EV's are plugged for recharging and so on.Detroit, the auto capital leads with two downtown roads that would be electrified in the next two years using the inductive charging technology. Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Utah also plan to follow up and test inductive charging on public roads in the next several years.The link at the base further reveals facts about the dynamic, electromagnetic charging scenario in the U.S. The proponents justify its superiority over the currently mushrooming EV static charging stations with several contentions that may appear premature, but are nevertheless very logical and practical.The link:- Last edited by anjan_c2007 : 2nd May 2023 at 13:25 .
libranof1987 Team-BHP Support

Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: All over! Posts: 6,787 Thanked: 14,671 Times

Re: Emigrating to a Foreign Land! Here are my thoughts basis my experience of having studied outside India, with the assumption of temporary / permanent emigration.



Everyone has their own motivation for emigration:

- some do it for the lifestyle: the partying, the fancy cars, the good life (aka the American dream)

- some do it for the money: plain and simple. Earn an insane amount of money, or at least so in INR terms

- some do it for the freedom: to escape whatever holds them back from pursing the life that they want (be it cultural, financial, expression, profession, personal)

- some do it because "this is the natural course of progression": School -> PCM in Jr College -> Engineering -> MS/MBA in the USA. Because Parampara.



.....



Everyone has their own ambition and motivation to emigrate. And this is an quite individual prerogative. So, for someone who wants to do it just for the money, country A might be a good fit, while for someone who wants to live life on their term, country B at a lower quality of life might be better vs. country A.



Understand what it is that moves the needle for you.



Personally speaking. I grew up in India -> went abroad -> got back. If I were to continue being abroad the first time I went (without returning to India), I'd probably be very okay with permanent immigration. But having returned and experienced this life (esp. post marriage and child), I'm very reluctant to move. This doesn't mean this is permanent.



Moving from one country to another, or emigrating from where you grew up to another brings about a whole bunch of promises and compromises, and pros and cons. The net is what you have to think about. Win some, lose some.



Choose wisely.



I do feel everyone must travel, and spend some time abroad. If you're the kind to look for it and allow it, it brings about tremendous perspective. At the risk of exaggeration, you tend to become a more evolved person, simply through the exposure you get to differing cultures, points of view, ways of life -> all that widens your horizons of thinking.



Lastly and this is strictly my opinion. Indians (rather, Asians in general) are notorious for doing their own thing even when abroad: hang out and talk to only other Indians - worse, in the native language, which is seen as an insult / "we don't want to include you in the conversation" to others, eat only the native food / at Indian restaurants, make no effort at immersing into the host country culture.



This is a very consistent image Indians have made for themselves across the US especially. Defeats the purpose of travel in my opinion. Last edited by libranof1987 : 20th May 2023 at 18:59 .
jono213 BHPian



Join Date: Jul 2021 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 72 Thanked: 149 Times

Broken wheel studs on my Hyundai Creta



Me and dad had left to Ashoka wheels on Minister road to get the usual balancing/ alignment done and after giving the car to them, they reported that they couldn't get the front right wheel off due to one of the bolts being cross-threaded and overtightened.



Being slightly alarmed at this, we asked them to try and get it off and after a brief struggle, one of the studs broke in half.



Now we were in serious trouble and the manager pitched in to help us out, he asked them to check on all the wheels and voila! , there were 1-2 cross-threaded bolts on every. single. wheel.



At this point the manager asked the mechanics to cease all work due to the fear of breaking more studs. He also told us that recently he's been receiving more Hyundai's with similar issues, could it be due to Hyundai's carelessness when I got the tyres balanced and aligned by them in November? Or did the immense Hyderabad heat have a role to play in this aswell? Would love to hear your thoughts!



The victim:



It pains me to keep posting about my Creta which seems to have a problem or 2 every other month but here we are againMe and dad had left to Ashoka wheels on Minister road to get the usual balancing/ alignment done and after giving the car to them, they reported that they couldn't get the front right wheel off due to one of the bolts being cross-threaded and overtightened.Being slightly alarmed at this, we asked them to try and get it off and after a brief struggle, one of the studs broke in half.Now we were in serious trouble and the manager pitched in to help us out, he asked them to check on all the wheels and voila! , there were 1-2 cross-threaded bolts onAt this point the manager asked the mechanics to cease all work due to the fear of breaking more studs. He also told us that recently he's been receiving more Hyundai's with similar issues, could it be due to Hyundai's carelessness when I got the tyres balanced and aligned by them in November? Or did the immense Hyderabad heat have a role to play in this aswell? Would love to hear your thoughts!
The launch of the ChatGPT iOS app has intensified the ongoing privacy debate, highlighting the calls for governments to regulate AI development.

The launch of the ChatGPT iOS app has intensified the ongoing privacy debate, highlighting the calls for governments to regulate AI development.

Since OpenAI introduced ChatGPT, privacy advocates have warned consumers about the potential threat to privacy posed by generative AI apps. The arrival of a ChatGPT app in the Apple App Store has ignited a fresh round of caution.

[B]efore you jump headfirst into the app, beware of getting too personal with the bot and putting your privacy at risk, warned Muskaan Saxena in Tech Radar.

The iOS app comes with an explicit tradeoff that users should be aware of, she explained, including this admonition: Anonymized chats may be reviewed by our AI trainer to improve our systems.

Anonymization, though, is no ticket to privacy. Anonymized chats are stripped of information that can link them to particular users. However, anonymization may not be an adequate measure to protect consumer privacy because anonymized data can still be re-identified by combining it with other sources of information, Joey Stanford, vice president of privacy and security at Platform.sh, a maker of a cloud-based services platform for developers based in Paris, told TechNewsWorld.

Its been found that its relatively easy to de-anonymize information, especially if location information is used, explained Jen Caltrider, lead researcher for Mozillas Privacy Not Included project.

Publicly, OpenAI says it isnt collecting location data, but its privacy policy for ChatGPT says they could collect that data, she told TechNewsWorld.

Nevertheless, OpenAI does warn users of the ChatGPT app that their information will be used to train its large language model. Theyre honest about that. Theyre not hiding anything, Caltrider said.

Taking Privacy Seriously

Caleb Withers, a research assistant at the Center for New American Security, a national security and defense think tank in Washington, D.C., explained that if a user types their name, place of work, and other personal information into a ChatGPT query, that data will not be anonymized.

You have to ask yourself, Is this something I would say to an OpenAI employee?' he told TechNewsWorld.

OpenAI has stated that it takes privacy seriously and implements measures to safeguard user data, noted Mark N. Vena, president and principal analyst at SmartTech Research in San Jose, Calif.

However, its always a good idea to review the specific privacy policies and practices of any service you use to understand how your data is handled and what protections are in place, he told TechNewsWorld.

As dedicated to data security as an organization might be, vulnerabilities might exist that could be exploited by malicious actors, added James McQuiggan, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, a security awareness training provider in Clearwater, Fla.

Its always important to be cautious and consider the necessity of sharing sensitive information to ensure that your data is as secure as possible, he told TechNewsWorld.

Protecting your privacy is a shared responsibility between users and the companies that collect and use their data, which is documented in those long and often unread End User License Agreements, he added.

Built-In Protections

McQuiggan noted that users of generative AI apps have been known to insert sensitive information such as birthdays, phone numbers, and postal and email addresses into their queries. If the AI system is not adequately secured, it can be accessed by third parties and used for malicious purposes such as identity theft or targeted advertising, he said.

He added that generative AI applications could also inadvertently reveal sensitive information about users through their generated content. Therefore, he continued, users must know the potential privacy risks of using generative AI applications and take the necessary steps to protect their personal information.

Unlike desktops and laptops, mobile phones have some built-in security features that can curb privacy incursions by apps running on them.

However, as McQuiggan points out, While some measures, such as application permissions and privacy settings, can provide some level of protection, they may not thoroughly safeguard your personal information from all types of privacy threats as with any application loaded on the smartphone.

Vena agreed that built-in measures like app permissions, privacy settings, and app store regulations offer some level of protection. But they may not be sufficient to mitigate all privacy threats, he said. App developers and smartphone manufacturers have different approaches to privacy, and not all apps adhere to best practices.

Even OpenAIs practices vary from desktop to mobile phone. If youre using ChatGPT on the website, you have the ability to go into the data controls and opt out of your chat being used to improve ChatGPT. That setting doesnt exist on the iOS app, Caltrider noted.

Beware App Store Privacy Info

Caltrider also found the permissions used by OpenAIs iOS app a bit fuzzy, noting that In the Google Play Store, you can check and see what permissions are being used. You cant do that through the Apple App Store.

She warned users about depending on privacy information found in app stores. The research that weve done into the Google Play Store safety information shows that its really unreliable, she observed.

Research by others into the Apple App Store shows its unreliable, too, she continued. Users shouldnt trust the data safety information they find on app pages. They should do their own research, which is hard and tricky.

The companies need to be better at being honest about what theyre collecting and sharing, she added. OpenAI is honest about how theyre going to use the data they collect to train ChatGPT, but then they say that once they anonymize the data, they can use it in lots of ways that go beyond the standards in the privacy policy.

Stanford noted that Apple has some policies in place that can address some of the privacy threats posed by generative AI apps. They include:

Requiring user consent for data collection and sharing by apps that use generative AI technologies;

Providing transparency and control over how data is used and by whom through the AppTracking Transparency feature that allows users to opt out of cross-app tracking;

Enforcing privacy standards and regulations for app developers through the App Store review process and rejecting apps that violate them.

However, he acknowledged, These measures may not be enough to prevent generative AI apps from creating inappropriate, harmful, or misleading content that could affect users privacy and security.

Call for Federal AI Privacy Law

OpenAI is just one company. There are several creating large language models, and many more are likely to crop up in the near future, added Hodan Omaar, a senior AI policy analyst at the Center for Data Innovation, a think tank studying the intersection of data, technology, and public policy, in Washington, D.C.

We need to have a federal data privacy law to ensure all companies adhere to a set of clear standards, she told TechNewsWorld.

With the rapid growth and expansion of artificial intelligence, added Caltrider, there definitely needs to be solid, strong watchdogs and regulations to keep an eye out for the rest of us as this grows and becomes more prevalent.
Why it matters: Google is bringing a fresh touch of AI paint to yet another internet service, providing coders with cheap, accessible resources to run Python code in a web browser. Colab will become smarter and better thanks to machine learning and Clippy 2.0?

Google Colab has been open for business since 2017, providing aspiring programmers with an easy way to start writing code in Python. Shrestha Basu Mallick, senior product manager at Google Labs, said over 7 million people around the world already use the service to access powerful, cloud-hosted computing resources free of charge  even though Colab also includes a paid user tier with more powerful features.

Colab is based on the Project Jupyter open source developing platform, requires no setup to use, and is especially suited to run Python scripts related to machine learning, data science, and education tasks. The service is now getting even better, Google announced, thanks to the ubiquitous improvements in machine learning and generative AI technology.

Mountain View is adding these new AI capabilities to Colab with advanced features such as code completions, natural language for code generation, and a helpful chatbot. Colab will soon start using Codey, which is a family of LLM models for code generation built on the recently announced PaLM 2 AI platform.

Codey will first be available to Colab users in the United States, providing what Google describes as a "dramatic" increase in programming speed, quality, and comprehension. The first Codey-powered feature is code generation, with a new "Generate" button programmers can use to create entire blocks of code from comments or textual prompts.

The idea behind Colab's code generation is to reduce the time needed for writing repetitive code or trivial Python functions so programmers can focus on more interesting  and likely complex  parts of their project. Colab paid users, Google said, will also have access to an auto-complete feature capable of providing relevant suggestions as they type.

Furthermore, Codey's generative capabilities will be employed to power a new chatbot-based assistant (aka Clippy 2.0 in new AI adventures). Programmers will be able to ask Colab AI programming-related questions, and the chatbot will hopefully provide a non-hallucinated answer with instructions and code samples.

Colab is a service used by millions of students every month to learn Python and access powerful GPU and TPU resources, Google said. Now, the "Colaboratory" tool will also serve Google's need to integrate generative AI into more services and essentially every corner of the internet.
The former Amazon CEO and its known founder Jeff Bezos is now entering the committed life after reports now swirling in regarding his engagement with four-year girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez. The known journalist and former host of "Good Day L.A." is still set for her all-ladies crew aboard the Blue Origin for a flight to orbit, the same one which Bezos flew back in 2021.

The pair are now celebrating their engagement at the Cannes Film Festival, a massive showcase on the southern coast of France, aboard his $500 million yacht.

(Photo : Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are Now Engaged, Sources Confirmed

A report from E! News confirms that Jeff Bezos is now engaged to his four-year girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, and initial speculations were confirmed by sources close to the couple. Bezos and Sanchez were seen on their million-dollar yacht in the south of France earlier this week, with the business magnate's girlfriend seen wearing a massive rock on her ring finger.

Sanchez and Bezos are starting a "blended family" together, along with Jeff Bezos' four children and Lauren Sanchez's three children with former partners.

Bezos shares his children from his long-standing relationship of 25 years with MacKenzie Scott, his former wife and a person who he started Amazon with, since its beginnings.

It is unknown when Bezos popped the question to his fiance.

Read Also: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Critizes Biden's Suggestion To Decrease Inflation Rate; Cons of Pros of Taxing the Rich

Lauren Sanchez Still Set to Lead an All-Female Crew to Space

According to Gizmodo, Sanchez is also known for having the chance to lead an all-female crew to space, and this is still a venture that will come soon in the future, not yet having a set time and date.

The journalist and pilot will board Blue Origin's reusable space rocket, New Shepard soon, to experience space and go to orbit like the previous missions of the space company.

Wait, Bezos and Sanchez are Not Going to Space Together?

The former Amazon CEO who stepped off the business but serves as its chairman is now enjoying life, as he is already set for many years to come.

Bezos' current focus now is his current goal which is to make space more within reach to the public, as a private space company operating to provide its services with Blue Origin. The space company is set for its fifth crewed flight which gives a Mexican woman a chance to shine in her field, while still completing her Master's degree at John Hopkins University.

Now, his focus is on his new beginnings in life with his fiance, Lauren Sanchez, who is set to go to space soon.

With the confirmation of their engagement from close sources around the couple, there are no announcements regarding their journey to orbit together. Still, this is something they could do, as after all, Bezos is the co-founder, owner, and CEO of Blue Origin, one of the top private space companies in the world.

For now, both are cruising to the sunset and enjoying the southern coast of France, with award-winning and nominated films to watch for the newly-engaged couple.

Related Article: Blue Origin will Send an All-Female Crew to Suborbital Space Led by Jeff Bezos' Girlfriend

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Italian authorities revealed that it is planning to review other artificial intelligence platforms by hiring experts in an effort to ramp up scrutiny of the powerful technology, following the temporary ban of OpenAI's ChatGPT last March.

(Photo : MARCO BERTORELLO/AFP via Getty Images)

A photo taken on March 31, 2023 in Manta, near Turin, shows a smartphone displaying the logo of the artificial intelligence OpenAI research laboratory.

Reviewing Other AI Platforms

The Italian Data Protection Authority revealed its plans on reviewing other AI platforms and tools after imposing a temporary ban on OpenAI's ChatGPT last March. According to a report from Reuters, three AI experts trained in the field of law will be hired by the agency to supplement its staff.

Garante Board Member Agositino Ghiglia stated that once the review is done, the authorities will start new probes if needed. "We plan to kick off a wide-scope review of generative and machine learning AI applications which are available online because we want to understand if these new tools are addressing issues linked to data protection and privacy laws compliance," he stated.

This move is the latest effort from the agency, an example of how regulators rely on existing laws to control a technology that could abuse the way society and a business operate. Ghiglia added that the board is made up of law experts with 144 staff, well below its EU peers in France, Spain, and Britain.

Garante is known as one of the most proactive 31 national data protection authorities that oversee the General Data Protection Regulation. Silicon reported that this is also the first agency to impose a ban on AI chatbot company Replika last February, impose fines on facial recognition software maker Clearview AI, and impose restrictions on TikTok in Europe.

The board members are often becoming aware of the potential breaches of privacy laws, as they simply explore digital tools and applications once it becomes popular and available in the market. Adding to this is that several tools powered by artificial intelligence are evolving quickly, hence, why the agency realized ChatGPT's non-compliance with EU data privacy rules.

Also Read: Italy Temporarily Bans ChatGPT Amid Data Breach Investigation

ChatGPT's Temporary Ban

Last month, Italy announced that it has temporarily banned the use of ChatGPT after a data breach investigation. Provisional action was taken by the agency as the platform was believed not to respect privacy, including limiting the company's investigation of users' data in the country.

This marks the first nation-scale restriction of a popular artificial intelligence platform by a democracy. While other software applications gained their licenses with OpenAI to use the same technology as Microsoft's Bing search engine, the authorities clarified that it would not be affected by the restriction as it will only apply to the web version.

OpenAI was given 20 days by the authorities to report on the steps to protect the privacy of user data. Following the ban, Italy's Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini voiced his disapproval of this decision as it sounded disproportionate. He stated that the action was hypocritical, as it is common knowledge that privacy problems touch almost all internet businesses.

Weeks after the ban, ChatGPT is back online in the country after the platform acknowledged and addressed the mentioned flaws by the agency. OpenAI is obliged to provide greater transparency to allow users to opt out of having their content used for training models.

Related Article: ChatGPT Back in Italy After OpenAI Resolves Privacy Concerns

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, is sounding the alarm on the safety of social media for children and teenagers.

Citing insufficient evidence on its impact on mental health, he is calling for immediate action from tech companies, parents, and caregivers to protect young people, according to a report by AP.





Dr. Murthy emphasizes the need for tech companies to share data and increase transparency with researchers and the public. He urges them to prioritize the health and safety of users when creating their products.

Despite some efforts made by technology companies to create healthier platforms, Dr. Murthy states that it is not enough.



One of the concerns raised by Dr. Murthy is the discrepancy between age requirements set by social media platforms and the actual usage by young children.

Although platforms typically enforce a minimum age of 13, he said statistics show that 40% of children aged eight to 12 are already active on social media. This raises questions about the effectiveness of age restrictions and policy enforcement.

Read Also: Parents Blame Social Media for Children's Mental Health Problems, According to Survey

Tips for Young Social Media Users

To address this urgent issue, the surgeon general provides tips for young people:



1. Seek support: If social media negatively affects you or someone you know, seek out a trusted adult or friend for help. The doctor also suggests referring to the American Academy of Pediatrics' social media guidance.



2. Set boundaries: Limit device use before bedtime and during the night to ensure sufficient sleep. Make mealtimes and face-to-face interactions device-free to foster social connections. Prioritize in-person interactions and make offline interactions a daily priority.



3. Exercise caution when sharing: Recognize the value of personal information and choose carefully what you post and share online. Keep in mind that content can become public and remain stored indefinitely. If uncertain, it's advisable to refrain from posting.

4. Speak out against harassment and abuse: Share your concerns with someone you trust, such as a friend, family member, counselor, or teacher. Report cyberbullying using tips from stopbullying.gov. Seek support from Love is Respect if you experience online harassment or abuse from a dating partner. For unauthorized sharing of private images, use Take It Down to seek removal assistance.

Dr. Murthy emphasizes that the development of children is happening now and cannot be put on hold while waiting for a complete understanding of social media's impact. Immediate action is necessary to protect their well-being.



The US Surgeon General's call to action aims to raise awareness and address the risks associated with social media use among young people. By advocating for change, he hopes to protect their mental health and ensure their safety in the digital age.

Related Article: Arkansas Approves Bill Requiring Parental Consent for Children to Access Social Media Sites

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
When it comes to decision-making in Japan, there is no room for chance or hasty, rash decisions. Everything is carefully measured and subject to review at multiple levels, considering alternatives and available options that can achieve the desired goals.

Therefore, this process takes a long time and is characterized by extreme caution and mindfulness.

This was evident during Japan's hosting of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in the city of Hiroshima from 19 to 21 May. The choice of the summit's location, associated with what the government of Fumio Kishida has defined as its objectives, served two purposes: satisfying the aspirations of the domestic public opinion and those of the gathered leaders on its territory.

We can identify the three main objectives of Japan from this important event.

First, it is to highlight its role as a peacemaker on the international stage. Second, it is to warn the world about the trap of "nuclear terror." Third, it is to send a message of power and a threat to China, which has been persistently flexing its military muscles in the east and South China Sea and the Pacific region. The third objective also includes the troublesome and defiant neighbour, North Korea, which continues to intentionally annoy Tokyo with its ongoing missile tests, turning the confrontation into a collective one with its allies.

Therefore, it is reasonable, after hours of the issuance of the final statement of the G7 summit, to raise a logical question about what Tokyo has achieved regarding its aforementioned three objectives. It is undeniable that Japan succeeded in representing Hiroshima as the most significant site to demonstrate the dangers resulting from the proliferation of nuclear weapons, as it was the testing ground for the atomic bomb at the end of World War II, claiming the lives of about 140,000 people in the city.

Japan effectively utilized this representation to indicate the looming danger of a potential repetition and the possibility of witnessing further horrors caused by deadly nuclear weapons. This was hinted at by Russia's direct involvement in using such weapons to settle the ongoing war in Ukraine, countering American and Western support for Kyiv by supplying it with advanced ammunition, missile defenses, tanks, and more.

In addition, there is concern about the North Korean regime, which possesses highly advanced nuclear and missile capabilities that it could resort to in a moment of anger and provocation during military exercises involving the US, Japan, and South Korea, considering itself the target of those exercises. China, in turn, possesses nuclear weapons and constantly warns against Western and regional interference in Taiwan, which it sees as a rebellious part of its territory. This means that the use of nuclear weapons is on the table, whenever it deems it necessary.

However, aside from this representation, Japan is navigating through a minefield. It is divided between two things: its idyllic dreams of a world free from nuclear weapons and the realities of its existence, making it difficult to draw a roadmap that reconciles both. The summit's statement settled for general, repetitive, and flexible phrases about the need to rid planet Earth of nuclear weapons and to limit their proliferation.

In addition to Tokyo's reliance on the American nuclear umbrella, the G7 countries possess massive nuclear arsenals which they will not easily abandon. These nuclear weapons serve as a formidable deterrent under their control. The host country itself possesses nuclear capabilities and technology, as well as several nuclear reactors used for peaceful purposes such as electricity generation. It has not signed the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. In our world today, there are 12,500 nuclear warheads, far exceeding the destructive power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, called, "Little Boy."

Regarding China, Hiroshima is located 1,000 miles from the Chinese capital, Beijing, making it within reach, metaphorically speaking. It is not far from the grasp of the seven major powers that fear and are concerned about China's growing economic, military, and political ascendancy. They wish to impede its progress in any way possible.

Beijing perceives the summit and its final statement as an unacceptable interference, particularly due to its discussion of Taiwan and attempts to demonize and tarnish China's image. Consequently, China summoned the Japanese ambassador to express a strong protest against the statement's content.

However, both Japan and the other participants know well that competing with China is a long and extended journey. Both sides will continue exchanging blows and striving to gain new spheres of influence, expanding their presence in different regions of the world. Containing a country as large and as capable as China is no easy task.

Tokyo recognizes the limits of its conflict with China, which is fundamentally rooted in their historical relations dating back hundreds of years. Thus, Japan seeks to safeguard its national security by enhancing and developing its military capabilities. This led to an increase in its military budget, making it the third-largest budget after the US and China.

Japan maintains its military relations with its ally, the US, and its deployed forces in Japanese prefectures, with a total strength of approximately 50,000 soldiers, mostly stationed on the southernmost island of Okinawa.

At the same time, it prefers not to play an exaggerated role in its relationship with China, preserving their vital economic and investment interests.

The latest available data shows that Japan's exports to China amounted to $144 billion last year, while Chinese exports to the Japanese markets reached $193 billion. During the first quarter of the current year, the bilateral trade between the two countries amounted to $12 billion. These figures speak for themselves, and both countries engage in a game of push and pull without leaving matters to get to the brink. They consider this in their current and future calculations, understanding the intended message from the G7 summit within its context, circumstances, and objectives.

Moving on to the third objective, which revolves around North Korea's troubles, it was clear that its continued spread of instability and security threats in Northeast Asia would be met with a strong and comprehensive response from the G7 countries.

Tokyo, in turn, is keen on confronting Pyongyang and its actions collectively. This was evident in the outcome of the summit, as Japan has taken the necessary measures to protect its airspace and cities from North Korean missiles. It understands that North Korea's threats to Japan and the southern part of the Korean Peninsula are driven by China and Russia.

Despite the apparent differences with Washington, both Beijing and Moscow have intensified their stance since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war, including their positions on the Taiwan issue. The two capitals coordinate their positions, serving their common interests, which lie in challenging the US and not allowing it to maintain its influence in Japan and South Korea. They view North Korea as the ideal troublemaker to play this role.

It is not a secret that the key to tranquility and movement in Pyongyang lies in Beijing, the first and most important ally of the northern part of the Korean Peninsula and its main gateway to the outside world. It has managed to overcome the international economic and financial sanctions imposed on it, with Moscow being its second ally. Therefore, the dimensions of the confrontations are known and preserved. Japan has chosen its camp next to the US, and this choice has its consequences and the prices that must be willingly paid, including those coming from North Korea.

In conclusion, Japan has achieved a considerable portion of its goals from the G7 summit and feels satisfied with that. On the other hand, it fortifies itself by maintaining a conscious and up-to-date understanding of the conflicts emerging on the international stage and by consistently maintaining its influence in the balance of power in the Asian continent, thanks to its possession of the elements and components of power in all aspects.

* The writer is an Egyptian journalist and expert on Japanese and East Asian politics.

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The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought forth a new era of technological advancements, with AI chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google Bard gaining prominence.



As the development of powerful AI services intensifies, regulators are grappling with the need to control a technology that has the potential to disrupt societal and business norms.



However, these regulators are turning to old laws for new tech governance, according to a report by Reuters.

Navigating Existing Laws

The European Union (EU) has taken the lead in crafting new AI regulations to address concerns regarding privacy and safety raised by the rapid progress in generative AI technology, exemplified by OpenAI's ChatGPT. However, the enforcement of these legislations is expected to take several years.



In the absence of specific regulations, governments are resorting to applying existing rules. Massimiliano Cimnaghi, a European data governance expert, points out that existing data protection laws are being employed to safeguard personal data while regulations addressing threats to public safety are also being utilized, albeit without explicit definitions for AI.



Regulators and industry experts in the United States and Europe are striving to enforce current regulations that encompass a wide range of areas, such as copyright, data privacy, and the handling of data inputs and generated content by AI models.



These efforts aim to ensure compliance and address potential concerns associated with these aspects.



Suresh Venkatasubramanian, a former technology advisor to the White House, highlighted the need for agencies in both regions to interpret and reinterpret their mandates.

He specifically pointed out the US Federal Trade Commission's ongoing investigation into algorithms for discriminatory practices, utilizing existing regulatory powers to address the issue.

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Copyright Issue

Within the European Union, proposed measures under the AI Act would require companies like OpenAI to disclose any copyrighted materials, such as books or photographs, utilized in the training of their models. This provision leaves them susceptible to legal challenges regarding copyright infringement.

However, it is important to note that proving copyright infringement may not be a straightforward process, as Sergey Lagodinsky, one of the politicians involved in drafting the EU proposals, has acknowledged.

According to Bertrand Pailhes, the technology lead at French data regulator CNIL, they have adopted a "creative" approach to exploring how existing laws can be applied to artificial intelligence.

In France, discrimination claims typically fall under the jurisdiction of the Defenseur des Droits (Defender of Rights). However, due to the lack of expertise in AI bias within that institution, CNIL has taken the initiative to address this issue.

Pailhes explained that they are examining the full range of effects, with a primary focus on data protection and privacy. CNIL is considering utilizing a provision of GDPR that safeguards individuals from automated decision-making.

Related Article: Quick Guide: New AI-Powered App Superchat Allows Users to Chat With DaVinci, Other Historical People!

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In today's digital age, food images inundate the internet. These pictures are often shared to promote specific foods, hoping that seeing a mouthwatering image on Facebook or Instagram will trigger our desire for a juicy burger or a delicious slice of pizza.

However, a recent study conducted by Aarhus University suggests that repetitive exposure to these food images may have the opposite effect, actually satisfying our appetite rather than intensifying it.

Impact of Repeated Exposure to Food Pictures

The research involved a series of experiments aimed at exploring the impact of repeated exposure to food pictures on our sense of satiety. Tjark Andersen, who recently completed his Ph.D. at Aarhus University's Department of Food Science, sheds light on the findings.



"In our experiments, we showed that when the participants saw the same food picture 30 times, they felt more satiated than before they had seen the picture. The participants who were shown the picture many times also chose a smaller portion than those who had only seen the picture three times, when we subsequently asked about the size of portion they wanted," explains Andersen.



The phenomenon of feeling full without consuming any food may seem peculiar, but according to Andersen, our cognitive perception plays a significant role in shaping our appetite.



"Your appetite is more closely linked with your cognitive perception than most of us think. How we think about our food is very important," Andersen said.



"Studies have shown that if you make people aware of different colors of Jelly Beans, even if they have eaten all they can in red Jelly Beans, will still want the yellow ones. Even if both colors taste completely the same."

Grounded cognition theory, a concept within brain research, explains these findings. For example, simply imagining biting a food activates the same brain regions as actually taking a bite.

This suggests that our thoughts can trigger a physiological response, allowing us to feel fully satisfied without actually consuming any food.



While previous studies have also explored the connection between food images and satiety, the uniqueness of the Aarhus University research lies in its examination of the necessary number of repetitions and the potential impact of image variation on satiety.

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Using M&M's

Andersen and his team conducted several online experiments involving over 1,000 participants. They presented some participants with multiple images of orange M&M's, while others viewed images of M&M's in different colors. Interestingly, the color variations did not significantly impact the sense of satiety.



The implications of these findings extend beyond understanding the psychological aspects of appetite. In a world where obesity rates have tripled since 1975, finding effective strategies for controlling food intake is crucial. Andersen suggests that the results of this study could potentially be used as a weight loss tool.

Furthermore, these findings could be employed to prevent overeating at the beginning of a meal. Participants in the study only slightly reduced their consumption of Skittles or M&M's, resulting in a caloric reduction of fewer than 50 calories.



The study's findings were published in the journal Appetite.

Related Article: #TechTimesLifeHack: Foods You Should Not Put in the Freezer

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In an alarming twist of events, Russian journalist and activist Yekaterina Maksimova finds herself entangled in the web of Moscow's pervasive facial recognition system.

As detailed in an AP report shared by ABCNews, this unsettling development sheds light on the government's extensive surveillance apparatus, resulting in multiple detentions for Maksimova over the past year.

As the Russian authorities tighten their grip on monitoring tactics, such as social media scrutiny and expanded surveillance cameras, activists like Maksimova are facing an increasingly daunting challenge of eluding the watchful eyes of the government.

Pervasive Facial Recognition System

Within Moscow's subway system lies a new battleground, a "cyber gulag," as mentioned in the report, where individuals like Yekaterina Maksimova navigate through a sea of facial recognition technology.

The government has strategically installed an extensive network of surveillance cameras armed with cutting-edge facial recognition algorithms, aiming to monitor citizens' movements and activities.

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Unfortunately, this invasive measure has produced false positives, leading to the unwarranted apprehension of innocent individuals flagged as suspicious.

Monitoring Social Media Accounts

The Russian government has intensified its efforts to scrutinize its citizens' online activities.

Reuters reported in February 2022 that Moscow confirmed the partial restriction of Facebook access, accusing the Meta-owned platform of "censoring" Russian media a day after the country invaded Ukraine.

Authorities meticulously track and censor content posted by users, creating an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship within the Russian internet community.

Several reports suggest that dissenting views or criticism against the government can swiftly lead to prosecution, eroding freedom of expression and stifling open dialogue.

Online Censorship and Website Blocking

In its quest for information control, the Russian government actively blocks and removes web pages it deems objectionable or containing prohibited content.

Shockingly, 2022 witnessed the highest annual total in 15 years, with over 610,000 web pages blocked or removed. This widespread censorship severely curtails free expression and restricts access to vital information for Russian citizens.

In fact, independent internet watchdogs in 2022 reported that Russia had blocked an average of 4,900 websites per week.

Criminalization of Antiwar Sentiment

The same AP report highlights a troubling trend, with laws criminalizing antiwar sentiment and disseminating what the government deems as "false information" about the army or state bodies abroad.

These laws have led to a surge in prosecutions and criminal charges against individuals expressing dissenting views online. Consequently, opposition voices are systematically silenced, and the cherished freedom of speech faces erosion.

Since 2014, Russia has implemented stringent laws targeting social media users and online speech. CSMonitor even reports that the government urged sites to share all available information with authorities.

The resulting surge in criminal cases against individuals for their posts likes, and shares on platforms such as VKontakte, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is deeply concerning.

The ambiguous definition of "extremism" empowers the government to arbitrarily target and persecute individuals expressing their opinions, further stifling open discourse.

Russian Remains Under Extreme Censorship

As the Russian government expands its surveillance apparatus, the plight of activists like Yekaterina Maksimova underscores the constant scrutiny, detentions, and restrictions on their freedom.

The pervasive facial recognition system, monitoring of social media accounts, online censorship, and harsh anti-extremism laws have created an environment where dissent is met with punitive measures.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Police Ready Facial Recognition Tech at UK Beyonce Concert Amid Initial Concerns

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China-made Tesla EV sales are now offered in Canada!

But will Canadian consumers actually buy these made-in-China electric cars?

Previously, the giant EV maker said that it plans to export its China-manufactured EVs to the United States and Canada.

Now, the automaker finally completed its first EV shipment from its Giga Shanghai factory to North America.

As part of its effort, the EV manufacturer said that it would offer discounted EVs in Canada.

China-Made Tesla EV Sales Now in Canada!

According to Reuters' latest report, China-made Tesla Mode 3 and Model Y units are now being listed for sale.

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This detail was seen in the official Tesla Canada models. Models included are specifically the rear-wheel drive Model Y, as well as the long-range all-wheel drive Model 3 units.

These Tesla EV models are available for immediate delivery in British Columbia.

Giz China reported that both the included Model Y and Model 3 units are eligible for a federal government subsidy of around $3,700 (5,000 CAD).

As of writing, Tesla hasn't confirmed the total number of China-made EVs available for sale in Canada.

How Much Can Canadian Tesla Buyers Save?

China-made Tesla Model Y is far cheaper compared to the EV units manufactured in the U.S.

A U.S.-made Tesla Model Y costs around $46,000 (61,990 CAD), which is 22% more expensive than the price of China-made EV models.

However, one of the major concerns of U.S.-based consumers is the quality of made-in-China Tesla cars.

As of press time, the safety standards and quality control of these China-manufactured Tesla EVs are still unknown.

Consumers and critics are still waiting for the official statement of the automaker regarding the quality of its China-made Tesla units.

If you want to learn more about the latest Tesla EV sales in Canada, you can click this link.

In other news, the source code for the Apple autonomous car was allegedly stolen by an ex-employee.

We also reported about the new EV tire of Bridgestone, the Turanza EV Grand Touring tire.

For more news updates about Tesla and other EVs, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Tesla Reaches Goal of Producing 5,000 Y Models in a Week at Gigafactory Texas

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In a parallel trend to the AI-driven stock rally observed in the S&P 500, Chinese tech giants Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu are heavily investing in artificial intelligence (AI), with a particular focus on generative AI.

AI Tech Companies Rushing for Latest AI Tech

A CNBC report tells us that these companies recognize the potential of generative AI, which enables content creation in response to user prompts and are racing to incorporate the technology into their businesses.

In a recent update during Baidu's first-quarter earnings call, CEO Robin Li expressed his optimism for the immense potential of generative AI and drew comparisons to the transformative effects of the internet and smartphones. "Generative AI represents a tremendous opportunity for us," the CEO points out.

Like Microsoft's popular ChatGPT, generative AI tools have captured the attention of investors, sparking a wave of interest in this transformative technology. As a result, companies worldwide are striving to integrate generative AI or develop their alternatives.

Are Regulations Slowing Chinese AI Tech?

However, the Chinese government, known for its tight control over internet services, has imposed restrictions on the usage of generative AI tools.

While an outright ban has not been implemented, new regulations have been introduced to govern their development and usage.

Bloomberg reported in February that some high-flying stocks began to falter after the Chinese government forced local apps and websites to stop offering services that allow ChatGPT use.

CNBC reports that Baidu, one of the tech giants in China, is awaiting regulatory approval for its Ernie Bot chatbot service. Tencent, on the other hand, is working on its own foundation model called HunyuanAide. Alibaba has already developed its generative AI tool named Tongyi Qianwen, which has witnessed significant demand from enterprise customers.

Read Also: OpenAI Unveils iOS ChatGPT App with New Features, Exclusive Subscriber Perks

The embrace of generative AI by Chinese tech giants goes beyond mere business considerations. They view it as a technological revolution akin to the advent of the internet and smartphones.

These companies recognize generative AI's significant opportunities, such as accelerating customer adoption of cloud computing services.

Another Challenge: US Chip Ban

However, the progress of China's AI sector may face obstacles due to the US ban on Chinese companies acquiring advanced chips and chipmaking equipment.

Alibaba, Baidu, and Tencent rely on chip manufacturers like Nvidia for their computing operations, rendering them vulnerable to potential US sanctions.

In February, we reported that industry experts warned that increased US sanctions could cause China's semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries to fall decades behind as the United States attempts to prevent Beijing from acquiring the most advanced chipmaking technologies.

Despite these challenges, Chinese tech companies remain aware of the need for regulatory compliance. They understand the importance of responsible development and usage of AI and are investing in technology and compliance development to meet the applicable requirements.

The AI Race

In a global context, the ambitions of Chinese tech giants in AI align with a broader arms race within the technology sector.

Currently, Microsoft and Google dominate the AI conversation with their advanced language processing technologies. Chinese companies aspire to compete on a global scale and establish themselves as leaders in the field.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: ChatGPT-Led AI Trend Propels S&P 500 to 9% Rally, Boosting Tech Giants' Stocks

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Protecting your eyes from too much screen time is important these days, especially as people spend more and more time using their gadgets.

You may already be among those users who are becoming lost in time as they scroll through social media platforms endlessly during their free time. However, looking at your smartphone or other gadgets can actually affect your beloved eyes.

According to Dr. Robert C. Layman, the ex-president of the American Optometric Association, eyes are not designed to use digital devices for very long periods.

"As a result, many people who spend long hours reading or working on screens experience eye discomfort and vision problems," he explained.

Eyes Suffer From Too Much Screen Time

According to MakeUseOf's latest report, blue light is one of the main reasons why having too much screen time could harm you.

Also Read: Top 3 Favorite UK Foods That Could Increase Dementia Risk According to Expert; Here's What To Avoid

Large doses of blue light are coming from the sun, but gadgets also generate small amounts of it. Blue light can make your body feel awake. This is why when people use their smartphones before bed, are commonly experiencing sleep disruptions.

UC Davis Health explained that although blue light exposure from screens is small, the long-term effects of too much screen time are still a concern.

A recent study claimed that around 80% of U.S.-based digital users spend over two hours per day using their gadgets; 67% of them are using two or more devices at the same time.

Overexposure to blue light can cause digital eye strain, as per Layman. This can lead to age-related vision problems if not prevented early.

Safety Habits To Protect Your Eyes

If you want to protect your eyes, then here are the safety habits you need to start practicing:

Make your font larger. This will give you a more comfortable viewing experience.

Try using the 20/20/20 rule; every 20 minutes of device usage, take a 20-second break from the screen by looking 20 feet away.

Of course, limiting your screen time to one to two hours before bedtime should also be practiced.

These are just some of the habits that can help you protect your eyes. You can click here to learn more.

In other stories, a recent study claimed that TikTok videos contain misinformation about liver disease.

Meanwhile, health experts claimed that low vitamin D levels could increase the risk of long COVID-19 infection.

For more stories about wellness, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

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In a recent study conducted by Central Michigan University College of Medicine researchers, startling data has emerged regarding the dangerous effects of cannabis use during pregnancy.

The study found that marijuana use during the first trimester leads to a significant decrease in newborn weight. The research also discovered deficits in head circumference among babies whose mothers used marijuana during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy.

With this, Canadian health experts' recently published information only increases the subject's severity.

More Pregnant Mothers Are Using Cannabis

Researchers in Canada have observed an alarming increase in emergency room visits and hospitalizations related to cannabis use by pregnant women.

This surge in hospital admissions raises concerns about various risks, including preterm labor, low birth weight, and negative effects on the baby's developing brain.

The Canadian Press highlights that a study analyzed data from 980,398 pregnancies in Ontario involving 691,242 individuals between January 2015 and July 2021 to gather this information.

Among these pregnancies, 540 individuals visited an emergency room or were hospitalized due to cannabis use. The rate of ER and hospital visits related to cannabis use during pregnancy has risen to 20 per 100,000 pregnancies, up from 11 per 100,000 since the legalization of cannabis.

Shockingly, some patients seeking care were found to be intoxicated or under the influence of high levels of cannabis.

Health Experts Concerned by the Surge

Dr. Daniel Myran, a family physician and addiction specialist, expressed concerns about the implications for the health of children born from these pregnancies.

While the absolute increase in ER visits and hospitalizations may be low, many more pregnant women may use cannabis without seeking medical care.

The study also revealed that some pregnant women had a cannabis use disorder, making it difficult to stop using the drug. Approximately 22 percent of the individuals in the study experienced withdrawal symptoms.

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Dr. Myran emphasized that this data does not pertain to individuals who used cannabis once or twice during pregnancy but to those with persistent and ongoing use.

Why Pregnant Women Resort to Cannabis

The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) and involving Unity Health Toronto, suggested that some pregnant women may resort to cannabis use to alleviate symptoms of morning sickness.

However, Dr. Darine El-Chaar, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at The Ottawa Hospital and co-author of the study, warned against this misconception.

She explained that multiple studies have linked cannabis use during pregnancy to increased risks of early delivery, low birth weight, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada supports these findings, emphasizing the substantial evidence indicating the risks associated with cannabis use during pregnancy.

They stress that the use of cannabis during this critical period can lead to lifelong harm to the developing fetus, affecting memory function, behavior, and mental health.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: [STUDY] Before Birth Genes Expression Could Lead To Depression, ADHD; Pregnancy Factors Now Investigated

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A temporary ceasefire to the conflict in Sudan came into effect this week, with hopes running high that it will mark the start of permanent peace agreement, writes Asmaa Al-Husseini

A seven-day ceasefire signed by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Jeddah entered into force on 22 May and is the second such measure concluded in the joint Saudi-US mediating effort to end the conflict in Sudan.

Now entering its seventh week, the conflict has so far claimed 863 dead and more than 3,000 wounded, and displaced 1,100,000 persons, according to official figures.

The Sudanese are praying that the current ceasefire will mark the beginning of a comprehensive and permanent ceasefire agreement and the prelude to dialogue aimed at resolving Sudans profound and multifaceted crisis.

However, many fear that fighting will break out again due to the signatories failure to abide by their commitments or their divergent interpretations of the agreement.

Some suspect that they are merely using the agreement to buy time in order to regroup preparatory to another round of fighting that could be even fiercer than the last. Given such concerns, the SAF and the RSF will be under close international scrutiny while the agreement itself will be put to the test for its ability to safeguard civilian lives.

It will also be tested for the credibility of its mediators and the stringency with which they call to account any party who violates its provisions.

Much will depend on the efficacy of the monitoring process in tracking any breaches and violations and in ensuring safe corridors for the passage of civilians and humanitarian aid. This means that the mediators, regional parties, and other members of the international community must make it clear to the combatants that there will be no tolerance of any failure to live up to their commitments under the agreement.

Sudanese political forces along with regional and international stakeholders welcomed the ceasefire and urged the SAF and RSF to respect it in the interest of protecting civilian lives, facilitating the safe arrival of humanitarian relief, and enabling the resumption of essential public services.

They praised the provision calling for the creation of a nine-member monitoring committee made up of three representatives from each of the mediating body, the SAF, and the RSF. The monitoring will take place though satellite observation and other instruments.

Observers also expressed relief at the provision calling for a halt to all strikes and bombardments by warplanes, heavy artillery, and drones and for the evacuation of hospitals and other public buildings.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan hailed the agreement as a glimmer of hope, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that it is past time to silence the guns. Officials in Cairo voiced their hopes that the agreement will lead to a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire.

Sudanese politicians stressed the need for an effective monitoring mechanism, warning of possible breaches in remarks to Al-Ahram Weekly. In a statement, the Sudanese Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) called on all parties to fully adhere to the principles of the Jeddah Agreement and reaffirmed their commitment to participate positively in efforts to halt the war, alleviate the suffering of the people and end this tragedy.

There can be no victory in this destructive war, Kamal Ismail, head of the Sudanese National Alliance Party, told the Weekly.

The Sudanese people are paying the price for mistakes that are no fault of their own, he said, warning that the war was having disastrous repercussions that could affect life in Sudan for years to come. He said that the actual death toll is much higher than the official figures, which only report bodies that have been taken to hospitals and morgues.

He called for a monitoring mechanism on Sudans Arab and African soil that will be strong enough to keep the combatant forces disengaged. He also stressed the need for a neutral, acceptable, and recognised mechanism for distributing humanitarian relief without interference from any party.

Secretary-General of the steering committee of the Sudanese Bar Association Al-Tayeb Al-Abbassi stressed that a regional or international monitoring mechanism charged with protecting civilian lives must be allowed to operate in keeping with international law.

This is a human and legal right enshrined in international conventions, he told the Weekly. Any mechanism must actively monitor the situation and ensure that any violators of a truce or ceasefire are condemned and brought to account.

A firm, powerful and strict mechanism is needed, and the UN should be part of the process of stopping the war and ensuring respect for the truce and promoting support for the monitoring mechanism, he said.

Sudanese analyst Taher Mutassem said the current ceasefire was the second phase of the Jeddah track, the first being the humanitarian ceasefire agreed over a month ago. The executive mechanism was the joint monitoring committee made up of representatives from the SAF, the RSF and the US and Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to the Weekly he said that both sides are exhausted after over a month of continuous fighting. Monitoring by satellite will make a difference, and the monitoring mechanism will put them both to the test.

As negotiations in Jeddah were underway, the RSF and SAF continued efforts to rally support both domestically and abroad. RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti) sent his political adviser, Youssef Ezzat, to South Sudan to meet President Salva Kiir, and then to Kampala to meet Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

SAF Commander General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan was infuriated at Jubas reception of Ezzat, and the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a complaint with the South Sudanese government for receiving him and lending a platform to the rebel forces.

Al-Burhan sent an envoy to the Arab Summit in Jeddah and to neighbouring Arab countries to convey the message that he represents the legitimate government in Sudan. In his capacity as President of the Transitional Sovereign Council (TSC) and Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces Al-Burhan officially dismissed Dagalo as TSC vice-president.

The action, taken more than five weeks after the conflict erupted, came very late, said Mutassem. Hemedti was using his position as TSC vice-president as leverage to support his political and diplomatic movements.

He said that Al-Burhans appointments of the leader of the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement North faction (SPLM-N) Malik Agar to replace Hemedti, of Shams Al-Din Kabashi as deputy commander in chief of the army, and of Yasser Al-Atta and Ibrahim Jaber as assistants to the commander-in-chief, were intended to set his house order and preempt the outcome of the third stage of the Jeddah Process.

Khaled Omar Youssef, spokesman for the political process and a leader in the FFC, told the Weekly that any action that does not promote a political solution and end the war will only prolong the crisis.

The focus needs to be on stopping the war and promoting a peaceful solution, because the longer the war lasts, the deeper the crisis will grow and the greater the chances that it will develop regional and tribal projections, he said.

The wise thing to do is to stop the war and resolve disputes through peaceful solutions and security and military reforms aimed at building a unified professional national army, preserving the unity of Sudan, and establishing a civilian government based on the peaceful rotation of authority.

The countrys civilian forces must be a part of any forthcoming negotiations on a political solution after the hostilities end, Youssef concluded.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Until Yemen resolves its own challenges internally, no regional powers can really improve the prospects for peace.

Many are thinking about the cessation of hostilities in Yemen in the wake of Chinas successful mediation to resolve the political and diplomatic schism between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the principal parties involved in the conflict between Yemeni factions.

One significant moment was 10 March, the eighth anniversary of the Saudi-led intervention to support the internationally recognised Yemeni government against the Iran-backed Houthis, aka Ansar Allah.

Since the intervention, Yemen had turned into a battlefield for the proxy war between Iran and Saudi Arabia. Iran supports the Houthis, who belong to the Zaydi Shias, a group that makes up under half of the population, while Saudi Arabia supports the Sunni camp representing a somewhat larger demographic segment.

A year into the war, in 2016, Tehran and Riyadh severed diplomatic ties following the storming of the Saudi diplomatic headquarters in Iran as part of the protests organised by the authorities against Saudi judicial rulings. Despite Iraqi efforts towards a rapprochement ties had remained severed until the Chinese mediation.

Saudi Arabia and Iran are involved in conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, but what sets Yemen apart is that the conflict has turned it into the worst humanitarian crisis in the world in decades, bringing the poorest Arab country to the brink of famine, according to the UN. A UN-brokered truce signed in 2022 had failed, and the fighting claimed numerous lives, causing scores of injuries and leaving more than half the population in urgent need of relief.

The fact that even the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement has not helped is making it clear that the conflict has its own internal causes that can only be addressed domestically.

It was the end of World War II that ushered Yemen into modern times, but it wasnt until the (Sunni) republicans triumph over the (Shia) monarchists after a decade of Civil War that the country began to experience some semblance of stability. This coincided mainly with the tenure of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who ruled for 33 years from 1978 to 2011, which also saw the unification of Yemens two historical states in the north and south into a single republic in 1990.

Development did not take place as effectively as had been hoped due to scarcity of resources, inadequate educational infrastructure, and the dominance of tribal and sectarian affiliations, making the country historically known as Happy Yemen the poorest in the Arab world and driving Saleh to forge a robust alliance with Saudi Arabia, which provided aid for decades, improving conditions even as Yemen remained at the bottom of the Arab development index.

Yemen lacks resources and education, and Salehs manipulation contributed to the countrys backwardness, said Fadl Al-Lahgi, a professor of economics and former official in the Yemeni Ministry of Finance. Education improved during Salehs tenure, but given the growing population, this was not enough.

War played a major role in normalising underdevelopment. Even before the unification of Yemen, the Yemenis fought on all fronts, and this exhausted the state, says Naguib Seddik, editor-in-chief of the Aden-based state-owned daily 14 October and former chairman of the South Yemen Press Syndicate. South Yemen fought several battles with North Yemen. In addition, the conflict in Sanaa was bitter until Saleh rose to the helm.

Since the late 1940s, Yemen had witnessed numerous attempts by tribal and military factions to stage coups against the rule of the Zaydi Mutawakkilite dynasty, which had gained independence from the Ottoman empire in 1918, until a revolution led by colonel Abdullah Al-Sallal overthrew Imam Ahmad in 1962.

In the following decade, Yemen witnessed a succession of presidents, including Abdel-Rahman Al-Iryani (1967-1974), Ibrahim Al-Hamdi (1974-1977), Ahmed Al-Ghashmi (1977-1978), and Abdel-Karim Al-Arashi, who held the presidency for only three weeks between late June and mid-July of 1978, before Saleh assumed power. The struggle for power during this period was marked by violence, exemplified by the assassination of Al-Hamdi and Al-Ghashmi in two consecutive years.

On the other hand, the socialists in the south deposed their leader, Qahtan Al-Shaabi, in 1969, only two years after independence from Britain with Egyptian support. Several presidents assumed power, some of whom were assassinated, such as Abdel-Fattah Ismail in 1980, until the regime collapsed in the late 1980s with the cessation of Soviet support, forcing the leadership in Aden to unite with the north, led by Saleh. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the two Yemens fought their own cold war.

By the end of Salehs era Yemens political map was tangled, Seddik said, with various groups vying for power: the Iranian-backed Houthi faction seeks to establish a regime modelled on the mullahs rule in Tehran, presenting a retrograde version of Hizbullah in Lebanon. On the other hand, the Southern movement comprises several factions and figures with divergent demands, ranging from the reinstatement of an independent South Yemen to a federal or confederal system that would ensure more equitable sharing of power and resources.

In the middle are the republicans, who espouse the republican system established by overthrowing the imams rule. Although they are not an organised entity, most of them align with the Saleh regime. Additionally, there is the Muslim Brotherhood, which the government employs against the Houthis and the Southern factions.

The situation in Yemen grew more complex following the ousting of Saleh, as tribal leaders and a segment of the military aligned with the Houthis based on their conservative beliefs, regardless of their affiliation with the Zaydi sect. Conversely, the republicans, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Southern factions sided with the internationally recognised government, along with members of the armed forces who rejected the Houthi insurgency.

Seddik noted that these factions lack unity, and infighting emerged between the Transitional Council representing the Southern factions and the Muslim Brotherhoods Islah Party, which further muddled the situation for the governments armed forces. He added that the republicans, comprising mainly the working middle class, have largely fled Yemen, resulting in their diminishing influence on events.

According to Yemeni journalist Mohamed Omar, who previously served as press secretary to former South Yemen president Ali Nasser Mohamed, an independent South Yemen is not a viable option. No faction has a clear vision for achieving a resolution that preserves Yemens unity while avoiding sectarianism from groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Houthis and promoting political and societal compromises.

Omar added that there are no forces capable of eliminating the Houthis and the Brotherhood, and their presence only exacerbates the conflict, while the Republicans are fragmented and the army is unwilling to engage in further fighting, as that would entail fighting fellow Yemenis.

Omar stressed that the root cause of the conflict lies in Yemens internal issues, not external interventions, and regional powers cannot broker a peace agreement until those issues are adequately addressed.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue to see eye-to-eye despite the absence of UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan from last weeks Arab Summit in Jeddah, writes Ahmed Mustafa

Sources in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi emphasised the good relations between the two neighbouring Gulf countries of Saudi Arabia and the UAE this week against a background of transformations in the Gulf region and in the Middle East as a whole.

Relations between the two oil-rich countries have been the subject of media speculation, especially by Muslim Brotherhood outlets and social media platforms, with Emirati analysts saying that these Western-harboured outlets often seek to drive a wedge between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, two countries which have been at the forefront of the fight against religious extremism.

The latest wave of speculation was fuelled by the absence of UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan from this months Arab Summit meeting in the Saudi port city of Jeddah, even though it is not uncommon for some Arab leaders to miss an Arab Summit meeting.

The Jeddah Summit saw the invitation of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to an Arab Summit meeting for the first time in more than a decade as well as of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

It was chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, who has continued in his role after bin Zayed, formerly the crown prince of the UAE, became president of his country last year following his brothers death.

Moves by Bin Salman to modernise Saudi Arabia were often attributed to the influence of his slightly older Emirati counterpart in the Western and other media, with some even claiming that Bin Zayed had acted as a mentor to the rising Saudi leader. Officials in both countries say off the record that the basic principles of the two countries policies have not changed even if their viewpoints on some regional and global issues might differ.

Some have speculated that there may be competition between the two ambitious leaders in playing a major role in the new regional order being shaped in the Middle East. The UAE withdrew its troops from Yemen after four years of fighting alongside Saudi troops and others within the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in the country, with some saying that the UAE was in favour of the secession of South Yemen as the best way to defeat the Houthi rebels in the north of the country, while Riyadh has maintained a consistent policy of preserving the unity of Yemen.

The Saudis also supported a faction of the Islamist Yemeni Islah Party as a member of the collective Yemeni leadership against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Some observers note that Sudan has recently coordinated more with Saudi Arabia than it has with the UAE, with Saudi Arabia pursuing a consistent path on matters of mutual agreement between the two countries, from OPEC decisions to the possible normalisation of relations with Israel and the normalisation of relations with Iran.

Both countries are on the same page when it comes to diversifying alliances away from the sole alliance with the US. Both have maintained good relations with Russia, China, and other emerging global powers. They have backtracked on rivalry with other regional powers like Qatar and Turkey, and the invitation of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad back into the Arab League has the support of both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

In their quest to diversify their economies away from energy, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, along with other Gulf countries, are also following similar policies. From developing tourism to luring foreign direct investment, they are making similar choices.

A couple of years ago, Saudi Arabia issued a decree that foreign companies that do not have their regional offices in the Kingdom will not be allowed to bid for government contracts, part of the competition in the region to attract foreign companies and diversify the economy.

In a recent article in the US Wall Street Journal about the Emirati president, he was described as a leader who has positioned the UAE as a friend to all sides.

Even so, he has also stood up to Washington in many instances. If Abu Dhabi can follow its own policies based solely on its national interest, even if that irritates a powerful ally like the US, it is sure that it knows where its interests lie.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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May 23, 2023 Tolentino: Senate concurrence needed over potential security pact with Japan MANILA - Senator Francis 'Tol' N. Tolentino said the potential defense agreement between the Philippine and Japanese governments may need the concurrence of the Senate. Tolentino, vice-chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations made the remarks on Tuesday as the two Asian nations are reportedly preparing to begin its preliminary consultations before commencing the formal negotiations for a "Reciprocal Access Agreement" or RAA--basically the proposed Visiting Forces Agreement between Manila and Tokyo. Tolentino explained that if the primary nature of the agreement will be in a form of treaty, then it must be done precisely in accordance with the 1987 Constitution, and thus, must be ratified by members of the Senate. In a report by GMA News Online on Tuesday, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhiko Koshikawa explained that Manila and Tokyo are "just about to start the consultation for negotiation for this issue because both sides are open to this issue," hoping that a future framework will further enhance the defense cooperation between our two countries. Once approved, the proposed agreement would allow Filipino and Japanese forces to deploy troops on each other's territory for training and other operations. Tolentino stressed that the deal in-waiting will definitely boost defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific zone amid concerns over escalating tensions in the South China Sea region--particularly along the disputed territories located in the West Philippine Sea. Tolentino, who is also the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, earlier this year proposed the conduct of a multilateral show of maritime security cooperation with the United States and our neighboring countries belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) amid series of reported escalations near the West Philippine Sea. The senator explained that expanding the conduct of joint patrols--to include other claimant countries in Southeast Asia--will help ensure the freedom of navigation, exercise of fishing rights, and, somehow, pacify existing tensions due to territorial disputes hounding the South China Sea region.
Expectations from summit meetings of Arab leaders have always been modest, but the last gathering in Jeddah showed something like exhaustion

When Arab leaders posed for a family photograph during their summit meeting in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia Al-Sudani refused to stand in the back row and instead moved to join those in the front.

A photograph released by the Saudi Foreign Ministrys Twitter account did not show Al-Sudani posing alongside the rest of the Arab leaders, however, raising eyebrows about the apparent absence of the Iraqi premier from the usual picture.

Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman greeted Al-Sudani before the start of the summit without the traditional hugs and kisses that he exchanged with other Arab League leaders, including Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, who was freshly readmitted to the groups dynamics.

Though the Saudi Foreign Ministry later published a new picture with Al-Sudani posing shoulder to shoulder with other heads of state, many Iraqis, including members of parliament, voiced their outrage on social media for the apparent forgoing of their leader.

It was not immediately clear what was behind the diplomatic hiccup, but it revealed the fine political line that the Arab nations walk and the delicacy of their ties even when their leaders gathered for what was dubbed as a unity summit.

Moreover, the modest outcome of the summit, which skirted concrete action on many of the troublesome issues facing the Arab world, has again demonstrated the inability of the bloc to work effectively to ensure prosperity and peace for its peoples.

Saudi Arabia hosted the annual summit with an ambitious agenda that included regional security, stability, Palestinian-Israel peace, regional conflicts, and economic and cyber-technology challenges. But above all the oil-rich Kingdom sought to showcase the event as a venue for its regional supremacy.

However, the summit concluded with a simple political statement reiterating previous Arab League positions on the ongoing crises in Lebanon, Libya, Sudan and Yemen.

On the lingering Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the summit reaffirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause to the Arab countries and stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue.

On non-political issues, the summits Jeddah Declaration stressed the importance of sustainable development, and the need to build food supply chains, to encourage investment, and to increase water desalination. It also committed League members to continuing the fight against crime and corruption at all levels.

The declaration expressed the leaders concerns about the multiple challenges faced by the region, but there was little evidence that they have worked out credible plans to resolve them. In short, the outcome was wearily familiar: the region remains in trouble, but the push to tackle it is falling short of the rhetoric.

The summit was overshadowed by the presence of Al-Assad, who was invited to join it by Saudi Arabia earlier this month. The Syrian president has been ostracised by most of the world since 2011, when his bloody crackdown on a popular uprising sparked one of the regions most savage civil wars.

Al-Assads appearance was expected to add heft and drama to a summit usually seen as a talking shop that is hardly of use in the eyes of many in Arab public opinion. But the surprise appearance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which swiftly sucked attention away from Al-Assad, put the gathering under the worlds spotlight.

Addressing the summit, Zelensky, dressed in his trademark military clothing, urged the attendees to take an honest look at Russias war against Ukraine, which has prompted much soul-searching in the Arab world but little condemnation of Russia.

Unfortunately, there are some in the world and here among you who turn a blind eye to those illegal annexations [by Russia], said Zelensky in an emotional speech demanding support from the Arab leaders, some of them, like Al-Assad, who have maintained strong ties to Russia.

Speaking after the Ukrainian leader, Al-Assad, who had prepared himself to deliver a triumphant speech, rejected the notion that the Arabs have re-embraced Syria by inviting him to the gathering which was dubbed by Saudi media as Summit of Embrace.

Syria is the beating heart of pan-Arabism. He who is the heart cannot be placed in the folds, he boasted. What is important is to leave domestic issues to the people while our duty remains to prevent foreign interventions only when requested.

Regardless of the rhetoric and who got the spotlight at the summit, the event would have been a challenging affair under the best of circumstances, given the wide-ranging crises the Arab region faces.

The run-up to the gathering was dominated by anxiety over developments that are reshaping the Middle East two decades after the US-led invasion of Iraq that overthrew Saddam Hussein and 12 years after the upheavals triggered by the Arab Spring that toppled several regimes, threatened others, and drove some countries into civil wars.

Most significantly in this perspective, wealthy Arab Gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE readily filled the geostrategic vacuum created by the chaos at the expense of traditional regional powerhouses such as Egypt, Iraq, and Syria.

Thanks to their huge financial resources, the Gulf monarchies are seeking to remake the regional political landscape. They are using their economic power, managed by newly expanded sovereign wealth funds, through the deployment of billions of dollars worth of investments in the region.

Meanwhile, the Gulf states quiet rise has given way to more vocal expressions of aspirations towards regional power and a more assertive posture, particularly with regard to leveraging their success to gain regional influence.

The Gulf nations are aspiring to be key players in the larger power game in the region as China and Russia increase their footprints in the Middle East in response to broader geopolitical shifts, notably the diminished role of the US, and weave the region into their global ambitions.

Saudi Arabia has indicated its willingness to respond to the emerging geopolitical shifts by doubling down on economic cooperation and displaying political and cultural soft power in order to secure a prominent regional role.

After decades of pursuing a foreign policy closely aligned with the US, Saudi Arabia is moving towards a more independent and assertive approach. It has improved ties with Turkey and Qatar and mended ties with regional rival Iran. It has also boasted of its political, economic, and military ties with China and Russia.

Saudi Arabia might view its new policy of detente and last weeks summit as ways to show its newly assertive diplomacy and ambitions to play a regional leadership role. But there are also reasons to believe that despite its economic strength and political clout, it is not clear that the Kingdom can really dominate the regional arena.

The new regional order is still taking shape, and it is hard to believe that it can be enforced by one regional heavyweight, no matter what economic potential it possesses. The regional order established by the victorious allies after World War I might not be perfect, but it has been remarkably enduring.

Beyond the headlines from the Jeddah Summit, however, Syrias readmission to the Arab League does not mean that there is now common ground on how to tackle the crisis in the sharply divided and wrecked nation.

The summit underscored that not every Arab country has been eager to mend ties with Al-Assad. Qatar has said that it will not normalise relations with him, and Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani walked out of the meeting when Al-Assad started his speech at the summit.

When it comes to the growing Saudi rapprochement with Iran, there have been no signs that the Chinese brokered-agreement will make the Islamic Republic change the course of its basic regional policies, including its support for proxies let alone its competition for regional leadership.

As international pressure to make Iran comply with the 2015 nuclear deal with the West eases, Iran may even be closer to weaponising its nuclear programme.

Further complicating the picture is the reality that a new Middle East order is hard to imagine on the ground without Iran, Israel, and Turkey being included in its security structure.

These three powerful countries have always challenged a pan-Arab system and worked to supplant it with their own dynamism. Rise of a new regional order may evoke a tripolar system with Israel, Turkey and Iran at the helm still entertained by many Middle East watchers.

If anything, the Arab summit in Jeddah clearly showed that the region is going back to the status quo by trying to re-establish a new normal among its weary nations. Indeed, it revealed that with a new regional order emerging, the Arab League, which is synonymous with the Arab world, is the last rearing up of an entity that is exhausted.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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NEW YORK  Target is removing certain items from its stores and making other changes to its LGBTQ+ merchandise nationwide ahead of Pride month, after an intense backlash from some customers including violent confrontations with its workers.
The Rev. Ed McKinney, pastor of Stokesdale United Methodist Church, left, and Michael Hahn, right, pose for a photo near a welcoming sign at the church in Stokesdale, N.C., Monday, May 15, 2023. Some United Methodist regional conferences have begun designating Lighthouse congregations  ones that actively welcome people who wanted to stay United Methodist but whose former churches voted to leave. Other conferences use different names, such as Beacon or Oasis, but the idea is the same. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
The boss of rare earth miner Iluka says a deal between the United States and Australia to co-operate in the race to secure the key minerals needed to power the global energy transition is a once in a generation opportunity to boost Australias refining capacity.

The US and Australia announced on Saturday at the G7 meeting in Japan that they would partner to manage vulnerable critical mineral supply chains, with President Joe Biden saying he would ask Congress to define Australia as a domestic source for materials critical to defence and clean energy.

Governments and businesses around the world are scrambling to catch up to the US and China in the race to secure critical minerals. Credit: Jonathan Ernst, AP

The Biden administrations big-ticket funding package in the US  the $US369 billion ($584 billion) Inflation Reduction Act  is supercharging its clean energy economy and corralling the critical minerals needed to power its energy transition.

Governments and businesses around the world are scrambling to follow suit, but a deal between the US and Australia will rapidly expand mineral supplies to the US, potentially create more local refining capacity, and eventually underpin production of magnets and batteries in Australia.
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Review Eating outThornbury Dirty martini meets Greek salad at High Streets homely Hellenic hangout Capers Dani Valent May 23, 2023 Save Log in , register or subscribe to save recipes for later. You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Save this article for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime. Got it Share

The next-gen Greek restaurant has a dog-friendly courtyard. Darrian Traynor Greek$$$ You might not have thought you wanted a drink that tastes like the leftover juices in a salad bowl. But thats only because you havent imbibed a Greek Salad Martini at Capers, a next-generation Greek bar and eatery. Their twist on the dirty martini is infused with cucumber, olive brine, tomato and

vinegar: its the alcoholic version of the flavourful liquid that collects at the bottom of a Greek salad  minus the feta because Thornbury is thick with vegans. Its a great drink: tart and clean. The Greek salad martini. Darrian Traynor

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The cocktail list  theres also a Mastic Sour and Karpouzo with ouzo and watermelon  is one way to get a read on this sweet venue. You could also look at the decor: candlelit and lounge-roomy with timber-look tables, vinyl chairs, floral couches and icon paintings, giving way to a backyard forested with bamboo. Or you might consider the juxtaposition of hip DJs spinning records in the window with the older Greek gentlemen tapping cigarettes into cut-glass ashtrays at pavement tables. Its all very fond and cosy, which makes complete sense when you learn the backstory. Its the kind of place you can trust to make a tasty drink out of a salad. Cousins Christian Evripidou and Anastasios Konnari opened Capers in 2019 because they saw a few gaps: the neighbourhood needed a low-key hangout and the Greek dining scene could do with something a little more youthful.

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Both Evripidou and Konnari grew up working in Greek restaurants (in fact, the formers parents own GRK, the traditional tavern next door). They also wanted to pay homage to their grandparents, Yiayia Christina and Papou Vasos, back in Cyprus. Pastitsio pasta bake. Darrian Traynor Papou ran a souvlaki joint, but its yiayias food theyre celebrating here, modest baked dishes and braises, largely vegetarian, that youd only find at home. Chef Arianthi Maragoudakis has added family recipes from Crete. Put it all together and the menu gives the feeling of walking into a home where theres always something in the oven, maybe a couple of dishes on the table, an endless series of bites to stave off the slim possibility of an underfed guest. Youll find pastitsio, a pasta bake with tubular pasta, bechamel, and pork and beef ragu scented with cinnamon and nutmeg. Its a meal on its own but easy to share.

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Grilled feta with chilli jam. Darrian Traynor Lentil soup is a simple hug in a bowl, seasoned with lemon for spark. Spanakorizo is a hearty tumble of spinach and rice, the culinary equivalent of being wrapped in a blanket. There are meze: feta is grilled and dolloped with housemade chilli jam, olives and pickled octopus make great friends with Greek wine. Baklava ice-cream. Darrian Traynor

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Need sweet? The baklava ice-cream is a luscious slab of parfait laced with baklava flavours. Restaurants are all about feelings and Capers feels great, built with heart and shared with care, the kind of place you can trust to make a tasty drink out of a salad.

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I was amused by Saturdays article on headlines, says Gordon King of Alstonville. But why didnt you link it with the story about a new bridge across the Murray at Swan Hill? It could have been titled: Red tape holds up new bridge.

While discussing the humble tie (C8) has been educative, its time to unhitch, and with that we give you Lionel Latoszek of Long Jetty: In the mid-1970s a colleague in the Public Works Department was directed by his supervisor to put on his tie. He returned with his tie correctly attached three hours later, when the supervisor demanded an explanation for his long absence. He replied that his tie was in his wardrobe in Campbelltown.

Good to read the words of another old Bushy about Tom Deamer, a great teacher, declares David Sayers of Gwandalan. I kept in touch with Tom until his death. At that time we also had a new teacher, an eccentric Irishman, who wore his tie outside his jumper. This made him a target for the younger boys, who copied this tie-out style. He also walked on playground duty with his hands behind his back, slowly striding like a policeman on his beat. A conga line of boys would follow and mimic him, ties out. Poor chap only lasted one term.

I dont know about ties, but in the early 1960s a Sydney University lecturer appeared in front of class wearing an academic gown, recalls David Swain of Glenhaven. This was novel to our science-based class, and a student asked, Sir, have you had a new degree conferred? The lecturer replied he hadnt, but university rules stated lecturers must wear either a gown or a white laboratory coat when lecturing. All his lab coats were in the wash.

More goodwill on the passing of the great Brian Booth (C8), this time from Joy Cooksey of Harrington: A teacher friend used to use Brian Booth bats and bowls beautifully as a writing exercise to improve her students handwriting skills, followed by practice makes perfect.
The terrorism trial of Simon Fleming, who took hostages at gunpoint and sprayed bullets through a NSW suburb, has sensationally collapsed with a jury being ordered not to convict him over the daylight rampage.

Flemings mother, who has battled to get him psychiatric help for years, told the Herald she is relieved her son has finally been seen as the sad story that he is and not a violent terrorist.

The terrorism trial of Simon Fleming (inset) has sensationally collapsed.

Fleming, 41, marched into a Windang dive shop, outside Wollongong, in the midst of a psychotic episode and held two men at gunpoint. He had a fake bomb and a manifesto on a USB in his pocket.

Flemings manifesto, titled The Fuse, drew on familiar right-wing extremist beliefs about Muslims and the replacement of the white race. Flemings writings and fixation with World War II memorabilia, including a Nazi flag in his home and weapons, convinced police that the attack was politically motivated.
There may be nothing more indicative of the bias and lack of objectivity in US mainstream media than the case of Khader Adnan, the Palestinian political activist and political detainee who died in the Ramla maximum security prison after an 87-day hunger strike in protest of his detention without trial.

The Israeli occupation authorities had refused to put him under medical observation as is generally the case with prisoners who go on hunger strike.

For more than a week since his death was reported in the Arab press on 2 May, I scoured the US press for some coverage of the circumstances surrounding his death. I found little more than brief news items. I would have thought that at least the New York Times and Washington Post, ever vigilant over human rights in the Arab region, would give extensive coverage to Adnans case which features an entire gamut of human rights abuses of the sort that fill these newspapers columns when it comes to our Arab countries.

In addition to the refusal of the Israeli authorities to give the detainee proper medical care which is just one of the human rights violations Israel committed this was the sixth time he had been imprisoned under Israels policy of administrative detention. This is Israels tool for arbitrarily rounding up suspected political activists opposed to the occupation, which is another human rights violation. It is also a means to hold detainees for indefinite periods without filing charges.

Adnan was a member of the Palestinian Islamist Jihad (PIJ), but there is no evidence suggesting that he had ever resorted to violence or committed a crime punishable by law. Nevertheless he was held on the pretext of preventive detention which, in the framework of the administrative detention policy practised by Israel, is a means to avoid due process a fourth rights violation. It took no more than a warrant issued by a military court to place Adnan under preventive detention. He had never seen, nor would he ever see, a normal judicial process.

You would be mistaken to think that the rights violations stopped here. International human rights law also covers the body of the deceased and the right of his relatives to receive it so that they can bury it according to the rites of their faith. However, the Israeli authorities have refused to hand over Adnans body to his wife.

In fact, right in front of me as I write this, is a statement by an Israeli security official that appeared in the Israeli press saying that the Israeli authorities would not release his body because they planned to use it as a bargaining chip to secure the release of Israeli POWs in Gaza. Yet the US press mentioned nothing of these human rights violations, a subject that Washington generally utilises to its own political ends.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 May, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Private schools in Victoria will be stripped of their long-held exemption to payroll tax next year, netting the state more than $420 million in revenue over three years.

The change means that many private schools will, for the first time, pay two other levies on top of their new payroll tax obligation: the mental health levy that was introduced last year and a new temporary increase to payroll tax that was announced in Tuesdays budget.

About 110 of the states highest-fee schools will lose their payroll tax exemption from July 2024. Credit: Vince Caligiuri

The schools will have to pay 4.86 per cent payroll tax and the additional two levies, which will each add between 0.5 per cent and 1 per cent to the tax bill of affected schools, depending on their size.

About 110 of the states highest-fee non-government schools will lose their payroll tax exemption from July 2024. The budget papers say the change will affect roughly the 15 per cent of schools that have the most expensive fees, though many mid-fee schools could also pay more.
Athens: Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis didnt just defy the pollsters with his landslide election victory in Greece on Sunday. He also bust open the constraints that his main political opponent had tried to place on him.

Mitsotakis defeated his leftist opponent Alexis Tsipras, but he also outmanoeuvred the far more powerful version of Tsiprass Syriza party from 2015.

Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, leader of New Democracy party, speaks to supporters outside the partys headquarters in Athens following the general election on Sunday. Credit: Bloomberg

Back then, Syriza brought Greece close to being kicked out of the euro, and a year later changed the electoral law to prevent parties like Mitsotakiss New Democracy from winning majorities.

Tsipras had argued that a proportional system that pushed parties into coalitions was more democratic. But with 41 per cent of the vote compared to about 20 per cent for Syriza, Mitsotakis has signalled that hes not interested in an electoral pact and instead will look to press home his advantage with a fresh ballot.
Washington: Two weeks after a US federal jury found Donald Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, his accuser E. Jean Carroll has sought additional damages in response to the former presidents ongoing insults.

The New York author, who was this month awarded $US5 million ($7.4 million) in a trial against Trump, is now seeking a very substantial additional amount after he continued to attack her on air just a day after she won her case.

The attacks were made during a one-hour town hall event broadcast live on CNN, in which Trump echoed his earlier claim that Carroll had made up the story about being assaulted by him in a lingerie dressing room of department store Bergdorf Goodman in the mid-1990s.

Despite a photograph showing them together, he also claimed again that he had never met Carroll and used the CNN forum to call her a wack job and dismissed her account of the incident as hanky-panky.
Explaining Unleaded 88 Gasoline - aka E15, A Public Service Announcement (We Believe Its So Important To Have A Knowledgeable Citizenry We Support the Billion Dollar Ethanol Industry With Free Promotion and Advertising)

The Auto Channel Ownership Expounds; Marc and I believe its a victory if after we teach motorists about Ethanol and they then choose to fill-up with Unleaded 88, a victory for us all even when we give charity to the Ethanol Stakeholders, free promotion and advertising to inform American Motorists that its OK to use Unleaded 88.

Marc and I both believe it our patriotic duty to do everything within our means to help establish the use of all blends of Ethanol fuel in both the near term and for the long term, as its the best All-American substitute for gasoline.

We have made this commitment even though we are in jeopardy of closing our 30 year old publication, silencing the voice of the only independent deliverer of Ethanol Truth and a voracious supporter of the only alt-fuel that can actually compete against the people who hate America and what we stand for.

Every day for over 20 years The Auto Channel has GIVEN FREE advertising, op ed support, lectures and media promotion a bully pulpit to tell the truth about Ethanol Fuel without us receiving normal media or PR compensation.

I continue to hope and pray that the Corn Growers, Ethanol Distillers and other Stakeholder's finally recognize that our charity in support of their industry is embarrassing to them and us and continues to be harmful to their best media friend in the world The Auto Channel, it's time for a Quid Pro Quo so we can help move Unleaded 88 into top of motorist's positive awareness

Turn About is Fair Play: Ethanol Industry Zings the Oil Industry

with Brilliant Branding Strategy

By Marc J. Rauch

Exec. Vice President/Co-Publisher

THE AUTO CHANNEL

FIRST, A LITTLE BACKGROUND







A hundred years ago, as internal combustion engine vehicles (automobiles, airplanes, and boats) started requiring a better gasoline to eliminate engine knock in high compression engines, ethanol was the only practical additive. Of course, ethanol could have been used by itself to replace gasoline, but then the rich and powerful oil industry would hardly agree to that.

Top automobile people and scientists (i.e., Kettering, Midgely, Ford, Otto, Ricardo, Edison, Bell, Hale, Christensen, and Thompson) all believed that ethanol was the superior fuel..."the fuel of the future."

In the early 1920's, General Motors top engineers invented leaded gasoline by adding tetra-ethyl lead (TEL). When GM combined their patents with similar patents owned by Standard Oil and DuPont, you had three of the largest and most influential companies in the world wielding their financial and political power to assure the unrivaled success of leaded gasoline.

There was a problem with using TEL in gasoline: it's extremely dangerous. Inhaling and touching TEL to bare skin can, and did, kill people. Some victims didn't die, they just went insane. Workers at the plants manufacturing leaded gasoline referred to the TEL-gasoline concoction as "looney gas." There were many attempts to outlaw or limit the use of TEL, but the financial muscle of the TEL proponents was too much to overcome.

In order to disguise the dangerous nature of leaded gasoline - to hoodwink the public and less knowledgeable politicians - Standard Oil branded it "Ethyl." This was a near perfect answer because it combined a portion of the formal name of the ingredient, giving it some connection, and it also took advantage of the similarity to "ethanol," which some people understood to be the original and safe way to mitigate engine knock.

Over the years, the petroleum oil industry has relied on semantic word play and creative branding several times to dupe the public and enhance acceptance of their products. The story of "ethyl" is one example. Another less known example is the term "fossil fuels." The term was a creation of Standard Oil (perhaps old John D, himself), and introduced at an international scientific convention in the late 1800's. One of the reasons for the gathering of scientists was to establish common unanimity in words, terms, definitions, and processes. Standard Oil suggested "fossil fuels" as a way to add some romance and nobility to the issue. In fact, fossil fuels are not fossil fuels as they do not derive from ancient decayed organisms. Dinosaurs did not die to give us engine fuel. Coal and petroleum oil come from inert minerals. Tom Quinn, CEO and president of E-Fuel Corporation, points out that Saturn's moon Titan has hundreds of times more liquid hydrocarbons than all the known oil and natural gas reserves on Earth, yet there is absolutely no evidence that dinosaurs ever existed on Titan. The proper term for these fuels is "abiotic fuels."

In any event, "fossil fuels" was a very clever marketing gimmick.

Still another branding deception that's been used by the oil industry - one that I've written about on several occasions - is the industry's use of BTU (British Thermal Units) rating to portray gasoline as being superior to ethanol and other potential internal combustion engine fuels. BTU was created as a way to describe and rank a fuel's capability to heat water. The purpose of heating the water is to create steam for steam-powered engines (the last steam-powered cars sold in America were about 100 years ago). Today, our standard engines are Internal combustion engines, which are not powered by hot water or steam - if your internal combustion engine is producing steam, there's something very wrong.

It is a fact that petroleum diesel fuel and gasoline do have higher BTUs than ethanol. However, citing the BTU ranking is merely a coincidental deception. A gasoline-powered engine using gasoline usually produces greater mileage output than when ethanol is used simply because the characteristics of the engine are optimized to run on gasoline. The same engine optimized to run on ethanol will provide equal or better mileage, despite the lower "energy content" of ethanol. So while it's true that gasoline has more BTUs than ethanol, and that petroleum diesel fuel has more BTUs than bio-diesel, the energy content rating is irrelevant. (For more details about BTUs and engine fuels read The Irrelevance Of BTU Rating)

THE BRILLIANCE OF UNLEADED 88 GASOLINE

Recently, some ethanol organizations and friendly fuel retailers have begun using "Unleaded 88" as a way to brand E15 fuel. It's a brilliant move because it helps to diffuse the noxious and obnoxious anti-ethanol myths* invented and spread by the oil industry to denigrate ethanol. (Read the Growth Energy press release by CLICKING HERE.)

You could say that Growth Energy and other ethanol proponents have taken a page right out of the oil industry's playbook...except for one thing: Labeling E15 as Unleaded 88 Gasoline is an accurate, benign statement. "Unleaded 88" isn't used to hide the deadly nature of anything. Unleaded 88 Gasoline is as advertised: It does not contain tetraethyl lead, it is an 88 octane fuel. You can't drink Unleaded 88, you shouldn't engage in recreational inhalation of it, and you shouldn't wash your hands in it, but that's because of the gasoline and aromatic components, not the ethanol.

By comparison, if the oil industry was similarly truthful, leaded gasoline would have been branded "Poison," not "Ethyl." Gasoline with MTBE would have been branded "Reformulated Poison." Gasoline without ethanol (E0) that contains added benzene, toluene, and/or xylene to boost octane and reduce engine knock, should be branded "SUPER Poison."

By the way, there's something that I forgot to mention in the "Background" section above: Tetraethyl lead was extremely corrosive. To reduce TEL's corrosive characteristics, the industry added another chemical called ethylene bromide. Ethylene bromide is also deadly to humans. Therefore, to be accurate, leaded Ethyl gasoline could have been called "Double Poison," and advertised as "Now with twice the ingredients to sicken or kill humans!"

The issue of Unleaded 88 Gasoline has come-to-the-fore in the last week or so because of some articles feigning confusion over the labeling, as if the public will be left out on the perch in a precarious predicament. To me, there's no doubt that the false alarms are instigated by American Petroleum Institute or one of their derivative fake affiliates. One such article - in a Q&A format - was published by The Gazette news organization, written by Frank Schultz, a crime reporter. (Sure seems like a strange reporting assignment choice to me.)

Mr. Schultz received significant assistance from Nick Jarmusz, a spokesman for AAA. Although I generally respect AAA, at least in matters related to traffic statistics and travel prognostication, they have a long history of providing false or misleading information about ethanol. This article is a perfect example of the misinformation I'm talking about. It misstates everything, from ethanol subsidies (there is no ethanol subsidy) to the ridiculous claims that E15 can unduly harm an internal combustion engine. The article doesn't say how the engine can be damaged, it just makes the same old fallacious empty-headed Big Oil claim.

Ethanol is compatible with more engine parts and components than gasoline and the aromatics (benzene, toluene, and xylene) that are used in place of ethanol. Wear and tear is normal in an internal combustion engine; wear and tear is normal in any multi-part organism or mechanical device...and it is normal regardless of the 'fuel' used. Corrosion of parts is also a normal occurrence, but incidence of corrosion in an internal combustion engine and fuel system is more likely due to gasoline and aromatics than to ethanol. (If you doubt this then read "Why Do Small Engines Suffer From Ethanol Problems?" and check out all the chemical compatibility data bases and video demonstrations included in the article.)

Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of Renewable Fuels Association, wrote an excellent rebuttal to the Schultz/Jarmusz Gazette article. Geoff correctly sets forth the extensive EPA testing and approval of E15 in all gasoline-powered cars, trucks, vans manufactured since 2001.

But the testing and approval story is actually bigger than just the EPA's results because Ricardo Laboratories (probably the world's most respected private laboratory dealing with fuels) has stated that E15 is safe for all gasoline powered vehicles produced since the mid-1990's.

Furthermore, E15 and higher ethanol-gasoline blends have been safely and economically used in gasoline-powered vehicles and power equipment in Brazil and Europe for decades (See: "The Hypocrisy of Big Oil and API"). If a common brand-named lawn mower and passenger vehicle of any year can safely use E27 in Brazil (and they can), then they sure-as-shooting can use E15 and higher in North America, regardless of what the EPA says.

The information contained in the Gazette article also includes some out-of-context confusing gibberish related to detergents and octane levels in gasoline. Detergents are needed in gasoline because of gasoline's inefficient burning. This is the cause of the debris that results in all the crud/goo/gunk/crap that can build up in an engine. Ethanol does not cause this problem. Ethanol helps to clean up the mess, as well as prevent the build-up after an engine has been cleaned. Gasoline that contains ethanol needs less or even no detergents. The solvent characteristic of ethanol is another benefit of ethanol, which does happen to have a substantially higher octane level than regular ethanol-free gasoline. However, premium ethanol-free gasoline, which has a higher octane rating than regular ethanol-free gasoline (91 vs. 87 respectively) would also need a detergent additive to combat the debris build-up, so the reason to use an gasoline-ethanol blend goes beyond the issue of octane.

Mr. Jarmusz states that a higher octane fuel provides no performance benefit to an engine designed to operate on a lower octane fuel. This is essentially correct, but it's beside the point because using a higher octane fuel will also not have any detrimental effect on an engine designed to operate on a lower fuel. In my opinion, bringing up the subject is akin to Groucho Marx' on-screen complaint that a restaurant's "ice isn't cold enough" - in other words, it's done just for effect as a piling-on tactic.

Moreover, newer vehicle engines are requiring higher octane fuels to meet environmental goals, so Unleaded 88 can address this need in an economical way.

The discussion of octane levels does give me the opportunity to expose yet another way that the oil industry rips off consumers.

E10 should be a blend of roughly 90% gasoline (87 octane) and 10% ethanol (113 octane). If you were 'splash blending' the fuel yourself - that is to say, you pumped 9 parts E0 gasoline into your tank and then moved to another pump to dispense 1 part E100, you would have a blend that is 89 octane (which is equal to a more expensive mid-grade fuel). However, the oil industry intentionally dumbs down the gasoline in E10 by using less expensive 84 octane gasoline mixed with 113 octane ethanol. The problem with this is that a vehicle designed to run on 87 octane gasoline is optimized to run on the characteristics of 87 octane gasoline, not 84 octane gasoline. It's a given that the ethanol will have different ignition characteristics than 87 octane gasoline, which would be expected to produce fewer miles per gallon. But the 84 octane gasoline will likely also generate fewer miles per gallon than 87 octane. This can worsen the mileage difference between 87 octane E0 and E10, making it appear that E10 is that much more inferior to E0. In other words, E10 formulated with 87 octane instead of 84 octane could/should provide better MPG. Unfortunately, this would require straight-shooting from the oil industry.

By the way, the wholesale cost of E100 can be as low as half the rack (wholesale) price of 87 octane regular E0 gasoline, and sometimes even less. The rack price of 84 octane regular E0 gasoline can be 10 to 15 cents per gallon less than the 87 octane gasoline. This all means that the oil industry is nickel and diming us every step of the way, along side of their untrue attacks on ethanol.

RECAP

Unleaded 88 Gasoline (E15) can be safely and economically used in all internal combustion engines regardless of year of manufacture. This is proven by Brazil's decades long use of E15, E25, and now E27. They have the same engines and fuel systems as those available in the U.S. In addition, E15 to E30 was used throughout Great Britain from the 1920's to the 1970's. This is also true of other countries such as France and Germany.

I understand that there can be a manufacturer warranty issue with using E15 and higher ethanol level fuel in some engines. If you have a vehicle or power equipment that tells you not to use a particular blend level because it can void your warranty, and you're concerned about this, THEN DON'T USE THE FUEL, USE ONLY THE RECOMMENDED FUEL...and wait until the warranty is expired to experiment. For vehicles and power equipment that is no longer under warranty, use whatever blend you wish. Start low, increase blend levels slowly over numerous fill-ups. If you get to a point where you believe that the engine is not operating at peak performance, back off until you find the sweet spot (the best ethanol-gasoline blend level for your machine).

If you think I'm incorrect and that ethanol will be unduly harmful to a particular type of rubber, plastic, or metal component, send me the name of the material and let me investigate it (email me at marc@theautochannel.com). I'm as happy to provide correct, substantiated warning information as I am to tell you that ethanol is safe. If there is a common engine component that is more susceptible to ethanol corrosion than to gasoline or aromatic corrosion, it's no skin off my nose to publicly acknowledge it.

The petroleum oil industry is not the consumers' friend. They sell poison. They lie. They are responsible for untold millions of deaths and illnesses. They are the cause of wars and most international terrorism. There is no "American" oil industry. There is a self-interested industry that may have a headquarters office in America. Executives in the biggest oil companies have proven time and again that they will sell out our country and fellow citizens for their own gain. This is true of all oil companies and the countries that think they have a "domestic oil industry."

As an American, I would rather have my fuel money go to American farmers than to foreign dictators and terrorist regimes. If I was Australian, British, French, Mexican, New Zealand, etc., I would say the same thing about that respective country's farmers.







If you like to know more about ethanol fuel, LOTS MORE, read my 641-page book "THE ETHANOL PAPERS." It is available online for FREE by CLICKING HERE.

*Oil industry myths (lies & gross distortions) to combat Ethanol:

 Ethanol sucks water right out of the air

 Food vs fuel - prices and food availability

 Ethanol damages engines

 Creates greater emissions problems

 Has lower energy content BTU  lower MPG

 EROEI - Ethanol production is energy negative

 Requires too much water for production

 Chemical fertilizer creating environmental nightmare

 Ethanol gets unfair, wasteful government subsidies

For additional relevant information, read CARB, GM, SoCal Edison and Others Join Forces to Keep California in the Lead of the Great Electric Vehicle Scam.
New Car Buying: Leveling The Playing Field: Auto Dealers Getting Cars They NEED To Sell Again

No More Over MSRP Deals Too Bad So Sad

SEE ALSO: New car and Truck Reviews

Washington DC May 23, 2023; The AIADA Online newsletter reported that the availability of new cars and trucks on dealership lots is bouncing back, and for some brands is stronger than expected.

Buyers are finding a bigger selection of models to choose from this spring selling season, in large part because of easing supply-chain woes and more stable factory output.

The replenished inventory also is shaping up to be an important test for car companies, many of which have said in recent years they would keep availability permanently constrained, reports The Wall Street Journal. Some brands, such as Jeep and Buick, are already getting heavy on stock, according to industry data.

If supplies get bloated, it could put an end to the lofty prices and big profits the industry has enjoyed since the pandemics early days, analysts say.

We had times where you could have a helicopter land on my lot, said David Kelleher, president of a dealership group based in Glen Mills, Pa., that sells the Chrysler, Ram, Jeep, and Dodge brands. Now, he is seeing stock levels swell, including on some specific models, he said.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
Cameroons celebration this year coincides with the 60 th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity

On the occasion of the 51 anniversary of its unity, Ambassador of Cameroon in Cairo and dean of the African diplomatic corps, Dr Mohamadou Labarang, held a celebration, on 20 May.

In it, he stressed that this day represents the consolidation of national unity and integration among the spectrums of the people belonging to one nation, despite the ethnic diversity representing 280 different ethnic groups.

Labarang added, The dispatch of the deputy foreign minister to celebrate the National Day of Cameroon reflects the extent of Egypts interest in strengthening the distinguished historical relations between the two countries.

The slogan of the celebration was under this theme, The defense forces and Cameroonian people in solidarity for peacekeeping and national unity are the basis of a prosperous Cameron.

Cameroons celebration this year coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity.

For his part, Ambassador Hamdy Louza, deputy foreign minister for African Affairs, said that Cameroons celebration this year coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Organization of African Unity, which calls for vigorous efforts to overcome the challenges facing the continent as the Cameroonian president said in order to achieve the vision of the African Union.

Loza explained, The slogan of the celebration must be carried by all African countries, especially Sudan which is going through difficulties that threaten its unity, stability, and prosperity.



The celebration was attended by several members of the diplomatic corps, and included a presentation of Cameroons most delicious food along with a folkloric performance.

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Sporadic artillery fire still echoed in Sudan's capital Tuesday but residents said fighting had calmed following a US and Saudi-brokered ceasefire, raising faint hopes in the embattled city.

In the sixth week of the war, witnesses reported a relative calm had taken hold, both in greater Khartoum and in the Darfur region's cities of Nyala and El Geneina, which have been among the other main battlegrounds.

"We have not heard shelling in our neighborhood since last night," said a witness in southern Khartoum.

Residents had reported combat and air strikes in different districts of the capital minutes after the ceasefire formally started at 9:45 pm (1945 GMT) on Monday.

The battles since April 15 have killed an estimated 1,000 people, sparked mass evacuations of foreigners, and forced more than a million people to flee their homes internally and across borders, fuelling concerns for regional stability.

The week-long truce aims to allow desperately needed humanitarian aid for civilians, and restoration of essential services.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a video message that the truce is "backed by a remote monitoring mechanism" supported by the US.

"If the ceasefire is violated, we'll know," he said. "And we will hold violators accountable through our sanctions and other tools at our disposal."

Fighting pits the army, led by Sudan's de facto leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces of his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Those unable to flee have run low on water, food, and basic supplies, and more than half the population, 25 million people, are in need of humanitarian aid, according to the UN.

"Seven days is not a long time if you look at the massive scale of humanitarian emergency in Sudan," International Committee of the Red Cross regional director for Africa, Patrick Youssef, told AFP on Tuesday.

"But we are also in a situation where every minute counts and can provide a much-needed respite," he said.

The text of the truce deal says warring parties agreed to secure "unimpeded road access along designated corridors or routes for humanitarian assistance delivery."

Aid workers are waiting impatiently for those promised corridors to materialize. No permits had been authorized as of Tuesday, one international humanitarian worker told AFP on condition of anonymity, due to safety concerns.

'Alone, abandoned'

"The whole country is taken hostage," and both parties have "singularly failed" to respect international humanitarian law, the UN's expert on human rights in Sudan, Radhouane Nouicer, said Tuesday.

"People feel alone and abandoned amid a chronic shortage of food, drinking water, homes destroyed, indiscriminate attacks in residential areas and widespread looting."

The pause in fighting longed for by Khartoum residents would also enable more of them to flee the city. The United Nations said nearly 650,000 had already done so during the war, in which numerous ceasefires previously announced were quickly violated.

Before it began, there had been an absence of signals on the ground that the latest truce would be honoured.

Volker Perthes, the UN envoy to Sudan, told the Security Council on Monday that "fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite a commitment by both sides not to pursue military advantage before the ceasefire takes effect".

The US and Saudi Arabia said this agreement was different because the seven-page document was "signed by the parties" and would be supported by the monitoring mechanism.

Neither side has directly blamed the other for breaking this truce -- as they did within minutes after previous ceasefires collapsed.

But the health ministry released a statement on Tuesday accusing the RSF of violating hospitals.

The ministry, loyal to Burhan, said RSF troops "stationed themselves" inside two hospitals in greater Khartoum Tuesday, "assaulting medical staff and ejecting patients".

The RSF called the accusations "lies".

Major fighting has devastated the Darfur region near Chad, where the UN has reported hundreds of civilians killed in the West Darfur capital El Geneina.

Perthes in his Security Council address warned that "the conflict risks to expand and prolong... with implications for the region."

"In parts of the country, fighting between the two armies or the two armed formations has sharpened into communal tensions, or triggered conflict between communities," he said, after reports of civilians being armed in Darfur.

Sudan has a long history of military coups. The army 2019 overthrew the veteran Islamist autocrat Omar al-Bashir after mass protests against his rule.

Sudanese were promised a gradual transition toward civilian rule, but Burhan and Daglo staged another coup in October 2021 before simmering tensions between the two men flared into the current war.

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A record number of companies are unable to cover even the interest on their loans due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Bank of Korea analyzed the earnings of 25,871 businesses last year and found that 34.5 percent could not fully meet their monthly interest payments, up around four percentage points on-year.

The interest coverage ratio is calculated by dividing operating profit by loan interest, and a reading below 100 means companies do not make enough money to cover interest payments.

Kim Dae-jin at the BOK said, "The number of companies with low interest coverage ratios increased as many transportation and petrochemical companies suffered losses due to the coronavirus pandemic and declining oil prices."

But some businesses' sales rose in the pandemic, and so did their ability to service their debt. In the semiconductor and household-appliance sectors, the proportion of companies whose interest coverage ratio surpassed 500 percent rose from 40.9 percent in 2019 to 41.1 percent last year.

The average interest coverage ratio of all businesses rose from 367.6 percent to 391.5 percent.

Corporate profits declined 3.2 percent last year, the biggest decline on record and the first consecutive decline for two years. Manufacturers' sales fell 3.6 percent and non-manufacturers' 2.6 percent. Large companies' sales dropped 4.3 percent, while small and mid-sized companies' sales edged up 0.8 percent.
The European Union fined Meta a record $1.3 billion on Monday and ordered it to stop transferring user data across the Atlantic by October, the latest salvo in a decadelong case sparked by U.S. digital snooping fears.

The privacy fine of 1.2 billion euros from Ireland's Data Protection Commission is the biggest since the EU's strict data privacy regime took effect five years ago, surpassing Amazon's 746 million euro penalty in 2021 for data protection violations. The Irish watchdog is Meta's lead privacy regulator in the 27-nation bloc because the Silicon Valley tech giant's European headquarters is based in Dublin.

Meta, which had previously warned that services for its users in Europe could be cut off, vowed to appeal and ask courts to immediately put the decision on hold. "There is no immediate disruption to Facebook in Europe," the company said.

"This decision is flawed, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the EU and U.S.," Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global and affairs, and Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead said in a statement.

It's another twist in a legal battle that began in 2013 when Austrian lawyer and privacy activist Max Schrems filed a complaint about Facebook's handling of his data following former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden's revelations about U.S. digital snooping.

The saga has highlighted the clash between Washington and Brussels over the differences between Europe's strict view on data privacy and the comparatively lax regime in the U.S., which lacks a federal privacy law.
AARP Wyoming offers classes using colored pencils starting in early June. The class will be taught by award winning artist and instructor Lynn Jones and feature five sessions held in-person at AARP Wyoming offices in Cheyenne.

If you've always wanted to explore art through colored pencils this class is for you, says AARP Wyomings Jennifer Baier. Have fun while working your brain and enjoying others in the 50+ community.

The classes are free and open to the public, but registration is required by clicking here. The class is limited to the first 16 participants who register. As the class builds upon itself, please plan to attend all five weeks. For a full Syllabus and Supply List Here

The session dates and summary include:

June 3 - Session 1: A Great Beginning 1:00-3:30pm

June 10 - Session 2: Fruit and Greenery 1:00-3:30pm

June 17 - Session 3: Everyone Loves Florals 1:00-3:30pm

June 24 - Session 4: Luscious Landscapes 1:00-3:30pm

July 8 - Session 5: Creating Textures and Fixing Mistakes 1:00-3:30pm

Students in the class are required to provide their own art supplies. The list of supplies includes:

One pad of white, 9x12 Stonehenge paper by Legion - available at Art Supply Stores or on Amazon.

A set of 24 or 36 Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils. These should not student or school supply types. These are available at Sam's Club, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or on Amazon.

Two colorless blender Pencils by Prismacolor

A white block eraser

#2 Pencil

Pencil Sharpener

Graphite Paper for Tracing. This is available in Michaels "Craft Smart" red package. It is suggested that gray is better than black if you buy another brand.

AARP Wyoming will have a limited supply on hand in case you forget something or want to "try before you buy."
State-backed Chinese mouthpiece Global Times on Monday called the Group of Seven summit an "anti-China workshop," after Beijing summoned Japan's envoy and berated Britain in a fiery response to statements issued at the weekend G7 summit in Hiroshima.

A joint communique issued on Saturday singled out China on issues from Taiwan and nuclear arms to economic coercion and human rights abuses, underscoring the wide-ranging tensions between Beijing and the group of rich countries that includes the United States.

"The US is pushing hard to weave an anti-China net in the Western world," Global Times said in an editorial on Monday titled 'G7 has descended into an anti-China workshop.' "This is not just a matter of brutal interference in China's internal affairs and smearing China, but also an undisguised urge for confrontation between the camps," the editorial continued.

Beijing's foreign ministry said it firmly opposed the G7 statement and late Sunday said it had summoned Japan's ambassador to China as part of a pointed protest to the summit host. Russia, a close ally of China that was also called out in the G7 statement over its invasion of Ukraine, said the summit was an "incubator" for anti-Russian and anti-Chinese hysteria.

Separately, China's embassy in Britain on Sunday urged London to stop slandering China, after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Beijing represents the world's greatest challenge to security and prosperity.

The communique issued by the G7, which also includes Canada, France, Germany and Italy, mentioned China 20 times, the most in recent years and up from 14 mentions in 2022.
Batavia, NY (14020)

Today

Mostly sunny skies. High 79F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear skies. Low 49F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Daily News Migrant are pictured outside the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan early Monday.
Actress Go A-ra is returning to the big screen in her first action movie in about seven years, since "Phantom Detective" in 2016.

In "The Childe," directed by Park Hoon-jung and set for release next month, she teams up with actor Kim Seon-ho, who makes his big-screen debut.

"It is somewhat different from the roles I have played in the past, so I relied on Park and faithfully tried to follow his direction. Working with other actors was also very fun," she said at a press event in Seoul on Monday.

The film tells the story of a boxer with a complicated past who lives in the Philippines and travels to Korea in search of his estranged father.

The film is scheduled to hit theaters on June 21.
China has banned computer chips from U.S. memory chipmaker Micron Technology, raising jitters among Samsung and SK Hynix as the IT technology war between the U.S. and China intensifies.

Samsung produces 40 percent of its output of NAND flash chips in Xian, while SK Hynix's Wuxi plant rolls out 40 percent of its DRAM chips and 20 percent of its NAND flash output.

Under recent protectionist legislation in the U.S., there were fears that Samsung and SK might have to shut down their factories in China within the next 10 years. Under the CHIPS and Science Act, chipmakers that receive American subsidies are being pressured to move their production facilities out of China, but Korean companies won a reprieve that allows them to keep their factories as long as they do not build new facilities there.
Iam  born in Hawaii but is of Tongan and Samoan heritage  became the winner of the 21st season of the show, after he wowed the judges and the TV audience with his performance of 'Don't Let Go' by Spawnbreezie.
If youre not in Auckland on the day, dont worry about catching that FOMO, I spoke to Lighthouses legendary head distiller Rachel Hall and nabbed the instructions for you to make the spicy cocky-t at your place!
Citizen Group to File Complaint With Ethics Commissioner Over Johnstons Role as Special Rapporteur

David Johnston, Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference, presents his first report in Ottawa on May 23, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

A national democracy advocacy organization is filing a complaint with the federal ethics commissioners office, alleging that former governor general David Johnston is violating the Conflict of Interest Act in carrying out his appointed role as special rapporteur on foreign election interference because of his previous connections to Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus family.

The NGO Democracy Watch announced it would be filing the complaint on May 23the same day Johnston released his first report on his ongoing investigation into reports of interference in Canadas 2019 and 2021 elections. Trudeau appointed Johnston as special rapporteur on the matter in March.

Democracy Watch said the complaint sent to the ethics commissioners office claims Johnston is violating the federal Conflict of Interest Act by ruling on his old friend Justin Trudeaus actions on foreign interference.

The complaint comes less than a month after the organization filed another complaint with the ethics commissioner asking the parliamentary officer to rule on whether Trudeaus appointment of Johnston as special rapporteur was in itself a conflict of interest.

It is a violation of the [Conflict of Interest] Act to participate in any decision or action when there is an opportunity to further your own interests, your relatives interests, or the interests of a friend, and both Trudeau and Johnston are covered by the Act, Democracy Watch wrote in a press release on May 23.

The complaints stem from the fact that Johnston was previously a member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, named after the former prime minister. The foundation, which provides scholarship programs, recently came under fire after media reports said it received a $140,000 Beijing-linked donation in 2016.

Prime Minister Trudeau called Johnston a family friend in 2017.

Ethics

The position of the federal ethics commissioner is currently vacant after interim commissioner Martine Richard stepped down on April 19, holding the position for less than a month.

Cabinet received heavy criticism for its appointment of Richard to the position in late March as she is the sister-in-law of Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who said he did not partake in the cabinet vote to appoint her.

Richard worked in the ethics commissioners office for about a decade prior to her appointment as interim commissioner.

With the position now vacant for over a month, the office has been unable to initiate any new investigations until cabinet appoints a new commissioner.

Special rapporteur Johnston spoke with reporters on May 23 after issuing his first report on foreign election interference. The former governor general denied that his appointment to the role was a conflict of interest.

Johnston said that, prior to accepting the appointment, he asked former Supreme Court Justice Frank Iacobucci whether it would be a conflict of interest.

He [the judge] was very clear that theres no conflict of interest with respect to the Trudeau obligation, Johnston told reporters.

I have no doubt whatsoever that I had any conflict of interest and no doubt at allspeaking myselfabout my impartiality.
Africas First CBDC Push Encounters Slow Progress, IMF Says

Public adoption of Nigeria's eNaira turned out to be disappointingly low

People argue while in line outside a bank in Lagos, Nigeria, on Feb. 22, 2023, ahead of the presidential election scheduled for Feb. 25, 2023. (Patrick Meinhardt/AFP via Getty Images)

The Central Bank of Nigerias (CBN) efforts to make citizens adopt the eNaira central bank digital currency (CBDC) and move away from cash have been unsuccessful, according to a report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The eNaira, launched by the CBN on Oct. 25, 2021, was Africas first CBDC. In a May 16 IMF report, the organization analyzed the adoption of the eNaira after one year.

The take-up of the eNaira by households and merchants has been slow, the report reads. As indicated by the levels of wallet downloads and transactions, the public adoption of the eNaira thus far has been disappointingly low.

For any given week, 98.5 percent of eNaira digital wallets werent used.

The Nigerian government initially sought to encourage the adoption of the eNaira. In August 2022, the CBN removed access restrictions that allowed people to use the digital currency even without bank accounts. Then, in October 2022, it started offering discounts for people who used eNaira to pay for cab services.

However, as none of these measures were able to make Nigerians shift away from cash, the government took drastic measures. In December 2022, the CBN began restricting cash withdrawals. The limit was set at 100,000 naira ($225) per week for individuals, with businesses being allowed a limit of 500,000 naira ($1,123).

The government then decided to redesign the currency, which led to a cash shortage. Restrictions on cash usage and shortage of money upset Nigerian citizens, with people taking to the streets and protesting against the enforced policies.

The eNaira could have major implications for the world, with various central banks watching how the Nigerian CBDC fares as they prepare to introduce digital currencies in their own nations, investigative journalist Nick Corbishley told EpochTVs Crossroads in December 2022.

If banks have the ability to decide what individuals and businesses can and cant spend their money on, it will be unprecedented levels of control over us. according to Corbishley. That would mean restricting the financial transactions of individuals and businesses to certain spaces and places.

This is what is called programmable money, he said, comparing it to a kind of financial lockdown.

It is the loss of anonymity, it is the loss of privacy, and it is  the consolidation of a centralized power that most of us still cant even imagine what it would look like.

eNaira Usage

After an initial surge following the launch, eNaira wallet downloads tapered off, according to the IMF. While it only took 25 days for 500,000 wallets to be downloaded, it took 63 days to hit 600,000 downloads, and 143 days for the wallet to reach 700,000 downloads.

By November 2022, only 860,000 wallets were downloaded, equivalent to just 0.8 percent of the countrys active bank accounts.

Merchant wallet download has reached about 100,000 in end-June, which is about one eleventh of the number of merchants with Point-of-Sales (POS) terminalswhich enables credit or debit card payments, the report reads.

The average number of eNaira transactions since its inception amounts to about 14,000 per weekonly 1.5 percent of the number of wallets out there. This means that 98.5 percent of wallets, for any given week, have not been used even once.

CBDC Risks

The IMF report also pointed to potential risks involved in using the eNaira CBDC. The central bank digital currency may end up becoming a safer, cheaper, and faster to move around alternative to bank deposits.

Even in a benign scenario, banks can face lower profitability once CBDCs are introduced, as the digital currency can affect the banks core function of acting as a deposit holder. This has a financial stability implication, according to the report.

Moreover, CBDC may increase the risk of a bank run, by acting as a safe haven asset, in times of panic and distress, it reads.

The organization suggested that the issue may be tackled by lowering the holding limits during periods of financial stress and raised when appropriate by the CBN.

The IMF also stated that anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) risks of CBDC may not yet be fully understood.

To the extent that the eNaira facilitates a move to a cashless economy, it may alleviate AML/CFT risks. However, its element of anonymity and digital form may also bring new and untested form of risks as have crypto currencies in recent years (e.g., bitcoins requested as a ransom money in recent ransomware attacks), the report reads.

In January 2022, the U.S. Federal Reserve published a white paper on what a CBDC could look like. It asked for public comments on issues such as the potential risks and benefits a CBDC can have on the country. On April 20, the Fed released the responses in nine documents.

A majority of Americans responded negatively to the idea.

With this digital currency, the government would be able to usurp freedoms without the knowledge/consent of the public, a student from Texas said, noting that risks posed by CBDC include the breach of privacy, government overreach, and hacking.

The best e-hackers and cybersecurity personnel dont work for the government. They work in the private sector. It is naive to think, given the governments track record, that it could ever be trusted to secure such an asset.

A CBDC might also trigger a run on financial institutions, according to the student.

Our economy must remain a function of the constitutional mandate created by the founders, Rodger Reed from California said. By design, a CBDC does not serve the American people the way sound money does.

When the Fed asked, What additional potential benefits, policy considerations, or risks of a CBDC may exist that have not been raised in this paper? Charles Dowling from Colorado said, The people who are aware of reality do not respect the government whatsoever. And would probably not use your CBDC.

And no one wants an illegal, unconstitutional government poking into their business.

An analysis by the Cato Institute warned that CBDCs pose a foundational threat to Americas economic systems. A U.S. CBDC will eventually usurp the private sector and endanger the core freedoms of U.S. citizens, it said.

As such, CBDCs should have no place in the U.S. economy, the institute stated. It called on Congress to explicitly prohibit the Department of Treasury and the Federal Reserve from issuing CBDCs in any form.
Alberta Worker Who Refused COVID Shot Wins Case for Another Chance to Appeal for EI Benefits

Amanda Michaud will be permitted to appeal for Employment Insurance benefits that she had originally been denied after an appeal tribunal ruled in May 2023 that she is entitled to a hearing. (Photo Courtesy of Amanda Michaud)

An Alberta woman denied Employment Insurance (EI) benefits for refusing COVID-19 vaccination has won another chance to appeal for EI after having her first level of appeal to the government tribunal turned down.

Amanda Michaud, a biomedical equipment technologist, was placed on unpaid leave of absence during the pandemic due to non-compliance with her employers mandatory vaccination policy.

Michaud received a letter from her employer on Dec. 6, 2021, that explicitly stated the leave of absence was not disciplinary.

The letter stated, This leave is not disciplinary and will not be reported as such to your professional college (if applicable).

Her lawyer, James Kitchen, told The Epoch Times that when Michaud applied for EI on Dec. 22, 2021, the Canada Employment Insurance Commission decided that her suspension was for misconduct and that she wasnt entitled to EI benefits as a result.

Michaud sought reconsideration of that determination, but the EI Commission maintained its decision, according to court documents provided to The Epoch Times.

Alberta lawyer Jame Kitchen represents Amanda Michaud, who was denied employment insurance benefits in 2021 for refusing COVID shots as required by her employer. Michaud appealed to the Social Security Tribunal of Canada and will now have her case reconsidered. (Photo Courtesy of James Kitchen)

According to the process for EI appeals, Michaud turned to the Social Security Tribunal of Canada, filing an appeal on Aug. 11, 2022.

The first level of appeal, handled by the tribunals General Division, resulted in her being informed in October 2022 that the tribunal was considering a summary dismissal of her appealmeaning the case would be dismissed without a hearing. However, the tribunal asked that she provide written submissions explaining why her appeal had a reasonable chance of success.

She did not submit additional documents, and the tribunal dismissed her appeal summarily on Nov. 9, 2022, stating that her unpaid leave was due to misconduct, which would justify the denial of benefits.

Michaud then filed an appeal of that decision with the tribunals Appeal Division, the second level of appeal, and on May 4 she received a written decision in her favour.

Must Hold Hearing

The overview section of the May 4 decision said that the tribunals General Division did not hold a hearing to address the misconduct because it determined the Claimants appeal had no reasonable chance of success in that the appeal was bound to fail.

It said Michaud argued that the General Division made errors of jurisdiction, fact, and law and failed to observe a principle of natural justice by ignoring the Claimants legitimate expectations that she would receive Employment Insurance benefits.

The General Division said her case was hopeless and therefore refused to even hear it, Kitchen told The Epoch Times.

According to the court documents, the EI Commission agreed with Michaud that the General Division made an error in its determination that the appeal had to be summarily dismissed, and asked the Appeal Division to send the case back to the General Division for reconsideration.

The Appeal Division also agreed, stating, It is clear that the Claimant has more evidence and arguments to present. It would be unfair to deprive the Claimant of the chance to fully present her case.

According to the legal documents, the standard for dismissing an appeal is high. For example, if the claimant had insufficient insurable hours, that could be a reason for a summary dismissal.

The EI Commission was contacted for comment but did not reply by press time.

Other Cases Being Challenged

Michauds file will now be sent back to General Division to be properly considered. However, her request that the Appeal Division award costs against the EI Commission was denied.

Thousands of Canadians, including many of my clients, have been unlawfully denied their EI benefits after being let go from their jobs for exercising their right to decline the COVID vaccines, said Kitchen.

I am honoured to represent Ms. Michaud as she continues to hold the EI Commission legally accountable for withholding EI benefits from unvaccinated Canadians on the absurd basis they lost their jobs due to their own misconduct by refusing an ineffective and experimental medical intervention.

The constitutional lawyer said that while this is a win, ultimately he thinks Michaud may still have an uphill battle to get her benefits.

Im not giving up. There are other cases being challenged in Federal Court that I expect will set a new precedent, he said.

In the end Michaud will get her benefits, predicts Kitchen.
Australia to Provide Philippines With Drones, Training, Tech to Counter Chinas Belligerence

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong shake hands during a joint press conference, at a hotel in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines, on May 18, 2023. (Lisa Marie David - Pool/Getty Images)

Australia will provide the Philippines with drone equipment, training, and other technology to strengthen its Coast Guard maritime domain, awareness, and protection capabilities.

The announcement follows a visit to the Philippines by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong on May 18 and comes as the Southeast Asian nation is engaged in an increasingly hostile maritime dispute with Beijing.

Wong told journalists that the Australian government was deeply committed to elevating the relationship between the two countries to that of a strategic partnership as both are like-minded partners who seek a peaceful, open, and stable region.

We think that finalises what is already in practice a strategic partnership and a formal strategic partnership recognises the importance of our relationship and the depth and breadth of our cooperation, the foreign minister said.

The Philippines is a vital, longstanding security partner for Australia, and as our region navigates shifting strategic circumstances, we are working closely with each other to shape the sort of region we wanta peaceful, open, stable, prosperous region.

In order to achieve our common goal of peace and prosperity for our peoples, we need to work with like-minded partners. Well, we are a like-minded partner, and we see you as such. And we recognise that no single country can do this alone and that stronger and better partnerships result in better outcomes for all.

Wong also expressed that Australia would be open to increasing its maritime cooperation with the Philippines in the South China Sea and that both countries were working on how the logistics of that might occur.

Both countries want a region that is predictable, that operates by agreed rules, standards, and laws in which sovereignty is respected, Wong said.

Australia will also share information and provide technical assistance for maritime legislators and government officials to increase their capacity to deal with illegal fishing in the maritime zone.

Diplomacy Follows Chinas Increasingly Difficult Behaviour

The decision by the Australian government to ramp up to provide surveillance equipment and increase ties with the Philippines follows an increase in tension in the Indo-Pacific, during which Chinas communist regime has repeatedly violated the Philippines economic rights by illegally fishing in the nations waters and temporarily blinding a Filipino Coastguard crew with a military-grade laser.

Last month, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said they detected the presence of over 100 Chinese militia maritime vessels within the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ) from April 14 to April 24, with one of the Chinese ships carrying out dangerous maneuvers at a distance of 50 yards from a PCG patrol ship, posing a significant threat to the safety of its crew.

The Philippines have been forced to place a series of navigational buoys within the EEZ to mark its sovereignty over its EEZ in the South China Seawhich Manila refers to as the West Philippine Sea.

Vice Adm. Joseph Coyme, chief of the PCGs Maritime Safety Services Command, has told journalists that based on aerial surveillance conducted on May 13, the buoys are still in place but warned if Chinese boats touched the markers, there would be serious repercussions.

If we have evidence that they deliberately take out our installed buoys, which we believe are legitimate, there will be serious repercussions, Coyme said, according to local media Benar News.

US Also Strengthen Ties

The United States has also moved to strengthen its ties with the Philippines, with President Joe Biden meeting with Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House on May 1, where the two agreed to increase military coordination.

What weve seen recently is a series of continuing provocative acts on the part of China testing and probing into the Philippines waters, in areas of deep concern to the Philippines, a senior Biden administration official said during a press call on May 1.

The official added that Marcos was reluctant to place his country between the United States and China. However, he was now being forced to diversify the Philippines security engagements in light of the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) continued belligerence.

The Chinese have taken some steps that have been really concerning to the Philippine leadership, the official said.

Just earlier in the week, the Chinese ambassador to Manila gave a speech about changing circumstances in the Indo-Pacific and appeared to talk about the safety and security of the nearly 200,000 Filipinos living in Taiwan. I think many in the Philippines saw that as a veiled threat.

During that incident, Chinas ambassador to the Philippines, Huang Xilian, said that China would not renounce using force against Taiwan, including the 150,000 Filipinos living there.

The Philippines must cease its defence cooperation with the United States if you care about the 150,000 overseas [Filipinos in Taiwan], he said.

A State Department spokesman said on April 29 that any firing on PCG vessels would activate a defence treaty.

The United States stands with our Philippine allies in upholding the rules-based international maritime order and reaffirms that an armed attack in the Pacific, which includes the South China Sea, on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft, including those of the Coast Guard, would invoke U.S. mutual defence commitments under Article IV of the 1951 U.S. Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, the statement read.

Aldagra Fredly and Andrew Thornebrooke contributed to this report.
Australian Government to Crack Down on Buy Now, Pay Later with Tougher Regulations

Zip signage is seen on a storefront in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 22, 2019. (AAP Image/Derek Rose)

The Australian government will impose stricter regulations on the buy now, pay later (BNPL) industry amid concerns about high risks to vulnerable groups in society.

In his speech to the Responsible Lending and Borrowing Summit on May 22, Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones announced that the federal government would change the law to regulate BNPL like a credit product.

Under the proposed changes, BNPL providers will need to hold a credit licence and comply with Responsible Lending Obligations.

They will also be required to meet minimum standards set for the industry and hardship requirements and abide by marketing restrictions.

Our plan will bring BNPL into line with other regulated credit providers, simplifying our regulatory system and addressing concerns about competitive neutrality, Jones said.

Our plan prevents lending to those who cannot afford it, without stopping safe, prudent BNPL use.

The minister added that the governments proposal would maintain the benefits of BNPL while ensuring that providers would have appropriate safeguards in place and meet the standards of other regulated credit products.

Nevertheless, the minister did not elaborate on how strict the credit checks on BNPL services would be and whether they would apply to loans of all sizes.

Speaking about the next steps, Jones said the government would be working closely with the industry and with consumer groups in the coming months to draft an appropriate legislation to be introduced to the parliament by the end of 2023.

The State of Buy Now, Pay Later in Australia

Despite being an emerging sector, BNPL has gained traction among the Australian population in recent years.

According to the Australian Finance Industry Association, there were 6.3 million active accounts in the country as of June 2022, up from 5.6 million in the previous year.

While BNPL only accounted for 0.66 percent of the total number of transactions, the industry contributed $18.4 billion to Australias GDP in the 2021-2022 financial year and supported 120,200 jobs.

The sector also generated $2.7 billion (US$1.79 billion) in new revenue for retailers during the year through customer acquisition, increased basket sizes and increased customer satisfaction and retention.

Major players in the sector include Afterpay, Zip, Klarna and Latitude.

On average, each consumer uses BNPL services for 18.2 transactions per year, and the value of each transaction was $136.

The association estimated that Australian consumers gained $337 million in benefits from using BNPL in 2021-2022, which derived from savings in interest and fee costs (compared to using credit cards), surcharge savings and other benefits arising from delayed payments.

While the financial services minister acknowledged the benefits provided by BNPL, he said there were new and growing dangers to consumers.

Financial Services Minister Stephen Jones at a press conference in Canberra, Australia, on Oct. 31, 2022. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

Evidence suggests that those risks are disproportionately affecting women, First Nations communities and people on low incomes, Jones said.

We have heard that some people are opening multiple BNPL accounts to access far more debt than theyd be able to get on a credit card or a payday loan.

And we have also heard that some people may be weaponising BNPL products in abusive relationships.

Jones also cited data from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission indicating 19 percent of BNPL consumers showed two or more indicators of financial stress, such as cutting back on essential items or missing payments on other bills.

These accounts tell us that doing nothing is not an option, he said.

Response from Politicians and Relevant Parties

Following Jones speech, National Pary Leader David Littleproud expressed willingness to support the changes to BNPL regulations.

Well be constructive on this because this is an evolving part of capital markets  sometimes we have to move with to make sure that we protect those that are most vulnerable, he said.

While Greens leader Adam Bandt said his party would consider the proposal, he noted that many Australians relied on BNPL to pay for housing and food.

The governments got to do more than just take away options for people. Its got to give people the ability to deal with the cost-of-living crisis by freezing rents or freezing mortgages and by lifting people out of poverty, he told reporters.

Meanwhile, Alan Kirkland, the CEO of the consumer advocacy group CHOICE, called on the government to impose strong requirements on the credit product regardless of the amount borrowed.

While the government has said these will be scalable, we should not assume that small loans are automatically safe, Kirkland said.

Many of the people who end up in financial hardship as a result of BNPL have smaller loans, often many of them.

The government needs to resist pressure from the industry to build carve-outs in these new laws.

Financial Counselling Australia, a peak industry body, was concerned that the governments approach was insufficient to protect vulnerable consumers.

Too many financial counselling clients have multiple BNPL accounts. The governments approach will only work if there is a requirement for BNPL providers to be part of the credit reporting system to reduce the risk of over-commitment, Financial Counselling Australia CEO Fiona Guthrie said.
Labors Decision to Help End Native Logging Could Fuel More Illegal Activity: Industry

Native forest logging will soon become illegal in the Australian state of Victoria after a string of legal actions from environmental groups hamstrung logging activity.

The move, which comes amid a shortage in timber supply, has been warned by the sector to lead to more illegal logging, resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs and putting a strain on the countrys wood supply.

In the state budget announced on May 23, the centre-left Andrews government announced a $200 million (US$132 million) package for timber workers to transition away from logging in native forests for wood pulp. This brings the total funding for the transition to over $875 million.

According to a Victorian government spokeswoman, the change is expected to directly affect 900 workers, including 366 sawmill workers.

The early closure means the end date of the sector will be moved to Jan 1, 2024, six years sooner than the planned date in 2030.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said in a statement on Tuesday that native forestry has been hit with prolonged legal action, court decisions and bushfires.

Andrews noted that there are no alternative timber supply sources available domestically or internationally that can mitigate supply chain disruption to Victorian mills.

He also said there are  no options for regulatory reform which can prevent legal injunctions continuing to disrupt native timber harvesting operations.

All of that has drastically cut the timber supply we can actually use. And thats left workers in complete limbo, he said.

Hundreds of workers across Victoria havent been able to work a day in recent months. Theyve got no certainty over their jobs. They dont even know when theyll be able to get back to work.

We have been right there with impacted communities, providing support payments to keep workers in their jobs and paid  but the uncertainty has taken a toll on communities, families and mental health.

It simply cannot continue.

Timber workers will be supported to find a new job, while forest contractor workers will be secured with contracts for forest management works. However, as the median age of timber and wood process workers is 38 years, it could be difficult for them to transition to other jobs.

VicForests Facing Headwinds

The department in charge of the sector, the state-owned logging agency VicForests, has suffered a record loss of A$52.4 million (US$34.73 million) in the 2021-22 financial year after legal injunctions halted logging.

In 2022, VicForests was hit with six court cases in the Victorian Supreme Court, all of which alleged that the agency has illegally logged in areas of protected wildlife.

Some of the community environment groups that challenged VicForests in court include the Wildlife of the Central Highlands (WOTCH), Environment East Gippsland, Gippsland Environment Group, Warburton Environment, and Flora and Fauna Research Collective Inc.

At the same time, VicForests was also struggling to meet wood supply targets and facing stand-down payments.

Logging Ban Will Lead To More Illegal Logging: Sector

The logging sector resists the ban, with the Australian Forest Products Association saying the decision to fast-track the ending of selective and sustainable native forest harvesting is an unnecessary surrender to environmental activists and will lead to more unsustainable and illegal logging in other countries.

It will result in even more hardwood being imported into Victoria from Tasmania and NSW. It will also add to current imports  already worth $5.5 billion  much of which comes from the tropical forests of developing nations with lesser environmental standards than Australia, AFPA CEO Joel Fitzgibbon said.

Thats no way to protect and conserve Australias native forest estate or to halt global deforestation practices.

Sustainable forestry management practices play no role in deforestation in Australia, and decision-makers need to understand the ramifications of their decisions.

Victorian Forest Products Association (VRPA) argued native forestry in the state has already been in bad shape due to extensive red tape.

Despite our relentless efforts to oppose this decision, unfortunately, rationality did not prevail, VRPA chief executive Deb Kerr said.

The Victorian agriculture spokeswoman Emma Kealy also warned that the move would kill our timber industry and cause untold damage to our regional communities.

Construction Forestry Maritime Mining Energy Union national secretary Michael OConnor told The Australian that the governments failure to consult with unions would maximise the chances that the impact on people is going to be worse.

Greens and Environment Groups Want More Actions

Environmental groups and the Australian Greens, however, applauded the decision.

There is still a lot of work to be done to ensure these forests are permanently protected from all kinds of destructive practicesnot just conventional logging, said Victorian Forest Alliance campaign coordinator Chris Schuringa.

Wilderness Society national campaigns director Amelia Young argued that Victorias native forests must be managed for the benefit of the community, and not for the interests of multinational paper and packaging companies.

The Greens said it is a win for all the environmental groups, local community members and Greens.

If the Albanese government is serious about fighting climate change and protecting our environment, it must now follow the lead of Victoria and other state governments and stop all native forest logging, said federal Greens forests spokeswoman Janet Rice.

AAP contributed to this article
Beijing Has More Diplomats in Montreal Alone Than All of France: Federal Figures

The Chinese embassy in Ottawa in a file photo. (The Epoch Times)

Beijing has more diplomats in the city of Montreal than in all of France, while Canada hosts just 23 fewer Chinese diplomats than the United States, according to recent figures from Global Affairs Canada (GAC).

In a report titled Diplomatic, Consular & Other Representatives In Canada, GAC listed all active foreign diplomats in the country as of March 31, as first reported by Blacklocks Reporter.

The report said that as of the end of March, GAC had accredited 138 Chinese diplomats across Canadaone of whom was Zhao Wei, the Chinese consul in Toronto expelled by the federal government earlier this month after reports that he had targeted members of Conservative MP Michael Chongs family in Hong Kong.

Of the 138 total Chinese diplomats in Canada, 18 were stationed at Beijings consulate in Montreal, according to the GAC figures.

No other countriesincluding French-speaking oneshad more diplomats stationed in Montreal. Haiti had 13 stationed in the city, Belgium had eight, France had five, and Switzerland had four.

Beijing also had 30 diplomatsnow 29 excluding Zhaostationed at its Toronto consulate, 21 stationed in Vancouver, and 12 in Calgary.

Chinas total 138 diplomats in Canada numbered more than every other country in the world except the United States, which had 161 diplomats in Canada as of March.

Japan had the next highest number of diplomats in the country with 60, while Mexico had 48, Germany had 38, India had 35, and France had 33.

Interference

The House of Commons Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs (PROC) has previously heard expert witnesses raise concerns about the high number of diplomats Beijing has stationed in Canada.

Charles Burton, a former counsellor at Canadas embassy in China and now a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, told PROC in early February that the large number of Chinese diplomats in Canada seemed suspicious.

It does make me wonder if a significant proportion of Chinas exceptionally large diplomatic cohort here are engaged primarily in United Front Work, monitoring agents involved in influence peddling, disinformation and coercion, Burton said on Feb. 7, noting that GAC figures at the time counted 146 accredited Chinese diplomats in Canada.

Appearing before the same committee, Canadas former ambassador to China David Mulroney said that Ottawa must be prepared to expel Chinese diplomats involved in interference or harassment.

Our failure to do so only encourages increasingly brazen meddling, he said. This will trigger retaliation, but we must make it clear that expulsion is the inevitable consequence of such hostile behaviour.

After Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly declaring Zhao persona non grata on May 8, Liberal MP and Commons national defence committee chair John McKay said he anticipates more expulsions will follow.

I expect that more diplomats will be expelled one way or another, McKay told NTD, The Epoch Times sister media, while at the Taiwan Night in Ottawa event on May 10.

These people bear no relationship to diplomats, he said earlier. Theyre not really interested in persuading you. Theyre interested in intimidating you.

Isaac Teo contributed to this report.
A National Assembly committee on Monday passed a bill that would oblige lawmakers to declare their cryptocurrency holdings.

The committee voted on the bill amid a crypto speculation scandal surrounding lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk, who resigned from the main opposition Minjoo Party last week.

The current law requires lawmakers to declare their cash, stocks and real estate within 30 days of being elected to prevent conflicts of interest but does not specifically mention crypto holdings.

Under the new bill, sitting lawmakers must also declare their virtual assets by the end of next month.

Minjoo Party lawmaker Chun Jae-soo said, "Lawmakers are currently required to declare their cash and stock assets if they are worth more than W10 million, but with crypto holdings they will have to report even a single coin because the value fluctuates so widely."
Belarusian Blogger Arrested on Ryanair Flight Pardoned: State Media

Opposition blogger and activist Roman Protasevich, who is accused of participating in an unsanctioned protest at the Kuropaty preserve, arrives for a court hearing in Minsk, Belarus, on April 10, 2017. (Stringer/Reuters)

MOSCOWRoman Protasevich, the Belarusian opposition blogger arrested in 2021 after his Ryanair overflight was forced to land in Minsk, was pardoned on Monday, the Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported.

I have literally just signed all the relevant documents stating that I have been pardoned, BelTA quoted Protasevich as telling reporters. This is, of course, great news.

Protasevich had been sentenced to eight years in prison this month for offenses including inciting terrorism, organizing mass disturbances, and slandering Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

He had worked as a journalist at the news outlet Nexta, which reported extensively on mass protests against Lukashenko in 2020 following a presidential election that the opposition and Western governments denounced as rigged.

A clampdown around the time of the election resulted in all significant opposition figures being jailed or driven into exile.

Nextas founder Stsiapan Putsila and former editor Yan Rudik were sentenced in absentia by the same court to 20 and 19 years in jail respectively. Belarus declared Nexta a terrorist organization last year.

The circumstances of Protasevichs arrest in May 2021 prompted international outrage and triggered European Union sanctions against Lukashenko.

After his arrest, Protasevich was shown on state television tearfully confessing to involvement in anti-government protests and plotting to topple Lukashenko. The exiled Belarus opposition said the admissions were false and had been coerced.
Biden, McCarthy Have Productive Meeting But No Deal Yet on Debt Ceiling

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks to the press after meeting President Joe Biden to discuss the debt limit at the White House in Washington on May 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and President Joe Biden clearly defined their areas of disagreement over raising the debt ceiling and cutting federal spending, paving the way for negotiators from both sides to iron out a deal.

Emerging from a 90-minute conversation at the White House on May 22, McCarthy described the meeting in positive terms. The speaker also told reporters he believed an agreement could be passed through Congress before the country defaults on its debt, which could happen as early as June 1.

I think the tone tonight was better than any other time weve had discussions, McCarthy said. We still will have some philosophical differences, but I felt it was productive  and I think we were able to really focus on the areas of difference.

The president likewise characterized the meeting in positive terms and offered hope of a forthcoming agreement to raise the nations $31.4 trillion debt limit.

I just concluded a productive meeting with Speaker McCarthy about the need to prevent default and avoid a catastrophe for our economy, the president wrote.

We reiterated once again that default is off the table and the only way to move forward is in good faith toward a bipartisan agreement. While there are areas of disagreement, the Speaker and I, and his lead negotiators Chairman McHenry and Congressman Graves, and our staffs will continue to discuss the path forward.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) speaks to the press after meeting President Joe Biden to discuss the debt limit at the White House on May 22, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), who has been a lead negotiator for Republicans, said the meeting provided the clarity from both leaders that their negotiating teams needed to create the specifics of a deal.

We got very good direction from the speaker and from the president, the speaker to his team, and the president to his team in the same room. Were on the same page where the same set of issues got to work through it was productive, McHenry said.

The teams in the room have built some level of relationship and trust that we can actually get a product that is mutually agreeable to, McHenry added.

McCarthy declined to name any points of agreement that had been reached or any concessions made by each side. Theres nothing agreed to. Everythings being talked about, he said. We dont agree to anything until we agree to everything, McCarthy added at a later press conference on Capitol Hill.

At issue have been demands by Republicans to limit 2024 federal spending at the 2023 level, limit spending increases to 1 percent annually, increase work requirements for some recipients of Medicaid and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, clawback on unspent COVID-19 funds, and loosen permitting requirements for oil and gas.

However, McCarthy said only two items are non-negotiable.

From the first day I sat with the President, there have been two criteria. I told him were not going to raise taxes because we bring in more money than we ever have. And were not going to pass a clean debt ceiling, McCarthy said.

Everything else is open for negotiations. But at the end of the day, it has to fit in that place.

McHenry and other negotiators will now meet to find common ground based on the priorities stated in the meeting with Biden, according to McCarthy.

I think the President and I are going to talk every day to try to find a way to get this done, McCarthy said.
Bidens Age An Issue, Says Hillary Clinton: People Have Every Right to Consider It

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that its fair for people to be concerned about how President Joe Bidens age is affecting his leadership.

The topic of Bidens age came up during an interview Clinton gave at the Financial Times Weekend Festival in Washington on Sunday. As Financial Times editor Edward Luce asked Clinton about a range of foreign policy topics, he noted Bidens stumble on a set of stairs at the G7 Summit in Japan on Friday.

There was that heart-stopping moment where he almost fell over coming down the stairs a day or two ago. He didnt use the railings; Jill wasnt there with him. Every time that happens, your heart is in your mouth, because these things could be consequential. Is that a concern? Luce asked Clinton.

Well, I mean, its a concern for anyone, Clinton replied. And weve had presidents whove fallen before who were a lot younger, and people didnt go into heart palpitations. But his age is an issue, and people have every right to consider it.

The G7 Summit was not the first time in his presidency that Biden has stumbled on a set of stairs. In March of 2021, Biden stumbled three times in an on-camera incident as he walked up a set of stairs to board Air Force One. In June of last year, Biden also fell off his bicycle during a ride in a state park near his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. In both previous incidents, White House aides said Biden was fine.

Bidens latest stumble comes just weeks after the 80-year-old announced he was running for reelection in 2024. Biden is already the oldest man ever to assume the executive office and, if he wins reelection and serves out the full term, he will be 86 years old by the end of that term in January of 2029.

[Biden] has this great saying, and I think hes right, the 75-year-old Clinton added. Dont judge him by running against the Almighty, but against the alternative.

Despite her concerns about Bidens age, Clinton gave her fellow Democrat credit for his accomplishments thus far in office, and expressed hope that he can win again in 2024.

He has a good record that, three years ago, people would not have predicted would have gotten done, said Clinton, who led the 2016 Democratic Party presidential ticket. He doesnt get the credit yet that he deserves for what is happening out in the countryin terms of jobs, and growth, and planning for the future, with chips and other stuff. So I obviously hope he stays very focused and able to compete in the election, because I think he can be re-elected, and thats what we should all hope for.

Voters Share Skepticism of Bidens Age

After Biden announced his reelection bid on April 25, Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley suggested Biden would be unlikely to finish his second term even if he did win reelection.

I think that we can all be very clear and say, with a matter of fact, that if you vote for Joe Biden, you really are counting on a President [Kamala] Harris, because the idea that he would make it until 86 years old is not something that I think is likely, Haley said in an interview with Fox News following Bidens campaign announcement.

In an April NBC News poll, 70 percent of adult respondents said Biden should not run again. 69 percent of those respondents who said Biden shouldnt run also said Bidens age played at least some part in their reasoning.

Biden has defended his age as a metric of his wisdom and experience.

I have acquired a hell of a lot of wisdom and know more than the vast majority of people. Im more experienced than anybody thats ever run for the office. And I think Ive proven myself to be honorable as well as, also, effective, he said in an interview with MSNBCs Stephanie Ruhle on May 5.

From NTD News
New revelations have just come outthey not only shed new light on the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Gates, but they also shed light on how Epstein actually operated things, meaning how he was able to hold sensitive information over the heads of very wealthy individuals.

Now, these revelations came in the form of new emails and documents that were reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. And these emails reveal how, after Epstein discovered that Gates had an alleged affair with a young Russian woman, he used that piece of compromising information to then turn around and threaten Gates, who was married at that time.

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Bill Gates Says Personal AI Agents Could Change Consumer Behavior, Impact Retail Giants Including Amazon

Artificial intelligence agents could revolutionize the way customers shop and search online, potentially rendering retail giants such as Amazon useless, according to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

Gates made the comments at the AI Forward 2023 event in San Francisco on May 22.

The billionaire said he believes the current race to win in the artificial intelligence world is the development of a personal AI agent that can perform a range of tasks for individuals based on their specific needs and habits.

That, he said, could impact search engines, productivity, and online shopping sites.

Whoever wins the personal agent, thats the big thing, because you will never go to a search site again, you will never go to a productivity site, youll never go to Amazon again, Gates said, CNBC reports.

Gates added that such technology could even read the stuff you dont have time to read.

While such an AI assistant is yet to be developed, Gates said he would be disappointed if Microsoft were not in the running to create such a personal digital agent, adding that he believes there is a 5050 chance that the top player to emerge in the technology will be a startup or a tech giant.

Id be disappointed if Microsoft didnt come in there, Gates said. But Im impressed with a couple of startups, including Inflection, he added, referring to Inflection AI, an AI studio working on creating such technology, co-founded by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and former DeepMind executive Mustafa Suleyman.

Gates made the comments shortly after Microsoft-backed OpenAI founder Sam Altman told lawmakers on the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary on May 16 that AI needs to be regulated amid ongoing advancements, particularly with regards to the chatbot ChatGPT.

AI Impact on Employment Landscape

Altman also noted the various threats posed by AI, such as its ability to drastically change the employment landscape.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has warned that widespread use of AI could disrupt employment in the United States over the next five years, impacting roughly 23 percent of jobs by 2027.

According to WEFs The Future of Jobs Report 2023, published earlier in May, 69 million new jobs will likely be created through increased due of AI while 83 million could be eliminated, resulting in a decrease of 14 million jobs, or 2 percent of current employment.

WEF found that clerical or secretarial roles, including bank tellers, cashiers and ticket clerks, data entry clerks, postal service clerks, and administrative and executive secretaries will likely see the fastest decline in roles over the next five years relative to their size today.

Meanwhile, certain tech jobs, including those focused on AI and machine learning, would likely see a rise in employment.

Other experts, including Goldman Sachs economists, have forecasted that two-thirds of occupations across the United States could be partially automated by AI.

Altman also told Congress during this months hearing that AI poses an array of security threats, including the possibility to spread misinformation, and called for organizations, including OpenAI, to be independently audited.

My worst fears are that wethe field, the technology, the industrycause significant harm to the world. I think that can happen in a lot of different ways, Altman said.

Gates on Monday noted that while personalized digital agents are still a long way off from development, they could ultimately impact white-collar workers as well as blue-collar workers if they are less expensive for companies to use than human employees.

Reuters contributed to this report.
I have a special fondness for New Mexico and its intrinsic natural beauty. Many of my cousins (on my mothers side) reside there, predominantly around Albuquerque and Socorro.

Known as The Land of Enchantment, New Mexico is a large state, ranking fifth among the 50 in total area, and boasting a range of landscapes from deserts to deep canyons, raging rivers, dense forests, and mountains.

As readers will quickly learn from SAR (Search and Rescue) Field Coordinator Marc Levesque in his book Gila Lost and Found: Search and Rescue in New Mexico, this lush state can also be The Land of Entrapment for those unfortunate enough to become lost, stranded, or injured when exploring areas in the southwest corner of the state: the bootheel that includes the Gila National Forest and the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.

Looking out from one of the Gila cave dwellings (Public Domain)

Tourists flock to the area for hiking, biking, climbing, hunting, or rafting, whether for the day or planned backcountry camping. Many are experienced and prepared. Others are inexperienced and woefully unprepared. Regardless of the category of explorer, and depending on their good or bad decisions, Mother Nature can get the upper hand when the weather suddenly changes bringing snow instead of sunshine or a dry arroyo river bed becomes a river of debris from a flash flood.

Some Havent Returned

This is when search and rescue teams are called upon to locate the lost and bring calm to an often-chaotic situation; hopefully before the victim or victims expire. According to Levesque, deaths havent happened often but they has occurred on his watch and such tragedies leave everyone involved deeply saddened.

Levesque, who is not a native to the state but has lived there for several decades, has his roots in the Northeast with hiking and climbing expertise garnered from treks in New Hampshire, home to the challenging and exhilarating terrain of the White Mountains.

When he and his wife decided to make New Mexico their home, they came with an appetite for search and rescue volunteer work that quickly blossomed into a full-time career.

Levesque clearly has a passion for embracing wilderness areas with the freedom and charm they hold. Hes also acutely sensitive to the awesome power they wield and the danger these untamed landscapes can pose to hikers, particularly to those who arent paying attention to the environment or who find themselves sick or injured.

The author and his wife migrated from New Hampshire to New Mexico. A hiker in New Hampshires White Mountains. (N. Smyth/Shutterstock)

Levesques an apt storyteller. His narratives are told in dramatic fashion keeping readers on the edge of their seats wondering whether his teams will locate the missing hikers or the two teenage girls perched on a mountain ledge or the older gentleman hiking with two goats as pack animals.

He also includes some history, like the true story of George and Joseph Cox, aged 5 and 7, who went missing in the woods of Pennsylvania in 1856. Sadly, they were not found after thousands scour the area for two weeks. Curiously, a local mans series of dreams eventually leads to the discovery of their bodies.

Thanks to the efforts of the hundreds of SAR volunteers, most cases have happy endings. Teams use a variety of resources including state-of-the-art tracking technology, not to mention their own creativity putting themselves in the hikers shoes. These volunteers, while unpaid, are highly trained and certified in a variety of different areas of expertise.

Tackling the Terrain

Readers will learn from a great deal from Levesques insightful experiences. What is particularly enlightening is the amount of coordination that is required, often involving local, state, and federal agencies. With its proximity to the Mexican border, the Border Patrol is often called in to assist with helicopters. K-9 teams and mounted units are also employed.

Rescue missions are meticulously planned and organized and sometimes can be hampered by over-eager volunteers. These sometimes turn out to help find a local person of note but will inadvertently trample over vital footprints or become lost themselves.

For Levesque, the safety of his rescue teams is paramount. He spends a good amount of time making sure that roads are accessible, paths well marked and cleared, and communication in good order: Knowing the territory is critical. His years of experience have made him wilderness-wise. He puts that wisdom to full use when gearing up for a rescue mission.

As with law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians, search and rescue personnel fall under that category of unsung heroes. These are the folks whose untiring work can make a difference and save lives. Its informative and compelling to learn the complexities of what it takes in mind, body, and spirit to help, in most cases, a stranger survive and live to tell the tale of their adventures. Gratefulness is an understatement.

While this book focuses on the rugged terrain of southwest New Mexico, its principles can be applied to any wilderness area.

In addition to touching stories of personal rescues throughout his career, Levesque offers lots of survival tips should you happen to find yourself lost. He also includes a comprehensive checklist of items you should have before venturing out.

Whether you are an avid backpacker or armchair adventurer, you will find poignant perspective and appreciation in these rescue accounts.

Gila Lost and Found: Search and Rescue in New Mexico by Marc Levesque tells stories of saving hikers and others lost in the wilderness. (Red Planet Press)

Gila Lost and Found: Search and Rescue in New Mexico

By Marc Levesque

Red Planet Press, April 8, 2021

Paperback: 222 pages
Commentator Brandon Tatum joins us to discuss the black exit or Blexit movementwhich offers information to counter the victim mentality. He calls it one of the biggest challenges minority communities face.

Emotions ran high at a congressional hearing. A mother showed the real-life impact illegal immigration can have on the life of everyday Americans. We bring you her story.

Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Ron DeSantishow popular are these leading 2024 presidential hopefuls? We hear from a head pollster who explains why President Joe Bidens approval rating plummeted Tuesday, and how Trumps lead over DeSantis has grown over the past few months.

Sons and daughters are calling for the rescue of their parents jailed in China. A congressional briefing sheds light on what experts call the worlds most unrecognized religious persecution.

The U.S. surgeon general is expressing concerns over the risks that social media pose to childrens mental health. Hes calling for more studies into this issue.
British Lawmakers Call for Investigation Into Chinese Genomics Giant Over Pregnancy Test Data

Blood sample for NIFTY or Non Invasive Fetal Trisomy test, diagnosis for fetal Down syndrome in pregnancy woman. (Jarun Ontakrai/Shutterstock)

A group of British lawmakers called for an urgent investigation into a Chinese company that sells pregnancy screening tests in the UK.

The genomics company, BGI, had three of its subsidiaries blacklisted by the U.S. Commerce Department in March over their alleged involvement in military programs and the repression of ethnic minorities in China.

Citing a Reuters report that said BGI had used a military supercomputer to re-analyse data collected through its NIFTY pregnancy test, the cross-party group of MPs and Peers urged the information tzar to look into how the company handles data of pregnant women.

The NIFTY test, which stands for the Non-Invasive Fetal TrisomY test, is a screening test that can detect some genetic anomalies such as Down Syndrome and Edwards Syndrome.

According to the NIFTY test website, over 9 million tests have been carried out by clinicians in more than 80 countries. A separate BGI webpage said 10 million NIFTY tests had been carried out by the end of 2021.

But Reuters in 2021 said the company had developed the tests with the Chinese military and has used to data to map the prevalence of viruses in Chinese women, look for indicators of mental illness in them, and single out Tibetan and Uyghur minorities to find links between their genes and their characteristics.

The report said the company had confirmed that data collected from overseas prenatal tests were also stored in the Chinese regimes gene database, but claimed the database only held location data on women in China.

At the time, BGI was also selling the product in the UK but had not registered it with the UKs Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The test has since been approved by the MHRA.

Under the Chinese regimes National Intelligence Law, all organisations and citizens are required to support, assist, and cooperate with national intelligence efforts.

BGI previously denied it had provided NIFTY data to Chinese authorities for national security or national defense security purposes. It has also denied involvement in human rights abuses or being state-owned or state-controlled.

The logo of Chinese gene firm BGI Group is seen at its building in Beijing, on March 25, 2021. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Writing to Information Commissioner John Edwards on Monday, lawmakers praised the commissioner for issuing a fine to TikToka Chinese social media giantfor misusing childrens data, calling it an exemplary step in the right direction, and said they believe there are further risks involving the most intimate sources of our personal data being used.

The letter said its vital that consumers have full transparency in order to carefully assess the risks associated with sharing such data with state-linked Chinese companies.

We must also ensure patients are told about the importance and far-reaching implications of their genetic informationand the risks associated with turning it over, the letter reads.

Most importantly, we must ensure companies like BGI are completely transparent about their data collection and usage, and what Chinese laws they are subject to.

Alistair Carmichael, Liberal Democrat MP and co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Uyghurs, said not blacklisting BGI is a national security failing of the highest order.

Former health minister Lord Bethell said he admires the phenomenal technology developed by BGI and would love to think the company is respectful of privacy and security and individual rights, but we know from the practices of the government in China that it is using genomic data for surveillance.

We have got to ask ourselves can we really trust BGI to be doing genomic testing here in the UK, he said.

Other signatories of the letter include UK Director of the World Uyghur Congress and Executive Director of Stop Uyghur Genocide Rahima Mahmut and Conservative and Labour MPs from the Health and Social Care Committee, the Business and Trade Committees Sub-Committee on National Security and Investment, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Treasury Committee.

Science Minister George Freeman said in March that the government was examining a detailed assessment of all the China research and innovation links with the UK, looking in particular at some of the actors such as BGI that we know to be aggressive in their international acquisition of intellectual property.

Technicians work at a genetic testing laboratory of BGI in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, on Dec. 26, 2018. (Stringer/Reuters)

BGI Genomics is one of the companies that won Public Health Englands COVID-19 contracts in 2021, official records show. According to the Daily Mail, it was a COVID-19 testing contract worth 11 million.

It was founded in 1999 to represent China in the Human Genome Project, which it hailed as one of the greatest scientific projects of the 20th century, along with the Manhattan Project and Apollo Program.

In 2008, the world-leading genomics company also took part in the 1,000 Genomes Project, another global collaboration project that created a catalogue of common human genetic variation.

According to the BGI website, it has continued exchanges with international partners in recent years, visiting 24 countries and areas last year, including the UK, and had exchanges with 35 top universities and research institutes to push forward the global initiative on SpatioTemporal Omics that it launched in May 2022 to accelerate research in areas such as specific evolution, fetal development, and pathology.

On March 2, the U.S. Commerce Department added (pdf) three BGI Group subsidiaries to its export restrictions entities list, stating that the decision was based upon information that indicates their collection and analysis of genetic data poses a significant risk of contributing to monitoring and surveillance by the government of China, which has been utilized in the repression of ethnic minorities in China.

The document noted that information also indicates that the actions of these entities concerning the collection and analysis of genetic data present a significant risk of diversion to Chinas military programs.

BGI stated at the time that it disagrees with the decision, claiming it may have been impacted by misinformation.

BGI Groups work strictly abides by local, regional, and global moral and ethical standards, and adheres to all required laws and regulations, the company said in a statement.

BGI Group does not condone and would never be involved in any human rights abuses. None of BGI Group is state-owned or state-controlled, and all of BGI Groups services and research are provided for civilian and scientific purposes, it added.
Budweiser has taken a major hit in the market through its relationship with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney. Other companies such as Miller Lite, Ford, and Target have likewise faced criticism recently over their apparent support for woke culture. Yet what does this say about the popularity of wokeism in the United States, and does it tell us anything about where the country is heading?

Also, President Joe Biden was criticized by Republicans recently for saying that the United States is not looking to decouple from China. He also referenced the Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States before the military shot it down, and said he wouldnt let the silly balloon damage his communications with the Chinese Communist Party.

In this episode of Crossroads, well discuss these stories and others.
Calgarys Cancellation of Canada Day Fireworks Display Prompts Backlash

Fireworks explode over the Ottawa River as seen from Gatineau, Que., during Canada Day celebrations on July 1, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby)

An advocacy group that says it represents common sense Calgarians has launched a petition calling for a reinstatement of the fireworks display in Calgary on Canada Day.

How about we put an end to this nonsense immediately, and force City Hall to reverse course and bring back fireworks now, this year? said Common Sense Calgary in its petition, launched on May 21.

The City of Calgary announced on May 18 that this years celebration of Canada Day will proceed in a new way without the traditional fireworks show.

Instead, it will be replaced by an enhanced pyrotechnic show featuring a visually stunning display of lights and sounds, said the city in a press release.

Franca Gualtieri, manager of arts and culture at the City of Calgary, said it was a pilot test to address some of the cultural, community and environmental impacts previously experienced with traditional Canada Day fireworks.

Truth and reconciliation with First Nations, the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act, traffic delays, overcrowding issues, and disturbances to wildlife, were among the reasons cited for the cancellation.

Gualtieri said the city will engage with citizens, community groups, and cultural groups over the next year to get feedback and understand what Calgarians prefer to guide future decisions around Canada Day fireworks.

Failed

The new way was denounced by some who argued that the city should have consulted with its residents before making the decision. Others had said it was a deliberate move by the city to do away with traditions.

Dan McLean, city councillor for Ward 13, is among those who expressed support for keeping the fireworks.

The City is asking for feedback on canceling Canada Day fireworks due to environmental and cultural concerns. Personally, I love ending Canada Day celebrations with fireworks! he said on Twitter on May 19.

The petition by Common Sense Calgary says the city has failed to consider what Calgarians want.

As usual, government bureaucracy takes a minor issue, spends your money trying to fix something no one wants fixed, and then creates an even larger problem, it said.

The group dismissed the idea of waiting for public feedback on this years event before deciding the fate of fireworks. It urged petitioners to tell City Hall you want Canada Day fireworks this year!

Kourtney Penner, city councillor of Ward 11, responded to the group on May 22, saying it wasnt the councils decision, and reversing it would be upholding colonialism and racism.

Council didnt make this decision and if we were to reverse it, it would do nothing more than discredit the voices who asked for a different kind of celebration, she said in a series of tweets.

She countered the groups comment that cancelling the fireworks show was nonsense.

This isnt nonsense. Its being actively anti-racist, working at truth and reconciliation, and being responsive to the diverse community Calgary is.

She added that Canada Day historically is for and by white people and Indigenous people werent acknowledged as Canadians for years.

Incredibly Offensive

Penners tweets quickly drew criticism, with some questioning how the support for fireworks amounts to racism.

So let me get this righta Calgary councillor thinks celebrating Canada Day with fireworks is racist? tweeted Rob Anderson, executive director of Alberta Premier Danielle Smiths office.

Melissa Mbarki, policy analyst and outreach coordinator of the Indigenous Policy Program at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, questioned Penner on the fireworks cancellation.

Youre making an assumption that Indigenous people dont want fireworks or to celebrate Canada Day, Mbarki tweeted. Are we not Canadians? Thanks for throwing us under the bus!

Common Sense Calgary responded to Penners tweets hours later, saying its incredibly offensive for the councillor to call Calgarians who support fireworks on Canada Day racist.

In its update to the petition, the group said the more important question is whether other city councillors agree with Penners view.

Wed sure like to know the answer to that one, it said.

If other Councillors dont agree with Councillor Penner, and the fireworks cancellation really was just a decision made by City staff, then theres a really simple fix.  The Mayor and Council can get together, hold an urgent Council meeting, and reverse the decision immediately.
Press Release

May 23, 2023 Villar glad to know farming is part of PNPA's preparation for cops Teaching police cadets farming skills which is her own advocacy, Sen. Cynthia Villar said, aligns well with the mission of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) to provide comprehensive education and training to our future policemen. "Having farming skills truly resonates with the principles and purpose of law enforcement," stressed Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture and food. The senator was the Guest Speaker during the flag raising ceremony of the PNPA in Silang, Cavite. She thanked PNPA Director Police Major General Eric Noble for inviting her to be part of this event. "I have been informed that my strong advocacy for agriculture aligns with PNPA's belief that policemen possessing farming skills can significantly enhance the police service within the communities they serve," said Villar while noting that she was genuinely impressed to learn about this. The senator told the cadets that as future police officers, they are likely to be stationed in places where agriculture plays a critical role. "Understanding farming and the unique challenges it presents will help you connect more deeply with these communities. These connections can foster trust and cooperation, which are essential elements for you to carry out your police work more effectively," she said. She also told future police officers that they can actively participate building food security and fostering a safer environment by sharing their farming knowledge, educating local communities, and empowering farmers. "When communities have consistent access to nutritious food, they tend to be more stable, peaceful, and less inclined to engage in unlawful activities," noted the senator. Equipped with farming knowledge, Villar told the cadets that they can also actively contribute to disaster preparedness and recovery efforts, particularly in rural areas heavily reliant on farming. "Embracing sustainable farming practices further emphasizes your role as protectors, extending beyond people to safeguarding our environment," he added. Furthermore, since self-sufficiency is a crucial aspect of being a police officer, their farming skills could prove to be a lifeline during crisis. Villar, masayang nalamang bahagi ng PNPA ang pagsasaka sa paghahanda sa mga pulis Ang pagtuturo sa police cadets ng kasanayan sa pagsasaka na kanyang adbokasiya, ani Sen. Cynthia ay alinsunod din sa misyon ng Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) na magbigay ng komprehensibong edukasyon at pagsasanay sa mga magiging pulis. "Having farming skills truly resonates with the principles and purpose of law enforcement," giit ni Villar, chairperson ng Senate committee on agriculture and food. Guest Speaker ang senador sa flag raising ceremony ng PNPA sa Silang, Cavite. Pinasalamatan niya si PNPA Director Police Major General Eric Noble sa pag-imbita sa kanya sa nasabing okasyon. "I have been informed that my strong advocacy for agriculture aligns with PNPA's belief that policemen possessing farming skills can significantly enhance the police service within the communities they serve," ani Villar na nagsabing "impressed" siya nang malaman ang bagay na ito. Sinabi ni Villar sa mga kadete na bilang 'future police officers,' maitatalaga sila sa mga lugar kung saan mahalaga ang agrikultura. "Understanding farming and the unique challenges it presents will help you connect more deeply with these communities. These connections can foster trust and cooperation, which are essential elements for you to carry out your police work more effectively," pahayag pa ng senador. Sinabihan din niya ang mga ito na aktibo silang makalalahok sa pagkakaroon ng food security at mas ligtas na kapaligiran sa pagbabahagi ng kanilang kaalaman sa pagsasaka. "When communities have consistent access to nutritious food, they tend to be more stable, peaceful, and less inclined to engage in unlawful activities," giit ng senador Dahil din sa farming knowledge, sinabi ni Villar na makatutulong sila sa disaster preparedness at recovery efforts, partikular sa rural areas na nakaasa sa pagsasaka. "Embracing sustainable farming practices further emphasizes your role as protectors, extending beyond people to safeguarding our environment," dagdag pa niya. "Furthermore, since self-sufficiency is a crucial aspect of being a police officer, their farming skills could prove to be a lifeline during crisis."
Some of the survivors from Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, crammed into the shell of the plane, on December 22, 1972, the night before they were rescued.

On October 13, 1972, an Uruguayan Air Force plane  carrying a junior rugby team and their family and friends  crashed in the middle of the Andes mountain range. The pilot had confused his position due to poor visibility and, thinking he was descending to land in Santiago, hit the mountains on the border between Chile and Argentina.

The Fairchild Hiller FH-227D  a 50-person American-made aircraft  was carrying 40 passengers and five crew members. After 72 days of freezing conditions, only 16 people survived. The horrors that they had to go through have been the subject of 26 books, nine documentaries and four feature films.

Carlos Paez, 68, was one of the survivors. The Uruguayan is a father and an agricultural technician.

At that time, we werent fighting to get to Hollywood or to be interviewed 50 years later I was fighting to get back home to be with my mom and dad, he says in a video call with international media, including EL PAIS. I was an 18-year-old boy, the son of a famous painter who gave us everything. I still had a nanny  she packed my suitcase for the trip, he recalls. I had never been cold. I had never been hungry. I had never done anything useful. And I lived the most incredible survival story of all time.

A body lies beside the wreckage of the Uruguayan plane that crashed in the Andes on October 13, 1972. AP Members of a rescue team made up of Chilean police assist Fernando Parrado, after he walked for ten days to reach civilization, on December 22, 1972. AP Survivors of the plane crash walk away from the wreckage towards rescue helicopters. ASSOCIATED PRESS Members of a rescue crew looks through some of the remains at the crash site. AP The remains of the plane. AP The mother of Roy Harley  one of the survivors  embraces her son after he was rescued on December 23, 1972. AP

The plane went down in the extreme west of Argentina, about 150 kilometers south of its final destination of Santiago, Chile. It hit the mountains twice, losing its wings and tail. Three crew and eight passengers died on impact.

Eight days after the accident, after failing to find the white plane in the snow, search operations were cancelled: emergency crews would wait for the summer season. At almost 12 thousand feet above sea level, facing a lack of food and the icy fury of the winter wind, another 18 people died while waiting for a rescue that never came.

The 1993 film Alive  the most popular movie made about the tragedy  is, for Paez, an accurate portrait of the days he spent in the snow. Actor John Malkovich plays an adult Paez, narrating the tragedy that changed his life when he was a teenager. The final scene  in which two helicopters arrive at the shell of the plane, where the survivors are sheltering  is described by Malkovich in the simplest way: Nando and Canessa crossed the Andes and saved us. There isnt much more I can tell you.

Survivors Fernando Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa eventually went out to look for help, after hearing on a radio transmitter that the search operation had been cancelled.

Hearing that they decree you dead, that you are no longer there and that the world goes on without you removes the dilemma of whether you should wait for a rescue or go for a hike, recalls Canessa, now a renowned medical doctor. I left [the wreckage] because I was completely fine. I remember that Arturo Nogueira  who eventually died  told me: how lucky you are, that you have healthy legs and you can go for a walk and save others. That gave me a shot of heroism, of hope.

Carlos Paez, one of 16 survivors of the Andes flight disaster, on August 15, 2022, at his home in Canelones, Uruguay EITAN ABRAMOVICH (AFP)

On December 12  almost exactly two months after the accident  Canessa and Parrado began to climb the mountains to the west. They didnt know it, but the nearest town was less than 50 miles away. On the ninth day of walking, they came across some cows. At night, from a distance, they saw the owner: a Chilean mule-driver named Sergio Catalan.

He had seen us before  he thought we were hunting. Since we were carrying trekking poles, he thought they were shotguns. We yelled at him, but he didnt understand anything, Canessa explains, as they were too far away. The men wrote a note, tied it to a rock and threw it towards Catalan.

He told us Tomorrow! Tomorrow! Canessa laughs. It was the most wonderful morning of our lives.

After the rescue operation was finally conducted on December 22, 1972, the surviving group became famous. There were endless invitations to speak, write books and appear on magazine covers.

At 18, its very nice to be famous, Paez recalls. But his encounter with fame also collided with evil. As the young men returned to Uruguay, a rumor began to spread in Montevideo: that the survivors had killed some members of the group when they began to run out of food. Some decided not to address these attacks. Others, like Paez and Canessa, decided that the best thing was to go out and speak.

This bothered us because it wasnt true it raised doubts in the minds of the families of the boys who died, Paez told The Washington Post in 1978. Some magazines said we were cannibals. Thats not true, because [being a cannibal] means killing another person because you like to eat human flesh. We didnt do that.

Half-a-century after the tragedy, both still speak openly about how  after several days  they ate some of the remains of fellow passengers.

Carrying a little bit of our friends in body and soul is an honor that I would have felt if I had died: that they would have used me to live, Paez says, when he explains how he addresses the subject in his public lectures.

I usually ask the question backwards: wouldnt you have done the same? When you go 10 days without eating anything at all, the impossible gets easier.
California Army Vet Gets 7 Years for COVID-19 Fraud

SANTA ANA, Calif.A 37-year-old Santa Ana man was sentenced May 22 to seven years in federal prison for fraudulently applying for $1.2 million in COVID-19 unemployment insurance.

Nhan Hoang Pham pleaded guilty Jan. 23 to a count of wire fraud for applying for about $1.2 million in unemployment benefits and raking in about $400,000, according to federal prosecutors.

Starting in July 2020 and through April 2021, Pham applied for about $1,255,350 in unemployment insurance, using stolen personal identities of residents in California, Texas, and Michigan, according to the plea deal. In all, there were 24 ID theft victims and Pham received $408,496, according to the plea deal.

Phams attorney, M. Bo Griffith of the Federal Public Defenders Office, sought a 63-month sentence, according to court records.

Pham immigrated from Vietnam with his family in 2009 and enlisted in the U.S. Army, Griffith said. He began serving in Afghanistan in December 2009 when he was tasked with driving supply trucks between depots and forward operating bases in combat zones, Griffith said in court papers. The ubiquity of IED attacks made this a notoriously dangerous job.

Phams vehicle was hit by an IED and the defendant recalls only the blast, Griffith said.

After leaving active duty he began experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, his attorney said. When he sought treatment with Veterans Affairs officials could not find his active duty medical file and he was refused help, his attorney said.

Around this same time he was introduced to crack cocaine by a dubious acquaintance, Griffith said. He self-medicated with crack cocaine, until it became prohibitively expensive, and he switched to methamphetamine.

He was first arrested on drug-related charges in July 2011 and was in and out of legal trouble for drug-related crimes, his attorney said. the defendant also became addicted to gambling, the lawyer said.

Pham asked U.S. District Judge James Selna to recommend him for the Bureau of Prisons Residential Drug Abuse Program.

Selna ordered Pham to pay $408,496 in restitution.
California Lawmakers Forced to Kill 300 Bills in One Day, Some Climate Bills, in Budget Dilemma

Approximately 300 bills failed to pass Californias Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees on May 18, with lawmakers potentially eyeing the states $31.5 billion deficit in failing to advance the legislation, following Gov. Gavin Newsoms May budget revision announced a week before.

The bills were part of what is known as a suspense hearing, with the Senate referring any proposals with a minimum $50,000 effect to the committee, while the Assembly committee considers those exceeding $150,000. Those that survive are reviewed by the other houses appropriations committee before being sent to the floor for final consideration.

When Assembly Bill 335 targeting retail theft failed to pass, author Assemblyman Juan Alanis (R-Modesto) expressed his disappointment with the decision.

Instead of doing the right thing, the appropriations committee turned their back on a bipartisan proposal that was negotiated in good faith, which earned bipartisan support when it passed unanimously from the Public Safety Committee, and instead they shamelessly kicked the can down the road once more, Alanis said in a press release. The inaction today by the appropriations committee isnt just shameful, its harmful to all of California.

Alanis questioned the rationale behind the decision to kill the legislation.

There is absolutely no fiscal or non-political argument the appropriations committee could make as to why [the retail theft] bill should not have been sent to the floor for a full vote, Alanis said. Californians, and our retail businesses, deserve to know the real data behind retail theft.

More than 1,100 bills were considered in the fast-paced sessions, with many decisions made prior to the hearing. The few that required roll call votes were often split by party line, and the Democratic partys supermajority voted in unison in most instances, allowing contested bills to proceed.

Nearly 900 bills were passed by the committees, with the Senate approving 71 percent of those considered and the Assembly approximately 78 percent.

During a press conference announcing the May budget revision, Newsom advised caution when passing bills.

Weve got all these amazing bills, but weve got to get this done in the budget, he told lawmakers. We have a collective responsibility  I want a deeper understanding of the nature of the budgetary restraints.

Progressive Bills Delayed

While no mention of the budget deficit was made in either hearing, cuts to the Democratic majoritys long-sought-after legislation promoting abortion access, climate initiatives, gun control, and homelessness suggest lawmakers are mindful of the predicament.

It is a different time that we have to operate in, so it is a lens that we have to look through all the bills, Assembly Appropriations Committee Chair Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) told reporters after the hearing. To the extent there were some real pressures that we thought we needed to address, we did.

Proposals that failed to proceed included 25 climate-related bills, signaling that even efforts supported by lawmakers and the governor are subject to cuts given the current state of the budget.

Attempts to improve electric vehicle infrastructure were struck down in both houses, as were bills that would allow for electric vehicle charging payment and sharing service grantswhich provide funding for companies that have zero emissions vehicles for ride-sharing at low-income housing facilities.

Incentives and tax exemptions for transition to zero emissions vehicles and multiple pieces of legislation tied to hydrogen fueling stations were also denied.

Bills Targeting Oil Industry Failed to Pass

Decarbonization plans were not spared either, with Sen. Dave Mins (D-Irvine) Senate Bill 527establishing a program to further limit carbon emissionsand Senate Bill 12, introduced by three Democratic lawmakers aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, failing to pass.

SB 12 sought to further reduce carbon emissions by 55 percent of 1990 levels by 2030 as compared to the 40 percent currently mandated by law, and its failure was met with stiff resistance from climate advocacy groups.

SB 12 would have brought California closer to our allies on the global stage, created hundreds of thousands of jobs in the clean energy sector, and channeled investment toward climate solutions, Nicole Rivera, government affairs director of the Climate Centera climate solutions think tank based in Santa Rosa, Californiasaid in a statement on May 18. The world is desperate for climate leaders like California to step upSB 12 was a chance for us to answer that call and the Appropriations Committee let us down.

The failure of Sen. Lena Gonzalezs (D-Long Beach) Senate Bill 556imposing penalties of up to $1 million for health-related issues associated with nearby oil and gas wells left the author of the bill equally frustrated with fellow colleagues decision to shelve the proposal.

I am extremely disappointed that SB 556, to hold oil and gas companies accountable for health harms they cause, will not be moving forward this year, Gonzalez said in a statement released after the hearing. Today, we missed a key opportunity to advance legislation  but todays decision does not mean we stop here.

Oil industry experts welcomed the wins and noted the costs to Californians if SB 556 had passed, with litigation estimates running from hundreds of million to several billion, according to industry analysts.

Opioid Crisis Response Stalled

Bipartisan fentanyl bills were also stalled by the committees, with three pieces of legislation denied. This follows the majority of fentanyl proposals failing to pass public safety committees earlier this year.

Those that did not pass the appropriations committees include Assembly Bill 675, introduced by Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria (D-Fresno), which would have prohibited the simultaneous possession of fentanyl and a loaded firearm.

A proposal to require bars, gas stations, public libraries, and hotels to stock overdose reversal drugs and post instructions for employees about when and how to administer an opioid antagonist like naloxoneAssembly Bill 24met the same fate, as did Sen. Melissa Hurtados (D-Sanger) Senate Bill 472, also targeting overdose prevention by requiring all public schools to stock at least two doses of naloxone for opioid overdose reversal medication.

Before the bills were killed, Democratic lawmakers on both the Assembly and Senate Public Safety Committees voiced their approval of the overdose prevention approach as opposed to increased enforcement measures.

Balancing Priorities

While many key pieces of legislation were sidelined, the committees approved hundreds of bills that were contested by lawmakers and public advocacy groups.

Senate Bill 94allowing for the reconsideration of sentencing and parole hearing for murderers sentenced to death rowwill potentially become law after passing by split party vote.

A bill opposed by law enforcement agencies across the state that prevents the use of K-9 officers when making arrests or controlling crowds was also approved.

With nearly 900 bills approved, concerns about the budget will be debated by the Legislature in the coming weeks, with the governor leading the discussions by demanding prudence and telling lawmakers to not pass bills they know will not be signed into law.

It is misleading people, Newsom said when announcing revisions to his budget proposal on May 18. It makes them think when something passes it is going to happen, when in fact it doesnt line up with budgetary realities.
California Ranks Among Worst States for Military Retirees: Study

The Golden State is one of the worst states for military retirees to live out their golden years, according to a new study published May 22 by the personal finance company WalletHub.

Californias economic environment was the biggest factor for the low ranking, placing it last among all states, including Washington, D.C. The state also ranked first for least-affordable housing, according to the report. But that wasnt the only issue facing military retirees in the state.

The study also found the state had one of the largest populations of homeless veterans, had the second-fewest job opportunities for retired military veterans, and the 49th fewest veteran-owned businesses.

However, the study found the state offered a higher quality of life than most other states, taking ninth place in the category.

Florida was ranked the best state for retired military to settle, followed by South Carolina, and Virginia. North Dakota offered the best economic environment, and Maryland offered the highest quality of life, while Minnesota took top prize for the best health care, according to WalletHub.

The typical enlisted person makes about half of their salary in retirement, which equates to about $30,000 to $35,000 a year. Officers receive from $60,000 to $70,000 on average, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Thats well below what it takes for the average Californian to keep their heads above water financially. A Lending Tree report published last month revealed the state was home to eight of the largest U.S. cities where families can earn $100,000 and still be broke.

A family of three in San Jose making six figures, for instance, would be about $1,493 in debt each month after paying for housing and transportation, according to Lending Tree, a national lending marketplace.

The average price for a rental in the state reached $2,950 on May 20, compared to Floridas average of $2,471, according to the national real estate company Zillow.

The cost to buy a home in California increased slightly in April, apparently unaffected by high mortgage rates. The median home price in the state was about $815,300 mainly due to market competition, according to the California Association of Realtors.

California also taxes military pensions. Former military making a pension of $35,000 in the state would pay about $3,100 in personal income taxes, according to Forbes.

Most states dont tax military retirements, and six more decided to discontinue doing so last year. Military retirees in California and Washington, D.C., are the only ones that are still fully taxed.

This can be burdensome, some experts say.

Income taxes are an immoral burden on the entire economy, Abir Mandal, assistant professor of economics at Tillman School of Business, told WalletHub. Veterans who have already given their lives and well-being to the government should not be subject to further such penalties.

Despite the low rankings, Carl Castro, a retired Army colonel and social work and psychology professor at the University of Southern California, said veterans should consider more personal reasons for choosing a state to retire.

Veterans should retire in a [s]tate that brings them the most joy and comfort, Castro told WalletHub. Proximity to the family is the most critical.

He also said another important consideration should be the presence of a veterans hospital if thats where the retiree plans to get their health care. California ranked second in the nation for the number of Veterans Affairs facilities per number of veterans, only topped by New York. Washington, South Carolina, the District of Columbia, Delaware, and Rhode Island had the fewest.

Leisure activities are also important, according to Castro, including opportunities for hunting, fishing, or indoor activities.

This is a very personal decision. Veterans should focus on doing something they enjoy regardless of what that something is, he said.

California also has few veterans per capita who have chosen to live in the state. According to WalletHub, the state ranks 48 out of 51. Utah, New York, and New Jersey ranked lower.

States with the most veterans per capita are Alaska, Maine, Montana, Virginia, and Wyoming, the study showed.

California tied with Oregon and the District of Columbia for having the largest number of homeless veterans. Arkansas, Virginia, and New Mexico respectively had the lowest percentage of unhoused former military.

The study also compared Democratic Party, or blue states against Republican or red states and found that on average, Republican states were more friendly towards military retirees. The states were designated blue or red according to how they voted in the 2020 presidential election.
CCPs Deplorable Persecution of Falun Gong Under Spotlight at Congress Briefing

Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) speaks at a briefing on the persecution of Falun Gong on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 23, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Ten years ago, Zhou Deyong was trying to rescue his wife who was jailed by Chinese authorities over her faith. Now, his wife and son are doing the same for him.

Every day, You Ling shows up at the Chinese Consulate in New York holding a sign calling for her husbands release. The 62-year-old geological engineer was recently sentenced to eight years in prison for practicing Falun Gong, a meditation discipline that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has brutally suppressed since 1999.

The couples son, Florida resident Zhou You, recounted the familys story of persecution at a congressional briefing hosted by the International Religious Freedom Caucus on May 23.

My grandfather died last year. I couldnt go to the funeral, because if I return to China, I will be in jail, Zhou You said at the event, which was hosted by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), chairman of the International Religious Freedom Caucus. My father couldnt make it, because he was already in jail.

You Zhou, a panelist, speaks at a briefing on the persecution of Falun Gong, on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 23, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Zhou You was one of three people who shared their stories of loss and separation under the Chinese regimes 24-year-long campaign that has resulted in millions of Falun Gong practitioners being detained in prisons, black jails, and other facilities.

The spiritual practice, which involves a set of meditative exercises and moral teachings centered on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, surged in popularity in the 1990s, leading to an estimated 100 million practitioners in China. The communist regime perceived that as a threat to its grip on power, and unleashed a sweeping persecution campaign that continues today.

Falun Gong practitioners suffer from persecution, intimidation, censorship, imprisonment, forced labor, torture, organ harvesting, and even death at the hands of the CCP solely because of adherence to their religious beliefs, said Bilirakis, calling the repression campaign deplorable.

This is not something that just affects people in China, he said, noting the stories presented at the panel. This is something that has a direct impact; it has a direct impact on the U.S. citizens and people living in the United States of America.

Wang Shanshan participates in a parade to call for an end to the Chinese Communist Partys persecution of Falun Gong, in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., on April 23, 2023. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)

A Broken Family

As Lydia Wang, another panelist, prepared her speech over the weekend, she stared at a 1996 photo of herself alongside her parents and three siblings in China. Her family hasnt been able to take another photo together since.

It was hard for Wang to speak about those painful memories. During the briefing, she paused several times to wipe away tears that were flowing down her cheeks.

Wang was still in high school when the persecution started. Around 2000, police broke into their home and made a mess of everything before forcibly taking away her father in front of his four crying children.

Lydia Wang (3rd R) with her family in China, in 1996. Her father endured heavy abuse over years in prison for his faith and died from related injuries in 2009. (Courtesy of Steven Wang)

The police took away anything that had some value and didnt hesitate to use force as the children watched. They beat Wangs father so brutally that he lost consciousness, Wang, now living in New York, told The Epoch Times.

That was one of the many arrests and incidents of police harassment that the family would be subjected to over the years.

Visiting her jailed father after his second arrest about two years later, Wang and her sister could only see him from behind soundproof glass. He had to write on a chalkboard to communicate.

He told them his situation wasnt good. The guards directed prisoners to beat him, he told them.

Why hasnt your mom come? Wang remembers her father asking. He wanted Wangs mother to tell the guards that he was wronged and get him freed, she said.

Wang and her elder sister couldnt stop crying.

We didnt know what to do, because our mom had been arrested as well, she said.

After his fourth imprisonment in February 2003, Wangs father was emaciated and suffering from diabetes and kidney failure.

Finally, a prison doctor warned the guards that if they didnt release Wangs father immediately, hed be dead by the next day, Wang said.

After returning home, her father wouldnt talk much about what he had been through. But the physical effects were obvious. He had so much pain from bruises and other injuries all over his body that he had trouble falling asleep. His leg was so swollen that a pit would appear if it was lightly pressed, Wang said.

Lydia Wang, a panelist, speaks at a briefing on the persecution of Falun Gong on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 23, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

Wangs father died in 2009 from afflictions that he never quite recovered from. Meanwhile, police continued to target the rest of the family, arresting Wangs mother 11 times in an attempt to coerce her to renounce her faith.

One of the arrests took place shortly after Wang escaped to the United States in 2012 in a bid to keep her second child, which authorities wanted her to abort in line with Beijings stringent one-child policy.

In March this year, Wangs mother was sentenced to four years in prison after more than a half-year of detention without trial. Wangs second child, now 11, has never met her grandmother in China.

I Cant Keep Quiet

Like Wang and Zhou, New York architect Simon Zhang was helpless when his mother, Ji Yunzhi, was arrested during the Chinese New Year in 2022, three days before the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Ji, 65, died after 48 days in detention, during which guards subjected her to torture, forced feeding, and humiliation. Handcuffs and iron fetters kept her confined to a hospital bed for the last month of her life.

My mom had one strong wish: to see for herself how people can practice Falun Gong freely in America, Zhang said at the event, adding that his mother was unable to secure a passport to the United States because of her belief in Falun Gong.

Simon Zhang and his mother Ji Yunzhi during a trip to Hangzhou city in Zhejiang Province, China, in 2012. (Courtesy of Simon Zhang)

Now she will never have that chance.

All she did was stay faithful to the principles of Falun Gongtruthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, Zhang added, recalling that in 2007, his mother was hospitalized for a seizure suffered due to police harassment.

His cousin asked her why she couldnt simply keep quiet and practice at home without distributing flyers regarding the persecution of their faith.

Look how much you have paid, his cousin said.

In a very weak voice, she told the cousin that she couldnt. I have benefited so much from practicing Falun Gong. I cant keep quiet when Falun Gong is defamed so badly, she said, according to Zhang.

Worlds Most Unrecognized Persecution

Nina Shea, director of the Center for Religious Freedom at the Hudson Institute and former commissioner at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, described the Chinese regimes repression of Falun Gong as one of the worlds most unrecognized and serious episodes of religious persecution and possible genocide in the world today.

Nina Shea, a senior fellow at Hudson Institute, speaks at a briefing on the persecution of Falun Gong in Washington on May 23, 2023. (Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times)

In addition to an expansive domestic campaign targeting the faith group, including the killing of detained adherents for their organs, the regime has sent agents overseas to aid in the repression.

Shea cited a recent Department of Justice indictment of two New York men allegedly running a secret police station on Beijings behalf. The word Falun Gong appeared 13 times in the indictment.

Its part of the CCPs obsessive worldwide crackdown on Falun Gong, she said at the briefing.

Wang remains separated from her elder daughter, whos still in China. She was forced to divorce her husband due to the persecution, and her elder daughter lives with her paternal grandparents.

During this persecution, one daughter doesnt have a mother, the other doesnt have a father, she said.

Wangs relatives in China have tried repeatedly to see her mother in prison without success.

Wang Shanshan and her daughter participate in a rally to call for an end to the Chinese Communist Partys persecution of their faith, in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., on April 23, 2023.(Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)

She implored the Florida congressman and others at the event to help raise her mothers case so that Liu can be released and reunited with her in New York.

Zhou You noted that his father has lost almost all his teeth in prison.

He cant eat meat, vegetables, or even rice because he cant bite. The only thing he can eat is buns soaked in soup, he said.

Bilirakis, a sponsor of the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act, which was approved by the House in March, said that he wants to see Congress do more to bring such abuses to an end.

We must do more, he said. No person should ever be intimidated, forced from their ancestral homeland, imprisoned, or murdered simply because of their beliefs.

Weve just begun to fight.
ChatGPT Makers Say AI Technology Could Surpass Expert Human Skill Levels Within 10 Years, Flag Existential Risk

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, testifies at a senate hearing on May 16, 2003. (Senate Judiciary Committee/Screenshot via EET)

The makers of ChatGPT have warned that Artificial Intelligence (AI) could exceed expert skill level across most domains within the next 10 years as superintelligence becomes more powerful than any other technologies humanity has had to contend with.

Open AI executives including CEO Sam Altman; President, Chairman, & Co-Founder, Greg Brockman; and Co-Founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, made the comments in a blog post published on May 22.

The executives noted that it is conceivable that within the next ten years, AI systems could carry out as much productivity as one of todays largest corporations.

In terms of both potential upsides and downsides, superintelligence will be more powerful than other technologies humanity has had to contend with in the past, they wrote. We can have a dramatically more prosperous future but we have to manage risk to get there. Given the possibility of existential risk, we cant just be reactive.

The executives went on to lay out three proposals to address the risks associated with the increasingly widespread use and advancement of AI, including coordination across AI development leaders to ensure that the technology grows in a manner that allows us to both maintain safety and help smooth integration of these systems with society.

As part of this effort, major governments around the world could establish a growth rate under which AI capability is limited each year, the executives said.

The senior experts also noted that individual companies should be held to an extremely high standard when it comes to acting responsibly.

Elsewhere, the Open AI executives suggested the creation of an agency like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to oversee superintelligence efforts associated with the advancement of AI above a certain capability.

Such advanced AI would be subject to audits, inspections, and testing to ensure compliance with safety standards.

The ChatGPT artificial intelligence software, which generates human-like conversation, on Feb. 3, 2023. (Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty Images)

Tremendous Upsides to Advanced AI

The agency would also place restrictions on degrees of deployment and levels of security, the execs said. This could initially start on a voluntary basis before being implemented by countries, they noted.

It would be important that such an agency focus on reducing existential risk and not issues that should be left to individual countries, such as defining what an AI should be allowed to say, the execs wrote.

Finally, they stated that technical capability is needed to ensure that superintelligence is safe.

This is an open research question that we and others are putting a lot of effort into, they wrote in the blog post.

Altman and his colleagues noted, however, that it would be unintuitively risky and difficult to prevent the creation of superintelligence, citing tremendous upsides to such technology as well as the difficulties in preventing its development, which they said would require something akin to a global surveillance regime that may not actually work.

They also stressed the importance of allowing companies and open-source projects to develop models below a significant capability threshold, without the kind of regulation they recommend in their blog post.

Todays systems will create tremendous value in the world and, while they do have risks, the level of those risks feel commensurate with other Internet technologies and societys likely approaches seem appropriate, they wrote. By contrast, the systems we are concerned about will have power beyond any technology yet created, and we should be careful not to water down the focus on them by applying similar standards to technology far below this bar.

Electric car maker Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the 6th edition of the Choose France Summit at the Chateau de Versailles, outside Paris on May 15, 2023. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images)

Musk, Gates Warn of AI Capabilities

The comments from the senior executives come shortly after Altman appeared before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law to address concerns regarding the risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence.

During that testimony (pdf), Altman noted that a number of companiesincluding financial firms and platforms for legal professionalsare already using ChatGPT for everything from improving customer support operations to answering technical documentation, detecting fraud, and researching legal issues.

Despite listing the various benefits of ChatGPT, Altman also told lawmakers that rapidly advancing AI technology will ultimately lead to widespread layoffs across various sectors.

There will be an impact on jobs, he said. We try to be very clear about that.

Multiple experts, including businessman Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, have called for a temporary pause to the training of systems more powerful than Chat GPT-4 for at least six months due to concerns over its risks to society and humanity.

In a May 16 interview with CNBC, Musk again warned that AI has the potential to destroy humanity if it goes wrong.

On Monday, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates also warned that AI developers are currently competing to develop the first personalized AI agents which could render retail giants such as Amazon useless, as they change the way consumers do everything from using search engines to shopping online.

Whoever wins the personal agent, thats the big thing, because you will never go to a search site again, you will never go to a productivity site, youll never go to Amazon again, Gates said, CNBC reports.

Gates noted that while personalized digital agents are still in the early stages of development, they have the power to impact the employment landscape for both white-collar and blue-collar workers as more companies opt to use such advanced technology over human workers.
China Facing New Wave of COVID-19 Infections

A couple look at a mobile phone as they wait outside a restaurant for a table in a busy retail shopping area in Beijing, China, on April 18, 2023. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

A new wave of COVID-19 infections in China is likely to peak in late June, when weekly cases could reach 65 million, the Chinese communist regimes top health adviser has warned.

Chinese citizens have responded on social media that the wave of infection is already swelling.

Zhong Nanshan, Chinas top respiratory disease specialist, made the prediction on the account of the ruling Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) official media China News Agency. It was posted on the Chinese social media platform Weibo on May 22.

One Omicron-infected patient can infect more than 30 people, and the infection is difficult to prevent, Zhong said. The focus of COVID-19 prevention and control for the next wave should be on preventing severe symptoms, the doctor said.

There was a small peak in infections at the end of April and early May, and judging from various sources, this is what we expected, Zhong said.

Patients are cared for by relatives and medical staff as they are seen on beds set up in the atrium area of a busy hospital in Shanghai on Jan. 13, 2023. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

The Epoch Times reported in late April that a large number of Chinese citizens posted on social media platforms about COVID-19 reinfections. However, the regimes mouthpiece media outlet quickly denied that China was experiencing another outbreak.

Most COVID-19 infections in mainland China are currently caused by the XBB series mutant strains of Omicron. Chen Cao, a researcher at the Institute of Viral Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, recently told the media that in the first 10 days of May, the XBB series mutant strains accounted for 95.6 percent of imported cases.

Among the locally transmitted cases, the percentage of XBB series variants has increased to 83.6 percent in early May from 0.2 percent in February. The combined percentage of BA.5.2, BF.7, and BA.2 series variants infections was about 16.4 percent in early May.

Chen stated that compared to the early Omicron mutant strains, the XBB strains are more transmissible and have greater immune evasion properties.

New Wave Has Already Begun

Zhongs most recent prediction caused a stir on Chinese social media. Netizens have responded that they are experiencing a wave of COVID-19.

My brother-in-law said that their company has a total of seven floors of offices, and there is no one on one of the floors who went to work last week, Frosty White Rice, a social media novelist and influencer, said on Weibo. All of them tested positive for COVID-19, most of them are reinfections. Two of my aunties are reinfected as well.

Other netizens also confirmed the new COVID-19 outbreak.

Recently, our company has begun to have a wave of COVID-19 reinfection, one post read.

Another said in a post, All the doctors and nurses in the department were already reinfected with COVID-19, and have just recovered from the reinfection.

The symptoms of this new round of infections are severe for some people, some netizens have stated.

I am in great pain now, one patient posted. I had a high fever of 40 (Celsius) degrees (104F) for two days, and now Im still having a low fever. My whole body is sore and weak. There isnt any way to relieve the pain and soreness.

A nurse views the lung X-rays of a COVID-19 patient at the Casalpalocco hospital south of Rome on Oct. 13, 2021. (ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

Mr. Wang, a resident of Pudong in Shanghai, told The Epoch Times that he tested negative on May 21 but is now experiencing a sore throat and feeling unwell.

I might be infected again, or already was. My wife tested positive yesterday and she has been having symptoms for more than a week. The leader of the company she works for still asked her to come to work and wear a mask.

He added, Many people in our office have tested positive, and they have gone home to rest for two days. If I tested positive, I am still going to work because we are not getting paid if we rest due to COVID-19 infection.

He said that 20 percent of the population was said to have been infected but there havent been any official reports.

Mr. Zhao, another Shanghai citizen, says two family members of his who had never been infected before have now tested positive.

They went to the hospital for treatment, but not effective, he told The Epoch Times on May 22. I also have symptoms. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic is resurging.

Zhao said he was also infected with COVID-19 in late April, when he went to Beijing to petition against the local government. He returned to Shanghai on April 28.

Our group of petitioners from Shanghai all tested positive for COVID-19 after we came back. We had been infected in Beijing and feeling sick there. The symptoms were very serious. I felt the pain caused by sore throat like being cut by a knife.

I was bedridden with fever. Its no use to take the regular medicines for this.

Zhang Wenhong, Chinas top virologist and director of Chinas National Center for Infectious Diseases, also warned in late April at a conference that COVID-19 infections would reoccur after six months, when immunity gained from prior infections has worn out.

Xia Song and Luo Ya contributed to this report.
Christian Teacher Banned After Misgendering Pupil

Joshua Sutcliffe was struck off in case thought to be a first in the UK

Maths teacher Joshua Sutcliffe who has been banned from teaching by the UK's Teachers Regulation Authority (TRA) after refusing to use a pupil's preferred pronouns. Sutcliffe is pictured in London on May 22, 2023. (Christian Concern)

A teacher has been banned from his profession for misgendering a pupil in a case thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.

Joshua Sutcliffe was struck off by the Teachers Regulation Authority (TRA) for unprofessional conduct and bringing the profession into disrepute over refusing to use a pupils preferred pronouns.

A panel ruled that he had failed to treat the transgender student, who identified as a male, with dignity and respect and was handed a prohibition order following a seven-day hearing.

It means he is banned from teaching indefinitely and cannot work in any school, sixth form college, or childrens home in England. The order will remain in place until 2025, when it can be reviewed.

The maths teacher, supported by the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), is appealing the decision.

In a statement, issued via CLC on Monday, the 33-year-old said he was devastated by the panels decision

Based on this ruling, every teacher is at risk if they share their beliefs and views in the classroom, he said.

If a teacher had shown or recommended a video from a liberal YouTube platform, would they have been treated as I have? I believe affirming children who is in gender distress in the classroom is psychologically damaging for them.

I refuse to go against my conscience and cause a child harm and cannot apologise for that.

Gay Marriage

The teacher, who has strong Christian beliefs, made headlines in 2017 after taking legal action against The Cherwell School in Oxford, after he was suspended and eventually dismissed for gross misconduct for misgendering a student.

After being notified that the pupil wanted to be referred to by a set of preferred pronouns, Sutcliffe decided to call the child by name only.

According to the CLC, he had been given no warning or guidelines on how to deal with the issue.

He said hed received no training other than a brief presentation from Stonewall, an organisation the Department for Education no longer recommends.

He claims that as soon as he voiced his Christian beliefs at the school he became a marked man where every part of his public and private life came under scrutiny, CLC said.

Sutcliffe made the decision to leave the school and took up a teaching post at St Aloysius College, North London. After a year in the school, he felt forced to resign over Christian views he posted on his personal YouTube channel which critiqued Islam.

Despite legal issues between Sutcliffe and both schools being settled, he was later pursued and investigated by the regulatory body,

The TRA investigation culminated in a professional conduct panel hearing into a series of allegations.

As well as accusations of refusing to use a pupils preferred pronouns, he was convicted of other allegations that included stating to a student that did not believe in gay marriage.

Further, he was convicted of failing to provide an alternative viewpoint to students when he allegedly showed a video on masculinity by leading global conservative non-profit channel, Prager-U.

He was acquitted of a number of allegations including an allegation that he was guilty of unprofessional conduct because he uploaded a YouTube video critiquing Islam.

Students in a lesson at a school in the UK on Sept. 12, 2018. (Ben Birchall/PA)

Rapped Over TV Appearance

The TRA panel said in its recommendations to the Secretary of State (SoS) that Sutcliffe had shown the pupil a lack of dignity and respect by refusing to use the pronouns they asked to be referred to.

Evidence given by pupils led to investigators also ruling that Sutcliffe had repeatedly misgendered the young person, which he has always denied.

It was also accepted that the teacher misgendered the pupil in the classroom when he was alleged to have said, I borrowed her calculator.

The panel concluded: Given the evidence of the pupils that Mr. Sutcliffe had failed to use Pupil As pronoun on various occasions, and Mr. Sutcliffes own admission that he had failed to use Pupil As pronoun on one occasion, the panel found that it was more probable than not that Mr. Sutcliffe had failed to use Pupil As preferred pronoun in the classroom during teaching on one or more occasions.

The panel, therefore, concluded on balance that by failing to use Pupil As preferred pronouns, Mr. Sutcliffe had failed to uphold Pupil As dignity and respect and failed to safeguard Pupil As wellbeing.

The panel also ruled that the maths teacher had failed in his safeguarding duty to Pupil A by appearing on ITVs This Morning to discuss his story.

In a statement, the CLC said the ruling contradicts a recent report by the Policy Exchange into the extent of transgender ideology in UK schools.

The 2023 report (pdf) said that in terms of sex and gender issues in schools that, Safeguarding principles are being routinely disregarded in many secondary schools, which are neglecting their safeguarding responsibilities in favour of a set of contested beliefs in a way that risk jeopardising child wellbeing and safety.

The report added, A generation of children are being let down, because well-established safeguarding standards are being compromised.

An undated handout picture of maths teacher Joshua Sutcliffe who has been banned from teaching by the UKs Teachers Regulation Authority (TRA) after refusing to use a pupils preferred pronouns. (Christian Concern)

Parent Backing

The panel and the SoS have made the ruling despite the imminent publication of new government guidelines on transgender issues in schools.

In January, the Telegraph reported that the guidelines are likely to advise teachers and schools that allowing pupils to socially transition and use preferred pronouns contrary to their sex, can cause major psychological harm.

The ruling against Sutcliffe is also at odds with Education Secretary Gillian Keegans recent defence of a teacher at a private school who was accused of misgendering after saying good afternoon girls at an all-girls school, the CLC said.

The panel also rejected expert evidence from Christian theologian and Sex Matters executive director Maya Forstater, and backing from parents and pupils taught by Sutcliffe.

According to CLC, one parent, whose daughter had been tutored by the maths teacher, told the panel: Joshua was very good at his job and teaching. Patient, kind and considerate, he was respectful and good at explaining things.

The teacher said he has been mercilessly punished for refusing to show the panel any remorse over his actions.

I have been bullied and pursued and have had every part of my life scrutinised for expressing my Christian faith and biological truth, he said.

This decision is putting my family and I at risk. I have a young son and everything that is happening is affecting him.

CLC Chief Executive Andrea Williams described the case as a tipping point.

The government needs to step in and restore some sanity into the teaching profession, she said in a statement.

Similar action needs to be taken regarding the TRA.

I am very concerned by the way regulatory bodies are now punishing Christian teachers simply for stating the truth.

Williams added: The TRA has targeted an exceptional teacher because his Christian beliefs do not fall in line with the new LGBTQ moral code which will not tolerate any dissent. This is deeply illiberal.
Corporate Espionage, Chinese Style

Commentary

Some consider the very first case of international industrial spying to be the 18th-century letters of the missionary superior general of the French Jesuits, Francois-Xavier dEntrecolles, describing the manufacture of the exquisite porcelain of Jingdezhen in southeast China, where what are recognized as the finest ceramics in the world trace their origins to the sixth century. It would not be long before dEntrecolles and his fellow priests, despite a long tenure dating back to 1579, would be cast out by the imperial Chinese.

In the 21st century, the Lazy Susansor canzhuo zhuanpan, as they are called in restaurants in mainland Chinahave turned, as in the case of former Apple software engineer Weibao Wang. The Department of Justice announced on May 16 that it has charged Wang with six counts pertaining to stealing Apple technology and providing it to a Chinese smart car company. Wang is the third ex-employee of Apple charged with stealing trade secrets from the global tech giant.

Wang strolled into the airport in San Francisco and fled to communist China shortly after federal authorities searched his home, which was nearly five years ago. The moves against him are being touted as part of the work of the new Disruptive Technology Strike Force of the Justice and Commerce Departments targeting foreign theft of advanced technologies. The Justice Department pointed to another California case in which a senior software engineer was arrested on May 5 for allegedly stealing source code of smart car manufacturing equipment.

The DOJ, in a possible distraction from the Chinese threat, also outlined charges filed in Brooklyn against a Greek NATO defense contractor it accuses of helping to fuel Russias war effort, and charges filed in Arizona against two Russian nationals who sent aircraft parts to Russian airline firms; not to mention charges filed in the Southern District of New York against a 39-year-old Joe Hansen, a native of the Peoples Republic of China whose real name is Xiangjiang Qiao, for sanctions evasion, money laundering, and bank fraud offenses in utilizing a Chinese company to sell weapons of mass destruction production materials to Iran through the U.S. financial system. Like Wang, Qiao is within the PRC, beyond the reach of U.S. authorities.

President Joe Bidens U.S. attorney prosecuting the Wang case is Izzy Ramsey, who clerked for a Jimmy Carter-appointed chief judge of the D.C. Circuit and was an associate with the San Francisco-based legal giant Keker, Van Nest & Peters, well-known for successfully defending both Google and Intel in high-profile cases.

Does this mean that even the left is waking up to the economic warfare of the Chinese Communist Party, whose designs entail military and economic supremacy in the world by mid-century? Not if the Biden administration is telling us Chinas spying can casually be categorized with Moscows and Tehrans. The Ayatollah and Vladimir Putin know very well, as does Kim Jong-un in North Korea, that nuclear attack on the United States or another NATO country is national suicide; their threat to the free world is of a much lesser magnitude than Beijings.

From the spy balloon that early this year just happened to wind its way from the Aleutians to across the continental United States, to the National Security Agency discovering China-linked hackers breaching U.S. telecom networks last year; from the penetration of the computer systems of government agencies of at least six U.S. states to the discovery last year of Chinese-government infiltration of email accounts of The Wall Street Journal for years; from the FBI in 2021 discovering Chinese government-backed hackers a decade ago targeting U.S. oil and natural gas pipeline companies to a Chinese hacking gang using VPN vulnerabilities to spy on U.S. defense contractors; from the DOJ in 2020 discovering Chinese nationals laundering cryptocurrency for a North Korean computer hacking operation to a Chinese espionage group stealing virtual currencies and spying on Hong Kong freedom fightersall of these well-documented episodes are only a sample of the CCPs broad strategy designed to emasculate the United States and the rest of the free world.

In sync with this, Beijings agents are making a concerted effort to soften up the cultural foundations of the West. For decades, even before Xi Jinping ascended to the partys Central Committee in 2002, Beijing was cultivating an international army of friendly propagandists for China, through the spending of over $6 billion over the last decade and a half on the expansion of Chinese media friendly to the CCP around the world, like the Xinhua News Service, the Global Times, CCTV, and China Radio International, as well as enticing or co-opting foreign dignitaries and journalists to spread the news that mainland China is benevolent.

Even a decade and a half ago, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service was warning of the underlying purpose of the projection of Chinas soft power by the Beijing Ministry of Informations many dozens of Confucius Institute chapters in educational institutions around the world. For China to achieve its goals, people must admire China to some degree, remarked Jim Judd while he was director of the CSIS and was monitoring Chinese operatives. While academics debate the relative importance of hard powertanks, missiles, guns and the likeversus soft power, the Peoples Republic of China government views the soft power concept as useful.

It might interest the left within Congress, and others claiming to be so interested in saving the planet, that on top of China being responsible for 27 percent of global carbon dioxide and a third of the worlds greenhouse gases according to the World Bank, Beijings debt-trap diplomacy/overseas development finance, in its funding of roads, railways and power plants in the third world, is worth close examination. Some 63% of China-financed projects overlap with critical habitats, protected areas or Indigenous lands, a team of international researchers reported in Nature magazine in 2021, with up to 24% of the worlds threatened birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians potentially impacted by the projects. The risks were widely distributed globally, primarily distributed in northern sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and parts of South America. The researchers found that Overall, Chinas development projects pose greater risks than those of the World Bank, particularly within the energy sector.

After nearly a century and a half of European missionary efforts within China, and tens of thousands of conversions, the Qing emperor in 1724 pronounced Christianity heterodox after coming to the conclusion that the evangelists work was a threat to his dynasty and the Chinese way of life. The free world does not have anywhere near the luxury of a century and a half to wake up to the nature of Beijings multi-pronged mission aimed at unseating the United States and its allies in military and economic global dominance.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
COVID Vaccine-Injured Sue Biden Administration Over Censorship

A woman who suffered severe nerve damage after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination and four others with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 vaccine injuries launched a lawsuit against President Joe Biden and his administration on May 22.

Top government officials violated the plaintiffs rights to free speech and peaceful assembly when they pressured Big Tech companies to crack down on people sharing their experience after receiving the COVID-19 vaccines, Brianne Dressen, the woman, and the other plaintiffs say.

Through threats, pressure, inducement, and coercion, Defendants now work in concert with social media companies to censor content the government deems disinformation, misinformation, and malinformationa feat that the government could never lawfully accomplish alone, the 124-page suit, filed in U.S. court in southern Texas, states.

In addition to Biden, defendants include Rob Flaherty, a top adviser to Biden; White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre; the Department of Homeland Security; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

The CDC declined to comment. The other defendants did not respond to requests for comment, or could not be reached.

Dressen hailed the lawsuit as a major development for those reporting to be suffering from vaccine injuries.

People injured by the COVID vaccines in the United States have not been able to file suit anywhere, under any circumstance, she told The Epoch Times. So this is a landmark case for Americans injured by the COVID vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers are largely immune from litigation in the United States due to the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act declaration entered by the Trump administration in early 2020. Most other vaccine manufacturers are also shielded from liability under the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act.

Censorship

The five people who experienced serious problems following vaccination are joined by Ernest Ramirez, whose son died after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Theyve repeatedly been censored by platforms like Twitter and Instagram as they tried to share their stories.

Ramirez, for instance, saw a GoFundMe that sought to raise funds for him to travel to Washington to share his sons story taken down. GoFundMe claimed the account was removed for violating conduct the company prohibits. GoFundMe did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Another plaintiff, Nikki Holland, meanwhile, posted videos on TikTok regarding her experiences after being vaccinated, including the injuries she suffered. TikTok said the videos violated guidelines such as one against posting violent and graphic content.

When I really started to share and open up about things, I started to notice that a lot of stuff was being taken down and censored, Holland told The Epoch Times. That adds a whole new world of questioning to motive and whats really going on because  why would you censor something you might need to look into to protect millions of others?

TikTok did not immediately return a query.

The other plaintiffs are Shaun Barcavage, a former nurse who has been on disability leave since suffering medical problems after receiving Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine; Kristi Dobbs, a dental hygienist who suffered debilitating medical injuries after a shot of Pfizers vaccine; and Suzanna Newell, who is also on disability leave due to problems following vaccination.

The right to peacefully assemble was also violated when Facebook and other big tech platforms disbanded groups where those with suspected or confirmed adverse reactions following vaccination gathered, according to the suit.

One Facebook group called A Wee Sprinkle of Hope was shut down after a group member posted an infographic of symptoms people have experienced following COVID-19 vaccination and Dressen shared a link to a press conference at which she had shared about her symptoms.

Facebooks message to Dressen was that the group violated the companys Community Standards on misinformation that could cause physical harm. Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for an explanation from the group.

The removal of the groups robbed those suffering injuries after a COVID-19 vaccine of key gathering places for the exchange of information as they sought to figure out how to treat their often-debilitating conditions. Dressen said she is aware of multiple suicides as a result, because the censorship sparked feelings of helplessness amid the suffering.

The deplatforming was devastating, especially when youre being censored and no ones listening to you, Holland said.

Evidence

Evidence unearthed in an ongoing case against the government, as well as internal Twitter documents, underpin the new case.

Discovery in Missouri v. Biden litigation, lodged by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana against the Biden administration, has revealed that officials pressured WhatsApp, Facebook, and other technology companies to censor users talking about problems following COVID-19 vaccination, including posts that accurately outlined the lack of evidence for COVID-19 vaccines among certain populations.

The case has provided evidence that government officials engaged in viewpoint discrimination, with plaintiffs having plausibly alleged  extensive and highly effective efforts by government officials to silence or muffle the expression of disfavored viewpoints, U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee overseeing the case, wrote in a ruling rejecting the governments attempt to dismiss it.

Other records, revealed in searches of internal Twitter files, have shown or appeared to show the government colluding with Twitter and outside groups, like Stanford Universitys Virality Project, to censor content.

Dressen was among those targeted by the project, which falsely claimed in a brief to partners that Dressens story does not have a proven causal link to the vaccine. Dressen was diagnosed with a vaccine injury by researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health after her participation in AstraZenecas COVID-19 vaccine trial.

Its very evident that the federal government was involved in stifling free speech of Americans, Dressen told The Epoch Times.

The government claims that it suppresses so-called misinformation for the sake of public safety and welfare. It is the governments view that Americans cannot be trusted with their own minds and must be shielded at all costs from mis-, dis-, and malinformationwhich is whatever the government deems it to be. Fortunately, the First Amendment says otherwise: the government may neither censor our clients nor induce others to do so, Casey Norman, a lawyer with the New Civil Liberties Alliance, which is representing the plaintiffs, added in a statement.

Plaintiffs are seeking a ruling that the defendants violated the U.S. Constitutions First Amendment, an injunction enjoining Biden and the other defendants, as well as people acting in concert with them, from continuing. They are also hoping the suit results in the development of new rules.

I hope by and large that this helps put some reasonable regulations in place in the future, Dressen said, so this never happens again.

Roman Balmakov contributed to this report.
Criminal Justice Disaster

Commentary

Over the past decade or so, America has undertaken a radical experiment with criminal justice reform. The consequences have been devastating.

The number of people arrested in America each year has fallen sharply over the past two decades. Public prosecutors now prosecute significantly fewer cases. Those that are convicted can generally expect shorter sentences. The combined effect of all this is that Americas prison population is now 25 percent lower than it was in 2011.

Part of the reason for this policy change has been pressure from the far left. Ever since the death of George Floyd in 2020, left-wing activists have pursued an explicitly anti-police and anti-prison agenda. But even before that, there were plenty of well-meaning conservatives who signed up for criminal justice reform, too. Everyone needs a second chance, right?

Five years ago, it was conservatives in Washington, D.C. that passed the First Step Act, which explicitly sought to reduce the prison population. Here in my own state of Mississippi, those elected as conservatives have for the past decade been formulating policy in the belief that there are better ways of preventing crime than filling up our jails. Our states incarcerated population decreased from over 21,000 in January 2014 to 16,931 by January 2022, a decrease of 19.4 percent.

Reducing the number of people arrested, prosecuted, and jailed might sound like a good thing, but it has helped lead to a sharp spike in crimeincluding violent crimein specific parts of the country.

In 2013, the year before Mississippi conservatives decided to go soft on sentencing laws, 28 people were murdered in our state capital, Jackson per 100,000 residents. By 2021, almost four times that number were being murdered, with 101 homicides per 100,000.

Saying you want to give convicted felons a second chance might make believe you are one of the good guys in your low-crime neighborhood. In Jackson, Mississippi, and thousands of similar communities across America, releasing convicted felons means more murder.

Crime, according to Rafael Mangual, a senior fellow of the Manhattan Institute who was in Mississippi last week to talk to policymakers, is highly concentrated geographically. Two percent of counties in America see something like 50 percent of the murders each year. Half the counties in the country wont typically see any murder in certain areas in America.

Manguals brilliant new book on the consequences of naive criminal justice reform, Criminal (In)Justice, spells out some even more uncomfortable facts about crime.

Not only is crime geographically concentrated, it is demographically concentrated, too. The victims of violent crime are disproportionately African American. The increase that there has been in violent crime in America in recent years has disproportionately impacted African Americans, too.

Conversely, Mangual shows, when the police, prosecutors, and the courts do decide to get tough on violent offenders, and crime rates fall, the beneficiaries are overwhelmingly African American. In other words, the communities that have borne the cost of this unsuccessful experiment in criminal justice reform have largely been those communities that many reformers claimed to want to help.

In recent years, many on the left have made the claim that Americas police and criminal justice system is systemically racist. This Mangual suggests is dangerous nonsense.

It is nonsense because as the evidence shows, different outcomes in the criminal justice system do not reflect supposed biases of the criminal justice system, but are reflective of offender behavior. It is dangerous because by undermining the moral authority of law enforcement certain communities in America, such as Jackson, Mississippi, are made effectively lawless.

When state officials, as has happened in Mississippi, then try to step in to try to ensure that there is basic law and order in communities devastated by crime, they face the inevitable, and asinine, accusation that they are being racist. The absurdity would be comic if the consequences were not so murderous.

A curious coalition between prison abolitionists on the left and what one might call conservative rehabilitationists on the right has significantly cut the U.S. prison population. Rather than lock people up, so the reformers tell us, shouldnt we rehabilitate them? Would it not be better if former criminals became useful members of society instead?

There is, alas, precious little evidence that releasing felons from prison leads to redemption. The average released state prisoner in the United States has approximately five prior convictions. A second chance? It sounds like five chances.

The narrative of redemption is powerful. But often it turns out to be fiction. Approximately 80 percent of released state prisoners will be rearrested at least once over a 10-year period after their release.

Rehabilitation is a noble goal, but it should never detract from the reality that prisons primarily exist to lock up bad people so that they cannot do bad things to good people.

Manguals book should make uncomfortable reading for those conservatives that have gone along with the criminal justice reform agenda in recent years. There is nothing good or kindor indeed conservativeabout misplaced criminal justice reform.

From RealClearWire

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Sinan Ogan, center, the nationalist presidential candidate, is surrounded by supporters during a city tour, in Ankara, Turkey, on May 4, 2023.

The third-placed contender in the Turkish presidential elections formally endorsed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday for the second-round runoff vote to be held on May 28. The nationalist presidential candidate Sinan Ogan, 55, has emerged as a potential kingmaker after neither Erdogan nor his main challenger, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, secured the majority needed for a first-round victory on May 14.

I declare that we will support Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the candidate of the Peoples Alliance, in the second round of the elections, Ogan said, referring to the Erdogan-led alliance that includes nationalist and Islamist parties.

We believe that our decision will be the right decision for our country and nation, Ogan stated.

Ogan, a former academic who was backed by a far-right anti-migrant party, won 5.17% in the May 14 vote and could hold the key to victory in the runoff now that hes out of the race.

Erdogan received 49.5% of the votes in the first round  just short of the majority needed for an outright victory  compared to Kilicdaroglus 44.9%. Erdogans ruling AK party and its nationalist and Islamist allies also retained a majority in the 600-seat parliament. That increases Erdogans chances of re-election because voters are likely to vote for him to avoid a splintered government, analysts say.

Ogan cited Erdogans parliamentary majority as a reason for his decision.

It is important that the newly elected president is under the same (leadership) as the parliament, Ogan said. (Kilicdaroglus) alliance on the other hand, could not display sufficient success against the Peoples Alliance which has been in power for 20 years, and could not establish a perspective that could convince us about the future.

His endorsement of Erdogan came days after he held a surprise meeting with the Turkish leader in Istanbul. No statement was made following the one-hour meeting on Friday.

Ogan insisted on Monday that he did not engage in any horse-trading with the Turkish leader.

Ogan had attracted votes from people who disapproved of Erdogans policies but didnt want to support Kilicdaroglu, who leads Turkeys center-left, pro-secular main opposition party.

Analysts say that despite Ogans endorsement, it is not certain that all of his supporters would go to Erdogan. Some were likely to shift to Kilicdaroglu while others might choose not to vote in the runoff race.

Umit Ozdag, the leader of the anti-migrant Victory Party that had backed Ogan, appeared to dissociate himself from the decision to endorse Erdogan.

Mr. Sinan Ogans statement is his own political choice. This statement does not represent (the views of) the Victory Party and does not bind the party, Ozdag tweeted. He added that he would make a statement on Tuesday.

Ogan listed the conditions to earn his endorsement while speaking to Turkish media last week. Among them were taking a tough stance against the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, and a timeline for the expulsion of millions of refugees, including nearly 3.7 million Syrians.

Erdogan, meanwhile, told CNN International in an interview that he would not bend to such demands.

Im not a person who likes to negotiate in such a manner. It will be the people who are the kingmakers, he said.

In an apparent attempt to sway nationalist voters, Kilicdaroglu hardened his tone last week, vowing to send back refugees and ruling out any peace negotiations with the PKK if he were elected.

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Critics, Opposition Leaders Bemoan Johnstons Decision Against Calling Public Inquiry on Election Interference

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thumbs through the First Report by David Johnston, special rapporteur on foreign Interference, during a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on May 23, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick)

All federal opposition leaders and various national officials are criticizing Special Rapporteur David Johnstons decision not to call for a public inquiry into foreign interference in Canadas last two general elections.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh all stated their disappointment with Johnstons decision shortly after he announced it around midday on May 23.

Poilievre told reporters in Quebec City that calling a public inquiry wouldve been common sense and accused the prime minister of only appointing Johnston as special rapporteur in order to help Trudeau cover up the influence by Beijing in our democracy.

We know that Beijing interfered in two elections to help Trudeau win, Poilievre said. We know that Beijing gave $140,000 to the Trudeau Foundation with the express purpose of buying the love and the loyalty of Justin Trudeau.

Poilievre was referring to a Beijing-linked donation sent in 2016 to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, a charity established in memory of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, father of current PM Justin Trudeau. Johnston was previously a member of the foundation.

Johnston, who was appointed by Justin Trudeau in March to investigate reports of foreign interference in Canadas 2019 and 2021 general elections, filed his first report on the matter on May 23.

In the report, Johnston said a public inquiry cant be held since the classified information informing the matter cannot be publicly revealed.

In a Twitter post shortly after the announcement, Bloc Leader Blanchet wrote in French that Johnstons decision shows that his mandate was and remains to protect secrecy, the Liberal Party and [Justin Trudeau].

NDP Leader Singh also reacted to the announcement on Twitter, saying he was deeply disappointed in Johnstons report.

Nothing short of an independent public inquiry on foreign interference is good enough, Singh wrote, adding, Well be taking these concerns directly to the PM and use all our tools in Parliament to get answers for Canadians.

Stunning

Disappointment with Johnstons decision was also expressed by other officials and community leaders.

Mehmet Tohti, executive director of the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project, wrote on Twitter on May 23 that Johnstons rejection of public inquiry is stunning and absolutely, shockingly disappointing.

He added, It doesnt serve the core interest of our national security and rather it only provided baseline for an approval of Chinas narrative.

On the same day, Senator Denise Batters wrote on Twitter that it is stunning that the words TrudeauFoundation are entirely absent from the 59-page report by Trudeaus SpecialRapporteur David Johnston (a recent Trudeau Foundation member).

Batters retweeted a comment by Globe and Mail senior parliamentary reporter Steven Chase.

David Johnstons report inexplicably addresses only 3 Globe stories on Chinese foreign interference in recent months that relied on secret CSIS documents and national security sources. He is silent on 10 other Globe stories on the same topic that rely on secret sources/documents, Chase wrote on Twitter on May 23.

Later the same day, Trudeau defended both his appointment of Johnston as special rapporteur and the former governor generals decision not to call on the Liberal government to hold a public inquiry on election interference.

Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa that Johnstons decision was informed by thousands of pages of classified and unclassified documents on matters of foreign interference.

While preparing his report, Mr. Johnston was given complete access to all and any relevant records and documents from across government, Trudeau said.

The prime minister added that letters have been sent to all opposition leaders offering them security clearances so that they can review the relevant intelligence documents privately.

I think everyone can agree with the former governor generals assessment that all leaders must work from a common understanding of true facts, Trudeau said.

Noe Chartier contributed to this report.
Moscow Says Cross-Border Attack on Russias Belgorod Region Blocked, Destroyed

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu attends a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with senior military officers in Moscow on Dec. 21, 2022. (Sergey Fadeichev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

An attack on Russias western Belgorod region, initially launched on May 22 from neighboring Ukraine, has been decisively routed, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

As a result of air strikes, artillery fire, and action by units of the Western Military District  the nationalist formations have been blocked and destroyed, the ministry stated in its daily briefing for May 23.

Remaining nationalists were pushed back into Ukraine, where they continued to be hit until they have been completely eliminated.

It also claimed that 70 Ukrainian nationalists had been killed during the course of the operation.

The Epoch Times was unable to verify the ministrys claims.

Damage to an apartment building after an explosion in Belgorod, Russia, on April 21, 2023. (Telegram Channel of Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov via AP)

Russian authorities say the Ukrainian military carried out the cross-border attack in conjunction with Ukrainian saboteurs. Kyiv countered that the attack was staged by Russian nationalists opposed to the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

One of Russias westernmost regions, Belgorod shares a roughly 540-mile-long border with Ukraine.

In April 2022, Moscow accused Ukraine of staging a cross-border helicopter attack in Belgorod that destroyed a large fuel depotan allegation denied by Kyiv.

Governor: Operations Concluded

The raid began midday on May 22 with drone and artillery attacks on several districts of Belgorod, according to regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Russian forces responded by launching a large-scale counter-terrorism operation, which the governor said was concluded on the evening of May 23.

Speaking on Telegram, Gladkov claimed that 12 local residents had been injured in the attack, which also caused widespread damage to civilian infrastructure.

Residents from nine of the regions affected districts have since been evacuated to adjacent areas, he said.

Ukrainian service members ride a tank, as Russias attack on Ukraine continues, near the front line city of Bakhmut, Ukraine, on April 10, 2023. (Oleksandr Klymenko/Reuters)

According to a Kremlin spokesman, the attack was aimed at diverting attention from Ukraines recent loss of Bakhmut, a key transport hub in the eastern Donetsk region.

On May 21, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its forces controlled all of Bakhmut (Artyomovsk in Russian) following nine months of intense ground fighting.

Kyiv insists that its forces still maintain a tenuous foothold in the beleaguered city.

Nationalists Claim Responsibility

Kyiv has also denied involvement in the recent cross-border attack on Belgorod.

According to Ukrainian officials, the attack was conducted by two armed Russian nationalist groups: the so-called Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC).

Hromadske, a Kyiv-based media outlet, cited a Ukrainian military intelligence spokesman as saying the two groups were behind the recent cross-border attack.

Responsibility for these events was taken by citizens of [Russia], Andriy Yusov was quoted as saying.

We can only welcome the decisive actions of opposition-minded Russian citizens, who are ready for an armed struggle against the criminal regime of Vladimir Putin.

Both groups claimed responsibility for the attacks on their respective Telegram accounts.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting of the Presidential Council for the Local Self-Government Development via a video link at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on April 20, 2023. (Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via Reuters)

It looks like RVC fighters are visiting their homeland again! the RVC stated on its Telegram channel on May 22, shortly after the attack began.

RVC fighters are back in Russia! News from Belgorod  is not long in coming!

Established in August 2022, the RVC is reportedly composed of ethnic Russians fighting alongside Ukraine against Putins Russia.

The group first gained notoriety in March, when it claimed responsibility for a similar cross-border raid into Russias western Bryansk region.

Like Belgorod, Bryansk shares a lengthy border with Ukraine.

According to Russian media reports, one person was killed in the Bryansk raid, which was swiftly turned back by Russian security forces.

Based in Ukraine, the RVC claims to be a Russian nationalist paramilitary organization.

Founded by Moscow-born Denis Kapustin (aka Denis Nikitin), the group has been described in the Western media as far-right and neo-Nazi.

The RVC purportedly seeks the fragmentation of the Russian Federation into small ethnic states, including a Russian state dominated by ethnic Slavs.

Fragmenting Russia

On May 19, Putin claimed that Russias enemies sought to stage provocations within ethnic communities and establish socio-political associations, allegedly on behalf of Russian peoples.

Addressing Russias Council for Interethnic Relations, he said, They say Russia must be divided into dozens of small states  so as to bend these states to their will, exploit them, and use them for their own mercenary purposes.

When asked by reporters about the Belgorod raid, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington had made very clear to Kyiv that we dont enable or encourage attacks outside Ukraines borders.

But I do think its important to take a step back and remind everyone  that it is Russia that launched this war, Miller said at a May 22 press briefing.

So it is up to Ukraine to decide how they want to conduct their military operations.

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which Kyiv and its Western allies have decried as an unprovoked war of aggression.

Moscow, for its part, claims that its special military operation seeks to protect Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine and halt the eastward expansion of NATO.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Daniel Pennys Lawyer Dismisses Claims His Client Wanted to Kill Someone

Marine veteran Daniel Penny is walked out of the New York Police Departments 5th Precinct in Lower Manhattan on his way to an arraignment on May 12, 2023. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)

An attorney for Daniel Penny, the Marine veteran charged in the death of homeless man Jordan Neely on a subway train in New York City on May 1, said its absurd for the Neely familys attorney to claim his client believed he had the right to take someones life.

Thomas Kenniff made the remarks while responding to an earlier statement by the Neely familys attorney, Donte Mills, in reaction to Pennys recent interview with the New York Post.

We want to know why he didnt let go of that chokehold until Jordan was dead, Mills said in a statement obtained by Fox News, adding that Pennys planned drive through Africa cant explain why you thought you had the right to take someones life even if they were houseless and had mental illness.

During an appearance on The Story on Monday, Kenniff said he wouldnt get into a back-and-forth fight with the attorneys representing Neelys family, but he did say he believes its absurd for Mills to make such a claim publicly.

Its absurd to say that Danny Penny thought he had the right to take anyone elses life and intended to take anyones life, Kenniff said. This was a situation where my client, who is just an everyday New Yorker, was put in a situation that none of us would want to be in and took reasonable steps to try to subdue someone who had introduced a frightening, threatening environment into that subway train.

Thomas A. Kenniff, attorney for Daniel Penny, speaks to members of the media outside the 5th Precinct in New York City on May 12, 2023. (Jeenah Moon/AP Photo)

Neely, 30, had a long history of mental illness and dozens of prior arrests, ranging from disorderly conduct to assault. In 2021, he pleaded guilty to assaulting a 67-year-old woman leaving a subway station. He then missed a court date, leading to a warrant for his arrest that was still active at the time of his death. However, activists argue that Neelys criminal history does not justify the killing.

Terrifying Situation

Witnesses said Neely was behaving aggressively toward other passengers on the subway car before the incident unfolded, allegedly shouting things such as I want food, that he would not take no for an answer, that he was ready to go back to jail,  and Ill hurt anyone on this train.

When Pennys attorney was asked on Mondays program if his client has witnesses willing to testify in his defense, Kenniff responded that a multitude of people on the subway already offered statements describing how frightening and terrifying Neelys behavior was before Penny, among other subway riders, decided to subdue him.

The decision to have a defendant or someone accused of a crime testify in front of a grand jury is obviously a very significant decision. Its one thats made with a lot of deliberation between the legal team [and] the client. And thats not a decision that has been made at this juncture. We first need to have come to the point where the grand jury presentation is actually ongoing, Kenniff said.

What I will say, though, is that we have a very thorough and proactive investigation, he continued. There are a multitude of civilian witnessesboth those other individuals who got involved in subduing Mr. Neely and the bystanders on the trainwho really talk almost uniformly about how frightening and how terrifying this situation was for them just being on the train and observing Mr. Neelys behaviors.

Penny, 24, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on May 12 on a charge of second-degree manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment. He is due back in court for another hearing on July 17.

In an interview with the New York Post last week, Penny, who is white, pushed back against claims that the deadly NYC subway altercation that resulted in the death of Neely, who was black, was related to race.

This had nothing to do with race, Penny said in response to questions from the paper, adding, I judge a person based on their character. Im not a white supremacist.

Everybody whos ever met me can tell you, I love all people, I love all cultures, he said. Its tragic what happened to him, he added. Hopefully, we can change the system thats so desperately failed us.

Call for Murder Charges

Kenniff previously said his client did not intend to kill Neely, arguing that Penny and other passengers were acting in self-defense. The attorney told the New York Post that hes confident Penny will be absolved of any wrongdoing.

However, Neelys family has called for more serious charges of murder to be imposed on Penny.

Daniel Penny chose, intentionally chose, a technique to use that is designed to cut off airthats what he choseand he chose to continue to hold that chokehold minute after minute, second after second, until there was no life left in Jordan Neely, Lennon Edwards, the Neely familys attorney, told reporters on May 12.

Neelys death has fiercely divided Americans, and prompted protests in New York City calling for justice and increased law enforcement accountability.

The incident has also brought renewed attention to several issues in the state, including crime in the subway, the treatment of mental health conditions, and the citys growing homeless population.

Pennys law firm blamed elected officials earlier this month for turning a blind eye to mental illness in the state. We hope that out of this awful tragedy will come a new commitment by our elected officials to address the mental health crisis on our streets and subways, they said.

Meanwhile, a fundraiser set up for Penny by his lawyers, Thomas Kenniff and Steven Kaiser, has raised over $2.7 million.

Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Def Leppard Drummer Rick Allen Says He Was Attacked Outside Florida Hotel in March

Rick Allen arrives at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Barclays Center in New York on March 29, 2019. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen says he was blindsided during an attack on him outside a South Florida hotel following a concert earlier this year.

I heard a couple of steps and then I just saw this [flash] and the next thing I knew was I was on the ground, Allen, 59, told ABCs  Good Morning America  in an interview broadcast Monday. I landed on my backsidehit my head on the pavement.

Def Leppard was in Fort Lauderdale to perform at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino when he was attacked March 13 while taking a smoke break outside a hotel.

Police arrested Max Hartley, a 19-year-old from Avon, Ohio, who has pleaded not guilty to two counts of battery and four counts of criminal mischief, according to court records. Police said they have not determined a motive.

I dont think he knew who I was, but he must have seen that I wasnt a threat because, you know, Ive only got one arm, said Allen, who lost his left arm in a car accident in 1984.

According to the police report, Hartley was hiding behind a pillar outside the hotel and then ran at Allen, knocking him to the ground. He also attacked a woman who tried to help Allen, but she wasnt seriously injured.

Hartley then ran to another hotel and started breaking car windows until he was stopped by witnesses and police arrived, police said.

Hartleys lawyer, Kevin Gardiner, said in an email that he cant comment on a pending case.

Allens head struck the ground during the attack, and he and his wife, Lauren Monroe, told Good Morning America that theyve been focusing on his recovery.

My heart just completely sank into me. I know the journey of trauma. Everything stopped in our house and focused on him, Monroe said.

The couple created the Raven Drum Foundation to help survivors of trauma, especially veterans and first responders, in 2001.

Allen and his bandmates performed Friday at a small venue in their hometown of Sheffield, England, on Friday before kicking off their European tour.

I know that Im not going to be playing music in a band forever, said Allen. But while I am, I plan on making as many people happy as I possibly can. And this is my time. This is my opportunity.
Defense Experts Sound Alarm Over Indias Own Spy Balloon Incident

Over a year before a roaming Chinese spy balloon galvanized the United States, Indian forces spotted a similar object over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Indian territories in the Bay of Bengal.

The incident didnt garner much attention at the time, because Indian defense forces were unsure of the balloons intent and origin.

However, in light of the spy balloon incident over the United States, experts say that Chinese espionage in India is equally alarming and should be a cause for concern for the entire Indo-Pacific region.

After U.S. fighter jets shot down the Chinese spy balloon in February, the Indian defense officials, for the first time, talked about sighting a similar high-altitude balloon over Indian territory.

Quite some time back we had witnessed the balloon-type white object over the Andamans and high-resolution pics of the object were taken by our people from ground, Indian defense sources told Asian News International (ANI).

According to the ANI report, Indian defense officials conjectured that the object was from Myanmar (Burma) which is closer to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands than Indias own southeastern coast. It could also have come from China, which lies to the northeast of Myanmar.

There was also speculation that it could have been a meteorological balloon: it is not uncommon for weather balloons to drift from Pakistan into India.

The object moved away from the islands after three to four days, Indian officials told ANI.

In April, reports about the construction of an alleged Chinese spy station on Myanmars Coco Island archipelago strengthened espionage concerns. Myanmar, Indias neighbor across the Bay of Bengal, has ties to China through the belt and road initiative.

The widespread media reports were primarily based on a March 31 report by Chatham House. The British think tank released a satellite imagery-based analysis indicating the construction of what appears to be an expanded military airbase on Great Coco Island.

Given Chinas ties to Myanmar, authors Damien Symon and John Pollock concluded that given Chinas well-established intelligence practices, local intelligence from Great Coco could find its way, either through espionage or consent, to Shanghai.

Waking Up To a Regional Threat

In exclusive interviews, Indian defense experts told The Epoch Times the object spotted over Indias islands should be of grave concern. India has been the subject of Chinese espionage as much as the United States, they said, and it is high time for the worlds largest democracy to wake up to the threat.

Now that it has been noticed in the Indian Ocean, it also reflects that possibly this zone could be under surveillance in future, calling for alertness on [the] part of Indian Armed forces, said Shekhar Sinha. Sinha is the former chief of Indias Integrated Defense Staff.

Peacetime surveillance is not unknown, particularly by countries engaged in competition and likely contestation, he said. Many modes of surveillance are visible, while some are invisible. [Meanwhile] data collected provides presence or absence of ground structures, which may or may not be of targeting utility in times of conflict.

After the spy balloon incident over the United States, Pentagon officials had discussions on the subjects with various countries, including India.

Such occurrences are perceived as threatening the security of the entire Indo-Pacific region. India is a member of the Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialoguean informal Indo-Pacific alliance that includes India, the United States, Australia, and Japan.

The discussions, however, were short and were conducted behind closed doors, according to U.S. Pacific Air Force Commander General Kenneth S. Wilsbach. Wilsbach made the comments to reporters in April. He was in India for Exercise Cope India 23, a bilateral Air Exercise between the Indian Air Force and the United States Air Force.

We believe that your airspace in India is your sovereign space and that you should decide who [gets] to fly into it, Wilsbach said.

Any country that would violate the sovereignty of another countrys airspace, who is not abiding by the international law or norms should cause concern for us, he added.

A Pattern of Surveillance

Col. (Retired) Vinayak Bhat, a former Indian military intelligence officer and satellite imagery specialist, told The Epoch Times that the Chinese have used balloons against India previously. Four years ago, he said, his satellite imagery-based research indicated that the Chinese had used balloon-borne radars across the Indian frontier in Tibet. His findings were published by Indian news service The Print in June 2019.

Bhat described the incident as a clear infringement of Indias territorial sovereignty.

The secret collection of intelligence through such methods is illegal and India must take it [up] with China and international organizations urgently, said Bhat.

India must include provisions and policies against such blatant acts of espionage in its space policy. The Indian armed forces must plan for such unforeseen events and ensure procedures are in place to counter them in emergencies.

Defense sources in New Delhi told The Epoch Times in November 2021 that the Chinese had set up surveillance technology on the India-China disputed border, within Indian territory in high altitude Eastern Ladakh.

At the time, the situation between the two neighbors had worsened following the bloody Galwan conflict of June 2020. The battle, fought with sticks and clubs, was the first fatal confrontation between the two sides since 1975.

According to the source, the espionage objects, which were six in number in 2021, were on uninhabited border territory. They were difficult to trace with satellite imagery due to their pole-like shapes. From space, they would have appeared as negligible specks, the source said.

The shadow would be tough to decode, he said.

The Epoch Times was unable to independently verify this information, nor subsequent changes due to military build-up in the region post-2021. However, the source, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed May 21 that the spying objects have increased exponentially since that time, with several dozens across every section of the common border.

Long-term Targets

Experts believe the use of surveillance devices such as the spy balloon is a tactical maneuver, part of a wider offensive gameplay by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

In Indias case, Bhat believes the goal may be to trigger India to react, giving China a reason to wage a war.

He posited that the Andaman and Nicobar islands were chosen due to their location on the international sea trade route between the East and the West. Their location also makes them a strategic military asset, home to Indias only tri-service (army, navy, air force) military base.

CCP and PLA [Peoples Liberation Army] want to know our assets and weaknesses in that zone. That provides assessment on Indian intentions in the area, Bhat said.

Incidents such as the spy balloon incursion point to Chinas future interest areas, Sinha said.

A country which has the desire of replacing the U.S. as world hegemon has much larger areas to cover over the globe, he said. These interest areas are likely to be long term targets for the CCP, as part of its plans for achieving global hegemony by mid-century.
IN-DEPTH: Democrats Push for Ban on Conversion Therapy for Michigan Minors

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks to supporters at a rally in Pontiac, Mich., on Nov. 6, 2022. (Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

The right of minors to obtain therapy to help free them from unwanted same-sex attraction and gender confusion is under attack by the new Democrat majorities in the Michigan House and Senate.

A package of bills outlawing conversion therapy for those under 18 years of age was introduced on May 18.

Modern conversion therapy encompasses an array of verbal counseling methods by which consenting clients are helped to bring their sexual feelings in line with their biological sex.

The proposed law would revoke the licenses of mental health care providers who fail to comply with the ban.

The legislative action came on the heels of a late-April resolution passed by the eight-member Michigan Civil Rights Commission that drew statewide attention.

In the resolution, Civil Rights Commissioner Luke Londo, a self-declared bisexual, implored the legislature to forbid state-licensed mental health professionals from treating minor clients with conversion therapy because, he alleged, the practice is harmful to young people.

A Nationwide Controversy

According to the American Psychological Association, on March 2, 2023, Virginia became the 20th state to ban conversion therapy.

Michigan could soon be the 21st.

A number of counties and cities across the nation, including the District of Columbia, have enacted similar bans.

Londo did not respond to multiple efforts by The Epoch Times to ask him about the rights of young people to voluntarily obtain this kind of therapy.

Equality Michigan, a prominent LGBT advocacy group could not be reached for comment.

In a message to the states LGBT youth about the proposed ban on conversion therapy, Equality Michigans executive director, Erin Knott, said in the LGBT publication Pride Source, You are perfect. You are who you are meant to bePlease dont change. Equality Michigan is fighting for you until this barbaric, tortuous practice ends once and for all.

A Life-Saving Option

One person helped by conversion therapy is Ken Williams, who told The Epoch Times, The unbiased talk therapy I received from my psychologist when I was a minor saved my life.

Pastor Ken Williams says he was helped by conversion therapy. (Courtesy of Ken Williams)

I didnt want to live as a gay man. As a teenager, the gay sexual experience left me unfulfilled and lonely, and I was tormented by suicidal thoughts.

I desired a different way forward, and over time, I experienced dramatic changes in my sexual feelings.

Williams has since been married to a woman for 17 years, fathered four children, and become a pastor.

Elections Have Consequences

Two previous Democrat attempts to pass conversion therapy bans were thwarted by the then GOP-controlled Michigan House and Senate.

Republicans lost the majority in both houses in the 2022 election.

A 2019 bill would have banned conversion therapy for adults and minors, while a 2021 bill sought to ban the practice only for minors. Neither bill advanced to a hearing.

On June 14, 2021, Democrat Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order prohibiting the use of state and federal funds for conversion therapy on minors, calling the practice ineffectual, dangerous, and harmful.

Puberty Blockers and Surgery Unaffected

The order exempted from the public funding ban Any practice or treatment that assists an individual seeking to undergo a gender transition or an individual who is in the process of undergoing a gender transition.

Whitmers directive alleged that the assumptions underlying the practice of conversion therapy are not supported by medicine or science.

The studies and surveys cited by Whitmer in her 2021 executive order are nearly identical to those circulated by LGBT advocacy groups today. They include a 2019 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA and the 2021 survey by the Trevor Project (since updated in 2022).

The above sources contend that conversion therapy results in long-term harms such as anxiety, depression, internalized homophobia, lowered self-esteem, self-blame, alienation, loneliness, social isolation, loss of social supports, and suicidal behaviors.

The Other Side of the Story

Elizabeth Woning of the CHANGED Movement, a human rights advocacy group for people who have questioned or are questioning their sexuality and gender, could not disagree more.

Woning said banning minors from receiving conversion therapy prohibits children from questioning their feelings and addressing trauma with the support of a professional therapist in a neutral and unbiased setting.

Many of us who have questioned our identity, or even once identified as LGBTQ, have moved away from LGBTQ by better understanding our childhood experiences and their effects, Woning told The Epoch Times.

A victim of sexual molestation as a child, Woning said childhood therapy could rescue many from years of suffering and despair caused by unresolved trauma.

According to Woning, early therapy is a good thing.

Childhood rather than adulthood is the appropriate time to resolve sexual behaviors connected to abuse or trauma, she said.

Therapists Coerced to Withhold Needed Care

Bans such as the proposed law in Michigan are a direct attack on free speech in America and compel professionals to withhold needed and effective care, said Woning.

Our self-discovery journeys reveal hurts, sometimes actual harm, and our misdirected perceptions about ourselves and our primary caregivers that influenced our behaviors and beliefs.

She said healing in those areas affected her sexual feelings, as well as her sense of sexual orientation or gender identity.

For many of us, the process diminished or even eliminated same-sex feelings or gender incongruence.

Patient rights advocate Elizabeth Woning. (Courtesy of Elizabeth Woning)

Forced to Embrace LGBT Agenda

Woning stated, Unquestioned affirmation of LGBTQ identity, particularly among prepubescent children, is coercive at best and, at worst, is negligence.

Such coercion and neglect led her and many of her acquaintances to suicidality and higher rates of psychological distress, she said.

According to Woning, government mandates on sexual identity violate the right of clients to pursue helpful and life-changing therapy.

Viewpoint Discrimination

Williams called Whitmers executive order and other efforts to eliminate the option of conversion therapy viewpoint discrimination and said it was tantamount to government-mandated sexuality.

He stated, This action from the governor blocks childrens options for resolving trauma and hinders their pursuit of happiness.

Williams said that, before therapy, he and many people he knows who were desperate for change in their lives were suicidal, having experienced trauma, broken relationships, abandonment issues, and in many cases physical or sexual abuse.

Counseling bans take away peoples rights to freedom of self-determination, conscience, religion, and speech by promoting LGBTQ identity as the only way forward.

Therapist Christopher Doyle, ex-gay and the author of The War on Psychotherapy: When Sexual Politics, Gender Ideology, and Mental Health Collide told The Epoch Times, No one seeking help should have to sacrifice their conscience, even if his position is unpopular. No law should infringe upon a client or therapists conscience.

Therapist Laura Haynes. (Courtesy of Laura Haynes)

Therapists Dilemma

In written testimony offered to the Michigan legislature on May 17, Dr. Laura Haynes, a psychologist and board member of the International Federation for Therapeutic and Counseling Choice, stated, Under a therapy ban, therapists will feel themselves at risk if they inform clients of this therapy option or provide it. Yet therapists are ethically required to inform patients of treatment options.

Biased Data Selection

Anne Edward, Executive Director of the Restored Hope Network and a former lesbian, criticized LGBT activists, including Whitmer, for only presenting data that supports their narrative.

Edward also defended the efficacy of conversion therapy.

Anne Edward, Exec. Dir. of the Restored Hope Network. (Courtesy of Anne Edward)

One of the studies Whitmer and other LGBT advocates frequently cite to prove the harm of conversion therapy is the Generations Study by the Williams Institute at UCLA.

Edward said data from that very study showed that For youth, obtaining counseling of their own choice to reduce same-sex attraction or gender dysphoriasuicidality was actually reduced by 50 percent.

Individuals who are in conflict with their own feelings deserve professional support of their own choosing, which lowers suicidality by a huge margin, Edward said.

The Alternative is an Atrocity

Therapist David Pickup, an ex-gay, told The Epoch Times that therapy bans, such as those under consideration in Michigan, legislate gender-discontented or confused children onto a path of experimental puberty blockers, toxic hormones that often sterilize for life, having their breasts surgically removed, potential castration, and a 20 times higher rate of completed suicides, even when they live in a liberal and affirming community.

According to Pickup, 25 states have rejected bans on conversion therapy.

He told The Epoch Times, if Michigan lawmakers pass the ban, There is almost a certainty that our lawyers will sue them for violation of constitutional rights.

Pickup stated that he prefers the term Sexual Orientation Change Effort (SOCE) therapy over conversion or reparative therapy.

He said the practice is a favorite target of LGBT activists and that they are particularly hostile to ex-gays who attest to the therapys success.

He added, I know of no reparative therapists in Michigan. I believe who these activists are really after are churches.

Scare Tactics

Pickup called assertions that the SOCE therapy is dangerous scare tactics designed to push state legislators into banning the practice.

According to Pickup, the LGBT activists narrative that the thousands of licensed mental health professionals that support and effectively use the therapy employ only behavioral methods such as aversion (shock therapy), distraction, and suppression is an absolute myth.

No such things have been done in this country in 50 years, said Dr. Christopher Rosik, a leading researcher on homosexuality, These kinds of hurtful, unethical things no doubt occurred in the past, but they havent happened in decades. If one did, it would be all over the news.

Bills to prohibit such things are like using a bazooka to kill a mosquito.

He said modern SOCE therapy involves consent, is client-centered, uses no coercion, pursues the clients goals, and is speech-based.

According to Rosik, there is no single therapy that is a magic bullet and there are no guaranteed outcomes.

I prefer to refer to SOCE in the pluraltherapies not therapy.

Political Posturing

Rosik said legislation such as the proposed law in Michigan is politically performative and designed to score points with certain constituencies.

Those bills have more to do with the political landscape than preventing harm, he said.

Rosik told The Epoch Times that efforts at oversight are often the product of an ideological monoculture, an academic, socio-political monoculture.

He questioned the sampling methods of much of todays research, likening them to assessing the benefits and harms of marital therapy using only participants recruited through divorce support groups.

The result is a skewed perspective, said Rosik.

Other Voices Must Be Heard

He said there is a lot of diversity of needs and voices within the non-heterosexual community, but the LGBT activists are most heard because they are the loudest.

Rosik is a strong advocate for the rights of what he calls the sexual minority that is seeking to bring their sexuality into congruence with their religious values.

They bring another side to the story that is ignored or suppressed in favor of the prevailing narrative.

These clients have a right to pursue therapy goals that are self-determined in regard to their sexuality.

Bans have the effect of prohibiting the free pursuit of these goals through intimidation, he said.

Protected Speech

Edward told The Epoch Times that laws like the one proposed in Michigan muzzle professional speech that is constitutionally protected.

She cited a November 2020 Florida court case (Otto v. City of Boca Raton) to underscore her point.

The 47-page decision by the United States Court of Appeals 11th Circuit reads in pertinent part, People have intense moral, religious, and spiritual views about these matterson all sides. And that is exactly why the First Amendment does not allow communities to determine how their neighbors may be counseled about matters of sexual orientation or gender.

We understand and appreciate that the therapy is highly controversial. But the First Amendment has no carveout for controversial speech.

We hold that the challenged ordinances violate the First Amendment because they are content-based regulations of speech that cannot survive strict scrutiny.
DeSantis Says 72 Supreme Court Majority Possible During Next 2 Presidential Terms

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who will officially announce his 2024 presidential run on Twitter on May 24, is envisaging the establishment of a 72 conservative supermajority that would last a quarter-century on the U.S. Supreme Court.

I think if you look over the next two presidential terms, there is a good chance that you could be called upon to seek replacements for Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Samuel Alito, DeSantis said in a speech at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention held in Orlando, Florida, on May 22.

Alito, who has a reputation as a consistent conservative voice on the high court, is 73. Thomas, who follows an even stricter and more literal interpretation of the Constitution and sometimes writes opinions that other conservative justices dont join, is 74.

The issue with that is, you cant really do better than those two. They are the gold standard for jurisprudence, so youve got to make sure that we are appointing people who are going to be as close to that standard as possible, DeSantis continued, adding that he doesnt want to see Thomas being replaced with someone like Chief Justice John Roberts.

Roberts, 68, has become known as the courts swing vote.

He tends to rule with the conservative majority but sides with the liberal minority from time to time. Notably, Roberts did not side with the conservative wing in the 2022 landmark decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, allowing each state to make its own abortion laws.

If you replace a Clarence Thomas with somebody like a Roberts or somebody like that, then youre going to actually see the court move to the left, and you cant do that, DeSantis said.

The Republican governor moved on to talk about the possibility of having a two-term Republican president find a replacement for Roberts, and perhaps Justice Sonia Sotomayor, a 68-year-old Obama appointee.

It is possible that in those eight years we would have the opportunity to fortify justices Alito and Thomas, as well as actually make improvements with those others, and if you were able to do that, you would have a 72 conservative majority on the Supreme Court that would last a quarter century, so this is big stuff, he told a cheering and applauding audience.

Touting Florida Accomplishments

DeSantis also highlighted the role he played in filling the Florida Supreme Court with conservative justices, teasing that he would bring similar changes to the nations highest court if elected to the White House.

We have age limits for justices, DeSantis said. The minute I got sworn into office, three of the four liberal justices were off the court, because of age. So I was able in my first month of office to replace three liberal justices with three conservative justices.

The Florida Constitution was amended in 2018 to place an age cap for state Supreme Court justices, forcing them to retire at age 75. By contrast, U.S. Supreme Court justices serve lifetime appointments, just like all federal justices.

I will have ended up doing seven appointments throughout my tenure, the governor added. Judicial activism in Florida is now officially dead.

Earlier in May, DeSantis visited Illinois and the key caucus state of Iowa, where he called on Republicans to not get distracted and reject the culture of losing that has infected our party.

Recent polls have shown DeSantis is still trailing behind former President Donald Trump, who has enjoyed the advantage of declaring earlypicking up dozens of endorsements, including from many Florida Republicans.

A Wall Street Journal poll released in April showed Trump winning 48 percent of the vote in a 12-contestant primary. DeSantis came in second with 24 percent among likely Republican primary voters.
DeSantis to Launch 2024 Campaign on Twitter With Elon Musk

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during an Iowa GOP reception in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on May 13, 2023. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will launch his 2024 presidential campaign on May 24 in a Twitter Spaces interview with Elon Musk, The Epoch Times confirmed.

The news of the campaign launch follows months of speculation about the Florida governors formal entry into the 2024 race. DeSantis is jumping into the expanding GOP field currently dominated by former President Donald Trump.

Bryan Griffin, the press secretary for the DeSantis campaign operation, confirmed the plans in a text message to The Epoch Times. Fox News was the first to report the story. Elon Musk retweeted a message from a Fox News reporter breaking the story.

Trump, the frontrunner in the GOP field, has spent weeks attacking DeSantis in Truth Social posts and ads on national television. The ads attack DeSantis for supporting a national sales tax while in Congress, among other issues. DeSantis has largely refrained from attacking Trump.

The announcement event will take place at 6 p.m. on Wednesday on Twitter Spaces. The Spaces feature allows for a large group of people to participate in a voice conversation. The features current iteration does not allow for video.

In an average of polls maintained by RealClearPolitics, Trump held the lead on May 23 with 56.3 points. DeSantis trailed in a distant second with 19.4 points. Other major candidates include entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and conservative talk show host Larry Elder.

The DeSantis announcement comes days on the heels of the official campaign launch by Scott. Trump, who has refrained from attacking candidates other than DeSantis, wished Scott good luck in a message on Truth Social. The message suggested that Trump views the growing field as a net negative for DeSantis.

It is rapidly loading up with lots of people, and Tim is a big step up from Ron DeSanctimonious, who is totally unelectable. I got Opportunity Zones done with Tim, a big deal that has been highly successful, Trump wrote.

A number of other Republicans are also entertaining bids, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence.

The choice of the launch medium for DeSantis is another twist in a tumultuous year for the media landscape. Weeks earlier, Fox News parted ways with Tucker Carlson, the most popular host on cable television. Carlson later said he plans to bring his show to Twitter.

After buying Twitter for $44 billion in October last year, Musk has worked to define it as an alternative to establishment news media. After taking over, The billionaire CEO handed internal Twitter files to independent journalists who then published their findings on Twitter.

Musk had previously suggested that he is leaning toward voting for DeSantis.

In an event hosted by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, Musk said that he would interview DeSantis as part of the launch announcement and use the Twitter platform to pull in questions from the audience.

Yes, I will be interviewing Ron DeSantis and he has quite an announcement to make, Musk said.

President Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic candidate in 2024. Robert F. Kennedy, an attorney and vaccine safety activist, and Marianne Williamson, an author, both launched long-shot challenges to the incumbent.

News of the pending formal announcement by DeSantis arrived as the Florida legislature was yet to deliver a piece of legislation to the Florida governors desk which would allow him to run for president without resigning from the governors office.

Whether DeSantis would have to resign under the current statute is a point of contention, with some arguing that running for the Republican nomination does not mean he qualifies for the election, as described in the current law. The bill which will do away with the confusion, SB 7050, will become law with or without the governors signature 15 days after it is delivered to the governors desk.

Nanette Holt, Dan Berger, and John Haughey contributed to this report.
Durham Report Is Indictment of Justice System and Special Counsel Itself

Commentary

Special Counsel John Durhams report represents a trifecta of indictments. First and foremost, its a direct indictment of our national security and law enforcement apparatus, suggesting its plagued by unfathomable levels of rot and corruption at the highest ranks. Second, its an indirect indictment of our justice system. Third, through the special counsels own sins of omission and commission, the report serves as an indictment of the special counsel itself.

The virtue of Durhams report is that it has revived and added rich detail to one of the greatest scandals in American history, whereby a political campaign, the Deep State, and media conspired to undermine a presidential candidate, and then delegitimize, destabilize, and destroy a duly elected presidentpreventing the peaceful transfer of power to him and disenfranchising his tens of millions of votersall based on a lie.

With the weaponization of said Deep State under congressional scrutiny, Russiagate remains ever relevant.

Durham makes clear that Trump-Russia collusion was a fraud from the start, cooked up by Hillary Clintons team and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), foisted upon America by a similarly disposed security state that repeatedly ran interference on Clintons behalf while breaking or ignoring virtually every rule in the book in its zealous effort to crush her opponent and then presidentand all aided by corporate media stenographers in on the information operation.

The special counsel writes (pdf) that [N]either U.S. law enforcement nor the Intelligence Community appears to have possessed any actual evidence of collusion in their holdings at the commencement of the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.

The FBI predicated Crossfire Hurricane, a full counterintelligence investigation into whether individuals associated with an ongoing presidential campaign were witting of and/or coordinating activities with the Government of Russia, as the Durham report details, on the sole basis of clearly raw and unevaluated information.

It gleaned said information from Australian diplomats who had engaged in bar talk with a then-little-known volunteer foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign. The FBI never interviewed the foreign officials, nor gave any consideration to the actual trustworthiness of them. It didnt interview the Australians interlocutor either.

But the FBI proceeded to open the investigation at warp speedwithin three daysof receiving a cable stating that former Australian High Commissioner Alexander Downer indicated that George Papadopoulos suggested the Trump team had received some kind of suggestion from Russia that it could assist  with the anonymous release of information during the campaign that would be damaging to Mrs[.] Clinton (and President Obama).

That was it. That alone is the stated development that catalyzed a rolling coup against Donald Trump.

The special counsel adds that One of the chief errors from the start of Crossfire Hurricane was the poor analysis the FBI brought to bear on the critical pieces of information that it had gathered, as well as an over-reliance on flawed or incomplete human intelligence that only later was found to be plainly unreliable.

Look no further than the FBIs targeting for surveillance of another Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, Carter Page, who former British spook Christopher Steele and Fusion GPS fingered as a key connection between Trump and Russia.

The FBI would go to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court with an application to spy on Page in the fall of 2016. It notably refused to interview him prior to resorting to that extraordinary measure, or for many months thereafterthis, despite Page having written a letter to then-FBI Director James Comey voluntarily offering to speak with any member of the FBI to clear his name in September of that year. Such an interview almost certainly would have proven exculpatory.

The Bureau apparently knew contemporaneously how dicey its request for a FISA warrant on Page was, as, according to one case agent, the FBIs hope upon submitting the initial FISA application was that it would self-corroborate. That is, spying on Page, an American citizen, was a Hail Mary based on a presumption of guilt the government hoped would prove justified.

The Page FISA application relied heavily on the dirty Steele dossier, the substantive allegations of which Crossfire Hurricane investigators did not and could not corroborateever.

As further evidence of the illegitimacy of the Page targeting, the Durham special counsel uncovered little evidence suggesting that, prior to the submission of the first Page FISA application, the FBI  made any serious attempts to identify Steeles primary sub-source other than asking Steele to disclose the identities of his sources, which he refused to do.

Had investigators done so, and were they operating in good faith, they probably would have never spied on Page.

As we would later learn, the key sub-source for the Steele reports, the dubious Igor Danchenko, himself having been subject to a seemingly botched and never-completed counterintelligence investigation, otherwise had a shady background, and would be caught in lies to agents from early 2017 on. Yet the FBI would pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars to serve as an informant, despite providing no discernable value, according to higher-ups. This may have been hush money aimed at keeping Danchenko out of reach of congressional investigatorsa prospect the special counsel didnt explicitly entertain.

Investigators would repeatedly press for the renewal of the Page FISA warrant. They did so despite finding no there there in terms of questions about his allegiancesas should have been clear from Pages past cooperation with the CIA in providing Russia-related intelligence, which the Crossfire Hurricane team knew about months prior to the submission of the first FISA application, and that FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith would later doctor an email to illegally omit in connection with the fourth and final such application; despite knowing the surveillance was predicated on the sham Steele dossier, no substantive part of which Danchenko could vouch for; and despite developing reams of exculpatory evidence, which they ignored from the start.

Pages from the Durham report, a copy of which was obtained by The Epoch Times. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

Durhams report would show more poisonous fruit sprouting from the poisoned Trump-Russia collusion tree rooted in the similarly perverse effortsor non-effortsof investigators.

The FBI eschewed glaringly obvious investigatory steps that would have shown its pursuit to be a farce.

It covered its eyes and ears to the provenance of the dirt it received.

It relatedly discounted or willfully ignored a bevy of items constituting material information that did not support the narrative of a collusive relationship between Trump and Russiathat is, it acted with complete willful blindness to the truth.

It ran informant after informant at the Trump camp, to no avail.

The report shows middle-tier FBI employees wondering again and again what it was their superiors knew that they didnt, requiring them to keep pursuing ludicrous leads.

The cavalier and facially incompetent investigatory effort, combined with the double standard in treatment illustrated by the FBIs comparatively cautious handling of Hillary Clinton campaign matters, and clear deference to Clinton, removes all doubt the fix was always in.

Durham could only conclude that the Department and the FBI failed to uphold their important mission of strict fidelity to the law in connection with the outrages on which he reported.

Yet for all those outragesfor the colossal, once-in-a-nation scandal that Durham detailedall he had to show for his work were three false statements cases, only one of which was brought against a lower-level government official, Clinesmith, who got a mere slap on the wrist, and a handful of referrals.

How can that be?

In defense of his work, the special counsel writes that:

 not every injustice or transgression amounts to a criminal offense, and criminal prosecutors are tasked exclusively with investigating and prosecuting violations of U.S. criminal laws. And even where prosecutors believe a crime occurred based on all of the facts and information they have gathered, it is their duty only to bring criminal charges when the evidence that the government reasonably believes is admissible in court proves the offense beyond a reasonable doubt.

Maybe Durham was chastened by the losses his office suffered in even seeming slam dunk cases in front of Washington DC and Virginia judges and juries.

These should be understood at this point to be completely hostile venues for anyone running up against the Deep State and political establishment more broadly.

This is a sad commentary on our justice system. It says one cant get justice against the ruling class on its home turfwhich rewards the weaponization of every institution over which the ruling class presides.

Yet another thought also comes to mind in reading the Durham report. One cant be convinced the special counsel ever planned to bring cases against any government officials of consequence in connection with his investigation of Russiagateofficials serving the very institutions of which the special counsel itself was a creatureeven if, and perhaps especially if, the office might have secured convictions.

Durham vacillated in filings associated with the cases he brought, and in the report itself, about whether the DOJ/FBI were weaponized or at minimum hyper-politicized agencies at the highest levels, or simply duped ones.

There may have been tactical reasons for doing so in litigation. But that after the parade of horribles Durham lays out in his report, he still concludes that the FBI should have reflect[ed] on whether it was being manipulated for political or other purposes is beyond unbelievable.

Yes, the Clinton campaign and its surrogates continually pushed Trump-Russia collusion garbage, but the notion the FBI didnt know who and what it was dealing with strains credulity. And it seemed more than happy to concoct and pursue the Trump-Russia collusion theory based on the thinnest of reeds of its own volition. Manipulation implies the FBI might have been a victim in Russiagate rather than an assailant.

That Durham includes the above commentsuggesting an implicit defense of the DOJ/FBIs actionsand after a report in which he chalks up Deep State depredations aimed at destroying a presidency to lack of analytical rigor, apparent confirmation bias, and an over-willingness to rely on information from politically connected sources, takes on new meaning when one considers, too, the punches he pulled in connection with his investigation.

Durham let some of the most critical actors in Russiagate, who should have been compelled to interview, simply decline, and left uninvestigated much that should have been pursued.

Amazingly, the special counsel never spoke with some of the most significant participants in, overseers of, or obfuscators about this conspiracy.

Among those who declined the offices requests to interviewand who Durhams office never subpoenaedwere James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Bill Priestap, and Peter Strzok.

The special counsel also never interviewed Kevin Clinesmith, Rodney Joffe, Marc Elias, Glenn Simpson, Christopher Steele, or Igor Danchenko.

Last but not least, while Durhams office did speak with Hillary Clinton, it never interviewed her former boss, and the man who sat atop the national security apparatus when Russiagate was put into motion, President Barack Obama.

If you wanted to get a comprehensive accounting of the origins of Russiagate, and investigate its evolution, how could you not speak with these individuals?

Whats more, the special counsel apparently neither probed the DNC hack, central to the broader Russian interference charge linked to Trump-Russia collusion, nor the Mueller special counsel, which almost certainly knew that, as Durham found, from the start, that Russiagate was a baseless conspiracy theoryand which effectively served to cover-up what amounted to a conspiracy to exploit a conspiracy theory; nor did Durham probe the role of mysterious professor Josef Mifsud in Russiagate, or other Clinton-linked dossiers that circulated, or, as far as we can tell, much about informant Stefan Halpers dubious deeds and relatedly the targeting of Gen. Michael T. Flynn, who was poised to take on the very Deep State that took him out.

Nor did the special counsel call for heads to roll, or for radical changes within the DOJ/FBI of the kind that might have a deterrent effect going forward.

Durham is of course right that, ultimately, the integrity of institutions rests on the character of those who serve them over the policies and procedures by which theyre supposed to abide.

But by the same token, this seems like a cop out. How can one expect a renewed fidelity to the [rules of] old, as Durham advocates for, if those who flout those rules never pay a price for it, and at worst depart for cushy television gigs?

History will be left to judge whether Durham was more an investigator of the investigators or a defender of thema true company man.

But the fact remains that those who savaged the republic to save our democracy have emerged essentially unscathed.

New revelations about Deep State corruption in support of President Joe Biden in the 2020 election, and in continued support of him and his family regarding their influence-peddling, compromise, and alleged criminality up to this very moment, reflects the obvious: Corruption in the Deep State, once unpunished with respect to Russiagate, was guaranteed to fester.

After getting away with the near-political murder of Trump, why would we expect anything but that the Deep State would continue to go bigger, and be more brazen?

All evidence suggests we the people are suffering under the systemic rot, corruption, and weaponization of those very critical institutions in which we can least afford it.

Whether the Durham special counsel could have helped put a meaningful stop to it we may never know.

But we can only expect still more egregious scandals to come.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
E. Jean Carroll Seeks $10 Million in Damages Against Trump Over Latest Comments

Writer E. Jean Carroll has sought to amend the first of her two defamation lawsuits against former President Donald Trump after he commented about her in a televised town hall event.

Carroll, 79, is now seeking $10 million in compensatory damages and is seeking to hold Trump liable for remarks he made after a grand jury found the former president liable in her second defamation lawsuit against him.

Carroll won $5 million on May 9 in her second defamation lawsuitabout $3 million for a defamation charge and about $2 million for a civil battery charge. The defamation charge was related to a statement Trump made on Truth Social in October 2022. In the latter charge, jurors determined that Trump, now 76, had sexually abused, but did not rape, Carroll.

In addition to the $10 million in compensatory damages, Carroll also seeks punitive damages in the first, now amended, lawsuit.

Lawyers for Carroll in the complaint accused Trump of having doubled down on derogatory remarks about Carroll when he appeared at the town hall event on CNN on May 10, just a day after the verdict.

Trumps defamatory statements post-verdict show the depth of his malice toward Carroll since it is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill will, or spite, the lawyers wrote in the complaint (pdf).

This conduct supports a very substantial punitive damages award in Carrolls favor both to punish Trump, to deter him from engaging in further defamation, and to deter others from doing the same.

Trumps lead attorney in the case did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Original Defamation Suit Filed In 2019

The clash between the two started in 2019 when Carroll accused Trump of having raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in 1995 or 1996.

Trump denied Carrolls allegations at the time, saying shes not my type. In response, Carroll filed her first defamation lawsuit against him in November 2019 (pdf), citing those words and others. That lawsuit bounced around state, federal, and appellate courts in New York and Washington, D.C., without material consequences.

Up until Carrolls amended complaint, her first lawsuit had been put on hold as an appeals court was deciding whether Trump was immune from being sued for remarks he made in 2019, when he was president.

Carroll filed her second defamation lawsuit on Nov. 24, 2022, under an amended state law in New York, which gives victims of certain sexual offenses a one-year window, beginning on Nov. 24, 2022, to file a civil lawsuit against alleged offenderseven if the statute of limitations had passed.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Cleaning employees sweep volcanic ash from a plaza in the city of Atlixco, in the state of Puebla. Hilda Rios (EFE)

The Ministry of National Defense (Sedena) has deployed 7,275 Army troops to assist the more than 125,000 people living in the municipalities of Puebla, Tlaxcala, Morelos and the State of Mexico, in the center of the country, near the Popocatepetl volcano, in case an evacuation is necessary. At present, the volcanos activity remains at Yellow Phase 3, which means that the population does not have to leave their homes yet.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador assured during Mondays daily morning press conference that Civil Protection is monitoring the activity of the Popo volcano 24 hours a day and that there is coordination between the three levels of government to monitor the volcanos activity. The governor of Puebla, Sergio Salomon, meanwhile, has asked the population to remain away from the volcano within a radius of 12 kilometers and to avoid leaving their homes.

Of the total number of troops, more than 5,000 come from military zones 23, 24, 25 and 37, located in Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala and Pachuca. Another 1,500 troops are part of the Emergency Task Force of the Valley of Mexico. The president has confirmed that nine evacuation routes are planned in the event of an emergency and several shelters to house the displaced are ready to be set up. The Secretary of Sedena, Luis Crescencio Sandoval, has traveled to Puebla to head the operation along with Civil Protection. Lopez Obrador has asked the population to remain calm and to follow the instructions of state and municipal authorities at all times. The National Guard has also mobilized troops to support nearby communities.

The Secretary of Civil Protection, Laura Velazquez Alzua, clarified that at the moment there is no emergency, but that due to the increase in the volcanos activity and the change from Phase 2 to Phase 3 Yellow Alert, it is necessary for the authorities to be prepared. She also indicated that all civil protection systems at the state and local level must take extreme precautions. Velazquez said in a press conference that as of Sunday, 573 explosions had been recorded, 70% of which were minor.

In the early hours of Monday, the quakes and the emission of ash and of water vapor remained constant. The National Center for Disaster Prevention (Cenapred) reported that incandescent material continues to come out of the crater along with a smoke column 1,600 meters high which is moving in an east-northwest direction. Emissions from the volcano have affected the air quality of the city of Puebla, which has had a high concentration of PM-10 and PM-2.5 particles for 24 hours. Air pollution levels are currently double and triple the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Authorities recommend the population to wear masks if they leave the house, not to engage in outdoor activities, and classes have been suspended.

Local authorities report that 40 municipalities in Puebla, five in the State of Mexico and seven in Tlaxcala will not have classes. The Ministry of Education (SEP) informed that students will be able to study these days remotely through the Aprende en Casa platform, available through television, internet and YouTube. Authorities have asked the entire education community to follow the indications of the National Coordination of Civil Protection, the Federal Health Secretariat and the education authorities of the affected states.

The effects of Popocatepetls activity also reach Mexico City, the capital, two hours from Puebla. For the third consecutive day, Mexico City International Airport (AICM) and Felipe Angeles Airport (AIFA) have cancelled dozens of flights due to ash fall from the volcano. Aeromexico has suspended 50 flights and Viva Aerobus has recommended its users on social networks to keep an eye on their travel updates because they could be affected.

Volcanologist Hugo Delgado Granados of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) explained in a recent interview with EL PAIS that Popocatepetl erupts about every 70 years. This period, of approximately seven decades, coincides with its last phase of eruptive activity, which began in 1919 and lasted until 1927. From then on, the Popo entered a resting phase that lasted for most of the 20th century, until 1993, when it again increased its eruptive phase with a series of explosions on December 21, 1994, which forced the first modern evacuation in the surrounding municipalities.

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East Timors Opposition Tops Polls But Falls Short of Majority

East Timor independence hero Xanana Gusmao briefs journalists during press conference in Dili on May 23, 2023. East Timor independence hero Xanana Gusmao's party won the parliamentary election but is short of an outright majority. (VALENTINO DARIEL SOUSA/AFP via Getty Images)

Independence fighter and former president Xanana Gusmao of East Timor and his opposition party have won the most votes in the island nations parliamentary election, but fell short of the majority needed to form a government, official results showed on Tuesday.

The election, which was held on Sunday, had been billed as a battle for premiership between Gusmao and Mari Alkatiri, who is also a resistance-era figure. A total of 17 parties contested the election.

Gusmaos National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) won 42 percent of the votes with all votes counted, while Alkatiris Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) had 25 percent, the electoral commission stated.

Despite receiving the most votes, the CNRT will need to form an alliance with other parties to attain a majority. Alkatiri has said that his party would accept whatever [are] the results of this election.

Gusmao, 76, was the first president of East Timor from 2002 to 2007. He also served as prime minister from 2007 to 2015. Alkatiri served as the countrys prime minister from 2002 to 2006.

Tensions between the two largest parties since 2018 led to the resignation of Prime Minister Taur Matan Ruak of the Peoples Liberation Party (PLP) in 2020 after the government repeatedly failed to pass a budget.

But he agreed to stay until a new government was formed. Ruaks governing coalition is currently made up of Fretilin, the PLP which he heads, and the Khunto party.

Alkatiri told Australias ABC News that he aims to renegotiate the 2018 Maritime Boundary Treaty that Gusmo struck with Australia if he was elected. The treaty delimited the maritime boundaries between the two nations.

This so-called maritime boundary with Australia, we need to change something better for Timor-Leste, Alkatiri said on Sunday.

Why 30 percent for Australia if the pipeline comes to Timor-Leste? If it is 100 percent in our boundaries, it doesnt make sense, he added.

On Feb. 8, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gave some public comments on the gas pipeline, saying that he discussed the Greater Sunrise project with Australias Woodside Energy, adding that the project was important for the future development of Timor Leste.

The development of a gas pipeline in the Greater Sunrise gas fields has been a point of contention between the two countries since 2004.

The fields are located approximately 450 kilometres (280 miles) northwest of Darwin and 150 kilometres south of Timor-Leste and are estimated to be worth around $70 billion (US$50 billion), holding approximately 226 million barrels of gas.

The former Portuguese colony was occupied by Indonesia for a quarter-century and gained independence after a U.N.-sponsored referendum in 1999. Indonesias military responded with scorched-earth attacks that devastated the East Timorese half of the island of Timor.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year granted an observer status to East Timor ahead of it becoming the regional blocs 11th member.

Victoria Kelly-Clark, Reuters, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: RFK Jr. Calls Bidens Support of F-16s for Ukraine a Dangerous Escalation

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told The Epoch Times on Monday that the Biden administrations recent shift in supporting F-16s for Ukraine is a dangerous escalation.

President Joe Biden on Friday told G7 leaders at a summit in Japan that the United States will support a joint international effort to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, a move paving the way for providing the fighter jets to Ukraine. Biden has not yet decided if the United States will directly send the aircraft to the country, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday.

Bidens Democratic contender Kennedy strongly rebuked the move, saying the United States continues to waste money in an effort that is counterproductive to the people of Ukraine.

We must stop using Ukraine as a geopolitical pawn, Kennedy told The Epoch Times. [Biden should] negotiate a swift end to this war that is hemorrhaging Ukrainian blood and American treasure.

Responding to accusations that the move is escalatory, Biden said he received a flat assurance from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that F-16s will not be used on Russian territory.

The assurances come ahead of an insurgency into Russias Belgorod region, apparently by Ukraine-aligned militias, with online imagery showing Maxxpro 1224 mine-resistant humvees, vehicles the United States has provided to Ukraine. Moscow claimed on Tuesday to have repelled the attack.

Meanwhile, the State Department said it was skeptical of reports that U.S.-provided weapons to Ukraine were used in the attack.

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Ukrainian presidential palace in Kyiv, on Feb. 20, 2023. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via Getty Images)

Kennedy Son and Ukraine

Asked about his son, Conor, who last year volunteered to fight with Ukrainian special forces, Kennedy said that he has since returned home safe and sound.

In the summer of 2022, Conor Kennedy volunteered to join the Ukrainian military, spending several months as a machine gunner within a Ukrainian special forces unit based in Kharkiv. Motivated by strong disdain for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his firm stance against the invasion, the younger Kennedy placed himself in harms way, but his views on the war are diametrically opposed to those of his father.

I argued with him a lot about Ukraine, and he felt like [he] shouldnt be arguing for it and letting other people fight the war.

On Saturday, Kennedy opened up about the experience while speaking with another figure rumored to soon put forth a presidential bid, comedian Dave Smith, a Libertarian. On an episode of Smiths Part of the Problem podcast, Kennedy revealed that Conors girlfriend at the time knew what he was doing but didnt tell us.

Highlighting Conors lack of prior military experience, Kennedy revealed how his sons persuasive abilities enabled him to join a special forces unit, despite the absence of formal training. Kennedy recounted the worry he felt regarding his sons secrecy at the time.

He said Conor told him in the spring of 2022, Im doing something and, Dad, I dont want you to ask me what Im doing. Then he disappeared.

Ukrainian tanks move in the direction of Bakhmut, in the Donetsk region, on March 20, 2023. (Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images)

Conor altered his summer plans, which initially included working at a prominent Los Angeles law firm and living with his father. When asked about his start date at the law job, Conor evaded the question. The last transactions traced Conors path from Poland to Ukraine before the trail vanished altogether.

Conor has since returned safely, publicly disclosing his journey on his Instagram page back in October.

This war, like all others, is horrific, the post read. Every day, someone there sacrifices everything for a lasting peace. After his return, Conor continues to back U.S. support for Kiev in its battle against Russia.

RFK Jr. on the War

Kennedy expressed pride for his sons humanitarian effort and compassion for the Ukrainian people but believes that Conor became swept up in a western narrative that did not accurately reflect the reality of the war nor the Biden administrations reasons for funding it.

He was motivated for the same reason that they take advantage of all Americans, Kennedy said. But then, it starts looking a lot less like a humanitarian mission. Every choice we make is about prolonging the war.

Biden comes out and says, what were doing over there is actually regime change against Putin, he added.

Near the start of the war in March 2022, President Biden gave a speech in Poland during which he said the Russian president cannot remain in power, comments Biden later retracted and attributed to his moral outrage.

President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland, on March 26, 2022. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Kennedy went on to criticize other high-level Biden officials, saying their rhetoric reveals the true motivations for U.S. support for the war.

The Secretary of Defense [Lloyd Austin] says, our purpose over there is to degrade the Russian army and exhaust its capacity to fight anywhere else in the world. Thats the opposite of humanitarian, Kennedy said. That is a war of attrition. And who is getting killed? Its the Ukrainians.

We were tricked. This is not a humanitarian war.

Kennedy largely blamed neoconservatives for the current conflict in Eastern Europe, alluding to past wars in the Middle East and saying U.S. interventionist policy went awry in both regions.

We have turned Ukraine into a pawn, and these geopolitical machinations that have created this proxy war between two great powers are grinding this poor little nation to dust in between them, he said.

Ukraine will be lucky if it comes out as a country even at this point.
Explosives Manufacturer Reports Losing Over 30 Tons of Ammonium Nitrate

Railcar thought to be carrying 60,000 pounds of the chemical arrives empty in California

Over 30 tons of a chemical used in fertilizer and high explosives went missing from a railcar traveling west from Wyoming to California in April, and investigators still dont know how it happened.

According to news outlets, on May 10a month after the incidentexplosives manufacturer Dyno Nobel filed a report with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys National Response Center.

Union Pacific (UP) was the hauler of the multi-compartment railcar from a Dyno Nobel manufacturing plant in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Saltdale, Californiaa route spanning over 1,000 miles.

A Dyno Nobel spokesperson told KQED that a sealed railcar carrying 60,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate left the Cheyenne facility on April 12, and the seals were still intact when it arrived in Saltdale.

The initial assessment is that a leak through the bottom gate on the railcar may have developed in transit.

Ammonium nitrate usually ships in 26,000-gallon insulated tank cars with safety valves, according to SafeRack, a leading producer of truck and railcar loading platform systems.

The chemical, if not handled properly, can cause serious injuries, and personal protective equipment (PPE) is required, the company wrote on its website.

Additionally, because operators are on top of the vehicles during the loading process, robust, well-designed fall prevention is essential to ensure increased throughput without compromising operator safety.

A Colombian police officer shows part of one ton of ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate-Fuel Oil) explosive seized in Cali, Colombia, on July 29, 2010. (LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) said it is also investigating the incident, adding that rail carriers are responsible for adequately securing railcars.

Rail shippers and railroads are responsible for ensuring rail cars are properly secured, and the Federal Railroad Administration will continue investigating to determine if the railroad or shipper committed any federal violations under DOTs regulatory authority, an FRA spokesman told The Epoch Times.

As Union Pacific and Dyno Nobel investigate this incident, they should engage all necessary parties, including law enforcement, to ensure any potential causes and impacts are addressed swiftly and thoroughly.

No Foul Play Suspected

A UP spokeswoman told The Epoch Times the incident does not appear to result from foul play. Initial findings suggest the problem was likely a leak caused by a rail car component.

At this point in the investigation, we do not believe there is any criminal or malicious activity involved, the spokeswoman said in an email to The Epoch Times.

She said UP works closely with its customers to investigate commodity loss or damaged freight.

In this case, our investigation is in its early stages because the customer recently reported the possible loss of fertilizer from one compartment of a multi-compartment railcar. The fertilizer is designed for ground application and quick soil absorption, the spokeswoman said.

If the loss resulted from a railcar leak over the course of transportation from origin to destination, the release should pose no risk to public health or the environment.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to an email from The Epoch Times requesting comment.

Dyno Nobel did not return a phone call from The Epoch Times.

The explosives company is a global producer of commercial explosives with more than 3,770 employees. The company manufactures over 54 million pounds of packaged explosives and over 1.2 million tons of ammonium nitrate capacity, operating in 32 facilities.
Father of Girl, 7, Murdered by Albanian Schizophrenic Furious at Home Office

Hundredfamilies charity says Emily Jones' death could have been prevented

Undated image of Emily Jones (L) and Eltiona Skana (R) who was convicted of killing her in a park in Bolton, England, on March 22, 2020. (Greater Manchester Police)

The father of a 7-year-old girl who was stabbed to death by a complete strangeran illegal immigrant from Albania who was suffering from paranoid schizophreniahas criticised the Home Office for failing to deport her before she committed the crime.

On Monday a coroner said Emily Joness death at the hands of 33-year-old Eltiona Skana could never have been predicted, but the head of a charity that deals with victims of mental health homicide has said that was absolute nonsense.

Skana was sitting on a bench in Queens Park, Bolton, on March 22, 2020which happened to be Mothers Daywhen Jones rode past on her scooter.

She got up and slashed Jones with a craft knife, calling out, Mummy, Mummy! to the girls mother.

Skana went on trial for murder in December 2020 but the trial collapsed and she was detained indefinitely at Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire.

After an inquest, Timothy Brennand, the senior coroner for Manchester West, said Jones may well feel and is entitled to feel Skana should never have been allowed into the United Kingdom.

Skana, who lied to the Home Office about being a victim of sex trafficking when she made an asylum application, had a long history of poor mental health, and had stopped taking her anti-psychotic medication in the weeks running up to Joness death.

Coroner Describes Care as Sub-Optimal

Brennand said Skana had suffered from sub-optimal care from local mental health teams but he said the system was in crisis and he said he would be writing a Prevention of Future Death (PFD) report and sending it to the Department of Health and Social Care.

Skanawho was described at the eight-day inquest as a psychotic ticking time bombcame to Britain in the back of a lorry from France in 2014 and was given asylum despite admitting to lying about being a victim of sexual exploitation.

A screengrab from bodycam footage of Eltiona Skana being arrested after stabbing to death 7-year-old Emily Jones in a park in Bolton, England, on March 22, 2020. (Greater Manchester Police)

Joness father, Mark Jones, refused to attend the remainder of the inquest after an expert witness referred to her as being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

His solicitor, Sefton Kwasnik, said Jones felt it was tantamount to victim blaming.

After the inquest, Kwasnik said: Mark said, in his own statement, that if the Home Office had done their job properly Miss Skana wouldnt have been here in the first place.

He added: She twice told doctors that she lied in her asylum application, she twice told doctors and police that she wanted to go home, in 2015 and 2017.

Kwasnik said: The Home Office offered no explanation as to why they ignored those important clues in her presentation.

In a statement, Jones said he hoped something good could come from his daughters death and added: We are just going to try our best to make a change. Were just going to try and do our best so Joness death doesnt go in vain.

Killing Certainly Could Have Been Prevented

Julian Hendy, founder of the Hundredfamilies charity, which has been supporting Joness family, told The Epoch Times: The coroner hasnt gone far enough. Emilys killing certainly could have been prevented had mental health services monitored and supervised Skana properly.

He said: It was abundantly clear that Eltiona Skana had a well-recorded history of paranoid schizophrenia, serious violence against others, including with knives, and became unwell when she wasnt taking her medication.

That was all well known before she killed Emily. It didnt only become apparent with hindsight, as the coroner appeared to suggest, added Hendy, whose own father, Philip, was killed in Bristol in 2007 by a man with a long history of mental health problems.

Brennand said in the past Skana might have been kept under lock and key but nowadays it is left to community mental health teams to provide snapshot risk assessments.

He pointed out Skana had only been seen once by her mental health worker in the 100 days before the attack.

Brennand said he had profound concerns about the morale, workloads, training, staff shortages, recruitment, inability to deliver continuing care, record keeping, quantity and quality of face-to-face consultations in community mental health.

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust said a review found Joness killing could not have been foreseen.

But Hendy said: Eltiona Skana was insufficiently monitored and supervised by mental health services, they knew she could become dangerous when unmedicated and unwell.

She was supposed to be intensively monitored by mental health services, but we discovered she went weeks without any prescriptions for her anti-psychotic medication. And nobody checked, he added.

He told The Epoch Times: Brief visits of just 10 to 15 minutes a month are simply not enough to tell if patients with a history of violence are well, stable, and taking their medication.

Hendy said it also emerged during the inquest that Skanas medicationwhich had been delivered by regular injection by medical professionalshad been switched to tablets, which she stopped taking.

He said: Mental health services were not curious enough. They simply accepted her lies without checking.

100 Homicides a Year Linked to Serious Mental Illness

Hendy, who keeps track of cases as they go through the courts, said there are between 600 and 700 homicides a year in Britain and around 100120 of them are by people with serious mental illness.

Skanawho admitted to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibilitywas sentenced to life imprisonment and was given a minimum term of 10 years and eight months.

In a statement, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, said: We would like to reiterate our deepest condolences over the devasting loss of Emily Jones. We have accepted the coroners findings from the inquest.

The Epoch Times contacted the Home Office, which said it was unable to comment on Skanas case.
IN-DEPTH: FBI Ignored Hundreds of Exculpatory Statements, Pushing Trump-Russia Probe: Durham Report

Keeping alive its investigation of supposed collusion between Donald Trump and Russia, the FBI ignored hundreds of exculpatory statements Trump aides made when secretly recorded by FBI informants. In some cases, the FBI spun the utterings to mean the opposite of what was said, according to the final report by special counsel John Durham.

The group running the Trump-Russia probe at the FBI headquarters in 2016 and 2017 went to great lengths to try to elicit statements from various Trump aides that could implicate the campaign, and later the president, in an alleged scheme to collude with Russia to sway the 2016 election.

Again and again, the agents sent informants to talk to people tied to the campaign and slip into conversations questions about Russia helping the campaign.

After months of efforts and dozens of hours of recorded conversations, the bureau came up empty-handed. On the contrary, they collected hundreds of statements denying any collusion with Russiasometimes indirectly, other times explicitly, Durhams report details.

The agents and officials running the probe, however, seemed impervious to the deluge of evidence contradicting their premise. In fact, they went as far as to spin clearly exculpatory statements to make them sound incriminating, according to the report.

The probe was launched on July 31, 2016, based on a single uncorroborated claim that a campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, suggested during a casual talk with an Australian diplomat that the campaign received some kind of suggestion that Russia may help it by releasing info damaging to Trumps opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Durham later learned that Papadopoulos may have never made any such suggestion.

Just days later, one of the agents on the case, Stephen Somma, reached out to a longtime FBI informant he handled, Stefan Halper. Somma and two other agents met with Halper on Aug. 11, 2016. They asked if he knew Papadopoulos, but he didnt. Yet supposedly by sheer luck, Halper knew the two other targets of the probe: Paul Manafort, then-chair of the Trump campaign who was about to get fired for keeping from the campaign his Russian connections, and Carter Page, a junior adviser to the campaign with whom Halper talked at a London security symposium and a subsequent private meeting.

The symposium was overseen by Halper, who vetted its attendants, Durhams report noted. Page came to it right after returning from a trip to Moscow, where he gave a commencement speech at a university.

Halper also volunteered a false story that insinuated that another Trump campaign adviser, Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, had an affair with a Russian-born doctoral student in London several years prior. Somma wrote a report from the meeting with Halper, dating it Aug. 15, 2016. The report already referred to Flynn by a code name, Crossfire Razor, even though the agents only opened a case on Flynn on Aug. 16, 2016 (pdf).

The opening document on Flynn cited Halpers false story as well as his giving a paid interview at a gala in Moscow held by state-funded Russian TV in 2015.

Halper agreed to talk to and run operations against Papadopoulos and Page. Sommas report indicates that Halper failed to mention to the FBI his overtures to the Trump campaign. As Durham found, Halper sent an email to the campaign on May 2, 2016, with his resume and an offer to informally advise the campaign.

The Page Meetings

Halper met with Page on Aug. 20, 2016, surreptitiously recording the conversation. He tried to bait Page into saying something about the campaign colluding with Russia, but Page never did. Page mentioned a conspiracy theory that Russia had deleted emails from Clintons private serveran allegation that was swirling online and seeping into the media for months without corroboration. But Page explicitly said he didnt know whether it was true or not. He also denied ever speaking to Manafort. That was important because a month later, agents on the case received the infamous Steele dossier, a collection of baseless claims about Trump-Russia collusion. One of the claims was that Manafort was conspiring with Russia on behalf of the campaign using Page as a conduit.

Halper met with Page again in October 2016, December 2016, and January 2017, gathering an ever-growing list of exculpatory statements.

During all of his meetings with [Halper], Page never provided any information, evidence, or documentation indicating knowledge of any relationship between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, Durhams report said.

Despite that, FBI leadership, including then-Director James Comey and then-Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, pushed for a warrant to spy on Page and blocked case agents from interviewing him. The warrant, obtained in a secret court under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), included false allegations from the Steele dossier that Page met with sanctioned Russian officials during his Moscow trip. Page repeatedly denied the meetings, both publicly and in private, to Halper, but the FBI kept renewing the warrant well into 2017.

Meanwhile, information about the investigation was being leaked to the media, smearing Page and other Trump aides as possibly colluding with Russia.

The FISA warrant application not only omitted Pages exculpatory statements, but also twisted what he told Halper about the false claims about him in the media.

Page did not provide any specific details to refute, dispel, or clarify the media reporting [and] he made vague statements that minimized his activities, the application said.

This assertion  seriously misrepresents Pages recorded statements, Durhams report commented.

In early September 2016, Halper met with Trump campaign adviser Sam Clovis. Halper again tried to elicit some admission of collusion but without success.

The tenor of the conversation between [Halper] and the advisor provided no indication of assistance being provided to the campaign by the Russians, Durhams report said.

FBI agents were apparently cautious about this meeting. Most of the conversation centered on campaign issues and the recording de facto provided the FBI with intelligence on the Trump campaign.

Durham didnt find any evidence the FBI used the recording in any way. Not even a transcript was produced, the report said.

The Papadopoulos Meetings

Papadopoulos was extensively recorded in secret many times, starting in September 2016.

First, two undercover FBI agents met with him, but all he said was either irrelevant or exculpatory, according to Durhams report.

On Sept. 15, 2016, Halper met twice with Papadopoulos under the pretext of commissioning him to write a paper on energy in Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Russia, and Syria.

During the meeting, Halper tried to tease out the campaigns supposed cooperation with Russia, but Papadopoulos made no such indication. In fact, he offered a lengthy and explicit denial.

As a campaign, of course, we dont advocate for this type of activity because at the end of the day, its, ah, illegal. First and foremost, it compromises the U.S. national security and third it sets a very bad precedence, he said, according to a transcript of the conversation.

He then doubled and tripled down, saying that no one does that, its illegal activity, and espionage is, ah, treason.

No ones looking to, um, obviously get into trouble like that and, you know, as far as I understand thats, no ones collaborating, theres been no collusion and its going to remain that way, he said.

The FBI is supposed to include exculpatory information in FISA applications, but in this instance, the agents found a way to dismiss it, according to Durhams report.

This was arguably the most significant information the FBI had gathered after approximately six weeks of investigative effort to evaluate the information it had received from Australia, his report said.

Yet the FBI chose to discount the information and assessed it to mean the opposite of what was explicitly said.

Agents described Papadopouloss denials as weird, rote, canned, and rehearsed. They argued that his free flowing conversation with Halper suddenly changed to almost a canned response, according to the report.

The bureaus top brass, up to McCabe, was briefed on the recording, and the general consensus of the group after the briefing was that one of the statements made by Papadopoulos in his meeting with [Halper], which would normally be considered exculpatory, was instead assessed as an outlier and intentionally scripted by him to give a false impression, Durhams report said, adding, Our investigators listened very carefully to this recording and did not detect any change in Papadopoulos s tone of voice when he made these statements to [Halper].

Between Oct. 23, 2016, and May 6, 2017, Papadopoulos also met many times with another FBI informant, who was also a longtime acquaintance of his. The two engaged in more than 120 hours of freewheeling conversations sometimes during trips and outings, all recorded.

The informant challenged Papadopoulos with approximately 200 prompts or baited statements which elicited approximately 174 clearly exculpatory statements from Papadopoulos, the Durham report said, noting that Papadopoulos repeatedly denied that he, the Trump campaign, and Russia had some type of cooperative relationship.

You dont think anyone from the Trump campaign hacked her [Clintons] emails, the informant asked in one Oct. 29, 2016, talk.

No, no, Papadopoulos replied.

You dont think anyone from the Trump campaign had anything to do with [expletive] over at the DNC? the informant pressed.

No, I know that for a fact, said Papadopoulos.

How do you know that for a fact? the informant continued.

Because I have been working for them the last nine months thats how I know. And all of this stuff has been happening, what, over the last four months? he replied.

Again, none of the statements were disclosed to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which approved the Page warrants.
FBI Refuses to Share Subpoenaed Record on Alleged Criminal Scheme Involving Biden: Rep. Comer

Flanked by House Republicans, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Nov. 17, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

On Monday, the FBI once again declined a request from House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) to produce an internal record detailing an alleged criminal scheme involving President Joe Biden while he was vice president.

The FBI officials had a closed-door meeting with House Oversight Committee staff on May 22, but Comer said they still refused to turn over the requested file.

Ive asked for a phone call with Director Wray,  Comer told Fox News. We expect to get this document.

The FBI has so far failed to comply with the subpoena Comer issued to FBI Director Christopher Wray earlier this month. The deadline set in the subpoena was May 10.

They dont respect anyone in Congress, Comer said. Theyve been able to get away with this for a long time. The media continues to turn a blind eye. The Senate Republicans continue to fund the FBI. So why would you change your business model when youre getting everything you want?

Related Coverage Some House Republicans Call for Holding FBI Director in Contempt of Congress for Failing to Comply With Subpoena

What were going to have to do in this House is demand that the Senators get our backslike they are doing as we speak with these debt ceiling negotiationsand hold their budget hostage until they get new leadership at the FBI or they produce the documents that we want. Its not just this form 1023. We also want to know what classified documents Joe Biden had in his possession because thats an important part of our investigation.

Comer, along with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), revealed in a May 3 letter that they received legally protected and highly credible unclassified whistleblower disclosures. The whistleblowers tip indicated that the Department of Justice and the FBI possessed an unclassified record that describes an alleged criminal scheme involving then-vice president Joe Biden and a foreign national relating to the exchange of money for policy decisions, according to the letter to Wray and Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The disclosure built on the Oversight Committees month-long investigation into Biden and his alleged involvement in his son Hunters foreign business deals. On May 10, investigators revealed that bank records from subpoenas showed that the Biden family, their business associates, and their companies received over $10 million from foreign nationals companies.

Comer said the requested internal law enforcement document plays a crucial role in the ongoing probe.

This is a very crucial piece of our investigation, Comer said. And the reason that I think its very credible is this claim was made years before anyone knew about these different shell companies. And knew exactly what the Biden family did in countries like Romania and China to get money.

House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and other Republican members of the committee present the preliminary findings of their investigation into President Joe Bidens family at a news conference in Washington, on May 10, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The White House didnt respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment. Ian Sams, the White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations, previously accused the Republicans of years-long efforts at 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.

On May 19, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) had a phone call with Wray, emphasizing Congresss right to obtain the FBI record.

I believe after this call, we will get this document, McCarthy said.

The subpoenaed document is an intel law enforcement note, known as an FD-1023 form, that is used to record information from confidential human sources.

But on Monday, Comer said, The FBI refused to turn over the form 1023.

FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies at a hearing in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee in Congress in Washington, on Jan. 29, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Comer suggested he would speak to Wray directly. If the top federal law enforcement official didnt take the call, Comer said his committee may take extreme measures on trying to get this whistleblower to come forward publicly and say what exactly is in this document.

Remember this form-1023 is not classified. Its not a classified document. So this is something that shouldnt be that hard for the chairman of the House Oversight Committee to obtain.

An FBI spokesperson said they had no comment on this matter, and referred to a previous statement, which indicated that sharing such internal notes has the risk of jeopardizing investigations.

An FD-1023 form is used by FBI agents to record unverified reporting by a confidential human source. Documenting the information does not validate it, establish its credibility, or weigh it against other information verified by the FBI, the spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

Revealing unverified or possibly incomplete information could harm investigations, prejudice prosecutions or judicial proceedings, unfairly violate privacy or reputations, create misimpressions in the public, or potentially identify individuals who provide information to law enforcement, placing their physical safety at risk. Information from confidential human sources and members of the public is critical to the work of the FBI and we are also committed to protecting the confidentiality of anyone who comes forward.
5 Critical Points About Americas Speech Police

The homepage of the CISA website in a file photo. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is an U.S. federal agency under Department of Homeland Security oversight. (Tada Images/Shutterstock)

Commentary

Recently, I testified before the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability for a vital hearing titled Censorship Laundering: How the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Enables the Silencing of Dissent.

That hearing centered on the role of DHS sub-agency CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in censoring the speech of Americansdirectly and by proxyfirst on election integrity, then on COVID-19, and now on seemingly every contentious issue.

As I noted in my opening remarks:

Overwhelming evidence suggests federal agencies, top White House officials, and lawmakers, colluding with big tech and often government-coordinated and -funded counter-disinformation groups, have imposed a mass public-private censorship regime on the American people.

This regime has suppressed opinions that diverge from its orthodoxy and even facts inconvenient to its agenda on an ever-growing number of topics  under the guise of national security and public health.

CISA is core to these efforts.

Indeed, CISA has served as a censorship conductor, driving meetings between security agencies and social media companies to get the platforms to censor speech thats disfavored by the government that regulates them.

CISA has served as a censorship switchboard, relaying purported misinformation from the government and nongovernmental organizationsincluding even private Facebook messagesto the platforms to squelch it.

And CISA has served as an architect of the broader public-private censorship regime, helping originate, consult, and network government-linked third parties to serve as First Amendment-circumventing mass-surveillance and mass-censorship enterprises.

These efforts have been integral to a broader war on wrongthink, the first casualty of which has been our speech. Authorities have sought to shut down dissent in no small part by fomenting a moral panic over mis-, dis-, and mal-information, equating words critical of institutions with would-be, if not actual, domestic violent extremist attacks on them and censoring the wrongthinkers accordinglyusing our own money to silence us.

In developing my testimony, some critical observations about the insanity and insidiousness of this effort occurred to me. Here are five of the most salient points:

Point 1: We never voted to have agencies such as CISA relay requests to censor Americans on social media to relevant platforms or for agencies such as CISA to work with third-party actors to effectuate the same. Instead, unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats have taken it upon themselves to serve as arbiters of truth, telling us that unauthorized opinions are dangerous to the homeland and that we must be censored accordingly. Yet whats more dangerous: What Americans say or a government that determines what can and cant be said without our consent?

Point 2: Its manifestly the job of the national security and law enforcement apparatus to protect us from threats. But authorities are supposed to deal in actionsattacks or plots to attacknot words. Only the federal government could take a mandate such as protecting critical infrastructure to mean that its acceptable to censor domestic skepticism about mail-in ballots, as if critical speech is tantamount to attacks on ballot boxes. Now, the right to speak isnt absolute. Certainly, authorities ought to pursue cases of clear incitement to violence. But views on elections once held by Jimmy Carter and presented as legitimate by The New York Times or criticism of draconian and often anti-science Chinese COVID-19 policies arent that. Speech policing doesnt keep us safe. Its aim is to keep those who do the policing safe from criticism.

Point 3: For the sake of argument, lets say one were to concede that theres a nexus between disfavored perspectives on public policy issues and those who threaten the homeland. Lets also expand the range of perspectives to include not just those perhaps held disproportionately by conservatives on issues such as election integrity or the Chinese coronavirus but also include progressives anti-cop sentiment, pro-abortion sentiment, or radical environmentalist sentiment. Still, the far graver threat in my view would be the evisceration of the First Amendment, which would ultimately lead to the erosion of every other right. Authorities can and should neutralize threats, not speech. The Constitution isnt a suicide pact. But neither is it a mere piece of parchment to be discarded on the whims of those in powerparticularly to quell their political foes.

Point 4: As a matter of prudence, the first question for representatives and the public when evaluating the merits of a policy should always be the following: Would you entrust your worst political foes with this power? When it comes to the power to censor the speech of Americans on highly subjective and contentious matters of public policy, the answer would clearly be no. Imagine, for a moment, the reverse scenario, in which conservatives called for deplatforming all those who say voter ID laws are bigoted, who promoted the Steele dossier or claims of TrumpRussia collusion, or who said the COVID-19 vaccines will stop you from contracting the virus and spreading it. Would anyone who took these positions want national security authorities censoring or directing them to be censored?

Point 5: Historically, we would have held in total and utter contempt authorities who would suggest were incapable of thinking for ourselves and that, for our own benefit, since the authorities know best, theyll do the thinking for uswhile silencing those who dare dissent. No American should stand for it today.

Were a free people capable of evaluating information and ideas for ourselves, of separating fact from fiction and good ideas from bad.

If we give up our freedom of speech, well become helpless subjects, not citizensand America will neither be democratic nor safe.

Well become like the very adversaries our authorities are supposed to be protecting us from.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Former Florida Deputy Charged With Failing to Confront Parkland Shooter Says Hes Eager for Trial

Former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School School Resource Officer Scot Peterson is in court during a motions hearing in his case at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on May 22, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.A fired Florida sheriffs deputy charged with failing to confront the gunman who murdered 17 at a Parkland high school five years ago said Monday that he is looking forward to his trial, which is scheduled to start next week.

Former Broward County sheriffs deputy Scot Peterson told reporters after a court hearing that the public needs to know he did everything he could as Nikolas Cruz murdered 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2018.

Peterson, the deputy then assigned to the school, says he didnt charge into the three-story classroom building during the six-minute shooting because he thought the dozens of shots fired were coming from outside. He was armed with a handgun at the time.

Some victims parents have labeled Peterson the coward of Broward. Free on bail, he now lives in North Carolina and could face nearly a century in prison if convicted.

I want the truth to come out and if it is going to be through a trial, so be it. Im eager, Peterson said. Not only the people in Florida, the country, most importantly the families, they need to know the truth about what happened, because unfortunately it has never been told.

Peterson, 60, is charged with seven counts of child neglect and three counts of culpable negligence for the 10 people Cruz shot on the third floor, six of them fatally, after Peterson arrived at the building. The former deputy is not charged in connection with the 11 killed and 13 wounded on the first floor before he got there.

Prosecutors say Petersons actions show he knew the shots were coming from inside and that he could have prevented some of the shootings if he had confronted Cruz.

Petersons attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, said there are 22 defense witnesses who will testify that they also thought the shots were coming from somewhere other than inside the classroom building.

Hes not the only one who heard those shots and believe they were coming from a different location, Eiglarsh said.

Peterson retired shortly after the shooting, was fired retroactively and charged a year later.

Jury selection is scheduled to start May 31 with opening statements in early June. The trial could last until August.

Former Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School School Resource Officer Scot Peterson (L) leaves the courtroom with his defense lawyer Mark Eiglarsh following a hearing in his case at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on May 22, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, Pool)

During Mondays hearing, Circuit Judge Martin Fein rejected Eiglarshs request to delay the trial until August. The attorney said some of his witnesses have vacations and other conflicts and say they wont appear. Fein said if the witnesses are subpoenaed, they have no choice.

The judge also expressed skepticism of the prosecutions request to have jurors tour the classroom buildings blood-stained halls, something Cruzs jury did during his penalty trial last year. The building has been maintained and sealed since days after the shooting and is expected to be torn down after Petersons trial.

Prosecutor Steven Klinger told the judge that the jurors need to see the distances inside the building. But Fein seemed to agree with Eiglarsh, who says there is sufficient video and photo evidence to demonstrate the distances and that having jurors tour the building would only inflame their emotions. Fein said he would issue his ruling later.

It is likely, however, that the jury will be be taken to the school to see the outside area where Peterson stood during most of the attack.

To gain a conviction, prosecutors must convince jurors that Peterson knew the gunman was firing inside the building and that his actions and inaction exposed more victims to harm.

Security videos show that 36 seconds after the attack began, Peterson left his office about 100 yards from the building and jumped into a cart with two unarmed civilian security guards, according to a state report. They arrived at the crime scene a minute later.

Peterson got out of the cart near the classroom buildings eastern first-floor doorway to the first-floor hallway while the gunman was at the opposite end, firing numerous shots.

Peterson, his handgun drawn, didnt open the door. Instead, he took cover outside next to a neighboring building.

It was so loud and so close. I thought it was probably outside, Peterson told investigators two days after the shooting.

He said he heard two, three shots, though security guards told investigators they heard many more, clearly coming from inside the building.

Inside, Cruz climbed to the buildings upper floors, firing approximately 75 more shots over nearly four minutes.

Cruz pleaded guilty to the murders in 2021, but the jury in his penalty trial could not unanimously agree that he deserved a death sentence. The 24-year-old former Stoneman Douglas student was sentenced instead to life in prison.

By Terry Spencer
Former GG Johnston Says No Public Inquiry on Foreign Interference Needed

David Johnston, Independent Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference, presents his first report in Ottawa on May 23, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

Special rapporteur on foreign interference David Johnston says a public inquiry cant be held since the classified information informing the matter cannot be revealed publicly.

The former governor general filed his first report on foreign interference on May 23.

A public inquiry examining the leaked materials could not be undertaken in public given the sensitivity of the intelligence, he said in a press conference in Ottawa.

Johnston was appointed special rapporteur on March 15 by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was under pressure to announce an inquiry in light of multiple national security leaks in the media suggesting widespread interference by the Chinese regime.

Trudeau said that Johnston would decide whether a public inquiry was needed and that he would heed his recommendation.

Johnston said that before starting his review, and amid calls for a public inquiry, he had been favourable to the idea of holding an inquiry. But that would have been the easy choice and not necessarily the correct one, he added.

The former governor general said he came to this conclusion after reviewing the intelligence files and interviewing senior security and elected officials.

Johnston also cast doubts on the validity of some of the leaks in the media that led to the creation of his position.

He said that while foreign governments are undoubtedly trying to interfere in Canada, the information leaked in recent months about the issue is incomplete and has led to situations being misrepresented.

When viewed in full context with all of the relevant intelligence, several leaked materials that raised legitimate questions turned out to have been misconstrued in some media reporting, presumably because of the lack of this context, he said.

Trudeau has previously commented there have been inaccuracies in the leaks but did not provide further details.

Johnston said he did find serious shortcomings with how intelligence is communicated and processed inside the government.

This issue came to light earlier this month when the prime minister said he had never been briefed in 2021 about the Chinese regimes attempts to target MPs like Conservative Michael Chong.

But Johnston says he didnt find any evidence that the Trudeau government had any conscious desire to suppress and to diminish the threat of Chinese interference.

I have found no examples of ministers, the prime minister, or their offices, knowingly or negligently failing to act on intelligence advice or recommendations on the issues I have investigated related to the 2019 and 2021 elections, he said.

Interference Allegations

One of the significant leaks in the media alleged the prime minister had been informed that Liberal Party candidate for nomination Han Dong in 2019 was being supported by Beijing and let him run nevertheless.

Johnstons report says he reviewed intelligence on the matter and found there are well-grounded suspicion that the irregularities were tied to the PRC Consulate in Toronto, with whom Mr. Dong maintains relationships. The report adds there was no evidence that MP Dong knew about Beijings potential involvement.

Johnston said that Trudeau was briefed on the matter at the time and found no basis to remove Dong as Liberal candidate in the Don Valley North riding of Toronto. This was not an unreasonable conclusion based on the intelligence available to the Prime Minister at the time, says the report.

Global News had reported that Dong, who has since left the party caucus over the allegations, was a witting affiliate of Beijings foreign interference. Dong has since filed a defamation suit against Global, calling the outlet false accusers.

While Johnston said he found no evidence theres been a conscious decision made to ignore the threat of Chinese interference, he said its clear that we have not acted as quickly and as thoroughly as the threat that has been growing.

The responsibility lies with the government of the day to look at how were dealing with this threat and whether were meeting it effectively and I think, as we say in terms of the machinery of government, we have a lot to improve.
Former Tory Leader OToole Says Special Rapporteur Ignored Info He Gave on Election Interference

Then Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole rises during question period in the House of Commons on March 10, 2021. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

Former governor general David Johnston, whom Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed as special rapporteur to investigate foreign election interference, did not use any information given him by the previous Conservative Party leader Erin OToole to draft his forthcoming report on interference in Canadas last two elections, according to OToole.

OToole, who was the leader of the Conservatives when they lost to the Trudeau Liberals in the 2021 general election, has alleged in the past that interference activities carried out by the Beijing regime cost his party seats in the election.

Johnston was tasked earlier this year with investigating reports of foreign election interference in Canadas 2019 and 2021 federal general elections and providing the prime minister with advice and recommendations based on his findings.

The special rapporteur will also be providing the federal government with a number of reports on his investigation, the first due May 23, in which he must advise the government on establishing a public inquiry into the matter if he believes it necessary.

Trudeau has said that his government will heed all of Johnstons recommendations.

In a SubStack post published on May 22, OToole said that Johnston did not offer to meet with him about his report until the week before its due date.

OToole said he had gathered a considerable amount of information on potential election interference activities carried out by Beijing to give Johnston.

However, the former Tory leader said he was disappointed to learn midway through the meeting that Johnston had already completed his report and translators were preparing it for release on May 23.

I was flabbergasted and realized that nothing I was going to provide to the special rapporteur was going to impact his work, OToole wrote. I was left with the clear impression that my meeting was nothing more than a box checking exercise.

Detailed Examples

OToole said he gave Johnston detailed examples of his concerns around Beijings intrusion, but he was not really asked any questions or given any insights on the matter.

It was a very strange meeting, OToole wrote.

When they made a comparison of nomination level interference by China to nomination campaigns by specific groups in Canada, I realized that sharing my on-the-ground experiences leading the team that had been targeted by China was a waste of time.

Shortly before OTooles meeting with Johnston, current Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters on May 18 that he turned down an offer to meet with Johnston because of the special rapporteurs previous membership in the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

Poilievre said Johnston is unable to carry out his mandate impartially because of the links to the Trudeau Foundation and said the special rapporteur should simply call for a public inquiry.

Johnstons first public report since being appointed as rapporteur will be released later today.

Andrew Chen contributed to this report.
A combo of Russian national newspapers on Monday, May 22, 2023, all leading with news on the taking of control of the city of Bakhmut.

Russian TV went into a full frenzy of celebration as it reported Moscows capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. There were comparisons to the Red Army liberating Berlin in 1945, congratulations relayed from President Vladimir Putin and announcers emphasizing the victory by using the citys nearly century-old Soviet name of Artyomovsk.

The myth that Artyomovsk is an unassailable fortress has been crushed, an anchor said Sunday night on Channel One, Russias most popular state broadcaster. Those are historic events.

A report from the smoldering city in eastern Ukraine followed, showing Russian fighters yelling Victory! and placing two flags  the Russian tricolor and the black flag of the private military contractor Wagner  atop a tall, partly destroyed building.

The flags were mounted so that everyone could see them, the correspondent said, even though the bombed-out, deserted 400-year-old city looks like a ghost of itself after the longest and bloodiest battle of the war.

Despite the Russian claims, top Ukrainian military leaders say the fight there is not over, even though they still control only a small part of the city. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Monday that Ukrainian troops hold parts of its southwestern outskirts, while fighting continues for the strategic heights in the northern and southern suburbs.

But Kyiv says its troops played a key role in the strategy of exhausting Russian forces. Tens of thousands of fighters on both sides have died in the grinding nine-month battle for Bakhmut.

Satellite imagery shows infrastructure, apartment blocks and buildings reduced to rubble from relentless artillery attacks.

Putin badly needed a victory in Bakhmut, analysts say, especially after a winter offensive by his forces failed to take other front-line cities and towns. And Russia still wants to capture the entire Donetsk region  a goal that was emphasized several months after the assault on Kyiv failed.

On Channel One, a Russian fighter told the correspondent he felt probably the same emotions our grandfathers had in Berlin, referring to the Red Armys victorious sweep of the German capital at the end of World War II.

A similar segment on Russia 1, another major state TV channel, saw a correspondent proclaim that the fight for Bakhmut ended in defeat for Ukraine. Now Russian forces can advance toward the cities of Siversk, Kostyantynivka and Kramatorsk, and even the southeastern city of Dnipro in southeastern Ukraine, she said.

Two pro-Kremlin tabloids came out with headlines Monday celebrating the reported capture of the city.

Bakhmut is taken. What next? The city has again become Artyomovsk, said a bright red headline on the front of Komsomolskaya Pravda.

Moskovsky Komsomolets went even further and called it, The Artyomovsk turning point, noting beneath that The Ukrainian Armed Forces failed to hold onto their important fortress city, Bakhmut.

A column on the state news agency RIA Novosti touched on the strategic value of Bakhmut, saying 224 days of fighting allowed Russia to grind up the best divisions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and destroy their equipment on an industrial scale.

This was its strategic value for us, RIA Novosti columnist Viktoria Nikiforova wrote. This forced Ukrainian handlers to delay their counteroffensive for months, and gave our forces time to prepare for repelling it, she wrote, countering Western arguments that Bakhmut held little strategic importance for Russia.

The celebratory tone continued Monday even as Russia reported an incursion into its territory in the border region of Belgorod by Ukrainian saboteurs, triggering a counterterrorism operation.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the attack was meant to draw attention away from the Bakhmut axis, to minimize the political effect of the Ukrainian side losing Artyomovsk.

The fog of war made it impossible to confirm the situation inside Bakhmut, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the city was not fully occupied.

In a video on Telegram, Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said the city came under full Russian control about midday Saturday, proclaiming it completely taken as he held a Russian flag with a group of at least nine masked fighters in body armor and heavy weapons. Prigozhin had feuded publicly with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu over adequate supplies of munitions to Wagners private forces.

About 55 kilometers (34 miles) north of the Russian-held regional capital of Donetsk, Bakhmut was an important industrial center, surrounded by salt and gypsum mines and home to about 80,000 people before the war, in a country of more than 43 million.

The city was named Artyomovsk in 1924 after a Bolshevik revolutionary when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, and was known for its sparkling wine produced in underground caves. Its broad, tree-lined avenues, lush parks and late 19th century mansions have been reduced to a wasteland.

For Ukraine, which changed the name of the city to Bakhmut in 2016, the important factor has been the high number of Russian casualties and sapping of their adversarys morale for the small patch of the 1,500-kilometer (932-mile) front line as Kyiv prepares a counteroffensive in the 15-month-old war.

The enemy failed to surround Bakhmut. They lost part of the heights around the city. The continuing advance of our troops in the suburbs greatly complicates the enemys presence, Maliar said. Our troops have taken the city in a semi-encirclement, which gives us the opportunity to destroy the enemy.

In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces had made significant advances near strategic roads through the surrounding countryside, chipping away at Russias northern and southern flanks with the aim of encircling Wagner fighters in the city.

Nearly 20 square kilometers (8 square miles) of territory were recaptured, Maliar said last week. Hundreds of meters more were regained almost every day since, according to Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman for Ukraines Operational Command East.

Russia deployed reinforcements to Bakhmut to replenish the lost northern and southern flanks and prevent more Ukrainian breakthroughs, according to Ukrainian officials and outside observers.

Ukraines tactical gains in the rural area outside Bakhmut could be more significant than they seem, some analysts say.

It was almost like the Ukrainians just took advantage of the fact that, actually, the Russian lines were weak, said Phillips OBrien, a professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews. The Russian army has suffered such high losses and is so worn out around Bakhmut that... it cannot go forward anymore.

Days before Russia announced it controlled the city, Ukrainian forces held only a handful of buildings amid constant Russian bombardment. Outnumbered and outgunned, they described nightmarish days.

Russias artillery dominance was so overwhelming, accompanied by continuous human waves of mercenaries, that defensive positions could not be held for long.

The importance of our mission of staying in Bakhmut lies in distracting a significant enemy force, said Taras Deiak, commander of a special unit of a volunteer battalion. We are paying a high price for this.

The northern and southern flanks regained by Ukraine are located near two highways that lead to Chasiv Yar, a town 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Bakhmut, that are key logistics supply routes. One is dubbed the road of life.

Ukrainian forces on this road often came under Russian fire. Armored vehicles and pickup trucks heading to the city to replenish Ukrainian troops were frequently destroyed.

With those high plains now under Ukrainian control, its forces have more breathing room.

This will help us design new logistic chains to deliver ammunition in and evacuate the injured or killed boys, said Deiak, speaking from inside Bakhmut on Thursday, two days before Russia claimed the city.

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FTC Warning: Americans Fingerprints and Eye Scans May Be Subject to Data Manipulation

The threat to personal data privacy is amplified with the widespread usage of biometric information in daily circumstances

Biometric information like facial recognition, fingerprints, and voice and eye scans being collected by businesses can be hacked and manipulated, with the threat amplified following the proliferation of artificial intelligence, said a recent warning by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

In a May 18 policy statement (pdf), the FTC said that consumers are facing increasing risks associated with the use and collection of biometric information, including those powered by AI technologies. Biometric information includes data that denote the physical, biological, or behavioral traits or measurements of individuals. Facial recognition, fingerprint recognition, iris recognition, and voice recognition are some of the technologies prevalent today.

Some technologies can use biometric info to determine characteristics of individuals, ranging from their age, race, and gender, to personality traits. Accessing biometric data can allow criminals to glean sensitive information about an individual, like whether they attend specific political meetings, religious services, or gatherings, the type of healthcare they accessed, and more.

Large databases of biometric information may also be attractive targets for malicious actors because of the informations potential to be used for other illicit purposes, including to achieve further unauthorized access to devices, facilities or data. These issues pose risks not only to individual consumers, but also to businesses and society, the agency said.

The FTC highlighted the contribution of AI in making significant advances in biometric technologies. For instance, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) found that facial recognition became 20 times better at finding a matching photograph from a database in just four years between 2014 and 2018.

Such improvements are due in significant part to advancements in machine learning, along with data collection, storage, and processing capabilities sufficient to support the use of these technologies.

The FTC warning comes amid the increasing use of AI in biometric scams. In May, McAfee Group, a global leader in online protection, published a report about AI technology fueling a rise in online voice scams.

In fact, just three seconds of audio was found to be enough to clone an individuals voice, the report stated.

Out of the over 7,000 people from seven countries surveyed by the company, a quarter of the adults were found to have experienced some kind of AI voice scam.

An incident involving the misuse of AI for criminal purposes took place in April when Jennifer DeStefano, a mother from Arizona, received an unexpected phone call from her 15-year-old daughter who was sobbing and asking for help.

A mans voice on the phone suggested that he had kidnapped the child. DeStephano quickly confirmed that her daughter was safe. Her daughter was actually in the house. The criminal had cloned her daughters voice in an attempt to scam her.

FTCs Section 5 Rule

The FTC said in the policy statement that it intends to scrutinize companies that collect, use, or market biometric data and technologies to ensure compliance with Section 5 of the FTC Act that prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.

As such, any false or unsubstantiated claims related to biometric technologies or about the collection and use of such info may violate the FTC Act, the agency said.

Section 5 of the FTC Act empowers the agency to impose a civil penalty of up to $50,120 per violation against any individual, partnership, or corporation found to have breached the regulations.

In recent years, FTC has brought enforcement actions against Facebook and photo app maker Everalbum on charges that these tech firms misrepresented the uses of facial recognition technology.

FTC Scrutinizing Businesses

In order to determine if a businesss use of biometric info violates the FTC Act, the agency will consider multiple factors, including whether the entity failed to assess foreseeable harms to consumers before collecting such data and whether it engaged in secret or unexpected collection or use of biometric data.

The FTC will also look into whether a business failed to promptly address foreseeable risks and implement tools to minimize or eliminate such risks.

Businesses are expected to evaluate practices and capabilities of third parties with whom they share access to customers biometric data.

The FTC also wants businesses to continuously monitor technologies related to biometrics that it develops, uses, or offers for sale to ensure that these are functioning as expected and are unlikely to harm customers.

In recent years, biometric surveillance has grown more sophisticated and pervasive, posing new threats to privacy and civil rights, said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTCs Bureau of Consumer Protection, according to a May 18 press release from the agency.

Todays policy statement makes clear that companies must comply with the law regardless of the technology they are using.

Biometric Data Proliferation

From unlocking mobiles and Alexa playing songs to accessing health apps and identifying bank accounts, biometric data plays an increasing role in modern life. Fingerprints are used everywhere from workplaces to schools.

While proponents have touted the ease of usage as the primary reason for the growth of this technology, critics complain about the deep and absolute penetration of personal privacy through the sharing of biometric information.

This concern is elevated further when big tech companies are constantly subject to data breaches and AI is increasingly deployed within regularly used apps. With large amounts of resource power, AI can easily clone data on a large scale, and with access to personally identifiable information can effectively clone individual identities.

According to multinational biometric solution provider Mitek Systems, biometric recognition that can help build a profile of a persons identity includes physiological factors like fingerprints, hand geometryhow far your fingers are apart from one another, finger length, etc., palm printhand lines found on your palm and palm thickness/width, DNA, blood type, facial measurements, iris and retinas, vein patterns in eyes and hands, and heartbeats.

Behavioral patterns include typing rhythm and keystroke dynamics, walking gait, voice and speech inflections, gestures, web navigationscrolling and swiping, written text recognition like a signature or font, geo-location and IP addresses, purchasing habits, device use, and browser history and cookies.

In the hands of totalitarian regimes, biometric information can be used as a tool of control. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) deploys a wide range of advanced facial recognition systems to monitor and govern the population.

When people fail to fall in line with party commands, they can restrict movements within certain locations for the individual and prevent them from traveling, curb access to bank accounts, and even restrict access to mobile apps.

This was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic and among specific groups of people targeted by the CCP like Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghurs, and Tibetans.
Even though most Americans regularly use credit cards, many still operate on a cash-only basis. After recent bank collapses, more Americans have taken their money out of the banking system and are looking to go bankless.

According to the Federal Reserve, in 2020, about 81 percent of Americans were fully-banked. It means that they did not have to use services in the form of payday loans, money orders, pawn shops, check cashing services, etc.

More People Are Choosing to Go Bankless

After the collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank, the Washington Post found out that about another 12 percent of Americans took their money out of banks. Another 18 percent said they were thinking about doing so.

Some people prefer to go completely off-grid and going bankless makes it necessary. Other people do not trust banks and are looking to move toward decentralized finance (DeFi)largely (but not altogether) staying away from banks and credit unions. In order to do so, some people move toward crypto, which can provide new opportunities and better control over your finances.

Reasons You Might Want to Try a Cash-Only Budget

Probably the best reason to adopt a cash-only lifestyle and ditch your bank is that it can help you stay debt-free. Since you will not buy anything above your budget, it can enable you to stay out of debt. Staying out of debt, though, you will need to plan your spending carefully, track it, and you will need to have a considerable emergency fund to cover unexpected costs.

Having a Budget Is Not an Option

Even though you choose to live a cash-only lifestyle, you still need a cash management system to help you stick to your budget. One of the easiest and best ways to do this is to use an envelope system. It can work if you have a little discipline. All you need is several envelopesone for each expense category.

When you get paid, put the amount of cash you want to spend in each envelope. Then, when there is no more money in that envelopeits time to stop spending money in that category until your next paycheck.

Ways to Get Started Going Bankless Using Crypto

Before you decide to go cash only, you should think it through. Because American society is based on the banking system, there may be some difficulties in making the change. You need to check to see what services you currently have that require you to have a bank. If you are retired, the Social Security Administration, etc., requires a bank account so they can deposit your checks.

The first thing you need is a digital wallet (also called a non-custodian wallet). You can choose almost any kind and you will use it to store your cryptocurrency, digital assets, and your decentralized identity (DID). Wallets vary and some work better with one type of crypto than others. Spritz says that a MetaMask and a Coinbase Wallet will work well with Polygon and Ethereum. TrustWallet works well with BNB Chain. CoinCashew can help you select one or more wallets, such as mobile, desktop, hardware, and browser wallets.

There is a learning curve to going bankless with cryptocurrency. You should not jump in and drop your bank accounts immediately because there are things you need to learn as you go along. The bankless idea is still in its infancy and is changing as it grows and gets better.

After you have a wallet and bought some crypto, you need to get a debit card to make purchases and payments. There will be a charge to load your card each time you put money on it.

Things You Need to Know About Going Bankless

Crypto Is Not Tax-Free

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has sent out letters warning people with crypto accounts to report their gains and losses at tax time. The agency counts cryptocurrency as propertyand so are stablecoins and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). You should also know that your crypto company is required to send a copy of your 1099 to the IRS. They are cracking down on people who do not report it.

Crypto Is Highly Volatile

When it comes to the stock market versus crypto, be aware that crypto is the less secure of the two. Your risk is higher when you invest in cryptoand there is a possibility you could lose your entire investment.

Problems With a Bankless and Cash-Only Lifestyle

Money in Banks Is Insured

Although some large banks have recently collapsed, they were insured by the FDIC, which guaranteed the deposits. People with accounts in those banks quickly had their money available through the new bank. There is no insurance on money you keep at home, which means you could lose it all in a fire, theft, flood, or tornado.

Credit Cards Also Provide Some Protection

Using credit or debit cards can also give you some protection that you do not have with cash. If someone steals your credit card and makes purchases with it, most companies offer a liability guarantee and will not charge you for it.

Good Credit Scores Come With Many Valuable Benefits

Taking a cash-only lifestyle does not allow you to build a credit score. If you have no credit history when you do apply for a loan, you will likely receive the highest rates and the shortest amount of time to repay it. If you need money in an emergency, a bank would more likely give it to you if you have a mid-range to excellent credit score.

Credit scores are used in many ways today. Having a good one can help you get a place to rent and will give you better rates on insurance. Companies may determine whether or not to hire you based on your credit score, and it will be used to determine whether or not you should get a mortgage, a car loan, a credit card, and more.

Most financial advisers advise people not to take all their money out of the bank. There are many benefits that a bank can give youwhich you lose if you withdraw all your money. Unless you use crypto, you will not gain any interest. Having your paycheck directly deposited in your bank is safer than cashing it at a store. Some companies may require that you sign up for automatic billing, which you cannot do without a bank account.

The Epoch Times Copyright  2022 The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
GOP Blames Biden Admin for Releasing Alleged MS-13 Member Now Charged With Murder

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)

House Republicans released an interim report calling out the Biden administration for releasing a 16-year-old illegal immigrant who has since been charged with the sexual assault and murder of a 20-year-old autistic woman last year.

The House Judiciary Committee released its report on May 23, saying the administration failed to enforce U.S. immigration law when they released the suspected MS-13 gang member into the interior of the United States.

The report, which originated from both the Judiciary Committee and the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, called the murder of Kayla Hamilton in Aberdeen, Maryland, A tragic example of the failure to enforce U.S. immigration law under Secretary [Alejandro] Mayorkas watch.

The committee began an investigation into the events surrounding the 20-year-olds death in February of this year.

The suspect, who was apprehended in January, is an illegal immigrant and an alleged MS-13 gang member, who police say entered the United States through Rio Grande City, Texas, as an unaccompanied minor in March 2022.

Following his apprehension, the illegal border crosser was transferred to Maryland while in the custody of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), as is the protocol for minors from non-contagious countriessuch as El Salvador.

Currently, minors apprehended stay in the custody of ORR and are typically placed with a sponsor and released into the United States.

The committees investigation uncovered that the minor arrested for Hamiltons murder was detained in El Salvador for illicit association with MS-13, which was verified by contacting El Salvadorian officials.

This was also confirmed by the presence of gang tattoos, something that was not disclosed in the illegal immigrants case file being held by HHS.

In addition, the report states that his case file contains notations stating that he had no behavioral issues and demonstrated good judgment and age-appropriate behaviors.

The minor is accused of strangling Hamilton to death.

The Judiciary Committees Immigration subcommittee will conduct a hearing on the same day the report was released titled The Biden Border Crisis: Part III, at which Hamiltons mother, and former Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott will testify.

The Biden administrations open-borders policies are dangerous and do not prioritize the safety of American citizens, the committees report stated.

The Department of Homeland Security is failing to perform even the most basic of measures to ensure that the aliens entering the United States are not dangerous criminals or known gang members.

The Biden administrations disregard for the safety of Americans directly resulted in the tragic andsadly, preventablemurder of Kayla Hamilton.

Neither the White House nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to The Epoch Times request for comment.
GOP House Members Protest Against Climate Envoy Kerrys Remarks Targeting US Agriculture

U.S. Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry delivers a speech at the Congress centre during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on Jan. 17, 2023. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images)

A contingent of 27 Republican members of the House sent a letter, dated May 22, to President Joe Biden and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, calling on them to denounce comments that special climate envoy John Kerry made this month in a speech at a global climate summit held in Washington that focused on agriculture.

The legislators were coming to the aid of American farmers, whom they felt were unjustly attacked in the former secretary of states remarks.

Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.). (United States Congress)

Lead signatories of the letter are Mark Alford of Missouriwhich trails only Texas in the category of states with the most farms (albeit by a 246,000-95,000 margin)Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn Thompson (Pa.), Transportation Committee Chairman Sam Graves (Mo.), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, which has the third most farms in the nation with 84,900.

Vilsack, the former governor of Iowa, held the position of secretary of agriculture throughout the Obama administration and was reappointed when Biden took office.

As the House members stated in the letter, Kerrys speech, along with addresses that others delivered at the Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate Summit, was less about discussing climate-related issues in agriculture and more about an effort to attack Americas hardworking farmers and ranchers and paint them as the sole scapegoat for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The letter continued: We strongly urge you to denounce Kerrys remarks. These comments are a blatant slap in the face to the hardworking individuals that spend their lives sustainably producing our worlds food, fuel, and fiber.

In Kerrys speech at the AIM summitin which he presented a litany of statistics and projections testifying to climate doom and potential disaster for humanityhe said that agriculture contributes, at the low end, to 26 percent, and at the high end, 33 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

The letters signers disagreed with the accuracy of the percentage that Kerry said agriculture contributes to total greenhouse emissions, placing the figure at 22 percent.

And, yet, even accepting 22 percent, the lawmakers contend that that number needs helpful context and perspective, not Kerrys alarmist narrative, which they say misdirects and promotes misunderstanding.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. agriculture industry is the lowest emitting economic sector in America, the House members said in the letter.

Furthermore, U.S. agriculture only represents 10 percent of U.S. GHG emissions, which translates to just 1.4 percent of 2019 global GHG emissions.

In fact, the U.S. agriculture industry has achieved a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions since the 1980s, whereas other top producers, like China and Brazil, have increased emissions up to 86 percent over the same time.

Kerry said that the agriculture industry needs major reworking.

So here we are, 33 percent of emissions represented in this sort of gathering, and more  because of transportation, because of heavy industry, because of all the components of the food chain, said Kerry. And we have our work cut out for us.

As a consequence, this sector needs innovation now more than ever. Were facing record malnutrition at a time when agriculture, more than any other sector, is suffering from the impacts of the climate crisis.

And I refuse to call it climate change anymore. Its not change; its a crisis. Were beyond the concept of just change and we can manage the change.

Kerry said that in some areas of the world, climate change has reduced the growth of agriculture production by 40 percent, even as the growing and raising of food contributes large amounts of greenhouse gasses.

However, the letter sent to Biden and Vilsack stated that U.S. farming is doing all right in producing food and acting as custodians of the environment.

According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, U.S. agriculture would have needed nearly 100 million more acres of land 30 years ago to match todays production levels, the lawmakers wrote.

Animal agriculture also continues to make advancements in nutrition, genetics and production practices that reduce their already minimal footprint.

Cattle recycle carbon dioxide as part of their natural carbon cycle and the U.S. beef industry has reduced emissions by more than 4o percent between 1961 and 2018.

Republicans have stepped up scrutiny of the Biden administrations efforts to tackle climate change, saying that such moves jeopardize energy and national security.

In February, the GOP launched an inquiry into Kerrys meetings and negotiations with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

And in April, Republicans threatened to issue a subpoena to force the Biden administration to turn over intelligence on those CCP discussions.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the State Department for comment.
GOP Lawmaker Seeks to Block US Taxpayer Dollars From Funding CCP-Affiliated Entities

A Republican lawmaker recently introduced a bill prohibiting U.S. taxpayer dollars from funding companies with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The legislation from Rep. John James (R-Mich.), titled No American Tax Dollars to CCP Act, would bar taxpayer dollars from funding state-backed Chinese companies and forbids joint ventures or partnerships with foreign entities of concern.

U.S. Rep.-elect John James (R-Micj,) delivers remarks in the House Chamber during the third day of elections for Speaker of the House at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 5, 2023. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Theres no way that hardworking taxpayers dollars should be going to a Chinese company with bylaws that literally declare fealty to the CCP, James told China in Focus on NTD, the sister media outlet of The Epoch Times.

He cited the Gotion project in Michigan as an example. He took note of the project sites proximity to an American military base, which he believed to be a critical geographic and industrial area in central Michigan.

On April 20, a Michigan Senate committee approved spending $175 million in state money to build a facility that Chinese manufacturer Gotion had planned for northern Michigan.

The $2.4 billion electric vehicle (EV) battery project will be built on a large site in Big Rapids, Michigan, just 100 miles from Camp Graylingthe Michigan National Guard training center.

The Michigan Legislature approving millions of dollars going to Gotion is not only an economic boon for the CCP, but it also plays directly into the hands of China, increasing its military might, putting a station that literally has in their bylaws conduct espionage on American businesses and report back to the CCP, James said.

The CCP is ready and willing to rush in to fill the gaps that America has left all over the country and all over the world  and we need to make sure that our money doesnt go to the CCP that the taxpayers Americans have worked so hard for, he added.

The bill, the lawmaker said, targets not only the Chinese regime, but also other foreign entities of concern, which he described as the one that says Death to America, or has continued to take advantage of the United States, or has interests in defeating America.

It would also target Russia, North Korea, and Iran, he said.

Long Game

James believes the Chinese regime is playing a long game.

When we think in terms of election cycles and quarters, the communists are thinking in terms of centuries and dynasties, he said.

China wants to have the preeminent economy and the preeminence of the military in the world by 2049, which is the 100-year anniversary of communism in China. In the next 25 years, theyre going to be doing their best to get there. And American politicians shouldnt be betting in that process, he noted.

Regain Our Energy Independence

As the Biden administration races to deploy green energy, James said, We need to come back to untether our ambitions to reality.

In America, we dream big, and we do big things. And we shouldnt stop that. But we need to make sure that we dont leave our workforce behind. And we need to make sure that our infrastructure is ready.

He pointed to the H.R.1, dubbed the Lower Energy Costs Act. The enormous GOP package passed by the House on March 30 seeks to significantly enhance American production of oil, natural gas, and coal, as well as remove permission regulations that have slowed pipelines, refineries, and other projects. It would also increase the production of essential minerals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt, which are utilized in products like EVs, computers, and telephones.

Thats very important that we maintain and regain our energy independence so that we are not beholden to any entities of concern, or frankly, anyone else, James said.

We have the ability to be energy independent and also protect our allies from extortion from Russia. We have the ability to grow our economy here, and also take care of our allies, and increase our leverage with our opponents and those who would seek to hurt us.
GOP Panel Threatens to Subpoena Teachers Union Leader Randi Weingarten in COVID Policy Probe

Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) speaks during a news conference following a weekly House Republican caucus conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Jan. 19, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are threatening to subpoena American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten as part of an investigation into remote learning policies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, chaired by Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), is a panel under the House Oversight Committee leading the GOP investigation into the societal impact of decisions to close schools, how the decisions were made, and whether there is evidence of widespread learning loss or other negative effects as a result of these decisions.

During the pandemic, schools across the nation were closed, with many students learning remotely on Zoom or similar services. This transition to remote learning was followed by falling educational outcomes, with students underperforming, compared with their peers a few years ago.

Weingarten is accused by Republicans of having colluded with President Joe Bidens administration to keep schools closed and teachers working under the comparably easier remote model.

In a letter to Michael Bromwich, legal counsel for AFT, the second largest teachers labor union in America, Wenstrup wrote that the committee is investigating whether non-governmental groups exercised undue influence on U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) scientific guidance.

In April, both Bromwich and Weingarten confirmed that the AFT had advised the CDC on education policy during the pandemic.

But Wenstrup maintained that Republicans have had difficulty getting additional information from the AFT despite being reasonable and [seeking] to accommodate any concerns AFT had.

Despite our continued and repeated reasonable accommodations, AFT continues to frustrate the Select Subcommittees investigation, Wenstrup wrote.

Unless an agreement can be reached soon, we will be forced to consider the use of compulsory process.

The panels first request to the AFT came on March 28, 2023, when lawmakers sought documents and data of the AFTs communication with the CDC.

Nearly a month later, on April 19, the AFT produced a handful of documents with an assurance that they comprised the entirety of the AFT-CDC communications.

On April 26, Weingarten herself testified before Wenstrups panel, where lawmakers learned for the first time that she had been in touch with Bidens transition team and had a direct line to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

Neither of these discoveries, Wenstrup said, had been included in the AFTs April 19 files released to the panel.

After this hearing, the AFT was again asked to produce three categories of documents in light of new information.

While acknowledging that one of the requests was proper, the AFT in a May 5 response refused to comply.

According to Wenstrup, the AFT has argued that, after Weingartens April 26 appearance, she is under no obligation to reappear before the panela position Wenstrup dismissed as not valid.

Of course, there is nothing in the Houses Rules, federal statute, or any court decision that precludes the Select Subcommittee from scheduling later transcribed interviews of a hearing witness (or other personnel employed by the same organization as a hearing witness), he wrote. The Select Subcommittee may sequence its investigative steps in whatever manner it sees fit. Even a cursory review or understanding of congressional investigations makes that clear.

Additionally, he noted that no such condition was agreed to in exchange for Weingartens April 26 testimony.

He noted that the resolution that formed his subcommittee authorizes it to examine the societal impact of decisions to close schools, how the decisions were made, and whether there is evidence of widespread learning loss or other negative effects as a result of these decisions.

Wenstrup concluded his letter with another request for information, including all documents between Weingarten and Bidens transition team, members of Bidens executive staff, or Walensky.

They also requested additional testimony from Weingarten, but said they were willing to make an accommodation to suspend this testimony in exchange for the other requested information.
Government Imposes Visa Curbs on Family Members of Foreign Students

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman arrives to attend the weekly Cabinet meeting at No. 10 Downing Street in London, on May 23, 2023. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Foreign students apart from postgraduates on research programmes will be banned from bringing dependents to the UK from next year, the government has announced.

Downing Street said the move amounts to the single biggest tightening measure a government has ever done.

Some 136,000 visas were granted to dependents of sponsored students in 2022, a 750 percent increase from 2019, when only 16,000 such visas were issued.

A general view of a graduation ceremony in England on Oct. 19, 2015. (Chris Radburn/PA Media)

On Tuesday, the government said that overseas students will be banned from obtaining visas for their dependents unless they are on postgraduate courses currently designated as research programmes.

International students will also be prevented from switching out of the student visa route into work before their studies have been completed.

In addition, the government said it will review the funds students must have to demonstrate they can look after themselves and their dependents in the UK, as well as clamp down on unscrupulous international student agents who may be supporting inappropriate applications.

The restrictions are set to apply to overseas students beginning courses after January 2024.

Legal Migration Too High

Home Secretary Suella Braverman told the House of Commons on Tuesday: This package strikes the right balance between acting decisively on tackling net migration and protecting the economic benefits that students can bring to the UK. Now is the time for us to make these changes to ensure an impact on net migration as soon as possible. We expect this package to have a tangible impact on net migration.

Taken together with the easing of temporary factors, we expect net migration to fall to pre-pandemic levels in the medium term.

The government has been under pressure to cut not only illegal immigration but also legal migration numbers.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks during a press conference following the G-7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 21, 2023. (Issei Kato/Pool/Getty Images)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Sunday that numbers of legal migration are too high and his government is committed to bringing those numbers down.

According to the Office of National Statistics, a significant factor behind the rise in net migration numbers in recent years has been an increase in foreign students and their dependents arriving.

Impact on Universities

There have been concerns over the potential impact of the new measures on British universities ability to recruit international students.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank, said: This is not a wise move because every part of the UK benefits from the presence of international students and, if they are discouraged from coming to the UK, they wont stay at home but instead go to our competitors.

He added: We do have to recognise that the big recent surge in dependents has caused some challenges, but this is not a sensible way to address them. As a country, we risk cutting off our nose to spite our face.

But the government said the proposals do not detract from the success of the governments International Education Strategy, including meeting the target to host 600,000 international higher education students studying in the UK each year by 2030.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: Attracting the top students from around the world isnt just good for our universitiesits essential for our economy and building vital global relationships. But the number of family members being brought to the UK by students has risen significantly.

It is right we are taking action to reduce this number while maintaining commitment to our International Education Strategy, which continues to enrich the UKs education sector and make a significant contribution to the wider economy.

Professor Brian Bell, chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee which advises ministers, said incomes for the higher education sector should not be the only consideration.

He told The Sunday Telegraph that fewer overseas students would mean a reduction in GDP, but a large number of dependents could increase the burden on taxpayers through school and other costs.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Growing Number of Calls for Boycotting Target Over LGBT Clothes for Children

Calls to boycott Target have spread on social media after the retailer released another line of LGBT clothing for kids, including for newborn children.

According to Targets website, it recently released its so-called Pride Collection for 2023, including onesies for infants that feature pro-LGBT content coming in sizes of zero to three months. One onesie includes the text Bein Proud, while another features what appear to be LGBT rainbows and hearts along with the transgender flag colors.

The Minneapolis-based retailer is also selling child LGBT books, including Bye-bye Binary and What Are Your Words, which tells kids how to use transgender pronouns. Some products for kids also appear to feature drag queens, according to products sold on the companys website.

Broadcaster Megyn Kelly wrote this week that we dont need our kids seeing this [expletive] when we walk down the aisle at Target, while Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren added that Target has gone full woke and its repugnant.

Conservative commentator Candace Owens was more explicit in her criticism and suggested a boycott of the retailer.

I cannot state enough how important is for people to choose not to shop at target. There has never been a company that has been more pro-transgenderism than Target, she wrote. Meanwhile, another conservative commentator, Steven Crowder, simply wrote: Boycott Target.

And more controversially, Target is allegedly selling so-called tuck-friendly swimwear for children, according to videos posted online from inside a Target location. Did you know @Target also sells tuck-friendly bathing suits for children in the Pride section? Well now you do, reads one social media post.

The Bein Proud onsie for infants as young as 0-3 months sold via Targets website. (Target.com screenshot via The Epoch Times)

A spokesperson for Target told The Associated Press that the tuck-friendly swimsuits are only offered for adults and the childrens line of clothing doesnt feature that label. The tuck-friendly swim suits are for adults only, the spokesperson told the newswire service.

But in response to the controversy, Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh wrote that what Target is doing is far worse than anything Bud Light did, referring to the controversy and boycott of Bud Light after it produced a can with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaneys face on it. They are selling chest binders and tuck-friendly bathing suits for children, he added.

Responding to the LGBT line clothing, the Gays Against Groomers organization called for consumers to take their business elsewhere.

The only thing these people understand is money, the group wrote on social media. Target deserves the Bud Light treatment.

Response

During Fortunes Leadership Next podcast a week ago, Target CEO Brian Cornell was asked about backlash against woke companies. I think those are just good business decisions, and its the right thing for society, and its the great thing for our brand, Cornell said.

The things weve done from a DE&I [diversity, equity, and inclusion] standpoint, its adding value, Cornell said, referring to the left-wing training materials. Its helping us drive sales, its building greater engagement with both our teams and our guests, and those are just the right things for our business today.

When we think about purpose at Target, its really about helping all the families, and that all word is really important, Cornell added. He also said that the focus on diversity and inclusion and equity has fueled much of our growth over the last nine years.

One of the largest retailers in the United States, Target has long faced boycott calls. In 2016, one targeted the company after it released a policy that allowed men who identify as women to use womens bathrooms.

At the time, the conservative American Family Association urged members to boycott Target for the retailers bathroom policy and accused it of potentially exposing women and girls to voyeurs and sexual predators Targets policy means a man can simply say he feels like a woman today and enter the womens restroom  this is exactly how sexual predators get access to their victims, AFA said on its website at the time.

Emergency Meeting?

On Tuesday, there were reports that multiple Target locations in southern U.S. states held what were described as emergency meetings over the LGBT clothes for kids. They moved some of their Pride products away from the front of the store in a bid to avoid a Bud Light situation, alleged Target sources told Fox News.

We were given 36 hours, told to take all of our Pride stuff, the entire section, and move it into a section thats a third the size. From the front of the store to the back of the store, you cant have anything on mannequins and no large signage, a person that Fox described as a Target insider said Tuesday.

We call our customers guests, there is outrage on their part. This year, it is just exponentially more than any other year, the person added. I think given the current situation with Bud Light, the company is terrified of a Bud Light situation.

The Epoch Times has contacted Target for comment. The company has not explicitly responded to the calls for a boycott or reports that emergency meetings were called.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A new analysis of U.S. service members has revealed that veterans who served at Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune face an elevated risk of Parkinsons disease, potentially affecting millions of individuals.

A large-scale study published in JAMA Neurology involving nearly 350,000 Camp Lejeune veterans found that the risk of Parkinsons disease was increased by 70 percent among Marines stationed at the North Carolina base between 1975 and 1985 compared to those stationed at Camp Pendleton in California.

The researchers attribute this heightened risk to the exposure of trichloroethylene, which was present in the water that the troops consumed, used for bathing, and employed in food preparation at Camp Lejeune.

Contamination Affected Families, Daycares

Camp Lejeune, the largest Marine Corps base in the United States, encompasses various military commands and training centers and additional facilities like daycare centers, schools, family housing areas, gyms, and a hospital.

In 1982, the Marine Corps discovered drinking water from two out of the eight water treatment plants on the base was contaminated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These chemicals are commonly found in petroleum fuels, hydraulic fluids, paint thinners, and dry cleaning agents.

The primary source of contamination was the Tarawa Terrace water treatment plant, which contained perchloroethylene (PCE) or tetrachloroethylene (TCE). This contamination resulted from improper waste disposal practices at the off-base dry cleaner, ABC One-Hour Cleaners.

According to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a federal public health agency, it is believed that exposures to TCE, PCE, vinyl chloride, and other contaminants in the water at Camp Lejeune likely increased the risk of cancers and other diseases. These diseases include kidney problems, multiple myeloma, leukemias, and adverse birth outcomes, affecting the health of all residents, including infants, children, civilian workers, and Marine and Navy personnel stationed at Camp Lejeune.

The recent study examined the health records of 172,128 veterans from Camp Lejeune and 168,361 from Camp Pendleton, all of whom had served for a minimum of three months between 1975 and 1985. Follow-up observations were conducted from Jan. 1, 1997, to Feb. 17, 2021.

Both groups exhibited similar demographic characteristics, with the majority being white men at an average age of 59.

The study revealed that out of the total participants, 430 veterans were diagnosed with Parkinsons disease, with 279 cases from Camp Lejeune and 151 cases from Camp Pendleton. The analysis conducted by researchers determined that Camp Lejeune veterans faced a 70 percent higher risk of developing Parkinsons disease than those stationed at a Marine Corps base without contaminated water.

The study also found that veterans without Parkinsons disease had a significantly elevated risk for various prodromal features associated with Parkinsons disease. These prodromal symptoms encompassed cognitive impairment and REM-sleep behavior disorder (RBD).

The studys findings suggest that the risk of PD (Parkinsons disease) is higher in persons exposed to TCE and other VOCs in water four decades ago, the researchers concluded. Millions worldwide have been and continue to be exposed to this ubiquitous environmental contaminant.

Marine Corps Delayed Addressing Issue for Decades

A 2010 House of Representatives Hearing noted that it took the Marine Corps over four years to close contaminated drinking water wells. It took an act of Congress 24 years later to make the military inform veterans of their exposure and potential health impacts.

The hearing also revealed that in 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) received 191 claims from Camp Lejeune veterans. Out of those, 15 to 16 cases were reviewed, and ultimately five to six veterans were granted claims where the VA determined their illnesses were likely caused by chemical exposures from Camp Lejeune drinking water.

TCE has long been associated with severe health outcomes and is banned in the European Union and two U.S. states (New York and Minnesota).

In a recent research article, Dr. Earl Ray Dorsey, professor of neurology at the University of Rochester, and colleagues called for a ban on TCE due to its links to multiple health problems, including Parkinsons disease. Through a literature review and seven illustrative cases, we postulate that this ubiquitous chemical is contributing to the global rise of PD (Parkinsons disease) and that TCE is one of its invisible and highly preventable causes, Dorsey and the team wrote.

Dorsey told The Epoch Times that the new study linking TCE exposure to toxic water at Camp Lejeune certainly adds to evidence of this chemicals potential to cause harm. He also noted that a study conducted a decade ago found that twins with occupational/hobby exposure to TCE during World War II had a 500 percent increased risk of developing Parkinsons disease compared to those who were not exposed.

In addition, we know from laboratory studies [that] when you feed TCE to either mice or rats, they develop the clinical and pathological features of Parkinsons disease, he added.

Dorsey pointed out that TCE, along with other chemicals like paraquat, which are linked to Parkinsons disease, affects the mitochondria, the energy-producing parts of cells damaged in Parkinsons disease.

So we now have increasingly good epidemiological evidence, good animal studies, all suggesting that TCE may be a real important cause of Parkinsons, he said.

When asked about the certainty of developing the degenerative neurological disorder due to TCE exposure, Dosey emphasized that, like in life, there are no guarantees in science.

He drew a parallel between smoking and lung cancer. Only 10 percent of smokers get lung cancer, but that doesnt detract away from the fact that smoking causes lung cancer, he said. So only a small minority of people who get exposed to TCE will develop Parkinsons disease, but as you can see from the study, the risk is increased by 70 percent, [and] thats likely an underestimate.

Dorsey, co-author of Ending Parkinsons Disease, says he believes the disease is preventable and is donating the proceeds from his book toward that goal. Parkinsons disease, the worlds fastest-growing brain diseasemuch of it may be preventable, and we now have really good evidence for what one of those preventable causes is, he said. If we, like other nations in Western Europe, ban this chemical, we can get closer to a day where Parkinsons disease is increasingly rare, instead of increasingly common.
United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a new advisory on Tuesday morning, warning that social media can negatively impact the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents and may be contributing to a youth mental health crisis.

The most common question parents ask me is, is social media safe for my kids. The answer is that we dont have enough evidence to say its safe, and in fact, there is growing evidence that social media use is associated with harm to young peoples mental health, Murthy said in a Tuesday press statement. Children are exposed to harmful content on social media, ranging from violent and sexual content, to bullying and harassment. And for too many children, social media use is compromising their sleep and valuable in-person time with family and friends. We are in the middle of a national youth mental health crisis, and I am concerned that social media is an important driver of that crisisone that we must urgently address.

The 25-page advisory (pdf), issued through the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), cites numerous studies on how social media use has impacted children.

The advisory describes some of the potential benefits of social media use, such as building a sense of community among people with shared identities and interests. But the HHS report also notes the potential drawbacks of prolonged social media use, like the development of poor body image and eating disorders, exposure to bullying and hateful content, deaths and injuries linked to popular risk-taking challenges spread on social media platforms, and the potential normalization of self-harm and suicidal behavior. The advisory also described links between social media use and poor sleep and attention problems.

A 2019 study cited in the new HHS advisory found that children between the age of 12 and 15 who spent more than 3 hours per day on social media faced double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes, including symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Social media platforms can also expose children to predatory behavior, such as sexual or financial exploitation. According to a 2023 study (pdf) cited by the HHS advisory, 58 percent of girls who used Instagram, 57 percent who used Snapchat, and 46 percent who used TikTok reported unwanted contact from strangers on those platforms.

What to Do About Social Media

The impact social media has on children has been a longstanding point of concern, but how to address these concerns remains unclear.

Murthy has previously suggested raising the minimum age requirement for using social media platforms. Many platforms require users to be at least 13 years old, but Murthy has said that may still be too young.

I, personally, based on the data Ive seen, believe that 13 is too early, he told CNN in January.

In March, Utah became the first state to require social media companies to verify that users in the state are at least 18 years old in order to open an account, and require parental consent for users under the age of 18. Utah also passed a law that requires social media companies to allow parents full access to their childs accounts.

Murthy and the HHS concluded that the burden of regulating social media use has largely fallen on children and their parents.

While nearly all parents believe they have a responsibility to protect their children from inappropriate content online, the entire burden of mitigating the risk of harm of social media cannot be placed on the shoulders of children and parents. Nearly 80 percent of parents believe technology companies have a responsibility to protect children from inappropriate content as well, the new HHS advisory states.

The advisory concludes with lists of recommendations for policymakers, companies, parents, and children going forward.

Among the recommendations for policymakers are calls to establish age-based standards for how social media companies employ features intended to maximize time, attention, and engagement on their platforms. Policymakers are also advised to ensure technology companies share data relevant to the health impact of their platforms with independent researchers and the public, support the development of digital and media literacy curricula in schools, and support increased funding to research the potential benefits and harms of social media use.

Social media companies are advised to share user data with researchers more freely, and to better tailor tools and features of their platforms to reduce harm and encourage safer online behavior for young people.

Parents are advised to set limits on their familys social media use, teach their children about social media risks, and report cyberbullying and other online abuse or harassment. Children are similarly advised to be aware of the time they spend online, block unwanted contacts and content, and report online harassment they encounter.

From NTD News
Sudan's Army chief Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan speaks following the signature of an initial deal aimed at ending a deep crisis caused by last year's military coup, in Khartoum, Sudan, Dec. 5, 2022.

The U.N. envoy for Sudan urged the countrys warring generals to honor a seven-day cease-fire that began Monday night, warning the growing ethnic dimension to the fighting risks engulfing Sudan in a prolonged conflict.

Volker Perthes told the U.N. Security Council that the conflict, which began April 15, has shown no signs of slowing down despite six previous declarations of cease-fires by both sides. All the previous truces have been violated.

Mondays cease-fire is the seventh to be announced since the conflict between the Sudanese army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, broke out last month.

Speaking hours before the cease-fire began, Perthes called on both sides to stop the fighting so that desperately needed humanitarian aid can get to those in need and civilians caught in the fighting can leave safely.

The violence has been most severe in Khartoum and the western Darfur region, where the RSF retain a strong armed presence.

According to conservative estimates, Perthes said more than 700 people have been killed, including 190 children, and 6,000 have been wounded. He said over 1 million have been displaced with many missing.

Perthes also expressed concern about the worrying ethnic dimension to the war, most visible in the restive Darfur region.

In the early 2000s, African communities from Darfur that had long complained of discrimination rebelled against the Khartoum government, which responded with a military campaign that the International Criminal Court later said amounted to genocide. State-backed Arab militias known as the Janjaweed were accused of widespread killings, rapes and other atrocities. Many of its fighters were later folded into the Rapid Support Force.

Perthes said that in El Geneina in West Darfur clashes between the rival forces spiraled into ethnic violence on April 24, with tribal militias joining the fight and civilians taking up arms to protect themselves. Some 450 civilians were reportedly killed, he said.

Homes, markets and hospitals were ransacked and burned, U.N. premises looted, he said.

Perthes said the growing ethnic dimension to the conflict not only poses risk for Sudan but has implications for the region.

Unlike the previous truces, Mondays inked deal  brokered by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia  will be accompanied by a cross-party committee designed to track any potential violations, the two mediating nations said. The 12-person committee will be comprised of three representatives from both warring parties, three from the U.S., and three from Saudi Arabia.

Suliman Baldo, director of the think tank Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker, expects the two parties to better adhere to this weeklong cease-fire.

I think the RSF needs the break as it has come under considerable pressure from the (Sudanese army) in Khartoum seeking to flush RSF units from residential areas, Baldo said.

The (Sudanese army) may be tempted to continue its offensive in Khartoum but it will become clear to them that this would come at even higher costs in collateral casualties among civilians, he added.

Perthes called the agreement, which is renewable, a welcome development but cautioned that fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite a commitment of both sides not to pursue military advantage before the cease-fire takes effect.

Perthes accused both warring parties of disregarding the laws of war by attacking homes, shops, places of worship and water and electricity installations.

Health facilities are collapsing with more than two-thirds of hospitals closed, many health care workers killed, medical supplies running low, and health facilities reportedly being used as military positions, he said.

Reports of sexual violence against women and girls, including rapes in Khartoum and Darfur, are being followed up by the U.N., he said.

Reports of rampant looting of Sudanese homes and businesses, intimidation, harassment and enforced disappearance of residents are deeply concerning, Perthes said, adding that U.N. premises, residences and warehouses have also been looted. He said criminal activity has been compounded by the release of thousands of prisoners and the spread of small arms.

While the warring rivals dont trust each other, the U.N. envoy told reporters later he thinks each has learned from weeks of fighting that they will not achieve an easy military victory, Perthes said. Even if one side does win after a long struggle, that could be at the expense of losing the country.

In a video briefing to the Security Council, African Union Commissioner Bankole Adeoye also called for more concerted actionable effort towards a lasting cessation of hostilities and urged the rival generals to go the full course for peace.

Workneh Gebeyehu, executive secretary of the regional group IGAD, told the council by video that its delegation led by South Sudans President Salva Kiir has been engaging the parties daily and coordinating with regional and international actors.

He said the seven-day cease-fire makes us cautiously optimistic that a permanent cessation of hostilities is within reach and urged urged international support for IGADs efforts to resolve the conflict.

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Hong Kong Police Crime Rate on the Rise, Force Declines to Disclose Detail Figures

Riot police deploy pepper spray toward journalists on the 23rd anniversary of the city's handover from Britain to China as protesters gathered for a rally against the new National Security Law in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (Dale De La Rey/AFP via Getty Images)

Evidence that crime committed by Hong Kong police has become more prevalent. There are even cases of such criminal activities which took place during the execution of their official duties.

The latest figures from the Hong Kong Police Force indicate that in 2022 there were 42 permanent police officers arrested for suspected crimes. However, when being asked for more details, such as what specific crimes were involved, whether they were suspended from duty, found guilty/sentenced or not, or if there was an internal penalty imposed and the like, the reply is simply there is no such record filed within the Force to all the requested figures.

One case involves a suspected burglary inside a victims residence during official duty. Early in April, a break-in case was reported by the owner of a luxury villa in Sheung Shui. The owner first reported a loss worth HK$730,000 (US$93,000) of personal belongings, including cash, watches, and jewelry, among others. Officers arrived at the scene to investigate after receiving the call for help. After the officers left, the owner found an iPad had disappeared. Through the Find My function inherent in the device, he was able to identify the Fanling residence of one of the officers investigating his break-in case a few days earlier.

Officers from the Tai Po Regional Crime Unit went the next day to the suspected officers residence to search but to no avail. However, a security guard there reported finding one iPad in the courtyard. Moreover, one gold necklace and one gold wrist chain were found in the suspects residence totaling HK$20,000 (US$2,550). After follow-up, it was found these items belonged to the deceased wife of the owner of another break-in case reported last December 2022. The owner thought they were all items taken away by the burglar(s) at the time. A 29-year-old police officer was arrested on suspicion of stealing and is also suspended from duty.

Officer Attempted Stealing of Mobile Phone from a Roadside Drunkie

Another case of crime by police officers involves a 56-year-old off-duty policeman. At midnight on April 8, this officer was found attempting to steal the mobile phone of a roadside drunk. He was caught at the scene by the Special Task Unit officers and was arrested for attempted theft, and was later suspended from duty.

In addition, on May 21, 2022, a policewoman was accused of stealing an item from a fashion shop in Tsim Sha Tsui. She was accused of stealing a Prada hat worth HK$5,670 (US$720). The trial started last month, and she denied all such theft acts. According to the shop managers testimony, as soon as the defendant was caught on site, she pleaded to be given a second chance.

Plain Clothes Officer Committed Offence While on Duty

Another similar case involving one 53-year-old officer committing a crime while on duty has been duly sentenced recently. The officer was accused, in May 2022, of deliberately pointing a mobile phone intolerably close to a 33-year-old lady Ys mini-skirt and was only stopped by other passers-by. During the subsequent investigation, he was found to possess two video clips. One lasts 66 seconds with closeups of the ladys thighs, and the other 61 seconds clip has closeup shots of the chest of another 38-year-old lady, both taken during the on-duty hours of the officer.

The defendant admitted acting indecently in public, as well as loitering, causing other peoples distress, and was sentenced to four weeks imprisonment.

The magistrate in charge commented that the case was a serious incident. The accused had completely betrayed the trust the public has in the police force.

Off-Duty Officer Suspected of Sexual Miss Conduct

Another recent offense case circulating in public involves a 31-year-old surnamed Luk, a member of the West Kowloon Emergency Unit (EU). While off duty in March, Luk was suspected of obtaining the convenience of illegal sexual intercourse through the use of drugs. According to the information available, on March 15, one 28-year-old male surnamed Au accompanied a mainland Chinese male to the Kowloon Hotel. The mainland Chinese was suspected of being given GHB (gamma-butyrolactone) and was sexually assaulted. It was claimed that Luk went there later and committed the assault too. Subsequent police investigations believed Luk and Au knew each other and were permanent friends with benefits (FWB).

Moreover, Au was later investigated for another similar case involving the death of a victim, which made this case of Luk receive even more attention from the public.

Cases of PCs in Money Laundering, Speeding Causing Fatality

There are also recent ongoing and/or finished cases involving HK police. A more serious case is about a police officer utilizing various bank accounts to facilitate suspected money laundering between 2019 to 2021 for a total of more than HK$6.24 million (US$800,000). A 29-year-old police officer Kwong Kar-kit was accused, during the said one-and-a-half year, of manipulating the accounts with the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), ZA Bank Ltd. (a virtual bank), and two with Bank of China (BOC), to obtain benefits from criminal gains, and was charged with six counts of money laundering. He is granted bail and the case is adjourned until May 30.

Another case of high severity involves an off-duty officer. In 2018, the officer was driving along Tai Po Highway at a speed of 130 to 150 km/h (81 to 93 mph), resulting in a head-on collision and the death of a motorcyclist while changing lanes at that high speed. The accused was found guilty of dangerous driving, causing the death of other people, and was sentenced to 33 months in jail and with his driving license suspended for five years. In addition, he has to take a course to improve his driving technique.

The Epoch Times tried to reach the Police for inquiries on how many officers were arrested due to criminal offenses between 2017/18 and 2022/23. It replied that in 2022 there were a total of 42 permanent police officers arrested. On the questions about the number of persons suspended during the same period or whether it is compulsory to be suspended after being charged with criminal offenses, there has been no reply from the police force until press time.

When the Epoch Times asked the number of police officers suspected of committing crimes on or off duty (regardless of whether they were found guilty or not) from 2017/18 to 2022/23, the police said they do not archive any such figures.

Cases of Discipline in 2022/23 Exceed Previous Two Years

However, according to inquiries from LegCo members on expenses of 2022/23 Budget, the police department replied that during 2022 (until Dec. 31, 2022), 16 people were discharged from duty, dismissed and forced retirement, 55 people were given other penalties, such as demotion, seriously condemned, condemned, fined, verbal warning and written warning and the like. And there are 148 people subject to simplified disciplinary actions, which include verbal warnings, written warnings, and admonitions.

The above discharged from duty figure doubled in 2020/21. In 2021/22, 23 people suffered the same fate. In the other penalties category, so far, it has exceeded both 2020/21 (34) and 2021/22 (21). On the simplified disciplinary actions, there were 109 and 79 in the last two years.

Police Do Not Keep Figures of Officers That Committed Crime

The Epoch Times refers to the details obtained from the Civil Service Bureaus report to LegCo of 2013 and prior. With the finer subdivision on what the civil servants penalties on hand, it made one more approach to the police department on how many police officers are sanctioned on criminal offenses (regardless of whether found guilty or not) from 2017/18 to 2022/23, and requested data on punishment categories, including verbal warning, written warning, condemnation, condemnation plus fine, severe censure, severe condemnation plus fine, demotion, forced retirement, discharge of a duty or other categories. But so far, the reply from the police is it does not archive any such relevant data.

According to the document supplied to LegCo by the Civil Service Bureau, there is also a clear subdivision of civil servants criminal offenses and the related discharge of duty details. The Epoch Times inquired about the number of police officers who committed criminal crimes and were ultimately found guilty from 2017/18 to 2022/23. However, the police department replied, no such figures are available.

Reiterates Emphasis on Officers Behavior After Repeated Offenses

In response to the Epoch Times inquiry on whether the department has other codes of behavior, apart from the strict penalty clauses, to the officers to help reduce their chance of criminal offenses, the Police replied that since May 2020, it had established one Integrity Audit Action Group, with the aim at investigating in suspicion of actions breaching disciplinary code, or even breaching the law; to realize potential risks in daily work proceedings, and to improve it; as well as enhancing supervision of officers conduct and improve the system of integrity in general.

The department pointed out that with the group up and running, it expects the integrity of the police force would be further enhanced to intensify its integrity culture and avoid indiscreet behavior, to maintain the confidence of the public toward the force.
Interest in Orange County Foreign Trade Zone Grows

A growing number of companies are showing interest in the foreign trade zone since Orange County rekindled marketing efforts months ago, according to Economic Development Director Steven Gross.

One timber production company in Broome County just made an application to join the zone.

Meanwhile, a food manufacturing company in Port Jervis is considering making its space available as an approved storage center for other businesses in the zone, Gross said.

Established by the federal government, a foreign trade zone allows businesses to import and store (or manufacture) goods and delay paying tariffs until the finished products leave the zone.

Participating businesses often receive the benefit of reduced or exempted duties.

The main purpose of a foreign trade zone is to encourage value-added manufacturing activities in the United States, according to Elizabeth Whiteman, senior analyst on the Foreign Tade Zones Board.

We want to keep the employment here, we want to keep the activities here, and, of course, it helps with state and local economic development, Whiteman said during a recent webinar that informed local businesses of the Orange County foreign trade zone.

As of now, the county foreign trade zone has three active business participants: Harriman-based Takasago International Corp., Goshen-based Konica Minolta, and the Fishkill-based Gap Distribution Center.

All three have spaces on their own properties approved for use as part of the county foreign trade zone, with $1 billion worth of imported goods received last year.

Orange County Economic Development Director Steven Gross at his office in Goshen, N.Y., on May 22, 2023. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times)

The zone has more potential than is being used, Gross told The Epoch Times. Now as we are trying to bring back advanced manufacturing back to our country more than ever before and it makes a lot of sense to let people know it is in the toolbox if they want to use it.

He said the county intends to use it as an incentive to attract new manufacturing companies.

He added that the county foreign trade zone is unique in that it is allowed to offer benefits to businesses in any other county in New York without such a zone.

While the county currently has no zone site where businesses can store their imported goods, efforts are being made to locate one, according to Gross.

The Orange County foreign trade zone was established by the federal government in May 1978 to boost the economy in the Newburgh and New Windsor areas, which were adversely affected by the closure of the Stewart Air Force Base years prior.

It began with two sites: Regal Distribution Center, adjacent to the airport, and the Sage Building on the airports grounds.

In the 1980s, Bally Inc. and General Motors joined the zone.

It started in the 70s and took off in the 80s, and in the 90s, it kind of slowed, and then it had a little boost in the early 2000s, Gross said. We are really trying to kick it into gear right now and the phone does keep ringing from companies that are interested.
Ray Stevenson, of Rome and Thor Movies, Dies at 58

Ray Stevenson, who played the villainous British governor in RRR, an Asgardian warrior in the Thor films, and a member of the 13th Legion in HBOs Rome, has died. He was 58.

Representatives for Stevenson told The Associated Press that he died Sunday but had no other details to share on Monday.

Stevenson was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, in 1964. After attending the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and years of working in British television, he made his film debut in Paul Greengrasss 1998 film The Theory of Flight. In 2004, he appeared in Antoine Fuquas King Arthur as a knight of the round table and several years later played the lead in the pre-Disney Marvel adaptation Punisher: War Zone.

Though Punisher was not the best-reviewed film, hed get another taste of Marvel in the first three Thor films, in which he played Volstagg. Other prominent film roles included the Divergent trilogy, G.I. Joe: Retaliation and The Transporter: Refueled.

A looming presence at 6-foot-4, Stevenson, who played his share of soldiers past and present, once said in an interview, I guess Im an old warrior at heart.

On the small screen, he was the roguish Titus Pullo in Rome, a role that really got his career going in the United States and got him a SAG card, at the age of 44. The popular series ran from 2005 to 2007.

Ray Stevenson arrives at the world premiere of Thor: Ragnarok in Los Angeles on Oct. 10, 2017. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

That was one of the major years of my life, Stevenson said in an interview. It made me sit down in my own skin and say, just do the job. The jobs enough.

In the Variety review of Rome, Brian Lowery wrote that the imposing Stevenson certainly stands out as a brawling, whoring and none-too-bright warriora force of nature who, despite his excesses, somehow keeps landing on his feet.

He was Blackbeard in the Starz series Black Sails, Commander Jack Swinburne in the German television series Das Boot, and Othere on Vikings.

Stevenson also did voice work in Star Wars Rebels and The Clone Wars, as Gar Saxon, and has a role in the upcoming Star Wars live-action series Ahsoka, in which he plays a bad guy, Baylan Skoll. The eight-episode season is expected on Disney+ in August.

In an interview with Backstage in 2020, Stevenson said his acting idols were, The likes of Lee Marvin (and) Gene Hackman.

Never a bad performance, and brave and fearless within that caliber, Stevenson said. It was never the young, hot leading man; it was men who I could identify with.

Stevenson has three sons with Italian anthropologist Elisabetta Caraccia, who he met while working on Rome.

By Lindsey Bahr
Japan Defends G-7 Statement After Chinese Regime Protests

U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands prior to a bilateral meeting ahead of the Group of Seven leaders summit in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 18, 2023. (Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images)

China summoned Japans ambassador on May 21 to lodge a protest over what it viewed as a smear and attack against it during the Group of Seven (G-7) leaders summit, but the envoy defended the G-7 actions.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong said that Japan collaborated with other G-7 nations to hype up China-related issues in their joint communique and grossly interfere with Chinas internal affairs.

Sun warned Japan against meddling in the Taiwan issue. He said the situations in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong are Chinas internal affairs and should not be subject to interference by external forces.

In response, Japanese ambassador Hideo Tarumi defended the G-7 communique, saying the G-7 will keep voicing their common concerns about China unless the Chinese Communist Party changes its behavior.

Tarumi emphasized that the G-7 collectively arrived at their position based on careful considerations.

If China asks not to mention these concerns, it should first take active countermeasures, he said in a statement, urging China to handle its relations with Japan properly.

Beijing aims to take control of Taiwan by any means necessary, even though Taiwan is a self-governing democracy.

Chinas embassy in Britain also accused London of slandering China after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Beijing represents the worlds greatest challenge to security and prosperity.

The main G-7 leaders communique mentioned China 20 times, the most in recent years, and up from 14 mentions in 2022.

In the communique, the leaders reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as indispensable to security and prosperity in the international community and called for a peaceful resolution between China and Taiwan.

The G-7 leaders also criticized China for its militarization activities in the disputed South China Sea and human rights abuses in Tibet and Xinjiang, where forced labor is of major concern.

We stand prepared to build constructive and stable relations with China, recognizing the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China, the statement reads.

The G-7 communique was issued following the G-7 summitinvolving the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Canadain Japan, which President Joe Biden also attended.

G-7 More United Than Ever

At the G-7 summit, Biden told a reporter that most U.S. allies are clear that if China were to try to invade Taiwan, there would be a response.

Biden also asserted, in the context of countering destabilizing actions from China, that were more united than weve ever been in the Pacific in terms of maintaining stability and maintaining a sense of security.

He noted that U.S. relations with Japan have never, ever ever in American history been stronger, and that Japan is seeing a beginning of a rapprochement with South Korea.

Japan approved three key defense documents last year, including the National Security Strategy, which refers to China as its greatest challenge. The country seeks to have the ability to counterattack, a move widely seen as a departure from its post-war constitution.

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi previously conveyed to Beijing his concerns over Chinas intensification of military activities around Japanparticularly near the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands that the Chinese regime also claims as its ownand Chinas cooperation with Russia.

Mimi Nguyen Ly and Reuters contributed to this report.
Judge Rules on Kari Lakes Latest Legal Challenge

Arizona Republican candidate for governor Kari Lake speaks with supporters at a rally in Phoenix on Nov. 3, 2022. (Allan Stein/The Epoch Times)

An Arizona judge has dismissed Kari Lakes latest legal challenge to last years gubernatorial contest while confirming the election of Democrat Katie Hobbs as Arizona governor.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter A. Thompson said in a May 22 ruling obtained by The Epoch Times that Lakes team failed to provide enough evidence that Maricopa County did not verify signatures on mail ballots in accordance with the law.

Lake had argued that Maricopa County did not perform signature verification on hundreds of thousands of early ballots correctly during the November 2022 midterms, while county officials had insisted that the verification was done in line with statutes.

Her lawyers argued that there was evidence that lower-level screeners who found inconsistencies in signatures ran them up the chain of command, where they were neglected by higher level verifiers.

They also argued that some 274,000 signatures were compared in less than two seconds each, though the judge ruled that the time was not relevant and did not amount to a statutory violation.

Reynaldo Rey Valenzuela, the Maricopa County director of elections, said that over 150 people reviewed the signatures and that a total of four levels of signature verification took place.

Mr. Valenzuela testified that the final canvass was accurate, Thompson wrote in the ruling. No clear and convincing evidence, or even a preponderance of evidence, contradicts him.

At the conclusion of the three-day trial, Thompson said the court did not find enough evidence of misconduct as alleged by Lakes team.

It is ordered: confirming the election of Katie Hobbs as Arizona Governor, the judge ruled.

Lake has not publicly commented on the ruling, though she said in a Twitter post that there would be a big announcement coming on Tuesday.

She later reposted a meme poking fun at the fast pace of signature verification with the comment Arizona signature verification. Judge: nothing to see here.

Hobbs has not publicly commented on the ruling, though an attorney representing the governor called it a victory for Arizona, our election processes, and voters across the state.

No Way to Review Signatures

Early voters in Arizona must sign an affidavit on the ballot envelope that says they are registered to vote in the state. Those signatures are one of several security measures for mail-in ballots.

Lakes lawyers argued there was a flood of mail-in ballots in Maricopa County at a time when there were too few workers to verify ballot signatures.

Lake sued Hobbs, along with Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Maricopa County election officials, requesting last years election results be thrown out or that she be declared the victor.

Election data show that Lake was behind Hobbs by about 17,000 votes.

Lakes attorneys said the county ultimately accepted thousands of ballots that had been rejected earlier by workers for having mismatched signatures.

Theres simply no way to review signatures with respect to procedures, Kurt Olsen, one of Lakes attorneys, said at trial, according to The Associated Press.

Based on Maricopa County data that was analyzed by expert witness Erich Speckin, Olsen said that approximately 274,000 ballots out of 1.3 million cast were compared and signature verified, purportedly, in less than three seconds a ballot. Seventy thousand in less than two seconds a ballot.

Thats not signature comparison as defined by Arizona statute, Olsen said.

In his ruling, the judge acknowledged Speckins expert testimony, saying that Speckin testified about what he believed to be necessary for signature verification in his line of work.

However, the judge said that there is no statutory or legal requirement that a specific amount of time needs to be applied to verifying signatures.

Giving all due weight to Mr. Speckins signature verification expertise, his analysis and preferred methodology is not law, and a violation of law is what Plaintiff was required to demonstrate, he wrote.

Accepting that argument would require the court to re-write not only the [Election Procedures Manual] but Arizona law to insert a minimum time for signature verification and specify the variables to be considered in the process, the judge added.

This Is Justice

During the trials closing arguments, Maricopa Attorney Thomas Liddy rejected Olsens conclusions based on Speckins calculations indicating that a mere few seconds were spent on verifying each signature.

Theres no competent, mathematical calculation whatsoever to conclude that a sufficient numbereven one ballotwas improperly counted, let alone that theres a sufficient number of votes improperly counted so as to affect the elections outcome were even rendered uncertain, Liddy said.

Liddy also argued that Lake has proven that our election process in Arizona is neither a joke nor a fraud. It works, it works well, and Arizonans can vote and be confident their vote will be counted. I ask this court to again reconfirm  Miss Hobbs election as governor.

The judge sided with Maricopa County, ruling that the court did not find enough evidence to support Lakes claim, while declaring Hobbs the winner.

Craig Morgan, an attorney with Sherman & Howard who represented the governor, told AZ Central that the ruling confirms what we have known all along.

Arizonas elections are safe, secure, and reliable, and those who help facilitate Arizonas elections are honest, have the highest integrity, and are committed to the preservation of our democracy, Morgan said.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman, a Republican, told AZ Central that the verdict was a reflection of insufficient evidence brought forward by Lakes team.

When bombshells and smoking guns are not backed up by facts, they fail in court, he told the outlet. This is justice, and this is what happened today in Kari Lakes election contest.

Last weeks trial is the second that has been brought in Lakes election-related challenge.

It is unclear whether Lake intends to appeal.

The Associated Press and Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Judge Throws out Shareholder Lawsuit Against Elon Musk Over Twitter Buyout

Electric car maker Tesla CEO Elon Musk attends the 6th edition of the "Choose France" Summit at the Chateau de Versailles, outside Paris on May 15, 2023. (Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

A judge dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Elon Musk that claimed he cheated Twitter shareholders several times last year in the course of buying the social media company for $44 billion.

In a decision on Monday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco said plaintiff William Heresniak lacked standing to sue because he challenged wrongs associated with Musks buyout, not the fairness of the buyout itself.

Breyer said Heresniak did not show harm from Musks belated disclosure of a 9.2 percent Twitter stake, which the suit said let him buy more shares at lower prices before the buyout was announced, or from the closings taking place 1 1/2 months later than planned.

The judge also found no proof that Musk helped two friends then on Twitters board, co-founder Jack Dorsey and Silver Lake private equity firm managing partner Egon Durban, breach their fiduciary duties by favoring their own and Musks interests.

Breyer said letting Dorsey roll over his approximately $1 billion of Twitter shares into an equity stake in the new company merely reduced how much Musk had to pay at closing, and did not improperly divert money from other shareholders.

Heresniaks lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside of business hours.

Musk also runs the electric car company Tesla Inc. and is the worlds second-richest person, according to Forbes magazine.

Lawyers for Musk, two of his holding companies, and Twitter did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In a March 3 court filing, they called Heresniaks claims a disjointed laundry list ofoften irrelevantgrievances against Elon Musk.

Heresniak sued on May 25, 2022, one month after Twitter accepted Musks $54.20 per share buyout offer. The transaction closed on Oct. 27.

On May 12, Musk named former NBCUniversal advertising chief Linda Yaccarino as Twitters new chief executive.

The case is Heresniak v Musk et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 2203074.
Kari Lake Says Big Announcement Coming After Judge Rules Against Her Election Lawsuit

Former Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., on March 4, 2023. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Republican Kari Lake, who has been contesting the results of last years Arizona gubernatorial election, teased that a big announcement is coming after a judge on Monday ruled against her in a signature verification lawsuit and confirmed that her Democrat rival for Arizona governor had won.

Big announcement tomorrow! Lake said in a post on Twitter late Monday, which came after an Arizona judge said in a ruling earlier in the day that Lakes legal team failed to provide enough evidence that Maricopa County did not verify signatures on mail ballots in accordance with the law.

Lakes campaign teams Twitter accountKari Lake War Roommade a similarly cryptic statement, suggesting Lake would continue the fight in some form or other.

If you had something precious taken from you. How hard would you fight to save it? the account wrote. Big News Coming Tomorrow.

While its unclear what the announcement may be, there has been speculation on social media that Lake could be teasing a possible appeal of the legal challenge that Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson ordered dismissed.

Lakes lawsuit stemmed from concerns that the process of signature verification in the Arizona gubernatorial race during the 2022 midterm election was carried out in violation of state statutes.

Signature Verification

Election data from the November 2022 election shows that Lake was behind Democrat Katie Hobbswho has since been declared Arizona governorby about 17,000 votes.

Lake and her legal team argued there was a flood of mail-in ballots in Maricopa County at a time when there were too few workers to verify ballot signatures properly.

Her lawyers contended that there was evidence that lower-level screeners who found inconsistencies in signatures ran them up the chain of command, where they were ignored by higher-level verifiers.

They also said that some 274,000 signatures were compared in less than two seconds each, arguing that this wasnt enough to meet the legal standard for proper verification.

So Lake sued Hobbs, along with Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Maricopa County election officials, requesting last years election results be thrown out or that she be declared the winner.

But in a decision issued on Monday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter A. Thompson ruled against Lake, arguing that her team provided insufficient evidence to back their claim and that the short time spent on verifying each signature wasnt relevant and so didnt amount to a violation of the law.

Thompson also wrote in the ruling that the order amounts to confirming the election of Katie Hobbs as Arizona Governor.

Thats Not Signature Comparison

Lakes attorneys said the county ultimately accepted thousands of ballots that had been rejected earlier by workers for having mismatched signatures.

Theres simply no way to review signatures with respect to procedures, Kurt Olsen, one of Lakes attorneys, said at trial, according to The Associated Press.

Based on Maricopa County data that was analyzed by expert witness Erich Speckin, Olsen said that approximately 274,000 ballots out of 1.3 million cast were compared and signature verified, purportedly, in less than three seconds a ballot. Seventy thousand in less than two seconds a ballot.

Thats not signature comparison as defined by Arizona statute, Olsen contended.

Lakes campaign team also shared a video of what appears to be a signature reviewer clicking through signatures quickly, about one per second, suggesting that the reviewers werent treating the integrity of your vote with the respect it deserves.

During the trials closing arguments, Maricopa Attorney Thomas Liddy rejected Olsens conclusions based on Speckins calculations.

Theres no competent, mathematical calculation whatsoever to conclude that a sufficient numbereven one ballotwas improperly counted, let alone that theres a sufficient number of votes improperly counted so as to affect the elections outcome were even rendered uncertain, Liddy said.

No Clear and Convincing Evidence

In his ruling, the judge acknowledged Speckins expert testimony, saying that Speckin testified about what he believed to be necessary for signature verification in his line of work.

However, the judge said that there is no statutory or legal requirement that a specific amount of time needs to be applied to verifying signatures.

Giving all due weight to Mr. Speckins signature verification expertise, his analysis and preferred methodology is not law, and a violation of law is what Plaintiff was required to demonstrate, he wrote.

Accepting that argument would require the court to re-write not only the [Election Procedures Manual] but Arizona law to insert a minimum time for signature verification and specify the variables to be considered in the process, the judge added.

Reynaldo Rey Valenzuela, the Maricopa County director of elections, said that over 150 people reviewed the signatures and that a total of four levels of signature verification took place.

Mr. Valenzuela testified that the final canvass was accurate, Thompson wrote in the ruling. No clear and convincing evidence, or even a preponderance of evidence, contradicts him.

Hobbs has not publicly commented on the ruling.

Craig Morgan, an attorney representing the Arizona secretary of state, one of the other defendants, called it a victory for Arizona, our election processes, and voters across the state.

Arizonas elections are safe, secure, and reliable, and those who help facilitate Arizonas elections are honest, have the highest integrity, and are committed to the preservation of our democracy, Morgan told AZ Central.

Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Clint Hickman, a Republican, told AZ Central that the verdict was a reflection of insufficient evidence brought forward by Lakes team.

When bombshells and smoking guns are not backed up by facts, they fail in court, he told the outlet. This is justice, and this is what happened today in Kari Lakes election contest.

Last weeks trial is the second that has been brought in Lakes election-related challenge.

The Associated Press and Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
La Bestia: The Train of Death

A migrant climbs down from a freight train en route to the U.S.-Mexico border near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on May 10, 2023. Many migrants make the cheap yet dangerous ride north through Mexico on a network of freight trains, known as La Bestia (the Beast). (John Moore/Getty Images)

GUADALAJARA, MEXICOEvery year, close to 500,000 Central American migrants trying to reach the U.S.-Mexico border ride a series of cargo trains through Mexico collectively known as La Bestia, which translates to the beast; it is also known as the train of death because so many die riding the rail line.

The risk of the trains is that many migrants, because of the way the trains change and how fast they go or stop  are victims of different issues  including falling off the train or different medical conditions, Ariel Ruiz-Soto, a policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), told The Epoch Times.

The train provides an alternative for some migrants, usually families, the poor, single adults, who are trying to come [to the United States].

La Bestias network of trains begins in the southern part of Mexico, close to the Guatemalan border, and continues throughout the entire country, stopping at various Mexican states and ultimately traveling to northern border cities like Juarez (across from El Paso, Texas), Reynosa (across from McAllen, Texas), Nogales (close to Tuscon, Arizona), and Tijuana (across from San Diego, California).

Typically, the cargo trains transport a variety of products to the United States, including food, automobiles, transportation equipment, cement, chemicals, and plastics. They are operated by several private companies in Mexico, according to the MPI.

The trains travel directly into the United States, though they are heavily screened by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

There are trains that go [from] Nuevo Laredo, Mexico to the Laredo area in Texas, but those trains are significantly surveilled, and the border patrol has scanners for every train that goes through that part of the U.S. border, said Ruiz-Soto.

Migrants use the trains just before the border cities where they know there will be increased surveillance, and then they get off, they are not trying to [ride the train] into the United States.

Ruiz-Soto said he has spoken to border patrol agents who have said they have not seen a single person trying to sneak onto one of the cargo trains that travel into the United States for months.

Horror Stories From La Bestia

There are many dangers for migrants who ride La Bestia, including kidnapping, murder, extortion, and rape.

Though illegal, hundreds of desperate migrants choose to ride La Bestia by jumping onto the side of freight cars or climbing on top of them. Several fall to their deaths beneath the train, killed once they land on the rail lines and are caught beneath the trains wheels.

We started with twelve when we left Guatemala, Emmanuel Perez of Venezuela told The Epoch Times. Now that we are in Guadalajara [Mexico], we are only three; there has been much loss along the way.

He said some were lost by falling off the train, and in one instance, it was incredibly tragic.

My friend was standing on the train, and he was not paying attention, and we were going very fast, Perez said. Suddenly, the train approached a cable that was hanging low in a rail yard, and it hit him in the neck, and he fell onto the tracks.

Perez said what happened next was gruesome.

The train chopped off his legs, and he was left to die.

Perez and his group made the long journey from Venezuela to Mexico primarily by foot using a coyote, or human smuggler, as a guide. Once they arrived in Mexico illegally, they chose to use the train because they had no money.

It is dangerous, but it is the easiest way to move if you are pobre [poor], he said.

Perez and his group left the train at a rail yard in Guadalajara when it slowed down enough to jump off.

We needed some time to pray and rest.

Another migrant from Guatemala also had a dangerous experience on La Bestia.

We were stopped at a rail yard, and these men came up to the train with rifles; they were not from the government, Josue Haro told The Epoch Times. They grabbed me and some others and threw us off the train, then beat us up and took all of our things.

They threatened to kill us, he said.

Haro said he also witnessed a woman being raped on the train before they arrived in Guadalajara in the middle of the night.

At night is the most dangerous time, but that is when it is easiest to catch the train because it slows down.

Migrants riding La Bestia arent even safe from train conductors. They sometimes demand bribes, particularly from women and families with children who want to board before the train starts moving.

Response From the Mexican Government

In response to the atrocities on La Bestia, the Mexican government has had to juggle several things at once: improving border enforcement and increasing domestic security while protecting human rights.

So far, Mexicos response has been to develop more checkpoints and deploy more law enforcement in an effort to remove migrants from the rail lines.

More and more, weve seen Mexican authorities taking a significantly stronger approach to controlling many of the locations where the train would start, or the train would end, said Ruiz-Soto. There is more significant control now than there has ever been of Mexican authorities trying to obtain migrants on those trains.

Private companies that control the La Bestia network of trains have tried an alternative approach to reduce the number of migrants that use them, by speeding up the train, so that migrants will not be able to jump onto them.

A combination of efforts by the government and the private sector have reduced ridership to some degree on La Bestia, with many opting to avoid the danger of the train of death and utilize human smugglers and major highways to get to the U.S. border instead.

The railroad and the La Bestia network of trains is actually a fraction of the total volume of migration  most people travel with smugglers, and they do it on the highways, and they do it on the coast, said Ruiz-Soto.
Man Crashes Into Lake Forest House, Threatens 2 With Pick-Axe

LAKE FOREST, Calif.A man crashed a car into a house in Lake Forest May 22 and then allegedly threatened two people with a pick-axe before sheriffs deputies subdued him, authorities said.

Orange County sheriffs deputies were dispatched at 11:54 a.m. to the 2200 block of Robin Street after a gray Kia sedan slammed into a house, Orange County sheriffs Sgt. Michael Woodroof said. When the driver got out of the car he obtained a pick axe and threatened two people, Woodroof alleged.

Deputies subdued him with less-than-lethal weapons and took him to an area hospital to be treated for an apparent head injury he suffered in the crash, Woodroof said.

No one was injured in the crash or the incident with the pick-axe, he said.
Militants Attack Pakistan Oil Plant Near Afghan Border, Kill 6 Troops and Guards, Police Say

This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo)

PESHAWAR, PakistanDozens of militants attacked an oil and gas plant on Tuesday in Pakistans remote northwest, near the border with Afghanistan, killing four security troops and two private guards, officials said.

Oil production was temporarily suspended following the attack on the oil and gas extraction facility run by a multinational European company, MOL Pakistan Oil and Gas, in Hangu, a restive district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The company said the attackers never reached the facility itself but fought with the troops and guards outside.

Production from the wells has been temporarily shut down by remote access and the wells are now secured, the company said in a statement.

The attack triggered an intense shootout, according to the local police chief, Sawab Khan. He said a wide search was underway to apprehend the attackers, who fled the scene.

Blame is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The terrorist group has stepped up attacks in recent months, after unilaterally ending a cease-fire with the Pakistani government in November.

A separate extremist group, the TTP is allied with the Afghan Taliban and its members and leaders often take shelter across the border, in Afghanistan, straining relations between the two countries.
There is a giant roaring under the earth of central Mexico. The Popocatepetl volcano has been active since 1994 but over the past few days alarm bells have been ringing due to its increasing activity: hundreds of explosions across more than 40 uninterrupted hours. Around 7,000 military personnel have been mobilized in the states of Puebla, Morelos, and the State of Mexico in case it is necessary to evacuate the populations living near the volcano. School classes have been suspended in 40 municipalities and a security perimeter of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) around the volcano has been established. Scientists, however, have called for calm: this episode is not unique, experts have stated, similar events have taken place many times before and recent history suggests the volcano will stabilize  without a dramatic eruption  at a high level of activity and ash emission. It is likely that in the coming months there will be many episodes like the one we are seeing now, notes volcanologist Robin Campion. It is a continuous gas leak that generates a lot of noise and carries with it incandescent fragments and ash, he tells EL PAIS.

Campion has spent three days in the Paso de Cortes, the gap between the Iztaccihuatl and Popocatepetl volcanoes, monitoring the situation. His eyes are sore, his nose a little red. The ash emission is not innocuous. On Tuesday night he will set out again, aiming to get four kilometers closer to the volcano, inside the restricted area. What stands out most is the duration of the episode, 40 hours non-stop. It is an anomalous episode because of its length and the constant production of ash for so long, he says.

This ash is now falling over the state of Puebla and has forced the closure of the Hermanos Serdan airport, but the next winds are headed in the direction of Mexico City, where on Saturday chaos broke out at the already saturated Benito Juarez International Airport due to the closure of runways for a few hours. The probability of ash reaching Mexico City is very high. We know that during the winter the ashes go towards Puebla, but from May onwards, in June and July, it will go toward Mexico City, researcher Ana Lillian Martin said during a conference organized by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

The volcanology expert explains that the ashes irritate the respiratory tract and eyes, and can also cause itchy skin. When they come into contact with water, they create a muddy paste that is very difficult to get rid of. They also make visibility poor and can get into airplane engines and damage car windshields, as well as affecting cell phone telecommunications. As such, the National Center for Prevention of Disasters (CENAPRED) has recommended people remain indoors, cover doors and windows, wear a mask and goggles if they need to go outside and avoid driving.

How long the situation will last remains unclear. We do not have a crystal ball to answer that, says Campion, who points out that it is difficult to make accurate forecasts in the three timeframes that are in play: it is unknown how long the volcanic episode will last - it could be days - or when the most intense period that is currently underway will end - it could be months - or when a volcano that has been active for three decades could become dormant again, something that may not occur for years. There are many things that we have no way of forecasting with respect to the volcano, Campion explains. Quantifying is important, because it allows us to compare the current activity with previous episodes: it is like measuring a river and its floods.

A view of the municipality of Santiago Xalitzintla, which is located just 12 kilometers from the Popocatepetl volcano in Puebla, Mexico, May 22, 2023. Rodrigo Oropeza

What we are witnessing in geological and volcanic terms is something small

Times when talking about volcanoes do not correspond to any human equivalent. It helps to imagine them as large machines that accumulate energy and then release it. For example, explains researcher Servando de la Cruz, Popocatepetl violently erupted 23,000 years ago, and again 14,000 years ago. Another huge eruption took place in the year 800 A.D. These very violent episodes occur very far apart in time. The other type of activity is one of smaller cycles, easier to manage by the volcano, as was the case from 1919 to 1927, or from 1994 until now, says the UNAM expert.

The Institute of Geophysics considers that the volcano is reactivated every 70 years, remains active for a while then goes back to sleep. For almost three decades, it has had one eye open. In this most recent period of activity there have been many episodes like the one now taking place: in December 1994 and in 2000, a well as in 2012, 2019, and 2020.

The energy peaks being registered have not yet surpassed, for example, those at the turn of the century. During the period of activity in 2000, 42,000 people were evacuated and 14,000 were forced to go to shelters. We are not in that situation or in that condition, says researcher Carlos Valdes. Carlos Gutierrez Martinez, research director of CENAPRED, agrees with this assessment: The volcano is at least half a million years old. Without wanting to minimize the problem, what we are witnessing in geological and volcanic terms is something small.

The current picture began to take shape at the end of December, explains Campion. The volcano began to recharge with juvenile magma, which is richer in gases, and gases are the engine of eruptions. The increase was gradual at first. On May 10 at 00:05 a.m., a rumbling sound rattled the windows of the nearest towns, waking residents from their sleep. More explosions were recorded, until, finally, on May 19, the parameters that measure gases, tremor, ash production, and thermal energy production made an accelerated leap. Everything increased in parallel, says Campion.

Since then, it has not stopped. This continuity has led to the lifting of the phase 3 yellow alert. To reach a red alert, the situation would have to get out of control, which does not seem likely at this juncture. We are prepared to [issue a red alert] if necessary, but everything indicates that the greatest likelihood is the activity will remain more in line with what we have seen in the last 27 years. On previous occasions the same thing has happened and in no instance have we needed to go to higher level of alert, says De la Cruz.

The current situation at Popocatepetl can be likened to a hospital with a patient in intensive care: there are doctors on the ward 24 hours a day and specialists in different fields observing, analyzing, and making decisions so that everything goes according to plan. Attention is now focused on whether, and how, its energy output decreases. An abrupt drop could mean that there is a plugging of the volcanos conduit, which would trigger what scientists call an explosive release.

For the time being, experts say it is positive that it is continuing at a steady stream. It means that the conduit system is still open and still releasing energy, Campion explains. Over the next few months, its all going to depend on the amount of new magma that is entering the system and the ability of the conduit to evacuate the excess pressure that this magma generates. Hopefully it will continue to be fairly constant and moderate and not all of it will be

There are over 2,000 volcanoes in Mexico, of which 48 are active or potentially active. Almost two-thirds of the countrys population lives on the ground shaped by volcanic activity. Nine million people live in a radius of just 20 kilometers (12 miles) around Popocatepetl and in a 60 km (37 mile) radius that figures rises to 25 million. Being so close to a densely populated area has made Popocatepetl the second-riskiest volcano in the world. Despite spectacular images of the erupting volcano, the rain of ash, and the closure of airports in Mexico City and creating a perfect apocalyptic framework, Campion insists: We must resist the temptation of catastrophism.

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Mississippi Federal Judge Rules Male Student Identifying as Female Must Comply With Graduation Dress Code

High School seniors make their way to the football field as the sun begins to set for their graduation ceremony in Saltillo, Miss., June 27, 2020. (Thomas Wells/The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal via AP, File)

A federal judge ruled that a biologically male student who identifies as a woman would have to comply with a Mississippi high schools dress code for graduation on May 20.

The decision adds to the national debate as definitions about sex and gender are being challenged by progressives, who advocate for minors being able to decide their gender even if it doesnt align their sex as determined by their chromosomes.

U.S. District Court Judge Taylor McNeelappointed by former President Donald Trumpissued the ruling on May 19, the day before graduation.

The plaintiffsa 17-year-old student named L.B. in the lawsuit and his parentsfiled the lawsuit against the Harrison County School District in Gulfport, Mississippi, alleging that it violated the equal protection clause under the Fourteenth Amendment and the students freedom of expression under the First Amendment, in addition to violating Title IX.

The lawsuit was supported by the American Civil Liberties Unions (ACLU) Mississippi Foundation, which stated that the courts decision is deeply disappointing and concerning.

Our client should be focused on celebrating this life milestone alongside her friends and loved ones, the ACLU tweeted. Instead, this ruling casts shame and humiliation on a day that should be focused on joy and pride.

According to the lawsuit, two weeks before the graduation, the school told L.B. they couldnt attend wearing a dress and heeled shoes because it goes against the schools sex-based dress code policy for the ceremony.

Female students must wear a white dress and dress shoes, while male students must wear a white buttoned shirt, black dress pants and shoes, and a tie or bowtie, the lawsuit states.

Defendants instructed that L.B. must dress in accordance with her sex assigned at birthin other words, that L.B. must dress with stereotypical male standards, even though she entered high school as a girl and has lived every aspect of her high school career as a girl, the lawsuit states.

The trend of minors believing they can identify with a gender opposite to their sex at birth has become a heated topic and a quagmire for lawmakers as traditional definitions are challenged, and the number of clinics offering surface-level gender-reassignment procedures have increased.

5,000 Percent Increase in Gender Dysphoria Diagnoses

According to Patrick Lappert, a plastic surgeon with Lappert Skin Care in Alabama, there were only five gender clinics in the entire United States ten years ago.

Now, its somewhere on the high side of 57, he said in a previous interview.

Much of the argument centers around whether a minor should be affirmed and encouraged to undergo surgery that would alter their lives forever, or to seek cognitive therapy, which Lappert argued historically has a 92 percent success rate.

In the past seven years, Lappert said, theres been a 5,000 percent increase in the diagnosis of gender dysphoria, with over 60 percent of new diagnoses being adolescent females who are statistically more prone to depression and self-doubt after the onset of puberty.

It Makes Absolutely No Sense

Nebraska Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh chants for transgender rights on Senate floor, May 22, 2023. (Screenshot by Matt McGregor)

Democrats like Nebraska Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh have taken a zealous approach supporting gender changes in children using drugs and surgery.

On Friday, during a debate on a bill that was later passed, written to prohibit the treatment of minors, Cavanaugh began chanting over and over again in the state legislature, Transgender people belong here, we need trans people, we love trans people.

No lawmaker opposed to gender-change surgeries for children has expressed hate or negative sentiment toward transgender-identifying people.

At the end of the day, there are two positions here: One tells children that theyre beautiful the way they are, that they can find happiness in their own bodies. The other tells them that they should take drugs and cut themselves up with expensive surgeries in order to find freedom from depression. I know which side Im on. No child in Mississippi will have these drugs or surgeries pushed upon them, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement.

On Monday, Reeves told Fox News that he believes gender-change surgeries are the latest push from the far left to change the makeup of America.

It makes absolutely no sense to the average American, Reeves said. It certainly doesnt make any sense to the average Mississippian. Why on earth is this so important to the far left that they want to literally mutilate our children?

In February, Reeves signed a bill banning gender-change procedures for minors.

House Bill 1125, also known as the Regulate Experimental Adolescent Procedure (REAP) Act, prohibits health care officials from providing gender-change procedures to minors under 18.

The Epoch Times contacted the Harrison County School District for comment.

Katabella Roberts contributed to this report.
Never Let Me Go From 1953: Escaping Cold War Communism

Commentary

The Cold War is generally associated with the 1960s or the late 50s. However, some movies from years earlier prove that Americans began to suspect Russias interest in democracy and peace as soon as World War II ended. As the Allies tried to rebuild Europe after the damage the Nazis had done, they quickly realized that the Soviets had just as little regard for human life and personal freedom.

One such movie is Never Let Me Go from 1953. Starring Clark Gable and Gene Tierney, this MGM movie is about an American officer and a Russian ballerina. This story shows how many Americans were realizing after World War II that the Russians leaders werent to be trusted. It illustrates the oppression of Russian citizens and foreigners who visited their country by focusing on two fictional couples who live through this horrible situation.

A lobby card for Never Let Me Go from 1953. (MovieStillsDB)

Besides the two leads, there are no big-name movie stars in this film. Those familiar with classic films will recognize many of the supporting cast members as successful character actors. This movie is remarkably short for how dramatic and intense it is, clocking in at 94 minutes. Judging by how much happens, one would guess that the film is at least two hours long! During the comparatively short runtime, Never Let Me Go manages to paint a dramatic story which is more inspiring than ever today.

A Cold War Story

American reporter Philip Sutherland (Gable) has been stationed in Moscow for a few years by the end of World War II. His best friend is a British radio announcer named Steve Quillan (Kenneth More). Both men must be careful not to be too honest about whats really happening in Russia, since Joseph Stalin and his Soviet comrades only believe in freedom of the press as long as it makes them look good to the rest of the world. After the war has ended, Philip goes to the celebratory performance of Swan Lake, where he hopes to talk to the beautiful Russian ballerina Marya Larmakina (Tierney). His attentions to her have been unrequited so far, but he is persistent.

A publicity still of Never Let Me Go from 1953 with Gene Tierney. (MovieStillsDB)

When Philip goes backstage, he is delighted to discovered that she has learned English during the last year so that she would be able to express her feelings for him in his language. They pledge their love for each other and plan to marry. The American ambassador (Robert Henderson) warns them that they wont be able to get Marya an exit visa when she wants to leave with Philip, but the couple has faith that theyll find a way. After their wedding, Philip and Marya honeymoon in the coastal town of Tallinn. There, they meet Svetlana (Valentina Alexandrovna), Maryas friend who taught her English, who is spending a holiday there with her British husband, Christopher Denny (Richard Haydn).

The two couples go to a cottage together, where the men discuss the difficulty of obtaining visas for their Russian wives. However, the evening is interrupted when NKVD officials arrive to question Denny about his use of a camera that afternoon. Although he assures them that he was merely photographing his wife, not spying, they take him for questioning. As Marya predicts, Denny is sent back to England, and the Sutherlands take care of Svetlana as she gives birth to their son. Before long, Philip receives word that he is being transferred back to the United States, since the Russian government is displeased with a recent article he wrote about their policies. However, he refuses to leave without his wife. Will the two couples ever be able to live happily together in freedom?

The War Turns Cold

Never Let Me Go is one of a few films made shortly after World War II with a surprisingly early Cold War theme. The Red Danube from 1949 is another movie which shows how quickly the Allies realized that the U.S.S.R. was up to no good. These anti-Soviet messages are quite different from the pro-Russia themes in a few movies made during World War II, most notably Mission to Moscow (1943), North Star (1943), and Song of Russia (1944). Although these films were made as positive publicity for an American ally during World War II, the House on Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC) later viewed them as communist propaganda. There had been a strategic reason for the War Department to pressure Hollywood into making such films, however. Earlier movies like Ninotchka from 1939 reveal that many Americans understood the nature of the Soviet Party before we joined forces with them to defeat the Nazis.

Once the smoke of World War II had cleared, the Soviets showed their true colors. The incidents in this movie show why its dangerous to cozy up to someone who holds diametrically opposed opinions to your own. As the two couples discover, the Soviets make grand statements and promises, but they rarely fulfill them. Like all communist governments, they are only interested in furthering the agenda of the party, not preserving the welfare of their people.

Parts of this story are frighteningly reminiscent of things which have been happening in the United States recently. The officials claim to be working in the best interest of their countrys citizens, but they clearly have another purpose. Its especially disturbing after living through the pandemic to see how the main characters are plagued by suspicion and fear of the government, as they begin to wonder whether they can trust anything the officials say. As they realize they are forbidden to leave the country, they want nothing more than to live their lives in peace and freedom. Any attempts of the press to reveal the truth about conditions in the country result in severe censuring, censorship, and, ultimately, expulsion. It takes incredible courage, ingenuity, and love for these couples to persevere in the face of great odds in their fight for happiness together. No obstacle is large enough to make them give up on their marriages.

A lobby card for Never Let Me Go from 1953. (MovieStillsDB)

Great Art

The acting in this film is amazing. Clark Gable gives a very powerful yet tender performance as Philip Sutherland, a reporter who plans as daring an escape after the war. He gets many opportunities to speak Russian in this part, which he does with impressive confidence. Gene Tierney also speaks Russian, and she must sustain an accent even when speaking English, which she does remarkably well. Marya is a brave character who shows how a woman can be a courageous fighter as well as a feminine lady. The third most prominent character, Denny, is played by Richard Haydn, a British actor best known for playing the comical fish whisperer Edwin Carp on the radio, voicing The Caterpillar in Disneys Alice in Wonderland, and playing Uncle Max in The Sound of Music. He plays a remarkably serious role in this film, quite a departure from his usual humorous characters; in fact, he is very sincere as Denny, playing an unusually prominent role.

A delightful artistic touch is the actual ballet dancing included in this movie. Several of Maryas performances are shown, first when she is in the corps de ballet and later when she is the prima ballerina. For six weeks, Gene Tierney trained intensely for two hours a day with British danseur Anton Dolin so that she would look convincing as a ballerina. Obviously, this crash course was not enough to make her a proficient ballerina, so professional Russian ballerina Nathalie Krassovska was used in the long shots, partnered by Dolin. However, Gene achieved enough technique to convincingly walk and briefly stand in pointe shoes, and her balletic arm positions were lovely. Most notably, there are two beautiful performances of excerpts from Swan Lake by Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky. These scenes are not merely artistic diversions but powerful parallels to the conflict in the story, as the beautiful swan queen and her prince try to escape the control of the evil sorcerer.

Never Let Me Go is an intense movie about fighting outside of an official war, full of intrigue and peril. It is also a moving love story about two men who have waited many years for true love, so they wont give up their wives. Philip and Denny could easily succumb to the Soviet pressure and decide to look for easier marriages in England or the United States, but they were serious when they took their vows. They risk their freedom and their lives to rescue their brides from Russia.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
New Search for Madeleine McCann, UK Toddler Missing Since 2007, Portuguese Police Confirm

LISBONPortuguese police have said they will resume searching for Madeleine McCann, the British toddler who disappeared in the countrys Algarve region in 2007, in the next few days.

Portugals Judicial Police released a statement confirming local media reports that they would conduct the search at the request of the German authorities and in the presence of British officials.

Earlier on Monday, police were seen erecting tents and cordons in an area by the Arade dam, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Praia da Luz, where the 3-year-old was last seen alive.

British, Portuguese, and German police are still piecing together what happened when the toddler disappeared from her bed in the southern Portuguese resort on May 3, 2007. She was in the same room as her 2-year-old twin brother and sister while her parents had dinner with friends at a nearby restaurant.

Kate and Gerry McCann pose for the media with a missing poster depicting an age progression computer generated image of their still missing daughter Madeleine during a news conference in London on May 2, 2012. (Sang Tan/AP Photo)

In mid-2020, Germanys police identified Christian Brueckner, a 45-year-old German citizen who was in the Algarve in 2007, as a suspect in the case. Brueckner has denied any involvement.

The suspect is under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasnt been charged. He spent many years in Portugal, including in Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleines disappearance.

The coastline in Praia da Luz, in Portugals Algarve coast, on June 4, 2020. (Armando Franca/AP Photo)

Prosecutors in the northern German city of Braunschweig in October have charged Brueckner in several separate cases involving sexual offenses allegedly committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.

Braunschweig prosecutor Christian Wolter said Monday his office would release a statement about the case on Tuesday morning.

Madeleines disappearance stirred worldwide interest, with public claims of having spotted her stretching as far away as Australia, along with a slew of books and television documentaries about the case.

Rewards for finding Madeleine reached several million dollars.
New York Democrats Call on Biden to Fast Track Illegal Alien Work Permits

New York City Mayor Eric Adams talks to the media on June 11, 2022. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Top New York Democrats have called on President Joe Biden to grant work permits to unemployed illegal aliens residing in NYC. Mayor of New York City Eric Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Reps. Dan Goldman and Jerry Nadler of New York held a May 22 press conference in Brooklyn with progressive labor and business leaders, reported Politico. The leading New York Democrats asked the White House to issue special federal work permits for the large numbers of illegal immigrants who have flooded into the state since 2022. They called for Biden to expedite the process by issuing executive orders without waiting for Congress to allow the illegals, who are currently on public assistance, to be able to work and alleviate financial pressure on social services. Without legislation, we can get this done, said Hochul, referring to the unlikelihood that such a bill to authorize work would pass. New York State is among the top ten states with the highest unemployment rates in the nation, with a labor participation rate of 60.8 percent, according to government data. Illegal immigrants speak with NYC Homeless Outreach members as they camp out in front of the Watson Hotel after being evicted in New York City on Jan. 30, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) NY Democrats Disagree

New York Democrats have challenged the national partys silent stance on illegal immigration policy for the first time, a key issue for millions of voters in the 2024 presidential election.

Republicans have made the border crisis a primary talking point for next years race, and Democrat strategists fear that infighting on the matter could weaken Bidens chances.

The Biden reelection campaign booted Adams from the presidents National Advisory Board in retaliation for publicly criticizing the administrations handling of the crisis along the southern border.

The president and the White House have failed this city, Adams said last month at a media event, signaling a split in party ranks. He added that the states budget could not handle the crisis and blamed the national government for turning its back on New York City.

Every service in this city is going to be impacted by the asylum seeker crisis, said Adams.

The mayor had been a member of the reelection committee for barely a month after he initially joined the campaign in March.

Hochul, who has been less critical of Biden, remains on the panel of powerful Democrats advising his reelection efforts.

Immigrants camp out in front of the Watson Hotel after being evicted in New York City on Jan. 30, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

More Financial Aid Wanted

Meanwhile, Adams also called on Biden to send more federal aid to New York, as the city continues to take in thousands of illegals from the U.S. border region every week. The $30.5 million federal aid approved for New York earlier this month to alleviate the crisis was insufficient, he told CBSs Face the Nation.

Weve spent over $1 billion. Were projected to spend close to $4.3 billion if not more, said Adams.

When you look at the price tag, $30 million comes nowhere near what this city is paying for a national problem.

New York City has asked the federal government for an additional $650 million to assist the illegals who have arrived in recent months.

Adams said the city had received more than 70,000 migrants from the Southern border since last year, with more than 42,000 of them on public assistance.

The mayor issued an emergency order in May, suspending the citys right-to-shelter law, citing the influx of illegals overwhelming the shelter system.

Adams said that the Biden administration should better coordinate where the illegals are brought after they enter the country.

Biden Admin Reluctant Over Permits

A White House official rejected the plea, saying that certain populations are already eligible for work permits and pointed to the administrations use of Temporary Protected Status. We need Congress to act, the official said, reported Politico, adding, only they can reform and modernize our decades-old immigration laws. A group of migrants from Texas waits in line outside Port Authority Bus Terminal to receive humanitarian assistance in New York on Aug. 10, 2022. (Yuki Iwamura/AFP via Getty Images) Adams and Hochul called for expanding Temporary Protected Status, a program allowing certain aliens to work legally in the United States, to broader categories of applicants. Non-citizens who arrive in the United States have to wait 180 days after applying for the required paperwork. The state claims a shortage of immigration judges and thousands of vacancies across municipal agencies in the city.

The New York Farm Bureau, an industry group, backed the Democrats call for expedited work visas. There are good opportunities to be a part of our valuable food system, and we will continue to work with the NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets along with Cornells Agricultural Workforce Development program to find a pathway forward, the groups president David Fisher said in a statement. However, most state Republicans were steadfast in opposition to this move to authorize illegals to take local jobs. Kathy Hochul continues her policy incoherence. At the same time she calls for illegal and asylum-seeking migrants to receive work permits, she and her fellow Democrats oppose work requirements for able-bodied American adults without dependents for food stamps and other public assistance, said David Laska, a New York State GOP spokesman.

NY State Republicans

Meanwhile, NY State Senate Republicans announced a new bill requiring detailed disclosure of the $1 billion in state aid to address the crisis.

They also introduced two separate bills that would ban the housing of illegals on school grounds after Democrats attempted to place them in city school gyms and state university campuses, much to the outrage of local parents.

Its hard for me to believe that we have come to a point in this country and this states history  that we need a law to protect New York state students, from kindergarten all the way through college, to protect them from the governor of New York state, Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) told Politico.

Illegal migrants carry their belongings to a bus after accepting relocation after being evicted from the Watson Hotel in New York City on Jan. 30, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Not Guilty Plea Entered for Suspect in Idaho College Killings

Bryan Kohberger enters the courtroom for his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court in Moscow, Idaho, on May 22, 2023. (Zach Wilkinson/Pool via Getty Images)

A judge on Monday entered a not guilty plea on behalf of the graduate student charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of four University of Idaho college students.

Bryan Kohberger, 28, remained mostly silent and opted not to enter a plea during an arraignment hearing in Latah County, prompting District Judge John Judge to enter the plea for him.

Kohberger wore an orange jail jumpsuit and sat next to his attorney during the brief hearing. The judge scheduled the trial to begin on Oct. 2.

Public defender Anne Taylor speaks during a status hearing for Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, at Latah County District Court in Moscow, Idaho, on Jan. 12, 2023. (Kai Eiselein/Pool via Reuters)

Last week, a grand jury indicted Kohberger on four counts of murder and one count of burglary. He could face life in prison or the death penalty if convicted of murder.

Kohberger is accused of stabbing three women and one man in the early morning of Nov. 13 in the home of one of the women. The crime stunned the small college town of Moscow, Idaho, home to the University of Idaho, and drew national attention, with six weeks elapsing before a suspect was caught.

Kohberger eventually was arrested in Pennsylvania, where he was visiting his family, and flown to Idaho to face charges.

Two other female roommates in the house at the time of the killings were unharmed. One of the women told investigators that at 4 a.m. she heard someone crying in one of the victims bedrooms. She then watched as a masked man, clad in black, walked past her and out of the house, according to a court document.

The victimsEthan Chapin, 20, of Conway, Washington; Xana Kernodle, 20, of Avondale, Arizona; Madison Mogen, 21, of Coeur dAlene, Idaho; and Kaylee Goncalves, 21, of Rathdrum, Idahoall suffered multiple stab wounds. Chapin was Kernodles boyfriend.

Kohberger at the time was working on a doctorate degree in criminal justice at Washington State University, about 10 miles from the University of Idaho campus.

Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive but have said they are confident Kohberger was responsible for the killings.

By Brendan OBrien
On Explosives, US Lags China and Russia

Members of the 182nd Infantry Regiment at a live fire weapons training at U.S. Fort Dix in New Jersey on May 16, 2022. (Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images)

Commentary

The United States is falling behind China and Russia in a critical element of military technology: bang for the buck in high explosives. The kinetic punch that U.S. explosives deliver per pound is only about 70 percent of what China and Russia get from their energetics.

The even more astonishing failure is that the powerful conventional explosive used by our adversaries was invented in the United States with taxpayer money, but then neglected by our military and allowed to be acquired by our adversaries.

A naval scientist in China Lake, California, invented the CL-20 explosive in 1987. CL-20s power is 1.4 times that of HMX, invented in 1941. The other commonly-used explosive in U.S. ordnance is RDX, invented in 1898.

CL-20 is deployed in one of the most recent U.S. weapons systems, the AeroVironment Switchblade kamikaze drone, which has removed Russian forces from the battlefields of Ukraine.

But more generally, the Defense Department has been slow to deploy CL-20 in its weaponry. So in a conventional war, our men and women in uniform could be outgunned by enemy ordnance that is lighter, faster, packs a bigger punch, and goes further.

Folks are starting to complain.

Scientists were the first to do so, but many gave up after years of being ignored. Then specialty press like naval and defense magazines began alerting the broader military community, which failed to introduce the invention into weapons contracts.

The Russia-Ukraine war makes the Pentagons failure to properly equip our men and women in uniform more obvious. Not only do we not have the best explosivesalso known as ordnance, kinetics, or energeticsbut we dont have enough.

According to Ukrainian sources reported in February, Russia launched 20,000 shells and rockets per day against Ukraine. Ukrainian forces could only return fire at the lower rate of 5,000 to 6,000 per day, consuming in three months what the United States and Europe could produce in a year.

Deterring wars such as in Ukraine requires not only nuclear security guarantees to the smaller, relatively unarmed democracies, but the provision of the worlds most powerful conventional explosives up front and in quantity.

U.S. politicians are starting to get serious about our relative lack of high-yield explosives. On May 21, The Wall Street Journal reported that Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) plans to push for CL-20s expanded use, including through a bill requiring the Pentagon to implement a pilot program that incorporates CL-20 into three missile or munitions systems of its choosing.

But that would still leave the sourcing of raw materials and precursor chemicals in jeopardy. Not only did Beijing acquire CL-20, an acquisition not sufficiently explained to the American public, but we are dependent on China for some of the precursors of this and what we normally use, such as RDX and HMX.

The Journal noted in its report that Regulatory and other costs have driven overseas the production of almost all of the base chemicals used in energetics, as they have for many pharmaceuticals.

To make all of the explosives and propellants we need for all of our weapons requires about 300 critical chemicals, said Bob Kavetsky, the CEO of the Energetics Technology Center, in an interview earlier this year with Defense Daily. That list of 300 ranges from chemicals we might need 10,000 pounds a year to a couple million pounds a year. Theres a half dozen of those materials that are sole-sourced from China.

The Defense Department has had plenty of time to address these concerns. In 2018, a Trump-mandated assessment found that in addition to widely used and specialized metals, alloys and other materials, including rare earths and permanent magnets  China is also the sole source or a primary supplier for a number of critical energetic materials used in munitions and missiles.

The assessment found that In many cases, there is no other source or drop-in replacement material and even in cases where that option exists, the time and cost to test and qualify the new material can be prohibitiveespecially for larger systems (hundreds of millions of dollars each).

The increasing grip that China has on developing-country production of strategic materials necessary for the production of explosives, especially in Latin America and Africa, is an additional threat to U.S. supply chains upon which our national security relies.

Therefore, one must ask: what genius bean counters in Washington not only allowed the U.S. military to lose CL-20 technology to our most dangerous adversaries, but also allowed us to become dependent on China for the chemicals necessary to produce CL-20 and other military explosives?

The lack of judgment among some members of the U.S. government can, at times, be mind-boggling.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Orange County Power Authority Is Still Playing the Community

Windmills and power lines in a file photo near Tracy, Calif., on Aug. 17, 2022. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)

Commentary

Another shoe dropped for Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) after recently losing Huntington Beach as a member and as Irvines departure hangs in the balance.

The Irvine City Council will vote on the issue at its meeting tonight at 5 p.m. at 1 Civic Center Plaza.

Aside from these foundational calamities that, together, will trigger the agencys implosion, there are numerous internal issues that also threaten OCPAs survival.

OCPA embodies much that is wrong with Californias community choice energy agenciesincluding agencies in San Diego that one OCPA member is rumored joining. Its a systemic problem driven by a single consultant behind many of the agencies.

One of OCPAs newly discovered issues involves the gaming of residential ratepayers who, it turns out, are carrying the financial load for the agencys big business ratepayers.

Residential gaming is not what was sold to the community when promoters arrived at Irvine in 2018 with sparklers and champagne, riding a wave of grass-root support from excited Irvine residents.

OCPA claims its prices are 2% lower than Southern California Edisons (SCE). But not on an apples-to-apples basis. Indeed, if OCPA was selling cars they would be stock delivered without a steering wheel, battery, or seats. Check your lug nuts.

The agency loads extra costs of up to 51 percent onto residential ratepayersmore than $40 per month averaged through all tierscompared to OCPAs Commercial & Industrial customers for the exact same energy product, at the same time of day.

Why burden residential ratepayers?

Because OCPAs residential ratepayers consume relatively small amounts of electricity compared to large customers. The agency figures its better to lose a few residential customers than to alienate a big guy.

With this cost shift, OCPA undercuts SCE by one-tenth and two-tenths of a penny per kilowatt-hour for commercial and industrial customers, respectively. [1]

Adding insult to injury, former OCPA board member and Huntington Beach city councilman Dan Kalmick recently disclosed that OCPA will add $30 million to its cash account. Thats on top of the $40 million it recently collected by selling its excess energy contracts, for a total of $70 million (pdf).

Separate from that $70 million, Kalmick touted that OCPA saved an additional $80 million under his former leadership and advice of OCPAs pricing consultant Pacific Energy Advisors (pdf).

The agency effectively gave a single digit salute to regulators and engineers who legally require that energy companies deliver a share of emergency back-up power, known as resource adequacy (RA), to Californias electric grid for use in extreme conditions. This after OCPA twice submitted regulatory documents claiming it would meet or exceed its RA obligation as a condition of business launch.

RA is predominantly gas-fired generation because, unlike OCPAs intermittent renewables such as wind and solar, fossil-fired generation produces steady and reliable power when needed.

Monthly energy prices for average homes would have increased $18 per month if the agency complied with its legal requirement. [2]

So, $18 plus the cost-shifted $40 per month reveals that OCPA is charging more and delivering less to residents.

RA is paid by responsible power sellers as a cost-of-business that helps avoid blackouts, or, from a different perspective, circumvents automobile accidents due to traffic lights not working because of a blackout.

Californians should consider what the market looks like if the states three regulated investor-owned utilitiesPacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electricever fully depart from procuring energy. If they do, OCPAs will fill the void, reliability will fall, and prices will climb.

That latter scenario has already played out at OCPA member cities that, within days of one another, switched all residents and businesses within their jurisdictional boundaries from OCPAs lowest-cost offeringused to justify OCPAs launchinto its pricey 100% Renewable Energy product (save for Fullertons unusual behavior). [3]

These city councils are the same people who say regulatory oversight isnt needed because OCPA is self-governed.

What about that $70 million Kalmick touted? Everyone neglects that OCPA is a not-for-profit agency. That money belongs to ratepayers and to member cities like Huntington Beach.

Considering that OCPA has gamed consumers, disregarded key regulatory mandates, green-washed its energy, and left others to shoulder its share for maintaining the electric grids reliability, OCPA should return its reserves to the community with which it is far out of touch.

Thats about $450 for each of its 155,542 metered accounts.

Then the operators behind OCPA should close its doors, head for Vegas, and game with their own money.

Notes

[1] Joint rate comparison mailer prepared by SCE and OCPA, effective April 1, 2023.

[2] According to OCPAs regulatory filings, its quarterly energy sales = 639,140,389 kilowatt-hours (KWh). Annual sales are thus 2,556,561,557 KWhs. $80,000,000 / 2,556,561,557 KWh = $0.031/KWh, or 3 per KWh if OCPA procures its requisite resource adequacy. Per the joint rate comparison mailer prepared by SCE and OCPA, effective April 1, 2023, an average OCPA residence consumes 569 KWh per month. Thus, 569 x $0.031 = $17.81 per month.

[3] Buena Park voted January 25, 2022 to switch its default enrollment product for all constituents from OCPAs lowest cost Basic Choice to OCPAs highest cost 100% Renewable.

Ayes: Susan Sonne, Sunny Park, Art Brown, Connor Traut

No: Elizabeth Swift

Huntington Beach voted February 1, 2022 to switch its default enrollment product for all constituents from OCPAs lowest cost Basic Choice to OCPAs highest cost 100% Renewable.

Ayes: Dan Kalmick (Zoom), Mike Posey, Barbara Delgleize, Rhonda Bolton, Natalie Moser, Kim Carr

No: Erik Peterson

Fullerton voted February 1, 2022 to switch is default enrollment product for all constituents from OCPAs lowest cost Basic Choice to OCPAs second-highest cost Smart Choice.

Ayes: Fred Jung, Ahmad Zahra, Jesus Silva

No: Nick Dunlap, Bruce Whitaker

Fullerton then moved its municipal accounts back to OCPAs lowest cost Basic Choice.

Ayes: Jesus Silva, Nick Dunlap, and Bruce Whitaker

No: Fred Jung, Ahmad Zahra

Irvine voted February 8, 2022 to switch its default enrollment product for all constituents from OCPAs lowest cost Basic Choice to OCPAs highest cost 100% Renewable.

Ayes: Mike Carroll, Tammy Kim, Anthony Kuo, Larry Agran, Farrah N. Khan

No: None

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Over 3,000 Foreign Companies Escape UKs Dirty Money Penalties

MPs urged the government to 'get its act together' after zero penalties or prosecutions issued to overseas businesses failing to declare owners of British property

A bus goes past the Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben in London on Dec. 29, 2021. (Hollie Adams/AFP via Getty Images)

The government has been urged to get their act together after failing to prosecute thousands of companies that have failed to comply with Britains new dirty money laws.

The revelation was made to MPs on Monday after business minister Kevin Holinrake faced questions over the new Register of Overseas Entities (ROE).

A total of 3,000 elusive foreign businesses have so far failed to file details on beneficial owners to the mandatory register within the deadline.

Despite the non-compliance, zero have been issued with hefty fines or notices of prosecution.

The lack of action has been described by MPs as extraordinary after Hollinrake appeared before the Delegated Legislation Committee.

Labour MP Liam Byrne told the minister: What kind of signal does that send to kleptocrats around the worldthat if they want to join the ranks of the thousands of overseas entities that cannot be bothered to comply with laws in this country, they will get off scot-free?

The committee would be sympathetic if the minister held up his hands and said, we just do not have the resources to enforce the rules, and of course that would be true.

That is why many of us are continuing to press him to use the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, which is in the other place, to ensure that there is a registration fee that provides a proper supply of finance to tackle the outrageous level of money laundering and kleptocracy that is centred on the City of London.

Over 1 Billion Lost

Referring to a recent investigation by the BBC, Labours Seema Malhotra told the minister that firms linked to Russian oligarchs such as Roman Abramovich were escaping fines of up to 2,500 a day for non-compliance.

She said: Estimates from the BBC investigation suggest that had we been imposing fines since the January deadline, they could have added up to 1 billion.

The minister was appearing before the committee for approval on a statutory instrument (SI), part of a series of secondary legislation needed to effectively implement the register of overseas entities.

Hollinrake said the Penalties and Northern Ireland Dispositions SI would deal with financial penalties arising from misconduct in relation to the register, the treatment of land disposed of in Northern Ireland by overseas entities, and the rights of those acting in good faith.

Malhorta added: In summary, the Opposition support the changes introduced by the SI, but it is utterly vital that the government get their act together on dealing with economic crime, tackling loopholes and ensuring that we can take action quickly.

It is years since action was initially promised, and there is a financial and security cost to that delay.

Responding, Hollinrake confirmed that some 3,000 companies had so far failed to comply with the register.

However, he said a significant number of those might not have received communications and might not be deliberately not co-operating. It is important that any enforcement action taken is proportionate.

The minister also confirmed that legal action against the non-compliant companies would not begin until June 21.

Companies House will be able to impose financial penalties from that date forward, he said:.

On warning letters, on different occasions Companies House has written to entities that have not registeredto the property of the address they own or to the service address provided to the registry.

Children Listed as Owners

Hollinrake said increased registration and yearly fees were being introduced to support Companies Housethe government body in charge of recording company details and enforcing the legislationover resourcing issues.

He said: We are undertaking a body of work with Companies House to determine what resources it needs and how we apply the right registration or incorporation feeit will be a higher fee than the current 12.

There are also annual feesrecurrent feesfor filing, which can also be used to ensure that Companies House has the right level of resources.

Under the Economic Crime (Transparency and Enforcement) Act passed last March, foreign companies must declare their beneficial owners on the new register.

The move was designed to prevent Russian oligarchs and other foreign kleptocrats from laundering their dirty money through safe investments such as land and property in the UKwhich are often disguised by opaque corporate ownership structures.

Overseas companies that have acquired land in the UK had until the end of January to declare their true beneficial owners under legislation fast-tracked through Parliament in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the House of Lords heard how the newly released register has 70 children listed as foreign company owners.

It also included one company owner born in 1897making the person 126 years old.

The anomalies were discussed as peers revealed that the overwhelming majority of registered overseas companies belonged to British individualsraising fears that some foreign entities had been used to evade UK tax laws.

Lords also raised concerns surrounding misleading information being submitted to the registerwhich reveals foreign ownership of British property.
Overall Q1 Crime Figures in Hong Kong Soared by Nearly 50% Year-on-year

On Dec. 28, 2022, the Hong Kong police discovered two drug storage warehouses in Yuen Long District in Hong Kong and seized 424 kilograms of cocaine with a market value of about HK$366 million (US$46 million). (Sung Pi-long/The Epoch Times).

According to statistics just released by the Hong Kong Police, the total number of crimes in the first three months of this year reached 20,584, an increase of 6,718 cases compared to the same period last year, translating to year-on-year growth of 48.4 percent.

Deception topped the list with 8,886 cases recorded in the first quarter, a significant surge of 65.2 percent compared to 5,378 cases in the same period last year.

Triad-related crimes also substantially increased from 296 to 503 cases, representing a 69.9 percent increase.

Following closely behind is the category of theft, which recorded 5,340 cases in the first quarter, showing a 45.2 percent increase compared to 3,678 cases in the same period last year.

In the first quarter of 2023, deception, theft, and miscellaneous cases reached 8,886, 5,340, and 2,909, showing a significant surge of 65.2 percent, 45.2 percent, and 59.6 percent compared to the same period in 2022, respectively. (Nathan Amery/The Epoch Times)

The highest growth is pickpocketing within the theft category, which increased from 45 to 94 cases, representing a surge of 108.9 percent.

Additionally, two cases of goldsmith/watch shop robberies were recorded in the first three months of 2023, compared to none in the same period in 2022.

The graph shows the annual growth rate of pickpocketing, indecent assault, triad-related crimes, and goldsmith/watch shop robberies cases. (Nathan Amery/The Epoch Times)

With Beijing ending its zero-covid policy and the border with Hong Kong gradually reopened since the beginning of this year, the number of arrests involving mainland Chinese visitors had dramatically jumped from 37 individuals in Q1 2022 to 266 individuals in Q1 2023, an increase of over 600 percent.

Furthermore, the number of juvenile offenders aged 10 to 15 increased from 157 individuals in the first three months of last year to 305 individuals in the same period this year, demonstrating a growth of 94.3 percent.

The graph shows the number of arrests involving mainland Chinese visitors, arrests involving visitors from other countries, and juvenile offenders aged 10 to 15. (Nathan Amery/The Epoch Times)

Chris Tang down play concerns over the increases in crime rates

At the Fight Crime Committee (DFCC) meeting on May 15, Commissioner of Police Chris Tang Ping-keung explained to the media, in his opening speech, that the significant increase in Hong Kongs overall crime rate this year compared to the same period of 2022 is mainly influenced by two factors.

Firstly, deception cases surged over 65 percent compared to 2022, which accounted for more than 40 percent of overall crime in Q1 2023.

Secondly, strict social distancing measures during the fifth wave of the pandemic had resulted in decreased level of social activities and significantly lowered numbers of traditional crimes, such as theft, armed robbery, burglary, etc. in the first quarter of 2022, which in turn resulted in the high figures of year-on-year crime rate increases of Q1 2023.

Tang also suggested that the upward trend in deception cases is not an unique problem to Hong Kong, as Singapore and London have also experienced similar increases, of around 35 percent and of 50 percent.

With the society returning to normal, crime rates rebounding to pre-pandemic levels is to be expected, Tang added.

2020 police report showed lower overall crime rates pre-pandemic

However, a 2020 report compiled by the police for the Legislative Council revealed that during the pre-pandemic years of 2018 and 2019, the Q1 overall crime rates were actually even lower than 2022, during the worst months of the fifth wave.

The overall crime in Hong Kong increased dramatically by 48.4 percent year-on-year, for the first quarter of 2023, after the reopening of the border between Hong Kong and mainland China. (Nathan Amery/The Epoch Times)

The report also show the overall crime in the first quarter of 2018 and 2019 were 12,799 and 12,776 cases respectively, significantly lower than the 20,584 cases recorded in the first quarter of 2023, and the 13,566 cases in the same period of 2022.

As for deception, the 2020 report did not provide breakdown by the quarters, but figures for the whole year of 2018 and 2019 were 8,372 and 8,216 cases respectively, while the number of cases in the first three months of 2022 reached 5,378, in Q1 of 2023 the number jumped to 8,886, exceeding the whole year figures of 2018 and 2019.

Mainland visitors arrested for crime bounced back to pre-pandemic level

Andrew To Kwan-hang, former chairman of the League of Social Democrats, questioned Chris Tangs explanations on the YouTube channel hkpeanut the same day, that Tang did not mention, or had played down, other possible causes for the sharp increases in the Q1 2023 crime rates, such as impact of the stagnated economy, and the reopening of the mainland Chinese border.

Andrew To also suggested that some grassroots citizens who lacked sufficient income may resort to risky behaviors, such as those previously employed in the catering and retail industries who have lost their jobs.

One set of figures did perfectly demonstrate a simple return to normal to the pre-pandemic year, as Chris Tang suggested, which is that of mainland visitors arrested for crime. The number is 266 for Q1 2023, although seemed an alarming increase from 37 for Q1 2022, does look normal compared to 371 for Q1 2018 and 466 for Q1 2019.

Commentator: Government should disclose detailed deception figures

On his Ng Sam YouTube channel on May 16, Ng Chi Sum, veteran TV and radio host and political commentator on a long running RTHK current affair program, also expressed deep concern over the dramatic increases in crime rates in 2023, and the worry that deception cases were serious even during the pandemic.



He suggested that the government should disclose the detailed breakdown of the 8,886 deception cases, including the specific types of scams, such as phone scams involving the impersonation of mainland Chinese officials.

Ng questioned whether the surge in deception cases is related to the changing political and social atmosphere, causing citizens who answer phone calls to become increasingly fearful and susceptible to scams.

Chris Tang revealed on May 15 that over 70 percent of deception cases in the first quarter of 2023 were related to online scams, phone scams in particular saw a 76 percent increase compared to same period of 2022, while online romance scams, another common area of public concern, recorded a decrease of about 16 percent. @
Pistol Brace Owners Scramble to Block ATF Ban Set to Take Effect June 1

Gun rights advocates and the owners of pistol stabilizing braces are scrambling to stop a rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that will make possession of the brace a felony after May 31.

I think this is going to be a very fluid situation over the next week or so, William Kirk, a Second Amendment lawyer, YouTuber, and president of Washington Gun Law in Washington state, told The Epoch Times. I would recommend my clients find a reliable news site and check it a couple of times a day.

On May 31, the ATFs 120-day amnesty period for pistol brace owners will end. Pistol brace owners who dont destroy, register, or surrender the braces to the government by the deadline will possess contraband and be subject to arrest, according to the ATF.

Our members are going to start going to jail, Aidan Johnston, director of federal affairs for Gun Owners of America (GOA), told The Epoch Times. Our members are extremely concerned.

Gun Owners of America buttons are sold at the State Capitol in Lansing, Mich., during an annual rally organized by the Second Amendment March group on Sept. 27, 2022. (Rebecca Cook/AFP via Getty Images)

GOA and other gun rights groups have filed lawsuits to stop the rule from taking effect. A National Rifle Association spokesman said this is why such groups were formed.

This is yet another reminder of why gun owners have to be actively engaged at all levels and particularly as we head into the 2024 election cycle, Billy McLaughlin, NRA spokesman, wrote in an email to The Epoch Times.

The ATFs erratic rulemaking on pistol stabilizing braces epitomizes government overreach and abuse for many gun owners, advocates argue.

The ATF did not return a call seeking comment. But ATF Director Steven Dettelbach attempted to address some of those concerns during an April 26 hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.

Dettelbach has steadfastly claimed that ATF is enforcing the National Firearms Act as it was written and passed by Congress. He said the ATF has one objective.

Steven Dettelbach testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing to be the next director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington on May 25, 2022. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Everything we do begins and ends with public safety. We must do that while respecting our citizens constitutional rights, and we can, Dettelbach said.

But gun owners say the ATF has waffled on whether the braces are legal accessories for large-format pistols or if they convert those pistols into short-barreled rifles (SBR), which are illegal under the NFA.

The pistol stabilizing brace was invented in 2012 to assist the disabled and others who may need help shooting large-format pistols built on the AR 15 and similar platforms. The stabilizing brace attaches to the rear of the pistol and the shooters forearm. This allows the shooter a steadier aim while holding the pistol with one hand.

The ATF issued several open letters stating that the braces did not change pistols into short-barreled rifles. However, the rule published in January said that changes in the braces design and videos on how to use them make clear that the items convert the large format pistols into prohibited SBRs.

Estimates on how many gun owners are affected range from 3 million to 40 million.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) headquarters in Fairfax, Va., on March 14, 2013. (REUTERS/Larry Downing/File Photo)

Second Amendment advocates have been on the offensive.

The NRA joined a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota. McLaughlin said more is at stake than just a firearm accessory.

This rule is effectively the largest gun ban in American history and it is being done unilaterally by the Biden administration with zero congressional oversight and authorization. The NRA is actively involved in trying to stop this rule with a lawsuit, McLaughlin wrote in his email.

The case is Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, Inc., v. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

The other plaintiffs are SB Tactical, B&T USA, Wounded Warrior Richard Cicero, and a coalition of 25 states led by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley.

The other states are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Wyoming.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas on Aug. 5, 2022. (Bobby Sanchez for The Epoch Times)

GOA, the Gun Owners Foundation, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the ATF, Dettelbach, and the U.S. Department of Justice in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. The 152-page lawsuit takes the ATF rule apart, explaining why the GOA believes the rule is unconstitutional.

In the only case in which a ruling has been issued, William Mock, Christopher Lewis, Maxim Defense Industries, LLC, and the Firearms Policy Coalition sued Garland, the Department of Justice, Dettelbach, and the ATF in the Northern District of Texas.

Judge Reed OConnor, a George W. Bush appointee, found that the rule is constitutional. The plaintiffs have appealed the decision to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

While gun owners watch the lawsuits, lawyers say its too late to depend on the courts. With the deadline little more than a week away, pistol brace owners must decide whether to comply with the law or face possible consequences.

This will not be resolved before the enforcement deadline thats been set, Dillon Harris, a lawyer with the Civil Rights Defense Firm in Pennsylvania, told The Epoch Times. You cant expect the court to interfere within the next nine days. [Pistol brace owners] need to act now.

Michael Vetter of WMD Guns in Stuart, Fla., displays some of the firearms his company offers that come equipped with pistol stabilizing braces during the 2023 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. (Michael Clements/The Epoch Times)

Harris said that how the pistol brace owner proceeds depends on what they want to do with the firearm. To keep the gun, they must either reconfigure it into a legal firearm by removing the brace or installing a longer barrel. Or, the weapon can be registered under the NFA.

If the owner decides to register the gun, they can avoid paying the tax by starting the registration process before May 31. However, Harris said any action taken after the deadline could result in criminal charges.

The ATF has indicated that they will use their enforcement discretion, Harris said.

Kirk pointed out that recent comments from the ATF indicate that the process may be more complex.

During the April 26 hearing, Dettelbach assured the Judiciary Committee that all that needed to be done to make a firearm with a brace legal was to remove the brace. However, on May 19, the ATF posted a link to the rule on Twitter.

ATFs Mixed Messages

According to the rule, an owner must permanently remove and dispose of, or alter, the stabilizing brace such that it cannot be reattached, or the firearm is turned in to your local ATF office. Or the firearm is destroyed.

Kirk said the conflicting statements are reminiscent of the open letters.

That just takes us down a rabbit hole that goes on and on, Kirk said.

In the meantime, Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), and 180 other House Republicans have introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to block the pistol brace rule. According to a press release on Clydes website, Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) have introduced a companion measure in the Senate.

This abuse of rule-making authority required either registration or a ban of pistol-braced firearms, dangerously violating our Constitution and irresponsibly disregarding Congress sole legislative authority, Clydes press release reads.

Unquestionably, this is nothing more than a reckless attempt to advance President Bidens ultimate goal of an unarmed America.

Johnston said he appreciates the sentiment, but its time for congressional action.

It is Congress responsibility to address this. When they come back from recess, the ban will be in effect. No clear action has been taken yet, Johnston said.
Opinion articles written in the style of their author. These texts are to be based on verified facts and must be respectful towards people, even though their actions may be criticized. All opinion articles written by individuals from outside the staff of EL PAIS shall feature, along with the authors name (regardless of their greater or lesser renown), a footer stating their office, academic title, political affiliation (if any) and main occupation, or the occupation related to the topic being assessed

Nowadays, anyone can create a hyperrealistic porn video with artificial intelligence (AI). All it takes is a photo, an email and between $10 and $50. These are the only requirements for the 96 apps already in existence to receive compelling nudity on tap for a year. Itll be a piece of cake to add someone to a porn scene, says the website of one of the most popular apps, with 1.5 million monthly visits. This is the creme de la creme because of how easy and powerful it is, says another. It is precisely the ease of generating content without consent and sharing it that worries experts in the Latin American region where, in some countries, digital gender-based violence is hardly considered a crime and where commitment to its prevention is flaky to say the least.

The perverse use of social networks and virtuality opened more than a decade ago the debate on whether or not to criminalize these behaviors that mainly affect women; in countries such as Mexico, they account for 89% of the victims. Generative artificial intelligence has reopened the discussion on whether criminalizing the abusive use of intimate images is the solution. For Maria Camila Correa Florez, professor of Criminal Law at the Rosario University in Bogota, it is only one aspect of it: Comprehensive public policies are needed to prevent, as well as to sanction, she says. Criminal law can intervene up to a point and make people understand that it is a crime. So, its a good first step.

Colombia, however, is close to the bottom of the heap when it comes to protective legislation. Along with Nicaragua and Venezuela, online gender-based violence is not covered by any legal framework in Colombia. The production or distribution of sexual images without consent is not a crime, although in exceptional cases may be prosecuted as other criminal offenses such as extortion or hate crimes.

Argentina and Chile, on the other hand, have set up a more protective legal framework for children and adolescents, though there is a huge gap when it comes to adult womens rights. Brazil has criminalized the non-consensual distribution of intimate images since 2018 and Peru also incorporated online sexual harassment and blackmail into its Penal Code. Mexico has been one of the countries most concerned with violence against women online and has a large package of federal and state reforms to prosecute these practices, known as the Olimpia Law, in a tribute to Olimpia Coral Melo, victim in 2014 of the unauthorized sharing of a video with sexual content.

However, despite Mexicos pioneering legislation, the crime itself remains difficult to nail. You can have laws... but the materialization of the sentence is the most difficult thing, Elvia Karina Ramirez Juarez, a Mexican litigation lawyer, tells EL PAIS. It sounds all good and well on paper, but getting these videos downloaded from the internet is very unlikely. The gap between paper and reality is vast. Julio Cesar Bonilla Gutierrez, Citizen Commissioner of Mexico Citys Transparency Institute, acknowledges that there is still a long way to go. Although the legislation is progress towards dealing with [online violence] better, the reforms must be improved. But the danger of doing nothing is that digital violence tends to become physical.

Fear of reporting the crime

With or without criminalization, very few cases of online gender-based violence have been resolved by the regions courts to date. The lack of charges stems from the bureaucracy involved in reporting the crime, fear of revictimization, and feelings of shame coupled with distrust in judicial authorities and their lack of technical expertise. The obstacles to prosecuting violence against women on and offline are the same, says Luz Patricia Mejia, Technical Secretary of the Belem do Para Conventions Follow-up Mechanism. In both cases, women do not report the crime for fear of not being believed or because they still think it is a matter of the couples intimacy. The only difference is that technology is moving so fast.

Public policies, criminal consequences and conversations with large platforms are some of the solutions that Mejia proposes to regulate AI when it comes to gender-based violence. We have to be prepared for debates we havent yet had; for example, freedom of expression, which is the pillar of democracy, can no longer be untouchable. We are headed towards transitioning to a new world that forces us to rethink these models. State governments are more limited in their capacity to regulate than Twitter and Meta. We will have to engage globally regarding applications. There is no other way.

Cecilia Celeste Danesi, UPSA researcher and author of The Algorithms Empire, suggests that regulation will be informative rather than prohibitive: The proposals being pushed by the European Union and the United States involve putting a watermark informing the consumer if the content generated is fake; this is also linked to the consumers right to be informed, she says. AI could even be part of the solution if it is used to track down this content.

According to Katya Vera Morales, gender expert officer from the Organization of American States (OAS) Cybersecurity Program, the victims need to be at the center of the policies: Many of them do not want to report the crime and subject themselves to the process of re-victimization that this usually entails, she says. Sometimes, they just want to stop their photos from being distributed  to stop being sextorted. We have to ask ourselves, what does access to justice mean for victims? And, based on the answers we get, we then design a course of action.

Complaints on social networks

Although the reporting of these crimes does not yet reflect the threat, dozens of women have spoken out about being victims of generative AI on social media. The law [Olympia] should be made to compensate and take care of the victims, Eri Gutierrez, a content creator and technology specialist, tells EL PAIS. And its not doing that. They have to go after the servers. Its true that stopping the flow doesnt stop the damage, but it limits it. The data generated in the applications stays on the servers, and the technique is being perfected so that the user has a wider repertoire. You see horrible things on the dark web.

Its incredibly easy to create the hottest girls with just a few words, making them do what you tell them. Go crazy! says a forum that compares deepfake porn apps, which gives a very high score to an application that creates sexy avatars of women with user-supplied photos for a fee. In order for the images it produces not to be blurred, you have to subscribe. It costs less than $10. Ramirez, a Mexican litigator, believes that the key to nailing these cases is in proving responsibility: This debate is only being had by analysts, not politicians, he says. In Mexico, there has never been a restriction on apps or social networks. And, honestly, I dont see it coming.

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Political and Environmental Restrictions Could Drive Housing Supply to New Lows: Report

Recently constructed show homes are illuminated for potential buyers on a new housing estate in Knutsford, United Kingdom, on Feb. 3, 2022. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Party politics and rules imposed by the governments adviser for the natural environment in England could lead to a considerable decrease in net housing supply, the Home Builders Federation (HBF) has warned.

The housing supply could drop by up to 122,000 homes per year, HBF said in its March report (pdf), adding that in 2021/22 net housing supply stood at 233,000.

The outlook for the homebuilding industry in the coming years looks less positive owing to a number of factors, one of which is the rules imposed by Natural England, the agency within the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) responsible for protecting the landscape.

The nutrient neutrality requirements, which originated from a 2018 European Court of Justice ruling, caused Natural England to revise its guidance to local authorities. Nutrient neutrality is a means of ensuring that a development project does not add to the amount of nitrates entering the water system in an area.

The number of housing projects granted planning permission during the last quarter of 2022 was down 12 percent on a year ago. The number of projects approved in England in the whole of 2022 fell to under 12,500, the lowest since the data set was started in 2006.

HBF attributed the low numbers to the free rein afforded to Natural England to impose new requirements on development, among other factors, including a hostile political attitude towards building.

The National Planning Policy Framework (pdf), introduced in 2012, was a growth-oriented set of policies. HBF commended the framework, but suggested it was offset by the governments latest restrictive agenda.

Conservative Party members havent expressed support for national housebuilding targets, according to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. In an interview with the ConservativeHome website in April he said that during the summer Tory leadership contest to replace Boris Johnson he had spoken to Tory party members, councillors, and activists.

Sunak acknowledged that the Conservatives continue to be incredibly supportive of the peoples want to own a new home but added: In fact everywhere I went across the summer, people wanted to talk to me about the planning system and how it was working. I dont think there was any support for a system which imposed top-down targets on local areas without any recourse or understanding of the local circumstances.

The combination of politically underpinned policies and restrictions by Natural England had the potential to see net housing supply drop as low as 111,000 per year, around 10% lower than the previous the lowest ever annual net supply during peacetime, HBF warned.

Defra issued a statement on May 23 saying that work is underway with developers and local authorities to ensure that housebuilding can take place while protecting nature.

Defra also added that 242,700 homes were delivered in 2019/20, a 32-year high.

Water Pollution

Natural England has suggested that building the homes the country needs while also protecting and restoring nature is something that we need to be able to do both for a sustainable green recovery.

Increased levels of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in freshwater habitats and estuaries, can speed up the growth of certain plants, disrupting natural processes and impacting wildlife, Natural England warned.

Algal blooms and excessive vegetation growth can kill fish and prevent birds from feeding. These effects also reduce peoples enjoyment of these special places, it added.

Edel McGurk, regional operations director at Natural England, said in a statement, The quality of our rivers and wetlands is a concern for people across England and we have been working with local authorities, developers, farmers and other landowners in a number of areas to make sure much needed housing can go ahead without causing damage to nature.

Some conservative politicians, however, suggest that the farming industry is partly to blame for water pollution.

Sir James Bevan, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said in a speech on Feb. 22, 2022: Farming and rural land management impacts a higher proportion of our water bodies45 percentthan any other source, mostly through what is called diffuse pollution: chemicals from fertiliser and other things put onto land which then run off into watercourses. This is harder to see and to tackle than the sewage spills caused by water companies.

But the damage is just as or more significant, because the main chemicals that leach into our watercourses from farming, nitrogen, and phosphorus, starve the water of oxygen and kill a lot of the wildlife.

Simon Clarke, the former secretary of state for levelling up, housing, and communities, has argued that the real causes of the water pollution problems are poor farming practices and our Victorian sewage system.

Housebuilding is a peripheral contributor . . . We should legislate to exclude new homes from the regulations, get the water companies to up their game, he told The Times of London.
Rep. Boebert Sets Her Sights on Repealing All Gun Control Laws Signed by Biden

Edward Wilks, owner of Tradesmen Gun Store and Pawnshop helps Lauren Boebert with a firearm at his store in Rifle, Colorado on April 24, 2018. (Emily Kask/AFP/Getty Images)

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) has introduced HR 3212, the Shall. Not. Be. Infringed. Act., to restore what she considers to be rights lost under the Biden administration.

It gets rid of all the unconstitutional laws passed under Nancy Pelosi and signed by (President) Joe Biden, a spokesman from Boeberts office told The Epoch Times.

The bill, introduced in the House on May 19 has 28 sponsors and is endorsed by Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the National Association for Gun Rights. Aidan Johnston, GOAs Director of Federal Affairs, said its now up to Congress to act.

The House needs to vote; were doing our part, Johnston told The Epoch Times.

Boeberts bill would repeal a laundry list of gun laws enacted under Biden. At the top of the list is the law often cited by Democrats as the most significant gun-control legislation in more than 30 years: the bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

President Joe Biden speaks during an event to celebrate the passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a law meant to reduce gun violence, on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington on July 11, 2022. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)

Boeberts Act would undo parts of the Bipartisan Safe Communities Act, such as redefining who is a gun seller.

In a statement on its website, the GOA claims that redefining gun seller increases the number of Federal Firearms Licenses, which became a backdoor way for the Biden Administration to impose Universal Background Registration Checks just as GOA predicted, the statement reads.

Gun control provisions in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA) would also be repealed. The Act would repeal the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Denial Notification Act. Under this provision, a criminal investigation is launched when a firearm transfer is denied after a background check.

According to GOA, the NICS incorrectly denies roughly 90 percent of transfer requests. Correcting these false reports can take time and effort, according to GOA.

Another provision of VAWA that would be repealed is funding for ATF to deputize local police to help enforce federal gun laws.

Act would cut ATF

Under Boeberts Act, all gun control funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 would be cut and related laws repealed.

This includes the 14.1 percent increase in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) budget, more than $700 million to states that pass so-called Red Flag Laws, and $14.4 million to maintain the ATF National Tracing Center.

GOA and other Second Amendment rights advocates contend that the ATF uses the National Tracing Center as an illegal national gun registry.

The ATF did not return a call seeking comment.

Finally, the Act would cut funding for gun control provisions in the James N. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.

According to GOA, the defense act included a provision to create a program for storing firearms that could be expanded into a nationwide mandatory safe-storage program.

Boeberts spokesman said it may look like the Act would change many things. However, he pointed out that the Act doesnt introduce anything new.

Its essentially a reset button for all the damage thats been done, he said.
Rep. Gaetz Shoots Down Talk of Removing Speaker McCarthy Over Debt Negotiations

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) speaks during a hearing before the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government of the House Judiciary Committee at Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on May 18, 2023. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is shooting down suggestions of a rift within the body of House Republicans that could lead to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) losing control of the gavel over his debt ceiling negotiations.

In an interview with the Washington Examiner on Monday, Gaetz said he has no plans to unseat McCarthy. While Gaetz had initially opposed McCarthys speakership bid and his proposal to increase the debt limit, Gaetz said that he doesnt see a reason to find a new House speaker unless theres some dramatic, unexpected turn in McCarthys debt limit negotiations with President Joe Biden.

You dont remove someone simply because you disagree with them. By that standard, no speaker would last a single day. Speaker McCarthy simply must deliver on the promises he made in January, Gaetz said. So far, his record doing so is admirable. So far.

Last month, McCarthy led House Republicans in passing the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (pdf). The bill would prevent the United States from defaulting on its debts by increasing the debt limit by up to $1.5 trillion through March 31, 2024, while at the same time imposing spending reforms that would slow the current U.S. debt trajectory by $4.5 trillion over a decade.

The bill would specifically set annual discretionary spending at Fiscal Year 2022 levels and would regulate discretionary spending growth to 1 percent annually over the next decade. It would also rescind any unspent pandemic-era relief funds, prohibit executive actions Biden has taken to cancel student loans, and impose work requirements for some recipients of Medicaid and Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP).

While the current Limit, Save, Grow Act is unlikely to pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate, McCarthy is using the bill as a baseline for negotiating with the Biden administration, which has called for a clean bill to increase the debt limit without any additional conditions on spending.

Gaetz said he did not oppose the Republican Limit, Save, Grow Act because he would prefer a clean debt limit increase, but rather because he has consistently voted against raising the debt ceiling in the past.

While I applaud the work of my Republican colleagues to demand better energy policy, regulatory reform, welfare-to-work requirements and less spending, a troubling fact remains: This plan will increase Americas debt by $16 trillion over the next ten years, Gaetz said last month.

Where Negotiations Stand

The negotiations are key as the United States is at its current $31.4 trillion debt limit and could default on a debt payment by June 1.

McCarthy faced questions about potential scenarios that may play out as the U.S. draws closer to a default on a debt payment. One reporter asked if there is any scenario where McCarthy would agree to a so-called clean debt limit increase. McCarthy replied that were never putting a clean debt ceiling on the floor and said the Senate could simply pass the Republican House bill if time runs out to avoid a debt default.

Weve passed the bill. We have the ability to do this. You dont have to worry because we have a bill over on the Senate side that they can pass that raises the debt ceiling, McCarthy said. We can get this job done now.

Negotiations between McCarthy and Biden are ongoing. On Monday, both sides described a productive meeting but said they still havent worked out a deal.

While the Republican side is seeking new controls on discretionary spending, work requirements for welfare programs and a clawing back of pandemic-era spending, McCarthy said only two issues are non-negotiable: an unconditional debt limit increase and a tax increase.

From the first day I sat with the President, there have been two criteria. I told him were not going to raise taxes because we bring in more money than we ever have. And were not going to pass a clean debt ceiling, McCarthy said. Everything else is open for negotiations.

Republican Mutiny?

Several news media outlets have reported the possibility that some of the most conservative House Republicans could seek to remove McCarthy if he offers a debt limit deal thats too lenient to Biden and the Democrats. In January, as McCarthy was negotiating with members of his own party to support his speakership bid, he agreed to a rule that makes it easier to make a motion to vacate which would set up a vote to oust McCarthy from the speakership.

On May 16, Politico reported that a bloc of House Democrats had already formed and offered to back McCarthy if he offered debt limit concessions that would put him at odds with some staunch conservatives.

On May 18, the staunchly conservative House Freedom Caucus called on McCarthy to halt debt limit negotiations until the Senate passes the Limit, Save, Grow Act.

House Republicans did our job on debt ceiling. Its time for President Biden and Senate Democrats to do theirs and pass the Limit, Save, Grow Act, the caucus wrote on Twitter. No more discussion on watering it down. Period.

The House Freedom Caucus statement did not reference invoking the motion to vacate to remove McCarthy if he were to water down the bill too much.

Following his interview with the Washington Examiner, Gaetz suggested this talk of removing McCarthy may be more of a media construct than a legitimate issue.

Literally nobody except the press is talking about removing McCarthy right now, he wrote on Twitter.

Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, also pushed back on talk of removing McCarthy over a debt limit compromise.

Nobodys talking about that. We support our Speaker. We want him to be successful because the country needs for him to be successful. Were united in the plan that we put forward, Good told MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell on May 17.

From NTD News
Rep. Roy Introduces Bill to Bar Federal Investment in ESG Retirement Funds

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), joined by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), speaks at a news conference about the National Defense Authorization Bill at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sept. 22, 2021. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) on May 23 introduced a bill designed to bar the federal government from investing in retirement funds that use Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria.

Specifically, Roys bill would prohibit the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), a federal retirement plan, from offering retirement packages that rely on ESG criteria.

ESG describes a largely financial movement whereby corporations and financiers agree to use their wealth and influence to achieve a left-wing set of policy objectives. These include reducing the use of fossil fuels, restricting gun rights, and other controversial left-wing positions. Some of its largest proponents include BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, some of the wealthiest firms in the world.

The bill has 17 cosponsors, including Reps. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.), Troy Nehls (R-Texas), Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Scott Perry (R-Pa.), Bob Good (R-Va.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), and others.

Roy said that the proliferation of ESG struck against free market norms and posed dangers for Americans.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing poses a dangerous threat to the free flow of capital, Roy said. This movement is actively threatening our domestic energy supply, empowering activist shareholders, and advancing woke gender and racial ideologies.

The federal government should not enable ESG, Roy said.

But last year, he noted, the TSP began offering federal employees around 5,000 mutual funds, including some that use ESG criteria.

Roy said that if the TSP were allowed to continue ESG investment, it could strengthen the movement.

ESG is an investing scheme woke corporations are using to appease the Left by destroying reliable American energy and advancing radical gender and racial ideologies, Roy told the Epoch Times in a statement about the bill.

Last year, the Thrift Savings Plan began allowing federal employees to invest their taxpayer funded salaries into ESG plans, he added. The U.S. Government has no business propping up woke scams like ESG. Congress should eradicate every federal policy and office that promotes it, starting here.

The TSP currently manages around $817 billion in assets.

Because the vast majority of TSP contributions stem from withholdings from federal or servicemember paychecks and their respective agency matches, Roy said, TSP is effectively allowing billions of taxpayer dollars to be used for ESG investing.

To counter the growth of this practice, Roys bill would place restrictions on the criteria the TSP can use for investment.

It would prohibit investment first on the basis of environmental criteria, including the emissions produced by a vehicle, climate change issues more broadly, pollution, or a companys endeavors in fossil fuel production. It would also bar investments on the basis of social criteria, including whether a company manufactures firearms, or the racial, sexual, or gender makeup of its board of executives.

Likewise, it would restrict investment on the basis of a companys political beliefs or donations.

Finally, it would bar investments that have more rigorous  corporate governance standards than are found in applicable State and Federal Law.

The bill would retroactively require the TSP to remove funds in violation of these provisions. It allows for civil suits to be brought against the TSP for violation of these rules.

The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a Texas-based conservative nonprofit, praised the bill in comments to The Epoch Times.

ESG investing has become a wrecking ball that could destroy entire industries. The un-American agenda of the climate cartel is an affront to the principles of liberty that founded our country, said Jason Isaac, director of the TPPF Life:Powered initiative.

Republicans Earlier ESG Bill Vetoed

The measure is similar to a more expansive one passed by the Republican House earlier this year.

That bill, which would have instituted anti-ESG rules for private investing, was vetoed by President Joe Biden, the first veto of his presidency.

The bill would have overturned a Department of Labor rule allowing investment firms to consider ESG criteria in investments. Until that rule, investment firms had stricter obligations to their shareholders, with laws requiring that they make financially sound long-term investments for clients.

Proponents of the rule said that it would allow investors to be more socially conscious in their retirement planning; critics, meanwhile, said the rule would mean losses for investors and was a cover for a far-left political agenda.

It is clear that President Biden wants Wall Street to use your hard-earned money not to grow your savings, but to fund a far-left political agenda, said Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who supported the bill, after the veto. That will hurt seniors and workers.

It passed through the Democrat-held Senate with the support of Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), two red state Democrats facing reelection next year.

It will be up to McCarthy and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to determine whether or not Roys bill comes to a vote in Congress.

If the bill comes to the Senate, it seems it could again win the support of moderates like Manchin and Tester.

After Biden vetoed the original ESG bill, Manchin blasted the move in a statement.

Despite a clear and bipartisan rejection of the rule from Congress, President Biden is choosing to put his administrations progressive agenda above the well-being of the American people, Manchin wrote.

However, Schumer has echoed Bidens opposition to such measures, saying that they put Americans retirement savings at risk.

An effort in the lower chamber to overturn the veto, a move requiring two-thirds support, later failed. Biden has not indicated that hes changed his position on ESG issues, meaning that hes likely to veto the legislation if it comes to his desk.
Republican Launches Bid for US Senate Seat Held by Sen. Mitt Romney

A mayor in Utah on May 23 launched a bid for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah).

Right now, Washington is broken. And every time we compromise, it costs us trillions. We have more IRS agents than border agents. And while were paying $4 a gallon for gas, theyre sending our money unchecked to Ukraine. Now were almost $32 trillion in debt. Enough is enough, Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs said in his announcement video.

Staggs criticized Romney, who has earned ire from Republicans for some of his positions, including voting against then-President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial, and said he believes someone else should represent Utah in Congress.

When Romney, 76, decided to run for Senate, the former Massachusetts governor said hed push to end illegal immigration, balance the budget, combat federal government overreach, and confirm judges who adhere to the U.S. Constitution.

The only thing Ive seen him fight for are the establishment, wokeness, open borders, impeaching President Trump, and putting us even deeper into debt, Staggs said.

Headlines regarding Romney marching in a Black Lives Matter protest in Washington in 2020, voting against Trump in the two impeachment sagas, and siding with Democrats and 17 other GOP senators to approve a $1.7 trillion spending package were shown to viewers.

Romney was also one of just three Republicans to vote for Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a President Joe Biden appointee, and has helped confirm other Biden appointees like Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Staggs is the first major Republican to launch a campaign for the Senate seat in the red state.

Romney, whose office did not return a request for comment, has filed paperwork preparing for a run, but the senator has not made a final choice on a 2024 reelection campaign, his chief of staff told news outlets earlier this year.

He will make a final decision in the coming months, Liz Johnson, the chief of staff, told outlets previously.

Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs. (Riverton via The Epoch Times)

Opposition to Mask Mandate

Staggs also highlighted how he stood up during the COVID-19 pandemic against a mask mandate.

Then-Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, a Republican, in 2020 imposed mask mandates in Salt Lake County and Summit County.

Staggs, who was campaigning at the same time to become Salt Lake Countys mayor, said he would not enforce the mandate in Riverton.

I will direct, along with our city manager, our police department to spend their resources in other areas that are really going to protect our public health, Staggs told KUTV.

Staggs said he would encourage mask-wearing but opposed mandating it.

Our residents will do the right thing when theyre asked to do something, Staggs said. They do not need the heavy hand of government to come down on them.

Staggs later left open keeping the mandate in place if he were elected as county mayor. Staggs lost the race to Jenny Wilson, a Democrat, by about 37,000 votes out of some 500,000 cast.

We saw in 2020 especially, we saw the heavy hand of government. I was one that said no and pushed back on lockdowns, on mandates, Staggs told Deseret News. I pushed back considerably because I dont believe thats in the purview of government. And I think Ive been proven right.

Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson. (Utah House of Representatives via The Epoch Times)

Another Possible Candidate

Romney, 76, is serving his first term in the Senate after moving to Utah from Massachusetts, where he lost an election in 1994 before becoming governor in 2003.

Romney emerged from a primary election in 2018 over state Rep. Mike Kennedy before beating Wilson with 62 percent of the vote. He has since repeatedly criticized Trump, and was the only Republican senator to vote to convict Trump in Trumps first impeachment trial.

Romney voted to convict Trump again in 2021, but Trump was acquitted both times.

Romneys votes sparked censure and other backlash among Republicans in Utah and elsewhere, but he has kept his seat.

Romney could receive additional challengers, including Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, a Republican who said in April he was forming an exploratory committee as he weighs a bid.

Weve got this amazing opportunity to send Utah values back to D.C., and to have a conservative fighter back there, doing things back there the way we do them here in the Beehive State, Wilson said at the time.

Several other Republicans have filed paperwork, including conservative Tyrone Jensen. Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) has also said he may run for the seat, while Rep. John Curtis (R-Utah) said he will not launch a bid.

Political handicappers The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabatos Crystal Ball all rate the seat as solid Republican.

Republicans currently have a minority of 49 seats in the 100-seat Senate, but hope to flip control of the upper chamber in the upcoming election. The party has to defend just 11 seats, compared to 23 for Democrats, and is especially targeting seats held by Democrats in red states such as the seat held by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).
Republican Mega-Donor Abandons Trump: DeSantis Is a Leader

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to a crowd at the North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, S.C., on April 19, 2023. (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

A Republican mega-donor is supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis instead of former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race.

Hal Lambert, who served on Trumps inaugural committee in 2016, said that he made the decision to support DeSantis due to the governors prospects of winning the 2024 race.

Im in for DeSantis this time. I plan to do a lot to help DeSantis win, Lambert told The New York Post in an interview published on May 21. Ron is good at giving a message.

DeSantis is a leader who knows how to govern, not just have news headlines and slogans, Lambert added, and said he believes the governor is on the right track on issues such as border security, energy independence, and school choice. He said that overall, DeSantis has a successful conservative record in Florida.

Lambert is also the founder of Texas-based Point Bridge Capital, an investment firm that manages an exchange-traded fund named MAGA ETF.

According to the companys website, the MAGA ETF channels investments into companies that align with Republican political beliefs. The MAGA Index comprises 150 companies from the S&P 500 whose employees and political action committees (PACs) are supportive of Republican candidates.

Lambert said he decided to support DeSantis after dining with the governor and his wife Casey a few weeks ago. He said Floridas first lady will be a real asset.

As for Trump, Lambert said he was turned off by the former presidents remarks about the 2020 election during a CNN town hall earlier this month.

What voters who didnt vote for Trump in 2020 are going to vote for him this time based on his performance? I dont think anyone will, Lambert said.

We cant talk about things from four years ago that cant be changed, he said. Trump is going to have a difficult time winning the general election. The election wont be about [President] Joe Bidens bad record. It will be a referendum on Trump instead.

Nevertheless, Lambert acknowledged that its going to be a battle for DeSantis to defeat Trump.

You have to beat Trump and not alienate Trumps voters. We need them to win the general election, he explained.

Lambert also claimed that Trumps poll numbers will drop once DeSantis officially enters the 2024 race.

Trumps support will drop under 50 percent, he said.

According to a survey by Harvard CAPS-Harris that queried 2,004 registered voters from May 17 to May 18, Trump defeated Biden 47 percent to 40 percent in a hypothetical matchup. When Biden faced off against DeSantis, the two were tied with 42 percent of support each.

DeSantis has not announced his candidacy, but is expected to make his decision known soon.

Apart from Trump, several other major Republicans have officially announced their White House bids, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, biotechnology entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, conservative radio host Larry Elder, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

Bryan Griffin, press secretary for DeSantiss office, told Fox News that Lamberts support countered media narratives.

Much to the medias chagrin, this proves that donors continue to be impressed by Governor DeSantis and support him in bringing his successes to the national stage, Griffin said. Clearly the medias shared talking points for that narrative were yet again backed by nothing but their agenda.

Trumps campaign dismissed Lamberts decision to support DeSantis.

This fraudster is a thirsty climber desperate to be relevant. He has no political juice and is a low-level player that doesnt even register on the radar of influence, a campaign spokesperson told the Washington Examiner in a statement.
Russia Fights Cross-Border Raid That Ukraine Says Is Russian Opposition

Vehicles destroyed by a Russian missile strike are seen at a damaged fire depot compound belonging to the State Emergency Service, amid Russia's ongoing invasion, in Dnipro, Ukraine, on May 22, 2023. (Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Dnipropetrovsk region/Handout via Reuters)

Russia said on Monday it was battling a cross-border incursion by saboteurs who burst through the frontier from Ukraine, in what appeared to be one of the biggest attacks of its kind since the war began 15 months ago.

The governor of Russias Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said a Ukrainian sabotage group had entered Russian territory in the Graivoron district bordering Ukraine and was being repelled.

But the Ukrainian outlet Hromadske cited Ukrainian military intelligence as saying two armed Russian opposition groups, the Liberty of Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps, both consisting of Russian citizens, were responsible for the attack.

A Ukrainian presidential adviser said on Twitter that the Kyiv government was watching the situation with interest but has nothing to do with it.

The Russia Volunteer Corps published video footage late on Monday which showed what it said was a fighter inspecting a captured armoured vehicle. Another video showed what it said were fighters operating an armoured vehicle on a country road.

Other videos posted on Russian and Ukrainian social media channels showed pictures and video of what were described as captured Russian servicemen and their identity documents.

Reuters was not able to independently verify the situation.

Governor Imposes Counter-Terrorist Measures

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had been informed and that work was under way to drive out the saboteurs, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Belgorod governor Gladkov said on Telegram that at least eight people had been wounded and three houses and an administrative building damaged. In a later briefing streamed on social media, Gladkov said a large part of the local population had left and that he had imposed a counter-terrorist operation that restricts movement and communications.

The Telegram channel Baza, which has links to Russias security services, said there were indications of fighting in three settlements along the main road leading into Russia. The Open Belgorod Telegram channel said power and water had been cut off to several villages.

The Liberty of Russia Legion said on Twitter it had completely liberated the border town of Kozinka. It said forward units had reached the district centre of Graivoron, further east.

Moving on. Russia will be free! it wrote.

Ukrainian social media users made regular reference to what they called the Belgorod Peoples Republica nod to events in eastern Ukraine in 2014 when Russia-backed militias purporting to be rebels against the Kyiv government declared peoples republics in the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.

Bakhmut Battle Rages On

An aerial view shows destructions in the frontline town of Bakhmut, amid Russias attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, in this handout picture released on May 21, 2023. (Press Service of the 93rd Kholodnyi Yar Separate Machanized Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/Handout via REUTERS)

The Kremlin said the incursion aimed to distract attention from the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces claim to have captured in its entirety after more than nine months of fighting.

Moscow says capturing Bakhmut opens the way to further advances in the eastern industrial region known as the Donbas bordering Russia. Ukraine says its advance on the Russian forces flanks is more meaningful than its withdrawal inside Bakhmut itself, and Russia will have to weaken its lines elsewhere to send reinforcements to hold the shattered city.

There were 25 clashes on the main sectors of the frontline with the epicentre of fighting remaining Bakhmut and Maryinka further south, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement on Monday night.

Russian forces continued offensive actions including air strikes on Bakhmut and on the village of Ivanivske on its western fringe, the statement said. At least 12 towns and villages in the area came under shell fire, including Bakhmut and Ivanivske, it said.

Separately on Bakhmut, Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern group of Ukrainian forces, told Ukrainian television: In the past 24 hours, Ukrainian troops have made steady progress, advancing 250-400 metres on the flanks and establishing a foothold. Even though these advances are gradual, it is better when such advances are well planned.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Meanwhile, the United Nations expressed concern on Monday that Ukraines Black Sea port of Pivdennyi (Yuzhny) has not received any ships since May 2 under a deal allowing the safe wartime export of grain and fertilizer.

By Pavel Polityuk
Saskatchewan Continues to Tackle 23 Wildfires; Hundreds Unable to Return Home

University Bridge is photographed through thick smoke from wildfires burning across the Prairies, in Saskatoon on May 20, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Heywood Yu)

Hundreds of people in Saskatchewan are still unable to return home as crews continue to battle wildfires in the provinces northern region.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency says its tackling 23 active wildfires in the north, including five fires that are not contained and three of them requiring crews to protect property.

The agency says its supporting 500 people who were forced to evacuate from various communities, including Buffalo Narrows, Dillon and Patuanak.

Steve Roberts, vice-president of operations at the agency, says theres no update on when people can return home.

He says the fires are extremely aggressive and creating lots of smoke, which has made it difficult for crews to get on the ground.

Roberts says some rain is expected in the coming days, which would help firefighters make headway.
Second IRS Whistleblower Dismissed From Hunter Biden Investigation, Attorneys Say

Joe Biden, with son Hunter Biden, arrives at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York, on Feb. 4, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)

A second IRS agent has alleged retaliation after claiming that the Justice Department interfered with the criminal probe into possible tax violations by Hunter Biden, according to a letter sent to IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel.

The May 20 letter (pdf) was sent by lawyers representing an unnamed IRS criminal Supervisory Special Agent (SSA).

According to the lawyers, their clients entire team of investigators was removed by the IRS from a criminal tax case in an apparent act of retaliation aimed at some of those employees who had expressed concerns about the Department of Justice (DOJ) improperly allowing politics to infect its decisions.

That includes a case agent who has been working on the investigation for five years, according to the lawyers.

The lawyers wrote in the letterwhich does not directly reference the Hunter Biden investigationthat the removal of their clients entire team of investigators is inconsistent with testimony Werfel gave to the House Committee on Ways and Means in April.

During that testimony, Werfel told lawmakers that there would be no retaliation against whistleblowers or anyone making an allegation at the IRS.

It is not immediately clear why the whistleblower and his team were removed from the investigation.

It was our understanding that although the IRS executed the reprisal, it did so on behalf of DOJ officials who had the motive to retaliate because it was the propriety of their own actions that had been called into question by the protected disclosures, the lawyers wrote in their letter.

The lawyers wrote that despite Werfels assurances, they recently became aware that the IRS has inexplicably decided to initiate additional reprisals against these special agents, apparently for a protected disclosure directly to you.

This is unacceptable and contrary to the law, which clearly prohibits it, the letter adds.

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, at the White House on April 18, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Case Agent Dismissed From Probe

The lawyers then go on to state that their client recently learned that one of the agents he supervises, who is working on the case on which the SSA is blowing the whistle, was removed from a highly sensitive case  after nearly 5 years of work.

Hunter Biden, President Joe Bidens son, has been under federal investigation for alleged tax fraud, lobbying crimes, and money laundering since 2018.

The younger Biden confirmed that his business deals were being investigated in December 2020 but said at the time that he was confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately.

The letter sent to the IRS chief references an earlier email sent by the now-fired agent to Werfel in which they state that they and their SSA have spent the last few years trying to gain the attention of senior leadership about certain issues prevalent regarding the investigation.

I have asked for countless meetings with our chief and deputy chief, often to be left out on an island and not heard from, the email reads. The lack of IRS-CI senior leadership involvement is deeply troubling and unacceptable  [W]hen I said on multiple occasions that I wasnt being heard and that I thought I wasnt able to perform my job adequately because of the actions of the USAO and DOJ, my concerns were ignored by senior leadership.

The ultimate decision to remove the investigatory team  without actually talking to that investigatory team, in my opinion was a decision made not to side with the investigators but to side with the US Attorneys Office and Department of Justice, the email reads.

In response to making his good faith expression of reasonable concernsconcerns shared by our clientthe case agent had a right to expect that his email would be taken seriously, considered, and addressed professionally without retribution, as the law requires, the lawyers wrote of the email sent by the now-fired case agent.

Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden attend the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on April 10, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Intimidating Form of Reprisal

Instead, the IRS responded with accusations of criminal conduct and warnings to other agents in an apparent attempt to intimidate into silence anyone who might raise similar concerns, they said.

The lawyers went on to state that in another email, the Assistant Special Agent in charge of the case suggested that the case agent who raised the concerns may have illegally disclosed grand jury material in their initial email, a claim they called utterly baseless and without support in the law.

They also said the response to the case agents concerns suggests that the individual may have been referred for investigation, an even more intimidating form of reprisal likely to chill anyone from expressing dissent.

Additionally, the acting special agent in charge issued a contemporaneous email to supervisors, including their client, ordering them to obey the chain of command, the lawyers said.

As Commissioner, you are responsible by statute for preventing prohibited personnel practices, such as whistleblower retaliation, the lawyers wrote to Werfel.

The IRS must immediately cease and desist intimidating our client for simply exercising his Constitutional right to petition Congress and his statutory right against retaliation for doing so, they concluded.

The attorneys then called upon Werfel to immediately issue corrective guidance clarifying the aforementioned supervisor communications lest they chill the disclosures of other IRS whistleblowers who may wish to come forward.

Biden Stands by Son

The letter from the lawyersMark Lytle, a former DOJ lawyer, and Tristan Leavittcomes just days after they revealed that the initial whistleblower, the IRS criminal supervisory special agent, had been removed from the criminal investigation into Hunter Bidens taxes.

According to the lawyers, the SSA has been working on an ongoing and sensitive investigation of a high-profile, controversial subject since early 2020.

He was informed the change was at the request of the Department of Justice, lawyers said of their client in a May 15 letter (pdf) addressed to multiple congressional lawmakers.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in Delaware is handling the criminal investigation into Hunter Biden.

In a separate letter (pdf) sent to Congress on May 22, Lytle and Leavitt said their client, the SSA, will appear before the House Ways and Means Committee on May 26 to give testimony on the matter.

President Joe Biden has routinely insisted that his son has done nothing wrong, telling MSNBC on May 5: I trust him. I have faith in him.

The IRS said in a statement to CBS News that it is deeply committed to protecting the role of whistleblowers, and there are robust processes and procedures in place to protect whistleblowers.

As IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel has stated, we will not tolerate retaliation against any IRS employee making a whistleblower allegation, the agency said in its statement.

When suggestions of wrongdoing are raised, we work with all appropriate parties, including the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, to ensure the integrity of the whistleblower process is safeguarded, the agency said.

The Department of Justice declined to comment when contacted by The Epoch Times.

The Epoch Times contacted the IRS for further comment.
Senators Take Aim at Official Research That Supports Australia Not Going Nuclear

Official research from Australias CSIRO used to support the claim that nuclear is the most expensive form of energy has been criticised by Coalition senators.

It comes after federal Labor Energy Minister Chris Bowen posted a video on social media lambasting nuclear as a viable option for Australias energy needs, citing the CSIROs 2019-20 GenCost report.

The report, which uses data from engineering consultancy Aurecon, claims the capital expenditure for nuclear energy is as high as $16,000/kW.

It then compares this figure to the capital expenditure for wind, which comes in at around $2,000/kW, and solar, which comes in slightly below $2,000/kW.

In response, Liberal-National Senators Holly Hughes, Matthew Canavan, and David Van questioned the CSIROs modelling during a Senate inquiry into removing Australias federal prohibition on nuclear energy development.

Nationals Senator Matthew Canavan at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Jun. 22, 2021. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

They claimed the report used by Bowen involved cherry picking certain technologies, was misleading the public, and did not have a bearing on the real world.

It is not just about [small modular reactors], and falling back on that as an argument is misleading and deceptive to the Australian people, Liberal Senator Hughes said.

Victorian Liberal Senator David Van said the CSIROs estimates on nuclear costs are a very incomplete process.

I would argue that you are cherry-picking some technologies and wilfully ignoring others, he said.

Meanwhile, Queensland Senator Matt Canavan questioned the use of Aurecon as a partner for data collection because the engineering consultancy was also engaged with renewable energy companies.

Your report is being used to guide government policy and the provision of billions of dollars of government funding, Canavan told the CSIROs chief economist Paul Graham.

So obviously, they have an incentive [to endorse renewable energy].

CSIRO Stands By Data, But Problems Still Persist

In response, the CSIROs Executive Director for Environment and Energy, Peter Mayfield, said Aurecon is close to real projects, and its report goes through a consultation process that invites scrutiny to ensure the numbers stack up.

Theres a very vibrant community associated with [the Australian Energy Market Operator]. It will let you know straight away if something doesnt look right. So, were satisfied that there are enough checks and balances on that, he concluded.

This is not the first time the CSIROs data regarding the cost of nuclear power has come under question.

Adrian Paterson, former boss of Australias Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, said that the CSIROs numbers on nuclear contained a category error when comparing the per-watt cost of nuclear energy to solar and wind.

One generates power 24 x 7, and the other generates power only when the sun is shining, or the wind is blowing, he told the Australian Financial Review.

Nuclear engineer and associate professor at the Australian National University, Tony Irwin, agreed.

According to The Australian, Irwin said that after appropriate adjustments for firming costs (including backup power for renewables) and new grids were calculated, small modular nuclear reactor capital costs are less than half those of wind and solar.

Nuclear Still the Most Efficient

A paper by the Energy Policy Institute of Australia found thee CSIROs GenCost report significantly overstated the cost of nuclear generation and understated the cost of ensuring electricity from renewable energy sources was firm (and therefore, comparable with the cost of baseload generators).

The global energy authority, the International Energy Agency (IEA), has also come to a similar position.

In its 2020 paper titled Project Costs of Generating Electricity, the IEA found that long-term operated nuclear power plants produce power at a cost of about $50 per megawatt hour.

The Agency noted that electricity produced from nuclear long-term operation (LTO) by lifetime extension is highly competitive and remains not only the lowest cost option for low-carbon generationwhen compared to building new power plantsbut for all power generation across the board.

Meanwhile, the cost of solar powerdepending on whether it is utility-scale, commercial, residential, or solar thermalis about $99 per megawatt hour.

The cost of winddepending on whether it is onshore or offshore windis around $69 per megawatt hour.

The efficiency of nuclear energy became more evident after the Finland-based nuclear reactor, Olkiluoto 3, which began operating in April, resulted in electricity prices decreasing by more than 75 percent.

Meanwhile, figures from the Australian Energy Market Operator show that average wholesale power prices in New South Wales have increased by over 300 percent since 2015 on an annualised basis.
Social life has its benefits. Animals that live in groups are better protected from predators, allowing them more time to feed and care for their offspring. But each individual within the group has different needs. For example, some may need more time to digest, while others may want to move to a new area with food or water.

To keep the group together, most social species need to make collective decisions, which is why they each have their own voting systems. Sometimes, the opinions of all individuals count equally, while for other species, only part of the group can vote. In still others, the leader holds all the power. Below are five cases in point.

Buffalo: females decide where to graze

Tanzanias Lake Manyara National Park offers several places for buffalo to graze. In the afternoon, the herd is often found resting on the lake shore. Most lie down, but now and then a buffalo will stand up, shake a little as if to stretch its legs, and lie down again. When the sun touches the horizon, its time to look for a place with good grass to eat. The herd rises and starts walking in the same direction. Somehow, they all know where to go.

In the 1990s, Herbert Prins, a professor of ecology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, noticed that when females stood up to stretch their legs, they were actually voting. After shaking and before lying down, they looked in one direction for a minute, holding their heads higher than when resting but lower than when alert. Once the females had expressed their preferences, the herd would move in the direction with the most votes.

Bees: scouts choose the new nest site

When a hive grows too large, the queen and half the colony leave to find a new home, while a young queen continues to rule the old nest. Selecting a new nest begins with the departure of hundreds of scout bees that go from tree to tree to inspect each cavity for the right place. They consider factors such as size, light, humidity, and temperature.

When the search ends, the scouts return to the hive and voting begins. In a kind of dance, each bee communicates the site that it likes the most, providing information about its location and its quality. The decision is made when many bees agree through their dances. A minute later, the bees are on their way to their new home.

Swans: ritual before flying

Whooper swans in Chinas Rongcheng Swan National Nature Reserve; December 14, 2022. VCG (Getty Images)

Migratory birds must make many important decisions during their journeys, including when to resume flight after feeding and resting. Waiting too long can extend the journey and prevent them from reaching their destination on time. But not eating enough and leaving too early can cause them to run out of energy while flying. In social birds, these decisions have to be made by a consensus of hundreds of individuals.

Some species, like swans, vote democratically through ritualized behavior, i.e., the successive repetition of a stereotyped behavior. When an individual is ready to take off, it begins to shake its head and flap its wings restlessly. Gradually, more individuals join the ritual, until the entire flock suddenly intensifies its movements 30 seconds before takeoff. Its time to leave.

Meerkats: voting calls

Meerkats on the lookout for predators and food in their environment at Animal Kingdom Theme Park in Florida, in 2022. Joseph Prezioso (Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Meerkats are found in Africa and live in close-knit groups of up to 50 individuals. They are mainly carnivores, foraging in the sand for small prey. This means that they cannot communicate with each other visually while foraging. As a result, they have developed a wide range of vocalizations that they use in a variety of contexts. For example, to avoid moving too far away from each other, they use the proximity vocalization.

Meerkats use the lets move vocalization when they sense that there is no prey nearby, and its safe to go to another feeding area. When two other meerkats repeat the vocalization, thats enough to make the entire group move, according to a study published in 2010. This was true regardless of the dominance, sex, or age of the individuals making the call. Anyone can judge the availability of food.

Elephants: the matriarch decides

An elephant herd enjoys a morning drink at a watering hole in Paterson, South Africa. David Silverman (Getty Images)

There is no democratic voting among elephants. The final decision about when and where to eat is made by a single individual  the matriarch  the oldest female in the group. Everyone accepts her leadership because experience and wisdom often go hand in hand. Indeed, several studies have shown that older elephants make better choices.

For example, elephants will often encounter lions in the savanna, but lions are not always a threat. A small group of lionesses is no match for a herd of elephants protecting their young. However, male lions are much more dangerous, and there is more risk when a group of lionesses is very large. One study showed that the older the matriarch, the better she can assess risk from predators. With elephants, wisdom reigns.
South African Weapons to Russia Possible but Doubtful, Say Arms Control Experts

A member of the South African Defence Force holds a MK1S grenade launcher manufactured by Milkor, a South African manufacturer, during the Africa Aerospace and Defence Expo on September 20, 2018, at the Waterkloof Air Force base, on the outskirts of Pretoria. (Photo by WIKUS DE WET / AFP) (Photo credit should read WIKUS DE WET/AFP via Getty Images)

JOHANNESBURGSeveral weapons experts with knowledge of the international arms industry have told The Epoch Times its highly unlikely that South Africa secretly exported weapons or ammunition to Russia.

On 11 May, at a press conference in Pretoria, United States ambassador to South Africa Reuben Brigety made headlines around the world when he said: The arming of Russia, by South Africa, with the vessel that landed in Simons Town, is fundamentally unacceptable.

We are confident that weapons were loaded onto that vessel and I would bet my life on the accuracy of that assertion.

President Cyril Ramaphosa immediately denied the allegation, and pledged to establish an independent inquiry to investigate the ambassadors claims.

Brigety has apologized for not following correct channels in making his allegation, but has not retracted it.

According to U.S. intelligence reports, the Russian ship Lady R was loaded with weapons and ammunition between Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 at the Simons Town naval base near Cape Town.

In May 2022, the U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control added the Lady R to its sanctions list for alleged weapons shipments, along with several other Russian cargo vessels allegedly being used for President Vladimir Putins war effort in Ukraine.

Brigetys allegations fed into a growing international perception that South Africa is firmly aligned with Russia, although it insists it is neutral in the conflict.

The governing African National Congress (ANC) has strong historic ties with Moscow, dating back to the 1960s when the former Soviet Union began supplying weapons and money to it for its armed struggle against apartheid.

Many of the ANCs former and current cabinet ministers and other top officials studied and received military training in the USSR.

South Africa and Russia are allies in the BRICS economic bloc, which also includes Brazil, China and India.

In March last year, South Africa abstained from voting for a United Nations resolution condemning Putins invasion. Since the war began, Pretoria has allowed several sanctioned Russian vessels and aircraft to dock at its ports and land at its military bases.

In February, the South African, Chinese and Russian navies participated in a 10-day joint military exercise along South Africas east coast. Shortly thereafter Pretoria declined to take part in American-led naval training.

In recent months, senior South African state officials, including Defense Minister Thandi Modise, have been keynote speakers at security conferences in Russia.

Last week, as the storm around Brigetys comments was raging, the ANC dispatched its top army general to Moscow to meet with the chief of the Russian infantry.

A statement that followed said Lieutenant-General Lawrence Mbatha and General Oleg Salyukov, the commander of Russias ground forces, had discussed military cooperation and combat readiness.

Professor Guy Lamb, a criminologist and political scientist at South Africas Stellenbosch University, told The Epoch Times although the optics dont look good for Pretoria, he doubts the Ramaphosa administration provided war material to Russia.

Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? No. A significant arms transaction between South Africa and Russia wouldve required a number of implausible things to happen. A long list of procurement procedures would have to be flouted and ministers bypassed. It wouldve needed corruption on a grand and sophisticated scale, said Lamb.

But all this is beside the point when one considers that South Africa doesnt have a massive arms manufacturing capacity anymore, like it did during apartheid. So what could we offer the Kremlin that could help it in a significant way in Ukraine?

Lamb is a former arms trafficking investigator for the UN, and has spent decades researching the global arms trade and arms control.

Arms Industry Glory Days Gone

From the early 1960s to late 1980s the apartheid government fought border wars against communist guerilla armies from several neighboring states, and also battled the ANCs Soviet-trained fighters internally.

South African military analyst Helmoed Heitmann told The Epoch Times: International isolation and sanctions forced the apartheid government to build one of the most formidable arms industries in the world.

It was small when compared with big powers like the United States, but it made up for this in terms of innovation.

The apartheid government couldnt import what it needed to fight all these internal and external threats, so it was forced to invent its own weapons systems and ammunition. It even built several nuclear bombs, one of the few countries ever to have done so.

Examples of apartheid-era military innovations used around the world include the Rooivalk (Red Falcon) attack helicopter and Cheetah fighter plane, which later became the blueprint for Swedens much-admired Gripen fighter aircraft.

South African weapons experts also designed the R4 and R5 assault rifles to rival the firepower of Russias AK-47, the weapon of choice for ANC guerillas.

But South Africas defense budget has declined remarkably since 1994, and is now less than 1 percent of GDP against the international average of 2 percent.

Africas leading military news website, DefenceWeb, said the domestic arms industry was now largely exporting to survive and continues to develop world class defense equipment. There are a number of local companies that have developed or started to develop many cutting-edge and world-leading products and systems, but in many cases been forced to abandon them or put them on hold due to funding restrictions.

Documentation from South Africas ministry of defense says the Lady R docked in Simons Town to deliver five-million rounds of ammunition for the armys Special Forces. A report from the states Arms Control Committee reflects that the ammunition was ordered in 2019.

Russia is the second-largest exporter of arms in the world and South Africa is a long-time client.

Why would Russia deliver millions of rounds of ammunition to South Africa and then take back ammunition from us, to Ukraine? Lamb asked.

No permit approval for arms orders from Russia appears in recent export reports of South Africas National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC), other than for electronic observation equipment.

The ANC has been mired in corruption since it came to power in 1994. Could a secret arms sale to Russia simply be part of that pattern?

If there was corruption, said Lamb, it would have to have involved South Africas entire NCACC, which consists of a broad spectrum of cabinet ministers.

The ANC established this committee shortly after it came to power in 1994 to symbolize its break from the apartheid past, when the National Party government had armed states the ANC considered to be enemies, most notably Israel.

It pledged to tighten arms export controls to prevent South African weapons being used by governments that violate human rights, engage in civil wars, or pursue aggression against other countries.

The Committee includes the ministers of trade and industry and finance and they would have immediately objected to any arms export to Russia, on the basis that that could result in South Africas defense industry being sanctioned, and would have negative consequences for the countrys trade relations with Europe and the United States, Lamb explained.

The US is South Africas second-largest export market after China.

Lamb said although it was possible that weapons and ammunition could have been loaded onto the Lady R illegally, he still doesnt believe it happened.

Those involved wouldve had to pay bribes to scores of officials at the docks, with no guarantee that one of more would later spill the beans. Fraudulent export documentation wouldve had to have been drawn up. Then, in my experience, illegal arms transactions usually happen at busy container ports, where things can happen covertly.

What Would Russians Want?

South Africas state-owned arms manufacturing company is Denel SOC.

It and its subsidiaries manufacture attack helicopters, cruise missiles, air defense missiles, anti-tank guided missiles and glide bombs.

Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher of the arms transfers program, at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, told The Epoch Times South Africas arms industry had recently made advances in a few niche areas, such as certain light armored vehicles and anti-tank missiles.

Theres demand for South African combat systems, assault rifles and other military equipment from many countries, including from the United States, China, European nations like Finland, and all over Africa, especially, said Wezeman.

Denel also makes the NTW-20 anti-material rifle.

The Military Africa group, which monitors arms manufacturing and use on the continent and elsewhere, described the weapon as attracting a lot of interest globally and designed to engage high-value targets such as radar stations, petrol tankers, static helicopters and planes, and command and control stations.

It serves as an accurate long-range portable rifle which can be carried by a sniper and can also be mounted on light vehicles. While it is not seen as a traditional sniper rifle, a version of this gun [Denel NTW-14.5] is credited with a 2,125m kill by a South African Special Forces sniper.

One of Denels subsidiaries is majority-owned by German company, Rheinmetall.

According to its website, it specializes in the development, design and manufacture of large and medium-caliber ammunition, and is a world leader in the field of artillery, mortar, and infantry systems.

Its G6 howitzer with a 52-calibre gun is capable of firing a conventional 155 mm artillery round almost 50 miles, the furthest yet recorded by a weapon in this class.

Rheinmetall Denel also manufactures artillery and mortar ammunition and missile subsystems, including warheads.

The company is adamant it sells its products to mostly NATO countries.

The Armaments Corporation of South Africa (ARMSCOR), the arms procurement agency of the South African Department of Defense, acknowledges a strategic partnership with Rosoboronexport, Moscows state arms export corporation.

A corporation official who asked not to be named told The Epoch Times: ARMSCOR repairs Russian-built equipment for several African militaries, in collaboration with Rosoboronexport. We are also working together on projects aimed at combining Russian and South African systems in weapons for export.

As an example, he pointed to South African made multi-sensor warning systems currently being used in Russian Sukhoi Su-30MKM fighter jets.

Arms to Repressive Regimes?

The ANC government began breaking its promises not to supply weapons to regimes allegedly guilty of human rights violations as early as 1997, when it exported arms to Rwanda, in contravention of a UN embargo prohibiting sales to countries in civil conflict.

In 2010, South African companies sold sniper rifles to the Libyan regime, as confirmed by the NCACC in 2011, and also provided military equipment to Iran and Syria.

According to NCACC reports, in 2016 and 2017 South Africa supplied arms to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, when the two countries led a coalition to restore ousted leader of Yemen, President Mansur Hadi, to power.

Human rights groups accused the coalition of killing thousands of civilians, mostly in indiscriminate airstrikes.

The NCACC reports of 2016 and 2017 confirmed South Africa had provided 1,600 guided missiles to the UAE, for use in the countrys Mirage jets active in Yemen.

South Africa also sold heavy artillery guns, assault rifles, ammunition, armored vehicles, and surveillance equipment to the Saudi-led coalition.

Brigetys allegations that Pretoria has provided weapons to Russia have ratcheted up the tension between Pretoria and Washington, largely based on overt support in the ANC for Putin.

A delegation from the South African government recently visited the Capitol, to ask U.S. lawmakers not to exclude their country from the benefits of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).

This gives South Africa duty-free access to American markets for a range of products, including motor vehicles, wine and fruit, earning it billions of rands in revenue.

Lamb called on Washington to declassify the intelligence reports on which Brigetys allegations are apparently based.

Intelligence always needs to be challenged and scrutinized. The U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 was based on an intelligence report that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and that proved to be fraudulent. The report saying South Africa provided something to Russia might be accurate, it might not.

But even if one U.S. congressman bases his decision to vote South Africa out of AGOA on a report that turns out to be erroneous, that would be very unfair.

Lamb said Brigety would not have gone public with such serious allegations without getting the go-ahead from Washington.

So, its clear that the US government believes the intelligence it gathered is valid. Thats all the more reason to interrogate it, so that the South African people can hold their own government to account if it is indeed selling arms to someone like Vladimir Putin.
Stan Grant Delivers Final Message Before ABC Hiatus

A supplied image of Stan Grant talking about his new book The Queen is Dead at the Melbourne Writers Festival in Melbourne, Australia on May 6, 2023. (AAP Image/Supplied by Andrew Guo, Atticus Media)

Indigenous Australian journalist Stan Grant says he will meet hatred with love in his final appearance on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) before a self-imposed hiatus.

Appearing on the Q+A program which aired May 22, Grant told audiences that his critics were successful at hurting him.

Im sorry that I must have given us so much cause to hate me so much, to target me and my family to make threats against me, Im sorry, he said.

I am down right now, I am. But Ill get back up, and you can come at me again, and Ill meet you with the love of my people, he said in reference to his Aboriginal heritage.

He criticised media outlets saying they were often the poison in the bloodstream of our society.

I fear the media does not have the love or the language to speak to the gentle spirits of our land. Im not walking away for a while because of racism. We get that far too often. Im walking away because of social media hatred. I need a break from the media.

Stan Grant speaks during the Anthony Mundine media conference at the Cruise Bar in Sydney, Australia on March 24, 2021. (Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Controversy Over Coronation Coverage

His decision to stand down comes after he said he received abuse online after taking part in ABCs coverage of the coronation of King Charles III in early May.

During the coronation coverage, I spoke of Yindyamarra (respect) for those who support the monarchy even as I confront the darkness of colonisation and empire, he wrote in an ABC op-ed.

I pointed out that the Crown represents the invasion and theft of our land. In the name of the Crown, my people were segregated on missions and reserves. Police wearing the seal of the Crown took children from their families. Under the Crown, our people were massacred.

Yet Grants involvement in the programand the sharing of his views on colonialismreceived criticism, especially because audience members were tuning in to celebrate King Charles III and the monarchy, not critique it.

Grant meanwhile also cited a lack of support from the upper echelons of ABC when he received blowback online for his appearance, which later saw Managing Director David Anderson issue an apology.

Stan has our full support. And he has always had our full support, he wrote in an email to ABC staff.

Stan makes an enormous contribution to conversations of national importance.

On May 23, Labor Deputy Leader Richard Marles lauded Grant as a wonderful Australian.

To see somebody of his calibre, saying what he said and taking the steps that he has, has got to give us all pause for thought about the public debate and the public environment in which we live today in Australia, he told ABC radio.

While Indigenous Minister Linda Burney said, Grants experience raised serious issues about the medias role in the country, particularly in the lead-up to The Voice referenduma veiled criticism of the views published in right-leaning media outlets.

On May 22, ABC staff held rallies outside their Sydney and Melbourne offices in support of Grant.
State of Florida Sued After DeSantis Signs Law Banning Some Chinese Nationals From Owning Property

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs two bills surrounded by state, local, and Taiwanese representatives at the Florida National Guard Robert A. Ballard Armory in Miami, Florida, on June 7, 2021. The governor signed the bills to combat foreign influence and corporate espionage in Florida from governments like China. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The state of Florida is being sued by a group of Chinese citizens after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a new measure restricting some foreign nationals from China from purchasing property in the state.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Tallahassee on May 22, are four Chinese citizens residing in Florida and a real estate brokerage firm primarily serving Chinese and Chinese American clients.

They argue that the bill signed into law by DeSantis, known as the Interests of Foreign Countries Act, or SB 264, imposes discriminatory prohibitions on the ownership and purchase of real property based on race, ethnicity, alienage, and national originand imposes especially draconian restrictions on people from China.

The plaintiffs claimed that they will suffer serious repercussions from the bills restrictions if it goes into effect.

They will be forced to cancel purchases of new homes, register their existing properties with the State under threat of severe penalties, and face the loss of significant business. The law stigmatizes them and their communities, and casts a cloud of suspicion over anyone of Chinese descent who seeks to buy property in Florida, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit (pdf) was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the ACLU of Florida, DeHeng Law Offices PC, and the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, in coordination with the Chinese American Legal Defense Alliance.

DeSantis signed SB 264 into law on May 8 and the measure is set to go into effect on July 1.

Speaking at a news conference at the signing, DeSantis said the legislation is aimed at combating the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and protecting American interests from foreign threats.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during an Iowa GOP reception in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on May 13, 2023. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Crackdown on Communist China

We are following through on our commitment to crackdown on communist China, DeSantis said at the news conference.

Under the bill, any individual who is domiciled in the Peoples Republic of China and who is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States is banned from directly or indirectly buying property or having a controlling interest in property in Florida.

Additionally, the legislation prohibits citizens from a foreign country of concern from owning properties on or within 10 miles of military installations and other critical infrastructure in the state.

The bill lists China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria as foreign countries of concern, while military installations are described as a base, camp, post, station, yard, or center encompassing at least 10 contiguous acres that are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense or its affiliates.

An exception is made for individuals with non-tourist visas or whove been granted asylum. They will be allowed to buy parcels of land up to two acres in size providing that it is not within 5 miles of military installations.

Additionally, the bill states that individuals impacted by the measure may continue to hold their land if they purchased it before July 1, 2023 but will need to register with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services by Jan. 1, 2024.

Violators of the measure may face criminal penalties, including a charge of up to $1,000 for each day that the registration is late.

In their lawsuit against the state, plaintiffs noted that there are currently more than a dozen military installations in Florida, many of them within five miles of city centers like Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Panama City, and Key West.

This law is unconstitutional. It violates the equal protection and due process guarantees under the U.S. Constitution; it intrudes on the federal governments power to superintend foreign affairs, foreign investment, and national security; and it recalls the wrongful animus of similar state laws from decades pastlaws that were eventually struck down by courts or repealed by legislatures, plaintiffs wrote.

A for sale sign hangs in front of a home in Miami, Florida, on June 21, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

False Claims About National Security

They further argued that the measure is in violation of the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in real estate transactions.

Most of the Alien Land Laws in the United States were repealed or struck down in the 1950s, they noted.

The lawsuit lists defendants as Wilton Simpson, Floridas agriculture commissioner; Meredith Ivey, acting Florida secretary of economic opportunity; and Patricia Fitzgerald, chair of the Florida Real Estate Commission.

DeSantis, who is widely expected to announce a 2024 presidential run, has defended SB 264 as well as a string of other bills aimed at clamping down on the CCPs influence in the United States.

At a press conference in January, the Republican governor said, If you look at the Chinese Communist Party, theyve been very active throughout the Western hemisphere in gobbling up land and investing in different things.

And, you know, when they have interests that are opposed to ours, and youve seen how theyve wielded their authority  it is not in the best interests of Florida to have the Chinese Communist Party owning farmland, owning land close to military bases, DeSantis added.

The measure comes as the Biden administration also continues to work on counteracting the increasing threats posed by China to U.S. national security in the wake of the downing of a Chinese surveillance balloon earlier this year.

In a statement Monday announcing the lawsuit, ACLU said laws such as SB 264 are based on false claims about national security.

Theres no evidence that real estate purchases by people from China are causing harm, but there is a long history of similar policies making discrimination and violence against immigrants worse, ACLU said.

The nonprofit vowed to continue to fight back against this racist policy which they said is unfair, unjustified, and unconstitutional.

The Epoch Times has contacted a spokesperson for DeSantis for comment.
States Living Off Depleted Colorado River All Agree to Landmark Water Cuts

A view of the Colorado River from the Navajo Bridge in Marble Canyon, Ariz., on Aug. 31, 2022. (ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

California, Arizona, and Nevada have come together in a plan to protect the Colorado River Basin and reduce their water use from the river to save it from current drought conditions over the next three years, the southwestern states announced on Monday.

The southwestern states have agreed to cut at least 3 million acre-feet of water through 2026a significant 10 percent cut to the states Colorado River allocationand would be split up among farmers, tribes, and cities who are working with the federal government on short-term payments in exchange for water savings.

The river supplies water to 40 million people across seven U.S. states, parts of Mexico, and more than two dozen Native American tribes.

Christy Jackman, who has a well on her property, provides water for horses in Rio Verde Foothills, Ariz., on Feb. 23, 2023. The area in the Rio Verde Foothills has never had running water and there is a dwindling supply from the Colorado River, as a decades-long drought bites the American West. (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

California, the state that has the largest water consumption from the Colorado River, will see reductions up to 1.6 million acre-feet through 2026. Gov. Gavin Newsom is leading such initiatives, which he has blamed on climate change.

The entire Western United States is on the frontlines of climate changewe must work together to address this crisis and the weather extremes between drought and flood, Newsom said in a statement.

California has stepped up to make significant cuts to water usage and now, this historic partnership between California and other Lower Basin states will help maintain critical water supply for millions of Americans as we work together to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Colorado River System for decades to come.

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said the deal provides a way to build our reservoirs back up in the near-term, but added that there is still work to be done to address the long-term effects of climate change and overuse from the exploding population.

From here, our work must continue to take action and address the long-term issues of climate change and overallocation to ensure we have a sustainable Colorado River for all who rely upon it Hobbs said in a statement.

While Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo praised the agreement, emphasizing the teamwork between states to achieve this plan.

Nevada has long been a leader in regional water conservation efforts, and were pleased to continue leading through this agreement with other Lower Basin States, Lombardo said in a statement.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland praised the progress made between the Biden-Harris administration and state officials in the efforts to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System now and into the future.

There are 40 million people, seven states, and 30 Tribal Nations who rely on the Colorado River Basin for basic services such as drinking water and electricity. Todays announcement is a testament to the Biden-Harris administrations commitment to working with states, Tribes, and communities throughout the West to find consensus solutions in the face of climate change and sustained drought, Haaland said in a statement.

The Colorado River has been in crisis for years due to a multi-decade drought in the West, which some scientists believe has likely intensified due to climate change, as well as rising demand and overuse. Those combined pressures have sent water levels at crucial reservoirs along the river to unprecedented lows, though they have rebounded somewhat thanks to heavy precipitation and deep snowpack this winter.

Snow covered peaks near the headwaters of the Colorado River are illuminated by a beam of sunlight outside of the town of Winter Park, Colo., on March 26, 2023. The 1,450-mile-long Colorado River supplies many western states and cities at lower elevations with water needed to fill reservoirs such as Lake Powell and Lake Mead. (JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images)

In recent years, the rivers woes have forced the federal government to cut some water allocations and offer up billions of dollars to pay farmers, cities, and others to cut back. But key water officials dont see those efforts as being enough to prevent the system from collapsing.

Water officials from California said they were pleased with the outcome of the lower basin states going back to the table.

California and our partners in Arizona and Nevada have developed a plan to perform better and protect the Colorado River system than either action alternative identified in the current [federal proposal] released last month by Reclamation, Californias lead Colorado River negotiator JB Hamby said in a statement.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
Sydney Set for Modi Mania but Human Rights Push Grows

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) shakes hand with Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese before a meeting at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi on March 10, 2023. (MONEY SHARMA/AFP via Getty Images)

The Australian government is touting its strong relationship with India, but there is a growing push to raise human rights abuses with the prime minister.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has touched down in Sydney for a state visit and is set to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Asked whether human rights should be on the agenda, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said India was a large democracy that shared values with Australia.

We have never had a greater strategic alignment with India than we do right now. Both countries are deeply invested in the collective security of the Indo-Pacific region, he told reporters in Canberra on May 23.

And all of this is driving a much closer relationship between (the) two countries.

India has snubbed global calls to condemn Russias invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow remaining a large arms supplier to New Delhi.

Marles used a speech at a defence summit on May 22 to say Australia needed to confront inconvenient truths with China, as Canberra works to balance competing trade interests with the possibility of military confrontation.

Asked whether the Indian relationship should be approached the same way when it came to calling out human rights abuses and crackdowns on freedom of speech, Marles said the two nations were starkly different.

Were talking about two very different situations, he said.

We share values with India. India is a democracy.

Im not about to go through what will be said or not said in the conversation between our two prime ministers tomorrow; theirs is a very fulsome and open relationship.

Thousands of members of the Indian diaspora are gathering in Sydney for Modis whistlestop tour of the harbourside city.

The Indian prime minister landed at Sydney Airport on Monday night, greeted by Australias high commissioner to India, Barry OFarrell, and NSW Treasurer Daniel Mookhey, who is the son of migrants from the Punjab region.

Modi is expected to retrace steps taken in his last Australian visit eight years ago by rallying 16,000 ecstatic supporters at Sydney Superdome on Tuesday evening.

The crowd will include people from Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne and a New Zealand contingent.

The Indian Australia Diaspora Foundation said Albanese would also attend in a momentous occasion to strengthen bilateral relations.

Talks between the two leaders are expected to focus on strengthening the countries defence and trade relationships and on the transition to clean energy sources.

Albanese is also under pressure to raise human rights concerns with Modi, who has been accused of cracking down on freedom of speech in India to shield his government from domestic criticism over the treatment of minorities.

Modi is earlier expected to drop by Indian businesses in western Sydney for the unveiling of a foundation stone at the entrance to Little India at Harris Park.

One in three residents of Harris Park was born in India, ten times the share in Greater Sydney or elsewhere in Australia, and the suburb is home to a bustling retail and dining precinct showcasing the best of the subcontinent.
Texas Moves Forward With Bill to Combat Beijings Forced Organ Harvesting

Falun Gong practitioners march in Manhattan to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day in New York on May 12, 2023. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

Texas House lawmakers have unanimously passed a measure to counter the Chinese Communist Partys forced organ harvesting abuse, taking it one step closer to becoming law.

Titled SB 1040, the bill aims to bar health insurance providers from sponsoring organ transplants from China or any other country known to have been involved in forced organ harvesting, the act of killing a person to procure their organs for sale.

The act passed unanimously through the Texas House on May 22 with 145 lawmakers voting in favor. Having received unanimous approval in the state Senate in April, the bill will get another vote in the chamber on the insertion of a section stating the legislative intent. Once it passes, it will head to the governors desk. If signed, the measure would become the first anti-forced organ harvesting law in the United States

The bills advancement parallels that of a similar effort in the U.S. Congress, where a bill to punish abetters of abuse is also making progress. On March 27, the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act overwhelmingly passed the House, marking the first nonsymbolic legislative action in the United States to curb the atrocity.

Falun Gong practitioners march in Manhattan to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day in New York on May 12, 2023. (Larry Dye/The Epoch Times)

The Texas bills amendment states that the bill intends to combat the practice of forcibly harvesting organs from living persons for transplant without free, voluntary consent; bring awareness to Chinas state-sanctioned practice of forced organ harvesting of prisoners of conscience and other vulnerable persons, including Falun Gong practitioners, Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan Buddhists, and House Church Christians, and curb illicit transplant tourism wherein residents from Texas could become unwitting participants in the abuse.

Adherents of Falun Gong, a meditation practice that has been the subject of a bloody suppression campaign in communist China, have been a principal victim group to the atrocity.

At a press conference on March 29 highlighting the bill, Houston Falun Gong practitioner Crystal Chen said she and other adherents were targets for blood tests during their imprisonment together.

Falun Gong practitioner Crystal Chen (L) and Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton pose for a photo on March 29, 2023. (Brenda Chen/The Epoch Times)

Chen was in her late 20s when the regime began a nationwide persecution of their faith in 1999. In labor camps, she was forced to do slave labor for up to 17 hours a day, making branded merchandise and Christmas gifts, she told a Rotary International convention held in Houston last June. Her mother was tortured to death.

The severe torture she and other adherents suffered, she said, makes plain that the medical tests were not meant for their well-being.

Falun Gong practitioners exercise daily and do not drink or smoke, and such healthy organs made them the primary target for organ harvesting, she said in the March press conference.

Had my blood type and tissue type been a match for an organ recipient, I would not be able to be here today.

Texas state Rep. Tom Oliverson, chairman of the House Committee on Insurance who introduced the House version of the bill in February, pledged at the March press conference that he will do all he could to draw attention to this horrible and detestable practice.

Texas state Rep. Tom Oliverson speaks at a press conference highlighting the Chinese regimes forced organ harvesting, in Austin, Texas, on March 29, 2023, in a still from a video. (The Epoch Times)

Working on this issue over the years, he said, it has become clear that the Chinese communist government sees its people as a commodity, not as individual human beings with guaranteed rights and liberties.

Oliverson said he has seen Chinese hospital websites offering, in both English and Chinese, hearts available, donors standing by.

You know that nobody can survive a transplant like that. These people are being sacrificed for financial gain by a government that doesnt believe that theyre actually human beings, he said, adding that he wants to put a stop to that once and for all.
The Bud Light Fiasco Rocks the World of Marketing

Commentary

It wasnt supposed to be this way. The idea within Anheuser-Busch was that its traditional buyers were a given, a clan to be taken for granted. The whole point of marketing, as its taught in the high-end schools (as if professors know about this stuff) is that reaching new and underserved markets is always the way forward. So one has to keep ones finger on the pulse of progress, recast the brand, get new eyes on the product, turn the kaleidoscope just a bit, toss out a few manipulative symbols, and boom, you capture another slice of the market.

What Bud Light marketing head Alissa Heinerscheid didsend a customized can of beer to the owner of a popular Instagram accountwas nothing particularly radical. The theory is that one can of beer could do the work of an ad campaign that would otherwise cost millions. The influencer would certainly take the bait and post the can, thus reaching the 1.8 million people who follow his faux-trans cosplay and thus make the brand seem hip, happening, and progressive.

It was to be the perfect unfolding of a move from a very conventional playbook. In theory, there are market segments. Social media allows corporations to identify them and target them directly and uniquely. No big deal. And it might have worked too, but the marketing geniuses missed something important.

Namely, they massively misunderstood why it is that people follow this messed up boy named Dylan Mulvaney who pretends to be a girl of his own caricature. They follow him for the same reason that people slow down on the highway to look at the auto accident. Its called rubbernecking. You slow down and look to see the bent metal and shattered glass and if anyone is on a stretcher. You also slow down with a sense of gratitude that it happened to them and not you.

You certainly dont slow down to look at a car crash with a sense of admiration and a desire to emulate. So for Bud Light to send a celebratory can to this person was to completely misunderstand the situation and flip it upside down. Bud Light was cheering on a person whom most of his own followers regard as a pathetic freak. Its a circus act. Heinerscheid, now on leave, mistook voyeurism for popularity.

And so the mistake leaked out of Dylans following to the whole of Instagram and was amplified in all social media and further in ever greater waves of disgust throughout the whole of media and all the way to the beers base of drinkers. They were disgusted and angry that the beer executives could have become so thoroughly confused.

Thats when matters got entirely out of control. The boycotts began, leading to a stock price fall and a massive consumer boycott. Bud Light has fallen some 30 percent in sales, and the entirety of Anheuser-Busch InBev is in crisis, with other brands owned by the company falling flat. Everything has been affected, including Michelob, Shock Top, Rolling Rock, Landshark, Goose Island, Stella Artois, and Corona.

Today, people enjoy posting images of 12 packs of Bud Light sitting at stores and marked down to $3 and still not selling. They cant even give the stuff away. So Anheuser-Busch is going further and offering to buy back its own product from distributors before the buy by date passes. A former executive warned that this isnt going away. Distributors are pleading with the customer base to come back.

Other huge errors along the way included the corporate response. No doubt that the company tapped some crisis management experts who first counseled the company to clam up until the whole thing blew over. That didnt work and only made people more angry. Finally, the CEO crafted some pathetic statement about nothing. Then, the beer started making real America ads with dudes shaking hands and so on. That looked very cynical and only added to the fury.

One has to feel awful for all the drivers, distributors, and retailers harmed in the course of this upheaval. But the real blame rests not with the boycotts but rather with the executives who made this decision. They imagine themselves to be in touch with the pulse of the market, but they missed the most significant movement in America today: the mass revolt against the elites who are shoving woke ideology down our throats from every institution. Its affecting schools, government, media, and technology.

Integral to woke ideology is a detached elitism that cares nothing about how people aspire to live their lives. They want to live in peaceful and stable communities, marry well, and raise good kids who arent insane, go on to have solid jobs, and become respectable and patriotic members of the community. Woke theory has nothing but disdain for such bourgeois aspirations and so attempts to thwart them at every turn.

For three years especially, but also dating back long before, average Americans have felt powerless in the face of the woke hegemon. It has invaded every aspect of our lives such that it has become inescapable. The hosts on the bubble vision seem completely oblivious to why Trump won in 2016 and remains popular today. The tour guides at famous monuments show disgust toward the Founding Fathers and American history. The textbooks at school preach gender fluidity and hatred of settled religious tradition.

This stuff is everywhere. It all gives the impression of an America secretly administered by a hegemonic junta that has no regard for normal life aspirations. The lockdowns, forced masking, and vaccine mandates put a fine point on it. The people who doubted the science behind the intentional wreckage were dismissed as right-wingers controlled by conspiracy theorists.

The whole situation has become unsustainable. The 1 percent simply cant impose its will on the 99 percent forever and expect that everyone will put up with it. Vast numbers of people have been searching for some outlet to let their presence and influence be known, just some peaceful means of revolt. The Bud Light fiasco offered that perfect opportunity.

So yes, it represents a pushback against the aggressive marketing of trans ideology, but its about much more than that. The boycott of this one beerwhich could eventually kill the brand permanently and even seriously harm the company in the long runis a mode of expressing the power of the people against the ruling class. Its a demonstration of the power of democracy itself, something this country has specialized in since at least the Boston Tea Party.

Whats intriguing is how this one event has completely upended the profession called marketing. Since the 1950s, marketing has always been about getting ahead of the next new stage in what we call progress, capturing it in slogans and songs, and becoming the thing everyone needs to buy. The beer executives thought thats what they were doing, but they completely missed a much more powerful movement thats pretty well fed up with having their values trashed by corporate and government elites.

It turns out that the next new thing isnt the latest iteration of the long alphabet of gender fluidity but the revolt for the restoration of what we used to call the good life. Itll be a long time until the business schools adapt to the new reality, but marketing departments in major corporations cant wait. Theyre today doing everything possible to avoid the fate of Bud Light.

In this sense, this is a major turning point in the push to regain control of our own destiny. They can tax away our earnings, destroy the currency, force their dangerous medicines on us, embroil us in pointless foreign wars, and surveil our digital lives. But we still have a few freedoms left. One of them is the freedom to choose which beer well drink. That much has been reestablished, but its about a lot more than that.

The historical trajectory of our times has included a full range of completely surprising twists and turns. That the nationwide and really global revolt against the elites would take the form of a vast consumer boycott of a watery beer is surely among the most surprising. It could have a lasting effect on the shape of the future.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Commentary

One of the great problems that we have here in Australia is that within our arts institutions, artistic decisions are increasingly being made not by artists but by administrators.

Take, for example, the symphony orchestra. Where a conductor once largely curated his own artistic affairs, an artistic planning team of three to four bureaucrats, sometimes more, now exists. Their responsibilities are enigmatic to even one who works in the industry.

A group of professional musicians can easily programme a seasons worth of symphony orchestra concerts in a couple of hours; I used to simulate such with friends during my undergraduate days.

Why, then, an entire department requires an annualised salaryat the taxpayers expense, no lessto do just this is genuinely beyond me.

Conductor Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra recently toured Australia to critical acclaimthough, for me, the Brisbane performances have not proved to be as memorable as Mariss Jansons Heldenleben with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra nine years earlier.

The London Symphony Orchestras Music Director, Simon Rattle, conducts the LSO at The Barbican in London on Sept. 14, 2017. (Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

That said, as an encore, Rattle conducted a gorgeously intimate Intermezzo from Fennimore and Gerda. During the applause, I joked to a friend sitting next to mea fellow composer of significant renown and 45 years my seniorthat this would be the last time we will hear a work by Frederick Delius in an Australian concert hall. Morosely, he agreed.

I have since learned that the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra is due to perform On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring in December, so Delius remains tenuously alive in Australia for the momentbut the point stands.

So much good musicor, if you prefer, so much musicis not being performed in this country, not least of all music by Australian composers, largely because, as another friend put it, tunes enduing financial return reign supreme.

Whilst I am certainly empathetic to the genuine deficit of a broad philanthropic culture benefitting the arts sector, the exponential increase in symphony orchestra concerts solely dedicated to film soundtracks and popular charts does nothing to steward the future of art music.

Return Art to the Artists

Historically, artistic innovation in Western Music has never been the result of fiscal preoccupation but rather bold imagination.

But today, I think, we are beginning to see the opposite, a kind of corporatized repression of imaginationparticularly as artistic institutions, largely due to their administrators, prioritise political and commercial agendas.

Overblown bureaucratic arrangements within an orchestra negatively affect its entire musical ecosystem, and I am sure this is true of any arts institution.

The more administrators make decisions and enforce policies, the more conductors and musicians feel limited as creatives.

Artistic hierarchies in orchestras are well established and should remain intact, but at the same time, musicians are not simply cogs within some corporative, symphonic machine. Subverting a musicians creative agency can only lead to outcomes of decreased artistic quality.

Bureaucrats are also expensive. The more administrators a symphony orchestra employs, the less resources it has to contract additional forces, perform additional concerts, tour regionally (an important priority for any serious Australian ensemble), commission new works, and so on.

A general view of the Concert Hall stage at the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, on July 14, 2022. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images for Sydney Opera House)

There is one state orchestra here in Australia that, according to its 2022 Annual Report, employs not just 76 full-time musicians but a whopping 78 managerial staff.

Of course, it must be noted that this orchestra in question also employs hundreds of casual musicians every year, but the question arising certainly is an interesting one: should an arts institution funded by the taxpayer effectively hire a 1:1 ratio of full-time artists to bureaucrats?

The ordinary punter very likely assumes his taxes are supporting musicians, not office clerks; after all, when he thinks of an orchestra, his immediate thought is most likely to be of music, not administration.

The danger introduced here is that the public, recognising its understanding of who receives its monies is flawed, first loses faith in the integrity of arts institutions and then in the need for art together. That cannot, under any circumstances, come to pass.

Am I advocating for the total dissolution of every administrator in every Australian orchestra? No, I would like to believe I am not that naive. Accountants balance ledgers better than accordionists.

But could Australian orchestras endeavour to return the bulk of artistic planning to artists, as well as start by deflating their corporate bureaucracies by 10 to 20 percent? Yesand I believe they should.

For in all of this, do not misinterpret my leanings: I would not describe myself as anti-establishment. I actually think I am quite pro-establishment.

I want our cultural establishments to be artistically strong so that they may enjoy futures of exponential success. But to stay on the present bureaucratic course is, I think, to jeopardise that ambition.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
TikTok Sues Montana After State Bans App

The TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken on Aug. 22, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

TikTok has filed a lawsuit challenging Montanas recent ban on the Chinese-owned short-video app in the state.

The ban, scheduled to be enforced from Jan. 1, 2024, is being contested by TikTok Inc. on the grounds that it infringes upon the First Amendment rights of the company and its users.

In the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Montana, TikTok argues that the ban is in violation of federal law as it encroaches upon matters exclusively under federal jurisdiction. TikTok argues that the U.S. Constitution vests exclusive authority over foreign affairs and national security to the federal government, not the states.

Moreover, the lawsuit claims that the ban violates the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which restricts states from enacting legislation that excessively burdens interstate and foreign commerce.

Montana is the first U.S. state to attempt to ban TikTok for all users. In 2020, former President Donald Trump sought to prevent new downloads of TikTok and the Chinese-owned messaging app WeChat, along with other transactions involving these companies. However, court rulings prevented these bans from being implemented effectively.

TikTok further argues that the states ban specifically targets and penalizes TikTok without justifiable reasons, highlighting that it is solely based on punitive grounds. They assert that the states concerns regarding TikToks data security and content moderation practices are speculative and unsupported.

From the first day of 2024, unless defeated, the ban will mean that anyone living in or visiting Montana will face stiff penalties of up to $10,000 per day if they access TikTok.

TikTok has a large user base of over 150 million Americans, with the majority being adults. However, the apps popularity among teenagers is significant, with the Pew Research Center reporting that 67 percent of U.S. teenagers aged 13 to 17 use TikTok, and 16 percent of them use it almost constantly.

Unfounded Speculation

TikTok argues that Montana has enacted these extraordinary and unprecedented measures based on nothing more than unfounded speculation.

Specifically, the State claims that the government of the Peoples Republic of China (China) could access data about TikTok users, and that TikTok exposes minors to harmful online content, the lawsuit states (pdf).

Yet, TikTok argues, Montanas bill cites nothing to support these allegations.

The company contends that the states ban ignores the reality that TikTok has not shared, and would not share U.S. user data with China.

Further, TikTok argued that it has taken substantial measures to protect the privacy and security of TikTok users, including by storing all U.S. user data by default in the United States and by erecting safeguards to protect U.S. user data. TikTok has also implemented safeguards to foster a safe environment for all users, including teens.

Recently, five TikTok users from Montana who create content for the platform filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the states ban.

Samantha Alario, Heather DiRocco, Carly Ann Goddard, Alice Held, and Dale Stout argue in their lawsuit that the ban violates their constitutional right to free speech, even if the speech is considered dangerous. They also dispute Montanas national security justification for the ban.

Montana has no authority to enact laws advancing what it believes should be the United States foreign policy or its national security interests, the lawsuit states (pdf), nor may Montana ban an entire forum for communication based on its perceptions that some speech shared through that forum, though protected by the First Amendment, is dangerous.

The lawsuit draws a parallel, arguing that just as it would be inappropriate to ban the Wall Street Journal because of who owns it or the ideas it publishes, prohibiting access to TikTok is unjust and unreasonable.

Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, signed the legislation into law on May 17, making it illegal for TikTok to operate in Montana and for Google and Apples app stores to offer TikTok within the state.

The lawsuit filed by TikTok names Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, who is responsible for enforcing the ban.

Montanas Justifications for Ban

Senate Bill 419 provides the reasoning behind the states decision to ban TikTok.

The legislation highlights concerns about potential exploitation of the platform by China, viewed as an adversary, for corporate and international espionage purposes. It raises fears that sensitive information, such as the real-time locations of public officials, journalists, and individuals critical of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), could be obtained.

The bill references warnings from the FBI and Federal Communications Commission regarding national security threats posed by TikTok. These include the potential sharing of user data, such as browsing history and location, with the Chinese regime.

The decision to ban TikTok in Montana was influenced by reports in late 2022 that revealed improper tracking of U.S. journalists by ByteDance staff, utilizing their access to TikTok user data.

Privacy concerns also played a role in Montanas decision, as the access TikTok has to user data raises apprehensions about the protection of personal information.

Furthermore, the bill points out TikToks alleged failure to remove and potentially promote harmful content that encourages minors to engage in risky activities, endangering the health and safety of Montana residents. Examples cited include activities like throwing objects at moving vehicles, self-harm, and other harmful actions.
Whos that at the door? An Amazon deliveryman? A Girl Scout selling a fresh batch of oatmeal cookies? No, its a couple of agents from what used to be one of Americas most storied institutions, the FBI. Theyre here to police your First Amendment rights.

In this shocking new episode of Over the Target, Brendon Fallon and Lee Smith explain how the worlds most famous law enforcement agency threatens your rights.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and big data are revolutionizing modern medicine, at all levels of clinical practice. From prevention, with increasingly refined prediction models that assess the risk of developing a disease, to diagnosis and treatment: for instance, many health centers already use AI tools that help them detect lesions in the images of medical tests. Josep Munuera, head of the Diagnostic Imaging service at the Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona and an expert in digital technologies applied to health, assures that AI (it is not a single tool; there are different types, he points out) will serve to help professionals be more accurate.

And no  he stresses, categorically  the explosion of AI in health will not replace the people in white coats, nor will it dehumanize care. Quite the contrary, predicts the radiologist: it will allow doctors to devote more time to their patients and help improve communication between them.

Question. How mature are AI tools in medicine?

Answer. In some areas they are already mature and being used, and in others they are still being developed. Using the example of medical imaging: where can we use artificial intelligence in a radiology department? In image acquisition it is already well advanced. Today there are already tools with which, when an MRI is taken, AI algorithms can be loaded into the machine to speed up the acquisition of the image: while it used to take 20 minutes to do an examination, now you can cut that time to 10 minutes, because part of the image is generated by or thanks to artificial intelligence algorithms. This generative image allows much quicker scans to be made.

Some centers already use image detection tools, which are trained to look for specific types of pathologies; when they find one, the algorithms identify it and mark it, so that when the specialist is going through the images, some marks appear on the screen indicating that the algorithm has found a pathology, and where. It even helps us to prioritize; sometimes, you get a message telling you to see a certain patient first or that you dont have to rush so much with another, because they probably have nothing. Prioritization and identification tools are already becoming widespread.

Q. Is saving time the ultimate goal?

A. Not just that. Yes, it is true that an important part is the improvement of the process and, in consequence, surely the times will end up improving. But there is also the matter of diagnostic accuracy. What is known is that with the vast majority of computer vision algorithms, combining a human reader with this algorithm increases accuracy. As a result, we reduce diagnostic errors, both false negatives and false positives. These tools help us prioritize and be more precise.

Q. You mention a combination of the view of the doctor and that of the machine. Could there be biases? Could the machines evaluation, for example, modulate or condition yours?

A. Yes, there are discrepancies between the readings, but that is precisely one of the areas of work: how artificial intelligence influences the fact that a person can modify their reading. What is important to know is that the machines, by themselves, have a degree of accuracy in their diagnoses. And what also usually happens is that humans too have a degree of accuracy. And it may happen that if your level of accuracy is lower than that of the machine, you may have to learn from the machine. Or the other way around: your accuracy could be better, so you would train the machine so it improves its learning.

Q. There have always been mistakes, whether you are a doctor or a machine. But who is more prone to error?

A. Right now the machines have advantages: they dont get tired, they make the same diagnosis at 10.00am or at 3:00am, they are impartial... but they also have more limitations: the algorithms have to be retrained over time. In the end, we have to be aware that it is the combination of the human and the software what has to maintain that accuracy; we have to determine the accuracy with which we want to work in healthcare and, based on that, decide on the best strategy.

Q. Doctors were used to having the last word and not being questioned much. Are professionals prepared to accept all the revolution that is going on around them?

A. Certainly, because this it is not a matter of feeling questioned, but of being as precise as possible. The medicine of the 21st century is precision medicine. If you want to be accurate, you need to make the right decision at the right time. And sometimes one doesnt have enough knowledge. In the end they are tools that help us all.

Josep Munuera, head of Diagnostic Imaging at the Sant Pau Hospital in Barcelona, pictured in one of the corridors of the health center. kike rincon

Q. How far can AI go in medicine? How does the future look like?

A. In the end, we will see a lot of changes, but we will not see the AI. What well have will be software tools that will help, in the administrative field, to find the window that fits the patient best for an appointment; well find the right doctor, the one who will be able to come up with a patients therapeutic plan in the least number of clicks; or, in our case, well be able to carry out tests that take one tenth of what they took 20 years ago and which, as soon as the patient is done, can point out the areas that need attention.

Q. If there are already tools that read MRIs and can detect an anomaly, and this AI is going to improve, are the days of the radiologist  for example  numbered?

A. No. Quite the opposite. A person will always be necessary. The role of the radiologist goes beyond the simple reading and interpretation of a medical image, just as the role of the surgeon goes beyond the simple surgical act of cutting, suturing or removing a tumor.

Q. But can it somehow modulate the medical practices? Can it result in a reduced need for professionals?

A. I think this is a big misconception. In fact, it will take at least the people that are there now, because in the end, these AI tools dont replace you; they empower you. Thus, I could be looking at the same number of images, making the same number of decisions or doing biopsies. What I need is a tool that helps me be more precise in this decision-making, but in no case will there be less people.

Q. Geoffrey Hinton resigned recently from Google, where he was vice president of engineering. In an interview with EL PAIS, he warned that we need to learn to control AI before it is too late, as it can become more intelligent than the human brain. What do you think?

A. I agree with the considerations regarding knowledge, ethics and distribution. This is still a technology that needs some rules. There probably hasnt been time to define the ethical rules of how to use artificial intelligence. But once they are properly defined, the next step will be to start using them, because we cannot stop technological evolution either.

Q. Is the AI revolution going faster than your capacity to process it?

A. Yes, it is true that technology is advancing fast and its implementation is accelerating. Computer vision algorithms, the ones used for viewing an X-ray and finding a nodule, for example, began to be used as pilot tests in 2017 and 2018: five years have passed. Therefore, we will need, at most, five more so that we can use it daily in as many centers as possible. Testing the technology takes a few years, but in the end it ends up being implemented.

Q. What are the biggest risks of AI?

A. The risks are those of any technology: misuse. That is, being used for something that is not its purpose or is not appropriate. Then there is the harmful use: if someone wants to use it or manipulate it so that it is used in their favor. In the end, it is still just another tool that will have to be controlled within the field of cybersecurity. Q. Could AI end up depersonalizing or dehumanizing medicine?

A. These tools dont separate us; they have to help us to have more time with the patient, to be able to talk... shortening the time of image acquisition allows you to spend more time with the patient, to accompany them, ask them how they are, see if they have any questions... all these aspects are humanization. Having this technological aid lets you have more time for the patient.

Q. Will we ever see a future in which, instead of a doctor, we will go to a consultation and find a chatbot, an AI, answering the patients questions?

A. If society is already demanding that telephone assistance not be exclusively dominated by computers, why would we think that healthcare could be? What can happen in the future is that three entities, a patient, a doctor and a tool, will be interacting. We will use these tools to better communicate with each other.

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Trudeau Says He Has Total Confidence in Johnston After Decision on Public Inquiry

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday he has total confidence in the work being done by special rapporteur David Johnston, who earlier in the day recommended against holding a public inquiry into allegations of foreign interference in Canadas elections.

I committed to listening very carefully and abiding by the recommendations that the former governor general made, and he explained and justified his thought processes by it and we will be following his recommendations, Trudeau told reporters.

The prime minister appointed Johnston to be the special rapporteur on March 15 following multiple media reports suggesting widespread interference by the Chinese regime. Instead of launching a public inquiry, which opposition leaders repeatedly called for, the prime minister said he would heed the recommendations of Johnston.

Johnston said Tuesday that a public inquiry could not be held because the classified information informing his decision could not be revealed to the public. The former governor general said he had been favourable to the idea of holding an inquiry before he started the review, but conversations with senior security and elected officials and reviews of intelligence files changed his mind.

The prime minister said he supported Johnstons suggestion of public hearings into election interference, as well as his recommendation about an open dialogue with the foreign diaspora that is often targeted by foreign interference.

Trudeau also said that Canadians were concerned with foreign interference, as well as misinformation and disinformation. He said an essential part of the countrys democracy is robust debates about whether the government is doing enough to keep Canadians safe, but that the debates must be based on an understanding of the true facts.

I certainly hope that all party leaders will avail themselves of the opportunity to understand the facts of the situation as we continue important debates on how to best keep Canadians, our businesses, our research institutions, and especially our democracy safe, Trudeau said.

Trudeau Dismisses Allegation of Johnston Bias

Trudeau was asked by reporters whether Johnston could remain impartial in his role as special rapporteur, given that he was friends with Trudeaus family growing up and was also previously a member of the Trudeau Foundation. Earlier in the day, Johnston defended his appointment by claiming that while he went on five ski trips with the Trudeau family decades ago, he had no unofficial contact with the prime minister since he became an MP in 2008.

I saw him a few times as a kid. I got to know him after he was appointed governor general by Stephen Harper once I was already a parliamentarian, Trudeau told reporters. Quite frankly, the quality and the calibre, not just of his decades of extraordinary service to this country, but the quality and calibre of the report hes put forward leaves me in total confidence in his ability to continue to do this important work for Canadians.

Trudeau said he has sent letters to all party leaders offering to get them security clearances, allowing them to review the pieces of intelligence Johnston read when crafting the report. Trudeau said he believes Canadians would not expect any of their leaders to choose ignorance when they can choose to have the facts laid out for them.

And I can assure you in our democracy, there are always going to be plenty of things to criticize the government on and to challenge us to do better. But let us please [be] grounded in an understanding of the true facts and not choose to risk weakening Canadians confidence in our institutions by building partisan attacks on things that are patently untrue, he said.

Earlier in the day, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre told reporters he would not be silenced and would not participate in any of Johnstons public hearings or seek to join the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, a joint parliamentary committee that will review Johnstons conclusions.

Poilievre also said it was incredible that Johnston did not mention the Trudeau Foundation in his report, released on May 23. Now, Johnson is part of the Trudeau foundation, so, of course, he wouldnt want to investigate himself. But, frankly, thats why he should have recused himself, he said before reiterating his calls for a full public inquiry into foreign interference.

Trudeau has previously defended Johnston as the right candidate for the job and pushed back on Poilievres criticism, accusing the Conservatives of engaging in horrific partisan attacks against a man of extraordinary integrity.
Trump Targets Foxs Laura Ingraham Over Hit Piece on His Poll Numbers

Former President Donald Trump accused Fox News host Laura Ingraham of running a hit piece on him by focusing on his poll numbers compared with prospective 2024 presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Trump was critical of Ingraham, who has been mostly supportive of him, after her 10 p.m. Monday show. The criticism is part of a longstanding series of claims Trump has made about Fox News, arguing that the network is attempting to bolster DeSantis over him.

Laura Ingraham on FoxNews just did a hit piece on me (there go her ratings!) showing some polls which indicate that Ron DeSanctimonious may do better against Biden than I would, when actually polls show that I do MUCH better against Biden than Rob, Trump wrote, referring to DeSantis.

The poll your looking at now, which has me doing far better against Crooked Joe, was just put out by FOX, I am sure unhappily, Trump also wrote, adding: Im also leading DeSanctus by over 40 points in Primary Voting. Watch Greg Kelly on Newsmax at 10:00 P.M.

In Ingrahams segment, she interviewed Chris Bedford, the executive editor of Common Sense Society, about the 2024 election and whether Trump would perform better than DeSantis or another GOP candidate in swing state polls.

Joe Biden is running pretty badly behind a generic Republican figure like a Ron DeSantis or Tim Scott, Bedford said on the show, referring to the South Carolina senator who launched a presidential bid. But hes consistently beating Donald Trump.

The former presidents criticism of the network isnt new. Since the end of the 2020 election, Trump and Fox have had a falling-out after the channel called that years presidential race in favor of then-candidate Joe Biden in Arizona.

Trump, on social media, has often called on viewers to stop watching Fox News and has accused the companys management of adopting RINO policy stances, namely because former House Speaker Paul Ryan currently serves as a top Fox executive. RINO stands for Republican in name only.

In an interview with The Hill last year, Ingraham wouldnt directly answer a question about whether Republicans should back DeSantis or Trump. Ingraham said that the GOP should focus on populist messaging despite who the candidate is.

Trumps critical comment comes after Fox News last month parted ways with Tucker Carlson, its top-rated host, just weeks after Carlson interviewed Trump for his show for the first time. Few details about why Carlson, who has been largely supportive of Trumps policies, left Fox News have been released so far.

In March, Carlson aired yet-to-be-seen footage of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach and asserted that the new footage largely disproves the Democrat-boosted narrative that the incident was a violent insurrection. The Fox host obtained those videos from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who previously said that more footage would be released to the public at an undisclosed date in the future.

Trump has also frequently criticized DeSantis, claiming that it was he who boosted the Florida Republicans chances of winning in 2018 after giving him his endorsement. DeSantis, meanwhile, has been largely dismissive of Trumps comments about him.

The Florida governor has not yet formally confirmed hes running for president, although reports published Tuesday said that DeSantis will announce his presidential bid in a Twitter conversation with Elon Musk on Wednesday evening.

Polls have shown that DeSantis is No. 2 behind Trump in the polls, although he is beating out other declared candidates such as Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. Outside of polls, Trump has gained by far the most congressional endorsements of any Republican candidate.

The Epoch Times has contacted a Fox News spokesperson for comment. Neither Fox nor Ingraham have released public comments after Trumps criticism.

Last week, Fox News responded to online rumors that claimed that it would part ways with host Ingraham amid claims that the network would be changing its primetime lineup in the wake of Carlsons exit.

A spokesperson for Fox told The Epoch Times that reports based on various tweets by left wing activists are wildly inaccurate and that Laura Ingraham, the top-rated woman in cable news, is now and will continue to be a prominent host and integral part of the FOX News lineup.

It came after the Drudge Report, a formerly conservative-leaning website, reported that Fox hosts Greg Gutfeld and Jesse Watters would be joining the primetime lineup. Sean Hannity would be taking Carlsons old 8 p.m. ET timeslot, the report said.

In response to Drudges claims, No decision has been made on a new primetime line-up and there are multiple scenarios under consideration, the network said.

As for Carlson, the former Fox host said hes planning to host a new Twitter-based show. But details about the program, including when or how long it would last, werent provided.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) formally announced his 2024 presidential bid. His platform is to revive hope in the American Dream. Hear what the South Carolina senator has to say, and how former President Donald Trump is reacting.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has been accused of being hostile to black Americans. And now a civil rights group, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is issuing a travel warning.

President Joe Biden is meeting again with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy amid a debt ceiling standoff. Well bring you the latest analysis on how likely a national default is.

The parent company of Trumps Truth Social is suing the Washington Post. The company accuses the outlet of publishing a hit piece full of false claims.

The head of the U.S. Hispanic Business Council joins us to explore the importance of the Hispanic vote. He says Hispanic voters care about the economy the mostjust like other Americans.

Is the United States losing belief in God? A new study says most Americans now arent sure about the existence of God, and the number of churchgoers is at a record low.
Ukraine Restores Power to Russia-Occupied Nuclear Plant

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant outside Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, Russian-controlled Ukraine, on March 29, 2023. (Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)

KYIVUkraine reconnected the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant to its external power supply on Monday after a brief outage that had left it reliant on emergency generators.

Back-up diesel generators had earlier kicked in at the plant in southern Ukraine to ensure nuclear fuel was kept cool and prevent a potential disaster.

Each side blamed the other for the power outage. A Russia-installed local official said Ukraine had disconnected a power line and Ukrainian state nuclear energy company Energoatom said the problem was caused by Russian shelling.

Announcing that repair work had been carried out, Ukrainian national grid operator Ukrenergo said: The station is switching [back] to power supply from the Ukrainian power system.

The incident had alarmed Rafael Grossi, the head of the United Nations nuclear energy watchdog, who said the nuclear safety situation at the plant was extremely vulnerable and underlined the need for international protection.

Even though the six reactors are shut down at the plant, they still need a constant supply of electricity to keep the nuclear fuel inside cool and prevent a possible meltdown.

The plant, which lies in an area of Russian-occupied southern Ukraine near front lines along the Dnipro River, is Europes biggest nuclear power station and the area has been repeatedly hit by shelling.

Energoatom said it was the seventh time power had been cut to the plant since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukraine said the latest Russian attacks had cut off electricity to nearly 250,000 consumers in the Zaporizhzhia region but that power had been restored to most of them.

Ukrenergo said power was also being restored to consumers in the Dnipropetrovsk region after overnight Russian air strikes.

By Pavel Polityuk
US Joins Approval of Hike in Mandatory Payments to World Health Organization

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva Switzerland, on July 3, 2020. (Fabrice Coffrini/Pool via Reuters)

The World Health Organizations demands for more money from members led countries on May 22 to approve a budget that includes an increase in mandatory payments to the United Nations body.

Member states at the World Health Assembly approved a record-high $6.8 billion budget for 202425, with a key component being a hike in mandatory payments.

The highest-ever increase in the payments, or membership fees, is 20 percent.

The hike means members will collectively pay $1.1 billion, covering 16 percent of the budget.

U.S. President Joe Biden has backed the WHO, reversing former President Donald Trumps decision to cut funding to the organization.

The WHO embodies our shared values and remains vitally important to the global struggle for health and well-being. President Biden and the United States are fully committed to the WHO, U.S. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra told WHO members on Monday.

Adjusted fees are approved every two years by member states.

Mandatory fees from the WHOs 194 members used to account for the bulk of the agencys budget. But that portion has shrunk to 16 percent in recent years. The rest of WHOs funding comes from donations from sources such as philanthropic foundations and businesses.

The United States is one of WHOs largest donors, accounting for $700 million in 202021. That was behind Germany and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

WHO plans on using the money primarily to work on expanding universal health coverage, protecting people from health emergencies, improving support for countries, and helping people enjoy better health and well-being, according to budget documents.

Other large priority items are eradicating polio, setting aside money for emergency operations, and unspecified special programs.

The 10-day annual assembly in Geneva, which coincides with the WHOs 75th anniversary, is set to address global health challenges, including possible future pandemics.

The approval of the budget, including the jump in member fees, must be cleared in a final vote of all members at the end of the assembly.

Preliminary Agreement

Members preliminarily agreed to hike fees during the 2022 assembly.

That agreement would eventually take the mandatory payments up enough to cover half of WHOs budget by 203031 at the latest, though the increased funding would be contingent on WHO implementing reforms such as a culture change to prevent sexual abuse and provide more transparency on how funds are utilized.

Its our collective expectation that this is twinned with other improvements that happen operationally, administratively at the institution as well, U.S. envoy to the assembly Loyce Pace told a briefing at the time.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that of 96 reforms, 42 have already been implemented while work on the other 54 is ongoing.

Previous efforts to reform the funding model took years and resulted in just a 3 percent increase in 2017.

Tedros Calls for Increase

Before the approval, Tedros called for more money as he hailed how WHO has reached overall gender parity for staff.

To support these efforts. I have squeezed 100 million U.S. dollars from our budget to allocate to country offices and commit to sustain this. But in order to sustain this commitment, we look to member states to approve the 20 percent increase in assessed contributions, he said.

We ask you to honor your commitment to increase assessed contributions to enable us to deliver the long-term, predictable programming in countries that will deliver the results we all want to see, he added later.

WHO describes itself as an agency that connects nations, partners and people to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerableso everyone, everywhere can attain the highest level of health.

After the approval, U.S. Assistant Secretary for International Organization Affairs Michele J. Sison said future increases would be contingent upon continued reform progress.

Central and South American countries also called for the WHO to address what they described as chronic underfunding of their region.

Other Reforms

Tedros also said countries should carry out reforms to prepare for future emergencies.

Speaking several weeks after declaring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tedros said it was time to advance negotiations on preventing the next pandemic.

We cannot kick this can down the road, he said in prepared remarks to the member states, warning that the next pandemic was bound to come knocking.

If we do not make the changes that must be made, then who will? And if we do not make them now, then when? he said.

The WHOs member states are drafting a pandemic treaty that is up for adoption at next years assembly.

The legally binding accord would give WHO the ability to dictate policies of countries during a pandemic, critics say. That would set up a worldwide medical police state under the control of the WHO, Francis Boyle, professor of international law at the University of Illinois College of Law, told The Epoch Times.

The WHO and the White House have defended the pact, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken telling Congress in March that the Biden administration is trying to strengthen the global architecture for dealing with pandemics.

Reuters contributed to this report.
US Not Considering Lifting Sanctions on Chinas Defense Minister: Official

The State Department appears to walk back Biden's remarks at the G-7 summit

China's Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu (third from left) is among senior Chinese Communist Party officials sworn into their new offices during a National People's Congress in Beijing on March 12, 2023. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)

The United States has no intentions of lifting the sanctions imposed on Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, a State Department spokesperson said on May 22.

The spokespersons comments seem to retract those made by President Joe Biden during the G-7 leaders summit in Japan on May 21, when he said the idea of easing Lis sanctions was under negotiation right now.

Biden also said the bilateral relationship between the United States and China would begin to thaw very shortly.

Speaking to reporters, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller was asked whether Washington was considering lifting sanctions against Li to facilitate negotiations with China. He responded, No, we are not.

Miller said that Biden has also made clear that we are not planning to lift any sanctions on him or on China more broadly.

Li is an aerospace expert. In 2018, the United States sanctioned Li for engaging in the purchase of Russian weapons when he headed the Equipment Development Department of the Chinese military.

China appointed Li as its defense minister in March despite the U.S. sanctions. This move has raised concerns about the complications that may arise in bilateral military talks between China and the United States.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a Senate panel on May 11 that he tried to communicate with Li on a number of different occasions to introduce himself, but these attempts have been rebuffed.

Chinas Defense Minister Wei Fenghe (R) greets U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (L) as he sits across from Singapores Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen during the ministerial roundtable luncheon at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 11, 2022. (Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images)

Austin emphasized the need for direct communication between defense ministers, such as having each others phone numbers on speed dial, as he noted that conflict between the two powers is neither imminent nor inevitable.

I think it is critical when you have two countries with these type of capabilities operating in congested, contested waters, Austin said in his written testimony.

There are things we will have to address from time to time, he continued, and it is good to be able to pick up the phone and talk with senior people, so I will continue to work on this. I think it is really important.

Lis Appointment Made on Purpose

According to U.S.-based commentator Chen Pokong, although Lis role as defense minister is largely symbolic with limited authority, Chinese leader Xi Jinping may have some special considerations in mind when making this decision.

If the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] starts a war with another country, it would be difficult for Li to defect and flee. Given that he is already under U.S. sanctions, Li would face the possibility of further sanctions or arrest if he were to defect to other countries, Chen said in his program on YouTube.

Chen said that because the U.S. and Chinese militaries need to maintain contact, especially defense ministers, the U.S. side would have to contact Li, but in doing so, the U.S. sanctions would be voided. This indicates that the CCP has seemingly challenged the United States.

On the other hand, if the United States does not contact Li, it would be equivalent to the U.S. military not maintaining contact with the top Chinese military authority, Chen added.

In that case, if an unexpected military conflict occurs between the two countries, or to the point that a world war is eventually started because of the bilateral conflict, it is the United States that should bear the moral responsibility because it is the United States that fails to communicate with China in a timely manner, he said.

John Haughey, Jessica Mao, and Olivia Li contributed to this report.
US Secures Defense Pact With Papua New Guinea Amid China Concerns

Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape speaks as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks on during a joint press conference following the U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum at the APEC Haus in Port Moresby on May 22, 2023. (Andrew Kutan/AFP via Getty Images)

The United States and Papua New Guinea (PNG) signed a defense cooperation agreement on Monday to solidify their bilateral ties as the U.S. attempts to push back Chinas influence in the Pacific region.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with PNG Prime Minister James Marape in Port Moresby on behalf of President Joe Biden, whose planned trip was canceled due to debt limit talks in Washington.

The U.S.-PNG defense pact has not been made public, but Blinken said it would enable the United States to support PNG in building up its defense capacity, tackling illegal fishing, and providing disaster relief.

I just want to stress this point: It wasnt shoved down on our throat. It wasnt forced upon us; it was a mutual agreement, Marape said at a joint press conference.

Our defense force needs to be stepped up and supported, he remarked.

Marape emphasized that the U.S.-PNG defense agreement in no way breaks or encroaches PNGs legislation nor affects the countrys relationships with other nations.

It does not affectwhether in China or Australia or United Kingdom or Japan or India or any other nation, for that matterthis agreement does not in one way, shape, and form stop Papua New Guinea from continuing on doing business with those we do business with, he said.

Marape said the U.S.-PNG defense force cooperation comes with a backdrop of elevating what was originally the umbrella status of force agreement into a relationship exclusive for U.S.-PNG military cooperation and military engagements and partnership.

This agreement is subsidiary to a treatyits below the treaty level, he noted, adding that the agreement is congruent to the countrys 1975 Visiting Forces Act.

Biden has invited Marape to Washington for a second U.S.-Pacific summit later this year, during which they will discuss various issues, including trade and economic ties and maritime security.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guineas Defence Minister Win Bakri Daki shake hands after signing a security agreement as Papua New Guineas Prime Minister James Marape (center) looks on at the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation at APEC Haus in Port Moresby on May 22, 2023. (Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images)

US-Pacific Agreements

Blinken also signed an agreement with Palau and is expected to sign a deal with the Federated States of Micronesia on Tuesday. He hoped to conclude negotiations with the Republic of the Marshall Islands soon.

As part of these agreements, the United States will commit $7.1 billion to the Freely Associated States over the next 20 years, he told reporters.

The United States is bound with the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and Palau through the Compact of Free Association; these countries are called the Freely Associated States (FAS).

The agreement allows these states access to U.S. domestic economic programs and allows the United States to operate defense bases in these nations. The citizens of FAS are also allowed to serve in the U.S. army.

Renewing them has become a key part of U.S. efforts to push back against Chinas bid to expand its influence in the Pacific. Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands last year, which many countries in the region fear could allow Beijing to station troops, weapons, and naval ships on the island.

Micronesian President David Panuelo said in his national address on Jan. 13 that he anticipated a rise in U.S. military drills near Micronesias territory in the coming years amid the geopolitical atmosphere in the Pacific.

These exercises will be increasing in frequency over the next several years, and while they are ultimately in our national interest and in the interest of our nations securityof which the U.S. is our indisputable guardianit is important that our citizens know about them well in advance so that our people do not see these activities and then immediately fear the worst, Panuelo said.

Venus Upadhayaya and Reuters contributed to this report.
Victoria to launch Stamp Duty Reform To Boost Business, Industry and Jobs

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas delivers his budget speech in the Legislative Assembly at Victorian State Parliament in Melbourne, Australia on May 20, 2021. (AAP Image/James Ross)

A key reform announced in todays Victorian Budget 2023/24 is to replace the old stamp duty system for commercial and industrial properties with an annual property tax to boost business growth and create jobs.

According to the Economic Growth Package announced today by the treasurer, the existing lump-sum stamp duty structure for commercial and industrial properties will gradually move over to a more efficient yearly property tax system starting from July 1, 2024.

Business and industry have told us they want this reform, and weve listened. These landmark changes will enable businesses to be more dynamic and agile and to grow and employ more workers, said Treasurer Tim Pallas.

Were removing barriers to larger investments, accelerating business growth and helping our economy grow even stronger.

The new switch is forecasted to bring $50 billion in Net Present Value terms (NPV) to the Victorian economy over time. NPV is the difference between the present value of cash inflows and the present value of cash outflows over a certain timeframe.

So, starting from July 1, 2024, an owner of a commercial or industrial property will be able to start paying the previously called lump-sum stamp duty over a 10-year period rather than in one go.

While the annual payment system can free up much-needed capital and help businesses with their operations and give employers incentives to hire more workers, these new measures do not apply to any existing owners of any current commercial or industrial properties purchased before July 1, 2024.

At the same time, once a property is registered with the new system after this time, stamp duty will never again be payable on a transaction, and the annual property tax will take effect.

The new annual property tax will be set at a flat one percent of the propertys unimproved land value.

Without the large sum of upfront costs, retail business owners will have more freedom to move to bigger facilities or expand existing capacity.

Move Welcomed By Commerce and Industry

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Paul Guerra hailed the new policy and said that the Victorian Chamber has been working with the State Government on this landmark and generational productivity reform and supports it.

This is exactly the type of progressive tax reform that is required to free up stamp duty charges which will accelerate building upgrades, stimulate investment in commercial property and free up more capital.

The final form of the transition will be detailed later this year after ample consultation with business and industry.

This reform does not apply to residential properties.

860,000 Victorians With Second Property Hit With Higher Land Tax

Victorians with a second property will get a tax hike of $975 for properties over $300,000, plus 0.1 percent of the value of their landholding above the threshold.

The new land tax change will start on January 1, 2024, and the Andrews government believes that 860,000 taxpayers will be affected.

This new change will raise more than $4 billion for the state government.

The Victorian opposition Leader John Pesutto expressed in a statement that life would be harder for Victorians because of the measures stated in Labors ninth budget.

He pointed out that Victorias debt is projected to climb to $171.4 billion by 2026-27.

Pesutto said It fails to offer any relief for Victorians when they need it the most and will put Victoria further behind the rest of Australia as a place to work, invest and raise a family, reported by the Age.
Watchdog to Probe How Military Police Handled Case Against Maj-Gen Dany Fortin

Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin speaks to members of the media following an acquittal in his case at a Gatineau, Que., courthouse on Dec. 5, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby)

The military police watchdog is launching a probe into how investigators handled a historical sexual-assault allegation against a senior officer who was a central figure in Canadas COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

A Quebec court acquitted Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin last December of one count of sexual assault, after the military police investigated the allegation from 1988 and then passed the case along to provincial prosecutors.

Fortin claims he has been the victim of a biased investigation and that he was charged on the basis of insufficient evidence.

The Military Police Complaints Commission is now looking into how the military police handled the case, saying Fortins claims about senior military officials being involved make it a matter of public interest.

Fortin had been leading the federal governments COVID-19 vaccine rollout in May 2021 when he was removed from the role pending an investigation.

A Quebec civilian judge acquitted him, saying the complainant was likely sexually assaulted but the Crown had not proven Fortin was the assailant, and the Canadian Armed Forces subsequently cleared him of misconduct.
Whitmer Signs Red Flag Law Opposed by Some Sheriffs in Michigan

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the media after signing the final piece of a $76 billion state budget into law in Detroit on July 20, 2022. (Carlos Osorio/AP Photo)

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday afternoon signed a red flag law that aims to prevent individuals at risk of harming themselves or others from accessing firearms after a mass shooting earlier this year at Michigan State University, where three students lost their lives.

The law, commonly known as a red flag law or Extreme Risk Protection Order, empowers individuals close to someone to request a judges intervention to temporarily remove firearms if there is a perceived risk of harm to oneself or others.

Michigan now joins a group of more than a dozen states that have already implemented similar red flag laws. The legislation will come into effect 90 days after the conclusion of the current legislative session.

The bill signing ceremony took place near Detroit, where Whitmer was joined by Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Giffords, who has been an advocate for gun safety since surviving a gunshot wound to the head in Tucson, Arizona, in 2011.

Today, Michigan joins the ranks of other states that have enacted Extreme Risk Protection Orders. The time for only thoughts and prayers is over. We know that we cannot keep living like this. Action is needed to keep us safe. Whitmer said in a statement.

Weve heard too many times how those who knew a mass shooter expressed concern in advance, she continued. We have seen situations where local police flagged someone but had no further course of action. With extreme risk protection orders, we have a mechanism to step in and save lives.

The new law enables family members, police, mental health professionals, roommates, and former dating partners to petition a judge for the removal of firearms from individuals considered to be an immediate threat to themselves or others.

The judge must decide on a protection order within 24 hours of receiving the request. If granted, a hearing will be scheduled within 14 days, where the flagged individual must demonstrate they do not pose a significant risk. Typically, the protection order lasts for one year.

Sheriffs Oppose Law

Despite the bills signing, multiple sheriffs in the state have voiced opposition and declared their refusal to enforce the law.

The sheriff of Livingston County, for instance, publicly stated that red flag laws are unconstitutional and would not be upheld by his office.

Additionally, more than half of the counties in Michigan have passed resolutions declaring themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, asserting their opposition to the state laws they perceive as infringing upon their gun rights.

Republican lawmakers argued during debates over the bill that the new regulation would not have prevented the shooting at Michigan State University.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who was present at the signing of Senate Bill 83, indicated her commitment to ensuring the enforcement of red flag orders.

For law enforcement officials who refuse to carry out these crucial orders, let me be unequivocal: I will diligently seek out individuals with the necessary jurisdiction to enforce these orders, she said.

Michigan Democrats have pursued an 11-bill gun safety package in the wake of school shootings in recent years. The red flag law marks the final bill in that package.

Memorial items on the sign of Oxford High School in Oxford, Mich., on Dec. 1, 2021. (Paul Sancya/AP Photo)

Seven students lost their lives, and 12 others sustained injuries, during school shootings at Oxford High School in 2021 and Michigan State University in 2023.

Backpacks were also banned by two Michigan school districts earlier this month over concerns they might be used to bring guns into schools. Grand Rapids Public Schools enacted the ban after a loaded gun was brought to school by a third-grader.

Whitmer had previously signed laws for safe storage and universal background checks into effect last month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Arizona, California and Nevada on Monday proposed a plan to significantly reduce their water use from the drought-stricken Colorado River over the next three years, a potential breakthrough in a year-long stalemate that pitted Western states against one another.

The plan would conserve an additional 3 million acre-feet of water through 2026, when current guidelines for how the river is shared expire. About half the cuts would come by the end of 2024. Thats less than what federal officials said last year would be needed to stave off crisis in the river amid a years-long drought, but still marks a notable step in drawn-out and difficult negotiations between the three states.

The 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) river provides water to 40 million people in seven states in the U.S. West, parts of Mexico and more than two dozen Native American tribes. Its responsible for producing hydropower and supplying water to farms that grow most of the nations winter vegetables.

In exchange for temporarily using less water, cities, irrigation districts and Native American tribes in the three states will receive federal funding, though officials did not say how much money they expected to receive.

Though adoption of the plan isnt certain, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton called it an important step forward. She said the bureau will pull back its proposal from last month that could have resulted in sidestepping the existing water priority system to force cuts as it analyzes the three-state plan. The bureaus earlier proposal, if adopted, could have led to a messy and drawn-out legal battle.

The three states  which form the Lower Basin  are entitled to 7.5 million acre-feet of water altogether from the river. An acre-foot of water is roughly enough to serve two to three U.S. households annually.

California gets the most, based on a century-old water rights priority system. Most of that goes to farmers in the Imperial Irrigation District, though some also goes to smaller water districts and cities across Southern California. Arizona and Nevada have already faced cuts to their supply in recent years as key reservoir levels dropped based on prior agreements. But California has been spared.

Under the new proposal, California would give up about 1.6 million acre-feet of water through 2026  a little more than half of the total. Thats roughly the same amount the state first offered six months ago. It wasnt clear why the other states agreed to a deal now when California didnt offer further cuts. Leaders in Arizona and Nevada didnt immediately say how theyd divide the other 1.4 million acre feet.

Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, stressed that the announcement is not a final deal.

We agreed to a proposal. This is not an agreement, Buschatzke said during a conference call with reporters. This is critical to the understanding of what weve done here.

Buschatzke said the proposal still needs analysis and approval from the federal government, which will determine how much funding will be allocated for entities that give up water.

In a statement Monday, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said the deal provided a way to build our reservoirs back up in the near-term, but added that work remained to address the long-term effects of climate change and overallocation.

Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and Joe Lombardo of Nevada also praised the agreement, emphasizing the work of their individual states to get to Mondays plan.

The Colorado River has been in crisis for years due to a multi-decade drought in the West intensified by climate change, rising demand and overuse. Those pressures have sent water levels at key reservoirs along the river to unprecedented lows, though they have rebounded somewhat thanks to heavy precipitation and deep snowpack this winter.

In recent years, the rivers woes have forced the federal government to cut some water allocations, and to offer up billions of dollars to pay farmers, cities and others to cut back. But key water officials didnt see those efforts as enough to prevent the system from collapsing.

Last summer, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation called for the seven Colorado River basin states to figure out how to cut their collective use of the rivers water by about 2 to 4 million acre feet in 2023 alone  or roughly 15% to 30% of their annual use  but states blew past that deadline and an agreement remained elusive for several more months.

In April, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a plan that considered two ways to force cuts in the Colorado River supply for Arizona, Nevada and California, which make up the rivers Lower Basin.

One contemplated using a decades-old water priority system to reduce usage that would have benefited California and some Native American tribes with senior water rights. The other would have been a percentage cut across the board.

Michael Cohen, a senior researcher at the Pacific Institute focused on the Colorado River, said the rivers hydrology has improved a bit since last summer. He called the amount of cuts the three states have proposed a huge, huge lift and a significant step forward.

It does buy us a little additional time, he said. But if more dry years are ahead, this agreement will not solve that problem.

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3 days after receiving her second dose of the Moderna vaccine, Nikki Holland of Tennessee experienced a debilitating series of symptoms which left her unable to walk, breathe, or eat. And after years of having her condition minimized by doctors, and censored by social media, she tells us her full story.
Worlds Largest Real Estate Market on the Brink of Collapse: Experts

A building under construction is seen in Shanghai on Sept. 24, 2021. (Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images)

Recent statistics from Chinas central bank show that home buyers enthusiasm has fallen drastically. Despite price cuts and incentives, the worlds largest housing market continues to slump, and Chinas banking sector is taking a hit on two fronts, as both defaults and prepayments rise. Meanwhile, Chinas developers are starting to show the strain, with real estate giant Wanda Group making headlines this week as the value of its dollar bonds plunged.

In early 2023, the Chinese real estate market had a short-lived rebound as local governments across the country issued policies to bail out the failing real estate sector, according to the China Index Academy, a real estate research institute. By the end of April, the mortgage rate for first-home buyers in more than 40 cities had been lowered to below 4 percent.

However, after an optimistic outlook in March, Aprils sales failed to live up to analysts expectations.

According to the April 2023 Financial Statistics Report released by Chinas central bank on May 11, mortgages decreased by 241.1 billion yuan ($33.8 billion) in April. Among those, medium- and long-term household loans, mostly mortgages, decreased by 115.6 billion yuan ($16.2 billion), while short-term mortgages decreased by 125.5 billion yuan ($17.6 billion).

Public statistics show that sales of previously owned homes in Chinas largest cities all showed double-digit declines in April. Among them, Beijing fell 37.3 percent; Hangzhou fell 32.7 percent; Shanghai fell 26.71 percent; and Nanjing fell 13 percent. The worst decline was in Hefei, which plunged by 40 percent.

CCP Puts the Brakes on Price Cuts

The weak housing market forced developers to cut prices. However, two real estate developers in Kunshan, China were penalized by Chinese regulators for cutting prices by a large margin, so much so, according to regulators, that they disrupted the normal order of the real estate market and caused social instability.

Japan-based current affairs commentator Qu Kai told The Epoch Times on May 13: The reason why the [Chinese] regime wont let real estate developers lower prices is very simple. The chain reaction caused by price cuts will instantly burst the bubble of Chinas property market, causing a series of economic crises that would be difficult for the CCP to manage.

Qu believes that the current real estate crisis will sooner or later affect banks and eventually will impact the regime as a whole, as the CCP will be unable to maintain its revenue through the property market.

On the Brink

China is the worlds largest housing market. According to estimates from prominent economist Ren Zepings China Housing Market Value Report 2021, the countrys housing market value was $62.6 trillion in 2020, compared to $33.6 trillion in the United States, $10.8 trillion in Japan, and $31.5 trillion in the United Kingdom, France, and Germany combined. Ren is a former economist at Chinas Development Research Center.

According to Rens China Wealth Report 2022, the market value of Chinas housing market reached 476 trillion yuan (about $73.8 trillion) in 2021. This represents a 17.9 percent increase in total market value compared to 2020.

When considering the ratio of housing market value to GDP, Chinas housing market value in 2020 was already 414 percent, higher than Japans 391 percent before its housing bubble burst in the 1990s.

As Chinas economy weakens and the housing market shrinks, the number of foreclosed homes in China climbed to 606,000 in 2022, an increase of 35.7 percent year-over-year. At the same time, many cities have seen a huge increase in the number of second-handed real estate listings for sale.

Risk Will Be Passed to Banks

The consequences of real estate declines and residential mortgage defaults will eventually be passed on to the banks, Fang Qi, a veteran Chinese finance professional living in the UK, explained to The Epoch Times on May 13.

Fang said that for banks, there are two risk associated with residential mortgages. Both situations incur losses and directly weaken banks assets.

The first situation arises when homeowners default on mortgage payments. Among the reasons for rising defaults in China is an ongoing mortgage boycott, with many homeowners refusing to make payments on unfinished homes. An August 2022 New York Times article estimates that the boycott may affect as many as 4 percent of outstanding mortgages.

The second is when homeowners pay off their mortgages early, as many Chinese homeownerssaddled with higher ratesare doing. Mortgage holders are tapping their personal savings or taking out cheap loans under stimulus programs intended for big-ticket consumer purchases or for starting new businesses.

Analysts estimate that nearly $700 billion of mortgagesclose to one-eighth Chinas outstanding totalhad been prepaid since early 2022 when banks started to lower borrowing rates.

Under normal conditions, this would free up cash for banks to finance other loans. However, given the current situation in which consumers are being very cautious about spending, its actually bad news for banks. Not only are they losing money on existing mortgages, there is a dearth of new loans to finance.

The result is tightened financing for real estate companies, Fang warned: The banks tightening of finance to the real estate sector will further plunge them into chaos, thus causing a vicious cycle that will affect the banks asset quality and profitability. If the risk spreads to a certain extent, banks will incur a large number of bad debts, leading to bankruptcy.

Real Estate Developers Feel the Strain

Amid Chinas housing market downturn, many real estate developers are in turmoil. Chinese real estate giant KWG Property released an announcement (pdf) on April 28 saying it had failed to pay 212 million yuan ($31 million) of principal due on that date. The delinquency triggered another 31.2 billion yuan of debt (about $4.36 billion) becoming payable on demand. Two weeks later, the developer defaulted (pdf) on a $119 million redemption payment.

Even Wanda Group, one of Chinas oldest and largest real estate giants, is rumored to be at risk for a debt meltdown. Yields on two U.S. dollar bonds sold by its subsidiary Wanda Properties Global rose above 35 percent in April. Market analysts called the surge a sign that borrowers were having trouble raising new funds, exacerbating the risk of debt crisis and default.

In late April, Fitch Ratings placed Wanda Commercial and Wanda Commercial Properties (Hong Kong) on its negative watch list.

Wanda Commercial made headlines with more troubling news on Tuesday as a $400 million dollar bond due for repayment in July fell to about 70 cents, on the brink of distressed territory, Bloomberg reported, under the headline Real Estate Distress Deepens Again as China Woes Spread.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Yellen Sounds Alarm on Default in New Warning to McCarthy on Debt Ceiling Deadlock

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen listens during an open session of a Financial Stability Oversight Council meeting at the Department of the Treasury in Washington on April 21, 2023. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has issued a renewedand alarmistwarning to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other congressional leaders, reiterating her earlier position that the country could run out of money to pay its debt obligations as early as June 1, but this time around expressing more confidence in her dire prediction.

Yellen has repeatedly warned that the debt ceiling deadlock grinding on in Washington is pushing the country closer to the so-called X-date, when the Treasury Departments bag of accounting tricks (known as extraordinary measures) runs out and the government faces the prospect of a debt default.

In her first letter to McCarthy on May 1 (pdf), Yellen said it was the Treasury Departments best estimate that it would be unable to continue to satisfy all of the governments debt obligations by early June and potentially as early as June 1. She reiterated that view in a May 15 letter, in which she noted its impossible to predict the exact timing of the X-date.

But in a new letter (pdf) to McCarthy and congressional leaders on Monday, Yellens rhetoric took a more alarmist tone, saying that incoming data show its now highly likely that the government will run out of money as early as June 1.

With an additional week of information now available, I am writing to note that we estimate that it is highly likely that Treasury will no longer be able to satisfy all of the governments obligations if Congress has not acted to raise or suspend the debt limit by early June, and potentially as early as June 1, Yellen wrote.

Yellens increased confidence in her X-date estimate stands in some contrast to a projection from Goldman Sachs, which expects the country to have a bit more runwayuntil June 8before it runs out of money. Still, the investment bank warned that waiting for the last minute isnt necessarily the right move, even though we think that maybe they could go a little longer.

McCarthy and the Republicans have been deadlocked in debt cap talks with President Joe Biden and the Democrats, with the latest negotiating session on Monday failing to deliver a breakthrough.

In seeking to push those talks forward, Yellen urged the sides to find a solution as soon as possible while warning 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.

Already there have been signs of stress in Treasury markets, with the governments borrowing costs for securities maturing in early June seeing a spike.

Productive Meeting But No Deal

McCarthy and Biden emerged on Monday from a 90-minute negotiating session at the White House on Monday saying that some progress had been made but with no substantial breakthrough.

The two struck somewhat optimistic tones in separate remarks to reporters after the meeting, while calling for further progress in averting a default.

I think the tone tonight was better than any other time weve had discussions, McCarthy said. We still will have some philosophical differences, but I felt it was productive  and I think we were able to really focus on the areas of difference.

Biden struck a fairly optimistic note when discussing the talks, while offering hope for reaching a deal to raise the nations $31.4 trillion debt limit.

I just concluded a productive meeting with Speaker McCarthy about the need to prevent default and avoid a catastrophe for our economy, the president said in a statement on Twitter.

We reiterated once again that default is off the table and the only way to move forward is in good faith toward a bipartisan agreement. While there are areas of disagreement, the Speaker and I, and his lead negotiators Chairman McHenry and Congressman [Garret] Graves, and our staffs will continue to discuss the path forward.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), the lead negotiator for the Republicans, said the meeting provided some added clarity.

We got very good direction from the speaker and from the president, the speaker to his team, and the president to his team in the same room. Were on the same page where the same set of issues got to work through it was productive, McHenry said.

The teams in the room have built some level of relationship and trust that we can actually get a product that is mutually agreeable to, McHenry added.

McCarthy declined to specify any points of agreement thus far, telling reporters on Capitol Hill that, we dont agree to anything until we agree to everything.

Imminent Compromise?

In the course of the talks, Republicans have tied lifting the debt cap with spending cuts. They have been trying to persuade Democrats to accept tougher work requirements for some federal aid programs, as well as expenditure reductions.

The Republican legislative proposalcalled the Limit, Save, Grow Actpairs lifting the ceiling by $1.5 trillion with $4.5 trillion in spending cuts over a decade.

While Biden and the Democrats have insisted on a clean bill with no preconditions to lift the ceiling, there have been rumors that White House officials believe the president is prepared to compromise to some GOP demands to rein in spending.

McCarthy last week joked that Bidens secret plan could be to wait until the last minute to pass the GOP legislative proposal.

On Monday, after the latest round of talks failed to deliver a solution to the gridlock, McCarthy said only two items are non-negotiable.

From the first day I sat with the president, there have been two criteria. I told him were not going to raise taxes because we bring in more money than we ever have. And were not going to pass a clean debt ceiling, McCarthy said.

Everything else is open for negotiations. But at the end of the day, it has to fit in that place.

White House National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard said last week that Bidens negotiating team had been instructed not to agree to any Republican proposal on lifting the debt ceiling that would result in cuts to health care or increase the poverty rate.

Biden has repeatedly said hes confident that a deal would be hammered out and that America wouldnt default.

Taking Down the System

In a recent note on the debt ceiling deadlock, analysts at ING said they believe that theres more potential for brinkmanship before a negotiated end to the impasse.

The problem is that the personalities involved and their entrenched positions mean it is almost impossible to believe that a deal will happen smoothly and quickly, they wrote in a note.

We fear that it will take significant economic and financial market stress to trigger a climbdown from the key players; perhaps a realisation that individuals responsible for any pain will be punished at the ballot box, they added.

The ING analysts said that failure on the part of the government to pay even a single U.S. Treasury bond interest payment would risk contaminating the entire range of Treasurys debt offerings to investors.

That risks taking down the system, they warned, though they added that this is highly unlikely to occur.

But mistakes can be made, they continued, pointing to the price action on credit default swaps as a sign of elevated market worry.

At least 70 percent of U.S. voters, meanwhile, said in a recent poll that they believe a debt default would worsen the economy, lead stock markets to drop substantially, and make borrowing more costly.

Lawrence Wilson contributed to this report.
Chouhan announces Maharana Pratap Memorial in Bhopal





Staff Reporter

On the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap and Maharaja Chattarsal, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced to establish the Maharana Pratap Memorial in Bhopal and May 22 as a general holiday, during the programme held at Motilal Nehru Stadium on Monday. A large number of community members from all over the State participated in the programme. Dr Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, a descendant of Maharana Pratap, presented the soil of Haldi Ghati to the Chief Minister. The CM said that nothing in India is purer than the soil of the Haldi Ghati. This soil is a symbol of bravery and bravery of India. I will never let go of his honour and respect, even if he loses his life. This soil will remind of Maharana Prataps bravery, do work in the right direction.

The Chief Minister said that the State Government did not do any favour by declaring holiday on the birth anniversary of brave warrior Maharana Pratap. He said that the stories of his bravery will be taught in the textbooks of Madhya Pradesh so that future generations can read about Maharana Pratap. A grand memorial will be built for Maharana Pratap, Chetak and their other associates in Bhopal. Many welfare works should continue to happen, thats why we will also constitute the Rana Welfare Board. Sought approval from Maharana Prataps descendant for guidance in the board.

Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Tomar said Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be remembered for his announcement and for his development works. Whatever the announcement he had made, more than 95 per cent of them are completed. Lakshya Raj Singh Mewar appreciated the work of Chief Minister and also thanked to accept their demand to announce the holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap.
ED attaches 119 properties worth over Rs 121 crore in Chhattisgarh liquor scam





Staff Reporter

Raipur,

In a fresh crackdown against money laundering investigation into Rs 2000 crore liquor scam vertical, Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday provisionally attached 119 immovable properties worth over Rs 121 crore belonging to certain high-profile individuals, political executives and senior bureaucrats of Chhattisgarh, who allegedly ran and operated the liquor syndicate. The criminal syndicate generated illegal money to the tune of whopping Rs 2000 crore in a short span of time from 2019 and 2022.

Earlier, the federal agency had arrested Anwar Dhebar, Nitesh Purohit, Trilok Singh Dhillon and Arun Pati Tripathi for their role in the offence of money laundering. ED has also conducted more than 50 search operations at various locations in Raipur, Bhilai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai and has been successful in seizing movable assets worth Rs 58 crore including cash, fixed deposits, shares and jewellery. Thus, the total seizure and attachment in the case stand at Rs 180 crore (approx.) The attached properties mainly belong to alleged kingpin of the scam Anil Tuteja, a senior IAS officer of Chhattisgarh Government and Anwar Dhebar, brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, who has been alleged to main collection agent and front man of the syndicate. The other attached properties attached by ED today belongs to Arunpati Tripathi, another key perpetrator of the scam, alleged to have played a crucial role in meticulous shaping, planning and execution of the scam. Tripathi Tripathi, basically an Indian Telecom Services (ITS) cadre officer, who had been working in Chhattisgarh for past over 7 years, was Managing Director of state body - Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) and also held the charge of Special Secretary, Excise Department, Chhattisgarh. Apropos, properties belonging to two other individuals involved in the scam, Arving Singh and Vikash Agrawal, have also been attached, said a senior ED official, privy to the investigation.
Fire rages in Bandhavgarh, Wildlife Trust of India team on field





Staff Reporter

A wildfire has threatened to cause massive damages to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR), prompting the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department to deploy entire field staff to douse it. BTR is one of the largest biospheres of India but unfortunately it is raging in fire at least for past 12 days. The fire that broke out in core zone and some isolated places of the park has spread to three major ranges and is raging. According to local sources, Pator range that comes under core zone is also raging in fire. 2 km of area under Dobha beat of Bamera and Patihara jungle under Manpur has been burnt into fire.

The fire broke out in vast area and field staff of forest department proved a very small before the task to douse the fire. Hati Mitra Dal (elephant friend team) and Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) member Pushpendra Nath Dwivedi took initiative to control the situation. Pushpendra Dwivedi formed team in 15 villages and took them on alert mode. Local villagers have been asked to stay alert and immediately inform about fire in their areas. The team members worked for several hours to douse the fire. The team put out fire of these two km of area. Environmentalists and local activists also raised alarm over possible damage to tigers and other endangered species within protected areas. Forest officials believe that it could be local villagers who set fire in their field to settle the crops and Mahua collection. Local villagers said that forest team delayed to take action and their staffs is too small to blaze the fire. Fire incidents in forest areas of Madhya Pradesh are very common during summer.
Kashmir hosts G20 delegates in 3rdtourism working group meeting





SRINAGAR :

ABOUT 60 foreign delegates arrived here on Monday for the third tourism working group meeting of the G20 countries, officials said. This is the first international meeting being held in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile State into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh - in August 2019. Officials said the delegates fromseveral countriesofthe G20 grouping arrived in a chartered flight at the Srinagar international airport in the morning amidst tight security. GOVT CHALKING OUT COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR TOURISM GROWTH IN KASHMIR, SAYS REDDY: FILM tourism has emerged as a powerful medium to promote the tourism industry and the Government is chalking out acomprehensive strategy for its growth in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said.

He said tourism helps in creating employment opportunities in hospitality and gastronomy. We are chalking out a comprehensive strategy for tourism growth.Filmtourism has emerged as a powerful medium to promote tourism, to promote a destination, Reddy, the Minister for Culture and Tourism, said. Hewasaddressingthedelegates from the G20 countries on the side event Film Tourism for Economic and Cultural Preservation at SKICC here. The event is a part of the three-day third Tourism Working Group Meeting of the G20 countries being held here. The Minister saidSrinagar is Indias of one of the most beautiful cities.
Minister Bhargava reviews progress of ongoing devpt projects in district





Staff Reporter

State Public Works, Cottage and Rural Industries Minister, Gopal Bhargava presided over the District Planning Committee (DPC) meeting held in the conference hall at Collectorate on Monday. He reviewed the progress of ongoing development projects in the district and gave necessary directions to concerned senior officials. At the outset, Minister Bhargava held discussions on action taken report of decisions made in the previous meeting. Addressing the issue of Gaushalas (cow shelters), he emphasised the need to complete all unfinished Gaushalas without any restrictions. The Minister In-charge of the District directed the Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC) to safeguard cows and ensure that the city remains clean and beautiful. He directed to relocate stray pigs and monkeys within the city limits to more suitable areas. To achieve this, he asked to launch a campaign and forming a special team. The relocation process should be carried out thoughtfully, ensuring that the problems of one location do not transfer to another.

Regarding electricity bills, Minister Bhargava stressed the rectification of erroneous bills through organising camps. He directed officers to handle the matter sensitively. Additionally, he called for prompt action by the relevant authorities in cases of power failures. He directed to pay special attention to repairing dangling wires, bent poles and relocating power poles situated in the middle of roads or nearby. During discussions on development projects, the public representatives earnestly addressed various issues affecting the district and presented an action plan to resolve them. The topics related to rural development, JMC, Smart City initiatives, Forest Department, Women and Child Development, Electricity, Public Health Engineering (PHE), Food and Civil Supplies, and road construction, among others.
Shift IMS out of city to save Ajni Vann: Thackeray





Staff Reporter

Aditya Thackeray, former Environment Minister and Shiv Sena leader, expressed his concerns over cutting of trees at Ajni Vann, and said, local residents are fighting to protect the forest in Ajni. He mentioned that during the previous MVA Government, relocation of the Inter Modal Station (IMS) out of the city was proposed to save Ajni Vann. It should be done to protect environment of the city, he said. Thackeray was interacting with mediapersons at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport after his arrival in city for a tour, on Monday.

Thackeray, accompanied by LoP Ambadas Danve, was accorded a grand welcome at the airport by the party workers. Thackeray also said, during his tenure as the Environment Minister, he had visited Nandgaon and Waregaon where the ash pond had been significantly cleared, reaching a 65 percent reduction. However, he observed that ash is now being stored there again, leading to a decline in the standard of living for the local residents. He also pointed out the resurgence of coal washeries in Vidarbha, which had previously been halted during his time as the minister.

Thackeray also expressed concern over lack of efforts to control pollution caused by coal washeries and power projects in Koradi. He assured his intention to raise these critical environment issues in the assembly. He also pointed out spreading pollution due to concentrating all the projects in one location. It would further deteriorate the lives of local residents, said Thackeray. When asked about Jayant Patils inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Thackeray accused the BJP government of attempting to pressurise those who stand for truth and justice. He expressed concern over this trend, noting similar patterns throughout the country, suggesting that democracy was at stake during the current dictatorial regime.
STATESMANSHIP





THE manner in which Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi conducted himself through various events as part of the G-7 meeting showed not just his seniority among world leaders (having been Indias Prime Minister for close to ten years) but also his astute statesmanship. What the world often marks is Mr. Modis fantastic ability to give proper expression to complex diplomatic issues and altogether alter the perspective. At the G-7 meet, this ability was noticed by the world when Mr. Modi talked of Russia-Ukraine conflict as an issue of humanity and not of politics, That it was not just a word-play was clear by the manner in which the collective leadership at the summit instantaneously appreciated Mr. Modis definition of the Ukraine issue. For, the description steered clear of uncalled for diplomatic complexity and offered a much sorted out definition of it as being a crisis of humanity. In just a few words, thus, Mr. Modi put the whole conflict in wider perspective, touching all factors in one go. G-7 was a very fruitful outing for most leaders in recent times. Every national leader served his own countrys diplomatic goals all right. Mr. Modi also utilised the opportunity to establish the authenticity and correctness of Indias stance on various issues including China as a global issue. He avoided cleverly the bilateralisation of the issue, but described for the worlds benefit the Chinese approach in a smarter manner.

It was certainly not an easy task, though. For, to describe the Chinese thought and action without sounding biased was a major challenge for Indian diplomacy. Mr. Narendra Modi proved to be a man of the moment He utilised the platform for highlighting the shortcomings of the United Nations as a truly comprehensive global forum, and accusing it of not reflecting realities of the world. In this manner, he reiterated the Indian stand on reforms at the United Nations without sounding cantankerous, so to say. That United States President Mr. Joe Biden called Mr. Narendra Modi as too popular, was only one aspect of Mr. Modis high acceptability in the world. But what was more important was how leaders of various countries responded to Mr. Modi as a person and as Indias national leader of world stature. The spectacle of Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Mr. James Marape touching Mr. Narendra Modis feet at arrival proved this point in an altogether different light. Mr. Modis seniority and his overall personality came in for high appreciation at different points on the tour -- which gladdened Indian hearts no end.

At Hiroshimas Peace Memorial Park, during bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Mr. Rishi Sunak and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mr. Modi made his mark by the manner of his dealings with his peers, every movement of his having been covered extensively by Japanese newspapers. But even though he was busy in these activities at G-7, Mr. Modi did find time and inclination to give a video address at the World Health Assembly at Geneva, when he highlighted the numerous gaps he saw in the global health architecture. There is no doubt that in the past one decade, Mr. Modi has led Indias diplomatic campaign from the front and by example, of course helped ably by Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar. The biggest gain of this sustained campaign has been an enhancement in Indias stature globally as a country that truly stands on its own and gives meaning to its diplomacy in the wider perspective. Even as Prime Minister Mr. Modi talks of China as an issue, he takes the discourse to a higher level taking care to ensure that Indian bias is never reflected in his statement. He highlights well the fact that the Chinese issue has larger global dimensions.
The United National Movement is urging the parliament to review their faction's proposed draft law, which aims to restrict the entry of individuals who are subject to sanctions into Georgia.As per Levan Bezhashvili, the draft law's restrictions will be applicable to both individuals and legal entities involved in the occupation and military aggression of Georgia and Ukraine's territories. Furthermore, it will also encompass individuals and legal entities cooperating with sanctioned companies.According to the bill, Georgian and international companies that are included in the sanctioned list will face prohibitions on receiving financing from the Georgian budget and participating in tenders."Under the current government's conditions, there is no guarantee that sanctioned persons will not enter Georgia in the future. Therefore, we demand immediate discussion of the draft law initiated by the United National Movement one year ago. We will address this issue during today's Bureau session and expect the Parliament of Georgia to exercise its powers in protecting the national interest by prohibiting the entry of sanctioned persons into the territory of Georgia," said Tina Bokuchava, the chairman of the faction.According to Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and Secretary General of the Georgian Dream party, there is no necessity to implement a visa regime with Russia. He expressed the government's openness to welcoming a large number of tourists to Georgia, as well as non-sanctioned business companies.According to Kaladze, the opposition, which is currently calling for the implementation of a visa regime with Russia, had previously expressed a welcoming attitude towards the arrival of Russian tourists in the country."I believe that there is no need to establish a visa regime. In this regard, I echo the sentiments expressed by Msvildadze, Khoshtaria, and Saakashvili that we welcome as many tourists as possible to come to Georgia. We also welcome the arrival of non-sanctioned business companies. There is no problem in doing so," Kaladze said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a news conference to sign several bills related to public education and increases in teacher pay, in Miami, Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

A group of Chinese citizens living and working in Florida sued the state Monday over a new law that bans Chinese nationals from purchasing property in large swaths of the state.

The law applies to properties within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of military installations and other critical infrastructure and also affects citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea. But Chinese citizens and those selling property to them face the harshest penalties. The prohibition also applies to agricultural land.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the law will have a substantial chilling effect on sales to Chinese and Asian people who can legally buy property. The suit says the law unfairly equates Chinese people with the actions of their government and there is no evidence of national security risk from Chinese citizens buying Florida property.

The law will codify and expand housing discrimination against people of Asian descent in violation of the Constitution and the Fair Housing Act, the ACLU said in a news release announcing the suit. It will also cast an undue burden of suspicion on anyone seeking to buy property whose name sounds remotely Asian, Russian, Iranian, Cuban, Venezuelan, or Syrian.

U.S.-China ties are strained amid growing tensions over security and trade. In nearly a dozen statehouses and Congress, a decades-old worry about foreign land ownership has spiked since a Chinese spy balloon traversed the skies from Alaska to South Carolina last month.

Republican Gov. https://apnews.com/hub/ron-desantis, who is expected to launch a presidential campaign this week, signed the bill May 8. His office didnt immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

The law is set to take affect July 1. It will be a felony for Chinese people to buy property in restricted areas or for any person or real estate company to knowingly sell to restricted people. For the other targeted nations, the penalty is a misdemeanor for buyers and sellers.

It applies to military instillations as well as infrastructure like airports and seaports, water and wastewater treatment plants, natural gas and oil processing facilities, power plants, spaceports, and telecommunications central switching offices.

The ACLU says the law will have the net effect of creating Chinese exclusion zones that will cover immense portions of Florida, including many of the states most densely populated and developed areas.

This impact is exactly what laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the California Alien Land Law of 1913 did more than a hundred years ago, the lawsuit says.

Those on the restricted list that already own property near critical infrastructure must register with the state or face fines of up to $1,000 a day. Theyre also prohibited from acquiring additional property. The law has provisions to allow the state to seize property from violators.

The number of states restricting foreign ownership of agricultural land has risen by 50% this year.

Heading into 2023, 14 states had laws restricting foreign ownership or investments in private agricultural land. So far this year, restrictive laws also have been enacted in Arkansas, Idaho, Montana, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia.

Foreign land ownership has become a political flashpoint, said Micah Brown, a staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center at the University of Arkansas.

Brown said the recent surge in state laws targeting land ownership by foreign entities stems from some highly publicized cases of Chinese-connected companies purchasing land near military bases. Earlier this year, the U.S. Air Force said that the Fufeng Groups planned $700 million wet corn milling plant near a base in Grand Forks, North Dakota, poses a significant threat to national security.

After a Chinese army veteran and real estate tycoon bought a wind farm near an Air Force base in Texas, that state responded in 2021 by banning infrastructure deals with individuals tied to hostile governments, including China.

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This years first flight of Haj pilgrims to depart on June 7





Staff Reporter

The first flight for this years Haj pilgrimage with will depart from Nagpur for Jeddah on June 7. The first batch of 430 passengers will leave for the pilgrimage. The Central Tanzeem Committee at Mohd Ali Sarai has taken up several initiatives for the ease of the pilgrims. A camp was inaugurated on Monday. The committee would be guiding the pilgrims regarding physical fitness.

Shahid Naseem Khan, Vice-President of Central Tanzeem Committee told The Hitavada, This year, nine flights from Nagpurs Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport will depart for Jeddah. The first flight carrying 430 Haj pilgrims will depart at 9 pm. The same day, another flight with another batch of 430 Haj pilgrims will leave for Jeddah at 11.10 pm. On June 8, third flight will depart at 11.10 pm carrying 430 passengers. On June 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 the flights will carry 330 passengers each. These flights will depart at 10 am daily. The return flights will start reaching city from July 16. This year, a total of 3,270 pilgrims will fly to Jeddah on various days from Nagpur. On Monday, Maulana Ateeq Ahmed inaugurated the guidance camp. The polio dose activity was conducted by the Health Department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation. Haj Arqan Maulana Gulam Raza from Madina Masjid, Anantnagar and Maulana Shakir Raza, Maulana Naeem guided the pilgrims about Haj in detail.
Ukraine: Bidens Timing





By Gwynne Dyer

AGREAT many people are glad that US President Joe Biden has finally agreed that Ukraine can be supplied with modern Western aircraft  specifically F-16s  but they are still cross about his procrastination and worried that he has waited too long. From Ukraines point of view, they do have a case. Ukraines dwindling fleet of elderly ex-Soviet combat aircraft cannot provide adequate air support to the countrys long-awaited counter-offensive this summer. They are too few and too old to survive against the full array of Russian anti-aircraft missiles and the much larger numbers of Russian fighters (although those are also old). The F-16s would change that narrative. They, too, are old (first operational squadron 1980), but their electronics have been continuously updated and in practice they are a full generation ahead of the Russian fighters they would confront. In air combat, that usually means grotesquely lopsided kill ratios in favour of the aircraft with the better electronics. However, the White House is talking of a minimum of three to six months to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16, and it is still being coy about how many F-16s will actually be handed over to the Ukrainians and when.

Whereas the Ukrainian counter-offensive has to happen in the next four months, or else it risks being slowed to a halt by the autumn rains. Was Joe Biden unaware of this? Of course not. Its just that he has his own list of priorities, and Ukraine comes third. Priority One is not blundering into a nuclear war with the Russian Federation. Biden has been in active politics through most of the cold war era, and he remembers that avoiding direct fighting between the United States and the Soviet Union was quite literally an existential issue. That reality hasnt changed, even though todays Russia is smaller and much less powerful than the old Soviet Union. Moscow still has thousands of nuclear weapons, and those must be respected. So while Biden supports Ukraines sovereignty, he will do nothing that startles Vladimir Putin into a nuclear over-reaction. That is why the US President has been so cautious in upgrading the categories of weapons he and his NATO allies provide to Ukraine. The pattern has been that he lets Ukraine have some kind of NATO weapons system (American howitzers with longer ranges, say), and then waits for the Russian reaction. The Russians threaten bloody murder, draw a new red line NATO must never cross, and hint at nuclear weapons use. But they dont actually do anything. So after a couple of months Biden moves onto the next category of NATO weapons  the Himars rocket launchers, in this example  and waits again. And so on, through half a dozen rounds. We have arrived at combat aircraft, the last item on Bidens list, so now the time pressure moves to the other side. Bidens second priority, obviously, is being re-elected to the Presidency eighteen months from now. For that, he needs a convincing Ukrainian victory and a satisfactory end to the war within the next fifteen months.

After two generations of pointless, lost foreign wars from Vietnam to Afghanistan, Americans are dubious about the benefits of foreign military adventures. It helps Biden greatly that no Americans are being killed in Ukraine, but the war there is still unpopular with the voters and getting more so. Biden would be offering an open goal to Donald Trump (or some other Republican rabble-rouser, if Trump is in jail by then) if the war in Ukraine is still raging in November 2024. He has to get it finished before that, so the Ukrainians will soon get their F-16s. Its been the same balancing act right from the start. Biden is obviously cutting it very fine, but has he actually miscalculated? We shall find out in the next few months, but he may have a card up his sleeve. It might not really be three to six months before the Ukrainians have operational F-16s.

There is reason to believe that some Ukrainian pilots have already been trained on fourth-generation fighters (not necessarily F-16s) by friendly European countries, though not by the United States. Ukrainian Air Force Command has also quietly called for veteran F-16 pilots and ground crews from other countries to join up and help in the transition. The actual planes could come sooner than Washingtons timetable suggests, because the actual donors of the F-16s will be smaller European NATO members like Denmark and the Netherlands. These are countries that have taken a lead in weapons deliveries to Ukraine in the past, and they might do so again. A decisive Ukrainian military victory, Bidens third priority, is still far from guaranteed, but Ukrainian air superiority over the front, at least, may be within reach.
Spirit Airlines is yanking Jamaica off its itinerary of direct flights to and from Bradley International Airport outside Hartford, citing poor ticket sales just six months after debuting the new route.

Bradley introduced the service in mid-December 2022 to Montego Bay, Jamaica, with fares starting at $116 each way for the four hour flights. On Priceline Monday, a few flights were offered in June for $104, with most fares otherwise ranging between $144 and $290 each way.

While Spirit offers Northeast service to Jamaica via John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Logan International Airport, the company was counting on the Bradley option would pay off providing service for both vacationers and people with family there. Bradley fares to Jamaica were in line with flights originating out of JFK, with Newark Liberty having a larger number of flights priced below $125.

In a statement in response to a CT Insider query, the Connecticut Airport Authority stated it is "very disappointed" in the Spirit Airlines decision.

We continue to believe strongly in the markets ability to support nonstop Jamaica service at Bradley International Airport, but the airline was unfortunately unable to attract those passengers to use the service in the limited time that it was offered," the Connecticut Airport Authority stated. "The CAA is committed to continue seeking a new carrier to relaunch and maintain this important service for our community.

Under a deal with the state of Connecticut, Spirit was to have been reimbursed up to $2 million if revenue from the new route did not hit expectations. CAA stated Spirit Airlines has not drawn any amounts as recompense.

Despite a 40 percent jump in revenue in the first quarter to more than $1.3 billion, Spirit Airlines reported a $103 million loss as costs jumped as well for fuel, wages and aircraft costs among other expenses.

The company is readying to begin flying new Airbus A321neo jets starting in June equipped with engines from Pratt & Whitney based in East Hartford. Spirit Airlines CEO Ted Christie criticized Pratt & Whitney in February for what he called "diminished service" of engines mounted on Airbus A320 jets already in the fleet.

Spirit Airlines' future hit turbulence in March, after the U.S. Department of Justice sued to block the budget carrier's proposed merger with JetBlue Airways, citing the potential impact on discount carrier fares with one fewer competitor.

Speaking last month on a conference call, Christie expressed confidence in the merger surviving an October trial intact.

"We need to get bigger because scale is the best way for us to compete with these dominant airlines that control 80 percent of the capacity in the United States," Christie said in April. "I think we have a really good path towards a stronger fifth competitor, which will still be half the size of the fourth competitor, but one that can actually start to create competitive balance in the industry. And I think we'll lay out a very successful case."

This article has been updated to reflect that the Connecticut attorneys general office is not among those supporting the DOJ lawsuit to lock the Jet Blue-Spirit merger.
An image of black smoke billowing next to a bureaucratic-looking building spread across social media Monday morning, with the claim that it showed an explosion near the Pentagon.

The posts sent a brief shiver through the stock market as they were quickly picked up by news outlets outside the U.S., before officials jumped in to clarify that no blast actually took place and the photo was a fake.

Experts say the viral image had telltale signs of an AI-generated forgery, and its popularity underscores the everyday chaos these now increasingly sophisticated and easy-to-access programs can inflict.

Heres a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: An image shows an explosion near the Pentagon.

THE FACTS: Police and fire officials in Arlington, Virginia, say the image is not real and there was no incident at the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters across the Potomac from the nations capital.

Despite this, the image and claim was spread by outlets including RT, a Russian government-backed media company formerly known as Russia Today. It was also widely shared in investment circles, including an account bearing Twitter's signature blue verification check mark that falsely suggested it was associated with Bloomberg News.

Reports of an explosion near the Pentagon in Washington DC, the Russian state news agency wrote in a since-deleted tweet to its more than three million followers.

RT confirmed it took down the tweet and covered the official position from the Pentagon on the matter after verifying the reports were inaccurate.

As with fast-paced news verification, we made the public aware of reports circulating and once provenance and veracity were ascertained, we took appropriate steps to correct the reporting," the company wrote in an emailed statement Tuesday.

Still the timing of the fake image, which appeared to spread widely just after the U.S. stock market opened for trading at 9:30 a.m., was enough to send a ripple through the investment world.

The S&P 500 briefly dropped a modest 0.3% as social media accounts and investment websites popular with day traders repeated the false claims.

Other investments also moved in ways that typically occur when fear enters the market. Prices for U.S. Treasury bonds and gold, for example, briefly began to climb, suggesting investors were looking for someplace safer to park their money.

The image's rapid spread prompted the Arlington County Fire Department to take to social media to knock down the rumors.

@PFPAOfficial and the ACFD are aware of a social media report circulating online about an explosion near the Pentagon, the agency wrote, referring to the acronym for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency that polices the Pentagon. There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public.

Capt. Nate Hiner, a spokesperson for the fire department, confirmed the agencys tweet was authentic but declined to comment further, deferring to the Pentagon police force, which didnt respond to email and phone messages.

Misinformation experts say the fake image was likely created using generative artificial intelligence programs, which have allowed increasingly realistic, but oftentimes flawed, visuals to flood the internet recently.

Inconsistencies in the building, fence and surrounding area are imperfections typically found in AI-generated images, noted Hany Farid, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in digital forensics, misinformation and image analysis.

Specifically, the grass and concrete fade into each other, the fence is irregular, there is a strange black pole that is protruding out of the front of the sidewalk but is also part of the fence, he wrote in an email. The windows in the building are inconsistent with photos of the Pentagon that you can find online.

Chirag Shah, co-director of the Center for Responsibility in AI Systems & Experiences at the University of Washington in Seattle, cautioned that spotting fakes wont always be as obvious.

Society will need to lean more on crowdsourcing and community vigilance to weed out bad information and arrive at the truth as AI technology improves, he argued.

Simply relying on detection tools or social media posts are not going to be enough, Shah wrote in an email.

Before the explosion hoax, the biggest Beltway intrigue on Wall Streets mind Monday morning was whether the U.S. government will avoid a disastrous default on its debt.

But as the market is becoming increasingly reactive to headline-grabbing news, misinformation can be especially damaging when its shared by outlets even vaguely deemed as credible, said Adam Kobeissi, editor-in-chief at The Kobeissi Letter, an industry publication.

A lot of these moves are happening because of high frequency trading, algorithmic trading, which is basically taking headlines, synthesizing them and then breaking them down into a trade on a millisecond basis, he explained by phone, noting that much of the market is now automated. Its basically like youre pulling a trigger every time a headline comes out.

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Associated Press business reporters Stan Choe and Wyatte Grantham-Philips in New York contributed to this story.

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This is part of APs effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.
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WASHINGTON (AP)  U.S. health regulators on Monday approved a new easy-to-use version of a medication to reverse overdoses caused by fentanyl and other opioids driving the nations drug crisis.

Opvee is similar to naloxone, the life-saving drug that has been used for decades to quickly counter overdoses of heroin, fentanyl and prescription painkillers. Both work by blocking the effects of opioids in the brain, which can restore normal breathing and blood pressure in people who have recently overdosed.

The Food and Drug Administration endorsed Opvee, a nasal spray update of the drug nalmefene, which was first approved as an injection in the mid-1990s but later removed from the market due to low sales. Naloxone comes as both a nasal spray and injection.

Its not immediately clear how the new drug will be used differently compared to naloxone, and some experts see potential downsides to its longer-acting effect. The drug will be available via prescription and is approved for patients 12 and older.

In studies funded by the federal government, Opvee achieved similar recovery results to Narcan, the leading brand of naloxone nasal spray.

Opvee was developed by Opiant Pharmaceuticals, which was recently acquired by rival Indivior, maker of several medications for opioid addiction. Indivior expects to launch Opvee in October at the earliest.

As the opioid epidemic has shifted to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, researchers in the pharmaceutical industry and the U.S. government saw a new role for the drug.

Because fentanyl stays in the body longer than heroin and other opioids, some people may require multiple doses of naloxone over several hours to fully reverse an overdose.

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health worked with pharmaceutical researchers on a nasal spray version of nalmefene that would quickly resuscitate users, while also protecting them from relapse. Testing and development was funded by more than $18 million in grants from the U.S. governments Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the NIH, which also helped design the studies.

The whole aim of this was to have a medication that would last longer but also reach into the brain very rapidly, said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Still, some experts see potential downsides.

A side effect of all opioid reversal drugs is that they create intense withdrawal symptoms including nausea, diarrhea, muscle cramps and anxiety. With naloxone, those symptoms might last 30 to 40 minutes.

Dr. Lewis Nelson of Rutgers University says those problems can last six hours or more with nalmefene, requiring extra treatment and management by health professionals.

The risk of long-lasting withdrawal is very real and we try to avoid it, said Nelson, an emergency medicine physician and former adviser to the FDA on opioids.

Nelson said it's easy enough to give a second or third dose of naloxone if it wears off.

Were not suffering from a naloxone shortage where we need to use an alternative, he said. We have plenty of it and it works perfectly well.

The FDA approval comes as drug overdose deaths inched up slightly last year after two big leaps during the pandemic. More than 109,000 fatal overdoses were recorded in 2022, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than two-thirds of those deaths were linked to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, which have largely replaced heroin and prescription opioids.

Naloxone has long been at the center of government efforts to fight the overdose crisis at the federal and local levels. Police, firefighters and other first responders routinely carry the drug. And officials in all 50 states have given orders to pharmacists to sell or dispense the drug without a prescription to anyone who wants it.

In the latest federal push, the FDA recently approved Narcan to be sold over the counter. The change will allow the new version of the drug to be stocked in grocery stores, vending machines and other retail locations. The nasal spray  which includes updated instructions for regular users  is expected to launch this summer. Emergent Biosolutions hasn't yet announced a price for the over-the-counter version.

Indivior said it is still considering what to charge for its drug. It will compete in the same market as naloxone, where most buyers are local governments and community groups that distribute to first responders and those at risk of overdose. Indivior has told investors that Opvee could eventually generate annual sales between $150 million to $250 million.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Food Network star Guy Fieri "rolled out" in Port Chester Friday, filming a segment of his travel show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" at Salvadorean restaurant Rinconcito Salvadoreno.

The Village of Port Chester posted photos of Fieri's visit and scenes from the filming on its Facebook page Friday, showing a camera crew getting footage of Fieri's trademark red convertible Chevy Camaro outside the restaurant.
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Music superstars Lenny Kravitz, Billie Eilish and H.E.R. will team with advocacy nonprofit Global Citizen for a free concert in front of the Eiffel Tower designed to convince world leaders to take further action against climate change.

Power Our Planet: Live in Paris is set for June 22 to coincide with the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact, a gathering of the worlds political and business leaders to help developing nations finance sustainability projects.

Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans says the summit is an opportunity for governments and global banks to collaborate to jump start climate projects stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic. He hopes Power Our Planet will encourage leaders to take advantage of that opportunity and provide the $16.7 billion in outstanding climate financing promised in 2009 to lower-income countries. He is also seeking to advance reforms at the World Bank to make up to $1 trillion in additional financing available.

Global leaders and democratically elected governments really only respond to the momentum of their people and summits like this can come and go, Evans told The Associated Press. If it doesnt achieve its goal, were going to miss the window this year to make the climate negotiations the success, which is even more important after last years complete failure in Egypt.

The Eiffel Tower event is part of the Global Citizen initiative, announced last month at the Global Citizen NOW conference in New York, supporting Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley's call to rewrite the rules of global development banks and relieve the debts of lower-income countries to increase funding for climate adaptation projects.

Global Citizen has shown for years, especially with its A-list concerts in New York's Central Park, that it can generate action by having cultural leaders mobilize their supporters. And artists like Kravitz plan to motivate fans to act today to save tomorrow.

The next generation are inheriting a planet thats being devastated by climate change, Kravitz said in a statement. We have the power to change things with our voices and our actions.

French President Emmanuel Macron supports the Global Citizen event, citing the need for a world with more solidarity.

Crises are multiplying and the number of those who place their hope in peace and multilateralism will only grow if we, as a global community, demonstrate that we are there to help the most vulnerable, Macron said in a statement. Because there will be no climate transition worldwide if we dont fight for more justice and equity.

Major philanthropic organizations -- including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Rotary International, and Open Society Foundations  as well as the public-private partnership Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, will also support the effort.

Power Our Planet: Live in Paris, which will also include performances from Finneas, Jon Batiste, and Ben Harper, will be livestreamed on Global Citizens social media platforms, while Amazon Music will host the livestream on its Twitch channel.

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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.
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DARIEN  A "Drag Race" star returned home to Darien for their first show since appearing on national television, and it was all they hoped it would be.

Fresh off their run in season 15 of "RuPauls Drag Race," drag queen Jax returned for their first hometown show Homecoming Queen at the First Congregational Church of Darien on Friday.

"This was so fun, said the reality star, who uses she/they pronouns in drag.

Jax appeared on the most recent season of the reality competition series, coming in 10th place. They grew up in Darien as an avid photographer and student athlete, and now live in Queens, N. Y.

The return to Darien was an emotional experience for many, including Jax's family. The show fell on Jaxs homecoming day commemorating the day they were adopted, a special occasion for their parents Chris and Susan McGoldrick who sat beaming in the front row.

Watching Jax sign autographs and pose with fans, Susan McGoldrick said she was overwhelmed to see (her) Gilmore Girl become a celebrity able to use their voice to help others.

It just seems so eloquent the way (they) expressed things about how to open up, she said. Im so proud, so proud I want to cry.

For the "Homecoming Queen" show, Jax delivered two show-stopping numbers  featuring plenty of their signature cheerleading acrobatics  and sat down for a conversation with Darien Pride Committee chair Dan Guller.

Jax was one of four queens from Connecticut who appeared on the show, alongside Ansonias Loosey LaDuca, Hartfords Robin Fierce and West Hartfords Amethyst. It marked the first time the state has been represented, and state officials, including Gov. Ned Lamont, thanked the queens for their work.

During the Q&A portion of the evening, Jax opened up about their time on national television and what it was like growing up in Darien as a queer person of color.

After the show, Jax thanked their hometown community for being part of a respectful conversation and wanting to truly understand how to talk to your kids and make them feel safe.

This is exactly the kind of energy I felt that I would get, the amount of love and being able to see these faces and be like You made this possible, so let me give this back to you,  Jax said.
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  A lawsuit filed against medical transport provider American Medical Response West in California court says the ambulance company's lax hiring and oversight allowed a paramedic to sexually assault two women in their 80s while en route to a hospital.

The law firm of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy filed the suit last week in San Mateo County Superior Court. It also names American Medical Response, Inc., based in Colorado, as a defendant. AMR operates in most U.S. states.

Miguel Nieblas Ontiveros, 35, has pleaded not guilty in criminal court to two felony counts of forcible oral copulation.

Anne Marie Murphy, the lead attorney on the case, said the paramedic should never have been left alone with vulnerable patients, one of whom was allegedly assaulted in May of last year and the other in December.

It's a horrific situation. Our client is an 82-year-old Asian woman who was frail and she needed to be transported to a hospital, she said. Unfortunately, the paramedic in the back was a sexual predator.

The woman, who is not named in the lawsuit, was assaulted while strapped to a gurney on her way to a hospital after falling at the assisted living home where she resides, according to the lawsuit. Her neck was also immobilized by a brace at the time.

The ambulance company reported the incident to the California Highway Patrol and put Ontiveros on unpaid leave after the allegations arose in December. The company also fired him after his arrest in April.

American Medical Response said it does not comment on ongoing or pending litigation. The employee in question was terminated immediately upon his arrest. AMR is cooperating with law enforcement and the prosecutor, according to a statement.

The lawsuit says AMR hired or retained Ontiveros despite a grand theft case filed in December 2020, stemming from his previous job with the South San Francisco Fire Department. He faces five counts of grand theft in a case that is pending.

According to the lawsuit, AMR also knew or should have have known that Ontiveros was accused of assaulting another woman, who was 80, in May 2022.

The lawsuit alleges physical abuse of a dependent adult and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Ontiveros is being held in jail on $3 million bail. His attorney, Joshua Bentley, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
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MILFORD  The city's mayoral field continues to grow.

Tony Giannattasio, Republican Minority Leader of the Board of Alderman, announced Tuesday that he is throwing his hat into the ring, joining Democrat Kerri Rowland in the race to fill the post long held by Democrat Ben Blake, who vacated the seat last month.

I enjoy serving, and I want to do it at a higher level, said Giannattasio after he filed his paperwork securing his candidacy with the city clerk Tuesday morning. The opportunity is here for me. Milford is worth fighting for. I am running because I want whats best for the people of this city.

Giannattasio enters what is expected to be a wide-open race with the resignation of Blake, who stepped down after 12 years in the role to serve as administrative law judge for Connecticuts Workers Compensation Commission.

Richard Smith, a Democrat, was chosen to fill Blakes seat through November.

As a leader with experience in both the public and private sectors, I know the importance of bringing diverse perspectives together to find solutions that benefit everyone, said Giannattasio, an alderman for 16 years under Republican Mayor Jim Richetelli and then Blake.

I believe in open communication, collaboration and respect for differing views, he added.

Milford Republican Town Committee Chair John Drapp, who joined Giannattasio for his announcement Tuesday, said the longtime public servants experience speaks for itself.

I see (Giannattasio) as a strong contender for the (Republican) nomination in July, Drapp said.

Giannattasio says he has long demonstrated his support for education, public safety, economic growth and historic preservation.

He touted his support for hiring four new police officers  as requested by the police chief last year. He said he also pushed for crosswalks on Woodruff Road, in his district, and an ecommerce parking spot at police headquarters.

Giannattasio said he voted in support of the school budget, helping prevent any school closure, while also aiding seniors by supporting senior and veterans tax relief and establishing a senior trash reimbursement ordinance.

As a lifelong resident and dedicated public servant, I am committed to ensuring the success and prosperity of our city, said Giannattasio, a business owner for 35 years. Through collaborative efforts and innovative solutions, we can address the pressing issues facing our community and create a brighter future for all residents. I look forward to engaging with voters, listening to their concerns and building a stronger, more vibrant Milford.
Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott delivers his speech announcing his candidacy for president on the campus of Charleston Southern University in South Carolina, on May 22, 2023.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott launched his presidential campaign on Monday, offering an optimistic and compassionate message hes hoping can contrast the two figures who have used political combativeness to dominate the early GOP primary field: former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The Senates only Black Republican, Scott kicked off the campaign in his hometown of North Charleston, on the campus of Charleston Southern University, his alma mater and a private school affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. He repeatedly mentioned his Christian faith in his kickoff speech, crying, Amen! Amen! Amen! and at several points electing responses from the crowd, who sometimes chanted his name.

But Scott also offered a stark political choice, saying our party and our nation are standing at a time for choosing: Victimhood or victory and adding that Republicans will also have to decide between Grievance or greatness?

I choose freedom and hope and opportunity, Scott said. He went on to the crowd that, We need a president who persuades not just our friends and our base but seeks commonsense solutions and displays compassion for people who dont agree with us.

That was a far cry from Trump, who has played to the GOPs most loyal supporters with repeated lies about how he was denied a second term by widespread fraud that did not occur during the 2020 presidential election. DeSantis, meanwhile, has pushed Florida to the right by championing contentious new restrictions on abortion, LGBTQ rights and by seeking to limit the corporate power of Disney, one of his states most powerful business interests.

Scott, 57, planned to huddle with home-state donors then begin a two-day campaign swing to Iowa and New Hampshire, which go first in GOP presidential primary voting.

His announcement event featured an opening prayer by Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, the No. 2 Senate Republican, who said, I think our country is ready to be inspired again. Republican Sen. Mike Rounds, South Dakotas other senator, has already announced his support for Scott.

A number of high-profile GOP senators have already backed Trumps third bid for the White House, though, including Scotts South Carolina colleague, Lindsey Graham. Trump nonetheless struck a conciliatory tone, welcoming Scott to the race in an online post Monday and noting that the pair worked together on his administrations signature tax cuts.

A source of strength for Scott will be his campaign bank account. He enters the 2024 race with more cash on hand than any other presidential candidate in U.S. history, with $22 million left in his campaign account at the end of his 2022 campaign that he can transfer to his presidential coffers.

Scott also won reelection in firmly Republican South Carolina  which has an early slot on the Republican presidential primary calendar  by more than 20 points less than six months ago. Advisers bet that can make Scott a serious contender for an early, momentum-generating win.

But Scott is not the only South Carolina option. The states former governor, Nikki Haley, who also once served as Trumps former United Nations ambassador, is also running.

Ben LeVan, a business professor at Charleston Southern who attended Mondays event, said hed not decided who to support in the GOP primary but didnt plan to back Trump.

I really do hope that we can bring some civility back in politics, LeVan said. Thats one of the nice things about Tim Scott, and quite frankly, Nikki Haley, and some of the other candidates as well. Theyre more diplomatic, and that is something that I appreciate.

Like others in the GOP race, including former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and Woke, Inc. author Vivek Ramaswamy, Scotts initial task will be finding a way to stand out in a field led by Trump and DeSantis, the latter of whom could announce his own bid as early as this week.

One way Scott hopes to do that is his trademark political optimism. Scott often quotes Scripture at his campaign events, weaving his reliance on spiritual guidance into his speeches calling his travels before the campaigns official launch, the Faith in America listening tour.

Scott said Monday that Americas promise means you can go as high as our character, our grit, and our talent will take you.

The Democratic National Committee responded to Scotts announcement by dismissing the notion that Scott offers much of an alternative to Trumps policies. DNC chair Jamie Harrison, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in South Carolina in 2020, released a statement calling the senator a fierce advocate of the MAGA agenda, a reference to the former presidents Make America Great Again movement.

On many issues, Scott does indeed align with mainstream GOP positions. He wants to reduce government spending and restrict abortion, saying he would sign a federal law to prohibit abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy if elected president.

But Scott has pushed the party on some policing overhaul measures since the killing of George Floyd, and he has occasionally criticized Trumps response to racial tensions. Throughout their disagreements, though, Scott has maintained a generally cordial relationship with Trump, saying in his book that the former president listened intently to his viewpoints on race-related issues.

When he was appointed to the Senate by then-governor Haley in 2012, Scott became the first Black senator from the South since just after the Civil War. Winning a 2014 special election to serve out the remainder of his term made him the first Black candidate to win a statewide race in South Carolina since the Reconstruction era.

He has long said his current term, which runs through 2029, would be his last.

Scott has long rejected the notion that the country is inherently racist. Hes also routinely repudiated the teaching of critical race theory, an academic framework that presents the idea that the nations institutions maintain the dominance of white people.

Today, Im living proof that America is the land of opportunity and not a land of oppression, he said Monday.

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Connecticut State Police/Contributed

State police say they have arrested a ringleader in the street takeovers that have illegally shut down roadways across the state for months.

Jefferson Duron, 20, of Lowe Street in Norwalk, was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, inciting to riot, first-degree rioting, reckless driving and two other motor vehicle offenses, according to state police. Duron was held on $250,000 bond and scheduled to appear at state Superior Court in Manchester on Monday.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  A school shooter serving a life sentence without parole for killing a first grader on a South Carolina playground when he was 14 is asking a judge to lessen his sentence so he can eventually get out of prison.

Jesse Osborne's lawyer asked Judge Lawton McIntosh on Monday to reconsider his sentence so Osborne, now 21, could have some hope of freedom in his 50s or 60s.

Attorney Frank Eppes said the judge didn't fully consider a psychologist's report that Osborne's lashed out because of abuse and can be rehabilitated.

Give Jesse some hope to live with, Eppes said at a televised court hearing.

Osborne himself asked for a chance at life outside a prison cell, apologizing to the family of 6-year-old Jacob Hall who he killed and everyone at the school that day.

I would just like to say sorry to every single one of them. Because my evil actions hurt their lives, Osborne said. Im just going to try to better myself in the Department of Corrections the rest of my life.

But the teacher whose class was having recess, the parent of a wounded child, the father of the student celebrating his birthday, the superintendent who saw the bloodstained class rug and the school principal all said at Monday's hearing at the Anderson County Courthouse that they don't want to ever see Osborne out of prison.

Principal Denise Fredericks recognized Osborne as he paced outside Townville Elementary School with a backpack full of ammunition for 12 minutes after his gun jammed before police arrived to arrest him. Osborne had been a student there for seven years.

I do wish Jesse a life where he can wake up, breathe, eat, work, be productive  but not outside the walls of a prison, Fredericks said. In my opinion, his current sentence is still so, so much more merciful than the sentence he gave to Jacob and our school family.

Prosecutors said Hall's family didn't wish to speak in court but want Osborne to never be released from prison.

Osborne is serving two life sentences after pleading guilty. Before opening fire at the school on Sept. 28, 2016, he shot and killed his father while he slept in a recliner, kissed his rabbit and other pets goodbye, then stole his dad's truck and drove to his former elementary school, according to Osborne's confession.

Osborne crashed his truck into the school fence and fired at the first grade class celebrating a classmate's birthday at recess. Hall bled to death from a gunshot to his leg. Two other student and a teacher suffered minor injuries.

Uneaten cupcakes with the Batman logo could still be seen on the ground inside police tape hours after the shooting.

My son hates his birthday now, father Jeff Bernard told the judge.

Prosecutors said Osborne wanted to kill dozens but he was carrying the wrong ammunition and his gun jammed after every shot.

He didnt stop because he wanted to. The gun jammed. Thank God the gun jammed, Fredericks said.

Osborne's lawyer said a video call he had open to a group chat with people who knew his plan showed him sobbing, upset and ready to give up after the first shots.

Osborne is asking the judge to consider a supplemental report from a psychologist that disagrees with prosecution experts who testified at Osborne's original sentencing that he is a dangerous and pathological liar with no remorse.

Osborne's brain was sill developing in his teens. The psychiatrists cited by the defense said he has shown guilt and grief and responded to treatment during the nearly seven years since his arrest on school grounds.

Osborne's lawyer suggested a 30-year minimum sentence for the two counts of murder, followed by 15 years for shooting at the other children and then lifetime monitoring by GPS after he is released from prison with one review after 10 years.

McIntosh asked for a detailed report from the defense expert in the next month and told prosecutors they would have at least 10 days to respond.

A number of students never returned to the school after the shooting. Some haven't returned to any school. A popped balloon ended a school dance in tears. Recess is still filled with anxiety, said teacher Meghan Hollingsworth, whose class was celebrating the birthday that day. Her child was in kindergarten just down the hall.

"The screams of children having fun sends a panic through me as I look to see who is screaming and see if they are OK," she said.

She asked the judge to think about a sign in her first grade classroom and uphold his life sentence handed down more than three years ago,

You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of your choices, it reads.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP)  Authorities could temporarily seize firearms and background checks would be expanded for gun buyers, under two bills passed Monday in the Pennsylvania House, where Democrats are using their razor-thin majority to push gun-control measures after a yearslong standstill in the politically divided government.

The party describes the proposals as relatively moderate measures to cut down on gun trafficking, suicide deaths, accidental shootings and day-to-day violence. Republicans oppose the bills, saying they punish law-abiding gun owners.

While this is just the first step, by passing these commonsense and responsible gun safety measures weve shown our neighbors and communities that we are listening and we are acting, and that we stand with them in combating senseless gun violence," said House Speaker Joanna McClinton, a Philadelphia Democrat.

The red flag bill, which would allow a judge to order the seizure of firearms if asked by family members or police, passed on a 102-99 vote, with two Republicans voting alongside Democrats, and one Democrat flipping to vote with Republicans. Nineteen states have similar laws, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a leading gun control advocacy group.

Rep. Mike Schlossberg, a Democrat from Lehigh County, recalled his own struggles with mental health as he spoke in favor of the bill.

I find myself wondering frequently what would have happened that morning, Feb. 3, 2002, if I had had a gun, he said. Some of you have been in that deep, dark place. But for those of you who havent, you have to understand that getting someone through a moment of suicidal crisis  and it is often just a moment  is the most critical thing you can do to save someones life.

But Republicans said the bill unfairly targets legal gun owners.

The plan and the strategy has always been and will be to disarm law-abiding citizens," said Rep. Stephanie Borowicz, a Republican from Clinton County. And any Republican that thinks they can vote for this today: Know that you are aiding and abetting the socialism and communism that the Democrats are pushing in this nation."

Another bill, which passed by a 109-92 vote, seeks to expand background checks on firearms buyers in Pennsylvania and end an exception for private sales of shotguns, sporting rifles and semi-automatic rifles, known as the gun show loophole.

This is not major legislation. This is not a heavy lift, said House Majority Leader Matthew Bradford of Montgomery County. This is a modest bill, with a modest impact, that will have real impact on some of the most lethal weapons in our Commonwealth.

A third bill, which failed by a 100-101 vote, would have required gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm to police within three days. Repeat offenders would have faced a misdemeanor charge.

A fourth measure in the package, which would require long-barreled firearms to be sold with trigger locks, did not come up for a vote.

The bills that make it through the House must still go through the Republican-controlled Senate, which has historically been protective of gun rights, while working with Democrats to boost funding for anti-violence and mental health programs.

The measures come as the U.S. is setting a record pace for mass killings in 2023. In Philadelphia, gun violence played a big role in the campaign for mayor, and the city is asking the states highest court to allow it to impose its own gun-control policies.

The Pennsylvania Legislature, long controlled by Republicans, has not seriously considered broadening gun-control measures since 2018. With the newfound Democratic majority in the House, the chamber kicked off this sessions debate over gun violence with a hearing in March.
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HELENA, Mont. (AP)  Social media company TikTok Inc. filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to overturn Montana's first-in-the-nation ban on the video sharing app, arguing the law is an unconstitutional violation of free speech rights and is based on unfounded speculation that the Chinese government could access users' data.

The lawsuit by TikTok, owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, follows one filed last week by five content creators. They made similar arguments including that the state of Montana has no authority to take action on matters of national security. Both lawsuits were filed in federal court in Missoula.

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed the bill Wednesday and the content creators' lawsuit was filed hours later. The law is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, but cybersecurity experts say it could be difficult to enforce.

TikTok says it has not shared and would not share U.S. user data with the Chinese government and has taken measures to protect the privacy and security of its users, including storing all U.S. user data in the United States, according to the lawsuit.

Some lawmakers, the FBI and officials at other agencies are concerned that the video-sharing app could be used to allow the Chinese government to access information on U.S. citizens or push pro-Beijing misinformation that could influence the public.

Chinese law compels Chinese companies to share data with the government for whatever purposes it deems to involve national security. TikTok says this has never happened.

The Chinese Communist Party is using TikTok as a tool to spy on Americans by collecting personal information, keystrokes, and even the locations of its users  and by extension, people without TikTok who affiliate with users may have information about themselves shared without even knowing it," Emily Flower, a spokesperson for the Montana Department of Justice, said in a statement.

"We expected legal challenges and are fully prepared to defend the law that helps protect Montanans privacy and security, she wrote

The federal government and about half the U.S. states, including Montana, have banned TikTok from government-owned devices.

Montanas new law prohibits downloads of TikTok in the state. It would fine any entity  an app store or TikTok  $10,000 per day for each time someone is offered the ability to access the social media platform or download the app. The penalties would not apply to users.

Chatter about a TikTok ban has been around since 2020, when then-President Donald Trump attempted to bar the company from operating in the U.S. through an executive order that was halted in federal courts. Congress has also considered banning the app over security concerns.
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SANTIAGO XALITZINTLA, Mexico (AP)  At the edge of this town near the Popocatepetl volcano, away from the din of traffic, there was an occasional low rumble Monday, like an idling engine.

A cloud of superfine ash descended, slightly reducing visibility and coming to rest on vehicles windshields. For more than a week, the 17,797-foot (5,425-meter) mountain just 45 miles (about 70 kilometers) southeast of Mexico City and known affectionately as El Popo, has been increasingly explosive, spewing great plumes of gas, ash and incandescent rock into the air.

The activity led the Mexican government to raise the warning level and to close schools in dozens of municipalities across three states. On Monday, local, state and federal officials held drills for the possibility of evacuations.

You hear it more at night, said Violeta Fuentes, 39, who lives with her husband and two children, ages 9 and 12, on the outskirts of Santiago Xalitzintla. Thats also when they can see the glow from the crater. Last night, several times it would go out one moment and then light up again."

Fuentes said she was a bit unnerved by it because you can see (the volcano) doesnt want to be okay anymore. The family worried about the impact the falling ash would have on their crops. Her father-in-laws corn across the street was already coated in it.

The alerts and preparations, however, are old hat for residents here.

Job Amalco, a driver, said it was normal. It doesnt scare us. Were spectators of what nature gives us, he said proudly.

But anxiety was beginning to build among some.

Its worrisome, above all because of the children, because you dont know if there will be an enormous explosion or a small one, said Claudia de la Cruz, 27, who has two children ages 3 and 5.

Her husband hikes up the volcanos flanks each day to collect firewood to make charcoal. He says that there it sounds like the peaks are crashing down and it shakes, but hes brave for us, she said.

De la Cruz remembers as a girl the first time she saw the mountain glow and how back then residents had very little information. She trusts that now with a cellphone they will know in real time what is happening.

Still, the real warning residents listen for  as it has been her whole life  will be the urgent tolling of the towns church bells. Monday they rang out as part of the drill.

There were no signs of panic Monday, but people worried about the possibility of having to evacuate, leaving homes and animals unattended. Authorities have warned people to stay out of 7.5-mile (12-kilometer) radius around the peak.

Florencio de Olarte, 69, and Placida de Aquino, 72, recalled having to evacuate their home in the center of town twice before, years ago. On those occasions, you could see (the volcano) was lit up, throwing out rocks, Olarte said.

One of their children already wants them to come to Mexico City, but the couple doesnt want to leave before authorities tell them they have to, because of their turkeys, pig and donkey. We have animals and couldnt leave them, Aquino said.

Right now theres a lot of smoke plume and it oozes and thunders, the curtains shake, Aquino said. But for the moment nothing more.

The volcanos activity temporary halted flights at the capitals two airports over the weekend.

On Monday, an ash plume extended hundreds of miles (hundreds of kilometers) to the east, stretching out over the Bay of Campeche, according to a U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report.

On Sunday, national Civil Defense Coordinator Laura Velazquez said in a news conference that the stoplight-style warning system for the volcano remained on yellow, but had risen to phase 3. Still, she said, there is no risk to the population at this time.

In this phase, large domes develop and explode in increasing intensity, launching incandescent rock into the air and pyroclastic flows down its flanks.

Velazquez said only three of the volcanos 565 explosions since September had been big, and the current activity was not the greatest of this century. On Monday, she oversaw the drill in Santiago Xalitzintla.

We don't know what's going to happen, she said Monday. We are prepared for any scenario.

The Defense Department said it was ready to activate 6,500 troops if necessary. Shelters were being prepared.

Some 25 million people live within a 60-mile (100-kilometer) radius, most of those in Mexico Citys metropolitan area.

Popocatepetl came to life in 1994 after a decades-long dormancy and experienced periods of greater activity from 2000 to 2003 and 2012 to 2016.
HARTFORD  Municipalities such as Bridgeport, with a checkered record of responding to requests for public documents, could be fined as much as $10,000 under legislation that won approval in the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday morning.

The current $1,000 fine was viewed as inadequate for the seriousness of failing to fulfill requests under the state Freedom of Information Act, but some lawmakers who voted for the bill, which heads next to the Senate, said that $10,000 might be too high. Others said that a potential $10,000 penalty could concentrate the interest - and spur action - of recalcitrant local officials to the needs of the public.

Hearst Connecticut Media recently exposed how Bridgeport officials routinely delay and deny public records requests as a matter of daily routine. The investigation found that the city's most populous city was routinely in violation of state law when it came to public records requests. Bridgeport officials responded, vowing to make changes, while lawmakers called the findings "troubling" and began looking into changes like this proposal.

During a brief debate, state Rep. Matt Blumenthal, D-Stamford, a member of the Judiciary Committee who serves as co-chairman of the Government Administration & Elections Committee, said that another part of the bill would allow the state Freedom of Information Commission to seek civil court injunctions against municipalities that engage in patterns of "wanton misconduct" in responding to public records requests.

"There's been public reporting this year that the fines for certain responding agencies have been essentially treated as the cost of doing business, because currently they are limited to a maximum of $1,000," Blumenthal said. "If they are assessed, they may not be $1,000. It may be significantly less. So increasing the fines would allow additional tools for the FOI Commission to enforce violations and to deter unreasonable denials."

"I know there has been concern about the size of the maximum fine," Blumenthal said, promising to possibly redraft the legislation with a lower penalty by the time it reaches the Senate floor in the days before the scheduled midnight, June 7 adjournment of the General Assembly.

"A $10,000 fine seems a bit large," said Rep. Craig Fishbein of Wallingford, a top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, noting that state statutes allow for court review of such penalties. "Ultimately it's not the individual, it's still the taxpayer who has to pay this fine. Perhaps if it were $5,000 that would be more tenable."

Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport, co-chairman of the committee, said that as currently written, the bill would allow for cases to be brought by the FOI Commission only in New Britain Superior Court. He is hoping to expand the bill. "I generally hate those types of provisions," he told the committee. "I think that if the state going to bring an action against, whether it be a local municipality or what have you, it should be in that jurisdiction and not to centralize everything in the Hartford area."

Bridgeport officials recently complained that they in inundated with FOIA requests. Projections for the city's current budget year, which ends on June 30, is about 2,167 requests for public documents, four times the 544 requests in 2017.
WEST HARTFORD  It didn't come as a surprise to Rob Lindauer last week when he received a citation from the town for having excessively tall grass.

Lindauer participates in No Mow May  an increasingly popular initiative where homeowners forgo mowing their lawns for one month out of the year to help bees and pollinators.

Signs reading "No Mow May. Pardon the weeds. Were feeding the bees" work to explain overgrown lawns to neighbors and those passing by.

"I expected it to happen," said Lindauer, who was also cited in 2021, but not last year, for participating in the month.

But that most recent citation, which he said came from the town's Department of Public Works, got Lindauer thinking: West Hartford, he said, should be allowing exemptions for what he said is a good cause. Many other towns around the state allow it or don't go out of their way to cite residents participating in No Mow May.

He's already been in touch with Mayor Shari Cantor about what the process would be for West Hartford to formally acknowledge the month.

"I would hope that the Town Council would be positive about that," Lindauer said.

Cantor confirmed she was in touch with Lindauer and that she asked Town Manager Rick Ledwith to look into how the town could allow for exceptions for those participating in No Mow May.

"A few municipalities have adopted this idea," Cantor said. "I asked Rick to gather some information and feedback. We will bring this to a committee meeting to discuss further. I think that this would be a process, that if there is interest, that would need an ordinance change with a public hearing. Right now we are learning more and getting feedback from communities that have done it."

Michael Walsh / Hearst Connecticut Media

Not mowing his lawn, Lindauer said, is at least the "little bit" he can do for the good of the environment. He's also tried planting wildflowers in the past.

"Any little bit helps. If people become more aware of the insects and the bees, and that ultimately impacts us, they will behave different," Lindauer said. "If everybody behaves different, maybe well be better off."

His lawn, with grass reaching heights of nine inches to one foot  which he admits does put him in violation of a town ordinance  may also catch the eyes of others.

"My view is it cant hurt," Lindauer said. "I also think that with the signs up, it may sensitize people, who maybe on my street saturate their yard with pesticides. Im not sure that the fact that my grass is tall is going to help the bees and the birds, but if more people did it, I would think its bound to help. The less pesticides on our lawn, the better."

Lindauer said he's unsure why he was cited. Whether it was a neighbor who complained or if his lawn was spotted by a town official driving by, he couldn't say.

When reached for comment, Department of Public Works Director John Phillips said that his department doesn't issue citations for tall grass. Though Lindauer's document, which has the miscellaneous category crossed off with a handwritten violation of "Grass must be cut. 6" max allowed," did come from the town's Department of Public Works.

Phillips said the West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District is responsible for those citations, which is where Lindauer said his 2021 citation came from.

Aimee Krauss, the director of the health district, said her department hasn't cited anyone for tall grass during No Mow May this year.

"No citations have been issued for properties that are participating in No Mow May," Krauss said.

Michael Walsh / Hearst Connecticut Media

Lindauer said his idea to allow for No Mow May in West Hartford would have a few requirements for participants. They would have to sign up with the town, install signs letting others know it's only temporary, mow their lawns by the last day of May and mow a two to three foot buffer along the road and along their neighbor's property line.

He plans to take this to the Town Council with the hope that West Hartford could support the initiative like other communities in Connecticut already do.

"I would like the town overall to take more of a role in promoting the protection of the environment and to raise awareness," Lindauer said.

Lindauer received his citation on May 17 and was given a week to comply, or else he'd face a fine. He plans to mow his lawn later this week to avoid that fine, which he said is OK with him, as it's just a few days shy of when he'd normally mow his overgrown May lawn.
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EDWARDSVILLE  Sarah Jansen and Michael Thoe are no longer the new kids on the block for the Edwardsville Fire Department, but every day is still a learning experience.

Jansen, 26, and Thoe, 37, have both completed their probationary period as firefighters and will complete their paramedic training this fall. Even so, they realize they have a job where the training never really stops.

Seeing (Thoe and Jansen) go through their training brings back memories for me, Edwardsville Fire Department Deputy Chief Brendan McKee said.

We want to make sure that we dont bring them along too fast because there is a lot to learn. It takes two to two-and-a-half years to get people hired and get them on the streets" as a non-probationary firefighter and paramedic.

'So welcoming'

Jansen started working at the Edwardsville Fire Department in May 2022 and finished her probationary term as a firefighter on May 4, 2023.

Jansen is from Aviston and attended Breese Central High School. She went on to the University of Illinois, where she earned a bachelors degree in kinesiology. She joined the ROTC program and became a volunteer firefighter in Urbana.

It was something different and I didnt know anyone that did it, which seems to be the opposite of everyone else in the fire service, said Jansen, who is in the 182nd Airlift Wing of the Illinois Air National Guard. I had a training officer named Josh Irwin and I was in the National Guard at this point as an engineering apprentice at Scott Air Force Base.

Josh is the fire chief for the Peoria Air National Guard, and he told me I should go to their academy, but I didnt think I had the motivation for it. Right after college, I decided it was something I wanted to do, and I transferred to Peoria, and he opened a lot of doors for me.

Jansen is only the third female firefighter in the history of the Edwardsville Fire Department, following Sheri Wellen, who retired in 2009, and Lindsey Blackwell, who was hired in April of 2022.

Everyone has been so welcoming and from day one, these people are your family and you have to be able to trust them, which is exactly what I was looking for in a job, said Jansen.

I enjoy being a female firefighter, but they hold us all to the same standard. Ive never been singled out for anything. Im proud of myself and I know my family is proud of me.

Persistence pays off

Thoe, meanwhile, has been with the Edwardsville Fire Department since January 2022. He had been self-employed for 17 years, doing floor installation and repairs, but he also served as a volunteer firefighter for the Holiday Shores Fire Protection District for 10 years.

Thoe first took the Edwardsville firefighter test in 2016 and made it on the list but didnt get hired. The age cutoff for starting firefighters is 35 and he took the test again when he was 34.

It was my last opportunity and I got hired this time, Thoe said. I also tested once previously in Alton, but it didnt work out.

The firefighter portion of the probationary period is one year, and in February 2022, Thoe was sent to the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute in Champaign for a 10-week training session. He came back to Edwardsville and in July, he started a paramedics training course, which he will finish on Oct. 31, 2023.

He completed his firefighter probation in January 2023.

If there is a call that is anything fire-related, I get to go, but if its on the EMS side, I need to have a field training officer with me, Thoe said. On Nov. 1, I can start testing for the national EMS license, so hopefully by the end of November, Ill be a paramedic and Ill be off probation completely.

We go to (EMS) class on Tuesday and Thursdays, but the next day you could respond to a call and it could be something we just learned about the previous day.

Jansen and Thoe will both complete their paramedic training on Oct. 31.

Michael and I are in the same class, which started last August. Its a lot to take in and neither of us have worked before as basic EMTs, so its been eye-opening for both of us, Jansen said. We get to do all these different clinicals because were going to encounter all these things in the field.

Jansens experience includes 3 months of military firefighter training at the DoD Fire Academy at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas.

The military has really boosted my career and you get a lot of certifications through it, Jansen said. I think those were a big reason why I got hired here and having the military background helps.

'Great feeling'

In April, Jansen received an employee excellence award from the City of Edwardsville for utilizing her skills while off duty to help an auto accident victim.

Jansen was on her way to report to duty for the National Guard in her own vehicle when she encountered a recent rollover accident. A person was trapped inside the vehicle.

The Pekin Fire Department responded and Jansen assisted them in stabilizing the vehicle and extricating the patient.

Its kind of wild rolling up on something like that and thinking you dont have any of the equipment you need, but I was able to talk to the patient and make her feel a little more comfortable, Jansen said. Once the fire department got there, they asked if I knew what I was doing and if I could help.

It felt good to be able to help someone while I wasnt at work. Thats what were supposed to be doing here.

That wasnt the first time Jansen has been lauded for her efforts to help people amid health emergencies. In January, she was among several people saluted for helping resuscitate a man who collapsed in December while at work at Edwardsvilles Gateway Commerce Center.

That was my turning point in being here and the first really rewarding thing I got to do to, Jansen said. I remember coming back and telling Chief McKee, Im excited about being a paramedic now.

Seeing everyone else going into CPR mode and being able to help this guy was amazing to me. To see him walking around now and living his life, its such a great feeling.

'A calling'

For Thoe, it seemed almost inevitable that he would become a firefighter someday.

An Alton native, Thoe grew up watching his uncle, who was an Alton firefighter, and firefighting has been a potential career path for him ever since.

My uncle worked 30 years for Alton and his fire station was by my house, so when I heard the sirens, I would ride my bike up there, Thoe said.

After a decade as a volunteer firefighter, Thoe welcomes the transition to firefighting as a full-time job.

Transporting the patients and dealing with them is probably the biggest difference, Thoe said. On the volunteer side, you might be the first to respond and get to the house, but once the patient gets in the ambulance, were done with them.

In Edwardsville, were the ones transporting the patient and taking care of them. Were in charge of them until we get to the hospital. You feel like you get to know them.

Another aspect of the job that Thoe likes is that every day is different, with a new set of challenges.

Being an adrenaline junkie, this job was a calling for me, Thoe said. There are days where there is not too much to do, and the next shift can be wild and youre running all over the place. No two calls are ever the same.

Respect is two-way street

While family firefighting connections played a role in Thoes career transition, Jansens family military background led her to become a firefighter. She has family members in the Air National Guard and her dad has been serving at Scott Air Force Base for over 30 years.

Growing up with that kind of structure swayed my decision to do firefighting for a career, Jansen said. Having the chain of command that we have here is eye-opening for someone for someone who doesnt have a military background.

"Having that respect for everyone above you, I feel we dont have that kind of respect very much in our generation now.

McKee believes that the veteran firefighters, likewise, can learn from newer firefighters such as Jansen and Thoe.

Were always asking, How can we make this process better? and were taking feedback from them and changing the process as we go, McKee said. We want to see where they need help and getting them to people who can help them.

These people go from basic first aid to advanced cardiology and certain people are better at certain things, so we try to pair them up. We send them to additional training and (Thoe) just went to a class from Bob Page, who is the best guy around for teaching EKGs.
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LAS VEGAS (AP)  Facing the future with a dwindling Colorado River supply and intense pressure from the federal government, Arizona, California and Nevada have offered a plan to cut their water use significantly.

The proposal announced Monday isn't final. It calls for cities, irrigation districts and Native American tribes to accept federal money  and in some cases volunteer  to use less water over the next three years.

The 3 million acre-feet that the states have proposed cutting through 2026 amounts to about 10% of their collective water allocation. An acre-foot is enough water to serve two to three U.S. households a year.

To compensate water users for the cuts, the Biden administration plans to spend about $1.2 billion.

The river that courses through the U.S. West serves 40 million people with drinking water, as well as water for irrigation and hydropower.

The watershed deal broke a stalemate that could have swept the seven states that rely on the river into expensive and lengthy legal fights, though the amount of water offered falls short of what the federal government sought last June.

The plan comes after mandatory and voluntary cuts. It aims to conserve an additional 1.5 million acre-feet by the end of 2024.

California is entitled to 4.4 million acre-feet of water per year, Arizona to 2.8 million acre-feet and Nevada to 300,000 acre-feet.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR CALIFORNIA?

California has committed to conserving 1.6 million acre-feet of water under Monday's agreement  which is about half of the total.

The Imperial Irrigation District, which provides water to the crop-rich Imperial Valley in southeastern California, is the largest single recipient of the river's water. The district will work on a pilot program where farmers would turn off their water for 60 days on forage crops like alfalfa to save water during hot summer months, said JB Hamby, a district board member and chair of the Colorado River Board of California.

That might affect dairy farmers, but farmers, their workforce and consumers wouldnt see a major hit, he said.

Another key recipient of river water is the Metropolitan Water District of California, which provides water to 19 million people in six counties, including Los Angeles.

The district is benefitting from a winter that battered the state with storms, leaving California awash with water for the first time in several years. Metropolitan will turn to other sources of water and leave about 250,000 acre-feet in Lake Mead this year, said Bill Hasencamp, the districts manager of Colorado River resources.

The district also typically pays a nearby farming district to fallow land in exchange for about 130,000 acre-feet of water a year. Under the plan, the district would instead let the federal government buy that water.

WHAT ABOUT ARIZONA?

Arizona has already endured two years of federally mandated water cuts tied to the level of Lake Mead. The latest proposal from the three states will affect eight cities that get water through the Central Arizona Project and farms in tribal areas, said Brenda Burman, the entitys general manager.

Based on commitments from Nevada and California, Arizona would accept 1.1 million acre-feet in additional cuts. Water officials in the state declined to confirm the number and said discussions are underway on how cuts to other water-users would be shared.

I would believe that part of the calculus here for those cities is: Step up here, we do this, and we avoid maybe bigger mandatory cuts,'" said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

Much of the states Colorado River supply is delivered through a canal system to dozens of water users that include cities in metropolitan Phoenix and Tucson, Native American tribes, businesses and farms. Some water savings are expected to come from a longstanding program that provides funding for leaving water in Lake Mead, the reservoir behind Hoover Dam outside Las Vegas.

Already, the Gila River Indian Community and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation in metropolitan Phoenix have agreed to cut back their water use in exchange for tens of millions of dollars.

The plan is to move from simply trying to protect water levels at the major reservoirs  Lake Powell and Lake Mead  to building them up, Buschatzke said. Both are less than one-third full.

This is a short-term deal to build stability, Burman said. We all know we are going to have to learn to live with a smaller river.

HOW DOES NEVADA FARE?

The Las Vegas area  with 2.3 million residents and nearly 40 million tourists per year  relies almost completely on Colorado River water drawn from Lake Mead. But due to strict water-use laws and conservation measures, residents and tourists are not likely to notice changes in water supply in coming months. Ranches, farms and rural cities elsewhere in Nevada draw from groundwater and other sources.

Under Mondays plan, Nevada will conserve about 285,000 additional acre-feet of water, the regional Southern Nevada Water Authority said.

Nevada historically has not used its full allocation of Colorado River water. Famous fountains on the Las Vegas Strip use recycled water, and for the past two decades, the Southern Nevada Water Authority has banned front yard lawns in new neighborhoods from using water. Grass at office parks and street medians is also banned, and home swimming pools are limited in size.

A DEAL HAS BEEN ELUSIVE. WHY NOW?

The states have been struggling to reach agreement since the river manager, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, called for swift and dramatic cuts last summer to stave off a crisis. A series of winter storms refreshed mountain snowpack and lowered some of that urgency for now, but the states agree that some reductions are still needed.

Though the federal government has threatened unilateral action since last summer, Reclamation officials didn't put in writing what that would look like until last month. They proposed two ways of forcing cuts: Relying on an existing, decades-old water priority system, or forcing cuts on a proportional basis across the board. The latter likely would have resulted in drawn-out, complicated lawsuits that few of the parties wanted.

The wet winter, fear of a nasty legal battle and the promise of federal dollars all appear to have helped bring everyone to the table.

"Its always a concern when states lose control of their own process, said John Entsminger, Southern Nevada Water Authority general manager.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Reclamation lifted a May 30 deadline for comment on its earlier proposals so that it can evaluate the environmental and other impacts of the three-state proposal.

Ultimately, a decision is likely to be made by mid-August, when federal officials outline the state of the river for the following year.

If it's finalized, the agreement will run through 2026, when other regulations and guidelines expire.

__

Naishadham reported from Washington D.C., and Taxin reported from Orange County, California.
Exhibits from the Something Beautiful: Reframing The Collection installation at El Museo del Barrio in New York on Thursday, May 18th. Ruth E. Hernandez (EFE)

If there is a museum in New York that is a breeding ground for concepts, proposals and political demands, it is none other than the Museo del Barrio (The Neighborhood Museum) known by its Spanish name despite its location in Manhattan, north of the so-called Museum Mile. El Museo del Barrio, whose origins are entwined with the citys Puerto Rican diaspora and their dual capacity as citizens and immigrants, is picking up momentum after the Covid pandemic with the most ambitious presentation of its permanent collection in more than two decades: an exhibition called Something Beautiful: Reframing La Coleccion.

Having already been closed for a year before the virus struck in 2020, the museums activity and outreach were severely hampered by the pandemic. Now, for the first time at a museum of its kind  it is the largest Latino museum in the U.S.  500 works of art, including more than 100 new acquisitions and artists commissions since 2000, are being presented through rotating exhibitions over the course of a year. Divided into eight thematic sections and seven artist presentations, Something Beautiful emphasizes indigenous and non-indigenous artists, women and the nearly endless diversity of the Latino experience. As Patrick Charpenel, the museums director, recalled during a tour of the museum last Thursday, the Museo del Barrio is more than a museum or an art gallery: It has a strong political, militant and activist dimension.

From centuries-old Taino ritual vessels and and other tools attributed to the Siboney group, to highly topical expressions of queerness, the Museo del Barrio is a like journey through the sunlit mangrove roots  as visible as they are strong  of generations of Latino creators (Latinxs, to use the museums inclusive spelling and naming conventions). Since 1971, when it received its first major donation, a portfolio of works by Puerto Rican social artists called La estampa puertorriquena (The Puerto Rican Print), engravings and the social character of the museum have marked its development, and today engravings are a central part of the permanent collection.

There are classic works by artists such as Rafael Tufino, born in Brooklyn but returned to San Juan at age 10. During his lifetime he was known as the peoples painter, and his precious portrait of a Lavandera (washerwoman) is on display in the museum. He died in Puerto Rico in 2008. The contemporary artist David Antonio Cruz, author of an expressive Puerto Rican Pieta also has pieces in the permanent collection, which includes prints, textile samples, kinetic or movement art. There are photographs too, such as the sensual and surreal Photopoems and Acting as Behavior series by the well-known artist Papo Colo, who devised the concept of zero identity to free himself from the burden of specificity, ethnicity and culture, and also to redefine his own masculinity.

El Museo del Barrio does not offer a cheerful and friendly, in other words, an easy visit, like those of nearby museums. This collection does not fit into the canon of what museums in New York and throughout the U.S. traditionally collect and present, explains the Mexican-born Charpenel, and thats why we want to try to tell a story that hasnt been told. And it is very serious that until now [we] are not giving it visibility because the cultural history of the United States has been very poorly told, from a Eurocentric, Western canon. But the U.S. is a very diverse country. In fact, few people know it but Queens [one of New York Citys boroughs] is the most culturally diverse area in the world. Among other characteristic features of Queens are the usual celebration of Santa Muerte and the never-ending supply of Latin food.

For this reason, El Museo del Barrio wants to be one of those institutions that talks about diversity, because we are the most representative and most important Latinx collection in the U.S., Charpenel emphasizes. And we want to open a series of conversations about art, diversity, and cultural representation in the U.S., he adds, summarizing one of the objectives of this exhibition.

Entrance to the Boricua Room at El Museo del Barrio (New York City) on Thursday, Ruth E. Hernandez (EFE)

Charpenel is aware that the Museo del Barrio appeals to a different public than those who usually visit the Museum Mile, and that perhaps explains its relatively low attendance, but we would like it to reach everyone, thats why I talk a lot about opening a conversation ... with other museums, with academics; a conversation that highlights the importance of diversity, of a cultural production that has been here for many centuries, but that has not been included in the narratives, in the canon of what is supposedly American art.

Nor, because of its specificity, does the museum wish to limit itself to the Latino community as the only potential, or majority, audience. During the pandemic closure, the director recalls, we undertook the action of not only increasing the collection at a significant rate  several of the best pieces in the collection are recent additions  but more importantly, we undertook a research project to question the way in which the collection had been historically restructured in previous years, to connect it more to its roots, its neighborhood, its political and activist roots, its cultural roots. Our purpose was to bring it much closer to what it is, to the identity of a community that has been historically marginalized, excluded from the great cultural institutions of the United States.

On a previous visit to the Museo del Barrio, still closed due to the pandemic, an impressive series of photographs from the U.S.-Mexico border occupied a prominent place in one of the galleries, in front of the work of other artists who explored femicide as a motif of inspiration and condemnation. Charpenel assumes that the museum is also a document of current affairs, open to exclusion, marginalization, which are our natural themes ..., queerness, everything that has to do with diversifying the U.S. cultural experience, that is, with all those things that have been historically made invisible. The purpose of this institution is to decolonize these dominant narratives.

Suketu Mehta, the writer who grew up in the the very neighborhood to which Charpenel alludes, maintained in an interview that the great fear of Trumpism is that the United States will cease to be a white country within a generation, and also that it will stop speaking English, as if Spanish were not already an indisputable and almost hegemonic reality. Hand in hand with language, including Spanglish, the cultures of Latin America are making advances in forging the great American culture.
EDWARDSVILLE  A Granite City man was charged last week as an armed habitual criminal after a Jan. 15 incident.

Gregory Powers Jr., 26, of the 2400 block of St. Clair Avenue, Granite City, was charged May 19 as an armed habitual criminal, a Class X felony; with two counts of unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, both Class 2 felonies; and obstructing justice, a Class 4 felony.

The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department.

According to court documents, on Jan. 15 Powers was found to be armed with a 9 mm handgun while on parole or mandatory supervised release on a felony charge out of Missouri; and failed to provide police with information in an ongoing death investigation. The armed habitual criminal charge stems from convictions for mob action and unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, both out of Madison County in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Bail was set at $250,000.

In an unrelated case, Danielle M. Pierson, 58, of St. Louis, was charged with unlawful use of credit or debit card, a Class 3 felony.

The case was presented by the Wood River Police Department.

According to court documents, between Sept. 1-Oct. 11, Pierson used a debit card belonging to another person without their consent.

Bail was set at $50,000.

Separately, Gary A. Hurst, 31, of the 3300 block of Edsall Street, Alton, was charged with criminal damage to government supported property, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Madison County Sheriffs Department.

According to court documents, on May 18 Hurst damaged an electronic tablet at the Sheriffs Department, 405 Randall.

Bail was set at $20,000.
EDWARDSVILLE  A 28-year-old man is accused of reckless discharge of a firearm, and other counts, after an incident Saturday on Eberhart Avenue.

Cody A. Helms, 28, of Edwardsville, was charged with aggravated assault by discharge of a firearm, and reckless discharge of a firearm, both Class 4 felonies, according to counts filed Monday by the Madison County States Attorneys Office.
SPRINGFIELD  A report released Tuesday by Attorney General Kwame Raoul found that more than 450 members of the Catholic clergy in Illinois sexually abused nearly 2,000 children between 1950 and 2019.

The investigation found 1,997 children were abused by 451 Catholic clergy across the state. Of those, 32 clergy members were found to have sexually abused children in the Diocese of Springfield, which includes Madison County.

It is my hope that this report will shine light both on those who violated their positions of power and trust to abuse innocent children, and on the men in church leadership who covered up that abuse," Raoul said. These perpetrators may never be held accountable in a court of law, but by naming them here, the intention is to provide a public accountability and a measure of healing to survivors who have long suffered in silence.

The Attorney General's Office has spent the past four-and-a-half years investigating reports of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Illinois, as well as the practice of protecting the perpetrators.

The report lists the clergy abusers and details church leaders' failure to protect victims while covering up the allegations to protect the clergy.

Prior to the report, the Catholic Church had named only 103 clergy abusers in Illinois, far fewer than the 451 identified in the report. In the Diocese of Springfield, a minimum of 163 victims were linked to the 32 clergymen identified in the new report.

Raoul said his office has provided recommendation to dioceses on how best to protect their members and investigate allegations to prevent the number of cases from rising.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki said he supports the investigation and feels it is time to bring all the crimes out into the public.

"The attorney generals inquiry into the history of clergy sexual abuse of minors in this diocese has served as a reminder that some clergy in the Church committed shameful and disgraceful sins against innocent victim survivors and did damage that simply cannot be undone," Paprocki said. "As bishop of this diocese, I cannot undo the damages of the past, but I have been and continue to be fully committed to ensuring we do all we can to prevent abuse from happening again."

A statement by the Illinois Catholic Dioceses said procedural changes have been made to better protect victims of sexual abuse and to find justice.

Policies include fair and respectful treatment for anyone bringing forth allegations of abuse, assistance from the diocese's victim assistance ministry, all allegations of sexual abuse of a minor are reported to civil authorities, abuse by those who have died or have been laicized are investigated and handled in the same manner as all other allegations, and the diocese will cooperate with any and all investigations. More detailed procedures can be found on individual diocese websites.

Paprocki said the abuse of children is immoral and it is important for all cases to be investigated properly.

"As difficult as this process has been for all involved, especially the victim survivors, we credit the attorney generals office for bringing about greater transparency, and, especially for keeping the spotlight on this issue to help us sustain the vigilance with which we guard against any future threat of abuse," Paprocki said. "We hope the attorney generals office continues this vigilance for creating a safer environment with other institutions, and it doesnt stop with just the Catholic Church."

The full report can be found through the Attorney General's website.
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Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 23, 2023 11:30 5 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b05706bc9 4 Inforial AIA Free

Were not going to focus just on life; were going to focus on living, encapsulates one of the remarkable purposes of AIA, the largest pan-Asian life insurance group that has presence in 18 markets, including Indonesia.

In the first quarter of 2023, PT AIA FINANCIAL (AIA) reported positive financial results, having reached a premium income of Rp2.5 trillion or US$176.2 million (unaudited), accompanied by an increasing risk-based capital of 590 percent (unaudited).

I really appreciate this achievement being attained as a result of the hard work of our solid management, employees, sales forces, and essentially the trust of our customers and partners, noted AIA President Director Sainthan Satyamoorthy.

AIAs remarkable risk-based capital far exceeds the requirement that typically only measures up to 120 percent.

To continue AIAs journey of growth, Sainthan conveyed how the company, with over a century of expertise demonstrates its resilience in the post-pandemic period. This resilience and persistence culminated in the good financial performance the company is witnessing today.

. (./.)

During the first quarter, AIA fulfilled its obligation to protect its customers by funding claims and benefits worth Rp1.8 trillion (unaudited), an increase of the 16 percent of the total claims and benefits expenses paid within the same period of 2022 worth Rp1.5 trillion.

Centering customer protection as one of the companys obligations further reiterates AIAs long-term commitment to accountability for its customers, Sainthan explained.

He further explained what these strong first quarter results signified for the company.

To Sainthan, this achievement was more than just numbers, it reiterated the companys credible expertise and experience in providing life and health protection for its customers.

[This] is in line with our goal to help millions of families in Indonesia live healthier, longer, better lives.

This achievement could not have been made without professional, trusted and digitally savvy sales forces to provide solutions prioritizing the needs of their customers.

Because at AIA, creating a healthier Asia is the dream, and this comes through empowering customers to understand and manage every aspect of their wellness. Through expanding awareness of the need for trusted insurance, AIAs value of new business (VONB) has continued to grow, reported last April at US$1 billion.

This goal attained by AIA Group Limited, the parent company of AIA in Indonesia, stems from its successful collaboration in several countries and regions, crossing Indonesia, Hong Kong, Mainland China, India and New Zealand, as well as other countries in Southeast Asia.

The power of teamwork from all AIA Group Limited subsidiaries in these regions has led to harmonious growth, with its VONB having grown 28 percent.

Reflecting on these achievements helps AIA focus on its long-term prospects with confidence, with hopes to expand these outcomes by reshaping the life and health insurance industry in Asia.

Sainthan further emphasized this positive outlook.

Going forward, he shared that in line with the Groups positive view of the industry, We are confident about Indonesias long-term growth prospects and maximizing new opportunities in providing sustainable value for our customers and stakeholders.

Topics : AIA
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Linkedin Deni Ghifari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 23, 2023

Indonesia is projected to lose its place as the worlds fourth most populous country in the coming decades, as both Nigeria and Pakistan will surpass the country by 2045, according to the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas).

Bappenas head Suharso Monoarfa said on May 16 that Indonesias population would likely grow more slowly in the future, as the total fertility rate (TFR), the average number of children born to a woman in her lifetime, would fall to 1.9 in the next two decades, from around 2.28 in 2020.

That number is below the developed country replacement fertility rate of about 2.1 births per woman, according to the UN, meaning the population of Indonesia will age and eventually begin to decline.

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Linkedin Tenggara Strategics (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 23, 2023 09:34 5 8c59b90329e48fb699327dfce96b65ec 4 Economy SMI,Climate-Finance,Sarana-Multi-Infrastruktur,Tenggara-Strategics Free

Accelerating the shift to green energy in achieving Indonesias climate targets, including net zero emissions by 2060, requires innovative financing. State-owned infrastructure financing company PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (Persero) or (PT SMI) is among those taking the lead, providing financing and investment, project preparation, and advisory services to accelerate national development in a sustainable manner.

The companys focus on energy transition is further reflected in its role as ETM Country Platform Manager with the Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM), led by Indonesias Ministry of Finance.

Speaking at South Korea RE Invest Indonesia 2023-Business Forum on 50 Years of Indonesia-Korea Relations on May 3, Pradana Murti, Director of PT SMI, elaborated on the companys climate financing products.

PT SMIs data that was presented by Pradana as of March show that the company has financed up to 1 gigawatt (GW) in renewable energy projects across Indonesia worth a total of US$483.8 million. The majority of funds has been allocated to hydropower plants, indicating their maturing development in the country as a renewable energy source, while other funding went to geothermal, solar, biomass and wind power plants.

PT SMI has done quite a lot with regards to finance green projects such as renewable energy and climate mitigation and adaptation projects in Indonesia, with total commitment of USD 483.8 million. Moreover, we also provide financing to municipalities through infrastructure financing. Soon, we will be able to provide financing to programs being designed by municipalities to achieve net zero, Pradana told the hybrid forum, which was hosted jointly by Tenggara Strategics and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies [CSIS] in Indonesia and by the Indonesian Embassy in South Korea.

As PT SMI is committed to provide financial support that can be tailored to match energy transition projects, Pradana emphasized that it was necessary for the company to form strategic partnerships with both national and international institutions, such as ministries and governmental agencies, state-owned and private entities, as well as banks and capital markets.

As ETM Country Platform Manager, PT SMI has forged partnerships with various initiatives and organizations, including multilateral and bilateral institutions, philanthropies, private sectors, and state-owned electricity company, PT PLN. Through these partnerships, PT SMI is conducting studies, in particular for financing its coal-fired power plant early retirement program under the ETM.

Pradana expanded on the ETM, noting that the mechanism will use a blended finance approach that combines funds sourced from several public and private entities with the state budget, including but not limited to bilaterals, multilaterals, donors and philanthropic organizations. As ETM Country Platform Manager, PT SMI has a central role in matching the blended funds with the energy transition projects of either PLN or independent power producers (IPPs).

According to Pradana, PT SMI offers three financing schemes under the ETM, two of which specifically target PLN: result-based loans and divestment. The third scheme is IPP equity investment, designed for coal plant retirement projects.

He reiterated that collaboration was key to providing the best financing for the energy transition, and that PLN was one of its key partners.

PT SMI, as ETM Country Platform Manager, tries to collaborate with all parties to provide a source of funding and provide the best project and financing structurse to the projects, told Pradana.

We are planning to create an asset class in energy transition, where power purchase agreements with PLN will be the foundation of the transactions.

The forum was supported by PT SMI, PLN, the Finance Ministry, the Nusantara Capital City (IKN) Authority, Bank Indonesia (BI) and KB Kookmin Bank, and saw the attendance of around 100 offline participants in Incheon, South Korea, and 60 online participants representing energy companies and government agencies from both Indonesia and South Korea.

The South Korean forum is part of RE Invest Indonesia 2023, the third edition of the multistakeholder event established by Tenggara Strategics and CSIS with the aim to bring together industry players from Indonesia, China, Japan and South Korea to invest in Indonesias renewable energy sector.

This article is written in partnership with Tenggara Strategics.
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Linkedin Anindito Ariwandono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 23, 2023 09:33 5 8c59b90329e48fb699327dfce96b5a0b 1 Entertainment punk-rock,indie-music,tarrkam Free

Jakarta punk band Tarrkam is something of an oddball within the local independent music lore. The band was only founded in 2015, but it feels like the group of friends have been around forever. After the release of their October 2015 split EP, anticipation apparently had somewhat compounded the eight years waiting time for hardliners who hailed the now-quintet as heroes.

The void

After that [] were just [] gone, said the bands bassist, Haryo Widi Adhikaputra, when he spoke to The Jakarta Post on May 12. Rahmad Sumantri, who is the vocalist, gave a mischievous chuckle at Haryos remarks. Yeah, Rahmad then followed with a sigh.

Expectations were quite high after the bands emergence in 2015. The bars height, however, was unintentionally set by the band itself.

That year it debuted an EP, Transcend Massive Culture, and followed it up, in mere seven months, with another EP that it released as a split (a format that is common among punk bands in which they share costs of doing a release) with Depok punk band Total Jerks. Both of the releases were sonic powerhouses.

The band was not really gone, however. It continued to devour (destroy, even) every stage that the then-quartet was invited to. Haryo took it strictly in a figurative way as, from the 2015 split EP, the band did not release new, major, musical works until they broke their silence in October 2022.

In 2020, they released a single, Wanita Ekstasi (Woman of Ecstacy) with Jakarta label Berita Angkasa as part of an anniversary compilation dubbed Adiksi Adaptasi (Adaptation Addiction), yet a new, proper studio album was still yet in sight.

Rejoice! Tarrkam fans! I said, when I happened across the bands Instagram post for Kameleon. It released a music video prior to the digital release, premiering Oct. 31, 2022. It was finally being realized.

The princes in the tower

The album, at one point, became a running joke within the bands immediate circles. Some would jeer at the members when they were out attending gigs in their hometown. Hey, wheres the album? was one of the jabs that the members used to take, back in the days.

In my perspective, the album even reached the status of a myth, at least for myself. Once, when Rahmad was visiting Bandung sometime just before the pandemic in late 2019, he meekly told me that we just finished recording an album. But they had yet to release it. The album existed, but at the same time, it did not. And words got around really fast back then.

First class honors: The cover art for Tarrkam's debut studio album Fresh Grad, by Rachmad Sumantri. (Courtesy of Tarrkam) (Archive/Courtesy of Tarrkam)

Jakarta label Lamunai Records, who now releases Fresh Grad, approached the band in 2018. Like princes that were carefully probing their suitors, Tarrkam was approached by a total of three record labels over the years. We only said yes in 2021, remembered Haryo. But it was not pomp that drove them; the band was simply riddled by unsureness.

When the band finished recording the album in 2019, the post-production (involving the mixing and the mastering process) went off-schedule for some time before it then plunged into an indefinite deadline at Haryos hands. Rahmad would chime that Haryo was really busy every time the topic of the Tarrkams album popped up, then Haryo would come out in plain sight and shoot himself by saying that working post-production for his own band was ridiculously different.

Stuck with being constantly unsure, Haryo even redid the process of both mixing and mastering Fresh Grad for a total of two times, at least, he said. From the perspective of a label, that would mean losing a significant chunk of production costs down the drain if not for the bands bassist undertaking the process himself at his studio, Kandang Studio.

When the label became jittery from waiting a tad too long, the post-production was ultimately handed to Jakarta based musician/producer Alfath Arya. Alfath then really wrecked the album, in a wonderful way, stripping it bare to expose its rawest form in order to portray the bands blistering energy that longtime fans would expect from its live performances.

Decayed to perfection

Tarrkams live performances are akin to being sonically (and physically) pummeled from all sides, with each of the personnel in perfect command of their elements. Chaos would always ensue every time the quintet set foot on stage.

In Fresh Grad, the bands signature malignant, sinister hooks, jerky grooves and its aggressively articulate vocals (in which Rahmad would effortlessly switch between playful suaveness into coarse yells) are presented differently. On my first run of listening to the album, the overall sound of the album came across as quite crumpled, and it was rather frustrating in the beginning. But the album immediately grew on me, and by the time I reached Chainsmoker, I could think of no better way to emulate the bands intensity.

I just embraced its rawness and its energy, said Alfath.

He recalled that Rahmad only gave him an album to be taken as a reference. [It was] Parquet Courts, he was being really specific, Alfath continued.

The 2013 album, I think, added Rahmad, laughing.

But the recording tracks that I received would be a bit too energetic if we were to approach Parquet Courts, Alfath mused. So I destroyed it instead. Thats why I dirtied the vocals and even crushed the drum tracks. [...] Its about conserving the raw power of the band.

Alfath referred to such audio recordings that came across as dirty and would, most of the time, make people uncomfortable. Like being punched in the face, he continued.

That is exactly how I felt when I listened through the tracks of Fresh Grad.

While some, like myself, applauded the records direction as a brave move, others would argue that it is too unconventional. Tarrkams Fresh Grad is an album that is divisive as much as it is brilliant.
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Linkedin Yerica Lai (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 23, 2023

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has dismissed, once again, speculations of growing unease between its matriarch Megawati Soekarnoputri and President Joko Jokowi Widodo after a growing contingent of the Presidents loyal supporter groups threw their support behind Gerindra Party-backed presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto.

PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto said such an assumption was overblown and that Megawati and Jokowi had cultivated a stronger bond akin to a familial relationship over the years.

Thats an exaggerated interpretation. The relationship between President Jokowi and Ibu Megawati has reached a level in which Pak Jokowi himself looks up to Ibu Megawati as his own mother, Hasto said on Monday.

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Linkedin Dio Suhenda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 23, 2023 13:38 5 8c59b90329e48fb699327dfce96ee2c2 1 Politics Kaesang-Pangarep,Depok,#Depok,regional-elections,2024-elections,mayor,#election Free

Ahead of the regional elections next year, a local branch of the Indonesia Solidarity Party (PSI) in Depok, West Java, joined a recent bandwagon looking to support an idea to nominate President Joko Jokowi Widodos son Kaesang Pangarep as mayor of the city.

"Over the past two months, our members have sounded out this proposal to the people of Depok and it turns out many have welcomed it enthusiastically, Icuk Pramana Putra, a senior member of the PSIs Depok office, said on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com.

We are optimistic the PSI can have six seats in the Depok Legislative Council during the 2024 general elections. With that, we will try our best to ensure Kaesang will have a run to lead Depok for the next five years, he added.

The PSIs Depok office has put up a roadside poster featuring Kaesangs picture holding a rose, a nod to the partys own logo, on Jl. Margonda, one of the citys main thoroughfares. The banner stated PSI menang, walikota Kaesang or a win for PSI, a mayoral run for Kaesang.

Kaesang currently is not a member of any political parties.

Erecting the banner was the [PSIs] regional branchs initiative, Icuk said. [We purposely chose Jl. Margonda] as a criticism because this whole time the Depok administration has been Margonda-focused, Icuk said.

PSI is a non-legislature party at the national level but a fervent supporter of Jokowi and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the countrys largest party of which Jokowi is a member.

Read also: Local PDI-P politicians support Kaesang bid for Depok mayor

In April, the Depok office of the ruling PDI-P said it was open to the idea of seeing Kaesang run for mayor, and even picked his potential running mate if he decided to run in the local election.

Also in April, a group of people describing themselves as supporters of Central Java Governor and PDI-P presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo declared support for Kaesang's mayoral bid in Depok.

Kaesangs older brother, Surakarta Mayor and PDI-P politician Gibran Rakabuming Raka, has recently been making waves on the national stage, amid speculations a potential gubernatorial run for Jakarta or Central Java is on the cards.

[RA::https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2023/05/22/gibran-summoned-by-pdi-p-central-board-following-meeting-with-prabowo.html]

Gibran was summoned by PDI-P on Monday following his meeting with Gerindra Party chair and presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto.

Numerous party leaders have continued to meet with Gibran during their visit to Surakarta.
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Linkedin Dorita Setiawan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 23, 2023

The discussion about measuring poverty has recently resurfaced. The World Bank's latest report, Indonesia Poverty Assessment, published in May, commends Indonesia for being able to reduce extreme poverty in Indonesia. However, the Bank suggests expanding the poverty line criteria using the latest per-capita income measures.

According to the Bank, based on the rupiah purchasing power parity and the US$1.90 extreme poverty line, Indonesia has succeeded in reducing the poverty rate from 19 percent in 2002 to 1.5 percent in 2022. However, as a candidate for an upper-middle-income country, according to the Bank, Indonesia needs to broaden its focus beyond extreme poverty by moving away from the poverty line of $1.90 per capita per day to the $3.20 poverty line.

To overcome this, Indonesia is urged to firmly establish a national poverty line that is contextual to conditions in the country but consistent across regions, starting at the provincial to regency/city levels.

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In the great spectacle of U.S. politics, important announcements are leaked ahead of time. The media reported that Joe Biden and Donald Trump would announce a run for the White House days before they each made the formal announcement. And it has happened again with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Since last week, local media  citing sources close to the governor  have been reporting that DeSantis is getting ready to announce his 2024 White House bid on Wednesday.

Before DeSantis can run for the White House, he will first have to convince the rank-and-file of the Republican Party that he is the ideal candidate. But winning the Republican presidential primaries will not be easy, given he will be facing off against Trump, who saw a popularity boost in the wake of his indictment in March. DeSantis may tick the right boxes  he is a technocrat educated at Yale and Harvard University, he served in the military, and he has carefully cultivated the image of the perfect family man willing to get his hands dirty to fight in the countrys ideological wars, be it on abortion, trans rights, critical race theory or book bans.

Despite this, the polls give Trump a double-digit advantage over DeSantis. With 18 months to go until the 2024 election, one thing does appear clear: the Republican primary is set to be a battle between the former president and the governor. The other Republican presidential candidates, such as the former governor of South Carolina Nikki Hailey, millionaire Vivek Ramaswamy and Senator Tim Scott, the most recent Republican to throw his hat in the ring, are much less likely to win the primaries.

DeSantis is expected to announce his White House bid on a video on social media, just as Biden did about a month ago. He will then meet with donors at a hotel in Miami. The big Trump-style event will have to wait. The closest thing to Trumps flashy presidential announcement at Mar-a-Lago is likely to happen at the end of the month in Dunedin, the charming seaside resort where DeSantis grew up.

The announcement will mean that DeSantis can start raising funds for his presidential campaign, and will face greater accountability. But the governor has arguably been on the campaign trail since at least the midterm election in November, when he achieved a landslide victory and defeated his Democrat opponent by a margin of 1.5 million votes. Since then, he has been passing laws nonstop, as if in a hurry to cross off every item on his fiercely conservative agenda before heading to Washington. A move that is also intended to sell his credentials as a strong politician willing to battle against what he calls woke progressivism.

Ultra-conservative laws

In half a year, DeSantis has signed an impressive list of laws that have profoundly changed Florida, which not so long ago was considered a purple state  neither fully Democratic nor fully Republican. These laws include a six-week limit on abortion, which effectively equates to a total ban, and a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Under the rules, teachers in Florida are also prohibited from telling students their preferred pronouns and from asking them about their preferred pronouns, and from teaching lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity. This applies to student through to 12th grade, which includes 18-year-olds. DeSantis also signed a bill that blocks public colleges from using federal or state funding on diversity programs, eased the requirements to carry a weapon and made it easier for a jury to sentence a person to death: before a unanimous ruling from the 12-member jury was needed, not only eight jurors need to vote in favor.

How these measures will be perceived outside of Florida remains to be seen. Its also not known how DeSantis fight against Disney over its opposition to his so-called Dont Say Gay law will be received by voters in the rest of the country. It will also be interesting to see how a politician who is neither a great speaker nor traditionally charismatic will perform in the presidential campaign. But his biggest obstacle is no doubt Trump, who has been mocking and attacking him for months  even giving him the nickname of Ron DeSanctimonious. DeSantis, for the moment, has avoided a showdown with Trump, but sooner or later he will have to. And as many before him can testify, the former president is not exactly an easy opponent.

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Linkedin Haekal Al Asyari and Elfian Fauzy (The Jakarta Post) Debrecen, Hungary/Yogyakarta  Tue, May 23, 2023

Indonesians have been appalled by yet another cyberattack targeting the countrys banking industry. To show how vulnerable the industry is to the threat, a group of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RAAS) hackers called Lockbit 3.0 allegedly have leaked personal data of Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) customers.

The stolen data has reportedly been published on the dark web after negotiations to accommodate the hackers demands failed. The leaked data includes sensitive information including banking and financial data, consumer transactions and personal data.

Alfons Tanujaya, a cybersecurity observer from Lilin.com, believes the hacking had been going on for quite some time, since the beginning of Idul Fitri on April 22. In observance of the Islamic holiday, the government declared a period of collective leave for civil servants from April 19 to April 25, which the banking industry followed.

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Linkedin Julia Suryakusuma (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, May 24, 2023

My current pet peeve is the recent trend of people saying, Siap!, which literally means Ready! but in Indonesia is how military subordinates respond when their superior officer gives them a command. In English it would be Yes sir!, while clicking ones heels and giving a military salute, raising the arm and touching the side of the forehead or cap with the tip of the forefinger.

Lately, all and sundry  young and old, women and men, activists, intellectuals, lay people, Muslims and non-Muslims  say siap, when in the past they would have said oke (okay), baik (fine), or sip, which possibly derives from the English word safe, meaning all clear, for sure, guaranteed or very nice, depending on the context. Oke, baik and sip are just as short and snappy as siap, so I am not sure why people started to pick it up. Is militarism secretly embedded in our collective unconscious?

This trend irritates me, as I associate it with the New Order military authoritarian regime. It lasted from 1966 to 1998, which means I spent 32 years of my life, from age 12 to 44 in it. The adult part of these 32 years were spent fighting it, mainly through my writings, which were critical of the regime. Risky business that, as in the New Order, dissidents could be blacklisted, taken in, interrogated or even disappeared.

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Linkedin Editorial board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, May 24, 2023 03:57 4 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b05712114 1 Editorial Iran,Indonesia,relations,Trade,investment,natural-resources,sanctions,Women,Middle-East,peace Free

For some observers of the Middle East, it may be tempting to paint Tuesdays Iranian-Indonesian summit in Bogor, West Java, in a fearful light, as Tehrans diplomatic rise gathers pace amid a shift in the regions status quo.

But sometimes, nations are prepared to be pragmatic, and may even be justified in doing so, if the benefits of cooperation outweigh the potential risks.

For Indonesia, the visit of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is the result of a multi-year effort to deepen cooperation with a so-called nontraditional ally.

There is obviously much ground to cover for the two partners to convert their US$250 million in trade into the lofty $20 billion target, but what is important is that Jakarta is willing to invest in the relationship.

Both Iran and Indonesia have immense potential for growth and development, and by fostering stronger economic ties, the two nations can benefit from increased trade and investment opportunities. Irans rich energy resources and Indonesias strategic location in Southeast Asia provide a solid foundation for collaboration in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, agriculture and tourism.

In a post-meeting press statement, President Joko Jokowi Widodo spoke of joint pilot projects in telemedicine and telerobotic surgery, as well as cooperation in biotechnology and nanotechnology for the energy sector, among other initiatives.

Transfers of technology, co-production initiatives and research cooperation are all in high demand in Indonesia as it seeks to escape the middle-income trap on its way to becoming an advanced economy.

For Iran, the bilateral initiatives are indeed a welcome respite, allowing the Islamic republic to offset the economic impact of Western and international sanctions, with economic growth in the Middle East headed for a slowdown this year, according to the International Monetary Fund.

The deepening of its ties with the largest Muslim-majority country should be seen in a favorable light, continuing on the Chinese-brokered detente with Saudi Arabia that United States President Joe Biden noted was a good thing.

With the end of conflict in Yemen now a possibility, and amid similar developments in Syria and Bahrain, Tehrans efforts in recent months are a welcome change of tack in a region with deep divisions that many believed would be impossible to heal.

Pragmatism could well be the central driver of these changes. If for years a major power like the US was unable to nurture peace in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf, then perhaps it was time for a different approach, one where cooperation was underlined and a different, impartial broker appointed.

This is not to discount any of the wrongs that Tehran might have done to deserve such heavy sanctions. The brutal crackdown on protests over the death of Mahsa Amini should not go unanswered, and it is our hope that Jakarta can help persuade Tehran to do better in the future.

In his remarks to the press in Bogor, Raisi mentioned that women and girls in Iran had an effective and successful presence in various fields and have brought pride to our country. While this was said in the context of the common stance Iran and Indonesia have on the oppression of women by the Afghan Taliban, the Iranian women who rallied behind Aminis death now have more impetus to remind its government to practice what it preaches.

By working together, Indonesia and Iran can amplify their voices and promote a more balanced and inclusive global agenda that reflects the interests and aspirations of developing nations and their different population groups.

Enhanced cooperation, cultural exchange and joint efforts in countering regional challenges can pave the way for a more prosperous and secure future for both nations.
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Linkedin Dorita Setiawan (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, May 23 2023

The discussion about measuring poverty has recently resurfaced. The World Bank's latest report, Indonesia Poverty Assessment, published in May, commends Indonesia for being able to reduce extreme poverty in Indonesia. However, the Bank suggests expanding the poverty line criteria using the latest per-capita income measures.

According to the Bank, based on the rupiah purchasing power parity and the US$1.90 extreme poverty line, Indonesia has succeeded in reducing the poverty rate from 19 percent in 2002 to 1.5 percent in 2022. However, as a candidate for an upper-middle-income country, according to the Bank, Indonesia needs to broaden its focus beyond extreme poverty by moving away from the poverty line of $1.90 per capita per day to the $3.20 poverty line.

To overcome this, Indonesia is urged to firmly establish a national poverty line that is contextual to conditions in the country but consistent across regions, starting at the provincial to regency/city levels.

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Linkedin Joanna Gill, Sadiya Ansari and Jade Wilson (The Jakarta Post) Thomson Reuters Foundation/Brussels/Berlin/Dublin  Tue, May 23 2023

Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year sparked the biggest refugee crisis in Europe since World War II, but also a wave of solidarity as thousands opened their homes to Ukrainians and European Union states gave them rights and benefits akin to their own citizens.

The EU swiftly granted temporary protection to millions of fleeing Ukrainians, giving them immediate rights to work and access to education, healthcare, welfare and housing, almost the same as local nationals.

Their treatment is in stark contrast to that received by refugees from other warzones, but could provide lessons in how to deal with the contentious issue.

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Linkedin Haekal Al Asyari and Elfian Fauzy (The Jakarta Post) Debrecen, Hungary/Yogyakarta  Tue, May 23 2023

Indonesians have been appalled by yet another cyberattack targeting the countrys banking industry. To show how vulnerable the industry is to the threat, a group of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RAAS) hackers called Lockbit 3.0 allegedly have leaked personal data of Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI) customers.

The stolen data has reportedly been published on the dark web after negotiations to accommodate the hackers demands failed. The leaked data includes sensitive information including banking and financial data, consumer transactions and personal data.

Alfons Tanujaya, a cybersecurity observer from Lilin.com, believes the hacking had been going on for quite some time, since the beginning of Idul Fitri on April 22. In observance of the Islamic holiday, the government declared a period of collective leave for civil servants from April 19 to April 25, which the banking industry followed.

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Linkedin Yvette Tanamal (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, May 24 2023

The Group of Seven Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, which saw non-member states including Indonesia participating in a three-day mull over some of the worlds most pressing challenges, was a stark reminder that middle-power countries must play a more outspoken and directed role in influencing global policies amid an increasingly tense and polarized world, analysts have said.

Unlike great powers, middle-power countries have in their arsenal the aptness to be versatile in their alignments, and have vastly different interests and agendas than traditional superpowers, which must be represented loudly for the sake of exercising agency, the experts said.

Over the weekend, 16 seats were made available at the Hiroshima summit, an extended attendance list some observers have noted as Tokyos effort to intensify the groups ties with middle-income countries and those in the Global South. Apart from the seven richest nations in the world, attending the affair were Australia, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam.

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Linkedin Sylviana Hamdani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, May 24 2023

Waktunya Main (WM), a community based in South Jakarta, urges children and adults to leave their gadgets behind and to come out and play.

A group of kids and their parents sat around Kidung Larasati, voice artist and co-founder of WM community, in the creative hall of MBloc Space, South Jakarta, during the Jatuh Cinta (Lagi) Dengan Bumi (Fall in Love Again With Earth) festival on Apr. 28. With pens, glues and scissors, the children made binoculars, octopuses and puppets from discarded cartons, toilet paper rolls and mineral water bottles.

After they finished working, Kidung shone a flashlight on some of their creations and the shadows appeared as if they were jumping and dancing.

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Linkedin AFP Dublin, Ireland  Tue, May 23, 2023 11:10 5 5fceed71997e5776a1634d25dc7027ea 2 Europe Meta,Facebook,EU,fine,data,US,Mark-Zuckerberg Free

Facebook owner Meta has been fined a record 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for transferring EU user data to the United States in breach of a previous court ruling, Ireland's regulator announced on Monday.

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC), which acts on behalf of the European Union, said the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) had ordered it to collect "an administrative fine in the amount of 1.2 billion euros".

The DPC has been investigating Meta Ireland's transfer of personal data from the EU to the United States since 2020.

It found that Meta, which has its European headquarters in Dublin, failed to "address the risks to the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects" that were identified in a previous ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

The CJEU interprets EU law to make sure it is applied in the same way in all member states.

In response, Meta said it was "disappointed to have been singled out" and the ruling was "flawed, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies".

"We intend to appeal both the decision's substance and its orders including the fine, and will seek a stay through the courts to pause the implementation deadlines," Meta president of global affairs Nick Clegg and chief legal officer Jennifer Newstead said in a blog post.

"There is no immediate disruption to Facebook in Europe," they added.

Meta said it hopes to see the US and EU adopt a new legal framework for the use of personal data in the coming months, following an agreement in principle last year, which could allow it to continue its data transfer practices.

Fourth fine

EU regulators have hit Meta with four fines in six months -- and three this year -- over data breaches by its Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook services.

In January, the DPC fined the social media giant 390 million euros for breaking data rules in its use of targeted advertising on its apps.

In March, Meta was made to pay 5.5 million euros for breaching the GDPR with its WhatsApp messaging service.

Online trader Amazon was fined 746 million euros in Luxembourg in 2021 for infringing the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

In the latest case, the DPC had initially wanted to force Meta to suspend the offending data transfers, saying that a fine "would exceed the extent of powers that could be described as being 'appropriate, proportionate and necessary'".

But its peer regulators in the EU, known as Concerned Supervisory Authorities (CSAs), disagreed and said it should be "subject to an administrative fine", the DPC said.

With no hope of consensus, the Irish body referred the objections to the EDPB, which ruled that Meta Ireland must suspend future transfer of personal data to the United States and pay a fine.

'Strong signal'

Clegg and Newstead said the EDPB decision to overrule the DPC "raises serious questions".

"No country has done more than the US to align with European rules via their latest reforms, while transfers continue largely unchallenged to countries such as China," they added.

But EDPB chair Andrea Jelinek characterised Meta's infringement as "very serious" and called its data transfers "systematic, repetitive and continuous".

"The unprecedented fine is a strong signal to organisations that serious infringements have far-reaching consequences," she added.

Privacy activist Max Schrems, who set off a decade of legal battles with his challenge against Meta over the movement of EU data to the United States, welcomed the decision.

"Ever since Edward Snowden's revelations on US big tech aiding the (National Security Agency) mass surveillance apparatus, Facebook (now Meta) was subject to litigation in Ireland," said his organisation, the European Centre for Digital Rights.

But Schrems said far harsher sanctions could have been used as Meta had "knowingly broken the law to make a profit".

"It took us 10 years of litigation against the Irish DPC to get to this result... and risked millions of procedural costs," he added.

"The Irish regulator has done everything to avoid this decision," he added.
KYODO NEWS - May 23, 2023 - 19:21 | World, All

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin began Tuesday a two-day official visit to China, vowing to deepen bilateral economic ties, in an apparent bid to show the two countries' unity after Group of Seven leaders issued a stern warning against them in Hiroshima.

The premier told the Russia-China Business Forum in Shanghai that Western nations have levied sanctions on an unprecedented scale on Moscow since last year to "destroy our economy," but "none of the things our critics dreamed of happened," according to Russian news agency Sputnik.

The punitive measures have been imposed in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine that started in February 2022.

Mishustin said bilateral cooperation in the energy sector is "an absolute priority," noting Russia is the leading oil supplier for China and its China-bound exports of natural and liquefied gas, as well as coal, are "steadily increasing," Russia's Tass news agency said.

Western nations introduced a price cap in December on Russian crude oil to squeeze Russia's key source of revenue as economic punishment for its ongoing war in Ukraine, but China has opposed the sanctions and continued to purchase energy from the neighboring country.

It is the first visit to China by Mishustin, who took office in 2020. He is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Wednesday, according to the Russian Embassy in China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press conference Tuesday that she hopes the visit will "inject new impetus for deepening cooperation and exchanges in various fields between the two countries."

Asked about some Western nations' concern over closer economic relations between the two countries, Mao said China-Russia cooperation "does not target any third party and shall be free from disruption and coercion by any third party."

"China will take all necessary measures to resolutely safeguard legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies," she said.
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Linkedin AFP Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea  Tue, May 23, 2023 11:52 5 8c59b90329e48fb699327dfce96d1dd2 2 Asia and Pacific Papua-New-Guinea,Antony-Blinken,geopolitics,China,AUKUS Free

Papua New Guinea (PNG) will not be used as a base for "war to be launched", and a defence agreement with the United States prohibited "offensive military operations", its prime minister said on Tuesday.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday a defence cooperation deal signed with PNG earlier that day would expand the Pacific island nation's capabilities and make it easier for the US military to train with its forces.

The deal sparked student protests amid concern it could embroil PNG in strategic competition between the US and China.

Prime Minister James Marape said the agreement was not a treaty and did not need to be ratified by parliament, adding he would release it in full for public scrutiny on Thursday.

"It's not a military base to be set up here for war to be launched," he told radio station 100FM.

"There's a specific clause that says that this partnership is not a partnership for PNG to be used as a place for launching offensive military operations from Papua New Guinea," he said.

The United States and its allies are seeking to deter Pacific island nations from building security ties with China, a rising concern amid tension over Taiwan, and after Beijing signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands last year.

China has been a major infrastructure investor in PNG, which sits near important sea lanes and international submarine cables linking the United States and ally Australia, that were crucial in World War Two.

Marape said PNG's military is the weakest in the region at a time of high tensions. The boost provided by the United States would also improve domestic security and encourage more foreign investors to set up in the country of 9 million that is rich in natural resources but largely undeveloped.

"There will be substantial infrastructure investment" flowing from the deal, in airports, ports, roads, communications and electricity to benefit the public, he said, while not giving details.

Subsidiary agreements that will determine how the US military and civilian contractors come into PNG are being worked out, he said.

Australia has welcomed the defence cooperation agreement between its closest neighbour and the United States.
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Linkedin Agencies Dili, Timor Leste  Tue, May 23, 2023 10:27 5 8c59b90329e48fb699327dfce96bec71 2 Asia and Pacific Timor-Leste,election,Xanana-Gusmao,Fretilin,parliamentary,Mari-Alkatiri Free

The party of Timor Leste independence hero Xanana Gusmao has won most votes in a parliamentary election, preliminary results in state media showed on Tuesday, boosting his chances of his return as premier and a new phase of opposition rule.

Gusmao's National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) won about 42 percent of ballots cast with 100 percent of the votes counted, according to election commission data carried by broadcaster Radio-Televisao Timor Leste.

Reuters could not reach the election commission for confirmation on Tuesday.

The Revolution Front for an Independent Timor-Leste (FRETILIN), the party of Prime Minister Jose Maria Vasconcelos, popularly known as Taur Matan Ruak, was second with about 26 percent of the votes, with the rest split among 15 parties.

Sunday's contest was the fifth parliamentary election since Timor Leste, a country of 1.3 million people that gained full independence in 2002 after a quarter-century rule by neighbouring Indonesia.

The former Portuguese colony must now wait to see who will be chosen as prime minister by the newly formed legislature.

The election had been billed as a battle of two former resistance figures, CNRT's Gusmao, 76, and FRETILIN's Mari Alkatiri, 73, with Gusmao seen by analysts as the favourite.

Heavily dependent on its fast-depleting oil reserves for revenue, the half-island nation faces a challenge with poverty and diversifying its economy, which at $3.6 billion is one of Asia's smallest.

The election follows last year's victory in a presidential ballot for independence leader and Nobel laureate Jose Ramos-Horta, also of the CNRT party.

Gusmao, a former guerrilla leader, was Timor Leste's first president and served as prime minister from 2007 until his resignation from the post in 2015.

Voters formed long queues, carrying umbrellas for shade as they patiently waited for their turn until polling stations closed at 3 pm (0600 GMT) Sunday.

"All people came to give their voices, because one voice can make a change," 61-year-old Cesar dos Santos de Carvalho told AFP at a polling station in the capital Dili.

"I hope the political party that I chose can put attention on health, education, infrastructure and agriculture, because these are the priority sectors."

Nazario Gregorio Guterres, another voter, stressed the need to improve infrastructure in Timor Leste, one of the world's poorest countries.

"Just (look at) our capital city, Dili. It's difficult to get electricity and clean water. The party I chose must fix roads, electricity, and provide clean water," said Guterres.

The young democracy, a former Portuguese colony, has 890,000 registered voters, and a total of 17 parties are vying for seats, but the election is expected to mainly be a showdown between the two largest.
StockNews.com upgraded shares of Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Friday morning.

DAL has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Bank of America dropped their price objective on Delta Air Lines from $43.00 to $40.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 14th. Evercore ISI upgraded Delta Air Lines from an in-line rating to an outperform rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $40.00 to $47.00 in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Barclays upped their target price on Delta Air Lines from $44.00 to $48.00 in a report on Friday, March 10th. Redburn Partners raised Delta Air Lines from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $55.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Delta Air Lines from $81.00 to $69.00 in a research report on Monday, May 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Buy and a consensus price target of $49.38.

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Delta Air Lines Price Performance

Shares of Delta Air Lines stock opened at $35.46 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $22.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 0.42 and a current ratio of 0.47. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $33.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $35.46. Delta Air Lines has a one year low of $27.20 and a one year high of $42.45.

Insider Buying and Selling

Delta Air Lines ( NYSE:DAL Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 13th. The transportation company reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.29 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $12.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $12.25 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 56.49% and a net margin of 3.51%. Delta Air Liness revenue for the quarter was up 36.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($1.23) EPS. Equities analysts expect that Delta Air Lines will post 5.4 EPS for the current year.

In related news, EVP Joanne D. Smith sold 4,846 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.43, for a total transaction of $186,231.78. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 115,295 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,430,786.85. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other Delta Air Lines news, Director David S. Taylor acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 26th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $32.83 per share, with a total value of $164,150.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 25,360 shares in the company, valued at approximately $832,568.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Joanne D. Smith sold 4,846 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.43, for a total value of $186,231.78. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 115,295 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,430,786.85. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders purchased 15,000 shares of company stock valued at $503,250 and sold 14,846 shares valued at $548,232. 0.84% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 177.5% in the 3rd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 8,815,900 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $247,374,000 after purchasing an additional 5,638,800 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 30.4% in the 1st quarter. FMR LLC now owns 14,779,351 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $516,095,000 after purchasing an additional 3,445,953 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Delta Air Lines in the 4th quarter valued at about $60,640,000. GMT Capital Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 41.5% in the 4th quarter. GMT Capital Corp now owns 5,399,600 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $177,431,000 after purchasing an additional 1,584,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Amundi lifted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 79.5% in the 4th quarter. Amundi now owns 3,396,524 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $129,679,000 after purchasing an additional 1,504,544 shares during the last quarter. 66.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Delta Air Lines

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Delta Air Lines, Inc engages in the provision of scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo. It operates through the Airline and Refinery segments. The Airline segment provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo. The Refinery segment provides jet fuel to the airline segment.

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National Grid (LON:NG  Get Rating) had its price objective dropped by investment analysts at Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft from GBX 1,100 ($13.68) to GBX 1,080 ($13.43) in a report released on Monday, Digital Look reports. The brokerage currently has a hold rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschafts price target suggests a potential downside of 2.09% from the companys current price.

Other equities research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a GBX 1,250 ($15.55) price target on shares of National Grid in a report on Monday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an overweight rating on shares of National Grid in a report on Monday, April 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, National Grid presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 1,120 ($13.93).

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National Grid Stock Down 0.5 %

NG traded down GBX 5 ($0.06) on Monday, hitting GBX 1,103 ($13.72). 7,462,651 shares of the company traded hands. The stocks 50-day moving average is GBX 1,114.19 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 1,054.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 187.21, a current ratio of 0.71 and a quick ratio of 0.34. The firm has a market cap of 40.59 billion, a PE ratio of 1,361.73, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.29.

About National Grid

National Grid plc transmits and distributes electricity and gas. The company operates through UK Electricity Transmission, UK Electricity Distribution, UK Electricity System Operator, New England, and New York segments. The UK Electricity Transmission segment provides electricity transmission and construction work services in England and Wales.

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Shares of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU  Get Rating) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of Hold from the sixteen research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $98.45.

A number of research firms have recently commented on PRU. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on Prudential Financial from $99.00 to $89.00 in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Prudential Financial from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and set a $114.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Piper Sandler reiterated a neutral rating and set a $106.00 target price on shares of Prudential Financial in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. 92 Resources reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Prudential Financial in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Prudential Financial in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Prudential Financial news, EVP Andrew F. Sullivan sold 4,126 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.20, for a total transaction of $409,299.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 12,241 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,214,307.20. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial Stock Up 1.5 %

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Aspire Private Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Prudential Financial in the 1st quarter worth approximately $18,699,240,000. Sanctuary Wealth Management L.L.C. acquired a new stake in shares of Prudential Financial in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Tanglewood Legacy Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Prudential Financial in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new stake in shares of Prudential Financial in the 1st quarter worth approximately $36,000. Finally, Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Prudential Financial in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 56.33% of the companys stock.

Prudential Financial stock opened at $82.00 on Tuesday. Prudential Financial has a 1-year low of $75.37 and a 1-year high of $110.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 0.07 and a quick ratio of 0.07. The stock has a market cap of $29.93 billion, a PE ratio of 911.11, a P/E/G ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.38. The stocks fifty day moving average is $82.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $94.88.

Prudential Financial (NYSE:PRU  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $2.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.02 by ($0.36). Prudential Financial had a net margin of 0.09% and a return on equity of 14.05%. The business had revenue of $15.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.29 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.17 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Prudential Financial will post 11.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Prudential Financial declared that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 7th that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the financial services provider to reacquire up to 2.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued.

Prudential Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 23rd will be given a dividend of $1.25 per share. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.10%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 22nd. Prudential Financials payout ratio is 5,555.56%.

About Prudential Financial

(Get Rating)

Prudential Financial, Inc engages in the provision of insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services to both individual and institutional customers. It operates through the following segments: PGIM, U.S. Businesses, International Businesses, Closed Block, and Corporate and Others.

Further Reading

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Sendas Distribuidora (NYSE:ASAI  Get Rating) and Dino Polska (OTCMKTS:DNOPY  Get Rating) are both consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends, earnings, risk, valuation and profitability.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Sendas Distribuidora and Dino Polskas top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Sendas Distribuidora $10.56 billion 0.31 $236.31 million $0.78 15.58 Dino Polska N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Sendas Distribuidora has higher revenue and earnings than Dino Polska.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

Analyst Ratings

4.5% of Sendas Distribuidora shares are held by institutional investors. 0.4% of Sendas Distribuidora shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Sendas Distribuidora and Dino Polska, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Sendas Distribuidora 0 1 0 0 2.00 Dino Polska 0 1 2 0 2.67

Profitability

This table compares Sendas Distribuidora and Dino Polskas net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Sendas Distribuidora 1.86% 29.13% 2.88% Dino Polska N/A N/A N/A

Summary

Sendas Distribuidora beats Dino Polska on 6 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Sendas Distribuidora

(Get Rating)

Sendas Distribuidora S.A. engages in the retail and wholesale sale of food products, bazaar items, and other products in Brazil. As of March 31, 2022, the company operated 216 stores under the Assai banner, as well as 13 distribution centers. It serves restaurants, pizzerias, snack bars, schools, small businesses, religious institutions, hospitals, hotels, grocery stores, neighborhood supermarkets, and individuals. The company sells its products through brick-and-mortar stores, as well as through telesales. Sendas Distribuidora S.A. was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

About Dino Polska

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Dino Polska S.A., together with its subsidiaries, operates a chain of mid-sized grocery supermarkets under the Dino name in Poland. The company offers range of food products, including meat, poultry and cold cuts, fruit and vegetables, bread, and dairy products, as well as other food, chemical, and cosmetic products; grocery products, such as children's food, breakfast products, ready to eat meals, beverages, candies, snacks, frozen goods, processed goods, oils, grain and bulk products, condiments, and alcohol and cigarettes; and non-grocery products, which include flowers, cleaning agents, sanitary articles, pet food, and small household appliance products. It is also involved in producing, processing, and preserving of meat products; renting and operating of own or leased real estate; private purchase and sale of real estate; manufacturing and processing of refined petroleum products; and retail sale of automotive fuels, as well as provision of warehousing and storage, and financial services. As of June 30, 2022, the company operated 1,975 stores. Dino Polska S.A. was founded in 2007 and is based in Krotoszyn, Poland.

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The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW  Get Rating) has received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the seventeen analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $68.73.

Several analysts have issued reports on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price objective on Charles Schwab from $75.00 to $72.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Raymond James upgraded Charles Schwab from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $63.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 15th. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Charles Schwab from $83.00 to $75.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Charles Schwab from $70.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 18th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on Charles Schwab from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, President Richard A. Wurster acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $54.39 per share, for a total transaction of $108,780.00. Following the purchase, the president now directly owns 101,391 shares in the company, valued at $5,514,656.49. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Charles Schwab news, insider Nigel J. Murtagh sold 10,796 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.23, for a total value of $866,163.08. Following the sale, the insider now owns 57,322 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,598,944.06. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, President Richard A. Wurster bought 2,000 shares of Charles Schwab stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $54.39 per share, for a total transaction of $108,780.00. Following the acquisition, the president now owns 101,391 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,514,656.49. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders have purchased a total of 81,000 shares of company stock worth $4,706,960 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Charles Schwab

Charles Schwab Stock Performance

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Phocas Financial Corp. acquired a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Beacon Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab during the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Selway Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 54.8% during the 1st quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 565 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.49% of the companys stock.

Shares of NYSE SCHW opened at $51.97 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $52.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.71. Charles Schwab has a 52 week low of $45.00 and a 52 week high of $86.63. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.39 and a current ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $91.94 billion, a PE ratio of 14.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.65 and a beta of 0.88.

Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.93 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.03. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 27.83% and a net margin of 34.82%. The firm had revenue of $5.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.13 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.77 earnings per share. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 9.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Charles Schwab will post 3.35 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Charles Schwab Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 11th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.92%. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.32%.

Charles Schwab Company Profile

(Get Rating)

The Charles Schwab Corp. is a savings and loan holding company, which engages in the provision of wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. It operates through the Investor Services and Advisor Services segments. The Investor Services segment includes retail brokerage and banking services to individual investors, and retirement plan services, as well as other corporate brokerage services, to businesses and their employees.

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StockNews.com lowered shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD  Get Rating) (TSE:TD) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report report published on Saturday.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on TD. CIBC upgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a neutral rating to a sector outperform rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating in a report on Friday, March 3rd. Desjardins boosted their price target on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$105.00 to C$106.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, Barclays cut shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $100.57.

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Toronto-Dominion Bank Price Performance

Shares of TD opened at $61.12 on Friday. Toronto-Dominion Bank has a fifty-two week low of $55.43 and a fifty-two week high of $77.15. The firms 50 day moving average price is $59.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $64.04. The company has a market cap of $111.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.66, a PEG ratio of 1.17 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Increases Dividend

Toronto-Dominion Bank ( NYSE:TD Get Rating ) (TSE:TD) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The bank reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.61 by $0.03. Toronto-Dominion Bank had a net margin of 18.23% and a return on equity of 16.02%. The firm had revenue of $9.01 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.97 billion. On average, research analysts forecast that Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 6.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, April 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 6th were given a $0.721 dividend. This is an increase from Toronto-Dominion Banks previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.72%. Toronto-Dominion Banks dividend payout ratio is 44.87%.

Institutional Trading of Toronto-Dominion Bank

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of TD. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 67,240,327 shares of the banks stock worth $4,123,850,000 after buying an additional 2,238,912 shares during the last quarter. TD Asset Management Inc. raised its position in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. TD Asset Management Inc. now owns 36,534,597 shares of the banks stock worth $2,263,283,000 after buying an additional 245,841 shares during the last quarter. FIL Ltd raised its position in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 3.8% during the 1st quarter. FIL Ltd now owns 33,381,437 shares of the banks stock worth $1,999,428,000 after buying an additional 1,221,884 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its position in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 5.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 30,819,858 shares of the banks stock worth $1,995,552,000 after buying an additional 1,633,502 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI raised its position in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 14.9% during the 1st quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 30,793,768 shares of the banks stock worth $1,842,844,000 after buying an additional 3,997,094 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 49.22% of the companys stock.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Company Profile

(Get Rating)

The Toronto-Dominion Bank engages in the provision of financial products and services. It operates through the following segments: Canadian Retail, U.S. Retail, and Wholesale Banking. The Canadian Retail segment offers various financial products and services, as well as telephone, Internet, and mobile banking services.

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Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (NYSE:WH  Get Rating) shares traded up 7.3% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $73.90 and last traded at $70.42. 1,541,411 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 73% from the average session volume of 889,385 shares. The stock had previously closed at $65.65.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have commented on the company. Oppenheimer reduced their price objective on Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from $100.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from $89.00 to $88.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 21st. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating for the company. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Wyndham Hotels & Resorts from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Wyndham Hotels & Resorts in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. They set a buy rating and a $79.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $87.14.

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Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Trading Up 5.1 %

The firm has a market cap of $5.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.71, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.19, a quick ratio of 1.27 and a current ratio of 1.27. The business has a fifty day moving average of $67.13 and a two-hundred day moving average of $71.49.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Announces Dividend

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts ( NYSE:WH Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.81 by $0.05. The business had revenue of $313.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $322.68 million. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts had a return on equity of 34.17% and a net margin of 21.94%. The companys revenue was down 15.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.95 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc. will post 4.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 28th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 14th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, June 13th. Wyndham Hotels & Resortss dividend payout ratio is currently 39.66%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

In other Wyndham Hotels & Resorts news, CMO Lisa Checchio sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.90, for a total transaction of $461,400.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 13,692 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,052,914.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 2.29% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Boston Partners raised its position in shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts by 15.0% in the 1st quarter. Boston Partners now owns 3,663,776 shares of the companys stock worth $248,604,000 after buying an additional 477,862 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts by 3.2% during the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 2,554,592 shares of the companys stock worth $216,348,000 after acquiring an additional 80,119 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its position in shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts by 7.1% during the first quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,407,165 shares of the companys stock worth $163,326,000 after acquiring an additional 159,530 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts by 3.6% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 2,242,143 shares of the companys stock worth $189,887,000 after acquiring an additional 77,125 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gates Capital Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts by 35.9% during the first quarter. Gates Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,214,846 shares of the companys stock worth $150,277,000 after acquiring an additional 585,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.13% of the companys stock.

About Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

(Get Rating)

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Inc engages in the franchise and operation of hotels under the Wyndham brand. It operates through the following segments: Hotel Franchising and Hotel Management. The Hotel Franchising segment offers licenses of brand names and associated trademarks to hotel owners under long-term franchise agreements.

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KYODO NEWS - May 23, 2023 - 22:03 | All, World, Japan

Japan says in its annual defense report that China may move up its plan to build a "world-class military" by the mid-21st century as Beijing is building up and modernizing its military, a draft of the paper showed Tuesday.

In the draft 2023 edition of the defense white paper, Japan expresses grave concerns regarding increasing Russian and Chinese military activities in waters around the country, saying they seem "to clearly intend a show of force to our country."

The draft points out that China and Russia have conducted a total of five joint bomber flights near Japan since July 2019.

Of the five cases, it said a flight in May 2022, when Tokyo was hosting a summit of the Quad group, also involving Australia, India and the United States, was a "show of force."

The paper is set to be formally reported at a Cabinet meeting and released in July.

The draft describes China as its "greatest strategic challenge," repeating a phrase in the National Security Strategy, updated in December last year.

The paper estimates that China could possess 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035 and says the country is focused on seeking dominance in new frontiers, including outer space, cyberspace and electromagnetic warfare, according to the draft.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping vowed to build a "world-class military" by the mid-21st century at the National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in 2017.

The draft paper says China may move that deadline forward, noting that Xi called for a rapid elevation of the People's Liberation Army to world-class standards in his opening speech at the party's congress in October last year.
KYODO NEWS - May 23, 2023 - 14:08 | All, Japan

Japan's ruling party on Tuesday approved a government proposal to expand the scope of a blue-collar skilled worker visa that effectively allows holders to live in the country indefinitely.

In a possible major shift in the country's foreign labor policy, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government is expected to formally endorse the plan next month in response to calls from the business community seeking to secure human resources amid a chronic labor shortage.

Under the plan, approved by a Liberal Democratic Party committee on Tuesday, the government will increase the number of industry sectors able to grant foreign workers a special status that effectively grants them permanent residency from two to 11.

Currently, proficient laborers in the construction and shipbuilding sectors can extend their stays in Japan by earning the Specified Skilled Worker No. 2 visa status, which allows holders to bring family members into the country and has no limit on how many times it can be renewed.

The nine industries subject to the proposed revision include the fishery, agriculture and hotel sectors, according to the plan.

Meanwhile, care workers will not be included in the planned change as there is a visa for foreigners with national qualifications they can already apply for.

The current specified skilled workers system was introduced in April 2019 to attract foreign workers, who are needed to address the country's severe labor shortage caused in part by a declining birthrate.

It allows foreigners with certain Japanese language and vocational skills to apply for a special residential status called the Specified Skilled Worker No. 1, enabling them to work in Japan for up to five years.

The number of foreigners staying in Japan under the No. 1 visa totaled around 146,000 as of the end of February, but only 10 held the No. 2 resident status, according to the Immigration Services Agency.

The government was initially wary about allowing more workers across a wide range of sectors to upgrade their status from No. 1 to No. 2.

But it has received calls to expand the scope of the No. 2 residency status from companies in various industries that wish to continue employing their foreign workers.

Japan has traditionally taken a cautious stance toward foreign labor, resulting in strict immigration policies. But a shift in stance is likely, as the government is also considering overhauling the country's controversial trainee program.

Established in 1993, the current system, introduced primarily for the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, has been under scrutiny following multiple allegations of trainee harassment and abuse.

In late April, a government panel proposed scrapping the controversial 30-year-old trainee program for foreigners and switching to a new system to address cases of alleged unpaid wages and other human rights violations.

The panel called for the new system to clearly state that its purpose is to "secure" human resources, unlike the existing program, which says it is for transferring knowledge and skills to developing countries.

Critics say that in practice, the current program has been a cover for companies seeking to import cheap labor as the working-age population in Japan shrinks.

The expert panel, made up of academics and representatives of local governments, will finalize its proposals for submission to the government by the fall of this year.

Related coverage:

Panel proposes Japan scrap long-criticized foreign trainee program

Japan mulls expanding scope of skilled worker visa with no stay limit
The United State President, Joe Biden, has unveiled his delegation scheduled to attend the inauguration of the Nigeria's President-elect, Bola Tinubu, on May 29th in Abuja.

This was made known in a statement released on the White House website on Monday night, May 22, 2023, announcing a nine-member delegation for the event.

Expectedly, Tinubu will be sworn in as the 16th President of Nigeria at Eagle Square, Abuja.

The Federal Government has earlier said no fewer than 65 world leaders, including Heads of State, have been invited to grace the event.

Representatives of Nigerias traditional allies such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, China, Germany, Finland, Jamaica, Japan, Israel, Turkey, and several others are expected at the Inauguration.

President Bidens delegation will be led by Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Marcia L. Fudge.

Other members of the Presidential Delegation include;

1. Mr. David Greene, Charge dAffaires, a.i., U.S. Embassy Abuja

2. The Honorable Sydney Kamlager-Dove, United States Representative (D), California

3. The Honorable Marisa Lago, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce

4. General Michael E. Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command

5. The Honorable Enoh T. Ebong, Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency

6. The Honorable Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State

7. The Honorable Judd Devermont, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, National Security Council

8. The Honorable Monde Muyangwa, Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development.

According to reports, the delegation represents the commitment of the United States to strengthen ties and maintain diplomatic relations with Nigeria.

Their presence at the inauguration underscores the importance the Biden administration places on bilateral cooperation and engagement with African nations.
The Independent Hajj Reporters has urged governors-elect to sustain the ongoing hajj operation in their various states by avoiding unnecessary political changes that may disrupt the successful completion of the 2023 hajj exercise.

The airlift of Nigerian pilgrims will begin on Thursday, 25 May, about four days to the inauguration of the new president and state governors across the country.

IHR, a not-for-profit civil society organization that monitors and reports hajj activities in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, disclosed this in a statement signed by its national Coordinator, Ibrahim Muhammed on Monday..

The statement said," While we congratulate and welcome the newly elected governors, we strongly appeal to them not to alter the ongoing operational structures in their various states to avoid disrupting the ongoing 2023 operational blueprints that may eventually create confusion during the airlifts of our dear pilgrims.

"It is noteworthy that arrangements for all hajj services have been completed while NAHCON, States Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Boards, hajj air carriers and other hajj service providers have mapped out strategies on how the exercise will be executed."

The CSO observes that there is currently serious apprehension within Nigeria hajj industry that some of the incoming governors may replace some of the critical pilgrim boards officials in the middle of the airlift of pilgrims, thereby disrupting the operational ecosystem.

Independent Hajj Reporters, therefore, urged the incoming governors to be sensitive to the plight of the pilgrims who have paid their savings to perform the hajj ritual, "whenever they decide to effect some changes in the administrative algorithms of the pilgrims boards. Our concern is the pilgrim's welfare. We appeal to the new governors to be circumspect in taking any decision so as not to jeopardise the smooth hajj operations."

The closest Hajj officials that can be reached by pilgrims are the state pilgrims boards officials  who registered the pilgrims, conducted enlightenment, facilitated the issuance of their visa, distributed bags and uniforms to them.

These operational activities gave the local pilgrims officers direct contact with the pilgrims and at most times, they knew the pilgrims by name. The consequence of distorting the state pilgrims boards administrative structure is that the Executive Secretaries to be appointed will immediately come with their own teams to replace the local pilgrims assistants  who had earlier created an interactive bond with the pilgrims.

The CSO said the appeal is expedient because of the peculiar nature of the 2023 airlift occasioned by Sudan's civil war. "At this time, any politically motivated decision must be well-thought out not to disrupt the smooth hajj operation," the statement said.

Signed

Ibrahim Muhammed

Independent Hajj Reporters

23rd May, 2023


Kashifu Inuwa, the Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency, has disclosed that 30 per cent of Africas Foreign Direct Investment ends in Nigeria.

According to him, the Nigeria tech ecosystem has attracted about $4.4bn investment in 2015, 2019 and 2020 commutatively, and ICT contributed about 18.5 per cent to countrys Gross Domestic Product.

Inuwa disclosed this at the Leaders Without Borders Annual Business Summit and International Honours 2023 in London with the theme: Business Beyond Borders, Global Partnerships and Sustainable Investments.

According to the NITDA boss, fintech companies in the country are almost twice bigger than its biggest bank.

He further claimed that the biggest bank in the country was valued at about $1.6bn, while Flutterwave was almost $3.6bn.

Nigeria is thriving and has the most vibrant tech ecosystem in Africa. Recently, we took some startups to Riyadh for competition, and two of them emerged as global winners and won $150,000 each.

In addition to making an effort in IT development as well as enhancing the capacity of the citizenry, hundreds of IT Hubs, IT Parks, and community ICT centres were established, furnished and equipped with worlds class facilities across the states of the federation.

The agency through its strategic relations with techpreneurs, supported startups, and IT ecosystem builders through Nigeria ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship Vision (NIIEV) which have created employment for Nigerian youths, he explained.

Similarly, the NITDA DG said, NITDA embarked on the development of many regulatory frameworks for the Information Technology development in government establishments. The projects are to give rise to digital skills in educational institutions and rural areas and cities, to develop human capital and provide universal access to digital services with the aim of creating a knowledge-based economy,

According to him from 2019 to date, NITDA through the project has saved the country over N305bn from IT project implementation in MDAs towards improving effectiveness and efficiency in executing government IT projects across the country
KYODO NEWS - May 23, 2023 - 16:36 | All, Japan

Japan's lower house on Tuesday approved a bill creating a special pool of funds to substantially increase defense spending despite opposition lawmakers' resistance.

If enacted, the law will allow the government to set aside non-tax revenue derived from selling government assets or transferring money from its special accounts in the state budget, specifically for use in defense spending over multiple years.

For fiscal 2023, the first of a five-year period that will see Japan's defense spending reach a combined 43 trillion yen ($310 billion), the government has allocated over 3.38 trillion yen for defense funds.

The bill's passage through the ruling coalition-controlled House of Representatives set the stage for its enactment after it clears the House of Councillors. Major opposition parties remain opposed to the bill, largely because they are against raising taxes to boost the defense budget.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is seeking to bolster Japan's defense capabilities to cope with threats posed by the rise of an assertive China and nuclear-armed North Korea and Russia.

To secure the necessary funding, the government will review how money is spent in areas other than defense, tap non-tax revenue, and raise corporate, income and tobacco taxes. The exact timing of the tax hikes is yet to be determined.

Japan's fiscal health is the worst among developed nations, with debt already more than twice the size of the economy.

Besides defense spending, Kishida is also planning to boost child policy-related spending to cope with the falling birth rate.

Japan has long capped defense spending at around 1 percent of its gross domestic product but plans to raise defense-related spending to roughly 2 percent by fiscal 2027. The defense budget for the current business year is at a record 6.82 trillion yen.

During lower house deliberations, the major opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan submitted a no-confidence motion against Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki, though it was voted down by the ruling coalition of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito, along with some opposition parties.
KYODO NEWS - May 23, 2023 - 23:01 | All, Japan

Japan will expand the use of outer space for its defense and ensure the safety of intelligence-gathering satellites, as China and Russia are increasingly utilizing space for military purposes, a source close to the matter said Tuesday.

Citing a draft of a document on space security, the source said Japan will also team up with the United States and boost its abilities to destroy targets in enemy territory including missile bases, known as "counterstrike capabilities."

The document, which will be the first of its kind, will be compiled this summer at the earliest and will entail measures covering the next 10 years or so.

It is in line with the government's update of its long-term policy guideline, the National Security Strategy, and two other key defense documents last December, in which it vowed to obtain counterstrike capabilities and almost double defense spending over five years.

Apparently with China in mind, the envisaged document on space security will state that "neighboring countries" have been considerably increasing their information-collecting satellites and that the race for space development and utilization has been "accelerating," according to the source.

The document will note that "threats in outer space are rapidly growing," referring to some countries developing their capabilities to destroy or disable other countries' satellites.

Against such a backdrop, Japan, together with its allies and like-minded nations, will aim to maintain stable use of and free access to outer space, the source said.

To maximize the utilization of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, Japan will further cooperate with the private sector, according to the source.

The country will also speed up information transmission by using small satellite constellations and improve its analysis of images through AI to detect Chinese hypersonic weapons and North Korean ballistic missiles, the source said.

Separately, the government will create a strategy unveiling targets for the acquisition of technologies required for space development and help support companies and their domestic production of key components, the source said.

Japan will also aim to participate in the Combined Space Operations Center in California, where the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada jointly monitor space debris.
Coalition hopefuls unveil pact

BANGKOK: The Move Forward Party (MFP) has given assurances that its governments policies will not harm the countrys constitutional monarchy.

politicsCannabis

By Bangkok Post

Tuesday 23 May 2023, 09:05AM

Common cause: Leaders of eight parties led by the Move Forward Party have signed a memorandum of understanding which will serve as a guideline for collaboration between the coalition partners as they stepped closer to forming a new government yesterday (May 22). Photo: Varuth Hiruayatheb

However, party leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, said yesterday (May 22) that moves to amend the lese majeste law will continue, but the party will be alone in the task, reports the Bangkok Post.

An eight-party alliance led by the MFP has signed a pact outlining the working agenda of their proposed coalition government. The 23-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the MFP, Pheu Thai, Prachachart, Thai Sang Thai, Seri Ruam Thai, Fair, Palang Sangkhom Mai and Pheu Thai Ruam Phalang parties omitted amending Section 112, known as the lese majeste law.

Among the key items, however, is a charter rewrite, reinstatement of cannabis as a narcotic drug, replacing military conscription with voluntary recruitment, and pushing for a same-sex marriage law without forcing compliance by people who consider it against their religion.

As he announced the completion of their agreement, Mr Pita said it was a historic day because it marked a peaceful transition in Thai politics. The signing was arranged to coincide with the ninth anniversary of the May 22, 2014 coup.

The purpose of the MoU is to gather common agendas that we agree to push through government and parliament. Its our collective responsibility, he said at the press conference.

Mr Pita said every party agreed that the core policies the coalition members all agreed to back must not affect the democratic system with the king as head of state, and the revered status of the king cannot be violated.

The eight parties, with 313 House seats, met for two hours yesterday at the Conrad Bangkok, the venue of the MoU signing, before the ceremony, which was scheduled at 4:30pm.

A source close to the talks said that the MoU was revised at the request of coalition partners, including Pheu Thai, before the signing to include the phrase the missions of the MFP-led government must not affect the democratic system with the king as head of state and the revered status of the king who cannot be violated.

According to the source, the signed MoU slightly differed from the version seen by the media. The item on administration of justice for cases involving expressions of political views was dropped.

The source said Pheu Thai reportedly disagreed with an amnesty plan since the coalition talks began due to concerns about conflict of interest and the MFP eventually agreed to exclude it from the MoU.

Asked about the lese majeste law, Mr Pita said the draft law, which was submitted to the House in February 2021, would be pushed by the party, and he expected its passage.

He said that under the MoU, coalition partners could push their own agendas as long as they did not contradict the MoU, and the MFP would continue to push for all policies it had campaigned on.

The MFP leader played down speculation he would not receive support from senators, saying the working teams would hold talks with the Senate to allay any concerns senators might have over the MFPs plans.

Mr Pita brushed off a rumour that Pheu Thai was in talks with the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) to form a rival coalition, saying the eight parties were solid.

He said it was premature to discuss the allocation of cabinet portfolios and the House speaker post following reports that he would oversee the Defence Ministry.

Meanwhile, Wanwichit Boonprong, a political science lecturer at Rangsit University, said the MoU would be unnecessary if the MFP-led coalition does not require votes from the Senate or Mr Pita does not face a probe into his qualifications.

The MoU is something new. It is a written agreement to prevent betrayal. Its a political tactic. As for policies, they can say what they want. But the signing of the MoU is to give the MFP confidence, he said.
Fear of Kamala landslides prompts MP-elect action

PHUKET: Following heavy downpours across the island yesterday (May 22), Phuket Move Forward MP-elect Chalermpong Saengdee has expressed his concern over potentially dangerous landslides returning to Kuan Na Yak on Kamala Hill.

weatherSafetyenvironment

By Nattha Thepbamrung

Tuesday 23 May 2023, 09:00AM

Landslides on Kamala Hill caused considerable damage during the heavy rains last October. Power poles were felled and the road was closed several times so workers could clear debris from the road.

Now that it is raining again, local residents have started worrying about landslides, and especially that big rocks will come tumbling down [the hill], Mr Chalermpong told The Phuket News.

Mr Chalermpong raised the issue with a post on Facebook yesterday that featured photos of the dangerous exposed hillside rock beside the road. Local officials installed road barriers along the side of the road, but Mr Chalermpong said plainly, That is not enough.

Mr Chalermpong said that he will visit the Phuket Highways Office today (May 23) to ask for a solution to the problem, and he will soon ask Kamala Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) for support.

I understand that budget limitations at the local level may not provide enough support. The government needs to decentralise power so that the local authorities can solve problems in a timely manner, he said.

I will also ask the Phuket Highways Office about how to alleviate the local residents concerns about big rocks falling down the hill. In the future, we may have to develop wetlands and create an app that informs local residents about disasters [landslides and floods] in their areas, he added.

Phuket has soil-based mountains and when it rains, the soil absorbs and holds the water, but when the amount of water is too much, there will be a landslide. An app will help people to avoid danger from landslides, Mr Chalermpong explained.

The risk of landslides has been resolved in Karon as well as on Patong Hill, but the area that I am worried about is just here at Kuan Na Yak. However, all the locations should be monitored for land encroachment because it could lead to a natural disaster, Mr Chalermpong said.

Mr Chalermpong noted that he was particularly concerned about land encroachment as one of the causes of increasing the possibility of natural disasters.

Apart from natural factors, humans encroaching on forest lands is a major factor. Building constructions that block natural waterways make it even easier for disasters to occur, he said.

Mr Chalermpong noted that the issue will be raised with Cabinet once the parliament resumes.

Once parliament reconvenes, we can raise the issue with Cabinet. We will push for a budget to solve this problem. It is better to do it right away than waiting or ignoring it, he said.
Coun. Scott Hamilton with his father Walter. Hamilton fears privatizing health care will bring the same issues he faced in getting his father into a long-term-care home.



The emotions were still raw.

Thats why Cambridge Coun. Scott Hamiltons head was still swirling during his walk home from the special council meeting on May 16. A motion by Coun. Donna Reid in support of a provincewide, citizen-run referendum on Bill 60, Your Health Act, to be held on May 26 and 27 by the Ontario Health Coalition, had just been defeated by a 4-4 tie vote.

The motion to the bill pointed to the provincial governments plan to substantially expand for-profit clinics and hospitals to take the surgeries and diagnostics out of our local public hospitals.

Under Bill 60  which received its third reading in the legislature  MRI and CT scans, cataract surgeries and non-invasive gynecological surgeries can be conducted in not-for-profit and for-profit clinics. Knee and hip replacements are coming in the future, to be paid by OHIP.

Mayor Jan Liggett and councillors Corey Kimpson, Adam Cooper and Nicholas Ermeta voted against the motion, while councillors Ross Earnshaw, Sheri Roberts, Reid and Hamilton voted in favour. Coun. Mike Devine was absent.

The result hit home for Hamilton, who told the Times the day before the meeting he and his brother had to move their father Walter into a long-term-care (LTC) facility 19 months after starting the process.

The wait, in his estimation, was due to LTC privatization. He expects those issues to be mirrored with for-profit health care.

The process was arduous, Hamilton said, as Walter was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia (LBD). The affliction is similar to Alzheimers disease, but LBD takes hold quicker. Living in a retirement facility, his fathers condition deteriorated to the point where staff couldnt properly accommodate his needs.

On the list for a spot in an LTC for more than a year, Hamilton and his brother watched their father slowly move up on the list at homes they selected for him  61st, 42nd, 10th. He said legislation introduced in 2022 to send chronically ill patients to LTC homes without the need for consent slowed Walters rise on the list.

It basically shored up all the beds so the normal person that needed a LTC couldnt get in. And they said that will never change, Hamilton said.

To move up the list quicker, Hamilton said, a persons condition had to deteriorate to the point where they become a medical crisis. His father reached that stage. When a spot was opened for him, the family had 24 hours to accept and two days to move him in. If they refused the spot, he would be taken off the crisis list and that would affect his level of care.

To me, theres just so many incredible overlaps between what happened with Ontarios long-term care homes and how they were privatized and how we see the levels of service suffering, how we see staff shortages, how we see more attrition and whats happening with our publicly funded health care, Hamilton said.

Ill always go down swinging in defence of universal public health care in Canada. Health care is something thats based on need, not how much money you have in your pocket to pay for a particular service.

My dads experience with the health care system and long-term care and how rough it was, that motion, it was really real for me and really sad the decision went the way it did.

Hamilton added that health care privatization is a slippery slope, with seniors on fixed incomes, or low-income families who need health care the most, seeing those that can pay for services jump the queue to get to the top.

That was something Dr. Mike Lawrie, of the Waterloo Region Health Coalition (WRHC), warned council about on May 16 if hospital services were reduced and the province continued farming services to for-profit clinics.

Lawrie said the writing has been on the wall for the last few years, with the government not spending $900 million slated for health care and looking to cut health care funding by $5 billion by 2024. In that time, he claimed, funding for private health care facilities doubled.

He was backed up WRHC volunteer Atinuke Bankole, who said pushing private for-profit clinics will erode Cambridge Memorial Hospital to the point it may be annexed in the coming decades.

What we want to see is the proper and maximum use of all that pent-up capital in our hospital used in the public sector, not privatized to clinics who will make a profit off it and instead leave us with worse care, she said.

Coun. Kimpson, however, wasnt convinced private medical services will be a death knell for the health care system. She cited labs and medical imaging clinics the public can choose and access, and not have to pay out of their own pocket.

She added that the hospital already has relationships with private providers for endoscopy and cataracts as well.

There is a lot of confusion about this bill, Kimpson said. The bill is about increasing access to health care by allowing certain procedures to be performed outside of a hospital setting at no charge to the patient.

Coun. Ermeta backed up Kimpson, saying he uses private clinics all the time and never has to pay out of pocket. He added he didnt have enough information to vote for the motion.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Coun. Scott Hamilton contacted the Times to expand upon his thoughts on why he was disappointed with councils decision not to back a citizen-led referendum about Ontario health care privatization.

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WILMOT  Petersburg residents are calling on Wilmot council to pass an interim bylaw preventing new aggregate operations, prior to voting on the proposed Middle Street Pit May 29.

An interim control bylaw would pause new pit approvals.

Mike Balkwill from the Reform Gravel Mining Coalition said councils often feel they have no choice but to accept gravel pits.

There is a proactive step councils can take to protect their community, he said. Pass an interim control bylaw to allow residents to work with the township and upgrade bylaw provisions to standard of best practices to protect the health and well-being of people in the surrounding community.

This effectively creates a one-year pause  which can be extended by an additional year  and slow down the pressure.

In October, Caledon council did just that, approving a one-year pause on new aggregate operations.

Such a bylaw is a sort of missing middle between a council approving a pit or not.

In March, when Wilmot council chose to settle with Rick Esbaugh about the Hallman Pit, Mayor Natasha Salonen spoke about how council didnt want to overturn the previous councils refusal but felt councils only options were to proceed at the Ontario Land tribunal with a minuscule chance of winning, or to reach a settlement and have a say in the terms of the settlement.

I personally saw only two options, and unfortunately both resulted in being a pit in this situation, Salonen said.

The settlement came after the province approved Bill 23 which many politicians and residents have criticized as overriding or diminishing local planning powers.

The proposed Middle Street Pit, a sand extraction operation, would be the seventh pit on a short stretch of Snyders Road East in the Petersburg hamlet.

Mike Hodgkinson, owner of Petersburg Sand Company, is requesting a zone change for about 27.5 hectares of land at 1856 Snyders Rd. E. currently designated agricultural.

The area to be extracted is about 22.5 hectares.

Julie Neves has been leading the local opposition. Neves and other local residents have provided a draft motion to the township clerk for an interim control bylaw.

She said residents suffer health and natural environment impacts because of the existing operations. She detailed a list of residents and the impacts.

While outdoors when the winds are present (she) finds eyes are irritated and burning from the dust, she said of her mother. The fumes from the diesel and from the asphalt combined when it is windy is noticeable ... making it difficult to enjoy the exterior of the home and property and difficult to breathe and see.

Others in the neighbourhood, she said, limit the amount of time their kids are outdoors because of the dust and fumes.

She said residents are living the adverse effects defined in the townships Official Plan which include:

impairment of the quality of the natural environment for any use;

injury or damage to property or plant or animal life;

harm or material discomfort to any person;

an adverse effect on the health of any person;

impairment of the safety of any person;

rendering any property or plant or animal life unfit for human use;

loss of enjoyment of normal use of property;

interference with normal conduct of business.

During the Hallman Pit discussions, dozens of residents expressed their concerns about the health and personal impacts of gravel pits. Some had concerns that Wilmot suffers disproportionately because of its many pits, a sentiment echoed by residents of Snyders Road East.

In 2021, 8.7 million tonnes of gravel were produced in Waterloo Region, according to the Ontario Aggregate Resources Corporation.

Most of the gravel in Waterloo Region  5.9 million tonnes  came from North Dumfries  the fourth highest amount in any Ontario municipality. In Wellesley, 1.5 million tonnes was extracted, Wilmot had one million tonnes and Woolwich had 224,000.

The previous council voted in April 2022 to deny Rick Esbaughs application to rezone 57.3 hectares from agricultural to extractive industrial and to rezone 4.3 hectares of wetlands and other natural buffers to open space at 1894-1922 Witmer Rd. for the Hallman Pit.

Municipalities arent permitted to consider whether there is need for another aggregate operation, but are limited to deciding whether an application meets rezoning requirements.

Council votes on the Middle Street Pit May 29.

Paige Desmond is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on municipal issues for The Record. Reach her via email: pdesmond@therecord.com

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KYODO NEWS - May 23, 2023 - 22:00 | World, All, Japan

The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.

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Japan's lower house approves bill to pool funds for defense spending

TOKYO - Japan's lower house on Tuesday approved a bill creating a special pool of funds to substantially increase defense spending despite opposition lawmakers' resistance.

If enacted, the law will allow the government to set aside non-tax revenue derived from selling government assets or transferring money from its special accounts in the state budget, specifically for use in defense spending over multiple years.

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Japan slugger Yamakawa referred to prosecutors over rape allegation

TOKYO - World Baseball Classic winner Hotaka Yamakawa was referred to prosecutors Tuesday for allegedly raping a female acquaintance at a Tokyo hotel in November.

The 31-year-old power-hitting infielder from the Seibu Lions was removed from the team on May 12, a day after weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported in its online edition that he had assaulted a woman in her 20s and that the woman had filed a criminal complaint.

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S. Korean experts begin 2-day inspection of Fukushima nuclear plant

TOKYO - South Korean experts began a two-day inspection of the disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear power complex Tuesday in connection with Japan's plan to discharge into the sea treated water from the plant containing low concentrations of radioactive substances.

The 21 experts in fields such as radiation and nuclear reactors intend to share the outcome of their inspection with the South Korean public, amid concern about the potential impact of the discharge on the ocean environment.

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Russian PM starts China visit, vows to deepen economic ties

BEIJING - Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin began Tuesday a two-day official visit to China, vowing to deepen bilateral economic ties, in an apparent bid to show the two countries' unity after Group of Seven leaders issued a stern warning against them in Hiroshima.

The premier told the Russia-China Business Forum in Shanghai that Western nations have levied sanctions on an unprecedented scale on Moscow since last year to "destroy our economy," but "none of the things our critics dreamed of happened," according to Russian news agency Sputnik.

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Japan seeks 2032-2033 U.N. Security Council nonpermanent membership

TOKYO - Japan has filed its candidacy for a vote to join the U.N. Security Council as a nonpermanent member for a two-year term starting 2032, the top government spokesman said Tuesday.

In January this year, the country began its current stint as a nonpermanent member of the 15-member council, a post it has served a record 12 times, with intervals of two to six years between each stint. But it will not assume a seat again until 2031, as India and Indonesia have declared their candidacies for earlier terms.

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Japan's ruling party OKs plan to expand scope of skilled worker visa

TOKYO - Japan's ruling party on Tuesday approved a government proposal to expand the scope of a blue-collar skilled worker visa that effectively allows holders to live in the country indefinitely.

In a possible major shift in the country's foreign labor policy, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government is expected to formally endorse the plan next month in response to calls from the business community seeking to secure human resources amid a chronic labor shortage.

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Japan to enforce crypto anti-money laundering steps from June

TOKYO - Japan's Cabinet decided Tuesday to enforce stricter anti-money laundering measures from June 1 to trace cryptocurrency asset transactions, bringing its legal framework in line with global standards.

Japan revised relevant laws in December after its anti-money laundering steps were deemed insufficient by the Financial Action Task Force, an international standard-setting financial watchdog.

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FOCUS: Biden leaves Hiroshima with slight change in tone on China

HIROSHIMA - U.S. President Joe Biden's trip to Hiroshima has revealed both strengths and shortcomings of his administration's Indo-Pacific policy, with subtle changes in its stance toward China detected if looked carefully.

As widely expected, the Group of Seven summit and a host of meetings held on the margins were filled with messages opposing China's military and economic actions disrupting the status quo.

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Video: Waste picking for fun in Okinawa
KITCHENER  A teenager from Kitchener is facing charges after police say he shot fireworks into a crowd of people in Victoria Park.

On Monday evening, Waterloo Regional Police were called to Victoria Park for a number of incidents, including disturbances, weapons, fighting, fires and fireworks being shot toward park visitors and members of law enforcement.

Over a span of two hours, police, bylaw and security officers worked to disperse a crowd of around 500 people gathered for Victoria Day fireworks.

A Waterloo Regional Police officer and a Kitchener bylaw officer were hit with fireworks that were shot into a crowd of people. They sustained minor lower-body injuries.

An 18-year-old Kitchener man was arrested in connection with that incident and is facing charges of assault with a weapon, and causing a disturbance.

A 29-year-old Kitchener man has been charged with assault and failing to comply with a release order.

Several investigations about reports of weapons, assaults and dangerous conditions are ongoing, and police ask anyone with information to call investigators at 519-570-9777. Anonymous tips can be left with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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KITCHENER  From concerts featuring Kim Mitchell, Sass Jordan and Alysha Brilla to cultural festivals and classic cars, the City of Kitchener is ready to usher in a summers worth of special events.

Mayor Berry Vrbanovic and members of council joined staff and community partners Friday in revealing the lineup.

New events include A Splash of Summer, where families can cool off in the Carl Zehr Square splash pad and catch childrens entertainers on Thursday evenings in July and August.

A number of events are planned for Gaukel Street, dubbed the Gaukel Block, including the I AM Kitchener: Indigenous Art Market on May 27 and 28, Afrovibes on June 3, and Downtown Kitchener Latin Heat every Wednesday in June, July, and August.

The Gaukel Block will also host a Neighbours Day after party on June 17, featuring performances by musicians including Alysha Brilla.

The Kitchener Market is hosting a mid-week market and music series every Wednesday in July and August.

Other highlights include:

Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Festival, June 24-25 in Victoria Park;

Canada Day, July 1 in downtown Kitchener, featuring country music artists including Steven Lee Olsen, Robyn Ottolini, Owen Riegling and a fireworks finale;

Classic car show Cruising on King, July 7 along King Street;

Wayback Festival, July 22 in downtown Kitchener, featuring Kim Mitchell, Sass Jordan, and the finalists in the Canadas Teen Jam contest;

Kitchener Blues Festival, August 10-13, Victoria Park and downtown.

For more information and a full list, visit kitchenerevents.ca.

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WATERLOO  A man has been arrested after a sexual assault last month.

At 3:45 a.m. on April 16, a woman, 39, was walking in the area of King Street North and Spring Street East when two unknown males approached her in a white sedan.

The driver exited the vehicle and sexually assaulted the victim, Waterloo Regional Police said.

A man, 24, was charged with sexual assault on May 15, police said on Monday.

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WATERLOO REGION  What appears to work in Peel Region wont be good for Waterloo Region, says a regional councillor.

We have worked really hard to put the Region of Waterloo on the map, said Coun. Michael Harris, referring to the regions world-class post-secondary institutions, its high-tech sector and a strong economy that attracts major employers.

Stronger together is better, Harris said in an interview on Tuesday.

Breaking up the region into pieces would set us back  big time, Harris said.

Last week, Premier Doug Fords government said it would break up Peel Region, splitting Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon into three separate municipalities.

The province pushed to split Peel Region  set to be dissolved by 2025  saying it wants less red tape to encourage more new housing. The government has a target of 1.5 million homes by 2031, building 150,000 homes each year to address a housing crisis.

The province also said it would name regional facilitators soon to examine local government in Waterloo Region, as well as in Durham, Halton, Niagara, Simcoe and York.

Regional Chair Karen Redman says the region works well as a partnership of seven municipalities and doesnt want the region split up like Peel.

The City of Mississauga is big enough to tell the province it can exist on its own, Harris said.

Thats not the case here in the Region of Waterloo, he said.

Harris said the smaller townships need the region to make significant investments, especially for things like managing wastewater, massive infrastructure projects such as roads, and policing.

So what if a bus terminal is built in Waterloo using my tax dollars and I live in Kitchener? Its the best thing for the region, he said.

If they think they can go on their own and be a world-class city, they very much got their heads in the sand, Harris said.

The region as one entity creates an economic advantage that benefits all of the communities, all taxpayers of our communities, said Harris, pointing to the Region of Waterloo International Airport.

But Harris agrees the current two-tier system could be more efficient.

Do I want to see less government? Absolutely. I also believe there are too many politicians, he said. If Im out of a job in two or three years, then it will have been all worth it.

Harris said he is hopeful the provincial government will do what is best for Waterloo Region because theres not one size fits all here.

Regional reform likely needs to be forced upon us, Harris said.

Regional reform has been on the table in the region before. In 2019, Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark asked two expert advisers  former regional chair Ken Seiling and former deputy minister of municipal affairs Michael Fenn  to examine how to make local government more effective in the region, whether through reform or amalgamation. But Clark never released their final report, and he made no changes.

North Dumfries Mayor Sue Foxton said she, too, believes in the region as a one group but she wants to see changes and less duplication.

Transit for the rural areas has to be treated differently, said Foxton, referring Mobility Plus, which is costly but is little used by township residents, she said.

She also feels North Dumfries pays for regional libraries it doesnt use. We have a beautiful library of our own. I would like possession and ownership of our library.

Either those things have to change and if they cant change, we can do it ourselves, because we can do it for a fraction of the cost and give the money back to our taxpayers, Foxton said in an interview.

Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett said its too early to say what she would prefer in any potential change to the structure of local government.

We have to look what actually is in each of the cities and who would get what, Liggett said in an interview.

Liggett said she was surprised by the provinces move last week to break up Peel Region.

I thought it was going to be amalgamation, or no amalgamation and leave as is, she said.

Often she hears people say the amalgamation of Cambridge didnt go well. Cambridge became a city when Preston, Hespeler and Galt came together 50 years ago.

I think it went extremely well, she said. We are a very united city.

But a bigger entity like the region brings bigger issues and representation for each municipality at the regional level has not always been equal, she said.

I find that there seems to be a change in attitude this term. I find that Karen Redman has been working really well with each community to make sure we have autonomy in decision-making, Liggett said.

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KITCHENER  An alleged drunk driver, acquitted after claiming he drank 27 ounces of wine at home following a crash, has been ordered to stand trial again.

The Cambridge man was driving three co-workers home on Dec. 19, 2019, when his black Mazda bounced off a dividing wall on Highway 401 near Milton and struck a transport truck. The man testified he was sober at the time.

The Mazdas airbags deployed and there was smoke in the cabin of the car, Superior Court Justice Ian Smith said last week in ordering a new trial.

Parts of either the car or the truck were falling off and the car was shaking. It was clearly damaged. The truck driver stopped his truck and activated his four-way flashers.

But the Cambridge man, now 32, continued driving.

The passengers, one of whom suffered a head injury in the crash, begged him to pull over and stop, the judge said.

The driver replied that he had to go home.

After the passengers yelled at him about 20 times to stop, he finally pulled over at the side of the 401 and let them out, Smith said.

One passenger described the front of the car as totalled. The driver asked them to get back in the car but they refused, the judge said.

He said, Sorry, I got to go and got back into the car and departed, leaving the passengers at the side of the highway to fend for themselves, Smith said.

Both the police and an ambulance arrived. The passenger with a head injury was taken to hospital, from which he was released after a four-hour stay. The others were picked up by the girlfriend of one of the passengers.

At his trial the driver said he was in shock after the accident and didnt think the damage to his car was severe. He said he didnt think he was required to remain at the scene of the crash.

Police found him and the car at his home. He told an officer he drank a glass of wine after the crash to calm down. He smelled of alcohol.

Police asked him to blow into a roadside breath-test machine. He failed.

At the police station, an Intoxilyzer detected about 135 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80.

At trial he testified he called police to report the accident when he got home. He said he then drank 27 ounces of wine from a large mug in five to 10 minutes.

He said that he saw the police officers at his house about 25 minutes after he arrived home, the judge said. He put down his mug and did not drink in the presence of the officers.

The man denied drinking before arriving home and denied that he had left the accident scene to prevent police from investigating his sobriety there.

None of the passengers saw (him) drinking at any point that day, either at work or during the drive home from work, Smith said, and none of them saw signs of impairment or smelled alcohol coming from him, although one of the passengers said that he had seemed a little off at work that day and had had a minor accident while operating a forklift.

A police officer testified he saw no signs of impairment until the man was at the police station, where he developed bloodshot eyes, Smith said.

The trial judge said the Crown could produce no evidence of alcohol consumption before the crash.

The man was convicted of failing to stop after an accident but acquitted of an over-80 charge. Crown prosecutor Michael Michaud appealed the acquittal. The man was represented by defence lawyer Eric Uhlmann.

Smith last week ordered a new trial, saying the Ontario Court trial judge erred.

A big question was: Should the man have expected to be ordered to give a breath or blood sample to check for alcohol after being in a crash that injured a passenger?

In this respect it bears emphasis that the purpose of this provision is to deter the consumption of alcohol after driving when one would be expected to be required to provide a breath or blood sample because such conduct is inherently mischievous to the investigation of drinking and driving offences, Smith said.

The man testified he knew police are responsible for investigating the sobriety of a driver involved in an accident.

Smith concluded no reasonable driver in those circumstances would have failed to expect that they would be required to supply a sample of their breath or blood. The evidence led at trial did not establish an air of reality to this element of the statutory exception let alone raise a reasonable doubt. The trial judge erred in law in concluding otherwise.

The trial judge ruled police lacked reasonable and probable grounds to make an Intoxilyzer demand. He found that because police did not wait 15 minutes before administering a test with a roadside device and given the risk of residual mouth alcohol, the result of the test was unreliable.

The trial judge found that this breach of the Charter was egregious and that the Intoxilyzer results should be excluded, Smith said.

Smith disagreed that the breach was egregious.

We rely on the results of breath tests routinely in the criminal courts in Canada precisely because those tests are reliable, Smith said.

Without evidence of those test results in this case, the Crowns case failed. Further, the offence in this case, involving as it did a damage- and injury-causing accident on a heavily-travelled highway after which  in highly suspicious circumstances  (he) consumed (on his account) a large quantity of alcohol in a short period of time, was a serious one.

In all these circumstances, societys interest in an adjudication on the merits of this case was very strong, and the negative impact of the admission of the (Intoxilyzer) evidence on the long-term reputation of the administration of justice was minimal. This factor strongly favours inclusion.

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WATERLOO REGION  Women arrested by Waterloo Regional Police last year were almost twice as likely as men to be subjected to a strip search down to their underwear, at seven per cent, compared to four per cent for men.

Staff presented strip search statistics for 2022 in a report to the Waterloo Regional Police Services Board Wednesday.

Police conducted 4,413 searches last year when taking someone into custody. Of those searches, 706 required people to strip naked or down to their underwear. More than half of the 706 strip searches  496  involved people having to strip naked. Of those 80 were women and 416 were men.

The remaining 3,707 searches were less invasive, where people did not have to expose underwear or strip naked.

Fifty-five of the 829 women subjected to any kind of search last year had to remove their clothes down to their underwear, compared to 155 of the 3,577 men subject to any kind of search.

While the numbers were small for women whom police perceived as Indigenous, they were more likely than any other female group to be asked to strip all of their clothing. Two women  13 per cent of those 16 women  had to strip naked, compared to one man  five per cent of men police perceived as Indigenous.

Women perceived as white were next at 11 per cent, compared to 14 per cent for men; three per cent of women perceived as Black had to strip all clothing including undergarments, compared to nine per cent of men.

The numbers show that of all the searches conducted in 2022, just three per cent resulted in police uncovering something, the report said.

Less than three per cent of the searches returned items. When an item was uncovered, half of the time it is a result of a Level 2 strip search. About one in 10 strip searches yield primarily drugs and secondarily cash, weapons and other items, the report said.

Police conduct four types of searches: a frisk, which is a pat-down and emptying of pockets; an intake search when someone is arrested which is more invasive than a frisk and may involve a police wand to detect certain items; a Level 1 strip where all clothing but underwear is removed; and a Level 2 strip where all clothing is removed, including undergarments.

The data also shows 414 people were repeatedly searched in 2022. They accounted for almost 1,000 searches last year  about 23 per cent of all searches.

Young people age 13-17 were searched 160 times last year, most often  123 times  with an intake search.

Of those young people, 65 per cent were perceived as white, 23 per cent as Black, and 7.5 per cent as Middle Eastern.

The data shows more Black youths coming into police custody than white youths.

Police said 97 per cent of people were subjected to at least one type of search when brought into police custody.

Frisk searches happened 289 times and uncovered four items. Intake searches occurred 3,416 times and uncovered 36 items. or Level 1 strip searches, 11 items were found in 210 searches. For Level 2 searches, 47 items were found in 496 searches.

Black and Middle Eastern people were more likely to be searched at the intake level than other groups.

Paige Desmond is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on municipal issues for The Record. Reach her via email: pdesmond@therecord.com

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It has always seemed to me that Cambridge is the underprivileged sibling in the Region of Waterloos family of municipalities.

For example, Cambridge residents helped to pay for light rail transit in Kitchener and Waterloo, but Cambridge still has buses instead of the promised trains  and will probably never get those trains. Projected costs are already ballooning to extend light rail to Cambridge, before a single shovel has hit the ground.

And when the regions budget was being decided earlier this year, Coun. Pam Wolf pleaded for equity as she pointed out that Cambridge does not have the same levels of social services as other cities in the region.

"We have no womens shelter, no youth shelter, " she said. "We dont have A Better Tent City."

The one place you could once point to, where Cambridge did have more than its share, was in regionally owned and operated child-care centres. There were three in Cambridge, one in Kitchener and one in Elmira.

But Cambridge lost that advantage when regional council voted in 2020 to close all those centres down in the name of efficiency.

Now, theres a chance for Cambridge to change this situation.

With the Ontario government now casting a fresh eye over the way municipalities are organized, Cambridge now has a chance to advocate for more independence, so the city can make more of the decisions that affect its residents.

The provincial government under Premier Doug Ford has had a tendency to stir up municipal organization ever since it was first elected in 2018 and Ford moved quickly to cut the size of Toronto city council in half during its municipal election.

In 2019, Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark asked two expert advisers  former regional chair Ken Seiling and former deputy municipal affairs minister Michael Fenn  to examine how to make local government more effective in the region, whether through reform or amalgamation. But Clark never released their final report, and he made no changes.

Before the pandemic, it was anticipated that all of Waterloo Region might be forced to become one big city, as had happened decades earlier in Hamilton.

But now it looks as if Clark might take the opposite approach, as the government focuses on getting more homes built.

Clark recently announced he will break up Peel Region into the City of Mississauga, the City of Brampton and the Town of Caledon.

Clark has also said the province will name regional facilitators in the near future to assess Waterloo Region, along with Durham, Halton, Niagara, Simcoe and York.

"These facilitators will be tasked with reviewing whether the upper-tier government continues to be relevant to the needs of its communities or whether the lower-tier municipalities are mature enough to pursue dissolution, " a release from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing said.

Regional Chair Karen Redman has said the Region of Waterloo works well as it is, and she doesnt want to see it split up.

Longtime advocates for Cambridge may see things differently.

Heres what Doug Craig, who was mayor of Cambridge for 18 years, and is currently a regional councillor representing the city, says about it.

Cambridge is quite capable of being a standalone city just like Guelph or Brantford, both of which have similar populations, Craig told me in an email on the weekend.

Within the region, it has never been treated as an equal partner and in an amalgamated regional community, it would be a forgotten suburb.

Yes, Cambridge should explore being an independent city.

Luisa DAmato is a Waterloo Region-based staff columnist for The Record. Reach her via email: ldamato@therecord.com

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At the invitation of State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen Hassen will pay an official visit to China from May 24 to 28.

CCTV: It was reported that the joint commissioning and testing of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (HSR) started on May 22 local time, which marks important progress in the railways construction and lays a solid ground for the inauguration of the whole line. Do you have any comment?

Mao Ning: The Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway is the first overseas Chinese high-speed railway project with its entire system, production factors and industrial chain supplied by China. It is a flagship project in China-Indonesia high-quality BRI cooperation and a stellar example of China and regional countries undertaking win-win cooperation by following the principle of wide consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. It will become the first high-speed railway in Indonesia and in Southeast Asia. The project has now entered the final stage of construction. We are confident that, with the joint effort of the two countries, the Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Railway will be up and running as scheduled, bring a better life for the local people and speed up the development of Indonesia and the wider region.

Yonhap News Agency: It was reported that the ROK search portal NAVER is not accessible in China now. This website is similar to Chinas Baidu and is popular among the ROK people in China. Why is this website not accessible?

Mao Ning: I havent seen the report you mentioned and do not have any information to offer.

Nikkei: Id like to learn more about Russian Prime Minister Mishustins recent visit to China. What are the specific schedule of the visit and what is Chinas expectation for the visit?

Mao Ning: China and Russia are each others biggest neighbors. Our cooperation has strong resilience, ample potential and vast space. We welcome Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to China and look forward to a successful visit and the impetus it will provide to the cooperation and exchanges between our two countries.

Thank you for your interest in the visit. We will release timely information about the visit. Please check back for updates.

Reuters: The US Energy Department told lithium battery company Microvast Holdings that it will not award it a $200 million grant, Reuters has reported citing a source that lawmakers attribute concerns over the companys alleged links to Chinas government. Does the foreign ministry have any comment on this?

Mao Ning: What the US government decides to do to US companies is a matter of the US. I have no comment to make on that. I do wish to say, however, that China is firmly opposed to making an issue of China by some people in the US.

The Paper: According to information released by the Japanese Embassy in China, when Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi for a demarche on May 21, Japan made refutations, saying that China is hindering cultural and people-to-people exchange between the two countries. Do you have any comment?

Mao Ning: On May 21, Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong summoned Japanese Ambassador to China Hideo Tarumi and made a serious demarche on the G7 Hiroshima Summit hyping up China-related issues. We have released a readout which you may refer to.

As for Japans self-justifying arguments, the Chinese side refuted them on the spot, noting that the US and Japan came out identifying China as the biggest strategic challenge, pointed fingers at China and interfered in Chinas internal affairs at various fora and went all out to counter and contain China. It is them who need to change course and mend their ways.

On the people-to-people exchange between China and Japan, I would like to stress that China supports friendly exchanges between the two countries in all areas. This has been our consistent position. What is important is to treat each other with sincerity and credibility, and work together to create an atmosphere conducive to improving and growing bilateral relations. Japan needs to earnestly draw lessons, stop its wrongdoing, and work with China, rather than call China the one to blame.

TASS: Russian Prime Minister Mishustin attended the China-Russia business forum in Shanghai earlier today. He noted that closer cooperation between China and Russia will benefit the two countries economy. Some Western countries may express concern or disapproval over closer China-Russia cooperation, and even consider imposing sanctions due to Russia-related factors. Do you have any comment on this?

Mao Ning: China has normal economic and trade cooperation with Russia and other countries in the world. Our cooperation is based on equality and mutual benefit. We oppose unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that have no basis in international law or mandate from the UN Security Council. China-Russia cooperation does not target any third party and is not subject to disruption or coercion by any third party. China will take all measures necessary to protect the legitimate and lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies.

CCTV: The G7 Hiroshima Leaders Communique issued on May 20 underlines that the highest standards of nuclear safety and security are important, and notes that the leaders support the IAEAs independent review to ensure that the discharge of Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) treated water will be conducted consistent with IAEA safety standards and international law and that it will not cause any harm to humans and the environment. Do you have any comment?

Mao Ning: There is no precedent in the world for discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean. Without fully assessing all potential options and finding the safest one, Japan decided on the ocean discharge plan simply for saving cost, which will spill risks to the rest of the world. Over the past two years, Japan has been pushing through the ocean discharge plan in disregard of the legitimate concerns and opposition from various quarters, and even attempted to rope other countries into supporting the plan and downplay or cover up the harm it will cause. The world needs to stand together against such an irresponsible, beggar-thy-neighbor approach.

The international community also needs to guard against Japans attempt to use the IAEAs evaluation and review process to get a greenlight for the discharge and give the impression that the discharge may be safe and harmless. The fact is, the IAEA Task Force was invited by the Japanese government and has a strictly limited mandate. It only evaluates whether the discharge plan accords with the IAEAs safety standards. It does not have the mandate to evaluate other treatment plans for the nuclear-contaminated water.

Japans discharge of the nuclear-contaminated water will last as long as 30 years or even longer. Many experts have pointed out that the water had direct contact with the reactors cores melted during the Fukushima nuclear accident. It contains dozens of radionuclides, many of which cannot be treated effectively with existing technologies. Some long-lived radionuclides may spread with ocean currents and form a bioconcentration effect, which will multiply the total amount of radionuclides in the environment, causing unpredictable hazards to the marine environment and human health.

What Japan needs to do now is to face up to the legitimate concern of the international community, have thorough and meaningful consultations with stakeholders including its neighbors, fully explore and assess the alternatives to ocean discharge to ensure that the nuclear-contaminated water is handled in a scientific, open, transparent and safe manner, and minimize the likelihood of imposing unpredictable risks on the international community.

NBC: The US Politico media company reported that the next Chinese Ambassador is arriving in the US today, or Tuesday. Do you have a confirmation and details of this? Is this a sign of improving relations between the two countries?

Mao Ning: China attaches importance to its relations with the US. You may follow the foreign ministrys website for updates on the new Chinese Ambassador to the US.

AFP: TikTok has filed a legal challenge in the US, which aims to stop the state of Montana from banning the app. Does China have any comment on this lawsuit and on the possibility of similar bans against TikTok in other parts of the US?

Mao Ning: I wont comment on the specific actions taken by any company. The US has yet to produce any evidence to prove that TikTok is a threat to US national security, but it has been suppressing the company based on presumption of guilt. This is a hegemonic and bullying act of overstretching the concept of national security and abusing state power to keep foreign companies down. This is an unpopular move which is not what the American people want and hurts US reputation. We call on the US to earnestly respect the principles of market economy and fair competition, stop going after foreign companies, and instead provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for foreign businesses in the US.

Dragon TV: According to reports, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong held diplomatic consultations in Seoul with Choi Yong-jun, Director-General of the Northeast Asian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK), and met with Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the ROK Foreign Ministry Choi Youngsam yesterday. Kim Tae-hyo, the first deputy director of the National Security Office of the ROK said that China also admits that it needs to talk with South Korea and Japan. He also said, If bilateral pending issues are actively discussed, wouldnt it be possible to talk about the Korea-China-Japan summit at an appropriate time? He added that they are in the process of sending people to each other and communicating on pending issues. Analysts say that China is actively communicating with the ROK on resolving issues between both sides and working to improve the bilateral relations. Do you have any comment?

Mao Ning: On May 22, Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry Liu Jinsong held diplomatic consultations in Seoul with Choi Yong-jun, Director-General of the Northeast Asian Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea (ROK). He made clear Chinas serious position on its core concerns and exchanged views with the ROK side on other issues. During the consultations, Director-General Liu Jinsong met with Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of the ROK Foreign Ministry Choi Youngsam and had a conversation with ROK scholars.

I noted relevant reports and comments from the media. I need to stress that the ROK needs to have an in-depth understanding of where the problems lie in China-ROK relations and treat them seriously.

NBC: Do you have any update on the activities of special envoy Li Hui in Europe? Where is he now? When is he going to Germany, France and Russia?

Mao Ning: We will release timely information on Special Representative Li Huis trip. Please check back for updates.

TASS: In a letter to the US congressional leadership, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen noted that it is highly likely that Treasury will no longer be able to satisfy all of the governments obligations if Congress has not acted to raise or suspend the debt limit by June 1. China is said to be the second largest holder of US credit. Do you have any comment on this?

Mao Ning: The debt ceiling issue is the USs domestic affair. However, as the worlds No.1 economy, the situation in the US and its policy choices have significant spillover effects on the world economy. We hope that the US will choose responsible fiscal and monetary policies and not spill its risks to the rest of the world, still less ripping the world off to protect its selfish interests.

Reuters: Denmark has offered to host Ukraine peace talks sometime in July, and as the foreign minister has said, such a meeting would require engagement from countries like India, China and Brazil. What is the ministrys comment on this?

Mao Ning: We do not know exactly yet how this meeting is being planned. Let me say that on the Ukraine issue, China is committed to promoting talks for peace and facilitating a political settlement of the crisis. We stand ready to work with the international community and continue to play a constructive role in facilitating a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
By Takuya Karube, KYODO NEWS - May 23, 2023 - 09:51 | All, World, G7

U.S. President Joe Biden's trip to Hiroshima has revealed both strengths and shortcomings of his administration's Indo-Pacific policy, with subtle changes in its stance toward China detected if looked carefully.

As widely expected, the Group of Seven summit and a host of meetings held on the margins were filled with messages opposing China's military and economic actions disrupting the status quo.

It comes as no surprise that the bloc of the world's most powerful industrialized democracies put an emphasis on China, given that another big theme of the three-day summit through Sunday was Russia's war against Ukraine, representing a blatant disregard of the rules-based international order.

By the same token, it is little wonder that the Chinese government reacted sharply to the G-7 leaders' communique, using the same old rhetoric and accusing them of collaborating to "smear and attack" Beijing and "brazenly interfere" in its internal affairs.

Despite this renewed standoff, Biden, who has identified China as Washington's most consequential geopolitical challenge, offered a rather different picture of the current status shortly before leaving the western Japanese city.

"I think you're going to see that begin to thaw very shortly," said Biden, when asked about months of tension between Washington and Beijing at a press conference. He did not provide any reason for his view and left it at that.

Some officials involved in the G-7 meetings and foreign policy experts say that what is worthy of attention in the communique, as well as related comments made by the leaders in Hiroshima, is that their desire for engagement with China was on display more than ever.

"I think you will find the China language to be totally straightforward. It is not hostile or gratuitous. It is just direct and candid," Biden's top security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.

Sullivan said concerns articulated by the leaders are "well known to China. So there should be nothing about it from the point of view of, you know, a surprise."

Earlier this month, Sullivan and China's top diplomat Wang Yi had more than eight hours of what both governments called "candid, substantive and constructive" talks in Vienna, suggesting that nascent efforts to ease a diplomatic stalemate are under way.

With the slight change in tone and language from the Biden administration toward China, the much-used word among U.S. and Western diplomats these days is "de-risking," not decoupling, from the world's second-largest economy.

Biden is more than halfway into his four-year term and seeks to remain in the White House after the presidential election in 2024.

Since declaring "America is back" after he took office in January 2021, Biden has been talking about the U.S. strong commitment to the Indo-Pacific at nearly every opportunity.

While Biden still has to show that the phrase is more than a slogan, once the presidential race shapes up he is likely to have little time for diplomatic affairs.

Andrew Oros, a professor of political science and international studies at Washington College, said that the latest trip "illustrated the continued challenges the president faces in executing a robust vision for the region with so many domestic and other international challenges."

What would have been a weeklong overseas trip, intended to be so to say "America is here," was swayed by an impasse in negotiations with congressional leaders on the U.S. federal government's debt ceiling.

Just a day before leaving for Japan, Biden opted to cancel the latter half of the planned trip to focus in Washington on how to avert an unprecedented debt fault.

Biden would have been the first sitting U.S. president to visit Papua New Guinea, an island country rich in natural resources with a population of nearly 10 million in the South Pacific, where China is aggressively trying to increase its influence.

The final leg of the truncated trip was Sydney, where Biden was supposed to attend a summit with the leaders of Australia, India and Japan, the other members of the so-called Quad grouping. The last time a U.S. president visited Australia was 2011, when Barack Obama announced a "pivot" or "rebalance" to Asia.

Because he had to scrap the prearranged stops in the two countries, Biden promised to hold a summit with leaders of Pacific island countries in the United States and host Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a state visit to Washington both later this year.

"As with earlier administrations, a 'pivot' to Asia has not been achievable but rather remains aspirational," Oros said. But he noted that the Biden administration is showing more results in boosting ties with its allies and partners, including Japan and South Korea, and advancing "minilateral" groupings, such as the Quad, which managed to have a summit in Hiroshima instead.

Still, apparently because of recognizing that more needs to be done to augment U.S. presence in the region, Biden said confidently in his closing press conference, "The past few days have once more underscored how important America's global leadership is."

"A presumptuous thing for an American president to say, but I think you'll find, if you ask any of our colleagues, it's true," he said.

Related coverage:

Biden says U.S.-China tensions to "thaw very shortly"

FOCUS: G-7 renews pledge to defend int'l order, yet China challenges loom

FOCUS: Kishida brings world to Hiroshima, but nuke message brings division
Office bearers elected

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IMPHAL, May 23 : Indian Veterinary Association, Manipur Branch has informed that new office bearers of the association were elected in a Special General Body Meeting held on May 20 at Farmers' Training Hall, Veterinary Complex, Sanjenthong, Imphal.

The meeting elected 15 new office bearers including Dr S Joykumar Singh as president, Dr Th Jeevan Singh & Dr RK Khogendrajit Singh as vice presidents and Dr L Arunkumar Singh as general secretary.

The meeting also elected 8 new advisors.
A report on mental health that Redeemer University had expected to release at the end of April has been delayed for up to a month.

Shannon McBride, communications manager for Redeemer University, stated the Mental Health Task Force wanted more time to talk to student advisory groups who contributed to the process and to finalize their recommendations.

McBride said the university plans to share the outcomes of the process with the campus community and will determine any additional communications once the report has been completed.

The task force was created after Bekett Noble, 34, died by suicide in the school Nov. 23, 2022. Redeemer has also committed to a Mental Health Support Action Plan to support students as the university lives out its Reformed Christian mission in ways where all members of the campus community are treated with dignity and respect in a caring and compassionate environment.

The task forces goals included the best ways to address the need for mental health services and supports among students and to address expanding mental health supports.

The task force is chaired by the dean of students and includes facility, staff, mental health and wellness professionals. A student advisory group was established by the presidents office to provide input to the group. The student advisory group is composed of LGBTQ+, BIPOC and international students.

Noble was a four-year psychology student at Redeemer University who was non-binary and used they and them pronouns. They were also an advocate at Redeemer for LGBTQ+ awareness and helped to co-found the student group Genesis.

In the wake of Nobles death, the university cancelled classes Nov. 24 and offered counselling services, lowered its flag at the time of their death until after a memorial service on campus. The flags were also lowered on Dec. 10 in recognition of an off-campus celebration of life organized by Nobles friends.

Ancaster resident Megg Markettos, whose family was very close to Noble, said she is cautiously optimistic, especially since the delay in the report aligns well with the end of school.

Still, Markettos said, she hopes the task force will address more than just mental health.

Quite honestly, the more I think about the report, (it) is only about mental health, said Markettos. It doesnt actually, to my knowledge, address any specific marginalized communities or specifically the LGBTQ+ community.

Markettos said mental health policies and resources doesnt actually directly impact how people are treated on campus. It just gives them support, potentially, for when they are treated as second-class citizens on campus.

McBride said in an earlier statement that the university had made available mental health supports for students, facility and staff and the community is grieving and supporting one another through various opportunities.

The Canadian Medical Association Journal of June 2022 identifies that transgender and sexual minority adolescents were at an increased risk of suicidal ideation and attempts.

An extensive email message sent by Noble at the time of their death outlined their fears, beliefs and suggestions to help queer and trans students attending Redeemer University.

I never thought it would be me who was finally the first to collapse under the weight of everything we go through to try and get a Christian education while embracing who God created us to be, Noble stated.

Noble, in the email, suggested the bare minimum ideas that the university can begin to support its LGBTQ+ students, including creating a safe space where marginalized groups can go such as a room for students; training for staff and faculty on trauma-informed care of marginalized populations; proper counselling services; changing policies that currently promote the idea that LGBTQ+ people are sinners based on their sexual orientation or gender identity; addressing queer student complaints about harassment; and having real consequences for the perpetrators.

McBride said the Mental Health Task Forces recommendations will assist in the development of an action plan to enhance wellness and mental health supports at the university going forward.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, there is help. The Canada Suicide Prevention Service can be reached at 1-833-456-4566, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, or online at www.crisisservicescanada.ca. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: We wanted to follow up on the status of a highly anticipated report on mental health following the 2022 death by suicide of Redeemer student Bekett Noble.



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As temperatures continue to climb, the fear among many downtown residents is will they survive until the fall.

Hamilton, along with other North American municipalities, is being forced to address how climate change is impacting its residents. Extreme heat is the leading cause of illness and death from weather-related hazards in Canada. And it is predicted that the frequency, severity and duration of extreme heat events will continue to increase.

So-called concrete jungles such as those in the downtowns in Hamilton and Toronto create a furnacelike environment for residents living in highrises. The dense concentration of people, business and infrastructure makes them uniquely vulnerable to the growing risks of a warming world. The urban heat island effect potentially threatens over 30 million Canadians as the temperature difference between a downtown and rural or suburban areas can range from 10 to 15 degrees.

During a recent committee meeting, residents described a lifestyle where they are unable to use their ovens to cook food and sleep becomes a problem.

When the heat gets unbearable, Hamilton usually opens cooling centres and sometimes extends times for residents to access splash pads and drinking fountains. However, residents who have to endure extreme heat say the cooling centres are not enough since sometimes they are too far away for them to walk when the temperatures are at their highest.

The usual response to address extreme heat by residents is to install air conditioning, but the consequences are troubling. It means a higher load on the electrical system and can cause brownouts or blackouts that makes the situation worse.

On a longer-term basis, cities can enforce the construction of high-efficiency buildings that consume little power and keep the heat out in the summer and the cold out in the winter. Some municipalities have looked at painting areas in bright colours to reflect more of the suns rays and creating and extending green spaces such as parks or urban forests.

During a recent public works meeting, councillors unanimously agreed with a request from local climate and housing activists for the city to establish an adequate temperature bylaw that would require landlords to ensure unit temperatures dont exceed 26 degrees. It could mean installing central air conditioning systems in multi-residential buildings, or ensuring residents have access to AC units. It could be the first such bylaw of its kind in the country.

If approved by council, it would be an important, but still a small piece of the citys overall Climate Change Action Strategy.

In 2019, council adopted a Climate Emergency Declaration and directed staff to identify actions to achieve net-zero before 2050. Since then, there have been several initiatives that are moving the city forward, but part of preserving the community is to do it from an equitable perspective that will help to protect residents and save lives.

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It was a matter that left some Mountain political observers puzzled.

Why didnt longtime New Democratic Party supporter Geraldine McMullen seek the federal NDP nomination in the riding of Hamilton Mountain in the September 2021 federal election?

It turns out that McMullen would also like to know the answer to that question.

McMullen has filed suit against the New Democratic Party of Canada in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, seeking to know why she was not permitted to seek the partys nomination after submitting her prospective candidate package to the party in March 2021.

According to the Affidavit of Service, a copy of which has been obtained by Hamilton Community News, the NDP was served with the statement of claim on May 17.

Along with an explanation, McMullen is seeking $150,000 in damages and $50,000 in aggravated damages.

The suit, which has not been proven in court, states McMullen learned about seven weeks later that her application was going to be rejected and that she emailed NDP national director Anne McGrath seeking the reason for the rejection.

Neither Ms. McGrath nor anyone for the NDP responded to this email, the statement of claim states.

McMullen also emailed the NDPs candidate search department for an explanation, but the suit notes there was no response.

On April 24, 2021, the statement of claim states McMullen delivered her written appeal to the NDP in accordance with party rules.

Despite again raising her concerns about the opacity of the NDPs decision to deny her nomination application, Ms. McMullen never received a clear and comprehensible explanation for why the NDP had rejected her candidacy  despite the contractual requirement for the NDP to do so, the statement of claim says, adding Ms. McMullen was entitled, as both a matter of contract and procedural fairness, to know specifically what items in her Personal Disclosure Questionnaire the NDP believed may adversely affect its interest. Ms. McMullen repeatedly and directly asked the NDP for this information, but the NDP never provided it to her.

Without a clear and comprehensible reason for the decision, the statement of claim states McMullen was left to reasonably conclude that the NDP rejected her candidacy not because of any legitimate concerns related to materials in her Personal Disclosure Questionnaire but because of an employment grievance she had previously brought against the Ontario NDP and its then-leader.

The Ontario NDP leader at the time was Andrea Horwath, now mayor of Hamilton.

McMullen, who did not wish to comment on the details of the suit, said she started working in Horwaths Hamilton Centre constituency office in December 2011 and was terminated in June 2012.

A member of the Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE) Local 343, McMullen grieved her dismissal, and according to the Jan. 25, 2016, minutes of the settlement obtained by Hamilton Community News, she was reinstated as an outreach officer for the Ontario NDP caucus.

The minutes of settlement also indicate some possible friction between McMullen and Horwath.

In the event that Andrea Horvath (sic) no longer holds the seat, if the NDP continues to hold the seat, Geraldine McMullen shall have the option to return to the position of full-time Constituency Assistant in that riding, the minutes state.

McMullen is now a full-time staff rep for COPE Local 343.

The NDP works hard to recruit a wide range of diverse candidates to represent Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast who share our partys values and principles, said McGrath in a statement to Hamilton Community News. Like other major political parties, we reserve the right to refuse candidates we deem unsuitable.

Caroline Gdyczynski, Horwaths communications adviser, said the mayor does not wish to comment on the matter.

As of press time, the federal NDP has not yet commented on the claim.

This story has been updated to remove an error regarding how much time the NDP has to respond to McMullen's claim.

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After three years of adjustment, students and faculty at McMaster University were just getting used to life in academia without COVID-19.

Then came artificial intelligence.

The sweeping tech wave is upending traditional forms of teaching and learning, with generative, whip-smart tools now able to draft articulate essays, write complex codes, analyze data and summarize nuanced bodies of text in a matter of seconds.

I liken it to drinking from a firehose, said Erin Aspenlieder, an associate director at Macs MacPherson Institute, of how post-secondary schools are grappling with AIs imprint on pedagogy.

Its really difficult to face a change happening as quickly as (AI) is and to try to align governance, policy and strategy in response to it in real-time.

That challenge recently spurred McMaster to strike a task force dedicated to exploring the use of powerful AI systems in the classroom.

Launched May 1, the task force made up of students, staff and instructors who will consider the broad scale of generative AI, its benefits and implications, whether  or how  it can be integrated and what kinds of limits are needed to protect academic integrity.

AI came to the forefront last November with the arrival of ChatGPT, a chatbot capable of generating articulate responses to a variety of questions and interacting with users in a dialogue format.

Schools across North America expressed concern out of fear the tool would harm learning and promote cheating.

Coming from the humanities, the initial concern was around the death of the essay, said Aspenlieder.

But then, as academics, faculty and students started experimenting with the generative tools, a lot of the realization was the breadth of the disruption across multiple disciplines  that its not solely a problem for the humanities and social sciences.

Indeed, there are AI systems that can write code, debug code, analyze data, process spreadsheets and synthesize massive bodies of text.

What do these mean for the goal of student learning? Aspenlieder said, pointing to a question the task force is asking itself.

Beyond learning, the task force is also exploring how AI can affect or benefit teaching.

At the MacPherson Institute  which uses research to support excellence in teaching and learning  professors have come asking whether they can use AI to generate assessments, learning outcomes and lecture notes, Aspenlieder said.

What the response to AI at Mac will look like is still unclear.

Aspenlieder said the spectrum of how post-secondary institutions have handled AI is broad. Some schools have banned ChatGPT on their networks outright; others have deployed stronger plagiarism detection programs. At Boston University, a suite of student-designed policies have been introduced to embrace the positives of AI in learning.

Im proud that Mac wants to make these changes as a university community with students, faculty and staff, said Aspenlieder. AI is something new thats affecting all of us.

The task force hopes to have some policies and guidelines in place by next fall.

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Mark Nimigan was one of the last  if not the last  Hamilton court official to have had the notorious Evelyn Dick cross his path.

Nimigan  who died April 20 at age 93  worked as a court reporter and was on duty when the now pardoned killer testified not at her own trial, but at the trial of a person accused of assaulting a jail guard.

He took down her every word, never imagining he would ever have found himself sitting a few feet away from her. He skipped class one afternoon from Westdale high school to get a glimpse of her at her trial for murdering her husband John. His torso was found dumped on the side of the Hamilton Mountain in March 1946.

Despite her femme fatale reputation, Nimigan was not impressed with the dark-eyed brunette.

I didnt think she was good looking, he told The Spectator in 1998, also saying she was quite demure. Dick was acquitted of her husbands murder, but was found guilty in 1947 of manslaughter of her baby son Peter. She was pardoned in 1985.

A prominent and respected figure in the legal community, Nimigan spent more than five decades employing his shorthand at trials, and then as a special examiner for civil matters. He started as a court reporter on Oct. 17, 1948, after working for 18 months as a typist and secretary to the police chief and inspector of detectives.

Mark Nimigan had the notorious Evelyn Dick cross his path. He died April 20 at age 93. Hamilton Spectator file photo

In October 1961, he was appointed the special examiner for Wentworth County by the Chief Justice of Ontario Supreme Court. The position was later called official examiner.

He was an official of the court, but actually ran a private business taking down evidence at the examination of discovery for lawsuits. He would sell the transcript to the lawyers and the practice grew from three people helping turn out pages of evidence in the early 1960s to a dozen working for him by the late 1990s. His office was once in the courthouse but he moved to a James Street South building.

Mark played a huge role in the court reporting profession in Ontario, said friend Lisa Barrett on social media. He was so charming and such fun to be around.

Nimigan told The Spectator that shorthand came naturally to him and it seemed glamorous to him to go work for the police department. When a court reporters job came open, he got it along with a pay raise  to $40 a week from $28. He could write up to 200 words per minute.

The Burlington resident served as president of the Charter Shorthand Association and was the first Canadian director of the American Shorthand Association. He also served as president of the Chartered Shorthand Reporters Association of Ontario.

After his official retirement in 2000, he was appointed by the province to the Hamilton Police Services Board in 2003. He served for six years, including as vice-chair.

Mark Nimigan in 1963 explaining his job as special examiner to a Spectator reporter. Hamilton Spectator file photo

In 2008, he raised eyebrows when he suggested police start arresting and charging people for swearing in the downtown core. He said hed heard complaints from businesses and that little old ladies had to sit on park benches with their hands over their ears. A police inspector said people could be arrested for swearing, but it would have to be in connection with causing a disturbance or otherwise wed have to arrest everybody in the schoolyard.

Nimigan was born Feb. 20, 1930, and grew up in the North End. He graduated from Westdale in 1947. Nimigan served on the board of the United Way and the Hamilton Community Foundation and made trips to Haiti to build schools.

Nimigan is survived by his daughters Nancy and Margaret, seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and his sister Kay Kerr. He is also survived by his partner Victoria Dennis and her two children. He was predeceased by his wife Barbara in 2007 and son Mark in 2011.

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Avoid traffic jams before they happen: The Ministry of Transportation has scheduled 11 closures in Hamilton on May 23, 2023 for roadwork on Highway 24, Highway 403, Highway 5, Highway 6 and Queen Elizabeth Way.

Highway 24 northbound between Powerline Road [Brantford-north Limits], Brantford and Blue Lake Road, St. George: one right lane closed from May 23 at 6 a.m. until May 26 at 6 p.m.

Highway 403 westbound between West Quarter Townline Road and 403/401, Woodstock: one left lane closed from May 23 at 12 p.m. until June 19 at 5 p.m.

Highway 5 eastbound between Highway 52 and Highway 6 / Clappison Corner's, Hamilton: one alternating lane closed from May 23 at 8 p.m. until May 27 at 6 a.m.

Highway 5 westbound between Highway 6 / Clappison Corner's and Highway 52, Hamilton: one alternating lane closed from May 23 at 8 p.m. until May 27 at 7 a.m.

Highway 6 northbound between Argyle Street, Caledonia and Willow Road, Guelph: one alternating lane closed from May 23 at 8 p.m. until May 24 at 3 a.m.

Highway 6 northbound between Green's Road, Haldimand and Highway 403, Hamilton: one alternating lane closed from May 23 at 6 p.m. until May 27 at 6 a.m.

Highway 6 northbound between Highway 403 and Highway 5 / Clappisons Corners, Hamilton: one alternating lane closed from May 23 at 8 p.m. until May 27 at 6 a.m.

Highway 6 southbound between Highway 403, Hamilton and Green's Road, Haldimand: one alternating lane closed from May 23 at 6 p.m. until May 27 at 6 a.m.

Highway 6 southbound between Highway 5 / Clappisons Corners and Highway 403, Hamilton: one alternating lane closed from May 23 at 8 p.m. until May 27 at 6 a.m.

Highway 6 southbound between Millgrove Sideroad / 6th Con. Road East and Highway 5 / Clappisons Corners, Hamilton: one right lane closed from May 23 at 9 a.m. until May 24 at 3 p.m.

Queen Elizabeth Way Toronto bound between Northshore Boulevard / Highway 2 and Guelph Line, Burlington: one left lane closed from May 23 at 10 p.m. until May 28 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.

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Researchers say an increase in emergency room visits and hospitalizations related to cannabis use by pregnant women is raising concerns about risks including preterm labour, low birth weight and negative effects on the babys developing brain.

Their study was based on data from 980,398 pregnancies in Ontario among 691,242 people between January 2015 and July 2021. Of those, 540 individuals visited an ER or were hospitalized for cannabis use.

The rate of ER and hospital visits related to cannabis use during pregnancy increased to 20 per 100,000 pregnancies, up from 11 per 100,000 since legalization.The study found some patients were intoxicated or very high when they sought care, the lead researcher said.

Dr. Daniel Myran, a family physician and addiction specialist, said while the absolute increase in ER visits and hospitalizations was low, many more people may be using cannabis during pregnancy and not ending up in hospital.

If thats the case, I think it has important implications for the health of children who will be born from these pregnancies, said Myran, a fellow at the Bruyere Research Institute and The Ottawa Hospital.

Some of the patients had a cannabis use disorder and were unable to stop using, while about 22 per cent experienced withdrawal, he said.

This is not someone who used cannabis once or twice during pregnancy, said Myran, also a post-doctoral trainee at ICES, formerly known as the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.

The study, which also involved Unity Health Toronto, was published Tuesday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).

The study suggested some may have used cannabis to relieve symptoms of morning sickness.

Montreal resident Jordana Zabitsky said that when she was expecting her second child, she knew exactly how to quell the morning sickness that made her miserable  by smoking more cannabis than during her first pregnancy.

Zabitsky started using cannabis for depression, anxiety and PTSD about two years before the birth of her son in 2016, when she ditched prescription drugs because of their side-effects.

During her first pregnancy, she limited her cannabis use because she worried about whether it could affect her baby.

I would take about four puffs of a joint once or twice a week, Zabitsky said.

Her son weighed seven pounds, six ounces when bornat full term and reached all of his milestones, so she decided to use cannabis regularly during her second pregnancy.

I used it as needed. I didnt track how much I was using. I just woke up and I would use it because it would prevent me from throwing up in the morning. It helped give me an appetite.

Her daughter was born in 2017 weighing six pounds, 13 ounces and her obstetrician was aware of her cannabis use, said Zabitsky, who co-founded a group called Mothers Mary to support others wanting to try the substance during pregnancy.

During both pregnancies, she said cannabis also helped ease pelvic pain that made it difficult for her to walk.

Its not like were sitting around being like, Oh, lets smoke a joint to get high. Youre sitting there thinking, I really want to get better. I dont want to feel depressed anymore.

Dr. Darine El-Chaar, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at The Ottawa Hospital and another study co-author, said some of her patients believe the legalization of recreational cannabis means its not so risky during pregnancy  but thats not the case.

Multiple studies have shown cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of early delivery, low birth weight,along with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), El-Chaar said.

The study considered low birth weight for babies born at full term to be less than 5.5 pounds.

Pregnant people, especially those with a history of substance use, mental health conditions and severe morning sickness, would benefit from regular screening by an obstetrician without stigma, she said.

We show that the patients who presented with acute care for cannabis had a higher rate of (morning sickness). But we dont know for sure if thats pregnancy related or related to cannabis use.

She said common prescription drugs for morning sickness have been well studied over time and anyone experiencing nauseaor other symptoms during pregnancy should see a health-care provider before considering cannabis.

I hear all the time from patients that I did it with my other pregnancy. its a natural substance. And I often say that its not all pregnancies where (babies) are exposed to alcohol, cigarettes or cannabis that theyre going to have negative outcomes. But the proportion of negative outcomes is higher compared to non-use.

The data did not show a rise in acute care visits for use of other substances, including alcohol and opioids, El-Chaar noted.

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada says there is strong evidence that cannabis use during pregnancy poses risk of lifelong harm to a developing fetus related to memory function, hyperactive behaviour, anxiety and depression.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2023.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

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Toronto police are looking for a man who allegedly threw a cup of hot coffee at a Tim Hortons worker in North York, causing severe burns to her body.

In a press release Monday, police said the incident happened on Thursday at a Tim Hortons location near Sheppard Avenue East and Yorkland Boulevard.

According to police, the male suspect approached the female worker at a drive-thru window at around 4:45 a.m.

The man was on foot and asked for a coffee, but an argument ensued as the suspect was not in a vehicle, police said in the release.

The worker eventually allowed the man to pay for a coffee from the drive-thru window because she did not want to escalate the situation, police said.

Police said the man then took the cup and threw it and its hot contents at the worker  causing severe burns to her arm and back  before running away.

The worker required medical attention after the incident.

The suspect is described as five-foot-eight and thin, aged 30-35, with medium length curly hair and wearing white clothing and a black jacket.

He is wanted in connection with an aggravated assault and assault with a weapon investigation, police said.

Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 416-808-3200, anonymously at Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or at www.222tips.com.

MB Marissa Birnie is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @marissabirnie

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Warning: Contains graphic content

An Ontario correctional officer has been convicted of sexual assault and breach of trust in an incident involving an inmate at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton.

Guard Dwayne Jason Thomas was at times completely unbelievable and his evidence intentionally vague, while his victim, a female inmate, was credible in recounting what she said happened in the shower area of the provincial jail on March 5, 2021, Ontario Court Justice Jennifer Campitelli found.

The inmate, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, testified she refused to provide oral sex to Thomas in the shower area, where the two were alone, then froze and did not say anything before Thomas pulled down her pants and penetrated her vaginally, Campitelli wrote in a judgment delivered in Halton court last week.

At trial, Thomas pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations, arguing that the inmate wasnt credible  though he did not dispute that semen found on the inmates pants was his.

Thomas, who had been a correctional officer with the Ministry of the Solicitor General since December 2016 and started working at Vanier in 2020, testified that the inmate was the initiator, that there was no penetration and that the sexual encounter was consensual.

He testified the inmate started making out with him in the shower area and that she wanted sex, to which he said, not without a condom.

In summarizing the case, Campitelli in her judgment wrote that Thomas contended the inmate lured him into the shower area, and began touching him sexually and Thomas eventually allowed (the inmate) to masturbate him manually to ejaculation.

Thomas account of what happened in the shower area, Campitelli found, was inherently implausible, and available video surveillance outside the shower supported the inmates version of events.

Court heard from a jail sergeant that is against policy for a correctional officer to enter a shower area while it is in use, unless there was a medical or other sort of emergency. The inmate told the sergeant about the incident with Thomas three days after it happened.

Initially, the inmate was an unco-operative witness on the stand, refusing to answer the Crowns questions. But after getting legal advice, she was responsive and while the initial refusal to co-operate was troubling, Campitelli found it did not impact her credibility. Nor did a history of drug abuse and past crimes which relate to dishonesty.

The inmate testified Thomas asked her if she was comfortable going to the shower area, to which she told him, No. She recalled that after Thomas entered the shower area, he asked her to give him oral sex and she told Thomas she did not want to do that, according to the judgment.

Thomas did not respond in any way verbally, said the inmate, who testified she then turned around, Thomas pulled down her pants, and inserted his penis into her vagina, followed by intercourse lasting 30 seconds.

Asked about the nature of the incident, the inmate testified she was not OK with it, but said Thomas didnt force it and that she couldnt for some reason say no. She explained Thomas was a guard who had authority over her, and she said she felt awkward.

The inmate testified she collected Thomas semen from the floor with her pants, feeling no one would believe her. After telling a cellmate and worrying word would get out, she decided to tell a sergeant she trusted and provided the sergeant with the pants.

Campitelli found that the sexual assault represented a serious marked departure from the standards expected of an individual in (Thomass) position of public trust.

The Ministry of the Solicitor General did not answer a question about how often correctional officers are accused and convicted of sexually assaulting inmates. A ministry spokesperson said Thomas had been fired prior to the guilty findings.

Correctional officers are essential to community safety, law and order in our society, and the administration of justice. Incidents like this are completely unacceptable, and all corrections staff are expected to uphold the highest ethical standards both on and off duty, ministry spokesperson Greg Flood said in an email.

Lawyer Selwyn Pieters, who represents Thomas, declined to comment on the case.

A date for sentencing has yet to be set, with Thomas due back in court on June 12.

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HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 22 (Xinhua) -- As more protesters took to the streets, Group of Seven (G7) nations wrapped up their three-day gathering here on Sunday, vowing to escalate sanctions against Russia amid the Ukraine crisis.

Following days of protests, hundreds of demonstrators from home and abroad on Sunday rallied against the G7 leaders' communique and other documents adopted by the summit in Hiroshima, a city once devasted by U.S. atomic bombing during World War II.

Placards and banners that read "No War-themed Conference," "Hands off on Ukraine," and "No to Japan-U.S. military alliance" were spotted in Fukuromachi Park, where the protesters were gathering on Sunday morning, not far from the Peace Memorial Park that was shut due to the summit leaders' visit.

Chanting slogans such as "No to War" and "Smash the G7 Hiroshima Summit," they rallied along the main streets in Hiroshima, crowded by hundreds of riot police officers. They ran into physical conflict with the police in a downtown high street, where one of the protesters was arrested, but continued with the rally minutes later.

"To summarize, it is never a peaceful summit," Ryo Miyahara, head of a Hiroshima citizens' group and the protest's organizer, told Xinhua at the demonstration site.

While vowing to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes," in the final joint statement, the G7 nations, with the United States taking the lead, announced specific measures to sanction Russia in a standalone statement on Ukraine on Friday, prior to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's in-person visit starting Saturday.

U.S. President Joe Biden, on Sunday evening, announced a new package of military aid to Ukraine worth 375 million U.S. dollars after Biden and Zelensky met on the sidelines of the G7 summit.

The G7 comprises the United States, Britain, Italy, France, Germany, Canada and Japan.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
A letter pleading for help with alleged out-of-control violence at a Mississauga middle school has spurred an investigation by the Peel District School Board.

The anonymous letter, which appears to be written by a staff member and has been widely circulating on social media since late last week, claims that the students, teachers and staff of Tomken Road Middle School have been faced with countless unsafe interactions and the climate of our school is one of violence, fear and is well on its way to being one of long lasting trauma for many students.

The letter goes on to list some disturbing examples of purported disorderly conduct, which has taken place at the school since September.

Students have defecated on the floor of bathrooms and rubbed their feces on the wall, the letter says. Students are threatening others with exacto knives, and will threaten any physical violence to any staff or students in the building.

Other incidents listed include students stealing wallets and phones, and getting into physical fights before, during and after school, which are filmed and then distributed.

Students are scared to go to the bathroom so much that they soil themselves at school, the letter says.

School board chair David Green said the board is investigating the allegations.

It is pretty alarming, he said of the allegations. Thats why were taking it very, very seriously.

Green said the superintendent has visited the school, that staff are being supported and that a third-party has been called in to investigate the allegations.

We are not leaving any stone unturned. We will make sure that our investigation gets to the bottom of this, he said.

Malon Edwards, spokesperson for the Peel District School Board, also confirmed in an email that investigations are underway and student suspensions have taken place.

The Superintendent is also aware and is at the school today facilitating a series of scheduled meetings with staff throughout the week, Edwards said.

Peel Regional Police said they have investigated five reports of assault, two reports of uttering threats and one report of bullying at the school since September. No injuries were sustained to anyone involved in the incidents and no charges were laid, a police spokesperson said in an email response to the Star on Wednesday.

Concern about violence in Peel Region follows a Toronto District School Board report on school safety last week, which showed that a total of 323 students have been involved in violence on school premises between September and April.

The Toronto board said that was the highest number since at least 2018-19, when 267 students were involved in violence on school grounds. This academic years figure is on track to reach a new high, since data on violence started being collected in 2000, if the current trend continues.

The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario last week also said that three-quarters of its members reported experiencing or witnessing violence against staff members.

With files from The Canadian Press

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The City of Toronto has taken the extraordinary step of asking residents to turn up the heat on Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus Liberal government as the cash-strapped municipality presses Ottawa for COVID-19 relief.

In a press release Tuesday, the city announced the launch of a pressure campaign that encourages residents and businesses to urge the Government of Canada to honour its funding commitment to the people of Toronto.

The campaign features a webpage on the citys official site that allows residents to send their Member of Parliament a form letter asking Ottawa to match the provinces $235-million contribution to Torontos 2022 budget gap, which still stands at more than $450 million.

The page asserts the city has done what it can to address the pandemics impact on its budget, and while Trudeau personally committed to help Toronto get through the crisis when campaigning during the 2021 federal election, the Government of Canada has not provided this promised funding.

All but one of the 25 MPs elected in Toronto two years ago were Liberal, including Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, who represents University-Rosedale.

Although there is a precedent for the new campaign in former mayor David Millers public push for a share of the federal GST in 2007, its rare for the city to formally appeal to residents to take up a cause with another level of government. In a statement, Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie said the campaign is about standing up for Toronto.

The City of Toronto does not have the resources or revenue tools to address the unprecedented financial pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. We need the Government of Canada to keep Prime Minister Trudeaus election campaign promise, said McKelvie, who took over the mayors duties after John Tory stepped down in February.

In addition to help with last years shortfall, McKelvie said the city is asking for a new fiscal framework that would provide more revenue sources to Toronto, which currently relies heavily on property taxes to pay for public services.

The federal Liberals appeared unmoved by the campaign Tuesday.

In a statement, Adrienne Vaupshas, Freelands press secretary, said the Liberal government has contributed more to the City of Toronto than any federal government in Canadian history. That includes providing the municipality with nearly $1 billion in COVID-19 aid through the Safe Restart Agreement.

Vaupshas said the city should look to the Ontario PC government for further assistance, because the province has both the responsibility and the fiscal capacity to support Toronto.

In the early stages of the pandemic, the federal government teamed up with the province to bail the city out. But the money started to dry up in 2022.

Tory and later McKelvie have been in negotiations with the federal Liberals about further funding since last year. Zachary Spicer, an associate professor at York Universitys school of public policy and administration, said attempting to enlist residents help suggests those talks have stalled and the city is out of options.

Spicer said there is logic to the gambit, given the high number of local Liberal MPs who might be swayed by their constituents. But while he expects Ottawa could be taken aback by the citys peculiar tactic, hes not sure it will be effective.

If youre the federal government, I dont think youre in more of a rush to support the city now after this (campaign) than before it, he said.

Spicer also criticized the citys claims that it has done everything possible to raise revenue, arguing that Toronto hasnt exercised available options like increasing property taxes at higher rates, or implementing new measures like a vehicle registration tax.

Three years after the onset of COVID-19, the city says the pandemic continues to have an enormous impact on its budget, primarily in the form of reduced transit revenue and increased shelter costs.

On top of last years gap, the city has projected a shortfall of more than $1 billion in 2023, and has already delayed important infrastructure work and raided reserves in a bid to patch over the holes in its financial plan.

The long-term task of repairing the citys tattered finances will fall to the winner of the June 26 byelection to replace Tory.

Candidate Josh Matlow has proposed a two per cent property tax increase, while Olivia Chow has proposed hiking taxes on vacant properties and transfers of homes valued over $3 million. Ana Bailao, Mark Saunders and Brad Bradford have pledged to keep tax increases below the rate of inflation, while promising to find other ways to fill the shortfall. Mitzie Hunter has pledged to release a fully costed platform by election day.

Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and municipal politics for the Star. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr

MH Mahdis Habibinia is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: mhabibinia@thestar.ca

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Toronto police have arrested two teenage boys age 15 and 17 in a string of armed robberies at convenience stores in the citys east end.

Officers responded to three robbery calls between April 9 and May 9 near Queen Street East and Hambly Avenue, Kingston Road and Cathedral Bluffs Drive, and Danforth and Pape avenues.

Police said the robberies unfolded in a similar way. Each time, two suspects entered the store in masks. One of them had a handgun and they approached an employee, demanding cash. Police added that in two of the incidents the other suspect brandished a knife.

Police said one time, an employee was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after being assaulted.

The suspects obtained cash from each premise before fleeing, police said.

Officers from the holdup squad arrested a teenage suspect on May 18 after conducting a search warrant and recovering evidence.

Later that same day, a second teenager turned himself in to authorities and was taken into custody.

A 15-year-old boy faces 13 counts, including robbery with a firearm, disguising with intent, uttering threats, and carrying concealed and dangerous weapons.

A 17-year-old boy faces 10 counts, including assault causing bodily harm, carrying a concealed weapon, disguise with intent, robbery with a firearm and dangerous weapons.

Both from Toronto, the teenagers appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice for a bail hearing on May 18.

Anyone with further information can contact police at 416-808-7350 or anonymously via crime stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477).

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The clock is ticking away on a winning lottery ticket valued at millions of dollars as the expiry date looms near for the lucky winner to claim their jackpot.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation said Tuesday in a news release the unclaimed $70 million LOTTO MAX ticket was sold on June 28, 2022. Billing it a rare occurrence in Canadian lottery history, the OLG added that the winning ticket is set to expire on June 28, 2023.

If this  ticket expires, the $70 million prize will be returned to players through future bonus games or promotions, the corporation added.

The ticket was purchased at an authorized lottery retailer in Scarborough, OLG said, adding it has very detailed information about this winning ticket. However, as the ticket was purchased at a lottery retailer, we dont know the identity of the person or group that purchased the ticket.

The winning numbers for the June 28, 2022 LOTTO MAX draw were as follows: 8, 19, 22, 41, 42, 46, 47 with a Bonus 10.

We ask OLG lottery players to check places where they usually store their tickets, such as in clothing pockets, personal accessories (i.e. handbags, backpacks, wallets, computer bags), your vehicles glove compartments or sun-visors, kitchen, bedroom or office drawers, the corporation said.

The lottery corporation is asking the winner to contact them at 1-800-387-0098.

Information about this ticket and other unclaimed tickets can be found on the OLG.ca Unclaimed Tickets page.

MH Mahdis Habibinia is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: mhabibinia@thestar.ca

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Did an incel-inspired teenager commit an act of terrorism when he used a 17-inch sword to stab a Toronto massage parlour receptionist to death?

The young man was the first person in Canada charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder motivated by terrorism related to the misogynist incel ideology, which the RCMP defines as an ideologically violent extremist movement.

While he committed a heinous act, it did not rise to the level of a terrorist offence, which should be reserved for political and organized crimes, defence lawyer Maurice Mattis argued Tuesday in Superior Court.

The current definition is too broad and if the court agrees it could open the floodgates to other cases, Mattis warned Justice Suhail Akhtar.

On Feb. 24, 2020, the then 17-year-old walked into the Crown Spa in North York wearing sunglasses and concealing the sword beneath a black trench coat. He fatally stabbed Ashley Arzaga 42 times, and tried to kill another woman who fought him off and survived.

When police arrived, they found the murder weapon inscribed with the misogynistic phrase Thot Slayer and a plastic bag in his coat pocket containing a handwritten note that read, Long Live the Incel Rebellion. He told one of the paramedics that he came to kill everyone in the building and, Im happy I got one.

The now 21-year-old, whose identity is protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has already pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and attempted murder.

Under the Criminal Code, terrorist activity is defined as something that is committed for a political, religious or ideological purpose, objective or cause, with the intention of intimidating the public, or a segment of the public.

To cut to the chase, Akhtar said its clear the youth intended to send a message to women in general that theyre not safe.

Doesnt that fall into intimidation? Akhtar asked Mattis, adding: This is more than just going out killing random women. Mattis replied: Look not what he said but what he did.

The judge indicated he will advise the defence and prosecutors of his decision before the killers sentencing hearing on June 12, at which time he will hear arguments on whether he should be sentenced as an adult or youth.

A finding that the murder was a terrorist act will help bolster the prosecutions argument that he should be sentenced as an adult. If convicted as a youth, the maximum sentence for first-degree murder is 10 years.

The judge concluded by saying it is a novel issue and needs a bit of examination on both sides.

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For the past three years, Terry Aberhart has watched the spindly, fixed-wing drones zip across the big skies over his farm in Saskatchewan, testing a technology that could be the future of weeding.

Fitted with an artificial intelligence system, the drones are designed by local startup Precision AI to spot, identify and kill the weeds without drenching the entire crop in chemicals.

Im on the list for one of the first machines when they become available, says Aberhart, a sustainable farming enthusiast. The current technology is designed for maximum coverage and to hit everything in the field.

For decades, big-acre crops like corn and wheat have been treated by spraying tractors that would move across vast farmlands, unleashing waterfalls of herbicide from long arms stretched above the crops, all to zap weeds that are often tiny and scattered about.

Apart from the environmental toll, that conventional spray-it-all approach also results in colossal financial waste. Aberhart spent nearly $1 million on herbicides in 2022 alone to protect the wheat, canola and pulses growing on a slice of prairie larger than Manhattan. Even if we could save 50 per cent on average, its a huge saving, he says.

The problem of combating weeds in a sustainable way is more urgent today than ever. Scientists say global warming supercharges the growth of certain weeds that compete for nutrients with crops, threatening food security. But every drop of herbicide farmers spray comes with an environmental cost, polluting soil, contaminating drinking water and contributing to a catastrophic loss of biodiversity.

A 2020 study found prolonged exposure to weed killers  including those approved by regulators  poses a threat to water fleas, a species vital to the aquatic ecosystem. And pressure is mounting on global food producers to rethink intensive farming practices; leaders from 195 nations signed a landmark United Nations-backed agreement last year, pledging to protect and restore at least 30 per cent of the Earths land and water by 2030.

Precision AI is among a handful of companies turning to advanced technology to address the problem of chemical overuse in agriculture. Founded in 2017 by serial tech entrepreneur Daniel McCann, the company uses images of 15,000 plant species to train computer algorithms to distinguish staple crops (think corn, wheat and soybeans) from unwanted weeds. The drones camera can see anything bigger than half a sesame seed and its AI identifies weeds with 96 per cent accuracy, spraying the intended target alone.

Precision AI says its approach can reduce herbicide use by as much as 90 per cent compared to traditional methods. Its drones are capable of carrying nearly 20 litres of liquid per flight and covering roughly 80 acres (0.3 square km) an hour. As they fly, four to six feet above ground, their AI system makes real-time decisions and applies herbicides only where needed.

We cant continue to do things the way weve always done them, McCann says. We have to grow food smarter.

Leveraging robotics and computer technology to assist in agricultural production isnt a new concept; researchers at the University of Florida explored the possibility of a robotic orange picker as early as the 1980s. But recent technological advancements in AI, combined with worsening labour shortages and growing consumer demand for ethically and ecologically produced food, have accelerated innovation.

There are a lot of new developments and efforts towards using automated robotic solutions in agriculture, says Manoj Karkee, a professor specializing in agricultural engineering at Washington State University. Were closer than ever to starting utilizing these technologies.

Precision farming  an umbrella term that covers everything from AI-enabled weeding machines to smart sensor-controlled irrigation systems  is expected to grow from an $11.5-billion business last year to $21.1 billion (both figures U.S.) by 2030, according to consultancy Markets and Markets. To get a slice of that action, Israeli startup Greeneye Technology helps upgrade mainstream sprayers to smarter ones that can identify and target individual weeds. Bosch BASF Smart Farming, a joint venture between two of Europes largest conglomerates, has come up with a similar solution.

Precision AI is focused on weed control from the sky with an additional benefit in mind. Unlike conventional spraying tractors and high-tech ground robots that trample anything in their way and compact the soil, drones minimize collateral damage.

That, in turn, could allow farmers to produce more on the same land  good news for a world where at least 50 per cent more food is needed by 2050 to sustain a growing population, according to a 2019 study.

For now, Precision AIs drone is operated with supervision from a human pilot. But McCann says his company is poised to introduce a fully autonomous spraying drone that can take off, fly and land by itself  as long as regulators grant permission.

The startup plans to commercialize its on-demand spraying service next year, allowing farmers to book as needed  not dissimilar to how consumers order an Uber. It will also sell the spraying drone to farmers who want more control over their crop management and charge a fee for its AI operating software on a pay-as-you-go basis.

That business potential has attracted investors including At One Ventures and BDC Capital, whove poured more than $20 million (U.S.) in venture funding into the company. Precision AI is also among eight startups selected earlier this year by Moline, Illinois-based Deere & Company, one of the worlds biggest farm machinery makers by revenue, to team up on the exploration of future agricultural technology.

Not everyone is convinced that future farming will be ruled by flying robots, however. Mark Siemens, an associate professor at the University of Arizona, says agricultural drone makers still need to prove their technology, especially at scale.

There is also the issue of regulatory hurdles. Precision AI is first targeting North America, where big-acre farming is common. But Canada has yet to give its regulatory blessing to commercial drone-based weed control. In the U.S., where Precision AI plans to make its commercial debut next year, lawmakers have given the green light for agricultural spray drones used by licensed operators  but they have done so with a long checklist. The legal framework is still pretty challenging, says Karkee of Washington State University.

On top of that, agricultural drone makers including Precision AI may get a cold shoulder from those they mean to help.

Aberhart, the farmer in Saskatchewan, says it will require a big shift in mindset and mentality for the farming community to switch over from the blanket spraying practice that has dominated the industry for decades. The first converts will be taking a big risk; if weed management fails, it can ruin a season.

But Aberhart reckons that the transition will be a question of when, rather than whether. It costs a farmer money to spray. So why would we want to spend more money if we dont have to?

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With a black garbage bag wrapped around her waist and shower caps on her shoes, Jane readies herself for a day of cleaning. The assignment is a small room in a west Toronto seniors home; inside, a dusty aquarium sits empty in a corner and a painting of a burnt-orange forest hangs upside down on the wall. Amid the chaos is a mattress that has been stood on its side, its seams black with blood and bedbug refuse.

Today, for $15 cash  just below minimum wage  Jane will wrap these items in plastic and dump them in the trash.

This relatively well-kept, city-run facility is one of the best places shes sent to work, says Jane. Two weeks prior, at a different building, she was groped by a resident as she cleaned his room.

Janes temp agency gig as a cleaner is a survival job. Her dream is to be a caregiver; she is qualified as a personal support worker. But while she sees this as her calling, her status as an undocumented worker has stifled her ability to pursue it as a career.

That could soon change.

On Parliament Hill, a new measure is under development that may offer permanent residency to an as-yet unknown number of the countrys estimated 500,000 undocumented residents.

It could be one of the broadest initiatives in Canadas history  granting status to those often staffing low-wage, front-line jobs in caregiving, farming and factories.

Undocumented workers and their families are at greater risk of exploitation and poor health, research shows. While they perform essential work that keeps cities running, most people rarely get a glimpse into the isolation and chronic stress endemic to these roles.

That is precisely why Jane feels its important to provide a window into her world.

The Star is not using Janes full name because she is currently at risk of deportation. Whether she is a beneficiary of Ottawas regularization program will depend on the scale and scope of what is ultimately implemented. A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada said those details are not yet available.

The ways in which people like Jane end up trapped in the so-called underground economy are complex.

The seeds of their journeys are often sown in faraway places years, if not decades, before workers and their families ever arrive here. In thousands of cases every year, Canadian authorities ultimately rule there are no credible grounds to allow them to stay.

Many, like Jane, make the decision to stay anyway. After that, life moves into the shadows. The Star cannot independently verify some elements of Janes story but has spent hours interviewing her, reviewing her immigration files, and spending time with her on the job.

I may be undocumented, says Jane. But I am able and willing.

You need to runaway from him

Jane arrived in Toronto in March 2017. Her first stop was a Holiday Inn, the recommendation of a friendly airport taxi driver. The stay burned up her money in four days. Jane remembers checking out in tears.

Growing up in a family of 12 siblings in rural Uganda, Jane describes her childhood, for the most part, as a lovely one. But when she was 26, her father died  forcing her to move to the capital city, Kampala, to live with relatives. There, her family became frustrated that she was still unmarried.

They didnt know she had covertly begun a relationship with a woman named Maureen, who shed met at a YMCA study group. Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, and can be punished by life imprisonment and in some cases the death penalty.

In 2010, when she was around 30, Jane says her uncle forced her into an arranged marriage. The relationship was toxic. She began missing work due to physical and sexual abuse at home and says she eventually lost her job at a small publishing company. She kept much of her domestic life from her family.

In my culture  you dont disclose everything to everyone, she says.

Nonetheless, Janes close relationship with Maureen aroused suspicion. In 2014, Maureens father, a member of the Ugandan army, sent men to threaten Jane. Her husband also grew increasingly abusive, she says, culminating in him throwing her down the stairs.

You need to run away from him, she remembers Maureen telling her.

In late 2016, Maureen gave Jane money to put toward a plane ticket to Toronto and helped her fill out an application for a tourist visa to visit a distant relative.

As her partner drove her to the international airport just south of Kampala, Jane remembers feeling overwhelmed with worry. The trip meant a glimpse at freedom. But its outcome was far from certain.

I was scared, she says. I didnt know what to expect.

Thousands in debt, a future in limbo

Checking out of the Holiday Inn left Jane at loose ends. Her distant family member in Toronto knew nothing of her struggles back home, and Jane says she felt shed violated the relatives trust by accepting their invitation to visit Canada. In the coming months, rather than return to Kampala, she would seek refugee status here.

Instead of contacting the relative, Jane decided to hover outside College Station, praying a stranger would help. Shed never taken a train before. When she noticed a passerby offer up a smile, instinct said: approach them.

The stranger accompanied her onto the subway, and took her somewhere that could at least provide a roof over her head. It was the start of a year in Torontos shelter system  where nearly a third of residents are refugee claimants, according to city data.

The environment was often chaotic. Janes roommates were sometimes battling substance abuse; other times, theyd hurl racial slurs at her. Nonetheless, she threw herself into establishing a routine: volunteering in the kitchen, serving food, and cleaning.

Theyre giving you a roof over your head, she says. You either embrace it, or you walk away.

Her plan was to claim asylum based on her sexual orientation and violent marriage, and by May 2017, she had put together an application. She was, she believed, on a path to stay permanently in Canada. She was granted a temporary work permit. She landed a six-month gig as a procurement officer at an organic food company, and after that, took up a role at a non-profit providing support to isolated children and seniors.

She also enrolled in a medical administration program, which she hoped would propel a career in the care sector.

But her refugee claim would ultimately leave her thousands of dollars in debt  and place her future in limbo.

A failed bid for Canadian residency

Jane tossed and turned in the shelter room she shared with five others. It was the night before her first refugee hearing in July 2017, and her appearance coincided with distressing news from back home: one of Janes siblings had died, sending her into a tailspin of sadness and anxiety.

The hearing venue had the officious air of a courtroom, and Jane was going in with mixed odds. Typically, just over 60 per cent of refugee claims in Canada are successful. But the outcomes can vary significantly, data shows, based on who is presiding over the case, what kind of documentation claimants can muster and the quality of their representation amid strained Legal Aid resources.

Jane did not opt for an interpreter, which she would later regret. She remembers struggling to keep up with proceedings, disoriented by what felt like an onslaught of questions from the board.

Give her a breather, she remembers her lawyer pleading. Let her think, let her talk.

The immigration boards decision was scathing. The ruling said Janes evidence was not credible, and said the documentation she had provided  including her marriage certificate  was fraudulent. There were also large gaps in her communication with Maureen, the decision noted, and Jane had struggled to answer key questions about her former partners father, though he was allegedly one of the main agents in their persecution.

Jane felt stunned. She had already provided a letter of support from the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, as well as medical records from 2016, when she says her husband threw her down the stairs, detailing bruises, soft tissue injuries and a deep cut wound.

But compiling evidence from Uganda had been a struggle. She says when an aunt asked her husband to hand over original marriage documents, he flew into a rage. Maureen had provided an affidavit attesting to her past relationship with Jane, but communication had been difficult to maintain: the partnership had floundered under family pressures and, eventually, physical distance, says Jane.

She borrowed money to appeal. The decision came back in 2018. Like three-quarters of appeals that year, Janes was denied. A judicial review of the decision was also unsuccessful. By the end of the process, Jane had spent around $30,000 to fund her efforts to stay in Canada. Now she was at risk of deportation.

With her failed bid for residency in Canada, Jane had lost her ability to work legally. She would no longer have access to formal jobs or health care; using any kind of social service now came with the fear of apprehension.

She also felt she had nothing to go back to in Uganda. Most of her family there had stopped talking to her. If she returned, she says, she feared her husband would kill her.

There was only one place left to go: underground.

Threats, low-wage work and the constant fear of deportation

Jane sits in Square Ones bustling food court, a pit stop on her way back from a cleaning job. Around her, happy deal hunters are out in droves. Jane is struggling to feel festive.

Two days before Christmas, a man threatened her with a knife as she cleaned his apartment. Its not the first time shes encountered hostility on the job. But she says the incident forced her and her temp agency co-workers to flee the building, leaving her deeply shaken.

Something came over me and I saw my life has come to an end, she says. I was in a dark, dark place.

Jane has never sought help for these workplace risks; officially reporting violence, she feels, would bring her in too close contact with government authorities.

While Jane makes use of community health clinics that provide free care to the uninsured, those services are stretched. Two years ago, Jane suddenly began experiencing painful heart palpitations. She wanted to call an ambulance, but the cost  and fear of subsequent expenses  were prohibitive. She took Advil instead.

Jane eventually recovered. When uninsured Ontarians do show up at hospital, they are three times more likely than other residents to be suffering from mental health issues, research shows. They are 39 per cent more likely to need urgent triaging. They are also more likely to die.

In the six years since Janes refugee claim was first denied, shes relied on friends and Good Samaritans to connect to a stream of under-the-table jobs. Her work depends on her employers asking for little in the way of personal information.

At first, Jane landed a stint as a live-in caregiver to an elderly Hamilton resident, the type of work she aspires to do. But these roles are hard to get, since she cant formally apply.

The Hamilton job ended when her client was admitted to a nursing home. Jane signed up with a temp agency that sent her to clean ritzy Toronto homes. When that work dried up, she signed on with an agency to clean non-profit or city-administered care homes, community housing, retirement residences  the places where COVID struck hardest.

Each night, Jane waits for a 10 p.m. text message from her temp agency telling her where to deploy the next day. Some days, the commute will take nearly two hours each way.

A life chosen out of extreme necessity

There have been many times since losing status that Jane has felt almost incapable of going on. No one would choose this life, she says, except out of extreme necessity.

Her fractured familial relationships mean in moments of crisis, like the knife threat, she has not confided in her mother. That really broke my heart, says Jane. Undocumented workers are more likely to present signs of trauma, chronic stress and depression from family separation, according to a Toronto Public Health report.

Jane has a sibling who followed her to Canada. Her sisters refugee claim was accepted, setting the two women on vastly different trajectories. Though her sister is a source of comfort, Jane cant participate in activities such as family trips. Her sister has built a life Jane can, for now, only dream of.

One thing, Jane feels, has helped: connecting with others like her.

That is why, on a grey January day, she is back in Hamilton bundled in a dark brown puffy coat. A crowd has gathered for a rally and white flags emblazoned with the logo of the citys local steel union, once North Americas largest, flutter in the wind.

On the mic are a different set of workers: a caregiver, who could soon be removed from the country, even though his wife and children are Canadian citizens. A chef facing imminent deportation to Kenya, and his compatriot, an HVAC technician. A cleaner who lost status when her study permit was rejected.

These people gave me courage, says Jane.

Workers like those gathered in Hamilton typically come to Canada legally, research suggests. A survey by the Migrant Rights Network found most undocumented residents initially arrived as asylum seekers, like Jane, or migrant workers. They fall through the cracks when refugee claims fail or temporary work permits are terminated.

People being undocumented is a historic failure of immigration policy itself, says Syed Hussan, executive director of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change. Regularization is about fixing those mistakes.

Standing outside downtown Hamiltons hulking Sheraton hotel, Jane knows Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus cabinet ministers are within, on a three-day retreat. The aim is to tackle the growing affordability crisis and seize new opportunities for Canadian workers and businesses.

Those demonstrating here say regularizing undocumented workers speaks directly to those issues. They say it will push up wages, improve economic productivity and increase tax revenues. South of the border, where an amnesty program is also under debate, modelling shows the move would increase U.S. GDP by up to $1.7 trillion over the next decade.

In Canada, jobs  particularly working class jobs  are going unfilled. While the undocumented population here is much smaller, advocates believe an expansive regularization initiative could help address that issue, resulting in an extra $1 billion remitted in income tax and mandatory contributions like employment insurance.

If done right, advocates add, an amnesty program could lift hundreds of thousands of people out of chronic fear, ill health, and poverty  practically overnight.

Past amnesty measures have been too narrow and their eligibility criteria too restrictive, critics feel. In 2021, Jane applied for one such initiative  the Guardian Angel program, which granted status to some refugee claimants and failed asylum seekers who worked in health care during the pandemic. Janes application was denied.

After the rejection, her lawyer wrote to the immigration ministry in protest, noting that Jane had worked tirelessly during COVID-19 supporting someones elderly mother. She had changed diapers, cooked, cleaned, done laundry and ensured weekly hospital appointments were met.

This lady would have died alone in that house if Jane had not provided good care to her.

One month later came the ministry response.

Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be added to the information that was provided to your client, it said. Their application did not meet the requirements.

This time, Jane hopes, will be different.

Sara Mojtehedzadeh is a Toronto-based reporter covering work and wealth on the Stars investigations team. Follow her on Twitter: @saramojtehedz

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Good morning. This is the Tuesday, May 23 edition of First Up, the Stars daily morning digest. Sign up to get it earlier each day, in your inbox.

Heres the latest on undocumented workers in Canada, the Ontario Liberal leadership race and dental coverage without health insurance.

DONT MISS:

This undocumented worker has spent years in the shadows  a new federal program could change her life

Homophobia and an abusive marriage pushed Jane to leave Uganda  but what Toronto would grant her remained uncertain. In Canada, a refugee claim that cost her $30,000 was ultimately unsuccessful, leaving Jane at risk of deportation. She lost access to formal jobs and health care, and social services came with the fear of apprehension. The result has been a secret life of precarity, constant fear and little comfort. But, as one of an estimated 500,000 undocumented residents in Canada, Jane may be eligible for a new path to permanent residency. Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports on Janes experience in Canada and how the new policy could set her life on a new trajectory.

Context: The Star is not using Janes full name due to her risk of deportation. Whether she benefits from Ottawas new program will depend on the scale and scope of what is implemented, and a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada said those details are not yet available.

Why it matters: Advocates say regularizing undocumented workers will boost wages, improve economic productivity and increase tax revenues. If done right, they say, it could also lift hundreds of thousands of people out of chronic fear, ill health, and poverty.

Insiders say shes a threat to Doug Ford  now Bonnie Crombie is poised to seek the Ontario Liberal leadership

In a move that Progressive Conservative circles see as an existential threat, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie is launching an exploratory bid to lead the Ontario Liberals with hopes of defeating Doug Fords government in 2026. The news comes as the Liberals seek a leader to revive the party after taking major losses to the Tories in 2018 and again last year. Robert Benzie reports on Crombies vision for the party and the Dec. 2 leadership contest.

More: Im the only person thinking about putting their name forward who has governing experience and who has gone toe-to-toe with the Ford government  whether its over the housing affordability crisis, health care and education or the climate change crisis, Crombie said.

The latest: Crombie recently convinced Ford to separate Peel Region and give Mississauga independence  a political win that some Tories had hoped might convince her to stay in municipal politics.

No health insurance? Heres how to keep dental costs from bankrupting you

For more than 2.6 million self-employed workers in Canada, lacking access to dental coverage may be a financial concern that could set them back hundreds of dollars in an emergency. But experts say there are strategies that can help alleviate the financial weight of surprise costs: prevention, having honest conversations about dental procedures and determining whether you should get insurance or pay out of pocket. Ghada Alsharif explains what you should consider and how you can make the best decisions for yourself.

More: People without access to dental insurance should ask their dentist about how many teeth cleanings or X-rays theyll need to schedule in order to set aside money for the treatments ahead of time, says financial educator Jessica Moorhouse.

Go deeper: Shopping around for the right dentist first is a good idea, Moorhouse adds, because while some dentists may try to upsell, others are more flexible and open about discussing payment options that work for different income levels.

WHAT ELSE:

A battle over police funding is set to be a major sticking point as Peel Region splits.

An ex-police chief for mayor? These are the questions behind Mark Saunders campaign.

Rental households are up 25 per cent in the past decade  Toronto tenants could be a force in the mayoral race.

A Tim Hortons worker has severe burns after hot coffee was allegedly thrown at her in a drive-thru.

A poll shows Danielle Smiths UCP leading slightly in the tight Alberta election.

Why it feels like were in a recession  even though were (technically) not.

How to budget for retirement? Two middle-class couples share their modest spending plans.

There is a problem with our bail system, but its not what politicians say.

Long COVID is one of the strangest things thats happened to me, Heather Mallick writes. Heres what its like.

Martin Scorseses crime epic Killers of the Flower Moon premiered to raves at Cannes Film Festival.

Ontario engineers have removed the Canadian work experience requirement for immigrants. Heres why the province says its a game changer.

POV:

How Olivia Chow is putting Torontos right in a bit of a spot.

CLOSE-UP:

MEXICO: Women stand on an ash-covered street on Monday as the Popocatepetl volcano in Santiago Xalitzintla spews plumes of gas, ash and incandescent rock into the air. The volcanos activity has increased over the past week, but evacuations have not yet been ordered. Heres what we know.

Thank you for reading First Up. You can reach me and the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca

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PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP)  Three Cambodian land rights activists who were arrested on charges of plotting against the government planned to provoke a peasant revolution by teaching farmers about class divisions between rich and poor, an official said Tuesday.

Theng Savoeun, president of the Coalition of Cambodian Farmer Community, and his colleagues Nhel Pheap and Than Hach were charged Monday by a court in the countrys northeast with plotting against the state and incitement to commit a felony, said Am Sam Ath of the local rights group Licadho.

He said plotting against the government carries a possible prison term of five to 10 years, while incitement to commit a felony is punishable by six months to two years. He described the charges as sending a message of intimidation to civil society groups.

The three suspects were not available for comment and their lawyers were not immediately reachable.

A senior government official likened their nonviolent activities to what the communist Khmer Rouge taught peasants five decades ago before carrying out their bloody revolution.

The arrests in Ratanakiri province came as Cambodia prepares for a general election in July that is certain to return to power the governing Cambodian Peoples Party of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has led the country for 38 years with little tolerance for dissent. The opposition Candlelight Party, the sole group posing a credible challenge to the governing party, was not allowed by the National Election Committee to contest the polls and expects a ruling this week on its appeal of that decision.

The three activists were arrested on May 17 after hosting a workshop in Ratanakiri province about land rights and other issues affecting farmers. The police detained 17 of the workshops 39 participants but released all but the three, who were charged and placed in pre-trial detention on Monday.

Interior Ministry spokesperson Gen. Khieu Sopheak said the three were arrested because their activities violated the law and were outside the main goals of their organization, which he said were to teach farmers more productive agricultural techniques.

He said the workshop instead discussed political issues such as the division between rich and poor and how to incite farmers to hate the rich.

Their lecture was to teach about peasant revolution, about the class divide in society, Khieu Sopheak said. He said such language mirrored the ideology taught by the communist Khmer Rouge to poor farmers, especially in Ratanakiri province, in the early days of their revolutionary struggle before taking power in April 1975.

The brutal Khmer Rouge regime, which was ousted in 1979, is blamed for the deaths of an estimated 1.7 million Cambodians from starvation, illness and killing.

Hun Sen joined the Khmer Rouge in 1970 when it was fighting against a pro-American government but defected from the group in 1977 and allied himself with a resistance movement backed by neighboring Vietnam.

Fabricating these bogus charges against prominent civil society leaders shows how far the government is willing to go to silence critics in advance of the Cambodia elections in July, Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement issued Wednesday. There needs to be a chorus of international condemnation targeting Prime Minister Hun Sen and his government to demand an end to these intimidating tactics.

Land grabs by wealthy and influential people have been a major problem for many years in Cambodia. Land ownership was abolished during the rule of the Khmer Rouge and land titles were lost, making ownership a free-for-all when the communist group lost power. Under Hun Sens government, much land that had been resettled was declared state land and sold or leased to wealthy investors, many of whom critics said were cronies of the governing party. Security forces have been employed to help evict tenants from such areas.

Khieu Sopheak said the three land activists admitted their crimes during police interrogation and that the authorities had found evidence of their activities on a computer and in documents from the groups training workshop.

However, according to the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, They were initially denied access to legal representation, before their lawyer was eventually allowed to be present as they were being interrogated by the prosecutor on May 22.

A statement on Theng Savoeuns Facebook page said, In this life, we have tasted all sorts of flavors, but we remain firmly strong because our daily work is not what they have accused of us, rather we work at basic humanitarian tasks, helping the victims, helping farmers, helping the community, to make them understand their rights and obligations, and to help them find a solution.

Farmers from other provinces who support the three activists have defied official harassment to travel to Phnom Penh to stage protests in front of the Interior Ministry demanding their release.

Rights worker Am Sam Ath expressed his concern that the three face such serious charges for working for the benefit of farmers and their communities. He said it might make it harder to help farmers in the future.

___

Peck reported from Bangkok.

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On behalf of several museums and archaeology research institutes from southwest China's Sichuan Province, Tang Fei (L, front), president of the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute, signs exhibition cooperation agreement with Louis Ng, director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), in south China's Hong Kong, May 22, 2023. The HKPM on Monday announced it will showcase 120 precious cultural relics from the world-renowned Sanxingdui Ruins in a four-month exhibition slated to begin in late September this year. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

HONG KONG, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) on Monday announced it will showcase 120 precious cultural relics from the world-renowned Sanxingdui Ruins in a four-month exhibition slated to begin in late September this year.

The exhibition will focus on new archaeological discoveries in southwest China's Sichuan Province represented by Sanxingdui. Cultural relics such as bronzeware, jade, goldware, pottery artifacts dating back 2,600 to 3,300 years will be displayed. Most of the exhibits will be showcased outside Sichuan for the first time.

During the exhibition, the museum will hold a series of academic seminars and public education activities with the theme of the ancient Shu civilization, deepening the academic exchange between Hong Kong and Sichuan Province in the fields of Shu archaeology and cultural research, and showcasing the century-long archaeological achievements of the country.

This special exhibition is one highlight of the HKPM's activities this year, and it will enable domestic and international visitors to understand the life and cultural exchanges among different regions and ethnic groups in ancient China, said Louis Ng, director of the HKPM.

Tang Fei, president of the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute, expressed the hope that through this exhibition, Hong Kong residents can better understand the historical, artistic, and cultural values of the Bronze Age civilization in China.

Originally discovered in the late 1920s, the Sanxingdui Ruins have been dubbed as one of the world's greatest archaeological findings of the 20th century.

Located in the city of Guanghan, around 60 km from Sichuan's provincial capital Chengdu, the ruins covering an area of 12 square km are believed to be the remnants of the Shu Kingdom, dating back some 4,500 to 3,000 years.

The HKPM signed exhibition cooperation agreements with several museums and archaeology research institutes from Sichuan on Monday.

Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum will also provide precious cultural relics that have never been displayed outside Sichuan before, including a jade axe dating back more than 3,000 years. 
PARIS (AP)  Several hundred documents and items revealing the names and other details of victims of slavery in Frances colonial empire is being added to UNESCOs Memory of the World register.

This latest addition, which the U.N. cultural agency approved last week, marks the first time that France has pushed for the inscription of documents on the UNESCO register that were previously archived in Frances present-day overseas territories.

The Memory of the World program and register was set up in 1992 to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity against collective amnesia, neglect, decay over time, according to UNESCO.

The documents date from between the 17th and 19th centuries, from places including the modern-day nations of Haiti, Mauritius and Senegal and the French overseas territories of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Mayotte, Martinique and Reunion.

They represent just a fraction of some 4 million people enslaved in the French colonial empire, whether victims of trafficking or born locally into a status of servitude, according to the French Foundation for the Memory of Slavery that lobbied for the inscription.

These generations of women, men and children lived there without civil status, but not without traces, the foundation said Tuesday in a statement.

The records include documents in the administrative, fiscal or religious sphere that feature the victims name, age, sex, professional skills, and sometimes his or her physical characteristics.

The records have for years been kept by the Territorial Archives of Martinique and French Guiana, the Departmental Archives of Guadeloupe, Reunion, the Overseas National Archives and the National Archives of Haiti.

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JERUSALEM (AP)  The Israeli army said on Tuesday it demolished the home of a Palestinian involved in an attack in Tel Aviv that killed one and wounded two others in March.

Video footage of the attack shows a man the army says was Moataz Khawaja, 23, shooting three men from behind, including one in the head  in one of Tel Avivs busiest streets  before being shot and killed by Israeli police. Hamas claimed him as a member of its armed wing.

On Tuesday, the army destroyed Khawajas home in the town of Naalin, northwest of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. The army said people burned tires, threw stones and shot fireworks at Israeli forces who were razing the site.

Israel demolishes the homes of attackers in an attempt to deter others, a tactic critics say amounts to collective punishment.

Khawajas attack came after months of relentless violence in the West Bank, where the Israeli military has been conducting near-nightly raids in response to Palestinian attacks against Israelis. The demolition follows a deadly five-day burst of fighting between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP)  A top Russian official who faces sanctions in the West over Moscows war on Ukraine visited Saudi Arabia early Tuesday and held talks with his counterpart in the kingdom, state media reported.

Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsevs visit to Riyadh came just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed an Arab League summit held in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port city of Jeddah on Friday. The visits underline how the kingdom and Gulf Arab states, traditionally the security clients of the United States, have been maintaining their relations with Moscow amid the Ukraine war.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency said Kolokoltsev met with Saudi Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud.

During the session, they discussed ways to enhance security cooperation paths between the two countries ministries of interior, in addition to discussing a number of issues of common interest, the report said, without elaborating.

Russian media did not immediately report on the visit.

Kolokoltsev, 62, has been sanctioned by the U.S. since 2018 as part of a slew of sanctions over Russias activity in both Syria and Ukraine. The U.S. Treasury says that Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom all separately have sanctioned Kolokoltsev as well. The U.S. also refused to grant him a visa to participate in a United Nations chiefs of police summit in 2022, something criticized by Moscow.

As interior minister, Kolokoltsev has cracked down on independent media in Russia, including targeting the outlet Proekt in 2021 as it prepared to publish an investigation about his alleged wealth. Police also have been instrumental in putting down any attempted demonstration in Russia after President Vladimir Putin launched his 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Since the war in Ukraine began, oil giant Saudi Arabia has been purchasing Russian diesel fuel at steep discounts, given Western sanctions on Moscow. That diesel has been cheaper for the kingdom to use while it exports its own crude oil products abroad to take advantage of global prices.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kings powerful 37-year-old son, also has tried to position the kingdom as a potential negotiator between Kyiv and Moscow to end the war.

The kingdom is ready to continue mediating between Russia and Ukraine and to support all international efforts to end the crisis politically toward peace, the prince told the Arab League summit on Friday.

___

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

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DOHUK, Iraq (AP)  A Turkish strike in northern Iraq killed three Yazidi militiamen and wounded three others on Tuesday, regional officials said. A local official affiliated with the militia disputed that account, saying none of its fighters were killed, but that a shepherd died in the Turkish drone strike.

According to the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdish regional government, the early morning strike in the district of Sinjar targeted a headquarters of the Shingal Resistance Units, or YBS, in the village of Chumu-Khalaf.

An official with the central government in Baghdad, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the strike had targeted a meeting of high-ranking YBS officials.

Naif Shemo, head of the Sinjar Yazidi council, told The Associated Press that the area targeted by Turkish drones was an abandoned Yazidi village where most of the houses had been previously destroyed by the militant Islamic State group.

The YBS, made up of mostly minority Yazidis, was instrumental in driving Islamic State militants from Sinjar after the collapse of the Iraqi army and withdrawal of the semi-autonomous Kurdish forces in 2014. The IS militants takeover of Sinjar killed and captured about 10,000 Yazidis in attacks that the United Nations classified as genocide.

Tuesdays attack was the second such strike in just over a week. A similar strike earlier this month killed three Yazidi militiamen, the Iraqi-Kurdish authorities said. Also at that time, a local official affiliated with the YBS denied any deaths.

The Turkish Defense Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. On Tuesday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said the Turkish military had neutralized 126 terrorists in the past month, according to Turkeys state-owned broadcaster TRT.

The group has been a frequent target of Turkish attacks in recent years for its ties to the insurgent Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, a separatist movement banned in Turkey.

Continued violence in Sinjar has stunted beleaguered efforts to return Yazidis to their ancestral homeland in the province of Nineveh in northern Iraq after years of displacement.

Clashes last year between the Yazidi militia and the Iraqi army in heavily populated areas of war-scarred Sinjar caused as many as 10,000 people to flee the area, many of whom had returned from previous displacement, according to Kurdish officials.

Tensions remain high between the many groups operating in Sinjar. A power-sharing agreement brokered by the U.N. in October 2020 between Baghdad and the Iraqi Kurdish local government, stating that the federal police are the sole state authority, has failed to take hold.

___

Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Istanbul and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.

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SPARKS, Nev. (AP)  The parents of a suicidal Black teenager who was fatally shot by police in 2020 in Nevada have agreed to a $2 million settlement with the city of Sparks that also includes more crisis intervention and mental health training for police officers.

The city of about 110,000 on the edge of Reno said in a statement Monday it hopes the agreement helps bring closure to all parties.

Miciah Lee, 18, Sparks, had no criminal history and was not wanted for any crime when a white officer shot him five times while he was sitting in his car with a handgun between his legs and his hands in plain sight on Jan. 5, 2020, his familys lawyer, Terri Keyser-Cooper, said.

But she said Lee did have a long history of mental illness and drug abuse, and that the officers rush to violence defied any limited training they had received to diffuse such confrontations.

Lees mother, Susan Clopp, called 911 shortly before the shooting and told the dispatcher three times her son was mentally unstable, had a gun and intended to die by cop or die by himself.

One of the officers who responded to the scene after Lee fled an initial attempt to confront him and crashed in a suburban neighborhood said in an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court last year before the settlement talks that they did everything they were trained not to do with mentally ill persons.

A federal judge ordered mediation and the parties said last month they had reached a settlement. The citys insurance company completed the final installment of the $2 million in payments on May 18, lawyer Keyser-Cooper said.

The size of this settlement speaks volumes, said Keyser-Cooper, who alleged Lee would still be alive if he was white.

I am greatly encouraged that Sparks has promised to provide to its officers more training, with oversight to ensure officers act pursuant to their training, and a tragedy like this will not occur again, she said in a statement late Friday.

As part of the settlement, Keyser-Cooper said Sparks agreed that all officers will receive 40 hours of Crisis Intervention Training and that each year all Sparks police officers will receive refresher training.

In addition, each officer will receive annual training on some additional new policies which include: Use of Force, Suicidal Subject Response, and Interacting With Persons Suffering From Behavioral Health Issues, she said.

The city of Sparks confirmed in a statement emailed to The Associated Press on Monday that the citys insurance carrier hired outside counsel to handle the case and that the parties agreed to settle it for $2 million during a settlement conference in Las Vegas.

The City of Sparks is hopeful that all parties involved will get closure after this settlement, the statement said.

About six months after the shooting, Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks cleared Sparks police of any wrongdoing. His office was not part of the civil case and declined comment on the settlement on Monday.

The lawsuit filed in 2022 said Lees death was an unjustifiable homicide that resulted from a police culture in Sparks  a police department so poorly trained that it had a history of failing to investigate, analyze, or even talk to any officers involved in any police shootings for the past 15 years.

The lawsuit also alleged the Sparks Police Department failed to sufficiently train officers on how to interact with the mentally ill and systematically, failed to de-escalate as required when interacting with the mentally ill.

Former Sparks Police Chief Peter Krall testified that responding officers knew what they were required to do and their conduct in failing to utilize their training was an aberration.

However, it was anything but an aberration: It was a highly predictable consequence of system-wide failures, Keyser-Cooper wrote in the original lawsuit.

It is consistent with a pattern endemic in SPD  but also throughout the countrythat, when encountering mentally ill persons, officers all too frequently choose violence as their first resort, she said.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  On President Joe Biden s first day in office, he handed Congress a legislative plan to modernize the nations immigration system.

It went nowhere, just like so many past overhaul attempts.

Meanwhile, the number of migrants illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border climbed to record highs and so did the backlog of cases in the nations immigration court system. Title 42 emergency health powers that allowed border officials to turn away many migrants were sure to end as the coronavirus pandemic eased. And Congress couldnt agree on even simple questions like whether the U.S. should let in more people, or fewer.

So administration officials went looking outside the U.S. for solutions, seeking to portray immigration not as one of Americas most intractable problems, but as an issue for the entire Western hemisphere to address.

It was a shift in focus that plays to Bidens faith in the power of global diplomacy, and one that also may hold more promise for making progress, particularly as smuggling networks increasingly steer migrant families from around the world up through the dangerous and often deadly Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama.

No nation should bear this responsibility alone. Biden said last year as he summoned the leaders of 23 nations attending a Summit of the Americas to come up with a shared plan on migration and security. The economic futures depend on one another. Each of our futures depend on one another. And our security is linked in ways that I dont think most people in my country fully understand.

If the solutions for Biden are international, the politics are still domestic.

Hes running for reelection, and the border is a top issue for Republicans who portray him as soft on security. His involvement in immigration policy before he became president was relatively light. Prior to this year's visit, hed only been down to the 1,951-mile U.S.-Mexico border for a few hours during a 2008 campaign stop, and he played no significant role in past reform efforts in the Senate when he served there.

His foreign policy experience, though, stretches back decades from his years on the Hill and through his two terms as vice president, and that carries weight internationally.

No other president who has sat in the Oval Office has the mileage, the understanding, the engagement that Joe Biden has had in the region. Its just a fact, said Arturo Sarukhan, the Mexican ambassador to the U.S. from 2007 to 2013. That is an important add that Biden brings to the table.

Sarukhan said Bidens approach has focused on engagement and negotiation, by sending top leaders to the region for discussions, and through invitations to Washington. Biden hasnt put the gun to anyones forehead, he said.

But immigrant advocates worry theres a cost to the new approach that will likely be paid by migrants who are fleeing persecution and poverty in their homelands.

I do think they are trying to manage migration, rather than end migration, said Yael Schacher, director for the Americas and Europe at Refugees International. But managing migration can also have human rights, terrible human rights, consequences. Theres a moral distancing -- the possibility for wiping your hands of a problem if it isnt at your door anymore.

The makeup of those migrating has changed dramatically over the past two decades, bringing new challenges as well.

Those crossing the border used to be mostly Mexican men who were coming for work and could be easily sent back. Now, families are increasingly arriving from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Haiti, fleeing drought brought on by climate change as well as oppressive regimes.

It reflects a larger trend. UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, estimates 103 million people are displaced globally -- more than 1% of the worlds population.

We are finding ourselves in a unique moment and we do have to understand its not a domestic issue, but a regional and global one, said Krish OMara Vignarajah, head of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, which helps migrants and refugees in the U.S.

The number of illegal U.S.-Mexico border crossings has been declining since new rules were put into place by the Biden administration on May 11, but its not clear yet whether the administrations approach will be effective in the long term or whether it can survive legal challenges and a possible administration change in 2024.

Under the new rules, migrants are barred from asking for asylum if they cross through another country on their way to the U.S. without seeking protection there or fail to make an appointment to come to the U.S. through a new government app. If caught crossing illegally, they are barred from returning for five years and face criminal charges if they do.

But up to 30,000 Venezuela, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Cubans per month will be allowed into the U.S. to work legally if they come with sponsors. And as many as 100,000 immigrants from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia will be allowed in if they have family members who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

The leaders of Mexico and several other nations had boycotted the June summit in Los Angeles over a decision to exclude authoritarian leaders. Still, it ended with a signed pact and set of principles that included legal pathways to enter countries, aid to communities most affected by migration, more humane border management and coordinated emergency responses.

Administration officials then set to work on new immigration rules that would take effect once Title 42 ended, with new directives that aim to expand legal pathways for entry while cracking down on illegal crossings, intertwined with actions by Guatemala, Ecuador and Colombia. They negotiated with Mexico. Canada and Spain to take in migrants who would otherwise be bound for the U.S.

Guatemala and Colombia will open regional hubs where people can go to make claims, with as many as 100 opening regionally. But Colombia and Guatemala fear the hubs might draw millions to their shores, and other nations are reluctant to sign on to host hubs for that reason.

Meanwhile, many migrants remain in limbo. Last week, advocates said the new migrant app was having major problems and that people were unable to get the OK to cross - some who desperately needed to get into the U.S., who were sexually assaulted and beaten by their captors over the border.

Understand that what the people who are terrified to return to their home countries who are seeking asylum, they want to do this the right way so badly that they wait for an app that does not work, said Priscilla Orta, an immigration attorney at Project Corazon. And that is a lottery for their lives.

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WATERVILLE, Maine (AP)  Firefighting foam used in battling a fatal fire in an apartment building entered the public water system, prompting the water district to temporarily order thousands of residents not to drink the water.

The do-not-drink order went into effect Monday for about 9,000 Kennebec Water District customers in Waterville, Winslow, Benton, Fairfield and Vassalboro, and was lifted Tuesday afternoon following testing. People were advised to flush their water lines by running taps for 3 to 5 minutes  or longer if odors or foaming was present.

The foam used by Waterville firefighters is presumed to contain PFAS chemicals, a group of compounds that are widespread, dangerous and expensive to remove from drinking water, but the foam is advertised as being free of fluorine, a toxic element sometimes used in firefighting foam, said fire Capt. Edward Moult.

While the extent of the contamination is unclear, out of an abundance of caution, Kennebec Water District is issuing a system-wide Do Not Drink Order, the water district announced Monday.

The foam entered the public water distribution system as firefighters battled a blaze in an apartment building for seniors. One person was killed and several others were injured Monday.

Officials didnt say how the foam entered the public water supply. Newer buildings have a special valve to prevent firefighters water or foam from flowing back into the public water system, Moult said. The status of such a system on the seven-story apartment building, constructed in 1972, was unclear.

Water samples that were taken Tuesday morning were being delivered to a lab in southern Maine for analysis, and the water district consulted with state health officials before lifting the do-not-drink order.

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In most areas of life, when people are developing policy to fix a problem, they start by trying to understand the problem theyre trying to fix.

In criminal justice policy, this starting point is often skipped. The current discussion around bail is, unfortunately, a good example of how those most vocal about the problem appear to be least interested in understanding what is currently happening.

The government tabled Bill C-48 as an attempt to address the bail problem. Most prominent (and problematic) are the proposed changes that would make repeat accused persons charged with  but not yet convicted of  certain violence and weapons offences responsible for proving why they deserve to be released (what is called a reverse onus). These changes came about because of some tragic high-profile cases where people on bail committed serious offences. In one such case, a person who had been released while awaiting trial killed a police officer.

Many politicians seem to believe that the release decision was an easily avoidable error and that bail decisions can be made perfect (or near perfect) with legislation. Though we dont have adequate data on the specific offences covered by the governments new bill, we have looked at relevant data on the operation of bail courts that can help evaluate the current proposals.

In contrast to the catch and release slogan used by some critics of the current law, we need to consider the fact that 71 per cent of all provincial/territorial prisoners (79 per cent in Ontario) have not been convicted of a crime and are simply awaiting trial.

A 2017 report on Ontarios bail courts showed that of the 9,519 cases in one year involving violence where the accused person was held in custody until the end of the case, 1,741 (or 18 per cent) were released without a conviction. Forty-nine per cent of all the people detained while awaiting trial spent more than 90 days in custody before they were released with all charges withdrawn/acquitted. Eleven per cent spent more than a year in prison before being released without a conviction. That year, in just one province, 2,299 people had lengthy prison stays despite never being subsequently convicted of anything.

Perhaps, the shrill critics of the current system want us to believe that bail problems relate not to the number of people released, but the kinds of persons being released  that those persons who are being granted bail are highly likely to commit new violent offences and that they are responsible for most violent crime.

Though there is no evidence to support that belief, detaining large numbers of people in custody creates another empirically demonstrated crime problem.

The short-term crime reduction that results from incapacitating people needs to be evaluated in light of what happens after they are released. In the long run, those subjected to long periods of imprisonment can be expected to commit more crime. This is consistent with the well-established fact that prison is likely to have a criminogenic effect. In other words, imprisoning a person increases rather than decreases the likelihood they will reoffend.

Hence there is a problem with bail, but it is the opposite of what our political leaders suggest. Pretrial detention decisions will inevitably punish some completely innocent people. And some people being released will commit crimes. Given our remarkably high rate of pretrial imprisonment and the knowledge that thousands of people who are detained will never be found guilty, we need to learn to be more selective on which innocent people we are willing to punish with imprisonment. Our justice system tolerates the imprisoning of people who have not been found guilty and never will be. But Bill C-48 suggests that police decisions to charge someone with certain crimes justifies making that person  who often has few resources to rely on  demonstrate they arent a risk.

As a society governed by the presumption of innocence, are we comfortable forcing people who will never be convicted to justify why they should not be imprisoned?

Tyler King is a PhD candidate at the University of Torontos Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies. Anthony Doob is professor emeritus at the Centre for Criminology & Sociolegal Studies. Jane Sprott is a professor of criminal justice at Toronto Metropolitan University.

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All is flux, wrote the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. Nothing stays still. And wise as the gentleman was, he didnt know the half of it.

Few areas of life are more defining and formative, more gratifying and dispiriting than the jobs we do. And in few areas of life has there been as much upheaval in recent decades as in the nature and quality of work.

As the Star has reported, the changing, churning workplace, and new methods of work itself, has ramifications that ripple through virtually all aspects of city life.

Remote work impacts the downtown population, which affects demand for office space and transit, which has consequences for food outlets, variety stores and all the businesses that depend on the weekday ecosystem of workers.

Technology, COVID-19 and the priorities of new generations of workers are changing the work world utterly. And the revolution continues.

A recent report by the World Economic Forum predicts huge disruptions in the global job market over the next five years as artificial intelligence technologies are adopted and the shift to renewable energies continues.

The report found that employers expect to create 69 million new jobs by 2027 and eliminate 83 million positions, for a net loss of 14 million jobs or two per cent of current global employment.

The key drivers of job destruction, businesses said, were slower economic growth, supply shortages and the rising costs of inputs, and the rising cost of living for consumers.

Its hardly surprising that the fastest declining fields are those in which digitalization and automation have had the biggest impact, with administrative, accounting, clerical and secretarial roles, bank tellers, cashiers, postal and payroll clerks among the most vulnerable.

But change cuts both ways.

More than a quarter of Gen Z workers didnt see themselves at the same place of employment in two years and about half  mostly for reasons of inadequate salary  were exploring alternatives.

Among younger workers there appears to be no going backward on recent developments. More than 80 per cent placed high priority on flexible hours and more than 70 per cent on flexible location of work.

Large-scale job growth is expected in education, agriculture (especially among agricultural equipment operators) and digital commerce and trade.

Analytical thinking (considered a core skill by more companies than any other) and creative thinking remain the most important skills for workers in 2023, the WEF report said.

In such a rapidly changing work environment, skills of resilience, flexibility and agility, motivation and self-awareness, curiosity and a commitment to life-long learning are highly valued.

So too are skills such as empathy and listening, qualities of leadership and social influence.

Employers estimate that 44 per cent of workers skills will be disrupted in the next five years and that six in 10 workers will require training before 2027.

But if employers have expectations on what this new world demands, so too do younger workers.

Almost 70 per cent of Gen Z employees were dissatisfied with their organizations progress on diversity, equity and inclusion and more than half said they would not take a new role in an organization without diverse leadership.

The coming years, said the WEF, represent a generational opportunity for business leaders and policy-makers to make investments that translate into better jobs and opportunities for all.

And that, after all, should be their job.

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Lets connect the dots on the Greenbelt, May 16

Tracing the history of Greenbelt promises was an eye-opening read. But theres another set of recent dots to connect.

Moving the Science Centre to Ontario Place was only the latest ill-advised, heavy-handed move by Premier Doug Ford. The idea of a huge, privately-run spa involves cutting down more than 800 trees. And this connects to the terrible proposal to destroy 7,400 acres of the Greenbelt. All of which connects to yet another dreadful idea, the building of Highway 413 over prime farmland. Theres an authoritarian, anti-environment thread linking all these decisions.

Successive governments have moved far too slowly to address climate change. But to take regressive, backward steps is truly shocking.

When nature gives you the gifts that we in southern Ontario are blessed to have received, its the height of ingratitude to destroy them.

David Posen, Oakville

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This photo taken on May 23, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the "2023 Forum on the Development of Xizang, China" in Beijing, capital of China. A forum on the development of Tibet was held on Tuesday in Beijing to pool wisdom for the continued development of the autonomous region in southwest China. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- A forum on the development of Tibet was held on Tuesday in Beijing to pool wisdom for the continued development of the autonomous region in southwest China.

The one-day forum, jointly hosted by the State Council Information Office and the regional government of Tibet, brought together officials, experts in various fields and representatives of enterprises and media organizations from home and abroad.

Officially called the "2023 Forum on the Development of Xizang, China," it focused on Tibet's new chapter in high-quality development and human rights protection.

Five sub-forums discussed China's whole-process people's democracy, high-quality development, and Tibet's culture and ecological civilization.

After over 70 years of development, a new modern socialist Tibet featuring political and social stability, economic prosperity, ethnic unity, religious harmony, consolidation of border defense and people living and working in peace and contentment is now presented to the world, said Wang Junzheng, secretary of the Communist Party of China Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee, at the opening ceremony.

"People of various ethnic groups in Tibet have enjoyed a greater sense of accomplishment, happiness and security, and moderately prosperous lives along with the rest of the Chinese people," Wang said.

Colin Mackerras, a recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award and the Order of Australia, lauded Tibet's development over past decades, citing his experience gained during visits to Tibet.

He said that Tibet has eliminated absolute poverty, and its infrastructure and living standards have improved dramatically. 

An attendee views an exhibition outside the venue of the "2023 Forum on the Development of Xizang, China" in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on the development of Tibet was held on Tuesday in Beijing to pool wisdom for the continued development of the autonomous region in southwest China. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Attendees listen to guests' speeches at the opening ceremony of the "2023 Forum on the Development of Xizang, China" in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. A forum on the development of Tibet was held on Tuesday in Beijing to pool wisdom for the continued development of the autonomous region in southwest China. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
Pierre Poilievre is courting voters by capitalizing on immigration fears in Quebec, May 17

Althia Raj quite rightly alerts us to the new threat of separatism rising from the ashes.

This is being fostered by Quebecor.

It is also a warning about concentration of ownership in media.

Between its newspapers and TV stations, Quebecor has a very loud voice in Quebec to spew racist comments that would be condemned in other provinces.

This is the 21st century and Canada needs immigration to meet our employment needs. Integration of new citizens from other cultures is a global issue, not just a Quebec issue and Quebecers would be well advise not to create a closed off society.

Peter Bradley, Mississauga

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Conspiracy theorists have long speculated on the Chinese presence on Myanmars Coco Islands, which are barely 40 kms away from Landfall Islands of Indias Andaman and Nicobar chain of islands.

Rumours of lease of these remote Coco Islands to China by the Junta-ruled Myanmar in 1994 have been explicitly and routinely denied by both Myanmar and China. Similarly, murmurs of a plausible SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) station to monitor Indian naval activity, snoop on the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) facility at Sriharikota or keep a hawk eye on the choke point of Malacca Straits have been dismissed by senior Indian military functionaries, periodically.

While there has been some construction activity on the islands, the then Commander-inChief of Andaman and Nicobar Tri-Services Command in 2014 had clarified, China has been developing a runway for civilian purposes. There are no reports of the presence of Chinese per se. The situation is not alarming. Yet a phantom like fear persists and it is not without reason, given two important reasons i.e., Chinas proclivity and Myanmars desperation.

Chinas patent expansionism to co-opt neighbouring countries into the Sinosphere (willingly or unwillingly) has not spared its intent or efforts in Myanmar. While the pariahised status of Myanmar under the junta boots naturally drove the Tatmadaw (Myanmars military) towards the willing arms of Beijing, the junta had always remained cautiously friendly with Beijing to ensure it did not become a vassalized status.

The junta (prior to and after the Aung San Suu Kyi led National League for Democracy government) has not shied away from counter-balancing Chinas influence by engaging with India, simultaneously.

Myanmar has taken strategic and sensitive support from both India and China, without allowing itself to be overindexed to any one side. Therefore, the much-conjectured Sittwe port in Myanmar, which was once believed to be part of Chinas String of Pearls military-commercial (dual purpose) network along the sensitive Chinese sea lines of communication, was eventually made by India.

The healthy and unsaid equation besetting the Tatmadaw and Delhi could be gauged by its facilitation of Operation Hot Pursuit (cross border strike by Indian Army on insurgent camps on Myanmars side) in 2015, despite official downplaying. But the 2021 coup detat that deposed the democratically elected NLD government and brought back the Tatmadaw resulted in complicated dynamics as the regime was desperate to seek international legitimization. China stepped in as the first and foremost defender by refusing to criticise the takeover (India did so initially) and offered support to the internationally shunned regime.

Later India too offered mealy-mouthed statements that seemed to indicate its willingness to engage and accept the Junta regime, but China had already taken the pole position. India was caught in the awkward trap of having to raise concerns on democracy (even though the democratically elected NLD government had kept China on the right side too) and did not commit its resources to the beleaguered Myanmar.

China had no such compunctions or hesitations. China blocked the U.N. Security Council statement condemning the coup. Earlier, the Myanmar Navy was operating with a singular refitted submarine from India, but after the 2021 coup, it was given an additional refurbished Chinese submarine, in a sign of the times.

Soon thereafter pace picked up on crucial projects like the power plant in Kyaukphyu, Mee Ling Gyaing LNG terminal in Ayeyarwady Region, deep-sea port and SEZ (with an accompanying 135 MW gas-fired power plant), and even the ambitious New Yangon Development City project. While these are indeed significant in the scheme of Myanmars limited options, not everyone is excited with the Chinese presence.

Inevitability of debt-traps with Chinese largesse is well understood, as is carte blanche support of the unpopular junta regime. Many are protesting the cost of Chinese investment, for example the Chinese rare earth mining project in Kachin State, communities around Myitsone Dam etc. Most importantly, deep down even the Tatwadaw is extremely wary of the powerful Chinasupported insurgent group, United Wa State Army (numbering 25,000 insurgents), which has called a tactical truce at the behest of Beijing, but can be used as a lever to up the ante should the Chinese want to extract their pound of flesh.

All of this makes the Chinese a source of calibrated and cautious invocation, one that needs to be kept in check and not allowed to spiral out of control. Above all, Tatmadaw knows that the only viable counter to Chinese arm-twisting is India, and therefore the need to ensure that Delhis sensitivities are respected.

Under no circumstances will Tatmadaw put all their eggs in the Chinese basket and with that backdrop, the Coco Islands will realistically not be on the platter for easy picking. In todays era of satellite imagery and other sophisticated tracking mechanisms, the utility of a hypothetical Chinese radar at Coco Islands is extremely limited. The fact that these islands are constrained by their inherent size, hydrographic wherewithal, and distance from the muchbandied Malacca Straits (over 750 miles), makes them more a phantasmagoric bogey than a plausible threat.

However, China has an institutionalised policy of probing frontiers and opening new frontiers in pursuance of its expansionist, distractive and provocative strategy that has historically confounded its neighbours in the South China Sea rim and along other borders. Hence, it would not be beyond China to make a hard pitch for Coco Islands to unsettle and provoke India.

A lot will depend on how India engages Myanmar to secure its own interests and keep the Chinese at bay. Meanwhile China plays a high-stakes game which is prone to go belly-up whenever circumstances (read regime) change as in Sri Lanka and the Maldives and this is a development that cannot be ruled out considering the groundswell against the Junta.

Lastly China will also consider its patronage of the junta by counter-weighing consequences of offending the more significant Asean countries that have not warmed up to Myanmar ~ therefore the subtle snub by the Chinese by refusing to participate in the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Summit in Myanmar, recently. These dynamics indicate that for the Chinese to usurp Coco Islands is highly unlikely, yet.

(The writer is Lt Gen PVSM, AVSM (Retd), and former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky arrived for the G7 summit adding flavour to an antiRussian environment. He met Prime Minister Modi who stated, India and I will do whatever we can for the resolution of the conflict. In Hiroshima, India was the only voice advocating diplomacy to end the conflict. US President Biden supported training for Ukrainian pilots on the F 16, though he made no promise on delivering them. But he did convey the strong Western intent to continue the conflict.

The Quad statement from Hiroshima mentioned deep concern on the Ukrainian war. The G7 statement, as expected, condemned Russia and backed Ukraine. Earlier Zelenskky had visited Europe seeking weapons and financial aid. All the nations he visited, Germany, France, Italy and UK, promised support. Zelenskkys intention to take the war on to Russian soil was rejected by European leaders.

Germany announced a package of nearly $3 billion, UK promised long-range attack drones and air-defence missiles while France offered light tanks, armoured vehicles and military training. On the other hand, the US threatened sanctions on South Africa for providing weapons to Russia. The US ambassador to Pretoria, Reuben Brigety, stated that South Africa had provided weapons to Russia in December last year.

The South African government rejected these claims. Early this month, the EU earmarked seven Chinese companies for sanctions for selling military equipment to Russia. Chinas foreign minister, Qin Gang, stated that China would take necessary response to firmly protect legitimate interests of Chinese companies.

The Pentagon Press secretary, Pat Ryder mentioned, We have communicated with China about the negative consequences of providing lethal support to Russia. The West is desperate to isolate Russia from the world but has not succeeded. According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Since Russias invasion of Ukraine, over 11,000 new restrictions have been placed on Russian individuals, companies, products, and technologies. It added that while these have failed to deliver as expected, they have begun to impact Russias military preparedness.

Russia is compelled to produce military hardware with indigenised poor-quality parts as compared to the latest Western military hardware being provided to Ukraine. Russia in a counter-move sought to enhance ties with Islamic nations, largely anti-West. Greeting participants of the recently concluded 14th International Economic Forum Russia  Islamic World, Putin stated, Russia is open to extensive business and cultural cooperation with Muslim countries. He added: We are united by a common desire to create a more just multipolar world order that is based on international law.

The Russian economy, though contracting by 2.1 per cent, remains stable with continuing oil exports. Indian oil companies are re-exporting refined oil to Europe. The EU, which threatened to act against India for reexporting Russian oil to Europe, was shown the mirror by Jaishankar. Interestingly, Europe is acting against suppliers, not its own buyers. Russias diamond exports continue as the main market is the US.

The war no longer involves soldiers. There is an overflow of mercenaries on both sides. As per the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies, mercenaries from Georgia, Belarus, Legion of Free Russia (formed in Ukraine), Chechens, UK, Canada and the US are fighting alongside the Ukrainians. On the Russian side is their Wagner group leading operations in the Bakhmut region, and all this while Ukrainians hesitate to enlist. Zelenskky continues to talk of a counteroffensive, ignoring negotiations. As long as the West provides arms, funds and mercenaries, Zelenskky will fight their war. A looming concern is the US presidential election next year.

A Republican in the White House could impact Zelenskkys support base, a fact well known in Europe. Donald Trump has already conveyed this intent. Without US support, Ukraine will collapse. Europe cannot replace it. Thus, there is likely to be large-scale interference in US elections from both Russia and China to push for a Republican victory.

For the West, Ukraine is the scapegoat being used to contain Russia, despite the destruction it suffers. The recent blowing up of an ammunition dump in the western Ukrainian city of Khmelnytsky had caused concern as it contained UK-provided ammunition with depleted uranium. Its destruction impacted Ukrainian counteroffensive plans. Zelenskky is nothing short of a dictator, locking up everyone who questions him. In the latest move, all 18 judges of the Ukrainian Supreme court are under the scanner.

Normally the West would have sanctioned him but he remains their darling for sacrificing his country for their security. Nato has stated that Ukraine will only be admitted after victory over Russia, implying never. Zelenskky attempted to gain global support by addressing various global forums, demanding weapons and isolation of Russia. He has addressed the EU, Arab league summit as also the G7. Kiev attempted to push Delhi into providing Zelenskky a platform for the G20, which India refused. With the G7 firmly biased towards Ukraine, the G20 summit will face roadblocks in issuing a neutral statement.

China, sensing a changing environment, sent its foreign minister to Kiev hoping to initiate dialogue. It failed. China had proposed a 12-point peace formula, while Kiev has its own. There is a wide gap between the two. Indias presidency of the G 20 will be the reason for Putin, Biden and Xi Jinping to be in the same room. India must work to exploit this opportunity to create conditions for Putin and Biden to meet by pushing Russia for a temporary ceasefire.

Zelenskky is Bidens mouthpiece and would act the way he is told to. There is no doubt that Russia initiated the conflict, which is against global norms and could set a precedent for others, mainly China, to venture into Taiwan.

However, arming Ukraine is one part of the solution, talks to end the conflict is another. Ignoring diplomacy while permitting large-scale destruction of Ukraine is an equally destructive strategy adopted by the West. Targeting nations dealing with Russia will only divide the world further. The eventual rebuilding of Ukraine cannot be equated to reconstruction of Germany and Japan post the second world war.

Neither would funds be forthcoming nor would they be wisely spent, knowing the levels of corruption in Ukraine. Ukraines loss of a generation will need decades for recovery. Unless the West looks beyond its nose and backs dialogue, Ukraine will be destroyed as a nation.
Dr Manas Bhuniya, state environment minister, has urged teachers, students and nature lovers to work together to stop the rampant onslaught on nature and find out ways and means to preserve the diverse biodiversity in Bengal.

He was addressing a gathering to celebrate World Biodiversity Day this morning. Dr Bhuniya said, Bengal is a bio diverse state.

Except desert one can find everything here, from snow-clad mountains, dense forests, sea and rivers. Time has come that we should preserve our biodiversity, he said, adding, Steps will be taken to revive old varieties of paddy and small fishes that are facing extinction.

The minister said the state environment department will provide every help and assistance to West Bengal Biodiversity Board in its attempt to preserve and protect biodiversity.

The board has taken several steps to preserve nature. In 2023, the peoples biodiversity register (PBR) was upgraded. There are 10 biodiversity heritage sites in West Bengal. Some of these sites are Kanakadurga temple and Chilkigarh forest in Jhargram, Baneshwar Shib Dighi in Cooch Behar, Tonglu MPCA in Darjeeling, Namthing Pokhari, Darjeeling, Haldir Char, East Midnapore and State Horticulture Research and Development among others. Eight biodiversity parks have come up in Bengal while construction of another 28 is on the anvil.

Locally-threatened plants have been preserved along with grassland, eco-pond among others. The state government has set up several seed banks in the city. They are situated at Hirbandh block in Bankura, kultali block in south 24-Parganas, Madarihat in Alipurduar, Basanti block in south 24-Parganas and Dantan block in West Midnapore among others.

The board has taken initiative to conserve and reintroduce the locally threatened varieties with the help of biodiversity management committee.

The board has been working towards establishment of rights of the farmers who have been conserving traditional varieties of rice as per the Protection of Plant Variety and Farmers rights Act, 2001. Seventy three applications of traditional rice varieties are forwarded to the PPV&FR Authority for registration
ENT doctors at SSKM Hospital, eastern Indias premier government super specialist institute for post graduate medical education and research, on Monday gave a new lease of life to a six-year-old male child at a time when two other state-run teaching hospitals, Malda Medical College Hospital (MMCH) and NRS Medical College Hospital allegedly could not give him proper medical treatments since April.

The trouble started for Md Hamim Ansari of Kaliachak in Malda district when he swallowed a foreign body, made of plastic, while playing with it in April. He was rushed to the MMCH where the doctors attending him diagnosed that he had accumulated fluid in his lungs causing a severe cough.

But the doctors could not drain out the fluid. He was then taken to another premier teaching hospital NRS Medical College Hospital in the city where he had undergone treatment for about two weeks since 26 April.

Family members of the boy alleged that diagnostic bronchoscopy performed on him, jointly by NRS Hospitals CTVS and chest units, spotted the plastic in his lungs but the concerned doctors could not bring it out owing to illequipped infrastructure at the ENT unit.

The family members, along with the boy, went back to Kaliachak finding no other way out but then took their son to SSKM Hospital when his condition deteriorated. The SSKM ENT team comprising Dr Arunava Sengupta, head of ENT department, Dr Debashish Ghosh, Dr Mainak Mitra and Dr Swagato Roy on Monday performed an emergency bronchoscopy, considering the patients critical condition and extracted the foreign body successfully within 45 minutes operation.

The patient is doing well and has been shifted to a general bed. He will be discharged after observing his condition for a few more days. It was a very difficult surgery, said Dr Sengupta.
Electricity consumers in Uttar Pradesh will now be able to legally claim compensation for a default in the delivery of services by the UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL).

The UPPCL has implemented the law made in this regard by the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) more than three years ago.

UPPCL chairman M. Devraj has informed the UPERC that the corporation has implemented the compensation law through an online software in the entire state, a UPERC official said.

According to the order issued by Devraj in this regard, consumers can register their complaint about a service default as well as their compensation claim on the corporations 1912 toll-free number, in case the complaint is not resolved within the specified timeframe.

The compensation number will be generated online separately to the consumer concerned and the claim too will be processed online. Compensation will be provided to all eligible complainants within a maximum of 60 days from the date of lodging the complaint, the UPPCL chief said in his order.

The Standard of Performance Regulations was notified by the UPERC in December 2019, fixing the maximum time for the delivery of services.

It also prescribed fines to be imposed on discoms in case of a default.

As part of the Regulation, standards of performance will form the basis to measure performance against the standards for the licensee in providing service and ensuring that distribution companies meet minimum standards which are necessary from the perspective of consumers.

The amount of compensation claimed by consumers will be different for different service defaults.

The UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad president, Awadhesh Kumar Verma said that the implementation of the law will help consumers get better and time-bound services.

We had been demanding the execution of the compensation law by discoms for a long time, Verma said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday embarked on a nationwide to seek support from the Opposition parties against the ordinance brought by the Central Government on the transfer of bureaucrats in the national capital.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor accused the Centre of taking away the rights of the people of Delhi and said that the ordinance should not be allowed to pass in Rajya Sabha. Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal said, From today, I am leaving on a tour across the country, for the rights of the people of Delhi. After many years, SC passed an order and gave rights to the people of Delhi. But, the central government took away all those rights by bringing an ordinance. The law should not be allowed to pass under any circumstances when it is brought in Rajya Sabha. I will meet presidents of all political parties and seek their support.

               SC             ,                                Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 23, 2023

Meanwhile, Kejriwal is scheduled to meet Trinamul Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee today.

He will be meeting Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on May 24 and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on May 25, according to AAP.

This comes after the Union Government on May 19 brought an ordinance to notify rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) regarding the transfer posting, vigilance and other incidental matters.

The ordinance was brought to amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and it circumvents the Supreme Court judgement in the Centre vs Delhi case.

Earlier on Saturday, AAP national convenor called the move undemocratic and illegal alleging that it attacks the basic structure of the Constitution.

He also accused the Centre of challenging the apex court ruling and purposefully waiting for the court to close till 4 pm for passing the ordinance.

Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal said, For a government to run efficiently, it is very important the officers come under the control of the elected government as the court also noted. On Friday, the SC closed at 4 pm, and they (Bharatiya Janata Party) brought the ordinance at 10 pm on the same day.

It seems as a disgusting joke against the democracy, people of the country as well as the 2 crore people of Delhi, he added.

The ordinance has created for the first time a National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) that will have the power to recommend the transfer and posting of all Group A officers and officers of DANICS serving in Delhi. NCCSA will be headed by the Chief Minister of Delhi, with the Chief Secretary and Principal Home Secretary of Delhi being the other two members.

The ordinance designates the Lieutenant Governor (LG) as the administrator of Delhi who will have the final say on the postings and transfer of all bureaucrats serving the Delhi government.
UNITED NATIONS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Monday called on the conflicting parties in Sudan to halt hostilities promptly.

"As a good friend and good partner of Sudan, we sincerely hope that the two parties to the conflict will give priority to Sudan's peace and the well-being of its people, stop hostilities as soon as possible, and resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation," Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council meeting on the situation in Sudan.

Dai said China has noted that the two parties to the conflict have reached temporary ceasefire on multiple occasions and signed the Agreement on a Short-term Ceasefire and Humanitarian Arrangement in Jeddah last Saturday.

"The pressing task is to ensure the implementation of commitments to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to provide security guarantees for and facilitate humanitarian assistance and evacuation," he said.

"We hope that the parties to the conflict will continue the momentum of dialogue, strive for a more durable ceasefire and political arrangement, and bring the country's development back on track," he added.

"We call on the UN and international partners to support and cooperate with regional organizations, with a view to providing the necessary time and space for regional mediation," Dai said.

"The developments in Sudan have once again demonstrated that a solution to the question of Sudan can only be found from within the country. External interference or unilateral sanctions will not solve the problem, but will instead intensify tensions and aggravate political and social crises. The international community needs to draw a lesson. Relevant parties should seriously reflect on the current situation and refrain from expanding unilateral sanctions and thus going further down the wrong path," the envoy noted.

The ambassador pointed out that since the outbreak of the conflict, the already fragile economic and humanitarian situation in Sudan and its neighboring countries has become even more worrisome, adding that China commends Sudan's neighbors for hosting a large number of Sudanese refugees despite the difficulties they themselves face, and calls on the international community to step up assistance to Sudan and its neighbors to alleviate the spillover impact on the region.

"China supports the UN in communicating and coordinating with Sudan and its neighboring countries on humanitarian issues, helping the regional countries with their response capacity, and easing humanitarian pressure," said the envoy.

On the mandate of the UN mission in Sudan, UNITAMS, Dai said its mandate will expire in early June.

"In view of the current situation, UNITAMS will face considerable challenges in its future work. China encourages the penholders to stay in close touch with Sudan and fully respect its views. This is not only conducive to the smooth work of UNITAMS in the future, but also to the long-term cooperation between the UN and Sudan, said the ambassador. 
Accusing Bhagwant Mann of surrendering Punjabs river waters to Rajasthan, Shiromani Akali Dal decided to stage a protest against the Punjab chief minister tomorrow at Abohar.

The Akalis were agitated following claims by Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) chief and a member of Parliament (MP) from Nagaur Hanuman Beniwal about a meeting the Punjab CM is purported to have at Bathinda on Sunday over irrigation water crisis being faced by farmers in the Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar districts of Rajasthan which borders Punjab.

Punjab chief minister and my friend Bhagwant Mann will soon take a positive decision as per the demand of the farmers with regard to the agitation that has been going on over 1250 cusecs of water, Beniwal said in a tweet after the meeting.

Terming it a secret and arbitrary sellout to Rajasthan, Badal said SAD will not remain a mute witness to AAP Governments surrender and loot of Punjabs river waters.

We asked the Punjab CM to clarify his position on the reports, but although more than a day has passed since the reports appeared, he still chooses to hide behind silence in order to quietly go ahead with the surrender. We wont allow this to happen, he asserted.

Badal, who will lead the dharna to commence at 11 am, said this latest surrender by the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP Government in Punjab was a mere continuation of a long history of betrayals of Punjabs and Panths vital interests on every religious, economic, territorial and river waters issues.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has always led in this loot of Punjabs river waters to both Haryana and Delhi and Bhagwant Mann has always quietly and meekly acquiesced in this loot, the SAD chief said.

Badal further said that following instructions from his boss (Aam Aadmi Party chief) Kejriwal, Mann has now agreed to sign away more river water to Rajasthan, dealing a death blow to the beleaguered farmers of Punjab and to the detriment of the economy of the state.

In this context, he recalled how Mann had earlier virtually surrendered Punjabs legitimate claim to Chandigarh by begging for space in our own capital to set up a separate legislative Assembly instead of asking Haryana to shift out of here.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) is likely to hold an election strategy meeting with the senior leaders of the four states, including Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, by the weekend.

Senior leaders in the Rajasthan PCC are tightlipped on whether the ongoing tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy, Sachin Pilot, would crop up during the meeting at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi. However, PCC President Govind Singh Dotasara has sent his report on Pilots Jan Sangharsh Pad Yatra (held on May 11-15) to party in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa as was sought by him.

The the exact date of the meeting with Rajasthan Congress leaders will be finalised by tomorrow at a meeting to be held by by AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, told The Statesman when contacted.

The party will also hold separate meetings with the leaders of the three other states, namely MP, Telangana, and Chattisgarh, as the assembly elections are due in these states later this year. Please wait for the meeting date, he added.

During an interaction with the media in Delhi earlier the day, on being asked whether the tussle between Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot will be take up during the meeting, he said, Ye purana ho gaya hai, nayi baat karo. (This is an old issue, talk of something new).

Video of the media interaction with Randhawa has gone viral on social media in Rajasthan.

On the question whether Pilot will be called for the meeting, Randhawa said, Party leaders have been invited. Leaders shall come to attend it.

Meanwhile, Rajasthan PCC President Govind Singh Dotasara told SNS that he and the chief minister would be going to Delhi on the stipulated date. Dotasara declined to raise the issue of Pilot who has given an ultimatum to the Gehlot Government to accept his three main demands by May 30, otherwise his faction would go on an indefinite statewide andolan (agitation).

On May 11, the former deputy of the state had sounded a warning on his own government demanding that students who suffered competitive examination paper leak should be given economic compensation, dissolve the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) and reorient it to save the youths future as its government nominee was arrested, and set up a high level probe on the graft cases of former CM Vasundhara Rajes tenure.

Recently, at the Jaipur Airport, on his way to attend the death anniversary of former PM Rajiv Gandhi on May 21, Randhawa termed Pilots Jan Sangharsh Yatra call before the Karnataka polling inappropriate. In politics there is no permanent friend or foe, he said, adding if Pilot had given an ultimatum, CM Gehlot shall answer to it.

If he (Pilot) provides any proof of corruption and brings it to the public, I will be first to ask the state government to investigate. Congress does not show any exit gate to anyone but it is up to the concerned leader to decide it, he said while replying to a bunch of questions related to Pilot.

Meanwhile, a PCC source said the meeting would also finalise the extension of Pradesh Congress Committees office bearers and functionaries in most of the districts in the state as the district president posts are lying vacant for the last four years.
Death of nearly 30 camels after drinking contaminated water at a village lake in the Bharuch district has brought into sharp focus the problem of chemical dumping in Gujarat.

The latest tragedy occurred on Sunday in Kacchipura village in Vagara taluka where a group of camel herders had stopped over near a lake with their animals.

Death of cattle by the dozens soon after grazing on land near chemical plants is not uncommon in Gujarat. But cow vigilantes never get agitated over such tragedies.

Soon after drinking water from the pond on Sunday afternoon, camels started dropping dead one after another prompting the herders to immediately take rest of the animals away.

At least 25 carcasses of camels have been recovered from the site and sent for post-mortem to ascertain the cause of their death.

Eminent environmentalist Rohit Prajapati, who routinely brings out video evidence of chemical units dumping untreated effluents in open fields, told The Statesman that a crude oil pipeline of the ONGC passes through the area.

The contamination of the lake water may be due to leakage or spillage from the pipeline, he added.

Dumping of untreated chemicals is not suspected in this case as there is no chemical factory nearby, Rohit Prajapati said.

Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) officials have rushed to the lake site to examine the source of contamination of the water which caused the camel deaths.
Six months before the assembly elections in the state, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday urged the Central government to conduct fresh caste-based census for the people of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in view of the demand for increased quota as their population has increased with the times.

The state government will get SC/ST/OBC status reviewed through OBC commission and better mathematics, and OBCs quota can be raised from 21 to 27 percent, Gehlot told the media on his tour to Udaipur to take stock of the Mehangai Bachat Rahat Camp.

He recalled when he became chief minister of Rajasthan first time in 1998, an OBC quota of 21 per cent was affected while the SC quota was doubled from 8 to 16 per cent and for ST from 6 to 12 per cent. Now, the 50 per cent limit on quota is saturated for all categories, thus a fresh census and rise in quota is required, he added.

The Congress government would again try to do it after consulting the concerned commissions and the fresh census, Gehlot underlined. He, however, hoped that there shall not be any party/politics on it.

It was the Congress government that provided a 5 per cent MBC (most backward caste) quota in jobs educational institutions to the Gujjars, Banjaras Gadia Lohars, Raikas and Gadarias.

He said a resolution has been passed in the national convention of the Congress held at Raipur, and the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has also written a letter to the PM in this connection.
Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said on Tuesday that the government is in talks with Brazil for urad import to increase domestic supply and keep prices under control.

In view of the demand-supply gap, India imports 7-7.5 lakh tonnes of urad annually, of which 74 per cent comes from Myanmar, he said.

The agro-climatic conditions in Brazil are suitable for urad production, the secretary told reporters. We are seriously exploring the possibility of importing Urad from Brazil. The talks are in an advanced stage. He said that so far in the current calendar year, about two lakh tonnes of urad have been imported from Myanmar.

To reduce its dependence on Myanmar, India is exploring other destinations for new sources of urad.

Recently, the Department of Consumer Affairs warned exporters of pulses in Myanmar against hoarding the commodity as it affects domestic supplies.

The Agriculture Ministry has estimated urad production at 26.8 lakh tonnes for the year 2022-23 (July-June), which is lower than last years 27.7 lakh tonnes.
Underlining the importance of peace for growth of tourism, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said Jammu Kashmir will soon find its place among top-50 destinations in the world and it will be on the travel bucket list of global travellers.

Manoj Sinha was speaking at the inaugural session of G20s third Tourism Working Group meeting in Srinagar on Tuesday.

It is worth mentioning here that while China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia were not attending the high-profile meeting, representatives of 17 other member countries are participating in it.

Lashed out at Pakistan for exporting terror in the border region, Sinha said by empowering the masses in J&K, the administration has isolated the terror eco-system that thrived with the support from across the border. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for weeding out terrorism and opening limitless possibilities of growth and peace in the union territory.

He said that tourism in Jammu Kashmir is also a reflection of the multi-religious and multi-cultural ethos of India.

The Lt governor said, Tourism cannot grow in isolation. The economics of it is fine, that tourism needs good infrastructure, sound policies and effective and responsive administration. No less fundamental to me is the fact that only peace and happiness of people can bring warmth in the hospitality we Indians eternally enjoy.

He said today, Jammu Kashmir stands among the developed regions of India on some measurable milestones, and the administration is committed for peoples prosperity both economically and socially.

The paradigm shift towards sustainable living, inclusive and sustainable development is also an opportunity to provide new impetus to sustainable tourism. I am truly delighted that under Indias G20 Presidency, the G20 Tourism Working Group is focusing on five inter-connected priority areas. Green tourism, digitalization, skills, tourism MSMEs and destination management will provide a roadmap for tourism as a tool for achieving sustainable development goals, the Lt Governor remarked as he noted that Jammu and Kashmir is already working on a few of the priority areas identified by the G20 Tourism Working Group like on Green Tourism, Skills, Tourism MSMEs and Digitalization.

He emphasised that in the post-pandemic era five key building blocks will promote environmental awareness, protect the ecology and improve the economy and livelihoods of communities and inclusive growth of stakeholders.

The Lt governor noted that a record number of 18 million tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir last year, the tourism sector made a 7 per cent contribution to Jammu Kashmir GDP. We have identified 300 new destinations to promote green tourism, small & medium enterprises, youth and women entrepreneurs and involve local communities to support sustainable tourism.

The Lt governor said that after a long pause of almost 4-decades, J&K UT administration has revived the relationship with Bollywood and launched a film policy in 2021 to attract more investment into the film sector. He also said that more than 300 movies were filmed in the region last year and such enthusiasm is bringing about a qualitative change in the lives of people.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister for Tourism G Kishan Reddy said, We always look forward to working with G20 nations to promote sustainable tourism throughout the world including the domestic circuits.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said development of J&K can be seen in the form that the worlds highest railway bridge here is higher than the Eiffel Tower.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday accused the Delhi Police of misbehaviour with former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia at the Rouse Avenue Court here.

Retweeting a video posted by Delhi Education Minister Atishi in which Sisodia was shown being pushed and jostled by a cop while escorting him to court, Kejriwal asked on Twitter, Do the police have the right to misbehave with Manish ji like this? Has the police been asked from above to do this?

In her tweet, Atishi had said: Shocking misbehaviour by this policeman with Manish ji in Rouse Avenue Court. Delhi Police should suspend him immediately.

The Delhi Police have termed the allegations propaganda.

The allegations of police misbehaviour towards Mr. Manish Sisodia during his appearance at the Rouse Avenue Court is propaganda. The polices response, as seen in the video, was necessary for security reasons. Making statements to the media while in judicial custody is prohibited by law, the Delhi Police tweeted in Hindi.

Earlier in the day, the Rouse Avenue Court extended Sisodias judicial custody till June 1 in connection with the Delhi excise policy case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The jail authorities were also directed to consider his request to provide him a chair and table for study purposes.
In a setback to noted Malayalam actor Unnimukundan, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday rejected a plea filed by the actor seeking to quash the FIR pertaining to outraging the modesty of a woman filed against him.

Rejecting the plea of Unnimukundan, a single bench of Justice K Babu allowed the prosecution to go ahead with the trial proceedings against the actor in the lower court in the case registered in 2017.

The High Court had in February vacated the stay granted by it earlier on the trial proceedings against the actor, after the woman denied the claims that she agreed to an out-of-court settlement.

In 2017, a woman script writer filed a sexual harassment case against Unnimukundan stating that she had visited his home in Kochi to discuss a movie project and the actor allegedly attempted to sexually assault her. She reported that the incident took place on August 23, 2017 and she filed the case on September 15, 2017.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday congratulated the newly elected Mayors and urged them to work towards making municipal corporations self-reliant on the lines of Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of self-reliant India. As many as seven newly elected Mayors called on the Chief Minister at his residence today.

Yogi directed the Mayors to address the problems of their areas effectively with the support of public representatives and also take measures to enhance income of their respective municipal corporations. He also motivated them to perform better and try to do something new.

Development is the only means of success. So, bring change through development. There is no dearth of money for development. Prioritize development works in every ward and ensure standard and quality of work. Use the CSR money to improve public works, Yogi remarked.

The Chief Minister also called for making all the 17 municipal corporations safe and smart. The CM told the Mayors to pay special attention to cleaning and maintenance of toilets in urban areas. He also directed them to build a convention center for the common man, which would not only benefit people, but also enhance income of corporations.

Emphasising the need for increasing the income of municipal corporations and making them self-reliant, CM Yogi mooted the idea of bringing tax reforms and facilitating deposit of taxes for the common man with the help of technology.

People should be made aware to pay tax. Online facilities should be provided. Multi-level parking lots can also help increase municipal corporations income, in addition to providing convenience to people, he remarked.

Yogi also expressed concern over the existence of illegal taxi stands and directed the Mayors to identify such taxi stands in urban areas and remove them. He also told them to make alternative arrangements for taxi stands so that people do not feel inconvenience.

The CM also gave instructions regarding installation of Integrated Traffic Management System at all major intersections. Mayors who met the CM included Bihari Lal of Jhansi, Prashant Singhal of Aligarh, Harikant Ahluwalia of Meerut, Archana Verma of Shahjahanpur, Vinod Agarwal of Mathura, Sunita Dayal of Ghaziabad and Hemlata Diwakar of Agra.
A public interest plea has been filed in the Supreme Court, challenging Tamil Nadu Governments decision to construct a 134 feet tall Pen Monument in honour of late Chief Minister and DMK patriarch MK Karunanidhi at Marina Beach near Muthamil Kalaignar Karunanidhi Memorial.

A public interest plea by Madurai resident KK Ramesh has urged the top court to direct the Tamil Nadu Government and the Ministry of Environment to withdraw the decision to construct the monument as it could damage the ecosystem.

The petitioner has alleged that all the departments of the state government gave clearance for the proposed monument in breach of the statutory regimes governing the environment protection.

Alleging that all clearance for the monument project were given by different departments in haste, the public interest petitioner has said that unchecked construction activities in the Marina Beach area would have a devastating effect on the natural water flow that may ultimately result in severe natural calamities.

The plea also sought direction to protect the coastal regions of all coastal States from the rising sea-levels and erosion.

Prohibit any construction work or alternative work or any development work in the coastal regions of all states of India, says the PIL. It has further sought the prohibition of the burial of any mortal remains in all coastal areas across the country and to encourage the plantation of suitable trees.

The plea has stated: The expert opinions suggest that the devastating floods faced in recent years in Tamil Nadu are the immediate result of uncontrolled construction activities on sea shores and unscrupulous trespass into the natural path of backwaters.

The monument, estimated to cost Rs 80 crore, could further affect the coastline and will impact the fish population since Marina Beach is an area which has a high-accretion rate (accumulation of sand).

Earlier, some residents of the state had also approached the top court seeking direction to the Tamil Nadu government and Ministry of Environment to cancel the construction of Pen Statue project within the Marina beach and not to damage the ecosystem, marine life of Marina beach.

The DMK has defended the decision to build the Pen Monument, saying it is the most befitting move to honour the literary genius who was also a political colossus.

Apart from being a politician, Karunanidhi was an accomplished writer and he wrote almost daily for the DMKs newspaper Murasoli.
Security personnel attend funeral ceremony of their colleagues who were killed in an attack on a private oil and gas exploitation plant, in northwest Pakistan's Bannu on May 23, 2023. At least six security members were killed when a group of terrorists stormed a private oil and gas exploitation plant in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police officers said on Tuesday. (Str/Xinhua)

ISLAMABAD, May 23 (Xinhua) -- At least six security members were killed when a group of terrorists stormed a private oil and gas exploitation plant in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police officers said on Tuesday.

More than two dozen heavily armed terrorists attacked the plant early Tuesday morning in Manji Khel area of Hangu, a district bordering Afghanistan, resulting in the death of four frontier constabulary members and two private security guards, district police officer Asif Bahadur told Xinhua.

He said that the situation was under control at the moment as security forces have taken the area back from terrorists after over two hours of intense fighting.

Following the incident, a heavy contingent of security forces along with rescue teams reached the spot. The security forces cordoned off the area and tightened security of oil and gas fields across the district.

Heavy damage was caused at the oil field, which is a joint venture of Pakistan and Hungary, according to local police.

A search operation was launched in the area to nab the miscreants, said police.

No group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack. 

Security personnel attend funeral ceremony of their colleagues who were killed in an attack on a private oil and gas exploitation plant, in northwest Pakistan's Bannu on May 23, 2023. At least six security members were killed when a group of terrorists stormed a private oil and gas exploitation plant in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police officers said on Tuesday. (Str/Xinhua)
Long before the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue was re-established in 2017, and in almost its first major diplomatic outreach under Prime Minister Modi, India had taken up engagement with Pacific Island countries with the establishment of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC). At the first meeting of the forum in Suva, Fiji, in November 2014, the Prime Minister had laid out a blueprint for cooperation in fields as diverse as a blue economy, oil and natural gas, mining information technology and healthcare. The second meeting of the forum took place the following year in Jaipur, where leaders of the 14 Pacific Island countries participated.

The third meeting of the Forum took place in Papua New Guinea eight years later, amidst growing concerns that China is expanding its footprint in these island nations. Increasingly, these nations, which were once considered a part of the Australian sphere of influence, have become the focal point of rivalry between Beijing and Washington. Even as Mr. Modi was concluding the meeting of the FIPIC, Papua New Guinea, the largest of the islands in terms of population, was preparing to welcome American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and to sign a new security pact in terms of which Washington will provide $45 million to the country to help improve security cooperation, and in mitigating impacts of climate change.

This follows a deal between Solomon Islands and China last year whereby Beijing was allowed to dock its warships on the islands and send security forces to assist in maintaining social order. Just as that deal was criticized, both by islanders and in the West, for pushing the Solomon Islands into Beijings lap, Mr. Blinkens visit has drawn protests from many in Papua New Guinea who are concerned that a security pact with Washington will draw Beijings ire on an island nation which needs to accord the highest priority to survival from climate change impacts.

The Pacific islands are in the front lines of the climate battle, as rising sea levels are projected to threaten their existence in the next few decades. Thus while the island nations would like to cash in on the increased assistance offered by the worlds large powers they are wary of becoming pawns in global geopolitics. It is against this backdrop that the exceptionally warm welcome offered by Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape to Mr. Modi must be viewed.

Mr. Marape, who broke convention in more ways than one while greeting his counterpart, described India as the leader of the global South, a careful choice of words that while hinting at growing discomfort with the security implications of the USChina rivalry expresses hope of enhanced cooperation with a country that may not seek excessive strategic advantages.

Mr. Modi was savvy enough to pick up the cue and told Mr. Marape India supported a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific even as he promised to share Indias capabilities in digital technology, space technology, climate change and environmental protection. These are words that the islanders would have yearned to hear. But the immediacy of the existential threat the islands face means FIPIC will have to step up the frequency and intensity of its engagements, especially if India is to play a key role in the Pacific.
The Irish Data Protection Commission on Monday fined Meta (formerly Facebook) a record $1.3 billion fine over violating data transfer rules in the European Union (EU).

The Irish watchdog said that Meta violated the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which came into force on May 25, 2018.

The Wall Street Journal was first to report about the landmark penalty on Meta.

The ruling applies only to Facebook and not Instagram and WhatsApp.

Meta said it would appeal against the Irish watchdogs decision.

Without the ability to transfer data across borders, the internet risks being carved up into national and regional silos, restricting the global economy and leaving citizens in different countries unable to access many of the shared services we have come to rely on, Nick Clegg, Metas President of Global Affairs said in a statement.

The Irish privacy watchdog said that Metas use of a legal instrument known as standard contractual clauses (SCCs) to move data to the US did not address the risks to the fundamental rights and freedoms of European users, reports Politico.

Regulators said that Meta failed to comply with a 2020 decision by the EUs highest court that data shipped across the Atlantic was not sufficiently protected from the US spy agencies.

The European Court of Justice in 2020 struck down an EU-US data flows agreement known as the Privacy Shield. The EU and US are now working on a new data flow deal that could come later this year.

Amazon was previously fined 746 euros million by Luxembourg and the Irish regulator also imposed fines against Metas platforms Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp ranging between 405 million and 225 million euros in the past two years.
President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy say they and their lead negotiators have had a productive meeting at the White House on the impasse over the government's debt ceiling
The head of a major international aid agency says key Taliban officials told him they are close to finalizing guidelines that will allow Afghan women to resume working for nongovernmental organizations
LONDON (AP)  A London judge rejected Prince Harry's bid to pay for his own police protection Tuesday, denying the royal's request to challenge the U.K. government in court.

The British government stopped providing security after Harry, the younger son of King Charles III, and his wife, the former actress Meghan Markle, quit their royal duties and moved to California in 2020. It then rejected his offer to pay for protection when he visits home.

A lawyer for the government argued in court that it was not appropriate to allow hiring police officers as private bodyguards for the wealthy.

Justice Martin Chamberlain said there was nothing incoherent or illogical in the governments reasoning to deny the Duke of Sussexs request to hire police bodyguards at his own expense. He said providing private protection for an individual was different from paying police as security at sporting and other events.

Further, he said it could strain police resources, set a precedent and be seen as unfair.

If privately funded protective security were permitted, a less wealthy individual would feel unfairly treated, the availability of a limited specialist resource would be reduced and a precedent would have been set which it would be difficult to contain," Chamberlain wrote.

Harry has said he doesnt feel safe visiting Britain with his young children, and has cited aggressive press photographers that chased him after an event in 2021.

The case was argued last week on the same day Harry and Meghan sought cover from paparazzi in a New York police station after a spokesperson said they had been involved in a near catastrophic car chase with photographers after a gala event.

No one was injured and no citations given, but police said photographers made it challenging for the couple to get where they were going.

The couple have said they fund their own security. Former President Donald Trump said the U.S. government wouldnt pay to protect them.

While Harry lost the case to pay police to protect him in the U.K., he could end up with a bigger prize. Another judge allowed his case to proceed challenging the decision to deny him government-paid security.

The prince has four other active legal cases in London courts, all of them against British tabloid publishers over allegations of phone hacking or libel.

Harry is due to testify next month in an ongoing trial against the publisher of the Daily Mirror over allegations it used illegal means to gather material for dozens of articles about the duke, dating back as far as the 1990s.

Judges are currently weighing whether two other phone hacking cases can go to trial against the publishers of the Daily Mail and The Sun.

Lawyers for the newspapers have argued the claims were brought well beyond a six-year time limit. Harry's lawyer has argued that an exception should be granted because the publishers were deceptive about the hacking and other unlawful information gathering so he couldn't discover it soon enough.

A judge is also considering whether to toss out Harry's libel lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday over an article alleging he tried to hush up his challenge to pay for police security.

The newspaper has claimed it was expressing an honest opinion, but a judge in a preliminary ruling found it defamatory.
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ALTON  Two resolutions to disperse American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for Alton projects were both voted down by the council at its committee of the whole meeting on Monday.

One ARPA disbursement was for $27,970.33 to enable the Alton Police Department to purchase 15 Bola Wrap devices, holsters, cartridges and necessary training for the new criminal restraint devices. The second request was for the Alton Fire Department and included the purchase of two Mercury Boat Motors for $47,481.87 to replace two aging motors, as well as $8,000 in pipe valve repairs to Alton Fire Station No. 2.

Both ARPA requests did not get approved. The Bola Wrap resolution never received a motion. But Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford considered that a good thing.

According to Ford, city officials have reached an agreement with the Alton Township Supervisor Mary Bohart to provide funding for all three of the items resolutions.

"She saw the need and she likes the idea," Ford said. "We're (the police and fire department) going to be taken care of."

The Bola Wrap 150 is an electronic device that launches a 7.5-foot Kevlar cord with anchors that wrap around an individual's legs or arms and mid-section. The tether can launch at a range of 10 to 25 feet. It also has a green multi-dot laser for aiming.

Ford said the order for the devices will be placed Wednesday.

Also on Monday, aldermen accepted the bid of $452,458.75 by Stutz Excavating for Phase 2 of the Riverview Drive reconstruction project.

The roadway collapsed in a rain-soaked mudslide in August 2019 that took out part of the road and destroyed an old, smaller retaining wall in the area. The roadway has been closed ever since.

The bluff stabilization, Phase 1 of the project, started in November 2022 with work by GeoStabalization International based in Commerce City, Colorado. The crew started building the new retaining wall in late January and in March began building an adjacent wall and sidewalk.

Aldermen on Monday also approved stop signs on northbound and southbound Monroe Street at Madsion Avenue; using city-owned property, including sidewalks, to facilitate The Night Market on Broadway every Thursday June 1 through July 27; and begin demolition of properties at 3308 Brown St. and 611 Stowell Ave.
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GLEN CARBON  Sunday was the big day for Father McGivney Catholic High School senior class, and the 69 graduates took the spotlight for commencement ceremonies with an audience that packed the school gym to salute them.

The students' dedication to their studies, and the support system behind them of parents, educators and others, paid off as they became FMCHS alumni.

On hand to offer the commencement address was Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield Illinois.

He briefly described his own formal education which, beyond high school, included studying law at DePaul University College of Law. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1981. He later earned his MBA as well.

Paprocki was installed in his current post in 2010.

"The more I went to school, the more I realized what I don't know," Paprocki said. "Wisdom and knowledge are not the same thing.

"Wisdom is an attribute of God," the bishop said. "And to be wise is to think along the lines that God is thinking. To do the right thing.

"So there are four statements that I want to offer to you that I think are very wise statements," he added.

The bishop offered four phrases that he suggested the Class of 2023 always remember and use throughout life:

"I don't know"

Paprocki explained, "You find out there's just so much information you can't know it all. You learn how to learn. You have to recognize areas where you don't know something."

He encouraged the young people to look deeper into any variety of topics they encounter in life and try to find out more.

"Be honest and say, 'I don't know, but I'll look into that for you,'" Paprocki said.

"I was wrong"

As the bishop noted, "We certainly don't like to admit if we're wrong."

But people who are self-confident can admit when they are wrong, Paprocki noted.

This leads into the next phrase he highlighted.

"I'm sorry"

"When you do something wrong, (you should be able) to recognize that, admit it and then to be able to ask for forgiveness," Paprocki said. "And when you are sorry about something, be sincere about that."

"I need help"

Finally, Paprocki said this phrase goes to the topic of humility.

"We live in a culture where we ... have a lot of Lone Rangers: 'I can do this by myself. I don't need any help,'" he said. "And yet the very fact that you're here as part of a high school community; you're part of a church, as well.

"We can't do this by ourselves," Paprocki said. "We can't live our faith lives by ourselves. That's why our Lord instituted a church. We need to support each other."

Paprocki also offered eight virtues that go along with the four phrases above: magnanimity, humility, prudence, temperance, justice, faith, hope and love.

Also at the Sunday ceremony, brief graduate addresses were given by the top academic students: Daniel Gierer, Lauren Jones, Margaret Klusas, Evan Schrage and Sophia Tutt. FMCHS also recognized the commencement with a Baccalaureate Mass on Sunday morning just before the graduation ceremony.

Graduates included young people from parishes in Edwardsville (St. Boniface, St. Mary's), Glen Carbon (St. Cecilia), Maryville (Mother of Perpetual Help), Highland (St. Paul), Granite City (Holy Family) and Troy (St. Jerome).
JERSEYVILLE  A Brighton woman was charged recently with two counts of felony DUI related to a March 14 auto accident that left another person injured.

Janice L. Lyles, 63, of Brighton, was charged May 18 with two counts of aggravated driving a vehicle under the influence, a Super Class 4 felony.

According to court documents, on March 14 Lyles allegedly was driving a 2010 Ford on U.S. 67 at Delhi Road while under the influence of alcohol and other drugs, resulting in an accident that left another person seriously injured.

No bail was noted, but a summons to appear in court at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 20 was issued.

In an unrelated case, a Grafton man was charged with felony domestic battery after a May 19 incident.

Ryan L. Powers, 40, was charged May 19 with domestic battery and unlawful restraint, both Class 4 felonies.

According to court documents, on May 19 Powers allegedly struck, punched and held down a household or family member, and grabbed the victim to keep them from leaving the residence.

Powers has a conviction for domestic battery out of Madison County in December 2022.

Bail was set at $30,000.

Other felony charges filed recently by the Jersey County States Attorneys Office include:

 Dayna M. Ramsey, 45, of Jerseyville, was charged May 15 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. According to court documents, on May 13 Ramsey allegedly had less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $10,000.

 Daniel L. Trask, 49, of East Alton, was charged May 15 with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. According to court documents, on May 13 Trask allegedly had less than 15 grams of heroin. Bail was set at $10,000.
ROODHOUSE  For more than 150 years, the Martin family and their descendants have help organize and participate in the decorating of graves for veterans in the Martin's Prairie Cemetery.

The Martins settled into the area in 1828. The tradition started with the family after Thomas Martin was killed during the Civil War.

Marilyn Lunnemann, a descendent of the Martin family, said this has been her families tradition each year, one she has always tried to come back to participate in while she lived in St. Louis.

"It is a beautiful way to honor veterans," Lunnemann said. "I think it is important that we take the time to reflect on the small things that make a huge difference. This grounds me and makes me remember the people from all walks of life that took the time from their families to go and protect their country."

Now that she has moved back to rural Jacksonville, she said it is something she will continue to pass down to her family.

"It was started to honor James and Tom," Martin said. "There were already veterans there, so they started honoring them with flowers. My aunts remember this. It was the big spring celebration."

As a little girl, she said she remembers going and hearing the history of her family and how they started the tradition.

And though the people have changed, Lunnemann said a family member has almost always been a part of planning.

The tradition started a Decoration Days where family members of those who died or were serving in the Civil War would place fresh flowers and flags on the graves of veterans.

"The service has been held every year since it began, generally organized by members of the Martins Prairie Cemetery Board," Lunnemann said. "The veterans graves continue to be marked with flags. Honorees include members of the community who served in the War of 1812, the Blackhawk War, the Mexican War, Spanish-American War, the Civil War, World War I and World War II."

The cemetery is located a mile north of the Martin's Prairie Baptist Church, which is about four miles east of Roodhouse on the Roodhouse-Scottville Blacktop.

The service will take place at noon Sunday. Civil War re-enactors will be participating in the ceremony.

This year, a new stone will be dedicated to James Martin, who was a member of the 6th Illinois Calvary.

Deirdre Alexander, a member of the cemetery board, said a lot of his history had been unknown as both the cemetery records and family knowledge listed him a member of the 59th Illinois Infantry. Alexander is also a member of the a group of re-enactors for the 6th Illinois Calvary.

The Martin family have given the group a spur that had belonged to James Martin.

"They had often wondered why an infantryman had one, especially him not being an officer, but he wished us to take it for a year wherever we reenacted," Alexander said. "One of the places this spur traveled was to Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield, where in the captains saddlebag, it traversed some of the lands where the 6th Illinois Calvary fought. No one knew at the time it was James true regiment, but all the reenactors knew we carried with us a relic of honor. During the time frame when the young trooper Martin died at Camp Butler from dysentery, the 6th Illinois Calvary had just completed a three-day engagement with Gen. Forrests troops."

The new stone was placed to correct his company and he will be recognized during the ceremony.
BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to a forum on the development of Tibet that opened on Tuesday in Beijing.

"People's happiness is the ultimate human right, while development holds the key to delivering better lives to the people," Xi noted in the letter to "2023 Forum on the Development of Xizang, China."

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, people in Tibet, with the strong support of the central government and people throughout the country, have worked with fortitude and brought about a resolution to the problem of extreme poverty that had plagued the region for centuries, the letter said.

Tibet has achieved a moderately prosperous society in all respects along with the rest of the country, demonstrating vibrant and thriving scenes, it added.

Xi said he hopes that on the new journey of advancing Chinese modernization, Tibet can fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, step up efforts to promote high-quality development, and strive to build a prosperous, harmonious and beautiful new socialist Tibet underpinned by unity, civility and modernization so that the people of Tibet can enjoy better and more fulfilled lives.

The forum, themed "New Era, New Xizang, New Journey: New Chapter in Xizang's High-quality Development and Human Rights Protection," is hosted by the State Council Information Office and the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region. 
EDWARDSVILLE  A Granite City man faces felony weapons charges filed Monday by the Madison County States Attorneys Office.

Christopher M. Raymond, 31, was charged May 22 with unlawful possession of firearms by a felon, a Class 3 felony, and aggravated unlawful use of weapons, a Class 4 felony.

The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department.

According to court documents, on May 19 Raymond allegedly had a loaded Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun accessible in a motor vehicle without a valid Firearm Owners Identification Card or concealed carry permit.

He has a conviction for unlawful taking, a felony, out of Lancaster County, Nebraska in 2014, making him ineligible to possess weapons.

Bail was set at $50,000.

In an unrelated case, Larry A. Franklin, 60, of Bethalto, was charged with two counts of aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony, and battery, a Class A misdemeanor.

The case was presented by the Bethalto Police Department.

According to court documents, on May 21 Franklin allegedly struck an 84-year-old man, injuring him. He also allegedly pushed a 79-year-old woman, causing her to fall, and pushed another victim causing her to fall.

Bail was set at $50,000.

Other felony charges filed May 22 by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include:

 Cody A. Helms, 28, of Edwardsville, was charged with aggravated assault by discharge of a firearm, and reckless discharge of a firearm, both Class 4 felonies. The case was presented by the Edwardsville Police Department. According to court documents, on May 20 Helms allegedly fired a gun in the immediate vicinity of another person in the 1300 block of Eberhart Avenue, Edwardsville. Bail was set at $40,000.

 Cordrell Ellis, 42, of Madison, was charged with causing injury to a police animal and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, both Class 4 felonies. The case was presented by the Brooklyn Police Department. On Feb. 21 Ellis allegedly injured Chunks, a Brooklyn Police Department K-9, by striking and strangling the animal. He also allegedly was driving a Lexus SUV when he attempted to flee from a Brooklyn police officer, reaching speeds in excess of 21 miles above the posted speed limit. Bail was set at $50,000.

 Whitney S. Davidson, 33, of Wood River, was charged with criminal damage to property over $500, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. On May 19 Davidson allegedly caused more than $500 damage to a 2025 Mazda motor vehicle and front window of a home in the 200 block of Sandridge Court, Collinsville. Bail was set at $25,000.
Journal-Courier

CARROLLTON  Officials have identified a Carrollton man killed in a three-vehicle collision on U.S. 67 in Greene County on Monday morning.

Illinois State Police identified the victim as Kenneth R. Crull, 64. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash that occurred at 10:36 a.m., just south of Carrollton, near U.S. 67s intersection with S.E. 175th Avenue.
GODFREY  Lewis and Clark Community College is making important access to mental health services easier than ever, thanks to a generous donation through the Lewis and Clark Community College Foundation.

Jay and Melanie Culver, of Atlanta, Georgia, announced their intent, Friday, to endow mental health and counseling services at Lewis and Clark through a remainder trust gift to the L&C Foundation.

Named after Melanie Culvers parents, the Dr. Sonjia Peacock and Don Peacock Endowed Fund will have three components: the Sonjia Peacock and Don Peacock Endowed Scholarships; the Dr. Sonjia Peacock Endowed Counseling and Mental Health Chair; and a Peacock/Culver Discretionary Sub-Fund.

My mother, Dr. Sonjia Peacock, had a 20-year career in Student Mental Health Counseling and Student Support at Lewis and Clark, said Melanie Culver. It is mine and Jay's honor to commemorate both my mother and father with these endowed gifts.

The Culvers recognize that Lewis and Clark Community College empowers students by making a high-quality education accessible and attainable, which includes access to mental health services.

During her time at L&C, Sonjia Peacock was instrumental in establishing the colleges mental health services. She was hired in 1981, just after the colleges 10th anniversary, and retired in 2001.

Don and I are grateful and honored that our son-in-law and daughter have established this gift, Sonjia Peacock said. It was my pleasure to work at Lewis and Clark Community College for two decades. I recognized in 1981, as I do today, that mental health care is an urgent need. It is extremely rewarding to be recognized by our children for the work we did and the lives we affected throughout our careers.

The Dr. Sonjia Peacock and Don Peacock Endowed Scholarships will provide financial assistance for promising students seeking a higher education at Lewis and Clark.

The Dr. Sonjia Peacock Endowed Counseling and Mental Health Chair will increase students access to mental health services, recommend advanced mental health strategies, conduct research in the area of mental health counseling, and/or provide support services.

The Peacock/Culver Discretionary Fund will underwrite future priorities that address the mental health needs of students. Examples include new equipment, new initiatives, and new programs.

Mental health counseling, programs and services are essential to the success of our students, and have never been more in demand, said L&C President Ken Trzaska. These Peacock/Culver endowments, and the resources they represent, are remarkable in their thoughtfulness, vision and capacity for changing the lives of students and their families.

The Dr. Sonjia Peacock and Don Peacock Endowed Fund was established through a planned gift from Jay and Melanie Culver, However, they didnt want to wait to make a difference. To meet needs that exist today, the family has established The Dr. Sonjia Peacock Endowed Fund for Mental Health Services through an additional significant gift. It will support the Colleges mental health counseling, programming, and research, as well as related expenses, starting immediately.

"On behalf of the students, team members, Board of Trustees and our entire community college district, I thank the Culvers and the Peacocks for making this day possible," Trzaska said.

The endowments were established through the Lewis and Clark Community College Foundation.

On behalf of the Lewis and Clark Community College Foundation, I wish to express our appreciation to the Culver and Peacock families for creating this unprecedented endowment, said Rob Schwartz, president of the Foundation's Board of Directors. This seven-figure planned gift will support untold numbers of students for generations to come. What an exciting moment we are witnessing.

For more information on Lewis and Clark, or to learn how to support the Lewis and Clark Community College Foundation, visit www.lc.edu/foundation. Contact the L&C Foundation at (618) 468-2011 or foundation@lc.edu.
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TORONTO (AP)  A Canadian government appointee on Tuesday rejected holding a public inquiry into leaked intelligence that alleged China interfered in Canadas federal elections, drawing allegations of a cover-up from the Conservative opposition.

Opposition lawmakers have demanded a full public inquiry on the alleged Chinese interference since reports about it earlier this year by the Globe and Mail newspaper. It cited unidentified intelligence sources that China preferred to see Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals re-elected in the 2021 election and worked to defeat Conservative politicians considered unfriendly to Beijing.

Trudeau appointee David Johnston announced recommendations Tuesday saying that a public inquiry into the leaked materials could not take place because of the sensitivity of the intelligence. However, he recommended public hearings on broader issues, including on foreign influence in Canada's political system.

Johnston wrote that he found no example of Trudeau, his ministers or their offices "knowingly ignoring intelligence, advice or recommendations on foreign interference or being driven by partisan considerations in dealing with these issues.

Trudeau said he would abide by Johnstons recommendation to not hold a public inquiry.

Opposition Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre immediately slammed Johnston's recommendation, saying that it covers up Beijing's influence in Canada. He also alleged Johnston was compromised because he has family ties with Trudeau.

Trudeau appointed Johnston, a family friend and a widely respected former governor general, to study the issue in March and make recommendations.

Johnston said the government had neither ignored, nor failed to act on, the intelligence and said media reports on the leaked intelligence lacked context and in some cases were wrong. The leaks are based on partial information. In some cases documents dont tell the full story, he said.

He also said it was troubling and damaging that intelligence was leaked. He said he couldn't speculate on who leaked the intelligence or what their motives were.

The governor general is the representative of Britains monarch as head of state, and holds a mostly ceremonial and symbolic position. Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Johnston governor general in 2010 and his term was extended under Trudeau until 2017. Johnston is also a former member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

Trudeau said Tuesday that he had full confidence in Johnston's handling of his role, and played down the importance of any family connections. I saw him a few times as a kid. I got to know him after he was appointed to governor general by Stephen Harper," Trudeau said.

Poilievre, the opposition leader, said Johnston has helped Trudeau cover up the influence by Beijing in our democracy.

David Johnson is a ski buddy, chalet neighbor, family friend and member of the Trudeau foundation. He has no business in this job because it is a fake job that he is incapable of doing impartially and none of his recommendations can be taken seriously because he is in a conflict of interest, Poilievre said.

Trudeau has said that all political leaders agree that the election outcomes in 2019 and in 2021 were not affected by foreign interference.

Earlier this month, Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat whom Canadas spy agency alleged was involved in a plot to intimidate an opposition Conservative lawmaker and his relatives in Hong Kong after the Conservative lawmaker criticized Beijings human rights record. China then announced the expulsion of a Canadian diplomat in retaliation this month.

China regularly uses threats against family members to intimidate critics in the Chinese diaspora.

China-Canada relations nosedived after China detained former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor, shortly after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of telecoms giant Huawei and the daughter of the companys founder, at the behest of U.S. authorities who accused her of fraud.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. envoy for Sudan urged the countrys warring generals to honor a seven-day cease-fire that began Monday night, warning the growing ethnic dimension to the fighting risks engulfing Sudan in a prolonged conflict.

Volker Perthes told the U.N. Security Council that the conflict, which began April 15, has shown no signs of slowing down despite six previous declarations of cease-fires by both sides. All the previous truces have been violated.

Mondays cease-fire is the seventh to be announced since the conflict between the Sudanese army, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, broke out last month.

Speaking hours before the cease-fire began, Perthes called on both sides to stop the fighting so that desperately needed humanitarian aid can get to those in need and civilians caught in the fighting can leave safely.

The violence has been most severe in Khartoum and the western Darfur region, where the RSF retain a strong armed presence.

According to conservative estimates, Perthes said more than 700 people have been killed, including 190 children, and 6,000 have been wounded. He said over 1 million have been displaced with many missing.

Perthes also expressed concern about the worrying ethnic dimension to the war, most visible in the restive Darfur region.

In the early 2000s, African communities from Darfur that had long complained of discrimination rebelled against the Khartoum government, which responded with a military campaign that the International Criminal Court later said amounted to genocide. State-backed Arab militias known as the Janjaweed were accused of widespread killings, rapes and other atrocities. Many of its fighters were later folded into the Rapid Support Force.

Perthes said that in El Geneina in West Darfur clashes between the rival forces spiraled into ethnic violence on April 24, with tribal militias joining the fight and civilians taking up arms to protect themselves. Some 450 civilians were reportedly killed, he said.

Homes, markets and hospitals were ransacked and burned, U.N. premises looted, he said.

Perthes said the growing ethnic dimension to the conflict not only poses risk for Sudan but has implications for the region.

Unlike the previous truces, Mondays inked deal  brokered by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia  will be accompanied by a cross-party committee designed to track any potential violations, the two mediating nations said. The 12-person committee will be comprised of three representatives from both warring parties, three from the U.S., and three from Saudi Arabia.

Suliman Baldo, director of the think tank Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker, expects the two parties to better adhere to this weeklong cease-fire.

I think the RSF needs the break as it has come under considerable pressure from the (Sudanese army) in Khartoum seeking to flush RSF units from residential areas, Baldo said.

The (Sudanese army) may be tempted to continue its offensive in Khartoum but it will become clear to them that this would come at even higher costs in collateral casualties among civilians, he added.

Perthes called the agreement, which is renewable, a welcome development but cautioned that fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite a commitment of both sides not to pursue military advantage before the cease-fire takes effect.

Perthes accused both warring parties of disregarding the laws of war by attacking homes, shops, places of worship and water and electricity installations.

Health facilities are collapsing with more than two-thirds of hospitals closed, many health care workers killed, medical supplies running low, and health facilities reportedly being used as military positions, he said.

Reports of sexual violence against women and girls, including rapes in Khartoum and Darfur, are being followed up by the U.N., he said.

Reports of rampant looting of Sudanese homes and businesses, intimidation, harassment and enforced disappearance of residents are deeply concerning, Perthes said, adding that U.N. premises, residences and warehouses have also been looted. He said criminal activity has been compounded by the release of thousands of prisoners and the spread of small arms.

While the warring rivals dont trust each other, the U.N. envoy told reporters later he thinks each has learned from weeks of fighting that they will not achieve an easy military victory, Perthes said. Even if one side does win after a long struggle, that could be at the expense of losing the country.

In a video briefing to the Security Council, African Union Commissioner Bankole Adeoye also called for more concerted actionable effort towards a lasting cessation of hostilities and urged the rival generals to go the full course for peace.

Workneh Gebeyehu, executive secretary of the regional group IGAD, told the council by video that its delegation led by South Sudans President Salva Kiir has been engaging the parties daily and coordinating with regional and international actors.

He said the seven-day cease-fire makes us cautiously optimistic that a permanent cessation of hostilities is within reach and urged urged international support for IGADs efforts to resolve the conflict.
BEIRUT, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The German Public Prosecutor on Tuesday informed the Lebanese judiciary of issuing an arrest warrant against Lebanon's central bank governor Riad Salameh, Beirut-based al-Jadeed TV network reported.

The move came after Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said Friday that the country had received an arrest warrant from the Interpol against Salameh, and the judiciary authorities had been discussing "attentively" on weather they would grant its execution.

On May 16, Salameh failed to appear before French prosecutors in Paris to be questioned on corruption charges, prompting French investigative judge Aude Buresi to issue an arrest warrant against him.

Salameh is among the top Lebanese officials blamed for the unprecedented financial crisis in Lebanon, and he is being investigated, along with his brother Raja, in Lebanon and abroad over the alleged embezzlement of more than 330 million U.S. dollars from the Lebanese central bank.

Salameh denied the accusations, insisting that his wealth comes from his previous job as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch, inherited properties, and investments.

Lebanon is reeling under the worst financial crisis in its history amid the loss of billions of dollars in bank deposits, plunging over 80 percent of the population into poverty. 
Shi Xinying (R), member of the 18th Chinese medical team for Malta, gives a lecture on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment in Paola, Malta, on May 22, 2023. The 18th Chinese medical team for Malta from the Mediterranean Regional Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) provided free clinical services to elderly residents at the city hall of Paola in Malta and donated medical supplies, including plasters and safflower oil, to the local council. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

VALLETTA, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The 18th Chinese medical team for Malta from the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) provided free clinical services to elderly residents at the city hall of Paola in Malta and donated medical supplies, including plasters and safflower oil, to the local council.

Following a brief lecture on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment of insomnia given by Shi Xinying, member of the medical team, four doctors offered complimentary services, such as health consultations, blood pressure checks, acupuncture and cupping therapy.

Due to high demand, the Chinese medical team will hold a second lecture and a free clinical event for more residents at the same location next Monday.

Florella Law, 77, is an enthusiast of TCM and has frequented the MRCTCM since its establishment in 1994. While receiving cupping therapy for back pain, she said she was fond of and appreciated TCM treatments. She told Xinhua that TCM has significantly reduced her pain.

Dominic Grima, mayor of Paola, said he was proud that his city hosted the MRCTCM.

Grima described the Chinese people as kind and friendly, who always smile and love to cooperate. He highlighted the 30-year collaboration between Malta and China in the medical field, emphasizing that it is a "beautiful" thing when two countries are friends like this.

Grima told Xinhua that he is looking forward to further expanding medical cooperation between Malta and China in the future.

Prior to the start of the free clinical event, Zhou Xuewen, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Malta, said that the two countries have been collaborating in the medical field for 30 years now.

Zhou said that many Maltese people have received TCM treatments and experienced the essence of Chinese medical culture. He believed that bilateral cooperation in various fields, including TCM, will further strengthen.

The free clinical event, aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles among the elderly while effectively alleviating their ailments through TCM treatments, was one part of the series of celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of China dispatching its first medical team to Malta, Dong Xiaoyan, leader of the 18th Chinese medical team for Malta, said.

This event was also a cultural exchange that could help foster mutual understanding and cooperation, Dong said.

The MRCTCM was established by the Chinese and Maltese governments in 1994. To date, 18 Chinese medical teams composed of over 100 physicians have offered TCM treatments to around 250,000 Maltese patients. 

Dong Xiaoyan (L), leader of the 18th Chinese medical team for Malta, offers health consultations to a woman in Paola, Malta, on May 22, 2023. The 18th Chinese medical team for Malta from the Mediterranean Regional Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) provided free clinical services to elderly residents at the city hall of Paola in Malta and donated medical supplies, including plasters and safflower oil, to the local council. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

Shi Xinying (1st R), member of the 18th Chinese medical team for Malta, offers cupping therapy to a woman in Paola, Malta, on May 22, 2023. The 18th Chinese medical team for Malta from the Mediterranean Regional Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) provided free clinical services to elderly residents at the city hall of Paola in Malta and donated medical supplies, including plasters and safflower oil, to the local council. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

Members of the 18th Chinese medical team for Malta offer health consultations to people in Paola, Malta, on May 22, 2023. The 18th Chinese medical team for Malta from the Mediterranean Regional Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) provided free clinical services to elderly residents at the city hall of Paola in Malta and donated medical supplies, including plasters and safflower oil, to the local council. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)

People wait for health consultations and treatments during free clinical services of Chinese medical team for Malta in Paola, Malta, on May 22, 2023. The 18th Chinese medical team for Malta from the Mediterranean Regional Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) provided free clinical services to elderly residents at the city hall of Paola in Malta and donated medical supplies, including plasters and safflower oil, to the local council. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)
In line with the decision of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to withdraw Rs 2,000 notes from circulation, banks in the country will start accepting the notes for exchange and deposit from Tuesday.

Since the notes will continue to be legal tender till September 30, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Monday said that there was no need to rush to exchange or return their Rs 2,000 notes.



The RBI has also arranged a facility for exchange at 19 of its regional offices. "We expect most of Rs 2,000 banknotes to come back to the exchequer by September 30. We have more than adequate quantities of printed notes already available in the system, not just with RBI but with currency chests operated by banks. There is no reason to worry. We have sufficient stocks," Das said.



Though one can exchange only 10 notes at once (up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank), there is no limit on the deposit of the notes. However, large deposit transactions will require adherence to KYC guidelines. No requisition slip is required for transactions up to 10 currency notes.



Customers without bank accounts can also exchange/deposit Rs 2,000 banknotes with other denominations. "We have not come out with an additional procedure. You must be aware that there's an income tax rule if you deposit cash above Rs 50,000 then you have to produce your PAN. So existing rules will apply," said Das.



No identity proof is required to be submitted by the tenderer at the time of exchange. There will also be no fee for the exchange or deposit and individuals can avail of the exchange facility from May 23, 2023, and the window will be open till September 30, 2023.



Besides, the banks have arranged special provisions to ensure hassle-free exchange of notes. Besides sheds to protect the people coming to exchange or deposit notes from sunlight, drinking water will also be arranged for the people in the queue.



There is also a complaint redress system. "For redress of grievance in case of deficiency of service, the complainant / aggrieved customer may first approach the concerned bank. If the bank does not respond within 30 days after lodging the complaint or if the complainant is not satisfied with the response/resolution given by the bank, the RBI said in a statement.



"The complainant can complain to the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2021 at the Complaint Management System portal of RBI (cms.rbi.org.in)," added the bank in its release.


In the latest development of layoffs, Reliance JioMart has fired around 1,000 employees. Reportedly, the e-commerce platform is planning to cut around 9,000 jobs in the coming weeks. With the recent acquisition of German retailer Metro AG's Cash and Carry, Reliance Industries will be bringing in some changes in the retail market.

The decision of layoffs was taken by the retail giant to improve its profits and reduce cost.

As per the Economic Times report, the employees were asked to resign. "The company has asked over 1,000 people on ground including 500 executives at its corporate office, to resign over the past few days. It also plans to have another large round of layoffs with hundreds of employees already put on performance improvement plan (PIP)," one of the employees told the publication.

Also, JioMart is planning to close down more than half of its fulfillment centers, where products are prepared and send to local stores, to improve its profits.

However, the recent acquisition of German retailer, Metro AG, by costing $344 million is also considered as an added reason for JioMart to make the changes.

Reliance Retail already has a big part of the online business-to-business (B2B) retail market in India. With the new addition of Metro's 3,500 workers, employees will be forced to leave the company or change their jobs.
Tamil actor Ajith Kumar, who is also an avid biker, has launched his motorcycle touring company AK Moto Ride. Making the big announcement on Tuesday, the actor said: I have long loved and lived by this quote: Life is a beautiful ride. Embrace the twists, turns, and open roads ahead. I am now pleased to share that I will be channelling my passion for motorcycles and the outdoors into a professional endeavour, through a motorcycle touring company, AK Moto Ride

The company will not only offer tours of Indian regions, but international routes also. AK Moto Ride will also provide 'meticulously maintained adventure touring superbikes that guarantee dependability and performance throughout the tour with an unyielding dedication to safety and comfort'.

In a statement, Ajith further said: Professional guides well-versed in the intricacies of motorcycle tours and with extensive knowledge of local customs and traditions will offer riders a seamless and immersive experience from start to finish.

Ajith's love for the road is no secret. Last year, he went on a bike tour across India and was also seen on a motorcycle tour across Europe. In fact, he even ended up inspiring his Thunivu co-star Manju Warrier to buy a BMW superbike. The actress had accompanied Ajith on a bike ride to Ladakh last year.
A recent study published in the Lancet Rheumatology journal predicts that over 840 million people worldwide will experience back pain by the year 2050. The increase in cases is mainly attributed to population growth and an aging population.

The study reveals that the largest surge in back pain cases will occur in Asia and Africa. The researchers express concern about the lack of consistent treatment approaches and limited options available, which could result in a healthcare crisis. Low back pain is currently the leading cause of disability globally.

"Our analysis paints a picture of growing low back pain cases globally, putting enormous pressure on our healthcare system," said study lead author, Professor Manuela Ferreira from the University of Sydney in Australia.

"We need to establish a national, consistent approach to managing low back pain that is informed by research," Ferreira said in a statement.

The study emphasises the need for a national and research-informed approach to managing this condition. The analysis also shows that since 2017, the number of low back pain cases has surpassed half a billion, with around 619 million cases reported in 2020.

"Health systems need to respond to this enormous and rising burden of low back pain that is affecting people globally," said Professor Anthony Woolf, co-chair of the Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health which is calling for priority to be given to addressing the growing burden of musculoskeletal conditions.

"Much more needs to be done to prevent low back pain and ensure timely access to care, as there are effective ways of helping people in pain," Woolf said.

Occupational factors, smoking, and being overweight contribute to at least one-third of the disability burden associated with back pain. Contrary to popular belief, the study confirms that low back pain is more prevalent among older individuals. It also highlights that females experience higher rates of low back pain compared to males. The research analyzed data from over 204 countries and territories to track the prevalence of back pain over the past three decades.

The study calls for health systems to address this growing burden and prioritize timely access to care and prevention strategies. Experts urge for a change in global policy to prevent and manage low back pain effectively, as certain common treatments have been found to be ineffective or of unknown effectiveness. The lack of consistency in how healthcare professionals manage back pain cases and the need for specific recommendations for older individuals are also highlighted.
Women bagged the top four ranks in the civil services examination 2022 with Delhi University graduate Ishita Kishore securing the first spot, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced on Tuesday.

Garima Lohia, Uma Harathi N and Smriti Mishra secured the second, third and fourth ranks respectively in the examination, results of which were declared on Tuesday.

Lohia and Mishra are graduates of the University of Delhi, while Harathi N is a B.Tech degree holder from IIT-Hyderabad.

This is the second year in a row when women candidates got the top three ranks in the prestigious exam. Shruti Sharma, Ankita Agarwal and Gamini Singla had secured the first, second and third positions respectively in the civil services examination 2021.

As many as 933 candidates -- 613 men and 320 women -- have qualified the civil services examination 2022, the commission said.

The top 25 candidates comprise 14 women and 11 men, it said.

The civil services examination is conducted annually in three stages -- preliminary, main and interview -- by the UPSC to select officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others.

Kishore qualified the examination with political science and international relations as her optional subject. She has graduated in Economics (Hons.) from Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi.

Lohia, a graduate in Commerce from Kirorimal College, University of Delhi, secured the second rank with Commerce and Accountancy as her optional subject.

Harathi N, a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from IIT, Hyderabad stood third with Anthropology as her optional subject.

Mishra, a graduate (B. Sc.) from Miranda House College, University of Delhi, stood fourth with Zoology as her optional subject.

Educational qualifications of top 25 successful candidates range from graduation in Engineering; Humanities; Science; Commerce and Medical Science from premier institutions of the country such as IIT, NIT, University of Delhi, Gujarat National Law University, Jadavpur University and Jiwaji University among others, the UPSC said.

Top 25 successful candidates have opted for subjects like Anthropology, Commerce & Accountancy, Economics, Electrical Engineering, Law, History, Mathematics, Political Science & International Relations, Philosophy, Sociology and Zoology as their optional choice in the written (main) examination, it added.

The recommended candidates include 41 Persons with Benchmark Disability (14 Orthopedically Handicapped, seven Visually Challenged, 12 Hearing Impaired & 8 Multiple Disabilities).

Out of the total qualified candidates this time, 345 are from General category, 99 from Economically Weaker Section (EWS), 263 Other Backward Classes (OBC), 154 Scheduled Caste (SC) and 72 from Scheduled Tribe (ST).

A total of 178 candidates have been put in the reserve list as well, it said.

There were 1,022 vacancies reported by the Centre to be filled through the civil services examination.

It included 180 IAS officers, 38 IFS, 200 IPS, 473 in Group A central services and 131 in Group B services, the UPSC said.

UPSC has a 'Facilitation Counter' near Examination Hall in its campus. Candidates can obtain any information/clarification regarding their examinations/recruitments on the working days between 10 AM to 5 PM in person or over telephone nos. 011- 23385271/23381125/23098543, it said.

Result will also be available on the UPSC website i.e.http//www.upsc.gov.in.

"Marks will be available on the website within 15 days from the date of declaration of result," the UPSC said.

The civil services preliminary examination 2022 was conducted on June 5 last year. A total of 11,35,697 candidates applied for this examination, out of which 5,73,735 candidates actually appeared in it.

A total of 13,090 candidates qualified for appearance in the written (main) examination which was held in September, 2022.

A total of 2,529 candidates qualified for the personality test of the coveted examination.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday as part of his efforts to garner support of opposition leaders against the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha and Delhi minister Atishi Singh were also present at the meeting.

"We support AAP in the fight against the Central ordinance, Banerjee said after a nearly hour-long meeting. She said that a forthcoming vote in Rajya Sabha on the bill to convert the central ordinance into law, will be a semi-final before the 2024 elections.

The Trinamool Congress leader also took a sarcastic jibe at the Narendra Modi government, saying "The double engine (BJP rule in both state and centre) has become a troubled engine."

Both Kejriwal and Mann, while addressing the post-meeting press conference, also launched a scathing attack on the Centre, alleging that the BJP uses CBI and ED to try to break opposition governments.

"The BJP has made a mockery of democracy where it cannot form a government, it buys MLAs, uses CBI, ED to try to break the government Governors to disturb non-BJP governments such as Bengal and Punjab, Kejriwal said.

The Centre on May 19 promulgated an ordinance to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and disciplinary proceedings against them in the national capital. The ordinance came just a week after the Supreme Court ruled that the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, rests with the elected government in Delhi.

The parliament has to ratify the ordinance within six month, for which the Centre will have to bring a bill for its passage in both houses.

Kejriwal and the AAP government have termed the ordinance unconstitutional and termed it an insult to the apex court and an attack on the country's federal structure. He said if the bill is defeated in Rajya Sabha, it will send out the message that the BJP will lose the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The AAP leader is likely to meet Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai in the next two days.

Earlier, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav met Kejriwal at his residence and offered full support to him over the ordinance issue. Nitish said he will also request other opposition parties to support the Delhi government.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav have already come up in support of Kejriwal, slamming the Centre for bringing in the ordinance.
GABORONE, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Botswana has expressed interest in joining the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (the Water Convention) to ensure its water security and socioeconomic development, a government official said Monday.

Like many other African countries, Botswana is particularly vulnerable to water scarcity as a result of climate change, and the primary challenges are centered on water resource availability and increasing water demand pressure, said Kekgonne Baipoledi, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Lands and Water Affairs, at a national workshop on the protection of water resources in Gaborone, Botswana's capital.

The southern African country shares the majority of its water resources with neighboring countries. Transboundary water cooperation is thus critical for Botswana's water security and long-term socioeconomic development.

The Water Convention promotes the sustainable management of shared water resources, conflict prevention, peace and regional integration, all of which Botswana stands to benefit from, Baipoledi said.

Furthermore, Botswana is developing a water investment program that is aligned with the continental Africa Water Investment Program in collaboration with the Global Water Partnership Southern Africa. 
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, aiming to garner her support to defeat the ordinance promulgated by the Centre to seize control over bureaucracy in Delhi.

The visit also comes amid the move to forge opposition unity to take on BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. While Mamata has extended conditional support to the Congress, Kejriwal, though at loggerheads with the grand old party, is in talks with JD (U) leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to join the anti-BJP alliance.



Kejriwal will reportedly be accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the meeting is scheduled for 3 pm. The AAP chief and Mann are scheduled to land at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in the afternoon. They will hold a brief meeting with AAP leaders of West Bengal before visiting the state secretariat Nabanna to meet the Trinamool Congress chief.

"They are scheduled to have a closed-door meeting at the state secretariat. They may also hold a discussion on probable strategies for next year's general elections," a senior TMC leader said.

The AAP chief will also travel to all non-BJP-ruled states, including Maharashtra, to reach out personally to all leaders in the opposition camp to defeat the ordinance in Rajya Sabha. Quoting AAP sources, ANI reported that Kejriwal will meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on May 24 and NCP chief Sharad Pawar on May 25.

"In case the Centre brings this ordinance as a Bill, if all non-BJP parties come together, it can be defeated in Rajya Sabha. If such a thing happens, it can send a message that the BJP govt will be out in 2024," Kejriwal told reporters after his Sunday meeting with Nitish Kumar.



The Narendra Modi government promulgated an ordinance to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and disciplinary proceedings against them in the national capital. The move was seen as a counter to the Supreme Court verdict that favoured the Delhi Government on the control of services.



Following this, Nitish Kumar met Kejriwal at his residence and promised his support to the Delhi government over the Ordinance issue. The Bihar chief minister said he would also request other opposition parties to come in support of the AAP government.



Meanwhile, the Congress on Monday asked the Centre to honour the Supreme Court verdict on the Delhi services matter and said a final call on whether to oppose a bill the government would bring to replace an Ordinance that nullified the top court verdict would be taken after consulting state units and like-minded parties.



Sources said the Congress may consider opposing the bill when it is introduced in Parliament.



"The Congress Party has not taken any decision on the issue of the Ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the Government of NCT of Delhi with respect to the appointment of officers. It will consult its state units & other like-minded parties on the same.



"The Party believes in the Rule of Law and at the same time does not condone unnecessary confrontation, political witch-hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party," Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal tweeted.



The BJP, for its part, will seek the support of parties such as the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and YSRCP, which have nine MPs each in the Rajya Sabha, to get the legislation passed in the Upper House in case the Opposition gets together on the issue.



While a united Opposition has 111 MPs in the Rajya Sabha, the ruling BJP and its allies have almost an equal number of MPs.


The fresh violence that erupted in Manipur on Monday has again disrupted the peace that was restored briefly after ethnic clashes broke out on May 3. Three people accused, including a former MLA, was arrested in the connection with the violence in Imphal East district.

Business establishments remained closed on Tuesday morning and people were asked by security personnel to remain indoors in New Chekon area of Imphal East district, where houses were torched by the mob. However, no causality was reported as the empty houses set on fire was used for providing rented accommodation to people.

According to police, locals, armed with licensed guns constructed "bunkers" in few places including Pukhao and Leitanpokpi in Imphal East district to guard themselves from any possible attacks. Also, sit-in demonstrations, mostly by the womenfolk, were reported in the valley districts.

Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Monday said that those behind the violence was arrested and urged the people to have faith in the government.

"Stop torching houses of innocent people. We will initiate legal action against those involved in illegal activities," said CM.

Rajya Sabha MP, Kapil Sibal said in his tweet that the consequences of communal virus spread are unimaginable.

Manipur Burning again. Earlier clashes led to : 70 dead, 200 injured. Coronavirus only affects the human body. Communal virus affects the body politic. If it spreads the consequences are unimaginable. Its political dividends are temporary. Its scars are permanent!" tweeted Kapil Sibal.

Army deployed in the area used force and fired teargas shells to disperse the mob. Meanwhile locals protested by burning tires.

Curfew in Imphal East district was tightened following the incident. Curfew relaxation period has been cut by two hours and the restriction is now from 5 am to 2 pm.

Around 10,000 Army and Assam Rifles jawans are currently deployed in the state. CM said that he has sought the Centre's help in deploying more forces to manage the situation. Aerial surveillance is also conducted.

On May 3, clashes broke out after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

The violence in Manipur was 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. While, the tribals -- Nagas and Kukis -- constitute another 40 per cent of the population and reside in the hill districts.

The ethnic clashes have so far claimed over 70 lives. Over 7,500 have fled from the violence-hit area to Mizoram.

(With PTI inputs)
The Trinamool Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Communist Party of India announced on Tuesday that they would boycott the inauguration of new parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 28. Amid demands that the new building should be inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu instead of the prime minister, more opposition parties are likely to stay away from the opening ceremony.

"Parliament is not just a new building; it is an establishment with old traditions, values, precedents and rules -- it is the foundation of Indian democracy. Prime Minister Modi doesn't get that. For him, Sunday's inauguration of the new building is all about I, ME, MYSELF. So count us out," TMC MP Derek O'Brien wrote on Twitter.

AAP said the Modi government has insulted the President by not inviting her to inaugurate the new building. This is also an insult to the tribals. The Aam Aadmi party will boycott the inauguration function in protest of Modi ji not inviting the President, party MP Sanjay Singh said.

The opposition sources told PTI that most of the parties are of the view that they should unitedly skip the ceremony, and a final decision on the issue will be announced soon. They said a joint statement by all the floor leaders of like minded parties will be issued soon to announce a united boycott of the event.

The Congress and the BJP have been trading barbs on who should inaugurate the new parliament building, with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday raising objections to President Murmu not being invited to the function.

"It looks like the Modi government has ensured the election of President of India from the dalit and the tribal communities only for electoral reasons," Kharge said.

Several other opposition parties including the NCP and the CPI(M), too, have criticised the government's decision. NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto wondered if it was not the right of President Murmu to inaugurate the new Parliament building for her being the head of the country.

"Our Parliament is our temple of democracy and the Constitutional head of our country is our President," he said, adding "Therefore is it not the right of our President to inaugurate the new Parliament House?"

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury accused Modi of "bypassing" the President for not just laying the foundation stone for the new parliament building but also by inaugurating it himself.

With PTI inputs
Chenab bridge, which is the worlds highest railway bridge, and Chenani-Nashri tunnel, which is Indias longest highway tunnel and Asias longest bi-directional tunnel, are turning out to be major tourist attractions in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. He was addressing the G20 delegates on the second day of the third tourism working group meeting at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Center (SKICC ) in Srinagar.



The Chenab bridge is located at Kovri in Reasi district of Jammu. The bridge, higher than the Eiffel Tower, will be thrown open for traffic by early next year. The engineering marvel will connect Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India.



Singh maintained that the five priorities in the third tourism working group constitute the key building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals by 2030.



He said the theme of Indias G20 Presidency'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' or 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'is drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad.



The meeting was inaugurated by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Singh in the presence of minister Singh, Union Minister for Tourism G. Kishan Reddy and Union Minister of State for Defence and Tourism Ajay Bhat. At least 60 delegates from G20 countries and nine non-G20 guest countries arrived in Srinagar on Monday to attend the event.



Jitendra Singh said under Indias G20 presidency, the G20 tourism working group is focusing on five inter-connected priority areas that will provide a roadmap for tourism as a tool for achieving sustainable development goals. He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir will soon find its place in the top 50 destinations in the world and that it will be on the travel bucket list of global travellers.



He said after a long pause of almost four decades, J&K has revived its relationship with Bollywood and launched a film policy in 2021 to attract more investment and make Jammu Kashmir the most popular film shooting destination.



It is poetry. It is a land of realisation. It is an energy field vibrating with ageless Indian cultural values, he said. Tourism in Jammu Kashmir is also a reflection of the multi-religious and multi-cultural ethos of India.



Reddy said the ministry of tourism is keen to work with G20 nations to promote sustainable tourism in India and around the world.



Significant progress has been made in the five key priority areas under the third tourism working group meeting, namely green tourism, digitalisation, skills, MSMEs and destination management, he said. These priorities are key building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and achieving the targets for 2030.



Indias G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said commendable progress has been made in the five key priority areas. Tourism is a major driver of growth, a major driver of job creation, he added.



The G20 meeting in Srinagar is being held under tight security. Army, J&K Police, CRPF, NSG and MARCOS (marine commandos) have been deployed around SKICC and in Srinagar to thwart any attempts by militants to disrupt the G20 event. As a precaution, several schools in Srinagar have been shut and traffic on the route leading to SKICC has been halted.



The delegates are staying in two five-star hotels overlooking the Dal Lake in Srinagar.



On Monday, the delegates enjoyed a shikara ride in Dal lake after the end of day one of the three-day meeting.



China and some Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt have stayed away from the meet. Egypt is not a G20 member but was part of the nine countries invited as guests by India as part of the countrys outreach to African countries, including Nigeria.



The fourth meeting of the tourism working group under Indias presidency will be held in Goa which will be followed by tourism ministers meeting of G20 countries to adopt the Goa declaration.



The first two meetings of the tourism working group were held in Run of Kutch in Gujarat and Siliguri in West Bengal. By holding the meeting in Srinagar, India has sent a message to the world about Kashmir. The meeting assumes significance in view of the revocation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, when Jammu and Kashmir lost its limited autonomy and statehood and was split into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Both China and Pakistan have opposed the move and urged India to restore the pre-the original status of Jammu and Kashmir as it existed before the reading down of Article 370.
A fierce debate has broken out between the government and the opposition with regard to who should inaugurate the new Parliament building, the President or the Prime Minister. And the arguments and counter-arguments have thus far failed to provide a clear answer especially since the matter is endowed with heavy political overtones.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament House on December 10, 2020, and he is slated to dedicate it to the nation on May 28. The opposition has all along criticised the Prime Minister's alleged efforts to appropriate the project politically. And just days before the unveiling of the new Parliament House, the anti-BJP parties, especially the Congress, have hit out at Modi for allegedly hijacking the moment that they feel belongs to President Droupadi Murmu.

Opposition leaders believe they have a strong argument and have cited the Constitution to back their criticism of Modi. It has been stated by them that Constitutional propriety demands that Murmu and not Modi should inaugurate the new Parliament building.

Amongst the Articles quoted is Article 79, which states that there shall be a Parliament for the Union, which shall consist of the President and two Houses, to be known respectively as the Council of States and the House of the People. It is argued that the Article makes it amply clear that the President is an integral part of Parliament, and it is then asked as to why the President was kept away from the foundation laying ceremony and now is not a part of the inauguration.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of reducing the office of the President to tokenism and disrespecting propriety. He asked why President Ramnath Kovind was not invited to the foundation laying ceremony of the new Parliament, and why now Murmu is not being invited to the inauguration of the building.

Parliament is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India, and the President of India is its highest Constitutional authority. She alone represents the government, opposition and every citizen alike. She is the first Citizen of India, he said.

He further stressed that the inauguration of the new building by Murmu will symbolise the government's commitment to democratic values and Constitutional propriety.

What has been pointed out by the opposition leaders about the importance of the President in the scheme of things is something that the government has not refuted in the ongoing debate. Moreover, the description of the functioning of Parliament on the newly launched Sansad.in website states that the President is an integral part of the Parliament though he or she is not a member of either House of Parliament.

...on the one hand, President is the head of the Executive and on the other; he/she is a constituent part of Parliament. This represents a real fusion of the highest executive and legislative authorities. In terms of the Constitution, as also in actual practice, the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature is one that is most intimate and ideally does not admit of any antagonism or dichotomy, it states.

While the points made with regard to why it is for the President and not the Prime Minister to inaugurate the new Parliament building have been side-stepped by the government, it has chosen to point out past instances where it was the Prime Minister who had unveiled a facility in the Parliament premises.

Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Puri has hit back at the critics, pointing out that it was the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who had inaugurated the Parliament Annexe building on October 24, 1975. In a tweet, he also reminded that the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had laid the foundation stone of the Parliament Library building on August 15, 1987. While he did not mention it, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Parliament House Annexe Extension Building on July 31, 2017.

According to sources in the government, the opposition's criticism is misplaced as has been pointed out by the above instances where the Prime Minister had inaugurated facilities in the Parliament complex. This is the best that one can come close to in terms of past precedent since the present Parliament House was inaugurated in pre-Independence India and it was originally meant to serve a different purpose.

On February 12, 1921, the foundation stone of the present Parliament building, the Council House as it was then known, was laid by the Duke of Connaught. On January 18, 1927, the opening ceremony of the Parliament House was performed by the then Governor General of India Lord Irwin.

However, Opposition leaders argue that there is no comparison between the inauguration of the new Parliament building and amenities such as the library building or the annexe building. Also, they insist that the Constitution is crystal clear on who is at the apex of the parliamentary framework.
The launch of the GSLV-F12/NVS-01 mission scheduled for May 29 10:42 hours IST from the second launch pad at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota is expected to augment ISRO's navigation capabilities.



This Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) mission is designed to deploy the NVS-01 navigation satellite, weighing about 2,232 kg, into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. Subsequent orbit-raising maneuvers will be used for taking the satellite to the intended orbit.



Interestingly, the NVS-01 is the first of the second-generation satellites envisaged for Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) services. NVS series of satellites will sustain and augment the NavIC with enhanced features. This series incorporates L1 band signals additionally to widen the services. For the first time, an indigenous atomic clock will be flown in NVS-01.



In an interaction with THE WEEK, ISRO chairman S. Somanath had stated that ISRO's aim is to launch the next series of NavIC satellites, which are new generation navigation satellites with features like the L1 band (the civilian mobile band), this year.



The NVS-01 satellite is a navigation satellite and the first of the second-generation satellites of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS). It provides position, velocity, and time information to users in India and its surrounding regions. NVS-01 is the new designation for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) satellite IRNSS-1J. The name was changed to NVS-01 in order to reflect the fact that the satellite is part of the second generation of IRNSS satellites. The second-generation satellites are being built with enhanced features and capabilities, and they will help to improve the accuracy and reliability of the NavIC navigation system, remarked Girish Linganna, Aerospace and Defence Analyst and Director, ADD Engineering Components India Limited.



The satellite is set to replace the IRNSS-1G satellite launched in 2016, which is part of a constellation of seven satellites providing navigational services to the Indian region and is expected to have a mission life of 12 years. It is located above the Earth in geostationary orbit and covers India and a region up to 1,500 km beyond the nation's boundary.



Weighing 2,232 kg, the NVS-01 satellite will be deployed into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), which is a highly elliptical orbit with an apogee (farthest point from Earth) of approximately 36,000 kilometers. It will then use its own propulsion system to reach its final geostationary orbit. It will incorporate L1 band signals to widen the services it offers, said Linganna.



Interestingly, for the first time, it will be equipped with its indigenous onboard atomic clock, which will allow for more accurate orbit-raising procedures, thanks to nanosecond-level precision time measurements. The United States (GPS), Russia (GLONASS), and China (BeiDou) are the only other countries that have their own navigation systems.
Belgorod Governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov on Telegram, urged Grayvoron residents not to return to their homes  It is not work it yet, he wrote.



There are no civilian deaths to date. All necessary actions on the part of law enforcement agencies are being carried out. We are waiting for the completion of the counter-terrorist operation that was announced yesterday, he added.

His message comes after the region in southwestern Russia was hit by drone attacks overnight. Explosive devices were dropped from drones onto an administrative building and a house. No one claimed responsibility for the attacks.

On Monday, Ukraine claimed that they now controlled only a small part of Bakhmut and said the battle wasn't over yet. The Freedom of Russia Legion, an anti-Kremlin militia and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) said it had crossed the border and overrun the settlement of Kozinka while sending units into the town of Grayvoron in Russias Belgorod region, Guardian reported. It isn't known whether the RVC has ties to the Ukrainian military.



Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Twitter that Ukraine had nothing to do with it (Belogrod attack) and suggested that an armed guerrilla movement had emerged to oppose a totalitarian country.

Ukraines general staff, in the meantime, has said, Russia struck three regions of Ukraine yesterday with missiles. It wrote: Russia carried out 20 missile strikes against Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv oblasts, using cruise missiles, Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and S-300 anti-aircraft missiles over the past day.

Russia reportedly also launched 48 Shahed drones targeting both civilian and military targets with up to 90 strikes using multiple-launch rocket systems.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese arrived at the venue in Sydney on Tuesday to attend a special community event to celebrate the country's dynamic, diverse Indian diaspora, amid immense enthusiasm among the community members.



The prime minister was welcomed traditionally upon his arrival. A recreational plane traced the words 'Welcome Modi' in the Sydney sky ahead of the event organised by the Indian diaspora.

Modi is on a three-day visit to Australia. Over 20,000 members of the Indian diaspora have crowded the Qudos Bank arena to attend the event welcoming Modi.

I am honoured to host Prime Minister Modi for an official visit to Australia, after receiving an extremely warm welcome in India earlier this year, Australian PM Anthony Albanese told PTI. PM Modi met Nobel laureate Brian Paul Schmidt and had a conversation with him on science and research. Schmidt said Modi is certainly one of the most visible leaders that India has had.

A statement released by the PMO said the meetings with PM Albanese will be an opportunity to take stock of our bilateral ties and follow up on our first India-Australia Annual Summit held in New Delhi in March this year. The prime minister, who is currently at the Qudos Arena will address the Indian diaspora present for the multi-cultural event.

"The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss," said Australian Albanese at the community event. Ahead of the event, PMO tweeted, Immense enthusiasm in Sydney for the community programme, which begins soon An absolute delight connecting with the Indian diaspora at the community programme in Sydney! Narendra Modi tweeted.

 With PTI inputs


Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on the final leg of his three-nation visit, has begun his Australian visit in Sydney by meeting executives of top multinational companies in the country.

On Tuesday, he met John Andrew Henry Forrest AO, the executive chairman of Fortescue Future Industries, an Australia-based green energy and technology firm. Forrest, nicknamed Twiggy, is a businessman with interests in the mining industry and cattle stations, reported ANI.



#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Dr Andrew Forrest, Executive Chairman of Fortescue Future Industries, in Sydney



PM Modi is on a three-day visit to Australia. pic.twitter.com/osQQPUhA7N  ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

After meeting the Prime Minister, Forrest told reporters that he found Modi to be the global industry partner to promote green hydrogen. "Fossil fuel sector has only limited time to run and it must be replaced with a fuel which causes no harm and can do everything which coal, oil and gas can do. That is something that the Prime Minister is clearly a global champion on and I found him to be the global government partner to promote green hydrogen across the world," he said.



Modi also met Paul Schroder, CEO of Australian Super, a superannuation fund headquartered in Melbourne. Schroder is responsible for the leadership and strategic development of the fund and the provision of advice to the board.



Aiming to foster India-Australia collaboration in the mining and minerals sector, the Prime Minister also met Georgina Hope Rinehart, executive chairman of Hancock Prospecting Group, Roy Hill and S. Kidman & Co.



Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday and was welcomed by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry OFarrell and other officials. He was greeted by the members of the Indian diaspora who chanted "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram".



He is scheduled to attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australias dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora. Later in the day, Modi will also hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.



The leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people links, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation, said the official statement released by the Australian government.



Earlier, in an interview with "The Australian" newspaper, the Prime Minister said he wanted to take the relationship with Australia to the "next level", including closer defence and security ties to help ensure an "open and free" Indo-Pacific.



He added that the Indo-Pacific region faced many challenges such as climate change, terrorism, security of sea lanes of communication and piracy, and asserted that India believes they can be addressed only through shared efforts.



"I am not a person who gets satisfied easily," he was quoted by the newspaper as saying. "I have seen that Prime Minister Albanese is the same. I am confident that when we are together again in Sydney, we will get the opportunity to explore how we can take our relations to the next level, identify new areas of complementariness and can expand our cooperation," he added.



He said he wants the two countries to push to realise the true potential of closer defence and security ties amid increasing defence links between the two countries recently.



Modi added that he hoped the visit would allow both countries to identify new areas of cooperation, ranging from new technology, clean energy, critical minerals, mining, cyberspace, and building resilient supply chains to the movement of skilled professionals, according to the interview.


BENGALURU, India, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At the prestigious Cannes Film Festival 2023, Evonne Eadie  Head of World Class, Trade and Social advocacy showcased the vibrant and diverse flavours of India for the prestigious Minister's dinner. Her unique creations paid homage to the diversity of flavour and ingredients from India presented through elevated serves on the backs of the finest spirits from Diageo india including Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, The Singleton, Tanqueray, Don Julio and Ciroc.



With the artful blending of Indian ingredients, the cocktails created a symphony of flavours that transported the guests to the bustling and colourful streets of India, awakening their taste buds and igniting their senses with every sip. Here are 5 extraordinary regional cocktails from the Minister's Dinner menu that were unmistakably the highlight of Cannes 2023:



North Region: Old Fashioned Treats

The Singleton 12yr // Gulab Jamon Syrup // Aromatic Bitters // Zesty Citrus

Inspired by the North Indian sweet - Gulab Jamun, this creation adds the flavors of rose and cardamom to the Old Fashioned, made using The Singleton, which brings out the floral notes



West Region: Kokum Highball

Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve // Kokum Cordial // Soda

Inspired by the fascinating Kokum fruit and its tanginess, this creation combines it with Johnnie Walker Black Label to add the right smokiness to a refreshing highball that dances on your palate with the burst of Kokum



South Region: Coastal Cooler

Ciroc Premium Vodka // Coconut & Curry Leaf // Pineapple // Citrus

Inspired by the gorgeous flavors of Kerala, this creation features the tropical, fresh, and bright flavors of coconut and pineapple, complemented by the mellow taste of curry leaves



East Region: Darjeeling Spritz

Tanqueray London Dry Gin // Darjeeling Chai // Aromatised Wine // Soda

Inspired by Evonne's love for Darjeeling Tea, this creation is an aperitif cocktail that showcases the delicate yet complex flavor of the tea, making it the perfect way to start the night



Central Region: Paloma Palooza

Don Julio Blanco Tequila // Sparkling Ruby Grapefruit // Citrus // Masala

Inspired by the spices of central India, this creation fuses them into the Don Julio Paloma, resulting in a cocktail that offers the refreshing taste of ruby grapefruit alongside the delightful chili masala



Digestif: Baileys Original Irish Cream

Served neat or on the rocks



"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to present the best of Indian flavors through my craft at Cannes 2023," said Evonne Eadie, Head of World Class, trade and social advocacy. "Through the art of mixology, , my cocktails presented a vibrant tapestry of Indian flavors, harmonizing the richness of heritage with the excitement of innovation on one of the biggest global platforms. It was delightful to take global artists and creators on this flavorful journey through the essence of India, where each sip told a story and each ingredient painted a vivid picture of tradition and discovery."



About Diageo India



Diageo India is the country's leading beverage alcohol company and a subsidiary of global leader Diageo PLC. The company manufactures, sells and distributes an outstanding portfolio of premium brands such as Johnnie Walker, Black Dog, Black & White, VAT 69, Antiquity, Signature, The Singleton, Royal Challenge, McDowell's No1, Smirnoff, Ketel One, Tanqueray and Captain Morgan.



Headquartered in Bengaluru, our wide footprint is supported by a committed team of over 3145 employees, 47 manufacturing facilities across states and union territories in India, a strong distribution network and a state-of-the-art Technical Centre.



Incorporated in India as United Spirits Limited (USL), the company is listed on both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India. For more information about Diageo India, our people, our brands, and our performance, visit us at www.diageoindia.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, http://www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practices.



Celebrating life, every day, everywhere.



Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2082433/EvonneEadieDiageo_India.jpg



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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In order to ensure the organization and functioning of payment systems in the country, as well as to maintain the stability of the banking system, the Central Bank constantly pays heed to the continuous development of interbank centralized payment systems and the further development of effective cooperation relations with international organizations, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijani Central Bank.

In this regard, the SWIFT delegation visiting Azerbaijan was at the Central Bank and held a joint meeting with SWIFT Users Group, which includes the representatives of commercial banks and the relevant financial organizations operating in Azerbaijan. During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state of the countrys national payment infrastructure, the work done on the transition to ISO20022 international standard, the prospects for the development of payment services, current and future activity programs implemented by SWIFT, including the main features of SWIFT's compliance solutions, as well as the goals and principles of the customer security program. At the meeting, practical discussions were held in the direction of expanding the scope of innovative payment services in the country, as well as providing reliable, sustainable and secure payment solutions within the framework of joint cooperation with SWIFT.

To note, for the purpose of forming competitive, innovative and accessible financial services in the country, the focus will be on the constant development of cooperation relations with international organizations and the effective implementation of appropriate measures in this direction.
AMMAN, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Jordan announced on Monday its imports of crude oil from Iraq have resumed after a suspension that began in early April.

Oil transfer via tankers to Jordan had begun and 422 tankers had been loaded up with Iraqi oil, 300 of which had already arrived in Jordan, Iman Awwad, head of Oil and Gas Department at Jordan's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources was quoted as saying in a ministry statement.

Jordan renewed an agreement with Iraq to resume crude oil imports at a discounted price in early May. Under the deal, Jordan imports from Iraq 10,000 barrels of crude oil per day, or 7 percent of Jordan's daily needs.

The oil imports from Iraq resumed after a several-week suspension that started on April 1. Jordan and Iraq were supposed to automatically renew the oil agreement at the end of March, but the deal was not renewed and Jordan's imports were halted. The agreement was extended in early May after Jordan held extensive talks with the Iraqi authorities. 
MUMBAI, India, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Colgate, the leading oral care brand in India, announces the relaunch of its flagship product - Colgate Strong Teeth Toothpaste - with a refreshed formula. Enriched with Colgate's unique Arginine technology that gives a Calcium boost, this toothpaste nourishes the teeth and makes them 2X stronger.



Preferred for the oral needs of the entire family, Colgate Strong Teeth toothpaste with its latest campaign - 'Paste hi Nahin, Daanton ka Poshan hai ye!', brings forward the importance of nourishment of teeth.



Frequent consumption of sugary & processed food leads to weakening of enamel and loss of Calcium from the teeth. This process is called demineralization. To counter this process, the saliva in our mouths deposits natural Calcium onto the teeth via a continuous process called remineralization which is essentially how teeth get nourished.



Colgate Strong Teeth toothpaste has a unique, naturally occurring amino acid called Arginine which along with fluoride enhances the process of deposition of natural calcium back onto the teeth thereby supporting remineralization and nourishing our teeth.



Speaking on the occasion, Gunjit Jain, Marketing Director, Colgate-Palmolive India, said, "At Colgate, we believe it is our responsibility to continue to focus on building the right oral care habits in India. Colgate Strong Teeth toothpaste is all set to relaunch with its unique Arginine based technology, that not just cleans your teeth but also nourishes them. Backed by science, we are confident that this advanced formula will deliver superior results than ever before.



The all-new Colgate Strong Teeth Toothpaste ensures you keep your smile on and teeth nourished, healthy and strong, just as you would nourish your hair, skin or body."



The toothpaste will be available both online and offline.



About Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited:



Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited is the market leader in Oral Care in the country, that seeks to deliver sustainable, profitable growth and maximize shareholder returns and to provide its people with an innovative and inclusive work environment. The organization has adopted sustainability, diversity, equity, inclusion, and social responsibility strategies that help make people's lives healthier and more enjoyable. The company manufactures and markets toothpastes, toothpowder, toothbrushes, oil pulling products and mouthwashes under the 'Colgate' brand, and a specialized range of personal care products under the 'Palmolive' brand. It is a caring, innovative growth company, reimagining a healthier future for all people and our planet. Colgate has been ranked as India's #1 Most Trusted Oral Care Brand for the ninth consecutive year, from 2011 to 2019, by The Economic Times - Brand Equity - Most Trusted Brands Survey, conducted by Nielsen. Colgate has also been ranked as the Most Trusted Oral Hygiene Brand by TRA's Brand Trust India Study Report for the ninth consecutive year, from 2011 to 2019. For more information about Colgate's business and products, visit: www.colgatepalmolive.co.in



For further information, please contact:



Niharika Kulkarni

Genesis BCW

niharika.kulkarni@genesis-bcw.com

(+91) 9969849844



Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2082373/Colgate.jpg



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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Pune's oldest shopping destination, offering state-of-the-art specifications with multi-tier assisted parking and intelligent lighting systems for the facade



Pune, Maharashtra, India (NewsVoir)



Sigma One Universal, a dynamic and diversified organization with a strong presence in real estate, leasing, construction, contracting, and allied services, today announced the launch of its flagship commercial project, Sigma One Bizbay. This iconic masterpiece, located strategically on Kumthekar Road in Pune, is set to redefine the city's commercial landscape. Sigma One Bizbay is an impressive 8-floor structure that embodies the perfect blend of functionality, aesthetics, and convenience. Designed with meticulous attention to detail, its striking glass-facade architecture not only adds to its visual appeal but also ensures optimal brand visibility for retail and other businesses within Pune.



According to a recent research carried out by Sigma One Universal and a published report conducted by a leading global real estate services firm, Pune with a population of 7.3 million and ranked as the 7th largest metropolis in India, stands as a thriving city in Maharashtra. Renowned for its ease of living and exceptional quality of life index of 129.26, Pune offers a conducive environment for residents and businesses alike. With a total retail space of 8.1 million, Pune demonstrates its robust retail market, with only 6.60% vacancy, indicating a high demand for retail spaces. The decreasing retail space vacancy rates year on year further highlight the sustained demand and growth potential of the retail sector in the city, the research found. The Peth area, known for its historical significance, acts as a magnet, attracting customers not only from Pune but also from neighboring cities like Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Nashik, Kolhapur, Lonavla etc.



Investors in the Pune market benefit from attractive rental yields, with the city area offering the highest rental yield of up to 6.8% compared to other markets. This makes Pune an enticing destination for those seeking lucrative investment opportunities.



Situated at a prime location, Sigma One Bizbay offers unparalleled advantages for retailers, entrepreneurs and enterprises looking to establish a strong presence in Pune. Its strategic positioning ensures easy accessibility and high footfall, making it an ideal destination for businesses seeking growth and success.



"At Sigma One, we are thrilled to be a part of Pune's oldest and busiest shopping destination. We have observed that people from different cities across Maharashtra flock to this vibrant retail hub to indulge in a delightful shopping experience. Before purchasing the land here, we conducted extensive research to truly understand the dynamics of the market. The traditional Kumthekar Road and Laxmi Road, both stretching approximately 1 km in length, have over 500 bustling markets in the vicinity. The clothing brands have asserted their dominance in this bustling area, capturing a significant market share of over 75%. This remarkable achievement is closely followed by jewellery brands, which occupy approximately 15% of the market. It became evident that this location has tremendous potential, with a staggering daily footfall of approximately 1,80,000 on a daily basis during peak times. With a vision to provide the best to the city area and the iconic Peth area, we are committed to uplifting the retail experience and creating a space that exceeds expectations. Sigma One Bizbay is the result of our dedication to offering a transformative and enjoyable shopping destination that caters to the diverse needs of shoppers, said Kapil Gandhi, Managing Director at Sigma One Universal on the launch of the project.



Our team of talented architects and designers meticulously crafted a structure that not only captivates the eye but also enhances the overall functionality of the space. With its sleek and modern design, the building stands as a symbol of innovation and progress. Every aspect of the architecture, from the thoughtful placement of windows to the strategic layout of interior spaces, has been carefully considered to optimize the retail experience. Sigma One Bizbay showcases our commitment to creating an iconic masterpiece that not only elevates the surrounding landscape but also serves as a testament to our unwavering dedication to excellence in design and functionality," added Shitesh Agrawal - Architectural Director, Sigma One Universal & Founder of Sankalp Designers.



Sigma One Bizbay boasts a wide range of amenities and facilities, including modern retail spaces, flexible office areas, and versatile commercial units that can be tailored to suit individual business requirements. With an emphasis on creating a vibrant and conducive environment, the project aims to foster collaboration, productivity, and growth for its occupants. It also offers flexible options where all levels can be combined as a single unit for multi-brand retail outlets.



Sigma One has a proven track record of delivering successful projects, with 15 remarkable ventures already completed, including contracting projects. Additionally, the organization has 3 ongoing projects, showcasing its commitment to continuous growth and development. With a cumulative area of 1.5 million square feet already delivered, Sigma One's dedication to quality and excellence is evident. One of the hallmarks of Sigma One's success lies in its focus on customer satisfaction. Over the years, the organization has delighted many customers, earning their trust and loyalty. Sigma One has been pioneers in introducing a la carte homes, pioneers in home customization, conceptualizing vehicle-free zones, concepts like muti-tier parking, hidden parking and crack-free paints etc in real-estate market.



About the Project



Sigma One Bizbay is an exceptional commercial project situated on a plot area of 218.20 sq.mt (2,348.70 sq.ft). The project offers a total carpet area of 10,449 sq.ft., providing ample space for various businesses to thrive. The building comprises a total of 8 levels, including the ground floor, mezzanine, and six floors, as well as two-level basement parking. The basement parking facility accommodates 8 assisted car parks and ample space for bike parks, ensuring convenient access for tenants and visitors.



The project boasts two lifts, including a primary high-speed elevator and provision for an internal glass elevator, enabling smooth vertical transportation within the building. With meticulous planning and construction, Sigma One Bizbay is scheduled to be ready for fit-outs by August 2023, offering a swift transition for businesses seeking to establish their presence. Sigma One Bizbay is registered under MahaRERA with RERA No. P52100034644, signifying compliance with regulatory standards and instilling confidence among potential tenants and investors. This project is designed to optimize space utilization while ensuring a modern and visually appealing aesthetic.



About Sigma One Universal



Sigma One Universal (formerly known as Sigma One Landmarks) was founded in 2002 under the leadership of Kapil Gandhi. The company is committed to delivering unmatched quality, innovation, and personalized experiences to its customers. With a steadfast focus on customer satisfaction and a portfolio of successful projects, Sigma One Universal continues to redefine the standards of luxury and excellence in the real estate market.



(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Newsvoir and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI PWR

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Mumbai, May 23 (PTI) Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty eked out gains in volatile trade to extend the winning streak to a third straight day on Tuesday amid weak trends in global markets as investors turned cautious ahead of the release of the US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes. Fag-end selling dragged the 30-share BSE Sensex down from its intra-day high level to settle at 61,981.79 with marginal gains of 18.11 points or 0.03 per cent. During the day, the barometer jumped 281.51 points or 0.45 per cent to 62,245.19.

The NSE Nifty rose by 33.60 points or 0.18 per cent to end at 18,348, driven by gains in Adani group stocks.

Among the Sensex firms, Bajaj Finserv, Tata Motors, Asian Paints, ITC, IndusInd Bank, State Bank of India, Tata Steel, Wipro, Infosys and Maruti were the major gainers.

Tech Mahindra, HCL Technologies, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Titan and Larsen & Toubro were the major laggards.

"Domestic benchmark indices closed flat after a positive session, driven by buying in the metal, pharma, and auto sectors. However, market sentiment was challenged by a sell-off in IT stocks, influenced by weak signals from the US market," Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services said.

The direction of the US market is anticipated to impact global equities, with investors closely monitoring upcoming events such as the release of FOMC minutes, US PMI, and progress in debt-ceiling talks, Nair added.

"The benchmark indices observed profit-taking at higher levels. While some IT stocks saw profit-booking at higher levels, the metal index continued to outperform," Shrikant Chouhan, Head of Equity Research (Retail), Kotak Securities Ltd said.

In the broader market, the BSE midcap gauge climbed 0.43 per cent and smallcap index gained 0.11 per cent.

Among the indices, utilities jumped 1.37 per cent, power gained 1.18 per cent, oil & gas (0.92 per cent), commodities (0.91 per cent) and energy (0.66 per cent).

Industrials, IT, capital goods, consumer durables, teck and realty were the laggards.

In Asian markets, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong settled lower, while Seoul ended in the green.

Markets in Europe were trading mostly lower. The US market ended mostly with gains on Monday.

US President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy both said they had a productive debt ceiling discussion late Monday at the White House, but there was no agreement as negotiators strained to raise the nation's borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially chaotic federal default.

Market participants are waiting for the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting minutes, scheduled for May 24.

Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) turned buyers on Monday as they bought equities worth Rs 922.89 crore after a day's breather, according to exchange data.

Meanwhile, global oil benchmark Brent crude dipped 0.03 per cent to USD 75.97 a barrel.

The rupee also traded in a narrow range and settled 2 paise higher at 82.82 against the US dollar.
New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) The 131-day window to exchange junked 2000 rupee currency notes opened on Tuesday with a mixed bag of small queues and confusion at some banks over the requirement of officially valid identity cards like PAN or Aadhaar, and official forms.

Unlike November 2016, when old 500 and 1000 rupee notes - constituting some 86 per cent of the currency in circulation - were banned overnight, Rs 2000 currency notes continue to be legal tender for now, and the exchange window is more than double of that provided in 2016.

While the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has not made the presentation of a valid ID or filling of deposit forms mandatory, there were complaints from some places that banks were demanding customers to submit identity cards as proof.

Some banks exchanged notes by making an electronic entry, few others asked customers to pen down their name and mobile number in a registrar without giving any identity proof.

At some places, however, customers said they were asked to present their PAN or Aadhaar cards. A small number of customers claimed the bank they visited did not exchange the notes and instead asked them to deposit those in their accounts.

While the queues and long waits witnessed in 2016 were not there, customer feedback indicated a lack of consistent policy across banks.

The RBI on Friday announced the withdrawal of Rs 2000 denomination banknotes as part of its currency management. It has maintained that this wasn't demonetization as the 2000 rupee notes continue to be legal tender, meaning they can be used for making payments.

The Rs 2000 notes constitute around 10.8 per cent of total currency in circulation or Rs 3.6 lakh crore. The notes can be exchanged or deposited till September 30, 2023.

Compared to demonetization, this time the quantum of currency being withdrawn is significantly smaller and the period to complete the process is more spread out.

During the November 2016 demonetization, 86 per cent of the currency in circulation was withdrawn with old 500 and 1000 notes ceasing to be legal tender. The entire process was completed over a shorter 50-day time period.

State Bank of India, the country's biggest bank, in an official memo to its branches stated that no form or slip would be required while exchanging or depositing Rs 2,000 notes.

Private banks like Kotak and HSBC said they are asking for form/ID Proof for non-account holders. But Axis Bank, Standard Chartered, Yes Bank, Canara Bank and Bank of India said they are not mandating any form or ID proof.

Bank of Baroda has said they don't require any form but need ID proof for non-account holders. ICICI and HDFC have said they require all customers to fill out forms, but ID proof is needed only for non-account holders.

As per the RBI guidelines issued on Friday, the exchange of Rs 2,000 facility is available from Tuesday. A person can exchange up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time without filling out any form or requisition slip. Further, no identity proof is required to be submitted by the tenderer at the time of exchange.

No great rush was witnessed for exchange when branches opened. Outlets of private sector banks in metro cities in the early hours had business as usual.

According to a senior official of a public sector bank, not much rush is seen so far because there is a window of four months for exchange and currency in circulation to be exchanged is also relatively less compared to demonetization.

The official said, as far as the deposit in accounts are concerned, it is happening as usual and there is not much rush so far. Deposits are being accepted as per the extant guidelines.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Monday said there is enough time available for exchange and deposit in bank accounts, so people should not panic.

There is more than adequate quantity of printed notes available in the system not just with the RBI, but also at the currency chests which are operated by the banks, he said.

"So there is adequate stock available and there is no reason to worry whatsoever. We have more than sufficient stock," he said.

The governor also said that the RBI is sensitive to the difficulties which may be faced by people who are on long foreign visits or living abroad on work visas.

"It will be our endeavour to address the difficulties of the people and to complete the entire process in a smooth manner," he said.
Beijing, May 23 (AP) Foreign companies in China are uncertain about what they are allowed to do following police raids on consulting firms and want greater clarity about how newly expanded national security and other rules will be enforced, a foreign business group said Tuesday.

The British Chamber of Commerce in China said a survey of its members found they are more optimistic following December's lifting of anti-virus controls that blocked most travel into and out of China. It said they want to invest but are waiting for steps to restore the trust and certainty in China amid tension with Europe and Washington and official plans to promote economic self-reliance.

If there is greater clarity and greater certainty, then we believe that companies will commit more to China, said the chamber chairman, Julian MacCormac, at a news conference. Some 70 per cent of companies are really waiting to see how conditions develop before taking action.

President Xi Jinping's government says foreign companies are welcome and is trying to encourage them to invest more. But they are uneasy following the expansion of national security and other rules with little explanation and official plans to create competitors to global suppliers of processor chips and other technology, sometimes using subsidies and market barriers that have strained relations with the European Union, Washington and other trading partners.

On Sunday, the government banned use of products from the biggest U.S. maker of memory chips, Micron Technology Inc., in computers that handle sensitive information. It said Micron had unspecified security flaws but gave no explanation.

Companies are on edge after police raided offices of two consultancies, Bain &Co. and Capvision, and a due diligence firm, Mintz Group. Authorities have given no explanation. They say companies are obliged to obey the law but have given no indication of possible violations.

The British chamber represents some 650 companies, many of them in finance, consulting and other service industries that might be affected by tighter curbs on what information can be gathered in China and how it can be used and stored.

Tuesday's report included 171 suggestions for Chinese regulators including greater clarity about data restrictions on the auto industry and addressing what it said is unfair treatment of foreign companies in government purchasing.

The chamber's director of government relations, Sally Xu, said member companies that responded to a request for questions ahead of a meeting next week with a Ministry of Commerce official all asked about the investigations of consultants.

Our companies are concerned about this, Xu said. They wonder, where is the line between what we can do and cannot do?

A survey in April found 76 per cent of companies that responded are more optimistic following the end of anti-virus controls that blocked most travel into and out of China, according to the chamber. But its report said the outlook is clouded by an unpredictable business environment, political tension and increased talk of self-sufficiency.

This language around security and self-reliance needs to be balanced against the message of welcome to come to China,' because I think there is some nervousness, McCormac said. It raises uncertainty about, what's the future like for me as a company in China? (AP) MRJ
New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) BigHit Music, the management agency of South Korean music group BTS, on Tuesday appealed to fans not to send member J-Hope gifts and letters as he fulfils his mandatory military service at the training camp.

After Jin, J-Hope became the second member of the septet to enlist for his mandatory military duty on April 17.

In a statement posted on fan community forum Weverse, BigHit Music expressed gratitude towards ARMY, the fan group of the band, for supporting BTS over the years.

"Thanks to your kind consideration and support this past April, BTS member j-hope has entered the military and is now performing his duties responsibly at the training camp," the agency said in the statement.

BigHit Music said the influx of gifts at the training centre could lead to problems with storage and even misplacement.

"Please refrain from sending letters and gifts even after he has finished his military recruit training and gets stationed at his military base. If a large number of letters and gifts from the fans arrive at the centre all at once, it would be difficult to store them and they could be easily lost," they said.

ARMY can instead send messages for J-Hope, one of the three rappers in BTS, on Weverse.

"We ask that you please refrain from sending anything by mail. BIGHIT MUSIC will assist in making sure j-hope is able to personally see any kind and warm messages fans leave on Weverse using the hashtag #Dearj- hopefrom_ARMY," BigHit Music said.

The agency also asked for fans' cooperation during the member, whose real name is Jung Ho-seok, recruit training graduation ceremony.

"In order to prevent any issues that might occur from crowding, we ask fans to please refrain from visiting the site. Instead, we ask you to keep your heartwarming words of support and farewell in your hearts.

"We ask for your continued love and support for j-hope until he finishes his military service and comes back. Our company will also strive to provide every support he needs during this time," they added.

In South Korea, all able-bodied men aged 18-28 are required to serve in the military for about two years. All BTS members were allowed to put off starting their military service until they turned 30.

Other members -- RM, Suga, Jimin, V and Jungkook -- plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.

The group, which debuted in 2013, had announced their hiatus in June 2022. BTS members hope to reconvene as a unit around 2025 following their service commitment.
Sydney, May 23 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday interacted with prominent Australian public figures working in diverse fields like science, artificial intelligence, social work and art and music and encouraged them to contribute to strengthening the India-Australia relationship.

Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday for the third and final leg of his three-nation tour during which he will hold talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Wednesday.

The prominent public figures Modi met included Nobel laureate Brian Paul Schmidt, Toilet warrior Mark Balla, artist Danielle Mate, rockstar Guy Sebastian and celebrity chef and restaurateur Sarah Todd.

"Furthering - cultural & people to people ties. PM @narendramodi interacted with prominent public figures of Australia, working in diverse fields of science, artificial intelligence, humanities, social work, gastronomy, art and music," the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted.

"Congratulated them on their achievements and encouraged them to contribute to strengthening the India-Australia relationship," it said.

Toilet warrior Balla called Prime Minister Modi an absolute number one change maker in the sanitation space globally.

Balla said they spoke about the subject of sanitation.

"The 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' in India - Mr Modi is the number 1 changemaker in the sanitation space globally," Balla said after the meeting.

Celebrity chef Todd was impressed after meeting Modi and described the Indian prime minister as an "incredible influencer".

Nobel laureate Schmidt said he had a very enriching conversation with Prime Minister Modi on science and research and called him one of the most visible leaders that India has had.

Mate said the prime minister has a creative element to himself and can see similarities in the arts and culture of the two countries.

Sebastian spoke with Modi about music as well as his mother.

He said the prime minister showed him a clip of the viral song 'Natu Natu' and it is something he is going to learn.
Newton, May 22 (AP) Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova welcomed pledges of F-16 fighter jets to her country Monday while also urging patience for the launching of a spring counteroffensive against Russia's full-scale invasion.

For Ukrainians, she said, the effort to repel Russian has essentially been one long counterattack.

"I wouldn't label it. Whether it's going to be one offensive or several. Whether it going to be just the hard, daily work on every front line or we will see some big results in any of them, it doesn't really matter," Markarova said.

What matters is the goal is to liberate all Ukraine.

Markarova, speaking after delivering a commencement address at Boston College, said the delivery of F-16 jets is critical to the short and long-term security of the country.

The U.S. has agreed to help train pilots in Ukraine to fly F-16 fighter jets, but it has provided few details and said decisions on when, how many, and who will supply the F-16s will be made in the months ahead while the training is underway.

Markarova also offered no new details about when Ukraine would be able to put the jets into service.

This is a capability that we definitely need." she said.

Even after we win, Russia is not going to move anywhere. We have to continue to protect Ukraine and Europe.

Markarova said it's too early for Russia to claim it has won control of the Ukraine's eastern city of Bakhmut, but she said they have definitely destroyed the city.

She also said that she believes her country enjoys strong support from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

Markarova's visit comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made several recent foreign trips to shore up diplomatic support for defending his country including visits to Italy, the Vatican, Germany, France and Britain.

In her address to graduates, Markarova said her country's decision to fight against Russia can provide an inspiration for others.

When you see your neighbour's son taken by strangers during the night. When you see missiles hit and destroy hospitals, kindergartens, universities, it's chilling. It's easy to panic, she said.

It's the easiest thing to do when you are scared is nothing. And it's also the worst thing to do."

One lesson the Ukraine people have learned from the invasion is to face down their fears, even when the odds seemed against them, she added.

Russia's attack on Ukraine wasn't a simple land grab. It was a blatant violation of the rule-based order. It was a genocidal attack aimed to destroy Ukraine's statehood," Markarova said.

"A strong, successful, democratic, European Ukraine is the worst nightmare Russia had. (AP) VM
Jerusalem, May 22 (AP) Israel's defence minister Monday said that Israel's new government has greatly increased the number of strikes on Iranian targets since taking office late last year.

Yoav Gallant did not provide an exact number of airstrikes.

But the address, delivered at a security conference, marked rare public comments on Israeli military activity in Syria.

Since I took office, the number of Israeli strikes against the Iranians in Syria have doubled, Gallant said.

As part of this campaign, we are working methodically to strike the Iranian intelligence capabilities in Syria," he said.

"These strikes inflict significant damage to the attempts by the Revolutionary Guard to establish a foothold a few kilometers from the Israeli border.

Gallant also accused Iran of converting civilian ships into military vessels armed with weapons such as drones, missiles and intelligence-gathering capabilities. He said Iran hopes to station these ships at long distances from Iran.

Iran aims to expand its reach to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea and even the shores of the Mediterranean, he said.

"This is a structured plan designed to threaten trade and flight routes  both military and civilian  and to create a permanent threat in the maritime arena.

Israel considers Iran to be its greatest enemy, citing its calls for Israel's destruction and its support for anti-Israel militant groups across the region. It also accuses Iran of trying to develop a nuclear bomb  a charge Iran denies.

Israeli officials have acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes on Iranian targets in neighbouring Syria  where Iran has sent advisers and forces to assist President Bashar Assad in a 12-year civil war.

But officials have given few details over the years and almost never comment on specific operations. (AP) VM
Jerusalem, May 23 (AP) Emirati leaders extended a long-sought invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attend the U.N climate conference, known as COP28, in November.

The United Arab Emirates' President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also invited Israel's figurehead President Isaac Herzog and dozens of other leaders including Syrian President Bashar Assad to COP28, in Dubai.

The Israelis did not immediately accept the invitation, but Netanyahu thanked the Emiratis for the gesture.

The invitation falls short of the high-profile bilateral visit Netanyahu has sought. But a trip to the Gulf Arab country would nonetheless give an important boost to the Israeli leader who has established official ties with the UAE as part of the 2020 Abraham Accords, normalising relations between the two countries. Netanyahu has repeatedly called for closer ties with Arab countries across the region, but has yet to pay the UAE an official visit since the accords were signed.

Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving leader, has sought to return to the world stage. to the world stage. Since returning to office late last year, he has made official visits to Italy, Germany and Britain.

He had hoped to visit the UAE shortly after his right-wing government took office, but the plan was postponed after national security minister and ultranationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir last January visited the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

The same site is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to Muslims. Such visits are widely viewed as provocations that could lead to new clashes between the Israelis and Palestinians.

The UAE condemned Ben-Gvir's actions at the time. He visited the site again on Sunday, declaring Israel in charge and drawing renewed criticism from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and the United States.

Netanyahu's alliance with far-right figures like Ben-Gvir has drawn repeated criticism from close allies. He remains uninvited to visit U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington, which some interpret as a White House snub.

The U.S. administration has criticised Israel's settlement policies in the occupied West Bank, Ben-Gvir's visits to the disputed compound and the government's push to overhaul Israel's judiciary system.

The administration has said he's likely to receive an invitation at some point.

Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has been internationally ostracized during his country's civil war, has also been invited after returning to the Arab League following a 12-year suspension.

The annual U.N. climate talks are designed to keep countries accountable to their pledges to cut down on carbon emissions.

In November, the talks in Dubai will be hosted by Sultan al-Jaber, the chief executive officer of the Emirates' state oil company. Choosing the oil-rich emirate as well as al-Jaber to host the climate conference has drawn criticism from various environmental groups and activists. (AP)



MRJ
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets with Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Christophe Lutundula in Beijing, capital of China, May 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Monday met in Beijing with Christophe Lutundula, Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Noting China and the DRC are good friends and brothers that enjoy a time-honored friendship, Qin said China warmly welcomes President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo's upcoming state visit to China and expects that the two heads of state will make top-level planning and define the strategic direction for the development of China-DRC relations in the next stage.

Qin pointed out that China has been the largest trading partner and source of investment to the DRC for many consecutive years. China will continue to work with the DRC to advance the building of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, implement the consensus under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and achieve win-win cooperation.

China is willing to help the DRC to turn the resource advantages into a driving engine for its economic development, and hopes that the DRC could create a sound business environment and provide security guarantee for Chinese investors, Qin said.

Qin said both sides should strengthen solidarity and coordination at the UN and other multilateral occasions, firmly safeguard the principle of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and jointly develop fairer and more equitable international order and global governance.

Lutundula thanked China for its important assistance and valuable support to the DRC's economic and social development over the years, noting that the DRC firmly upholds the one-China policy.

He said that the DRC will promote pragmatic cooperation in various fields and strengthen communication and coordination with China to bring more benefits to the two countries and peoples. 
Nairobi, May 23 (AP) Humanitarian agencies are calling for full funding of the UN's USD 7 billion appeal for the Horn of Africa during a pledging conference this week, citing a growing crisis and the need for urgent lifesaving intervention.

The UN says the region is facing the worst drought in 40 years, with more than 43.3 million people in need of assistance in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya, and more than half of those lacking access to sufficient food, according to the UN.

The International Rescue Committee said that until now the appeals have received less than a quarter of the donations they need.

Efforts to combat food insecurity need to be urgently scaled up across a wider group of governments, international financial institutions and climate actors," said the IRC's chief executive, David Miliband.

The UN on Wednesday is convening a high-level pledging event at its headquarters in New York, where member states and partners will be encouraged to commit financial support to the Horn of Africa crisis.

Humanitarian organisations say time is running out as affected communities have gone for months with little or no food.

It's beyond urgent.  We have averted famine before, and we can do it again.  People are already dying and there's no time for declarations, Deepmala Mahla, CARE International's vice president for humanitarian affairs told The Associated Press.

A famine is yet to be declared in Somalia, where more than 6 million people are going hungry, but some humanitarian and climate officials have warned that trends are worse than in the 2011 famine in Somalia in which a quarter-million people died.

Formal famine declarations are rare because data to meet the benchmarks often cannot be obtained because of conflict, poor infrastructure or politics. Governments can be wary of being associated with a term of such grim magnitude.

Local nongovernmental organisations like Somalia's Hormuud Salaam Foundation say there's need for sustained funding.

For lasting change, we must equip local organisations and local people with the tools to face the inevitable climate shocks of tomorrow, the foundation's CEO, Abdullahi Nur Osman, told the AP.

Persistent conflict in some of the affected areas, combined with climate change effects, have contributed to the growing crisis.

Parts of Somalia and Ethiopia are currently experiencing flooding during the ongoing rainy season and millions of people have been displaced.

The affected areas, mostly occupied by herders, had seen prolonged dry seasons that left livestock, which are a source of livelihoods, dead.

Parts of Somalia are grappling with insecurity due to the al-Shabab extremist group that has carried out numerous large-scale attacks.

Northern Ethiopia experienced conflict for more than two years as regional forces clashed with national forces.

Hundreds of thousands of people died and the situation remains fragile, seven months after a peace deal was signed.(AP) RUP
Cairo, May 23 (AP) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Sudan's rival generals to abide by the latest cease-fire or face possible sanctions as residents reported sporadic fighting Tuesday between the warring sides in the capital of Khartoum and a northern city.

Sudan descended into chaos after fighting erupted in mid-April between the country's military, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, commanded by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The fighting has killed hundreds, wounded thousands and turned Khartoum and other urban areas into battlefields. Early on, foreign governments raced to evacuate their diplomats and nationals as thousands of foreign residents scrambled to get out of Sudan. More than 1 million Sudanese have been forced from their homes by the fighting.

Over the past weeks, the United States and Saudi Arabia have been mediating in talks between the warring sides, held in the kingdom. A new truce was announced over the weekend  the seventh attempt so far to stop the deadly violence in the East African nation. It went into effect on Monday night. All previous cease-fires have been violated.

In a video message posted by the US Embassy on social media early Tuesday, Blinken said the fighting has been tragic, senseless and devastating.

The truce, he said, is meant to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance and restore essential services and infrastructure destroyed in the clashes.

A remote mechanism, backed by the US, has been established to monitor the truce, Blinken added  a 12-member monitoring committee consisting of three representatives from the warring sides, three from the US, and three from Saudi Arabia.

If the cease-fire is violated, we'll know and we will hold violators accountable through sanctions and other means, he said. We facilitated the cease-fire, but it's the responsibility of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to implement it.

Both sides agreed to stop hostilities and the looting of civilian properties and humanitarian supplies, as well as seizing civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, power planets, water pumps, and fuel stations.

Aid workers and civilians have reported widespread looting in Khartoum and elsewhere across the country, along with dire lack of basic services, medical care, food, and water.

A doctor's group has also said that the RSF has seized hospitals. Allegations of sexual violence against women, including rape and gang rape in Khartoum and the restive western Darfur region, have also been reported.

Residents, meanwhile, said they heard loud sounds of gunfire and explosions Tuesday in parts of Omdurman, a city next to Khartoum, with military aircraft flying overhead. They also reported sporadic clashes around the military's headquarters in Khartoum.

Sounds of firefight are very close, said Babakr Abdel-Rahman, an Omdurman resident, speaking over the phone, with loud sounds of gunfire and aircraft heard in the background. They don't respect people's lives.

Fighting was also reported in the northern city of Obeid, where RSF was said to have attacked the military headquarters and other parts of the city. (AP)



GRS
Mumbai, May 23 (PTI) Four persons have been arrested after they allegedly assaulted a Mumbai police constable who asked them to stop drinking on the premises of a housing society, an official said on Tuesday.

According to the police official, four men entered the Jankalyan Nagar society at Malwani in suburban Malad on Monday night and started drinking alcohol.

After a resident complained to the police control room, constable Kailash More, who was on a patrol in the area, reached the spot and asked the four to stop consuming liquor.

However, the men got into an argument with the policeman and assaulted him, the official said. Mores colleagues then reached the spot and took the four to the Malwani police station.

Two of the four men have a criminal past and one of them was earlier externed from their jurisdiction, he added.
Mumbai, May 23 (PTI) At least six persons were killed and 10 others injured when a state transport bus collided with a container truck in Maharashtra's Buldhana district on Tuesday morning, police said.

The accident took place near Sindkhed Raja town on old Mumbai-Nagpur highway in the district, located more than 450 km from the state capital Mumbai, an official said.

The bus, belonging to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), was going towards Mehkar in (Buldhana) from Pune when it collided with the truck, the official said.

"Six persons were killed and 10 others received injuries," he said.

Among the deceased were four bus passengers and drivers of both the vehicles, the official said.

The injured persons were rushed to a hospital in Sindkhed Raja town, he said.
Ranchi, May 23 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu will begin her three-day visit to Jharkhand on Wednesday, officials said.

During the tour, she will be visiting Deoghars Baba Baidhyanathdham temple, inaugurating the new complex of Jharkhand High Court, attending 2nd convocation of IIIT in Ranchi and participating in a programme in Khunti.

The President will reach Deoghar tomorrow on a special flight and offer prayers at Baba Baidyanath Dham temple. In the evening, the President will inaugurate the newly constructed Jharkhand High Court complex in Ranchi," an official said.

According to the Deogarh Deputy Commissioner, Manjunath Bhajantri, in view of the Presidents visit to the temple, the entry of devotees will be barred in the place of worship from 6 am to 10.30 am on Wednesday.

Murmu will also visit the adjoining Khunti district.

"On May 25, the President will address a convention of women associated with the Women's Self Help Group (SHG) in Khunti district as the chief guest. In the evening she will attend the convocation ceremony of IIIT Institute, Ranchi. During her visit the President will also pay homage to the brave sons of Jharkhand," an official said.

Hoardings and banners have been put up in the state capital to welcome her. Murmu held the office of Governor of Jharkhand from 2015 to 2021.

Security arrangements have been beefed up in Deoghar, Ranchi and Khunti in view of the President's visit.
Patna, May 23 (PTI) Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday expressed grief over the deaths of six people in lightning strikes in different parts of Bihar.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, three people were killed in Darbhanga district, two persons in Begusarai and one person in Vaishali.

An ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh was announced for next of the kin of each deceased.

Kumar urged the people to avoid going out during inclement weather.
New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) The Congress on Tuesday alleged that a rule prohibiting investment by opaque funds was done away with by SEBI on "weak grounds" and said the market regulator cannot run with the hares by diluting reporting requirements and hunt with the hounds pretending to identify beneficial ownership in opaque tax havens.

The Opposition party's assertion came after a media report claimed that the Supreme Court-appointed committee scrutinised SEBI's dropping of a key regulatory requirement for foreign portfolio investments (FPIs) months before it developed suspicions on Adani group shareholding.

In a statement, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said it is now clear that, far from a clean chit, the Supreme Court expert committee on the "Modani mega scam" has unveiled how Securities and Exchange Board of India's (SEBI) investigation of suspicious Adani transactions have been blocked or reached an impasse, which is why the market regulator's report deadline was extended to August 14.

The expert committee had revealed that this was partly of SEBI's own making, after the regulator did away with the requirement on identifying the ultimate beneficial owner of foreign funds and deleted provisions on "opaque structures", Ramesh said.

"This despite PM (Narendra) Modi's frequent and evidently empty rhetoric against black money and offshore tax havens," he added.

Posting his statement, Ramesh tweeted, "Here is my statement on the latest revelation this morning on the Modani MegaScam which gets curiouser and curiouser by the day as new information trickles out."

"A report today in a leading economic daily now provides details as to how the rule prohibiting investment by opaque funds, i.e. Regulation 32(1)(f) of SEBI (FPI) Regulations, was done away with on weak grounds. Can SEBI explain the pressures placed on it to move in this unexpected direction?" he said in his statement.

"How is improving the 'Ease of Living' of those suspected of money-laundering and round-tripping consistent with promises of 'na khaoonga, na khane doonga (will not indulge in corruption nor let others indulge in it)'," he said.

"It is therefore hardly surprising that SEBI has been unable to find the true beneficiaries of 42 companies based in offshore tax havens that have invested in Adani companies. It cannot run with the hares by diluting reporting requirements and hunt with the hounds pretending to identify beneficial ownership in opaque tax havens like the Cayman Islands, Malta, British Virgin Islands and Bermuda," the Rajya Sabha member said.

He claimed that contrary to the finding of the expert committee, this bears a strong resemblance to regulatory failure.

"We earnestly hope that the 14th August SEBI report throws more light on the issue rather than covering it up," Ramesh said.

The Congress has been demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the allegations against the Adani Group.

The Adani Group has dismissed the allegations as baseless.
New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) A 50-year-old rickshaw puller was arrested for allegedly raping a minor girl at his rented house in east Delhi's Pandav Nagar area, police said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Upender Mukhiya from Bihar, lives in a slum cluster in the area, they said.

On Monday, the 13-year-old girl went to throw garbage outside when the accused pulled her into his room and raped her, police said.

The matter was reported by the victim's parents the same night after the girl narrated her ordeal to them, a senior police officer said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Amrutha Guguloth said a case has been registered under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and the relevant section of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The accused was arrested while he was preparing to leave his rented accommodation, she said.

The medical examination of the girl was conducted at a hospital and she was also counselled, police said.
New Delhi, May 23 (PTI) Evictions and demolitions have intensified in Delhi and other cities hosting G20-related events rendering several people homeless, activists have alleged.

At a public hearing here on Monday, civil society and community members shared accounts of the evictions and anti-encroachment drives. The hearing was organised by Concerned Citizens, a collective of organisations from varied fields.

The activists claimed as Delhi buckles up to host eight G20 events, including the meeting of heads of governments and states in September, more people have started getting eviction notices amid a series of anti-encroachment drives by different authorities.

Pruthviraj from Land Conflict Watch said, India got the G20 presidency in November and people in Delhi suddenly started getting notices.

He said there are patterns in the recent demolitions, with the poorer neighbourhoods being more vulnerable.

In Mehrauli, 700 eviction notices were served, while 25 houses were demolished. However, in Tughlakabad, around 1,500 notices were served and around 3,000 houses were demolished as the residents were relatively more vulnerable," Pruthviraj said.

He alleged that the houses or apartments of the relatively more affluent were spared in both places.

Puja, who now lives under a flyover after being evicted from Bela Estate in the Yamuna floodplains, said they were given only three hours to pack their belongings before their houses were broken.

"It was next to impossible. Many students missed their board exams due to the eviction drive on April 29. Within a month, bulldozers were unleashed on us thrice," Puja said.

"They first broke the hand pumps to make us leave immediately. Kids had to miss their exams to save their houses," she added.

The area around the 14th-century Tughlakabad Fort also bore the brunt of the recent demolition drive.

"Delhi has become a war zone. If you go to Tuglakabad, it would feel like the area has been bombarded," said CPI(ML) activist Sucheta De.

Abdul Shakeel from Basti Suraksha said the Tughlakabad eviction was "brutal" and that he had "not seen anything of this magnitude".

"On the day of demolition, the police surrounded the basti, jammers were installed so that no one could share videos, the phones of activists were snatched, the nearby hotels and shops were shut and the entire basti was razed in two days, Shakeel said.

Former Deputy Mayor of Shimla Tikender Singh Panwar said housing should be included as a fundamental right in the Constitution.

"You're beautifying the city and criminalising the poor. It is important to have housing as a fundamental right. The cities are being built with techno-centric and capital-intensive technology, leaving the working class out. There is no space for the poor," Panwar said at the public hearing.

Lawyer and activist Anand Yagnik called the evictions "extra-constitutional".

"It appears that the G20 event has become an extra-constitutional event that does not abide by the rule of law. Such temporary suspension of constitution owing to G20 overturning high court or Supreme Court orders is unthinkable, said Yagnik.

Human rights activist and former IAS officer Harsh Mander said welcoming delegates from all over the world by expelling the city's poor depicted a distorted meaning of beauty or development.

Pamela Philipose, a Jury member of the hearing, said the aggravated use of bulldozers in these demolitions is a "symbol of brutality and cruelty of the state".

"It is sad to hear how hawkers are seen as encroachers, basti dwellers are seen as illegal residents and the homeless are considered drug addicts," she added.

The national capital has witnessed several anti-encroachment drives in recent years.

According to a report by Housing and Land Rights Network (HLRN) in 2021, government authorities at both the central and state levels demolished over 36,480 homes, thereby evicting over 2,07,100 (2.07 lakh) people from their homes across urban and rural India.

The state authorities across the country had demolished over 25,800 homes from January to July 2022, affecting at least 124,450 people, the report added.
New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) A 36-year-old man who died in an accident after being run over by a speeding BMW car was the sole breadwinner in his family, said his relatives.

Ajay Gupta was returning home on his two-wheeler when he was mowed down by the vehicle near the Moti Bagh metro station in west Delhi in the early hours of Sunday, police said.

He is survived by his wife and two girls aged 4 and 11. They live in Basai Darapur.

Victim's brother Ashish Gupta recalled that his brother was feeling uneasy due to a stomach ache that night, following which he had gone to get some medicines. However, hours later, they received a call saying that Ajay had met with an accident.

"I rushed to the hospital and found out that my brother was hit by a BMW car which was being driven by a woman in an inebriated condition. She was speeding the vehicle at 150 kmph. My brother had sustained severe injuries on his head, eyes and other parts of the body...Later, the doctor told us to shift him to another hospital as his condition was serious," he said.

"We shifted him to another hospital and wished for his speedy recovery but he lost him, he added.

Gupta's family alleged that the woman driver who has been arrested in connection with the accident was drunk. However, the same has not been confirmed by the police, who are waiting for her reports.

According to his relatives, Gupta did not have a stable job or a steady income. His father is suffering from paralysis and has been in bed for the last three years. The victim's father owns a grocery shop which is looked after by his four sons, including Ajay.

"Ajay's financial condition was weak since he did not have a stable job. He used to help his brothers at the shop while constantly looking for work opportunities to earn a bit more to meet the financial requirements of his family," his brother said.

Just two months ago, his four-year-old daughter was admitted to a nursery school, the victims relatives said.

Ever since Gupta's family learnt about his death, they are inconsolable. His wife Mangla Gupta who has still not come to terms with the reality said she wants justice for her daughters and wants her husband back.

"What will I want now? All I want is justice for my daughters. I don't know how to explain to them that their father has gone forever...I just want my husband back," she said with teary eyes.

The car was being driven by a 28-year-old woman, a resident of Ashok Vihar. An architect by profession, she was allegedly speeding when the car first hit a generator and then ran over Gupta. She was returning from a party in Greater Kailash when the accident occurred, the police said.

The police have registered a case under Sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and later Section 304 A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code.

Gupta's relatives said they are worried about the future of the two children, thinking about how they would meet the expenses of their daily requirements and further education.

"The little girl who is just four-year-old was told that her father was no more but she doesn't have the maturity to understand that her father will never return...she keeps asking about him," said a relative.

Gupta's final rites were performed on Sunday.
BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Tuesday sent a congratulatory letter to the China-Russia business forum.

Noting this forum is an important measure to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, Li said China is willing to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries, including Russia, build an open world economy, further promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and inject more certainty and impetus into the global economy.

China is willing to expand economic and trade exchanges with Russia and promote cooperation in both quantity and quality, Li said in the letter, adding that this forum provides a good platform for the business circles of the two countries to strengthen exchanges and cooperation.

It is hoped that entrepreneurs of the two countries will tap the potential of cooperation according to their needs, and add new content, highlights and vitality to the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries, he said. 
Chandigarh, May 22 (PTI) The Haryana government is working on a scheme that will enable youngsters from the state undergoing pilot training to pay only half the cost or course fee, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said on Monday.

"Under this scheme, the government will bear half the fees. For this, talks are going on with various civil aviation companies. Two rounds of talks have also taken place at the state level.

"The state government aims to provide ample employment in this field by imparting training to the maximum number of pilots in the state," Chautala said in Bhiwani.

Chautala, who also holds the civil aviation portfolio, said the state government has worked to establish civil aviation as an industry on a priority basis during the last three years.

"About 350 youths are taking training in private and government Flying Training Organizations in the state. Of this, around 120 are being trained by the Flight Simulation Technique Centre and the rest by the Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation.

"The airstrips of Karnal, Pinjore and Bhiwani, Mahendragarh and Bachhod are being developed by the government," he said in a statement.

Chautala further said the Bhiwani airstrip is being expanded.

"...work will be done to widen the runway, make taxi tracks, increase facilities for youth taking pilot training and establish a terminal, fire station etc at the earliest," he said.

The Jannayak Janata Party leader inspected the expansion work at the airstrip. He also held a meeting with officials of the Power and Public Works departments.

He said solar lights should be installed on the airstrip and directed the officers concerned to prepare an estimate for cleaning it.

He also interacted with the youths undergoing training there and inquired about the facilities being provided to them.
Jaipur, May 23 (PTI) A court here sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for sodomising a five-year-old boy.

Special judge of POCSO court Tara Agarwal convicted Kartik Barman (30) and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on him, special public prosecutor Rakesh Mehrishi said on Tuesday.

He said that the victim lived along with his mother in a rented accommodation where Barman lived with his wife and son.

An FIR in this matter was registered in July last year at Shipra Path police station in Jaipur under the sections of the POCSO Act.
JAMES MAIN, Wheeler, Baseball, Sophomore; Main doubled and drove in three wins in a victory against Putnam. Main was 2 for 3 and earned the win in relief. He allowed two hits and struck out three over the final three innings.

EMMA LOGEL, Stonington, Girls Lacrosse, Sophomore; Logel scored 11 goals in a pair of Stonington games. She finished with eight in a win against Ledyard and had three in a loss to East Lyme.

CHRISTIAN DEJOUR, Westerly, Track, Junior; Dejour finished first in two sprints at the Class C championship. Dejour won the 100 in a time of 11.07 and was first in the 200 in 22.34.

IAN DUNHAM, Chariho, Golf, Junior; Dunham shot two sub-40 rounds for the Chargers. He was the medalist in a pair of wins against Westerly and Narragansett with a 38. He shot 37 in wins against South Kingstown and Middlebridge.

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A criminal investigation in Texas over the hesitant police response to the Robb Elementary School shooting is still ongoing as Wednesday marks one year since a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers inside a fourth-grade classroom in Uvalde.

The continuing probe underlines the lasting fallout over Texas deadliest school shooting and how the days after the attack were marred by authorities giving inaccurate and conflicting accounts about efforts made to stop a teenage gunman armed with an AR-style rifle.

The investigation has run parallel to a new wave of public anger in the U.S. over gun violence, renewed calls for stricter firearm regulations and legal challenges over authorities in Uvalde continuing to withhold public records related to the shooting and the police response.

Heres a look at what has happened in the year since one of Americas deadliest mass shootings:

POLICE SCRUTINY

A damning report by Texas lawmakers put nearly 400 officers on the scene from an array of federal, state and local agencies. The findings laid out how heavily armed officers waited more than hour to confront and kill the 18-year-old gunman. It also accused police of failing to prioritize saving innocent lives over their own safety.

All of the students killed were between the ages of 9 and 11 years old.

At least five officers who were put under investigation after the shooting were either fired or resigned, although a full accounting is unclear. The head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, Col. Steve McCraw, put much of the blame after the attack on Uvaldes school police chief, who was later fired by trustees.

McCraw had more than 90 of his own officers at the school  more than any other agency  and has rebuffed calls by some Uvalde families and lawmakers to also resign.

Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell said last week that Texas Rangers are still investigating the police response and that her office will ultimately present the findings to a grand jury. She said she did not have a timeline for when the investigation would be finished.

CALLS FOR GUN CONTROL INTENSIFY

President Joe Biden signed the nations most sweeping gun violence bill in decades a month after the shooting. It included tougher background checks for the youngest gun buyers and added more funding for mental health programs and aid to schools.

It did not go as far as restrictions sought by some Uvalde families who have called on lawmakers to raise the purchase age for AR-style rifles. In the GOP-controlled Texas Capitol, Republicans this year rejected virtually all proposals to tighten gun laws over the protests of the families and Democrats.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has also waved off calls for tougher gun laws, just as he did after mass shootings at a Sutherland Springs church in 2017 and an El Paso Walmart in 2018. The issue has not turned Texas voters away from Abbott, who easily won a third term months after the Uvalde shooting.

UVALDE GRIEVES

The Uvalde school district permanently closed the Robb Elementary campus and plans for a new school are in the works. Schools in Uvalde will be closed on Wednesday.

About a dozen students in the classroom where the shooting unfolded survived the attack. Some returned to class in person last fall. Others attended school virtually, including a girl who spent more than two months in the hospital after being shot multiple times.

Veronica Mata, a kindergarten teacher in Uvalde, also returned to class this year after her 10-daughter Tess was among those killed in the attack.

Some Uvalde families have filed lawsuits against the gun maker and law enforcement.

(AP)




According to the co-founder of GiveSendGo, a crowdfunding platform, Marine veteran Daniel Pennys legal fees campaign related to the incident involving the death of an unpredictable homeless man on the New York City subway has become one of the platforms most successful fundraisers ever.

Its the No. 2 ever on GiveSendGo, CFO Jacob Wells told Fox News Digital. This definitely has sparked an emotional response with many people.

Wells noted that at one point the fund was bringing in $1,000 per minute after Penny was charged with second-degree manslaughter by Manhattan prosecutors.

The legal defense fund has already raised more than $2.7 million.

Assistant District Attorney Joshua Steinglass said Jordan Neely, who suffered from severe and untreated mental illness, was being aggressive towards other subway riders, making threats and scaring passengers, when Penny tackled him placed him in a chokehold, inadvertently killing Neely.

The case has caused an uproar among liberals, who insist that Penny is a murderer. Others  including a black passenger who was on the train  say Penny is a hero who kept his fellow riders safe from a deranged man.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




An image of black smoke billowing next to a bureaucratic-looking building spread across social media Monday morning, with the claim that it showed an explosion near the Pentagon.

The posts sent a brief shiver through the stock market and were quickly picked up by news outlets outside the U.S., before officials jumped in to clarify that no blast actually took place and the photo was a fake.

Experts say the viral image had telltale signs of an AI-generated forgery, and its popularity underscores the everyday chaos these now increasingly sophisticated and easy-to-access programs can inflict.

Heres a closer look at the facts.

CLAIM: An image shows an explosion near the Pentagon.

THE FACTS: Police and fire officials in Arlington, Virginia, say the image is not real and there was no incident at the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters across the Potomac from the nations capital.

Despite this, the image and claim was spread by outlets including RT, a Russian government-backed media company formerly known as Russia Today. It was also widely shared in investment circles, including an account bearing Twitters signature blue verification check mark that falsely suggested it was associated with Bloomberg News.

Reports of an explosion near the Pentagon in Washington DC, the Russian state news agency wrote in a since-deleted tweet to its more than three million followers.

The timing of the fake image, which appeared to spread widely just after the U.S. stock market opened for trading at 9:30 a.m., was enough to send a ripple through the investment world.

The S&P 500 briefly dropped a modest 0.3% as social media accounts and investment websites popular with day traders repeated the false claims.

Other investments also moved in ways that typically occur when fear enters the market. Prices for U.S. Treasury bonds and gold, for example, briefly began to climb, suggesting investors were looking for someplace safer to park their money.

The images rapid spread prompted the Arlington County Fire Department to take to social media to knock down the rumors.

@PFPAOfficial and the ACFD are aware of a social media report circulating online about an explosion near the Pentagon, the agency wrote, referring to the acronym for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency that polices the Pentagon. There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazards to the public.

Capt. Nate Hiner, a spokesperson for the fire department, confirmed the agencys tweet was authentic but declined to comment further, deferring to the Pentagon police force, which didnt respond to email and phone messages.

Misinformation experts say the fake image was likely created using generative artificial intelligence programs, which have allowed increasingly realistic, but oftentimes flawed, visuals to flood the internet recently.

Inconsistencies in the building, fence and surrounding area are imperfections typically found in AI-generated images, noted Hany Farid, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who specializes in digital forensics, misinformation and image analysis.

Specifically, the grass and concrete fade into each other, the fence is irregular, there is a strange black pole that is protruding out of the front of the sidewalk but is also part of the fence, he wrote in an email. The windows in the building are inconsistent with photos of the Pentagon that you can find online.

Chirag Shah, co-director of the Center for Responsibility in AI Systems & Experiences at the University of Washington in Seattle, cautioned that spotting fakes wont always be as obvious.

Society will need to lean more on crowdsourcing and community vigilance to weed out bad information and arrive at the truth as AI technology improves, he argued.

Simply relying on detection tools or social media posts are not going to be enough, Shah wrote in an email.

Before the explosion hoax, the biggest Beltway intrigue on Wall Streets mind Monday morning was whether the U.S. government will avoid a disastrous default on its debt.

But as the market is becoming increasingly reactive to headline-grabbing news, misinformation can be especially damaging when its shared by outlets even vaguely deemed as credible, said Adam Kobeissi, editor-in-chief at The Kobeissi Letter, an industry publication.

A lot of these moves are happening because of high frequency trading, algorithmic trading, which is basically taking headlines, synthesizing them and then breaking them down into a trade on a millisecond basis, he explained by phone, noting that much of the market is now automated. Its basically like youre pulling a trigger every time a headline comes out.

(AP)




Hillary Clinton is openly acknowledging that President Bidens advanced age may pose a challenge to his electability in 2024, but of course, she encouraged voters to support him regardless of this concern.

At the Financial Times Weekend Festival, Clinton, who is herself 75, expressed some skepticism regarding the fitness for office of the 80-year-old president, stating that his age is an issue, and it is entirely legitimate for people to take it into consideration. Her comment came in response to a question about Biden nearly tumbling down a flight of stairs during the recent G-7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.

There was that heart-stopping moment when he almost fell over coming down the stairs a day or two ago, FT editor Edward Luce said. Every time that happens, your heart is in your mouth because these things could be consequential. Is that a concern?

Its a concern for anyone. Weve had presidents who had fallen before who were a lot younger, and people didnt go into heart palpitations, Clinton replied. But, you know, he has this great saying  and I think hes right  dont judge him for running against the Almighty but against the alternative. I am of the camp that I think hes determined to run.

His age is an issue, and people have every right to consider it, Clinton said.

63% of Americans say Biden is not cognitively able to govern effectively and 62% say he is not in good physical shape.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




In a notable shift, a well-known Republican financier and former supporter of ex-President Donald Trump is now throwing his support behind Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the 2024 election. Hal Lambert, the founder of Texas-based Point Bridge Capital, which manages an investment fund named after Trumps Make America Great Again campaign slogan from 2016, believes it is time for Republicans to move forward and rally behind the 44-year-old DeSantis.

Lambert expressed his commitment to DeSantis, stating, Im all in for DeSantis this time. I have big plans to assist in his victory, as he shared with The Post. Lamberts MAGA ETF, an exchange-traded fund, invests in companies whose employees and political action committees predominantly support Republican candidates.

Having served on Trumps inaugural committee in 2016, Lambert revealed that his decision to support DeSantis came after an impressive dining experience with the governor and his wife, Casey, in Florida three weeks ago. Lambert praised DeSantis for his strong and successful conservative track record as the governor of the Sunshine State. He emphasized that DeSantis, who is anticipated to enter the presidential race this week, aligns with his values on crucial matters such as border security, energy independence, and school choice.

Ron is good at giving a message, Lambert said, adding that he thinks DeSantiss wife, Casey, is a great asset for him.

Lambert was also critical of Trumps recent town hall with CNN, saying he did nothing to change the mind of anyone who wasnt already supportive of him and that he focused too much on the past.

What voters who didnt vote for Trump in 2020 are going to vote for him this time based on his performance? I dont think anyone will, Lambert said.

We cant talk about things from four years ago that cant be changed, he said. Trump is going to have a difficult time winning the general election. The election wont be about Joe Bidens bad record. It will be a referendum on Trump instead.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
TEHRAN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran has appointed Alireza Enayati, a veteran diplomat, as its ambassador to Saudi Arabia, semi-official Fars news agency reported on Monday night.

Enayati used to serve as the Iranian ambassador to Kuwait, foreign minister aide, and a director-general at the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

The appointment of ambassador came after a China-brokered agreement reached by Saudi Arabia and Iran in March 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. 




Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis plans to announce his 2024 presidential campaign in a Twitter Spaces event with Elon Musk on Wednesday, according to two people with knowledge of the decision.

DeSantis, who has long been seen as Donald Trumps leading rival for the Republican nomination, will reveal his plans in an audio conversation with the owner of Twitter, according to the two people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to discuss the announcement publicly.

The 44-year-old Republican governor, who has declared a war on woke, liberal policies, will enter a crowded Republican presidential field as the GOP decides who to run against Democratic President Joe Biden. DeSantis has cast himself as a younger and more electable version of Trump.

In choosing Twitter, DeSantis is taking a page out of the playbook that helped turn businessman-TV celebrity Trump into a political star.

The timing of DeSantis long-expected announcement has been shrouded, with various iterations of plans being leaked over the past few days. Some close to him suspected that he was providing conflicting information about the timing and location to root out leakers. Others believe he changed his initial preparations after news reports came out about them.

Musk, speaking at The Wall Street Journals CEO Council Summit event in London on Tuesday, seemed to confirm the Wednesday event, saying DeSantis would be making quite an announcement on Twitter the next day. The first time something like this is happening on social media, he said, with live questions and answers.

He added that he is not endorsing any particular candidate at this time.

While it is common for campaigns to publicize their announcements in videos shared on social media, it is far more unusual  and perhaps unprecedented  to hold a campaign announcement in a live social media forum.

Big if true DeSantis wife, Casey, posted Tuesday on Twitter, linking to a Fox News story on the announcement and adding a smiley face.

Earlier Tuesday, the Florida governor gave no hints of his 2024 plans during a short Cabinet meeting in Tallahassee where he discussed state business with agency heads. The media was barred from covering a subsequent bill signing ceremony.

DeSantis has emerged as a national star in Republican politics as an unapologetic leader on controversial issues.

The governor sent dozens of immigrants from Texas  by way of Florida to a small island off the Massachusetts coast to draw attention to the influx of Latin American immigrants trying to cross the Southern border. He signed and then expanded a Parental Rights in Education bill which bans instruction or classroom discussion age-inappropriate issues in Florida public schools for all grades.

More recently, he signed a law banning abortions at six weeks. And he removed an elected prosecutor who vowed not to charge people under Floridas new abortion restrictions or doctors who provide gender-affirming care.

Trumps allies lashed out Tuesday at DeSantiss plan.

This is one of the most out-of-touch campaign launches in modern history. The only thing less relatable than a niche campaign launch on Twitter, is DeSantis after party at the uber elite Four Seasons resort in Miami, said Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trumps super PAC.

In choosing to announce with Musk, DeSantis is linking his presidential announcement to one of the worlds richest men, who has emerged as a conservative cult hero of sorts.

Since buying Twitter last October, Musk has reinstated the accounts of prominent Republicans including Trump and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene who had been removed. Popular conservative broadcasters have flocked to Twitter, with ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson and the podcast hosts of The Daily Wire announcing they will start streaming on the platform.

Twitter was once Trumps most important megaphone  one he used to dominate his rivals in the 2016 primary and to command the news cycle for years. Trump was barred from the platform after Jan. 6, 2021. Though his access was reinstated shortly after Musk took over, he has yet to tweet.

(AP)




by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

There is a question that a number of people ask:

If staying up all night kills ones Torah learning schedule, should one do it anyway? Or should one keep to the maximum Torah learning schedule possible  even on Shavuos?

It is one of those questions that will, in all probability, only be fully resolved with the advent of Moshiach. If we look at the personal practices of Rav Moshe Feinstein ztl, and Rav Chaim Kanievsky ztl, we will find two very different methods of conduct. Rav Moshe ztl did not stay up all night and rather kept to his regular schedule of getting up hours before dawn to learn. Rav Chaim ztl advised to stay up regardless of the impact on ones learning schedule.

Nonetheless, we may get some additional insight with a thought expressed by HaGaon haRav Yeruchem Olshin shlita, one of the Roshei Yeshiva of BMG.

A SUPER LACHEM HOLIDAY

The term Lachem means  for you. The Gemorah in Psachim 68b tells us: Rabbi Elazar says, All admit that on atzeres  Shavuos  we require lachem  it should be for you as a holiday. What is the reason? Because it is the day that the Torah was given.

But what is this Gemorah actually telling us?

The commentaries explain that this Gemorah means that we should be happier on this yom tov than on others. Indeed, Rav Yechiel Yehoshuah Rabbinowitz, the Biala Rav, in his Seder HaYom writes this explicitly. The yesod veshoresh haAvodah (Shaar HaTzon 10) develops this idea explaining that it is because we received this remarkable treasure of the Torah.

THE SHLAS INSIGHT

The Shla HaKadosh (Meseches Shvuos Ner Mitzvah 18) adds another level of insight. He writes that it is the day in which we merited the Crown of Torah. He cites the Gemorah in Psachim where Rav Yoseph states that were it not for this day, he would be just another Joe in the marketplace.

It is not just the fact that we received the Torah that makes us happy  it is the fact that we had merited the receiving of its crown.

THE RAMBAM

To understand this thought, the Rambam tells us (Hilchos Talmud Torah 3:13), Even though it is a Mitzvah to learn Torah day and night, a person only learns the majority of his Torah at night. Therefore, someone who wishes to merit the crown of Torah should be careful to study it each night not missing even one of them in sleeping, eating, drinking, or conversation, etc. He should only engage in Talmud Torah and Divrei Chochma. This is called the Rina (joy) of Torah.

TWO ASPECTS OF THE STUDY OF TORAH

The Av Beis Din of Ponevech explained (cited in Zichron Shmuel p. 574) that there are two aspects of studying Torah. There is the aspect of studying it in fulfillment of the Mitzvah of Limud HaTorah.

But there is also another aspect of learning Torah that is not so well known. Before we explore this lesser known second aspect, let us realize that, in this authors opinion, it is one of the most powerful aspects of parenting. Let us remember that mankind has been endowed with something called bechirah chofshis  free choice. We cannot make decisions for other people, we can only give advice and try to provide the logistics to encourage the best decision possible.

But if we try to live out the second aspect of studying Torah  it can have remarkable repercussions and keep kids on track.

So what is this second aspect of Torah study? It is known as HaShira HaZos  this song. In other words, Torah study should be approach as actually being the song of the life of the person. A person who looks at Torah study as the song of life actually delights and takes pleasure in its study. He does not delay in sticking to Torah study  on any account. During any difficult situation, he engages in its study and he sleeps in the depth of its halacha. Even when that person is tired  he studies Torah. This is the idea in Ahava Rabbah  ki haim chayeinu  for they are our lives.

This is the fundamental idea of the Crown of Torah.

We can now better understand the Shlas explanation of Shavuos.

The custom of Klal Yisroel learning all night is now also understood better. It is not just to make up for the fact that we slept then. No, the essence of the problem in that we slept was that we were not yet at the state where it was the song of our life. We are thus correcting this flaw in who we were or are as a nation.

We should take greater pleasure and joy in this Yom Tov because it symbolizes the song of our lives. But it also does two other things too. Viewing Torah study as the song of our life is also the path to a logistical tweak that can keep generations of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren on the path of Torah. It also is the key to living a life filled with joy and simcha in life. Recently, a mother informed this author of a fascinating scene that she had experienced the previous day.:

She was unaware of the whereabouts of her son. She decided to go down to her basement. There she saw her son at a table with two Gemorahs open. He was studying them with a deep smile on his face and reciting the Gemorah in a singsong tune. She could detect the true happiness that he felt inside.

The author can be reached at [email protected]




Near a peak of the Zagros Mountains in central Iran, workers are building a nuclear facility so deep in the earth that it is likely beyond the range of a last-ditch U.S. weapon designed to destroy such sites, according to experts and satellite imagery analyzed by The Associated Press.

The photos and videos from Planet Labs PBC show Iran has been digging tunnels in the mountain near the Natanz nuclear site, which has come under repeated sabotage attacks amid Tehrans standoff with the West over its atomic program.

With Iran now producing uranium close to weapons-grade levels after the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers, the installation complicates the Wests efforts to halt Tehran from potentially developing an atomic bomb as diplomacy over its nuclear program remains stalled.

Completion of such a facility would be a nightmare scenario that risks igniting a new escalatory spiral, warned Kelsey Davenport, the director of nonproliferation policy at the Washington-based Arms Control Association. Given how close Iran is to a bomb, it has very little room to ratchet up its program without tripping U.S. and Israeli red lines. So at this point, any further escalation increases the risk of conflict.

The construction at the Natanz site comes five years after then-President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the nuclear accord. Trump argued the deal did not address Tehrans ballistic missile program, nor its support of militias across the wider Middle East.

But what it did do was strictly limit Irans enrichment of uranium to 3.67% purity, powerful enough only to power civilian power stations, and keep its stockpile to just some 300 kilograms (660 pounds).

Since the demise of the nuclear accord, Iran has said it is enriching uranium up to 60%, though inspectors recently discovered the country had produced uranium particles that were 83.7% pure. That is just a short step from reaching the 90% threshold of weapons-grade uranium.

As of February, international inspectors estimated Irans stockpile was over 10 times what it was under the Obama-era deal, with enough enriched uranium to allow Tehran to make several nuclear bombs, according to the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

President Joe Biden and Israels prime minister have said they wont allow Iran to build a nuclear weapon. We believe diplomacy is the best way to achieve that goal, but the president has also been clear that we have not removed any option from the table, the White House said in a statement to the AP.

The Islamic Republic denies it is seeking nuclear weapons, though officials in Tehran now openly discuss their ability to pursue one.

Irans mission to the United Nations, in response to questions from the AP regarding the construction, said that Irans peaceful nuclear activities are transparent and under the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. However, Iran has been limiting access for international inspectors for years.

Iran says the new construction will replace an above-ground centrifuge manufacturing center at Natanz struck by an explosion and fire in July 2020. Tehran blamed the incident on Israel, long suspected of running sabotage campaigns against its program.

Tehran has not acknowledged any other plans for the facility, though it would have to declare the site to the IAEA if they planned to introduce uranium into it. The Vienna-based IAEA did not respond to questions about the new underground facility.

The new project is being constructed next to Natanz, about 225 kilometers (140 miles) south of Tehran. Natanz has been a point of international concern since its existence became known two decades ago.

Protected by anti-aircraft batteries, fencing and Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, the facility sprawls across 2.7 square kilometers (1 square mile) in the countrys arid Central Plateau.

Satellite photos taken in April by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by the AP show Iran burrowing into the Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, or Pickaxe Mountain, which is just beyond Natanzs southern fencing.

A different set of images analyzed by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies reveals that four entrances have been dug into the mountainside, two to the east and another two to the west. Each is 6 meters (20 feet) wide and 8 meters (26 feet) tall.

The scale of the work can be measured in large dirt mounds, two to the west and one to the east. Based on the size of the spoil piles and other satellite data, experts at the center told AP that Iran is likely building a facility at a depth of between 80 meters (260 feet) and 100 meters (328 feet). The centers analysis, which it provided exclusively to AP, is the first to estimate the tunnel systems depth based on satellite imagery.

The Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington-based nonprofit long focused on Irans nuclear program, suggested last year the tunnels could go even deeper.

Experts say the size of the construction project indicates Iran likely would be able to use the underground facility to enrich uranium as well  not just to build centrifuges. Those tube-shaped centrifuges, arranged in large cascades of dozens of machines, rapidly spin uranium gas to enrich it. Additional cascades spinning would allow Iran to quickly enrich uranium under the mountains protection.

So the depth of the facility is a concern because it would be much harder for us. It would be much harder to destroy using conventional weapons, such as like a typical bunker buster bomb, said Steven De La Fuente, a research associate at the center who led the analysis of the tunnel work.

The new Natanz facility is likely to be even deeper underground than Irans Fordo facility, another enrichment site that was exposed in 2009 by U.S. and other world leaders. That facility sparked fears in the West that Iran was hardening its program from airstrikes.

Such underground facilities led the U.S. to create the GBU-57 bomb, which can plow through at least 60 meters (200 feet) of earth before detonating, according to the American military. U.S. officials reportedly have discussed using two such bombs in succession to ensure a site is destroyed. It is not clear that such a one-two punch would damage a facility as deep as the one at Natanz.

With such bombs potentially off the table, the U.S. and its allies are left with fewer options to target the site. If diplomacy fails, sabotage attacks may resume.

Already, Natanz has been targeted by the Stuxnet virus, believed to be an Israeli and American creation, which destroyed Iranian centrifuges. Israel also is believed to have killed scientists involved in the program, struck facilities with bomb-carrying drones and launched other attacks. Israels government declined to comment.

Experts say such disruptive actions may push Tehran even closer to the bomb  and put its program even deeper into the mountain where airstrikes, further sabotage and spies may not be able to reach it.

Sabotage may roll back Irans nuclear program in the short-term, but it is not a viable, long-term strategy for guarding against a nuclear-armed Iran, said Davenport, the nonproliferation expert. Driving Irans nuclear program further underground increases the proliferation risk.

(AP)




Turkish media reports on Tuesday said that Turkish security authorities have arrested 11 members of a cell who were working for Israels Mossad against Iranian targets

The Turkish intelligence (MIT) suspects that the members of the cell were trained by Mossad officials and sent to the country to establish a company that would do business with Iran. It was also reported that a hunt is underway for two more wanted men.

None of those arrested are Israelis but at least one of the arrested cell members received training in Israel.

According to reports, the 15-member cell has been under surveillance by Turkish authorities for a year and a half. The members have been accused of spying on an Iranian company and 23 Turkish residents with business ties to Iran.

The leader of the cell is businessman Selcuk Kucukkaya, who met with senior Mossad officials in a European country.

(YWN Israel Desk  Jerusalem)
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Hundreds of thousands of UK homes have had boiler 'upgrades' fitted which, instead of saving them money as promised, rack up energy bills by hundreds of pounds.

This is Money has learned that non-compliant parts which break energy efficiency regulations are being shipped in from China and sold to plumbers for use in people's homes. What's more, many are being fitted with taxpayers' money.

The problem surrounds water circulation pumps which, designed properly, improve how gas boilers and heat pumps move water around a home. Around 1million are fitted to UK households every year.

The big advantage of modern pumps is that they change their speed based on the demand for heating in the home, and therefore save electricity versus older inefficient models.

But another big selling point is they lower water bills for households with a meter, as there is less cold water going down the drain.

Boiler breach: Non-compliant versions of above-board circulator pumps like this are still being sold in the UK, adding to household energy bills

But around 10 per cent of circulator pumps - 100,000 a year - do not meet UK regulations, according to industry experts.

This is a problem for homeowners because non-compliant pumps run non-stop and use huge amounts of energy.

One of these pumps uses around the same energy as a fridge, adding up to 129 a year to energy bills, per pump, compared to ones that meet European regulations on energy efficiency.

These dubious pumps are sold under 20 brand names and are all made in the same three or four factories in China, according to the world's largest pump manufacturer, Grundfos, which is now speaking out about the practice.

From there these pumps are shipped to the UK, where they are distributed via wholesalers to plumbers, who then go out and fit them to UK homes.

However, plumbers and wholesalers are not to blame, according to Grundfos product management director Chris Skeen. Instead, the pump maker called on the Government to do better investigations and stop the dodgy pumps at the border before they hit retailers' shelves.

Some non-compliant pumps even carry fake 'CE' markings to try to mislead consumers.

'CE' stands for 'Conformite Europeene', and is meant to be a seal of approval that shows a product meets European health, safety and environmental rules.

Nice to have: Water circulator pumps help push hot water around properties as needed

However, some manufacturers have been stamping 'CE' on non-compliant pumps, using a similar font, but which actually stands for 'China Export', according to the British Pump Manufacturers Association trade body.

Wayne Rose, chief executive of the BPMA, said: 'We estimate that circa 10 per cent of the one million central heating pumps being brought into the UK are non-compliant.

'Once fitted, they are costing consumers hundreds of pounds every year on their heating bills, and it is seriously impacting the UKs ability to meet its net zero obligations.

How to tell if your circulator pump meets the rules Telling a legit circulator pump from a non-compliant one is tricky unless you are a plumbing expert. If in doubt, a plumber should be able to give an opinion. However, there are a few tell-tale signs of inefficient pumps that can help homeowners spot one that breaks the rules. 1) If a pump has an energy use figure greater than 85 watts printed on it (usually on the front), it is likely not to comply with regulations 2) Likewise if a pump has an EEI figure greater than 0.23 printed on it 3) Modern circulator pumps have to have a variable speed setting. If your pump is always running, it may not comply

'This has been a problem for a number of years, however the situation has deteriorated since early 2022 when the global microchip supply crisis was at its height, where supply chain issues have led to Far Eastern exporters taking advantage of high levels of demand and insufficient supply of legal products.

'For a number of years the BPMA, in support of its members, has been calling on market surveillance authorities to take action and we continue to engage with the relevant government agencies to ensure that non-compliant products are removed from the market as soon as they are identified.'

Skeen said: 'It has become even more prevalent - we are seeing more and more of it. The BPMA agree with our sentiment of around 10 per cent of the market [being non-compliant].'

'I think the big thing for me is to clearly communicate the scale of it - 99.5 per cent of homes in the UK have some sort of pump, as you need to move water around your heating system. It is not front of eye, as it might be hidden in a boiler, or in a closet or a basement, but the scale is quite vast and it impacts everyone.'

Heat pump push worsens the problem

The problem of energy-draining circulators is being worsened by the UK's take-up of heat pumps.

That is because a gas boiler requires one circulator pump, but a heat pump system needs four or five, which can drastically hike energy bills if any do not meet regulations.

Some non-compliant circulator pumps are even being fitted with taxpayers' money.

That is because the Department for Business and Trade offers discounted heat pump installations through its Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Pump problems: The UK rollout of heat pumps means many circulators which do not meet energy efficiency rules are being fitted to households

The same department contains the Government body responsible for checking circulator pumps sold in the UK meet regulations - the Office for Product Safety and Standards.

That means the Department for Business and Trade is not only not stopping the flow of non-compliant pumps, it is also using public money to go out and fit them.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said: 'Its our job to ensure people are protected from unsafe products. Goods sold in the UK must meet some of the strictest safety laws in the world, and the OPSS regularly take action to ensure unsafe products are kept off British shelves.

'It is the responsibility of circulator pump manufacturers and distributors to ensure only safe and efficient products are sold on the market and that they comply with robust regulations. Sellers of pumps found to be non-compliant will be contacted.'

Why do some circulator pumps break the rules?

Energy use is the difference between a legitimate pump and one that breaks the rules.

Since January 2013, European Union 'ecodesign' rules have said this sort of circulator pump cannot use more than a certain amount of energy.

These rules were tightened on August 1, 2015 and again on January 1, 2022.

They now say new pumps sold cannot score higher than 0.23 on the complicated energy efficiency index manufacturers use to work out power use.

In practice, that means old-style pumps that run constantly can no longer be sold, as they use too much energy.

Instead, more expensive modern pumps have microchips in which can vary their speed depending on household water needs.

Because these newer pumps are not constantly running, they meet the ecodesign rules as they use around five times less energy than the older ones.

The issue is that many non-compliant pumps using the older design are still for sale, despite these rules.

The price of these non-compliant pumps undercut the modern, smarter ones.

Skeen said: 'They're cheaper to manufacture. You don't have to have electronics in them, they just run and run, so they can make them for less. They don't have anything smart in them.

'Grundfos and the major pump manufacturers make products that are legal, but the sales price is higher.'
Energy prices are widely expected to fall from July, with the new cap to be announced by regulator Ofgem this Thursday.

Analyst Cornwall Insight's forecast for the new price cap is 2,053 for a typical household in the period July to September 2023.

This would undercut the Government's Energy Price Guarantee - the discounted rate most people are currently paying - by 447.

Customers have been facing sky high energy bills but this could be set to change with Ofgem's energy price cap announcement

Currently, consumers are not impacted by the price cap due to the Energy Price Guarantee, which limits a typical households energy bill to 2,500 per year.

But starting from July, energy bills are set to fall below that and will revert to the price cap level.

Fixed tariffs used to be the norm, offering households bills substantially cheaper than the price cap if they signed up to a deal with a supplier for several years.

These disappeared over a year ago following the energy crisis. But with wholesale energy prices - the cost energy firms pay for the power they supply to customers - falling, This is Money asked the UK's biggest energy suppliers if they had any plans to bring back fixed tariffs to help their customers save money.

Will fixed tariffs make a return?

There is already one fixed energy tariff available for customers in the UK.

Ovo was the first energy company to re-introduce a one-year fixed price tariff in March at 2,275 a year, 225 less than the Energy Price Guarantee.

To get this tariff you have to be a customer with Ovo already and there is a a 150 exit fee for dual-fuel or 75 for electricity only.

Customers who have already signed up may regret their decision, if the price cap does fall to a level cheaper than the tariff on Thursday. But other suppliers could see the new price cap and decide to offer fixed deals that undercut it, in a bid to win new customers.

This Is Money asked the UK's biggest energy suppliers if they plan to follow suit and launch fixed tariffs.

What are fixed tariffs? Fixed tariffs have a set price for the energy you use over a certain time period  often one to two years. If your energy use goes up (or down) significantly, your monthly bills would change to reflect that. A fixed tariff would give you the reassurance that any market and industry price changes would not affect you.

A spokesperson for Scottish Power said: 'We currently have no plans to launch any new fixed price tariffs.

'With the level of the price cap forecast to reduce on 1 July, existing customers who are on our standard variable tariff will automatically benefit from the associated price reduction from that date.'

Standard variable tariffs are an energy supplier's 'default' tariff.

They are usually the most expensive gas and electricity tariffs, because suppliers can change the unit rate prices at any time, alongside the wholesale price.

If you're on a standard tariff, the rates you pay are governed by a cap. That cap is currently set by the Energy Price Guarantee, but will likely return to Ofgem's price cap on Thursday if it is cheaper.

EDF said it will continue to monitor the market and will launch fixed deals again when it's best for customers.

It has an email alert you can sign up for to let you know when they have fixed deals available again, implying that they will make a return.

British Gas is not currently offering fixed tariffs, however it is accepting new customers. Customers may choose to switch provider even if they cannot get a cheaper tariff, for example if they are unhappy with the service provided by their current energy firm.

A spokesperson for British Gas added that when it does have fixed tariffs, it never has exit fees for internal switches.

Yearly savings with fixed tariffs based on energy price cap movements Tariff With 2,500 Energy Price Guarantee If price cap is 2,053 If price cap is 1,975 If price cap is 2,044 Ovo 1 Year Fixed 23 March 2023 at 2,275 225 -222 -300 -231 Calculations based on Cornwall Insight's final energy price cap forecast as at 19 May 2023

Should customers consider a fixed energy tariff?

Customers should think carefully about switching to a fixed tariffs if they come back on the market.

They could save you money if energy prices stay high, but you could also end up paying more than the energy price cap if it continues to goes down.

Commenting on fixed rates, Cornwall Insight said: 'We hope to see the reappearance of more competitive fixed-rate energy tariffs as prices begin to stabilise, providing consumers with additional options to manage their energy costs.

Uswitch suspect the reason we haven't seen any other fixed deals available yet apart from Ovo is because other suppliers may be waiting for confirmation from Ofgem on the final price cap level from July 1.

They added: 'Once this is announced on Thursday, we hope this will give suppliers confidence on numbers and the opportunity to begin offering fixes.'
I took out a phone contract with EE in March.

When I phoned up to discuss the contract a few weeks later, I was frustrated at being left on hold and I asked the woman in customer services why I had to listen to Indian music.

She took offence and EE cut off my phone line. I am 88 and have health issues and am worried that the hospital and my family wont be able to contact me.

EE also says I have to pay an early termination fee of 298.

G. F., Southampton.

Cut off: EE refused to back down after it deemed a customer had been abusive and threatening towards a member of their call centre staff

Sally Hamilton replies: You wrote to us after EE left you with no phone line. You thought EE had overreacted  especially by asking you to pay an early termination fee.

However, I looked into what had happened, and Im sorry to say you do appear to have brought this upon yourself.

EE says that when you spoke to its staff member, you queried why as a white Englishman you were being forced to listen to Indian music.

You went on to use language and make comments that were discriminatory against a specific race.

It wrote to you saying: As a company we dont tolerate abusive or threatening conduct in any form and that as this was a breach of the terms of use it had decided to remove you from our network with immediate effect.

I have also seen your correspondence with EE. Some of the comments you made may have seemed to you like honest feedback, but Im afraid you come across as someone who holds racially prejudiced views they cannot hide.

I can quite understand why EE and its staff were appalled.

I might have had more sympathy for your complaint about being cut off if you had shown remorse or apologised to EE. But you are standing your ground and do not see that you have done anything wrong.

As well as cancelling your contract, EE is charging you an early termination charge, which amounts to the full remaining bill for your outstanding contract.

I do wonder whether, despite your actions, it can insist on this. Its one thing ending your contract, and quite another to bill you for a service you cannot now receive.

Scam Watch Shoppers are being warned not to make online payments outside of approved apps and official payment processes as it could leave them vulnerable to scammers. Scammers often ask you to ditch official payment channels such as PayPal or a credit card and use a bank transfer. They may offer you a discount to use a payment method of their choice. They may also ask you to send money early, only for you to discover the service or items you think you are paying for do not exist. David Callington, head of fraud at HSBC, says: When money is tight, people are more likely to seek a bargain  but cutting corners puts your money at greater risk. Be wary of making off-piste payments instead of using official shop options.

I asked a lawyer for his view.

Gary Rycroft, a partner at the solicitor Joseph A Jones & Co in Lancaster, says that the early termination clause strikes him as unfair.

An early termination clause should be there to compensate the business if a customer leaves early  and certainly not the other way round, he says.

It strikes me as an unfair contract term and therefore not one enforceable by law because it is blatantly not fair.

If EE has chosen to waive the contract, they must waive the fee. I suggest the customer refuses to pay and tells it to sue him  to prove there is a case.

I also sought the view of industry regulator Ofcom on whether EE was within its rights to cut you off, considering you are elderly and have health issues.

It says that telecom companies have a duty to ensure vulnerable customers are not left without access to 999 emergency services before cutting them off  either for landline or mobile calls.

An Ofcom spokesperson says: All companies should assess their customers individual circumstances to see if they are deemed to be in a vulnerable situation and need support.

You can tell the telecoms provider if you are feeling vulnerable, but it is also up to the company to try and find out. Elderly people living on their own with no other phone line may well fall into this category.

The spokesperson adds: This duty of care is guidance and not a law. But if you feel you have not been treated fairly and are vulnerable then appeal to Ombudsman Services. Meanwhile, EE is standing its ground.

A spokesman says: In our terms and conditions we may restrict, suspend or end a service where anyone using a service acts towards our staff in a way seen to be unsuitable or serious enough to justify taking such action.

Should you wish to, you could pursue it by going to the Ombudsman. But I think your situation is a good reminder that courtesy and respect for others costs nothing, but a lack of it can  rightly  cost you dearly. There is no excuse for the language you used.

Straight to the point On March 2 I received a bill for 5,792.51 from British Gas for my energy usage since January 2021. I have contacted British Gas several times and have submitted two complaints, but cannot seem to get to the bottom of this. Please help. M.C., via email. British Gas apologises for the bill, which it says is incorrect. The wrong gas meter was registered to your account, meaning that your meter readings were not accurately recorded and a high bill was sent. British Gas has since updated your meter details and you have been sent a reduced bill. *** My brother-in-law died suddenly in September last year. When we notified Hounslow council, we were told the deceased was due a 350 council tax rebate. We gave the council his bank details but have not received the refund. V.G., Wiltshire. Hounslow council says the issue was due to an error in its internal system that meant it does not recognise building society accounts. It apologises for the inconvenience and has now contacted you to offer a 125 gesture of goodwill. *** I ordered 31 of plants from J Parkers and was told that they would be delivered by Evri on April 20. Sadly, I never received them. The parcel was sent again a few days later but the plants did not arrive. I have checked with J Parkers that they have the correct address and cannot understand why I have not received my order. L.P., Wolverhampton. Evri says that it was only given part of your address, which it cannot amend unless instructed by the retailer. It has offered you a 25 gesture of goodwill, which you have accepted. *** I think my smart meter is broken as it says my energy usage is decreasing. British Gas has asked me to submit manual meter readings but I cant contact customer services to query my bill. Please help. S.F., Flintshire. British Gas says that your smart meter is working and it is receiving meter readings. You were asked to manually submit readings due to an administrative error. It has apologised for the distress and has offered you a 50 gesture of goodwill.

John Lewis being beastly over beauty voucher

I recently reached my 90th birthday and received a 100 gift token from one of my grandsons for John Lewiss beauty department.

At my age, my beauty requirements are small and so I asked it if I could use it at another department at the store. It refused.

M. H., Coventry.

Sally Hamilton replies: Your letter made me chuckle. You obviously have a great sense of humour, though it was being tested by John Lewiss refusal to be flexible.

I asked the retailer to reconsider. Im pleased to say it quickly got in touch with you to say you are free to spend your token on whatever you wish.

A John Lewis spokesman says: Weve explained to her that her card can be used for the majority of items in our shop.

'We are sorry that she was given the wrong information and weve sent her flowers to apologise.
Pauline Somer's was left behind by British Airways at Manchester Airport

Pauline Somerss heart dropped when the luggage carousel stopped without sending through her suitcase last August after her flight from Manchester to London. It was the first leg of a three-week trip across Alaska and Canada.

What the 67-year-old from Cheshire didnt know was that her luggage had embarked on an astonishing 38-day expedition of its own.

Her case would travel more than 12,400 miles across Canada and America, before being returned to her.

When it did arrive, personal treasures had been filched, including photos of Pauline with her late husband, which she packed to feel close to him.

She planned the bucket list holiday with her husband in 2020, weeks before his sudden death from cancer. Two and a half years later, she braved her first trip without him - but thanks to British Airways she says it was the holiday from hell.

Pauline Somers's suitcase travelled 12,400 miles across Canada and America, before being returned to her

Pauline had planned the bucket list holiday with her husband Joe in 2020, weeks before his sudden death from cancer. Instead she took the trip alone last year

Pauline's case went missing at Manchester Airport last summer travelling than 12,400 miles across Canada and America, before being returned to her

Errors by the airline derailed her plans from start to finish, with five flight cancellations, lengthy delays, unreachable support teams and, of course, misplaced luggage.

Just before take-off in Manchester on August 24 last year, the gentleman in front of Pauline asked an attendant if cases on the tarmac might be theirs and was told they werent.

When we landed it became clear they were ours and a lot of people were in tears, she says. In Canada, days were wasted travelling to airports when she was told her luggage would turn up. But despite promises, it was weeks after she got home before it was delivered.

It had followed her to London, Toronto, Vancouver and Juneau in Alaska, before being shipped to Seattle and returning to London.

British Airways offered her 1,394 compensation, and 10,000 Avios rewards points, but she is appalled by the offer. This holiday cost me more than 8,000 and from day one I could not wait to go home,' she said.

'I wasted so much time at the airport, on the phone and buying essentials, this barely covers it.'

Pauline is not alone. In 2022, the rate of mishandled baggage doubled, soared to 7.6 bags per 1,000 passengers, resulting in it being dubbed the year of lost luggage.

Thousands of suitcases piled up at Heathrow airport in June last year, and were nicknamed baggage mountain.

When her suitcase did arrive, personal treasures had been filched, including photos of Pauline with her late husband, which she packed to feel close to him

Chaos: Misplaced luggage piled up globally, including thousands of suitcases in London Heathrow (pictured) in June, which was named baggage mountain

A report from Sita, an IT provider for the air transport industry, cites the number of mishandled bags as more than eight times higher for international flights than domestic ones.

Nearly one year on, many readers of Money Mail, This is Money's sister title, are still fighting for compensation on lost items from flights taken last summer.

A spokesman for British Airways said: We apologise to our customer for the distress caused by this situation.

'We did everything we could to try to reunite them with their baggage as quickly as possible by using different airlines, and we apologise for the inconvenience caused.

Airlines are responsible for your losses when hold luggage is lost, delayed or damaged, according to watchdog, the Civil Aviation Authority. But there are no rules that fix the amount of compensation you should receive.

j.beard@dailymail.co.uk
Avon Protection shares tumbled after the ballistic helmets maker reported a bigger fall in sales than expected and warned of 'softer demand' for respiratory masks.

The Wiltshire-based company, which went public in 1949 after supplying gas masks during the Second World War, reported a 4.7 per cent fall in revenues to $116million (93million) in the six months to the end of March.

Demand for helmets from the US Department of Defence was 'slower than expected', the company said, with revenues at its respiratory division now forecast to come in lower than previously thought.

Avon Protection has warned of 'softer demand' for respiratory masks

Pre-tax loss narrowed to $5.3million from $13.6million as distribution, R&D and administrative costs were slashed.

But full-year revenues are expected to be around 9 per cent lower than last year, reflecting the softer demand for respiratory masks and 'some ongoing risk to shipment timings' in the second half.

Avon Protection shares fell 11.4 per cent to 460p in afternoon trade on Tuesday. They have fallen by around 28 per cent over the last year.

Chief executive Jos Sclater said: 'Revenue during the first half was below our expectations, but a better second half is supported by the strong order book.'

The order book was worth $160.7million at the end of the first half, up 20 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Sclater added that the group had 'already taken meaningful steps forward' after launching a turnaround plan aimed at improving efficiency and organic growth.

'In addition, we have developed strategic initiatives to further improve the business over the medium term to accelerate growth, improve margins and returns on capital, and protect more lives through the sale of our innovative products,' he said.

In December last year, Avon sold its major Lexington factory to a US rival as part of the discontinuation of its loss-making armour business.

It decided to wind down the business at the end of 2021, roughly a month after it launched a review of it.
UNITED NATIONS, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said on Monday that children in the Horn of Africa face an unprecedented crisis that includes hunger, displacement, water shortages, and insecurity.

Over 7 million children under five continue to suffer from malnutrition, necessitating urgent nutrition aid. According to UNICEF, 1.9 million boys and girls are at risk of dying from severe malnutrition.

The region is slowly recovering from one of the worst droughts in 40 years. As a result of insufficient rainfall over the course of the last three years, vulnerable communities have lost cattle, crops, and their entire livelihoods.

"The crisis in the Horn has been devastating for children," said Mohamed Fall, UNICEF regional director for Eastern and Southern Africa.

"Over the past three years, communities have been forced to take extreme measures to survive, with millions of children and families leaving their homes out of pure desperation in search of food and water. This crisis has deprived children of the essentials of childhood -- having enough to eat, a home, safe water, and going to school."

Across the region, 23 million people are facing high levels of acute food insecurity in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. The number of severely malnourished children seeking treatment in the first quarter of this year remains much higher than last year and will likely remain high for quite a while.

On top of nutrition needs, extreme weather, insecurity, and scarcity have also had devastating consequences for women and children, worsening the risk of gender-based violence, sexual exploitation and abuse.

Major outbreaks including cholera, measles, malaria, and other diseases are ongoing across the region, worsened by extreme weather conditions and fragile health systems.

Food prices remain high in local markets, burdening children and families. The climate crisis is compounding the severity of the situation, worsening mass displacement, malnutrition, and disease.

Fall underlined the need for greater funding. Thanks to donor support, UNICEF was able to provide services for the prevention of malnutrition to over 30 million children and mothers in 2022.

"This year, further flexible funding will not just help children recover from a crisis of this magnitude, but also go towards developing more resilient, sustainable systems for children in the region, that can withstand future climate impacts and other shocks," he said. 
BTs largest shareholder has tightened his grip on the company but insisted a takeover bid is not on the cards.

French-Israeli telecoms billionaire Patrick Drahi increased his stake in the FTSE 100 firm to 24.5 per cent from 18 per cent previously as his vehicle Altice bought another 650m shares.

Drahi stunned the market in June 2021 when he revealed a 12 per cent holding in the former state monopoly before increasing it to 18 per cent last December.

Despite the large increase to his holding in BT, which is now worth around 3.6billion, Drahi insisted he was not planning a move for the company.

Altice said it does not intend to make an offer for BT. Under City rules, it is barred from tabling a bid for at least six months. BT shares inched up 0.4 per cent, or 0.65p, to 148.5p.

Holding: Patrick Drahi (pictured), a French-Israeli telecoms billionaire, increased his stake in BT to 24.5% from 18% previously

But the increase is likely to fuel speculation around Drahis plans for the company given that a shareholder is obliged to make an offer for a business if their stake exceeds 30 per cent.

Russ Mould, investment director at stockbroker AJ Bell, said: Altice is continuing to deny any plans to make an offer for the business but the move will raise eyebrows, particularly given the national security sensitivities around BT and its assets entering foreign ownership.

It is thought the billionaire is working closely with BT chief executive Philip Jansen to direct the companys strategy by leveraging his hefty stake in the group.

Some believe that may have informed BTs plans for mass layoffs, with Jansen warning of up to 55,000 jobs cuts last week.

Telecoms analyst Paolo Pescatore said the tycoons long-term intentions were unclear but his stake-building could be seen as a strong endorsement of BTs strategy as it aggressively pushes ahead with plans to roll out fibre internet across the UK.

Last year, a government review ruled that 59-year-old Morocco-born Drahi could keep his stake in BT after it found it did not threaten national security.

The tycoon, who also owns auction house Sothebys and a number of other businesses, is worth around 4billion.

Drahis move on BT follows last weeks announcement that the company planned to slash tens of thousands of jobs by 2030 in a bid to cut costs as well as boost profitability.

Jansen wants to cut staff from 130,000 to between 75,000 and 90,000 by the end of the decade  meaning as many as 55,000 jobs could go.

It has been revealed that around 10,000 jobs are set to be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) as rapidly advancing technologies impact the labour market.

But Jansens plans could face hurdles after the plans sparked a backlash from trade unions, raising the prospect of fresh strikes following walkouts last year.

It also comes amid speculation that Jansens tenure could be coming to an end after four years at the top of BT following revelations in The Mail on Sunday last month that succession planning was under way, though no formal search has been launched.

Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor, said Drahis investment provided a vote of confidence in BT but also raised questions about whether it could pave the way for more aggressive cost cuts at the telecoms giant.

Drahi is known in business circles as the King of Cost-Cutting and garnered a reputation for ruthlessness from French trade unions for slimming down workforces as well as slashing salaries and spending.
Former CBI boss John Allan has lost his second job in less than a week following allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women  costing him over 1million in annual earnings.

Barratt Developments said he will step down as chairman at the end of June  around two months earlier than planned.

The housebuilder said Allan would depart to prevent the ongoing impact of the allegations against [him] from becoming disruptive to the company.

Tesco said on Friday that Allan would relinquish his role as its chairman next month.

Allegations: Property giant Barratt Developments said John Allan (pictured) will step down as chairman at the end of June - some two months earlier than planned

The departures will see the City grandee lose over 1m in earnings a year. Allan was paid 345,000 by Barratt and 713,000 by Tesco.

It comes amid a wider scandal engulfing the CBI about its culture and treatment of female staff  including an alleged rape and drug abuse.

Tony Danker was sacked as director general last month and the lobby group is battling for survival.

Allan was president of the CBI between 2018 and 2020 and vice-president until 2021.

He has been accused of touching the bottoms of two women and making inappropriate remarks to two others.

Allan denies three of the allegations and has unreservedly apologised for a fourth where he told a female CBI employee that a dress suited her figure.

But a Barratt spokesman said the 74-year-old was asked to leave at the request of the board.

No complaints were made against Allan during his nine years at Barratt.

He blamed utterly baseless allegations against him for his exit from Tesco and added: There is no evidence of any wrongdoing at that time or at any stage of my chairmanship at Tesco and I remain determined to prove my innocence.
Shell faced another shareholder revolt over its green strategy as climate change protesters stormed its annual meeting.

At a rowdy event in London, 20 per cent of voting investors opposed the oil giants energy transition strategy and climate performance over the past 12 months.

Shell also saw 20 per cent vote in favour of a resolution filed by Dutch activist group Follow

This that called for the company to make its environmental targets more ambitious. But it meant that 80 per cent of voting shareholders supported Shells stance.

Demonstration: Climate change activists protest outside Shell's annual meeting in London, where investors demanded the oil giant make its environmental targets more ambitious

Shell has come under pressure to bring forward fossil fuel targets to address the threat of global warming.

Within seconds of its annual meeting starting yesterday morning, dozens of activists began to chant and shout slogans.

Security stepped in to prevent a protester reaching Shell chairman Sir Andrew Mackenzie and other board members on stage at the ExCel centre.

A spokesman for Shell said: We respect peoples right to express their point of view. However, yet again protesters have shown that they are not interested in constructive engagement.

Calls to oust chief executive Wael Sawan and Mackenzie also fell on deaf ears as they received a respective 99 per cent and 93 per cent support from voting shareholders.
Watches of Switzerland has joined a number of companies ordering staff back to the office.

The luxury retailer, which sells Rolex and Omega timepieces, has told workers to return to their desks four days a week, including at its headquarters in Leicester and offices in central London.

The move is in step with the likes of Lloyds and asset manager BlackRock, who have also asked home-workers to show up at the office more often.

Style: Watches of Switzerland sells Omega watches - as worn by Daniel Craig in the James Bond films (pictured)

The company might even go back to a five-day working week, chief executive Brian Duffy said.

He has previously said Londons pandemic recovery has been hit by people not working in the city as much.

In recent months, bosses have defended requests requiring office workers at their desks for a number of set days a week.

John Roberts, boss of electronics seller AO World, has threatened remote staff with the prospect of being replaced by workers overseas.

He said: You might as well be working abroad, which is only a step away from outsourcing.
Leading pension funds are among those voting against Shell's directors

Shell faces investor revolt at its AGM today over climate concerns

More than 20billion of UK pension money is tied up in Shell, new research claims.

The average UK pension invests 905 in Shell, analysis by Make My Money Matter shows - a campaign founded by film director Richard Curtis.

The oil major is facing an investor revolt in its annual general meeting (AGM) today from some investors calling on Shell to move faster on its net zero ambitions.

Just stop oil: Pension funds are joining climate groups in piling the pressure on Shell ahead of its AGM

The company has come under fire for posting bumper profits as they reap the benefits of higher energy prices.

Pressure on oil companies' efforts to slash emissions eased as focus shifted to producing secure oil and gas pipelines.

Share prices of energy firms like Shell and BP have been boosted as investors flock to what they consider to be a haven of stable returns.

In its most recent results, Shell reported record profits of 7.7billion in the first quarter.

Several pension schemes have announced plans to vote against Shell's directors for failing to 'sufficiently act on the climate crisis'.

Nest and London CIV, which represent almost 78billion of pension money, will join the Church of England Pensions Board and Brunel Pensions Partnership to vote against directors at Shell's AGM.

Katharina Lindmeier, Nest's senior responsible investment manager, said: 'Following their record profits, we'd hoped Shell would step up their activities towards meeting their net zero ambitions.

'Instead, they're kicking the can down the road and increasing the risks on long-term shareholders.'

Both Nest and London CIV will vote against the re-election of Shell's chair Sir Andrew MacKenzie, supported by investment adviser PIRC, in a bid to hold directors accountable for climate inaction.

While many investors will welcome the boost to their savings that has come from the $4billion share buyback, polling shows the funds are well supported by investors.

Some 44 per cent of the 2,000 people surveyed by Make My Money Matter think their fund should vote against Shell's directors at the AGM.

An even higher number - 58 per cent - have no idea their money is invested in the oil major.

Just over a fifth say they would switch pension providers if they found out their savings were invested in Shell.

'The pensions industry is adamant that only through engagement can they really make a change in how fossil fuel companies act.

Well, now is the moment for it to put its money where its mouth is,' said Tony Burdon, chief executive of Make My Money Matter.

'That's why Make My Money Matter is calling on the industry to finally flex its muscles in boardrooms this AGM season and vote to make Shell and its polluting peers do better, to protect members savings and our planet.

'Because you can't claim to be a leader on climate but continue to support the directors of companies who are driving fossil fuel expansion.'
Mizuho upgraded shares of EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG  Get Rating) from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Friday, The Fly reports. Mizuho currently has $146.00 price objective on the energy exploration companys stock, down from their prior price objective of $150.00.

A number of other equities analysts have also commented on EOG. StockNews.com assumed coverage on EOG Resources in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of EOG Resources from $140.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, April 21st. Scotiabank raised shares of EOG Resources from a sector perform rating to a sector outperform rating and decreased their target price for the company from $150.00 to $145.00 in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of EOG Resources from $167.00 to $158.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of EOG Resources from $160.00 to $122.00 in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, EOG Resources presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $149.33.

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EOG Resources Stock Down 0.9 %

EOG opened at $113.55 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $113.88 and a 200-day moving average of $124.16. The company has a market capitalization of $66.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.10, a P/E/G ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.53. EOG Resources has a fifty-two week low of $92.16 and a fifty-two week high of $150.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a current ratio of 2.17.

EOG Resources Dividend Announcement

EOG Resources ( NYSE:EOG Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 5th. The energy exploration company reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.42 by $0.27. EOG Resources had a net margin of 33.83% and a return on equity of 30.34%. The business had revenue of $6.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.28 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $4.00 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 51.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that EOG Resources will post 11.96 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.825 per share. This represents a $3.30 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.91%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 14th. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is presently 20.64%.

Institutional Trading of EOG Resources

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its position in shares of EOG Resources by 16.0% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 16,031 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $1,911,000 after purchasing an additional 2,213 shares in the last quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. bought a new position in shares of EOG Resources during the 1st quarter worth approximately $404,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of EOG Resources during the 1st quarter worth approximately $278,000. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 237.7% in the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,155 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $138,000 after acquiring an additional 813 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its position in shares of EOG Resources by 23.7% during the 1st quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 662 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 127 shares during the period. 87.40% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

EOG Resources Company Profile

(Get Rating)

EOG Resources, Inc engages in the exploration, development, production and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. It operates through the United States, Trinidad & Tobago, and Other International segments. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT  Get Rating)  Analysts at KeyCorp raised their Q2 2024 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Walmart in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, May 18th. KeyCorp analyst B. Thomas now forecasts that the retailer will post earnings per share of $1.68 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.66. The consensus estimate for Walmarts current full-year earnings is $6.20 per share. KeyCorp also issued estimates for Walmarts Q3 2024 earnings at $1.45 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $1.58 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $6.20 EPS and FY2025 earnings at $6.90 EPS.

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Walmart (NYSE:WMT  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 18th. The retailer reported $1.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.32 by $0.15. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.30% and a net margin of 1.82%. The business had revenue of $152.30 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $147.91 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.30 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Walmart Stock Down 0.9 %

WMT has been the topic of a number of other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Walmart from $155.00 to $157.00 in a research report on Friday. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Walmart from $160.00 to $164.00 in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Walmart from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Tigress Financial raised Walmart from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $170.00 to $176.00 in a report on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $164.00 price objective on Walmart in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $166.13.

Shares of NYSE WMT opened at $148.59 on Monday. Walmart has a 1 year low of $117.90 and a 1 year high of $154.64. The firm has a market cap of $400.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.72, a PEG ratio of 4.42 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.82. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $148.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $145.80.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wealth Architects LLC raised its stake in Walmart by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. Wealth Architects LLC now owns 2,076 shares of the retailers stock valued at $306,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Bluesphere Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Bluesphere Advisors LLC now owns 2,003 shares of the retailers stock valued at $295,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Glassman Wealth Services grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Glassman Wealth Services now owns 4,477 shares of the retailers stock valued at $660,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Avalon Investment & Advisory grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Avalon Investment & Advisory now owns 2,070 shares of the retailers stock valued at $294,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walmart by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Cyndeo Wealth Partners LLC now owns 6,515 shares of the retailers stock valued at $381,000 after acquiring an additional 69 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 31.27% of the companys stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 9,708 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $142.37, for a total transaction of $1,382,127.96. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,371,994 shares of the companys stock, valued at $195,330,785.78. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Walmart news, Director S Robson Walton sold 157,406 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.00, for a total value of $21,722,028.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 260,926,943 shares of the companys stock, valued at $36,007,918,134. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 9,708 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $142.37, for a total value of $1,382,127.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,371,994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $195,330,785.78. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 21,044,002 shares of company stock valued at $2,981,168,308 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 47.06% of the companys stock.

Walmart Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, December 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 7th. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.53%. Walmarts payout ratio is 54.81%.

Walmart Company Profile

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Walmart, Inc engages in retail and wholesale business. The company offers an assortment of merchandise and services at everyday low prices. It operates through the following business segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sams Club. The Walmart U.S. segment operates as a merchandiser of consumer products, operating under the Walmart, Wal-Mart, and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands, as well as walmart.com and other eCommerce brands.

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FiscalNote (OTCMKTS:NOTE  Get Rating) and Mastercard (NYSE:MA  Get Rating) are both business services companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, earnings, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation and dividends.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

67.2% of FiscalNote shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 74.5% of Mastercard shares are held by institutional investors. 47.5% of FiscalNote shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.3% of Mastercard shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

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Profitability

This table compares FiscalNote and Mastercards net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets FiscalNote -195.00% -148.26% -43.60% Mastercard 42.33% 169.12% 27.24%

Volatility and Risk

Earnings and Valuation

FiscalNote has a beta of -0.27, indicating that its stock price is 127% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Mastercard has a beta of 1.11, indicating that its stock price is 11% more volatile than the S&P 500.

This table compares FiscalNote and Mastercards top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio FiscalNote $113.76 million 2.83 -$218.26 million ($5.15) -0.47 Mastercard $22.24 billion 16.39 $9.93 billion $10.01 38.41

Mastercard has higher revenue and earnings than FiscalNote. FiscalNote is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Mastercard, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for FiscalNote and Mastercard, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score FiscalNote 0 1 2 0 2.67 Mastercard 1 2 18 0 2.81

FiscalNote currently has a consensus price target of $10.13, suggesting a potential upside of 321.88%. Mastercard has a consensus price target of $417.27, suggesting a potential upside of 8.51%. Given FiscalNotes higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe FiscalNote is more favorable than Mastercard.

Summary

Mastercard beats FiscalNote on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About FiscalNote

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FiscalNote Holdings Inc. operates as technology and data company that delivers critical legal data and insights worldwide. It combines artificial intelligence technology, machine learning, and other technologies with analytics, workflow tools, and expert research. The company delivers that intelligence through its suite of public policy and issues management products, as well as powerful tools to manage workflows, advocacy campaigns, and constituent relationships. It serves a customer base that includes businesses comprising the Fortune 100 companies, government agencies, law firms, professional services organizations, trade groups, and non-profits. The company is headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia.

About Mastercard

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Mastercard, Inc. is a technology company, which engages in the payments industry that connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments, and business. It offers payment solutions for the development and implementation of credit, debit, prepaid, commercial, and payment programs. The company was founded in November 1966 and is headquartered in Purchase, NY.

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Shares of Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CMI  Get Rating) have been assigned a consensus rating of Hold from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $254.25.

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their price target on shares of Cummins from $231.00 to $227.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Credit Suisse Group lifted their price target on shares of Cummins from $287.00 to $291.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 7th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Cummins in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Cummins from $247.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, VNET Group reiterated a maintains rating on shares of Cummins in a research note on Wednesday, May 3rd.

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Insider Activity

In other Cummins news, VP Walter J. Fier sold 3,307 shares of Cummins stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $252.99, for a total value of $836,637.93. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 8,090 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,046,689.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.12% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Cummins

Cummins Trading Up 0.6 %

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D increased its holdings in Cummins by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 80,716 shares of the companys stock valued at $19,557,000 after acquiring an additional 531 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Cummins by 41.3% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 24,805 shares of the companys stock worth $5,048,000 after buying an additional 7,246 shares during the last quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Cummins by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 7,543 shares of the companys stock worth $1,828,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its holdings in shares of Cummins by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 329,159 shares of the companys stock worth $79,752,000 after buying an additional 15,735 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Cummins in the 4th quarter worth about $419,000. 80.94% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Shares of CMI stock opened at $218.03 on Friday. Cummins has a 12-month low of $184.27 and a 12-month high of $261.91. The company has a current ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The firms 50 day moving average is $227.52 and its 200 day moving average is $239.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $30.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.21 and a beta of 1.00.

Cummins (NYSE:CMI  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 2nd. The company reported $5.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $4.70 by $0.85. Cummins had a net margin of 8.37% and a return on equity of 25.94%. The company had revenue of $8.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $8.13 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $4.04 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 32.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Cummins will post 19.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Cummins Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 19th will be given a dividend of $1.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 18th. This represents a $6.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.88%. Cumminss payout ratio is 35.40%.

About Cummins

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Cummins, Inc engages in the design, manufacture, and market of diesel and natural gas engines. It operates through the following segments: Engine, Distribution, Components, Power Systems, and New Power. The Engine segment manufactures and markets diesel and natural gas-powered engines under the Cummins brand name, for the heavy- and medium-duty truck, bus, recreational vehicle, light-duty automotive, construction, mining, marine, rail, oil and gas, defense, and agricultural markets.

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Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK  Get Rating) has been assigned a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the fourteen research firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, nine have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $63.86.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Alaska Air Group from $71.00 to $75.00 in a research report on Monday, April 24th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Alaska Air Group from $57.50 to $58.50 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 31st. Susquehanna lifted their target price on Alaska Air Group from $55.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a positive rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Alaska Air Group from $91.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Monday, May 8th. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded Alaska Air Group from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research report on Friday, January 27th.

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Insider Transactions at Alaska Air Group

In other news, Director J Kenneth Thompson sold 3,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.58, for a total value of $170,030.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 29,907 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,452,882.06. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Alaska Air Group Trading Up 0.9 %

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its position in Alaska Air Group by 78.2% in the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 9,980 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $579,000 after purchasing an additional 4,379 shares during the last quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its position in Alaska Air Group by 23.6% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 34,204 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,984,000 after purchasing an additional 6,520 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its position in Alaska Air Group by 7.1% in the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 16,847 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $977,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119 shares during the last quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. bought a new position in Alaska Air Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $980,000. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can raised its position in Alaska Air Group by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 17,972 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,077,000 after purchasing an additional 592 shares during the last quarter. 77.04% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Alaska Air Group stock opened at $44.92 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.64. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $42.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.44. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.75 billion, a PE ratio of 97.65, a PEG ratio of 0.29 and a beta of 1.51. Alaska Air Group has a 52 week low of $37.19 and a 52 week high of $53.96.

Alaska Air Group (NYSE:ALK  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The transportation company reported ($0.62) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.48) by ($0.14). The business had revenue of $2.20 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.19 billion. Alaska Air Group had a return on equity of 17.03% and a net margin of 0.58%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 30.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($1.33) earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Alaska Air Group will post 6.3 earnings per share for the current year.

About Alaska Air Group

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Alaska Air Group, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of air transportation services. It operates through the following segments: Mainline, Regional, and Horizon. The Mainline segment includes scheduled air transportation on Alaskas Boeing and Airbus jet aircraft for passengers and cargo throughout the U.S., and in parts of Mexico, Costa Rica and Belize.

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GUIYANG, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Four Francois' leaf monkeys have been born in a nature reserve in southwest China's Guizhou Province this year.

Apart from the newborns, the Mayanghe National Nature Reserve is home to more than 550 Francois' leaf monkeys. The reserve covering an area of 31,113 hectares is a major habitat for the species in China.

Also known as Francois' langurs, the species is one of China's most endangered wild animals and an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list. They are found in China's Guangxi, Guizhou and Chongqing. 
Shares of Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) have received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the twenty-three analysts that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $314.00.

ACN has been the subject of several recent research reports. Edward Jones upgraded shares of Accenture from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Accenture from $300.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, March 24th. Wedbush reissued an outperform rating and set a $300.00 price target on shares of Accenture in a report on Monday, March 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Accenture from $311.00 to $314.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, March 24th. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Accenture in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company.

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Accenture Price Performance

NYSE ACN opened at $290.95 on Friday. Accenture has a 1 year low of $242.80 and a 1 year high of $322.88. The company has a market capitalization of $183.84 billion, a PE ratio of 26.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a fifty day moving average of $274.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $276.77.

Accenture Announces Dividend

Accenture ( NYSE:ACN Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 23rd. The information technology services provider reported $2.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.20. Accenture had a net margin of 11.00% and a return on equity of 30.73%. The company had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.54 earnings per share. Accentures revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts expect that Accenture will post 11.57 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 13th were paid a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 12th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.54%. Accentures dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.25%.

Insider Transactions at Accenture

In other news, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 2,954 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.05, for a total transaction of $827,267.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 24,459 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $6,849,742.95. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, insider Jean-Marc Ollagnier sold 6,250 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.06, for a total transaction of $1,750,375.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 174,084 shares in the company, valued at $48,753,965.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 2,954 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.05, for a total transaction of $827,267.70. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 24,459 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,849,742.95. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 15,010 shares of company stock valued at $4,180,030 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Accenture

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at $1,850,765,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 101,214.0% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,040,402 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $1,078,141,000 after purchasing an additional 4,036,414 shares during the last quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp acquired a new position in shares of Accenture in the 1st quarter valued at $638,488,000. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 14.9% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 16,642,841 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $4,440,976,000 after purchasing an additional 2,163,582 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 21.7% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 11,535,663 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $3,297,009,000 after purchasing an additional 2,060,646 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.97% of the companys stock.

About Accenture

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Accenture Plc engages in the provision of management consulting, technology, and outsourcing services. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America, Europe and Growth Markets. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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Bank of Nova Scotia purchased a new stake in TD SYNNEX Co. (NYSE:SNX  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 11,355 shares of the business services providers stock, valued at approximately $1,075,000.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in SNX. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of TD SYNNEX in the third quarter worth $31,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of TD SYNNEX by 48.5% in the 4th quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 438 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in TD SYNNEX in the 1st quarter valued at about $51,000. Covestor Ltd lifted its position in TD SYNNEX by 91.5% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 697 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 333 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Fiduciary Alliance LLC bought a new position in shares of TD SYNNEX during the 4th quarter worth approximately $90,000. 84.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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TD SYNNEX Stock Up 1.3 %

Shares of TD SYNNEX stock opened at $90.98 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $8.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.71, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.63. The companys 50 day moving average is $91.06 and its 200 day moving average is $96.77. TD SYNNEX Co. has a twelve month low of $78.86 and a twelve month high of $111.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47.

TD SYNNEX Announces Dividend

TD SYNNEX ( NYSE:SNX Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 28th. The business services provider reported $2.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.74 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $15.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.74 billion. TD SYNNEX had a net margin of 1.11% and a return on equity of 13.80%. Research analysts anticipate that TD SYNNEX Co. will post 10.96 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th were paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.54%. TD SYNNEXs payout ratio is 19.55%.

Insider Activity at TD SYNNEX

In related news, insider Dennis Polk sold 8,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.13, for a total transaction of $777,040.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 132,402 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,860,206.26. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CFO Marshall Witt sold 603 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.12, for a total value of $56,754.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 52,701 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,960,218.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Dennis Polk sold 8,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.13, for a total transaction of $777,040.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 132,402 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,860,206.26. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 36,998 shares of company stock valued at $3,439,588. Corporate insiders own 1.70% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Bank of America reduced their price objective on shares of TD SYNNEX from $135.00 to $120.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 30th. Raymond James cut their target price on shares of TD SYNNEX from $140.00 to $130.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of TD SYNNEX from $125.00 to $115.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of TD SYNNEX in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of TD SYNNEX from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Friday, April 14th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $113.91.

TD SYNNEX Company Profile

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TD SYNNEX Corp. engages in the distribution and aggregation of solutions in the information technology ecosystem. It operates through the following geographical segments: Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific and Japan. The firm offers IT hardware, software, and systems including personal computing devices and peripherals, mobile phones and accessories, printers, server and datacenter infrastructure, hybrid cloud, security, networking, communications and storage solutions, and system components.

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Bank of Nova Scotia lessened its holdings in shares of Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE:IRM  Get Rating) by 22.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 20,960 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 5,930 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotias holdings in Iron Mountain were worth $1,045,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in IRM. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Iron Mountain by 15.1% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 2,503 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $137,000 after acquiring an additional 328 shares in the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Iron Mountain by 71.3% during the 1st quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 18,549 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,028,000 after acquiring an additional 7,719 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its position in shares of Iron Mountain by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 38,743 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,147,000 after acquiring an additional 2,399 shares in the last quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. increased its position in Iron Mountain by 13.0% during the first quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 18,205 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $907,000 after buying an additional 2,100 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Trust N.A. lifted its stake in Iron Mountain by 52.8% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 7,552 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $419,000 after buying an additional 2,608 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.12% of the companys stock.

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Iron Mountain Price Performance

Iron Mountain stock opened at $55.04 on Tuesday. Iron Mountain Incorporated has a 12 month low of $43.33 and a 12 month high of $57.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 19.91, a current ratio of 0.80 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $53.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $52.86. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.05 billion, a PE ratio of 27.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.67 and a beta of 0.91.

Iron Mountain Dividend Announcement

Iron Mountain ( NYSE:IRM Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.43 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.89 by ($0.46). Iron Mountain had a return on equity of 88.48% and a net margin of 11.20%. The company had revenue of $1.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.32 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.74 EPS. Iron Mountains revenue for the quarter was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Iron Mountain Incorporated will post 3.77 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.6185 per share. This represents a $2.47 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.49%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, June 14th. Iron Mountains dividend payout ratio is presently 124.75%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on IRM shares. StockNews.com cut Iron Mountain from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Sunday. Barclays boosted their price objective on Iron Mountain from $56.00 to $64.00 in a research note on Friday, May 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $58.00 price objective on shares of Iron Mountain in a research note on Monday, March 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Iron Mountain currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $62.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO William L. Meaney sold 62,904 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.78, for a total transaction of $3,320,073.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 376,320 shares of the companys stock, valued at $19,862,169.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, EVP Deborah Marson sold 1,125 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.77, for a total transaction of $58,241.25. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 59,419 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,076,121.63. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO William L. Meaney sold 62,904 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.78, for a total value of $3,320,073.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 376,320 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,862,169.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 99,771 shares of company stock valued at $5,281,872 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 2.20% of the companys stock.

About Iron Mountain

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Iron Mountain, Inc engages in the provision of storage and information management solutions. It operates through the following business segments: North American Records & Information Management Business, North American Data Management Business, Western European Business, Other International Business, Global Data Center Business and Corporate & Other Business.

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PNC Financial Services Group Inc. reduced its holdings in Invesco National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:PZA  Get Rating) by 2.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 643,951 shares of the companys stock after selling 16,649 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. owned approximately 0.71% of Invesco National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF worth $14,772,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of PZA. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Invesco National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. Credit Suisse AG acquired a new position in shares of Invesco National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $63,000. SimpliFi Inc. acquired a new position in Invesco National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF during the 4th quarter worth $212,000. RFG Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Invesco National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF during the 3rd quarter worth $218,000. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Invesco National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF during the 4th quarter worth $224,000.

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Invesco National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF Stock Down 0.1 %

NYSEARCA:PZA opened at $23.15 on Tuesday. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $23.64 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $23.39. Invesco National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF has a 52-week low of $21.65 and a 52-week high of $24.35.

Invesco National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF Profile

The Invesco National AMT-Free Municipal Bond ETF (PZA) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in investment grade fixed income. The fund tracks an index of investment grade, tax-exempt debt publicly issued by a US state with at least 15 years remaining to maturity. PZA was launched on Oct 11, 2007 and is managed by Invesco.

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Clearbridge Investments LLC cut its stake in shares of Otis Worldwide Co. (NYSE:OTIS  Get Rating) by 43.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,514,634 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,154,065 shares during the period. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned 0.37% of Otis Worldwide worth $118,611,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Sigma Planning Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Otis Worldwide by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 4,786 shares of the companys stock valued at $375,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Otis Worldwide by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Great Valley Advisor Group Inc. now owns 3,525 shares of the companys stock valued at $276,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares in the last quarter. Pathstone Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Otis Worldwide by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Family Office LLC now owns 11,758 shares of the companys stock valued at $772,000 after acquiring an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems lifted its holdings in shares of Otis Worldwide by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 33,039 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,587,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Otis Worldwide by 2.6% during the 4th quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 5,934 shares of the companys stock valued at $465,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. 83.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at Otis Worldwide

In other Otis Worldwide news, insider Fernandez Bernardo Calleja sold 703 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.85, for a total value of $61,055.55. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 22,215 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,929,372.75. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.15% of the companys stock.

Otis Worldwide Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE:OTIS opened at $84.08 on Tuesday. Otis Worldwide Co. has a fifty-two week low of $62.49 and a fifty-two week high of $87.33. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $82.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $81.44. The company has a market cap of $34.75 billion, a PE ratio of 27.75 and a beta of 0.92.

Otis Worldwide (NYSE:OTIS  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.06. Otis Worldwide had a net margin of 9.35% and a negative return on equity of 28.04%. The business had revenue of $3.35 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.26 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.77 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that Otis Worldwide Co. will post 3.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Otis Worldwide Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 9th. Investors of record on Friday, May 19th will be given a dividend of $0.34 per share. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 18th. This is an increase from Otis Worldwides previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. Otis Worldwides dividend payout ratio is currently 44.88%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on OTIS shares. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Otis Worldwide from $81.00 to $79.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 6th. HSBC boosted their price objective on shares of Otis Worldwide from $72.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. TheStreet upgraded shares of Otis Worldwide from a d+ rating to a c+ rating in a report on Monday, March 20th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Otis Worldwide from $89.00 to $90.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, April 19th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Otis Worldwide from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $75.00 to $88.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $81.10.

Otis Worldwide Company Profile

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Otis Worldwide Corporation manufactures, installs, and services elevators and escalators in the United States, China, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, New Equipment and Service. The New Equipment segment designs, manufactures, sells, and installs a range of passenger and freight elevators, as well as escalators and moving walkways for residential and commercial buildings, and infrastructure projects.

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Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lessened its holdings in shares of Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ  Get Rating) by 2.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 92,643 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,248 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp owned about 0.05% of Constellation Brands worth $21,470,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in STZ. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of Constellation Brands by 52.1% during the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,582,020 shares of the companys stock worth $593,276,000 after purchasing an additional 884,513 shares in the last quarter. Bain Capital Public Equity Management II LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Constellation Brands during the third quarter worth approximately $104,286,000. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. increased its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 56.1% during the third quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 1,224,813 shares of the companys stock worth $281,315,000 after buying an additional 440,230 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 984.4% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 378,465 shares of the companys stock worth $86,928,000 after buying an additional 343,564 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Constellation Brands by 2.6% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,601,280 shares of the companys stock worth $2,902,327,000 after buying an additional 313,344 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.87% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore ISI upped their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. TheStreet lowered shares of Constellation Brands from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Barclays cut their target price on shares of Constellation Brands from $279.00 to $277.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Constellation Brands in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Constellation Brands from $250.00 to $260.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, April 10th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Constellation Brands has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $252.58.

Insider Buying and Selling at Constellation Brands

Constellation Brands Stock Up 0.1 %

In other Constellation Brands news, Director Richard Sands sold 3,858,476 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.53, for a total value of $862,485,140.28. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 20,488,818 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,579,865,487.54. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . In other Constellation Brands news, major shareholder Business Holdings Lp Ajb sold 650,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $223.53, for a total value of $145,294,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 3,365,715 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $752,338,273.95. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link . Also, Director Richard Sands sold 3,858,476 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.53, for a total transaction of $862,485,140.28. Following the sale, the director now owns 20,488,818 shares in the company, valued at $4,579,865,487.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 16.19% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Shares of STZ opened at $235.46 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a current ratio of 1.18. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $224.47 and its 200-day simple moving average is $230.01. Constellation Brands, Inc. has a 12-month low of $208.12 and a 12-month high of $261.32.

Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 6th. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.86 by $0.12. Constellation Brands had a negative net margin of 0.70% and a positive return on equity of 20.48%. The business had revenue of $2 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.02 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.37 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Constellation Brands, Inc. will post 11.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Constellation Brands Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 18th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 4th were paid a $0.89 dividend. This is a boost from Constellation Brandss previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 3rd. Constellation Brandss payout ratio is currently -698.03%.

About Constellation Brands

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Constellation Brands, Inc engages in the production, marketing, and distribution of beer, wine, and spirits. It operates through the following segments: Beer, Wine and Spirits, Corporate Operations and Other, and Canopy. The Beer segment includes imported and craft beer brands. The Wine and Spirits segment sells wine brands across all categories-table wine, sparkling wine, and dessert wine-and across all price points.

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Vise Technologies Inc. bought a new position in shares of General Electric (NYSE:GE  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 2,398 shares of the conglomerates stock, valued at approximately $201,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in General Electric by 10.0% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 305,384 shares of the conglomerates stock valued at $27,925,000 after acquiring an additional 27,682 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in General Electric in the 1st quarter worth about $1,518,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in General Electric by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 11,748 shares of the conglomerates stock worth $1,075,000 after purchasing an additional 334 shares in the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in General Electric in the 1st quarter worth about $388,000. Finally, West Family Investments Inc. acquired a new position in General Electric in the 1st quarter worth about $230,000. 70.12% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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General Electric Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GE opened at $104.55 on Tuesday. General Electric has a fifty-two week low of $46.55 and a fifty-two week high of $105.94. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $96.84 and a 200-day moving average of $87.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 1.25. The stock has a market cap of $113.85 billion, a PE ratio of 13.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.34 and a beta of 1.27.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

General Electric ( NYSE:GE Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The conglomerate reported $0.27 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.14. General Electric had a return on equity of 9.45% and a net margin of 11.85%. The business had revenue of $14.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.46 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.24 earnings per share. The firms revenue was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that General Electric will post 2.03 earnings per share for the current year.

GE has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded General Electric from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $120.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price objective on General Electric from $97.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th. Bank of America raised their price objective on General Electric from $92.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Argus raised their price objective on General Electric from $85.00 to $90.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on General Electric from $109.00 to $114.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 26th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, General Electric has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $103.20.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other General Electric news, SVP Scott Strazik sold 173,873 shares of General Electric stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.56, for a total transaction of $17,310,795.88. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 56,049 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,580,238.44. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, SVP Scott Strazik sold 173,873 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.56, for a total value of $17,310,795.88. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 56,049 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,580,238.44. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, VP Thomas S. Timko sold 7,254 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.82, for a total value of $731,348.28. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 20,953 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,112,481.46. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.67% of the companys stock.

General Electric Company Profile

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General Electric Co engages in the provision of commercial and military aircraft engines and systems, wind, and other renewable energy generation equipment and grid solutions, and gas, steam, nuclear, and other power generation equipment. It operates through the following segments: Aviation, Healthcare, Renewable Energy, and Power.

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PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lowered its stake in shares of Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL  Get Rating) by 0.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 158,588 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 869 shares during the quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc.s holdings in Xylem were worth $17,535,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in Xylem by 32.3% in the 4th quarter. Hexagon Capital Partners LLC now owns 393 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co increased its holdings in Xylem by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 4,196 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $464,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the period. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in Xylem by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. Baker Tilly Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,136 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $568,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Xylem by 3.3% in the 4th quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 3,145 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $348,000 after buying an additional 99 shares during the period. Finally, Utah Retirement Systems increased its holdings in Xylem by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Utah Retirement Systems now owns 32,029 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,798,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.57% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

XYL has been the topic of several recent research reports. TheStreet lowered Xylem from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Thursday, May 4th. Stifel Nicolaus upgraded Xylem from a hold rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $115.00 to $124.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 24th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Xylem from $123.00 to $121.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Mizuho restated a neutral rating and issued a $105.00 price objective on shares of Xylem in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Xylem in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $114.80.

Xylem Price Performance

Shares of NYSE XYL opened at $104.34 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 50.90, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.07. Xylem Inc. has a 52 week low of $72.08 and a 52 week high of $118.58. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $102.62 and a 200-day simple moving average of $106.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 2.01 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52.

Xylem (NYSE:XYL  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 4th. The industrial products company reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $1.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.35 billion. Xylem had a net margin of 6.53% and a return on equity of 16.63%. The businesss revenue was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.47 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Xylem Inc. will post 3.28 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Xylem Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 28th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 30th will be issued a $0.33 dividend. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 26th. Xylems dividend payout ratio is currently 64.39%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Xylem news, CEO Patrick Decker sold 56,298 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.19, for a total value of $5,527,900.62. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 287,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $28,235,909.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, SVP Hayati Yarkadas sold 15,942 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.43, for a total transaction of $1,601,055.06. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 12,146 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,219,822.78. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Patrick Decker sold 56,298 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.19, for a total value of $5,527,900.62. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 287,564 shares of the companys stock, valued at $28,235,909.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Xylem Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Xylem, Inc engages in the design, manufacture, and application of engineered technologies for the water industry. It operates through the following business segments: Water Infrastructure, Applied Water, and Measurement and Control Solutions. The Water Infrastructure segment focuses on the transportation, treatment and testing of water.

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SouthState Corp boosted its stake in Fortive Co. (NYSE:FTV  Get Rating) by 491.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,580 shares of the technology companys stock after buying an additional 3,805 shares during the period. SouthState Corps holdings in Fortive were worth $294,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Brown Advisory Inc. increased its stake in shares of Fortive by 39.4% during the third quarter. Brown Advisory Inc. now owns 5,710,019 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $332,894,000 after purchasing an additional 1,614,640 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its stake in shares of Fortive by 75.3% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 2,345,333 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $136,733,000 after purchasing an additional 1,007,368 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Fortive by 2.7% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 37,557,116 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $2,288,355,000 after purchasing an additional 989,883 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its stake in shares of Fortive by 54.2% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 2,678,828 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $156,729,000 after purchasing an additional 941,135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in shares of Fortive by 3.0% during the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 29,779,513 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $1,736,146,000 after purchasing an additional 860,002 shares in the last quarter. 94.84% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at Fortive

In other news, SVP Stacey A. Walker sold 1,336 shares of Fortive stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.39, for a total transaction of $88,697.04. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 37,946 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,519,234.94. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Fortive news, SVP Stacey A. Walker sold 3,249 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.75, for a total value of $220,119.75. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 32,721 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,216,847.75. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Stacey A. Walker sold 1,336 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.39, for a total value of $88,697.04. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 37,946 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,519,234.94. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.79% of the companys stock.

Fortive Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of FTV stock opened at $66.42 on Tuesday. Fortive Co. has a 12-month low of $52.47 and a 12-month high of $69.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.93, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The firms 50 day moving average is $65.43 and its 200 day moving average is $66.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.14.

Fortive (NYSE:FTV  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The technology company reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $1.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.42 billion. Fortive had a net margin of 12.92% and a return on equity of 11.92%. The companys revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.70 EPS. Research analysts expect that Fortive Co. will post 3.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Fortive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 26th will be paid a dividend of $0.07 per share. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 25th. Fortives dividend payout ratio is presently 13.08%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FTV has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Fortive from $77.00 to $78.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Fortive from $70.00 to $68.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Fortive in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Fortive from $77.00 to $78.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Vertical Research raised shares of Fortive from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $74.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, March 27th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $73.00.

Fortive Profile

(Get Rating)

Fortive Corp. engages in the design, development, manufacturing, and marketing of professional and engineered products, software, and services for a variety of end markets. It operates through the following segments: Intelligent Operating Solutions, Precision Technologies, and Advanced Healthcare Solutions.

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O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Hubbell Incorporated (NYSE:HUBB  Get Rating) by 95.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 26,094 shares of the industrial products companys stock after purchasing an additional 12,760 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLCs holdings in Hubbell were worth $6,124,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. First Manhattan Co. purchased a new stake in Hubbell in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC acquired a new position in Hubbell in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in shares of Hubbell by 25.7% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 274 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Hubbell in the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Quent Capital LLC raised its stake in Hubbell by 22.1% during the third quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 254 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. 89.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Transactions at Hubbell

In other news, Director Carlos M. Cardoso sold 560 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $273.16, for a total value of $152,969.60. Following the sale, the director now owns 1,711 shares of the companys stock, valued at $467,376.76. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Hubbell Stock Performance

Several research firms have commented on HUBB. StockNews.com cut shares of Hubbell from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Hubbell from $226.00 to $238.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 1st. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Hubbell from $252.00 to $300.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 26th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Hubbell from $225.00 to $221.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Hubbell from an underweight rating to a neutral rating and raised their price objective for the company from $200.00 to $205.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $237.33.

Shares of HUBB opened at $282.49 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.99. Hubbell Incorporated has a twelve month low of $170.21 and a twelve month high of $286.17. The firms 50 day moving average price is $247.89 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $244.39. The firm has a market cap of $15.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.98, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.99.

Hubbell (NYSE:HUBB  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 25th. The industrial products company reported $3.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.46 by $1.15. Hubbell had a net margin of 11.15% and a return on equity of 27.72%. The firm had revenue of $1.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.25 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.12 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 11.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Hubbell Incorporated will post 13.81 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hubbell Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be given a $1.12 dividend. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 30th. Hubbells dividend payout ratio is presently 42.79%.

Hubbell Profile

(Get Rating)

Hubbell, Inc engages in the designing, manufacturing, and sale of electrical and electronic products for non-residential and residential construction, industrial, and utility applications. It operates through the Electrical Solutions and Utility Solutions segments. The Electrical Solutions segment manufactures and sells wiring and electrical, lighting fixtures, and controls for indoor and outdoor applications as well as specialty lighting and communications products.

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TEHRAN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Intelligence Ministry said on Tuesday its forces have smashed a network in the country that was cooperating with a foreign intelligence service, arresting all its members.

The ministry said in a statement that the network was part of a "big project" of the hostile foreign service to gain access to the information of Iranian citizens traveling abroad.

It added further monitoring of the moves and activities of the hostile foreign intelligence service made it clear that it was "specifically and heavily" focused on Iranian officials and individuals with access to important data at the country's sensitive institutions as well as those specialized in different areas and would monitor them in a "concentrated" manner.

The network involved personnel in Iranian state organizations and apparatuses who worked for the foreign service's links or as executive agents, said the statement.

These personnel, after receiving information about targetted individuals from ringleaders, would make "illegal and unauthorized" access to data bases and provide wanted information to the links and ringleaders.

The statement gave the assurance that all members of the network, including the ringleaders, links and system operators, have been arrested at the order of the Iranian judicial authorities. 
ProVise Management Group LLC purchased a new position in Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 3,884 shares of the energy companys stock, valued at approximately $239,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in DVN. AlphaCrest Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Devon Energy during the first quarter worth $364,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Devon Energy during the first quarter worth $188,000. Blair William & Co. IL grew its holdings in shares of Devon Energy by 52.1% during the first quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 99,120 shares of the energy companys stock worth $5,861,000 after buying an additional 33,936 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its holdings in shares of Devon Energy by 9.2% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 414,354 shares of the energy companys stock worth $24,500,000 after buying an additional 34,870 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new stake in shares of Devon Energy during the first quarter worth $26,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.08% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Devon Energy news, EVP Dennis C. Cameron sold 8,292 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.97, for a total transaction of $414,351.24. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 218,418 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,914,347.46. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.63% of the companys stock.

Devon Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:DVN opened at $49.32 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 1.02. The firm has a market cap of $32.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.15 and a beta of 2.34. The firms fifty day moving average price is $50.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $58.19. Devon Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $44.03 and a 1-year high of $79.40.

Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, May 8th. The energy company reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $3.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.82 billion. Devon Energy had a net margin of 31.39% and a return on equity of 47.42%. Devon Energys revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.88 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Devon Energy Co. will post 6.43 EPS for the current year.

Devon Energy Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 15th will be given a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 14th. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.84%. Devon Energys payout ratio is currently 8.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

DVN has been the subject of a number of research reports. StockNews.com lowered shares of Devon Energy from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Wednesday, May 17th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Devon Energy from $77.00 to $66.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Devon Energy from $67.00 to $70.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a report on Friday, April 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein decreased their target price on shares of Devon Energy from $71.00 to $64.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 17th. Finally, Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Devon Energy from $87.00 to $81.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $69.53.

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.

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O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Infosys Limited (NYSE:INFY  Get Rating) by 45.5% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 479,887 shares of the technology companys stock after purchasing an additional 150,009 shares during the quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLCs holdings in Infosys were worth $8,643,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in INFY. Schubert & Co lifted its position in shares of Infosys by 73.8% during the 4th quarter. Schubert & Co now owns 1,557 shares of the technology companys stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 661 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Infosys by 75.6% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,902 shares of the technology companys stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 819 shares in the last quarter. Destiny Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Infosys by 42.9% during the 4th quarter. Destiny Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,922 shares of the technology companys stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 577 shares in the last quarter. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Infosys during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Glassman Wealth Services increased its stake in shares of Infosys by 26.0% during the 4th quarter. Glassman Wealth Services now owns 2,800 shares of the technology companys stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 578 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 12.68% of the companys stock.

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Infosys Stock Performance

NYSE INFY opened at $15.65 on Tuesday. Infosys Limited has a 52-week low of $14.71 and a 52-week high of $20.60. The company has a market capitalization of $64.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.04, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a fifty day moving average of $16.03 and a 200-day moving average of $17.78.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Infosys ( NYSE:INFY Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 13th. The technology company reported $0.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.19 by ($0.01). Infosys had a return on equity of 31.78% and a net margin of 16.37%. The company had revenue of $4.55 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.73 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.18 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Infosys Limited will post 0.76 EPS for the current fiscal year.

INFY has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Macquarie lowered shares of Infosys from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Sunday, April 16th. Citigroup lowered shares of Infosys from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Infosys from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Credit Suisse Group lowered shares of Infosys from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of Infosys from $21.00 to $18.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Infosys currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $19.33.

About Infosys

(Get Rating)

Infosys Ltd. is a digital services and consulting company, which engages in the provision of end-to-end business solutions. It operates through the following segments: Financial Services, Retail, Communication, Energy, Utilities, Resources, and Services, Manufacturing, Hi-Tech, Life Sciences, and All Other.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) had its target price increased by equities researchers at Morgan Stanley from $157.00 to $160.00 in a report released on Tuesday, The Fly reports. Morgan Stanleys price objective would suggest a potential upside of 15.92% from the companys previous close.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Barclays lowered their target price on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $189.00 to $179.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Bank of America upped their target price on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $152.00 to $158.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Credit Suisse Group upped their target price on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $155.00 to $160.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 18th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $147.00 to $151.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price objective on JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $157.00 to $192.00 and gave the company an outperformer rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $157.22.

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JPMorgan Chase & Co. Trading Down 0.8 %

Shares of JPM stock opened at $138.03 on Tuesday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $133.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $135.56. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has a 1-year low of $101.28 and a 1-year high of $144.34. The firm has a market capitalization of $403.36 billion, a PE ratio of 10.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Insider Activity

JPMorgan Chase & Co. ( NYSE:JPM Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Friday, April 14th. The financial services provider reported $4.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.41 by $0.69. The company had revenue of $38.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $35.77 billion. JPMorgan Chase & Co. had a return on equity of 16.02% and a net margin of 23.73%. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s revenue was up 24.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.63 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that JPMorgan Chase & Co. will post 14.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

In other news, CEO Douglas B. Petno sold 4,932 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.90, for a total value of $665,326.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 282,091 shares in the company, valued at $38,054,075.90. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other JPMorgan Chase & Co. news, Vice Chairman Peter Scher sold 1,240 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.02, for a total transaction of $167,424.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 45,056 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,083,461.12. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Douglas B. Petno sold 4,932 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.90, for a total value of $665,326.80. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 282,091 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $38,054,075.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 136,578 shares of company stock worth $18,543,247. 0.79% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P lifted its holdings in shares of JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 81.1% in the 1st quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P now owns 222,422 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $30,321,000 after purchasing an additional 99,636 shares during the last quarter. BCK Partners Inc. bought a new stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. during the 1st quarter valued at $2,455,000. LSV Asset Management raised its stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 35.6% during the 1st quarter. LSV Asset Management now owns 37,300 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $5,085,000 after acquiring an additional 9,800 shares in the last quarter. Wsfs Capital Management LLC raised its stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 70.8% during the 1st quarter. Wsfs Capital Management LLC now owns 4,221 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $575,000 after acquiring an additional 1,749 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lumature Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in JPMorgan Chase & Co. by 1,451.4% during the 1st quarter. Lumature Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,770 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $514,000 after acquiring an additional 3,527 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 67.89% of the companys stock.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Company Profile

(Get Rating)

JPMorgan Chase & Co is a financial holding company, which engages in providing financial and investment banking services. The firm offers a range of investment banking products and services in all capital markets, including advising on corporate strategy and structure, capital raising in equity and debt markets, risk management, market making in cash securities and derivative instruments, and brokerage and research.

Further Reading

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ISTANBUL, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The United States has not effectively tackled economic inequality at home, leading to a widening gap between the rich and poor in all aspects of life, according to a foreign policy analyst.

"Economic equality, whether measured through the gaps in income or wealth between richer and poorer households, continues to, unfortunately, widen," Gulru Gezer, a foreign policy analyst and former Turkish diplomat, told Xinhua in a recent interview. "And we also see that the middle class has been shrinking continuously over the past decades in the U.S."

Gezer said income and wealth inequality are higher in the United States than in most developed countries. Citing a recent statistic published by Economic Policy Institute, she noted a CEO in 2018 was paid 278 times what an average worker made. She also added that nearly 38 million people in the country live in poverty, according to the 2021 figures.

Education and the tax system in the country are also other realms of inequality, said the analyst. "If you want your child to receive proper education and have a university degree, you have to start saving actually before the child is born. And those who receive university degrees in the U.S. are less than 30 percent" of the population.

Several factors explain glaring U.S. inequality: the 2008 global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic and tax reform, said Gezer. "All these problems, coupled with insufficient policies to address these challenges, have actually caused inequality in the U.S.," she added.

Gezer also said that Democrats and Republicans hold divergent perspectives on addressing inequality, leading to challenges in developing effective policies. 
YINCHUAN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Ningxia, China's leading wine-producing region, will host a wine-themed international conference and an expo in its capital city of Yinchuan next month, the event's organizers said Tuesday.

The International Conference on Grape and Wine Industries, as well as the third China (Ningxia) International Wine Culture and Tourism Expo, will be held from June 9 to 10.

The conference, themed "Nature, Innovation, Culture and Ecology," will invite experts and enterprises in the wine-making industry at home and abroad, and officials from 47 wine-producing countries and representatives of nine international organizations.

A total of 2,000 wine products of over 100 enterprises from 12 wine-producing regions across China will be displayed.

The event features forums on climate, technologies, trade and investment, as well as wine culture and tourism.

Ni Hongxing, an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said the global wine industry has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and an economic downturn.

"We want to make contributions to sustainable global economic and social development by joining hands with other wine-producing countries, building economic cooperation platforms, tapping the potential of industrial recovery, and promoting integrated and innovative development," said the official.

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China has emerged as the country's largest wine-producing region after more than 40 years of development. It now has 228 wineries that produced 138 million bottles of wine in 2022, generating brand value of over 30 billion yuan (about 4.27 billion U.S. dollars). 
The United Nations expressed concern on Monday that Ukraines Black Sea port of Pivdennyi (Yuzhny) has not received any ships since May 2 under a deal allowing the safe wartime export of grain and fertilizer.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric did not say who was to blame for the lack of ships traveling to the port, near Odesa, which is also where Russia used to pump up to 2.5 million tonnes of ammonia annually for export via a pipeline from Togliati.

That pipeline has been shut down since Moscows February 2022 invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Russia used to export 4.4 million tonnes of ammonia a year  20% of global seaborne trade  before its war in Ukraine.

The Black Sea grain deal  brokered by the U.N. and Turkey last July  allows for the safe export of ammonia and Russia has been pushing for the pipeline to be restarted. Russia agreed last week for the Black Sea pact to be extended for two months.

But a Ukrainian a government source told Reuters on Friday Kyiv would consider allowing Russian ammonia to transit its territory for export if the Black Sea grain deal is expanded to include more Ukrainian ports and a wider range of commodities.

The Black Sea grain deal ground to a halt last week as Russia decided whether to continue it. Under the agreement a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) in Istanbul  made up of officials from the Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the U.N.  authorizes and inspects ships inbound and outbound.

Dujarric said that since the deal was extended, nine ships have been inspected and cleared for travel, of which five are currently in the Ukrainian ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk loading cargo.

RUSSIAN DEMANDS

Dujarric said the JCC currently has 17 applications from vessels wanting to travel to Ukraine and that seven had been approved and were now waiting to be inspected.

No vessels seeking to load foodstuffs in the port of Yuzhny/Pivdennyi have been approved for registration, he told reporters. The port of Yuzhny/Pivdennyi has not received any vessel since 2 May. We are concerned by this restriction, and we call again for the full resumption of operations.

More than 30 million tonnes of food has been exported from the Ukrainian ports under the Black Sea deal and Dujarric said Pivdennyi (Yuzhny) port accounted for more than one third of those shipments. He noted that no fertilizers, including ammonia, had yet been exported under the Black Sea agreement.

Russia had threatened not to renew the deal unless a list of demands related to obstacles to its own food and fertilizer exports is met. Restarting the ammonia pipeline is one of those demands, which the United Nations has been trying to broker.

Another key Russian demand is for its state agricultural bank, known as Rosselkhozbank, to be reconnected to the SWIFT international payment network. It was cut off from SWIFT by the European Union in June over the invasion of Ukraine.

EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano told Reuters the EU not considering any re-swifting of Russian banks.

The Kremlin said on Monday that the EUs reluctance to reconnect Russias state agricultural bank to SWIFT showed the blocs non-constructive stance on the Black Sea grain deal.

As an alternative to SWIFT, the United Nations proposed that other banks could process payments. Reuters has reported that JPMorgan processed the first payment for the Russian Agricultural Bank and could help with dozens more transactions.

Source: Reuters
The rapidly growing generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have captured global attention at the just-concluded seventh World Intelligence Congress in China's Tianjin.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Elnur Enveroglu

This week was very significant with the official visit of Azerbaijani Pesident Ilham Aliyev to Lithuania together with his wife Fist Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva.

First of all, it should be noted that the recent geopolitical processes have started to give a great boost to relations between Azerbaijan and Europe, the Balkans, and the Baltic states. Recognition and acceptance of Azerbaijan as the most reliable partner by European countries is of great importance.

The visit of the President of Azerbaijan to Lithuania is a part of the positive relations and great achievements in the past decade of Azerbaijan's economic thrive.

Besides, Azerbaijan's rapprochement with the European and Baltic states has a number of important aspects. One of them is the growing influence of Azerbaijan in the region and the expansion of its supporting circle. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan believes and trusts its European partners in the direction of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and restoring peace in the region which vital for the current geopolitical situation as well as Europe and other countries. It is also undeniable that Armenia is protected by a number of states. However, today the states that want to be with a reliable partner like Azerbaijan accord with its rightful struggle.

Thus, the official visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Lithuania was also part of this confidence and friendly attitudes, and it was marked by a number of important meetings and signing of multifaceted documents.

Upon arriving at the Lithuanian airport, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were first greeted with an official ceremony by the Minister of Environment of Lithuania, Simonas Gentvilas.

Besides, an official welcome ceremony has been held for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius. A guard of honour was arranged for President Ilham Aliyev.

Following the official ceremony, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva then were welcomed by President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Naus?da and his spouse Diana Naus?dien?.

Furthermore, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held a meeting with Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Naus?da in a limited format in Vilnius. Then a ceremony of signing Azerbaijan-Lithuania documents was held with participation of both presidents and delegations of Azerbaijan and Lithuania in Vilnius.

As mentioned before, several important documents were signed with the participation of the ministers and heads of state bodies of both countries within a meeting.

One of the most important moments of the visit was the Azerbaijan-Lithuania business forum with participation of the heads of states in Vilnius. This part of the meeting was also marked by some points highlighted in the speeches of the presidents.

Addressing the forum, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev touched on several points praising the continuous development of Lithuanian-Azerbaijani relations as well as business opportunities in energy sector.

With President Naus?da, I think, we laid down a very solid foundation for our cooperation and established a very active political dialogue. As I said, we met last May in Baku, then this January in Davos and now in Vilnius. So, it really demonstrates the dynamism of our cooperation. So, now it's time for business communities to engage in a long journey of mutually beneficial fruitful cooperation, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said while making a speech at the opening ceremony of the Azerbaijan-Lithuania business forum in Vilnius.

In addition, the head of state touched Naus?da on the green energy potential between the two countries. Emphasizing the opportunities of wind energy in the Caspian and Baltic seas, the President also underscored the investment prospects in the mentioned area.

Today we broadly discussed with Mr. President the potential areas of cooperation, and President already mentioned them. I think that the potential is really high here because we are moving in the same direction with respect to investments in renewables, the President said, adding that the opportunities of both countries are immense.

Both countries have enormous wind potential in the Baltic and Caspian Sea. And both countries have this on our agenda. In our case, though we are on the safe side with respect to energy security, but still, we want to save more natural gas for export and to use our nature - wind and sun - in order to produce electricity, especially taking into account that last July the European Commission and Azerbaijan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic partnership in the field of energy, the Azerbaijani President noted.

Besides, the Azerbaijani President has touched on Azerbaijans natural gas supply to Europe in the two years.

In 2021, our natural gas supply to Europe was 8 bcm, this year it will be 12 bcm and by 2027 it will reach 20 bcm. I think this is minimum because the potential is here. We are producing more natural gas from existing fields. Very soon we will announce important production from one of the big fields of the Caspian. And also investments in renewables will allow us to save natural gas for export.

Therefore, Azerbaijan, as a reliable supplier to Europe, today exports oil, natural gas, electricity. We plan to export hydrogen, including green hydrogen. All that is part of overall strategic framework of our cooperation with European Union and we are grateful to our Lithuanian friends and partners for a constant support of Azerbaijans efforts and European Commissions efforts to become closer, President Ilham Aliyev underlined while addressing the Forum.

During his speech at the forum, President Ilham Aliyev also touched on the future economic prospects of both countries. The head of state noted that alternative means should always be used for sustainable development and elimination of economic dependence.

Azerbaijans economy is stable, investments are friendly and is based on natural resources, but at the same time now, the main target is diversification. And I think that we will be able to largely diversify our economy and to reduce dependence on energy sectors. Though, energy sector will continue to play an important role for our energy security and energy security of Europe, the President said.

Emphasizing the reliability of Azerbaijan in terms of foreign investment, President Ilham Aliyev noted that the country's foreign debts are lower than the gross domestic product and added that the economy of Azerbaijan is able to maintain its economic stability thanks to the surplus of international trade turnover.

We have very low foreign debt, it's below 10% of our GDP. We have a stable national currency and I'm sure, will continue to be stable because we have a surplus of our international trade turnover, substantial surplus.

And hard currency reserves, which we accumulated in our State Oil Fund and Central Bank reserves is 10 times more than our foreign debt. So, stability of our economy is an important factor for regional economic cooperation and for investment climate because good investment climate is created not only by having good legislation. It is not enough, the President added.

In his turn, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said during his speech at the Forum that Azerbaijan is the most reliable partner and added that Lithuania is always interested in exploring various opportunities for business cooperation in order to take advantage of Azerbaijan's wide economic potential.

Azerbaijan is an important partner of Lithuania and we are interested in searching for mutually beneficial opportunities. We see Azerbaijan as a growing economic power with a huge energy potential and aspirations to diversify.

Various sectors of Azerbaijans economy such as information technologies, logistics, manufacturing, advanced food industries and renewable energy attract Lithuanian entrepreneurs. This much we can bring to the table, the Lithuanian President noted.

In addition, the President's visit to Lithuania was also held with an expanded format of meeting discussions.

The Lithuanian President expressed his value for Azerbaijans accomplishments achieved for the past ten years in particular.

The importance of mutual visits of both presidents was underlined during the conversation. In this respect, the significance of the Lithuanian Presidents trip to Azerbaijan and meetings held as part of this trip were highlighted.

The sides discussed bilateral issues and underlined the importance of further expanding economic and trade relations, and increasing trade turnover even more. In this respect, the cooperation in information technologies, cybersecurity, renewable energy, investments, transport and other fields was discussed.

During the conversation, the discussions were held on the transportation matters including projects to connect the Caspian and Baltic Seas. The Lithuanias support for Azerbaijans cooperation with the European Union and NATO was highly appreciated. The Lithuanias active role in the Twinning projects implemented as part of the Eastern Partnership Program between the European Union and Azerbaijan was highlighted. The sides also underlined the importance of three documents signed at the meetings.

At the same time, the significance of the Agreement on cooperation in the field of youth policy signed between the two countries was noted. The fact that more than 200 Azerbaijani students are studying in Lithuania and existence of joint cooperation between the two countries educational institutions were commended as a positive factor with further expansion of cooperation in this field discussed by the sides.

During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on cooperation in the field of prosecution. The importance of signing the documents between the relevant prosecutor's offices of both countries was emphasized.

The fact that Azerbaijani community in Lithuania made contributions to the countrys development and that they are loyal citizens of this country was hailed at the meeting.

During the meeting, both leaders also exchanged views on issues of bilateral relations and the normalization of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

President Ilham Aliyev informed his Lithuanian counterpart about the Azerbaijans vision regarding the conduct of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as ensuring security in the South Caucasus.
BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to a forum on the development of Tibet that opened on Tuesday in Beijing.

"People's happiness is the ultimate human right, while development holds the key to delivering better lives to the people," Xi noted in the letter to "2023 Forum on the Development of Xizang, China."

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, people in Tibet, with the strong support of the central government and people throughout the country, have worked with fortitude and brought about a resolution to the problem of extreme poverty that had plagued the region for centuries, the letter said.

Tibet has achieved a moderately prosperous society in all respects along with the rest of the country, demonstrating vibrant and thriving scenes, it added.

Xi said he hopes that on the new journey of advancing Chinese modernization, Tibet can fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, step up efforts to promote high-quality development, and strive to build a prosperous, harmonious and beautiful new socialist Tibet underpinned by unity, civility and modernization so that the people of Tibet can enjoy better and more fulfilled lives.

The forum, themed "New Era, New Xizang, New Journey: New Chapter in Xizang's High-quality Development and Human Rights Protection," is hosted by the State Council Information Office and the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Xi's letter was read out by Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, at the opening ceremony.

Abdilahi Ismail Abdilahi, who teaches at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said he agrees with what Xi said in the letter about human rights.

"I've seen with my own eyes that human rights are well protected in Tibet, which is different from what I had read from Western media," he said.

Alexander Birle, chief representative of Hanns Seidel Stiftung in China, said that Xi's letter shows the importance of Tibet's development to China.

"There are different approaches to human rights protection. Cultural protection is also an important part of human rights protection, and China has done a lot to respect and protect the cultural heritage of Tibetan people," he said.

The high quality of education in Tibet also impressed Maria Gustava, Mozambique's ambassador to China, who recently visited the region for the first time.

"We visited some schools, especially for younger children, and they were learning so many things, including those through the internet and computer," she said, adding that such high-quality education will bring a better future for the region.

Before the forum, representatives of Chinese and foreign attendees were also invited to visit Tibet. 

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, reads out a congratulatory letter written by President Xi Jinping to "2023 Forum on the Development of Xizang, China", and attends the opening ceremony of the forum in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)
May 22, 2023





Cloud security solutions are becoming an increasingly important tool for businesses to protect their data and stay secure. From monitoring threats to safeguarding sensitive information, the benefits of cloud security are immense.

This article will explore the advantages and how cloud security solutions can help businesses protect their data. Keep reading to learn more.

What is a cloud security solution?

A cloud security system refers to a set of technologies, policies, and tools designed to secure data and applications in cloud-based environments. As more businesses shift their operations to the cloud, there is a growing need for reliable cloud security solutions to protect sensitive information and digital assets.







Cloud security solutions typically include data encryption, access controls, firewalls, and intrusion detection and prevention systems.

By implementing a robust cloud security solution, businesses can protect their data, applications, and infrastructure from cyber threats and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their digital assets.

What are the benefits of investing in cloud security solutions?

Investing in cloud security solutions is essential for businesses and individuals who want to safeguard their data and systems from cyber threats.

The cloud has become a popular option for data storage and sharing due to its convenience and accessibility from anywhere in the world. However, this also means sensitive information is vulnerable to attacks from hackers and cybercriminals.

Cloud security solutions provide 24/7 monitoring of the cloud infrastructure.

This allows businesses to detect and prevent potential cyber-attacks. This includes monitoring network traffic, file transfers, and user activity to identify any suspicious activity.

Cloud solutions offer vulnerability assessments.

With regular software updates and assessments, businesses can ensure no gaps in security. This is particularly important as cyber threats and attack techniques constantly evolve, so keeping up-to-date with the latest technology is crucial.

Cloud security offers data encryption and multi-factor authentication.

This provides an additional layer of protection. Data encryption ensures that sensitive information is kept secure and cant be accessed by unauthorized individuals.

Multi-factor authentication requires users to provide additional credentials, such as a code sent to their phone or a biometric scan, making it much harder for cybercriminals to access the system.

Investing in cloud security solutions can help prevent costly data breaches and cyber-attacks, offering peace of mind and protecting the business's or individual's reputation.

How can cloud security help your business?

Cloud security is a crucial component for any modern business that operates online. With the growing use of cloud-based infrastructure, businesses of all sizes must take precautions to protect their data and applications from cyber threats. Cloud security can help businesses avoid losses from data breaches, system damage, and other cyber-attacks.

One of the most significant benefits of cloud security is its ability to safeguard against data breaches. With cloud security, businesses can encrypt their sensitive data, prevent unauthorized user access, and ensure that their data is backed up to prevent data loss.

Moreover, cloud security protocols can identify and prevent common cyber threats such as phishing, viruses, and malware attacks.

Cloud security can also provide added protection for a business's critical applications. With cloud security, businesses can protect their applications against unauthorized access, system damage, and downtime. These services can also help businesses comply with regulations that apply to their industry, such as GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI (News - Alert) DSS.

Cloud security plays a vital role in securing business operations in our digital age, giving businesses greater peace of mind and ensuring they are well-protected against cyber threats.

By taking advantage of the scalability and flexibility of cloud-based solutions, companies can take advantage of a variety of features and benefits that can help protect their data and improve their security posture.
May 23, 2023





The real estate industry has undergone a massive transformation in recent years. Thanks to technological advances, buying and selling homes has become more accessible and efficient than ever before. Technological innovations have changed how real estate agents do business, from increased access to property listings to better communication and collaboration between realtors and clients. Real estate expert Michelle Kam in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, will look at how technology has impacted the world of real estate todayfrom marketing strategies to negotiation tacticsand discuss how savvy agents can use these new resources!







How Technology Has Transformed The Way People Search For Properties Online

Michelle Kam says technology has revolutionized every aspect of our lives, including how we search for properties. Today, with a few clicks on your computer or mobile phone you will get access to thousands of listings from the comfort of your couch. Advanced search filters allow you to narrow down your options based on location, price range, property type, and other relevant factors. Furthermore, virtual tours and high-quality images give you a better understanding of the property's features and layout, which reduces the need for physical visits. Using technology in property search has made the process less tedious and more convenient for everyone. There are also Facebook (News - Alert) groups in which you can sign up to which will allow you to learn about the neighborhood that you are potentially investing in.

The Importance Of High-Quality Listing Photos

When it comes to buying a house, first impressions are everything. This is why high-quality listing photos are so important. Potential buyers will likely decide whether to view a property based on the images accompanying the listing. Grainy or poorly lit pictures can deter buyers from considering your property, while beautiful, crisp shots can catch their eye and make them want to see more. It's also important to note that professional photography can make even a tiny or unimpressive space look more polished and inviting. So, if you want to attract a wide range of potential buyers and increase your chances of a successful sale, investing in high-quality listing photos is a must. These days, virtual tours with drones are also becoming the norm.

Virtual Tours And 3D Walkthroughs

Gone are the days of flipping through brochures or relying on grainy images to get a feel for a property. With the rise of virtual tours and 3D walkthroughs, the real estate industry has been completely transformed. Now, potential homebuyers can immerse themselves in an interactive experience, navigating through every nook and cranny of space from the comfort of their device. It's like having a personalized tour guide leading you through a property, but without ever having to leave your couch. And it's not just limited to real estate -- museums, historical sites, and even national parks have jumped on board, providing visitors with unprecedented exploration and education. With virtual tours and 3D walkthroughs, the possibilities are truly endless.

Benefits Of Utilizing Social Media To Promote Your Property

Michelle Kam says social media has become a powerful tool for promoting properties and reaching a wider audience. Various benefits come with utilizing social media to promote your property. The first and most apparent benefit is increasing visibility and getting a large audience. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter (News - Alert), and Instagram have millions of active users who can potentially see your property listing. Another benefit of using social media to promote your property is the ability to target specific demographics. For example, if your property targets young professionals, you can create ads specifically designed for that audience. In addition, social media allows you to interact with potential buyers and answer their questions. Doing this can build trust with your audience and increase the likelihood of making a sale. Overall, social media provides many benefits for property promotion and is an excellent tool for any seller looking to increase the visibility of their property.

Smart Home Devices That Increase A Homes Marketability

In today's world, everything is going smart, including our homes. Smart home devices are becoming increasingly popular, not just for convenience or comfort. They also add much value to your home if you ever decide to sell it. Whether it be voice-activated assistants or a smart thermostat, these devices can increase the marketability of your home by making it more energy-efficient, secure, and easy to manage. Potential buyers are willing to pay more for a home with intelligent devices installed, knowing they won't have to worry about spending extra money and time to upgrade their new home. So, if you're considering putting your home on the market, investing in some smart home devices might be wise to boost your home's marketability and potential profit.

How Ai-Driven Analytics Can Help Optimize Pricing For Maximum Profit Margin

Michelle Kam says in today's fast-paced business world, pricing strategies can make or break a company's success. With the rise of artificial intelligence-driven analytics, businesses now have a powerful new tool to help them optimize their pricing for maximum profit margin. By analyzing customer demographics, purchase history, and competitor pricing, AI-driven pricing algorithms can provide real-time recommendations to help businesses adjust their prices to stay competitive and increase profits. This technology is a game-changer, giving businesses an edge in an increasingly complex and competitive marketplace. By harnessing the power of AI-driven analytics, companies can maximize their profit margins, retain customers, and stay ahead of the competition.

Final Thoughts

Technology has been a game-changer for showcasing property online. It allows us to create precise and detailed listing photos and offers our potential buyers the chance to experience the property through virtual tours and 3D walkthroughs. Adding smart home devices can also be mutually beneficial, as they can provide comfort and further increase your property's marketability. Utilizing social media platforms can allow you to drive more traffic to your listing and reach a larger audience. Additionally, AI-driven analytics can give you essential insights into pricing optimization, ensuring maximum profit margin. Understanding modern trends in marketing real estate can help you stay ahead of the competition in this ever-changing landscape.
May 23, 2023





A web server, which is both software and hardware, utilizes HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and other protocols to respond to client requests made over the World Wide Web. Its primary function is to store, process, and deliver web pages to users, thereby displaying website content. Web servers are accessed via domain names and are responsible for ensuring the delivery of a site's content to the requesting user.







Web servers can be software, hardware, or both, and they communicate with browsers using HTTP. They can support SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) and FTP (File Transfer Protocol). Web servers are commonly used for hosting websites and data for web applications, and they can host single or multiple websites through virtualization.

When a web server receives a request for content, such as an HTML document, image, or JavaScript file, it processes the request and sends the content to the user's web browser. The efficiency of the web server used to power a website is crucial for its success, along with its content and functionality. Therefore, understanding the capabilities and limitations of a web server is vital when selecting the appropriate server for a website to ensure its success.

What are the Web Server Components?

A web server is a powerful tool used for hosting websites and applications, consisting of five essential components that work together to enable proper server functionality. These components include hardware, an operating system, web server software, a database, and a scripting language, each of which plays a crucial role in serving web pages and applications to users. Web server components are explained below:

Hardware: Hardware refers to the physical components of the web server, such as the processor, memory, storage, and network interface. It must possess adequate power, reliability, and security to handle the server load and protect data. Compatibility with the operating system and web server software is also essential.

Hardware refers to the physical components of the web server, such as the processor, memory, storage, and network interface. It must possess adequate power, reliability, and security to handle the server load and protect data. Compatibility with the operating system and web server software is also essential. Operating System: The operating system is the software that runs on the hardware, providing basic functions for the web server. It manages hardware resources, offers a user interface, and runs the web server software. Popular operating systems for web servers are Linux, Windows, and macOS, and compatibility with web server software and hardware is vital.

The operating system is the software that runs on the hardware, providing basic functions for the web server. It manages hardware resources, offers a user interface, and runs the web server software. Popular operating systems for web servers are Linux, Windows, and macOS, and compatibility with web server software and hardware is vital. Web Server Software: Web server software is the software that runs on the operating system and serves web pages and applications to users. Apache, Nginx, and IIS are popular web server software options. Compatibility with the operating system and hardware, along with the ability to handle server load and ensure security, are crucial factors.

Web server software is the software that runs on the operating system and serves web pages and applications to users. Apache, Nginx, and IIS are popular web server software options. Compatibility with the operating system and hardware, along with the ability to handle server load and ensure security, are crucial factors. Database: The database is the software that stores web server data, responsible for storing and retrieving data. MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB are popular database options. Compatibility with web server software and the operating system, as well as security and reliability, are important considerations.

The database is the software that stores web server data, responsible for storing and retrieving data. MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MongoDB are popular database options. Compatibility with web server software and the operating system, as well as security and reliability, are important considerations. Scripting Language: Scripting language is the programming language used to create web pages and applications served by the web server. PHP, Python, and JavaScript are popular scripting languages. Compatibility with web server software and database, along with security and reliability, are essential factors.

By ensuring the compatibility and proper functioning of these components, a web server can effectively serve web pages and applications to users.

How Does a Web Server Work?

Web servers operate on a client-server model, where a client program, such as a web browser, requests resources or services from a server program. To handle requests from web clients, web servers follow several steps:



When a web user wants to load a website, their web browser sends an HTTP request over the internet. The web browser looks up the IP address of the requested website by translating the URL via the Domain Name System (DNS) or checking its cache. This process identifies the web server where the website's files are hosted. The web server receives the HTTP request and processes it using its HTTP server. If the HTTP server accepts the request, it searches through its server files to retrieve the relevant data. The web server then sends the site files back to the web browser that made the request, allowing the web user to view the website content. However, if the HTTP server fails to find or process the requested files, it responds to the web browser with an error message, such as a 404 error for the file not found or a 403 error for permission issues. Additionally, if a web server does not receive a timely response from another server acting as a proxy or gateway, a 504 error may occur.



By following these steps, web servers are able to effectively process requests from clients and serve web content.

How does Working Principle of Web Servers change based on Types?

Depending on the type of web server in use, the operating principles of web servers can vary. There are several different types of web servers, including:



Static Web Servers: Static web servers serve web content that remains unchanged unless the server files are manually updated. The working principle of static web servers involves serving pre-existing HTML, CSS (News - Alert), and other files directly to clients without any processing or dynamic content generation. These servers are simple and efficient, as they do not require complex processing or database interactions.

Dynamic Web Servers: Dynamic web servers generate web content dynamically in response to client requests. These servers use server-side scripting languages, such as PHP, Python, or Ruby, to generate HTML or other content based on user input or other dynamic factors. The working principle of dynamic web servers involves processing client requests, accessing databases, performing calculations, and generating dynamic content on the fly before sending it to the clients.

Application Servers: Application servers are a type of dynamic web server that is specifically designed for hosting web applications. These servers provide additional features such as session management, authentication, and caching to support the development and deployment of complex web applications. The working principle of application servers involves handling client requests, processing business logic, interacting with databases, and managing application states to deliver dynamic and interactive web applications.

Proxy Servers: Proxy servers act as intermediaries between clients and other servers. These servers receive client requests, forward them to other servers, and then return the responses to the clients. The working principle of proxy servers involves routing client requests, caching content for faster delivery, and providing security features such as firewall protection or load balancing for distributing client requests across multiple servers.

Cloud-based Web Servers: Cloud-based web servers are hosted on cloud computing platforms, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft (News - Alert) Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. These servers are scalable, flexible, and can be easily managed and configured through cloud-based interfaces. The working principle of cloud-based web servers involves deploying virtualized server instances in the cloud, configuring them based on requirements, and scaling resources up or down dynamically as needed.

Are Computing and Web Server same?

No, computing and web servers are not the same thing. A web server is a software and hardware device that responds to client requests across the World Wide Web using HTTP and other protocols. Its primary function is to show website content to consumers by storing, processing, and distributing web pages. Computing, on the other hand, refers to the use of computers to perform different activities such as data processing, storage, and communication. While web servers host websites and data for online applications, computing encompasses a wide variety of tasks such as software creation, data analysis, and network administration. online servers are one component of computers that distribute online material to consumers via HTTP and other protocols.
[May 22, 2023] CHARLES RIVER LABORATORIES SHAREHOLDER ALERT by Former Louisiana Attorney General: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Reminds Investors of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. - CRL

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until July 18, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. (NYSE: CRL), if they purchased the Company's securities between May 5, 2020 and February 21, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. What You May Do If you purchased securities of Charles River and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-crl/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by July 18, 2023.



About the Lawsuit Charles River and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On February 22, 2023, pre-market, the Company disclosed that it had received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice relating to an ongoing investigation in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service into the supply chain and illegal importation of non-human primates for research, and that the Company voluntarily suspended shipments of primates from Cambodia, which would negatively impact its earnings for the year and would reduce revenue growth by 200 basis points to 400 basis points. On this news, shares of Charles River fell $24.51, or 10%, to close at $219.09 per share on February 22, 2023, on unusually heavy trading volume. The case is Coleman v. Charles River Laboratories International, Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-11132. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey. To learn more about KSF, you may visit http://ksfcounsel.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230522005754/en/

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[May 23, 2023] Stichting Bescherming Privacybelangen and The Consumentenbond Announce Dutch Consumers Challenge Google's Rampant Privacy Abuse

Google constantly tracks Dutch consumers by collecting, processing and exploiting their personal data, without their consent. This is in violation of Dutch and European law. If Google continues to ignore consumer privacy rights, Stichting Bescherming Privacybelangen, in cooperation with the Consumentenbond, will go to court to enforce these rights by demanding structural changes and seeking financial compensation for all impacted Dutch consumers. Illegal Google is the most dominant data company in the world. It collects and processes vast amounts of personal data from consumers who use its ubiquitous products and services, such as Google Search, Google Chrome, Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps and Android phones. Google collects data about consumers' location and online activity, regardless of whether users seek to conceal these disclosures, in a manner that makes legal user consent to this activity impossible. Google also employs design techniques called "dark patterns" which manipulate users into taking actions that unknowingly provide access to their personal data and compromise their privacy rights. Google aggregates the personal data it collects to create in-depth profiles of consumers' lives which it uses to derive products and services it sells to third parties. Google transfers this data outside the European Union in contravention of the AVG, subjecting Dutch consumers to the risk of surveillance by foreign governments. These practices are a violation of the fundamental right to privacy and are illegal under Dutch and European privacy and consumer laws. Goals Tech giant Google must stop exploiting Dutch consumers by unlawfully collecting and processing their data for its own massive commercial gain. In addition, Google must pay financial compensation to its users for its longstanding, egregious privacy abuses. This is demanded by the Stichting Bescherming Privacybelangen and the Consumentenbond. They call on consumers to join the legal proceedings against Google to enforce their rights. Unprecedented Ada van der Veer, president Stichting Bescherming Privacybelangen: "Google is violating privacy laws at an unprecedented scale. Its practices constitute illegal surveillance and illegal exploitation of personal data, with unknown impact on personal lives of its users now and in future. Google knows what you are doing, where you are, what you might want to do and what you may be thinking about, it keeps track of everything and makes a tremendous amount of money with your personal data. And it does so secretly. After all, even to informed consumers,it is absolutely unclear what information Google collects and what happens with it afterwards. Furthermore, Google has broken its own promises. For example, Google claimed that users could stop the collection of location data through the 'location history' settings. In reality, Google did not stop at all."



Enriched Sandra Molenaar, director of the Consumentenbond: "Google derives enormous profits by exploiting its' users data in many different ways. In 2022 alone, Google made USD 224 billion from advertising services alone. Google has enriched itself for years at the expense of consumer privacy. That must stop immediately. And, as the law demands, consumers must be compensated financially. That is the only way to make it clear to Big Tech companies that they must obey the rules. The Consumentenbond has been fighting Google's abuse of privacy rights for years, and we will continue to press on for consumer rights."

Damages Stichting Bescherming Privacybelangen and the Consumentenbond demand that Google fundamentally change its practices and compensate consumers residing in the Netherlands who have used Google products or services at any time after March 1, 2012. Consumers who want to qualify for possible compensation can apply. It is not mandatory to be a member of the Consumentenbond. Molenaar: "The violations are serious enough in itself but the scale on which the violations have taken place and still take place, makes it even worse. Almost everyone in the Netherlands has to some extent been affected by the violations. It is therefore important to join and, as a collective, show that we are no longer willing to put up with this kind of misconduct." Collaboration Stichting Bescherming Privacybelangen and the Consumentenbond are together taking action against Google. Stichting Bescherming Privacybelangen is a Dutch foundation that advocates for the privacy of Dutch users of Google products and services. Its Management Board and Supervisory Board consist of leading privacy advocates and specialists experienced in privacy protection and collective actions of social importance. Stichting Bescherming Privacybelangen receives legal counsel from the law firms Lemstra Van der Korst and Pels Rijcken. The action is supported by funder Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP. Consumentenbond Claimservice is processing the claims registration. For more information about the proposed collective action, please visit https://www.stichtingbeschermingprivacybelangen.com and https://www.consumentenbond.com.nl/google. Third Act Google is the third Big Tech company against which the Consumentenbond has taken action. The Consumentenbond has already launched collective actions against Facebook and TikTok. On 15 March 2023, the Amsterdam District Court issued a groundbreaking, favourable ruling in the Facebook proceedings, setting a powerful precedent upholding Dutch residents' privacy rights by finding that Facebook had violated consumers' privacy for years and establishing that its practices were unfair to consumers. This is a joint press release of Stichting Bescherming Privacybelangen and the Consumentenbond View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230522005767/en/

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[May 23, 2023] Ahlstrom supports the transition to renewable energy sources with Elektro-Tek electrotechnical papers

HELSINKI, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- As the world shifts towards renewable energy sources, the demand for high-performance insulation materials for electrotechnical uses is on the rise. Supporting this transition, electrotechnical papers are designed as an ideal solution for demanding applications such as high-voltage cables, distribution transformers, instrument transformers, power transformers, and bushings. Ahlstrom offers a comprehensive range of innovative electrotechnical papers under a new brand Elektro-Tek that offer excellent thermal and electrical properties. Ahlstrom continues its long tradition of dedication and leadership in the electrotechnical paper industry through its commitment to support the growing demand for electrification and the energy transition while helping to combat climate change. With over 100 years of experience in the production and development of electrotechnical papers, the company is well-positioned to meet the strict quality standards that are required for these demanding applications. The key features required in electrotechnical papers include for example their insulation properties, density and thermal endurance, to enable the insulation to perform in operation for the defined lifecycle of the highest quality OEM producers. To achieve these properties, one of the critical factors in produing high-quality insulation papers is the use of high-quality pulp. Elektro-Tek papers utilize Ahlstrom's internally produced unbleached kraft pulps that are rich in purity and strength, have high DP value, and aid in the innovation of these highly technical products. Ahlstrom's Elektro-Tek papers are made from sustainable materials, such as high-quality unbleached cellulose fibers that reduce their footprint on the environment. By using renewable resources in the manufacturing process, Ahlstrom is able to deliver products that are both high-performance and sustainable.



"Our mission is to support the transition to renewable energy sources by providing the industry with high-quality, sustainable insulation materials," said Eva Thunholm, Vice President of Protective Materials global business at Ahlstrom. "We are able to build upon more than a century of experience and expertise to continually meet the evolving needs of the industry and help combat climate change through our Elektro-Tek products." Ahlstrom's range of Elektro-Tek products can be seen at upcoming CWIEME exhibition in Berlin, Germany during May 23-25, 2023. Come and see us at CWIEME in Hall 4.2, Stand 42D10 to learn more.

To learn more about Elektro-Tek electrotechnical products: https://www.ahlstrom.com/products/insulation-paper-and-specialty-pulp/electrotechical-paper/ For more information, please contact:

Dana DeCoster,

Business Development & Marketing Manager,

[email protected],

tel. +920-851-9863 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/ahlstrom-supports-the-transition-to-renewable-energy-sources-with-elektro-tek-electrotechnical-papers-301831738.html

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[May 23, 2023] AnaMar Announces Positive Phase I Data for its Phase II Ready Compound AM1476 for Treating Fibrosis

First-in-class, peripheral serotonin (5-HT 2B ) receptor antagonist being developed as a highly selective, oral, anti-fibrotic medicine for skin and lung disorders LUND, Sweden, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AnaMar, a clinical-stage biotech company developing a first-in-class, peripheral 5-HT 2B receptor antagonist, AM1476, as a pan anti-fibrotic medicine, announces positive results from its Phase I study, and the completion of Phase II enabling pre-clinical studies for its initial orphan indication in systemic sclerosis (SSc) characterized by lung and skin fibrosis.

AM1476, a highly selective small molecule, delivered as an orally administered tablet, was found to be safe and well-tolerated at all relevant doses in a trial of approximately 100 healthy subjects. Skin fibrosis is a leading feature of SSc associated with significant disability. The degree of skin fibrosis provides insight about progression of the disease. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a group of conditions that cause progressive lung scaring, known as fibrosis, which lead to increasing, chronic, breathing problems and organ dysfunction, and eventually possibly death. There are currently no treatments on the market that effectively reverse scarring. AM1476 has been found to ameliorate key fibrotic pathways in vivo and ex vivo with the potential to halt and reverse scarring with potential utility across fibrotic disease. A Phase II study has been designed to evaluate the treatment effects in SSc-ILD with a proposed dosing regimen for 60 patients in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial over 12 months with lung function (forced vital capacity) and skin thickness (modified Rodnan skin score) as primary efficacy readouts. Active product ingredients are being made ready as cGMP materials for this Phase II trial. The company is planning regulatory submissions, in 2023, to the FDA and EMA for Orphan Drug Designation for the rare disease SSc. Drawing on its heritage in diagnostics, the company is also developing biomarkers and gene signatures to identify patients most likely to respond to treatment and ensure the best outcomes for patients wth fibrosis.



AnaMar's CEO Dr. Ulf Ljungberg said: Our Phase II ready compound AM1476 for the treatment of the orphan disease systemic sclerosis will be a significant milestone in the development of novel medicines to prevent, heal and slow organ scarring from fibrotic diseases. We hold a broad, patent-protected, portfolio of selective and high affinity 5-HT 2B receptor antagonists. We have seen great potential from our pre-clinical and phase I studies, and now look forward to working with a pharma partner to turn our research into life-changing treatments for patients with fibrosis. AnaMars Head of Research, Dr. Christina Wenglen, said: ILD and skin fibrosis are commonly seen complications of systemic sclerosis which are often progressive and have a poor prognosis. Which is why we see such great potential in AM1476 as a unique dual-action approach to treat skin and lung manifestations of systemic sclerosis, especially as it represses both macrophage and fibroblast activity. We are committed to progressing our novel therapeutics into clinical practice to address this pressing unmet medical need.

In several well-known preclinical state-of-the-art animal models of fibrosis AM1476 halted and reversed the progression of pre-established fibrosis in skin and lung tissue, clearly demonstrating the anti-fibrotic efficacy of AM1476. About AnaMar Based in Lund, Sweden, AnaMar is developing a first-in-class, anti-fibrotic medicine to prevent, slow and heal scarring caused by fibrosis through its patented suite of serotonin (5-HT 2B ) receptor antagonists. Our selective, oral 5-HT 2B receptor antagonist, AM1476, has broad therapeutic potential across fibrotic conditions, which affect millions of patients but have limited, if any, treatment options, including systemic fibrotic disorders and organ-specific fibrotic disorders such as interstitial lung diseases. AM1476 performed successfully in in vitro and in vivo models of fibrosis, as well as demonstrating favourable safety and pharmacokinetic profiles in Phase I clinical studies. It offers a unique dual-action approach to treat skin and lung manifestations of systemic sclerosis. By targeting peripheral 5-HT 2B receptors our antagonists will halt key signaling pathways associated with fibrosis. This specifically reduces 5-HT-induced myofibroblast and macrophage activity and TGF- production, minimizing side effects and interactions with other medicines. We are combining our innovative therapeutic platform with biomarkers and genetic analysis to identify those patients most likely to benefit from treatment, using our heritage in diagnostics to ensuring the best outcomes for those with fibrosis. We are currently seeking collaborations with pharma for the advancement of AM1476 into Phase II clinical trials. In addition, available to prospective collaborators is our selective library of comprehensively profiled compounds. We have significant IP, all of which has been generated in-house. AnaMars leadership team has an experienced track record in discovery, development, and advancement of new medicines. The company has received significant funding over recent years from the Allegro Investment Fund. Media Contacts AnaMar Ulf Ljungberg  CEO [email protected] Scius Communications Katja Stout Tel: +44 7789 435 990 [email protected] Daniel Gooch Tel: +44 7747 875 479 [email protected]



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[May 23, 2023] Pentera Debuts its Global Customers Summit - PenteraCon

Hundreds of delegates from over 30 countries gather in Munich, Germany for PenteraCon 2023 MUNICH, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pentera , the leader in automated security validation, today kicked off its annual customer summit: PenteraCon. The two-day event brings together hundreds of security leaders to discuss all aspects of security validation and exposure management. "We are extremely excited to welcome customers from across the globe to PenteraCon. The growth and passion of our global community is a testament to the value that organizations see in automated security validation on a daily basis" said Amitai Ratzon, CEO of Pentera. "The in-person event provides our customers with the opportunity to learn, network and get inspired by some of the best minds in the industry. The PenteraCon experience will equip the forum with knowledge and practices to better reduce cybersecurity exposure in their organizations." PenteraCon brings together CIOs, CISO, security executives, and global experts in a dynamic event filled with cutting-edge keynotes and in-depth talks. Attendees have the opportunity to acquire new skills through numerous immersive workshops, forge connections with fellow professionals in the cybersecurity community, and learn about the latest trends and solutions necessary for enhancing their organization's security posture.



If you are interested in learning more about PenteraCon please visit our official website , or for information about future PenteraCon's please contact [email protected] About Pentera





Pentera is the category leader for Automated Security Validation, allowing every organization to test with ease the integrity of all cybersecurity layers, unfolding true, current security exposures at any moment, at any scale. Thousands of security professionals and service providers around the world use Pentera to guide remediation and close security gaps before they are exploited. For more info, visit: pentera.io Media contact



VP Brand and Communication

Adi Bar-Lev

[email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pentera-debuts-its-global-customers-summit---penteracon-301830864.html SOURCE Pentera

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[May 23, 2023] OnePlus Reveals the OnePlus Magic Power Event as a Teaser for the Upcoming Smartphone

The OnePlus Magic Power event with OnePlus APAC Smartphone Ambassador Jackson Wang this July as a teaser for the brand's upcoming smartphone model KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- OnePlus APAC announces that it will be giving a special treat to its APAC fans with the OnePlus Magic Power event, an exclusive meet and greet session with OnePlus APAC Smartphone Ambassador, Jackson Wang in Bangkok, Thailand, on 22 July 2023. The event will take place at The Icon Siam and fans will stand a chance to meet the Magic Man himself by participating in the Show Your Magic Power social media contest. The event is part of a teaser campaign for the upcoming OnePlus smartphone in 2023. Following the success of the OnePlus 11 5G launches and the recent OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G, the upcoming model will follow in the tradition of bringing the outstanding OnePlus fast and smooth user experience to fans. The contest will be open to all APAC fans and for more informtion on how to participate, visit the OnePlus official social media accounts.



Here's how you can participate: Own a OnePlus 11 5G, OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G, or purchase the upcoming model from any authorised participating channels. Register at www.oneplusmagicpowerevent.com beginning from 22nd May 2023 . Check out if you're the winner via the official event website. If you do not own a OnePlus smartphone yet, check out the OnePlus official website, Shopee and Lazada for more details.

About OnePlus

OnePlus is a global mobile technology brand challenging conventional concepts of technology. Created around the "Never Settle" mantra, OnePlus creates exquisitely designed devices with premium build quality and high-performance hardware. OnePlus thrives on cultivating strong bonds and growing together with its community of users and fans. For more information, please visit OnePlus.com or follow us on:??

Instagram - https://instagram.com/oneplus

Facebook - https://facebook.com/oneplus

Twitter - https://twitter.com/oneplus

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oneplus View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/oneplus-reveals-the-oneplus-magic-power-event-as-a-teaser-for-the-upcoming-smartphone-301831785.html SOURCE OnePlus APAC

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[May 23, 2023] BusinessFocus Award 2023: 13 Pioneering Winners Unveiled, Rising Above The World, Reaching New Peaks

For more high-resolution photos, please free feel to download: https://shorturl.at/uvwE3 HONG KONG, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The BusinessFocus Award Presentation ceremony 2023 was successfully held at Royal Plaza Hotel on 15 May, 2023 (Monday). By recognizing and celebrating the achievements of businesses across various fields over the past year, the BusinessFocus Business Awards 2023 aim to inspire industry leaders and outstanding brands to continue providing high-quality services and innovative solutions, and to prepare for the future of the new economy that breaks through boundaries. The theme of the awards ceremony is "Rising Above The World, Reaching New Peaks" and a total of 13 awards will be presented to commend and encourage outstanding businesses. The rewarded companies include: Hang Seng Bank Limited

Seng K11 Concepts Limited

Central Market, Chinachem Group

BOC ( Hong Kong )

) Ping An OneConnect Bank

Alipay Payment Services ( HK ) Limited

HK eft Payments ( Asia ) Limited

Lenovo PCCW Solutions

Brother International (HK ) Limited

Nu Skin Enterprises Hong Kong, LLC

Ashton Hawks ( HK ) Limited

HK iHashing Technology Company Limited

Rare Trader Co. Ltd Photo Download Mr. Stephen Liang, the Assistant Executive Director of Hong Kong Trade Development Council and Dr. Michael Chan, the Honorary Chairman of HKIM, as the honored guests and participated in the ceremony with Ms. Cherry Liu, the Vice President of Business Strategy and Co-Founder of PressLogic hosted the award ceremony together. Photo Download Adding Power to Hong Kong with Innovation:

Cross-Border Collaboration Creates Business Opportunities Mr. Stephen Liang, the Assistant Executive Director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, believed that innovation can help businesse transform and upgrade, adding new impetus to Hong Kong's economic development. He pointed out that after three years of pandemic challenges, Hong Kong people have been applying new technologies in their daily lives and work, and now is an opportunity for SMEs to utilize innovation and take their businesses to the next level.





Photo Download Dr. Michael Chan, the Honorary Chairman of HKIM, said that in the face of constantly changing market environments, businesses need to inject vitality through creativity. He proposed the use of the "A, B, C, D, E" five elements to embrace the new era, representing Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Big Data, Customer Journey, Digital Marketing, and Environment, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG). He believed that if the industry fully utilizes these five elements, Hong Kong can reach new heights. Photo Download Last but not least, Ms. Cherry Liu, the Vice President of Business Strategy and Co-Founder of PressLogic, said that the purpose of the BusinessFocus Awards is to commend economic creators from various fields for their efforts in injecting vitality and energy into the Hong Kong economy, with the hope of encouraging the industry to explore different possibilities and create more development opportunities, promoting Hong Kong's economic development in new directions. Photo Download The ceremony provides an unparalleled opportunity for honorable guests, business leaders and BusinessFocus team to share valuable insights, innovative technology ideas and evolving business strategies with each other. For more information on the award, please visit https://businessfocus.io/campaign/bfaward Rewarded Companies and Their Representatives: For more hi-resolution photos, please free feel to download: https://shorturl.at/uvwE3 BusinessFocus Award 2023 Award List:

Best SME Digital Banking Service Award

Hang Seng Bank Limited Best New Generation Cultural Experience Award

K11 Concepts Limited Best Conservation and Sustainable Development Project Award

Central Market, Chinachem Group Best SME's Strategic Partner Award

Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited Outstanding Virtual Bank for SMEs Award

Ping An OneConnect Bank Outstanding e-Wallet Brand Award

Alipay Payment Services (HK) Limited Outstanding e-Payment Service Provider Award

eft Payments (Asia) Limited Outstanding Smart City Enterprise Solution Award in the Asia Pacific Region

Lenovo PCCW Solutions Outstanding Commercial and Home Printing Equipment Supplier Award

Brother International (HK) Limited Best Beauty and Healthcare Brand Award

Nu Skin Enterprises Hong Kong, LLC Outstanding Overseas Property Agency Award

Ashton Hawks (HK) Limited Outstanding Environmental Blockchain Technology Solution and WEB3 Education Platform Award

iHashing Technology Company Limited Outstanding Investment Analysis Teaching Award

Rare Trader Co. Ltd About BusinessFocus

BusinessFocus, under PressLogic, is a fast-growing online business and finance magazine that provides managements, technology enthusiasts and entrepreneurs with new business, investment, technology and entrepreneurial inspiration. Empowered by our patent AI analytic system, BusinessFocus crafts and distributes original strategic content to connect and inspire people. With over a million social media followers, BusinessFocus helps the brand marketers and corporations to engage with their target audiences and create impactful branded content with partners. About BusinessFocus Award

The annual event was first introduced in 2021, the BusinessFocus Award recognises the exceptional dedication and accomplishments of enterprises in continuous contributions to innovative business development and growth in Hong Kong. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/businessfocus-award-2023-13-pioneering-winners-unveiled-rising-above-the-world-reaching-new-peaks-301831790.html SOURCE PressLogic-BusinessFocus

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo (R) and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi wave to journalists at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia, May 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain)

TEHRAN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Indonesia on Tuesday reached a preferential trade agreement (PTA) in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta where Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was paying a visit, the Iranian president's office said in a statement published on its website.

The PTA was one of the 11 cooperation deals inked between senior officials of both sides, with other agreements focusing on expanding cooperation in the fields of energy, culture, science and technology, as well as visas and regulation on medicine production, according to the statement.

Speaking at a joint press conference held with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on the same day, Raisi said Iran and Indonesia have diverse capacities for promoting bilateral ties, and it is hopeful that his visit to Jakarta would have constructive impacts in this regard.

Widodo told media after the signing ceremony that he hoped the PTA would increase transactions between Indonesia and Iran.

The PTA will cover items such as medicine, rubber, paper, textiles, wood, shoes, cotton, electric machines, motorized vehicles, chemicals and aluminum products, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported.

Djatmiko Bris Witjaksono, international trade cooperation director general at the Indonesian Trade Ministry told an online press conference on Monday that the PTA, covering hundreds of trade items, is the second major trade pact Indonesia has with a Middle Eastern country, following a comprehensive economic partnership agreement signed with the United Arab Emirates in 2021, Indonesia's English-language daily The Jakarta Post reported. 

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (L) holds a welcoming ceremony for visiting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi prior to their talks at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, Indonesia, May 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain)
[May 23, 2023] Builder.ai announces $250M Series D led by QIA to push new boundaries for its AI powered composable software platform

LONDON and DOHA, Qatar, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Builder.ai, the AI powered composable software platform, designed to be so simple and accessible that everyday businesses and individuals can turn their ideas into software, today announced an investment of over $250 million in Series D funding. The new investment, led by Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) takes the total amount raised by the company to over $450 million with an up to 1.8x increase in its valuation. The latest round of capital will fuel the companys continued industry leadership and innovation pipeline allowing further investments in talent, partnerships, and technology; with a bigger focus on using human conversation as the primary user interface for allowing people to build software rather than the expert-laden white-canvas systems we are used to seeing in the no-code/low-code space. With customer demand at an all-time high, and AI advancing every day, the company has almost doubled its headcount since January 2022, and extended its UK HQ footprint with four new offices opened since 2021  including the USA, the UAE, Singapore, and France. Continued investor support  combined with strategic partnerships, customer tailwinds and acclaimed industry innovation  helped drive the companys momentum with 2.3x revenue growth and over 40,000 features deployed to customers within the last year. The Series D round included participation from additional existing and new investors including Iconiq Capital, Jungle Ventures & Insight Partners. Builder.ai was founded on the promise that everyone should be empowered to unlock their human potential. Today this means being able to build software to be able to do more with less. We are entering an incredible time in history where the very notion of software is changing; from something that had a shelf life of years to what will eventually have a shelf life of a conversation and the volume of what is being created is only going to grow exponentially, said Sachin Dev Duggal, Chief Wizard and Founder of Builder.ai. Duggal added With the support of our investors and the dedication and drive of our team, we are further empowered to unlock our own potential. Our growth strategy has always been driven by a DNA based on being able to do more with less and this has weaved into our shared vision with our customers around the world as everyone pushes the envelope to do more. It is what ttracted our first-round investors in 2018, and what drives this Series D today. Our team is already investing this capital in our AI and automation capabilities, not only keeping pace with the fast-moving industry, but leading from the front so we can empower our customers more and at the same time use new frontier technology responsibly.



"QIA is very excited to be partnering with the leader in this space. We are confident that Builder.ais innovative technology and proven approach positions the company for a future of substantial growth. This investment is aligned with QIAs strategy of supporting innovative companies shaping the future of the global economy, said Ahmed Ali Al-Hammadi, CIO for Europe, Turkiye and Russia at QIA. Sachin and the Builder.ai team have produced tremendous results since Insight invested one year ago. We are thrilled to be doubling down on our support of the company, Jeff Horing, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Insight Partners.

Established in 2016, Builder.ai continues to lead the industry with its AI-powered composable software platform that allows anyone with an idea to build an app (web or mobile)  faster and 70% more affordably. Breaking software down into its reusable lego-like features, coupled with customization from its managed expert network of designers and developers atop its human assisted AI powered assembly line, has been the key to Builder.ais performance and that of its customers successful digital transformations worldwide. The brand has also furthered its partnership with Microsoft for a holistic global GTM and inclusion in their reseller program, as well as entered into partnerships with JP Morgan & Chase, Etisalat UAE and other technology and financial enterprises. These partnerships, along with the companys visionary application of AI, have landed Builder.ai on the 2023 Fast Company list of Most Innovative Companies, won them the 2022 Europas Scale Up of the Year and placed them firmly in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Multi Experience Development Platforms (MXDP) and MarketGuide 2022 for MXDP, as well as inclusion in the final round of consideration for 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for low code application platforms (LCAP). The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Goodwin acted as legal advisor to Builder.ai. About Builder.ai Builder.ai is an AI powered composable software platform for every idea and company on the planet. The AI-powered assembly line fuses together Lego-like reusable features, using Building Blocks automation to reduce human effort, leveraging a verified network of experts to vastly extend development capabilities, and producing apps at almost zero failure rate that are multitudes cheaper and faster than traditional software development. Led by British Indian serial entrepreneur Sachin Dev Duggal, Builder.ai is reshaping how software is built and operated with a suite of products and services, including BUILDER STUDIO, BUILDER CLOUD, BUILDER NOW, STUDIO STORE and STUDIO RAPID. In 2020, Builder.ai was awarded 'Hottest AI Startup' and 2022s Hottest Scale-Up at the Europas for Europe's successful tech start-ups and Best COVID-19 Innovation-Recovery at CogX and awarded 'Visionary' in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Multi-experience Development Platforms. Builder.ai is headquartered in London, supported by employees and hubs in Delhi NCR, Singapore, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Sophia Antipolis and Dubai. For more information, visit Builder.ai. BUILDER.AI and BUILDER are trademarks of Engineer.ai Corp. All other marks are trademarks of their respective owners. About Qatar Investment Authority

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is the sovereign wealth fund of the State of Qatar. QIA was founded in 2005 to invest and manage the state reserve funds. QIA is among the largest and most active sovereign wealth funds globally. QIA invests across a wide range of asset classes and regions as well as in partnership with leading institutions around the world to build a global and diversified investment portfolio with a long-term perspective that can deliver sustainable returns and contribute to the prosperity of the State of Qatar.



Media Contact

Builder.ai

Stephanie Lowenthal

[email protected] Qatar Investment Authority

[email protected]



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[May 23, 2023] Celonis Launches New Process Mining Innovations to Deliver Fast, Substantial Value to Customers

Celonis, the global leader in Process Mining, today showcases a series of powerful new product capabilities that enable companies to rapidly find and capture business value within their processes. At the Celonis World Tour 2023 - that kicked off today in Munich, Germany - the company demonstrates how it helps its customers to improve the performance of their core business processes. The new features demonstrate how the company has extended and enhanced its core platform and underscore how Celonis continues to reinvent process mining. Object-Centric Data Model Following on from the launch of Object-Centric Process Mining at Celosphere 2022, Celonis now introduces the Object-Centric Data Model, a new and powerful single data representation of an entire business that enables companies to dramatically accelerate the speed with which they can model their process data, gain critical insights, and take action to start realizing value. Celonis' Object-Centric Data Model reduces the work needed to transform the data from source systems and operates side by side with Event Log Data Models, making the transition non-disruptive. It also powers Celonis' new End-to-End Lead Times App - also launching today - which enables supply chain leaders to fully comprehend end-to-end lead times and understand the impact of each process to accelerate cash conversion and exceed service levels. Benefits of Celonis' Object-Centric Data Model include: Simplicity. Businesses can work with a data model that uses the same language they do - for invoices, orders, deliveries - rather than the language of source systems, to better model the business;

Businesses can work with a data model that uses the same language they do - for invoices, orders, deliveries - rather than the language of source systems, to better model the business; System agnosticity. Companies can take advantage of Celonis' apps and process content, no matter which ERP, SCM, CRM or other source system they use, leveraging standardized business definitions and prebuilt transformations for core processes;

Companies can take advantage of Celonis' apps and process content, no matter which ERP, SCM, CRM or other source system they use, leveraging standardized business definitions and prebuilt transformations for core processes; Flexibility. With traditional process mining, a business needs a data model for each process it wants to examine. With the new object-centric data model, organizations can dynamically adjust process analyses, switching perspectives from process to process without needing to go back to the source data. This significantly reduces onboarding time, and allows organizations to get to insights and key actions much faster. "I look forward to extending our usage of Celonis' market-leading process mining solution throughout our organization," said Travis Cain, Senior Director Enterprise Architecture & Data Science Experience for Dell Technologies. "The Celonis Execution Management System has already provided us with tremendous benefits, including the ability to more easily find bottlenecks in our processes and get to deeper business insights more quickly. Using Celonis' process mining capabilities gives us insights into the complexity of our operation and helps us to drive rapid business value by improving the performance of our core business processes."



"Object-centric process mining allows users to easily navigate through processes based on real-life objects and events, and fully unleashes the power of process mining," said Alex Rinke, co-founder and co-CEO at Celonis. "Customers can build and interact with their data more naturally, in a way they are already familiar with. With this new expanded data foundation, as well as the additional capabilities we are unveiling during this year's World Tour, I am thrilled to show customers how Celonis provides them with unparalleled visibility, helps them disseminate process intelligence, and enables intelligent actions across the enterprise." An Intuitive Platform: Process Intelligence Accessible to All Users

Celonis Business Miner, the industry's first intelligent process investigation technology and collaboration workspace, arms every business user with a breakthrough new way to easily, and independently investigate, communicate, and team up around process problems and opportunities. With it, Celonis deepens and democratizes the power of process mining so that everyone in an organization, not just analysts, can understand and improve process performance. No technical background is needed to be able to take advantage of process mining. Celonis Business Miner is now generally available with process-specific explorations in Celonis' core processes: Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Procurement, and Order Management, as well as for additional process-agnostic explorations that focus on topics like cycle times, rework, and undesired activities. With its intuitive question-and-answer-based exploration that provides quick and consumable insights, Celonis makes this powerful communication and collaboration tool accessible to all users with a Celonis Execution Management System (EMS) license, enabling unparalleled scalability and performance. An Open Platform: Intelligence API Celonis is also focused on providing its customers with an open platform - a critical strength recently recognized by Gartner. First announced at Celosphere 2022 and generally available since March 2023, the Celonis Intelligence API is designed to provide governed access to Celonis process intelligence for use within third party applications. The Intelligence API enables Celonis to bring unique process intelligence to tools as varied as PowerBI for reporting at scale, Slack for instant communication about process insights, and ServiceNow for rapid action triggered by process mining. Celonis itself uses Intelligence API to surface critical process insights within Salesforce to help its teams within software environments where they already work. This makes the Intelligence API more open and accessible to an entire organization and enables intelligent orchestration and process-intelligent applications. Emporix, who launched their Commerce Execution Platform (CXP) at Celosphere 2022, are pioneering in this space. The Emporix CXP is a workflow engine that helps organizations optimize their business outcomes by leveraging process insights from Celonis. Celonis provides the process context while Emporix orchestrates the end customer's experience and interactions so that Emporix is delivering a better, more tailored customer experience as well as more efficient and cost-effective operations for customers. Furthermore, the Intelligence API is a key component of Celonis' platform strategy, as the company continuously aims to deliver a more intuitive, more open and more intelligent platform to its customers. "The current macroeconomic climate demands better ways of working, which means organizations urgently need to improve their core business processes," says R "Ray" Wang, CEO and Principal Analyst, Constellation Research, Inc. "Processes are the fabric of every business, but many do not deliver much value - if any. With features such as the Object-Centric Data Model, Business Miner, and Intelligence APIs, customers can rapidly improve processes to achieve cost savings, increase customer satisfaction, meet regulatory requirements and boost overall performance." The Celonis World Tour kicks off on May 23 and covers 10 stops across the US, Europe and Japan. It is Celonis' global process mining roadshow where customers, prospects and partners share how, with Celonis, they are able to find and capture business value within processes, enabling them to perform at levels they never thought possible. The Celonis World Tour kicked off shortly after Celonis was named a leader in Gartner's first-ever Magic Quadrant for Process Mining Tools. The report catapulted process mining into C-level consciousness and placed Celonis highest and farthest to the right on both axes, Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision. About Celonis Celonis enables customers to optimize their business processes. Powered by its leading process mining technology, Celonis provides a unique set of capabilities for business executives and users to continuously find improvement opportunities within and across processes, and execute targeted actions to rapidly enhance process performance. This optimization yields immediate cash impact, radically improves customer experience, and reduces carbon emissions. Celonis has thousands of implementations with global customers and is headquartered in Munich, Germany and New York City, USA with more than 20 offices worldwide.  2022 Celonis SE. All rights reserved. Celonis, Execution Management System, EMS and the Celonis "droplet" logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Celonis SE in Germany and other jurisdictions. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005621/en/

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[May 23, 2023] CoinsPaid Sees Potential In Estonian Market, Ready To Drive innovation In Startup Ecosystem

TALLINN, Estonia, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CoinsPaid , an international crypto payment ecosystem that offers solutions for integrating cryptocurrencies into business and daily life, continues to develop and places emphasis on the potential of Estonia and its thriving stage for financial and tech companies. Estonia is leading the way in crypto adoption in the Baltic region by supporting technological development and creating a favorable regulatory environment for blockchain businesses. The country's Ministry of Finance is in the process of developing a regulatory framework for crypto assets in accordance with MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) that was adopted recently on the wider EU scale. Seeing the local government's willingness to support crypto innovation, CoinsPaid sought to deepen its presence in the country by opening a new office in April 2023. The company considers this a big step in its long-term development and is actively hiring financial and blockchain specialists to boost its team in the egion.



CoinsPaid also held a conference on the subject of MiCA regulation, inviting experts from European institutions, local authorities, regulators, and international key players. The main point of discussion was the potential impact of MiCA on the development of the crypto industry, with an emphasis on crypto implementation in the European payments sector. Furthermore, CoinsPaid has already begun partnering with local businesses, enabling them to use crypto payments in their services. One such example is Latitude59, a major startup and tech event held in Tallinn that collaborated with CoinsPaid to enable its attendees to purchase tickets via cryptocurrency.

"The Baltic region's potential for crypto adoption is significant due to its tech-savvy population and openness to new technologies. With Estonia leading the way in regulation and infrastructure development, other local countries will likely follow, furthering the growth in this industry. At CoinsPaid we see great potential in the Estonian market and are excited about partnering with local businesses to help drive innovation in this ecosystem,"  states Max Krupyshev, CEO of CoinsPaid. About CoinsPaid CoinsPaid is a crypto payment ecosystem that enables businesses to accept cryptocurrencies as payment. Aside from a crypto payment gateway, the ecosystem includes a business wallet, OTC desk, SaaS solution, and CoinsPaid Media. CoinsPaid counts over 200 employees from 15 countries and successfully operates in Europe and Latin America. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/coinspaid-sees-potential-in-estonian-market-ready-to-drive-innovation-in-startup-ecosystem-301831275.html SOURCE CoinsPaid

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[May 23, 2023] Waterplan Announces $11 Million in Series A Financing Round

SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Waterplan , the worlds leading climate platform that helps companies measure, respond and report increasingly-changing water risk, today announced the close of an oversubscribed $11 million Series A financing round.

The investment was led by Base10 Partners with co-founder and Managing Partner Adeyemi Ajao joining the Waterplan board. Previous investors also participated, including Giant Ventures & Transition Global (who co-led the seed round), YCombinator, MCJ Collective, and the Branson Family among others. To date the company has raised $18.5 million in total venture funding. Both governments and the private sector face existential challenges around how they manage their freshwater supply, said Jose Ignacio Galindo, CEO and co-founder of Waterplan. Disruptions are getting more frequent. The world is simply not responding at the pace and the scale that is consistent with the problem. Taking action on water risks is essential for climate action and it makes business sense. The United Nations forecasts that the world faces a 40% shortfall in freshwater supply by 2030 if action is not taken. And according to the independent study group CDP  that collects company-reported water information globally  the private sector alone faces more than $300 billion in potential losses due to the financial impacts of water risk, five times higher than the costs of addressing them today. Increasingly regulators are requiring companies to publicly report their climate impact in much the same way that they report financial results per generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The information that Waterplans platform provides will be essential as regulators around the world begin implementing climate- and nature-related disclosure protocols. Similar protocols, established by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, are already mandatory in Britain, the European Union, Switzerland, Brazil, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore. And the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed similar climate-risk disclosure rules. Waterplan's platform can play an integral part in helping companies meet the European Union's new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive that will introduce more detailed sustainability reporting requirements, said Gonzalo Delacamara, Senior Water Policy Advisor to the European Commission, OECD, World Bank, and Director of the Centre for Water & Climate Adaptation from IE university. Meanwhile, investor iterest in climate change solutions is soaring. At the end of 2022, there were a record 1,206 mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) globally with a climate-related focus  up from 950 at the end of 2021, according to Morningstar. The funds have collective assets under management of more than $410 billion.



Climate change remains one of the money-management industrys hottest areas of growth. Analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence published a recent report saying that ETFs targeting climate themes accounted for about 40% of all newly-opened funds during the first quarter of 2023. As investors are becoming more sophisticated about the risks of climate change, their approach is becoming more holistic. Investors are increasingly adopting frameworks like the Planetary Boundaries that considers the importance of water sustainability and focusing more on climate adaptation.

The (Waterplan) software is helping Danone assess potential adaptation or mitigation strategies and will also be used as a platform to understand exposure to water-related risks for the operations and supply chains of several companies, said Jehanne Fabre, Sustainability Water Director at Danone. Waterplans SaaS platform, powered by artificial intelligence models, combines satellite imagery, real-time climate change data from public and proprietary sources, along with private company information so that customers can accurately measure, respond and report on their changing water risk. Early Waterplan customers leading the way in managing water risk in their industries include ABInBev, AWS, Danone, Diageo, Kurita, The Nature Conservancy, Sigma and more. We are working in Latin America with Waterplan to help monitor and track the progress in on-the-ground water stewardship projects, said Kari Vigerstol, Director of Water Security Science and Innovation for The Nature Conservancy's global water program. Waterplan's platform helps to track water risks and on the ground-progress that Water Funds can report on, internally and externally. The latest financing round allows Waterplan to accelerate investment in research and product development to advance the science in water risk management, innovate on its product platform and improve the customer experience. The company also plans to expand its presence in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. When we first met the Waterplan team, we were impressed by the customer traction the company demonstrated with early adopters who are leaders in their respective industries, said Adeyemi Ajao, co-founder and Managing Partner at Base10 Partners. Waterplan is tackling one of the worlds largest challenges  freshwater supply  with a unique solution that provides immediate actionable insights to de-risk an incredibly complicated, inter-connected and potentially expensive problem. To learn more about Waterplan, visit www.waterplan.com. About Waterplan San Francisco-based Waterplan is the worlds leading climate platform to help companies measure, respond and report changing water risk. Waterplan believes that by showing companies the business case for mitigation, they can accelerate the transition to a world where organizations are incentivized to save more water, abate discharge of polluting effluents, conserve watersheds and preserve shared value  the worlds freshwater supply. Waterplan customers include ABInBev, AWS, Colgate, Danone, Kurita, Omya, Meta and more. Follow us on Twitter at @WeAreWaterplan and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/waterplan-ai/ . About Base10 Partners Founded by Adeyemi Ajao and TJ Nahigian, Base10 is a San Francisco-based venture capital fund investing in founders who believe purpose is key profits and companies that are automating sectors of the Real Economy, including transportation, healthcare, retail, logistics, and construction. The Advancement Initiative, Base10s growth-stage fund, donates 50% of profits to Historically Black Colleges and Universities to support financial aid and other key initiatives. Portfolio companies include Notion, Figma, Nubank, Nowports, Motive, Chili Piper, and Popmenu. Connect via base10.vc . Editorial Contact Lonn Johnston for Waterplan [email protected]

+1.650.219.7764



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[May 23, 2023] Save the date: Rejuvenation Startup Summit 2024: May 10-11 in Berlin

BERLIN, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Forever Healthy Foundation is pleased to announce the second edition of the Rejuvenation Startup Summit, following the inaugural Rejuvenation Startup Summit in 2022 with more than 400 participants from over 30 countries. It will take place on 10-11 May 2024 in Berlin.

The Rejuvenation Startup Summit is the world's largest in-person gathering of longevity startups. It brings together startups, members of the longevity venture capital / investor ecosystem, and researchers interested in starting or joining a startup  all with the goal of accelerating the development of the rejuvenation biotech industry. Rejuvenation/Longevity biotech is a new, emerging field of medicine. It aims to prevent and reverse the diseases of aging by addressing their common root cause, the aging process itself. Rejuvenation therapies aim to reverse or repair age-related cellular changes such as molecular waste, calcification, tissue stiffening, loss of stem cell function, genetic alterations, and impaired energy production. Startups can connect with longevity investors, present their approach and generate interest in their work. Investors will be able to meet and engage with the most promising rejuvenation startups worldwide. Researchers with the startup itch can learn hw to successfully break out of the lab and start or join a rejuvenation startup.



In addition to an exciting line-up of keynotes, presentations, and panels, the Summit will feature an all-day startup forum for easy networking. Beginning at noon on Friday and ending with a big party on Saturday night, there will be ample opportunity to connect, learn and network with key players in the field.

The Rejuvenation Startup Summit is not only open to startups, investors, and translational scientists - all interested members of the longevity industry, scientists from related fields, aspiring students, and the general media are also welcome. Learn more at: https://forever-healthy.org/summit About Forever Healthy The Forever Healthy Foundation is Michael Greve's humanitarian initiative with the mission to accelerate the transition to a world without age-related diseases. Activities of the foundation include hosting the annual Rejuvenation Startup Summit, funding translational research on the root causes of aging, and providing evidence-based evaluations of current rejuvenation therapies. Greves venture capital firm Kizoo, which directly supports the creation, mentoring and financing of rejuvenation biotech startups, is also part of the initiative. Investments include Cellvie, Cyclarity, Revel, Elastrin, LIfT, and MoglingBio. Learn more at: https://forever-healthy.org Media Contact for Forever Healthy Frank Schueler, Chief Operating Officer

[email protected]



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[May 23, 2023] Syridex Bio Selected by NJEDA to Invest up to $5 Million in Early-Stage, New Jersey Life Science and Healthcare Companies

Syridex Bio ("Syridex"), an impact-driven, life sciences-focused firm investing in therapies that address the needs of underserved communities, has been selected to manage and deploy up to $5 million in investment capital for growing healthcare and life sciences companies in New Jersey, as the firm's fundraising traction grows. The Princeton-based firm was one of three firms named by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to receive capital from the State's Life Science/Health Care Fund. Among the three investment managers selected, Syridex Bio is differentiated by a unique investment focus on health equity. The $5 million allocation will become part of Syridex Bio's new investment fund and will be managed in alignment with the firm's mission and with state and federal government rules. As a life sciences impact investment firm, Syridex Bio's investment focus centers on funding therapies for diseases that disproportionately affect underserved populations, including ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ+ community, and rural dwellers. The firm's investment targets include in-development drugs and medical therapies that tackle the world's greatest health outcome disparities. By leveraging venture creation and private equity strategies, Syridex finances the development of medical soutions that concretely advance health equity.



"We are gratified to receive this funding from the State of New Jersey to advance health equity and support local businesses," said Founder and Managing Partner Squire Servance. "Syridex Bio was founded with the fundamental belief that everyone deserves access to high quality health care. We are proud to start this work for local communities in our home state of New Jersey." The allocation from NJEDA was funded through the federal State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), intended to support small and early-stage businesses across the state. After issuing Notices of Investment Opportunities (NIOs) in February, the NJEDA approved Syridex Bio's response to the NIO issued by the Authority and tasked the firm with managing up to $5 million from its $60 million Life Science/Health Care Fund. Syridex Bio will be responsible for managing day-to-day operations and developing a pipeline of prospective, New Jersey-based life science startups that can benefit from the capital, including companies in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.

"The SSBCI-funded Life Sciences and Health Care Fund will drive investment in innovative, emerging New Jersey-based companies and help to continue the state's leadership in this competitive sector," said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. "The selection of Syridex Bio as a manager for the fund will help to ensure that we are strategically supporting small business owners while driving the scientific breakthroughs and economic activity that will help us achieve Governor Phil Murphy's vision for more equitable and inclusive opportunities for New Jerseyans." About Syridex Bio: Syridex Bio is an impact-driven, life sciences-focused venture creation and private equity firm investing in therapies that address the needs of underserved communities. The firm invests to develop and purchase companies and patents that combine various asset sub-classes within drug development to provide attractive returns to investors, while minimizing downside risk of capital erosion?. The projects that Syridex targets for investment produce world-class drugs and therapies focused on health solutions for disproportionately minoritized communities, eliminating health disparities and working to advance global health equity. For more information, please visit www.syridexbio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005307/en/

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[May 23, 2023] AQUILANCE HAS BEEN NAMED A WINNER IN THE TENTH ANNUAL FAMILY WEALTH REPORT AWARDS FOR BEST BILL PAY SOLUTION

TRUMBULL, Conn., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Aquilance, a leading provider of financial administration services for high-net-worth families, individuals, and family offices, has been selected as a winner in the 'Bill Pay' category at the Tenth Annual Family Wealth Report Awards 2023 program. The annual Family Wealth Report Awards recognizes the most innovative and exceptional firms, teams and individuals serving the family office, private wealth, and trusted advisor communities in North America. Aquilance was selected for this category based on the success of its proprietary software, BillFlow Systems, which is integral to the firm's bill payment services. BillFlow Systems is the core technology engine enabling the team to centralize hundreds of data points unique to each family, and collect, track, and execute bill payments on behalf of families with great rigor and accuracy - saving thousands of hours and ensuring that nothing is missed. "We are honored to have won the award for Best Bill Pay solution and see this acknowledgement as a reflection of the hard work our tenured team has put in over many years," noted Ken Eyler, CEO of Aquilance. "This firm was started more than three decades ago with an emphasis on white-glove service and deep family office experience. Since then, we have developed new and proprietary software that is a key enabler for our team to execute and maintain excellence in delivery of the financial clarity our clients xpect. We are thrilled to be recognized for the impact this technology has had."



Stephen Harris, ClearView Financial Media's CEO, and publisher of Family Wealth Report was first to extend his congratulations to all winners and highly commended companies: "every category winner and highly commended firm has been subjected to a rigorous and independent judging process and should be rightly proud of the success they have achieved. We have seen a marked increase in entrants and interest in all our global awards programmes and Family Wealth Report is no exception. These awards are so beneficial as they give organizations and individuals the opportunity to clarify their strategic thinking, have it independently validated, be recognized internally and externally and to celebrate in style with their peers." Winners and highly commended companies were announced on May 4th at the Gala Ceremony at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan, New York.

For more information about Aquilance, please visit www.aquilance.com. About Aquilance

Aquilance was founded in 1987 to address the complex financial administration needs of families and individuals of wealth. Currently serving hundreds of families, Aquilance provides a diverse suite of services which includes personal bookkeeping and billpay, consolidated accounting across multi-entity family structures and complex investment partnerships, performance reporting, ILIT administration and much more. The firm's mission of over thirty years continues to be enriching quality of life for families by eliminating time spent on managing complex finances, and empowering effective decision making and legacy planning by delivering timely and accurate reports to clients and their advisors. About ClearView Financial Media Ltd ("ClearView")

ClearView Financial Media was founded by Chief Executive, Stephen Harris in 2004, to provide high quality 'need to know' information for the discerning private client community. London-based, but with a truly global focus, ClearView publishes the WealthBriefing group of newswires, along with research reports and newsletters, while also running a pan-global thought-leadership events and awards programme. Media Contact:

Ryan Walker

R.J. Walker & Co.

[email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aquilance-has-been-named-a-winner-in-the-tenth-annual-family-wealth-report-awards-for-best-bill-pay-solution-301831245.html SOURCE Aquilance

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[May 23, 2023] CGI to welcome Sophie Brochu to its Board of Directors

Stock Market Symbols

GIB.A (TSX)

GIB (NYSE)

cgi.com/newsroom MONTREAL, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB) is pleased to announce that Sophie Brochu will join its Board of Directors in September 2023. Ms. Brochu has over 30 years of experience in the energy sector. From 2020 to April 2023, she served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Hydro-Quebec, Canada's largest power producer and ranks among the world's largest hydropower producers. "We are honored to have Sophie Brochu join our Board of Directors," said Founder and Executive Chairman Serge Godin. "Her depth of expertise in the energy sector as well as her experience in leading large publicly traded and government-owned organizations will significantly benefit our clients, professionals, and shareholders. In addition, her human-centric approach is well aligned with CGI's culture and values." "I am proud to join the CGI Board and to have the opportunity to contribute to the sustained growth of this flagship company," sid Sophie Brochu. "I am delighted at the opportunity to join the Board as CGI continues to strengthen its position as one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world," she added.



Ms. Brochu spent most of her career at Energir, where she served as President and Chief Executive Officer from 2007 to 2019. Under her leadership, the Quebec gas distributor added renewable natural gas to its supply portfolio and became a major player in the wind and solar energy spaces in both Canada and the U.S. Sophie Brochu holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Universite Laval and sits on the board of Banque de Montreal (BMO). Very active in the community, she has been involved with Centraide of Greater Montreal for many years and co-founded ruelle de l'avenir, a non-profit organization that encourages students in the Centre-Sud and Hochelaga neighborhoods of Montreal to stay in school. She also chairs the board of Fondation Forces AVENIR and volunteers as a leader of The A Effect, an initiative whose aim is to promote the participation of women at all organizational levels.

Ms. Brochu was awarded honorary doctorates by Universite de Montreal (HEC Montreal) and Bishop's University. She is a member of the Order of Canada and an officer of the Ordre national du Quebec. 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). For more information: Investors

Kevin Linder

Senior Vice-President, Investor Relations

[email protected]

+1 905-973-8363 Media

Andree-Anne Pelletier, ARP, PRP

Manager, Global Media and Public Relations

[email protected]

+1 438-468-9118 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgi-to-welcome-sophie-brochu-to-its-board-of-directors-301831980.html SOURCE CGI Inc.

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[May 23, 2023] Exhibitors and Sponsors Flock to PrismHR LIVE 2023, This Year's Premier Event for HR Service Providers

HOPKINTON, Mass., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PrismHR, the leading HR technology software powering payroll, benefits, and HR for businesses across the U.S., today shared additional details about PrismHR LIVE, its annual customer event. With attendee experience at the core, PrismHR exhibitors and sponsors can meet directly with customers and advance existing relationships. This years event will take place in Austin, Texas  The Live Music Capital of the World  at the beautiful JW Marriott from June 25 through June 27, 2023.

Consistently receiving four- and five-star ratings from attendees for its valuable programming, innovative destinations and participation by leading exhibitors and sponsors, PrismHR LIVE serves as the annual gathering of the PEO and ASO community. Underscored by more than forty sessions on topics including payroll, benefits administration and PrismHR product offerings, this years theme is Better Together: Raising the Bar. PrismHR LIVE attendee feedback from the 2022 event showed that 97 percent visited the Exhibit Hall, which featured more than fifty exhibitors. Eighty-eight percent of attendees were actively evaluating products and services and more than 60 percent of attendees visited with over ten xhibitors.



At this years event, premium exhibitors include ClearCo, Crimcheck, Guardian, HiringThing, Nettime Solutions, Norton, Omega Benefit Strategies, Swipeclock, Syncstream, Timeco, Walton, WOTC.com and ZayZoon. Excited to break away from large trade show venues that cannot support an optimal attendee experience, exhibitors and sponsors have already lauded Austin  as well as PrismHRs array of experiential sponsorship options  as game-changing for new business opportunities. Michelle Lanter Smith, Chief Marketing Officer for Vensure Employer Solutions, the parent company of PrismHR, observed, Physical events such as PrismHR LIVE represent the best way to share knowledge with attendees, gain brand visibility and advance valuable relationships. Exhibitors and sponsors of PrismHR LIVE report solid lead quality and excellent support from their PrismHR team members. Were looking forward to welcoming additional exhibitors and sponsors to help our attendees accelerate their HR technology buying decisions over the course of three days.

Sponsorships for this years PrismHR LIVE are selling quickly, though several valuable options still remain. To receive the detailed prospectus regarding sponsoring PrismHR LIVE, please email [email protected]. About PrismHR PrismHRs mission is to fuel the growth of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across the U.S. Our HR software , combined with our ecosystem of HR service providers, enables SMBs to manage payroll, benefits, and HR, leveling the playing field with large enterprises. Today, PrismHR software delivers world-class HR services to more than 80,000 organizations and over 2 million worksite employees, processing greater than $80 billion in payroll each year. PrismHR is located in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.prismhr.com .

Note to editors: Trademarks and registered trademarks referenced herein remain the property of their respective owners. Media Contact: Jeanne Achille The Devon Group for PrismHR [email protected]

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[May 23, 2023] Bionik Laboratories Reports a Significant Increase in Patient Volume at Its Acquired Rehabilitation Center in Florida

Bionik Laboratories Corp. (OTCPINK: BNKL), a robotics company providing neurological functional recovery solutions to stroke survivors and others with functional and mobility challenges, offering its technology to therapists directly and offering services to patients in its clinical centers, today announced it has experienced a significant increase in patient volume at its rehabilitation center, Tower Physical Therapy & Rehab, in Clermont, FL. During the first eight months since the acquisition of the center was finalized, Bionik has more than doubled its patient count, increased revenue, and has seen an increase in the amount of patient hours logged on its InMotion robotic devices on-site at the clinic, a new offering that has brought more patients in the door for rehabilitation services. Bionik's acquisition of the clinic was followed by a rebrand of the facility as a neuro-specialized rehabilitation center that features Bionik's InMotion technology and therapy for patients who have suffered stroke, brain and spinal cord injuries. Bionik believes that the increase in patient volume is evidence that the InMotion technology is a welcome addition to the community where services for stroke recovery care are needed. Bionik's fleet of InMotion robots help patients to regain arm and hand movement. Where conventional therapy alone allows patients to complete 30-60 repetitive movements an hour, the InMotion devices have patients completing 600 - 1,000 movements an hour. The robotic device assists patients as needed while it measures the position, speed and acceleration to adjust to the patient's needs during that session. The increase in the number of patient hours logged at Tower Physical Therapy & Rehab, further point to the clinic's success with asset utilization for the newly installed devices. "Bionik's clinic in Florida is part of our long-term vision to build a network of neuro recovery centers. We are committed to providing more accessibility to InMotion therapy to a greater population of patients and we are encouraged to see the growth in both patient volume and patient use of the InMotion robots," said Richard Russo Jr., Chief Executive Officer at Bionik Laboratories. "We believe the success of our first neuro recovery center in Clermont points to the long-term value for our shareholders as we commence execution on a national roll-out of Bionik branded rehab centers." Bionik's neuro recovery centerin Clermont is collecting a significant amount of anonymized patient data that will allow the Bionik team to further explore how the device is supporting the recovery and care of patients while also providing a personalized rehab experience. Through InMotion Connect, the company's cloud-connected data analytics platform, clinicians are able to directly monitor a patient's progress with customizable reports, as well as ongoing support and training for the technology.



To learn more about Bionik, please visit: www.bioniklabs.com About Bionik Laboratories Corp.

Bionik Laboratories is a robotics company providing neurological functional recovery solutions to stroke survivors and others with functional and mobility challenges. The Company offers its technology to therapists directly and offers services to patients in its clinical centers. The Company has a portfolio of products focused on upper and lower extremity rehabilitation for stroke and other mobility-impaired patients, including three products on the market and three products in varying stages of development. For more information, please visit www.Bioniklabs.com and connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, which involve assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies, and expectations, are generally identifiable by use of the words "may," "should," "would," "will," "could," "scheduled," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "possible," "believe," "intend," "seek," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding (i) the plans and objectives of management for future operations, including plans or objectives relating to the design, development, commercialization and distribution of robotic rehabilitation products and the roll-out of its recently-announced Neuro-Recovery Centers of Excellence strategy, (ii) a projection of income (including income/loss), earnings (including earnings/loss) per share, capital expenditures, dividends, pipeline of potential sales, capital structure or other financial items, (iii) the Company's future financial performance, including as a result of the acquisition and rebranding of the Company's Neuro-Recovery Centers of Excellence, and the future financial performance of any such Centers of Excellence the Company may acquire or launch (iv) the market and projected market for our existing and planned products and services and (v) the assumptions underlying or relating to any statement described in points (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above. Such forward-looking statements are not meant to predict or guarantee actual results, performance, events or circumstances, and may not be realized because they are based upon the Company's current projections, plans, objectives, beliefs, expectations, estimates and assumptions, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and other influences, many of which the Company has no control. Actual results and the timing of certain events and circumstances may differ materially from those described by the forward- looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties. Factors that may influence or contribute to the inaccuracy of the forward-looking statements or cause actual results to differ materially from expected or desired results may include, without limitation, the Company's inability to obtain additional financing or increase revenue, the inability to meet listing standards to uplist to a national stock exchange, the significant length of time and resources associated with the development and sales of our products and related insufficient cash flows and resulting illiquidity, the continued impact on the Company's business as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Company's inability to expand the Company's business, including its recently launched Neuro-Recovery Centers of Excellence strategy, significant government regulation of medical devices and the healthcare industry, lack of product diversification, volatility in the price of the Company's raw materials, and the Company's failure to implement the Company's business plans or strategies. These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in the Company's filings with the SEC. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005488/en/

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BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes the export control measures the Japanese government has placed on semiconductor manufacturing equipment, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.

The move is an abuse of export control measures and a serious departure from free trade rules and international economic and trade rules, the spokesperson said.

During the public consultation period for Japan's proposed measures, Chinese industries submitted comments, and a number of industry associations publicly issued statements opposing the move. Some Japanese industry groups and companies also expressed their concerns about future uncertainties, the spokesperson said.

Regrettably, the spokesperson noted, the export control measures, in disregard of the reasonable demands of the industry, will seriously damage the interests of both Chinese and Japanese companies, as well as economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. It will disrupt the global semiconductor industry structure, and send shock waves through the security and stability of industrial and supply chains.

Japan should immediately correct its wrong practices, starting by maintaining international economic and trade rules as well as China-Japan economic and trade cooperation, to avoid measures hindering the normal cooperation and development of the semiconductor industries of the two countries, the spokesperson said.

China reserves the right to take measures to resolutely safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, the spokesperson added. 
[May 23, 2023] Ventus Ramps Up Field Trials of its TR2 Respirator Following CE Certification

Toronto, Ontario, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ventus Respiratory Technologies , creator of the next generation of particulate respiratory protection for military, police, and first responders, is announcing that it has kicked off multiple international field trials for its TR2 respirator, following the CE certification of the product in February.

Trials and evaluations are underway with elite forces in Germany, Italy, France, the UK, Hungary, and the Netherlands. Initial feedback from end users has been positive, particularly regarding the TR2s design and form factor, which is lightweight, low-burden, and interoperable with existing communications and protective equipment. The TR2 is the only fully certified respirator of its kind, making it the only protection suitable for the global market, said Arjun Grewal, CEO of Ventus, who previously spent 20 years with the Canadian Armed Forces, including numerous deployments in Afghanistan. To date, there has been no standard for particulate respiratory protection for those serving on the front lines in known toxic environments, we are now learning about the severe health consequences of that exposure. In April, it was announced by U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) that Veterans and their survivors in the United States alone have filed more than 500,000 toxic exposure-related claims under the PACT Act , which was signed into law less than one year ago on August 10, 2022. More than $1 billion in benefits have already been awarded.



The science is showing us the impact of airborne hazards including lead from high volume weapons training, Agent Orange, burn pits, sand, mechanical fumes, or any of the other dozens of other potential hazards, added Grewal. And its not only military personnel who are at risk, it is our police, firefighters, and other first responders. We need a baseline standard of protection for these populations. This is why we created the TR2. I believe that this protection will soon become standard issue across the board, just as eye and ear protection have been standard requirements for nearly all soldier and police training for decades. Ventus is actively engaging with the soldier and police community. Last week, Ventus participated in events with the Ontario Tactical Advisory Body in Canada, and Special Operations Forces week at U.S. Special Operations Command, and U.S. VA discussions in Washington DC.

Data-driven results from the multiple field trials currently taking place are expected at the end of June. -##- About Ventus Respiratory Technologies Ventus Respiratory Technologies designs and manufactures the next generation of respiratory protection for military, police, and first responders worldwide. Its flagship product, the TR2, is positioned to become the global standard as the only fully CE-certified particulate respirator on the market. It protects the wearer from toxic exposure with class-leading filtration in a compact, lightweight, breathable, and interoperable form factor. Its technology-forward design provides a platform for the integration of sensors, biometrics, IoT, and voice-operated applications. Ventus is veteran-founded and has direct access to an elite special forces end-user military network, and a growing number of distribution partners worldwide. Learn more: https://ventusrespiratory.com/ Media Contact:

Exvera Communications Inc.

Brittany Whitmore

Email: [email protected]



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[May 23, 2023] InnoPhase IoT Further Expands Use Cases for End-to-End IoT Video Camera Designs

InnoPhase IoT, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company specializing in ultra-low power Wi-Fi IoT solutions, launched a Talaria TWO Ultra-low power (ULP) Wi-Fi optimized market-ready solution for cloud-connected IP video IoT devices. Increased demand for long battery life, low-power wireless video cameras is no longer limited by wires, placement, or constant battery changes. In addition to such applications as battery-operated video cameras, smart video doorbells, wearables, smart appliances, home security cameras and in-vehicle dashboard monitoring devices, OEMs and ODMs are introducing new categories of video devices with designs that use solar technology and artificial intelligence (AI) as important parts of new solutions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005345/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) The Talaria TWO ULP Wi-Fi and BLE platform is the technology behind InnoPhase IoT's low-power, long-battery life solution. Using a dual-stack power optimized software solution combined with an advanced digital polar radio design, the multiprotocol cloud connected platform eliminates the challenges involved with yesterday's power-hungry processing of video IoT designs. InnoPhase IoT Talaria TWO wireless platform for video use-cases include: Supports up to 2K camera resolution

Integrated MCU within Talaria TWO enables off-loading of TCP-IP networking and cloud connectivity stack when ISP is powered down to conserve power

Always ON, Always Connected feature enables low latency and mitigates image los issues

Ultra-Low-Power (ULP) Wi-Fi at BLE power levels enables 2-4X improvement in battery life

Ease of use by provisioning Wi-Fi using integrated BLE



The new InnoPhase IoT video solution features address all of these previous challenges with a solution available now that provides 40% lower power consumption and 1+ year battery life performance. InnoPhase IoT also offers device developers a variety of market ready solutions from OEMs and ODMs.

"At Ingenic, we're all about providing low-energy computing necessary for today's smart video devices," said Zoro Huang, Director of Video Sensing product line. "The ability to access complete and market-ready solutions is critical for IoT video designs that are moving so rapidly. InnoPhase IoT's delivery of a low-power end-to-end solution gives us an easy and fast way to get to market." "Using InnoPhase IoT Talaria TWO and an Ingenic T31 integrated reference design, we have been able to build an AI-enabled smart video camera with battery life 2-3x longer than today's solutions. We're also achieving multi-year battery life when augmented with a solar panel," said Larry Yang, Product Manager of smart product line at CE-Link, a wireless video camera OEM solution provider. "This solution is easily customized to meet end-customer needs, enabling them to quickly bring their branded wireless camera solution to market," he added. According to Jason Lim, CEO at Kenxen, Taiwan, an ODM focused on smart video camera manufacturing, "We selected the Talaria TWO Wi-Fi/BLE module as it enables ultra-low power direct-to-cloud connectivity for battery operated cameras. This allows us to offer quick time to market video products for our end customers." "Our complete solution shatters the outdated belief that Wi-Fi is too high-powered for battery-based video camera applications," said InnoPhase IoT President and COO Wiren Perera. "InnoPhase IoT's Talaria TWO untethers cameras from all wired power and network connections, resulting in more accurate data for cloud processing. It supports the addition of enhanced features such as artificial intelligence and unleashes design creativity only possible with the low-power, long battery-life model." The market-ready solutions are currently available for evaluation. A reference kit includes hardware and software integration with an image signal processor (ISP), cloud connectivity software and access to original design manufacturers. InnoPhase IoT will demonstrate its market-ready capabilities at the Embedded Vision Summit in Santa Clara, California, May 23-24, booth 904. To set up a briefing meeting and demo, or request a reference kit, please contact [email protected]. About InnoPhase IoT InnoPhase IoT Inc., headquartered in San Jose, CA, is a fabless wireless semiconductor platform company dedicated to enable the promise of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Its flagship product, the Talaria TWO multi-protocol chipset and modules deliver the world's lowest power Wi-Fi radio to the rapidly growing untethered and battery-operated IoT device market. InnoPhase IoT enables end-to-end market-ready extreme low power wireless IoT solutions with extended battery life, a low total cost of ownership (TCO), high-performance wireless use cases and rapid time to market. For more information, contact [email protected] or visit the InnoPhase IoT.com website View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005345/en/

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[May 23, 2023] Aliro Quantum Named Hot Company in 11th Annual Global InfoSec Awards

Aliro Quantum announced today it has been recognized with the Hot Company Award from Cyber Defense Magazine's 2023 Global InfoSec Awards. The company is continuing to develop the foundational technologies needed for entanglement-based secure networks, increasing its business momentum, as well as sharing best practices on secure networking technologies at key events. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005303/en/ Aliro Quantum Named Hot Company in 11th Annual Global InfoSec Awards (Graphic: Business Wire) Building on a successful live demonstration of AliroNet, Aliro's multipurpose entanglement-based secure network solution, at Quantum.Tech in Boston last month, the company also announced its lineup of activities at upcoming industry events through the third quarter of 2023. These include: Inside Quantum Technology Nordics June 6-8, 2023 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Aliro will be attending the first IQT event to bring together the key stakeholders in the Nrdic quantum technology ecosystem.

Inside Quantum Technology Canada June 20-22, 2023 in Montreal, Canada. Aliro is a Silver Sponsor of the event which brings together corporate management, entrepreneurs, end users, technology providers, infrastructure partners, researchers and investors who are developing the quantum ecosystem.

Quantum Simulation Conference August 7-11, 2023 in Telluride, Colorado. Aliro is attending this annual international conference on quantum simulation that aims to bridge theory and experiment, bringing together physicists, engineers, chemists, material scientists, mathematicians, and computer scientists working at the forefront of quantum simulation and related problems.

QCrypt 2023, August 14-18, 2023 in College Park, Maryland. Aliro is a Silver Sponsor of this yearly international scientific conference presenting the latest results in quantum cryptography.

IEEE Quantum Week - the IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE), September 17-22, 2023 in Bellevue, Washington. Aliro will be attending this multidisciplinary quantum computing and engineering event that gives attendees the unique opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities with quantum researchers, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, developers, students, practitioners, educators, programmers, and newcomers.

Quantum World Congress, September 26-28, 2023 in Washington, D.C. Aliro will be exhibiting at this annual conference which brings together the world's quantum ecosystem of researchers, innovators, technology developers, legislators, and industry experts to accelerate the value of the quantum industry.



About Aliro

Aliro Quantum offers AliroNet to emulate, pilot, and deploy entanglement-based secure networks that are capable of running a wide variety of applications from secure communications to clustered quantum computing and distributed quantum sensing. Aliro, spun out of NarangLab at Harvard University, includes world-class experts in quantum and classical networking and is leading the charge in quantum network development by offering the foundational technologies needed for organizations around the world to build scalable and powerful distributed quantum systems. AliroNet users include utility companies, telecommunications providers, public sector organizations, enterprises, and researchers who are simulating, designing, piloting, orchestrating, and building the world's first entanglement-based quantum networks. Aliro also works with industry and academic partners through the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), the NSF Center for Quantum Networks (CQN), and the NSF Quantum Leap Challenge Institute Hybrid Quantum Architectures and Networks (HQAN). Additionally, Aliro is involved in several quantum networking standards groups at IEEE and QED-C. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005303/en/

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[May 23, 2023] Voxel Announces Seed Financing to Drive Additive Manufacturing with AI Design Platform

Voxel, a startup focused on transforming the additive manufacturing industry, has closed $1.7 million in seed financing and will open a new headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. Voxel's additive manufacturing (AM) design platform uses a multi-physics artificial intelligence model to rapidly generate designs for high performance applications across industries. The company's unique approach eliminates guesswork and provides superior designs with significantly less engineering time and iterations, while ensuring manufacturability and component performance. Voxel's seed financing was led by CincyTech, a Cincinnati-based venture firm focused on seeding and scaling a new generation of transformational Midwest companies. Additive manufacturing is growing at a 20% compound annual growth rate and is an important element of post-pandemic reshoring efforts and the future growth in US advanced manufacturing capabilities. Existing design methods and tools are optimized for the pre-AM manufacturing methods. Voxel's platform unlocks the potential of current and emerging AM production methods across industries. Voxel is launching in Cincinnati to take advantage of the region's world class AM expertise and capabilities, and the region's history as an advanced manufacturing hub. The region is a major exporter of aerospace parts, medical devices, and scientific instrumentation. General Electric has one of the world's largest AM facilities in greater Cincinnati, while other leading edge additive companies, such as Zeda (formerly Vertex), are also located in the region. To fully leverage reshoring momentum, US leadership in state-of-the-art design and manufacturing innovations is essential. Aaron Chow, CEO and co-founder, believes Voxel is poised to become the key enabling technology for AM to be broadly adopted for production use across a wide variety of industries. "We believe that by fusing AI and additive manufacturing, we can provide a step change in how companies approach design and engineering problems. We aim to unlock manufacturing solutions previously undiscovered," said Chow. "We believe that Voxel can deliver significant performance increases on each design iteration, and deliver faster go-to-market solutins. The cost savings related to reduced engineering requirements is a notable advancement," said Zach Beller, CTO and co-founder.



"We were immediately drawn to Aaron and Zach's passion and world-class expertise in additive manufacturing. Voxel's platform unlocks the potential of AM, generating designs that otherwise would take many iterations and still be suboptimal. Voxel's platform is another example of our growing portfolio of AI-enhanced solutions that represent the upside of AI innovation." said Doug Groh, Partner at CincyTech. Aaron Chow graduated from the University of Michigan in Electrical Engineering. During his time at the University of Michigan he was awarded an Entrepreneurship Award and was chosen as a TEDx U of M Speaker. Aaron has 9 years of industry experience in additive manufacturing working, consulting and advising for many of the world's most advanced companies such as: Autodesk, Johnson & Johnson, Ethicon, Northrop Grumman, NASA, GE Aviation, and Aurolab. Aaron led a team that was recognized as finalists for the Air Force Additive Manufacturing Olympics. Aaron is leading applications development and integration into commercially viable products, solving the design, validation, and manufacturing hurdles of adopting new technologies.

Zach Beller is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Program (GRFP) Fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering with research in antiferroelectric thin films. He is currently on track to receive his terminal Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering in July 2023. Zach is also a graduate of the University of Michigan in Mechanical Engineering, with extensive experience in Electrical Engineering. Zach has over 9 years of industry experience working with Sandia National Laboratories developing: reduced order, multi-physics modeling tools; advanced manufacturing systems; materials for use with additive manufacturing; and high-consequence safety devices for extreme environments. He was also on the team with co-founder, Aaron Chow, that was recognized as finalists for the Air Force Additive Manufacturing Olympics. Zach is leading the research and technical team at Voxel, advancing the development of Voxel's predictive AI tools for commercialization. About Voxel - Voxel utilizes advanced mathematics and artificial intelligence to rapidly generate functionally graded meta-materials for high-performance applications, with a focus on additive manufacturing. Voxel provides performance leaps in the defense, automotive, aerospace, medical, industrial, and other demanding areas and unlocks new capabilities for our customers. Voxel software allows for: significant performance increases on each design iteration, faster go-to-market with designs available quickly and guaranteed to be manufacturable, and cost savings as the program does not demand highly skilled engineering knowledge. Learn more at: www.voxel-group.com About CincyTech - CincyTech is a Cincinnati-based venture firm focused on seeding and scaling a new generation of transformational Midwest companies. CincyTech invests in founders and researchers advancing novel science, technology, or insight that change or create large markets. Since 2007 CincyTech funds have invested in almost 90 seed-stage high-growth opportunities and support an active portfolio of more than 30 companies. Learn more at: www.cincytechusa.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005714/en/

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[May 23, 2023] Americas Cardroom Awarding $125,000 Packages to Play High Stakes Poker in London

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Americas Cardroom (ACR) today announced that it's sending at least five players 'across the pond' to play in the world's highest stakes tourneys against the Who's Who of poker. The High Stakes Adventure: London promo allows players to win their package via two online satellites on Sunday, May 28th and Sunday, July 16th. Five packages are guaranteed to go, and each includes $110,000 in tourney buy-ins / entry fees, plus $15,000 in travel expenses. Players will then head to London to compete from July 27th to August 10th. "We've already run high stakes promotions to Vietnam and Cyprus and now it's time to send players to one of the best cities in the world," stated Chris Moneymaker, ACR Team Pro. "Joining them will be our ACR Team Pro and Stormer contest winners so we'll have a great mix of representation taking on the world's best players.



$110,000 in buy-ins. They can spend it all on one tournament or spread it out to several. Either way, they're sure to be playing for the biggest prize pools of their life. To enter the online satellites, simply pay the $2,650 direct buy-in, or qualify for a fraction of the cost through the Super Satellites that run the week before.

For more on High Stakes Adventure: London, visit the promo page at https://www.americascardroom.eu For further information, please contact: [email protected]. About Americas Cardroom Americas Cardroom joined the Winning Poker Network in 2011. The Winning Poker Network has been dealing cards since 2001 and continues to be one of the most trusted names in the industry. Rated first place for payment processing and cashout reliability repeatedly over the last few years, Americas Cardroom offers outstanding customer service and a friendly environment for all poker players around the world. Media Contact:

Melanie Moser

1-877-314-4195

[email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/americas-cardroom-awarding-125-000-packages-to-play-high-stakes-poker-in-london-301831061.html SOURCE Americas Cardroom

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[May 23, 2023] Logik.io Raises $16M Series A to Help Businesses Sell Simpler

Logik.io, the company consumerizing B2B buying experiences through its intelligent guided product discovery, configuration, and recommendation engine, today announced that it raised $16 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Emergence Capital, which also backed high-growth category-leading businesses such as Zoom, Veeva, Box, and G2. Santi Subotovsky, General Partner at Emergence Capital, will join the Logik.io Board of Directors. ServiceNow Ventures also contributed to the round, and Salesforce Ventures returned as an investor in Logik.io. This news comes just months after Logik.io announced over 500% year-over-year growth. Today, there is a gap in B2B selling between the high-touch complex sales processes most B2B businesses force buyers into, and their buyer's demands for faster, simpler, consumer-like experiences. From manufacturers selling complex equipment with thousands of variations, to enterprise SaaS companies with complicated, nuanced deal structures, to services businesses with sophisticated multi-year recurring relationships, nearly every business struggles with making their products as simple to buy and sell as their customers expect. With its Commerce Logic Engine technology, Logik.io's mission is to eliminate high-touch sales by empowering all businesses to connect buyers to perfect-fit solutions faster with smarter product discovery, configuration, and recommendation experiences across all your marketing, selling, commerce, and service channels. "Many B2B companies struggle to deliver the low-touch consumerized experiences customers demand today," Logik.io Co-founder and CEO Christopher Shutts said. "But the businesses who are leading their industries understand that no matter how complex your products are, buyers seek out businesses who make it simple to find, configure, and augment purchases across any channel. Logik.io exists because most businesses have been held back by the limitations of their legacy selling tools which aren't built to support selling highly-tailored solutions with many variations and complexities. We're here to solve that." Most current Logik.io customers leverage Logik.io to augment CPQ, ecommerce, and online product configuration experiences. With this investment, Logik.io plans to expand on its mission to connect B2B customers with products faster by applying its commerce logic engine technology to enable sarter:



Marketing & Lead Generation: Use Logik.io to generate qualified leads online by allowing buyers to find and configure perfect-fit solutions, and submit a request for quote.

Use Logik.io to generate qualified leads online by allowing buyers to find and configure perfect-fit solutions, and submit a request for quote. E-Commerce: Use Logik.io to discover, configure, price, and transact on even your most complex or high-priced offerings, without talking to sales.

Use Logik.io to discover, configure, price, and transact on even your most complex or high-priced offerings, without talking to sales. Sales: Use Logik.io to empower internal sellers, dealers, and distributors with an enhanced CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) experience that lets them configure and quote complex products easier.

Use Logik.io to empower internal sellers, dealers, and distributors with an enhanced CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) experience that lets them configure and quote complex products easier. Service: Use Logik.io for service configuration, quote estimates, attach assets, and more. "We're focused on doing whatever it takes to give our customers the best buying experience possible," said Dan Krantz, CIO of Keysight Technologies. "Previously we found ourselves limited by the sales and commerce tools that were available to us. But now with Logik.io's Commerce Logic Engine, we're able to unblock those limitations, and provide a truly unified omni-channel experience that puts the power in the hands of the customer, helps us sell more, and do it more efficiently." "We prioritize making it easy for our customers across all channels to discover, configure, and buy the best-fit options for their needs," said Craig Drenthe, VP of IT at Club Car. "We're excited about partnering with Logik.io to fulfill on this promise, and to make a meaningful impact on both our customer experience and go-to-market efficiency."

Logik.io was founded by the pioneers of the CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) industry, Christopher Shutts (Logik.io CEO, former founder of BigMachines) and Godard Abel (Logik.io Executive Chairman & CEO of G2, also founder of BigMachines), to transform the B2B selling model from one that is complex, convoluted, and expensive, to one that is consumerized, low-touch, and efficient. "At Emergence, we only invest in people and companies who change the way the world works," said Santi Subotovsky, General Partner at Emergence Capital. "Logik.io is one of those businesses, and has already made massive transformations in the way B2B sales works. We cannot be more excited to partner with them on this next phase of growth." "Logik.io is a key solution in the enterprise tech ecosystem helping bring seamless, consumer-grade experiences to the enterprise buying and service process," said Vishal Gupta, VP of Corporate Business Development at ServiceNow. "We look forward to supporting the company's growth as they continue to develop innovative solutions that simplify and speed up the buying and selling process to meet customers' needs." Logik.io, recognized as the Most Promising Start-Up by The Cloud Awards 2023, and recognized as Tech Startup of the Year by the American Business Awards, launched its Commerce Logic Engine in 2021. More than half of Logik.io's customers are publicly traded and have an average market capitalization of more than $25 billion. Brands like Keysight Technologies, CORT, Fike, Club Car, Lamons, and Palo Alto Networks are using Logik.io to power eCommerce or omni-channel product configuration and guided selling. About Logik.io Logik.io's Commerce Logic Engine uses intelligent-guided product discovery, configuration, and recommendation capabilities to eliminate high-touch selling processes by connecting customers to perfect-fit products faster. Logik.io's mission is to make selling simpler and buying better for every business across marketing, selling, commerce, and service channels by filling critical enterprise technology gaps in systems such as CPQ, ERP, and Commerce. For businesses selling manufacturing, software, technology, and services products, Logik.io helps every business grow smarter by creating revenue-maximizing sales experiences, and minimizing cost of sale. Logik.io is backed by Emergence Capital, Salesforce Ventures, ServiceNow Ventures, and High Alpha. For more information please visit www.logik.io. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005500/en/

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[May 23, 2023] Ingram Micro Achieves AWS Premier Tier Services Partner Status in the AWS Partner Network

Ingram Micro Inc. announced its status as an Amazon Web Services (AWS) Premier Tier Services Partner in the AWS Partner Network (APN) at its Global Cloud and Innovation Summit, which took place last week in Las Vegas. #IngramMicroGCIS23 This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005717/en/ "Ingram Micro brings tremendous business value, bench strength and market reach to the AWS Partner Network community," says Duncan Robinson, vice president, growth partnerships, Ingram Micro. (Graphic: Business Wire) The achievement elevates Ingram Micro's position as an AWS distributor recognized globally for accelerating the growth of AWS Partners and independent software vendors (ISVs) by helping these channel partners to better serve their custmers and grow their AWS practices.



"Ingram Micro brings tremendous business value, bench strength and market reach to the APN community," says Duncan Robinson, vice president, growth partnerships, Ingram Micro. "Earning the AWS Premier Tier Partner status brings an even greater confidence to those channel partners who engage Ingram Micro for its AWS-specific expertise and proven execution." To achieve AWS Premier Tier Partner status, AWS Partners are required to undergo a stringent approval process that includes accreditations and certifications. Moreover, they must exhibit a substantial commitment to their relationship with AWS and possess extensive knowledge in deploying customer solutions on AWS. AWS Premier Tier Services Partners must also maintain a highly skilled team of technical consultants who are trained and certified by AWS and have a proven track record of expertise in project management and professional services.

Ingram Micro maintains more than 300+ AWS Certifications and has earned several AWS Competency and AWS Service Delivery designations in recent years, including the AWS Migration Competency, AWS Cloud Management Tools (CMT) Competency, the AWS DevOps Consulting Competency, and the AWS Config Service Delivery designation. For more information channel partners can engage their Ingram Micro representative. About Ingram Micro Ingram Micro is the business behind the world's brands with the ability to reach nearly 90 percent of the world's population. Our diverse solutions portfolio spans thousands of technology hardware and services options, as well as XaaS solutions. As part of our commitment to reducing environmental impact, we offer full-service IT Asset Disposal as well as reverse logistics and repair services. We also offer a more intelligent and streamlined way of doing business in the IT industry with our digital platform Ingram Micro Xvantage. Reaching close to 200 countries, we have approximately 27,000 associates and more than 161,000 customers and 1,500 vendor partners worldwide. Learn more at www.ingrammicro.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005717/en/

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[May 23, 2023] Another Example of Yellow Privilege?

New book by Dr. Michael Soon Lee explores advantages Asians are given over other minorities SAN FRANCISCO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In his upcoming book, "Beyond the Bamboo Curtain" Michael Lee explains why Asians in the U.S. enjoy more privileges than other minorities. For example, Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill requiring Florida to join other states that require Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history to be taught as part of school curricula. At the same, Florida and 23 other states have banned the teaching of Black history. In fact, in early 2023, DeSantis rejected a new AP African American history class, claiming it "lacks educational value." So why is AAPI history now being promoted while Black history is being banned? Dr. Lee explains how Asians in America have been granted something called "Yellow Privilege" which is almost as good as "White Privilege", but not quite. Lee says that when many Chinese started arriving in America in the late 1840s, they were described as "heathen Chinaman" and by 1853, a California newspaper said about the Chinese, "They are not of our people and never will be..." In 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act became the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States. Yet, by the 1960s, the media was calling Asians in the U.S. the "Model Minority" who were quiet and hard-working and whom other minorities shoud emulate rather than protesting for civil rights in the streets. At the time, Asians were less than one percent of the American population, so it was easy to give them a public relations makeover. As a result, between 1940 and 1970, Asians went from segregated neighborhoods and schools to surpassing African Americans in average household earnings and closed the wage gap with Whites. This transformation has been so complete that today, many believe that discrimination no longer exists against Asian Americans.



In Michael's book, he explains many of the facts surrounding Yellow Privilege including: The public relations campaign that created Yellow Privilege.

Specific ways that Asians are granted more privileges than other minorities.

How Yellow Privilege is used to take the spotlight off inequalities that Blacks and other groups in America have suffered.

Why many AAPIs are embarrassed by Yellow Privilege but won't talk about it.

How Yellow Privilege has led to increased violence against AAPIs.

Discrimination that continues to negatively affect Asians in America.

How Yellow privilege is still being used to oppress other minorities today. Take a quiz to see how much you know about Asian Americans at: www.BeyondTheBambooCurtain.com

About Michael Soon Lee Dr. Lee is a professional speaker on diversity, equity, and inclusion and the author of nine books including "Cross-Cultural Selling for Dummies" and "Black Belt Negotiating". He has spoken over 1,000 times around the world to companies like Coca-Cola, Chevron, Boeing, and General Motors. His career includes being a motion picture producer and actor, dean of a university business school, chairman of the board of a credit union, award-winning real estate broker, and more. Email: [email protected] Phone: (925) 864-8848 Website: www.BeyondTheBambooCurtain.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/another-example-of-yellow-privilege-301831223.html SOURCE Dr. Michael Soon Lee

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[May 23, 2023] The Pattis Family Foundation and the Newberry Library Announce 2023 Chicago Book Award Recipient

Chicago Author Toya Wolfe to receive the $25,000 Pattis Book Award for her debut novel, Last Summer on State Street CHICAGO, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Newberry Library and The Pattis Family Foundation are pleased to announce the winner of the second annual $25,000 Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award. Toya Wolfe, author of Last Summer on State Street, will receive the award, which celebrates works that transform public understanding of Chicago, its history, and its people. "Toya Wolfe's debut novel is an endearing, memorable, and page-turning work with broad appeal and deep 'Chicago heart,'" said Daniel Greene, former President and Librarian of the Newberry and Pattis Award jury member. "Set during an important turning point in the history of public housing in Chicago, Last Summer on State Street is a compelling story of friendship, community, and home." "It is such an incredible blessing to receive the Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award," said Toya Wolfe. "Last Summer on State Street is my debut novel, and to win a prestigious award for my first literary endeavor is wildly affirming and will support me as I begin writing a new novel and TV pilots. I am so grateful to The Pattis Family Foundation and the Newberry Library for establishing this award; on behalf of Chicago writers, thank you for all the ways in which you lift us up and cheer us on!" The Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award is open to writers working in a variety of genres, including history, biography, social sciences, poetry, drama, graphic novels, and fictionall relating to Chicago. Dawn Turner received the inaugural Pattis Award in 2022 for Three Girls from Bronzeville. In addition to awarding Toya Wolfe, the juried panel also recognizes Heather Hendershot as the shortlist award recipient for authoring When the News Broke: Chicago 1968 and the Polarizing of America. Hendershot will receive an award of $2,500. Mark and Lia Pattis of The Pattis Family Foundation commented: "The purpose of our series of book awards is to shine a spotlight on exemplary books and to enhance public understanding of various subject matters. We are delighted to continue our partnership with the Newberry Library in order to engage Chicagoans with authors and works that transform understanding of our city, its history, and its people. The selection of Toya Wolfe's poignant debut novel, Last Summer on State Street, is a terrific fit with the prize's goal. Our congratulations to Toya and our gratitude to the Newberry and the committee members."



The presentation of the 2023 Pattis Family Foundation Chicago Book Award takes place at a free, public event at the Newberry Library on Saturday, July 15, 2023. Toya Wolfe will receive the award and discuss Last Summer on State Street with Gail Kern Paster, Interim President and Librarian at the Newberry. The event will also serve as a celebration of the power of storytelling and Chicago, featuring a roster of speakers whose work in the city strives to change our communities for the better. About Last Summer on State Street

Felicia "Fe Fe" Stevens lives with her loving mother and older brother in Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes. It's the summer of 1999, and her high-rise is to be torn down by the Chicago Housing Authority. She and two other girls from the housing project form a tentative trio and carve out for themselves a simple life of double Dutch and innocence. As their beloved neighborhood falls down around them, so too do their friendships and the structures of their families. Decades later, as she remembers that fateful summer  just before her home was demolished, her life uprooted, and community forever changedFe Fe tries to make sense of the grief and fraught bonds that still haunt her and attempts to reclaim the love that never left. Profound, reverent, and uplifting, Last Summer on State Street explores the risk of connection against the backdrop of racist institutions, the restorative power of knowing and claiming one's own past, and those defining relationships which form the heartbeat of our lives. Interweaving moments of reckoning and sustaining grace, debut author Toya Wolfe has crafted an era-defining story of finding a homeboth in one's history and in one's self. About the Newberry Library The Newberry Libraryfree and open to the publicfosters a deeper understanding of our world by inspiring research and learning in the humanities and encouraging conversations about ideas that matter to diverse audiences. The Newberry's extensive collection includes maps, city directories, printed histories, newspapers and periodicals, and archival materials documenting business, journalism, publishing, activism, and the arts across Chicago and the Midwest. Every year, thousands of writers, artists, scholars, teachers, and students visit the Newberry, contributing to its diverse community of learning. About The Pattis Family Foundation With a history originating from book and magazine publishing, The Pattis Family Foundation actively supports programs that elevate the value of the written word and intellectual inquiry. In addition, The Pattis Family Foundation supports various health, educational, and cultural initiatives as well as programs that help bridge the opportunity gap for talented students with limited financial resources. Media Contact:

Vanessa Walilko

[email protected]

(312) 702-1342, ext 5 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-pattis-family-foundation-and-the-newberry-library-announce-2023-chicago-book-award-recipient-301831357.html SOURCE The Newberry Library

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[May 23, 2023] UL Solutions Laboratory in Taipei Approved for Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 Host and Device Product Certification Testing

This approval allows UL Solutions to help manufacturers adhere to relevant interoperability requirements and demonstrate their compliance in the marketplace. NORTHBROOK, Ill., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, today announced that its laboratory in Taipei, Taiwan, is now approved by Intel Corporation to conduct Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 host and device product certification testing. The UL Solutions Taipei laboratory conducts electrical and functional testing on Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 host products, such as laptop and desktop computers and monitor and docking station devices. Thunderbolt 4 is the next-generation connectivity solution capable of transferring data, outputting a display and providing power. Thunderbolt 4 builds on the innovation of Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, providing a 40 Gigabits per second (Gbps) connection for data and video, and up to 100 watts of power over a single connection. Thunderbolt 4 is the most comprehensive Thunderbolt specification to date. It complies with the broadest set of industry-standrd specifications, including USB4, DisplayPort and PCI Express (PCIe), and is fully compatible with prior generations of Thunderbolt and USB products.



"Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 are powerful connectivity technologies for transmission of both power and high-throughput digital content. UL Solutions is proud to help our customers advance the performance of products using Thunderbolt by evaluating compliance against specifications and applicable standards," said Eric Bulington, product management director in the Engineered Materials group at UL Solutions. "As a global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions helps empower Thunderbolt host and device manufacturers through rigorous performance and safety compliance evaluation." "UL Solutions' certification program is important to the continued success of Thunderbolt and demonstrates to customers that products meet the compliance and interoperability requirements expected of the Thunderbolt standard," said Jason Ziller, general manager, Client Connectivity Division at Intel. "We are pleased to have them as an authorized test center for hosts and devices."

UL Solutions evaluates Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4 host and device products based on Thunderbolt specifications and UL/IEC 62368-1, Audio/Video, Information and Communication Technology Equipment - Part 1: Safety Requirements. Please contact UL Solutions at [email protected] for additional information about the UL Solutions service offering under the Thunderbolt Certification Program. Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

USB4  is a trademark of USB Implementers Forum.

is a trademark of USB Implementers Forum. DisplayPort is a trademark of the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA  ).

). PCIe is a trademark of PCI-SIG. About UL Solutions

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 100 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers' product innovation and business growth. The UL Certification Marks serve as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers' products and reflect an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains, and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage. PRESS CONTACT:

Steven Brewster

UL Solutions

[email protected]

T: +1 (847) 664.8425 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ul-solutions-laboratory-in-taipei-approved-for-thunderbolt-3-and-thunderbolt-4-host-and-device-product-certification-testing-301831702.html SOURCE UL Solutions

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BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Despite a rising challenge of global trade fragmentation, China remains a key part of the value chain in the Asia-Pacific region, chief economist of Asian Development Bank (ADB) Albert Park said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

China contributed 37.6 percent of the region's total trade growth in goods, and 44.6 percent of total trade growth in services in 2022, according to the Asian Economic Integration Report 2023 recently released by the ADB.

"There is a lot of intermediate goods trade among countries in the Asia-Pacific, and China's share of intermediate goods has been increasing over time. So, China is definitely still a key part of the supply chain relationships in the region," Park said.

According to the report, regional trade integration continues to deepen, although the regional value chain displays stronger linkages in primary and low-technology sectors than in high-technology and business services.

"I think under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, the supply chain relationships and the complexity of the supply chain relationship should increase over time," Park added.

Whereas the European Union and North American intraregional trade shares have stagnated over the past three decades, Asia-Pacific's intraregional trade has grown steadily, in part due to the weight of China, according to the report.

"Something unique about the Asia-Pacific is a commitment of a lot of governments in the region to be part of an open multilateral trading system and to integrate their economy with other economies of the region," Park said.

Expressing confidence in the prospect of the Chinese economy, Park noted that China will reach the GDP growth target of around 5 percent this year.

"Even though there's been a little bit of weakness in some of the April numbers, we still think that the recovery is on track," he said, adding that the ADB will probably upgrade its forecast for China's GDP growth when releasing its upcoming report in June, given that China's economic performance in the first quarter was beyond market expectations.

Acknowledging that Chinese consumers have yet to fully regain their confidence, Park said he believes domestic demand will eventually see a boost. "There's going to be recovery momentum in China just as we saw in other Asian countries after the pandemic as sentiment improved and demand came back."

China has created the world's largest and most dynamic middle-income group, with over 400 million people. In the next 15 years, the country's middle-income group is expected to exceed 800 million, further driving the development of an enormous market.

"The Chinese market is so big now. Multinational companies who want to sell in China to this very large and growing market are going to have a strong interest in being here and producing for local customers," Park said, noting that China will continue to be an attractive place for global businesses. 
[May 23, 2023] AJ Singh joins Chorus Intelligence as Head of Sales for North America

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chorus Intelligence welcomes AJ Singh as the Head of Sales for North America (NA). Singh's 20-year history within law enforcement and cybersecurity is a great match for this newly created role. The growing NA team has been focused on building relationships with law enforcement at the Local, State, and Federal level in order to understand their needs and to ensure that the Chorus Intelligence Suite (CIS) delivers investigative value. With agencies from Florida to Alaska onboarded, the need for additional and strategic staff was an important action item Neil Chivers, CEO of Chorus Intelligence said: "The appointment of AJ Singh to the Head of Sales role in North America is an important milestone and enabler for our team and mission. With a growing number of clients from the Federal, State and Local law enforcement sectors now using theChorus Intelligence Suite (CIS) it was important to hire the right person with the correct qualities and experience to underpin and drive our onward exponential growth."



Chivers continues: "AJ reports directly to me and is a key member of the Chorus global Senior Management Team, I am delighted that he has accepted my offer to join the team." Chorus Intelligence began their search for the right candidate to fill the Head of Sales position, when interest in their digital intelligence and analytics platform began sweeping across the U.S.

With agencies from Florida to Alaska onboarded, the need for additional and strategic staff was an important action item for Chivers and the Senior Management Team. AJ Singh said: "I was immediately drawn to Chorus Intelligence's mission, creating solutions that help support analysts and law enforcement with complex data challenges." Singh brings 10 years of experience as an FBI Agent working on cyber investigations in Dallas, Texas; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Head Quarters; and Kyiv, Ukraine. In addition to his cyber investigative work with the FBI, Singh was a Firearms Instructor. After his 10 years with the FBI, he navigated to the private sector where he has spent the last 10 years in sales leadership, including technical, value-based selling experience in startups iSIGHT Partners and Root9B, which were acquired by FireEye and Deloitte, respectively. In his free time, Singh spends time with his family, travels as much as possible, and volunteers with a non-profit combatting human trafficking. About Chorus Intelligence

Chorus Intelligence is a trusted supplier of data cleansing, analysis, search and entity enrichment software for law enforcement, government agencies, financial and corporate institutions across the globe. Made up of one platform and a single user interface, the Chorus Intelligence Suite (CIS) can be used by all, no matter your role, to get answers from your data. Founded in 2011, Chorus is used by most agencies in the UK and many North American agencies. Be empowered at every stage of an investigation to confidently turn data into intelligence and evidence. chorusintel.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aj-singh-joins-chorus-intelligence-as-head-of-sales-for-north-america-301831005.html SOURCE Chorus Intelligence - North America

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[May 23, 2023] Know Labs Joins IPBC Global 2023 to Discuss the Importance of Strategic IP Development in Maximizing Shareholder Value

Know Labs (NYSE American: KNW), an emerging developer of non-invasive medical diagnostic technology, today announced that Pete Conley, its Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President of Intellectual Property (IP), will speak at the upcoming 2023 Intellectual Property Business Congress (IPBC) Global event in June - the world's largest gathering of leaders and decision-makers operating in the global IP market. Mr. Conley is participating as a panelist in a discussion titled, "Make Your CFO an IP Believer," with other IP leaders from HP, Uber, and Deloitte. With over 35 years of experience at the intersection of IP-related corporate finance, investment banking, and the forecasting of emerging technologies, Conley will speak to how a CFO should consider IP as a company's most valuable asset, including avoiding the cost-center trap and explaining why a diversified, strategically developed IP portfolio can be the key to an organization's success. He will also highlight how Know Labs became a global IP leader in the non-invasive blood glucose monitoring category and the biggest challenges currently facing IP leaders. "From my decades of experience in the IP space, I have developed a deep understanding of the correlation between patent leadership and value creation, and I am eager to delve into this topic with my colleagues at IPBC," said Mr. Conley. "At Know Labs, patents and IP are the bedrock of our strategy for industry leadership. From this discussion, I'm hopeful my unique perspective can inform other leaders about how these essential roles can work harmoniously together and create sustainable competitive advantage and long-term shareholder value." Mr. Conley has spearheaded Know Labs' IP strategy for the past three years as the company continues to expand its industry-leading patent portfolio. As of March 31, 2023, Know Labs has been ranked by ipCapital Group, a leading patent analytics firm, as the number one patent holder in non-invasive glucose monitoring with more than 159 patents issued and pending, a 62 percent increase from 2022's year-end total of 98 patents issued and pending. This increase reinforces KnowLabs' goal of positioning itself as the leading worldwide IP holder in non-invasive blood glucose monitoring, and leveraging IP as key to its foundational business strategy. Currently, blood glucose monitoring is the company's clinical focus; however, the extensive patent portfolio for its Bio-RFID technology platform reflects more expansive applications in areas across medical diagnostics, clinical research and industrial analytics.



Mr. Conley's panel discussion will take place on June 14th from 1 - 2 p.m. PT at IPBC Global 2023 in San Diego, CA. For more information on his session, visit events.iam-media.com/event/. To learn more about Know Labs, visit https://www.knowlabs.co/. About Know Labs, Inc.

Know Labs, Inc. is a public company whose shares trade on the NYSE American Exchange under the stock symbol "KNW." The Company's technology uses spectroscopy to direct electromagnetic energy through a substance or material to capture a unique molecular signature. The Company refers to its technology as Bio-RFID. The Bio-RFID technology can be integrated into a variety of wearable, mobile or bench-top form factors. This patented and patent-pending technology makes it possible to effectively identify and monitor analytes that could only previously be performed by invasive and/or expensive and time-consuming lab-based tests. The first application of our Bio-RFID technology will be in a product marketed as a non-invasive glucose monitor. It will provide the user with real-time information on blood glucose levels. This product will require U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance prior to its introduction to the market. Safe Harbor Statement This release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements appear in a number of places in this release and include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Know Labs, Inc., its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) financing plans; (ii) trends affecting its financial condition or results of operations; (iii) growth strategy and operating strategy; and (iv) performance of products. You can identify these statements by the use of the words "may," "will," "could," "should," "would," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," "likely," "forecast," "probable," "potential," and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Know Labs, Inc.'s ability to control, and actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. These risks and uncertainties also include such additional risk factors as are discussed in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, Forms 10-Q and 8-K, and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of our website at www.knowlabs.co. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005163/en/

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[May 23, 2023] PDS Partners with Absorb LMS to Expand Vista HCM

BLUE BELL, Pa., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PDS, a leading provider of human capital management (HCM) solutions, today announced that it has formed a partnership with Absorb LMS Software, an AI-powered learning management system (LMS) provider that inspires learning and fuels business productivity. PDS has entered a referral partnership with Absorb and is working together to integrate PDS Vista HCM solution.

Absorb is a perfect referral partner for PDS, said Pat Palmer, president, and CEO at PDS. While our Vista HCM solution offers learning management planning and tracking capabilities, Absorbs robust solution will offer our customers a configurable platform where they can host their own learning content in an engaging way. Absorb participated in our user group conference event in Fort Worth, Texas in May 2023. We were thrilled with the response from our user community, and already our team is working with Absorb on many proposed customer solutions. We are enthusiastic about the opportunity that this partnership has to offer. Absorb is a modern LMS designed for extensibility and integration, including with HCM solutions. We are very pleased to offer and support PDS as a partner, said Raechelle Kelley, Senior Vice President, Global Channel Partnerships of Absorb. Our LMS solution will work well with PDS Vista HCM to offer their customers a powerful learning solution. We highly value our partnership with PDS. About Absorb Software Asorb Software is an AI-powered learning management system (LMS) provider for all learners inside and outside an enterprise, across industries globally. Purpose-built for an engaging, personalized learner experience and efficient administration, Absorb LMS enables millions of employees, customers, partners, and members to discover, absorb, and apply the knowledge they need. From meeting compliance to motivating learners, up-skilling/re-skilling to improving productivity, and creating/curating to monetizing course content, the platform simplifies learning and amplifies potential. For more information, visit https://www.absorblms.com/.



About PDS PDS is a leading provider of HCM systems offering a core suite of recruiting, onboarding, human resource, benefits, payroll, and time and attendance software throughout the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. PDS Vista suite enables organizations to minimize the time invested in administrative HCM and payroll activities by streamlining and automating those processes and facilitating strategic decision-making capabilities. Its innovative, personalized technology is backed by a team of experts who know your name, so you get a truly personalized experience your way, on your terms.

Founded in 1974, PDS is a privately held company headquartered in Blue Bell, Pa. For more information on PDS or PDS Vista solution and services visit https://www.pdssoftware.com/. PDS and the PDS logo are registered trademarks and Vista is a trademark of Personnel Data Systems, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are properties of their respective owners. Learn more about Vista product capabilities in our Vista Highlights info sheet and in this brief product overview video.

Contact Patricia Palmer [email protected]

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[May 23, 2023] Bouclair Selects PredictSpring Modern POS for its Omni-Channel Expertise in the Home Furnishings Vertical

PredictSpring, a leader in omni-channel commerce and modern POS technology, today announced that Bouclair, the home furnishings and decor brand known across Canada, has completed the integration of PredictSpring's modern POS into all of its retail locations. PredictSpring's modern POS platform provides a seamless customer and store associate experience for Bouclair's customers across all channels. "For over 50 years, Bouclair has been committed to offering our customers not only stylish and affordable home furnishings, but also a personalized and enjoyable shopping experience," said Peter Goldberg, President & CEO of Bouclair. "As part of that, we knew it was important to innovate and modernize our POS platform in order to connect the instore and online experiences for both our store associates and customers. PredictSpring was able to develop and bring to market a powerful POS solution in a matter of months, and we're excited that it has been successfully integrated into all of our locations in Canada." PredictSpring's modern POS, designed specifically for the home furnishings industry, will provide Bouclair with the ability to offer its customers the following enhancements: Full POS and mPOS - PredictSpring Modern POS is deployed both as a fixed POS with cash drawer and printer as well as an mPOS device running on an iPhone or iPad.

Clienteling - Customer 360.

Omni-channel Commerce - Support for endless aisle, buy online return in-store (BORIS), buy online pickup in-store (BOPIS), and buy online fulfill in-store (BOFIS).

Inventory Management - Support for real-time inventory visibility across all channels, inventory receiving, cycle counting store transfers, and inventory adjustments.



The features in PredictSpring's modern POS designed specifically for the home furnishings industry provide brands and retailers with several notable benefits, including speeding up the path to purchase by offering cashless and counterless checkout, providing a complete 360-degree view of the customer allowing for more personalized interactions with customers, and seamlessly bridging the online and in-store experience.

PredictSpring Modern POS is available in 25 countries including US, UK, Canada, Australia, South Korea and has achieved fiscal compliance for POS software in European countries including France, Austria, Italy, Portugal, Germany, and in Mexico. About PredictSpring PredictSpring is the leading omni-channel commerce platform in the retail POS market. PredictSpring Modern POS provides a seamless in-store experience for brands with support for full POS, mPOS, cash management, clienteling, endless aisle, inventory management and curbside pickup. PredictSpring Modern POS connects the online and in-store customer journey and enables brands to engage with customers by offering fast and seamless omni-channel journeys. PredictSpring Content Management System (CMS), the leading no-coding commerce platform, enables retailers to create highly customized on-brand experiences along with in-store promotions and loyalty integrations. Founded by the visionary behind Google Shopping, PredictSpring powers omni-channel experiences for the world's leading brands and retailers, including Bouclair, Deciem, Movado, LoveSac, Steve Madden and Suitsupply. To learn more, visit www.predictspring.com About Bouclair Based in Montreal, Bouclair is a lifestyle brand with a unique offering of in-house designed home fashion decor and furniture. Our 900+ employees are all committed to deliver on our promise to inspire our customers thanks to beautiful product, exceptional shopping experiences and aspirational environments in our 54 stores across Canada and online. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230522005692/en/

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[May 23, 2023] Zero Net Energy Buildings Global Market Report 2023: Sector to Reach $109.3 Billion by 2027 at a 20.6% CAGR

DUBLIN, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Zero Net Energy Buildings: Global Markets" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report addresses opportunities in NZE buildings (both commercial and residential) on a broad regional basis divided into four segments: the Americas; Europe; the Middle East and Africa (MEA); and the Asia-Pacific region (APAC). Regional forecasts will include breakouts by building type (e.g., commercial, government, residential), as well as new construction versus renovation and by technology investment area (e.g., HVAC, lighting, building materials, design and consulting and construction services). Economic, environmental, regulatory, manufacturer and technological factors influencing demand are also discussed. NZE building currently comprises a minimal share of the global construction market. It presently contains less than 1% of the worldwide building stock. But the investment opportunities in the NZE building sector are enormous.



The publisher estimates that the global NZE building market should increase from $42.9 billion in 2022 to $109.3 billion by the end of 2027. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.6% during the forecast period.



The global market is led by the Americas (including Latin American countries), with 47.4% of the total revenue generated by market participation in 2022, followed by Asia-Pacific. Asia-Pacific is expected as the fastest-growing region due to the building boom both in China and other countries. By the end of 2027, APAC is expected to account for 33.2% of the global market for NZE building whereas Europe is expected to account for 18.5%.



The global data reflects the conversion of existing buildings to ZNE and new construction, with new construction driving global growth.



In this report, subsequent chapters will analyze both the progress and policies of selected countries. European Union (E.U.) measures and Europe's high energy costs should drive this region's largest countries toward ZNE. Topics specifically excluded from the study as considered beyond the scope of this report include energy sourcing and business opportunities not directly tied to ZNE buildings, including utilities, energy arbitrage and efficiency measures for non-ZNE implementations. Report Includes An overview of the global market for zero net energy buildings

Estimation of the market size and analyses of global market trends, with data from 2021, 2022, estiates for 2023 with projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2027

Highlights of the current and future market potential and quantification of zero net energy buildings market based on type, end-user, and region

Identification of market drivers, restraints and other forces impacting the global market and evaluation of current market size and forecast

Detailed analysis of the regulatory framework and policies and technological changes within the industry

Market share analysis of the key companies of the industry and coverage of their proprietary technologies, strategic alliances, and other key market strategies and a relevant patent analysis.



Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Summary and Overview Chapter 3 Energy Conservation Measures and Lessons Learned from Early Adopters Energy Conservation Measures

Lessons Learned from Early Adopters

New Commercial Construction

Hvac

Lighting

Retrofitting Commercial Buildings

Major Renovations Chapter 4 Renewable Energy Status Overview

Heat Pumps

Solar Power

Bioenergy Chapter 5 Government Regulations Introduction

Department of Energy Reference Model

California's Title 24 Example

Title 24 Example Government Incentives

Industry Association Positions

Zero Net Energy Verification

European Union's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive

Asia-Pacific Rating Systems

Australia

Bangladesh

China

India

Japan

New Zealand

South Korea

Singapore's Green Mark Chapter 6 Building Industry Opportunities Introduction

Opportunities

Small Buildings Provide Big Opportunities

Generating Scale to Encourage Investment

Leveraging City Groups

Easing Energy Service Delivery

Financing Considerations

Improving Zero Net Energy Policy Test Value

Aligning Projects to Building Investment Triggers

Partnering With Members of the Ecosystem

Tenants' Power to Influence Zero Net Energy

Learning from Leaders

Zero Net Energy Job Creation

Economics and Renewable Options

Off-Grid Zero Net Energy Buildings

Zero Energy Beyond a Single Building

Early Results of Zero Net Energy Measures Chapter 7 Zneb Market by Project Type Global Market for Zneb by Project Type

Regional Markets for Zneb by Project Type Chapter 8 Zneb Market by Product/Service Global Market for Zneb by Product/Service

Regional Markets for Zneb by Product/Service Chapter 9 Zneb Market by Region Global Zneb Market by Region

Americas

Europe

Asia-Pacific

Middle East Africa Chapter 10 Company Profiles Chapter 11 Appendix: Other Company Profiles Companies Mentioned Altura Associates Inc.

Bouygues

China State Construction Engineering Corp. Ltd.

Daikin Industries Ltd.

Effiage Construction

Ferrovial

Holcim

Hochtief

Integrated Environmental Solutions (Ies) Ltd.

Johnson Controls International plc

Kingspan Group plc

Net Zero Energy Buildings Ltd.

Saint-Gobain

Schneider Electric

Skanska

Strabag

Vinci

Architectural Firms

Aecom

Aedas

Dp Architects

Foster & Partners

Gensler

Hok Group

Ibi Group

Nikken Sekkei

Perkins & Will

Samoo Architects & Engineers

Construction Firms

Acs Group

Bechtel

Fluor

Saipem

Building Systems Firms

Abb

General Electric

Honeywell

Siemens

Leading Nze Buildings

National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado

Pearl River Tower

Wwf Complex in Zeist, the Netherlands

Cornell Tech Campus, New York City

Pusat Tenaga Malaysia's Zero Energy Office

Darla Moore School of Business

of Business Omega Center for Sustainable Living

Suzlon's One Earth Headquarters

Beddington Zero Energy Development For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kuaw37 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

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[May 23, 2023] U.S.-Canada Chinatown Solidarity Conference Hosted in Vancouver's Chinatown Neighbourhood

Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, with support from the U.S. Mission to Canada along with federal and local partners, is hosting the U.S.-Canadian Chinatown Cultural Preservation & Revitalization conference. Titled "Chinatown Solidarity'', the conference will run from May 23-24. This inaugural conference will provide a platform for U.S. and Canadian Chinatown communities, cultural and economic development leaders, and public safety experts to exchange ideas on how to best revitalize Chinatowns and build economic and knowledge networks among U.S. and Canadian counterparts. Chinatowns stand as important living monuments to the sacrifices and successes Chinese Canadians and Chinese Americans have made in the formation of both nations. While Chinatowns have experienced several booms and declines since the 1860s, they are communities that have experienced significant economic and social challenges immediately before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference will serve as a platform to discuss best practices and future partnerships between American and Canadian Chinatown organizations. Fifty representatives from 18 Chinatowns across the United States and Canada will attend, alongside Canadian and U.S. dignitaries, including U.S. Ambassador to Canada David L. Cohen, U.S. Consul General in Vancouver D. Brent Hardt, Canada's Minister for International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng and Mayor of Vancouver Ken Sim. The conference will produce a toolkit to help guide revitalization efforts applicable to American and Canadian Chintowns and promote greater collaboration and connections between businesses, organizations and cultural leaders. Ambassador Cohen, Minister Ng, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai (virtually), and Mayor Sim will deliver opening remarks at the event.



"The United States and Canada share much more than just a border or a close trading relationship. We share stories-of resilience, hope, and strength. This is what defines our Asian and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) communities on both sides of our border," U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said during her opening remarks. "From Edmonton in the north to out west in Victoria-each of you are making a difference, and I thank you. Washington, DC, and Vancouver are 2,000 miles apart, but there is no gap in our vision to push and pull for one another, to fight for justice and equity, and to build a freer and fairer Canada and America," she continued. "From generation to generation, Chinatowns have long been pillars of our communities, embodying the spirit, resilience, and contributions of Chinese Canadians. They have been the centre of Chinese-Canadian commerce, community and culture," said Minister Ng. "The revitalization of Chinatowns is something that's close to my heart. It is not only about preserving physical spaces; it is about honouring our shared heritage, promoting inclusivity, and creating opportunities for economic growth."

"This is a critical moment for Chinatowns across North America. Chinatowns face similar obstacles, and up to today, leaders and organizations supporting preservation and revitalization efforts have not had an opportunity to connect, share knowledge and support each other," said Carol Lee, Chair of Vancouver Chinatown Foundation. "The conversations and learnings from the conference will have a direct impact on the future well-being of these important historic neighbourhoods." Vancouver's Chinatown stands as one of Canada's oldest and North America's third-largest Chinatown. Chinese Canadians make up almost 20% of Vancouver's metropolitan area's total population, according to the 2021 Canadian census, and have shaped the cultural identity of Vancouver. For more information about the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation, please visit www.chinatownfoundation.org About Vancouver Chinatown Foundation The Vancouver Chinatown Foundation is a registered charity committed to the revitalization of Chinatown, one of Canada's most iconic neighbourhoods in the historic heart of Vancouver. The Foundation builds more resilient and inclusive communities by promoting the well-being of those in need, while preserving Chinatown's irreplaceable cultural heritage. Learn more at chinatownfoundation.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005421/en/

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[May 23, 2023] Former National Cyber Director Chris Inglis Returns to Paladin Capital as Strategic Advisor

Paladin Capital Group, a cyber and advanced technologies investor, is pleased to announce that former National Cyber Director Chris Inglis will return to the firm as a Strategic Advisor. Inglis was the United States' first-ever National Cyber Director whose office spearheaded the drafting of President Joe Biden's National Cybersecurity Strategy announced in March 2023. Prior to his role in President Biden's Administration, Inglis served as a Managing Director at Paladin for seven years. "Chris Inglis is one of the brightest and most trusted minds in cyber," said Michael Steed, Founder and Managing Partner of Paladin Capital Group. "His service to our country as the first National Cyber Director resulted in a renewed commitment to defending our critical infrastructure through the ambitious National Cybersecurity Strategy that will guide us to a more secure digital future. We are deeply honored that he decided to come back to Paladin. His experience navigating some of the most pressing and prolific cyber issues will be an invaluable asset to the firm as we work to identify technologies of absolute need to support the world's cyber defenders." "Paladin has served as a critical vehicle for fueling cyber innovation and facilitating private-public collaboration for over two decades," said former National Cyber Director Chris Inglis. "The events of the past several years have demonstrated the absolute importance of ensuring strong partnerships between governments and private businesses in defending cyberspace. I am looking forward to returning to Paladin and once again assisting in their mission to build cyber resilience and trust through innovation." Inglis retired from the Department of Defense in 2014 after over 45 years of federal service, including 28 years at National Security Agency (NSA). He served in a number of roles at the NSA, and ultimately as its deputy director. A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, he holds dvanced degrees in engineering and computer science from Columbia University and the George Washington University. His military career includes over 30 years in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard, retiring as a brigadier general. Additionally, he served as a U.S. Naval Academy Looker Distinguished Visiting Professor for cyber studies and as a commissioner on the U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission.



Inglis will be a member of Paladin's Strategic Advisory Group (SAG), which consists of notable cyber experts who advise the firm's investment team on the cyber landscape. SAG members include former Congressman James Langevin - who joined Paladin as a strategic advisor in February - Vice Admiral (ret.) Jan Tighe, Sir David Omand, Richard Schaeffer, Richard Clarke, Dr. Mary Aiken, Jeremy Bash, H. Lee Buchanan, Florence Mottay, Mark Montgomery, Ciaran Martin, and Dr. Najwa Aaraj. Last year, Paladin announced the close of its $372 million Cyber Fund II, dedicated to investing in digital solutions of absolute need to advance, sustain, and defend critical infrastructure and modern society. Paladin was recently named one of the 10 most active venture capital cybersecurity investors in the world by PitchBook and a finalist for SC Media's Investor of the Year award.

About Paladin Capital Group Paladin Capital Group was founded in 2001 and has offices in Washington DC, New York, London, Luxembourg, and Silicon Valley. As a multi-stage investor, Paladin's core strength is identifying, supporting and investing in innovative companies that develop promising, early-stage technologies to address the critical cyber and advanced technological needs of both commercial and government customers. Combining proven investment experience with deep expertise in global security, cyber technology and cutting-edge research, Paladin has invested in more than 60 companies since 2008 and has been a trusted partner to investors, entrepreneurs and governments for over two decades. For more on Paladin Capital Group, follow us on Twitter at @Paladincap and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/paladin-capital-group or visit us at www.PaladinCapGroup.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005852/en/

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[May 23, 2023] Sierra Space Trains NASA's Jasmin Moghbeli and JAXA's Satoshi Furukawa for Dream Chaser Spaceplane Mission to International Space Station

Sierra Space, a leading, pureplay commercial space company building the first end-to-end business and technology platform in space, announced today it has achieved another significant milestone in the journey to the first flight of Dream Chaser. The company hosted its first-ever official training for astronauts from NASA and JAXA to learn the inner workings of the world's first commercial spaceplane. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005352/en/ Sierra Space recently trained NASA's Jasmin Moghbeli and JAXA's Satoshi Furukawa ahead of Dream Chaser Mission to ISS. (Photo: Business Wire) The astronauts - Jasmin Moghbeli (United States) and Satoshi Furukawa (Japan) - are two members of the upcoming SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). During their planned six-month stay, Dream Chaser will make its maiden voyage to deliver cargo to the ISS as part of NASA's Commercial Resupply Services-2 (CRS-2) contract. "We are honored to provide NASA cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station. The astronaut training is another important milestone as we complete the final preparations for Dream Chaser's first mission," said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice. "Our team provided a comprehensive training experience for these Crew-7 members to prepare them for when Dream Chaser berths at the ISS." Sierra Space compiled an eight-hour training session that took place on March 7 at the company's Louisville, Colorado, facility. Company specialists conducted the training, which was divided into four sections. Parts 1 and 2 were classroom training, while Parts 3 and 4 involved a full-size mock-up of Dream Chaser: Part 1: Dream Chaser Overview - Sierra Space team members gave Moghbeli and Furukawa a full briefing on Dream Chaser. Topics covered included systems identification and function, mission profiles (from launch and rendezvous to reentry ad landing), crew interfaces and operations (i.e., types of cargo, how to load/unload, etc.). At the end of Part 1, astronauts walked away with a full understanding of the hardware they will encounter on Dream Chaser once it is at the ISS. Part 2: Rendezvous and Proximity Operations (RPO) - This portion of the training covered required actions as Dream Chaser makes its approach and officially berths with the ISS. Sierra Space employees carefully reviewed the timeline, profile and procedural operations of the high-level system configuration involved in this critical part of the mission. Part 3: Dream Chaser Hardware Familiarization and Scenarios - The astronauts moved into a full-size mock-up of Dream Chaser. As they walked through the vehicle, Sierra Space employees identified hardware/systems and taught the astronauts how to operate and/or interface with each one. The astronauts also learned vehicle ingress/egress procedures, as well as discussed off-nominal scenarios.







"This was the portion of the training where the astronauts were blown away by Dream Chaser's massive size, often commenting, 'Wow, you can fit a lot of cargo in here,'" said Krista Abler, with Sierra Space's Flight Operations Mission Training team. "You can look at CAD drawings or read about Dream Chaser's dimensions all day long. But its immense capacity doesn't really register until you crawl inside. I think this is a reason why NASA is excited about our vehicle." Part 4: Cargo Transfer Scenarios - During the final portion of training, the astronauts learned how to properly and safely install/remove cargo from Dream Chaser, using the same procedures and operational tools as they will on orbit. They practiced with numerous restraints (i.e., straps, beams, etc.), identified hazards associated with cargo operations and ran scenario drills.



"This was probably the most important lesson of the day because the whole point of Dream Chaser coming to the ISS is to deliver cargo," Abler said. Click here to see photos and videos of Moghbeli and Furukawa undergoing training.

About Sierra Space Sierra Space is a leading, pureplay commercial space company at the forefront of innovation and the commercialization of space in the Orbital Age, building an end-to-end business and technology platform in space to benefit life on Earth. With more than 30 years and 500 missions of space flight heritage, the company is enabling the future of space transportation with Dream Chaser the world's only commercial spaceplane and is bringing LIFE (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) to low-Earth orbit with its modular, three-story commercial habitation and science platform. Both Dream Chaser and LIFE are central components to Orbital Reef, a mixed-use business park in LEO being developed by principal partners Sierra Space and Blue Origin, which is expected to be operational by the end of the decade. Sierra Space also builds and delivers a host of systems and subsystems across solar power, mechanics and motion control, environmental control, life support, propulsion and thermal control, offering myriad space-as-a-service solutions for the new space economy. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005352/en/

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[May 23, 2023] Tabatha Coffey, Jeannie Mai Jenkins, and Kendra Scott to Headline Vagaro's Annual iconic.23 Conference

Vagaro, the leading comprehensive business management platform for the beauty, fitness, and wellness industries, announced the company's 2nd annual user conference, iconic.23. The event will feature returning guest speaker Tabatha Coffey, celebrity hairstylist and television personality, as well as Jeannie Mai Jenkins, Emmy Award-winning television host, and Kendra Scott, Founder of Kendra Scott Lifestyle & Jewelry Company. "All three of our keynote speakers have unique and inspiring entrepreneurial journeys to share with our audience. From building their careers from the ground up, juggling multiple roles, and overcoming adversity to achieve success - we look forward to learning a lot from them, whether personal or professional," said Vagaro Founder and CEO, Fred Helou. The conference brings together professionals from beauty, fitness, and wellness to share industry perspectives and grow their networks over two days of ducational panels, breakout sessions, and complimentary wellness classes.



More than 400 service professionals from around the world attended Vagaro's inaugural event, where discussions led by renowned industry experts offered actionable insights and effective strategies for business and personal growth. "We received amazing feedback from attendees last year, so we were able to learn as much from them as they gained from our event. Meeting our users and prospects face-to-face is an invaluable experience, and we're both honored and excited to be able to do that again," said Vagaro's VP of Marketing, Charity Hudnall.

iconic.23 will be held on September 24-25 in San Diego, California in the historic Gaslamp Quarter. The event will also include giveaways and other special offers to be announced at the conference. Additional speakers include Paula Peralta, celebrity hairstylist and Paul Mitchell Artistic Director; Luka Hocevar, former professional athlete and founder of Vigor Ground Fitness and Performance, and more. Early bird priced tickets are available now! The event will also be livestreamed. To register or learn more, click here. Sponsorship opportunities for iconic.23 are still available. Please contact [email protected] About Vagaro Vagaro, Inc. is a leading business management and payment processing platform, and online marketplace for the beauty, fitness, and wellness industries. Service professionals in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia use Vagaro to manage, market and grow their business. Consumers choose Vagaro to search for and book wellness services on any device. To learn more, visit Vagaro.com and vagaro.com/pro View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523006004/en/

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[May 23, 2023] The Zahnd Team to Launch Guelph Real Estate Hub

GUELPH, ON, May 23, 2023 /CNW/ - The Zahnd Team, a real estate brokerage in Guelph, Ontario has announced they are opening the Guelph area's first Real Estate Hub  Real Broker Ontario Ltd. This revolutionary initiative provides a technology-powered real estate brokerage option for real estate professionals in Guelph and the surrounding area. Real Broker Ontario is a global technology-enabled real estate brokerage that creates financial opportunities for agents through better commission splits, best-in-class technology, revenue sharing and equity incentives. Additionally, they provide a suite of marketing services andproducts that help agents build their brand and business. This provides an edge to agents looking to take their career to the next level.



The Zahnd Team is one of Guelph's most innovative and forward-thinking real estate teams. They have seen how current market uncertainty has impacted agents in the area. They see the move to join Real as a way to provide a better brokerage option and better real estate success to agents in the Guelph & Surrounding Area. "We wanted to bring a new and modern brokerage option to Guelph." Says Zahnd Team Founder, Steve Zahnd. "Times have changed and real estate professionals need better options. For this reason, we are launching the first REAL powered real estate HUB for the agents of Guelph and Surrounding Area."

This move will help The Zahnd Team stay ahead of the curve by providing their agents with cutting edge tools designed to help them succeed in today's ever-changing real estate market. With this new partnership in place, agents at The Zahnd Team now have access to world class tools which will allow them to focus on what really matters  providing their clients with a 5-Star Real Estate experience! SOURCE The Zahnd Team

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MOSCOW, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Drones were shot down by the air defense system over Russia's Belgorod region bordering Ukraine, the region's governor said on Tuesday.

According to preliminary data, there are no victims and the consequences on the ground are being clarified, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a Telegram post, without disclosing if the drones were launched by Ukraine.

He said that the Grayvoron district and the Borisov district of the Belgorod region suffered drone attacks, which caused damage to several private residential buildings.

The Belgorod region, located next to Ukraine's Kharkov region, has recently been a center of hostilities.

A Ukrainian Armed Forces "sabotage and reconnaissance group" broke into the Belgorod region on Monday, according to the Russian side. But Kiev said that two Russian paramilitary groups were behind the operation in the region.

The Belgorod region has been under a counter-terrorist operation regime since Monday, which provides for special measures and temporary restrictions to ensure security. 
[May 23, 2023]

MP Mendes Announces 10,000 New Federally-Funded Trees for Saint-Lambert

SAINT-LAMBERT, QC, May 23, 2023 /CNW/ - Forests are a nature-based climate solution: trees contribute to biodiversity, protect and conserve water resources, and lower emissions by capturing and storing excess carbon. Forests and trees also clean the air that we breathe and help cool urban centres.

Today, Alexandra Mendes, Member of Parliament for BrossardSaint-Lambert, on behalf of the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, and Pascale Mongrain, Mayor of Saint-Lambert, announced nearly $400,000 in federal funding under the 2 Billion Trees program to support the planting of 10,000 trees in Saint-Lambert.

This project will revitalize local urban forest cover and replace aging trees and those affected by Dutch elm disease and the emerald ash borer. The trees will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also creating green spaces. This project will engage community organizations and encourage local participation and environmental awareness through tree planting and educational activities.

Earlier this month, as part of the Montreal Climate Summit, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced over $40 million in federal funding under the 2 Billion Trees program for three tree-planting initiatives across Montreal and Vaudreuil-Dorion, which will collectively support the planting of over 275,000 trees.

The Government of Canada's 2 Billion Trees program is helping to clean the air, keep neighbourhoods cool in the summer, create thousands of jobs and fight climate change while protecting nature. Currently, agreements are signed and under negotiation to support organizations and governments in planting over 260 millio trees.







By working together with provinces, territories, local communities and Indigenous Peoples, Canada continues to build a strong, healthy future for generations to come.

Quotes

"Trees are essential to our lives  they capture carbon, improve air quality and support wildlife  and they are important allies in our fight against climate change. That's why Canada has committed to planting two billion trees. Through this investment to plant 10,000 trees in Saint-Lambert, we are collaborating with municipal and local partners to help deliver more climate-resilient communities while delivering clean air for the next generation."

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson

Minister of Natural Resources

"Even within our urban sprawl, nature does not escape us. I am so pleased to see the City of Saint-Lambert take advantage of the 2 Billion Trees program by adding to its green scape. These trees represent the breath of our commitment for healthier communities. I am fortunate to represent a constituency that values our environment and our future. Saint-Lambert proves that where there's a will, there is always a way!"

Alexandra Mendes

Member of Parliament for BrossardSaint-Lambert

"Our urban forest is one of Saint-Lambert's greatest treasures. This grant will ensure its sustainability and over time will help maintain the remarkable canopy that covers our city. We are pleased with this federal support that will allow us to deliver a major planting project that will make a positive difference in our environment, especially in the current context of climate change."

Pascale Mongrain

Mayor of Saint-Lambert

Related Information



Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan ( http://twitter.com/nrcan )

SOURCE Natural Resources Canada
[May 23, 2023] Teton Advisors Announces Webinar to Review Operations. Marc Gabelli, Chairman, and Stephen Bondi, CEO, to Present Along With Executive Team

Teton Advisors, Inc. ("Teton") (OTCQX: TETAA) will hold a webinar to discuss its operations. Marc Gabelli, Teton's Chairman and Stephen Bondi, Teton's Chief Executive Officer, along with the Executive team, are to present the Company's recent financial results and going forward activities. "This is an exciting time for Teton Advisors. The company will continue to develop it multi-strategy asset management business uncovering opportunities within inefficient markets specializing in smaller companies while deploying its assets to build shareholder value," said Marc Gabelli. "With complementary investment teams expanding research coverage across the platform and marketing efforts levered against a larger organization, we believe value creation will be enhanced for both clients and shareholders," Marc Gabelli continued. The webinar The webinar will be held on May 24, 2023 at 8:30 am Eastern time (US and Canada) as part of Teton's Annual Meeting. You will need to register in advance for this webinar on the Company's Investor Relations page at https://www.tetonadv.com/register.



After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

ABOUT TETON Teton Advisors, Inc. (OTCQX: TETAA) is a specialist in smaller company investing, serving a diverse client base of institutional, high net worth and mutual fund investors under brands including TETON, TETON Westwood, Gabelli and Keeley. The company was founded on a commitment to uncover value by focusing on companies that are misunderstood or ignored by the market utilizing methodologies developed by investment pioneers Mario Gabelli and John L. Keeley, Jr. As active, fundamental investors, the Teton portfolio teams think independently and focus on identifying short-term market inefficiencies to generate long-term alpha. Teton's investment professionals share in the belief that being different is the cornerstone to discovering hidden value in equities. The Teton time tested investment approaches can help set apart your client portfolios, delivering differentiated attributes to round out a broader portfolio. From modest beginnings over 40 years ago, to today, The Disciplined Discovery of Value shapes the cornerstone for our clients' long-term success. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523006049/en/

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We've got a lot of info to share before we take a quick pause . . .

Our main point is familiar . . .

Violence in Kansas City's urban core won't stay confined there very long. The smell of blood travels fast and local lawlessness in on place typically inspires worsening crime in surrounding areas despite differing political ideologies.



Like it or not, we're all neighbors in the metro and municipal governance is, basically, nothing more than imaginary lines drawn on a map. A terrifying but accurate thought: We're all in it together.



And so . . . Right now this post provides a space where we want to gather recent crime info, police action, court cases and all manner of relevant reporting . . .

Check TKC news gathering . . .

Community reacts following double shooting along 39th Street The KCPD is investigating after a Monday afternoon shooting left one person dead and another critically injured.

2nd woman dies after Thursday night shooting in Kansas City, Kansas KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A second victim has died after three women were shot late Thursday night at a home in the 2700 block of North 123rd Street in Kansas City, Kansas. The KCK Police Department provided an update Monday that 51-year-old Penny Smith, who lived in the home, died Sunday at an area hospital.

Yarl shooting: Judge in Andrew Lester case makes no ruling on sealing case The attorney for the man accused of shooting a 16-year-old argued in court Monday to seal the case. Andrew Lester, 84, is charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action in connection with the shooting of Ralph Yarl. Lester did not appear in court on Monday, with the judge granting him an excused absence because Lester is in poor health.

Clay County mom faces decades in prison for daughters' deaths CLAY COUNTY, Mo. - A Clay County jury has recommended decades in prison for a Kearney woman convicted in the deaths of her two daughters. The jury convicted Jenna Boedecker of two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of 2-year-old Ireland Ribando and 7-week-old Goodknight Ribando on Friday.

4 Kansas City area men indicted for illegally trafficking machine guns; guns linked to shootings Four men from the Kansas City metro area were indicted Monday by a federal grand jury in a gun trafficking conspiracy. Some of those firearms were linked to prior shootings, court documents state. Antonio Manning, 21, Sheron Lamont Manning, 20, and Michael Dewayne Hardy, 20, and Dejohuan Mietz Huntley, 25, have all been charged with engaging in firearm sales without a license.

Body found in house fire leads to KCKPD homicide investigation KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - A body found in a house fire has led to a homicide investigation in Kansas City, Kansas. The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department said officers were dispatched to the 700 block of Broadview Avenue at 12:32 a.m.

Four people arrested in $1,600 shoplifting case near Liberty LIBERTY, Mo. - Police busted a car full of alleged shoplifters accused of stealing hundreds of dollars worth of clothes. The Clay County Sheriff's Office worked with both Liberty police and North Kansas City police to stop the suspects at a gas station around 1 p.m. Thursday.

KCMO man charged in February robbery of Lenexa GameStop KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The second suspect in a Feb. 12 robbery of a GameStop store in Lenexa, Kansas, has been charged, according to the Lenexa Police Department. Kennard L. White, 29, of Kansas City, Missouri, is currently in custody in Jackson County, Missouri, on unrelated charges.

Kansas City police union spokeswoman says she was cheated out of pay and wrongly fired A former spokeswoman for the union that represents Kansas City police officers has filed a lawsuit saying she was fired after asking questions about wages she was owed for her work. Jeanene Kiesling, who was fired by the union late last year, filed the lawsuit last month in Jackson County Circuit Court against the Kansas City Missouri Fraternal Order, Lodge No.

Why it's so hard to get the wrongly convicted out of prison in Missouri KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Christopher Dunn is convicted in a 1990 Saint Louis murder. His conviction was based largely in part on teenage eyewitnesses who are now adults and admit under oath they lied. Dunn has served 33 years and has fresh hope now that a prosecutor is asking a judge to vacate his conviction.

KC police identify three victims who died in shooting at Klimax Lounge over the weekend Three people who died in a shooting over the weekend at Kansas City, Missouri, bar and restaurant Klimax Lounge have been identified by police. KCPD says 41-year-old Jason McConnell, 24-year-old Antoinette Brenson and 33-year-old Clarence Henderson were all killed in the mass shooting. Two more victims remain in critical but stable condition, according to police.

KCPD Partners With Community, Law Enforcement Agencies To Reduce Violent Crime "This week the FBI is working in lockstep with our local, state, and federal partners as part of the Violent Crime Reduction Initiative," said FBI Kansas City Division Special Agent in Charge Charles Dayoub.

Family remembers, mourns mother of 3 killed in Klymax Lounge shooting KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Klymax, a nightclub in the middle of Kansas City's south Oak Park neighborhood, is now lined with yellow roses and loved ones' names memorialized in chalk. On Monday, neighbors in south Oak Park recalled a gun battle in their backyard that killed three people and injured two others over the weekend.

Developing . . .
The fight over cowtown history persists . . .

However . . . We're not sure that a local juice man still has enough, forgive the bad pun, "juice" to change the past.



Consider . . .

More than anything, East side residents have rejected street name changes not because of politics but over far more practical concerns. For instance, there's a very REAL fear that tinkering with streets will thwart prompt mail delivery.



Also . . .

The "Truth Avenue" suggestion is silly and seems like a suggestion devised by a failed screenwriter.

Here's relevant info about the process . . .





In September 2020, the council passed a resolution calling on commissioners with the Board of Parks and Recreation to identify a strategy to remove memorials and symbolic monuments of individuals who enslaved persons, promoted racism, or participated in the oppression or demonization of others.



Wednesdays Neighborhood Planning and Development Committee hearing is to consider tasking city staff to create a web page that would be used to get input from residents, business owners and property owners about renaming Troost Avenue. There would be a 45-day period to gather input, after which the city would provide a report.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
A question for the ages . . .

WHAT DOES SOMEBODY GET FOR DONATING BIG MONEY TO A KANSAS CITY POLITICO?!?



In some cases . . . Not much . . . Let's quickly explain . . .



Again, we go back to the Northland for a look behind the scenes at a controversial development.

Here's the aftermath of party times and more deets about an embattled Northland project . . .



The Chaves development sits on 87 acres next to the Ambassador Building near Cookingham and North Ambassador drives. When finished, it will house a range of businesses and hotels.







From convenience stores and gas stations to fast food establishments, restaurants and a service-oriented aviation support business, these pad sites will become integral parts of the community and the airport, Richard Chaves, CEO of Parking Company of America, said.



Leaders said the new amenities and airport parking options will generate more development, jobs and more than $6 million a year in sales tax for the city.



Here's Richard Chaves in the middle flanked by his dad, wife & assorted fam . . .



Now here's where things get even more interesting . . .

MAYOR Q DIDN'T SHOW AT THE EVENT!!! MAYBE HE DIDN'T WANT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHY THE DEAL IS STUCK IN COMMITTEE!!!

We can't say for certain . . .

But here are a few things to consider . . .

- MEC records show the Chaves fam have donated at least 50K to Mayor Q over recent years.

- Right now there's silly season debate because Chaves is also bankrolling "Northland Strong" and a slew of candidates who might cause Mayor Q trouble in his 2nd term.

- According to insiders . . . The local elite are watching this one closely in order to understand just what their donation buys amid the current political climate.

The fun part from our vantage here at www.TonysKansasCity.com . . .

So many local workers, neighbors and all manner of plebs on the lower end of the food chain eagerly await a resolution to this construction hold up amongst our betters.

Sure . . .

This is a bit above our pay grade and none of this filthy lucre is falling into our grubby hands but the politics of it all have implications for even the most broke-ass voter.

The main question from insiders seems to be . . .

Is Mayor's 2nd term going to be hostile to developers and political competition going forward???

You decide . . .


The lesson here is local news, social media chatter and protest signage STILL have the power to take down lowly administrator without much regard for any misguided commitment to public education.

Check-it . . .



Olathe Public Schools made the announcement Monday that Dr. Dale Longenecker has resigned and would not be returning to Olathe South.



"We recognize that this has been an especially challenging end of the school year for Olathe South and want to assure you that your administrative team and district leadership are committed to moving forward in the most productive way possible," the district said in a letter sent to families of Olathe South.



The resignation comes after the Olathe School District confirmed a racial incident happened at the school earlier this month.



Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Olathe South principal resigns following protests over reports of racism The principal of Olathe South High School is resigning. The resignation comes after the Olathe School District confirmed a racial incident happened at the school earlier this month. Students protested outside of the district's office last week. The protest occurred after a student was called a racial slur at the school.On Monday, Olathe Schools Superintendent Brent Yeager informed parents that Dale Longenecker resigned.

Olathe South High School Principal Dr. Dale Longenecker resigns KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Olathe South High School Principal Dr. Dale Longenecker has resigned, the district confirmed Monday. "I have some important information to share with you regarding a change in administrative staffing at Olathe South," Superintendent Dr. Brent Yeager said in a letter to parents.

Olathe South High School principal resigns following racial incidents, protests OLATHE, Kan. - The principal at Olathe South High School has resigned following recent protests and a walkout at the school related to recent racial incidents. Olathe Public Schools made the announcement Monday that Dr. Dale Longenecker has resigned and would not be returning to Olathe South.

Developing . . .
Dendias had the chance to reveal a gallery showcasing photo portraits of the ambassadors who have held the position of Permanent Representatives of Greece to the EU

AHEPAs District-28 presented Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias, who is currently visiting Brussels, with a commemorative plaque in acknowledgment of his accomplishments as Minister, as noted in a social media post by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Throughout his visit to Brussels, Dendias had the chance to reveal a gallery showcasing photo portraits of the ambassadors who have held the position of Permanent Representatives of Greece to the EU.

Read more at thenationalherald.com

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
An unclaimed winning Lotto Max ticket sold in Scarborough worth $70 million is about to expire June 28, 2023, if the winner doesn't step forward, according to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. - OLG photo
A 96-year-old Toronto Jewish man finally feels free after being circumcised. How his parents decision decades ago saved his life

Typically performed when baby boys are around eight days old, Armin Konn is nearly a century older than most Jewish boys are when they are circumcised
Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, reads out a letter written by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in reply to veteran experts and artists of the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC), and delivers a speech at a symposium celebrating the 60th anniversary of the NAMOC in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- A symposium celebrating the 60th anniversary of the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) was held in Beijing on Tuesday.

Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the event and delivered a speech.

Li read out a letter written by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in reply to veteran experts and artists of the NAMOC.

Since its establishment 60 years ago, the NAMOC has become an important platform that Chinese people can use to appreciate the fine arts, Li said.

Li called on the museum to focus on high-quality development, and continue using fine art works to tell China's stories, spread Chinese culture, and present a China that is credible, appealing and respectable to the world. 
KAMPALA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Troops from 10 East African countries on Monday began a two-week training at the United Nations Regional Service Centre in Uganda.

Personnel from Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda participated in the training that aims to create synergies and enhance the knowledge and understanding of peace support mission planning, said the East African Standby Force (EASF) in a statement.

"We cannot fulfil our mandate of enhancing peace and security without an effective planning entity for our region," said Uganda's Chief of Staff of the Air Force Brig. David Gonyi.

He said the training will enable regional countries to respond to scenarios like terrorism, election violence and disaster management.

"There is no doubt that the commitment given to this learning process is a clear testimony that capacity building and enhancement have a place they deserve in Africa and the region," Gonyi said.

The EASF, which consists of military, police and civilian components, was established to provide capability for rapid deployment of forces to carry out preventive deployment, rapid intervention, peace support and stability operations, and peace enforcement. 
The National Security Minister says he's "not involved in any form or manner of approval of 
A country steeped in history, rich in culture and abundant in breath-taking scenery; Bhutan has much to offer the Middle Eastern traveller in search of a truly unique travel destination

The first carbon negative country in the world is home to many luxury hotels and experiences and boasts a variety of activities for the whole family to enjoy

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, May 2023: A small land-locked country in Asia, nestled in the worlds highest peaks, Bhutan is a unique destination where happiness and peace of mind are contagious. The Himalayan Kingdom, also known as The Land of The Thunder Dragon is a destination for nature lovers, adventure aficionados, wildlife enthusiasts, culture buffs and those in search of a truly unique and captivating travel experience. Home to many luxury hotels, restaurants and bespoke experiences for travelers of all ages to enjoy, the country also offers a sophisticated escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

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Located between Tibet (China) and India, Bhutan exudes spirituality; inspiring the Kingdoms culture and creating a destination that welcomes people of all backgrounds and religions. This warm welcome creates an environment perfect for the Middle Eastern traveler, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Bhutan offers ease of accessibility for travelers from the region with transfers available from Delhi, Kathmandu and Calcutta  all within approximately a four-hour flight from the UAE and KSA. Other transfers include via Bangkok, Singapore and Bangladesh on a regular basis.

In September 2022, the Kingdom unveiled a new Tourism Strategy underpinned by transformations in three key areas: enhancements to its sustainable development policies, infrastructure upgrades, and the elevation of the guest experience. This strategy is driven by the Kingdoms commitment to sustainable practices, with a 200 USD (AED 735) daily tourist fee contributing to programs that preserve Bhutans cultural traditions, as well as sustainability projects, infrastructure upgrades and opportunities for youth. Part of this strategy was also the removal of the Minimum Daily Package Rate (MDPR); a minimum spend per day required by visitors. This tourism strategy gives visitors peace of mind that their expenses are making a positive impact on the environment and protecting it for generations to come.

With 70% of the country forested, Bhutan is the worlds first carbon negative country; reflecting the countrys unique approach to sustainable tourism. A pleasant year-round climate of warm to moderate temperatures with cool, crisp evenings makes Bhutan the perfect destination to visit any time of the year. There isn't just one Bhutan to discover; there are many. From storied cities, to soaring mountains, the door to the kingdom is open once again to old and new friends.

Hotels

Accommodation in Bhutan is of a very high standard, with a wide variety of choice available, ranging from home stays through to 3*, 4* and 5* hotels. There are nine different 5* luxury brands operating throughout the country, including Aman, Six Senses, Como, Taj, Le Meridien, Dusit, Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, Gangtey Lodge and the Bhutanese 5* brand Zhiwaling. There are also excellent 3* and 4* options for travellers on all kinds of budgets.

Bhutan for Families

With an abundance of outdoor activities and cultural experiences, Bhutan makes for the ideal destination for family travel. The Trans Bhutan Trail is a 403km hiking route, spanning from Haa in the West of Bhutan to Trashigang in the East, considered one of the worlds greatest walks and one of the best hiking routes in Asia. The not-for-profit sustainable tourism initiative showcases a unique piece of Bhutan's cultural heritage for the benefit of its people  with treks ranging from one hour to one month. Other family activities include archery camps, horse riding, white water rafting, animal spotting, traditional arts and crafts, and much more.

For those looking to catch sight of the breath-taking natural beauty from the air, there exist many private helicopter tours. This offers the unmissable opportunity to savour a unique vantage point of the many glimmering waterways and sweeping forests that can be found in the country.

Nature and The Outdoors

The Tigers Nest Monastery, also known as Paro Takstang, is one of Bhutans most recognized spots and makes for perfect hike destination. A small collection of buildings precariously perched on a cliff, 900 meters off of the ground, Tigers Nest Monastery is a stunning emblem of Bhutans rich culture.

As Himalayan country, Bhutan has a many beautiful rivers ideal for water sports. The most popular rivers for rafting are Mo Chu and Pho Chu in Punakha and rafting can be done throughout every season of the year. Archery, kayaking, trekking, mountain-biking, fishing, rock-climbing and paragliding are some of the other outdoor activities adventure lovers can enjoy amongst beautiful surroundings.

Wildlife

The expansive network of National Parks of Bhutan is home to an outstanding diversity of wildlife species and ecosystems. The lush tropical forest in the southern lowlands is home to tigers, rhinos, clouded leopards and sloth bears while the forests of the temperate zone are home to leopards, goral and serow and the national animal of Bhutan; the amazing Takin. Many bespoke tours offer visitors a chance to get up close and personal with these wonderful animals.

Culture

Bhutan has a rich cultural heritage that has been kept intact ever since it came into existence. Travelling the worlds happiest country, visitors will be amazed by the exotic beauty of myriad well-preserved heritage and fascinating tourist attractions, providing a sublime overview of real Bhutanese culture. The Kingdom follows the peaceful teachings and beliefs of Buddhism, reflected in the many breath-taking monasteries and temples open for visitors.

The people of Bhutan celebrate many festivals throughout the year such as Paro Tshechu, the spring festival celebrated in March, Gomphu Kora Festival in Trashigang and Haa Summer Festival. These colourful gatherings are celebrated with vigour and enthusiasm and make for a captivating visitor experience.

Cuisine

Inspired by local traditions and utilizing the many locally grown ingredients, Bhutan offers many delicious culinary delights. The food of Bhutan may have been influenced by India, China, and Tibet, but the local food still remains unique. Visitors can find many vegetarian restaurants within the country, providing many halal options for visitors. Many restaurants provide Arabic mezze and more than 50% of most menus offer vegetarian options with some of the five-star hotels offering halal-certified meats. Most of the fruit and vegetables in Bhutan are grown locally and are fully organic. All meat is imported as it is illegal to slaughter any living thing in Bhutan.

Wellness

Bhutan is blessed with an enchanting scenery and a soul-captivating aura providing everything that one looks for in a holiday to leave completely revived and rejuvenated. Bhutan boasts many Yoga & Meditation centers, including intensive programs to retreats, drop-in centers and hermitages creating ample opportunities to achieve a state of inner calm and zen. Visitors can also drop into a monastery and unwind in a quiet session with the resident monks while also soaking souls in a hypnotic scenery and soft Buddhist chants reverberating in the air.

For those looking to indulge in relaxing treatments, the many wellness centers and hotels offer soothing therapies and treatments traditional Bhutanese Healing Therapies and a unique treatment called Manchu also known as Hot Stone Bath Therapy, which involves heating river stones on fire until theyre red hot, then immersing them in wooden troughs of water to cure conditions like joint pains, arthritis, soreness, inflammation and even sinus.

As a biodiversity hotspot with several endangered species of flora and fauna and more than 7,000 species of vascular plants; the practice of traditional medicine in Bhutan is a key characteristic of the countrys approach to wellness. Cordyceps Sinensis, one of the worlds most popular superfoods, is a super mushroom with medicinal value that grows in the mountains of Bhutan.



A kingdom steeped in history, with a gaze fixed on the future, Bhutan is now entering a moment of evolution. Arriving guests will become partners in this transformative moment, making a meaningful contribution towards preserving what is priceless.

-Ends-

About Bhutan

From our reopening on September 23, visitors to Bhutan will make an active contribution to Bhutan's economic, social and cultural development. The Sustainable Development Fee enables investment in transformative programmes that preserve our cultural traditions, protect our heritage and environment, upgrade infrastructure, create opportunities for our young people, and build resilience. For more on the SDF, visiting Bhutan and our plans, visit www.bhutan.travel

For media queries, please contact:

Carissa Nimah

Chief Marketing Officer

Tourism Council of Bhutan

Email: cnimah@moice.gov.bt

Website: www.bhutan.travel

Facebook: www.facebook.com/destinationbhutan

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/tourismbhutan
By Jeff Murphy, May 23, 2023



Luminescent gold nanoparticles that may potentially play a role in bio-imaging were part of a published research project that involved a University of Central Missouri alumnus who collaborated as an undergraduate chemistry student with two faculty mentors and researchers at two international institutions.



WARRENSBURG, MO  Three years after earning a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, former Grain Valley resident Cole Scholtz continues to reap the benefits of his research experiences at the University of Central Missouri. He not only recently published a scholarly paper in cooperation with two of his former UCM professors and six scientists from across the globe, but the education he received helped ignite his passion for scientific research and prepared him for a rigorous doctorate in chemistry program that will launch his professional journey.



I chose to seek a Ph.D. because it would allow me to be in a leadership role, specifically in drug discovery, said Scholtz, who expects to complete his doctorate at the University of Minnesota in fall 2025. The degree allows me to work on the cutting edge of research and with teams of scientists leading the way forward in future jobs, where I ultimately want to lead a team of researchers in my career.



Teamwork is something Scholtz knows well through a collaboration that began for him in January 2018 and lasted through his graduation in fall 2020. His sophomore year at UCM, Scholtz joined then associate professors of chemistry, Jay Steinkruger, Ph.D., and Dr. Chen Zhou, Ph.D., on a project that involved the synthesis of molecules for use in preparing luminescent gold nanoparticles. Researchers believe these nanomaterials could be useful in bio-imaging efforts that could possibly aid in identifying and tracking the progression of diseases such as cancer.



I had taken an organic chemistry course from Professor Steinkruger and knew as a chemistry major that undergraduate research would help my goals moving forward, said Scholtz, who gained lab and undergraduate research experience working on this project.



Details about this research effort were made available this spring in an article in which Zhou was a corresponding author. The study appeared in the online international science journal, Colloids and Surface A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, and is titled Exploration of surface chemistry effects on the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of dual-ligand luminescent gold nanoparticles.



The UCM team had a significant role in this faculty-student research project along with an international group of scientists from two Chinese universities. These researchers are Yuequi Lin and Shengyang Yang, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University in Yangzhou; Shanghai Young, Xin Zhou, and Cui Du, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University; and Shasha Sun, School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering at Jiangso University, Zhenjiang.



My scientific background prepared me to make molecules, Steinkruger said. Dr. Zhous background is in using molecules to make gold nanoparticles. We completed these aspects of the study here at UCM in our undergraduate labs with support from the Office of Undergraduate Research which is currently being led by Dr. Jennifer Carson.



In 2015, Zhou received a grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research to support undergraduate student participation on this study. Prior to Scholtzs involvement, Zhou and Steinkruger worked with another undergraduate student, now Dr. Anthony Fatino, to investigate commercially available materials for this type or research.



The first part of this project, about the first year and a half, was spent synthesizing the ligands that are used to prepare the gold nanoparticles, Scholtz said. This time was mostly spent getting my feet wet, learning some different techniques in the lab, and exploring reactions that arent covered in a typical undergraduate organic chemistry course. This time was also spent learning the flow of research in how to change variables to investigate different hypotheses.



During the latter half of Scholtzs participation in this research, he continued to work with Zhou to synthesize luminescent gold nanoparticles.



The fact that these nanoparticles have the ability to take in light and put out light have intrigued researchers like Steinkruger and Zhou who are interested in discovering new ways in which they can be incorporated into drug delivery and bio-imaging. In a best case situation, it may be possible to direct these nanoparticles systems selectively into cancerous cells, which could be useful in tracking the growth of a tumor. While much more work needs to be done, this research was a step toward learning more about such possibilities, while also creating a tremendous opportunity for undergraduate student-faculty collaboration.



This was a very exploratory project, and both Professor Zhou and Professor Steinkruger were very eager to test nanoparticles with different ligand surfaces like the ones synthesized with Professor Steinkruger in the first half of the project, Scholtz said.



We spent two and one-half years working with Cole, doing everything in-house, Steinkruger said. Once we knew we could make the molecules, and once we knew we could make the nanoparticles, thats when Dr. Zhou brought in collaborators who did some experiments that we dont have the capacity to do here at UCM.



Scientists overseas conducted biological studies utilizing mice to determine such things as the length of time these nanoparticles could circulate in the blood, determine if they were being trapped in certain organs, and learn more about how they passed through the body of the animal.



Completing experiments in a mouse model is a very common approach for an initial in vivo study, which is an actual animal model system as opposed to a test tube or Petri dish, Zhou said.



Throughout the duration of the project, Zhou stayed in contact with the collaborators overseas as they completed the animal study. He also took a brief sabbatical to work on this research effort.



While data related to this study has been compiled into the published research paper, Cole spoke about the outcome noting, I think this highlights that there is much more work to be done in understanding how these nanoparticles function on a biological level, which I find exciting.



Both Steinkruger and Zhou praised the opportunity to have published a paper that was made possible through their former students contributions and in cooperation with other scientists. They look forward to making such opportunities available to future chemistry students knowing it will pay off for them, particularly if the students hope to pursue a graduate education. Whatever the students future plans, the experience is great preparation that also looks good on a resume.



Publishing in a peer-reviewed journal is one of the best outcomes one can hope for as an undergraduate student, Steinkruger said. But some people think if you attend a regional comprehensive university, as opposed to a flagship institution, that means you are sacrificing undergraduate research opportunities that can lead to publication. Our research team has documented multiple times that this is not the case at UCM.



Such experience has not only helped make Scholtz better prepared for the rigors of graduate school, but also helped him build strong connections with faculty who nurtured his interests.



I couldnt have asked for better mentors than Professor Zhou and Professor Steinkruger, Scholtz said. Being co-advised by both allowed me to explore different sides of the research project, but also allowed me to get a sense of different mentorship styles, as well.



He continued, Graduate-level research is all about perseverance when things fail, time management, analyzing data critically, and finding creative ways to investigate a hypothesis. Undergraduate research prepared me for all of these things, mostly through firsthand experience.



Upon the completion of his Ph.D., Scholtz hopes to join a pharmaceutical company, where he can aid in drug development and discovery. He hopes to someday lead teams doing research related to novel molecules, an area of interest ignited by his UCM undergraduate research experience.



I have no doubt that UCM was the correct choice for me in choosing an undergraduate institution, he said. The opportunities I received there and the chance to interact with faculty on a personal level gave me opportunities that allowed me to achieve my goals.





Cole Scholtz, a UCM alumnus from Grain Valley, Missouri, who graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, is pursuing a doctorate at the University of Minnesota, having benefitted from research experience as an undergraduate.
Portugal can train Ukrainian pilots to use F-16 fighter jets but cannot send its aircraft now.

Foreign Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho stated this on Monday, Ukrinform reports, referring to Euractiv.

Portugal is open to that possibility. We have very good pilots and trainers, and they are available to work with colleagues from other countries who also have F-16s to train Ukrainian pilots, Cravinho said.

He added that Portugal does not have an unlimited number of aircraft.

We have those [fighter jets] that we need to fulfil our national obligations and also in NATO, so, for now, this question does not arise, the minister said.

As reported by Ukrinform, on May 19, Ukrainian Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba stated that Portugal joined the fighter jet coalition and was ready to train Ukrainian pilots and engineers.

Denmark also expressed readiness to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets.

Italy is currently considering, together with its allies, the possibility of training Ukrainian pilots on military aircraft of Western models.
LHASA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Yak transport is an essential means of supply for scientific expeditions to Mt. Qomolangma, the world's highest peak which has challenging natural conditions.

Herdsmen living in Zhaxizom Township of Tingri County, the Chinese administrative township closest to Mt. Qomolangma, have been providing yak services to climbers in response to demand. The herdsmen's work of yak transport usually starts from walking the yaks onto the Mt. Qomolangma base camp at an altitude of 5,200 meters. Then they load these yaks with goods like oxygen cylinders and tents before heading for advance camp at an altitude of 6,500 meters on Mt. Qomolangma.



Besides transporting goods and materials, herdsmen here also take responsibility for picking up rubbish along their route back to the foot of the mountain.

This year, Chinese scientists have started a scientific expedition to the Mt. Qomolangma region in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, as part of the second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

This photo taken on May 18, 2023 shows yaks at the Mount Qomolangma base camp in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)

This photo taken on May 12, 2023 shows a herdsman at the Mount Qomolangma base camp in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Jigme Dorje)

This aerial photo taken on May 18, 2023 shows a yak caravan heading for the advance camp at an altitude of 6,500 meters on Mount Qomolangma in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)

Herdsmen tie up the goods at the Mount Qomolangma base camp in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)

A herdsman walks yaks to leave for the Mount Qomolangma base camp in the Zhaxizom Township of Tingri County, Xigaze City, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
The Donetsk regions Mariupol, upon its de-occupation, is expected to receive expert assistance from French cities regarding the development of infrastructure and coastal areas.

The relevant statement was made by Mariupol City Council on Telegram, following a meeting between Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Good relations have developed between France and Mariupol. We want to preserve and continue them. There are several French cities with similar geography to Mariupol, and their experience can be useful for the Ukrainian city, the French ambassador said.

Boichenko expressed gratitude to the French side for their support for Mariupol residents, namely through a joint housing project that had already been launched.

The first dormitory designed for 35 families has opened in the city of Dnipro. Thanks to financial assistance from the Government of France, we are starting to create 330 more apartments for Mariupol residents. We are grateful for the much needed help. I am confident that our cooperation will strengthen, including as part of the Mariupol Reborn plan, Boichenko emphasized.

A reminder that earlier Mariupol Mayor Vadym Boichenko presented the Mariupol Reborn city recovery plan, including the rapid restoration of critical infrastructure, followed by reconstruction and city revival projects.

Photo: Mariupol City Council, Telegram
The foreign ministers of Germany and Hungary argued at a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels over the role of the Hungarian bank OTP in the Russian war against Ukraine.

According to Ukrinform, Politico reported this.

OTP Bank has become a focus of attention for officials in recent days, as Hungary refuses to approve an increase in EU military aid to Ukraine until Kyiv removes the company from the list of war sponsors. Diplomats also say the dispute is delaying new sanctions against Russia.

When Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto reiterated Budapest's position on Monday at a closed-door meeting, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock rebutted him.

According to the diplomats, who spoke anonymously, she referred to reports that OTP Bank recognizes the Russian-occupied territories of Luhansk and Donetsk regions in violation of international law and that it has opened credit lines for the Russian military.

Hungary and OTP Bank denied the allegations. The bank called the reports incorrect and claimed that its management publicly expressed their support for Ukraine.

Nevertheless, the discussion, which one diplomat described as civilized and within the normal framework of debate, came after other countries such as Sweden and Estonia also pressed Budapest during the meeting.

Earlier, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed that Budapest would block the next tranche of military support for Ukraine if the Hungarian bank OTP remains on the list of war sponsors.

Read also: Kuleba calls to boycott major companies refusing to leave Russian market

In early May, Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention added Hungary's OTP Bank to the list of international war sponsors.

On March 20, the European Council decides to accelerate the supply of ammunition to Ukraine and to increase the capacity of the European defense industry. This decision stipulates that EU countries will supply Ukraine with 1 million artillery munitions, including 155 mm shells, over the next 12 months.

On May 5, the EU Council finally approves the allocation of EUR 1 billion under the European Peace Fund for the purchase of ammunition and missiles for Ukraine.
Colombia and Zambia will be the first countries to start implementing the Ukrainian e-government application Diia with the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power said this at the presentation of Diia in the U.S. capital, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

In January of this year, Power announced that the U.S. would support partner countries inspired by Diia and looking to accelerate their own digital transformation by developing and expanding their e-government capabilities, she recalled.

Samantha Power noted that this experience will have its own peculiarities in different countries and named the list of the first countries that want to introduce the electronic application, developed by Ukraine, for their citizens.

Power said she was excited that USAID would be working with Colombia and Zambia.

She noted that the United States is committed to helping partners find ways to make progress in digital civilian infrastructure.

The USAID Administrator emphasized that the agency would continue its close partnership with Ukraine, both by further supporting the development of Diia and in facilitating partnerships with other countries so that Ukraine can inspire more digital transformations around the world.

Read also: Diia launches state aid program eVdnovlennya

As reported, on Tuesday, a presentation of the Ukrainian e-governance development Diia took place in Washington, DC. The presentation was organized jointly by USAID and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. The event was supported by UK Aid, Eurasia Foundation, Visa, Diia.Education, and Google.org.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has begun his second tour of Africa and the first ever visit to Morocco in the history of bilateral relations.

The head of Ukrainian diplomacy announced this on Instagram, Ukrinform reports.

"Morocco. At the beginning of the second tour of Africa, our Moroccan partners invited us to visit the beautiful Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, the largest functioning mosque in Africa. This is a true work of art, which was created by more than 10,000 Moroccan artists and craftsmen over seven years," the minister said, noting that the mosque's doors are made of Ukrainian titanium.

Kuleba stressed that this is the first visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to Morocco since the establishment of bilateral relations.

"The first tour was history, the second is already a system. In the autumn, the geography of the visit included Sub-Saharan Africa, and now it includes countries in all parts of the continent - from north to south. The logistics here are brutal, but work is work. Important talks with African leaders and businesses are ahead," the Foreign Minister said.

The minister also emphasised that the visits will be aimed at engaging as many African countries as possible in the implementation of the Peace Formula, securing support for uninterrupted exports under the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the President's Grain from Ukraine programme, and creating new opportunities for Ukrainian business.

Read also: Dmytro Kuleba confident that aviation coalition definitely formed this year

As reported earlier, on 16 May, President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa said that African countries would propose a peace initiative to end Russia's war against it.
Ukraine and the Kingdom of Morocco will hold negotiations regarding the facilitation of trade to increase its volumes, determine the promising areas of economic cooperation and revive direct business contacts.

The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry, following a meeting between Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The parties also agreed to hold talks on the facilitation of visa regime between the two countries.

The meeting took place as part of the second working visit to African countries by the head of Ukrainian diplomacy.

According to Kuleba, Ukraine and Morocco share a long history of friendship and mutual respect.

Morocco supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. The Moroccan student community is one of the largest foreign communities in Ukraine. Ukrainian-produced wheat is one of the traditional ingredients of Moroccan bread. Today, we have opened the door leading to the new opportunities for our states, businesses and citizens, the Ukrainian minister emphasized.

Kuleba briefed Bourita on the situation at the front and the efforts of Ukraines Defense Forces to repel Russian attacks and liberate Ukrainian territories from the invaders.

In the course of the meeting, special attention was given to the Peace Formula offered by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

Kuleba invited the Kingdom of Morocco to join the efforts related to the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula. In his words, it will be a real contribution to achieving peace not only in Ukraine but the African continent, because the war-related instability is especially keenly felt in African countries.

In addition, Kuleba and Bourita discussed food security in Africa, having noted the importance of ensuring the uninterrupted implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. In this context, the Moroccan side presented the opportunities of Morocco as the gates to Africa.

The two ministers also considered cooperation in the field of education. The competent agencies of Ukraine and Morocco are now working to resolve the problematic issues of the Moroccan students who had fled Ukraine due to Russias full-scale invasion.

Following the meeting, Kuleba and Bourita signed a Memorandum of Cooperation between Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine and the Moroccan Academy of Diplomatic Studies.

The Ukrainian minister invited his Moroccan colleague to pay a visit to Ukraine. Kuleba also mentioned the development of a unique course for Morocco regarding defense diplomacy and the fight against fakes.

Photo: mfa.gov.ua
Last week, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk kicked off a working visit across the Scandinavian nations - Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. A number of meetings took place during the trip. In an interview with Ukrinform, the Ukrainian Parliament Speaker revealed some details of his latest talks.

READINESS OF UKRAINES PARTNERS TO TRAIN UKRAINIAN PILOTS ON F-16S INDICATES THEIR INTENTION TO JOIN THE CREATION OF AN AIR COALITION

- You are now in Sweden, and before that you went on official visits to Norway and Denmark. What is their purpose and what messages did you convey to partners?

- All actions taken by Ukraines top leadership are about systematic work. Immediately after the President reached serious agreements at the level of Northern European countries, I got the opportunity to consolidate these agreements and guarantee a certain outcome for Ukraine at the parliamentary level.

In particular, while in Norway, we managed to agree on getting extra NASAMS, more MLRS, ARTHUR counter-battery radars, and other required systems.

Also, Norway adopted a historic aid package, establishing a support facility for Ukraine, which lays down 75 billion Norwegian kroner. It will be operating for the next five years, that is, during both martial law and the recovery period. This is a fantastic example of support.

As for Denmark, negotiations were held on military and financial aid to Ukraine, as well as support for reconstruction. But it seems to me that the most important thing we are bringing back from this country is the agreement that Denmark will start training Ukrainian war pilots on F-16 fighter jets. We are very well aware of what this first step means. This means that in just a few months, we will be talking about a second step that will fully establish our superiority in the sky, which will help us close our sky.

- The creation of an air coalition is one of the Ukrainian governments priorities. Do you feel that representatives of the Scandinavian nations are ready to join the coalition and send Ukraine modern fighter jets?

In the near future, we will be talking about a full-fledged air coalition

- I will not rush ahead of things. This is the type of information that should remain behind closed doors. The issue of arms supply is a really sensitive one. But Id say that a formula was proposed for the Scandinavian nations, by which, say, these countries parliaments could sign off a joint letter, which would allow us to understand that precisely at the parliamentary level, these countries express their readiness to transfer their latest F-16 aircraft to Ukraine.

A few months ago, no one believed these fighter jets could be supplied to Ukraine, but today Denmark and other countries have expressed their readiness to train Ukrainian pilots, which clearly means that in the near future, we will be talking about a full-fledged air coalition that will give Ukrainians the opportunity to feel as secure as possible. This will bring us battlefield advantage, allowing us to achieve the main goal, which is driving the Russians out of Ukraine.

- You announced an increase in the number of Norwegian NASAMS air defense systems for Ukraine. What are those numbers? When could these extra systems be delivered to Ukraine?

- I cant name a specific number, as well as the terms. But, talking about the terms, I should note one thing: the bureaucracy and everything else thats sometimes in place in democratic countries will definitely be adjusted by the Ukrainians.

At the end of the day, we will receive the highest quality, most motivated, and best-prepared fighters. The Ukrainian Army is the worlds No. 1 as it adopts the NATO experience, has NATO weapons at hand, and does everything to defend not only Ukraine but also the entire eastern border of NATO.

- What is the general sentiment among partners regarding the increase in arms supplies to Ukraine?

- Situations vary. No one in the world was prepared for Russia launching a full-scale offensive. Therefore, some types of weapons and ammunition are simply not available in the numbers that Ukraine needs today. But the general mood that we saw, in particular at the G7 summit, the general mood that prevails around the world, points to their readiness to support Ukraine.

Our partners initially said they would help as much as needed, but now they say that they will support us until our victory and beyond. I like this wording much better. This means that the European nations, our allies, are ready to invest in post-war reconstruction as well.

I observe an extremely obvious fighting spirit in partners. I think that when Ukraine begins to effectively purge its territory of all this Russian abomination with the help of the weapons we receive, the aid will only expand. I am confident that we will be able to complete all operations to liberate Ukraine from the invaders as efficiently as possible.

It is necessary to implement the Peace Formula pu forward by the President of Ukraine, which includes all the components of our vision of the "Peace for Ukraine" concept. This is not only about our victory on the battlefield, not only about the restoration of sovereignty and independence in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, but it is also about fair justice, fair sentences handed down by a special tribunal and the International Criminal Court to the highest military and political leadership of the Russian Federation, all responsible for this war.

In addition, this is a matter of rebuilding Ukraine. The history of the reconstruction of Ukraine should become the success story of the entire civilized world. This is absolutely understandable because only by rebuilding Ukraine can we show the power of democratic institutions.

Today, Ukraine fights. It fights for democratic principles. The world's task is to prove to everyone after Ukraine's victory that there is strength in democracy, international law, values and principles of the civilized world.

WE HAVE TO FIGHT NOT ONLY THE EXTERNAL ENEMY  RUSSIA  BUT ALSO THE DOMESTIC ENEMY  CORRUPTION

- What do international partners ask you most often? What are their interests?

- The first question I am asked concerns Ukraine's needs. This shows that everyone is concerned about the topic of war in our country.

The second question I am asked is related to integrity: "How can we be sure that Ukraine utilizes the funds in accordance with their intended purpose?" I have a very simple answer. It boils down to the fact that in Ukraine there is now a great demand for zero tolerance for corruption. The president of Ukraine and the top leadership of the state clearly prove this.

For example, regarding the situation of the head of the Supreme Court Vsevolod Knyazev, who was documented to have received a potential illegal benefit in the amount of $2.7 million, the reaction was instantaneous. A similar reaction was shown in relation to the Ministry of Defense procurement row. This shows that now the president of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada, and entire political leadership are doing everything to remove friom our state the label alleging that corruption reigns in Ukraine.

Now were facing a massive task  to defeat not only the external enemy, the Russian Federation, but also to defeat the domestic enemy. It is about corruption, which sometimes manifests itself at different levels of power.

AT THE VILNIUS NATO SUMMIT, WE SEEK TO RECEIVE ASSURANCE REGARDING THE ACCEPTANCE OF UKRAINE'S APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

- Regarding NATO. Ukraine has high expectations for the Alliance summit in Vilnius in July. What attitudes prevail among partners from the Scandinavian countries on the issue of Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine?

- Thanks to the work of President Volodymyr Zelensky, today we have 18 countries that have expressed their readiness to support Ukraine on its path to NATO. We really want Ukraine to receive at the Vilnius summit the assurances about the acceptance of our accession application, as well as a clear understanding of the terms and process of Euro-Atlantic integration.

For a long time, weve been told about the Finlandization" of Ukraine, that Ukraine should follow the path of Finland. Now we are ready to follow the path of Finland, which became a member of NATO in a short period of time. We choose this path and we wish success to Sweden, which is already one step away from joining the Alliance.

We are ready to walk this path with dignity and become the next member of NATO. For Ukraine, this issue is extremely important, but it is the same for the Alliance. The Ukrainian Army joining NATO will mean that the Alliance's capabilities will be strengthened to the maximum.

- What meetings are you planning to hold in Sweden, and with what messages will you address your partners?

Let's postpone Ukraines favorite sport of verbal brawls until we seal our victory

- In Sweden, meetings are planned to be held at the highest level - with the King, speaker of the parliament, and prime minister. I will also address the Swedish Parliament. The messages are the same everywhere: support and help for Ukraine, fulfillment of the promises undertaken. We cannot wait for a supply of weapons for a longer period than Ukraine needs. I am concentrating on this issue as much as possible to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Everything else will come after we win.

The only goal and desire is Ukraine's victory in this war. Any arguments and internal squabbles should be postponed. Let's postpone Ukraines favorite sport of verbal brawls until we seal our victory. We must do everything to preserve our statehood, to preserve our Ukraine.

AT THE DIPLOMATIC LEVEL, COMPLICATED WORK CONTINUES DAILY TO ENSURE SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE

- Historic events are unfolding at the moment: the world is showing unprecedented support for Ukraine. Undoubtedly, this is primarily due to the heroic struggle of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, but at the same time, active political work at the diplomatic level continues. For example, now President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is making a number of landmark official visits, participating in important international events. What is the outcome of this international activity by the head of state?

- Four years have passed since the inauguration of President Volodymyr Zelensky. We all felt some elation because it was a confirmation that Ukraine is a democratic state with the right to choose. And it is for this right that the state fights even today.

After the inauguration, the head of state made some very important political steps: he announced the dissolution of the Verkhovna Rada and did a reshuffle in the Cabinet of Ministers... Four years on, it seems like its been a lifetime. Ukraine has seen so much over the years, including COVID-19, which no longer seems so terrible because a full-scale war has begun.

On February 24, 2022, perhaps the most terrible event in recent history took place in Ukraine. If we talk about the role of the individual in history, Volodymyr Zelensky is the president who preferred his place in history books to a place on the Forbes list.

By the way, this is a unique case where the head of state broke the age-old tradition of "managing" Ukraine in exile in the most difficult times for the state. Let's be honest because, as history shows, Mazepa in 1709, Skoropadskyi in 1918, and Hrushevskyi in 1919 made a different choice. This should be appreciated. And we must not make the mistakes that Ukrainian leaders made, including 100 years ago, when they lost Ukrainian statehood amid internal squabbles. The war is not over yet. Victory is yet to be achieved. Therefore, it is necessary to unite and protect this unity. After all, while earlier we started from the thesis that "each of us is President", now, apparently, it is becoming more and more obvious that "President is each of us."

Today, perhaps, there is no more important issue in the world than Ukraine prevailing in this war

Despite the fact that the war has been going on for more than a year already, the level of support for Ukraine does not decrease. The president of Ukraine is currently at the G7 summit, which has now actually turned into the "G7 + Ukraine" format. Before that, he took part in the summit of the Arab Nations League. Even earlier, he visited Italy, Germany, France, and Great Britain to increase to 18 the number of countries that formally support Ukraine on its way to NATO. This is already the majority of all Allies.

Besides, the head of state traveled to Northern Europe, where he managed to seal agreements on support from the Nordic countries and agree on issues related to the establishment of an international compensation mechanism.

At the diplomatic level, painstaking work takes place every single day. The President, Parliament, and Government  all are involved. But at the base, there is no doubt, stands the heroism of the Ukrainian people and the great feats of the Ukrainian military. All of us as a group do not allow the topic of Ukraine to fade across the world and work to get rid of some obvious fatigue. We invite you to support us in our just fight.

Today, perhaps, there is no more important issue in the world than Ukraine prevailing in this war.

After all, it is victory that paves for us the path to peace. All civilized countries need this peace. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, proposed a formula for a just peace. These are 10 clear and specific points. We are ready to cooperate with all nations that seek to participate in the peace process but these 10 points should lie at the base of future peace. A just peace. Peace on Ukraine's terms.

- Thank you for this interview!

Angelina Strashkulich

Photo by Vadym Sarakhan, Verkhovna Rada press service
Moldova will comply with the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he comes to the country.

The relevant statement was made by President Maia Sandu, Ukrinform reports citing NewsMaker.

On the air of Euronews Romania, Sandu was asked if Putin comes to Moldova, will he be arrested under the ICC warrant.

"Yes. Moldova has signed an agreement with the International Criminal Court and will comply with the court's decision," she said, answering the journalist's question.

Sandu also said that Moldova is not in danger now, as the war started by Russia is far from the country's borders.

"Now there is no risk of military invasion for the Republic of Moldova thanks to Ukraine, which keeps the Russian army away from our borders. But we are facing Russia's attempts to destabilize our country. We talked about these attempts a few months ago. Fortunately, our institutions have managed to protect the country, and we are becoming more resilient. For many years, we have seen that Russia has been trying to blackmail our country using energy," Sandu said.

She emphasized that for the first time since gaining independence, Moldova, with the exception of Transnistria, does not consume Russian gas.

"This is happening for the first time. This means that we are diversifying, that we are not dependent on Russia, as we have been for three decades. We are working, becoming more resilient, but of course we need support. Propaganda is a big problem, and it has affected our democratic process," the president added.

However, according to her, part of the church, as well as some politicians, are Russia's interests in Moldova. The state institutions are taking the necessary measures to thwart their efforts.

"We are strengthening our institutions, reforming our intelligence services, developing a new security strategy for the country to make sure that our state will be strong enough to prevent such people from undermining our state," Sandu emphasized.

According to Sandu, there is currently a criminal, corrupt group headed by a man convicted of fraud in the banking industry and now hiding in Israel. "He is the main representative of Russian attempts to destabilize Moldova. Our institutions are documenting, collecting evidence, and we hope to see more results in this process in order to deal with those who are working against the Republic of Moldova, who are trying to undermine our efforts and who are serving the interests of Russia," the Moldovan president emphasized.

Sandu also touched upon the Transnistrian issue, emphasizing that Tiraspol is currently moving closer to Europe.

"Speaking of Transnistria, half of the region's exports go to the EU. Today, half of the citizens of the Transnistrian region who work abroad work in the EU. This is significantly different from the situation ten years ago, when all exports from the region went to Russia, when people went to Russia to work. We are committed to a peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian problem. The closer we are to the EU, the more interest we will see from Moldovan citizens on the left bank in reunification," the head of state emphasized.

As Ukrinform reported, on March 17, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber issued arrest warrants for Putin and Russian Children's Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova.

The Russian president and his envoy are suspected of war crimes - deportation and illegal transfer of population, including children, from the occupied territory of Ukraine.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked parliamentarians of the National Assembly of Slovenia for adopting a declaration honoring the victims of the Holodomor-genocide in Ukraine.

Zelensky wrote this on his Twitter account, Ukrinform reports.

I am grateful to parliamentarians from Drzavni zbor for adopting the Declaration honoring the memory of millions of Ukrainian victims of the Holodomor-Genocide in Ukraine in 1932-1933, he wrote.

Zelensky noted that the international coalition of states committed to restoring historical justice continues to grow stronger. Together for the truth, and therefore responsibility! the President stressed.

As Ukrinform reported, on March 28, President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked France for recognizing the Holodomor as genocide against the Ukrainian people.
Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Iuliia Sokolovska and representatives of the Swiss Embassy discussed assistance to Ukraine in the creation and development of registers and exchange of information on injured/deported Ukrainian children.

According to the presidents press service, at the meeting, the Swiss Embassy was represented by Counselor - Head of Peace and Human Rights Program at the Swiss Embassy Gaetan Vannay and Peace and Human Rights Project Coordinator Nataliia Sorokina.

The meeting participants discussed assistance to Ukraine in the creation and development of registries and exchange of information on injured/deported Ukrainian children, the presidents press service said.

In particular, measures to create relevant registers and information exchange tools are being implemented as part of the Electronic Governance for Accountability and Participation (EGAP) project, funded by Switzerland and implemented by the East Europe Foundation in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Innovabridge Foundation.

The meeting participants agreed on further cooperation. It was determined that the priority is to create a transparent mechanism focused on the needs of victims and algorithms that are understandable to them.
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Published May 23, 2023

CAPTION:(L-R) Brennan Remington, Zy Villanueva, Caitlyn Cullen, Amaya West, Dr. Joshua Stockley

MONROE, LA  The University of Louisiana Monroe Honors Program joined the annual meeting of the Southern Regional Honors Council on March 30-April 1, in Charlotte, NC.

Dr. Joshua Stockley, Director of the ULM Honors Program, was accompanied by four students  Brennan Remington, a senior psychology major; Caitlyn Cullen, a senior political science major; Zy Villanueva, a junior pre-pharmacy major; and Amaya West, a sophomore biology major.

Remington presented The IQ Qualm  A Systemic Review of Historical and Current Intelligence Testing. His presentation was based upon his honors thesis, which reviewed how methods of quantifying intelligence have changed dramatically with changes in the academic community.

Remington said, I had the invaluable opportunity at SRHC to meet a wide array of individuals from a variety of institutions, which I utilized to form connections that will lead to inter-university research in the future. I also generated a wealth of new research topics based on sessions that I attended, ranging from introducing virtual reality technology within collegiate classrooms to developing support programs for twice-exceptional learners (learners who are gifted with learning disabilities). I was able to gain valuable experience when I presented my undergraduate honors thesis and fielded questions regarding it, which will help me as I attend an increasing number of conferences as I become more involved with research and our graduate program.

Remington was joined by Cullen, West, and Villanueva for a student panel entitled, Student Development Outside of the Honors Community. The panel discussed how being involved outside of the honors community fosters relationships between honors and other university organizations and assists individuals in developing leadership and creating career connections.

SRHC is an eye-opening experience for honors students who are looking for ways to better themselves, their programs, and their honors experiences. There, I got to hear from other student leaders on how to enhance our program, said Cullen. Additionally, SRHC is where I gained further inspiration for my thesis research and presentation style. The wide range of student presentations exposed me to topics outside of my field of study and how honors programs differ among universities, she added.

SRHC gave me the opportunity to connect with students that have similar academic goals and experiences with campus involvement. It allowed me to share how my involvement in multiple campus organizations have enriched my academic and social environment, said Villanueva.

Dr. Stockley was also a panelist for a roundtable entitled, Navigating the Transition from Program to College. The panel discussed the role of strategic planning, programmatic data, professional development, curricular planning, and administrative support for honors programs considering the transition to an honors college.

SRHC is an excellent opportunity for our students to share their experiences  the successes and failures  with the rest of the honors community as well as for our students to learn about the innovative strategies implemented by other programs to improve our own program. The ULM Honors Program is a great program, but we are always looking for ways to improve. I was impressed by the presentations of our students, the questions they answered, and the quality of connections they fostered with other programs from across the nation.

Attending the conference were honors students and administrators from colleges and universities across the southern region of the United States.

The Southern Regional Honors Council is an educational organization that promotes and advances Honors Programs and Honors Colleges in the southern United States. SRHC currently comprises over 100 member institutions, hosts an annual conference, publishes a literary arts journal Sanctuary, and provides a variety of grants to support student efforts to engage in NCHC-sponsored experiential learning as well as leadership in honors organizations.

About the ULM Honors Program

The ULM Honors Program is a unique program within ULM that seeks intellectually curious students who desire to challenge themselves with new ideas and work with similarly motivated students. The program is open to all majors and works within all degree programs. Honors students are exposed to more in-depth topics and work closely with faculty in smaller courses.

For more information about the Honors Program contact Dr. Joshua Stockley at stockley@ulm.edu or 318-342-3216 or visit ulm.edu/honors.
Members of a Chinese expedition team display the Chinese national flag at the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

MOUNT QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Tibet, May 23 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese expedition team reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma on Tuesday, as they look to carry out scientific research on the world's highest peak.

The expeditionists departed the assault camp at an altitude of 8,300 meters at 3 a.m. Tuesday and arrived at the 8,830-meter weather station -- the highest of its kind in the world -- after eight hours of arduous climbing.

After affixing steel ropes, replacing batteries and installing wind speed and direction sensors, they completed the upgrades to the weather station.

They then climbed to the summit of 8,848.86 meters to collect ice and snow samples, which will be used for the research of air pollutants, especially new pollutants.

The 2023 Mt. Qomolangma expedition is part of the second comprehensive scientific expedition to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau initiated in 2017. Since the end of April, a total of 170 scientists have been conducting research on water, ecology and human activities around the Mt. Qomolangma region. 

Members of a Chinese expedition team collect ice and snow samples at the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

Members of a Chinese expedition team head for the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

Members of a Chinese expedition team maintain and upgrade equipment at the 8,830-meter weather station on Mount Qomolangma, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

Scientific research members applause as they receive data from the 8,830-meter weather station at the mountaineering base camp in the Qomolangma National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Tenzin Norbu/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on May 23, 2023 shows a view of Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)

Members of a Chinese expedition team maintain and upgrade equipment at the 8,830-meter weather station on Mount Qomolangma, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

Members of a Chinese expedition team head for the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

Members of a Chinese expedition team head for the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

Members of a Chinese expedition team maintain and upgrade equipment at the 8,830-meter weather station on Mount Qomolangma, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

Members of a Chinese expedition team head for the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

Scientific research members check data sent from the 8,830-meter weather station at the mountaineering base camp in the Qomolangma National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Tenzin Norbu/Xinhua)

Members of a Chinese expedition team head for the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

Members of a Chinese expedition team head for the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

Members of a Chinese expedition team maintain and upgrade equipment at the 8,830-meter weather station on Mount Qomolangma, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on May 23, 2023 shows a view of Mount Qomolangma. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)

Members of a Chinese expedition team head for the summit of Mount Qomolangma on May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

Members of a Chinese expedition team maintain and upgrade equipment at the 8,830-meter weather station on Mount Qomolangma, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Lhagba/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on May 23, 2023 shows the mountaineering base camp in the Qomolangma National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region. A Chinese expedition team reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma on Tuesday, as they look to carry out scientific research on the world's highest peak. (Xinhua/Sun Fei)
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang meets with Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in Beijing, capital of China, May 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Tuesday met with Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in Beijing.

Noting that China firmly pursues a nuclear strategy of self-defense, Qin said that China is committed to upholding the international nuclear non-proliferation regime based on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. He said China firmly supports the peaceful use of nuclear energy, resolutely strengthens domestic nuclear security and supports international cooperation on nuclear security.

China hopes that the IAEA will perform its duties in an objective, fair and professional manner, and resolutely resist the practice of certain countries to generalize the concept of national security, and disrupt or undermine the normal order of international cooperation, Qin said. China also hopes that the IAEA will properly handle the issue of nuclear submarine cooperation between the United States, Britain and Australia, as well as Japan's discharge of nuclear-polluted water, and safeguard the IAEA's authority and credibility, the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and international security, he added.

Grossi said that the IAEA attaches great importance to cooperation with China, and it works to prevent nuclear proliferation. Grossi said the IAEA will conduct relevant consultations on nuclear submarine cooperation between the United States, Britain and Australia in a transparent manner, and will not endorse any country's discharge of nuclear-polluted water into the sea. 
Azerbaijan's Prime Minister Ali Asadov has met with Montenegrin President Danijela ?urovi?.

During the meeting, the sides hailed the level of relations between Azerbaijan and Montenegro in various fields.

The sides commended the role of parliaments in the comprehensive development of relations between the two countries.

The meeting also discussed the prospects for expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between Azerbaijan and Montenegro in various areas.
KABUL, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police have arrested eight people on charge of involvement in criminal activities in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, said a statement of Kabul Police public relations office released here Tuesday.

The arrested people were involved in illegal activities such as robbery, mobile snatching, forgery, theft, and creating law and order problems, the statement said, adding the arrested men had been sent to concerned bodies for further investigation.

In a similar crackdown on criminals, Kabul police also arrested a three-member gang of robbers and thieves in Kabul a couple of days ago.

Police also detained a group of armed burglars in Mazar-i-Sharif city, the capital of northern Balkh province on Monday night, and discovered some stolen ornaments, cash, and two pistols from their possessions, police said.

Afghan caretaker government has vowed to crack down on criminal elements elsewhere to ensure law and order in the war-torn country. 
BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The scale of China's privately offered funds stood at 20.75 trillion yuan (about 2.95 trillion U.S. dollars) at the end of April, according to data from an industry association.

The figure rose 2.05 percent from the previous month, according to the Asset Management Association of China.

The number of registered privately offered funds exceeded 153,700 as of the end of April, and 22,270 institutions managed these funds, the data showed.

Established in 2012, the association is a self-regulatory organization that represents China's mutual fund industry. 


(Photo : MART PRODUCTION from Pexels)

It's been almost 40 years since my life became so unmanageable that I said the magic phrase "I need help." The majority of that time has been spent working with others in recovery. Much of this time is spent talking with families who are desperate for answers, and in a lot of pain.

If they're talking to me, then at least their loved one still has a chance to survive. Three hundred families each day get the call that their loved one will no longer have another opportunity to recover. This is the reality of the opioid epidemic.

Behaviors that Hurt Your Addicted Loved One

Having a loved one struggle with addiction is a very difficult situation, and one of the hardest things a parent can go through. Unfortunately, many parents create support for the addiction instead of the recovery. This is known as suffering from codependency or being a codependent enabler. This concept was popularized in the book by Melody Beatty called Codependent No More.

If you love someone with an SUD or other behavioral addiction, you may be enabling the addiction to continue by protecting them from the consequences of their behavior. If you are providing money, food, or shelter to someone who is in active addiction, you are enabling the addiction.

Do you experience any of these symptoms?

Highly emotional reactions to (or obsessing about) their behavior

Controlling them with words or deeds

Weak (or non-existent) boundaries - you put your needs last

Taking the blame for them

An unhealthy dependence on the relationship (fear of being abandoned)

If this enabling allows the person to continue using illegal drugs, then every use carries with it the risk that they might be poisoned by fentanyl (or another synthetic opioid like protonitazene or isotonitazene). The entire illicit drug supply has been poisoned by fentanyl, according to the DEA. This is the primary reason that the number one cause of death for people aged 18 to 45 is accidental overdose.

In short, if you are enabling them you need to stop immediately.

Behaviors that Help Your Addicted Loved One

Positive relationships and healthy family dynamics require love, empathy, honesty, trust, and effective communication. When family dynamics are healthy and positive, individuals can exponentially broaden their support system. Family members can take up beneficial roles and behavior that help encourage and support their loved ones in recovery. Those roles may consist of caregiver duties, accountability partnering, driving a loved one to and from therapy, or attending support group meetings with them.

Some of the healthier and more productive things that families of loved ones with an SUD do include:

Educating themselves about addiction

Prioritizing their own well-being and taking taking care of themselves

Having boundaries (and communicating and enforcing them)

You don't have to be cruel or abandon your loved one to be a productive family member. You can always ask how they were doing, and you can always show them your love for them. You can always offer them help in the form of assisting them to receive treatment.

Navigate these Difficult Waters with Professional Help

The best thing I can recommend for a family member of someone who is struggling with an SUD is to seek help. Getting in touch with a professional counselor can only help you by showing you what options you have and getting their input on what they think is going on with your relationship and what might be a positive next step. You will also find immediate relief from discussing the situation confidentially with a mental health professional.

Where to Get Help?

There are many resources available, but you can always start by contacting The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Association (SAMHSA) at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). If you or a loved one are in the San Diego area and struggling with an SUD, you can call Confidential Recovery at (619) 452-1200.

About the Author:

Scott H. Silverman was addicted to alcohol and illegal drugs when he "hit bottom," and pursued treatment in 1984. He's been helping others recover from addiction ever since. In 2014, he founded Confidential Recovery, a drug treatment program in San Diego that specializes in helping Veterans, first responders, and executives overcome substance abuse.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto, had an argument during a meeting in Brussels over the role Hungary's OTP bank believed to be playing in the Ukraine conflict by allegedly providing credit lines to Russia and recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics (DPR, LPR), Politico reported, citing sources

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2023) German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and her Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto, had an argument during a meeting in Brussels over the role Hungary's OTP bank believed to be playing in the Ukraine conflict by allegedly providing credit lines to Russia and recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics (DPR, LPR), Politico reported, citing sources.

The bank has been at the center of officials' discussions in recent days as Hungary has refused to approve more EU military aid for Ukraine until Kiev removes OTP from a list of "war sponsors," with the dispute delaying a new package of Russia sanctions, the report said.

During Monday's meeting in Brussels, Baerbock cited unspecified reports that the OTP had recognized the DPR and LPR and extended credit lines to the Russian military, while Budapest denied the allegations and reiterated that the bank's leadership had publicly expressed its support for Ukraine, the news outlet said.

Last week, EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell said the 11th package of sanctions against Russia would target entities that are suspected of evading sanctions through third parties, while maintaining the principle of not imposing additional territorial sanctions. Borrell noted that preventing sanctions evasion is a "delicate issue" because the EU cannot force third countries to comply with European restrictive measures as attempts to do so could antagonize those states.

Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia in response to its military operation in Ukraine in early 2022. In February 2023, the EU blocked the transit of European goods and dual-use technologies through Russia in the 10th sanctions package to prevent possible sanctions evasion.

Earlier in May, Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) announced that it had placed OTP Bank Group on its list of "international war sponsors" because of the bank's alleged continued cooperation with Russia. Hungary, in turn, blocked a 500 million euro tranche for Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, Hungary has consistently opposed sanctions on Russian energy carriers and weapons supplies to Ukraine. In March 2022, the Hungarian parliament issued a decree banning arms deliveries to Ukraine from Hungarian territory. Szijjarto explained that Budapest was seeking the security of the Zakarpattia region, where ethnic Hungarians live, because supplying arms through its territory would make it a legitimate military target for Russia.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2023) The US House of Representatives passed legislation requiring the Treasury Department lead an interagency analysis of the exposure of the United States' economy to China's financial sector.

House lawmakers passed the bill, entitled the China Financial Threat Mitigation Act, on Monday evening in a vote of 400-5, with two-thirds support required for passage.

The legislation requires the US Treasury Secretary, in consultation with the heads of the State Department, Federal Reserve, Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, to conduct a study on the "exposure of the United States to the financial sector of the People's Republic of China," according to the text of the measure.

The bill requires the report to Congress to cover policies that the United States is taking to protect its interests as China reforms its financial sector, as well as an analysis of risks to US financial stability and global economy emanating from China.

The legislation also requires recommendations for actions the US government or its representatives at international organizations could take to mitigate financial stability risks and protect US interests.

The bill requires the US Treasury Secretary to submit the report to Congress no later than one year after enactment of the legislation. The report shall be unclassified, but may contain a classified annex, according to the bill.
ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 24th May, 2023) The Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace signed an MoU with the Pontifical academy for Life - a Pontifical Academy of the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to promoting the Church's consistent life ethic- establishing a collaborative partnership focused on addressing ethical issues in R&D.

The MoU was signed as Shaikh Abdullah bin Bayyah, Chairman of the UAE Fatwa Council and Head of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace, received today in Abu Dhabi, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life.



The meeting emphasised the importance of collaborative action for peace based on appreciating shared human values and beliefs, as well as reinstating peace ideals and friendship principles rather than strife and conflict.

Archbishop Paglia said during the meeting that the Emirati model of tolerance is one that other nations should take cues from, lauding what he observed in the UAE as the practical embodiment of the virtues of tolerance and human fraternity and maintaining the values of life and human dignity.
Moscow, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd May, 2023 ) :Moscow on Tuesday voiced deep concern on the second day of the most serious armed incursion to date over its border with Ukraine, after explosive strikes forced civilians to flee.

Russia said the Belgorod border region had come under sustained artillery and mortar fire during fighting with a group that it claimed had crossed from Ukraine.

Belgorod's governor said civilians have been evacuated from nine border villages in the region, which has previously faced shelling attacks that have killed dozens of people since Moscow launched its offensive last year.

"What happened yesterday is a cause for deep concern and once again confirms that Ukrainian militants continue their activities against our country," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

Members of the anti-Kremlin Freedom of Russia Legion have claimed responsibility for the incursion into Belgorod, while Ukraine's deputy defence minister Ganna Malyar said "we are not waging war on foreign territories."In a video released by a Telegram channel claiming to represent the anti-Kremlin group, a camouflaged spokesman, surrounded by armed men in fatigues, said: "Russia will be free!" -- a slogan frequently used by Russian opposition activists.

"We want our children to grow up in peace and be free," the spokesman added, with the channel claiming that two settlements including Graivoron had been attacked.
Cannes, France, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th May, 2023 ) :Wes Anderson's new film puts Westerns, theatre, 1950s Americana and an alien into a blender for another of his atypical -- and star-packed -- concoctions that he says is about "reckoning with forces beyond your control".

As always, "Asteroid City", which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, features a roster of actors that reads like a Hollywood phonebook.

Tom Hanks, Steve Carell and Margot Robbie -- newcomers to the Anderson family -- join past collaborators Scarlett Johansson and Edward Norton and regulars like Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman and Tilda Swinton in the film.

The one-of-a-kind director never seems too influenced by events in the real world, but he told AFP the Covid-19 pandemic did have an impact.

"This movie is certainly informed by the most bizarre viral moment in recent history," he said.

"Writing it during this pandemic, in the middle of the most locked-down lockdown, we were not sure we would ever go out again -- so I think that's sorta in it.

- Hanks is 'intimidating' - "Asteroid City" is a bizarre and knotty tale set in a remote desert town where a group of child geniuses are gathered for a science competition that is interrupted by an alien visitor, leaving them locked up in quarantine.

But in typically convoluted Anderson form, the desert story is presented as a play being performed in New York.

Anderson says he wanted to pay homage to actors, who remain something of a mystery to him, even after working with the biggest Names in the business.

"Many of the actors are my friends now, but nevertheless they are different on set," Anderson said.

"Actors recognise something in each other that normal people don't go through -- this thing of being the one who everyone is going to watch.

It has this interesting strange effect. It became part of what the movie is about." Working with Hanks was a joy, he told AFP, though he was initially nervous.

"He's a wonderful actor but also a huge movie star... it's intimidating.

"But his manner on set is: you suggest something and he says 'Sorry, I should have thought of that.' That encourages you to be better because you're empowered by this person with such an aura." - Scarlett's smokey voice - One person who is glaringly absent is Bill Murray, who has appeared in all Anderson's films since "Rushmore" in 1998.

"Bill was cast in a part but then he got Covid three days before we were supposed to shoot," said Anderson. "We replaced him very quickly with the wonderful Steve Carell who was great." Luckily, Murray's health improved to come hang out on set for the last of the shoot, he added, and Carell turns in a hilarious cameo as a hotel owner.

What Anderson often loves most about his actors is their voice, something he discovered when he cast George Clooney as the lead in animated film "Fantastic Mr Fox".

"Only when I recorded George did I realise how much it's about his voice. And that kinda applies to the majority of actors -- so much depends on the voice." Johansson, who did voiceover for Anderson's "Isle of Dogs" (2018) "has this wonderful, slightly smokey voice," he said.

Arguably, no director has ever had a style that is so immediately recognisable as Anderson: the symmetrical playhouse-like sets, bright colours, deadpan irony.

He can't help it.

"There's a way I do scenes that is just me," he said. "It's more like a condition than a choice."
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th May, 2023) Canada's Special Rapporteur on Foreign Interference David Johnston on Tuesday recommended against conducting a public inquiry on the matter as he released his first report.

"There had been widespread calls for a public inquiry from media, opposition parties, and Parliament through a motion passed in the House of Commons. When I began this process, I thought it would come to the same conclusion, that I would recommend a public inquiry. Well, it would have been an easy choice. It would not be the correct one," Johnston said during a news conference on his first report.

Johnston added that a separate public inquiry would not deliver the transparency expected by Canadians, as the information to be disclosed is very sensitive in nature and must remain secret, and suggested that instead public hearings be held as soon as possible to address governance and policy failures.

The special rapporteur also concluded that media leaks about China's alleged interference lacked context and were "misconstrued by media," but his report still claimed that China and Russia are "particularly active" in foreign interference activities in Canada.

Even though much has been accomplished, more remains to be done to address the challenges related to interference, notably in detecting, deterring, and ensuring counter-interference during elections, Johnston continued.

The second and final report on foreign interference is set to be delivered by the end of October 2023.

In late March, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Canada's former Governor General Johnston as special rapporteur to investigate reports of foreign meddling.

In May, Canada expelled a Chinese diplomat allegedly behind the intimidation of a Conservative lawmaker over his sponsorship of a motion that labeled China's treatment of Uyghurs as genocide. Beijing rejected the claims and declared a Canadian consul persona non grata in a tit-for-tat move.
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WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2023) Writer E. Jean Carroll is seeking additional damages relief from former President Donald Trump after he made a series of so-called defamatory statements after a Federal jury found him liable for sexually abusing and defaming her, a court filing revealed.

"Trump's defamatory statements post-verdict show the depth of his malice toward Carroll since it is hard to imagine defamatory conduct that could possibly be more motivated by hatred, ill will, or spite," the filing said on Monday.

The court filing highlighted Trump's post-verdict remarks about having no idea who Carroll was, accusing her of making up the sexual abuse and rape allegations, and calling her a "whack job," among other insults.

Trump's conduct, the court documents said, supports "very substantial punitive damages award in Carroll's favor" that will both punish him and deter him from engaging in further defamation.

Carroll requests a court order Trump to retract all defamatory statements, order him to pay no less than $10 million in compensatory damages, pay punitive damages in an amount determined at a trial, among other relief the court may find appropriate, according to the filing.

Earlier this month, a federal jury in New York found Trump guilty in an attempted rape case against Carroll. In particular, the jury concluded that Trump molested Carroll in the spring of 1996, but did not commit the rape, as was initially claimed by the woman.

The court ordered the ex-US president to pay $2 million in damages for harassment as part of a civil lawsuit settlement. In addition, Trump was ordered to pay another $3 million for defamation of Carroll and damage to her reputation.
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2023) Former UK Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Justice Dominic Raab is expected to stand down as a member of parliament at the next general election and is set to continue to carry out his duties and support the Conservative campaign, The Telegraph reported, citing Raab's letter.

The next general election in the United Kingdom is scheduled to take place no later than January 2025.

"I am writing to let you know of my decision to step down at the next General Election. It has been a huge honour to represent the Conservatives, since 2010, in this wonderful constituency. Thank you for your steadfast support and tireless efforts, alongside all the teamwork and hard graft put in by our superb officers, councillors and members," Raab said in a letter to Peter Szanto, chairman of the Esher and Walton Conservative Association, informing him of his decision on May 19, as quoted by the newspaper.

Raab vowed to continue to carry out all his responsibilities to his constituents, and "provide every support in campaigning", to facilitate the Conservatives' election victory, which the party "can do under this Prime Minister's leadership," as quoted by The Telegraph.

In April, Raab decided to resign following an investigation into allegations against him of inappropriate behavior with civil servants. However, the probe did not find anything specifically illegal in Raab's behavior that would violate the UK's Equality Act, which protects people from discrimination in the workplace.

In November 2022, Raab received three complaints from his former employees accusing him of "creating a culture of fear" and bullying his subordinates. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak subsequently agreed to Raab's request to investigate the matter, saying it was "the right course of action." In January, at least 24 UK civil servants reportedly filed formal complaints against Raab.
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It is difficult to know why Russia is not allowing consular access to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich amid his detention on espionage charges, White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2023) It is difficult to know why Russia is not allowing consular access to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich amid his detention on espionage charges, White House Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said on Tuesday.

"It's hard to know exactly what the Russians are thinking here in terms of denying consular access," Kirby said during an interview with CNN. "We do want that access to him."

The United States has made clear to Russia its requests to engage with Gershkovich, Kirby said. There are "no grounds" for Russia to deny consular access, Kirby also said.

Earlier on Tuesday, a court in Moscow extended Gershkovich's detention period until August 30.

Russia has explained "quite clearly" its reasons for denying consular access to Gershkovich so far, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Monday, adding that the decision on whether to grant Gershkovich consular access "depends on the situation."

Russia is not yet ready to formulate parameters or conditions for providing consular access, Ryabkov added.

In April, the Russian Foreign Ministry rejected the US Embassy's request to visit Gershkovich. The decision was in retaliation for the United States' refusal to issue visas to Russian journalists who were supposed to travel with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to New York for UN events earlier that month.
A Chinese expedition team reached the summit of Mount Qomolangma on Tuesday, as they look to carry out scientific research on the world's highest peak.







Produced by Xinhua Global Service
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Prince Harry lost a lawsuit to challenge the Home Office's decision that bans him from using police protection while in the United Kingdom

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2023) Prince Harry lost a lawsuit to challenge the Home Office's decision that bans him from using police protection while in the United Kingdom.

In a ruling issued on Tuesday, judge Justice Chamberlain refused the prince permission to bring a second challenge.

"RAVEC (the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures) did not say that it would be contrary to the public interest to allow wealthy individuals to pay for any police services. It can be taken to have understood that section 25(1), to which it referred, expressly envisages payment for some such services.

Its reasoning was narrowly confined to the protective security services that fall within its remit," the judgment read.

Harry was stripped of his taxpayer-funded security detail after he and his wife, US actress Meghan Markle, quit their royal duties in 2020 and moved to North America.

In March 2021, Harry and Meghan gave a controversial interview to Oprah Winfrey, in which they accused their royal relatives of indifference, putting pressure on them, and racism. Since then, the couple's relationship with the royal family has remained strained.
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The United States sanctioned four entities and one individual for allegedly engaging in malicious cyber activities and revenue generation in support of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Treasury Department said on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2023) The United States sanctioned four entities and one individual for allegedly engaging in malicious cyber activities and revenue generation in support of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the Treasury Department said on Tuesday.

"Today, the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned four entities and one individual involved in obfuscated revenue generation and malicious cyber activities that support the DPRK Government," the Treasury Department said in a statement.

The US-sanctioned Pyongyang University of Automation, which is allegedly responsible for training malicious cyber actors, "many of whom" go on to work in DPRK government units, the statement said.

The US also sanctioned the DPRK's Technical Reconnaissance Bureau and its subordinate cyber unit, the 110th Research Center, the statement said.

The Technical Reconnaissance Bureau, controlled by the DPRK's Primary intelligence service, leads the country's development of offensive cyber tactics and tools, the statement said.

In addition, the US sanctioned the Chinyong Information Technology Cooperation Company and one of its representatives, Kim Sang Man, the statement said. Chinyong, which is associated with the US-sanctioned DPRK Ministry of People's Armed Forces, employs delegations of IT workers that operate in Russia and Laos, the statement said.

Kim is allegedly involved in the payment of salaries to family members of Chinyong's overseas DPRK worker delegations, as well as the sale and transfer of IT equipment for the DPRK, the statement said.

The sanctions demonstrate the US' continued coordination with the Republic of Korea partners, who are concurrently taking sanctions actions against overseas DPRK IT workers, the statement added.
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MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd May, 2023) A van has crashed into security barriers near the White House in Washington causing no injuries, US Secret Service Communications Chief Anthony Guglielmi said on Tuesday, adding that the cause of the crash is under investigation.

"Shortly before 10:00 p.m. Monday, Secret Service Uniformed Division officers detained the driver of a box truck after the vehicle collided with security barriers on the north side of Lafayette Square at 16th Street. There were no injuries to any Secret Service or White House personnel and the cause and manner of the crash remain under investigation," Guglielmi tweeted.

The communications chief also said that several streets and pedestrian walkways have been closed as part of the investigation, adding that the driver of the van may have intentionally caused the road accident.

"The truck has been deemed safe by @DCPoliceDept & preliminary investigation reveals the driver may have intentionally struck the security barriers at Lafayette Square," Guglielmi said.

He added that charges would be filed by the US Park Police with investigative assistance from the Secret Service.

The Washington Post reported, citing emergency services, that a suspicious package was found a block away from the White House after the incident. People were evacuated from a nearby hotel.
Ruffin to Retire as Curator of de Grummond Childrens Literature Collection

Tue, 05/23/2023 - 10:28am | By: Dawn Smith, David Tisdale

In keeping with the tradition of The University of Southern Mississippis (USM) de Grummond Childrens Literature Collections founder, Ellen Ruffin built relationships that continued growing Lena Y. de Grummonds vision for a world-class repository of some of the genres best at the schools Hattiesburg campus.

Ruffin, curator of the de Grummond Childrens Literature Collection since 2006, will step down from the position when she retires at the end of May from the university. An associate professor in USM University Libraries, she has served as the principal investigator for grants from the Sunshine Arts Foundation and the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation and is also one of the editors for A de Grummond Primer: Highlights of the Childrens Literature Collection, the first book-length project about the Collection. She began her work in libraries in the Mississippi Delta as a literacy coordinator with the Sunflower County Library System.

An active member of the American Library Association, Ruffin has served on numerous committees, including the Newbery Medal Committee, the Children's Literature Legacy Award Committee, and the Schneider Family Book Award Committee, among others. She also serves on the board of advisors for the Mississippi Book Festival.

Providing leadership for all aspects of the continued development and management of the de Grummond Childrens Literature Collection, in 2012 Ruffin played an instrumental role in the Ezra Jack Keats Award moving from the New York Public Library to the de Grummond Collection, which is the repository for all of Keats works. The Award is presented each year during USMs Fay B. Kaigler Childrens Book Festival. Ruffin established the de Grummond Lecture, also presented each year during the Childrens Book Festival; past lecturers have included many notable authors and illustrators in childrens literature, including Lois Lowry, Sophie Blackall, and Richard Peck.

Ruffin praised Lena de Grummond, noting the story of her arrival in Hattiesburg after securing her doctorate at the same time as her son. Both came to USM to take faculty positions, with Lena teaching graduate students in the universitys School of Library Science.

But she wanted to do more, leading to the beginning stages of what would become the de Grummond Childrens Literature Collection and an impact reaching far beyond the Hattiesburg campus.

She was quite impressed with the commitment and determination of her students; many were teachers by day and would drive to campus at night for their classes, Ruffin said of her predecessor. And she wanted to make this experience (their graduate education) more than a textbook.

So, she began writing authors and illustrators and asking them to send pieces of their work. And of course, she would always say, If it's something you're going to throw away, send it to us. If it's sketches, if storyboards whatever shows the production of a book, a children's book, please send it and then she would always end with and if you've already thrown it away, send the trash can. She had humor.



But the amazing thing was she wrote 300-400 letters a week  unbelievable - and she wrote longhand because she wanted to get things back in longhand, and she did.

One of the first letters Lena de Grummond received in response to one of her many solicitations was from H.A Ray, the creator of Curious George, telling her of his intention to send the collection some of his original work. At the very bottom of that letter, also part of the Collection, is a drawing of Curious George with a portfolio under his arm, and a little signpost pointing to Hattiesburg, with George trudging off in that direction.

When the de Grummond Collection was founded in 1966, the Reys were among its earliest contributors. Featured on the cover illustration of the collection's catalog is that same drawing of Curious George bringing his books and pictures to Hattiesburg, with the title Curious George Comes to Hattiesburg: The Life and Work of H.A. and Margret Rey. More Curious George materials were added over the years, and in 1996, upon the death of Margret, the remaining literary estate was given to the Collection.

So, most of the letters would come back illustrated and very personal, Ruffin further noted. She developed quite a correspondence with her authors and illustrators with their contacts.

Over the years, Ruffin made that same kind of connections with contemporary authors and illustrators resulting in gifts of original materials, as well as books given by generous donors, adding to the Collection, and contributing to its positioning as one of North Americas leading research centers in the field of childrens literature.

Ruffin facilitated financial gifts of approximately $1 million to support collection purchases and programming. She established a relationship with The Jewish Museum in New York City, which made it possible for pieces from the Ezra Jack Keats and Curious George collections to be on loan for exhibits in New York as well as around the world. In 2017, Ruffin traveled to Japan for the opening of a Curious George exhibit that toured six different cities, covering every geographic area of Japan, and welcoming more than 149,000 visitors over a two-year period.

Not surprisingly, Ruffin argues for the legitimacy of childrens literature, not just from the perspective of those authors and illustrators whose work makes up the collection, the popularity of the Kaigler Childrens Book Festival, and the premier standing of the Eza Jack Keats Award - but from her own experiences.

I read fairly voraciously as a child, and had friends in those books, Ruffin said, her voice tinged with emotion. I saw how things in my world were relevant. If I read something in a book, I wanted to see it in the world. If I saw something in the world, I wanted to find it in a book.

Children can connect, learn, and gain compassion and understanding and imagination through books. And I don't discount the significance of adults in that dynamic too, because Captain Kangaroo read Make Way for Ducklings to me.

University Libraries Dean Dr. John Eye described Ruffin as a constant source of energy, passion, and leadership during her time with the de Grummond Collection.

Her efforts to develop relationships and grow the Collection have contributed to the Collection being one of the top research centers in the country, Dr. Eye continued. She is leaving de Grummond with the promise of a bright future, and while she will be missed, we wish her the best in her well-deserved retirement.

And like Lena de Grummond before her, Ruffin leaves a remarkable legacy punctuated with the personal touch that the Collections founder would surely applaud.

The best part for me has been the relationships, all kinds of relationships, not just with famous people, but people who have their own stories, who are connected to their own books that they treasure and give to us with such earnestness, Ruffin said. That's hard to overlook. So, I wake up every morning feeling grateful for this wonderful career.

Part of the USM Foundations Give Wing: The Campaign for Southern Miss is to permanently endow the Curator of the de Grummond Childrens Literature Collection. A $2 million curatorship endowment would provide $80,000 annually in discretionary funds to support the Collection for things like development of exhibits and collection acquisition. To donate in honor of Ruffin, please visit the donation website for more information.
USM Doctoral Student, Alumna Receive Fulbright Scholarship Recognition

Tue, 05/23/2023 - 09:02am | By: Van Arnold

Shocked might be the best way to describe the emotion felt by University of Southern Mississippi (USM) graduate student Annmarie Fearing upon learning she had been selected as a finalist for a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship.

Fearing, a native of Gainesville, Fla., is a doctoral student in biological sciences at USM. Finalist candidates have been offered a Fulbright U.S. Student grant, contingent upon host country approvals, medical clearance, and submission of all required grant documents.

I did not even know they were announcing the finalists when I saw something about it on social media, so I checked quickly on my phone figuring I probably was not a finalist, and when I found I had been chosen, it was truly a surprise, said Fearing. I applied late in the process, so I really was not sure I stood a chance, but it provides the perfect opportunity to gain some important samples for my research.

USM alumna Allison McDaniel was named a Fulbright alternate, which means she can be promoted to finalist status if additional federal funding becomes available.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program expands perspectives through academic and professional advancement and cross-cultural dialogue. Fulbright creates connections in a complex and changing world. In partnership with more than 140 countries worldwide, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers unparalleled opportunities in all academic disciplines to passionate and accomplished graduating college seniors, graduate students, and young professionals from all backgrounds. Program participants pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad.

Fearing applied for the Open Study-Research Award with a plan to conduct research in Brazil. Her research focuses on how biodiversity has changed over time. Specifically, she is examining whether genetic diversity  a level of biodiversity  has changed in one of the most threatened marine fishes, the Critically Endangered Largetooth Sawfish.

To do this research, we need DNA samples, but it is very hard to find Largetooth Sawfish in the wild, so we use museum specimens to gather DNA instead of tissue samples from live specimen, said Fearing. These museum specimens are usually old sawfish saws that were removed in the past as trophies. We can now use these saw to look at past genetic diversity levels and then compare historic levels to those of contemporary populations to see if they have changed.

Fearing works in the lab of USM Associate Professor Dr. Nicole Phillips, a leading expert on sawfish conservation genetics. Under Phillips mentorship, Fearing has been afforded the opportunity to travel across the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand to sample from museums and to attend conferences.

Fearing leaves for Brazil in March 2024 and expects to be there for approximately nine months. She will be working with Dr. Patricia Charvet, a sawfish researcher at Universidade Federal do Ceara, and Dr. Vanessa Cruz, Director of the genetics lab at the State University of Sao Paulo.

We have traveled around the globe and sample over 1,000 sawfish saws but one of the most important places we still need DNA from is Brazil, said Fearing. The only issue is that we are unable to ship any samples out of Brazil due to Brazilian laws. Luckily, this Fulbright Scholarship will allow me to go to Brazil to get DNA from over 100 Brazilian specimens our collaborator has and do my lab work in that country.

McDaniel, a native of Columbia, Miss., is an alternate for the English Teaching Assistant Award. She earned her undergraduate degree as an Honors College student from USM in sociology (2016) and her masters degree in National and Transnational Studies from Westfalische Wilhelms-Universitat Munster in Munster, Germany in 2020.

Currently, McDaniel serves as program manager for SiriusXMs Automotive Remarking Sales Division, a job that sees her traveling routinely between Mississippi, Louisiana, and Tennessee. She also finds time to work with an organization called CASE, which helps place foreign exchange students with host families.

If the necessary funding becomes available, McDaniel hopes to use the scholarship to teach English in Switzerland. In the meantime, she has acquired an assistant teaching position in Gmunden, Austria as part of an Austrian Government program administered through Fulbright Austria.

I am primarily interested in teaching in any German-speaking region, said McDaniel. I have visited Switzerland before, and I fell in love with the region and its picturesque landscapes. I wish to teach in a German-speaking region to help further develop my German-language skills alongside helping others to develop their English skills.

Dannetta Winters, Director of Undergraduate Scholarships at USM notes that Fulbright scholars often continue to serve as international ambassadors through the friendships and connections they make in their host communities.

This allows for more robust teaching, research, and co-publication opportunities for these scholars and the institutions they represent, said Winters. Fulbright is a highly prestigious honor, so the rich experiences that our scholars receive contribute to the national recognition of how we invest in our students. These students are then able to pay it forward by working at the University, mentoring a new class of potential Fulbright scholars, or simply continuing to soar in their fields. These scholars are among the best and brightest in their fields, and we have several historical winners right here within our Southern Miss community.

To learn more about scholarship opportunities at USM, please visit their website.
After attending his first ASA meeting and hearing guest speaker Henry Miller, a computational biologist, speak about the usage of statistical modeling in biological systems to help identify where tumors are in the body, Lazaros career path shifted.

I did not know that you could combine statistics with biology and computer science and get meaningful results for the future of cancer research. That is what really inspired me to pursue a passion in statistics and data science, he said.

During his time at UTSA, Lazaro continued his involvement with ASA as well as the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), where he served as president of a minority student chapter in ACM.

While encouraging current students to get involved, Lazaros biggest takeaway from his student organization experience is to try everything you can, even if it does not correlate with your degree program.

I believe students cannot be what they cannot see. If they see someone doing something unique, like how I was able to learn about bioinformatics from the guest speaker in the ASA meeting, then students will see what they can become and open their eyes to endless opportunities, said Lazaro.

Knowing much about career exploration because of his own experiences, Lazaros first internship was with the Rocky Mountain Conservancys Conservation Corp in Colorado. Lazaro values the unique opportunity he had there to conserve nature trails and work outside while the world was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The next year Lazaro accepted an internship at the Stanford School of Medicine, where he practiced bioinformatics and utilized machine learning algorithms. The following summer he conducted cancer research at the Yale School of Medicine under the Medical Research Scholars program.

Upon graduating from UTSA, Lazaro will be working at the Centers for Disease Control and will be attending the Stanford School of Medicine to obtain his Ph.D. in biomedical informatics.
UWs Manufacturing Works Receives $400,000 Grant to Help Solve Wyomings Supply Chain Management Problems

Manufacturing Works has received a two-year, $400,000 federal grant to identify problems and provide solutions for the critical manufacturing infrastructure supply chain within Wyoming.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has entered into a cooperative agreement with the University of Wyoming to support the work described in the proposal titled MEP National Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence Network - Manufacturing Works. The grant, which focuses on helping small- and medium-sized businesses in Wyoming expand manufacturing capabilities beyond the states traditional mining sectors, begins June 1 and runs through May 31, 2025.

There is a massive list of components that the players in the critical manufacturing sector need but cant find manufacturers in the U.S. to supply. We believe they exist, but they are just not on the radar, says Rocky Case, center director for Manufacturing Works, a partnership among UW, NIST and the Wyoming Business Council. On the Wyoming level, I would say it is diversification and creating resilience of our manufacturers to diversify their business portfolios beyond mining extraction of coal, oil and gas.

For example, because of current geopolitical issues, Case points to a Center for Strategic and International Studies report that warns of the U.S. potentially having critical shortages of components for the defense industrial base, emerging energy sectors and other critical manufacturing infrastructure supply chains.

Our work will be solely focused on Wyoming manufacturers, but it will be work that will hopefully help connect the dots on a regional or national level, says Case, who adds Manufacturing Works will work with neighboring states Colorado and Utah. If you have a manufacturer that is completely off the grid that no one knows about, but you have a major contractor that needs something they can make, we want to make that connection. So, we want to connect the unknown players with the known needs.

Supply chain resiliency and growth of the domestic supply base are absolutely critical to strengthening manufacturing capabilities and fostering economic growth in the state of Wyoming, says Maria Jenks, a UW assistant lecturer of management and marketing, with a background in supply chain management in the energy sector. This can only be accomplished by working with the vast network of manufacturers and suppliers across the state, region and nation.

Jenks and Tyler ODaniel, assistant director of Manufacturing Works, will be part of the grant team with Case. Case hopes there will be opportunities for UW students, most likely from the College of Business and College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, to serve as interns on the grant work.

Manufacturing Works is part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network, which has centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. MEP is administered by NIST, which is part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Every MEP center across 50 states and Puerto Rico will each receive a $400,000 grant to tackle the supply chain management problem, Case says.

We feel like energy infrastructure, transportation infrastructure and defense infrastructure -- all of those things are in a critical state nationwide, Case says. And given the fact that we are not in a good way with the situation in Russia and Ukraine right now and other geopolitical issues pointing at it, its very evident that our reliance on those foreign markets related to those categories is not a sustainable model.

While the recent COVID-19 pandemic illuminated supply chain management problems and consumer product logjams in America and globally to the public, Case says issues with supply chain management date back to the mid-1960s. Rebuilding manufacturing in the U.S. will center on the fourth industrial revolution -- which includes artificial intelligence, automation, cybersecurity and virtual reality.

About Manufacturing Works

Manufacturing Works provides technical and business assistance to manufacturing companies across the state. It is part of the Wyoming Business Resource Network, with offices in Afton, Casper, Cheyenne, Laramie and Sheridan. Manufacturing Works promotes innovation, manufacturing and industrial competitiveness to build a stronger and more prosperous Wyoming through enhanced economic security and improved quality of life. Services to manufacturers include broad technical assistance, engineering solutions, general business assistance, marketing assistance and financial counseling.
KATHMANDU, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Nepali climbing guide Kami Rita Sherpa set a new global record on Tuesday by ascending Mt. Qomolangma for an unprecedented 28th time.

The 53-year-old reached the summit of the world's tallest peak at 9:23 local time.

"Kami Rita Sherpa has made history by scaling Mt. Qomolangma for the 28th time on Tuesday," reported Bigyan Koirala, an official at the mountaineering division of Nepal's Department of Tourism.

"His health condition is stable, and he is currently descending to the lower camps," informed Migma Sherpa, the chairperson of the Seven Summit Treks, the agency with which Kami has been associated.

Just a week ago, on May 17, Kami, aged 53, had ascended the mountain, situated on the Nepal-China border, for the 27th time. Another Nepali guide, Pasang Dawa Sherpa, also made it to the summit for the 27th time on Monday.

A record 478 climbers from 65 countries and regions have been granted permits to climb Mt. Qomolangma from the Nepali side during the spring climbing season. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first successful ascent of the peak, as noted by Nepal's Department of Tourism. 
Interpol, the international police organization founded in 1923 to promote cooperation among law enforcement agencies, has transformed into a formidable crime fighting force in recent years.

Recent controversies over the misuse of its alert system by autocratic regimes, however, have cast a shadow over its reputation as an indispensable tool for global law enforcement cooperation.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, speaking on Monday at a Justice Department event marking Interpol's centennial, lauded the organization's role in meeting emerging global threats, from terrorism to cybercrime and human trafficking.

"Over the past 100 years, Interpol has evolved to meet each one of those threats, and in doing so has made the world a safer place," Monaco told the attendees.

The ceremony in the Justice Department's famed Great Hall featured presentations by a pipes and drums band and a local police department color guard.

Top Interpol officials, as well as senior officials from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security, the two agencies that manage Interpol's U.S. National Central Bureau in Washington, were in attendance.

Interpol publishes Red Notices, which are requests for police forces worldwide to locate and arrest a suspect pending extradition.

Any of Interpol's 195 member countries can request a Red Notice as long as it complies with its rules.

Interpol says a task force of lawyers and police officers, established in 2016, conducts a thorough review of all red notice requests as well as wanted persons diffusions. Diffusions are alerts sent by a member country to other member nations.

In addition, Interpol has an independent body, known as the Commission for the Control of Interpol's Files, that removes disputed Red Notices and other alerts from its system.

The commission, composed mainly of lawyers, provides an additional layer of scrutiny on abuse.

Despite the agency's efforts to ensure compliance, however, countries such as Russia and China have in recent years been accused of misusing Interpol's alert system for political purposes.

Interpol Secretary-General Jurgen Stock defended his agency's "robust" review system during the Justice Department ceremony.

"When repeated non-compliance occurs, preventive and corrective measures are applied to those member countries to protect the integrity of our channels," Stock said.

Interpol figures show the agency dismisses a significant number of noncompliant requests. In 2021, Interpol published nearly 24,000 Red Notices and wanted persons alerts while rejecting nearly 1,300 for noncompliance.

Monaco praised Interpol's increased scrutiny of alert requests and diffusions in order "to ensure that Interpol isn't misused in furtherance of transnational repression" by autocratic regimes.

But that hasn't stopped authoritarian regimes from abusing the system, critics say.

In 2021, activist Idris Hasan, a member of China's persecuted Uyghur minority, was arrested in Morocco based on a Red Notice issued by Interpol at China's request.

Though Interpol classified the Red Notice as "noncompliant" after Hasan's arrest, the case highlights "the inherent dangers of an international policing organization cooperating with non-rule of law countries prone to abuse such instruments for persecution that run counter to Interpol's constitution," human rights nonprofit Safeguard Defenders wrote in a report.

Critics say Russia is another serial abuser of the Interpol system.

In recent years, Russia has repeatedly requested that Interpol issue a Red Notice for the arrest of Bill Browder, an American human rights activist and critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In 2018, Browder alleged that he was arrested in Spain on a "Russian arrest warrant" but an Interpol spokesperson told VOA she could confirm that "no Red Notice has been issued for Mr. Bowder."

Ted Bromund, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said Interpol operates on the presumption that its member states act in good faith.

"As a result, there continues to be a lot of Interpol abuse through notices, through diffusions and through other mechanisms," Bromund said in an interview.

Bromund said that Interpol's data suggests that its review task force is failing to prevent questionable Red Notices filed by countries such as China and Russia.

The number of notices deleted by the Commission for the Control of Interpol Files remains "historically high," he noted.

"If the Notices and Diffusions Task Force were actually preventing all abuse, the commission  should not have to keep on deleting so many red notices," he said.

The Interpol spokesperson, Rachael Billington, took issue with comparing the two figures.

"When assessing the compliance of a Red Notice the task force considers information available to it at the time," Billington wrote in an email to VOA. "If, or when, new information is made available, the notice can be reviewed and if no longer found compliant, it will be cancelled by the task force and all member countries informed."

Both China and Russia have denied abusing Interpol.

The alleged Red Notice abuses aside, Interpol retains an essential role in global law enforcement cooperation. Its role in fighting crime has grown in recent years, as criminals increasingly operate across borders and online.

Interpol says police departments worldwide query its databases more than 20 million times a day, or roughly 250 searches per second.
Just after the G7 Hiroshima Summit ended, China's Cyberspace Administration of China, or CAC, issued a statement requesting that "operators of critical information infrastructures in China should stop purchasing products made by Micron Technology" due to "national security risks."

The U.S. Department of Commerce dismissed the ban issued Sunday as "unsubstantiated," while Micron, the biggest U.S. memory chipmaker, said in a written statement, "We have received CACs notice.  We are evaluating the conclusion and assessing our next steps. We look forward to continuing to engage in discussions with Chinese authorities."

VOA Mandarins email requesting Microns comments on whether it will appeal Chinas decision or consult with the U.S. government went unanswered as of the press time.

The news of China's decision to block Micron after nearly two months of investigation came as a shock to the foreign business community in China. The company is the first U.S. chipmaker to be targeted by Beijing after Washington in October placed export controls on some American-made components and tools for chipmaking to prevent them from being used to expand China's military capabilities.

Michael Hart, president of the Beijing-based American Chamber of Commerce in China (AmCham China), said in a written response to VOA Mandarin on Monday that U.S. businesses are worried about being the next target of China's security review.

Hart said in his emailed reply, "Our members are asking us two things: will they be targeted because they are American, and how can they ensure they remain compliant in a business environment that appears to be increasingly influenced by national security concerns?"

Representatives of AmCham China expressed concerns about the Micron case in late April. When asked about the case at a video news conference on April 26, Lester Ross, chairman of the Chamber's policy committee, said that Chinas "taking action against particular foreign individuals or companiesIt is a major concern because China lacks transparency in many dimensions in law and policies. In the absence of data and real evidence showing that Microns products are understood as an example is of particular vulnerability to China."

He said "it is a concern on the part of other companies, in other industries as well that they could suddenly be singled out without any clear evidence being presented on the basis of unclear suspicions [and] that their ability to do businesswill be jeopardized and their investment will go away."

Hart said at the same news conference that China was traditionally known for its "predictable investment environment, whether that be predictable rules and places to invest." But recent Chamber polls show that U.S. businesses are less comfortable with the predictability. The uncertainty comes from both last years COVID controls and Chinas increasing security probes.

European businesses also worry

European companies in China are also worried, especially about the possible impact on the semiconductor supply chain.

Jorg Wuttke, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, said in a Monday email response to VOA Mandarin that the chamber issued a report in January 2021 outlining the impact that decoupling will have on company operations. In this regard, he wrote, "geopolitical and COVID 19-releated factors have shone a spotlight on the fragility of global supply chains, including their susceptibility to chip shortages."

As a result, Wuttke said, the Micron case "could potentially add to these [supply chain] pressures."

He said, "European companies operating in China need to closely monitor the situation, evaluate the risk that the U.S.-China technology competition poses to their supply chains, and make contingency plans accordingly."

Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Idaho, Micron is the leading memory chip company in the U.S. and the third-largest memory chipmaker in the world, behind Samsung and SK Hynix in South Korea. Micron's main products are DRAM (dynamic random access memory) and NAND Flash (flash memory). According to the company's 2022 financial report, DRAM accounts for about 73% of total revenue and flash memory accounts for 25%, for 98% of total revenue.

Micron's products are used in cell phones, personal computers and servers. Their components can be found in the automotive, industrial and consumer markets as well. China, the world's biggest semiconductor buyer, has gradually reduced its reliance on foreign-made chips as part of a years-long push to develop self-sufficiency.

Micron has offices in Shanghai, Xi'an and Shenzhen, China, and a test and assembly facility in Xi'an. Because of the U.S.-China trade war, China is no longer Micron's largest market. China revenue has reportedly plummeted from 57% of its global revenue in 2018, or about $17 billion, to 10.8% last year, or about $3.26 billion, according to its 2022 financial report and other reports.

Escalated sanctions

In an interview with VOA Mandarin, Lin Tsung-Nan, a professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering at National Taiwan University in Taipei, said that in the face of the G-7 joint statement on China, Chinese President Xi Jinping must show toughness with nationalistic sentiment to the Chinese people. Externally, based on a confrontational strategy, Xi must also show the democratic and free world that he is capable of imposing sanctions, Lin said.

He said blocking Micron is a geopolitical retaliation, one that hurts China and others. "This is a bit like the 'Seven Wounded Fist' in martial arts novels, which will hurt Micron and of course itself [China]," Lin said. "However, China should have calculated, that is, when it hurt itself, it's not fatal."

According to the Wuxia Fandom Wiki the skill Lin refers to "allows the user to inflict severe internal injuries on his opponent while suffering grave internal injuries at the same time."

He said that even if the ban on Micron hurts the domestic market, the Chinese Communist Party would not hesitate to do this to defend its authority.

In addition, after the Micron ban takes effect, South Korea will likely play an "important but awkward" role, Lin said, explaining that with Micron's exit, South Korea's Samsung and Hynix may take over Micron's market share. This is especially true for Samsung, which has made extensive DRAM production investment in China. Samsung's recent poor sales in China will motivate it to grab the share, Lin said.

Even if Seoul is constrained by Washington's request for South Korean factories not to export supplies to China, the Chinese Communist Party may exert pressure on Samsung's Chinese factories for "secret deals," according to Lin, who added,

"This is Xi's plan to kill two birds with one stone: to show China's assertiveness, and to rope in South Korea, or to divide South Korea and the U.S. on their China stance."

Micron Once An Espionage Victim

In an ironic twist, Micron was once the alleged victim of Chinese theft of trade secrets.



In 2018, a federal grand jury in San Francisco charged a Chinese state firm, a Taiwanese chipmaker, and three employees with economic espionage related to a conspiracy to steal Microns trade secrets.



The case centered on Taiwan-based United Microelectronics Corp.s role in illegally transferring Microns DRAM technology to Chinas Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co Ltd.



The UMC employees once worked for Microns Taiwan subsidiary.



Before leaving Micron, J.T. Ho and Kenny Wang allegedly stole and brought to UMC several Micron trade secrets related to the design and manufacture of DRAM, proscutors said. .



Stephen Chen allegedly brokered a deal to transfer DRAM technology from UMC to Jinhua for mass production. He later became Jinhuas president and was put in charge of its DRAM production facility.



UMC pleaded guilty in 2020 to one count of receiving and possessing a trade secret. It agreed to pay a fine of $60 million and cooperate with U.S. prosecutors. In a statement, UMC denied any knowledge of the theft of Microns trade secrets or their unauthorized transfer to Jinhua.



VOA reached out to Jack DiCanio, a lawyer for Jinhua, but did not immediately receive a response.



Jinhua has pleaded not guilty and has been fighting the charges in federal court in San Francisco.



In court documents, U.S. prosecutors said China lacked DRAM technology before the alleged theft of Mircons trade secrets and had identified it as a "national economic priority."



Jinhua was created in 2016 with $5.65 billion in funding from the Chinese government for the sole purpose of designing, developing, and manufacturing DRAM technology, according to U.S. prosecutors.





Bo Gu and Masood Farivar also contributed to this report.
COLOMBO, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's cabinet has approved a proposal by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to grant incentives to businesses with strategic importance that will commence operation at the Colombo Port City, a spokesman said here on Tuesday.

Cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardena told reporters that the Port City is an important part of Sri Lanka's attempts to attract foreign investment, which is crucial to stabilizing and modernizing the economy.

Spanning 269 hectares of reclaimed land from the sea, the Port City will comprise five precincts including the Financial District, Central Park Living, Island Living, the Marina and the International Island.

Primary and secondary businesses that are strategically important to the Port City have been identified, according to Gunawardena. 
The 15-year-old Beijing LGBT Center, one of the pioneers of the "different sexual orientation movement" in China, announced this week that it had terminated its operations without explanation.

Analysts said the closure of the well-known rights center was seen as inevitable and a reflection of the increasingly repressive political environment in China under Xi Jinping.

The LGBT Center released a statement on its social media accounts Monday evening, announcing that the center would cease operations "due to force majeure." That legal phrase typically refers to events outside a party's control, although the message did not elaborate on the reasons.

VOA Mandarin left a message on the center's account but has not received a response.

As part of its public mission, the LGBT Center was committed to improving the environment for sexual minorities in China. Its main business included providing psychological counseling, rapid HIV screening and "gender-friendly workplace training" to promote gender diversity and prevent discrimination.

The center has also sued organizations that administer electroshock therapy to homosexuals.

Jennifer Lu, Asia program director of Outright International, a group focused on improving rights for sexual minorities around the world, has long been concerned with the situation in China.

In an interview with VOA Mandarin, she said the sudden closure of the center was a shame, but that she wasn't surprised by it. She said many sexual minority activists have told her that they are unable to organize events in China and that there are fewer and fewer outlets to speak out.

"There are quite a few Chinese LGBT groups," Lu said, "who may be warned by the public security officers or friends before they hold an event that 'this event has to be canceled.' The worrying thing is that the people who try to talk them out of the events don't necessarily use a strong tone, but often hint, 'I know what you're doing.'

"Or, the person who delivers the message would say, 'I know you've had these conversations.' These 'conversations' are usually private or internal discussions. You then realize that some of the discussions or events that you prepare for are not secure. They are being monitored at all times."

Homosexuality was decriminalized in China in 1997, but in recent years Beijing has officially restricted some kinds of LGBT content on television and social media. In 2017, the country's broadcasting authority banned the depiction of homosexuality, including it in the category of "abnormal sexual behavior" similar to incest. But a proposal in 2018 to ban all gay content from Weibo, the country's popular social media service, was reversed after public outcry.

All LGBT groups at risk?

In 2020, the Shanghai Pride Festival, China's largest multigender event, was discontinued, presumably because of pressure from Chinese authorities on the organizers.

In 2021, social media accounts of sexual minority communities at several Chinese universities were shut down by WeChat, China's biggest social media platform.

According to Lu, in the past few years, several Chinese sexual minority groups, including the Beijing LGBT Center, have faced various restrictions from the government and have planned to cease their operations, but some of them have been prevented from doing so by the authorities.

Lu told VOA Mandarin: "Some groups think, 'We might as well just shut down,' since they can't hold events or do promotion or raise funds. But this is what the authorities want to avoid - to give the public an impression that civil society still exists. They don't want to draw too much attention when they carry out their so-called stability policy; they don't want controversy."

The Beijing LGBT Center was a place for people "to go to when they are under pressure in society or in their families, or to seek help when they are in trouble," Lu said. "This is a very important and basic service in the LGBT movement. That's why people were so shocked by the sudden closure of the center."

Taiwan amends gay marriage rules

In 2019, Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed the Special Act on Same-Sex Marriage, becoming the first country in Asia to allow same-sex marriage, but the regulations stipulated that married same-sex couples could adopt only children biologically related to one of the partners. The law was amended Tuesday when Taiwan's Legislative Yuan passed an amendment to officially open all adoptions to same-sex couples.

In January, Taiwan expanded the reach of same-sex marriage. Taiwanese citizens can register for marriage in Taiwan regardless of whether the spouse's home country or region allows gay marriage, with one exception  China.

Qi Jiawei, a veteran gay rights activist in Taiwan, told VOA Mandarin that Taiwan is now leading Asia in same-sex marriage legislation.

"Taiwan opened transnational [gay marriage] in the Lunar New Year of 2023. Homosexual people from any country in the world can get married in Taiwan, except those from mainland China," Qi said.

"The adoption from gay couples was not open at first, so Taiwan fixed this problem by making an amendment. So the last issue is solved now."

Bo Gu contributed to this report.
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is exploring ways artificial intelligence can help detect fentanyl and prevent it from entering the country. VOAs Julie Taboh has more.
"The war never ends. Tomorrow it will start again," remarks a character in "Goodbye Julia," the first Sudanese film ever selected for Cannes.

It explores the racism fueling decades of conflict in the country, and director Mohamed Kordofani admitted to "contradictory feelings" about walking the glitzy red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival while his fellow Sudanese are cowering from bombs.

The irony is not lost on Kordofani, who did not expect his debut feature to coincide with the breakout of a new conflict in Sudan.

"Right now, I am stranded in Cannes," he joked in an interview with AFP on a seaside terrace overlooking a flotilla of yachts, before adding on a serious note that he was "heartbroken" by the conflict and the fact he could not go home.

"The bombing needs to stop," said the former aircraft engineer, who packed in his career to start a film production company.

"Goodbye Julia" is playing in the Un Certain Regard category in Cannes, a segment focusing on young, innovative talent.

The film starts in 2005 after the end of an earlier bout of fighting, between Khartoum and the separatist south, and ends as South Sudan gains independence in 2011.

It tells the story of how a covered-up murder brings a southern Sudanese woman, Julia, into contact with a northern Sudanese woman, Mona, and her overbearing conservative husband.

'My own transformation'

The two women's friendship is complex, and the racist undercurrent between Arabs and black Africans that stalks the Middle East and North Africa is on stark display.

Mona's husband refers to the southerners as "slaves" and "savages," and she is forced to confront her own ingrained racism, while gender roles are also explored.

Kordofani said he was inspired by how his own views had changed over the past decade.

"I started to review how I was behaving in my previous relationships. I reviewed my own racism."

He said discrimination was so deeply ingrained in Sudan that "to this day, I don't know if I'm completely not racist."

While racism is not at the heart of Sudan's current conflict, Kordifani said the film's message was still relevant, as the country lurches from one broken cease-fire to the next, and residents hunker down with barely any food or supplies.

"I don't think the war will end unless we change. We the people, not the government. We need to be equal, and we need to be inclusive, and we need to learn to coexist."

Critics have warmly received "Goodbye Julia," with Screen calling it "a gut-wrenching and emotionally rewarding tale."

The Hollywood Reporter said it had "shades of a thriller" and praised Kordofani's "fine direction."
Arizona, Nevada and California said Monday theyre willing to cut back on their use of the dwindling Colorado River in exchange for money from the federal government  and to avoid forced cuts as drought threatens the key water supply for the U.S. West.

The $1.2 billion plan, a potential breakthrough in a year-long stalemate, would conserve an additional 3 million acre-feet of water through 2026, when current guidelines for how the river is shared expire. About half the cuts would come by the end of 2024.

That's less than what federal officials said last year would be needed to stave off crisis in the river but still marks a notable step in long and difficult negotiations between the three states.

The 2,334-kilometer river provides water to 40 million people in seven U.S. states, parts of Mexico and more than two dozen Native American tribes. It produces hydropower and supplies water to farms that grow most of the nation's winter vegetables.

In exchange for temporarily using less water, cities, irrigation districts and Native American tribes in the three states will be paid. The federal government plans to spend $1.2 billion, said Lauren Wodarski, a spokesperson to U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, a Nevada Democrat.

Though adoption of the plan isn't certain, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton called it an important step forward. She said the bureau will pull back its proposal from last month that could have resulted in sidestepping the existing water priority system to force cuts while it analyzes the three-state plan. The bureau's earlier proposal, if adopted, could have led to a messy legal battle.

"At least theyre still talking. But money helps you keep talking, said Terry Fulp, former regional director of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamations Lower Colorado Basin region. He noted the agreement is a short-term, three-year deal and that because the Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming didnt face immediate cuts, they were not part of the pact.

The three Lower Basin states are entitled to 7.5 million acre-feet of water altogether from the river. An acre-foot of water is roughly enough to serve two to three U.S. households annually.

California gets the most, based on a century-old water rights priority system. Most of that goes to farmers in the Imperial Irrigation District, though some also goes to smaller water districts and cities across Southern California. Arizona and Nevada have already faced cuts in recent years as key reservoir levels dropped based on prior agreements. But California has been spared.

Under the new proposal, California would give up about 1.6 million acre-feet of water through 2026  a little more than half of the total. That's roughly the same amount the state first offered six months ago. It wasn't clear why the other states agreed to a deal now when California didn't offer further cuts. Leaders in Arizona and Nevada didn't immediately say how they'd divide the other 1.4 million acre-feet.

The Imperial Irrigation District would account for more than half of Californias cuts. J.B. Hamby, chairman of the Colorado River Board of California, said the district has already taken measures to improve water efficiency and will need to do more. He said the district is working on a pilot summer idling program where farmers would sign up to turn off their water for 60 days for forage crops. During that time of year, yields are already down and more water is required, he said.

Bill Hasencamp, manager of Colorado River resources for the Metropolitan Water District of California, which supplies water to 19 million people in southern California, said the wet winter means the state simply needs less water. His district is planning on leaving 250,000 acre-feet this year in Lake Mead and wont withdraw it until after 2026.

The district will also turn over to the federal government a program that pays farmers to fallow land that typically nets them about 130,000 acre-feet of water a year, he said.

The Colorado River has been in crisis for years due to a multi-decade drought in the West intensified by climate change, rising demand and overuse. Water levels at key reservoirs dipped to unprecedented lows, though they have rebounded somewhat thanks to heavy precipitation this winter.

In recent years, the federal government has cut some water allocations and offered billions of dollars to pay farmers, cities and others to cut back. But key water officials didn't see those efforts as enough to prevent the system from collapsing.

Michael Cohen, a senior researcher at the Pacific Institute focused on the Colorado River, called the amount of cuts the three states have proposed a huge, huge lift and a significant step forward.

It does buy us a little additional time, he said. But if more dry years are ahead, this agreement will not solve that problem.
Vietnamese students now make up the fifth-largest group of foreign students in the U.S., according to the 2022 Institute of International Educations (IIE) annual Open Doors report. The report found 20,713 Vietnamese students studied in the U.S. in the 2021-2022 academic year.

But now some Vietnamese universities have recently begun trying to attract U.S. students to study in Vietnam, a goal that is challenging, some education experts told VOAs Khanh An. (May 2023)
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Australia for an official visit. Talks with the Australian government are expected to focus on defense, trade and renewable energy.

Modi last visited Australia in 2014. Much has changed in the bilateral relationship since then. Defense and security ties have become stronger. Last year, the two nations signed an interim trade deal. Formal negotiations on a full pact are expected to begin shortly.

About 20,000 people are expected at a rally Tuesday at Sydney Olympic Park for an address by Modi. His Australian counterpart, Anthony Albanese, also will attend as Australia approaches a milestone of 1 million people of Indian origin. Members of the Indian diaspora will travel from around Australia for the event.

A group of Greens party senators in Canberra have urged Albanese to raise human rights violations against minority groups in India during talks with Modi.

Activists have said that dozens of rights campaigners are in jail across India following politically motivated prosecutions. Indian government officials have had no response to the allegations so far.

Analysts believes there could also be protests at the Sydney rally against Modi by Muslim and Sikh activists.

Ian Hall, acting director of the Griffith Asia Institute at Queenslands Griffith University, told VOA that geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific region have intensified ties between Canberra and New Delhi.

Look, China hangs over all of this. I think we would have seen Australia and India come together over time but that would have happened over [a] 30- or 40-year period, Hall said. What has accelerated this relationship and really catalyzed the relationship is the deterioration of relations with China and working together now in order to ensure some kind of balance of power and influence in the region has become this central driving force of the relationship between the two countries.

Australia and India are members of the Quad security dialogue, an alliance that also includes Japan and the United States.

India is the world's largest democracy and has overtaken China as the most populous nation, according to the United Nations.

Albanese said relations between Canberra and New Delhi had never been closer.

India is Australias sixth-largest trading partner with two-way trade in goods and services valued at $30 billion in 2022, according to official government data.
Two jailed Iranian journalists, who helped break the story of the case of a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody last September, will go on trial later this month, according to Iranian authorities.

A judiciary spokesman said Elaheh Mohammadi will go on trial on May 29 and Niloufar Hamedi will be tried on May 30.

Hamedi, with the Sharq newspaper, was the first to report on the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of morality police. The death of Amini, who was accused of wearing her headscarf too loosely, sparked nationwide anti-government protests.

A few days after Aminis death, Hamedi was arrested by Iranian security forces.

Elaheh Mohammadi, with the Ham Mihan newspaper, published a story about Amini's funeral. The reporter has been in police custody since September 2022.

Iranian officials said the two journalists had been indicted on charges of collaborating with the United States, acting against national security, and creating "propaganda against the system." Their cases were referred to Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran.

On May 3, the two reporters and the imprisoned Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi were awarded the 2023 Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize by the United Nations' cultural agency, UNESCO.

Hamedi and Mohammadi were also joint winners of the 2023 International Press Freedom Award by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression and Harvard Universitys 2023 Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism. They were named two of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2023.

According to the World Press Freedom Index 2023 issued by Reporters Without Borders on May 3 to coincide with World Press Freedom Day, Iran is considered one of the world's worst countries for press freedom. It has been listed at No. 177 out of 180 nations ranked in worldwide assessments of press freedoms followed by Vietnam, China, and North Korea.

The Iranian Writers' Association also issued a statement on the occasion of "International Press Freedom Day" on May 4, calling for the unconditional release of all imprisoned journalists and announcing that it will continue to fight to create a society in which the government refrains from attacking the free press and independent media.

Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and the intelligence agency of the Revolutionary Guards issued a joint statement accusing Hamedi and Mohammadi of "spreading biased news."

Maryam Dehkordi, a journalist, previously told VOA that Hamedi and Mohammadi had fulfilled their professional mission and were always sensitive about social issues.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi will meet his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, on Tuesday during a two-day trip aiming to strengthen economic ties between the Muslim-majority nations amid heightened global geopolitical tensions.

Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Raisi is visiting at Widodo's invitation as Indonesia aims to speed up its post-pandemic recovery by increasing its exports.

The visit is expected to deepen Iran's ties with Indonesia as Tehran seeks alternatives to the United States-led Western domination of international affairs and seeks further cooperation after the two nations concluded negotiations on the Indonesia-Iran Preferential Trade Agreement this month, Indonesia's Trade Ministry said.

The ministry's data showed that trade between Indonesia and Iran amounted to $54.1 million between January and March, while the bilateral trade value last year increased by more than 23% to $257.2 million.

Iran was a nontraditional trade partner for Indonesia, said Johni Martha, the director of bilateral negotiations at Indonesia's Trade Ministry. "With this PTA, we hope to widen our market reach and export opportunities in the Middle East and Persia," he said.

Southeast Asia's largest economy is seeking new markets to diversify its export options and to reduce its reliance on traditional trade partners, many of which have been affected by a weakened global economy and geopolitical risks.

In February, Raisi met with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to seek further cooperation following their meeting last September in Uzbekistan, when Xi underscored China's support for Iran.

Both countries have had tense relations with the U.S. and have sought to project themselves as a counterweight to American power alongside Russia.

Washington has accused Iran of selling hundreds of attack drones to Russia for its war in Ukraine and has sanctioned executives of an Iranian drone manufacturer. At the same time, ties between Moscow and Beijing have grown stronger.

While in Indonesia, Raisi is scheduled to lay a wreath at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta to honor Indonesia's war dead before he meets with Widodo in the presidential palace in Bogor. They will witness the signing of the PTA and other agreements.

Before leaving Jakarta on Wednesday, Raisi will also meet with Indonesia's House Speaker Puan Maharani, religious figures and businesspeople. He'll visit Jakarta's Istiqlal Grand Mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, and give public lectures in an Islamic university.

Widodo's last trip to Iran was in 2016 while the last official state visit from Iran was in 2015 when Hassan Rouhani attended the 50th commemoration of the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung.
A top U.S. defense official is dismissing Chinas use of surveillance balloons as a distraction, calling them inconsequential when compared to the larger problem posed by Beijings increasing ability to militarize space.

Chinas use of spy balloons has grabbed headlines since the Pentagon announced it was tracking one of the high-altitude devices as it traveled across the continental United States this past February.

Since then, the United States has shot down one Chinese balloon and a handful of other suspicious high-altitude objects, at times using advanced weaponry and U.S. officials have even acknowledged the balloon was able to gather some information around sensitive military sites.

But Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said Monday, in some ways, Chinas use of balloons, which Beijing has described as weather balloons, is a distraction.

"They have a very aggressive intelligence collection program. The balloons are a very small part of that and not highly consequential," Kendall told reporters during a briefing to the Defense Writers Group in Washington.

What worries him more, Kendall said, is higher up.

The space part of it is very significant and very consequential," he said. "They're linking their space-based capabilities to their operational forces.

Other U.S. officials have likewise warned of Chinas advances in space.

"China sees space as a potential vulnerability for the United States," said Doug Wade, head of the Defense Intelligence Agencys China Mission Group, this past March.

"There's a variety of space and counter-space assets or capabilities in China that worry us a lot," Wade said, calling Beijing's space program, "second only to the United States."

The U.S. chief of space operations, General Chance Saltzman, likewise warned about Beijing growing prowess, calling China our most substantial threat into and from space.

Kendall on Monday said specifically it is Chinas growing ability to use its satellites to track U.S. troops and assets that has him very concerned.

"A big part of that operational capability is surveillance, reconnaissance, targeting  to do things like try to target aircraft carriers, trying to target mobile units, ground units of various types," he said. "It's a huge efficiency enhancement for them potentially."

Despite pleas from officials like Kendall for lawmakers to focus on Chinas space capabilities, there has been a push by some lawmakers to address the potential threat from high-altitude balloons, some of it in line with requests for equipment and funding from U.S. Northern Command.

The [U.S. Northern Command commander] has told us that he has additional unfunded requirements for Air Force over the horizon and long-range expeditionary radars, Democrat Jon Tester, chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, said during a hearing last month.

We need to provide the resources, and I think this committee on both sides of the aisle wants to make sure our nation is safe and provide the resources to do that, Tester added.

The Air Forces Kendall called on lawmakers to pass a defense budget on time and support modernization efforts, including reforms that would allow the service more flexibility to better respond to Chinas advancements.

"The threat to our airbases, the threats to our carriers, their air superiority drive  have all been going on for quite some time and we have not responded, I think, as quickly as we should have," he said, adding that in some cases, "We're giving away over a year to China for no good reason.
New developments:

Britains defense ministry said Russian security forces "highly likely clashed with partisans" in Russias Belgorod province, and that Russia is "facing an increasingly serious multi-domain security threat in its border regions."

Two Ukrainian war veteran amputees covered a total of 120 kilometers walking toward each other to raise funds for medical equipment for Ukraine's main military hospital. "This is how we can help our brothers and sisters in arms, and in some way our country. Because our country is really fighting right now. We are all fighting in the ways we can."

A senior Russian official claimed Tuesday that Moscows troops have repelled a cross-border raid from Ukraine in the Belgorod region, and that Russia killed more than 70 of the attackers in a battle that lasted about 24 hours.

In the fog of war, it was impossible to independently verify claims about the armed incursion that began Monday, or even who was behind it. Moscow blamed the raid on Ukrainian military saboteurs, while Kyiv contended that it was an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans.

Russian dissidents unhappy about Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies instigated the assault, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said Tuesday.

"These are Russian patriots, as we understand it. People who actually rebelled against the Putin regime," she said.

"There are no Ukrainian soldiers on Russian soil. They are not supervising their operation," said Ilya Ponomarev, an exiled Russian politician who resides in Ukraine and says that he is a political representative for the group involved in the operation. He told VOAs Ukrainian service This operation is done by Russians on the Russian territory."

The fight took place about 80 kilometers north of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed the armed attackers were killed by local troop units, air strikes and artillery fire.

"The remnants of the nationalists were driven back to the territory of Ukraine, where they continued to be hit by fire until they were completely eliminated," Konashenkov said, without providing evidence. He did not mention any Russian casualties.

Konashenkov said four armored combat vehicles and five pickup trucks used by the attackers were destroyed. The governor of the Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said the raid targeted the rural area around the town of Graivoron, about five kilometers from the border. Twelve civilians were wounded in the attack, he said, and an older woman died during the evacuation.

Russia's Investigative Committee, its top law enforcement agency, announced an investigation into alleged terrorism and attempted murder in connection with the incident. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the raid "elicits deep concerns," and a "bigger effort" was required to prevent such attacks in the future.

Zelenskyy visits front line troops

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday he visited troops on the front lines.

Without giving a specific location, Zelenskyy posted on Telegram a series of photos alongside members of the military.

"Our defenders. Frontline. Today I am here to congratulate our warriors on the Day of the Ukrainian Marines," Zelenskyy said.

"On his return from a foreign visit, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the front line positions of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Vugledar-Maryinka defense line in Donetsk region," the presidency said in a statement.

The Ukrainian leader has made several trips to the front lines since Russia launched its full-scale invasion last year. In recent weeks, his travels have been to European capitals to secure new pledges of military aid and make the case for allies sending advanced warplanes to aid Ukrainian forces.

U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said "it will take several months at best" to decide on supplying F-16s to Ukraine.

Speaking with reporters with the Defense Writers Group in Washington on Monday, Kendall said the F-16s "will give the Ukrainians an interim capability they don't have right now, but it's not going to be a dramatic game changer." He said, "airpower has not been a decisive factor so far," citing the effectiveness of ground-based air defense systems. "The F-16s are going to help the Ukrainians, but it's not going to fundamentally change that equation," he remarked.

War crimes tribunal

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Monday unanimously recognized Russia's crimes against Ukraine as genocide, striking "a diplomatic victory [for Ukraine with] far-reaching political consequences," said Yehor Cherniev, the head of Ukraine's delegation at the assembly in Luxembourg.

"This is our diplomatic victory. All of our key wishes regarding the final text of the declaration have been taken into account," Cherniev said.

The declaration includes support for an international tribunal for Russian war crimes, a pledge to help Ukraine achieve victory, a commitment to restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity, the implementation of further sanctions, and an aid program similar to the Marshall Plan to help restore the country's economy.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy hailed the declaration from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

"Things are called what they are: a clear recognition of Russia's crimes against our country as genocide, a clear condemnation of ruscist ideology," he said. "This is the right basis for other international organizations as well."

National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.

Some information for this story came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
by Xinhua writer Yao Bing

CAIRO, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Walking through a rebar jungle, Mahmoud Ezzat and his Chinese mentor Song Guoshuai arrived early in the morning to start work at the construction site of the Alamein Downtown Towers Project in New Alamein City on Egypt's Mediterranean northern coast.

Under Song's instructions, Ezzat skillfully tied the steel bars up with delicate knots. Months of close cooperation have transformed the teacher and the pupil into a pair of partners.

"I have worked as a steel bar worker in many projects before, but this is the first time I had a chance to work on such a large-scale project," Ezzat said, adding that he couldn't even read the on-site steel bar diagram when he first joined the project.

The Alamein Downtown Towers Project, being constructed by China State Construction Engineering Corporation, consists of the 300-meter-high Iconic Tower, four 200-meter-high buildings, and other commercial and municipal facilities.

The design of the Iconic Tower was inspired by the Egyptian obelisk, which is elegant and full of power, Ezzat said, noting that "upon completion, the tower will become the highest point overlooking New Alamein City."

It is another example of China-Egypt cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative after the Central Business District (CBD) project in the new administrative capital of Egypt, according to Fan Xinfeng, chief engineer of the project.

"There are about 2,700 Chinese and Egyptian constructors working against time on this project," Fan said.

In order to improve efficiency, the project department assigned a Chinese mentor for each Egyptian worker, and therefore Ezzat and Song formed a mentorship.

However, although Song is a veteran with 20 years of experience as a rebar worker, he felt all at sea when he started teaching Ezzat because of the language barrier.

"I can't speak Arabic, so I try to use gestures to communicate with my prentice," Song said, adding that he has demonstrated the process of binding steel bars to Ezzat umpteen times, and shared with him all techniques of binding rebar in super high-rise buildings.

With the help of Song, Ezzat has learned the skills of binding rebar in building walls, columns, beams and slabs, and is able to complete the work independently according to construction drawings.

Song has also been learning from Ezzat, who has taught Song quite some Arabic. After work, they often talk about their lives with each other, and have found that they have many similarities in their life trajectories.

Song is from Henan Province in central China and Ezzat comes from southern Egypt's Qena Province.

"We grew up drinking the water of the Nile River and the Yellow River respectively, and moved to various projects to make a living through our own skills," Song said. "And most importantly, we share the same aspiration for happiness in our lives." 
A Belarusian former dissident journalist, arrested when his Ryanair flight was spectacularly intercepted and convicted this month to eight years in prison, has been pardoned, state media reported Monday.

Raman Pratasevich, formerly an editor of the opposition media group Nexta, was arrested two years ago and accused of helping to coordinate mass protests of President Alexander Lukashenko's reelection in 2020.

He was detained in May 2021 after his flight from Greece to Lithuania was intercepted by a Belarusian fighter jet and forced to land in Minsk.

Earlier this month, a court in the Moscow-allied country sentenced the 28-year-old to eight years in a penal colony. He was kept under house arrest after the trial.

But Monday, Belarusian state news agency Belta reported that Pratasevich had been pardoned.

"I have just signed appropriate documents confirming that I have been pardoned," Belta quoted Pratasevich as saying.

"I am incredibly grateful to the country and of course, to the president personally for such a decision," he said in a video released by Belta.

"This is, of course, just great news."

After his arrest, which caused international shock, Pratasevich is believed to have been coerced by authorities into issuing apologetic statements on state television.

Political prisoners

As his trial opened in February, he said he was "fully guilty," in a video published by Belta.

Little is known about how Pratasevich was treated by security services.

Some in the exiled Belarusian opposition have accused him of collaborating with authorities.

Two other key figures behind the Nexta Telegram channel, Stepan Putilo and Yan Rudnik, were sentenced in absentia to 20 years and 19 years in prison respectively.

The charges included making public calls for insurrection, organizing terrorist attacks, offending the president and spreading false information about Belarus.

Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, has cracked down on anyone linked to the protests, which were the biggest in Belarusian history.

Nexta, a popular channel on YouTube and Telegram, played an active role in the 2020 protests, which erupted after Lukashenko was accused of rigging an election.

The platform was banned and declared a "terrorist organization" by the government.

According to Belarus's independent Viasna rights group, there are now 1,500 political prisoners in the country.

The Minsk regime, reclusive for years, has become even more isolated after brutally suppressing the protests and allowing Russia to use Belarusian territory to launch its Ukraine offensive.
On a spring Saturday afternoon, two "hermanos" knelt to pray in the chapel of their Catholic brotherhood of St. Isidore the Farmer, nestled by the pine forest outside this hamlet in a high mountain valley.

Fidel Trujillo and Leo Paul Pacheco's words resounded in New Mexican Spanish, a unique dialect that evolved through the mixing of medieval Spanish and Indigenous forms. The historic, endangered dialect is as central to these communities as their iconic adobe churches, and its best chance of survival might be through faith, too.

"Prayers sung or recited are our sacred heritage," said Gabriel Melendez, a professor emeritus of American Studies with the University of New Mexico who's also a hermano. "When prayers are said in Spanish, they're stronger. They connect us directly to people who came before us."

Preserved mostly in devotions, particularly in humble "moradas"  as the brotherhoods' chapels are called  built of mud and straw in rural communities across the northern reaches of the state, New Mexican Spanish is different from all other varieties of the language.

"Unlike most other forms of Spanish used in the U.S. today, it's not due to immigration in the last 100 years, but rooted back to the 1500s," said Israel Sanz-Sanchez, a professor of languages at West Chester University in Pennsylvania who has researched the dialect.

Spanish explorers and missionaries first reached these valleys isolated between mountains, deserts and plains at the end of the 16th century. Pushed back south by the Pueblo Native Americans, they resettled a century later  and their language evolved to incorporate not only words carried from medieval Spain but also a mixture of expressions derived from Mexican Spanish, Native forms and eventually some English after the territory became part of the United States.

Removed from the center of political and economic power for centuries, these villages preserved the dialect orally.

"You never heard English here," said Felix Lopez of growing up in the 1950s in Truchas, a ridgetop village between Santa Fe and Taos, where this master "santero"  an artist specializing in devotional art  has been helping preserve the 1760s Holy Mission church.

But by the mid-20th century, the push to promote schooling in English led many educators to correct students who used New Mexican Spanish's idiosyncratic mix of grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary, said Damian Vergara Wilson, a professor of Spanish at the University of New Mexico.

He has been working on teaching Spanish not as foreign but as a heritage language that has developed into something uniquely New Mexican.

It contains some words from medieval Spanish, but it also includes pronunciations that developed in New Mexico's villages and words unique to its geographical and historical place at a crossroads of American civilizations. There are several words for turkey, for instance, including an anglicized one used in the context of Thanksgiving.

With such code-switching sometimes disparaged in education and among the public, younger generations often stick to English only or learn contemporary Spanish, especially as spoken in Mexico, with which the state shares a border. That leads many villagers to worry about being able to preserve New Mexican Spanish.

"The dialect we speak is dying out. We're the last generation that learned it as a first language," said Angelo Sandoval, 45, who serves as the "mayordomo" or caretaker of the 1830s San Antonio Church in Cordova, a village just down the valley from Truchas.

Its best chance for survival is prayer. Traditional devotions have been passed down through generations by hermanos, easily memorized because of their ballad-style rhyming. Sometimes they are transcribed into notebooks called "cuadernos." In an adobe niche in a chapel in Holman, some of the handwritten notebooks are 120 years old.

Even in larger cities, people often request prayers in New Mexican Spanish for special occasions, like rosaries for the deceased or novenas for the holidays.

In Santa Fe, the prayer to the widely venerated statue of Our Lady of Peace contains some of the original Spanish terminology, such as "Sacratisimo Hijo" for the "most holy Son," said Bernadette Lucero, director, curator and archivist for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

A nearly century-old women's folklore society  Sociedad Folklorica de Nuevo Mexico  also regularly practices the dialect for their hymns and nine-day "novenas" prayers to baby Jesus, Lucero added.

In the small town of Bernalillo, where the outskirts of Albuquerque fade into vast mesas, the mayordomos of San Lorenzo also preserve the dialect in their prayers and annual celebrations.

"When we sing an old 'alabado,' we can trace who wrote that," said Santiago Montoya of the Catholic praise (in Spanish, "alabar") hymns that have been passed down through New Mexican brotherhoods.

For 23 years, Montoya and his sister have been the mayordomos of San Lorenzo, a church that was constructed in the mid-19th century with 4-foot-wide adobe walls. The community fought to save it when a bigger, modern church was built next door.

But he's also a "rezador," reciting or singing the rosary  a prayer consisting of sets of Hail Marys called "decades"  which he does in the community and particularly for the deceased. He insists on using New Mexican Spanish even if the families speak only English.

"I tell them, 'I'll do three 'decades' in English, but let's teach the kids,'" Montoya said.
Authorities in northwestern Pakistan said Tuesday that a predawn militant attack near an oil and gas extraction plant killed at least six security guards.



Dozens of armed men assaulted a security outpost guarding the plant in Hangu district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province abutting Afghanistan. Officials said that the ensuing clashes killed four paramilitary Frontier Constabulary force members and two private company guards.



The terrorists seized automatic weapons and ammunitions of the slain security personnel before fleeing the area, a security official told VOA on condition of anonymity.



Police said the militants targeted two wells with heavy weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, prompting the operators to temporarily close them by remote access.



The oil and gas facility is run by MOL Pakistan. It employees around 400 people and is a fully owned subsidiary of Hungary-based MOL Group, according to the companys website.



The outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, claimed responsibility for the deadly raid. The group, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, routinely carries out attacks against security forces and installations.



The TTP is designated a global terrorist organization by the United States. It has intensified attacks in Pakistan allegedly from sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Islamist Taliban seized control of the conflict-torn neighboring country.



Pakistani security sources tell VOA that fighters linked to the ruling Afghan Taliban have increasingly joined hands with TTP militants in carrying out cross-border attacks in Pakistan.



Multiple security sources have confirmed that Afghan fighters were among the assailants in at least two TTP-led attacks this month, including the raid on a paramilitary base in Muslim Bagh, southwestern Baluchistan border province. The Pakistani military said that the ensuing hourslong clashes had killed six soldiers, a civilian, and six militants.



Islamabad has been pressing Afghanistans Taliban to rein in TTP cross-border terrorist violence. The de facto authorities in Kabul insist they are not allowing any group to use Afghan soil against neighboring countries, including Pakistan.



TTP assaults, mainly focused on regions abutting Afghanistan, have killed hundreds of Pakistanis, mostly police and soldiers, since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in August 2021.
The United States has called for Russia to immediately release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich after Moscow sought to extend his pre-trial detention by three months.

Gershkovichs original pre-trial detention was set to expire on May 29. But a Russian court on Tuesday lengthened that period until August 30 after Russia's intelligence agency, the FSB, requested an extension.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Tuesday that the U.S. is working hard to bring the U.S. journalist home.

"He shouldnt be detained at all. Journalism is not a crime. He needs to be released immediately," Kirby told CNN.

Gershkovich was arrested on March 29 while on assignment in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.

Russian authorities accused the Moscow-based reporter of espionage, which carries a possible 20-year sentence. Gershkovich, the Journal, and the U.S. government deny the charges.

A CNN reporter tweeted that Gershkovichs parents, who both fled the former Soviet Union during the Cold War, were present at the hearing at Moscows Lefortovo court.

Before Tuesdays ruling, the U.S. State Department had sought a meeting for Thursday with Gershkovich, but Moscow denied the request, the Journal reported.

Kirby on Tuesday said there were "no grounds for denying consular access."

The Russian embassy did not immediately respond to VOAs email requesting comment.

Clayton Weimers of the media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, said, "Russias pretense for detaining Evan is already flimsy."

Denying consular access "just betrays that Evan has become collateral damage in the Kremlins war on media freedom and its ongoing arguments with Washington," Weimers said in an email to VOA on Monday.
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Seattle, Washington, is the first U.S. city to ban discrimination based on caste  the primarily Indian social hierarchy that is tied to family. VOAs Natasha Mozgovaya has our story.
TikTok on Monday filed suit in U.S. federal court to stop the northern state of Montana from implementing an overall ban on the video-sharing app.

The unprecedented ban, set to start in 2024, violates the constitutionally protected right to free speech, TikTok argued in the suit.

"We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts," a TikTok spokesperson told AFP.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed the prohibition into law on May 17.

Gianforte said on Twitter that he endorsed the ban in order to "protect Montanans' personal and private data from the Chinese Communist Party."

"The state has enacted these extraordinary and unprecedented measures based on nothing more than unfounded speculation," TikTok contended in its lawsuit.

Five TikTok users last week filed a suit of their own, calling on a federal court to overturn Montana's ban on the app, arguing that it violates their free speech rights.

Both suits filed against Montana argue the state is trying to exercise national security power that only the federal government can wield and is violating free speech rights in the process.

TikTok called on the federal court to declare the Montana ban on its app unconstitutional and block the state from ever putting it into effect.

"Montana can no more ban its residents from viewing or posting to TikTok than it could ban the Wall Street Journal because of who owns it or the ideas it publishes," the lawsuit filed by TikTok users contends.

The app is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance and is accused by a wide swath of U.S. politicians of being under the tutelage of the Chinese government and a tool of espionage by Beijing, something the company furiously denies.

Montana became the first U.S. state to ban TikTok, with the law set to take effect next year as debate escalates over the impact and security of the popular video app.

A matter of law

The prohibition will serve as a legal test for a national ban of the platform, something that lawmakers in Washington are increasingly calling for.

The Montana ban makes it a violation each time "a user accesses TikTok, is offered the ability to access TikTok, or is offered the ability to download TikTok."

Each violation is punishable by a $10,000 fine every day it takes place.

Under the law, Apple and Google will have to remove TikTok from their app stores and companies will face possible daily fines.

The prohibition will take effect in 2024 but would be voided if TikTok is acquired by a company incorporated in a country not designated by the United States as a foreign adversary, the law reads.

The cases should move quickly in court, since they center on points of law that don't require lots of evidence to be gathered, according to University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias.

"There are very compelling constitutional arguments that favor the plaintiffs," Tobias said.

"First is free speech, and second is if the ban is justified by national security, that is a matter for the federal government not any individual state."

The law is the latest skirmish in duels between TikTok and many western governments, with the app already banned on government devices in the United States, Canada and several countries in Europe.
A Missouri man who drove a rented box truck into security barriers near the White House was charged with threatening the president after what authorities appear to believe was a deliberate crash.

A Reuters witness saw investigators pull a Nazi swastika flag from inside the truck, which plowed into barriers at Lafayette Square, a public area one block from the White House compound, on Monday evening.

The driver, identified as Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, of Chesterfield, Missouri, was detained by the Secret Service.

Kandula faces a battery of charges, including threatening to kill, kidnap or inflict harm on the president, vice president or a family member, the U.S. Park Police said in a statement.

No weapons were found inside the truck, a Park Police spokesperson said.

Authorities have said nothing about what might have been behind the crash, which caused no injuries.

But ABC News, citing unnamed law enforcement sources, reported that Kandula told investigators he wanted to take over the government and kill the president. Authorities were looking into the suspect's mental health, the network reported.

Reuters could not immediately reach representatives of the Park Police or Secret Service for comment on the reports.

On Tuesday morning, there was little sign of the incident other than a black skid mark on a curb, a few Park rangers surveying the scene and some remaining TV crews.

The crash took place across the street from the Hay-Adams hotel and St. John's Episcopal Church, two of Washington's historic sites.

For decades, Lafayette Square has been a prominent site for political protests and free-speech events. It was closed off in May 2020 by a perimeter fence installed after the Black Lives Matter protests. The fence has since been removed, but barriers blocking traffic from the side streets remain.

Security around the White House and other federal buildings has steadily increased after a string of breaches and other incidents, including the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. In another incident in 2021, a vehicle struck two Capitol Police officers, killing one. The driver was shot dead by police.

After Monday's crash, a video on WUSA television showed a remote-controlled robot opening the rear door of the box-type, U-Haul truck, revealing a dolly but no other obvious cargo.

Chris Zaboji, an airline pilot who lives in Washington, shot a brief video showing the incident unfolding and posted it on social media.

Hearing a loud bang, "I looked back and saw that the U-Haul van had rammed into the barricade," Zaboji said, adding that he left the scene after the truck hit the barriers a second time.

President Joe Biden's exact location at the time of the crash just before 10 p.m. (0200 GMT Tuesday) was unclear. He had met with Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy at the White House earlier on Monday evening.
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As Turkey heads to a presidential runoff on May 28, challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu is targeting nationalist voters with an anti-refugee and strong security stance in a bid to overtake incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.
The U.N. Secretary-General said Tuesday that the world is failing to live up to its commitments to protect civilians, an obligation that is preserved in international humanitarian law.

"Peace is the best form of protection," Antonio Guterres told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the topic. "We must intensify our efforts to prevent conflict, protect civilians, preserve peace and find political solutions to war."

Guterres said where there is war, countries must comply with international humanitarian law.

"It is the difference between life and death. Between restraint and anarchy. Between losing ourselves in horror and retaining our humanity," he said. "But law overlooked is law undermined."

Guterres pointed to the newest conflict, the five-week-old fighting between rival generals in Sudan, that has already killed hundreds, displaced more than a million and sent 250,000 people fleeing to neighboring countries. Food, water and fuel are all in short supply, and the country's health system is on the brink of collapse.

"Terrible as this picture is, it is far from being unique," he said, noting that 100 million people worldwide were forcibly displaced last year due to war, violence, human rights abuses or persecution.

Guterres said the effects of war include rising food insecurity  more than 117 million people faced acute hunger in 2022 primarily because of war and instability.

"This is an outrage," the U.N. chief said. "Damage to critical infrastructure hampers food production, blocks distribution and deprives people of safe water."

He welcomed the recent extension for another 60 days of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which has facilitated the export of more than 30 million metric tons of Ukrainian grain via Black Sea routes since early August, stabilizing world food prices since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Guterres said he hopes outstanding issues with the implementation of a corresponding deal for Russia's export of food and fertilizer will be resolved.

Swiss President Alain Berset chaired the debate, the signature event of his government's month-long presidency of the 15-nation Security Council. More than 80 countries were scheduled to speak.

"Respect for international humanitarian law is a priority for all of us here around this table," Berset told council members. "And of course, as the depository of the Geneva Conventions and the seat of the ICRC [International Committee of the Red Cross], we feel in particular bound by this humanitarian imperative."

Switzerland is the depository for the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, which are the basis for international humanitarian law. They set out the rules of armed conflict and seek to protect civilians, medical and aid workers, the wounded and prisoners of war.

Switzerland is also home to the ICRC, which has protection of civilians at the core of its mandate.

"ICRC's figures show that the number of non-international armed conflicts has, over the past 20 years, more than tripled from less than 30 to over 90," ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric said. "Many of these are protracted conflicts, bringing ceaseless suffering  suffering that is compounded by climate shocks, food insecurity and economic hardship."

She said civilians suffer attacks, threats and political stalemates that make peace less achievable.

"Compliance with the law protects civilians. It prevents violations and abuses," she said. "It reduces the cost of war while maintaining a pathway to cease-fire agreements, and eventually to lasting peace, functioning economies, and a healthy natural environment."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that cease-fire violators in Sudan will be held accountable as the latest agreement between the country's two warring factions failed to hold hours after going into effect.

Representatives of the Sudanese army and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces had agreed to a seven-day truce to allow for the resumption of essential services and humanitarian aid.

The newest cease-fire agreement signed by the two fighting parties in Sudan was a result of intense diplomacy, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday on Twitter.

Although brokered with the support of the United States and Saudi Arabia, Blinken said it was up to the warring parties to implement the truce.

"If the cease-fire is violated, we'll know, and we will hold violators accountable through our sanctions and other tools at our disposal, said Blinken.

This comes after negotiators for the two sides, for the first time, agreed to establish a team to monitor the cease-fire.

Truce hard to enforce, says expert

With intense fighting over the weekend and Monday, the United Nations envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes, said the warring parties had already violated the agreement by failing to honor their commitment not to seek military advantage in the 48 hours preceding the cease-fire.

Hassan Khannenje, director of the Horn International Institute for Strategic Studies in Kenya, said that neither side in Sudan's war has an interest in stopping hostilities now because both want to increase their battleground advantages to strengthen their hand at the negotiating table in the near future.

With that in mind, none of them then has the incentive to completely cease fire at this point," he said.

Khannenje told VOA that for a cease-fire to be binding, there must be potential enforcement of it  and he's not sure there's a way to effectively monitor the situation on the ground.

"Right now, there is a problem when it comes to controlling the militia groups, both [those] that have been supporting the military as well as those supporting RSF, he said. And to the extent that even the two competing forces, they don't have complete control over their fighting men  and women if there are any  means it's going to be extremely difficult to enforce a cease-fire."

Fighting limits delivery of aid

Meanwhile, aid groups are still struggling to provide much-needed help in many parts of the country.

In Geneina, in West Darfur, an estimated 100,000 internally displaced people remain at the mercy of the violence, the Norwegian Refugee Council's Karl Schembri told VOA.

"The situation in Geneina is still pretty precarious, said Schembri. Our colleagues have themselves had to stay inside or flee. It's been out of control over the last week now."

Schembri said he hopes the latest cease-fire will have some kind of impact  although his expectations are not high.

"Not that we have seen any impact so far in over a month of broken promises and empty words from the two parties to this conflict, he said. We are at the point now where the displaced people in Geneina are among the most vulnerable; they have nowhere else to go and we've been completely unable to give any aid services given the extremity of the fighting."

Doctors Without Borders, also known by the French acronym, MSF, said it had recently performed nearly 250 surgeries in one week. Most who showed up at a hospital south of Khartoum suffered from gunshot wounds or injuries related to recent explosions.

The U.N. said since the war started in mid-April, more than 860 civilians have been killed, around 1 million people have been displaced, and a quarter of a million others have fled to neighboring countries.
BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Top scholars and business leaders from across the world discussed long-term sustainable development for China and the rest of the world during a just-concluded global financial forum in Beijing.

The 2023 Tsinghua PBCSF Global Finance Forum held on the weekend covered topics from green transformation and digitalization to global growth.

China has been doing very well to find solutions for long-term sustainability, said Gyorgy Matolcsy, governor of Hungary's central bank Magyar Nemzeti Bank, speaking at the two-day forum.

He added that China is now the factory of the world, but beyond that, the center of clean energy, sustainable industry and industrial products, as well as circular economy.

According to Matolcsy, the center of the world economy and global finance has moved from the West to Eurasia, especially to China.

China's installed clean energy capacity saw an expansion, with wind power capacity rising 12.2 percent year on year to approximately 380 million kilowatts, and solar power capacity up 36.6 percent to 440 million kilowatts by the end of April, official data showed.

The country has also enhanced its investment in renewable energy. During the January-April period, the total investment by China's major power companies in solar energy increased 156.3 percent year on year to 74.3 billion yuan (about 10.57 billion U.S. dollars).

China has been successful in driving the price of renewable energy down and in the development of new and better battery technologies, Erik Berglof, chief economist with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, said at the forum.

In the global value chain, he added, China is impressive and increasing its share, and should actively decarbonize itself.

Critical examples include the country's efforts to reduce carbon emission intensity with the ambitious goals of achieving carbon peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality before 2060.

Riding on the wave of digitalization and intelligence, China has been gaining steam for long-term sustainable development, participants at the forum noted.

Burkhard Balz, a member of the executive board of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the German central bank, pointed out that in China, mobile payment systems have been hugely successful in the past decade, while in Europe, the use of euro cash is still relatively high.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) is well advanced in terms of its work on central bank digital currency, and the central banks around the globe should seize opportunities to share experience and engage in dialogue with the goal of learning from others, he said.

The amount of digital yuan in circulation reached 13.61 billion yuan by the end of 2022, with application scenarios, transaction value and amount of digital yuan increasing steadily, and relative management and calculation systems have also improved, according to the PBOC.

International trade in the future will go digital, said Zhang Xiangchen, deputy director general of the World Trade Organization, adding that the trend of digitalization is changing the traditional way of trading goods and services, and creating many new products and new ways of trading.

In regard to global growth, Nobel Laureate in Economics, Michael Spence, emphasized that there are positive aspects to consider. Speaking via video link, he highlighted the significance of investing heavily in technologies that have the potential to produce inclusive growth patterns, especially sustainable growth patterns. 
The United States military has confirmed conducting a new airstrike against al-Shabab militants in the Middle Juba region of southern Somalia.

The airstrike took place in Jilib town on Saturday in collaboration with the Somali federal government, according to a press statement released Monday by the U.S. Africa Command known as AFRICOM.

"The command's initial assessment is that no civilians were injured or killed," the statement said.

The AFRICOM statement did not say whether any of the senior al-Shabab commanders were targeted. Jilib, 385 kilometers (239 miles) southwest of Mogadishu, is an al-Shabab stronghold.

The strike came as Mahad Salad, director of Somalia's National Intelligence and Security Agency, was in Washington and New York, meeting with U.S. officials from the Pentagon, CIA and FBI, according to a source familiar with the visit who did not want to be identified as they are not authorized to speak to the media.

The talks focused on security and counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries, the source added.

Roadside bombing

Meanwhile, four Somali government soldiers were killed Monday in a roadside explosion in Mogadishu's Daynile district, the Ministry of Defense said.



Brigadier General Abdullahi Ali Anod, the ministry's spokesperson, said that the attack occurred at about 9 a.m., and that three soldiers and an officer with the construction unit had been killed.

Despite the explosion, he said, capital security has been improving since new military police were deployed more than a month ago.

The new forces were among Somali security personnel trained in Uganda in recent months, government officials said.



The al-Shabab militant group claimed responsibility for the attack in Daynile.

Anod said that since the government launched an offensive against the militants in August, the number of improvised explosive attacks by al-Shabab has decreased.

"We are not saying the explosions stopped, but we are saying they weakened," Anod said. He added that the government had been expecting a rise in attacks during the month of Ramadan, but that did not happen.



"The enemy is wounded, but they can still fire bullets," he said.

Somali and African Union officials have said improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are al-Shabab's weapons of choice.

A joint report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said 109 IED attacks from January 2020 to December 2021 killed 309 civilians and injured 556 others.

Weapons used in these attacks include vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices; vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and person-borne improvised explosive devices, both used in suicide attacks; and victim-operated improvised explosive devices, the report said.

Al-Shabab leader appearance

Meanwhile, al-Shabab leader Ahmed Diriye, also known as Ahmed Umar and Abu Ubaidah, purportedly appeared in a video published by al-Shabab's media department.

The video captures a meeting attended by several top al-Shabab leaders as well as pro-al-Shabab traditional elders and religious scholars. The group's media reported that the meeting, titled "Jihad in East Africa," took place from May 8 to 15. The group has not disclosed where the meeting took place.

In the video, Diriye, whose face is blurred, comments on the military offensive by the Somali government and local Ma'awisley fighters that drove al-Shabab from vast territories in Hirshabelle and Galmudug states. Diriye claimed the offensive, which started last August and continued until earlier this year, has "failed." The Somali government said it's preparing to launch a second phase of the offensive.

Previous al-Shabab videos have not shown the militant leader's face. Diriye, for whom the U.S. has placed a reward up to $10 million for information on his whereabouts, was appointed to the post after his predecessor, Ahmed Abdi Godane, was killed in a U.S. operation on September 1, 2014.
Pope Francis will travel to Portugal for World Youth Day in the first week of August and include a stop at the popular Marian shrine in Fatima, the Vatican said Monday.

The August 2-6 visit is longer than originally expected and covers almost the entire week of the big Catholic rally that St. John Paul II inaugurated to try to invigorate young people in their faith.

Francis is staying in Lisbon for the length of the visit but will make a day trip to Fatima on August 5. Francis previously traveled there in 2017 to mark the 100th anniversary of one of the most unique events of the 20th century Catholic Church: the visions of the Virgin Mary reported by three shepherd children and the "secrets" she told them.

Francis' visit this time around comes as war is raging in Ukraine, providing a comparison to when the original visions were reported when Europe was in the throes of World War I.

The visit comes as the Portuguese Catholic Church is reckoning with its legacy of clergy sexual abuse. Earlier this year, an independent report found that more than 4,800 people may have been victims starting in 1950. Previously, senior Portuguese church officials had claimed only a handful of cases had occurred.

There was no word on whether Francis would meet with victims, as he has done on several occasions elsewhere.

The Portuguese Bishops Conference expressed "huge joy" at the Vatican announcement of Francis' visit and said hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world are expected in Lisbon. The rally was originally scheduled for 2022 but was postponed a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic; the last international World Youth Day was held in 2019 in Panama.

"We hope that the presence of Pope Francis among us, and which includes a significant pilgrimage to the Fatima shrine, will provide a powerful sense of renewal and grace for the church in Portugal," the Bishops Conference said in a statement.

Francis' other travel this year is expected to include a quick trip to Marseille, France, on September 23 to address a meeting of Mediterranean bishops. Also under study is a proposed visit to Mongolia starting in late August.
U.S. forces are expected to start training Ukrainians on M1A1 Abrams tanks in the next week or so, Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder told VOA on Tuesday.

About 250 Ukrainians are arriving in Germany this week for the training, a senior military official familiar with the training told VOA on the condition of anonymity to discuss security matters.

The Ukrainians will train on 31 Abrams tanks that arrived in Germany earlier this month. U.S. officials have said that a different set of 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks are being refurbished in the United States and will be delivered to Ukraine by the fall.

Training in Germany is expected to last about 10 weeks and will focus on how to operate the tanks, how to maneuver the tanks in a combined arms fight and tank maintenance, the official said.

The course structure will be similar to previous U.S.-led training on armored Bradley fighting vehicles and Stryker vehicles, which were provided to Ukraine earlier this year, according to the official.

Abrams tanks, in particular, have been a long-awaited addition to the fight. The tanks thick armor and 1,500-horsepower turbine engine make it much more advanced than the Soviet-era tanks Ukraine has been using since the wars beginning.

The Biden administration announced in January that it would send a newer version of the Abrams tanks, known as M1A2, to Ukraine after they were procured and built, a process that could potentially take years.

In March, the administration pivoted to provide M1A1 Abrams tanks instead, to get the tanks into the hands of the Ukrainians sooner rather than later, Ryder said at the time.

F-16s on agenda

The news of the Abrams tank training comes as U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is set to host another virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group on Thursday.

Military and defense leaders from more than 50 nations are expected to focus on ground-based air defense, ammunition needs and F-16 training, Ryder told reporters at the Pentagon earlier Tuesday.

Ryder said F-16 training would be conducted outside of Ukraine at European sites, but it could be weeks or months before the training begins.

F-16s for Ukraine are about the long term. These F-16s will not be relevant to the upcoming counteroffensive, he added.

After months of Ukraine pleading for Western fighter jets, U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday said the U.S. would support a joint international effort to train Ukrainian pilots on modern fighter aircrafts, including F-16s.

Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko responded to the news on Saturday with a warning that Western countries would run "colossal risks" if they supplied Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, according to the TASS news agency.
On a September day he knew would be hard, Damone Presley marked the occasion with barbecue and balloons.

He was commemorating the one-year anniversary of the day in 2021 when his daughter and her three friends were fatally shot in Minnesota by a man who left their bodies in an abandoned SUV in a Wisconsin cornfield. Presley gathered 50 friends to celebrate the life of his daughter, Nitosha Flug-Presley, who was 30 when she died. He went big on the anniversary because he felt sure that's what his daughter would have wanted.

"She would always do stuff big," Presley told The Associated Press.

There have been 553 mass killings in the United States since 2006, and at least 2,880 people have died in them, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. Those include killings where four or more people died, not including the assailant, within a 24-hour period. So far in 2023, the nation has witnessed the highest number on record of mass killings and deaths to this point in a single year.

As the number of people who die in mass killings in the U.S. continues to rise, thousands more are left to handle the trauma of losing someone they love to a senseless act of violence. They struggle with a special kind of grief, haunted both by the loss and by how it happened.

One of the hardest days they confront each year is the anniversary of the killing.

Wednesday, families in Uvalde, Texas, will face that one-year anniversary  transporting them back to the day when a gunman entered Robb Elementary School and fatally shot 19 children and two teachers as they gathered to celebrate the end of the school year. And last week, families of 10 people in Buffalo, New York, crossed the one-year mark from the day a white supremacist opened fire in a supermarket.

People cope with these anniversaries in different ways. Some throw a party to get through the pain. Others prefer to be completely alone. Many fall somewhere in the middle, adopting little rituals to help get them through the day.

But they all grapple with the same question, sometimes after many years have passed:

What do I do with myself on the date that changed everything?

Spending the day alone

On the same day Presley gathered with friends and family at his home, Angela Sturm  whose children, Jasmine Sturm and Matthew Pettus, were killed in the same attack  chose to spend the day alone.

"I turn down invites to 'celebrate' because it's not a celebration to me," she said.

Instead, she honors her children privately by looking at their photos and remembering how their life together used to be. She writes, cries and practices self-care by reading a good book or taking a hot bath. She hopes people will understand that she wants to be alone, and that they shouldn't worry or be upset if she turns down invitations or doesn't respond to texts.

Everyone deals with grief differently, said Jeffrey Shahidullah, a pediatric psychologist at UT-Austin Dell Children's Medical Center.

Shahidullah was part of a team that stayed in Uvalde for months after the shooting to operate a crisis walk-in clinic for first responders, community members, family and friends of victims.

In the short and long term, mass shootings can traumatize entire communities, Shahidullah said. That can lead people  even those who didn't know the victims personally  to avoid situations that remind them of the event, feel constantly unsafe and experience intrusive flashbacks to when they first heard about the killing.

"A lot of these symptoms could be exacerbated or worsened around the time of these anniversaries," Shahidullah said. "Over time, those symptoms do tend to subside. But everyone has their own timeline."

A solemn Mothers Day

By cruel coincidence, the first anniversary of the Buffalo supermarket shooting fell on Mother's Day. That made things especially hard for Wayne Jones, whose mother, Celestine Chaney, was among the 10 people killed by a white supremacist that day.

Jones said some friends came over on the anniversary, and they talked about other things.

"5/14 is every day to me still," he said.

The video and a photo of the shooter  standing with the gun he used, a vulgar racial slur scrawled on its barrel  are "ingrained in my brain," he said.

Tirzah Patterson and her 13-year-old son, Jaques "Jake" Patterson  who lost his father, church deacon Heyward Patterson, in the supermarket shooting  left town altogether for the anniversary.

They have not set foot in Tops Friendly Market since it reopened last summer and did not attend the memorial events in Buffalo for her ex-husband and the others who were killed.

"We don't want to go through that again," Tirzah Patterson said before the weekend. "We're going to be gone."

They spent Mother's Day weekend in Detroit and attended a church service there.

Marking a decade

While some are just crossing the one-year mark, others have been dealing with these anniversaries for years.

Topaz Cooks marked the 10-year anniversary of her father's death last September. She was a month shy of her 21st birthday in 2012 when her dad and several others were shot and killed at their worksite in Minneapolis by a man who was fired from the company.

"I still cannot believe that happened to my family," she said.

On the anniversaries, she likes to do things her dad, Rami Cooks, enjoyed. Last year, she went on a hike and ate dessert  because her dad loved rugelach, birds and wind. She loves that her friends send her photos of their dessert that day each year with the caption: "For your dad!"

She also has a journal she writes in once a year on that day, filling her dad in on the highlights, challenges and thoughts from the year that she wishes she could share with him.

Seven years after the killing, Topaz Cooks said she experienced PTSD while working as a theater stage manager. She was surprised because she didn't expect it to hit so late. The production's plot may have triggered it  the play was about a woman avenging her father's death. It took months of therapy to feel like she was back in control.

Talking about the loss isn't for everybody, but Cooks said it's important to her.

"I wish that people talked about it more and normalized it," she said. "Grief is just so lonely."

Remembering life, not death

A hint of fall hung in the air on Sept. 12, the day Presley threw a party to mark the day his daughter and her three friends were killed. He said he wanted to think about who his daughter was rather than how she died.

She loved to throw exciting and glamorous birthday parties for her kids, friends and family.

Presley placed a life-size cardboard cut-out of his daughter smiling in a pink outfit by the door. Guests wore T-shirts with photos of her and phrases like "Never Forgotten" and "Daddy's #1 Angel." At Presley's request, guests gave speeches about the funniest things they remembered his daughter doing.
New developments:

Northern European defense ministers strongly supported F-16 training for Ukrainian pilots in Poland, but Washington says F-16s will not be "a dramatic game changer" for Ukraine's defense against Russia and that it will take "several months at best" deciding on their delivery.

Russia claimed Monday that the cross-border operation against its Belgorod region by saboteurs came from Ukraine, the latest in a series of attacks, it said. A senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had nothing to do with the incursion, pointing instead to Russia's emerging "violent resistance movement."

At least eight people were injured, and buildings were damaged from overnight Russian airstrikes on Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region.

Finnish state-owned gas wholesaler Gasum has terminated a contract with Gazprom Export to buy natural gas via pipelines from Russia. Finland refused to pay Gazprom for Russian gas supplies in rubles after Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

The World Health Organization will discuss the health emergency in Ukraine and in refugee-receiving countries.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency characterized the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant as "extremely vulnerable" after Europe's largest atomic power station in occupied Ukraine lost external power and had to switch to its emergency diesel generators.

This was the seventh time the nuclear plant lost power since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, Rafael Grossi. "The nuclear safety situation at the plant [is] extremely vulnerable," he said in a tweet. The power was later restored but Grossi appealed for shelling to stop around the Russian-occupied power plant.

"We must agree to protect [the] plant now; this situation cannot continue," he said in his latest tweet.

IAEA staff are deployed at the plant, which is occupied by Russian troops. The plant's six nuclear reactors, which are protected by a reinforced shelter able to withstand an errant shell or rocket, have been shut down. But a disruption in the electrical supply could disable cooling systems that are essential for the reactors' safety even when they are shut down. Emergency diesel generators, which officials say can keep the plant operational for 10 days, can be unreliable.

SEE ALSO:

Energoatom, Ukraine's state nuclear company, announced that power had been restored at the plant but rang the alarm that the facility is "on the verge of a nuclear and radiation accident." The agency claimed Russian shelling caused the loss of the last high-voltage transmission line to the plant in Russian-occupied southern Ukraine, about 500 kilometers (311 miles) from Kyiv.

It was not possible to independently verify that claim.

Fighting, especially artillery fire, around the plant has fueled fears of a disaster like the one at Chernobyl, in northern Ukraine, in 1986. Then, a reactor exploded and spewed deadly radiation, contaminating a vast area in the world's worst nuclear catastrophe.

F-16s to Ukraine not 'game-changer'

U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said "it will take several months at best" to decide on supplying F-16s to Ukraine. Speaking with reporters with the Defense Writers Group in Washington on Monday, Kendall said the F-16s "will give the Ukrainians an interim capability they don't have right now, but it's not going to be a dramatic game changer." He said, "airpower has not been a decisive factor so far," citing the effectiveness of ground-based air defense systems. "The F-16s are going to help the Ukrainians, but it's not going to fundamentally change that equation," he remarked.

Kendall acknowledged, however, that time has come to start thinking on this issue. "We could certainly have started earlier, but there were much higher priorities," he said.

At a meeting Monday in Poland, defense ministers from northern European countries showed "great support" for training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets.

"Great support for the goal of training F-16 pilots for Ukraine," Denmark's Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in a tweet, adding that Denmark is ready to play a central role.

U.S. President Joe Biden also affirmed U.S. support for a joint effort with allied and partner nations to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft such as the F-16.

During the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, that ended Sunday, Biden told reporters that he had received a "flat assurance" from Zelenskyy that Ukraine would not use Western-provided F-16 fighter jets to go into Russian territory and that such warplanes would be used "wherever Russian troops are within Ukraine and the area."

Responding to a question by VOA's Russian service at the G-7 Summit, Zelenskyy said that discussions on the delivery of F-16s have come a "step further," starting with the training of Ukrainian pilots on the aircraft, which he affirmed that Ukraine plans to complete as soon as possible.

"We will be working for these people to be as educated as possible, as trained and experienced as possible with huge experience to decrease this process of training to make it short," he told VOA. "I cannot tell you how many aircraft we'll be able to get. I cannot tell you definitely when it will take place, but we will speed it up because it's important for us every day. We're losing our people."

Ukraine has not yet won commitments to receive F-16 jets from allies.

Senior Russian diplomats said Monday the transfer of F-16 jets to Ukraine would raise the question of NATO's involvement in the conflict and would not undermine Russia's military goals.

VOA Eastern Europe Bureau Chief Myroslava Gongadze and National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report.

Some information came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
UNITED NATIONS  The United Nations top envoy in Sudan on Monday welcomed a U.S.-Saudi brokered cease-fire that was about to go into effect, even as he warned that the Sudan conflict shows no sign of slowing down.

This is a welcome development, though the fighting and troop movements have continued even today, despite the commitment of both sides not to pursue military advantage before the cease-fire takes effect, Volker Perthes told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

Perthes traveled to New York from Port Sudan. The United Nations has temporarily moved some of its staff and operations to that Red Sea city after intense fighting erupted in the capital, Khartoum, on April 15.

SEE ALSO:

The cease-fire, signed by the rival Sudan Armed Forces of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Security Forces led by General Mohamed Dagalo, is to go into effect at 9:45 p.m. local time on Monday and last for an initial period of seven days, which the parties can renew.

While fighting has continued during previous cease-fires, this one was agreed upon during formal negotiations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and will include a monitoring mechanism made up of three representatives each from the Saudis, Americans and the two Sudanese forces.

I call on both [sides] to end the fighting and to return to dialogue in the interest of Sudan and its people, Perthes said. Lives and infrastructure have been destroyed. The growing ethnicization of the conflict risks to expand and prolong it, with implications for the region.

Perthes said five weeks of fighting has killed more than 700 people, including 190 children. Another 6,000 people have been injured. Over a million people are internally displaced, and 250,000 have fled the country.

In addition to airstrikes and fighting in the capital, West Darfur has seen a resumption of large-scale intercommunal violence. Perthes said there are signs of tribal mobilization in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions, as well.

He stressed that the temporary truce is not the ultimate goal but an instrument to go forward toward talks about a permanent cessation of hostilities and a new Sudanese-owned-and-led political process.

I think that both parties over the last five weeks have learned that they will not achieve an easy military victory, Perthes told reporters. That even if they were to achieve a victory over the other side after a long struggle, that could be at the expense of losing the country, and that there is no alternative if they want to preserve their country than ceasing the fire and going back to some form of political process.

Regional efforts

The African Union commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security briefed Monday's meeting by video link. He said the regional group is working relentlessly to bring an end to the conflict.

Our conviction is that only a well-coordinated, collective action will give chance to the success of international action of peace and stability in Sudan, said Bankole Adeoye.

Separate, competing or rival actions will further complicate and undermine the search for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.

He said the AU has developed a comprehensive de-escalation plan for resolving the conflict  focusing on an immediate, unconditional, permanent cease-fire; humanitarian action; accountability for actions taken by the warring parties; support to neighboring countries impacted by the crisis; and the resumption of an inclusive political process aimed at the return to a democratic civilian-led government.

Adeoye said African leaders will meet later this week at the AU Peace and Security Council to endorse the de-escalation plan.

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The executive secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the East African regional bloc, also briefed the Security Council by video. Workneh Gebeyehu said the chance of success is higher if efforts are coordinated.

We all have one purpose and goal in Sudan: to silence the guns and resume the inclusive Sudanese-led, Sudanese-owned political process that will pave way towards the formation of a civilian-led transitional government, he said.

Security Council members echoed support for the new cease-fire and a return to a civilian-led democratic transition. Members also called on the SAF and RSF to immediately stop fighting, protect civilians and allow safe access for humanitarians.

The United Nations estimates that 15 million people needed assistance before the fighting erupted, and that has risen to 18 million. Last week, the organization appealed for $2.6 billion to help cope with growing needs.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP)  Zimbabwe has begun releasing more than 4,000 prisoners under a presidential amnesty that authorities say will help ease congestion in some overcrowded jails.

About 800 prisoners were released Friday from the Central Prison and Chikurubi Maximum Prison in the capital, Harare. Jails in other parts of the country began releasing prisoners who qualified for the amnesty on Thursday, said Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services spokeswoman Meya Khanyezi.

She said the amnesty would go a long way in reducing the prison population. Zimbabwes prisons have a capacity of 17,000 but hold more than 20,000 inmates.

Former prisoners have in the past complained about overcrowding and other harsh conditions such as a lack of food and proper health care. Amnesty International has previously described the conditions as deplorable. The southern African nation of 15 million people regularly uses the presidential amnesty to decongest prisons.

A beneficiary of the latest amnesty, John Mafararikwa, who was serving a 17-month sentence for theft, expressed relief.

Its overcrowded and the food is bad. Most of the time we would eat food prepared without cooking oil, said the 71-year-old, boarding a prison bus taking him and other amnesty beneficiaries away from Harare Central Prison.

Song, dance and prayers marked the event. Some people of advanced age walked with the aid of crutches. A small group wore graduation robes after receiving diplomas in bible studies.

At Chikurubi Maximum Prison, freed women prisoners hugged prison officers, while men rushed for the back of an open truck waiting to transport them from the jail. Others thanked President Emmerson Mnangagwa for showing mercy.

All females imprisoned for non-violent crimes and who served a third of their sentences are to be released. Terminally ill people will be released regardless of the crime committed, while blind prisoners and those who are physically challenged that they cannot be catered for in a prison had their remaining sentences fully remitted.

Prisoners aged 60 years old and above and juveniles are among beneficiaries of the amnesty, while those who have been on the death row for the past 10 years had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment.

Zimbabwe still has the death penalty but has not hanged anyone since 2005. President Mnangagwa has previously said he is against the death penalty.

Those serving life in prison but have been in jail for the past 20 years will also be freed.

Prisoners who committed violent crimes such as murder, carjacking, human trafficking and sexual offenses but have served three quarters of their sentences are also being released. Those locked up for crimes such as treason, robbery, public violence and sabotaging electricity infrastructure were ineligible for release.
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TUESDAY, May 23, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to predicting heart trouble down the road, the arteries may say a lot more than the genes do, according to a new study.

Researchers found that CT scans of the heart arteries were better than genetics at predicting middle-aged adults' risk of heart disease in coming years.

In fact, people's genes gave little useful information over and above low-tech methods, such as measuring blood pressure.

Experts said the findings -- published May 23 in the Journal of the American Medical Association -- do not write off a role for genetic tests in gauging heart disease risk, particularly in relatively younger people.

But for now, they said, CT scans -- which detect calcium deposits in the heart arteries -- remain the better tool.

Doctors have long used certain factors to estimate the likelihood that a middle-aged or older person will develop coronary heart disease in the next 10 years. Those factors include the usual suspects, like high blood pressure, unhealthy levels of "bad" cholesterol, diabetes and smoking.

But oftentimes, those estimates land people in an "intermediate" risk zone, which means there may be uncertainty about whether they should start statin medication or take other preventive steps.

For those people, doctors often recommend a CT scan to look for calcium deposits in the heart arteries.

Calcium is a component of the "plaques" that clog the arteries of people with coronary heart disease. Calcium scores -- which range from zero to infinity -- correlate with a person's risk of having a heart attack or other cardiovascular "event" in the next decade.

But in recent years, there have been questions about whether people's genes could provide a similar outlook. Many different gene variants have been associated with heart disease risk, and researchers have developed so-called polygenic risk scores that, like the calcium score, correlate with the odds of developing heart trouble.

On the plus side, genetic risk scores require only a blood sample, said Dr. Sadiya Khan, the lead researcher on the new study.

While the coronary calcium scan is fairly simple, it does involve a small radiation dose, said Khan, a cardiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Until now, though, there had been no head-to-head comparison of the two tests' predictive potential. And, Khan said, the calcium scan emerged as the clear winner.

For the study, researchers used data on 3,200 U.S. and Dutch adults ages 45 to 79, who were followed for up to 17 years. All had their traditional heart risk factors measured, underwent CT scans and gave blood samples.

During the study period, about 9% of participants developed or died from coronary heart disease.

Overall, the study found, calcium scores improved risk prediction when they were added to traditional measurements. In fact, Khan said, calcium scores moved half of the study participants into the "high risk" zone.

In contrast, the polygenic risk score added no helpful information to what doctors can already glean with old-fashioned measurements.

"This study shows that the best test we can offer is the coronary artery calcium score, not the genetic score," said Dr. Ron Blankstein, a preventive cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and chair of the American College of Cardiology's Cardiovascular Imaging Council.

Blankstein, who was not involved in the study, pointed to a fundamental difference between the tests: CT scans detect actual signs of early artery disease, while blood tests give an idea of genetic risk.

But lifestyle and environment are so important in heart disease, Blankstein said, that this may limit the predictive power of genetic risk scores.

Dr. Roger Blumenthal, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, said that about half of middle-aged and older patients fall into the intermediate-risk bucket. And it's important to have a way to better define their odds of developing heart disease.

"Some people resist taking medication until you prove to them there's disease," said Blumenthal, who helped craft the current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines on heart disease prevention.

"Coronary artery calcium is the best tiebreaker we have when you're on the fence," he said.

Blumenthal added, though, that research into polygenic risk scores should continue. They may be more useful for younger patients, Blumenthal said. (While the current study included people in their 40s and 50s, many were older.)

As for coronary calcium scans, they are widely available in the U.S. -- though access in rural areas may be limited, Blumenthal noted.

Costs can range from $100 to $400, according to the AHA, but many medical centers advertise them at under $100. Insurance plans, however, often do not cover the scans.

More information

The American Heart Association has more on coronary calcium scans.

SOURCES: Sadiya Khan, MD, assistant professor, medicine and preventive medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago; Ron Blankstein, MD, associate director, cardiovascular imaging program, Brigham and Women's Hospital, professor, medicine, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, and chair, Cardiovascular Imaging Council, American College of Cardiology, Washington, D.C.; Roger Blumenthal, MD, director, Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, professor, medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Journal of the American Medical Association, May 23, 2023
BAGHDAD, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Three Yazidi militiamen affiliated with the Turkish Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed on Tuesday in a Turkish airstrike in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh.

The incident occurred at 5:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) when a Turkish aircraft bombarded the headquarters of a Yazidi militia, known as the Sinjar Protection Units (YBS), near the town of Sinjar, some 120 km west of Nineveh's provincial capital Mosul, killing three militiamen, said a statement by the Counter-Terrorism Service of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

The YBS is a Yazidi militia formed in Iraq in 2007 to protect the Yazidi community in Iraq. The group has strong links to the PKK group.

PKK is listed as a "terrorist" group by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union, and the Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes, and artillery bombardments against its positions in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the PKK. 
Authorities have released the names of the victims killed in a motorcycle crash in Paynesville. The driver of the motorcycle is identified as William Clough, 53, of Mora, along with his passenger Melissa Clough, 49, also from Mora. Officials say both died at the scene.
A school shooter serving a life sentence without parole for killing a first grader on a South Carolina playground when he was 14 is asking a judge to lessen his sentence so he can eventually get out of prison. A lawyer for now-21-year-old Jesse Osborne says that would give Osborne some hope of freedom in 50s or 60s and a reason to rehabilitate himself. But five witnesses on Monday asked the judge to keep the life sentence for the 2016 shooting at Townville Elementary. They included the teacher whose class was having recess the school principal and the father of the student celebrating his birthday on the playground when the shooting started.
Since September 2022, that is to say for 7 months, Kievs troops have been fighting only in Karkiv and in Bakhmut/Artemivsk. The first city is not part of the Donbass. It is not claimed by the Donetsk Republic, which is a member of the Russian Federation. The confrontation was therefore quick. The Russian army withdrew from it. Bakhmut/Artemivsk, on the other hand, is located in the Russian cultural zone. The Russian army resisted. During the winter, the battle turned into a trench warfare, as deadly as the one in Verdun. So that from now on, everyone is waiting, at least in the West, for the weather to allow Kiev to lead a counter-offensive.

Note that nobody is waiting for Russia to continue its offensive towards Kiev. Indeed, everyone has understood that Moscow never wanted to invade Ukraine and take its capital, but only the Donbass and now Novorossia; two areas of Russian culture whose inhabitants are demanding to stop being Ukrainian and become Russian. Yet Western politicians and media continue to denounce the Russian "invasion" of Ukraine.

The hypothetical counter-offensive

The famous counter-offensive was supposed to start in April. There is now talk of the end of May. Kiev assures us that this delay is due to the difficulty of receiving Western weapons. Operations should be launched only when all the equipment is in place in order to minimize human losses. However, never in history has a state been given so many weapons to wage war.

Unless what we denounced at the beginning of the war continues: during the first months, three quarters of the material sent from the West was diverted to Kosovo and Albania to supply other theaters of operation, in the Middle East and the Sahel. Another hypothesis is that today the Russian army methodically destroys the equipment upon delivery, before it is distributed to the fighting units.

In any case, the rhetoric of the counter-offensive applies only to the Ukrainian army, not to the population. The Nato media have stopped talking about the "valiant resistance of the Ukrainian people": there is no significant action that has been taken in this sense either in Crimea, Donbass or Novorossia. There is talk of sabotage actions by Ukrainian Special Forces in the Russian territories before 2014, but not of Resistance actions in those that have joined the Federation since.

Delivered weapons may commit donors against their will

Weapons are not like other goods. A company that manufactures weapons cannot sell or give them away without authorization from its state. The state requires a written commitment from the recipient as to how the weapons will be used. This is not simply a matter of ensuring that the weapons will not end up in the hands of an enemy of the nation, nor that they will not violate a UN embargo, but that they will not be used to attack a third party in violation of the UN Charter.

Any other transfer is called "trafficking". It is punishable by national and international laws.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, the West has refused to deliver weapons that could be used not by Kiev to defend its territory, but by the "integral nationalists" against Russia at home. Indeed, since the First World War, they proclaim that their raison detre is to eradicate the "Muscovites" from the face of the earth. Their struggle has nothing to do with the current Russian special military operation. For them it is an apocalyptic struggle of Good (them) against Evil (Russians).

If the "integral nationalists" gain the upper hand over the Ukrainian civilian authorities, there is a serious danger that they will attack targets inside Russia. In that case, the states that supplied them with the weapons they would use would automatically be involved in the war. They would become co-belligerents. Russia would be entitled to retaliate against them on their territory.

This is a very serious risk. According to the Washington Post [1], based on documents revealed by Jack Teixeira (Discords Leaks), President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed to the Pentagon a few months ago to conquer Russian border villages, to sabotage the pipeline connecting Russia to Hungary (an EU member, as France and the Netherlands are owners of Nord Stream) and to point long-range missiles at Russia.

So the West first delivered weapons that can only be used on the Ukrainian battlefield: handguns and assault rifles. Then they moved on to guns and armour. Now the question arises of aircraft. The Mig-29s donated by Poland and Slovakia date from the 1970s. Half a century old, they are no longer used by the Russian army and have no chance in combat with modern aircraft such as the Sukhoi-35. But they can be used on Ukrainian territory provided they are protected from Russian aircraft by an effective anti-aircraft defense.

President Zelensky came to the UK to beg for F-16s. The British and Dutch Prime Ministers, Rishi Sunak and Mark Rutte, have announced that they are working on this. The F-16s are much more modern aircraft, dating from the 1990s. The question is whether they can fly into Russian territory or not. To tell the truth, no one can answer this question with certainty until they have tried. Russian anti-aircraft defenses have made considerable progress and may be able to shoot them down.

Last week, Mig-29s armed with Franco-British SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles managed to destroy an Su-34, an Su-35 and two Mi-8 helicopters at a military airfield in Russia. It seems that the Russian army did not know that these cruise missiles had already been delivered to Ukraine. They did not think that the Ukrainian Mig-29s could reach them and did not shoot them down. They will not be caught again. To begin with, the Russian army severely damaged a Ukrainian Patriot anti-aircraft battery. This is to ensure that Moscows own planes will be able to intercept Ukrainian planes without risk of damage.

In this example, Russia is legally entitled to retaliate against the United Kingdom, which delivered the Storm Shadow missiles. It is unlikely that London had been warned of this attack. It could have found itself in a state of war without wanting to.

The escalation continued, with President Joe Biden announcing at the G7 that he was allowing U.S. customers to give or deliver F-16s to Ukraine. Cautiously, Washington will not transfer them itself, thus not risking being plunged into war itself. Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland or Norway could do so at their own risk.

The tipping point

So we have reached the tipping point: one more Western effort and the Ukrainian "integral nationalists" will generalize the war, with or without the consent of their sponsors.

According to Seymour Hersh [2], Poland has taken the initiative to ask Ukraine to accept a cease-fire and negotiate peace. His initiative was supported by five other members of the European Union: the Czech Republic, Hungary, and the three Baltic States.

The American journalist has not followed the Syrian war. He is not aware of the Russian military superiority and interprets this initiative as a reaction to the bloodbath in Bakhmut/Artemivsk. The Poles know that the Russian Kinjal hypersonic missiles do not miss their target and that, for the time being, they can never be stopped. Over the past few months, they have methodically destroyed numerous command centers and ammunition depots. They are the ones who have just damaged a Patriot battery. In the current state of forces, the war is lost for Ukraine. If it is generalized, it will be lost for the West. The Poles, until now eager to fight, immediately understood that the point of no return had been reached, beyond which they would be pulverized.

Good offices missions

Two good offices missions are currently underway: one from the Peoples Republic of China and one from the African Union.

On 24 February, Beijing published a twelve-point plan for peace in Ukraine [3]. Both sides agreed that it could serve as a basis for a solution to the conflict. President Xi Jinping has appointed Li Hui to shuttle between the capitals of both sides, including allies. He has already met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, then with President Zelensky and probably with German officials.

Li Hui is a seasoned diplomat. He was for a decade the Chinese ambassador to Moscow. He was careful to begin his meetings with the Ukrainian side by noting that the Ukrainian side "would not accept any proposal that would involve the loss of its territories or the freezing of the conflict. He knows that the notion of "loss of territory" can change if one considers that the Ukrainian population is multi-ethnic and that one recognizes the right of each of its components to self-determination.

The other good offices mission is that of the African Union. Led by South Africa, it is expected to include the Congo, Egypt, Uganda, Senegal and Zambia. It is very important for Africans to show that they can play a peaceful role internationally and are no longer underdeveloped begging for emergency aid. In 2012, they had similarly designed a peace mission for Libya, but Nato had forbidden them to go to Tripoli on pain of destroying their plane in flight and killing any heads of state who ventured there.

However, their mission is less well prepared than that of the Chinese, as they have not drafted a text outlining their vision of the conflict and of peace. In addition, the United States is making every effort to undermine South Africas credibility. Pretoria is a member of the BRICS along with Russia. It will host the summit of the organization from August 22 to 24. But it is a member of the International Criminal Court, which has just issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. He will obviously not arrest the Russian president during his official trip and will therefore be in default. In addition, the US ambassador, Reuben Brigety II, is accusing Pretoria of not being neutral and of having secretly delivered arms to Russia. He claims that a Russian cargo ship, the Lady R., came to pick them up. These antics mask the real conflict: South Africa is trying to demonstrate that a multipolar world is possible. It is not taking a position in the Ukrainian conflict, but its army is collaborating with the Russian army to train its soldiers. Thus, it asserts that it is possible to work together militarily while being politically independent.
On European tours of Italy, Germany, France, and Britain, Zelensky raised billions in military aid. But this is not enough. Now he is announcing that soon a coalition of European countries will supply Kyiv with fighter bombers to be used against Russia. Among these fighters could be the Italian Tornadoes with attack capabilities, even nuclear ones, flying at very low altitudes to evade enemy radars. Italy is now a belligerent country: a major NATO rapid reaction exercise has just taken place in Sardinia with the participation of over 2,000 soldiers from Germany, Belgium, Holland, Norway, and Latvia. Italy, as the host nation, also provided logistical support. This war exercise, however, did not take place under Italian command but under US command.

All of this leads to growing military spending. Europes spending grew in 2022 by 13% compared to the previous year, recording the strongest increase for 30 years now. Italys annual military spending rose in 2022 to more than 30 billion, or an average of more than 80 million a day. According to the obligation assumed with NATO, Italy must bring its military spending to an average of over 100 million euros a day. This growing drain on public money to finance the war exacerbates the situation of the vast majority of the population. The cost of living grew by more than 8% in one year, mainly due to the increase in energy prices caused by the NATO-EU strategy to block Russian energy supplies to European Union countries

An even more serious crisis is on the horizon, it is caused by the US federal debt which has doubled in ten years, rising to over 31 trillion dollars. Faced with the risk of default, ie insolvency, Washington is discussing raising the debt ceiling. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warns: A default would trigger a global recession, and risk undermining US global economic leadership and raising doubts about our ability to defend national security interests. What they fear most in Washington is the de-dollarization of the world economy to the extent that the Chinese yuan and other currencies are used in international trade.
Joa-qussy Phoe-nussy. Photo: Robin L Marshall/FilmMagic

Theres only so much hanging out with Lady Gaga one actor can do before ending up gay in a movie. This fall, Bradley Cooper is starring in Maestro, a biopic about Leonard Bernstein, for example. Its TBD how much explicit gay sex that biopic will include (our guess: not a lot!), but Lady Gagas Joker: Folie a Deux co-star Joaquin Phoenix wont be making that mistake. In a conversation with IndieWire at Cannes, the movies director, Todd Haynes (Carol), who is there promoting his film May December, described the current state of the upcoming project. The next film is a feature thats an original script that I developed with Joaquin Phoenix based on some thoughts and ideas he brought to me  Its a gay love story set in 1930s L.A., he said. Joaquin was pushing me further and going No, lets go further. This will be an NC-17 film. Okay, but if they want to make this a true portrayal of 30s gays, they should probably include a scene in which Phoenix freaks out after Bette Davis isnt nominated for an Oscar for Of Human Bondage.
This photo taken on May 23, 2023 shows the opening ceremony of the "2023 Forum on the Development of Xizang, China" in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The achievements of poverty alleviation in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region have been praised at a forum held on Tuesday in Beijing.

"I have devoted my life to contributing to and telling the story of China's poverty alleviation, traveling through every province, and understand well that the achievements in Tibet are among the hardest won," Erik Robert Nilsson, an American journalist of China Daily, said at "2023 Forum on the Development of Xizang, China."

Nilsson went to Tibet three times since 2016, and is the writer of the book "Closer to Heaven: A Global Nomad's Journey Through China's Poverty Alleviation."

The event, hosted by the State Council Information Office and the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region, brought together more than 150 officials, experts, and representatives of enterprises and media organizations from home and abroad.

Prior to the forum, they were also invited to tour Lhasa and Nyingchi in Tibet, visiting places including villages, schools and communities.

Describing the achievements in Tibet as a feat that "almost nobody in the world could achieve in only a few decades of time," Guibe Guillaume, a French employee of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, said he is impressed by the quality infrastructures during his first trip in the region.

"At 5,200 meters high, I could get my emails and chat on my mobile," Guillaume said, adding that roads are modern, safe, and comfortable to drive on and speed radars were even installed at the entrance of villages to protect people and domestic animals.

Maria Gustava, Mozambique's ambassador to China, said that the practical experience of China in poverty alleviation and rural development in Tibet proved that effective and holistic planning is needed to realize poverty reduction.

China's success in alleviating rural poverty through leveraging technology-led farming methods constitutes a source of inspiration and valuable guidance for developing countries like Mozambique in their efforts to fight against poverty and promote sustainable development, Gustava said.

Tibet had shaken off absolute poverty by the end of 2019. The regional GDP reached 213.3 billion yuan (about 30.4 billion U.S. dollars) in 2022, representing a giant leap from the 1959 figure of a mere 174 million yuan, according to official data. 
Ray Stevenson. Photo: Gisela Schober/Getty Images

Northern Irish actor Ray Stevenson, who brought a formidable screen presence to leading roles in Punisher: War Zone and HBOs Rome and had supporting turns in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, has died at the age of 58 in Italy. Representatives confirmed to Vulture that he died on Sunday, May 21. Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports that the actor was in Ischia filming a project called Cassino in Ischia and was hospitalized on Saturday for an undisclosed cause.

Born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, in 1964, Stevenson studied acting at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and made his film debut acting opposite Helena Bonham Carter in the 1988 dramedy The Theory of Flight. He was a working actor in the British television industry before crossing over with his performance as charming rogue Titus Pullo in HBOs prestige swords-and-sandals series Rome. From there, he landed the lead role in Marvels 2008 Punisher reboot film, Punisher: War Zone. Although that was not a part of the MCU, Stevenson soon entered it as Volstagg, a Falstaffian warrior buddy of Thors who appeared in the first three Thor films. In 2012, he was nominated for a Saturn Award for his portrayal of Isaak Sirko, the big bad of Dexter, season seven.

Stevensons most notable role of recent years was as the dastardly, villainous Governor Scott Buxton in S.S. Rajamoulis Tollywood hit RRR. Having already voiced Mandalorian commando Gar Saxon in Star Wars Rebels and Clone Wars, he will be posthumously returning to the Star Wars universe later this year as former Jedi Baylan Skoll in Ahsoka.
Alexander Hamilton, you are all of us. Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Variety via Getty Images

Ariana DeBose will still be doing the thing (hosting the Tony Awards), but she wont be doing that other thing (rapping). The Tony Awards were granted a waiver by the WGA on May 15, allowing the June 11 show to go on without picketing despite the writers strike  a result of successful campaigning led by playwright members of the WGA, who petitioned for the Tonys to be an exception largely because of the impact the awards have on the theater industry, according to the New York Times. Because of the strikes ban on writers producing new scripted content, the Tonys wont be allowed to use any written content, including a draft script and a planned rap for DeBose written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, with whom she previously worked on Hamilton and Bring It On: The Musical. Miranda is a Tonys vet, having won his first Emmy for writing 2013 host Neil Patrick Harriss opening number. DeBose performed a gloriously cringeworthy rap earlier this year at the BAFTA awards, which she co-wrote. This time, she will likely not be doing any rapping at all. With that said, both the woman king and the person who is all of us will almost certainly be Ruthie Ann Miles.
The actress has spent years hoping to land (or just audition for) roles like the one she has in Monica. But its been a struggle. Photo: IFC Films

Monica is any actors dream. A title role in a festival-friendly indie that captures bittersweet emotions through expressions more than words, it demands an interiority only a skilled pro can handle. The movie is especially a dream for Trace Lysette, who has spent the last few years awaiting another breakthrough as significant as her work on Transparent.

When Lysette won acclaim for that Amazon Prime Video touchstone, in which she played a yoga instructor who befriends the newly out Maura Pfefferman (Jeffrey Tambor), she landed small but notable parts in Pose, Hustlers, and the OWN series David Makes Man. Still, Lysette couldnt quite level up. The opportunities just werent there  until Monica came along, three years after Transparent ended.

Directed and co-written by Andrea Pallaoro (Hannah), Monica is an intimate drama about a massage therapist with a strained love life who one day receives an unexpected call from her sister-in-law (American Gods Emily Browning) informing her that her mother, Eugenia (Patricia Clarkson), is dying. The movie leaves a lot of backstory open to interpretation, but Eugenia rejected Monica years ago when she came out as trans. Now, Monica makes the complicated decision to return home to Ohio, essentially posing as a caretaker while Eugenias mind and body deteriorate. Pallaoro often frames Lysette in striking close-ups, sometimes through mirrors and curtains, as if to reflect the viewers perceptions. Her performance is serene and graceful. Monicas familial estrangement has hardened her, but its also made her self-sustaining.

The fact that Lysette hasnt had more opportunities like Monica can be chalked up to typical Hollywood inequity. But shes confident it will be a turning point. Vulture talked to the 35-year-old actress about her recent experiences in the industry, working with Clarkson, and the message shed like to send casting directors.

In 2017, you were asked in an interview about trans actors who had one acclaimed role and then struggled to find another project that reached the same heights. You said, Its really scary. I just dont know how to keep the train rolling. That was mid-Transparent. Six years later, you finally have a lead role in a movie. What has it been like for you to work to keep the train rolling?

Its been a struggle. And its sad to say that. Im sorry, I wish I had something more hopeful to say about it. I know that all actors struggle at certain points in their career, unless you come from a very well-connected something-or-other. So I want to first say that, but I do think theres an added layer for trans people. Its two or three times harder than it is for, say, a cis actress. If a cis actress went to Venice, one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world, and led a film and got a near-12-minute standing ovation and came back to the States, one would think that shed have some jobs waiting for her. Its been eight months, and I havent had a single offer. So that is sobering. Im trying not to let it steal my joy, especially with all the love were getting right now. But all I want to do is feel safe. All I want to do is feel like I have jobs to choose from instead of living gig to gig. I really hope this doesnt sound sad. What I hope people get from me talking about this is that they get activated, that people in power in the industry say, You know what? I want her in my movie.

Thats why I ask. You dont sound self-pitying. I think its easy to say that pop culture has become much more queer-friendly, so people forget about the reality of how few and far between these roles can be. Do you audition a lot?

Ive had three auditions this entire year. I would not say thats a lot compared to my cis actor friends. Even my cis actor minority friends audition more than I do. I guess that tells me that being trans in this industry is really something that we are still trying to figure out as a whole. I keep trying to steer people toward this casting conversation: if we can just start thinking of characters as an essence. What is the character, and who can play that? Probably a number of identities can play this essence. It doesnt always necessarily need to be in the script. Its just getting people to use their imagination.

A great example of that for you is Hustlers. That character could have been played by anyone.

Exactly.

I just dont know that the film would be as good if we had preachy moments like that.

Monica is an interesting contrast to Hustlers and Transparent because your characters in those films are spirited and sassy, whereas Monica is very still, very reserved. Its a much more interior performance.

It was a gift and a challenge. There was no phoning it in. Every scene was so internal and from the gut, and oftentimes I was dealing with obscure camera angles and I still had to figure out how to get these feelings across to the audience. The specificity of Andrea Pallaoro is its own beautiful challenge as well. Ive worked with a lot of directors, but he has been the most specific. I definitely felt like I grew as an actor.

Your own mother was not initially supportive when you told your family that you were trans. How much of you is in Monica?

I feel so protective of my mother because were in such a good place now. The tools that parents had in the 90s and the early 2000s were not the same that parents have today in terms of what I was like as a nonbinary teen and budding trans girl. There are certainly parallels between my journey and Monicas journey, but I am so grateful that, even though it was challenging, my mom loves me and I love her more than anything in this universe. I feel gratitude for the fact that she was eventually able to interrogate what she had been programmed to think by society, religion, whatever. I didnt lose 20 years like Monica did.

Monicas mother has essentially abandoned her, and yet when she gets this call, she feels compelled to return home anyway. How did you define her decision to return?

For me, it was just about honoring the time we have left. And it was apparent to me from the phone call that Monica has lived this full, hard trans life on her own for the last 20 years. I know who that woman is. I know how strong she is. I know what shes had to endure. And I know where she finds her joy. Even though shes searching for love and there are still a lot of question marks swirling around her validation and what she needs to keep going in life, I knew that she had enough stability and strength to say, You know what, I am going to take this road trip home. Im going to see this last month that my biological mother has on this earth. Im gonna see what this has in store. Even if its keeping expectations low, Im gonna go for the ride. For me, it was showing up every day and being in the moment with Monica, letting it unfold and not overpreparing too much, because I knew once I had the shell of her I could find the bridge to my own experiences.

Something refreshing about this movie is that its not weighed down with a ton of backstory, because we dont need it. Its obvious what happened between the two of them. But how much, if at all, did you and Patricia Clarkson unpack their history?

We chatted over some wine, I think probably the first night in Cincinnati [where most of Monica was shot]. But we didnt really belabor over it too much because we knew that what we needed was already in the script. A lot of it is in the scene with Josh Close, who plays my brother, in the pool. You can kind of get the synopsis in that dialogue. The really cool thing about working with Patricia, an actor who is that seasoned and that potent with accessing her emotions, is that you can show up and find it together. Then it feels fresh, and it feels like this magical thing happens. I love working like that.

Its a little ambiguous as to whether Eugenia eventually realizes who Monica is. Did you and Patricia decide for yourselves?

I think its apparent in a couple of scenes, namely the scene where I crawl in bed with her after a hard night out. She opens her eyes a little. And then again in the bathtub scene, youre kind of left feeling like, Oh, she knows whats going on here. Maybe the time is just too precious to have a knock-down, drag-out, who-did-what conversation about it. I think thats really beautiful. Also, I just dont know that the film would be as good if we had preachy moments like that.

I completely agree.

But theres also the opportunity to wonder, Well, maybe there was a conversation that was had off-camera.

Sure. And its interesting to think about what might be transpiring in Eugenias mind to allow her to accept Monica in those final days, or to at least ignore her lack of acceptance. As someone who is neither trans nor a parent, I think its easy for the viewer to assume a parent would recognize her child no matter what.

Well, shes dealing with brain cancer. It might not have been too apparent in the film, but she did have a scar on her head from surgery. I think this movie really relies on the audience to pay attention, maybe even watch the film more than once to catch all the details. Ive even had some people say to me, Well, why wasnt there more? People want the A-B-C of it. I dont know that I have an answer, except I will say this film has confidence in the audience in terms of letting them think for themselves. I will also say Ive seen people transition that I havent seen in ten years and I didnt recognize them either. The before-and-after of it is sometimes drastic, and Monica left when she was 16 years old. She was probably a flaming boy-queen with some androgyny. In my mind, she has gone off and lived this life and had all kinds of gender-affirming care, so I wouldnt be surprised if that part played into her not being recognized.

In hindsight, I would have put some protections in place to get some sort of consulting credit or fee instead of lending my life experience to a film that would go on to win awards for cis people yet again.

Was it hard to come down from some of the heavier scenes toward the end of the film? Im thinking of Patricia in bed wailing in pain and you cradling her. Is it a lot to take on?

It is. I had to put Monica down as soon as we wrapped. They got me a gold necklace that said Monica on it on the last day. One of the producers said to me, Oh, you should wear it to the wrap party tonight. And I thought, No, I have to put Monica down now and just be Trace. I was tinting my hair red every week and living in the heaviness of Monica. And prior to that, I had just spread my grandmothers ashes before filming. So it was a beautiful but heavy summer. I would put her down at the end of every shoot day as well. I would go to the bar and get a drink and an appetizer and try to get a good eight hours of sleep. I needed that reprieve from her.

I will also say, superficially, you look incredible as a redhead.

Thank you!

As I was preparing to talk to you, I learned that you did unpaid consulting on The Danish Girl. Why was it unpaid?

For me, the answer to that is wrapped up in the predatory nature of this business. Here you have a young trans person in New York City. At that time, I didnt have a lot of access to the industry. I didnt really know how things worked. I didnt have a lawyer. I didnt have a team of people to protect me. My acting teacher at the time asked me to meet with one of the producers, so I did. In hindsight, I would have put some protections in place to get some sort of consulting credit or fee instead of lending my life experience to a film that would go on to win awards for cis people yet again. It was a lesson learned.

Eddie Redmayne has called the role a mistake, and the tide has turned on that movie. Financial logistics aside, is participating at all something that you regret?

I regret that the world doesnt take better care of marginalized groups. I regret that the people in my life at that time didnt let me know that I was being, I guess, taken advantage of in a way. I had that happen so many times in my youth with different projects. Ive had artists take pictures of me and there wont be any compensation. One time, a topless photo of me ended up in the MoMA for six months. I dont say that to vilify the photographer because I dont think they thought they were doing anything wrong and they were a lovely person, but someones making money off of my tits.

And you were paid nothing for that photograph?

I was paid nothing. I was promised a copy of the picture if I wanted it.

Oh, lucky you.

Yeah. I was also part of two different documentaries that actually never came out, but I didnt have any deal in place to get any back-end points or front-end compensation for those, either. As a young trans girl running around New York hustling to keep a roof over my head by any means necessary  and you can read between the lines on that  its crazy to me what this world will do to have-nots for no other reason than the fact that they can. You cant do that to a Vanderbilts daughter or a Hilton or Fonda or a Barrymore. You cant do that to Lily-Rose Depp. And I hate that.

Im really hopeful that, with the attention Monica is getting, this is going to be another gateway for you. I know Transparent has a lot of baggage to it, but it seemed like it opened doors. Id like to be confident that it wont take five years to find another Monica.

Its getting a lot of love, especially from reviewers and the trans community. I think its okay to be confident. Im confident.
Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, and The Rock have got what Zachary Levi and Henry Cavill (probably) want. Photo: Universal Pictures

Spoilers follow for Fast X, released in theaters on May 19.

No one can escape La Familia  especially not when you try to leave Dominic Torettos sphere of influence for a DC Extended Universe film. Just ask Fast & Furious supporting players Gal Gadot and Dwayne Johnson, whose Wonder Woman 1984 and Black Adam were big-enough busts that theyre back in Fast X, swearing fealty to the J.R.R. Tolkien of our times  who himself realized way back in 2006 after Tokyo Drift that one simply does not walk away from this franchise. And the fact that Jason Momoas time as Aquaman is presumably ending after the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but hes now the new Fast & Furious baddie? It is certainly coincidental timing.

This franchise is now sprawling enough to fold in, and bring back from the dead, nearly everyone (except, of course, for Paul Walkers beloved Brian, still alive onscreen despite Walkers death in 2013, and the forever-forgotten Jesse, played by Chad Lindberg and killed at the end of the original The Fast and the Furious). So which other actors who failed in, and were failed by, the former DCEU could follow in Gadots, Johnsons, and Momoas speeding skid marks and vroom vroom to the barbecue? Pull up a chair, pass a Corona, and lets get brainstorming.

Henry Cavill as a Shaw brother

Our guy most likely left The Witcher franchise to return to playing Superman, only to have new DCEU head honcho James Gunn claim that Cavill coming back was never the plan and announce a recasting of the role with a younger actor for Superman: Legacy. Thats not tossing a coin to your Witcher, thats snatching money out of his pocket! So why dont we figure out a way to get Cavill into the Fast & Furious films? He can go with either his suave, smooth The Man From U.N.C.L.E. persona or his bruising, arm-reloading Mission: Impossible one, because both are hot and this franchise could use another very handsome man to balance out all the gyrating short skirts that come out for race night. Maybe hes another member of the Shaw family? So far, Luke Evans, Jason Statham, and Vanessa Kirby have played siblings, with Helen Mirren as their mom. Retcon another brother in there, get Cavill to grow a mustache again, and were in business.

Joel Kinnaman and Jai Courtney as Dante-affiliated baddies

Suicide Squad was not a good movie, but its already wedged one cast member into the Fast & Furious universe: Scott Eastwood. (And a couple from Gunns The Suicide Squad too: Idris Elba, as the villain in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, and John Cena as Torettos estranged brother in F9.) Eastwood is inconsequential enough that Brie Larson essentially replaces him in Fast X, but lets consider ways to take even more attention away from this man. Id love it if Fast 11 were an all-out street-racing war between Doms family and a Dante-led crew of brawlers, and for that purpose, Joel Kinnaman and Jai Courtney seem perfect. Maybe theyre sleepers in the Agency who get activated by Dante and Alan Ritchsons Aimes to join the cause? I know this means we would have to watch these men lose to Diesel in a fistfight, which is absurd. But thats the magic of cinema, folks!

Amber Heard as Ciphers second-in-command

Remember Drive Angry, the film Aquamans Amber Heard co-starred in with Nicolas Cage? Let her do the driving this time! Charlize Therons Cipher has always surrounded herself with male mercenaries for defense, but once they all turn on her in Fast X, maybe she changes tactics and hires an all-female team once she makes it back from Antarctica in Fast 11. Make Amber Heard a second-in-command for Cipher who, by extension, joins Doms family. (I know that Heard has allegedly retired from acting, but her relationship with Momoa on Aquaman was supposedly good. Maybe a brief return to Hollywood with his support would be a nice thing.)

Jurnee Smollett as Ramseys sister

Dom suddenly has a brother. Why cant Ramsey suddenly have a sister? Nathalie Emmanuel has done fine work since her introduction as elite-level hacker Ramsey in Furious 7, but her character has never really felt integrated into the larger family because shes so often relegated to running interference between the forever-feuding Tej and Roman. Shes doing that same old thing in Fast X, as well as suffering through an unnecessary cameo from Pete Davidson. Can we give her someone else to play off of already? My suggestion is Jurnee Smollett of Birds of Prey as Ramseys across-the-pond sister who is also an elite-level hacker and who also doesnt mind helping the family out of a tight jam. Again, we accepted all this when Jakob Toretto appeared out of nowhere; I think we can do it again for the sake of giving Emmanuels character a bit more heft. And Smollett has the right kind of wild-card energy for this franchise.

Marwan Kenzari as the guy who saves Tej, Roman, Ramsey, and Han

Unlike what Johnson promised us, the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe did not change with the release of Black Adam. But that doesnt mean Marwan Kenzari  who played both a tyrannical king and a crime-syndicate leader in Black Adam  should get sunk in that films critical and commercial failure. When Fast X ends, Aimes shoots down the plane Tej, Roman, Ramsey, and Han are flying over the Portuguese mountains. Theres no way all four of these characters are dead, so my assumption is they either redo the stunt from Furious 7 where they all drop out of the plane in cars (which would align with Fast Xs pattern of revamping some of the series most recognizable stunts and sequences), or they come across a helpful stranger near the crash site who helps get them out of there  and then becomes part of the crew because he ends up being hell on wheels! Kenzari worked with Theron in The Old Guard; please, maam, make a call.

Zachary Levi as the Toretto family faith leader

The Fast & Furious films have become increasingly nondenominationally Christian as theyve gone on. See: Dom and Lettys meaningful cross necklace and their wedding before a priest, plus all the shots of the Christ the Redeemer statue high above Rio de Janeiro. So theres a natural opening for a faith leader to start blessing the familys exploits. This is the role Zachary Levi has been waiting for his whole life. We need the (very publicly Christian) former Shazam to offer prayer hands up for the trilogy weve been promised! After Shazam! Fury of the Godss distinct non-impact, what else is he doing?
Photo: Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

The ongoing Writers Guild of America strike has been defined by its signage. Picketers on both coasts have gone viral for signs ranging from Its one writer, Michael. What could it cost? Ten dollars? to Give up just one yacht. Perturbed by issues ranging from a lack of residuals on streaming shows to overall poor pay and the continued leadership of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav (a favorite individual to target), members of the WGA have put pen to poster board and made their grievances known through wit. Their signs are well-served on social media, which, in the years since the 20078 strike, has ballooned into a location as important as New York or Los Angeles and where a bit of wit and righteous anger are an eternally successful combination. Much like the protest itself, which has called on the Screen Actors Guild and Directors Guild of America to join in the fight, the signs are a group effort.

In preparation for the first day of striking, ideas were pitched in a Google Doc, according to Josh Vazquez, an internal organizer at the WGA East. Now, more than three weeks in, its free rein. The signs are made weekly in large groups, and a recent sign-making session had around 90 people in attendance. There are a few rules when it comes to materials  in New York, protesters must use soft materials (like toilet-paper rolls) to hold their signs up, while in L.A., they have the ability to use wood, according to WGA East captain Greg Iwinski  but the content is not policed. The signs are working, one WGA captain told me during a picket line in front of HBO and Amazon offices during week two of the strike. Were getting attention, because were writers. The signs certainly feel like the work of writers who dont have much else to focus their creative energy on. While picketers are welcome to bring their own signs, most of them are distributed at the pickets, and on days when protesters stretch beyond a city block, they create a formidable mass of white and red.

While attending a picket line on May 10, I noticed some writers and supporters with their signs already in tow, but typically the signs are collected in a centralized location for distribution at the pickets. Over in L.A., themed gatherings like the Netflix Trans Takeover and the Newsies protest have started to proliferate. In New York, the signs are brought to protests in large black garbage bags and, on arrival, distributed willy-nilly. While pictures go viral of big-name picketers carrying self-referential signs, like Quinta Brunson holding one with an an Abbott Elementarythemed message at a WGA West gathering, most of the picketers Ive seen, whether theyre negging Zaslav or punning with Do the write thing, are anonymous. Either way, it creates a united front.

But while the signs have a tendency to go viral, studios and streamers likely arent paying much attention to that  after all, no boycotts that could affect their bottom line have been announced (yet). The signs are more for the people holding them than those theyre aimed at. The goal of all of this is, in reality, to get the seven companies of the AMPTP to come back and negotiate with us, Iwinski said. I dont know if a witty sign is what gets them to come back, but what it does do is keep morale high, build camaraderie, and help us remember what were good at, which is entertaining people.
KAMPALA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Ugandan officials on Monday planted 1,000 trees in a forest reserve to mark the International Day for Biological Diversity.

The event, organized by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) at the Mabira Central Forest Reserve in the country's central district of Buikwe, called for restoring all degraded sections of the magnificent forest, covering 300 square kilometers.

Speaking at the occasion, NEMA Executive Director Barirega Akankwasah said there is a need to unite efforts to restore nature, through the implementation of global action for implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted last December.

"The biggest threat to biodiversity globally and indeed Uganda is loss of habitat, pollution and climate change," said Akankwasah.

"NEMA will continue mobilizing partners and stakeholders to continue restoring activities," he added.

The International Day for Biological Diversity was celebrated this year under the theme "From agreement to action: Build Back Biodiversity" to remind nations that biodiversity is essential to ecosystem function and service delivery. 
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received President of the Parliament of Montenegro Danijela ?urovi?.

According to Azernews, the head of state hailed the good level of bilateral relations between the two countries. President Ilham Aliyev said that Azerbaijan had become an important partner in the diversification of Europe's energy supply, and emphasized the importance of expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and Montenegro in various spheres, including transport and energy.

Touching upon the importance of parliament-to-parliament ties, the Azerbaijani President noted that both countries support each other in various inter-parliamentary international organizations. The head of state underlined that Danijela ?urovi?s visit to Azerbaijan had provided a good opportunity to discuss the prospects for the development of relations between the two countries.

Danijela ?urovi? conveyed her congratulations on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, and the upcoming May 28  Independence Day.

The head of the Montenegrin Parliament underlined that Azerbaijan and Montenegro are friendly countries. She touched upon the importance of Bakus hosting the international conference on the role of national parliaments ?n promoting security and stability through the green economy, connectivity, and sustainable development co-organized by the Milli Majlis and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, adding energy and food security, as well as other issues, had been discussed at the meeting. The President of the Parliament of Montenegro said the visit to the Zangilan district would be organized as part of the conference to get familiarized on the ground with the reconstruction works in the liberated lands.

Danijela ?urovi? underlined Montenegro is keen on energy cooperation with Azerbaijan. She mentioned the charter flights between the two countries, saying this contributes to expanding relations in the tourism sector and that there are good opportunities in the future for deepening cooperation in this direction.

The meeting also saw discussions on cooperation in the field of investments.





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NAIROBI, May 23 (Xinhua) -- African states on Tuesday kicked off a three-day meeting in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to discuss ways of accelerating the uptake of national digital IDs in order to boost the delivery of government services.

The 7th ID4Africa Augmented General Meeting (AGM) brought together governments, development partners and innovators to focus on an inclusive, secure and respectful digital identity that prioritizes the needs of individuals.

In his opening remarks, Julius Bitok, principal secretary in Kenya's State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services, said that Kenya is currently in the middle of transitioning the national digital identity from the second to third-generation ID.

Bitok said that a reliable digital identification regime will provide the government with reliable statistics to plan for the funding of adequate essential public services.

The event brought together delegates drawn from 50 African countries to accelerate the uptake of biometric IDs with embedded electronic chips that enable citizens to have easier access to education, health and social security services.

Kenneth Attafuah, executive secretary of Ghana's National Identification Authority, said that Ghana has already rolled out a digital ID that is issued to its nationals as well as qualified foreign residents in Ghana.

Attafuah said that the digital Ghana card which has a biometric chip embedded has advantages because it allows for real-time verification of personal identity for cardholders who want to access public services. 
Meloni unveils emergency relief package.

The Italian cabinet of premier Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday approved emergency funds of more than 2 billion for areas in the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions devastated by floods.

Meloni, who visited Emilia-Romagna on Sunday after leaving the G7 summit in Japan a day early, said the aid package is "the first important response" for areas affected by floods which claimed the lives of at least 14 people and destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and farmland.

The package suspends the deadline for tax and social contributions in affected areas until the end of August and also includes 100 million in compensation for farmers and a "one-off payment of up to 3,000" for self-employed workers who have been forced to stop working.

Meloni was joined at the press briefing by Emilia-Romagna governor Stefano Bonaccini who told reporters that the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen would visit flood-hit areas in the region on Thursday.
Capaci bombing took place on this day 31 years ago.

Italy marks the 31st anniversary of the murder of the anti-mafia judge Giovanni Falcone who was assassinated by the Corleonesi mafia in a bombing in Sicily on 23 May 1992.

The explosion, known as the Capaci bombing, took place on the A29 motorway near Palermo airport as Falcone was on his way home after returning from Rome.

The devastating blast also killed Falcone's wife, Francesca Movillo, and three police officers, Vito Schifani, Rocco Dicillo and Antonio Montinaro.

The assassination was orchestrated by notorious Cosa Nostra godfather Toto Riina, who allegedly toasted the judge's death with champagne. Falcone was 53 when he was killed.

30 years ago, on 23 May 1992, Giovanni Falcone is assassinated, along with Francesca Morvillo, Vito Schifani, Rocco Dicillo and Antonio Montanaro. This thread tells the story of how he is undermined, isolated & abandoned to his destiny by the state he so loyally served >> 1 pic.twitter.com/sbtyUJkLxx  Nicholas Whithorn (@NickWhithorn) May 22, 2022

The massive bomb, which consisted of 13 barrels filled with 500 kg of explosives, was placed in a tunnel under the motorway on 8 May.

The explosives were detonated by Giovanni Brusca, a ruthless mafia hitman known as "The Pig", who was stationed in the hills above Capaci.

Aftermath

The killings resulted in a huge outpouring of public grief in Italy and parliament declared a day of mourning.

Thousands gathered in Palermo for the funerals which were broadcast live on national television.

Giovanni Falcone (1939-1992) and Paolo Borsellino (1940-1992).

Together with his friend, the fellow judge and prosecuting magistrate Paolo Borsellino, Falcone spent most of his distinguished professional career trying to overthrow the power of the Sicilian Mafia.

On 19 July 1992, Borsellino was killed by a car bomb on Via d'Amelio in Palermo, along with five police officers, Agostino Catalano, Walter Cosina, Emanuela Loi, Vincenzo Li Muli and Claudio Traina.

The mens' deaths, just 57 days apart, resulted in a major crackdown against the Sicilian Mafia and led to the 1993 arrest of Riina, who died in jail in 2017.

Matteo Messina Denaro, who was arrested earlier this year after 30 years on the run, was tried and sentenced to life in jail in absentia in 2002 over his role in the killing of Falcone and Borsellino.

Last year Italy marked the 30th anniversary of the murders of the two anti-Mafia judges by issuing a special 2 coin in their honour.

Commemorative events will take place across Italy on 23 May, with state broadcaster RAI marking the anniversary by devoting numerous programmes to the fight against the Mafia.
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The Rev. Bill Farmer reached the point where he couldnt stay in the United Methodist Church anymore  but the congregation he attended was staying. Michael Hahn always wanted to stay in the UMC  but his congregation was leaving it. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Each has found new church homes, and theyre not alone.

Thousands of United Methodist congregations have been voting on whether to stay or quit one of the nations largest denominations amid intractable debates over theology and the role of LGBTQ people. There are stark differences over recognizing same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ clergy.

But the dividing line isnt just running between congregations. Its running right through the pews of individual churches, separating people who had long worshipped together.

Those who come up on the short end of a disaffiliation vote face the dilemma of whether to stay or go.

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The splintering  often grievous and tense  has spurred new initiatives to provide havens for the unmoored. Some United Methodist regional conferences have begun designating Lighthouse congregations  ones that actively welcome people who wanted to stay United Methodist but whose former churches voted to leave. Other conferences use different names, such as Beacon or Oasis, but the idea is the same.

The pain is real, and there is a lot of grief and a lot of heartache over the split in the United Methodist Church, said the Rev. Lynda Ferguson, the great-grandchild of a circuit-riding Methodist pastor.

Her North Carolina church, First United Methodist Asheboro, became a Lighthouse congregation. That assures newcomers that its committed to staying United Methodist, so they wont have to worry about another disaffiliation vote. More than 400 congregations have disaffiliated in North Carolina.

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Ferguson said she can personally relate to those from departing congregations. Her childhood church  the one that shaped her faith and where at age 12 she felt the call to ministry  also voted to leave.

Part of the Lighthouse mission is to let people know the United Methodist Church is still here and still welcoming, said the Rev. Ed McKinney, pastor of Stokesdale United Methodist Church in Stokesdale, North Carolina, which also became a Lighthouse congregation.

Michael Hahn and his family are among a group of newcomers who have begun participating in Stokesdale after their previous congregations left the denomination.

Hahn, whose family has been Methodist for generations, said he couldnt imagine leaving the denomination, which he values for blending faith and rationality: Its a place where I dont have to check my logic and reason at the door and blindly accept things.

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Hahn said he, his wife and daughters have found a very warm and welcoming environment in the Stokesdale congregation, with people saying, Were glad to have you here, we want to walk through this period with you.

Many of the departing churches are joining the conservative Global Methodist Church, created last year. Others are going independent or joining different denominations.

While the Global Methodist Church doesnt have a program like the Lighthouse initiative, it has begun launching or adopting congregations that can become homes for those who want to leave the United Methodist Church but whose congregations are staying.

That was the case with the founders of Grace Methodist Church. They launched the church in January in Homosassa, Florida, after their previous congregation voted to stay in the UMC. The new church immediately affiliated with the Global Methodist Church.

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Grace Methodist has been renting a former lodge hall for its services and has already started Bible studies and community outreaches, while also working to attract attendees from their neighborhood.

Were not there just to go to church on Sunday for an hour; were there to help the community, said member Neil Kline. The enthusiasm of participants is evident, he said: They cant wait to get to church, and they dont want to leave.

Farmer came out of retirement to serve as the churchs pastor.

The groups previous congregation was a good church, Farmer said, and he wished it well. But my struggle was with the United Methodist structure, whats going on in the United States, particularly.

The ongoing schism has been long in the making.

The United Methodist Church  with about 6.5 million members in the United States and at least that many abroad  has long debated its bans on same-sex marriages and the ordination of openly LGBTQ clergy.

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The denomination has repeatedly upheld the bans, largely through the voting strength of the growing, more conservative churches abroad. But conservatives chose to form a new denomination amid growing defiance of the bans in U.S. churches.

More than 3,500 U.S. congregations have received their local conferences permission to disaffiliate from the UMC, according to United Methodist News Service. With conference season underway, disaffiliations are closing in on 4,000 and could rise even more by the end of the year, said the Rev. Jay Therrell, president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative group advocating for departing congregations.

Thats a fraction of the United Methodists 30,000 U.S. churches, though several of the departing congregations are among the largest in their states.

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Therrell said he had no problem with the Lighthouse concept but renewed his call to allow churches to disaffiliate on reasonable terms.

I want everyone to be in the theological home that is the best fit, Therrell said. Certainly, the United Methodist Church is welcome to try to create churches to do that. I hope they would respect traditionalists and allow us to get to the place where we need to be.

In the Arkansas Conference, more than 100 churches  out of roughly 600 total  have received permission to disaffiliate. That leaves parts of the state with few or no remaining United Methodist congregations, said the Rev. Michael Roberts, director of the conferences new Restart Initiative, which is hoping to enlist congregations to be Beacon churches. Such churches would invite self-described exiles, refugees, nomads to worship services, help them start home groups or develop other ways to keep them connected.

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Were just really simply inviting churches to consider how they can provide this kind of hospitality, Roberts said. I love the word hospitality because the word hospital comes from that word. It is about providing healing.

In the Western Pennsylvania Conference, 17 congregations officially became Lighthouse congregations as of May 1.

About a third of the estimated 800 churches in the Western Pennsylvania Conference  a sprawling 23-county region  are seeking to have their disaffiliations approved at the conferences June annual meeting, according to Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi.

There have been very few votes where it was unanimous, she said. For those on the short end of those votes  sometimes described as pilgrims  the Lighthouse congregations offer places where they can join or just find temporary harbor until they figure out next steps.

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But Lighthouse churches arent places to settle into old routines, she said.

This has been an opportunity to really think about folks who are unchurched, and how this nucleus of people looking for a church home might help us discern needs in the community and create faith communities to reach people in new ways.

Added B.T. Gilligan, senior pastor at Nixon United Methodist Church, a Lighthouse congregation in Butler, Pennsylvania: I really hope this extends and goes far beyond the disaffiliation, but allows for people who have been hurt by churches for all different kinds of reasons.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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UNITED NATIONS  The U.N. chief on Tuesday decried the terrible truth that the world is failing to live up to its commitments to protect a growing number of civilians caught in conflicts. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the guardian of treaties enshrining those commitments, lamented that countless civilians are experiencing a living hell.

From Ukraine and Sudan to Africas Sahel and the Mideast, civilians are scrambling to evade missiles and explosives and to find food and medicine  and the humanitarian situation is deteriorating.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Security Council should urge countries to respect the rules of war.

Governments with influence over warring parties should engage in political dialogue and train forces on protecting civilians, he said. And countries that export weapons should refuse to do business with any party that fails to comply with international humanitarian law.

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His recent report on the protection of civilians in conflicts in 2022 points to over 100 conflicts worldwide and an average duration of more than 30 years. Last year, though, saw new highs for the number of people forcibly displaced and a 53% increase in U.N. recorded civilian deaths to nearly 17,000, including almost 8,000 in Ukraine.

Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said during recent visits to Africa, Europe and the Mideast she saw a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation with entire regions trapped in cycles of conflict without an end in sight.

Spoljaric said many of the conflicts are compounded by climate shocks, food insecurity and economic hardship. She issued an urgent call to countries to protect civilians and critical infrastructure in urban areas, pointing to large-scale destruction in Sudan, Syria, Ukraine and Yemen. She also urged that food be provided to all civilians in conflict areas and for access to be given to humanitarian workers.

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We need to break the pattern of violations, and this can be done through strong political will and sustained action, she said.

Switzerland, which is serving its first two-year term on the Security Council, chose the protection of civilians in conflict as its showcase event. Representatives from over 80 countries were scheduled to speak, a reflection of widespread concern.

Swiss President Alain Berset, who chaired Tuesdays meeting, said that as the depository state for the Geneva Conventions and the home of the Geneva-based ICRC, respect for international humanitarian law was a long-standing priority for the country.

The number of people facing acute food insecurity rose to 258 million last year, which he noted was 30 times the population of New York City. More than two-thirds of them live in conflict zones, including in Congo, Sudan, the Sahel, Somalia, Myanmar and Afghanistan, or in countries where violence is widespread such as Haiti, Berset said.

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He urged all countries to implement a 2018 Security Council resolution against the use of starvation as a method of warfare and unlawfully denying humanitarian access and life-saving supplies to civilians, and a 2021 resolution condemning unlawful attacks that deprive civilians of essential services.

The meeting saw clashes between Ukraines Western supporters and Russia, as the council has seen at many sessions since Moscows Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of its neighbor.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the increase in civilian deaths shows the human toll of the war. She also accused Russia of pushing millions of people in Africa and the Middle East into food insecurity by using food as a weapon of war in Ukraine, including blocking Ukrainian grain shipments for months.

She said the agreement allowing the shipment of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports, which was extended for two months on May 17, was a beacon of hope to the world.

Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia claimed very little of the more than 30 million tons of grain shipped under the Black Sea deal has gone to developing countries, and that the shipment from Russia of ammonia  a key ingredient of fertilizer  that was supposed to be part of the July 2022 deal has effectively not even begun.

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TALLINN, Estonia  Russia alleges that dozens of Ukrainian militants crossed into one of its border towns in its Belgorod region, striking targets and forcing an evacuation, before over 70 of the attackers were killed or pushed back by what the authorities termed a counterterrorism operation. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russias war in Ukraine. ArrowRight One group claiming responsibility for the strike, the Russian Volunteer Corps, denied Wednesday it had lost any men and said its action had exposed Russian border weaknesses.

The conflicting versions of events reflect the role of disinformation and propaganda in the 15-month war.

Ukraine denied any involvement in the skirmishes Monday and Tuesday. It blamed two Russian groups, including the RVC, that claim to be volunteers fighting in coordination with Kyivs forces in an uprising against the government of President Vladimir Putin.

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While neither version could be independently verified, whatever happened appears to have sent Moscow scrambling to respond to one of the most serious border incursions since Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said an elderly woman died in the chaotic evacuation, and 12 people were wounded in the attack and shelling.

A look at whats known about the attack and the murky groups who say they carried it out:

WHOS CLAIMING RESPONSIBILITY?

Two groups  the RVC and the Freedom of Russia Legion  claimed responsibility for the attack and announced an ambitious goal of liberating the Belgorod region. Little is known about them beyond what they say about themselves.

In early March, the RVC claimed responsibility for an incursion in Russias Bryansk region, another border area.

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The website of the Freedom of Russia Legion says it was formed last spring out of Russians desire to fight against Putins armed gang and is officially recognized by Kyivs military. We are fighting in full cooperation with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and under the leadership of the Ukrainian command, the website says.

The website said it fought last summer in small battle groups, and now was involved in the battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut.

Denis Nikitin, a well-known Russian far-right figure, described himself as commander of the RVC when he met reporters Wednesday in Ukraines northern Sumy region bordering Russia.

He described the group as a right-wing, conservative, military, semi-political organization, saying its fight is against Putin and his state apparatus.

He declined to say how many soldiers were involved in the Belgorod raid.

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Nikitin said that inside Ukraine, the RVCs actions are planned with the knowledge and assistance of Ukraines military, but anything outside the countrys borders is our decision.

The RVC sources its own military equipment, he added.

In August 2022, an announcement posted there said: We, Russian volunteers living in Ukraine, decided to take up arms and create a military formation, the Russian Volunteer Corps, in order to together with our Ukrainian comrades defend their homeland which gave us shelter, and then continue the fight against the criminal Putin regime and his henchmen.

Other posts claimed the group was fighting in southeastern Ukraine, or as volunteers serving elsewhere in the country, including in Kyivs suburbs of Bucha and Irpin.

WHAT DOES UKRAINE SAY?

Ukrainian officials have never confirmed any ties with either group. The government in Kyiv denied involvement in this weeks Belgorod incident, calling it an act by disgruntled Russians.

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When they did talk about it, officials were vague. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said patriots of Russia and people who actually rebelled against Putins regime were behind the attack. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak blamed underground guerrilla groups that are composed of Russian citizens.

In remarks to the news outlet Suspilne, Ukraine intelligence official Andrii Yusov said it was the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion.

Andrii Cherniak, another intelligence representative pointed to the fact that the two groups claimed responsibility. This is the consequence of aggressive politics of Putins regime and Russias invasion of Ukraine, he told The Associated Press.

WHAT DOES RUSSIA SAY?

Russia calls it an incursion by saboteurs deployed by Kyiv, with officials and state media using various epithets ranging from militants to terrorists.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Belgorod attack was a diversion, meant to draw attention away from Russias victory in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which Moscow claimed to have captured over the weekend after months of bloody fighting.

Asked Tuesday about claims that the invaders were ethnic Russians, Peskov insisted that these are Ukrainian militants from Ukraine.

There are lots of ethnic Russians in Ukraine, but these are still Ukrainian militants, Peskov said.

Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said more than 70 Ukrainian terrorists were killed in Russias operation. He also referred to the attackers as nationalists.

Russian state TV reported the invaders were from Ukraines armed forces. One report alleged the attackers used U.S. military equipment despite Washingtons assurances its weapons wont be used for attacks on Russia.

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WHATS THE TRUTH?

Its hard to know. Analysts and commentators say both Russia and Ukraine would likely benefit from its own version of the events.

The British Defense Ministry tweeted Tuesday that Russia will almost certainly use these incidents to support the official narrative that it is the victim in the war.

Russian state media coverage appears to support this notion, with its allegations that U.S. weapons were used in the attack and the general tone of some reports that overlaid video from the region with tense, dramatic music.

For Kyiv, its beneficial to take up the position of an observer and not admit its involvement, said Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov.

The fact is that the war is happening on Russian territory, the Kremlin is being clearly indicated that Russians are not the only ones who can employ hybrid (warfare) methods, Zhdanov told AP.

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The involvement of the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion should serve as signs that there are forces inside Russia who can resist Putins regime, he said.

At the same time, the Belgorod attack showed Russias helplessness, Zhdanov said.

Russia turned out to be completely unprepared - neither its security forces, nor border guards, nor special services were prepared for hostilities on their own turf. The myth that Russia keeps its border locked has been busted, he added.

Some Russian voices echoed that sentiment. Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private military contractor, used the incident as yet another chance to bash the Russian Defense Ministry for not adequately protecting the border.

Alexander Kots, military correspondent with the pro-Kremlin newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, also raised questions on his Telegram page.

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Whats with our technical equipment of the border, surveillance systems, motion detection systems? he asked. Whats with mining of the potentially dangerous areas? Whats with anti-tank equipment? Why did an enemy armored group breach deep into our territory?

These are the questions to which there are no answers, Kots said. To be more accurate, there are, but theyre very unpleasant.

___

Karmanau reported from Tallinn and Arhirova reported from Kyiv, Ukraine.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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A contestant competes in the 22nd Chinese Bridge Competition for Fijian college students in Suva, Fiji, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Sang Qinlong/Xinhua)

SUVA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The 22nd Chinese Bridge Competition for Fijian college students concluded in the capital city of Suva on Tuesday.

A total of 13 students participated in the event, which was held by the Confucius Institute at the University of the South Pacific, and co-organized by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation under China's Ministry of Education and the Chinese Embassy in Fiji.

A contestant competes in the 22nd Chinese Bridge Competition for Fijian college students in Suva, Fiji, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Sang Qinlong/Xinhua)

A contestant competes in the 22nd Chinese Bridge Competition for Fijian college students in Suva, Fiji, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Sang Qinlong/Xinhua)

Lily Teunroko from the University of the South Pacific in Suva wins in the final round of the 22nd Chinese Bridge Competition for Fijian college students in Suva, Fiji, May 23, 2023. (Photo by Sang Qinlong/Xinhua)

The competition was divided into two parts, including a themed speech and a talent show. Lily Teunroko from the University of the South Pacific in Suva won in the final round and will represent Fiji at the global finals in China.

"I never expected that I would win the first prize. I'm very happy to go to China," she told Xinhua.

Zhou Jian, Chinese Ambassador to Fiji, said China attaches great importance to developing relations with Pacific island countries, including Fiji, and regards China-Fiji and China-Pacific island countries cooperation as an important part of South-South cooperation.

"We always adhere to the principles of mutual respect, equal treatment, and common development, and sincerely help the people of Fiji and Pacific island countries to achieve development and revitalization," he said.

The ambassador said the continuous deepening of practical cooperation between China and Fiji in various fields "will create more opportunities for Fijian students to learn Chinese, make exchange visits, and become successful."

Matthew Hayward, Acting Head of School of Pacific Arts, Communication and Education, said the Confucius Institute at the University of the South Pacific provides an opportunity for people in Fiji and South Pacific island nations to learn Chinese and acts as a platform for educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

According to Li Yini, the Chinese director of the institute, their Chinese language courses have covered 12 countries and regions in the South Pacific. 
However, a corollary of re-registering is that the owners of the jet enjoy a new degree of anonymity when flying around the world. Loading Most oligarchs own their private jets through complicated structures involving offshore companies, which makes establishing ownership difficult. But successive investigations and media reports, including a project by Forbes that identified 26 planes linked to sanctioned Russians, meant there were many aircraft known to be associated with oligarchs. The movement of these jets could be tracked using their tail numbers on open source services such as Flight Radar. Changing those details obscured their movement.

Symington used manufacturer names, serial numbers and models of private jets to identify the planes previously linked to various sanctioned oligarchs on Russias Federal Agency for Air Transport website, revealing their new tail numbers. The analysis suggests that many continue to fly freely around the world to countries that have not imposed sanctions. Given that sanctions have now made it almost impossible to obtain new Western-made planes in Russia, it suggests many oligarchs have now re-registered their private jets in their home country under new tail numbers. Credit: iStock A plane thought to belong to Dmitry Mazepin, the owner of fertiliser producer Uralchem, has been flying between Sochi, where Putin is rumoured to be stationed, Dubai, Mauritius, the Maldives, and Kazakhstan. Another linked to Vladimir Potanin, owner of Norilsk Nickel and one of Putins confidantes, has been making regular trips between Istanbul, Moscow and Sochi, sometimes with turnaround times within hours.

A Gulfstream 650 linked to Herman Gref, head of Russias largest state bank, has been travelling between Namibia, Zimbabwe, Uzbekistan and Dubai. Loading Mazepin, Potanin and Gref are all subject to sanctions in the UK. The EU has also sanctioned Gref and Mazepin. The US has sanctioned Potanin and Gref. Other destinations where planes associated with sanctioned oligarchs have been flying include Delhi, Phuket, Tehran, Cairo and Azerbaijan, as well as Beijing and Zhengzhou in China. Broadly speaking, the private jet flight paths tell two stories. The first is that oligarchs seem to be taking frequent beach holidays.

However, flights to Iran, China and India are likely to be for business rather than pleasure, says Sandeep Baliga, Professor of Managerial Economics & Decision Sciences at Northwestern Universitys Kellogg School of Management. China and India have become important trading partners for Russia since the outbreak of war in Ukraine and are now Russias largest markets for oil exports. At the beginning of the invasion, there was widespread hope that sanctions on oligarchs could trigger a revolt in Putins inner circle and change the course of the war. A plane linked to Vladimir Potanin, owner of Norilsk Nickel, has been making regular trips between Istanbul, Moscow and Sochi, sometimes with turnaround times within hours. Credit: Bloomberg Baliga, who has studied sanctions, says: The idea of targeted sanctions is you target the elite directly and inflict pain on them so that they directly switch policy in order to be accepted back into the international community.

However, Symingtons analysis suggests this is now a remote hope. Sanctioned oligarchs still appear to be freely travelling around the world. Loading The Wests best shot has not worked and the opportunity to stop the war through sanctioning oligarchs has passed, says Baliga. Its too late for them now. What could have happened at the start of the war didnt. Now the war has gone on and the elite that do have power fear for their lives if they should capitulate to the West. Sanctions are only effective if they employ a carrot and stick approach. The war has gone on for too long for its end to be a feasible reward for oligarchs, says Baliga.

Theyre never going to capitulate, says Baliga. The role of sanctions now is really something else. It is not about an incentive to stop, but about starving the Russian war machine. Are they able to get chips for their tanks, are they able to get spare parts of their fighter planes, fuel for their missiles? Sanctions will take a slow toll on Russian private jet owners, even if they are still able to travel. Americas Office of Foreign Assets Control has imposed export control rules that mean aircraft and aircraft-related supplies cannot be sent to Russia.

While sanctioned oligarchs still appear free to fly around the world, international restrictions will act as the sand in the machine and gradually make life harder. Effectively that means that any of the business jet manufacturers are no longer able to provide maintenance support to an aircraft that is deemed to be Russian owned, says Oliver Tebbit, partner in the aviation group at Watson Farley & Williams solicitors. Any aircraft in the world has more than 25 per cent of its components from the US, which effectively brings it within the US export control regulations. Over time, planes will degrade and be difficult to repair. As a result, even non-sanctioned Russian private jet owners are unable to properly maintain their planes. Theyre able to cannibalise old aircraft for parts, but over time obviously that gets more and more difficult, says Tebbit.

If Russian jets are not maintained up to standard, other aviation authorities around the world may impose restrictions on safety grounds. Over time, whether or not they could fly from say Moscow to Dubai might become more difficult, says Tebbit. Even wealthy Russians who have not been personally sanctioned but own private jets are feeling the heat. Many are starting to sell up, says Tebbit. Yet the market may be thin. Private jet sales typically involve a pre-purchase inspection, akin to a survey before a house sale. These identify any necessary repairs, which are traditionally funded by the seller. Loading
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his governments decision to light up the Sydney Opera House with the Indian flag despite paying no similar tribute during the coronation of King Charles III.

Speaking to 2GB Radios Chris OKeefe this afternoon, Albanese confirmed his government had paid for the India flag to light up the Opera House tonight.

How the Sydney Opera House has been illuminated in the past. Credit: Wolter Peeters / Supplied

Asked if this was appropriate given that the King Charles coronation was not recognised in the same way, he said it was not his governments decision. He said his government had decided to light up the Opera House with the Indian flag partly because it would help boost the Australian economy.

We have a decision to make about this. It wasnt our decision about the Kings coronation, he said.

State governments took various decisions around the country.

The federal government certainly acknowledged the Kings coronation on all of our federal buildings in Canberra there were displays that were appropriate, I believe. I had the great honour of representing Australia along with the Governor General at the Kings coronation and I regarded it as an honour for me to do so.

Asked if he would have liked the Opera House sails to have been lit up for the coronation in the same way they will be for the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi tonight, Albanese said: I was in the UK when that occurred so I wasnt a party to any of those decisions.

One of the things about lighting up the Opera House is that it projects our image to the world and they get to see it.

There are 1.4 billion reasons why we want the Indian flag on the Opera House - because it is the largest population in the world. Two thirds of those 1.4 billion people are under the age of 35. We want a relationship with them. We want them to come to Australia, bring their dollars, create jobs and create that economic activity in the tourism sector.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi got a rock star reception at Sydney Olympic Park on Tuesday night as he praised Indian-born Australians for helping to build mutual trust and respect between his country and Australia.

Speaking to thousands of supporters from the Indian diaspora at Homebush, Modi emphasised the growing cultural and economic connections between the nations.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese exit the arena on Tuesday night. Credit: James Brickwood

Mutual trust and respect have not developed only due to the diplomatic relations of India-Australia, he said. The real reason, the real power is all of you Indians who live here in Australia.

Ties between India and Australia have improved rapidly during the past decade, and last year the two signed a landmark trade liberalisation deal.
His and his teams capacity to manage these engagements and deliver for you is first-rate, he wrote to Formosa about Milo. I know him well and he is first class and his teams are first class (I have used them before for some very complex work). Synergy 360part-owner David Milo, his friend Coalition MP Stuart Robert and another Synergy 360 co-owner John Margerison. Credit: Fairfax Media The leaked emails reveal Synergy 360 then contacted Formosa directly and proposed the Taiwanese firm pay Synergy 360 a sum of $57,000 to secure the Gold Coast contract. Included in the pitch was content from the internal council memo that Robert had earlier emailed to himself. No deal ever eventuated, but the emails make it clear that Robert had actively sought to help Synergy 360 win work and had introduced the firm to a potential new client in Formosa and a potential new contract in the form of the lighting upgrade. The email cache also makes clear that Robert  as both a backbencher and a minister  would, on multiple occasions, assist Synergy 360 as it attempted to secure new corporate clients and help them win government contracts.

A key question remains: why was the MP for Fadden so keen for Synergy 360 to succeed? Robert has quit parliament and a date has been set to choose his successor at a byelection on July 15, but the questions about his business dealings will not go away. Over a series of investigations, this masthead has revealed the former MP: used his status as a federal MP in 2017 and 2018 to help Synergy 360 sign up corporate clients;

met Milo and tech giant Infosys before and after the agency he supervised as minister, Services Australia, finalised a $135 million project with Infosys in November 2019;

helped another of Milos clients, tech giant Unisys, secure a meeting to promote its border security offerings to a parliamentary committee that oversaw the peak federal corruption watchdog;

attended a meeting at Margerisons home on the Gold Coast in November 2017 with Milo and top executives from Unisys. Other examples raise further questions about whether Robert helped Milo gain business. The Liberal MP used his personal email account, for instance, to encourage Milo to contact the Singaporean High Commissioner in Australia, to whom Robert had spoken about Singapores $2 billion investment in Shoalwater Bay defence facilities in Queensland. On May 11, 2017, Robert told Milo he had been chatting to the Singaporean High Commissioner, Kwok Fook Seng about Singapores $2 billion investment in defence facilities in Shoalwater Bay and Townsville in Queensland.

In the email, Robert revealed the high commissioner had told him how the Singaporeans were relying on local emergency services and medical support and the support they bring themselves and that this left an opportunity for an Australian firm like Aspen Medical to engage with them and become Singapores medical service provider in Australia. Loading The High Commissioner thought the idea was great and I indicated you would call him directly to seek a meeting and discuss this with him. He warmly welcomed that, Robert wrote, supplying the high commissioners mobile number. He finished his email to Milo by writing: He is expecting your call. Hon Stuart Robert MP. On May 31, 2017, Milo wrote to Glenn Keys, the founder of Aspen Medical, to pitch the prospect of having the firm provide medical support to Singaporean forces in Australia. A review by former senior public servant Ian Watt, commissioned by the agencies that report to Government Services Minister Bill Shorten, raised concerns about the conflict of interest management processes related to several of the contracts Synergy helped its clients win.

The scandal reached new heights last month when a parliamentary committee chaired by Labor MP Julian Hill extracted a remarkable piece of evidence from Margerison, who until recently was a Synergy shareholder (he no longer has any connection to Synergy, having disposed of his shareholding). Margerison was asked about leaked emails from 2017 and which the committee chair Julian Hill said captured Margerison telling his accountant that any future profits Margerison received care of his shareholding in Synergy would be distributed to a financial entity called APUT. When questioned, Margerison said Robert was a beneficiary of APUT until late 2018. It was not clear from Margerisons evidence whether the arrangement referred to was ever finalised or executed. Loading In his evidence to parliament, Margerison stressed that he was never actually paid any money by Synergy. The reason he made this point is obvious: it is another way of saying that Robert also received no benefit. But Shorten seized on the content of the leaked emails in parliament this month, after Robert announced his resignation, asking: Did the member [Robert] ever, directly or indirectly, seek to, or receive, a financial benefit from Synergy 360?

But Shorten also queried whether Robert had used his status as a public official in the expectation of a later financial reward, even if it was never paid. The evidence of Margerison of how he intended to distribute his Synergy 360 profits is unclear but leaves this open as a possibility. I think that there are still more questions than answers about all the relationships, possible conflicts of interest and financial structures of the protagonists, Shorten said on Monday. Robert told this masthead on Monday: I was not paid by any party for any activity, I never sought any payment, none has ever been offered. Despite the emails detailing his assistance for Milo and Synergy 360, Robert also maintained that he never assisted any companies to win any contacts. Rather, the Liberal politician characterised his repeated support of Synergy as an act of benevolence. If my advice is sought I provide it freely, Robert said in his statement, and he stressed that he had no involvement in the Gold Coast City Council.

In denying any wrongdoing, Robert has also raised questions about the provenance of the leaked emails. Both Robert and Milo have accused the ex-partner of another of Synergy 360s shareholders of having unauthorised access to the emails. This claim has been denied  and neither Milo nor Robert have provided evidence to substantiate their allegation. There is also no evidence that the emails have been altered, as Milo has claimed. To the contrary, a metadata analysis confirms the emails are genuine. Loading Geoffrey Watson, former counsel assisting the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption, says the National Anti-Corruption Commission should examine Roberts dealings with Synergy 360. Watson said it was impossible to brush aside the questions over the personal connections between Robert and his friends  including whether those interests included the way friends such as Margerison helped raise funds for the Liberal Party. The central issue here is whether or not Robert was motivated by the public interest or personal interests, said Watson.
As the curtain falls on the G7 meeting in Hiroshima, the worlds seven most industrialised countries have sent both Russia and China a clear message of their solidarity and resolve, not only regarding Ukraine but also by aligning with the US in viewing China primarily through a security and geoeconomics lens.

Illustration: Dionne Gain. Credit:

Both outcomes are significant. Before the meeting, there remained considerable differences across the Atlantic on these two issues. It is now clear Europe is moving in a similar direction to the US. That this is occurring will go far in determining whether the advantage remains with the liberal democracies or will shift to a group of authoritarian powers led by Beijing.

The appearance of Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 spearheaded the groups presentation of a united front against Russias aggression, with a declaration that its support for Ukraine will not waver and with a commitment to do so for as long as it takes. The group announced new measures to ratchet up the pressure on Moscow in anticipation of Ukraines highly anticipated counteroffensive, with the aim being to starve Russia of G7 technology, industrial equipment and services that support its war machine.

Restrictions on Russias export of diamonds have been flagged, as well as about 300 new sanctions and other measures targeting individuals and entities providing financial and other material support to Russia. Importantly, Ukraine has been given unequivocal support for its maximal position in any future peace negotiation  that the end of the war can only result from the complete and unconditional withdrawal of Russian troops from the entire internationally recognised territory of Ukraine. This includes Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
A large number of Indian students who commenced study in 2022 intakes have not remained enrolled, resulting in a significantly high attrition rate, the university told agents in a message sent on May 8. The regions within India that have been identified as presenting the highest attrition risk are Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat. Due to the urgency of this matter, the university has decided to pause recruitment from these regions in India, effective immediately. The university said the ban would be in place for at least two months and that additional measures would be taken to address the issue of non-genuine students enrolling with the university from these regions, including changes to application screening, stricter admissions conditions and increases to commencement fees. A spokeswoman for Western Sydney University said the decision was not taken lightly but was necessary to protect the integrity of the institutions international student program.

In April, this masthead revealed that at least four other Australian universities  Victoria, Edith Cowan, Torrens and Southern Cross  had this year paused recruitment from specific Indian states. Two other universities  Wollongong and Flinders  altered their entry process in March for overseas students from countries considered high risk, but both said they were not restricting enrolments from specific Indian states. Australia is on track for its biggest annual intake of Indian students across universities and vocational courses, topping 2019s watermark of 75,000. The federal Department of Education has flagged that it is aware of unscrupulous behaviour in the international education sector, including the offering of inducements to encourage students to move from universities to cheaper vocational education providers. On Monday, federal Education Minister Jason Clare noted the high number of Indian students in Australia, and said the government expected all students, regardless of nationality, [to be] treated fairly and appropriately ... including during the application process.

The Department of Home Affairs told a federal parliamentary inquiry last week that Australian universities were now refusing 20.1 per cent of applications, a figure up from 12.5 per cent of applicants in 2019. The rejection rate for applications from India is 24.3 per cent, the highest since 2012. Alison Garrod, the assistant secretary from the temporary visas branch of Home Affairs, said there had been an increase in non-genuine applicants and fraud in student visa applications since the start of 2022, driven by countries where the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 was particularly high. Applications to Australian universities from international students are almost entirely facilitated by education agents. Universities and colleges pay agents commissions worth thousands of dollars for every student enrolment they arrange. Federal Labor MP Julian Hill, once the head of international education for the Victorian government, told the inquiry that the business model of dodgy agents and dodgy providers exploiting people needed to be better regulated.

Anyone can be an agent. I can be an agent, you can be, or my dog can be an agent selling Australian education, Hill said. Loading Theres no way to kick out a bad agent. If one provider says, Im not doing business with you anymore, that agent can keep flogging the same dodgy product and buying their new Ferrari with the next few providers. You can never get kicked out of the system, no matter how bad you are. Peter Hurley, the director of Victoria Universitys Mitchell Institute, said Australian universities ultimately did a good job of reducing fraudulent international student applications. Youre talking about hundreds of thousands of applications, so its a really big beast, Hurley said.

But Hurley added that a series of reviews of the immigration system, including those by former public service chief Martin Parkinson, and former Victorian chief police chief Christine Nixon, were all saying the same thing: that there are problems in certain parts of the migration system, and we need to find a way to make sure that its not being misused. Loading The boom in applications from South Asia began after the Morrison government removed a 20-hour weekly limit on the amount of work students could do, in January 2022. The move meant there were no longer restrictions on how many hours students could work, encouraging those wanting a low-skill Australian work visa to apply to cheaper education institutions. The Albanese government will on July 1 reintroduce a work limit, but lift it to 24 hours a week. International Education Association of Australia chief executive Phil Honeywood last week told the inquiry that agents were too often teaming up with the families of Indian students to get them into the country, and repeated his call for greater regulation. We find a lot of parents are desperate to get their child an education outcome in a country like Australia and there is a cultural reliance, particularly on the subcontinent, in the local education agent who by word of mouth has been seen to have successful outcomes, Honeywood said.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Brunei recorded a 374.2 million Brunei dollar (about 278 million U.S. dollar) trade balance for February, a 42.2 percent year on year decrease due to a drop in export and a rise in import value.

The latest International Merchandise Trade Statistics released on Tuesday by the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics under the Ministry of Finance and Economy showed that Brunei's exports in February decreased by 12.2 percent year on year to 1,265.8 million Brunei dollars, largely due to a drop in mineral fuels exports.

Imports increased from 794.9 million Brunei dollars in February 2022 to 891.6 million Brunei dollars, mainly due to a rise in the import of mineral fuels.

The highest share of exports in February went to Japan with 29.1 percent, followed by Australia with 19.2 percent, Singapore with 13.4 percent and China with 11.6 percent.

The biggest import partner was the United Arab Emirates, followed by Malaysia and China, with mineral fuels being the largest import item. (1 Brunei dollar equals about 0.74 U.S. dollar) 
Washington: Police have arrested a Missouri man they believe intentionally crashed a U-Haul truck into a security barrier at a park across from the White House.

The trucks driver smashed into the barrier near the north side of Lafayette Square on Monday around 10pm, the Secret Service said in a statement. He was identified as 19-year-old Sai Varshith Kandula, of Chesterfield, Missouri, a St Louis suburb.

A box truck is seen crashed into a security barrier at a park across from the White House on Monday night local time. Credit: AP

No one was injured in the crash.

After the crash, Kandula exited the truck with a Nazi flag and started shouting as Park Police and Secret Service officers approached him, two people familiar with the matter said.
The Report presents comments on the outcomes of the symposia series on "Visualising a greener HS, organized by the WCO, with the financial support of the European Union, and were held from October 2022 to January 2023.

This symposia series aimed to give a more global focus to the discussions and to offer new perspectives to assist WCO Members and trade stakeholders. It was focused on what changes were needed to make the HS even greener in its future editions.

It was recognised in the symposia that the importance of the issues highlighted requires a concentrated focus on finding what can be done to adapt the HS to enable environment-related trade measures to be effective and efficient.

To turn discussions into HS provisions will require Members, IGOs, and the WCO to work together to bring these ideas into achievable proposals for HS changes. Therefore, this document is also a call to action to ensure that these discussions translate into tangible results.
The World Bank Trade Facilitation Support Program (TFSP), in collaboration with the USAID Economic Development, Governance and Enterprise Growth (EDGE) Project and Swiss Program on Capacities for Trade Policies (C4TP), organized the Regional National Trade Facilitation Committees (NTFCs) Maturity and Capacity Building Conference on May 16 and 17, 2023, in Belgrade, Serbia. The goal of the conference was to contribute to:

a) facilitating national coordination for implementation of trade facilitation reforms in the region;

b) invigorating regional dialogue on the role of NTFCs as key trade facilitation coordination bodies; and

c) taking stock of the current operation of participating NTFCs and contribute to their capacities to plan, coordinate, monitor and communicate policies and measures implemented to simplify and expedite cross- border trade in line with national multilateral and regional commitments.

Participants included members of NCTFs from nine countries in the region: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine.

The World Customs Organization (WCO) participated in the Conference along with other international organizations, namely the World Trade Organization (WTO), UNCTAD and the CEFTA Secretariat.

The regional event offered a possibility for the WCO to share the results of the WCO survey on NCTFs conducted in 2021, including the role of the Customs in NCTFs as well as the main benefits and challenges for the functioning of NCTFs during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Moreover, the WCO also briefed participants on the WCO Mercator Programme and how the WCO supports its Members in the uniform implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), including the NCTFs, using existing WCO instruments and tools. The WCO highlighted its long term engagement with Serbia and Ukraine under the Multi-Year (MY) Mercator partnership aimed to assist with the implementation of the TFA.

Furthermore, the participants were also briefed on the The SECO-WCO Global Trade Facilitation Programme (GTFP), the first joint initiative between the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs of Switzerland (SECO) and the WCO that aims to contribute to fostering and facilitating international trade of beneficiary countries, in particular Customs administrations, through the implementation and application of international standards and best practices for the importation, exportation and transit of goods. Currently, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine are among the 15 beneficiary countries of this project.

During the opening session, Regional economic integration through trade and connectivity remains a key driver of economic growth and shared prosperity for the Western Balkans, said Nicola Pontara, World Bank Country Manager for Serbia. He also underlined that it could help the region pool national resources, achieve scale economies, and create a more attractive and competitive economic environment. Country-level reforms aware important but coordinated investments and reforms across the region would amplify economic gains. Furthermore, The economic future of the Western Balkans depends on the ability of the respective governments to facilitate seamless trade  thus reducing the time and the cost of moving goods across borders. That is why the U. S. Government supports efforts to harmonize procedures and practices with EU and international standards and that enhance mutual cross-border cooperation, US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said.

On the other hand, Tomislav Momirovic, the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Serbia said that Facilitation of trade plays an important role in the process of deeper economic integration. Our government is actively working and implementing activities foreseen in the Action Plan for Common Regional Market and the Open Balkan Initiative, as this is the key for boosting our economic relations as well. I would like to reiterate that regional economic integration is one of its main priorities for the Government of Serbia.

The three co-organizers and other participants greatly appreciated and thanked the WCO for informing them about the continuous technical assistance and capacity building support provided to the countries in the region on their way towards implementation of trade facilitation measures.
HANOI, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's southern business hub Ho Chi Minh City is likely to receive 7 billion U.S. dollars in remittances this year, up 6 to 7 percent from last year, Vietnam News Agency reported on Tuesday.

The capital poured into Ho Chi Minh City has been on a steady rise in the past five years, hitting a record high of more than 7.1 billion dollars in 2021 before falling to 6.6 billion dollars last year, said Nguyen Duc Lenh, deputy director of the State Bank of Vietnam's branch in Ho Chi Minh City.

The remittance flows to the southern city, often accounting for as much as 50 percent of all remittances to Vietnam, grow between 7 percent and 10 percent on average.

Ho Chi Minh City received more than 2.1 billion dollars in remittances in the first quarter, up 19 percent from a year ago, with the main sources being Asian countries, as the area has maintained higher economic growth rates than other regions, said Lenh.

Vietnam is among the world's top 10 remittance recipient countries, said the World Bank.

The Southeast Asian country received 19 billion dollars of remittances last year, according to the State Bank of Vietnam.

Remittances from Vietnamese overseas remain a key source of foreign currencies for the country, along with exports and foreign direct investment.

More than 5.3 million Vietnamese are living and working in 130 countries and territories around the world, according to the State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs. 
From 9 to 12 May 2023, the Burundi Revenue Authority (BRA) hosted a national workshop on Customs laboratories and HS classification of chemical products, which was delivered within the framework of the EU-WCO Programme for the Harmonized System in Africa (HS-Africa Programme), funded by the European Union.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Felicite Nibigira, Director of Customs Operations in BRA, confirmed the desire of her administration to establish a Customs laboratory as another step in the modernisation of the Burundian Customs. She stressed the importance of Customs laboratories for the purposes of revenue collection, protection of the society and the environment as well as trade facilitation. She thanked the WCO and the European Union for the support and collaboration in this area of Customs work.

During the workshop, participants and the WCO expert discussed their analysis needs and relevant areas of analytical methodology, the infrastructure model and action plans for the establishment of a Customs Laboratory for the BRA. Discussions focused on the WCO Customs Laboratory Guide, sampling procedures, analysis of narcotics, security and safety issues, as well as laboratory information management systems (LIMS). In addition, the group was informed of the relevant available databases for the classification of chemical products.

The workshop was also an opportunity for participants to deepen their knowledge of the relevant technical standards with regard to the infrastructure, instruments and staff of a Customs laboratory.

At the closing ceremony, Mr. Jean Damascene Bizimana, on behalf of the Commissioner, thanked the representative from the WCO Secretariat for facilitating the high-level discussion on this topic and expected that the workshop would facilitate the establishment of a Customs Laboratory for the Burundi Revenue Authority. He remarked that one of the main reasons why BRA intended to have their own Customs Laboratory was to promote trade facilitation by reducing the time required for classification.

This training is part of the work plan established with the Burundi Revenue Authority under the framework of the EU-WCO HS-Africa Programme. For more information, please contact hs@wcoomd.org
VIENTIANE, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The May 19-21 Lao tea fair marking the International Tea Day has highlighted the role of tea in the daily life of the Lao people and its potential of reducing poverty and creating economic opportunities in the Southeast Asian country.

In cooperation with its development partners, the Department of Agriculture hosted the tea fair in Lao capital Vientiane to mark the International Tea Day that falls on May 21.

The event served to stress the importance of tea in Laos for its potential in the country's efforts to reduce poverty and create economic opportunities. Officials believe the Lao tea can be a help in environmental sustainability and economic development, and serve as a way to build resilient communities.

The tea fair is also aimed at enhancing the reputation of Lao tea as a high-quality product.

The three-day event, which was part of the Mekong Tea Project, was organized to encourage friendly competition and enhance recognition among the local tea community, the Vientiane Mai newspaper reported on Monday.

The tea fair brought together farmers, producers, industry professionals, consumers, and other stakeholders from around the country.

More than 20 booths displayed tea and related products at the event, including farmers organization and tea traders and sellers.

Speaking at the event, Lao Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Phet Phomphiphak said, "Despite favorable growing conditions and market proximity in China, the tea sector faces many challenges. In particular, farmers have limited knowledge and skills about tea processing, and they're not encouraged to export tea."

"Through this event, we aim to bring together all tea value chain actors to promote Lao tea's image and sales," Phomphiphak.

"We hope that this fair will help promote the Lao tea culture and the quality of teas across the country," said the minister.

Phomphiphak noted that the specificities of Lao tea, often produced in forested ecosystems by small-scale farmers, are to be preserved and scaled-up.

"We are convinced that the development of the tea value chain has great potential to empower smallholder farmers, while also protecting the environment," he added.

Residents in northern Laos' Xayaboury province, who earns a sizeable income by growing and collecting tea leaves from forests and plantations, are hoping for better returns and more sustainable incomes from the tea market.

"In recent years, we formed a tea production group with technical and grant assistance from several international organizations to enhance the quantity and quality of products and to become more competitive in the tea market," said one of the tea growers at the event.

"We want to ask the authorities to allow more buyers or companies to buy tea leaves from villagers every day. This will ensure regular incomes for the villagers to support their families and send their children to school, as many families will make millions of kip every week," he said.

The tea grower also believes that once tea products processed by locals are available to more buyers, this will help rural villages to rise above the poverty line.

With the support of the Mekong Tea Project, a Lao tea growing cooperative recently obtained organic EU (European Union) certification, which will allow its members to produce certified tea aimed at reaching European markets.

The Mekong Tea Project, led by Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forest and funded by French Development Agency (AFD), aims to improve the incomes of smallholder tea farmers through better governance of the value chain and better access to the market with quality and certified products.

To achieve this objective, two pilot projects in northern Laos' Bokeo and Xayaboury provinces will be initiated to support tea producers towards the sustainable production of high-quality tea and ensure long-term and fair commercial relationships with international buyers.

The project is also expected to contribute to the efforts by the Lao National Tea Learning Alliance, which gathers public institutions, stakeholders and development partners, to serve as a knowledge-sharing platform and unite efforts to define strategic orientations and a governance model based on inter-professional collaborations for the tea sector development in Laos. (1 U.S. dollar equals about 17,600 Lao kip) 
SIHANOUKVILLE, Cambodia, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Situated in southwest Cambodia, the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ), a flagship project under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is not only a key manufacturing base, but also a venue for the development of skilled labor.

Meort Soeurt, a 26-year-old worker at the General Tire Technology (Cambodia) factory in the SSEZ, said he is happy to work here because of his decent salary and better working conditions.

"Here, I have received vocational training in manufacturing car tires from the factory," he told Xinhua. "This is Cambodia's first car tire factory, so it's very good for me to learn techniques in making car tires."

Soeurt said he currently makes 450 U.S. dollars a month from his job, which requires an eight-hour work per day.

"It's a good salary, and with this amount, I can save 250 U.S. dollars per month," he said.

Em Sreyda, another employee at the General Tire Technology (Cambodia) factory, said she was one of the talents the factory had sent to train in Thailand before commencing her job.

"I'm happy to work here because Chinese people are like our brothers and sisters, and they are willing to teach us," she told Xinhua. "Working here, we can improve our Chinese proficiency, and there are also a lot of opportunities for self-advancement."

The 24-year-old worker said she earns nearly 500 U.S. dollars monthly.

Kreong Sambol, a 31-year-old worker at a plywood factory in the SSEZ, said he makes more than 300 U.S. dollars a month.

"Of this, I could save 150 dollars a month, and my living condition is much better than before," he told Xinhua. "Previously, I had only a bicycle, but now, I own a new motorcycle."

Situated some 20 km northeast of the international deep-water Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, the SSEZ currently houses 175 factories from China, Europe, the United States, Southeast Asia and other regions, generating nearly 30,000 local jobs.

Those enterprises manufacture clothes, shoes, luggage and leather goods, medical supplies, machinery, construction materials, home furniture, auto parts and car tires, and new photovoltaic materials.

SSEZ's General Manager Cao Jianjiang said the value of imports and exports passing through the zone rose to 2.49 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 12 percent year-on-year.

"This has not only injected strong momentum into Cambodia's economic development, but also greatly improved the livelihoods of local workers and residents living around the zone," he told Xinhua.

Founded in 2008, the 11-square-km SSEZ is expected to accommodate up to 300 factories in the coming years, generating up to 100,000 jobs for Cambodian people, Cao said.

Sihanoukville Deputy Governor Long Dimanche said the SSEZ is the biggest industrial zone in size and occupancy in Southeast Asia.

"The SSEZ has played an important role in supporting Cambodia's economic development and has been becoming a link of regional and global supply chains," he told Xinhua.

He said the zone has brought benefits to Sihanoukville, reducing migration and poverty, and has acted as a gateway for trade between Cambodia and the world.

"The SSEZ is a good example of mutually beneficial cooperation and win-win results between Cambodia and China under the BRI," Dimanche said.

BRI, which consists of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, was proposed by China in 2013 with an aim of building trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes. 
A family festival to celebrate all cultures will be held at Firemens Park in Niagara Falls in June.

The Diversity Festival will be held June 3 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. and will include food and products from around the world.

The event is organized by Yeny Naranjo, a native of Colombia and owner of Miyen Coffee in Niagara Falls.

I started this because I wanted to support my community, she said.

The event will include exhibitors from Ecuador, Panama, Mexico and Venezuela, among others.

Admission is free, and visitors are asked bring a non-perishable food item in support of local food banks.

I appreciated when I came to Canada that many people helped with many things, Naranjo said.

I think I need to do the same in my life, to give back.

The daylong event will include childrens activities, live music and raffles.

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The St. Davids' Walk for Dog Guides is being organized by the local Leos club this year. In the photo, from left: Hardi Patel, Bradd Anderson and Maya Dueck.



Theres a new pack leader for St. Davids annual Walk for Dog Guides.

The St. Davids Leos have taken over the spring fundraiser in town, and members are looking forward to raising as much money as possible for a worthwhile cause.

Raising a dog takes a lot of money and a lot of resources. And so we think that funding a program like this or an organization like the (Lions Foundation of) Canada Dog Guides is something that we can do that helps Canadians, not only people of St. Davids, but Canadians like all over, said Maya Dueck, whos one of the main Leos helping organize the event along with Hardi Patel.

Taking place Sunday, May 28 at St. Davids Lions Park on York Road, the event invites participants to raise money and then come out with the furry friends for the walk.

As you complete laps, you get more tickets and then there's a draw a prize at the end, said Dueck. Pet Valu Virgil is providing a gift basket for the draw. Nationally, the pet shop is the main sponsor for the event.

St. Davids Lion Bradd Anderson said they decided to turn the event into a Leo-led project to give it some fresh ideas.

Theyre breathing new life into it, he said.

Patel said they recently held a dog wash with the Virgil Pet Valu as a lead-in to the walk, and were happy with the turnout. While neither Patel nor Dueck have a dog of their own, both said theyre dog people.

It was adorable, said Patel. The Leos have learned a bit about dog guides, both through Leos meetings and when a woman brought in a couple of dog guides in training to the dog wash. The services they can perform are amazing, both agreed.

While traditionally known for their work with the visually impaired, dog guides can provide a crucial support for people with hearing loss, those prone to seizures, those with autism or diabetes, and more. The foundation provides the dogs to Canadians free of charge.

To register for the St. Davids walk, or to find and register for your most local event, visit walkfordogguides.com.

For more information on the St. Davids walk, or for updates on what the Leos are doing, visit their Instagram page, @stdavidsleos.

NIAGARAS WALK FOR DOG GUIDES

Niagara-on-the-Lake: St. Davids  Takes place at St. Davids Lions Park, 1462 York Rd., Registration at 10:30 a.m., walk beginning at 11 a.m.

St. Catharines: The city is hosting two walks. The Grantham Lions walk takes place at the Lions Club, 732 Niagara St., beginning at 10:30 a.m. In Merritton, that Lions Club is hosting a walk at the Welland Canal Walkway, Lock 3. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and the walk at 11 a.m.

Niagara Falls: Those who prefer an evening walk can take part in the Chippawa walk, which starts at 7 p.m. at the Chippawa Lions Community Park.

Grimsby: Traditionally one of the most successful walks across the country, the Grimsby walk returns this year to the Canadian Tire Plaza on Livingston Avenue. Registration starts at noon with the walk beginning at 1 p.m.

Pelham: The Fenwick Lions Clubs walk takes place at the club headquarters, 999 Church St., with registration opening at 9 a.m. and the walk starting at 10 a.m.

Port Colborne: Rounding out Niagaras walks will be the Port Colborne Lions, who are hosting the fundraiser at their community centre, 49 Chippawa Rd. Registration opens at 10 a.m. and the walk starts at 11 a.m.

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The federal government will gradually launch a verified traveller program this summer at six major Canadian airports in a bid to reduce delays amid another busy travel season.

The program will offer eligible travellers an improved screening experience with specific benefits at security screening checkpoints, said Transport Minister Omar Alghabra at a Tuesday news conference at Torontos Pearson airport. This includes being able to take laptops, large electronics and compliant liquids and gels in their carry-on.

Verified travellers will also be able to keep their shoes, belt and a light jacket on as they go through the checkpoints.

Eligible travellers include members of Nexus and Global Entry, which are expedited border control programs for pre-approved travellers; serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces and U.S. military (including reservists); Canadian aircrew and airport workers; international aircrew in uniform; and RCMP and other police officers with a badge.

Children younger than 17 and seniors older than 75 will be allowed to accompany verified travellers through security provided theyre on the same reservation. Alghabra added that other ways to register with the program are being explored, but its infrastructure first needs to be established. At the moment, existing verification methods are the focus.

Nexus is open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, and Mexican nationals who are members of the Viajero Confiable program. Applicants go through background and criminal record checks, and people convicted of a serious criminal offence in any country, who havent yet been pardoned, are not eligible.

A few perks of Nexus membership include special kiosks and gates at major airports, access to TSA pre-check lines, dedicated lanes at land border crossings, and expedited clearance through security screening lines, where available.

In May 2021, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said there were 1.7 million Nexus cardholders, 77 per cent of whom were Canadian. After being shuttered for nearly a year during the pandemic, Nexus application centres have now reopened. However, CBSA told the Star in March that the pause resulted in a backlog of around 269,000 applications  each of which can take 12 to 14 months to process.

Currently, Nexus is processing 10,000 memberships a week, Alghabra said. So the pace is picking up and Im hopeful were going to see the backlog quickly dealt with.

The program will roll out between June 7 and June 21 at international airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg, as well at Toronto Pearson International Airport and Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

A verified traveller program makes lines shorter for those who qualify, but also has a positive knock-on effect for making lines shorter for all passengers, said Karen Mazurkewich, vice-president, stakeholder relations and communication at the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which is responsible for managing and operating Pearson airport.

She said Pearson has been working with Transport Canada and the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), the crown corporation responsible for airport security screening, for months on a test version of the program. It was a successful pilot proving how low-risk travellers can be processed through pre-board screening.

I know this is going to be welcome news to those who rely on travel to support and grow their businesses, including tourism, film, music and innovation companies.

Alghabra said the program is the latest in a series of efforts to improve air travel in Canada, including changes to the Air Passenger Protection Regulations and a five-year, $1.8-billion federal investment in CATSA to increase its level of service.

All of that is to strengthen the system and learn from the vulnerabilities we saw over the last year, he said. (We are doing) our best to regain the confidence of the traveller public.

Nada Semaan, CEO of CATSA, said staffing shortages that previously caused delays at airports across the country have been addressed. We are exceeding our staffing levels right now, she said. Were well over the target that we had and weve exceeded it in all 15 major airports.

As membership grows over time, the new verified traveller program will help improve the screening experience for more and more passengers while supporting the highest standards of safety and security, Alghabra said.

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VANCOUVER - The Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver has received about $5 million in new federal funding ahead of its opening on July 1.

Federal International Trade and Economic Development Minister Mary Ng said the new funding will go toward renewal of the museums permanent space at the Wing Sang Building in Vancouvers Chinatown, as well as supporting the facilitys first exhibit.

The museum will feature an exhibition titled The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, with the July 1 opening date coinciding with the centennial of the passing of the act which effectively halted all immigration from China.

I think its about one of the most important stories that this museum is going to tell, Ng told a news conference Tuesday. And the inaugural exhibit of this particular story, on this particular year  is so important.

The Wing Sang building is the oldest remaining building in Vancouvers Chinatown, with parts of the structure dating back in 1889.

Grace Wong, chairwoman for the board of the Chinese Canadian Museum, said the funding comes just in time and will provide essential support for the museum as it goes through final preparations for its opening in a little over a month, she said.

The museum gives the sacrifices and hardships undertaken by Canadas earlier Chinese settlers a physical presence, providing important insights into Canadian history and how it relates to society today, Wong said.

Its a thread that ties and binds Chinese Canadians from coast to coast to coast, she said. The Chinese Canadian Museum creates a permanent home for these legacies, and we will share this history, culture and living heritage of these generations of Chinese in Canada, past, present and future.

The funding announcement came on the sidelines of the U.S.-Canada Chinatown Cultural Preservation and Revitalization Conference, which is hosting representatives from 18 Chinatowns from across North America.

Ng said efforts like the museum and the conference are key to keeping a crucial part of North American history alive and to allow people to appreciate the diversity of our society.

You have to understand where you have been to be able to chart the kind of future you want for your country, Ng said.

It really is as much about knowing the past as it is paving the way for the future.

The Chinatown conference Tuesday and Wednesday in Vancouver is gathering representatives from other Canadian cities including Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto, as well as U.S. cities including San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York.

Vancouver Chinatown Foundation chairwoman Carol Lee, one of the main organizers of the event, said she is ecstatic that the conference was able to draw 50 leaders from North American cities as well as U.S. Ambassador to Canada David L. Cohen in its first year.

Lee said her team is working on a report to compile the lessons learned from talking with other Chinatowns, hoping the combined experiences of the challenges faced by different cities during the pandemic can help inform each community on how to build back stronger.

It makes me realize it when I hear some of the challenges they are facing in Philadelphias Chinatown or New Yorks Chinatown, Lee said. I thought we have so many challenges, and we do, but so do all of the other Chinatowns. So I hope we can each learn from one another.

Lee said that, given the strong response to this years inaugural event, organizers are already optimistic about hosting another Chinatown conference in Vancouver next year.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2023.

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HAY RIVER, N.W.T. - Officials in the Northwest Territories say more than half of the wildfires in the territory this year were started by people.

A total of 15 wildfires have burned 161 square kilometres across the territory so far this season, eight of which are suspected to have been caused by humans.

Wildlife information officer Mike Westwick said usually between eight and 20 per cent of wildfires in the territory are human-caused each season.

Nine fires are actively burning in the N.W.T., including an out-of-control wildfire about 32 square kilometres in size on the Katlodeeche First Nation that is believed to have been human-caused.

About 3,500 people from the reserve and nearby town of Hay River remain displaced after evacuation orders were issued May 14.

The First Nation said 18 buildings have been damaged on the reserve while no damage has been reported in Hay River.

This kind of incident can happen to any of us in our communities, which are susceptible to fire below the tree line, Westwick said. Were seeing first-hand the consequences of fire caused by human activity.

The territory said over the past week, nearly 14 kilometres of control lines have been built through the forest to help prevent the fire from spreading to the southeast.

A local state of emergency remains in place in Hay River.

Hay River Mayor Kandis Jameson said during an update Tuesday afternoon they are relying on advice from wildfire experts to determine when it will be safe for residents to return.

We know that everyone wants to come home. We know that this has been extremely stressful on so many levels and we are doing everything we can to get you back home as soon as it is safe, she said. We had a safe evacuation and we are not going to risk bringing people back too soon.

Residents from both Katlodeeche First Nation and Hay River were previously forced to leave their homes last May due to historic flooding in the area. In October, the Northwest Territories government said it estimated the flooding caused more than $174 million in damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure in the communities.

Jameson on Tuesday thanked residents in neighbouring communities and Yellowknife for again opening their doors and offering supports to evacuees.

We are blessed to live in a territory where community has expanded meaning, where the entire territory supports each other and does whatever necessary when tragedy happens, she said.

Other fires currently burning across the N.W.T. include a lightning-caused fire more than 30 square kilometres in size located approximately 100 kilometres west of Kakisa. The territory said the community isnt currently at risk.

A lightning-caused fire nearly 57 square kilometres in size is also burning approximately 50 kilometres south of Sambaa Ke. Crews have been pulled off due to fire intensity and risk, but the wildfire is continuing to be monitored.

The fire danger forecast is high in many communities across the territory.

Theres a whole lot of season ahead of us, and we expect that these hot, dry conditions that were seeing are not going away any time soon and that were gonna have a tough season. So we really need everyones help, Westwick said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2023.

This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.

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COPENHAGEN, May 23 (Xinhua) -- The Danish Parliament (Folketing) agreed on Tuesday on the terms of ownership and operation of pipelines used for transporting hydrogen from PtX (Power-to-X) plants to consumers both domestically and internationally, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities said in a press release.

The country's state-owned companies Energinet, controller of energy infrastructure, and Evida, an energy supply company, will own the pipelines and the two companies will leverage their expertise in existing gas infrastructure.

According to the ministry, the agreement is a significant milestone in Denmark's efforts to establish a PtX sector and position the nation as Europe's green power hub.

The agreement also entitles private entities to own and operate designated hydrogen pipelines.

Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities Lars Aagaard said that Denmark has ambitious plans for expanding offshore wind power, which can generate substantial amounts of green electricity to produce hydrogen and green fuels.

"These renewable alternatives have the potential to replace fossil fuels in Denmark and be exported to the German industry," Aagaard said in the press release.

The agreement follows other initiatives by the Danish government, which has already allocated 1.25 billion Danish kroner (181 million U.S. dollars) to initiate the production of green hydrogen in the country.

"The objective is to establish a framework that supports the rapid development of the PtX sector in Denmark," the minister said.

"Energinet and Evida can utilize their knowledge, skills and experience gained from operating and owning the existing electricity and gas systems. They can also coordinate the deployment of hydrogen infrastructure with the necessary expansion of the electricity grid for PtX plants, ensuring synchronized and expedited progress," Aagaard said.

The government plans to present a proposal for financing the hydrogen infrastructure later this year, according to the press release. 
VANCOUVER - The forensic pathologist who performed the autopsy on the body of a 13-year-old girl found dead in a Burnaby, B.C., park says he cant be certain she was killed where the body was found.

Dr. Jason Morin told the British Columbia Supreme Court jury under cross-examination that the teen, who cannot be identified under the terms of a publication ban, had many relatively minor injuries on her head and knees.

Ben Lynskey, Ibrahim Alis defence lawyer, questioned Morin about the nature of injuries found on places other than the girls genitals, including scrapes on her knees, as well as dirt found on her skin. He also asked whether she may have been dragged or had perhaps fallen on her knees in an unrelated incident.

Morin said the girls body wasnt moved after post-death lividity set in, which involves blood pooling and discoloration of the skin.

Her body was found in Burnabys Central Park in July 2017, just hours after her mother reported her missing.

Ali last month pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.

Morin previously told the jury in the British Columbia Supreme Court trial that his autopsy determined the girl died after being strangled, which had caused blood vessels in her eyes and face to burst.

He said again Tuesday during cross-examination that he was confident it was strangulation that caused the girls death.

Im relying on the facts and the findings in the case for me to come to the conclusion that strangulation was the cause of death, Morin said.

Content warning: material that some may find disturbing follows.

Morin told the jury during direct examination by the Crown last week that sperm was found in the girls body.

He said under cross-examination Tuesday it would be unexpected to find a mass of fluid in a body if the person had stood up, though he couldnt provide any expert opinion on the specifics.

A fluid would be subject to the laws of gravity just like anything else, he said.

Morin said he did not measure the amount of fluid at the time of autopsy.

Lynskey said that meant the pathologist was completely guessing about how much was found, something he said was potentially significant to the case.

Crown attorney Isobel Keeley said in an opening statement that the court would hear evidence showing the murder was random, but DNA results would prove Ali sexually assaulted the girl.

She said the evidence would show the girl was passing through a neighbourhood park when she was dragged off a pathway into the forest by Ali, sexually assaulted and strangled.

The defence has not yet told the jury its theory of events.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2023.

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ARADE DAM, Portugal (AP)  Police on Tuesday renewed the search for Madeleine McCann, the British child who disappeared in 2007 in Portugal, with officers digging and scraping the surface of land near a dam close to where she went missing.

About 20 officers with rakes and hoe-like tools spread out in a line and began poking and raking the soil close to the Arade dam, which is located about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the resort of Praia da Luz, where the 3-year-old girl was last seen 16 years ago.

Police also used a drone to scan the area from above and searched with sniffer dogs on both sides of the dam. Firefighters also carried out searches on the reservoir in a dinghy.

There were no immediate details on what progress was being made.

A media briefing is expected at the end of the searches Wednesday or Thursday.

The operation, headed by Portuguese police aided by German and British colleagues, was announced Monday. Portuguese officials said it followed a request from German authorities.

Portuguese police on Monday had set up several tents and cordoned off the area to the media and public. More than a dozen cars and police vans arrived early Tuesday.

Between 20 and 30 officers, some in uniform, were in the area. Witnesses said that police began searching shortly before 8 a.m.

Portuguese media say this is the fourth search for McCann, following the initial one in 2007 in the Algarve area and further efforts in 2013 and 2014. Another search was held in Germany in 2020.

This search is believed to be the first in the area of the dam by police, but this couldnt be immediately confirmed.

The reservoir is currently less than half full owing to a drought affecting Portugal and neighboring Spain. The area where police were working with the tools would be below water in years of normal rainfall.

In mid-2020, German officials said that a 45-year-old German citizen, identified by media as Christian Brueckner, who was in the Algarve in 2007, was a suspect in the case. Brueckner has denied any involvement.

Brueckner is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005.

He is under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasnt been charged. He spent many years in Portugal, including in Praia da Luz, around the time of Madeleines disappearance.

German prosecutors in Braunschweig said in a written statement Tuesday that criminal procedural measures were taking place in Portugal as part of the Madeleine McCann case and that officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office were taking part.

The statement said more detailed information could not be given for investigative tactical reasons.

The case of Madeleine McCann stirred worldwide interest for several years, with reports of sightings of her stretching as far away as Australia, along with a slew of books and television documentaries about the case.

Rewards for finding Madeleine, who would now be 20, reached several million dollars.

British, Portuguese and German police are still piecing together what happened on the night when the toddler disappeared from her bed in the southern Portuguese resort on May 3, 2007. She was in the same room as her twin brother and sister, who were 2 at the time, while her parents had dinner with friends at a nearby restaurant.

Referring to the latest searches, Braunschweig prosecutor Christian Wolters said Tuesday that the probe was being held on the basis of certain tips, but declined to give further details.

Madeleines parents are not commenting due to the active investigation, according to an email response from the website set up for the search for the child, findmadeleine.com.

___

Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin, and Ciaran Giles and Jennifer OMahony in Madrid, contributed to this report.

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OTTAWA  Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is refusing to review classified information on foreign state interference, stating he wont be silenced as he continues to claim  contrary to the conclusion of a new report he dismissed as untrustworthy  that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might be complicit in Chinese efforts to meddle in Canadian democracy.

Speaking in Quebec City on Tuesday, Poilievre did not waver from his partys criticism of former governor general David Johnston, who published an interim report earlier in the day as the governments special rapporteur on foreign political interference.

While Johnstons report said foreign interference is real and that gaps exist in how the machinery of government responds to it, he said he has seen no evidence the Liberal government knowingly or negligently failed to act on intelligence, advice or recommendations relating to allegations of foreign meddling.

He made those conclusions based on his access to secret intelligence and briefings with top national security officials and Trudeau.

Even before Johnston published those findings, Poilievre had scheduled a news conference to discuss Trudeaus coverup of Beijings interference. Poilievre blasted Johnston as the prime ministers ski buddy and called for him to step down from his study of foreign interference to make way for a public inquiry  a measure that Johnston had just recommended against because the issue involves so much secret information.

Poilievre also rejected Johnstons call for opposition leaders to get special security clearance so they can review the secret portions of his findings and observe a special parliamentary committee that is studying foreign interference intelligence behind closed doors.

The Conservative leader has dismissed similar proposals in the past, arguing they would limit his ability to hold the government accountable if he accessed secret information he wasnt able to talk about publicly.

As for any proposals he may have to silence me, the answer is no  I will not be silenced, Poilievre said.

Justin Trudeau wants to cover up the facts because theyre very embarrassing to him. He was either negligent or complicit in Beijings interference in our democracy. He doesnt want us to know which it is.

In his report, Johnston noted that Poilievre declined to meet with him before his interim report, and said its understandable that he might not want to be subject to the constraints of Canadas security of information law.

However, Johnston added, this matter is too important for anyone aspiring to lead the country to intentionally maintain a veil of ignorance on these matters. While political parties may disagree about policy and priorities, they should do so from a common understanding of the true facts, not as speculated or hypothesized from media reports based on leaks of partial information.

Trudeau, speaking later on Parliament Hill, also urged all party leaders to take the briefings so they can debate issues around foreign interference with the same information about whats actually going on.

I dont think Canadians would want or expect any of their leaders to choose ignorance when they can choose to have the facts laid out for them, Trudeau told reporters.

Let us, please . not choose to risk weakening Canadians confidence in our institutions by building partisan attacks on things that are patently untrue.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said he would accept the secret briefings, while the Bloc Quebecois MP Alain Therrien said his party still had not decided whether its leader would do the same.

Johnston, meanwhile, downplayed his relationship with the Trudeau family and dismissed opposition criticism as baseless. He said this is the first time his impartiality has come under question as a public figure.

In his report, Johnston also stated that excessive partisanship  fuelled by media reports on leaked intelligence that he said paints an exaggerated picture of Beijings alleged political interference  has clouded the issue of foreign interference in recent months, and that all political parties share the blame for that.

There has been too much posturing and ignoring facts in favour of slogans from all parties, Johnstons report says, and many of those slogans turned out to be wrong.

For months, opposition parties have accused the government of mishandling allegations of Chinese state interference, which grew into a political firestorm fuelled by a series of intelligence leaks to the media that started late last year.

The Conservatives have also zeroed in on Johnston, alleging his relationship with Trudeaus family means he cant be trusted to look into the issue as the governments chosen special rapporteur on the issue. They have characterized Johnston as a family friend with ties to the Trudeau Foundation charity that itself has been embroiled in allegations of Chinese influence campaigns.

In a blog post published Monday, former Conservative leader Erin OToole accused Johnston of failing to take worries about foreign interference seriously at a recent meeting. OToole said he realized it was pointless to even raise concerns with Johnston that Beijing tried to work against OToole and other Conservative candidates in the 2021 federal election campaign.

OToole said Johnston didnt really ask questions or provide any insights. He also said he learned during their meeting that the report slated for release Tuesday was already being translated into French.

I was flabbergasted and realized that nothing I was going to provide to the special rapporteur was going to impact his work, OToole wrote.

David Johnston is someone I have great admiration for, he continued. I consider him to be a great Canadian, which is why I am disappointed that he lent his incredible goodwill to a flawed exercise.

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PREVIOUS OPENINGS AND CLOSINGS

- Air Products & Chemicals Inc. plans to invest a half-billion dollars to produce environmentally friendly hydrogen in New York state.

- The Trexlertown Chick-Fil-A plans to add a second drive-thru lane as part of a plan to reduce traffic congestion.

- The Harrisburg-based Mid Penn bank has opened its first full-service branch in the Lehigh Valley in South Whitehall.

- The Allentown Planning Commission put off a decision on a new Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen at the site of the former Nostos Greek restaurant.

- The former Star Crete concrete plant at the intersection of Farmersville Road and Easton Avenue has been sold for $1.58 million, and that may clear the way for a medical office building.

- The local business SuperSets Gym will open its third location in Allentown's South Mall, with no opening date set yet.

- The jewelry boutique Versant will close later this year, but the business will be consolidated at Gary Werkheiser's other location in Saucon Valley Square.

- The DSW Woodmill Commons has moved to Berkshire West, 1101 Woodland Road in Wyomissing.

- Trainer Michael Melendez has opened his new Reading Extreme Boxing Club where PacSun used to operate in the Berkshire Mall.

- Frackville NAPA Auto Parts held a grand opening with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and Frackville Business & Professional Association.

- Fyzical Therapy & Balance Centers in North Manheim Township held a grand opening, in conjunction with the Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce and Pottsville Business Association.

- PDC Machines, a maker of hydrogen compressors, showed off a new plant in Lower Salford.

- Maya Capital Partners has acquired Amwell Valley Self Storage, a 265-unit storage business on Route 31 in Ringoes, New Jersey.

- Norwescap is buying the former Sullivan's on the Main restaurant in Phillipsburg to renovate the building and then use it for programs to help educate and feed people.
Photo taken on May 19, 2023 shows a road damaged in a landslide in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. (Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua)

Coldiretti estimated that the damage to the agricultural sector alone was worth 1.5 billion euros (1.6 billion U.S. dollars).

ROME, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has returned early from the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima to visit Italy's flood-ravaged region of Emilia-Romagna as details from what is being called the worst floods to hit Italy in a century began to be calculated.

The north-central Italian region was lashed by more than six months' worth of rain in a 36-hour span on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, leaving at least 14 dead in its wake. More than 36,000 people were evacuated from their homes, and as of Monday, around 5,000 were still being housed in emergency government centers including cinemas, warehouses, and museums. More than 20,000 people in the region were still without power as of Monday, according to media reports.

On her visit to the area on Sunday, Meloni said the damage to the region was so far "incalculable." Adolfo Urso, Italy's minister of enterprises, said on Monday that a cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday would see the approval of a support package for the region.

Aerial photo taken on May 17, 2023 shows a flooded area in Rimini, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. (Xinhua)

Also on Monday, Italy's main agri-food sector association Coldiretti estimated that the damage to agriculture and livestock in Emilia-Romagna would be felt for years.

The area is a top Italian producer of wheat, strawberries, apricots, peaches, pears, plums, and apples, as well as pork, poultry, beef and other types of meat.

It said that around 15 million plants would have to be pulled up and replanted in the region and that at least 400 million kg of wheat has been lost after fields became submerged. It also said that around 250,000 cattle, pigs, sheep and goats were at risk and that around 400 poultry farms had been flooded.

Coldiretti estimated that the damage to the agricultural sector alone was worth 1.5 billion euros (1.6 billion U.S. dollars).

"The flood that hit the Romagna area also puts biodiversity at risk, with entire productions being canceled after the farmers had managed in recent years to save them from extinction," Coldiretti said in a statement.

Meloni departed the G7 summit in Japan early to rush to the scene of the flood, touring the damaged areas in high plastic boots and wading into submerged fields to assess the damage before returning to Rome. She issued a statement vowing to stand by those who suffered from the unprecedented events.

Rescuers work in a flooded area in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna region, Italy, on May 17, 2023. (Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua)

"It will be necessary to work on compensation and reconstruction," Meloni said via social media. "For this, a complete estimate and a streamlining of procedures will be necessary and we are ready to do our part."

Italy has suffered under the impact of different waves of severe weather for a year and a half, with a dry period over the winter between 2021-2022 giving way to a record-setting drought and high temperatures last summer, resulting in dozens of deaths and slashed national agricultural production by as much as a third.

Water levels in many parts of the nation's network of rivers dropped to all-time lows and a lack of snowfall in the winter of 2022-2023 gave rise to concerns that the coming summer could be another difficult one for Italian farmers and travelers in the country. 
Allentown, PA (18103)

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A mix of sunshine and increasing high clouds. Remaining dry, except areas closer to Maryland and Delaware border where a late day shower is possible. .

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The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office announced a new initiative on Monday, to ensure firearms dealers are following the laws. Gun control advocates call the move historic, but some gun shop owners say it's a misallocation of resources.

"We need to find every way possible to save lives to prevent future gun violence," Carol Lastowka, the Southeast coordinator for CeaseFirePA, which advocates to end gun violence, said.

The Montgomery County sheriff on Monday announced inspections on the 92 firearms dealers in the area.

"The goal here is not to be punitive," Sheriff Sean Kilkenny said, adding that he's a gun owner himself.

Kilkenny says he's not creating any new laws, just upholding the existing ones. The Sheriff's Office will audit gun sellers.

"There are 14 standards contained in the Pennsylvania Firearms Act," Kilkenny said. "We want to make sure we're crossing our t's and dotting our i's, and all the firearms dealers in our county are following them."

The criteria include "ATF review" - reviewing a sampling of ATF forms, comparing them to the disposition book, to ensure compliance with ID, background checks, and straw purchase prohibition requirements.

CeaseFirePA calls the move historic.

"We've seen a rise in gun deaths and gun injuries in the thousands in the past few years," Lastowka said. "And we need to find every way possible to save lives to prevent future gun violence."

Lastowka says with this new initiative, she expects straw purchasing - where one person buys a firearm for someone else who may not qualify to purchase one - to go down, ultimately saving lives.

"It's a very small percentage of them, when gun dealers do not follow the regulations, that people who shouldn't have guns get their hands on them much more easily," Lastowka said.

Gun owners we spoke with say these criteria are basic and pretty easy to follow.

"We are paying people, former ATF agents and inspectors and stuff, and this is the industry standard to come in here and pre-audit us, so that we are ready for an audit from the ATF," Grant Schmidt, lead instructor and owner of Shot Tec in Bala Cynwyd, said.

That's why, Schmidt says, he worries the resources aren't being spent in the right places.

"If they want to come in and give us, you know, advice on 'hey, maybe do this security wise,' or 'do this security wise,'" he said. "But if they're going to come in here and say, 'Oh, well, you're this'...just give us a hard time, then they're not going to be a good partner."

The Sheriff's Office says letters were sent out to gun dealers the same day of the announcement via "snail mail" to let them know about the initiative. And all gun dealers will be given proper notice before being audited.

"We're asking the firearms dealers to contact us and set up a convenient time for us to come take a look," Kilkenny said.
MOSCOW, May 23 (Xinhua) -- "A Ukrainian nationalist formation" that broke into Russia's Belgorod region on Monday has been defeated, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

"During a counter-terrorist operation, the nationalist formation was blocked and destroyed due to air strikes, artillery fire and active action by the units of the Western Military District that covers the state border," the ministry said in a statement.

The "remaining nationalists" were pushed back into Ukraine, where they continued to be hit until wholly eliminated, said the statement. They lost over 70 people, four armored fighting vehicles and five pickup trucks.

The Ukrainian side has denied involvement in the incursion. Two anti-government paramilitary groups in Russia were behind the operation in the Belgorod region, which aimed to create a "security strip" to protect Ukrainian civilians, a Ukrainian military spokesperson said.

The Belgorod region, located next to Ukraine's Kharkov region, has recently been a center of hostilities. On Tuesday, the region's governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported several drone attacks that caused damage to local private residential buildings. 
MOSCOW, May 23 (Xinhua) -- A Russian fighter jet was scrambled on Tuesday to accompany two U.S. strategic bombers over the Baltic Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

Russian airspace control detected two targets approaching the Russian state border over the Baltic Sea and a Su-27 fighter took off in response, the ministry said in a statement.

After identifying the objects as two U.S. B-1B strategic bombers, the Russian crew escorted the foreign planes until they flew away from the Russian border, the statement said. 
AstraZeneca PLC (LON:AZN  Get Rating) has received a consensus recommendation of Buy from the thirteen analysts that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is 116.39 ($144.76).

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on AZN shares. Berenberg Bank set a 124 ($154.23) target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a GBX 6,950 ($86.44) price objective on AstraZeneca in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a buy rating and issued a 130 ($161.69) target price on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Tuesday, May 16th. Morgan Stanley upgraded AstraZeneca to an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group set a 118 ($146.77) price objective on shares of AstraZeneca in a research note on Friday, February 10th.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Michel Demare acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 28th. The shares were purchased at an average price of 117.01 ($145.53) per share, for a total transaction of 234,020 ($291,069.65). Corporate insiders own 0.23% of the companys stock.

AstraZeneca Stock Performance

AstraZeneca Company Profile

Shares of AZN opened at 121.30 ($150.87) on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of 116.16 and a 200 day moving average of 112.90. The company has a market capitalization of 188.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4,994.19, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.18. AstraZeneca has a 12 month low of GBX 9,399 ($116.90) and a 12 month high of 123.92 ($154.13). The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 90.68.

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AstraZeneca PLC, a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of prescription medicines. Its marketed products include Calquence, Enhertu, Faslodex, Imfinzi, Iressa, Koselugo, Lumoxiti, Lynparza, Orpathys, Tagrisso, and Zoladex for oncology; Brilinta/Brilique, Bydureon/Byetta, BCise, Byetta, Crestor, Evrenzo, Farxiga/Forxiga, Komboglyze/Kombiglyze XR, Lokelma, Onglyza, Qtern, and Xigduo/Xigduo XR for cardiovascular, renal, and metabolism diseases; Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere, Daliresp/Daxas, Duaklir Genuair, Fasenra, Pulmicort, Saphnelo, Symbicort, and Tudorza/Eklira/Bretaris for respiratory and immunology; and Andexxa/Ondexxya, Kanuma, Soliris, Strensiq, and Ultomiris for rare diseases.

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Cactus (NYSE:WHD  Get Rating) had its price objective decreased by Stifel Nicolaus from $64.00 to $61.00 in a research note released on Friday, The Fly reports.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Cactus from $48.00 to $40.00 in a report on Thursday, May 18th. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Cactus from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. Finally, Benchmark started coverage on shares of Cactus in a report on Thursday, January 19th. They issued a buy rating and a $70.00 target price on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $55.17.

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Cactus Stock Up 0.5 %

Cactus stock opened at $35.65 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.14, a P/E/G ratio of 3.75 and a beta of 1.94. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $39.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $47.36. The company has a current ratio of 2.83, a quick ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. Cactus has a 1-year low of $34.24 and a 1-year high of $58.30.

Cactus Announces Dividend

Cactus ( NYSE:WHD Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 9th. The company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.56 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $228.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $217.45 million. Cactus had a net margin of 17.18% and a return on equity of 19.95%. Cactuss revenue for the quarter was up 56.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Cactus will post 2.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 30th will be given a $0.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 26th. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.23%. Cactuss dividend payout ratio is 21.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Cactus news, CAO Donna L. Anderson sold 2,985 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $47.83, for a total value of $142,772.55. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 3,262 shares in the company, valued at approximately $156,021.46. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 17.72% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Cactus

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its position in shares of Cactus by 59.9% during the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 678 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA acquired a new stake in shares of Cactus during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. Belpointe Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Cactus during the 1st quarter valued at about $27,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in shares of Cactus during the 4th quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Cactus by 886.7% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 740 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 665 shares in the last quarter. 83.06% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Cactus

(Get Rating)

Cactus, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the design, manufacture and sale of wellhead and pressure control equipment. Its products include Cactus SafeDrill wellhead systems as well as frac stacks, Cactus SafeLink monobore, SafeClamp and SafeInject systems. It also offers field services for its products and rental items to assist with the installation, maintenance, and handling of the wellhead and pressure control equipment.

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The Chiba Bank, Ltd. (OTCMKTS:CHBAY  Get Rating)s stock price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $37.38 and last traded at $37.38, with a volume of 0 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $37.38.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Daiwa Capital Markets lowered shares of Chiba Bank from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th.

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Chiba Bank Stock Performance

The companys 50 day moving average price is $37.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $33.62.

Chiba Bank Company Profile

The Chiba Bank, Ltd. engages in the business of banking services. The company offers general banking services including deposits, loans, domestic and foreign exchange transactions; and financial services such as leasing, securities brokerage, credit cards and others. It also develops software; and provides business management and staffing services.

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Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM  Get Rating) VP Jeffrey D. Giles sold 29,998 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.31, for a total transaction of $819,245.38. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 8,217 shares in the company, valued at $224,406.27. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Core & Main Stock Performance

CNM traded down $0.03 on Monday, reaching $27.29. The company had a trading volume of 498,297 shares, compared to its average volume of 886,715. Core & Main, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $18.75 and a fifty-two week high of $27.72. The stock has a market cap of $6.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.81 and a beta of 0.83. The companys fifty day moving average is $24.39 and its 200 day moving average is $22.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 1.60 and a current ratio of 3.05.

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Core & Main (NYSE:CNM  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 4th. The company reported $0.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.31. Core & Main had a net margin of 5.50% and a return on equity of 20.64%. The firm had revenue of $1.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.30 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 10.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Core & Main, Inc. will post 1.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. SG Americas Securities LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Core & Main by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 18,713 shares of the companys stock worth $432,000 after acquiring an additional 403 shares during the period. Tortoise Capital Advisors L.L.C. lifted its holdings in shares of Core & Main by 3.3% during the 4th quarter. Tortoise Capital Advisors L.L.C. now owns 15,933 shares of the companys stock worth $308,000 after acquiring an additional 506 shares during the period. Assetmark Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Core & Main by 25.2% during the 4th quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 2,701 shares of the companys stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 543 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Core & Main by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 12,038 shares of the companys stock worth $274,000 after acquiring an additional 550 shares during the period. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System lifted its holdings in shares of Core & Main by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 18,954 shares of the companys stock worth $366,000 after acquiring an additional 673 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.16% of the companys stock.

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on CNM shares. Loop Capital started coverage on shares of Core & Main in a report on Monday, February 13th. They issued a buy rating and a $28.00 target price on the stock. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Core & Main from $29.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on shares of Core & Main from $24.00 to $26.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their target price on shares of Core & Main from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Core & Main from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Core & Main presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $29.33.

About Core & Main

(Get Rating)

Core & Main, Inc distributes water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products and related services to municipalities, private water companies, and professional contractors in the municipal, non-residential, and residential end markets in the United States. Its products include pipes, valves, hydrants, fittings, and other products and services; storm drainage products, such as corrugated piping systems, retention basins, inline drains, manholes, grates, geosynthetics, and other related products; fire protection products, including fire protection pipes, sprinkler heads and other devices, fire suppression systems, and related accessories, as well as fabrication services; and meter products, such as smart meter products, installation, software and other services.

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Cranswick (LON:CWK  Get Rating)s stock had its hold rating reiterated by equities research analysts at Peel Hunt in a research note issued on Tuesday, MarketBeat reports. They presently have a GBX 3,800 ($47.26) target price on the stock. Peel Hunts price objective indicates a potential upside of 14.80% from the companys current price.

Separately, Shore Capital reaffirmed a house stock rating on shares of Cranswick in a report on Tuesday.

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Cranswick Trading Up 5.4 %

CWK traded up GBX 170 ($2.11) during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting GBX 3,310 ($41.17). 87,841 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 93,049. The firm has a market capitalization of 1.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,732.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.51. Cranswick has a 1-year low of GBX 2,548 ($31.69) and a 1-year high of GBX 3,394 ($42.21). The firms 50 day moving average price is GBX 3,076.24 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 3,098.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 19.02.

Cranswick Company Profile

Cranswick plc manufactures and supplies food products to grocery retailers, food service sector, and other food producers in the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, and internationally. The company offers fresh pork, gourmet bacon and gammon, fresh and coated chicken, ready to eat chicken, charcuterie, houmous and dips, and olives and antipasti, gourmet sausages, cooked meats, gourmet pastries, and ingredients, as well as cheeses and pasta.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ethan Allen Interiors (NYSE:ETD  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note released on Friday.

Separately, Telsey Advisory Group raised their target price on shares of Ethan Allen Interiors from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Friday, January 20th.

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Ethan Allen Interiors Stock Down 0.9 %

NYSE:ETD opened at $26.90 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $682.18 million, a P/E ratio of 6.16 and a beta of 1.20. Ethan Allen Interiors has a fifty-two week low of $19.60 and a fifty-two week high of $31.78. The firms 50 day moving average is $27.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $27.77.

Ethan Allen Interiors Increases Dividend

Ethan Allen Interiors ( NYSE:ETD Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 26th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $186.32 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $192.00 million. Ethan Allen Interiors had a net margin of 13.43% and a return on equity of 25.79%. Ethan Allen Interiorss revenue was down 5.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.93 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Ethan Allen Interiors will post 3.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 25th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 9th will be paid a $0.36 dividend. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.35%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 8th. This is an increase from Ethan Allen Interiorss previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. Ethan Allen Interiorss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.95%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ethan Allen Interiors

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ETD. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Ethan Allen Interiors in the 1st quarter valued at $349,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. acquired a new stake in Ethan Allen Interiors during the 1st quarter valued at $3,517,000. Raymond James & Associates acquired a new stake in Ethan Allen Interiors during the 1st quarter valued at $1,106,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Ethan Allen Interiors during the 1st quarter valued at $11,645,000. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Ethan Allen Interiors during the 1st quarter valued at $655,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 84.13% of the companys stock.

Ethan Allen Interiors Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc is engaged in manufacturing home furnishings and accessories. The firm offers a full complement of home decorating and design solutions through its home furnishing retail networks. It operates through two segments: Wholesale and Retail. The Wholesale segment develops the brand of the company, encompasses all aspects of design, manufacture, sourcing, marketing, sale and distribution of its broad range of home furnishing and accents.

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Guardian Wealth Management Inc. grew its holdings in Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) by 1.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,833 shares of the information technology services providers stock after acquiring an additional 148 shares during the period. Accenture accounts for approximately 2.1% of Guardian Wealth Management Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 16th largest position. Guardian Wealth Management Inc.s holdings in Accenture were worth $2,090,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Affiance Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. My Personal CFO LLC acquired a new position in shares of Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Mizuho Securities Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Accenture by 61.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ten Capital Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 123 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EWG Elevate Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Accenture in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. 73.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ACN has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wedbush reiterated an outperform rating and set a $300.00 target price on shares of Accenture in a research report on Monday, March 13th. William Blair reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Accenture in a research report on Monday, March 20th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Accenture in a research report on Thursday, May 18th. They set a buy rating for the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $340.00 to $325.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Accenture from $300.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, March 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and thirteen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $314.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

Accenture Stock Down 0.2 %

In other Accenture news, insider Ellyn Shook sold 5,250 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction on Monday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.90, for a total transaction of $1,448,475.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 26,908 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,423,917.20. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . In other news, insider Jean-Marc Ollagnier sold 6,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.06, for a total value of $1,750,375.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 174,084 shares of the companys stock, valued at $48,753,965.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, insider Ellyn Shook sold 5,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $275.90, for a total transaction of $1,448,475.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 26,908 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,423,917.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Over the last three months, insiders have sold 15,010 shares of company stock worth $4,180,030. Insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock.

Accenture stock traded down $0.69 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $290.26. 468,169 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,347,364. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $274.50 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $276.77. Accenture plc has a 52 week low of $242.80 and a 52 week high of $322.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $183.41 billion, a PE ratio of 26.73, a P/E/G ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 1.25.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, March 23rd. The information technology services provider reported $2.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.49 by $0.20. Accenture had a net margin of 11.00% and a return on equity of 30.73%. The firm had revenue of $15.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.59 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $2.54 EPS. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Accenture plc will post 11.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Accenture Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 13th were issued a dividend of $1.12 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 12th. This represents a $4.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.54%. Accentures payout ratio is 41.25%.

Accenture Profile

(Get Rating)

Accenture Plc engages in the provision of management consulting, technology, and outsourcing services. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America, Europe and Growth Markets. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ACN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating).

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President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Margareta Cederfelt.

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Margareta Cederfelt emphasized the importance of the international conference held in Baku on the role of national parliaments in promoting security and stability through green economy, connectivity and sustainable development co-organized by the Milli Majlis and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, adding that the conference, which brought together a large number of parliamentary delegations of the OSCE member countries, had provided a good opportunity to discuss important issues on the agenda.

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President underlined that she, together with the delegation, would visit Zangilan district and familiarize herself with the reconstruction processes in Azerbaijani territories.

Noting that there are positive statements circulated in the media regarding the normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Margareta Cederfelt enquired about the peace agenda.

The head of state underlined the importance of the international conference co-organized by the Milli Majlis and OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. President Ilham Aliyev highlighted the significance of the delegations trip to the liberated lands to view the ongoing works on the ground, saying large-scale restoration-reconstruction works are underway in those territories.

The Azerbaijani President noted that it was Azerbaijan, which had come forward with an initiative to normalize relations with Armenia and sign a peace agreement in the wake of the 44-day Patriotic War. The head of state mentioned recent Washington discussions on the text of the peace treaty held at the level of foreign ministers of the two countries as well as his meeting with the Prime Minister of Armenia in Brussels with the support of President of the European Council Charles Michel, adding there will be more meetings in the future on the sidelines of international events.

President Ilham Aliyev underlined the country favors the signing of a peace treaty on the basis of Azerbaijan-initiated 5 principles, in particular, the mutual recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty of states.

The head of state noted that it was Azerbaijan, which had initiated the common platform bringing together Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia and creation of the South Caucasus model.

Opening of transport and communication lines were also discussed at the meeting.




Ahmedabad: Last year in 2022, Bihar Police and NIA busted the radical organization Popular Front of India (PFI), which is working on making India an Islamic nation by 2047 and has spread from Kerala to Kashmir. To make this conspiracy successful, PFI had also made a complete plan that how to give arms training to Muslims, how to incite SC/ST and OBC to turn them against rest of the Hindus, make their own people sit in the system and then As soon as the terrorists get organized, we have to capture the power and bring India under the Islamic flag. Similar disclosure has also been made in the interrogation of 16 suspects of terrorist organization Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) arrested from Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, who were taking arms training in the jungles of Madhya Pradesh. All these people were living among the public like common people, some were engineers, some were professors. The biggest surprise was that, out of 16 HuT terrorists, half were Hindus earlier. Brainwashed and made Muslims and then terrorists by listening to the lectures of fugitive Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, these fundamentalists were given the task of converting others as well. By looking at these developments, you can understand how close terrorism has come to us and how big a danger it is threatening India. Now a big terror module has been caught from Gujarat. Seeing this, it can be said that terrorism has spread its foot in every state of India, but due to the strictness of the agencies, they are not able to succeed in their plans. How close terrorism has come to us and how big a danger is looming over India. Now a big terror module has been caught from Gujarat. Seeing this, it can be said that terrorism has spread its foot in every state of India, but due to the strictness of the agencies, they are not able to succeed in their plans.

#WATCH | Ahmedabad: Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) busted an active cell of the militant organisation Al-Qaeda



We received information that four Bangladeshi nationals are living here illegally and are associated with Al-Qaeda. They were motivating people to join Al-Qaeda and pic.twitter.com/T3pjsSoItu

According to the report, the network of terrorist organization Al Qaeda was being prepared in Gujarat. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the police busted this active terrorist module in Ahmedabad and arrested 4 Bangladeshis. Now their helpers are being searched. The arrested Bangladeshis have been identified as Mohammad Sojib Miyan, Munna Khalid Ansari, Azrul Islam Ansari and Abdul Latif. On the orders of foreign masters, they were also engaged in radicalizing the local youth like PFI and HuT. He was arrested on Monday (May 22, 2023). As per reports, ATS was keeping an eye on Sojib Miyan for a long time. His phone calls to movement were being monitored. DIG Dipen of Gujarat ATS has informed that ATS had received input a few days ago that 4 Bangladeshis belonging to Al Qaeda have crossed the border and they are trying to set up a network of terrorist organization in Gujarat. He told that the arrested Bangladeshi local youths were being poisoned by religion to get them to join Al Qaeda.

Gujarat's ATS DIG has informed that Sojib Miyan was first questioned about this. During interrogation, his real name Mohammad Sojib Miyan Ahmed Ali came to the fore. On his tip, ATS arrested Munna Khalid Ansari, Azrul Islam Ansari and Abdul Latif. ATS has told that these four used to work in a garment factory in Bangladesh. This is where they came in contact with each other. Shariful Islam linked all of them to the terrorist organization Al Qaeda in Bangladesh. Shariful Islam introduced him to the district head of Al Qaeda named Saiba. He trained all of them in raising money, spreading radicalism, evading the police, keeping in touch with each other through the app.

At the same time, in Bangladesh, he was also trained in using weapons and propagating Jihad. After training, all four illegally crossed the border and entered India and then came to Ahmedabad. ATS has also recovered fake Aadhaar and PAN cards from them, as well as terrorist literature of Al Qaeda's media group. ATS has registered FIR on these under various sections of IPC including UAPA. Now Gujarat ATS is looking for those who helped them in infiltration, those who made them fake identity cards and those who gave them shelter in Gujarat. Let us tell you that, these radicals live among the public like ordinary people and carry out their activities in very cunning ways, that is why they remain away from the eyes of the police. Due to the fast increasing terrorist activities across the country, now the responsibility has also come on the society that to vanish the terrorism from the India.

In India, Google Pay now accepts RuPay credit cards via UPI

Delhi HC orders PIL against RBI's permission to exchange Rs2000 notes sans ID

Prisoner Javed hanged himself in Tihar Jail, the court had convicted him yesterday
Koninklijke Vopak (OTCMKTS:VOPKY  Get Rating) and Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group (OTCMKTS:CJEWY  Get Rating) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership, earnings, risk and dividends.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Koninklijke Vopak and Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Groups top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Koninklijke Vopak $1.50 billion N/A $253.42 million N/A N/A Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group $12.71 billion 1.54 $862.23 million N/A N/A

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group has higher revenue and earnings than Koninklijke Vopak.

Dividends

Profitability

Koninklijke Vopak pays an annual dividend of $1.17 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group pays an annual dividend of $0.46 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.4%.

This table compares Koninklijke Vopak and Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Koninklijke Vopak N/A N/A N/A Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group N/A N/A N/A

Risk and Volatility

Koninklijke Vopak has a beta of 0.64, meaning that its stock price is 36% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group has a beta of 0.67, meaning that its stock price is 33% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Koninklijke Vopak and Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Koninklijke Vopak 0 1 1 0 2.50 Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group 1 1 0 0 1.50

Koninklijke Vopak presently has a consensus price target of $32.50, indicating a potential downside of 16.20%. Given Koninklijke Vopaks stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts clearly believe Koninklijke Vopak is more favorable than Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group.

Summary

Koninklijke Vopak beats Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group on 4 of the 7 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Koninklijke Vopak

(Get Rating)

Royal Vopak NV operates as an independent tank storage company. The firms geographical segments include Americas, Asia & Middle East, China & North Asia, Europe & Africa and LNG. The company was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

About Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group

(Get Rating)

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited, an investment holding company, manufactures and sells jewelry products. The company offers gem-set, platinum and k-gold jewelry, and k-gold jewelry and products under the CHOW TAI FOOK, HEARTS ON FIRE, T MARK, ENZO, MONOLOGUE, and SOINLOVE brands. It also distributes watches of various brands. In addition, the company is involved in the trading of diamonds; and the provision of services to franchisees. The company also sells its products through online platforms. As of March 31, 2022, it had 5,902 points of sale in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Cambodia, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam. The company was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong. Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited is a subsidiary of Chow Tai Fook Capital Limited.

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Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd. (CVE:RECO  Get Rating) hit a new 52-week low on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as C$1.06 and last traded at C$1.10, with a volume of 218201 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at C$1.19.

Reconnaissance Energy Africa Price Performance

The company has a market cap of C$222.18 million, a P/E ratio of -6.26 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a 50 day moving average of C$1.42 and a 200-day moving average of C$1.59.

About Reconnaissance Energy Africa

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Reconnaissance Energy Africa Ltd., a junior oil and gas company, engages in exploration and development of oil and gas potential in Namibia and Botswana. It holds a 90% interest in a petroleum exploration license that covers an area of approximately 25,341.33 km2 located in Namibia; and 100% working interest in a petroleum license, which covers an area of 8,990 square km2 located in northwestern Botswana.

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Rehmann Capital Advisory Group decreased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) by 1.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 11,575 shares of the companys stock after selling 115 shares during the quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Groups holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $1,172,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Philip Morris International by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 132,480,611 shares of the companys stock worth $10,997,216,000 after purchasing an additional 1,451,582 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in Philip Morris International by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 100,951,462 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,379,979,000 after buying an additional 962,801 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in Philip Morris International by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 57,777,797 shares of the companys stock worth $4,868,937,000 after buying an additional 389,746 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in Philip Morris International by 22.7% during the 3rd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 35,468,228 shares of the companys stock worth $2,944,500,000 after acquiring an additional 6,558,762 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 1.7% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 16,050,540 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,332,355,000 after acquiring an additional 260,832 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 75.85% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

PM has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. UBS Group upgraded Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the company from $106.00 to $116.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. StockNews.com started coverage on Philip Morris International in a report on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $109.00 to $116.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 30th. Societe Generale assumed coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Monday, January 23rd. They set a sell rating and a $90.00 price objective for the company. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the company from $95.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $110.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Philip Morris International Stock Performance

In related news, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total value of $786,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 87,321 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,588,020.35. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . Corporate insiders own 0.15% of the companys stock.

Shares of Philip Morris International stock opened at $93.07 on Tuesday. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 52 week low of $82.85 and a 52 week high of $109.81. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $96.46 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $98.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $144.46 billion, a PE ratio of 16.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.68.

Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.34 by $0.04. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 10.80% and a negative return on equity of 128.55%. The business had revenue of $8.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.56 EPS. Philip Morris Internationals quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.2 EPS for the current year.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 23rd were paid a dividend of $1.27 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 22nd. This represents a $5.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.46%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 90.88%.

Philip Morris International Profile

(Get Rating)

Philip Morris International, Inc is a holding company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine-containing products. Its products include cigarettes and reduced-risk products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: European Union, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, South and Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia, and Americas.

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Rehmann Capital Advisory Group lessened its holdings in shares of Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE:RGA  Get Rating) by 5.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,557 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 473 shares during the period. Rehmann Capital Advisory Groups holdings in Reinsurance Group of America were worth $1,216,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of RGA. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Reinsurance Group of America in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Reinsurance Group of America in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $35,000. IFP Advisors Inc grew its stake in shares of Reinsurance Group of America by 245.6% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 356 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 253 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC grew its stake in shares of Reinsurance Group of America by 53.5% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 310 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 108 shares during the period. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its stake in shares of Reinsurance Group of America by 47.8% in the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 368 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.46% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Todd C. Larson sold 1,018 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.96, for a total value of $151,641.28. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 44,260 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,592,969.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, EVP William L. Hutton sold 1,952 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.03, for a total value of $292,858.56. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 13,970 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,095,919.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Todd C. Larson sold 1,018 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $148.96, for a total transaction of $151,641.28. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 44,260 shares in the company, valued at $6,592,969.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.55% of the companys stock.

Reinsurance Group of America Price Performance

Reinsurance Group of America stock opened at $149.14 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $9.92 billion, a PE ratio of 10.77 and a beta of 0.91. Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated has a 52-week low of $109.06 and a 52-week high of $153.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 0.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The companys 50 day moving average is $138.06 and its two-hundred day moving average is $141.45.

Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE:RGA  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 5th. The insurance provider reported $5.16 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.37 by $1.79. Reinsurance Group of America had a net margin of 5.66% and a return on equity of 23.94%. The business had revenue of $4.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.23 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.47 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated will post 17.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Reinsurance Group of America Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 16th will be issued a $0.80 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 15th. This represents a $3.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.15%. Reinsurance Group of Americas payout ratio is 23.10%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Reinsurance Group of America in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Reinsurance Group of America from $146.00 to $149.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Reinsurance Group of America in a report on Tuesday, April 25th. They issued an overweight rating and a $163.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup upgraded shares of Reinsurance Group of America from a sell rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $133.00 to $158.00 in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Reinsurance Group of America from $170.00 to $164.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 20th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $155.80.

About Reinsurance Group of America

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Reinsurance Group of America, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of traditional and non-traditional life and health reinsurance products. It operates through the following segments: U.S. and Latin America, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Corporate and Other.

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The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM  Get Rating) in a research report released on Friday, The Fly reports. The firm issued a sell rating and a $60.00 target price on the basic materials companys stock.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on SQM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from $134.00 to $97.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price target on shares of 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. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Scotiabank cut shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating and dropped their target price for the company from $113.00 to $86.00 in a report on Monday, May 1st. Finally, Bank of America upgraded shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the company from $90.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Monday, April 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $91.38.

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Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Stock Up 0.1 %

SQM stock opened at $71.15 on Friday. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile has a one year low of $60.21 and a one year high of $115.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $20.32 billion, a PE ratio of 5.26, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a quick ratio of 1.71 and a current ratio of 2.29. The company has a fifty day moving average of $74.04 and a 200-day moving average of $84.41.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Increases Dividend

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile ( NYSE:SQM Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The basic materials company reported $4.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.80 by $0.23. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile had a net margin of 35.24% and a return on equity of 88.08%. The firm had revenue of $3.13 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.17 billion. As a group, analysts expect that Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile will post 12.45 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 12th were given a $3.2237 dividend. This is an increase from Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chiles previous quarterly dividend of $1.20. This represents a $12.89 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 18.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 11th. Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chiles dividend payout ratio is currently 61.98%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SQM. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 10,550 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $957,000 after acquiring an additional 645 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its holdings in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 9.2% in the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 168,795 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $13,477,000 after purchasing an additional 14,274 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 37.3% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 217,337 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $19,723,000 after buying an additional 59,045 shares during the period. Spire Wealth Management increased its holdings in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 274.6% during the 3rd quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 2,671 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $242,000 after buying an additional 1,958 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Federated Hermes Inc. raised its position in shares of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile by 13.5% in the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 93,111 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $8,450,000 after buying an additional 11,052 shares during the period. 18.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile Company Profile

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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.

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StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Phoenix New Media (NYSE:FENG  Get Rating) in a research report sent to investors on Saturday. The brokerage issued a hold rating on the information services providers stock.

Phoenix New Media Trading Down 8.2 %

NYSE:FENG opened at $2.35 on Friday. Phoenix New Media has a twelve month low of $2.11 and a twelve month high of $5.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 2.50. The companys 50 day moving average is $2.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2.62.

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Phoenix New Media (NYSE:FENG  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 13th. The information services provider reported $0.50 EPS for the quarter. Phoenix New Media had a negative net margin of 12.10% and a negative return on equity of 7.46%. The business had revenue of $32.47 million during the quarter.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Phoenix New Media

Phoenix New Media Company Profile

An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Phoenix New Media stock. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Phoenix New Media Limited ( NYSE:FENG Get Rating ) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 21,805 shares of the information services providers stock, valued at approximately $58,000.

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Phoenix New Media Ltd. is engaged in the provision of media and advertising services through internet, mobile, and television channels. It also provides mobile internet and value-add, and video value-added services. It operates under the Net Advertising Services and Paid Services. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Beijing, China.

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StoneX Group Inc. lifted its position in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM  Get Rating) by 12.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 16,043 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,815 shares during the period. StoneX Group Inc.s holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $1,644,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in PM. Kwmg LLC raised its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Kwmg LLC now owns 3,161 shares of the companys stock valued at $320,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Means Investment CO. Inc. raised its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Means Investment CO. Inc. now owns 39,184 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,966,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Sugarloaf Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,600 shares of the companys stock valued at $263,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares during the period. Horizon Investment Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 2.1% in the 4th quarter. Horizon Investment Services LLC now owns 4,871 shares of the companys stock valued at $493,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Ellenbecker Investment Group raised its stake in shares of Philip Morris International by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Ellenbecker Investment Group now owns 27,013 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,734,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 75.85% of the companys stock.

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Philip Morris International Trading Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE PM traded up $0.33 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $93.40. The companys stock had a trading volume of 4,508,839 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,371,632. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $96.46 and a 200 day moving average price of $98.81. Philip Morris International Inc. has a one year low of $82.85 and a one year high of $109.81. The company has a market cap of $144.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 0.68.

Philip Morris International Announces Dividend

Philip Morris International ( NYSE:PM Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $1.38 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.34 by $0.04. Philip Morris International had a net margin of 10.80% and a negative return on equity of 128.55%. The business had revenue of $8.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.03 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.56 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, April 11th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 23rd were issued a dividend of $1.27 per share. This represents a $5.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 22nd. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is currently 90.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

PM has been the topic of several analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, April 13th. They set a buy rating and a $114.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group raised shares of Philip Morris International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $106.00 to $116.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Philip Morris International from $109.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Finally, Societe Generale initiated coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. They set a sell rating and a $90.00 price target on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $110.60.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Philip Morris International news, insider Werner Barth sold 8,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.35, for a total transaction of $786,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 87,321 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,588,020.35. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.15% of the companys stock.

Philip Morris International Company Profile

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Philip Morris International, Inc is a holding company engaged in the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes, tobacco, and nicotine-containing products. Its products include cigarettes and reduced-risk products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products. The firm operates through the following geographical segments: European Union, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, South and Southeast Asia, East Asia and Australia, and Americas.

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Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd (TSE:TVE  Get Rating) Senior Officer Christine Ezinga bought 8,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of C$3.66 per share, for a total transaction of C$29,276.00.

Tamarack Valley Energy Stock Performance

TSE:TVE traded up C$0.04 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting C$3.62. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,389,230 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,919,296. Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd has a fifty-two week low of C$3.24 and a fifty-two week high of C$6.48. The firms 50 day moving average is C$3.80 and its 200-day moving average is C$4.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 55.79, a current ratio of 0.29 and a quick ratio of 0.80. The firm has a market cap of C$2.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 2.78.

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Tamarack Valley Energy (TSE:TVE  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 1st. The company reported C$0.09 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$0.17 by C($0.08). The firm had revenue of C$423.76 million for the quarter. Equities analysts anticipate that Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd will post 0.4485981 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Tamarack Valley Energy Announces Dividend

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 31st will be paid a dividend of $0.013 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 30th. This represents a $0.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.31%. Tamarack Valley Energys payout ratio is 20.27%.

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. CIBC dropped their target price on shares of Tamarack Valley Energy from C$6.00 to C$5.50 in a report on Friday, April 14th. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their target price on shares of Tamarack Valley Energy from C$6.00 to C$5.50 in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on shares of Tamarack Valley Energy from C$6.50 to C$6.25 in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. ATB Capital decreased their price target on shares of Tamarack Valley Energy from C$7.50 to C$7.00 in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, Raymond James decreased their price target on shares of Tamarack Valley Energy from C$13.00 to C$11.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Tamarack Valley Energy has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$6.88.

Tamarack Valley Energy Company Profile

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Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the Western Canadian sedimentary basin. It primarily holds interests in Cardium light oil plays in Wilson Creek/Alder Flats/Pembina, and Garrington and Lochend areas in Alberta; Viking light oil resource plays in Redwater and Westlock in Alberta, as well as in the Consort area of southeast Alberta and Hoosier area of southwest Saskatchewan; Barons Sands light oil plays located in the Penny area of Southern Alberta; and heavy oil properties located in Hatton area of Saskatchewan.

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Tesco (LON:TSCO  Get Rating)s stock had its buy rating restated by research analysts at Shore Capital in a research report issued on Monday, Digital Look reports.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on TSCO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Tesco from GBX 270 ($3.36) to GBX 290 ($3.61) and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 18th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Tesco to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from GBX 260 ($3.23) to GBX 310 ($3.86) in a research report on Monday, March 6th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of GBX 312 ($3.88).

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Tesco Price Performance

TSCO stock traded up GBX 1 ($0.01) during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching GBX 267.70 ($3.33). 10,762,273 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 17,577,672. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 123.29, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The company has a market capitalization of 19.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,677.00, a P/E/G ratio of 3.50 and a beta of 0.64. Tesco has a 52-week low of GBX 194.35 ($2.42) and a 52-week high of GBX 285.30 ($3.55). The company has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 268.13 and a 200-day moving average price of GBX 249.04.

Insider Buying and Selling

About Tesco

In other news, insider Caroline Silver bought 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 ($3.11) per share, for a total transaction of 37,500 ($46,641.79). Insiders bought 15,157 shares of company stock worth $3,791,447 in the last quarter. 2.06% of the stock is owned by insiders.

(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.

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Yamana Gold Inc. (TSE:YRI  Get Rating) (NYSE:AUY) was up 0.1% on Monday . The company traded as high as C$8.07 and last traded at C$7.89. Approximately 23,617,782 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 1,101% from the average daily volume of 1,967,190 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$7.88.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, National Bankshares reduced their target price on Yamana Gold from C$8.05 to C$7.65 and set a tender rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 14th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, Yamana Gold presently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of C$121.53.

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Yamana Gold Trading Up 0.1 %

The companys fifty day moving average is C$7.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$7.27. The company has a market cap of C$7.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.72, a P/E/G ratio of -0.78 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 23.61, a quick ratio of 1.25 and a current ratio of 1.44.

Insider Transactions at Yamana Gold

Yamana Gold ( TSE:YRI Get Rating ) (NYSE:AUY) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 29th. The company reported C$0.10 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$0.08 by C$0.02. Yamana Gold had a negative net margin of 54.36% and a negative return on equity of 31.37%. The company had revenue of C$620.75 million during the quarter.

In other news, Director Peter Marrone sold 55,633 shares of Yamana Gold stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$6.96, for a total transaction of C$387,205.68. Insiders own 0.33% of the companys stock.

About Yamana Gold

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Yamana Gold Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a precious metal producer. It has gold and silver production, development-stage properties, exploration properties, and land positions throughout the Americas, including Canada, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina. The company was formerly known as Yamana Resources Inc and changed its name to Yamana Gold Inc in August 2003.

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TORONTO, May 23, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CI Global Asset Management ("CI GAM") today launches the CI Asset Allocation ETFs, a suite of low-cost all-in-one portfolio solutions. The six ETFs, which begin trading today on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX"), invest primarily in other ETFs to provide diversified portfolios that match a broad spectrum of investor profiles, from conservative to growth focused.

"The CI Asset Allocation ETFs simplify investing by providing a sophisticated, professionally managed portfolio in a convenient one-ticket solution," said Roy Ratnavel, Executive Vice-President and Head of Distribution for CI GAM. "Once an investor and their advisor choose the portfolio that meets their personal investment objectives, they can rest easy, knowing that our experts at CI GAM are overseeing portfolio construction, asset allocation, portfolio monitoring and risk management."

The CI Asset Allocation ETFs, which carry a management fee of 0.22%, are:

ETF Ticker Long-term strategic asset allocation* CI Conservative Asset Allocation ETF CCNV 80% fixed-income securities / 20% equity securities CI Balanced Income Asset Allocation ETF CBIN 60% fixed-income securities / 40% equity securities CI Balanced Asset Allocation ETF CBAL 40% fixed-income securities / 60% equity securities CI Balanced Growth Asset Allocation ETF CBGR 30% fixed-income securities / 70% equity securities CI Growth Asset Allocation ETF CGRO 20% fixed-income securities / 80% equity securities CI Equity Asset Allocation ETF CEQT 100% equity securities

*The percentage split between fixed income and equity is an approximation under normal market conditions and may change at the discretion of the portfolio manager.

The CI Asset Allocation ETFs generally invest in a blend of passive equity and fixed-income ETFs from CI GAM and external ETF providers, resulting in portfolios that are well diversified across geographic regions, asset classes and industry sectors. The ETFs leverage CI GAMs deep expertise in asset allocation to deliver and manage portfolios tailored to a range of investor risk and return profiles. The ETFs are strategically managed by veteran investment professionals Marc-Andre Lewis and Stephen Lingard, who have extensive experience in asset allocation and multi-asset class portfolios and are backed by the research capabilities of the CI GAM team.

Mr. Lewis, Executive Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer of CI GAM, has over 20 years of investment experience, including serving as Head of Portfolio Construction at the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the worlds largest sovereign wealth funds, and as Senior Vice-President and Deputy Chief Risk Officer at Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ), where he led a team that analyzed and monitored the risks of both public and private investments in the CDPQ portfolio and was a member of its asset allocation committee.

Mr. Lingard has over 25 years of investment experience largely focused on multi-asset portfolio programs. He is currently Senior Vice-President and Co-Head of Multi-Asset at CI GAM, where he shares responsibility for the firms multi-asset investments and leads the multi-asset teams research efforts.

"The new CI Asset Allocation ETFs are part of our commitment to continually enhancing CI GAMs selection of ETFs, already one of the most comprehensive in Canada," said Mr. Ratnavel. "In modernizing our lineup, we are providing investment options to meet investors evolving needs and preferences and helping them meet their objectives in challenging markets."

CI GAM manages approximately $18.3 billion in a lineup of more than 75 ETF mandates, including passive, smart beta, active, digital asset, ESG, thematic, covered call and liquid alternative strategies (as at March 31, 2023).

For more information about the CI Asset Allocation ETFs and the CI GAM ETF lineup, please visit ci.com.

About CI Global Asset Management

CI Global Asset Management ("CI GAM") is one of Canadas largest investment management companies. It offers a wide range of investment products and services and is on the Web at www.ci.com. CI GAM is a subsidiary of CI Financial Corp. (TSX: CIX), an integrated global asset and wealth management company with approximately $394.9 billion in assets as at April 30, 2023.

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with an investment in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). You will usually pay brokerage fees to your dealer if you purchase or sell units of an ETF on recognized Canadian exchanges. If the units are purchased or sold on these Canadian exchanges, investors may pay more than the current net asset value when buying units of the ETF and may receive less than the current net asset value when selling them. Please read the prospectus before investing. Important information about an exchange-traded fund is contained in its prospectus. ETFs are not guaranteed; their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated.

This document is provided as a general source of information and should not be considered personal, legal, accounting, tax or investment advice, or construed as an endorsement or recommendation of any entity or security discussed. Every effort has been made to ensure that the material contained in this document is accurate at the time of publication. Market conditions may change which may impact the information contained in this document. All charts and illustrations in this document are for illustrative purposes only. They are not intended to predict or project investment results. Individuals should seek the advice of professionals, as appropriate, regarding any particular investment. Investors should consult their professional advisors prior to implementing any changes to their investment strategies.

The CI Exchange-Traded Funds are managed by CI Global Asset Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of CI Financial Corp. (TSX: CIX). CI Global Asset Management is a registered business name of CI Investments Inc.

CI Investments Inc. 2023. All rights reserved.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005080/en/

Contacts

Murray Oxby

Vice-President, Corporate Communications

CI Global Asset Management

416-681-3254

moxby@ci.com
Click the photo and watch the video.

* Monday marks the International Day for Biological Diversity.

* Humans are exploring ways to avoid conflict and coexist with wild animals in harmony.

* While some residents are trying to live in harmony with wild animals, some others have changed their way of making a living.

BEIJING, May 22 (Xinhua)  Residents in the rural area are used to having unexpected visitors  wild animals like hedgehogs and weasels. But what if the intruder is an elephant?

Pu Cuifen, from a village in Eshan County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, had that experience two years ago when a herd of wild Asian elephants left their forest habitat in Xishuangbanna, trekked hundreds of kilometers northward to the provincial capital Kunming and then headed back home to the nature reserve.

"I've only seen elephants in a zoo before, not expecting a wild elephant would appear at my doorstep," said Pu, a villager group leader, adding that she immediately mobilized villagers to evacuate overnight for safety.

The elephants harmed no one but had corn and beans in the farmland, causing losses of up to 50,000 yuan (about 7,127 U.S. dollars). With government-supported insurance, the villagers got compensated soon.

"Learning the elephants arrived home, we felt happy for them," said Pu.

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 13, 2021 shows a herd of wild Asian elephants in Mojiang County of Pu'er, southwest China's Yunnan Province. [Photo by He Yougang/Xinhua]

This epic journey of wild Asian elephants indicates an increasing population of the species in China and provides a successful experience to solve the "human-wildlife conflict," said Chen Fei, director of the Asian elephant research center under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

Monday marks the International Day for Biological Diversity.

With the continuous ecological conservation efforts in China, endangered wild animal species, such as Asian elephants, snow leopards and Siberian tigers, have seen a rise in populations and expanded their habitats, with humans exploring ways to avoid conflict and coexist with them in harmony.

Coexistence with Love

Asian elephants, a pivotal species in the rainforest ecosystem, are under first-class national protection in China. The elephants are mostly found across Yunnan.

Although its population is declining worldwide, the population of the endangered species in China has grown from 150 in the 1980s to 360 at present, thanks to protection efforts over the past decades.

Statistics show up to two-thirds of wild Asian elephants have wandered out of the nature reserve, leading to more contact with humans.

In the past, villagers would chase away the elephants to protect their crops and avoid financial losses, which may irritate the animals and lead to human injuries or deaths. Afraid of the giant animals, some villagers did not dare to leave their homes or farm in the field.

Wan Yong, head of the provincial forestry and grassland bureau, said Yunnan raised the compensation standard for the crops more prone to be consumed by elephants. Such compensation will help protect the interests of farmers and, at the same time, avoid the wild animals seeking food on farms from being attacked, said Wan.

The province has also created "canteens" for the wild elephants, growing over 600 hectares of their favorite food, such as elephant grass and bamboo.

This aerial photo taken on May 9, 2023 shows a field where people grow favorite food for wild elephants in Dadugang Township of Jinghong City, Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna, southwest China's Yunnan Province. [Xinhua/Hu Chao]

A national park for Asian elephants is also in the works.

Wang Chuan, 44, lives in a village in Jiangcheng County, where a dozen wild elephants wander nearby.

"Instead of attacking them or chasing them away, villagers now simply leave them alone," said Wang. "Our crops might get damaged, but we tolerate them with love."

Conservation with Heart

While some residents are trying to live in harmony with wild animals, some others have changed their way of making a living, from damaging the environment to protecting it.

In Gyirong County, a core area of Qomolangma National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, former logger and hunter Migmar has become a wild animal rescuer in the reserve on the China-Nepal border with Mount Qomolangma, the world's highest peak at 8,848.86 meters at its core.

He and his seven colleagues take turns patrolling every day. Since the establishment of the wildlife rescue station in 2019, they have rescued 17 wild animals, including those under China's first-class national protection, like a snow leopard.

Migmar, a former logger and hunter who has become a wild animal rescuer, feeds a rescued bharal at the wildlife rescue station of Qomolangma National Nature Reserve, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, March 14, 2023. [Xinhua/Sun Fei]

Last year, he took care of an injured red muntjac attacked by a beast. He learned to bandage the deer and clean its wounds, and six months later, he released it into the wild.

"Animals don't talk, but I can feel their trust. We have the responsibility to protect them," said Migmar, 44.

In northeast China's Jilin Province, the forest farm where Zhao Yan worked to produce timber has become part of a national park for the protection of tigers and leopards.

In the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, which spans an area of over 1.4 million hectares in Jilin and Heilongjiang, Zhao patrols more than 200 days a year, installing and checking infrared cameras and surveying the living conditions of wild animals.

"I'm not an expert, but a long time of fieldwork has given me abundant data on wildlife," said Zhao, now deputy director of the monitoring center for scientific research of the national park administration's Hunchun branch.

This undated photo taken with an infrared monitoring camera shows a wild Siberian tiger in Tianqiaoling forest area, northeast China's Jilin Province. [Xinhua]

The latest data show that the population of wild Siberian tigers in the park has exceeded 50, while the figure was 27 around 2017. Meanwhile, the number of Amur leopards in the park has increased from 42 in 2017 to more than 60.

Zhao said the comeback of the giant cats has shown that the ecological chain is restoring, and their protection efforts have paid off.

"I hope wild animals can live at ease, with humans and wildlife coexisting in harmony," he said.

Video reporters: Sun Min, Si Xiaoshuai, Shao Meiqi, Tenzing Nima Qadhup, Lodro Gyatso, Tian Jinwen;

Video editors: Jia Xiaotong, Hui Peipei, Zheng Xin, Lin Lin

(Source: Xinhua)
Ling Runzhi paints at her residence in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, on May 19, 2023. Despite the loss of sensation in her lower body, resulting from congenital spina bifida, Ling Runzhi refuses to let her physical limitations hinder her creativity. Ling's remarkable artworks not only fulfilled her own dreams but also offered a window to a broader world for others like her. Through her art, she unlocks the possibility of experiencing the beauty and wonders of the world beyond their confined realities. [Xinhua/Zhou Xuanni]

GUIYANG, May 21 (Xinhua)  Ling Runzhi, 41, confined to a wheelchair ever since she was six years old, is listening to an online class on modern Chinese landscape painting with rapt attention as usual.

With a few deft strokes of her paintbrush, Ling skillfully brings to life a black-and-white masterpiece, adorned with delicate textures and captivating contrasts. Despite the loss of sensation in her lower body, resulting from congenital spina bifida, this talented artist refuses to let her physical limitations hinder her creativity.

Ling's remarkable artworks not only fulfilled her own dreams but also offered a window to a broader world for others like her. Through her art, she unlocks the possibility of experiencing the beauty and wonders of the world beyond their confined realities.

"There was once a dark phase in my life. My parents were busy with farmwork and my sisters were at school, so I had to stay at home by myself. Constant loneliness and fear were my only companion," recalled Ling, who hails from Bianshan Village of Guiyang, the capital city of southwest China's Guizhou Province.

During that time, lacking access to a wheelchair, Ling resorted to sitting on a simple wooden upright chair at home. To maneuver, she would painstakingly edge the chair forward which often resulted in her hands and legs getting scraped and bruised.

Guided by her supportive sister, Ling embarked on a journey of literacy as she learned to read characters. Her sister also thoughtfully purchased a collection of ancient Chinese women's paintings, which served as a wellspring of inspiration for Ling. "I started to replicate the paintings myself. Books and the world of paintings soon dispelled my gloom," Ling said.

In 2003, captivated by the intricate and exquisite patterns of embroidery, a signature craft in Guizhou, Ling began to explore the art of conveying traditional elements of Chinese landscape paintings through the medium of stitchwork.

With a keen eye for detail, Ling delved into the techniques of presenting elements such as flowers, birds, insects, and fish in her needlework, adding a unique and enchanting dimension to her artistic repertoire.

She later went on to hone her skills by participating in several competitions for the handicapped in Guiyang, winning more than 40 awards. The growing recognition of Ling's artworks has not only bolstered her confidence but also brought a renewed sense of hope and joy to her life.

During her pursuit of a deeper understanding of modern Chinese landscape paintings, Ling came to know Fang Guocheng, a painter from Heilongjiang Province in northeast China, who, like her, was paralyzed following a car accident.

"Through meaningful online interactions, I established profound connections with more and more people who faced similar situation. As I freely shared my own learnings and experiences with these people, I embarked on a remarkable journey of mutual enrichment," she said.

Since then, Ling decided to create more paintings and embroidery works that would capture the vibrancy and beauty of the world beyond for people who find themselves trapped in adversity, particularly those who, like her, are paralyzed.

Sunday marks China's 33rd national day of assisting disabled persons. This year's goal is to improve the social security mechanism and care service system for persons with disabilities and promote the all-round development of their undertakings.

"After my embroidery and paintings were exhibited in Guiyang, many people with disabilities began to know about my personal experience, which inspired them to take up art and enrich their own lives through traditional handicrafts," Ling said.

Her profound love and unwavering passion for artistic expression have instilled within her a new dream of setting up her own studio. Through this endeavor, Ling aspires to cultivate an increased interest in Chinese traditional culture and foster the inheritance of valuable cultural heritages.

Adorning Ling's window ledge is a flourishing green copper coin grass, nurtured in a swan-like flowerpot meticulously carved by Ling herself from a humble plastic box. The grass serves as a reminder of the resilient and unwavering strength inherent in the very essence of life.

"Every single plant and its growth represent the power and hope in our life. As long as we live, we must strive to grow like plants, which will surely lead to favorable turns someday," Ling said.

Ling Runzhi displays her honorable credentials at her residence in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province, on May 19, 2023. [Xinhua/Zhou Xuanni]

This photo taken on May 19, 2023 shows a painting by Ling Runzhi. [Xinhua/Zhou Xuanni]

(Source: Xinhua)
The Williamson County Sheriff's Office in Illinois says a man stole a backhoe and drove it to the local airport to catch a flight
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Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, seen here on April 13, reinforced her warning to Congress that it has only a little time left to address the debt ceiling before the nation defaults on its obligations.
10 Things in Tech: Softwares final chapter, $1,000 to scroll TikTok for 10 hours, and Teslas first-ever ad

It's Tech Tuesday, buds. I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I'm back home in San Diego (woah) after visiting New York. Big thanks to my brilliant colleagues Michael Cogley and Lara O'Reilly for writing the newsletter while I was out.

Although I didn't end up watching a second movie yet, I spent a bit of time testing different AI tools like ChatGPT.

My careers-connoisseur colleague Rebecca Knight has also been doing that  remember her fun story on AI creating headshots for her? Most recently, Rebecca asked ChatGPT to help polish her resume. And she documented every step of the way in her latest story here.

Before I go play with more AI tools, let's dive into today's tech.

If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Insider's app here.

A plethora of emails being sucked into a black computer screen

Tyler Le/Insider

1. Career opportunity, the one that never knocks: Job hunting is really weird right now. Economic instability. "Ghost jobs." Generative AI in the workplace. These unprecedented curveballs are making job hunting even tougher than normal.

Plus, students and young engineers are pretty fed up with Big Tech. Fewer students are studying engineering or computer science. And recent grads no longer see Big Tech as a viable career launcher.

My colleague Kali Hays looked into how early-career techies are searching for jobs outside the industry. One expert even told her that "it's the worst time to be a junior engineer since 2000."

Meanwhile, Adrienne Matei writes for Insider that the job search is uniquely miserable right now. And she examines the different factors contributing to the agony.

Dive into the hiring hardships here.

In other news:

A chatbot is shown swallowing software applications

A chatbot swallows software applicationsBing image creator

2. A new era  and possibly "final chapter"  for software. People and AI will likely start working together to create software. Once it's released, people and AI can work together to build tools  or even more software  within it. More on software's final form here.

3. WeWork needs some work. Its CEO just stepped down and so did its stock. WeWork's recent moves have left experts dubious about the company's future. And one of the big three credit rating agencies thinks WeWork will likely default. Check out the flailing forecast here.

4. Help wanted: $1,000 to scroll TikTok for 10 hours straight. An influencer marketing agency is searching for three people to fill the "TikTok Watching Job 2.0" role. Successful applicants would help discover "emerging new trends." Get more job details here.

5. Facebook might have sent friend requests to people you were digitally stalking. Users noticed that after they viewed profiles of people they weren't friends with, the app automatically sent them a friend request. Yikes. More on the overly friendly situation here.

6. Tesla's first-ever commercial. Elon Musk recently shared that the company would begin advertising for the first time. Shortly after the announcement, Tesla released a two-minute video called "Drive to believe." Drive over to watch it here.

7. Congratulations: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are reportedly engaged. The duo first went public with their relationship in 2019. More on their milestone here. Bonus: Did Jeff Bezos put a sculpture of Sanchez on the bow of his new $500 million megayacht? You be the judge.

8. The $180,000 Lucid Air "solved my EV range anxiety." It boasts 516 miles of range and charges extremely quickly. Check out the beastly battery here. Bonus: Hop in for a full review of the Lucid Air  a stunningly fast, screen-filled future of luxury cars.

Odds and ends:

An aerial view taken on June 8, 2021 shows lake Saimaa in Puumala, Finland.

An aerial view taken on June 8, 2021 shows Lake Saimaa in Puumala, Finland.ALESSANDRO RAMPAZZO/AFP via Getty Images

9. Putin's abandoned $3.2 million fishing villa. One of his closest friends funded this leisurely oasis in Finland, per The Insider. It has an elevator, wine cellar, sauna, and other swanky features. But it now sits abandoned and unfinished. Get a full tour of the vacant villa here.

10. Scientist says he found a Bible chapter hidden for thousands of years. Using ultraviolet photography, he spotted the text hidden under multiple edits. It offers a "gateway" on how the Bible's text has evolved over time. More on the ancient discovery here.

What we're watching today:

Curated by Diamond Naga Siu in San Diego. (Feedback or tips? Email dsiu@insider.com or tweet @diamondnagasiu) Edited by Alistair Barr (tweet @alistairmbarr) in San Francisco and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.

Read the original article on Business Insider
We want to hear from you. If you have information about a school outbreak or are ready to get involved in our fight for safe schools, contact the Michigan Rank-and-File Educators Safety Committee now! Fill out the form at the end of this article, or write to educators@wsws.org

On Saturday, May 20, the Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee (MERFSC) held an emergency meeting, After the death of Jimari Williams: Mobilize educators, parents and students to defend public health and stop school layoffs.

Jimari Aiden Williams April 24, 2017  April 26, 2023 [Photo: James H. Cole funeral home]

The meeting was called in the wake of the tragic death of Jimari Williams, a six-year-old elementary school student at the Marcus Garvey Academy in Detroit. Numerous other children were sickened in what was publicly described as a cluster of flu-like illnesses at the school. The cause of Jimaris death has still not been made public.

Committee supporters spoke to many parents and educators at the school in the days leading up to the meeting. They heard first hand the traumatizing impact of the sudden death of the young child.

School officials never directly informed other parents about Jimaris death. Instead, parents told committee members that they learned about it from the local media. The overwhelming sentiment of parents and educators was anger at being kept in the dark and support for the demand to close the school until it is safe.

The Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee members also addressed parents and educators at the recent Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) school board meeting, alerting the audience to the still-unexplained death of Jimari and the fact that schools are not safe. Committee members connected the fight against layoffs in the district with the fight for safe working and learning conditions.

Detroit teacher and MERFSC chairperson Phyllis Scherrer opened the meeting by stating that the committee was organized December 4, 2020 to resist the unsafe reopening of schools during the pandemic, first under Donald Trump and then under Democratic President Joe Biden. The committee is part of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC).

The cutoff of COVID-19 relief money has been used to lay off educators and cut school funding in a district that has been hit by decades of budget cuts and the diversion of resources to publicly funded and privately run charter schools.

Zac Corrigan, a leading member of the Socialist Equality Party, gave the political report. He explained that the World Socialist Web Site had contacted the Wayne County Health Department last week and was told that Jimaris autopsy is not expected to be released until some time between August and November. He asked, How can parents trust that their child is safe when we dont know the most basic information? At least two dangerous airborne pathogens, COVID-19 and H. Influenza, are known to be spreading. Yet the school remains open.

He emphasized that the brief closure for deep cleaning was totally inadequate because a comprehensive approach is necessary when dealing with airborne diseases. Corrigan called for universal testing, contact tracing and quarantining of sick individuals.

We call for the closure of Marcus Garvey Academy until a full investigation is done and a committee of rank-and-file educators and parents, working together with trusted scientists, deems the school safe! Corrigan demanded. He called for the immediate release of all information about Jimaris death and the outbreak at Marcus Garvey.

Corrigan noted that according to the CDC, COVID-19 has killed 2,203 children in the past three years and well over a million Americans. He warned that despite the Biden administrations end to the Public Health Emergency, coronavirus continues to spread and mutate. While systematic tracking of the virus has now been dismantled, some 12,000 excess deaths are still attributable to the pandemic every day globally.

Even if Jimari did not die of COVID-19, Corrigan pointed out, his health was almost certainly impacted by it. Over 96 percent of US children (65.7 million) are estimated to have had COVID-19 at least once. The disease is known to potentially damage all organ systems, including the immune system, making those who have had COVID-19 more likely to get seriously ill from other diseases.

Dr. Benjamin Mateus gave a detailed medical report to the group. He indicted the Biden administration for ending the public health emergency as codifying the permanent embedding of COVID-19 in society, allowing it to continue to infect, disable and kill masses of people for the foreseeable future. He emphasized, We know that COVID-19 causes immune misregulation. To what extent are children now predisposed to suffering from diseases they wouldnt have before as a byproduct of their infection? This is an open question.

Other outcomes of the unending COVID-19 pandemic, explained Dr. Mateus, included accelerated aging and Long COVID. (A detailed synopsis of Dr. Mateus report will be published soon on the World Socialist Web Site.)

These reports prompted a wide-ranging discussion on the implications of the attacks on public health, the trauma suffered by students and educators during the pandemic and the way forward to fight.

Michelle, a high school teacher, said, I really wanted to thank you for all this helpful information and for putting it into perspective. It is helpful to understand that these things are happening throughout the world and not just in our local communities. Its priceless. She said her union has done little to nothing to help keep teachers safe. I brought up the possibility of getting carbon monoxide detectors in our room just to see if our [HEPA] units were working properly. My unit is constantly not working properly.

There have been lots of students who have been ill, she continued. I have students that have lost parents. Students still come into school sick. It is frustrating, and it feels like there is very little we can do about it.

Michelle explained that her two kids have both had COVID-19 twice, and she is deeply concerned about the long-term impact of the illnesses. Her daughter has recently been diagnosed with bone degeneration, which she worries may be connected with her COVID-19 infections.

David, the president of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) at Wayne State University, related, I had friends who lost parents and grandparents to COVID-19. It was hard for people. The pandemic forced young people like me to confront these questions head on. It radicalized young people like me. The response of the government showed us, workers and youth, that we have to take care of ourselves. We have to fight.

A parent from Marcus Garvey Academy admitted that she was still very emotional from the events of the past several weeks. She explained that her child stopped eating and ran a fever early in April and later learned about Jimaris death. My daughter has been exposed, the parent said, and Id appreciate any advice. What can I do or the other parents whose children have been exposed? She emphasized that the school authorities have been silent as though this was not a major issue.

Mary, a school district worker, added, I see a lot of things that go on. It was said people are muted. They are basically censoring us, as far as being able to speak about concerns. I was told by a coworker that several teachers and staff have caught COVID over the last several weeks. The thing is, they are not discussing it anymore. We literally hear nothing about it. They are not talking about the students who become sick. Its ignored.

Mary went on to comment on the Detroit Public Schools Community Districts plans to eliminate dozens of positions throughout the district. We are losing a lot of people who are retiring. The 150 jobs they are getting rid of are on top of these jobs we are losing from retirees. I dont understand why these positions are being thrown away.

Kay, a veteran music teacher, expressed a deep concern regarding the attack on public education and specifically on the arts. She is currently being victimized by the school administration who are threatening to fire her over absences (protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA) when she was caring for her ill son.

They are using my FMLA against me. They evaluated my class. I am always rated very highly on my performance. They have never followed protocol to formally say shes ineffective because they know that it is not true.

Kay explained that the school administration has been constantly attacking the music department by cutting programs. Right now I have band, orchestra and piano in the same class. So a student that was supposed to get a 50-minute lesson, maybe gets 15 minutes. They are sabotaging my program. They cancel my events, my concerts. Why deprive my students of their performances? I am being threatened every week. I have 22 years with the district.

I am not just fighting for my position, she explained. I am fighting for my students and my program. You cant just take music away.

Khara, a DPSCD teacher, recalled the 2016 mass sickouts among Detroit teachers. She emphasized that teachers began to organize independently of the union to fight the intolerable conditions in Detroit schools. She said American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten flew in, saying, Well handle it from here. Khara continued, What the AFT did was to shut down the momentum we had. Nothing has improved, but as we have discussed here, funding is still being cut and buildings are still falling apart. She concluded, The way forward is through organizing independently of the union bureaucracies and the politicians, before urging attendees to join the Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Committee.

Detroit teachers during the 2016 sickout over working conditions. [Photo: WSWS]

Phyllis Scherrer emphasized that teachers were in a fight against both corporate-backed parties. During the 2016 teacher sickouts, educators found themselves in a direct conflict with Democratic President Barack Obama whose Education Secretary Arne Duncan called Detroit ground zero for expansion of for-profit charter schools.

WSWS writer Nancy Hanover commented, There is a great crime taking place. We see the destruction of education, and we see the indifference to the sickening and even death of children. With more than 1.2 million dead to COVID, we are seeing the degradation and ending of public health and public education.

We cannot appeal to [DPSCD Superintendent] Nikolai Vitti, [Detroit Mayor] Duggan or Biden. We must mobilize differently. She referenced a video clip of an African Clarios worker, speaking from Germany to the striking battery workers in Ohio, saying the only way forward was for workers of the world to unite. We must clear the decks of those who say we must get on our hands and knees and ask for concessionsboth the union bureaucracies and the pseudo-left.

We are fighting for the future of society. If they can spend trillions at the drop of a hat for war, there is money. The trillions of wealth created by the working class must be put to social need. It is essential that we have a political program based on what the working class needs, not what the ruling elites say is affordablea socialist program.

Ed, a retired Detroit educator, denounced the layoffs of paraprofessionals and other educators and talked about the fact that pensions are also in jeopardy. He pointed to the tens of billions of dollars being funneled into the war in Ukraine. We are talking about a system that can only offer more layoffs. To prosecute war, they need to impose austerity.

Phyllis concluded the meeting urging everyone to join the Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee, read the World Socialist Web Site and get involved with the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees.
In a gratuitous display of contempt, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday refused to meet with Stella Assange, the wife of Julian Assange, Australias most prominent political prisoner. The snub came even as Stella was inside the federal parliament, having travelled to the country to campaign for her husbands freedom.

Stella Assange address National Press Club in Canberra, Australia, May 22, 2023. [Photo: National Press Club]

Asked by independent MP Andrew Wilkie why he would not meet with Mrs Assange, Albanese brushed aside the question, declaring: Who I meet with is determined by the priorities that my office has.

Over the past month, Albanese has met with a multitude of business tycoons. He attended the wedding of right-wing radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands, alongside a convicted drug dealer and reputed crime boss. Most recently, Albanese fawned over US President Joe Biden in Tokyo on the weekend. Biden is overseeing the attempt to extradite Assange from Britain, and imprison him for 175 years for exposing American war crimes.

Albanese proclaimed in parliament, he was not interested in meeting Assanges wife, which he said would be akin to a demonstration and grandstanding. Albanese sought to dress up the refusal by reiterating vague comments that enough is enough in relation to the Assange case, and he cannot see that anything is served by the WikiLeaks founders continued incarceration.

While Albanese claims he has made this position clear to the US administration, there is no evidence of that, including in extensive correspondence obtained under freedom of information requests between various American and Australian government bodies. Labor continues to give carte blanche to the very administration seeking Assanges destruction.

The obvious question is: if Albanese wont even meet with Assanges wife, a basic act of respect and courtesy that he has extended to thousands of others over the course of his year in office, why would anyone think the prime minister is waging a fight for the imprisoned Australian journalists freedom behind closed doors?

As part of her visit to Australia, Stella Assange yesterday addressed the National Press Club in Canberra.

The speech was a powerful plea for Assanges freedom, an exposure of the draconian conditions under which he is detained in Britains maximum-security Belmarsh Prison and a clear outline of the fundamental issues of democratic rights at stake in the attempted prosecution of her husband.

Stella noted a groundswell of support for Assange. She stated: I would like to thank the overwhelming dedication of the Australian people, who have brought about a sea change in awareness and solidarity for Julians plight. This unity in support for my husband is a source of enormous encouragement for our family. It nurtures Julians ability to continue on.

She added: The reality is that to regain his freedom, Julian needs the support of his home country. This is a political case, and it needs a political solution.

In discussing her presence in Australia, and also what she speaks about with her husband, Stella stressed Assanges connection to Australia. He had been raised in the country, and had shared his extensive memories, from surfing in Byron Bay, to beekeeping in Melbournes Dandenong Ranges and riding a horse in the New South Wales Northern Rivers.

Thats how I imagine Julian when he is free, she said.

Today, Julians feet only ever feel the hard, dull, even cement on the prison floor. When he goes to the yard for exercise, there is no grass, no sand. Just the bitumen pavement surrounded by cameras and layers of razor wire overhead.

I can tell you exactly what Julian is doing right now. It is 3 a.m. in London. Julian is lying in his cell, probably awake and struggling to fall asleep. Its where he spends twenty-two hours a day, every day. Julians cell is about three by two meters. He uses some of his books to block out the unpleasant draft coming from the window in the cold winter nights.

Stella outlined the draconian security procedures required for her and her two children to visit their father. They had to pass innumerable checkpoints, searches and scans for their visits. The children had only ever seen their father in the inhospitable prison visiting room. For the elder of the two, now six years old, Prisons feature in his dreams and his nightmares.

Turning to the case, Stella stated: A 175 year sentence is a living death sentence. A prospect so desperate that the English court found that it would drive him to take his own life, rather than live forever in hell. We must do everything we can to ensure that Julian never, ever, sets foot in a US prison. Extradition in this case is a matter of life and death.

She explained: For most people, Julian is a symbol. A symbol of staggering injustice, because he is in prison on trumped up charges for exposing the crimes of others. A symbol because he faces a bewildering 175 year sentence for publishing the truth. A symbol of a sophisticated form of state violence dressed up in complexity and indirection that not even Franz Kafka could have imagined.

For the press and the public, Julians case is the most brutal attack on press freedom that the Western world has seen in the last 70 years. A foreign government is using the political offences in its statute books to indict a foreign national abroad, because of what he or she published in a different country.

Accurate, damning publications exposing their war crimes. If sovereignty is to mean anything, if jurisdiction is a proper legal and political reality, the case against Julian cannot be understood as anything other than an absurdity.

Despite the dire threat to press freedom, the address was largely subjected to a media boycott. Only a handful of nationally-recognised journalists attended. Several prominent publications sent junior staff, fresh out of university, armed only with arrogance and obnoxious questions based on the slanders that have been used to attack Assange.

The shameful display underscored the fact that broad sections of the official media function as nothing more than state propagandists. While they are cheering on each new step in Australias integration into the US preparations for war with China, this corrupted layer is hostile to a genuine journalist who exposed war crimes.

In the Q&A, Stella, together with Jennifer Robinson, one of Assanges lawyers, elaborated on the issues in the case.

Two questions repeated the fraud that WikiLeaks had in 2016 received material from the Democratic National Committee via Russia. The questioners, despite professing to be journalists, were hostile to the 2016 publications, even though they contained true and newsworthy information.

In response, Stella emphasised what had been revealed. The 2016 publications had shown that the campaign of Hillary Clinton had subverted the Democratic Party primaries to scuttle the candidacy of Bernie Sanders. This was carried out, even though internal DNC polling showed Sanders would defeat Donald Trump, whereas Clinton would not.

More broadly, Stella emphasised the core precept that journalists have a responsibility to publish information that is in the public interest. To suppress such information would be a violation of journalistic ethics.

In reply to another question, Robinson noted the historic significance of the 2010 publications for which Assange faces prosecution. They had exposed massive war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, including thousands of civilian deaths that had been covered up by the US military. For those very same releases, for which he now faces 175 years imprisonment, Assange and WikiLeaks in 2011 received a Gold Walkley award, the highest honor in Australian journalism.

Both Stella and Robinson thanked Albanese and the Labor government for their statements and noted that this marked a shift from previous administrations. There is no question that the tepid statements of the Labor officials reflect, in an extremely limited and distorted form, the vast popular support for the WikiLeaks publisher.

However, all experience has shown that no confidence can be placed in the capitalist governments, to extend a benevolent hand and free Assange. Albanese was a senior member of the Gillard Labor government, which in 2010 and 2011 actively participated in the persecution of Assange.

The current Labor government, moreover, is dramatically escalating Australias frontline role in the US preparations for war against China. This policy is incompatible with democratic rights and is being accompanied by a slew of reactionary national security prosecutions within Australia, directly overseen by Labor.

As the Socialist Equality Party has stressed, an Australian government will only fulfill its obligations to free Assange if it is compelled to do so by mass opposition from below. That means the development of a movement of the working class, against the Labor government and its program of war, austerity and authoritarianism.
The long-term decline of passenger rail and ferry services in New Zealand has been exposed following a series of recent breakdowns and disruptions in Auckland and Wellington and the near crippling of a passenger ferry in January.

Matangi trains lined up at Wellington Railway Station. [Photo: Pseudopanax, Wikipedia]

On April 28, the state-owned rail company KiwiRail announced a blanket 70km/h temporary speed restriction on the Wellington regions Kapiti, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa passenger rail lines due to last-minute maintenance repairs needed on an EM80 track evaluation car. This vehicle, which conducts regular track safety inspections, was the only one of its kind in New Zealanddespite 17,000 being manufactured by the global company Plasser & Theurer. The reduced speed limit lasted for three days.

The private operator of passenger rail services in Wellington, Transdeva French-based corporation contracted by the Labour-led Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC)responded by reducing services from May 1 to 3. As a result, overcrowded six-car trains were forced to leave passengers and school students behind at stations, disrupting tens of thousands of peoples daily lives.

KiwiRail chairperson David McLean told politicians at a parliamentary select committee that the company had let the people of Wellington down. He admitted the vehicle should have completed evaluations of the Kapiti line before the compliance deadline of April 30.

KiwiRail CEO Peter Reidy, however, defended the companys reliance on just one EM80 vehicle for the past 41 years, saying this was adequate to cover the entire countrys rail network and we dont think taxpayers of New Zealand would want us investing $20 million in a plant that wasnt being used.

A replacement EM80 vehicle, priced at over $20 million, has been ordered but will not be available until 20262027. By contrast, the Labour government has allocated $748 million over four years for the military, as New Zealand strengthens its alliance with the US and Australia in preparation for war against China.

GWRC chairman Daran Ponter criticised the monumental failure, abysmal lack of accountability and management and poor maintenance of this essential piece of equipment holding the entire North Islands rail network hostage. Ponter told Newshub on May 1 that these rail lines are the arteries for Wellington, this is where we bring our CBD workers into the city and this sort of event is just causing chaos.

These criticisms reek of hypocrisy. The council refused to adjust its untenable timetables last year despite chronic understaffing by train managers and passenger operators, which resulted in daily cancellations and reduced services. The council has previously instructed Transdev to reduce costs on the regional rail network, including through wage freezes and staff cuts.

The local councils and transport operators have also endangered lives by removing all public health measures, including masking and social distancing, allowing COVID-19 to infect and reinfect staff and passengers. The Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) has enforced this criminal policy.

As for the Labour-Greens national government, Transport Minister Michael Wood announced an urgent review. KiwiRail also launched its own investigation into the breakdown of the EM80 vehicle and the reduction of services.

On May 5, passenger train services in Auckland, the countrys biggest city, were cancelled, after a power fault was discovered at 4 a.m. Electricity was arcing from overhead power lines, prompting KiwiRail to turn off overhead power for the Southern, Eastern, Western and Onehunga railway lines. The company blamed high humidity for the shutdown.

The city councils Auckland Transport, which contracts rail services to private operator Auckland One Rail, said over 10,000 commuters travel was disrupted. On May 18, another power failure occurred on the railway line between Penrose and Papakura during the evening rush hour, resulting in cancellations and reduced services.

KiwiRail plans to close large sections of the Auckland rail network from 2023 to 2025 as part of a supposed rail network rebuild that will further disrupt and reduce passenger travel on the network.

On May 18 also, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) released a report on the cause of the engine failure of KiwiRails Interislander Kaitaki ferry on January 28. The ferry was carrying 800 passengers and 80 crew across the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands. It drifted more than a nautical mile off the rocky south coast of Wellington in wind gusts of over 100km/h before dropping anchor. It arrived three hours late into Wellington harbour, accompanied by tugboats.

TAIC reported that one of the ferrys safety-critical rubber expansion joints failed and stopped the engine restarting. KiwiRail failed to follow the manufacturers advice that the joints should be no older than eight months when installed, inspected annually and replaced after five years. The device was made in 2005 and installed in 2018.

The ship returned to service last month after the joint was replaced and a gearbox fault repaired. Both the KiwiRail-owned Interislander and rival Bluebridge have cancelled sailings on the critical route recently due to mechanical failures.

Ponter and Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor wrote a joint letter to Wood raising concern over vessels breaking down in the Cook Strait, with nearby tugboats unsuitable for towing large ships or rescuing people. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins responded with assurances that new ships are on the way, unfortunately those inter-island ferries take a number of years to manufacture.

The dangerous underfunding of the rail and ferry network is the product of repeated rounds of pro-business restructuring and privatisation by both Labour and National Party-led governments, in collaboration with the rail unions.

Major attacks on rail workers began under the 19841990 Labour government of Prime Minister David Lange, when the state-owned NZ Railways (NZR) was transformed into a profit-driven State-Owned Enterprise, resulting in the slashing of over 13,000 jobs by 1990.

In 1993 the National government privatised NZR, renamed Tranz Rail, for $328 million to a joint NZ-US consortium, led by merchant bank Fay Richwhite and US-based rail operator Wisconsin Central Transportation Corp. In 2004 Australian-based Toll Holdings took over Tranz Rail. Throughout this time jobs were destroyed, branch lines, workshops and regional passenger services closed. The Labour government of Prime Minister Helen Clark bought back the rail and ferry company for $690 million in 2008.

The RMTU and its trade union predecessors collaborated in the restructuring, preventing any unified fightback and consistently cheerleading for the Labour Party. The union made no comment on the recent spate of breakdowns in its May newsletter, the Activist. In May last year, then general secretary Wayne Butson praised the reinstatement of Reidy as KiwiRail CEO as a positive move and noted that the union had worked positively with Mr Reidy in the past and intends to do so in the future.
It has been more than one year since South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office. In that time, his administration has torn up the countrys remaining COVID-19 mitigation measures, a process that began under the previous Democratic Party of Korea (DP) government. Thousands continue to be infected each day while Seoul promotes the lie that the pandemic is over.

People walk along the public area of the Cheonggye Stream in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 11, 2023. [AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon]

The Yoon administration has seized on the World Health Organizations May 5 announcement that COVID-19 was no longer a global health emergency in order to justify downgrading the crisis level for the deadly disease from serious to alert. COVID-19 case numbers point to a different reality.

In the past week, there have been on average 18,985 official new cases per day as of Monday while an average of 11 people have died each day. Put into perspective, 159 people died in last years Halloween crowd crush tragedy in Itaewon, meaning approximately double that number is dying from COVID-19 each month.

These facts did not stop Yoon from declaring on May 11 that the COVID-19 health emergency was over, and announcing that on June 1, nearly all remaining mitigation measures would be lifted. This includes eliminating the required seven-day isolation period for a person testing positive and replacing it with a recommended five-day isolation period.

Under conditions where governments around the world have similarly declared the pandemic over, even this recommended isolation period will not be encouraged. Ultimately workers will be forced back on the job while sick, inevitably leading to further infections. In addition, the few remaining indoor mask requirements at medical clinics and pharmacies will also be lifted, except for hospital wards serving vulnerable patients. It will also become harder for people to receive PCR tests, as more and more screening centers are being closed.

The government claims that COVID-19 has now become endemic, stating that the disease is now predictable and constant. Yoon declared on May 11, I am pleased that the people are returning to their daily lives after three years and four months. In other words, the South Korean ruling class is imposing a new normal in which the death toll mounts and thousands are infected each day putting them at risk of Long COVID and other long-term health consequences.

Seoul had already lifted its indoor mask mandate for most places at the end of January. The government then lifted mask requirements on public transportation on March 20. Tracking the spread of the disease is also being suppressed. Previously, the government had announced new case numbers in cities and regions with a daily text message to peoples phones, but that no longer occurs. Now, the government will make it even harder for people to receive updates on new cases, with figures released publicly on a weekly basis rather than each day.

However, many people continue to wear masks, reflecting the continued support for stopping the spread of COVID-19 among the population. If there are those that are increasingly removing their masks, it is a result of the constant barrage of disinformation from the government and media, spreading the lie that the pandemic has ended.

Yoon falsely declared, The government has been doing its best to build an expert-centered, science-based response system, moving away from political disease control. The exact opposite is true. The claim that requirements like mask-wearing, online learning for students, and social distancing requirements were nothing but politically motivated, denies that these science-backed measures helped halt the spread of COVID-19 early in the pandemic and are still required now. Conversely, the lifting of all mitigation measures is entirely political.

When the previous government of Democrat Moon Jae-in implemented mitigation measures at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, it was out of fear of opposition from the working class if it did not. These measures were widely popular and the vast majority adhered to them. However, the Moon government slowly began to chip away at these measures in the interest of big business, before announcing at the end of 2021 that South Korea would enter the with COVID era.

Between January 2 and October 29, 2022, according to Statistics Korea, 304,931 people died from all causes throughout the country. This was approximately 47,000 higher than the number of deaths during the same period in each of the preceding three years. The number of excess deaths in this 10-month period alone is significantly higher than the official death toll from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic of 34,687.

Like the Yoon administrations decision to downgrade COVID-19s status and claim the pandemic is over, the announcement of the with COVID era was entirely political and in the interests of the ruling class.

It was aimed at winning support from big business for the DPs presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, in the March 2022 election, which Yoon won. After taking office in May 2022, Yoon followed the path set by his predecessor and largely ignored the pandemic. Prior to the May 11 announcement, Yoon had not led a COVID-19 response meeting since July 29, 2022.

Yoon claimed the governments decision on COVID had the support of medical professionals in South Korea. In announcing the supposed end of the pandemic, he appeared alongside 12 healthcare workers and thanked doctors, nurses, and nursing assistants who committed themselves to treating patients with COVID-19.

Throughout the pandemic, these workers, particularly nurses and support staff, waged struggles against the policies of both the Moon and Yoon administrations, demanding improved conditions. Healthcare workers struck or attempted to strike at various times, including in September 2021, then again the same month the following year, and in November 2022. While already difficult before the pandemic, their conditions had worsened as a result of government policies to keep them on the job and then to allow COVID-19 to spread.

In each case, unions belonging to the so-called militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions suppressed and sold out the strikes, reaching sellout deals to block a genuine struggle against the COVID-19 policies and other attacks on workers.

South Korean workers should not accept the unending COVID-19 pandemic as the new normal. However, they cannot look to the Democrats or the trade unions for support in a struggle against the disease and other attacks on their working and living conditions.
On Monday, two Ukrainian-backed Russian insurgency units staged the largest attack on Russian territory in the war to date. The assault came just one day after Russia proclaimed the complete seizure of Bakhmut after 224 days of intense fighting, during which tens of thousands are believed to have died. It also comes just after the US declared it would train pilots for F-16 fighter jets, and Zelensky attended the G7 summit in Hiroshima, urging the imperialist powers to step up their involvement in the war even further.

Liberty of Russia Legion/Telegram [Photo: Liberty of Russia Legion/Telegram]

According to Russian press reports and officials, two saboteur units raided the Belgorodskaia oblast early Monday, combined with a series of drone attacks and cyber attacks on the regional telephone and internet networks. For at least the first half of the day, residents were reportedly bombarded with phone calls as well as text messages urging them to evacuate, falsely presented as alerts by Russian officials. A report in the Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta on the events indicated that for much of the day during the attack, the population was left in the dark by officials about what was happening.

Drone strikes hit multiple targets in the region, including a grain depot in the village of Gora-Podol. In the same village, the Ukrainian-backed forces were also able to temporarily seize the House of Culture (Dom Kultury). One regional administrative building was shelled. Shells also hit private homes in at least several other towns and villages, causing fires and damage to buildings. As of this writing, regional officials have confirmed that eight people were wounded.

In the evening, the governor of the Belgorodskaia oblast, Viacheslav Gladkov, announced that a state of counterterrorist operation had been introduced in the region. The police and military forces deployed can now check identity documents, suspend activities of branches of industries and organizations that make use of explosive, radioactive, chemical or biological substances, evacuate citizens temporarily and intercept their telephone and other communications.

As of this writing, Russian reports indicated that fighting between the saboteur units and the Russian military and National Guard was still ongoing in at least two locations, in Kozinka and Glotovo.

The units were identified by both Russian and Ukrainian officials as the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), a neofascist organization, and the far-right nationalist Freedom of Russia Legion. It was the first time Ukrainian foreign intelligence acknowledged that these two organizations, both of which were formed in 2022 and are classified as terrorist in Russia, were operating under de facto control of Ukraines armed forces.

The attack marks the culmination to this point of a series of ever more aggressive military interventions by Ukraine-backed insurgency units and drone and terrorist attacks on Russian territory over the past 10 months. This included the assassination in August of Daria Dugina, a prominent far-right proponent of the Kremlin war, the assassination of the Russian military blogger Vladlen Tatarsky in April, and drone strikes on the Kremlin earlier this month.

The Belgorodskaia oblast, which directly borders the territories in East Ukraine now occupied and claimed by Russia, has been a central focus of drone strikes and shelling by the Ukrainian armed forces. The attacks, especially over recent weeks, are seen by military analysts as part of the preparations for Ukraines long anticipated counteroffensive.

Mondays attack is part of a dangerous new phase, which is marked by an ever greater geographic expansion of the war and direct involvement of the imperialist powers. With Ukraine having suffered staggering losses, estimated in the hundreds of thousandsout of a resident population of under 30 millionthe NATO imperialist powers are determined to offset the clear military setbacks by stepping up their direct involvement in the conflict and encouraging ever more reckless and dangerous attacks by Ukraine on Russian territory.

The character of the forces involved in the attack brings to the fore the true aims of the war being waged by the imperialist powers against Russia. Both the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Freedom of Russia Legion are ultranationalist and racist formations. They proclaim as their goal the violent overthrow of the government of Vladimir Putin and the institution of an ethnically pure Russian nation-state, along with separate, independent nation-states for other nationalities now living in Russia.

The Russian Volunteer Corps openly places itself in the tradition of the Vlasov Army, which collaborated with the Nazis in the war against the Soviet Union during World War II. In a manifesto from November, the RVC explicitly calls for the establishment of an ethnically pure Russian state, insisting that it represent russkiea term for ethnic Russiansand not rossiiane, a term describing citizens of the Russian Federation regardless of their ethnicity or nationality. The Russian Federations 140 million residents include over 10 million Muslims and many other ethnic, national and religious minorities.

While the Freedom of Russia Legion has used less explicitly fascist language and symbols, it too has a clear far-right orientation. In a recent social media post, it declared that ethnic Russians are the most oppressed nationality in the Russian Federation today. One of its members is Igor Volobuyev, a native of Ukraine and the former vice-chairman of Gazprombank, one of Russias largest banks.

Just as with the central role of Ukrainian fascist and neofascist formations in the Ukrainian army, the involvement of these Russian far-right organizations in the NATO war exposes the true aim of the imperialist powers: the breakup of the Russian Federation through the fostering of ethnic and national conflicts. The aim of the promotion and arming of these forces is the establishment of far-right puppet regimes directly subservient to the imperialist powers.

The Putin regime has nothing to offer in response to this imperialist strategy except the promotion of a different form of Great Russian chauvinism and desperate efforts, through a combination of militarism and appeals for negotiations with the imperialist powers, to defend the interests of the oligarchy that arose out of the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The beginning of a new, dangerous phase in the war points to the urgent need for workers to intervene in the political situation, based on an independent, socialist program and perspective. The further spiraling of the conflict into a Third World War, fought with nuclear weapons, can only be prevented through the mobilization of the working class in an internationally unified struggle against capitalism.
Defence ministers and senior defence officials from 12 NATO member states met in Poland on Monday, 22 May, to discuss Ukraines defence capability and strengthening security on the Alliances eastern flank, ahead of NATOs July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Source: Associated Press

Details: Defence officials met at military facilities in Legionowo, near Warsaw, as part of the so-called Northern Group, a platform concerned with developing security initiatives for NATO and the European Union. Finland participated for the first time since joining NATO.

The Northern Group was initiated in 2010 by the UK, and includes the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Poland, and the three Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia).

After the meeting, Polands Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said the "very good" talks were focused on coordinating ways of ensuring the security of the 12 northern European countries.

He stressed Polands successful cooperation with the UK and Sweden (the latter is Polands neighbour across the Baltic Sea), saying they share similar views on threats coming from Russia, which continues to wage its war on Ukraine.

"We are looking for joint solutions to ensure security," Blaszczak said.

Defence officials also discussed preparations for the July NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Polands proposals for it, Blaszczak said.

Ukraines NATO membership prospects are expected to be decided during the July summit.

Background: The Polish Senate has adopted a resolution supporting Ukraine's accelerated accession to NATO.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that Ukraine would not settle for any decision other than real steps towards its NATO membership during the Vilnius summit.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!






Viruses have no citizenship, no political affiliation; they are indiscriminate in the harm they cause. Because of this, when one of us is threatened by a deadly virus, so too are all of usEcoHealth Alliance, April 2020

More than three years after former President Donald Trumps administration suspended EcoHealth Alliances (EHA) National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for studying bat coronaviruses in China, on May 8, 2023 the non-profit international research organization announced that their project received a renewal grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious diseases (NIAID) of the NIH.

In the early months of 2020, the inaction on COVID-19 on the part of the Trump administration led to horrific consequences as bodies began to pile high in New York City hospitals. To provide political cover (and assist its anti-China global strategy), the Trump administration latched on to the lab-leak conspiracy that was being promoted by Steve Bannon and dissident Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui (currently being prosecuted for $1 billion in fraud) and used it to make the issue of the pandemic a referendum on China. The EHA became the scapegoat in the promotion of the big lie about the China virus.

On April 24, 2020, the NIH sent a letter to EHAs CEO, Peter Daszak, that their grant had been terminated without cause, an unprecedented move that was denounced by principled scientists as politically motivated. Then in a letter dated July 8, 2020, the NIH said the grant would be reinstated but suspended, pending answers to questions that were clearly designed to put EHA in the hot seat and force them to become an instrument in the US foreign policy against China.

A source close to EHA and Daszak explained that the NIH tried to dangle the possibility of reissuing the award to extract information from Chinese collaborators that would have put Daszak and his staff at risk of being arrested as spies. He added, EHA attorneys protested these maneuvers carefully by explaining that these questions fall in the realm of intelligence agencies and not grantees, like EHA, who are tasked with scientific collaboration (link provided here).

The vindication for EHA, which has had to traverse a highly charged climate of right-wing reaction and geopolitical brinksmanship on the origin of COVID to ensure their study could see the light of day again, was no small matter. At every turn of events in the political developments used to promote the patently false lab leak hypothesis, EHA was drawn into the center of this maelstrom and repeatedly scapegoated, defamed and threatened.

As the CEO of EHA, Peter Daszak, said with a sense of some relief on being able to continue the project, Now we have the ability to finally get back to work.

Dr. Peter Daszak of EcoHealth Alliance, in 2016. [Photo by EcoHealth Alliance]

The EHAs more than three years of highly critical work in understanding the pandemic potentials of coronaviruses has been stalled amid unsubstantiated accusations that EHA used NIH funding to conduct dangerous gain-of-function experiments together with the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). The resumption of the grant comes with significant caveats which will impact future collaborative work with Chinese scientists and international collaboration, essentially holding science hostage to political gamesmanship.

The original grant, titled Understanding the Risk of Bat Coronavirus Emergence, had been issued in 2014 and renewed in 2019. The scope of the work, in hindsight of the COVID pandemic that emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019, is remarkably prescient and remains highly relevant. But this was based on previous ongoing critical work on the question of pathogens with pandemic potential. In particular the SARS-CoV-1 global epidemic had been a wake-up call for many in the field to begin an extensive examination both in the field and in the laboratory on the nature of these viruses.

The original EHA grant from 2014 had stated, This project will examine the risk of future coronavirus (CoV) emergence from wildlife using in-depth field investigations across the human-wildlife interface in China, molecular characterization of novel CoVs and host receptor binding domain genes, mathematical models of transmission and evolution, and in-vitro and in-vivo laboratory studies of host range. Zoonotic CoVs are a significant threat to global health.  Bats appear to be the natural reservoir of these viruses, and hundreds of novel bat CoVs have been discovered in the last two decades. Bats, and other wildlife species, are hunted, traded, butchered, and consumed across Asia, creating a large-scale human-wildlife interface, and high-risk of future emergence of novel CoVs.

The project intended to quantify the risks of spillover events, identify emerging disease hotspots across China and develop predictive models that could be tested and used in developing pandemic preparedness and prevention infrastructure. The establishment of multiple Biosafety level-three and level-four laboratories in these regions attests to the need to have resources available on the ground.

Scientists working at a bamboo rat farm in Guilin, China, 2012. [Photo by EcoHealth Alliance]

However, these developments are being decried by the US government as national security threats that need immediate oversight, as noted in a recent April 27, 2023, House Committee on Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Biosafety and Risky Research.

Nearly every Republican member reasserted the absurd and unproven allegation that the virus was leaked from the Wuhan lab, and that EHA and NIH should be held accountable for working there. These hearings are pure political shows that attempt to reinforce US hegemony against China, with pandemic preparedness and the necessary infrastructure to be overseen by the state apparatus.

According to Science, The new four-year grant is a stripped down version of the original grant to the EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit research organization in New York City, providing $576,000 per year. That 2014 award included funding for controversial experiments that mixed parts of different bat viruses related to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the coronavirus that sparked a global outbreak in 2002-04, and included a subaward to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). The new award omits those studies, and also imposes extensive new accounting rules on EcoHealth, which drew criticism from government auditors for its bookkeeping practices.

The work on the current grant will not include WIV beyond the previous submission of 300 whole or partial sequences of bat coronaviruses that had been provided from its collections. EHA will analyze them using its computer programs to determine which have concerning features and collaborate with their partner, Linfa Wangs lab at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, to assess if the spike proteins of these viruses can bind to the ACE2 human receptor. Additionally, EHA will continue analyzing previously collected samples to assess for previous spillover events in the local population. Furthermore, their funding and progress reports will be the basis for frequent scrutiny and queries.

In a report written on the day EHA announced their reinstation, Nature wrote, Although the organization will now be able to continue its bat coronavirus research for the first time since the saga began, the NIH placed an extensive list of restrictions on the four-year, $2.9 million, award. None of the researchers who spoke to Nature had ever seen a grant with so many stipulations.

The same source familiar with EHA and speaking on the condition of anonymity said, These are onerous conditions that will make it hard to do the work, because it will increase the time it takes to set up contacts, process reimbursements. EHA already has demands on its staff to produce documents for two congressional and one Senate committee, other invasive oversight actions that are in response to Republicans false allegations, lawsuits, and dozens of Freedoms of Information Act requests. All these political actions together are tying down scientists and getting in the way of them doing their job of analyzing where the next pandemic is likely to originate and stopping it.

Sampling bats in Yunnan, China in 2018. [Photo by EcoHealth Alliance]

EHA employs several dozen scientists and 17 support staff and conducts research in more than 40 other countries. It has no lab and partners with national institutions to conduct these studies. It has identified more than 1,000 viruses and published hundreds of high-impact papers on these topics. Back in 2004, when Daszak began working on pandemic potential pathogens, he told 60 Minutes, What worries me the most is that we are going to miss the next emerging disease, that were suddenly going to find a SARS virus that moves from one part of the planet to another, wiping out people as it moves along.

The political pressure on EcoHealth Alliance is intense, yet investigations by both the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have exonerated Peter Daszak and have found only minor mistakes in some of EHAs grant administration.

In response to a demand by three members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the Republican chair, Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA), to expel conservation biologist Peter Daszak from the prestigious NAM, a member of the academy told the media that the probe was from the beginning frivolous and politically motivated.

After an 18-month investigation into NIHs sudden and unprecedented termination/suspension of EHAs grant on April 24, 2020, OIG said they hadnt found any significant issues with EHAs grant oversight and compliance, noting that EcoHealth had steps in place to conduct risk assessments of its subrecipients [WIV], and also had standardized checklists to document routine monitoring of its subrecipients.

The minor complaints made by the OIG, such as the $89,171 in unallowable costs that amounts to roughly 1 percent of the NIH grants awarded to EHA, are common with such grants and are minor infractions in the complicated bureaucratic process, easily verifiable and corrected.

The other complaints regarding timeliness in submitting EHAs progress report for year five of the grant from the NIAID have been thoroughly refuted in letters from EHA to the inspector general of NIH and would not affect the scientific value of the work being conducted. As EHA wrote, At no time then or until well after this grant was terminated in April 2020, was there any comment from NIH regarding experimental results or the timing of the report.

To be continued
To the chagrin of government authorities in the state of Georgia, a groundswell of opposition was revealed again to their relentless attempts to impose by force the building of Cop City, a military-style police training center costing $90 million approved by the Democratic Party-controlled city council in 2021.

"Stop Cop City" protesters demonstrate in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday following the police killing of Manuel Esteban Paez Teran on January 18, 2023 [AP Photo/R.J. Rico]

The latest display of mass opposition came on Monday, May 15, when the Atlanta City Council held a pro forma hearing over spending $30 million in public funds for the facility. An additional $1 million is also going to be allocated for a gym at the site. The total funding is supposed to come to $33.5 million.

Several hundred Atlanta residents showed up to voice their opposition when the city council called for public comments. The session extended for about 7.5 hours, prior to council members introducing legislation to allocate tax funds to the facility. In addition, at least another 100 persons were denied even an opportunity to sign up to voice their opinions.

The voting by the 14-member city council to approve this funding is scheduled to occur on June 5 but could well be postponed as a political maneuver by the city council to pretend they are taking opposition sentiments into account.

This huge military-style public safety training center, if built, is to be funded in a public-private partnership model.

The rest of the approximately $60 million cost is to be raised by the non-profit Atlanta Police Foundation (APF), the largest of the 150 such foundations raising funds for police forces across the country.

The APF, whose governing board and trustees are full of corporate executives, is collecting funds from sponsors such as Coca Cola, Norfolk Southern, Home Depot, Delta Airlines and UPS, all of which directly benefit from this law and order campaign.

The facility is to be built on 381 acres of heavily forested land area in neighboring Dekalb County, which has already been approved. The land is considered, by the government authorities themselves, as a crucial green space necessary for the environmental health of the whole Atlanta metropolitan area.

During the May 15 hearing, one of the activists, Rukia Rogers, stood up and cited the example of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.: Dr. King reminds us that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. So, what is the injustice here today? The injustice is that we continue to invest in a system and a culture of militarization and policing entrenched in injustice and oppression. She further pointed out, [This] is a system that murdered Tyre Nichols by police officers who received extensive training from right here in Atlanta.

Another speaker denounced the January 16 brutal police murder of 26-year old environmental activist and anti-Cop City protester Manuel Teran Tortuguita. Somebody who was just barely older than myself was shot 57 times while sitting on the ground with their hands up.

Mykal Alder June, another activist, stated, We do not want further militarization of our police force, we do not want more people murdered in the streets, we do not want these $33.5 million spent on a facility designed to train police for war against us!

Showing their disinterest and contempt, the city council members were hardly paying attention to what these hundreds of opponents were saying but instead were seen talking to each other or playing with their cell phones.

The city councils contemptuous attitude to democratic opinion was further made known by Councilman Michael Julian Bond, the son of now deceased civil rights activist and longtime Democratic Party politician Julian Bond.

Bond, who is a member of one of two committees that is to review the funding proposal, commented to The Guardian, I appreciate their passion. But that doesnt absolve us from serving public employees. In other words, no matter the opposition, the city council is determined to impose this police militarization training facility no matter what.

Earlier on April 13, the Dekalb County zoning board unanimously rejected an appeal against the land development permit filed by activists. The appeal cited violations of numerous existing laws, including those against excessive sediment discharges and severe destruction of the environment.

Despite irrefutable evidence cited during the April 12 hearing, the Dekalb County board ignored not only widespread opposition to the building of Cop City but even claimed that it had performed due diligence.

All of the authorities in the statestarting with the reactionary Republican Governor Brian Kemp, the Democratic Party politicians on the Atlanta City Council, Democratic Mayor Andre Dickens and those in Dekalb Countyare united in railroading popular opposition using violent and illegal methods.

The authorities continue to characterize opponents as outsiders because of the participation of out-of-state activists and characterize the peaceful events organized by activists as the handiwork of terrorists.

They have unleashed police forces to terrorize opponents of Cop City by arresting activists and charging them with domestic terrorism.

On April 28, the authorities charged three activists, Julia Dupuis, Charley Tennenbaum and Abeeku Vassall, for distributing flyers in a neighborhood in Cartersville, a town about 45 miles northwest of Atlanta.

The leaflets stated that a murderer lived in their midst, referring to a police officer who lived in the Cartersville neighborhood and who was supposedly involved in killing Manuel Teran on January 16. The three activists have been charged with the felony of intimidating and stalking an officer of the state.

In addition to these latest arrests, the authorities charged 23 randomly arrested music festival attendees with draconian domestic terrorism charges in March and held them in jail without bail.
As the new and highly infectious XBB.1.16, or Arcturus variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus sweeps across the world, Canada, like every capitalist country, stands woefully ill prepared to handle further waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A registered nurse pulls on a new N95 mask as indentations remain from another she had just removed after leaving a COVID-19 patient room in the acute care unit of Harborview Medical Center, Friday, Jan. 14, 2022, in Seattle. Washington Gov. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

The resurgence of COVID is above all due to the Forever Covid mass infection policy of governments at the provincial and federal levels, mirroring their counterparts internationally. The Trudeau Liberal government has spearheaded this policy, including by embracing the demands of the far-right Freedom Convoy in early 2022 to dismantle all remaining public health measures. The Liberals received unflinching support from the trade unions, which have suppressed all efforts by workers during the pandemic to resist dangerous working conditions.

Several provinces have recently experienced an uptick in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. During the week leading up to May 12, Manitoba saw 41 COVID-19-related hospitalizations, up 16 from the previous week. ICU admissions also increased to 11, and two died of the disease.

In the same week, Nova Scotia reported eight COVID-19 deaths, with health authorities quick to point out that these were previously unreported deaths and most likely occurred during previous weeks and months.

This only underscores the extent to which any semblance of data gathering on the pandemic has been dismantled by every level of government, with the exception of wastewater monitoring. In essence, the countrys entire population of 38 million people is flying blind through an ongoing pandemic, with the only systematic data analysis and interpretation conducted by volunteer groups like COVID-19 Resources Canada, which compiles a monthly national Hazard Index and tracks both hospitalizations and deaths.

The XBB.1.16 variant is thought to have originated in India and has led to a massive surge of infections and hospitalizations in that country. On April 11 alone, the country registered 5.5 million new infections, which is almost certainly an undercount given the notorious COVID-19 minimizing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who infamously vowed to save the country not from the virus itself, but from lockdowns.

XBB.1.16 is a combination of the BA.2.10.1 and BA.2.75 variants and features an additional mutation on its spike protein. Lab studies have shown that this mutation could potentially increase infectivity and severity of disease. Nevertheless, government and health authorities across Canada have blithely dismissed the danger of the new variant. In this, they took their cue from the misnamed World Health Organization, which recently ended its designation of the pandemic as a global health emergency as a concession to the financial markets.

The new variant was expected to make up at least one-third of all new infections in Ontario by mid-April. Positivity rates have begun to climb in the province after reaching a one-year low two weeks ago. The province witnessed 16 COVID deaths during the second week of May, although hospitalizations are below the previous low set in June 2022.

Several disturbing developments point to a further weakening of collective protection against the coronavirus, which will lead to an increase of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.

The vast majority of health care settings in Canada have dropped mask mandates for both patients and staff. This includes hospitals and community clinics. At the same time, public messaging from provincial capitals and their health authorities has put the onus on individuals to mask, effectively placing the responsibility for acquiring COVID-19 on the individual themselves, not on capitalist public health policies designed to infect the entire population.

The rhetoric guiding this campaign is degenerate and politically dishonest, emanating from provincial public health officers and health care executives whose conduct throughout the pandemic has directly led to the deaths of tens of thousands of people from COVID-19. In essence, they are political criminals trying to whitewash their complicity in policies of mass death.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, British Columbias provincial health officer, who oversaw the reopening of schools during the first year of the pandemic and steadfastly refused to categorize SARS-CoV-2 as an airborne pathogen, claimed that the province was not telling you not to wear a mask, what were saying is its no longer mandatory

Dr. Alon Vaisman, an infection control physician at the University Health Network in Toronto, Ontario, had the gall to claim that health care worker burnout, caused by mass infection policies that have pushed the health care system past the breaking point and drove legions of workers to quit the industry, was actually caused by mask-wearing.

...if theres anything we can do to try to alleviate the stress, Vaisman began, if you could remove masking where its no longer necessary and where the risk is extremely low  its very helpful to reduce burnout.

The response by Canadas trade union bureaucracy is indicative of its position throughout the pandemic, which has been to buttress the governments workplace and school reopening drives and mass infection policies, while sabotaging all worker opposition.

Mark Hancock, national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), responded to news of the lifting of mask mandates in hospitals by exclaiming that it was not acceptable for governments to allow employers to download workplace safety onto front-line workers.

But this is precisely what CUPE and every other union in the country has allowed these governments to do for over three years. Whenever workers, including teachers, nurses and factory workers rose up to overturn unsafe pandemic conditions and institute better protections, union bureaucrats quickly smothered these initiatives. In one collective bargaining struggle after another, the unions conspicuously omitted any mention of COVID-19, while working behind the scenes with management to ratify sellout contracts.

In addition to the removal of mask mandates in the countrys ailing health care institutions, free rapid-test disbursement has ended or is ending across the country. Quebec has just pulled free rapid-tests from store shelves, and Ontario is quickly following suit. These tests in and of themselves are a poor substitute for the more accurate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which for over a year have been denied to all but the most medically vulnerable.

Dr. Tara Moriarty, head of COVID-19 Resources Canada, recently pointed to the steep drop-off in vaccine uptake in the population. According to Moriarty, only 12.8 percent of the population has completed their primary COVID vaccine series or had a new dose within the last six months. This rises to 30 percent for people aged 70 or older, but vulnerability among the population at large puts the elderly at increased risk of acquiring the disease, especially in health care settings where there are now zero mitigations in place.

Canadas public health care system, already buckling after decades of budget cuts prior to the pandemic, is being shaken to its very foundations. This fact was highlighted by an open letter penned by a group of physicians at British Columbias Surrey Memorial Hospital, desperately warning the public of the unsafe conditions that exist in our hospital, and the lack of communication about this crisis to patients and public.

The letter paints a macabre picture of hallway medicine in the provinces busiest emergency department, including patients waiting for days on a gurney to be seen by a doctor, with some dying in the process. While the example of Surrey Memorial is illustrative, workers all over Canada will be familiar with similar horror stories in their own regions.

Even though ICU admissions for severe COVID-induced pneumonia are lower than the brutal Omicron-fueled winter surge of 2021-2022, at least 52,000 of the most medically vulnerable Canadians to date have died of what is a completely preventable disease.

In other words, had a robust COVID-19 elimination strategy been instituted at the start of the pandemic, and coordinated on a global level, tens of thousands of people would still be alive. This is before taking into account the roughly 15 percent of the population suffering from the effects of Long COVID, which could prove to be a lifelong affliction for those affected.
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has threatened to take legal action against schools offering dual language instruction in public school districts. Horne is a strong advocate of English-only instruction for non-native-English-speaking students and has taken a firm stance against dual language instruction programs.

Arizona is home to more than 93,000 English learning students, about 8.5 percent of the total K-12 student body in the state. Over recent years there has been a growing number of school programs that offer 50-50 instruction to students, with Spanish being the primary language in question, though there are a number of students with a Native American language as their first language as well.

Horne has stated that he will seek counsel from the state attorney generals office on how to take legal action against these programs, saying they are not consistent with the [Proposition 203] initiative, and the 2019 law did not purport to contradict the initiative.

A May Day demonstration in downtown Phoenix on May 1, 2017. [AP Photo/Matt York]

Im passionately in the favor of studying other languages once youre proficient in English, but the first priority is to learn English. Thats important to survive in school and in life after school, said Horne. He added that he may not even need to take legal action, continuing, I would just start with teach them, inform them, if they defy the law, cut off their funds.

The basis for Hornes claims is Proposition 203, passed in 2000 by Arizona voters as a ballot initiative. Prop 203 declares English the national language of the United States and effectively bans educational instruction in a students native language. It requires that students be placed in a one-year English immersion program before being integrated into general English instruction.

Advocates for the proposition argued that non-English-speaking students, principally Latin American immigrants, were not learning English well enough and were falling behind in academic standards. They argued that by banning native language instruction for English learners they would catch up to native English speakers faster.

However, after two decades of the ban, repeated data and research found the ban was having the opposite effect. Test scores and graduation rates for English-learning students worsened over the life of the law and public support for repealing the law grew.

By 2019 Republican and Democratic state legislators had agreed to relax the restriction with a state law that reduced the number of mandatory English instruction hours from four to two and provided a framework for schools to offer dual 50-50 language programs in which parents could enroll their children.

Over the next three years several Republican and Democratic Party politicians sponsored legislation to further reform the Prop 203 ban but failed to get the bills passed into law. In 2023, these politicians have abandoned reforming Prop 203 entirely.

This is in part because UnidosUS, the largest Latino advocacy group in the US, has dropped the issue from its platform. Representatives of the organization say they still support repealing Prop 203, but that they are more interested in other legislative efforts to lift a ban on undocumented immigrants utilizing in-state tuition rates for public colleges and universities.

Liz Salazar, a policy adviser for UnidosUS, said, Its going to get prickly trying to make sure the tuition equity stays on the ballot. We didnt think this would be the year that [the English-only repeal] will make it through. We anticipate that no Republican would want to sponsor that legislation in an election year, and theres other issues that might make their constituents think twice about the English-only repeal if there is a tuition equity piece on the ballot, too.

This retreat from the Prop 203 repeal has opened the door for Horne to attack dual language instruction and preserve Arizonas status as the last remaining state with a dual language instruction ban.

Arizonas ban was part of a wave of anti-immigrant politics that swept the nation at the turn of the century, with California, Arizona, and Massachusetts passing bans on dual language instruction.

California was the first, with voters passing Prop 227 after millionaire Ronald Unz launched a campaign to ban dual language instruction in 1998.

Unz gained his wealth by developing a software for banks to manage mortgage securities in the 1980s. He used his new wealth to fund an aspiring political career which included a failed campaign for the California Republican gubernatorial nomination in 1994. Unz saw greater potential in ballot initiatives and in 1998 launched his successful campaign to impose a ban on dual language instruction across the state.

Unz had no background in education, using language instruction as a thinly veiled attack on immigrants. He is primarily known for his support for far-right views and commentators and antisemitic positions about Jewish influence in politics and academia.

In 2013 he founded the Unz Review online publication as a hub for far-right, racist, antisemitic and anti-immigrant rhetoric. Unz claims that he does not agree with the positions expressed in the articles he publishes and that it is simply a place for controversial opinions.

Among such controversial ideas is that Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated by a Jewish plot and that the Democratic Party is attempting to destroy suburbia, the backbone of Western civilization, by sending immigrants to suburban communities.

The latter was written by John Derbyshire, a racist and anti-communist political columnist who was fired from the conservative National Review for making racist comments about African Americans.

This is the political sewer from which the assault on dual language instruction has emerged. Prohibitions on instruction in a students native language have a very reactionary political history. Concealed behind a false concern for the well-being of English learners, the ban on non-English instruction is a blatant attack on immigrants.

It is hardly a coincidence that this attack is coming now, given that the Biden administration is ramping up its own assault on immigrants at the Mexican border, in which children continue to held in cages and active duty military personnel detain immigrants fleeing poverty and violence wrought by American imperialism in their home countries.

The legitimacy of Hornes legal challenges remain to be seen, but the bipartisan assault on immigrants will continue to escalate as long as the two big-business political parties dominate American politics.
58% of Gen Z Plans To Switch to EV in the Next 5 Years: Why Its a Smart Investment for This Generation

SimonSkafar / iStock.com

Gen Z is going electric. Theyre known for activism, so its no surprise that much of this young generation is planning to make the shift to electric vehicles in the not-so-distant future.

Currently, most  74.77%  members of Gen Z have never owned an electric car, according to a recent GOBankingRates survey of 18- to 24-year-olds. However, 58.25% said theyre at least somewhat likely to buy one in the next five years.

But Watch Out for These: 8 Electric Cars You May Regret Buying

Learn More: Demand for Gold Is Up. Heres Everything You Need To Know.

To gain the business of this generation, automakers will need to ensure EVs are affordable. Despite knowing it will save them gas money, 63.76% of respondents said they wouldnt pay more than $7,500 extra for an EV over a similar gas-powered car.

In April 2023, the average price of a new electric vehicle was $55,089, according to Kelly Blue Book. This marks a $4,464  7.5%  decline from just one month earlier. Not too much lower, the average price of a new vehicle in general is $48,275, as of April 2023. This is a difference of just $6,814, so even at current rates, its within the range that many members of Gen Z consider financially acceptable.

The future of transport is becoming increasingly electric, said Alec Lucas, a research analyst at Global X, a thematic ETF firm based in New York City. Mainstream EV adoption has been fueled by a combination of factors, including technological innovation, accommodative government policy, proliferating charging infrastructure and fleet electrification efforts from traditional auto original equipment managers.

New Car Market: Prices Are About To Plummet Due To Oversupply

He expects these types of trends to continue to support future growth in EV sales, but he said theres still a learning curve when it comes to adoption.

Automakers are making significant efforts to help potential buyers become more and more acquainted with EV ownership, as well as what EVs can and cannot do, he said.

Clearly, Gen Z is interested in being part of this growing trend. Heres a few reasons why purchasing an EV is a smart investment for this young generation.

EVs Are Becoming More Affordable

Economically speaking, buying EVs makes a lot of sense for Gen Z, said Liz Najman, climate scientist and communications and research manager at Recurrent, an EV research and analytics company.

The purchase price of new and used EVs is falling, and there are enticing incentives on the federal and state level, she said.

In June 2022, new EVs reached a peak price of more than $66,000. This price is significantly less now, with a $55,089 average in April 2023.

Additionally, the Internal Revenue Service is offering a credit of up to $7,500 to qualified individuals who purchase a new, qualified plug-in EV or fuel cell electric vehicle.

Find Out: Is Teslas $40K Electric Car Really a Bargain Now That the Price Has Been Slashed 6 Times?

More Predictable Cost of Ownership

In 2022, the average total cost of owning and operating a vehicle was $10,729  per every 15,000 miles driven  according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. This includes $6,578 in fixed expenses and $4,151 in variable expenses, with the latter meaning theres lots of unknowns.

Owning an EV means a much more predictable cost of ownership, Najman said. These generations have seen a lot of volatility in gas prices, and they know they can avoid staggeringly high gasoline prices by going electric.

The average cost of gas is $3.53 per gallon as of May 21, 2023, according to AAA.

Najman said the lack of having to buy gas, plus the fact that EVs have fewer moving parts, makes it easier to work this expense into your budget.

Eco-Friendly Benefits

All EVs can help improve fuel economy, reduce fuel costs and lower emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. For example, all-electric vehicles produce zero tailpipe emissions and when operating in all-electric mode, plug-in hybrid vehicles also produce zero tailpipe emissions.

We see that younger generations are eager to adopt EVs because they are more likely to be value-aligned shoppers inspired to use their dollars to fight climate change, Najman said.

Hebron Sher, CEO and founder of Zevo Corporation, the worlds first peer-to-peer electric vehicle sharing platform, which will soon be launching in Dallas, also agreed the eco-friendly benefits of EVs are appealing to the youngest adults.

Gen Z is significantly more open to ways they can collaboratively work together for a cleaner planet, he said.

Ease of Use

The ease of using EVs is another reason Gen Z is drawn to them, Sher said.

Technology is at the center of all EVs, and if weve learned anything, its that Gen Z loves technology and the convenience it brings to their lives, he said. Not only does it save them time and hassle, its basically the new cool.'

He said internal combustion engine vehicles  i.e., those powered by conventional methods, such as gasoline or diesel  are unable to compete with the technology and telematics EVs have to offer.

Gen Z is impact driven, and they understand the importance of the movement to zero,' he said.

If the price of EVs continues to fall, it seems likely that an increasing number of the Gen Z population will invest in them. Only time will tell if this will sway other generations to follow their lead, eventually allowing eco-friendly vehicles to dominate the road.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 58% of Gen Z Plans To Switch to EV in the Next 5 Years: Why Its a Smart Investment for This Generation
Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month by supporting these brands.

 Recommendations are independently chosen by Revieweds editors. Purchases you make through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Its AAPI Heritage Month and were here to honor Asian American businesses and products all month long (and beyond). Supporting the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community is something everyone can do, whether it be through advocating, spreading awareness, donating to support causes or shopping at Asian-owned businesses.

In the event that youre searching for a gift or just looking for a little something for yourself, read on to discover eight incredible AAPI-owned businesses run by women. Supporting these brands is a simple way to show your solidarity with the AAPI community, so lets get shopping!

Make smart choices without hours of googling. Subscribe to The Checklist newsletter for expert product advice and recommendations.

1. Tower28

Tower28s lipgloss is poppin.

If you're a clean beauty fan, might I introduce you to Tower28? Its a cosmetics line created by Amy Liu, who was inspired to create it out of her own need for makeup that would do its job without irritating her sensitive skin or eczema. Everything is non-toxic and vegan, with ingredients designed to nourish and calm the skin.

The brand has amassed hundreds of positive reviews both on its website and on Sephora. If you have skin sensitivities, check outbetween its lipgloss, cream blush, bronzer, and highlighter, something always seems to be sold out!

Shop Tower28

2. Cocofloss

Its a splurge, but for the health of your teeth, its totally worth it.

When my dentist friend recommended Cocofloss, a floss created by dentist Dr. Chrystle Cu and her sister Catherine, I decided to give it a try, because the only thing better than something recommended by a dentist is something made by one! Cocofloss calls itself a luxury floss and at $8 a boxId agree.

However, it really cleans my teeth in a way that no other floss has. For one, it doesnt feel like a little flimsy piece of plastic threadCocofloss is made up of 500 pieces of fibers that are coated in coconut oil (a natural antimicrobial), and is effective at removing plaque while soothing your gums. For anyone looking for vegan and cruelty-free products, this ones for you. For anyone who might enjoy a nice strawberry, orange, vanilla, or mint aroma, its definitely for you.

Shop Cocofloss

3. Blueland

Say hello to clean cleaning products.

Finding ways to minimize your single-use plastic consumption can be as simple as buying in bulk or opting for products with plastic-free packaging. And now, thanks to Blueland, even your cleaning products can be sustainable. Blueland CEO Sarah Paiji Yoo and her partner were able to secure $270,000 on _Shark Tank _when they pitched their tablet-based cleaners.

Thats right, you buy the empty glass containers once, fill them up with water and drop-in tablets that have been formulated to turn into dish detergent, hand soap, bathroom cleaner, multi-surface cleaner, or hand soap. When you finish your cleaning products, you order more tablets (starting at $2 a piece) and drop them into fresh water in the existing container! Its a brilliant way to clean your home with non-toxic ingredients while helping out Mother Nature in the process by reducing single-use plastic.

Shop Blueland

4. Senreve

Home of the newest it-girl bag.

You may have spotted this It-Girl bag on the shoulders and backs of celebrities and influencers. Cute, convertible, and available in a million colors, its time you know this trendy purse by its name: the Maestra bag. It was the first product of Coral Chung and Wendy Wens luxury handbag company, Senreve.

What sets this brand apart from other luxury handbags is the founders desire to make their brand high-end but approachable, hence why they chose to start as a strictly direct-to-consumer brand. The brand prioritizes practicality, too, as the Maestra can turn into a backpack, crossbody, shoulder tote, or handheld. Seen on the likes of Lady Gaga, Gabrielle Union, and Priyanka Chopra, this celeb-loved pick is available in addition to new offerings like belt bags, pouches, pajamas, cashmere sets, and more.

Shop Senreve

5. Hero

The companys Mighty patches are here to save the day.

A pimple can put a damper on your day, especially if it looks like Mount Vesuvius twin (or big) sister. Enter the Mighty Patch. These small-but-mighty hydrocolloid stickers stop pimples dead in their tracks before they have the chance to erupt. With more than 92,000 reviews on Amazon, the mighty patch lives up to its namesome reviewers even refer to these magical patches as witchcraft.

Ju Rhyu, the founder, has since expanded product offerings to include toners, moisturizers, and more. No matter what your skin happens to throw at you, youll be prepared with a little hero that you can keep in your medicine cabinet.

Shop Hero

6. Glow Recipe

This brand made the mask that introduced America to K-Beauty.

K-beauty continues to have a major momentIn fact, K beauty has taught many of us the correct order of operations when applying products (sheet masks come before eye cream!), and introduced us to amazing techniques such as double-cleansing.

One product that's had a huge surge in popularity is Glow Recipes Watermelon Glow Sleeping Maskso much so, that at one point in time there was a 5,000-person waiting list. Luckily for us, after securing funding on Shark Tank, the Glow Recipe founders, Sarah Lee and Christine Chang, have expanded their offerings, ramped up production, and now sell their line at Sephora. Intrigued? Add the bestseller to your cart and wait for smooth skin to be delivered to your doorstep.

Shop Glow Recipe

7. Mason Dixie Biscuits

Regardless which side of the Mason Dixon you live on, you deserve quality biscuits.

If you know the hallmark of a good biscuit is that it's buttery, crumbly, and doesnt make you cough, youre going to love Mason Dixie. The companys biscuits, scones, and rolls are sold at Whole Foods, Harris Teeter, Publix, and Kroger nationwide, as well as online.

Mason Dixies founder, Ayeshah Abuelhiga, acknowledges that based on her Korean and Palestinian-Israeli lineage, she may not seem like the poster child for Southern cooking. But growing up in Baltimore, her mom often made Southern dishes for her when she was a child. If these biscuitswhich are the first Google result for Best Biscuit in Americaare any indication of her moms cooking skills, its no wonder Abuelhiga fell in love with Southern cuisine.

Shop Mason Dixie

8. Base Coat Nail Salon

Insert nail painting emoji.

Learning that regular nail polish often contains formaldehyde sent me down a rabbit hole on Google. As a very much alive human being, I was not interested in having a mortuary-grade preservative in the polish on my manicured toes. In my quest to find a non-toxic nail polish company with cute colors and a formaldehyde-free formula (that wasnt watery and would last at least a week), I found Base Coat. Its formula is 10-free, which is beauty speak for free of the most toxic ingredients known to cause health problems.

Founder Tran Wills created the 10-Free OG nail polish line and a chain of salons committed to sustainability in nine states. Plus, the colors are stunning.

Shop Base Coat at Nordstrom

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews and more.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

This article originally appeared on Reviewed: 8 AAPI-owned, women-owned businesses to shop
Abbott's Baby Formula Brouhaha: Judge Says No Harm, No Foul in Contamination Controversy

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly in Chicago dismissed claims by parents pursuing only "economic loss" claims related to Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) Similac and other formulas that they said had a "substantial risk" of bacteria contamination.

The parents said they would not have bought or paid less for formula but for the company's claims that it was safe.

Related: Republicans Seek Documents, Schedule Hearing Related To FDA's Response To Baby-Formula Shortage.

Last February, Abbott recalled powdered baby formulas, including Similac, made at a Michigan facility after four consumers complained about bacterial infections in infants who consumed the products.

The judge said the parents lacked standing to sue, Reuters reported, as they did not show which Abbott products/lots were contaminated or their children experienced symptoms.

"In short, the plaintiffs received exactly what they say they bargained for safe infant formula," Kennelly wrote.

The judge also issued decisions that narrowed but did not dismiss two related lawsuits against Abbott.

Amid backlash for slow response to the formula shortage, the FDA proposed consolidating and streamlining its food division.

Last week, a New York City woman sued Abbott, accusing them of misleading consumers into believing its PediaSure nutrition drinks were "clinically proven" to increase children's height.

Price Action: ABT shares are down 1.89% at $106.19 on the last check Tuesday.

Photo by Pexels from Pixabay

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This article Abbott's Baby Formula Brouhaha: Judge Says No Harm, No Foul in Contamination Controversy originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
The Academic Forum on "the Belt and Road Initiative" and "the Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road" was held in Beijing, China

Beijing, China--(Newsfile Corp. - May 23, 2023) - On the 19th of May, the academic forum on the study of "the Belt and Road Initiative" and "the Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road" was held in Beijing, China. The general director, Zheng Dui, and the deputy general director, Li Decheng, of the China Tibetology Research Center, the Vice President of the Buddhist Association of Qinghai Province, China, Garwa Ngawang Zangpo, scholars from Southwest University for Nationalities, Tibet University, Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, etc., as well as religious figures and news media person from Qinghai and Gansu, attended.

"The Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road-Based on the Research on the Ancient Post Road from Beijing to Tibet in the Yuan Dynasty" was a sub-project extended from "The Belt and Road Initiative and its Relationship with the Development of Tibetan Buddhism", supported by the National Social Science Fund of China in 2017.

Ever since the concept of the "Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road" and its connotation and extension were proposed and defined for the first time, it has been highly valued by the Chinese academic community. In 2019, the expert group launched research work. Led by Garwa Ngawang Zangpo, the team re-walked the "Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road", inspected important ancient caravanserais and temples along the Road (including those in today's Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan, and Tibet), conducted focus groups and interviews with experts from those places, as well as collected, organised, and analysed relevant information.



The Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road-Based on the Research on the Ancient Post Road from Beijing to Tibet in the Yuan Dynasty

Edited by Zheng Dui and written by Garwa Ngawang Sangpo, "The Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road-Based on the Research on the Ancient Post Road from Beijing to Tibet in the Yuan Dynasty" was published by China Tibetology Publishing House in 2021. This publication further proves the long-lasting relationships and communications between various ethnic groups from Beijing to Tibet.

At the Forum, Garwa Ngawang Zangpo made a keynote speech entitled "The Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road, as the Four Bridges Linking Beijing and Tibet". Garwa Ngawang Zangpo mentioned that, the Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road has been an important bridge carrying transportation, politics, culture, and ethnicity from Beijing and Tibet, and has substantial historical and practical meanings.

Specifically, the Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road intertwined with the Silk Road and the Ancient Tangbo Road, which greatly expanded and enriched road transportation in ancient China, highlights the broad connotation of today's Belt and Road initiative, reflects the close relationships and communications between ethnic groups since ancient China, and shows deep cohesion and 'centripetal force' of the Chinese nation.

According to Garwa Ngawang Zangpo, in 1247, Koden, son of Mongolian Ogedei Khan, and Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyaltsen, a Tibetan spiritual leader and a Buddhist scholar, had the historically meaningful Liangzhou Talk in Liangzhou (now in Wuwei, Gansu, China). After then, Sakya Pandita wrote the "Sakya Pandita's Letters to the Tubo People," in which he highlighted the respect received from the Mongolian royal family for Tibetan religious beliefs and people, and subsequently made Tibet an administrative region under the central government of the Yuan Dynasty.

To strengthen the connection between the central government and various regions, and achieve the Great Unification of China, after Kublai Khan ascended the throne, he established 72 caravanserais from Dayidu Qota, the capital of Yuan Dynasty (now in Beijing), to Sakya Monastery in Shigatse, Tibet, along the Ancient Being-Tibet Road.

Since then, many aristocratic families from Mongolia and Tibet and those near the Yellow River settled along the Road. The relocation and development in new areas, as well as the difficulties experienced throughout this experience, made people from different geographical places and ethnic groups help each other and initiate relationships. Most importantly, it is also a reflection of the developments of the big family of, and a strong sense of community for, the Chinese nation.

On behalf of the China Tibetology Research Center, Zheng Dui presented the letter of appointment as an invited researcher of the Institute of Religious Studies of the China Tibetology Research Center to Garwa Ngawang Zangpo. Garwa Ngawang Zangpo said that he was honored to receive and accept the invitation and he would continue to do a good job in the exploration, protection, and promotion of national culture. Meanwhile, he hoped that the Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road could receive further attention from people from all walks of life, and one day, the Ancient Beijing-Tibet Road and major historical and cultural sites protected at the national level along the Road could be included in the World Heritage List.

Contact:

Zhang Chuxi

3256926710@qq.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/167084
LONDON, May 23, 2023 /CNW/ -- Accelex, a SaaS platform specializing in alternative investment data acquisition, reporting and analytics, is proud to announce the launch of its next-generation portfolio analytics and reporting platform for institutional investors and asset servicers. This is in response to growing client demand for a solution that delivers powerful insights from data extracted via periodic fund performance reports and statements.

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Private markets investment professionals currently face significant challenges in accessing and visualizing detailed transparency data from their invested fund portfolios. This results in firms deploying expensive resources on manually surfacing and analyzing data rather than focusing their expertise on delivering improved investment and risk decisions.

Accelex's cutting-edge solution offers powerful features that allow investors and asset servicers to analyze portfolio drivers across their entire investment network, including underlying asset operating performance. The solution also provides a comprehensive audit trail that links all data to its location within the source document, exposure analysis to identify concentration risks or deviation from allocation policies, as well as unique cohort analysis and historical comparisons.

"Our portfolio analytics and reporting platform delivers a single source of validated data that provides rapid answers to the questions that matter most to institutional investors," said Nicole Weder, Chief Product Officer at Accelex. "With our new solution, institutional investors can instantaneously explore a golden source of investment insights within any category and at any level, enabling them to understand their exposures and analyze a full time-series of portfolio performance."

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NEWPORT  Local sailing enthusiasts knew the Newport-based 11th Hour Racing Team was the first Ocean Race competitor to complete the fourth leg of the event and sail into Newport Harbor even if they werent present at Fort Adams State Park to welcome the crew.

We heard all the horns going off on the boats, Newport resident Heather Depinho said. It was pretty nice for them to come into their home port and win.

On Sunday, 11 days after first arrival, the four IMOCA 60-foot monohull sailing yachts departed to more horn blasts, water cannon salutes and rousing ovations from the thousands of spectators at Fort Adams to see them off on the fifth leg of the race to Aarhus in Denmark.

Team Malizia sailing under the Newport Bridge.

This is our second time coming, Chelsea, Michigan, resident Keith Prodin said. Im a little bit of a sailor but not like these guys. I really respect them, especially since the race ties in with the environment now. The ambiance of Newport combined with the race is wonderful.

Crowds of spectators, boaters flock to Newport sendoff

Margaret Leary of Greenwich, Connecticut, arrived in Newport on Saturday for a weekend visit. She grew up sailing in her hometown but never had the chance to get to Newport the other two times it was an Ocean Race stopover host.

Ocean health: Protecting the ocean is vital to Newport. Summit details how The Ocean Race is helping

This was my first opportunity, Leary said. I love being able to get close to the boats. I study ocean engineering. Im very into boat building. So Im fascinated by design choices.

Leary was able to see numerous types of spectator boats that clogged the harbor for the sendoff. Boats of all designs lined the perimeter of the in-port racecourse and were corralled like cattle by race official vessels.

Sailing fans line up to see the boats off from Fort Adams in Newport on Sunday afternoon.

Depinho said the short trip from her home to the sendoff took 20 minutes  plus parking. She made no qualms about why she and her husband were at Fort Adams.

We came to see the boats take off today. I want to see them moving, Depinho said.

Story continues

The sun was shining but the light southwesterly breeze did not make for ideal sailing conditions. Some spectators  depending on location  may have been able to see the boats retractable foils lift the hull out of the water.

Local sailors reunite with families before beginning the next race leg

Two members of the 11th Hour Racing Team have Ocean State connections. On-board reporter Amory Ross calls Newport his home base while skipper Charlie Enright lives in Bristol. They enjoyed their short stay as much as possible with their family and friends before beginning the fifth leg of the race.

What to know about IMOCA vessels: Why do the Ocean Race sailboats look so different?

I cant even imagine how difficult it is, Leary said. But at the same time, its a breath of fresh air to be able to come back and regroup before they head back out.

Brad Read, the executive director of Sail Newport, which served as host of the North American Stopover of The Ocean Race, said although the two local sailors can be with family and friends, it is still a difficult stay for them.

Charlie Enright piloting the 11th Hour Racing Team from Newport.

This is their hardest stopover because their time is not their own. People latch onto them, Read said. Ive got them speaking at something. Herreshoff (Marine Museum) has them. They have to go to this place, that place and the other place.

But they do get to sleep in their own bed. Its a double-edged sword though. Im sure when the Dutch get to the Hague theyre going to have the same issue. Their time is not going to be their own.

11th Hour Racing Team in the mix to win Ocean Race

The 11th Hour Racing Team sailed into Newport Harbor as the winner of the fourth leg of the Ocean Race. After the Newport-to-Denmark leg, the boats travel to The Hague in the Netherlands for Leg 6, and from The Hague to Genoa, Italy, on the final leg.

The Newport-based team currently sits in second place and has a chance to win the six-month-long race.

Theyve done great and shown improvement, Leary said. Each leg brings its own challenges so its all about how the team handles everything that comes with it.

Prodin said, I think the team that wins this leg pretty much has won it.

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: Ocean Race IMOCA 60-foot sailing yachts leave Newport, head to Denmark
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Nearly three months after first taking applications for a new superintendent, the Broward School Board picked seven semifinalists on Monday to move forward in the search.

Heres what to know:

The semifinal candidates

 Peter Licata, regional superintendent at Palm Beach County Schools.

 Wanda Paul, chief operating officer for the Houston Independent School District and a former facilities and operations chief for Palm Beach County Schools.

 Jason Nault, associate superintendent of teaching and learning, equity and accountability at Waukegan Public Schools in suburban Chicago and a former Broward principal.

 Rituparna (Rita) Raichoudhuri, former superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools in Michigan.

 Sito Narcisse, superintendent of East Baton Rouge School District in Louisiana.

 Valerie Wanza, the acting chief of staff at Broward County Public Schools who has been with the district since 1992 and served as superintendent for a few days earlier this year after former superintendent Vickie Cartwright left.

 Luis Solano, deputy superintendent for the Detroit Public Schools Community District.

The superintendent search

From early March to late April, 26 people applied for the job. But only 15 met the job qualifications. One dropped out, so the board could only consider 14 candidates. Because of the limited options, the board reopened the application window for a week May 9-16. During that second time around, five more people applied, but only two qualified.

In total, 31 people applied, and 16 qualified and stayed in the running for the top job of the sixth largest school district in the U.S.

Picking favorite candidates

At a special board meeting Monday, each of the nine School Board members picked their top five candidates out of those 16. Then David Azzarito, the districts executive director of human resources and equity at the Broward school district, tallied the votes each semifinalist got.

Solano got 9 votes, Licata 7 votes, Wanza 6, Nault 5, and Narcisse, Paul and Rituparna all got 4. To see a breakdown of which candidates each board member chose, click here.

Story continues

Jesus Jara, the superintendent at Clark County School District  the fifth-largest school district in the country  considered applying but then decided not to.

Whats next in the Broward Schools superintendent search?

Board member Nora Rupert looks through notes on the candidates during a Broward Country School Board meeting discussing candidates to move forward as semi-finalists in the superintendent search on Monday, May 22, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale. Alie Skowronski/askowronski@miamiherald.com

The seven semifinalists from Texas, Illinois, Michigan, Louisiana and Florida will now submit videos of themselves answering three questions in nine minutes by Thursday. The board will get the recordings Friday, then meet again May 30 to discuss the detailed process and vote on finalists.

According to the School Boards set schedule, finalists will participate in community focus groups and meet with the nine board members one-on-one on June 14.

The board will name the next superintendent June 15.

According to John Sullivan, a school district spokesman, the candidates will answer these three questions:

 Please describe your administrative experiences and background that have prepared you for the position of Superintendent of Schools in Broward County, the sixth largest school district in the country.

 Just recently, as a result of unprecedented rainfall in Broward County, many of the schools experienced significant water damage due to flooding. Schools and District offices were closed for two days. Please describe how you would have addressed this issue through your leadership skills.

 Should you be appointed as the next Superintendent of Schools in Broward County, please describe your 90 day transition-in plan.

What board members want in the next superintendent

Chair Lori Alhadeff gives a briefing after a Broward Country School Board meeting on seminfinalist candidates for superintendent on Monday, May 22, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale. Alie Skowronski/askowronski@miamiherald.com

The School Board on Monday didnt discuss which candidates they wanted. Afterward, Allen Zeman, from the countywide seat 9, described the semifinalists as very, very solid and said the board didnt talk much because they had already decided.

We each did our homework, and we came in with the list of people we thought were most qualified, he said.

Asked what hell consider the most when hiring a superintendent, Zeman said he wants someone who can handle carefully new laws coming from Tallahassee.

I think the most appropriate question for the candidates is, How do you get right up to the line of what the law or the statute says that were allowed to do,  he said. We cannot violate the law. We cannot violate the statute. But we can go up to the line.

Board member Dr. Allen Zeman talks during a press conference after a Broward Country School Board meeting discussing candidates to move forward as semi-finalists in the superintendent search on Monday, May 22, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale. Alie Skowronski/askowronski@miamiherald.com

He followed up with an example, referring to the so-called Dont Say Gay law: How do you make sure that LGBTQ students feel whole? Theyre people not gay people, not bisexual people  people. And how do we make sure that they feel like people and theyre not traumatized by this Legislature?

Zeman also wants an outside candidate who will change Broward County public schools, which have been rated B for the past 11 years. Lori Alhadeff, the chair of the board, agreed because she wants someone with new ideas.

Neither voted for Wanza, the only internal semifinalist.

Additionally, Alhadeff said the new superintendent should be someone experienced in a large school district.

For me, its really about the candidates being able to tell me how theyre going to handle certain situations ... like COVID or a threat at a school, she said. I want to hear about their leadership and how theyre actually going to take action and handle those issues.
CharlieKirkTUPSAPivotsToJesus CharlieKirkTUPSAPivotsToJesus.jpg - Credit: Joshua Lott/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Turning Point USA  the right-wing powerhouse run by Charlie Kirk  began as a campus crusade for capitalism. Its mission, as recorded with the IRS since 2012, is to enlighten students about fiscal responsibility and the virtues of free markets.

But in recent months, TPUSA has adopted a cause thats very different from foisting Milton Friedman on frat boys. The group is putting its cash, and its political cachet, behind Christian nationalism, promising to restore Americas biblical values. Indeed, TPUSA has embraced a new crusade to empower Christians to change the trajectory of our nation.

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TPUSAs faith initiative is currently backing the reactionary preacher Sean Feucht in his Kingdom to the Capitol tour, where hes staging revivals at the nations 50 statehouses. The MAGA preacher is explicit about the aim  declaring that he wants believers to be the ones writing the laws! and pleading guilty as charged! to Christian nationalism. Its all part of The King coming back, Feucht told followers in Oklahoma  a reference to the second coming of Jesus. Thats what were practicing for.

TPUSA is also sponsoring a Pastors Summit in Nashville, Tennessee starting May 24. It promises to empower attendees to stand boldly for righteousness in a world that desperately needs Jesus. The speaker lineup includes Eric Metaxas  emcee of the Jericho March that sought divine intervention to keep Trump in power in late 2020  and Pastor Rob McCoy, Kirks spiritual mentor and co-chair of TPUSA Faith. The doctrine of McCoys church insists that Jesus will return to Earth to establish a kingdom of which there will be no end and demands that all believers fulfill His command to preach the gospel to the entire world.

Story continues

To be plain, the free-market activism of TPUSA continues. The group touts a presence on 3,500 campuses. But the energy at the top of the organization has shifted away from engaging students  who increasingly look like a lost cause to the conservative movement  to marshaling the nations churches to the frontlines of Republican politics. In an August event sponsored by the Christian nationalist news program Flashpoint, Kirk inveighed against the homosexual agenda and touted a defining moment for us as Christians, promising believers victory in the culture war: We wake up, they lose, Kirk said.

Turning Points pivot mirrors a seismic shift in the conservative movement away from trickle-down economics and into the culture wars, particularly around issues of race, gender identity, and abortion. And it reflects a party that sees political salvation, not in minting a new crop of free-market bros, but in mobilizing a base of white evangelicals who dont always turn out to the polls, but fervently back the GOP when they do.

Kirk did not respond to Rolling Stones request for comment about the new crusade at Turning Point. But the focus on fundamentalism represents a clear-and-present danger to democracy. Targeting a younger generation to raise up champions of lower taxes and fewer regulations is one thing. Its quite another to seek to organize end-times zealots, with the aim of achieving a religious takeover of the secular United States.

The Kingdom to the Capitol Tour

Christian nationalism is a belief system held by a minority of Christians who argue, against the facts of U.S. history, that America was founded as a Christian nation. They believe in a fusion between a particularly conservative and ethnocentric expression of Christianity, with American civic life, Andrew L. Whitehead, a professor and author of American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church, tells Rolling Stone.

Adherents, Whitehead says, believe that the country was founded for Christians like them  generally natural-born citizens and white  and that the federal government should preserve that framework. Its a movement that literally demonizes opponents as agents of Lucifer. And this totalitarian, with-God-or-with-the-devil outlook, Whitehead has explained to Rolling Stone, presents an existential threat to democracy, because democracy is about varying groups with different visions for society, competing to have a say, or to find areas of compromise.

Actual economists see a big conflict in Turning Point USAs new, dual missions  championing both free markets and Christian supremacy. Peter Boettke directs the F.A. Hayek Program for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center, a libertarian think tank at George Mason University. He insists that free markets require a political system that exhibits neither discrimination or domination, because true market freedom is about organizing the purposes and plans of individuals  not imposing the purpose and the plan of an all-knowing God.

Overt Christian nationalism gets TPUSAs backing in its sponsorship of Feuchts Kingdom to the Capitol tour. Modeled on the success of the MAGA preachers Covid-era protests defying public-health restrictions on churches, Feucht is staging praise concerts at the statehouses in all 50 U.S. capital cities. TPUSA touts Kingdom to the Capitol as our most ambitious and historic revival tour yet, and encourages believers to hear the bold call for the Church to rise for this historic moment we were literally born for!

The relationship with Kirk and Feucht stretches back to before the pandemic. Kirk publicly backed Feucht when the faith leader made a failed 2020 bid for Congress from California. Feucht officially joined the organization as a TPUSA Faith Contributor in February.

The Kingdom to the Capitol series kicked off in Washington D.C. in March, with the illicit boost of Rep. Lauren Boebert  herself a Christian nationalist  who has bragged about sneaking Feucht into the Capitol Rotunda for a praise service. We walked into the Rotunda and we honored God. We put him first, Boebert told supporters. We prayed for God to move in the people that He has positioned in this time  for His people to rise up. And I believe He heard our prayers.

In most locales, the Feucht concerts resemble protests on the steps of the Capitol. But in a few red states, Feucht & Co have been welcomed into the halls of power. In both Austin and Indianapolis, Feucht and his followers have briefly transformed the statehouses into houses of worship  erasing, if briefly, any distinction between church and state. Inside the Indiana Capitol, Feucht prophesied over Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch: Youre going to be filled with favor, Feucht told the Republican. We thank you, Lord, that you have put her in a position of authority over this state!

Christian nationalist Sean Feucht prayed a blessing over Indiana Lt. Gov Suzanne Crouch after she arranged for them to hold a prayer rally inside the state capitol. Feucht promised that Crouch will be "filled with favor" for giving them access. pic.twitter.com/ur3ySqVhfR  Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) May 8, 2023

The tour will continue into the summer, capping off in Idaho in late July. Across these travels, Feucht has been bold about the aim to have Christians reshape America in preparation for the second coming of Jesus. People think were crazy  and Christian nationalists, Feucht told the crowd in Indiana. Im like: Yeah. We want God in control of government. Yes. We want God writing the laws of the land, Feucht said. Thats us!

Kirks Christianity

Kirk, for his part, doesnt contest the Christian nationalist label as much as he taunts those who use it. In his August 2022 Flashpoint speech, in front of a live audience in Forth Worth, Texas, the 27-year-old TPUSA founder said liberal critics are decrying a disturbing movement of Christian nationalism. Do you know what thats code for? he asked the believers in the audience. Thats code for: Youre starting to care, and theyre getting scared.

Kirk said little to champion economic freedom. He railed instead against Pride month, rainbow flags, and gay orgies in San Francisco. Are we a conquered country at this point? he asked. Its like you see the gay flag more than you see the United States of America flag. He warned that our nations young people are being targeted by The Enemy  meaning Satan  who is attempting to turn them toward secular humanism.

Kirk insisted that churches needed to court political controversy because the Bible is not neutral: The Gospel says that we are so flawed that you need to give yourself to Jesus Christ and only through him you get to eternity, Kirk said. If thats not controversial, then what exactly is controversial? Jesus says, I am the only way.

Kirk called on Christians to turn their backs on cowardly churches and complicit pastors and to rally behind courageous congregations that stand for truth and righteousness, regardless of the cost.

The Pastors Summit

TPUSA kicks off another Christian nationalist party this week, hosting its second annual Pastors Summit in Nashville, Tennessee, that touts the aim of equipping and empowering both pastors and their churches to stand for Biblical truth.

The speaker lineup includes a slew of religious figures, and even a few big-name draws like former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and prosperity guru Dave Ramsey. But opening day proceedings are anchored by Kirk and his spiritual leader Rob McCoy, a southern California pastor who rose to national prominence during the pandemic by holding unmasked worship services in violation of public-health restrictions.

At TPUSAs first Pastors Summit in San Diego last year, Kirk credited McCoy as, the man who helped inspire TPUSA Faith. He recalled a conversation in which McCoy convinced him that economic freedom and Christian theology were linked. If youre a Christian and youre fighting for liberty every single day, thats the same cause, McCoy told Kirk. Its Gods heart for his people to set the captives free.

Kirk recognized that some pastors might be skeptical of TPUSA as a religious messenger. But he argued: We can agree that the most important thing is to win souls for Jesus Christ, and the second most important thing is to make sure we could still do the first thing.

That second thing, Kirk insisted, is what I do every day. We do it on high school campuses, radio, podcasting  thats our mission. As far as theology goes, Kirk touted that TPUSA is very focused on the inerrancy of scripture and the Nicene Creed.

McCoy  a silver haired Californian with a good tan  took the stage with Kirk, wearing khakis and eschewing a tie. He talked of his partnership with Kirk and TPUSA as a natural pairing. I felt like I was going through my life with two left shoes, and you were wearing two right shoes, he said to Kirk. And then we met each other, and we said, Wow, you can help me.

With McCoy, Kirk pitched the pastors on becoming a political force, even if it put their finances  and perhaps their IRS nonprofit exemptions  on the line. Some pastors will say, If I speak out, I will lose attendance, I will lose tithes and offerings, Kirk said. To which I say, So what?

Kirk offered pastors a buffet line of options for challenging federal restrictions on churches preaching politics from the pulpit. (Churches, like all nonprofits, dont pay taxes as long as they dont make explicit political endorsements.) Kirk touted the example of a cowboy preacher who sends his political sermons to the IRS and dares the feds to audit him, as well as less extreme measures if you want to challenge the IRS.

(Here it must be noted that TPUSA, a supposed non-partisan organization, does not practice what Kirk preaches. It requires that its religious partners sign an agreement acknowledging that TPUSA Faith Groups/Hubs who participate in campaign activities of any kind may jeopardize TPUSAs 501(c)(3) status, and that any Faith Groups found participating in campaign activities will be disassociated immediately.)

In his speech, Kirk portrayed the need for churches to engage in politics as having existential stakes: If the American church does not rise up with boldness, he insisted, Western civilization will be something that we tell our grandkids about.

Fallout from Falkirk

The TPUSA sidestep into the faith world began fairly naturally. Kirk, the longtime campus organizer, developed a relationship with Liberty University, the fundamentalist religious school, after Kirk was awarded an honorary Liberty doctorate in 2019. (Kirk dropped out of community college to found TPUSA a decade ago.)

Kirk and then-Liberty honcho Jerry Fallwell Jr. teamed up to create the Falkirk Center at the university, a far-right think tank that didnt perform any traditional scholarship, but platformed MAGAworld grandees like Metaxas, Sebastian Gorka, and Rudy Giuliani. The New York Times dubbed Falkirk the de facto headquarters of evangelical Trumpism.

Kirks shift into the spiritual realm was initially dismissed by others in the far-right movement. Religious conservative Rod Dereher, blasted Kirks campus organizing as Hooters Conservatism that did not serve God. I like eccentric spectacle, and if Charlie Kirks right-wing frat boys and girls want to party in West Palm Beach in the middle of a deadly pandemic, well, let them do them. But you know what, Charlie Kirk?, he wrote, You better leave Jesus out of this dirtbaggery! This vulgar trash has nothing whatsoever to do with God.

When Fallwells myriad scandals finally led to his downfall, Liberty U also gave Kirk his walking papers in early 2021. Kirk had his own baggage, having been entangled in fallout from the events of Jan. 6. Kirk had bragged, in a since-deleted tweet, that Turning Point Action  the explicitly political arm of TPUSA  had helped bus activists to D.C. to fight for the president. Under questioning from the Jan. 6 committee, however, Kirk repeatedly invoked the Fifth  including to questions like, How old are you?

After Falkirk fell, Kirk then moved to launch TPUSA Faith. In a leaked 2021 Investor Prospectus for donors  highlighted recently by Media Matters in an examination of the TPUSA leaders religious evolution  Kirk touted the faith initiative as a curative to Americas crumbling religious foundation, promising to provide thousands of churches with the resources they need to activate their congregations to fight. The document indicated that TPUSA Faith would have an operating budget of $6.4 million.

In TPUSAs sea change from college organizing around economic issues to church organizing around Christian nationalism and the culture wars, there appears to be a recognition that conservatives have largely lost the fight for the hearts and minds of educated young people. In the 2022 midterms, voters under 30 have gotten credit for defusing the red wave, turning out in near record numbers and decisively backing Democrats in key state races.

In fact, Kirk himself seems to have soured on the promise of higher education. His latest book  The College Scam: How Americas Universities Are Bankrupting and Brainwashing Away the Future of Americas Youth  advises young people to turn to trade schools and the military instead of university. In a December interview with Gene Bailey, the Christian nationalist host of Flashpoint, Kirk insisted: Sending your child to four-year college is a big risk. Youre going to play Russian roulette with their values.

For now, TPUSA is keeping its free-market and its Christian fundamentalist wings at a distance. TPUSA and TPUSA Faith operate under the same nonprofit umbrella, but have separate websites and few links between them. Experts in the field of free market economics believe the straddle Kirk and TPUSA are undertaking makes sense if the goal is to stay relevant as a power player in conservative politics. But they describe the two-headed hydra as intellectually incoherent.

People that want low taxes and low regulation have aligned with other people that are more concerned about regulating our social lives, says Boettke, the Mercatus scholar. They end up being partners together, rather than enemies, just because of the coalitional politics, he argues. But theres no intellectual reason, principled reason why they should even be friends.

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Rena Murshud

Ruben Vardanyan, the self-declared prime minister of the so-called nagorno-karabakh, has again appeared among the critics who popped out with reaction to the statement of the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a meeting in Brussels on the recognition of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. He recently voiced some criticism and threat against Nikol Pashinyan. Calling the actions of the Armenian authorities dangerous, Vardanyan said that Nikol Pashinyan is trying to "enslave Armenian society".

"I think that he made this statement in an attempt to remind himself, so as not let himself leave the scene, and once again actualize, emphasize that he is a political opponent of the current Prime Minister of Armenia. And make some kind of application for his obscure political future".

This was told by the Russian military expert, general director of the Caspian Institute for Strategic Studies (Russia), Igor Korotchenko in a comment for Azernews, while discussing Vardanyan's recent statements. He said that this will not anyhow affect the balance of power in the political class of Armenia.

"Vardanyan is a parachute candidate. Because, despite the fact that he is a multimillionaire, a man with huge connections, he could not become a significant factor in Armenian politics.

Today, for him, all these statements are the last attempt to jump on the bandwagon of the outgoing train in order to mean something in the future," the military expert said.

According to him, Vardanyan is no longer a citizen of Russia, and secondly, his intervention in Karabakh was a game of international Armenians, including part of the Russian-Armenian diaspora.

"Vardanyan, as an international financier, has developed connections not only with the Russian elite, but he has operated in France with no less success and has great connections in the United States," the expert said.

However, the expert noted that Vardanyan, a project of the Armenian Diaspora, was not successful with an attempt to stake on his wealth in order to tear Karabakh off Azerbaijan. According to him, Pashinyan watered down all his plans.

"Although on account of his billions, Vardanyan was unable to change the established political convention of the Armenian elites. Today, Pashinyan reflects the convention on the opinions of the majority of Armenians regarding who they want to see as an example at the head of the Armenian state. Attempts to undermine the monopoly of Pashinyan's power by so many circles and politicians in Armenia were not successful. Therefore, Pashinyan defeated the opposition and attempts of the world Armenian diaspora, and part of the Armenian-Russian diaspora, as well as letting Vardanyan move further from Karabakh to Yerevan and managed to stay in power. I don't think that Vardanyan has a political future. His talents as a financier cannot be converted into political capital," the expert opined.

And when asked how the relationship between the Armenian government and Vardanyan could end, the expert said that the Armenian society has already accepted the existing reality.

"The Armenian society has already reconciled with the existing reality. There is a group of revanchists who are determined to continue some kind of terrorist military operations. But the majority of Armenian citizens support Pashinyan, thereby betting that the page of the 30-year-old confrontation has been turned. Armenia no longer has the ability to change the course of history. In my opinion, the majority of the Armenian society has already come to terms with this. They want normal development, a normal state, and not expansion and seizure of foreign territories," the expert concluded.
(Bloomberg) -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.s cloud division has begun a round of job cuts that could reduce its staff by about 7%, part of an overhaul aimed at preparing the once fast-growing unit for a spinoff and eventual IPO.

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Chinas largest cloud service has begun informing affected staff, people familiar with the matter said. Its offering severance to employees or transfers to other parts of the Alibaba empire, though those arent guaranteed, one of the people said. The moves are intended to streamline the business, which Alibaba aims to fully carve out into a separate company within a year, the person said, asking to remain anonymous discussing internal plans.

Alibabas shares slid 3.7% in New York. Alibaba Cloud is one of the biggest companies that will be created in a six-way split of the parent, joining other units such as the Cainiao logistics division and international commerce in pursuing independent fundraising and potential listings. The group, which doesnt detail staffing at separate units, employed more than 235,000 people as of March.

Chief Executive Officer Daniel Zhang last week outlined details of the historic shakeup for the first time. That included a plan to fully relinquish control of the business known as Alibaba Cloud, a once-thriving operation that harbored the potential to supercharge the company the way Amazon Web Services grew to signify Amazon.com Inc. The division this year cut prices in an effort to spur growth, triggering similar moves from rivals such as Tencent Holdings Ltd.

What Bloomberg Intelligence Says

Alibabas savings from a 7% cut in its cloud workforce, Bloomberg reported on May 23, may not be enough to offset the segments profit drag from price cuts and fee waivers and meet consensus of 51% year-over-year growth in fiscal 2024 adjusted Ebita, we calculate. This is despite a 15% decline in the cloud profit estimate in the three weeks ended May 23. We believe a rise in cloud revenue of at least 15% vs. a year ago after the layoffs may help the segment meet profit expectations.

- Catherine Lim and Trini Tan, analysts

Click here for the research.

Read more: Alibaba to Exit Cloud Business After Beijing Undercuts Potential

Some analysts valued the business at upwards of $30 billion, a prime beneficiary of a post-ChatGPT upswell that depends on cloud resources to train next-generation AI models. Representatives of the unit didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Alibaba picked the cloud unit as an early IPO candidate because of its more developed business model and customer profile. Zhang has said the spinoff was intended to simplify the overall structure and respond to market needs. A standalone cloud platform could grow to some day even surpass Alibaba in size if it attracted the right external financing, he told analysts last week.

Chinas most valuable online commerce firm invested tens of billions over more than a decade in the business of hosting computing for corporations over the internet. For years, it was among Alibabas proudest and most often-touted accomplishments, a business that outstripped rival offerings from Tencent and Baidu Inc., grew more global in flavor than any other division, and spearheaded important inhouse initiatives.

But government scrutiny of cloud services operated by private firms intensified around 2020, when Beijing grew suspicious of privately owned repositories of sensitive and valuable data, triggering a now-infamous sweeping crackdown on the internet sphere.

Alibaba Cloud itself drew regulatory ire in 2021 for discovering then sharing a major software flaw before informing authorities, and was then investigated in 2022 for its role in Chinas largest known cybersecurity data leak. The cloud division in recent years began to bleed market share to rivals including Huawei Technologies Co. and state-run China Mobile Ltd.

In fiscal 2022, it generated nearly $12 billion of revenue for the company  8% of turnover. It was so important that in March, when Alibaba first unveiled its six-way breakup, Zhang personally took the helm of what he called the Cloud Intelligence division  seemingly signaling it was destined for greater things.

The cloud business is relatively independent and different from other consumer facing business, Jefferies analyst Thomas Chong wrote Friday. They want to introduce strategical investors who can help to grow the business.

Key Points of the Breakup

Alibaba plans to spin off its cloud services division as an independent entity by distributing stock to shareholders over the next year

That means Alibaba could eventually end up not owning shares in Chinas biggest cloud services platform

It will aim to float its Cainiao logistics arm within 12 to 18 months

Most immediately, the firm aims to complete an IPO for the Freshippo grocery chain within the coming year

And it plans to secure external financing for its international commerce division, which encompasses overseas operations such as Singapore-based Lazada

(Updates with shares and analysts comments from the third paragraph)

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The prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann has now been charged with sexual offences against children (PA Media)

Madeleine McCanns disappearance has puzzled detectives for more than 15 years  but in 2020 a new potential suspect emerged. Now, police are searching a remote reservoir in Portugals the Algarve that he used to visit in a renewed effort to shed further light on the case.

German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery that summer, and officially named as a suspect last year. His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007.

Christian Brueckner is serving seven years behind bars in Germany (Reuters)

Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from the bed of her holiday apartment while her parents and family friends dined 180 feet away. Her two-year-old twin siblings were also in the apartment she went missing from. Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry McCann have been searching for answers ever since.

The Metropolitan Police took over the investigation, Operation Grange, in 2011 but they hit dead ends. There has not been another significant suspect in the case since 2007 until Brueckner.

Who is Christian Brueckner?

German prisoner Christian Brueckner is a prolific burglar and has been previously convicted for sex crimes against young girls.

He was born in Germany in 1976 and moved to Portugal in his late teens.

It is believed he lived there between 1995 and 2007 working in the food industry.

Brueckner is described as being about 6ft tall, slim and white with short blond hair.

Brueckner had reportedly been using a yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan in and around Praia da Luz (PA Archive)

What are the accusations against him?

Brueckner was declared a prime suspect in the case of the disappearance of Madeleine by Portuguese police in April 2022.

Already in prison in Germany for the rape and murder of a 72-year-old woman, he has now also been charged with multiple sex offences which are alleged to have taken place between 2000 and 2007.

Police in Germany claim to have concrete evidence that the British girl is dead though this has not been proven.

A spokesperson from the Braunschweig prosecutors office previously said: The accused is the same person against whom charges were brought in connection with the disappearance of the then three-year-old British girl Madeleine Beth McCann.

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Specifically, the accused is charged with three offences of aggravated rape and two offences of sexual abuse of children.

The investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann continues.

The charges mentioned do not relate to the McCann case. But in May German police claim to have found new evidence linked to Madeleine inside a van belonging to Brueckner.

Madeleines parents Kate and Gerry McCann have been searching for answers ever since her disappearance (PA Wire)

How was he identified as a suspect?

Brueckner had reportedly been using a yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan in and around Praia da Luz  the Algarve resort where the McCanns were holidaying at the time Madeleine vanished.

German prosecutors say telecomms data shows Brueckner received a phone call on 3 May 2007 near the Praia da Luz holiday apartment from which the three-year-old went missing, but he reportedly claims to have been miles from the scene with a young German woman.

Brueckner, who has always denied any involvement in Madeleines disappearance, insists he drove the woman, who was on holiday with her parents, to the airport in Faro for her return flight home the following day. They were stopped and photographed at a police roadblock, according to Sky News.

When Portuguese police named Brueckner an arguido  a formal suspect  on 21 April last year, it was the first time they had identified an official suspect since 2007.

Back then, they named Madeleines parents, Kate and Gerry McCann as suspects but both were later cleared.

Brueckner is the first significant suspect in the case since 2007 (PA Media)

Why is he in prison in Germany?

In April 2022, Brueckner was jailed in Germany for the rape and murder of a 72-year-old woman in the same resort - Praia da Luz - as where Madeleine went missing.

Police in Germany, who are treating the case as a murder enquiry, believe Brueckner planned to rob the holiday apartment but moved on to a sexual motive.

It is believed he has a total of 17 convictions including burglary as he steals from hotels and holiday let apartments.

Other cases Brueckner has been linked to

Brueckner has also been linked to other disappearances of children, including a boy, six, in Portugal in 2000, a five-year-old girl in Germany in 2015 and a number of others.

In 2020, he was being investigated over the rape and murder of Tristan Brubach, a 15-year-old boy from Germany.

Belgian authorities have also linked him to the murder of teenager Carola Titze, 16. She went missing while on holiday in De Haan, Belgium on July 5, 1996 and her body was discovered among sand dunes severely mutilated on July 11.

Other cases believed to be linked to Brueckner include that of Inga Gehrike who went missing from Saxony-Anhalt in Germany on May 2, 2015, Rene Hasee, six, who vanished while on a family holiday in Aljezur, Portugal on June 21, 1996 and Jair Soares who disappeared in August 1995.

Peggy Knoblochs case has also been linked to Brueckner after she went missing in May 2001.
Rachel Garcia-Morales was enjoying her freshman year of high school and raising her 6-month-old daughter when the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt.

Garcia-Morales, then 14, found herself suddenly cut off from her support system of other young parents and friends. At the same time, the number people in her home almost doubled when relatives moved in at the start of quarantine.

"It was really physically and mentally exhausting for me," said Garcia-Morales, now 17, "but I managed to do it."

More: Class of COVID: Iowa's graduating seniors share how pandemic shaped their futures

Rachel Garcia-Morales

She joined thousands of Des Moines Public Schools students, and millions from around the world, who struggled when schools closed in spring 2020 in an effort to stem the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

For more than a year, the Roosevelt High School student and her daughter, Fatima, isolated in a three-bedroom home she shared with her mother, father, older sister and her aunt's family of four. Garcia-Morales' aunt  who is high risk for COVID  and her family came to Des Moines from New York City at the start of the pandemic.

Related: Des Moines names ex-Olympian as superintendent  first person of color to lead district

Before her sophomore year started, the family decided to continue to isolate together in an effort to protect both Fatima and the aunt from the virus.

During the first semester that year, Garcia-Morales stayed up until 3 a.m. some nights in an effort to balance motherhood and family and finish homework for her online classes, which included Advanced Placement courses.

Garcia-Morales, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, used to excel at school, but she found herself falling behind due to exhaustion.

"It kind of ruined my family time because even after school was done, I still had assignments to do," she said. "So, I didn't spend so much time with my family or with my daughter."

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Related: Iowa families can apply May 31 for education saving accounts to pay for private school

Despite ongoing concerns about the virus, she went back to school in person for her junior year. Luckily, she had to make up only one English class to stay on track for graduation. At the time, Des Moines students received an incomplete instead of a failing grade if they were struggling in a class. Students could then make up the work.

Garcia-Morales spent her senior year taking AP courses to prepare for the rigors of college. She plans to attend Drake University in the fall to study law and Spanish.

"I do think it was a chaotic time to raise a child and be a student at the same time," Garcia-Morales said. "And I really wish it could have been a different circumstances, but it wasn't."

Samantha Hernandez covers education for the Register. Reach her at (515) 851-0982 or svhernandez@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @svhernandez or Facebook at facebook.com/svhernandezreporter.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Des Moines student struggled to juggle motherhood, school during COVID
The Oscar-winning designer opens up to PEOPLE about her silver-screen stardom (behind the camera) and her new memoir, "The Art of Ruth E. Carter," out May 23

Courtesy of Chronicle Books, Rodin Eckenroth/Getty

Costume designer Ruth E. Carter always envisioned herself in the the arts, and that passion came to fruition in her life  just not in a way she'd planned.

She began as an aspiring actress at Virginias Hampton University, where she majored in theater (after switching from studying special education, her family's line of work) and secured a couple of roles in her schools plays. With one stint, she found herself unexpectedly thrust into the world of costume, and thats where her renowned career in the business began.

Carters resume features big-name films, from the Black Panther franchise to the cult classics like Whats Love Got to Do With It and Coming 2 America, but also includes working for and with stars including Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg, Angela Bassett, Eddie Murphy, Samuel L. Jackson and the late Chadwick Boseman. And in March, she became the first Black woman to ever win two Oscars in the awards show's history.

Now, with more than 30 years in the industry under her stylish belt, Carter is ready to walk a new line of storytelling with her debut book, The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther, out May 23. The tome serves as a time capsule of Hollywood magic and gives a glimpse inside her craft.

Recently, Carter opened up to PEOPLE about her writing process, reminisced over her marvelous experiences on set and remembered her favorites times with Boseman.

What inspired you to start the writing process?



I always loved writing. I've always been a storyteller. I could entertain my friends, my crew  anybody who was sitting down and having a snack with me got a story. There were so many experiences along my journey. I started with Spike Lee in the '80s and I did two movies, sometimes two and a half, every year for 12 years.

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I had so many stories that I feel were very unique to my movie experience. I didn't want to forget the details because nothing was written down. And, what? I have 40 years in the business, so I was like, it's time to write everything down. It's time to share with the world.

What was the first step?

I just did a stream of consciousness. I was like, I'm going to tell the story about when I went to Egypt, or I'm going to tell the story about Malcolm X, or I'm going to tell the story about Amistad using the cargo list. So then I got immersed in the process where you have to think about just how the reader reads the story. That's what I learned, how to put the details into the writing.

Were there any moments that surprised you that came up in writing, like Oh my gosh, I did do that?

Yes, I think so. I would say that I remember all my Amistad stories. We were in the middle of the Long Island Sound on a boat that had sailed from the Eastern Seaboard all the way to California that looked exactly like the Amistad boat. To get onto it, we had to get on a smaller boat that brought us over, and then an even smaller boat. Then there was a plank you had to jump over or fall in the ocean. I was on that boat, and Steven Spielberg sent a message over to me, "What does Djimon Hounsou look like [as Cinque] when they travel the story back to Africa?"

So we had this final scene in the movie where he's standing at the bow and he said, "What is he wearing?" Djimon hadn't gotten dressed yet. I didn't travel on to that little boat with a whole bunch of research and it was too complicated to go back to the shore to get a sketch and bring it back. But, I had a little postcard of Cinque on a boat and he had this beautiful white drape down his chest. So, I grabbed that and I ran over to Steven and I was like, "This."

There were a lot of illustrations in the book. Were those the originals that you had sketched up for each film, or did you have to hire someone to reimagine them?

The beginning, like School Daze, I was doing all my illustrations. Then, my brother showed me how to airbrush. So the School Daze ones are original, but Do the Right Thing, we brought in an illustrator to do that. So it's a combination.

When I was working for Spike Lee, I would do collages. I was really good at collaging. And he liked it, more of a creative experience with [thoughts like], What's the feeling, what's the mood of the costumes?" I didn't have to do as many sketches. So after the films, I would try to catch up with the illustrator to do some of the more poignant ones.

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There was another section in your book you dedicate to all the different stars you've worked with, from Angela Bassett to Eddie Murphy. What was it like working with the same stars across different genres? What do those fittings look like?

Each time I felt like they had more and more confidence in my creativity because sometimes, when they're playing characters and they walk into the room, they're kind of like, "What's going on? I don't know what to expect."

When you have success with a character with that actor, and then they come back on another script and another character, you're excited to see each other. We go on the journey. They really want to get into the details. I've had actors say to me, "My first fitting always feels like my first rehearsal with the character." So, I love that and I love collaborating with them. I really want them to believe in their costumes and feel good. Some actors, they need to make sure they feel comfortable.

RELATED: Angela Bassett's Measurements 'Haven't Changed in Over 25 Years' Says Longtime Costume Designer

On the topic of collaboration, there's a beautiful section where you talk about meeting Chadwick Boseman for the first time, and you didn't know what direction it was going in. Why is it so important to create a bond with actors that way in the design process, and how do you do it?

When we first meet, it's weeks before they even step on the set. With Chadwick, I put on YouTube videos, in the fitting room, of the 1940s when he was playing [Thurgood] Marshall. Some of it was like dance videos of people doing the Lindy Hop, you can hear the music, or a movie that was done in the 1940s, just so he could hear and see and understand. I think that they really get into the details of their character.

I also have mood boards in the room, I may have a sketch. I really do create the environment that they can just look around and go, "Oh yeah, I like that. And what is that over there? I'd like to try that on."

Like a makeshift set.

Yes, exactly. That's a good way of putting it.

Do you have a favorite memory with Chadwick?

Yes, I have so many great memories. One of the favorites is when I won the Oscar [for Best Costume for Black Panther in 2019] and he was sitting in the front row. I remember him standing up and cheering, and it just brought everything back to me, like when I first met him on Marshall.

We had a good experience on Marshall. We had a great experience on Black Panther. So, when he was standing and cheering, I felt like I formed a bond with this man and he is really genuinely happy for me because he saw how hard I work.

You are the first Black woman to win two Oscars. What was it like getting that accomplishment?

I was kind of shaking my head as I walked up onto the stage because I thought to myself, "I am the role model." I felt affirmed. The first time it was was a relay race, and I was the last one with the baton running through the tape. Spike [Lee] was in front of me and I was like, "Thank you, Spike for my start. I hope this makes you proud." I was giggly.

The second one, I said, "I'm affirmed. This is real." Not that I didn't feel like I was real, it just felt even more important.

RELATED: 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' Costume Designer Ruth E. Carter Makes History at 2023 Oscars



You also wrote about the orange sweater from School Daze that you had to frantically get back to on set. What are some other costumes or props that you have treasured?

Well, I came out of theater, and theater people always save everything because they never know when they're going to need it again, right? Because the budgets are so low. I had worked so hard on some of these very unique costumes, I was like, "Who's going to be the keeper of the costumes?"

The zoot suits for Malcolm X are in my exhibition [currently traveling the U.S.]. They're real from the time. Oprah's jumpsuit that she wore with Forest Whitaker in The Butler, it's in my exhibition. Marvel allowed some of their costumes from the first Black Panther to be exhibited. The coat from Shaft, I had Sam Jackson sign it inside.

Do you wear any of them?

I'm not a big costume [person]. I turn my phone off on Halloween Eve because all my friends want me to help them with a Halloween costume. I also don't wear costumes because the pressure on me to have the best costume of everybody else is too much.

You mentioned technology and the evolution of that. What has that been like to you and your approach to costume design?

Well, the first time on Black Panther, I was like, "Why me?" I have never done as superhero film before. I know they work differently than regular costume design. I was super scared and intimidated. Once I started realizing that I had something to offer them, and in the process of learning how to make a super suit, the muscle sculpts and all of that, the question that kept returning was, "How do you want it to look?" And that's the basis for everything.



So I'm sitting next to the computer graphics person, and I got an architect, professor from UCLA to put in the algorithms in the computer to send to the printer for Queen Ramonda's crown. I didn't study computer technology like that, I didn't study architecture and 3D printing, so I need the experts to sit beside me.



When you are working on so many different decades that focus on Black culture, [from Black Panther to Coming 2 America], is there a central message that you want to get across?

I think that the message that they all have is that we are culturally sound, that we are presenting history and our history did not start with slavery. There is a full circle in my films. If you think [about it], we came across on boats like the Amistad and it told the story of arriving in this country. We go through Rosewood, the 1920s, through Malcolm X all the way up to the '60s. You can actually string all of the decades together and then end up at Black Panther and see how we move all the way into the future. I think that there is a thread and through line of pride and history of the African diaspora.

What message do you hope readers take away from this book?

That Ruth is funny and lighthearted  and at the same time serious about her stuff.







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As the nation heads toward a potential default, possibly as soon as June 1, President Joe Biden is facing pressure from some Democrats to use the 14th Amendment to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling.

With time growing short, Biden was asked again Sunday whether he was considering such action as tense negotiations continue between the White House and congressional Republicans.

MORE: Biden, McCarthy to talk debt ceiling, spending with 10 days left to reach deal or risk default

"I'm looking at the 14th Amendment," he told reporters in Japan. "As to whether or not we have the authority, I think we have the authority."

But the never-tested issue, Biden noted, would almost surely be litigated -- likely all the way to the Supreme Court -- and it's unclear if the matter could be resolved before the default deadline or even soon after. Some critics argue the uncertainty could have just as severe consequences as failure to reach a deal.

"We have not come up with a unilateral action that could succeed in a matter of two weeks or three weeks," Biden said. "That's the issue."

PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a brief update of the ongoing negotiations over the debt limit in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, May 17, 2023, in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

At the same time, he said once this debt limit crisis is over, his intention is to find a way to take the matter to the courts "to see whether or not the 14th Amendment is, in fact, something that would be able to stop it," referring to the recurring showdowns over raising the limit.

Here's what to know about the 14th Amendment and how whether to use it is being argued in the debt ceiling showdown.

What does the 14th Amendment say?

The 14th Amendment is primarily known for its citizenship rights and equal protection clauses, but Section 4 of the amendment relates to the nation's public debt.

The section reads, in part: "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."

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MORE: How US national debt grew to its $31.4 trillion high

It was written in the aftermath of the Civil War and refers to the debt incurred to fight the Civil War on the Union side.

Can Biden use it? Legal expert weighs in

Legal experts, both in recent weeks and in past debt ceiling battles, have debated whether the 14th Amendment can be used to essentially declare the debt limit unconstitutional and avert default absent congressional action to raise it.

"The 14th Amendment provides, in virtually no uncertain terms, that the public debt of the United States should not be questioned," Michael Gerhardt, a constitutional law professor at the University of North Carolina, told ABC News. "Biden could rely on that language to suggest that there's no debt ceiling and that he may have a lot of room to operate given that sort of constitutional commitment."

But there is no precedent for such a move, and it would immediately be challenged in court, Gerhardt said.

"Biden's going to rely on the language of the Constitution," Gerhardt said. "Republicans will argue that there's some kind of original meaning that undercuts the broad language of the Constitution."

Gerhardt said he believed the 14th Amendment was a "viable option" but "whether Biden can win is a separate question, and whether he can win in litigation that goes all the way up to the Supreme Court is unclear to me."

Who is calling for the 14th Amendment to be used?

Eleven Senate Democrats and 66 House progressives wrote letters to Biden last week urging him to use the 14th Amendment.

Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, a constitutional scholar, argued Monday that the 14th Amendment "provides that the 'validity of the public debtshall not be questioned.' This is not an 'option' but a mandate. We cant allow the MAGA fringe to crash the economy if we dont cave into their demands to destroy critical social programs for vets, nutrition & health."

"Is this the perfect solution, is imposing the 14th Amendment the perfect solution? No it is not," Sen. Bernie Sanders said during a press conference on Capitol Hill last week. "But using the 14th Amendment would allow the United States to continue to pay its bills on time and without delay, prevent an economic catastrophe, and prevent devastating cuts to some for the most vulnerable people in the country."

PHOTO: U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks as (L-R) Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), and Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) listen during a news conference on debt limit at the U.S. Capitol, May 18, 2023, in Washington. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

MORE: All the debt ceiling options, explained, if Biden and McCarthy don't reach a deal

Senate Budget Committee Chair Sheldon Whitehouse, in a press call on Monday advocating for the use of the 14th Amendment, made a similar argument that Republicans were leaving them no choice.

"The best case scenario, obviously, would be for Speaker McCarthy and his MAGA crew to put down the hand grenade and negotiate through the regular process of government that we've adhered to for 200-plus years," Whitehouse said.

"But again there's one person who is responsible for this and he's unwilling to put the pin back in the hand grenade," Whitehouse said, "and we have to face that consequence."

What's been the Republican reaction?

Speaker McCarthy's said he's opposed to the 14th Amendment, and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has advised, "Unconstitutionally acting without Congress is also not an option."

"If you're the leader of the free world, if you're the only president and you're going to go to the 14th Amendment to look at something like that, I would think you're kind of a failure of working with people across the aisle or working with your own party to get something done," McCarthy said earlier this month.

Could the 14th Amendment be used to resolve the debt limit crisis? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
A recreational boater glides along the Chicago River. In the 1800s, the city reversed the flow of the river so its sewage would no longer flow into Lake Michigan and contaminate its drinking water. Last month, Chicago struck a deal to sell Lake Michigan water to nearby Joliet.

Last month, Chicago struck a deal to sell Lake Michigan water to a city 35 miles southwest of the city. The price tag: $1 billion.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot signed a 100-year agreement that will transport treated Lake Michigan water to Joliet, Illinois, and five of its surrounding suburbs, starting in 2030.

The fact that Illinois has a different set of rules when it comes to the Great Lakes Compact, a landmark agreement that generally prohibits diversions out of the basin, is a sore spot for many.

And at a time when water is becoming scarcer, some experts believe Illinois should be focused more on sustainable water management.

Heres what to know about this historic water deal.

Why is Chicago selling Lake Michigan water?

Because it can.

The deal will likely entice industries and businesses into the area, which could mean big economic gains not just for the Joliet area but for Illinois.

Chicago began diverting water from Lake Michigan in the late 1800s when the city reversed the flow of its river to keep sewage out of Lake Michigan. The river now flows into a canal system headed for the Mississippi River.

Illinois and the other Great Lakes states fought for decades over how much lake water should flow through the backwards river. And in 1967, the Supreme Court set a daily water limit of 2.1 billion gallons per day, which since then has lowered water levels of Lakes Michigan and Huron by 2.5 inches.

The water can go wherever the state wants.

Water from the diversion is also used to keep water levels in the canal high enough for navigation and to dilute pollution in the Chicago River.

The Wilmette Pumping Station north of downtown Chicago pumps Lake Michigan water into the North Shore Channel, which ultimately flows into the Mississippi River basin. In the 1800s, the city reversed the flow of the river so its sewage would no longer flow into Lake Michigan and contaminate its drinking water.

More than 200 communities in northeastern Illinois tap into the Chicago diversion for their water supply.

As of 2030, Joliet and its surrounding suburbs will be added to that list.

Who can apply for a diversion under the compact?

Besides diversions that predate the compact, there are few exceptions to who can ask for Great Lakes water. Communities that straddle the watershed line can apply for a diversion and only need approval from the state governor.

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So can communities that sit just outside the basin but are in a county that straddles the watershed line. This application process requires approval from all Great Lakes states as well as Ontario and Quebec in Canada.

To date, only one, known as the Waukesha diversion, has been approved.

But because of the Supreme Court consent decree, Illinois has a special exception in the compact, said Joel Brammeier, the CEO of the Alliance for the Great Lakes.

The state doesnt need approval from the other states and provinces to divert Lake Michigans water to new communities. These communities also dont need to return treated water back to the lake like the other states do.

Whats wrong with Joliets current water supply?

Northeastern Illinois is facing issues with dwindling groundwater supplies from overuse, and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources wants to get communities off an underground aquifer system.

The city of Joliet was expected to run out of water by 2030, according to one study by the Illinois State Water Survey. After exploring other options, they found that Lake Michigans water supply would be their best option.

Compact experts like Wayne State University law professor Noah Hall, who worked with environmental organizations during the compact negotiations, said he saw this coming.

It was a major concern for environmental groups because they feared it would be used to attract business, Hall said. Water shouldnt be for sale, Hall said, it should be held in trust for the people.

Can other cities sell Great Lakes water?

Chicago is the only city in the Great Lakes region that has this ability. The city can do whatever it wants with Lake Michigans diverted water as long as it stays under 2.1 billion gallons per day on average.

Unless the water is in containers that are 5.7 gallons or less. This water bottle loophole is another contentious and scrutinized part of the compact.

More: Water crisis in West has prompted desperate ideas: Drain the Great Lakes, desalinate ocean water

Water bottles, beer, or pharmaceutical products are some ways water can leave the Great Lakes watershed. For instance, Blue Triton, formerly known as Nestle, withdrew more than 3 billion gallons of Michigans groundwater for bottled water between 2005 and 2015. But it was within the container limit, so its allowed.

According to Hall, the two most contested aspects of the compact were this loophole and water diversions just outside the basin line, like the one to Joliet.

Will Lake Michigan's water continue to be the solution?

Although the Great Lakes seem like a plentiful resource of water, only 1% of the water is renewed every year through rainfall.

Jennifer Bolger Beceda, the executive director of Milwaukee Riverkeeper, believes that the Illinois exception in the compact is driving suburban sprawl and mismanagement of water.

There should be more conservative water planning in this area, Bolger Beceda said. Requiring communities to return treated water to the lake would also help dissuade future diversions because they would become too expensive, she said.

If Illinois ever runs short on its water supply, the state will have to go back to the Supreme Court to ask for more, likely pitting the Great Lakes states against each other once again.

Its in the states best interest to not only stay within its limits, but also work to reduce the amount of water used over time, Brammeier said.

And one way to do this is to stop using Lake Michigans water to dilute pollution in the Chicago river, he said. Instead, they should be more aggressive with their conservation methods to help clean up the river.

Caitlin Looby is a Report for America corps member who writes about the environment and the Great Lakes. Reach her at clooby@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @caitlooby.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Chicago sold Lake Michigan water to Joliet for $1 billion
Every week, hundreds of eviction cases make their way through Jefferson District Court, where struggling renters are often ordered to move out while some landlords never receive the money they're owed.

But it doesn't have to be that way.

A new program from Louisville Metro Government is aiming to resolve rental issues before they ever make it to a docket  allowing property owners to save money on court costs while keeping evictions off tenants' records.

The eviction mediation program, which quietly launched at the beginning of April, is being funded with $2 million from the city's American Rescue Plan allocation and is similar to programs already showing success in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It's expected to run as a pilot through at least June 2024, said Marilyn Harris, director of Develop Louisville.

A mediation program also recently started in Lexington, where city officials committed $1.9 million in federal funding to services provided by Legal Aid of the Bluegrass and the Kentucky Equal Justice Center.

More: How Louisville's housing authority went from hundreds of evictions to zero

"It's been well documented that every eviction on your record reduces your quality of housing," even if a judge dismisses it, said Harris, who initially proposed starting an eviction mediation program in early 2020, just before the pandemic. "What we want to do is encourage landlords to come through mediation, not have to pay to file an eviction, not have to pay to hire an attorney. ... And hopefully (both parties) get made whole through the mediation."

Louisville is contracting with local company resolve: Restorative Practices to implement its program, which is free to both landlords and tenants. For the pilot, mediation services will be offered only in cases involving past due payments, and rental assistance will be available to tenants who have not already reached their 18-month limit through the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program, Harris said.

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Here's how the program works:

Landlords can request mediation through the resource page at StopMyEviction.org.

Landlords and tenants will both be asked to fill out an online assessment ahead of their appointment.

The parties will meet with a mediator in person, typically within two weeks of requesting a session.

If a resolution is reached, both parties will sign an agreement to hold up their end of the bargain.

If a resolution is not reached, landlords will receive priority on the next Friday's eviction court docket.

Related: Evictions are rising. And Louisville isn't doing enough to prevent them, nonprofits say

Megan McGinn, a project manager involved in distributing rent assistance through Louisville's Office of Housing, said eviction cases currently take more than four weeks to reach the district court docket. And going through mediation should be quicker and more cost-effective, especially for small landlords.

Shannon Floyd, principal mediator for resolve: Restorative Practices, said she knows it will take some convincing to get property managers and owners on board. But as she's already asked some, "What do you have to lose?"

"When you have an eviction on your housing record, it's almost like having a felony," said Floyd, a licensed social worker who's been a mediator since 2020. "It's going to forever impact you. Where you live, how you live. ... We also see it from the perspective of you've come into a contract with this landlord and signed off on it and you are bound to it. Just like you, the landlord has bills to pay too.

"When we come at that table, we see both aspects. Both sides are humanized. That's the whole goal."

Floyd said she's hired three mediators to handle eviction cases for the city's pilot program. And while interest from landlords has been slow to start, she's confident the program will help reduce the number of evictions filed in Louisville.

"I have high expectations for us," she said.

Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at bloosemore@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4646 or on Twitter @bloosemore.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville starts eviction mediation program using federal ARP funds
Aki Kaurismaki, the deadpan cockeyed minimalist of Finland, has become the ultimate illustration of the principle that if you make movies in the same mood and style, with the same monosyllabic bombed-out hipster vibe, for a period of 30 years, your movies may not have changed  but the world around them has, so the films will have a totally different effect.

In Fallen Leaves, the Kaurismaki bauble thats showing at Cannes this year, theres actually a scene in which a character uses a computer. The films heroine, Ansa (Alma Poysti), loses her job as a supermarket worker, and to find another gig she rents an HP laptop at a makeshift Internet cafe that charges 10 Euro for half an hour. Apart from that, the movie unfolds in that scruffy and sparsely decorated so-familiar-its-cozy pre-tech Kaurismaki zone, where people still use electric adding machines or listen to a bulky kitchen radio that looks like its from the early 60s. Fallen Leaves is set in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, but to our eyes its a weirdly underpopulated place where shopping, as a pastime, doesnt exist, and neither, in any meaningful way, does conversation.

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Lets go to karaoke, says a burly construction worker to Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), the films tall, taciturn, and functionally drunk romantic co-protagonist. Tough guys dont sing, he replies. A funny line, in that gnomic what-are-they-going-to-blurt-out-next? Kaurismaki way (though the film could have used more of those lines). The two then head over to the California Pub, a bar thats like something out of East Berlin in the 70s with less mood lighting, and its there that Holappa meets Ansa. The two are drawn to each other, but in such a shy, recessive, shaggy-working-class-drone-with-nothing-to-say way that their shambling courtship makes Marty look like The Philadelphia Story.

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How do we know that Ansa and Holappa are going to get together? Because they have matching auras of dour repressed sweetness. Because both actors look like lumpish proletarian versions of Ingmar Bergman stars  Alma Poysti, radiant yet benumbed, plays Ansa like a dish-towel Bibi Andersson, and Jussi Vatanen could be the schlump brother of Max von Sydow (with a dollop of Ryan Gosling). Mostly, we know that theyre going to get together because thats all there is for them to do.

For their first date, they head to the local art theater to see Jim Jarmuschs The Dead Dont Die (an in-joke, since Kaurismaki and Jarmusch have been nodding back and forth at each others styles for so long now that its hard to say who did what first). Then she invites him over for dinner, which requires a (rare) shopping expedition that incarnates Kaurismakis comedy of loneliness. She needs to stop by the store to purchaseanother dinner plate.

Ansas apartment is as sparely decorated as a monks garret, with a small flat bed, a couch that looks like she got it at Helsinki Goodwill, and that ancient radio, which blares nothing but reports about the war in Ukraine. The war is closer to home than it is for us; Finland is right on the border. But in Fallen Leaves, those dispatches, sober as they are, function with a kind of levity as the top layer of miserablism.

Speaking of sobriety, Holappas drinking turns out to be the films only conflict. Hes always got a flask or a half-pint bottle on him, and swigs from it all day, which is why he keeps getting fired. His alcoholism doesnt have to be explained; you see him at work, in his drudge stupor, and think, Id be drinking on that job too. But when Ansa catches him tippling from his flask in secret, she lets him know that he has a choice to make. Its got to be the drinking or her.

Ansa gets fired too, for handing out food thats past its sell-by date to a homeless person, and for taking an expired sandwich herself. (Its a bitter joke that supermarket protocol demanded for her to simply toss it all out.) The go-nowhere jobs are a preoccupation for Kaurismaki. Its more than a social-political theme  its the cornerstone of his romantic vision. His characters are the middle-class stragglers of industrial society, and now that theyve reached a certain age (hence the films title), if they cant fall in love what can they do? Not much. Sit around at home with a frozen dinner and a bottle of vodka.

Their predicament is humane and inviting, and Fallen Leaves, like every Kaurismaki movie Ive seen, from Shadows in Paradise (1986) to The Match Factory Girl (1990) to his last film, The Other Side of Hope (2017), has a scruffy appeal. There are a couple of a rock n roll interludes at the bar, and these scenes do a good job of breaking up the gumdrop fatalism. Yet Id be lying if I didnt say that Im a bit baffled by the critical rapture that has greeted Fallen Leaves at Cannes. Its a nice but exceedingly minor movie. It leaves little imprint. What people are loving, I think, is the nostalgia thats now built into an Aki Kaurismaki movie. In the age of fragmentation, his films that have never changed are like time-machine trips back to the quirky gusto of the 90s, when even an indie trifle dipped in Nordic despair could ripple, underneath it all, with optimism.

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A 20-year-old student in the Philippines recently made headlines after claiming on social media that he had been accepted into 30 different universities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Julian Martir, the son of a tricycle (public transportation in the Philippines) driver and vendor, initially earned praise for claiming that he was able to obtain scholarship grants totaling approximately 106 million Philippine pesos (approximately $1.9 million).

Martir's announcement garnered significant attention, with news outlets and online platforms sharing his story.

However, doubts began to emerge when Martir faced scrutiny during a recent news interview in which he appeared to struggle in providing clear explanations for his chosen academic path.

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His alma mater, Negros Occidental High School (NOHS), also released a statement noting that they are still trying to verify Martir's claims due to a lack of "first-hand information.

Martir was subsequently subjected to criticism on social media, with some online users resorting to online bullying and branding him as a fraud.

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In a recent interview with News5, Martir stood by his claims, university applications and scholarships, asserting their authenticity.

Martir also shed more light on his application process, which involved submitting them all online after taking a gap year to prepare.

"I hope everyone will stop accusing me, or kung ano-ano man yung sinasabi ng mga ibang tao (or whatever it is that other people are saying about me)," Martir stated. "Just to make my statement clear din po, all of the universities I applied to are true po" (I genuinely applied to all of those universities).

More from NextShark: Man Accused of Racially Abusing a Bystander in Canada Will NOT Be Charged

Addressing the universities' responses to his applications, Martir asserted, "totoo po yung 30 universities na inapplyan ko po. Kahit na i-email niyo sila ng paulit-ulit, they will give you the same response na ni-review talaga ang application ko with scholarships (It's true that I applied to 30 universities. Even if you email them again and again, they will just give you the same response that they have reviewed my application for the scholarships)."

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Another news outlet reached out to the 30 universities he named to verify Martir's claim.

Eight of the 10 universities that responded confirmed his admission, with five of them confirming the scholarship offers. Among the universities that reportedly confirmed his acceptance were Ohio Wesleyan University, Alfred University, Woodbury University, Webster University, Ball State University, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Michigan Technological University and the University of Massachusetts Boston.

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Twitter user Ewemiz Insigne, a Filipino student on a full scholarship at Colby College in Maine, also came to Martir's defense, noting that it is possible that the student had not been lying about his acceptance letters.

But I believe Julian's saying the truth. The list below are schools Julian was accepted to. These are some of the most common "safety schools" international students apply to as they have high acceptance rates, and tend to be generous with merit scholarships. pic.twitter.com/9RYNxToZvm  Ewemiz Insigne (@doEWEMIZme) May 19, 2023

The list below are schools Julian was accepted to. These are some of the most common safety schools international students apply to as they have high acceptance rates, and tend to be generous with merit scholarships, she explained.

She also explained that since scholarships from different schools cannot be combined, Martir will still face financial challenges should he choose to pursue his studies abroad.

HOWEVER. For Julian, who seems to be from a low-income background, this isn't enough. Many of these schools have costs of $50-70k/yr, and scholarships often only cover up to $20k/yr. Scholarships from different schools can't be added, so Julian can't afford these acceptances.  Ewemiz Insigne (@doEWEMIZme) May 19, 2023

Applying to colleges abroad is somehow both easier and harder than people think. It is a complex process that requires a lot of privilege, time, and money, but it is also a lot more accessible than the majority of the public believes, she wrote.
The Pentagon's ongoing efforts to remove Confederate-linked names from military bases continued with the renaming of the U.S. Army's Fort Benning, now called Fort Moore. It was a historic moment, not just for one soldier, but for his groundbreaking spouse as well.

Hal Moore was the commander of American troops in the bloody 1965 battle of Ia Drang Valley  the first head-to-head clash between American and North Vietnamese soldiers..

"I can't describe to you really that hell we were in," Moore told the Vietnam Archives at Texas Tech University about that battle. He recalled "smoke and dust," and the "screams of the men hollering 'mom' or 'medic.'"

Moore has since died, but Bob Edwards was also there as commander of C Company.



"C Company had started the day with five officers and 106 men, and by 10, there were no unwounded officers. There were 42 men killed," Edwards said.

Despite losing nearly half the company, "the line had held," Edwards said.

Edwards and his soldiers were based at what was then called Fort Benning in Georgia. Now, it bears Moore's name.

"But it's not named Fort Hal Moore. It's a family. It's both Hal Moore and Julie," Edwards told CBS News.

Julie Moore, whose given name is Julia, was outraged by the impersonal telegrams the U.S. military used to notify families of the dead.

"She raised hell with the Army," Hal Moore once said. "She raised a fuss all the way up to stop that inhumane practice."

Because of Julia Moore, the dreaded news of a servicemember's death is now delivered in person. And she is now the first Army spouse to have a base named after her.

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From soups and marinades to drinks and desserts, yogurt is your ticket to all kinds of recipes.

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

One of my earliest memories involves my father coming home from the grocery store in our neighborhood in Phoenix, Arizona, with a pint of what he assumed was plain, full-fat yogurt for our family to enjoy alongside meat and vegetable stew. After opening the tub at the table, the three of us exchanged sideways glances: This doesnt smell right. Once we determined that it wasnt expired or damaged in some way, we quickly realized what had happened: My father, assuming that American grocery stores (like those in Turkey, where were from) carried unflavored yogurt in the large white tubs that filled the dairy aisle, had purchased vanilla yogurt. It quickly became a running joke in our family, asking one another if vanilla-flavored yogurt soup was on the menu.

My fathers simple error highlighted how different cuisines interact with this simple, foundational ingredient  one that Homa Dashtaki, founder of The White Moustache yogurt products and the author of Yogurt & Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant Life, calls absolutely exquisite. Like me, Dashtaki grew up enjoying yogurt in a savory capacity, as a sauce for vegetables, rice, and lentils. What I think is so fascinating is that in its simplest, fullest form, yogurt is so full of possibility, she says. I douse all of my food in it. My plate is one-third rice, one-third whatever the stew is, and one-third yogurt.

Having a good tub of yogurt in your fridge (see our favorites here) also puts a super-powered ingredient in easy reach. Thanks to its calcium content, yogurt is a terrific marinade. In her book about the science of cooking, CookWise, Shirley O. Corriher explains that the calcium in yogurt activates enzymes in meat that tenderize it without the risk of denaturing it and toughening meat as more acidic marinades do, making it an excellent choice for a long, flavor-enhancing soak for everything from turkey breast to pork chops. The same lactic acid that gives yogurt its signature, gentle tang also makes yogurt handy for baking  when yogurt is combined with an alkaline ingredient like baking soda, the reaction that takes place releases carbon dioxide, which helps give rise to cakes and other baked goods.

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Related:19 of Our Favorite Recipes Using Greek-Style Yogurt

So what cant yogurt do? From binding together a Turkish carrot slaw called Havuc Tarator to serving as a creamy base for a cooling beverage made with cardamom, citrus, and labneh, just about anything. Join us as we explore the many different, delicious ways yogurt is used in cuisines around the world.

Five easy ways to get more out of your next tub of yogurt

Pudra Sekerli Yogurt

Kanlca, a small village on the Bosporus in Turkey, is famous for its especially creamy, decadent yogurt, which is typically served topped with a spoonful (or two  who are we to judge?) of fluffy powdered sugar. It couldnt be easier to re-create at home using Cabots Greek yogurt, and it plays nicely with a cup of Turkish coffee.

Frosting

Combining 2 cups Greek yogurt, 1 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla extract makes for a tangy twist on frosting  perfect for Bundt cakes and cupcakes.

Salad Dressing

Whisk plain yogurt in a bowl with finely chopped parsley, oregano, mint, lemon juice, grated garlic, salt, and pepper to jazz up your salad greens.

Ayran

For those summer afternoons when its too hot to even think about cooking, whip up a refreshing batch of Turkish ayran. This thirst-quencher is made by adding 2 cups ice water, 1 cup plain yogurt, and a pinch of salt to a blender and mixing until frothy.

Mast-o Moosir

This iconic Iranian condiment calls for just three ingredients: whole-milk yogurt, sliced dry moosir (dried Persian shallots, available at sadaf.com), and a pinch of salt. Dashtaki says to soak the dried shallots for at least four hours and refrigerate overnight, but the active time needed to make this sauce-meets-dip is less than five minutes, and it lasts for a whole month in the fridge. Use it as a dip, or even drizzle it on pizza.



Recipes

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

The backbone of this refreshing beverage comes from labneh, a tangy staple yogurt in the Middle East that is strained twice, lending it a thicker texture. Black cardamom rounds out the drink with an earthy, floral flavor and smoky aroma that is balanced by sweet honey and bright citrus.

:Get the recipe

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

A contemporary homage to cilbir, a Turkish classic traditionally made with poached eggs, yogurt, and paprika butter, this version simplifies the technique by using a sunny-side-up egg while retaining the dishs stunning visual appeal. A harissa-influenced take on the popular condiment chile crisp stands in for the paprika butter for an extra-lively twist. Use the versatile leftover chile crisp to punch up everything from eggs to fish, vegetables, and meat.



:Get the recipe

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

The beauty of this dish, which is popular at Turkish meze, a collection of small plates served as appetizers, lies in its effortlessness. Naturally sweet carrots are intertwined with cooling and refreshing yogurt in this dish worthy of sharing. Its important the carrots are cooked to al dente to maintain some of their integrity and texture for a fulfilling bite each time.

:Get the recipe

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

With yogurt as a moistening agent in the batter, this cake boasts a light, tender crumb infused with warm cardamom. Mango jelly brushed on the cake before the yogurt icing glaze offers a layer of fruity sweetness, while a pistachio garnish adds a satisfying texture. Top the cake with a crowning layer of mango slices just before serving to ensure the fruits moisture does not affect the glaze.



:Get the recipe

Yogurt-Marinated Pork Chops with White WineShallot Sauce

Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christina Daley

A creamy yogurt marinade infused with mustard and warm celery seeds tenderizes pork chops to keep them juicy while cooking. If marinated overnight, the pork chops will have time to absorb more of the yogurts natural sugars. To prevent the marinade from charring due to the sugar content, turn down the heat when cooking, if necessary.

:Get the recipe

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(Bloomberg) -- Amazon.com Inc. repeatedly violated federal labor law by unilaterally changing policies and terminating union supporters at its sole unionized warehouse, US labor board prosecutors alleged in a complaint, which also accuses Chief Executive Officer Andy Jassy of personally making illegal anti-union comments.

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In a Monday filing, a National Labor Relations Board regional director wrote that Amazon illegally restricted employees ability to visit their unionized New York City warehouse during their time off, in order to discourage them from engaging in labor activism.

The agency alleges Amazon changed its policy on off-duty workers access to the premises, as well as its practices on announcing and providing paid leave for Covid-19 cases, without negotiating with the union at the Staten Island facility. It also accuses the company of terminating two employees because of their involvement in the Amazon Labor Union. Amazon should be forced, among other measures, to rescind its off-duty access policy for at least three years, the complaint says.

The complaint also accuses Jassy of violating federal labor law by saying, during a live interview as part of the New York Times Dealbook summit, that union representation would make workers less empowered and would make it harder for them to have direct relationships with managers. Jassy made the comments in November, a month after the NLRB issued a prior complaint saying similar comments the CEO had made to CNBC and to Bloomberg News also violated the law.

Federal labor law allows companies to vocally oppose unionization, but restricts them from threatening or retaliating against workers for organizing, and requires them to negotiate over working conditions if employees do vote to unionize.

Amazon has repeatedly denied violating the law. These complaints are completely without merit and we look forward to showing that through the legal process, company spokesperson Eileen Hards said Tuesday in an email. While the NLRB has certified ALU as the representative of the Staten Island workers, the Seattle-based company has argued that the unions landmark election victory last year should be overturned due to misconduct, an argument it has signaled it will pursue in federal court.

In November, a federal judge in New York ordered Amazon to cease and desist from retaliating against employees for workplace activism.

Complaints issued by NLRB prosecutors are heard by agency judges, whose rulings can be appealed to the labor board members in Washington, and then to federal court. The agency has the authority to order employers to reinstate workers and change policies, but not to fine them punitive damages or hold executives personally liable for violations.

Read more: Amazon Workers Launch Battle to Unionize in Britain

The NLRBs Monday complaint alleged that Jassys comments were interfering with, restraining and coercing employees in their ability to exercise their rights. ALU argued that the comments constituted a threat to cut off workers access to supervisors if they unionized.

Complaints issued by NLRB officials personally naming prominent executives are relatively unusual. Under the agencys current general counsel, President Joe Biden appointee Jennifer Abruzzo, the agency is also prosecuting a case accusing Starbucks Corp.s former CEO Howard Schultz of making an anti-union threat during a meeting last year. A pro-union worker said Schultz asked them at the meeting, If you hate Starbucks so much, why dont you work somewhere else? Starbucks has denied wrongdoing.

All these Succession-style billionaires should be held accountable for unlawful actions, and thats what were doing, ALU attorney Seth Goldstein said Monday. The complaint, he said, is going to send a strong message to the union-busters and to CEOs like Jassy who think that they can say whatever they want to and they wont be held accountable.

(Updates with Amazon comment in sixth paragraph.)

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Tina Turner's cause of death has been revealed one day after she passed away at age 83. A rep for the legendary musician confirmed to the Daily Mail on Thursday, May 25, that Turner died of natural causes. (Us Weekly has reached out to the rep for comment.) News broke on Wednesday, May 24, that the "Private Dancer" artist  known to fans across the globe as the Queen of Rock 'n Roll  died at her home in Switzerland after suffering from an undisclosed illness. "It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tina Turner," read a statement shared via Turner's social media accounts on Wednesday. "With her music and her boundless passion for life, she enchanted millions of fans around the world and inspired the stars of tomorrow. Today we say goodbye to a dear friend who leaves us all her greatest work: her music. All our heartfelt compassion goes out to her family. Tina, we will miss you dearly." Her spokesperson, Bernard Doherty, noted in an additional statement: "With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model." Tina Turner Ilpo Musto/Shutterstock The Tennessee native kicked off her music career in 1957, teaming up with Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. She and Ike  who died in December 2007  collaborated on "River Deep  Mountain High," "Proud Mary" and more major hits. Tina went on to pursue her own solo work, catapulting herself to the top of the charts with "What's Love Got to Do with It" from 1984's Private Dancer. The song earned her the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1985. Over the course of her career, she won 11 more Grammys  including Best Female Rock Vocal Performance  and landed three songs in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Brian J Ritchie/Hot Sauce/Shutterstock As the Happiness Becomes You author's star continued to rise, her personal life also attracted interest. She and Ike were married from 1962 to 1978, welcoming their son, Ronnie, in 1960. (She previously welcomed son Craig with Kings of Rhythm saxophonist Raymond Hill in 1958 and adopted two of Ike's children following their nuptials.) After her tumultuous relationship with Ike came to an end, Tina met German music executive Erwin Bach in 1986. The twosome  who were more than 15 years apart in age  eventually sparked a romance but didn't tie the knot until July 2013. "We grant each other freedom and space to be individuals at the same time we are a couple," the Tina star wrote in her 2020 memoir. "Erwin, who is a force of nature in his own right, has never been the least bit intimidated by my career, my talents, or my fame. He shows me that true love doesn't require the dimming of my light so that he can shine. On the contrary, we are the light of each other's lives, and we want to shine as bright as we can, together." She referred to falling in love with Bach as being "another exercise in leaving my comfort zone, of being open to the unexpected gifts that life has to offer." Ahead of her death, Tina was diagnosed with both intestinal cancer and kidney failure in 2016. She underwent kidney transplant surgery one year later and went into complete remission. Her personal challenges continued in 2018 when her son Craig was found dead at age 59 from a self-inflicted gun wound. "My saddest moment as a mother," she tweeted at the time. "On Thursday, July 19 2018, I said my final goodbye to my son, Craig Raymond Turner, when I gathered with family and friends to scatter his ashes off the coast of California. He was fifty-nine when he died so tragically, but he will always be my baby."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! Four years later, Tina's son Ronnie died at age 62 due to complications from colon cancer in December 2022.
The Kenton County Detention Center.

An inmate at the Kenton County Detention Center died Sunday after he was beaten by another inmate, police said.

Officers responded to the jail on May 14 for a report of an unresponsive person and discovered 61-year-old John Daulton not breathing, Kenton County Police Department officials said in a news release Monday afternoon.

Officials said Johnathan Maskiell, 32, of Vanceburg, Kentucky, assaulted Daulton while the two men were housed together in a jail cell.

A jail deputy, who was on watch at the time of the alleged assault, told investigators he heard two loud "thuds" and ran to the cell, according to a criminal citation.

The deputy said he witnessed Maskiell stomp on Daulton's head twice before he was able to enter the cell and stop the assault, the citation states.

Officials said Daulton was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he died a week later.

Maskiell is charged with first-degree assault, officials said, though the Kenton County Police Department is working with the Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office to upgrade that charge.

The investigation is ongoing, police said. Maskiell is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon for a preliminary hearing.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Police: Inmate dies week after assault in Kenton County jail
The derailment of a Norfolk Southern freight train earlier this year in East Palestine, Ohio, sent toxic chemicals into the surrounding community and brought national attention to the potential risks of transporting hazardous materials.

Since then, legislators and industry leaders have emphasized the need for more hazmat training among local emergency responders -- the same kind of training that was on display earlier this month in New Jersey, where trains range from passenger rail to freight, carrying chemicals like chlorine and propane.

A captain at the Allendale Fire Department had requested a training session earlier this year on how emergency responders should react to a situation involving hazardous materials in transportation to ensure that the community's responders knew how to deal with an event involving hazmat.

MORE: NTSB to open special investigation into Norfolk Southern following recent derailments

And so, on a weekend in May, dozens of emergency responders, some traveling in from other states, gathered for a daylong training at the Bergen County Police and Fire Academy.

"If you plan for the when and if and you got all the right information to train on, those folks are better prepared to respond," said Mike Stephenson, the New Jersey state coordinator for TRANSCAER, the organization that hosted the session.

PHOTO: Emergency responders gather for hazmat training at the Bergen County Fire and Police Academy in New Jersey. (TRANSCAER)

The training dealt with the practicality of learning about chemicals, the trains running through the communities and the types of train containers as well as the logistics, chains of command and points of contact.

TRANSCAER runs trainings across the country, showing communities and emergency responders how to prepare for hazmat transportation incidents.

MORE: Defective, loose wheels at risk of derailment discovered on Norfolk Southern rail cars

For the event in Bergen County, they partnered with regional industries and transit systems.

"Protection of life is always the most critical element in making good and effective decisions," said Chris Wagner, the director of compliance and regulatory affairs at AmeriGas, who also taught a session on propane emergencies.

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PHOTO: Emergency responders gather for hazmat training at the Bergen County Fire and Police Academy in New Jersey. (TRANSCAER)

Participants were divided into small groups that went through a series of courses taught by industry experts -- from "Railcar Anatomy 101" to "Chlorine Emergencies."

"It's like looking at a cake," said Robert Policht, a firefighter in Passaic, New Jersey, who was a participant in the training. "As you start digging in, there's different layers. ... Through a course like this, you understand there's much more going on than just watching the transit train going by or how many 18-wheelers roll down your highway. You begin to understand that everybody has a stake in an incident."

After the derailment in East Palestine in February, industry and government voices urged additional resources for hazmat preparation.

PHOTO: Emergency responders gather for hazmat training at the Bergen County Fire and Police Academy in New Jersey. (TRANSCAER)

PHOTO: Portions of a Norfolk and Southern freight train that derailed in East Palestine, Ohio are still on fire, Feb. 4, 2023. (Gene J. Puskar/AP, FILE)

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called for increased funding for training and the Bipartisan Railway Safety Act of 2023, introduced after the East Palestine derailment, proposed a fee increase for railroads that would pay for grants to train local responders.

The Association of American Railroads, an industry trade group, also announced that rail operators would train 20,000 first responders in local communities on accident mitigation and 2,000 additional first responders would go to an enhanced training at a center in Colorado.

Stephenson, from TRANSCAER, told ABC News that he'd seen a rise in requests for hazmat training after what happened in East Palestine.

"People tend to be reactive instead of proactive," he said. "So unfortunately, it takes an event like that to get people to wake up a little bit."

Inside the first responder hazmat training being embraced after East Palestine derailment originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
American Born Chinese is all about blending genres. Just as Gene Luen Yang's original graphic novel used elements of magical realism to emphasize certain aspects of the Asian-American experience, the new TV series adaptation from showrunner Kelvin Yu splits its time between the high school travails of Jin Wang (Ben Wang) and his friend Wei-Chen's (Jim Liu) battles against gods.

As the son of Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King, Wei-Chen is well-equipped for his many fights  as is the show itself, which recruited experts and put a lot of work into making the action scenes look as cool as possible. You can get a taste of American Born Chinese's action in the exclusive video above.

"We have this incredible stunt team. A lot of them are from China," Yu says in the video. "These people are as close to real-life superheroes as you'll ever meet."

In addition to being real-life superheroes, American Born Chinese's stunt team were capable of taking comic-book images and bringing them to life, according to Yang. The show's primary stunt coordinator was Peng Zheng, who previously worked with director Destin Daniel Cretton on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and himself directed the fourth episode of American Born Chinese.

"He was able to take still images of kung-fu fights that are in the graphic novels and translate them into these really amazing fight sequences that aren't just pretty to look at, but also tell a story," Yang says of Zhang in the video.

American Born Chinese

Disney/Carlos Lopez Calleja Leonard Wu in 'American Born Chinese.'

Zhang isn't the only hero of American Born Chinese's action accomplishments. Speaking with EW, Daniel Wu  a formidable action star who portrays Sun Wukong in the show and previously starred on Into the Badlands  also complimented the camera operators who have to keep up with the fights.

"We were trying to make the fighting feel very authentic to Asian cinema and the Hong Kong style particularly. In that style, the camera is part of the fight," Wu says. "So when you're watching it, you feel like you're part of it: The hits feel harder, flying in the air feels more fun. That's because the camera is in there moving along with everybody. It's not easy to do! We struggled with that on Into the Badlands, teaching Western cameramen how to do that. It's very hard, it's very physical, it's very tiring for the cameraman. They become one of the fighters with us. It's a dance between the camera and the players and the choreography, all together."

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As you can see in the video above, American Born Chinese's battles involve many different kinds of weapons. The most prominent, though, is the staff, which makes sense because the size-changing, golden-hooped staff is Sun Wukong's iconic weapon from Journey to the West  and the precious object that Wei-Chen takes with him on his journey to the human realm.

"The staff is an interesting weapon, like all long weapons, because it extends the fight and then becomes almost like a paintbrush that you're painting a picture with," Wu says. "I always feel like when you're doing action scenes, you're painting a picture with your body. But with the staff, you're able to grow that picture and make it even more dynamic  especially with this staff because it's a magic staff. So it can be small, it can be big, it can be medium-sized. That adds a whole other palette to the fighting picture."

American Born Chinese

Disney Jim Liu as Wei-Chen in 'American Born Chinese.'

In order to portray the Monkey King's staff changing sizes, American Born Chinese's stunt team had many different-sized props that they would switch between. It definitely took some getting used to.

"I had three weeks of stunt training just to learn how to use the staff," says Liu. "It was pretty hard! My hands would hurt because it's pretty heavy, and the moves were really, really, hard. But it was fun to learn a new thing, and once I saw the results I really liked it."

The action series is Liu's first time doing action scenes on camera, but he became a black belt in taekwondo at a young age  which he admits helped him with the learning curve. But the action sometimes put Liu a world away from costars Wang and Sydney Taylor (who plays Jin's friend Amelia).

"We shot in two units a lot," added Wang. "So we would be at high school, and then across town Jimmy would be in a basement fighting a cow. We'd go over to see him and he'd be in full prosthetic makeup with a staff and two stuntmen who look exactly like him."

American Born Chinese hits Disney+ on May 24.

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Jeremy Renner's mother Valerie has supported her son throughout his recovery from his New Year's Day snowplow accident

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Jeremy Renner is showing love for his mother Valerie.

On Tuesday, Renner, 52, shared a photo to his Instagram Story of a newspaper clipping with a picture of himself as a child alongside his mother. The photo appeared to be published in a local Nevada newspaper back when he received his first Oscar nomination for his performance in 2008's The Hurt Locker.

"This came to my attention ...  love you mama," the Avengers actor wrote in a caption above the picture. The newspaper photo itself included a caption that read: "A young Jeremy Renner is seen with his mother, Valerie Cearley, in this undated family photograph."

Though the newspaper in Renner's photo does not have a date shown, the caption goes on to refer to the actor as a "first-time Oscar nominee," suggesting it was published prior to the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010.

Renner's performance as a U.S. Army sergeant during the Iraq War in The Hurt Locker earned the actor a nomination for Best Actor. Jeff Bridges won that year's award for his performance in Crazy Heart.

RELATED: Scarlett Johansson Details Visit with Jeremy Renner: 'Didn't Know If I Was Ever Going to See Him Again'

Renner, who continues to recover from his New Year's Day snowplow accident, recently paid tribute to his mother in a heartwarming Instagram post he shared on Mother's Day.



The actor shared three photos of his mother to Instagram as he apologized in his caption "for the weight I've made you carry" and noted her "grace and strength" in recent months.

"Mother Earth, Mother Nature, and Mama No matter how challenging, painful, or difficult life can be for me as of recent, it does not elude you," he wrote in that caption. "I'm sorry for the weight I've made you carry, yet so very grateful that you can with grace and strength. Thank you, love you mama. My rock. #happymothersday"



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Valerie appeared to take an active role in caring for her son in the months following the Jan. 1 snowplow accident, in which Renner broke over 30 bones and underwent multiple surgeries after his snowplow  said to weigh at least 14,330 lbs.  ran him over while he was helping his nephew Alex get a stuck vehicle out of the snow.



RELATED: Jeremy Renner Jogs for the First Time Since Near-Fatal Snowplow Accident: 'Pain Is Progress for Me'

Renner shared a video to his Instagram Story of Valerie and his sister comforting him from his hospital bed in the days immediately following the incident. More recently, the actor told Diane Sawyer during ABC's hour-long special concerning the accident and Renner's recovery in April that his mental strength through the ordeal stems from his mother.

"I think I'm mentally strong. I don't know about other people," he said, when the journalist asked if he believes he is "stronger than most people."

"I know I'm mentally strong, and I get that from my mom," the Avengers actor added at the time.

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Revered Italian auteur Marco Bellocchio is returning to Cannes with Kidnapped, a drama that reconstructs the true tale of Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish boy who was kidnapped and forcibly raised as a Christian in 19th century Italy.

Its a story that Steven Spielberg had his eye on, having announced in 2016 that he would make a drama about Mortara for which he began scouting locations in Italy.

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Last year, Bellocchio was in Cannes with another kidnapping drama, the limited TV series Exterior Night, about the abduction and assassination of former Italian premier Aldo Moro by Red Brigades terrorists. The veteran auteurs first foray in TV has had the rare distinction of playing well in Italian cinemas  in two installments  before airing on RAI and selling globally. Earlier this month it also scored a slew of statuettes, including best director, at Italys David Awards, the countrys top film prizes.

Bellocchio spoke to Variety about how he went about putting this act of violence and its complex consequences on the big screen and why the Vatican should ask for forgiveness.

What drew you to want to reconstruct the story of this kidnapping perpetrated in Gods name?

I was struck by this story after reading a book about Edgardo Mortara written by a rather conservative Catholic. The book traces the journey of the conversion to Catholicism of this child who is kidnapped after starting his religious journey as an Orthodox Jew. Its a conversion, that is initially forced. But Edgardo does not change his mind after Rome is freed from Papal domain at which point he is free to do as he pleases. Instead, he becomes a priest and then a missionary to the end of his days.

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Had you been wanting to make this film for a long time?

Yes. But immediately after having read the book I found out that Steven Spielberg was in prep with this film. A production company had come to Italy to scout locations and do some auditions, so I stopped thinking about it. Then, several years later, while I was in the U.S. promoting The Traitor [which was in Cannes in 2019] I asked around and I heard that Spielberg had not gone ahead with the project. So we verified that and went to work. The story is full of elements that stimulated my imagination. Its like a great 19th century novel. In the film the mother and father characters are very important and equally important is the figure of the Pope who is violent and intolerant but at the same time coherent [with the Catholic beliefs of that time].

Talk to me about the historical research behind this film. Do you think Spielberg would have taken a different approach?

Working with [writer/director] Susanna Nicchiarelli [who directed historical films Nico, 1988, Miss Marx and Chiara] we used several books as sources, but also plenty of documents. Since its about an Italy that no longer exists we did lots of digital effects work to reconstruct that world. But we also wanted to give the audience a real sense of what took place. Lots of work was put into the set design and the costumes. We tried to reconstruct the world of the Italian provinces. We were very careful in making sure the types of vernacular Italian that the characters speak were very accurate. The accuracy of the linguistic aspect was crucial to me to make it real. Its likely that Spielbergss project would have been completely different. He would have done it in English. For us, we really wanted to stand up for the fact that this Jewish family was living on Italian soil.

Its been reported that Spielberg had trouble finding the right boy to play Edgardo Mortara. How did you find Enea Sala who plays him very well as a boy.

Before I started shooting I was very worried about this aspect. Kids tend to be very phony these days due to the social media bombardment they are subjected to. I knew that we had to find a kid that had a soul. That was able to emote. I was lucky, I made the right choice. And its interesting that Enea had never set foot in a Church. Whereas I have always had to come to terms with my Catholic education, he didnt have that issue. But he obviously tapped into something even deeper that he conveyed on screen with his eyes, with his voice. Hes from Bologna, so he had the right accent. It was a long casting process, but whereas with professional actors you can work on forging the character, with a kid they either work or they dont. He put a lot of effort into it and it paid off handsomely.

Pope Pius IX, who was personally responsible for Mortaras kidnapping, was beatified in the year 2000. The Vatican has never asked for forgiveness for this act of violence. What are your thoughts about this?

I remember the disappointment of Mortaras descendants about the beatification. For a pope it was a big stain [on his consciousness]. Elena Mortara, his grand niece, was flabbergasted that the Church would justify this act. Ive been told that the reason for the beatification of Pius IX is that the procedure took place under Pope John Paul II, who was a staunch defender of the Catholic faith. But I think, even though his sainthood has been frozen, that given what Pius IX did, his beatification is unbelievable. I know the Mortara family tried to protest, but to no avail.

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Martine Rose has been named as Clarks' first-ever guest creative director.

"Clarks is something that's so intrinsic to British culture and obviously Jamaican culture because its huge in Jamaica because of the Commonwealth. There's a couple of British brands that are really big in Jamaica because Britishness is a sign of quality and you take it out of context it takes on a life of its own, like a myth," Rose told WWD.

So far, Rose has designed three pairs of shoes for Clarks, which are slated to debut during London Mens Fashion Week in June.

Besides design, Rose has focused on taking comfort to the next level "by creating shoes that look and feel like pillows by adding extra padding to the insoles and using feather downs in shoes, which the Clarks company hadnt ever worked on before."

She added, "There has to be something familiar about it so you can get the riff. Weve actually tried to keep it more classic, so it's very simple, theres a black, oxblood and snakeskin."

Rose's designs will make their debut at London Men's Fashion Week next month; the shoes will then go on sale in March 2023. Stay tuned for more updates.
A man incarcerated in Florida tried to use his wealth to escape from jail and flee the country, but authorities discovered his plan and thwarted the attempt.

John Manchecs plot involved a medical appointment set for April 12, but one of the people aware of the scheme tipped off authorities, Associated Press reported. Investigators looked into it, and discovered through jail phone records that the 78-year-old was using the code words paint job to discuss the plot with his employees.

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Here was the plan: Manchecs employees would pepper-spray prison guards. Then, his accomplices would take him to his private plane located in nearby Fort Pierce, so that he could go to France. He was would be able to accomplish all of this because hes a multimillionaire who holds dual U.S. and French citizenship, Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said at a press conference, according to AP.

Photos of multimillionaire John Manchec.

Essentially, the plan comes down to this, Flowers said. These folks that are on the outside are going to wait until Manchec has a doctors visit, and they are going to take out our corrections staff while hes out at the medical facility.

The employees were tasked with preparing his plane, 140-foot yacht, a black van and other vehicles he purchased specifically for the plot, Flowers said. Manchec also paid the bail for a cellmate so they could live in his house, pack a suitcase and his favorite liquor. His plan was to go back to his castle in France so he wouldnt face charges.

Manchec is currently in Indian River County Jail and facing additional charges related to the plot. He was originally arrested on December 18, 2014 and charged with 49 counts of possession of child pornography, Indian River County Sheriffs Office said in a release.

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Two inmates and two employees have also been arrested and charged with conspiracy in the escape plot, AP reported. Manchecs attorney information wasnt immediately available, and APs attempts to reach his lawyer were unsuccessful.

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Bogazkere: Its a wine grape whose name means throat twister for its highly tannic properties, but the first sip (and the next, and the next) of this red sure goes down easy. It's also just one of many surprises that await on a wine trip through Turkeys Aegean region.

Turkey, Izmir, near Selcuk, elevated view over vineyards Gary Yeowell/Getty

For a country with a viticultural history dating back 7,000 years, Turkeys wine industry is still somewhat in its infancy. Due to a number of political factors, and because much of it has historically been consumed domestically, Turkish wine never made the same international inroads as France, Italy, or even that relative newcomer, California. In 1923, the year the Turkish Republic was created, alcohol and tobacco sales were governed by a state-run monopoly called Tekel. It wasnt until 2003, when the sector was privatized, that smaller boutique wineries began to flourish. But a ban on alcohol advertising in 2013, followed by a loss of export markets during COVID-19, dealt a one-two punch to the blossoming Turkish wine industry.

For a wine lover, this is tantalizing juice: hundreds of indigenous varieties, terroir-driven takes on famous international grapes, and up-and-coming producers are just waiting to be discovered. When we compare 10 years ago to where we are now, there were not many boutique wineries, says Iklima Odabasi, production manager at USCA Winery in Urla near Izmir. Maybe 5 years ago, people focused on boutique wineries and their production. She estimates that ten new wineries were established in 2022 alone, out of approximately 184 total in the country. Hopefully in ten years, there will be a lot [more] producers, she says.

For history buffs and nature lovers, wine may seem like a misguided reason to go to a country filled with UNESCO World Heritage sites. Which is why this Aegean wine region, in particular, is a wine trip with an asterisktheres so much to see and do in between sips. Pack some delectable dried figs and hit the road for a wine route unlike any other on this Turkey road trip.

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When to go

Like many wine regions, harvest season (fall in the northern hemisphere) is an exciting time to visit. But this route loops from the seaside city of Izmir, heads inland, then back towards oceanfront villages, so if you are craving beach time, summer wont disappoint.

Day 1

Izmir is the third-largest city in Turkey and one of the largest in the wider Aegean area, with regular flights to and from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. Catch one of the morning routes, rent a car at the airport, and drive for less than ten minutes to Isabey Bagevi, a third-generation-run winery founded in 1947 that counts Sauvignon Blanc as a specialty. Izmir doesnt have large diurnal shifts (the temperature difference between night and day) and without cooling periods, grapes can ripen faster and often lose acidity, which means those in Izmir are harvested almost 20 days earlier than the grapes in the inland Denizli province. A 45-minute drive gets you to Nif Vineyards and Winery in Manisa, where international grapes such as Sangiovese, Shiraz, and the German variety Solaris thrive. Take a wine break at Kula Geopark; the volcanic field celebrates its 10th anniversary as a designated UNESCO Heritage site this year, a minor milestone in its history (the first eruption was about 1.1 million years ago). Gape at the majestic fairy chimneys, then walk through the jagged rocky landscape of Volcanic Park. When your long day comes to a close, Yanik Ulkea winery, restaurant, and your accommodation for the nightis luckily close by. Volcanoes again come into play; the winery compares its volcanic terroir to that of Sicily, so Catarrato and Nerello Mascalese are the wines to drink with dinner at the onsite restaurant, which serves pizza made in a stone oven and dishes made on the al fresco grill.

Alex Azabache/Unsplash

Day 2

Youll want to be up and at em for the two-hour drive to KUP winery in Denizli, an inland province known for its textile industry. Sip on the Besibir Yerde (No to Violence) wines which blend international and Turkish varieties, and know that proceeds support educational scholarship programs for girls. Although the winery was established in 1957, get ready for some real ancient history at UNESCO Heritage site Hierapolis, about an hour away. If youre wondering why so many people are wandering around the ancient city in bikinis and swim trunks, thats because the site is known for its thermal baths. Even if you're not in the mood for a full soak, roll up your jeans, wade into the shallow pools in the travertine terraces, and let the healing begin. All that wellness may work up an appetite, so head to Garson Sukru for dinner. It would be easy to fill up on the complimentary crispy carrots with yogurt dip, but save room for the pastrami-topped hummus and mixed-grill skewers, best paired with a full-bodied but surprisingly elegant Okuzgozu and Bogazkere blend from nearby Pamukkale Winery. New hotel construction in the area, such as the Park Dedeman Denizli, leans more business than luxury, but after a meal like that, sleep is all that matters.

Deniz Demirci/Unsplash

Day 3

You wont mind the three-hour drive to the ancient city of Ephesus, because the opportunity to majorly stretch your legs during a tour of this UNESCO World Heritage Site awaits. Ponder mankinds eternal quest to understand our world when gazing up at the stories-high library, which, after its construction in the 2nd century C.E., housed over 12,000 scrolls. Ephesus with its well-preserved ruins is a marvel unto itself, but its original claim to fame was as home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the original Seven Wonders of the World. While mostly destroyed, one column still stands proudly.

Once youve worked up a thirst, head to the town of Sirince, specifically, Hera Wine House. This wine bar and shop offers local wines by the glass, such as Kastro Tireli winerys Narince, a Turkish white variety thats a little floral and nutty. Nibble on some tulum cheese (a type thats often kept in salt water) and charcuterie, then wander through the charming cobblestoned town and its many wine shops. According to Mayan lore, Sirince and Bordeaux would be the only two places in the world to survive the apocalypsecoincidence that both are epicenters of wine? The last drive of the day leads to your final destination: 7 Bilgeler winery and Vinifera Vineyards hotel which was founded by a doctor who decided to take up winemaking upon his retirement (if you can call learning oenology a retirement). After settling into your room, grab a table by the stone fireplace in the restaurant and pair a citrus-y, saline-tinged Emir white wine or light-bodied Kalecik Karasi (nicknamed Turkish Pinot Noir) with your roasted eggplant.

Urla Bagevi

Day 4

Sleep in for a bit; your next drive is only an hour, and all youll need to do is sit on an expansive patio at Lucien Arkas winery overlooking the largest contiguousand organicvineyard in Turkey. Both indigenous and international grapes make up the vast offerings, all of which are overseen by Italian winemaker Lorenzo Severino. While the place has the posh, polished feel of an established wine country estate (yes, they do weddings), your next stop, USCA winery, gives off major hipster vibes. Young couples and groups of friends gather around upturned barrels on the stone patio, drinking cuvees that blend international and Turkish grapes, such as Shiraz and Foca Karasi (reminiscent of Grenache). USCA is just one of the boutique producers in the Urla area, and wines from other estates can also be tasted at your final destination, Urla Bagevi, a six-room boutique hotel and restaurant. The light wood tones and sleek angles feel wine-country familiar, as does the farm-to-table twist on traditional Turkish dishes, such as the tender local octopus with red wine sauce. Urlas Sauvignon Blanc shines with bright acidity, while the red Nexus, a blend of Merlot, Nero dAvola, and Cabernet Franc is fruity and spicy. It is both complex and enticing, a fitting tribute to your Turkey road trip.

Originally Appeared on Conde Nast Traveler
You'll need to get a permit to experience this route.

Canvan Images/Getty Images

When you think of national park roads, iconic routes like the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana's Glacier National Park and Crater Lake Rim Drive in Oregon's Crater Lake National Park likely come to mind. Theyre paved, accessible to anyone with a car, and can be completed in as little as two hours.

And while these factors are shared by many national park thoroughfares, the White Rim Road in Utahs Canyonlands National Park couldnt be more different. For starters, the road is unpaved, narrow, and primitive  and only accessible to drivers with high clearance, 4-wheel-drive vehicles, or travelers on bicycles and motorbikes.

Thanks to its notoriously rough roads, the 100-mile White Rim Road takes multiple days to complete  even if you drive. The route typically takes 4-wheel-drive vehicles between two to three days and mountain bikers three to four days.

Canvan Images/Getty Images

The road through southeastern Utah is steep, rocky, and exposed  but the views are probably unlike anything youve ever seen before. The White Rim Road loops around the Island in the Sky, an iconic Canyonlands mesa thats supported by sheer sandstone cliffs, like a natural desert rollercoaster. The views of the red rock desert and the towering Island in the Sky mesa, which sits over 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain, are constant.

Due to the desert heat, the White Rim Road is often undertaken in the spring and fall when the weather is warm, but not hot. That said, the spring season comes with its own set of challenges. During years of heavy snowfall (like winter 2022-2023) the water level of the Green River, which crosses the road, can make completing the full-rim road difficult, if not impossible. (See current road conditions at nps.gov.) For this reason, some travelers choose only to do a section of the White Rim Road.

Canvan Images/Getty Images

The multiday car or bike trip is supported by 20 campsites in 10 camping areas that are outfitted with toilets, but travelers have to bring their own food and water and pack out their trash. The Canyonlands National Park website recommends that mountain bikers have a 4-wheel-drive support vehicle that can carry multiple days worth of water, food, and equipment for them.

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In addition to the physical and natural challenges of the White Rim Road, all vehicles, motorbikes, and bicyclists must apply for either a day-use permit (for single-day trips) or an overnight permit. No dogs or campfires are allowed on White Rim Road.



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The main aim of stock picking is to find the market-beating stocks. But in any portfolio, there will be mixed results between individual stocks. So we wouldn't blame long term Ascential plc (LON:ASCL) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 45% over a half decade. And some of the more recent buyers are probably worried, too, with the stock falling 21% in the last year. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 12% in the last three months.

Now let's have a look at the company's fundamentals, and see if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

View our latest analysis for Ascential

Because Ascential made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. That's because it's hard to be confident a company will be sustainable if revenue growth is negligible, and it never makes a profit.

In the last half decade, Ascential saw its revenue increase by 5.8% per year. That's not a very high growth rate considering it doesn't make profits. Given this fairly low revenue growth (and lack of profits), it's not particularly surprising to see the stock down 8% (annualized) in the same time frame. Investors should consider how bad the losses are, and whether the company can make it to profitability with ease. Shareholders will want the company to approach profitability if it can't grow revenue any faster.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. This free report showing analyst forecasts should help you form a view on Ascential

A Different Perspective

Ascential shareholders are down 21% for the year, but the market itself is up 2.5%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 8% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. Before spending more time on Ascential it might be wise to click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling shares.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on 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.

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Cyclists in full gear, local residents, public officials, and media packed a SunRail train from DeBary to DeLand on Monday morning to mark the groundbreaking of a new station.

The SunRail train glided to a stop at the Amtrak station at 2491 Old New York Ave. next to the grounds where the new SunRail DeLand station will be built. The train ride was a special event arranged just to bring visitors to the event on the existing rail track  but it will be a while before riders can enjoy the trip to DeLand on SunRail.

A band played jazz as people departed the train and mingled before the event, which drew a crowd of about 250-300. Elected officials, Florida Department of Transportation officials, including Secretary Jared Perdue, and community leaders from Volusia County, DeLand, DeBary, and beyond attended.

"Thank you for all coming today as we officially break ground on the new DeLand station, a major step forward to realizing the original vision: 17 stations in the SunRail commuter rail system across Central Florida," FDOT District 5 Secretary and SunRail CEO John Tyler said.

Commission votes for DeLand extension: Now what?

The new station is expected to be finished in the summer of 2024, and it's expected to bring an economic benefit in addition to expanded transportation options. It is also planned as the last northern stop on the SunRail system.

Volusia County Manager George Recktenwald said he expects to see investment in new housing and businesses near the DeLand station, as has happened along the line in other areas.

"For the county, it's a direct tie into this mass transit system that serves all of central Florida. As traffic continues to grow, this will be another option, of course, to get down into central Florida and hopefully, central Floridians in those urban areas come up here and enjoy DeLand," he said.

SunRail stretches about 50 miles and connects Volusia County with Orlando as well as Seminole, Orange, and Osceola counties, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. The system has 16 stations from Poinciana, which is south of Orlando, to DeBary in West Volusia.

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Volusia County Council Chairman Jeff Brower during SunRail expansion station ceremony in DeLand, Monday, May 22, 2023.

Service is offered Monday through Friday.

While the numbers fluctuate, the SunRail system currently has about 4,000 riders per day on average, FDOT spokeswoman Cindi Lane said. Officials expect ridership to increase to 6,000 a day on average by the end of the year.

The system has also seen a big increase in leisure ridership, she said.

Lisa Kapp, of DeBary, took advantage of the special SunRail trip to DeLand on Monday with her bicycle in tow. Kapp said she and her husband enjoy using SunRail to explore the area.

"Probably my favorite ride was when we did a progressive food day," she said. "So we rode it to Maitland; we had soup. And then we rode it to Orlando; we had our main course. And then we found another place  had our main dessert. And we did it all with the bike and SunRail."

Years  and millions  in the making

City, county and state officials along with SunRail representatives ceremonially break ground on the SunRail expansion station in DeLand, Monday, May 22, 2023.

The Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission's Governing Board works with FDOT on the SunRail system and is made up of leaders from Orlando and Volusia, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. The leadership of SunRail is expected to fully transition to the Commission in a little over a year, and the regional partners will work out their costs as part of the transition plan, according to Lane.

SunRail is funded through a combination of federal, state, and local funds, including a hefty contribution from Volusia County government. The DeLand expansion is expected to cost $42.8 million, and construction will be led by Herzog, the contractor.

The county took on over $11.2 million in debt to help fund Phase 2 of SunRail, and the county plans to assume responsibility for annual maintenance and operation sometime in 2024 until 2036, according to county spokesman Clayton Jackson. The county's annual expense for its portion is estimated to be $8 million to $10 million.

SunRail launched in 2014 with 12 stations between DeBary and Sand Lake Road, according to FDOT. The southern part of Phase 2 opened in 2018 with four stations between Meadow Woods and Poinciana.

Volusia County Council Chair Jeff Brower, who is vice chair on the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission, said at first he was not excited about SunRail because of the high cost per rider. But he said he changed his mind after studying transportation. He said the system helps bring economic development and better quality of life.

"This is a future that's going to be the future of America. We're starting it here. (The) Southeast is not known for train service. We're going to make it known for train service," Brower said.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: SunRail's DeLand station is officially under construction
With house insurance rates escalating and more frequent flooding from rising sea levels and extreme rainfall, some prospective home buyers are asking more questions about climate impacts before signing up for a 30-year mortgage.

Economists, flood experts and others often consider which cities might be safest from climate change impacts in the long-term, considering factors such as flood risk, sustainability and preparation to make communities more resilient.

But safety is in the eye of beholder.

The truth is every place has its risks, said Steve Bowen, chief science officer and meteorologist with Gallagher Re, a global reinsurance broker.

You have to inherently understand there is no risk-free place anywhere in the country, Bowen said. "It's picking the type of risk you want to be subjected to.

Across the country, people are struggling with rapid shifts between drought and extreme rain, warming temperatures and severe storms that produce hail, rain and tornadoes, Bowen said.

More extreme weather events aren't the only thing causing insurance rates to shoot up, but they will increase pressure on the market, and could price people out of their homes and send them in search of less riskier places to live.

What is climate change? Is it the same thing as global warming? Definitions.

Maggie Hernandez rides on a kayak as she salvages what she can from her home that was inundated with flood water on April 14, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Nearly 26 inches of rain fell on Fort Lauderdale over a 24-hour period causing flooding.

Climate migration already underway

It appears people already are moving away from the coast in states like North Carolina and Louisiana, and that pace is expected to increase, said Jesse Keenan, an economist and associate professor of sustainable real estate at Tulane University who studies urban and infrastructure planning.

Keenan once referred to Duluth, Minnesota, in a presentation as "the most climate-proof city in America (sort of)" and to his amusement, the suggested slogan  among several he presented  stuck. Although the slogan keeps resurfacing in news stories and conversations, other cities also offer promise as climate change, natural disasters and other stressors force property owners inland.

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While conducting research, he and his research team have developed a list of cities that could be best bets. The communities stand out because of some combination of their geographies, economies and what they've done to get ready for the changes that lie ahead, he said.

Worst for climate change? Climate change is bad for everyone. But this is where it's expected to be worst in the US.

12 climate resilient cities

These are the cities tops on Keenan's list:

Duluth, MN

Orlando, FL

Asheville, NC

Knoxville, TN

Charlottesville, VA

Lynchburg, VA

Johnson City, TN

Pittsburgh, PA

Syracuse, NY

Buffalo, NY

Toledo, OH

Green Bay, WI

Orlando, Florida among cities that rank high as the best to avoid the worst climate impacts.

El Nino likely: Scientists warn an El Nino could bring scorching heat to Earth

Architectural Digest's best cities for climate change

Orlando also surfaced on a list published by Architectural Digest, considering elevation, population, extreme weather, risk and readiness scores, clean energy and air quality. Only one city on a coast made the list: Seattle. Others were:

Denver, CO

Raleigh, NC

Salt Lake City, UT

Charlotte, NC

Milwaukee, WI

Austin, TX

Columbus, OH

Orlando, FL

Atlanta, GA

Climate change a factor when people consider a move

Orlando has long been seen by investors as potentially being "the great beneficiary of an outflow of people" as southeast Florida "essentially depopulates to Central Florida," Keenan said.

He has heard from residents of some cities, such as Asheville, North Carolina, who say they already see an influx of people moving in from coastal regions. It may be a small number, but it's resonating with the locals, he said.

"People don't wake up in the morning and say I'm moving because of climate change," Keenan said. "They wake up and make a very complex set of decisions that weigh a lot of factors and climate change is one of those factors. It's about jobs, family connections, school districts and all these other things that generally drive relocation."

Sea levels rising

One thing is certain, sea level rise is accelerating, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Sea levels have risen about a foot over the last 100 years, and the pace has picked up in recent decades, William Sweet, a NOAA oceanographer said during a May briefing by Sciline, a service of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Broadly, the U.S. is headed for about a foot of sea level rise in the next 30 years, Sweet said. "Sea level rise continues to creep up and run amok amongst our infrastructure."

"A little bit of sea level rise goes a long way in terms of the types of impacts that are really starting to grow in leaps and bounds," Sweet said. The change is most evident not in the number of huge floods, he said, but in the localized, minor flooding events that occur more and more often.

"Its not just weighing on peoples minds, but its weighing on commerce and commutes within communities," Sweet said. Downtowns are flooding. People aren't shopping.

In Norfolk, Virginia, for example, minor flooding events happened about five times a year in 2020. By 2050, moderate flooding will happen five to 10 times a year.

Flood risk awareness lacking

Flood insurance expert Joe Rossi thinks about this a lot. He advises people on flood risk and breaks the news to customers on how expensive their new insurance policy will be for recently purchased property on the waterfront.

Any potential for flooding should be a big red flag, Rossi said. "Every day I see a lack of risk awareness."

Extreme rainfall events in the central and eastern U.S. are a growing cause for concern, he said. "From a risk perspective, youre probably better off in areas that arent subject to flooding from extreme rainfall."

USA TODAY Investigation How a summer of extreme weather reveals a stunning shift in the way rain falls in America.

He suggests inland areas in Maine, New Hampshire or the Carolinas, but not in the mountains or on a closed-basin lake where the water has nowhere to go but up.

"I hate to say it, but I'm not going to buy on the coast," he said. "And I'm probably not going anywhere that has any type of landslide and erosion issues. Anything near a creek or a river is going to be a big no."

It's everywhere: Sea-level rises surprising reach damaging more than East Coast shoreline

Rising seas, shrinking coasts: Take an augmented reality tour of damage caused by warming temperatures

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These US cities may be best to escape worst impacts of climate change
On Tuesday evening, Joe Moss and his delegation of Ottawa Impact commissioners intend to pass a county resolution declaring Ottawa County a constitutional county. The resolution reads like verbal spaghetti, with 10 "WHEREAS" statements followed by seven "THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED" conclusions that purportedly shield Ottawa County from any requirements of the Michigan and U.S. Constitutions that the so-called majority of six have decided that they do not like.

This is characteristic of the majority of six Ottawa Impact members, the name the remaining six of 11 commissioners gave themselves after the March fracture occurred, causing two of their former majority to announce they no longer wanted to be associated with Ottawa Impact. Those in this small majority, led by Chairperson Joe Moss, spew forth many pronouncements, but lack a foundation of deeds that give proof to a genuine concern for these constitutions, the rule of law, the rightful role of a commissioner, or We the People.

Tuesdays anticipated vote strikes me as hypocritical grandstanding based on their recent actions that violate the spirit of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and likely the letter of it. Their attempts to control the flow of information about what they are doing likely also violate Michigans Sunshine Laws  the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)  so named because those laws are supposed to enable citizens to see and understand the real operations of our government.

On May 2, I reached out to the Michigan Attorney Generals office after first notifying Moss, Administrator John Gibbs and corporate counsel Jack Jordan of my concerns they may be misusing FOIA, and possibly doing so illegally. As a longtime public employee in the Health Department, I have been directed to help fulfill FOIA requests from the media and public for many years, under the supervision of the countys former management and attorneys. Whenever I have been asked to help look for documents responsive to a FOIA request that the Health Department might have, even though this is not part of my job duties, I have always seen my response as an important part of the countys duty to the public to have a transparent and accessible government through these laws. The historical precedent set by former county administrations was to fulfill FOIA requests with a short number of days, possibly up to two weeks, and at little to no cost.

But recently a reporter shared with me two letters from county corporate counsel sent in response to two requests for information under FOIA. One of these FOIA requests should have come to my department because the request included some communication we would have sent and received, but I determined that it did not. That letter from corporate counsel to the reporter who made the FOIA request stated it would cost an estimated $3,000 and take six months to fulfill the request, and the second letter estimated $5,000 or more and up to nine months.

Both requests, in my experience, would typically take a few hours to fulfill and would previously have had no fees collected from Ottawa County. Shortly after, corporate counsel sent two FOIA requests to my department for help in collecting what was requested that were of similar or larger scope as the reporters requests, but with timelines of 10-14 days and little cost. Interestingly, these FOIA requests were from vocal supporters of Ottawa Impact who frequently give public comment at board of commissioners meetings.

The timeframes connected with the Freedom of Information Act ensure the free press and public have access to their government. The costs and timelines cited by this county administration put an undue burden on the people and the press that I am concerned is illegal at worst and heavy-handed at best. In addition, the current administrations responses to FOIA requests seem to indicate unequal and discriminatory access through FOIA to Ottawa County government and results in a lack of transparency.

As if these FOIA actions and decisions arent chilling enough, on April 12, the day after the Ottawa County Department of Public Health issued a media release announcing two awards it received  one a national honor for its ability to plan for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies, and the second from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services given to individuals or organizations for significant contributions toward the health and well-being of Michigan citizens in the policy arena at the local or state level  county administration announced to selected departments changes in the countys approach to how these departments could provide information to the public and interact with the media. These new requirements significantly hamper (formerly) trusted department heads and their trained communications staff, who are subject matter experts and who were used to keeping county administration informed and equipped.

First, the new county administration announced to just five county departments  Public Health, Community Action Agency, Department of Strategic Impact, Community Mental Health, and Parks and Recreation  that all media releases must be submitted to county administration for review and approval 24 hours in advance of release. A short time later, these same departments were informed that their social media accounts would be moved under a social media monitoring platform for review, approval, and scheduling of all posts and activity. On May 10, almost all county departments were informed that they no longer had autonomy to respond to media inquiries about their departments work. Going forward, all reporter requests now must go through county administration for approval. A list of reporter questions and the departments answers must also be submitted for review and approval.

Decades of intentionally established trust and respect between departments and local media are now being eroded, and it is the residents of this county who will bear the harmful outcomes of what will likely become censorship and discrimination.

Lets consider this in the current reality that no one from this new county administration will respond to inquiries from the media, and very rarely will they even acknowledge communication or requests they receive from the public, just as I havent heard from the Ottawa County officials that I contacted with FOIA concerns. Now they will not permit most department heads to respond directly to the press.

How will the residents of Ottawa County know about the operations of their government if discriminatory barriers are erected by Ottawa County administration to prevent We the People from accessing our government and its departments through FOIA? With scripted public words and grandstanding public gestures, Moss and his administration desire to solely control the public narrative. Constitutionally protected freedoms of the press are blocked, and there is a chilling effect on the free speech rights of the people. For an administration that ran campaigns on their government being transparent by default, is their walk aligning with their talk?

Will a county government administered by Ottawa Impact set right its unconstitutional behavior when it becomes a constitutional county? If the past is an indication of the future, I would say not.

 Marcia Mansaray is an Ottawa County employee and indignant Holland Township resident.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: My Take: Ottawa County doesnt want us to know
A Paul W. Bryant High School student has won the 2023 Congressional District Art Competition for Alabama's 7th District.

Perri Payne, an 11th-grader at Bryant High in Cottondale, earned first place for her submission, "A Glimpse Into The Future." Two other Tuscaloosa students and one from Montgomery also earned recognition in the contest.

More: Saluting the class of 2023: Tuscaloosa high schools hold graduation ceremonies

Part of winning the contest means Paynes artwork will be matted, framed and displayed in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., for one year. She and a guardian will also receive roundtrip airfare to Washington, D.C., to attend the National Congressional Art Competition Reception.

Perri Payne, an 11th-grader at Paul W. Bryant High School in Cottondale, stands next a piece of art she created titled, 'Honeysuckle.' Payne won the 2023 Congressional District Art Competition for District 7 for a piece titled 'A Glimpse Into the Future.'

Payne's winning entry shows a Black girl holding a sphere with the images of a space shuttle, mountains, lakes, sunny skies and greenery the globe. Payne said her artwork reflects her experience as a Black girl in Alabama and what she envisioned for the future.

I feel like this piece represents how I felt as a Black girl growing up in Alabama and how I imagined it, Payne said. "I protested it by drawing a young Black girl with Alabama in her palms to represent how Alabama is in the hands of the next generation and what we do now represents the future, she said.

Perri Payne's 'A Glimpse Into the Future' won the Congressional Art Competition for Alabama's 7th District. She's a student at Paul W. Bryant High School in Tuscaloosa.

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, announced the winner at a virtual reception held May 17 during which Sewell joined participants to celebrate the 58 entries submitted by talented students from across the 7th District, which encompasses Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Pickens, Perry, Sumter and Wilcox counties, and portions of Clarke, Jefferson, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa counties.

The theme for this year's competition was Reimagine Alabama.

Every year, I am amazed by the incredible talent of our students here in Alabamas 7th Congressional District, and this year is no exception, Sewell said.

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Congratulations to our first-place winner, Perri Payne, who did a wonderful job capturing our theme, Reimagine Alabama. Her piece speaks to the power of young people to change the future of our state. I am so proud of Perri and all of the talented young artists who participated, she said.

Perri Payne, a student at Paul W. Bryant High School, won first place for her artwork entitled, "A Glimpse Into The Future." in the 2023 Congressional Art Competition in Alabama's District 7.

Olivia Williams, who teaches art at Bryant High, said she has enjoyed watching Payne grow as an artist.

I am incredibly proud of Perri, Williams said. She has grown so much as an artist in the two years I have been fortunate enough to have her in my class. Her ability to create work that is meaningful, personal, and skillfully executed is beyond her years.

"She has so much natural talent and its been an honor to help her find a voice in her work. I hope she understands how big of an accomplishment this is, and that she feels encouraged and supported in everything she does in her future. she said.

"Southern Roots" by Onda McKnight, an eighth-grader at the Capitol School in Tuscaloosa, earned second place in the 2023 Congressional Art Competition for Alabama's 7th Congressional District.

The other students who earned recognition in the contest:

Second place: "Southern Roots" by Onda McKnight, eighth-grader at the Capitol School in Tuscaloosa

Third place: "Serenity" by Isabella Dennison, 11th-grader at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School in Montgomery

Honorable mention: "The City Through My Eyes" by Laila Gray, 11th-grader at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa

"Serenity" by Isabella Dennison, an 11th-grader at Booker T. Washington Magnet High School in Montgomery, earned third place in the 2023 Congressional Art Competition for Alabama's 7th Congressional District.

The Congressional Art Competition was started in 1982 to provide an opportunity for members of Congress to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents. Since then, over 650,000 high school students have been involved with the nationwide competition.

"The City Through My Eyes" by Laila Gray, 11th grader at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, earned an honorable mention in the 2023 Congressional Art Competition for Alabama's 7th Congressional District.

The competition is open to all high school students (grades 9-12) enrolled in the 7th District.

Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Perri Payne of Bryant High School wins congressional art competition
Vince Neil and Joe Elliott onstage

Def Leppard and Motley Crue's much-hyped Stadium Tour has reached Europe. The bands played the first show of a 20-date schedule at Bramhall Lane, in Def Leppard's hometown of Sheffield last night (May 22).

"Well, it finally arrived," says Leppard frontman Joe Elliott. "We were so looking forward to bringing The World Tour with Motley Crue back to our home turf and what a spectacular night it was!

"We knew after how well the Stadiums went down last year in North America and earlier this year in South and Central America that our UK and Europeans fans were going to really enjoy this show. But last night in Sheffield, where it all started many years ago, exceeded even our expectations! If the reaction we had last night at Bramall Lane is any indication, this UK / European leg of The World Tour is going to be fantastic!"

Motley Crue added: "We literally just finished in the recording studio with Bob Rock and headed straight to the UK to start The World Tour with Def Leppard. Sheffield was an amazing first UK crowd and were excited for the rest of the shows including the legendary Wembley Stadium on July 1. Both Motley Crue and Def Leppard have been really busy and are now ready to rip it up live across all of Europe together."

The bands have also released a number of photos from the shows (see galleries below  use arrows to navigate  with setlists following).

The next show on the Stadium Tour is at Sparkassen Park in Monchengladbach, Germany, on May 25. Def Leppard released their new orchestral album, Drastic Symphonies on Friday.

Def Leppard Gallery

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Def Leppard onstage at Bramall Lane, Sheffield

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Def Leppard onstage at Bramall Lane, Sheffield

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Def Leppard onstage at Bramall Lane, Sheffield

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Def Leppard onstage at Bramall Lane, Sheffield

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Def Leppard onstage at Bramall Lane, Sheffield

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Def Leppard onstage at Bramall Lane, Sheffield

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Def Leppard onstage at Bramall Lane, Sheffield

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Def Leppard onstage at Bramall Lane, Sheffield

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Def Leppard onstage at Bramall Lane, Sheffield

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Def Leppard onstage at Bramall Lane, Sheffield

Motley Crue Gallery

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Mothey Crue onstage in Sheffield

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Mothey Crue onstage in Sheffield

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Mothey Crue onstage in Sheffield

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Mothey Crue onstage in Sheffield

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Mothey Crue onstage in Sheffield

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Mothey Crue onstage in Sheffield

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Mothey Crue onstage in Sheffield

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Mothey Crue onstage in Sheffield

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Mothey Crue onstage in Sheffield

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Mothey Crue onstage in Sheffield

Motley Crue: Bramall Lane setlist

Wild Side

Shout at the Devil

Too Fast for Love

Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

Saints of Los Angeles

Live Wire

Looks That Kill

The Dirt (Est. 1981)

Medley: Rock and Roll, Part 2 / Smokin' in the Boys Room / Helter Skelter / Anarchy in the U.K. / Blitzkrieg Bop

Home Sweet Home

T.N.T. (Terror 'N Tinseltown)

Dr. Feelgood

Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)

Girls, Girls, Girls

Primal Scream

Kickstart My Heart

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Def Leppard: Bramall Lane setlist

Take What You Want

Let's Get Rocked

Animal

Foolin'

Armageddon It

Kick

Love Bites

Promises

This Guitar

When Love and Hate Collide

Rocket

Bringin' On the Heartbreak

Switch 625

Hysteria

Pour Some Sugar on Me

Rock of Ages

Photograph

Motley Crue/Def Leppard Stadium Tour 2023

May 25: Monchengladbach Sparkassen Park, Germany

May 27: Munich Koenigsplatz, Germany

May 29: Budapest MVM Dome, Hungary

May 31: Krakow Tauron Arena Krakow, Poland

Jun 02: Prague Rocks, Czech Republic

Jun 03: Hannover Expo Plaza, Germany

Jun 07: Solvesborg, Sweden Rock Festival, Sweden

Jun 09: Helsinki RockFest, Finland

Jun 11: Trondheim Rocks, Norway

Jun 14: Copenhagen Copenhell, Denmark

Jun 18: Dessel Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium

Jun 20: Milan Ippodromo SNAI San Siro, Italy

Jun 23: Lisbon Passeio Maritimo de Alges, Portugal

Jun 24: Rivas-Vaciamadrid Auditorio Miguel Rios, Spain

Jun 27: Thun Stockhorn Arena, Switzerland

Jul 01: London Wembley Stadium, UK

Jul 02: Lytham Festival, UK

Jul 04: Dublin Marlay Park, Ireland

Jul 06: Glasgow Hampden Park, UK



Aug 05: Syracuse JMA Wireless Dome, NY

Aug 08: Columbus Ohio Stadium, OH

Aug 11: Fargo Fargodome, ND

Aug 13: Omaha Charles Schwab Field Omaha, NE

Aug 16: Tulsa H.A. Chapman Stadium, OK

Aug 18: El Paso Sun Bowl Stadium, TX

Tickets are on sale now.
HAMPTON  New Hampshire State Police allege a motorcyclist from Florida was intoxicated when he hit a speed of 171 mph on Route 101 eastbound Sunday.

Police said the motorcyclist was first seen driving at a high speed in Exeter on Route 101 about 5:15 p.m. by Troopers Brian Hanna and Seth Parker during routine traffic enforcement.

New Hampshire State Police say a motorcyclist was clocked riding 171 mph on Route 101 eastbound Sunday, May 21, 2023.

The 36-year-old man, a resident of Port St. Lucie, was charged with reckless driving, reckless conduct andaggravated driving while intoxicated.

Hanna recorded the motorcycle at 120 mph before it accelerated up to 160 mph, police said. Parker, who "was positioned well ahead of the motorcycle," police stated, recorded a speed of 171 mph as the troopers worked together to stop the motorcyclist.

The suspect was released on personal recognizance bail and was scheduled to be arraigned June 1 in Hampton Circuit Court.

More local news: The Brook casino opens Luckys restaurant in Seabrook, taking you 'back in time'

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: 171 mph motorcyclist stopped on Route 101 in Hampton NH: police
Princess Margaret (1930 - 2002) wearing a yellow evening dress, circa 1970.

Princess Margaret's Antique Roadshow connection is official as two of her personal items appeared on the show. Although their owner was flabbergasted to learn the astronomical amount that they're worth, the items in question are just SO Princess Margaret so it's not that surprising to us. Considering the luxurious tastes she had, of course they're worth a pretty penny!

Princess Margaret's items being valued on Antiques Roadshow.

Tales of Princess Margarets extravagant lifestyle are far from new, so it's far from surprising that even her medicine was carried in luxurious cases. Or, so it appears from one of her personal items, which featured on the legendary show Antiques Roadshow.

The piece in question is a stunning gold egg-shaped Cartier pill box featured alongside a bigger box made from the volcanic material kimberlite - the rock that hosts diamonds.

Antiques expert John Benjamin took on the challenge of assessing how much the items are worth, as their owner and an audience of captivated fans looked on. On learning that the two boxes had been bought by the owner's grandmother at auction back in 2006, John was able to do a little digging.

The famous auction took part years after Princess Margaret's death in 2002, when her children made the difficult decision to auction some of her jewelry and homeware to help cover the taxes on her estate.

Princess Margaret's items being valued on Antiques Roadshow.

The auction, at the legendary Christie's, made a remarkable $11,718,431 (9,598,160) and John discovered what they went for at the huge event.

"This little Cartier pill box or whatever you want to call it, sold at the auction for $5,200(4,200)," he revealed, adding the kimberlite box went for $11,200(9,000).

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Of course, the question on everyone's lips - especially the woman who owns the pieces - is how much they're worth today.

"Im going to give you a very broad estimate of value," said the expert, "I think that gold egg between $12,450(10,000) and $24,900(20,000) today."

Moving swiftly onto the next items he added, "Im going to say between $24,900(20,000) and $37,300(30,000)."

These figures appeared to please the owner who responded, "heavens, wow."

Of the two items, John said, "I think these are absolutely fabulous," and we can't help but notice elements of Princess Margaret's granddaughter Lady Margarita in the unusual kimberlite box.

Princess Margaret's items being valued on Antiques Roadshow.

This very natural, earthy style is something that Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones has taken inspiration from, in her own career as a budding jewelry designer.

During a recent interview in Tatler, which was Princess Margaret's granddaughter's modeling debut, Lady Margarita described her late grandma as 'such an influence.'

Detailing one particularly sweet story behind a beautiful brooch, made by renowned jeweler Andrew Grima, that was based on a piece of lichen the Princess found on the grounds of Balmoral Castle. "That was an influence," she said, "because I love more natural pieces."
Queen Rania praised Rajwa Alseif, her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, at a special get-together before her June 1 wedding to Crown Prince Hussein

A Royal Hashemite Court

Queen Rania of Jordan is counting down to Crown Prince Husseins royal wedding!

On Monday night, the Queen of Jordan, 52, threw a dinner party in honor of her eldest sons upcoming nuptials to Rajwa Alseif on June 1. The celebration was held at Royal Hashemite Courts Madareb Bani Hashem and brought together women from both families as well as the larger Jordanian kingdom.

Queen Rania praised Rajwa in her welcome speech, describing her soon-to-be daughter-in-law as the sweetest and most beautiful bride-to-be and as dear to her as her daughters Princess Iman and Princess Salma. Queen Rania and her husband King Abdullah II of Jordan are parents to Crown Prince Hussein, 28, Princess Iman (a newlywed herself!), 26, Princess Salma, 22, and Prince Hashem, 18.

A Royal Hashemite Court Rajwa Alseif

Ill never forget how happy His Majesty and I were when Al Hussein told us he wanted to marry Rajwa. She is the perfect answer to all my prayers for him, Rania, 52, said, wishing the young couple a bright future. May you always be each others source of happiness and support, she said.



RELATED: Queen Rania of Jordan Reflects on Coronation: 'King Charles Put His Own Stamp on Events' (Exclusive)

A Royal Hashemite Court

Speaking from the heart to Rajwas mother Azza, the Queen said she knew how she must be feeling as her daughter Iman got married just two months ago. In a reassuring word, Rania said, We and Al Hussein will take the very best care of Rajwa. This is her country, and she is among her family and her people.

A Royal Hashemite Court



As the eldest son of King Abdullah, Crown Prince Hussein, 28, is the future King of Jordan, making Rajwa, 29, the future Queen. Queen Rania touched on her tight family bonds, sharing, As mothers, the one thing we truly want is to make sure that our children are happy. We often ask ourselves whether we did the best we can to raise our children. During His Majesty the late King Husseins final days and before his passing, I made him a promise to raise Al Hussein the way he wanted him to be raised.

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The royal added that she knew her late father-in-law, King Hussein of Jordan, would be proud of the man his grandson is today, from his bravery as a soldier to his desire to share the joy of his wedding with the Jordanian people.

A Royal Hashemite Court Rajwa Alseif and Queen Rania

RELATED: Queen of Malaysia Reveals Dress Code for Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan's Royal Wedding (No Tiaras!)

Thats when I realized that he is a true, self-aware Hashemite, who is both a part of you, and here to serve you, she said. I can now tell His Majesty the late King Hussein that I was true to my word.

Rajwa wiped her eyes during Ranias speech but was otherwise all smiles at the special event. She glittered in a white dress with gold embroidery and a coordinating veil from Saudi designer Honayda, Hello! reported, and danced during the party. The festivities also included performances of traditional Jordanian and Saudi songs from local artists, a Zaffeh entrance for the bride-to-be and henna for guests.

A Royal Hashemite Court Rajwa Alseif

The Arab Weekly reports that the pre-wedding henna party tradition has evolved in Jordan in recent years. What used to be a "sad occasion as the bride prepared to leave her family home" has been reimagined as a shower-like festivity, Jordanian henna artist Naqa' Gharaibeh told the outlet.

Hussein and Rajwa announced their engagement in August 2022, and like many modern couples, they shared the happy news on Instagram.



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"We pray that God grants us His blessings. Grateful to my dear Jordanian family for their heartfelt support and kind wishes," Hussein wrote of the photo where he and Rajwa posed close, her diamond ring on display.

Richard Gardner/Shutterstock

On New Year's Eve, the Royal Hashemite Court announced that the couple would wed on June 1  next Thursday! It remains unclear how the couple connected and how long they have been together.

Hussein is a captain in the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army and a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. His fiancee is the youngest daughter of Saudi businessman Khalid bin Musaed bin Saif bin Abdulaziz al-Saif. She previously studied at Syracuse University in New York and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

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Read the original article on People.
Liyao Xie - Getty Images

Researchers have gone back in time to find an extinction event that predates all other known events of their kind.

The extinction event, which occurred during the Ediacaran Period roughly 550 million years ago, likely came from a drop in oxygen levels.

Environmental factors have led the other five main extinction events in Earths history.

The Ediacaran Periods odd animals never got their chance to shine, thanks to a precarious drop in oxygen levels about 550 million years ago that triggered the first-ever extinction event. At least, thats the latest theory. A recent study has announced the discovery of an extinction event preceding all five of Earths other known mass extinction events.

The study, published in November 2022 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, merged research from Virginia Tech and the University of California Riverside to reach the conclusion that the Ediacaran Periodwhich stretched from 635 million to 540 million years agosaw the extinction of about 80 percent of all animals.

This included the loss of many different types of animals, however those whose body plans and behaviors indicate that they relied on significant amounts of oxygen seem to have been hit particularly hard, Scott Evans, lead researcher on the study, says in a news release. This suggests that the extinction event was environmentally controlled, as are all other mass extinctions in the geologic record.

Discovering this new mass extinction event adds to the belief that five key extinction events have occurred since the beginning of the Cambrian Period, about 539 million years ago. The big five include the Ordovician-Silurian Extinction (440 million years ago), the late Devonian Extinction (370 million years ago), the Permian-Triassic Extinction (250 million years ago), the Triassic-Jurassic Extinction (220 million years ago), and the Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction (65 million years ago).

Blaming a mass extinction on a loss of oxygen isnt new, but the underlying cause of that oxygen drop is still unknown. The short answer to how this happened is we dont really know, Evans says. It could be any number and combination of volcanic eruptions, tectonic plate motion, an asteroid impact, etc., but what we see is that the animals that go extinct seem to be responding to decreased global oxygen availability.

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An unrelated Virginia Tech study says that a loss of oxygen availability is currently impacting the worlds fresh waters, part of a climate crisis that has scientists concerned about the next mass extinction event.

Our study shows that, as with all other mass extinctions in Earths past, this new, first mass extinction of animals was caused by major climate changeanother in a long list of cautionary tales demonstrating the dangers of our current climate crisis for animal life, Evans says.

Now that we know we lost 80 percent of animals so many millions of years ago, interest in what those animals could have been like has increased. The clues found in fossil imprints include soft-bodied organisms that Evans calls weird.

These organisms occur so early in the evolutionary history of animals that in many cases they appear to be experimenting with different ways to build large, sometimes mobile, multicellular bodies, Evans says. There are lots of ways to recreate how they look, but the take-home is that before this extinction the fossils we find dont often fit nicely into the ways we classify animals today. Essentially, this extinction may have helped pave the way for the evolution of animals as we know them.

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Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. He is a strong advocate for stepped-up border enforcement and gun rights. His critics also see him as friendly with fringe elements, such as QAnon.

Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, a U.S. Senate candidate, ripped Mothers Against Drunk Driving on Saturday, saying the Arizona chapter had uninvited him to speak at an event for law enforcement because of politics.

In a video accompanying a tweet Saturday, Lamb, a Republican, accused MADD of being part of woke insanity and tied its actions against him to a broader litany of grievances by conservatives against corporate America involving women, and gay and transgender people. He also said MADDs support for more equitable traffic stops were disqualifying for him anyway.

In a vague statement to The Arizona Republic, a spokesperson for MADD Arizona acknowledged Lambs ideas and said it had a positive conversation with him since he went public with his complaints. The national organization did not respond to a request for comment.

Neither Lamb nor MADD Arizona clarified when he was invited to speak at their event, why that changed or his current involvement, if any.

Lamb is running for the Senate seat held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz. She has taken preliminary steps to run for reelection, but has not formally announced her plans. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., is the only prominent Democrat running in that race.

Lamb is the only prominent Republican running so far, but former GOP gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake is considering a run.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (left) speaks during a roundtable on gun violence on April 21, 2023, at Valley of the Sun United Way in Phoenix.

Impaired driving is an especially sensitive subject for Lamb, whose 22-year-old son and infant granddaughter died in a December car accident authorities believe involved a drunken driver.

He and his wife, Janel, were invited to deliver the keynote address to MADD Arizonas 34th annual Honoring Heroes Recognition Banquet at Gila River Resorts & Casino on July 27.

We were very much looking forward to it, so you can imagine the disappointment and shock when we got a call (Friday) uninviting us as the keynote speakers," he said in the Twitter video.

I was told its because of my politics, the things that I stand for have offended a few people. People that dont know me, who only listen to the media, have made a complaint to the national level MADD and they decided to uninvite us as speakers.

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Lamb also said it was disturbing to learn MADD said We must do better to address inequities in traffic stops.

It was part of a statement earlier this month by the organization and based in part on several studies showing minorities in multiple states were far more likely to be stopped by police and more likely to be searched by authorities as well.

More: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema hit with complaint of lavish campaign spending

We must do what we can to help foster a higher level of trust between police agencies and the communities they serve, the group said in its statement at the time. The stakes are too important  the cost is too high. Efforts to ensure that enforcement is fair and just must be paramount.

Lamb said law enforcement officers already do a great job in traffic stops.

Had I known this, I probably wouldnt have accepted the invitation anyway. But I do, however, accept their uninvitation to be their keynote speakers, he said.

I would hope that we send a message to all these companies and organizations  even great organizations like MADD  that have gone that woke way. We have to send a message that we wont tolerate this anymore. I would have never brought politics into this, but they did.

Lamb then urged people to donate to his campaign and sign petitions.

MADD Arizona sent The Arizona Republic a written statement but did not respond to requests to further clarify the dispute with Lamb.

Drunk and drugged driving has never been a political issue. It is a public safety issue that will impact 2 in 3 Americans in their lifetime, the organizations statement said. We deeply value our longstanding relationship with the law enforcement community whose dedication has helped cut deaths from drunk driving in half.

We appreciate Sheriff Lambs perspective as a member of the law enforcement community and as someone whose family experienced a tragedy resulting from drunk driving. We recently had a positive conversation with him and continue to welcome him at MADDs Honoring Heroes banquet, just as we welcome everyone as part of the broad movement to end impaired driving for good.

Lambs video included references to companies engaged in what he called all this woke craziness and insanity. He then namechecked Miller Lite, Bud Light, Adidas and Target.

Conservatives have boycotted Bud Light since it featured Dylan Mulveney, a transgender woman, praising the beer last month. Entertainers such as Kid Rock and Travis Tritt have denounced  and even attacked  the beer as part of the pushback.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the parent company to Bud Light, has seen falling stock prices and beer sales in the weeks since. The CEO sought to distance the company from the controversy, only deepening the cultural battle lines.

Miller Lite angered at least some conservatives with a commercial that debuted weeks before Mulveneys and initially gained little attention. That spot featured comedian Ilana Glazer noting the various ways women have been depicted in beer commercials, often involving bikinis.

Some have blasted Miller Lite for giving voice to what they view as male-bashing feminism.

Adidas released an ad with a model with male features wearing a pride-themed swimsuit. That sparked cries from some corners that Adidas was erasing women with its ad.

Similarly, retailer Target is feeling heat from conservatives over its sale of pride-themed merchandise for children.

Employees of MADD rarely make political contributions to federal races. When they do, it has been overwhelmingly for Democrats in recent years. Since the 2016 election cycle, people employed with MADD have given about $25,000 to Democratic candidates and $500 to Republican ones.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Mark Lamb sees speaking snub by MADD as part of woke insanity
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Raiffeisen Bank International is seen on their headquarters in Vienna

Austria's Raiffeisen attempts last-ditch Russian spin-off -sources FILE PHOTO: The logo of Raiffeisen Bank International is seen on their headquarters in Vienna

By Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich and John O'Donnell

VIENNA/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is stepping up moves to hand its money-spinning Russian arm to shareholders, three people familiar with the matter said, amid mounting pressure to cut its ties to Moscow.

Austria's second-largest bank is making preparations for a spin-off after months of unsuccessfully trying to find a buyer to defuse a row over its Russian business, in order to avoid having to unwind it entirely.

But the last-ditch attempt faces hurdles, not least from international regulators, the people told Reuters.

Raiffeisen is now the most important Western bank in Russia, offering a payments lifeline to Russians with few alternatives as Moscow is increasingly isolated over its invasion of Ukraine.

A spokesperson said Raiffeisen would "continue to progress potential transactions which would result in the sale or spin-off of Raiffeisenbank Russia".

While a spin-off has wide support among Austrian authorities, it faces hurdles, including securing European Central Bank (ECB) approval, as well as the blessing of Washington, which is probing RBI's Russia links.

If the spin-off proceeds, it could make RBI's owners, led by Austrian community banks, shareholders in a new Vienna-listed entity, with one share for each they now own.

It remains unclear whether the entity would be truly independent of RBI, a decisive factor for whether it should be supervised by Austria or the ECB.

One person said that a spin-off was seen as better than a sale, while a second familiar with ECB thinking said that the degree to which the spun-off bank was independent of RBI would determine whether the central bank would oversee it.

If there are wide overlaps in staff or funding, the person added, it could be put under the ECB's watch, as part of RBI.

The ECB declined to comment.

A third person said a spin-off was more likely because any potential buyer had been scared off by Western sanctions.

A fourth person said a spin-off would allow Austrian cooperative banks uneasy with Russia ties to sell out. He said that U.S. authorities had, however, expressed concerns about how the new entity would be monitored for money laundering.

The plan is designed to distance RBI from Russia, but it would not be a clean cut. RBI said that while it had reduced some Russian activities, it had an obligation to preserve operations there to support customers and its 9,000 staff.

SCRUTINY

Raiffeisen is under pressure after it emerged that it was one of the banks obliged to take part in a Russian scheme to grant loan payment holidays to troops fighting in Ukraine.

In January, the U.S. sanctions authority launched an inquiry into Raiffeisen over its Russia business and the ECB is also pressing Raiffeisen to unwind it.

The U.S. inquiry in particular could prove perilous for Austria, which had modelled itself as a bridge between east and west, turning Vienna into a magnet for Russian money.

The spin-off is designed to maintain Vienna's banking ties with Russia, while insulating Raiffeisen from the reputational fallout of war in Ukraine.

Austria's Alexander Schallenberg on Monday again defended the bank, an Austrian official said.

Schallenberg told fellow foreign ministers that Raiffeisen should not be singled out because it was no different to most Western companies continuing to work in Russia.

Last October, Raiffeisen said it had loaned more than 600 million euros to customers, mainly in Russia and Belarus, who have since been sanctioned. That amount has since fallen.

A Ukraine-sponsored sanctions tracking project included Raiffeisen on a list of sponsors of war for cooperating with Russia.

(Additional reporting by Francesco Canepa in Frankfurt; Writing by John O'Donnell; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Paramount has released a new Sheroes trailer for the female-led action thriller movie ahead of its upcoming release. The movie is set to release in select movie theaters and digitally on Friday, June 23.

Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan: First Kill), Sasha Luss (Anna), Wallis Day (Batwoman), and Skai Jackson (Bunkd) star in the ultimate adrenaline-fueled thrill ride from a producer of Spring Breakers, reads the movies official synopsis. When four thick-as-thieves friends arrive in Thailand for a hedonistic adventure, they quickly find themselves in over their heads when one of them is kidnapped by a notorious drug lord. As they fight to stay alive and protect each other, theyll employ their unique set of skills and unleash their fierce loyalty in a heart-pumping battle for survival.

Check out the official Sheroes trailer below:

Who is the cast and crew of Sheroes?

Sheroes was written and directed by Spring Breakers producer Jordan Gertner in his feature directorial debut. It stars Sasha Luss, Wallis Day, and Isabelle Fuhrman, with Jack Kesy and Skai Jackson. The action thriller movies distributor is Paramount Global Content Distribution Group with music by Hendric Buenck and Skid Robot. It has a runtime of 91 minutes and is rated R.

The post Sheroes Trailer Features a Group of Friends Clashing With a Drug Lord appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
A 30-tonne rail shipment of an explosive chemical vanished en route from Wyoming to California last month, officials say.

A train loaded with 60,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate departed Cheyenne, Wyoming, on 12 April, explosives company Dyno Nobel told KQED.

When it arrived at a stop in the Mojave Desert two weeks later, the car was empty. The company notified authorities in a 10 May report to the federal National Response Center, KQED reported.

The mysterious disappearance of ammonium nitrate, a key ingredient used by Timothy McVeigh in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, has since prompted four separate investigations.

The Federal Railroad Administration, the California Public Utilities Commission, Union Pacific, and Dyno Nobel are probing the disappearance.

Dyno Nobels told authorities that reason for the chemicals release was due to an unknown cause, and that it made the alarming discovery after the Union Pacific rail car arrived in Saltdale, California, more than 1,000 miles from Cheyenne.

A spokesperson told KQED the nitrate had been shipped in pellet form and may have accidentally fallen out of the rail car. The train was taken back to Wyoming for an inspection.

The railcar was sealed when it left the Cheyenne facility, and the seals were still intact when it arrived in Saltdale. The initial assessment is that a leak through the bottom gate on the railcar may have developed in transit, the company told KQED.

A 30-tonne shipment of ammonium nitrate produced at the Dyno Nobel plant near Cheyenne, above, vanished en route to California (The Center for Land Use Interpretation)

The chemical, which is also used to make fertilizer, was the primary ingredient in the 1995 terrorist attack on the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City that killed 168 people and injured around 850.

It has also caused deadly accidents. In 1947, a 2,000-tonne ammonium nitrate shipment exploded in Texas City, Texas, killing at least 581 people.

It was also the cause of a catastrophic explosion in Lebanon in 2020, which killed more than 200 people and injured thousands more.

A Union Pacific spokesperson told The Independent that the ammonium nitrate would be quickly absorbed into the soil.

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If the loss resulted from a railcar leak over the course of transportation from origin to destination, the release should pose no risk to public health or the environment, the spokesperson said.

At this point in the investigation, we do not believe there is any criminal or malicious activity involved.

The Independent has contacted Dyno Nobel for more information.
Last week, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed a law that banned TikTok in the state. Now the company is hitting back with a lawsuit that aims to keep the app available to Montanans.

In the complaint, TikTok argues that Montana's ban violates the Constitution by limiting the company's right to host and distribute user-created content. TikTok also argues that Montana is overstepping its role by attempting to legislate matters of national security rather than deferring to federal regulators, placing an undue burden on its ability to conduct interstate business in the process.

TikTok is asking the court for an injunction to block Montana's ban, which, if granted, would allow the app to conduct business as usual in the state while the courts sort out the relevant issues.

"We are challenging Montana's unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana," TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter told TechCrunch. "We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts."

TikTok has faced increasing pressure in the U.S. from Congress and state legislatures alike in recent months. Rules against TikTok on government-owned devices and college networks were already popping up, but Montana's blanket ban on access to the app escalates those threats considerably, even if it's not clear how a state-level ban on a specific app could be enforced.

Today, Montana takes the most decisive action of any state to protect Montanans private data and sensitive personal information from being harvested by the Chinese Communist Party, Gianforte said last week, alluding to unsubstantiated claims that the app shares data with the Chinese government.

Last week, five TikTok creators filed their own lawsuit against the state, similarly arguing that the Montana ban violates the First Amendment. "The law takes the broadest possible approach to its objectives, restricting and banning the protected speech of all TikTok users in Montana to prevent the speculative and unsubstantiated possibility that the Chinese government might direct TikTok Inc., or its parent, to spy on some Montana users," the creators argued.

This story is developing...
In this image made from a video, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, left, and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape shake hands after signing agreements in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea on Monday, May 22, 2023. The United States signed a new security pact with Papua New Guinea on Monday as it competes with China for influence in the Pacific. | Australian Broadcasting Corp. via Associated Press

A new U.S. security pact was signed with Papua New Guinea on Monday. The United States offered $45 million to heighten defenses within the country, develop disaster relief and work to combat climate change.

President Joe Biden sent U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in his stead, as he flew home to deal with the countrys debt ceiling issues. Blinken negotiated and signed the agreement with Papua New Guineas prime minister, James Marape, per the British Broadcasting Corporation.

The work that were doing together to try to shape the future could not be more important, could not be more timely, Blinken told reporters, per The Associated Press. Were deeply invested in the Indo-Pacific because our planets future is being written here. Papua New Guinea is playing a critical role in shaping that future.

The agreement includes a string of list items, including many that offer country development by expanding electricity, offering HIV/AIDS support, targeting organized crime, and combating climate change. Additionally, a bilateral agreement will give the U.S. Coast Guard access to maritime waters to combat illegal fishing.

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Why is Papua New Guinea important?

Just north of Australia, Papua New Guinea is the largest Pacific Island nation  with a population of more than 10 million  and part of 15 island nations that together control 20% of the planets oceans, per BBC. Which makes it a valuable ally.

The island nations history includes some particularly fierce battles during World War II, which has followed into the nations more recent history of receiving aid from several different countries, including the United States and China.

We dont want our region to be an area of adversarial challenge between our development partners  rather, we want to find areas of collaboration, where we can have the best support to achieve our development agendas and our climate agenda, the prime minister of the Cook Islands and leader of the Pacific Islands Forum, Mark Brown, told BBC.

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Combatting climate change, which threatens the life of the islands, is a big part of what the Pacific Island Nations are looking for, Brown told BBC.

Pacific governments are relishing their place in the sun, senior adviser for the Pacific Islands at the United States Institute of Peace, Gordon Peake, told BBC.

Friends to all, enemies to none is the informal foreign policy mantra of most Pacific nations and theyre sticking to it, to great net effect.

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What are other nations negotiations?

Chinas negotiations with Papua New Guinea are most concerning to the United States because of heightened political tensions and competition between the two larger nations.

With mounting influence in the Pacific, China warned the United States against playing geopolitical games there, reported AP.

On a friendlier note, Blinken met with New Zealands Prime Minister Chris Hipkins there. He said that both countries goals are the same  To make sure that it remains free, open, secure and prosperous, per AP.

Hipkins differentiated his countrys efforts and clarified that it is not interested in the militarization of the Pacific but rather, issues around climate change.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited the island nation to discuss cooperation, per AP.

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LA Fire & Rescue, which showcases the real-life emergencies of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, premieres June 21 on NBC

NBC LA Fire & Rescue

Life as a member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department can be dangerous, but it's all part of a day's work.

NBC's new docuseries LA Fire & Rescue, which is executive produced by Dick Wolf and premiers June 21, takes viewers inside the real calls, real rescues, and real heroes of the LACoFD  and PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the trailer.

"This is life or death," one first responder says in the clip, pointing out that when time is of the essence "there is no room for error."

"Life is literally in our hands," another member of the LACoFD explains. "That's what we fight for. We fight for life."

Related:Tenn. Firefighter Expecting Baby with Wife Dies Responding to Crash, Last Words Were 'Where Do You Need Me?'

The series documents the real drama members of the department face while serving the four million residents living in 59 cities across 2,3000 square miles in Los Angeles County.

"From helicopter mountain rescues and lifeguard beach SOS, to fireboats, hazmat units and California's raging wildfires, the department does it all," reads an official description of the show.

NBC LA Fire & Rescue

The series will feature a number of firehouses across the county, including Station 8, which is located off the Sunset Strip in Hollywood.

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.

Then there's Station 16 (Watts), nicknamed "The Fire Factory" on account of its crew, Station 37 (Palmdale), where "their motto is 'Every Day's a Holiday' because each day is filled with unpredictable, nonstop calls," and Station 41 (Compton), which runs the most calls in the county.

One standout over at Station 101 in Claremont is Siene Freeman, a wife and mother of two who "never gave up on her lifelong dream" of becoming a female firefighter and paramedic. Over at Calabasas' Station 125 there's Anthony Alvarez, a military and NASA firefighter before joining LACoFD, and at Station 172 (Inglewood), viewers will get a chance to meet Captains Chris Davis and Kevin Grayson, veterans who fell in love with firefighting.

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Then there's also the air operations crew known as the "Angles in the Sky," called on to respond to urgent cases in hard-to-reach locations, and the members of the L.A. County Fire Department Lifeguard Division, the largest professional lifeguard service in the world.

Related:Hawaii Firefighter, 24, Dies from Injuries After Being Pulled into Storm Drain and Carried Out to Sea

The docuseries will highlight all of the real-life heroes who "risk their lives in the name of service," often facing unpredictable dangers.

"It goes against every fiber in your body to go into a burning building. Should I risk my life?" one firefighter asks in the trailer.

But when it comes to being on the frontlines, there's only one possible response: "The answer is yes."

LA Fire & Rescue premieres on Wednesday, June 21 at 8pm ET/PT on NBC.

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Michigan's public schools will no longer be ranked based on their performance using an A-F grading system.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill 4166 Monday to eliminate the letter grade system for public school rankings, characterizing it as burdensome red tape for Michigan's schools. The rankings provide a way for parents to evaluate and compare public schools in their communities. Public schools will continue to issue grades for assignments and tests to students.

"Todays legislation will eliminate burdensome requirements and allow schools to implement the best practices to help their students succeed," Whitmer said in a statement.

She went on to champion investments her administration has made in education. "Lets continue getting things done to support Michigan children and give them the phenomenal education that they deserve," she said.

More: Bill to repeal A-F public school ranking system headed to Whitmer

More: Dearborn Heights board reinstates Annapolis principal, suspends district superintendent

The Democratic bill passed on a party-line vote in the state Senate, but received bipartisan support in the state House. While the legislation signed by Whitmer repeals the current grading system for ranking schools, it preserves the current index system that also measures school performance.

Bill sponsor and former teacher state Rep. Matt Koleszar, D-Plymouth, called the A-F system for ranking schools "duplicative and ineffective" in a statement.

In 2018, former Gov. Rick Snyder, a Republican, approved the A-F system passed by Republican lawmakers after the election that year.

"This legislation was rushed through in lame duck, with strong opposition from public educators, administrators, and school boards. I am proud to get another law off the books that never served to help our students," Koleszar said.

Republican opponents said that the bill will take away from parents an easy-to-understand tool to evaluate school performance.

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But Michigan State Superintendent Michael Rice celebrated the change as a win for parents. "Less is more with the repeal of the A-F system, which always tried to create the false impression that rating schools was easy," he said in a statement. "It isnt. Schools are complex, and what educators do daily for children is as well. It distills poorly into a letter grade system."

Michigan's school index system  which will remain intact under the legislation signed by Whitmer  is designed to comply with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act requiring every state to have an accountability system for public schools. It includes data about each school and assigns points based on factors such as chronic absenteeism, graduation rate and English learner progress.

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 repeals letter grade rankings for public schools
In 22 Mays Google Doodle, the website is honouring the late Barbara May Cameron on what would have been her 69th birthday.

The Google Doodle, which describes the temporary changes made to Googles logo on special occasions, features a cartoon of the photographer with a camera hanging around her neck and holding a pride flag, as she first came out in 1973.

Behind Cameron in the drawing stands a group of women, to showcase fellow members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The backdrop is the cityscape of San Francisco, which is where she moved to after graduating college, and mountains in North Dakota, where she was born.

The Google Doodle, coming days before Pride Month begins in the US, was created by queer Mexican and Chitimachan artist Sienna Gonzales, and included Camerons partner, Linda Boyd-Durkee, as a collaborator on the project.

As Cameron was born on 22 May 1954, this illustration came out on what would have been her 69th birthday. Heres everything to know about Barabara May Cameron, the late poet and advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Cameron was born in Fort Yates, North Dakota, as a member of the Hunkpapa, a Native American group that was one of the seven council fires of the Lakota tribe, as noted by the Google Doodle description. After completing high school, she made her move to Santa Fe, New Mexico to study photography and film at the American Indian Art Institute.

She later moved to to San Francisco, where she became a part of many organisations that advocated for the LGBTQIA+ people in the Native American community. More specifically, in 1975, she and her friend, Randy Burns, founded the Gay American Indians, which is the first organisation that was dedicated to a Native American LGBTQIA+ group.

She went on to help organise the Lesbian Gay Freedom Day Parade and Celebration, from 1980 to 1985, and co-led a lawsuit against the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The lawsuit was against the government agencys policy of turning away gay people, with the case ruling in favour of Cameron and her co-plaintiffs in court.

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Throughout the following years, Cameron continued her work as an activist, as she became executive director at Community United Against Violence, which supports the healing and leadership of those impacted by abuse, as noted by the organisations official website. She was also appointed to the Citizens Committee on Community Development and the San Francisco Human Rights Commission by the mayor of San Francisco in 1988.

In addition, she worked towards bringing awareness to how HIV/AIDS disproportionately impacted Native Americans. She was an active member of San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the American Indian AIDS Institute throughout the 90s.

Following her death in 2002, she has continued to be remembered through her writing. In 1996, her essay No Apologies: A Lakota Lesbian Perspective was featured in Our Right To Love: A Lesbian Resource Book.

In a statement to Google, Camerons partner spoke out about the artist dedicated to social justice. She noted that while Cameron was a busy activist throughout her life, she also had a kind heart, which showed as they raised their son, Rhys, together.

She liked to set up her son Rhys to shock his mom (Linda Boyd) with language some people would punish, Boyd-Durkee explained. She understood how a kid would love to be able to say a curse word, because she was still a kid at heart.

She continued: While recovering from back surgery, she enjoyed Rhys video games. She was an excellent bridge player and a great cook; we spent whole weekends at rented houses in Bodega Bay, California, playing bridge, cooking and eating with friends on the beautiful Pacific coast.
President Biden will visit Papua New Guinea later this month, a trip that will make him the first sitting U.S. president to travel to the Pacific island country.

The president will stop in Papua New Guinea while he is traveling from the Group of Seven (G7) Leaders Summit in Hiroshima, Japan, to the Quad Leaders Summit in Sydney, Australia, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced on Tuesday.

He will meet with Prime Minister James Marape of Papua New Guinea 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, according to Jean-Pierre.

She said the United States has deep historical and people-to-people ties with the Pacific islands, and the historic visit will further reinforce the partnership.

Biden will attend the G7 in Hiroshima from May 19-21 and the Quad Leaders Summit on May 24.

Papua New Guinea, the third largest island country in the world, is just north of Australia and, while largely undeveloped, is rich in natural resources like crude oil, gold, and copper.

Marape said in April that Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit the capital, Port Moresby, on May 22, Reuters reported.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Papua New Guinea in 2018 for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting. Former Vice President Mike Pence represented the U.S. at that summit.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Sepia Times - Getty Images

When he was just seven years old, Prince Dejatch Alemayehu of Ethiopia was taken to the United Kingdom by British army officer Captain Tristram Speedy. His father, Emperor Tewodros II, had just died by suicide during the Battle of Magdala rather than surrender, and his mother, Empress Tiruwork Wube, had also just died.

Prince Alemayehu was raised in the UK, but he was reportedly "deeply unhappy" and longed to return home. At age 18, he died, and was buried in St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. At the time of his death, Queen Victoria wrote in her journals, "Very grieved & shocked to hear by telegram, that good Alamayou had passed away this morning. It is too sad! All alone, in a strange country, without a single person or relative belonging to him. His was no happy life, full of difficulties of every kind, and was so sensitive, thinking that people stared at him on account of his colour... Everyone is very sorry."

Now, many Ethiopians describe what happened to Prince Alemyahu as a kidnappingand urge Buckingham Palace to repatriate his remains to his home.

In 2007, Ethiopian president Girma Wolde-Giorgis formally sent a request for his return to Queen Elizabeth. As Ethiopian novelist Maaze Mengiste wrote in an op-ed in 2015, "There is no viable reason to continue to hold his remains hostage. He has become, like the sacred and valuable objects still in British museums and libraries, a possession."

The subject of Prince Alemyaehu reemerged this week when Buckingham Palace said they would not return his remains to Ethiopia.



The palace says it cannot remove his remains without disturbing others buried at St. George's Chapel. "It is very unlikely that it would be possible to exhume the remains without disturbing the resting place of a substantial number of others in the vicinity," the palace said in a statement, via the BBC. They added that authorities were "very sensitive to the need to honour the memory of Prince Alemayehu" but also had a "responsibility to preserve the dignity of the departed."

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Many are upset by this news. "We want his remains back as a family and as Ethiopians, because that is not the country he was born in," his distant relative Fasil Minas told the BBC. "The fact that he was buried there is meaningless and it was not right."

Ethiopia's Foreign Ministry said the Prince was a "prisoner of war." In a statement to the Washington Post, they said, "We believe Prince Alemayehu deserves a descent burial in his home country. The Government of Ethiopia remains committed to redouble efforts to realize the repatriation of the remains  as well as several looted items from Magdala, which are of great historical, cultural and religious significance to Ethiopians."

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Dakota Johnson certainly came to play when she hit up a Gucci event in Seoul.

The 33-year-old actress posed for pics in front of the Gyeongbokgung Palace rocking a jaw-droppingly perfect minidress.

Dakota has worked with many trainersincluding Gunnar Peterson, Kacy Duke, and Luke Worthingtonover the years to keep in killer shape.

Dakota Johnson just hit up a Gucci event in Seoul, South Korea, and she came to play. The Persuasion star rolled up in a jaw-droppingly perfect naked dress.

Dakota posed for pics in front of the Gyeongbokgung Palace in the minidress, which featured black panels at the bust and skirt with a sparkly overlay. Dakota paired the whole look with strong abs, sculpted legs, and a long black trench coat.

Dakota has worked with celebrity trainer Luke Worthington, who shared details with Womens Health UK about his go-to strength moves, including squats, lunges, barbell rows, hip thrusts, overhead presses, and burpees. Worth noting: All of these will work your legs, booty, and core, so its hardly shocking to see Dakota looking so fit these days.

Han Myung-Gu - Getty Images

The 33-year-old actress is pretty private about what she does in her off-time, but shes been spotted by the Daily Mail going to hot Pilates classes.

She also has worked with other trainers, including Gunnar Peterson and Kacy Duke, who told Vogue that they zeroed in on the Triple A (abs, arms, and ass) with Dakota. Whats that look like? Squats and twisting presses, for starters.

Dakota has ~also~ worked with trainer Ramona Braganza to prep for the second and third Fifty Shades movies. The two exercised together five days a week, focusing on her shoulders, butt, abs, and arms. But the main goal was to get her moving 30 minutes a day, Braganza told Cosmopolitan.

The workout sessions never went more than an hour. During the first few months of filming, we went more aggressive, but later on, we cut back to just 30 minutes," Braganza said. Our goal was to tone her muscles, so we trained in different ways.

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For 50 Shades Freed, Braganza told Healthista that Dakota followed the 3-2-1 principle. Its just proportions, when to eat, smaller meals, and more meals, she said. Things like having three meals a day, two snacks, and a minimum of one liter of water a day. Meals included things like oatmeal with a poached egg for breakfast, along with lean meat and fish and salads.



Whatever shes doing these days is definitely working!

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Key Insights

Significantly high institutional ownership implies Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions

64% of the business is held by the top 2 shareholders

Ownership research along with analyst forecasts data help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock

If you want to know who really controls Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (KLSE:BIMB), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. And the group that holds the biggest piece of the pie are institutions with 73% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad.

Check out our latest analysis for Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

We can see that Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. Lembaga Tabung Haji, Endowment Arm is currently the largest shareholder, with 48% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 16% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 13% by the third-largest shareholder.

To make our study more interesting, we found that the top 2 shareholders have a majority ownership in the company, meaning that they are powerful enough to influence the decisions of the company.

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 plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. 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.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own some shares in Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. In their own names, insiders own RM95m worth of stock in the RM4.4b company. This shows at least some alignment. You can click here to see if those insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 12% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad. 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. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (1 is concerning) that you should be aware of.

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.

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The political theorizing of November 2022 had Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis clearing the GOP presidential primary field of non-Donald Trump opposition, setting up a one-on-one slugfest against a former president whose iron grip on the GOP could break following legal problems and electoral losses.

The political reality of May 2023 has DeSantis preparing to enter a primary field that is expanding rather than contracting, with Trump back on top in polling and candidates as eager to poach DeSantis conservative media hype and big money donors as they are to steal Trumps grassroots support.

DeSantis official campaign launch is expected in the coming days. Never mind being the only candidate challenging Trump, he wont be the only candidate to announce a run this week after Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) announced a bid on Monday.

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley are also already in the race. Vice President Mike Pence, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Rep. Will Hurd (R-Texas) could all also launch bids soon.

And potential new candidates are crawling out of the GOPs political woodwork: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a wealthy former Microsoft executive, has hired political consultants. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, whose previous presidential endeavors are best summed up by the word oops, is also considering a bid.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a political roundtable on May 19 in Bedford, New Hampshire.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a political roundtable on May 19 in Bedford, New Hampshire.

Hopes of isolating Trump one-on-one were a pipe dream, a Republican strategist said, noting the low cost and high potential rewards  a cabinet slot or Fox News hosting gig  available to even wildly unsuccessful presidential candidates. DeSantis missteps in recent weeks, however, have created openings for other candidates to argue they, rather than DeSantis, are best-positioned to slay the Trump dragon.

Everybody who is in the race, is in the race not because of DeSantis, but because of Trump, said John Feehery, a Republican lobbyist and former Capitol Hill aide, who is unaligned in the primary.

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Those candidates either want to block Trump, or are auditioning for a spot on his ticket or in his cabinet, Feehery said.

But DeSantis weakness has probably given not only hope but also money to other candidates, added Feehery, who said he prefers an alternative to Trump. Hes been kind of shell-shocked by how quickly Trump has gone after him.

With more than eight months to go until the first 2024 nominating contest, DeSantis is still the Republican most likely to stand between Trump and another presidential nomination. And indeed that is what DeSantis team is betting on.

The Republican primary is already a two-man race, and Governor DeSantis isnt even a candidate, Erin Perrine, communications director for the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down, told HuffPost in a statement. As we saw at his recent visits to Iowa and New Hampshire, there is growing momentum behind the Governor because he is the only Republican who doesnt just talk the talk, he follows through on the hard fights like taking on woke corporations.

The choice couldnt be clearer for primary voters  while Donald Trump may talk a big game, DeSantis actually fights and wins, Perrine added.

But each of those lower-tier candidates can chip away at the support DeSantis needs to win in the zero-sum scramble for party delegates.

The stakes of candidate competition are especially high on the Republican side, because while Democrats are required to allot convention delegates on a proportional basis, the GOP relies more heavily on winner-take-all  or winner-take-more  primary contests.

In 2016, for example, the winner-take-all system in Florida helped Trump secure a huge batch of delegates without even winning an outright majority. The outcome prompted Florida Sen. Marco Rubios departure from the race.

Ahead of his reelection campaign in 2020, Trump encouraged more states to adopt winner-take-all systems, leading to a map where 60% of contests were either winner-take-all from the outset, or become winner-take-all if a candidate surpasses a certain threshold. In theory then, the more Republicans that run in 2024, the harder it becomes for DeSantis to topple Trump.

A field of mostly longshot candidates polling in the single or low double digits may also help Trump eke out delegate wins without amassing a significant plurality of votes  or having to broaden his base.

The growing field of contenders, Republicans who oppose Trump worry, could lead to a repeat of 2016, when GOP candidates  fearful of Trumps base-delighting insults and convinced of his imminent self-implosion  fought amongst themselves as Trump racked up an eventually insurmountable delegate lead.

I was in a 2016 campaign, the attack the guy whos a front-runner other than Donald Trump  weve tried that, Sarah Isgur, a former aide to 2016 presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, said Sunday on ABCs This Week. It results in Donald Trump being the nominee.

Indeed, scattered polling from the time period when DeSantis was polling best showed him defeating or in close races with Trump when the two were matched up one-on-one. Adding other candidates to the mix, however, typically led to a stronger position for Trump.

Many of the other contenders seem as or more eager to attack DeSantis than to do battle with Trump. Haley trolled DeSantis over his clashes with Disney earlier this month. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, yet another potential candidate, has both criticized DeSantis culture war tactics and insisted he is more fiscally conservative than the Floridian. Christie has said DeSantis war with Disney shows the latter man is not a conservative

And DeSantis of course remains Trumps No. 1 target. Trump has dubbed the Florida governor Ron DeSanctimonious, and Make America Great Again PAC, a pro-Trump super PAC, has already started running a TV advertisement that employs DeSantis reported use of his fingers to eat chocolate pudding as a metaphor for his votes as a U.S. House member to cut Social Security and Medicare.

Ron DeSantis loves sticking his fingers where they dont belong  and were not just talking about pudding, the spot says as an actor dips two fingers into the dessert.

A second MAGA PAC ad that parodies the kids song Old McDonald Had A Farm, labels the governor Ron DeSalestax for raising sales taxes.

The attacks on DeSantis have taken a toll on his support among Republican primary voters. He has the backing of about 21% of those voters, down from about 30% in March, according to FiveThirtyEights latest public polling average.

The governors slide in the polls began after his pre-campaign book tour, where he didnt always seem at ease doing the heavy retail politicking necessary to win a presidential nomination.

He has also struggled to justify his accelerating war with Disney and the slew of new Florida laws being challenged in court on First Amendment grounds. Last month, DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban into law, a move that may either help him against Trump with uber-conservative evangelical voters or hurt him with more moderate Republicans and in the general election.

Haley trolled DeSantis earlier this month over his escalating clashes with Disney.

If Disney would like to move their hundreds of thousands of jobs to South Carolina and bring the billions of dollars with them, Ill let them know, Ill be happy to meet them in South Carolina and introduce them to the governor and the legislature that would welcome it, she said.

To some conservative strategists wary of again nominating Trump, the prospect of GOP candidates training their fire on DeSantis, rather than Trump, brings back unhappy memories of the 2016 GOP primary.

To emerge from a crowded primary, DeSantis may also have to make his message less about Trump and more about why hes a better choice than, say, Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate whos running a campaign far less centered on culture wars, or Ramaswamy, a relative unknown who has shaken up the race with his stances on the voting age and a merit-based system for immigration.

At the same time, lesser-known candidates can make the case that DeSantis wave of popularity, set into motion during the coronavirus pandemic, has already crested.

Even some conservatives who believe that DeSantis would be better than Trump and a more effective tribune for right-wing populism acknowledge that a national campaign is uncharted terrain for him.

DeSantis has to break out of the Florida bubble and address what he would do for the country as a national leader. Thats been a missing part of this conversation thus far, said Ryan Girdusky, a conservative consultant associated with the more nationalist wing of the Republican Party. You cant plant palm trees in Michigan or Wisconsin. You need to actually tell me what youre going to do for Michigan or Wisconsin.

Girdusky encouraged DeSantis and other candidates to attack Trump from the right by faulting him for, among other things, failing to complete the border wall or stem the tide of unauthorized immigration.

Donald Trump is like Philip Morris cigarettes in the 1960s and 70s, said Girdusky, who founded The 1776 Project, a right-wing super PAC active in local school board elections. Its a great brand that will give you cancer, but people still like the brand. So you need to destroy the brand.

Even in a crowded field, DeSantis can still easily trample his opponents in fundraising and will enter the race with a relatively blank slate to a national audience, said Republican strategist Jason Cabel Roe.

What most people know about DeSantis is COVID and Disney. Theres a lot more to Ron DeSantis, said Roe, a former senior adviser to Rubio. The other candidates are not combative, theyre not pugnacious, and theyre not going to bring the same feistiness to the campaign that Ron DeSantis does.

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Dyson Gen5 Detect standing beside a bookshelf

We've been teased by the launch of the Dyson Gen5detect; first in Australia, and then in the UK in October 2022. The wait is finally over for UK residents though because this latest cordless vacuum cleaner by global brand, Dyson, is now available to buy - but it comes at a cost.

I think Dyson makes some of the best cordless vacuums you can buy, and they've long since passed the point where for most of us they're just as good as the best upright vacuum cleaners: despite the best efforts of my kids and dog, my Dyson V10 Animal keeps my flat clean with the minimum of fuss. But tech moves on, and Dyson's Gen5detect cordless vacuum makes mine look like an old rotary carpet cleaner.

The Gen5detect is Dyson's most powerful cordless yet, with a faster, smaller and more powerful motor than before and whole machine HEPA filtration to remove irritants and allergens. It can filter out potentially harmful particles as small as 0.1 microns, has illumination that's twice as bright as its predecessor and has a brand new user interface that makes cleaning the carpet feel more like a video game. There's a power button instead of a trigger for more comfortable cleaning, and the easy-eject bin has a capacity of 0.77 litres so you don't need to empty it every couple of minutes.

In our in-depth Dyson Gen5detect review, we praised its "impressive vacuuming skills" thanks to a whopping 262 air watts of suction, although we found that the difference between it and its predecessor is only really noticeable in boost mode. It has dynamic suction when you use the Digital Motorbar tool, automatically adjusting as you move from hard floor to carpet. It's quieter than its predecessor, and you can expect about 70 minutes of runtime between charges.

The downside to a Dyson, other than a design that you either love or hate, is the price tag. I bought my V10 refurbished because at the time a new one was way beyond my budget, and the new Gen5detect is even more expensive: it's just launched in the UK with a price tag of 849, a good 220 more than the five-star V15 Detect Absolute. In Australia Dyson is already discounting it, with models down from AU$1,549 to AU$1,269 and from AU$1,599 to AU$1,319. US pricing and availability haven't been confirmed yet.

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The brighter Fluffy Optic that ships with the Dyson Gen5 Detect

Opinion: this new Dyson is amazing, but older ones are pretty great too

I'm not going to criticise Dyson for charging premium prices  I'm typing this into an Apple Mac while wearing an Apple Watch  but as with Apple, if you want the very latest kit you'll pay a lot for it. And for most of us, we don't need the very latest kit.

This Dyson is without a doubt the best cordless Dyson yet. But it's also 220 more than what was the best cordless Dyson a month ago, and it's considerably more expensive. The V15 Detect Absolute is 629.99. Is it worth spending 220 more to get ten more minutes of run time and 32 more air watts? Would you be just as happy with the cheapest V15 Detect, which doesn't have the fancy laser light but is 370 cheaper than the Gen5? I know I would.

Don't get me wrong. This new Dyson is brilliant. But to my mind it's the iPhone 14 Pro Max of vacuums, the model you buy when you've got tons of spare cash and want to show off a bit. That makes the Dyson V15 Detect the vanilla iPhone 14, without quite the same advanced tech but a much lower price tag.

And my Dyson V10? That's an iPhone X: dated, for sure, but still going strong and currently as cheap as chips.

The people who buy this new Dyson vacuum cleaner, like the people who buy the iPhone 14 Pro Max, will be delighted with it. And good for them. But I'm still quite delighted with my V10, and that only cost me 229  just 9 more than the difference between the new Dyson and its predecessor. New Dysons are great but, in my opinion, old ones aren't bad either.
LONDON  Martine Rose is British shoe manufacturer Clarks first guest creative director.

Clarks is something thats so intrinsic to British culture and obviously Jamaican culture because its huge in Jamaica because of the Commonwealth. Theres a couple of British brands that are really big in Jamaica because Britishness is a sign of quality and you take it out of context it takes on a life of its own, like a myth, Rose told WWD in an interview, sitting in her north London studio as she readies her upcoming mens show in June, where her designs for Clarks will debut on the runway and on sale from March 2024.

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As a community-focused designer, the decision to team with Clarks was an instant yes because of the companys history dating back 200 years, when the local Quaker community stepped in to financially help bail out the founders, Cyrus and James Clark, which resulted in the opening of a new school, theater, library, open-air swimming pool and town hall in Somerset.

Clarks approached Rose last year and she embarked on a trip to its headquarters in Somerset to learn more about the companys history and to witness the making of Clarks shoes, which in British households are a rite of passage for when children get their feet sized for the first time and buy their first pair of shoes for school.

Rose has designed three pairs of shoes. Shes taken signature Clarks styles such as the loafer, Oxford shoe and sandal to reinterpret it in her own colorful way with a major focus on comfort.

Martine Rose, mens fall 2023

I was really struck that they work so hard for comfort. They said when the buyers come in, one of the first things they do is twist the shoe around and squidge it, she said, contrasting it with her own label, where design is primary and comfort is secondary.

The idea of comfort stuck with Rose and she wanted to take it to the next level by creating shoes that look and feel like pillows by adding extra padding to the insoles and using feather downs in shoes, which the Clarks company hadnt ever worked on before.

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She used the same measures she takes with her own collections when choosing the colorways for the shoes.

There has to be something familiar about it so you can get the riff. Weve actually tried to keep it more classic, so its very simple, theres a black, oxblood and snakeskin, said Rose, who had previously sampled crazy colors before making her decision.

Her design philosophy has always been about creating small stories within her collections rather than zooming in on one overarching theme.

There are elements of street, sport and tailoring across all the separates in her collections and so when she designed the shoes for Clarks and knew she was going to inaugurate them at her show, there was no pressure to stick to a hard motif.

Martine was top of our list of guest creative directors to partner with, due to her unconventional approach to design and development and her British-Jamaican background, both of which are core to our brand, said Tara McRae, chief marketing and digital officer at Clarks.

Rose hinted at another collaboration thats in the works due for the summer.

Earlier this year she made her debut as special guest designer at Pitti Uomo. The show was significant as it was her first outside the U.K.

Its hard to ignore the platform and the prestige of Pitti and Im so honored to have been asked. I definitely feel Im more on a global stage and I dont have the security blanket of showing in London and knowing the city, Rose said in an interview, who founded her brand in 2007 with a collection of shirts.

Im nervous, of course, breaking out and showing in another city for the first time, but those feelings are productive and necessary for growth in a personal sense  and in a business one, too, she added.

Although shes accustomed to showing in London, Rose has worked on a variety of capsules and special projects for brands including Nike, Napapijri and Tommy Hilfiger. For three years, she shuttled back and forth to Paris, working with Demna on Balenciaga menswear.

She suggested that her upcoming show will be held in north London and it will be bigger than ones shes hosted before in the city.

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Early in Aki Kaurismakis slender but enormously satisfying Fallen Leaves (Kuolleet Lehdet), the male protagonist is invited by his buddy to go to Friday night karaoke. Tough guys dont sing, he replies, in the signature affectless deadpan shared by all the Finnish masters characters. But that tough guy turns out to be yearning for love, refusing to give up when a lost phone number and a series of other obstacles keep him from a woman he barely knows. In a sense the tough guy is also Kaurismaki himself, inhabiting a world defined by dourness and melancholy but always seeking pathways to comfort, hope and light.

The director had spoken of retirement after his beautiful Syrian refugee tale The Other Side of Hope in 2017, and this return after six years is waggishly described as a work previously believed to be lost. Its an expansion of Kaurismakis Proletariat Trilogy, poignant stories of working-class outcasts made between 1986 and 1990 and comprised of Shadows in Paradise, Ariel and The Match Factory Girl.

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The director is in a playfully reflective mood about his own work here, while also tipping his hat to the films and filmmakers who inspired him. There are lovely nods to Bresson, Godard, Ozu, Visconti, Chaplin and John Huston among others, as well as a very funny homage to the American director most influenced by Kaurismaki, Jim Jarmusch.

The tough guy who doesnt sing is Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), a middle-aged alcoholic working temporary construction jobs in Helsinki. Im depressed because I drink and I drink because Im depressed, he tells his friend Huotari (Janne Hyytiainen). The latter fancies himself as a bit of a ladies man. While he attempts to parlay his vocal confidence on the karaoke stage into a date with acerbic Liisa (Nuppu Koivi), her quiet friend Ansa (Alma Poysti) and Holappa exchange glances of mutual interest. But they dont actually meet.

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Ansa and Liisa work low-paying jobs at a supermarket, but when Ansa gives away expired food items to a presumably homeless man and bags a sandwich for herself instead of throwing the goods in the trash as required, she is summarily fired. She soon secures another job as a kitchen hand at the fancifully named California Pub, but that proves short-lived when her gruff boss (Martti Suosalo) is arrested for drug-dealing.

Ansa first sees vodka-soaked Holappa again passed out at a bus stop and being fleeced by young hoods. Shes unable to rouse him, but they meet a third time and he takes her to a movie. (The cinephile jokes in that scene are priceless.) Both are eager  or as eager as any glum-looking Kaurismaki character can get  to go on another date, but Holappa immediately loses Ansas phone number, setting a gentle farce in motion.

She stares at the phone, waiting for it to ring, and he hangs around outside the movie house hoping to see her again. But they keep missing one another, like Autumn Leaves in the breeze, to borrow the title of the Johnny Mercer hit heard in Finnish over the end credits.

Eventually, they do reconnect and Ansa invites him to dinner at her apartment. The extent of her solitude is clear in the fact that she has to buy a second place setting for that occasion. But an evening that starts out romantically, with flowers and sparkling wine if minimal conversation, turns sour when Ansa tells Holappa that her father drank himself to death and she wont be in a relationship with an alcoholic.

The delicate stop-start rhythm of these lonely peoples uncertain courtship is established via fluid editing and a vintage song selection sprinkled throughout. When it seems that they werent meant to be, Kaurismaki introduces an element that has been a sublime motif in so many of his films  a humble mutt. The dog has been hanging around the factory where Ansa now works; she takes her home and cares for her, seemingly finding a companion to help fill the void.

But hope is never completely extinguished in a Kaurismaki film, and Holappa finds the resolve to try again, only to hit what seems a final wall in a closing stretch full of surprises both sad and sweet.

As always, the director has a knack for choosing faces that belong inarguably in his world, their expressionless features revealing almost nothing and yet somehow we see a full range of their humanity.

His leads here are especially ideal fits. Lanky Vatanen lopes around with an air of weathered detachment that makes his emotional hunger all the more poignant. Likewise, Poystis Ansa, who seems resigned to yet another disappointment but keeps an open heart. When a smile spreads across her blank face for the first time, its magic. Hyytiainen, a veteran of Kaurismakis films going back more than 20 years to The Man Without a Past, is consistently amusing as Houtari, with his disconcertingly direct observations and his blithely awkward approach to romance; and Koivus Liisa is a jaded delight.

Kaurismakis longtime DP, Timo Salminen, again shows his exceptional eye for composition, with frame after still frame yielding eye-catching details and frequent jolts of glorious color amid the dinginess.

The homes, cafes and workplaces in Ville Gronroos production design look like theyve remained unchanged for 50 years or more, and the time might pass for the 1960s if not for the intermittent radio news reports heard about the Ukraine War. The name alone of the California Pub is hilarious when we get inside the grim joint full of joyless men sitting over pints of beer in a fog of cigarette smoke. The one spot of color in the room is an old jukebox (incongruously playing a Finnish cover of Mambo Italiano), which, along with the blasts of retro-rock and electro-pop, seems a nod back to Leningrad Cowboys Go America.

Running just 81 minutes, Fallen Leaves is slight compared to many of Kaurismakis more complex narratives, but its well of feeling creeps up on you and it delivers a good share of laugh-out-loud lines with droll aplomb. Besides, who are we to quibble about any gift from one of world cinemas greatest treasures?

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The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) is investigating the death of a worker at an Amazon cross-dock facility in Fort Wayne, Ind. that occurred earlier this month.

On May 8, 20-year-old Caes Gruesbeck struck his head on an overhead conveyor belt system while driving a one-man lift underneath it to clear a jam. The employee was wearing proper personal protective equipment, including a hard hat and fall protection. According to an Amazon spokesperson, Gruesbeck was trained to operate this equipment.

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After the accident, Gruesbeck was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

IOSHA opened the investigation a day after the incident.

An autopsy by the Allen County Coroners Office determined that Gruesbecks death was the result of an accidental blunt force injury.

Amazon closed the warehouse immediately after the incident occurred and sent workers home with pay. It also canceled the night shift and paid those employees for that time. The facility resumed operations two-and-a-half days later.

We continue to grieve the loss of our colleague, and our thoughts and prayers remain with his loved ones and our team at the facility, Maureen Lynch Vogel, an Amazon spokesperson, told Sourcing Journal. Were working closely with authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and implement corrective actions to enhance safety. Were also ensuring our employees have everything they need to feel supported, including counseling services, and will continue to do so in the days and weeks ahead.

Lynch Vogel said the e-commerce giants standard procedure is to proactively alert IOSHA when an incident occurs so they can choose to investigate.

IOSHA didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Information from the inspection may not be publicly available until weeks after.

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IOSHA wouldnt issue any citations until six months after the event occurred, even if the agency determines Amazon violated safety standards.

IOSHA and the Department of Justice are currently investigating several Amazon warehouses over safety issues and working conditions.

Prior to the Fort Wayne incident, federal OSHA issued four citations across seven Amazon facilities so far this year for ignoring safety hazards. Most recently, the agency said Amazon failed to provide adequate medical treatment for traumatic and chronic injuries at a fulfillment center in Castleton, N.Y.

At the time, OSHA said at least six employees with head injuries and four with back injuries did not receive timely, necessary medical care. Injured workers were returned to their jobs and, in many cases, their injuries became worse as a result.

In 2022, four Amazon employees died on the job at company warehouses, with a fifth worker dying days after a forklift crash.

Amazon released a workplace safety report in March highlighting many of the improvements it has made in recent years, particularly after investing $300 million in safety improvements including $66.5 million to create technology that will help prevent collisions of forklifts and other types of industrial vehicles.

The report, citing data from 2022, showed the companys network-wide recordable injury rate (RIR) dropped more than 23 percent since 2019, and 11 percent since from the year before. The RIR metric indicates how often an injury or illness occurs at workmeasured in injuries per 200,000 working hours. The tech titan also reduced lost time incident rates (LTIR)the number of injuries resulting in employees needing time away from workby 53 percent.

The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), however, claims Amazons numbers are misleading.

Citing data Amazon submitted to OSHA, the coalition pointed out that the serious injury rate at Amazon warehouses was 6.6 per 100 workersmore than double the rate at non-Amazon warehouses (3.2 per 100) and down from from 6.8 in 2021.

At the time, Amazon disputed SOCs interpretation of the data, with a spokesperson saying: Its unsurprising that a self-interested group like this would work to twist the facts to paint an inaccurate picture.

Beyond the worker safety concerns, the Seattle company continues fighting labor battles, with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issuing five complaints against Amazon Monday claiming that it enforced an unlawful off-duty access rule that banned employees from its facilities when not on shift.

The five complaints are on behalf of nine warehouses in Bessemer, Ala.; Staten Island, N.Y.; Joliet, Ill.; Channahon, Ill.; Monee, Ill.; Romeoville, Ill.; Covington, Pa.; Swedesboro, N.J.; and Kenosha, Wisc.

Editors note: This article has been updated to correct the agency name to Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A previous version incorrectly stated the name as the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Click here to read the full article.
A man died in a crash with a cement truck near Dallas Center on Monday morning.

Responders with the Dallas County Sheriff's Office, Dallas County Emergency Medical Services and the Dallas Center Fire Department went to the scene of a vehicle accident around 9:46 a.m. in the 28000 block of Highway 44, east of Dallas Center, according to a news release.

Emergency responders found a man who was not breathing, began CPR and attempted to use an automated external defibrillator. Michael Remus, 69, of Grimes, died at the scene.

Responders transported a passenger in Remus' vehicle for medical care. The extent of that person's injuries are unknown at the time.

The Iowa State Patrol is investigating the crash. The initial investigation showed that a cement mixer truck rear-ended Remus' vehicle, the news release said.

The driver of the cement truck was uninjured, according to the release.

Highway 44 was closed for several hours during the investigation.

Chris Higgins covers the eastern suburbs for the Register. Reach him at chiggins@registermedia.com or 515-423-5146 and follow him on Twitter @chris_higgins_.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Grimes man Michael Remus dies in crash with cement truck near Dallas Center
Chile Mines Lithium From Salt Flats Of Atacama Desert

Pools of brine containing lithium carbonate and mounds of salt bi-product stretch through Albemarle's lithium mine in the Atacama Desert on August 24, 2022 in Salar de Atacama, Chile. Credit - John MooreGetty Images

Latin America is embarking on a bold and risky shake up on lithium, an essential component in electric vehicle batteries whose price has soared in recent years. Last week Chile, the worlds second-largest lithium producer, unveiled a plan to bring its industry under state control. The countrys two existing lithium mines in the Atacama desertcurrently operated by U.S. mining giant Albemarle and Chiles SQMwill pass to a state mining company within a few decades. And any future projects must now be run as public-private partnerships, and utilize emerging, more sustainable extraction technologies.

The semi-nationalization is the latest in a wave of similar moves in Latin America, a region that holds 56% of the worlds identified lithium deposits. Bolivia, which holds 21% of global resourcesthe largest share of any countryhas always kept its lithium in state hands, and last year introduced extraction-technology restrictions similar to what Chile is proposing now. Mexico (1.7% of resources) hasnt set any technology rules yet but it did nationalize its industry in February, plunging several exploration deals into uncertainty. And even though Argentina (20% of resources), is an outlier, with a pro-businesses set of policies and dozens of private sector projects in the pipeline, officials there have joined the other three countries in recent months to discuss setting up a strategic regional alliance on lithiumor, in the words of Bolivian president Luis Arce a kind of lithium OPEC.

The dream of creating state-controlled, globally powerful lithium industries in the same vein as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries reflects the transformed status of the mineral. A couple of decades ago, it was a niche product, mostly used to make ceramics and glass. But the energy transition, which needs lithium for EVs and a host of other other rechargeable battery products, is fuelling unprecedented demand. That means intensifying political pressure for the regions governments to carve out a bigger piece of the lithium pie for the people.



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These are risky moves: industry analysts warn that the regions politicians may be overestimating the weight that their mostly nascent lithium sectors hold in the global market, thereby driving investment away. Still, big hopes are being pinned on the silvery white mineral. Gabriel Boric, Chiles leftist president, told his country that state control of lithium is the best chance we have at transitioning to a sustainable and developed economy.

Chile's President Gabriel Boric speaks during an event to present the National Lithium Strategy in Antofagasta, Chile, on April 21, 2023. Glenn ArcosAFP/Getty Images

Talk of an OPEC for lithium suggests these leaders may hope to bring lithium down the same path that oil took in the 1950s to 1980s. It was in that period that, angered by multinational companies cutting prices for their product, oil-producing countries like Venezuela and Saudi Arabia gradually increased state involvement in their industries and launched OPEC. The cartel today controls 40% of the global oil supply and colludes to manipulate prices by cutting or increasing production. A similar trajectory for lithium could, in theory, help Latin America boost prices. Countries could also try to pressure businesses to move more profitable parts of the lithium supply chainsuch as processing and battery component manufacturingto a region that today only exports the raw material.

Read more: New Lithium Mining Technology Could Give Argentina a Sustainable Gold Rush

The lithium industry is, to put it mildly, skeptical. For starters, lithium is not oil. While demand is expected to explode from 23,500 tons in 2010 to up to 4 million tons in 2030, for now lithium is still traded like a specialist chemical product, rather than a major commodity. That makes it harder to set or manipulate a standardized price.

Second, the window in which Latin America can exert significant influence on the global lithium market may be closing. While the region accounted for a third of global production in 2022, that share is expected to shrink in the coming decades.

Thats in part because higher lithium prices make it viable for countries around the world to develop lithium deposits that were previously too expensive to access. South Americas lithium is found in brines in its vast salt lakes. Lithium can be relatively cheaply extracted from brines, but the process is slow and can be complicated by the quality of the brines. (Bolivia, for example, still hasnt found an efficient way to extract its lithium, and has yet to produce significant amounts.) Meanwhile mining of lithium deposits found in hard-rock formations in Australia and China, the worlds largest and third-largest producers respectively, is rapidly expanding. Those countries seem unlikely to dabble in a potential OLEC.

The threat for Chile, and other Latin American countries that have less-developed lithium sectors, is that investors, spooked by last weeks news, take the massive amounts of cash needed to set up mines elsewhere. In a market that needs such capital deployment over the next few years, talk around nationalization of assets really has a fundamental impact on the flow of capital, says Andrew Miller, chief operating officer of price reporting agency Benchmark Minerals.

There are some bright spots for South American lithium in governments increasingly proactive attitude and their appetite for regional cooperation, says Miller. The new methods that both Bolivia and Chile are betting on to reduce environmental impacts are also designed to make extraction more efficientand profitable. Known as direct lithium extraction, the tech unproven, but state support, plus the sharing of information and expertise between nations, could accelerate its development, and potentially restore brines edge in the global market.

People take part in a demonstration against privatization in the lithium industry. on January 20, 2022. Javier TorresAFP/Getty Images

In Chile, Borics government argues that laying out its public-private partnership strategy will create the certainty needed to spur investment. Lithium exploration outside of the two Atacama projects has stalled over the last three decades, due to uncertainty about Chiles mining rights regime, which governments have been reluctant to update amid increased public scrutiny on the industry.

Daniel Jimenez, a former SQM executive and founding partner of Santiago-based lithium consultancy iLiMarkets, is not convinced. He says the terms of the new deal, which would relegate private companies to minority partners in projects, are too onerous for firms to want to take on the risky, costly work of exploring for lithium and turning reserves into active mines. Under these conditions, I dont think any sensible company will put their own money into such an exploration, he says.

Some environmental activists in Chile may think that is good news. Mining in the Atacama has been blamed for using up the deserts water resources, threatening ecosystems and local communities.

But for regional governments desperate to get a fairer deal amid the energy transition than in previous fossil-fuel eras of development, while keeping investment flowing, theres a tightrope to walk. And its not clear theyve found their balance yet.

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The body of a missing high schooler was found along an Oregon coastline more than a week after he was caught in a rip current, rescuers said.

Authorities said the body believed to be Jacob Stokes was found in a tideline Sunday, May 21, in Tolovana Park, the Cannon Beach Police Department said in a Facebook post.

Stokes was wading in knee-deep water with three people off Cannon Beach on May 12 when they were caught in a rip current, according to Cannon Beach Rural Fire Protection District.

Two people made it out of the water on their own, and one person was rescued, fire officials said. But Stokes vanished in the water.

Stokes was a senior at Mountainside High School in Beaverton, according to the school.

Jacob was a kind and thoughtful young man, his high school said in a Facebook post. He pushed for excellence in all areas of his life, whether that be on the cross country course, on the track or in the classroom.

Fire officials warned the public of unpredictable rip currents in the Pacific Ocean that can take a person out in a matter of seconds.

If anyone sees a distressed swimmer, they should call 911, officials said.

Beaverton is less than 10 miles west of downtown Portland.

65-year-old kayaker missing after not returning home from fishing outing, PA reports say

Man trying to save dog vanishes in freezing, turbulent creek, Canada authorities say

39-year-old slips in Arkansas river and vanishes after being swept away, officials say
Bryan Kohberger, the Pennsylvania man charged with murder in the deaths of four University of Idaho students in November, sat in silence and declined to enter a plea Monday through his public defender at his long-awaited arraignment.

Judge John Judge of Idahos 2nd Judicial District Court in Latah County, after detailing to Kohberger the five felony charges and potential punishments  up to the death penalty on four of those counts  in turn entered a plea of not guilty on all charges.

Kohberger, 28, is accused of the stabbing deaths of U of I seniors Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, each 21, junior Xana Kernodle, 20, and freshman Ethan Chapin, 20. The four victims bodies were found at an off-campus rental house in mid-November.

At the request of Kohbergers attorney, Judge also scheduled the trial for up to six weeks, starting Oct. 2. Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson did not object to the timeline.

Bryan Kohberger is escorted out of the courtroom following his arraignment hearing Monday in District Court in Latah County.

Edwina Elcox, a Boise-based criminal defense attorney, answered questions for the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview Monday about how Kohbergers arraignment played out, and what it could mean for a potential trial.

Why does a defendant stand silent for a plea?

When a defendant chooses not to enter a plea to the charges against them, they are deemed to be standing silent, as Anne Taylor, Kohbergers appointed public defender, told the judge Monday. A judge then automatically converts a defendants decision to remain silent into a not guilty plea, said Elcox, a former Ada County deputy prosecutor.

The judge cant enter a guilty plea on somebodys behalf, she said. The thought is that its kind of a way to preserve the ability to negotiate with the state on a possible plea deal to avoid a trial.

In addition, Elcox said, the defense lacks several key pieces of information at the moment to decide how best to represent Kohberger and proceed with the legal process. Those factors likely contributed to the strategic decision by the defense, she said.

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What information is the defense lacking?

Of utmost importance, the defense does not yet know whether the prosecution will seek the death penalty if Kohberger is convicted. That decision is likely to weigh heavily into whether a plea agreement can be struck at some point, Elcox said.

Thats probably a pretty significant factor, because the state hasnt committed to whether or not they will seek the death penalty yet, she said. They need to know, Yeah, you can plea, or that its off the table. Or, Were seeking this no matter what, no offers, no deals, and well let a jury figure this out. 

Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson, right, speaks with public defender Anne Taylor during an arraignment hearing for her client, Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November.

Also, the defense has said it is still awaiting more evidence through the discovery process.

Judge, for example, on Monday scheduled a hearing in late June over the defenses motion to compel discovery evidence that it says the state so far has withheld or not yet delivered. Thompson in response to the filings argued the state has met the requirements of Idaho law, and objected to specifics the defense sought about the DNA testing process that linked Kohberger to the crime scene.

When will the state decide on the death penalty?

Judges entering of a plea for Kohberger starts a 60-day clock under Idaho law for the prosecution to inform the court whether it will seek the death penalty.

Only first-degree murder cases qualify for the death penalty in Idaho. Upon a conviction, a jury must also find at least one aggravating circumstance. Those include committing more than one murder at the time, that a murder was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel, manifesting exceptional depravity or that the defendant exhibited utter disregard for human life while committing the murder, per statute.

On July 1, Idaho will become the fifth U.S. state to implement a firing squad as the backup execution method to lethal injection. Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a bill in March that overwhelmingly passed in the Idaho Legislature earlier that month.

Utah was the last state to execute a prisoner by firing squad, in 2010. Idaho joined South Carolina as the most recent states to pass such a law in response to challenges capital punishment states have faced in acquiring lethal injection drugs to carry out executions of each states death row inmates.

The families of the victims deserve justice for their loved ones and the death penalty is a way to bring them peace, Little said in a written statement after signing the bill into law. It is the responsibility of the state of Idaho to follow the law and ensure that lawful criminal sentences are carried out.

Will the trial start in October?

For now, Judge set an Oct. 2 trial start date. Unless Kohberger waives his right to a speedy trial, it must begin within six months from his arraignment.

Elcox is skeptical a trial would happen on such a short turnaround, given its high-profile nature, a slew of forthcoming pretrial motions, the issue with discovery held over until the hearing late next month and other possible hangups. As a result, she said, Kohbergers trial is likely to be pushed back.

This is a hard timeline to deal with under any circumstances, let alone a case this complex, she said. I think the likelihood that this case gets tried or begins trial on the date currently set is a slim-to-none possibility.

The reality is a case of this magnitude, thats multi-jurisdictional, has multi-agencies, to coordinate that number of witnesses, for the defense to get a handle on that much different evidence, to seek their own potential experts, to theoretically combat whatever the state has, six months seems like a long time, but its a drop in a bucket.

Could a trial change of venue still happen?

In short, yes. Such a request is not typically raised during an arraignment, Elcox said. So it still may be forthcoming on the grounds of seeking a fair trial for Kohberger, outside of the community where the crime occurred.

It would be entirely appropriate to make that request at some point in the future, Elcox said. There needs to be a ruling on that and then the alternative venue has to be selected and that has to be coordinated. The logistics of that make it appropriate to be well before the trial.

District Judge John Judge presides over an arraignment hearing Monday for Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022. The hearing was held in Latah County Court in Moscow.

Jessica Bublitz, another Boise-based criminal defense attorney, previously told the Statesman that she thought the judge in the case would agree to a change of venue request, and also believed the prosecution wouldnt oppose it.

I think it will be granted, she said. Either party can make the motion, and its up to the judge himself. One thing you have to be careful with is due process in any capital case, and you want to be very attentive to making sure that you do everything correctly.

The entire state of Idaho is likely to be invested in this case. Moscow was extremely impacted, but really all of Idaho was. Knowing this prosecution, I think they are likely to agree to change of venue.

Should a change of venue occur, Judge would move with the case.

What happens next?

Judge scheduled separate hearings June 9 to address motions filed by the Goncalves familys attorney, Shanon Gray, and by a group of media outlets, each challenging the standing gag order. Judge also scheduled the hearing on the defenses motion to compel discovery evidence for June 27.

From there, Judge will establish a discovery deadline in advance of the scheduled trial, Elcox said. Hes also likely to set a schedule for when motions related to evidence must be filed and other pretrial actions must take place.

Bryan Kohberger enters the Latah County courtroom for his arraignment Monday in Latah County District Court in Moscow.

Kohberger in the meantime will remain in custody at the Latah County Jail in Moscow, awaiting his next court date.

Reporter Angela Palermo contributed from Moscow.
An intake tower (left) stands in Lake Mead beside Hoover Dam, which straddles the Arizona-Nevada state line on the Colorado River.

The latest proposal to save Lake Mead solves nothing, long-term.

Its success relies on the premise that farmers, cities and tribes in Arizona, California and Nevada will volunteer, rather than being forced, to temporarily stop using significantly more Colorado River water than they have before.

Most of that saved water will come at a price.

And if the proposal works as envisioned, it would simply stabilize Lake Mead until the current rules to operate the lake expire at the end of 2026.

Essentially, buying us time.

Plan would front-load water in Lake Mead

It may not be the best way to spend an estimated $1.2 billion in federal cash.

But it may be the best deal to move us forward.

If we can stabilize Lake Mead, even temporarily, the hope is that will free time to focus on a parallel process setting rules for the next 20 years.

Rules that could more permanently ensure we dont use more water than the river produces.

Arizona, California and Nevada are proposing to voluntarily save at least 3 million acre-feet of water in Lake Mead through 2026, over and above any other water cuts to which weve previously agreed.

Thats enough over three years to cover the entire city of Phoenix in more than 9 feet of water.

Half of that would be offered up by the end of 2024, which should create more protection than if an equal amount were saved each year.

It could do as well as mandatory cuts

No ones signed off on this deal.

But the seven Colorado River basin states like it enough to ask that it be included in the options the feds are considering to protect Lake Mead and the upstream Lake Powell from reaching dangerously low levels.

Doing so would suspend the May 30 public comment deadline on the draft plan and likely delay a final decision for months.

But presuming that additional modeling confirms what many believe  that a voluntary deal could prop up the lakes as well or better than the current alternatives, which rely on mandatory cuts  it seems unlikely that anyone would try to tank what the states negotiated.

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Another view: This water fight could get aggressive. And ugly

Particularly considering that a voluntary option would wipe out the very real possibility of this thing winding up in court, with bitterly fought lawsuits tying up any meaningful action on the Colorado River for who knows how long.

If thats the case, a voluntary deal would put us in a far better place to negotiate more permanent solutions for the 40 million of us (and growing) that rely on the Colorado River.

Proposal includes an important fail-safe

But what if this latest proposal fails to protect Lake Mead?

Maybe water users dont volunteer the full 3 million acre-feet. Or perhaps the hydrology changes and the lakes begin to plummet even with additional water saved (hey, its happened before).

States would have 45 days to come up with a plan to do more once Lake Mead was forecast to hit 1,025 feet of elevation.

And if they fail, the feds could then act unilaterally to protect Lake Mead from plummeting below 1,000 feet.

How? Good question. As with everything, the devils in the details, which are still taking shape.

But that could be an important fail-safe.

Is it ideal? No. But can we live with it?

Will it absolve the fights that have gummed up negotiations for months?

No. Its only a matter of time before they resurface.

But major water deals these days arent about what we like. Or even what we want.

Theyre about what we can live with.

If voluntary action can keep Lake Mead healthy enough, so were not constantly triaging its day-to-day care, maybe we can finally start formulating a plan for its long-term recovery.

That should not only be the goal of whatever happens next, but the expectation.

Reach Allhands at joanna.allhands@arizonarepublic.com. On Twitter: @joannaallhands.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Lake Mead plan may not be what we like, but it could be what we need
(Bloomberg) -- Billionaire Patrick Drahi increased his stake in BT Group Plc to 24.5%, giving him double the holding of the next-biggest investor and increasing his control over the UK telecommunications giant.

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Altice UK doesnt intend to make an offer for all of BT, Drahis investment vehicle said in a statement on Tuesday, which begins a six-month commitment under UK takeover rules. Drahi added 650 million shares, which is worth about 962 million ($1.2 billion) at the average share price over the last three months and ups his holding from 18%.

Read More: Billionaire Drahis Altice Sees BT Group as Undervalued

While Drahi has never spoken publicly about his long-term intentions with BT, he has a record of taking what he sees as undervalued telecom companies private or carving out assets for sale. Drahi has been gradually increasing his stake since first announcing an investment in June 2021, each time making a statement in support of the companys management.

A spokesman for Altice UK said that the company remains supportive of BTs management and doesnt plan to seek a seat on the board.

BT shares were little changed at 148 pence at 10:42 a.m. in London trading. The stock has gained about 32% this year.

Still, Drahi may just be interested in influence over the telecom carrier or a financial investment in what one of his financial advisers called an undervalued asset in January, Berenberg analyst Carl Murdock-Smith said in a note on Tuesday. Buying the whole company or splitting off BTs nationwide Openreach network may be impossible or almost impossible. Thats because of the political ramifications of a foreign investor interfering in what was once the UKs telecom monopoly, and the need to finance BTs very large pension obligations, he said in an emailed note.

What Bloomberg Intelligence Says:

Patrick Drahi-controlled Altices increased BT Group stake (24.5% from 18%) shines fresh light on the widening gap between public and private market valuations for Europes largest telecom carriers. The move looks opportunistic given BTs recent share-price slump and Drahi, with no stated take-private plans, appears to be playing a long game predicated on public markets eventually placing a higher multiple on BTs cash flow, regardless of whether it more than doubles by the end of the decade as management targets.

 Matthew Bloxham, BI media and telecoms analyst

Read More: BT Says UK Wont Take Action on Drahis Stakebuilding

While BTs share price has lost more than a quarter of its value in the last five years, it would still be a hefty acquisition, with a current market capitalization of about 14.6 billion and net debt of 18.9 billion as of March. Drahi has also faced challenges to his empire-building amid tighter debt markets in the last year.

BTs Chief Executive Officer Philip Jansen previously said Drahi is supportive of the companys strategy and recognized the industry structure could be improved. Last week, the company announced plans to cut as many as 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade to reduce costs.

Read More: Billionaire Drahi Faces an Unfamiliar Test of Empire Building

BTs rival, Vodafone Group Plc, has also seen its top ranks of shareholders taken over by strategic investors, including Drahis peer, French telecom tycoon Xavier Niel, as well as United Arab Emirates-backed carrier Emirates Telecommunications Group Co. and cable group Liberty Global Plc.

--With assistance from Benoit Berthelot.

(Updates with analyst commentary in sixth paragraph)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, listens during his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court on Monday in Moscow, Idaho.

Bryan Kohberger, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, listens during his arraignment hearing in Latah County District Court on Monday in Moscow, Idaho.

The 28-year-old former grad student accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022 entered a plea of not guilty on Monday to murder and burglary charges.

It was the first time in six months that the public, including the victims families, saw Bryan Kohberger since his last appearance at the Latah County Courthouse. On Monday, Kohberger refused to say his plea, prompting the judge to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf, The Associated Press reported.

Kohberger is accused of fatally stabbing Madison Mogen, 21; Kaylee Goncalves, 21; Xana Kernodle, 20; and Kernodles boyfriend, 20-year-old Ethan Chapin, at the womens off-campus rental house. Prosecutors have so far not revealed any information about a possible motive, and the killings rocked the small college town and prompted intense speculation on social media.

According to the judge, Kohberger could face life in prison or the death penalty on the murder charges.

Reporters in the courtroom said the families of Mogen and Goncalves were there watching the proceedings. Chapins family had previously said they would not attend, according to a reporter for King 5 News.

A trial date has been set for Oct. 2. The defense said they expect the trial to last four to six weeks.

John Judge, the new judge assigned to the case, read all five charges against Kohberger aloud in the courtroom, specifying the names of the victims while some family members cried, according to reporters in the courtroom.

Dateline reported Friday that according to an unnamed source with inside knowledge of the investigation, detectives found evidence that Kohberger had purchased a Ka-Bar knife and sheath on Amazon several months before the stabbings. Police had earlier said they found Kohbergers DNA on a knife sheath discovered on a bed next to one of the victims.

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Two additional hearings were scheduled to follow the arraignment. The first concerned a media coalitions challenge to the sweeping gag order imposed in January that barred attorneys, police and family members, among others, from speaking publicly about the case. The state Supreme Court had previously rejected the request, saying the news organizations should have first made the request to the judge who issued the gag order.

The family would like to thank everyone for continuing to follow this case and keep the memories of Kaylee, Maddie, Xana and Ethan alive, the Goncalves family said in statement their attorney Shanon Gray shared with HuffPost. They are what is important not the Defendant. We are thankful that the Latah County District Attorneys Office finally took the case to a [grand jury] and came back with an indictment. At the same time we are disappointed that the judicial process has not been more efficient in addressing the Gag order. This is just the beginning of a long journey for all the families and we are thankful for your continued support and coverage.

The second hearing concerned Kohbergers request for discovery, or access to all of the evidence compiled in the case.

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A K-8 school in Miami-Dade County last month issued restrictions for elementary-aged students on three books and one poem after a parent objected to five titles, claiming they included topics that were inappropriate for students and should be removed from the total environment.

The move  which allows for middle school students at the school to access the titles  is the latest example of districts and schools across the state restricting or removing books from libraries in recent months.

For Stephana Ferrell, the director of research and insight at Florida Freedom to Read Project, it underscores a growing trend to redefine what is considered age appropriate, especially regarding books that address ethnicities, marginalized communities, racism or our history of racism.

Books written for students grades K-5 are being pushed to middle school [libraries and] out of reach for the students they were intended for, she said. The books arent being banned from the district, she argued, but theyre banned for the students they were intended for.

The challenges were school-level only and impact one school, district staff said in an email Monday.

In March, Daily Salinas, a parent of two students at at Bob Graham Education Center in Miami Lakes, challenged The ABCs of Black History, Cuban Kids, Countries in the News Cuba, the poem The Hill We Climb, which was recited by poet Amanda Gorman at the Jan. 20, 2021, inauguration of President Joe Biden, and Love to Langston for what she said included references of critical race theory, indirect hate messages, gender ideology and indoctrination, according to records obtained by the Florida Freedom to Read Project and shared with the Miami Herald.

READ MORE: Poet speaks up after Miami-Dade school bars elementary students from reading her poem

In an interview with the Herald on Monday, Salinas said she is not for eliminating or censoring any books. Instead, she wants materials to be appropriate and for students to know the truth about Cuba, she said in Spanish.

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A school materials review committee  composed of three teachers, a library media specialist, a guidance counselor and the schools principal, among others  however, determined one book, Countries in the News: Cuba, was balanced and age appropriate in its wording and presentation and would remain available for all students.

The four other titles were deemed better suited or more appropriate for middle school students, despite acknowledging that at least one book, The ABCs of Black History, was written for ages 5 and up. The books would be kept in the middle school section of the media center, the review concluded.

The committee did not include examples of what the reviewers considered inappropriate for elementary students but more appropriate for middle schoolers. When asked to provide examples, district officials said staff was not involved in the committee review and therefore cannot speak to the intent, reasoning or provide examples.

Salinas, for her part, also questioned the reasoning behind why some books remain available for middle schoolers. She argued the books should have been removed for all students. School libraries are meant to support the curriculum of the school and I dont see how these books support the curriculum, she said.

READ MORE: Black community wants apology after School Board member tried to block colleague at meeting

Roberto Alonso, School Board member for District 4 where Bob Graham Education Center is located, did not respond to a phone call request for comment.

Rising number of book challenges

Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a slew of education bills into law, including the Parental Rights in Education law, which critics dubbed Dont Say Gay. The law prohibits instruction related to gender identity or sexual orientation in kindergarten through third grade and must be age appropriate for older students.

Since then, theres been an increase of book challenges filed across the state  even as DeSantis and his administration maintain that book removal efforts are a hoax.

In Miami-Dade, only two other informal challenges have been raised, but were resolved between the principal and the parent without the need to escalate to a formal challenge, according to staff.

In Pinellas County schools, for example, Toni Morrisons The Bluest Eye was removed after a parent informally complained about a rape scene in its pages. In April, though, a committee recommended it be available to students in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12 with no parental permission requirements, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

In February, the Martin County School District removed more than 80 books from middle and high schools, according to TCPalm. More recently, the free-speech organization PEN America and Penguin Random House, an American book publisher, filed a lawsuit against the Escambia County School District and school board for violating the equal protection clause of the Constitution for disproportionately targeting books that address topics such as race, racism, gender and sexuality.

As of March, 175 books have been removed across the state, according to PEN America.

For Ferrell, of the Florida Freedom to Read Project, the challenges seen in Miami-Dade and across the state are the result of the lack of guidance from the state around what is or isnt age-appropriate.

People think the Parental Rights in Education law is intended to eliminate representation, and theyre filing challenges, she said.

Were seeing these topics pushed [away] from our kids at a time when theyre most accepting of our differences, she said. This is the time to address the rougher topics in an age appropriate way. Instead, those books are not available to them.

This story was updated to reflect how many schools are impacted.
Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez shows off his skills with ingredients from the Yucatan in a very unexpected place: Cancun, Mexico's Xcaret Water Park.

Erik Ruiz/Courtesy of Xcaret Hotels

Cured in seaweed, an order of tuna crudo arrives topped with a green sea jelly rendered from the fishs head. Draping the dish is something luscious; it looks and tastes like scrambled duck egg, but it's actually ant larvae. Corn fritters wear a neon squiggle of blue spirulina, a sea algae. The gelee garnishing the chocolate pudding was made from the pulp of the cacao pod, an ingredient that's typically discarded, and a tea brewed from cacao leaves accompanies it.

It was a characteristically inventive meal by Virgilio Martinez, the chef designated the second-best in the world and who is ever aiming for "fine dining that has meaning. But I enjoyed his delicious fare not in Lima, at his flagship restaurant Central, nor in the Andean highlands, where his culinary laboratory Mil is located. I was instead dining in a Disney-like development built around a theme park.

La Casa de la Playa, a luxury hotel on Mexico's Riviera Maya, opened in December 2021 at a natural water park called Xcaret. The Disney World of the Yucatan, Xcaret is a sprawling development that includes two 900-room hotels; water, cultural, and adventure parks; the worlds busiest zip line; and now La Casa de la Playa, a 63-room property where my 1,065-square-foot Wellness Ocean View Suite featured a balcony infinity pool, a lava-stone jacuzzi, an in-wall jellyfish tank, and butler service.

In addition to a chocolateria, tequila bar, and wine cave (all open 24/7 for self-service indulgence), La Casa de la Playas culinary offerings include restaurants by noted Mexican chefs Martha Ortiz and the Rivera-Rio Brothers. But the big opening this winter was Martinezs Estero, a Mexico-meets-Peru endeavor where the all-day dining culminates in a seven-course prix fixe meal, at which I devoured ant eggs and a tuna-head gelee.

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Erik Ruiz/Courtesy of Xcaret Hotels

I brought in what I've been working on in Peru, applying those techniques and ways of seeing, Martinez told me before I ate at Estero's inaugural dinner service. But we're taking inspiration from Mexican ingredients. Pureed local squash, for instance, was coated with what looked like a thick layer of ash. It was an assemblage of dried spices that recalled a Oaxacan mole: black and pink pepper, coriander seed, sesame, cumin, star anise, cinnamon, and black recado  a traditional spice from the south of Mexico, as Martinez described it. Using endemic products and presenting them in a fine way is putting a value on and preserving the culture. We need to innovate in order to keep traditions alive.

Erik Ruiz/Courtesy of Xcaret Hotels

Erik Ruiz/Courtesy of Xcaret Hotels

Designed by the chef, Esteros unique plateware  thick, contoured stone blotched with colored glass  abets the chefs mission. Though Martinez told me the ceramics were inspired by the colors and shapes of the Peruvian landscape, theyre so evocative that they help tell a more local story. Waygu tartare with caviar and potato puree is a more generic dish by Martinez, but here he flavors the potatoes with the Mexican epazote and hides the dish inside in a spherical bowl with a shimmering, blue interior glaze  it evokes the Yucatans many cenotes, waterlogged caverns that are sacred to the Maya.

Waygu and caviar may be omnipresent at haute dining rooms all over the globe, but Martinez said international tastes can to influence his cooking organically, thanks to the diversity of his home country. Apart from being one of the most biodiverse territories in the world, Peru is also a melting pot of cultures, from the ones that arrived in the past centuries  the Japanese and Chinese, the Spaniards and Africans  to the local communities from the Andes and the Amazon. All this diversity influences the way I create my dishes, he said. A puffed seaweed cracker topped with crunchy, dried river shrimp tasted like a Japanese snack. There was pork hiding beneath the pureed squash, and it had been braised in the sauce for lomo saltado, a Peruvian-Chinese stir-fried steak.

Erik Ruiz/Courtesy of Xcaret Hotels

Erik Ruiz/Courtesy of Xcaret Hotels

Martinezs mission is to preserve both biological and cultural diversity. Items like the cacao leaf tea derive from the fact that the chef hates waste. When I was working in the past for French chefs, the idea was looking for perfection. We threw away lots of food. But coming from a society where people are starving, for me, it was like, 'Why?' We focus on sharing what nature gives us and try to be creative to use it in different ways.

Despite the foods flamboyance, theres a humility to that approach thats a relief for diners. Interrupted by wood-clad walls that might hide support beams, Esteros basement space is humble. Much of it is taken up by the open kitchen, but the chefs arent putting on a show. Theyre working, with Martinez quietly instructing them, his demeanor serious but calm. The floor staff exhibits none of the yes, chef-style hero worship found elsewhere. Instead, they just seem happy to be working for the guy. All of this makes a fascinating dining experience feel relaxing, too.

Erik Ruiz/Courtesy of Xcaret Hotels

What was the reason for fine dining? It is not about luxury anymore, Martinez said. You go to a restaurant that has a boring, four-hour tasting menu, or you go to a restaurant that makes you think. Thats what I want: a restaurant that makes you think.

Exacting in his execution, Martinez restlessly reaches for ideas. I was in the kitchen just now ready to make changes to 50 percent of what we are doing, Martinez told me just before service. But if ideas drive him, the end result is delight. For a quick lunch on my balcony one afternoon, I ordered one of the chefs suggestions from the in-room dining menu: lobster, grouper, sea grapes, seaweed, and avocado dressed in subtle, silky tigre de leche. It was the most delicious and delicate ceviche Ive ever eaten. And it was the hallmark of a Peruvian master whos enjoying unleashing his talents on the fresh ingredients of the Yucatan coast.



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Prince Harry at the Royal Courts of Justice, Britain's High Court, in March 2023. Daniel LEAL / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images

Prince Harry lost a legal bid to pay for police protection in the UK.

Harry was stripped of his government protection when he stepped back as a senior royal.

Harry's lawyer previously said he feels unsafe bringing his family to the UK.

Prince Harry lost a legal challenge in the United Kingdom on Tuesday.

A judge in London's High Court denied Harry's request for a judicial review of a government decision that barred him from personally paying for police protection when he and his family are in the UK.

The executive committee for the protection of royalty and public figures  also known by the acronym Ravec  determined that Harry and Meghan Markle no longer qualified for their taxpayer-funded police protection when they stepped back as senior royals and moved to California in 2020.

The prince sought to hire police officers with "access to UK intelligence" when he and his family are in Britain, The Washington Post reported.

But according to the court documents viewed by Insider, Ravec said that "they do not support the suggestion that a wealthy person should be able to 'buy' special police services."

Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Tuesday's decision.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Chris Jackson - Pool/Getty Images

In a statement shared with Insider in January 2022, a spokesperson for the couple said Harry first offered to personally pay for police protection for his family in January 2020 when he and Meghan stepped back as senior royals, but he was "dismissed."

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed while in the UK," the statement said at the time. "In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home."

"He remains willing to cover the cost of security, as not to impose on the British taxpayer," the statement went on to say. "The goal for Prince Harry has been simple  to ensure the safety of himself and his family while in the UK so his children can know his home country."

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During court proceedings in February 2022, Harry's lawyer, Shaheed Fatima, said that the prince "does not feel safe when he is in the UK given the security arrangements applied to him," the AP reported at the time.

Prince Harry in "Harry & Meghan." Netflix

Harry himself repeated the sentiment ahead of Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee in April 2022, saying in an interview on the "Today" show that he wasn't sure if his children could attend because of "security issues"

Harry, Meghan, and their children, Archie and Lilibet, ended up attending the celebrations, and The Mirror's royal editor Russell Myers reported at the time that the family was given police protection for the trip.

However, Archie and Lilibet did not attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral in September 2022, nor did they come to King Charles III's coronation on May 6. Meghan stayed with the children in California while Harry attended the coronation.

The Duke of Sussex is in the midst of other legal proceedings in the UK, including lawsuits against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, and Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, saying both unlawfully gathered information about him.

Read the original article on Insider
Sen. Mark P. McKenney is a state senator representing District 30 in Warwick.

A right isnt a right when its been taken away. When its practically nonexistent.

Even before Roger Williams 1663 colonial charter (per Native Americans  long before), Rhode Islanders shoreline rights were recognized for fishing, swimming, gathering seaweed, drying fish, traversing the coast and more.

Under the Public Trust Doctrine, rooted in English common law, the King (later, colonies and states) held the shore in trust, to benefit the people. Our 1843 Constitution stated: The people shall continue to enjoy and freely exercise all the rights of fishery, and the privileges of the shore, to which they have been heretofore entitled under the charter and usages of the state.

But in 1982, those rights were taken away. Rhode Islands Supreme Court (mistakenly relying on an inapplicable California case) said Mean High Water (MHW) should be considered the public access boundary, thereby restricting peoples rights on the shore.

An observer checks out the surfers from the relative warmth of the shoreline at Point Judith earlier this year.

The MHW hasnt worked. Its not a line, but an 18.6-year average of tidal elevations  and scientific expertise and equipment are needed to find it. It changes frequently. So trespass prosecutions have been few and unsuccessful.

The MHW is often under water. With sea level rise and erosion, access is impossible or available for mere minutes at low tide.

The Court said it didnt want the publics rights to be diminished  rendered practically nonexistent. But thats what happened. Its time to restore those  restore the shore to the people.

More: His quest? Walk RI's entire coast- But private property and blocked access are a challenge

Traditionally, Rhode Islanders havent stayed below any MHW (who knows where that is?) or seaweed line. Theyve enjoyed the whole shore.

But some shorefront owners, believing they own everything, harass beachgoers. Conversely, owners are upset (understandably) when people feel entitled to go up on seawalls and lawns. This confusion and confrontation has had a chilling effect on use of the shore.

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A 2022 commission addressed access on and along the shore (access to the beach is a separate issue for another day). After considering much evidence, the commission determined a reasonable mark to work from  the seaweed line. Its generally recognizable to casual observers. Evidence showed a long-established common law right to use the shore, at least 10 feet above that seaweed. As the basis for a recently passed House bill (6 feet above), thats a reasonable view.

More: See 'No Trespassing' signs blocking a public right of way? This bill takes aim at them

But we can do better. Restricting people to that line doesnt restore their rights. Our Constitution doesnt limit people to just part of the shore, or some area around seaweed.

Senate Bill 417 clarifies our rights. Citizens in other states have access up to the vegetation line. In the Ocean State, we should, too.

Contrary to owners arguments, the bill doesnt allow illegal acts. It addresses where folks can go on the shore. Local authorities address what they can do.

More: Private vs public: RI lawmakers take up shoreline access again but split on how far to go

Landowners claim people will trespass on seawalls and lawns. But access is allowed only on sandy or rocky beach. And not where theres vegetation  dune grasses or lawn.

Shorefront owners will sue, claiming their propertys being taken. But the shore isnt theirs. Rhode Islands Constitution (especially 1986 amendments), strongly protects access rights. Our legislature is charged with protecting those: that power must be liberally construed and shall not be deemed to be a public use of private property.

Landowners will claim takings under the U.S. Constitution. But other states have given similar access, and shorefront owners lawsuits have had little success. Moreover, recent federal decisions support greater access.

This bill clarifies rights which are now practically nonexistent. Crafting a solution to a thorny problem, it simply restores what the people had before 1982  whats been theirs all along.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Bill restores access rights to shoreline for everyone
A daunting task faces the protagonists in Terrestrial Verses (Ayeh haye zamini): Each of them is trying to reason with a government bureaucrat or other self-important authority figure. Theyre all residents of Tehran, and theres something specific to Iran in the oppressive regulations and catch-22s that hinder them, but theres universal resonance, too, in the escalating lunacy and bleak implications.

In 10 of the features 11 subtly interlocking segments, a single character faces an offscreen interlocutor. The fixed camera holds each one in an unwavering embrace as they try to make sense of arbitrary rules and demands. Inspired by the intricate rhymes of ghazal, a classic form of Persian poetry, writer-directors Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami have constructed a thoroughly modern work of bracing concision, elegance and blistering deadpan humor, one that pulses with sorrow and outrage over the absurdity of authoritarian dictates that aim to crush souls.

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Terrestrial Verses, which takes its title from a poem by 20th century iconoclast Forugh Farrokhzad, cycles from birth to death, beginning with the frustrated efforts of a new father (Bahram Ark) to register a name for his infant son. The next figure is a spirited girl of about 8 (Arghavan Shabani), and they grow progressively older as the film moves from one sequence to the next. Deeply intrusive lines of questioning unfold. Bizarre requirements and illogical reasoning are expressed by each vignettes unseen figure, in most cases an officious interviewer. I am here to help you, the government clerk declares as he stymies that young fathers intentions at every turn. But hope blooms too in the good questions, often laced with healthy sarcasm, that various protagonists ask. Their disbelief is contained but rising, and in some cases their alarm bursts into quiet defiance.

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The most overtly daring, a teenage girl (Sarvin Zabetian) called into the principals office because she was seen with a boy  on a motorcycle!  also has the last word in her interview. Her boldness is productive because, it turns out, she has a card to play involving her would-be punishers hypocrisy.

Delving into matters of state surveillance and restrictive policies that target women, the next segment involves 20-something Sadaf (Sadaf Asgari), a rideshare driver trying to retrieve her car  impounded because footage from CCTV cameras shows her riding around with her hijab off. (The protest movement sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, arrested for allegedly violating hijab laws, had already begun when the helmers started making this film.) As Sadaf asserts a right to privacy, the Traffic Department lackey sitting opposite her insists that shes just doing her job, and is more interested in her lunch than the political implications of the policy shes enforcing against a fellow female.

No hijab would be required for 30-year-old Faezah (Faezeh Rad) if shes hired by the private company whose ad shes answered. But it quickly becomes evident that, however generous the benefits on offer, shed be working for a boss whos not only sexist but predatory.

The prying affects men too  notably Farbad (Hossein Soleymani), whose application for a drivers license devolves into a ludicrous and unsettling inquisition by a bureaucrat who apparently has appointed himself an arbiter of normality. Farbads tattoos (of verses by Rumi) capture the interviewers disapproving interest, which spirals into perverse fascination.

The situation faced by Ali (Farzin Mohades), a middle-aged filmmaker seeking a shooting permit for his movie, is perhaps the most obvious of the vignettes, and also the most familiar to anyone who has watched, with alarm, the Iranian governments persecution of directors Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Rasoulof and Mostafa Aleahmad. And surely Asgari and Khatami, who partnered on the screenplay for the formers 2022 feature, Until Tomorrow, which dramatizes the clash between repressive tradition and personal choice in Iran, have had their own surreal encounters with the Ministry of Culture.

Mohades performance is alive with low-key exasperation as the official assures him that he has no issue with the core of his proposed feature  only with the script, the title and the psychological underpinnings. Maybe, he suggests, Ali could tell a story from the Quran instead.

The actors are all pitch-perfect, etching full-blooded characters in scenes of 10 minutes or less. In true poetic spirit, there isnt a wasted word or moment. From the layered sound design (by Alireza Alavian)  setting the scene with a cacophony of voices and traffic noise as Tehran begins another day  to the place- and character-defining design contributions (Hamed Aslani and Morvarid Kashian) and the graceful precision of the cinematography (Adib Sobhani) and editing (Ehsan Vaseghi), Terrestrial Verses is a marvel of potent understatement.

With its piercing glimpses of courage and backtalk in the face of totalitarian edicts and fundamentalism, the film offers hope. The barbed responses of 8-year-old Selena, in one of the early segments, are heartening. In the clothing shop where she does a spirited version of the Alley Cat before a mirror, listening to pop tunes through sparkly earphones, her offscreen mother discusses the school uniform shes come to buy, and the saleswoman ticks off whats decreed for schoolgirls. The restrictions begin with the colors Selena loves. The comical/heartbreaking sight of her swallowed up by a drab oversize garment and veil is the vision of a light going out. Its a warning to us all.

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Jose Burgos, 48, of Ecorse, left, walks through the Detroit Public Library with Albert Garrett, 60, recently released from prison after 44 years, and Ronnie Waters, 60, of West Bloomfield, on Monday, May 1, 2023. Both Burgos and Waters are part of an advocacy effort to end the practice of sentencing juveniles to life in prison without parole in Michigan.

Nobody argued that Jose Burgos shouldnt pay for what he had done. The 16-year-old from southwest Detroit had killed another teen and critically wounded his twin brother in a bungled drug exchange.

But nobody argued over what Burgoss sentence should be, either. In 1992, the law was clear. For children older than 14, any homicide-related offenses meant trial as an adult and an automatic punishment: life in prison, without the possibility of parole.

The Honorable Clarice Jobes did not have the discretion to consider Burgos circumstances  the fact that hed never shot a gun before the night he tried to pass off a bunch of old rags as a bag of marijuana, or the self-destructive ways he was processing the grief of losing his mother to a bottle full of heart medication.

Court Judge Clarice Jobes in her chambers in February 1994.

'I am going to impose a life sentence  I have no choice'

Jobes couldnt weigh the fact that for many other matters, the state deemed Burgos too young to make important decisions: about buying cigarettes or alcohol or voting in an election. Her hands were tied.

I find the limitations of this statute to be totally unfair to everyone concerned, Jobes said to those gathered in the courtroom. However, I have to live with them and deal with them.  I think I must sentence him as an adult, and I am going to impose a life sentence.  I have no choice.

Burgos was led away to a grim future that stretched beyond what he could then fathom. But he had others to light the way  scores of juvenile lifers, mostly Black and brown youths whom Michigan had also decided were categorically irredeemable. Over the next decades, their ranks swelled into the hundreds.

Michigan now has the most juvenile lifers of any state

Then, ripples of change. The U.S. Supreme Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional when applied to juveniles. It decided that children who committed non-homicide crimes could not be sent away for life. And in 2012, it ruled in the landmark Miller v. Alabama case that minors could not automatically be sentenced to life without parole as Burgos had been. Children are constitutionally different from adults, the justices opined.

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Four years later, another ruling made the Miller decision retroactive: Juvenile lifers could get a second look, and another chance. Today, more than half of states have entirely banned the sentencing of children to life without parole.

Michigan is not one of them. Michigan now claims the largest population of juvenile lifers in the nation.

Burgos, who spent 27 years in prison before receiving a resentencing hearing and an opportunity to prove that he had transformed himself into a man worthy of rejoining society, is trying to change that.

Jose Burgos, 48, of Ecorse, a reentry specialist for the State Appellate Defenders Office, speaks about the importance of ending juvenile life sentences without parole on Monday, May 1, 2023.

Hes one of several former juvenile lifers advocating for legislation currently before Michigan lawmakers that would end the states practice of sentencing children to a lifetime of incarceration without the possibility of parole.

Children change, children grow out of crime, said Burgos, who works as a reentry specialist with the State Appellate Defenders Office. I think children are worthy of redemption.

Cruel and unusual punishment

By 2012, when the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that sending children to die in jail without any hope of release constituted cruel and unusual punishment  unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment  Michigan had at least 358 of them locked up for life. And state courts continued to hand down the sentence after Miller was decided.

The state also has been slow to resentence juvenile lifers, with 294 inmates still incarcerated in Michigan for crimes they committed when they were younger than 18. Another 274 remain imprisoned for offenses they committed when they were 18, a population the Michigan Supreme Court ruled eligible for resentencing last summer.

This puts Michigan increasingly out of step with other states.

States as politically divergent as Massachusetts and Texas have passed legislation removing the sentence of life without parole as an option for juveniles. Once Minnesotas governor signs a recently passed public safety bill that stops juvenile life without parole, that state will become the 28th to ban it. Five other states have not banned the practice but have no one serving life without parole for crimes committed as juveniles.

Internationally, sentencing children to life without parole is a violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Every country in the world has signed on to this document except for two: Somalia and the United States.

Jose Burgos, 48, of Ecorse, left, sits with Albert Garrett, 60, a juvenile offender recently released after 44 years, and Ronnie Waters, 60, of West Bloomfield, as they check out Garrett's first cellphone selfie on Monday, May 1, 2023, at the State Appellate Defenders Office. Both Burgos and Waters are part of an advocacy effort to end the practice of sentencing juveniles to life in prison without parole in Michigan.

Juvenile lifers have a 1% recidivism rate

Albert Garrett got lost on the bus the other day. After 44 years of incarceration, hes in a city he no longer recognizes at the very beginning of a life he hadnt dared to hope for. Garrett became a juvenile lifer when he was 17 and was released in April, at age 60.

Burgos and another former juvenile lifer, Ronnie Waters, are helping Garrett find his way. Theyve helped him get a few sets of clothing and a cellphone.

I probably wont need to do that, Garrett told Burgos when he tried to explain how to send a text message. Burgos just chuckled.

As Garrett trails Burgos and Waters to the front desk of the Detroit Public Library, he hangs back. Its been so long since hes spoken to someone on the outside. He hasnt found his voice yet.

So Waters and Burgos speak for him. Inquiring about a technology class so Garrett can learn to use a computer. Explaining to the woman at the front desk that he doesnt have a state-issued ID, just a prison one. Could he still get a library card?

Advocates to ban juvenile life without parole argue that allowing juvenile lifers a chance at reentry allows them to positively influence young people in the communities they were once a part of.

Albert Garrett, 60, a juvenile offender recently released after 44 years, checks out his first cellphone selfie on Monday, May 1, 2023,, at the State Appellate Defenders Office.

Ive told legislators in the past, were citizens too, we pay taxes, and we have families, we want society to be safe, said Burgos. Our contribution is to make sure that those coming home have what they need so that they dont reoffend and go back.

Indeed, recidivism rates for juvenile lifers are extremely low. One study puts them at a hair over 1%.

Life without parole, man, its ridiculous, cause theres so many transformed human beings in there, said Waters. If you look at the record then you've got to come with a different argument than we are  going to reoffend and we're going to be a detriment to society. Because, almost to the letter, each one person out here is out here doing something to make this world better.

More: The hidden costs of juvenile court

Waters was a high school junior when he fired a gun at a car window parked at a drive-in movie, trying to impress the other guys he was with and scare the driver. He had fired the gun earlier that evening  into glass he hadnt known was shatterproof. He pulled the trigger this time and waited for the spiderweb of stressed glass and laughter. Instead, the scene was the incomprehensible sight of a young womans blood sliding out of the bullet hole in her neck.

He was called a sociopath. A superpredator. Because he was never supposed to be released, Waters was denied education and vocational training in prison. What was the point?

Jose Burgos and Ronnie Waters, sentenced to life in prison as teenagers, served a cumulative 67 years.

After decades and decades, I started to grasp that these people aren't playing, Waters said. Regardless of what I do, regardless of what achievements I have, nothing's changing.

Nevertheless, Waters felt he had good in him. He refused to give up on himself. Instead, he started working on himself, and then others. He helped other inmates navigate the prison system and get their grievances addressed. Waters says when he got out after 40 years behind bars, advocacy was a natural progression.

Today, hes a registered lobbyist who has advocated for a host of criminal justice reforms, and a reentry specialist with Safe & Just Michigan.

We do advocate for laws and policies to be changed, but we dont need a title to do this work, he said. We do this work because its whats in our heart.

Failing youths, then punishing them

Waters and other advocates working to end the sentencing of youths to life without the possibility of parole make several arguments. One is that judges arent always considering the childs background.

Most of them came from situations that were so difficult, and no one intervened and no one helped, said civil rights attorney Deborah LaBelle, who settled an $80 million class-action lawsuit against the state for failing to protect juveniles during their incarceration in adult prisons. Theyre from areas and communities in which the schools were failing, in which there's deep economic problems and racial inequities  that we would fail them and then punish them?

Not just punish but freeze these children forever into molds of themselves at their very worst moment. That we would then deny them any opportunity to change and contribute seems an epitome of injustice and disregard for youth, LaBelle said.

More: Crumbleys appeal to Michigan Supreme Court: Blame our son for Oxford shooting, not us

Advocates also make the case that the courts dont apply the sentence fairly.

A 2012 report by the Michigan American Civil Liberties Union, highlighted that African American children charged with violent offenses were up to three times more likely than white children to be tried in adult courts.

When victims were white, offenders were 22% less likely to receive a plea deal than in cases where the victim was a person of color.

In an op-ed published in the Detroit Free Press, a member of the USA TODAY Network, Waters and Burgos point out that 90% of Michigan children sentenced to life without parole in the last 10 years were children of color.

Albert Garrett, 60, left, who was recently released from prison after serving 44 years, bumps into his appointed attorney from 2016, Lindsay Ponce, an assistant defender from the state of Michigan Appellate Defenders Office, on Monday, May 1, 2023.

The ACLU report also pointed out that juveniles who commit homicide-related crimes tend to be sentenced to life without parole at far higher rates than adults. More than 60% of adults charged with first-degree murder took a plea deal to serve less time or be eligible for parole, serving an average of 12.2 years.

Young people have much less wherewithal when interacting with the justice system, and often didnt know how to contribute to their own defense. The report includes several stories of children whose attorneys did not meet with them until the day of their trials.

There is no place where the disparity and inequity of being a child in an adult system is more in evidence than in the area of plea bargaining, the authors wrote. Time and time again, these adolescents said they simply could not comprehend the offer or the likely alternative and did not understand the consequences of their not taking the plea that was offered. The very same reasons that young people are deemed too immature to enter into a civil or business contract should also apply when the contract involves their life.

Victims rights groups called the ACLU report insensitive propaganda filled with misinformation.

Legislation would ban juvenile life without parole, cap sentences

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the Michigan House and Senate would allow a convicted juvenile to be eligible for parole after 10 years and would cap sentences at 60 years. It would also remove the option of sentencing youths younger than 19 to life without the possibility of parole.

These are kids, state Rep. Amos ONeal, D-Saginaw, said during a recent news conference. I cant stress enough the importance this legislation means. Its a difference between life behind bars and the opportunity for redemption, grace and mercy that all of us at one point in time have benefited from.

Oxford High School shooting suspect Ethan Crumbley leaves the courtroom past victims, their family members and community members after he pleaded guilty for his role in the school shooting that occurred on Nov. 30, 2021.

The ongoing trials surrounding Oxford school shooter Ethan Crumbley and his parents are casting shadows onto these proceedings, the relatively fresh horror a ready foil to arguments that children make mistakes and deserve to hold on to hope.

Burgos emphasizes that passing the legislation doesnt let dangerous, unrepentant people out of prison. Anyone up for release would still have to go before the parole board. He says Michigans low recidivism rate proves the board is doing something right.

If you want to keep someone in there forever, the tools are already there, LaBelle said. But give them hope. They all deserve hope, and a chance, because we cant tell who theyll become.

A chance at life

Waters and Burgos have met with legislators and the news media and told their stories over and over again. But they know their actions speak louder than words. They try to live their lives in a way that demonstrates that they were redeemable. That other kids are too.

Jose Burgos recently visited the Michigan State Capitol to advocate for lawmakers ending juvenile life sentences without the possibility of parole. Burgos spent 27 years in prison after he shot and killed a man when he was 16. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole, but due to several key U.S. Supreme Court cases he was released in 2018.

LaBelle says that approach isnt unique to these advocates. For every Burgos or Waters, she can point to 10 or 20 former juvenile lifers who are just as involved, just as passionately engaged.

Were not extraordinary at all, said Waters. If you talk to any juvenile lifer they will tell you something very similar. I dont know what it is, I guess its because everybody threw us away as kids and said, You cant change, so its something in our DNA  in our makeup  that says, well, were gonna show you that we can.

LaBelle thinks the legislation will pass in the Senate, but shes not sure about the House. For some, she knows, it doesnt matter how much guys like Burgos and Waters have changed. The heinous crimes they committed can never be undone.

LaBelle says not all victims families feel the same way. Ive also dealt with a lot of victims families, she said. A lot. And you know, the portrayal of victims as this monolith of people who want deep vengeance is just inaccurate.

Do Burgos, Waters and the other juvenile lifers deserve forgiveness? Maybe not. But forgiveness has a power of its own.

Members of the victims families, once filled with anger and hatred, sometimes also change, LaBelle says. After 10, or 20, or 60 years, maybe theyll be ready to decide that a child who once did something unforgiveable is now a person worthy of a chance at life anyway.

The next advocate

Garrett will be allowed to check out two books at a time on the provisional library card he was able to get with his prison ID.

Now in his 60s, in a set of donated clothes, surrounded by technology he doesnt understand and people he doesnt recognize, he has a tough road ahead. His old neighborhood doesnt exist anymore. His parole came with 19 conditions.

Ronnie Waters, 60, of West Bloomfield, left, looks on with Jose Burgos, 48, of Ecorse, at right, as Albert Garrett, 60, center, who was recently released from prison after 44 years, applies for his library card at the Detroit Public library with the help of Yvette Williams, a senior customer service representative at the library, on Monday, May 1, 2023. Both Burgos and Waters are part of an advocacy effort to end the practice of sentencing juveniles to life in prison without parole in Michigan.

At first, he didnt trust that Burgos and Waters were there to help him. The way Garrett grew up, people didnt give you something if they didnt want something back in return. But now, he sees that their support is genuine.

So, for the first time in 44 years, he has life goals. Hed like to get married. And he wants to become an advocate, like them. I want to do what youre doing, he told Waters and Burgos. I always wanted to do this, but I didnt know where to start.

Albert Garrett, 60, a juvenile offender recently released after 44 years, talks about his incarceration on Monday, May 1, 2023, while standing in the Detroit Public Library after picking up a library card to help him access services and books from the library.

Garrett was on his way to his first volunteering event that day he got lost riding the bus. The next day, he climbed back on and gave it another try.

Jennifer Brookland covers child welfare for the Detroit Free Press in partnership with Report for America. Reach her at jbrookland@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: 26 states ban juvenile life sentences without parole. Will Michigan?
The United States on Monday signed a new security agreement with the island nation of Papua New Guinea as Washington seeks to counter Chinas ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Defense Cooperation Agreement enhances and modernizes an old security pact between the nations, increasing bilateral and multilateral exercises and improving the capabilities of the U.S. to respond to emergency situations.

Another agreement reached Monday expands efforts to address maritime threats, including illegal fishing and smuggling operations. The pact, similar to those forged with other partner nations in the Indo-Pacific, allows U.S. Coast Guard officers to board and search ships suspected of illegal activities.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed the agreement in the countrys capital of Port Moresby on Monday.

Blinken said the two countries have a deep and rich shared history.

The work that were doing together to try to shape the future could not be more important, could not be more timely, Blinken said ahead of the signing with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape.

Blinken traveled to Papua New Guinea in the place of President Biden, who canceled what would have been the first visit from a sitting U.S. president to a Pacific country. Biden returned to Washington to work to resolve the debt ceiling crisis.

The security agreement also includes a U.S. commitment of more than $12 million of equipment.

Some Papua New Guinea citizens have protested the security agreement, expressing concern about the increasing militarization of the region.

Marape said the meeting with Blinken was historic and could foster important growth in his country.

Thats why across [the] country we are here to get to develop our country to be better developed and not where we are today, Marape said in his public remarks.

The U.S. has been expanding its influence in the Indo-Pacific over growing concerns about Chinese encroachment in the region, including a possible invasion of the self-governing island nation Taiwan.

Story continues

Washington recently announced the expansion of more rotating military bases in the Philippines and has forged an agreement with Australia to boost submarine patrols and the naval capabilities of Canberra.

China has reacted with anger over the expanding military presence of the U.S. and its allies, which Beijing has called hostile and an aggressive military push.

The U.S. also announced a wide range of other initiatives with Papua New Guinea, including efforts to address climate change.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Foo Fighters

Yesterday (May 21), Foo Fighters debuted a new track Nothing At All during their livestream, Foo Fighters: Preparing Music For Concerts, held at Dave Grohl's 606 studios in Northridge, California.

The song is set to feature on their forthcoming 11th studio album But Here We Are, scheduled for release on June 2 via Roswell Records/Columbia Records, and follows on from last week's heart-rendering single, Under You.

Nothing At All follows a jaunty and playful rhythm in the verse as Grohl questions 'Wouldn't it be dangerous, if nothing was restrained in us?', before the song escalates into a high-powered, racing chorus with tumbling drums.

During the livestream broadcast event, the rockers played through a number of tracks from their upcoming project, including the aforementioned two tracks, as well as first new single Rescued, and a handful of crowd favourites, including Monkey Wrench and All My Life. On top of performances, the band revealed behind-the-scenes footage of the album's recording.

The Foos also announced who would be replacing their late drummer Taylor Hawkins behind the kit, revealing that session man and longtime friend of the band Josh Freese would be joining them for their live shows. Freese's CV includes stints with Nine Inch Nails, Paramore, The Vandals and more.

Foo Fighters are set to hit the road on May 24 in New Hampshire, then continue on through the US with a handful of festival dates, and a few shows over in Europe.

The band have also flagged up "forthcoming and soon-to-be-announced UK live dates on their website: a pre-sale code will be available to those pre-ordering the forthcoming But Here We Are on any format.

Check out the performance and live dates below:

Foo Fighters 2023 tour dates:

May 24: Gilford Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, NH

May 26: Boston Calling Music Festival, MA

May 28: Columbus Sonic Temple Arts & Music Festival, OH

May 30: Washington The Atlantis, DC

Jun 02: Nurburgring Rock Am Ring, Germany

Jun 04: Nurburg Rock Im Park, Germany

Jun 14: Rogers Walmart AMP, AR

Jun 16: Pelham Oak Mountain Amphithea, AL

Jun 18: Manchester Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, TN

Jul 08: Quebec City Festival Dete De Quebec, QC

Jul 12: Ottawa Bluesfest, ON, Canada

Jul 15: Milwaukee Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival, WI

Jul 29: Naeba Fuji Rock, Japan

Aug 04: Spokane Arena, WA

Aug 06: Big Sky Wildlands Festival, MT

Aug 08: Salt Lake City USANA Amphitheatre, UT

Aug 10: Stateline Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys, NV

Aug 12: San Francisco Outside Lands Festival, CA

Sep 03: Aspen Jazz Aspen Snowmnass, CO

Sep 07: Curitiba Estadio Couto Pereia, Brazil

Sep 09: Sao Paulo The Town, Brazil

Sep 15: Chicago Riot Fest, IL

Sep 17: Asbury Park Sea.Hear.Now, NJ

Sep 19: Virginia Beach Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, CA

Sep 21: Louisville Louder Than Life, KY

Oct 01: Dana Point Ohana Festival, CA

Oct 03: Phoenix Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater, AZ

Oct 05: El Paso Don Haskins CenterV, TX

Oct 07: Austin ACL Festival, TX

Oct 14: Austin ACL Festival, TX

Nov 26: Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, United Arab Emirates
[Source]

An Indonesian bride recently made headlines for receiving Coldplay tickets as her dowry.

On Sunday, Twitter user @orangdalamkamu, the brother of the groom, posted a video of the brides father at the wedding.

I betroth you my daughter Anastasya Ayu Widiadana with a dowry of 21 grams of gold, a set of prayer clothes and Coldplays concert tickets, the brides father told the groom, as per The Straits Times.

The groom can then be heard accepting the marriage.

More from NextShark: Update: Alleged Nanjing Massacre photos discovered in Minnesota pawn shop debunked

Saudara gua nikah pke maharnya tiket coldplay , nikahnya di support chris martin pic.twitter.com/elNYNWEwzH  rhfndtaaa (@orangdalamkamu) May 21, 2023

More from NextShark: Aladdin star Mena Massoud deletes Twitter after backlash over Little Mermaid comment

During marriage ceremonies in Indonesia, it is common for the dowry to be announced, according to Mothership. Dowries are typically given to the bride by the groom.

Several Twitter users were amazed at the unique dowry.

"[This man's] battle is cool, because the ticket war is not easy," one user said, as per Mothership.

More from NextShark: Mindy Kaling, other South Asian comedians called out for perpetuating stereotypes

Full of struggle, another user tweeted, referring to how difficult it was to acquire the highly coveted tickets.

Coldplay will perform in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Nov. 15 as part of their ongoing Music of the Spheres world tour.

This will be the renowned British band's first time ever performing in Indonesia.

More from NextShark: Facebook takes down hundreds of fake Chinese accounts spreading COVID-19 disinformation

On Friday, Tem Management, one of the world tours promoters, announced that all tickets for the upcoming Jakarta concert are now officially sold out.
Key Insights

Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, BP's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions

A total of 25 investors have a majority stake in the company with 43% ownership

Ownership research along with analyst forecasts data help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock

To get a sense of who is truly in control of BP p.l.c. (LON:BP.), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 72% to be precise, is institutions. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot 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 take a closer look to see what the different types of shareholders can tell us about BP.

See our latest analysis for BP

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About BP?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

BP already has institutions on the share registry. Indeed, they own a respectable stake in the company. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of BP, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too.

Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. Hedge funds don't have many shares in BP. BlackRock, Inc. is currently the company's largest shareholder with 11% of shares outstanding. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 4.5% of common stock, and Norges Bank Investment Management holds about 3.8% of the company stock.

A deeper look at our ownership data shows that the top 25 shareholders collectively hold less than half of the register, suggesting a large group of small holders where no single shareholder has a majority.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of BP

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. 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 less than 1% of BP p.l.c.. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own UK10m of stock. Arguably recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

The general public, who are usually individual investors, hold a 26% stake in BP. 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 BP better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for BP (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.

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SOUTH BURLINGTON  On May 23, Alexander Wilde plans on digging into a big bowl of whipped cream. No cake or ice cream  just the whipped cream. A dessert that requires minimal chewing is ideal for Wilde's teeth, as he's turning 100 years old.

Wilde plans to celebrate his 100th birthday with his children and grandchildren, as well as his wife Barbara, who lives with him at a senior living center in South Burlington. Wilde was born in Vienna, Austria, to a Jewish family in 1923, and lived through the early parts of Adolf Hitler's rule before finding a way to escape.

Terrorism is still on the horizon. Antisemitism has never left us," Wilde said. "I can only hope that for the little time that I have left and my wife has left in this life, that we have earned a good remembrance. That we would like to hope that future events will be more favorable.

Alexander Wilde, photographed at his home in South Burlington on May 12, a week before his 100th birthday.

Now retired in Vermont, Wilde shares his life story at middle schools, high schools, churches, and synagogues across New England. By sharing his story, Wilde hopes that younger generations can learn from the past and create a better future.

"There's still tremendous discrimination in the world," Wilde said. "We hope that this will spark our children to lead forward for a brighter future."

'We can't solve this on our own': Inside Robert Kraft's campaign to combat antisemitism

What life was like for a Jewish boy under Hitler's rule

Wilde was born in Austria on May 23, 1923. He was an only child whose mother was a physician and father was a lawyer.

We lived a comfortable life," Wilde said, "until the days came when Hitler marched into Austria and all freedoms stopped, and horror followed."

Alexander Wilde as a toddler in Austria

In 1938, when German Nazi troops took control over Vienna, Wilde and his family had their passports stamped with the letter "J" for "Jude," the German word for "Jewish." Soon after, Wilde was kicked out of his high school for being Jewish.

Story continues

Months later, stormtroopers knocked on the door to Wilde's home, telling his family that they needed to immediately vacate the house. Wilde and his parents escaped through a side door and fled to a distant relative's house in a Jewish enclave of Vienna. Overnight, Wilde went from living in a comfortable, upper-class home to a one-room apartment.

In this March 24, 1938 file photo, German troops reach Vienna, Austria shortly after the annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany.

On Nov. 9 and 10, 1938, a wave of antisemitic violence known as "The Night of the Broken Glass" swept Germany, Austria, and areas of Czechoslovakia that were occupied by German troops. Nearly all of the approximately 100 synagogues and places of Jewish worship in Vienna were burned to the ground by Nazi troops and antisemitic citizens, according to the World Holocaust Remembrance Center.

"It was utter terror to see the synagogues burn," Wilde said.

A young man with a broom clears broken glass from shop windows in Berlin, the morning after the Nazis demolished thousands of Jewish facilities during the night, in what was later called "Crystal Night" or "The Night of Broken Glass," Nov. 10, 1938.

From Dachau concentration camp, his father warns 'get the child out'

On Nov. 10, Wilde's father was returning home from his job in a shoe store when a stormtrooper grabbed him and threw him in a truck. A week later, Wilde's father was sent to Dachau concentration camp.

The first letter that Wilde's mother received from her husband read, "Make every effort to get the child out."

An opportunity came in December when the British government was persuaded by Quakers and other activists to implement The Kindertransport. This program allowed about 10,000 predominantly Jewish children from Austria, Germany, and Czechoslovakia to escape to Britain on special visas.

On Dec. 10, 1938, Wilde boarded a Britain-bound train with 500 other young children. Of the 10,000 children rescued by The Kindertransport, only about half ever saw their parents again, according to the publication The Conversation.

A memorial statue of the 'Kindertransport' (children transport) near Friedrichstrasse train station in central in Berlin, Germany, Dec. 17, 2018.

A Scottish roofer helps Wilde's parents get a visa to China

Upon arriving in England, Wilde was placed in a summer camp that was closed for the winter, sleeping in a frozen cabin without heat. The day after Christmas, good fortune met Wilde when he was sent to Edinburgh, Scotland, to be adopted by a retired roofing contractor named Christian Ettrup.

Ettrup figured out that if he bought Wilde's parents tickets to Shanghai, China, the Chinese government would give them a visa without a waiting period. The plan worked. Wilde's mother went to the Gestapo with the travel information and got her husband released. In those days before the war started, the Nazis were still willing to release men from concentration camps if they were leaving the country.

Alexander Wilde (right) with his parents in 1956.

Wilde's father was released from Dachau in April of 1939.

"He was literally a broken man; he looked drawn and starved; grey; and not the same man we saw and knew just half a year earlier," Wilde said.

Wilde's parents canceled the tickets to China and escaped to England, where Wilde was reunited with them in the summer of 1939.

On Sept. 1, 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, and two days later England and France declared war on Germany, signifying the start of World War II. The war made life increasingly difficult for Wilde and his parents, even as they lived in England.

Wilde family immigrates to the United States

By the summer of 1940, the British government decided to apprehend and intern all foreign-born men over the age of 14, in response to discovering that Germany had infiltrated Britain with spies disguised as Jewish refugees. Wilde and his father were arrested and sent to two different internment areas.

In the meantime, Wilde's mother arranged the documents for the three of them to immigrate to the U.S. The night before their ship set sail for New York City, the Wilde family was reunited at an air raid shelter in Liverpool, as the city was being bombed by Germany.

The ruins of Germany's bombing of Liverpool, England, photographed Sept. 22, 1942.

"It was a scary trip across the Atlantic, which was full of German submarines torpedoing British and other foreign ships," Wilde said.

The Wilde family arrived in New York City on Oct. 12, 1940.

'Same needs and hopes and dreams'

After immigrating to the U.S., Wilde attended school, worked at a metal production company, and eventually joined the U.S. Army in 1944. The Army stationed Wilde in Alaska and then Texas, going from temperatures as low as -46 degrees Fahrenheit to as high as 100 degrees.

Discharged in 1946 upon the end of the war, Wilde attended Roosevelt College (now called Roosevelt University) in Chicago and then earned a Master's Degree at the University of Chicago.

Alexander and Barbara Wilde on their wedding day in 1954.

After graduating, Wilde got a job at the U.S. Department of Labor, through which he met a young woman named Barbara Schneider, who later became his wife.

"From the beginning that we were together, we shared the same needs and hopes and dreams," Wilde said.

Wilde and Schneider got married in 1954, and have been together for 69 years now, raising three children.

Sharing a story of survival after retiring in Vermont

Wilde worked at the health insurance company Blue Cross Blue Shield in Chicago for 38 years until he retired in 1990. After retiring, Wilde and Schneider moved to Maine to be closer to their daughter who lived there and then relocated to Vermont when their daughter's work brought her to the Green Mountain state in 2010.

I love the philosophy of progressive liberalism," Wilde said about Vermont.

Alexander Wilde (front left) with his family on his 95th birthday in 2018.

Returning to Gymnasium Wasagasse in Vienna

In 2006, Wilde was given an all-expenses-paid trip to Vienna to speak at the very school that had kicked him out for being Jewish 68 years prior, Gymnasium Wasagasse. The speaking event was organized by a teacher as part of a year-long curriculum about the Holocaust and the dark side of the school's past. There is now a granite plaque hanging in the school with Wilde's name on it that honors the students who were expelled.

"This was a very moving, supportive instance," Wilde said.

Since then, Wilde has given about 40 public speeches about his life story. Even now, at 100 years old, Wilde is still sharing his story with the public.

Note: Many of the facts from this story are from Janis Audet's research project on Wilde's life.

Contact April Fisher at amfisher@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter: @AMFisherMedia

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Holocaust survivor shares his story: What the Vermonter says at 100
Apartment renters in Oklahoma City and Tulsa get some of the most bang for their buck, an online apartment marketplace says.

RentCafe.com reported the cities where renters can get the most apartment space for $1,500, and Oklahoma's two biggest cities landed in the top five: Tulsa at No. 3, and Oklahoma City at No. 4.

The Maywood Apartments, 425 N Oklahoma Ave.

How OKC and Tulsa compare to the nation in the size of apartment that renters get for $1,500 a month, according to RentCafe.com

Renters in Oklahoma City can get an apartment with an average size of 1,330 square feet for $1,500 . Thats about six times larger than the average apartment in Manhattan (240 square feet) for the same rent.

Renters in Tulsa get slightly more space, 1,368 square feet, for $1,500. "In fact, as one of the best places to live in 2022, Tulsa boasts an excellent track record when it comes to the cost of living and housing," RentCafe says.

Nationally, $1,500 gets you 783 square feet of space, on average.

No. 1? "When it comes to big cities, the best deals can be found in Wichita, Kansas, where $1,500 will stretch to as much as 1,463 square feet. Here, renters with this monthly budget get to enjoy as much space as a three-bedroom, maybe even a four-bedroom rental."

West Village Apartments, 835 W Sheridan Ave.

MOVIN' ON UP: Can you afford to rent an apartment in downtown OKC? Here's the top 10 most, least expensive

Everything's bigger in Texas? Not apartments around Dallas-Fort Worth

From most to least, here's how much apartment space $1,500 monthly rent will get you in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, according to Rentcafe.

Mesquite: 999 square feet.

Garland: 937 square feet.

Arlington: 928 square feet.

Fort Worth: 909 square feet.

Denton: 868 square feet.

Irving: 848 square feet.

McKinney: 809 square feet.

Dallas: 805 square feet.

Plano: 766 square feet.

Frisco: 740 square feet.

35 Degrees North Apartment Homes, 2800 NW 192.

BUILDING BOOM: Apartment construction, including affordable units, is booming in OKC. Will it bring rent relief?

Here's how large of an apartment $1,500 rent will get you in big cities in the region around Oklahoma City

Wichita, Kansas: 1,463 square feet.

Little Rock, Arkansas: 1,359 square feet.

Amarillo, Texas: 1,318 square feet.

Memphis, Tennessee: 1,293 square feet.

Kansas City, Missouri: 1,097 square feet.

San Antonio, Texas: 1,010 square feet.

Houston, Texas: 997 square feet.

Story continues

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Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: RentCafe: Apartment renters get more space in OKC and Tulsa
Caleb Conley, a Scott County, Kentucky, sheriff's deputy was killed Monday afternoon during a traffic stop, according to Scott County Sheriff Tony Hampton.

Kentucky State Police, which is investigating the incident that happened around 4:50 p.m., said Conley was shot at the scene. He was taken to the hospital and later died, according to a release from Capt. Paul Blanton, police spokesperson.

Hampton said during a press conference Monday night that Conley had been with the office for about four years.

"He was an excellent asset to our staff," Hampton said.

A suspect fled from the scene and was taken into custody in connection with the shooting, said Kentucky State Trooper J.L. Satterly. The suspect was identified as Steven Sheangshang, who faces several charges in both Fayette and Scott Counties, including murder of a police officer, according to Maj. Matt LeMonds, spokesperson for the Lexington Division of Community Corrections.

Ex-LMPD cop Mattingly, shot in Breonna Taylor raid, drops lawsuit against Kenneth Walker

Kentucky, please join Britainy and me in praying for the family and fellow law enforcement officers of Scott County Deputy Sheriff Caleb Conley, who was killed this evening while protecting our people, said Gov. Andy Beshear in the release. This hero made the ultimate sacrifice, and we will be forever grateful."

Kentucky, please join Britainy and me in praying for the family and fellow law enforcement officers of Scott County Deputy Sheriff Caleb Conley, who was killed this evening while protecting our people. This hero made the ultimate sacrifice, and we will be forever grateful. ^AB  Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) May 23, 2023

The sheriff's office is planning an escort for Conley in Cynthiana this morning starting around 10 a.m.

"We estimate at approximately 10:00 we will be coming down I-64 East to Paynes Depot. We will then proceed around the bypass to Broadway, on to Main Street, and then back around the bypass toward 62 to Wares Funeral Home in Cynthiana," the post said.

Contact reporter Rae Johnson at RNJohnson@gannett.com. Follow them on Twitter at @RaeJ_33

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KSP is investigating the death of Caleb Conley, a sheriff's deputy from Scott Co., who was shot and killed
(Glass family/The Independent)

The roads in Colorados Clear Creek County were dark and rocky when Christian Glass, a gentle 22-year-old with a passion for art and geology, got his car stuck and called 911, sounding increasingly scared and upset as he spoke with a dispatcher. Seven officers from five agencies responded on that June 2022 night, gathering around Christians car and trying various methods to get him to exit it.

He said he was afraid but offered to throw out of the vehicle anything that could be considered a weapon, such as a small geological knife hed mentioned to the dispatcher; Christian was told not to. Instead, officers repeatedly joked and laughed with Christian and each other until, more than an hour after officers arrived on scene, the situation rapidly escalated  culminating in Christians fatal shooting.

Christian never left his car.

Two officers have been charged in the 22-year-olds death: Former deputy Andrew Buen, who fired the fatal shot, and his former supervisor, Kyle Gould, who was giving instructions remotely. Both men were terminated from the sheriffs office following the incident and are again due in court next month.

The Clear Creek County sheriffs office has apologised to the Glass family, which has just reached a $19m settlement with four Colorado agencies  a payout thats the largest in the states history.

The Glass family, who will have the opportunity to directly speak to patrol recruits, have repeatedly said theyd like to see charges against other officers present on the night of their sons death  and pointed out in a statement through their lawyers that Christian should be alive today.

This settlement sends a message that such injustice will not be tolerated, and that those responsible will be held accountable, they said.

Heres everything we know about the tragic death of Christian Glass.

Who was Christian Glass?

Christian was born in New Zealand and lived there until age nine, when his family moved to England before relocating to the US in 2010. He was a citizen of all three countries.

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He graduated from high school in Boulder, trained as a chef, was a skilled coder and was looking with his parents for the best accreditation programme around so he could enroll. He was an artist and loved nature and geology, and on the night in question hed just returned from a trip to Utah and still had some tools in the car when he decided to go for a drive.

Christians parents Sally and Simon Glass told The Independent he had struggled with depression and started taking Ritalin for ADHD and, on the night of the shooting, his roommate said he took a Ritalin pill. Ms Glass believes this may have given him a burst of energy and, when Christian was feeling antsy, hed often go for a drive: He just loved the peace. He loved his music.

The Glass family believes Christian may have driven to his favourite mountain, then kept going and gotten lost.

The 911 call

Whatever his route, the 22-year-old was stuck in Silver Plume by 11.21pm on 10 June, when he dialed 911 for roadside assistance in a dark and remote area. In the recorded call, he tells the operator about the items in the car and stays on the line with her until police arrive, making a few strange statements, including references to Skinwalkers, figures from Navajo mythology hed been studying.

I think his imagination ran away with him, Ms Glass told The Independent in a December interview.

Christian had no history of mental breaks or outbursts. An autopsy confirmed that Christian had only trace amounts of alcohol and THC, the active component in marijuana which is legal in Colorado, in his system. Both were well within the legal driving limit, the Glasses lawyer says, as well as amphetamine, a component of Ritalin.

When the officers turned up, the situation escalated fast and for seemingly no reason whatsoever. As shown in body cam footage, when Christian offers to throw any concerning items out of the car, the cops shout at him not to. Theyre aggressive and armed; its not long before seven officers from five agencies are surrounding Christians car with guns drawn.

Christian is clearly terrified and is heard pleading and crying from the drivers seat, which he never leaves. He makes no aggressive movements or statements. He tells the cops he doesnt want to leave the car, and hes posing no threat to them from within it. He even suggests the cops tow the car, with him in it, to a police station.

This is the only way I can be safe, he says desperately. Why cant you understand that?

At no point do the officers seem afraid for their personal safety in the body camera footage. They bark orders at Christian and draw their guns because of the small knives, just a few inches long, in the car which Christian had already told them about and offered to throw out.

They alternately yell at Christian, cajole, laugh and chat amongst themselves, with one officer suggesting that cute girls on scene try to coax him out of the car. All of this happens just minutes before Christian is shot dead.

The shooting

As the officers continue to try to remove Christian, who has done nothing wrong and is the one who called them, from the car, he is shown on camera getting more and more upset.

As they escalate and escalate, he becomes less and less responsive, because hes more and more scared, Glass family lawyer Siddhartha Rathod told The Independent last year. And hes more and more shutting down ... unfortunately, we dont ever get to know, because they took that way.

As Christian prays, cries, and screams in the driver seat, the officers try to pry the window open and break it. They shoot him with bean bags and tase him, causing the 22-year-old to writhe around in the front of the vehicle. Then, after Christian grabs one of the tiny knives in the car and seems to thrash toward an officer outside of the car, five bullets are fired into Christians body, killing him.

Mr Buen fired the fatal shots; Mr Gould was giving orders remotely.

On the morning of 11 June, police turned up at the Glasses door to tell them their son was dead.

The fight for justice

The Clear Creek County Sheriffs Office said it fired both Mr Buen and Mr Gould, and both men were indicted in November on charges related to Christians death. Mr Buen has been charged with second-degree murder, reckless endangerment and official misconduct. Mr Gould, who was his supervisor watching remotely, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment.

Their next court date is scheduled for June in Georgetown, near Silver Plume, and the Glass family continues to call for charges to be brought against other officers present at the scene on the night of Christians death.

On 23 May, the Clear Creek County Sheriffs Office issued an apology to the family coinciding with the announcement of a $19m settlement.

The events that transpired the night of June 10-11, 2022, that ended in Christians death, continue to be disturbing, Clear Creek County Sheriff Rick Alberts said in an apology letter to the Glass family. The initial press release did not give an accurate description of what occurred. Rather, as stated in the conclusion of the investigative report ... the deputy who killed Christian Glass used lethal force that was not consistent with that of a reasonable officer.

The settlement money will be paid from four Colorado agencies, with Clear Creek County paying the largest portion at $10m. The Glasses will get to speak to new patrol recruits joining the department, and the county is also set to create a crisis response team before 1 January 2025.

In his apology letter, Sheriff Albers wrote that he has undertaken measures intended to prevent a future failure.

He has been working with partners to establish a program of county-wide crisis response, he wrote, including forming a Citizens Policy Advisory Board and continuing to prioritize Crisis Intervention Teams, Mental Health response, and Co-Responder programs.

Other measures outlined in the settlement include a dedicated public park to be named for Christian and a virtual reality training scenario reflecting the fatal incident, focusing on de-escalating high-stress situations and also named for Christian.

On 24 May, Colorado Gov Jared Polis will speak at a ceremony commemorating Christian, and his parents will present some of the young artists work to be displayed at government buildings.
Paula M. Krebs, of Providence, is the executive director of the Modern Language Association, a professional association for 20,000 language and literature faculty members and researchers.

While Sen. Jack Reed is leading the national movement to support school libraries with the Right to Read Act, some Rhode Island state legislators in his own party have swallowed the extreme rights fearmongering rhetoric about reading and are trying to say that lawmakers know better than librarians how to run a library.

In House Bill 6324, Democratic Reps. Samuel Azzinaro, Deborah Fellela, Arthur Corvese, Patricia Serpa, Gregory Costantino, Charlene Lima and Edward Cardillo, along with Republican Rep. Patricia Morgan, identify reading, not guns or violence, as a threat to Rhode Island schoolchildren. They seek to remove books that they identify as obscene from school libraries and to send school librarians to jail for allowing children access to those books. The targets of such legislation, in Rhode Island and in so many other states, are books that acknowledge the existence of sexuality, especially books that discuss or depict lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or nonbinary sexual or gender identities.

More: Nation's largest publisher files federal suit to block Florida county's book ban

The Rhode Island legislators label such books pornographic. In talking to The Journal about the legislation last week, Rep. Morgan explicitly named particular books. These were not pornography  books that aim to produce sexual arousal. They were books aimed at Young Adult readers that included discussions of sexuality that is not heterosexuality. And that is why these legislators want to jail librarians  for allowing teen readers to read books that include the possibility of non-heterosexual lives, emotions, dilemmas, experiences.

Fear of reading is very real in the United States at the moment. As the head of an association of literature and language educators, I hear stories every day about attempts to curtail college and secondary school faculty members and librarians rights to exercise their professional judgment in their jobs. Legislatures in Florida, Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, and many other states have decided that they, not professional educators, should get to decide what students get to read, discuss, or even say aloud.

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Protesters read in the middle of the Texas Capitol rotunda as The Texas Freedom Network holds a "read-in" last month. The bill would ban sexually explicit materials from library books in schools.

In Ohio, teachers cant say that racism even exists. In Virginia, you cant teach Toni Morrison. If youre teaching in Florida, the governor has made sure that you Dont Say Gay. In these book-banning states, legislatures, not professional educators, are determining curricular content. Librarians and teachers can no longer assign or make available materials that allow students to think critically about the world around them and their own choices.

And now Rhode Island wants to join that club.

More: The 13 most banned books of 2022: 'Gender Queer' tops library association's list for second year

As a lesbian mother, I remember when my daughter was in preschool in Providence and how important a book like "Heather Has Two Mommies" was to her. It was important for her to see her life represented and it was important for her schoolmates to see it, too. But I also remember how school boards and legislators were trying to ban that book. Poor Heather is still at the top of banned book lists, 25 years after my daughter finished preschool, because some folks want to protect children from the knowledge that toddlers with two mommies exist.

Trying to stop someone else from reading about things that make you uncomfortable is a terrible impulse. Rhode Island as a settler colony was founded by Roger Williams on principles of freedom of critical thought. I cant help thinking that Roger Williams would no more approve of throwing librarians in jail than Jack Reed does.

As Rhode Islanders, we must defend school librarians professional expertise, judgment, and rights around these books. If this law is enacted, books about sexual and gender preference will not be the only books to be banned in Rhode Island.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Trying to stop someone else from reading about things that make you uncomfortable is a terrible impulse.
"Jeezy had no idea where we were going until we boarded the actual plane! Our trip was very specific in that I wanted to try our hand at everything the locals do, from cooking, fishing, to even farming," Mai Jenkins tells PEOPLE

Ryan Tu

Jeannie Mai Jenkins had a special surprise in store for her husband Jeezy to celebrate their anniversary.

"Taking my husband, Jeezy, to Vietnam was a long awaited adventure," the TV personality, 44, exclusively tells PEOPLE. "When Jeezy and I met, we bonded over the similarities and differences of our cultures. Now that we have a daughter blending our worlds, it gives even more meaning to explore Vietnam together as a multicultural family."

The Real alum spent a year and half planning "the perfect customized experience" with the help of Your Travel Nation to mark the couple's two-year wedding anniversary.

Related:Jeannie Mai Jenkins' Daughter Is Learning About Her Black and Vietnamese Heritage: 'Own Who She Is'

Ryan Tu

"I actually took a year and a half to plan this trip. Jeezy had no idea where we were going until we boarded the actual plane!" she shares. "Our trip was very specific in that I wanted to try our hand at everything the locals do, from cooking, fishing, to even farming. All I gave my husband was a list of what to pack, and the rest of the trip fell into place perfectly."

For the day of couple's anniversary, the travel agency organized "the most romantic dinner on the beach of Danang overlooking the horizon," Mai Jenkins recalls.

"It was a pivotal moment for me as I reflected on the fact that 40 years ago my mom made a courageous boat escape in pursuit of safety and freedom, and now I get to experience Vietnam in an entirely new perspective with my husband," she says.

In an exclusive travel diary, the the America's Test Kitchen: The Next Generation host shares her favorite moments  from visiting Yen Tu Mountain to enjoying the local cuisine at a night market.

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Related:Jeannie Mai Jenkins Says 'My Heart Beats to a Different Melody' Since Having Daughter Monaco

Ryan Tu

The couple visited Yen Tu Mountain, one of highest peaks in the Northeastern Vietnam, which is known for its beautiful landscape and being a center of Buddhist teaching.

Mai Jenkins shares, "My husband and I have only read about the magic around Yen Tu Mountain. Climbing this mountain together gave us a whole new spiritual connection."

Ryan Tu

Mai Jenkins and Jeezy also made their way to Vietnam's central coast where they ventured through rice paddies. "Bike riding is our favorite past time as a family," she says. "Never would I have imagined us riding through the peaceful rice paddy fields of Ga Noi, Hoi An."

Related:Jeannie Mai Jenkins Is Proud to Show Daughter Monaco 'What It Looks Like to Have a Working Mom'

Ryan Tu

Never ones to turn down an adventure, the pair also did some sightseeing on a motorcycle. Mai Jenkins believes this mode of transportation might be the best way to travel through the Southeast Asian country: "I don't think you've seen Vietnam, until you're seeing it on the back of a xe om."

The couple made sure to sample the best local cuisine at a night market. She reveals, "I am obsessed with night wet markets. It's the most wholesome way to connect with locals and learn new ingredients and foods."

Ryan Tu

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The trip also served as a reminder of the couple's engagement.

Jeezy had initially planned to pop the question in Hoi An back in April 2020 but had to change course when the COVID-19 pandemic canceled their vacation.

"When Jeezy proposed to me, he decorated his condo to look like Hoi An. It brought the memories of our engagement full circle when we were finally in Hoi An for the first time," she says.

Despite the change of plans, the couple tied the knot in April 2021 in an intimate backyard ceremony at their home in Atlanta. Last year, the pair welcomed a baby girl named Monaco.

Visit Jeannie Mai Jenkins YouTube page "Hello Hunnay" for more about their trip to Vietnam.

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Read the original article on People.
Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence and her producing partner Justine Ciarrocchi touched down at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday to promote their labels first ever documentary feature, Bread and Roses  a harrowing and emotional look at the lives of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

After two decades of American occupation, the nation fell once again to the insurgent group, which moved quickly to strip women of basic rights  simple freedoms like the ability to work, appear in public without a male chaperone and receive an education.

More from Variety

It all just collapsed and a matter of days, Lawrence recalled to Variety. I was watching this from America, where Roe v. Wade was about to be overturned. We felt helpless and frustrated with how to get these stories off of the news cycle and into peoples psyches. To help people be galvanized and care about the plight of these women.

In the infancy of building their production company Excellent Cadaver, Lawrence and Ciarrocchi pursued Afghan filmmaker Sahra Mani (A Thousand Girls Like Me) to help capture the stories of the suppressed women on the ground. The finished film, which was received with tears at its world premiere on the Croisette, is comprised largely of video filmed by its three subjects. Crews could not safely enter Afghanistan, nor could Mani, who had been abroad working when the Taliban took the country.

The director was given footage from women using their cell phones, there was one trusted camera person that was used occasionally, Lawrence said. Ciarrocchi recalled the high stress of protecting Mani and the subjects from retaliation.

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Sahra had been out of Kabul for about a month by the time it fell, she was in France. The great news now is that all of our protagonists are safely out of Afghanistan. We wanted to make sure that these women were safe and that we were being thoughtful, while also trying to shape a film. That was a wild set of responsibilities for us, and a very new experience, said Ciarrocchi.

Financing was pieced together on the fly, the producers said, but singular images from the struggle of these women kept them motivated. Lawrence said that watching the children these women raise get tased in the street for protesting was devastating to watch as a mother, You just want to do anything you can to change it.

Lawrence and Ciarrocchi also observed an unsettling side effect from the footage of women living in lockdown  psychological damage from restrictions around leaving the house.

One of our protagonists, Sharifa, we had to witness the tedium of her life. How it would feel to be a woman who is in the workplace and enjoying freedom in her city with her friends  to witness her cabin fever was painful, Ciarrocchi said.

Another central character, a successful dentist forced to give up her practice under the Taliban, gave Lawrence a new appreciation for her own liberties.

It makes me think about when I was little, how much I hated going to school. We take for granted that education is a way out for these women. [Our subject] had all of that stripped away and cant even go outside without a chaperone. Its a right to have as a human, to have something to do every day and be productive in society, she said.

Bread and Roses is currently for sale out of the Cannes film market. Lawrence and her partner are hopeful the film will receive worldwide distribution, warning that its themes are more relevant than one would suspect in places like America.

There is not much separating us from these other countries, said Lawrence. Democracy is all we have. and its sliding back. We have to keep our eye on the ball, which is individual freedoms.

Best of Variety

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Madeleine McCann went missing in Portugal in May 2007. (PA)

Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann have started searching a reservoir in Portugal.

On Monday, officials announced a fresh search would be carried out in a major development.

Police divers were seen entering the water early on Tuesday morning at the Barragem do Arade reservoir, while a police motor boat has also been sent into the water with two officers onboard.

Tents have been erected on the banks of the reservoir and officers from Portugal, Germany and the UK were seen holding morning briefings on Tuesday, the BBC reported.

Portuguese firefighters work on board a boat during a new search operation amid the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in the Arade dam, in Silves, Portugal, on Tuesday. (AFP via Getty Images)

Personnel at Barragem do Arade reservoir, in the Algave, Portugal, on Tueday. (PA)

The Barragem do Arade reservoir in Portugal is being searched on Tuesday as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. (PA)

The search of the Barragem do Arade reservoir in the Algarve, Portugal, began on Tuesday. (PA)

The reservoir is 50km from where three-year-old Madeleine disappeared in the holiday resort of Praia da Luz on 3 May 2007.

Investigators believe the prime suspect in her disappearance, convicted sex offender Christian Brueckner, 45, spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017.

Watch: Police investigating Madeleine McCann disappearance to search reservoir

Read more: What are the latest updates in hunt for missing Madeleine McCann?

German police believe he killed Madeleine, from Rothley, Leicestershire, after abducting her from a holiday apartment.

Yahoo News UK takes a look at who is involved in the search for Madeleine.

Portuguese police

About a dozen officers with sniffer dogs were moving along the bank of the reservoir as part of the search.

A rigid-hull inflatable boat could be seen on the water as divers worked in the reservoir itself.

Two blue tents have been put up in one location, while the area that appears to be central to the search is about a mile away.

A statement issued on Monday evening by the Policia Judiciaria confirmed that it is co-ordinating searches of the area close to the Barragem do Arade reservoir.

It said: "The Policia Judiciaria confirms that, regarding the investigation into the disappearance of an English child, which occurred in the Algarve in 2007, steps are still being taken to fully clarify the situation.

"Within the scope of international co-operation, in the next few days in the Algarve region, new searches will be carried out."

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Portuguese police pictured on Monday near the reservoir where a new search for Madeleine McCann is set to begin. (Reuters)

Portuguese police officers at the Barragem do Arade reservoir in Portugal on Monday. (Reuters)

Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are set to search a reservoir 50km from where she went missing. (Reuters)

Portuguese officers were pictured on Monday walking along dry tracks near the reservoir and sealing off areas with police tape.

Brueckner was identified as a suspect by Portuguese police in June 2020, and made an arguido, a formal suspect, in April 2022.

It is not the first time the reservoir has been searched.

In 2008, Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to check the waterway after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleines body was in the reservoir.

German police

The new search of the area near the reservoir has been requested by German police, who believe Brueckner visited the area saying he called it his "little paradise".

He denies any involvement in her disappearance.

German police search an allotment area near Hanover, Germany, in July 2020, where Christian Brueckner, a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, lived for a while. (Reuters)

Brueckner is in prison in Germany for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in 2005 in the same area where Madeleine went missing.

He is facing charges in Germany over a number of separate sex offences allegedly committed in Portugal during that time.

He was charged in October 2022 with three counts of rape and two charges of child sex abuse, unrelated to Madeleines disappearance.

A brief statement from the prosecutors office in the German city of Braunschweig confirmed the search but did not reveal why it was taking place.

British police

British officers will also be present, the Policia Judiciaria said, in a sign that their heavy involvement since Madeleine went missing will continue.

The most recent search in Portugal in relation to Madeleine's disappearance was in 2014 when British police were given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished.

British police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann search an area of scrubland near Praia da Luz in Portugal in June 2014. (AP Photo)

In 2011, Scotland Yard launched a review of the case after a request from then home secretary Theresa May.

The following year, its detectives said they believed Madeleine could still be alive and released an age-progression image of how she might look as a nine-year-old. British police called on Portuguese authorities to reopen the case, but their counterparts said they had found no new material.

In 2013, Scotland Yard confirmed it had launched its own investigation, Operation Grange, into Madeleines disappearance, saying it had genuinely new lines of inquiry. Later that year, Portuguese police reopen the case.

In June 2014, British police used sniffer dogs and specialist teams to search an area of scrubland close to where Madeleine went missing.
In the waning hours of the legislative session, Missouri lawmakers passed a bill long-sought by a pair of Christian lawmakers that would allow public schools to offer elective courses on the Bible.

The legislation, filed by state Sen. Karla May, a St. Louis Democrat, allows public schools and public charter schools to offer elective social studies classes including but not limited to the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament of the Bible and the New Testament of the Bible.

It passed the Missouri Senate on a unanimous vote of 31 to 0 in March. And then, with just more than an hour left in this years session and with little debate, the House voted 108 to 30 last week to send the bill to Republican Gov. Mike Parsons desk.

May, a nondenominational Christian, told The Star that she wants people to be able to study these religious texts from a cultural and historical perspective.

Its one of the greatest history books that Ive ever read, May said, referring to the Bible. I wanted other people who are, you know, receiving faith to see it in a different way. You get me? Culturally, language, styles of clothes. How did it impact the living conditions of people? You know, I want it to be not a myth.

But while the bill received support from both parties this year and didnt drum up too much controversy, some religious leaders and the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri say it singles out one religion over others.

It states that schools cannot violate state or federal laws or favor or show hostility toward any religion. However, some critics worry it may cause schools to violate the spirit of separation of church and state outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

Tori Schafer, deputy director for policy and campaigns at the ACLU of Missouri, said that there are acceptable ways to teach about the Bible in public schools, such as a comparative religion class. However, its difficult to do so in a way thats in line with the U.S. Constitution, especially when a course focuses solely on one faith or religious text, she said.

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Whether unintentionally or intentionally, courses focusing on one faith or religious text create conditions ripe for proselytizing and official promotion of religious beliefs, Schafer said in a statement.

When asked what the bill is referring to with the Hebrew Scriptures, May said it refers to the Five Books of Moses, a term for the first five books of the Bible also known as the Torah.

Doug Alpert, the rabbi at Kansas City-based Congregation Kol Ami, said while the bill appeared to be attempting to be inclusive to Jewish people, it did not specifically include references to other religions such as Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism. He said he wondered why lawmakers felt the need to pass the bill if these courses are already allowed under state and federal laws.

I dont think its the legislatures place to try and state specifically that this is okay, he said. It sounds like theyre doing the courts job.

May pushed back on criticism of the bill, pointing to the provision that classes would not have to be limited to these specific books.

She said that because the class is an elective, students would be able to request the course from their schools. The goal of her legislation, she said, is to teach these religious texts from an educational perspective instead of lessons on morality and sin.

But state Rep. Ben Baker, a Neosho Republican who has filed similar legislation, has touted the legislation as a Bible Bill on Twitter.

Now students in our Missouri Public Schools can have the Bible as a full elective in History classes! Baker wrote on Twitter last week. God works in mysterious ways!

Baker did not respond to a request for comment.

Others, including some lawmakers who voted in favor of the legislation, say the bill wont have a major impact and that schools are already allowed to teach these classes.

I know that schools can do it anyway. It doesnt mandate that schools offer those courses. It just allows that as an option for an elective but that was pretty standard, said state Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat and a former middle school teacher. Ive not heard anything in support or opposition from my school districts, which I think reaffirms for me that this probably isnt going to make much of a difference.

At least two Kansas City area school districts do not have immediate plans to change their curriculum if Parson signs the bill into law.

Talia Evans, a spokesperson for the Lees Summit School District, said the district approves its course catalogs in the fall and new courses would be discussed next fall. Katie Woolf, a spokesperson for the Blue Springs School District, said the district did not have any current plans to change its curriculum or add classes.

Brian Kaylor, the president and editor-in-chief of Word&Way, a Missouri-based Christian media company who testified against the bill earlier this year, said he felt the bill was problematic because it was promoting one faith text over others.

He said it could cause confusion because there are numerous interpretations of the Bible from different denominations and religions. Kaylor that if lawmakers wanted to teach a class that shows how religion has impacted Missouri history, the Book of Mormon, which has deep ties to Missouri, should be included.

It could create some problems for students who find that their religious tradition isnt respected or treated as the standard text in this class, he said.
Missouris public defender system failed to adequately represent Michael Tisius, who was sentenced to death and is scheduled for execution next month, the head of the state office said.

In the latest bid to halt Tisius June 6 execution, Mary Fox, director of the Missouri State Public Defenders office, urged Gov. Mike Parson to commute Tisius sentence to life in prison.

Tisius was 19 years old when he murdered two Randolph County jail guards during a botched escape attempt in 2000.

During post-conviction proceedings, the court found evidence of prosecutorial misconduct and granted Tisius a new sentencing hearing. The case was handed over to another public defender, who was paid $10,000 up front on a flat-fee basis.

Fox said that attorney failed to investigate relevant mitigating evidence and failed to present expert testimony on Tisius mental health diagnoses and adolescent brain development.

In July 2010, the death penalty was again handed down.

The flat-fee arrangement disincentivizes the attorneys from performing the essential mitigation investigation, trial preparation, and trial presentation work necessary to effectively represent a person charged with a capital offense, Fox wrote in the May 22 letter to Parson.

The payment structure, discouraged by the American Bar Association in capital cases, is no longer used by Missouris public defender system in death penalty cases.

Had the attorney presented mitigating evidence, jurors may have returned a life sentence instead of the death penalty, Fox said.

Five jurors interviewed by Tisius legal team agreed they would be satisfied with a life sentence, according to a clemency application sent to Parsons office last week.

Michael Tisius was abused and neglected as a child, his attorneys said in a clemency application sent to Gov. Mike Parson.

During resentencing, jurors did not hear much about Tisius early childhood traumas, assaults committed by his brother that resulted in concussions or his epilepsy, all of which doctors said affected his brain development. Some jurors noted that his attorney did not present enough information about the role of his co-defendant Roy Vance, who reportedly convinced Tisius to help him escape from the jail.

Story continues

I remember Mr. Tisius defense attorneys presented very little, one juror said.

Others noted his good behavior in prison and their belief in a second chance.

Last month, lawyers for Tisius said they discovered that one of the jurors was not able to read or write. Under Missouri law, jurors are required to be able to read so they can understand jury instructions, evidence and reports.

Research has also shown that the brain is still developing through a persons mid-twenties. The American Bar Association has asked states to ban executions of anyone 21 years old or younger when the crime was committed.

Clemency is an opportunity to acknowledge the growth that Michael Tisius has experienced in the Department of Corrections, to recognize that as his brain has matured that he has changed, and to admit the dignity and sacredness of not just his life, but of all human life, Fox wrote.

In addition to Fox and the five jurors, the American Bar Association, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Archbishop Christophe Pierre, a personal representative of Pope Francis, have called on Parson to grant clemency.

Parson has not commuted a death sentence. In the past six months, three people have died by lethal injection in Missouri. The state is one of four that has carried out executions this year, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad fair value estimate is RM13.08

With RM10.98 share price, British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value

The RM11.61 analyst price target for BAT is 11% less than our estimate of fair value

Does the May share price for British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad (KLSE:BAT) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

View our latest analysis for British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad

Step By Step Through The Calculation

We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM314.9m RM360.0m RM304.6m RM299.1m RM298.5m RM301.2m RM306.4m RM313.4m RM321.8m RM331.2m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x4 Analyst x4 Analyst x3 Est @ -1.82% Est @ -0.20% Est @ 0.93% Est @ 1.72% Est @ 2.28% Est @ 2.66% Est @ 2.94% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 10% RM285 RM295 RM226 RM201 RM181 RM166 RM153 RM141 RM131 RM122

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM1.9b

After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.6%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 10%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM331m (1 + 3.6%)  (10% 3.6%) = RM5.0b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM5.0b ( 1 + 10%)10= RM1.8b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM3.7b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of RM11.0, the company appears about fair value at a 16% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind.

dcf

Important Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 10%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.862. 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 British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows.

Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Opportunity

Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the Malaysian market.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Dividends are not covered by earnings.

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Malaysian market.

Looking Ahead:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad, we've compiled three important aspects you should explore:

Risks: We feel that you should assess the 2 warning signs for British American Tobacco (Malaysia) Berhad we've flagged before making an investment in the company. Future Earnings: How does BAT'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 Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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CBS - Getty Images

NCIS: Los Angeles has bid farewell to fans in a sweet series finale, teasing there may be more ahead for its two leads.



The NCIS spinoff came to a close after 14 seasons with a two-part send-off ('New Beginnings'), with the second half airing last night (May 21) in the US.

The episode left the door open for more adventures for protagonists Sam (LL Cool J) and Callen (Chris O'Donnell), the two special agents that have appeared since the pilot aired in September 2009.

CBS - Getty Images

Related: In defence of NCIS: why the biggest show on US television deserves more love

'New Beginnings, Part Two' saw Callen marrying Anna (Bar Paly) in a spontaneous city hall wedding, with his trusted friend Sam by his side. Meanwhile, Kensi (Daniela Ruah) discovered that she and Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) were finally going to have a baby.

The series finale also included a much anticipated return from Linda Hunt's Hetty. The beloved character didn't appear in the flesh, but sent Callen a letter offering him and Anna her Mykonos place for their honeymoon.

Her offer was somewhat conditional, though, as she asked Callen and Sam to take "a small side job" and help her out with a tricky situation in Morocco.



CBS - Getty Images

Related: NCIS Hawai'i star says role is his "dream job" and teases upcoming storylines

While Amy headed for Greece right away, Callen and Sam made their way to Morocco first. There, they had an emotional reunion with a few familiar faces from previous seasons: intelligence analyst Nell Jones (Renee Felice Smith), Sabatino (Erik Palladino) and Nate (Peter Cambor).

The two agents learned their mission was to find Hetty and both decided to jump in on this new quest. While this may set up a return for LL Cool J and O'Donnell's characters at some point down the line, there hasn't been an official confirmation of a comeback as of yet.

NCIS: Los Angeles airs on CBS in the US and on Sky Max in the UK.

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In an excessive use of force case dating back more than five years at the Oklahoma County jail, county commissioners agreed to pay $3 million to a former inmate who claimed guards left him paralyzed.

The settlement with Torrance Gene Jackson, 48, was entered earlier this month in Oklahoma City federal court.

Named in the lawsuit were three guards who worked under former Sheriff P.D. Taylor.

Attorneys for Jackson claim in the lawsuit that around 12:36 a.m. on Aug. 13, 2017, Oklahoma City police stopped Jackson for allegedly speeding.

Jackson eluded police and after a brief chase, he wrecked his car.

Living Hell: The untold reality of life inside Oklahoma County jail

Jackson exited the car, failed to comply with instructions from police, was tased and arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, speeding, driving while privilege revoked and attempting to elude peace officers.

Officers transported Jackson to an area hospital where Taser electrodes were removed from his body.

Officers later took Jackson to the Oklahoma County jail. One officer did not enter the jail. A second officer entered the jail search area then went to a lieutenants office to pick up a booking sheet.

According to the lawsuit, when the second police officer returned to the search area, the officer observed Mr. Jackson lying on the ground and heard him telling a guard that he could not feel his legs.

When the police officer asked a guard what happened to Jackson, the guard replied that he had to take (Jackson) to the ground because (Jackson) refused to give them his shoes.

The police officer reported seeing a bulge on the back of Jacksons neck.

Jackson had been handcuffed or restrained with his hands behind his back when the incident and resulting injury occurred in the search area while the police officer went to retrieve a booking sheet, according to the lawsuit.

EMSA and the Oklahoma City Fire Department arrived at around 2:45 a.m.

Broken Trust: How the Oklahoma County jail leadership failed those it sought to protect

Story continues

Unnamed jail employees told EMSA that Jackson had an altercation with one of the guards and they slammed him to the ground, according to the lawsuit.

Jackson was transported to OU Medical Center.

He told hospital personnel while he was being booked into the jail, his feet were kicked out from underneath him. His hands were handcuffed behind him and his head hit the floor, the lawsuit said.

A spine surgeon diagnosed Jackson with a C-6-7 bilateral facet fracture dislocation with complete quadriplegia, lawyers claimed in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claimed a video of the incident shows one guard using an unapproved wrist lock technique while tripping Jackson, as two other guards did nothing to intervene.

Jacksons quadriplegia is permanent, according to the lawsuit.

The Oklahoma County Jail in Oklahoma City, Okla on Wednesday, March 31, 2021.

Internal investigation found use of force disproportionate

As the lawsuit wound through federal court, county commissioners denied Jacksons allegations, according to filings.

However, an internal investigation by a sheriffs lieutenant found that the guards use of force actions and choice of applied techniques in grounding inmate Jackson were not reasonably proportionate to the amount of resistance being offered by inmate Jackson.

The lieutenant went on to write in a report:

It is my professional opinion that (the deputy) was not acting within the provided agency-based training or department guidelines, and that he was aware that what he was doing was outside of recognized best practices and training, and that his choice of technique had possibilities of injuries.

A timeline of trouble: The Oklahoma County Jail under the Jail Trust.

A sheriffs bureau commander wrote that other staff were present to help during the incident but were not utilized.

Taylor, the sheriff at the time, agreed with internal investigators that the guard in question should receive a written reprimand and more training on defensive tactics applied to take-downs and compliance.

In an interview with the investigations division, the guard said Jackson was yelling obscenities at staff concerning money recovered from his wallet, according to court documents.

During the incident, the guard told an internal investigator, he felt Jackson was about to get physically aggressive so he placed Jacskon in a wrist lock and leaned his body weight into him in an attempt to push him down to his knees.

The guard said he believed two other guards nearby would assist him, but both failed to engage, according to an investigators report.

The guard also stated he had never been trained on that particular compliance technique but had seen other guards use it on several occasions, according to the report.

More: Every inmate who died at the Oklahoma County Jail since the Trust took over

One of the nearby guards during the incident told the investigator that he didnt engage because his fellow officer was more educated in use of force and had more training.

During previous attempts to assist with other incidents, the guard said, he was told I got this and to leave.

Geremy A. Rowland, attorney for Jackson, told The Oklahoman his client did not wish to discuss the lawsuit at this time.

While we were obviously not able to erase the physical and emotional injuries that he sustained from this incident, my law partner and I hope that we were able to achieve some degree of substantive accountability on Torrances behalf, Rowland said in an email.

Oklahoma County jail troubled over time, looks toward improvements

The $3 million settlement came just before The Oklahoman released an investigation into deaths at the jail since the Oklahoma County Criminal Justice Authority, or "the trust," took over operations from the Sheriffs Office on July 1, 2020.

The embattled jail has become  through homicides, drug overdoses, suicides and COVID-19 deaths  one of the deadliest in the nation. It was the subject of a multicounty grand jury investigation that concluded control of operations should be returned to the sheriff.

In its investigative series, The Oklahoman quoted Sheriff Tommie Johnson III saying taking over the jail is not something Id want to do, to be quite honest with you.

Johnson, who serves on the jail trust, said should the jail be returned to sheriffs office control, he would honor the obligation.

More: Commissioner: New jail to be 'night and day' improvement from current jail's problems

In a previous interview with The Oklahoman, Brian Maughan, District 2 commissioner for Oklahoma County, said he was against reverting control from the nine-member trust to the Sheriffs Office.

Maughan argued that the trust provides checks and balances, and the jail should not be under the control of a sheriff.

We dont want to go backwards, he said. I dont care if it was my own mother that was in charge of the jail, thats too much responsibility, in my opinion, vested in one person.

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma County jail issued a news release touting recent work by guards

In the past week and a half, detention staff, with the assistance of several detainees, administered life-saving measures to save five detainees from possible drug overdoses, the jail said. In each incident, staff were aided by detainees who quickly recognized their fellow detainees in distress and called for help.

Jail staff immediately administered Narcan, the overdose-reversal drug, to each inmate, the jail said. Staff administered 13 doses of Narcan in total.

We cannot stress enough how the drug crisis in the community is making its way into the detention center, Jail CEO Brandi Garner. Every incoming detainee is thoroughly searched, and body scanned. However, the amount of fentanyl it takes to kill someone is so small, it is very hard to detect every time.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma County to pay $3M to ex-inmate after guards left him paralyzed
An Enid man has been charged in federal court with making social media threats to kill Republican leaders across the country, including a threat to shoot to death Gov. Kevin Stitt and his family.

Tyler Jay Marshall, 36, is accused of tweeting threats to Stitt, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

Marshall has been charged with transmitting in interstate commerce a communication containing a threat, which is a felony that carries a sentence up to five years in federal prison.

The FBI says on May 15 it received a tip that Marshall was making the threats on social media.

An affidavit for an arrest warrant allegedly shows screenshots of the disturbing threats. The Twitter account used to post the replies has since been suspended.

More: Stitt vetoes bill that would reduce his influence on Oklahoma Turnpike Authority

In response to a Mothers Day post by Stitt, which included photos of the governors mother, wife and daughters, Marshall allegedly replied with threats to shoot them, and bring guns to events where Stitt would be speaking.

The FBI says Marshall created the email address gopshoulddiesoon@gmail.com.

After a DeSantis tweet decrying diversity, equity and inclusiveness in higher education, Marshall is alleged to have replied Ill see you dead in your home.

Oklahoma man says he created the account to troll legislators

On May 19, FBI agents arrested Marshall at the Enid house where he rented a room.

Marshall claimed he created a Twitter account a couple of weeks earlier, when he was drunk, to troll people online, according to the arrest warrant affidavit.

Marshall allegedly told investigators he trolled people like senators.

When shown an alleged screenshot of Marshall tweeting at Cruz Im gonna shoot you soon, Marshall, according to the affidavit, told FBI agents:

I would never do that and I dont have a gun.

In addition to these threats, Marshall also is accused of replying to Sanders, the Arkansas governor:

Cant wait to murder your family. See you soon.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Man charged in threats to kill Kevin Stitt, Ron DeSantis on Twitter
SALEM, Ore.  Twenty-five years after Kip Kinkel murdered his parents, killed two students and wounded 25 others in one of the earliest U.S. high-school shootings, lawyers have filed a new petition with the Oregon Supreme Court.

Kinkel opened fire at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon, in May 1998, at a time when America was unaccustomed to seeing such hateful mass violence directed at a school. Historians consider it to be a predecessor of sorts to the oncoming era of mass shootings in the U.S., many of which occur in schools, supermarkets and malls. The Columbine High School massacre occurred about a year later.

The night before the Thurston High School assault, Kinkel killed his parents, William and Faith Kinkel. His classmates, Ben Walker and Mikael Nicholauson, were fatally shot the next day at the school.

Thaddeus Betz, director of the Youth Justice Project and Kinkel's attorney, in April filed the petition asking the state's highest court to grant Kinkel a "murder review hearing."

Such a hearing would determine whether Kinkel is rehabilitated, or is capable of rehabilitation, which could impact how long he remains in prison.

Betz also has taken Kinkel's case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing Kinkel was "denied the right under the Eight Amendment as interpreted in Miller [v. Alabama] to have his youth appropriately considered before the sentencing court imposed a sentence that guarantees he will die in prison," according to the brief.

"Any time you think about his case, you have to remember that the context of his crime was a 15-year-old undiagnosed schizophrenic who didn't understand what mental illness was," Betz said.

'Constantly remembering: One year after a racist, murderous rampage at a Buffalo supermarket

25 years of legal battles, trauma

Kip Kinkel is led into Marion County Courthouse in 2007.

Attorneys representing Kinkel, now 40, have spent the past two decades appealing his sentence on the basis of constitutionality and Kinkel's mental health. Several post-conviction petitions and appeals in Oregon since 2002 have been ultimately denied.

Story continues

Court documents say Kinkel has schizophrenia and "suffers delusions and auditory hallucinations," and hears voices that order him to do things.

His counsel petitioned in 2011 to move him to the state hospital to serve his sentence and receive treatment for mental illness. The petition was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it was denied but could be refiled.

Subsequent petitions have drawn on for years. An appeal filed in 2011 was officially rejected in district court in 2022. It's now in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kinkel has since publicly expressed remorse and told HuffPost in 2021, he feels "tremendous guilt and shame."

After Kinkel's most recent appeal to the Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision was denied, Betz took the case to the state's highest court.

Betz said Kinkel's legal team "wouldn't be asking for the hearing if we didn't think we'd be successful in proving Mr. Kinkel is rehabilitated."

But victims who were injured in the shootings and family members of victims who were killed have said they still carry trauma and have permanent damage.

"I and many other survivors are still dealing with the fallout," Betina Lynn, who was shot and survived, told HuffPost in 2021. "We are all serving life sentences right alongside him."

California church shooting: Nevada man charged with federal hate crimes for 2022 Taiwanese church shooting in California

Life in prison, no life sentence

Kinkel is serving sentences that will keep him in prison for the rest of his life. He is serving four concurrent 25-year sentences for murder, plus 87 years for attempted murder charges which makes him ineligible for a murder review hearing, the parole board ruled in March.

According to Oregon statue, which was amended a month before Kinkel's sentencing, anyone convicted of murder in the second degree (Kinkel's conviction) who was at least 15 at the time of the crime "shall be punished by imprisonment for life."

Kip Kinkel is led to his arraignment May 22, 1998, in Eugene. He murdered his parents at home and then killed two classmates and injured 25 others in a May 21, 1998, shooting rampage at Springfield's Thurston High School.

After 25 years, however, the state parole board can hold a murder review hearing. If the board decides a person is "likely to be rehabilitated within a reasonable period of time," it can reduce the sentence to life with the possibility of parole or some form of release.

A murder review hearing may alter a life sentence, but Kinkel "is not serving any 'life sentence' for murder," the board wrote in March. The board does not have any authority over sentences related to Kinkel's attempted murder charges.

Betz said the nature of Kinkel's sentences should not bar him from the chance to prove whether he is capable of rehabilitation.

"It seems like a point of information that everybody ought to be aware of," Betz said. "Seems like a good thing for us to know, for many reasons."

The Oregon Supreme Court will decide whether to review Kinkel's petition. The petition to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is being considered for oral argument in Portland between August and December.

Shannon Sollitt is a corps reporter for Report for America, a program that aims to support local journalism and democracy by reporting on under-covered issues and communities. Send tips, questions and comments to ssollitt@statesmanjournal.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Kip Kinkel files petition 25 years after Thurston High School shooting
Victims are recruited by scammers impersonating Shopee employees, sometimes providing fake identification. (PHOTO: SPF and Shopee Singapore)

SINGAPORE  At least 46 victims have fallen prey to an online job scam involving the impersonation of Shopee employees, resulting in a total loss of over $750,000 since March this year.

In a joint statement on Monday (22 May), Shopee Singapore and the police provided details about the scam.

How scammers lured the victims

The victims initially received unsolicited messages through WhatsApp or Telegram from individuals posing as Shopee employees. These fraudulent "employees" would then request the victims to either "like" items on the Shopee platform, or participate in a survey to earn a small fee.

Once the victims completed the survey, the scammers would offer them a higher-paying position as a "Shopee assistant" and continue the charade by posing as a Shopee customer service personnel or mentor.

The victims would be directed to a fake Shopee website, where they were instructed to register an account and begin their role as a "Shopee assistant." To initiate their work, the victims were asked to select a prepaid "task package" and transfer money to bank accounts provided by the scammers.

In the initial phase, the victims would receive increased earnings, which convinced them to top up their accounts in expectation of additional earnings, according to the police and Shopee Singapore.

The scheme unravelled when the victims discovered they couldn't withdraw their earnings nor contact the scammers anymore, leading them to realise they had been scammed.

Victims were provided with a link to a fake Shopee website, where they were instructed to register an account and start their role as a 'Shopee Assistant.' They would then receive prepaid tasks through WhatsApp or Telegram. (PHOTO: SPF and Shopee Singapore)

Protecting from such scammers

To prevent falling victim to such scams, the police and Shopee advised the public to exercise vigilance and take precautionary measures.

These include installing the ScamShield app on their devices and ensuring that security features such as two-factor or multi-factor authentication are enabled for their bank accounts, social media platforms, and Singpass accounts.

It is also important to verify information with official sources and avoid conducting transactions outside of online shopping apps. Shopee said that it contacts consumers only through official channels, such as its app, verified social media accounts, WhatsApp or email addresses.

Story continues

"Never transact outside of the Shopee app. Shopee does not require anyone to pre-pay any monies in order to secure a job and does not offer payment in exchange for likes on products on their platform. There is also no job position titled 'Shopee Assistant'," the police and Shopee said in their statement.

Consumers who suspect a scam or want more information can visit the ScamAlert website or contact the anti-scam hotline at 1800-722-6688.

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.
Arizona Republican Rep. Paul Gosar

I received a note from an out-of-state visitor late last week expressing how her time in Arizona has left her feeling refreshed and happy as she prepared to head back home.

It was the kind of flattery youd imagine the Arizona Office of Tourism might want to use in a promotional ad to lure even more travelers from other states and around the globe to our magical desert paradise.

Except  no.

At least I hope not.

How a visitor views Paul Gosar's staff

The woman wrote: Im not from here and goodness knows every state has its issues but I saw earlier the reports talking about how a congressman in Arizona has white nationalist sympathizers working for him and I havent seen any follow up about outrage or demands that he fire them or anything like that.

And then it was pointed out to me that you had a column saying news like this elicits a yawn in Arizona. I thought you were joking. But I take it youre not. As challenging as it can be where Im from (Kansas) this news makes me feel like were doing okay.

A shoutout to QAnon? Event at the Arizona Capitol raises questions

Hardly the kind of endorsement the chamber of commerce would fashion into a slogan, is it?

Want to feel better about your state? Visit Arizona!

What if there are white nationalists in Congress?

The woman was speaking about news last week that devotees of a neo-Nazi white nationalist ran Rep. Paul Gosars social media accounts.

And, yes, the news elicited yawns in Arizona and, more importantly, in Congress, where Gosars Republican colleagues expressed zero collective outrage.

A local reader of the online blog I wrote about this last week asked, If it is acceptable for us to have a white nationalist or a neo-Nazi working for a congressman how close are we to having actual members of Congress with the same ideologies?

I sent him a note back saying, The more relevant question might be: Are we already there?

Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.

For more opinions content, please subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rep. Paul Gosar's office is normalizing white nationalism
Disgraced entertainer Rolf Harris has died aged 93, it has been announced.

The Australian had been a popular singer, artist and childrens presenter on British television for decades before his shocking fall from grace began in 2013 when he was arrested and charged with historic sexual offences against young girls.

He had been investigated as part of Operation Yewtree, leading to his jailing the following year.

Harris was sentenced to five years and nine months behind bars but served less than three before he was released on licence in May 2017.

Thereafter he lived in Bray, Berkshire, entirely withdrawn from public life with his reputation in tatters, stripped of his MBE, OBE, CBE and Membership of the Order of Australia and with his work completely withdrawn from public view.

Your reputation lies in ruins, he was told at his sentencing by Mr Justice Sweeney. You have been stripped of your honours and you have no-one to blame but yourself.

Here is a look back at the rise and fall of a performer who had been a mainstay of British entertainment since the 1950s until his crimes were exposed.

1930

Rolf Harris is born in Bassendean, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia, on 30 March 1930, the son of Cromwell and Margaret Harris, two immigrants from Cardiff.

He is raised in Wembley, Perth, and attends Bassendean State School and Perth Modern School in Subiaco, later gaining a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Western Australia and a diploma of education from Claremont Teachers College.

As an adolescent in the mid-1940s, he is recognised for his skill as a portrait painter and becomes a champion swimmer.

1952

Harris first arrives in England in 1952 and enrols as an art student at City and Guilds of London Art School in south London.

Aged just 23, he gains his first broadcast experience with the BBC, drawing on the childrens programmes Jigsaw, Paper Magic and Whirligig.

Disillusioned by art school, he befriends fellow Australian painter Howard Veal, who becomes a mentor and encourages his interest in impressionism.

Story continues

Begins performing novelty songs at the Down Under club to audiences of expat Australians and New Zealanders, including Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport.

1958

Harris marries Alwen Hughes, a Welsh sculptor and jeweller, on 1 March 1958. Ms Hughes would survive him having stuck by his side throughout the disgrace of his final years.

1959

The artist returns to his native Perth to spearhead the introduction of locally-produced TV, featuring in numerous shows, touring and eventually releasing Tie Me Kangaroo Down as a single.

He makes a name for himself as a beloved entertainer in the early Sixties, developing his signature catchphrase (said while completing a painting live on stage): Can you tell what it is yet?

1962

Returning to the UK, he is introduced to future Beatles producer George Martin, who leads him to singles chart success with a re-release of Tie Me Kangaroo Down and Sun Arise.

1964

Harriss daughter Bindi is born on 1 March 1964, named after the town of Bindi Bindi in Western Australia.

The same year, he presents the TV shows Hi There and Hey Presto Its Rolf.

Rolf Harris in 1964 (Getty)

1967

The Rolf Harris Show is broadcast on BBC One, running for five years and elevating his fame further.

Also that year, he provides commentary on the Eurovision Song Contest.

1969

Harris enjoys his biggest hit in terms of record sales, a reworking of the 1903 song Two Little Boys about the American Civil War.

1971

Harris is made the subject of an episode of the biography series This is Your Life.

He would be again in a later 1995 instalment of the same programme, underlining the extent and duration of his popularity at the time.

1979

He presents Rolfs Cartoon Time on BBC One, which runs for a decade.

1982

Harris performs didgeridoo on Kate Bushs album The Dreaming.

He would appear again on her 2005 comeback album Aerial.

1985

He presents a 20-minute public information film called Kids Can Say No! warning against the dangers of child abuse.

1989

Harris moves to CITV and presents Rolfs Cartoon Club for four years.

1993

In this year, he performs at Glastonbury for the first time, notably an idiosyncratic cover of Led Zeppelins Stairway to Heaven featuring his trademark wobble board.

Harris returns on six further occasions over the course of the next 20 years.

1994

Presents Animal Hospital, a popular documentary series following events at RSPCA veterinary practices, which runs for a decade.

2001

Presents Rolf on Art for three years, profiling such world-famous artists as Van Gogh, Degas, Monet and Gauguin.

Another series, Star Portraits with Rolf Harris, follows.

2005

Paints Queen Elizabeth IIs portrait. His work is unveiled at Buckingham Palace on 19 December 2005, with some commentators labelling it offensive and unbecoming but Her Majesty herself expressing approval.

It subsequently tours public galleries around the UK but has not been seen since his conviction. Harris would also perform at the Queens Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace in June 2012.

Rolf Harris with his portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (Danny Lawson/PA)

2013

Harris is one of 12 people arrested in March 2013 as part of Operation Yewtree for questioning over historic sexual offences. Harris denies any wrongdoing and is bailed without charge.

He is arrested again as part of the same investigation and charged with nine counts of indecent assault dating back to the 1980s, involving two girls between 14 and 16 years old, and four counts alleging the production of indecent images of children in 2012 (these latter four charges would later be dropped after Harriss lawyers successfully proved that the models featured in the pictures retrieved from their clients personal computer were of age).

Harris appears at Westminster Magistrates Court on 23 September 2013. His lawyer indicates he will plead not guilty to all nine indecent assault charges.

In December, the Crown Prosecution Service announces that Harris will face three further counts of alleged sexual assault, relating to females aged 19 in 1984, aged 14 in 1975 and aged seven or eight in 1968 or 1969, making 12 in total.

2014

Harris pleads not guilty at a further hearing at Southwark Crown Court on 14 January 2014.

A trial follows, beginning on 6 May 2014 at the same venue.

On 30 June, Harris is found guilty on all 12 counts of indecent assault, seven of which relate to the same victim, a friend of his daughter, who was aged between 13 and 15 in six instances.

In July 2014, at the age of 84, he is sentenced to five years and nine months in prison.

2017

Harris is released on licence on 19 May 2017 after serving nearly three years at HM Prison Stafford and lives away from the public gaze in Berkshire, his artistic legacy in shreds.

On 16 November, it is announced that one of Harriss convictions will be overturned but the Court of Appeal dismisses his application to challenge the remaining 11.

2022

It is announced that Harris is suffering from neck cancer, unable to talk or eat and in need of 24-hour care.

2023

Rolf Harriss death, aged 93, is announced by his family.
Majority Leader Sen. Sonny Borrelli attends an open session on March 20, 2023, at the State Capitol in Phoenix.

Some Republican legislators continue their quest to ban those demon machines from counting ballots in the 2024 election.

One of their leaders is now attempting an end run on Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs  declaring that the Republican-run Legislature has the power all on its own to effectively ban the use of electronic tabulation machines and instead require a hand count of all ballots.

It is, of course, a giant load of elephant dung.

But when has truth even been a consideration for the election conspiracy squad?

Borrelli has made election fraud claims before

Senate Majority Leader Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City, is spearheading the latest attempt by some Republicans to rid Arizona of all that election fraud they cant seem to find.

You remember Borrelli.

Hes the guy who went all cloak-and-dagger after dumpster divers unearthed a bag of supposedly shredded 2020 ballots outside the Maricopa County elections HQ, warning the woman who had them that she could be killed because she held the domino that would overturn the presidential election.

Turns out they werent ballots, she wasnt killed and Trump still hasnt produced any evidence the election was stolen  here or elsewhere.

Now Borrellis taking aim at the tabulation machines, which the conspiracy set say were used by cheaters to rob Donald Trump of the election. (As opposed to the Sharpies used by cheaters, and the bamboo ballots used by cheaters and the mules used by cheaters and the printer malfunctions used by  oh, you get the point.)

The goal: To force a hand count

On Monday, Borrelli sent out a letter on Senate stationery, notifying all 15 county elections officials that they cannot use electronic tabulators next year unless all components are designed, manufactured and assembled in the U.S.

Funny thing is, Hobbs vetoed that very bill in April, because such machines dont exist.

But Republicans, Borrelli wrote, dont need her approval. They passed a resolution declaring that the U.S. Constitution gives them the plenary authority to act on their own.

Story continues

In Maricopa County: Limited changes approved to elections agreement

Therefore be it resolved by the Fifty Sixth Legislature, First Regular Session, no electronic voting systems in the state of Arizona may be used as a primary method for conducting, counting, tabulating or verifying federal elections, unless those systems meet the requirements set forth in SCR 1037, Borrelli wrote, in his letter to the counties.

Translation: Dont expect to find out who won next years elections until Ground Hogs Day 2025 if Borrelli has anything to say about it and a hand count of all ballots is required.

His letter is a bluff. It has no force of law

Fortunately, Borrelli wont have anything to say about it. His advisory to the counties is a bluff.

Hes relying on the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says state legislatures have the power to set the Times, Places and Manner of holding federal elections.

As a result, the Republicans in April approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 1037, declaring their desire to ban the machines.But a resolution has no force of law. Its more wishful thinking than actual legislation.

It certainly doesnt trump existing state law that allows for the use of machine tabulation.

Thats probably why Senate President Warren Petersens name is nowhere to be found on Borrellis letter.

He is working independently of the Senate Majority with regards to this topic, the Senates Republican spokeswoman, Kim Quintero, told me.

Counties were advised to ignore it

Hobbs, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and the Arizona Association of Counties on Monday all said Borrellis advisory should be ignored.

It is simply the legislature expressing their opinion on election issues, the AAC advised the counties. In order for this opinion to be binding it would have to make a statutory change signed by the Governor or voted on by the people.

The letter from Senator Borrelli is not only completely false, its grossly irresponsible, Hobbs spokesman Christian Slater told me. The Legislature does not have plenary authority over elections, plain and simple. As Governor Hobbs stated in her veto letter for SB 1074, the election equipment described in Senator Borrellis bill does not even exist.

Naturally, the conspiracy set immediately began lining up behind Borrellis bold bluff.

Boom! AZ Legislature First in the Nation to Use Art. 1, Sec. 4, Cl .1 USC, former Rep. Mark Finchem wrote.

He failed in his attempt to get a federal judge to throw out the machines, failed in his campaign to become secretary of state and now writes a Substack newsletter about the many ways in which his election was stolen.

The only thing that's 'null and void' here

Naturally, Rep. Justine Wadsack, R-Tucson, fell in line.

#SCR1037 gives the AZ Legislature plenary power over Federal elections according to the US Constitution & is already in play! she tweeted. All 15 AZ counties received a letter from bill sponsor @SonnyBorrelli, informing them they canNOT use machines in the upcoming 2024 Presidential election. Wadsacks seatmate, Rep. Rachel Jones, R-Tucson, was likewise thrilled.

This makes ALL machines null and void, she tweeted.Something is null and void, all right.

I think its the reasoning power of some of the brianiacs who land in the Legislature.

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: Arizona Republicans can't ban counting machines in 2024. It's a bluff
A 15-year-old girl was bitten by a shark of an unknown size while she was surfing along the Jersey Shore, according to officials.

A shark bit the surfers leg sometime before 3 p.m. in the waters off a beach in Stone Harbor on May 21, according to the Stone Harbor Volunteer Fire Company.

The teen, who was visiting from neighboring Pennsylvania, was left with several bite marks on her left foot and calf, the fire company announced in a May 22 news release.

After a 911 call reported a possible shark attack, emergency services treated her at the scene before she was sent to a nearby medical center, where she received six stitches, officials said.

The New Jersey State Southern Regional Medical Examiners Office assessed the surfers bites and concluded they are those typically associated with a shark of unknown size and type, the release said.

Ultimately, the chances of a shark biting a person are pretty low, according to a summary of the Florida Museum of Natural Historys International Shark Attack File.

In 2022, there were 57 confirmed, unprovoked cases of shark bites across the globe, according to the Shark Attack File. Five of these cases were fatal. There is a 1 in 11.5 million chance of being a shark attack victim in the U.S., the Shark Attack File reports.

The Stone Harbor incident serves as a reminder of the potential risks associated with water activities in areas where marine life thrives, the fire company said in the release.

Stone Harbor Mayor Judy Davies-Dunhour said in a statement that the beach town remains a beloved and popular destination for beachgoers from near and far.

The local police and fire departments are fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of both residents and tourists, she added.

Stone Harbor is about 40 miles southwest of Atlantic City.

Creature impersonating a shark off California coast is not what it seems

Helicopter rushes to save hiker bitten by rattlesnake, California rescuers say

Watch terrifying moment as fisherman kicks tiger shark attacking his kayak in Hawaii

A great white shark hides in this photo taken off Cape Cod. Most cant find it
The U.S. is closely watching efforts by the Wagner group to source weapons through Mali for use against Ukraine, where the Russian paramilitary is on the frontlines of some of the bloodiest battles targeting Ukrainian forces.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said Monday that while the U.S. has not seen any indication that Wagner has been successful in receiving military material, it is monitoring the situation closely.

We have sanctioned a number of entities and individuals across a number of continents that support Wagners military operations and we will have more to share on this question soon, Miller said.

The spokespersons remarks confirmed a CNN report over the weekend that the U.S. is raising alarm that Wagner is working to covertly source military equipment by routing such materials through third-party countries, in particular Mali.

We have been informed that Wagner is seeking to transit material acquisitions to aid Russias war, through Mali, and is willing to use false paperwork for these transactions, Miller said.

In fact there are indications that Wagner has been attempting to purchase military systems from foreign suppliers and route these weapons through Mali, as a third-party.

The public warning is part of a pattern by the U.S. to declassify intelligence surrounding Russias war in Ukraine to better coordinate global action to cut off Moscows ability to wage war.

The U.S. said in December that North Korea had shipped infantry rockets and missiles to Wagner and a February intelligence document  revealed in a wide-ranging leak in April  reportedly detailed that the group was trying to buy weapons and equipment from NATO-ally Turkey.

The Biden administration designated Wagner as a Transnational Criminal Organization in January as part of efforts to identify and cut off parts of its global support network and punish the group as a mercenary fighting force supporting Russian President Vladimir Putins war in Ukraine.

Story continues

Wagner has a deep history on the African continent, where the group is often hired as a private security contractor to supplement weak armies but has been accused of heinous atrocities against civilians.

Congress has pushed for the Biden administration to designate Wager as a foreign terrorist organization.

But the White House has rebuffed these efforts over concerns that such a designation would harm efforts by Washington to engage with African countries employing the mercenary group.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Key Insights

The projected fair value for Thai Beverage is S$0.65 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Thai Beverage's S$0.58 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate

Our fair value estimate is 22% lower than Thai Beverage's analyst price target of 0.83

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (SGX:Y92) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for Thai Beverage

The Calculation

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (THB, Millions) 42.6b 40.6b 37.6b 36.0b 35.2b 34.8b 34.7b 34.9b 35.2b 35.7b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x4 Analyst x4 Est @ -4.23% Est @ -2.38% Est @ -1.08% Est @ -0.16% Est @ 0.47% Est @ 0.92% Est @ 1.23% Present Value (THB, Millions) Discounted @ 9.7% 38.8k 33.7k 28.5k 24.9k 22.2k 20.0k 18.2k 16.7k 15.3k 14.2k

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 233b

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.0%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 9.7%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = 36b (1 + 2.0%)  (9.7% 2.0%) = 471b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 471b ( 1 + 9.7%)10= 187b

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 420b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of S$0.6, the company appears about fair value at a 11% 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

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Thai Beverage 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 9.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.887. 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 Thai Beverage

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded its 5-year average.

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Earnings growth over the past year underperformed the Beverage industry.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Beverage market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years.

Current share price is below our estimate of fair value.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the Singaporean market.

Looking Ahead:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For Thai Beverage, we've put together three relevant factors you should consider:

Risks: To that end, you should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Thai Beverage (including 1 which is significant) . Future Earnings: How does Y92'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 Singaporean stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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[Source]

On Tuesday, Taiwan's foreign ministry announced that the islands last known survivor of Japans wartime sexual slavery has died at the age of 92.

The woman, who did not want to be named, died on May 10. Her family allowed the news of her death to be announced to the public after a private funeral, according to Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation.

On Tuesday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Jeff Liu said:

The comfort women issue is a wound in human history and the government has attached great importance to the dignity and welfare of former Taiwanese (survivors). (The government) has continued to express concerns to the Japanese government... and urge the Japanese side to face our demand to apologize and compensate Taiwanese comfort women and their families. More from NextShark: 16-year-old charged with the murder of Milana Li, 13-year-old girl found dead in an Oregon stream

The survivors, who are euphemistically referred to as comfort women, were abducted and coerced into sexual slavery by Japan's military during World War II.

Historians estimate around 200,000 women became victims in the countries occupied by Japan, including Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

While the Japanese government has acknowledged the past atrocities, officials have not taken full responsibility for the enslavement of women, causing activists to demand compensation for survivors.

More from NextShark: Yoo Ah-in dropped from 'Hellbound' after he tests positive for cocaine, ketamine

Japan colonized Taiwan from 1895 to 1945.

According to the Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation, 59 comfort women came forward over the years as survivors. However, the foundation believes that there were at least 2,000 Taiwanese women affected.

The foundation noted that they will continue to fight for compensation for the wartime victims and advocate for their history to be taught in schools.

Story continues

More from NextShark: World No. 1 men's singles table tennis player reveals female stalker stole his underwear

Although all the grandmas have passed away, we believe that their spirit will remain in our hearts forever, the group said, according to Manila Bulletin. This piece of history will not disappear due to the death of the grandmas.

Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark!

Portland man arrested for anti-Asian remarks, threatening victim with black hose in road rage incident
MEPs in the European Parliament had the opportunity of a rare in-person appearance by Ireland's data protection commissioner, Helen Dixon, to criticize the bloc's lead privacy regulator for most of Big Tech over how long it's taking to investigate the video-sharing social media platform TikTok.

This concern is the latest expression of wider worries about enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) not keeping pace with usage of major digital platforms.

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) opened two inquiries into aspects of TikTok's business back in September 2021: One focused on its handling of children's data, and another looked at data transfers to China, where the platform's parent company is based. Neither has yet concluded. Although the kids' data inquiry looks relatively advanced along the GDPR enforcement rail at this stage -- with Ireland having submitted it to other EU regulators for review in September last year.

Per Dixon, a final decision on the TikTok kids' data case should arrive later this year.

The U.K.'s data protection watchdog -- which now operates outside the EU -- has taken some enforcement action in this area already, putting out a provisional finding that TikTok misused children's data last fall. The ICO went on to issue its final decision on the investigation last month, when it levied a fine of around $15.7 million. (Albeit, it's worth noting it shrunk the size of the fine imposed and narrowed the scope of the final decision, dropping a provisional finding that TikTok had unlawfully used special category data -- blaming resource limitations for downgrading the scope of its investigation.)

In remarks to the European Parliament's civil liberties committee (LIBE) today, which had invited Ireland's data protection commissioner to talk about TikTok specifically, Dixon signaled an expectation that a decision on the TikTok children's data probe would be coming this year, making a reference to the company as she told MEPs: "2023 is going to be an even bigger year for GDPR enforcement on foot of DPC large scale investigations."

Story continues

Other large-scale cases she suggested will result in decisions being handed down this year include a very long-running probe of (TechCrunch's parent company) Yahoo (nee Oath), which was opened by the DPC back in August 2019 -- and which she noted is also currently at the Article 60 stage.

She added that there are "many further large scale inquiries travelling closely behind" without offering any detail on which cases she was referring to.

Plenty of Big Tech investigations remain undecided by Ireland -- not least major probes into Google's adtech (opened May 2019) and location tracking (February 2020), to name two. (The former of which has led to the DPC being sued for inaction.) Neither case merited a name-check by Dixon today so presumably -- and luckily for Google -- aren't on the slate for completion this year.

Ireland holds an outsized enforcement role for the GDPR on Big Tech owing to how many multinational tech firms choose to locate their regional headquarters in the country (which also offers a corporate tax rate that undercuts those applied by many other EU member states). Hence why parliamentarians were so keen to hear from Dixon and get her response to concerns that enforcement of the regulation isn't holding platform giants to account in any kind of effective timeframe.

One thing was clear from today's performance: Ireland's data protection commissioner did not come to appease her critics. Instead Dixon directed a large chunk of the time allocated to her for opening remarks to mount a robust defense of the DPC's "busy GDPR enforcement," as she couched it -- rejecting attacks on its enforcement record by claiming, contrary to years of critical analysis (by rights groups such as noyb, BEUC and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties), that its legal analysis and infringement findings are "generally accepted in all cases" by fellow regulators who review its draft decisions.

"Differences between the DPC and its fellow supervisory authorities [are] largely confined to marginal issues around the fringes," she also argued -- taking another swipe at what she couched as a "narrative promulgated by some commentators that in many of the cross border cases in which high value fines were levied the DPC was forced to take tougher enforcement action by its fellow supervisory authorities across the EU" that she claimed is "inaccurate."

Back on the day's topic of TikTok, she gave MEPs a status update on the data transfers decision -- revealing that "a preliminary draft of the draft decision" is now with the company to make its "final submissions." The GDPR's procedural track means Ireland must submit its draft decision to other concerned data protection authorities for review (and the chance to raise objections). So there could still be considerable mileage before a final decision lands in this inquiry.

Dixon did not indicate how long it would take the TikTok data transfers inquiry to progress to the next step (aka Article 60), which fires up a cooperation mechanism baked into the GDPR that can itself add many more months to investigation timelines. But it's worth noting the DPC is trailing a little behind its own recent expectation for the draft decision timeline -- back in November, it told TechCrunch it expected to send a draft decision to Article 60 in the first quarter of 2023.

Exports of European users' data to so-called third countries (outside the bloc), which lack a high-level data adequacy agreement with the EU, have been under increased scrutiny since a landmark ruling by the Court of Justice back in July 2020. At that time, as well as striking down a flagship EU-U.S. data transfer deal, EU judges made it clear data protection authorities must scrutinize use of another mechanism, called Standard Contractual Clauses, for transfers to third countries on a case-by-case basis -- meaning no such data export could be assumed as safe.

And, just yesterday, a major GDPR data transfer decision did finally emerge out of Ireland -- possibly offering a taster of the sort of enforcement that could be coming down the pipe for TikTok's data transfers in the EU -- with Facebook being found to have infringed requirements that Europeans' information be protected to the same standard as under EU law when exported outside the bloc.

Facebook's parent company Meta was ordered to suspend unlawful data flows within six months and also issued with a record penalty of 1.2 billion for systematic breaches of the rulebook. The company has said it will appeal the decision and seek a stay on implementation of the suspension order.

It's anyone's guess when such a decision might land for TikTok's data transfers to China -- a location where digital surveillance concerns are certainly no less alive than they are for the U.S. -- but MEP Moritz Korner, of the Free Democratic Party, was one of several LIBE committee MEPs taking issue with the length of time it's taking for the GDPR to be enforced against another data-mining, data transferring adtech giant.

"It's good to hear today that you are in the final stage of your [TikTok] investigation but more than four years have gone by!" he emphasized in questions to the Irish commissioner. "And this is an app which millions of our citizens are using -- including children and young people... So my question would be does data protection in Europe move quickly enough and what has happened over the past four years?"

Pirate party MEP, Patrick Breyer, had even more pointed remarks for Dixon. He kicked off by calling out her refusal to meet the committee last year -- when she had reportedly objected to being asked to appear at a session alongside privacy campaigner, Max Schrems, who had a live legal action open against the DPC related to its procedures around his complaint about Meta's data transfers -- which he suggested would have been the appropriate forum for her defense of the DPC's enforcement record, not a hearing on TikTok specifically. He then went on to hit out at the narrow scoping of the DPC's investigations into TikTok's operations -- raising broader questions than the regulator is apparently inquiring into, such as the legality of TikTok's tracking and profiling of users.

"Hearing that what you are investigating in relation to TikTok is only children's data and data transfers to China -- this addresses only a fraction of what is being criticized and debated about the service and this app," he argued. "For one thing using TikTok comes with pervasive first party and third party tracking of our every action or every click based on forced consent, which is not necessary for using the service and for providing it. This pervasive tracking has been found to be both a risk to our privacy but also to national security in the case of certain officials. And do you consider this content freely given and valid?"

"Secondly, the app reportedly uses excessive permissions and device information collection, including hourly checking of our location, device mapping, external storage access, access to our contacts, third party apps data collection, none of which is necessary for the app to function. Will you act to protect us from these violations of our privacy?" Breyer continued. "If you remain as inactive as this, as you have been for years, you know this will continue to call into question your competence for [overseeing] the social media companies in Ireland and it will result in more outright bans [by governments on services like TikTok] which is not in the interest of industry either. So I call on you to expand your investigations and to speed them up and cover all these issues of pervasive tracking and excessive surveillance."

Another MEP, Karolin Braunsberger-Reinhold of the Christian Democratic Union, also touched on the issue of TikTok bans -- such as one imposed by the Indian government, back in 2020 -- but with apparently less concern about the prospect of a regional ban on the platform than Breyer since she wanted to know what the Dixon was considering "beyond fines." "Data protection is very important in the European Union so why are we allowing TikTok to send data back to China when we have no information on how that data is being dealt with once it goes back there?" she wondered.

MEPs on the LIBE committee also queried Dixon about what had happened with a TikTok task force set up at the start of 2020, by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), following earlier concerns raised about privacy and security issues linked to its data collection practices.

Such task forces are typically focused on harmonizing the application of the GDPR in cases where a data processor is not main established in an EU member state. But TikTok went on -- by December 2020 -- to be granted main establishment status in Ireland, which meant data protection investigations would now be funneled via Ireland as its lead authority for the GDPR. This revised oversight structure most likely led to a disbanding of the EDPB TikTok task force, since the GDPR contains an established mechanism for cooperation, although Dixon did not provide an obvious response to MEPs on this point.

The clear message from the LIBE committee to Ireland today, in its capacity as TikTok's lead privacy regulator in the EU, boiled down a simple question: Where is the enforcement?

For her part, Dixon sought to dodge the latest flurry of critical barbs -- rejecting accusations (and insinuations) of inaction by arguing that the length of time the DPC is taking to work through the TikTok inquiries is necessary given how much material it's examining.

She also sought to characterize cross-border GDPR enforcement as "shared" decision-making, as a result of the structure imposed through the regulation's one-stop-shop mechanism looping concerned authorities into reviewing a lead authority's draft decisions -- also referring to this process as "decision making by committee." Her point there being that group decision-making inevitably takes longer.

"I do want to assure you we're working as quickly as we can," she told MEPs at one point during the session. "We have well over 200 expert staff at the Irish Data Protection Commission. We're recruiting more. We're conscious of turning these decisions around... We transmitted that draft decision last October to our concerned authorities. It will be almost a year later now before we have the final decision. That is the form of decision making by committee that the GDPR lays down and it does take time."

In the case of the TikTok data transfers probe, Dixon leaned on the requirement handed down by the CJEU that regulators examine legality on a case by case basis as justifying what she implied was a careful, fact-sifting approach.

"The Court of Justice has obliged us to look at the specific circumstances and the factual backdrop of any specific set of of transfers before we can conclude and so while to some people the answers all seem obvious that's not the process in which we must engage. We must step, case by case, through on the specifics. And that's what we have done now and submitted a preliminary draft of our decision to TikTok for submissions," she argued.

"As I said in my opening statement, we're far from inactive," she also asserted, before mounting another fierce defense of the DPC's record -- claiming: "We are by any measure the most active enforcer of data protection law in the EU. Two thirds of all enforcement delivered across the EU/EEA and UK last year was delivered by the Irish Data Protection Commission and that's verifiable facts."

Responding to another question from the committee, regarding what sanctions the DPC is looking at if it finds TikTok has infringed the GDPR, Dixon emphasized it has "a whole range of corrective measures up to bans on data processing that we can apply," not just fines.

"In any investigation we're open minded in relation to what the applicable and effective measures will be when we conclude an investigation with infringement -- so, I can assure you, where we have considered in the [TikTok] case that we've already concluded -- the children's data that's now with our fellow authorities -- we have looked across the range of measures available to us in relation to that investigation," she told MEPs.

The issue of fines that the DPC may (or may not) choose to impose for GDPR breaches is particularly topical -- given it's emerged as a key detail in the aforementioned Meta data transfers enforcement.

In the Meta transfers case, Dixon and the DPC had not wanted to levy any financial penalty on the tech giant for a multi-year breach affecting hundreds of millions of Europeans. However, it was forced to include a fine in the final decision in order to implement a binding decision by the EDPB -- which had ordered it to impose a fine of between 20% and 100% of the maximum possible under the GDPR (which is 4% of annual revenue). In the event Ireland opted for the lower bar -- setting the penalty at around 1% of Meta's annual revenue.

In her remarks to MEPs today, Dixon defended the DPC's decision not to propose fining Meta for its illegal transfers -- however, she offered no substantial argument for why it took such a position.

"As I'm sure you'll be aware, the DPC respectfully disagreed with the proposal to apply a fine. In our view, a meaningful change, if it was to be delivered, in this area required the suspension of transfers. No administrative fine could guarantee the kind of change required," she told MEPs, offering a straw man argument in defense of wanting to let Meta go without any financial sanction, which seems to imply there's an either/or equation for GDPR enforcement -- that is, corrective measures or punishment -- when, very clearly, the regulation allows for both (and, indeed, intends that enforcement is dissuasive against future law breaking). Hence the EDPB's binding decision requiring Ireland to impose a substantial fine on Meta for such a systematic and sustained infringement of the GDPR.

Instead of elaborating on the rationale for choosing not to fine Meta, Dixon switched gears into a swipe of her own -- directed at the EDPB -- by making an observation that "all" the Board's binding decisions in cases in which the DPC had acted as lead supervisory authority are subject to annulment proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union, before adding (somewhat acidly): "As such the CJEU, rather than the EDPB, will have the final say on the correct interpretation and application of the law."

In questions to Dixon, social democrat MEP, Birgit Sippel, picked her up on what she implied was a repeated lack of clarity emanating from the DPC on fines -- also flagging a lack of "clear answers" from the Irish commissioner in her remarks to the committee today on why it had failed to propose any penalty at all for Meta's illegal data transfers.

There was no comeback from Dixon to that point.

In her questioning, Sippel also wondered whether TikTok was cooperating with the DPC's investigations -- or whether the DPC had adequate access to information from it in order to conduct proper oversight. On this Dixon said the company is cooperating with the two investigations, while noting TikTok has "from time to time" been asking for extensions to submission deadlines, which she implied were typically granted as she considered they were merited on account of the amount of volume of material involved -- providing a small glimpse of GDPR enforcement timeline creep in action.

Asked for a response to views expressed by MEPs during the LIBE committee hearing, a TikTok spokesperson told us: "We welcome the Data Protection Commissioner's acknowledgement that TikTok has been cooperative and responsive with the regulator. As a company we are readily available to meet with lawmakers and regulators to address any concerns."

In a press release about Dixon's appearance in front of the committee today, the DPC wrote:
Preliminary data is out. Roughly 60% of Tennessee third graders failed the reading proficiency portion of standardized testing and risk being held back a grade, according to the Tennessee Department of Education.

But as other districts across the state are releasing preliminary data that helps paint a picture of reading proficiency among youngsters, the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district will not. Rather, MSCS is electing to let the state release the finalized data later in the year.

"Standardized test data is released by the state. TDOE (Tennessee Department of Education) shared with the district earlier that it will release it in the fall as part of the State Report Card," an MSCS spokesperson said.

The preliminary data does not include students who are still learning English or students with a disability that affects reading comprehension.

Families of students who were found to be below proficiency for reading have options: Students can retest, attend summer school or attend tutoring. Families of students who fell below the mark can also file an appeal under a set of exemptions.

Third grade students can retest between May 24 and May 26. An appeal period is set for May 30 through June 13.

Also: Can Shelby Co. raise funds for necessary infrastructure like new schools without a wheel tax?

The risk of more than half of the state's third graders being held back for a grade is the result of a law passed in 2021 that went into affect for this school year. The new retention law will:

Permit students who score approaching on the TCAP and also score in the 50th percentile on the previous state-provided benchmark test to be automatically promoted to 4th grade, as long as summer school and tutoring options are available.

Allow schools and school districts to help parents of retained third graders with paperwork to appeal the retention to the Tennessee Department of Education (currently schools are not allowed to assist in the appeals process).

Require tracking data on success of summer school, tutoring, and student retention to be reported to the Tennessee General Assembly to measure policy success.

Require any student who is retained from kindergarten to 3rd grade be assigned a tutor to help them catch up.

Permit the Tennessee Department of Education to contract with up to three qualified tutoring agencies to ensure enough tutors are available.

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Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, unsuccessfully pushed for a later implementation date for the retention law, expressing concern that the language may need modifications once passed. Students, she said, could end up being penalized under a law that may undergo revisions.

The form to appeal a retention decision can be found at tn.gov/education/top-links/learning-acceleration.

Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal that covers issues tied to education, access, and equity. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.

Tennessean reporter Rachel Wegner contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis-Shelby County Schools will not release early reading data
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  A school shooter serving a life sentence without parole for killing a first grader on a South Carolina playground when he was 14 is asking a judge to lessen his sentence so he can eventually get out of prison.

Jesse Osborne's lawyer asked Judge Lawton McIntosh on Monday to reconsider his sentence so Osborne, now 21, could have some hope of freedom in his 50s or 60s.

Attorney Frank Eppes said the judge didn't fully consider a psychologist's report that Osborne lashed out because of abuse and can be rehabilitated.

Give Jesse some hope to live with, Eppes said at a televised court hearing.

Osborne himself asked for a chance at life outside a prison cell, apologizing to the family of 6-year-old Jacob Hall who he killed and everyone at the school that day.

I would just like to say sorry to every single one of them. Because my evil actions hurt their lives, Osborne said. Im just going to try to better myself in the Department of Corrections the rest of my life.

'Murder review hearing': One of America's earliest school shooters wants to get a 'murder review hearing.'

Children's mental health: Shootings, lockdowns, anxiety: Here's what kids say about mental health, helping each other

Townville teacher, parents don't want to see Jesse Osborne out of prison

But the teacher whose class was having recess, the parent of a wounded child, the father of the student celebrating his birthday, the superintendent who saw the bloodstained class rug and the school principal all said at Monday's hearing at the Anderson County Courthouse that they don't want to ever see Osborne out of prison.

Principal Denise Fredericks recognized Osborne as he paced outside Townville Elementary School with a backpack full of ammunition for 12 minutes after his gun jammed before police arrived to arrest him. Osborne had been a student there for seven years.

I do wish Jesse a life where he can wake up, breathe, eat, work, be productive  but not outside the walls of a prison, Fredericks said. In my opinion, his current sentence is still so, so much more merciful than the sentence he gave to Jacob and our school family.

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Prosecutors said Hall's family didn't wish to speak in court but want Osborne to never be released from prison.

Sept. 28, 2016: Townville school shooting leaves child dead, three injured

Osborne is serving two life sentences after pleading guilty. Before opening fire at the school on Sept. 28, 2016, he shot and killed his father while he slept in a recliner, kissed his rabbit and other pets goodbye, then stole his dad's truck and drove to his former elementary school, according to Osborne's confession.

Osborne crashed his truck into the school fence and fired at the first-grade class celebrating a classmate's birthday at recess. Hall bled to death from a gunshot to his leg. Two other students and a teacher suffered minor injuries.

Uneaten cupcakes with the Batman logo could still be seen on the ground inside police tape hours after the shooting.

Townville child's father: 'My son hates his birthday now'

My son hates his birthday now, father Jeff Bernard told the judge.

Prosecutors said Osborne wanted to kill dozens but he was carrying the wrong ammunition and his gun jammed after every shot.

He didnt stop because he wanted to. The gun jammed. Thank God the gun jammed, Fredericks said.

Osborne asked judge to consider supplemental report from psychologist

Osborne's lawyer said a video call he had open to a group chat with people who knew his plan showed him sobbing, upset and ready to give up after the first shots.

Osborne is asking the judge to consider a supplemental report from a psychologist that disagrees with prosecution experts who testified at Osborne's original sentencing that he is a dangerous and pathological liar with no remorse.

Osborne's brain was still developing in his teens. The psychiatrists cited by the defense said he has shown guilt and grief and responded to treatment during the nearly seven years since his arrest on school grounds.

Osborne's lawyer suggested a 30-year minimum sentence for the two counts of murder, followed by 15 years for shooting at the other children and then lifetime monitoring by GPS after he is released from prison with one review after 10 years.

McIntosh asked for a detailed report from the defense expert in the next month and told prosecutors they would have at least 10 days to respond.

Aftermath of Townville school shooting on students, teacher

A number of students never returned to the school after the shooting. Some haven't returned to any school. A popped balloon ended a school dance in tears. Recess is still filled with anxiety, said teacher Meghan Hollingsworth, whose class was celebrating a birthday that day. Her child was in kindergarten just down the hall.

"The screams of children having fun sends a panic through me as I look to see who is screaming and see if they are OK," she said.

She asked the judge to think about a sign in her first-grade classroom and uphold his life sentence handed down more than three years ago,

You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of your choices, it reads.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Townville, SC elementary school shooter wants life sentence reduced
DBenitostock/Getty Images

A Mississippi high school tried to force a trans girl to wear boy's clothes for graduation.

The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the Harrison County School District on the student's behalf.

The trans girl skipped her graduation after a district official told her parents she had to dress "like a boy."

A trans girl in Mississippi skipped her high school graduation because school administrators tried to make her dress like a boy to attend the ceremony, her attorney said on Saturday.

U.S. District Judge Taylor McNeel in Gulfport, Mississippi said on Friday he would not block the school's decision to force the girl to wear boys' clothing.

McNeel wrote in his ruling that taking part in a graduation is voluntary, and therefore not a constitutionally protected right of any student.

The girl was set to graduate from Harrison Central High School in Gulfport on Saturday.

The ACLU sued the Harrison County School District on Thursday on behalf of the 17-year-old and her parents after Harrison Central principal Kelly Fuller and school district superintendent Mitchell King told the student she must follow the boys' clothing rules for graduation.

Graduating boys in the school district are expected to wear white shirts and black pants. Graduating girls are expected to wear white dresses.

According to the lawsuit, King told the girl's mother that the student could only participate in graduation unless she wore "pants, socks, and shoes, like a boy."

Linda Morris, staff attorney at the ACLU's Women's Rights Project, told The Associated Press that McNeel's ruling was "as disappointing as it is absurd."

"Our client is being shamed and humiliated for explicitly discriminatory reasons, and her family is being denied a once-in-a-lifetime milestone in their daughter's life," Morris said. "No one should be forced to miss their graduation because of their gender."

According to the lawsuit, the student had selected a white dress to wear to graduation and had worn dresses to school previously in classes and extracurricular events throughout the school year, including to prom last year.

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Harrison Central High School and the Harrison County School District did not immediately return Insider's request for comment on Sunday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Cinderella Castle stands at the Magic Kingdom, at Walt Disney World, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Monday, April 3, 2023.

Disney ahead in dispute with governor

From a 40-year Floridian to our honorable governor: Dont mess with the Mouse.

By demanding Disney accept his opposition to certain ways of life and replacing Disneys governing board with individuals of his choosing, Gov. Ron DeSantis has cost Florida nearly $1 billion in new construction and 2,000 jobs that would have paid an average of $120,000 a year. What has DeSantis accomplished in his culture war?

Disney is one of Floridas biggest private employers. The company paid more than $1.1 billion in state and local taxes last year, making it the largest taxpayer in Central Florida.

More: How to send a letter to the editor

Think of all the small businesses that thrive because of Disney. Check out the companys impact on tourism, hotels and airlines.

The governor plans to run for president but his feud with Disney will hurt many residents of his own state.

Rich Unger, Sarasota

Childhood memories of suspicious matters

Guess I was lucky. Growing up during the 1930s, I was exposed to dangerous matters that didnt ruin my life.

For instance, Saturday afternoons my friends and I usually went to the movies. We got a feature film, a B movie, a newsreel, a short subject and a cartoon. All for a dime.

I didnt know it at the time but one of those cartoons was dangerous. It was about a funny-looking sailor and his lady friend, Olive Oyl.

The couple, who were not married, cared for a toddler named SweePea. Was he their child? Horrors!

There was also a strange, obese character who did nothing but eat hamburgers. All weird and suspicious.

I also read many books that I now know were very dangerous.

But somehow those films and books did not turn me into a threat to society.

Lawrence Bagnoli, Sarasota

DeSantis keeps travel under cover

So now we have another new law in Florida whereby the governors travels are kept secret, along with names of the people he meets with.

In other words, Florida will be replacing Wheres Waldo? with "Wheres Ron DeSantis?"

Story continues

Robert T. Hildebrand, North Port

Sad showing at event for veterans

On May 18, a friend and I, both veterans, attended a rally at Sarasota National Cemetery to support veterans taking part in a monthlong march that culminates in Washington, D.C.

People march and donate their time. There are buses taking veterans and their families hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to help veterans just before Memorial Day.

My friend and I left early for the 8:30 a.m. event because we expected lots of people. We wanted a good parking space. When we arrived, we saw no guards yelling at us about where to park. We continued into the cemetery, alone, until we found one of many spots near where the rally would be.

We walked until we saw a few people exit the Carry The Load bus. After those people introduced themselves, we found out that we the only ones who showed up. We had everyones attention.

The cemetery administrator then explained how the whole place works. Impressive.

And that was that. We thanked the people on the bus for their determination to help and they thanked us for being there.

I was very disappointed that only two older Vietnam veterans showed up.

Bill OConnor, Sarasota

Each word of our pledge matters

Portions of the Pledge of Allegiance were included in two letters May 19 to support the letter writers opinions. However, a key word or phrase was missing from each.

The Pledge of Allegiance reads: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Richard L. Mizell, Sarasota

Place a bid to save 1920s home

This is an SOS to encourage preservation-minded buyers to save our Sarasota historic buildings. One of them, a 1920s house at 1710 Vamo Drive, is for sale, open to bids before May 24.

Neighbors on this charming street of 1920s Mediterranean homes welcome preservation of this house, owned by the county.

To make a bid;

Go to https://www.scgov.net/government/planning-and-development-services/property-management.

Contact Jayne Dower at jdower@scgov.net  or by phone at 941-861-5190.

Nancy DeForge, Nokomis

Question of the Week

The Opinion page invites readers to tackle our "Online Question of the Week."

If Gov. Ron DeSantis held a town hall forum and you had a chance to ask him a question, what would it be?

Email responses by Thursday, May 25, to editor.letters@heraldtribune.com.

We will publish the best responses Saturday, May 20, at https://www.heraldtribune.com.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Disney is getting the best of DeSantis in ongoing feud
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has stated in an advisory that "we cannot conclude social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents." Murthy argued that the potential harms of social media outweigh the benefits for younger users.

Citing "a substantial review of the available evidence on the impact of social media, the advisory says "there are ample indicators" it can "have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents." It states that, according to Pew Research , as much as 95 percent of US teens aged 13 to 17 use social media while 19 percent said they were on YouTube "almost constantly."

"Children and adolescents who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media face double the risk of mental health problems including experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety," the advisory reads. "This is concerning as a recent survey showed that teenagers spend an average of 3.5 hours a day on social media."

The advisory calls on tech companies to take "immediate action to mitigate unintended negative effects" of online interactions. It also asks lawmakers to "strengthen protections to ensure greater safety for children and adolescents interacting with all social media platforms."

However, some evidence suggests that social media can be a net benefit for teens. According to a recent Pew Research study, most say they're more connected to their friends through social media. The study indicated that a majority of 13 to 17-year-olds in the US felt that social media provided them with a space to express their creativity, find support and feel more accepted.

Murthy acknowledged that social media can provide benefits to younger users. However, he has been sounding the alarm bell about youth and teen use of such services for some time.

In January, he told CNN that 13 was "too early" for young people to be on social media (companies in that space typically don't allow under 13s to use their services without consent from a parent or guardian). If parents can band together and say you know, as a group, were not going to allow our kids to use social media until 16 or 17 or 18 or whatever age they choose, thats a much more effective strategy in making sure your kids dont get exposed to harm early, Murthy told the broadcaster .

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There have certainly been well-documented instances of social media negatively impacting teens' mental health . Still, the advisory is being published at a time when there is a growing appetite among lawmakers for regulating teen use of social media.

A bill was introduced to the Senate last month that aims to block teens from using social media without parental consent ( Utah and Arkansas have both passed statewide legislation on that front). A separate Senate bill called the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) aims to force social media companies to add more protections for younger users. The bill was reintroduced after it failed to reach the Senate floor last year.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed a red flag law Monday meant to keep guns away from those who may harm themselves or others in the wake of the Michigan State University mass shooting earlier this year that left three students dead.

Senate Bill 83 will allow Michigan to join a group of more than a dozen states who have already enacted red flag laws, also known as Extreme Risk Protection Orders. This kind of law, which will go into effect 90 days after the legislative session is over, will allow those who are close to someone to petition a judge to remove firearms from them if they believe they are a threat to themselves or others.

Today, Michigan joins the ranks of other states that have enacted Extreme Risk Protection Orders, Whitmer said in a statement. The time for only thoughts and prayers is over. We know that we cannot keep living like this. Action is needed to keep us safe.

The signing of the bill comes as some sheriffs in the state have voiced their opposition to the law and have threatened not to enforce it. Livingston Countys sheriff told Fox 2 Detroit last month he would not enforce the law, saying the red flag laws are unconstitutional.

The Associated Press also reported some sheriffs have told the outlet they would not enforce the red flag law. The report noted more than half of the states counties have passed resolutions declaring themselves as Second Amendment sanctuaries, meaning they oppose laws they believe impede their gun rights.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel vowed to find people who will enforce the red flag orders at the bill signing Monday, the Associated Press reported.

For those who are in law enforcement who refuse to enforce these important orders, let me say this loudly and clearly: I will make certain that I find someone with jurisdiction who will enforce these orders, Nessel said at the bill signing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
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!
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.
VANCOUVER, BC, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Capella Minerals Ltd (TSXV: CMIL) (OTCQB: CMILF) (FRA: N7D2) ("Capella" or the "Company") is pleased to provide the following update on exploration activities being undertaken on the Companys 100%-owned copper-zinc-cobalt ("Cu-Zn-Co") projects in the Hessjgruva-Kjli District, Trndelag Province, central Norway. The Hessjgruva-Kjli District consists of the advanced exploration-stage Hessjgruva VMS Project, the former mining / mineral processing centre at Kongensgruve, and the Kjli VMS Project (Figure 1), with Hessjgruva representing the Companys cornerstone asset in the District.

Figure 1. Locations of the high-grade Cu-Zn-Co Hessjgruva, Kongensgruve, and Kjli Projects, Trndelag Province, central Norway. (CNW Group/Capella Minerals Limited)

Figure 1. Locations of the high-grade Cu-Zn-Co Hessjgruva, Kongensgruve, and Kjli Projects, Trndelag Province, central Norway.

Hessjgruva Drill Permits Approved

Capella is pleased to advise that it has received the key approvals required for initiating diamond drilling at the Hessjgruva Cu-rich massive sulfide ("VMS") Project on or after July 1, 2023. The issuance of the drill permits is a reflection of the strong community support that the Company has received for advancing the Hessjgruva project, which has essentially remained idle since the completion of 12,035m / 67 holes of historical diamond drilling in the 1970s (see Capellas Canadian National Instrument 43-101 or "NI 43-101" compliant technical report as filed on SEDAR on September 7, 2022; www.sedar.com).

The Hessjgruva permitting was based on the completion of a minimum of 3,000m / 6 holes of both infill and step-out drilling on the high-grade Hessjgruva Lens A deposit (Figure 2), one of three main copper mineralized lenses on the property. The upcoming drill program has been designed to assist the Company with its goal of completing a maiden NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource Estimate for Hessjgruva, in addition to providing fresh core for metallurgical testwork and baseline data for initial development studies.

Figure 2. Massive sulfide (pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite) style mineralization from historical drill hole DDH-240, central portion of the Hessjgruva deposit. Section view to NW. (CNW Group/Capella Minerals Limited)

Figure 2. Massive sulfide (pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite) style mineralization from historical drill hole DDH-240, central portion of the Hessjgruva deposit. Section view to NW.

Kjli Scout Drill Program

Capella completed an initial 1,412m / 8 hole diamond drill program at the Kjli Cu-Zn-Co VMS project (Figure 3; Table 1). The eight scout holes were targeted on combined geological and geophysical (electromagnetic and gravimetric) anomalies - considered favourable for the discovery of massive sulfide-type mineralization - in the Guldalsgruva/Rrosmenna area (4 holes), the Kjli East/Rundhaugen area (2 holes), and the 2km-long Kjli Deeps target (2 holes, although KJ-008 is a redrill of hole KJ-001 which missed the target due to excessive deviation).

Copper and zinc assays have now been received for drill holes KJ-001 to KJ-007; assays for drill hole KJ-008 (the redrill of KJ-001) at Kjli Deeps are pending. Locations of completed drill holes and significant intervals returned are indicated below.

Figure 3. Location of scout drill holes at Kjli. (CNW Group/Capella Minerals Limited)

Figure 3. Location of scout drill holes at Kjli.

Significant Intervals to Date  Kjli Scout Drill Program

KJ-004 (Guldalsgruva Sector)

2.9m @ 1.4% Cu from 8.25m downhole (including 0.4m @ 5.3% Cu from 9.5m downhole)

1.2m @ 0.2% Cu + 0.7% Zn from 110.9m downhole

KJ-005 (Rrosmenna Sector)

1m @ 1.5% Zn + 0.4% Cu from 33.35m downhole

0.4m @ 0.8% Cu + 1.4% Zn from 36.4m downhole

KJ-007 (Rrosmenna Sector)

1.8m @ 3.0% Zn + 0.6% Cu from 69.65m downhole

No significant intercepts are reported for drill holes KJ-001, KJ-002 and KJ-006.

Figure 4. Semi-massive chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite in drill hole KJ-004, Guldalsgruva sector. Upper core interval (8.25-9.5m) returned 1.3% Cu, lower core interval (9.5-9.9m) returned 5.3% Cu. (CNW Group/Capella Minerals Limited)

Figure 4. Semi-massive chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite in drill hole KJ-004, Guldalsgruva sector. Upper core interval (8.25-9.5m) returned 1.3% Cu, lower core interval (9.5-9.9m) returned 5.3% Cu.

Table 1. Drill hole collars - Kjli

Drill

Hole Easting Northing Altitude

(m) Azimuth

(Deg.) Dip

(Deg.) Depth

(m) Comments KJ-001 635,373 6,973,345 1,010 140 -60 330.05 Kjli Deeps; Excessive

deviation, missed target KJ-002 635,729 6,973,844 967 120 -60 248.9 Kjli East KJ-003 635,334 6,974,471 1,011 140 -60 129.1 Rundhaugen KJ-004 629,905 6,970,380 949 180 -60 122.55 Guldalsgruva KJ-005 628,635 6,969,791 872 0 -90 120.5 Rrosmenna KJ-006 629,840 6,970,529 929 180 -50 120.05 Rrosmenna KJ-007 628,428 6,969,869 882 160 -60 80.4 Rrosmenna KJ-008 635,358 6,973,277 1,010 100 -60 260.55 Redrill of KJ-001; Assays

Pending

Eric Roth, Capellas President and CEO commented: "We are very pleased to be announcing the issuance of drill permits for our advanced exploration-stage Hessjgruva project. In conjunction with exploration efforts being undertaken at the adjacent Kongensgruve and Kjli projects, we continue to work towards unlocking the resource potential of the broader Hessjgruva-Kjli District. I look forward to keeping the market updated as our exploration programs advance."

Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) - Kjli Drill Core

Capella implemented a Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program to ensure that the logging and processing of the Kjli drill core was conducted in accordance with NI 43-101 standards and industry best practice. Drill core samples were NQ-sized and were logged, photographed, and marked-up for sampling by Company geologists at a logging facility in the nearby town of Alen. Core for sampling was then transported to the NGU (Norwegian Geological Survey) core facility in Lkken for cutting with a diamond saw, with one half being dispatched to the analytical laboratory and the other half remaining in storage at the NGU core facility. Sample lengths were typically 1.0 meter but locally adjusted to respect mineralogical contacts and narrower sulfide-bearing zones.

Samples for analysis were then sealed in plastic bags and couriered to MS Analytical in Stensele, Sweden, for sample preparation. All samples were dried and crushed to 70% passing 2mm, with a 250g representative split then being taken and further pulverized to a pulp with 85% passing 75 microns. All pulps were subsequently analyzed for Au, Pt, and Pd (30g fusion with ICP-AES finish; Code FAS-113) plus a multi-element package (4 acid digestion with ICP-AES/MS finish; Code IMS-230). Ore grade intervals of Cu and Zn were further reanalyzed using the ICF-6Cu/6Zn analytical techniques. Internal controls of analytical results were provided through a mix of Certified Reference Materials (standards), duplicates, and blanks inserted by both Capella and MS Analytical in to the analytical sequence.

Qualified Persons and Disclosure Statement

The technical information in this news release relating to the Hessjgruva and Kjli projects has been prepared in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements set out in NI 43-101, and approved by Eric Roth, the Company's President & CEO, a Director, and a Qualified Person under NI 43-101. Mr. Roth holds a Ph.D. in Economic Geology from the University of Western Australia, is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). Mr. Roth has 35 years of experience in international minerals exploration and mining project evaluation.

On Behalf of the Board of Capella Minerals Ltd.

"Eric Roth"

___________________________

Eric Roth, Ph.D., FAusIMM

President & CEO

About Capella Minerals Ltd

Capella is engaged in the acquisition, exploration, and development of quality mineral resource properties in favourable jurisdictions with a focus on European base and battery metals projects.

In Norway, the Company's focus is on: i) the advanced exploration-stage Hessjgruva copper-cobalt project and the adjacent Kongensgruve and Kjli projects in the northern Rros mining district, Trndelag province, ii) the discovery of satellite high-grade copper-cobalt deposits around the past-producing Lkken copper mine, Trndelag province, and iii) the discovery of new copper-cobalt deposits in the former Vaddas-Birtavarre mining district of northern Norway.

The Company is also exploring the Northern Finland Gold-Copper (NFGC) project in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt, together with JV partner Cullen Resources Ltd (ASX: CUL). A total of six exploration permit applications are awaiting formal approval at NFGC, including the priority Killero Cu-Au target. In central Finland, the Companys focus is on the discovery of lithium and rare-earth element deposits at both its Perho reservation, in addition to an extensive package of properties in the broader Keliber district through a JV with European Energy Metals Corp (formerly Hilo Mining)(TSXV: FIN).

Capella also retains exposure to exploration success in precious metals projects through its active Canadian Joint Ventures with Prospector Metals Corp. (TSXV: PPP) at Savant (Ontario) and Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd (formerly Yamana Gold Inc.)(TSX/NYSE: AEM) at Domain (Manitoba). The Company also holds a 49% interest in the Sierra Blanca low sulfidation gold-silver project in Santa Cruz, Argentina, which is currently being explored by Austral Gold Ltd (TSXV: AGLD; ASX: AGD).

Cautionary Notes and Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information is 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. Such statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the future results of operations, performance and achievements of Capella, including the timing, completion of and results from the exploration and drill programs described in this release. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that such expectations will prove to be correct. All such forward-looking information is based on certain assumptions and analyses made by Capella in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. This information, however, is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from this forward-looking information include those described under the heading "Risks and Uncertainties" in Capella's most recently filed MD&A. Capella does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

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.

Capella Minerals Ltd Logo (CNW Group/Capella Minerals Limited)

Cision

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SOURCE Capella Minerals Limited
Rena Murshud

"We strongly condemn the biased statements once again made by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on May 22 during a press conference with British Minister of State for the European Region Leo Docherty."

This is stated in the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan.

As informed by Azernews with reference to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry that the unfounded allegations repeatedly made by Armenian officials that the alleged creation of the Lachin border checkpoint by Azerbaijan blocked the road, creates humanitarian problems in the region, and hinders the activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross are Armenia's attempts to distort the realities: "It is known that both Armenians, and representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Russian peacekeeping contingent pass through the border checkpoint.

The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry noted that the UK, which is a member of the UN Security Council, is well aware that Armenia has kept Azerbaijani territories under occupation for almost 30 years, committed massacres and ethnic cleansing, and also, contrary to the requirements of four resolutions of the UN Security Council, refused to withdraw its armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan.

"Armenia's encouragement of sending an international mission to the territory of Azerbaijan, obstructing the dialogue of the Azerbaijani government with Armenian residents living in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, is regarded as interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan. If Armenia stands for peace and tranquility in the region, it must put an end to such interference.

As for the allegations about the presence of Armenian prisoners of war on the territory of Azerbaijan, we note that in many cases Azerbaijan returned prisoners of war captured during the war to Armenia free of charge. As for the group of Armenian servicemen sent by Armenia after the war with the aim of committing military provocations on the territory of our country, the Armenian leadership knows that they are not prisoners of war. Despite the fact that Azerbaijan, in good faith, returned almost half of the people from this group to Armenia, the Armenian side refuses to return two Azerbaijani soldiers who have gone astray and crossed into Armenian territory, thereby undermining confidence-building efforts.

We call on Armenia to refrain from dangerous rhetoric that is detrimental to ensuring peace and security in the region, to fulfill its obligations instead of continuing to unreasonably accuse Azerbaijan, thereby misleading the international community," the Foreign Ministry noted.

To recall, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at a joint press briefing with UK Minister for Europe Leo Docherty said that Azerbaijan and Armenia were able to talk candidly about the rest of the articles. "I would also like to note that the parties understood each other better during the talks," he noted.

Mirzoyan added that the parties positions on the most complex and problematic issues are very far from each other.
(Bloomberg) -- Argentinas farmers need precipitation to arrive within the next three weeks to stand any chance of emerging from a disastrous drought that has shriveled harvests and slashed agricultural exports.

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Growers in the heart of the Pampas growing region, the so-called zona nucleo, need fresh rain in the coming days to moisten fields so they can sow wheat, said Cecilia Conde, chief crop analyst at the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange. Failing that, the bourse would have to cut back its forecasts for expanded acreage and higher production, which are predicated on the La Nina climate pattern coming to an end.

Agriculture is key to Argentinas economy since the cash-strapped central bank needs US dollars from crop exports to arrest a slide of the peso.

Farmers are struggling to recover from three consecutive years of drought. Soy fields being harvested now will produce the least in two decades of record-keeping at the grain exchange, while last seasons wretched wheat crop slashed Argentine exports by two thirds.

Argentina, a top global food producer, has two growing seasons in the year: wheat and barley, then soy and corn.

Read More: Argentinas Epic Drought Sends Economic Crisis to New Extremes

Rains last weekend were good news for wheat growers, but more are needed, Conde said.

The repercussions of a another failed harvest would be felt by the worlds feedlots and by agriculture traders from Chicago to Singapore. Global grain markets have been upended by droughts  curbing production and causing transportation bottlenecks on rivers in the US and South America  and by the Russia-Ukraine war.

El Nino

Consistent rainfall isnt likely until El Nino is better established in a few months. But some showers are predicted over the next few days and weeks.

Government weather maps published Monday night forecast up to 50 millimeters (2 inches) in the next week across much of the zona nucleo. That would dampen fields just enough to get wheat seeds in the ground, according to the Rosario Board of Trade.

Forecasters have said for months that rains would come as a La Nina climate pattern makes way for El Nino, which brings wetter weather in Argentina. But showers in the zona nucleo failed to arrive in the first quarter and have been largely elusive in the second quarter.

(Adds government, Rosario bourse reports in penultimate paragraph.)

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Sam Altman - JIM LO SCALZO/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

ChatGPT creator OpenAI has warned that superhuman artificial intelligence (AI) posing an existential risk to humanity could become reality within just ten years.

The startups top bosses have called for the regulation of AI and warned that superintelligence is comparable to nuclear energy in terms of the risks it poses to mankind.

AI scientists from companies including OpenAI, which is thought to have secured $10bn (8bn) in backing from Microsoft for its ChatGPT technology, are racing to create software capable of making decisions like a human would.

OpenAIs chief executive Sam Altman, president Greg Brockman, and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever said that it was conceivable that AI could surpass expert-level abilities in most domains within the next 10 years.

We must mitigate the risks of todays AI technology too, but superintelligence will require special treatment and coordination, said the company's bosses in a blog post.

We are likely to eventually need something like an [International Atomic Energy Agency] for superintelligence efforts; any effort above a certain capability (or resources like compute) threshold will need to be subject to an international authority, they added.

It comes as Googles chief executive urged developers to build AI platforms safely and responsibly in order to keep users safe.

Writing in the Financial Times, Sundar Pichai urged authorities to regulate AI urgently as it was the most profound technology humanity is working on today.

I still believe AI is too important not to regulate, and too important not to regulate well, he wrote.

OpenAIs call for a global regulatory agency comes after Elon Musk urged companies to halt all AI development for six months until regulators around the world can establish limits for the technology.

The Tesla chief executive and other signatories of a March open letter from the Future of Life Institute, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and the head of the Doomsday Clock, said that out of control AI development could pose profound risks to society and humanity.

Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI, warned the US Congress last week that rogue AI could cause significant harm to the world as he testified to lawmakers about the technologys potential risks.

Advocates of AI say the technology will transform the world, freeing up people from menial tasks to do more meaningful work.

The public explosion in AI was triggered by OpenAIs public release of its GPT-3 technology, the large language model underpinning its ChatGPT platform.

The chatbot can answer natural-language questions from humans and can even hold a conversation.

Yet Microsofts deployment of ChatGPT in its Bing Chat service led to a public backlash after the AI appeared to develop a nihilistic persona which called itself Sydney.

Other leading tech companies have made public missteps with hasty rollouts of AI technology.

Googles Bard service gave a wrong answer that was reproduced in launch publicity, wiping $120bn from the companys market valuation.

Meanwhile public attention is turning to the output of image models such as Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, which are increasingly being used to generate fake photorealistic images of scenes, including depicting the Pope in a designer puffer jacket.

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.
Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business.
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- Round 80,500 persons enter Romania on Tuesday, including 9,400 Ukrainians. The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPR) informs that on Tuesday, 80,542 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, including 9,406 Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres. CITESTE SI PM Ciuca: PNL

- IGPF: Over 77,000 people enter Romania on Thursday, of whom 8,400 Ukrainians.The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that, on Thursday, a number of 77,439 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 8,436 were Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres. CITESTE SI Annual

- 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

- Almost 77K persons enter Romania on Tuesday, including round 8K Ukrainians.The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPR) informs that on Tuesday 76,966 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, of whom 7,871 were Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele

- 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 (IGPR) informs that, on Friday, 85,631 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, including 8,101 Ukrainian citizens.According to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Thursday, about 168,940 people, Romanian and foreign citizens, with more

- 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 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
Coresi devine Universul Copilariei!

Universul copilariei inseamna dans, joaca, sa explorezi, sa descoperi si sa inveti lucruri noi. De ziua celor mici, Coresi devine Universul Copilariei! Momente de creativitate, distractie si, desigur, multe multe premii te asteapta de 1 Iunie la locul tau preferat de distractie. Va fi o zi plina de emotii si bucurii, cu demonstratii [citeste mai departe]
(Bloomberg) -- Singapore is benefiting from the US-China discord in at least one respect: semiconductor sales.

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China imported $407 million worth of chipmaking machinery from Singapore in April, according to the latest Chinese customs data. It was the highest amount since August, rising 9.6% from March and going against the wider trend of diminishing semiconductor exports to China. The country overall imported 27% less in chipmaking gear during April than the prior year.

Singapores shipments to China of integrated circuit chips also increased 3.5% last month compared to March. Other major suppliers from Asia all posted a drop in their chips export to the worlds second-largest economy, matching the trend with chip fabrication machinery.

The city-state aims to win its fair share of investments in semiconductor assembly and integrated circuit design, Beh Swan Gin, chairman of Singapores Economic Development Board, said in an interview in February. The worlds top tech and electronics companies are looking to diversify geographically  away from China and highly-concentrated chipmaking hubs like Taiwan and South Korea  opening greater opportunity for the likes of Singapore.

Applied Materials Inc. makes chipmaking machinery in Singapore, while chipmakers with local bases include Soitec, GlobalFoundries Inc. and STMicroelectronics NV.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is considering building a fab to churn out 12-inch silicon wafers in Singapore, as the country offers more tax incentives and subsidies on utilities costs, according to a report out of Taiwan. Suppliers to ASML Holding NV are also considering building plants in Southeast Asia instead of China, Reuters reported in March.

With US-China tensions mounting, Singapore is willing to facilitate a dialogue between the two biggest economies to deescalate rhetoric and help repair their relationship. Singapore as you know has always wanted to do business with both, said Gan Kim Yong, Singapore minister for trade and industry, in an interview with Bloomberg TV in March.

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Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- Round 80,500 persons enter Romania on Tuesday, including 9,400 Ukrainians. The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPR) informs that on Tuesday, 80,542 people entered Romania through the border crossing points, including 9,406 Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres. CITESTE SI PM Ciuca: PNL

- Photo-documentary images that reflect the lives of Bessarabian children deported in the period 1940-1941 and 1944-1953 can be seen, until June 25, at the National Museum of the Alba Iulia Union as part of the exhibition Childhood in the Gulag, unveiled on Tuesday.The exhibition brings together around

- USR's Mosteanu: Handful of extremists allowed to cause chaos in Parliament; MPs should be checked for weapons.Leader of the Save Romania Union deputies Ionut Mosteanu reproaches Interior Minister Lucian Bode that the Gendarmerie "allows" a few dozen people to block Parliament, told Agerpres.

- Romania should have already been part of the Schengen Area, a context in which the economic relations between Hungary and Romania, including those in the cross-border areas, would have more to gain, the Minister of Trade and Foreign Affairs of the Hungarian Government, Szijjarto Peter said on Tuesday

- Europe Day/USR's Drula: Romania's major progress would have been impossible without EU membership.Romania's major progress would not have been possible without the country's membership of the European Union, national leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) Catalin Drula said on Tuesday, told Agerpres.

- Ce facem, dom" Ciuca, ce ne facem? Ca ne incaleca PSD peste tot prin tara." Cu o astfel de intrebaricica l-ar fi asaltat pe seful liberalilor oamenii din tara la ultima intrunire mai largita a partidului, care ar fi tinut cateva ore bune, totul cu usile inchise si cu aparatele de bruiat telefoanele

- Croatia is one of the active supporters of Romania's Schengen bid, said Interior Minister Lucian Bode, who was on a visit to Zagreb on Tuesday.His counterpart Davor Bozinovic assured him of Croatia's full support both within the Council of the European Union and in the relationship with the European

- Floor leader of the Save Romania Union (USR) senators Radu Mihail criticized on Tuesday the form of the bill on public service pensions adopted by the Senate's select committees, emphasizing that his formation wants the contribution principle to be applied in every situation and special pensions to
(Bloomberg) -- Australian coal continues to make inroads among Chinese buyers, adding to pressure on domestic prices, with new shipments climbing to their highest level since Beijing halted imports in the fall of 2020.

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That ban ended at the start of this year and Chinas appetite for the high-quality coal supplied by Australia is gaining momentum amid concerns that rising domestic production includes too much lower-grade fuel. Australian cargoes in April of mostly thermal coal for power plants surged 75% from the prior month to 3.89 million tons, according to Chinese customs data.

That puts Australias share of imports at 10%, almost double the level seen in March. Although a bigger volume of Australian coal was recorded in November 2021, those were previous shipments stranded by the ban that took as long as a year to clear customs.

At the same time, Russias coal exports to China dropped from the record level hit in March, as did its crude oil shipments. Seaborne Russian gas cargoes also fell from the previous month. The moderation in sales comes as Russian leaders visit Shanghai on Tuesday to help cement Moscows importance as a supplier of commodities to its eastern neighbor and strategic partner.

Chinas total coal purchases fell slightly in April to 40.68 million tons, although that was still their third-highest tally ever and shipments have increased 89% over the year to date. The benchmark price at the port of Qinhuangdao has dropped to its lowest since the start of last year as the rising tide of imports lands at a time of seasonally weak demand.

Elevated stockpiles at Chinese ports could force traders to dump coal, pressuring prices further, before warming temperatures and improved economic activity help clear the surplus, according to a note from Fengkuang Coal Logistics.

The Weeks Diary

(All times Beijing unless noted otherwise.)

Tuesday, May 23

Russia-China Business Forum in Shanghai

SNEC Photovoltaic Power Expo in Shanghai, day 1

Wednesday, May 24

CCTDs weekly online briefing on Chinese coal, 15:00

SNEC Photovoltaic Power Expo in Shanghai, day 2

Thursday, May 25

Shanghai Futures Exchange Derivatives Forum, day 1

SNEC Photovoltaic Power Expo in Shanghai, day 3

Friday, May 26

China weekly iron ore port stockpiles

Shanghai exchange weekly commodities inventory, ~15:30

Shanghai Futures Exchange Derivatives Forum, day 2

SNEC Photovoltaic Power Expo in Shanghai, day 4

HOLIDAY: Hong Kong

Saturday, May 27

China industrial profits for April, 09:30

On the Wire

Chinese energy giant State Power Investment Corp. is in advanced talks to buy Latin American power producer Inkia Energy Ltd. from I Squared Capital, according to people familiar with the matter.

Chinas solar sector is accelerating an already world-beating pace of installations as costs tumble and demand keeps rising, putting it on track to rush past last years record.

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VILLANOVA, Pa. (May 23, 2023)  Villanova Universitys Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) has announced the winners of its annual Pitch Day held April 20. Pitch Day gives students from across the Universitys six schools and colleges the opportunity to showcase their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit, while gaining real-world experience in building an idea from the ground up. On Pitch Day, students participated in the Villanova Student Entrepreneurship Competition (VSEC), Villanova Social Impact Competition, Ignite Change Case Competition, Villanova Virtual Reality Competition, and the Meyer Innovation Awards were presented.

Since its inception 12 years ago, Pitch Day has expanded greatly to now include multiple competitions featuring students from diverse academic backgrounds, said Ann Miller, the Daniel J. Hogarty, Jr. 61 Director of the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Our students are budding entrepreneurs who use a multidisciplinary mindset to look for solutions to global problems. Pitch Day challenges and prepares them to be successful and collaborative entrepreneurs.

Pitch Day features the culmination of the Villanova Student Entrepreneurship Competition (VSEC), a semester-long, interdisciplinary entrepreneurship competition open to all Villanova students. On Pitch Day, student entrepreneurs presented their original ideas and prototypes to a panel of alumni and guest judges involved in business development, investments, marketing and technology. In addition to the more than $20,000 in prizes and in-kind services awarded to student startups through VSEC, students also received invaluable feedback from mentors and advisors to help advance their ideas.

The Ignite Change Case Competition encourages students to think about how the built environment impacts issues of social justice. This year, the case challenged students to strategize ways to improve access to affordable housing, or to fresh, healthy food options. Villanova students from all colleges, class years, backgrounds and majors worked in teams to brainstorm creative solutions, which they presented to judges as part of Pitch Day. In addition to winning a grand prize total of $5,000, the first-place team was also asked to award an additional $5,000 to a non-profit of their choosing that had a significant impact on their project proposal.

Villanova University Virtual Reality Competition challenges the Villanova community to explore virtual reality and augmented reality as a medium for compelling interactive experiences that educate. Teams could create any project as long as they exclusively used virtual reality or augmented reality to shape the presentation. Some examples included games, short tours of environments, mathematical visualizations, scientific visualizations and interactive social media presentations. On Pitch Day, finalists presented their projects to judges. The grand prize winners were awarded $1,000.

Pitch Day also includes the presentation of the Meyer Innovation Awards, which were created and endowed by Patrick Meyer '74 VSB in honor of the Meyer family (Patrick '74, Edward '86, and C. Paul '30) to recognize the spirit of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship that enhances Villanova University. The Meyer Innovation Award is conferred on one graduating student who is awarded $5,000, as well as one faculty or staff member who is awarded $2,500.

Winners from the 2023 Pitch Day included:

VILLANOVA STUDENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHALLENGE:

Grand Prize  Return to Beauty, Abby Walheim 23 VSB Return to Beauty is a national B2B service that oversees the return process of beauty and cosmetic items and provides those returned items to womens shelters across the United States.

 Return to Beauty, Abby Walheim 23 VSB

Second Place  MERET, Seamus Daniello 23 CLAS MERER is a web-based software application for parents and educators that algorithmically generates nursery rhymes from custom information sets. A teacher simply inputs their class material and MERET analyzes the syllables, rhyme scheme and organizational structure to create a fun, unique nursery rhyme for children ages K-4.

 MERET, Seamus Daniello 23 CLAS

Third Place  NOW, Andrew Monreal 23 CLAS, Jacob Beaudin 23 CLAS, Jake Coppen 23 VSB NOW is an app that allows users to order directly from their phone while at bars, nightclubs, stadiums and other venues. When their order is ready, the user is notified and they are directed to pick up their items. NOW will increase the volume of orders and revenue for venues, while also improving the customer experience.

 NOW, Andrew Monreal 23 CLAS, Jacob Beaudin 23 CLAS, Jake Coppen 23 VSB

Klinger Unitas Prize  Peer Pressur, Connor McLaren 24 COE, Santiago Foncillas 24 VSB, Jorge Ramos Putts 24 COE Peer Pressrun is a habit building app that utilizes financial incentives and social accountability to build sustainable habits.

 Peer Pressur, Connor McLaren 24 COE, Santiago Foncillas 24 VSB, Jorge Ramos Putts 24 COE

Crowd Choice  Return to Beauty, Abby Walheim 23 VSB

Halloran Social Impact Prize  Return to Beauty, Abby Walheim 23 VSB

MEYER INNOVATION AWARD WINNERS:

Student Winner: Vedant Patel 23 CLAS

Patel has not only extraordinary intellect and academic excellence, but he is also an innovation incarnate. He co-founded an educational company, TeachSTEAM, using LEGO as the foundational building blocks of the firm.

Faculty/Staff Winner: Virginia Smith, PhD, associate professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Dr. Smith is an expert on stormwater management who is dedicated to solving one of historys largest problemsflooding. She uses creativity and innovation in her research, service, and teaching to create unique products, tools and solutions to address the challenges of flood management. These efforts not only advance her scholarly objectives, but also align with Villanovas mission of teaching and serve to our global community.

VILLANOVA IGNITE CHANGE CASE COMPETITION

First Place: Avenue Avengers ($5,000 Team Prize & Additional $5,000 Donation to Sharing Excess)

Ella Wheller 25 VSB, Naija Nelson 24 COE, Isaiah Taylor 23 VSB and Elsaid Youssef 24 COE

Second Place: Trailblazers ($3,000 Team Prize)

Alyane Wollery 24 CLAS, Santiago Colon 24 VSB, Sriya Donepudi 26 CLAS

Third Place: JFF Team ($2,000 Team Prize)

Jugat Singh 26 VSB, Francisco Klingerman Carvalho 26 VSB, Florence Schlatter 25 CLAS

Fourth Place: Team Marshmallow

Lily Renga 25 VSB, Jack Posin 24 VSB, GianLuca Moscheni 26 VSB

SOCIAL IMPACT COMPETITION

Winning team 1: Mentorship and Music

Jason Verville 23 VSB, Noah Winton 23 VSB, Pragya Ajmera 23 VSB and Elizabeth Vaughn Finance 23 VSB

Their proposal was to strengthen the engagement with the clients app by leveraging principles of mentorship, gamification and music.

Winning team 2: Villanova x Inner Strength Co-op

Julia Gasarowski 23 VSB, Zachary Marcigliano 23 VSB, Tyler Murphy 23 VSB, Trevor Sidlauskas 23 VSB and Peter McGrath 23 VSB

They proposed a partnership between Villanova and Inner Strength in which Villanova students receive instructions on how to lead mindfulness curriculum and then volunteer with the schools and students of Inner Strength.

VU VIRTUAL REALITY COMPETITION

Winning team: Jon Sullivan 23 CLAS and Clayton Davis 23 CLAS
Hungarys expelling imprisoned people smugglers is not directed against any of its neighbours, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in Brussels.

Szijjarto said that Austrias stepping up border controls was no news, adding that Austria has been making entry increasingly difficult for months or years.



Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the EUs Foreign Affairs Council, Szijjarto said he had talked to Alexander Schallenberg, his Austrian counterpart, who had indicated that Hungarys expelling people smugglers was problematic for his country.



Szijjarto said the Hungarian government had made a sovereign Hungarian decision not directed against any neighbouring country in particular.



He said people smugglers had better not even consider coming to Hungary and pledged a continued stringent approach to border violators and to people smugglers encouraging, helping or transporting them.



Concerning Austria, he said it was increasingly difficult for Hungarians and other nationals to enter Austria, whereas Austrians can enter Hungary freely and without waiting [at the border], Hungarians have to wait, sometimes wait long, before they can enter Austria; their threatening to introduce border controls is no novelty.



Szijjarto was asked about a proposal to replace the requirement of a unanimous decision by a supermajority in European foreign policy making, and he said the abolition of a unanimous vote would obviously lead to the big countries passing the decisions while the small countries position would not count  this would give a chance to decisions against Hungarys national interests.



He added that the EU could only be strong if its member states are strong as against endeavours seeking to build a European superstate through weakening the position of members.



He insisted it was not by accident that the criteria of unanimous consent was included in the EU treaties. If one seeks to change that, they will question the ideal of the European Union, casting doubt on the will of the founders, he said.



Referring to press reports suggesting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had alluded to a possible sabotage against the Druzhba oil pipeline, Szijjarto said in Brussels they are trying to pretend not be aware as they usually do, noting that the leaked US documents had not made the front page in the liberal, fantastically objective and free European press.



Retvari: Decision to Expel People Smugglers Consequence of EU Penalties Over Crowded Prisons



The Hungarian government had to make a decision to expel convicted people smugglers from the country because Brussels refuses to contribute to border control costs but fines Hungary if its prisons are overcrowded, a state secretary of the interior ministry told MTI.



Bence Retvari said the EU owed Hungary over 1.5 billion euros in return for Hungary protecting the blocs external borders. He insisted that the EU had only refunded one percent of that unbelievably large total.



We stop illegal migrants at our southern border, and we apprehend and then keep in prison the people smugglers, he added. Brussels does not contribute to the expenditure of Hungarian prisons but they expect us to keep foreign people smugglers at the expense of Hungarian taxpayers, he said.



Some 2,000 people smugglers have been convicted in Hungary so far, contributing to prison overcrowding, Retvari said, and noted that Hungary had faced European procedures because of inhumane prison conditions.



He also added that the cost of keeping one convict in prison amounted to an annual 5 million forints (EUR 13,300).



The decision to expel 808 convicts, mostly nationals of neighbouring countries, was aimed at saving Hungarian taxpayers from having to pay the cost of keeping them in Hungarian prisons, he said.
The two remaining stations of Budapests metro line 3 were opened to the public on Monday, ending a comprehensive renovation that lasted five and a half years.

At the inauguration of the Lehel Square and Nagyvarad Square stations, wrapping up the project, Regional Development Minister Tibor Navracsics said the investment was an important one for Budapest, Hungary and the European Union, and an embodiment of cooperation between the three.



Mayor Gergely Karacsony thanked the government, the EU and all contributors of the project. The reconstruction was a challenge for the city, and hopefully citizens using the renewed, accessible facilities will think it was worth it, he said.
By Peterjon Cresswell for XpatLoop. To understand why Hungarians call themselves Magyars, we must travel back in time to the era of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin in the late 9th century.

It was during this period that this nomadic people of the Uralic language group migrated from their ancestral lands in the east and settled in the region that is now modern-day Hungary.



The term Magyar is the Hungarian word for Hungarian. It is pronounced with a dj in the middle for the single Hungarian letter gy to create Ma-djar as enunciated by locals.



If Hungarians named themselves magyar, the exact reason isnt known. Linguists reckon that Hungarian departed from its main Finno-Ugric branch 4,000 years ago, changing as it did so. Whatever it may have meant then is shrouded in mystery.



The warrior spirit

Many claim that the word Magyar can be traced back to an ancient Turkic word, mogor, which means brave or courageous. As the Magyars established their presence in the Carpathian Basin, they adapted this term to define themselves, emphasising their warrior spirit and resilience. Over time, mogor evolved into Magyar, the name by which the Hungarian people became known.



Beyond its historical roots, the term Magyar holds profound cultural and linguistic significance for the Hungarian people. Hungarians are part of the Finno-Ugric language family, which includes several other ethnic groups such as the Finns and Estonians. While the origins of this language family remain somewhat obscure, it is believed to have its roots in the Ural mountains, the border between Europe and Asia in present-day Russia.



The men of Muager

Arpad was the original tribal leader whose name appears on countless names for streets, squares and bridges across Hungary today. According to local medieval chronicles, one of his ancestors was King Magor of the Huns. There was actually a real king called Muager or Mugal in the early 6th century, leader of the Pontus Huns, later became a part of the Onogur tribe.



One view is that King Muagers name is the first form of the name Magyar, for those who followed him. As Muager only reigned for two years, however, it is debateable how his significant his influence might have been. It is possible after his death in 530 that the Magyars moved from Pontic steppe and joined the Uyghurs.



After the disintegration of the Uyghur Empire in 840, they moved west, half of them settling among the Volga Bulgarians, known as the Bashkirs. The others moved further west, uniting with the three tribes of the rebellious Kabars while they did so.



With Pechenegs a constant threat from the east, and Bulgarians from the west, they headed for Mukachevo in western Ukraine. Moving west under Arpad, they entered the Carpathian Basin, intermingling with the local population. After generations of conflict and change, the closest relatives of todays Hungarians are genetically closer to Croatians and Ukrainians, with only slight traces of this exotic eastern past in their genes.



Mansi and Megyers

Whether the term Magyar comes from King Muager or not, one of the Hungarian tribes was the Megyers. They may have belonged to the Arpad dynasty or perhaps the Megyer tribe lent its name to the whole group leaders had to make an oath in blood.



According to linguists, the term magyar could be a combination of the words mansi and er(ge). The Mansi still live around the Tyumen area of Siberia, where the Hungarians once dwelt, their language a close Finno-Ugric relative of Hungarian. Genetically, however, they remain far apart. Er means man in many Finno-Ugric and Turkic languages, hence Ma-nsi man.



More recent linguistic analyses have debunked this theory, although two significant sub-groups of the Mansi, once separate, later united. A bastardisation of Mos and Ugor to create magyar is plausible, at least.



Perhaps derived from the Megyer tribe, the Hungarian words megy (he goes) and megye (county) seem pretty close. In Hungarian, words are like Lego bricks, built on top of each other, so megye might be a chunk of land that one can travel through. Adding an r to the end of a word usually creates gerunds, a noun created from a verb, so megyer could refer to people who can travel through a certain land in one go, or people who make or have counties.



Seeds and peanuts

Some ultra-nationalists believe that magyar comes from the word mag, or seed. While Hungarians were cattle hoarders rather than cultivators, the term more refers to Hungarians carrying the seeds of their knowledge and culture.



The Hungarian word mogyoro, peanut, is not too dissimilar to Magyar, and built from the base word mony, egg or testicles, again hinting at procreation.



It should also be mentioned that magyar fits perfectly into the pattern of other tribes names around the Pontic-Caspian steppe north of the Black Sea where they were formed. Bulgar, Khazar, Avar and Magyar all end in -ar, man in Turkic languages. While scholars are still debating what Khazar, Bulgar and Avar actually meant, it could be that magyar was how other neighbouring Turkic tribes referred to Hungarians.



Whatever its origins, the term Magyar serves as a powerful symbol of Hungarian identity, rooted in the nations historical, cultural and linguistic heritage. It embodies the courage, resilience and shared values that have shaped the Hungarian people throughout their history.



By Peterjon Cresswell for XpatLoop.com

Peterjon Cresswell has been researching the bars and byways of Budapest for 30 years, extending his expertise across Europe to produce guidebooks for Time Out and his own website, liberoguide.com, focusing on football culture and the drinking around it.
The Government of Kazakhstan has cancelled visa fees for Indian tourists for two weeks, and Kazakhstan's low-cost carrier (LCC) FlyArystan, has also launched flights from Delhi to Shymkent in Kazakhstan.

Low-cost carrier FlyArystan (Air Astana Group) made the first flight between India and Kazakhstan. The flight on the Delhi-Shymkent route was carried out on Monday, May 22. As the Government of Kazakhstan cancelled visa fees for Indian tourists for a 14-day visit in Kazakhstan, airline company FlyArystan is very hopeful that tourists will visit for their vacation.

Also read: Akasa Air Launches Take Off Tuesdays Airfare Sale, Offers 10 Percent Discount On Flight Tickets

"Since the cancellation of the visa regime for Indian citizens to enter Kazakhstan, the flow of tourists has increased significantly; therefore, we decided to fill the need of passengers to travel between countries pursuing our main goal - providing affordable, convenient, and high-quality air transportation options," Pom Komutanont, Senior Director Operations of FlyArystan told ANI.

Kazakhstan's low-cost carrier has also announced their fare for one-way flights between two major metros, which starts from USD 55.

FlyArystan is the first Kazakh low-cost carrier that started its operations in May 2019. The carrier's fleet consists of 14 Airbus A320 aircraft with an average age of 7 years. It is worth noting that four aircraft were received directly from the manufacturer's factory. By the end of 2023, FlyArystan plans to expand its fleet to 19 aircraft, including new aircraft. The airline company is planning to make Kazakhstan a gateway to the European market for Indian passengers.
CUET UG Admit Card 2023: The Common University Entrance Test (CUET) admit cards for undergraduate programmes are now available by the National Testing Agency (NTA). On the official website, cuet.samarth.ac.in, applicants who have the test scheduled for May 25, 26, 27 and 28 can now get their CUET UG Admit Card 2023 at cuet.samarth.ac.in. Candidates can access the direct URL provided below or the easy instructions provided here to get their CUET UG Hall Tickets.

According to the official announcement, students must access the website to get their CUET (UG) - 2023 admit card using their application number and date of birth. students are scheduled to appear on May 25, 26, 27, and 28. Candidates can follow the instructions below to download their admit card.

Step To Download CUET Admit Card 2023 (UG)

Step 1: Visit the official NTA's website - cuet.samarth.ac.in

Step 2: On the homepage, click on the link that reads - "Download Admit Card"

Step 3: In the newly opened tab, enter your application number, date of birth and security pin

Step 4: Now click on the "Download Admit Card Button" and your CUET 2023 Admit Card will appear on your screen

Step 5: Download your CUET Admit Card 2023 and take a printout for exam day

CUET Admit Cards 2023 have been released for the candidates whose examinations are scheduled on 25, 26, 27, and 28 May 2023. For exams scheduled post-May 28, CUET Hall Tickets will be released shortly.
New Delhi: A forthcoming Hindi web series 'Rafuchakkar' headlined by host-turned-actor Maniesh Paul is in the offing. He will be seen playing a conman. Creator duo Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartk D Nishandar believe this show will stand apart even in the glut of content on streaming platforms. Recently a star-studded wrap-up party, hosted by the creative duo, marked the completion of the web series 'Rafuchakkar'.

Starring Maniesh Paul, Priya Bapat, and others, and directed by Ritam Srivastava, the series is a creative effort by GSEAMS founders Arjun Singgh Baran and Kartk D Nishandar. The party was attended by Maniesh Paul, Priya Bapat, Aksha Pardasany along with Jio Cinema team and other notable celebrities including Shirin Sewani, Aamir Ali, Ankita Lokhande, Vicky Jain, Vikram Kochhar, Kuldeep Sareen and Brij Bhushan.

Arjun Singgh Baran who co-founded prolific production house GSEAMS with Kartk D Nishandar said, "This show is extremely special and close to us because I and Kartk actually started writing it almost four years back and a lot of work and thought has gone into it. It's exceedingly rare to see a good, slick, realistic show about con artists and this show is the exception. It will be pathbreaking and hopefully will be loved by even the audiences in the heartland. Rafuchakkar' will also be on par with any international show in terms of scale, production values, and even the prosthetics."

Arjun and Kartk describe the web series as a groundbreaking Indian show with high production values and a gripping storyline. 'Rafuchakkar' is set to premiere soon on JioCinema.

About the decision to cast Maniesh Paul as a protagonist and a conman, Kartk says, "Maniesh has been a delight to work with. He was not only involved in the production but also in the pre-production, the prep, the look test, script readings, and a lot more. People until now have seen Maniesh as a comic or in light-hearted roles but he's going to break this mold with a profoundly serious, dramatic performance. He's given his hundred percent to this project and our association with him will not just be restricted to 'Rafuchakkar'. We will work with him again very soon."
NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken on Tuesday strongly opposed extending any support to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the issue of the Centre's ordinance on the administration of services in the national capital. He said that if all previous Delhi chief ministers could perform their roles without creating any fuss, why was Arvind Kejriwal stirring up chaos? He asked whether it was mere political posturing.

Kejriwal has sought the support of various political parties on the Delhi services issue and on Tuesday met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He also sought Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's support during their meeting earlier this week. He is appealing to other parties too for support on the issue. The AAP has said that rejecting the proposed legislation to replace the ordinance will be a litmus test for the opposition unity.

Maken, a former Union minister who headed the Delhi Congress earlier, put out a long statement, titled "an examination of reasons to not oppose the ordinance - administrative, political, and legal aspects". He said the Congress should not oppose the proposed legislation to be brought in Parliament on the Delhi services issue, replacing the ordinance promulgated by the Centre last week.

Delhi | The way in which Arvind Kejriwal has been running govt in Delhi is absolutely atrocious and thoroughly dishonest & corrupt. Congress can only stand with him if we betray both our tenets & our understanding of the Constitution. For the benefit of the people of Delhi, I pic.twitter.com/JUDCp7KhmK  ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

The ordinance for setting up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and disciplinary proceedings against them virtually negated the May 11 Supreme Court order that ruled in favour of the AAP government. Maken said that primarily, cooperative federalism principles don't fit in Delhi's context.

Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa endorsed Maken's viewpoint and said the party high command should not support Kejriwal on the issue as he deserves no sympathy. "Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal deserve no support or sympathy from the Congress. AAP's Punjab government has launched ruthless witch-hunt against Punjab Congress leaders and workers and has made their lives hell by misusing the police and investigation agencies," he said on Twitter.

"I appeal to Congress high command to consult the leadership of Punjab, HP, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Karnataka before even considering helping AAP. It was instrumental in giving a political edge to BJP in these states. AAP is the B team of BJP and they are two sides of the same coin. Let's not protect a wolf in the sheep's clothing," Bajwa said.

Asked whether the Congress has decided to oppose the proposed legislation, party spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said the party will discuss the matter with its state units in Delhi and Punjab before taking a final call on the issue. The AAP is in power in Delhi and Punjab. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal on Monday said, "The Congress party has not taken any decision on the issue of the Ordinance brought against the SC judgment on the powers of the Government of NCT of Delhi with respect to appointment of officers. It will consult its state units & other like-minded parties on the same."

"The party believes in the rule of law and at the same time does not condone unnecessary confrontation, political witch-hunt and campaigns based on lies against political opponents by any political party," Venugopal said on Twitter. Maken said Kejriwal is now seeking the support of the Congress, but his past political engagements raise some questions. "His party, along with the BJP, passed a resolution requesting the Union Government to withdraw Bharat Ratna from our beloved Rajiv Ji.

"Moreover, Kejriwal backed the BJP both inside and outside of Parliament on the Jammu & Kashmir issue. This support came when J&K was divided and reduced to a Union territory, leaving its people disenfranchised for five years," he said. The Congress leader said Kejriwal also supported the BJP during the move to impeach CJI Dipak Mishra on various charges, after the CJI refused to entertain a PIL for investigating the suspicious circumstances around the death of Justice Loya.

Kejriwal was the first to implement the controversial anti-farmer Laws, he charged, adding that his party also opposed the opposition's candidate for the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson and instead supported the BJP-sponsored candidate. "Kejriwal's support for the BJP in Gujarat, Goa, Himachal, Assam, Uttarakhand, and in the recent Karnataka elections, where he fielded candidates against the Congress party, also begs the question - why only in states where Congress is the primary opposition or ruling party," he said.

"...Anyone backing Kejriwal and opposing the ordinance is essentially going against the wisdom and decisions of Pandit (Jawaharlal) Nehru, B R Ambedkar, Sardar Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, and P V Narasimha Rao. The key question remains - if all the previous Delhi chief ministers could perform their roles without fuss, why is Kejriwal stirring up chaos now?..Is this mere political posturing? Unfortunately, it's Delhi that bears the brunt of this unrest. In this turmoil, Delhi suffers the most," Maken charged.

He also said Delhi being the national capital, cooperative federalism principles don't fit in this context. "...None of the prime ministers since independence allowed the elected Delhi government the powers to transfer and post officials," Maken said.
(Bloomberg) -- Chinas solar sector is accelerating an already world-beating pace of installations as costs tumble and demand keeps rising, putting it on track to rush past last years record.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The country installed almost three times the volume of solar capacity between January and the end of April than in the same period in 2022, and is on track to add more panels this year than the entire total in the US.

Falling costs in the solar supply chain and rising consumption of electricity in the worlds No. 2 economy are fueling demand for the clean power source. China, which remains heavily reliant on coal despite its huge renewables fleet, is aiming to press ahead with expansions to meet President Xi Jinpings goal of reaching net zero by 2060.

The nation could install 154 gigawatts of solar capacity this year, BloombergNEF said on Monday, raising its China forecast from a previous total of 129 gigawatts. The US had a cumulative total of 144 gigawatts installed at the start of 2022, according to BNEF data.

Installations in China could surge to 200 to 300 gigawatts next year, Liu Hanyuan, chairman of top polysilicon maker Tongwei Co., said in an interview on the sidelines of the SNEC PV Power Expo, the sectors largest China conference that opened Tuesday in Shanghai.

The actual development always wows us, Liu said. The energy transition could only be achieved between 2050 and 2060 when we see reality go beyond our expectations multiple times.

The rise in Chinas deployments means the world is on track to have a total of 5,300 gigawatts of capacity by 2030  about the volume of solar that is required in scenarios under which global net zero targets are met. Other key sectors, including transportation and wind power remain behind track.

The industrys frantic expansion  and whether its sustainable  will be under debate at the conference in Shanghai. In addition to Tongwei, speakers will represent top global solar producers including Longi Green Energy Technology Co. and Trina Solar Co.

China is adding intermittent wind and solar generation at a much more rapid pace than energy storage, and there are signs that some grids are already being overwhelmed with power in the middle of the day.

Read More: China Province Has Too Much Solar Power for Lunar New Year

A massive build-out of wind and solar plants in remote desert areas is also testing the ability of power lines to keep pace. Building more renewables than the grid could handle led to high curtailment rates and a sharp slowdown in activity in the late 2010s.

Still, solar panel maker JA Solar Technology Co. forecasts new solar installations of about 150 gigawatts in China this year, and sees potential for that to rise to as much as 180 gigawatts if lower prices boost demand, Morgan Stanley said in a note last week.

The China Photovoltaic Industry Association said in February that the nation would likely install 95 gigawatts to 120 gigawatts this year  up from last years record of 87.4 gigawatts.

China is the worlds largest solar market, and its going to continue to be that way through 2030, BNEFs lead solar analyst Jenny Chase said Monday at an event in Shanghai.

(Updates with comments from executive in the fifth and sixth paragraphs.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
BHOPAL: A cheetah cub, born at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh two months back, died on Tuesday, the forest department said. The latest fatality took the death toll of cheetahs in KNP to four in the last two months, including three felines translocated from African countries. Prima facie, the cub died of weakness, a Forest department release said.

"The monitoring team found that one of the four cubs of feline 'Jwala' was lying at the spot where they were spotted earlier while three other cubs were roaming with their mother. The team alerted veterinarians who rushed to the spot and gave necessary treatment to the cub, but it died,? the release said.

#WATCH | MP: Today when the monitoring team visited the park, the cub looked weak, so the team called veterinary doctors and took the cub to the hospital but after 5-10 minutes, it cub died. The cause of death is due to immense weakness. Further details of the cause can be given pic.twitter.com/zIsCLP2tiX  ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2023

It seems the cub died because of weakness as it was weak since birth, said the release. Cheetah Jwala, earlier known as Siyaya, was brought from Namibia to KNP in Sheopur district in September 2022. She gave birth to four cubs in the last week of March this year.

Cheetahs were reintroduced in India, 70 years after the species was declared extinct. One of the Namibian cheetahs, Sasha, succumbed to a kidney-related ailment on March 27, while another cheetah, Uday, from South Africa, died on April 13.

Daksha, a cheetah brought from South Africa, died of injuries following a violent interaction with a male during a mating attempt on May 9. Siyaya's four cubs were born in the wild on Indian soil after the last cheetah was hunted in the Korea district of present-day Chhattisgarh in 1947.

This fastest land animal was declared extinct in the country in 1952. The relocation of cheetahs from Africa is part of an ambitious plan to revive their population in India. Eight Namibian cheetahs 'five female and three male' were released into enclosures at the KNP on September 17 last year at an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In February this year, 12 more cheetahs arrived at KNP from South Africa. Of the 24 cheetahs, including four cubs born in India, KNP now has 17 adults and three cubs. Some of them are yet to be released into the wild.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a three-day visit to Australia on Tuesday met the Executive Chairman of Fortescue Future Industries, an Australia-based Green energy and technology firm. John Andrew Henry Forrest AO, nicknamed Twiggy, is an Australian businessman. He is best known as the former CEO (and current non-executive chairman) of Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) and has other interests in the mining industry and in cattle stations. According to the Financial Review, Forrest was the richest person in Australia in 2008. The Prime Minister also met Paul Schroder, CEO of Australian Super, in Sydney. He was appointed Chief Executive of Australian Super on October 1, 2021, and is responsible for the leadership and strategic development of the fund as well as the provision of advice to the board.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Sydney as part of the third and final leg of his three-nation visit after concluding his visit to Papua New Guinea. PM Modi was received by Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell and other officials upon his arrival in Sydney. During his visit, PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.

Also Read: 'Honour For Indians': PM Modi On Getting Papua New Guinea, Fiji's Highest Recognition

At their bilateral meeting, the leaders will discuss trade and investment, including efforts to boost trade between the two countries through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people links, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation, said the official statement released by the Australian government.

Also Read: Did Modi Support Issuance Of Rs 2000 Note In 2016? Ex-PMO Official Says This

Members of the Indian diaspora also welcomed PM Modi as they chanted slogans of "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram". During the visit, the Prime Ministers will attend a community event in Sydney to celebrate Australia's dynamic and diverse Indian diaspora, a core part of our multicultural community," the statement added.

Meanwhile, Australian PM Albanese said he looks forward to visiting India in September in New Delhi for the G20 Leaders' Summit, the world's premier forum for economic cooperation.

Describing the relationship between India and Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the high degree of mutual trust between the two nations has naturally translated into greater cooperation over time, especially on defence and security matters.

In an exclusive interview with 'The Australian' newspaper, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he wants to elevate relations with Australia to the "next level," which would entail deeper defence ties to support the creation of an "open and free" Indo-Pacific.

"India believes that these challenges can be addressed only through shared efforts," he said, adding that he wanted India and Australia to press forward to realise the "true potential" of closer defence and security ties.
These are not our words but are feedback from the couples, who met through the Punjabi matrimonial service based in Delhi, The Royal Matrimony Services.

There are countless successful love stories that began at the doorstep of the Royal Matrimonial Services. For 17 years and counting, this matrimonial service has made a mark in the Punjabi community. Ranbir Chhabra started the company with the vision of making Punjabi matchmaking an easy job for people, and he has succeeded. Now he has passed on his legacy to his much-talented son, Gaurav Chhabra, and he, like his father, is leaving no stone unturned to take the business to the success it deserves.

Marriages are laid on the foundation of trust; love, compatibility, and understanding come next. There are numerous cases of fraud and deception reported every now and then through random matrimonial platforms. Royal Matrimonial Services is believed to be a trusted service provider in matchmaking, and they have been proving it for almost two decades.

The CEO, Gaurav Chhabra, claims "finding the right match for you or your loved one has never been more reliable than with Royal Matrimonial. While matches are made in heaven, marriages take place on earth. We take it upon ourselves to find the best match for a made-for-each-other couple."

The Chhabras started the Royal Matrimonial Services from Rohini in Delhi and now have their headquarters in the finest lanes of Punjabi Bagh. Their network has grown so robust that they have profiles of prospective brides and grooms, who are NRIs, businesspersons, techies, doctors, and many more registered with them. Their options are plentiful, and you can filter them according to your preferences.

It is as simple as it sounds; they inquire about your details, like age, gender, profession, career choices, aspirations, lifestyle, hobbies, educational background, and what you wish for in your better half. They move ahead by presenting the best-suited profiles to you. After both parties are matched, meetings kick off. The meetings are intended to understand each others behaviour, likes and dislikes, career aspirations, and whether the two individuals see a life partner in each other. Since marriages in India are not limited to two people tying the knot, the Royal Matrimonial Team organises family meetings as well.

The Royals are quite innovative in their efforts. They organise events such as Swayamvars, where multiple families and individuals get to meet, get to know one another, and understand if anyone or any family clicks with their choices.

When there are so many matrimonial sites, what makes Royal Matrimonial services the best matrimonial site? The answer probably lies in their way of dealing with clients, which is comforting, fulfilling and customised for individuals. Their motto is to help people find real joy and happiness, and that comes with a good partner.

(Above mentioned article is a consumer connect initiative, This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of IDPL, and IDPL claims no responsibility whatsoever.)
The event took place at a 5-star banquet hall in Navi Mumbai and was attended by several distinguished guests who were eager to learn about the upcoming Plan I Business Park, located in Nerul, Navi Mumbai. The project has received the Commencement Certificate and is set to launch soon.

The highlight of the event was the unveiling of Plan I, a 30-storeyed building with an eye-catching elevation and a unique design. The design is created by a renowned New Zealand-based architect, ensuring that the landscaping design is nothing short of spectacular. Nestled within this remarkable design, you will find a harmonious blend of office and retail spaces. The project aims to provide a holistic work environment that promotes productivity and creativity while ensuring that the occupants have access to all the modern amenities and facilities they need. The project includes state-of-the-art amenities that have not been seen before in the area, making it an attractive option for real estate investors and channel partners.

Tescon Green's CEO and Director, Mr. Siddharth Khanna, spoke about the company's upcoming project during the event. According to him, the project is designed to be futuristic and modern, with state-of-the-art amenities. The project includes modern buildings, designs, and amenities, making it a smart city model and an internationally famous real estate market. With India's growth and Navi Mumbai's expanding infrastructure, the project is set to transform the region into a leading real estate market. Tescon Green's commitment to quality and innovation is evident in this project, with a focus on creating a holistic work environment that promotes productivity and creativity.

In addition to showcasing the project, the Summer Brunch event included engaging activities for the guests. Children were engaged in activities like tattoo making (using paint) and slime making, which added an element of excitement to the event. As a gesture of appreciation, Tescon Green gifted each guest with a plant, reflecting the company's commitment to sustainable development and creating a better future for all.

Tescon Green's focus on sustainable development is evident in the Plan I project, which reflects the company's commitment to creating unique and innovative projects that cater to the needs of modern society. The Summer Brunch event was a perfect example of how real estate development can be more than just construction; it can be an opportunity to create a better future for all. In essence, Tescon Green's Plan I is set to be a game-changer in the world of real estate.

(Above mentioned article is a consumer connect initiative, This article is a paid publication and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of IDPL, and IDPL claims no responsibility whatsoever.)
RRR actor Ray Stevenson passed away in Italy on Sunday, May 21. The 58-year-old was known for his roles in movies like Punisher: War Zone, King Arthur, and Thor, among others. The cause of Stevensons demise has not yet been revealed. The actor's sudden death has shocked his colleagues and friends around the world. SS Rajamouli, who directed Stevenson in RRR, expressed his condolences on social media.

Rajamouli wrote, Shocking Just '. Ray brought so much energy and vibrancy with him to the sets. It was infectious. Working with him was pure joy. My prayers are with his family. May his soul rest in peace.

JR NTR, who played the lead in RRR, also paid his condolences. Shocked to hear about Ray Stevenson's passing. Gone too soon. It was a great experience working with him. May his soul rest in peace. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and dear ones during this difficult time. he said.

Shocked to hear about Ray Stevenson's passing. Gone too soon. It was a great experience working with him. May his soul rest in peace.



My thoughts and prayers are with his family and dear ones during this difficult time.  Jr NTR (@tarak9999) May 23, 2023

RRR's official Twitter account remembered Stevensons character. "What shocking news for all of us on the team. Rest in peace, Ray Stevenson. You will stay in our hearts forever, Sir Scott."

What shocking news for all of us on the team! _



Rest in peace, Ray Stevenson.



You will stay in our hearts forever, SIR SCOTT. pic.twitter.com/YRlB6iYLFi  RRR Movie (@RRRMovie) May 22, 2023

Filmmaker James Gunn, who collaborated with Stevenson for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recalled that the actor was a joy to work with.

Damn. So sorry to hear about the passing, far too young, of Ray Stevenson. I only knew him a little from shooting post-credits of Thor 2 & a couple interactions at events, but we had some good laughs & he was a joy to work with. His friends & family are in my heart today.   James Gunn (@JamesGunn) May 22, 2023

The official handle of the Thor movies, in which Ray Stevenson played the role of Volstagg, wrote that the actor will be deeply missed.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ray Stevenson, who brought humor and wit to the character of Volstagg. He was a wonderful actor who will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. https://t.co/8t0w99Am1f pic.twitter.com/aQDwntDnv4  Thor (@thorofficial) May 23, 2023

Actor Scott Adkins also mourned the demise of his good friend. He tweeted, I will miss you Big Ray!

I'm shocked and saddened by the tragic news that a great actor and my good friend Ray Stevenson has passed away. I will miss you Big Ray! Life is short so make the most of it people. #RIP #RayStevenson pic.twitter.com/atcNWKLSYM  Scott Adkins (@TheScottAdkins) May 22, 2023

Stevensons co-star in the television series Rome, James Purefoy, called him a brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim.

So sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away. A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim. My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss.  James Purefoy __ (@JamesPurefoy) May 22, 2023

Stevensons posthumous releases include Cassino in Ischia and 1242: Gateway to the West. The actor was also set to appear in the Disney+ series Ahsoka.

Ray Stevenson was born in 1964 in Northern Ireland's Lisburn. During the early 1990s, he starred in several European television programs and telefilms. In 1998, Stevenson made his film debut in Paul Greengrass Theory of Flight, starring Kenneth Branagh. and Helena Bonham Carter. The actors filmography included Lexi Alexander's Punisher: War Zone (2008), Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur (2004), and Adam McKay's The Other Guys (2010).
Subscription-based aviation startup IndiaJets has announced the launch of its operations in India with an aircraft membership programme. Based on the timeshare model, the platform is tailor-made for business owners and senior management professionals, offering them the benefits of a private aircraft at their disposal without having to own one, IndiaJets said in a statement.

IndiaJets is a brand owned and operated by Prive Avion Alliances Pvt Ltd. Prive Avion was founded by John Kuruvilla along with T G S Gupta and Rajesh Rajan in October last year.

Also read: Mig-29 Fighter Jet's Fuel Tank Dislodges From Aircraft Mid-Air, Falls In Forest Area In Kolkata

According to the platform, subscribers will have to buy the share size appropriate to the annual flight requirement for a fixed amount per month and per hour flown without having to hire personnel, pay hangar rent, or attend to the many other details inherent in the whole aircraft ownership, including variable costs, it said.

The company said it has internally accrued a seed funding of USD 5-lakh and currently operates a 6-seater business jet. The plans are to induct another 32 aircraft, including medium-to-large jets, over the next few years, it added.

In India, there are several challenges in air travel for businessmen in India. The high cost of aircraft ownership and monthly operations and maintenance are strong entry barriers, said John Kuruvilla, Co-founder and CEO of IndiaJets.

"Flying private is the only solution, and business leaders across the world are now doing so through fractional ownership, which offers the flexibility, convenience, privacy, tax- and time-saving benefits of aircraft ownership, without the attendant capital expense or management responsibilities," he said. Subscribers, according to him, can customise their itinerary, set their own schedules, save and maximize the value of their time, among others.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a visit to Australia as a part of a three-nation tour. Knowing this information, about 170 Indian-origin people in the nation have chartered a flight from Melbourne to Sydney to attend the PM's visit. During his visit, PM Modi will address a rally which is expected to have around 20,000, as per ABC Australia's report. During his speech at Olympic Park Arena, he will address the Australia-India relationship. It is to be noted that the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, will also be present during the event.

The people attending the event booked a Qantas flight for their journey to Sydney. However, the Prime Minister's supporters named the flight "Modi Airways." As per reports online, the Indian-Australian citizens were sporting tri-color-themed clothes. Along with it, they also carried the Indian national flag.

Also read: IndiaJets Launches Subscription-Based Aircraft Ownership Services in India: Check Details

On his three-day visit to Australia, PM Modi is set to meet with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and take part in a celebration of the Indian diaspora there. According to the Australian government's official statement, the leaders will discuss trade and investment at their bilateral meeting, as well as efforts to increase trade between the two nations through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement and work to strengthen people-to-people ties, renewable energy, and defence and security cooperation.

Modi left Papua New Guinea for Sydney, where he spoke with James Marape about their bilateral relations and took stock of them. He also spoke about improving collaboration in fields including business, technology, healthcare, and climate change.

PM Narendra Modi began his tour From Japan, where he attended three sessions of the G7 meeting at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. The third in-person Quad Summit took place in Hiroshima, and Modi was present together with US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida, and his Australian colleague Anthony Albanese.
New Delhi: Ahead of the opening of the new Parliament building, Congress on Monday accused the Centre of disrespecting constitutional propriety and demanded that President Droupadi Murmu should do the inauguration instead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a press conference, Congress' senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said that PM Modi should urge the President to inaugurate the building and that she should be accorded the honour as head of the institution of Parliament.

"The Congress has expressed its concern as the principal opposition party and we feel strongly that the constitutional propriety should be maintained and the honourable president who is the head of the Parliament should be requested by the government to inaugurate," Anand Sharma said.

He said that the prime minister has every right to be there and that Congress is only pointing out what is 'constitutionally correct'. It is not proper constitutionally to keep the President of India out of such a big decision, he added.

"We feel that the Constitution is not being respected... It does not give a good message that earlier a Dalit President was not invited and now a tribal woman is being kept away from this decision," Sharma said.

Earlier, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and former party president Rahul Gandhi also said that the president should inaugurate the new Parliament House and not the prime minister.

In a series of tweets, Kharge said that the then president Ram Nath Kovind was not invited to the new Parliament's foundation laying ceremony in December 2020 and claimed that President Murmu is not being invited to the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

"The Modi Government has repeatedly disrespected propriety. The Office of the President of India is reduced to tokenism under the BJP-RSS Government," he alleged.

Noting that Parliament is the supreme legislative body while the President is the highest Constitutional authority, Kharge said she alone represents the government, the Opposition, and every citizen alike.

"She is the First Citizen of India. Inauguration of the new Parliament building by her will symbolise the government's commitment to democratic values and Constitutional propriety," he tweeted.

The President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu is not being invited for the inauguration of the new Parliament Building.



The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India, and the President of India is its highest Constitutional authority.



2/4  Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 22, 2023

The Modi Govt has repeatedly disrespected propriety.



The Office of the President of India is reduced to tokenism under the BJP-RSS Government.



4/4  Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 22, 2023

Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the new Parliament building on May 28 following an invitation by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.

BJP hits back at Congress

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, slammed the Opposition and said they do not refrain from 'playing negative politics' even in this 'glorious moment'.

"The Opposition is indulging in cheap politics at a time when they should be together because Parliament is a symbol of Indian democracy. It is not related to any political party," BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said.

BJP chief spokesperson Anil Baluni said that whenever a good thing happens, Congress leaders resort to 'cheap politics'.

"When the nation is feeling proud on the construction of the new Parliament building, Congress leaders have again stooped to a new low," he said.

It is notable that Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building on December 10, 2020. The present Parliament building, which was completed in 1927 and is now 96 years old, was found to be inadequate for present-day requirements.

New Parliament can seat over 1,100 MPs

The new Parliament building can comfortably seat 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber and 300 in the Rajya Sabha chamber. In the case of a joint sitting of both Houses, a total of 1,280 members can be accommodated in the Lok Sabha chamber.

The new building, constructed by Tata Projects Ltd, will also have a grand constitution hall to showcase India's democratic heritage, a lounge for MPs, a library, multiple committee rooms, dining areas and ample parking space. The triangular-shaped four-storey building has a built-up area of 64,500 square meters.

The building has three main gates -- Gyan Dwar, Shakti Dwar, and Karma Dwar. It will have separate entrances for VIPs, MPs, and visitors.
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be meeting his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on Tuesday, an official said. Kejriwal will be accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo is trying to drum up opposition support over the Delhi government's fight against the Centre over an ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital. Kejriwal and Mann are scheduled to land at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in the afternoon. They will hold a brief meeting with AAP leaders of West Bengal before visiting the state secretariat Nabanna to meet the Trinamool Congress chief.

"They are scheduled to have a closed-door meeting at the state secretariat. They may also hold a discussion on probable strategies for next year's general elections," a senior TMC leader said. Kejriwal and Mann will leave the West Bengal capital on Tuesday evening.

Kejriwal has met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the ordinance issue and the latter has extended full support to AAP in its tussle with the Centre on the matter. The AAP chief may also meet Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Wednesday in Mumbai.

The Centre promulgated an ordinance on Friday to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and disciplinary proceedings against them.This came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services, excluding those related to police, public order and land, to the elected government in Delhi.

Also Read: 'God Will Not Forgive BJP': Kejriwal On Pic Of 'Frail And Weak' Jailed AAP Leader

An ordinance has to be ratified by Parliament within six months. For which, the Centre will have to bring a bill for its passage in both Houses of Parliament.
Wyndham is the flagship brand of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. The upscale brand features has rooms, meeting, public areas designed for today's blended travel. Source: Wyndham.

Choice Hotels International has signaled an intent to acquire Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Choice Hotels told Skift: We do not comment about market rumors and speculation.

We dont comment on rumors, said a spokesperson for Wyndham. We are focused on business as usual.

The Journal said the companies are not in serious talks. However, the report will trigger sector speculation because a potential merger between the companies would likely create North Americas largest franchisor of budget hotels.

If Wyndham executives resist a deal, Choice Hotels would have the option to pitch the acquisition directly to Wyndhams shareholders, the report noted.

This is an extremely interesting situation as the cash flow would be tremendous, enough possibly to offset the high-interest rates on the debt that would be needed to pull this off, said Alan Woinski, the editor of Skifts Daily Lodging Report newsletter.

Yet is this the right time to attempt a hostile deal given macro-economic concerns? Woinski asked. Would the federal government even allow one company to dominate the economy segment like the combined companies would?

Choice Hotels is the Rockville, Maryland-based operator of nearly 7,500 hotels spanning 22 brands, including its flagship upper-midscale brand Comfort and roadside midscale brand Quality Inn. Choice has repeatedly said its strategy consists of expanding its portfolio with hotels that generate higher royalties per unit, meaning higher-end properties.



Wyndham, a Parsippany, New Jersey-based hotel operator with approximately 9,100 hotels and 842,500 rooms, is best known for its budget brands, such as Super 8 and Ramada. But its 24 brands also include higher-end properties, such as Dolce, Wyndham, and Wyndham Grand. (See Skifts Every One of Wyndhams 24 Hotel Brands, Explained.)

An instinct to merge among hotel groups is understandable. Having a greater scale bolsters the effectiveness of loyalty programs and brand marketing, which can help hotel companies drive more customers to book directly. Direct bookings avoid the commissions of between 10 and 30 percent that online travel agencies charge.

Story has been updated and will be updated further.

Get breaking travel news and exclusive hotel, airline, and tourism research and insights at Skift.com.
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday allowed Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez, accused in a money laundering case also involving alleged conman Sukesh Chandrasekar, to travel abroad from May 25 to June 12. Special Judge Shailendra Malik allowed the application moved by Fernandez claiming she needed to travel to Abu Dhabi from May 25 to May 27 to attend IIFA Awards. The judge also allowed her to travel to Milan, Italy from May 28 to June 12 after the actress said she was required to participate in the shooting of a film.

The court had on November 15 last year granted bail to Fernandez, who is an accused in the case but was not arrested. The ED had lodged the case based on an FIR filed by Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) against Chandrasekhar, who has been accused of cheating and extorting money from Aditi Singh, the wife of former promoter of Religare Enterprises Shivinder Mohan Singh.

Singh was arrested in October 2019 in a case related to alleged misappropriation of funds at Religare Finvest Ltd. Chandrasekhar and his associates reportedly took money from Aditi after posing as government officials and promising to secure bail for her husband. Chandrasekhar reportedly persuaded Aditi to transfer money by impersonating a central government official over a spoof call while he was lodged in Rohini jail. Fernandez is accused of laundering money in the case.
New Delhi: If you are in possession of Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes, you may start exchanging them in banks from today. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to withdraw the Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes from circulation. The central bank has however reiterated that the banknotes in Rs 2000 denomination will continue to be legal tender.

Rs 2,000 Banknotes Exchange: Here are 10 Key Points

1. Exchange of Rs 2,000 banknotes into banknotes of other denominations can be made upto a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank starting from May 23, 2023.

2. The exchange facility of Rs 2,000 banknotes shall be provided free of cost.

3. Deposit into bank accounts can be made in the usual manner, that is, without restrictions and subject to extant instructions and other applicable statutory provisions, says RBI.

4. RBI has added that the facility for exchange of Rs 2,000 banknotes upto the limit of Rs 20,000 at a time shall also be provided at the 19 Regional Offices (ROs) of RBI having Issue Departments1 from May 23, 2023.

5. The Reserve Bank has said that people can exchange Rs 2,000 banknotes till September 30, 2023.

6. The Reserve Bank of India has advised banks to stop issuing Rs 2,000 denomination banknotes with immediate effect.

7. People can continue to use Rs 2,000 banknotes for their transactions and also receive them in payment. However, they are encouraged to deposit and/or exchange these banknotes on or before September 30, 2023.

8. Deposit into bank accounts can be made without restrictions subject to compliance with extant Know Your Customer (KYC) norms and other applicable statutory / regulatory requirements.

9. Exchange of Rs 2,000 banknotes can be made through BCs upto a limit of Rs 4,000 per day for an account holder.

10. A non-account holder also can exchange Rs 2,000 banknotes up to a limit of Rs 20,000 at a time at any bank branch.

The central bank has said that if a bank refuses to exchange / accept deposit of Rs 2,000 banknote, people can lodge their grievance in such case of deficiency of service. The complainant / aggrieved customer may first approach the concerned bank. If the bank does not respond within a period of 30 days after lodging of the complaint or if the complainant is not satisfied with the response/resolution given by the bank, the complainant can lodge the complaint under the Reserve Bank - Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS), 2021 at the Complaint Management System portal of RBI.
New Delhi: With Tata Electronics now hogging the limelight for iPhone manufacturing in India, industry experts on Monday said that with their ambition on semiconductors and EVs, it only makes sense for the Tata Group to gain expertise in manufacturing high-end iPhones in the country.

Currently, iPhone 12 and iPhone SE (second generation) are being manufactured/assembled at Taiwan-based iPhone manufacturer Wistron's Karnataka factory, which Tata Electronics is set to take over soon.

Once the final takeover is done, the facility is likely to manufacture new Apple products that may include the upcoming iPhone series.

"With the new make-in-India potentially entry to mid-level iPhone 15 series, the Tata Group will make a modest beginning in this new partnership," according to Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group, CMR.

"We anticipate a remarkable growth trajectory for the Tata Group in the coming years as they gain expertise and experience in high-end iPhone manufacturing," he told IANS.

In the years ahead, the Tata Group has the potential to solidify their position as a pivotal player in the iPhone manufacturing ecosystem.

Wistron's factory in Karnataka, that employs about 12,000 people, constitutes a major chunk of its business in the country.

According to reports, Wistron will be winding down its operations soon and is "likely to approach the National Company Law Tribunal and the Registrar of Companies to dissolve its India operations".

Meanwhile, the manufacturing/assembly of iPhone 13 and 14 in the country will continue at Foxconn's Sriperumbudur facility on the outskirts of Chennai, according to sources.

As the iPhone consumption increases in the country, Apple needs more suppliers to ramp up production here, as it reportedly aims to take away a significant chunk of manufacturing from China to countries like India and Vietnam.

'Make in India' shipments from Apple grew 65 per cent (on-year) by volume and 162 per cent by value, taking the brand's value share to 25 per cent in 2022, up from 12 per cent in 2021, according to Counterpoint Research.

According to senior research analyst Prachir Singh, Apple's EMS (electronics manufacturing services) partners Foxconn Hon Hai and Wistron were the fastest growing manufacturers among the top 10 in Q4 2022 and "the growth was also fuelled by increasing exports from Apple".

Overall, iPhone exports from the country surged to cross $5 billion (over Rs 40,000 crore) in FY23.

Apple set a quarterly record in the January-March period in India and grew very strong, in double digits year-over-year, according to the company's CEO Tim Cook who was in India last month to open the first branded retail stores in Mumbai and New Delhi.

Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint, told IANS that Tatas' semiconductor ambitions are serious and came at a very important juncture amid India's digital goals.

"First, they can leverage the semiconductor strength in their EV business and second, their chips can be aligned with Apple in the future and the learning curve will be great for them," Pathak told IANS.

Third, the government policy will help them with OST and ATMP and scale their semiconductor ambitions.

Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OST), also referred to as assembly, testing, marking, and packaging (ATMP) units, plays a crucial role in semiconductor manufacturing.

"Tatas are known for their diversified business and now with everything connected and semiconductors being their key components, it all makes perfect sense for them to manufacture high-end iPhones," Pathak added.
New Delhi: Australian celebrity chef Sarah Todd met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Sydney on Tuesday and called him an 'incredible' man and influencer. The 'Masterchef Australia' contestant also said that she feels 'very lucky' to have met PM Modi and that she can see that he really cares about India.

"The Prime Minister is such an incredible man. I feel very lucky to have met him and I can see that he really cares about the country and the vision. The PM is an incredible influencer and I think coming from humble beginnings and standing up as this leader in the country - he has done such incredible work...," Sarah Todd told the news agency ANI.

PM Modi took to his official Twitter account and said that Sarah is 'very passionate' about India, which was reflected in her deep knowledge about the Indian cuisine, spices and more.

Sarah Todd, the celebrity chef, is very passionate about India, which was reflected in her deep knowledge about our cuisine, spices and more. Had an excellent interaction with her in Sydney. https://t.co/0cmQiuKYwV pic.twitter.com/ShStXSXuAW  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2023

"Had an excellent interaction with her in Sydney," he tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also interacted with other prominent Australian public figures working in diverse fields like science, artificial intelligence, social work and art and music and encouraged them to contribute to strengthening the India-Australia relationship.

The prominent public figures he met included artist Danielle Mate, Nobel laureate Brian Paul Schmidt, 'Toilet warrior' Mark Balla, and rockstar Guy Sebastian.

Sarah Todd, international chef, restaurateur, TV host, speaker and entrepreneur. pic.twitter.com/85cZcb8DNM  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 23, 2023

'Toilet warrior' Balla called Prime Minister Modi an absolute number one change maker in the sanitation space globally. She said they spoke about the subject of sanitation.

"The 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' in India - Mr Modi is the number 1 changemaker in the sanitation space globally," Balla said after the meeting.

Nobel laureate Schmidt said he had a very enriching conversation with PM Modi on science and research and called him one of the 'most visible' leaders that India has had.

Australian artist Mate said the prime minister has a 'creative element' to himself and that he can see similarities in the arts and culture of the two countries.

Danielle Mate Sullivan, aboriginal artist. pic.twitter.com/R9JJNRLaLr  Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) May 23, 2023

Sebastian spoke with Modi about music as well as his mother. He said the prime minister showed him a clip of the viral Oscar-winning song 'Natu Natu' and it is something he is going to learn.

Earlier in the day, he met business leaders of top Australian companies and called for enhancing cooperation with the Indian industry in areas such as technology, skilling, and clean energy. He held bilateral meetings with Hancock Prospecting Executive Chairman Gina Rinehart, Fortescue Future Industry Executive Chairman Andrew Forrest, and AustraliaSuper CEO Paul Schroder.

PM @narendramodi met Ms. Gina Rinehart, Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting. The PM discussed the reforms undertaken to enhance 'Ease of Doing Business' in India. pic.twitter.com/Nv4Tapbir3 May 23, 2023

In Sydney, PM @narendramodi met Dr. Andrew Forrest, the Executive Chairman of @FortescueFuture Industries. He spoke about the economic opportunities in India and the reforms undertaken which make the country an attractive investment destination. pic.twitter.com/AwmQZqAVMV  PMO India (@PMOIndia) May 23, 2023

Modi arrived in Sydney on Monday for the third and final leg of his three-nation tour during which he will hold talks with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese on Wednesday.
Continued strong results in the first quarter of 2023

Statkraft AS

(Oslo, Norway, 23 May 2023)  Statkraft delivered strong results in the first quarter of 2023, with solid operations in all geographies and continued strong performance in Markets. Statkraft realised a gain of NOK 1.6 billion after selling half of its offshore wind portfolio in Ireland.



Net operating revenues rose to NOK 24.5 billion from NOK 22.1 billion in Q1 2022, while underlying EBIT increased to NOK 18.5 billion (NOK 18.0 billion), Statkrafts second strongest quarter ever.

Power prices were somewhat lower in general, but prices increased in northern Norway and Sweden.

Statkraft and Skagerak Energitjenester were first to offer new and more customised fixed-price power contracts to Norwegian businesses in early May.

Statkraft signed its first long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) in the US, as well as several new PPAs and power supply agreements (PSAs) in Norway, Italy and Poland.

"High power prices, though at a lower level than last year, combined with solid operations gave very strong results from power production. Value-creation in Markets continued to be very strong, says Statkraft CEO, Christian Rynning-Tnnesen.

The Group operating revenues were significantly impacted by positive contributions from hedging and currency effects due to the weakening of the Norwegian krone.

Operating expenses increased, driven primarily by the high-price contribution in Norway, a weakening of the Norwegian krone and a higher number of employees as the company continues on its growth strategy. The underlying costs for existing operations were stable.

Net financials were negatively impacted by the weakening of the NOK. After taxes of NOK 10.4 billion, net result ended at a solid NOK 10.9 billion.

In January Statkraft sold 50 per cent of our 2200 MW offshore wind power portfolio in Ireland to Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a global leader in renewable energy investments. Statkraft realised a gain of NOK 1.6 billion from the sale. The two companies plan to invest more than NOK 40 billion in offshore wind projects in Ireland.

The partnership with CIP demonstrates our value-creation potential within offshore wind and our ambition to pursue an industrial role in Ireland and the North Sea. We continue to develop our project portfolio and expand our organisation to support the ambitious green growth strategy to develop much needed renewable energy in Norway and internationally", Rynning-Tnnesen adds.

Statkrafts ambition is to become a leading global renewable energy producer, building 2500-3000 MW per year, increasing to around 4000 MW every year by 2030. The majority of new investments will be within onshore wind, solar and hydropower. In hydropower, Statkraft plans to start five major capacity upgrade projects in Norway by 2030 to balance the increasing amounts of intermittent wind power generation.

For further information, please contact:

Debt Capital Markets:

Vice President Stephan Skaane, tel: +47 905 13 652, e-mail: stephan.skaane@statkraft.com

Senior Financial Advisor Arild Ratikainen, tel: +47 971 74 132, e-mail: arild.ratikainen@statkraft.com

Media:

Vice President Torbjrn Steen, tel: +47 911 66 888, e-mail: torbjorn.steen@statkraft.com

Head advisor Lars Magnus Gunther, tel: +47 912 41 636, e-mail: lars.gunther@statkraft.com

or www.statkraft.com

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

About Statkraft

Statkraft is a leading company in hydropower internationally and Europes 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.

Attachments




President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy gathered Monday evening for one-on-one negotiations and offered strikingly optimistic takes on where things stand even as plenty of issues remain unresolved.

We still have some disagreements but I think we may be able to get where we have to go, said Biden before the meeting began.

After the meeting wrapped up a little over an hour later, McCarthy told reporters it had been a "productive discussion" that he said was better than any other meeting so far even as the two sides remain short of a deal.

McCarthy announced that staff meetings would continue to try and work out the remaining issues in the days ahead, with McCarthy saying he expects to talk with Biden every day "until we get this done."

He also offered this note of caution: "There's nothing agreed to, everything's being talked about.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden meet about the debt ceiling in the Oval Office on May 22. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

Mondays meeting coincided with a new warning from the Treasury Secretary that it could be just days until the US may not be able to pay all its bills.

Janet Yellen wrote in a new letter released Monday that it is highly likely that Treasury will no longer be able to satisfy all of the governments obligations if Congress has not acted to raise or suspend the debt limit by early June, and potentially as early as June 1.

Markets were watching Monday's talks closely, with leading figures underlining the deep costs of default. A lots on the line with each passing day, Moodys Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi told Yahoo Finance.

A new analysis from JP Morgan found that stocks could have a sharp downward reaction if the talks appear go off course in the days ahead.

Step to go to avoid default

Even if a deal is announced in the coming days, there would be many steps to go before a default can be averted. Biden said Monday that task number one is weve got to get something we can sell to both sides.

Approval from both chambers of Congress has been further complicated in recent days by growing discontent from both the left and right.

Among Republicans, conservatives in the powerful House Freedom Caucus are reportedly huddling Monday night after they recently called for no further discussion to force Biden to simply accept a sprawling GOP proposal which has no support from Democrats.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers on the left are saying they might not support deep compromises with Republicans and are casting about for long-shot ideas to short-circuit negotiations, from a maneuver called a discharge petition to the legally-questionable option around the 14th amendment.

A key remaining issue

During Mondays remarks, one key sticking point that came up repeatedly was around the question of raising revenue.

Biden and his team have repeatedly pitched closing certain tax loopholes - especially provisions around the fossil fuel and cryptocurrency sectors - with Republicans rejecting the ideas each time.

Revenue matters, Biden said Monday, with McCarthy quickly responding that he thinks Americans are already overtaxed.

The sides also continue to negotiate on spending levels, with a GOP proposal passed in April aiming to cut discretionary spending to 2022 levels and then impose a 1% cap on future increases. Democrats have been negotiating around the issue but pushing for smaller cuts.

The negotiators still have plenty of other issues to work out in the days ahead across things like possible new work requirements that the GOP is proposing around social programs, energy permitting reform, and efforts to "claw back" unspent COVID relief money.

But for now Tuesdays optimistic tone is likely to hearten optimism in the business community that has been strongly urging both both sides to avoid default at all costs. On Monday, Biden said we both know we have a significant responsibility.

For his part, Zandi laid out the stakes of failure, saying Monday that if we breach, I think we go into a recession because the economy is already very fragile.

Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

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Tuesday began with hope that a debt-ceiling deal could be in sight even as Republicans counseled caution. That guarded optimism largely hinges on some positive signals around the key issue of government spending.

Staff-level talks remained productive on the issue, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday. Negotiators met again following optimistic remarks from both President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

But McCarthy warned against over-optimism Tuesday. He reportedly told a closed-door meeting of Republicans colleagues "we are nowhere near a deal yet" just hours after saying in the Oval Office "I think, at the end of the day, we can find common ground."

President Joe Biden meets with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy of Calif., to discuss the debt limit in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, May 22, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

At issue is an increase of about $130 billion in government spending from FY2022 to FY2023 that was approved by Congress late last year.

In comments Monday evening, a lead negotiator for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy signaled that Republicans are open to compromise on their proposal to return to the FY2022 levels and then impose a 1% cap on future increases.

Were here negotiating, said Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) after Mondays Oval Office meeting. The teams in the room have built some level of relationship and trust that we can actually get a product that is mutually agreeable.

What the White House has offered is a compromise to freeze federal spending at current FY2023 levels, which Republicans have rejected.

In comment to reporters Tuesday, McCarthy emphasized the sides still had some distance to travel. He reportedly said of Democrats: "They still want to spend more money next year than we spent this year. Thats a red line."

Nonetheless, there is hope that the parameters of a deal are in place to satisfy both the GOP desire for cuts along with the Democrats stance that cuts can't be too deep, especially in social programs.

There's a dollar between those levels so it seems likely they can find some common ground there, said Shai Akabas, the Bipartisan Policy Center's director of economic policy, Tuesday morning during a briefing.

His group also released a new debt-limit projection today that finds a growing risk of default if a deal is not reached before a dangerous upcoming period from June 2nd to the 13th.

Im all for reducing and continuing to reduce the deficit, Biden said yesterday.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) leave the White House West Wing after debt ceiling talks on Monday. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

We may be able to get where we have to go

There are other issues beyond spending that are subject to negotiation from the two sides.

One is proposed new work requirements from the GOP that would be tied to federal assistance like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Another is permitting reform to cut red tape for new energy projects.

A key sticking point is a last-minute push from the White House to close certain tax loopholes - especially in the fossil fuel and cryptocurrency sectors - to raise additional revenue. Republicans have repeatedly rejected anything that could be described as a tax increase.

The negotiators are also trying to find common ground on a push from the GOP to "claw back" COVID relief money that remains unspent. This part of the negotiations could have an impact on the overall conversation around spending levels.

Finally, markets will also be closely watching how much a possible deal actually raises the debt ceiling itself. The Republican proposal would lift the limit by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024  whichever comes first  with many hoping for a more significant raise to take the issue off the table until after next year's presidential election.

In a new statement, Business Roundtable CEO Joshua Bolten applauded the sense of optimism and urged a swift compromise, warning every American will be affected if the U.S. defaults.

This post has been updated.

Ben Werschkul is Washington correspondent for Yahoo Finance.

Click here for politics news related to business and money

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
A day after both President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy described their Monday meeting as productive, the negotiations continued but huge differences remain unresolved.

McCarthy reportedly told Republicans at a closed-door meeting Tuesday morning that the negotiators are nowhere near a deal. The speaker urged his members to stick by him.

Both McCarthy and Republican Rep. Garret Graves, a chief GOP negotiator, insisted that the White House has not moved far enough on spending, rejecting a compromise proposal to freeze outlays at current levels.

We are not putting anything on the floor that doesnt spend less than we spent this year, McCarthy said.

Asked about potential Republican concessions in the talks, McCarthy told CNN: Were going to raise the debt ceiling.

Graves similarly insisted there would be no deal without spending cuts. Until this administration is willing to recognize that they are having record spending, record deficits and record taxes, then we're not going to be able to come together, he told reporters. What's unreasonable is the White House position. It's irresponsible, and it literally is jeopardizing the generation after us, the children and grandchildren of today and this is just unsustainable."

Another GOP negotiator, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, said that the White House has shown a lack of urgency in the talks, a point that Biden spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre strongly disputed.

The White House, meanwhile, said that House Republicans have continued to demand draconian cuts to critical programs Americans rely on. In a press release, the Office of Management and Budget warned again that the bill the GOP has put forth so far combined with Republicans commitment to preserve defense spending levels would likely require cuts of at least 30% to programs including education, research, public safety and public health.

Biden has called for raising revenue by increasing taxes on corporations and has proposed to save federal money by expanding the number of prescription drugs for which Medicare can negotiate pricing. McCarthy has rejected any tax hikes and told reporters that he thought Biden was trying to disrupt the whole negotiations by bringing up the Medicare proposal. To me, that's a tactic to try to blow up negotiations," he said.

Treasury looks to buy more time: With the days until a potential default running short, the Treasury Department has reportedly asked federal agencies if it can delay upcoming payments as the Biden administration looks for ways to stave off a potential default, The Washington Post reports. The paper adds that Treasury officials sent a memo to agencies last week instructing them to take additional steps to inform Treasury about deposits and spending.

With a big influx of quarterly tax payments expected to arrive in Treasurys coffers on June 15, administration officials are looking for ways to hoard cash and eke out a few more days, the Post explains. If they can make it to June 15, the surge in revenue might give Treasury enough funding to push the X-date into July, when a fresh round of accounting measures would become available, perhaps allowing them to push the prospect of default even further into the future.

One administration official acknowledged that they are looking under the couch cushions, adding that its a very large couch. Goldman Sachs economist Alec Phillips told the Post that Treasury might still be able to direct agencies to slow down their processes for submitting payments to buy more time. And Treasury might also be able to temporarily raise tens of billions of dollars by selling off bonds held in government trust funds and buying them back once the cash crunch ends.

At the same time, the Post notes that these options come with downsides and that administration officials arent counting on such fallback plans.

House pushes off appropriations markups: House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger announced overnight that this weeks planned markups of four GOP spending bills for fiscal year 2024 were postponed in light of the ongoing debt limit negotiations.

R-E-L-A-X? Debt limit talks between White House and House Rs are oscillating between productive meetings and near-breakdowns, which is actually not that unusual for a big negotiation, Politicos Burgess Everett tweeted. And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged calm. Everybody needs to relax, the Kentucky Republican said. The president and the speaker will reach an agreement. It will ultimately be passed on a bipartisan vote.

The bottom line: Nowhere near a deal speaks for itself. The House is scheduled to be on recess from Thursday afternoon until June 5. McCarthy reportedly told his members they should go home to their districts if a deal isnt reached by Memorial Day weekend.

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President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Naus?da have made press statements, Azernews reports.

First, the Lithuanian President made a press statement.

Statement by President of Lithuania Gitanas Naus?da

- Your Excellency Mr. President,

Dear guests.

Today I am welcoming you to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. A year ago, within the framework of my visit to Azerbaijan, we started important discussions and decided to strengthen our relations in terms of bilateral cooperation and in the fields of economy and education. I am sure that this visit will add a new positive dynamic to the relations of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Lithuania.

President Aliyev and I will open the second Lithuanian-Azerbaijani business forum today. I am sure that this platform will provide ample opportunities in the economic sector. At the same time, agreements on cooperation between Lithuania and Azerbaijan in the fields of environment, youth and law enforcement were signed today. This will give an important impetus to the development of our bilateral relations.

Since 2006, Lithuania has participated in international development projects together with Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is a partner of Lithuania within the European Unions Twinning program. Also, Azerbaijan is a Lithuanias main partner in terms of the number of projects implemented within the Eastern Partnership program.

Lithuania supports the development of partnership between the European Union and Azerbaijan. We must look for new opportunities for the development of our strategic partnership within the framework of the Eastern Partnership program. We have a positive assessment of the energy cooperation between the European Union and Azerbaijan. This cooperation has had a positive impact on the energy market of the European Union and also contributed to the energy supply of the European Union in winter months.

Russias brutal war against Ukraine has introduced new content to our cooperation. We must work together to prevent Russia from evading sanctions and support Ukraine to victory.

Lithuania is a supporter of a peaceful, stable and comprehensive settlement of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia through diplomatic means. Lithuania strongly supports the efforts of the European Union and our Transatlantic allies in this direction.

Your Excellency, I am sure that the bonds of friendship between our countries and peoples will continue to unite us for years to come. Thank you.

XXX

Then, the Azerbaijani leader made a press statement.

Statement by President Ilham Aliyev

- Dear Mr. President,

Dear ladies and gentlemen.

Mr. President, first of all, I would like to thank you for the invitation and for the hospitality. I am very happy to be visiting your beautiful country again.

Today, we discussed a wide range of important issues in a broad exchange of views and once again reaffirmed our strategic partnership. Last year, President Nauseda was on an official visit to Azerbaijan and this year I am paying an official visit to Lithuania. We also met in Davos earlier this year. So, this in itself shows that a very active political dialogue is being conducted between us and this dialogue is complemented with concrete results. Of course, the agreements reached at the political level have a positive effect on all other areas. We very much hope that things will go quickly in the fields of economy and trade, as well as at the political level, in the coming years. I am sure that today's business forum will be an important step in this direction.

I am sure that the joint activity of business organizations will lead to an increase in the trade turnover. I should also note that there is great interest from both sides, and a Lithuanian-Azerbaijani business forum was held in Baku as part of the official visit of President Nauseda to Azerbaijan in May last year.

Today, we also had a broad exchange of views on regional issues. I informed the President of Lithuania about the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace talks. We do hope that peace negotiations will eventually bring long-term peace to the Caucasus although the lands of Azerbaijan were under Armenian occupation for many years, for about 30 years. As a result of this occupation, one million Azerbaijanis were displaced from their native lands, approximately 20 percent of our territories were under occupation. In the occupied territories, almost the entire infrastructure and buildings, including historical sites, were destroyed by the invaders. We believe that the signing of a peace treaty is inevitable and are trying to make constructive efforts to achieve this goal. Of course, this peace agreement should be based on international norms and principles.

European Union-Azerbaijan relations play an important role in our bilateral cooperation with Lithuania, and we are grateful to Lithuania for its efforts to develop these relations. Two months after President Nauseda visited Azerbaijan, a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic partnership in the field of energy was signed between the European Commission and Azerbaijan in Baku, and this memorandum is being successfully implemented. Very serious steps are being taken regarding the transportation of Azerbaijani natural gas to European markets. The volume of transported, i.e. exported gas is increasing year by year and will continue to increase.

We have also exchanged views on the development of renewable energy in Lithuania and Azerbaijan. We confirmed that we are moving in this direction almost in parallel to each other. Both Lithuania and Azerbaijan are attaching great importance to this field, and I believe that bilateral cooperation in this field will be possible in the near future.

Of course, our countries have great responsibilities for creating even more comfortable transport and communication opportunities on the Eurasian continent, which connects our countries and continents in general. We agreed that relevant institutions would seriously deal with this matter because this is necessitated by the new geopolitical realities emerging in the world.

The volume of transit cargo passing through the territory of Azerbaijan is increasing year after year and will continue to increase. Our modern infrastructure makes that possible. Transportation routes connecting the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus with the Baltic Sea countries are also well known. Simply put, we will achieve successful cooperation in this field by implementing such connectivity projects through joint efforts.

All in all, I can say that the importance of the issues discussed today once again shows that Lithuania and Azerbaijan are successfully cooperating with each other as strategic partners. I am sure that this cooperation will receive another strong impetus after this visit.

Thank you very much again for the invitation and for the hospitality.




Delignit's (ETR:DLX) investors will be pleased with their respectable 79% return over the last three years

By buying an index fund, you can roughly match the market return with ease. But if you choose individual stocks with prowess, you can make superior returns. Just take a look at Delignit AG (ETR:DLX), which is up 78%, over three years, soundly beating the market return of 5.5% (not 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 Delignit

To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

During three years of share price growth, Delignit achieved compound earnings per share growth of 26% per year. This EPS growth is higher than the 21% average annual increase in the share price. Therefore, it seems the market has moderated its expectations for growth, somewhat.

The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

We know that Delignit has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? You could check out this free report showing analyst revenue forecasts.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 2.4% in the twelve months, Delignit shareholders did even worse, losing 13% (even including dividends). However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 5% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Delignit better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Delignit that you should be aware of.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on German exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Key Insights

Significantly high institutional ownership implies Deutsche Telekom's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions

The top 13 shareholders own 50% of the company

Ownership research along with analyst forecasts data help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock

Every investor in Deutsche Telekom AG (ETR:DTE) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 48% to be precise, is institutions. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot 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.

In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of Deutsche Telekom.

View our latest analysis for Deutsche Telekom

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Deutsche Telekom?

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 Deutsche Telekom. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Deutsche Telekom's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Deutsche Telekom. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is KfW, Asset Management Arm with 17% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 14% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 4.7% by the third-largest shareholder.

A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 13 shareholders have a combined ownership of 50% implying that no single shareholder has a majority.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Deutsche Telekom

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. 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.

Our data cannot confirm that board members are holding shares personally. Not all jurisdictions have the same rules around disclosing insider ownership, and it is possible we have missed something, here. So you can click here learn more about the CEO.

General Public Ownership

With a 38% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Deutsche Telekom. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Next Steps:

I find it very interesting to look at who exactly owns a company. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Deutsche Telekom (including 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) .

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Digital Currency Group Misses $630 Million Payment to Genesis

Digital Currency Group Misses $630 Million Payment to Genesis

Digital Currency Group (DCG) faced a setback when it failed to make a $630 million payment owed to Genesis last week. This payment failure has led to a legal dispute between DCG CEO Barry Silbert and Gemini CEO Cameron Winklevoss. The conflict revolves around a $900 million loan that Genesis, a DCG entity, failed to repay after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has also accused both companies of selling unregistered securities through their Earn program, adding to the complications.

In response to the payment dispute, Gemini has threatened legal action against DCG and Silbert. While discussions between Gemini and DCG are ongoing, Gemini has suggested an alternative reorganization plan with Genesis that doesn't require DCG's approval. The viability of this plan will depend on whether DCG engages in good faith negotiations. DCG has stated that it remains engaged with stakeholders in the Genesis Capital restructuring process during the 30-day mediation period, which commenced on May 1. Gemini, on the other hand, is preparing to file a claim seeking the return of over $1.1 billion in digital assets from Genesis, meant for its extensive base of over 200,000 Earn users.

Legal proceedings continue as Genesis has requested an extension from the Bankruptcy Court to file a Chapter 11 plan and solicit acceptances from creditors. If approved, Genesis will have until August 27 to submit the plan, with Gemini having until October 26 to accept it. The January court filing revealed that Genesis owes more than $3.5 billion to its top 50 creditors, including Gemini, Cumberland, Mirana, MoonAlpha Finance, and VanEcks New Finance Income Fund.
BOGOTA, Colombia, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL; NYSE: EC) informs that on May 22nd, 2023, it reached an agreement with the Union Sindical Obrera (USO) for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement will be retroactively effective from January 1st, 2023, and will be valid for a four-year term. In addition, agreements were also reached with the following labor unions: Asintrahc, Asopetrogas, Asteco, Sintramen, SUP and Utipec.

Ecopetrol Logo,

In relation to wages, the parties agreed: for 2023, an annual wage increase of Colombian CPI + 1.5%, and, for 2024-2026, annual wage increases of Colombian CPI + 1.6%.

The agreements also include a commitment to continue promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion with a gender focus in the workplace, and to improve the well-being of workers, while also complying with criteria based on reasonableness, austerity and efficiency. The parties also agreed to allocate resources for social investment projects and energy transition forums.

Ecopetrol acknowledges the commitment and professionalism of the negotiating teams, all of whom contributed to the success of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will improve the Company's sustainability standards and the welfare of its workforce and contribute to the development of the Country.

-----------------------------------------

Ecopetrol is the largest company in Colombia and one of the main integrated energy companies in the American continent, with more than 18,000 employees. In Colombia, it is responsible for more than 60% of the hydrocarbon production of most transportation, logistics, and hydrocarbon refining systems, and it holds leading positions in the petrochemicals and gas distribution segments. With the acquisition of 51.4% of ISA's shares, the company participates in energy transmission, the management of real-time systems (XM), and the Barranquilla - Cartagena coastal highway concession. At the international level, Ecopetrol has a stake in strategic basins in the American continent, with Drilling and Exploration operations in the United States (Permian basin and the Gulf of Mexico) and Brazil, and, through ISA and its subsidiaries, Ecopetrol holds leading positions in the power transmission business in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector. This press release contains business prospect statements, operating and financial result estimates, and statements related to Ecopetrol's growth prospects. These are all projections and, as such, they are based solely on the expectations of the managers regarding the future of the company and their continued access to capital to finance the company's business plan. The realization of said estimates in the future depends on the behavior of market conditions, regulations, competition, and the performance of the Colombian economy and the industry, among other factors, and are consequently subject to change without prior notice.

This release contains statements that may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All forward-looking statements, whether made in this release or in future filings or press releases, or orally, address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, including in respect of the Company's prospects for growth and its ongoing access to capital to fund the Company's business plan, among others. Consequently, changes in the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements: market prices of oil & gas, our exploration, and production activities, reserves, market conditions, applicable regulations, the exchange rate, the Company's competitiveness and the performance of Colombia's economy and industry, to mention a few. We do not intend and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

For more information, please contact:

Head of Capital Markets (a)

Carolina Tovar Aragon

Email: investors@ecopetrol.com.co

Head of Corporate Communications (a)

Juan Guillermo Londono

Correo electronico: juan.londono@ecopetrol.com.co

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ecopetrol-reached-an-agreement-with-labor-unions-for-a-new-collective-bargaining-agreement-301832134.html

SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A.
Elon Musk says Tesla will 'strongly consider' building gigafactory in England

Elon Musk said his electric car company was preparing to look for a location to build a new battery factory later this year and would assess England as an option.

Tesla will strongly consider building its next gigafactory in England, Elon Musk has said.

Mr Musk said his electric car company was preparing to look for a location to build a new battery factory later this year and would assess England as an option.

Asked about a possible English gigafactory - the term for electric car battery manufacturing plants - on Tuesday evening at the Wall Street Journals CEO Council event in London, he told the audience: I will strongly consider England for a future location of a gigafactory.

We are not currently looking at new locations but we will probably towards the end of this year.

His remarks are likely to trigger a fresh round of lobbying by governments around the world to secure any potential investment.

Last night a Department for Business and Trade source said: "We would be delighted to show Elon and Tesla all the many benefits of establishing a gigafactory in this country.

"Importantly, this shows that with our skills base, infrastructure, and excellent supply chain, the UK remains an attractive destination for advanced industries to locate and grow their businesses.

A Treasury source said ministers would be happy to engage with any potential investor to bring industry back to Britain.

The billionaire chief executives remarks come after he previously overlooked Britain to build the companys first European factory in Berlin, blaming uncertainty around Brexit.

He has also vowed to look at potential investments in France following a recent high-profile meeting with president Emmanuel Macron. His comments suggest a race between London and Paris to secure investment.

Tesla currently makes vehicles at four main factories in Fremont in California, Austin in Texas, Berlin and Shanghai. The company is also building a factory in Mexico.

A Tesla gigafactory would likely bring large numbers of jobs to England and regional mayors have been keen to attract investment from Mr Musk.

Following previous reports that the entrepreneur could consider locations here, Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen and West Midlands mayor Andy Street both offered to tour Mr Musk around available land that could be used.

Another site has also been put forward in Somerset as a potential location for a battery factory.

Mr Musk visited the UK for three days in 2021 but did not disclose the official reason for doing so. At around the same time, the governments Office for Investment called upon regional agencies to urgently submit potential locations covering 250 hectares for a possible new car factory.

Mr Musk did not use the opportunity during his recent visit to France to stop off in the UK. The Tesla chief addressed the Wall Street Journal event on Tuesday by video link.

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FILE PHOTO: The logo for Google LLC is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City

Tech group AOM's video licensing policy no longer in EU antitrust crosshairs FILE PHOTO: The logo for Google LLC is seen at the Google Store Chelsea in Manhattan, New York City

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The Alliance for Open Media (AOM), whose members include Alphabet unit Google, Amazon, Apple and Meta, on Tuesday dodged a possible fine after EU antitrust regulators closed an investigation into its video licensing policy.

The European Commission, which acts as the competition enforcer for the 27-country bloc, had been investigating alleged anti-competitive behaviour related to the licence terms of AOM's new standard software for streaming called AV1 since last year.

"The Commission decided to close the investigation for priority reasons. The closure is not a finding of compliance or non-compliance of the conduct in question with EU competition rules," a spokesperson for the EU executive said in an email.

"The Commission will continue to monitor competition-related issues regarding standard essential patents with a substantial impact in the EU market."

The Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) welcomed the move.

"Royalty-free licensing forms a foundational element for technological standards and the open internet, fostering innovation, choice and competition in the interests of businesses and consumers in the European Union and worldwide," AOM said in a statement.

AV1 is an open, royalty-free video coding software designed for video transmission over the internet, and is used by Netflix and YouTube as well as Google Chrome and Firefox.

Other AOM members are Netflix, Broadcom, Cisco, Tencent, Intel, Huawei, Mozilla, Samsung and Nvidia.

Companies face fines of as much as 10% of their global turnover for breaching EU antitrust rules.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Jason Neely, Kirsten Donovan)
FILE PHOTO: House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party holds a meeting on the wargames simulation "Taiwan Tabletop Exercise (TTX)," on Capitol Hill in Washington

Exclusive-US lawmaker demands action against Chinese chip firm CXMT after Micron FILE PHOTO: House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party holds a meeting on the wargames simulation "Taiwan Tabletop Exercise (TTX)," on Capitol Hill in Washington

By Stephen Nellis and Karen Freifeld

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Commerce Department should put trade curbs on Chinese memory chip maker Changxin Memory Technologies (CXMT) after Beijing earlier this week banned the sale of some chips by U.S.-based Micron Technology Inc, the chair of the U.S. House of Representatives' committee on China said on Tuesday.

The restrictions by China's cyberspace regulator against Micron are the latest in a widening trade dispute between the world's two largest economies. The move by China sparked tough language from key lawmakers and the White House.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Tuesday the Chinese announcement on Micron was "not based in fact."

The White House said the Commerce Department was "engaged directly" with China over Micron, a maker of memory chips that are essential for products from cell phones to data center servers.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, also said Tuesday he is talking to the broader business community and allies about the issue.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A representative for CXMT could not be immediately reached for comment.

A Commerce Department spokesperson declined to comment.

Representative Mike Gallagher, an influential lawmaker whose select committee on China has pressed the Biden administration to take tougher stances on China, is the only lawmaker so far to call for retaliatory action.

The U.S. "must make clear to the PRC (People's Republic of China) that it will not tolerate economic coercion against its companies or its allies," Gallagher said in a statement. "The Commerce Department should immediately add ChangXin Memory Technologies to the entity list and ensure no U.S. technology, regardless of specifications, goes to CXMT, YMTC, or other PRC firms operating in this industry."

CXMT is China's leading maker of DRAM memory chips and the domestic competitor most likely to benefit if Micron is barred from China's massive chip market.

YMTC, or Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp, is a Chinese chipmaker put on the entity list December 2022.

Gallagher also said the Commerce Department must ensure "no U.S.-export licenses granted to foreign semiconductor memory firms operating in (China) are used to backfill Micron, and our South Korean allies, who have experienced exactly this kind of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) economic coercion firsthand in recent years, should likewise act to prevent backfilling," Gallagher said.

Korea's Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and SK Hynix, which both operate memory chip factories in China, and other non-Chinese firms were spared the brunt of U.S. export controls on chip manufacturing gear imposed in October, but they are operating under exemptions from the U.S. rules that can expire or be revoked.

Samsung and SK Hynix did not immediately return requests for comment.

Analysts believe CXMT's chips are two to three generations behind industry leaders Micron, Samsung and SK Hynix.

Gallagher's call comes weeks after U.S. makers of chip manufacturing equipment say they received a clarification from U.S. export control authorities that will allow them to ship more tools to China than initially anticipated.

Lam Research Corp, the leading maker of tools for manufacturing memory chips, told investors the clarification could result in hundreds of millions of dollars in additional sales from China.

The clarification from the Commerce Department concerned how memory chip features are measured for the purposes of applying export control rules.

How such chips are measured can vary with what tools and materials are used to make them and how they are designed, said Dan Hutcheson, vice chair of TechInsights Inc, which produces research reports on the semiconductor industry.

Even among the makers and buyers of memory chips, "it tends to be this big debate," Hutcheson said.

(Reporting by Chris Sanders and Rami AyyubEditing by Anna Driver and Leslie Adler)
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 Regal Partners Limited (ASX:RPL), that sends out a positive message to the company's shareholders.

While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares.

Check out our latest analysis for Regal Partners

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Regal Partners

In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Chief Executive Officer Brendan OConnor bought AU$299k worth of shares at a price of AU$2.60 per share. Although we like to see insider buying, we note that this large purchase was at significantly below the recent price of AU$3.00. 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 insiders purchased 215.00k shares for AU$559k. But they sold 100.00k shares for AU$260k. In total, Regal Partners insiders bought more than they sold over the last year. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Does Regal Partners 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. Regal Partners insiders own about AU$606m worth of shares (which is 77% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Regal Partners Tell Us?

The fact that there have been no Regal Partners insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. However, our analysis of transactions over the last year is heartening. It would be great to see more insider buying, but overall it seems like Regal Partners insiders are reasonably well aligned (owning significant chunk of the company's shares) and optimistic for the future. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Regal Partners. To assist with this, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should run your eye over to get a better picture of Regal Partners.

But note: Regal Partners may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Ignitis grupe

AB Ignitis grupe (hereinafter  the Group) publishes its first three months 2023 interim report, which is attached to this notice, and announces that the Groups YoY Adjusted EBITDA increased by 34.6% and amounted to EUR 149.9 million. This was mainly driven by the Reserve Capacities segment, where the Group utilised an option to earn additional return in the market on top of the regulated return by fixing positive forward clean spark spread. Customers & Solutions segment result, which turned positive due to better B2B performance, also contributed to the overall result. However, electricity B2C activities continued to be loss-making (EUR -16.4 million). Green Generation segment remained the largest contributor to Adjusted EBITDA (46.7% of the Groups Adjusted EBITDA) with flat YoY result despite lower power prices.

The Groups YoY Investments almost doubled and reached EUR 120.8 million, out of which 76.3% were directed to Lithuania. Overall growth was driven by Investments in new Green Generation segments projects and higher Investments in the Networks segment.

Compared to the end of 2022, the Groups leverage metrics improved, following by a decrease in Net Debt. Net Debt decreased by 22.7% (from EUR 986.9 million to EUR 762.9 million), mainly due to positive FCF, which was influenced by higher EBITDA and a decrease in NWC (EUR 314.8 million as of 31 March 2023 compared to EUR 443.3 million as of 31 December 2022). In turn, it led to a significant improvement of FFO/Net Debt ratio to 76.1% (from 49.1% for 2022).

Business development

Since the beginning of 2023, our Green Generation Portfolio increased to 5.3 GW (from 5.1 GW) as a result of greenfield capacity additions of around 0.2 GW. Our Secured capacity also grew to 1.7 GW (from 1.6 GW) as a result of an FID made in our Kruonis PSHP expansion project (110 MW) and Taurage solar project (22 MW) in Lithuania reaching the construction phase.

A few projects in our Portfolio reached significant milestones:

- Kruonis PSHP expansion (110 MW) project, for which an FID in April 2023 was made, reached a construction phase;

- hot tests have begun in Vilnius CHP biomass unit (73 MWe, 169 MWth);

- Mazeikiai WF (63 MW) supplied the first power to the grid;

- Taurage solar project (22 MW) reached a construction phase;

- Jonava solar project (252 MW) in Lithuania reached an advanced development stage;

- Moray West offshore wind project (882 MW) has reached a financial close.

On the Lithuanian offshore wind development front, we are participating in the springs auction, which started on 30 March 2023, for the first 700 MW project with our partner Ocean Winds.

The implementation of other Portfolio projects is progressing as planned with no significant changes since Q4 2022.

On the Networks side, we successfully continued network maintenance and expansion works, including the smart meter roll-out. In 3M 2023, the total number of installed smart meters reached around 340 thousand (out of 1.11.2 million smart meters to be installed). Our target of finalizing the mass roll-out process by the end of 2025 remains unchanged despite the disruption in the production of smart meters and, thus, affecting the project by having the smart meters delivered in smaller quantities than planned and/or within a longer timeframe.

Sustainability

To strengthen the competences and oversight of occupational health and safety, which is one of the top Groups priority this year, as well as sustainability related topics, in April 2023 the competences as well as composition of the Risk Management and Sustainability Committee was expanded. The committee was joined by 2 new independent members, Ana Riva and Wolf Willems, who are now responsible for the oversight of risk management and occupational health and safety as well as sustainability.

Also, after the reporting period, in April 2023, Sustainalytics improved the Groups ESG Risk Rating to low from medium ESG risk level (the score improved from 20.4 to 19.9). It places the Group in the top 12% rank among utility peers.

Shareholder returns and 2023 outlook

In line with the Dividend Policy , a dividend of EUR 0.624 per share, corresponding to EUR 45.2 million, was confirmed for the second half of 2022 and paid out in April 2023.

Following strong 3M 2023 performance, we reiterate our Adjusted EBITDA guidance of EUR 430480 million for 2023.

Key financial indicators (APM1)

EUR, millions 3M 2023 3M 2022 EBITDA 195.3 91.6 Adjusted EBITDA 149.9 111.4 Green Generation 70.0 70.0 Networks 48.7 45.1 Reserve Capacities2 28.6 4.9 Customers & Solutions 0.9 (9.7) Other3 1.7 1.1 Adjusted EBITDA margin 17.0% 11.0% Net profit 127.2 46.8 Adjusted net profit 88.7 61.1 Investments4 120.8 62.0 FFO 185.5 89.3 FCF4 208.0 (157.2) ROE LTM5 18.4% 8.6% Adjusted ROE LTM5 13.9% 10.0% ROCE LTM5 16.7% 7.1% Adjusted ROCE LTM5 12.1% 8.8% EPS (Basic) 1.76 0.64 31 Mar 2023 31 Dec 2022 Net debt 762.9 986.9 Net working capital 314.8 443.3 Net debt/Adjusted EBITDA LTM, times 1.50 2.10 FFO LTM/Net debt 76.1% 49.1%

1 All, except net profit are Alternative Performance Measures (APMs). Formulas of the financial indicators are available on our website .

2 During 3M 2023 the Group has changed the name of the segment from Flexible Generation to Reserve Capacities to better represent segment activities and Group strategy objectives  the main activities of this segment include utilisation of reserve capacities to ensure reliability and security of power system (option to generate electricity in the market during low renewables generation / positive clean spark spread periods).

3 Other  other activities and eliminations (consolidation adjustments and related party transactions), including financial results of the parent company. More information is available in section 8 Parent companys financial statements in our 3M 2023 interim report.

4 The Investments formula has been adjusted retrospectively from the beginning of 2022 by including prepayments for non-current assets. Such presentation shows the amount of Investments made during the year more accurately since the number of advance payments grew significantly with the increase of renewable energy project pipeline. This adjustment also had an impact on the reported FCF figure. For the updated formula, see definitions of Alternative performance measures used by the Group, available on our website .

5 Due to changes in IAS, a part of financial indicators were recalculated retrospectively for the year 2021 (for more information, see our Annual report 2022 , part  6.1 Consolidated financial statements, note 6 Restatement of comparative figures due to changes in the accounting policy ). Due to the adjustment, the LTM indicator for the year 2022 was recalculated retrospectively.

Earnings call

In relation to the announcement of the first three months 2023 interim report, an earnings call will be held on Tuesday, 23 May 2023, at 1:00 pm Vilnius / 11:00 am London time.

To join the earnings call, please register at: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/jhwy9zy7



It will be also possible to join the earnings call by phone. To access the dial-in details please register here . After completing the registration, you will receive dial-in details on screen and via email. You will be able to dial in using the provided numbers and the unique pin or by selecting Call me option and providing your phone details for the system to connect you in automatically as the earnings call starts.

All questions can be directed in advance to the Groups IR, after registering for the earnings call or live during the call.

Presentation slides will be available prior to the call:

https://ignitisgrupe.lt/en/reports-and-presentations

The interim report, including fact sheet (in Excel), will be available for download at:

https://ignitisgrupe.lt/en/reports-and-presentations

For additional information, please contact:

Communications

Arturas Ketlerius

+370 620 76076

arturas.ketlerius@ignitis.lt

Investor Relations

Aine Riffel-Grinkeviciene

+370 643 14925

aine.riffel-grinkeviciene@ignitis.lt

Attachment




An Azerbaijan-Lithuania business forum with participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Naus?da has been held in Vilnius, Azernews reports.

The heads of state made speeches at the business forum.

Address by President Gitanas Naus?da

- Your Excellency, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Dear ministers, members of business community, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

I'm pleased to welcome so many Azerbaijani business people in Vilnius who are joined by their Lithuanian counterparts. I hope today's discussion will help our countries to deepen the existing ties and to develop new partnerships.

This year, Lithuania and Vilnius is celebrating 700-year anniversary. The early days of our capital city were marked by the invitation letters of Lithuanian ruler Gediminas to the foreign leaders, merchants and craftspeople of any social background and religion. Ever since Lithuania has been on an ambitious journey to interact with others, get new ideas and grow.

The great ancestors of the Azerbaijani people we are also part of this story receiving Lithuanian envoys in as early as the 15th century. Today, we can count on the healthy state of our bilateral ties. Azerbaijan is an important partner of Lithuania and we are interested in searching for mutually beneficial opportunities. We see Azerbaijan as a growing economic power with a huge energy potential and aspirations to diversify. Various sectors of Azerbaijans economy such as information technologies, logistics, manufacturing, advanced food industries and renewable energy attract Lithuanian entrepreneurs. This much we can bring to the table.

In the past, Lithuania has proven its ability to quickly adapt and to use new circumstances to advantage. We rely on a strong tradition of industry and an intelligent workforce. Our digital infrastructure is fast and affordable, one of the best in the whole European Union.

During the global contraction in 2020, Lithuania also managed to avoid the negative GDP change. This experience of successful anti-cyclical economic policy was an important lesson that we will use while dealing with new global turbulences. Right now, we are readily looking at the plans of the European Union to support the industrial production of green technologies. New opportunities will be provided by a breakthrough in zero pollution manufacturing. It will benefit Lithuanias economy. The development of the net zero economies could also bring Lithuanias and Azerbaijans economies closer. Our confidence today is boosted by the magnificent energy transition within the last decade. It allowed Lithuania to become the first European country to completely stop imports of Russian energy supplies including oil, electricity, and natural gas. Currently, there is an approach to the economic models based on low fixed price energy to be generated from renewable resources both onshore and offshore. That will strongly increase the competitiveness of our manufacturing and services sectors. Azerbaijans businesses are welcome to join in and reap the benefits.

I'm happy to know that initial economic reunion took place last year in Baku. There I had the honor to open a business forum with His Excellency, the President of Azerbaijan. Today, I strongly believe that our nations must be reconnected not only economically but also in the fields of science, education and culture. The road is wide and it lies in front of us. Let this business forum serve as another step in the right direction. I would like to express special gratitude for organizational activities of this business forum to Lithuanias agency Litfood, Lithuania's Innovation Agency, Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists, Export and Investment Promotion Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (AZPROMO) and all other institutions involved. I wish you all exciting and fruitful discussions. Thank you.

X X X

Address by President Ilham Aliyev

- Dear President Naus?da.

Dear ladies and gentlemen.

First of all, I would like once again to express the gratitude to Mr. President for hospitality.

I'm very glad to be back to the beautiful country and have an opportunity to have a broad exchange of views with Mr. President on our bilateral issues, regional issues, as well as economic agenda. And the fact that the heads of state for the second time within one year address a business forum demonstrates big importance we attach to business-to-business contacts between our countries and our business circles.

With president Naus?da, I think, we laid down a very solid foundation for our cooperation and established a very active political dialogue. As I said, we met last May in Baku, then this January in Davos and now in Vilnius. So, it really demonstrates the dynamism of our cooperation. So, now it's time for business communities to engage in a long journey of mutually beneficial fruitful cooperation.

Two weeks ago here in Vilnius, intergovernmental commission of Lithuania and Azerbaijan met in order to address important issues of our economic agenda. And I think that the role of Joint Economic Commission is to coordinate the efforts of business circles in order to address the importance of potential cooperation and also to provide a framework for partnership.

In this respect, exchange of information about our plans is very important. I'm sure that during the todays business forum, there'll be a lot of discussions about what kind of projects are planned to be implemented in our countries and how business community of both countries can participate. Today we broadly discussed with Mr. President the potential areas of cooperation, and President already mentioned them. I think that the potential is really here because we are moving in the same direction with respect to investments in renewables. Both countries have enormous wind potential in the Baltic and Caspian Sea. And both countries have this on our agenda. In our case, though we are on the safe side with respect to energy security, but still, we want to save more natural gas for export and to use our nature - wind and sun - in order to produce electricity, especially taking into account that last July the European Commission and Azerbaijan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic partnership in the field of energy. Based on this memorandum, we are supposed to double our natural gas supply to Europe until 2027. In 2021, our natural gas supply to Europe was 8 bcm, this year it will be 12 bcm and by 2027 it will reach 20 bcm. I think this is minimum because the potential is here. We are producing more natural gas from existing fields. Very soon we will announce important production from one of the big fields of the Caspian. And also investments in renewables will allow us to save natural gas for export.

Therefore, Azerbaijan, as a reliable supplier to Europe, today exports oil, natural gas, electricity. We plan to export hydrogen, including green hydrogen. All that is part of overall strategic framework of our cooperation with European Union and we are grateful to our Lithuanian friends and partners for a constant support of Azerbaijans efforts and European Commissions efforts to become closer.

Another important area and, I think, business community should take it into account is a great potential in the area of logistics, connectivity and transportation. We look at transportation sector not only as a source of revenues from transit but opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises to establish manufacturing, business, services on route.

Today, Lithuania and Azerbaijan are important transportation hubs in our region. So we need to create connectivity between the regions of Caspian and Baltic Sea and this is possible. Because if we look at the energy map of Europe it has been changed dramatically mainly due to the initiatives of Azerbaijan. Oil pipelines, gas pipeline create a completely new situation. The same with the transportation. We built new connections together with our neighbors and partners. We're investing largely into the sea port infrastructure of Baku. We are investing in building more vessels, which will be able to transport more cargos across the Caspian. Therefore, for business communities, I think, it's the right time to evaluate this opportunity and not to be late because, definitely, these enormous transportation opportunities, especially in the current geopolitical situation, will create added-value.

Also, I'd like to inform our Lithuanian friends that Azerbaijans economy is stable, investments are friendly and is based on natural resources, but at the same time now, the main target is diversification. And I think that we will be able to largely diversify our economy and to reduce dependence on energy sectors. Though, energy sector will continue to play an important role for our energy security and energy security of Europe.

Our economic performance is reflected in certain statistics. In order to attract the Lithuanian companies more to Azerbaijan I would like to say that we have very low foreign debt, it's below 10% of our GDP. We have a stable national currency and I'm sure, will continue to be stable because we have a surplus of our international trade turnover, substantial surplus. And hard currency reserves, which we accumulated in our state oil fund and central bank reserves is 10 times more than our foreign debt. So, stability of our economy is an important factor for regional economic cooperation and for investment climate because good investment climate is created not only by having good legislation. It is not enough. It is important to have good business opportunities, to have very dynamic local market and accessibility to the neighboring market. Therefore, Azerbaijani market is growing, population is growing. Accessibility to big markets of Central Asia is provided. And also establishing strong connectivity with region of where your country is situated, will definitely create additional opportunities.

So I'm sure that this meeting will produce good results. As it was said today, several documents were signed. Hopefully, all of them will end in good results, which will demonstrate the efficiency of these kinds of gatherings. And also using this opportunity I would like to invite our friends from Lithuanian business community to come to Azerbaijan and continue our dialogue.

Thank you very much.

X X X

Addressing the business forum, Minister of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania Ausrin? Armonait? said that Azerbaijan is an important partner of Lithuania in the South Caucasus region. The minister underlined that Lithuania is interested in the further development of relations between the two countries. Noting that the mutual trade turnover between the two countries is multifaceted, Ausrin? Armonait? emphasized that Lithuania is interested in stimulating mutual foreign direct investments. Underlining that there are ample opportunities for the expansion of collaborative projects between the two countries, the Lithuanian minister said that they are interested in sharing the best experience, expert knowledge and success stories with Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijans Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov noted the existence of a mechanism for protecting investments and avoiding double taxation between the two countries, adding that this promotes the activity of investors. Speaking about the diversification of Azerbaijan's economy, Mikayil Jabbarov said that non-oil and gas exports of the country had doubled in the past four years. Touching upon the alternative energy sources, the minister emphasized that the transition to these energy sources had a significant positive effect on Azerbaijans economy.

X X X

The business forum brought together about 80 companies from both countries operating in various sectors of economy.




Yana Tikhonova / iStock.com

In an update to swindling the gullible with promises of swampland in Florida, Sunshine State residents are being taken for hundreds of thousands of dollars by fraudulent sellers of the states wealth of undeveloped land.

Floridas Retirees Are Fleeing: Heres Where Theyre Going Instead

Find: Demand for Gold Is Up. Heres Everything You Need To Know.

Searching county records for undeveloped lots, these scammers target property and impersonate its legitimate owners and title companies before contacting real estate agents and independent buyers. They then attempt to sell off lots quickly through fraudulent wiring instructions so that closing funds can be moved to bank accounts controlled by the swindler.

Palm Bay realtor Marty Piatkowski of Twin County Realty said he is getting asked to help with one or two quick land sale requests on average per week. They dont even give a reason why they want to sell it fast, they just want to sell it fast, Piatkowski stated.

Speaking to CBS affiliate News 6, Orlando Secret Service Special Agent Brian Crowley said a surge in counterfeit documents and fraudulent land sales  particularly in Florida counties with an abundance of undeveloped property like Brevard and Osceola  have cost would-be buyers hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars.

Its an easy scheme to fall for when all the communication is done by email and not face to face, Crowley told News 6, We dont know the actual face of the owner, which is why this is a lucrative scheme.

Wire fraud is a federal crime that happens when electronic communication is used to for a criminal act and, according to Adam Levin, founder of CyberScout and Credit.com, it is by far the most common real estate scam. Its essential to check every email, text or phone message to ensure it is legitimate before pursuing any real estate transaction.

As always, when you are considering an investment property that seems too good to be true, it probably is. Being skeptical is natural and may prevent you from becoming a target of real estate fraud. Scammers are notoriously good at disguising themselves as authentic businesspeople and are particularly adept at gaining the confidence and pressuring vulnerable targets to close the deal.

Discover: 10 Best Florida Cities To Retire on $3,000 a Month

According to Tom Cronkright, CEO and co-founder of the wire fraud recovery and prevention company CertifID, there are five ways you can avoid fraudulent real estate deals like the ones being attempted, and unfortunately carried out, in Florida:

Inquire how and when closing funds are to be transferred from the title company. Verify wiring instructions before sending funds independently. Using the wiring instructions and email addresses provided is exactly what scammers want you to do. After transferred, acknowledge delivery and confirm receipt by correct associate. Be skeptical of any changes to the wiring instructions. Switching procedures is a common rattling strategy used by fraudsters. Contact the title company or real estate agent in person, or is not possible, call if anything rings false or feels phony. For a purchase as big as property, you have to ensure everything is on the up and up.

When it comes to grifters trying to get your money through fraudulent wiring and impersonation, use common sense, monitor your identity everywhere and do your research. Its educating yourself ahead of time, working with professional realtors and doing your due diligence as you move through the buying process, said Crowley.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Florida Land Buyers Scammed for More Than $100K  How To Avoid Fraudulent Real Estate Deals
For-profit schools may soon face tougher employment rules to get financial aid funds

For-profit schools may soon need to prove their programs lead to better employment opportunities for their graduates under new proposed rules from the Education Department.

The rules would require schools to show their graduates are gainfully employed after graduation or have higher earnings than a typical high school graduate without postsecondary education to continue to get federal financial aid funds, among other new standards.

"We cannot turn a blind eye to the college programs that are leaving students with mountains of unaffordable debts," James Kvaal, the undersecretary of education, said in a press release. "The data show that the problem is concentrated at for-profit and career colleges. This package of accountability proposals would create the strongest-ever protections for students and taxpayers against low-value, debt-fueled colleges."

Still the new rule, which aims to protect students who enroll in 1,800 low-performing programs, comes later than advocates had hoped, leaves loopholes for small for-profit schools, and fails to address the needs of students who dont graduate.

"We cannot continue to allow predatory for-profit schools to line their pockets with taxpayer dollars while these schools get rich and borrowers are left holding the bag," Natalia Abrams, president of the Student Debt Crisis Center (SDCC) told Yahoo Finance. "The Department of Education is the gatekeeper between for-profit colleges and millions of dollars. They must uphold their enforcement and oversight duties to ensure the integrity of our higher education and federal student aid system."

A graduating student's cap declares their future intentions during commencement exercises at City College on June 3, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

New rules

Under the rule, a school needs to show that at least half of its graduates have higher earnings than a high school graduate and that graduates' yearly debt payments are equal to or less than 8% of their annual earnings or equal to or less than 20% of their discretionary earnings.

Schools that fail at least one metric would be required to warn students that the program is at risk of losing access to federal aid. If schools fail to meet the requirements on the same metric twice in three years, they would lose access to federal financial aid.

While borrowers and advocates continue to fight for student debt cancellation and transformative reforms in education, it is crucial not to overlook the pressing need for holding predatory, for-profit education companies accountable, Cody Hounanian, executive director of the Student Debt Crisis Center (SDCC), told Yahoo Finance. By imposing consequences on these companies, we discourage the entire industry from engaging in exploitative practices.

Additionally, the regulation would require the collection of new information on all colleges and programs, including:

Costs (including tuition and fees, books, and supplies)

Non-Federal grant aid

Typical borrowing amounts for both private and Federal loans

Earnings

Any occupational and licensing requirements, and

Licensure exam passage rates, if relevant

This information would be publicly available online on a Department-run website. Students also would need to acknowledge reading these disclosures before getting loans for these programs. The Education Department also would create a watch list of the least financially valuable programs under the proposal.

The Departments proposed regulation is an important step toward restoring basic rules of the road for career college programs, Aaron Ament, president of Student Defense, said in a statement. Its a strong proposal, and were especially glad to see they strengthened previous versions of the rule.

Shortcomings in the proposal

(Photo: Getty Creative)

Since President Joe Biden took office, student borrower advocates have asked the administration to reinstate the gainful employment rule enacted under the Obama administration that the Trump administration later rescinded.

Advocates are disappointed that it took this long for the Education Department to reinstate the gainful employment rule, especially since it doesnt take effect until next year.

The proposed regulations were published on May 19, 2023 and the public has 30 days to submit comments. Afterward, the Education Department has until November 1, 2023 to finalize the rules. Once finalized, the rules go into effect July 1, 2024.

While we applaud the Departments efforts and urge swift completion of the rule-making process, this proposal will not take effect until July 2024 at the earliest, Ament said. We also remain concerned that the finalization or implementation of this proposal could be stalled or completely sidelined by legal challenges.

Another shortcoming to the new proposal is that it leaves out small for-profit schools, said Mark Kantrowitz, author and student loans expert.

The new regulations give a free pass to small programs with less than 30 borrowers. This is where the bulk of the problems lie, Kantrowitz told Yahoo Finance. Metrics applied to small programs lack statistical significance, but such small programs can continue to exist for decades without delivering positive outcomes to their students [and] four-fifths of students are enrolled in such small programs.

Advocates also point out that the rules focus on the debt-to-earnings ratio misses those former students most burdened by student debt.

The proposed use of discretionary earnings is meaningless," Kantrowitz said. "The real problem with excessive debt lies with borrowers who do not graduate from college, not those who graduate, regardless of what the debt-to-earnings ratios are. Borrowers who drop out of college are four times more likely to default.

Ronda is a personal finance senior reporter for Yahoo Finance and attorney with experience in law, insurance, education, and government. Follow her on Twitter @writesronda.

Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Former employees hit North Carolina-based FreightWorks with a WARN Act lawsuit. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Former employees and truck drivers for FreightWorks LLC claim the Rutherfordton, North Carolina-based truckload carrier violated federal law by failing to give a 60-day advance notice of a planned shutdown before firing nearly 200 workers on March 6.

The two named class representatives, Martin Oshea and Misty Chapman, along with 18 named plaintiffs, filed a 17-page amended class action complaint against FreightWorks LLC and its nine entities on May 15, nearly two months after initially filing suit against the trucking company and its entities on March 23.

The plaintiffs claim to have been laid off without cause amid a mass layoff and/or plant closing as defined in the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.

The suit alleges that FreightWorks is covered by the WARN Act because the trucking company employed 100 or more workers at the time of the mass layoffs. The former employees state that FreightWorks failed to pay their wages, salary, commissions, bonuses and holiday and vacation pay for 60 days following their terminations.

Attorney Julian H. Wright Jr. of Robinson Bradshaw is representing FreightWorks in the WARN Act litigation.

I can tell you that FreightWorks disagrees with the allegations in the complaint, Wright told FreightWaves on Monday. They disagree with how the complaint attempts to spin WARN Act obligations and FreightWorks intends to defend itself vigorously in the litigation.





He continued, The plaintiffs filed this amended complaint and we are in discussions with them to accept service of the amended complaint and then well presumably proceed with the litigation.

FreightWorks filed a WARN Act notice on March 31 with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, eight days after the initial lawsuit seeking class action status against FreightWorks LLC and its entities was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

The Warn Act notice, which was issued 25 days after FreightWorks mass layoffs, states, As previously discussed, FreightWorks did not understand that the WARN Act applied to the companys situation earlier this month.

While Joshua Farmer, president of FreightWorks, is listed as a contact in the WARN notice, the letter was signed by Lori Cornelius, human resources manager for FreightWorks.

The layoffs took place in stages, depending upon the need for workers as the company completed its freight contract obligations, assessed the full impact of the general business downturn affecting the company, analyzed the impact of a large customers decision to curtain its business and began considering restructuring alternatives, Cornelius wrote in the notice.

As of publication, Cornelius had not responded to FreightWaves request to clarify whether the trucking company had any prior discussions with the North Carolina Department of Commerce about FreightWorks failure to file a 60-day notice with the government agency prior to its announcement that it was ceasing operations.

However, within days of the initial class action complaint being filed, former employees of FreightWorks were sent a release of claims form, offering them $1,500 if they hereby irrevocably and unconditionally release and fully discharge FreightWorks Holding LLC, FreightWorks Admin, FreightWorks LLC, FreightWorks Real Estate LLC, FreightWorks Staffing LLC and PropertyWorks II, their subsidiaries and affiliates and its and their predecessors, successors and assigns, as well as its and their officers, directors, employees, attorneys and agents from any and all causes of action under the lawsuit.

While Wright was unable to provide an exact number of how many ex-employees signed the release of claims form, he said a significant number took the $1,500 settlements.

Wright confirmed he has reviewed materials including proposed releases that he understands have gone out to former employees.

Shutdown or restructure?

Former FreightWorks employees say they were blindsided on March 6 after receiving a video message from Joyce Siqueira, vice president of operations for FreightWorks, who said the most honorable path that we can take for the benefit of our employees, our customers and our other stakeholders is an orderly closing of the company.

Joyce Siqueira, vice president of operations of FreightWorks Transport, sent an emotional message to more than 200 employees and drivers of the trucking companys abrupt decision to cease operations on March 6. (Screenshot)

A former FreightWorks employee also shared the memo sent to employees and drivers on March 6  dated for immediate release on March 10  but it appears the truckload carrier was forced to cease operations earlier than expected.

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announced to our team that FreightWorks is shutting down, the unsigned memo states.

At the time of the mass layoffs, Siqueira said FreightWorks would no longer be picking up loads.

Siqueira said the company was unable to see a path forward after a few of its core contract customers abruptly demanded significant rate reductions, amounting to millions of dollars. The death knell occurred when one of FreightWorks largest contract customers pulled a significant percentage of the companys freight on Feb. 28.

However, eight days after FreightWorks announced it was shutting down, the carrier updated its MCS-150 form to state that it had 186 power units and 140 drivers. A month later, on April 12, FreightWorks updated its MCS-150 form to state that it has 186 power units and 25 drivers, leaving ex-employees confused about the operating status of the company.

And many ex-FreightWorks employees and drivers say the company is continuing to operate, but on a smaller scale and has no plans to cease operations.

Farmer, who serves as president of FreightWorks LLC and its other entities, told FreightWaves in early April that it had sold its freight brokerage, FreightWorks Logistics, to an unnamed buyer prior to the companys plan to wind down operations.

While he failed to provide the name of the new brokerage owner, the phone number and post office box number for FreightWorks Logistics, which was granted its broker authority by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in October 2014, is the same as its trucking company, FreightWorks Transportation & Logistics. The brokerages insurance policy is also listed as belonging to FreightWorks Logistics.

Wright said he is unable to comment on the claims of the freight brokerage and trucking companys operations as he was hired to litigate the WARN Act lawsuit.

Do you have a news tip to share? Send me an email or message me @cage_writer on Twitter. Your name will not be used without your permission.

Read more articles here:

North Carolina trucking company to shut down after top customer pulls out

Former Slync CEO indicted on charges of swindling $25M from investors

Insiders say Flock Freight is a toxic dumpster fire with only months of cash left

The post Former employees sue NC-based trucking firm over mass firing appeared first on FreightWaves.
John Allan, former chairman of Tesco who stepped down from the post last week after allegations about his behaviour - Geoff Pugh

Barratt Developments said its chair John Allan is to step down two months earlier than planned amid disruptive allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Mr Allan said his early departure from his roles at Britains biggest housebuilder is a result of the anonymous and unsubstantiated allegations made against me, as reported in the Guardian, claims which he vehemently denies.

The City grandee is facing accusations from four separate women over what they claimed were unprofessional and inappropriate actions.

The company said that it had not received any complaints about Mr Allan's behaviour during his time on the housebuilder's board.

A Barratt spokesman added that it was in the best interests of Barratt to accelerate the planned transition to the new chairman of the board to prevent the ongoing impact of the allegations against John from becoming disruptive to the company.

It comes after Mr Allan stepped down as chairman of Tesco last week after the supermarket said allegations over his behaviour risked becoming a distraction.

Mr Allan was due to step down from his role at Barratt later this year, retiring from his board role on September 6. When asked on Friday if it was bringing forward this date, Barratt declined to comment.

This follows the former Confederation of British Industry (CBI) president's decision to step down from Tesco after several allegations regarding his behaviour have emerged in recent weeks. Representatives for the City grandee described the allegations as simply untrue.

In claims made in the Guardian, Mr Allan was accused of inappropriate and unprofessional behaviour on four separate occasions. This included one incident which was alleged to have taken place at the supermarket's annual general meeting last year.

Mr Allan faced accusations that he had touched the bottom of a senior Tesco employee at the meeting. He was also accused of having made inappropriate remarks to two other women on separate occasions between 2019 and 2022, and having touched another woman's bottom.

He last week described the claims as utterly baseless, as the internal procedures undertaken by Tesco prove.

Mr Allen denied all but one of the allegations, only admitting to having made comments on a CBI worker's appearance in 2019, which he apologised for. At the time, Mr Allan had been president of the lobbying group.

Mr Allan added: It is with regret that at the request of the Board I am stepping down as Chairman of Barratt Developments Plc as of June 30th, 2023, ahead of finishing my tenure in early September as planned.

Over the past nine years much has been achieved at Barratt to be proud of. I wish my successor Caroline Silver the very best as she takes on the position of Chair of this outstanding company.

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By Michel Rose and Tassilo Hummel

PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Sam Altman, the Silicon Valley businessman who rose to fame with ChatGPT, on Tuesday to discuss the place of France and Europe in the global race for artificial intelligence (AI), his office said.

Altman, the chief executive of OpenAI who recently told the U.S. congress that things could "go quite wrong" when asked about the potential risk of AI, is one of the tech world's most prominent voices urging governments to rapidly come up with regulations to make sure AI is used responsibly.

He is currently on a trip through some European capitals for talks with political leaders.

Macron, who has been an ardent defender of France as a "startup nation", has tasked his government with offering attractive investment conditions for tech entrepreneurs from electronic car batteries to cryptocurrencies.

During his first year in office, Macron pledged he would fight to avoid France and Europe falling behind Chinese and U.S. giants when it comes to powerful new technologies.

Five years later, no European firm is among the leaders in the field of generative AI - pioneered largely by U.S companies including Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Alphabet - which experts say could upend the way societies and businesses operate.

The European Union is at the forefront of drafting new AI rules that could set the global benchmark to address privacy and safety concerns linked to the technology.

Altman and Macron will also discuss "the next steps in the journey of OpenAI" and "the main issues to come", including regulation, the Elysee said:

"They will discuss the issues related to the construction of an AI regulation ...which will allow reconciling ethical requirements and the protection of users and democracy, with the pursuit of innovation in the sector," it added.

Marie-Laure Denis, the head of France's data protection watchdog CNIL told a news conference earlier on Tuesday that her institution's vision "isnt to slow down innovation but rather to accompany it".

Earlier this month, Macron received Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk, who is also active in the AI sphere.

(Reporting by Michel Rose, Tassilo Hummel; Editing by Alexandra Hudson and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
French telecoms magnate Patrick Drahi - REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura/File Photo

French billionaire Patrick Drahi has increased his holding in BT to almost 25pc in a move that puts the tycoon on the verge of a blocking stake in the British telecoms giant.

The investment vehicle controlled by Mr Drahi, Altice UK, has increased its stake from 18pc to 24.5pc after buying a further 650m shares in the company.

Altice said it did not intend to make a takeover offer for BT, while a spokesman said the group was supportive of the groups management and strategy.

However, the increase takes the tycoon just shy of a blocking stake that would allow him to oppose resolutions at the companys annual general meeting and obstruct any rival bidder.

Under UK takeover rules, Mr Drahi does not have to table a bid until he owns 30pc of BT. However, insiders have expressed concerns about his creeping control.

Altice UK said Drahi was not seeking a seat on BTs board, adding that it continues to hold management in high regard and remains fully supportive of their strategy.

The stake-building also risks rekindling national security concerns after Mr Drahis previous investments triggered a government review.

The Franco-Israeli billionaire first took a 12pc stake in BT in 2021, before increasing it to 18pc later that year.

Then-business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng announced a national security assessment amid concerns Britains biggest broadband builder could fall into private foreign ownership.

In August last year, Mr Kwarteng said the Government would take no further action.

Mr Drahis holding is now just below the 25pc level at which the Government can officially intervene under the National Security and Investment Act, though BT insiders believe there is flexibility in how these rules are applied.

In 2021, BT hired advisers at Robey Warshaw and Goldman Sachs to help strengthen its defence against potential takeover bids, including staging scenario planning exercises in the event that Mr Drahi pushed for a spin-off of part of the business.

While Altice has said it does not intend to make a takeover offer, this could change under certain circumstances such as a rival bid or the backing of the BT board.

Altice is one of Frances largest telecoms companies with operations spanning countries including the Dominican Republic, Israel and Portugal.

Mr Drahi has built a reputation for cost-cutting and debt-funded deal making, and last year took Altice private in a deal valuing the business at 6.4bn (5.6bn).

His latest investment comes just days after BT announced it will cut up to 55,000 jobs by the end of the decade, including replacing around 10,000 roles with AI.

The cuts, equivalent to more than 40pc of BTs workforce, mark efforts by chief executive Philip Jansen to reduce costs and slimline the groups operations as its full-fibre broadband rollout comes to an end.

Shares in BT dropped as much as 9pc following the announcement, though later recovered those losses.

It comes as Brussels stripped BT of a lucrative telecoms contract over fears the former monopoly would leak secrets to the UK government.

The telecoms giant was last year handed a 458m (397m) contract to handle sensitive communications between governments and public authorities within the EU.

But the European Commission has now cancelled the eight-year deal with BTs Belgium-based business, despite a legal approval process still being in progress.

The U-turn follows accusations from EU politicians about the UKs espionage track record and its history of mass surveillance.

In a question to the European Parliament last year, Dutch politician Sophia in t Veld pointed to a 2018 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, which concluded that UK authorities had unlawfully shared data with global partners and had violated the right to privacy through a mass surveillance programme.

The case, which followed revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowdon about intelligence-sharing programmes between the US and UK, included accusations that the government obtained communications from telecoms companies.

Politicians also questioned whether signing a sensitive deal with a country outside the EU was compatible with the blocs ambitions for strategic autonomy.

Deutsche Telekom, which currently holds the contract, and Spain-based Telefonica both hit out at the Commission over its decision to pick a British supplier after Brexit.

The European Commission said: Legal proceedings have prevented the commission from entering into the contract and the economic, technical and operational context for such services has fundamentally changed.

BT said it was disappointed by the cancellation of the contract, adding that the company was now considering its position.

The so-called Trans-European Services for Telematics between Administrations (TESTA) network enables communication between various EU institutions and bodies, including the Commission in Brussels and the Europol law enforcement agency.

The EU describes it as a backbone network, adding that it provides guaranteed performance and high levels of security.

The decision to cancel the contract could raise concerns about other BT contracts. The company has agreed deals with the bloc worth hundreds of millions of pounds over the last decade.

A BT spokesman declined to comment on other contracts but said the company had been a trusted provider of communication services to the European Union over the past three decades.

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A view shows the logo of Chinese automobile manufacturer Geely at a dealership in Moscow

By Gilles Guillaume

PARIS (Reuters) - Lynk & Co, a carmaker jointly owned by China's Geely and Volvo Car, plans to open its first showroom in France by early 2024 and to expand in Europe, including Britain, its CEO and founder told Reuters.

The automaker, which both sells and rents cars on monthly subscriptions, already has what it calls clubs, which look like bars or lifestyle shops, in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Spain and Italy.

Lynk, which only offers a Chinese-made hybrid SUV called 01 in black and blue, will launch a fully-electric model, the 02, by the end of 2024, Alain Visser said in an interview.

"We have plans to enter other European markets in the short term: Norway, Austria, Switzerland and the UK," said Visser, who worked for General Motors, Ford, and Volvo before Lynk.

Visser said Lynk had the "ambition" to also branch out into the U.S. market at some stage.

Though small, Lynk's expansion plans are the latest example of Geely seeking to grow its foothold in Europe as the appeal of Chinese cars, particularly electric vehicles, increases.

The Chinese giant, which controls Volvo and last week increased its stake in Britain's Aston Martin to 17%, in January detailed plans to grow its Zeekr and London Electric Vehicle marques in Europe.

It is also a partner in a new powertrain firm being set up with French carmaker Renault.

In 2022 Chinese-made electric vehicles already had a 9% market share in Europe, nearly double the previous year, according to consultancy Inovev, and the pace is picking up.

Lynk says it had 200,000 monthly memberships in Europe as of April, of which around 25,000 are in France, up from 180,000 and 21,000 respectively a month earlier.

In France, where Lynk plans to open its first selling space in Paris in late 2023 or early 2024, it offers a monthly subscription rate of 550 euros, with a full purchase price of 44,500 euros ($48,986) in the premium segment, higher than Shanghai Automobile Industry Corporation-owned MG Motor.

The French government, lobbying to attract foreign gigafactories and carmaking plants, is planning to make a 5,000 euro ($5,504) subsidy available to electric car buyers conditional on meeting low-carbon standards when manufactured - which it says would in effect exclude cars not made in Europe.

Visser said Lynk would have to consider manufacturing cars in Europe, also given rising tensions between China and the United States.

"It's becoming more and more necessary to have local manufacturing sites ... rather than import cars from China."

($1 = 0.9084 euros)

(Reporting by Gilles Guillaume; Writing by Silvia Aloisi; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Goldman Sachs Likes These 2 Stocks, Insiders Just Poured Millions Into Them  Heres Why You Might Want to Ride Their Coattails

The well-worn adage Keep it simple isnt just a cliche; it holds true in many areas of life, including the stock market. Its easy to get lost in the never-ending barrage of information and day-to-day drama on Wall Street, but a simple strategy will often point towards the best investment choices.

One such strategy is to keep an eye on the insiders moves. These corporate officers are the ones who know best what is going on in the companies they oversee. When they are seen buying shares of their own firms stock, especially in bulk, it sends a strong buying signal.

To keep things fair, the insiders must make these transactions public and the TipRanks Insiders Hot Stocks tool enables investors to see all the latest insider plays. With this in mind, we pulled up the details on two names that the insiders have been snapping up recently  theyve been digging into their pockets for these, pouring millions into them.

What makes these picks even more intriguing is that they have received buy ratings from banking giant Goldman Sachs, with price targets that suggest a solid upside potential. The combination of endorsement from Goldman analysts and insider buying might be a potent mix for gains, so lets see why you might want to ride their coattails right now.

Royalty Pharma (RPRX)

Lets start off with Royalty Pharma, a leading pharmaceutical company that specializes in investing in pharmaceutical royalty streams. Essentially, the company partners with other pharma firms by acquiring royalty interests in leading drugs and claiming a portion of their future product revenues. In addition to its investment activities, Royalty Pharma also plays an active role in supporting the development of new therapies and treatments. The company collaborates with biopharma partners to provide them with access to capital as they advance their research and development efforts.

During the most recently reported quarter, 1Q23, the company acquired royalty interests in Biogens Spinraza, which the company calls a blockbuster for spinal muscular atrophy. Royalty interests have also been acquired in Novartis pelacarsen (Phase 3, cardiovascular disease) and Karunas KarXT (Phase 3, schizophrenia). Royalty Pharma considers both to have multi-blockbuster potential.

As for the results, the company benefited from a $475 milestone payment from Pfizer for migraine nasal spray Zavegapants approval. That helped net cash provided by operating activities increase by 125% to $1.03 billion. Elsewhere, the company saw total income and other revenues rise by 22% year-over-year to $684 million.

The shares, however, have been on the backfoot for most of the year and evidently CEO and founder Pablo Legorreta thinks the time is right for loading up. He recently purchased 230,000 RPRX shares. These are currently worth over $7.68 million.

Mirroring Legorretas confidence, Goldman Sachs analyst Chris Shibutani sees plenty to like here. He writes: Having deployed $1.6bn of capital year-to-date, the companys pipeline continues to strengthen, and the balance across the companys portfolio of development-stage and commercial opportunities continues to reflect the robust opportunity set as innovation trends across the industry remains strong, and the financing environment for companies in the emerging biotechnology spaces continues to be challenging A trove of Phase 3 datasets for key programs across the companys royalty portfolio provide catalysts through the balance of the year.

Accordingly, Shibutani rates RPRX shares a Buy, while his $58 price target makes room for 12-month returns of ~74%. (To watch Shibutanis track record, click here)

Shibutanis bullish sentiment is shared by all of his analyst colleagues, leading to a Strong Buy consensus. With an average target price of $51.20, investors could potentially enjoy gains of ~53% within a year. (See RPRX stock forecast)

Axon Enterprise (AXON)

Next up is Axon Enterprise, a major player in the law enforcement technology segment. Specializing in personal protection, the company is well-known for its Taser devices. Additionally, Axon is recognized for its Axon network, a service that combines hardware, software, and cloud-based services to support the entire law enforcement workflow. Axons offerings include body-worn cameras, digital evidence management systems, and connected devices that enable real-time information sharing and collaboration.

The companys latest quarterly report, for 1Q23, was a curious case of hitting plenty of the right notes but still disappointing investors. Axon surpassed expectations on both the top and bottom lines. Revenue reached a record $343.04 million, marking a 34% year-over-year increase and surpassing the forecast by $23.3 million. Additionally, the adjusted EPS of $0.88 easily outperformed analysts anticipated value of $0.54.

Even better, for the full year 2023, Axon now expects revenue in the range between $1.44 billion and $1.46 billion, up from the prior ~$1.43 billion, and at the mid-point above consensus at $1.44 billion.

However, shares took a beating in the subsequent session, with investors seemingly concerned about a slowdown in future contracted revenue.

This is where our insider enters the frame. Evidently sensing an opportunity, Director Hadi Partovi recently picked up 10,000 AXON shares. At the current price, these are worth $2.01 million.

Despite some niggling concerns exhibited in the recent Q1 print, Goldman Sachs analyst Michael Ng remains squarely in the AXON bull-camp.

New products such as TASER10 (shipping started in March) and Axon Body 4 (in trial) will contribute more meaningfully in 2H, creating further upside optionality to 2023 guidance, in our view. Although we were somewhat disappointed by the miss in TASER relative to our estimates (due to limited contributions from TASER10) and body cameras, revenue improvements in those respective businesses should materialize more meaningfully later in the year and into 2024, Ng opined

Importantly, Ng wen on to add, AXON Cloud revenue beat, growing $11 million QoQ, when normalizing from the revenue catch-up recognized in 4Q22, and we expect continued sequential revenue growth of $9-$10 million throughout the remainder of 2023, reinforcing the recurring cloud revenue investment thesis.

As such, Ng keeps a Buy rating on AXON shares to go alongside a $262 price target. The implication for investors? Potential upside of ~30% from current levels. (To watch Ngs track record, click here)

Overall, AXON gets big support on the Street. With a full house of 9 Buys, the analyst consensus rates the stock a Strong Buy. The forecast calls for one-year returns of ~24%, considering the average target stands at $249.56. (See AXON stock forecast)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
Here's why the US doesn't have to pay off its $31 trillion mountain of debt, according to Paul Krugman

Franck Robichon/Reuters

The US government doesn't have to pay off its $31 trillion debt, Paul Krugman said.

The government debt can't be compared to something like a household's finances, Krugman said.

"When governments for one reason or another run up large debts, it is, as far as I can tell, unusual to pay those debts off."

The US doesn't actually have to pay off its $31 trillion mountain of debt, according to top economist Paul Krugman, hitting back at the idea that government finances can be compared to household balance sheets in an op-ed weeks before the US possibly defaults on some obligations.

Though individual borrowers are expected to pay off debts, the same isn't true for governments, Krugman argued in a column for the New York Times on Friday. That's because unlike people, governments don't die, and they gain more revenue with each passing generation.

"Governments, then, must service their debts  pay interest and repay principal when bonds come due  but they don't necessarily have to pay them off; they can issue new bonds to pay principal on old bonds and even borrow to pay interest as long as overall debt doesn't rise too much faster than revenue," he added.

Though the debt-to-GDP ratio hovered around 97% last year, interest payments on that debt is only around $395 billion, according to the Office of Management and Budget, or around 1% of last year's GDP.

Historically, it's also unusual for governments to pay off large debts, Krugman said. Such was the case for Great Britain, which has largely held onto the debt it incurred as far back as the Napoleonic wars.

Krugman's argument comes amid growing contention over the US debt level, with policymakers still sparring over the conditions they want to raise the country's borrowing limit. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said he would reject a short-term debt ceiling increase unless spending cuts are negotiated, having proposed a bill that would slash around $4.5 trillion on spending.

Congress now has less than two weeks to raise the borrowing limit before the government could potentially run out of cash, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned. A default on the country's obligations could result in catastrophe for financial markets, experts have warned. Krugman has called for the debt ceiling to be abolished, as the risk of a financial crisis offers Republicans a "choke point" on fiscal policy.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Highlights: Harnessing Tech for Profits in Haircare  CEO, CFO and COO of Regis in Fireside Chat

IPO Edge and the Palm Beach Hedge Fund Association hosted a fireside chat on Thursday, May 18 at 2pm ET with senior management from Regis Corp. (NYSE: RGS). The live event featured Matthew Doctor, President and Chief Executive Officer, Kersten Zupfer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Jim Lain, EVP and COO of Regis Corp. It was hosted by IPO Edge Editor-in-Chief John Jannarone and Editor-at-Large Jarrett Banks in a moderated video session lasting approximately 60 minutes including a Q&A with the audience.

Watch the highlight video below (or click the link underneath to see the entire event):

CLICK HERE TO WATCH REPLAY

Mr. Doctor, Ms. Zupfer and Mr. Lain discussed:

How the company differentiated in its industry; competitive strengths

Milestones the company has achieved since Mr. Doctor took the helm as CEO

Improvement in finanicials and the elevated platform in place to continue to deliver consistent profitability

Key priorities for the business in fiscal 2023 and 2024

How the company is positioned in a dynamic environment

What Regis Corp. is most excited about going forward

About the speakers:

Matthew Doctor was appointed President & Chief Executive Officer and joined the Board of Directors of Regis Corporation in May 2022. He served as interim Chief Executive Officer since December 2021. He joined the company in February 2021 as Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer. Previously, Matt was a Partner and Chief Financial Officer for Kava Restaurants, a Tim Hortons franchisee. Prior to his time at Kava, Matt held several roles at Restaurant Brands International (RBI), owner of the Burger King, Tim Hortons and Popeyes brands. At RBI, he was Head of Global Development and Franchisee Performance for Burger King, led mergers and acquisitions in Asia for Burger King, and led development efforts for Tim Hortons. Matt started his career as an Investment Banker for J.P. Morgan in New York, where he executed several M&A and Capital Markets transactions for Financial Institution clients. Matt received a BBA with Distinction from Emory Universitys Goizueta Business School.

Kersten Zupfer was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in November 2019. Kersten has served in accounting and finance roles of increasing leadership at Regis for more than 12 years. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer since November 2017, prior to which she served as Vice President, Corporate Controller, Chief Accounting Officer since December 2014. In this role, Kersten has responsibility for all of Regis accounting, external financial reporting, and financial controls, including, SEC reporting, accounting policy, and technical accounting. She joined Regis in 2007 serving in a range of accounting leadership roles. Kersten holds a bachelors degree in accounting from the University of North Dakota and is a certified public accountant (inactive). She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants. Kersten started her career at Arthur Andersen LLP

Jim Lain currently serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer. He joined Regis Corporation in 2013. With more than 25 years of operations leadership experience, Jim oversees operational excellence and execution across Supercuts, SmartStyle, Cost Cutters, First Choice Haircutters, Roosters and our legacy brands.

Jim was with Gap Inc. for eight years where he most recently served as Vice President of Operations for Gap Specialty Stores in the United States and Canada, leading a $2.5 billion business with 750 stores. Prior to his experience with Gap, Jim was Vice President of Operations at Galyans Trading Company Inc. / Dicks Sporting Goods and held several field management positions at Target Stores Inc.

About Regis Corp.

Regis Corporation (NYSE:RGS) is a leader in the haircare industry. As of March 31, 2023, the Company franchised, owned or held ownership interests in 5,203 locations worldwide. Regis franchised and corporate locations operate under concepts such as Supercuts, SmartStyle, Cost Cutters, Roosters and First Choice Haircutters.

Contact:

IPO-Edge.com

Editor@IPO-Edge.com

Twitter: @IPOEdge

Instagram: @IPOEdge
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva have toured Vilnius Old Town, Azernews reports.

The head of state and the First Lady were informed about the history of Vilnius Old Town.

Vilnius Old Town is one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, which is home to stunning collection of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical buildings.

Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, Vilnius Old Town is known for its winding cobblestone streets, picturesque churches, and historical buildings.




(Bloomberg) -- Hong Kong said retail investors can trade crypto under its new rulebook for the sector, stepping up a drive to develop a digital-asset hub even as the industry and regulators clash elsewhere in Asia.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The citys Securities and Futures Commission on Tuesday detailed the conclusions of a consultation on retail participation. The agency stuck with a plan to let individual investors buy and sell bigger tokens like Bitcoin and Ether starting June 1 when a new licensing regime for virtual-asset platforms begins.

The framework seeks to woo crypto firms while safeguarding investors and is part of Hong Kongs effort to restore its status as a cutting-edge financial center. But any embrace of digital assets is controversial after a market rout in 2022 that sparked a spate of bankruptcies like the collapse of FTX.

Its not a full open-arm stance as they want to maintain financial stability while opting for financial innovation, said Cici Lu, founder of Venn Link Partners, a blockchain adviser. Thats a pragmatic approach. People shouldnt expect an open buffet for all while applying for a license in Hong Kong.

Larger Tokens

Individual investors can trade larger coins on exchanges licensed by the SFC under Hong Kongs new approach. Safeguards include knowledge tests, appropriate risk profiling and reasonable limits on exposure.

The coins should be included in at least two acceptable, investible indexes from independent providers, one with experience in the traditional financial sector.

The SFC said in its conclusions that licensed platforms should comply with a range of robust investor protection measures covering onboarding, governance, disclosure and token due diligence and admission, before providing trading services to retail investors.

From June 1 unlicensed exchanges, including overseas platforms, actively marketing to Hong Kong investors will be breaking the law, Keith Choy, interim head of intermediaries at the SFC, said in a briefing.

We will be closely monitoring, Choy added.

Full Circle

Officials have already permitted exchange-traded funds investing in CME Group Inc. Bitcoin and Ether futures, triggering a flurry of product launches.

Hong Kong in some ways is coming full circle as it used to be a digital-asset hub in earlier years before taking a more skeptical stance. Chinas ban on crypto in 2021 dulled the citys allure as a conduit for mainland cash.

Regulators globally are grappling with how to handle the crypto industry. Jurisdictions like Hong Kong and Dubai are trying to attract crypto-related investment. Singapore plans curbs on retail-investor participation.

South Korea this week may pass its first standalone crypto legislation after a series of scandals. The US has cracked down on the sector.

Malaysia, Philippines

In the past few days, tension flared between regulators and the industry in Malaysia and the Philippines. Malaysia reprimanded the Huobi Global platform for operating illegally and ordered it to stop activities there. A Huobi spokesperson said the exchange hasnt operated in the country since 2022.

Meanwhile, the Philippines alleged that a non-US derivatives trading venue recently started by Gemini Trust Co. lacks the necessary permits for the nation. A Gemini spokesperson earlier declined to comment.

Questions remain over Hong Kongs crypto pivot given the industry has retrenched and only partially recovered from a $1.5 trillion crash last year. Firms such as Huobi Global, OKX and Amber Group have said they plan to apply for licenses under the new regime

Hong Kong Monetary Authority Chief Executive Eddie Yue has indicated companies should expect an exacting regulatory backdrop.

We will let them create the ecosystem here and that actually brings a lot of excitement, Yue said earlier this month in an interview at the Bloomberg Wealth Asia Summit. But that doesnt mean light-touch regulation.

--With assistance from Suvashree Ghosh and Hooyeon Kim.

(Updates with comment from regulatory briefing in the eighth paragraph.)

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Ice cream flavored with white truffle and cheese scoops world record over its $6,316 price tag

The ice cream (not pictured) took more than 18 months to develop. vm2002/Getty Images

The world's most expensive ice cream is being sold for $6,316 per serving.

Created by the Japanese ice-cream brand Cellato, the dessert is made from high-end ingredients.

The ice cream is made with white truffle, Parmigiano Reggiano, edible gold leaf, and sake lees.

The world's most expensive ice cream is being sold for around 873,400 Japanese yen, or $6,316, per serving.

The dessert, called byakuya, has set a Guinness world record because of its eyewatering price tag.

Made by Japanese ice-cream brand Cellato, the dessert includes white truffle, which is sourced from Alba in Italy and costs around $14,500 per kg, per a blog post by Guinness World Records.

Other ingredients include Parmigiano-Reggiano, edible gold leaf, and sake lees, per Cellato's website.

Per the Guinness World Records blog post, Cellato wanted to include both European and Japanese ingredients in the ice cream, so it turned to a chef known for fusion cuisine for help.

"It took us over 1.5 years to develop, with a lot of trials and errors to get the taste right. Achieving a Guinness World Records title made the effort all worth it," a Cellato company representative told Guinness World Records.

The company is planning to release more products such as Champagne and caviar in the future, according to Guinness World Records.

A representative for Cellato did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside normal working hours.

Scoopi Cafe in Dubai previously served what was considered to be the most expensive ice cream in the world. The ice cream, which cost $817, also included Italian truffles, as well as other ingredients such as ambrosial Iranian saffron, and edible 23-karat gold flakes.

Read the original article on Business Insider
FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: A worker shelters from the rain under a Union Flag umbrella as he passes the London Stock Exchange in London, Britain, October 1, 2008. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo/File Photo - REUTERS/Toby Melville

Brave is the person who argues for really well-paid people to be paid even more; braver still to do it in the middle of a cost of living crisis.

So, kudos to Julia Hoggett, the chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, who says British companies are finding it difficult to attract and retain executives because they offer smaller pay packages than rivals in the US.

Perhaps that should be brave in the Yes, Minister sense of the word; Hoggetts argument faces an uphill battle. With startling inevitability, the comments, made in an article published on the LSEs website, have been criticised as a bit deluded by the High Pay Centre. The head of the Trades Union Congress said the pay of UK chief executives should go down, not up.

But is Hoggett right? The average pay for a FTSE 100 chief executive last year was 3.4m. That is  to state the bleedin obvious  a lot of money. But its much less than $18.3m (14.6m), which is what the average boss of an S&P 500 company received in 2021. Recruitment consultants  or headhunters in the vernacular  say the basic rule of thumb is that US executives are paid between three and eight times what a similar job in the UK would command.

Its a slight apples-and-pears situation: US companies tend to be larger, more complex and therefore harder to manage.

But, broadly speaking, you would imagine that if an executive can run, for example, a 1,000-store retailer then they can probably run a 2,000-store or 3,000-store retailer. The head of Tesco (or BP or Barclays), would therefore be a perfectly credible candidate to run Walmart (or Exxon or Citigroup).

Julia Hoggett, chief executive officer of London Stock Exchange - Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

Yes, were comparing executives who earn Lotto jackpots each year with pay packets that measure up against Euromillions wins and, frankly, thats a pretty icky discussion. But British businesses are  or should be  operating in a competitive global market; the top-line numbers suggest they may have one hand tied behind their back.

Tales from the corporate frontline reveal that distortions and unintended consequences abound. Indeed, pay may only be the tip of the iceberg and an early warning sign that the UKs corporate governance environment is sliding into sclerosis, hinting at underlying pathologies with broader implications for the economy.

One headhunter says he knows of a UK digital business where the head of the US arm, which is responsible for a third of the companys overall revenues, is paid eight times what his boss, the group chief executive, gets. As the US executive is not on the board, the company doesnt have to reveal his remuneration.

Another says he knows of a UK company that bought a smaller US rival. Eventually the board promoted the head of the American business to run the whole shebang. The step up to the bigger job came with an 83pc pay cut.

Intense scrutiny can perversely lead to companies overpaying too. Mark Freebairn, a partner at Odgers Berndtson, says companies looking to hire untested, external candidates to senior positions often have to pay over the odds because they wont be able to get future pay increases past shareholders, meaning that, once the hire has proved themselves, they'll get poached.

Its insane, says Freebairn. If that was your own money you categorically wouldnt do it like that. This kind of thing is driving many of my clients crackers.

Why is it happening? The UK has long operated under a principles-based approach (rather than a rules-based approach) to regulation. This has mostly served the country well. Writing out long lists of very specific rules is time consuming, inflexible and carries a risk of unintended consequences. The more dynamic the industry, the greater the risk.

However, a key component of a principles-based approach to regulation is the concept of comply-or-explain. A company can deviate from the corporate governance code, for example, if it has a good reason for doing so and articulates it to shareholders.

The trouble is that lots of companies say such explanations are falling on deaf ears. The corporate governance teams at fund management firms and proxy voting firms are small and shrinking. They are often covering too many companies and are therefore adopting a tick-box approach to oversight. Comply-or-explain has simply become comply.

That sounds fine and up to a point it is. But theres a risk the UKs principles-based approach to regulation is slowly and accidentally morphing into a de facto rules-based approach.

The danger is that we end up with neither the certainty that can be provided by a detailed set of well thought-through rules nor the flexibility to interpret principles. Rather you get the worst of both worlds: vague principles that are effectively carved in stone. And this, inevitability, leads to a whole heap of unhelpful unintended consequences. The weird anomalies on pay are only a small part of a much bigger problem.

Part of the issue is that the principle-based approach works under the assumption most companies and executives are basically keen to do the right thing and not trying to pull a fast one. If the prevailing anti-business sentiment means this is now politically unworkable, we better figure out what to do about it.

In reality, most regulatory regimes are a mix of approaches. But there is nevertheless an issue if the authorities believe they are presiding over a more broad-brush approach but are actually sleep-walking into one that is becoming increasingly prescriptive and didactic.

For one thing, it means they wont be alert to managing the inherent trade-offs; for another, a regulatory environment that is neither fish nor fowl may be ill-suited to the country's economic needs.

A principles-based approach should be the best way to cope with overseeing the fast pace of technological change brought on by, for example, the huge advances in artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

The best bet for reviving the UK economy from its long torpor is to be quick out of the blocks in several such nascent sectors. Unfortunately, as things stand, theres a very real risk weve accidentally tied our shoelaces together.

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 art and science of stock market investing requires a tolerance for losing money on some of the shares you buy. But it's not unreasonable to try to avoid truly shocking capital losses. We wouldn't blame Transaction Capital Limited (JSE:TCP) shareholders if they were still in shock after the stock dropped like a lead balloon, down 84% in just one year. That'd be a striking reminder about the importance of diversification. Notably, shareholders had a tough run over the longer term, too, with a drop of 55% in the last three years. Furthermore, it's down 78% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. We note that the company has reported results fairly recently; and the market is hardly delighted. You can check out the latest numbers in our company report. We really hope anyone holding through that price crash has a diversified portfolio. Even when you lose money, you don't have to lose the lesson.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

See our latest analysis for Transaction Capital

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).

Transaction Capital fell to a loss making position during the year. Buyers no doubt think it's a temporary situation, but those with a nose for quality have low tolerance for losses. However, there may be an opportunity for investors if the company can recover.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Transaction Capital's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

Transaction Capital shareholders are down 84% for the year, but the market itself is up 1.8%. 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. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Transaction Capital you should be aware of, and 2 of them are concerning.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on South African exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Key Insights

The projected fair value for Dancomech Holdings Berhad is RM0.65 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Dancomech Holdings Berhad's RM0.41 share price signals that it might be 37% undervalued

Peers of Dancomech Holdings Berhad are currently trading on average at a 2,946% premium

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Dancomech Holdings Berhad (KLSE:DANCO) by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

View our latest analysis for Dancomech Holdings Berhad

Is Dancomech Holdings Berhad Fairly Valued?

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) estimate

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (MYR, Millions) RM22.5m RM20.0m RM23.1m RM25.5m RM27.7m RM29.6m RM31.4m RM33.0m RM34.6m RM36.1m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 10.53% Est @ 8.44% Est @ 6.98% Est @ 5.96% Est @ 5.24% Est @ 4.74% Est @ 4.39% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 12% RM20.1 RM15.9 RM16.4 RM16.1 RM15.6 RM14.9 RM14.1 RM13.2 RM12.3 RM11.5

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM150m

The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (3.6%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 12%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = RM36m (1 + 3.6%)  (12% 3.6%) = RM436m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM436m ( 1 + 12%)10= RM139m

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 RM289m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM0.4, the company appears quite good value at a 37% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Dancomech Holdings Berhad 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 12%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.071. 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 Dancomech Holdings Berhad

Strength

Earnings growth over the past year exceeded the industry.

Debt is not viewed as a risk.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Trade Distributors market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the Malaysian market.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Dividends are not covered by cash flow.

Next Steps:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Dancomech Holdings Berhad, there are three further factors you should further research:

Risks: For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Dancomech Holdings Berhad that you should be aware of before investing here. Future Earnings: How does DANCO'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 Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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(Bloomberg) -- Julius Baer Group Ltd. slumped the most in a year after the Swiss wealth manager posted a weaker boost to its business than some analysts had expected after the turmoil at rival Credit Suisse Group AG.

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The Zurich-based bank reported assets under management rose just 1% in the first four months, to 429 billion francs ($477 billion), while net new money went off to a slow start at the beginning of the year as clients pared back risk.

Investors and analysts were disappointed by the meager growth because Julius Baer had been expected to be a major beneficiary of the turmoil that had hit Credit Suisse before its ultimate collapse in March. Chief Executive Officer Philipp Rickenbacher had helped stoke the optimism, saying in February that the bank had gained from clients fleeing rivals.

The shares fell as much as 8.5% in Zurich, the most since May 2022, and were down 7.7% at 10:02 a.m. local time.

The Swiss bank said about 40 relationship managers had been brought on in the first four months. Credit Suisse has seen an exodus of staff and further job cuts are ahead, handing competitors an opportunity to build out their own teams.

Julius Baers hiring will meaningfully benefit the generation of net new money over the medium term, according to the bank, which saw 3.5 billion francs of net new assets. It also warned that clients are still cautious on investing and that lower market volatility is reducing revenue at some businesses.

While the hiring of relationship managers should help over the medium term, we believe short-term expectations were higher, analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. including Kian Abouhossein wrote in a note to investors. Julius Baer was seen by the market as a winner from the Credit Suisse turmoil, which is not evident in these results.

Read More: Julius Baer Slumps as AUM, New Money Disappoint: Street Wrap

Key figures for the first four months

Cost-to-income ratio 66%, compared with a target of more than 64% by 2025

The groups BIS CET1 capital ratio improved to 15.0%

The gross margin, a key measure of profitability, saw a slight drop at 92 basis points, compared to below the close-to-93 basis points achieved in the second half of 2022. Last month the bank said it completed a buy-back program which aimed to repurchase up to 400 million Swiss francs of its shares.

The first four months of 2023 provided a challenging backdrop for wealth managers, with uncertainties in particular areas of the banking sector toward the end of the period, Julius Baer said.

(Adds shares)

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A lawsuit against Elon Musk's Twitter takeover  which his lawyers called 'a disjointed laundry list' of grievances  has been dismissed

Elon Musk. Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images

A California judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing Elon Musk's Twitter takeover of cheating shareholders.

It included claims that Musk saved millions by belatedly disclosing his 9.2% stake in Twitter.

But the judge said the claims lacked standing because they didn't actually challenge the fairness of the deal.

A lawsuit which claimed Elon Musk's Twitter takeover cheated shareholders was dismissed by a judge on Monday.

William Heresniak filed the complaint last May, a month after Twitter first accepted Musk's $44 billion offer.

The suit, which Insider has reviewed, cites a Wall Street Journal article which estimated Musk saved $143 million by belatedly disclosing his 9.2% stake in the company.

And it argued that Musk helped friends on the board, including cofounder Jack Dorsey, prioritize their own interests rather than shareholders.

Heresniak also claimed that Musk had attempted to exit the deal  which was completed just before a trial was due following a lengthy back and forth  because his Tesla stock used to finance the purchase was declining in value.

But U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer threw out the case because Heresniak couldn't show he was harmed by Musk's late disclosure, or prove Musk assisted friendly board members, Reuters first reported.

In a March 3 court filing, Musk's lawyers called the claims "a disjointed laundry list of  often irrelevant  grievances against Elon Musk," per Reuters.

On Monday, Breyer sided with them by saying the plaintiff lacked standing because he didn't challenge the fairness of the takeover, only "wrongs associated with the merger."

For example, the judge wrote: "Though Heresniak alleges that Musk was enriched by acquiring Twitter stock at depressed prices, he does not allege that Heresniak lost money as a result."

Since Musk bought Twitter last October, the company has fallen in value by more than half, according to employee stock grants which value it at $20 billion.

The world's second-richest person still faces several other lawsuits related to Twitter, including one filed last week which contains a number of allegations, including he "put lives at risk" by having illegal locks installed on the headquarter's bedrooms.

Insider contacted Twitter for comment. The company responded with an automated message that didn't address the inquiry.

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(Bloomberg) -- Builder.ai, an artificial intelligence company based in London, has raised $250 million in a funding round led by the Qatar Investment Authority, the Gulf states $450 billion sovereign wealth fund.

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The funding round is part of a surge in global venture capital investment into AI companies. Other investors in the deal included Iconiq Capital, Jungle Ventures and Insight Partners. The company declined to provide its valuation.

Builder.ai co-founder Sachin Dev Duggal said that Builder.ai would put the new funding toward research, and developing Natasha, its AI project manager, which can perform tasks like breaking up projects into distinct steps. The startups tools aim to allow users to build software without extensive coding or tech knowledge.

Duggal praised the startups lead investor, QIA, as a long-term partner thinking beyond the seven-year VC cycle. The comments echo those of venture capitalists and executives who have recently looked to Gulf states for capital amid a larger tech downturn.

The new funding brings the total amount raised for Builder.ai to more than $450 million.

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(Bloomberg) -- A blistering rally in luxury goods stocks this year powered by international demand particularly from China has taken a hit, wiping out more than $30 billion from the sector on Tuesday.

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Shares in Hermes International slumped as much as 5.5%, while LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE dropped around 4% and Gucci owner Kering SA saw its stock decline more than 2%. In the past year, the high-flying sector has become to the European stock market what Big Tech is to the US: a collection of dominant businesses whose growth has held up even as the economy waxes and wanes.

Confidence in that view has now been dented, however, with attendees at a luxury conference in Paris organized by Morgan Stanley flagging a relatively more subdued performance in the US, according to Edouard Aubin, an analyst at the investment bank. That reflects weakness in the aspirational consumer in particular.

That was counterbalanced by more buoyant demand elsewhere, according to Morgan Stanley. Overall, we found corporate commentary resilient, pointing to an ongoing soft landing in the US largely offset by strength in other markets.

Both Asia and the US are important markets for European luxury companies. Asia excluding Japan accounted for 30% of LVMHs sales in 2022, while the US made up 27%, according to the companys annual report.

Deutsche Bank AG analysts have also said that a slowdown in the US is now a growing concern. While the rebound in Chinese demand has been among the key drivers of strong sales, investors are likely to be picky from here on, they added.

Still, luxury stocks have been outperforming by a large margin this year: LVMH is up 25% and Hermes has added 34%, both outperforming a 10% rise in the broader Stoxx Europe 600 Index. Neither LVMH nor Hermes were immediately available to comment on the conference in Paris.

The luxury sector remains a crowded long for many investors, with the sectors premium to the market at historically high levels, Deutsche Bank analyst Matt Garland said in a note. The rally has seen LVMH balloon in size, with its market value breaching the $500 billion level last month, becoming the first European company to hit that milestone.

Those gains have flown in the face of a broader economic slowdown, as investors have bet that Chinese shoppers will be keen to spend after emerging from one of the worlds strictest lockdowns. Last month, LVMHs shares hit a record after reporting a surge in sales, while Hermes also saw quarterly sales jump as Chinese consumers snapped up its pricey scarves and Kelly handbags.

However, early warning signs have emerged, with LVMH noting that it is seeing a slowdown in US growth, while British fashion brand Burberry Group Plc said that it is seeing demand for sneakers and entry-level products softening among younger Americans.

--With assistance from Michael Msika and Julien Ponthus.

(Updates shares in second and seventh paragraphs, adds context)

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Im a Real Estate Agent: Here Are 8 Renovations Buyers Want the Most in 2023

PC Photography / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Amid a cooling real estate market, sellers may need to go the extra mile to get their homes sold. This might mean taking on renovation projects before putting their home up for sale.

On the Flip Side: 5 Expensive Renovations Homeowners Always Regret

Learn More: Demand for Gold Is Up. Heres Everything You Need To Know.

To find out the most in-demand home renovation projects right now, GOBankingRates spoke to real estate agents, who know firsthand what buyers are looking for. These are the renovations buyers want the most in 2023.

Kitchen Upgrades

Jaylon Brigham, an associate real estate broker with Compass in New York City, said that kitchen renovations remain a top priority for buyers.

With open layouts in todays homes, a renovated kitchen has more value than a renovated bath as its part of the public space thats visible at all times, she said. Even if a seller may not recover the entire cost of the renovation put into the home, they should consider at least upgrading the kitchen to help with the sale. That includes replacing cabinet doors with modern ones, and replacing countertops and appliances.

Renovating or upgrading will help not only sell at a better price than a competing home with an older kitchen, but also time on market will significantly decrease, she continued. We all know time is money, and in this case, a quick closing will save the seller HOA fees, real estate taxes and mortgage payments.

Find Out: 15 Cities Where Houses Are the Best Bargains Right Now

Updated Bathrooms

While a renovated kitchen may be the priority, prospective buyers are seeking newly renovated bathrooms as well.

Bathrooms are an area where buyers are looking for upgraded amenities, said Denis Smykalov, a Miami-based real estate agent with Wolsen Real Estate. This can include features such as new fixtures, updated tile or flooring and modern lighting. Upgrading bathrooms can also increase the value of a home and improve its marketability.

Home Office Space

Many buyers are looking for dedicated home office spaces, especially in light of increased remote work and schooling, Smykalov said.

Fortunately, this can be effectively created via staging in many cases.

If a home doesnt already have a designated office area, sellers may want to consider converting a spare room or adding a desk to an existing space, Smykalov said.

Energy-Efficient Upgrades

Colleen Cassel, a New York City-based real estate agent with Compass, said that many buyers are looking for energy-efficient homes at a time when utility prices are soaring.

This is a costly upgrade, so having it done prior to buying a home is very important, she said. A home that is energy efficient can save the new homeowner money each month on their electric and utility bills. An energy-efficient renovation can include new windows, better insulation, smart thermostats and even solar panel installations.

New Front Door

Cassell said that updating the front door can have major appeal to prospective buyers.

Your front door is the centerpiece of your home and offers amazing curb appeal, she said. Plus, it offers greater security with upgraded technology and materials.

Sellers can recoup a high portion of the cost for this upgrade: The average return on investment of a new front door is 68%, Cassell said.

Outdoor Space Improvements

Buyers are seeking inviting outdoor spaces in the current market, Cassell said.

Due to the pandemic, people realized the importance of outdoor space, she said. An aesthetically pleasing patio, balcony or terrace can offer additional space where one can work or relax. This [renovation] can include [installing] new screen doors and flooring  [renovations] that are relatively inexpensive to do, but offer a more pleasing space. New homeowners prefer to buy a home that is already renovated and doesnt require multiple upgrades.

Light Wood Floors

If you plan to replace floors before listing, Parisa Afkhami, an agent with Coldwell Banker Warburg, recommends opting for white oak.

The newly renovated apartments that I see have white oak flooring, she said. Aside from the sustainability factor, the aesthetic is current with the furnishing trend of neutral colors. It also can create an airy and expansive feeling in apartments, particularly for those that do not have much natural light. Ironically, lighter floors are much easier to clean than dark-stained brown ones.

Smart Home Technology

Buyers are increasingly interested in homes equipped with smart home technology, said Greg Kime, a realtor of 30 years based in Michigan. Installations such as security systems, lighting controls and voice-activated assistants can enhance a propertys appeal.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im a Real Estate Agent: Here Are 8 Renovations Buyers Want the Most in 2023
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has completed his official visit to the Republic of Lithuania, Azernews reports.

A guard of honor was lined up for the Azerbaijani President at Vilnius International Airport decorated with the national flags of the two countries.

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were seen off by the officials.
FILE PHOTO: A Microsoft logo is seen a day after Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) $26.2 billion purchase of LinkedIn Corp (LNKD.N), in Los Angeles

Microsoft beefs up ChatGPT and Bing in wide-ranging AI product launch FILE PHOTO: A Microsoft logo is seen a day after Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O) $26.2 billion purchase of LinkedIn Corp (LNKD.N), in Los Angeles

By Yuvraj Malik and Jeffrey Dastin

(Reuters) - Microsoft Corp on Tuesday started making available to users a host of AI upgrades, including to ChatGPT, its search engine Bing as well as to cloud services - an expansive launch that seeks to narrow the gap with Alphabet Inc's Google.

Among key changes is the rollout of live search results from Bing to ChatGPT, the viral chatbot from its partner OpenAI whose answers originally were limited to information as of 2021.

Now, ChatGPT can pull from Bing web results for paid subscribers and will do so soon for free users, the company said at its annual Microsoft Build conference.

The company also is expanding so-called plug-ins for Bing, using a standard embraced by OpenAI and letting businesses transact more easily with consumers in its search engine.

For instance, one such tool can help a web surfer looking for dinner ideas with a suggested recipe and ingredients that could then be ordered from Instacart in a single click, said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's consumer chief marketing officer.

"This is a profound change to how people will use the web," he said in an interview.

Asked if Microsoft could sell ad placements related to the plug-ins, Mehdi said the company hasn't gotten to that point but that "the model for how people acquire customers is changing."

The updates to Bing are part of Microsoft's effort to capture more of the estimated $286 billion market for search advertising globally.

Like Microsoft, Google has also recently showcased generative AI upgrades for its search engine, learning from past data how to respond to open-ended queries where no clear answers exist on the web.

Which updated search engine consumers prefer remains unclear, as Google has yet to roll out its changes widely. However, its standalone competitor to ChatGPT, a chatbot known as Bard, is available and already includes answers informed by Google's search results.

Asked if ChatGPT will supplant Microsoft's Bing now that it includes recent information from the web, Mehdi said the programs offer different experiences but that Microsoft would benefit either way, with citations in ChatGPT driving traffic to Bing.

New cloud service features include allowing businesses to build plug-ins connecting to Microsoft 365 Copilot, its AI assistant for enterprises.

A plug-in could let a staffer in plain language ask the AI to book travel or explain legal issues with vendor contracts, Microsoft said. Microsoft aims to let companies configure their own AI copilots more broadly.

The company also said it will make an AI assistant, or copilot, available as a preview for some users of its widespread Windows operating system starting in June. It also announced ways it is helping consumers determine if its AI generated an image or video, similar to an announcement by Google.

(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bangalore and Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
Microsoft (MSFT) is bringing its generative AI capabilities to Windows PCs. Unveiled during the companys Build developer conference on Tuesday, the feature, called Windows Copilot, gives users access to an AI-powered bot directly from the Windows taskbar without having to launch a secondary program.

According to Microsoft Chief Product Officer Panos Panay, Windows Copilot, which will launch in preview in June, will function across apps and allow users to do everything from looking up quick facts to completing more complex tasks.

If I want to call my family in Cyprus, I can quickly check the local time to make sure Im not waking them up in the middle of the night, Panay explained in a statement. If I want to plan a trip to visit them in Cyprus, I can ask Windows Copilot to find my family flights and accommodations for mid-winter break.

The idea is for the app to function as a kind of all-purpose helper for Windows users. Panay says that the software will also work with Bing Chat and first and third-party plugins, meaning developers will be able to create additional ways for users to interact with the app.

Microsoft's new Windows Copilot brings a generative AI bot to your Windows 11 PC. (Image: Microsoft)

Windows Copilot will also be able to control your PCs settings, so youll be able to ask it to do things like turn on Windows Focus Assist feature. It will also be able to summarize and compose text from other apps.

On Tuesday, the company also announced that its giving enterprise customers the ability to build their own copilots for their business purposes. According to Eric Boyd, Microsoft CVP of Azure AI, a company with a number of different health-care plans would, for instance, be able to create a bot that lets employees search for the one right for them that covers eyeglasses using a natural language search rather than having to read through pages of unrelated information.

Boyd offered a similar example of manufacturing giant Siemens using a bot to help workers quickly gain access to and understand quality controls for their own products.

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Microsoft is in a race to become Silicon Valleys go-to name in generative AI thanks to its multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI. But rival Google (GOOG, GOOGL), which helped develop the technology used by generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, isnt far behind.

The company, like Microsoft, is offering its own generative AI chatbot known as Bard. And at its Google I/O developer conference this month debuted an experimental version of its search engine complete with generative AI capabilities.

Microsoft and Google arent the only big names looking to capitalize on the generative AI wave. Facebook parent Meta (META) is also developing its own generative AI software and Apple (AAPL), according to Fortune, is staffing up for a generative AI push.

Daniel Howley is the tech editor at Yahoo Finance. He's been covering the tech industry since 2011. Follow him @DanielHowley

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Millions Worth of Bitcoin and Tether Used to Pay Chinese Companies Involved in Fentanyl Crisis, Says Elliptic

Chinese businesses selling the chemicals used to make Fentanyl are accepting payment in Bitcoin and Tether, according to an investigative research report published Tuesday by Elliptic.

The blockchain analytics firm specializes in risk management and regulatory compliance. It said an overwhelming majority of pharmaceutical chemical companies it contacted in China that can ship precursors for fentanyl overseas accept cryptocurrencies as a form of payment.

Elliptic found that most of the chemical suppliers it identified used accounts at three specific exchanges based outside of China, which were unnamed in the report. The analytics firm said it had notified the exchanges being used by China-based drug suppliers, highlighting hundreds of wallets that had received more than $27 million worth of crypto assets.

Elliptic did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Decrypt.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid thats cheap to produce and vastly more potent than heroin, has been linked to thousands of drug overdose deaths in the United States each year. In 2021, of the U.S.s more than 106,000 drug overdose deaths, synthetic opioids were involved in around 70,600, according to research from the National Institutes of Health.

Fentanyl overdoses are also the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 45 years old, Elliptic noted.

The analytics firm identified more than 80 China-based firms that offered to ship fentanyl precursors abroad in exchange for cryptocurrencies. One supplier told Elliptic that cryptocurrency was a popular payment method among its Mexico-based customers.

They always use USDT or Bitcoin to pay, Elliptic was told by the supplier, who referenced the stablecoin Tether by its ticker name. It is no problem.

Elliptics team of researchers encountered multiple suppliers that said they shipped fentanyl precursors and the drug itself to Mexico, where drug cartels can then traffic the drug into the U.S.

The analytics firm said it may be surprising to see China-based firms leveraging crypto exchange accounts. In 2019, China said it would begin restricting residents access to international exchanges as part of the countrys crypto crackdown.

That same year, the White House released a report that linked fentanyl trafficking to cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monerothe so-called privacy coin thats become popular on dark web marketplaces.

The Trump administrations report claimed that cryptocurrencies are the predominant funding mechanisms associated with fentanyl trafficking.
FILE PHOTO: A view of a brine pool of a lithium mine on the Atacama salt flat

By Clara Denina and Helen Reid

LONDON (Reuters) - Mining firms lag far behind other sectors on female representation in top leadership, data released on Tuesday showed.

S&P Global Commodity Insights' figures highlight the industry's struggle to improve gender equity, with women filling just 12.1% of the highest-ranking executive positions across more than 2,000 publicly-listed miners globally as of April, a rise of only 1.6 percentage points from October 2021.

Women currently hold 14% of all mining executive positions and 12.3% of board roles, the data showed. This compares to a female representation of 42.7% in senior and leadership roles globally across sectors, according to the World Economic Forum.

"Change takes time, and progress may vary across different industries and regions," said Barbara Dischinger, director of London-based International Women in Mining.

Dischinger said barriers slowing the pace of expected improvement include implicit biases in selection and promotion processes and a lack of role models, mentoring and sponsorship.

Executive and boardroom diversity has become a focus for many policymakers and investors who say a broader range of experience improves decision-making and corporate culture.

Despite mining CEOs saying gender diversity is a priority and setting ambitious goals, progress remains slow and patchy.

The share of female senior managers at Anglo American was stable at 29% in 2022 from a year earlier, versus a goal of 33% by 2023, while the proportion of female senior leaders at Rio Tinto was 28.3% last year, a 0.9 percentage point rise from 2021, their annual reports show.

"If we do not address challenges relating to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), there will be far-reaching implications for the industry's ability to attract and retain the talent needed," said Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of the International Council of Mining and Minerals.

"We have an obligation to eradicate discrimination, harassment, and assault of any kind in our workplaces," he said.

An independent report commissioned by Rio's management and published in 2022 found 28.2% of women working in the company reported experiencing sexual harassment at work.

Fund manager abrdn said in February it had engaged with some of the largest mining companies it holds shares in after "incidents of unacceptable workplace behaviours".

"What we want is for mining companies' rigorous health and safety standards to be expanded to include employees' psychological wellbeing and potential risk of harassment," said Andrew Mason, abrdn head of active ownership.

"Companies need to show they have those measures in place to attract diverse employees."

(Reporting by Clara Denina and Helen Reid; Editing by Alexander Smith)
Money Laundering, Shell Corporations and More: What Are LLCs and Why Are They Currently Under Fire?

seb_ra / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Limited liability companies, or LLCs, are no stranger to controversy, mainly because of how easily they can be used to hide owners and assets. Now they are being targeted by a New York watchdog group that supports a bill that would bring more transparency to LLCs to prevent them from becoming shell companies for money laundering.

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The group, Reinvent Albany, recently issued a statement of support for the LLC Transparency Act under consideration by the New York legislature. According to the New York State Senate website, the bill aims to modernize disclosure laws for limited liability companies by defining beneficial ownership and requiring the disclosure of beneficial owners. The bill is currently in the Senate rules committee, according to the most recent update.

Reinvent Albany supports the bill for a few reasons. One is that LLCs make it difficult to trace owners, which eases the way for money laundering and other illicit activities. Another is that LLCs still donate significant amounts of money to political candidates.

Because of weak enforcement by the Board of Elections, many LLCs making political contributions have not disclosed their owners as required by a change to the law in 2019, Reinvent Albany said in its statement of support.

A recent article on the Spectrum News 1 website addressed this issue, noting that LLCs are behind a significant amount of campaign cash in New York, but their names and ownership are often opaque. This makes it difficult to determine whos behind campaign donations.

The 2019 change that Reinvent Albany referred to requires more disclosure for LLCs when used as political donation sources. However, many watchdog groups think it doesnt go far enough.

Opening up beneficial owners identity to the public will help government regulators and law enforcement bodies determine whether LLCs are being used to illegally move cash and dodge taxes, Reinvent Albany stated.

LLCs are a common business structure, but regulations governing them vary significantly by state. Most states dont restrict LLC ownership, according to the IRS, meaning that owners (called members) can be individuals, corporations, other LLCs and foreign entities.

There is no maximum number of members, and some states allow single-member LLCs with only one owner. Among the businesses that cant be LLCs are banks and insurance companies. There are also special rules governing foreign LLCs.

Despite their popularity as a business structure  or maybe because of it  LLCs have come under fire in recent years. A 2019 investigation by The New York Times found that the use of LLCs and shell corporations has been an issue for the United States for more than a decade.

In 2015, the NYT reported that buyers of condominiums on Manhattans billionaires row used LLCs to hide the identity of the properties owners. A year later, CBSs 60 Minutes captured lawyers on hidden camera offering to help move funds with questionable origins through different shell companies. Legislative attempts to bring more transparency to LLCs have largely either fallen short or been watered down well beyond their original intent.

A separate 2019 investigation from Roll Call found that the U.S. is one of the largest havens for money laundering and tax evasion in the world, and thats partly because of how easy it is to set up an LLC. As Roll Call put it: In some states, library cards require more information than LLCs.

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In most states, its possible to form companies anonymously, using a lawyer or a registered agent service to file the forms, Roll Call reported. That company can purchase legitimate assets, like real estate, using surreptitiously transferred illegitimate funds, laundering them in the process. For added secrecy, the initial anonymous entity often itself incorporates a subsidiary, creating multiple layers of shells around the illicitly financed assets.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Money Laundering, Shell Corporations and More: What Are LLCs and Why Are They Currently Under Fire?
Nestle S.A.

[Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR]

This press release is also available in Francais (pdf) and Deutsch (pdf)

.............

Vevey/Switzerland, May 23,2023

Nestle announces retirement of Magdi Batato, Stephanie Pullings Hart appointed as next Head of Operations

Magdi Batato, Executive Vice President and Head of Operations, will take a well-deserved retirement in early 2024 after a distinguished career of over 30 years at Nestle. He has held various roles across three different continents. In his current position, Magdi Batato is responsible for the operations of hundreds of Nestle factories across the globe. He oversees Nestles procurement and logistics areas and leads Nestle's sustainability work.

Stephanie Pullings Hart, currently Senior Vice President of Operations for Warby Parker, will return to Nestle, effective July 1, 2023, as the Deputy Head of Operations. After a handover period, she will take over as the Head of Operations and become an Executive Board Member by January 1, 2024.

At Warby Parker, Stephanie Pullings Hart is responsible for manufacturing, supply chain and customer experience. Prior to Warby Parker, Stephanie Pullings Hart was the Senior Vice President of Global Operations for Beyond Meat, where she transformed the companys manufacturing and supply chain activities to help it achieve a significant sales increase. Until 2018, Stephanie Pullings Hart had a successful 23-year career at Nestle, with roles of increasing responsibility in manufacturing, factory management, supply chain, research and development and human resources. She worked in several of our businesses and across multiple continents.

Mark Schneider, CEO, commented, "On behalf of our Board of Directors and our Executive Board, I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Magdi for his many contributions to Nestle. We wish him all the best for this next chapter. At the same time, we are delighted that Stephanie is returning to Nestle. With her appointment, we are gaining a highly qualified leader with extensive experience across all areas of operations, and a proven track record in growing businesses. Her highly entrepreneurial and digital experience combined with her knowledge of Nestle make her the ideal leader to take us forward. Welcome back, Stephanie!"

Contacts:



Media:

Christoph Meier Tel.: +41 21 924 2200

mediarelations@nestle.com



Investors:

Luca Borlini Tel.: +41 21 924 3509

ir@nestle.com




Today we're going to take a look at the well-established InterContinental Hotels Group PLC (LON:IHG). The company's stock saw significant share price movement during recent months on the LSE, rising to highs of UK57.08 and falling to the lows of UK51.12. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether InterContinental Hotels Group's current trading price of UK53.84 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at InterContinental Hotels Groups outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change.

View our latest analysis for InterContinental Hotels Group

What's The Opportunity In InterContinental Hotels Group?

The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to my valuation model. Its trading around 6.04% above my intrinsic value, which means if you buy InterContinental Hotels Group today, youd be paying a relatively fair price for it. And if you believe the companys true value is 50.77, theres only an insignificant downside when the price falls to its real value. In addition to this, InterContinental Hotels Group has a low beta, which suggests its share price is less volatile than the wider market.

Can we expect growth from InterContinental Hotels Group?

Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. With profit expected to grow by 98% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for InterContinental Hotels Group. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation.

What This Means For You

Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has already priced in IHGs positive outlook, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuates below the true value?

Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on IHG, now may not be the most advantageous time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for the company, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop.

In light of this, if you'd like to do more analysis on the company, it's vital to be informed of the risks involved. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for InterContinental Hotels Group you should know about.

If you are no longer interested in InterContinental Hotels Group, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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(Bloomberg) -- Oil rose to near $73 as traders evaluated a warning from Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman to short-sellers, offsetting a lack of tangible progress in US debt-limit talks.

Most Read from Bloomberg

I keep advising them that they will be ouching  they did ouch in April, Saudi Arabias top energy official said at the Qatar Economic Forum. The perceived threat was enough to send West Texas Intermediate climbing as much as 2.5%  the most in nearly a week  and notably diverging from broader market sentiment, which fell as a solution to the debt-ceiling crisis remains elusive.

As amusing as it may be to hear the Saudi energy minister issue a warning to oil short-sellers, what ultimately matters is what Saudi Arabia, and, more broadly, OPEC, do rather than what they say, said Pavel Molchanov, an analyst at Raymond James. Actions speak louder than words.

Saudi Arabia, the de facto leader of the OPEC+ cartel, was among nations that surprised the global crude market with a supply cut that took effect this month. Several OPEC delegates have said theres no need for further action now as curbs already in place will help tighten global markets. Still, Prince Abdulaziz has been known for orchestrating surprise interventions.

Crude has retreated by about 9% so far this year as Chinas lackluster recovery since the lifting of Covid restrictions and the US Federal Reserves most aggressive monetary tightening campaign in a generation weigh on sentiment. Russian oil exports have also remained robust in the face of sanctions, with flows not showing signs of the output cuts the country insisted it was making.

To get Bloombergs Energy Daily newsletter direct into your inbox, click here.

--With assistance from Sri Taylor.

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Tippie College of Business at University of Iowa

The Biz Hub has opened in the Pomerantz Business librarys 3rd floor in the Pappajohn Business Building. The Biz Hub is a multi-service space that includes library services, the business writing center, tutoring services, and a cafe.

Amy Kristof-Brown calls herself an accidental dean.

After growing up in the Baltimore area, she joined University of Iowas Tippie College of Business in 1997 as an assistant professor in the Department of Management and Organizations. She thought shed spend a couple of years before returning to the East Coast, but fell in love with the Big 10 university in the midwest. She worked her way up through the ranks, taking on more and more committee and leadership roles, and was named senior associate dean at Tippie in 2017.

She took over as interim dean in March 2020 in a particularly transformational period for the business college. It was just before the big wave of COVID disruptions and as the college was phasing out its residential, two-year program. She was appointed as the full-time dean in December of that year, beating out two highly-qualified external candidates.

I never set out to be a dean. Being an academic is a really great job; You get to research the things you want to study, teach courses that are interesting to teach, and meet great students. I am what they would call more of an accidental dean, where you start doing work on committees, are apparently pretty good at it, and then they ask you to keep doing more, Kristof-Brown tells Poets&Quants.

Kristof-Brown found that she really liked her role as senior associate dean and being very invested in the Tippie community. When she was asked to be interim dean, she told herself it would only be for a few months.

It turns out, I really liked the job because you get to really oversee the strategic direction and you spend a lot of time talking with people outside of the college who care about the college being successful as much as you do. Thats really fulfilling, she says.

In the two years after shuttering its full-time MBA, Tippie launched an online MBA which went from about 40 students to more than 400 in just a few semesters, and it launched two masters programs in finance and business analytics which are now available full-time on its campus in Iowa City or part-time in an online format. It has also merged its online MBA with its part-time program, allowing students to take a mix of online and in-person courses in a way that works best with their lives and schedules.

Recently, two and a half years into her deanship, we caught up with Kristof-Brown to check in on Tippies direction and its bold moves to the online space  not just in the graduate programs but in executive programs as well and the possibilities she sees in the undergraduate program. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

What were some of your big goals as dean, and what progress have you made on them?

Amy Kristof-Brown,

dean Tippie College of Business

We had a really terrific dean in Sarah Gardial, and she and I were the ones who made the decision to close the full-time MBA program. We actually made that decision my first week on the job as a senior associate dean. She, I think, had put us on a really good direction, and so I was not campaigning for the deanship to do something entirely different.

The thing that we had a really hard time doing was really creating good partnerships with corporations and others in the state, so that was what I wanted to do more fully. Weve got great faculty, really strong programs, and I think weve been very market driven by our graduate programs in particular. I wanted to spend the time opening the door for business and for partners in the state and region, making sure we are giving them what they want.

I created an Office of Strategic Partnerships, so we had someone dedicated to reaching out to companies and finding what it is that they needed. I guess, not surprisingly, what we discovered was that Des Moines is a huge insurance center, and they didnt feel that we were really meeting all of their needs. Within the first year and a half, we initiated a Risk Management and Insurance major for undergrads, and its now ready to launch in fall of this year.

Weve just announced a partnership with the Global Insurance Accelerator, which is a startup accelerator for insurtech companies, where well be bringing together our Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance and our John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center to help them with curriculum, projects, and internships for our students. Theres just some really great things happening in that space.

Speaking of closing the full-time MBA, what is the feeling around the Tippie community since then? Any regrets?

That is probably the single biggest question I get asked when I go to AACSB meetings, and we are extremely happy with whats happened since that time. We announced the closure in fall of 2017, and so our last class graduated in spring of 2019. During 2018, we initiated the creation of an online MBA program as well as the introduction of a Masters of Science in Finance and a Masters of Science in Business Analytics full-time program. That was where we pivoted.

We made the change to the program, but we didnt see any reduction in staff or faculty. We launched the online MBA in fall of 19, and that was extraordinarily good timing. With COVID hitting in spring 2020, we had already prepared to take a degree into an online format.

We saw just tremendous growth in that program very, very quickly. Our goal had been to intake 40 students in the fall, 40 students in January, and 40 students again in the summer, and then to keep that cycle. We actually admitted 40 In the fall of 2019, 39 students in January of 2020, 200 in summer of 2020. The fact that we were ready to be in that space, we saw just an immediate boost in our enrollments. Were now up over 700 students in our graduate and professional programs.

When you say its the question you get asked often, do you think its because other schools are considering a similar move? Do you think its a trend that is gaining steam, or has it leveled off in your opinion?

I think that the market has evolved and continues to evolve. I think there is certainly a growth now because of COVID, working professionals are looking for more flexible ways to get their education. I think there will always be a market for those full-time programs, but what was happening at the time was the top 10 programs were just getting bigger and bigger and bigger. You had a market that was shrinking, and your top players were getting bigger, and so there became very little room for the rest of us.

I think theres still a lot of colleges that are in that space and are having to fight very, very hard to get full-time students because, frankly, online programs make it much easier to get your degree without having to leave your job for two years.

Tippie College of Business at University of Iowa

Rong Su, associate professor of management, teaches a course at Tippie.Online and parttime MBA students can choose to take classes in-person or online, depending on what works best for their schedules and life demands. Courtesy photo

When online MBAs were just emerging on the market, there was a bit of a stigma attached to the degree. Do you think that is still the case? What do Tippie employers say about the online programs? Do you perceive there is still that stigma in the job market?

Ive never had anyone raise the question about whether its a different kind of program. Weve always served working professionals across the state. We did it face-to-face, now we do it across the country, and we do face-to-face and online.

From the very beginning, we didnt price it differently. We didnt teach different content. We didnt use different faculty. We kept everything as comparable as we possibly could in the online program as we did face-to-face, and so Ive never had an employer question the quality of it.

Does the online program attract a different kind of student in demographic terms?

The age and the number of years of work experience includes the range of who applied for the full-time program, but it has broadened because we get people who are actually at more advanced executive stages.

This is a really interesting evolution for us, because were going to soon add an executive certificate to that online program for people who have more than 10 years of work experience. Were seeing a much broader array of students signing up for that online program than we ever expected. Students who would have normally come to an executive program are now enrolling online because of the flexibility and also the more reasonable cost. We have a program thats priced in the low $30K while executive programs are closer to $75K to over $100K.

Do you see other opportunities in the online space, either in the undergrad or other graduate degrees?

We are now offering an online format for our Masters of Science in Business Analytics for working professionals. Certainly for schools like ours that are not in major metropolitan centers, being able to get access to people across a wider geographic area is really important. Were a state school, we serve people in the state, and we serve a lot more of them now in the online programs that we have than we ever could have before. We serve people across the country as well. So I would say the Master in Science programs all have a lot of potential in that online space for working professionals, where that flexibility with work, their family, their volunteer activities, their church activities and all of those other things serves them really well.

What we learned from COVID is that our undergraduates really, really value an on campus experience. We have a handful of online classes that we offer, but theyre all offered to our on-campus students. Thats where weve decided to focus.

I think there are certainly other universities that are saying an online undergraduate degree is where they want to go, and I think that could be right for many of those programs. But for us, at a Big 10 college campus where a lot of people want to be, the on-campus students are the population of undergraduates that were choosing to serve.

So we have an interesting split now where all of our undergraduate classes are really happening face-to-face, and most of our graduate level classes are happening online.

More broadly, where do you see the future of business education moving?

Flexibility of offerings is probably the key, and flexibility comes in format. That is online in many cases, or its some combination of online and in-person.

Tippie College of Business at University of Iowa

Tippie College of Business at University of Iowa.

But I think its also flexible in terms of the degrees. Were seeing a lot more certificates, micro credentials, things that are stackable into degrees. People want their education in smaller bite-sized chunks, and its very consistent with what we see across many other industries. Particularly at the graduate level, people want the ability to try some things out, to build some smaller certificates, upskill in areas that are going to be immediately applicable to their jobs, and then build that into larger degrees.

At the undergraduate level, I think that trend will also kind of trickle down. We havent seen it as much in that space other than programs allowing sort of customized majors, double majors, and certificates on top of majors, on top of minors. But right now at the undergraduate level, that bachelors degree is still a pretty important criteria. Over time, with the economy, will that become less of an important criteria? It probably will. Well see businesses that are starting to say smaller amounts of formalized education might be fine, and then theyll add on to that themselves. We see that with certifications coming from companies.

As higher education professionals, were looking at how we get people what they want, when they want it, in a format thats flexible, and that meets the needs of the employers.

Are you doing stackable degrees?

We do it in our graduate programs. Students can join the online program, start with a certificate, and then they can add another certificate to the degree. We havent moved it as much yet into the undergraduate space, but I can see that coming.

What are some of the goals for your next tenure?

We want to continue to be open to business and make sure that were being good partners with them. I think its been very interesting over the last couple of years to realize how important we are to businesses. And more broadly, they are so interested in getting access to the students, and they want to have an influence over what the students are learning. So keeping that very open line of communication between companies and faculty and curriculum committees and making sure that were really getting students ready to step into that space really matters.

Certainly, AI is going to be a huge area that we step into. Not only do people need to understand it, they need to know how to work with it and how to manage people that are using it. We have terrific people in machine learning and optimization, the technology that underlies AI, but we also need to educate an entire generation of business students about how to use it ethically and strategically.

A good example of that: The University of Iowa calls itself the writing university, the only public university in the top 20 that is ranked for writing across the disciplines. That includes us. We have a wonderful communication center that works with students across every major on communication skills, and we focus on writing, oral communication and data visualization. So, when ChatGPT emerged back in the fall, our faculty immediately worked it into the curriculum. Faculty members are working with ChatGPT writing prompts, and teaching people how to use it. Were not dodging it. Were trying to incorporate, How are you going to use this in your job? I think thats a really different way of stepping into that space than what Ive seen from some other universities.

Students work in the Phil Hadley Finance Lab at the Pappajohn Business Building. Courtesy photo

I understand that Tippie has also doubled down on student mental health. Describe your efforts in that space?

This is an area that weve certainly taken very seriously. We have a new university president, Barbara Wilson, and shes emphasized student wellness across the board, but particularly mental health.

We have an embedded counselor in the College of Business who is affiliated with our University Counseling Services. They reside here in our building, and they spend 90% of their time working with our students and developing programming for our students. Thats been terrific.

Shes also worked with many of our student organizations to create programming for their membership.

The next step is having her work with our professional prep faculty, which are faculty who work on, what does it mean to have a career in your major, looking for internships, and looking for jobs? Were working mental health initiatives into each of those courses,because those are some of the highest stress points that students have. Well make sure that we get to every student, because one of the concerns with just going to student organizations is then you only reach the students who are joiners.

Weve also launched social media campaigns starting back in 2020 where we have students indicating how they are doing, rating their mental health from 0 to 100. When we had students that were telling us theyre at a zero or a 10%, we reached out to say here are some resources. We are actively using our social media as a way to reach our students, and I just see that continuing to build steam.

We did a campaign in the fall called How I Stay Grounded, featuring students, faculty, me, anyone we could find, talking about what you do to stay balanced. It ran for a month, got lots of good traffic, and it just won an award for Mental Health Champions on campus, and it was a student-run campaign, which was really fun.

I think its really important that were using language that is not always mental health, in distress, but talking about coping skills that you need. I consider it a huge part of business education because were sending students off to employers, and they bring anxiety and depression with them along with functional skills. If we can also equip them with skills for managing the stressors, anxiety, all of those things that we know that they have, theyll be better employees, and they will certainly be more healthy at work. T

This has been such an interesting time to be a leader in higher education and in business. COVID certainly introduced an acceleration of trends that I think were already there, but it really did help us to be more attentive to what our students are looking for. We talked to them a lot, and were listening to them. Thats a really important pattern.

One of the things that we always try to do in our online programs is to recognize that students could get content in a lot of different ways, so we want to provide content in a way that feels authentic to us as a college. Were a tight community and that feeling of collaborativeness and community colors everything that we do. We have an online program, but we always have synchronous classes. You can always see the faces of the people youre with. We offer destination courses where you can come to Iowa City and meet with faculty for one or two of the sessions. We also have people that fly to Iowa City for the first time for graduation. So were really trying, even if the program is being delivered in an online way, to build the community and give them that feeling of being a part of the Tippie community. Thats been an interesting and unique challenge, but its really important to our faculty and our staff that we do that.

DONT MISS: HOW CAN B-SCHOOLS ATTRACT MORE BLACK STUDENTS TO THEIR MBA PROGRAMS? STANFORD MBAS DEMYSTIFY THE PROCESS AND WHEN A B-SCHOOL DEAN BECOMES A STUDENT AGAIN

The post The P&Q Interview: Iowa Tippie Dean On The Flexible, Stackable Future Of Business Education appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Turkiye has neutralized more than 37,800 terrorists since 2015, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on Sunday.

Since July 24, 2015, 37,860 terrorists have been neutralized, Akar said at a conference held in Istanbul about the Syria conflict and the fight against terrorism.

Six more terrorists have been neutralized in the Operation Euphrates Shield region in northern Syria, he added.

Turkish authorities use the term neutralized to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

While Akar did not specify any terror groups, Turkiye has been conducting operations against terrorist organizations such as Daesh/ISIS and the PKK.

Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of successful anti-terror operations across its border in northern Syria to prevent the formation of a terror corridor and enable the peaceful settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018), and Peace Spring (2019).

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK  listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and EU  has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is its Syrian offshoot.

In 2013, Turkiye became one of the first countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terrorist organization.

The country has since been attacked by the terror group multiple times, with over 300 people killed and hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks, and four armed assaults. In response, Turkiye launched anti-terror operations at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.
This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP)  Dozens of militants attacked an oil and gas plant on Tuesday in Pakistan's remote northwest, near the border with Afghanistan, killing four security troops and two private guards, officials said.

Oil production was temporarily suspended following the attack on the oil and gas extraction facility run by a multinational European company, MOL Pakistan Oil and Gas, in Hangu, a restive district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The company said the attackers never reached the facility itself but fought with the troops and guards outside.

Production from the wells has been temporarily shut down by remote access and the wells are now secured, the company said in a statement.

The attack triggered an intense shootout, according to the local police chief, Sawab Khan. He said a wide search was underway to apprehend the attackers, who fled the scene.

Blame is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, known as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The militant group has stepped up attacks in recent months, after unilaterally ending a cease-fire with the Pakistani government in November.

A separate militant group, the TTP is allied with the Afghan Taliban and its fighters and leaders often take shelter across the border, in Afghanistan, straining relations between the two countries.
NEW ORLEANS, May 23, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pan-American Life, Insurance Group (PALIG) a leading provider of life, accident and health insurance throughout the Americas, announced the appointment of Dr. Sandra K. Johnson to the companys Board of Directors effective June 1, 2023.

Dr. Johnson is the Founder & CEO of SKJ Visioneering, a technology consulting company based in North Carolina. She is also a director on the Board of Directors for Regional Management Corporation. Previously, she was the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of IBM Central, East and West Africa and a member of the IBM Academy of Technology, which consists of the top 1% of IBMs over 250,000 technical professionals. During her more than 35 years of experience, Dr. Johnson has received numerous technical and professional awards and is a Master Inventor with over 40 patents issued and pending.

"We are excited to have Dr. Johnson join our Board of Directors - she is an inspirational leader and trailblazer," said Jose S. Suquet, Chairman of the Board and CEO of PALIG. "Dr. Johnsons deep technological and digital expertise will be a tremendous asset to the PALIG Board. Her innovative thinking, purpose-driven focus and extensive experience working with multinational organizations will further strengthen the board, by offering savvy perspectives and digitally-driven guidance as we continue to execute our long-term growth strategy and prepare PALIG for the future."

During her time at IBM, Dr. Johnson was part of the design team that developed the prototype for IBMs world-famous chess machine. She has also authored and co-authored over 80 publications, is Editor-in-Chief of the book Performance Tuning for Linux Servers, and is author of Inspirational Nuggets, Inspirational Nuggets Too, and GREGORY: The Life of a Lupus Warrior.

Dr. Johnson earned B.S. (summa cum laude), M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, all in electrical engineering, from Southern University, Stanford University, and Rice University, respectively. She is the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer engineering in the United States and was recognized as one of the Top 100 Most Important Blacks in Technology (2007-2010). She is also a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and an IEEE Fellow and ACM Distinguished Engineer.

ABOUT PAN-AMERICAN LIFE INSURANCE GROUP

Pan-American Life Insurance Group (PALIG), a leading provider of life, accident and health insurance throughout the Americas that has been delivering trusted financial services since 1911. The New Orleans-based Group is comprised of more than twenty-member companies, employs more than 2,100 worldwide and offers top-rated individual and/or group life, accident and health insurance, employee benefits and financial services in 49 states, the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. The Group has branches and affiliates in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, and 13 Caribbean markets, including Barbados, Cayman Islands, Curacao and Trinidad and Tobago. For more information, visit the Pan-American Life website at palig.com, like us on Facebook @PanAmericanLife, follow us on Twitter @PanAmericanLife, and connect with us on LinkedIn at Pan-American Life Insurance Group.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230523005409/en/

Contacts

Marta C. Reeves

Pan-American Life Insurance Group

MReeves@palig.com

Adriana Infante

FleishmanHillard

Adriana.infante@fleishman.com
As an investor its worth striving to ensure your overall portfolio beats the market average. But its virtually certain that sometimes you will buy stocks that fall short of the market average returns. We regret to report that long term Ashmore Group PLC (LON:ASHM) shareholders have had that experience, with the share price dropping 39% in three years, versus a market return of about 33%.

So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

View our latest analysis for Ashmore Group

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.

Ashmore Group saw its EPS decline at a compound rate of 44% per year, over the last three years. This fall in the EPS is worse than the 15% compound annual share price fall. This suggests that the market retains some optimism around long term earnings stability, despite past EPS declines.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

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. Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here..

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Ashmore Group, it has a TSR of -27% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Ashmore Group shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 12% over one year. That's including the dividend. That certainly beats the loss of about 3% per year over the last half decade. This makes us a little wary, but the business might have turned around its fortunes. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Ashmore Group (at least 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of 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 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.

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Koninklijke Philips N.V. (AMS:PHIA) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 18% in the last quarter. But that doesn't help the fact that the three year return is less impressive. In fact, the share price is down 54% in the last three years, falling well short of the market return.

So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

Check out our latest analysis for Koninklijke Philips

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. 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 the three years that the share price declined, Koninklijke Philips' earnings per share (EPS) dropped significantly, falling to a loss. Due to the loss, it's not easy to use EPS as a reliable guide to the business. However, we can say we'd expect to see a falling share price in this scenario.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Koninklijke Philips' 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). Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of Koninklijke Philips, it has a TSR of -50% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

Koninklijke Philips shareholders are down 17% for the year (even including dividends), but the market itself is up 13%. 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 7% 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. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Koninklijke Philips better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Koninklijke Philips (2 are significant!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Dutch exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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LIMA, Peru, May 23, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Peru was awarded with gold at the Chinese Tourist Welcome (CTW) awards ceremony, held in the city of Guangzhou.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230522005734/en/

Chinese influencers visiting Machupicchu (Photo: PROMPERU).

This prize rewards the efforts of the Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exports and Tourism (PROMPERU) to attract high-spending Chinese travelers, mainly the segment of independent travelers.

Peru maintained focus in this important market during the pandemic and opted for long-term destination positioning work, especially through the digital video platforms that potential Chinese travelers consume.

As a result, two projects developed by PROMPERU obtained recognition from the CTW awards: the 2021 Chinese New Year Campaign and the Alpaca WeChat Livestream carried out the same year.

The New Year Campaign ('My Memories of Peru') promoted the regions of Lima, Ica, Loreto, Cusco, Puno and Arequipa. This campaign was launched for the post-pandemic Chinese travelers, motivating their future trip while reinforcing ties of trust and sending a message that Chinese tourists are always welcome in Peru.

The Alpaca WeChat Livestream was broadcasted from Cusco through Tencent WeChat, PROMPERU WeChat and Zhejiang OTV platforms and lasted 04 hours. The Chinese audience enjoyed the Andean sunrise, the impressive landscapes of Pacchanta and the Sacred Valley where alpacas and llamas were grazing freely, with the snow-capped Ausangate as a magnificent backdrop. The richness of the ancient Andean culture and the diversity of Peruvian superfoods, such as quinoa, chia and native potatoes, were also showcased. Also, the precious alpaca fiber was exhibited in order to boost the interest of Chinese consumers in Peruvian textiles.

CTW Awards

The CTW Award is organized by COTRI China Outbound Tourism Research Institute since 2004. COTRI is a recognized institution in China and worldwide related to the Chinese outbound travel market.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230522005734/en/

Contacts

Jose Carlos Collazos jcollazos@promperu.gob.pe
PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad (KLSE:PETDAG) First Quarter 2023 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: RM8.65b (up 14% from 1Q 2022).

Net income: RM301.8m (up 155% from 1Q 2022).

Profit margin: 3.5% (up from 1.6% in 1Q 2022). The increase in margin was driven by higher revenue.

EPS: RM0.30 (up from RM0.12 in 1Q 2022).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad Earnings Insights

Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 4.0% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 3.1% decline forecast for the Oil and Gas industry in Asia.

Performance of the market in Malaysia.

The company's shares are up 2.3% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

We should say that we've discovered 1 warning sign for PETRONAS Dagangan Berhad that you should be aware of before investing here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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(Bloomberg) -- Thailands pro-democracy parties omitted an amendment to a law forbidding royal insults in a common platform to form a government after winning the election. While the move sought to bolster support for Pita Limjaroenrat to become premier, uncertainty continued to grip markets.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The eight parties in his coalition adopted a unified stance on issues including charter amendments and reinstating cannabis in the list of narcotics, according to a joint statement read on Monday during a briefing. The 23-point pact didnt include a campaign pledge from Pitas Move Forward party to revise the lese majeste law criminalizing royal defamation, as not all members of the coalition endorse the move.

Our objective is to improve the relationship between the monarchy and the people, the 42-year-old, Harvard-educated Pita told reporters during a coalition briefing Monday in Bangkok.

While the pact signals Pitas willingness to set aside a key plank of Move Forwards campaign promise at least until his government can come into power, it wasnt enough to calm investors worried over who will lead Thailand  something that has kept markets on edge.

Since theres no visibility on the wheeling and dealing going on in the background, it is possible there is a political vacuum all the way to mid-July, said Alan Richardson, a portfolio manager at Samsung Asset Management HK Ltd. I am not prepared to commit to country allocation until there is clarity to the political situation.

Foreign investors have sold millions of dollars worth of the nations stocks and bonds since the May 14 vote. The main stock index fell as much as 0.7% on Tuesday while the baht slumped to a two-month low after losing more than 2% since the post-election rally a week ago.

Investors are waiting for clarity about formation of the new government and the prime minister voting, said Therdsak Thaveeteeratham, an analyst at Asia Plus Group Holdings Pcl. Volatility will remain high until the Election Commission certifies the results and a new government is formed, according to Chak Reungsinpinya, head of research at Maybank Securities in Thailand.

The Commission has up to 60 days after the vote to release official election results and certify 95% of the lower house seats. The first session of the new parliament must then take place within 15 days. That brings the timeline of government formation to late July or even early August.

Move Forwards coalition has 313 seats, a clear majority in the 500-member House of Representatives. But as things stand, thats still short of the 376 needed for Pita to become prime minister. He will require broader support from the military-appointed Senate, whose 250 members also vote on who gets the top job.

While Pita said on Monday that his party is leading talks with senators on government formation and remains optimistic of his chances, he also admitted that several roadblocks still exist. He added that Move Forward would push to relax the lese majeste law in parliament regardless of which parties back it.

Weve been very consistent before and after the election that the law amendment will be continued but it wont be a pressure for our coalition parties, Pita said. The law, also referred to as Article 112, punishes criticisms against the king and other members of the royal family, and can put offenders behind bars for as many as 15 years if theyre convicted.

Pitas alliance also agreed on several other initiatives, including making military enlistment voluntary except during times of war, and a push for a marriage equality bill. The eight parties also pledged to take steps to revitalize the economy, decentralize the budget and dismantle monopolies especially in the liquor industry.

The signing of the coalition agreement came hours after a lawyer asked the Election Commission to seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court on whether Move Forwards call to amend the lese majeste law undermines the monarchy. Pita said he isnt worried about this latest complaint or an earlier allegation that he violated election rules by holding shares in a defunct media company.

Move Forwards push to amend Article 112 draws opposition not only from members of the Senate, which is stacked with allies of the pro-military establishment of caretaker Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha, but also from other conservative parties.

The Bhumjaithai party, the group that championed the liberalization of cannabis and finished third in the election with 70 seats, ruled out support for Pita as prime minister, saying it wont back a candidate from a party planning to make changes to lese majeste.

The conservative Democrat Party hasnt begun a discussion on its stance on Pitas bid to become prime minister but it disagrees with amending the law against royal insults, party spokesman Ramate Rattanachaweng said Monday.

The coalition said the deal forged Monday is also a move to restore full democracy in Thailand. A new government under Pitas leadership would mark the end of nearly a decade of military-backed rule that began exactly nine years earlier with Prayuths coup in 2014, said Cholnan Srikaew, leader of Pheu Thai party.

Were declaring today, on the anniversary of the 2014 military takeover, that were ending the cycle of coups, he said.

--With assistance from Philip J. Heijmans, Anuchit Nguyen, Ishika Mookerjee and Hooyeon Kim.

(Updates with market reaction in lead and sixth paragraph. An earlier version corrects to say coalition seeks to make military enlistment voluntary instead of mandatory.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- The Qatar Investment Authority is setting up a 1 billion-riyal ($275 million) market-making program as the country seeks to draw more foreign investor interest and deepen its capital markets.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The initiative will run over the next five years and offer an economic incentive by way of a rebate to lower trading costs for established market makers, according to a statement. The permanent program will help enhance liquidity in the market, improve price discovery, and diversify the capital markets in Qatar.

Qatars stock exchange is working to increase listings, introduce more exchange-traded funds and derivatives to help investors diversify their portfolios and better manage their investment risks. The comes amid a boom in initial public offerings in neighboring Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Separately, Bloomberg reported last week that Qatars $450 billion wealth fund and its General Retirement and Social Insurance Authority are examining a proposal to consolidate their local holdings worth up to $3 billion under a separate entity.

The strategy is designed to increase the free float of the overall market, and lead index providers, like MSCI Inc., to increase Qatars weighting in market benchmarks. Lower public float is a deterrent for some funds because it means the market is less liquid and more prone to volatility when executing large orders.

Such a move could attract an estimated $2.46 billion inflows from MSCI trackers and $1 billion inflows from FTSE trackers, according to Arqaam Capital Ltd. analysts.

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. One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after investigating Sunpower Group (SGX:5GD), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

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 Sunpower Group is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.06 = CN338m  (CN7.8b - CN2.2b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2023).

So, Sunpower Group has an ROCE of 6.0%. On its own that's a low return on capital but it's in line with the industry's average returns of 6.3%.

View our latest analysis for Sunpower Group

roce

Historical performance is a great place to start when researching a stock so above you can see the gauge for Sunpower Group's ROCE against it's prior returns. If you want to delve into the historical earnings, revenue and cash flow of Sunpower Group, check out these free graphs here.

What Can We Tell From Sunpower Group's ROCE Trend?

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Sunpower Group, we didn't gain much confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 7.8% over the last five years. 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 may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

On a side note, Sunpower Group has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 28% of total assets. That could partly explain why the ROCE has dropped. What's more, this can reduce some aspects of risk to the business because now the company's suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of its operations. Since the business is basically funding more of its operations with it's own money, you could argue this has made the business less efficient at generating ROCE.

The Key Takeaway

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Sunpower Group's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. Additionally, the stock's total return to shareholders over the last five years has been flat, which isn't too surprising. 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.

Sunpower Group does have some risks, we noticed 3 warning signs (and 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) we think you should know about.

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.

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Republicans Question If Default Is as Close as Yellen Says It Is

Republicans Question If Default Is as Close as Yellen Says It Is

(Bloomberg) -- House Republicans arent buying Treasury Secretary Janet Yellens warning that the US government will run out of money as soon as June 1, or her dire predictions of default, undercutting the urgency to raise the debt limit.

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Wed like to see more transparency on how they came to that date, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told reporters after a closed meeting on Tuesday. It looks like theyre hedging now and opening the door to move that date back.

One House Republican, who asked not to be named to speak candidly about his partys assessment, said he believes the US should stop paying government salaries first if the Treasury Department exhausts its extraordinary measures to pay bills before Congress allows it to borrow more.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre rejected Republicans attempts to downplay the danger of default.

Everyone understands that the consequences of a first-ever default would be severe for the American people and the American economy, Jean-Pierre told reporters at the White House. It would wipe out as many as 8 million jobs, trigger a recession, devastate retirement accounts, increase costs, damage our international reputation.

The Treasury Department last week asked government agencies to ensure they are providing accurate and timely information to help forecast daily cash flows and debt levels, according to a memo obtained by Bloomberg News.

The Washington Post earlier reported on the memo and cited people familiar who said the department is also asking whether there are any payments that can be made at a later date.

Yellen has repeatedly said the Treasury risks not having enough funds to meet all payments until a wave of tax receipts expected on June 15.

The Treasury isnt alone in its projections. The Congressional Budget Office has said there is a significant risk of a payments default in the first two weeks of June without a debt deal. The Bipartisan Policy Center said Tuesday theres an elevated risk of hitting that point between June 2 and 13.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Wrightson ICAP have penciled in June 7-8 as a key danger zone; Morgan Stanley says June 8 is its base case for X-date, when the Treasury runs out of sufficient cash.

Much of the Republican conference shrugging off the urgency communicated by the White House, US corporate executives and financial markets is a troubling sign for the negotiations that continue on Tuesday. Representatives for House Republicans and the Biden administration stayed at the Capitol late Monday night and reconvened Tuesday to continue trading proposals.

Got the Money

Representative Chip Roy of Texas called the default warnings a manufactured crisis to force Republicans to step back from some demands.

The fact is, were going to have cash in June, Roy told reporters Tuesday. The fact is, were not going to default on our debt. Thats just completely false. Weve got the money to do it.

Roy and other conservatives like Matt Gaetz of Florida questioned Yellens designation of June 1 as the X-date, and told reporters to ask her about her Ouija board.

Speaking to reporters Monday night at the Capitol, after he returned from the White House, McCarthy insisted that the real crisis is unsustainable levels of government spending that must be curtailed. Asked on Tuesday whether he believes that June 1 is, in fact, the deadline for his negotiations with President Joe Biden, McCarthy was noncommittal.

McCarthys Take

I dont pick the deadline, McCarthy said. Janet Yellen picks the deadline. She determines what it is and I just go by what she says.

For weeks, White House officials note they have publicly stressed the need to quickly extend the debt limit. Last week, Biden canceled planned stops in Papua New Guinea and Australia following the Group of Seven meeting in Japan to return back to Washington for negotiations.

And Biden himself emphasized the urgency with McCarthy and other congressional leaders before he left for his trip, Jean-Pierre told reporters on Saturday.

The President has sat down twice with congressional leaders very recently to hear them out, to have a conversation, to talk about his budget, to talk about the urgency of getting the debt limit done, of Congress doing their job, she said.

While major banks and financial institutions are preparing contingency plans in the event of a technical default, the true fallout for the global economy has not yet been tested.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon warned earlier this month that even going to the brink is dangerous, with unpredictable consequences.

Yellen has declined to indicate how Treasury would proceed if it were to run out of cash, saying only that there will be hard choices to make.

--With assistance from Ari Natter and Justin Sink.

(Updates with White House comment beginning in the fourth paragraph)

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Turkmenistan and the UK discussed a wide range of issues related to the development of trade and economic cooperation, Azernews reports, citing Trend.

As the Turkmen Foreign Ministry reported, these issues were discussed between Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Vepa Hajiyev and the newly appointed British Ambassador to Turkmenistan Stephen Conlon on May 22, 2023.

During the meeting, the sides stated that bilateral cooperation between Turkmenistan and the United Kingdom is developing based on the principles of respect, equality and mutual benefit.

In this context, the Turkmen diplomat stressed that Turkmenistan attaches great importance to parliamentary diplomacy, and in this context, it is proposed to focus on the further development and strengthening of inter-parliamentary ties.

Furthermore, the British diplomat presented copies of his credentials. In turn, the Turkmen side expressed its readiness to provide assistance and support in diplomatic activities.

At the end of the meeting, the sides noted the similarity or proximity of the positions of the two countries on the most important issues of international and regional policy.
(Bloomberg) -- The Kremlin is pressuring governments including India behind the scenes, threatening to upend defense and energy deals unless they help block expected moves aimed at turning Russia into a financial pariah state over its invasion of Ukraine.

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Documents seen by Bloomberg and accounts by officials in NATO countries familiar with the situation offer a rare insight into how Russia is targeting commercial partners ahead of a June meeting of the global watchdog against money-laundering.

The Financial Action Task Force, an inter-governmental organization that sets standards for combating dirty money, suspended Russia from membership in February and Ukraine is pushing for the body to impose further restrictions by adding Moscow to its black list or gray list.

Read More: The Global Task Force Thats Going After Dirty Money

Blacklisting by the FATF would put Putins government in the same company as North Korea, Iran and Myanmar, the only countries with that designation, and plunge his economy even deeper into isolation over the war. If the measure comes to pass, member states as well as banks, investment houses and payment-processing companies would be obliged to conduct enhanced due diligence and in the most serious cases take counter-measures to protect the international financial system.

Many countries in the so-called Global South including India have stayed mostly neutral over Russias aggression against Ukraine. That balancing act was on display at a Group of Seven summit in Japan this past weekend, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy met in person for the first time since the war began.

While theres no indication of any immediate shift in Indias position, the meeting likely made uncomfortable viewing for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose own travels have been restricted since the invasion and an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes issued in March by the International Criminal Court.

Zelenskiy, by contrast, spent the weekend at the G-7 with several of the leaders that Putin has sought to woo as Russian allies, and that is far more significant than any tensions on the sidelines of the summit, a senior UK official said.

Read More: Zelenskiy Meets With Modi on Sidelines of G-7 Summit

A Russian state agency earlier this month warned counterparts in India of a cascade of unpredictable and negative consequences for cooperation in defense, energy and transportation if the FATF adopts new measures against Russia, according to the officials, who asked not be identified because the issue is sensitive.

The agency urged India in May to vocally oppose any moves by Ukraine to add Russia to the black list of high-risk countries at the meeting, and said even being placed on the lesser gray list would cause difficulties.

Bloomberg is unable to verify whether India responded to the warnings. The Russian and Indian governments didnt respond to requests to comment.Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko responded with an official statement: Russias bullying behaviour is concerning but unsurprising. When faced with hard evidence of noncompliance with the FATF standards, Russia turned to blackmailing and political pressure.

In one document, the Russian agency called the FATFs unprecedented suspension of the country politicized and illegal, while making no reference to the fact that it was in response to Putins invasion of Ukraine.

Among projects with India that Russia warned would be under threat if more measures are passed were:

Cooperation between oil giant Rosneft and Nayara Energy Limited

Exports of Russian weapons and military equipment to India as well as defense sector technical cooperation

Russian proposals for new joint aviation projects presented at the Aero India 2023 exhibition in February

Technology and energy cooperation at Indias Kudankulam nuclear power plant

An agreement between Russian Railways RZD Logistics and the Container Corporation of India on cargo transportation services linked to development of a North-South trading corridor

While the US and its allies have already turned Russia into the worlds most sanctioned country over the war, the Kremlin has cushioned the blow to its economy by boosting ties with China, India and other countries that have stayed neutral.

Blacklisting by the FATF, however, would make it extremely difficult for these countries to continue doing business with Russia, and would intensify the economic pain for the Kremlin.

The sectors Russia identified as at risk are particularly sensitive in the strategic partnership with India. Russia is Indias largest provider of weapons though defense supplies have stalled for lack of a payment mechanism that doesnt violate US sanctions.

Read More: Russia Says It Has Billions of Indian Rupees It Cant Use

India has also scooped up cheap Russian oil after the US and its allies imposed a price cap and Europe rejected supplies.

Another 23 countries are on the FATFs gray list, including Albania, Turkey, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. A report by the International Monetary Fund in 2021 found that being gray-listed, which comes with closer monitoring requirements, results in a large and statistically significant reduction in capital inflows.

Senior Russian officials have corresponded with counterparts in partner governments asking them to oppose any such proposals, said other people with knowledge of the situation, who asked not to be identified as the matter is sensitive.

Russia warned that being on the gray list would make it hard to fulfill commitments on weapons supplies and other projects to India, said an official with knowledge of the situation. Moscow has repeatedly appealed to Delhi for assistance at meetings of the watchdog since the invasion, the official said.

Russia noted in a document in early May that India held special credibility within the FATF and it was regrettable that Delhi didnt speak up to oppose Russias suspension.

The Paris-based FATF said Moscow remained accountable for implementing the organizations standards after its suspension and that the body would consider whether to lift or modify the restrictions at every plenary meeting.

Ukraine welcomed the suspension and said it would continue to push for Russias inclusion on the black list. Russias ambassador to the US called it a dangerous step that could lead to the destruction of the global architecture for countering the financing of terrorism.

--With assistance from Alex Wickham.

(Adds response from Ukraines finance minister in 11th paragraph.)

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Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra attends a press conference after talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing

Safeguarding economy a priority, Dutch foreign minister says in China Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra attends a press conference after talks with his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang in Beijing

BEIJING (Reuters) -Safeguarding the Dutch economy and cyberspace is a priority for the Netherlands, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said in China on Tuesday as Western governments adopt an increasingly defensive stance towards Beijing.

Hoekstra was the first Dutch minister to visit China since the world's second-largest economy reopened its borders after three years of COVID-19 travel curbs.

Western governments have accused China of engaging in "economic coercion," illegitimate technology transfers and data disclosures. Officials have also voiced anxiety over protecting advanced technologies from Chinese entities.

"Like China, we have a responsibility to protect our national security and just as China protects its core interests, so we protect ours," Hoekstra told a joint press conference in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart.

The Netherlands, a supplier of advanced chipmaking machinery to China, is poised to restrict exports of semiconductor technology in the name of national security, joining U.S. efforts to curb chip shipments to China.

"We have shared our national security concerns," Hoekstra said, when asked by the media about Chinese threats to the Netherlands' economic security.

He declined to elaborate, but said he had an open and candid dialogue with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang earlier on Tuesday.

Hoekstra said Qin shared Dutch concerns about cyber operations conducted from Chinese territory and reports of foreign interference operations on Dutch territory, including against journalists.

EXPORT RESTRICTIONS

The Dutch plan on export controls previously prompted a complaint from China, which urged the Dutch side to avoid what is said was the abuse of export measures by some countries.

The United States in October imposed export restrictions on shipments of U.S. chipmaking tools to China, but for the curbs to be effective it needed the agreement of other leading chipmaking technology suppliers in the Netherlands and Japan.

Japan has already said it would restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment from July, which has also angered Beijing.

"As for the issue of lithography machines, China has serious concerns about this," Qin told reporters.

"We believe since both China and the Netherlands are each other's important trading partners, we should work together to jointly protect the normal trade order between us, the international trade rules and to jointly keep the global industrial and supply chains stable."

At a second press conference at the Dutch embassy, Hoekstra said the planned Dutch export controls did not target any one country and that details were likely to be published over the coming weeks.

Hoekstra added it was necessary to "seek contact proactively" with Beijing as a major economic power even if "the relationship has become more complex".

Asked if China was a priority partner for the Netherlands, he said: "Absolutely."

(Reporting by Ryan Woo and Ella Cao; editing by Ed Osmond, Paul Simao, David Gregorio and Barbara Lewis)
(Bloomberg) -- Moelis & Co. is preparing for a rebound in dealmaking once the Federal Reserve stops raising interest rates and theres more clarity on the US economy.

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When it comes back, the M&A market will come back strong, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Moelis told Francine Lacqua in a Bloomberg TV interview at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday. We think were unlevered and we have a great opportunity to build the company in this downturn.

Still, Moelis expects the Fed to continue to be aggressive for the time being as the inflation rate is likely to stay higher for longer. On the same theme, former US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said while the Fed may be pretty much done with interest-rate hikes, it could perhaps raise once more.

The US economy will definitely slow in the coming months as a result of higher inflation and rates, and it will be a close call whether we call it a recession or not, Mnuchin said. He also said President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy were moving closer to a deal on the US debt-ceiling.

The first day of the annual QEF event featured speakers including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who said his country didnt support European aid for Ukraine because it couldnt win the war with Russia. The chief executive officer of Qatars $450 billion wealth fund said he sees growing opportunities in the world of private credit.

NOTE: The government of the State of Qatar is the underwriter of the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg.

Key Highlights:

Saudi Energy Minister Tells Oil Speculators to Watch Out

Moelis Preparing for M&A Rebound Once Fed Stops Rate Hikes

Wealth Fund QIA Joins SoftBank, BlackRock in Private Credit Push

Mnuchin Says US Is Moving Closer on Debt Deal as Talks Drag On

Qatar Warns Europe of Gas Shortages in Switch to Renewables

Poland Is Quite OK With Zloty Gains, Finance Minister Says

Standard Chartered CEO Sees Reasonable Stasis in World Economy

Rwanda on Standby to Receive UK Migrants, President Kagame Says

Terminal users: Watch event on {LIVE }

For more coverage from the three-day event, please click here.

Some Firms Questioning If They Should Be In China, Moelis Says (3:40 p.m. Doha)

Some company boards are likely questioning whether they can afford to be in China given current geopolitical risks, according to Moelis.

Firms now have to consider how many assets they want to hold in China given the possibility they would have to exit the country in the event of a political escalation between Beijing and Washington, Moelis said at a panel discussion alongside Temaseks Chief Investment Officer Rohit Sipahimalani. I dont remember that being on the agenda in my first 30 years in this industry  and now its definitely a conversation, Moelis said.

Sipahimalani said regions outside of the US or China camps will benefit in such a geopolitical environment.

Media Mogul Chernin Sees Successor for Disney CEO Next Year (3:30 p.m. Doha)

Walt Disney Co. should have lined up a successor for CEO Bob Iger by this time next year, but the search for a replacement will be very rushed, former News Corp. executive Peter Chernin said.

One of big challenges for Iger, who recently returned as CEO of the entertainment giant, is deciding when to offer the ESPN cable channel directly to consumers online. That will be a pretty challenging transition, Chernin said, adding that the advertising revenue and fees from cable providers that ESPN gets would be pretty hard to replace.

Twitter, meanwhile, has yet to prove that it can build a successful subscription platform, said Chernin, who previously served on Twitters board. Celebrities who creates shows on Twitter, such as recently-fired Fox News star Tucker Carlson, are making a trade-off, he said.

Could Tucker get 4 or 5 million paid subscribers? Im not sure, Chernin said. You certainly dont have anything near the reach you used to have. Youre getting paid but you have less influence.

Qatar Wealth Fund Joins SoftBank, BlackRock in Private Credit Push (2:55 p.m. Doha)

Qatars sovereign wealth fund sees growing investment opportunities in the world of private credit, joining the likes of SoftBank Group Corp. and BlackRock Inc. in touting the $1.5 trillion market.

The $450 billion Qatar Investment Authority has been very active in the credit space over the past two years and is keen to do more as companies with good business models struggle with the double whammy of high interest rates and low liquidity, CEO Mansoor Al Mahmoud said.

Normally, an institution like us, who are very liquid, have a very long-term risk appetite for these type of investments, he said. I would advise for the next one year that the credit space is an interesting place to deploy some investments.

StanCharts Winters Calls Gulf a Magnet for Chinese Money (2:50 p.m. Doha)

Standard Chartereds CEO Bill Winters described the Gulf as an absolute magnet for Chinese investors in a panel at the event. The amount of interest out of China in the Gulf is extraordinary, he said, noting the regions vast sovereign wealth funds are part of the appeal.

On the same panel, Goldman Sachs global head of sovereign business Dina Powell McCormick said she was optimistic about a deal on the US debt ceiling being reached, albeit probably at the very last minute.

Poland Is Quite OK With Zloty Gains, Finance Minister Says (2:40 p.m. Doha)

Polands Finance Minister Magdalena Rzeczkowska endorsed the zlotys recent appreciation to the highest level in two years and said the government wasnt backing the currencys advance.

We are not getting too much appreciation of the currency, Rzeczkowska told Bloomberg TV in an interview. Were just getting back to the levels from before the war, so I think the situation is quite OK.

TikTok On Track to Have US User Data Hosted by Oracle (1:50 p.m.)

ByteDance Ltd.s TikTok is on track to have all US user data hosted and overseen by Oracle Corp., as the Chinese behemoth struggles to win over critics worried about the national security implications of its hit video app.

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said the American software company has begun a review of TikToks source code and is now the default destination for US user data. His team is also developing a European version of this local-hosting initiative, designed to allay fears of sensitive information reaching the Chinese government.

The Chinese government has actually never asked us for US user data, and we will not provide it even if asked, he told Bloomberg TV. We will continue to invest to make sure that our data is as safe as possible.

Ukraine Cant Win War With Russia, Says Orban (12:03 p.m. Doha)

Ukraine cant win the war against Russia given that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization isnt ready to involve its troops, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

Orban asserted that his government wasnt part of the mainstream European Union approach to the war. The only solution is ceasefire, and then after the ceasefire, peace talks should start, he said in an interview.

Hungary was in talks with Qatar to buy gas in an effort to reduce its reliance on Russia for energy and for help to buy Budapest airport, he said.

Ukraine Cant Win War Against Russia, Hungarian Premier Says

Iraq Plans New Licensing Round for Border Fields (11:57 a.m. Doha)

Iraq plans a new licensing round for investors to bid in energy fields along its borders, stretching from Syria to Saudi Arabia, within the next two months, Ghani said.

The countrys oil exports from the north are still halted as Turkey conducts maintenance works on the pipeline that was damaged by the recent earthquake, he said. Ghani reiterated that Iraq is committed to OPEC+ production cuts.

Qatar Sees Energy Transition Causing Oil, Gas Shortage (11:45 a.m. Doha)

Qatars Al-Kaabi said the global push toward cleaner sources of energy will result in a shortage in oil and gas supplies. Europe was only able to manage its energy requirements last winter because the weather was mild and economic growth slowed, he said.

Qatar is expanding production capacity at its North Field in two phases. Demand for liquefied natural gas from North Field East and North Field South is high, said Al-Kaabi, adding that he expects supply contracts for all of the additional supply to be signed by the end of this year.

Qatar Air Ramping up Capacity; Going Back Big Time Into China (11:18 a.m. Doha)

Qatar Airways is ramping up capacity in Europe, Africa and going back big time into China, CEO Akbar Al Baker told Bloomberg TV. Ticket prices will continue to be higher, he said.

The airline is waiting and watching on new orders for planes beyond its existing orderbook, Al Baker said. The carrier is seeing strong demand for business class, with load factors regularly 95%, he said.

Saudi Energy Minister Issues Warning to Speculators (11:14 a.m. Doha)

Saudi Arabias top energy official issued another warning to oil short-sellers, just over a week before the OPEC+ alliance is due to meet.

I keep advising them that they will be ouching  they did ouch in April, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Tuesday. I dont have to show them my cards and Im not a poker player. But Id tell them: Watch out.

The prince  famous for telling short-sellers they would be left ouching like hell  returned to the theme at a panel discussion at the forum alongside Qatars energy minister Saad Al-Kaabi and his Iraqi counterpart Hayyan Abdul Ghani to discuss whats next for global energy supplies and demand.

Rwanda to Return to Debt Markets When Need Arises (10:15 a.m. Doha)

Rwanda will need external financing for new infrastructure projects and will raise loans as required, President Paul Kagame said.

We are busy building a country. We will need resources, Kagame said in an interview with Bloomberg TV at the QEF. Whenever there is a need, we will always go back to the international debt markets, he said.

Rwanda sees huge opportunity for building ties with the Gulf region and Asian nations, including Qatar, and is focusing on linking up with market leaders in various sectors, Kagame said.

AI Should be Regulated, Ursula Burns Says (10:10 a.m. Doha)

The unbelievable gift of artificial intelligence should be directed toward good use for all and making peoples lives better, though the technology should be regulated, said Ursula Burns, chairwoman of global consulting firm Teneo and founding partner at Integrum Holdings. Regulation should not be about control or making it fool-proof, Burns told Bloomberg TV.

For businesses, Burns said that tools such as predictive AI can help to quantify, and therefore outrun or mitigate, risks significantly. That would help create more opportunities to invest, she said.

However, the lack of direction and regulation makes investing for the upside a very big difficulty for us, Burns said, because who the hell knows.

AirAsia Founder Says Ticket Prices Have Peaked (8:35 a.m. Doha)

AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes reckons that ticket prices have peaked, at least where his airline operates. All 210 of AirAsias aircraft are due to be back in operation in about two months and its fleet should expand to 300 planes in the next four to five years. By then, the groups annual passenger traffic will rise to 150 million from 80 million, he said in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

This is quite something from two years ago when we were struggling to survive, Fernandes said.

AirAsia is also looking at starting airlines in two more countries in Asean, in addition to plans to launch in Cambodia, he said, pointing to phenomenal growth in the region.

--With assistance from Paul Richardson, Ellie Harmsworth, Francine Lacqua, David Ramli, Grant Smith, Haslinda Amin, Ram Anand, Paul Wallace, Nayla Razzouk, Zainab Fattah, Verity Ratcliffe, Charlie Zuza, Todd McEvoy, Ben Priechenfried, Manus Cranny, Archana Narayanan, Mike Cohen and Ben Bartenstein.

(Updates with comments from media mogul Peter Chernin and CEO of Qatars wealth fund.)

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Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of Trident Royalties Plc (LON:TRR), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

Check out our latest analysis for Trident Royalties

Trident Royalties Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The CFO & Executive Director Richard Hughes made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK92k worth of shares at a price of UK0.53 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is UK0.55. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. If someone buys shares at well below current prices, it's a good sign on balance, but keep in mind they may no longer see value. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices.

In the last twelve months Trident Royalties insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Trident Royalties is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Trident Royalties Insiders Bought Stock Recently

There was some insider buying at Trident Royalties over the last quarter. Non-Executive Chair Paul Smith bought UK15k worth of shares in that time. It's good to see the insider buying, as well as the lack of recent sellers. However, in this case the amount invested recently is quite small.

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. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Insiders own 4.9% of Trident Royalties shares, worth about UK7.8m, according to our data. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. Overall, this level of ownership isn't that impressive, but it's certainly better than nothing!

What Might The Insider Transactions At Trident Royalties Tell Us?

Insider purchases may have been minimal, in the last three months, but there was no selling at all. That said, the purchases were not large. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. We'd like to see bigger individual holdings. However, we don't see anything to make us think Trident Royalties insiders are doubting 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. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Trident Royalties and we suggest you have a look.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Ideally, your overall portfolio should beat the market average. But even the best stock picker will only win with some selections. At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in China Everbright Water Limited (SGX:U9E), since the last five years saw the share price fall 51%. And it's not just long term holders hurting, because the stock is down 28% in the last year. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 13% in the last three months.

Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns.

See our latest analysis for China Everbright Water

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

While the share price declined over five years, China Everbright Water actually managed to increase EPS by an average of 12% per year. So it doesn't seem like EPS is a great guide to understanding how the market is valuing the stock. Or possibly, the market was previously very optimistic, so the stock has disappointed, despite improving EPS.

Due to the lack of correlation between the EPS growth and the falling share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics to try to understand the share price movement.

We note that the dividend has remained healthy, so that wouldn't really explain the share price drop. While it's not completely obvious why the share price is down, a closer look at the company's history might help explain it.

The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized 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. So we recommend checking out this free report showing consensus forecasts

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of China Everbright Water, it has a TSR of -34% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

China Everbright Water shareholders are down 22% for the year (even including dividends), but the market itself is up 1.5%. 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 6% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand China Everbright Water better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for China Everbright Water (1 is significant) that you should be aware of.

We will like China Everbright Water better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Singaporean exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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We think intelligent long term investing is the way to go. But along the way some stocks are going to perform badly. To wit, the Crealogix Holding AG (VTX:CLXN) share price managed to fall 66% over five long years. That's an unpleasant experience for long term holders. And it's not just long term holders hurting, because the stock is down 29% in the last year. Furthermore, it's down 18% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders.

It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that.

Check out our latest analysis for Crealogix Holding

Crealogix Holding wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. That's because it's hard to be confident a company will be sustainable if revenue growth is negligible, and it never makes a profit.

Over five years, Crealogix Holding grew its revenue at 2.2% per year. That's not a very high growth rate considering it doesn't make profits. It's likely this weak growth has contributed to an annualised return of 11% for the last five years. We'd want to see proof that future revenue growth is likely to be significantly stronger before getting too interested in Crealogix Holding. When a stock falls hard like this, some investors like to add the company to a watchlist (in case the business recovers, longer term).

You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

Take a more thorough look at Crealogix Holding's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 3.6% in the last year, Crealogix Holding shareholders lost 29%. 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 11% 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. 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. Take risks, for example - Crealogix Holding has 3 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Swiss exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Many investors define successful investing as beating the market average over the long term. But its virtually certain that sometimes you will buy stocks that fall short of the market average returns. Unfortunately, that's been the case for longer term International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (NYSE:IFF) shareholders, since the share price is down 36% in the last three years, falling well short of the market return of around 44%. The more recent news is of little comfort, with the share price down 35% in a year. Unfortunately the share price momentum is still quite negative, with prices down 13% in thirty days. This could be related to the recent financial results - you can catch up on the most recent data by reading our company report.

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 International Flavors & Fragrances

To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

International Flavors & Fragrances saw its share price decline over the three years in which its EPS also dropped, falling to a loss. Extraordinary items contributed to this situation. Since the company has fallen to a loss making position, it's hard to compare the change in EPS with the share price change. But it's safe to say we'd generally expect the share price to be lower as a result!

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for International Flavors & Fragrances the TSR over the last 3 years was -30%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

A Different Perspective

Investors in International Flavors & Fragrances had a tough year, with a total loss of 33% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 5.6%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 4% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. 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. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for International Flavors & Fragrances you should be aware of, and 2 of them are a bit concerning.

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 American exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Zinkevych / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Despite hopeful signs that U.S. lawmakers are moving closer to a debt-ceiling agreement, there still was no agreement as of Monday, May 22. If none is reached over the next week-and-a-half, the U.S. government could default on its debts  and programs like Social Security and food stamps might face spending cuts, according to a new analysis from the Bipartisan Policy Center.

See: 10 States To Avoid If Youre Living on Just a Social Security Check

Read: Demand for Gold is Up. Heres Everything You Need to Know.

The analysis, updated on May 23, determined that a default could impact federal spending in numerous areas, ranging from veterans benefits and Medicare/Medicaid to tax refunds, education programs and federal salaries. The BPC also found that there might not be enough money to fully fund Social Security and food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The BPC analyzed select federal government transactions scheduled to begin on June 1, 2023  the date Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the government might run out of money. These programs were selected because they could be among the first at risk in the event of a default.

For example, an estimated $25 billion in Social Security benefits are scheduled for four different dates in June  June 2, June 14, June 21 and June 28  totaling $100 billion for the month. Also in June, $1 billion in SNAP benefits are scheduled for both June 12 and June 20, for a monthly total of $2 billion.

The BPC noted that these are select transactions chosen for illustrative purposes given their magnitude and are not exhaustive of all cash flows on a particular day. They are based on daily Treasury statements, subject to significant uncertainty and variability of cash flows to determine which federal programs are the most vulnerable.

The BPC does not state that these programs will face cuts in the event of a default  only that they could.

Realistically, on a day-to-day basis, fulfilling all payments for important and popular programs (e.g., Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, defense, military active duty pay) would quickly become impossible, the BPC report said, adding that the reality would inevitably be chaotic. That reality would likely include the following:

Unfair results, unanswered questions

Treasury picking winners and losers

Public uproar

Financial market uncertainty

As The Washington Post noted, the U.S. has never defaulted on its debt, so its impossible to say exactly what will happen.

However, experts contacted by The WaPo said the Treasury Department may not have legal authority  or even the technical ability  to pick and choose which payments it wants to make, or to prioritize certain bills over others. Attempts to do so would likely be challenged in court.

The Treasury faces three requirements: to make payments to contractors, states, and individuals; to honor the debt; and to observe the debt limit, Robert Cumby, an economist at Georgetown University, told The WaPo. Once the debt limit is breached, it is impossible to do all three.

Given the stakes, its not surprising that leading U.S. lawmakers are scrambling to work out a deal on the debt ceiling. President Joe Biden met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Monday to resume negotiations, but those talks did not end in an agreement, Reuters reported.

Take Our Poll: Are You Concerned About the Safety of Your Money in Your Bank Accounts?

The two sides vowed to keep meeting. At issue is whether a bill to raise the debt limit should include spending cuts  something most Republicans support but most Democrats oppose.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Social Security, SNAP Benefits Likely Among First Casualties If Debt Ceiling Leads to Default, Experts Warn
Standard Lithium

Samples from Four Zones at its South West Arkansas Project Average 563 mg/L Lithium and Include a Sample of 581 mg/L

EL DORADO, Ark., May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Standard Lithium Ltd. (Standard Lithium or the Company) (TSXV: SLI) (NYSE American: SLI) (FRA: S5L), a leading near-commercial lithium company, announced that, as part of the resource definition work at its South West Arkansas Project (see news release dated 20th March 2023) it has sampled, to the best of its knowledge, the highest confirmed lithium grade brine in Arkansas, with a grade of 581 mg/L. These sampling data follow similar high-grade results from the Companys resources in Texas (see news release dated 28th March 2023).



Dr. Andy Robinson, President and COO of Standard Lithium commented, We continue to be very pleasantly surprised by the lithium grades sampled from our projects in Arkansas and Texas. We previously developed the Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the SWA Project using a conservative assessment of the lithium brine grades across the project area. Using that conservative resource basis still yielded a PEA with very attractive project economics (after-tax NPV US$1.97 Billion and IRR of 32% at 8% discount rate; see news release dated 12th October 2021). This recent infill drilling work to further define the lithium resource has resulted in a marked upside to the in-situ lithium grade. In our experience, the grade of lithium in brine used for Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) has a meaningful impact on both capital expenditures and operating costs in connection with the extraction process, so a higher grade typically results in lower overall costs and should have a positive effect on project economics in the forthcoming Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS). We are delighted that sampling from this recent well has led us to find lithium brine with the highest confirmed grade in Arkansas, and we look forward to incorporating these into the forthcoming PFS.

Analysis and Testing Details

The lithium brine samples were taken from a pre-existing well located in the central-eastern portion of Standards project area (see Figure 1 below). This well (the Beulah-Taylor #1) was first drilled in July 1982 and subsequently decommissioned in August 1982. Standard Lithiums drilling team commenced drilling on 21st February, 2023 and deepened the hole to a total measured depth of 8,940 ft on 8th March, 2023 (see news release dated 20th March 2023).

Examples of high porosity Smackover Formation rocks recently recovered from the Montague #1 well (that is part of Standard Lithiums current drilling program) are also shown in Figure 2.

Image 1

Figure 1: South West Arkansas (SWA) Project overview map showing the location of the re-entered well (Beulah-Taylor #1) with associated lithium concentrations in brines sampled from the Smackover Formation. Other data on the map are lithium concentrations in brines sampled by the Company in 2018 from existing wells on the southern edge of Standards project area.

Image 2

Figure 2: Examples of high porosity oolitic limestones from the Smackover Formation recovered from the Montague Well. This well is part of Standard Lithiums current drilling program in the South West Arkansas Project.

Brines from the Beulah-Taylor#1 were sampled using a workover rig from several different zones in the Smackover Formation during March and early April, and the lithium concentrations of those samples are reported in Table 1 below. All brine samples were analyzed at multiple analytical laboratories (both third-party and also at the Companys analytical facility in El Dorado, Arkansas) in order to confirm sample quality and maintain QA/QC procedures. The Standard Lithium data provided in Table 1 below were all analyzed, performed, and reported by Western Environmental Testing Laboratories of Sparks NV, a third-party, accredited testing facility.

Table 1: Beulah-Taylor#1 Lithium Brine Analyses in South West Arkansas Project Area

Smackover Sampling Name [ 1 ] Lithium concentration

(mg/L) [ 2 ] Average Lithium

concentration (mg/L) [ 3 ] Zone 1 (Upper Smackover) 531 / 569 563

Zone 2 (Upper Smackover) 581 / 574 Zone 3 (Upper Smackover) 570 Zone 4 (Middle Smackover) 551

Notes:

[1] Smackover Formation descriptors (Upper, Middle, and Lower) are a local project area naming convention.

[2] Where two lithium analyses are provided, they represent the main sample and a blind duplicate for QA/QC purposes.

[3] Unweighted mean lithium concentration from the four representative brine samples (plus duplicates) from Beulah-Taylor#1.

Quality Assurance

Steve Ross, P.Geol., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the relevant scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. Mr. Ross is a consultant to the Company.

About Standard Lithium Ltd.

Standard Lithium is a leading near-commercial lithium development company with a portfolio of projects in process. The Companys flagship projects, the LANXESS Property Project and the South West Arkansas Project, are located in southern Arkansas near the Louisiana stateline. The Company is focused on the evaluation and testing of commercial lithium extraction and purification from brine sourced from approximately 180,000 acres of leases across these two projects. The Company operates a first-of-a-kind industrial-scale Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) Demonstration Plant at the LANXESS Property Project. The scalable, environmentally friendly process eliminates the use of evaporation ponds, reduces processing time from months to hours and greatly increases the effective recovery of lithium. A Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) and Front-End Engineering Study (FEED) for Phase 1A of the LANXESS Property Project commenced in September 2022. A Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) of the South West Arkansas Project commenced in May 2022. The Company is also pursuing the resource development of other projects in the Smackover Formation in East Texas, as well as approximately 45,000 acres of mineral leases located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California.

Standard Lithium is jointly listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and the NYSE American under the trading symbol SLI; and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the symbol S5L. Please visit the Companys website at https:// www.standardlithium.com .

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.

This news release may contain certain Forward-Looking Statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, target, plan, forecast, may, schedule and other similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to development of a commercial lithium plant, completion of definitive feasibility study, future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration and drilling activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, fluctuations in the market for lithium and its derivatives, changes in exploration costs and government regulation in Canada and the United States, and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Companys current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e8255d52-4648-4659-9760-983f8a504f39

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/da2a0eab-5f15-48d1-ace9-c4718be0848e

CONTACT: For further information contact: LHA Investor Relations David Barnard +1 415-433-3777 standardlithium@lhai.com info@standardlithium.com Twitter: @standardlithium LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/standard-lithium/




When close to half the companies in Malaysia have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 13x, you may consider Milux Corporation Berhad (KLSE:MILUX) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 46.7x P/E ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

For instance, Milux Corporation Berhad's receding earnings in recent times would have to be some food for thought. It might be that many expect the company to still outplay most other companies over the coming period, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

Check out our latest analysis for Milux Corporation Berhad

We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on Milux Corporation Berhad's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Milux Corporation Berhad would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 53%. At least EPS has managed not to go completely backwards from three years ago in aggregate, thanks to the earlier period of growth. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 11% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this information, we find it concerning that Milux Corporation Berhad is trading at a P/E higher than the market. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

What We Can Learn From Milux Corporation Berhad's P/E?

Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

Our examination of Milux Corporation Berhad revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. When we see weak earnings with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Plus, you should also learn about these 3 warning signs we've spotted with Milux Corporation Berhad (including 1 which shouldn't be ignored).

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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The delegation led by the First Deputy Minister of Defense  Chief of the General Staff of the Azerbaijan Army, Colonel General Karim Valiyev left for an official visit to Pakistan on May 23 at the invitation of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Army General Syed Asim Munir, Azernews reports, citing MOD.

As part of the visit, Colonel General K. Valiyev is scheduled to meet with the military leadership of Pakistan, and to visit a number of military institutions.
(Bloomberg) -- Treasury bill markets are a long way from sounding the all-clear about the risk of a US default despite the emergence of a more positive tone in negotiations over the statutory debt ceiling between the White House and Congressional leadership.

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Securities due in early June  seen as most at risk of non-payment if the US government exhausts its borrowing capacity in the time period Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned about  continue to include a significant yield premium as investors steer clear. Rates on some of those maturing in the early part of the month topped 6% on Tuesday, which is not only above those for later in the summer, but close to 4 percentage points above instruments maturing May 30. Earlier, the Treasury sold its newest 21-day cash management bill at 6.2%.

The Treasury Secretary said in a new letter on Monday that its now highly likely that her department will run out of cash in early June without an extension of the debt ceiling, and repeated her warning that the moment could come as soon as June 1. The Bipartisan Policy Center, meanwhile, said in its latest analysis that theres an elevated risk that the crunch point for the US Treasury will fall between June 2 and 13. Thats in line with Wall Street strategists expectations as to the point when Treasurys cash pile will be at its lowest ebb.

Debt-limit negotiators are meeting again in Washington Tuesday following a Monday sitdown between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy that the Republican described as productive. There is, as yet, no deal, but both sides reiterated that default is off the table, according to Biden. McCarthy said Tuesday that a deal is possible before June 1.

Still even as talks progress, political landmines lay ahead, Stifel strategist Brian Gardner said in a note to clients. But even if negotiations stall, the chances of a default on U.S. Treasuries are remote, he wrote.

From Washington to Wall Street, heres what to watch to gauge how worried observers should be and when they should be concerned.

The Bills Curve

Investors have historically demanded higher yields on securities that are due to be repaid shortly after the US is seen as running out of borrowing capacity. That puts a lot of focus on the yield curve for bills  the shortest-dated Treasuries. Noticeable upward distortions in particular parts of the curve tend to suggest increased concern among investors that thats the time the US might be at risk of default. Right now thats most prominent around early June. At one point, yields on Treasury bills slated to mature June 6 topped 6%, and the debt-ceiling concerns even drove the auction yield on the departments newest 21-day cash management bill to a remarkable 6.2%. Thats higher even than the four-week bill sale earlier this month that went off at 5.84%, the most elevated yield for any benchmark sale in over two decades.

But its not just early June securities that investors are circumspect about. Even if the Treasury can make it past the June danger zone, there are still risks of a default during the US summer if no legislative fix is found.

X-Date Predictions

Underpinning the various moves in debt markets are differing estimates about when the government might exhaust its options to fund itself  commonly referred to as the X-date. While the administration has provided guidance that it might fall short as soon as June, prognosticators across Wall Street have also been running the numbers based on government cash flows and expectations around taxes and spending. Most strategists have pulled forward their baseline estimates to align more with forecasts out of Washington, although some remain hopeful that the Treasury might be able to stretch its resources until late summer.

The Cash Balance

The US governments ability to pay its debts and meet its spending obligations ultimately comes down to whether it has enough cash. So the amount sitting in its checking account is crucial. That figure fluctuates daily depending on spending, tax receipts, debt repayments and the proceeds of new borrowing. If it gets too close to zero for the Treasurys comfort that could be a problem. The amount of money the US government has to pay its bills rose on Friday and Monday, providing a modicum of respite as it seeks to eke out funding until a solution can be found to the ongoing debt-limit impasse, but the broad trend has been for the total to dwindle. Focus will also be on the so-called extraordinary measures that the Treasury is using to eke out its borrowing capacity. The government has already used up more than two thirds of these accounting gimmicks and had $92 billion up its sleeve as of the middle of last week.

Insuring Against Default

Beyond T-bills, one other key area to watch for insight on debt-ceiling risks is what happens in credit-default swaps for the US government. Those instruments act as insurance for investors in cases of non-payment. The cost to insure US debt is now higher than the bonds of  among others  Greece, Mexico and Brazil, which have defaulted multiple times and have credit ratings many rungs below that of the US.

(Updates pricing, adds details on auction and cash balance.)

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2023 Bloomberg L.P.
If theres anything to be learned from the massive, industry-shaping disruptions of recent years  from the unprecedented challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic to the lingering fallout from the war in Ukraine  its that the role of the big festivals in the industry ecosystem is crucial, according to Tiina Lokk, director of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival.

When festivals were canceled or changed their dates due to COVID, the cycle of film releases went down the drain, which had a direct impact on cinemas and the whole business model, Lokk tells Variety. While streaming platforms and Zoom meetings offered a temporary remedy, she adds, it was not a real substitute for live interaction, contacts in a business climate.

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Last year, the Estonian fest drew a record 2,000 industry guests, highlighting the way such events continue to play a crucial part in bringing people together. As Tallinn prepares to host its 27th edition, which takes place Nov. 3-19, festival organizers are expanding activities with a diverse range of satellite festivals, educational programs and industry events, underscoring Black Nights position as a lynchpin for filmmaking in Estonia and the region.

This year, the festivals industry section is launching a new series of initiatives aimed at up-and-coming professionals, Breaking Into the Industry, with a new training program for cinematographers. That complements a host of workshops and masterclasses for directors, scriptwriters, producers, production designers, composers and actors.

Now we feel we have finally reached a place where our programs integrate, participants can meet each other and their work and understand that filmmaking is first and foremost teamwork, says Triin Tramberg, managing director of the industry programs Discovery Campus.

For Lokk, the festivals mission is to promote Estonia as a whole for the global film industry, and Black Nights has increasingly looked to highlight the range of shooting locations around the Baltic nation. Despite the small area, Estonia has surprisingly diverse climate, nature and architecture, she says. And since everything is quite nearby, the logistics are quite easy.

Lokk points not only to the varied geography  pristine forests and wetlands along the Russian border in the east; picturesque coastlines and centuries-old villages in the southwest; rolling, hilly landscapes in the south  but to the regional film funds that facilitate shooting in every corner of the country, with the newly launched Parnu County Film Fund the latest addition to an arsenal of incentives that includes a 30% cash rebate.

In Cannes, the Tallinn Black Market Goes to Cannes pix-in-post showcase will present five works-in-progress to industry decision-makers during an event on May 20. The diverse, international selection  which includes titles from South America, Portugal, the Baltics, Poland and Ukraine  underscores Black Nights position as a launching pad not only for talent from the host nation, but from neighboring countries and beyond.

Estonian film has highly benefited from the festival, says Lokk, especially through the activities that have actively been bringing key figures from the international film industry here to meet the locals and promoting Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian films and filmmakers.

A similar spirit was brought to the selection of this years focus countries in Tallinn, which will highlight Serbia alongside its Balkan neighbors, Croatia, Slovenia and North Macedonia. These film countries are collaborating a lot, as for a small country its difficult to finance a feature film on its own, says Lokk. We know it well from our experiences.

As with Estonia and its Baltic neighbors, she adds, the focus countries share a common destiny. Even in turbulent times, filmmakers find a way to work together.

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Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
(Reuters) - Tesla is listing China-made Model 3 and Model Y models for sale in Canada, the companys website showed on Tuesday, confirming the electric car maker has completed its first shipments to North America from its Shanghai factory.

Teslas website showed both rear-wheel drive Model Y vehicles and the long-range, all-wheel drive version of the Model 3 available for immediate delivery in British Columbia, with codes showing they were manufactured at Teslas Gigafactory Shanghai.

Both models qualify for federal incentives of C$5,000 ($3,700) in Canada, which, unlike the United States, does not link electric-vehicle subsidies to the location of the plant that made the car.

Tesla representatives in China and at the company's headquarters in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The company and other electric car manufacturers have a cost advantage in China as exports from that market boom. The China-made version of the Model Y was listed for C$61,990 in Canada. That is about 22% more than the equivalent vehicle costs in China before incentives.

Tesla's move to export to Canada from Shanghai could help it keep vehicles made at its plants in California and Texas for sale in the United States, where they qualify for potential tax incentives of up to $7,500 under the Biden administrations subsidy program.

It also opens a new market for Tesla Shanghai, which last year accounted for more than half of the companys production.

Teslas Shanghai factory manufactures EVs for sale in China and exports to overseas markets, including Europe. But Tesla faces growing competition on price and features from EV makers in China, and its Berlin factory has been ramping up output of the Model Y for customers in Europe.

Tesla uses a code when listing vehicles for sale that corresponds to the first three digits of the vehicle identification number, or VIN. The VINs for Tesla models built by the Shanghai factory all start with the letters LRW."

It was not clear how many China-made, Tesla vehicles were available for purchase in Canada or how many had been sold.

Tesla said last month that it would offer a new, cheaper version of its Model Y in Canada, a rear-wheel drive variant of the SUV-styled crossover that would qualify for Canadian government incentives.

The cars qualifying for that subsidy on Teslas website carry a VIN code showing they were built by the companys Shanghai factory.

A Tesla production plan reviewed by Reuters showed the automaker had designed and tested Model Y vehicles for export to North America, with a target of producing nearly 9,000 for export this quarter. A person with knowledge of the development said those Model Y cars were bound for Canada. The person declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.

It was not immediately clear what the equivalent target was for exports to Canada for the Model 3.

Reuters had reported in November Tesla had considered plans for exporting made-in-China vehicles to North America.

After the Reuters report was published, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in a Twitter post, had said False, without elaborating.

(Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin in San Francisco and Zhang Yan in Shanghai, writing by Kevin Krolicki. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
Tesla to pick location for new factory this year, Musk says

(Reuters) -Tesla Inc Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Tuesday the automaker would probably pick a location for a new factory by the end of this year.

When the Wall Street Journal's Thorold Barker asked Musk at an event if India was interesting, he said, "Absolutely".

Tesla is "serious" about its plans to establish a manufacturing base in India, the country's deputy minister for technology told Reuters in an interview last week.

Tesla announced earlier this year that it would open a gigafactory in Mexico as the world's most valuable automaker pushes to expand its global output.

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter and founder of several other firms, on Tuesday floated the idea of creating an educational institution that controls most of his votes, without giving details.

He said he has identified a successor to the board so that the person can run the company in "a worst case scenario". "I've told the board 'Look, if something happens to me unexpectedly, this is my recommendation for taking over,'" he said.

James Murdoch, a Tesla board director, testified in court last year that Musk has identified someone as a potential successor to head the electric carmaker at a time when investors were concerned about his distraction with Twitter. Musk recently announced a new CEO for Twitter, and said he would focus more on Tesla.

(Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Hyunjoo Jin in San Francisco; Editing by Anil D'Silva and David Gregorio)
On Tuesday, the Biden administration announced a number of new initiatives surrounding the use and development of artificial intelligence in the US.

The new actions include a program for what the federal government's investments in AI should look like called the National AI R&D Strategic Plan  along with a report on the implications of AI for education.

The White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy has also put out a request for public commentary as to what the government's priorities should be when considering AI and its risks.

'Urgency and importance'

The announcements from The White House fundamentally cater to some of the deepest concerns about AI. For example, the report on AI in education, "Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning," directly considers worries about how AI might upend and completely digitize education.

"Urgency and importance arise through awareness of system-level risks and anxiety about potential future risks," the report reads. "For example, students may become subject to greater surveillance. Some teachers worry that they may be replacedto the contrary, the Department firmly rejects the idea that AI could replace teachers ... Some uses of AI may be infrastructural and invisible, which creates concerns about transparency and trust."

The request for information, additionally, asks that respondents sound off on questions like: "Are there forms of voluntary or mandatory oversight of AI systems that would help mitigate risk?"

The National AI R&D Strategic Plan is especially interesting  given that at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this month, some questioned why we can't slow AI's development down or if we should. The White House, by outlining where its investment in AI will go, seems to be indicating that it not only doesn't expect that slowdown to happen, it's engaging in the AI arms race in its own right.

"Developed by experts across the federal government and with public input, this plan makes clear that when it comes to AI, the federal government will invest in R&D that promotes responsible American innovation, serves the public good, protects peoples rights and safety, and upholds democratic values," the release reads. "It will help ensure continued US leadership in the development and use of trustworthy AI systems."

The plan includes nine key strategies for investment, including "better understand the national AI R&D workforce needs," "make long-term investments in fundamental and responsible AI research," and "ensure the safety and security of AI systems."

Even if Elon Musk and others think that the development of AI will slow, The White House seems to be preparing for the alternative.

The ChatGPT app is displayed on an iPhone in New York, Thursday, May 18, 2023. The free app started to become available on iPhones in the U.S. on Thursday and will later be coming to Android phones. Unlike the web version, you can also ask it questions using your voice. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

ChatGPT a catalyst

This all dates back to the release of OpenAI's ChatGPT in November, which quickly became the fastest-growing consumer app in history. That, though, kicked off a full-fledged AI battle between Big Tech firms, especially Alphabet (GOOG, GOOGL) and Microsoft (MSFT).

Microsoft, which recently re-upped its investment in OpenAI to the tune of $10 billion, has been doubling down on AI, announcing a slew of new AI-powered products during its Build developer conference on Tuesday.

Google has sought to make the case that it has been  and will always be  the leader in AI via new generative AI products. Meta (META) and Amazon (AMZN) are also getting in on the action on their own.

That rapid development in AI technologies has made Washington take notice. On May 16, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, calling for the regulation of AI. Though lawmakers undoubtedly are interested in pursuing regulation, especially given Congress's regulatory failures during the rise of social media, what that might look like remains to be seen.

The White House has also been doing its own fact-finding. For example, this month, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris held a meeting on AI with top executives, including Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Altman. That meeting and others like it led to Tuesday's actions, a statement from The White House said.

Allie Garfinkle is a Senior Tech Reporter at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @agarfinks.

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Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com?

So should Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber (KLSE:INCKEN) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn.

Check out our latest analysis for Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber

When Might Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber Run Out Of Money?

A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. When Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber last reported its balance sheet in December 2022, it had zero debt and cash worth RM4.7m. In the last year, its cash burn was RM1.2m. Therefore, from December 2022 it had 4.0 years of cash runway. There's no doubt that this is a reassuringly long runway. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

How Well Is Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber Growing?

Given our focus on Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber's cash burn, we're delighted to see that it reduced its cash burn by a nifty 92%. But it was a bit disconcerting to see operating revenue down 36% in that time. Considering the factors above, the company doesnt fare badly when it comes to assessing how it is changing over time. Of course, we've only taken a quick look at the stock's growth metrics, here. This graph of historic earnings and revenue shows how Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber is building its business over time.

How Hard Would It Be For Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber To Raise More Cash For Growth?

There's no doubt Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber seems to be in a fairly good position, when it comes to managing its cash burn, but even if it's only hypothetical, it's always worth asking how easily it could raise more money to fund growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn.

Since it has a market capitalisation of RM159m, Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber's RM1.2m in cash burn equates to about 0.7% of its market value. So it could almost certainly just borrow a little to fund another year's growth, or else easily raise the cash by issuing a few shares.

Is Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber's Cash Burn A Worry?

As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber's cash burn. In particular, we think its cash burn reduction stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. While its falling revenue wasn't great, the other factors mentioned in this article more than make up for weakness on that measure. Looking at all the measures in this article, together, we're not worried about its rate of cash burn, which seems to be under control. Its important for readers to be cognizant of the risks that can affect the company's operations, and we've picked out 2 warning signs for Inch Kenneth Kajang Rubber that investors should know when investing in the stock.

If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed.

So, the natural question for Phoenix New Media (NYSE:FENG) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn.

View our latest analysis for Phoenix New Media

When Might Phoenix New Media Run Out Of Money?

A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. As at March 2023, Phoenix New Media had cash of CN1.1b and no debt. Importantly, its cash burn was CN346m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of about 3.2 years as of March 2023. A runway of this length affords the company the time and space it needs to develop the business. The image below shows how its cash balance has been changing over the last few years.

How Well Is Phoenix New Media Growing?

Phoenix New Media actually ramped up its cash burn by a whopping 68% in the last year, which shows it is boosting investment in the business. While that's concerning on it's own, the fact that operating revenue was actually down 23% over the same period makes us positively tremulous. Considering both these metrics, we're a little concerned about how the company is developing. In reality, this article only makes a short study of the company's growth data. This graph of historic earnings and revenue shows how Phoenix New Media is building its business over time.

How Hard Would It Be For Phoenix New Media To Raise More Cash For Growth?

While Phoenix New Media seems to be in a fairly good position, it's still worth considering how easily it could raise more cash, even just to fuel faster growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

Phoenix New Media's cash burn of CN346m is about 173% of its CN201m market capitalisation. Given just how high that expenditure is, relative to the company's market value, we think there's an elevated risk of funding distress, and we would be very nervous about holding the stock.

Is Phoenix New Media's Cash Burn A Worry?

Even though its cash burn relative to its market cap makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought Phoenix New Media's cash runway was relatively promising. Summing up, we think the Phoenix New Media's cash burn is a risk, based on the factors we mentioned in this article. Separately, we looked at different risks affecting the company and spotted 3 warning signs for Phoenix New Media (of which 1 is concerning!) you should know about.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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(Bloomberg) -- ByteDance Ltd.s TikTok is on track with its undertaking to have all US user data hosted and overseen by Oracle Corp., as the Chinese tech behemoth struggles to win over critics worried about the national security implications of its hit video app.

Most Read from Bloomberg

TikTok Chief Executive Officer Shou Zi Chew said the American software company has begun a review of TikToks source code and is now the default destination for US user data. His team is also developing a European version of this local-hosting initiative, designed to allay fears of sensitive information reaching the Chinese government, with data centers in Ireland and Norway.

The Chinese government has actually never asked us for US user data, and we will not provide it even if asked, the executive, who goes by Shou Chew in the US, told Bloomberg Television at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Tuesday. We will continue to invest to make sure that our data is as safe as possible.

Read more: TikTok Will Soon Grant Oracle Full Access to Code, Algorithm

TikTok has come under fire as American lawmakers rekindled concerns over how the Chinese-owned platform handles user data. ByteDance, the worlds most valuable startup, now faces an intensive national security review and legislation that could ban its signature service in its biggest international market. To address those concerns, TikTok is developing its US and EU projects to have user information stored locally, by a local company, and overseen by local staff.

In March, Chew sat through a grueling five-hour hearing at Capitol Hill where lawmakers repeatedly questioned him about TikToks Chinese ownership and Beijings ability to access the data of millions of Americans. TikTok executives had internally discussed splitting from ByteDance, but Chinese officials said they would oppose a forced sale.

On Tuesday, the TikTok chief reiterated that his team is working with Oracle and the US government and making progress.

TikToks 150 million American users appear to be its biggest ally. Last week, Montanas Republican governor, Greg Gianforte, signed a measure that will prohibit the apps download beginning next year. Local TikTok creators and viewers protested against the first statewide ban of the app in the US, including by suing their government on First Amendment grounds.

We believe that the Montana bill that was recently passed is simply unconstitutional, Chew said. TikTok filed a lawsuit to challenge it in the court, and hes confident the company will prevail.

Despite the political tension, TikTok hasnt eased its push on monetization. Having already snatched a big portion of advertising from the likes of Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google, TikTok is now venturing into live-streaming commerce in places like Southeast Asia and the US, following the tried-and-true model of its Chinese sibling Douyin.

ByteDances revenue surged more than 30% to surpass $80 billion for 2022, matching the tally at rival Tencent Holdings Ltd. The double-digit growth also topped that of most of the global internet leaders, including Meta and Amazon.com Inc.

Back home, ByteDance joined the likes of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent to implement unprecedented cost curbs during a year of endless regulatory crackdowns and Covid restrictions. The Beijing company founded about a decade ago curtailed some of its riskier projects  including in gaming and venture investment. Douyin remains its cash cow as the video forum evolved to become an all-in-one app with built-in purchases, online meal delivery and grocery features.

The TikTok owner was valued at around $220 billion in a recent private-market investment by Abu Dhabi AI firm G42, down from the $300 billion that ByteDance set during a September share buyback program.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- TikTok will soon grant Oracle Corp. full access to its source code, algorithm and content-moderation material as part of efforts to alleviate national security concerns about the app.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Oracle will also begin monitoring the controlled gateways where data comes in and out of the secure environment it set up on servers to host data from TikToks US users, according to a statement from the social media company Monday.

The work is part of TikToks Project Texas, a plan to cordon off US users data and allow its technology to be reviewed by partners like Oracle to assess security risks.

The social media company introduced the plan to alleviate criticism from policymakers who worry that its ownership by a Chinese tech company, ByteDance Ltd., opens the door to influence or data collection by the Chinese government. TikTok is currently facing federal- and state-level legislation that aims to ban or limit the apps use in America on national security grounds.

Many of the major components of Project Texas are already operational, and we will continue bringing more parts of the initiative online in the coming weeks and months, the company said. Oracle started inspecting portions of TikToks source code in the so-called Dedicated Transparency Center, which went live in January.

Both TikTok and Oracle are continuing to work towards a solution with the US government, TikTok said. Our teams have been working together on all TikTok software that Oracle will ultimately inspect and continually monitor, while ensuring US users have an uninterrupted experience.

Oracle didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

TikTok provided details on the arrangement after Bloomberg reported last week that Oracle had yet to embark on the most-involved elements of the program  intensive code reviews and app store updates  and wont do so until the US government says the arrangement is sufficient.

The Information added on Monday that Oracle employees only have limited access to TikToks source code and arent comprehensively reviewing its software, algorithm or content-moderation methods.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
(Bloomberg) -- TikTok Inc. sued Montana over the first statewide ban of the popular app, saying the state has trampled free-speech rights based on a misguided view that Chinese ownership of the platform poses a national security threat to the US.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The states Republican governor, Greg Gianforte, last week signed a measure that will prohibit the apps download by the general public beginning next year.

The state has enacted these extraordinary and unprecedented measures based on nothing more than unfounded speculation, according to the complaint.

The companys legal challenge to the ban Monday in federal court in Missoula follows a suit filed last week by a group of TikTok content creators who said the law violates the Constitutions First Amendment and will disrupt their livelihoods.

Read More: TikTok Ban in Montana Draws Suit From Ranch Mom, Marine, Student

A spokeswoman for Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen didnt immediately respond to a phone call seeking comment on TikToks suit.

TikTok is a Chinese Communist Party spying tool that poses a threat to every Montanan, Knudsen, a Republican, said in a statement issued last week. I hope other states recognize the dangers of TikTok and follow suit.

The new Montana law will impose the broadest and strictest limitations on use of the social media platform yet, spurred by widespread governmental concerns about the Chinese governments access to American users personal data.

We are challenging Montanas unconstitutional TikTok ban to protect our business and the hundreds of thousands of TikTok users in Montana, the company said in a statement. We believe our legal challenge will prevail based on an exceedingly strong set of precedents and facts.

While Montana is the first state to prohibit the general public from using the app, targeted bans focusing on government devices and networks cascaded across the country late last year. The US government and 38 states have issued such bans and President Joe Bidens administration is in negotiations with TikTok to resolve national security concerns. The European Union, UK, Canada, and a handful of other countries have more recently imposed similar restrictions.

The company said its a reality of modern communication that some users aim to share inappropriate and harmful content, but TikTok said it has touted features, policies and procedures to protect minors.

The alleged harms social media platforms such as TikTok pose to young users, including addiction, are targeted in a separate batch of scores of lawsuits pending in federal court in Oakland, California.

How Lawsuits Seek to Make Social Media Safer for Kids: QuickTake

Montana cites nothing to support its claims that the Peoples Republic of China could access data about TikTok users, according to Mondays complaint. The speculation ignores the reality that plaintiff has not shared, and would not share, U.S. user data and has taken substantial measures to protect the privacy and security of TikTok users, TikTok argued.

The case is TikTok Inc. v. Knudsen, 23-cv-00061, US District Court, District of Montana (Missoula).

--With assistance from Alex Barinka.

(Updates with Montana attorney generals previous statement.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
HD Hyundai Infracore, a South Korean company that manufactures construction equipment and engine, is targeting the Middle East and Africa (MEA) market with its new brand, Develon (formerly known as Doosan Construction Equipment).

The company had last year witnessed solid growth in the MEA region with a revenue of $330 million, which is a sharp increase of 116% compared to $150 million in 2020.

The number of machines sold has also exceeded 2400 units, marking a 60% increase over that in 2020, mainly due to the companys focus on securing large scale customers with new advanced technology equipped machine launches and customized services, it stated.

The construction equipment market volume in MEA increased from 16,720 units in 2020 to 32,786 units in 2022, which shows that the market is experiencing a steep growth with a 96% increase over the past three years, it added.

According to a research agency, Research and Markets, the MEA construction equipment market is growing annually by 4% and is expected to grow to $6.4 billion in 2028 from its current volume, which is $4.26 billion.

Buoyed by this, HD Hyundai Infracore has been paying great attention to boosting its presence in the Middle East through its office in Dubai and is contesting for first place in Saudi Arabia, whilst pulling ahead of other global competitors after winning business on large scale construction projects in UAE.

This year, it aims to sell 1,200 units in UAE, which is an increase from 1,000 units sold last year.

With Saudi Arabia planning the worlds largest project, Neom City, which is expected to exceed $500 billion in volume, HD Hyundai Infracore anticipates that this will result in more construction equipment demand in the near future.

HD Hyundai Infracore President, Seunghyun Oh said: "We have seen unprecedented results in the Middle East and Africa market in the past five years."

"Along with the new brand launch, we will work on developing different next generation technologies and strengthen the current line up to maximize our sales capacity in order to reach our goal of becoming a Global Top 5 player by 2025," he stated.

The company recently established a new African office in Accra, Ghana to expand its network and secure more customers in Western and Central Africa where the market is growing.

In bid to boost its presence in the region, HD Hyundai Infracore has sealed supply contracts for 29 new machines in the Republic of Angola which include 20 excavators and nine wheel loaders.

"This is the largest contract for the company since starting business in Angola and takes up around 8% of the countrys total market when considering its average market volume is around 370 units per year," stated Oh.

The machines will be supplied to one of the largest construction companies in Angola and used for building hydroelectric power dams.

With the launch of its new brand, Develon, HD Hyundai Infracore also hosted its 2023 MEA Dealer Conference in Cairo, Egypt to discuss sales strategies.

It is the first regional meeting since launching Develon, where over 90 key stakeholders including top HD Hyundai Infracore officials led by President Oh and 26 MEA dealers attended.-TradeArabia News Service
By Karen Freifeld and David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate's top Democrat said on Tuesday he and President Joe Biden's administration were engaging allies and businesses to address China's ban on sales of memory chips made by U.S.-based Micron Technology Inc.

The restrictions this week by China's cyberspace regulator against Micron, the biggest U.S. memory chipmaker, were the latest in a widening trade dispute between the world's two largest economies.

"The Chinese government's announced action against Micron is not based in fact and is a troubling use of economic coercion against the U.S.," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said. "I am working closely with the Biden administration to make clear to the Chinese government that this sort of behavior is unacceptable and unproductive."

Schumer added that "we are engaging with the broader business community as well as with our allies and partners to address the Chinese government's restrictions against Micron."

Earlier this month, Schumer launched a renewed effort to stave off competition from China, planning legislation to boost U.S. ability to face up to the Asian powerhouse on issues from technology to security and threats to Taiwan.

Republican lawmaker Michael McCaul, the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement to Reuters that "China's legal system is built to coerce any person or company under its authority. This is a mafia-like legal system bullying an American company. The U.S. and its partners and allies must stand together against this economic aggression."

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately comment on the matter.

China's cyberspace regulator said on Sunday that Micron failed its network security review and that the regulator would block operators of key infrastructure from buying from the company.

Micron on Monday forecast the ban would dent revenue in the low-single to high-single digits in percentage terms.

China's move against Micron, the biggest U.S. memory chipmaker, was widely seen as retaliation for Washington's efforts to restrict Beijing's access to key technology.

It was announced just a day after the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations agreed they would look to "de-risk, not decouple" from China, and as Washington pressures its allies to join it in restricting chip equipment exports to China.

(Reporting by Karen Freifeld, David Shepardson and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Doina Chiacu, Marguerita Choy and Paul Simao)
Toyota Admits Purely Electric Vehicle Use Is Years Away  Are PHEVs a Better Value for Your Money?

Vachira Vachira/NurPhoto/Shutterstock / Vachira Vachira/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Its a pretty safe bet that Toyota wont be winning any awards for electric vehicle enthusiasm. The Japanese carmaker lags well behind other major auto companies in terms of producing EVs, and now the company has warned that the transition to electric cars will take longer than expected and that consumers should consider hybrids in the meantime.

Learn: Is Teslas $40K Electric Car Really a Bargain Now That the Price Has Been Slashed 6 Times?

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At last weeks Group of Seven summit in Japan, Toyota Chief Scientist Gill Pratt told the media that for now, hybrid gas-electric vehicles are a better fit than EVs for most consumers, Bloomberg reported.

Pratt cited a lack of available materials to produce enough batteries and build enough charging infrastructure to meet demand for EVs, even as government and industry officials push the transition to green transportation.

Eventually, resource limitations will end, but for many years we will not have enough battery material and renewable recharging resources for a [battery-electric vehicle]-only solution, Pratt said. Battery materials and renewable charging infrastructure will eventually be plentiful. But it will take decades for battery material mines, renewable-power generation facilities, transmission lines and seasonal energy-storage facilities to scale up.

Instead, new car buyers who cant afford EVs are advised to buy plug-in-hybrid-electric vehicles, or PHEVs. One fear raised by Pratt is that promoting EVs too heavily before there is enough infrastructure to support them could push more consumers to gas-powered cars, Jalopnik reported. Thats one reason Toyota remains committed to hybrids, at least for now.

Toyotas position comes as no surprise to industry watchers. The company has taken its time making a splash in the electric car market, which sets it apart from other traditional automakers such as Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Nissan, BMW and Mercedes Benz. Each of those firms made Edmunds recent list of top 10 electric car companies (Tesla ranked first, while Rivian and Lucid rounded out the list).

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Nissan didnt make the top 10. In the honorable mention category, Edmunds noted that while Toyota is one of the biggest automotive companies in the world, its first pure EV vehicle arrived late to the party and didnt bring much new to the table.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Toyota Admits Purely Electric Vehicle Use Is Years Away  Are PHEVs a Better Value for Your Money?
When we invest, we're generally looking for stocks that outperform the market average. And in our experience, buying the right stocks can give your wealth a significant boost. To wit, the Tyler Technologies share price has climbed 75% in five years, easily topping the market return of 46% (ignoring dividends). However, more recent returns haven't been as impressive as that, with the stock returning just 16% in the last year.

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 Tyler Technologies

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

Tyler Technologies' earnings per share are down 4.5% per year, despite strong share price performance over five years.

So it's hard to argue that the earnings per share are the best metric to judge the company, as it may not be optimized for profits at this point. Therefore, it's worth taking a look at other metrics to try to understand the share price movements.

In contrast revenue growth of 17% per year is probably viewed as evidence that Tyler Technologies is growing, a real positive. In that case, the company may be sacrificing current earnings per share to drive growth.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think Tyler Technologies will earn in the future (free profit forecasts).

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Tyler Technologies shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 16% over one year. That gain is better than the annual TSR over five years, which is 12%. Therefore it seems like sentiment around the company has been positive lately. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Tyler Technologies .

But note: Tyler Technologies 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.

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(Bloomberg) -- An Uber Technologies Inc. executive was suspended after an attempt to address staff uproar over a company event about race titled Dont Call Me Karen backfired.

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Ubers long-time head of diversity, Bo Young Lee, was put on leave last week, a spokesman for the ride-hailing company said. Lee hosted an event last month that centered on the experience of being an American white woman and included a discussion of the Karen moniker, which is used to describe a white woman who is perceived to be entitled or demanding.

When the initial event sparked backlash among some employees, who felt the conversations were dismissive of people of color, a moving forward session to address frustrations was held on Wednesday. But that only ignited even more outrage among staffers, according to internal Slack messages, in which people said Lee didnt allow sufficient time for employees to voice grievances. Both events caused much upset and concern and were escalated to Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi and Chief People Officer Nikki Krishnamurthy.

While it was meant to be a dialogue, its obvious that those who attended did not feel heard, Krishnamurthy said in an email to staff on Thursday.

The New York Times first reported news of Lees leave of absence

Employees praised Khosrowshahis swift action in Slack messages after Lees suspension was announced. I guess Dara decided to listen to us!!, one staffer wrote.

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(Bloomberg) -- Ukraine cant win the war against Russia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, widely perceived to be the closest European Union nation to the Kremlin, said in an interview.

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Chancellor Olaf Scholz reinforced Germanys pledge to support Ukraine in denouncing the invasion. This bitter chapter of our continents history, conjured up by Vladimir Putins imperialist delusion, will end with a free Ukraine joining the European Union as a full member.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has kicked off a two-day visit to China, as Moscow seeks to deepen trade ties with Beijing amid growing international isolation over its war in Ukraine.

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Ukraine Cant Win War Against Russia, Hungarian Premier Says

Russia Says Forces Still Clearing Out Incursion From Ukraine

Europe Seeks to Speed Up F-16 Training for Ukrainian Pilots

Russia Pushes India for Help to Avert Financial Isolation

Russia Prime Minister Starts China Trip to Deepen Trade Ties

Coming Up

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell holds news conference after defense ministers meeting

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United Lithium

Figure 1

Geology Map showing the location of lithium bearing pegmatites A, B and C as well as drill holes and barren pegmatites.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- United Lithium Corp. (United or the Company) (CSE: ULTH; OTC: ULTHF; FWB: 0ULA) is pleased to announce that it continues to make lithium pegmatite discoveries at the Bergby Lithium Project (Bergby or the Project). Bergby is a 100% owned, district-scale, hard rock lithium project covering 10,828 hectares (ha) near the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia in Central Sweden. The Project area is characterized by LCT (lithium-cesium-tantalum enriched-type) granitic pegmatites. The final set of core assay results from the 2022 drilling campaign have now been received and evaluated. The 2023 drilling program, comprising 4,000 metres (m) of core drilling, is ongoing with initial results pending.



Highlights of the 2022 Drilling:

1,200 m of total lithium-bearing pegmatite strike length across three mineralized trends on the Project.

Two new lithium rich pegmatites discovered, notable results include: 1.34% Li 2 O over 47.75 m (BBY21069)* 1.1% Li 2 O over 11.11 m (BBY21071) 0.91% Li 2 O over 13.45 m (BBY21072) 1.21% Li 2 O over 8.63m (BBY22075)

Ongoing 4,000 m drill program with initial assay results pending.



*Previously disclosed result

Scott Eldridge, President, CEO stated: Our drilling and exploration work continues to identify new discoveries at Bergby. The 2022 drill campaign has confirmed that the Project hosts a lithium rich pegmatite field where we continue to explore for and discover new areas of lithium mineralization. The new areas were identified by systematic mapping, sampling and interpretation of abundant boulder trains, a process which has proven to be a very effective exploration methodology.

The infrastructure at Bergby is unparalleled, with year-round access to port, rail and power. The Project continues to demonstrate the potential to provide Europe with domestic lithium feedstock in the future. We look forward to unlocking the potential of our Bergby property through additional drilling and exploration work through the summer and fall.

Drill Campaign Summary:

The 2022 Bergby Drill Program comprised 6,266 m in 61 holes completed between November 2021 and December 2022. Drilling results from this program identified two new lithium pegmatite discoveries (at areas B and C - See Figure 1 below). Lying 750 to 1,200 m northwest and west, respectively, of the original Bergby lithium pegmatite outcrop discovery, which was drilled in 2017 (lithium bearing pegmatite A), the sites were originally identified from boulder mapping and sampling. This further highlights the potential at Bergby for more near surface discoveries. Drilling results to date at Bergby have identified more than 1,200 m of lithium-bearing pegmatite strike length across three mineralized trends on the Project. The Company has yet to test multiple additional lithium-bearing outcrops.

Area B in Figure 1 shows the mineralization first identified in hole BBY21169, which intersected 47.75 m of 1.34% Li 2 O from 2.25 m beneath shallow soil cover. The continuity of mineralization is interpreted from this and nearby holes (BBY21071, BBY21073 and BBY21069) that intersected lithium pegmatite at a low angle to dip. True thickness is approximately 10 m. A summary of drill holes intersecting this lithium bearing pegmatite is presented in Table 1. Current drilling is following up on these results and United is drill testing three new areas of outcrop for the first time.

Geology Map showing the location of lithium bearing pegmatites A, B and C as well as drill holes and barren pegmatites.









































Figure 1: Geology Map showing the location of lithium bearing pegmatites A, B and C as well as drill holes and barren pegmatites.



Area C in Figure 1 shows Uniteds newly discovered pegmatite outcrop consisting of multiple parallel spodumene- bearing pegmatites. Additional drilling on this target is planned for later in the summer of 2023. Table 1 lists the lithium values in pegmatite at this new discovery area which is part of a package of lithium pegmatites approximately 100 m thick and extending over a strike length of approximately 100 m defined so far.

Table 1: 2022 Assay Results Summary of Mineralized Drill Intercepts

Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) Li 2 O (%) Ta 2 O 5 (ppm) BBY21070 111.94 115.15 3.21 0.27 23.9 BBY21071 28.98 40.09 11.11 1.11 49.0 including 28.98 38.95 9.97 1.19 52.9 BBY21072 55.35 68.80 13.45 0.91 23.3 BBY21073 105.90 109.50 3.60 1.78 18.3 BBY22074 62.64 64.33 1.69 0.96 17.8 including 63.62 64.33 0.71 1.74 21.1 BBY22074 88.42 90.46 2.04 0.45 16.1 BBY22075 31.12 39.75 8.63 1.21 17.3 BBY22075 31.12 37.50 6.38 1.42 14.8 BBY22076 25.45 36.30 10.85 0.36 17.0 BBY22077 30.21 33.31 3.10 0.73 15.8 including 31.15 32.08 0.93 1.11 13.8 BBY22077 45.49 48.83 3.34 1.23 28.4 BBY22078 47.94 49.80 1.86 0.96 48.3 BBY22079 27.77 28.33 0.56 0.05 24.2 BBY22081 81.01 84.44 3.43 1.59 23.9 BBY22082 128.60 138.32 9.72 0.35 13.8 including 128.60 132.39 3.79 0.55 21.8 BBY22082 153.66 154.27 0.61 0.31 15.8 BBY22083 21.00 23.73 2.73 1.41 31.6 BBY22084 34.28 36.46 2.18 0.58 12.8 BBY22100 11.03 11.56 0.53 0.77 48.1 BBY22104 14.39 15.25 0.86 0.25 38.2 BBY22109 68.80 71.02 2.22 1.51 9.8 BBY22110 25.53 26.46 0.93 0.83 5.7 BBY22110 30.09 32.80 2.71 1.25 12.5 BBY22111 50.33 53.90 3.57 1.45 13.7 BBY22112 9.25 10.63 1.38 0.16 9.9 BBY22124 139.90 142.95 3.05 1.06 6.1 BBY22128 15.00 17.03 2.03 2.39 8.2 BBY22128 60.00 62.72 2.72 1.36 8.0 BBY22128 66.05 69.04 2.99 0.44 25.5 BBY22128 81.87 83.26 1.39 1.32 43.6 BBY22129 49.65 55.18 5.53 1.34 8.0 BBY22129 68.70 70.63 1.93 1.94 25.4 BBY22129 74.38 76.86 2.48 1.97 8.1 BBY22129 79.70 80.40 0.70 0.49 168.5 BBY22129 81.48 83.43 1.95 1.61 40.5 BBY22129 93.16 94.23 1.07 0.80 41.5 BBY22130 18.29 20.94 2.65 1.20 123.6 BBY22130 52.22 54.49 2.27 1.07 4.4 BBY22130 101.63 103.20 1.57 1.16 6.5 BBY22130 105.92 108.49 2.57 1.50 12.9 BBY22130 113.58 115.50 1.92 2.29 9.0 BBY22130 122.96 125.30 2.34 2.37 13.3

*Note: Holes not included in table had no significant mineralization. Intercepts are down hole lengths and may not represent true widths.

Link 1: PDF - Drill Hole Table

Link 2: PDF - Drill Hole Information

Uniteds field team log and sample all drill core samples in a secure core facility at the companys operations building in Norrsundet, about 5 km from the Project area. Core samples are cut in half longitudinally using a diamond cutting saw, and half cores submitted to ALS Ltd. (ALS) facilities in Pitea, Sweden for preparation. Certified reference standards and blanks are routinely inserted into the sample stream as part of United Lithiums quality control/quality assurance program (QA/QC). The samples are then forwarded for analysis to the ALS facilities in Loughrea, Ireland, an accredited mineral analytical laboratory (ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 9001:2015), for analysis using the ME-MS89L technique with analyzes for 53 elements and is appropriate for lithium-mineralized pegmatites.

No QA/QC issues were noted with the results reported herein. The Companys Qualified Person is of the opinion that the sample preparation, analytical, and security procedures followed are sufficient and reliable. The Company is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data reported herein. All drill intercepts reported are down-hole core lengths.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical data contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Robert Schafer, Registered Professional Geologist, Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Minerals Projects. Mr. Schafer is a Director and Consultant to the Company.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors

Scott Eldridge

Chief Executive Officer and Director

About United Lithium Corp.



United Lithium Corp. (CSE: ULTH) is an exploration & development company energized by the global demand for lithium. The Company is targeting lithium projects in politically safe jurisdictions with advanced infrastructure that allows for rapid and cost-effective exploration, development and production opportunities.

The Companys consolidated financial statements and related managements discussion and analysis are available on the Companys website at www.unitedlithium.com or under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. All statements included in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements with respect to the potential of the Bergby Project; the potential for identification of gold and barite resources at Calico; the potential identification of new mineralization; timing and successful execution of ongoing and future drilling and exploration activities. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, potential, target, budget and intend and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof.

Forward-looking statements are based on the reasonable assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of the management of the Company made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management of the Company believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made. Forward-looking information is based on reasonable assumptions that have been made by the Company as at the date of such information and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may have caused actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: risks associated with mineral exploration and development; metal and mineral prices; availability of capital; accuracy of the Companys projections and estimates; realization of mineral resource estimates, interest and exchange rates; competition; stock price fluctuations; availability of drilling equipment and access; actual results of current exploration activities; government regulation; political or economic developments; environmental risks; insurance risks; capital expenditures; operating or technical difficulties in connection with development activities; personnel relations; contests over title to properties; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The estimate of mineral resources may be materially affected by environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, sociopolitical, marketing, or other relevant issues. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the price of lithium and other metals and minerals; the demand for lithium and other metals and minerals; the ability to carry on exploration and development activities; the timely receipt of any required approvals; the ability to obtain qualified personnel, equipment and services in a timely and cost-efficient manner; the ability to operate in a safe, efficient and effective matter; and the regulatory framework regarding environmental matters, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that 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 information contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The forward-looking information contained herein is presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Companys expected financial and operational performance and the Companys plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ad8e143e-5cda-408d-81de-54beeed08f8f

CONTACT: For further information, please contact: Scott Eldridge President, CEO and Director Telephone: +1 (604-428-6128) scott@unitedlithiumcorp.com




(Bloomberg) -- Investment bank clients are peppering Wall Street with questions about what happens if the US Treasury in coming weeks runs out of cash and does the unthinkable  failing to make payments due on Treasury securities, the bedrock of the global financial system.

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With the clock ticking to June 1, the date by when Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has advised her department may run out of sufficient cash, as of Monday there was still no deal announced between President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy on raising the federal debt ceiling.

Market participants have long assumed that, if the Treasury ran out of sufficient cash during a partisan debt-limit showdown, it would prioritize interest and principal payments on publicly held Treasuries. That $24 trillion market serves as a global benchmark for borrowing costs, serves as vital collateral for funding in money markets and forms a core part of asset holdings the world over.

The assumption has never been tested, however, and Treasury officials have long cast doubt in public about whether prioritization is practicable. So given the intensity of the current showdown, market participants are gaming out scenarios.

One school of thought is that the impact might not be so damaging. After all, since the 2011 debt-limit crisis, market participants have worked out a process for dealing with the Treasury announcing that it couldnt make an interest or principal payment.

Read More: Debt-Ceiling Anxiety Tracker: Growing Fear Premium in Bills

But JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon warned earlier this month that even going to the brink is dangerous, with unpredictable consequences.

The closer you get to it, you will have panic, he said in a May 11 interview with Bloomberg Television. The other thing about markets is that, always remember, panic is the one thing that scares people  they take irrational decisions.

And even a key group that helped to compile the emergency procedures, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York-sponsored Treasury Market Practices Group, has issued its own caution.

While the practices contemplated in this document might, at the margin, reduce some of the negative consequences of an untimely payment on Treasury debt for Treasury market functioning, the TMPG believes the consequences of delaying payments would nonetheless be severe, it said in its December 2021 gameplan.

Broader disruption in financial markets would quickly put focus on the Fed, which during the 2011 debt-limit showdown compiled a backstop menu of options to avert systemic collapse. When reviewing those in 2013, then-board member Jerome Powell referred to two of them as loathsome  while stopping short of saying that hed reject them.

Those two involved the Fed buying up defaulted Treasuries, or swapping them for non-defaulted securities on its balance sheet.

Powell, now the Feds chair, has repeatedly delivered the message in recent months that no one should assume that the Fed can protect the economy if Congress doesnt address the debt limit.

Here are some of the scenarios that could unfold.

Feds Options

The US central bank is charged with maintaining financial stability, and in the event of major disruptions, Fed watchers assume that much of the playbook devised under former Chair Ben Bernanke still holds.

In addition to injecting short-term liquidity into financial markets, the Fed could also abandon its current quantitative tightening program of running down its holdings of Treasuries, Robert Perli and Benson Durham at Piper Sandler & Co. wrote in January. Perli has since become the head of the New York Feds markets desk.

As far as the default process goes, the contingency plan compiled by market participants would have the Treasury inform, by 10 p.m., that it wouldnt be making a payment due the next day. A security for which a principal payment was due would have its maturity extended by one day.

Downgrade Likely

That message would be communicated over Fedwire, a network established for distributing Treasury payments on debt securities.

A missed payment on Treasury debt would trigger a downgrade of the sovereign rating, William Foster, a senior credit officer at Moodys Investors Service said in an interview. For Moodys, that would mean taking the US down to AA1 from AAA.

There could be a missed interest payment that would be delayed a few days, Foster said. But there would be no loss to investors, and that would be important, he said, based on the assumption that a deal would quickly emerge in Washington to raise or suspend the debt ceiling.

Delayed payments on particular securities dont trigger a broader state of default on all debt outstanding  something known as a cross-default provision.

Localized Impact

Thats why its possible that immediate impact could be somewhat limited.

We are likely to see localized dislocations in the event of missed payment, if that were to happen, JPMorgan rates strategists, co-led by Jay Barry, wrote Friday in a Q&A for clients on a technical default.

RBC Capital Markets strategists, also writing Friday, said they doubt a downgrade would trigger any forced reallocation by fund managers away from Treasuries.

At the same time, RBCs Blake Gwinn and Izaac Brook cautioned that the back-office issues of delaying payments could very easily bleed into the front-office, causing disruptions to liquidity and market functioning.

$0 Pricing

The TMPG noted that firms holding Treasuries in custody for other financial institutions tend to advance payments scheduled for those securities, and would need to sort how to proceed if those payments werent received from the Treasury on time.

Firms that offer pricing on Treasuries could run into challenges, such as setting the price of a Treasury subject to a delayed payment to $0, the group said.

Some market participants might not be able to implement the contingency plans, and others could do so only with substantial manual intervention in their trading and settlement processes, which itself would pose significant operational risk, the TMPG said.

Its a dynamic that Robert Toomey, a managing director at the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, the top US association for broker-dealers, investment banks and asset managers, pointed to earlier this year.

Biggest Risk

In real-time what the impact would be in the market is very much an open question, he said in an interview. The biggest risk is that we dont know what will happen to the pricing and the desirability of purchasing Treasuries, he said.

That indeed was a key concern Powell had during the 2013 debt-limit showdown. In the event of investors shunning Treasuries, the government could find insufficient demand at an auction of debt  which would be devastating, because the Treasury relies on selling new debt to pay off maturing securities.

Failed Auction

The real risk is of a failed auction  is the loss of market access at any price, Powell said in 2013, according to a Fed transcript of policymakers discussions.

Yellen, who was vice chair during the Feds 2011 and 2013 discussions, in an NBC interview on Sunday declined to specify what will happen if the Treasury does end up running out of cash.

There will be hard choices to make if the debt ceiling isnt raised, she said.

(Updates with context on potential problems, after $0 Pricing subheadline.)

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US tries to reel in Pacific islands as China tests new waters

At the Tongan capital of Nuku'alofa earlier this month, the United States flag was hoisted during a ceremony to mark the opening of a new American diplomatic outpost in the Pacific islands.

Tonga's acting foreign minister, Samiu Vaipulu, called the occasion "historic" and "long awaited".

"Today marks a milestone in the long-standing and strong relations between the Kingdom of Tonga and the United States of America," the Tongan foreign ministry said.

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.

Washington said the opening of the embassy was symbolic of a renewal of ties and underlined the strength of its commitment to bilateral relations and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.

The United States also plans to set up embassies in Vanuatu and Kiribati as the Pacific islands become a key arena of strategic competition between Beijing and Washington.

While last week's cancellation of US President Joe Biden's trip to the Papua New Guinea raised some questions about Washington's commitment, observers said the increased US engagement with Pacific island nations in recent months showed the region's growing importance in American foreign policy, and Beijing would have to do more to build trust to maintain its influence there.

US President Joe Biden (centre) and leaders of Pacific island nations during the US-Pacific Island Country Summit at the White House on September 29, 2022. Photo: Reuters alt=US President Joe Biden (centre) and leaders of Pacific island nations during the US-Pacific Island Country Summit at the White House on September 29, 2022. Photo: Reuters>

US President Joe Biden was scheduled to visit Papua New Guinea this month, and he would have been the first sitting US president to do so, but the plans were cancelled because of debt ceiling negotiations in Washington.

The eleventh-hour cancellation was disappointing for residents of the Pacific nation and analysts have warned that it may raise concerns that domestic battles in the US could hamper its engagement with the region.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken went instead, arriving in Papua New Guinea on Monday to discuss a range of issues from trade to regional security with Pacific island leaders.

Blinken also signed a defence pact with Papua New Guinea on Monday, an agreement that will see the two nations share technical expertise and "better patrol" the seas together.

With the new security deal, Papua New Guinea was "elevating" its relationship with Washington, Prime Minister James Marape said at the signing ceremony.

Corey Bell, a researcher at the University of Technology Sydney's Australia-China Relations Institute, said the increase in US consular presence in the region - including plans to base an ambassador in Tonga - was a "strong symbol to the island and the region of its growing status and importance" to Washington.

Alan Tidwell, director of the Centre for Australian, New Zealand and Pacific Studies at Georgetown University, said Washington's recent moves were "significant" and that they echoed commitments the US made during a summit between Biden and Pacific island leaders last September.

At the summit, Biden pledged to elevate engagement with the Pacific islands while launching Washington's first national strategy for the region - a flashy US$810 million package.

"A great deal of the history of our world is going to be written in the Indo-Pacific over the coming years and decades. And the Pacific islands are a critical voice in shaping that future," Biden said. "And that's why my administration has made it a priority to strengthen our partnership with your countries."

During a stopover in Singapore this month, Jung Pak, deputy assistant secretary at the US Department of State's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the Biden administration had displayed a "huge amount of interest [in] and commitment [to]" the Pacific islands.

"It's in all our interests to be closely knitted together ... and to make sure that we have a latticework of groupings and friends and allies to make sure that we have inclusive and sustainable economic growth and stability throughout the region."

With its new embassy in Tonga, the US is looking to buttress the "rules-based order" and "democratic values that it sees as important to global peace and prosperity", said Mihai Sora, a research fellow in the Pacific Islands Programme at Australia's Lowy Institute.

He added that the Pacific islands were a "vital element" of the US Indo-Pacific strategy because of their vast ocean territories and strategic locations, making the region a crucial transit point for trade and military operations.

Tonga in particular is important to Washington as it lies along the maritime channel connecting Australia and the US, according to Bell. He noted that as China made inroads in the Pacific, Tonga "might be considered one of those that could come up for play".

Other observers have warned that a semi-regular Chinese military presence in Tonga could be a threat to Australian and American ships and allow for the collection of sensitive intelligence.

"So heading off any repeat of what happened on the Solomon Islands and the potential for a semi-regular or regular Chinese military presence on the island will be a priority," Bell said.

Last April, Beijing and the Solomon Islands signed a security cooperation agreement allowing Chinese forces to make ship visits and stopovers there. At the time, analysts said the pact was a result of Washington's disengagement with the region and an indication of Beijing's growing influence there.

China's advances in the Pacific have become a key concern for Washington. A 16-page document outlining the US strategy in the Pacific noted that "pressure and economic coercion by China" risked undermining the peace and security of the region.

Bell suggested that the US had been cooperating more with its regional allies in an effort to counteract China.

The Pacific islands are divided into three groups - Micronesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. Traditionally, the US has focused on the first group while relying on Australia and New Zealand for the remaining two in diplomatic and military affairs.

But the move to open a new embassy in Tonga - which falls within Polynesia - "is more evidence of a lot more cooperation between the US and its partners", Bell said.

"The shock in the wake of the Solomon Islands' security deal with China is probably one of the key impetuses behind this push."

When asked last week about the defence agreement that the US was expected to sign with Papua New Guinea, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said China "does not object to normal exchanges and cooperation between relevant parties and Pacific island countries". But he added that Beijing opposed "bringing geopolitical contestation" into the Pacific region by any country.

Chinese state-run tabloid Global Times has said that Washington's moves in the region were aimed at Beijing. "The US' efforts to enhance its presence in the Pacific region are only pursuing its own strategic goal of countering China," it said, urging Pacific nations to make "wise and pragmatic choices".

Beijing, meanwhile, has continued to deepen ties with the Pacific. Last month, China's special envoy for Pacific island countries affairs, Qian Bo, met a delegation of political leaders from the Pacific and presented Beijing's policies towards the region.

Qian - who was formerly China's ambassador to Fiji - has also met key officials from Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Samoa in recent months.

Bell said China had made "substantial gains" in the region, including its disaster relief work in Tonga last year following a volcanic eruption and tsunami there.

But he said China might have "overplayed its hand" in trying to drive a multi-state security pact on the back of its success in the Solomon Islands.

"It mistook Pacific countries' enthusiasm for benefiting from US-China competition for enthusiasm for China replacing or partly replacing the security roles of Australia and the US in the region."

If the level of development in the Pacific remained low, it would reflect on the failures of the US and Australia, and that would mean greater opportunities for China, he added.

Bell said that Pacific nations would always be open to aid from China as well as security cooperation that was "not too defence-oriented".

"The key for China is not to make those big premature lurches on security, which can undermine trust and alarm other nations in the region who are not on board, especially when there is little clarity about China's security ambitions in the region," Bell said.

He noted that China also faced disadvantages in building strong people-to-people relations. For example, nations such as Tonga have close family and migration links with Australia and New Zealand, while Beijing might need more time and effort to build ties with the Pacific.

Tidwell, the Georgetown professor, pointed out that Pacific leaders had accused the Chinese government of advancing its interests through "corrupt means".

Earlier this year, outgoing Micronesian president David Panuelo accused China of bribery and "political warfare" in a letter to his country's legislature.

"The challenge for China is to be seen as cooperative with a range of other interests. The US, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Germany, the UK and Canada are all cooperating in their assistance in the Pacific. It's only China that refuses to do so," Tidwell said.

Wang Huiyao, founder of Beijing-based think tank Centre for China and Globalisation, said the Pacific islands - like any other region in the world - would be important to world powers such as the US and China.

He stressed that there were "no limits" for countries to invest or cooperate with Pacific nations. "It's a free world. If they want to cooperate with China or the US or with any other country, it's their choice," he said.

Wang Yiwei, an international relations professor at Renmin University of China, added that Beijing welcomed investments from the US and the world in the Pacific region "but healthy competition [would be] better than hedging or balancing strategic calculations at the cost of the South Pacific".

"Time will tell who is really [there to] help and who is not," he said.

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.
US wants labor rights investigation of Goodyear plant in Mexico

Worker salaries at the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. factory in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, reportedly average about $22 a day. Pictured is a Goodyear factory worker in Turkey. (Photo: Goodyear)

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on Monday asked the Mexican government to investigate claims that labor rights are being denied at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant in the country.

The USTR petition alleges that Goodyear is obstructing workers freedom of association and right to collective bargaining at its plant in the north central Mexican city of San Luis Potosi.

On May 7, more than 82% of workers at the Goodyear plant in San Luis Potosi voted to terminate their contract with the Miguel Trujillo Lopez union and seek new representation at the facility.

It was the second workers union vote since April. Mexicos Labor Department said voter fraud occurred during the April vote, whose results were thrown out.

In rejecting the collective bargaining agreement, the workers at the Goodyear rubber tire facility in San Luis Potosi have expressed their will, Thea Lee, deputy undersecretary for international affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor, said in a statement.

The plant, which manufactures tires for the domestic and international markets, directly employs around 1,149 workers.





With this result, it is proven that the vast majority of Goodyear workers decided personally, freely, directly and secretly to terminate the collective bargaining agreement held by the Miguel Trujillo Lopez union, according to a statement from Mexicos Labor Department.

The Miguel Trujillo Lopez union is affiliated with the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM), one of the countrys largest labor organizations.

CTM has been accused by labor critics of keeping worker wages low for decades across Mexico, according to the Associated Press. The union reportedly signed a collective bargaining agreement with Goodyear for worker salaries of $22 a day in San Luis Potosi.

The USTR petition was filed under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade pacts rapid response mechanism, focusing on the denial of specific labor rights. Enforcement efforts can result in additional tariffs or other import restrictions.

The petition was reviewed by the U.S. Office of Trade and Labor Affairs, which said the Mexican government has 10 days to decide whether to conduct a review and 45 days to investigate the claims and to present its findings.

The USMCA petition is based on a complaint by the independent Mexican trade union Liga Sindical Obrera Mexicana (LSOM) to the USTR, which accuses Goodyear of not respecting the provisions of the plants collective bargaining agreement with its workers, while also offering workers fewer benefits than available to other workers in the rubber industry in Mexico.

By rejecting the collective bargaining agreement, the workers at the Goodyear plant in San Luis Potosi have expressed their will, Lee said. We now expect Goodyear to treat its workers fairly and enforce the contract law.

Based in Akron, Ohio, Goodyear employs about 74,000 people globally and manufactures its products in 57 facilities in 23 countries.

Watch: Werner Transportation loses appeal on $100 million judgment.

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Virgin Australia aims for November A$1 billion listing - source Travelers stand at a Virgin Australia Airlines counter at Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Bain Capital's Virgin Australia airline is aiming for a A$1 billion listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in November, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter.

At that size, the deal would be the largest new share sale in almost two years since GQG Partners raised A$1.18 billion in its listing in October 2021.

U.S.-based Bain said in January it would explore re-listing Virgin, which it bought for A$3.5 billion ($2.45 billion) including liabilities in 2020 after it was placed in voluntary administration, the closest Australian equivalent to Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The timeline of the deal has fluctuated but the private equity firm is now aiming for a transaction in November, according to the source who could not be named due to the confidential nature of the information.

The final size of the stake that Bain will sell has yet to be decided, the source added, but could be between 30% and 40%.

Virgin's IPO could value the domestic focused carrier at $A2.5 billion to $A3 billion but the final valuation will be decided after further management and analyst briefings with potential investors.

Reuters has previously reported that Virgin Australia was looking to raise up to A$1 billion in the deal.

Bain Capital declined to comment.

Details of the November timeline were first reported by Bloomberg News on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Scott Murdoch in Sydney; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
DMCC, the flagship free zone in Dubai, has signed up Brewer Smith Brewer Group (BSBG), a global architecture, design and engineering firm, to deliver the second phase of its flagship Uptown Dubai district, that will see the construction of two mid-rise commercial towers of 28 and 21 storeys.

This comes following the completion of Uptown Tower, an 81-storey mixed-use tower featuring office space, branded residences, an ultra-luxury hotel, and retail and F&B offerings, said DMCC in its statement.

All office units within the tower were fully pre-leased in Q3 of 2022, thus reflecting the developments significant draw for international investments, it stated.

The 22 floors of office units within Uptown Tower are expected to be delivered next month, it added.

Engaged for lead consultancy, design and executive architecture, interior design, and structural engineering for the project, BSBG will deliver the next two commercial towers within Uptown Dubai.

Spanning a total area of 5.8 million sq ft, Uptown Dubai will redefine premium mixed-use communities. On completion, the mid-rise towers will featuring a total of approximately 67,500 sq m of commercial space and 5,000 sq m for retail and F&B, it added.

"Through this partnership with BSBG  a global leader in delivering projects of this scale  we are one sizeable step closer to this vision, remarked Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC, after signing the deal with BSBG officials - Managing Partner Alistair McMillan, Senior Partners Andrew Bereza and Scott Orwin and Group Design Director Michael Lewis.

"These two towers will be a strong addition to our ever-growing district, helping us meet the high levels of FDI we continue to attract with a premium commercial offering," he stated.

Lauding the DMCC partnership, McMillan said: "We are very pleased to have partnered with the Dubai group on this exciting commercial project, which is of huge importance as the Uptown Dubai masterplan comes to life."

"DMCCs Uptown Dubai District has become one of the emirates most dynamic mixed-use developments, and with our combined design and technical expertise, BSBG is well-positioned to support DMCC in realising its vision for a benchmark mixed-use development of the future," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
By Nandita Bose

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday it would ask workers how their employers use artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor them, as it allocates federal investments in the technology, which is expected to change the nature of work.

The White House will hold a listening session with workers to understand their experience with employers' use of automated technologies for surveillance, monitoring and evaluation. The call will include gig work experts, researchers, and policymakers.

Millions of users have tried AI apps and tools, which supporters say can make medical diagnoses, write screenplays, create legal briefs and debug software, leading to growing concern about how the technology could lead to privacy violations, skew employment decisions, and power scams and misinformation campaigns.

As part of its evaluation of the technology, the administration will also announce new steps, including an updated roadmap for federal investments in AI research, a request for public input on AI risks and with a new report from the Department of Education on how AI affects teaching, learning and research.

The listening session and new measures come after a meeting President Joe Biden hosted this month with chief executives of top artificial intelligence companies, including Microsoft and Alphabet's Google.

The meeting focused on the need for companies to be more transparent about their AI systems and the importance of evaluating the safety of such products.

President Biden has also used the technology and experimented with it, the White House has said.

Shortly after Biden announced his reelection bid, the Republican National Committee produced a video featuring a dystopian future during a second Biden term, which was built entirely with AI imagery.

Such political ads are expected to become more common as AI technology proliferates.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
(Bloomberg)  Bernard Arnault, the worlds richest person, had $11.2 billion wiped from his fortune in one day over concerns that a softening US economy will dampen demand for luxury goods.

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The founder of LVMH  whose offerings include Louis Vuitton handbags, Moet & Chandon Champagne and Christian Dior gowns  had seen his wealth balloon for most of 2023 as share prices of European luxury companies surged.

On Tuesday, he gave back some of those gains. LVMH shares fell 5% in Paris  the most in more than a year  amid a broader decline that erased about $30 billion from the European luxury sector.

Read more: LVMH, Hermes Spark $30 Billion Luxury Stocks Rout on US Slowdown

Even with the selloff, the French billionaire still has a net worth of $191.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Hes added $29.5 billion so far this year.

The gap between the fortunes of Arnault and Tesla Inc.s Elon Musk, the worlds second-richest person, has shrunk to just $11.4 billion.

Tuesdays rout came after a lengthy rally in LVMHs share price, which is still up 23% for the year. The MSCI Europe Textiles Apparel & Luxury Goods Index has surged 27%.

Attendees at a luxury conference in Paris organized by Morgan Stanley flagged a relatively more subdued performance in the US, according to Edouard Aubin, an analyst at the investment bank.

Deutsche Bank AG analysts Matt Garland and Adam Cochrane said in a note that they expect investors to become more selective with European luxury stocks, with slowing growth in the US a concern.

With assistance from Kit Rees and Jack Witzig.

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(Bloomberg) -- The US governments bond rating rests on a centuries-long record of always paying its debts. Right now, its also hanging on faith in modern political brinkmanship.

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While President Joe Biden negotiates with Republicans in Congress on a plan to raise the debt limit and avoid an unprecedented default as soon as early next month, Wall Streets credit-rating companies are standing pat  assuming disaster will be averted, even at the 11th hour.

Moodys Investors Services William Foster, a senior credit officer, said in an interview on Wednesday that he was hearing the right things out of Washington, and his firm has kept the USs top rating intact through the fitful negotiations since. So has Fitch Ratings.

Even S&P Global Ratings, which in 2011 drew fire for downgrading the US from AAA after a similar brush with default, has retained a stable outlook on the rating during the latest fracas, anticipating a deal will be struck.

But the repeated political tussles are chipping away at the stability and predictability that are supposed to support Washingtons status as the risk-free standard in world financial markets.

While we do not expect S&P to downgrade the US further, Moodys or Fitch may put the US on negative outlook or even negative watch due to further debt ceiling brinkmanship, said Priya Misra, global head of rates strategy at TD Securities. She added that any step to lower or threaten to lower the US credit rating could result in a broad risk-off market reaction.

So far, the three major bond raters have been reluctant to signal any shift in their current guidance because they see it most likely that the debt ceiling will be raised before the so-called X date when the US Treasury runs out of cash. On Monday, after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that could happen as soon as June 1.

Debt-Limit Showdown Splits Credit Raters on US Downgrade Trigger

None of the raters has downgraded the US since S&P did so 2011, when a similar impasse prompted it to drop its grade from AAA to AA+, the second-highest rung.

That decision drew the wrath of US officials, who said its analysis was flawed given that the US is the linchpin of the global financial system. While both Moodys and Fitch have made adjustment to the US outlook amid debt-limit episodes, they never downgraded the USs primary credit rating as S&P did.

The Treasury markets status as the haven of global markets has been so ingrained that even after the S&P downgrade it rallied as investors pulled out of stocks in fear of the fallout. For the same reason, this time around only Treasury bills set to mature next month have seen yields rise due to the risk of a default.

The USs credit rating, however, would likely suffer another blow if Congress cant reach an agreement in time. On Monday evening, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he and Biden has a productive meeting though a deal has remained elusive.

Fitch said in an April report that increasing partisanship and the use of debt-limit standoffs to advance political agendas is a recipe for more, not less, confrontation around the US debt limit in the years ahead that could erode confidence in the US and affect its rating. The company said the USs AAA rating would be at risk if the Treasury decided to make good on some obligations, including its bonds, but not others  like payments to certain contractors  after running out of funds.

Officials at S&P referred to a statement on the US rating from March, when the company said it expects that Congress will ultimately pass debt ceiling legislation, as it has on over 80 prior instances understanding the severe consequences on financial markets and the economy of not doing so.

Moodys Foster said thats his firms base case scenario, too. But he said the company would downgrade the federal government by one notch to Aa1 if a bond payment is missed but the standoff is resolved soon after.

So there could be a missed interest payment that would be delayed a few days, he said. But there would be no loss to investors, and that would be important.

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(Bloomberg) -- Yelp Inc. shares rose the most since August following a Wall Street Journal report that an activist investor has called for the company to look into a sale and other strategic options.

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TCS Capital Management plans to deliver a letter to Yelps board on Tuesday in which it makes the case for a sale, arguing that the firm could fetch more than double its current share price, the Journal reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.

Yelp maintains an active dialogue with our shareholders and values constructive feedback on our business and ways to create value, a Yelp spokesperson said, according to the Journal.

The owner of the reviews site rose as much as 13% and was up 10% to $35.62 at 9:32 a.m. in New York on Tuesday after the report, the biggest intraday increase since Aug. 5.

It isnt the first time a major investor has pushed for Yelp to explore a sale. In 2019, SQN Investors pushed the company to either follow recommendations to improve its performance or consider selling itself. After Yelp made a series of changes, SQN said the company should still remain open to an eventual sale.

Earlier this month, Yelp reported a 13% increase in net revenue for the first quarter, which Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Stoppelman attributed to strong demand from advertisers.

(Updates with shares in fourth paragraph.)

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Summer may not technically start until June, but you can get a head start on summer reading now. And summer reading isnt just for kids! Adults can sign up at librarypoint.org/summer to partake in fun activities and log reading to earn a limited-edition pen as well as enter to win one of 12 bags of books.

Whether youre headed to the beach, the mountains or the hammock in the backyard, books are faithful companions, even when said books contain psychological suspense, buried secrets and unreliable narrators. Here are some recently published mysteries and thrillers to help you escape from everyday life while helping you reach your summer reading goals. Im all booked for the summer  how about you?

The Last Word by Taylor Adams. Forming the perfect backdrop to this suspenseful thriller is an old, isolated beachfront home in rainy Washington state where Emma is house-sitting with her golden retriever Laika. Emmas only contacts are her elderly neighbor and, via text, the houses owner. One day, she reads a grisly, badly written horror novel by author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that ends up in an online argument with Kane himself. All of a sudden, alarming incidents start happening, and they seem more than coincidental. Emma begins researching Kane and learns he has published 16 tales of stalking and murder. What else is Kane capable of, and how did he find Emma?

The Gulf by Rachel Cochran. In the 1970s, in the small town of Parson, Texas, Lou is renovating a decrepit old mansion for Miss Kate, her beloved older neighbor and mother figure. Lou just wants to find peace in Parson as she mourns her brothers death, but when Miss Kate is murdered, Lous dreams are crushed. Only Lou seems to care about finding her friends killer, and things are further complicated when Joanna, Kates estranged daughter, and Lous first love, arrives in Parson. Joannas arrival unleashes dark secrets surrounding the towns history and its residents, which may be the key Lou needs to uncover the truth of Miss Kates death and her killer.

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby. Anthony Award-winning author and Virginia native Cosby is back with another edge-of-your-seat thrill ride. After a career as an FBI agent, Titus Crown returns to his rural home of Charon County. Wanting to turn Charons bigoted police force around, Crown runs for sheriff and wins, becoming the first Black sheriff in the countys history. One year later, Crown is investigating a high school shooting that leaves a history teacher and his killer dead. Uncovering evidence that both men were involved in the ritualistic killing of seven Black children over the years, Crown is determined to seek the truth no matter what. Its no easy feat for a Black policeman in a small American South town that keeps its secrets close.

The Exiles by Jane Harper. Harpers newest Aaron Falk mystery is not to be missed, especially when you catch it on audio, narrated by Steve Shanahan. The novel opens at a crowded festival on a warm spring night, where a baby lies alone in her stroller, her mother vanishing into the fray. One year later, Kim Gillespies friends and loved ones are feeling her absence sorely as they gather in South Australian wine country to welcome a new member of the family. Its assumed by most that Kim took her own life, while Kims teenage daughter, Zoe, has never believed it. Federal investigator Aaron Falk, first featured in the novel and major feature film The Dry, is present for the celebration of his godsons christening and is ready to enjoy his time in the valley. But Zoe and her friend Joel, who lost his father in an unsolved accident years before, are hoping to resume the search for the truth of Kims death. Falk is pulled into the investigation, soon realizing the group of friends and family arent as close as they appear, and that there are plenty of suspects and motives that could lead to some answers.

The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters. Leaving behind a tumultuous past in London, Nicole Oruwari now appears to have a perfect life, with a handsome husband, a luxurious home in Lagos, Nigeria, and a new set of sophisticated friends, the Nigerwives. When Nicole disappears during a boat trip, however, it becomes apparent that her lifes perfection is a facade. Frustrated by a dead-end investigation, Nicoles aunt Claudine flies to Nigeria to dig into her nieces life, revealing dark secrets and violence. And the more Claudine discovers about Nicole, the more her own hidden history emerges.
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Last week, leaders at the University of Virginia said they would continue their efforts to increase diversity at the school even though the results of two federal court cases may soon prohibit them from using traditional race-conscious admissions practices.

By this June, the highest court in the nation is expected to decide whether affirmative action, also known as race-conscious admissions policies, still has a place in American universities 50 years after it was established to regulate diversity on newly integrated campuses.

We will continue to do everything within our legal authority to recruit a student body that is both extraordinarily talented and richly diverse across every imaginable dimension, including race, UVa President Jim Ryan and Provost and Executive Vice President Ian Baucom wrote in a statement to the university community on May 15. Those efforts reflect our commitment to serve the Commonwealth and beyond by making a UVA education as accessible as possible for all, including historically underrepresented students.

In October 2022, the Supreme Court heard two cases from student organizations at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Both cases  Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard, and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina  argue that all colleges and universities should limit or eliminate race-conscious admissions practices.

The Jefferson Council, a conservative alumni association, says it would welcome the change to admission policies.

We believe the higher rate at which African-Americans drop out compared to other groups is an indication that they are more likely to struggle when admitted to UVa, James A Bacon, Jefferson Council executive director, told The Daily Progress. One can argue whether that struggle stems from financial stress or academic preparedness, or both, but its a reality that must be acknowledged.

UVa does not use quotas for admissions by race or any other category or characteristic, but UVa spokesman Brian Coy said the university considers race as an admissions factor because race is often an important part of the life experience of our applicants and may be considered among many other dimensions of who they are.

Black students are not the demographic with the lowest one-year retention rates for first-year undergraduate students at UVa; Black students who entered UVa in the fall of 2021 maintained a 96% retention rate, according to the most recent university data available. It is international students that had the lowest retention rate, of 92%.

In the fall of 2019, Virginia Magazine, a quarterly run by UVa alumni, reported that, while UVa is test-optional, the average SAT score for the class of 2023 was 1409. That same year, the national average SAT score among high school students was 1059, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Black students made up 6.8% of the alumni class from that year, which included 3,971 students who joined the university in the fall of 2019.

Nothing is commendable about being the third best public university when this illusion of success is established in the reality of Black subjugation, a group that calls itself Black U.Va. wrote in a letter published on the student-run Cavalier Daily news site. The peak 12 percent Black enrollment rate has continued to decline since the 1990s. In order to reflect a representative body of the state of Virginia, the University should boast a Black student body of at least 20 percent. The disparate amount of Black students yielded into the University continues to compound the racial inequities that are foundational to this institution.

The Students for Fair Admissions are led by Edward Blum, a 70-year-old conservative legal strategist known for his activism against affirmative action based on race and ethnicity. Prior to the cases involving Harvard and UNC, Blum, who is not a lawyer, presented six other cases to the Supreme Court based on his belief that considering race and ethnicity is unconstitutional  even when it is to correct the inequities created by discrimination.

In 2016, Blum recruited Abigail Fisher, a white woman who was rejected by the University of Texas at Austin, to dispute the schools practice of factoring race into undergraduate admissions decisions. That same year, the high court ruled that the schools policy should stand in a 4-3 decision.

Blum co-founded Students for Fair Admissions with Fisher in 2014.

Now, with a six-justice conservative majority and the recent decision to strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion decision, the court has already proven its readiness to overturn decades of precedent.

If you are an in-state African-American applicant whose parent is an alumnus, your odds of getting accepted are roughly four times that of an out-of-state White applicant with no family connections, Bacon wrote in a blog post on the Jefferson Council website. The preference shown to in-state students is non-controversial. UVa is a legal entity of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and it is financially supported by state tax dollars to benefit the citizens of Virginia.

Bacon told The Daily Progress that fellow Jefferson Council member Walter Smith submitted Freedom of Information Act requests for UVa to provide an explanation of UVas admissions criteria and the inner workings of its race-conscious admissions policies, but said he has not heard back.

Smith did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Progress.

Once the opinion is made public, we will share more information about the Universitys response, Ryan and Baucom wrote. For now, we want to emphasize what we hope you already know: Every member of this community belongs and deserves to be here, and together you make this University the remarkable and vibrant community it is.
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When Mark Joel Hoodjer was 6 days old, his parents, Amanda and John Hoodjer, got a call from their pediatrician.

MJ, they learned, had a rare genetic condition called spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, a progressive condition that leads to weakened muscles. In its worst forms, it affects the muscles needed for vital functions like breathing and swallowing.

Initially, the Gretna couple were devastated. But now they say they are grateful  grateful the condition was caught, grateful it was caught early and grateful for new treatments.

A change in state law that took effect in September 2020 added SMA to Nebraskas newborn screening panel, the heel-prick blood test that all babies in the state receive at birth. Catching the condition so early meant MJ could undergo one of three new treatments for SMA, most approved within the last half-dozen years, before damage was done.

On Friday, MJ lay in his mothers arms at Boys Town National Research Hospital as one of those treatments, a one-time gene therapy called Zolgensma, trickled into his tiny body.

Were very grateful for everything, knowing what the outcome could be and what some other families have (had) to deal with, John Hoodjer said.

In fact, the rush to get MJ treatment began with that first phone call. The familys pediatrician told them to go directly to Boys Town, where Dr. Matias Lopez Chacon, a neurologist who specializes in pediatric neuromuscular medicine, would meet them. John Hoodjer said the family arrived within an hour.

In people with SMA, the body doesnt produce enough of a protein that certain nerve cells in the spinal cord need to survive.

Lopez said research indicates that its best to start treatments within six weeks of birth in order to prevent neurons from dying.

At his age, the whole point was to start treatment before he presents with any symptoms whatsoever, he said of MJ.

The first step was additional testing to confirm MJ had SMA  the heel-prick tests are for screening, not diagnosing  and then to determine the likely severity of his condition. That generally depends on the number of copies of a gene that plays backup to the main protein-producing gene, which is mutated or missing in people with SMA. That takes a couple of weeks.

While MJ does not have one of the most severe forms of SMA, Lopez said, it would eventually produce symptoms, although timelines vary. An expert panel in 2020 voted to recommend that children in his situation be treated immediately, rather than watching and waiting.

We just cant get that risk going, he said. If neurons are dying, we cant recoup those neurons later on.

Nebraskas newborn screening panel now checks for 35 conditions that, like SMA, can be treated in time to prevent or reduce the problems associated with them if caught early.

As of last fall, Nebraska was one of 16 states that screen for all conditions recommended by federal health officials, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. Each year, the screening identifies approximately 60 babies with one of the listed conditions. Forty-eight states, including Nebraska, now screen for SMA, according to Cure SMA, an advocacy and support group.

With the start of the infusion Friday, MJ became the first youngster in the state identified with SMA by the newborn screening to undergo pre-symptomatic treatment, state health officials confirmed.

Hes also the first treated for SMA at Boys Town. Childrens Hospital & Medical Center also has treated children for SMA. The Food and Drug Administration approved Zolgensma in 2019.

This medication has completely shifted the course of this disease, Lopez said.

MJ was scheduled to stay overnight Friday for observation. Hell have weekly checkups for the next three months.

But Lopez said he expects the youngster to hit all of the usual developmental milestones in the months and years to come.

I would anticipate him to be a completely healthy kid, Lopez said.

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Rehabilitation work on the runway at Fremont Municipal Airport could begin in May 2024 if the city gets the $6 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

During its recent meeting, the airport advisory committee voted to recommend that the Fremont City Council award a $4.2 million project to Paulsen, Inc. of Cozad.

The city received eight bid proposals for the project, which consists of the removal and reconstruction of an approximately 2,300-feet by 100-feet section of the runway. Improvements also will involve minor utility relocations and regrading of the 400-foot runway safety zone to meet Federal Aviation Administration standards and improve drainage.

Olsson, an engineering and design firm in South Sioux City, had estimated the runway rehabilitation cost to be at about $4.9 million.

The bids were very good and we got quite a few, said Justin Zetterman, director of public works for the city. Most of the bids were right around the estimate, but we did have this bid (from Paulsen) which is about $700,000 under so with the grant money, that will save us $70,000 (the citys share), which is great. This will certainly make it easier to get it award it.

In his staff report, Zetterman said the FAA grant requires the city to pay a 10% local share of the overall project cost and the citys contribution for constructionbased on the Paulsen bidis estimated at $420,000.

Zettermans expressed optimism regarding the likelihood that the city will get the grant.

I have an email from person in the district office we work with and he said hes confident with these bids that we have strong application for the discretionary grant that they give out, Zetterman said at the advisory committee meeting.

On March 28, the Fremont City Council passed a resolution authorizing the city to apply for a $6.73 million grant with the FAA for the project.

This grant amount request is intended provide a safety factor should the project exceed the current estimate, Zetterman told the Tribune. This could include an issue that might be found during construction or cost overruns.

Zetterman emphasized to the board that the project depends on the federal funding.

Its still not guaranteed that this (the rehabilitation) is going to happen, until we get that grant, officially, from the FAA, Zetterman said.

FAA grants typically are awarded at the end of August.

Board member Eric Johnson said Paulsen, Inc., is a good company and it looks like the firm is utilizing some Fremont subcontractors for some of the work.

Zetterman said hes not previously worked with this company, but Olsson has worked with Paulsen before and has confidence in this firm.

Johnson asked if any additional runway work could be done since the project came in under the estimated cost. He said there are other places that need attention to maximize the grant money available so we dont have to come back in four years or two years and do the same thing over and over.

Zetterman said he will reach out to Steve Whitton, FAA Nebraska airport engineer, about that.

The City of Fremonts websites states that the airports runway is 6,350 feet long and 100 feet wide and is capable of accommodating corporate jets.

In other runway discussion, board member Jeff Peterson asked what product is used to clear the runway of ice. Peterson said he believes streets and sidewalks are being destroyed by chemical being used on them. He compared pavement in Fremont to that in western Nebraska which seems to fare better.

We have poor winter climate here, because we get ice, Zetterman said. You go north. You go west. They get less ice. They get more snow and so from a safety standpoint when we have that melt and that freeze overnight, weve got to do something to prevent that and it does hurt the concrete.

However, Cari Hoffart, city street superintendent, said shes been looking acetate-based alternatives to the product being used. Shes also looking at what the FAA would allow regarding an organic mix that could be added to the product now being utilized to cut down on its corrosion. Shes working with vendors to get a more surface-friendly treatment.

It sounds like youre paying attention to it. Thats good, Peterson said.

Peterson also noted that it seems like concrete used to last longer. In previous meetings, the board has heard possible reasons for the concrete deterioration. Some has been attributed to the chemical reaction that occurred due to the mixture of the cement and the aggregate (sand/gravel) used in the 1990s.

This deterioration is occurring at multiple sites in Nebraska and other states.

Johnson asked about what would happen regarding aircraft based at the airport, which it is shut down during the renovation. He mentioned that the Wahoo Airport offered a discount to hangar tenants, while rehabilitation work was being done on its runway.

I think we need to get some type of plan in place so when that happens everybody has a clear understanding of how long the project is going to be and what the options are, Johnson said. I dont know if thats something we want to put on a future (meeting) agenda just to make sure were keeping an eye on that.

During past meetings, board member were told the runway rehabilitation project could take 90 days. But based on a previous runway project which took nine months  and impacted his businessFremont Aviation President Jim Kjeldgaard, the fixed base operator, has expressed concern that this project might also take that long.

Board member Bill Dugan inquired about the possibility of an older airport taxiway being used as a runway for smaller aircraft, an issue discussed at previous meetings.

Board members also previously talked about possibly having a grass runway that could be used by smaller aircraft.

Zetterman said all the options brought up during past board meetings have been discussed with the FAA.

Officially, the airport will be closed during construction. That is their (the FAA) stance. Theres no place to put the grass runway, because were regrading a large portion of the area. They said no to the taxiway, Zetterman said.

Once the rehabilitation project gets underway, however, Zetterman said he plans to revisit the issue of resurfacing the older taxiway.
Billions of dollars worth of investment and procurement opportunities as well as major new partnerships are set to be announced at the second Make it in the Emirates Forum, which takes place from May 31 to June 1.

Organised by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), in partnership with the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi and Adnoc under the National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology, the forum under the theme Investment, Sustainability, Growth aims to attract investors to UAE industries and draw manufacturers to set up in the country.

Representatives from major international industrial and technology companies, national enterprises and governments will convene at the Abu Dhabi Energy Centre to build on the success of the inaugural event in 2022, which resulted in procurement opportunities worth AED110 billion ($30 billion), comprising 300 products across 11 sectors. The first forum witnessed the participation of more than 1,800 delegates.

Industrial platform

The Make it in the Emirates Forum has quickly become one of the regions most prominent industrial platforms. With the forum this year taking place in the run-up to COP28, there will be a particular focus on sustainable industrial development, carbon reduction, and increasing the industrial sectors contribution to climate action in line with the UAEs Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative and the 2023 Year of Sustainability initiative.

The Make it in the Emirates Forum invites senior decision-makers, industry and technology leaders, experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, financial institutions, investors and major industrial institutions to discover new opportunities and announce new partnerships.

The forum acts as a platform for corporations and government to discuss opportunities, address challenges, and explore the competitive advantages available in the UAE, such as incentives, enablers, infrastructure, financing, and partnerships.

Make it in the Emirates Awards

This years forum will feature the first ever Make it in the Emirates Awards, which will recognise the pioneering industrial companies and individuals who are driving technological growth, localisation, sustainability and innovation.

The awards celebrate visionaries, pioneers and innovators and their contributions to the UAEs industrial sector, which help to promote sustainable economic development and support the countrys Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.

The forum will also host sessions highlighting advanced technologies, industrial investment opportunities in the UAE as well as incentives and enablers designed to boost entrepreneurship and business growth.

The Make it in the Emirates Forum is a crucial platform for industry experts and leaders to share their insights on key topics shaping the sector. Topics will include industrial automation, the role of technology in advancing the industrial sector, and the importance of sustainability.

An exhibition area will provide an opportunity to learn about the latest products and services in the sector, as well as network with industry experts and investors.-- TradeArabia News Service
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August 26, 1949  May 11, 2023

Raleigh  Curtis Mark Lallman, 73, passed away peacefully in the early hours of Thursday, May 11, 2023, after a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Mark was born on Aug. 26, 1949, to the late Curtis and Polly Lallman. He grew up in the Rosedale Community, north of Fremont, Nebraska, and raised in Fontanelle.

Though converting to Catholicism later in life, Mark was baptized and confirmed at Salem Lutheran Church in Fontanelle. He graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1971. Upon graduating, Mark returned to Dodge County, then Washington County, Nebraska where he worked in the courts and was elected Washington County Clerk of District Court.

Along the way, Mark received his brokers license and spent several years in residential real estate and eventually taught various real estate courses at Midland University in Fremont and Metropolitan Community College in Omaha.

In 1992, Mark moved to California and first was involved in mortgage banking in the East Bay, then property management, living and working in a high rise in downtown San Francisco. It was there where he met Randall, his Life Partner. In time, Mark and Randall relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina, where he worked in corporate relocation with Oakwood Worldwide until his retirement in 2010.

After a trip to Venice, Italy, in 2019, Mark fell in love with the country and its people. Upon his return, he began Italian lessons, meeting twice a week with his instructor in Salerno, Italy, via Skype. He became all things Italian. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and then illness, Mark was unable to return to his adopted country.

Mark Lallman was a good man. Mark was, as he put it, coyly, one with the world. Mark was very accepting of everyone and never met a stranger. He was known for his kindness, compassion, generosity, selflessness, and friendship with animals. Mark, always optimistic, faced his cancer journey with grace and courage. His legacy will continue to inspire and influence those whom he knew and touched. His infectious smile will remain a siren call to simply live life to its fullest and embrace every experience one can.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents. Mark is survived by his partner of 28 years, Randall Bain; his sister, Kim Lallman-Holtz and her husband, Craig Holtz of Beemer, Nebraska; countless loving cousins and friends and, of course, his fur babies, Lucy and Molly. He looked forward to joining his loving pets of years past, Cookie, Hubbard, Spotty and Stella.

At Marks request, there will be no service. To honor Marks memory, donations may be made to an animal support agency or group of your choice.
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WASHINGTON  One woman had to carry her baby, missing much of her skull, for months knowing she'd bury her daughter soon after she was born. Another started mirroring the life-threatening symptoms that her baby was displaying while in the womb. An OB-GYN found herself secretly traveling out of state to abort her wanted pregnancy, marred by the diagnosis of a fatal fetal anomaly.

All of the women were told they could not end their pregnancies in Texas, a state that has enacted some of the nation's most restrictive abortion laws.

Now, they're asking a Texas court to put an emergency hold on some abortion restrictions, joining a lawsuit launched earlier this year by five other women who were denied abortions in the state, despite pregnancies they say endangered their health or lives.

More than a dozen Texas women in total have joined the Center for Reproductive Rights' lawsuit against the state's law, which prohibits abortions unless a mother's life is at risk  an exception that is not clearly defined. Texas doctors who perform abortions risk life in prison and fines of up to $100,000, leaving many women with providers who are unwilling to even discuss terminating a pregnancy.

Our hope is that it will allow physicians at least a little more comfort when it comes to patients in obstetrical emergencies who really need an abortion where it's going to effect their health, fertility or life going forward, Molly Duane, the lead attorney on the case, told The Associated Press. Almost all of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit tell similar stories about their doctors saying, if not for this law, I'd give you an abortion right now.

The Texas attorney general's office, which is defending the state in the lawsuit, did not immediately return an email seeking comment Monday.

The lawsuit serves as a nationwide model for abortion rights advocates to challenge strict new abortion laws states that have rolled out since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. Sixteen states, including Texas, do not allow abortions when a fatal fetal anomaly is detected while six do not allow exceptions for the mother's health, according to an analysis by KFF, a health research organization.

Duane said the Center for Reproductive Rights is looking at filing similar lawsuits in other states, noting that they've heard from women across the country. Roughly 25 Texas women have contacted the organization about their own experiences since the initial lawsuit was filed in March.

The women who joined the lawsuit describe being elated about finding out they were pregnant before the experience turned catastrophic.

Jessica Bernardo and her husband spent years trying to conceive, even consulting fertility doctors, before finally become pregnant with a daughter, Emma, last July.

Almost immediately, Bernardo was coughing so hard and often she would sometimes throw up. Fourteen weeks into the pregnancy, test results revealed her baby likely had Down syndrome, so she consulted a specialist who gave her devastating news: Emma's heart was underdeveloped and she had a rare, deadly disorder called fetal anasarca, which causes fluid to build up in the body.

He handed me a tissue box, recalled Bernardo, who lives in Frisco, Texas. I thought maybe the worst thing he was going to tell us was that she's going to have Down syndrome. Instead, he said, I can tell you right away ... she wouldnt make it.'

The doctor warned her to watch out for high blood pressure and coughing, symptoms of Mirror syndrome, another rare condition where a mother mirrors the same problems the fetus is experiencing.

With Bernardo's blood pressure numbers climbing, her OB-GYN conferred with the hospital's ethics board to see if she could end the pregnancy but was advised Bernardo wasn't sick enough. Bernardo spent $7,000 traveling to Seattle for an abortion a week later.

Even if Emma made it through the pregnancy, doctors would have immediately needed to drain excess fluids from her body, only for her to survive a few hours or days, Bernardo said.

Reading about everything they would do sounded like complete torture to a newborn that would not survive," she said. Had I not received an abortion, my life would have very likely been on the line.

Other women facing similar situations have not had the financial resources to travel outside of the state.

Samantha Casiano, a 29-year-old living in eastern Texas, found out halfway through her pregnancy last year that her daughter, Halo, had a rare diagnosis of anencephaly, where much of the skull and brain is missing. Her doctor told her she would have to continue with the pregnancy because of Texas law, even though her baby would not survive.

With five children, including a goddaughter, at home she quickly realized she could not afford an out-of-state trip for an abortion. The next next few months of her pregnancy were spent trying to raise money for her daughter's impending funeral, soliciting donations through online websites and launching fundraisers to sell Mexican soup. Halo was born in April, living for only four hours.

I was so full of heartbreak and sadness, all at the same time, Casiano said.

Women in the lawsuit say they could not openly discuss abortion or labor induction with their doctors, instead asking their doctors discreetly if they should travel outside of the state.

Dr. Austin Dennard, an OB-GYN in Dallas, never talked about her own abortion with her doctors after they discovered anencephaly on the baby's ultrasound during her third pregnancy last year. She worried her out-of-state trip to end the pregnancy could jeopardize her medical license or invite harassment against her and her husband, also an OB-GYN. Dennard was inspired to go public with her case when one of her own patients joined the original lawsuit filed in March after traveling to Colorado to abort a twin fetus diagnosed with a life-threatening genetic disorder.

There was an enormous amount of fear that I experienced afterward, Dennard said. Its an additional way of feeling silenced. You feel you have to do it in secret and not tell anyone about it.

Dennard is expecting another child later this year.

The Supreme Court fight over an abortion pill: What's next? Intro What is mifepristone? How did the case get started? How did the case get to the Supreme Court? What could happen next? A closer look Supreme Court temporarily extends stay on Texas abortion pill ruling
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As spring continues and summer nears, Nebraskans know that means the sun is out and temperatures warm up. That is all a recipe for the outdoor fun most love in the Cornhusker state, and trekking off pavement is a large part of summer fun.

That change in behavior  while enjoyable and stress-relieving  also means exposure to the pests and problems that naturally come with being outdoors, one of which is the nefarious tick.

In mid-May, officials with the Three Rivers Public Health Department (TRPHD) issued a press release warning the public about ticks, the harm they can cause if a person or pet is bitten by one, steps to prevent tick bites and also information on removing the pests and when to seek medical aid.

Ticks are currently circling our community. May and June are regarded as high tick season in Nebraska. An increase in outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, morel mushroom hunting, and trail running during these early summer months heightens the risk for tick bites and tick-borne diseases, said Katie Schultis, environmental health coordinator for TRPHD.

Schultis stated in the press release that black-legged ticks, which can carry Lyme disease, were discovered by state officials in Saunders, Sarpy and Douglas counties. Other species of ticks found in the state include American dog ticks and lone star ticks, both of which can carry assorted diseases.

To protect yourself from getting ticks on you, officials suggested the following:

Wear long pants, with the pant legs tucked into white socks which allows for quick tick detection and removal.

Perform regular, full body checks for ticks that may be on yourself or children after being outdoors.

Shower within two hours of coming in from outdoors, if possible.

Put outdoor clothing in the dryer on high for 30 minutes, which will kill ticks on clothes. Ticks can survive the wash cycle and escape into a home.

Protect pets using a tick prevention program recommended by a veterinarian.

Use 30% DEET repellants. If you find a tick on yourself or your child, remove the tick as soon as possible.

Use pointy tweezers for removal, grasp the tick as close to the skins surface as possible, and pull straight out (do not twist). After removing the tick, disinfect the skin with rubbing alcohol. Discard the tick by flushing it down the toilet, Schultis stated. If you would like to bring the tick to your healthcare provider for identification, place it in a sealed bag or container. If you or your child experience symptoms such as rash, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain and/or joint swelling or pain within 30 days of being bitten by a tick, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Officials with TRPHD are conducting tick studies to help health officials identify what species of ticks are present in the region, as well as if those ticks are carrying diseases. The agency also offers free DEET wipes to the public.
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A 67-year-old inmate died Thursday night at the Reception and Treatment Center.

Michael Gunther started serving his life sentence in 2005 for first-degree murder in the shooting death of a fellow carnival worker in Bellevue. He also was convicted of second-degree murder in Iowa for murdering his estranged lover the same day.

While the cause of his death has not yet been determined, a prison spokesperson said Gunther was being treated for a medical condition.

A grand jury will be called to review his death, as is the case for all in-custody deaths.

Photos: Nebraska high school state track and field meet, day 4
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U.S. Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., speaks to reporters following a press conference at the U.S. Capitol about immigration legislation, on May 23, 2023. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON  A bipartisan group of six U.S. House lawmakers on Tuesday described details of proposed legislation that would create a legal pathway for citizenship for undocumented people through work requirements, and would also fund border security measures.

The two Latinas who spearheaded the bill, Reps. Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat, and Maria Elvira Salazar, Republican of Florida, said their Dignity Act aims to target the more than 10 million undocumented people in the country and ease the way for legal employment of workers in industries such as agriculture that are experiencing labor shortages.

Salazar said she is planning to talk to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., about the bill and to pitch it to her GOP colleagues.

The other Republicans at the press conference were Reps. Mike Lawler of New York and Jenniffer Gonzalez Colon of Puerto Rico, who does not have a vote in Congress due to the colonial status of the island. The bill text is not yet available, but Salazar previously introduced her own version of the bill last Congress.

The other lawmakers at the press conference were Democratic Reps. Kathy Manning of North Carolina and Hillary Scholten of Michigan.

Its our intention to bring dignity to many sectors in this country who are under duress, Salazar said.

Escobar said the only way for the U.S. to meet the challenges of immigration is to do so in a bipartisan way.

Waiting for either sides idea of what is perfect, is exactly whats gotten us into the situation we face today, she said.

Multiple immigration issues

Escobar said the bill tackles three immigration issues. It would address the plight of the millions of undocumented people who are already working and living in the U.S.; reform the border process to bring a humanitarian approach to processing migrants; and create processing centers in other countries to help migrants understand the high hill there is to climb for true asylum claims.

This bill represents a breakthrough, a true breakthrough, and a true compromise, and again, if we continue to wait for the perfect, we will continue to wait decades into the future, Escobar said. The challenges will get much worse, and we will have abdicated our responsibility and not perform our role as serious legislators.

The Biden administration is currently working with Colombia and Guatemala to open processing centers in those countries to ease migration at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Under the bill, asylum cases would be processed within 60 days.

If an undocumented person had been in working in the country for more than five years without a criminal record, they could apply to be in a dignity program created under the legislation. They would be protected from deportation but also would be barred from federal assistance and required to pay for their own health insurance.

The bill would also require an undocumented person to pay $700 each year for seven years, on top of 1.5% that would be taxed from their paycheck, known as the dignity levy.

Salazar said it was not much money to pay in exchange for living out of the shadows.

She said that adds up to about $5,000 per undocumented person, and accounting for an estimated 10 million undocumented people, it would equal around $45 billion.

Salazar said the $45 billion would go toward border security, such as the hiring of officials, upgraded technology, asylum officers and humanitarian services. She said this would ensure that any money collected from taxes does not go toward border security.

Funding from the dignity program would also go toward a program aimed at fighting anti-immigrant sentiments. Salazar said it would allow any American who believes that he or she has lost his opportunities job opportunity to an undocumented person to be retrained or reeducated.

No one can say that the undocumented are stealing anything away from you, Salazar said of that specific provision.

After those seven years, if an undocumented person wants to become an American citizen, they could apply for another program known as the redemption pathway, where they would have to pay another $5,000 over the course of five years, or $1,000 a year, under the proposal.

An undocumented person would be required to learn English and pass a civics exam, and then you go back to the end of the line, to become a citizen, Salazar said.

But in the meantime, you are living in a dignified life, she said.

Border security

There are several caveats in the bill that aim to quell GOP objections, such as a requirement that for anyone to become an American citizen, the Government Accountability Office  a nonpartisan agency  needs to issue a report that concludes that the border has been secure for one year. Salazar said those parameters would be up to GAOs discretion.

Salazar also stressed that the bill has harsher penalties for unauthorized immigration than the bill that House Republicans earlier this month passed though she did not go into detail.

House Republicans passed a border security bill that reinstated Trump-era immigration policies, such as the continuation of the construction of a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and detainment of families.

It would also strip funding from nonprofits that aid migrants, beef up staffing of Border Patrol agents and restrict the use of parole programs that the Biden administration has used to allow nationals from Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela to work temporarily in the U.S.

The symbolic measure was in rebuke of the Biden administration winding down a pandemic-era tool known as Title 42 that allowed the U.S. to prevent people from claiming asylum and expelling migrants due to a public health emergency such as the coronavirus. It has no future in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

As for the Dignity Act, whether its passed by itself or attached as a rider on another piece of legislation, Salazar said, Thats up to God.
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Governor Jim Pillen is urging Nebraskans to submit nominations for ServeNebraska's ninth annual Step Forward Awards. The Step Forward Awards are the most prestigious awards given to volunteers in Nebraska and celebrate those who go above and beyond to serve their community.

Award recipients will be selected by the governor and honored at the 2023 Step Forward Awards ceremony in the fall. Businesses, civic clubs, schools, and other organizations are encouraged to submit the names of individuals they wish to recognize for their efforts. Nominations must be submitted by July 1, 2023.

Nomination categories include Adult Volunteer, Youth Volunteer Leadership, Senior Volunteer, Volunteer Group, Corporate Community Volunteer, National Service, Veteran Volunteer, Disaster Volunteer, and Lifetime Achievement.

ServeNebraska is governed by an 18-member, bipartisan board appointed by the governor. The commission exists to strengthen communities through collaboration, volunteering, and national service. For more information about ServeNebraska and the Step Forward Awards, or to submit a nomination, visit www.serve.nebraska.gov/awards.
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A Schuyler man has sued Monolith, a Lincoln-based clean energy company, and its safety contractor, saying he was trapped in a reactor and "cooked alive" while performing maintenance at the company's Hallam facility in December.

In the lawsuit filed Friday, Alvaro Torres Salvador's attorney, Matt Richardson, said: "This lawsuit addresses the human cost of developing emergent 'green' technologies by Monolith. As a burgeoning clean energy giant, Monolith made the decision to place profit over people and expediency over safety."

Attorneys for Monolith Materials Inc., Monolith Nebraska LLC and Sitex Safety & Rescue LLC haven't yet responded to the suit in court.

In an email Monday, a company spokesperson said: "We do not comment on pending litigation, but the health and safety of the workers and communities in which we operate are our top priority."

On its website, Monolith describes itself as a leader in "advanced, more sustainable, U.S. manufacturing" that has innovated and scaled methane pyrolysis, a process that uses renewable electricity instead of combustion to produce low-emission carbon black, a powdery substance that's used in tires, inks, plastics and other products.

In the lawsuit, Richardson said Torres Salvador had been working as a contractor through Babkel Mechanical of Blair at Monolith's plant near Hallam early Dec. 11 when the incident that is the subject of the lawsuit happened.

He was part of a team removing large chunks of carbon at the bottom of a reactor interior as it cooled, prior to being reactivated.

"For 20 to 25 minutes, Mr. Torres Salvador dangled on a cable approximately 100 feet inside Monoliths main reactor. Mr. Torres Salvador was suspended in mid-air, like a human being on a spit roast, in pitch black darkness, sweltering in a 200-degree Fahrenheit heat, trapped in a confined space, fading in and out of consciousness, and reckoning with what he believed to be his final moments before dying," the Lincoln attorney wrote.

At the same time, Monolith employees yelled to him that there was nothing they could do, "causing him to sob and plead for his life," Richardson said.

The lawsuit alleges a series of negligent decisions by Monolith that day left Torres Salvador severely injured and substantially transformed his life. Among them:

* Ordering Torres Salvador to enter a 200-degree reactor in order to return it to operational status as soon as possible, "thereby increasing production and profitability."

* Failing to ensure the employee who operated the pneumatic air hose for the chair that lowered his client into the reactor had proper training and experience. Richardson said the employee fed too much slack into the reactor, causing the hose to become tangled with the wires supporting the chair, trapping Torres Salvador near the base of the reactor.

* Sending Torres Salvador into the reactor without Sitex, the safety and rescue team contracted to be present whenever a worker enters the reactor, being there.

* And failing to ensure rescue equipment was operational and effective. A crane attached to his safety harness left him suspended in mid-air.

On its website, Monolith lists "Safety Matters Most" as its top core value.

In the lawsuit, Richardson alleged Monolith routinely places contractors like his client in dangerous conditions.

He said that on Dec. 11 the company decided profits mattered most and "cut safety corners at the expense of the health and well-being of Mr. Torres Salvador."

The 34-year-old suffered second- and third-degree burns and damage to a kidney, has permanent scarring and has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder triggered by things like darkness and heat.

His medical expenses in the past six months have topped $200,000.

Last year, Monolith announced it had received more than $300 million from a host of big-name investors, likely the largest single investment in Nebraska history.

The company said the investment would go toward "further technological development that will offer next-generation product capabilities and other corporate-level expansion."
Gov. Jared Polis will deliver a local version of his State of the State address next month in Colorado Springs.

Polis will speak at 3 p.m. June 15 at Weidner Field, 111 W. Cimarron St. in southwest downtown. The event, sponsored by the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce & EDC, will feature a recap by Polis of the General Assemblys just-concluded legislative session and whats ahead in 2024.

As governor, Polis delivers a State of the State address before the General Assembly convenes in January at the state Capitol in Denver; the last several years, hes followed those remarks with a similar address in Colorado Springs before local business people and civic leaders.

While Polis typically makes his Colorado Springs appearance a few weeks after his Denver address, he wanted to wait this year so that he could discuss the 2023 legislative session, a Chamber & EDC spokeswoman said.

The cost to attend the Colorado Springs event will be $45 for Chamber & EDC members and $65 for nonmembers. Polis State of the State address is planned to take place outdoors at Weidner Field, a multipurpose stadium. If it rains, however, the Chamber & EDC said it has a contingency plan to move the event indoors.

For more information, go to the Chamber & EDCs website at www.coloradospringsedc.com, and click on member services and events.
Colorado was the first state in the nation to decriminalize abortion in certain cases in 1967. This year, the state reclaimed its status as a leader for abortion protections.

During the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers passed a package of bills designed to protect and increase access to abortion in the state, just over a year after Colorado enshrined abortion as a fundamental right. The three bills were signed into law in April.

Senate Bill 188 protects patients and providers of abortion and gender-affirming services in Colorado from penalties from other states. Senate Bill 189 expands health insurance coverage for abortion, sterilization and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Senate Bill 190 prohibits what sponsors deem to be deceptive advertising and the use of abortion "reversal" pills in crisis pregnancy centers.

"Colorado has really embraced this opportunity to be a national leader," said Kelly Baden, vice president of public policy for the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research and policy organization. "Colorado is part of the pack of states that see that abortion legality is critical, but now also has gone beyond that to recognize that legality alone is not enough."

Nationally, 25 states and Washington D.C. have some kind of abortion protections via state laws, state constitutions, executive orders or state Supreme Court precedents, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

But with this year's bill package, Colorado joined a smaller group of states taking stronger steps to preserve abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling in June.

Colorado was one of the first states to direct agencies to withhold medical records from states seeking to impose criminal or civil penalties on those who receive or provide abortions via Gov. Jared Polis' executive order in July. SB 188 enshrined the order into law, prohibiting Colorado from recognizing criminal prosecutions or civil lawsuits regarding legally protected abortion care.

The bill made Colorado one of only four states with such protections for abortion via both executive order and state law, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Overall, 20 states and Washington D.C. have some form of shield protections for abortion. However, only 10 states and Washington D.C. extend those protections to gender-affirming care for transgender individuals, as SB 188 did for Colorado.

Most notably, though, SB 190 made Colorado the first state in the nation to ban the use of abortion "reversal" pills, and joined only a handful of blue states in regulating crisis pregnancy centers.

That is where the leadership of Colorado stands out," Baden said. The law really does put Colorado among a small group of states that have actually enacted state laws to try to address (crisis pregnancy centers). ... It has the potential to chart additional ideas and motivations for other states to do the same.

SB 190 prohibits crisis pregnancy centers from advertising abortions, emergency contraceptives or referrals they dont actually provide, classifying it as deceptive advertising. Few statewide laws have passed to regulate crisis pregnancy centers, which critics say pretend to offer abortion care but dont, using "disinformation, intimidation, shame and delay tactics" to prevent people from accessing abortion care.

Connecticut in 2021 and Illinois last week passed similar laws to SB 190, cracking down on deceptive practices in the centers. The Massachusetts legislature voted to create a $1 million public awareness campaign targeting the centers last year, but the effort was vetoed by the governor. California tried to require the centers to provide information about abortion services, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the law in 2018.

SB 190 also prohibits the controversial practice of using "abortion reversal pills" to try to stop a medication-based abortion. The bill outlawed abortion reversal until Oct. 1, when the states medical, pharmacy and nursing boards must decide whether it is an accepted practice, or if the ban should remain in place. But after a lawsuit challenged the law, the state agreed not to enforce the ban until after the boards make their decision.

Opponents to Colorado's new abortion protection bills called them "radical" and "extreme," declaring the state's laws "the most permissive in the country."

They deny a new mother the choice to consider alternative options other than to end her pregnancy," said House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington. "Those who call for abortion-on-demand have ensured with the signing of these three ideological bills that Colorado will continue to be an abortion destination.

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Some abortion proponents said Colorado's laws still do not go far enough, as there are some remaining restrictions in the state.

For a minor to receive an abortion, the Colorado Parental Notification Act requires the minor's parents be notified at least 48 hours prior. The law only requires that the parent be notified but not that they consent, and the decision to receive an abortion still rests with the minor.

In addition, Colorados constitution forbids public funds, such as Medicaid, to be used to pay for abortions, with the only exception being to save the pregnant woman's life. This prohibition was narrowly approved by Colorado voters in 1984.

Poor women in Colorado are, legally, basically living in Texas, said professor Jennifer Hendricks of the University of Colorado Law School, who specializes in family and pregnancy law. Theres been a lot of talk about Colorado as a haven and how were protecting this right and its important for women in the region, but the barriers that poor women face have not gotten as much attention.

One of Colorado's new laws, SB 189, requires health insurance carriers that serve large employers to cover abortion without deductibles, copays or coinsurance. It also applies to the small group and individual market depending on how it would affect premiums, but it would not touch Medicaid or public employees, as that would require changing the state constitution.

Colorado aligns with most of the country in these abortion restrictions.

Public funds are restricted from being used for abortion in 33 states and Washington D.C., according to the Guttmacher Institute. And the Hyde Amendment bans the use of federal funds to pay for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the pregnant woman's life.

For a minor to get an abortion, 36 states require parental involvement, 21 of which require parental consent, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Some blue states, notably New York and California, don't have these abortion restrictions that persist in Colorado. These states have also gone further than Colorado in some ways regarding abortion access, such as by creating the New York Abortion Access Fund to help women pay for abortion and the California Future of Abortion Council to determine what else the state can do to protect abortion and expand access.

Theres no one state that is a perfect haven for abortion rights, theres also not one state that is the worst, Baden said. It really depends on your identity and your own situation about which barriers to abortion care you can navigate and which you cant."

But Colorado is still considered to have some of the strongest abortion protections in the nation, Hendricks said, pointing to the fact that Colorado has no cut offs for at what stages of pregnancy abortion is legal.

Colorado is one of seven states with no ban or limit on abortion based on how far along a pregnancy is. In this category, Colorado surpasses even New York and California, which both only allow abortion until "viability," when a fetus is able to survive outside the uterus, usually at around 24 to 26 weeks of pregnancy.

Colorado's status as a leader in abortion access is evident in the patients traveling from out-of-state for care. Last year, the number of abortions performed in Colorado reached 13,771  a 15-year record and a 20% rise from 2021, KDVR reported. The record is mostly due to patients from Texas coming to Colorado for abortions. Texans accounted for 2,345 abortions performed in Colorado in 2022, compared to only 400 in 2021.

So long as Colorado voters continue to support expanding abortion access, proponents said the state will likely keep moving towards being the top state for abortion protections by addressing the few remaining barriers in place.

Hendricks said a measure asking voters to get rid of Colorado's ban on using public funds to pay for abortions could be on the ballot as soon as next year.

Colorado is a good place to live if you believe in reproductive rights," Hendricks said. "We just need to keep plugging away.
Colorado's 2023 legislature is perhaps the most progressive the state has seen.

Democrats this year achieved the largest majority the state has seen in 85 years and many first-year lawmakers pushed the Capitol to the left ideologically.

Despite this, the progressive agenda often faced an uphill battle throughout the session, with key pieces of legislation failing to reach the finish line.

It wasn't all bad for progressives. The legislature easily passed nation-leading policy packages expanding abortion protections and increasing gun control that would have been impossibly heavy lifts for the Colorado legislature just five years ago. But some of the year's most ambitious bills  such as the assault weapons ban led by freshman progressive Rep. Elisabeth Epps  ended up dead at the hands of Democrats themselves.

With dozens of small victories but more big losses than expected, the success of the progressive agenda ended up being a bit of a mixed bag. But the legislature undoubtably moved the needle to the left on several major issues.

Housing

Improving housing affordability was one of the core goals of the progressive wing, as well as the Democratic Party at large. Gov. Jared Polis, Senate President Steve Fenberg and House Speaker Julie McCluskie all named housing as a key issue to address during the session. But the party was seemingly split on how to achieve this.

Progressives emphasized providing relief to renters, mostly by cracking down on the actions of landlords. Many of these efforts were successful, including bills to require mediation before eviction for tenants on government aid, limit tenant income requirements and security deposits, cap fees for owning pets, restrict leases from waiving tenant rights and allow the reuse of rental applications without extra fees.

But the centerpiece of the progressive housing agenda failed to come to fruition. House Bill 1115, to let local governments enact rent control, passed the House but died in a Senate committee in a 4-3 vote, with moderate Democrat Sen. Dylan Roberts voting with Republicans to kill the bill.

Another major bill similarly passed the more left-leaning House only to die on in the Senate: House Bill 1171 to ban evictions and lease terminations without "just cause." The bill essentially would have only let landlords evict or refuse to renew a lease if the tenant does something wrong, such as failing to pay rent or violating lease agreements.

The loss of these two bills left some progressives calling the session a failure for renters.

During a tense caucus meeting on the last day of session, Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, sponsor of HB 1171, shot down claims of victory from other Democrats, saying they didn't do anything to substantially help renters or to keep people in their homes. Rep. Javier Mabrey, sponsor of HB 1171 and HB 1115, echoed this sentiment on Twitter, saying: "We failed to adequately address the housing crisis, and we needed to do so much more for renters and housing affordability."

Even the governor's own housing bills were not safe this session. Polis introduced a pair of bills to ban local housing growth caps and alter the state's land use policies to require local governments approve more residential density. While the former passed, the latter failed in the final hours of the session after all-day negotiations failed to find a compromise between the Senate and House versions of the bill.

Criminal justice

The progressives' legislative success regarding criminal justice was even more varied. Not only did progressive bills both pass and fail, but other bills advanced that contradict the progressive ideology.

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Some noteworthy achievements include bills to restrict the use of no-knock search warrants, prevent police from lying to minors during interrogations, limit the use of four-point restraints in prisons, make phone calls free for prisoners, expand access to DNA testing after criminal convictions and remove the identities of child victims and witnesses from public criminal records.

At the same time, bills passed to increase criminal penalties for several crimes, despite strong pushback from progressive lawmakers who argued that increasing penalties doesn't deter or prevent the root causes of crime. These bills include making it a felony to falsely report a mass shooting, to steal any vehicle regardless of its value, and for an adult to expose their genitals to a child.

One of the biggest losses for progressives in this realm was the failure of House Bill 1202. The bill, killed by a Senate committee, would have let local governments allow sites where people can use illegal drugs under supervision of medical professionals, which proponents said would prevent overdoses.

And, for the second year in a row, a progressive-backed effort to stop criminally charging kids under 13 was completely gutted. The bill cleared the House but hit a wall in the Senate, where it was rewritten to remove the change in minimum prosecution age. Though the bill managed to get bipartisan sponsorship this year, it faced opposition from law enforcement and from moderate Democratic senators.

In a last-minute defeat, Polis on May 6 vetoed the progressives' House Bill 1214 after it passed the legislature. The bill would have changed the clemency application process.

However, the progressives did manage to kill some of the moderate Democrats' bills, too. House committees rejected Senate-approved bills to increase penalties for distributing drugs that lead to death, prohibit people convicted of aggravated vehicle theft from owning a gun, and reauthorize the Colorado Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice.

Workers

Progressives made numerous efforts to increase workplace protections for employees this session, with many bills finding success but some of the most substantial legislation falling flat.

The victorious bills include strengthening and enforcing the state's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, lowering the threshold for workplace harassment, banning employers from asking for age in job applications, banning employers from prohibiting tipping, expanding allowable uses of paid sick leave and protecting public employees from retaliation, discrimination and intimidation from employers.

Once again, the highest-profile progressive bills in this arena were rejected. House Bill 1118, known as the 'fair workweek' bill, would have required retailers and companies in the hospitality industry to provide more predictable scheduling and compensation for "show up time." The bill, a huge component of the progressive agenda, was killed in its very first committee vote.

Other significant defeats sought to let rideshare drivers and customers see how much the drivers earn for each trip, and to require employers pay an allowance for dependents of people on unemployment.

But progressives also led several other influential successful policies this session, ranging from capping the costs of EpiPens, to banning local immigration detention agreements, to enforcing price transparency for hospitals.

And for the bills that didn't make it through this year, progressives have made it clear that they'll be bringing most of them back next year for another go.

"We will not give up on this fight," Mabrey said.
Al Dahra Group, an Abu Dhabi-based agribusiness, has signed an exclusive supply agreement with Golden Fields, an Estonian agriculture firm specialising in the production of premium quality animal feed grown in the Baltic region.

At an event in Riga attended by government officials, farmers, and businesses from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, Al Dahra Group and Golden Fields announced the details of a long-term strategic partnership and supply agreement, and the opportunities it will provide for farmers in the Baltic region.

The agreement, provides Al Dahra Group with an exclusive offtake agreement for forage commodities, supplied by Golden Fields through contract farming agreements in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Finland. Al Dahra Group has committed to supporting the construction of forage processing facilities, while also providing technical expertise on sourcing, production and sales.

Processing facility

The agreement will enable the construction of a processing facility for the dry milling of peas and beans which will supply Al Dahra Group with livestock pellets, high protein feed pellets, plant-based protein products and fibre products.

Arnoud van den Berg, Group CEO of Al Dahra Group, said the agreement allows the company to purchase forage commodities such as corn silage, grasses, alfalfa, perennial grass combinations, and grass silage from farms across the Baltic region, process them locally, and then export them to meet the demand of customers across Northern Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East.

"By partnering with Golden Fields, we are turning a promising new page for agriculture in the Baltic region. Golden Fields, through its network of respected farming cooperatives, ensures an undisrupted and long-term supply of forages for our customers around the world. Through these exports, the Baltic region's farmers will have a very broad geographical reach," van den Berg said.

He continued: "Farmers in the Baltic region will be able to use land that was unsuitable for growing cereals and grains. Our partnership will make it simpler for farmers to reclaim land, vary their crop cycles, enhance soil structure, and promote sustainable farming.

New factories

Al Dahra Groups partner Golden Fields has previously invested EUR10 million ($10.77 million) in a roughage facility in Joniskis, Lithuania, and EUR7 million in a comparable plant in Laane County, Estonia. The business collaborates with the Lithuanian cooperative "Joniskio aruodas" and the Estonian cooperative "Kevili."

Up to 150,000 metric tonnes of feed can be produced and processed at these facilities each year for commercial use.

"We collaborate with experienced farmers to produce high-quality feed from Estonian and Lithuanian fields. We also intend to construct comparable production lines in Finland, Western Estonia and Latvia with an additional capacity of 250,000 metric tonnes," says Mahmoud Ahmed, CEO of Golden Fields.

According to Ahmed, the company will be able to speed up the expansion of its operations thanks to its partnership with Al Dahra Group, to achieve a production capacity of more than 400,000 metric tonnes in the next five years.

Plant-based protein

In addition, we are working on the construction of a plant-based protein facility with an output of more than 100,000 metric tonnes of feed pellets in Estonia, while also assessing the possibility of expanding with a second facility of this kind in Lithuania, in the future," notes the CEO of Golden Fields.

Ahmed says that the symbolic opening of the new facility in Joniskis, Lithuania took place on May 23, 2023, where the buildings for drying, pressing and storage of roughage, as well as the technological equipment, were installed in spring 2023.-- TradeArabia News Service
Weeks before an Arapahoe County judge admitted he failed to disclose his affair with an employee when he was applying to be a judge, the Colorado Supreme Court dropped a question from the state's judicial application form that asked candidates to disclose problematic information from their pasts  and provided grounds for discipline if they were untruthful.

Applicants for judgeships must answer a range of questions about their sources of income, their employment and any criminal history. The questionnaire is meant to assist the citizen-led nominating commissions, which screen candidates, and the governor, who appoints nearly all trial and appellate judges across the state.

Until December, the application included Question #47, which asked: "Is there any circumstance or event in your personal or professional life which, if brought to the attention of the Commission, might tend to affect adversely your qualifications to serve on the court for which you have applied?"

That month, the Judicial Department released a new version of the application with some modifications. Among the changes, Question #47 was no longer included.

Seven weeks after the update, the Supreme Court received a judicial misconduct case from the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline. Arapahoe County District Court Judge John E. Scipione was under investigation for having an intimidate, undisclosed relationship with a subordinate, among other workplace misbehavior. His extramarital relationship happened when Scipione was a magistrate, prior to his appointments as a county court, then a district court judge.

On each application, under Question #47, Scipione indicated "no," there was nothing that would adversely affect his qualifications to serve.

The commission informed the Supreme Court that Scipione, who has since resigned, admitted he engaged in misconduct "by failing to disclose, on his judicial applications, an unreported intimate personal relationship with (an employee) while serving as a 18th Judicial District Court Magistrate."

In an email to Colorado Politics, Justice Melissa Hart explained the Supreme Court voted to adopt the revised application before Scipione's paperwork arrived. Asked if the court's members knew at the time they dropped Question #47 that Scipione was facing discipline for his failure to answer the question candidly, Hart said "absolutely not."

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"The revisions to the form were designed to streamline the questionnaire, including by consolidating repetitive questions and omitting questions that did not provide the Nominating Commissions with pertinent information," she said. "The catch-all question in the prior application did not generate any information, as applicants consistently replied to it with some version of 'no' or an 'N/A'."

However, the consequence of removing Question #47 is that, unlike Scipione, a failure by future judges to disclose potentially disqualifying information might not be grounds for discipline.

Former Sen. Pete Lee, D-Colorado Springs, helped lead recent efforts to provide independent funding to the judicial discipline commission and increase the disclosure of information about judicial misconduct. The Supreme Court's elimination of Question #47, he said, is an impediment to the goals of greater transparency and accountability.

"I feel pretty strongly about it that we really need to know what sort of conduct these guys engaged in in the past," Lee said. He noted the governor's office asks applicants who are seeking a seat on boards and commissions if there is anything in their past "that might be an embarrassment to the Governor or you if it were to become public."

One person familiar with the judicial discipline process, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to be candid, saw the elimination of Question #47 as indicative of a larger problem with the lack of information-sharing about judges. For example, The Gazette reported last year that judicial performance commissions, which evaluate judges in advance of retention elections, do not automatically consider a judge's disciplinary history when offering recommendations to voters.

"What's interesting about this question thing is it's kind of a 'don't ask, don't tell'," the person said.

Hart emphasized the revised judicial application still asks candidates about their involvement in disciplinary proceedings, criminal conduct or being held in contempt of court  none of which affected Scipione's discipline.

The application "does not include a catch-all question about circumstances that might adversely affect a judges qualifications," she acknowledged.
The Colorado teachers union confirmed adopting an anti-capitalist polemic at its 97th Annual Delegate Assembly.

The Colorado Education Association, which represents more than 39,000 K-12 teachers, support professionals and higher education staffers, held its assembly in April and passed this resolution:

"The CEA believes that capitalism inherently exploits children, public schools, land, labor, and resources. Capitalism is in opposition to fully addressing systemic racism (the school to prison pipeline), climate change, patriarchy (gender and LGBTQ disparities), education inequality, and income inequality."

Bryan Lindstrom, a history teacher in Aurora who ran for city council in 2021, authored the resolution.

Lindstrom didn't return requests for comment, but his Twitter feed hints of his ideological persuasion. On May 1, for example, he tweeted the last line from Marx and Engels' The Communist Manifesto, "Workers of the world, unite!"

Workers of the world unite!Solidarity on May Day   Bryan Lindstrom (he/him) (@Bryan4Colorado) May 1, 2023

May 1 is International Workers' Day.

In an email, the Colorado Education Association confirmed the resolution's passage, as well as Lindstrom's authorship.

The resolution caused an uproar in Colorado and elsewhere.

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Brenda Dickhoner, president & CEO of Ready Colorado, which advocates for "choice" in schools, defended capitalism, saying it has "left us safer and 'more equitable' than any other economic system in human history."

"With a majority of our students not reading, writing or doing math at grade level, we would urge the CEA to focus on improving student outcomes instead of dismantling an economic system that promotes human prosperity and innovation," Dickhoner said.

Michael Fields, a conservative political activist, said the resolution shows that the teachers' union is "out of touch."

"First, the CEA must be confused about where the money comes from that ultimately funds our education system. Its capitalism," he said. "Second, it shows how out of touch the CEA has become. Instead of focusing on what is best for kids, this group of activists is busy making political statements that have very little public support. Everyone wants kids to learn more  and for teachers to get paid more from our existing education budget. We should focus on those things."

In a statement, Amie Baca-Oehlert, president of the Colorado Education Association, described the resolution as "related to economic disparities that some of our students, public schools, and communities face and that many educators deal with every day."

"Anti-public school forces have intentionally seized on this one resolution to distract us from the real issues facing our students," she said, adding that "political opponents who want to defund public schools are now attacking CEA."

"This is a space where elected member educators adopt resolutions  belief statements for the organization  similar to election year Republican or Democratic party platforms," Baca-Oehlert said of the union's 97th Annual Delegate Assembly. "Recognizing that our members reflect our states diverse views and perspectives, these resolutions reflect our members' aspirations in our collective endeavor to create a safer and more equitable world for Colorado's students, educators, and communities, and do not require any action from the organization."

Baca-Oehlert added that the resolutions adopted at the union's meeting focused on school safety, mental health support, collective bargaining, and academic standards. She said the Colorado Education Association and its members are "committed to delivering an exceptional public education to every child regardless of where they live, what they look like, or how much their families earn."
Two new Casa Bonita billboards have popped up in Denver as the Lakewood Mexican restaurant nears its grand reopening.

Casa Bonita on Tuesday sent out a gif of one of its billboards in a newsletter to fans. The gif showed a drone shot of the billboard, which had a picture of the restaurant's iconic pink tower and the phrase "The Greatest Restaurant in the World" written on it.

On the restaurant's Giphy page, a second gif showed drone footage of another billboard, which featured cliff divers and the phrase, "The Cliff Divers Are Back."

The billboards are located on W. Colfax Avenue, on either side of Interstate 25, according to Lamar Advertising.

The billboards are the latest hint that the reopening of Casa Bonita is imminent. The restaurant, known for its cliff divers, roaming mariachi bands and sopapillas, in December said it would reopen in May, but as of yet has not announced an official date. A worker at a neighboring business said there's been so much secrecy around the opening date, it's like working next to the CIA.

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Casa Bonita, at 6715 W. Colfax Ave., shut down during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and was sold to South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker in September 2021 for $3.1 million.

Parker and Stone last week were spotted in attendance at a Nuggets-Lakers Western Conference finals game at Ball Arena. Later, Casa Bonita released a gif that featured Stone and Parker inside the Lakewood restaurant.

Throughout May, Casa Bonita has been releasing cryptic gifs of the progress inside the restaurant as the hype for the official reopening continues to build. One fan theory is that reopening day will be May 26, which happens to be South Park character Kyle Broflovski's birthday, according to references in an episode from the show.
Actor Jon Hamm narrated a new advertisement, released on Monday, for Sen. Josh Hawley's (R-MO) Democratic 2024 opponent.

In an ad knocking Hawley's new book Manhood: The Masculine Virtues America Needs, the Mad Men actor said "Manhood. You'd hope that means courage." The senator's book came out last week.

A LOOK AT WHAT PROGRAMS COULD BE AFFECTED IF THE US DEFAULTS ON ITS LOANS

The ad was done in promotion of Hawley's opponent, Lucas Kunce. The politician brands himself as a "different kind of Democrat" and is a 13-year veteran of the Marines.

"Jon Hamm's got a message for Missouri: If you want to be told about 'Manhood,' Josh Hawley wrote a book about it. But if you want a Marine veteran fighting for you and everyday Missourians in the U.S. Senate, then join us: http://LucasKunce.com," Kunce tweeted alongside the video.

According to Hamm, "Courage isn't something you can give speeches or write a book about. It's not sitting on the sidelines while others sacrifice, or denying help to those who did. It isn't putting people down or trying to control them or using your own power for profit or ambition.

"In Missouri," he said. "You can't fake courage. We're the Show-Me state. Courage is something you have to show us.

"If you want to be told about Manhood,' some guy wrote a book about it," he said, referencing Hawley's book.

"But if you want someone to show you courage, send Lucas Kunce to the Senate," Hamm concluded.

The ad also notes that the actor was "born and raised in Missouri."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Hawley's office did not respond to the Washington Examiner's request for comment.

Despite Kunce's challenge, his Missouri Senate seat is rated as solidly red, according to the Cook Political Report.

Original Location: Jon Hamm narrates ad for Hawley's 2024 Democratic opponent: 'You can't fake courage'

Washington Examiner Videos
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a two-day investigative hearing June 22-23 on the Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, board chair Jennifer Homendy said on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, a U.S. Senate panel approved rail safety legislation that tightens rules on trains carrying explosive substances like the Norfolk Southern-operated train that derailed in Ohio in which cars carrying toxic vinyl chloride and other hazardous chemicals spilled and caught fire.

Homendy said the investigative hearing that will be held at the high school in East Palestine will have four panels and she hopes the NTSB can issue a final report on the derailment by early 2024 but it could be later. "We'll get more information as a result of this hearing," Homendy said.

The panels will include emergency response related to the initial evacuation, wayside defect detectors and hot bearings, the decision to vent and burn and rail tank car safety.

Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw and railroad union leaders issued a joint letter Tuesday committing "to work together to enhance rail safety for our people and the communities we serve. ...We will collaborate, consult experts, review best practices, and listen to the people closest to the work."

In March, the NTSB and Federal Railroad Administration both announced special safety assessments of Norfolk. The NTSB opened a special investigation and urged the railroad to "take immediate action "to review and assess its safety practices."

Earlier this month, the NTSB said another Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed near New Castle, Pennsylvania received a warning several miles before the incident.

Homendy said Tuesday the Pennsylvania derailment appears to be related to an overheated wheel bearing.

The NTSB said earlier initial information indicated the train received an alarm "from a wayside defect detector" several miles before the train derailed. Homendy said Tuesday there were some reports that "the crew on the train did not get a notification" but that is still under investigation.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Aurora Ellis)
It was a moment for Coloradans to beam with pride, but it was bittersweet, as well. When President Joe Biden placed a Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor around the neck of Littleton police Cpl. Jeff Farmer at the White House last week, it was for actions so heroic they could have been scripted for the big screen. At the same time, it was a reminder of the pain, trauma and, too often, the ultimate sacrifice that are all part of the job in law enforcement.

The White House annually recognizes first responders who have shown extraordinary valor in saving another persons life. As The Gazette reported last Wednesday amid National Police Week  May 15-21  Farmer was one of nine such personnel nationwide to receive the 2021-2022 Medal of Valor. The honorees included two New York City police who were ambushed and killed responding to a 911 call; a Houston cop who subdued an armed man with his hands, and an Ohio first responder who jumped into a lake to save a woman who had driven into it.

Farmer was recognized for courage, poise and uncommon loyalty in pulling a wounded and severely bleeding colleague to safety  while exchanging gunfire with a criminal suspect  in September 2021. Farmer and Officer David Snook had responded to a 911 call of shots fired in northeast Littleton. When Farmer and Snook questioned a man and woman they saw walking near the reported location, they realized the male was the suspect they were looking for.

The suspect fled to his apartment, where he and Snook traded gunfire. Snook was shot eight times, including once in the neck. He lay at the base of a stairwell until Farmer pulled him away  while returning fire at the suspect. Farmer couldnt call for backup, either, because he had lost his radio as he scrambled during the shootout.

Doctors credited Farmers quick decision not to wait for an ambulance with saving Snook, who would have bled to death. Snook survived only after several operations. He was a 13-year veteran and is the father of three; he has since retired from active-duty police work and serves as a support services coordinator for Littleton police.

Its a drama that plays out often enough, at times ending in tragedy for valiant law officers and their grieving loved ones and comrades. As we noted here the other day in observance of National Police Week and National Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15, the toll on Colorados corps of local and state peace officers continues to climb. Colorado lost Fountain police Officer Julian Becerra after he was killed pursuing an auto theft suspect. Arvada police Officer Dillon Michael Vakoff was killed last September just outside Denver, responding to a large disturbance. Law enforcement responded to a shooting report in the Security-Widefield area south of Colorado Springs last August  and ran into an ambush. SWAT officer Andrew Peery lost his life. Boulder police officer Eric Talley, was killed responding to the mass shooting at the Table Mesa King Soopers. The list goes on, of course, of officers who have laid down their lives for their communities.

It has become fashionable in some circles  even among some in elected office  to express disdain and even open hostility toward law enforcement over the actions of a relative few rogue cops. The overwhelming majority of those sworn to protect and to serve the rest of us are highly competent, unflinchingly fair, relentlessly dedicated and, as Farmers actions remind us, compassionate and courageous public servants. We all owe them a debt of gratitude.
Never been OK to be rude at work

Response to Jon Caldaras Pervasive bill for a silent workplace.

Its always refreshing to open the Sunday paper and be smacked in the face with a piece (written by someone who purportedly hosts a local television show and has a regular Sunday column) about how hard it is to speak freely these days.

Despite this refreshment, I would like to know: in which industries does Caldara think there was ever a time during which employees were spending time creating or having enjoyment while creating at work instead of being asked not to harass people?

This idea that language being somehow fettered in workplaces means that American individuality is hanging desperately from the guillotine reeks of white-collar, out-of-touch, boohooing hysteria.

Real working class Americans have had to police their own language for decades, both towards the people they serve and towards the people in charge of them. Discipline for not doing so apparently is only a problem when the unfiltered dialogue is directed at peers or workplace inferiors.

I have some news  it has never actually been okay to be rude to coworkers in professional spaces, folks are just upset that their actions might have real consequences now. If someone cant find their spark, fun, or innovation without showing others basic human respect, maybe they shouldnt come back to the office, after all. Did my use of the singular they just send anyone reeling into another sphere of the multiverse? Apologies if it did. To sum up: Colorado is no closer to its woke demise than it was before.

Amber Woodside

Colorado Springs

Both sides of the mouth

Oh, the irony! Gov. Jared Polis, you cannot have it both ways. Oh, we need children to continue to thrive in our capitalist society. We need them for all the open jobs we have and we need their production to help sustain the older generation. Oh, but women need to be able to kill their children whenever they want because its a reproductive right. They need to be able to eliminate the life in the womb as a matter of convenience at any point during pregnancy because their sexual immorality should not reduce their quality of life by having to take care of the children.

Nice of you to talk out both sides of your mouth, governor. Whatever you sow, so shall you reap.

Joseph Ford

Colorado Springs

Whichever is convenient

In reading the letter written by Ralph Bruce, I was struck by the dilemma. Is Gov. Jared Polis for killing babies or having more babies. Seems like it is an oxymoron statement from the governor but then dont all politicians speak out of both sides of their mouth whichever is convenient at the time.

Carolyn Riggle

Colorado Springs

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Build up small businesses

At the Urban Central Marketplace, we take pride in bringing a taste of home to Colorado Springs and the Denver Metro area by serving soul food, Caribbean, and other foods from the African diaspora. We are not only a restaurant, but an incubator space that lifts other businesses up to succeed and come together. While our mission is so much more than just the bottom line, the reality is, the bottom line does matter, and we cant keep moving forward without digital advertisements.

Data-driven digital advertising is at the soul of what makes us run. As a small business owner, I rely on digital ads to keep my current customers aware of whats happening at the restaurant, as well as to bring in new customers who are looking for an exceptional menu, meal, and service.

Representing my own business in Colorado Springs, I flew to Washington, D.C., recently to meet with Congressional staff to discuss the importance of social media and how digital tools like advertising helps small, authentic businesses like mine compete against the big chains in the hospitality industry and beyond. I hope that our leaders in Washington will continue to build up our small businesses, not tear them down.

Chariese Blue

Colorado Springs

Misleading headline at issue

When reading news, a great deal of critical thinking ought to come into play. An example:

An AP article in the Gazette is headlined, Girl, 8, dies in Border Patrol custody. One might think, from the large headline, that the Border Patrol caused, or had something to do with, the unfortunate death of a child.

The child was actually born in Panama with heart problems and was with family, according to the article. Parents are responsible for an 8-year-old. Making a land crossing from Panama to Texas with any 8-year-old ought to be viewed as extremely risky and, yes, child abuse.

Im sure that the Border Patrol is devastated by each unnecessary death amid the crowding and unsanitary conditions of the mass of humanity along the southern border. Our Border Patrol agents are human, after all, and have families.

Janice Taylor

Colorado Springs

Column hit the nail on the head

Dick Wadhams column Monday vis a vis Colorado Springs hits the GOP squarely on the head both locally and nationally.

Although the unaffiliated voter percentile presented is no doubt unrealistically high its a good indicator of where many of we former Republican Party members have moved to. We have no use for the stolen election mantra fanatics nor do we have any patience with the nation crippling antics of the currently fashionable woke Progressive Democrats. As Yakov Smirnoff would say, What a country!

Bill Leake

Goldeng
Today is May 22, 2023 and here is what you need to know:

Colorado was the first state in the nation to decriminalize abortion in certain cases in 1967. This year, the state reclaimed its status as a leader for abortion protections.

During the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers passed a package of bills designed to protect and increase access to abortion in the state, just over a year after Colorado enshrined abortion as a fundamental right. The three bills were signed into law in April.

Senate Bill 188 protects patients and providers of abortion and gender-affirming services in Colorado from penalties from other states. Senate Bill 189 expands health insurance coverage for abortion, sterilization and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Senate Bill 190 prohibits what sponsors deem to be deceptive advertising and the use of abortion "reversal" pills in crisis pregnancy centers.

"Colorado has really embraced this opportunity to be a national leader," said Kelly Baden, vice president of public policy for the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research and policy organization. "Colorado is part of the pack of states that see that abortion legality is critical, but now also has gone beyond that to recognize that legality alone is not enough."

Nationally, 25 states and Washington D.C. have some kind of abortion protections via state laws, state constitutions, executive orders or state Supreme Court precedents, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

But with this year's bill package, Colorado joined a smaller group of states taking stronger steps to preserve abortion rights after the Supreme Court overturned federal abortion protections in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling in June.

The 2023 session saw Democratic lawmakers approve five measures that could move Colorado into a stronger position as a leader on gun safety laws.

But the reluctance by Democrats, including Gov. Jared Polis, on an assault weapons ban will likely keep the state off the leaderboard.

Two years ago, Colorado got a "C+" from Giffords, the national legal nonprofit that promotes gun safety legislation.

While the organization ranked Colorado in the Top 16 of states with strong gun control laws, its middle-of-the-pack grade at that time was due to what it didn't have: waiting periods for firearms sales, a law raising the legal age to purchase to 21, and a requirement for lost or stolen guns to be reported.

After passing a law that allowed local jurisdictions to pass stricter gun control laws and adding laws on reporting lost or stolen guns, Colorado improved to a "B" in the 2023 report.

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It noted Colorado ranked 14th on strength of gun laws, but had more gun deaths per 100,000 population than any of its peer states.

Only two states, California and New Jersey, have earned the highest grade, an "A", from Giffords. Six others earned an "A-" from Giffords in its 2023 report.

Twenty-six states are ranked "F," including Colorado border neighbors Wyoming, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma and nearby Texas.

Colorado Springs Mayor-elect Yemi Mobolade, an independent and political newcomer who will step into the mayor's office next month, has maintained over 18 months on the campaign trail and following his decisive runoff election victory that he is neither a Republican nor a Democrat.

Though the city's elections are nonpartisan, Mobolade continues to dispute the idea he is a "progressive" or "Democratic-aligned" candidate, despite those claims made by media, political-action committees, his Republican opponent Wayne Williams and others. Mobolade repeated last week that it is an identity "he never gave himself."

Voting records The Gazette obtained from the El Paso County clerk and recorder show Mobolade is among the 48.47% of unaffiliated voters in El Paso County. That's compared to 31.17% of county voters who are registered Republicans and 18.22% who are registered Democrats, county clerk's data as of May 15 show.

Mobolade, who earned 57.5% of the runoff vote to Williams' 42.5%, according to final unofficial results from the city clerk as of Wednesday afternoon, will be the first mayor not affiliated with the Republican Party since the city began electing mayors 45 years ago. His victory represents a seismic political surprise in Colorado Springs, long known as a conservative stronghold.

Top 12 Issues | 2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

By the time Colorado lawmakers wrapped up their work on May 8, they tackled hundreds of proposals, ranging from mundane to monumental, in a session featuring flashes of acrimony, intraparty dissent and interparty filibustering.

But the 2023 session also saw stretches of cooperation and moments of levity, underpinned by the new reality at the state Capitol that Republicans are powerless to stop Democrats when they're united, and the supermajority is deeply fractured on certain issues.

And, for the first time since becoming governor, Jared Polis tasted a major defeat on a signature proposal. It was made all the more stunning by coming on the heels of an election that saw him emerge with a sweeping mandate after winning by roughly 20 points.

Here are the top issues of the 2023 legislative session.

Marianne Goodland salutes the best and brightest from Colorado's 2023 legislative session.
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Sunday, May 21 marked the 100-year anniversary of Linn County Sheriff William James Dunlaps death in the line of duty.

When Dunlap was killed on May 21, 1923, he had only been sworn in as sheriff for 11 months, having replaced Sheriff Charles Kendall who was also shot and killed in the line of duty.

According to the Linn County Sheriffs Office, Dunlap had no prior law enforcement experience and was a farmer before being appointed sheriff and later elected to the position.

You didnt really need law enforcement experience back then to be sheriff, according to Cory Frye.

Frye is a former Corvallis Gazette-Times and Albany Democrat-Herald editor and author of Murder in Linn County, Oregon: The True Story of the Legendary Plainview Killings." The book dives into the two back-to-back murders of the Linn County sheriffs.

While writing his book, Frye said he wasnt able to connect with any of Dunlaps descendants. However, after the book was published in 2016, family members reached out to him, expressing their enjoyment of the book.

A shootout over a stolen car

The May 21, 1923 edition of the Gazette-Times said two suspects stole a Maxwell car from in front of a Harrisburg church.

After hearing about the theft, Dunlap and his wife tracked down the suspects in a personal vehicle while a deputy followed on motorcycle. Dunlap confronted the suspects and told them he was going to have to arrest them. He got into the backseat of the stolen vehicle, but the men had no intention of turning themselves in.

Parker and Johnson sped toward Albany with Dunlap in the backseat while Dunlaps wife and the deputy followed behind. At some point, Parker, in the front seat, whipped a revolver around over his shoulder and fired, the bullet striking the sheriff in the right side just above the liver.

Dunlap tumbled out of the car before hopping in the side car of the deputys motorcycle to continue in pursuit of the stolen car. Gazette-Times reporting said Johnson, who initially used a fake name and is referred to in the article as Art Beckley, was hit by a bullet and lost control of the stolen car, crashing into a woodpile.

The suspects then fled on foot and Dunlap and the deputy chased after. Dunlap fell back as his wound bled heavily.

Parker and Johnson were eventually captured. Parker was executed by hanging after he was convicted of Dunlaps murder, and Johnson escaped from jail and was never found.

Dunlap died the day after the shooting.

Mr. Dunlap has made an efficient sheriff, having done much to clean up Linn County in recent months, and grief at his passing in this way is universal, the Gazette-Times article said.
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), the largest aluminium smelter in the world ex-China, said it has been honoured with the prestigious Presidents Award by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

RoSPA holds the UKs longest-running Safety and Health industry awards, with nearly 2,000 entrants from around the world competing every year to achieve their accolades.

The top recognition comes in conjunction with the 10th consecutive win of the RoSPA Gold Medal Award, thanks to its outstanding safety and health performance in 2022, said a statement from Alba.

A major global player in the aluminium sector, Alba has more than 50 years of excellence in operations, safety, environment and socio-economic development and boasts a production capacity of over 1.6 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) as per 2022 production figures.

Albas CEO Ali Al Baqali received the award on the companys behalf during the RoSPA Awards Ceremony held reently at ExCel London in the presence of Albas Director Safety and Health Mohamed Khalil Saeed.

Albas delegation also attended RoSPA's gala dinner that was held on the same day at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel, London, to celebrate this years awards winners.

On this accolade, Al Baqali, said: "Scooping the Gold Award from RoSPA for the 10th year in a row underlines the companys firm belief of Safety First, Safety Always. Our Safety culture didn't come by accident but rather it is a work in progress coupled with the belief that Safety is a journey rather than a destination."

"Thanks to our people  employees and contractors workers  we are able to celebrate such an accolade that features Alba in an exclusive list of world-leaders in Safety and Health practices," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
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etisalat by e& has announced the launch of the National Programme, an exclusive initiative that will support Emiratis in setting up their business. This supports the UAE leaderships efforts in promoting the growth of 100% locally owned businesses and encouraging partnerships with the private sector.

The programme is exclusively designed for UAE nationals looking to become etisalat by e& partners and sell etisalat by e& business services and products to customers. The aim is to onboard 50 Emirati channel partners in the next five years and support UAE entrepreneurs in realising their potential and leading independent businesses, ultimately creating sustainable economic growth across all Emirates.

Esam Mahmoud, Senior Vice President, SMB, etisalat by e&, said: "This exclusive programme is part of our efforts to support Emiratisation and promote entrepreneurship among UAE nationals. Through this we aim to create a partnership between the private sector and UAE nationals, ultimately contributing to the country's economic growth and development. This is also part of our commitment to the UAE leaderships vision of encouraging the growth of Emirati entrepreneurship and SMB owners.

Registration

The programme's registration process is easy and straightforward as interested Emirati business owners or new entrepreneurs have to simply upload necessary documents on a dedicated page on the etisalat by e& website.

The etisalat by e& team will then review and select the right applicants and provide the necessary training needed to ensure their success as partners. The programme will enable and guide Emirati start-ups and entrepreneurs with their requirements to launch and grow a successful business.-- TradeArabia News Service
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To celebrate National Skilled Nursing Care Week, Roman Eagle Rehabilitation and Health Care Center cultivated kindness toward area organizations, including the Danville Police Department.

The special week  observed May 14-20 in Virginia  carried the kindness theme. However, it was Brenda C. Walker, the activities director, who wanted to specifically focus on cultivating community kindness to area service organizations.

Walker said it was her desire to allow the community to realize the worth of the elderly, and the fact they could still spread kindness even from inside the walls of the health facility.

She also wanted residents in the community to realize the value and worth of the career professionals that work with the elderly population, and their close engagement with the elderly that they serve each day of the year.

Residents at Roman Eagle did things like making cards for local cancer patients and taking part in a blood drive where 16 pints were donated. They also helped Gods Pit Crew with its signature Blessing Buckets, a service they provide to victims of disasters throughout the nation.

By far, the largest event last week  at the request of Walker  was to have the staff decorate collection boxes for the Danville Police Department and then filling those boxes with food items.

This was an opportunity to show their appreciation to the service that the Danville Police Department provides for all of its community citizens 24/7, Walker said in an email to the Register & Bee.

Officers from the Danville Police Department arrived Friday to receive the 14 boxes presented by Peggy C. Moore, Roman Eagles resident council representatives and administrator.

These creative decorated collection boxes were filled and overflowing with delicious snacks, beverages, etc., and even K-9 officers treats as well, Walker explained.

Even though the goal of the project was to show thanks to the police department, it also served as an in-house competition, Walker said.

The south wing nursing unit won a first-place prize of $100 for their efforts, and the social services and admissions staff department also placed first for a prize of $100.
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GREENSBORO  Safety concerns after a fiery crash have led one company to ground its fleet of HondaJets and an owner/operator association to urge a break from flying activities and additional training.

Greensboro-based Jet It founder and CEO Glenn Gonzales ordered the companys 20 HondaJets grounded on Friday in response to a crash the previous day of a HondaJet owned by a different company.

No Injuries (5 onboard) early hours of this morning landing over run .. hydro plained on wet runway N255HJ HondaJet KDYB Summerville SC .. burned out after passengers got out .. pic.twitter.com/yEeJRV2q1l  bizjets101 (@bizjets101) May 20, 2023

An HA-420 HondaJet registered to Upfrunt Services LLC ran off the runway in Summerville, S.C., struck a berm and caught fire on Thursday. The pilot and four passengers were able to escape and were uninjured, according to news reports.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the accident. The plane had taken off from the Wilkes County Airport in western North Carolina.

The images really shook our company. They shook our flight ops leadership. They shook our training department, said Gonzales, whose business operates and maintains private jets, most of them with shared ownership.

We also want to understand why there have been a number of aircraft, including our own airplanes, that have had runway excursions and veered off the runway at times, said Gonzales, a former sales manager for HondaJet.

We recognize that we have a responsibility to our fractional share owners to make sure that theyre safe, make sure our team members are safe, he said.

In a YouTube posted by HondaJet Owners & Pilots Association this week, the nonprofits executive director points to the recent rise in incidents or accidents involving HondaJet.

There have been eight in the last 12 months, Julie Hughes said in the video, noting the association is collaborating with HondaJet and Flight Safety International on the issue.

As part of our efforts we will be organizing a safety stand down, an organized break from flying activities where we will engage and focus on safety discussions, Hughes said in the video. The News & Record could not reach Hughes directly for comment.

In an interview with Private Jet Card Comparisons, a buyers guide to private aviation services, Hughes said the association believes the airplane is safe.

We do not want to ground the airplane, Hughes told the magazine. We want to use data from the incidents as a basis for enhancing pilot training and decision-making. In no way do we think the HondaJet should be grounded.

Kie Nagasawa, a spokeswoman for Honda Aircraft Co., which is headquartered in Greensboro, said via email that neither the company nor any aviation authority has recommended grounding the aircraft.

In all closed investigations of previous runway events, investigators found no causal factors from the aircrafts design or any system malfunction, Nagasawa said. Our engineering and analysis supports our product as a safe aircraft to operate.

As for the South Carolina crash, Nagasawa said the company is supporting the investigation and did not have further details about it.

Honda Aircraft holds the safety and reliability of our aircraft as our top priorities and our dedicated team is working closely with the NTSB and FAA to determine the cause of the recent occurrence and to implement any necessary measures, she said.

Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the independent, nonprofit Flight Safety Foundation, said the plane hydroplaned while landing on the S.C. runway.

I would not at this point jump to a conclusion that theres a problem with the aircraft, Shahidi said. He noted there are many factors that can contribute to these crashes, including wind and weather conditions, the condition of the runways, the amount of moisture on the runway surface and the experience and training of the pilot.

We do not see a pattern, Shahidi said of his organization, which aims to identify aviation safety issues on a global level.

Gonzales said grounding his HondaJets will require employee furloughs.

Eight-five percent of our fleet consists of HondaJet so essentially our ability to function and feed our entire business has been severely limited by this decision, he said.

We really need their (HondaJets) support in this, they are the experts on the airplane. We are simply taking the stance that we want to make sure that, as the largest HondaJet fleet operator, we are taking the proper precautions and operating with a great abundance of caution.
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RALEIGH - Energizer Holdings, Inc., best known for its icon Energizer batteries and Bunny, will add 144 new jobs in Randolph County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest $43 million for an equipment expansion for its battery production and packaging facilities in the City of Asheboro.

Were charged up to announce Energizers decision to increase its investment in our state, said Governor Cooper. This is another important expansion for Randolph and surrounding counties and it spotlights North Carolina as a place for world renowned companies to grow and succeed.

Energizer Holdings is the globally recognized manufacturer of Energizer, Rayovac and Eveready batteries and flashlights, along with well-known auto care products like Armor All and STP. The company has been in the Asheboro community for nearly 75 years, and they are investing to upgrade these sites to increase its production and packaging capacity.

Were incredibly excited about this expansion, said Abe Prandini, Plant Manager of the Asheboro manufacturing plant. Our decision to invest in our Asheboro facilities is a testament to the great workforce in the area and were looking forward to calling Asheboro our home for many years to come.

New positions being created by the company include engineers, maintenance staff, operators, and supervisors. Although salaries vary by position, the companys overall average annual wage is $54,169, which exceeds Randolph Countys average annual wage of $43,080. These new jobs will have the potential to create an annual payroll impact of more than $7.8 million for the community.

Energizer has become synonymous with powering our lives, said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. Our manufacturing workforce, combined with our convenient location and transportation infrastructure, will continue to make North Carolina a top choice for global brands like Energizer.

A performance-based grant of $450,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help with Energizers expansion in North Carolina. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All One NC grants require matching participation from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

Energizer has been a great corporate citizen for our community, N.C. Senator David W. Craven, Jr. said. These new jobs are a welcomed addition in Randolph County, and we look forward to supporting Energizers next phase of growth.

"Energizers $43 million investment and 144 new jobs in Randolph County is great news for the county, said N.C. Representative Brian Biggs. The City of Asheboros motto is 'Exactly where you want to be. This expansion proves that to be the case, both in Asheboro and across this great state that continues to be listed as one of, if not the best, states for economic development and growth."

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, Randolph Community College, North Carolina Retail Merchants Association, Randolph County, Randolph County Economic Development Corporation, City of Asheboro, and Duke Energy.
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A former Fuquay-Varina nurse was sentenced Monday to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for tampering with opioid painkillers intended for surgery patients.

Melissa Elizabeth Chacona pleaded guilty to the charges in March last year, the federal court of Eastern District of North Carolina announced.

Federal indictment documents reviewed by The News & Observer show that Chacona, 45, was initially accused of tampering with at least 79 vials of powerful opioid drugs such as fentanyl, morphine and meperedine.

Chacona extracted the drugs from the vials and replaced them with saline water between January and April 2019.

The compromised vials were found to contain under 15% of the actual medication and that Chaconas actions made multiple vials unsterile, according to a news release.

Chacona also has been convicted separately by the state for stealing medication earlier in her nursing career, prosecutors said.

She will be required to permanently surrender her nursing license as part of her plea agreement.

Surgical patients trust health care providers to give them the medicines they need., U.S. Attorney Michael Easley said in a news release. In delivering todays sentence the judge noted that these patients were in the most vulnerable position. My office will continue to pursue health care providers whose crimes jeopardize public safety.

The Raleigh Police Department and N.C. Board of Nursing investigated the case locally along with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration.
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Rockingham Community College presented its highest award, the Outstanding Student Award, to Kylee Rieger during the colleges May 12 graduation ceremony.

Each year, faculty nominate students for the award who have achieved a grade point average of at least 3.25. A committee of faculty then selects and interviews finalists, with the recipient chosen after careful consideration.

Kylees nominations, including my own, highlighted her ability to maintain a 4.0 grade point average all the while taking on a host of leadership roles on campus including serving as president of RCCs Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter, vice president of the Student Government Association (SGA), and president of RCCs Book Club.

When I asked Kylee about her initial reactions surrounding the award she said, It was disbelief almostI tried not to get my hopes up too much, but when I found out, I was beyond excited!

Those who have been fortunate enough to meet Kylee at RCC share in her excitement. Before coming to RCC, a life in academia was not one she had planned to pursue.

From the age of 3 to 17, Kylee trained to be a professional ballet dancer, spending her last two years of study at the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School in New York City.

After COVID-19 swept through 2020, her dance career ended. In her words, The magic of dance was gone, having danced on Zoom for a year. I tried so many things  even skateboarding! I thought I was better at the physical things.

As it turns out, Kylee is good at many things. Kylees mom suggested trying courses at RCC. As a Greensboro resident, Kylee had access to several schools but RCC seemed like the best fit.

I often wonder what would have happened if I had not gone to RCC, Kylee said. I think that I wouldnt be as confident in my studies as I am, for sure.

Having taught Kylee in two literature courses at RCC, its hard for me to believe she would ever struggle with confidence and self-doubt. I first met Kylee in Spring of 2022 at the start of her internship in Technology Support Services  an internship she earned after winning first place in the 2021 RCC Student Essay Competition. She had come to my office to connect my computer to the network printer. Right away, she introduced herself and said that she looked forward to studying literature with me during her tenure at RCC.

A year later in my classes she excelled, conducting graduate-level research and literary analyses through complex critical lenses. When we discussed her experiences in American, English, and Spanish Literature, Kylee said, Once I started taking literature I learned how to approach texts  how to examine imagery and social and cultural contexts. Everyone is made up of experiences  the people they meet and the things they have done. All the lessons I have learned in my literature classes I will use forever.

I truly admire Kylees approach to learning and her drive to succeed, and I am not alone. She is well-respected around campus.

Asked to reflect on any challenges she faced at RCC, she said, I went to office hours, I asked lots of questions. I had to get over the imposter syndrome  that I was just a dancer. Getting over that and fighting off the voices in my head telling me to doubt myself was the biggest challenge  but theres so much encouragement here and support that its really hard to listen to it.

For all the encouragement Kylee has received at RCC, she has given back tenfold. Apart from internship and leadership roles on campus she also worked as a writing tutor, helping others to find joy in the writing process.

For Kylee, tutoring a student over eight weeks during RCCs summer semester was what really solidified her future plans to pursue English Literature in higher education: After I helped her on her final paper, I really wanted to know how it wentI was so curious. I just happened to run into her on campus in Fall and she told me that she got an A. That was a special moment and I felt like it was a win for both of us.

The impact Kylee has had on the campus community will endure  she leaves a legacy that will continue to inspire others.

When I got to RCC I learned to accept hope, Kylee said. One of my dance teachers used to tell us that hope is the most dangerous and powerful tool to give a person because once they have it they think they can do anything. I think it is true  without the hope that RCC gave me and without me being willing to accept that hope, I wouldnt have the confidence I have now to go on to bigger things.

For Kylee, the first of many bigger things to come is attending Smith College in Northampton, Mass., and studying English Literature this fall. Smith Colleges motto is Knowledge. Generosity. Community. I think this is incredibly fitting for Kyleeshe embodies these characteristics in any role she assumes.
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RALEIGH - Phase Change Solutions, a manufacturer of products for temperature management, will add 35 new jobs in Guilford County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The companys investment in the new U.S. headquarters and manufacturing operation in the City of Greensboro is expected to be more than $3.5 million.

This new investment in the headquarters and manufacturing capability of Phase Change Solutions here in Guilford County highlights the advantages of operating in our state, said Governor Cooper. The companys commitment to sustainability makes them a strong partner in North Carolinas collective effort to transition to a clean energy economy.

Phase Change Solutions (PCS) manufactures advanced materials for temperature management for various industries. From construction to pharmaceuticals, PCS offers energy efficient solutions with the use of innovative technology to analyze energy necessities and consumption for unique applications. The companys new location will expand the companys production capacity and consolidate its R&D, warehouse, and headquarters operations to Greensboro.

Our new location in Greensboro will be an extension of our evolution to be a world class advanced materials company, said Govi Rao, CEO of Phase Change Solutions. We are very excited to partner with the State of North Carolina that has a rich heritage of deep technology combined with access to the best talent in the country and commitment to enable the transition to a circular and a decarbonized economy that works for all.

Advanced manufacturers want to operate where they are afforded a diverse workforce and resources to support their growth, said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. North Carolina has the skilled talent and research infrastructure that will help foster a strong ecosystem for PCS to further its leadership in clean energy and advanced materials.

New positions being created by the company will support the companys manufacturing, distribution, and R&D operations. Although salaries vary by position, the companys overall average annual wage of $80,429 will exceed Guilford Countys average annual wage of $57,190. These new jobs could create an annual payroll impact of more than $2.8 million for the community.

A performance-based grant of $75,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help with PCS expansion in North Carolina. The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and create jobs. Companies receive no money upfront and must meet job creation and capital investment targets to qualify for payment. All One NC grants require matching participation from local governments and any award is contingent upon that condition being met.

We are delighted to welcome Phase Change Solutions expansion to Greensboro, said N.C. Senator Gladys A. Robinson. Guilford County is the place that welcomes great businesses. We have world-class institutions of higher education that can supply the best educated and trained workforce. We appreciate the companys confidence in our ability to provide a skilled workforce for these great paying jobs.

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, Rural Infrastructure Authority, North Carolina Community College System, Guilford Tech Community College, Guilford County, Guilford County Economic Development Alliance, GuilfordWorks, Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, and City of Greensboro.
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GREENSBORO  After a two-year investigation, Greensboro police have charged a man with murder in the death of his 3-month-old son.

Sterling Harrison Cummings, 33, is being held without bond on charges of first-degree murder and felony child abuse, according to a news release from the Greensboro Police Department.

On May 16, 2021, Greensboro police and Guilford County EMS responded to an address in the 4000 block of Pepperbush Drive on a medical cardiac call. Upon arrival, personnel began life-saving measures on a male infant who was in distress, police said in the news release.

The baby was taken by ambulance to Moses Cone Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Police did not release the name of the infant.

The news release said the baby had been in the care of Cummings, his biological father. The childs mother called 911 when she returned home and discovered the baby was not breathing.

Cummings provided inconsistent statements to responding officers, police said, and the scene was determined to be suspicious.

The length of the investigation was due, in part, to extensive medical and forensic processing, police department spokeswoman Josie Cambareri said Monday.
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An ambitious, technology-driven economic development initiative would gain up to $1.425 billion in endowment funding from the Republican-sponsored Senate version of the 2023-24 state budget.

The nonprofit NCInnovation has as its primary goal the commercialization of research developed and funded within the UNC System, utilizing regional hubs with a rural North Carolina emphasis.

Both Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper's state budget recommendation and the Republican House state budget proposal support NCInnovation, but with a much lower $50 million dedication.

North Carolina is a national leader in research and development funding, but data shows we lag competing states in commercializing that research and turning it into jobs, said Bennet Waters, president and chief executive of NCInnovation.

NCInnovation has several high-profile members on its board of directors and management team.

Chairman is Kelly King, the former BB&T Corp. and retired Truist Financial chairman and chief executive. Board members also include Stan Kelly, retired president of Piedmont Triad Partnership, UNC System President Peter Hans and N.C. A&T Chancellor Harold Martin.

Im grateful to North Carolinas legislators for their many months of work, King said in a statement.

NCInnovations model will be a gamechanger for North Carolina, especially our rural areas that have the human talent, but need support to press forward on commercializing research outputs.

Waters said the nonprofit was created by some of the state's top business minds to enable a public-private partnership."

Our objective is simple: provide local support for talent and research to create jobs and economic opportunities for all North Carolinians.

NCInnovation plans a data-center approach with the applied research "toward actual market needs," said Sen. Brent Jackson, R-Sampson, during the May 15 unveiling of the GOP Senate state budget.

"It will help generate homegrown industries and companies to stay in North Carolina and hire North Carolinians for decades to come."

Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, said during the presentation that the initial funding request for NCInnovation was $250 million a year for 10 years.

"Our thinking was that it was better to go ahead and endow (NCInnovation) as opposed to an annual appropriation," Berger said.

Senate budget writers hedged their funding pledges by placing limitations on how much can be used annually, along with stringent investment and compliance requirements.

There have been similar healthcare commercialization initiatives in North Carolina, in particular involving academic medical centers and medical schools, such as Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

NCInnovation has signed memorandums of understanding with four UNC System members: East Carolina University; North Carolina A&T State University; UNC Charlotte and Western Carolina University.

First-step goals

According to the GOP Senate budget bill, NCInnovation would be charged with "developing a network of regional innovation hubs, to incentivize applied research opportunities, and to support the commercial growth and scale of emerging technologies.

The nonprofit would enable North Carolina to better compete with other states for the ability to commercialize innovations resulting from in-State, world-class educational and research entities, according to the language.

"North Carolina will benefit from similar efforts to accelerate commercialization of theoretical and applied science and inventions stemming from the efforts and activities of its educational facilities and other resident research entities, according to the budget bill.

According to a 2022 National Commission on Innovation report, North Carolina is a well-recognized leader in research and development.

But the outputs of that R&D base dont measure up to its size. Companies that may have been born in North Carolina move to other states to grow in more sophisticated innovation ecosystems.

Failure to nurture an innovation ecosystem withholds benefits from a state or transfers them to other states, according to the report.

The same multiplier effect applies: one missed opportunity withholds the follow-on jobs and economic benefits that might be created in the future.

Legislative intent

Jackson said the reasoning for such a major funding push for NCInnovation is the increasing challenge of creating and retaining jobs in rural North Carolina.

"We need to extend economic vitality to every corner of this state," Jackson said. "To do so, we must take a visionary approach."

"Simply put, we are leveraging our state surplus to help develop homegrown innovations. It's a bid to improve North Carolina's competitive position relative to peer states."

Jackson said NCInnovation represents the offspring of a recent review of North Carolina's innovation ecosystem by a national economic research firm.

"The data revealed good news and bad news," Jackson said.

"The good news is that our population centers are landing major economic-development projects. North Carolina is an absolute powerhouse on research and development funding" at $13 billion annually.

"However, the outputs of that R&D funding doesn't measure up to the size of our research base," Jackson said.

Broad-based support

NCInnovation already has several high-profile economic and educational supporters.

Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase & Co., said in a statement that with business all over the world, we understand that innovation and scale begins locally, which is why we thought it especially important to support North Carolinas entrepreneurial development through NCInnovation.

JPMorgan, the nations largest bank by asset size, has been on a major Chase branch and operational push into the Charlotte and Triangle region in recent years. So far, its only committed to one Triad branch in Greensboro.

This model holds great promise to expand North Carolinas technology commercialization and serve as a blueprint to expand American innovation, Dimon said.

Ward Nye, chairman, president and chief executive of Martin Marietta, said that with a global race under way for applied research products with commercial applications, NCInnovations model seeks to give North Carolina a competitive edge.

That may well determine our future growth trajectory.

Can it work?

NC Innovations can play a notable role in helping rural areas of North Carolina become more relevant locations for advanced technology operations and advancements, said Michael Walden, an economics professor at N.C. State University.

There is no question that rural areas in North Carolina  indeed, in most states  have lagged behind urban areas in economic growth, particularly growth in emerging sectors like technology, Walden said.

The question is how to change this. The legislation is based on the notion that public programs can guide economic investments to rural areas.

Certainly if the new program is able to help develop the training for local labor to attract these firms, then that is a step forward, Walden said.

However, Walden cautioned that as rural residents gain expertise in advanced technologies, "what would prevent the trained labor from moving to other areas  particularly metro areas?

There is more than labor availability needed to attract firms, such as those in the tech industry. High speed internet is at the top of the list. Also, tech firms often like to locate near similar firms for the valuable interactions that can occur.

"Hopefully, the new program will take a comprehensive approach to economic development in rural areas, Walden said,

There certainly are numerous positive features of rural regions to promote  such as much lower cost housing, access to open space, less traffic, and a quieter lifestyle compared to the big cities.
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There was an honest and useful debate to be had this spring about abortion rights in North Carolina.

Too bad we didnt get to hear one.

A 47-page bill adding significant new restrictions was rammed at warp-speed into passage with limited discussion.

Once the bill was vetoed by Gov. Roy Cooper, as expected, the veto was quickly overridden last week, also as expected.

In the days leading up to his veto the governor had tried to appeal to Republicans who in the past had expressed opposition to further restrictions, but to no avail.

They voted in lockstep with everyone else, in some cases blatantly contradicting earlier statements.

Most notable among them was Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County, who ran for her seat as both a Democrat and a fierce champion of abortion rights.

Now, more than ever we need leaders who will be unwavering and unapologetic in their support of abortion rights, she tweeted in May of 2022. Ill fight to codify Roe in the #ncga and continue my strong record of defending the right to choose.

As it turns out, Cothams strong record of defending the right to choose had a sell-by date.

In April Cotham suddenly switched parties, giving Republicans a veto-proof supermajority in the House. She also switched her views on abortion, and, like every single other Republican, voted along party lines to override Coopers veto.

As for why the drastic change, who knows? Cotham wouldnt say much, citing the reasonable balance talking point that many in her party invoked.

Some call me a hypocrite since I voted for this bill, Cotham added. Is there a better word?

As for the claims of the laws reasonableness, Republicans have tried to wrap this law in a misleading veneer of moderation. Dont believe them.

Yes, effective on July 1, it only reduces the threshold for most abortions from what had previously been the first 20 weeks of pregnancy to 12 weeks.

But they packed the law with obstacles that make it significantly more difficult to obtain an abortion:

It bans the most commonly used form of abortion in North Carolina, medication abortions, after 10 weeks.

It requires that medication abortions be given in person.

It mandates three in-person appointments (two before, and one follow-up) for drug-induced abortions, which will be especially challenging for working women with limited means.

It decrees that any abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy will have to be performed in hospitals.

And it contains burdensome new requirements for clinics, which the North Carolina Medical Society says are not evidence-based and will impede patient access to medical care.

Theres a good reason Republicans preferred to concentrate on the deceptive 12-week window instead of the inconvenient truths about the bills fine print: Its not what the people want. In a Meredith poll in February, 57% of respondents in North Carolina favored keeping the 20-week ban  or expanding it. A more recent poll commissioned by the progressive nonprofit Carolina Forward found that a majority of respondents oppose the bill itself.

Among the bills opponents were the North Carolina Medical Society, the North Carolina Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians and the states affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Meanwhile, a party that has built its brand on supporting individual freedoms (guns everywhere all the time) keeps affixing asterisks to the ones it doesnt approve: the right to read certain books and hear certain class lessons; the right to local governance without incessant meddling from the legislature; the right to be gay or transgender.

Then again ...

We could be Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, which ban abortions throughout pregnancy.

Or South Carolina, whose House on Tuesday passed a ban on most abortions after six weeks, when many women may not even know theyre pregnant.

Or Georgia, which already has passed such a law.

Hold a parade. We are a little less bad than somewhere else.
The UAEs famous homegrown seafood chain, Golden Fork, has announced plans to open 20 more outlets across the country by 2024.

The AED10 million ($2.72 million) expansion plan of the family friendly brand will see branches activated in Deira City Centres new Food Central food hall, Motor City, Al Ain Mall, Mega mall in Sharjah and Al Wahda Mall in Abu Dhabi.

Currently, Golden Fork outlets are located at Dalma Mall, City Seasons hotel in Deira, Lulu Mall in Fujairah, Dubai Silicon Oasis and Mushrif Mall.

The company has also received approval to set up in Saudi Arabia and plans to open three outlets in Riyadh by the end of this year with 10 outlets set to open by the end of 2024.

All the new outlets will showcase the brands new contemporary interiors while serving the fare that has made Golden Fork a household name in the UAE for more than 45 years. The menu will include favourites like Cajun Seafood, Prawn Biryani, Goan Fish Curry, Seafood Mixed Grill, Fried Shrimp, and the signature Bouillabaisse soup, which has been savoured by a whopping 15 million customers over the years.

Also refurbished and given a major makeover is the original Golden Fork restaurant at Al Rigga, which opened in 1975 and has catered to 2 million patrons. A new hall that can accommodate 80 people has been added to the facilities, ideal for private gatherings and corporate events.

Golden Forks high loyalty factor is courtesy good, wholesome food, exacting hygiene standards and a reputation for sensible pricing. We have also been synonymous with a relaxed, leisurely ambience that beckons customers from different parts of the world with great dishes served with ladles of love, a sprinkling of warmth and a dash of nostalgia, said Shanavas Mohammed, partner, Golden Fork.

We have a strategic plan for this expansion and are setting about it in a studied manner. As the UAE gets more community-centric, we are ensuring that the delicious food, exemplary Golden Fork service and cozy, warm ambiance is always just around the corner, he added.

Mohammed also shed light on the brands ongoing sustainability initiatives.

Our focus will always be on sourcing seafood responsibly and using sustainable packaging materials. On both counts we are uncompromising. We are totally committed to environmentally friendly practices. This approach is the key to our corporate strategy. TradeArabia News Service
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A 31-year-old Clancy man has been arrested and charged with deliberate homicide in connection with an early Sunday shooting death of a White Sulphur Springs man in Meagher County, officials said Monday.

Dominic Paul Driscoll is being held in Broadwater County jail on no bond, authorities said.

Meagher County authorities received a call about 4:30 a.m. Sunday, reporting a gunshot wound at 206 E. Baker St., near the Castle in White Sulphur Springs, Meagher County officials said.

Deputies, along with Meagher County Ambulance, found one person with a gunshot wound to the chest and one person with a gunshot wound to the ankle. Both were transported to Mountainview Medical Center for medical treatment, authorities said.

The person shot in the chest was declared deceased at Mountainview Medical Center shortly after arrival. He has been identified as Benjamin Andrew Bullington, 28, of White Sulphur Springs, officials said.

The other person was identified as Dominic Paul Driscoll, 31, of Clancy.

After being treated, Driscoll was arrested and charged with deliberate homicide and transported to the Broadwater County Detention Center, authorities said. Officials did not disclose Monday what prompted the shooting.

No other suspects are involved in this case and there is no risk to the public as a result of this incident, county officials said.

Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Montana Crime Lab and the Montana Highway Patrol are assisting the Meagher County Sheriff's Office with the investigation. The Meagher County Sheriff's Office asks the public to respect the privacy of the families involved in this tragedy while they work through this difficult time.

Anyone with information on this crime should contact the Meagher County Sheriff's Office at 406-547-3397.
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DECATUR  Police in Decatur have been assisting State Police investigators as they work to unravel the homicide of James Earl Taylor who was found shot to death May 19  some seven days after he had been posted missing.

The 51-year-old Decatur man was last seen riding off on a bicycle and Sgt. Brian Earles, a Decatur police detective, said police had been alerted two days later on May 12 when Taylor hadnt shown up again.

So the initial missing persons report was assigned to a detective, and assigned out that day, said Earles. He said initial inquiries had been made and information gathered.

And weve since had some State Police investigators in here working with our detective.

Taylors body was discovered in the 5700 block of North County Club Road, a rural area of Macon County. Coroner Michael. E. Day said police had been contacted by a passer-by who had come across the remains.

Day said there was no suggestion this death was anything other than a homicide. A criminal investigation is underway and there is no indication of an accident or self-intended harm in this stage of the investigation, the coroner added.

Asked what actions police take when a person is reported missing, Earles said it depends on the circumstances and the persons age and level of vulnerability.

Lets say its someone mentally incapacitated and unable to care for themselves and they have wandered off in the dead of winter; we keep looking until we find you or we exhaust everything we can possibly do to get you, he added.

But there was no indication that we knew of at the time that there was anything suspicious about Mr. Taylors situation which made him a vulnerable person. He just didnt show back up.

State Police Trooper Melissa Albert-Lopez told the Herald & Review that Taylors death was an open and ongoing case and appealed for the publics help.

Anyone who witnessed this incident or has any knowledge of it is asked to contact the State Police at 217-867-2050 or email at ISP.CrimeTips@Illinois.gov. Witnesses can remain anonymous.

Investigations into deaths like this in rural Macon County would normally fall to the Macon County Sheriffs Office. But Sheriff Jim Root said his detectives had been hard-pressed at the time probing the Michael Cox murder in Oakley  for which suspect Scott M. Walston has since been arrested  and were grateful for the help from the State Police in the Taylor case.

2023 mugshots from the Herald & Review Lourash Hirstein Phillip Gehrken Joseph A. Williams Jetrevius O. Jarrett Edwards King-Woods Wilson Derrickson
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DECATUR  Detectives are investigating after the body of a Decatur man who had been shot to death was found in rural Macon County, a news statement from the coroner said Monday.

The remains were identified as James Earl Taylor, 51, who was formally pronounced dead on May 19 after the discovery in the 5700 block of North Country Club Road.

Mr. Taylor was discovered through information called in by a passerby, said Macon County Coroner Michael E. Day.

The preliminary cause of death was found to be gunshot trauma. A positive identification was made through dental records comparison with X-rays taken at the time of autopsy.

Day said the State Police is conducting a criminal investigation into the death and an inquest is pending.

2023 mugshots from the Herald & Review Lourash Hirstein Phillip Gehrken Joseph A. Williams Jetrevius O. Jarrett Edwards King-Woods Wilson Derrickson
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Nearly three-quarters of more than 100 law enforcement agencies across much of the U.S. don't reflect the racial makeup of their communities, data supplied by the departments to Lee Enterprises shows.

As part of a seven-month investigation by Lee and Type Investigations, agencies were ranked based on the gap between the proportion of officers and leadership in the agency who identify as people of color and the percentage of people of color in the communities they serve.

Lee reporters sent surveys to more than 170 law enforcement agencies and then zeroed in on "diverse" communities, defined in this research as places where at least 10 percent of the residents are non-white.

Of 105 agencies that provided demographic data and served diverse communities, 76 underrepresented the percentages of people of color in their communities by 10 points or more. Some had gaps of more than 30 percentage points.

Diversity underrepresentation in policing Data gathered from October 2022 to May 2023 from nearly 120 law enforcement agencies in 14 states shows frequent disparity in the racial and ethnic makeup of the agencies compared to the communities they are hired to protect and serve.

Data gathered from October 2022 to May 2023 from nearly 120 law enforcement agencies in 14 states shows frequent disparity in the racial and ethnic makeup of the agencies compared to the communities they are hired to protect and serve.

These are among several key observations drawn from data submitted by state and local law enforcement agencies largely in the Midwest and East, near areas where Lee properties are based. The data show that thousands of people of color live in communities where the force looks nothing like them, despite calls for increased law enforcement diversity that echoed through U.S. streets three years ago following the murder of George Floyd.

Twenty of the 105 agencies serving diverse communities have no people of color or only one such person on the force.

Also, in nearly half of the 93 agencies serving diverse communities that gave data on leadership, there were either zero or only one person of color in leadership.

Why police diversity matters

Experts within and outside law enforcement say the continued representation gap  the subject of discussions that go back decades  underscores existential questions about how police protect and serve people of color.

A study released in November by the Bureau of Justice Statistics that collected data in 2020 about interactions with police over the previous year showed that Black people were three times more likely than white people  6 percent vs. 2 percent  to have experienced the threat of force or use of nonfatal force during their most recent police contact.

The report also showed that during that time frame, Black people had the highest likelihood of experiencing any type of police misconduct (5%), more than double that of white people and Hispanic people combined.

While improving diversity doesnt solve issues like excessive force or biased policing, it can begin to cause a shift.

The more diverse we are as it relates to race and ethnicity, the more diverse we are also in life experiences, which helps agencies to better inform policies, also better inform their training, and better inform their support systems as well, said Darryl McSwain, chief of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police force and a 2021 finalist for the post of top cop in Lincoln, Nebraska. So I think that's why it's so crucial that we continue to diversify.

Most agencies surveyed underrepresent communities of color

The Lee law enforcement survey is an update and expansion of a similar effort launched in the Midwest in the summer of 2020 as the nation was reeling from weeks of protests after Derek Chauvin, a white then-police officer in Minneapolis, pressed his knee to the neck of Floyd for more than 9 minutes, according to prosecutors who won a murder conviction against Chauvin.

For the current investigation, police and sheriffs departments along with state patrols in more than a dozen states responded to a two-page survey seeking data on topics including the demographic breakdown of the sworn personnel and leadership, the use of body and dashboard cameras, and the number of racial profiling and excessive force complaints.

Nearly 120 agencies provided demographic information on race and ethnicity. Most also provided information on the gender breakdown of the department. In 14 of the communities, people of color  identifying as Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/First Nation and Asian American/Pacific Islander  made up less than 10 percent of the population served. Not surprisingly, the law enforcement agencies there were all or largely white.

Lee also received demographic data from 105 agencies serving diverse areas based on 2020 U.S Census data, which Lee also used to draw comparisons with their respective police-force demographics:

Seventy-six of the 105 agencies, or about 72 percent, underrepresented their communities of color by 10 percentage points or more. In Martinsville, Virginia, more than half of the community  roughly 57 percent  was composed of people of color, while people of color accounted for about 12 percent of the force. The largest agency to respond to the survey was the 4,741-member New York State Police. People of color made up about 45 percent of the population in the departments jurisdiction and 12 percent of the force  a gap of 33 percentage points.

Twenty-eight departments came within 10 percentage points of matching the diversity levels of their communities. They range in size from the seven-member Hebron Police Department in Indiana to the 488-member police department in Madison, Wisconsin.

In Hebron, about 12 percent of the population and 14 percent of the force were people of color. In Wisconsins capital, 28 percent of the community and 23 percent of the force were made up of people of color.

As a group, the 119 agencies  police departments, sheriffs offices and state police  that supplied diversity data appear to skew whiter than local law enforcement across the U.S. overall. This is based on part- and full-time personnel numbers provided by the 119 agencies compared with the latest law enforcement demographics for full-time personnel collected by the Department of Justice in 2020.

In the 82 police departments in the group, nearly 79 percent of sworn members identified as white versus about 69 percent of full-time sworn officers in local police departments in 2020.

Lee found similar disparities among the 31 sheriffs departments in the group. Eighty-seven percent of sworn members identified as white, 16 percentage points greater than the roughly 71 percent of full-time sworn officers in sheriffs departments nationwide who identified as white in 2020, according to the DOJ.

So what do all these numbers mean?

In Martinsville, Virginia, which describes itself as a city without limits, the lack of diversity on its police force has not gone unnoticed. Of a force of 41 sworn members, the Martinsville police department has four Black officers and one Hispanic officer, said Maj. Chad Rhoads, part of the department's leadership team.

I certainly do acknowledge the gap, Rhoads, who is part of the department's leadership team, said. It's certainly not representative of the community, but we want to get it there. But it's just something that we've always struggled with.

Rhoads said the department tried attending job fairs at nearby historically Black colleges and universities but got no applicants, a problem it has experienced at college job fairs in general. He said the department does not have a specific program to recruit people of color. It relies on grassroots efforts including using school resource officers to forge connections with students.

Of course, Martinsville is far from the only city with a force that does not reflect the population. Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith, a police trainer and spokesperson for the National Police Association, an educational and advocacy group, links the quest for diversity to law enforcements challenge of attracting applicants overall.

Since 2020, American law enforcement, we, have (had) a very difficult time just recruiting and retaining police officers of any race and any gender, said Brantner Smith, who was a police officer for 29 years beginning in 1980. So right now, as a country  we're just trying to get people to come to the law enforcement profession. People are leaving in record numbers. They are leaving prior to receiving their retirement, and its becoming a real crisis.

Departments are increasing their use of technology and social media and beginning to recruit more broadly to boost ranks, Brantner Smith said, but whether we're talking post-George Floyd or we're talking in general, not everyone is attracted to this profession.

Call for police diversity reaches zenith after George Floyd's death

Long before Floyds murder sent thousands of protesters into the streets, community activists and private citizens had called for a more just and representative law enforcement system.

That chorus reached a crescendo after Floyds Memorial Day 2020 murder and included a 21 pillar proposal outlined in 2021 by the National Urban League, which, among other demands, called on communities and law enforcement leadership to increase diversity and equity in both the leadership and ranks of local, state and federal law enforcement.

Most law enforcement leaders and experts interviewed for this story listed similar reasons to push for more diversity in police forces, including helping to establish better relations with diverse communities and having role models who can attract other diverse candidates.

If we want to have a relationship with our community, and we want our community to be a part of this ecosystem of public safety, then we want our police force to be reflective of the communities that we're in, said Regina Holloway, vice president of community impact for Axon, maker of equipment for law enforcement, notably Tasers and cameras.

I think it's not impossible by any stretch. We want all officers to be equitable across the board, but I do think that there's this opportunity for an officer of color  a Black officer, a brown officer  to have lived experience that they can relate to community members that are having challenges around public safety, challenges in the community, right? There's going to be a kinship there, possibly, that will create a deeper relationship at the on-site of that interaction.

She referred to a study of the Chicago Police Department, published in Science magazine, examining data on officer demographics and behavior from 2012-2015 that found that when compared with white officers, Black and Hispanic officers made far fewer stops and arrests and used force less often, especially against Black civilians.

What we know is that Black and brown officers are less likely to stop people for low-level offenses, Holloway added. And they're less likely to have sort of these negative interactions with community.

High-profile deaths in 2023 fuel debate over 'biased culture'

That assertion fueled major debates earlier this year in two highly publicized deaths of Black citizens following interactions with law enforcement members, most of whom were people of color.

In late April, the family of Tyre Nichols filed a $550 million federal lawsuit against the city of Memphis, the citys police department, and what the suit described as unqualified, untrained and unsupervised officers who severely beat the 29-year-old Black man after a traffic stop and brief foot chase Jan. 7, according to news reports and video that was later shared with the public. He was hospitalized and died three days later.

Five former Memphis police officers  all Black  were fired within weeks of the incident. Each faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression, according to news reports.

In Virginia, in a death that conjured images of Floyd pinned beneath Chauvins knee, Henrico County deputy sheriffs piled onto Irvo Otieno, a 28-year-old Black man in shackles suffering a mental health crisis, as he was being admitted to Central State Hospital. He died of asphyxiation, a medical examiner found.

Otieno, whose family said he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, died March 6 while in custody of the Henrico County Sheriffs Office.

Hospital video shows the group pinning him down for close to 12 minutes, and theres no audio. The sheriffs office told Lee it does not use body cameras.

Of the seven sheriff's deputies charged with second-degree murder in the case, five are Black, two are white. In fact, Henrico County's sheriff's office was among the most-diverse departments in the Lee survey when compared to the population of the county. People of color made up 49 percent of the population and about 68 percent of the force, for an overrepresentation of nearly 20 percentage points.

In the Nichols case, Benjamin Crump, a noted civil rights attorney representing the Nichols family, told ABC News that he believes Nichols was a victim of an implicit bias police culture that exists in America.

Crump said Nicholss death occurred despite recent police reform in Memphis because of the institutionalized police culture that makes it somehow allowed that they can use this type of excessive force and brutality against people of color. And it doesn't matter if the officers are Black, Hispanic, or white. Its part of the culture, this biased culture that said this is allowed.

Leaders seek change, professionalism and better data

Attempts to steer departmental culture in a more inclusive direction often fall to the chief or sheriff. It can be a daunting task regardless of their ethnicity.

Jamal A. Simington, chief of the Bloomington Police Department in Illinois, identifies as African American and is the only person of color in leadership in his 123-member department, with less than 10 percent of the force composed of people of color. Thats in a community where 27 percent of residents are people of color.

Simington, who said he has been called the N-word and Uncle Tom, thinks leaders must foster and model a culture of professionalism regardless of race.

You need the representation with high levels of professionalism, said Simington, who was drawn to law enforcement by family members who served. When asked about the roles of officers of color in the deaths of Otieno and Nichols, Simington said, It does reflect horrible on the badge. It tarnishes everything we stand for, right? It's supposed to be a noble occupation. So the nobility comes from our capability and our mindset on how to treat people [in a way thats] fair and appropriate. That's if you're a person of color or not.

There has been limited research on the role of officers' race on their interactions with citizens.

The latest report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics on encounters with police did not list the race of the officers involved.

A database by the Washington Post tracking fatal police shootings since 2015 shows that Black Americans, who account for about 14 percent of the population, are killed by police at more than twice the rate of white Americans. The database also does not list the race of officers.

The Lee survey asked agencies to share numbers for excessive force and racial profiling complaints logged between 2017 and 2022. More than 100 responded. Some declined to provide data or suggested other sources for it. Thirty-nine agencies surveyed said they had no complaints fitting in either category in any of those years. There is also variation in how each agency categorizes complaints. Some responded with numbers for allegations described in broader terms such as "biased policing and use of force.

The Greensboro Police Department in North Carolina, which is nearly 70 percent white in a community that is less than 40 percent white, had 121 biased-based policing allegations, including bias other than race, between 2017 and 2022. It also had 14 allegations of excessive force during that same period. Allegations are not always sustained by the department once investigated. In an email, the department said its investigations found that three of four allegations of excessive force were found to be valid in 2021-22, and no allegations of biased policing initiated by citizens were sustained in that period.

Stephanie Mardis is captain of the Greensboro Police Departments Professional Standards Division, which handles matters related to internal affairs. She told Lee she recognizes the need for improving diversity in the departments ranks.

Having a force that was more representative of the community may not necessarily mean that our complaints will decrease, she said. It may not necessarily mean that we will have less use of force, but on its face, if a police department reflects the community in itself, it inherently gains trust with people from all walks of life.

The department gives the public access each year to its complaint numbers via an annual report; however, it does not list the race or ethnicity of the officer.

Tracie L. Keesee is COO, president and co-founder of the Center for Policing Equity, which uses data and science to help law enforcement look at harm reduction when it comes to issues of race and reimagine public safety in a way that centers community.

She feels there should be more robust, peer-reviewed studies that look closely at the differences in negative outcomes for people of color when interacting with diverse vs. non-diverse departments.

The science is so scant, she said.

For starters, Keesee said, law enforcement agencies need to better track both the diversity of their members and how they interact with citizens. We want law enforcement departments to start collecting data appropriately, and we want to make it available to everyone so we can do exactly what you're talking about, she added. So we can look at and be able to try to begin to answer those questions."

Lee Enterprises reporters Alison Burdo, Lauren Cross, Lizzie Kaboski , Analisa Trofimuk and Patrick Wilson contributed to this report. Research by Emma Davis of Type Investigations. Karen Robinson-Jacobs is a member of the Lee Public Service Journalism team and a Type Investigations reporting fellow. 

Photos: Scenes from the racial justice protests after George Floyd's death

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New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. High 86F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 86F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
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I am writing as a long-standing Bristol Virginia tourism partner to implore the Bristol VA City Council to reconsider their decision to defund Discover Bristol, our DMO (Destination Marketing Organization).

This was a shock to read that our tourism marketing partner, Discover Bristol, that has worked alongside all of us to drive visitors here to spend money in our community, would not be supported.

I am the General Manager of Courtyard by Marriot located at Exit 7, and we work with the Discover Bristol and Bristol Chamber of Commerce team members consistently on building and implementing a community wide strategic plan to generate revenues to Bristol.

Discover Bristol is professional, efficient and a vital driver of our tourism economy  and why we continue to see strong growth in our own individual businesses. If you look at the rapid growth in lodging taxes alone, it is obvious that having a strong DMO is important for all of us as tourism partners to work in a cohesive manner.

It seems like a terrible misstep to intentionally halt the many years of brand momentum Bristol has built through Discover Bristol and to start all over again with another organization. We are in the middle of a strong economic boom with our tourism economy  built around strong tourism partnerships. Why would we change that right in the middle of a strong path forward?

I agree that this is shortsighted and my expectation would be that someone from City Council would have reached out to ask us as partners how we see the work of Discover Bristol. Discover Bristols results speak for themselves. Elected leaders serve their constituents. Our businesses are on the front lines serving the visitors who arrive in our community. We should have the opportunity to be heard in decisions that impact our bottom line.

Mark White

Bristol, Va.
Saudi astronauts Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali AlQarni - along with their mission team crew members Peggy Whiston and John Shoffner - arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) yesterday (May 22) at 16:24 Makkah Time, reported SPA.

Nasa has announced the successful docking of spacecraft Dragon 2 after 16 hours of its launch on Sunday from the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The docking of the 'Dragon 2' spacecraft with the ISS is a historic moment for the Saudi astronaut Rayyanah Barnawi who becomes the first ever Arab woman to fly into space to the ISS, it stated.

It is a historic moment for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is now the first Arabic country to send a woman on a space scientific mission just as it is also one of the few countries with two astronauts on board the ISS simultaneously.

The mission crew was given a grand welcome by the International Space Station team on arrival.

The mission crew of AX-2 then quickly changed their space suits and joined the ISS team preparing to carry out their mission in space, where they will conduct 14 pioneering research experiments in microgravity that are set to have an important scientific impact, reported SPA.

The studies to be undertaken by the two Saudis range from human research and cell science to artificial rain in microgravity in order to develop space science and progress in sending more manned spacecraft to the moon and to Mars, it stated. In addition, the duo will also conduct three educational awareness experiments.

This space programme has placed the Kingdom as an important player in the global space science research community and as a main investor in the service of humanity and its future, it added.

The Saudi Space Commission confirmed that both Barnawi and AlQarni are fully trained and prepared to carry out their mission in space. SSC is also confident that they will accomplish the mission planned successfully and return safely to earth.

The efforts by the SSC are designed to prepare future astronauts and engineers through quality educational and training programs, participation in scientific experiments, international research, and future space-related missions  all of which will contribute to raising the status of the Kingdom and to achieving the goals of Vision 2030, said the SPA report.

The results of which will enhance the Kingdom's global position within the field of space exploration and service to humanity. It will also confirm the role of Saudi research centers in making a scientific impact in this field, it added.
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Three of Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.s top executives, including its next chief executive Marty Freeman, were provided with significant base-salary raises by the companys board of directors.

Old Dominion, a top-10 U.S. carrier and one of the Triads largest publicly traded corporations, finished fiscal 2022 at a record $1.38 billion, up 33.1%.

According to a regulatory filing Thursday, the board approved the raises Wednesday that go into effect July 1.

On Feb. 1, Old Dominion said chief executive and president Greg Gantt would retire June 30 after nearly five years as chief executive. He is expected to remain on the companys board of directors.

At that time, the Thomasville trucking company said Freeman would be promoted from chief operating officer to chief executive on July 1. Freeman also will replace Gantt as president.

Old Dominion said in its fiscal 2022 proxy filing that Freeman had a 3.6% increase in base salary to $604,204, as well as a 32.3% increase in incentive pay to $5.51 million, and total compensation of $7.85 million, up 25.2%.

In Thursdays filing, the board approved increasing Freemans base salary to $956,800, up 58.3%.

By comparison, Gantts base salary for 2022 was $917,701,

The board promoted Adam Satterfield, its chief financial officer and assistant secretary from senior vice president to executive vice president.

As part of the promotion, Satterfields base salary is being raised, also effective July 1, from $510,753 in 2022 to $628,074, representing a 23% increase.

The board also raised the salary of Gregory Plemmons, who is being promoted to chief operating officer on July 1. Plemmons currently serves as senior vice president for sales.

Plemmons base salary is being raised by 26.7% from $495,619 in 2022 to $628,074.

The board also approved an increase  to 100% of Plemmons base salary or $628,074  in the performance-based restricted stock unit award target. That increase would go into effect in January.

Separately, the board declared Thursday a quarterly dividend of 40 cents a share, payable June 21 to shareholders registered as of June 7.
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Steve Smith took a few seconds of his three-minute time at the podium to describe the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The names of 58,000 soldiers killed in combat are etched into the stone wall, he said.

Four of them were Smiths high school classmates.

Smith, a Purple Heart recipient who served in Vietnam, came before the Catawba County Schools Board of Education on Monday night to address an amendment to a district policy regarding student participation in the Pledge of Allegiance.

We must teach our children why we stand for the flag, Smith said. (Its) respect for our country (and) respect for those who gave their lives for the country and the flag, Smith said. Our country does not demand you stand for the flag, but we have the opportunity and willingness out of respect for those who gave all.

Smith spoke over his three-minute time limit, speaking over board attorney Davis to finish: Remember, all veterans gave some, but some gave all. God bless America.

After tabling the item twice, the board amended the policy related to student participation in the Pledge of Allegiance on Monday night. The amendment states that district employees cannot compel any person to stand, salute the flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

The addition is simply a legal protection for the district, said board attorney Crystal Davis.

Davis said she has heard rumors that she is proposing the removal of the Pledge of Allegiance.

Every word of this (policy) is exactly the opposite, Davis said. You cannot make a student stand up and/or recite or salute the flag. It is unlawful. And my job is to protect this board so its clear that that is not our policy. Davis added that this amendment is a protection in case an employee in the district attempts to force a student to stand for the flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance, which is unlawful by state statute.

The controversy was centered on a paragraph recommended by the N.C. School Board Association that reads: The principal shall ensure that no student is compelled to salute the flag, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, stand to acknowledge the flag or stand to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance or otherwise feel coerced to participate.

The board chose an alternative wording presented by Davis that will read: board policies, shall not compel any person to stand, salute the flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The board expects all employees to comply with the laws of the state of North Carolina.

Before that is a line of instruction: School officials may state the following before reciting the Pledge of Allegiance: All students are invited and encouraged to stand and participate in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

After a 30-minute discussion, board member Tim Settlemyre made a motion to approve the amendment with the alternative wording. Vice chair Leslie Barnette seconded. The motion carried with a unanimous vote.

Settlemyre has been vocal in his concern about the wording since the amendment was introduced in March.

Many members of the community spoke during the 45-minute public hearing. Most addressed the policy amendment.

Tim Settlemyres father, Rick Settlemyre, said: Theres no reason for this. Everybody in this room knows we live in the United States of America. We cannot make anybody stand up for the Pledge of Allegiance  or stand up for the flag.

Rick, a 73-year-old Vietnam veteran, said after the vote that he thinks the board did the right thing, kind of. He maintains that the amendment is not useful.
Sinan Ogan, a Turkish nationalist candidate, won 5.2 percent of support in the first round of the Turkish presidential election, Reuters reported.

According to the paper, the third place in the election on Monday, at a press conference in Ankara

HE CONFIRMED THAT HE WILL SUPPORT RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGANT AGAINST OPPOSITION CANDIDATE KEMAL KILICDAROGLU IN THE NEXT ROUND.

According to Sinan Ogan, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the president of the Republican Peoples Party (CHP), couldnt convince him about the future, while the fight against terrorism was an important argument for Erdogans support.

According to analysts, Ogans support could benefit Erdogan, but it could also divide Ogans supporters.

Over the past week, Ogan has held several meetings with both Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his opposition challenger, With Kemal Kilicdaroglu .

The Turkish president performed better than expected

As Index reported, the first round of the Turkish elections was held, where the voters decided on the composition of the parliament and the person of the president at the same time.

As expected, both the presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey were quite close.

In the first round of the election, on May 14, Erdogan gained a nearly five-point advantage over Kemal Kilicdaroglu.

The second round will be held two weeks later, on May 28.

By the way, the turnout was very high: 87.2 percent of the 64 million eligible voters went to the polls, i.e. nearly 55.4 million votes had to be counted by the election committee.
You can no longer send money to Binance using PayID. Image: Shutterstock

The worlds biggest cryptocurrency exchange Binance is finding it harder to do business in Australia as third-party providers and banks limit access to local customers.

On Thursday, Binance Australia told customers that it was unable to facilitate PayID AUD deposits after its third party payments provider cut off access.

Binance has been using PayID to offer quick, fee-free deposits onto its platform.

Rest assured that your funds are safe through the Secure Asset Fund for Users (SAFU), an insurance fund that offers protection to Binance users and their funds in the event of extreme situations, Binance Australia said.

Withdrawals through cash transfer are available until 1 June. Binance still allows Australians to buy crypto using debit and credit cards which incurs fees.

Binances payments provider is Cuscal which did not speak to Binance specifically but which said in a statement that it had strict due diligence, onboarding and compliance requirements and that Cuscal would cut off customers and merchants that didnt meet those requirements.

Last week, one of the big four banks, Westpac, started blocking Binance payments as part of what it called scam prevention measures.

Westpac customer services and technology executive Scott Collary said cryptocurrency exchanges do have a legitimate role to play in the financial ecosystem.

But since the rise of digital currency, weve noticed that scammers are increasingly using overseas exchanges, he said.

Often our customers only discover theyve been scammed after the money has left the country, making recovery extremely difficult.

Australian banks have long blocked cryptocurrency-related businesses from operating in Australia by not giving them local bank accounts  a tactic called de-banking.

Binances cryptocurrency exchange competitors have taken advantage of Binance being excised from certain banks and payment protocols.

On Twitter, Kraken has started promoting ads to reassure Australians that PayID deposits and withdrawals are fully operational on its exchange.

Binance remains by far the worlds largest cryptocurrency exchange with a 24-hour trading volume of US$5.5 billion at the time of writing  its nearest competitor had US$2 billion and Kraken had less than US$400 million worth of trades in the past day, according to CoinMarketCap.

Regulators in the US and Australia are closely scrutinising Binances business practices to bring it in line with local laws.

Last month, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) cancelled Binance Australias derivatives license after the company failed to classify retail and wholesale clients  two distinct levels of investor sophistication which carry different sets of legal obligations and consumer protections.

And late last year , Binance Australia was fined $2 million for breaching the Spam Act because it had sent out 5.7 million marketing emails without an easy way for people to unsubscribe.

In late March, US regulators began a lawsuit against Binance claiming it actively facilitated violations of US law.

Binance hadnt registered with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and was required to block US customers but instead purposefully grew, maintained and simultaneously concealed its US customer base, including by instructing customers to use virtual private networks (VPNs) to access the platform, according to the CFTC complaint.
The Irish Data Protection Authority has fined Meta a whopping $1.95 billion (1.2bn) because Facebook transferred user data from the EU to the US.

Its the largest penalty in GDPR history.

Chair of the European Data Protection Board, Andrea Jelinek, described Metas infringement as very serious because it involved systematic, repetitive and continuous transfers of personal data.

Facebook has millions of users in Europe, so the volume of personal data transferred is massive, she said.

The unprecedented fine is a strong signal to organisations that serious infringements have far-reaching consequences.

International data transfers are protected under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which states that personal data can only be moved to another country if there are appropriate safeguards that maintain the data rights of individuals.

An Austrian man named Maximillian Schrems had initially complained about Facebook to European regulators in 2013 saying the social media company should not have transferred his personal data to its US servers because it couldnt guarantee protection from the extensive US surveillance activities revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

The Schrems case led to a serious examination of the nature of the internet and the jurisdiction of the US National Security Authority (NSA) with European courts finding its activities should not extend to EU citizens.

In July 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) made a judgement that defined a strict interpretation of how the GDPR governs data transfers, finding the movement of user data from Facebooks Irish data centres to ones in the US was indeed captured by European regulation.

The tech giant was forced to remediate its data practices.

What the Irish Data Protection Authority has found in its latest inquiry is that Meta/Facebook has failed to adequately fix its data handling processes and that the US company did not address the risks to the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects.

Meta must stop transferring any European data to the US for five months.

Just over a year ago, leaked internal documents from Facebook showed concern that the company had lost control over its user data with the summary warning that Facebook does not have an adequate level of control and explainability over how our systems use data.

Metas head of global affairs Nick Clegg and chief legal officer Jennifer Newstead said Meta would appeal the fine.

We will appeal the ruling, including the unjustified and unnecessary fine, and seek a stay of the orders through the courts, they said in a statement.

Without the ability to transfer data across borders, the internet risks being carved up into national and regional silos, restricting the global economy and leaving citizens in different countries unable to access many of the shared services we have come to rely on.

Facebook  which became Meta in 2021  has long faced regulatory issues because of its handling of personal data.

In 2019, it copped a $7 billion fine from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for mishandling user data.

Australias Information Commissioner is also in the process of suing Meta for the Cambridge Analytica scandal that saw the data of more than 300,000 Australians scraped through a personality quiz.
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CHARLOTTE  alpitronic Americas LLC, a manufacturer of high-power electric vehicle charging stations, will create 300 new jobs in Mecklenburg County, Governor Roy Cooper announced today. The company will invest more than $18.3 million to locate its United States headquarters operation and service center in Charlotte.

Were grateful that alpitronic has decided to make their U.S. home right here in North Carolina, Governor Cooper said. Our state is developing a burgeoning e-mobility supply chain with the support of yet another clean energy company. Our favorable business climate, reliable transportation network, and skilled talent help global companies fuel their growth.

Founded in Bolzano, Italy in 2009, alpitronic is the developer and producer of the hypercharger, a high-power DC charging station, which recharges vehicles with up to 400kW. As a market leader in Europe, the company develops and manufactures proprietary hardware and creates its own software. In addition to its administrative operations, the alpitronic Americas headquarters will operate a technology, test, and repair center to service its EV charging stations within its 70,000-square-foot space.

Were excited to start our operations for the U.S. in Charlotte shortly, said Philipp Senoner, CEO of alpitronic srl. Our decision to come to North Carolina, a state which is developing towards an e-mobility cluster, was consciously made based on the economic conditions. Within the next years we expect strong growth of our business based on our reliable high-performance charging solution, which is contributing to the transition towards e-mobility for passenger vehicles and trucks.

Were experiencing incredible momentum in our journey toward a clean energy economy, said N.C. Commerce Secretary Machelle Baker Sanders. North Carolina ranks second in the southeastern United States for STEM graduates and has a leading research ecosystem that will continue to attract sustainability pioneers such as alpitronic to North Carolina.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce led the states efforts to support alpitronics location to North Carolina.

Salaries and payroll

Although salaries for the new positions will vary, the average annual salary for the new positions is $90,158. The average wage for Mecklenburg County average wage of $80,349. The project could create a potential annual payroll impact of more than $27 million per year for the region.

alptronicss project will be facilitated, in part, by a Job Development Investment Grant (JDIG) approved by the states Economic Investment Committee earlier today. Over the course of the 12-year term of this grant, the project is estimated to grow the states economy by $832 million. Using a formula that takes into account the new tax revenues generated by the new jobs, the JDIG agreement authorizes the potential reimbursement to the company of up to $2,327,250 spread over 12 years. State payments only occur following performance verification by the departments of Commerce and Revenue that the company has met its incremental job creation and investment targets. JDIG projects result in positive net tax revenue to the state treasury, even after taking into consideration the grants reimbursement payments to a given company.

Because alpitronic chose a site in Mecklenburg County, classified by the states economic tier system as Tier 3, the companys JDIG agreement also calls for moving $775,750 into the states Industrial Development Fund  Utility Account. The Utility Account helps rural communities across the state finance necessary infrastructure upgrades to attract future business.

This another outstanding win for Mecklenburg County and the state, said N.C. Senator DeAndrea Salvador. Our region is a leading center for diverse, tech talent and can undoubtedly offer alpitronic the world-class workforce they need to execute their growth strategy.

Were delighted to welcome alpitronic to our community, said N.C. Representative Mary Belk. Innovative companies locate their headquarters in Charlotte because they recognize the people of our region have the talent and drive to help businesses get a great return on their investment.

The recruiters

In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in the project include the North Carolina General Assembly, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, North Carolina Community College System, Central Piedmont Community College, Mecklenburg County, City of Charlotte and the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.
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It is still Fort Bragg.

But only until June 2.

Then North Carolinas mammoth U.S. Army base will become Fort Liberty.

Still, it will always be Fort Bragg in my memories.

My first experience in a racially integrated work situation was in ROTC summer camp at Fort Bragg in 1961. I was the product of a segregated secondary and college education.

It was different at Bragg. Not only were there many Black cadets in my company, but the regular Army lieutenant colonel in charge of us was Black. He was a wonderful leader.

I remember the welcome speech he gave on our first day. He gathered his cadets around. We were scared to death, and he told us the story of Fort Bragg, and how it came to be named for a military leader, a general in the Confederate army named Braxton Bragg. I thought many years later that he must have had to bite his tongue because Bragg had fought to keep Blacks in slavery.

Many of the Black cadets were potentially superior future officers. They prepared me, as the Army of the 1950s and 1960s prepared hundreds of thousands of other southern men, for the changes to come in civilian life in North Carolina.

I arrived at Fort Bragg as a White boy who had never gone to school with Blacks, never eaten in the same restaurant, never drunk at the same water fountain, never rode in the same section of a bus or a train  and put me right beside some of the best people I ever met (not all my same color). I was never the same.

When I left that summer, I dont want to say I was free of racism, but I was a changed person. I rejoiced in the diversity that Army life brought me and the great strength that came from mutual trust and respect. And I knew that the principal beneficiary of the opening of doors of opportunity was me.

If our nation is ever successful in completing its task of erasing racism, intolerance and injustice, the armed forces and particularly the Army and Fort Bragg must be given due credit.

The Army has led the way.

Like many other North Carolinians, I have spent other times at Fort Bragg, including almost two years when I was on active duty, living on Bragg Boulevard.

The most memorable time was on Thanksgiving weekend in 2002 when, as I wrote then, a little after midnight I picked up my son Grier at his Raleigh home, helped carry his heavy gear to my car, waited while he ran upstairs to tell his wife goodbye, get a look at his brand new daughter, and then began our drive to Fort Bragg for the beginning of his long journey to the other side of the world.

It was raining as we approached Fayetteville, turned off Business I-95, and then on to Bragg Boulevard, passed the house where I lived as a young Army officer, and then passed by the shopping centers, pawnshops, night spots, mobile home lots, car dealerships and the other strong marks of a military town.

Still under the heaviness of the rain, we came on the base, passing through security where my son returned the salute of the guard, a signal that we would soon arrive at the point of formation, where my son and his traveling companions would gather this early morning to begin their trip to Afghanistan.

I will be happy to call it Fort Liberty from now on, but I will always remember what Fort Bragg has meant for me.
DevSecOps platform GitLab has announced the launch of GitLab 16 with new DevSecOps platform-wide capabilities available to customers now.

The new GitLab 16 features provide a range of capabilities in security, compliance, artificial intelligence, and value stream analysis, all aimed at helping customers ship software faster.

The release brings great new features to customers now, while also setting a basis for more features to come through the year.

These features include:

Delivering AI-Powered Workflows

GitLab 16 brings to market an enterprise-grade, AI-powered DevSecOps platform with capabilities encompassing Code Suggestions, enabling users to write better code faster and more efficiently, as well as security testing and analysis, observability, and proactive vulnerability detection. GitLabs privacy-first approach ensures enterprises and highly-regulated organisations can remain confident their intellectual property stays within GitLabs infrastructure. Additional current AI-powered features include Suggested Reviewers, Explain This Code, Explain This Vulnerability and Value Stream Forecasting and upcoming features will include Refactor This Code and Resolve This Vulnerability.

Strengthening Software Supply Chain Security

GitLab empowers teams to balance speed and security by automating software delivery and securing customers end-to-end software supply chain. Enterprises can start, scale, and secure their software supply chains, gain complete visibility into their threat landscape, and establish policies to aid compliance adherence to deliver secure software faster. New and enhanced security features include enhanced centralised policy management, expanded compliance reports and controls, compliance dashboards, and default SLSA Level 3 attestations.

Meeting Complex Compliance and Regulatory Needs

GitLab Dedicated, which is planned to be generally available this summer, is a single-tenant software as a service (SaaS) solution, providing organisations within highly regulated industries or having stringent compliance requirements the benefits of an enterprise DevSecOps platform with a focus on data residency, isolation, and private networking.

Tailoring Custom Value Stream Management

Value Stream Management allows customers to visualise end-to-end DevSecOps workstreams, manage software development processes, and gain insight into how digital transformation and technology investments deliver value and drive business results. GitLabs Value Stream Analytics helps organisations visualise and manage the DevSecOps workflow from ideation to delivery, and the Value Stream Dashboard features an enterprise-wide view of DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) metrics, cycle times, and other key metrics like critical vulnerabilities and deployment frequency.

The current and upcoming updates to GitLab 16 reflect the industry demand for AI integrated with DevSecOps workflows and the need for organisations to ship secure software faster, according to GitLabs 7th annual Global DevSecOps Report, Security Without Sacrifices. The surveyfound that 65% of developers are using artificial intelligence and machine learning in testing efforts or plan to in the next three years. The report also found that security, efficiency, and automation were the top benefits of a DevSecOps platform. The new functionalities released with GitLab 16 enable organisations to leverage the power of AI to deliver software efficiently, without compromising security.

To learn more about GitLab's DevSecOps innovations, register for the company's GitLab 16 launch event here, featuring Mark Portofe, Director of Platform Engineering at CARFAX, June Yang, VP of Cloud AI and Industry Solutions at Google Cloud, Justin Farris, Senior Director of Product Management at GitLab, and Ashley Kramer, Chief Strategy Officer at GitLab.

GitLab 16 delivers the most comprehensive enterprise DevSecOps platform in the market with more AI-powered capabilities available to customers today than any other DevOps or DevSecOps platform," said GitLab chief product officer David DeSanto. This major milestone defines the next evolution of the AI-powered enterprise DevSecOps Platform, improving efficiency not just for developers but everyone in the organisation who contributes to delivering software. From providing stronger security and more reliable and scalable governance to enabling companies with a more complete view of their technology value streams, GitLab helps customers accelerate their digital transformation initiatives through every step of the software development lifecycle. This is why more than 50% of the Fortune 100 trust GitLab.
Cybercriminals will continue to innovate, finding new ways to attack businesses and critical infrastructure as a way of making money, according to security firm Darktrace in response to a new advisory warning posted by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC).

The ACSC issued a joint advisory with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on a change of criminal tactics by ransomware group BianLian, which isknown to have carried out attacks against Australian and US companies, as well as on providers of critical infrastructure in both nations.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has issued a joint advisory with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and pointing to comments by Liam Dermody, Director of Threat Analysis for Darktrace ANZ, on a change of criminal tactics by ransomware group BianLian.

In the joint advisory, the agencies state BianLian has moved from a ransomware model to one focused on data extortion. Instead of encrypting data and demanding a ransom to have it unlocked, BianLian now steals data and blackmails victims with threats to leak it.

According to the statement, the change in tactic was likely forced by the availability of a free BianLian ransomware decryptor, which was made available online earlier this year, and this decryptor effectively made BianLians previous ransomware tactics useless and forced it to pivot to new methods of extorting victims.

The effectiveness of this pivot to extortion for BianLian and groups like it is unclear, and the availability of tools like the decryptor calls into question the business model of cybercriminal organisations. If companies refuse to be blackmailed when their data is stolen, and with open access to online tools which can unlock encrypted data, its possible ransomware, and the criminal business model underpinning it, could become a thing of the past.

Whats certain, however, is cybercriminals will continue to innovate, finding new ways to attack businesses and critical infrastructure as a way of making money. Australian businesses cant afford to relax their cybersecurity posture, even though it appears one critical attack vector  ransomware  is on its way to being neutralised, Liam Dermody concluded
The Electric Vehicle Innovation Summit (EVIS) next week will bring together leading EV institutions and professionals to discuss the innovations, launch new products and services and explore the challenges and opportunities of this sector.

The event will take place in Abu Dhabi from May 29 to 31. As per the International Energy Agencys EV Outlook, the EV markets are seeing exponential growth as sales exceeded 10 million vehicles in 2022.

Some 14% of all new cars sold were electric in 2022, up from around 9% in 2021 and less than 5% in 2020. The Middle East region is one of the fastest-growing EV markets globally and there are many opportunities ahead for businesses and investors in this region to unlock.

Variety of topics

Eng Naser Albahri, EVIS Director, said: As we prepared for EVIS2030, we made sure that the events attendees will have the opportunity to learn about a variety of topics related to the electric vehicle industry, including the latest advances in battery tech, charging infrastructure, and vehicle specifications and design. In addition, the conference will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, and workshops that will provide a platform for global experts to share their insights and for attendees to connect with like-minded individuals from across the industry.

The summit will also explore the business opportunities of this sector in the Mena region and the challenges facing the industry, including financing, marketing, and supply chain management. Finally, speakers will cover the future of e-mobility, including autonomous vehicles, ride-sharing, and the intersection of transportation and urban planning.

One of the highlights of the summit will be the opportunity to see some of the latest electric vehicles and charging technologies on display, including innovative new designs, cutting-edge technology, and sustainable solutions that are transforming the industry, said Albahri.

EV adoption

The conference will give attendees the chance to discuss government policies and incentives, including policy frameworks, incentives, and partnerships to promote EV adoption. Sustainable transportation will also be a key topic, covering public transportation and urban planning.

Now in its second edition this year, EVIS has already become a must-attend event for seasoned professionals, EV global manufacturers, local investors, and everyone who wants to explore the electric vehicle industry. It offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn from experts, connect with peers, and gain insights into the future of sustainable transportation.

Arthi Srinivasan, Director of EV Charging Solutions at Powertech Mobility, said: The UAE is paving the way for Electric Mobility with its ambitious vision and we are excited to be a part of its journey while contributing to its sustainability goals. We have witnessed rapid growth over the past five years and expect it to continue as the EV market matures. The UAE already has a network of charging stations and with favourable policies and strategic initiatives continually being implemented by the government, we aim to support the nation to become a positive testament for the global energy transition.

A major contributor to sustainability, this years edition coincides with the UAEs announcement of 2023 as the UAE Sustainability Week and as the country is getting ready to host the climate change COP28 conference later this year.-- TradeArabia News Service
China's cyberspace regulator has said it will block sales of memory chips by American firm Micron Technology to operators of key infrastructure.

The ban came to light on Sunday, with the regulator saying Micron had failed a network security review, according to a Reuters report.

Micron chief financial officer Mark Murphy told a conference on Monday: "We are currently estimating a range of impact in the low single-digit percentage of our company's total revenue at the low end, and high single-digit percentage of total company revenue at the high end."

The US Commerce Department criticised the move as being inconsistent with China's assertions of opening up markets and being committed to a transparent regulatory framework, according to a report in the Global Times, a newspaper that reflects official Chinese opinion.

The Times quoted Chen Jia, a veteran macro economy observer, as saying that China's memory chip plants could now ensure stable supplies and product prices even if overseas companies quit the Chinese market.

"Nowadays, China's memory chip sector can achieve almost 100% localisation, while domestic companies only need to strengthen stability in certain high-end production lines," he was quoted as saying.

Chen pointed out that Micron earned about 11% of its annual global sales from China in 2022, down from a peak of about 60%.

Tech analyst Ma Jihua said the US has been citing national security in order to carry out various reviews of Chinese companies and adding them to its entity list. So the US "is not qualified" to say anything about China's review, he added.

"As Micron's market share in China is shrinking, whether South Korea and other foreign manufacturers will make up for the vacuum left by Micron in the Chinese chip market remains to be seen," Ma said.

About 30% of the domestic demand for memory chips is met by Chinese companies. Ma said if South Korean and US firms decided to withdraw from China, domestic firms could quickly meet demand.
The Irish unit of Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has been handed a 1.2 billion fine (A$1.95 billion) by the Irish Data Protection Authority over its transfers of personal data from the EU to the US since 16 July 2020.

This is the largest fine ever levied for a violation of the European Data Protection Regulation.

A statement from the European Data Protection Board said Meta had been ordered to bring its data transfers into compliance with the EDPR.

EDPB chair Andrea Jelinek said: The EDPB found that Meta IEs infringement is very serious since it concerns transfers that are systematic, repetitive and continuous.

"Facebook has millions of users in Europe, so the volume of personal data transferred is massive. The unprecedented fine is a strong signal to organisations that serious infringements have far-reaching consequences.

Last month, the EDPB told the Irish Data Protection Authority to amend its draft decision and impose a fine on Meta IE.

The statement said: "Given the seriousness of the infringement, the EDPB found that the starting point for calculation of the fine should be between 20% and 100% of the applicable legal maximum.

"The EDPB also instructed the IE DPA to order Meta IE to bring processing operations into compliance with Chapter V GDPR, by ceasing the unlawful processing, including storage, in the US of personal data of European users transferred in violation of the GDPR, within six months after notification of the IE SAs final decision."
iTWire spoke to Chris Fisher, the Director of Security Engineering APJ at Vectra AI. He told us how A.I. can help automate mundane security tasks to help your team focus on more-serious threats. He also provided advice regarding ransomware attacks and how to defend against the 'unknown threat' that may be within your own organisation.

He also explains how ChatGPT (et al) can be used by attackers to target organisations (and how to defend against it). Plus, the importance of all individuals (and the government) taking responsibility for defence against breaches... after all, it's not if, it's when.
GUEST OPINION: From the earliest days of the internet, spam has been a problem. Companies and individuals have bombarded the web with unnecessary and unhelpful content, messages, comments, and links, hoping to promote their own interests, even at the expense of user experience.

In response, Google has spent decades issuing new algorithm updates designed to fight against link spam and other forms of spam. While this has been excellent for the average user experience on the web, it has been challenging for search engine optimization (SEO) practitioners and digital marketers.

What can you do to win in Google's fight against link spam?

The War Against Link Spam

Over the years, Google has released countless algorithm updates designed to better detect low-quality and spammy links. The earliest updates were fairly rudimentary, targeting only the most egregious offenders. Now, algorithm updates are more sophisticated, sometimes targeting even somewhat innocuous links.

In December 2022, Google released a new algorithm update  SpamBrain, an AI-based spam prevention system. In their own words, Links obtained primarily for artificial manipulation of Search rankings are link spam. Our algorithms and manual actions aim to nullify these unnatural links at scale, and we will continue to improve our coverage. SpamBrain is the latest rollout in this pursuit.

Caught in the Crossfire

Anyone who practices SEO understands that links are a practical necessity for your strategy to work. Links pass authority to your website, making it more trustworthy and authoritative  and ultimately helping it rank higher in search engines. Unfortunately, links can be hard to come by, so you need to be creative with your link-building approach.

If your links aren't perfectly appropriate or deemed valuable for user experience, they're going to end up caught in the crossfire. So what can you do to prevent this?

How to Win in Google's Fight Against Link Spam

These strategies can help you win in Google's fight against link spam.

Hire a reputable SEO agency . It's becoming increasingly difficult to manage SEO entirely on your own. If you want to engage in better, more reliable link-building practices, consider hiring a reputable SEO agency. A Columbus SEO agency could help you pinpoint the weaknesses of your strategy, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately support you in building a superior link profile.

. It's becoming increasingly difficult to manage SEO entirely on your own. If you want to engage in better, more reliable link-building practices, consider hiring a reputable SEO agency. A Columbus SEO agency could help you pinpoint the weaknesses of your strategy, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately support you in building a superior link profile. Prioritize authoritative domains . Links from truly authoritative domains are unlikely to be flagged as spam due to the trustworthiness of those websites. While earning links from very authoritative sources is challenging, especially as a newcomer, it's your best bet to avoid getting flagged as spam.

. Links from truly authoritative domains are unlikely to be flagged as spam due to the trustworthiness of those websites. While earning links from very authoritative sources is challenging, especially as a newcomer, it's your best bet to avoid getting flagged as spam. Choose relevant publishers . You should also prioritize relevant publishers  in other words, publishers that are aligned with your industry or topics that are relevant to your brand. We don't know exactly how Google's link spam algorithm works, but we know that topical relevance is an important consideration.

. You should also prioritize relevant publishers  in other words, publishers that are aligned with your industry or topics that are relevant to your brand. We don't know exactly how Google's link spam algorithm works, but we know that topical relevance is an important consideration. Write original content . Low-quality, fluffy content isnt going to cut it anymore. Whether you're developing strong onsite posts to support your link-building campaign or offsite posts meant to house your links, it's important that all of your work is completely original. Aim to become a thought leader in your industry.

. Low-quality, fluffy content isnt going to cut it anymore. Whether you're developing strong onsite posts to support your link-building campaign or offsite posts meant to house your links, it's important that all of your work is completely original. Aim to become a thought leader in your industry. Cater to audience demands . You can also see better results by catering to audience demands. Google's ultimate goal is to provide users with the best experience possible, so if your content genuinely serves their needs and does so with skill and integrity, you're not going to be flagged as spam. This can be tricky since it's not always easy to predict what users want or need.

. You can also see better results by catering to audience demands. Google's ultimate goal is to provide users with the best experience possible, so if your content genuinely serves their needs and does so with skill and integrity, you're not going to be flagged as spam. This can be tricky since it's not always easy to predict what users want or need. Be cautious with anchor text. Historically, optimizing anchor text has been a reliable way to increase your relevance for specific keywords relevant to your strategy. However, if your anchor text is viewed as unnatural or irrelevant, it's going to raise a red flag. Consider abandoning keyword-specific anchor text in favour of more natural anchor text.

Historically, optimizing anchor text has been a reliable way to increase your relevance for specific keywords relevant to your strategy. However, if your anchor text is viewed as unnatural or irrelevant, it's going to raise a red flag. Consider abandoning keyword-specific anchor text in favour of more natural anchor text. Diversify your link portfolio . Support your strategy further by diversifying your link portfolio, much like you would diversify an investment portfolio. Try to earn links from many different sources and have them point to many different interior pages of your website. Building the same types of links over and over is asking for trouble.

. Support your strategy further by diversifying your link portfolio, much like you would diversify an investment portfolio. Try to earn links from many different sources and have them point to many different interior pages of your website. Building the same types of links over and over is asking for trouble. Naturally, earn more links. Finally, remember that building links are only part of the equation. You should also work to earn more links naturally. To do this, produce the best possible onsite content you can and promote it aggressively across many different channels.

Link spam is never going to go away entirely, and Google is never going to stop waging this war. If you want to remain in good standing with Google while simultaneously promoting your website and building your authority, you need to be able to accommodate these changes and adapt your strategy.
GUEST OPINION: Startups in the Software as a Service and Technology industries have been major adopters of the .io TLD. This top-level domain (TLD) is generally associated with the British Indian Ocean Territory, which consists of the seven atolls that make up the Chagos Archipelago, south of India, and the Diego Garcia atoll, where a US military post is located. Even though it has ccTLD roots, the .io domain has become increasingly popular in recent years. In the realm of technology, .io is the most recognized TLD.

If you would like to buy a .io domain but want to find out more about them first, then you've come to the right place! Let's start by answering a basic question: what is a .io domain?

Understanding .io Sites

In 1998, Levi Strauss was one of the first companies to register a .io website for reasons other than to represent a specific geographic location. Levi's has always been at the forefront of innovative marketing strategies, and their success is undeniable.

.io is the internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Despite this, the .io name was never meant to be restricted to a single country. This is due to the fact that the BIOT only serves as a temporary home to US military personnel and UK government officials.

This top-level domain (TLD) is open to all users. Most .io websites have nothing to do with the country in which they are hosted, and anyone can register a .io site name. Furthermore, the majority of internet users have no idea that the .io extension has any sort of national significance.

Why Is it Popular Among Tech Companies?

There are many reasons why tech startups seem to prefer .io names. Some of these reasons are:

.io Is Easily Applicable to Tech

Since "IO" is an abbreviation for "input/output," which describes how computers (and other information systems) interact with the outside world, it's no surprise that IT organizations are drawn to this domain extension.

As a result, if you use a .io domain name, people will recognize right away that your company is associated with tech. The TLD is also linked to the worlds of eSports and digital money, and as more tech companies adopt it, more people will make the connection.

They Are a Popular Domain Hack

If you want people to remember your website's URL, you can "domain hack" it by making the site name a part of the brand name. This could be a good fit for your brand and is easy for customers to remember.

If your company name already includes an io-ending word, the .io domain extension is a great choice. You may create an address that ends in rad.io for a radio station or stud.io for a recording studio.

These Are More Common

The majority of desirable .com names have already been taken since they are so widespread. It may be necessary to rebrand your company or pay a hefty sum to the current owner of the desired .com webpage.

The likelihood that the name you want is available and at a reasonable price on a .io website is far higher than it is with a .com, despite the fact that .io pages have become increasingly popular in recent years. Because of this, you can maintain your current brand image.

No Extra Requirements Necessary

Many ccTLDs are restricted to users based in or affiliated with that nation. However, some, such as .io, are free from such constraints. A .io name registration doesn't necessitate physical presence in British Indian Ocean Territory.

Websites ending in .io must be between three and sixty-three characters long and can only consist of letters, numbers, and hyphens. In addition, study the stipulations of the agreement you'll be entering into with the domain registrar.

Google Treats Them as Generic TLDs

Some ccTLDs are viewed as being country-specific by Google and other search engines. That's why you won't see as many results for websites utilizing them in Google's global search. Fortunately, Google doesn't penalize .io sites in this way.

Your site will show up in the search results for users all over the world who are looking for your business (or relevant terms) even though technically, .io is a ccTLD designed to be used only by persons in British Indian Ocean Territory.

Conclusion

Although .io sites have been particularly associated with the tech industry, any type of organization can take advantage of their widespread availability. Now that you know the answer to "What is a .io website?" give it a chance to scale up your business!
Performing arts group Opera Queensland has partnered with technology companies Cisco and Data#3 to launch the Singing Queensland program, bringing pitch-perfect opera to classrooms via interactive technology.

Opera Queensland CEO and artistic director Patrick Nolan said the groups mission is to bring communities together through stories and song.

Queensland is our stage and this collaboration between three companies devoted to excellence enables us to deliver on our commitment to take music and storytelling to the most remote communities across all of Queensland.

This is a very exciting opportunity combining a traditional art form with the very best of modern innovation. Through Data#3 and Ciscos engineering expertise and continued technical support, we will be able to deliver more inclusive and diverse opera experiences, Nolan added.

Cisco Queensland regional manager Terry Weber said the partnership with Data#3 will link the most remote Queensland communities to the arts.

"I've experienced first-hand the magic of seeing a world-class opera performance in a rural setting, and we're excited to be a part of bringing the joy of music and the arts to stages, schools and screens - no matter the location.

It has been an absolute pleasure working with Opera Queensland, and we look forward to continuing our work in harnessing the power of people and technology for a better future, said Data#3 general manager Queensland Ray Merlano.

Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said Opera Queensland is leading the way in demonstrating how the harnessing of digital tools can enhance community engagement with high quality arts and deliver positive social, cultural and education outcomes.

This new partnership, piloted here in Longreach, will provide Queenslands regional communities with high-quality connectivity and arts experiences to enhance young Queenslanders access to the work of our state opera company, Minister Enoch said.

The global stage of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games will present a once in a lifetime opportunity to showcase the states world class arts and cultural talent and experiences and innovative digital arts engagement activities like those being launched today.

Longreach Regional Council Mayor Tony Rayner said The Festival of Outback Opera had been a huge success with Longreach locals and tourists.

Our outback town may be small in size but we are big in spirit, said Mayor Rayner.

Our town's passion for Opera has been ignited and we are thrilled to be the beneficiaries of this magnificent program, Rayner concluded.
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 Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg tried to bring equity to car safety tests by proposing that we spend twenty million taxpayer dollars to build female car crash dummies. Here's another idea. Why don't we just save twenty million dollars and have the male crash dummies identify as female.

 Budweiser gave out free kegs of Bud Light and twenty-dollar rebates for twenty-dollar cases of Bud Light as a peace offering last week. Bud Light's transgender model Dylan Mulvaney took another principled stand for transgender rights. Mulvaney just filed suit against the GPS for advising to go straight.

 CBS News aired a report on the economic problems facing Los Angeles which says the homeless crisis, high crime rates, population exodus and weak job creation could leave the city sinking in the future. The economy is so bad in L.A. that women are marrying guys for love. That's how bad it's gotten.

 President Biden left the G-7 Summit in Japan after enlisting Allied support to cut back on trade with China and develop tech self-reliance. We run out of money in exactly one week. The CIA just uncovered a diabolical Chinese plot to just sit back and enjoy watching the collapse of the United States.

 The Durham Report was released prompting Congress to probe the FBI. It reveals that Trump was framed by the FBI on a phony dossier paid for by Hillary and that Obama and Bisden knew about it. At this rate, the only ones NOT involved in the Russia/Trump collusion hoax were Russia and Trump.

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 CNN's Town Hall with Trump backfired as CNN ratings fell to fourth behind Newsmax, a week after drawing huge ratings with Trump's beat down of the CNN narrative. It illustrates our morbid fascination with violence. Donald Trump murdered CNN on live TV and you all just sat there watching.

 Chicago's new Mayor Brandon Johnson lectured reporters not to stigmatize gangs and defended teenage rioters and looters, adding that it's wrong to stigmatize them. Reality is becoming folklore. If you hold a slice of Chicago Pizza up to your ear, you can hear the faint sound of gunfire in the distance.

 Restaurant News reports high labor costs are hitting fast food restaurants hard. The first ever Chick-Fil-A restaurant closed its doors forever on Saturday. Nearby residents are being trained on how to use the calendar app on their phones so they won't suddenly think that every day is Sunday.

 Ron DeSantis is reportedly set announce for he's running president this week. He polls at twenty percent, forty behind Trump, with the other six GOP candidates less than three percent. If Disney made a movie about the Republican presidential field they would call it Mighty Whitey and the Seven Dwarves.

 Psychology Today published a study revealing how your associations with your phone and social media can offer you insights into your personality, particularly in how you engage with other people online. Someone circulated a rumor on Facebook that I'm schizophrenic. Well, three can play that game.

(COMMENT, BELOW)
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MOSCOW (AP)  A Russian court on Tuesday extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months, Russian news agencies reported.

Gershkovich, an American citizen, was ordered held until Aug. 30. He had been arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges.

Tuesday's court hearing wasn't announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy.

Russian authorities haven't detailed what  if any  evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges. Various legal proceedings have been closed to the media, and no details immediately emerged about whether Gershkovich or U.S. Embassy representatives attended Tuesday's hearing or what was said. Tass said the session was closed because the reporter was accused of possession of "secret materials."

Gershkovich is the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges, and his arrest rattled journalists in the country and drew outrage in the West.

The U.S. government has declared Gershkovich to be "wrongfully detained" and demanded his immediate release. He's being held in Moscow's Lefortovo prison. U.S. Embassy officials were allowed at least one prison visit to Gershkovich since his arrest in Yekaterinburg on March 29, but Russian authorities have denied permission for other visits.

Photos: US journalist Evan Gershkovich detained in Russia
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Thomasville police have arrested a 14-year-old in connection with a Thursday shooting at a home on Johnia Court that resulted in the death of Jeremy Dallas Redwine Jr., a 15-year-old boy.

Police said that the 14-year-old was charged with possession of a stolen firearm, and that additional charges are pending. Police said the firearm was stolen in Winston-Salem. The juvenile suspect was taken into custody and is being held at the Alexander Juvenile Detention Center in Taylorsville.

Redwines aunt said Tuesday that her nephew had a troubled childhood, but was growing into a charismatic young man who cared about other people.

He was very rambunctious, Dallas Redwines aunt said. He loved animals and he loved to be outside. He was a typical boy: He loved fishing, dirt bikes, four-wheelers and loved to play video games.

For several years starting in 2019, Dallas lived with Amber Redwine and her husband Will, and during that time enjoyed training in boxing with Will Redwine in a local gym. Last summer, she said, Dallas went to go live with Kimberly Redwine, his second cousin, who was his caregiver at the time that he died.

Amber Redwine said Dallas came to live with her just as she had a newborn baby.

He loved our children, she said

WGHP/Fox 8, the newsgathering partner of the Journal, reported that a homeowner at the place where the shooting occurred said the shooting took place while some teens were playing with a gun, and that the 14-year-old accidentally fired the gun, injuring Redwine.

Police have not confirmed that account, but did say that around 11 a.m. Thursday they found Redwine in the front bedroom of a house in the 100 block of Johnia Court with a gunshot wound to the head.

Redwine was airlifted to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist after initial treatment at Thomasville Medical Center. The teenager died on Friday.

Amber Redwine said that the expected funeral and burial costs are also hard on the family, and are grateful that a family friend has set up a GoFundMe page to offset funeral and burial costs.

Angel Burgess, who started the effort, called Redwine "a strong, spunky, energetic, spitfire mama's boy who was just learning who he wanted to be in life." She went on to say that Redwine had overcome obstacles and was "taken from us before he ever had the chance to truly live."

The family made the decision to have Dallas become an organ donor in death, Amber Redwine said.

We made the decision to let him live on through other people, she said. He saved five people with his organ donations. That was something good that came from a very tragic situation.

By 6:30 p.m., the fundraising effort had raised about $1,200 toward a $10,000 goal.
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In October 2020, three of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police Department's 26 sworn officers were officers of color, including one Hispanic patrolman and two Black officers.

The Nebraska State Patrol fared even worse, with six Black troopers and seven Hispanic troopers on a force of 434 sworn law enforcement agents.

On a force of 82 sworn deputies, the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office employed three deputies of color.

And 1.7% of Lincoln Police Department officers were Black, while another 4.2% were Hispanic  a partial reflection of the community, but not a complete one.

If I were to give ourselves a grade, were definitely not getting an A, Lincoln Police's Jason Stille said then. We need to do better. We have definite room to grow.

Facing calls for reform in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder at the hands of white police officers in Minneapolis, local police officials vowed to do better while lamenting the challenges of recruiting anyone  much less people of color  to an increasingly unpopular profession.

Nearly three years after Floyd's murder and the racial reckoning that followed, the four major law enforcement agencies that police parts of Lincoln largely tout more racially diverse ranks than they did in 2020, but those forces have shrunk while agencies struggle to recruit Black law enforcement officers at the same pace as other races, according to recent staffing data.

When you talk about diversity in law enforcement, were never gonna arrive," said Col. John Bolduc, head of the Nebraska State Patrol. "Were never gonna sit back and say, OK, weve done that. Its constantly gonna be a work (in progress).

(But) right now, recruiting anybody is a challenge. So were really working hard to get quality men and women into law enforcement and into our agency specifically. Theres a lot of headwinds that were facing.

The four agencies  including the State Patrol, UNLPD, the sheriff's office and Lincoln Police Department  have launched various new recruiting strategies over the past three years, and three of the four agencies employ more officers of color now than they did in 2020.

But three of the four agencies also employ fewer sworn officers in general than they did three years ago  a reflection of the tough recruiting market that local law enforcement leaders pinned to various degrees on Nebraska's economy, a rash of retirements and the profession's self-inflicted hits to its reputation, which some leaders, including Bolduc, suggested had been overrepresented in the media.

The increased focus on diversity coupled with a shrinking crop of qualified candidates have forced Nebraska law enforcement agencies to strike their own balance between recruiting officers of color and recruiting officers at all.

We just have to keep our eye on the ball. And not sacrifice  its not an either-or situation. Its kind of an either-and," Bolduc said. "Its like, we have to recruit numbers, but we have to be intentional about diversity.

"We can do both at the same time. Im convinced of that. And I think our results are proving that."

That balance, though, looks different for each agency.

Sheriff Terry Wagner, who has been the top law enforcement official in Lancaster County since 1994, described his priority list differently.

Our priority is just to get bodies in the door," he said. "It would be nice to have minority applicants  and we have had some  and then once we get them in the door, theyve got to test, theyve got to pass the test, theyve got to qualify  theyve got to be a qualified applicant, so there are a lot of factors involved.

A diversifying field

In the years since 2020, three local police agencies  with Wagner's sheriff's office being the exception  have increased the number of minority officers in their ranks in gains that have largely been made through hiring Hispanic and Asian recruits, according to agency staffing data.

The State Patrol  which in 2020 employed 17 troopers of color on a force of 434 troopers  now employs 23 troopers of color despite a slimmer staff of 415 total, according to data provided by the patrol. Fourteen percent of the agency's recruits since 2020 have been from racial minority groups.

So were improving," Bolduc said. "But we still have work to do.

The colonel attributed his agency's modest gains to an initiative introduced in 2021 that provided a 2.5% pay bump for bilingual troopers that Bolduc said has helped the patrol recruit Hispanic troopers in particular.

The results have been tangible. The State Patrol has added four Hispanic troopers to its ranks since 2020, when the agency employed seven Hispanic troopers  a 57% increase in less than three full years.

For Bolduc, the addition of four troopers is both a point of pride and shame. But he hopes the upward momentum is self-fulfilling.

We hired our first Hispanic female I think four years ago," he said. "I mean, weve been around for 85 years, and the fact that we only just hired our first Hispanic female is disappointing, but weve hired several since then.

"So who better to recruit Hispanic females than a Hispanic female trooper? Who better to recruit Black troopers than a Black trooper?

Diversity underrepresentation in policing Data gathered from October 2022 to May 2023 from nearly 120 law enforcement agencies in 14 states shows frequent disparity in the racial and ethnic makeup of the agencies compared to the communities they are hired to protect and serve.

Data gathered from October 2022 to May 2023 from nearly 120 law enforcement agencies in 14 states shows frequent disparity in the racial and ethnic makeup of the agencies compared to the communities they are hired to protect and serve.

In Lincoln  where about 78% of residents are white, 4% are Black, 4.6% are Asian and 8% are Hispanic or Latinx  progress has charted a similar path.

The Lincoln Police Department has added seven officers of color to its ranks over the past three years, a feat that has come despite recruitment and retention challenges that have left the agency increasingly reliant on overtime and 30 officers short of its authorized strength.

The department has made most of its gains in diversity through the hiring of four Asian officers and the addition of five mixed-race officers, according to department data. It's unclear if all five of the mixed-race officers have been hired since 2020 or if some were previously counted as one race.

In 2020, minority officers accounted for 7.8% of the department's sworn workforce. Now, officers of color represent 10.4% of LPD's ranks.

But you should never rest on that," Police Chief Teresa Ewins said. "Because its not about whether  the medias gonna ask me questions. Its about how diverse of a department we should be. And the sky is the limit.

"We need to represent the communities that live here, and I think thats exactly what were trying to do. So as much as Id like to say, This is great. Were being successful in recruitment. I also want to (say)  there is no limit.

Across the hall at Lincoln's Hall of Justice  the downtown building LPD shares with the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office  signs of progress are harder to find.

The sheriff's office, which touts a force of 82 sworn deputies, employs the same number of minority deputies now as it did in 2020: three.

"Its a constant battle; it really is," Wagner said. "Its something that we are constantly aware of; its something that we try to make inroads of and, once we get them in the door here to apply, theyve got to show up to tests, theyve got to pass the tests, they have to pass the background  everybody does."

The sheriff's office has contracted with a marketing firm over the past two years in an effort to boost recruiting, but that effort is not specifically focused on recruiting deputies of color, Wagner said.

But he said he hopes that applicants of color know there's a place for them at his agency, which is more than 96% white.

"I would like to think any minority applicant would know that theyve got as good a chance at becoming a Lancaster County deputy sheriff as anybody else, and they do," he added. "As long as theyre a qualified applicant and they pass and meet standards, theyve got as good a shot as anybody."

And when they get sworn in, theyre a Lancaster County deputy sheriff. It doesnt matter whether theyre white, purple, blue or Black. Its  were glad to have them.

UNLPD employs two more officers of color than it did in 2020, a modest increase, but one that represents nearly 8% of the department's sworn staff of 26.

Five of the agency's sworn officers are members of racial minority groups, a cohort that includes Police Chief Hassan Ramzah, who is Black, and who said that matching the racial makeup of the university is an organizational goal for his department, but not one that will be easy to meet.

"And so I always say thats a work in progress. Because theres  right now, across the country, there are a number of departments that are struggling with finding applicants and qualified police officers to join agencies.

In Nebraska, its no different.

'Its like whack-a-mole'

UNL's police department is the only Lincoln-based law enforcement agency that hasn't unintentionally downsized over the past three years.

During that time, recruiting challenges and a rash of retirements have combined to create a "perfectly bad" recipe for growth in law enforcement, said Bolduc, who has led the State Patrol since 2017.

The State Patrol has 19 fewer troopers now than it did in 2020.

The county sheriff's office has two fewer deputies than it did then and is four deputies short of its hiring capacity.

The Lincoln Police Department has 20 fewer officers than it did in 2020 and is 30 short of its authorized strength.

And UNLPD is stuck at 26 sworn officers  exactly where it was in October 2020, but five short of full capacity.

The shortfall of qualified candidates has left police leaders across the country trying to balance the importance of employing a diverse workforce and employing a full workforce.

When it comes down to filling spots, they would rather fill the spot," said Connie Morris, a criminal justice professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice who spent 25 years as a police officer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, before retiring in 2015.

But neither filling police forces to capacity nor meeting desired diversity goals have seemed possible for any local agency.

The result has been a juggling act of sorts of local law enforcement leaders, reallocating investigators from specialized units to keep up with call-for-service demand and, in the case of Lancaster County, utilizing court security staff to fill shifts.

"Its like whack-a-mole," Wagner said. "It really is.

And though most local agencies have found success in adding Hispanic, Asian and mixed-raced officers, they have struggled to hire Black officers in particular.

The State Patrol has added one Black trooper in the past three years. The Lincoln Police Department is down to three Black officers from six in 2020.

UNLPD has remained steady, with two Black officers among its ranks. And the sheriff's office employs one fewer Black deputy than the two it had on its payroll in 2020.

"One in a white department is kind of a lonely place," said Morris, the criminal justice professor.

Law enforcement's inability to recruit Black officers in particular is an effect that, for some leaders, lacks an articulated cause.

Bolduc acknowledged that the profession "has been our own worst enemy in some cases," but pinned much of the blame on the intense focus on such cases in the media, as well as the "negative rhetoric" surrounding policing hurled from pundits and politicians.

For Ramzah, the cause is mostly rooted in the demographics of Nebraska, where only 5.3% of residents are Black.

Theres just too few candidates to choose from," he said. "Understanding the whys is really, really hard."

Wagner, meanwhile, placed much of the blame on the Black community itself:

"Well, you know Ive told minority community leaders that they need to be more supportive of members of their community that enter a traditionally white profession," he said. "What Ive seen in the past are minority members of our agency are ostracized by their communities. So it makes it real difficult for them.

But for Ewins, who has led Lincoln's police department since September 2021 after 25 years in the San Francisco Police Department, the rationale is so obvious it hardly needs to be spoken, she said.

"I mean, do I really need to say it? I mean, it is  and Ive actually said it before  it is difficult to (recruit) because the Black community does not trust law enforcement. And we need to build that trust," she said, before referring to the February police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee  the latest high-profile incident in a growing list of such killings.

"And so its really, unfortunately, that simple, is that once again we have to mend that relationship because of what people see on TV and what the reality is in some places.

"Its just not Lincoln.
Emirates Water and Electricity Company (Ewec), a leading company in the integrated coordination of planning, purchasing, and supply of water and electricity across the UAE, and Zero Two, a leading digital assets infrastructure development company based in Abu Dhabi, have jointly announced the largest single purchase of Clean Energy Certificates (CECs) to date, covering 7.3 million megawatt hours of clean energy.

The CECs were purchased through Ewecs auction process and represent not only the largest ever single CECs purchase to date but also the first in the digital assets infrastructure sector.

Under the purchase agreement, Ewec will provide Zero Two with clean energy certificates to decarbonise its operations and support the companys progress against sustainability objectives.

"Our clean energy transaction with Zero Two provides Ewec with a unique opportunity to further accelerate the countrys energy transition and decarbonisation of industries in line with the UAE Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative," stated Ewec CEO Othman Al Ali after signing the purchase agreement with Zero Two CEO Ahmed Al Hameli.

"The first-of-its-kind transaction in the digital assets infrastructure sector, which also constitutes the largest ever single CECs purchase to date, demonstrates both Ewecs and Zero Twos commitment to supporting the nations sustainability and environmental agenda and is an example of the practical and tangible steps UAE entities can take to decarbonise their operations and address the pressing challenge of climate change," he added.

Al Hameli said the purchase of Ewec's CECs demonstrates the group's dedication to sustainability and commitment to decarbonising our digital assets infrastructure.

"Operating our assets with clean energy enables us to support Abu Dhabis transformation into a sustainable economic powerhouse while also contributing to the UAEs long-term vision of a net zero future," he noted.

Zero Two collaborates with leading entities in the energy and utilities sector, digital assets sector as well as some government institutions. The company aims to lead the growth of the digital assets and Web3 ecosystem in Abu Dhabi and the region by investing in and adopting cutting-edge technologies.

Francois Brice, Fuel & Commercial Executive Director at Ewec, said: "We are proud to be supplying Zero Two with clean energy, enabling them to achieve their sustainability objectives by supporting the decarbonisation of their digital asset infrastructure."

"The CEC scheme is enabling organisations from a variety of sectors and industries to actively contribute to a sustainable future, and we encourage other entities across the UAE to participate in our upcoming auctions," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
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While senators were debating the bill, two people  a 24-year-old from Omaha and a 36-year-old from Lincoln  threw objects over the balcony onto the floor of the Legislature. Both were arrested on suspicion of obstructing a government operation and disturbing the peace.

Another person  a 25-year-old from Lincoln  was yelling repeatedly and refused law enforcement orders to leave the balcony. They were arrested on suspicion of disturbing the peace and trespassing.

The Legislature's presiding officer, Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, then ordered the balconies to be cleared for the remainder of debate. One woman  a 56-year-old from Seward  refused to leave and was arrested on suspicion of disobeying a lawful order.

Then at about 3:25 p.m., a State Patrol trooper observed a person intentionally preventing a sergeant-at-arms from opening a door at the back of the legislative chamber. The trooper told the man to leave the area, and after he did not comply the trooper attempted to arrest him. The man  a 40-year-old from Lincoln  resisted and was eventually arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest and trespassing.

As troopers were attempting to take the man into custody, a woman  a 33-year-old from Lincoln  approached and tried to push past another trooper. The trooper held her back, at which point she punched the trooper in the chest. She was then arrested on suspicion of obstructing a peace officer.

All six were lodged in the Lancaster County Jail.

After the arrests, 33 senators voted to shut off a filibuster and send the bill (LB754) that prompted Friday's protests to Republican Gov. Jim Pillen for his signature.

In a tweet Friday afternoon, Pillen thanked the Capitol Security troopers for "keeping our senators, legislative staff members, and our citizenry safe while they gathered to exercise their First Amendment rights."

And in a statement following the bill's passing, Pillen said the bill would allow trans youth in Nebraska to "grow and explore who they are" without first making "irreversible decisions that should be made when they are fully grown."

Because the bill has an emergency clause attached, LB574 will become law a day after Pillen signs it.

When it does, gender-affirming surgeries for individuals under 19 would be outlawed in Nebraska, and the Department of Health and Human Services would be required to develop regulations for puberty blockers and hormone therapy.

As amended earlier this week, the bill also bans abortions after 12 weeks gestational age, which is marked from a woman's last menstrual period. That's about 10 weeks after fertilization.

Opponents raised concerns about the lack of exceptions for fetal anomalies, and that the amendment did not remove criminal penalties for abortion from state statute.

Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair, the chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, told Sen. Merv Riepe of Ralston, who raised those concerns, that he would work to remove those criminal penalties in a future legislative session.

An amendment from Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont would have changed 12 weeks gestational age to 12 weeks post fertilization and added "fetal anomalies incompatible with life" to the bill. But that amendment was not considered on Friday.

Photos and video: Scene at Nebraska Capitol as lawmakers debate LB574 for final time
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Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed, which just finished a physical expansion, will also be growing its collection of auto racing items.

The museum announced Friday that it is merging with the Unser Racing Museum based in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The Unser family is one of the most storied families in automotive and racing history, Carson Smith, director of the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed, said in a news release. Weve had racing partnerships with members of the Unser family for over 38 years and are honored to welcome the Unser collection to our museum.

The Albuquerque Journal reported that the Unser museums last day is May 29. Its not clear exactly when its collection will move to Lincoln and become available for viewing.

The collection includes more than 40 race, pace and Pikes Peak cars original racing art, trophies and memorabilia belonging to the Unser family, which is one of Americas best-known Indy Car racing families.

Al Unser Sr. won the Indianapolis 500 race four times, and his brother Bobby won it three times. Al Unser Jr. won the race twice.

Al Unser Sr. and Bobby Unser both died in 2021, and Unser Racing Museum spokesman Bob Brown told the Albuquerque newspaper that relocation of the familys collection had been discussed before Al Unser Sr.s death.

That didnt stop Albuquerque officials from trying to keep the museum from leaving, though.

According to the Journal, the Albuquerque City Council voted to include $4 million for the Unser Museum in a general obligation bond package that will go before voters this fall.

Brown told the newspaper that the move to Lincoln will give more room to display the Unser collection and also will make it available to more visitors.

The Unser museum, which opened in 2005, has 20,000 square feet of space and averages 20,000 visitors a year. Speedways museum now has 240,000 square feet of space after its expansion and averages 100,000 visitors a year. It also was named the No. 1 best attraction for car lovers by USA Today earlier this year.

In motorsports, the Unser name is recognized worldwide, and we believe merging with the No. 1 nationally ranked Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed will provide not only a larger national, but also international, platform for this collection of the Unsers iconic racing legacy, Susan Unser, speaking on behalf of the Board of the Unser Racing Museum, said in the news release. Susan Unser is the widow of Al Unser Sr. and the mother of Al Unser Jr.

In Lincoln, the Unser collection will join a number of Unser-related vehicles already owned by Speedway, including the Johnny Lightning Special and Viceroy VPJ Special driven by Al Unser Sr. and the 1971 Gurney Eagle driven by Bobby Unser.

Photos: Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Indy cars, 5.23 Indy cars, 5.23 Indy cars, 5.23 Indy cars, 5.23 Indy cars, 5.23 Indy cars, 5.23

Photos: Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Museum of American Speed, 3.26 Indy cars, 5.23 Indy cars, 5.23 Indy cars, 5.23 Indy cars, 5.23 Indy cars, 5.23 Indy cars, 5.23
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FREMONT  A Fremont man, who stabbed to death a 4-month-old baby in January 2021, was ruled a danger to himself and society during a court hearing last week.

Dodge County District Court Judge Geoffrey Hall agreed with a risk assessment done by state criminal psychologist Jennifer Cimpl-Bohn, who said there is a high risk Alexander Hernandez could be violent in the future.

She recommended he be admitted to the Lincoln Regional Center, a secure, prison-like psychiatric hospital, for inpatient psychiatric treatment.

Hernandez, 21, will first undergo a 90-day mental illness assessment before doctors are expected to develop a treatment plan for him.

He has been incarcerated in the Saunders County Jail after being arrested in the death of the infant on Jan. 8, 2021. The baby was being cared for by Hernandezs parents while her own parents were seeking treatment for substance abuse issues.

The death of the infant came, according to testimony from Hernandezs parents in February, after their son suffered six to eight months of severe mental health decline they said was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On May 17, Hernandez appeared in a third-floor courtroom clad in an orange jumpsuit with his hands securely locked to his hips with both a chain around his waist and handcuffs on each wrist.

Cimpl-Bohn, who has been a psychologist with the Lincoln Regional Center for more than 14 years, presented her assessment to the court via telephone testimony.

Cimpl-Bohn said Hernandez still suffers from schizo-affective disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and offered a new diagnosis not reported in past testimony: that Hernandez also suffered from cannabis abuse disorder.

(Hernandez) was psychotic at the time of the (infants) death. At the time, he suffered from command auditory and hallucinatory delusions and feared death from the FBI or cartel figures, Cimpl-Bohn said. (He) said he had a significant history of cannabis use.

Cimpl-Bohn also testified that Hernandez had admitted to her he had an extensive and years-long personal history of illegal substance use, including having taken cocaine, LSD and smoked cannabis daily since he was an early teen. She said he claimed to binge drink alcohol on weekends, but had stopped using marijuana six months before he killed his cousin.

At that time, (Hernandez) said he realized the marijuana use was exacerbating his hallucinations, Cimpl-Bohn added, in explaining why he had stopped using the drug in the summer of 2020.

In the more than two years Hernandez has been jailed, Cimpl-Bohn said weekly therapy sessions as well as a medication plan have helped Hernandez improve his mental health, but he still suffers from delusions, hallucinations and had reportedly planned to possibly kill his cellmate in February.

Cimpl-Bohn said factors she used to determine Hernandez was a danger included that he had stabbed to death a helpless infant; his admitted addiction to cannabis and other substance abuse; a lack of education due to severe truancy during his high school years; psychosis that led to violent ideations and thoughts; as well as a very limited understanding of mental illness or the conditions he suffers from.

Following Cimpl-Bohns testimony, Nebraska Attorney Generals Office prosecuting attorney Corey OBrien asked Hall to rule that Hernandez was a danger to society and himself now and likely in the future until he is fully cured of his mental illnesses.

Omaha-based defense lawyer Chinedu Igbokwe who represents Hernandez, said while he agreed with much of what OBrien and Cimpl-Bohn had reported to the court, he felt some of the claims of Hernandezs dangerousness were over-exaggerated.

I do believe he needs to go to the Lincoln Regional Health Center, but I dont think it is somewhere he needs to be a long time. I think he is trying to get better. He is being compliant. He has been engaged in the process, Igbokwe said.

Igbokwe also said that after successful treatment, and being possibly healed of his mental illnesses, at some point, Hernandez should be allowed to go home.

He stabbed a baby 20 times, but he did not conceal the crime and he did not lie, Igbokwe said.

Top Journal Star photos for May 2023
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Omaha police arrested a man Monday morning in connection with a fatal crash that occurred near Carter Lake last month.

Pierre Brayman, 39, has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash that killed his wife, passenger Tiffany Brayman, 37, at Carter Lake Shore Drive and Cornish Boulevard on April 26. Police said Pierre Brayman ran after the lone vehicle involved, a 2000 Ford F-150 pickup, left the road and rolled. He allegedly was the driver of the pickup.

Tiffany Brayman was ejected from the vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the Nebraska Medical Center.

According to an affidavit filed by an Omaha police officer, an ex-wife of Pierre Brayman told police he had fled to her home in North Omaha. The affidavit claims Pierre Brayman then went to an unknown address in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

An Omaha police spokesman said Brayman was arrested near 26th Street and Camden Avenue.

The affidavit states Pierre Braymans drivers license has been revoked since Nov. 20, 2020. Police allege speed, alcohol and lack of seat-belt use were factors in the crash.

Photos: UNL celebrates largest-ever graduating class
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Multiple law enforcement agencies responded early Sunday to a help an officer call for shots fired that resulted in one arrest in western Douglas County.

A 21-year-old Waterloo man was arrested on suspicion of disturbing the peace after shots were fired at a residence in Lake Platteview Campground near the Platte River. Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson said Sunday that two deputies responded to a report of three shots fired about 3:15 a.m. just north of Two Rivers State Recreation Area.

It appears a rambunctious gathering had been going on, Hanson said. No one was hit by gunfire, and none of our deputies were injured.

Deputies stopped a vehicle leaving the area with several people inside and noticed one person covered in blood who appeared to be bleeding from the nose. During the investigation, a shot was heard coming from a nearby trailer.

The 21-year-old resident of the trailer was contacted by phone and was placed under arrest after he exited the trailer. Deputies located a 9 mm shell casing outside the trailer and a 50-gallon garbage can full of empty alcohol bottles, Hanson said.

Photos: Nebraska Gov. Pillen signs bill limiting abortion, transgender health care
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Aaron and Lacey Jennen's roots in Arkansas run deep. They've spent their entire lives there, attended the flagship state university, and are raising a family. So they're heartbroken at the prospect of perhaps having to move to one of an ever-dwindling number of states where gender-affirming health care for their transgender teenage daughter, Sabrina, is not threatened.

We were like, OK, if we can just get Sabrina to 18  we can put all this horrible stuff behind us, Aaron Jennen said, and unfortunately thats not been the case, as youve seen a proliferation of anti-trans legislation here in Arkansas and across the country.

At least 17 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors, though judges have temporarily blocked their enforcement in some, including Arkansas. An Associated Press analysis found that often those bills sprang not from grassroots or constituent demand, but from the pens of a handful of conservative interest groups.

Many of the proposals, as introduced or passed, are identical or very similar to some model legislation, the AP found. Those ready-made bills have been used in statehouses for decades, often with criticisms of carpetbagging by out-of-state interests. In the case of restrictions on gender-affirming care for youths, they allow a handful of far-right groups to spread a false narrative based on distorted science, critics say.

These are solutions from outside our state looking to solve nonexistent problems inside our state, said Aaron Jennen. For whatever reason, they have the ear of legislatures in states like Arkansas, and the legislators will generally defer to and only listen to those individuals.

The AP obtained the texts of more than 130 bills in 40 state legislatures from Plural, a public policy software company, and analyzed them for similarities to model bills peddled by the conservative groups Do No Harm, which also criticizes efforts to diversify staffing in medicine, and the Family Research Council, which has long been involved in abortion restrictions.

One of the clearest examples is in Montana, where nearly all the language in at least one bill can be found in Do No Harms model. Publicly available emails from December show the Republican sponsor, Sen. John Fuller, tweaked the model before introducing it weeks later. Democrats criticized his efforts.

This is not a Montana issue; it is an issue pushed by well-funded national groups, Democratic Sen. Janet Ellis said during debate in February.

Republicans pushed back.

Someone mentioned this is not a Montana solution. And I can tell you that I won my election on this issue, said Republican Sen. Barry Usher, who ran unopposed in the general election after winning his contested primary.

The Montana bill passed in March with much of Do No Harms model language intact has been signed into law.

Do No Harms model and the 2021 Arkansas bill endorsed as a model by the Family Research Council also have many similarities, including the assertion  rebutted by major medical organizations  that the risks of gender-affirming care outweigh its benefits.

The sponsor of a bill introduced and passed in Nebraska this year  LB574  echoed many of those same concerns in pushing legislation that banned gender-affirming surgeries for youths under the age of 19 and limiting their access to puberty blockers or hormone treatments.

Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauth's bill was titled "Let Them Grow." Its intent was to put off what she described as irreversible medical procedures on transgender youth, who she said were victims of a "social contagion."

Paired with a ban on abortions after about 10 weeks gestational age, Kauth's bill passed on a 33-15 vote late in Nebraska's legislative session. All 32 Republicans in the body voted in support of the bill along with Democrat Sen. Mike McDonnell of Omaha, who often votes with his Republican colleagues on social issues.

But Omaha Sen. Christy Armendariz, who voted for the measure, told a reporter for the New York Magazine that she didnt think ordinary Nebraskans knew about the transgender issue.

I knocked doors for a year, and nobody brought this up, the freshman senator was quoted as saying in a story that was published May 20.

Republicans' recent focus on legislation to restrict aspects of transgender life is largely a strategy of using social wedge issues  in the past, abortion or same-sex marriage  to motivate their voting base, political observers say. And it does appear to resonate; a Pew Research Center survey a year ago found broad support among Republicans, but not Democrats, for restrictions on medical care for gender transitions.

These organizations are not introducing this model legislation to make legislators jobs easier, to support kids in their constituencies. Theyre introducing this model legislation to gain wealth, to gain eyes, to gain power, and to gain access, said Heron Greenesmith, a senior research analyst who monitors anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric for Political Research Associates, a liberal think tank.

Such bills often distort valid science that supports gender-affirming care for youths, said Dr. Jack Drescher, a psychiatry professor at Columbia University who edited the section about gender dysphoria in the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual. Do No Harm cites the manual in its model bill.

These bills are not at all interested in patient care, Drescher said. These bills are designed to inflame.

It's problematic any time policymakers are cherry-picking isolated studies or scientific research that arrives upon a different conclusion than the rest of the community or that relies upon studies without having that expertise," said Marty P. Jordan, an assistant professor of political science at Michigan State University. "Its problematic for the individuals that the legislation could impact. Its problematic for the larger public, and problematic for democracy writ large.

Kent Syler, a political science professor at Middle Tennessee State University, said: If its a good bill, no one should be shy about where they got it because thats the federal system working correctly.

Do No Harm launched last year with an initial critical focus on the role of race in medical education and hiring, and the Virginia-based nonprofit has registered lobbyists in at least four states. People associated with it have testified in statehouses around the U.S.

When asked about Do No Harms legislative activity, founder and chair Dr. Stanley Goldfarb responded in an email: Do No Harm works to protect children from extreme gender ideology through original research, coalition-building, testimonials from parents and patients whove lived through deeply troubling experiences, and advocacy for the rigorous, apolitical study of gender dysphoria.

Photos: Arrests and protests at State Capitol in support of Rep. Zooey Zephyr
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A bill that would reform various aspects of Nebraska's criminal justice system is moving forward in the Legislature, but lawmakers remain at odds over some of its provisions.

Lawmakers advanced the bill (LB50) to its second round of debate with a 28-8 vote Monday night. As amended by State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, the bill would cover a wide range of issues such as increasing Nebraska's problem-solving courts and expanding parole options.

Last year, lawmakers failed to pass a bill with recommendations from a study group created to help overhaul Nebraskas criminal justice system and reduce Nebraskas worst-in-the-nation prison overcrowding. This year, former Sen. Suzanne Geist of Lincoln introduced LB50 with some of last year's consensus proposals.

Wayne, the Judiciary Committee chair, took the lead on LB50 after Geist resigned to focus on the Lincoln mayoral race. He said his goal is to reduce the number of Nebraska inmates who "jam out"  that is, complete their sentences and are released without supervision or rehabilitation.

Often, Wayne said these individuals have committed the most violent offenses and eventually end up back in prison, contributing to overcrowding. With lawmakers approving a new $350 million prison and several other massive tax relief proposals this year, Wayne said, LB50 is essential to improving public safety and preserving the state's finances.

"We cannot afford to not do something in the right way," Wayne said.

At one point Monday, it looked like the bill might fail in the first round after several Judiciary Committee members spoke against Wayne's amendment.

Sen. Carolyn Bosn of Lincoln, who replaced Geist, said the concerns narrow down to two provisions from Wayne's amendment. She said some habitual criminals could wind up with reduced sentences, and changes to parole eligibility could allow some inmates to be granted parole earlier.

But Sen. George Dungan of Lincoln said the measure's language wouldn't actually reduce sentences for habitual criminals, but would instead adjust the options for judges in doling out sentences for repeat offenders.

Other supporters also noted that making inmates eligible earlier for parole doesn't mean they are guaranteed to get it.

Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha said Monday's debate gave him "deja vu" to last year's debate over criminal justice changes, when the bill was halted after lawmakers couldn't reach a compromise. He said Wayne had already made several concessions and said opponents should rely on their own opinions, rather than being influenced criticism from the Nebraska county attorney's association.

"At every point of the process, there's an agreement, and then you guys get two or three days and y'all come back and the agreement is over," McKinney said.

Bosn and some other Judiciary Committee members agreed at the end of first-round debate to vote "yes" on Wayne's amendment and the advancement of the underlying bill, with the promise that senators would continue to negotiate on the details before the second round of debate.

With the end of the session on June 9 rapidly approaching, lawmakers have limited time to reach an agreement. It is unclear when LB50 will be scheduled for its second round of debate.
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A plan for implementing Nebraskas new voter identification requirements cleared a major hurdle Monday, despite fierce objections from the senator who led efforts to put voter ID on the ballot.

Senators advanced LB514 past first-round consideration on a 43-1 vote, after adding an amendment backed by the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.

State Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, the committee chairman, said the amendment was the product of weeks of work. He said it aims to carry out the will of Nebraska voters, who overwhelmingly passed the voter ID measure last year, without being so restrictive that it would deny people their right to vote.

The amendment spells out what documents would be accepted to prove identity for voting, how ID requirements would be handled for mail-in ballots, how people could get free IDs for voting and when exceptions would be allowed.

Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar, who sponsored the ballot proposal, cast the lone vote against advancing the bill. She called the committee amendment unconstitutional and said it would not stop people from voting without ID or require verification of citizenship.

Nebraskans have spoken, and now its our responsibility to ensure that only the votes of eligible voters are counted, she said, arguing that the committee amendment betrays the will of the voters.

Slama urged senators to support her implementation proposal instead. Her amendment covered the same basic topics as the committee amendment but had more expansive requirements concerning citizenship, mail-in ballots and exceptions to the photo ID requirement.

Her amendment failed with eight votes in support and 22 against. Numerous senators sat out the vote. The vote was even more lopsided against a second proposal she offered near the end of the debate.

During her filibuster against LB514, Slama claimed that the committee amendment had been written by Secretary of State Bob Evnen to make his job easier and was being pushed by people who traditionally oppose voter ID.

Its voter ID without voter ID, she said.

Evnen declined to comment about her claims other than to say, I dont have amendments. I try to respond to requests that have been given to me.

Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln argued against Slamas proposals, saying that neither the ballot measure nor explanatory language put together by supporters of the ballot measure mentioned citizenship or mail-in ballots.

The debate stems from the constitutional amendment passed last year requiring qualified voters to present valid photographic ID before casting a ballot in any election. The amendment left it to lawmakers to determine how the requirement should be carried out.

Under the committee plan, voters would have to start showing ID after April 1 next year. That means the requirement would be in effect for Nebraskans casting early ballots for the 2024 primary election.

Voters would be able to use IDs issued by the federal government, state of Nebraska, local governments or Nebraska colleges, as long as they have the persons name and photo. Expired documents would be accepted.

Military and veteran IDs, tribal IDs and patient records with photos kept by nursing homes, assisted living facilities or hospitals also would be accepted.

People casting mail-in ballots would have to include the number from their Nebraska drivers license or state ID card or a copy of an accepted ID document. People who go to the polls without acceptable ID could cast a provisional ballot but would have to show a valid ID to election officials by the Tuesday after the election to have their vote count.

Voters with a reasonable impediment to showing voter ID could be exempted, including those with a religious objection to being photographed and those who cannot get an ID because of disability, illness or lack of a birth certificate or other required documents.

The proposal would allow people to get a free state identification card for voting purposes and a free copy of a state birth certificate, if needed to obtain a state ID card.

The amendment would require the Secretary of States Office to publicize the new requirements. It also would require the office to develop a process for ensuring that only citizens are on the state voter rolls.

Among other things, Slamas proposal would have required, for mail-in ballots, that a registered voter or a notary public sign under penalty of law that they had checked the voters ID. It would have accepted only IDs that had required proof of citizenship to obtain, and it would have had a more complex process for exempting people from having to show an ID.

A look at how voter ID laws differ from state to state Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
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Lincoln Fire and Rescue responded to an apartment fire in south Lincoln that caused an estimated $200,000 in damage on Monday morning, the department said.

The fire was reported at 10:48 a.m. at 4401 S 27th St. The residents returned home to find the fire in their Southwood Village apartment, according to Lincoln Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Aaron Pospisil.

Upon arriving at the scene, LFR found the fire coming out of both the north and south sides of the apartment. Pospisil said the damage is limited to the single apartment, which was a nearly total loss.

We made a pretty aggressive attack and got the fire put out and thankfully saved any damage to any of the adjoining apartments, Pospisil said.

No one was injured. About 40 residents live in the apartment building that was evacuated.

Around 12:30 p.m., LFR Battalion Chief Bob Watton estimated the damage at $200,000 after Fire Inspector Jason Relford examined the aftermath.

Relford said the fire was caused by items left on the stove by the apartment tenant between 9 and 10 a.m. while dropping her child off at school.

5 most common causes of reported house fires What causes house fires? #5. Smoking materials #4. Intentional #3. Electrical distribution and lighting equipment #2. Heating equipment #1. Cooking
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Nearly three-quarters of more than 100 law enforcement agencies across much of the U.S. don't reflect the racial makeup of their communities, data supplied by the departments to Lee Enterprises shows.

As part of a seven-month investigation by Lee and Type Investigations, agencies were ranked based on the gap between the proportion of officers and leadership in the agency who identify as people of color and the percentage of people of color in the communities they serve.

Lee reporters sent surveys to more than 170 law enforcement agencies and then zeroed in on "diverse" communities, defined in this research as places where at least 10 percent of the residents are non-white.

Of 105 agencies that provided demographic data and served diverse communities, 76 underrepresented the percentages of people of color in their communities by 10 points or more. Some had gaps of more than 30 percentage points.

Diversity underrepresentation in policing Data gathered from October 2022 to May 2023 from nearly 120 law enforcement agencies in 14 states shows frequent disparity in the racial and ethnic makeup of the agencies compared to the communities they are hired to protect and serve.

Data gathered from October 2022 to May 2023 from nearly 120 law enforcement agencies in 14 states shows frequent disparity in the racial and ethnic makeup of the agencies compared to the communities they are hired to protect and serve.

These are among several key observations drawn from data submitted by state and local law enforcement agencies largely in the Midwest and East, near areas where Lee properties are based. The data show that thousands of people of color live in communities where the force looks nothing like them, despite calls for increased law enforcement diversity that echoed through U.S. streets three years ago following the murder of George Floyd.

Twenty of the 105 agencies serving diverse communities have no people of color or only one such person on the force.

Also, in nearly half of the 93 agencies serving diverse communities that gave data on leadership, there were either zero or only one person of color in leadership.

Why police diversity matters

Experts within and outside law enforcement say the continued representation gap  the subject of discussions that go back decades  underscores existential questions about how police protect and serve people of color.

A study released in November by the Bureau of Justice Statistics that collected data in 2020 about interactions with police over the previous year showed that Black people were three times more likely than white people  6 percent vs. 2 percent  to have experienced the threat of force or use of nonfatal force during their most recent police contact.

The report also showed that during that time frame, Black people had the highest likelihood of experiencing any type of police misconduct (5%), more than double that of white people and Hispanic people combined.

While improving diversity doesnt solve issues like excessive force or biased policing, it can begin to cause a shift.

The more diverse we are as it relates to race and ethnicity, the more diverse we are also in life experiences, which helps agencies to better inform policies, also better inform their training, and better inform their support systems as well, said Darryl McSwain, chief of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police force and a 2021 finalist for the post of top cop in Lincoln, Nebraska. So I think that's why it's so crucial that we continue to diversify.

Most agencies surveyed underrepresent communities of color

The Lee law enforcement survey is an update and expansion of a similar effort launched in the Midwest in the summer of 2020 as the nation was reeling from weeks of protests after Derek Chauvin, a white then-police officer in Minneapolis, pressed his knee to the neck of Floyd for more than 9 minutes, according to prosecutors who won a murder conviction against Chauvin.

For the current investigation, police and sheriffs departments along with state patrols in more than a dozen states responded to a two-page survey seeking data on topics including the demographic breakdown of the sworn personnel and leadership, the use of body and dashboard cameras, and the number of racial profiling and excessive force complaints.

Nearly 120 agencies provided demographic information on race and ethnicity. Most also provided information on the gender breakdown of the department. In 14 of the communities, people of color  identifying as Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/First Nation and Asian American/Pacific Islander  made up less than 10 percent of the population served. Not surprisingly, the law enforcement agencies there were all or largely white.

Lee also received demographic data from 105 agencies serving diverse areas based on 2020 U.S Census data, which Lee also used to draw comparisons with their respective police-force demographics:

Seventy-six of the 105 agencies, or about 72 percent, underrepresented their communities of color by 10 percentage points or more. In Martinsville, Virginia, more than half of the community  roughly 57 percent  was composed of people of color, while people of color accounted for about 12 percent of the force. The largest agency to respond to the survey was the 4,741-member New York State Police. People of color made up about 45 percent of the population in the departments jurisdiction and 12 percent of the force  a gap of 33 percentage points.

Twenty-eight departments came within 10 percentage points of matching the diversity levels of their communities. They range in size from the seven-member Hebron Police Department in Indiana to the 488-member police department in Madison, Wisconsin.

In Hebron, about 12 percent of the population and 14 percent of the force were people of color. In Wisconsins capital, 28 percent of the community and 23 percent of the force were made up of people of color.

As a group, the 119 agencies  police departments, sheriffs offices and state police  that supplied diversity data appear to skew whiter than local law enforcement across the U.S. overall. This is based on part- and full-time personnel numbers provided by the 119 agencies compared with the latest law enforcement demographics for full-time personnel collected by the Department of Justice in 2020.

In the 82 police departments in the group, nearly 79 percent of sworn members identified as white versus about 69 percent of full-time sworn officers in local police departments in 2020.

Lee found similar disparities among the 31 sheriffs departments in the group. Eighty-seven percent of sworn members identified as white, 16 percentage points greater than the roughly 71 percent of full-time sworn officers in sheriffs departments nationwide who identified as white in 2020, according to the DOJ.

So what do all these numbers mean?

In Martinsville, Virginia, which describes itself as a city without limits, the lack of diversity on its police force has not gone unnoticed. Of a force of 41 sworn members, the Martinsville police department has four Black officers and one Hispanic officer, said Maj. Chad Rhoads, part of the department's leadership team.

I certainly do acknowledge the gap, Rhoads, who is part of the department's leadership team, said. It's certainly not representative of the community, but we want to get it there. But it's just something that we've always struggled with.

Rhoads said the department tried attending job fairs at nearby historically Black colleges and universities but got no applicants, a problem it has experienced at college job fairs in general. He said the department does not have a specific program to recruit people of color. It relies on grassroots efforts including using school resource officers to forge connections with students.

Of course, Martinsville is far from the only city with a force that does not reflect the population. Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith, a police trainer and spokesperson for the National Police Association, an educational and advocacy group, links the quest for diversity to law enforcements challenge of attracting applicants overall.

Since 2020, American law enforcement, we, have (had) a very difficult time just recruiting and retaining police officers of any race and any gender, said Brantner Smith, who was a police officer for 29 years beginning in 1980. So right now, as a country  we're just trying to get people to come to the law enforcement profession. People are leaving in record numbers. They are leaving prior to receiving their retirement, and its becoming a real crisis.

Departments are increasing their use of technology and social media and beginning to recruit more broadly to boost ranks, Brantner Smith said, but whether we're talking post-George Floyd or we're talking in general, not everyone is attracted to this profession.

Call for police diversity reaches zenith after George Floyd's death

Long before Floyds murder sent thousands of protesters into the streets, community activists and private citizens had called for a more just and representative law enforcement system.

That chorus reached a crescendo after Floyds Memorial Day 2020 murder and included a 21 pillar proposal outlined in 2021 by the National Urban League, which, among other demands, called on communities and law enforcement leadership to increase diversity and equity in both the leadership and ranks of local, state and federal law enforcement.

Most law enforcement leaders and experts interviewed for this story listed similar reasons to push for more diversity in police forces, including helping to establish better relations with diverse communities and having role models who can attract other diverse candidates.

If we want to have a relationship with our community, and we want our community to be a part of this ecosystem of public safety, then we want our police force to be reflective of the communities that we're in, said Regina Holloway, vice president of community impact for Axon, maker of equipment for law enforcement, notably Tasers and cameras.

I think it's not impossible by any stretch. We want all officers to be equitable across the board, but I do think that there's this opportunity for an officer of color  a Black officer, a brown officer  to have lived experience that they can relate to community members that are having challenges around public safety, challenges in the community, right? There's going to be a kinship there, possibly, that will create a deeper relationship at the on-site of that interaction.

She referred to a study of the Chicago Police Department, published in Science magazine, examining data on officer demographics and behavior from 2012-2015 that found that when compared with white officers, Black and Hispanic officers made far fewer stops and arrests and used force less often, especially against Black civilians.

What we know is that Black and brown officers are less likely to stop people for low-level offenses, Holloway added. And they're less likely to have sort of these negative interactions with community.

High-profile deaths in 2023 fuel debate over 'biased culture'

That assertion fueled major debates earlier this year in two highly publicized deaths of Black citizens following interactions with law enforcement members, most of whom were people of color.

In late April, the family of Tyre Nichols filed a $550 million federal lawsuit against the city of Memphis, the citys police department, and what the suit described as unqualified, untrained and unsupervised officers who severely beat the 29-year-old Black man after a traffic stop and brief foot chase Jan. 7, according to news reports and video that was later shared with the public. He was hospitalized and died three days later.

Five former Memphis police officers  all Black  were fired within weeks of the incident. Each faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression, according to news reports.

In Virginia, in a death that conjured images of Floyd pinned beneath Chauvins knee, Henrico County deputy sheriffs piled onto Irvo Otieno, a 28-year-old Black man in shackles suffering a mental health crisis, as he was being admitted to Central State Hospital. He died of asphyxiation, a medical examiner found.

Otieno, whose family said he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, died March 6 while in custody of the Henrico County Sheriffs Office.

Hospital video shows the group pinning him down for close to 12 minutes, and theres no audio. The sheriffs office told Lee it does not use body cameras.

Of the seven sheriff's deputies charged with second-degree murder in the case, five are Black, two are white. In fact, Henrico County's sheriff's office was among the most-diverse departments in the Lee survey when compared to the population of the county. People of color made up 49 percent of the population and about 68 percent of the force, for an overrepresentation of nearly 20 percentage points.

In the Nichols case, Benjamin Crump, a noted civil rights attorney representing the Nichols family, told ABC News that he believes Nichols was a victim of an implicit bias police culture that exists in America.

Crump said Nicholss death occurred despite recent police reform in Memphis because of the institutionalized police culture that makes it somehow allowed that they can use this type of excessive force and brutality against people of color. And it doesn't matter if the officers are Black, Hispanic, or white. Its part of the culture, this biased culture that said this is allowed.

Leaders seek change, professionalism and better data

Attempts to steer departmental culture in a more inclusive direction often fall to the chief or sheriff. It can be a daunting task regardless of their ethnicity.

Jamal A. Simington, chief of the Bloomington Police Department in Illinois, identifies as African American and is the only person of color in leadership in his 123-member department, with less than 10 percent of the force composed of people of color. Thats in a community where 27 percent of residents are people of color.

Simington, who said he has been called the N-word and Uncle Tom, thinks leaders must foster and model a culture of professionalism regardless of race.

You need the representation with high levels of professionalism, said Simington, who was drawn to law enforcement by family members who served. When asked about the roles of officers of color in the deaths of Otieno and Nichols, Simington said, It does reflect horrible on the badge. It tarnishes everything we stand for, right? It's supposed to be a noble occupation. So the nobility comes from our capability and our mindset on how to treat people [in a way thats] fair and appropriate. That's if you're a person of color or not.

There has been limited research on the role of officers' race on their interactions with citizens.

The latest report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics on encounters with police did not list the race of the officers involved.

A database by the Washington Post tracking fatal police shootings since 2015 shows that Black Americans, who account for about 14 percent of the population, are killed by police at more than twice the rate of white Americans. The database also does not list the race of officers.

The Lee survey asked agencies to share numbers for excessive force and racial profiling complaints logged between 2017 and 2022. More than 100 responded. Some declined to provide data or suggested other sources for it. Thirty-nine agencies surveyed said they had no complaints fitting in either category in any of those years. There is also variation in how each agency categorizes complaints. Some responded with numbers for allegations described in broader terms such as "biased policing and use of force.

The Greensboro Police Department in North Carolina, which is nearly 70 percent white in a community that is less than 40 percent white, had 121 biased-based policing allegations, including bias other than race, between 2017 and 2022. It also had 14 allegations of excessive force during that same period. Allegations are not always sustained by the department once investigated. In an email, the department said its investigations found that three of four allegations of excessive force were found to be valid in 2021-22, and no allegations of biased policing initiated by citizens were sustained in that period.

Stephanie Mardis is captain of the Greensboro Police Departments Professional Standards Division, which handles matters related to internal affairs. She told Lee she recognizes the need for improving diversity in the departments ranks.

Having a force that was more representative of the community may not necessarily mean that our complaints will decrease, she said. It may not necessarily mean that we will have less use of force, but on its face, if a police department reflects the community in itself, it inherently gains trust with people from all walks of life.

The department gives the public access each year to its complaint numbers via an annual report; however, it does not list the race or ethnicity of the officer.

Tracie L. Keesee is COO, president and co-founder of the Center for Policing Equity, which uses data and science to help law enforcement look at harm reduction when it comes to issues of race and reimagine public safety in a way that centers community.

She feels there should be more robust, peer-reviewed studies that look closely at the differences in negative outcomes for people of color when interacting with diverse vs. non-diverse departments.

The science is so scant, she said.

For starters, Keesee said, law enforcement agencies need to better track both the diversity of their members and how they interact with citizens. We want law enforcement departments to start collecting data appropriately, and we want to make it available to everyone so we can do exactly what you're talking about, she added. So we can look at and be able to try to begin to answer those questions."

Lee Enterprises reporters Alison Burdo, Lauren Cross, Lizzie Kaboski , Analisa Trofimuk and Patrick Wilson contributed to this report. Research by Emma Davis of Type Investigations. Karen Robinson-Jacobs is a member of the Lee Public Service Journalism team and a Type Investigations reporting fellow. 

Photos: Scenes from the racial justice protests after George Floyd's death
Travel Genius, a leading location intelligence platform, has announced the appointment of three new board directors who will bring with them a wealth of experience in hospitality, brand marketing, business process design and governance.



Roshni Pandey, Jagdish Sidhu and David King will all join the company with immediate effect.



Hannes Bos, the CEO and Founder of Travel Genius said: "Their invaluable expertise, diverse backgrounds, and deep industry knowledge will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in bringing our innovative solutions to life and driving our company's success. Their commitment to excellence and passion for innovation align perfectly with our company's vision and mission."



This announcement follows the recent launch of SpotQuest, the worlds first solution with actionable insight for travel professionals. Using unique data points at micro-neighbourhood levels, the new location intelligence platform provides detailed and actionable insights in a fraction of the time it currently takes travel professionals to gather the data.



Over the next few weeks, Travel Genius is planning to announce a number of innovative products that are set to disrupt the Travel and F&B industries, by bringing together AI-powered tech and a proprietary database of millions of micro-location data points to create accurate local insights with an accuracy not seen before.



Roshni has spent 20+ years delivering strategy and solutions, as a consultant, head of various functions at global MNCs, entrepreneur and board member. Her social cause and entrepreneurial passion has seen her set up businesses and social enterprises of her own. Indian by ethnicity, Fijian by birth, Australian by citizenship, & Singaporean by residence has inspired her love for travel.



Jagdish is a business process design, transformation, information security and governance expert with 20+ years of experience across the education, media, subscription, and telecommunications industries. His diverse areas of expertise stretch from business strategy, finance, operations, governance, information security and he has a passion for emerging technologies.



David has over 30 years of international marketing experience gained across developed and emerging markets, working in advertising and strategic consulting. Davids hospitality consulting roles have focused on sales & marketing strategy, loyalty, market entry, brand development, new hotel opening and partnerships.  TradeArabia News Service
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VALPARAISO  A Hebron couple was arrested on felony neglect charges for allowing three of their children to rack up a large number of absences and tardy days from elementary school, court records show.

Kevin Carrico, 36, and Crysta Carrico, 37, face charges of neglect of a dependent  educational neglect.

A case manager with the Porter County Juvenile Probation Department said a fourth-grade student at Boone Grove Elementary School in the couple's care had 40 unexcused absences and five tardy days during the 2020-21 school year.

The same child had 59 absences and 16 tardy days during the 2021-22 school year, the charges say.

A first-grade student at Porter Lakes Elementary had 56 unexcused absences and 14 tardy days during the 2021-22 year, charging documents say, and 33 absences and 13 tardy days for the current school year.

Lastly, a third child, who is a fourth-grade student at Boone Grove Elementary, had 48 unexcused absences and 11 tardy days during the 2021-22 school year, and 32 absences and eight tardy days in this school year, records show.

The cases stem from a referral from Project ATTEND, which is an initiative by the Porter County Juvenile Probation Department and Porter County schools aimed at resolving truancy issues among elementary school students.

Kevin Carrico's case is pending with Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish; Crysta Carrico's case is being handled by Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer.
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Did Big Tech just win big at the U.S. Supreme Court? That seems to be the view of most commentators in the wake of the recent unanimous decision in two cases that had the potential to challenge the so-called liability shield that protects internet service providers from liability for content posted by their users.

But Im not so sure Big Tech won much at all. All the justices really did was kick the can down the road a bit. When the issue comes before them again  and it will, probably soon  at least four justices seem willing to weaken or eliminate the liability shield.

The cases in question involved separate lawsuits, one against Google and one against Twitter, for allegedly abetting terrorist acts via content posted on their sites. In both cases, the defendants claimed that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act made them immune from suit. The arguments, which Ive analyzed before, are complex. Suffice it to say that when the cases were argued in February, many observers thought the sky was about to fall. A decision against the these service providers, we were assured, would break the internet.

In their unanimous opinions, the justices never addressed the immunity issue. They only ruled that the Twitter plaintiffs hadnt made a case for abetting, and the Google plaintiffs probably hadnt either.

A Big Tech win for now, sure. But next time, the opposite could be true. For all we know, the next case filed in federal court might find a sympathetic judge who decides that Section 230 does not in fact shield internet service providers from liability when their content causes harm. Not a single word in the courts decisions in the Google and Twitter cases would serve as a restraint.

And when it comes up again, the Section 230 liability shield is probably in trouble. Justice Clarence Thomas, the courts most senior member, is a well-known skeptic of the view that Section 230 renders internet service providers immune from suit. The courts newest member, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, has questioned whether it is consistent with what Congress intended to use the provision to protect internet service providers from suits when they actually promote (as opposed to merely transmit) troubling content. Other justices, particularly Amy Coney Barrett and Samuel Alito, also seemed to disagree with the broad claims of protection made by the internet service providers.

Of course, Congress could act before the issue reaches the Supreme Court again, thus resolving the limits of internet liability once and for all. After all, Big Tech seems to be hated across the political spectrum these days. During the 2020 presidential campaign, both Donald Trump and Joe Biden called for the provision to be repealed. And congressional action, rather than judicial fiat, would seem the ideal way to settle the argument over what the limits of liability should be. Alas, its difficult to imagine that the parties could agree on exactly how to reform it.

One reason, as the legal scholar Jeff Kosseff has pointed out, is that many members of Congress seem not even to understand what Section 230 does  the reason, perhaps, that it is blamed for pretty much anything online that some segment of the public doesnt like. According to an analysis by Brookings, the last time the provision was amended  a 2018 revision intended to shut down sex-trafficking sites  the effect on the targets was small. The unintended consequences on innocent users were substantial.

The members are not alone in their misunderstanding. Even the best of the news media get this one wrong. Kosseff tells the amusing if troubling story of the New York Times having to correct itself on whether it is Section 230 or the First Amendment that protects objectionable speech on social media, and then correct itself again later on whether it is Section 230 or the First Amendment that enables platforms to remove content not meeting their standards. (Hint: In neither case is the right answer the statute.)

None of this is to say that Section 230 is perfect as it stands, or that amendments would necessarily be bad. Thats a question for another day. Nor am I saying that when the issue arises again, the justices ought to limit the scope of the provision. Im suggesting only that its way too early to say that Big Tech has won the fight. Policymaking is a game for long-termers.
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RACINE  Scott Metzel, executive director of HOPES Center of Racine Inc., will speak about unsheltered homelessness and street outreach in Racine during a presentation at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 11, at North Pointe United Methodist Church, 3825 Erie St.

This is the fourth in a series of bi-monthly community conversations sponsored by the church. The public is invited.

Metzel, originally from Pennsylvania, joined HOPES in 2014 after serving 25 years with Habitat for Humanity International leading projects in various regions of Africa.

In addition to his work as executive director, Metzel is the street outreach coordinator and a street outreach team member at night.

He also chairs Racines Point-in-Time work group and helps organize the annual PIT count of people experiencing homelessness in Racine.
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The History Channel plans to film episodes of the American Pickers television series in Wisconsin in June.

American Pickers is a documentary series that explores the world of antique picking on The History Channel. The show follows skilled pickers in the business as they hunt for Americas most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find historically significant or rare items, in addition to unforgettable characters and their collections.

As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, the Pickers are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten relics. Along the way, they want to meet characters with amazing stories and fun items. They hope to give historically significant objects a new lease on life while learning a thing or two about Americas past along the way.

A few Racine County businesses were featured on the show before.

Hippie Toms Serendipity Farm, located at 6404 Marsh Road in the Town of Waterford, was on American Pickers in 2010.

Karwowskis Oak Clearing Farm, located at 704 S. Colony Ave. in Yorkville, was featured in 2017.

The show is looking for leads for people with unique items, a story to tell and is ready to sell. If interested, send name, phone number, location and description of the collection with photos to americanpickers@cineflix.com or call 646-493-2184. Pickers only pick private collections.

Photos: Waterford's Hippie Tom of 'American Pickers' fame through the years, from 2013 to now Hippie Tom's Serendipity Farm open to the public Memorial Day weekend 2022 Leslie Villarreal shops at Hippie Tom's Serendipity Farm in the Town of Waterford 'Hippie Tom' Tom Cerny shows off some of the merchandise available at his shop Hippie Tom Spring Sale Hippie Tom Spring Sale Hippie Tom Spring Sale Hippie Tom Spring Sale Hippie Tom from American Pickers Hippie Tom Spring Sale Hippie Tom Spring Sale Hippie Tom Benefit Fire Benefit Hippie Tom 19.jpg Hippie Tom 24.jpg Hippie Tom 13.jpg Hippie Tom 14.jpg Hippie Tom 16.jpg Hippie Tom 18.jpg Hippie Tom 12.jpg Hippie Tom 11.jpg Hippie Tom 08.jpg Hippie Tom 03.jpg Hippie Tom 07.jpg Hippie Tom 09.jpg Hippie Tom 01.jpg Hippie Tom 10.jpg Hippie Tom
These are images of people charged with a crime in Racine County. Booking photos are provided by Racine County law enforcement officials. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty and convicted.
1. Yes. The charter calls for an appointment process, and the council will pick wisely.

2. Yes. Why spend money on an election? Let the city council do its job, as mandated.

3. No. Voters chose Wilkerson in the first place; they should be able to pick his successor.

4. No. Since theres nearly a year left on Wilkersons council term, the voters should have a say.

5. Unsure. An appointment would follow the charter, but an election seems fairer.

Vote

View Results
Dubai has retained its top ranking from 2019 as the top destination for meetings in Middle East and Africa (MEA) for 2023, said Cvent, an industry-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, in a new report.



Titled Top Meeting Destinations and Top Meeting Hotels for Middle East and Africa the report . also includes regional rankings for North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, which were compiled based on sourcing activity through the Cvent Supplier Network (CSN), one of the worlds largest venue-sourcing platforms.



"Digital transformation has revolutionised the way hospitality professionals embrace technology to engage planners and enhance their sales and marketing efforts to attract meetings and events to their properties or locales, said Graham Pope, Cvent Vice President of International Sales.



The pandemic proved how critically important meetings and events are for bolstering local economies and our Cvent Top Lists highlight the hotels, venues and destinations that are enabling a dramatic comeback by capitalising on the swift return to in-person events. After four long years, were excited to share these insights once again and provide a resource that is used by event organisers to find great hotels and destinations and by hospitality professionals looking to set themselves apart to increase their MICE revenue.



As the top performing region in the world for post-pandemic tourism recovery, the destinations in the Middle East and Africa have attracted events to their cities by quickly adapting and innovating to changing circumstances. Tourism boards continue to invest heavily in projects with global appeal, including restoring historical sites and opening new tourist attractions to further elevate the appeal of these meeting destinations.



Newcomers to the list include Turkey, with two cities in the Top 10  Istanbul (#2) and Antalya (#7), Muscat, Oman (#8) and Tel Aviv, Israel (#10).



Top 10 meeting destinations in Middle East and Africa

1. Dubai, UAE

2. Istanbul, Turkey

3. Marrakesh, Morocco

4. Abu Dhabi, UAE

5. Cape Town, South Africa

6. Cairo, Egypt

7. Antalya, Turkey

8. Muscat, Oman

9. Johannesburg, South Africa

10. Tel Aviv, Israel



Cvent top meeting hotels

Many hoteliers leveraged the downtime in 2020 and 2021 to invest in upgrades and renovations to prepare their properties for the post-pandemic travel boom and better appeal to rising traveller expectations. Newcomers to the Top 10  including InterContinental Istanbul and Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights  unveiled significant renovations in the last few years. Hotels that prioritised state-of-the-art meeting facilities are also featured highly in the Top 10, proving the long-term value of these investments to attract MICE business.



Top 10 Meeting Hotels in Middle East and Africa

1. Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus

2. Grand Hyatt Dubai

3. Conrad Dubai

4. InterContinental Dubai Festival City

5. InterContinental Istanbul

6. Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center

7. JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai

8. Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City

9. Hyatt Regency Dubai Creek Heights

10. Sofitel Dubai The Palm  TradeArabia News Service
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LINCOLN  A Nebraska man has been sentenced to federal prison for a charge related to a methamphetamine bust in Shelton in 2020.

On Sept. 12, 2020, police served a search warrant at the house of Sandra Samuelson, then of Shelton. According to court documents, they found 1  pounds of meth, a pistol and $3,878, as well as multiple containers of dispensary-produced concentrated cannabis edible products, digital scales, unused plastic bags and bags with residue.

According to a United States Attorneys Office press release, the meth seized during the bust was shipped to Nebraskan Jeremiah Schnoor from Socorro Alejandres Alvarez, 32, of Mexico, an inmate at Great Plains Correctional Facility, which is a medium-security federal prison for men in Hinton, Oklahoma. It was one of several shipments of meth that Alvarez made to Nebraska while incarcerated.

On Feb. 15, 2023, Schnoor pleaded guilty in United States District Court to felony conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of meth. In exchange for his plea, Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly C. Bunjer dropped a felony count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of meth.

On Thursday, Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Schnoor to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison with 6 years of supervised release.

There is no parole in the federal system.

Another defendant in the case, Samuelson, has pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of meth, a felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of meth, a felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of meth and a felony count of maintaining a drug premises. A three-day jury trial is scheduled for Samuelson on June 12.

The third defendant in the case, Ernesto Guerrero Zarraga of Wood River, is charged with a felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of meth and a felony count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of meth. The latter charge is related to acts that allegedly occurred between Sept. 1, 2020, and Sept. 2, 2020.

According to a court document dated July 7, 2021, Zarraga was mistakenly released from detention, and a warrant was promptly issued for his arrest. Zarraga has not been found, and as a result no hearings are scheduled at this time.
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KEARNEY  Emily Saadi didnt want to attend the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Growing up in Kearney, the plan was always as far away as possible, she explained.

During her freshman year in high school, that meant New York City. As she got older, though, her dream school kept moving closer and closer to home.

By the time I was a junior and senior, I had visited a lot of different campuses  in state, out of state, all over, Saadi said.

She settled on Creighton University, a high-priced private school in Omaha, and started the enrollment process. However, the decision never really felt right.

I was not happy at all, and my parents noticed that, Saadi said.

They encouraged her to check out UNK, the local university she never seriously considered.

So I came on a tour  mostly to get out of school  and while I was here I was just really impressed by the authenticity of the tour guides, she recalled. The students were very genuine about their experience. You could tell they really cared about UNK.

She also met with Chuck Rowling, chair of the Department of Political Science, that day. They chatted about her future plans, the opportunities available on campus and how UNK could help her reach her career goals.

I went home and I changed everything, literally in April of my senior year, which was a little nerve-wracking, but I made that decision and I havent regretted it at all, said Saadi, who graduated Friday with a bachelors degree in political science and a minor in global peace and security.

Profound impact

Rowling also remembers that conversation from four years ago.

Within minutes of meeting Emily and her mom, Nadia, I knew that she would have a profound impact on this campus  assuming, of course, that she ended up coming to UNK, he said. Her maturity, intellectual curiosity, commitment to social justice and infectious personality were all on full display during that conversation. And those qualities have certainly remained throughout her time at UNK.

The political science professor and pre-law adviser describes her as an impressive thinker, writer, communicator and leader, both within and outside the classroom.

Emily is one of those students who is drawn to complex issues and ideas that require us to really consider the ethical and moral implications. I have always appreciated that about her, Rowling said. Beyond that, she has been an incredible mentor to so many students on our campus, especially within the Political Science Department.

As a pre-law student, Saadi was involved in numerous political science organizations, including the Locke and Key Society, American Democracy Project, Pre-Law Society and Model United Nations. She competed with the Model UN team at conferences in New York City and Washington, D.C., and was part of two international field study courses led by Rowling. Students traveled to Northern Ireland in summer 2022 and Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic and Netherlands in spring 2023 to learn about international affairs, human rights and international law.

Saadi called the trips an amazing learning and bonding experience.

My involvement on campus was a way to form deeper relationships with people and be a more well-rounded person at the end of college, she said. Did it lead to more late nights trying to catch up on homework and things like that? Yeah, but it was never time that I felt like I was wasting.

Outside the Department of Political Science, Saadi was part of the UNK Honors Program, Chancellors Ambassadors, Catholic Newman Center, Phi Eta Sigma honor society, Undergraduate Research Fellows, Nebraskats show choir, campus intramurals and UNK Student Government.

She served as student body president and student regent in 2022-23, allowing her to advocate for fellow Lopers during University of Nebraska Board of Regents meetings and other events. That experience also gave her an opportunity to connect with students across the NU System and hear their stories.

It was very eye-opening to me to learn about everything the University of Nebraska has to offer, she said. Being from Nebraska, I was definitely selling it short beforehand. And it gave me a lot of hope about everything this university can do in the future.

Moving forward

As she leaves campus, Saadi sounds a lot like those tour guides who convinced her to come to UNK. She even served as a campus visit assistant herself.

I feel like my four years at UNK were defined by relationships  genuine, authentic relationships, she said. Throughout my time here, Ive been surrounded by people who actually care about me and what I want to do and they want to do everything they can to help me along that path.

Saadi plans to work and travel over the next year while checking out a brand-new list of potential universities to attend. She wants to pursue a masters degree in international relations, preferably at an institution in Europe, before returning to the U.S. for law school. Her goal is to practice immigration and international human rights law, giving a voice to people who are often silenced or overlooked.

I grew up here, but I have family members from Palestine who spent years of their lives in refugee camps and I think those people are often forgotten, Saadi said. Theres a lot of good that can be done by looking more deeply at these issues, benefitting both our country and the people impacted.

Rowling knows that prospective student he met in 2019 will continue to make a positive impact on the world.

If there is one thing I can be confident in saying about Emily, moving forward, it is that she will devote her time and energy toward helping her community and improving the lives of those around her. That is just who she is, he said. It was during our initial meeting over four years ago that she indicated that she would like to go to law school and one day use her talents to work on and advance international human rights. She still has that goal and, given what she accomplished at UNK, I am certain that she will achieve it.
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State Sen. Julie Slama of Dunbar and State Sen. Tom Brewer, who chairs the Government and Military Affairs Committee in the Nebraska Legislature, debate a voter ID bill Monday. (Aaron Sanderford/Nebraska Examiner)

LINCOLN  The months-long fight over the best flavor of voter ID for Nebraska spilled over onto the floor of the Legislature Monday, with State Sen. Julie Slama staging a one-woman filibuster against the proposal forwarded by the Government and Military Affairs Committee.

But Slama failed to persuade the body to back her competing plan. After listening for eight hours, senators advanced the committee bill, 43-1.

Slama highlights flaws

Slama spent much of the day poking at the committees amendment, AM 1801. She questioned the constitutionality and legality of the amendments plan to carry out the new voter-approved constitutional requirement that Nebraska voters show a photo ID.

She repeatedly blamed the bills faults on Secretary of State Bob Evnen, and not the committee chairman, State Sen. Tom Brewer, who had sought Evnens help in drafting the amendment. Slama told the Legislatures conservatives to question the bill because some Democrats backed it.

The people who opposed voter ID are now in control of voter ID, she said. This process and procedure has failed Nebraskans.

Not a conspiracy but a consensus

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, who serves on the Government Committee, disagreed, saying: What you have here, my friends, is not a conspiracy but a consensus.

Brewer said he felt that the final vote tally validated the process his committee carried out, from hearing from any member of the public who wanted to testify at public hearings to working with stakeholders to find the best balance they could to do what the voters wanted without leaving people out.

Some of this was respect for the Government Committee, Brewer said of the vote. Some of this was respect for me. This was a one-person filibuster, and if you dont get the legislation that you want, Im not sure this is the best way  to get it.

Competing approaches to voter ID

Slama, who was the public face of last falls voter ID ballot initiative, said her biggest concern remains that the committee amendment would let Nebraskans write down their own ID numbers from state-approved photo IDs when they request early voting ballots.

State and local election officials would check those ID numbers against an electronic database, which would show a corresponding photo ID. Slama argued Monday that letting someone write down their own ID number is not the same as requiring a voter to show a photo ID.

Her competing amendment, AM 1883, would require a signature from a registered Nebraska voter, a notary public or a military notary confirming that they had seen an early voters photo ID. She also wants early voters IDs checked when they return a ballot by mail, not when they request one.

Voting rights advocates, including Civic Nebraska and ACLU Nebraska, have criticized this approach as leaving voters too little time to fix mistakes on early ballots. They have said using mainly Nebraska voters as witnesses could limit voters traveling or serving in the military.

Slama argued that she modeled her approach after voter ID programs in other conservative states, including Missouri and South Dakota, and said the Government Committees proposal isnt conservative enough. She said voters approved a conservative vision for voter ID.

Avoiding a special session

Days after saying she would do whatever it took to stop the committees bill, including forcing a special session, Slama took a subtler approach Monday, saying she wanted to help lawmakers avoid a special session later to address constitutional questions she raised about the bill.

Her argument mirrored many of the points voting rights advocates made against her proposal, namely that it couldnt withstand judicial scrutiny. Over several hours, she suggested three fixes to the committee amendment.

First, she wanted to add additional layers of citizenship checks on top of the check the state performs when people first register to vote. She said people who register using the motor voter process at the Department of Motor Vehicles get checked, but others face less scrutiny.

State election officials have argued that the state already makes people swear under penalty of law that they are a U.S. citizen when they register to vote. They point to audits that found no fraud in Nebraskas 2022 elections.

Second, Slama said she preferred more strictly requiring photo IDs to be checked by using witness attestation and notaries.

Lastly, she criticized the committee amendment for allowing too many exceptions to the voter ID requirement. Brewer said the exceptions were included to ensure the proposal could meet federal and state election law, the U.S. and Nebraska Constitutions and election case law. Exceptions include people with disabilities, those with religious objections to being photographed and those who have lost their IDs, who would be voting provisionally.

Slama argued that the committee amendments approach to helping Nebraska voters overcome reasonable impediments left a gap so wide those voters have voter ID without an ID.

Right now, a voter can walk in and hand them a sheet with three reasons, she said. As long as they check one of those boxes, they dont have to show an ID. If a person has a religious exemption to being photographed, were not going to make them be photographed.

A focused bill

Brewer and members of his committee, including Conrad and State Sen. Jane Raybould of Lincoln, pushed back by citing letters of support for the committee amendment from 92 of the states 93 county election commissioners. (The exception was Sarpy County, where Slamas sister, Emily Ethington, serves as election commissioner.)

Conrad, who opposed the voter ID ballot initiative, said she was pleased that Brewer and the committee had worked to minimize the potential harm from implementing voter ID on voters, including rural voters, voters in nursing homes and military members stationed outside Nebraska.

The measure before you in the committee amendment is the most thoughtful approach, Conrad said. This will give election officials enough time to prepare changes for the 2024 election.

New tone during debate

The subdued tone of Mondays debate contrasted with Fridays contentious demonstrations against a stricter abortion ban and state curbs on gender-affirming care for minors. State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, who led the filibuster against that legislation, joked with Slama on Monday.

Cavanaugh was one of several Democrats who yielded time to Slama to let her make her case. Others included State Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue and Conrad. They also worked to give her brief moments of respite and rest because of her health.

For Slama, Mondays filibuster marked a test of endurance just days after she was hospitalized with hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of nausea and vomiting tied to pregnancy. She powered through the full eight hours, at one point saying she needed a nap.

She handed fellow senators a binder of information with specific criticisms of the committee bill. Brewer answered with a handout of his own. Some of Slamas sharpest criticisms involved cost estimates from the Secretary of States Office that estimated her bill would cost $20 million to implement.

Officials told the committee its amendment would cost about $2 million to carry out.

The committee attached its amendment to Legislative Bill 514 instead of Slamas LB 535 because Slama had threatened to kill her bill if they tried. Brewer said he expects the second round of debate on Wednesday and final reading early next week.

In the end, committee members said their approach was pragmatic. One committee member, State Sen. John Lowe of Kearney, said his goal for the bill and for Nebraskas well-run elections was simple: Do as little harm as possible.
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Two staff members at the Nebraska Department of Correctional Service's newest prison were treated for injuries at a Lincoln hospital after they were assaulted by inmates, the department alleged Thursday.

The pair of assaults occurred sometime Thursday, when an inmate who was in an "unapproved area" at the Reception and Treatment Center in south Lincoln punched a staff member in the head after refusing directives to leave the area, the department said in a news release.

Additional staff members who were nearby restrained the inmate and removed him from the area, according to the release.

But as prison staff secured the area, a second inmate struck another staff member in the head, causing the staffer to fall and hit his head on the concrete, resulting in a concussion and facial injuries, according to the release.

Both staff members were treated at and released from a local hospital. The corrections department did not identify either of the inmates or staff members involved in the alleged assaults.

In the news release, the corrections department did not say when the incident occurred, but dispatch records indicate Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews were called to the prison at around 10:30 a.m. Rescue crews returned to service at 11:37 a.m.

The department will criminally investigate the incident and provide findings to the Lancaster County Attorney for prosecution.

Such investigations typically take several months and result in second-degree assault charges for the involved inmates  a class 2 felony that could add up to 20 years onto an inmate's prison sentence.

The corrections department will also utilize its internal disciplinary process, which can include sanctions such as loss of good time for the inmates.

Photos: Nebraska's new Reception and Treatment Center




By Kwon Mee-yoo







As international relations evolve and global economies transform, Korea is forging increasingly deeper ties with Vietnam, which last year became Korea's third-largest trading partner.







Vietnam, officially known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, has emerged as one of Asia's most dynamic economies in recent years, showcasing exceptional growth and stability, even in the face of global uncertainties.







Located on the eastern edge of the Indochinese Peninsula. Vietnam is home to a diverse population of over 100 million people as of April 2023, making it the 15th most populous country in the world.






From left, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and President Yoon Suk Yeol meet ahead of a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G7 Summit Leaders' Meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, Sunday. AFP-Yonhap



By Lee Hyo-jin



South Korea, the United States and Japan are in talks over detailed plans regarding the real-time sharing of North Korean missile warning data, according to the Ministry of National Defense, Monday.



The three countries have been discussing the possibility of launching a data-sharing framework for the last few months and speculation is rising that the arrangement may be announced in the near future.



"The three nations have agreed to share real-time missile warning data during a trilateral summit held last November. And during the Defense Trilateral Talks (DTT) held in April, we have reviewed ways to utilize the existing Trilateral Information Sharing Arrangement (TISA) in doing so," Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu said during a briefing, sharing the latest updates on the related talks.



Although Jeon did not give an exact timeline about when the final arrangement will be announced, it is expected that defense chiefs of the three nations may reach an agreement on the sidelines of the upcoming Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual Asian defense summit scheduled for early June in Singapore.



Currently, South Korea and Japan are separately linked to data from U.S. radar systems concerning the detection of North Korean missiles but there is no system linking all of the Asian nations directly. Due to North Korea's growing nuclear competence, the need for three-way intelligence-sharing capabilities has become more apparent.



Related talks have gained momentum as bilateral relations between Seoul and Tokyo have continued to improve in recent months.



Shin Jong-woo, a senior researcher at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, a think tank, believes that a real-time data-sharing framework, once launched, will be a win-win for participating countries.



"The sharing of intelligence data will lead to the enhancement of South Korea's missile interception capabilities," he said. "But since it would be difficult to directly link the radar systems of South Korea and Japan, it is most likely for them to link their systems through the U.S. one."



With trilateral security cooperation between Seoul, Washington and Tokyo accelerating, some suggest that Japan may be invited to join the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), a consultative body set to be launched between South Korea and the U.S. in order to strengthen extended deterrence.



However, Vice Defense Minister Shin Beom-chul ruled out the possibility of Tokyo's participation in the NCG.



"The NCG itself is operated between South Korea and the U.S. I don't think there will be moves to include Japan in the consultative group in the following summits," he said during an interview with local radio, Monday.



During a trilateral summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, which was briefly held on the sidelines of the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Hiroshima, Sunday, Biden invited Yoon and Kishida for a trilateral summit in Washington.



Although detailed plans have yet to be announced, if set, the summit would be a major diplomatic event for the Yoon administration, which has been seeking to enhance trilateral cooperation with Washington and Tokyo.



Shin thinks that the summit will focus on broadening the sphere of cooperation between the three nations. "To say that military cooperation was the focus of trilateral ties, I think there will be discussions to strengthen partnerships in supply chain and cutting-edge technologies," he said.



The three leaders may hold a trilateral summit in Washington as early as July, according to local media reports.



"The possibility of holding a South Korea-U.S.-Japan summit this summer in Washington is being talked about," a presidential official was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.


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The Chippewa Falls YMCA, Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District and Feed My People Food Bank have joined forces to make sure no child is bored or hungry this summer.

The Chippewa Falls YMCAs Y on the Fly program, in partnership with the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District and Feed My People Food Bank, will host free mobile events at elementary schools throughout Chippewa Falls this summer beginning June 12. Activities and food will be offered free of charge.

No child should wonder where their next meal is coming from, stated Chippewa Falls YMCA healthy living director Carrie Mathwig. Sadly, we recognize that this is a very realistic situation for many children and families in Chippewa Falls. Thankfully, we were able to bring the right community resources together and will be addressing this issue on a very large scale this summer.

Feed My People partnership manager Tami Syverson agrees.

We are inspired by the collaboration that has taken place to create summer programming to not only connect with youth in our community, but also to extend the reach by offering groceries to our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet as costs continue to rise, she said. We are honored to be part of this program and look forward to continuing to work with both the Chippewa Falls YMCA and Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District to develop additional programs to meet the needs of our community.

Everyone is welcome to attend these events for one hour of free supervised and coordinated games and activities, followed by a free sack lunch provided by the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District for those 18 years and younger.

The Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District is excited to partner with the YMCA and Feed My People to provide structured programming and meals to all families in the district over the course of the summer months, said Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District executive director of curriculum and instruction Susan Kern. Together we can make a positive difference for the children of Chippewa Falls.

Y on the Fly will start the week of June 12 at Hillcrest, Halmstad, Stillson, Parkview and Jim Falls elementaries. The Southview Elementary program will begin July 19.

Activities and food will be available one day per week at the listed schools and community members are welcome to participate as many times per week as they would like.

Additionally, a pop-up food truck pantry, provided by Feed My People Food Bank, will be parked at Parkview Elementary each Thursday providing 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of food to anyone who needs it.

This service is open to everyone and not limited to those 18 years and younger.

The YMCA is excited to provide parents with an opportunity for their children to get out of the house and have some fun. The best part is that all of this will be free for anyone who attends, Mathwig said. The Y on the Fly program allows us to serve everyone regardless of whether they are a member of the YMCA or not. We strive to continue to build a Y without walls and connect with our community.

Starting June 26, Y on the Fly events will be offered in rural communities including Cornell, Bloomer, Stanley and Cadott.

Registration is not required but requested to help with planning purposes. To register for Y on the Fly, see the complete schedule, and learn about other upcoming Y on the Fly events visit www.ymca- cv.org/yonthefly.

IN PHOTOS: Kids Move! Yoga moves Look what I can do Fitness for all ages Mother and child Downtime Fresh air and sunshine Inquisitiveness Fun for all ages Coloring
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Global hospitality leader Hilton has signed an agreement with the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) towards developing creative content, aiming to attract visitors from key markets across the Middle East and Africa to the Kingdom.



Signing this memorandum of understanding (MoU) comes as part of the STA's ongoing commitment and efforts to forge strong partnerships with key players in Saudi Arabias tourism ecosystem, working closely with these partners to promote destinations in the Kingdom and provide inspiring tourism experiences.



This most recent partnership also highlights Hiltons presence and growth in Saudi Arabia, where it currently operates 16 hotels  with another 51 in the pipeline and plans to grow its portfolio to more 75 hotels in the coming years.



The MoU was signed at Saudi Arabia's pavilion at Arabian Travel Market 2023 by Kamel Ajami, Vice President, Operations, KSA, Egypt & Levant, Hilton, and Munirah Abanomy, Director General of Marketing Partnerships for the Middle East and Africa, STA.



We are very excited to sign this agreement, which comes in alignment with Hiltons longstanding relationship with the Saudi Tourism Authority over the years and is a reiteration of our commitment towards the tourism sector in the Kingdom," Ajami said. Through this partnership, we aim to attract travellers from the Middle East and Africa who are looking to explore the Kingdoms diverse tourism offerings while staying with a global hospitality brand they know and trust.



This Memorandum of Understanding with global hospitality leader, Hilton, aligns with our strategy to partner with key international brands and corporations that are working in alignment with our vision, attracting new segments of regional tourists and helping us achieve our 2030 objectives, said Abdulkarim Al-Darwish, CEO of the Middle East and African Markets, STA.



Hiltons portfolio in the Kingdom includes iconic properties such as the Waldorf Astoria Jeddah - Qasr al Sharq, Conrad Makkah, Jeddah Hilton and Hilton Riyadh Hotel & Residences, with new brands making their country debut in the coming years including LXR Hotels & Resorts, Canopy by Hilton, Embassy Suites by Hilton, and Hampton by Hilton.  TradeArabia News Service
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CHIPPEWA FALLS  Michael Mickey Joseph Mayer, 73, of Chippewa Falls passed away May 20, 2023, at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire.

Mickey was born at dawn of Easter Sunday on April 9, 1950. He was born in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, the first child of Norman and Verna (Ewings) Mayer. He grew up on the family farm in the township of Tilden.

On June 23, 1979, Mickey married Kathleen Adrian. Not long after their marriage, they moved to Mickeys family farm to take over the business. They worked together and raised three children on the farm. He would have told you that one of the greatest advantages to being married was that he married the best cook in Tilden, and he loved eating the things she cooked for him. He also loved to take trips to Branson, Missouri, with Kathy.

Mickey never worked anywhere other than the family farm. He loved farming, especially his cow ladies and his Minneapolis Moline tractors.

He was an active member of the Chippewa Falls Chapter of the FFA Alumni and enjoyed volunteering alongside Kathy. You could find him full of pancake batter at almost every pancake breakfast fundraiser.

When Mickey wasnt busy farming or volunteering, you could find him watching cowboy shows, eating ice cream with lots of chocolate syrup or anything else that was made of chocolate, enjoying a donut, eating tomatoes covered in Miracle Whip or drinking a Leinies Original after a busy day. He was always willing to share a Werthers hard candy from his pocket.

He adored children. There was not a child that he met that he didnt find the good in. He was very proud of the three children he raised, but his grandchildren were his greatest passion in life. He would have told you that it took long enough for him to get them, but he sure made the most of his time with them once he got them.

He will be forever missed by his children: Kristy Mayer and Steven (Krystle) Mayer both of Chippewa Falls and Jean (Shawn) Dutton of Mauston; five grandchildren: Michael and Grace Mayer, Cade, Mackenzie, and Cooper Dutton; two sisters: Janet Mayer and Cindy (John) Spaeth; in-laws: Pam Adrian, Patsy (Ron) Turany, Linda Turek, and Judy Adrian; lifelong best friend, Mike (Mary Kay) Quinlan; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Kathy; his parents; in-laws: Jean and Bill LaRue, Pat Adrian, Mike Adrian and George Adrian.

A memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, June 1, 2023, at Notre Dame Church in Chippewa Falls. Rev. Jesse Burish will be celebrant of the memorial Mass. Burial of cremains will be in St. Peters Cemetery in the town of Tilden.

Friends may call from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at Horan Funeral Home in Chippewa Falls and from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Notre Dame Church in Chippewa Falls.

Family and friends may express condolences online at www.horanfuneralhome.com.
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On Saturday May 20, the Holmen Area Community Center hosted the Strong for Stratton benefit. Jesse Stratton, 39, was diagnosed with ALS, lateral sclerosis (ALS), sometimes called Lou Gehrigs disease. It is a rapidly progressing neurological (nervous system) disease that belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases. ALS is a progressive disease. ALS attacks nerve cells, called motor neurons, that control voluntary muscles (the muscles we can control). When these cells die, voluntary muscle control and movement are lost. This leads to progressive weakness and disability.

Shortly after his diagnosis in October, a group of individuals, led by Jesses sister-in-law, Alaina Nelson wanted to do something special for Jesse and his family. Jesse and Diana have been married for 14vyears and have two children, Eloise, 9, and Wesley, 7.

The event included a variety of raffles, games, food, fun and a community of people you can always rely on to step up for a good cause. Hundreds of people attended the event, opening their hearts and wallets to a family in need.

The cost of adaptive equipment alone is astronomical. One of their wishes was to purchase a van that could accommodate Jesses wheelchair. With the total raised, an impressive $35,000, their wish has come true.

The future is unclear, for there is no cure currently. Their immediate plan is to finish out the school year, pack up the van and head out for a road trip that includes South Dakota and Yellowstone. They will waste no time in soaking up every minute they have together, making lifelong memories to treasure forever.

As Louis Armstrong said, I see friends shaking hands, saying how do you do. Theyre really saying, I love you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.
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Two Illinois residents are being held in the La Crosse County Jail after a months-long drug investigation led to their arrests.

Jerry Tate, 50, of Waukegan, Illinois, was charged in La Crosse County Circuit Court with five felony counts of possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver, two felony counts of delivering drugs in proximity to a park, one felony count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, one felony count of maintaining a drug trafficking place and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sandra Barrera, 28, of Chicago, was charged with felony counts of possession of fentanyl with intent to deliver and maintaining a drug trafficking place and a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to criminal complaints filed against Tate and Barrera, police learned that Tate was transporting fentanyl and methamphetamine from Chicago to La Crosse and arranged to set up five controlled buys between Sept. 9, 2022, and May 5.

During the fifth controlled buy, Tate allegedly sold 11.2 grams of fentanyl to a police informant for $1,200. The complaint says Barrera accompanied Tate to the transaction. The following day, police obtained a search warrant for Tates hotel room at Days Inn & Suites in Onalaska. Tate was observed leaving the hotel after 3 p.m., and police arrested him without incident.

Police went to Tates hotel room, where Barrera answered the door. A search of the room allegedly found 99.7 grams of fentanyl, cutting agents, two metal presses used to stamp fentanyl into a hard substance, a hammer and 125 sandwich baggies. Police also recovered $520 of the $1,200 from the May 4 controlled buy.

Tate is being held on a $300,000 cash bond. He has yet to secure legal counsel.

Barerra is being held on a $100,000 cash bond. Her next court date is a May 26 preliminary hearing.
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DENVER  The parents of a 22-year-old Colorado man killed by a sheriffs deputy while suffering a mental health crisis will get $19 million from state government and local agencies and changes to how officers are trained, under a settlement announced Tuesday.

The shooting of Christian Glass after his SUV became stuck in the mountain town of Silver Plume last year drew national attention and prompted calls to reform how authorities respond to people with mental health problems.

In addition to the payout, believed to be largest of its kind in Colorado history, Sally and Simon Glass also negotiated for changes they hope will prevent another family from suffering a loss like theirs. Clear Creek County will establish a crisis response team and its sheriffs office will train and certify all deputies in crisis intervention, according to documents released by their attorneys.

The state of Colorado, which had three officers on the scene of Glass June 11, 2022, killing, in addition to those from local agencies, will create a virtual reality training scenario for the Colorado State Patrol based on the shooting that will focus on de-escalation in stressful situations involving officers from different agencies.

A video message from Simon and Sally Glass will also be shown to state troopers and Division of Gaming officers at the beginning of their active bystander training. The program focuses on encouraging officers to intervene if they think a fellow officer is going too far or needs to step away from an incident.

There was no indication from body camera footage that officers from other agencies attempted to stop the breach of the vehicle before Christian Glass was shot.

An attorney for the Glasses, Siddhartha H. Rathod, said they hope hearing their story will help officers have the strength to intervene if necessary.

Any of the seven officers there could have stopped this simply by saying something. They want to empower law enforcement to have this courage, he said of the shooting.

The settlement, which the communities of Georgetown and Idaho Springs also joined, is the largest for a police killing in Colorado, topping the $15 million settlement reached in 2021 for the death of Elijah McClain, and also ranks among the top in the United States, Rathod said. His law firm, Rathod Mohamedbhai LLC, also represented the mother of McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who died in 2019 after police in the Denver suburb of Aurora forcibly restrained him and a paramedic injected him with the powerful sedative ketamine.

Former Clear Creek County sheriffs deputy Andrew Buen, who shot Glass, and his supervisor, former Sgt. Kyle Gould, are both being prosecuted in Glass death. A grand jury found they needlessly escalated the standoff after he called 911 for help. Gould was not at the scene but was watching events unfold on body camera footage and authorized officers to remove Glass from his vehicle, according to court documents.

Lawyers for both officers unsuccessfully tried to get the charges against them thrown out. While Buens lawyer objected to how information was presented to the grand jury, Goulds lawyer argued that Glass needed to be evaluated for drugs, alcohol and mental health problems and could not just be allowed to leave.

In response to police killings of people in mental distress, reformers have pushed for crisis intervention and de-escalation training for police and even alternative policing programs where mental health responders are sent to some emergency calls instead of law-enforcement.

Some cities, including Denver, have programs where EMTs and mental health clinicians can be dispatched instead of police. But the area where Glass was killed, about an hours drive away from Denver, did not have that option at the time.

Glass, whose car became stuck on a dirt road, initially told the dispatcher he was being followed and made other statements which the indictment said showed he was paranoid, hallucinating or delusional and experiencing a mental health crisis.

Officers body camera footage showed Glass refusing to get out of his car, making heart shapes with his hands to officers and praying: Dear Lord, please, dont let them break the window.

After roughly an hour of negotiations, officers decided to breach the car even though there was no indication that Glass posed a danger or was suspected of a crime, according to the grand jury.

Once the window was smashed, body camera footage shows officers peppering Glass with bean bag rounds, then tasing him. Glass brandished a knife in a state of complete panic and self-defense before twisting in his seat to thrust a knife in an officers direction, according to the grand jury. Buen then fired his gun five times into Glass.

The grand jury found that at no point was the other officer in imminent danger of being stabbed by Mr. Glass.

But for the decision by Gould to remove Mr. Glass from the vehicle there is no reason to believe that Mr. Glass would have been a danger to any law enforcement personnel, to himself, or to any member of the public, the indictment said.

More than 11% of Americans may not be receiving the mental health care they need, data shows More than 11% of Americans may not be receiving the mental health care they need, data shows US average Differences across states LGBTQ+ people Younger generations
24 restaurants, food shops and coffee shops we lost in the Madison area in 2022, and 3 that moved

In the past year, the Wisconsin State Journal reported the closing of 24 restaurants, food shops and coffee shops and three that moved.

That number was higher than last year's figure, when the paper reported 19 closures. In 2020, the paper reported the loss of 31 restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, taverns and brew pubs.

The Pasquals location on East Washington Avenue closed this year, but didn't get a full story.

Paisan's Italian Restaurant, was forced to close at 131 W. Wilson St. after a tumultuous year, starting in September 2021 when the city first closed the building it anchors because of structural concerns. The building is now set for demolition and the property will be redeveloped.

The places that moved: Cuco's Mexican Restaurant on Madison's East Side closed in October, with its owners moving it to a new location with a new name at 1824 S. Park St.

Also in October, Java Cat closed at 3918 Monona Drive and will reopen in the former Legacy House Imports Gift Shop and Tea Room, 4221 Lien Road, near East Towne Mall.

In August, Mirch Masala, the Indian-Nepali restaurant on State Street that closed in late March, reopened on the West Side at 439 Grand Canyon Drive, across from Chuck E. Cheese.
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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  The Minnesota Legislature put the final touches on a $72 billion state budget and adjourned for the year Monday night as Democrats celebrated enacting an ambitious agenda that ranged from protecting abortion rights, to providing more resources for education, to legalizing marijuana.

The big tax bill of the session, which cleared its final test Sunday evening, included $3 billion in tax cuts, including modest one-time rebates from the state's $17.5 billion budget surplus. But lawmakers also approved tax increases to provide ongoing funding for long-term initiatives like transportation improvements and a new paid family and medical leave program.

Both chambers adjourned around 10 pm., well ahead of the midnight deadline, and are due to reconvene Feb. 12.

The work weve done over the last five months will make a generational impact on our state  it will lower costs, improve lives, and cut child poverty," Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement.

Top Democratic legislative leaders agreed. They said they met all the major goals they laid out at the start of the session in January after taking control of both the House and Senate for the first time in eight years. Their top priorities got the first 30 bill numbers in each chamber.

We set out at the very beginning of session with our top 30 goals, introduced jointly with the House and the Senate. And as of the end of the day, we are going to pass the entirety of our top priorities with the House and Senate," House Majority Leader Jamie Long, of Minneapolis, told reporters.

"What I wanted us to do was under-promise and over-deliver. And I feel like thats what we did," said House Speaker Melissa Hortman, of Brooklyn Park. "When we came in in January, we didnt say we would be able to do everything. We knew what we wanted to work on, but we didnt make promises that we wouldnt be able to keep. So, Im just thrilled that we were able to check off everything."

Democrats have frequently described the legislation they have passed this session as transformational, historic and "game-changing."

Were just all a little overwhelmed  absolutely giddy  with the work that has been done here, Democratic Sen. Mary Kunesh, of New Brighton, told reporters.

Kunesh highlighted legislation aimed at helping people of color. Her list included billions more for schools, a new ethnic studies curriculum, more limits on no-knock warrants by police, improvements for tracking hate crimes, paid family and medical leave, opening the MinnesotaCare health plan to more residents regardless of immigration status, and more assistance to first-time homeowners.

But the Republican minority, which was largely sidelined on most contentious issues this session, was upset that Democrats spent most of the surplus instead of returning it to taxpayers. And they decried Democrats for raising taxes by $2.2 billion over the next two years via the tax bill alone, and passing a two-year budget that's 40% bigger than the current budget.

Republicans represent nearly 50% of the state but at the end of the day this has been the most partisan session, not only in my memory, but in the history of the state, GOP Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, of East Grand Forks, said in his closing speech.

Democrats tout the tax bill as the largest tax cut in state history, with direct rebates of $260 per filer and up to three dependents for a maximum of $1,300, subject to income limits, plus tax credits for families with kids that they say will cut child poverty by a third. Social Security benefits will be fully tax exempt for Minnesotans making $100,000 or less and partly exempt for those whole earn up to $140,000. But the bill also includes tax increases on companies with global income and some reduced deductions for wealthy individuals. Republicans said the various tax increases across the budget canceled out any relief.

The transportation bill approved in both chambers Sunday contains new funding for public transit, roads and bridges. Some of that will come from a 0.75% sales tax increase in the Twin Cities metro area, a 50-cent fee on non-food deliveries over $100 and higher drivers license and vehicle registration fees. It also includes money to help finance restoring passenger rail service between the Twin Cities and Duluth.

Senate Republicans had blocked a public infrastructure borrowing package known as a bonding bill all session as they pressed for deeper tax cuts from the surplus. But they settled over the weekend for a $300 million cash infusion to help nursing homes that are struggling with staff shortages and cost pressures stay open.

In return, the GOP delivered enough votes Monday to reach the 60% supermajority required in each chamber to pass the $2.6 billion package, which includes $1.5 billion in borrowing plus $1.1 billion in cash.

Lawmakers over the weekend also gave final approval to legalizing recreational marijuana. It will be legal to possess and grow your own cannabis, within limits, starting Aug. 1. A website for the new Office of Cannabis Management has already gone live, but retail sales are probably at least a year away.

Democrats made abortion rights one of their top priorities of the session. They moved quickly to enshrine the right to abortion and other reproductive health care into Minnesota statutes in January. They followed up with legislation to protect patients from restrictive states who come to Minnesota for abortions.

They took a final step Monday when they passed the final version of a $3.5 billion health and human services budget bill that formally repeals most restrictions on abortion that were left on the books after a judge declared them unconstitutional last summer. That drew protests from Republicans, who said it leaves the state with essentially no abortion limits.

Disappointed lawmakers who had been pushing for all session higher staffing levels for nurses and direct care workers at Minnesota hospitals announced a scaled-back compromise Monday evening. The bill was originally called the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act, but it ran into stiff opposition from the state's hospital association, and the Mayo Clinic recently threatened to cancel projects unless it was excluded.

The substitute Nurse and Patient Safety Act has language aimed at preventing workplace violence at hospitals, but it dropped provisions to mandate higher staffing. It easily passed Monday night.

We didn't get everything that we wanted. We're not going to get everything we need, Democratic Sen. Erin Murphy, a registered nurse from St. Paul, told reporters. But she said it will make a difference, and that they're not giving up in their fight for better working conditions and patient care.

Trisha Ahmed 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 under-covered issues. Follow Trisha Ahmed on Twitter: @TrishaAhmed15
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Wisconsin has a higher percentage of prisoners incarcerated for crimes they committed as youth than any state except Louisiana, according to a new report.

More than 7% of Wisconsinites in adult prisons are there for crimes they committed when they were 17 or younger, more than double the percentage nationwide, the nonprofit organization Human Rights for Kids found in a May report.

Wisconsin also has the fourth-highest racial disparity nationwide among prisoners incarcerated for crimes they committed as youth. Black Wisconsinites make up just less than 8% of the population but constitute 60% of offenders held for crimes committed when they were young.

The report comes amid repeated efforts to reform Wisconsins criminal justice system for youth, including several stalled proposals over the last decade to return at least some 17-year-olds charged with criminal offenses to juvenile courts.

Around 1,100 of the 1,709 Wisconsinites in prison for crimes they committed as youth were convicted of offenses they committed when they were 17 years old, the report found, using data it obtained from the state Department of Corrections.

Every state allows some youth to be charged in adult court. But Wisconsin is one of three states in the country that automatically assigns 17-year-olds alleged to have committed crimes to adult court.

The policy has withstood efforts to repeal it despite lawmakers on both sides pointing to studies saying it risks public safety and increases recidivism.

One of the unusual things about this whole issue is that its bipartisan, said Michael Caldwell, a former UW-Madison lecturer who has extensively studied and taught about juvenile offenders. Opposition primarily comes from the focus on retribution.

Wisconsins percentage of prisoners locked up for crimes committed as youth would be lower if the state didnt start by putting all 17-year-old offenders in adult court, Caldwell said.

Its basically a waste of taxpayer dollars that can be much more effectively spent on programs that are specifically tailored for dealing with violent juvenile offenders or juvenile offenders in general, he said.

Tough-on-crime wave

Seventeen-year-olds were under the jurisdiction of juvenile courts until the 1995 budget bill signed by former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson moved them to the adult criminal system. The measure also allowed those younger than 17 to be charged in adult court for serious criminal offenses.

The passage of those provisions came as tough-on-crime policies swept across the country, leading to expanded adult court jurisdiction over youth in almost every state and a national crime bill passed in 1994 that remains the largest piece of crime legislation in American history.

Since then, a U.S. Department of Justice report looked at six studies to find juveniles prosecuted as adults had higher recidivism rates than youth who remained in the juvenile justice system.

The report also found that giving adult courts jurisdiction over youth didnt deter juveniles from committing crimes because they were generally unaware of the laws transferring them to the more severe justice system.

Other reports have shown that because of their changing brains, adolescents are more likely than adults to act on impulse, engage in dangerous behavior and get into fights.

Nationwide trend

Since those reports, many states have undone the laws allowing or requiring prosecution of youth in adult court. Only Texas, Georgia and Wisconsin still automatically transfer 17-year-olds to adult court.

The rolling back of so-called transfer laws nationwide has led to a drastic drop in the number of youth being charged in criminal court. An estimated 53,000 youth were charged in adult court in 2019, a drop from about 250,000 annually in the late 1990s, according to researchers from the National Center for Juvenile Justice.

The best way to rehabilitate juvenile offenders is in a family-based program in the community, Caldwell said. Places such as the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center in Madison are also helpful for youth too dangerous to put in a community, he continued.

The place that has the most consistent, not-very-good outcomes is to put them into the adult system, Caldwell said. They have a lot more trouble in their adjustment, they tend to commit suicide at higher rates, they commit violent acts against other inmates with higher rates.

Detrimental to public safety

In the years since Thompsons budget bill, several proposals have sought to at least partially walk back lowering the age for adult court. None has passed.

One of them was a bipartisan measure, 2013 Assembly Bill 387, which proposed giving juvenile court jurisdiction over 17-year-olds alleged to have committed nonviolent offenses.

The bill received approval in a Senate and Assembly committee then stalled, never receiving a floor vote in either chamber.

As it stalled, Thompson, who was no longer in office, penned a Wisconsin State Journal op-ed urging its passage, saying the measure was good policy, and makes sense for the future of Wisconsin.

A similar proposal came back two years later as 2015 SB 280, a bipartisan measure that most Wisconsin lawmakers signed on to. But Republican interest in the measure dropped off after conservative radio host Mark Belling said the measure was soft on crime, calling the measures supporters legislative sellouts.

Another version, 2017 Assembly Bill 660, came up a few years later. The bill received committee approval in the Assembly but didnt get a floor vote in either chamber.

In a 2018 public hearing for that bill, Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, who currently co-chairs the Legislatures budget committee, said giving adult court jurisdiction over 17-year-olds is a practice shown to be detrimental to public safety and the workforce, while also increasing recidivism and incarceration costs to taxpayers.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has proposed raising the juvenile court age to 17 in his past three budgets, including the one introduced this February. Republicans have stripped the provision from his budget every time.

Born still supports raising the juvenile court age but is against doing so in the budget, his spokesperson Storm Linjer said.

A spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, didnt respond to a request for comment.

Since 17-year-olds were first put into the adult system, research has shown that not only are we doing a disservice to those individuals but are negatively impacting their families and ultimately harming public safety long term, Office of the State Public Defender legislative liaison Adam Plotkin said in a statement.

The report ... continues to highlight Wisconsin as an outlier in the U.S.A. for our treatment of young people in the criminal system, said Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee. This is an additional call to action for lawmakers to introduce a bill to raise the age, to hold public hearings on that bill, and ultimately to pass it. It will be bipartisan, it will make us safer and it will save us a ton of money.
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BURLINGTON  The community is grappling with a painful loss as police investigate the death of a Burlington High School student who was struck by a train while riding his bicycle.

Jack Meyers, 16, of Burlington died after police say he rode his bicycle in front of an oncoming train about 12:30 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Adams Street and Bridge Street.

Community members Monday built a makeshift memorial of flowers at the crash scene, and passersby voiced deep sadness for the Burlington High School student and his family.

My heart goes out to them, neighbor Sharon Twist said. This is something that should never happen.

Counselors at Burlington High School, where Meyers was in his junior year, were meeting with students and anyone else who needed assistance in coping with the tragedy.

School district spokeswoman Julie Thomas said the high school staff also was reaching out to Meyers family to offer support.

Our hearts go out to everyone in the community impacted by this tragic accident, especially to Jacks family and friends, Thomas said.

Police said they believe Meyers pedaled his bicycle around the emergency warning system on the Canadian National Railway tracks and tried to cross in front of the approaching train. The train crossing is equipped with both flashing lights and drop-down gates.

Police said the teen was heading eastbound when he was struck by a northbound train.

Responding to 911 calls that began at 12:38 p.m., police officers and firefighters found Meyers beneath the train.

Tim Otto of Burlington said he arrived at the scene a short time after the accident, and he recalled breaking down in tears, along with other spectators and passersby.

It was terrible, he said.

The incident remains under investigation with assistance from the Canadian National Railway police department, Wisconsin State Patrol and the Racine County Sheriffs Office.

Burlington Mayor Jeannie Hefty issued a statement Monday calling Meyers a son and friend to so many, and saying that the community was responding with an outpouring of support for the family.

No words can express what this family is going through, Hefty said. We want to let Jacks family know, we as a community are here for you.

The police said that Meyers family wanted the public to know that the teenager was a dedicated family member who had a big heart.

The mayor also expressed support for the train conductor, the emergency responders and others who may have witnessed the tragedy unfold on a busy street near Downtown Burlington on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

On Monday, the railroad crossing became the site of an impromptu memorial, with many people leaving flowers, candles and others gestures of mourning.

Otto, who arrived on a bicycle, said he sometimes pedals around the same railroad crossing gates when he is certain he can cross safely before the train arrives.

But acknowledging the danger of such actions, he said he may reconsider that approach.

It should be an eye-opener for those that try to beat the train, he said.

Twist, who lives down the street, walked her dog to the railroad crossing Monday to observe and reflect.

She said people do not realize the danger of railroad crossings, including the fact that fast-moving trains simply cannot stop quickly.

Twist said schools should teach children about the dangers of ignoring railroad crossing safety guidelines.

I think we need more education on how to handle the tracks, she said. I dont want to see another accident happen.

IN PHOTOS: Local fire departments practice firefighter safety and survival in Caledonia Firefighters at the house Breaking it down The perfect pose Ready to train Planning it out Plenty of crews Keeping warm Corner Bar & Grill A smoky selfie The size of it It's like a waterpark Putting it out
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The Biden administration this month gave New York City the green light to move forward with the nations first congestion pricing system that would charge motorists a toll to drive into the citys central business district.

New Yorks Metropolitan Transportation Authority still has to work out the details  including toll rates, discounts and exemptions  but officials anticipate congestion pricing will take effect in spring 2024. The idea is to discourage people from driving into the busiest part of the city, thus removing some cars from traffic-clogged streets and reducing vehicle pollution. The toll revenue would be used to improve the regions aging public transit system.

New York will be the first city in the U.S. to adopt a cordon area congestion pricing scheme, in which people pay to drive into a designated area, but it shouldnt be the last. Its a model used in London and Stockholm that has helped cut the amount of time spent idling in traffic, but the U.S. has been too slow in embracing a proven tool to unclog roads.

Los Angeles leaders are considering a congestion pricing pilot project. The idea was raised in 2019 by then-Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Phil Washington, who suggested rush-hour tolls on drivers could help raise billions of dollars to accelerate construction of transportation projects for the 2028 Olympics and even be used to eliminate bus and train fares.

Los Angeles transportation leaders have since scaled back the vision for congestion pricing, and are instead looking at tolls as a way to reduce traffic and improve transit options in specific areas. The agency is working on a study analyzing three potential locations for pilot projects on roads and freeways into downtown.

The study, which is expected to be completed early next year, also will look at exempting carpools and low-income motorists from paying the toll, and how to spend the revenue to improve transit into the tolled areas. Then Metros Board of Directors will decide whether to move forward with a pilot project and, if so, with which location.

Metro officials are eyeing 2028 as a target date to begin the pilot. The agency would still need to go through environmental review and get permission from the state Legislature and the federal government, and that could depend on who is in the White House. New York City expected to launch its congestion pricing program in 2021 but was delayed three years because of the pandemic and the Trump administrations refusal to act.

Congestion pricing isnt a radical concept. Regions across the country, including Los Angeles County, have approved a version of it with express lanes that are free for carpools and allow single-occupant vehicles to use them for a toll. Along with London and Stockholm, Singapore and other cities around the world use tolling to reduce traffic in their commercial districts.

Its a response to an unavoidable truth  most cities are built out and cannot widen roads or freeways, nor would that help. Adding car lanes encourages more people to drive, and eventually the route gets clogged again.

However, a toll can quickly change behaviors and traffic patterns. The price can make people reevaluate the trip. Is there an alternative, like taking the bus or train? Is it possible to travel in off-peak hours or avoid the trip altogether? It takes just a small percentage reduction in the number of cars to ease congestion.

Its good to see New York Citys program is moving forward. Los Angeles should watch, learn and go next.
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Phillip Prokopowicz, the former chief deputy attorney for Dakota County, will serve as a special prosecutor in the investigation of Madeline Kingsburys disappearance.

I can confirm hes been brought on to work in a consulting capacity on the Kingsbury case, said Bonney Bowman, public information officer with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Kingsbury was last seen on the morning of March 31 taking her two children to daycare with Adam Fravel, the childrens biological father.

Winona Police Chief Tom Williams said the disappearance was involuntary and suspicious at an April press conference, and the department carried out mass searches with thousands of volunteers.

Law enforcement has yet to name a suspect or person of interest in the disappearance of Kingsbury.

A custody trial for Kingsburys children is set to begin June 6, with court documents noting the children are without a legal decision-maker.

Kingsbury has sole custody of the children according to court documents and made all legal decisions and provided all primary care according to a letter filed by Kingsburys parents attorney.

Winona County in early April took the children into custody and found the children, then living with Fravel, to be in need of protection and services. The children are currently placed with Kingsburys parents.

Fravels attorney made motions to dismiss the child protection order before a May 15 pre-trial hearing.

Dismissal is not the proper remedy for any of the motions filed, wrote assistant Winona County attorney Rebecca Church in response to the motions.
Flyadeal, the economic arm of the Saudi Airlines Group, said it was given a grand welcome in Madinah when its first flight from India landed with 328 pilgrims, reported SPA.

The pilgrims were received at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah by a number of officials from Air Flyadeal and representatives of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), in addition to a number of officials of the government and private sectors operating at the airport.

Flyadeal, a budget airline owned by Saudi flag carrier Saudia, began its operation six years back serving domestic destinations. It mainly caters to domestic travellers, Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and other tourists.

CEO Con Korfiatis, while expressing delight at the arrival of the first batch of pilgrim, said the airline plans to fly in more than 35,000 pilgrims on its 182 international flights this Hajj season.
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State money is available to eligible residents in the Whitewater River watershed to help fund projects that would protect drinking water from pollution, including sealing unused wells, replacing failing septic systems and planting cover crops.

Applications are open through the end of 2024. Funding, provided by the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources and the states Clean Water Fund, is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Projects are cost share, and participants will make out-of-pocket payments.

The Whitewater River watershed is a regulatory area centered on the Whitewater River, containing parts of Winona, Wabasha and Olmsted counties. St. Charles, Elba and parts of Altura and Utica are included in the watershed.

The risk of excess nutrients contaminating groundwater in the Whitewater River watershed is high, according to the Mississippi River Winona-La Crescent Comprehensive Watershed Management Plan. Shallow aquifers and karst features throughout the watershed facilitate the movement of contaminated surface water to groundwater.

Drinking water supplies near Utica and Altura have high vulnerability to contamination, according to planning documents. Drinking water supply vulnerability near St. Charles is moderate.

The plan also identifies sealing unused wells and replacing failing septic systems as a high priority throughout the entire watershed.

Well sealing

Water contaminated with nitrates and other pollutants can drain down unused, old or poorly constructed wells to groundwater, which can impact the health of communities using aquifers for drinking water.

Project funding can cover 75% or up to $3,000 to seal a well. Well sealing projects must be approved in advance and be completed by contractors licensed by the Minnesota Department of Health.

Failing septic systems

A failing septic system can discharge wastewater that contains pathogens, which can leech into streams and groundwater, impacting human health and the environment.

Sewage surfacing near the drainfield, sewage backup in the home, or slow draining bathtubs are signs that a septic system is failing, according to a Whitewater River watershed press release.

State funds cover 75% or up to $25,000 to replace or repair a septic system. Homeowners who apply must meet low-income thresholds set by the United States Department of Agriculture, which vary by county and number of household members.

Cover crops

The Mississippi River Winona-La Crescent Watershed Management cites planting cover crops as a strategy to improve the amount of water and nutrients soil can hold, reducing runoff into streams and groundwater.

Applications for one-year cover crop contracts are open to farmers located in Winona and Wabasha counties within the Whitewater River Watershed. The contracts through local county Soil and Water Conservation Districts cover up to 50 acres at $50 per acre for a multi species mix and a $40 per acre for a single species.
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RACINE  A Racine Police Department officer reportedly shot and killed a man in an exchange of gunfire after the man allegedly refused to follow law enforcement commands.

No identifying information about the man, including his age, is being given.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident, which happened Monday morning in the 1800 block of Clayton Avenue, the DCI said in a news release.

No law enforcement officers were injured.

On Sunday around 10:10 p.m., Mount Pleasant Police Department officers were sent to a Mount Pleasant address after a report of a domestic incident with shots fired.

A man left the address prior to officers arriving and drove to the City of Racine. A couple hours later, Racine Police Department officers initiated a traffic stop in the 200 block of Howland Avenue.

A man got out of the vehicle, and reportedly ran to a wooded area and hid in tall grass in the 1800 block of Clayton Avenue.

Around 12:30 a.m. Monday, officers told the man to come out, but the man refused to follow the commands, the release stated.

As officers approached the man, he allegedly began firing shots in the direction of the officers, who fired back and hit the man.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Three law enforcement agencies were present when shots were fired: Mount Pleasant Police Department, Racine Police Department and Sturtevant Police Department.

A K9 from the Sturtevant Police Department was utilized during the incident.

Racine County Sheriffs Office deputies arrived later to assist.

RPD Assistant Chief Alex Ramirez said responding officers secured the area and evidence.

The incident was captured on body-worn cameras, squad cameras and a drone camera, and all video evidence was given to the DCI.

All the officers involved have been placed on administrative assignment, following their respective departments policy.

DCI is leading the investigation and with help from the Racine County Sheriffs Office, Wisconsin State Patrol, Wisconsin State Crime Lab and a DCI crime response specialist.

All of the officers who were involved are cooperating with the investigation, the DCI said.

DCI will turn over its reports to the Racine County District Attorney when the investigation concludes.

Mugshots: Racine County criminal complaints, May 19, 2023 Today's mugshots: May 19 These are images of people charged with a crime in Racine County. Booking photos are provided by Racine County law enforcement officials. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty and convicted. Beverly J. Johnson Jr. Beverly J. Johnson Jr., 900 block of High Street, Racine, attempting to flee or elude an officer, felony bail jumping. Leroy A. McAllister Leroy (aka Boobee) A. McAllister, 1100 block of Marquette Street, Racine, possession of narcotic drugs, possession of cocaine. Katie Lynn Nuszbaum Katie Lynn Nuszbaum, 1200 block of Wisconsin Avenue, Racine, felony bail jumping, misdemeanor retail theft (intentionally take less than or equal to $500), possession of THC, obstructing an officer. Kaleb D. Weaver Kaleb D. Weaver, 1100 block of Marquette Street, Racine, manufacture/deliver THC (less than or equal to 200 grams, possession with intent to deliver/distribute a controlled substance on or near a park), maintaining a drug trafficking place, deliver fentanyl (between 10-50 grams, possession with intent to deliver/distribute a controlled substance on or near a park), possession of THC, felony bail jumping.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR TUESDAY MAY 23, 2023

F-16 Fighter Jets in Ukraine Means NATO in Ukraine; Restore JFK Wisdom in America Now

May 22, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)We are seeing the escalation of both the danger of all-out nuclear war over Ukraine, and of initiatives towards a resolution of the conflict. The situation makes it imperative to move the U.S. towards the wisdom and morality clearly stated 60 years ago this June 10, by President John F. Kennedy at American University. He said, speaking just months after the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Total war makes no sense in an age when great powers can maintain large and relatively invulnerable nuclear forces and refuse to surrender without resort to those forces....

On the danger front. The international coalition for sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, that U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte pledged to bring about in the days before the Group of Seven May 19-21 Summit in Japan, has come to pass. President Joe Biden and others spoke of their commitment at the G7 Hiroshima meeting. Today in Brussels, further commitment was made at the EU Foreign Ministers meeting. Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra announced that training will start very soon for Ukrainian pilots on the F-16 planes.

The significance of the F-16s being put in Ukraine is that NATO will be in Ukraine. This is straightforward, and it is significant that it was stated as the view of Russia last night in Washington by the Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Antonov: There is no infrastructure for the operation of the F-16 in Ukraine and the needed number of pilots and maintenance personnel is not there either. What will happen if the American fighters take off from NATO airfields, controlled by foreign volunteers?

Add to this picture, the startup this week of the biggest ever NATO exercises in Europe, the Defender 2023 drills of all kinds. One expert warns that the Air Defender Exercises beginning June 12 provide an opportunity extremely conducive for an accidental or deliberate clash between NATO and Russia.

Meantime, the provocations against Russia are extreme. In the last 24 hours, Ukraine forces are shelling inside Russia, in the District of Belgorod. And once again, for about the seventh time, Kiev is accusing Russia of shelling the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, where Russian forces have controlled since early 2022.

Notably opposite to all this are a number of initiatives in the direction of providing a potential resolution of the crisis. On May 20, the Vatican officially confirmed that Pope Francis has designated as head of a Peace Mission, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who, among other responsibilities, is head of Italys Conference of Bishops. The Vatican statement reports that the Missions mandate is to start to reduce tensions over Ukraineno matter how unlikelyand make way for pathways to peace processes.

This week, Chinas official envoy to promote the same goal, senior diplomat Li Hui, will be going to Moscow, according to TASS today, from unnamed diplomatic sources. Li was in Kiev last week, visiting certain government leaders, even if his purpose was dismissed out of hand by Zelenskyy.

President Lula da Silva of Brazil has also reiterated his intentions for working with other nationswhat he has called earlier this year, a Peace Clubon a path to resolving the Ukraine crisis. He spoke today, after attending the G7 summit as representing one of the eight guest nations, but he did not toe the G7/NATO line on Russia and international relations. Da Silva said that the Group of Seven was not the proper venue to be taking up Ukraine, and an international venue, such as the United Nations General Assembly, should be enlisted. He gave a timeframe of late June to early July. It is necessary to discuss the war in Ukraine in the UN. During all five months of my Presidency, no one invited me to attend a UN meeting to discuss this war. We could reschedule the General Assembly meeting, which usually takes place in September, to June or July to discuss the war.

We also take note ofwith caution concerning its integritythe report that the Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Lokke Rasmussen, at todays EU Foreign Ministers meeting, offered Denmark as a negotiations location for Ukraine and Russia, as long as the nations of China and Brazil, and India, participate, he said.

But amidst it all, a special flame for truth and morality must come from the United States. June 10 is the date in 1963, in which President Kennedy in his American University speech, carried high that flame which can ignite its renewal today, if we organize to make that happen.

Join in the mobilization in any way you can.
The European Union fined Meta a record $1.3 billion for privacy violations Monday. The EU ordered Meta to stop sending users personal information to the United States by October. Meta owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) issued the fine. The punishment came after Meta continued to transfer Europeans data beyond a 2020 EU court ruling that struck down an EU-U.S. data transfer agreement. The fine is the biggest since the EU's data privacy rules took effect five years ago.

Meta promised to appeal and asked courts to suspend the decision. Earlier, the company had warned that its services could end for users in Europe.

The company said, There is no immediate disruption to Facebook in Europe. The decision applies to user information like names, email and IP addresses, messages, viewing history, location data and other information. The company uses the data for targeted online advertisements.

Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, and Jennifer Newstead, the companys chief legal officer, released a statement. They said the decision was unjust and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the EU and U.S.

The decision is the latest development in a legal battle that began in 2013. At that time, Austrian lawyer and privacy activist Max Schrems filed a complaint about how Facebook used his data. His complaint came after former U.S. National Security Agency worker Edward Snowdens disclosure of online surveillance by U.S. security agencies. That included information that Facebook gave to the agencies the personal data of Europeans.

The EU has rules that require social media services to block speech that European officials consider harmful. Europe has passed several rules requiring policing of information and control of users' personal information.

In 2020, the EUs top court struck down an agreement covering EU-U.S. data transfers called the Privacy Shield. The court said the measure did not do enough to protect Europeans from the U.S. government's electronic spying.

Europe and the United States signed a deal last year on a different Privacy Shield that Meta could use. The agreement is awaiting approval from European officials.

The DPC said it gave Meta five months to stop sending European user data to the U.S. It also gave the company six months to change its operations to stop transferring Europeans user data to the U.S.

If the new privacy agreement takes effect before these deadlines, "our services can continue as they do today without any disruption or impact on users," Meta said.

Schrems thinks Meta has no real chance of getting the decision overturned. He said there is a good chance the new agreement could be struck down by the EU's top court.

"Unless U.S. surveillance laws get fixed, Meta will likely have to keep EU data in the EU, Schrems said in a statement.

Meta warned in its latest earnings report that, without a legal agreement for data transfers, it will stop offering its products and services in Europe. The social media company might have to carry out a costly and complex change to its operations if it has to stop sending user data to the U.S.

Im Dan Novak.

Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press and Reuters.

___________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

transfer  n. the act of taking something from one place (such as a computer) and moving it to another place (such as another computer)

disrupt  n. to interfere with an activity or the flow of information

precedent  n. something that serves as an example for future action

complaint n. a formal document stating that you are dissatisfied and require something done

disclosure  n. the act of showing something that was hidden

surveillance  adj. carefully watching and recording someone especially in connection with crime or disease
Two private astronauts from Saudi Arabia, including the nations first woman, arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday after taking off from Florida on Sunday.

Rayyanah Barnawi is a stem cell researcher. She is the first Saudi woman to go to space. She and Ali al-Qarni, a military airplane pilot, became the first people from their country to go to space since 1985.

Two Americans were also on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX is the company started by businessman Elon Musk.

The private group will stay on the ISS for one week before returning to Earth.

After reaching orbit, Barnawi said: Hello from outer space. It feels amazing to be viewing Earth from this capsule.

John Shoffner also was on board. He is an American who owns a car racing team. The groups leader is Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut who spent over 600 days on the ISS.

It was a phenomenal ride, Whitson said.

Axiom Space purchased the ride from SpaceX and organized the trip. The company would not say the cost of the trip, but earlier price lists noted a cost of $55 million per person.

Once arriving at the ISS, NASA has a price list, too. It costs $2,000 per person, per day for food. Sleeping materials, such as a sleeping bag, are $1,500. The cost to transport other items such as research tools are about $20,000 per kilogram each way.

The astronauts will conduct experiments, talk with students, and photograph Earth while on the ISS.

NASA once said it would not participate in space tourism. However, it is now running two trips per year. Russias space agency also permits space tourists.

After the launch, SpaceXs first stage booster of the Falcon 9 rocket landed back at Cape Canaveral eight minutes later.

It was a very, very exciting day, said Matt Onder of Axiom.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press.

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

capsule n. the part of a spacecraft in which people live and work

phenomenal adj. (informal) very good

participate v. to take part

booster n. part of a rocket that provides power for launch and then is no longer needed

exciting adj. very interesting

____________________________________________________________________

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LEXINGTON  Six retiring Lexington Public School teachers, administrators and staff members were honored with a public reception at Lexington Middle School on Thursday, May 18.

The teachers, administrators and staff included:

Carla Bacon  5th grade teacher, Bryan Elementary

Kevin McConnell  Social Studies, LHS

Ron Stewart  Counselor, LMS

Audrey Downey  Principal, LHS

Julie Myers  Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Director, Central Office

Jerry Wylie  Alternative Education teacher, LHS

We appreciate the many cumulative years of service of these retirees, Superintendent John Hakonson said, Ron and Audrey have over 40 years of service in the district.

Bacon said she started teaching at Overton in 1988 and spent 16 years in the district. She started teaching in Lexington in 2004 and would do so for 19 more years.

I am most proud of being a part of the Dual Language Program as it rolled up through the grade levels. Ive enjoyed watching my students become literate in both English and Spanish, Bacon said.

One of the many favorite memories I have from LPS is taking kids to the Outdoor Expo at Fort Kearny. We were usually lucky enough to get to participate in the Archery in the Schools session! The kids had so much fun because it was something that not very many of them had ever done before, said Bacon.

When asked what advice she would give to new teachers, Bacon said, Remember to take time for yourself! You are entering a very demanding, but very rewarding profession that allows you to touch the lives of so many children.

McConnell also began his teaching career in Overton, in 1982, he would go on to teach in Lexington for 10 years. He said he is most proud of the relationships he has built with students that will last a life time.

His advice was to new teachers, Be yourself, dont try to teach a style that does not fit your personality.

Stewart began teaching at Lexington Junior High in 1981 and has spent all 41 years in the Lexington district.

He said he was proud of, the fact that I have had countless opportunities to have an impact on students lives both as a classroom teacher and as a guidance counselor.

After 41 years, Stewart said he has countless memories, but what stands out is, watching all three of my children graduate from Lexington High School. The education they received at Bryan Elementary, Lexington Middle School, and Lexington High School helped mold them into the amazing young adults that they have become.

His advice to new teachers was, Be passionate when working with students, regardless of the grade level. If you unfortunately happen to lose the passion and enjoyment of teaching, please consider another profession. Our youth are too precious and valuable to be taught by someone who doesnt love what theyre doing.

Myers career in teaching began in 1988 when she taught in Wayne before coming to the Lexington district and serving for 28 years.

She said she has enjoyed watching students she worked with in elementary grow up and graduate from LHS.

Myers advice to new teachers was, Develop strong relationships with your colleagues as many will last a lifetime. Develop strong relationships with your students as they need to know you care and are invested in their future.

Wylie began teaching fourth grade at Northeast Elementary in Kearney for five years, starting in 1980.

After teaching in Kearney, I had the opportunity to teach 4th Grade at the American School of Stavanger in Norway for four years and then went to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to teach 3rd Grade for seven years at the Saudi Arabian American School, Wylie said.

I taught one year at Morton Elementary (1997-98) when we returned to the U.S. I then took off to Doha, Qatar with my family to teach 6th Grade, 3rd Grade, and Pre-K-Grade 5 Computer classes at the American School of Doha, said Wylie.

As for his teaching career in the Lexington district, he said he taught 4th grade at Morton for one year, three years of kindergarten at Pershing and 13 years of teaching alternative education at LHS.

I am most proud of the thousands of Community Service projects that my Alternative Education students completed to help fellow teachers and community members get things done that only we could do. When the students were recognized for their efforts, they stood a little taller and prouder. They knew that they were making a difference and enjoyed being part of a unique team, Wylie said.

My favorite memories of teaching at Lexington was every time I witnessed that ah-ha moment when students grasped the concept that I was presenting. Watching the light bulb in their brain click on was amazing, said Wylie.

As for his advice to new teachers, I encourage new teachers to build relationships and trust with their students and treat them as equals. Kids can teach you a lot if you listen to them, Wylie said.
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LEXINGTON  Lexington Middle School student Greta Rickertsen was named the winner of a National Scholarship in the 2022-2023 Patriots Pen Program, she was honored at the school for her accomplishment on Tuesday, May 23.

Rickertsen represented the Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Department of Nebraska during the 2022-23 Patriots Pen National Awards. For this feat, she was awarded the $500 Department of California award.

She was presented a certificate in front of the LMS student body during a last day of school program in the LMS auditorium on Tuesday.

The Patriots Pen essay contest, hosted by the VFW, provides 6th, 7th and 8th grade students an opportunity to express their option on a patriotic theme and improve their writing skills while they compete against their fellow students.

She had first submitted her essay to the VFW District 13 Patriots Pen essay contest, where she earned first place out of the 163 submissions, 88 of which were from Lexington.

Rickertsens essay submission was on the theme, My Pledge to Veterans.

In part, Rickertsen wrote in her essay, In 1944, my great-grandfather fought in World War II. Generations later, I pledge to respect those who gave their lives for my freedom.

To begin, I will honor my pledge to our veterans by being respectful to my flag. I respect the flag every day at school when we say the pledge of allegiance. I learned the pledge when I was in preschool and say it every day, Rickertsen wrote, I place flags on the tombstones of fallen soldiers, my 4-H club cleans up a county cemetery for Memorial Day.

Finally, I respect my community by being a good citizen and role model. One way I can be a good citizen is by helping whenever Im needed. Another way to be a role model is treating everyone around me with respect, Rickertsen wrote.

I pledge to our veterans to show respect and pride to our flag, take part in activities to give respect to our veterans and volunteer in the community they fought hard to protect. What is your pledge to our veterans? Rickertsen concluded.

She received a $100 from VFW District 13 in January.

Each year, nearly 68,800 students in sixth through eighth grades enter the VFWs Patriots Pen youth essay contest for a chance to win their share of more than $1.4 million in state and national awards. Each first place state winner receives a minimum of $500 at the national level, and the national first place winner wins $5,000, per the VFW website.

The essay contest encourages young minds to examine Americas history, along with their own experiences in modern American society, by drafting a 300- to 400-word essay, expressing their views based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW Commander-in-Chief, the VFW states.

The theme for the 2023-24 is, How Are You Inspired by America?
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LEXINGTON  Staff members across the Lexington Public School district dawned blue on Friday, May 19 in honor of National Police Week.

To honor law enforcement, LPS staff dawned blue attire on Friday. At LHS, staff members posed for a photo with members of the Lexington Police Department.

Sunday, May 14 to Saturday, May 20, 2023 was National Police Week.

Peace Officers Memorial Day and Police Week is an observance in the United States that pays tribute to the local, state, and federal peace officers who have died, or who have been disabled, in the line of duty.

It is celebrated May 15 of each year. The event is sponsored by the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and is implemented by the FOP Memorial Committee.

Much of the holiday centers on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial wall in Washington, D.C., whose walls feature the names of more than 21,183 law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty.

The holiday was created on October 1, 1961, when Congress authorized the president to designate May 15 to honor peace officers. John F. Kennedy signed the bill into law on October 1, 1962.

The proclamation signed by President Kennedy read in part, Whereas the police officers of America have worked devotedly and selflessly in behalf of the people of this Nation, regardless of the peril or hazard to themselves; and whereas these officers have safeguarded the lives and property of their fellow Americans.

By the enforcement of our laws, these same officers have given our country internal freedom from fear of the violence and civil disorder that is presently affecting other nations; whereas these men and women by their patriotic service and their dedicated efforts have earned the gratitude of the Republic, the proclamation states.
The Court of Second Instance (TSI) has ruled that using phone conversations recorded by dashboard cameras as exhibits requires prior judicial approval.

In a recent case, five suspects were convicted of conducting a relatively major fraud. An exhibit presented to the Court of First Instance was a clip of a recorded phone conversation that took place in a suspects car and was captured by the dashboard camera.

With all suspects filing an appeal to the second court, one of them presented the argument that the recorded phone conversation should not have been used as an exhibit due to its lack of legality.

In the appeal procedure, the second court cited an earlier ruling by the same court, numbered 741/2021, to point out that in-car conversations captured by a dashboard camera in the same car can be used by the court during its evaluation of evidence for a criminal procedure.

Despite this ruling, the court underlined that phone conversations captured by dashboard cameras are of a different nature and governed by Article 172 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Pursuant to the provision, such recordings can only be initiated with prior court approval.

With that said, the Court of First Instances acceptance of the recording as an exhibit was against the law.

The same dashboard camera recorded the in-car conversation between two suspects, which was also accepted by the first court as an exhibit. The second court found this to be legal.

On the other hand, the conversation between a suspect and the brother of the suspect during the formers prison custody was also treated by the first court as an exhibit.

Commenting on this, the second court pointed out that committing this crime attracts a sentence of at least three years imprisonment. Based on the severity of the punishment, competent laws permits the use of wiretapping as investigative apparatuses.

Therefore, the recording of the conversation is acceptable as a court exhibit.
In a remote corner of the Amazon, Brazilian ecologists are trying to succeed where a lack of governance has proved disastrous. Theyre managing a stretch of land in a way that welcomes both local people and scientists to engage in preserving the worlds largest tropical forest.

The goal is ambitious, counter the forces that have destroyed 10% of the forest in less than four decades and create something that can be replicated in other parts of the Amazon.

It began with a four-month expedition along the Jurua River in 2016. Researchers visited some 100 communities that at first sight looked similar: rows of wooden homes on stilts along the water. But they were struck by contrasts in the living conditions.

To understand what they saw, its important to know that 29% of the Amazon, an area roughly three times the size of California, is either public land with no special protection, or public land for which no public information exists, according to a study by the Amazon Institute of People and the Environment.

These areas have been shown to be more vulnerable to deforestation. Land robbers drive traditional communities off the land and then clear it, hoping the government will recognize them as owners, which usually happens.

Its very unequal. Inside protected areas, there are many positive things happening, but outside, they seemed to be 40 years behind, Joao Vitor Campos-Silva, a tropical socio-ecologist, told The Associated Press.

The researchers were aware that the part of the river known as Medio Jurua, near the city of Carauari, has remarkable social organization and people manage its fish and forest products, such as acai, sustainably. The land designation here is extractive reserves, public lands where residents are allowed to fish and harvest some crops.

But outside these reserves, in many places, people take orders from self-appointed landowners, Campos-Silva said. Entire communities are denied access to lakes, even to fish to feed their families. People dont own the land, and they dont know who does.

We started thinking that it might be interesting to design a conservation model based on a basin scale, where communities could harvest forest produce and fish and protect the forest, instead of moving to the city or resorting to illegal activities, such as unlicensed logging and overfishing.

So they created the non-profit Jurua Institute and purchased a 13 km (8 miles) rainforest property along the Jurua River. It includes about 20 lakes, some with good potential for raising prized pirarucu, the worlds largest freshwater scale fish, which can reach up to 200 kilos.

The goal, Campos-Silva said, is to promote high-quality science, grounded in working together with the regions people.

In the vicinity of the Institutes land there are 12 communities of former rubber-tappers. Brazilians call them ribeirinhos, or river people, as distinguished from Indigenous residents.

In the past, the chance to make a living from rubber trees drew their grandparents to the Amazon. Nowadays the main revenue comes from pirarucu. Controlling that fishery has proved to be sustainable, reviving a species that was in decline and generating income without the need to clear the forest, with all that means for loss of biodiversity.

The Amazon rainforest, covering an area twice the size of India, also holds tremendous stores of carbon and is a crucial buffer against climate change. Driven by land-robbers, deforestation surged to a 15-year high in recent years while Jair Bolsonaro, who left office in January, was president. Destruction in the eastern Amazon has been so extensive that it has become a carbon source, rather than a carbon sink.

To involve the riverine communities in governance, the institute set up a steering committee and launched a series of public meetings called community of dreams, where people could prioritize the improvements they want most.

To avoid potential gender and age biases, they worked in three groups  women, youth, and men, said Campos-Silva.

The president of the river communities association, Fernanda de Araujo Moraes, said the main purpose is to prevent river people from moving to Amazon cities, where unemployment among low-skilled people is rampant and violence is widespread, thanks to drug-trafficking.

In her own community of Lago Serrado, where 12 families live in stilt houses, both the women and men listed 24-hour electricity as their top priority. Currently, its only available three hours a day. The youths chose fishing training.

Moraes believes this kind of collaboration is the fastest route to progress. We want to improve peoples lives and the Institute wants the same thing, she said, seated on the floor of her house, tending to her infant daughter. The government, she said, is not always on the same page.

This is something that doesnt exist here in the Amazon, it doesnt exist anywhere in Brazil. If it works, which it will, it will attract a lot of peoples attention, said resident Jose Alves de Morais, in an interview by the lake just behind the community.

Morais works as a lake keeper, watching for trespassers who might take fish or cut trees. His family hopes to take part in the institutes management of pirarucu fishing, which awaits federal approval.

On the scientific front, the institute has built a houseboat and a wooden house for as many as 20 researchers to spend seasons along the Jurua River. One is studying the uakari monkey. Others are looking at what makes social arrangements successful in the region. They created a program, Forest Scientists, to train local high school students in field collection, data systematization, and how to prepare reports.

The initiative is led by Carlos Peres, an Amazon-born professor of tropical conservation ecology at the University of East Anglia, in the United Kingdom. In April this work, begun as an experiment, got some recognition from a Swiss nonprofit when he and three other scientists won the Frontiers Planet Prize, which comes with $1.1 million. The money will be reinvested in the project, which has already received support from Synchronicity Earth, National Geographic and Rolex within Perpetual Planet Project.

The winning study used data gathered during that 2016 trip. Co-authored by Campos-Silva and others, it found communities living inside protected areas enjoy better access to health care, education, electricity, and basic sanitation, plus a more stable income, than communities in undesignated areas. They found only 5% of adults inside protected areas aspire to move to a city, compared with 58% of adults in unprotected areas.

The article argues that in tropical countries with limited resources, it is possible to achieve conservation and benefit local communities at the same time, by putting more power in their hands.

Peres, the Institutes scientific director, says it hopes to inspire solutions across the Amazon region, by integrating traditional knowledge with the science of Western models.

We do not have all the answers, he said. But we have the audacity to try to advance on these issues. FABIANO MAISONNAV, CARAUARI, MDT/AP
While Macau has promoted several times work cooperation with mainland cities such as Zhuhai, a majority of local youth aged from 18 to 45 asserted they have only a limited interest in going to Zhuhai to find jobs, a recent survey from the Macau Economic and Peoples Livelihood Alliance revealed.

According to the survey results, about 71% of the respondents claimed that they have minimal intentions to go to Zhuhai in order to find work, from the total of 1,040 valid questionnaires which were collected.

Among the respondents, factors such as family, unfamiliarity with Zhuhai, and transportation are the most important ones making them reluctant to travel to Zhuhai, accounting for more than 30%.

As Zhuhai has launched employment and entrepreneurship support policies targeted at creating more internships or long career posts, respondents indicated that salary, working environment and development opportunities were their priorities when applying for a post in Zhuhai.

However, while about 75% of the respondents expected a monthly salary of RMB12,000 or above, corresponding to around MOP13,700 per month.

The Economic and Peoples Livelihood Alliance explained that the salary packages are based on the professional level of job seekers and the particular requirements of companies.

In order to encourage youth to work in Zhuhai, the MSAR government said that it can help to provide assistance in accommodation and transportation, such as providing apartments to young people who are working in the mainland.

Staff Reporter
The European Union slapped Meta with a record $1.3 billion privacy fine yesterday [Macau time] and ordered it to stop transferring users personal information across the Atlantic by October, the latest salvo in a decadelong case sparked by U.S. cybersnooping fears.

The penalty of 1.2 billion euros is the biggest since the EUs strict data privacy regime took effect five years ago, surpassing Amazons 746 million euro fine in 2021 for data protection violations.

Meta, which had previously warned that services for its users in Europe could be cut off, vowed to appeal and ask courts to immediately put the decision on hold.

The company said there is no immediate disruption to Facebook in Europe. The decision applies to user data like names, email and IP addresses, messages, viewing history, geolocation data and other information that Meta  and other tech giants like Google  use for targeted online ads.

This decision is flawed, unjustified and sets a dangerous precedent for the countless other companies transferring data between the EU and U.S., Nick Clegg, Metas president of global affairs, and chief legal officer Jennifer Newstead said in a statement.

Its yet another twist in a legal battle that began in 2013 when Austrian lawyer and privacy activist Max Schrems filed a complaint about Facebooks handling of his data following former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowdens revelations of electronic surveillance by U.S. security agencies. That included the disclosure that Facebook gave the agencies access to the personal data of Europeans.

The saga has highlighted the clash between Washington and Brussels over the differences between Europes strict view on data privacy and the comparatively lax regime in the U.S., which lacks a federal privacy law. The EU has been a global leader in reining in the power of Big Tech with a series of regulations forcing them police their platforms more strictly and protect users personal information.

An agreement covering EU-U.S. data transfers known as the Privacy Shield was struck down in 2020 by the EUs top court, which said it didnt do enough to protect residents from the U.S. governments electronic prying. The decision confirmed that another tool to govern data transfers  stock legal contracts  was also invalid.

Brussels and Washington signed a deal last year on a reworked Privacy Shield that Meta could use, but the pact is awaiting a decision from European officials on whether it adequately protects data privacy.

EU institutions have been reviewing the agreement, and the blocs lawmakers this month called for improvements, saying the safeguards arent strong enough.

The Irelands Data Protection Commission handed down the fine as Metas lead privacy regulator in the 27-nation bloc because the Silicon Valley tech giants European headquarters is based in Dublin.

The Irish watchdog said it gave Meta five months to stop sending European user data to the U.S. and six months to bring its data operations into compliance by ceasing the unlawful processing, including storage, in the U.S. of European users personal data transferred in violation of the blocs privacy rules.

In other words, Meta has to erase all that data, which could be a bigger problem than the fine, said Johnny Ryan, senior fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, a nonprofit rights group that has worked on digital and data issues.

This order to delete data is really a headache for Meta, Ryan said. If the company has to scrub data for hundreds of millions of European Union users going back 10 years, it is very hard to see how it will be able to comply with that order.

If a new transatlantic privacy agreement does take effect before the deadlines, our services can continue as they do today without any disruption or impact on users, Meta said.

Schrems predicted that Meta has no real chance of getting the decision materially overturned. And a new privacy pact might not mean the end of Metas troubles, because theres a good chance it could be tossed out by the EUs top court, he said.

Meta plans to rely on the new deal for transfers going forward, but this is likely not a permanent fix, Schrems said in a statement. Unless U.S. surveillance laws gets fixed, Meta will likely have to keep EU data in the EU.

Schrems said a possible solution could be a federated social network, where European data stays in Metas data centers in Europe, unless users for example chat with a U.S. friend.

Meta warned in its latest earnings report that without a legal basis for data transfers, it will be forced to stop offering its products and services in Europe, which would materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. KELVIN CHAN, LONDON, MDT/AP
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong has departed for Geneva, Switzerland for the 76th World Health Assembly. She is attending as part of the Chinese delegation. This years assembly has adopted a list of over 70 issues focusing on sudden public health incidents, full-population healthcare coverage, and non-contagious diseases, as well as planning and budgeting for the coming two years, among other topics. Accompanying Ao Ieong are Health Bureau director Alvis Lo, public hospital medical director Warren Tai, and government public health doctor Leong Iek Hou, as well as Ao Ieongs office director and an advisor.

Related
The United States signed a new security pact with Papua New Guinea yesterday as it competes with China for influence in the Pacific.

Papua New Guineas location just north of Australia makes it strategically significant. It was the site of fierce battles during World War II, and with a population of nearly 10 million people, its the most populous Pacific Island nation.

The State Department said the new agreement provides a framework to help improve security cooperation, enhance the capacity of Papua New Guineas defense force and increase regional stability. The full agreement will be made public once politicians in both countries have an opportunity for input, likely in a couple of months.

The work that were doing together to try to shape the future could not be more important, could not be more timely, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters. Were deeply invested in the Indo-Pacific because our planets future is being written here. Papua New Guinea is playing a critical role in shaping that future.

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape said the pact is mutually beneficial and secures our national interests in becoming a robust economy in this part of the world.

But the agreement sparked student protests in the second-largest city, Lae. And many in the Pacific are concerned about the increasing militarization of the region.

Student Naomi Kipoi, 17, said she was opposed to the security pact because she felt it means the U.S. could come to her country whenever it pleased without permission. She said China had been a big help to her country by building roads and funding schools.

The U.S. didnt help us with aid and other things, Kipoi said. Theyre just trying to sign the agreement.

Last year, nearby Solomon Islands signed its own security pact with China, a move that raised alarm throughout the Pacific. The U.S. has increased its focus on the Pacific, opening embassies in Solomon Islands and Tonga, reviving Peace Corps volunteer efforts, and encouraging more business investment.

But some have questioned how reliable a partner the U.S. is in the Pacific, particularly after President Joe Biden canceled his plans to make an historic stop in Papua New Guinea to sign the pact. Biden would have been the first sitting U.S. president to visit any Pacific Island country, but he ended up canceling to focus on the debt limit talks back at home.

Blinken traveled in Bidens place, arriving in Papua New Guinea early yesterday. In response to news of Blinkens impending visit, China warned against the introduction of geopolitical games into the region.

As well as the defense pact, the U.S. also signed a maritime agreement with Papua New Guinea which will allow the U.S. Coast Guard to partner with the Pacific nation to counter illegal fishing and drug smuggling.

The U.S. visit coincided with a trip by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was hosting a meeting with Pacific Island leaders to discuss ways to better cooperate.

Blinken met with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and said the two nations had a shared vision for the region.

To make sure that it remains free, open, secure and prosperous, Blinken said.

Hipkins told Blinken he was very happy that Blinken had made the trip.

The increased U.S. presence in the Pacific is something we welcome, Hipkins said.

But Hipkins also drew a distinction to his own nations efforts.

We are not interested in the militarization of the Pacific, Hipkins told reporters before the Blinken meeting. We are interested in working with the Pacific on issues where we have mutual interest. Issues around climate change. And were not going to be attaching military strings to that support.

Hipkins was one of the few leaders to venture out publicly. He got a rapturous reception from hundreds of well-wishers when he visited Gordons Market, a large fruit and vegetable market.

NICK PERRY, PORT MORESBY, MDT/AP
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WISCONSIN | INMATE POPULATION

Wisconsin has a higher percentage of prisoners incarcerated for crimes they committed as youth than any state except Louisiana, according to a new report.

More than 7% of Wisconsinites in adult prisons are there for crimes they committed when they were 17 or younger, more than double the percentage nation-wide, the nonprofit organization Human Rights for Kids found in a May report.

Wisconsin also has the fourth-highest racial disparity nationwide among prisoners incarcerated for crimes they committed as youth. Black Wisconsinites make up just less than 8% of the population but constitute 60% of offenders held for crimes committed when they were young.

The report comes amid repeated efforts to reform Wisconsin's criminal justice system for youth, including several stalled proposals over the last decade to return at least some 17-year-olds charged with criminal offenses to juvenile courts.

Around 1,100 of the 1,709 Wisconsinites in prison for crimes they committed as youth were convicted of offenses they committed when they were 17 years old, the report found, using data it obtained from the state Department of Corrections.

Every state allows some youth to be charged in adult court. But Wisconsin is one of three states in the country that automatically assigns 17-year-olds alleged to have committed crimes to adult court.

The policy has withstood efforts to repeal it despite lawmakers on both sides pointing to studies saying it risks public safety and increases recidivism.

"One of the unusual things about this whole issue is that it's bipartisan," said Michael Caldwell, a former UW-Madison lecturer who has extensively studied and taught about juvenile offenders. "Opposition primarily comes from the focus on retribution."</ p>

Wisconsin's percentage of prisoners locked up for crimes committed as youth would be lower if the state didn't start by putting all 17-year-old offenders in adult court, Caldwell said.

"It's basically a waste of taxpayer dollars that can be much more effectively spent on programs that are specifically tailored for dealing with violent juvenile offenders or juvenile offenders in general," he said.

Tough-on crime wave

Seventeen-year-olds were under the jurisdiction of juvenile courts until the 1995 budget bill signed by former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson moved them to the adult criminal system. The measure also allowed those younger than 17 to be charged in adult court for serious criminal offenses.

The passage of those provisions came as tough on-crime policies swept across the country, leading to expanded adult court jurisdiction over youth in almost every state and a national crime bill passed in 1994 that remains the largest piece of crime legislation in American history.

Since then, a U.S. Department of Justice report looked at six studies to find juveniles prosecuted as adults had higher recidivism rates than youth who remained in the juvenile justice system.

The report also found that giving adult courts jurisdiction over youth didn't deter juveniles from committing crimes because they were generally unaware of the laws transferring them to the more severe justice system.

Other reports have shown that because of their changing brains, adolescents are more likely than adults to act on impulse, engage in dangerous behavior and get into fights.

Nationwide trend

Since those reports, many states have undone the laws allowing or requiring prosecution of youth in adult court. Only Texas, Georgia and Wisconsin still automatically transfer 17-year-olds to adult court.

The rolling back of so called transfer laws nationwide has led to a drastic drop in the number of youth being charged in criminal court. An estimated 53,000 youth were charged in adult court in 2019, a drop from about 250,000 annually in the late 1990s, according to researchers from the National Center for Juvenile Justice.

The best way to rehabilitate juvenile offenders is in a family-based program in the community, Caldwell said. Places such as the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center in Madison are also helpful for youth too dangerous to put in a community, he continued.

"The place that has the most consistent, not-very good outcomes is to put them into the adult system," Caldwell said. "They have a lot more trouble in their adjustment, they tend to commit suicide at higher rates, they commit violent acts against other inmates with higher rates."

"The place that has the most consistent, not-very-good outcomes is to put them into the adult system."

Michael Caldwell, a former UW-Madison lecturer who has extensively studied and taught about juvenile offenders.

'Detrimental to public safety'

In the years since Thompson's budget bill, several proposals have sought to at least partially walk back lowering the age for adult court. None has passed.

One of them was a bipartisan measure, 2013 Assembly Bill 387, which proposed giving juvenile court jurisdiction over 17-year-olds alleged to have committed nonviolent offenses.

The bill received approval in a Senate and Assembly committee then stalled, never receiving a floor vote in either chamber.

As it stalled, Thompson, who was no longer in office, penned a Wisconsin State Journal op-ed urging its passage, saying the measure was "good policy, and makes sense for the future of Wisconsin."

A similar proposal came back two years later as 2015 SB 280, a bipartisan measure that most Wisconsin lawmakers signed on to. But Republican interest in the measure dropped off after conservative radio host Mark Belling said the measure was soft on crime, calling the measure's supporters "legislative sellouts."

Another version, 2017 Assembly Bill 660, came up a few years later. The bill received committee approval in the Assembly but didn't get a floor vote in either chamber.

In a 2018 public hearing for that bill, Rep. Mark Born, R-Beaver Dam, who currently co-chairs the Legislature's budget committee, said giving adult court jurisdiction over 17-year-olds is a practice "shown to be detrimental to public safety and the workforce, while also increasing recidivism and incarceration costs to taxpayers."

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has proposed raising the juvenile court age to 17 in his past three budgets, including the one introduced this February. Republicans have stripped the provision from his budget every time.

Born still supports raising the juvenile court age but is against doing so in the budget, his spokesperson Storm Linjer said.

A spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, didn't respond to a request for comment.

Since 17-year-olds were first put into the adult system, research has shown that "not only are we doing a disservice to those individuals but are negatively impacting their families and ultimately harming public safety long term," Office of the State Public Defender legislative liaison Adam Plotkin said in a statement.

"The report ... continues to highlight Wisconsin as an outlier in the U.S.A. for our treatment of young people in the criminal system," said Rep. Evan Goyke, D-Milwaukee. "This is an additional call to action for lawmakers to introduce a bill to raise the age, to hold public hearings on that bill, and ultimately to pass it. It will be bipartisan, it will make us safer and it will save us a ton of money."
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.  The International Space Station rolled out the welcome mat Monday for two Saudi visitors, including the kingdom's first female astronaut, Rayyanah Barnawi.

The 270-mile-high docking puts the space station population at 11, representing not only Saudi Arabia and the U.S., but the United Arab Emirates and Russia. Saudi fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni dedicated the visit to everyone back home.

The four guests, including Knoxville, Tennessee, businessman John Shoffner and retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, will spend just over a week there, before returning to Earth in their capsule.

SpaceX's chartered flight arrived at the orbiting lab less than 16 hours after blasting off from Florida. The company cited ticket prices of $55 million each for last year's private trip but won't say how much the latest seats cost.
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Earlier this month, as promised, the Legislatures Republican-controlled budget-writing committee axed more than 500 spending proposals from Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

Snared in that start-from-scratch net was a request from the Wisconsin Elections Commission to beef up confidence in state and local elections by adding 10 full-time staff for a new inspector general office at a cost of $1.9 million over two years.

The new division in the WEC would handle voters concerns and deal with the recent surge in records requests and complaints that have been hard for the state agency to deal with in a timely fashion. It would also be charged with helping to train local election officials and reviewing the accessibility of polling sites.

The proposal got unanimous support from the three Republican and three Democratic election commissioners last year, and the Republican chair of the WEC lamented the GOPs axing of the proposal.

I certainly hope it comes back, said Don Millis. These are things we can do to improve confidence, and thats where this inspector general comes in.

He said he is hopeful the proposal can be taken up as separate legislation, outside the budget process, by state Republicans.

The 2020 presidential election and the 2022 midterms  fueled with controversies and skeptics hunting for evidence of voter fraud, which was not found  brought about a surge in complaints and records requests for the state agency.

OUR VIEW: Sarah Godlewski should leave elections alone Wisconsin's secretary of state has no role in overseeing voting -- thank goodness

According to the WEC, ahead of the 2022 midterm, the state agency received more than three times the number of complaints it had in 2020, and records requests topped eight times its 2016 average.

Whether that will continue in the future, given our fractious political nature in the state, is up for debate.

Were not fans of growing the size of government at any level unless a need can be demonstrated, and we understand Wisconsin is giddy about its record surplus. Many politicians  Republican and Democrat  are filled with ideas on how to spend that.

But the WEC proposal has some merit, and the work of the state agency to build confidence in state and local elections and the 1,800 local clerks who run them is a high priority.

If the WEC proposal can be revived  and it may not be  we would suggest it come back in a pared-down version. Are 10 full-time staffers really needed? Can that $1.9 million over two years be reduced to a more manageable number? And we would also like to see a sunset clause attached to this proposal.

If voter complaints and records requests continue to surge after two years, then the Legislature could revisit it.
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When it comes to fossil fuels that should be left in the ground, the tar sands of Alberta, Canada, are at the top of the list.

Not only does it require energy to cook the sands to get them to release the crude, the crude that's produced is so thick it needs to be diluted before it can flow in a pipeline. The crude is dense enough that much of it sinks in the event of an oil spill, leading to more severe ecological damage and more difficult clean up.

Tar sands crude flows in Line 5. Line 5 is operated through lands in Wisconsin where no lease has existed for the past decade, in trespass of the Bad River Band. The pipeline is at risk from river erosion, corrosion and trauma from ship anchors in the Straits of Mackinac. Bacteria exist in oceans that can eventually break down oil (such as with the BP spill) because natural and minor oil leaks occur under the sea. Those same bacteria don't exist in the Great Lakes.

The damage to the Great Lakes ecosystem from the rupture of an aging pipeline that has already spilled multiple times through the years would be immeasurable.

Jed (John) Downs, Cross Plains
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The proposed bill would define a child sex doll as an "anatomically correct doll, mannequin, or robot, with features that resemble a minor that is intended for use in sex acts, for sexual gratification, or for manipulating children into participating in sex acts, instructing children how to participate in sex acts, or normalizing sexual behavior with children."

"Unfortunately, these dolls are often found alongside child porn and other illegal items," the lawmakers wrote in the co-sponsorship memo. "These dolls can also be modeled to look like real children."

Under the bill, the level of felony penalty for possessing, manufacturing or selling a child sex doll would vary depending on if the violation is a repeat offense, the number of dolls found in possession and other past convictions for crimes against children, according to an analysis of the bill by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau.

The bill provides an exemption to law enforcement, physicians, psychologists, attorneys and court officers or those in child therapy if such a doll is in possession for the purposes of their specific duty, according to the LRB memo.

The bill's co-authors say the measure has been supported by several law enforcement agencies, including the Wisconsin Chiefs of Police, Wisconsin Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, Badger State Sheriffs Association and Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association.

Some groups, including The Prostasia Foundation, an organization that seeks to protect children from sexual abuse based on evidence, have said banning the dolls may be unconstitutional. The organization has said such bans could increase instances of child sexual abuse by removing a victimless outlet for people who might otherwise target a child.

Similar legislation

Similar bills have been floated in other states, with Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs in May signing into law measures to create a new criminal offense barring possessing or selling anatomically correct dolls that resemble children. Similar laws have been enacted in Florida, Hawaii, Tennessee and Utah.

At the federal level, the U.S. House of Representatives in 2017 introduced the Curbing Realistic Exploitative Electronics Pedophilic Robots (CREEPER) Act, which proposed banning child sex robots in the U.S. Despite unanimously passing the House, the measure died in the U.S. Senate. Similar provisions were proposed the following year, but the measure never received a floor vote.

Most recently, members of Congress earlier this year introduced CREEPER Act 2.0, which is modeled in part after Florida's ban on the sale and possession of child sex dolls.

A 2022 article from Arizona State University, which explores the dynamic and implications for the legal response to sex robots, notes challenges that such bans could face.

The report's authors note a state or federal ban on child sex dolls may not be permissible under the First Amendment, citing previous U.S. Supreme Court decisions that found a law barring computer-generated child pornography to be unconstitutionally overbroad.

"In other words, because the digitally fabricated depictions of children were not real children, the connection between the images and actual child abuse was too attenuated," the article notes.

"The question thus becomes whether the same holding would apply to child sex robots," the authors add. "The argument would then be that this pushes the abuser closer to actual abuse of a real child and may increase the risk that the offender will take the next step and abuse a real child. The critical legal question of whether the child sex robot creates a direct enough linkage to abuse of a real child is therefore a close question that has not been addressed by a court."
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IDAHO | STABBING DEATHS

BOISE, Idaho  The suspect in n the stabbing deaths of four Unihversity of Idaho students opted c Monday to "stand silent" to murder charges, prompting the judge to p enter not guilty pleas on his behalf C ahead of a trial in which he could A face the death penalty. t

The Nov. 13, 2022, killings t stunned the rural community of J Moscow, Idaho, and prompted p many students to leave campus early, switching to remote learning for the remainder of the semester.

Bryan Kohberger, 28, was arrested late last year and charged with burglary and four counts of first-degree murder in connection with the slayings of Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin at a rental home near the University of Idaho campus.

Kohberger declined to enter pleas in Latah County District Court, with his defense attorney Anne Taylor telling the judge that they were going to "stand silent" at this time. In response, 2nd District Judge John Judge entered not guilty pleas on Kohberger's behalf.

It's uncommon but not unheard of for defendants to "stand silent" in criminal cases. Sometimes it is done because defendants and their attorneys feel they need more time to weigh the ramifications of entering a plea of guilty or not guilty; other times it can be part of a broader legal strategy or simply a defendant's personal choice.

Kohberger declined to waive his right to a speedy trial, so the judge scheduled it to begin Oct. 2. It's still possible that the trial could be delayed or moved.

Kohberger was a graduate student studying criminology at nearby Washington State University when the University of Idaho students were killed, but prosecutors have not released any information about how they believe he may have chosen the victims or whether he had met any of them previously.

Police released few details about the investigation until after Kohberger was arrested at his parents' home in Pennsylvania early Dec. 30, 2022. Court documents detailed how police pieced together DNA evidence, cellphone data and surveillance video that they say links Kohberger to the slayings.

Investigators said traces of DNA found on a knife sheath inside the home where the students were killed matches Kohberger, and that a cellphone belonging to Kohberger was near the victims' home on a dozen occasions prior to the killings.
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BUHL  Honor Flight recipient Bill Pryor was in a limousine a few miles away from the city park, where on Sunday afternoon a surprise celebration awaited.

Pryor, 86, a veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, had spent the weekend in Washington, D.C., with other veterans touring war memorials as part of the Honor Flight program.

A crowd, which included city and county officials, representatives from Idahos congressional delegation, first responders, pep band members, and lots of relatives and members of the public were at the Buhl park, getting last-minute instructions from organizer Marvin Barnes, of Joining Forces in Magic Valley, on how things were going to play out during the welcome of the hometown hero.

The band would play the U.S. Air Force song while Pryor, returning from his visit from Washington, would be escorted by the American Legion color guard to the newly built shelter in the park. The crowd was asked to stand and yell like you just won the state lottery.

Things went as planned.

The crowd was loud, proclamations were read, and after the ceremony, well-wishers stood in line to shake Pryors hand or give him a hug.

In addition, Pryor was given a Quilt of Valor, and Barnes, through the help of a base historian at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, located a 55-year-old newspaper article that included a photo of him.

Pryor, who reached the rank of technical sergeant, was in charge of aircraft maintenance. Ironically, mechanical problems on an airplane during a layover in Phoenix delayed the celebration by an hour.

Pryor will also be receiving a flag that flew over the nations Capitol.

But was the celebration really a surprise?

I knew something was going on, admitted Pryor, but thought it would be a low-key kind of thing at his Buhl home.

Of the extravaganza at the park, he was almost at a loss for words.

I dont know what to say, he said.

He did have a good time visiting war memorials in Washington with other veterans, one of which was 102 years old.

I feel grateful, said Pryor, who was slightly sunburned from the weekend trip.

The Quilt of Valor presentation was among the most touching parts of the ceremony. The program presents veterans and active service members a quilt as a way to show appreciation for their service and sacrifice. Despite the days 90-degree temperature, Pryor looked peaceful with his red, white and blue quilt.

Margi Rahr of Magic Valley explained that with each quilt comes comfort and healing.

Love, caring and gratitude flows from our hands into the quilt, Rahr said.

The Honor Flight program takes veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials that commemorate their service. He left Friday morning from the Boise Airport, as the first lone eagle from Twin Falls County. Most veterans in Magic Valley who participate in Honor Flights fly out of Salt Lake City.

The Honor Flight Network has flown more than 244,000 veterans to the Washington memorials since 2005.
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Q: Why did Franklin Building Supply have Evel Knievels tombstone?

A: Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls in September 1974 for $6 million. According to Franklin Building Supplys website, he purchased building materials for the ramp from Volco Inc., and gives Volco his tombstone as collateral for credit charges made.

Franklin acquired Volco Inc. in 1999. Initial inventory discovers Evel Knievels tombstone in storage, reports the website.

It said, Evel Knievel dies. Relatives come looking for the tombstone given to Volco. Franklin returns it to them. He died Nov. 30, 2007. Knievel was 69.

Doctors had diagnosed Knievel with a lung disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. There is no cure. He was given three to five years to live. During that time, Knievel contacted his friend Alma Barry in Twin Falls and asked for a gravestone he left in her care to be shipped to him in Butte, Montana, according to the Billings Gazette on July 21, 2005.

It reported, The white marble marker was created to generate publicity about his Snake River Canyon jump more than 30 years ago. Alma Barry and her family got to know Knievel in the seven years he took to build the ramp and plan the jump. The Barrys owned Volco Builders Supply and helped him build the ramp and press box. The family became such close friends with Knievel that he asked them to store the giant stone marker.

Knievel said he worked for seven years on that jump, going to Twin Falls for a month each year and working with engineers, said the Billings Gazette.

It continued, The Barry family sold its business to Franklin Building Supply a few decades ago and asked that the new managers watch over the marker.

It sat in a stockroom for more than 30 years, reported the Billings Gazette.

It continued, He said he wasnt doing too well and wanted to be buried in Butte and asked if we could send him the gravestone, Barry said. It is a very beautiful piece. It had the date he was born and the date of the jump and his image on it and a space for in case he didnt make it over the canyon.

Knievel sent a truck to pick up the stone, reported the Billings Gazette.

It continued, Knievel was buried next to the grandparents who raised him. Knievel was influenced to become a motorcycle daredevil when they took him to Joey Chitwoods Auto Daredevil show when Knievel was 8. But his grandparents were very much against his career choice.

His headstone reads Robert Evel Knievel Explorer Motorcyclist & Daredevil. A mile long leap of the Snake River Canyon from this point on Sept. 5, 1974 employing a unique sky cycle. A man can fall many times in life but hes never a failure if he tries to get up.

A similar-looking stone stands near the Snake River jump site.
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Idaho gas prices down from Memorial Day 2022

What a difference a year makes: The average price for a gallon of gasoline in Idaho was $3.76 on Monday, nearly a dollar less than in the days leading up to Memorial Day weekend in 2022.

An estimated 42.3 million Americans are expected to travel for the holiday weekend, including 241,000 Idahoans, according to AAA Idaho. The heaviest traffic is expected on Thursday and Friday afternoons.

Last year, the cost of crude oil skyrocketed as the market reeled from Russias invasion of Ukraine, and gasoline prices followed. But it will be easier for families to make a trip this year, AAA Idaho public affairs director Matthew Conde said in a news release. The Idaho average has been floating between $3.74 and $3.76 since the beginning of May but could rise as people start hitting the road in droves.

The average price in Idaho, up two cents from a week ago and 12 cents from a month ago, was higher than the national average of $3.54. The price at the pump for Memorial Day last year in the Gem State was $4.72.

Idaho had the 10th-highest price in the U.S. on Monday, with California ($4.81), Hawaii ($4.75), Arizona ($4.62), Washington ($4.61) and Nevada ($4.24) at the top of the list. Mississippi, at $2.98, had the lowest average nationally.

In Twin Falls, AAA Idaho reported an average of $3.72 on Monday.

Also:

Idaho is ranked eighth for worst potholes in the United States, according to a study released Monday by QuoteWizard

, an insurance marketplace owned by LendingTree. Minnesota was ranked worst, followed by California and

Washington. The states with the fewest pothole problems: Wyoming, West Virginia and New Hampshire.

The district staff for

Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson

will host mobile office hours in Heyburn and Rupert on Wednesday, beginning with a discussion from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Heyburn City Offices, 941 18th St. Lunch will follow from noon to 1 p.m. at the Minidoka County Senior Center in Rupert, 702 11th St.

Jennifer Haigh, a contributor to the new book, One True Sentence: Writers and Readers on Hemingways Art, will speak Friday at 5 p.m. at The Community Library

in Ketchum, 415 Spruce Ave.

Registration is required at https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/10020198 for in-person attendance.

 Times-News
Stocks fell for a second day as traders tracked developments in Washington, where US President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said they held productive talks on the debt ceiling but had still not reached a deal to avert a calamitous default.

The PSE index, the 30-company bellwether, dropped 17 points, or 0.26 percent, to close at 6,603.56, as five of the six subsectors retreated.

The broader all-shares index went down by 6 points, or 0.19 percent, on a value turnover of P6 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 105 to 80, while 44 issues were unchanged.

Only three of the 10 most active stocks ended in the green, led by GT Capital Holdings Inc. which climbed 2.37 percent to P519.00. SM Prime Holdings Inc. rose 1.47 percent to P34.50, while Bank of the Philippine Islands inched up 0.10 percent to P103.00.

Most Asian markets also struggled Tuesday. With just weeks to go before the United States runs out of cash, the standoff has become the key topic on trading floors on fears that a US failure to pay its bills will send shockwaves through markets and the global economy.

Months of negotiations have failed to break the deadlock and lift the borrowing limit from the current $31.8 trillion, but things appear to be moving in the right direction after a series of Biden-McCarthy meetings.

After their latest get-together on Monday, the Republican Speaker said: I felt we had a productive discussion. We dont have an agreement yet, but I did feel the discussion was productive in areas [where] we have differences of opinion.

He added that negotiators would work through the night to move the sides closer and that he and Biden would talk every day to try to find a way to get this done.

For his part, Biden also described the talks as productive but that there were still areas of disagreement.

While the two sides agree a default must be averted, they continue to disagree on certain issues. Democrats want to close tax loopholes to raise revenue and Republicans are calling for spending cuts.

Still, there is a broad view that a deal will eventually be done.

Right now, theres probably going to be continued posturing by both sides, but at the end of the day, itll probably be resolved last minute, Burns McKinney, at NFJ Investment Group, told Bloomberg Television.

What we expect in the near term is heightened volatility.

After a mixed start to the week on Wall Street, Asia opened higher but was unable to maintain momentum.

Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Wellington and Bangkok fell, though Singapore, Seoul, Taipei, Mumbai and Jakarta edged up. With AFP

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A former Energy undersecretary said Monday he implemented a directive from the Executive Department and the Department of Energy to sell 5 percent of the governments stake in Philippine National Oil Co.-Exploration Corp. in 2005.

Eduardo Manalac, also former president of PNOC, said he was compelled to go along with the directive.

Manalac made the statement at an online forum organized by the National Youth Movement for the West Philippine Sea in response to a question on whether he had a hand in the sale of the governments 5-percent stake in PNOC-EC to a South Korean firm.

The instruction to sell the 50 percent, meaning the five percent, of the 10 percent [government stake in PNOC-EC] came from the government, came from the DOF, supported by the Executive, by the President, he said.

And the reason given to sell the PNOC-ECs share at that time was that, if you remember, PNOC paid a hundred plus million for the 10-percent [stake]. It was loaned. So, what the government was saying was we have to pay that. We have to raise the money, Manalac said.

So, they gave me instructions to sell half of it. Of course, I was against it, but you have to follow, you argue against it, but at the end of the day, you tried to obey the instructions as best as you can, he said.

He said the sale did not push through when the National Economic Development Authority opposed it.

Manalac also responded to businessman Enrique Razon Jr.s statement he brokered the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking agreement with Vietnam and China, which was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

The tripartite agreement for the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking is a three-year cooperative agreement between CNOOC [China National Offshore Oil Corp.], Vietnam and PNOC to jointly gather seismic data in certain areas of the South China Sea, said Manalac.

It is connected with the governments effort to acquire or reach energy independence for the people. So see, with our high dependence on imported petroleum and rising oil prices in 2004. The government then  launched an ambitious five-point energy independence program, he said.

The JMSU was part of our five-point energy independence agenda to find new and indigenous petroleum reserves, Manalac said.

It is not my idea. It is the idea of the government as part of its energy independence strategy, he said.

Manalac signed the JMSU with China National Offshore Oil Corp. and Vietnam Oil and Gas Corp. (PetroVietnam), allowing seismic work on a 142,886-square-kilometer area in the West Philippine Sea.

Manalac signed the agreements in his capacity as PNOC president and chief executive.

Manalac said the PNOC under his leadership had been extremely careful and consistent in ensuring the constitutionality of the JSMU and closely coordinated with concerned agencies.

The JMSU is a commercial and operative agreement between three national oil companies to jointly acquire seismic data. No oil exploration drilling, no production activities were covered by the agreement, Manalac said.

He said the JSMU was simply a data-gathering effort.

As I said, the JMSU is not a treaty and if in three years of the JMSU, no new definitive agreements are agreed on, the JSMU expires. And it expired on June 8, 2008, Manalac said.

It must be clear that the President did not sign the JMSU nor the DOE, Manalac said. It was the PNOC headed by myself at the time, he said.

He said the agreement did not undermine the Philippines rights in its exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.

It is very clear that the agreement is designed to be scientific in nature and does not affect any territorial claims of any country either by the Philippines, China and Vietnam, Manalac said.

The Supreme Court invalidated the agreement in January, saying that it violated Section 2, Article 12 of the 1987 Constitution for allowing wholly-owned foreign corporations to participate in the exploration of the countrys natural resources without observing the safeguards provided by the law.

Razons Prime Infra said in a statement the SC decision led to accusations of Manalac committing treason.

The Malampaya gas field in northwest Palawan is one of the countrys biggest energy assets. It supplies natural gas to Santa Rita, San Lorenzo and Ilijanwhich have a combined capacity of 3,200 megawatts.

The Malampaya powers around 20 percent of Luzons electricity requirements. The project has generated over $10 billion in revenues for the Philippine government and saves the country an estimated $2.5 billion in annual import costs.

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A Turkish drone strike in northern Iraq early Tuesday killed three Yazidi fighters and wounded three more, the counter-terrorism service of Iraqs autonomous Kurdish region said.

A Turkish army drone targeted a headquarters of the Sinjar Resistance Units, it said, referring to an armed group operating in the mainly Yazidi Sinjar district which has ties to the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has been waging a deadly insurgency against the Turkish state for four decades.

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After more than 30 hours, fire authorities officially declared the blaze at the historic Manila Central Post Office tapped out.

Meanwhile, Senate Finance committee chairman Juan Edgardo Angara said he was directed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri to work with the budget department following the post office fire.

At the Lower House, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers urged the national government to rebuild the Central Post Office for its historical significance, cultural heritage and national pride, with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) taking the lead role.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), in an update report, said the conflagration was over at i6:33 a.m. Tuesday.

Fifteen people, most of them firefighters, were reported hurt due while trying to put out the fire that broke out late Sunday night. Their injuries ranged from lacerations to first-degree burns.

Some of the firemen also felt dizziness and chest pains.

The BFD estimated the damage at P300 million, saying at least two structures of the complex burned to the ground.

Manila Fire District chief of intelligence and investigation division senior inspector Alejandro Ramos said they had to make sure that the fire would not rekindle.

Ramos said the extreme heat and lack of ventilation in the basement of the iconic post office was a problem for the firefighters.

Arson probers were still trying to determine the cause of the 30-hour fire.

Philippine Postal Corp. (PHLPost) chief Luis Carlos said the stamps in the museum, the Manila Central Post Office building itself, and their records are among the most valuable things that burned.

We have to work with the budget department towards finding funds to help restore the Manila Post office, Angara said.

I agree its a national treasure, designed by national artist Juan Arellano, added Angara.

Angara said this is the foremost reason why the Manila Post Office should be restored. It is a part of our history.

Meanwhile, Senate President pro tempore Loren Legarda called on authorities to dig deeper into the fire to avoid a recurrence of the incident.

She underscored the need to afford protectiin to historical sites especially important architectural heritage.

She was saddened by what happened to Manila Central Post Office which was declared an Important Cultural Property (ICP).

The structure was declared as an Important Cultural Property in 2018 by the National Museum, for its exceptional cultural, artistic and historical significance. We should restore it as a symbol of our national pride, Barbers said.

He noted that great Filipino architects Juan Arellano and Tomas Mapua designed the Manila Central Post Office.

The fact that the structure was built by great Filipino architects Juan Arellano and Tomas Mapua is reason enough for its rebuilding and restoration. It is proudly Filipino made, Barbers said.

Once rebuilt, Barbers said building may serve various purposes apart from postal services.

If and when restored, it can house many government agencies. With modern technology, not only postal services may use it. In this digital and virtual reality age, even offices dealing with artificial

intelligence may be housed in the building, situated right in the heart of the nation. It can be a one-stop shop that can greatly benefit our people, Barbers said.

In its rebuilding and restoration, meticulous planning and resources should be allotted to fire control. In this day and age, buildings should be equipped with state of the art fire control system to save lives and property. It is appalling to see a historical landmark situated right beside the big Pasig river, destroyed by fire of this magnitude, he added.

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Greece is struggling with high youth unemployment, and even those lucky enough to have a job barely earn enough to cover their rent

Athens, GreeceA crushing victory in Greeces Sunday elections by the conservative New Democracy party of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will nevertheless lead to a new ballot in a month, as the winner fell short of a majority.

Here are five takeaways from the vote in the eastern Mediterranean country of 10.5 million people:

Huge win comes up empty

New Democracy on Sunday scored its best result since 2007 at 40.79 percent, beating the leftist Syriza party of former premier Alexis Tsipras by over 20 points the widest margin between the two leading parties in a Greek election since 1974.

But under a proportional representation electoral system introduced by Tsipras, New Democracy won 146 seats, five short of a majority in the 300-deputy parliament.

Mitsotakis himself on Sunday indicated he would decline a mandate to form a coalition government, and said parties should speed up procedures for a new ballot, expected for June 25 or July 2.

The new election will be governed by different rules granting the winner a seat bonus in parliament.

Left penalised

Tsipras lost his fourth straight election to Mitsotakis after a campaign accusing the ruling party of profiteering, inequality, nepotism, indifference, arrogance, injustice.

Though the former premier who led the 2015 bailout negotiations that nearly crashed Greece out of the euro remains in charge of his party, the next election is do-or-die for his political future.

Another casualty Sunday was Tsipras former maverick finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, whose anti-austerity MeRA25 party failed to garner enough support to make it to parliament.

Abstention fears unfounded

As the Sunday ballot was not expected to be decisive, many feared mass abstention.

These concerns seemed vindicated when the first turnout was reported at just 31.5 percent of the electorate.

But in the end, nearly 61 percent of Greeks turned up to vote, higher than in 2019.

Forgiving voters

Greece was swept by nationwide protests after 57 people died in a collision between two trains in February, the countrys worst rail disaster.

Rumored plans to hold the election in April were scrapped, the transport minister resigned, and Mitsotakis was forced to apologize for the poor state of the railway network.

The government was also under fire over a wire-tapping scandal implicating the state intelligence agency, which is overseen by Mitsotakis own office.

The head of the intelligence agency, and a nephew of Mitsotakis who was a top office aide, both resigned over the scandal.

But talk of retribution against the ruling party failed to materializse at the ballot, where conservative voters re-elected Mitsotakis transport minister too.

Youth turn right

For months, it was widely expected that nearly 440,000 young voters taking part in elections for the first timesome as young as 16would side with the leftist party of Tsipras, 48.

Greece is struggling with high youth unemployment, and even those lucky enough to have a job barely earn enough to cover their rent.

But in the end, a third of the 17-24 age bracket apparently sided with Mitsotakis conservatives, Sundays exit poll found. AFP

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Ranking fourth out of the 3,339 hopefuls in the April 2023 Electrical Engineering board exams has filled newly-registered Engr. Bernard Vic Senillo with an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude, which he extended to God and the nation that helped him reach this milestone.

Senillo was a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) scholar, who graduated magna cum laude from the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) Quezon City in 2022. He wants to serve the country and pursue teaching, so he can help develop more future engineers.

I am so grateful that God really answered my prayers. I feel happy because all my hardships and trials from college and up to the review period finally paid off, said Senillo, who plans to take postgraduate studies in electrical engineering as soon as he lands a job.

Like other DOST scholars, Senillo is not entertaining thoughts of working abroad. He prefers to stay in the Philippines and contribute to its electrical engineering industry. Currently, the T.I.P. alumnus has been applying to local companies, where he can start a professional career.

My first choice is to teach But I want to finish my masters degree first. My main goal in pursuing a career in the academe is to instill (in the minds of) students as early (as possible) that they should love the electrical engineering field, Senillo added.

Should he receive an opportunity to work in the energy industry, the young engineer said one of the things he would like to improve on is the generation of electricity. He supports policy shifts towards renewable energy to cut power rates and achieve a sustainable future.

To some, it (renewable energy) is unreliable for now, but through continuous research, we have the technology already, so we can do further studies. Thats why we have electrical engineers to help in improving (our) renewable energy (sector), Senillo said.

The Leyte native has been a high achiever for much of his student life. He excelled not only in academics, but also during external school competitions. When asked to share some of his strategies to future licensure examinees, Senillo repeatedly mentioned the word focus.

One of the things he eliminated from his life when he was reviewing for the board exams was social media. Discipline is also something that he pointed out to keep himself motivated and reduce negative thoughts that led to feelings of self-doubt and anxiety.

When you have the discipline, you will wake up each day and do your routine. You need to focus on your goal. Also, my advice to other students is they need to believe in themselves and they have to pray, Senillo said.

Senillo encouraged aspiring engineers to keep practicing through their studies despite the struggles. He said they need to take the review process seriously because it will train them to solve problems as fast as possible on a consistent basis.

Your dreams should be bigger than your fears. You need to stay focused, disciplined, pray But, at the same time, enjoy and trust the process. Eventually, you will succeed, the young engineer advised.

For more information on T.I.P., please visit tip.edu.ph or follow its official social media accounts through @TIP1962official on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To learn more about student life at T.I.P., check out its blog posts.

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Experience the power of Magic! HONOR just teased the release of HONOR Magic5 Pro in the Philippines on June 8, 2023.

Launched at the Mobile World Congress 2023 earlier this year, the leading technology brand HONOR Philippines today dropped the release date of HONOR Magic5 Pro in the country. As the latest iteration of the HONOR Magic Series line-up, the all-new HONOR Magic5 Pro boasts significant breakthroughs in design, display, photography and performance, beating several industry benchmarks to deliver the superb flagship smartphone on the market today.

Continuing the strong legacy of its flagship predecessors, the HONOR Magic5 Pro adopts enhanced hardware with discrete chipsets, and advanced technologies, combining the best software solutions to deliver a superior flagship that is a class apart.

To make a mark of its superb specs, HONOR linked up with the official Guinness World Records to snap a successful attempt at doing the highest between-the-legs slam dunk. Polands Piotr Grabowski achieved the feat at a facility in London in January 2023, and HONOR was there with the upcoming HONOR Magic5 Pro flagship to capture it.

Right after its global release, the HONOR Magic5 Pro has seized the #1 position in the DXOMARK Smartphone Display ranking for the first quarter of 2023. It is also highly recognized during MWC 2023, receiving awards from various tech authorities.

HONOR Magic5 Pro will be officially launched on June 8, 2023 and you can catch it live on HONOR Philippines Facebook Page (https://fb.me/e/T11UD2VR).

For more updates and announcements, you may visit HONORs website www.hihonor.com or social media platforms: Facebook (Facebook.com/HonorPhilippines), Instagram (Instagram.com/honorphilippines/) and TikTok: (Tiktok.com/@honorphilippines). To check out HONORs complete list of retail stores, go to https://www.hihonor.com/ph/retailers/.

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